ã€ŠProdigies and Prophecies [LitRPG, ISEKAI]ã€‹


 1. Isekai?

    The bus driver said something about taking a slight detour to avoid the rush hour, but the speakers were dull and old, and half of the message was lost in transition. Vincent tried to return to sleep.

    "How much longer?" the passenger next to him asked. A girl with a hoodie on, all he could see from her in the dark was a pair of large glasses reflecting the meager light of the bus''s safety lamps.

    "No long," the driver replied. "Waze say hour half¡ª Fuck!" The man pushed the brake pedal to the floor while a bright light wall enveloped them. The engine''s noise pitch and level turned down, and everything moved in slow motion. The girl''s glasses flew in the air, her eyes and mouth widening to scream. Vincent''s hand instinctively moved to catch the spectacles.

    There were more screams, thuds¡ªbodies hitting the chair in front of them¡ªand yells, and the ruckus reached a deafening level. Then, things returned to normal. It was broad daylight out of nowhere, and the vehicle had stopped in a meadow. The driver opened the door. Vincent was inspired to yell, "Don''t rush!" a second before the stampede could form.

    Five minutes later, the group Vincent guided on a tour of Central Europe was outside, looking at the landscape with befuddlement. It was not Kansas nor Earth, something made clear by the ring of asteroids floating in the middle of the sky, lightened by the bigger sun. And there were many moons, three larger than Earth''s and a few others smaller or more distant. The air was hot, smelling of summer flowers.

    "Alien abduction?" a young man asked, putting a pair of sunglasses on. That reminded Vincent of the spectacles he held in hand, and he offered them back to the girl, who gasped and grasped them with joy.

    "Isekai, for sure," she said, putting her glasses back on, blinking a few times to readjust her sight.

    "C''mon, Irene, that''s fantasy!" the youngster laughed.

    To contradict him, a shiny figure appeared in their midst. Half as tall as them, the beautiful woman smiled and spoke directly in their heads.

    [Kiara (Archetype of Light and Fortune)]: I bid you welcome, Adventurers. It seems a spontaneous portal brought you to Stellianor. This unintentional occurrence might be frightening, but rest assured, our Realm is welcoming. We will speak again after you reach safety.

    Spreading her hands in a hugging gesture, the woman dissolved into specks of light, which rushed around, entering their bodies before they could react.

    "What the fuck?" Vincent exclaimed under a jolt of pain in his head.

    Welcome to the System, Vincent Vala?ka.

    You have been granted the Common Tongue Knowledge and a basic information package.

    Your Level is 1. Advance to level 10 to unlock a class. You will gain one token per level, which can be spent to buy skills or raise your attribute points.

    Current stats: Body 18 / Mind 12 / Spirit 18

    Group Quest: Forests are beautiful, yet dangerous. Reach the nearby village before you attract the beasts'' attention. Gain increased XP if all of you reach the village. Group size: 60/60

    "Beasts?" the young woman with the glasses blurted, her voice showing the same shivering as her body.

    "Shit¡­ I''ll need my bow," a muscular dark-haired man said, rushing back in the bus.

    "I have a gun," a woman said, following him.

    "Stay with the group," Vincent yelled toward a pair of girls in their late teens, aiming for the tree line.

    "We need to pee," one of them complained.

    "Go with them," Vincent ordered the woman from before, now back with a double-barrel hunting gun. "Don''t be long, don''t go far. You," he turned toward the stocky man, who had returned with a compound bow and a quiver, "keep your eyes peeled. Everyone else, lend me your ears!" he yelled. "I''m an ex-military, trained in survival, mountaineering, all the shit. I''ll assume command for now, OK?" Vincent looked around, but no one contested his words. "Does anyone have medical training?"

    "I''m a doctor," a man raised his hand.

    "Take the bus''s first aid kit, patch them," Vincent gestured. Some people had lacerations and scratches on their faces or sprained members, limping or grimacing. No fractures, or they would have screamed. Returning to the bus with the doctor, he picked up his backpack and extracted a pen and the passengers'' manifesto. "What''s your name?"

    "Ayman Noli," the man yelled, not because he was upset about being asked; he was half out of the bus on the farther end.

    "Twenty-six, Albania?" Vincent mumbled and frowned, checking the name on the list. It was the first time the age and country of the passengers were mentioned in a manifesto.

    The pen started to shake in his hand. It was an abduction¡­ The emphasis the apparition had put on ''unintentional'' had spoken volumes¡­ This was nothing like a happenstance¡­

    "Never mind¡­" Vincent mumbled. "There are more pressing matters." Still shivering, he checked the secret compartment in his backpack. The revolver was there, in its holster. He squeezed his eyes shut, chasing away bad memories, then exited the bus, massaging the nape of his head.

    "Told you, Isekai," Irene shouted at the sunglasses man.

    "That still counts as an alien abduction," the man yelled back.

    The dialogue looked like a spitting contest, with both screaming inches away from each other''s faces.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    Why the hell Im thinking in inches? Vincent thought.

    FAQ: Why do strange units of measurement appear in my brain?

    The System helps you adapt to the local standards. This does not overwrite your previous knowledge.

    Shit, this thing reading my mind¡­

    FAQ: Can the System read my mind?

    Answer: No, unless you focus your thoughts with intent and ask a question that is answerable by the information installed in your brain.

    Meanwhile, the commotion had increased.

    "Hey!" Vincent yelled. "Calm down. We need to work together. I''ll call your names. When you hear yours, raise your hands and tell me your competencies. Irene Altenschloss."

    "Here!" the glasses-wearing girl shouted

    "What can you do?"

    She pulled back her hoodie; to Vincent''s surprise, she was a cutie. Petite, brunette, curly medium-long hair, button nose, almost like an anime character. The glasses conferred a sliver of nerdiness. Which was confirmed by her words.

    "I study social sciences and geopolitics," she said sheepishly, grinning and fidgeting. "And it''s a serious subject," she added immediately.

    Twenty-two¡­ Austria, Vincent read to himself the text next to her name. "Bom Jong Yeok," he continued aloud. Twenty, South Korea.

    "It''s Pom," the young man with the bow said, keeping his attention to the surroundings. "They mess my name every other day. Call me Jong."

    "Yeah¡­ tell me about it," Vincent sighed. "What''s your job, Jong?"

    "C''mon, man, really? I''m an archer!" the man snorted. "Olympic and world champion. I think I have a concussion¡­ I saw a hologram of a woman speaking nonsense and a blue text."

    "We all saw them," Vincent said curtly.

    One by one, he read all the names. The order of seniority started with the driver, who was forty, going down to the woman with the shotgun, who was thirty-five, then himself, at twenty-eight. The rest were under twenty-five. The youngest were the two girls who had gone to the forest for the number one: nineteen and ballet dancers. In the next few minutes, Vincent discovered the group was made of prodigies. There was a painter, a molecular engineer, a nuclear one, a quantum physicist, a robotics and machine learning wunderkind, and so on. What nagged Vincent was that the blue text had said they were supposed to be sixty, yet only forty-eight people were present.

    "A bus of brainiacs, huh?" the driver commented, his eyes shifting around. "Look, if there are monsters here, we''re sitting ducks. Let''s go to that village."

    "Where?" Vincent made a large, sweeping gesture. The meadow was surrounded by forest on all sides. "We have to explore first."

    "I have a drone, it¡¯s in the luggage," the wunderkind said. Jorge, if Vincent recalled the name well.

    "Perfect. Raise it up, and let''s¡ª"

    "Danger!" Jong yelled.

    Like a flock of geese, all turned their heads in the direction the archer pointed at. A tiger emerged from the trees on the farthest side of the clearing. It was white, huge, and totally out of tune with the oak forest¡ªwhich somehow had a European vibe in Vincent''s mind.

    Growling, the animal advanced, its head lowered, staring at the group. By instinct, everybody started to shout, trying to scare it. Ignoring their pathetic attempts, the beast trotted forward, a casual approach, testing if the group presented a danger or was a big snack. The safest option was to get inside the bus and wait until the threat left.

    "Don''t¡ª"

    ''Shoot'' was lost in transition. The lady with the rifle discharged both her barrels with no effect whatsoever, and Jong released an arrow that skidded against the tiger''s head, leaving a deep gash. The growling transformed into a roar, and the creature charged.

    Everyone ran away, fanning apart, hoping the monster would eat another of them. At the same time, Vincent ran into the bus and turned the key, praying the engine would start. It did, and he engaged the reverse and pressed the gas pedal. With a jerk, the bus jolted backward. It hit something and choked.

    Vincent ran back on the couloir, unsheathing his revolver on the way. The rear of the bus was caved in, the rear windshield broken, and the tiger was thrown on the ground a few yards away, whimpering, one of the front legs twisted in an unnatural angle. The young man kicked the remaining glass out and took aim. The beast cowered, covering its head with its uninjured paw.

    It knows what a gun is¡­ "Go away," Vincent screamed, shooting once in the air.

    The animal didn''t wait for another invitation, limping as fast as it could back to where it came from. The man jumped through the window, landing on the grass, reading the notification on the way.

    You have chased away White Roar, a level 10 Elite Tiger, and ensured your group''s continued existence. Level up x2. You have 2 Tokens to invest.

    You have unlocked Battle Instinct (Passive, Elite tier). You don''t need to look at a target to judge its movements or the distance. At skill levels 50 and 100, you can evolve this ability to include an active effect. Your current skill level is estimated to be 10.

    "Why didn''t you shoot it?" Jong asked. "Irene, stop tik-toking the damn beast!"

    The girl was taking photos of the retreating tiger with her phone. Vincent realized that she and the archer had hidden in the tall grass. A wise decision, as the large cat was more likely to be attracted by the running targets.

    "I don''t like to kill if I have another choice," he said to Jong. And it looked¡­ intelligent, he thought. "Anyone with knives, scissors, files, anything, gather them. Find ropes and duct tape; we''ll make spears," he yelled at the returning group.

    "You think improvised spears would stop that kind of monster?" someone asked.

    "No, but it might keep it busy until we shoot it. I need a few people to come with me to gather branches for the shafts¡­ What the heck is that?"

    He jerked back, stepping away instinctively from the bus. Muffled banging noises were coming from the luggage compartment.

    "No shoot, no shoot," Dorel yelled, waving his hands. "More passengers."

    "I wasn''t going to shoot," Vincent hissed, the revolver at the ready but aiming down. "What passengers?"

    "Immigrants¡­ I like help people¡­" the driver confessed, opening the hatch. One by one, twelve more people stepped out. Shorter in stature on average, brown-skinned, and of mixed ages, from elderly to children looking malnourished and tired.

    "Germany?" an older man asked.

    Lowering his shoulders, Dorel shook his head in negation.

    "Oh, God, how did they fit in there?" a woman from the main group exclaimed, wrinkling her nose under the whiff of bad odors emanating from the luggage compartment. "Are you OK?"

    "See if they are well," Vincent ordered the doctor. "You," he pointed at Dorel, "explain to them what happened. I need three people to cut shafts for the spears."

    Three volunteers stepped forward, and he led them in the opposite direction from which the tiger had come to a bunch of hazelnut saplings, one of the best woods for the task. Showing them how to cut the branches through batoning, Vincent let them work and kept guard, revolver in hand.

    Half an hour later, they were back at the bus. Vincent made the spears himself. Two scissors, now broken in two, five knives, more toward the Swiss army type, and a nail file were the tips. As soon as a weapon was done, he handed it around. Meanwhile, Jorge still struggled to assemble his drone, and Irene and the man with sunglasses argued again about Isekai versus alien abduction.

    "It''s the Illuminati," the man yelled. That made Vincent let out a loud laugh. "You think it''s funny?" Picking up the passenger manifesto, which Vincent had dropped when the monster attacked, the youngster shoved it into Vincent''s hands, pointing to the logo. "See it for yourself."

    "No shit!" Vincent blurted. It said: ''International League for Leadership, Unity, Mentoring Initiative, Narrative Advocacy, and Talent Integration.'' The title made little sense, but the initials spelled Illuminati.

    "It''s a pun," Irene yelled. "It was a joke, nothing more."

    "This wasn''t arranged from the Earth''s side," Vincent said. "Our main bus broke; this was a last-hour replacement, and I booked it myself," he sneered at Dorel, displeased the driver had come with illegal living cargo included. "And the detour was unplanned."

    "There''s a village a mile to the east," Jorge interjected, squashing the quarrel short. He had finally succeeded in raising the drone.

    "We leave in five. Everybody grabs only the minimum," Vincent shouted.

 2. A Village in the Boondocks

    They left in twenty, not five, because a few people had an exaggerated concept about the bare minimum. Somebody with mechanics skills removed the bus''s horn, improvising a handle and connecting it to a few flashlight batteries.

    First, they went through the woods for about three-quarters of a mile. The honks, an abominable noise, did their job of scaring any predator lurking in the forest; there were no more attacks. Once they passed the tree line, they saw the village.

    Tucked at the foot of a hill and surrounded on three sides by a river, it looked more like a small town, with houses displaying dark beams and white lime-painted walls in between. It had a ten-foot tall stone wall around it and one access, a bridge. On it was a welcoming committee: a plump middle-aged man with a long black coat and a thick silver necklace, with an armed guard behind him.

    The first advanced to meet them. "Welcome to Krivoburg, adventurers," he bowed. "I''m the mayor, Prosek Ludanowski. Her Highness Kiara told us to help you with everything necessary."

    "Is she your goddess?" Irene asked.

    "Goodness, no," the mayor crossed himself. "She''s an Archetype."

    "Let''s not go into religion," Vincent whispered to Irene. ¡°Who knows the local standard for burning people at the stake. Thank you, noble sir. I assume we are to be lodged in your pleasant village?" he said the last words aloud.

    "Indeed you are," the mayor said, kneading his fingers and smiling. "Free food and lodging for no matter how long you want to stay with us. Please follow me."

    The man turned on his heels like a whirlwind and proceeded into town at a brisk pace. The guard remained behind, which meant he was guarding the bridge. As soon as they passed the bridge, there was a brief notification about XP gained. It was not enough for Vincent to reach the next level, but from the Ahs and Ohs around, he guessed the rest had leveled up. The group walked for ten minutes on the main street, a twenty feet wide avenue paved with stones, reaching a central square. Just before the open space was an inn, three stories high.

    "It''s all yours," the mayor gestured for them to enter, opening the door. "The staff knows you''re coming. Make yourself comfortable. I''ll be back for dinner."

    "Welcome, welcome," several voices called from inside the resort.

    Ten attendants, men and women, rushed to take the luggage and show them to their rooms and the facilities. Vincent was put in a room with the young man who had argued with Irene. The toilets were common, one at each end of the corridor. They contained a wooden bench with a hole in it, probably giving it to a waste recipient in the basement, and a pitcher and a basin for hand washing. Vincent had seen similar facilities in some of the castles they visited.

    Downstairs were two large bathrooms with wooden tubs and showers, one for the ladies and one for the gents, but the priority was given to the group of immigrants, who stayed in squalor for days.

    To his immense pleasant surprise, there was toilet paper. After relieving himself, Vincent went to take a short shower, activating a lever and letting out water from a sprinkler. The soap was more fragrant than expected despite looking like it was made for laundry. When he returned to the room, his roommate lay on one of the beds, hands under his head.

    "You think there''s a way to get back?" the man asked, taking out his sunglasses. The sun was beginning to set.

    "What''s your name again?" Vincent asked.

    "Lukas."

    "The question, Lukas, is not about whether we could return home; it''s if we''ll be able to survive here."

    "You mean this world is dangerous?"

    "If it looks medieval and has monsters, it must be¡­ We need to stick together and find more."

    "I dunno their technology level, but I could assemble explosives in no time. And maybe make some big guns¡­ I''m both a chemist and a metallurgist."

    "That''s good news," Vincent nodded. "What''s the deal about all you bright people in one place? Is it on purpose?"

    "Of course," Lukas laughed. "That''s what the foundation is for, bringing talent together¡­ Irene''s parents are the founders."

    "Really?" Vincent gasped. The girl didn''t give the impression of being a spoiled and rich brat. On the contrary, her sagging clothes were working to hide her natural prettiness.

    "They''re billionaires, but in the lower digits¡­ very socially active, though, old money and stuff¡­ You think the foundation is behind the abduction?"

    "If it was the case, there would be a way back," Vincent said. "No way they''d let their daughter get stuck on an alien planet, right?"

    "Yeah¡­ No way¡­ If her folks are in it, I bet Irene doesn''t know. She''s a decent person. We argue often because I don''t like rich people much¡­"

    You like them enough to take their money, though, Vincent thought, and then there was a knock on the door.

    "The dinner will be served in ten minutes," someone announced.

    "Pff¡­ I hoped there was time for a bath," Lukas sighed.

    "Go for a shower," Vincent said. "I don''t think anyone would notice if you''re five minutes late."

    "Thanks. See ya."The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

    While Lukas beelined for the lavatories, Vincent went to the main hall. Two rows of tables were laid on the sides, with a central one in the middle. The mayor sat there, plus somebody who looked like a priest and another man in his late forties, the old-soldier type. Next to them sat Irene.

    "Come here," she beckoned, showing Vincent a free seat next to her.

    Servants ran around, bringing a round of small glasses filled to the brim with reddish alcohol that smelled of apples. The mayor raised and clinked his glass with a spoon to demand attention.

    "Honorable guests, fellow officials," he began. "I drink to your arrival. May you thrive and reach cap level," he raised the glass and sipped. More or less enthusiastically, everyone followed his example.

    Irene rose to reply to the toast but barely opened her mouth when the shining silhouette from the forest reappeared, announced beforehand by an increase in the overall luminosity.

    [Kiara (Archetype of Light and Fortune)]: Adventurers! I am happy to see you safe.

    "I want to go home," one of the younger girls yelled.

    [Kiara (Archetype of Light and Fortune)]: If you wish so, ways to return will reveal themselves¡­ in due time. Meanwhile, here is your next Quest.

    "What do you mean?" the girl asked, but the woman disappeared anew, replaced with a blue text that blinked in their eyes and didn''t vanish until they read it. ¡°Hey! Come back and answer me!¡±

    Group Quest: Protect the nearby village from pests and roaming monsters. Kill five hundred beasts within a month. Rewards: various. Research the ways of Stellarthterra. Rewards: knowledge.

    The sturdy-looking man from the central table advanced in the middle of the room. "My name is Thomas Thickskull, and I¡¯m a police sergeant," he spoke in a deep voice. "I will procure you the best weapons and armor we have, and my men will assist you in your Quest¡­" he paused, looking around. His eyes clearly conveyed: ''For goodness sake, please don''t ask me to babysit you; you''re adults.''

    Irene jumped up the second the sarge sat back. "Don''t lose hope, guys. You heard the lady. There''s a way back home; we''ll find it. Meanwhile, we should collaborate with our hosts to the best of our abilities and have a briefing every evening."

    "Cheers," the mayor said. He had sulked during her first words and rejuvenated on the last.

    Vincent also clinked on his glass; the room was now filled with anxious small talk. "Folks, relax. Let¡¯s start with the second quest. Intel gathering. You¡¯re the smart people, so you''re on that. First thing tomorrow, I¡¯ll bring the rest of our luggage, with some help from Sarge Thomas. Is it OK with you, Sir?"

    "It can be arranged," the man shrugged.

    "Thank you. That''s all, guys, enjoy your food."

    "Ahum," the priest cleared his voice, throwing a stare at Vincent. "We still have to do the prayer, young man."

    "Sorry, your err¡­ eminence?" Vincent lowered his head between the shoulders.

    The mayor and the sergeant stood up, a sign for everyone to raise. Only Lukas tried to sit, mumbling something about being an atheist, but Jong, the Korean archer, slapped the back of his head and pulled him up by the ear. The priest started an incantation. The words made no sense to Vincent. They sounded weird, but fortunately, the prayer was short.

    You have unlocked the skill of Quiet Leadership (Passive, Elite tier). With few but wise words, you manage to make others follow you. Increases the stats of your followers by +1. +4 in every stat for yourself as long you have at least 30 followers. Evolvable at levels 50 and 100. The current skill level is estimated to be 14.

    The door to the kitchen opened, and the attendants came in, dextrously putting food and drinks on a large table, buffet style. The main course was a stew with hot fresh bread along it. The latter was delicious, the first bland but edible. The white wine was not to Vincent''s liking, but the beer was among the best he ever had, which was a feat in itself. His back relaxed, and he leaned on the chair, pretending to doze while listening to the rumor.

    Slowly, layers of discussions started to distinguish themselves apart. First, there was the general chat of the abductees, speaking in English. Many were afraid, which was normal. Others were excited to be in a world that had supernatural phenomena. Names like Plank or Lorentz flew everywhere. At first, Vincent thought they were group members. Only when Einstein was mentioned did he realize the truth. He dismissed those voices, concentrating on the other chats.

    The occasional Common Tongue had a buzz and a delay because his ears replaced the words with concepts, and the brain showed him the ideas and meanings behind them. It was not like hearing a translation into a language he knew, no. He heard foreign words not resembling anything familiar, and he understood them. Better and better, as a matter of fact.

    Spanish floated around, too, from the immigrants. They were from the Philippines and were still confused about where they were. A long, painful voyage to reach a better place, ending in disappointment. Dorel and Jorge were trying to calm them. The kids ran all over the room, chasing the inn''s large tomcat, who was fat and had no desire to play, trying to save himself by hiding under the tables, not the best place when pursued by a bunch of children not much larger. The feline, though, had the decency of not scratching his assailants, stoically resisting the urge to vomit and letting himself be thrown around in the air.

    You have unlocked the Animal Empathy skill (Passive, Elite tier). You feel the mood of the animals around you. You can detect hidden predators in an area of a hundred yards if they observe you with malicious intent. The current skill level is estimated to be 10. Evolvable at Skill levels 50 and 100.

    In Vincent''s opinion, that was a neat skill, but he tried not to dwell on it. The last layer of talking was the one that interested him the most. The locals'' real tongue. He could understand it because it was a mix of Czech with a little German, an old version for both, but quite evident.

    They were on another Earth, parallel or alternate universe or reality, but still an Earth. Twenty miles to the east was Prague, only named Pragwyn here. The capital of Beauhemia, vassal to the Hungarian kingdom. That meant they had arrived at an equivalent point in space to the place they were at the moment of the abduction. Their location was considered the boondocks of the country, near the western border.

    For the rest, the discussion revolved around them, the newcomers. The sergeant considered them whimps. Using a form of magical inspection, he concluded that only three persons among the Summoned had martial training: Vincent, the woman with the gun, and Jong. The fact they were called Summoned showed an intention behind their arrival, thus, an abduction.

    There was a plot to arm the group with crossbows and make them hunt weaker pests, hoping to unlock basic combat skills or classes for them.

    Both the priest and the mayor understood English, which was probably an acquired skill because they translated bits of group conversations they considered important to the sergeant. All three were dumbfounded by the topics, as many words involved quantum physics and genetics.

    You have unlocked the Spying skill (Passive, Rare tier). Your presence and attention are barely noticeable, and you are prone to finding secrets. Your current skill level is estimated to be 30.

    Vincent wasn''t the only one who understood what the notabilities spoke about. Opening his eyelids for a second, he met Irene''s eyes. There was a deep frown on her face.

    As the desert arrived, and it was apple strudel, Vincent pretended to wake up, enticed by the scent. The mulled wine accompanying it was a good opportunity to claim he was dizzy and retire after he finished eating. There was no protocol for that; everyone was leaving at their own discretion.

    Once in the room, Peter changed into a new T-shirt and boxers and threw himself on the bed. He forgot to pull the curtains, and the light in the sky was too bright for him to sleep easily. The asteroid belt shone along the moons, eerie and mysterious.

    Are those inhabited? A sudden thought pinged in his mind, observing seas and clouds on the satellites, then he fell asleep, awaking only for a brief moment when Lukas returned.

 3. The Bus Stop

    As an ex-military, Vincent was an early bird and woke up before anyone else. He skipped breakfast, exited the inn, and asked around for the garrison, which was non-existent. He found the police post instead, in a small house surrounded by a garden. The sergeant was watering the plants with a metal sprinkler but put it down and came to meet him.

    "Good morning, Summoned Vincent."

    "Beautiful flowers," he complimented Thomas.

    "My wife likes gardening a lot," the man explained with a hint of shyness in his attitude, shifting his weight from one foot to another.

    "Send her my compliments. There are few such beautiful gardens where I come from." Vincent had said only half of a lie. Plenty of gardens were nicer on Earth, but none belonged to a police station, so far as he knew. "I''m here to ask for your help. How many people can you spare?"

    "If I must, half my forces. Twenty-five," the sergeant said. "I need an hour to spread the word. The men-at-arms live in their own houses."

    "Local forces, huh?"

    "Of course," Thoms frowned. "There''s no better choice for defending a city than people with skin in the game."

    Vincent was of another opinion but renounced wording it. "It''s perfect. Can they meet me at the bridge?"

    "An hour, the bridge," the officer said curtly, entering the building after leaving the sprinkler on a bench.

    "Tell them to dress light and bring axes!" Vincent shouted. The sergeant nodded, keeping his back to the younger man. Obviously, he was not keen to lend his help.

    But Vincent didn''t care about enthusiasm; he only wanted the job done, so he returned to the inn, strolling casually, hands in his pocket and humming a merry melody. Freshly baked bread and butter waited on the table, along with eggs and bacon prepared in various sorts and jams. There was no coffee¡ªapparently, an expensive imported drink served in more luxurious boutiques¡ªbut a hot herb concoction smelling like boiled spinach, which Vincent avoided, opting for water.

    Irene, Jorge, and the immigrants were there, chatting in Spanish. "So, you know Spanish?" he asked Irene in the same language.

    "Not very well," she confessed.

    "Still, it''s good enough to keep secrets," Vincent lowered his voice, leaning forward to close the distance to her ear, and she enthusiastically nodded back.

    "How come you speak Spanish?" Jorge asked. "You''re Czech, aren''t you?"

    "Half Spanish," Vincent confessed. "My grandfather''s family name was Velasco. He was left-leaning and quit Spain during Franco''s last years, coming to Czechoslovakia just a few weeks before the Soviet Invasion with his family. Then, the new regime threw him in prison for a few years, saying he was a fascist spy. The irony."

    "Wow," Irene widened her eyes.

    "Yeah," Vincent grimaced. "My grandmother ran to Austria with my father, where grandpop rejoined them after he was freed. Years later, my father fell in love with a Czech, my mother, and moved to Prague. Don''t ask me how my name changed to Vala?ka."

    "How did your name change to Vala?ka?" Irene and Jorge asked in unison, a reaction Vincent expected and willingly provoked.

    "The clerk on service at the newborns'' declaration center was drunk."

    "He got Vincent right and misspelled Velasco?" Jorge gasped.

    "Right. Vala?ka¡­ in fact, pronounced Valashka is more of a Moravian and Slovakian name. It means a sort of a shepherd''s axe used by the Vlach minority."

    "You could always change it, you know," Irene said.

    "Doesn''t bother me," Vincent said. "One means axe, the other raven. Say, guys," he waved toward the Filipinos. "Do you by any chance know how to fell a tree? I need some muscles; the others are on the¡­ more brains than brawns side."

    "Hey, I''m strong!" Irene protested. "I''m doing ten pushups a day¡­. OK, five," she caved under his stare.

    "We worked in forestry sometimes," one of the elderly Filipinos said.

    "Fantastic. Can you join me at the bridge in¡­ fifteen minutes?" Vincent checked his watch. "Only the adults, please. Maybe ask around for some axes?"

    "Sure, boss," the man said.

    "He''s not a boss," Irene hissed. "You''re not going to exploit them, are you?"This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    "It''s not exploiting.  This is for the common good, and I''m using the most competent people for the job."

    "Don''t worry, miss, we''re OK," the elderly man said.

    "See you at the bridge," Vincent said, leaving abruptly. Irene''s face had a strange expression; she looked the type to pester him about how many trees he would cut, and insist to do it painlessly and humanly. In short, what he considered a woke nerd.

    After busying around the inn to identify the person with the honking device and procure a couple of spades, a shovel, and a pickaxe from the stable''s storage, Vincent aimed for the bridge. Everyone was there, and the soldiers were led by none other but the sergeant. The Filipinos had machetes. Where they got those was a mystery but not one he intended to spend time solving.

    Taking the lead, revolver holstered at the belt and horn in hand, Vincent went toward the forest. The previous day, he noticed a dilapidated road going to the clearing. It was possible to bring the bus into town with a bit of effort in felling the few saplings and bushes that had grown on the path.

    "This, this, and this, have to go," he kicked three medium-sized oaks he wanted to be cut. There was a pang of guilt in his heart for letting others work while he was not, but he trusted his gun more than the halberds if monsters appeared.

    Half an hour later, the precaution paid off as his senses picked up a dangerous vibe from the rear of the group. A bush nearby started to tremble. He activated the horn with the left while snatching the revolver out, ready to fire. A wolf jumped out of the bush in an arched leap, only to fall dead on the road before Vincent could shoot. Many rustling noises told him a larger group of animals were running away.

    You have provoked a heart attack on a level twenty Alpha Wolf (Rare tier) and chased his pack away. You have leveled x3. +1 Level in the Animal Empathy skill. You have three free Tokens to invest. Beasts slain: 1/500.

    "What is that hellish weapon?" the sergeant yelled, covering his ears. Two of his men were vomiting near the trail, and the rest had pale faces.

    "Err¡­ sound magic?" Vincent tried to simplify things because he had no idea.

    "Seems that''s more to you than it meets the Identify," Thomas bowed. "Well done. That''s a pack leader and an old one. Forty years, at least. I bet that pelt will bring at least ten gold."

    "Forty years?" Vincent exclaimed, approaching the dead canid. The fur was almost white, with a slight dark blue shade near the skin. The old wolf had widened his eyes in its final moments, a horror-filled expression. "Err¡­ how does loot work here? You say it, or what?"

    "Sorry?" Thomas furrowed his thick brow, uniting his forehead in a continued like of hair.

    "You know, you say loot, and it transforms into gold, like in the books?"

    "No such thing," the sergeant shook his head. "I can take care of the processing, if you want, for fifty silver."

    "There''s a hundred silver to a gold, right?"

    "And a hundred coppers to a silver."

    "Fine with me."

    With a grunt, Thomas grabbed the carcass and threw it on his shoulders. Vincent wondered what the man''s stats were because the wolf was almost as big as a pony. He ordered the soldiers to stop cutting the trees and give some of their axes to the Filipinos; they were much better at the job, and it was not a matter of strength but technique. The men at arms happily obeyed, going to the rear to guard the group from other unexpected attacks.

    Two hours later, they arrived at the clearing, a ten-foot-wide road behind them. Maybe ''road'' was not the proper word, but the space was as obstacle-free as possible.

    The bus was mostly intact, but they met another problem. The white tiger from the day before was hanging around the luggage hatch. It had opened the door somehow and sniffed the suitcases, its head inside the hole. Gingerly touching the luggage, it extracted one suitcase with a claw. Vincent''s heart skipped a beat: it was his valise, pink but expensive, a gift from his ex. A choir of gasps resounded among the soldiers.

    "Don''t you dare, you motherfucker," Vincent screamed. The large cat turned calmly, looking him in the eyes, raised a hind leg, and peed on the suitcase. It knows I won''t shoot with the bus on the back¡­ I risk ruining it. "This is how you repay sparing your life?" Vincent pumped his fist.

    Roaring, the tiger jumped over the bus in one fluid movement and was gone. Vincent ran forward and opened his suitcase lid, protecting his hands with disinfecting wipes. The content was safe; the foul liquid had not reached inside. With relief, Vincent picked up his clothes and other items in his arms, going inside the bus through the driver''s door, still open. He deposited everything on a seat and covered the pile with a blanket.

    Looking at the suitcase, he hesitantly stepped toward the doors but didn''t exit the bus. I have to let it go¡­ Maybe it''s a sign¡­ You know you shouldn''t cling to the past, Vincent¡­ He sighed, shaking his head with his eyes shut. "Get inside!" he yelled, beckoning the others with his arm.

    The men-at-arms got up first, with Thomas last, after stuffing the wolf''s body inside the luggage compartment and closing the hatch. "You know the tiger?" he asked.

    Vincent groaned, feeling like after a fist in the stomach. "Almost killed the fuckster yesterday¡­ I should have finished the job."

    "See, sarge, they''re strong," one of the soldiers said.

    "I might have misjudged this group," Thomas conceded. "But he must be the strongest one. Yet with proper training, the others will catch up in no¡ª"

    "You are not to train my people without consulting me on a training regimen," Vincent said in a calm but firm voice. "We can speak about it in the afternoon."

    "Son, I have over thirty years of¡ª"

    "And I served in my country''s best units. Look¡­ I don''t disparage your knowledge; let¡¯s compare our ideas first. Give me an hour of your time, and I''ll show you what I mean."

    "I won''t refuse a Summoned expertise," the sergeant conceded. "Who knows? Maybe it would benefit those lazy bastards, too."

    "Sit down, no matter where except on my clothes," Vincent asked because the soldiers were squeezed together on the corridor like sardines. "Please work," he begged the bus, turning the key. The engine hiccuped a couple of times but finally started. "Thank goodness. Here we go."

    Crossing the meadow in the first gear to have traction, Vincent drove the vehicle toward the freshly cleared road, where he dared to switch to the second. It was a bumpy trail, and he bit his tongue a few times, cursing. Behind him, the locals were letting out sighs of awe.

    They arrived in the city square at precisely half past twelve. Vincent honked to announce their presence, eliciting yells of protest from the passengers. With the soldiers'' help, Vincent carried all the luggage inside the inn. Some of the owners were having lunch and got their luggage on the spot, and the rest was gathered in a pile in the back of the hall to be sorted later. Then came the notification.

    You have successfully regained ownership of your group''s vehicle and belongings. You gain + 1 in Mind and Spirit and one level in Quiet Leadership.

    That''s not half bad, Vincent thought with satisfaction.

 4. Illumination

    For the rest of the evening, Vincent and Sergeant Thomas Thickskull debated about training. To put things in perspective, they tested their ideas by drilling the local troops and sparing in hand-to-hand combat. The exercises went very well. Vincent''s techniques were superior, and the locals unfamiliar with basic details that made the bread and butter of any decent army on Earth.

    Although he would have won at points in a boxing match, the sparring had unintended consequences for Vincent. He avoided most hits; Thomas was a living telegraph, but hitting the sergeant was like smashing against a brick wall, and he got bruises only from that. In the end, Thomas demonstrated his special attack, reflected by his nickname, by headbutting a dummy and reducing the wooden cranium to splinters.

    After the training session, Thomas hugged the youngster in a bear hug. The motif became clear through a notification.

    You have raised the tier of fifty Troops and a Sergeant from Common to Uncommon. Skill acquired: Mentor (Passive, Elite). You are exceptionally gifted at teaching. Current Skill Level: 10. You have gained +1 in Body and Mind.

    "My police station is your police station," Thomas said. "Anything you want, ask for it."

    It was a radical change from the man''s previous attitude, but Vincent wouldn''t object. "How about letting me use some of your space?" he asked, looking around. The inn was too crowded for his taste, and he could use a secondary command center.

    "The attic is free if you don''t mind the dust."

    "Much appreciated," Vincent nodded.

    After another half an hour of small talk and a glass of brandy, Vincent returned to the inn to change into fresh clothes and shower. He was dissatisfied to find the food was leftovers from lunch: beef steak and potatoes. The steak was stringy, and the potatoes tasteless, and he had to drown the meal in beer to improve his mood. After everyone ate, they gathered together to discuss a strategy, but not before a row of applause rewarded Vincent for bringing them the full luggage.

    Then Irene cleared her voice to ask for their attention. She''s cute, Vincent smiled, seeing her struggle to cough loud enough to cover the conversations in the room. He helped her effort by whistling with two fingers, and she gave him a thankful glance and nod.

    "Let''s start with the beginning," Irene said. "Why we''re here. The information behind Summonings is not a secret; I found enough materials in the library. Summonings happen every other century or so when the System detects an imminent danger¡ª"

    "Like reading the future?" Vincent asked.

    "An AI predicting probabilities," Jorge said.

    Irene frowned at both, silently scolding them for interrupting her. "The books only say: ''When the signs show a rising darkness.'' Then, the Archetypes perform a summoning spell to call on heroes from other worlds. The usual fantasy clich¨¦. This spell is more like randomly throwing a tiny fishnet into an ocean and praying fate brings you a good catch. If I got it right, there¡¯s a concurrence among the Archetypes. Whoever¡¯s summon succeeds gains higher status and followers and issues more quests."

    "Did you find something about how to go home?" one of the two dancers asked. They were the youngest there and the more likely to yearn to return to their families.

    "Yes¡­" Irene said with a brief hesitation. Questions exploded from everywhere, covering the room in noises.  "Hey, hey, hear me out!" she yelled over the ruckus, pushing on her toes to appear taller. "When we reach level ten, we''ll be asked if we want to get a class or return home¡­ But it comes with a price. If we go back, we lose all our magical powers."

    "I don''t care!" the dancer shouted back.

    "At least take everything into consideration before making a decision. People here live longer. Elite classes live hundreds of years, and we figured out how to unlock them."

    "Almost every disease is curable," Ayman, the doctor, added.

    "We can build advanced tech by mixing our knowledge with magic," Jorge said. "This is not one of those shitty LitRPGs where guns and electricity don''t work. I already figured out how to keep our smartphones and laptops working. We have enhanced our portable solar panels with magic and installed a few recharging points around the inn. In a few days, we''ll have an intranet."

    "Yeah¡­ still abduction¡­ Never mind¡­ Irene, you think we should stay?" Vincent asked.

    "I dunno¡­¡± she grimaced, looking all of a sudden frail and vulnerable. ¡°I can speak only for myself. This is what I¡­ we trained for: to make a difference in the world¡­ Only this is not really our world, but¡­ you know what I mean. From what I''ve learned, most Summoned chose to stay because of the advantages."

    "We also have to consider the risks," Jorge said. "What use is a few hundred years lifespan if a tiger eats you?"

    "Yes, we have to get our hands on some statistics," Irene said. "Fortunately, the locals have a magical communication device with the capital."

    "Like a phone?" someone asked.

    "More like a fax. A piece of paper on which you write what you want, and the Pragwyn station passes the message on. There''s a shop belonging to a rich entrepreneur, who is himself a summoned person from long ago.  He will come to meet us in a few days. That''ll be a good occasion to find more ab¡ª"

    "Is it possible to order more magical advanced materials and books about magic?" someone asked.

    "Paying with what?" Irene turned her hands upward. "Let''s meet him first, then¡ª"

    "Barter," Vincent said. "I bet we have many things they''d want. Plastic bags, for instance. Something as simple as that could be exotic here. And what about asking the locals for a loan?"

    "OK, OK," Irene waved her hands. "Let''s return to the matter at hand. We had a team dedicated to the System. Tell us what you''ve found."

    A woman cleared her voice, standing up. Vincent recalled that she was a quantum physicist, but he didn''t remember her name. "Magic is governed by a sentient System that manifests through Archetypes, but there are other ways to use magic. We didn¡¯t reach a consensus about what Magic is, but it is quantified by an energy called Mana."This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

    "We''re still debating if the System is an AI and the Archetypes subroutines," Jorge said.

    "Please, let Clara speak," Irene pleaded.

    So the name is Clara, Vincent thought.

    "The System has classes, levels, and skills, all with tiers. The weakest is us, unclassed. Then comes the common, uncommon, rare, elite, and legendary. The legendary are one-man armies, literally. Kings and generals. It is rumored there is a mythical tier out there, but I haven¡¯t found any evidence. The important thing to understand is that tiers and stats are only approximations."

    "Wouldn''t having more than three stats be more efficient?" Vincent asked.

    "How many would you like?" the woman asked.

    "Err¡­" Vincent scratched his head, check-mated by the question.

    "There are countless real stats. The body is complex; a single cell has trillions of atoms. There are hundreds of different processes in your brain at this very second. You can''t control every action; these things are solved instinctively in the background. Enough to know that every process in our body is now enhanced by Mana.

    "Now, about stats. Each Stat has its own resource pool. Stamina for Body, Concentration for Mind, and Mana for Spirit. We think the first two are still Mana but processed differently. Starting with ten, considered the average here, stats progress logarithmically. It keeps our progress constant and eliminates diminishing returns."

    "So one point means, in fact, more?" Vincent asked, the notion familiar from high school.

    "Depends. In an arithmetic progression, a Stat going from ten to eleven gains ten percent, but from ninety-nine to one hundred, only one percent. With a logarithmic scale, the growth remains balanced; it¡¯s less than ten percent at the lower end but higher at the upper. Do you understand?" Clara stared at Vincent, a hint she doubted his intellectual capacities. He nodded, trying to appear confident.

    "Keep in mind that not all stats are equal. An Elite Class''s stats have a better logarithm than a commoner''s, and at similar tiers, a cat''s Body is more powerful than a mouse''s.¡±

    "Tell them about classes," Irene asked.

    "I was getting at that," Clara said. "We figured out we could get at least Rares and maybe Elite classes by unlocking specific skills. Mentoring is the easiest."

    "I Mentor," one of the Filipinos bragged to Vincent in broken English.

    "How?" Vincent asked.

    "They agriculture bad. No thinking. Irrigation awful. Hunt small animals until no more, and bigger monsters come for food in the village. Then call adventurers to kill beasts, and pests grow too many and eat crops. Then¡ª"

    "A vicious circle," Vincent nodded.

    "May I disturb you?" Clara asked coldly, making Vincent tuck his head between the shoulders. "Good. Now, about gaining experience. The Summoned ones earn it exponentially faster. Leveling slows down as your levels are higher.

    "Everything you do will grant you XP, combat included, but there are rules. Crime doesn''t pay. It looks more complicated than that, but let''s stop here for now. Don''t, I repeat, don''t spend all your tokens before you get a class. They are also a currency for skills, some of which can only be bought. Advance stats through training or enchanted gear."

    "Well, I think this is it for today¡­ Can we meet tomorrow at the same hour?" Irene asked.

    "I was supposed to brief you about the political situation," a man said.

    "O, sorry, Vincent, go ahead," Irene facepalmed.

    Another Vincent? Vincent thought. Shoot¡­

    "Vincentio," the man said, to Vincent''s satisfaction. "I''m a historian and anthropologist for those who don''t know me. My Ph.D.¡ª"

    "Please stick to the subject," Irene said.

    Thanks, girl! Vincent leaned back on his chair with relief. These scientists are blabbermouths¡­

    "Sure¡­ You guys might have figured out this is a variant of our Earth. Of what kind is still a mystery¡ª"

    "Alternate reality," a woman shouted. "Similar historical characters and countries. It branched out when they awakened to magic, circa third century AD."

    "What about a parallel universe?" a man retorted. "Have you looked at the sky?"

    "It''s a Serkin causal set event," the woman yelled back. "A kindergarten kid could see it."

    "Order¡­ Order," Irene hit the table with her palm.

    "Those moons in the sky are actually planets," Vincentio continued, while in the background, the scientists were arguing in whispers, sounding like a bunch of cats spitting out furballs. "We''re in the human Realm. The elves have their own, and the Dwarves are mining all over the asteroid belt. There are more species, and traveling between the planets is done through special portals. Fortunately, there are no interspecies wars¡­ but there are tensions.

    "Polities are different here. We''ll give everyone a memo, but in short, Byzance still stands and is powerful, but the main powers in Europe are Celtic. That''s the Common Tongue we were taught by magic: Celtic, with some influences from Latin and Greek. Hungary and Beauhemia are a buffer between the Celtic Federation and the barbarians. Mongols to the east, the Bogomils to the south¡ª"

    "The who?" Vincent asked.

    "A sect¡­ a bit unconventional."

    "Crazies," Dorel stated the first time he spoke for the evening. "I read about them."

    Vincentio appeared to wish to contradict him for a moment but shrugged and continued. "To the north are the Vikings and the Finns; they are allies. We''re in a problematic location, on the path of constant Mongolian raids. Fortunately, the incursions go mainly to Prague, sorry, Pragwyn, because it''s the biggest city. This place was a tourist resort until recently because of a few hot springs, but business has declined as monsters'' numbers grew."

    "It''s on a river," Vincent interjected. "I bet it''s the Berounka. It''s navigable and connects to the Vltava and the Elbe. A competent administration would make this town a logistic hub."

    "We''ll have to take it into consideration," Irene sighed. "Meeting adjourned. I wish you all a good night."

    [Kiara (Archetype of Light and Fortune)]: Not so fast, my dear Summoned ones.

    The brilliant apparition made many people jerk, and a few cursed, holding their hands over the chest. Here we go again, Vincent thought.

    [Kiara (Archetype of Light and Fortune)]: I''m happy that many of you realize the Realm has much to offer, and you can play an important role in its development. Yet, I will not lie to you; there will be challenges. You will be called upon to solve mysteries, fight monsters, or deliver inventions that improve lives. Last but not least, protecting the realms from the Rising Darkness.

    As your power grows, you will be tempted to abuse it, sometimes even turning against your friends. That''s human nature, and I''ve seen it too often. With such a large number of Summoned, it is all but sure to happen. This is why I''m here.

    I propose you form a guild. Guilds are extra-national entities, working everywhere and for everybody. A System-enforced oath prevents guilders from harming their comrades. Read the charter and decide for yourselves.

    Her words were followed by a lengthy blue text.

    Guild Rules:

    You may not intentionally plot or act against the life of the other members, under punishment of being marked as a criminal and having a ¡®Dead or Alive¡¯ bounty on your head.

    Guilds are required to protect the city where they''re based, but they are apolitical.

    Guild members can individually work as mercenaries as long they do not contradict the first two points.

    "Sounds like the rules of robotics¡­" Jorge joked.

    ¡°It¡¯s not a bad idea,¡± Irene said. ¡°One cannot better the world if they stick to a particular ideology.¡±

    Kiara proposes Vincent Vala?ka as your first Guild Master and Irene Altenschoss as second in command. In the future, you will hold your own elections, with a minimum of 60% votes required to elect a leader. Please say yes aloud to confirm the contract.

    "Hm," Irene wrinkled her nose, crossing her arms on top of that. "I should be the leader, and he the second in command. Civilian control?"

    ¡°I think she¡¯s better for the job,¡± Vincent said, but a choir of yesses drowned his objection, and a notification about his promotion ensued. Rolling their eyes, Irene, Clara, and a few others mumbled their accord. "I''m not even sure if I want to stay here," the young man complained. No one seemed to hear him except Kiara, who winked and turned her palms upward. ''Vox Populi,'' she said silently, moving her lips.

    The System recorded your vote and registered your group under the name The Society of Illuminated Prodigees. Patron: Kiara, Archetype of Light and Fortune.

    "Told you the Illuminati are behind it," Lukas yelled.

    "Noooo¡­." Irene wailed. "It was a pun, I swear."

    [Kiara (Archetype of Light and Fortune)]: This concludes my third intervention. For a while, you¡¯ll be on your own. The System considers Summoned progress better without a chaperone. I hope you all reach the cap level. Goodbye for now.

 5. Hunting

    Rarely did someone wake earlier than Vincent, yet that morning, clinking noises extracted him from sleep like a wine opener, a cork from a bottle. He jumped down from the bed, snatched the gun from the nightstand, and rolled on the carpet.

    However, there was no immediate menace. Lukas was snoring with abandon, undisturbed by the clinks and clonks. Pulling an inch of the curtain, Vincent looked outside. In the courtyard, a group of six people were in the process of dressing in full metal armor, their helmets still off. Around their legs were pieces of foam cut from the bus''s chairs, and the party''s few shields were dressed similarly. Their weapons were two-handed war hammers.

    Putting on a pair of shorts and a T-shirt, Vincent ran down. "What are you doing?" he asked Irene, the obvious leader of the pack.

    "Hunting monsters, of course," the young woman said with a smug smile.

    "Orcs or something? Wait for me, I¡¯ll¡ª"

    "Snakes, spiders, and rats."

    "Oh¡­" It made sense now. The foam was a good idea, protecting them from bites. He decided to let them go by themselves. Hunting small game was a good way to learn how to fight. ¡°Be careful, promise?¡± he couldn¡¯t refrain from asking.

    "Sure. We need to talk about something. It came to my attention you littered," Irene told him in a low voice, grabbing his shoulder and raising on her toes to reach his ear.

    "I beg your pardon?" he jerked his head back.

    "Hari, the elderly Filipino, told me threw your luggage in the wilds¡­ tsk¡­ tsk¡­ tsk¡­" she continued, a reprobatory frown on her face.

    "But the¡ª"

    "Suitcases are either glass or carbon fiber; we can use the materials. So¡­ chop-chop, fetch it," Irene patted Vincent''s shoulder with her metal gove. It hurt a little, but less than the idea of touching the soiled baggage¡­ and taking back an object that brought painful memories.

    Irene ignored him and led the group away with the rhythmic percussion of metal boots, stepping in cadence. Vincent entered the inn and checked If there was something for breakfast. There was an omelet, a good one.

    "Hey," Jong said, descending the stairs. "Did Irene tell you we have a quest?"

    "I''m the Guild Master," Vincent complained. "I''m supposed to give quests, not the other way around. And I don''t need you to retrieve a suitcase. I can walk and pick up luggage on my own, thank you very much!"

    "Irene asked me to supervise you in case you''d lie and say you didn''t find it."

    "Bloody hell!" Vincent yelped because it was exactly what he was planning to do.

    "Yeah¡­ Petite menace, that''s her nickname. In French."

    "And you guys let her boss you around?"

    "Sure. The grant we get from her parents is a hundred thousand a year."

    "Euros?"

    "Swiss franks. Better¡­ Guess it''s history now," Jong''s face saddened."At least I sent my parents the money¡­"

    "And whatchu doing four thut amount of dough," Vincent asked with his mouth full of the delicious omelet and fresh bread.

    "First year, it was just hanging around and brainstorming our projects¡­"

    "You lucky bastards!"

    "Second year, we were supposed to work together on said projects¡­ after we returned from the teambuilding trip."

    "You mean¡­ doing exactly what we''re doing now?" Vincent gasped. "You think¡ª"

    "The foundation is behind the kidnapping? No. Irene''s folks are rich but not that rich. And they are into luxury products, not science. They wanted to make Irene happy by financing her pet project, that¡¯s all. Fifty fledgling geniuses guinea pigs under her supervision."

    "The group is only forty-six," Vincent pointed.

    "A few didn''t come. An epidemiologist from Nigeria, a South¡ª"

    "I don''t care,"  Vincent waved his hand to stop Jong''s rant. "Let''s get over it."

    "Let me grab my gear," Jong said.

    "Ditto."

    When they met again, the Korean had a bow in hand, but it was not his compound, but a wooden longbow, probably locally made. It looked much more sturdy and even had some spikes to allow hitting with it in close range, like the bows superheroes used in the movies.

    "That''s more like it," Vincent said while they walked toward the bridge.

    "This?" Jong raised the bow. "It''s garbage, but it unlocks skills easier."

    "Like?"

    "Instinctive aiming, for instance. Fast reload, fast shooting, and so on. But it''s bad because the people here don''t understand the physics. The spikes make the limbs heavy and rigid, the tillering is rubbish¡ª"

    "The what?"

    "How it thins up. They patched a couple of enchantments on it to make the bow stay in one piece and shoot more or less straight. But what if," Jong''s voice became animated, "we''d build proper composite or compound bows and put enchantments on those? That would be something."

    "What if we build guns?" Vincent shrugged.

    "Each weapon has its purpose. Bows are silent. I don''t mean Earth silent, but magically silent," Jong said. "And even on Earth, people were hitting a target up to five hundred yards."

    "Really?"

    "Yep. Technically, some devices allow you to shoot over a mile, but smaller arrows and you can''t really aim. Nevertheless¡ª"

    "That''s fascinating, but let''s concentrate on not being eaten by beasts." They had exited the town, mechanically saluting and being saluted by the guards, and they were approaching the forest.

    Preventively, Jong nocked an arrow, and Vincent took the horn in his left hand, keeping his right on the revolver''s grip. They entered the woods silently, Jong two steps ahead to have a clear line of sight. No animal disturbed them, though, and Vincent''s senses didn''t detect anything unusual.

    They reached the clearing safely. The suitcase was still there, opened, and unfortunately, soaked. The tiger had taken revenge on the innocent luggage more times than once, and the last attack was recent.

    "Oh, my God!" Jong retched under the musky odor.

    "I can''t, I just can''t!" Vincent shook his head and hands in protest. "I¡¯ll bury it."

    "Irene will be pissed," Jong argued.

    "We''d be pissed. For real. And why do you fear her so much?"Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.

    "I don''t fear her¡­ it''s just¡­ she''s so pretty!" Jong sighed.

    "I noticed," Vincent grimaced. "That''s not a reason to let her bully you, man. I''ll teach you a secret. When a pretty girl scolds you, imagine being back in the army and the sarge screaming at you. She''ll appear less threatening. Then, you smile, take her in your arms, and say she¡¯s pretty when angry, and all it''s forgotten."

    "Yeah, thank you, Freud¡­ C''mon, dude, please! I brought garbage bags," Jong pleaded. "I''ll open it, and you put it inside. Pick it up with a stick or something."

    "O¡­ K¡­" Vincent agreed. His reluctance was still high, but victory was possible with two or three plastic layers between him and the abomination. He went to the hazelnut copse and broke a smaller sapling he inserted in the handle, raising the suitcase up.

    It was a faint change in light that warned him. A flock of birds took off, passing over the sun. Panicking. Then there was a faint change in the air, an increase in pressure, a distant hiss approaching.

    "Duck!" Vincent yelled. Jong threw himself on the ground, and he followed, but the luggage was on the way.

    A bang resounded against the suitcase, pushing the item against him, sprinkling Vincent''s T-shirt with tiger pee in the process. He fell backward, instinctively raising the suitcase as a shield. Another bang followed. Broken bits of wood, metal, and feathers fell on the ground beside him. An arrow.

    "Where is he?" he screamed at Jong, who crawled in the grass to get behind an earth mound.

    "That''s sexist! Maybe it''s a she," the Korean blurted, making Vincent throw a dagger stare in his direction. "What? The Bogomils have Amazons."

    "Fucking stupid alien world," Vincent cursed, keeping his head low. Folded in two, the suitcase lay before him like a rampart. The urine stench was still there, but that wasn''t the main problem any longer. He tried to peek over the luggage, but another arrow brushed against his hair.

    "Behind a tree, fifty yards west," Jong said.

    "Why don''t you do something? Shoot back," Vincent yelled at the Korean.

    "You know how much space you need to fire a bow? If I raise up, I''m dead."

    "Give a pink thing, and you live!" a voice shouted in a very bad Common Tongue.

    "He wants the suitcase," Jong yelled.

    "Stop shooting at us. You''re welcome to have it!" Vincent screamed.

    "Come to me with pink in hands above head!" came an order. "You ten seconds have."

    Touching the disgusting item was revulsing, and there was no guarantee the archer would keep his word. Vincent''s training was totally against the idea of walking toward an armed enemy with hands up before exhausting all other options. "I''m coming, I''m coming," Vincent yelled to keep the archer waiting. Three feet away was the horn, where he had left it to deal with the suitcase. Pretending he raised the luggage, he stretched his left hand and pressed the button.

    The honking sent echoes in the forest. It was indeed a loud and unpleasant sound. A silhouette jerked in the treeline, covering their ears. Vincent rushed forward, firing on the way. The archer was hit by the first bullet but stayed on his feet and tried to nock an arrow, making himself more visible. The second and third bullets hit the neck and head, killing him on the spot.

    You have killed Mongol Raider (Rare tier, Level 30). You have leveled x6. +2 levels in the Battle Instinct skill.

    The gap in levels seems not to be too important against bullets¡­ There were more notifications, but they disappeared from Vincent''s view the second he frowned, annoyed by the distraction. Vincent approached the body, looking for any sign of more foes. There were none. A small horse was grazing on a bush it was tied to, indifferent to what happened, emanating a feeling of total placidity.

    "That''s a fine weapon," Jong said, arriving at the scene and taking the bow out of the Mongol''s cold hands.

    "It looks fragile," Vincent wrinkled his nose, disappointed by the lack of spikes and cool-looking stuff.

    "Mongol bows are very strong despite looking delicate. What you see in the movies are bad props. Try to pull back the string," Jong said, forwarding the bow.

    "What the fuck!" Vincent groaned. He was barely able to pull the string back a few inches.

    "You have to use your back''s muscle, not the hands. "

    "Oh, I get it now¡­" Vincent nodded after giving it a second try and succeeding. "Yeah, it''s like for climbing¡­ the proper muscles and technique¡ª"

    "Let''s scram. What if he has some friends coming to check on him?"

    "Let''s loot him first, I bet that armor is valuable.¡± Texamining the body, Vincent noticed the first bullet had impacted the man''s chest, yet there was only an indentation in the leather armor. "Go wrap the suitcase, I''ll take care of him."

    "Have you¡­  killed people before?" Jong asked, looking pale. Vincent had often seen that expression. At first, the adrenaline had stopped the Korean from puking at the sight of a brained individual, but the reality started to catch back.

    "This is my sixth," Vincent said. "Tip. If you get in a situation where your life depends on killing someone, act, don''t think. There''s time to feel bad about it later¡­ And believe me, you will feel bad,¡± he sighed. ¡°What are you waiting for? Go pick up the luggage."

    Once alone, Vincent grabbed the body and put it transversally on the horse, tying it with the rope he found attached to the saddle. A few soft noises attracted his attention, and he turned on his hands, revolver in hand. Twenty yards away, the tiger was looking at him with large eyes.

    Behind the animal, near the suitcase, Jong had the Mongol bow in his trembling hand, his eyes staring at Vincent, waiting for instructions. Vincent shook his head. Getting in another fight was risky. "You''re really a pest," he groaned, putting himself behind the horse. The latter was still grazing, oblivious to the danger.

    A wave of impressions washed over Vincent''s mind. Hunger. Gastric acid going up the throat, yearning to bite into raw flesh, a struggle to keep lucid against an overwhelming desire to rush forward.

    "Sorry, I don''t feel like letting myself be eaten today," Vincent said, cocking the revolver. "Go away,  last warning."

    The tiger leaned his head sideways¡­ confused? Suddenly, Vincent understood. "You want to eat the raider?" he whispered, more to himself, putting the revolver back in its holster. Obviously, the beast would have preferred the horse, but Vincent frowned, and the feline whimpered, lowering its head. Behind, Jong started to pull the string back. "Don''t shoot, he''s just begging for food!" Vincent yelled. "I can read his intentions."

    "You what?" Jong exclaimed, slowly relaxing his stance.

    "Skill, don''t ask. I''ll give him something to eat."

    "We didn''t bring any food."

    "Just take care of the suitcase," Vincent rolled his eyes.

    The Korean kept the bow in his left hand while trying to envelop the pink luggage in a large plastic bag. Meanwhile, the tiger took some distance, resting on the grass near the tree line.

    Untying the body and letting it fall on the ground, Vincent started to undress it. The helmet, body armor¡ªa leather jacket¡ªand the boots were in good condition, but underneath, the raider was dressed in rags.

    "Hm¡­ old Mongol religion, probably," Jong said, arriving with the now suitcase in tow, dragging the package on the grass with a rope.

    "How do you know?" Vincent asked.

    "On our Earth, before they converted to other religions, they didn''t wash and wear their clothes until they fell by themselves. They feared to insult the spirits of the water¡­ But I bet this one was a sinner, washing in secret."

    "Yeah, or his clothes would have stunk¡­ They have a fetish for tiger pee or something?"

    "Don''t think so. The suitcase must''ve looked precious."

    "Shit¡­ for them, is like an alien artifact, true," Vincent rubbed the nape of his neck.

    "And seeing us trying to protect it by wrapping it into some other strange material¡­ you get the picture."

    Vincent stared into nothingness. The stranger he killed was prepared to murder and died for a pink carbon fiber suitcase. He shrugged his sadness away and dragged the raider ten yards further, pulling it by the legs, retreating slowly while the tiger advanced.

    The beast stretched his paw, grabbed the body, and retreated backward. Putting down the dead man after entering the forest, it let out a roar. A smaller feline and three cubs appeared out of nowhere, and the group began feasting with growls of satisfaction and noises of crunched bones. Jong retched.

    "What the heck?" Vincent screamed, slapping the air in front of his eyes. A shiny blue notification framed by a confetti emoji had blinded him.

    Your group has reached the quota of slain monsters.

    Reward: free unlock of the Inspect skill (Active, Rare). Analyze objects or living beings. Cost: 25 Concentration Points/use. Evolvable at levels 50 and 100. Current skill level: 25.

    The message disappeared, leaving behind a blinking bothersome afterimage. When it went away, everything around had tags and explanations. The trees, the grass, Jong, even the horse. Over the latter, the words said:

    Zen Mount, level 36. A horse bred to keep calm in every situation, no matter how dangerous. The opposite of a War Mount.

    "We should go back," Jong said, putting his old bow on a special saddle on the horse.

    "Right¡­ Give me a moment to finish packing." Vincent had brought rope, but there was a better one in the horse''s saddle bags. Tying the suitcase on the mount''s back, he was rewarded with another strange notification.

    Unknown Artifact (??? Tier). This alien object has been brought to Earth by a group of summoned heroes and repeatedly subjected to an Elite Tiger''s Mana, gaining the following elements: Malice, Elite-tier Toughness.

    What the heck does that mean?

    Postponing his curiosity for a better time, Vincent took the horse by the reins and pulled it after him. Before leaving the clearing, though, the beast reappeared, holding a cub by the neck. He put the cub on the ground, ten feet in front of the two men, and pushed it forward with a gentle paw kick. The feeling Vincent''s empathy sent was a call for help. The cub had a blinking !!! sign over his head, and his tag read: Elite Tiger Cub. Status: Malnourished, Sick.

    "I think he wants us to take care of the cub," Jong said.

    "You peed on my suitcase, and now I''m your babysitter?" Vincent sneered. The cub looked up at him and meaowled, making puppy eyes. Vincent''s surrender was total and abrupt. "Fine, stop the emotional blackmail already. I''ll see if there''s a veterinarian in town." Grabbing the cub, Vincent put it on the saddle in a nook formed by the looted gear. "You''re lucky I''m not an asshole like some of us present," Vincent sneered, turning his back on the larger beast and leaving the meadow for good this time.

    By interacting positively with a creature of the forest, you have gained two levels in Animal Empathy and +1 Spirit.

    The trip back took an hour because they had to stop twice to allow the cub to barf, warned by Vincent''s senses just in time.

    The central square was full of people. No wonder, considering the bus had been moved near the Town Hall, its engine running. An electric cable exited the engine and entered a black cube, from which more cables stretched up to a canvas tent set in the middle of the square.

    "What the fuck?" Vincent and Jong blurted simultaneously.

 6. Message for Home

    "Hey!" Jorge waved his left arm, his right hand fumbling with the wires.

    "What the fuck is that?" Vincent repeated.

    "It''s for¡ª"

    "We don''t have time for this," Irene tapped the tip of her boot on the pavement. "Vincent, do you want to stay here or not?"

    "Sorry?"

    "Those who decide to stay will send a short video home," she pointed to an improvised canvas booth. "Three people are about to leave: the driver, a dancer, and an exobiologist. We''ll use them as messengers. I promised them my parents would pay them," she whispered.

    "Why is an exobiologist leaving? Isn''t this supposed to be their best dream come true?" Vincent asked.

    "It is if you report your findings. This will change Earth''s science forever. Never mind," Irene raised her voice. "Are you staying or not?"

    "Did everybody reach level ten?" Jong asked. "I''m still nine."

    "No, only the hunting team and a couple more. There were tons of spiders¡­" Irene sighed. Her hair was messy and full of cobwebs, making Vincent divert his gaze. "But the rest of us decided to stay nevertheless. I made a list."

    "I''m staying," Jong said, running toward the booth.

    "And you?" Irene asked, looking into Vincent''s eyes. He could read her thoughts without any telepathy or empathy. A part of her wished Vincent out of the way to take back control of what she considered her group. But another part wanted him to stay. He was reliable, had saved their lives, and was the only one with military training.

    "¡­I might stay¡­" Vincent sighed after a brief pause.

    Irene exhaled a long breath of relief. He avoided her eyes because, in truth, he thought the Realm could get on fine without his help. The group, however¡­ Enthused, they ran all over the place with wide eyes and agitation all over their faces. The image of the dead Mongol appeared in his mind¡­ He knew for sure few of the youngsters there would be able with a reality in which killing came so easily.

    "Hurry. Record your message," Irene flickered Vincent''s forehead as he stared into nothingness.

    Pulled back to reality,  he forwarded her the horse''s reins. "Hold this for five minutes, please."

    "A cub!" Irene exclaimed, ignoring the horse but noticing the little tiger and snatching it up. The cub awoke from its sleep and growled in displeasure. "So cuuuute!" A choir of ecstatic Ahs! circled the square when others noticed the animal.

    ¡°It¡¯s sick. Someone should take it to a veterinarian,¡± Vincent said.

    ¡°I¡¯ll try a cleansing spell,¡± Ayman appeared, taking the cub in his arms.

    Vincent entered the booth, sitting on a stool before a smartphone mounted on a tripod. A small light blinked. "You can start," someone outside said. "Say the name, address, and phone number of those you want to send the message to."

    Vincent spoke the names of his parents and their phone numbers, then started his message. "Mom, Dad, you won''t believe it, but I swear it¡¯s true: My group and I were transported through a portal to a parallel Earth. There are elves and magic here¡­ and it''s nice, but I don''t know if¡­" he choked, "I will be able to call back any time soon. They''re¡­ very young¡­ and lack practical skills¡­ I think I''ll stay here and help them¡­" he avoided the word ''survive.'' That''s all¡­ Take care," Vincent ended the recording abruptly, trying to control his tears. Stepping outside, he found the crowd started to disperse, some entering the Town Hall.If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    "The mayor is giving a reception in our honor," Irene beamed. "He''s happy so many of us want to stay, and we''re making this town our base¡­ We are, right?" she searched for his eyes with a sheepish grin, remembering he was the Guild''s leader.

    "There are minerals in the mountains nearby. All we need for developing a real industry," Jorge rushed to say.

    "We''ll move our base to Pragwyn," Vincent said deadpanned.

    Irene frowned. "But I promised¡ª"

    "A Mongol raider attacked us; he might have been a scout for a larger force," Vincent said curtly. "That''s his horse."

    "You were attacked?" she widened her eyes, then opened her mouth to say something but snapped it shut.

    Vincent knew what she wanted to ask. "I had no choice; it was him or us. This town is not equipped for a siege."

    "But the peeps kinda like it here," she sulked.

    Imposing his will was one way forward, but Vincent knew a group''s dynamics are better when people''s opinions matter. "OK. We stay here for now, but  Jorge searches for Mongol troops every morning and evening. We talk again about our options if they show within a day''s marching distance."

    "Count on me, man," Jorge said.

    "Fuck¡­" Irene wailed. "I really don''t want to go to Pragwyn¡­ there are politicians there¡­ nobles¡­ they''ll try to attract us in their schemes¡­ I made a few inquiries and¡ª"

    "We''ll figure it out," he squeezed her forearm. "You were saying about a party?"

    "In the city hall," she said with absent eyes, most likely thinking about his words.

    "I''ll leave the horse at the inn and join you.¡± Maybe, he added in thought.

    A team was dismantling the array of cables and devices. Vincent gave them a nod as he passed by. The inn had a stable, and the horse accepted its new home with the same placidity shown beforehand, munching on a pile of hey. With the animal out of the way, he deposited the loot in an annex, went to his room to pick new clothes, showered, and returned to the room, throwing himself on the bed, eyes at the ceiling.

    Was the decision to stay impulsive? Instinctive? He has not accepted a class yet, so he had second thoughts about changing his mind and going home¡­ The kids were legally adults, after all¡­ The way the thought came sent a lump through his throat¡­ To chase his worries away, he opened the messages waiting for his attention, starting with the ones related to the Guild.

    Your Guild has reached 62 members. You are now leading 57 Summoned and 5 locals. Nine Summoned have reached the level required to choose a class.

    The notification continued with a list of the locals enrolled: the Blacksmith, the Alchemist, a Healer, and his two apprentices. The next page contained the names of the people who reached level ten and the classes they had chosen. He and Irene still held on to the class. The rest have various things, but Technomancer and Enchanter were the majority. The older Filipino, Hari, has evolved his species into a Spriggan, and his class was Forest Ranger.

    "You can change your race?" Vincent gasped.

    FAQ: Can you change your race?

    Answer: For hyper-achiever Summoned reaching the tenth level within a week and achieving feats of valor, a species promotion is possible. If you are one of those fortunate enough to be awarded such an advancement, you will have that option when you choose your class. High-tier classes and species have access to special perks depending on the class and species.

    If you select the above option, please ensure you have a few free hours at your disposal and are alone in an enclosed and safe space (aka room).

    I might give it a try¡­ if I decide to stay.

    Changing his mind, he decided to go to the party. Vincent was the last to arrive, but there were local volunteers at the entrance who showed him to the ballroom. There was music, and the dancer who stayed behind performed on a stage. Her slightly immature teenage attitude had changed into a composed professional, pirouetting graciously. Vincent was not much into dance, but her prettiness and virtuosity were mesmerizing. She noticed his gaze and smiled at him.

    After the performance ended, Vincent walked around, serving himself food and brandy. Eavesdropping here and there, he could hear plans about enhancing security, building a better road to Pragwyn, and various tech stuff he couldn''t understand.

    Meanwhile, Ayman showed the tiger cub around, bragging about how he had saved their life. Coincidentally or not, he was doing it in front of the town''s prettiest girls. At some point, Ayman asked Vincent to join him in an adjacent room and injected him with a serum made from spider and snake parts that conferred a mild degree of resistance to poison and plus one in the Body stats.

    When evening arrived, and he returned to the inn, Vincent asked Lukas to have the room for the night, and Lukas obliged. It was finally time for Vincent to decide if he wanted to stay.

 7. Class and Species

    The main idea behind what Vincent was aiming for was to find a class and a species that synergized and then decide if he wanted to stay or leave. What he had said to Irene was true; he did want to stay, but¡­ a part of his heart and mind were not yet convinced.

    He started by checking his stats.

    Name: Vincent Vala?ka Age: 28

    Level: 12 (12 tokens available).

    Species: Human (Species selection available)

    Class: Not selected (Class selection available)

    Body 25 (+4) / Mind 18 (+4) / Spirit 24 (+4).

    The first step was to raise his Body by five, then rest a bit¡ªknowing from various sources that each point invested in a stat or skill required a few minutes in a quiet environment to set in.

    The second step was using a device measuring strength he got from one of the engineers, a dynamometer, now enhanced with a magic sensor. Before the summoning, his grip was in the hundred and twenty pounds range, twenty pounds more than the human average but normal for a climber. Now, it has approached two hundred.

    Vincent concluded he wasn¡¯t thrice as strong as a normal man at thirty in Body, but only twice. It was like his ten stats were multiplied by one point zero three and something. He did the math on his phone six times, and it checked out.

    Half an hour later, he tested his grip strength again. It had increased following the logarithmic progression, meaning any buff from perks or equipment would work on the same idea.

    It was clear to Vincent that investing in stats was a good thing. The idea behind the build he was aiming for¡ªif he decided to stay¡ªwas to get over seventy in stats, the point where he would gain more than with an arithmetic progression. And if he went for the cap, he would be twenty times more powerful than the average human, which sounded extremely dainty.

    He put four more points in Body to reach a plain thirty without the buff, then went for a nap. Skills were good, too¡­ probably, but so far, he knew they consumed resources, Mana, Stamina, whatever, while a stat was always there. And his bullets have made short work of a thirty-level foe, so¡­

    The next step was to check all the available classes and species. To his great satisfaction, the descriptions were clear and to the point. Some incompatibilities resulted in penalties. Halflings made poor melee fighters, and Orcs were disadvantaged if they wanted to be bards.

    Wait until somebody shows them Heavy Metal, Vincent giggled.

    The list was long, with specialization paths and species variants. Elves were high¡ªwhich invited obvious puns¡ªmid or dark. The first were divided into Solar, Moon, and Star elves, the second into Forest, Sea, or Steppe, and the latter into Drows, Shadow, or Night. Vincent didn''t see himself living in caverns or moons set in perpetual night, neither living in a tree house nor dispensing justice and light at every step, so he dismissed Elves first.

    Dwarves or Halflings were out of the question. He liked his height, and the descriptions mentioned there were changes in his appearance.

    Combinations were also possible, and Half-Elf didn''t sound so bad, having the all-roundness of the humans and many perks from the elves, but somehow, he still hesitated. Some mixed races, like Dragonkin, were tough and powerful, but scales weren''t his thing.

    Dusk was setting, and he wasn''t yet sure what to pick. Vincent leafed through the class options to clear his mind, bumping into the same problem. He didn''t see himself in any of the options; they lacked the versatility he wanted. Those good at giving or soaking blows were supposed to jump in combat, roaring taunts, and the ranged or magic damage dealers were weak in close quarters, like in a vanilla RPG.

    All of a sudden, a dark silhouette obscured the window. A man wrapped in a hooded cloak. Vincent jerked up, searching for his gun, but the stranger raised his hands in an appeasement gesture.

    [Hubris (the Archetype of Darkness and Wisdom)]: Don''t be afraid; I''m here to help. You only see the classes Kiara offers. There are many more and better.

    "Let me guess, you want me to come to the dark side?" Vincent sighed.

    [Hubris (the Archetype of Darkness and Wisdom)]: But is there a dark side? A knife is an object; you can use it as a tool or a weapon. Assassin is but a word; when you kill bad guys, it means Hero. Do you want fun? Swashbuckler or Gunslinger can be yours, just say the word.

    [Kiara (Archetype of Light and Fortune)]: What are you doing here? He''s my summon.

    The red text felt like yelling in Vincent''s mind. Her bright figure contrasted with the obscurity in the room, making Vincent protect his eyes with the back of his hand.

    [Hubris (the Archetype of Darkness and Wisdom)]: You just got lucky with your summoning. It''s clear you can''t offer him what he desires.

    [Kiara (Archetype of Light and Fortune)]: He needs a little time to figure out his class, that¡¯s all!

    [Hubris (the Archetype of Darkness and Wisdom)]: He needs help from someone more intelligent.

    [Kiara (Archetype of Light and Fortune)]: You want a piece of me, old fart?

    The next moment, the two jumped at each other throats, melting in a clew of black and white energy.

    "Hey, cut it off!" Vincent yelled, instinctively jumping to separate them. As he touched the mingled forces, he got thrown back, flying. His head hit the headboard of the bed, and everything went dark.

    <hr>

    Groaning, Vincent crawled out the bed sheets, his eyes half-shut. The morning light was too strong; he forgot to pull the curtains.

    "Shit! That was not a nightmare!"

    The curtains were closed, and the light was a blue text floating in front of him.

    You have made [Kiara (Archetype of Light and Fortune)] and [Hubis (Archetype of Wisdom and Darkness)] feel ashamed of themselves. Consequently, they worked together to offer you a unique class and species based on your achievements and personality.

    Accept class, staying on the Realm, or Refuse, returning to your former home?

    "Can I see the class?"

    FAQ: Can I see unique classes bestowed by Archetypes?

    Answer: No. Unique classes cannot be inspected beforehand, or there''s a 50/50 chance they''d lose their powers.This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

    "You''re going Schrodfraudster''s Cat on me?" Vincent replied with something he remembered from the nerds'' discussions, although it felt slightly off. It was worse than when he started. At least, then, he could see his options¡­ C''mon, Vincent¡­ Remember what your shrink said: You already know what''s best in your heart¡­

    And he realized he did. The young people in the group came to his mind. Some were afraid, yet stayed; the dancer had that vibe¡­ Others were courageous, like Jong, and kept cool even when facing battle for the first time. Some were ingenuous, like Jorge. And Irene, the beacon who truly led the guild, with her big eyes lightened by the desire to prove herself and make the world around her a better place¡­

    "Fine, I accept¡­ Better be good, class," he grumbled.

    Class: Dichotomic (Unique, Mythical)

    Elements: You can wield elements from the schools of Light, Darkness, Fortune, and Wisdom, altogether or separately.

    Name buff: Vala?ka/Velasco.

    Due to your class, you can choose the name you want to display. CD: 24h.

    Under the Vala?ka name, you gain +10 in Body and increased damage when using a shepherd axe and light spells. While displaying the Velasco name, you gain the Blessing of the Raven: +10 in Spirit and an increased effect of all Darkness spells.

    These buffs activate only in combat.

    Species: Outsider (Mythical)

    You have refused to embrace any of the Realm''s higher species, continuing on your own path.

    Species Perks:

    Resilience (Passive, Elite): Enhances your overall physical resistance. You age 4x slower than a normal human. Evolvable at Skill levels 50 and 100. Current Skill Level: 10

    Slippery (Passive, Elite). High Resistance to Magic Damage, Mind Control, and against all forms of Identify. Evolvable at Skill levels 50 and 100. Current Skill level: 10

    Disguise (Passive, Elite): Set a name, class, and species to display as a tag. Recommendations: Scout, Ranger, Warmaster / Half-Elf, Evolved Human.

    Passive Proficiency (Elite): Your passive skills work +25% over their expected performance. Allows most of your passive skills to evolve at Skills levels 50 and 100.

    Passive skills:

    Battle Instinct (Passive, Elite tier). You don''t need to look at a target to judge its movements or the distance. At skill levels 50 and 100, you can evolve this ability to include an active effect. Current skill level: 12.

    Quiet Leadership (Passive, Elite tier). With few but wise words, you manage to make others follow you. Increases the stats of your followers by +1. Gain +4 in every stat for yourself as long you have at least 30 followers. Evolvable at levels 50 and 100. Current bonus: +4. Current skill level: 15.

    Animal Empathy (Passive, Elite tier). You feel the mood of the animals around you. You can detect hidden predators in an area of a hundred feet if they observe you with malicious intent. Current skill level: 13. Evolvable at Skill levels 50 and 100.

    Spying (Passive, Rare tier). Your presence and attention are barely noticeable, and you are prone to finding secrets. Current skill level: 30.

    Mentor (Passive, Elite tier). You are exceptionally gifted to teach your skills to others. Current Level: 10.

    The notifications continued with a list of available skills and a warning that buying them would consume tokens. The cost varied, so he supposed the more expensive skills were better, but that was a worry for later. Vincent was famished. His skills could wait, but his growling stomach could not.

    Choosing to display the evolved human species and the Rogue class, he dressed and went to the main hall. It was late morning, and there were few people there. Irene was one of them, wearing her hoodie. The tiger cub was playing around her feet, pushing herself into them, like a cat wishing for attention or a good scratch. The status displayed a Healthy tag, which was great.

    "Hi," he saluted the girl. She mumbled something unintelligible and pulled the hoodie forward, covering more of her face. "You OK?"

    "She messed her evolution," the remaining dancer said. "The requirement was to be alone in a room, but she took the cub with her. Instead of a Moon Elf, she''s now a Nekojin."

    "You rat!" Irene blurted.

    "He was going to find out eventually," the girl shrugged.

    "What''s a Nekojin?" Vincent asked.

    "This is a Nekojin," Irene yelled, pulling her hood back with the gesture of someone ripping a band-aid.

    Vincent gasped. She was not wearing her glasses anymore, which allowed her now slightly bigger and green eyes to shine. Her pupils were horizontal slits. The ears had changed too. Now higher on her head, they were furry, pointy, and rotated independently, maybe scanning sounds. For the rest, she had the same facial traits as before. A pretty girl with cat ears.

    "Go ahead, you can laugh," she hissed.

    "I wouldn''t do that," Vincent waved his hands in protest, aiming for the buffet. "Want anything? Do you still eat normal food?¡± If looks could kill, her eyes would have beheaded him on the spot. ¡°What? It¡¯s an honest question.¡±

    "You''re a Rogue!" she noticed.

    "Yeah¡­ but I can disguise it," he told her a half-truth. "And you are a Sorcerer," Vincent Inspected her in his turn.

    "At least that part went well," she sighed, coming to the buffet to pour herself a glass of milk, then blushing, realizing she had just played into cat stereotypes.

    Vincent finished making a sandwich and returned to the table. "Do you want to join me when I return the cub to her folks?" Vincent asked.

    "We have to return the cuuuuub?" Irene wailed. "I thought we were going to keep it¡­ OK, let me grab some clothes," she slapped her hands on the table to push herself up.

    Ten minutes later, they were leaving the inn, the tiger tucked in Irene''s arms. Jorge and Jong on the street, with a screw wrench in hand, busying around a sort of bogie.

    "All OK, no Mongols," Jorge yelled.

    Jong''s eyes widened. "H-hi¡­ Irene¡­ are you going somewhere?"

    "Not your business, you perv!" Irene sneered, striding onward at a faster pace. "He asked if he could touch my ears," she explained to Vincent.

    "I see¡­" They walked on, him with the revolver in hand, ready to fire. Somehow, the forest felt more¡­ peaceful. He could sense some beasts in the distance, and they could feel him, too, but none dared approach. Did the tiger tell them I''m his protegee, or do they fear me after killing the wolf? Vincent wondered.

    "The mayor agreed to release jackalopes and pigs in the wilds," Irene said. "They multiply very fast.

    "To compensate for the imbalances in the ecosystem?"

    "Yep¡­ Thank you for treating me like a normal person," she said out of nowhere. "Many see me like a freak now¡­" her voice choked. "I''m getting the silent treatment."

    "Eh, they just want to spare your feelings¡­ or find you cuter," Vincent shrugged, understanding his jokes had comforted her, weirdly enough. "Jong likes you, by the way."

    She waved her hand dismissively and tried to smile, but it didn''t transfer to her eyes. Seconds after reaching the clearing, the tiger family arrived. Irene laid the cub on the grass and stepped back. The animal whimpered, looking back and forth between the girl and her parents.

    "I think she prefers staying with you," Vincent said. Food, a soft bed, and a cute girl to cuddle with, what''s not to like?

    The adults arrived, licked the cub a few times, and then pushed it toward Irene with their noses. Meowling, the little feline rushed back into the woman''s arms.

    "I will bring her to visit you!" Irene started to sob. "I''ll call her Cupcake¡­ Bwaaaa... I have a baaaaaby¡­"

    "Mazeltov," Vincent said.

    ¡°I have to get her a bath and find a pink ribbon,¡± Irene ran back on the track.

    "Fuck¡­ Wait for me!" Vincent yelled, but for naughts. "Pfff¡­ here''s some food," he threw down a few old steaks he had brought in his backpack before hurrying to catch up with the girl. He found her at the edge of the woods, looking longingly at a low branch sticking out from an oak.

    "I have a species skill about acrobatics and climbing," she said. "But I never¡ª"

    "Put the cub¡­ Cupcake down, I''ll teach you the basics," Vincent said. "First, you''ll have to train. Squats and pull-ups every day. And the most important part is that the legs count as much, if not more, as the arms. For basic climbing, you must find anchors and move one limb at a time, keeping the other three in place."

    His explanation was not the best, but he demonstrated it by pulling himself up the tree and then climbing up twenty feet. Jumping down, he gestured toward the tree, inviting her to try. Irene nodded and jumped up, catching the branch with both her hands. She tried to mimic his pull-up, struggling against her own weight and gravity, and for a moment, she looked like she would succeed. Noticing the crispation preceding the muscles giving up, Vincent grabbed her midriff, pushing her up.

    Because of the momentum, her T-shirt slipped up. Irene''s skin was soft, warm, slightly sweaty, and had a bit of a very fine fluff, maybe from the species change or not. Her waist was thin, but her tushy was firm and curvaceous¡­ A jolt of desire went through his body, and suddenly, a fluffy dark blue tail slapped his cheeks, a new feature that somehow had escaped his attention.

    "Now what?" she asked, panting and grabbing the branch with her arms and legs, the tail wagging wildly.

    "Now you mount the branch, then push on your feet and go up," he said, hoping his cheeks were not beet red. "Don''t be afraid; I''ll catch you if you fall."

    "Uh¡­" With small heaves, Irene proceeded up. She was slow, weak, and inexperienced, so it took time, time for which Vincent was grateful, allowing him to calm down. When the girl arrived back on the ground, his flush had disappeared, and his heartbeats were normal again.

    "Thanks, it was fun!" she jumped on her toes, clapping her hand.

    "You''re welcome," Vincent replied curtly, turning his back on her and walking toward the town.

 8. Dark Matter

    Ten steps after crossing the bridge, Vincent blurted an excuse and darted onto a secondary street. It was unpaved and muddy because it had rained during the night. He didn''t care. Dragging his feet through the dirt, he continued until he reached the opposite part of the town.

    Attraction for a pretty girl was pretty normal, but it was different with Irene. He saw her like a comrade, a potential friend¡ªan annoying one, to be honest¡ªand a partner in ensuring their survival. He respected her. Irene''s quirky idea of putting together a mishmash of bright people had paid off in unexpected ways.

    Jeopardizing their friendship with a fling was out of the question. And a relationship even less¡­ A pink suitcase stood witness to the fact that relationships with someone out of his league didn''t work well for him. He was a simple man, and sophisticated girls were too¡­ complicated.

    Vincent arrived at a small park, soon realizing it was a pasture enclosed within the city walls to protect the animals from beasts. Resting his back on a haystack, curiously examined by a bunch of kids supervising a few sheep, he summoned the skill list. It was extensive, and he set it to display only the highest-tier abilities.

    School of Light:

    Light Damage. Imbue this type of elemental damage in your attacks, including ranged ones (Active, Elite tier) +0.5% damage per skill level. Cost to acquire: 3 Tokens. Consumes Mana.

    Cloak of Light (Active, Elite Tier). Bend light around you to sneak around undetected. Stronger at day. Cost to acquire: 3 Tokens. Consumes Mana.

    Light Bolt (Active, Elite tier). Shoot a bolt of Light Damage from your fingertips, a magical wand, or staff. Does weak to moderate damage. A slight chance to Blind the adversary for 3 seconds. Cost to acquire: 2 Tokens. Consumes Mana.

    School of Fortune:

    Critical Chance Buff (Passive, Elite tier). Your chance to score a critical hit increases by 0.25% for each skill level. Synergizes well with Battle Instinct. Cost to acquire: 3 Tokens. After reaching level 50, this skill can be evolved to include an active effect based on Concentration (Ressource).

    School of Wisdom:

    Insight (Active, Elite tier). A buff for your Inspect skill, allowing you to detect weaknesses and secrets. Cost to acquire: 3 Tokens. Consumes Concentration (Ressource).

    School of Darkness:

    Cloak of Darkness (Active, Elite Tier). Surround yourself in shadows to sneak around undetected. Stronger at night. Cost to acquire: 3 Tokens. Consumes Mana.

    Dark Damage. Imbue this type of elemental damage in your attacks, including ranged ones (Active, Elite tier). Cost to acquire: 3 Tokens. Consumes Mana.

    Bolt of Darkness (Active, Elite tier). Shoot a bolt of Darkness Damage from your fingertips, a magical wand, or staff. Does weak to moderate damage. A slight chance to Disorient the adversary for 3 seconds. Cost to acquire: 2 Tokens. Consumes Mana.

    In his signature gesture, Vincent scratched the nape of his head. The only interesting thing was the passive offering an increased Critical Chance. The Light or Dark damage, he could supplant with the gun and enchanted bullets, and as for sneaking, he was confident his training and a camouflage suit was better. The Insight was OK but not on top of his priorities. Before committing, he scrolled to the last entries.

    "Now that''s interesting," he said aloud.

    Iron Grip (Active, Elite tier): Your grip has an unusual force. This skill increases the strength of your hands for a limited time. Cost to acquire: 1 point. Consumes Stamina.

    Outsider''s Stride (Active, Mythical tier, Karmic). Bestows you with the ability to conjure a wormhole. You can use it to go to places you see, were to, or can attune to in various manners, as long they are on an Awakened Realm. This skill has no levels but can be improved through practice.

    This skill consumes a special resource called Karma, which you gain through feats that influence the world around you. Cost to unlock: 10 Tokens.

    I need to farm levels¡­  Vincent knew instantly he had to have that skill. It was insanely powerful. If, on top of that, he bought the Outsider''s Cloak, Insight, the Iron Grip, and the Crit buff, he was in for twenty-three Tokens.

    "Is there a cap on levels?" he wondered aloud.

    FAQ: Is there a level cap?

    Answer: Levels, stats, or skills have a cap of 100. Considering the complexity of the equation (species, tier, logarithm scales), this represents your maximum capabilities. Overcharging your stats and skills through any means is considered extremely dangerous and strongly discouraged.

    "You sure sound like an AI. Sytem, are you an AI?"

    FAQ: Is the System an AI?This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.

    Answer: This information is restricted.

    "Never mind¡­" So, I could afford to invest most of my Tokens in stats after all¡­ I bet the skills I want are good enough for¡ª

    "Here you are," a voice interrupted his line of thought. Lukas, Jong, and a third man, a town''s people, were there. "We searched for you all over the place."

    "Behold, you found me. What can I do for you?" Vincent asked, trying to be polite despite hating to be interrupted while thinking about his build.

    "You''re the owner of the pink suitcase?" the local asked.

    "Yes?"

    "I need your permission to cut it up in pieces. It''s one of the strongest crafting materials I ever laid eyes upon."

    "Really?" Vincent gasped.

    "I thought about bringing other suitcases to the tiger, for¡­ you know what," Jong said, "but the priest told me that this was a unique occurrence, an enchantment meant by fate. Karma, he called it."

    "Hm¡­ that''s¡­ interesting," Vincent remembered about the strongest skill on his list.

    "Anyway, we propose to do two bows¡ª"

    "You can make bows out of a suitcase?"

    "Of course. Carbon fiber. I thought you know."

    "Maybe¡­ sounds familiar," Vincent frowned, massaging his face. There were too many new things to remember in this world.

    "Two composite bows and the rest will be used for magical rings."

    "Jezz¡­ Can you imagine the puns? Here comes Frodo with the pee power¡ª"

    "So, you''re OK with it?" Jong said. "There''s enough in the suitcase for a hundred rings, which could go as high as ten to twenty gold each, depending on the enchantment. You''ll get sixty percent of the price."

    "Yeah, on one condition. I don''t want any bow, ring, or anything related to that thing. Just give me the money. Was that all? I need to train my hand-to-hand combat skills. I''m a bit rusty."

    "Good luck then," Lukas said, in a tone that conveyed: ''Never mind, I don''t really care.'' "I brought you some bullets," he forwarded a small bag. "The proper caliber and all, enchanted for greater penetration. We tested until we got them right."

    "Thanks, man, much obliged," Vincent blurted, in a much better mood now. "How much I owe you?"

    "Give me one of those rings for free, and we''re good," Lukas said.

    "Of course," Vincent said. The price felt reasonable. A tiny bit of luggage for something that meant the difference between killing a monster or being eaten. The group left, and Vincent did the same, aiming for the police station.

    <hr>

    Vincent reached the inn a few minutes before lunchtime. He changed, showered, and went to the dining hall. The smell of the food held promises of deliciousness, and his misplaced thoughts for Irene had disappeared, both things making him happy. He saluted her with a hand wave and helped himself with a huge plate of pasta.

    "Mmm¡­" Vincent grumbled. The food was really good that evening. He looked at the buffet to see if there was wine to go with and half-raised from his chair when a sharp scream made him jerk back, trip on the chair, and fall on the floor. Other people were screaming, too, panicked. He rolled laterally, reaching for his gun, which was holstered at the back of his belt.

    "Iiiiii!" a young man shrieked again with a voice so sour and dissonant it would have put a banshee to shame. He was on his feet, pumping his fists in the air.

    "What''s up, Bee?" Irene shouted, rushing forward, followed by Ayman. "Did you get stung?"

    "It''s the dark matter," the young man screamed, waving his arms like a disturbed zombie from a horror movie. "I just realized it. Mana is the dark matter!"

    "Relax, peeps, he''s safe!" Irene yelled. A choir of relieved sighs erupted in the room.

    "What the fuck is dark matter?" Vincent rose, rubbing lower back.

    "A hidden particle no one could detect but makes most of the universe''s mass," Jorge explained, offering him a hand.

    "It''s chiralic!" the young man shouted, walking back and forth.

    "The heck is that?" Vincent asked, grimacing, his backbone still aching.

    "Means a symmetry, like our right and right hand." Jorge continued his explanation.

    "In our universe, it''s inert," Bee blurted. "In this one, it has the opposite sense and is active. Maybe¡­ able to connect to DNA, RNA, and amino acids? Iiiii!" Another shriek erupted, making several people cover their ears. An inn attendant dropped the plate she was bringing to restock the food, making a mess on the floor.

    "C''mon, Bee!" shouts of protest raised in the room.

    "Karma," Bee screamed anew, ignoring the objections. "There''s a hidden resource¡­ This is groundbreaking!" he shrilled again.

    Oh, God, he sounds like a twelve-year-old during a voice change. Vincent barely refrained from facepalming.

    "Interesting theory, Bee," Irene said in a calming voice. "We''ll have a brainstorm tomorrow. OK, everyone, let''s sit down and continue eating," she addressed the room.

    "Eating?" the boy yelled. "We need to discuss it now. It''s not a theory. I gained five levels and the Legendary Academic class from finding it!"

    "Why don''t we have a separate chat about Karma?" Vincent advanced, grabbing the young man''s elbow. "As the Guild''s master, I have to know first."

    "Yes, of course!" Bee''s eyes widened. "Moment, I have to bring my food."

    On the way to his table, Irene came and whispered in his ear: "Thank you¡­ Bee''s a wonderful person but a little too enthused about science. Nod and pretend you listen; he''ll calm down in a few minutes."

    "Is Bee his name or¡ª"

    "Nickname. Pray you never find out the reason. Good luck."

    Squeezing her shoulder for a second, signaling he understood, Vincent sat back on his chair and tried to eat as much as he could before Bee joined him. For now, the youngster was taking his time cherry-picking the food from the buffet. That gave Vincent the time to enjoy the pasta, even if he had not picked the wine he wished for. Finally, the hysterical young man arrived carrying a plateau with leftovers from breakfast, vegetables, and meat.

    "Have you tasted the pasta?" Vincent said. "It''s delicious."

    "I''m Celiac."

    "Shelly?" Vincent shook his head. It was his ex¡¯s name; only hearing it brought many memories.

    "CE-LI-AC! I can''t eat gluten. Bread or pasta could kill me. So does milk and cheese. I''m also lactose intolerant." Bee said.

    "So, how did you discover Karma?" Vincent asked.

    "It was revealed to me," Bee lowered his voice. "My notifications said that because I made a genius discovery, I can access Karma skills... They are expensive, though."

    "What skills?" Vincent asked, and he was sincerely interested.

    "Let me see¡­" Bee waved his skill in the air, probably consulting his notifications. "Only one, actually. It''s called the Astral Enchantment¡­ I''ll read it to you. You can create and engrave one-of-a-kind Enchantments that change the laws of physics or magic, dictating new laws whose duration and strength will be directly proportional to your Mind stat and skill level. The Enchantment will affect a person, object, or area."

    Another insanely powerful Karma skill¡­ "Have you bought it?" Vincent inquired.

    "It''s expensive, man¡­ Twenty Tokens¡­ I already do elite enchantments, so¡­ I''m not sure I should take it."

    Shit¡­ "Bee, listen to me. You have to get that skill," Vincent pleaded. "How many Tokens do you have now?"

    "Ten¡­ I didn''t invest any. But I want to put them in Body¡­" Bee sulked, lowering his head. The thick glasses he wore almost fell down on his plate. The look the young man gave his stale food and the furtive glance he threw at Irene told everything Vincent had to know: Bee wanted to be able to eat real food and have a chance to woo the girl.

    "What if I''ll help you raise your stats by training? I''m good at that; ex-military, remember? And if you want, I''ll teach you my secret technique of speaking with girls," Vincent whispered.

    "Why w-would I n-need t-that?" Bee stuttered. "I c-can speak with g-girls b-by myself¡­ OK, OK¡­ When do we start?" he sagged his shoulders under Vincent''s fixed stare.

    "No time like now, they say. Finish your lunch, and let''s go."

    "I''m finished. I can''t eat very much, or I get bloated and barf." Bee wiped his mouth with a napkin, badly enough to let a lot of grease streaks on his skin. "Should I grab some weapons? A sword, a¡ª"

    "Not for now," Vincent said, looking through the man in front of him. His mind was on the notification he just received.

    By having a significant interaction with a genius, you have gained +2 levels in Quiet Leadership.

    Quest: Help Bee earn enough Tokens to buy the Astral Enchantment skill. Reward: Access to more Karma skills related to your class and species.

 9. Nerd in Training

    Vincent led the way out of town and then through the forest. They stopped for a minute at the low branch Irene used to climb into the tree, trying to repeat the same feat, but if Irene was weak, Bee was pathetic. He failed; even when Vincent took the youngster on his back and put him on the branch after climbing on it himself, Bee could not cling on.

    "What''s your Body stat?" Vincent asked.

    "Err¡­ four? Is it weak?"

    "You could say that," Vincent sighed. "Let''s continue."

    The remaining three-quarters of the mile took an hour. Bee heaved, wobbled every other minute, and asked for pee breaks every other five. He was lying, using the pretense to hide behind trees and whizz, inhaling air like he had been starved from breathing for a year. When they reached the clearing, he fell on all fours.

    "I¡­ see¡­ w-why military training is so¡­ t-tough," Bee said. "I got a point in Body¡­"

    Goodness! My sergeant would die of a heart attack seeing you¡­ And he called ME a wimp¡­ "Take five," Vincent patted Bee''s back, which made the young man fall on his face on the grass. Leaving his trainee there, Vincent strode to the other side of the meadow. Behind the third row of trees, he found the tiger and his family in a nook formed by the canopy and tree roots. The animal frowned at him, letting out a half-growl, half-purring noise.

    "Err¡­ hi!" Vincent waved his hand. "I might look stupid talking like this to you, but I had the impression you understood me¡­ can you shake your head if you understand?" The animal nodded.  "Wow¡­ never mind. I have a friend who''s a little on the weak side¡­ he could use some¡­ manning up. Could you show up and scare him? Making him run and climb a tree?"

    Giving Vincent a disdainful look¡ªat least that was what the empathy skill conveyed¡ªthe tiger began to stroll lazily toward Bee. The young man struggled to do push-ups or maybe just to get back on his feet but was failing, flailing his hands and falling on his nose again.

    "Bee, run! Run!" Vincent screamed, trying to sound convincing. "Monster!"

    Looking up, Bee''s eyes met the tiger''s, two feet from his face. The beast roared. With a spastic movement, Bee shot his hand forward, grabbing White Roar''s neck. Surprised, the large feline moved back, pulling the youngster up in the process.

    "Thanks," Bee said, scratching the tiger between the ears.

    "What are you doing? Run!" Vincent yelled.

    "He''s Irene''s friend," Bee shouted back.

    "How do you know?" Vincent asked, returning to his mentee.

    "Long story or short story?"

    "Short."

    "The baby tiger''s pattern matches this guy''s fur," Bee stopped for a few seconds to move his scratching to the back of the beast''s neck. "Thus, he''s the cub''s father and friendly. Helene told us the story."

    "You can remember the cub''s strip patterns?"

    "She has sixty-eight stripes. I can draw the pattern with a tenth of a millimeter error."

    "What''s your mind stat, if you don''t mind?" Vincent said, feeling dazed.

    "Fifty," Bee sulked. "It''s not fair; it should have been higher. I am a polymath, a¡ª"

    "It might be because your body is too weak. Maybe it doesn''t have the power to process all your smartness."

    "That''s an interesting theory!" Bee widened his eyes.

    "Let''s raise that, OK? Run around the meadow¡­ Running means getting your feet off the ground!" Vincent screamed after Bee because the nerd''s idea of running was barely faster than walking.

    All of a sudden, the nerd''s speed increased dramatically. He was running so fast that Vincent couldn''t believe his eyes. "Bee¡­ Bee¡­ Bee¡­ Bee¡­ Bee!" the youngster yelled with each exhale,  trashing his hands and running toward Vincent for protection. He plunged to his knees and wrapped his arms around Vincent''s feet. "Heeeeeeelp!" he bleated.

    "Let me guess: you''re allergic to bee stings?"

    "Y-yes," Bee nodded, knocking his forehead against Vincent''s knees.

    "Relax, champion, there''re no bees around; you imagined it," Vincent patted the younger man''s head.

    "I did not. I heard them buzz!" the youngster protested.

    "They''re gone now. Please train," Vincent begged. "Do you want to impress the girls or not? Imagine a girl seeing you doing a hundred¡­ forget that¡­ ten pushups¡­ All those animalic, repressed instincts suddenly excited by seeing a real man in action¡ª"

    "OK, OK, I get it," Bee blurted, his face flushed. "Thank goodness, they''re really gone," he scanned the surroundings¡­ If I got stung, I triple in size¡­ puss going out of my mouth, nose, everywhere¡­ Trust me, you don''t want to be near me when¡ª"If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    "Train!" Vincent yelled, pushing the younger man up and moving just by the force of his voice. "So, mister, what about having a light spar together?" he then asked the tiger to make the best of his spare time on his hands. The tiger visibly shrugged, almost like a human, but did not move. "You''re afraid you''ll hurt me?"

    White Roar nodded. A cluster of impressions and images washed over Vincent''s mind¡­ A code of honor? A principle: never hurt someone who spared your life¡­ The defiling of the suitcase was petty revenge, but the tiger had never tried to attack Vincent or his group after the first day.

    White Roar has used the skill of Mind Projection on you. From being exposed to such a spell for the first time, your Animal Empathy has leveled x 2. You have gained +1 in Spirit.

    "You''re smarter than some people I met back on Earth," Vincent complimented, receiving a snort in answer. "I''d really like to spar against a powerful opponent," he insisted. "I''m strong enough for iiiiiiiiit." The last word was screamed in the air as Vincent arched in a wide trajectory, projected thirty feet up by a paw strike.

    <hr>

    The way back to the town has been the opposite of their arrival. Vincent limped behind, dragging his bruised ego, while Bee trotted giddily ahead.  The genius had reached eight in Body from different light exercises Vincent put him through. And also a level.

    On the other hand, the spar showed Vincent the true difference between the strength of a tiger and a human''s. His stats, three times higher than a normal person, were still too weak to beat or even stand toe to toe with the beast in a fair fight. Yet, he had gained a point in Body and two levels in Battle Instinct and Mentor.

    They arrived in town in the early evening. A big commotion waited for them in the in. The servants were busying to unload merchandise from a carriage and led five horses into the stables. In front of the freight, a middle-aged man with pale hair was talking with the mayor and the priest. Behind, four guards stood at attention. Inspect showed they were in the upper thirties, as level, and of uncommon tier. A bit stronger than the city''s militia, but not by much.

    "Look, there''s the Guild Master," the priest pointed at Vincent.

    "So happy to meet you!" The middle-aged man rushed to shake Vincent''s hand.

    "He''s the hero who was summoned here before you," the mayor said.

    "Really? Where were you from?" Vincent asked.

    "Chicago. I arrived here during the prohibition and never looked back. Come, we have much to talk about," the man slapped Vincent''s shoulder, following the priest and the mayor inside.

    All the group was in the dining hall, with Irene finishing a sort of announcement, ending it with a gesture toward their host, who waved and introduced himself. His name was Joe something¡ªthe noise made Vincent miss the later part¡ªand he had a traveling emporium.

    When Joe''s summoning happened, a plague was decimating the Kingdom of Beauhemia, which he solved by reinventing plumbing and sewage, using enchanted bamboo shafts as pipes. Only the big cities could afford them because bringing them from Asia was expensive.  Nevertheless, the invention brought a constant royalties revenue, which the man supplanted with a thriving business, a traveling emporium. Applauses rewarded his expose.

    The mayor initiated a toasting spree, and then Joe started to call names, distributing parcels to the brainiacs, which resulted in much joy vividly expressed. Vincent concluded that kindergarten children or nerds behaved the same way.

    He had his own questions for Joe but let them go for later. Inspecting the merchant gave Vincent a bland result: Merchant, Level 79. Even after a hundred years, a Summoned was below cap level. The highest levels in town were thirty-nine: the Mayor, Priest, and Thomas. This could only mean that leveling was hard or that there were no incentives to gain XP after a while.  It made sense. Combat was supposed to grant the most experience, but fighting was not for everyone. People wanted to get on with their lives, make an honest living, raise a family, and not put their lives on the line daily.

    Meanwhile, dinner started, this tie with the servants bringing plates to everyone instead of a buffet. At some point, Jong and the woman with the hinting gun from the first day of the Isekai¡ªwhose name and profession Vincent never asked for¡ªarrived at his table.

    "Is it right you have one of the highest Inspect levels in town?" Jon asked.

    "What?" Vincent furrowed his brows

    "You told Thomas your it''s twenty-five."

    "Yeah, that''s it."

    "Dude, it''s huge!" Jong sighed. "You can make a buck by identifying stuff, increasing your skill level in the process."

    "What have you done in your real life to earn this?" the woman asked.

    "I guess it''s both from my mountaineering and my time in the army. You have always to be careful where you put your feet, dangers¡ª"

    "I get it. What arms, more specifically?"

    "Recon. A little short of eight years, from nineteen to twenty-six. But I was a trainer for mountain-related stuff for the last two."

    "Nice," the woman nodded. "I was US Secret Service."

    Vincent choked on his food. "R-really? I thought you were some clay pigeon shooting champ..." The woman''s mood lowered. An involuntary jerk of her feet hit the table''s foot.

    "She''s¡ª"Jong started.

    "I am Irene''s bodyguard," the woman interjected. "Her parents hired me."

    "Do you mind if I ask why you chose that weapon?"

    "Because of your stupid European laws. A hunting gun was all I could get. How come you have a real weapon?"

    "Technically, I''m still an army consultant," Vincent said. "A friend procured a permit for me¡­ You know, around here¡­ sorry, there, connections are important."

    "I asked my former employers to put a good word for me, but they refused¡­ assholes,¡± the woman complained. ¡°Anyway¡­ Should we buy these?" she put two magnifying glasses on the table. The objects had no handles but were enclosed in a gold or brass frame¡ªVincent couldn''t tell¡ª with a pair of what appeared to be small metal hands on one side. "They''re worth a lot of money. Money we don''t have yet. We have to take a loan with ten percent interest."

    "We want you to check if what Joe told us about the items is true," Jong added.

    "Sure, give me a moment¡­" After concentrating on the two lenses for a good minute to ensure nothing escaped his attention, Vincent told them his findings. "Range finder and aim assistant, taking the distance and the wind into account. Works up to half a mile. Rare quality. The metal is gold. It will attach itself to any weapon. Looks pretty neat to me. What''s the price?"

    "A hundred gold each," Jong said. "A year''s salary for Thomas if you need to put it into perspective."

    "Go for it. I''ll cover the costs when I get my money from the suitcase. It''s for the guild''s benefit."

    "Geez, thanks, man!" Jong exclaimed. The woman nodded, displaying a wide grin. Vincent would have taken such an artifact for himself, too, but it would have been too unwieldy for the pistol. When the two returned to Joe, he got up the stairs. He felt tired; it had been a hard day on all accounts. His sleep was so deep that logs could be envious.

    A couple of hours before dawn, a strange sensation began to nag him, and he woke all in sweat. Somewhere, the tiger cub''s mind was screaming for help.

 10. Betrayal

    Revolver in hand, Vincent rested his back on the wall near the window, peeking through the small lateral curtain gap. Joe''s carriage was leaving, half out of the gate. The trader was bent forward, shaking the reins to make the horse walk faster. Riding in front and rear of the vehicle and back, the guards held their spears ready, scrutinizing the courtyard and the street.

    What was in the carriage was what mattered. Two human shapes covered in blankets, with a tiny bump in between. Tied prisoners. The bump was Cupcake; thus, one of the prisoners was Irene. The second one was Irene''s bodyguard, most likely.

    "Fuck!" Vincent hissed. Giving a general alarm openly was out of the question. Likewise, firing his gun and risking hitting the hostages.

    He activated Identify, hoping to see the second captive''s identity. It failed. Instead, his gaze fell on the last horse, and the result made his heart skip a beat: War Mount, Elite. Level 60.

    Vincent slapped his hand over his forehead, burrowing his finger in his skin, putting pressure on his eyes, then pinching his nose before moving to the back of his neck, massaging it. He sprung into action, dressing in seconds and darting out the door.

    Lukas was out dating a maid, so he had only himself to mobilize people. Two doors down the corridor was Jorge''s room. The door was unlocked, which spared him the time to break through. The young man was asleep, with his back turned to his roommate, a plumper scientist, who snored in the next bed. Leaving the door open to let the light from the corridor''s oil lamps, Vincent shook Jorge''s shoulder.

    "Huh?" the young man moaned.

    "Irene has been kidnapped. Joe did it. I need you to pick up your drone and meet me in the lobby, in five. Can you do that?"

    Jorge shook his head. Vincent ran toward the end of the corridor, where Jong''s room was, across Irene''s. The girl''s door was open, a finger''s width. He woke the archer first to give him time to prepare, then barged into Irene''s room to search for clues, only to find himself face-to-face with two black holes staring at him. The bodyguard''s gun.

    "Idiot, I almost shot you!" the woman blurted, lowering the weapon. "What are you doing here¡­ where''s Irene?" he furrowed her brow. "She didn''t return yet?"

    So Irene wasn''t in her room when they took her?

    "Joe kidnapped her," Vincent said bluntly. "Stop!" he put himself in front of the woman before she could rush out. "He has four guards. You jump them; you''re as good as dead."

    "Lukas enhanced my gun," she showed him the hunting rifle, her hands trembling. "Together, we can take them."

    "The guards'' horses are level sixty Elite War Mounts. You think that''s normal for a bunch of Uncommon level thirties?"

    "They hid their class?" she gasped.

    "We have to play it smart. Meet us downstairs in two. Take as much ammunition as you can."

    He darted on the stairs, his heart pumping like mad. I should have prepared for this. It was only a matter of time until someone made a move to get control of a Summoned, he admonished himself.

    The inn''s outside door was open, and Jorge was raising the drone.  "They''re beelining for the rear gate," he announced.

    "There''s a rear gate?" Vincent asked.

    "Yeah, because of the road to Pragwyn. It''s small, a ten-foot arch in the wall."

    "How high can your thing fly?"

    "Three thousand feet."

    "For how long?"

    "With the new magic enchantment, two hours."

    Vincent grabbed Jorge''s temples and kissed his forehead. "Atta boy! Get it up, maximum altitude. I need to see how the road goes."

    "Give me a minute¡­ What the fuck is that?" Jorge leaned the screen so Vincent could see it.

    "Shit!" Vincent clenched his teeth. "The Mongols!"

    "They weren''t there this evening, I swear!" Jorge blurted.

    Twenty miles to the north, a cluster of hundreds of campfires on a hill. Pragwyn was at the same distance but eastward. Far from having the same brightness as on Vincent''s earth, it was still recognizable.

    "Go grab the Mongol bow and arrows," Vincent ordered Jong. The Korean had his compound bow suitcase in hand.

    "But this is better¡ª"

    "We''ll need both bows. Just do it." Vincent cut the argument short, showing the image to the bodyguard. "That''s a Mongol army. I took out one of their scouts yesterday. That''s Pragwyn, the capital. Joe is going there."

    "But why kidnap Irene?" Jorge asked. "I mean¡­ a social scientist? No one gives a fuck about social science."

    "She did bring you guys together, didn¡¯t she? And she¡¯s also a Sorcerer."

    "Sorcerers are Rare tier classes, so it''s no big deal."

    "Last evening, Irene went to¡­ see Bee. I waited for her for an hour, and then I fell asleep," the bodyguard said, biting her lower lip.

    "Bee''s the target!" Vincent yelped, realizing the truth. "A Legendary Academic¡­ They want him to make them advanced weapons or something."

    "Boy, they are in for a surprise," Jorge laughed. "Bee has no practical sense at all. He knows only quantum physics and¡ª"

    "Which will get them killed when the kidnappers realize the truth," Vincent said without any nuance in his voice, knowing that a neutral tone was the best to snap people back to reality. "We must save them before he opens his mouth¡­. Shit! Don''t you think we should have a quest about that? This is strange¡­ Never mind. Where are they?"

    "Barely a mile away." Jorge touched the screen over a tiny dot.This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

    "We exit the town and cut through the forest, through here," Vincent traced a line. "Let''s move."

    <hr>

    An hour later, they exited the forest shortcut at a stranglehold beside a ravine. Deadly yet unassuming. People often thought a precipice meant a thousand-foot vertical drop, looking like the Matterhorn on a bad day. Vincent knew better: a fifty-foot fall was as likely to kill someone. This one was two hundred and not straight; it had a slight incline.

    "They''ll be here in about fifteen minutes," Jorge said, trying to appear calm despite his trembling hands. "What''s the plan?"

    "I shoot the ones in the back, Vincent shoots the ones in front, the Korean shoots Joe," the bodyguard said. "Take care not hitting the¡ª"

    "Brief question: what''s your name?" Vincent asked.

    "Brandi?"

    "And¡­ what''s your class, Brandy?"

    "Oh, that¡­ Rogue. But I can hide it. There''s a skill displaying a random¡ª"

    "It says Sexual Worker."

    "No!" Brandi gasped.

    "Yeah¡­ I thought you might want to explore new things¡­ If you''re a Rogue, you have some hiding skills, right?"

    "I do¡­ for now, it''s about standing still."

    "Then you''ll stand still up there," Vincent pointed to a bush higher on the slope. "Jorge will hide behind the ridge, above you, staying out of the fight, and Jong farther to the East, to have the best line of fire."

    "But¡ª"

    "In the Special Service, you were all about protecting an asset, right?"

    "Of course," Brandi nodded.

    "And I was all about attacking one. This is how it''s gonna go: I''ll make sure that bridge falls under the last riders," Vincent pointed to a few logs that were fixed along the ravine''s wall, supporting the road. "It''ll appear an accident. Maybe they die, but at their levels, I think they''ll survive. They''ll have to regroup, and¡ª"

    "Why not attack the first riders?" Brandi asked. "That would block the cart, forcing them to rebuild the bridge. We shoot them while they work."

    "They''ll take Bee and Irene on the horses and pass through the forest. But if the carriage is safe, they''ll concentrate on helping their buddies out of the water. I''ll sneak inside the cart, free our people, and lead them somewhere safe. Then we shoot them with everything we have, retreating and covering each other."

    Vincent paused, squeezing his eyes shut. He didn''t know if the Mongols intended to lay siege to Krivoburg or not. They would jump out of the frying pan into the fire if so. The lack of information, any quest or notification, was getting maddening. Nevertheless, the Mongols were a problem for later.

    "Ten minutes, max," Jorge announced.

    "Take positions. Sorry, moment¡­ If my plan fails, I''ll lure them away¡­ Jorge, follow them with the drone and see where they go and what castle or mansion they enter. You have the autonomy, right?"

    "I''ll make it happen," Jorge promised.

    "Let''s rock and roll," the bodyguard said, going up the hill.

    Knife in hand, Vincent went down the slope, under the bridge, and cut a few indentations into the first two trunks serving as pillars. Such constructions were sturdy, but it was not a matter of destroying it but making it fall. He tied a few ropes around them, then to a fallen tree below. A storm or weak roots had dislodged it from its place, and only a few branches stuck stopped it from falling into the precipice. Vincent made sure to reduce that support to a single branch, to which he tied a rope and retreated into the forest, hiding under the leaves.

    A couple of minutes later, the first two riders arrived. Their disguises were off; they were level sixty Dark Knights, Elites. The class''s name sent a shiver down Vincent''s spine. The riders went over the bridge, moving slowly. The wood creaked but stayed together. The carriage followed. Vincent could hear sobs, but if it was Irene or Bee, he couldn''t know. The last two riders came, and as he hoped, they advanced together. When they reached the right spot, Vincent pulled the string with as much force as possible. The last branch gave way, and the loose trunk slid down, pulling on the bridge support.

    The distance between the beams increased by an inch, then two. The wood wobbled and shifted to the right. Neighing, the War Mount on the right tried to regain its equilibrium, only to fall into the ravine with a giant pile of wood beams after him. The steed somersaulted, falling over the rider, and then they both ricocheted and fell onto a group of pointy rocks before being thrown in the air again and crashing into the stream below. Dead, there was no doubt about it. The pile of debris fell on them. Tons of wood and displaced rocks.

    The second horse jumped off the collapsing bridge of its own volition, surfing on the slope and staying on all fours. It was an extraordinary feat, albeit not one Vincent wished for.

    "What are you idiots doing?" Joe screamed. "Let me pass, morons," he yelled as the first two Knights tried to help their comrades. Seeing reason, they dismounted and returned to the remains of the bridge on foot, talking to the one below. Joe joined them.

    It was the moment Vincent waited to execute his real plan, one so risky that he dared not to tell the others about it. No notification came¡ªwhich was scary¡ªbut his open Menu showed his level was now twenty-one. He instantly bought Outsider''s Stride, Insight, and Iron Grip. The last two were optional, but the first was essential.

    There was no gauge, notification, or indicator, but deep inside him, he knew he had an almost full Karma pool, as he had hoped, counting retroactively. He imagined a gate would open to the cart but was teleported there instead. Joe and the riders were looking the other way.

    Vincent removed the blanket, revealing two terrorized faces and a hissing cub. He threw the tiger on his back, hoping it would have the instinct to grab onto his clothes, then put his hands on Bee and Irene. The plan was to get them back to the town, but he felt resistance when he tried to do that, so he transported himself and the hostages next to Jong.

    "Use the Mongol bow. Shoot as many arrows as you can," he blurted, taking cover and starting to untie the prisoners. The cub jumped down and chewed on the rope, trying to help. Irene and Bee were mumbling something through their gags. "

    "The Mongols!" a Knight yelled bellow as an arrow hit his helmet. "Retreat!"

    "It''s not the Mongols, stupid, it''s their friends," Joe yelled. "They''re up the hill." The man had put on a monocle that was shining a faint blue. A scanning device. "Get them, what are you waiting for?"

    Mounting their horses, the two knights started to climb the hill. The one from the ravine had made a slight detour to find less steep ground and was almost out of it.

    "Fire at will," Vincent shouted. "You two, hide behind the ridge," he instructed the hostages.

    Jong took his compound back and aimed at the incoming hostiles. The arrow hit one knight square in the chest, the point exiting through the back, yet the man kept coming. Vincent added his bullets to the fray. He shot the closest foe in the head, thrice, directly in the face; the visor was up. Brains poured out through the spaces between the shattered bones; the back of the skull was visible, but the enemy didn¡¯t even flinch.

    Brandi''s gun barked, and the horse neighed in agony, shot in its belly. Its knees bucked, and it rolled down the slope with its rider, resting momentarily on the bridge, then crashing into the ravine.

    "Shit!" the archer yelled in pain. A black bolt shot forward from the Knight''s spear, impaling the Korean''s shoulder. Brandi and Vincent''s guns were empty; they were reloading. With a groan of satisfaction, the knight raised his weapon, towering over Vincent. The young man teleported away. A second later, flying at full speed, the drone brushed against the knight''s helmet. Already unbalanced by his position, the rider jerked back,  making his horse miss a step, and both fell backward, joining their friends in death at the bottom of the canyon.

    "Get him!" Vincent yelled at Jong, pointing at Joe, who was running away on foot.

    "You want me to shoot him in the back?" Jong complained.

    "Yes!" Vincent screamed, shooting at the last incoming knight, the one thrown into the valley at the beginning of the ambush. The enemy had dismounted, realizing the horse was a liability on that kind of slope, and was climbing alone, sword in hand. He looked like a porcupine from Jong''s arrows, bled from at countless bullet holes,  but still walked on, unbothered.

    Irene and Bee started to throw rocks, a mere annoyance and no more. The knight was twenty paces away, and Vincent''s gun was again empty. Brandi closed the battle by sneaking behind the knight and shooting him in the back at point blank, blowing the knight''s head into smithereens. Meanwhile, the knight''s mount had taken off, and there was nothing to do about that.

    A hundred yards farther on the road, Joe laid on his back, panting, with an arrow in his thigh.

    "I managed to maim him," Jong spoke.

    "Kill him," Vincent said with a glacial tone.

    "C''mon man, he''s defenseless," Jong pleaded. "Let''s take him to town to face justice."

    "He will tell lies, how he was forced to do it, then some nobles from the capital will arrange he walks free," Vincent hissed. "Then he''ll come after us with more of those bastards, and the next time, they''ll bring ranged weapons and wizards."

    "He planned to sell me as a sex slave," Irene said, her voice shaking. "We heard them talking¡­ about the price catgirls fetch¡­" she choked.

    With the faintest woosh, an arrow flew straight into Joe''s eye. The man flailed his arms and then fell on his back, jerking uncontrollably a few times before all movement stopped.

    "What do you know, that aiming device works just fine," Jong said. "Thanks, Joe."

 11. Bad vs Evil

    "I need a moment," Vincent said, sitting on the grass. He wrapped his arms around the knees, every muscle in his body feeling like a wet noodle. The adrenaline was leaving him, and the backlash arrived.

    "They were bad people," Irene tried to comfort him, patting Vincent''s back. "You had to do it. It was them or us. I¡­" she choked, "am as guilty¡­ I wanted Joe dead so badly¡­ Oh, my God! What have I done?"

    Vincent nodded, hiding his face and tears inside his elbows. The truth was he couldn''t care less about killing a bunch of evil people, but agreeing with Irene was easier than explaining himself. The thought of losing Irene to a jerk who was going to sell her into slavery shoved a fist-seized knot in Vincent''s throat. That was what bothered him¡­ And most of all, He should have seen it coming¡­ Brandi understood and pulled the girl after her, speaking in her ear.

    Slowly, Vincent regained composure. Bellow him, the rest were looting the corpses. Bee had descended on the bottom of the ravine, using a rope tied around his waist, and struggled to untie a horse''s saddle.

    He''s growing up, Vincent smiled. He wondered if any of them would have imagined themselves undressing dead bodies just six days prior. Maybe Brandi¡­ She scolded Bee for taking too long, then pulled him back on the road and took his place. Jong was probing the carriage. Probably thinking no one was seeing them, Irene and Bee hugged. She kissed his cheek after fondling it with her hand, and he kissed the inside of her palm.

    Love is beautiful, Vincent thought with a pang of sadness. He was still attracted to the girl but knew she was better off with somebody more like her.

    "Ahum," someone cleared their voice not far away.

    "What the heck?" Vincent blurted, turning around. The two archetypes, Kiara and Hubris, stood a few feet behind him.

    "Hi," Kiara waved. She was using a real voice this time, not talking in his head.

    "What''s going on?" Vincent asked.

    "We have a problem," she lowered her eyes. "Another Archetype got jealous of my summoning being so successful and tried to kidnap the most promising member of your group. The young man you call Bee."

    "You mean some of you guys are¡­ err¡­ evil?" Vincent gasped.

    "A few are not nice, but one of them is particularly¡­ unhinged," Kiara wrinkled her nose. "Worse than Hubris by a mile."

    "Sorry to change the topic, but how can a guy named Hubris be the Archetype of Wisdom?" Vincent asked despite his better judgment, hoping the entity would not smite him.

    "Because reason is but a thin paper covering an ocean of instincts and darkness. I''m about controlling those instincts through reason."

    "While the Raven is about the end justifies the means," Kiara spoke. "If he''d be your patron, he''d say things like kill your friends to farm XP."

    "I see," Vincent nodded.

    "Your eyes tell me you have encountered this kind of people in the past," Hubris said. "The Raven likes to corrupt minds. Joe was my prot¨¦g¨¦ at first. A low-level mobster, but not too bad. Then Raven convinced him to get into the slave trade."

    "Why do you allow it?" Vincent sneered.

    "Allow it? You think we are puppeteers, controlling people?" Hubris raised his voice, pulling back his hood. He looked like a stern man in his early forties, weathered through challenges. "We do not. We are offering information and bespoke rewards to those we deem worthy, that''s all. Our powers are limited, and each of us acts independently."

    "However, I and Hubris agreed to work together on this matter," Kiara said. "We convinced the System to forbid the Raven from interfering with you, but we can''t stop him from accessing notifications. We''ll keep those to a bare minimum for a while."

    "Is this guy the reason we were summoned?" Vincent asked.

    "No," Hubris answered. "The danger is yet to be identified¡­ The Raven fought along with us whenever there was a threat to the Realm. But his methods are barbaric and counterproductive. Best luck. It''s time for us to go. Our visits are governed by many rules, and interfering with the Summoned has to be kept to a minimum for our sake and yours. If we detect any danger, we will send you a notification with three exclamation marks in it."

    "What about the Mongols?" Vincent rushed to ask.

    "You have nothing to worry about," Kiara said. "Their Shaman is a prot¨¦g¨¦ of mine. They''re doing their yearly tour, asking for protection money or food. As long as the Mayor delivers, no harm will come to you."

    "One more thing," Hubris said. "Be vigilant. Beauhemia is a vassal to Hungary, and the Hungarian dynasty is devoted to the Raven. Their King is currently visiting Pragwyn."

    "So he''s the one behind¡ª"

    "We can''t be sure. But those were Royal Knights, so¡­"This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.

    "Shit," Vincent sighed.

    "Keep your eyes peeled until he leaves; it''s a matter of days. You should be safe afterward." The last of Hubris''s words faded in intensity, and then the Archetypes were gone.

    Vincent hurried to rejoin his friends. Running downward on a steep slope was nothing for him, and he could see the envy in their eyes. "I''ll teach you. It''s easy, you''ll see," he tried to raise their morals.

    "I''m OK," Jong said. "What did the fairy want from you?"

    "And who was the other guy?" Bee asked.

    "A friend of hers. Bad news: There are also evil Archetypes in this Realm, and one of them made one of his minions kidnap Bee because of his class and Karma skills."

    "Karma skills?" Irene asked.

    "The stuff I used to teleport. Bee will get an insanely powerful perk once he can afford it. Vincent slapped the youngster''s shoulder, almost sending him into the ravine. "Sorry¡­ I have to learn to control my strength."

    "Vincent can fight the grown-up tiger in hand-to-hand combat," Bee praised his mentor.

    For a second, Vincent noticed a glint of appreciation in Irene''s eyes. He cursed at the feeling because he didn''t want to care about that, but then the moment was gone. "Let''s tie up and go home," he said. "What''s left to take?"

    "Not much," Jong said, pointing to a pile of weapons and armor wrapped in blankets and hanging on the back of the horse that pulled the cart, a Zen Mount. "We took everything that was still in decent condition. I found a small coffer with gold, too."

    "Is the drone destroyed?" Vincent asked.

    "Only shaken. I need to recalibrate the camera, that''s all."

    "Fantastic. I''ll be back in a second."

    Teleporting up to his previous position, Vincent searched carefully for his bullet cases. He didn¡¯t want to leave too many traces and, most of all, hints about new technologies. Once Vincent found what he searched for, he returned to his friends on foot.

    "Touch me," he said.

    Magic defied logic yet had common sense, he realized. Now, when out of combat, going to the town felt easier. He imagined the place, bringing it before his mind''s eyes, concentrated, and then, with a soft plop, they reappeared a hundred yards before the East gate, behind a bend in the road, to avoid curious eyes.

    The sun was rising, and Vincent''s morale with it. On the way to the inn, in front of the police station, they met with Thomas and the mayor, shouting at each other.

    "What''s going on?" Irene asked.

    "The tribute was stolen," the mayor yelled.

    "What tribute?" Vincent asked.

    "For the Mongols. We must pay them in food or gold to leave us alone. This dummkopf was supposed to guard it but got drunk!"

    "I was drugged!" Thomas yelled. "I can''t get drunk from a mere gallon of beer, two bottles of whiskey, and dessert wine!"

    Wow! was the only word Vincent could think of.

    Fortunately, Irene connected more dots than him. "Was by any chance the tribute in a wooden chest?" She put down the tiger¡ªmaking Cupcake meowl in protest¡ªand pulled the blanket to reveal the trunk found in the carriage.

    "Yes! Come to Papa," the mayor rushed to hug the chest. "Where did you find it?"

    "Joe stole the tribute and kidnapped me and Bee," she explained. " Vincent rescued us¡­" Irene glanced gratefully at the young man.

    "I told you I was drugged!" Thomas growled. "We drank together¡­ then I remember nothing¡­"

    "Where is he?" the mayor asked.

    "Dead," Jong said deadpanned.

    "It was self-defense," Vincent rushed to say, just in case the law was tough on shooting an unarmed criminal.

    "Who cares," the mayor spat on the ground. "You saved us the pain of quartering him."

    "When does the payment take place?" Vincent asked.

    "In about two hours," the mayor looked up toward the townhouse''s horologe.

    "And how is it done?"

    "We draw straws, and the one who loses goes and delivers the tribute. Sometimes, they eat the messenger," the mayor whispered, covering one side of his mouth with his palm to make sure the few passersby didn¡¯t hear.

    "Straws are unnecessary. I''ll do it," Vincent said.

    "Much appreciated, son, much appreciated!" the mayor exclaimed. "Thomas, come to help me count the money. We want to be sure all is there¡­ No offense, but some coins could have fallen on the way," he said to the group.

    "Brandi, why don''t you help the mayor count it? Vincent said. There was a chance the official pocketed some of the gold. The night had taught him trust was not to be given lightly.

    "The coffer contains one thousand and two hundred thirty-two gold coins, considering the volume of the money," Bee said. "I have an eye for this kind of stuff¡­"

    "But the tribute was supposed to be a thousand," Thomas said.

    "Maybe Joe put his money in the trunk as well," Bee said.

    "If so, the difference is yours, son," the mayor said.

    Leaving Brandi with the sergeant and the mayor, the rest returned to the inn. Everything appeared normal. The freshly baked bread smelled good; everyone took a whole loaf, with or without butter.

    "What level are you now?" Vincent asked.

    "Thirteen," Bee said. ¡°Before they tied me, I fought against those goons and got two levels.¡±

    "Same," Irene said.

    Vincent nodded. Maybe because they stalled until the tiger gave the alarm. "Good. Take a break, then exercise in your rooms or the courtyard until you increase your Body by at least one point. It''s an order."

    "Sure, boss," Bee said enthusiastically while Irene sulked. She wanted to sleep, most likely, but Vincent knew better. Sleep was hard to come for those who had just been through a traumatic event. Physical exercise was going to help them relax.

    "I reached level fifteen," Jorge said. "Plus four levels."

    "This is the way," Vincent said. "Could you repair that drone and keep the fight scene under surveillance?"

    "In case the ones behind the kidnapping wonder why Joe is not back and send someone to see what happened?"

    "Exactly. Follow them, and tell us if they''re coming here.

    "I hear and obey, my liege," Jorge executed a deep reverence, flourishing his right arm.

    Vincent replied with a middle finger gesture, looking at Jong. "Level?"

    "I''m twenty-eight," Jong said. "Doubled my levels in that fight."

    "If you unlock any Karma skill, take it."

    "Err¡­ I don''t see anything like that," Jong said. "But the notification for the leveling is idiotic. Quote: You did stuff and reached level twenty-eight."

    "It''s because of that evil Archetype, the Raven," Vincent said. "He can¡¯t see us anymore but has access to notifications, so those were reduced to a minimum."

    "Makes sense," Bee said. "Archetypes are parts of the System¡­ But if there''s infighting¡­. That''s worrying."

    "The Raven?" Jorge asked. "That''s the evil we''re supposed to fight?"

    "No, he''s only a bad player."

    "Wait! I just remembered. You told us his prot¨¦g¨¦ was the Hungarian king?" Jong yelled, making everyone in the room look at him.

    "Yes, the one who built that famous castle. I heard Budapest is lovely this time of the year," Vincent said loudly to create a diversion.

    "Not this Budapest," Jong hissed. "It''s considered the most bleak city in Europe. The king rules with an iron fist, and he''s notoriously dangerous! But it makes sense. The dynasty is called Corvinus¡ª"

    "It means Raven, in Latin," Irene said.

    "The present king is Ludwing the First. He murdered his father and brothers to take the throne. He''s like three hundred years old."

    "Really?"

    "Everything is in the memo we gave you," Irene said.

    Vincent vaguely recalled a sheet of paper he had forgotten unread on the nightstand. Promising himself to be more professional in the future, he took the last piece of bread in a napkin and rose. "It''s time to check my skills and stats if you don''t mind¡­"

 12. Skills and Stats

    The impatience to look at his progress made Vincent summon his stats before he reached the room, still reading them when he closed the door behind him. Lukas was not there, which was perfect.

    Name: Vincent Vala?ka

    Level: 30 (7 Tokens available).

    Body 36 (+4) / Mind 19 (+4) / Spirit 30 (+4).

    There was a slight increase in his stats. A plus one in Body and Mind and two in Spirit. He took his phone and wrote it down, regretting he hadn''t noted everything from the beginning.

    "Show me my current Karma skill and a full description," he asked aloud.

    Important: Karmic skills are passive or defensive by nature. No second party can access Karmic-related notifications unless the user grants explicit permission.

    Perfect!

    Outsider''s Stride (Active, Mythical tier, Karmic). Bestows you with the ability to conjure a bespoke wormhole. You can use it to go to places you see, were to, or can attune to in various manners, as long they are on an Awakened Realm. This skill has no levels but can be improved through practice.

    So, no going home, huh?

    You can transport people, living beings, or objects with you as long they are willing and not more than ten feet away. Unconscious or unwilling people you transport to save their lives are an exception. A Stride costs one charge of Karma/jump/person.

    Important: You cannot transport people against their will. This ability won''t work if the destination is incompatible with your survival. Overlapping with any object or living being will move your exit to the nearest safe point. Mind Control effects or mind-altering drugs might stop the skill from activating. Alcohol, in moderation, does not impede it.

    Karmic Charges: 187/200

    Neat! I guess it remembers every good deed I ever did¡­ Vincent gloated.

    FAQ: What is the duration of a Karmic charge?

    Answer: A Karmic charge depreciates after five years.

    FAQ: Can I have more than 200 Karmic charges?

    Answer: Negative. The normal amount is 100, but you have 200 due to your Dichotomic class. With a better understanding of the flow of Karma, acquiring Karma Charges will become easier.

    FAQ: What about negative Karma?

    Answer: Negative Karma (caused by bad deeds) will be deducted from your Karma Pool. Evil-attuned Karma users have their ways of utilizing Negative Karma, but they keep that information a secret.

    "Unsurprisingly."

    The notification had offered answers to questions before he even thought about them, but it was for the better. Next, Vincent wished to see if there were new Karmic skills available. The notification was hilarious.

    By doing important stuff, you have earned the right to acquire the Outsider''s Cloaking skill.

    Outsider''s Cloaking (Active, Mythical tier). Use both Light and Darkness to make your presence unnoticeable. A faint glint among the bright light of the day or a shadow confounding itself in the darkness of the night: that''s you. Cost to acquire: 6 Tokens. Cost to activate: 1 Karmic Charge. Cost to maintain: 1 Karmic Charge per minute.

    Do more stuff to unlock more Karmic skills.

    The skill looked useful, and he had seven Tokens. Vincent bought it without second thoughts and raised his Mind by one on top of that. Without any Token left, he felt naked, but better naked than unprepared. Vincent was confident he''d level up soon enough. Then, he remembered that the world''s main resource was Mana. Something he had never used¡­ at least consciously.

    "Err¡­ System? Do I have a Mana pool or something?"

    FAQ: What are resources?

    Answer: Resources are representations of specific energy your awakened body produces and uses for various purposes. Remember that the following descriptions are an extreme simplification of a much more complex reality.

    Mana: A resource dependent on your Spirit stat and level (Spirit+Level x 10). Your MPs are currently 600/600. Recovery rate: 1%/minute. Mana is usually used for spells or social skills, sometimes instinctively.

    Stamina: A resource dependent on your Body stat and level (Body+Level x10). Your SPs are currently 595/660. Recovery rate: 1%/10 minutes. Stamina is usually used to enhance one''s physical attacks or defenses.

    Concentration: A resource dependent on your Mind stat and level. (Mind+Level x10). Your CPs are currently 500/500. Recovery rate: 1%/1 minutes. Concentration is usually used for analysis and detection checks.

    So physical recovery is slower than the rest¡­

    Health Pool¡ªThe author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    "What? There''s a Health Pool?"

    The Health Pool is a magical buffer, a Mana double of your normal body. A few classes and species can use their HPs to soak damage to their vitals, continuing to function for an additional amount of time. ATM, you do not qualify for such a resource. Use your common sense.

    Those Knights kept coming with their brains blown out¡­ Ew! "System, show me all my skills and perks, including their costs."

    Name: Vincent Vala?ka Age: 28

    Level: 30 (0 Tokens available).

    Body 36 (+4) / Mind 20 (+4) / Spirit 30 (+4).

    Class: Dichotomic (Unique, Mythical)

    Elements: You can wield elements from the schools of Light, Darkness, Fortune, and Wisdom, altogether or separately.

    Name buff: Vala?ka/Velasco.

    Due to your class, you can choose the name you want to display. CD: 24h.

    Under the Vala?ka name, you gain +10 in Body and increased damage when using a shepherd axe and light spells. While displaying the Velasco name, you gain the Blessing of the Raven: +10 in Spirit and an increased effect of all Darkness spells.

    These buffs activate only in combat.

    Species: Outsider (Mythical)

    Species Perks:

    Resilience (Passive, Elite): You age 4x slower than a normal human. Evolvable at Skill levels 50 and 100. Current Skill Level: 20

    Slippery (Passive, Elite). High Resistance to Magic Damage, Mind Control, and against all forms of Identify. Evolvable at Skill levels 50 and 100.

    Disguise (Passive, Elite): Set a name, class, and species to display as a tag. Recommendations for your level: Scout, Ranger, Warmaster / Half-Elf, Evolved Human.

    Passive Proficiency (Elite): Your passive skills work +25% over their expected performance. Allows most of your passive skills to evolve at Skills levels 50 and 100.

    Passive Skills:

    Battle Instinct (Passive, Elite). You don''t need to look at a target to judge its movements or the distance. At skill levels 50 and 100, you can evolve this ability to include an active effect. Current skill level: 18.

    Quiet Leadership (Passive, Elite). With few but wise words, you manage to make others follow you. Increases the stats of your followers by +1. Gain +4 in every stat for yourself as long you have at least 30 followers. Evolvable at Skill levels 50 and 100. Current bonus: +4. Current skill level: 20.

    Animal Empathy (Passive, Elite skill). You feel the mood of the animals around you. You can detect hidden predators in an area of a hundred feet if they observe you with malicious intent. Current skill level: 16. Evolvable at Skill levels 50 and 100.

    Spying (Passive, Rare skill). Your presence and attention are barely noticeable, and you are prone to finding secrets. Current skill level: 32.

    Mentor (Passive, Elite skill). You are exceptionally gifted to teach your skills to others. Current Level: 14.

    Active skills:

    Inspect (Active/ Rare tier). Analyze objects or living beings. Cost: 25 CPs/use. Evolvable at Skill levels 50 and 100. Current skill level: 30.

    Insight (Active, Elite tier). A buff for your Inspect skill, allowing you to detect weaknesses and secrets. Consumes 25 CPs/use. It can be activated only on top of an Inspect. Current skill level: 30.

    Iron Grip (Active, Elite tier): Your grip has an unusual force. This skill increases the strength of your hands for a limited time. Consumes 25 Stamina/use and 5 SPs/second to maintain. Current Skill Level: 25.

    Karmic Skills:

    Outsider''s Stride (Active, Mythical, Karmic). Bestows you with the ability to conjure a bespoke wormhole. You can use it to go to places you see, were to, or can attune to in various manners, as long that place is on a Mana-awakened world. This skill has no levels, but it performs better with practice.

    You can transport people, living beings, or objects with you as long they are willing and not more than ten feet away. Unconscious or unwilling people you transport to save their lives are an exception. A Stride costs one charge of Karma/jump/person.

    Outsider''s Cloak (Active, Mythical). Use both Light and Darkness to make your presence unnoticeable. A faint glint among the bright light of the day or a shadow confounding itself in the darkness of the night: that''s you. This skill has no levels, but it performs better with practice. Activation costs one Karmic Charge, then 10 MPs/second to maintain.

    A knock on the door interrupted his concentration while Vincent read the last line. "Enter," he shouted.

    First Irene, then Jorge appeared. "The tribute is due to be delivered," Irene said.

    "Thanks¡­ I almost forgot¡­"

    "There''s a development," Jorge blurted.

    "Tell me."

    "Somebody came to investigate the battle place."

    "So soon?" Vincent said. "How many?"

    "T-three¡­ r-ravens," Jorge stuttered.

    "Three what?" Vincent gasped.

    "Three ravens¡­ Here, I recorded it."

    Taking Jorge''s phone in hand, Vincent pressed ''Play.'' Seen from above, the scene looked¡­ eerie. Crushed corpses and another one with an arrow in his head, Joe. Vincent guessed that Jong considered it too gross to recover an arrow covered in brains. As Jorge said, three ravens came in flight, circling the place. Instead of feasting on the bodies, they landed on the road and transformed into people. The process took no more than a second.

    The camera zoomed in. The first man had a Hungarian mustache and long dark hair; his forehead stuck into a permanent frown. The golden circlet he wore showed he was royalty. The second looked like an evil Gandalf, with all the prerequisites for a wizard, including the staff, but with a bodybuilder''s frame and a smirk on his face. The third¡­ Vincent couldn''t guess if it was a man or a woman. Thin and pale, of an uncertain age, but looking rather young.

    The wizard approached Joe and melted into the corpse. With a gasp, Joe opened his eyes. "Your Majesty¡­" he croaked.

    "How come we have sound?" Vincent paused the recording.

    "I used an enchantment on the drone''s microphone. Video zoom equals sound zoom," Jorge said.

    "Go figure," Vincent sighed and resumed the video.

    "What happened?" the one with the circlet asked.

    "Ambush¡­ your majesty¡­ The alien warlord, a woman mercenary, an archer," Joe reported, looking at the man with the mustache. His voice had a weird echo, so unnatural that Vincent shivered.

    "No Mongols?" the King picked an arrow from the ground.

    "No, sire. They¡­ wanted us to believe they were Mongols and many."

    Suddenly, Joe''s body jerked and collapsed, and the wizard reappeared. "He''s spent¡­ Should I take the matter into my own hands?"

    "No," the king spoke. "It was a bad idea to start with," he looked at the wizard, frowning. Despite his larger frame, the wizard took a step back. "We''ll bid our time¡­ When did they arrive here, a few days ago? And in such a short time, they grew to beat four Dark Knights."

    "They used the ravine to their advantage," the wizard said. "Give me a chance, my liege. I will bring you the Summoned."

    "The risk is too high," the King shook his head. "The Shaman will detect you, and the Khan will think we''re up to something and divert the horde toward us. We can''t afford another year of destroyed crops. We take the taxes and return home." He transformed back into a raven, followed by the other two, and they flew away.

    "Hungary''s on the verge of bankruptcy," Irene said. "Beauhemia is the only thing keeping it afloat."

    "I think it''s time I meet the Khan," Vincent nodded slowly.

 13. The Khan

    Vincent had been punctual, but no one had shown up to take the money yet. Half an hour later, he was still waiting on the bridge, a leather sack with one thousand gold coins at his feet. A tenth of an ounce a piece, they were worth about three hundred thousand Earth dollars or euros. Vincent was amazed at how easy it was to count in the new system. Only a few days prior, ounces were alien to him, and he would have said each coin was three point five grams. Now, thinking in miles, yards, feet, and ounces was like a second nature to him.

    In the distance, streaks of riders were flowing south. The Mongols were divided into smaller groups. They were well organized, Vincent noted. Mobile units, ready to disperse or regroup in a blink.

    As a larger group passed by the tree line, one of the riders detached from the rest and approached the bridge, trotting leisurely. It was a woman of middle age with simple, plain clothes. The only detail that made her stand out was a pair of deer antlers held by a harness behind her back.

    "Get behind me," the woman said, offering a hand.

    Vincent obeyed. The horse was larger than the Zen Mounts he had noticed before, yet smaller than the War Mounts. Its tag was Horse. Plain and simple. Not even levels. The position was awkward. Vincent did not dare grab the woman by the midriff, so he held on by the back of the saddle while leaning back to avoid being poked in the eyes by the antlers.

    "You are a good rider," the woman said.

    "I had a good instructor¡­" Vincent said, the words giddy, the pause sad. Memories assaulted him¡­ His ex, Shelly, had been his instructor, and riding was one of the best things in their relationship.

    The woman pulled the reins abruptly, making the horse stop. She turned and looked Vincent in the eyes. Her penetrating, clear blue eyes made Vincent uncomfortable. She shrugged and spurred the horse on. "Don''t sit until invited, don''t speak until given permission, eat or drink anything offered to you. Address the Great Khan as the Khan, no less, no more. Don¡¯t forget the the, it makes the difference between the Great Khan and the lesser ones."

    "And how should I address you?" Vincent asked.

    "I''m the Shaman."

    Two minutes later, they entered a smaller copse of trees south of the forest where they arrived. A lush carpet was laid on the ground, and a man appearing in his early sixties sat on it, legs underneath him, in front of a low table. The woman dismounted, and Vincent followed. He didn''t dare to use Inspect or Insight without permission.

    "He''s the one?" the man asked in Common tongue.

    "Yes, the Khan," the woman said. "He''s the Summoned I saw in my vision. My patron showed me he has an important message to deliver."

    Vision? Really?

    "You heard the Shaman. Speak," the Khan ordered.

    Vincent bowed slightly. "May I ask the Khan the purpose of his trip?"

    The man frowned. "What a silly question. We are visiting old friends. We say hi, they offer us gifts, and we leave," he gestured toward the town.

    The implications were clear. A tour to extract a protection tax. Whoever refused was going to have its crops burnt and villages destroyed. For how long had this been going? Vincent wondered. There were many questions, but for now, he had to assume that paying the tax was the lesser evil.

    "The King of Hungary is in Pragwyn," Vincent said. "He''s leaving soon with Beauhemia''s taxes. If the Khan hurries, the Khan will catch him. He has no more than sixty guards. Fifty-six, now. I killed four of them. I can prove anything I said."

    "Let''s have tea," the Khan gestured. "You have proof, you say?"

    "Yes, the Khan." Vincent sat on the opposite side of the table, crossing his legs under him. "This small device will show the Khan scenes our spy captured."

    Putting his smartphone on the table, Vincent first played the recording with the three ravens from the forest, then a few captions from Pragwyn. The Hungarian King and a group of Knights were visible in a castle''s courtyard, with the first ordering the latter to prepare to depart at midnight.Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.

    "Is your spy a bird?" the Khan asked with an expression of amazement.

    "A small construct," Vincent bobbed his head. "So, is the Khan interested in the deal?"

    "First, we drink tea, and Shaman tells story," the Khan said, snapping his fingers. Two servants rushed to put three small cups on the table, pouring hot liquid from a cylindrical opaque recipient. There was no fire nearby, so the container was likely a thermos. Maybe magical? Vincent had to bite his tongue to stop himself from asking.

    Waiting for the Khan to drink first, Vincent smelled the scent of the infusion and then took a sip. It was Jasmin-scented but darker than the usual green tea, yet lighter than black tea.

    The Shaman began to speak. "This story begins with the decline of the great Mongol empire, which once stretched from the Pacific to the Baltic Sea."

    "My ancestors bit more than they could chew," the Khan nodded."

    "Mongol tribes merged into the local population, or were lost to war, plagues¡ª"

    "In the past, our ancestors didn''t wash, but now we do," the Khan said rapidly on an inhale of the Shaman, appearing hell-bent on making a point they were civilized people.

    Thank goodness those times are past you¡­

    "¡ªor decadence, under the influence of Brindabella, the Archetype of childishness and games," the Shaman finished the sentence.

    "They thought sex was sinful, and all men were cutting their privates to remain cast and forever children," the Khan grimaced.

    "Ew!" Vincent exclaimed. Peter Pan syndrome to the extreme! "Are Archetypes responsible for specific countries, Shaman?"

    "They have preferences, but they are not restricted to one region. Forget about that. My story is about a visionary Khan and his Blue Horde. Realizing the truth, he recalled all his forces to a smaller area. Then, he allowed the local populations autonomy as long they paid tribute. And the Mongols, by his law, remained nomadic, their armies touring the empire. Everything is smooth, except for¡ª"

    "Hungary?"

    "The Corvins rebelled against the Horde and swore allegiance to the Raven, one of the most dangerous Archetypes," the Khan said. "They created a counter to our archers using black magic."

    "The Black Knights?" Vincent asked.

    "Them. We can shoot hundreds of arrows in one, and they''ll keep coming. How did you manage to kill four of them?"

    "I made them fall into a ravine¡­ Blunt trauma could work. Maces, halberds." Or explosions, Vincent thought. "Prioritizing the central nervous system¡ª the brain and the spine."

    "Going into melee range didn''t work well for us in the past," the Khan said, "Even against fifty Dark Knights, we risk heavy losses. And with Ludwing and his best people there¡­"

    "Plan B, then. I will bring you the money myself, the Khan," Vincent said. "But I want something in return."

    "I''m listening," the Khan crossed his arms, leaning back.

    "We need protection. Leave the Shaman and a part of your army here."

    The Khan stretched his right hand laterally, staring through Vincent. A servant filled his cup with tea. "Do you see anything?" he asked the Shaman, drinking the liquid in one go.

    "No," she said, "But in my last vision, I felt this meeting was an auspicious one."

    "Tell the men to set camp," the Khan told an attendant before returning his attention to Vincent. "Pragwyn is a big city¡­ I guess they have a lot of money¡­ the tribute must be proportionate. If you deliver a hundred thousand gold coins by tomorrow evening, I''ll leave my best shock troops behind and renounce Krivoburg''s tribute. The Shaman is not my servant; she''s a friend. She will stay if she decides so."

    "I will stay," the woman said. "My old bones are curious."

    "May I bother the Khan with two small requests before I go?" The Khan nodded, and Vincent continued: "In the forest behind us lives a friend, a tiger, and his family. Please don''t hunt them."

    "He¡¯s already under my protection," the Shaman said. "It''s an intelligent beast."

    "As for the second favor, let''s keep our dealings secret. It will keep our common enemy in the dark and offer future opportunities."

    The Shaman frowned at the young man, warning him silently he had made a faux step. Discretion was implied. The Mongol ruler was not a blabbermouth. Nevertheless, there were no more serious consequences. The Khan flickered his fingers, signaling Vincent was dismissed.

    <hr>

    It took Vincent and his small group of accomplices all day to finish the preparation, using the police quarters to keep the plan a secret from everyone else. The less they knew, the safer everybody was. Thomas, recruited into the gang, has closed the police office, and they were not expecting visits. The men-at-arms were locals living in their own homes.

    Seven small barrels of magically reinforced steel hoofs and oak staves were in the inner courtyard, all filled with pig iron. On a laptop''s screen, the drone showed them a castle''s bailey in Pragwyn. A cart with similar barrels was parked on a side, with three knights walking around and the other three guarding it at close range. The laptop also displayed simulated fields of vision, marking what and what the guards saw.

    "There are no blind spots," Irene said. "Please, let''s forget about it!" she grabbed Vincent''s hand.

    Her touch was warm and pleasant. "There are no blind spots if one walks," Vincent said, putting his free hand over hers in a reassurance gesture. A friendly gesture, he convinced himself. "I''ll teleport."

    "Actually, you''re using a wormhole," Bee said.

    "Wormholeport, whatever. Let''s get through with it; you guys are making me nervous."

    Vincent started to dress in a Dark Knight''s armor, assembled from the pieces they captured. Despite the blacksmith''s efforts, it was bent in some places and had a few bullet holes, but considering the darkness, he hoped no one would notice. He wore chair foam pieces underneath and between the armor parts to minimize the noise.

    There was only the matter of disguising his identity to magical scanning. He called up his Disguise ability and manually entered inside the fields: Harry Janosh, Dark Knight level sixty, and Evolved human. Then he changed his mind. What if he was asked stupid questions that only a Dark Knight would know to answer? He modified his class to Dark Squire, level twenty, and was ready to rock and roll.

 14. Heist in Parallel Prague

    Curiously enough, Vincent could attune to the places the drone showed him. All he needed to do was to hold his concentration focused on a spot for about ten seconds, maybe twelve, and have a characteristic landmark to relate to. He appeared on the castle''s roof, stretching himself on the tiles to avoid detection, using Inspect and Insight on what lay below.

    The six soldiers were indeed Dark Knights, all the same level, sixty. The species, though, was Undead, a thing he had missed in the previous encounter. Cursing, he made the necessary modifications to his tag.

    The movement patterns were unpredictable, but there was a spot where he could go without being seen: behind the cart. He did so, reappearing in a squatting position, with his heart beating like mad. Moving slowly, he pushed his hands over the cart''s board and grabbed the first barrel. In the next second, he reappeared in Krivoburg, together with the object. He unceremoniously put it down, then took the first of their barrels, returning to the same position, the fake cask replacing the good one.

    The precision of his skill was nothing short of amazing, the barrel arriving just a hair width above the carriage''s floor, falling in place without noise.

    To reach the next cask, Vincent stretched farther. If his Outsider''s Stride had required him to lift the object, he wouldn''t have been able to do it because of the awkward position. But it didn''t, and they arrived in Krivoburg in seconds.

    The problem was how much to push his hands to put the second fake barrel in the same place as the real one. His memory told him to push his arms to the limit; his instinct screamed less. He checked the drone for a second and realized his instincts were right. The barrels were closer to each other than he thought.

    Afterward, the exchange flowed without fault until the next to last cask, when things began to go south. More knights entered the courtyard, and Ludwing followed, starting a motivational discourse about the fatherland, honor, and shit Vincent couldn''t care less about. But there was no way the king wouldn''t notice him if he rose up.

    A row of applauses erupted when Corvinus finished talking. The knights'' metal gloves made a lot of noise; some moved to close the ranks and salute, and Vincent profited.

    The barrel came with him to the police station, but it slid from his hands and broke, a torrent of gold flowing out. Vincent cursed, but there was no time for hesitation. Teleporting for what was supposed to be the last trip, Vincent put the cask with pig iron in place and froze. The carriage started moving; someone attached a horse and pulled it near the exit. Luckily, Vincent was still out of sight and followed the cart, crouching.

    Like to spite him intentionally, the last barrel was out of reach as the king talked with his sidekicks near the wagon, drumming his fingers on the object of Vincent''s monetary desires.  The wisest choice was to bail out, but he feared they would not have enough money for the Khan, and the Mongols would burn their city to the ground just to prove a point. Vincent raised discreetly,  pretending he was part of the group of soldiers, hoping for another chance to get the final barrel.

    All knights had their backs turned to him, and Vincent risked a short Inspect augmented by Insight. As expected, the big, tough-looking guy was a Necromancer at level one hundred. The thin and pale person displayed no class or level but was a Half-Sidhe as a species.

    Vincent dared not look at the King, more so to scan him. Soon, the monarch transformed into a raven and flew away, followed by the Half-Sidhe. "We''ll watch you from the sky," Ludwing said as he flapped his wings.

    "Let''s go!" the Necromancer shouted.  As a knight advanced, he approached his torch to the undead soldier. Without warning, the knight''s shadow grew into another knight. Two War mounts grew from their shadows afterward, and the two riders spurred their horses, exiting the courtyard.

    The fuck!  Vincent gulped. One after another, the knights multiplied, grew horses, and left the castle. Remembering his objective, Vincent discreetly approached the carriage. Suddenly, a sharp light blinded him. The torch was an inch from his face. Vincent froze in place.

    "Don''t move!" the necromancer hissed. "You''re not my work¡­ Did the King raise you?"

    "I¡­ err¡­" Vincent tried to find an excuse, feeling his heart trying to jump out of his chest.

    "And I told him not to raise people without me. Look at this,"  the Necromancer scoffed. "A level twenty¡­ Useless. The first dire wolf would make mince meat of you."

    "I''m¡­ supposed¡­ to stay¡­ behind," Vincent said, trying to make his voice cavernous. "Janitor. I''m good at dusting."

    The Necromancer shrugged and went to work his magic on the next knight and the next until they were all mounted and gone, and they were the last two in the courtyard.  Going up the cart''s bench, the man threw Vincent a heavy iron key. "Close the gate. Don''t leave anyone inside until we return. Heya!" he whipped the horse, who darted like stung by a bee.

    Vincent rushed to close the heavy wooden door, then rested his back on them, panting. A minute later, the drone descended slowly, hovering before him. "What do you think you''re doing?" Irene yelled through the device. "You almost gave us a heart attack! Come back here, this instant!"

    "I have to follow that carr¡ª"

    "We have enough money," Bee interjected. "It''s twenty thousand over."

    Vincent nodded and jumped back. "I thought I was done!" he sighed, trembling. Taking off his helmet, he let it fall and did the same with all the armor pieces. His T-shirt was soaked in sweat, sticking to his skin.

    For performing a very delicate task, you have leveled up. + 1 to Spirit.

    You spent 14 Karmic Charges. You gained 1 Karmic Charge.

    "Do we have to give all the money to the Khan?" Jorge asked. He was working with Thomas and Bee to put the gold in the fake barrel that stayed behind, throwing the pig iron in the dirt.

    "Categorically not," Thomas said." If the Khan said a hundred thousand, that''s it. We can split the rest among us."

    "What about the guild?" Vincent asked.

    "The guild takes twenty percent of everyone''s gains. The rest is ours," Bee said. "Technically, the one doing most of the work gets a double share. That would be you."

    "We split equally," Vincent said. "Thomas basically controls the garrison and offers us his space. Jorge''s done is essential for scouting. Irene is organizing stuff that I wouldn''t even know where to start. Brandi and Jong fought the Dark Knights, and you''re the prodigy who will help us with enchantments once he levels enough... hopefully. Everyone has their place in this gang, so we split equally.

    "That''s kind of you," Irene frowned, "but the Guild needs the gold more than we do. I propose to donate the¡ª"

    "How about this?" Vincent interrupted her before she generously disposed of his money. "We''ll borrow the guild from our cash as needed until we get it back. Without interest and no deadline pressure!" he raised a finger toward Thomas. "That said, let''s keep in mind we can''t spend the gold just yet. We have to sit on it for a while¡­ Shit!" Vincent facepalmed all of a sudden.

    "What''s up?" Irene frowned.

    "I just remembered something," he blurted with widened eyes. "You know what day is today?"

    "No idea," she said.

    "It''s the sixth day since we arrived here," Bee said. "Or more precisely¡ª"

    "Today, we were supposed to visit Dracula''s castle in Romania," Vincent said, biting his lips joyfully with a big grin and wide eyes. "That''s a fake, by the way, but guess what? We have the real deal just here! What if we go visit a real evil lord''s den? Maybe loot it in the process? What do you say?"

    "No, no, no," Bee waved his hands. "If I see undead, I''ll faint and scream¡­ not necessarily in that order."

    "It''s empty," Vincent insisted.

    "I''d always dreamed of visiting the rich people''s castles," Thomas said.

    "Brandi?" Irene said, opening the door to the courtyard''s main entrance. "Do you want to visit Count Dracula''s castle?"

    The woman joined them, closing and locking the door behind her. "Count me in. But who will guard the money?"

    "Jong?" Vincent asked. "He''s in the bell tower, watching the Mongols. Send him an SMS."This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

    "I''ll stay," Jorge said. "I can see through the drone."

    "Deal," Brandi said, offering him her gun.

    "Take that thing away. I have no idea what to do with it. If I get in trouble, I scream through the drone, and you rescue me."

    "Good," Vincent rubbed his hands. "Ready? Come closer, and let''s hold hands." In truth, there was no need for that, but he enjoyed feeling Irene''s small and warm hand in his. Friendly, of course. He focused for a few more seconds than necessary, and then they were in Pragwyn.

    "It''s dark in here," Irene noticed, activating her smartphone''s lantern.

    "You think he''ll figure out it was us?" Bee asked.

    "We''ll see¡­ But with some tough Mongol archers on our side and some advanced weaponry, courtesy of our engineers," Vincent looked intently at the drone''s camera, "we can protect ourselves. It wouldn''t hurt to explore to the west, though¡­ To jump out of his reach if the worst comes."

    "Munich will be the closest safe spot," Irene said. ¡°Vienna is too close to the border.¡±

    "Give me a couple of days. I''ll find a way to enhance the range," Jorge spoke through the drone.

    "Thanks, man. So, what do you want to visit first?" Vincent asked the rest. "To the left, the Undead barracks. To the right, the castle."

    "Undead barracks, definitely no; Castle, a hard yes," Brandi said, and Irene nodded in agreement.

    Vincent took the lead up the outdoor stairs, a long one. The main door was unlocked. They arrived in an empty lobby with two wardrobes on the left and the right. There was nothing there safe for a forgotten umbrella. Proceeding onward, they landed in a ballroom.

    "This is like art nouveau style," Brandi pointed at the furniture. "I didn''t expect it in the Middle Ages."

    "We''re not in the middle ages," Bee said. "The year is the same, but they''re more¡­ behind¡­ I heard Paris has a metro and trams."

    "Uhuh," Vincent said absently, opening the elegant cupboards arranged at regular intervals. "Bingo! Silverware," he exclaimed at the third.

    "Enchanted silverware," Thomas said after inspecting the items, producing a sack, and throwing the cutlery inside. "This stuff is expensive. It can be remelted without losing its properties."

    "Perfect," Vincent nodded, looking through the large crystal windows opposite the courtyard. The best part of the city was visible. "The old castle and the cathedral are more or less the same, but the rest of the buildings are different¡­ There was another palace in this place, on Earth¡­ or was it a house related to Mozart? Hard to tell. We''re above Mala Strana, that''s sure. There''s the Vltava¡­ Who''s our king, I mean Beauhemia''s?"

    "A kid, Ludwing is his regent," Thomas said.

    "I think we should move to a safer city," Bee said. "That scary guy will find it was us."

    Vincent didn''t answer because arguing against someone scared for their life was counterproductive. He counted on Bee to man up with leveling. Meanwhile, he proceeded to the next large door. It gave into a corridor, with doors on the left and right, ten feet tall. The rooms behind were salons with different colors and interior designs. A luxury only the rich could afford. They also found a painting collection and an antique weapons display, each in their own halls.

    "You can''t be seen carrying a weapon with the Corvinus''s crest," Irene told Thomas, who was salivating over a Rare-tier halberd. "We have to leave behind everything that''s traceable."

    "You spoke like a true criminal," Vincent said.

    "How do you know how criminals speak? Irene smirked at him.

    "I had a Spanish great-uncle who was a fence. And art forger. He gifted us a fake Picasso drawing every Christmas¡­ I hate Picasso," Vincent frowned.

    On the end of the couloir was a set of stairs. Beneath them were the kitchens and various storages, all empty and filled with dust.

    "I guess they ordered pizza," Brandi joked.

    "Let''s go upstairs," Thomas suggested. "That''s where the good stuff should be, in the private quarters."

    The mansion had three stories above ground. The top one was obviously for servant quarters, tiny rooms under the roof with small windows. Romantic, if in Paris, but a creepy desolation here. A few rooms had chains tied to the bed, but fortunately, they found no skeleton. Everything was abandoned.

    The middle story had the same plan: a central corridor with rooms to the left and right. The rooms were as large as the salons downstairs but were living quarters. Two had been occupied until recently; the beds had sheets. A tray of food was left on a table in one of them. Bread and decomposing blood sausages. Irene retched.

    Finally, there was only one space left to investigate. As large as the ballroom and overlapping with it the master''s quarters. A baldaquin bed on the side was arranged to offer the best view over the city, a working desk with some silver pens Thomas grabbed instantly, a few paintings, and a lot of books on the back wall.

    "Rostislav Fyodor Dostoevsky? You''re kidding me?" Irene exclaimed, picking up a book from a reading table.

    "Which one?" Jorge asked.

    "Which one do you think?" Irene sneered, showing them the title. It was The Demons. "It''s signed: to Ludwing, my darkest inspiration. With love, Fyodor."

    "Ew," Vincent grimaced.

    "You''re not homophobic, right?" Irene frowned at him.

    "Just psychopathophobic," Vincent assured her.

    "If you think that''s bad, look at that," Brandi forwarded her hand toward a portrait.

    Under the phone flashlight, the painting revealed Ludwing''s full-sized image, so vivid they took a step back, expecting him to get out of the painting and jump them. Unlike the original, the representation had deep wrinkles and skin botches on his face. If evilness could be represented by anything, his glance was it.

    "You think it''s like the Dorian Gray thing?" Irene asked. "The painting aging instead of him?"

    "It''s not a painting," Bee said, approaching his phone to a small plaque under the frame. "It''s an Ambrotype. They must''ve built a huge camera to make one this size."

    Vincent leaned forward to read the text, almost bumping head to head with the rest, who did the same. The text read:  Matthias Corvinus, beloved grandfather. 1443 ¨C 1863. Image taken after his victory over the 1848 Wicked Rebellion.

    "Don''t you find it strange there are so many common characters with those of our world?" Vincent said.

    "It''s just speculation, but we can imagine clusters of parallel universes linked together, like grapes, resonating together somehow," Bee said.

    "Guys, I bet there''s a hidden room behind that bookcase," Thomas said, switching his head back and forth and counting on his fingers. "We''re above the ballroom, correct? This room is smaller. Where''s the rest of the space?"

    "I think he''s right," Vincent said, looking over the bookshelves. On the side, a volume wrapped in vellum stood an inch out. He went and touched it, trying to see if it moved. When he pushed it back in line, there was a click, and a part of the bookcase slid out and laterally. Behind, a space thirty feet deep and fifteen wide, in total darkness. At the entrance was something that looked like an electric switch.

    "Wait!" Thomas yelled a second before Vincent pushed the button, grabbing his hand. "What if it''s trapped?"

    "I don¡¯t see a thing, and my Inspect is now thirty," Vincent said.

    "And how do you think traps are built? With avoiding that skill in mind. Let me see, I have Detect Traps." The older man scrutinized the switch and puffed. "Yep. Trapped. Like the black tiles on the floor."

    "What happens if we step on them?" Irene asked.

    "I have no idea," Thomas confessed.

    "I do," Bee said. "A big dog comes to life and eats us." He projected his phone''s light deeper into the space. There was a desk with a thick book on it, a trunk, and a suit of armor displayed on a dummy with a spear in hand. In front of them was an energy sphere enclosing a monstrous dog almost as tall as they were. The dog was as still as a statue.

    "The armor and weapon are Cursed Artifacts and display only three question marks," Vincent said after looking at them from a distance. "The doggie''s a Suspended Warg, Elite Monster, level a hundred. I have no idea what a Suspended Warg is, but it doesn¡¯t look friendly."

    "It''s just Warg. Suspended means it''s trapped in a force field. That''s really interesting," Bee said.

    "It''s too dangerous. Let''s go," Thomas said. "We must remove the barrels before my wife comes to do the garden."

    "That will be in the morning, right?" Vincent asked.

    "Yep."

    "We still have a few hours left. Those books and the trunk are worth a look."

    "Only one of us should go. The most dextrous," Irene hissed, slapping Bee''s raised hand.

    "Me," both Brandi and Vincent said. They looked at each other hesitantly, unwilling to argue but each eager to go.

    "There must be a way to deactivate the trap," Bee said.

    "I see no mechanism," Thomas said.

    "Because you have to think like a raven," Bee said, pointing his index up. Above the door was a thin wooden ledge. A perch.

    Without waiting for an invitation, the drone flew over their heads and rose into the secret room. "There''s a second switch here," Jorge said. A click followed.

    "Traps are off," Thomas said.

    Seconds later, Bee and Irene examined the book and Vincent, Thomas, and Brandi the trunk. The lid was covered in a thick layer of dust and grime.

    "Don''t touch it," Vincent said.

    "There''s no trap on it," Thomas said.

    "We''ll leave traces and fingerprints. We don''t want that. Knife," he forwarded his hand toward Brandi, who had a dagger at her belt. Pushing the blade under the lid, he tried to raise it an inch. It worked. "It''s not locked. Now, I want you two to do exactly as I say. Thomas, put your fingers under the lid, and when I give the signal, raise it slowly. You go behind it," he told Brandi, "grab the bottom and pull it up. Also slowly. This way, the lid will stay vertical, but the chest will open. OK, you can go."

    Inch by inch, the trunk tilted forward, allowing Vincent to examine the content. Old clothes, almost destroyed by moths and age. A fur hat, a heavily gold-embroidered tunic, and a pair of leather boots. He started with the hat, took it out, and felt the inside with his fingers. Nothing there. He continued with the boots¡ªwith the same result¡ªthen unfolded the tunic.

    "What are you doing?" Irene asked.

    "After my time in the army, I considered working in customs and border security. These look like the grandfather''s items. Nobles are paranoid and always worry about plots, right? They often hid valuables in their clothes, just in case, and¡ª Aha!"

    Several objects were under the lining, on the side with the buttons. The hidden space was like a tube, an inch and a half in diameter, going up all the way.

    "I can''t hold it for much longer," Brandi complained. "This is heavy."

    "Are you two finished with the book?" Vincent asked.

    "Yes," Bee blurted giddily. "It''s about magic, but we don''t understand the language. We took photos and put the book back in the same position."

    "Go help Brandi, both of you. It won''t be long."

    Using the tip of the dagger to untie the seams at the bottom, Vincent shook the coat. A ring slid out, and he put it on the floor. Next, one by one, came twenty large gems, maybe diamonds. Before he enlarged the space, they had been held by the tightness of the fabric like peas in their pod.

    He thought that was it, but something else was moving. Squeezing his index in the hole, he pulled out a weird silvery shaft, maybe a third of an inch thick and thirty inches long. It was flexible but more like a metal wire than a rope. The tunic returned to the chest.

    "You can put it down. Slowly!"

    The trunk slid back to its place without showing any trace of their intervention.

    "What are those?" Thomas asked.

    "Beats me¡­" Vincent sighed, putting the diamonds and the ring in his pants pocket and the silvery wire around his jeans like a belt. The items were displaying only ???.

    "Won''t he notice?" Irene asked.

    "The seam was original. That secret pocket had never been opened. So, no, because he didn''t know about it in the first place. Did you guys get any levels?"

    "One for finding the secret room," Thomas said.

    "Two for finding the switch," Bee said. "And some Body for holding the trunk."

    "This is hilarious, but me too. I got a level for¡­ holding weight competently," Brandi said.

    "One," Jorge followed.

    "One for figuring out the book is about magic," Irene said.

    "Let''s wrap it up," Vincent said. His notification was as puzzling as the others''. The System really wanted them to progress as fast as possible.

    You have spent 10 Karmic Charges. You have gained 22 Karmic Charges.

    For doing and finding stuff, you have leveled x3. +1 in Spirit.

 15. Sweet and Spicy

    One small barrel of gold weighed about a hundred and twenty pounds. Even before gaining an enhanced physique, Vincent could easily pull up his weight in one hand, a hundred and sixty. Now, he was sure he could lift the double. Nevertheless, the gold¡¯s weight was still too much to carry by hand. Using a cart was the obvious solution.

    Thomas borrowed them a dolly, and after covering the barrels with pelts, Vincent pulled the cart to the camp himself in lieu of his morning exercise. The exchange went smoothly. An hour later, the horde started to move toward the town of Plze¨¾¡ªnamed the same in that world¡ªinstead of Vienna, cutting short their raid.

    The official story for the Guild and Krivoburg was that Vincent had negotiated a deal, offering his Guild''s services and precious furs looted from monsters in exchange for protection and the return of the tribute.

    The Mayor was ecstatic. Keeping the tribute allowed the town to invest in development projects. Vincent was happy, too. They now had a reserve north of twenty thousand gold coins, about six million US dollars in their money. Various hideouts were discussed until they agreed to bury most of the gold in the tiger''s den, with a bribe of food promised on a daily basis if the beast guarded their treasure.

    The rest of the morning was spent following the drone. Vincent tried to attune to more locations, searching for landmarks upon which to get his bearings. The drone''s range, albeit slightly increased, was still limited to about thirty miles and two hours of autonomy. That didn''t offer many attuning options, but Vincent got important information about his skill instead. Once a location was acquired, he could feel it in his brain, on a list, like a database he could call upon at will.

    Plze¨¾ was added, and he almost got Karlovy Vary but had to settle for a nearby village due to the drone''s restrictions. When the flyer had to return for another change of batteries and lunch approached, he retired to his room to think about his stats.

    He was level thirty-four and had four Tokens to spend, but he left them for later. Most of the skills he had used during the heist and castle trip were up a notch, but what he was interested in was another thing.

    There was not the slightest doubt about his latest gains in Karmic Charges. He had found twenty-two objects, the same number. The reward for stealing south to forty million in gold from an evil warlord, putting his life on the line, had been one. That meant the objects were more relevant¡­ maybe artifacts? A topic to be explored.

    He was almost even in Karmic Charges after a very hard night. Not as hard as the one with the kidnapping, but still tough. Vincent closed his eyes, trying to grasp the new reality that almost felt like a dream. In only one week, he had experienced more challenges than in his whole previous life altogether¡­ It felt like a year had passed, not days. To chase his worries away, he checked the short version of his menu for a second.

    Name: Vincent Vala?ka Age: 28

    Level: 34 (4 tokens available).

    Body 36 (+4) / Mind 20 (+4) / Spirit 33 (+4).

    Karmic Charges: 186/200

    Dismissing the screen, Vincent descended to the dining room. He froze in the doorframe as he opened the door, pushed back by a wave of raucous ruckus. Full was not even beginning to describe the place. People sat everywhere, even on the floor. The food brought by the inn''s personnel disappeared in seconds.

    "What''s going on?" he yelled at Irene, who sat near a wall and ate a sandwich. Without shouting, there was no way to be heard.

    "It''s the Khan''s elite forces, the ones he left behind," she yelled back. "Mercenaries. The Bogomil Amazons," Irene insisted on the last word. "A hundred of them."

    What the fuck! Vincent said to himself.

    The newcomers were indeed all female. Tall and strong, with lean, well-defined muscles, good-looking, none appearing over thirty, but more on the Mad Max side than ancient Greece.

    "That''s the guild master," a voice said. It was the Shaman. Somehow, she spoke with a low voice but managed to get through all the brouhaha. The woman beside her beckoned Vincent, and he started to advance, zig-zagging between waitpersons carrying food, rowdy warrioresses, and overwhelmed nerds squeezing themselves all over, even under the tables, to be able to eat.

    On the way, he scrutinized the one who wanted to talk with him. Red hair touched her shoulders on one side but was shaven on the right side of her head, displaying an ear adorned with a long, thin silver earring. Fierce eyes. A frown that was not menacing but showed she was always on the alert. A leather bra as only upper armor, a tattoed left arm. A bandolier with either huge and thick bullets or small grenades completed the view. She was hot, in a dangerous way.

    "Vincent Vala?ka," he offered a handshake.

    "Raya Wildheart," she squeezed his fingers in a vice-like grip. "Stormrunner, Elite, level eighty. I''m the gals'' commander.""

    From that introduction, Vincent deduced that inspecting someone without their consent was bad manners; otherwise, it would have served nothing to state one''s class when everyone could see it. He sat across the table, waiting for the woman to speak on.

    The Shaman waved her fingers over the table, and the room''s noises diminished. "Dome of silence," she explained to Vincent. "Go on, Raya."

    "We have a problem with the old geezer," the woman started.

    "The mayor," the Shaman explained.

    "He''s prejudiced against our culture. On a normal day, we''d just send him to greener pastures, but we are bound by oath."

    "They were hired by the Mongols for a year, six months still left," the Shaman said. "Mongols are strict on rules. As long a town pays tribute, no harm will come to it."

    "But the old-timer did have a good suggestion. Restrict your wicked ways to the guild, he said. I want no racket in town. End quote. Which gave me an idea," she smirked. "What if I and my gals join your guild instead of being hired guns?" Raya said with emphasis, her eyes shining with an ''I''m offering the deal of your life'' meaning. "We like this town; it''s close to everything yet not too close. The river is a good natural defense. It would make a good base."The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    Vincent decided to be blunt. "And what would stop you from taking it over? You''ll have the majority."

    "I''m a good-hearted person?" Raya grinned.

    "We''ll have to expand the guild at some point, and guild members have tiers too," Irene said. "Only the senior members vote." Vincent didn''t notice when she arrived next to them, but it didn''t matter. She had a point. If they were to make it on the Realm, they had to expand, and good warriors meant increased safety. He was sure there was more to those women than their good looks.

    "How much are you paid now?" he asked.

    "Ten gold a month," Raya stated. "And we''re worth every penny of it."

    I suppose that''s a lot of money around here¡­ A hundred and twenty per year, multiplied by a hundred¡­ twelve thousand¡­ The tribute of twelve small towns¡­

    He exchanged a few whispers with Irene, then nodded toward the mercenary. "OK. You and your gals will become junior members for now, with an evaluation period of two years. You''ll be my third in command. Starting at the end of your contract, we have to figure out a monthly wage, but it will not be ten gold. We''re tight with money and need a lot of things¡ª"

    "We''ll work bounties, don''t worry," Raya shrugged. "I heard you have¡­ enchanters," she lowered her voice. "Get us good gear, and there''s no need to pay us anything."

    "I say we take the deal," Irene whispered in Vincent''s ear.

    A series of handshakes followed, with Vincent and Irene exchanging one by reflex. The Dome of Silence ceased, and the noise rose up.

    "We''re in, gals!" Raya shouted. "Tonight, we party!"

    "Hooray!" a chorus replied.

    "If you don''t mind, I have businesses to attend," Vincent excused himself. He snatched a sandwich from a plate, eating it on his way to the drone station, which was now in the attic of the police quarters. The space was a bit dusty but uncluttered, and the single tiny dormer window offered light while protecting them from potential spies.

    <hr>

    Looking at a drone camera, either on the wider screen of a laptop or a VR visor, was extremely boring and exhausting. When evening came, Vincent returned to the inn, determined to sleep early. He hadn¡¯t considered the party, imagining the Amazons would go outside, in the park or the fields, for a barbecue, but instead, all was arranged inside.

    To their credit, the ''gals'' had rearranged the dining room, taking out the tables and chairs and putting poufs instead. Snacks came on plates, and drinks were served in the kitchen. The place was still crowded but manageable.

    Vincent noticed the young scientists were keen to show the new recruits how well they could entertain. There was a karaoke space, board or card games¡ªplayed directly on the floor¡ªand hookahs. Where the brainiacs got those was a mystery, but it was their doing, as they explained the device to the Amazons, not vice versa.

    On the other hand, the Bogomil mercenaries brought fantastic liquor: apple brandy, plum brandy, ouzo, raki, and grappa, all much stronger than the normal versions but also tastier. As snacks don''t tame strong liquor well, Vincent began to feel dizzy and dizzier as the night progressed.

    Eventually, a karaoke competition was announced to start in five minutes. Before Vincent noticed, Raya had appeared at his table.

    ¡°I challenge you to a singing duel!¡± she roared. Vincent jerked back, his head hitting the chair. She sounded like: ¡®I¡¯ll pull your beating heart out of you and eat it!¡¯ ¡°Anyone else dares to challenge the Guild Master?¡± the woman looked around, with a clear: ¡®Do it and I¡¯ll beat you to an inch of your life!¡¯ in her eyes.

    Geez, I guess she¡¯s really passionate about singing¡­

    ¡°OK, I¡¯ll do it,¡± Vincent accepted. He wasn¡¯t a great singer, but soldiers do many things for fun in their free time, and karaoke wasn¡¯t a stranger to him.

    ¡°Then let¡¯s see what you are made of,¡± Raya frowned at him.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go first,¡± Vincent waved his hand at Jong, who was behind the improvised karaoke machine. ¡°Do you have Somebody Like You, the Adele song?¡±

    ¡°I have everything you wish for and more, man,¡± Jong said. ¡°I have two SSDs hard drives full of karaoke stuff, my personal collection.¡±

    ¡°Then hit it,¡± Vincent said, aiming his eyes at the words projected on the wall behind. That song was the equivalent of a nuclear strike in Vincent¡¯s repertoire. Not too easy or hard, but with plenty of opportunity to make his baritone voice shine. And soppy enough to make girls cry¡­ The jury was made of Irene, Brandi, the dancer who stayed behind, and two Amazons.

    He looked into his challenger¡¯s eyes all the song to convey: ¡®You don¡¯t have a chance!¡¯

    ¡°Not bad,¡± Raya nodded, discreetly wiping a tear out of the corner of her right eye. ¡°It¡¯s the smoke,¡± she frowned like she was ashamed to have been touched by the music. The Amazon went behind Jong, looking at his playlist. ¡°That¡¯s it!¡± she erupted, touching the screen. ¡°I know it by heart.¡±

    The melody started immediately with a lusty and luxurious orchestra accompaniment. The words were French, but the meaning was translated into the Common Tongue.

    ¡°Love is a rebel bird¡­ If I love you, beware!¡± Raya bellowed. Her singing was a bit out of tune, but the enthusiasm she screamed the words gave the impression that she was a better performer than she was.

    The fuck? She¡¯s singing opera? How?

    FAQ: What is Cross Culture?

    Answer: In the last two centuries, many Summoned have brought new technologies and databases to the Stellarterra. Books, dictionaries, recordings, and musical scores from Earth are now a part of the local culture. The Celtic upper classes all speak French as a sign of distinction.

    Raya finished the aria, and a row of applauses covered her finale, the jury raising on her feet. There was no doubt who the winner was.

    ¡°I, Raya, have won!¡± the woman shouted over the crowd. The Amazons cheered.

    Never mind¡­ I don¡¯t care about silly contests anyway, Vincent sulked, convinced she did it to humiliate him. He let himself fall on a pouf, and to his surprise, Raya arrived next to him, throwing an arm around his shoulders and speaking in his ear. Her hot and ticklish breath spread all over his face, accompanied by a scent of alcohol. "Quiz. What''s the type of food you like most? Sweet, sour, spicy, or bitter?"

    "I like spicy food, but sweets too, of course," he confessed. ¡°Like every other good Czech¡­ or Spaniard¡­ Why?¡±

    "Perfect choice. You can finish this," Raya shoved her glass in his hand and got up abruptly.

    She''s weird¡­ but goodness¡­ that ass is a killer! Vincent drank the rest of the plum brandy, holding the glass obliquely to keep his eyes on the swinging assets, going away with a bouncy gait.

    He stared around for another half an hour, enjoying the happy vibe in the room. Bee and Irene were shouting at each other near a board game for reasons Vincent didn¡¯t care about but liked the funny expression her puckering lips made. Jong and Brandi were involved in arm-wrestling matches against the Amazons, with Jong faring better. Thomas was exiting, wobbling on his feet and pulled by the ear by his wife, two heads shorter than him.

    Finally, tiredness caught up with him, and he went to his room. At first, he thought he had got the wrong door, but then he recognized his personal things lying around.

    The only light was the one outside, coming through the pulled curtains. Lukas was nowhere. Sitting on the now joined beds, Raya was making up with the young dancer who had opted to stay. Both were in their underwear, each a marvel. One statuesque and muscular, the other gracious and fit. Vincent''s heart skipped a bit. His hand stretched back to push the door handle and leave, but slowly. Very slowly. For a second, he lied to himself because he didn''t want to be noticed and startle them, but the truth was he was mesmerized.

    Then, the Amazon turned her head toward him. "Finally," she raised and approached him in two strides. "You sure took your time¡­" she leaned forward, biting his lower lip. As they kissed, she started to unbutton his shirt. The young woman joined them, her thin, long fingers trembling as he caressed Vincent''s neck.

    "I had trouble finding the perfect sweet to match my spiciness," Raya whispered in Vincent''s ear, biting his lobe. "The cat-girl was nice too, but she ran away when I asked her¡­"

    Oh, my God! She asked Irene to join in a threesome? Vincent swallowed a lump.

    FAQ: What are the sexual practices of the Bogomil Amazons?

    Answer: The Bogomil Amazons are well known for their relaxed morals. While on military campaigns, they often engage in casual sex but never with their employers. A common practice is to provoke the party they¡¯re interested in in a contest. If they win, the loser is bound to satisfy their sexual desires, and if they lose, they are supposed to satisfy the winner.

    Eh, I call it a win-win strategy¡­ So, casual sex night it is¡­ As long there¡¯s no relationship involved, that¡¯s fine with me, Vincent thought.

    Then Raya pulled him toward the bed, and even thoughts were chased away by the maelstrom of passion.

 16. Chasing Around the Tail

    Sometimes, waking early was a disadvantage. The dancer fixed Vincent''s left shoulder with her head, her cheek resting against his heart. Her breath on his skin, light as a feather, stirred desire, and he struggled against it. Raya was sleeping with her back turned at him, snoring softly, but her calves kept his right foot prisoner in between, clenching it tighter if he tried to move.

    Wow! he thought. What a night! Since he had nothing better to do, he checked his stats. Quiet Leadership was growing fast, and most of the other passives. There were two points in Karmic Charges and a plus one in Spirit and Body.

    Nice to see sex counts as exercise¡­ he smiled.

    Maybe feeling that small movement, the young woman woke up. She yawned and turned her head up, looking at him. "I fell in love with you the first day we arrived here." Her tone was serious, her eyes inquisitive, asking if he felt the same.

    What should I say? Me too, err¡­ what''s your name again?

    "When I saw you dancing a few days ago, my heart skipped a beat¡­ You¡¯re so beautiful," he said. She pecked his lips, her smile widening, indicating his answer was satisfying.

    "Don''t shout so loud!" Raya growled. They had been whispering, but Vincent remembered she had drunk unholy levels of alcohol the previous night. The Amazon crawled out of the bed, landing hands first on the floor, then wobbled to her clothes, where she took a flat flask and drank a large gulp.

    "Griffon blood, the best hangover remedy," she offered the flask to Vincent.

    "I''m good,¡± he shook his head. "I''ll go shower."

    "Go ahead. I''ll bring my luggage," Raya said, starting to dress.

    ¡°I have a ton of things to pack,¡± the dancer sulked.

    Suddenly, Vincent¡¯s mind jumped into a panic mode. ¡°Err¡­ I have a roommate, Lu¡ª¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s all taken care of,¡± Raya waved her hand dismissively.

    It was not the moment to argue, and he dressed too, making a plan on the go. He would wait a few days until the dancer would realize he was a bad match for her, a rough, uncouth rascal¡ªpretty delicate girls didn''t take long to figure it out¡ªand when she''d leave him, he''d have a polite conversation with Raya. He didn''t mind seeing each other as long it would not become serious. What''s serious for them? I don''t know a thing about their culture. Did I say something like ''I do'' last night by accident? Nah¡­ stop being paranoid, Vincent.

    Raya went out first; he followed a minute later, and the danseuse returned to sleep. In front of the room, he almost tripped on a pile of clothes and personal items. They had a note on top of them: ''We''re over, Lila. I hope you choke on his dick and die. Nina.''

    Now, he remembered the girl''s name: Lila. "Geez¡­ she was seeing someone else¡­" he mumbled. "Fuck¡­ I should''ve¡­" He paused because he had no idea what to say. Whatever, he shrugged. We''re in a strange, dangerous world, and I don''t have time to deal with drama. Whoever this Nina is, they have to deal with it. Lila''s an adult; she can make her own choices.  He pocketed the note, took the pile in his arms, reentered the room, put the clothes on a chair, and then exited again, aiming for the baths.

    The corridors were chaotic. People were running around, carrying their belongings, shouting, arguing, or negotiating. Amazons with wet hair wrapped in towels everywhere, brushing their teeth on the couloirs, using a glass of water and a basin in common, some spitting the toothpaste in their mouth on the floorboard by inadvertence because everybody bumped into everyone.

    Two long queues waited in front of the toilets, mixed men and women, and things looked the same downstairs. Deciding to wash himself in the river and pee in a bush, Vincent ran outside, renouncing breakfast. He jogged out of town, stopped near a stream flowing in the main river, undressed, washed, dressed back, and went for the number one in a thicket fifty feet away.

    He was about to return to the town when a rustling noise announced a visit. It was the tiger; he felt his mind well before he arrived. The beast was upset. "What?" Vincent asked, crossing his arms. An image arrived in his mind. A wooden shelter. "You want me to build you a house?" White Roar nodded. Rain and cold were the impressions Vincent saw afterward. "Fine, but give me a day or two¡­ I have a lot on my hands."

    White Roar disappeared into the bushes, and Vincent returned to the city. On the way, he resolved to check on things and make a plan to counter dangers before they arose. The first stop was at the police station because Thomas was one of their best allies. As usual, the place was empty except for the sergeant.

    "Hi," Thomas saluted.

    "Busy?" Vincent pointed at the pile of papers on the desk.

    "The postman brought a pile of bounties."

    "There''s a post?"

    "Of course, there''s a post. Do you think we''re savages?"

    "Hm¡­"

    "By the way, I signed up with the Guild this morning," Thomas said.

    "Are you allowed to be in the Guild?''

    "Why shouldn''t I?"

    "I dunno, conflict of interest? Since you''re the police chief and stuff."

    "Who cares," Thomas laughed.

    "Is Jorge upstairs?" Vincent inquired.

    "He passed by and told me they''re working to improve your flying construct. It''s important, and you should check with him or Bee."Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.

    "I will," Vincent nodded, sitting on the chair across the desk.

    "So, how was your night?" Thomas winked.

    "Wild¡­ Wait! You left early. How do you know? Who gossiped?" Vincent slammed his palm on the table, making the papers jump up an inch.

    "No one. I saw you losing the singing contest. Don''t you know if an Amazon challenges you to anything, and you lose, you''re to sleep with her?"

    "I do, now."

    "I''d tell you stories, but¡­" Thomas looked around, "my wife can arrive any moment. She''s taking care of the garden, you know. Can I have a few pieces of gold from what we plundered? I''d like to buy her a nice gift, a few rose bushes for her to plant."

    "To make her think you love her and spend more time around the Amazons without her breathing on your neck? With so many of them around, even an old goat like you could get lucky."

    "Guilty!" Thomas raised his hands in the air.

    "I''ll give you five coins, but the money stays buried for now. There''s nothing that gives thieves away than going on a shopping spree, believe me.''

    "You have stolen things before?"

    "No, but I''ve done some training for the police and saw a lot of movies¡­ Listen," Vincent switched to a lower voice, "how well do you know Prague? Pragwyn, shoot, I keep forgetting¡­"

    "I worked in the police there, so I know it well enough."

    "Is there something like¡­ organized crime? We call it mafia. I was thinking¡­ if Ludwing starts to suspect we''re behind the heist¡­ what if we plant a few pieces of that silverware we stoled on some gang? Then they''d be at each other throats, and we''d¡ª"

    "There will be collateral damage," Thomas said. "The gangs don''t care if innocents are hurt, and neither does Corvinus. Unrest could lead to civil war. The word is the Beauhemian nobles and the young king are fed up with Ludwing. "

    "OK, I get the point¡­ I''ll think of something else. See you later."

    The next stop on Vincent''s list was the workshop. Set mainly in the smithy, it had fused with the leatherworker and the tool workshop nearby. Inside, Lukas was debating with the blacksmith over a technical drawing.

    "What''s up?" Vincent asked.

    "The most advanced fire weapons here are muskets, and he insists we do those. I say we go for Winchesters and gatlings."

    "We don''t have enough brass," the blacksmith objected. "Your bullets are crazy."

    "Aren''t you lucky I''m here?" Vincent smirked. "Go for shotguns or old-style rifles that can take waxed paper shells. Heavy buckshots, from close, devastating. Add a handful of bolt action rifles from the early twentieth century with brass cartridges for long distances. How long will it take to¡ª"

    "A week for the prototypes," Lukas said.

    "A word," Vincent pulled him apart. "How come I never saw a musket around here?"

    "They''re expensive and unwieldy. Crossbows are easier to make."

    "OK," Vincent nodded. "Anything else I should know?"

    "We''re making great progress on Damascus steel. Magic allows techniques that require a lot of advanced equipment back home."

    "Perfect. How about putting some enchanted silver in those blades? I''m talking bespoke blades, something easy to use¡­ axes, machetes¡­ Would that work?"

    "Wow! Sure, it would raise their tier to r¡ª"

    "Keep your voice low. It will have to be done in secret. I met a¡­err¡­ smuggler who promised to bring me the stuff."

    "I trust Gunther," Ludwig said. "He''s part of the guild now, remember?"

    "Fine, but only you two. Err¡­ by the way¡­ I noticed you took your things from the room¡­"

    "Sure. I moved in with Bianka and Blaze."

    Vincent had no idea who those were but didn''t care. "Keep up the good work," he gently slapped the young gunsmith''s back and left the building. Sixty feet farther, at the other end of what had become the common courtyard after the fences had been taken out, was the tool workshop. Luckily for them, it meant clockwork and optics, not shovels. Rows of young Summoned engraved old weapons and armor with new enchantments, each at their own desk.

    Hm¡­ they work hard¡­. I have to give them credit.

    At the end of the barn, Bee was following the instruction of the local master, nodding from time to time. When he noticed Vincent, he came forward, pulling the Guild Master outside, which was exactly what Vincent was planning to do anyway.

    "Thomas told me to¡ª"

    "We figured out what the Corvinus diamonds do," Bee said, almost jumping in place out of excitement.

    "How?"

    "We studied the one you gave us and correlated the shape with a few photos we took from the book. The language is Hungarian, go figure, and we have a smartphone app to translate it¡­ slowly¡­ the handwriting is horrible. They''re mythical-level blank enchantment supports. Rose cut, twenty-four facets each, five point eight karats. They''re priceless¡­"

    "What do they do?"

    "Have you listened to what I just said? Nothing. They''re blanks. But if one would engrave enchantments on it¡­ They can hold as many enchantments as facets and of any level. That''s why I''m improving my engraving skills."

    "When do you need the rest of the diamonds?"

    "I could use another one as soon as¡ª You kept them with you?" Bee gasped, taking the gem and hiding it in his breast pocket."

    "Yeah¡­ safer this way," Vincent lied. He had forgotten the diamonds in his pants. Taking out the ring discreetly, he showed it to Bee. "It has a diamond too, right? What do you make of it?"

    "I need to examine it under a magnification glass, and I don''t have time now¡­ things are hectic¡­ There''s this¡­ err¡­ Amazon lady who moved in," Bee blushed.

    So, he and Irene have company too¡­ Well¡­ Not my business¡­ "How''s your progress?"

    "Only two more levels¡­ You think twelve in Body is enough?" Bee asked. My Body grew up a lot last night."

    "Don''t stop exercising. At twenty, you could take care of yourself in a fight."

    "Have to go; I paid the master for a private lesson," Bee blurted, returning to the workshop.

    That left Vincent with only one option: going back to the inn. There were two main entrances, the normal one and the courtyard. He took the latter to check whether horses were in the stables. The annex hosted only the two Zen Mounts they had looted from the Mongol Raider and Joe. So, the Amazons are infantry¡­ Or did they leave the horses somewhere else?

    He heard steps behind him, then a yelp: "Iiii!" and saw Irene bolting away. Lately, she had been hiding her catlike features, the ears under an angler''s hat and the tail tucked under the jacket. Now, the appendage was free and shooting up straight, wiggling like an angry cat''s tail would do.

    "Irene, I''m so¡ª Pfff¡­" She''s gone. I have to apologize before she thinks I''m behind the idea of inviting her to a threesome.

    Returning to his room, he found the space cluttered with countless womanly items. Silk stockings and lingerie were drying across the room on an improvised laundry line; delicate shoes, lots of them¡ªhe guessed they belonged to Lila¡ªand weapons. Raya tried putting a six-foot-long greatsword in a five-foot-tall dresser with only mild success. She kicked the lateral panel until it gave way, and the tip exited the closet and rested on the floor.

    OK, let''s take the bull by the horns. Vincent produced the note and showed it to Lila. "Nina must hurt¡­ She''s a nice girl¡­ I think you two should sort it out before¡ª"

    "She''ll get over it," Lila said, jumping on his neck to kiss him. "This is about true love. That moment when you know who the one is. For me, you two are the one."

    Vincent choked. However hard he tried, he couldn¡¯t speak the truth. He spoke the words in his mind¡ªI can¡¯t get into a relationship just now, I just got out of one, and it still hurts¡ªbut his mouth said: "Yes, but I''m¡­ too old for you¡­"

    "Don''t treat me like a child! I turned twenty yesterday!" Lila blurted, sulking. "You were supposed to be my birthday gift!"

    She was so pretty that he couldn¡¯t stop himself from pecking her lips and fondling her hair. That''s it! I''ll treat her like a child on purpose, so she''ll return to Nina¡­ Perfect! he gloated.

    Raya approached him and pecked his lips, too. "I put wards around the inn, and we have two permanent patrols in the streets."

    "You did good, Lieutenant," he said, improvising a rank.

    Raya took an attention position, the sudden move making her firm breast bounce up and down a few times.

    Goodness! "I''m going out, have to check some things," he said.

    "You''re not going anywhere!" Raya hissed, grabbing his lapels and pulling Vincent toward the bed. "Not until we say you can go."

    Lila giggled.

 17. The Next Level of Training

    After lunch, Raya and Vincent took to the woods to train together. When they reached the arrival clearing, the tiger and his family appeared to say hi and were offered a large basket of leftovers.

    "He''s even bigger than you told me," Raya measured the beast with her eyes. "Why don''t you take them in town with you? They''d make great guards."

    "What if they''d eat people!" A protest vibe assaulted Vincent, very deep and strong.

    "Nonsense. This is not a local species. They got lost or ran from their Tamer."

    "Tamer, like a class?" Vincent asked, feeling the emphasis on the word.

    "Tamers, Beastmasters, Druids, and all sorts of classes can bond or subdue animals for shows, defense, or war."

    A mind projection arrived in Vincent''s mind, with the tiger advancing toward the group and the bus on the first day to beg for food.

    "So you were not attacking us?" Vincent asked. A feeling of regret reached him. "I don''t promise anything, but I''ll speak with the mayor. Hey! In due time!" Vincent frowned, pushing his furry new friend away. The beast was so enthused by the idea of shelter and food that he licked his face unexpectedly.

    "They''re cute!" Raya leaned to scratch a cub''s head after the young cat started to rub itself on her legs. After a couple of minutes, she sighed and straightened up."OK, enough pampering.Time for work. Shoo, guys, go away," Raya flickered her hands toward the tigers. "We''ll have a training session, and being around is dangerous. OK, what can you do?" she asked Vincent after the large cat family left.

    "I guess I''m good at hand-to-hand combat, instinctive shooting, infiltration, exfiltration, scouting, a bit of sniping, this kind of stuff."

    ¡°Hm¡­¡±

    ¡°Hm, what?¡±

    ¡°Does the System recognize them?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a Menu, common and uncommon proficiencies¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­ yeah¡­ basic combat training¡­ and there¡¯s a tone of common skills next to it.¡±

    ¡°Forget that. We¡¯re talking about special skills you didn''t have before being summoned.¡±

    "OK¡­" Vincent grimaced because he had ignored most of them. "I have a buff about using axes and light damage in combat¡­ but I have yet to buy the skill for the latter."

    "Do it. Any plus damage is important. Anything else?"

    "I have a thing called Iron Grip, which¡ª"

    "I know it. It''s very good at close range. You can rip your enemy''s throat with your bare hands."

    "And I have a sort of Invisibility, but I never used it. It costs Karma, and I want to spare it. Karma''s¡ª"

    "Everybody knows what Karma is¡ª¡±

    ¡°Really? I thought it was something unusual.¡±

    ¡°¡ªbut few can use it. Show me your hiding ability."

    Vincent nodded, went in between two trees to get a bit of shade, and then concentrated on activating his Outsider''s Cloak.

    "I''m seeing you just fine," Raya said. "You''re almost transparent, that''s all."

    "Shit! And I''ve spent six tokens for it¡­"

    "What level is it?"

    "No level, but says I need to train to get good at it."

    "Train it; we''ll return on it later. Show me your hand-to-hand skills."

    Like when he spared with Thomas, Vincent''s lower stats and levels could barely cope with Raya''s. He was confident he could take Thomas one-on-one now, but Raya was an order of magnitude stronger.

    "Stop!" she raised her hands after five minutes. "You''re too strong!"

    "What are you talking about? I think I broke my fingers by hitting your chin!" Vincent whimpered.

    "Your technique is good; my instincts tell me to hit you for real. We can''t continue like this. It''s too risky. How do you know to fight like this?"

    "We trained¡­ This style is called Krav Maga, and to be fair, I was average at it. It''s about attacking relentlessly, hitting the weakest points over and over, creating pain¡­ Actually, I think it would suit you."

    He knew he was right. Raya was brutal but economical, awaiting the best opportunity to deliver a devastating strike. Her attacks were ferocious, if rare. It was a good technique for a defensive offense, a true warrior''s style, conserving energy. Yet, moments of frenzy were necessary, too. Krav Maga would compliment her well.

    "Tell me more," she sat on the grass, patting the place next to her to make him sit.

    He did, mostly by talking but also by exemplifying a few tricks at times. After five minutes, they started sparing again, with him as the instructor.If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

    "I gained a point in Mind," she said curtly half an hour later. "It means the style has merit¡­"

    "Of course, it has merit. It''s practiced by the most¡ª"

    "Yeah, yeah, I get it. You brag like an old hag about the last tooth in her mouth. Is it recognized by the System?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°Do you have anything like Unarmed Combat proficiency among your skills?¡±

    ¡°Actually, no,¡± Vincent frowned. ¡°I find it strange¡­ I should have it, right? I¡¯m also good with guns, and there¡¯s nothing about those too¡­¡±

    ¡°Sometimes the System doesn¡¯t register unfamiliar skills. That doesn¡¯t mean they don¡¯t function.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m OK with that¡­ I don¡¯t need a tooltip for using my fists or pulling a trigger¡­¡±

    ¡°Let''s move on. What about you hitting me, and I''ll soak your blows?"

    "What!" he gasped. "I mean¡­ sure, you''re tough, but¡­"

    "Do it," she said, rising up.

    At the first hit, Vincent was thrown on his back. Minuscule ants ran through his body. He had never been tased, but imagine it felt like that.

    "That''s what a Stormrunner is about," she gloated. "We imbue our bodies and weapons with lightning. And I can call lightning inside a storm, but that''s next to useless¡­ people don''t fight in storms if they have another choice."

    "Geez¡­ That¡¯s like a reactive armor that punches back. Aren''t you something?" Vincent nodded.

    "I guess I am¡­ You said you''re good with axes?"

    "Not at all. I have a buff if wielding a shepherd axe. I never trained with it¡­ but I suppose it''s not so hard."

    "Oh, so mister Crab Maga¡ª"

    "Krav."

    "¡ªthinks fighting with an axe is easy. It''s for the best I brought some weapons, then," Raya unrolled a huge parcel. A regular human would''ve collapsed under the weight, but she had carried all the way from the town without breaking a sweat. It had swords, halberds, pikes, spears, shields, and axes of many types.

    "So, what do you want me to do?" Vincent asked, picking the item that resembled the local shepherd axe most.

    "Try to hit me."

    "I won''t," he protested. "Why don''t you have wooden training replicas, like normal people?"

    "Because we''re not normal people. Amazons always train with the real stuff. Kids have blunt ones and wear padded armor, but the weight and shape are still real. But you''re not a child, Vincent. I expect you to act accordingly."

    "Very well," he hissed, his pride ruffled. "I''ll go slowly, though."

    "If you must," she said, taking an arming sword from the pile. "Stupid manly pride," she mumbled apart, spitting on the ground.

    Vincent approached her in a low stance, like a lurking wolf. It was what he had seen in fair demonstrations. Raya''s footwork was perfect; her hands or blade were the only spots to hit. The head and the feet were too far and would have put him in her sword''s range.

    He flourished the axe with a heave, using only one hand for the hit, taking a half step forward, trying to hit her left arm. Mirroring his half-step, she thrusted her weapon at Vincent obliquely while putting her hand in the way of the axe. Vincent gasped, trying to arrest his momentum. He had not put any real force behind the hit, but the axe had weight, enough to maim or cut deeply. Yet the axe didn''t find its target. Raya''s forearm hit the shaft on the side, diverting the hit away, her sword resting on Vincet''s shoulder, an inch from the neck.

    "That''s the problem with axes," she said. "Small blade. More so on that type. The shaft won''t hurt much, and if your enemy has armor¡­"

    "So I have to hit faster¡­"

    "Think in advance. A knight doesn¡¯t want to get hit by your swings. That would be devastating. They''ll do what I did, trying to close the distance and get hit with the shaft instead of the head. Most won''t dodge because they know the armor is slowing them down. What would you do?"

    "Change the trajectory of the axe while in motion?"

    "Show me. I''ll match your speed."

    Vincent tried twice, with caution. The first time, he tried to pull the axe toward him at the end of the arch and missed her arm completely; the second, he pushed the axe forward, and her counter was even more efficient.

    "You think too much. Let the swing go on normally, but move your body," she said.

    Vincent''s mind mind clicked. His moves were predictable. He had to add a surprise element to the equation. Swinging the axe, he let the momentum drag him laterally, almost letting himself fall. Raya''s blade went wide, finding only emptiness. He was no longer there. The axe head arched higher, avoiding the arm and continuing toward the woman''s neck. Gasping in surprise, he added a twist of both wrist and body at the last moment, making the weapon miss the mark and go over her head, then rolled on the grass, jumping back on his feet. A layer of energy shone over Raya''s body, a sign she had taken the hit seriously.

    "It''s like the dance!" he yelled.

    "The dance?" she furrowed her brow, resting the tip of her sword on the ground.

    "The shepherd''s dance. They use the axe to gain motion, twirl, switch angles!"

    "A lot of dances take from fencing," she nodded. "Well done."

    They sparred for another hour. Vincent gained a point in Body and learned that every weapon had its own trick: ways to flourish, change direction, parry, feint, gaining multiple dimensions through footwork. Raya taught him to use every part of the axe, hitting with the blunt part of the head or grabbing with the blade''s hook. When tiredness grew and they started to lose concentration, they stopped, lying beside each other under the evening sun. It was romantic, but he didn''t want to kiss her. The fighting had put him in a ''just comrades'' mood.

    "You''re a great teacher," he said.

    "You''re a fast learner. And we touched only the basics."

    "How¡­" he stopped and sighed.

    "How did I become a Bogomil Amazon?" she turned to look at him, putting an elbow under her head.

    "Yes¡­ is it a forbidden subject? I don''t want to offend."

    "Forbidden? No. Sensitive, maybe¡­ Do you know anything about us, Bogomils?"

    "Not really," Vincent tried to appear sincere because there was a vague ''Middle-Age Heretics'' memory from some history book read long ago.

    "We follow the teachings of Brindabella, the archetype of¡ª"

    "I heard about her¡­ she made a full bunch of Mongol tribes go extinct."

    Raya laughed. "That was long ago. She learned from her mistakes. Now, she says that anyone, man or woman, should be free to follow their wishes, indifferent to how others think about them. Women should be warriors if they like so, and men care about the children and the house. She calls that getting over gender roles."

    "It''s common practice from where I came from¡­ sorry¡­ go on."

    "There are three categories of Bogomils. Most live normal lives. The rest are divided into men who choose not to fight and women who do. Both train very hard for their sets of skills and¡­ mate with each other. But the relationship between a Bogomil husband and wife is¡­ open. We''re not jealous of each other¡­ It would be impractical. We spend too much time apart."

    Vincent bit the tip of his tongue for a second but decided to ask, trying to calm his voice. "Do you have a¡ª"

    "I have a husband and twin daughters in Sofia," she said bluntly. "I haven''t seen them in months. I plan to visit and spend some time with them next year."

    That made Vincent happy and sad at the same time. He was safe from a long-term relationship¡­ the thing that scared him most, but at the same time¡­ he felt a small pang of jealousy inside.

    "Don''t you miss them?"

    "Very much¡­"

    "Why don''t you go to visit them now? I don''t care about the contract. If you want to¡ª"

    "And what about the others? They all have someone back home."

    There was nothing to reply to that.

    "Do you want to know why I chose to be a warrior?" she asked.

    "Please tell me," he looked her in the eyes.

    "I didn''t want to be the one waiting for the bad news. Somebody has to fight. The Byzantines are assholes¡­ they hate us because of our beliefs and try to conquer us every other summer. I wanted to be the one doing the fighting, not waiting at home for when a letter would come to say my husband has fallen in battle¡­"

    She had tears in her eyes, but so did Vincent. He stretched his hand and fondled hers.

 18. Unexpected Trip

    That night, Vincent made love to Raya and Lila as gently and affectionate as possible. He would have liked to cuddle with the first, but Lila poked him, her cute lips puckering, and wrapped her in her arms instead, where she fell asleep in seconds.

    In the morning, the first thing he saw when he opened his eyes was a blue notification, acting as a filter against a bright ray of sun coming through the window.

    Hm¡­ could I use my Menu instead of sunglasses? he thought before reading the text.

    The Quest: Help Bee unlock and acquire Astral Enchantment is complete.

    Reward: You have unlocked the access to two new Karmic Skills:

    Outsider''s Refuge (Active, Mythical): Creates an invisible and impenetrable pocket universe around you for a limited amount of time. Its size depends on your Spirit stat. This skill has no levels, but it performs better with practice. Costs 1 Karmic Charged to activate, consuming 10 Mana/second to maintain. Cost to acquire: 6 Tokens.

    Outsider''s Storage (Active/Passive, Mythical): Transform a Legendary-tier magical item into an Object of Holding with twenty-five default slots. Weight is negated for the outside universe, but the storage has a limit of 1/4 metric tons per 25 slots. Extra slots can be added by spending Karmic Charges (1 slot/charge). Each slot can hold one piece of equipment or a stack of similar items (details available upon acquiring the skill). With practice, items in the Storage can be equipped with a simple thought. Living beings are not storable. Food or potions will depreciate 10 times slower than normal. Cost to create: 1 Karmic Charge + 1 Karmic Charge/new slot. Cost to acquire: 2 Tokens.

    While having a pocket universe was tempting, Vincent knew he could escape by teleporting away. The Storage was the priority. The only thing to do was to get his hands on a magical bag or ring. Rings of holding were what one would expect in a world of magic.

    FAQ: Where can I buy a ring of holding?

    Answer: Spatial storages and everything related to pocket dimensions or universes are extremely rare. The ratio of awakened individuals able to use such skills or create said items is about 1/10.000.000.

    Extracting himself from the bed quietly, Vincent let the women sleep on and went to the toilet and the showers, taking fresh clothes with him. He put the old ones in a jute sack, writing his name on the tag, and threw them in an adjacent laundry bin, grateful the inn had such services.

    Now, the question was what to do next. Vincent was curious about Bee''s new abilities, but young men sleep late, and he opted to check on other things first. Exiting the inn, he noticed the mayor in the main square, talking with an eclectic group of workers. Some were tall, some were short, and a few were scrawny, fighting to hold pickaxes on their shoulders.

    The official beckoned him, and Vincent approached. "What''s the proper ditch depth for a water pipe?" "I say two feet, they say one."

    "At least three if you don''t want the water to freeze over winter," Vincent said. The workers sulked faster than one could say shovel. "What are you planning to do here?"

    "A public fountain. Your friends will enchant the bamboo pipes themselves. We''ll save a lot of money," the mayor said, his round face gloating joyfully. A long monologue ensued about procuring said pipes from Dresden with a barge and how much a decorative fountain would increase the city''s standing in the eyes of the major cities. Maybe even restoring the Krivoburg to its former glory as a touristic location.

    Vincent nodded patiently. A bit of time invested now meant less time spent in meaningless chats in the future. When he finally left fifteen minutes later, the mayor looked like an overexcited groundhog, his head bobbing up and down. Vincent profited, asking the mayor about bringing the tiger into town. He met a polite conditional refusal.

    "Only if someone bonds with the beast and assumes responsibility," the mayor concluded.

    I wonder how did I get that animal empathy stuff? Vincent asked himself while taking his leave from the official. Two possibilities came to his mind. Either it was because of the pet he had all his childhood, a tiny dog who imagined she was the master of the house and slept in his bed, or the horse he had used to learn to ride¡­ Sadness overcame him briefly¡­ It was his ex who taught him¡­ The memory of her blonde hair flowing in the wind and joyous smile filled his eyes with tears. The past is the past, Vincent¡­ You have to move on¡­

    On his way out of the square, Vincent pored over the bus. Pulled near the inn, the vehicle showed improvement; somebody was trying to repair it. His next target was the people he hadn''t talked to in a while: the Filipinos responsible for the agricultural projects. Working the land meant waking up early, so Vincent headed to the farming grounds. As expected, they were there.

    Seeing Vincent, one of the women came to meet him. "There''s too little land here; we must farm out of town," she said matter-of-factly, without any salute or introduction."The meadows by the river are good for rice."

    "They have rice here?" Vincent asked.

    "We had a parcel with seeds in our luggage," she explained. "Rare seeds that would work in this climate. Starting a bio farm was part of our plans."

    Vincent scratched his head. The townsfolk had their food grown between the walls because of the beasts. Magic helped them grow enough for their needs. Yet, they needed to expand for the town''s importance to grow.

    "How fast do you need to move on that?"

    "As soon as possible," she shrugged. "A few days?"

    "Give me a week. I''ll speak with Thomas. You''ll need permanent protection until we cull the monsters." Saying that Vincent felt a bit of guilt. There were still a lot of dangerous animals out there, big or small, because the brainiacs, after reaching level ten, had concentrated on creating tech instead of hunting rats. All that while he was doing heroics¡­ and the jobs that counted more for everybody''s wellbeing had been neglected.

    "Grandpa will take care of the monsters; he''s strong!" a kid shouted from behind.

    "Ah, yes¡­ Hari the Spriggan, right? Where is he?" Vincent looked around to find the man, but the elder was not there.

    "He''s power-leveling hunting beasts," the woman said, frowning. The ''doing your job'' innuendo was not lost on Vincent.

    "Tell him not to bother the white tigers," Vincent said.

    "He knows. They speak to each other. Part of the Spriggan perks."

    "Hm¡­" That offered an opportunity. If White Roar wanted to stay in town, he could bond with Hari and guard the farmers.The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    Taking his silence as a sign the conversation was over, the woman returned to her group, and Vincent left. His next stop was the police office. As usual, there was not much traffic. Thomas and a young guard learning the ropes were on site, as was Thomas''s wife, who was arranging a vase of flowers in the holding cell. Adding to that, the embroidered curtains created a cozy, comfy vibe, much to the temporary guest, the town''s drunk, who was dusting the floors under the woman''s strict supervision. Upstairs, Jorge and Bee worked together on the drone.

    "Progress?" Vincent asked.

    "Yep," Bee moved his body out of the way to allow Vincent to see one of the diamonds now inserted in a nook near the engine. "We were about to launch. Care to join?" he offered Vincent a pair of VR glasses.

    "What is new?" Vincent asked, sitting down. There were three poufs in the attic.

    "Greater altitude, range, and speed," Jorge said, making the drone fly through the window. "Improved controls through the VR visor. It can relay messages at a distance to our phones."

    "Enhanced toughness, protection forcefield, can shoot small electric bolts, and a one-use enchantment," Bee said.

    "What are you talking about?"

    "You know the Astral Enchantment skill you wanted me to buy? I worked late last night and got enough levels to buy it."

    "Is it strong?" Vincent inquired.

    "Yeah¡­ You can say that."

    "Put your glasses on. Tell me if you like the drone''s upgrades," Jorge pulled Vincent out of his rumination.

    Suddenly, Vincent''s field of vision was replaced by an aerial landscape rolling very fast underneath. "Wow! How fast is¡ª''

    "Two hundred miles an hour," Jorge said. "Sixteen hundred miles range."

    "That''s fantastic!" Vincent yelled, drunken by the view.

    "Concentrate on the landmarks and try to Inspect things."

    "You mean attuning¡­ No way! I can Inspect things through the drone now?"

    "Yep," Jorge gloated. "The diamond creates a mana communication system with the controls and the phones in a fifty miles radius around her."

    "Her?" Vincent asked.

    Jorge blushed. "Err¡­ I like to¡­ personalize my devices. The drone is Jessica, by the way.''

    "Whatever makes you tick, man. I''m not judging," Vincent said in an extremely judgmental tone. ¡°Count on me to be your best man when you marry Jessica¡­ Shoot, sorry, I didn''t mean to say it aloud. Where are we going?" Vincent asked.

    Jorge shrugged off Vincent''s joke. "Vienna, then Munich. The closest large cities outside Ludwing''s influence."

    "Actually, that would be Dresden," Vincent recalled the conversation with the mayor.

    "It''s not so large here, only a transport hub," Jorge said. "And the name is Drensden here.

    Do you want to take over the drone for a change?"

    "Sure¡­ Err¡­ how?"

    "Secondary controls activated," Jorge announced. "It will fly in the direction you look."

    Even at that speed, there was a lot of waiting time to cover all those distances. After flying over Vienna and attuning to two city landmarks, Vincent had an idea and turned the drone southeast.

    "Err¡­ Northwest is the other way?" Jorge said.

    "Let''s diversify¡­ I want to put Budapest on my list, just in case we ever need to enter the dragon''s lair."

    It was a half-truth. After Budapest, Vincent diverted the drone south to Sofia. If he reduced the transport time to zero, courtesy of his skill, nothing stopped Raya from visiting her girls for a day or two now and then. He was preparing a gift for her.

    Soon, Bee got bored and left while Jorge worked over calibrations and avionics details that meant nothing to Vincent. He also attuned to Belgrade since it was on the way and continued. Two hours and a half after leaving Krivoburg, the drone approached the Bogomil capital, passing over a range of mountains.

    "The fuck? Jorge, look at that."

    "That what?"

    "North of the city, in the mountains."

    "The fuck?" Horge plagiarized Vincent''s gasp. "That''s not normal, right?"

    Descending the hills on a tortuous path, an army approached Sofia from the North, maybe nine miles away. There were three main groups, thousands of each, one made of Mongols, the other of Dark Knights, and the third of heavy cavalry that Vincent identified as Byzantine Cataphracts. The Mongols'' levels were in the lower fifties, the Knights were all level sixty, and the Cataphracts were around the seventies. Divided into smaller units, the army advanced slowly, sending archers on the sides or in front to scout or cover for the rest of the troops. An approach of war, not a peaceful march.

    "Jorge!" Vincent said in his coldest tone.

    "Y-yes?"

    "Go pee, grab a sandwich, something to drink. You have a minute."

    The scientist rushed downstairs, and Vincent pushed the drone south at maximum speed. He attuned himself to three locations in town and landed the drone in a back alley. Stepping into the alley a second later, he returned with the item in the attic.

    "Change batteries," he ordered Jorge, who was back. After that, he took the drone in his arms and returned it to Sofia, then Strode directly to the inn in their chamber.

    "Iii!" Lila yelped. She and Raya were not asleep anymore, engaging in very intense kissing.

    "You idiot!" Raya roared. "What if I had a weapon at hand and had killed you?"

    "An army is nine miles away from Sofia. Mongols mixed with Byzantines and Dark Knights."

    "Treason!" she yelled. "The Ban of Krui Ova betrayed his oaths!"

    "Forget the politics. Can your city withstand a siege?"

    "The Mongols will be sent ahead; they''re supposed to be our allies. A small troop can capture the gates and let the others in. Vincent! Can your skill get me there?" she yelled in his face, grabbing his shoulders.

    He nodded, and she fell on her knees, sobbing. Putting a hand on her shoulder, Vincent tried to adopt a reassuring tone despite the storm in his soul. He really wanted to keep the ones Raya loved safe. "How many of you have families in Sofia. Kids, or young siblings, or siblings with children of their own? I don''t care about old parents."

    "I d-don''t know¡­ Maybe half?"

    "I want you to get twenty of your meanest warriors, the ones with the best-matched skills, good to fight as a group."

    "It will be done," she blurted, darting off.

    "Stop!" Vincent grabbed her by the arm, making his voice cold on purpose. "You''re naked, and I didn''t finish. Pick the ones without families there. I don''t want them distracted. The ones with kin are to make a list of names and addresses. We''ll pick up their loved ones when possible. You," he accentuated the word, "will be the only one to see her family directly. In exchange, I expect you to follow my orders to the letter. Promise or I''ll leave you here. You''ll do whatever I order, no questions asked."

    "Save my family, and I''ll jump into the fire for you," Raya said, likewise cold.

    "Raya, Vincent!" Lila protested. "What are you talking about?"

    "War is merciless. Some of the ones I''ll lead in the battle today might not return," Vincent said. "Go, Raya," he softened his tone.

    "I want to come," Lila yelled, hurrying to dress.

    "Out of the question," Vincent said, picking up his phone and sending a message to Lukas, Irene, and Brandi: ''Red Alert! No drill. Irene, Brandi: Come to the inn now, dining room. Lukas, I need explosives, Molotovs, and firearms in the main square in twenty minutes.''

    Meanwhile, Lila yelled many words, but Vincent understood only one: Healer.

    "Sorry, did you just say you''re a Healer?" Vincent asked.

    "Yes!" she shouted at him. "A pure magical one. I changed my species to Nymph, and Healer is a good match."

    "You''re a Nymph?"

    "You d-didn''t n-noticed?" she stuttered. "I picked it to make myself more attractive to you¡­"

    "Didn''t notice the difference. You were plenty attractive before," Vincent said, totally careless. Still, she appeared to take it as a compliment and kissed him. "Have to go," he blurted, taking his backpack, which had the revolver inside, the axe on its back, and a leather vest that had been enchanted to be at least bullet and arrowproof.

    Downstairs, there was a huge ruckus. "We''ll be unable to make the list in time!" an Amazon screamed over the fracas.

    "Silence!" he yelled. "No problem. Irene will send me the list via¡­ err¡­ magic message. Take your time, do it right, make a map with location so we don''t have to run back and forth."

    His phone buzzed. It was Jorge.

    "They stopped four miles away, behind a hill. A few guys are talking apart; I think they''re the chiefs."

    "Mark them for me, please. Raya said they''ll send the Mongols to capture the gate. As soon you see things move, you send me a message. I''ll be on site." Vincent closed the call as Irene was approaching. "You are to keep everybody calm on this side. If I''ll be too busy to deliver messages personally, I''ll ask you to do it."

    "Roger," she said.

    "He''s Vincent," Raya corrected her.

    Vincent had no time to teach the Amazon code signals, so he checked his watch. "I''ll be in the main square. Meet me there with your gals as soon as¡ª"

    "We''re ready," Raya said. "Amazons prepare fast."

    "Then let''s go."

    "You''ll need a medic," Ayman said. "I have seen my share of bad wounds, treating police or¡ª"

    "We can''t risk our only¡ª" Vincent stopped his words short because Lila was staring at him, dressed in hiking gear and with a first-help kit in hand. "Lila, you''re coming," he hissed, hating himself for it. It was sensible to keep the main doctor, the experienced one, safe, but he detested having to make that call.

    Brandi was running toward the inn when the whole group was out. "Take your gun and ammunition!" he screamed. "Meet me in the square!" She nodded and ran inside.

    Next to the bus, Lukas squatted in front of a crate filled with bottles, their necks wrapped in rags. He was pouring gasoline from the bus''s gas tank, using a hose and a device to make the flow stop when needed.

    "And explosives?" Vincent yelled.

    "There!" Lukas pointed to a small barrel. "Black powder, all I had at hand on short notice. I filled it with nails and bullets. The fuse is short. If you count to ten, it''s too late."

    "Great. Everybody who''s supposed to go, gather around me!" Vincent yelled. "Lukas, we''re going to help a city against a siege. Do you want to come or stay?"

    "I''ll come," Lukas nodded.

    Two seconds later, after Brandi arrived, panting, the group was in Sofia.

 19. Besieged

    The city of Sofia was cozy, with a typical Balkanic vibe. Mountains could be seen in the distance, both to the north, from where the danger came, and in the south.

    Karmic Charges left: 152

    The number was too low. There were a few stragglers. Amazons who had ignored the instructions.

    "Is the list ready?" Vincent yelled. A few hands raised a piece of paper each. The women had thought of dividing the task into smaller groups. "Those who disobeyed my orders, you will bring your families on your own. Tell your addresses to the ones with the lists so we don''t have people going to the same place. I need ten Amazons with me, the toughest ones. Go bring your family," he whispered to Raya. "Take Lila with you. Lila, message me when she''s done."

    The group dispersed in several divergent directions, like the sun''s rays. The women were fast to organize. A message from Jorge appeared on Vincent''s phone: ''Mongolians on the move. Cca. 200. Time of arrival: 10-15 minutes.''

    "What about us?" an Amazon asked. Taller than Raya and everyone around and broad-shouldered, she had a tag saying: Barbarian, Elite, level 80.

    "Lend me your ears!" Vincent yelled. "We have three short-term objectives. First, close the northern gate so the enemy cannot enter. I and¡­" she pointed to the strong woman.

    "Barbara," she said.

    Really? Barbara the Barbarian? "Barbara and I will be on that. Second objective: Raise the alarm in town and notify the authorities. Lukas, go with them. If said authorities don''t cooperate, text me. Brandi and the remaining two go to the south gate and¡ª"

    "There''s no south gate," a woman said. "There''s North, East, West, South East, and South West."

    "Which is easier for people to escape to the mountains in the South?"

    "Both South East and South West."

    "Pick one, keep it open so the people escape. If you meet resistance from the local forces, don''t engage, Brandi will call me¡­ The fuck?"

    A giant figure had appeared in the sky over the city. A girl, a child, with long deep blond hair and blue eyes. She began to scream in their heads.

    [Brindabella (the Archetype of Youth and Games): Beloved protegees. A hostile army approaches your city, led by the treacherous Ban of Krui Ova. He has Corvinus''s Dark Knights and the Byzantines on his side.

    But do not panic! Everything is under control. I have sent Summoned Heroes to help you. Follow their orders to the letter. The North, East, and West Gates are to close immediately, and all available troops are to reinforce the northern wall. The remaining gates are to remain open so the vulnerable civilians can escape to the nearby mountains, where they''ll be met by loyal shepherds who''ll guide them to safe havens.

    Specific citizens have received personal quests. They are to rendezvous with the Summoned Heroes in the Main Square.

    I bid you a merry day, and don''t forget: Brindabella is the BEST!"

    With a shrieking sound, like a microphone gone awry, the girl disappeared. The brightness of the red text was replaced with a blue notification.

    Quest: The Raven has conspired to break the fragile Realmopolitical equilibrium in the area. An alliance of three Archetypes has formed to block his vile maneuvers. Your task is to stop the besieging army from conquering Sofia until the Bogomil Federation¡¯s main garrisons come to relieve the siege. Estimated time of arrival: 2-3 days.

    Reward: A favor from Brindabella.

    "Fuck fuck fuck fuck!" Vincent blurted, facepalming. "She just let everyone know my plan!"

    "It''s for the better," Lukas said. "At least we save time convincing the people and authorities."

    "And what if the enemies heard her too?" Brandi said. "They''ll turn around the city and attack the fleeing population."

    "They heard her all right," Vincent spat on the ground, checking his phone. "Message from Jorge: the Mongols are turning back. The chief''s group is meeting again."

    "If I can get half a mile away, I can snipe them," Brandi proposed.

    "Just wait here," Vincent sighed. His VR set was still on his head. He lowered it on his eyes and checked the image from the drome. The chieftains were tagged appropriately, and he could see their location. He memorized it, then took the barrel with explosives and his lighter, the latter from the backpack.

    He knelt on the pavement, the barrel before him, lighted the fuse, and counted to seven. At eight, Vincent appeared in the middle of the chieftains, left the barrel on the blanket they used as a sitting feature, and then returned to the square at nine.

    At ten, a notification came:

    You have slain Prince Lucius Comnene of Byzance, twentieth in line for the throne, Despot class, Legendary, Level 80.

    You have slain Agaric Bey, Ban of Krui Ova, Warlord class, Elite, level 80.

    You have leveled x 10. You have 14 Tokens to invest. +1 to Mind. + 2 Karmic Charges.

    Secondary Quest issued: Kill the enemy army''s leaders: 2/3

    Rewards: TBD

    The VR visor showed a massive and familiar silhouette on the clearing he targeted: the Necromancer Vincent had met in Prague. Unhurt. The man lowered himself over the two mangled bodies of his peers, then shook his head. Maybe he wanted to raise them, but working with such a ruined material was impossible.

    Vincent took the glasses off. In the square, people started to arrive. Officials and some of the Amazons sent to bring their families returning.

    "Who''s the Hero in Chief?" an old woman asked.

    "He is," Lukas pointed to Vincent.

    "I''m the local troops chief, Amazon Enild. We have two thousand troops, half Amazon and half regulars. Three hundred muskets, two hundred archers. No cannons. What are your orders?"Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    "They''ll come for the fleeing people first, probably to the southwest," Vincent said. "Put all available troops on the southern gates. Prepare to sortie if the enemy approaches. Muskets and bows on the walls. Brandi, go with them. I''ll try to buy more time."

    Enild stepped closer to Vincent, whispering: "But sir, Brindabella has said¡ª"

    "The situation is evolving. We''re on the ground, she''s¡­" Vincent pointed his index upward.

    "He''s right. Let''s do it," Barbara insisted, looking Enild in the eyes.

    "Lila''s a Healer. Someone takes her to the hospital," Vincent continued, looking around. A few local people nodded. "Anything puts you in danger, you call me," he fondled her shoulder, trying not to let his heart melt under her adoring eyes, then turned to Lukas. "See if you can improvise weapons, incendiaries, anything. If you need stuff from Krivoburg, let me know."

    He waved his hand in the air to stop the questions. Taking the box of Molotovs, Vincent transported himself to the top of a nearby mountain, took his bearings, and started jumping around, setting the forest on fire around the enemy forces. A call came from Irene after six cocktails.

    "Jorge tells me you''re setting fire to the trees. Is it true? Please, tell me you''re not setting fire to the trees!" she shouted so loud he had to put some distance between the phone and his ear.

    "I''m not setting fire to the trees," he said blandly, hanging up the call, then sent a message to Jorge: ''You rat!''

    Moving on, he started twelve fires in all. Unfortunately, only two proved a hindrance, blocking the path of the Byzantines. The Necromancer had a weird movement skill, melting and reappearing in shadows, using them to reappear at the fire location. The flames obeyed him, diminishing then disappearing. There was nothing else Vincent could do, so he retreated into town with a level gained for retarding the enemies.

    A flow of refugeees flowed through the main square, some on foot, some on carriages pulled by horses. Near where they arrived, a group of kids and adults was waiting, tucked into each other. The ones he had promised to take to safety. He asked the Amazons if everyone was there, and the answer was affirmative.

    On a side, further apart, was Raya, with her husband¡ªa jovial man in his early forties and a teddy-bear vibe that made Vincent feel guilty to have unknowingly at first, then knowingly, slept with his wife¡ªtwo cute girls about three years old and a nanny.

    He chose to take care of the rest first. Calling the Amazons and their relatives to him, he transported them to Krivoburg.

    "Take us back; we can fight," one of the Amazons who had disobeyed his orders said.

    "Stay here for now. I''ll rotate you with the tired troops tomorrow," Vincent answered. Returning to Sofia, he approached Raya and his family. "Ready?" he asked.

    "Y-yes," she said, hugging the girls, who hung on her neck, sobbing, obliging her to force herself out of their grip while the father and the nanny took them in their arms. "Take them to safety."

    "Do you remember you swore to obey my orders, no matter what, yes?" he growled at her.

    "I d-do."

    A slightly colder light bathed them a moment later. Another city, with a drizzling rain. Vienna. "I order you to take care of your family and be happy. You are fired." Vincent grabbed a purse of one thousand gold coins he had stashed in his backpack beforehand, shoved it into Raya''s hands, and Strode back to Sofia. He was down to a hundred Karmic Charges. There were more notifications, so he supposed he had gained some against those lost.

    Meanwhile, as he had predicted, the Mongols were moving to attack the open gates, and troops were moving to meet them. He joined one of the running formations and discovered Enild and Barbara had modified Vincent''s order. Instead of waiting for the Mongols to arrive near the gates to mount a sortie, they planned to attack the columns a gate in advance.

    There was no time to cancel the new plan, and he had to agree it was better. Making his way to the southwest gate, he joined his group of Amazons and Brandi on the ramparts, putting his visor on momentarily to attune to a few locations.

    "I''ll transport Brandi to a vantage point," he pointed to a small hill. "She''ll take out the commanders."

    "Get me inside their ranks; I''ll break the charge by taking on the horses," Barbara asked.

    "Don''t listen to my daughter. She has a twenty-second frenzy, and then she''ll be vulnerable and die," Enild sneered. "As the garrison''s commander, I order you to¡ª"

    Vincent took Brandi by the arm, put her inside a copse, and then returned. "I''ll get Barbara out in time, trust me. Ready?" Barbara nodded, taking her two-hand sword from her back. "Don''t hit me too, please." Saying that, he put the visor on and jumped inside the Mongol formation, left Barbara, and jumped fifty yards backward out of the melee.

    The Amazon flourished her sword in a ferocious flurry, splitting multiple horses and men at each strike. There was no space or time to shoot a bow, and the raiders'' sabers had insufficient reach. Vincent unholstered his gun and shot at the horses wherever he could aim. Twenty seconds later, Barbara fell to her knees, but Vincent managed to get her out in time. From all that fighting, she had only a gash on her forehead, to which a local aide applied pressure with a handkerchief.

    "They keep coming!" Enild yelled. "Sortie!"

    She was right. Barbara''s attack had taken out maybe three dozen out of five hundred. The gate opened, and a file of infantry armed with spears and heavy shields ran out. "What are you waiting for? Shoot before our guys get in the way!" Vincent yelled at the musketeers and archers on the ramparts.

    Volleys of gunfire and arrows began to rain on the Mongols. Profiting the noise, Brandi started to fire, too. She was vastly better than the musketeers. Mongol officers began to fall one after another.

    The raiders ignored the shots and charged at the garrison, who stood their ground with raised shields and forwarded spears. The groups clashed, with a crunching sound that reminded Vincent of an avalanche.

    There was nothing to do but wait. Teleporting near chaos to shoot a few more horses was an inefficient way to spend his Karmic Charges. The confrontation lasted for fifteen minutes, and the Mongols stubbornly attacked the infantry despite being in numeric inferiority. If he''d been a Mongol officer, Vincent would have ordered them to go around and pursue their original goal. Still, he could only be thankful for the lack of thinking.

    Finally, the enemy retreated, leaving at least a hundred dead behind. Luckily, there were only thirty casualties among the town''s soldiers.

    "We won," Enild grimaced after the troops entered the gates, joining Vincent on the walls.

    "What the fuck are you doing here? Go to a hospital!" Vincent screamed. The woman''s left arm was missing, the bleeding stump wrapped in improvised bandages.

    "It''s nothing. We Amazons¡ª"

    "You fool," Barbara yelled, taking her mother in her arms and jumping down the wall in one move.

    Amazons are tough, Vincent thought, looking at the woman running on the streets, carrying her mother. A pang of regret bumped into his heart. He missed Raya¡­ He shook his head and shrugged. It will pass¡­ A two-night stand, that''s all it was¡­ This is the only way...

    He analyzed the aerial view. The Mongols were retreating in the East, and a messenger arrived from the southeastern gate to confirm it. There, the Mongol casualties were lesser, about fifty, and as many among the locals. Yet, many others had lost a limb, a reminder that the hands were the closest and easiest target in a melee battle.

    It was early afternoon when the battle concluded. The besieging army started to dig trenches at basic fortifications four miles away, on the foothills. A third of the army, though, had departed. The Byzantines. That was a relief.

    For the rest of the evening, there was not much to do. Lukas made a list of materials, and Vincent made a trip to bring them. Irene waited near the container and started yelling at him because of the fires he started in the woods, praising the ''good Necromancer'' who had saved the forests.

    She had new glasses, he noticed, the frame made of gold or brass, and braces. Where she had managed to find those eluded him, but she was spitting at every word, a fine drizzle hovering in front of her breath. The whole ensemble made her endearing, funny and cute. He giggled, and she replied with a cat-like hiss, turning on her heels and leaving. Vincent shrugged and returned to Sofia, bringing the gifts.

    When night came, Lila joined him in the main square. Her eyes were tired, haunted by the wounds she witnessed and treated in the hospital, Vincent realized.

    "Can we go home for tonight?" she asked.

    Vincent nodded, taking her hand and jumping to Krivoburg.

    "Where is Raya?" Lila asked once in the room, surprised the Amazon wasn''t there.

    Grabbing the girl''s shoulders, Vincent searched her eyes. "She didn''t make it," he said deadpanned. Good. Now you know I''m a heartless bastard, sending people to die. A bad guy, a lousy match for you. Go on, dump me! Vincent thought, seeing her jerk.

    Taking a step back, the girl toed off her ballerina shoes and undressed slowly, making every gesture last. She started dancing, naked, under the illumination of the planets and asteroid belt, swinging and pirouetting, hands above her head, her soles reflecting the silvery light.

    They made love with passion, without words. Living the moment¡­ Once she was asleep, Vincent caressed her hair. "Why have you stayed on the Realm?" Vincent whispered, speaking to himself. The scientists, the nerds, he could understand. His own reasons, too¡­ but hers? What did a dancer hope to accomplish in a violent, merciless world?

    "Because I fell for you," she whispered back, tucking herself at his chest.

    "I''m bad news, kiddo," he fondled the nape of her neck. "I''m bad news¡­ Go back to Nina."

    This time, though, she was sound asleep, little saliva bubbles forming on the corner of her mouth as she breathed.

 20. Attacks and Openings

    The phone alarm rang at eight in the morning, waking Vincent up. He stretched his hand, stopped the ringer, and checked the hour. I overslept. Lila mumbled something unintelligible, opened her eyes briefly, and returned to sleep. The ease with which she did that was characteristic of a young person.

    To start the day with the most important things, Vincent opened his Stats. He was level forty-six now, instead of forty-four, like he thought, and had gained another point in Mind and Spirit over what he had gained previously. His passive skills were higher, too. There were a few notifications he hadn''t read about saving lots of people, sixteen available Tokens, and his Karma Charges were at full.

    Acquiring Outsider''s Refuge, Vincent postponed getting the Storage. He didn''t have any high-tier items to transform yet. However, he invested eight Tokens in his stats, six in Body and two in Spirit.

    Name: Vincent Vala?ka Age: 28

    Level: 46 (2 Tokens available).

    Body 44 (+4) / Mind 24 (+4) / Spirit 37 (+4).

    Karmic Charges: 200/200

    The phone rang again a minute after he had read the notification. It was Lukas.

    "Move your ass here, they''re onto something," Lukas said.

    "I''d appreciate it if you''d be polite," Vincent hissed. He disliked being pushed over by what he considered pampered kids.

    "Sure. Move your ass here, Boss."

    "Give me a minute." He hung up, turning his attention toward Lila. She looked at him with big eyes, silently inquiring what was happening. "Trouble in Sofia. You stay here today. I''ll take Ayman."

    "But I''m level thirty now!" she blurted, puckering her lips.

    "Exactly. I need him to level up too. If we are in trouble, I''ll bring you in," he promised, resting his hand on her cheek for a second.

    Half-sulking, the girl turned her tushy to him, returning to sleep or maybe giving him the silent treatment. Now that he thought better, she didn''t have the usual skinny, tiny ballerina conformation. Lila''s shapes were quite¡­ shapely despite her lithe figure.

    Maybe she''s a modern dancer, Vincent thought. Dressing and taking his gear didn¡¯t take long, nor did finding Ayman, who was waiting in the eatery.

    "Take me with you. I''m more experienced," the medic said in one breath.

    That was exactly what Vincent planned. "OK. Do you need more time to prepare?"

    "I''m ready," Ayman raised a leather bag.

    "Perfect. In Three¡­ Two¡­ One."

    Letting him at Sofia''s Central Hospital, he ran toward the North gate. Lukas and Briana were there. The latter scrutinized the plains to the North with binoculars. Vincent stopped short of slapping himself because he had forgotten the VR visor in Krivoburg.

    He was about to jump back when Lukas offered his smartphone headset. "Bee says he wants a word with you."

    "What''s up?" Vincent asked after pushing the button in his ear.

    "Hi, man!" Bee chirped.

    "Why aren''t you calling me on my phone?"

    "Why bother since you''re already there. Is Barbara with you?"

    "Who?" Vincent knew exactly who Barbara was, but that Bee wanted to talk with her had taken him by surprise.

    "C''mon! The hottest chick in town? Big sword? We''re in a polyamory together."

    "I don''t see her around, no," Vincent looked to the right and left, grinding his teeth, before relaxing. After all, he had engaged in multiple sex sessions with Lila and Raya; who was he to care how Bee and Irene lived their lives? "

    "If you see her, tell her I say hi and to take care, OK?"

    "I''ll make my life mission to deliver your message, my four-eyed liege," Vincent said with clenched teeth. The nerd was beginning to get on his nerves.

    "Anyway¡­ I''ll tell you what I told Lukas. The Dark Knights will attack soon. They have a special skill allowing them to merge in the tens or hundreds. I read it in that book."If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

    "Corvinus''s Book?" Vincent lowered his voice.

    "Yeah. He invented the Black Knights in the first place."

    "Go figure."

    "They can be max level sixty but may fuse into a larger entity. If you put dozens of them together and charge at a gate at full speed, you have a living¡­ sorry, undead battering ram. The merging is important because otherwise, only the spear''s mass counts."

    "Mass and speed equal energy, right?"

    "Yeah, something like," Bee said. Vincent could perceive condescendence in his tone. "That would destroy any normal gate, but we have a counter. It''s¡­ err¡­ on the untested side, but¡­ do you trust me?"

    "I dunno, Bee," Vincent said the truth.

    "Well, trust or not, I''m gonna try it. I suggest you clear the premises, I mean the gates and the adjacent walls. In case it goes wrong, you know."

    "Fuck¡­ Everyone, get away from the walls!" Vincent screamed, waving his hands in the air. "Clear the walls and the gate tower!"

    "Obey the hero!" Enild yelled. Only then did Vincent notice her presence. She wore a different armor set. A metal prosthetic ending in a dagger replaced her left hand.

    Without the slightest protest, the defenders ran down the stairs or to the left or the right on the walls. In the distance, a giant shape appeared. A myriapod made of a hundred or more knights fused together. In the front was a reinforced spear, sixty feet or more, a horn on a sinister unicorn.

    To observe the scene better, Vincent Strode to a low hill with an orchard a few hundred feet away. Hiding behind an apple tree, he put his hand over his eyes to protect himself from the morning sun. The charge began to speed up into a frenzied gallop. A dark hue enveloped the giant beetle, a spell. Vincent could only guess its purpose, but most likely, it was destined to reinforce the impact or protect the riders from being crushed.

    The blended Knights were a football field''s length away from the gate when a tiny object appeared in their path, hovering in front of the lance. The drone.

    "What are they doing?" Vincent hissed.

    The drone and the lance met. A thunderous boom, louder than a plane breaking the sound barrier, and a cloud of dust covered the plain. It took almost a minute to see something. From the merged Knights, only bits and pieces remained. A ditch thirty feet wide, deep, and a hundred yards long stretched from the gate to the North.

    "Speechless, huh?" Bee gloated.

    "The fuck?" Vincent yelled. "You exploded the drone?"

    "Nope. Drone''s fine. That''s the power of my Astral Enchantment spells. Doing the impossible, remember? The diamond I put in the drone had a one-use enchantment on one of its facets. It redirected all the impact force in the opposite direction while keeping its bearer safe. That looks like a kiloton, at least."

    "The fuck?" Vincent repeated, not in the brightest manner. "Bee, you''re totally OP!"

    "I''m not," the youngster sighed. "It works only for defensive spells and takes forever to engrave. They need top-notch materials, like those diamonds, and once they''re used, the facet with the spell is ruined."

    "Boss, the Shaman is here," Jorge spoke over Bee. "Don''t know how she found us, but¡ª"

    "She''s a Seer, idiot!" Bee said.

    "You two are in the same place?" Vincent asked.

    "Come to get me. There will be a development soon, and I need to be in Sofia," the woman said.

    "Stay there," Vincent said. Moments later, he was in the attic. It was empty. "Where the fuck are you?"

    "In the Main Square, man," Bee said.

    Growling, Vincent ran down the stairs, waving at a befuddled Thomas. The Main Square was minutes away, and he intended to spare his Karmic Charges as much as possible. In front of a cafeteria, the two young men sat on a sofa, two laptops, cakes, and glasses of iced coffee on the table. The Shaman was tapping the tip of her foot on the pavement, arms crossed, standing in front of them.

    "Enjoying yourselves, huh?" Vincent sneered.

    "Telework has its advantages; what can I say?" Jorge shrugged.

    "We don¡¯t have time for your witless alien sarcasm," the Shaman said, a deep concern on her face. "There''s trouble. The Grand Khan is dead."

    "What?"

    "I sensed it an hour ago¡­ With only minutes beforehand, there was no way to warn him. Then, I received a vision and a quest to assist you. I looked, but you were nowhere to be found. I don''t see locations in my visions, only people and an overall idea."

    A notification erupted in Vincent''s eyes moments after she finished speaking. He read it, scratching the back of his head and walking back and forth. It was troublesome.

    Quest: A Chance at Peace. A convergence of coincidences has created a cluster of major karmic probabilities. Meet Ludwing Corvinus''s emissary in Sofia and hear his offer. Wherever you accept or refuse it, your choices will decide the fate of many.

    Archetypes are momentarily restricted from interfering with this quest, and the System takes direct control.

    "I guess we should be going," Vincent shrugged. With one hand, he grabbed one of the glasses, and with the other hand, the Shaman''s arm. They reappeared near the wall. For an instant, he thought the enemy had attacked again and broke inside; so loud was the noise. It was only the happiness of the city''s soldiers. The display of power they witnessed gave them hope.

    "Vincent! Come here!" Barbara yelled, opening her arms to hug him.

    Vincent forwarded his palm in a stopping gesture, sipping the cold liquid as fast as possible. "Bee''s the one behind that explosion, so keep your hugs for him," he said bluntly. He didn¡¯t want to give ideas to another Amazon after barely breaking up with the previous one¡­ His heart still ached after Raya, Vincent realized.

    "I knew it. Hunny Bunny''s destined for greatness," Barbara let out a roar of laughter.

    "There will be a messenger. Open the gates for him," the Shaman said. Like several times before, she had spoken in a low voice, but everyone could hear her. Silence fell.

    "Open the gates," Vincent said. "I trust her."

    A dozen soldiers and Amazon rushed to both sides of the entrance, working on two giant wheels. First, the portcullis rose, the group removed the reinforcement bars, and finally, the gates opened. On the other side was the Necromancer, a white flag in hand. Everyone except for the Shaman and Vincent took a step back, and the latter didn''t because the Mongol woman had shoved her hand into his back.

    "What do you want," Vincent frowned, angry at himself.

    "We need to talk in private," the Necromancer said. "You, me, her¡­ and someone with decision power in town," he looked at Enild.

    "We¡¯ll use the Town Hall. The mayor should be present too," Enild said.

    "And Barbara," Vincent added. "Barbara''s the wisest woman I know." His words made Enild gasp in disbelief, but Vincent wouldn''t go between closed walls with the Necromancer without someone tough enough to hold their own in a fight.

    "Show the way," the Necromancer smirked.

    A shiver passed on Vincent''s back. He let Enid lead the group, staying behind with Barbara. It looked like they were keeping an eye on the enemy, but all Vincent wanted was to avoid the man''s gaze. The Necromancer was looking at everyone like potential minions; that was certain. Sighing, he began to write messages on the phone.

 21. Negotiations

    Half an hour later, after a ten-minute walk and talking with growing echelons of bureaucrats, they arrived at the mayor''s office. The official was an old man with an astute gaze hidden by thick, white brows. "Please, take a seat. Do you want something to drink or eat?"

    "Let''s do business," the Necromancer proposed, leaning back on a chair and crossing his arms.

    "It''s a defensive posture," Irene said in Vincent''s ear, speaking through Lukas''s headset, now connected to Vincent''s phone. "Try to appear relaxed; it will counter him."

    "Can I have a coffee, please?" Vincent raised his hand. The Necromancer frowned with evident displeasure, which showed Irene was right.

    "Sure, sure," the mayor said, ringing a bell.

    The drink took only a few minutes to arrive, and it was Balkanic-style coffee with the ground beans boiled in the water. Vincent inhaled the aroma of the hot liquid and took a tentative sip. "It''s very good," he said, his eyes reflecting his smile.

    "Thank you, thank you," the old mayor said. "Sorry I didn''t come to meet you yesterday, but my rheumatism is having a tantrum."

    "No pro¡ª"

    "I have nine thousand warriors outside," the Necromancer said abruptly. "Do you want to talk, or should I ask the Mongols to shoot incendiary arrows?"

    "He''s in a hurry," Irene said to Vincent. "Start talking, but impose your own pace."

    "OK," Vincent shrugged. "Talk."

    "It''s simple. Give us what we want, and we leave."

    "And what do you want?"

    "The artifacts hidden in town, and ten of your best people to work for us."

    "I won''t work for a villain," Barbara proclaimed.

    "Let me rephrase. Ten of your Summoned. Preferably engineers with experience in infrastructure. Not slaves, hirelings, under your own Guild''s rules."

    "That''s a pointless offer. He could have hired them anyway, using intermediaries if necessary. The¡ª"

    "Your real objective is the artifacts," Vincent said over Irene. "Our people are free to work for anyone as long they respect the Guild''s rules. And yet, Ludwing tried to kidnap a promising young man just a few days ago."

    "It''s His Majesty for you, peasant!" the Necromancer sneered.

    A crackling sound made Barbara stretch her hand for the greatsword, but Vincent raised his hand to stop her. "I know that noise¡­ you have a radio?"

    Growling, the Necromancer reached into his pocket and extracted a talkie-walkie, putting it on the middle of the desk. At the same time, he took off a wired headset he had in his ear. Of skin color and minuscule, it had escaped Vincent''s attention.

    "Hello to all, this is Ludwing Corvinus," a voice said between bursts of white noise that bad radios have. "It''s better to cut to the chase. I apologize for the kidnapping attempt. It was my retarded inbred cousin''s plan."

    The voice had become a weird hiss¡­ a cawing on the last words. The Necromancer shifted his position on the chair, and Vincent could swear he was afraid.

    "Karma punished me, though¡­ The gold I brought home from Pragwyn turned to nails¡­ And comes the funny part. In a fit of rage, I threw the barrels into the garbage pit¡­ As they broke, one still contained gold¡­ Hilarious, isn''t it? I dug every coin out of dung and mud with my own hands¡­ I told myself: Ludwing, this is your lesson for listening to fools and being mean to the Summoned ones¡­"

    "That guy is truly unhinged," Irene said. "Either we make a deal, or he''ll be our enemy for life."

    Vincent remained silent, drumming his fingers on the table. Having such an enemy was not an idea to trifle with. Yet¡­ every fiber in his mind and body warned him against dealing with crazies.

    "But then, fate smiled again at me this morning," Ludwing continued. "A Mongol army approaches Plze¨¾, unaware a military exercise was on the way there. Celts, Nords, and Hungarians border troops drilled to fight against the Mongols. Those pesky raids are getting on everyone''s nerves.You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

    "And since they had no heavy infantry with them or a Shaman to predict the attack¡­ they are history. The Khan¡­ what a hero! He fought alone against hundreds but met his end, too.  And could you believe that the gold previously stolen from me was recovered? That made me think: Ludwing, you must be nice from now on. Good Karma is a thing. Why fight? Let''s be friends¡­ caw caw caw¡­" The laughter definitely was a bird''s.

    "He knows about the heist," Irene said.

    Vincent nodded. He had been na?ve. It was not hard to put two and two together. The horde had passed near Krivoburg, left behind the Amazons, and changed their route. He felt a sliver of regret, realizing all that happened because of him. Then, he shook it off. If the Mongols didn¡¯t have scouts good enough to detect an army, they had it coming. His army unit would never have made such a mistake.

    "What are the artifacts?" Vincent asked bluntly, acting on an impulse.

    "Three mythical dungeon core seeds," Ludwing answered. "The last ones on the Realm. The Bogomils have no idea they''re there."

    "He can''t be allowed to have them," the Shaman blurted, shivering. She kept her composure, but Vincent had seen her cower when she heard firsthand about her friend''s death.

    "I''m afraid you don''t have a choice. Tell them," Ludwing said.

    "The Byzantines intercepted and destroyed the reinforcements you expected," the Necromancer said. "There will be no relief."

    "Drone," Vincent blurted, hiding the word with a cough.

    "We heard you, I''m on it," Jorge said in the earpiece.

    "And I have tens of my minions in town, ready to poison your water and food." The Necromancer searched his other pocket and produced a severed hand. Once on the table, it came alive, crawling on the wood.

    "Hi, thing," Vincent said despite his best common sense yelling at him to keep quiet. "Sorry, it''s¡­ never mind."

    Enild''s face had lost all its blood, staring at the animated body part. In one swift motion, she stabbed the crawler into the table with her dagger prosthetic. "That''s mine," she hissed. The undead hand jerked, becoming inert after trashing its fingers a few times like a crushed spider, and the woman pulled off a ring from the index.

    "Please accept my apologies, I had no idea," the Necromancer said with a fake smile.

    "Not. It was a tactic to unsettle your group," Irene said.

    "I could also hunt the one who fled the town if I want," the Necromancer said. "I changed into a raven and took a flight over the mountains. There are four camps with thousands of people, not even ten miles away. Give us what we want."

    "Hi, Boss. The Byzantines had routed, but not destroyed, two small armies. They''re regrouping to the south of the town. Getting to the refugees would mean fighting them, and you could attack from the back."

    "Thank you, Jorge," Vincent said.

    "Huh?" the Necromancer exclaimed.

    "Nothing," Vincent said, rising and looking out the window. "I was just thinking how beautiful the sky is. I read in the clouds you are hiding things from me¡­ like the reinforcements still being in shape to fight. Ludwing, you have thirty seconds to tell me why you want the dungeon cores."

    The answer came immediately. "They can be modified to become country cores instead of dungeon cores. I want to enhance and expand my country. Build roads, railways, irrigation. Hungary will become a great power, like the Gaels or the Vikings¡­ Why do you think there are only a few empires on Stellarterra for thousands of small countries? They all have a core to help them."

    Vincent looked at the Shaman, but she shrugged. "Your choice," she whispered.

    "Let''s split," Ludwing said. "I''ll tell you how to activate the cores. I take the bigger one, and you take the two smaller ones. Take Beauhemia for yourself, or go into Mongol lands. I don''t care. No one would dare to oppose a Summoned one with a Country core in his power."

    "If you ever become an Evil Warlord, don''t forget I''m your bestie. You won''t behead me or stuff, right, Boss?" Jorge said, half-joking, half-serious.

    "Beauhemia yearns for independence. If we play our cards right, we can turn it into a democratic constitutional monarchy, leaving the current king in place," Irene said simultaneously.

    "We have to split into three," Vincent said, noticing the frown on the mayor''s face. "It''s only fair the locals get their share. I''ll have the first pick, you the second, and the last is theirs."

    "Agreed," Ludwig blurted.

    "Ask him where he wants to expand," Irene asked.

    "Where do you want to expand?" Vincent repeated.

    "Krui Ova Banate, Vlachia, Dubruja, Moldovia."

    "He''ll reach the sea and own the Danube''s mouths¡­ Good trading location¡­ not far from the Dnieper either," Irene said.

    "You want a trade route," Vincent said.

    "You read me right¡­" Ludwing acknowledged. "My offer is sincere, let''s be friends¡­"

    "I want Slovakia and Krakow. I need strategic depth."

    "Your names are a bit off¡­ but I know what you mean¡­ If I take Liov¡­"

    "And the Mongols? How will they react?"

    "Depends who gets the throne. But with a Country core, we can counter them."

    "Will you take a System-enforced oath not to take revenge on us?"

    "About what?" Ludwing asked, a bit of surprise in his voice. "Oh, you mean the rest of the items you have stolen? Yes, you can keep the silverware and whatever¡­ Honestly, I was relieved you didn''t paint mustaches on my ancestor''s photo or pee on my bed¡­ Some people are so petty¡­"

    "It''s a deal, then. Tell me where to find the cores."

    "My cousin knows the location. My orders to him are to assist you without fault or hesitation. He will be your subordinate to command as you fit until our deal is done. Ludwing out."

    The Quest A Chance at Peace had concluded its first stage. You have leveled x1.+2 in Mind.

    New Quest issued to the Guild of Illuminated Prodigies (represented by Vincent Vala?ka), the Kingdom of Hungary (represented by Ludwing Corvinus), and the Bogomil Free Tribes (represented by the Mayor of Sofia).

    On condition the Dungeon Cores are retrieved, sign a System-reinforced written oath regarding what has been verbally agreed.  Additional conditions can be added as long they don''t contradict the promises you made. The Archetypes Kiara, Hubris, the Raven, and Brindabella will be witnesses to the signing ceremony.

 22. The Vault

    Squatting in front of an inscription carved in a stone, the Necromancer translated the obscure runes to the rest. "If my understanding is right, the cores inside are Earth, Metal, And Forest attuned. We should start."

    "You sure you don¡¯t want more people?" Vincent asked. The Necromancer had been adamant that only three of them should go in. However, going inside a catacomb without much backup was against everything he had learned in the army.

    "No. Three people, one for each faction. If you bring more, I will also bring more. Let''s go."

    The man''s impatience was in part justified by the delay. Three days had passed since their verbal agreement. The mayor had insisted the invading armies retreat first, then conducted his own negotiations with other Bogomil chieftains. On his part, Ludwing had to persuade the Mongols and Byzantines to go away. It was unknown how he did that and what deals he made, but he had succeeded.

    And now they were in front of a giant slab of rock inside a museum built around the oldest ruins in town. No one knew their original purpose. Pagan temple, church, the agora of a forgotten city? One could only guess. A bit further, the group of Amazons brought from Krivoburg were arguing about who to go with Vincent and the Necromancer. The obvious choice was Barbara, but Vincent had other things in mind. A healer, meaning Ayman, or¡­

    "I want Bee or Jorge," he made up his mind. "Anyone who can fly the drone."

    "They have to be part of the third faction," the Necromancer pointed.

    "That''s simple. Bee, Barbara, Mayor, come here!" Vincent yelled.

    The mayor threw Vincent a bad look because he was using a walking stick to move, and his speed was not much higher than a snail''s.   Vincent advanced to join him, and the rest followed.

    "You two are together, right? Like, love each other stuff."

    "Y-yes," the youngster blushed.

    "He''s my hero!" Barbara roared.

    "A match made in heaven," Vincent walked his eyes over the giantess and the skinny nerd, a head and a half shorter than her. "The Mayor will marry you. You get double citizenship and come with us. You can divorce later if you don''t like it."

    "Why would we divorce?" Barbara sneered. "We''re meant for each other."

    "There''s a third party involved," Bee protested. "I don''t know if she¡ª"

    "Wait here," Vincent said. He put a little distance and texted Jorge to prepare to transfer the drone''s controls to Bee''s phone and land the machine at their location. After that, he called Irene. "Hi. Bee and Barbara consider marriage. It''s important for the quest, but I can''t explain it now. Do they have your blessing?"

    "What?" Irene blurted at the other end of the call.

    "Bee and ¡ª"

    "I heard it the first time¡­ I was just surprised¡­ I''m not their mother, Vincent; they''re free to¡ª"

    "I''m glad you''re not jealous. Thanks." Vincent hung up and snapped his fingers toward the mayor. "She''s OK with it, you can go on. Chop chop: I do, I do, through my powers¡­ c''mon, do I have to spell it for you?"

    Rushing a senior citizen like this was beyond impolite, but the waiting had also taken its toll on Vincent''s nerves. He wanted to be done with the quest and use the core to build serious defenses around Krivoburg.

    The ceremony was nothing like the one he had in mind, but pledges, oaths, and ten minutes later, the three touched the stone slab with their hands. It slid upward, revealing a set of stone stairs descending into semi-darkness. A corridor made of the same material, three yards wide and tall, continued from where the stairs ended.

    "I''ll go first," the Necromancer said, stepping down.

    "Check for traps," Vincent suggested, checking the straps on his heavy backpack.

    "That''s what I''m doing."

    Ten steps ahead, the Necromancer had extracted a few severed hands from a shoulder back, sending them to crawl over the walls, floor, and ceiling. Vincent followed cautiously. Behind, Bee''s teeth were chattering, but he stepped onward nevertheless.

    You''re entering into the Vault of the Three Seeds. Warning: If you continue, this Vault will close, and only after completing its challenge will you be able to exit. Any teleporting-like skill is restricted to the Vault for the duration of the quest.

    The slab slid back behind them, and no more light came from the opening. Vincent turned his flashlight on.

    "AH!" the Necromancer yelled, covering his eyes. "What are you doing, idiot?"

    "You''re light sensitive?" Vincent asked, switching off the torch.Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    "I have the Dark Vision, moron. Shut that damn thing off."

    "Oh, cool¡­ But how are we supposed to see?"

    "It''s a Basic skill, costs one token¡­ everybody has it. Buy it. Now!"

    "Yes, sir!" Bee blurted.

    Vincent growled but obeyed as well. He was a miser about spending tokens on anything else than the higher-end skill. Nevertheless, the Necromancer had a point there, and Vincent could afford a cheap and useful ability. During the three days of pause, he had gained a few levels, poaching the occasional Dark Knight since there was no official oath to forbid it yet. The undead were dumb and tended to straddle from the main group. Pushing them into precipices was easy.

    They had to rest until the new skill settled in, so they squatted near the wall after the Necromancer ensured there were no traps.

    "What can you tell us about the cores and this dungeon?" Vincent started the conversation.

    "It''s not a dungeon, it''s a vault," the Necromancer said. "These cores..." He paused, but as the other two stared at him, he continued. "I¡¯ll explain. Dungeon were made for training purposes. You put a core somewhere, and they grow on their own. Then, people train inside."

    "Autonomous bots run by AIs," Bee said.

    "No idea what you''re talking about. The first generation of dungeon cores went rogue, growing without control, making pacts with orcs, goblins, and every deadly monster they could lure in. One particular dungeon took over a planet. They became a danger to everyone."

    "What happened?"Vincent asked. "I guess they''re not a danger anymore."

    The Necromancer nodded. "The System summoned the first Heroes, and they cleared the dungeons and destroyed their cores. Have you seen that asteroid ring? That''s the planet that was conquered by a dungeon. The destruction of the core blew it.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Bee gasped with widened eyes, like an old lady scared by some terrible gossip. ¡°What happened to the inhabitants?¡±

    ¡°They emigrated to the Elves¡¯ planet way before that. It was inhabited by the Dwarves. Now, they own the rights to mine the remains.¡±

    Strangely, the man had warmed up bit by bit. Vincent could say he enjoyed telling the tale. "Say, I saw you can melt into the shadows¡ª¡±

    ¡°When?¡± the Necromancer frowned. ¡°You spied on me?¡±

    ¡°A few days ago, after starting the forest fires. I noticed you through my binoculars. Is that a skill or¡ª"

    "It¡¯s a Shadow affinity specific to a branch of the Corvinus family. At first, Ludwing used me to eliminate his rivals. Then, he ordered me to focus on necromancy in his stead. He was supposed to be the Necromancer, but he¡¯s¡­ lazy,¡± the man whispered the last word, looking around like he was afraid to be heard.  ¡°He¡¯s powerful anyway."

    "How powerful?" Vincent asked.

    "You don''t want to know. Let''s move on," the Necromancer beckoned, stepping onward on the corridor. "I sent my minions ahead, and they neutralized several traps."

    "So this is a dungeon after all," Bee said.

    "It''s a Vault," the Necromancer insisted. "A dungeon would have an active core and thousands of miles of galleries. This is a storage for baby dungeons, with a few defenses left behind.¡±

    ¡°By who?¡± Bee asked.

    ¡°By the Dungeons, duh. At first, the seeds were kept near their parent and were destroyed along them.  When the last six Dungeons realized the war was lost, they hid their seeds in Vaults. Stop!" the man raised a hand. "More traps ahead¡­ I have to do those myself."

    The man melted into the shadows, disappearing. Soon, noises began to be heard in the distance. Wooshes, bangs, booms. Arrows, falling rocks, or explosions.

    "Bee," Vincent blurted. "How fast can you make an Astral Enchantment?"

    "C''mon, dude! It takes at least a day."

    Vincent grimaced. "I don''t like the guy¡­¡±

    ¡°Why? Maybe here, Necromancer is a job like any other¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not that. He became friendly all of a sudden¡­"

    "And that''s bad?"

    "Yes, if he tries to make us lower our guard and stab us in the back."

    "You''re paranoid."

    "We don''t have anything in writing yet. For all we know, Ludwing could renege."

    "You can teleport, Vincent. Why ask me for¡ª"

    "Until the quest is finished, I can jump only inside this dungeon¡­"

    "Fuck¡­" Bee wailed. "If he decides to kill us, we''re toast¡­ He''s level a hundred¡­ Maybe we should run back and try to open the door?"

    "I don''t know¡­ If we fail, he''ll know we know. Are you sure you can''t work something out? Something to cancel his hiding?"

    "I don''t even know how to figure out such a spell¡­ It''s hard stuff, man, runes and all¡­"

    "Does the drone have another redirect stuff like the one you used before?"

    "Yeah, but¡ª"

    "Never mind. If he comes from behind, it''s useless¡­"

    "What about a buff? It''s a normal enchantment but strong. Twenty-five percent increase in every stat. You can have it," Bee showed Vincent his right little finger. The pink color of the ring was proof that it came from Vincent''s suitcase.

    "Give it to me," Vincent forwarded his hand. "It isn''t bonded, right?"

    "No, all it has to do is to touch your skin. You can hold it on your chest, with a chain, if you want to¡ª"

    "Shush¡­ he''s coming back."

    Vincent put the ring in his pocket and tried to appear relaxed. Heavy steps were approaching, and panting noises. The Necromancer was holding his shoulder, grimacing. "Look, no hands," he said, showing them the empty shoulder bag. "But neither traps," he grinned, displaying pointy teeth. "We''re close. The treasure chamber is a hundred yards further. There are three golems. The moment we step inside, they''ll activate. I guess we two will do the fighting," he looked at Vincent.

    "Bee will take one of the golems out using a flying construct. We''ll deal with the other two. What were you saying about those countries activating dungeon cores? How is that done?" Vincent asked as they walked down the hall to gather more information.

    "Somebody, usually the king, attunes to the seed core, and then they plant it in their country. The core grows roots and can no longer be removed. It will help that country develop.  Simple, yet few know about it."

    "And they won''t turn into bad stuff, like before?"

    "Core seeds are kids, right?  They don''t want to die¡­ No one spared their lives during the war because everyone hated dungeons. When the situation calmed down, the System found a way. As soon as one exits hibernation, the System offers them a deal. They accept a spell that transforms them into country cores and¡ª Here we are," the Necromancer interrupted his speech, gesturing toward an opening.

    They could see a round room about sixty yards wide. The golems were positioned in a triangle around a pedestal holding three round objects. One of the constructs was a humanoid tree, another looked like a metallic armor holding a halberd, and the third was an amorphous blob of clay. All were level one hundred, and Vincent''s Inspect plus Insight revealed that the clay was weak to fire, the wood to lightning, and the metal to water.

    "You can control fire, right?" he asked the Necromancer.

    "As a side effect of¡­ Never mind¡­ I have a torch; I''ll take on the earth one."

    "Bee, you¡¯re on the metal golem. Use the drone. Stay away from it. I¡¯ll be there if you need help."

    They prepared patiently. The Necromancer lighted his torch. Bee took the drone''s box out of his backpack and raised the machine in the air, and Vincent equipped his shepherd axe. Axes felled trees, after all. They nodded at each other and entered the room.

 23. A Fight in the Dark

    The Necromancer vanished into the shadows, reappearing, torch in hand, next to the clay golem. The monster turned on itself without moving. One second, its face was on one side, the next, on its other side. The man vanished before the earthy fists hit him and reappeared laterally.

    Vincent dashed at the tree. It was nimble, despite its size, the tallest of all, at about twelve feet. The crown whipped around while thick branches tried to smash the assailant into pieces. Only one strategy was possible: attack the roots serving as feet, dancing the axe''s dance to dodge the hits.

    Bee entered the room timidly, phone in hand, drone ahead, flying around the metal golem''s helmet. The armor raised the heavy halberd to hit the pesky menace. Bee arranged for the drone to intercept the hit at its end, allowing the momentum to build. It was a nice demonstration of skill, almost on par with Jorge''s piloting virtuosity.

    An invisible fist threw the armor back. It smashed into the wall, twenty yards back, and broke into pieces. Nevertheless, those pieces were trying to put themselves back together, moving on the floor. Vincent pulled his fight over the remains of the metal golem to create some obstacles in their path. The heavy roots began crushing pieces, and the metal golem parts became inert where that happened.

    Meanwhile, Bee had figured out his way to help, throwing a huge armor glove toward the door. There was a thin shining force field over the arch, and it disintegrated the object in a blink.

    "We can''t leave before we beat them!" Bee screamed, rushing to grab a boot.

    "Yeah, Sherlock, I see!" Vincent grunted, dodging a blow. The heavy branches were easy to avoid, but the flexible crown had delivered many thin cuts over his face and hands. He thought momentarily about pulling the tree golem toward the forcefield and trying to push the thing into the energy. Still, he risked being fried himself if he wasn''t careful. "Zap the tree!" he screamed.

    The drone was now hovering above, out of reach. Throwing the golem''s boot into the forcefield, Bee retook control of the drone and started shooting electric bolts. The wooden golem started to screech in pain, trying to snatch the drone out of the air, mistaking it for an opponent.

    Dumb¡­ Always go for the puppeteer, not the puppet¡­

    The distraction offered Vincent a much-needed window of opportunity. He cut one of the main roots, depriving the golem of most of his mobility, and started chopping farther up. A hollow held a flickering light, most likely a sort of vitals.

    Distracted between the two attacks, the tree''s fate was sealed, yet Vincent took his time, his mind trying to think as fast as he could. There had been some bad signs. Unwonted friendliness¡­ The revealing of how to use a dungeon core¡­ Why? The Necromancer should have been suspicious of Vincent, as Vincent was suspicious of the Necromancer.

    Meanwhile, Bee made the drone hover in a fixed position, making it attack automatically, and was throwing the last bit of metal golem into the forcefield.

    The Necromancer was still dancing around the clay golem, which looked mostly intact, but the man had concentrated the torch¡¯s heat on one spot in the middle of the chest. Letting the torch fall, he used the shadows to appear next to the golem and threw a fist in the now cooked and solidified material. It broke. A yellowish gem fell out, clinking several times on the floor, and the golem caved on itself.

    The same happened when Vincent hit the hollow directly. The bark gave, and a deep green fist-sized object slid off. The tree golem froze, then fell backward.

    Bee''s opponent still had a few pieces moving but wasn¡¯t a danger anymore. If the Necromancer had been planning to betray them, this would have been the perfect moment to strike, while his prey was trapped with him inside the lair. Revolver in his right hand, Vincent took aim at the Necromancer.

    "Why?" Vincent asked.

    "You figured it out, didn''t you?" the Necromancer said slowly, lowering his stance like a lion ready to attack.

    "Yeah. Did Ludwing put it to it, or is it your¡ª"

    "Ludwing?" the man sneered. "Ludwing''s a pompous ass! With three cores in my power, I¡¯ll dispose of him and become king myself. Then no one will dare¡ª"

    Vincent teleported behind the Necromancer, Bee''s ring in his left palm. He forcedly showed it into the man''s mouth, covering it with his palm and activating Iron Grip. At the same time, he hit the man''s knee pit with his boot, making him bend back, shooting his revolver twice: once in the man''s groin, aiming through the space now exposed at the waist, and the second time in the neck, getting the trachea but missing the spine.

    The Necromancer vanished into the shadows but reappeared a moment later, contorting on the floor, choking and screaming in pain, flames and blood erupting from his eyes, mouth, nostrils, and ears. He tried to hide in the dark again, but it only worked briefly. Vincent missed the next shot, the bullet ricocheting on the floor, but he got the fourth point blank in the ear, then fired the last bullets in the head, inserting the gun into the Necromancer''s mouth. Only then did the man stop trashing his members. The fire inside him consumed him in moments, leaving behind only a dark, oily soot, a shadow painted on the floor.

    Fuck¡­ I did it¡­ Vincent gasped. The adrenaline backlash made him fall to his knees. On the other side of the room, Bee heaved, hand over his heart, slackjawing. Vincent let him be, wobbling to get on his feet, reading his notifications in the process.This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

    You have completed the Side Quest: Kill the commanders of the enemy army 3/3

    You have slain Boory Bista, Legendary Necromancer, level 100

    Levels x2

    +2 Mind for guessing your foe''s Evil plan.

    You have completed the Quest: Stop the enemies from besieging Sofia.

    Level x1

    Reward Pending

    ¡°Let¡¯s finish the job.¡± Vincent detached the last blue gem from the metal golem¡¯s plate.

    You have cleared the Vault''s inner chamber.

    Level x1 / +1 Body

    Your Karmic Charges are now full.

    Leveling is slower now, Vincent noticed. There were other notifications about his skill levels, but those could wait. He walked and waved his hand before Bee''s eyes. "Are you in there, buddy?"

    "Uh!" the youngster gasped. He retched, and Vincent barely avoided the vomit jet.

    "Here, here¡­ it''s over," Vincent patted Bee''s back.

    "Beurch¡­"

    Leaving the scientist, Vincent went to the pedestal. As soon as he approached, a text appeared above the objects.

    A disturbance in Karma extracted these Core seeds from their slumber 12 days ago.

    Isn''t that when we arrived?

    Detected by The Raven, the Archetype of Memory and Corvids, they are now the subject of a verbal contract between three parties and four Archetypes.

    Next step of the quest: Claim the cores within 1 day. Sign a tri-lateral System-endorsed treaty about the future relationships with the other parties involved in the non-verbal agreement within 4 days. Install the Cores in the three domains before 6 days.

    Failure to complete any of these steps will result in the Vault''s closure, and other parties will be allowed to acquire them.

    "I guess we better move on," Vincent said, feeling his chest. His heart was beating wild, still under the battle''s influence. When he moved to grab the cores, another text appeared. He didn¡¯t read it; Bee had arrived there too, dragging his feet on the ground.

    "That was brutal, man¡­ brutal¡­"

    "Err¡­ you mean it in a good or bad way?"

    "Both¡­ How did you know¡­ forget it¡­ How did you do it? A level forty against a level a hundred?"

    "Well¡­"

    "No! Let me tell it as I see it," Bee said, walking back and forth, massaging his chin. "It was a genius plan. The Necromancer''s unwonted show of friendship made you realize he planned to take the cores for himself and dispose of us. To have proof of his treason, taunted him into an evil monologue, knowing the drone was recording everything. Corvinus can''t deny the truth now. You never used a jump during the golem fight to not reveal your secret move to your enemy.

    "The masterpiece was using my ring on him¡­ It''s a rookie¡¯s work. It enhances the stats but has no limiter¡­ I didn¡¯t think about it because our stats are low, but a monster like him surely had at least one stat capped¡­ you made him go into overload. A strategists'' chef d''oeuvre!" Bee concluded, his chest pumped out, proud of his reasoning.

    Vincent put his hands on Bee''s shoulders, looking into his eyes. "I was not sure of his treason. I bluffed. I was not going to shoot without proof. That''s murder. I didn¡¯t Stride during the golem fight to conserve Karmic Charges. And I had no idea the drone was recording, but now that I do, forward me the video. The ring was a stroke of luck. It was supposed to choke or distract him¡­"

    "You mean we were just¡­ lucky?" Bee swallowed a lump.

    "Yeah," Vincent nodded. "I mean exactly that. We should be dead. We were lucky."

    "Fuuuuuck¡­" Bee exhaled.

    "What do you make of this?" Vincent gestured toward the cores. Each of them displayed a different text.

    Ironclad Core: A former Dungeon Seed, now a Country Core patched up by the System. This Core will enhance anything related to metal extraction, metallurgy, weapon and armor smithing, and fortress defenses. Any precious gray-colored gem will have its properties doubled in this Core''s area. Maximum area coverable: 65.000 square miles

    This core can raise animated armors as protectors of the land and surround its cities and fortress with spikes and barbed wire protections.

    Silvaric Core: A former Dungeon Seed, now a Country Core patched up by the System. This Core will enhance anything related to forests, orchards, tourism, hot springs, running waters, woodworking-related crafts, and similar endeavors. Any precious green-colored gem will have its properties doubled in this Core''s area. Maximum area coverable: 78.000 square miles

    This core can raise living trees as protectors of the land and use bees and poisonous plants to disrupt hostile armies.

    Earth Core: A former Dungeon Seed, now a Country Core patched up by the System. This Core will enhance anything related to earthworks, ceramics, agriculture, irrigation, brickmaking, and road building. Any precious dark-yellow-colored gem will have its properties doubled in this Core''s area. Maximum area coverable: 200.000 square miles

    This core can raise animated clay golems as protectors of the land and surround its cities and fortress with earthworks.

    "We can''t let Corvinus have an army of living armors," Bee said. "He already has those knights."

    "The only Core who matches the amount of terrain he wants is the Clay one¡­ The problem is what core we should choose¡­ I''d like the forest one, but I guess Irene would want me to pick the metal stuff¡­ for the metalsmithing part."

    "Man, we''re friends with the Amazons¡­ If the Bogomils have the ironworks, we''ll supply you with iron."

    "Should we try to attune to the cores?" Vincent asked.

    "What if it takes too long and we miss the time limit?"

    "OK, we just take them for now," Vincent said, taking the deep green ball in his hand.

    The Silvaric Core is now attuned to you.

    Really? All it took was touching it? A clew of impatience and urges appeared in his head, aking to the vibes he got from the tigers. The core couldn''t wait to grow trees and play with forests and meadows. It was a joyful sentiment, and he knew instantly that he had made the right choice. "Did your core attuned to you?" he asked Bee, who had the Ironclad Core in hand. "Mine did."

    "So fast? Nope, mine is silent for now¡­ Maybe I''ll give it to Barbara; she has a lot of affinity for iron from all those swords and gear."

    ¡°You¡¯ll sort it out,¡± Vincent said, offering Bee the blue golem heart. He stored the clay golem''s gem in his pocket along the Earth Dungeon''s Core.

 24. A Skilled Pause

    They walked all the way back because they needed to calm their bodies and thoughts. On the way, Bee realized he had forgotten the drone in the Vault and recalled it on automatic, which added a minute. With a grinding sound, the slab moved away, freeing the exit. The sunset light bathed their faces as they stepped up, a warm sensation filling their hearts with hope.

    "Why did it take so long?" a voice barked at them.

    Both Bee and Vincent jerked and took a step back. The one to ¡®greet¡¯ them was none other than Ludwing. Frowning, his arms crossed, and tapping his boot on the ancient ruin''s floor.

    "I''ll deal with him; you go talk with Barbara," Vincent whispered to Bee. "The King and I need a word in private," he announced, beckoning Ludwing to follow him to the farthest corner of the hall. The King followed reluctantly, dragging his feet.

    "If you renege, I so swear I''ll eat your liver raw," Corvinus said, and Vincent knew it wasn''t a joke.

    He started by offering the Earth Core. "I took the forest theme, and the iron is small."

    "I don''t care about thematics. I need land," the King sneered, grabbing the core with trembling fingers. "Where''s my cousin?"

    "He''s a little¡­ indisposed," Vincent said, producing his phone. "Take a look at this," he played only the Necromancer¡¯s betrayal confession without the fight.

    The King ground his teeth in silence for a long minute after the recording ended, clenching his fists so hard blood left them. "Did you trap him down there, or¡­"

    "I had to kill him," Vincent said. "Sorry, but not sorry."

    "Pray thee, how did you kill a Necromancer twice your level who can enter your shadow and stab you from it?" Ludwing asked calmly, fists resting on his hips. The vibe was: ''You cheated somehow.''

    "I had a genius plan," Vincent said deadpanned.

    "No way," the King puffed.

    "He started a stupid monologue, and I shot him in the face."

    "Evil monologues¡­" Ludwing nodded. "A curse that runs in my family¡­ Many have lost their lives because of it¡­ What is done is done. You were in your right and did me a service¡­ I owe you a favor¡­ and I don''t like owing favors. Name your price."

    "Sure. I want you to be nice," Vincent said.

    "Sorry?" the king yanked his head backward.

    "Treat your population well. No summary execution, slavery, or forced labor. Rule of law. Free tip: Happy people make a country prosper."

    "Granted," Ludwing said. "It¡¯s what I had in mind anyway¡­ No more micromanagement. Everybody is free and happy¡­ As long they accept me as their ruler, that is. I won''t tolerate rebels. Those will be impaled on stakes publicly, and their¡ª"

    "Have you received the quest about signing a treaty and stuff?" Vincent asked.

    "I did. We''ll meet in Prague the day after tomorrow, in the evening. I understood you can take care of the transportation."

    "Shoot¡­" Vincent let out, disappointed that a precious skill got out¡­

    "It''s hard to keep such a special skill secret¡­ I had to kill everyone who witnessed mine."

    You''re joking, right? Right? Vincent tried to find a sign of humor on the other''s face. There was none.

    "We will keep in touch by telegraph."

    "You have telegraph?"

    "The magic paper you write on, and the writing appears in another place. Your town has one too. I''ll go deposit the core in a safe place."

    Saying that, the King opened his mouth and swallowed the Dungeon Seed. In the process, its jaws became a massive raven''s beak. Changing into the bird, Ludwing exploded upward in a violent flap of wings, passing through the gaps in the destroyed roof.

    "Weirdo," Vincent said in a low voice, returning to the others, who were gathered around Bee, looking at the young scientist¡¯s phone.

    "A strategists'' chef-d''oeuvre," Bee''s words resounded from the screen. He was showing them the fight.

    "Who gave you permission to¡ª"

    "Well done, son. Well done!" the mayor patted Vincent back, and the old man almost fell from doing that, catching his cane at the last moment.

    "Just another day on the job," Vincent massaged his forehead. "Bee, are you coming to Krivoburg with me or staying?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll stay here for now,¡± his friend said. ¡°Barbara¡¯s mom has a huge mansion with a jacuzzi and pool."

    Without further notice, Vincent Strode, and reappeared in front of his room at the inn. He knocked, just in case Lila was doing something she considered private. Girls were fickle in that matter; looking at them while doing their nails was worse than seeing them naked. He knew it as a fact.

    The room was empty, and he profited to check on his stats. He was level fifty-three and had eight free Tokens. Vincent summoned his skills menu, then dismissed it, gathering his thoughts. They''d had been lucky. Adversaries had underestimated them, taking their time to talk, like Boory, or following strange codes of honor, like the tiger¡­ The Mongol raider, on the other hand¡­

    During the last fight, Vincent realized he couldn''t afford to be unprepared, untrained in the ways of this world. The Outsider''s Cloaking and Refuge were skills he never really tried¡­ On one hand, those skills would have gotten him killed in the Vault. That was what the Necromancer expected from him: to hide and to run. Attacking had been the best option, taking the man by surprise. Yet, no fight was like another. One day, a neglected skill could save his life.

    Activating Outsider''s Cloak, he walked left and right in the room, looking in the mirror. He was visible, a bit transparent, but noticeable. After a while, though, he started to melt in the surroundings, distorted furniture, walls, and windows superposed over his figure.

    He dismissed the skill when he was at two-thirds Mana and activated, for the first time, Outsider''s Refuge. A sphere of energy with a nine-foot radius surrounded him. Nothing appeared in the mirror. The chairs and the room around them were projected on the walls of the pocket universe, like light reflecting on a soap bubble, yet in the mirror, they appeared intact. Vincent, however, wasn''t there anymore.

    He tried walking and succeeded, but only inside the bubble. The Refuge itself didn''t move. Trying to Stride and take the sphere with him didn''t work either. The skill worked only inside the pocket universe, which meant the Vault had been one, too.

    Exiting the space with only a hundred Mana left, he concentrated on the important notifications, noticing the color was blue, probably meaning the Main System wasn¡¯t interfering with him anymore.

    Your Passive Skill Battle Instinct has reached level 50 due to your uncanny ability to sense danger in unpredictable situations.

    C''mon, what was unpredictable in guessing a bad guy is evil? It''s just common sense!

    You need to select a choice of an additional effect for this skill:

    Guarantee Hit. Consume 100 Stamina to always hit true with your first attack in a fight. It doubles the damage if you attack without being noticed.

    Enhanced Damage. Permanently enhance your melee or ranged damage by 5%. Consumes 5% of your Stamina per hit.A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

    The next evolution is available at Skill level 100.

    Without second thinking, Vincent selected the first option. The next evolution was in Quiet Leadership. He had to choose between doubling his stats buffs or being able to communicate at range with his followers through a magical chat. As they had phones, he opted for the first.

    The next notification was lengthy.

    Inspect and Insight have reached level 50. You can continue using them as they are or combine them into Arcane Intuition (Active/Legendary tier. Merged skills (Macros) enhance abilities by an order of magnitude but consume more resources.

    Arcane Intuition: Merges the keen prowess of Inspect with the profound understanding of Insight. This ability allows users to scrutinize their surroundings, revealing hidden details and secret knowledge about objects, creatures, and environments.

    With a single glance, the wielder can uncover an item''s history, discern nearby beings'' emotions, and detect concealed traps or magical influences. As they focus, shimmering threads of energy outline the hidden truths, illuminating connections and motives beneath the surface.

    In addition, Arcane Intuition grants the user a glimpse into the potential of their own skills. Consumes 100 CPs per use.

    Come here, baby! Vincent thought, gleefully running his hands. A flash of light blinded him for a second, and then a brief headache and dizziness made him sit on the bed. Yet the skill set in faster than any other.

    Suddenly, he knew stuff, and it felt like it was always there. For instance, Spying could be absorbed into Arcane Intuition. Simple words in the tooltips meant much more than they appeared. ''Together or separately,'' for instance, allowed him to weave Light and Darkness into armor or attacks at the same time.

    Slippery, the next evolvable skill, offered him a choice between even more Magic Resistance or chances at dogging physical attacks. He chose the latter to cover a broader spectrum.

    Resilience had reached fifty and had a selfless and a selfish option. The latter was about ignoring damage for a few seconds, which was inferior to Refuge. He chose the first and unlocked Health Points, which also had active use: a transfer of life energy to an ally under 25% Health once per day. Considering all the nerds around, it felt a necessity.

    Then, he considered buying those neglected skills, but an itch made him take the ring and the metal wire he had looted from the Corvinus castle and look at them. To his surprise, they had tags.

    Shapeshifting Weapon (Elite): This strand is made from an alloy of quick mithril, changing its shape to suit its wielder''s tastes. Albeit underperforming compared to dedicated weapons, it is easy to conceal and makes a perfect tool for assassins or rogues.

    Ring (Legendary). This item had once belonged to a powerful king, but its bonding had been unmade by time, and its magic had faded. This item can be bonded and re-enchanted.

    "YES!" Vincent yelled. " I want to buy Outsider''s Storage. Invest seventy-five Karmic Charges and make this ring mine."

    Karmic Charges: 122/200

    You have acquired a Ring of Holding. Warning: Greed is bad. Do not use this ring for stealing, or you will lose Karmic Charges.

    Putting and getting things in and out of the storage felt natural, instantaneous, and worked even at a few feet apart. After playing for a while with that, Vincent bought Cloak of Darkness because he felt like it, and shopping sprees were one of his weaknesses. Then, Vincent threw himself on the bed, face up, hands under his head, reviewing his stats and skills.

    Name: Vincent Vala?ka Age: 28

    Level: 53 (3 tokens available).

    Body +52 (+8) / Mind 30 (+8) / Spirit 41 (+8).

    Karmic Charges: 122/200

    Class: Dichotomic (Unique, Mythical)

    Elements: You can wield elements from the schools of Light, Darkness, Fortune, and Wisdom, altogether or separately.

    Name buff: Vala?ka/Velasco.

    Due to your class, you can choose the name you want to display. CD: 24h.

    Under the Vala?ka name, you gain +10 in Body and increased damage when using a shepherd axe and light spells. While displaying the Velasco name, you gain the Blessing of the Raven: +10 in Spirit and an increased effect of all Darkness spells.

    These buffs activate only in combat.

    Species: Outsider (Mythical)

    Species Perks:

    Resilience (Passive, Elite): You age 4x slower than a normal human. Evolvable at Skill level 100. Current Skill Level: 50

    Added effect: Health Points unlocked (Body+Level x 10).

    Passive effect: Mana Body. Creates a Mana double of your body, considerably speeding up your magic processing. In case of heavy injuries, the Mana Body will help your body keep going for a limited amount of time. Healing must be performed within (skill level+your level) seconds to ensure your continued existence.

    Active effect: Health Transfer. Once per day, transfer your HPs to an ally in need at a rate of 1% HP per second. You cannot go below 15% HP yourself while doing that. Requires 50 MPs to activate. The target will receive a temporary HP buffer (Mana Body) that will last until their vitals can function independently.

    Slippery + (Passive, Elite). High Resistance to Magic Damage, Mind Control, and against all forms of Identify. +25% chance of dodging physical attacks. Current skill level: 50. Evolvable at level 100.

    Disguise (Passive, Elite): Set a class and a species to display as a tag. Recommendations for your level: Scout, Ranger, Warmaster / Half-Elf, Evolved Human.

    Passive Proficiency (Elite): Your passive skills work +25% over their expected performance. Allows most of your passive skills to evolve at Skills levels 50 and 100.

    Passive Skills:

    Battle Instinct (Passive, Elite). You don''t need to look at a target to judge its movements or the distance. Current skill level: 50. Evolvable at skill level 100.

    Additional active effect: Guarantee Hit. Consume 100 Stamina to always hit true with your first attack in a fight. It doubles the damage if you attack without being noticed.

    Quiet Leadership (Passive, Elite). With few but wise words, you make others follow you. Increases the stats of your followers by +2. Gain +8 in every stat for yourself as long you have at least 30 followers. Current bonus: +8. Current skill level: 50. Evolvable at level 100.

    Animal Empathy (Passive, Elite skill). You feel the mood of the animals around you. You can detect hidden predators in an area of a hundred feet if they observe you with malicious intent. Current skill level: 20. Evolvable at Skill levels 50 and 100.

    Spying (Passive, Rare skill). Your presence and attention are barely noticeable, and you are prone to finding secrets. Current skill level: 38.

    Mentor (Passive, Elite skill). You are exceptionally gifted to teach your skills to others. Current Level: 20.

    Active skills:

    Arcane Intuition (Active/Legendary tier). Allows users to scrutinize their surroundings, revealing hidden details and secret knowledge about objects, creatures, and environments. In addition, Arcane Intuition grants the user a glimpse into the potential of their own skills. Consumes 100 CPs/use. Current skill level: 50.

    Iron Grip (Active, Elite tier): Your grip has an unusual force. This skill increases the strength of your hands for a limited time. Consumes 25 Stamina/use and 5 SPs/second to maintain. Current Skill Level: 28.

    Cloak of Darkness (Active, Elite Tier). Surround yourself in shadows to sneak around undetected. Stronger at night. Consumes 20 Mana per second at your current skill level of 1.

    Karmic Skills:

    Outsider''s Stride (Active, Mythical tier, Karmic). Bestows you with the ability to conjure a bespoke wormhole. You can use it to go to places you see, were to, or can attune to in various manners, as long they are on an Awakened Realm. This skill has no levels, but it performs better with practice.

    You can transport people, living beings, or objects with you as long they are willing and not more than twenty-five feet away. Unconscious or unwilling people you transport to save their lives are an exception. A Stride costs one charge of Karma/jump/person.

    Outsider''s Cloak (Active, Mythical). Use both Light and Darkness to make your presence unnoticeable. A faint glint among the bright light of the day or a shadow confounding itself in the darkness of the night: that''s you. This skill has no levels, but it performs better with practice. Activation costs one Karmic Charge, then 10 MPs/second to maintain.

    Outsider''s Refuge (Active, Mythical): Creates an invisible and impenetrable pocket universe around you for a limited amount of time. Its size depends on your Spirit stat. This skill has no levels, but it performs better with practice. Costs 1 Karmic Charged to activate, consuming 10 Mana/second to maintain.

    Outsider''s Storage (Active/Passive, Mythical): You now have a 100 slots Ring of Holding in your possession. No weight transferred to the outside. Capacity: one metric ton.

 25. Irene

    Night came, and Vincent didn¡¯t feel hungry despite skipping dinner. The sensible choice was to go to sleep, recovering from the stress of the past days. Yet half an hour later, he stared at the ceiling, eyes wide open, overwrought.

    There were ways to spend the excess energy, but the best of them¡ªsex¡ªwas out of reach. Lila was spending the night in the local hospital, training to be a better healer. Since he had time on his hands, he decided to take a few things off his chest, starting with talking with Bee. Striding to Sofia, he dialed Bee¡¯s number.

    ¡°Hey,¡± Bee answered at the second buzz. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡¯

    ¡°Nothing¡­ Are you free for a beer?¡±

    ¡°Sorry. We¡¯re having dinner with Enild in half an hour.¡±

    ¡°Sure¡­ Listen¡­ Err¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°You did great today.¡±

    ¡°Thanks¡­¡±

    Vincent swallowed a lump but decided to take the bull by the horns. ¡°Bee¡­ I apologize¡­¡±

    ¡°For what?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t realize until later because my thinking is distorted¡­ I treated you like another soldier, asking you to jump into danger without a second thought¡­ I just thought: I need this kind of skill, who has it? Bee it is. You almost died because of me¡­¡±

    ¡°Man¡­ don¡¯t worry, all¡¯s OK. I knew this kind of thing would happen when I opted to stay. If anything, I¡¯m grateful for your pushing me past my limits¡­ I¡¯m serious¡­ Anyway, I¡¯m relieved. Thank you for calling me.¡±

    ¡°Relieved of what?¡±

    ¡°I thought you were mad at me because my enchantment underperformed¡­¡±

    ¡°It still broke that golem,¡± Vincent said.

    ¡°It¡¯s too conditional. If you miss the intercept or the damage reflected is too small, it¡¯s a waste.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, all¡¯s¡ª¡±

    ¡°I want to experiment with a few new things,¡± Bee continued. Vincent wasn¡¯t so enthused about hearing lists of enchantments, but he bore with it to make amends.  ¡°I could try focusing more on specific effects, like enhancing Reaction Speed or Spell Power. Or damage reduction¡­ definitely that¡­ If I could make that into an Astral Enchantment¡ª¡±

    ¡°Bee, with you, the sky¡¯s the limit,¡± Vincent said, offering encouragement and shortening the conversation. ¡°I have a ring with a diamond on it¡­ if you want to play with it, you¡¯re my guest. I¡¯ll be your guinea pig.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, man!¡± Bee cheered up. ¡°Ups, sorry, have to go, see ya.¡±

    The call stopped abruptly, and Vincent sighed. He had spoken the truth. When Vincent picked Bee, his army reflexes had taken over. Teams were made for utilitarian purposes only, and death was just part of the game they all had signed for... Under stress, he had forgotten exactly why he had stayed in that magical realm: to keep the youngsters safe. Promising himself he would do better the next time, Vincent returned to Krivoburg.

    There was a person he hadn¡¯t spoken with lately for lack of time and embarrassment, and it was time to set things right.  After looking in the dining room and finding his target absent, Vincent went up and knocked on Irene''s door.

    "Hi. I¡¯m looking for Irene," he said when Brandi opened the door.

    "She lives in the stables now," Brandi said.

    "In the stables?" Vincent repeated automatically, thinking he didn¡¯t understand well.

    "Long story¡­"

    Vincent stepped away, and she closed the door slowly as if she wasn''t sure he wouldn''t ask for more information. Befuddled, he went to the inner courtyard. The stables were lay in darkness, but his new Dark Vision allowed him to see well enough. The place was empty, the horses nowhere. From the attic, where the hay was stored, giggling sounds came down, clear as silver bells.

    "Err¡­ Irene, are you here?" he asked.

    "There''s a ladder in the corner," her voice answered.

    "Something funny?" he asked when he got up. Irene was looking at her phone while lying on a blanket in short pajamas. The tiger cub was snoring on the hay, a paw over her head.

    "I was looking at the drone recording. When Bee gave all that Sherlock Holmes speech, and you said: Nah, it was luck; we should be dead!... I''m glad you''re alive, Vincent," she suddenly changed her tone, grabbing his right hand, a few tears creeping into her eyes.

    "Me too," he fondled her hand. "Me too."

    "Is it¡­ hard?" she asked.

    "To fight?"

    "Yes."

    "It is, but that''s what training is about, to get you used to that. The mental part that''s the hardest. When the moment comes¡­ if you freeze, you''re done for."

    "Why are you here?" she asked abruptly, blushing.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

    Oh, shit¡­ We''re all alone, and she still thinks I proposed her a threesome¡­ Vincent repressed a jerk. "I chose a forest-type dungeon core. I hope you''re not mad at me¡­"

    "No¡­ I mean, I hoped for more industry, but nature is important too. We can trade for iron."

    "Yeah." he nodded. "But there¡¯s more¡­ This core means a lot of power¡­ too much for us to deal with. We''ve been here what, two weeks?¡­ Your idea of a Constitutional Monarchy sounds nice¡­ You think it¡¯s doable?"

    "As a matter of fact," she started hesitantly, with a wide smile but a bit of sheepishness in her eyes, "I''ve made overtures to the Beauhemian notabilities, and they showed great interest¡­ Summoned are considered emissaries of progress, endorsed by the Archetypes."

    "There will be challenges," Vincent pointed. "We''re here to fight against a yet-to-be-determined evil."

    "We can handle anything together," she looked into his eyes. ¡°We''re the dream team. That¡¯s what they say in the newspapers."

    "They have newspapers?" Vincent widened his eyes.

    ''"They''re not savages, Vincent¡­ just¡­"

    "Different," he nodded. "I know¡­"

    "I''m sorry for Raya," Irene said softly, squeezing his hand again.

    "Thank you." He looked away to hide the lie in his eyes. And the regret¡­ He liked Raya a lot. Tough¡­ yet so hot¡­ But she was better off without him.

    "I should have said yes the night she asked me to join¡­" Irene said, her head inching forward, slow enough to allow him the time to retreat.

    He didn''t. Their lips met, and they kissed for a long time, Vincent caressing her cheek and Irene gripping his neck. She''s so sweet! Vincent thought. Her teeth were a bit pointy, yet not enough to hurt, the tongue thin and long, and the overall taste of her mouth herbal and fresh. It might have been the toothpaste, but it was an extremely pleasant experience. When her breasts¡ªmore sizeable than her clothes showed¡ªpressed on his chest, and she tried to come closer, he rested his forehead on hers, arresting her movement.

    "I can''t do this¡­ I''m sorry¡­ Bee¡¯s my friend, and¡ª"

    "I''m not with Bee, Vincent," she giggled. "I never was."

    "But you were kidnapped together from his room!" Vincent exclaimed. "And he kissed your palm in the forest, and you¡ª"

    "We''re friends¡­ nothing more. I went into his room to chat¡­ He did try to kiss me, that¡¯s true¡­ and I slapped him¡­ He kissed my hand as an apology¡­ there¡¯s a deep romantic heart behind those glasses¡­ And we agreed to be just friends¡­"

    "So¡­ who¡¯s the third person in his¡­ err¡­ polyamory?"

    "Brandi," Irene sighed, "But only with Barbara. They¡­ see each other every other night. I moved here for privacy reasons."

    During the conversation, their bodies had drifted apart. She approached again, but Vincent shook his head. "I am attracted to you, but¡­"

    "But what?" she frowned. "I don''t think Lila would mind sharing," she scoffed, letting her head backward. The line of her neck was beautiful, sending waves of desire into Vincent''s body.

    "I like you, Irene. I really like you. Like respect you. You have that annoying smartness that girls way out of my league have¡ª"

    "You sure can be insulting when you deliver a compliment," she puckered her lips. Arm crossed, she stared at Vincent, evidently waiting for an extended explanation.

    "¡ªand prettiness in spades. But given time, I''ll hurt you, and you''ll see me for what I am."

    "And what are you, Vincent," she hissed, throwing daggers through her eyes.

    "Somebody who can¡¯t return your love¡­ You deserve better."

    "And Lila doesn''t?"

    "She does¡­ I¡­ have to talk to her about that¡­ I mean, I did, but...¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s not taking no for a refuse?¡±

    ¡°Something like that¡­¡±

    "You''re complicated¡­" she sighed. "Men are supposed to be simple."

    "I am," he objected. ¡°Really. There¡¯s no bigger hillbilly than I. They named the hill I was born on Billy for that.¡±

    "I don''t believe you¡­" she shook her head, ignoring the joke.

    "You want to hear my story?" he asked, lowering his voice. Girls always want to hear the bad boys''s story¡­ Irene nodded, still frowning but taking a more comfortable position. "I was a wild kid, always hanging out in nature or on the streets. I did a year of college and dropped out¡­ Never had a serious relationship¡­ I fooled around, but nothing stable.

    "Then I got in the army, on a whim¡­ I liked it¡­ It allowed me to do what I liked but with a structure¡­ Our army is small¡­ kinda relaxed compared to others¡­ Same personal story there, no relationship, flings, casual sex¡­ I went for a year abroad, in one of those bad countries, the kind everybody tries to change but serves at nothing¡­ I saw combat there¡­ I did well."

    He paused, haunted by a few memories he had gained on his tour. Comrades lost¡­ his first kills¡­ the always-present adrenaline, the danger¡­

    "It changed you," she said.

    "Yeah¡­ I took a break from the army¡­ I considered working in a more peaceful branch¡­ Police, customs¡­ Then I meet¡­" Vincent choked, tears filling his eyes, and he hid his face in his palms.

    "You fell in love," Irene gasped with widened eyes, covering her mouth.

    "Yes,¡± he nodded, pulling his nose. ¡°Shelly was an exchange student; we met in Prague. She asked for directions, and I escorted her¡­ even the town center has its bad areas at night. I¡­ liked her¡­ she was beautiful. I asked if she wanted me to show her the city the next day¡­ She said yes, and I walked her around until she fainted¡­ literally¡­ After the army, I didn¡¯t think in normal terms anymore; I¡¯ve pushed her too far¡­ She fell in my arms, I carried her to the hospital, hijacked a taxi, threw the passenger out¡­"

    "Romantic," Irene said, a tear sliding down her cheek.

    "We spent a year together, here¡­ no, there¡­ in our Prague. We got engaged. When she returned to the States, I went with her. Got my working visa, everything. My competencies were needed. I got a job in a security company. Then, I met her parents, lovely people, and her¡­ brother¡­"

    "Hm¡­ From your tone, I guess he wasn''t that nice."

    "A psycho¡­ overprotective¡­ he basically lived next door to her. He worked in the¡­ I forgot the name¡­ it''s like the police but not the police. A fed. Yeah, he was a fed. For six months, he made my life a living hell. Spying on me, breaking my social media accounts, telling her I was after her money or citizenship¡­"

    "She believed it?" Irene jeered. "I wouldn''t believe it for a second," she blurted, a ''See, I''m better?'' meaning behind her words.

    "She didn''t¡­ we were in love¡­ Then, all of a sudden, he changed a hundred and eighty degrees. OK, you proved yourself, passed the tests, let''s be friends, stuff¡­ She was so happy¡­ I was so happy to see her happiness that I believed him, too. I wanted to.

    "One night, we had a beer together, him and I, and we were returning home on foot through a park¡­ a forest. They have so much wilderness there¡­"

    Vincent raised his hair to one side, showing Irene a white line on his skin.  "He shot at me with an unregistered gun, trying to stage a mugging turned murder. I turned and ducked at the last second. I recognized the noises, the cocking of the hammer, the trigger. He missed, and then I fought back and killed him with his own gun¡­ It took a second; that''s what I was trained to do¡­ No thinking, only instincts¡­"

    "I''m sorry," Irene grabbed both Vincent''s hands, fondling them. "She didn''t believe you?"

    "She did¡­ It was on camera¡­ That night, a park guard installed one to watch for bobcats¡­ I wasn''t charged; it was self-defense¡­ Things started to get out¡­ He was involved with bad people. Drug dealers¡­ He was using drugs too¡­ But she and her parents couldn''t get over the fact I killed her brother¡­ Making love to me brought him in front of her eyes¡­ Nightmares¡­

    "I had to let her go¡­ There was an ex who still cared for her¡­ a sweet guy¡­ she needed him, not me," Vincent shrugged, wiping his eyes with his sleeve. "I still love her¡­ That¡¯s the truth. I will love her forever.  A fling, casual sex, OK, I¡¯m open to it, but getting involved with someone¡­ no. You deserve somebody to love you with all his heart."

    "Thank you for confiding in me¡­" Irene squeezed his hands. "Friends?" she asked. Now clear of tears, her eyes yelled the loudest ''Poor you¡­ I''ll make my life''s mission to cure your ailment and show you true love.''

    She''ll get over it, Vincent sighed.

 26. A Sentimental Ball

    Pragwyn¡¯s Castle was more spacious than Earth''s. The ballroom, double the size of the Spanish Hall, could host a football match and the public. It was brimming with people, alternating dancing and talking.

    Taking a glass of sparkling wine from one of the servants walking around with trays, Vincent exited through the opened French doors, seeking refuge on the terrace. It was big enough to have a garden and many hidden corners.

    One of those had a splendid view of the city. Lamposts had been lighted that night, some magically enchanted, some burning a petroleum distillate. It was the first dark night experienced by Vincent, the ring of planets and asteroids now circling the equator and invisible for the next weeks.

    Squeezing his eyes shut, he tried to enjoy the solitude. The last two weeks had been hectic and involved a lot of travel. At least, that helped him keep his distance from Irene. After intense bargaining, he signed the treaty and planted the Seed in Krivoburg a few days prior.

    "You discovered my secret spot," a voice interrupted his solitude.

    "Your Majesty," Vincent jumped on his feet, bowing.

    "Karel, for you," the young Beauhemian king waved his hand. "A little help, please?" The Beauhemian King was trying to move a giant bush planted in a pot. "Here, now we can have a bit of quietness," the monarch said after they blocked the path to the green alcove.

    Vincent nodded and sat on the bench. He didn''t know what to say, so he said nothing. The king was seventeen but tall and looked more mature, both in his demeanor and physical aspect. Karel was about sitting peacefully and observing through his half-shut eyes. But when he spoke, it was to the point and offered deep insight.

    "A word of advice," the king said. "If ladies sweet-eye you tonight, keep it in your pants. Many are spies."

    "Really?" Vincent gasped.

    "Of course. What better place for a man to brag about the secrets he knows than in the bedroom?"

    "Vincent?" a voice called.

    "Oh, God," Vincent sighed. "Here comes my girlfriend¡­"

    "You don''t love her?" the King frowned. "She''s lovely."

    "She''s¡­" Vincent began explaining but gave up. It was too complicated.

    "Here you are," Lila exploded through the bushes, ignoring the obstacles. She frowned at him, her balled fists on her hips. "Is it true you told Nina I''m better off with her and that she and I should make up?"

    Moment of truth, Vincent sighed. I hope she won''t make a scene. "Yes, Lila¡­ I think Nina truly loves you," he said softly. "I''m only attracted to you¡­ You¡¯re a good person and deserve better¡­ I''m sorry I didn''t tell you earlier¡­"

    ¡°You want to break up with me? Look into my eyes and¡ª¡±

    He did look into Lila¡¯s eyes, his muscles feeling like boiled noodles. ¡°No¡­ I want you to break up with me¡­ I care for you, Lila, enough to know I¡¯m not what¡¯s best for you.¡±

    "Honey," she melted, sitting in his lap and kissing his forehead, arms wrapped around his neck. "Don''t worry so much, I''m happy with you," she emphasized the word. "I have to go; my dance is in five. Love you." She gave him a short kiss and walked away, her steps a dance in themselves.

    The King looked at Vincent with pity. Vincent suddenly felt like he was seventeen years old, and the other the adult. "Well¡­ if you don¡¯t love her¡­ I have a concubine spot open¡­"

    Vincent growled, and the King smiled.

    "See? You have feelings for her. What¡¯s wrong with letting yourself be loved and returning the favor? You''re among the most powerful people in this new kingdom. Your mind has to be in the game. See you later."

    Left alone, Vincent took his head into his hands. Did he hang on to the past too much? If he was honest with himself, Vincent could see a life next to Lila, even without having the same intense feelings as for his ex¡­ But the problem was he could imagine that life next to Irene, or Raya too¡­ It was not fair to them¡­ At least the Raya situation had been solved.

    He jerked up, getting on his feet. It was time to see Lila dance. As he approached the ballroom again, a woman shouted his name. "Vincent! We need to talk!"

    In the distance, the Shaman was dragged away by a few tall servants, not quite security, but the kind of doormen who would step in to throw out an uninvited guest."Wait!" he yelled, waving his hand. "She''s with me."

    The servants frowned at him, likely wondering if he was in all his mind. The woman had her usual Mongol attire, which was far from the elegance of the ball. If anything, she looked like those gypsies who read the fortune at fairs.

    "What''s up?" Vincent asked.

    The Shaman grasped his elbow, speaking with intensity. "You must find Irene within the hour, or she dies. You must embrace the Raven, or you die."Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.

    "What?" he gasped.

    "You must find Irene within the hour, or she dies. You must embrace the Raven, or you die," she repeated the same text, rolling her eyes until they showed only their whites, then fainted.

    "Shit! Put her in a bed somewhere," Vincent caught her in his arms and handed over to the servants before darting away. "Have you seen Irene?" he grabbed Jorge''s arm. Like many other guests who wanted to enjoy the party but not the crowd, he was looking at Lila''s performance from outside, standing on a bench.

    "No," the young man shook his head, keeping his eyes on the dancer.

    "She''s in danger. I need you to search for her with the drone. Come!" Dragging Jorge behind him, Vincent took him into the isolated alcove and produced the drone from his spatial storage. "Search in the castle''s courtyard first, I''ll go ask more people."

    While Jorge used his phone to make the drone ascend, Vincent Strode went to the dancing room behind the scenes and waited a minute until Lila finished her act, biting on his nails. When asked, she said she hadn''t seen Irene either. Vincent''s heart was beating wildly. Unexpectedly, a hard slap over the back of his head made him see a cluster of green stars.

    "You mother fucker!"

    "Raya! You''re alive!" Lila yelled, jumping to hug the Amazon.

    "He abandoned me in Vienna, allegedly for my own good, the piece of shit!" Raya screamed.

    "Calm down, calm down!" Lila interposed herself between the two. "It''s proof he loves you. He did the same with me."

    "He abandoned you in Vienna?" Raya widened her eyes.

    "Told me I''m better off without him. He''s a sentimental wreck. His former fiancee left him because Vincent killed her brother in a duel. He¡¯s afraid to love again¡­"

    "She left him only because he killed her brother?" Raya creased her nose. "She¡¯s stupid or something? Never mind¡­ Come here so I can strangle you, you asshole!" she tried to go around Lila to grab Vincent.

    People had started noticing the quarrel on the other side of the partition despite the background noise. A few curious pair of eyes were already peeking at them through a few slits and gaps in the curtain.

    "We don¡¯t have time for this, Irene is in danger," Vincent yelled.

    Raya stopped her assault. "Irene? I saw her walking through Mala Strana when I came here."

    "Thanks!" Giving Raya a brief hug, Vincent avoided her next slap by jumping near Jorge. "She''s in Mala Strana somewhere."

    "Understood," Jorge said, aiming the drone at the narrow streets. "Nothing for now¡­"

    "Fuck¡­" Vincent kneaded his hands. "I should go search around myself."

    "Wait! Man, we''re idiots¡­ She has a tracker on her phone¡­ we all have¡­ Give me a moment. Oh shit! She''s there¡­"

    "Where?"

    "Look!"

    Jorge''s phone showed the Corvinus Prague residence from afar. Only one room was lighted. The master bedroom. Zooming in and descending, the drone''s camera revealed first bits, then the whole content of the space. Three people were inside: Ludwing, his remaining sidekick, and Irene. Tied on a table and unconscious, the girl had her wrists cut open, her blood flowing in two buckets underneath. A weird contraption had a tube inserted in the bucket and a syringe waiting on a wall table nearby.

    In that second, Vincent knew he loved her. All the things he said to her were lies, meaningless pretenses to run away from what he really felt, hanging on to a past that was gone.

    Jorge fainted. Vincent pulled his revolver out of the storage and Strode. Appearing in the room, he discharged all his six bullets into Ludwing''s head. The projectiles stopped a few inches from the king, blocked by a forcefield, and then fell to the floor. He then tried to grab Irene and jump away but failed. His skill wasn''t working anymore.

    You are inside a pocket universe that prevents you from using your skill to any destination except this room.

    "You disappoint me," Ludwing said, tapping his cheek with his index.

    "We had a deal," Vincent hissed, replacing his gun with the axe. "No violence between us."

    "This is not violence," the King of Hungary shrugged. "It''s justice."

    "You monster!"

    "He''s in his right," the thin, pale sidekick interjected.

    "The girl and I bumped into each other on the streets, and she started asking me about magic," Ludwing said. "Questions only somebody reading my ancestor''s manual could have known to ask. There''s a price to pay for people who steal our heirlooms: death. Yet, I decided to be merciful. I will give her some of my blood, and she will join our family."

    "She''ll become your thrall," Vincent sneered with bitterness, showing his teeth at Ludwing, yearning to bite his throat out.

    "It''s not so bad as it sounds," the acolyte said.

    "Let her go," Vincent leaned forward, prepared to attack. "This is contrary to the treaty we signed."

    FAQ Warning: Treatises do NOT cover stealing priceless artifacts and heirlooms. Owners of said artifacts are allowed to exercise force to recover them and pass judgment on the thieves. The possession of such artifacts can be contested only through regulamentary duels.

    As a favor owed, Brindabella (the Archetype of Youth and Games) has sent you a warning through the intermediary of a Shaman.

    "Assholes Archetypes," Vincent hissed. "What are you good for? Absolutely nothing!"

    "See?" Ludwing shrugged and turned his palms upward. "I''m in my right. Please vacate the premises."

    "I want a duel. That''s what the rule says, right?" Vincent said coldly.

    "A duel, you say¡­" Ludwing leaned his head leftward. "Hm¡­ What about this: I let her go, but if I win the duel, you become my minion? It''s only fair; you killed a lot of my people."

    Shit! That''s what the warning said. Embrace the Raven or die¡­ It means I can''t win¡­ Fuck¡­ "Let her go first!" Vincent snarled.

    At a snap of Corvinus''s fingers, Irene''s cuts closed, and her ties were undone. She moaned and opened her eyes, but she was so weak that she couldn''t raise. In a second, Vincent was near her, caressing her forehead. "I''m here¡­ don''t move¡­" Activating Health Transfer, he pushed his HPs into her. A minute later, she had regained color, but his health pool was at half.

    "Curiosity killed the cat¡­" she whispered, giggling faintly at her own pun.

    "She needs help. Let me take her to safety," Vincent asked.

    "You will not leave this place until you become my servant," Ludwing shook his head. ¡°And that will happen either if you¡¯ll be dead or alive.¡±

    Vincent shook the young woman¡¯s shoulder. "I want you to get on your feet and go to the castle."

    Irene straightened her back, trying to appear tough. "I won''t leave you alone!"

    "I love you¡­¡± She hiccuped, surprised. ¡°I was an idiot for not realizing before¡­ Please, go¡­ I can¡¯t fight if you¡¯re in danger¡­"

    "True," the pale sidekick said, casually cleaning their nails with a knife. "Damsels in distress getting in the way are the leading cause of death for heroes. Like villans'' monologues¡­"

    "Please," Vincent whispered in her ear, kissing the soft skin between it and her cheek.

    "I love you too¡­ Come back alive," Irene whispered back, grabbing his neck and pecking his lips in a brief kiss. With his help, she wobbled her way out of the room. Vincent looked out the window until she exited the building, then the courtyard. A group of people waited outside, undoubtedly warned by Jorge. Raya, Brandi, Jong. The fighters. After they caught Irene in their arms, a bright forcefield blocked the mansion''s access.

 27. A Regulamentary Duel

    "No more intruders. You heard my condition. State yours," Ludwing said. "

    "It''s simple. If I win, I''ll kill you," Vincent promised. Inside, he wasn''t so sure of himself. The Shaman''s prophecy stated he either had to submit to Corvinus or die.

    Ludwing smirked. "In your dreams. You called for a duel. I chose the weapons."

    Shit¡­ he''ll choose a rapier or some fancy shit¡­ Vincent panicked.

    "I chose the noble art of Bartitsu."

    "What?" Vincet slackjawed. ¡°You want to go mano a mano?¡±

    ¡°Like gentlemen,¡± Ludwing nodded.

    The choice played in Vincent¡¯s favor. Yet why would Ludwing accept being at a disadvantage? When he tried to read the King''s class and stats, Arcane Intuition showed only question marks.

    "Try not to destroy the furniture," Ludwing''s sidekick said, pushing a few objects next to the wall.

    "I have perfect control over my abilities," Ludwing sneered. "Are you ready?"

    Vincent stored his weapon and nodded. "Ready."

    The duel will begin in ten seconds. Cheating on the rules will tag you as a Criminal, and the System will issue a Dead or Alive bounty on your head. Start!

    Ludwing rushed at him, arm raised, palm opened, preparing a haymaker slap. Anticipating, Vincent readied himself to deliver a jab to the chin. He hit only air. The king¡¯s slap threw him back, sliding onto the floor until he hit the door, breaking it.

    "C''mon!" the minion complained.

    "That''s no furniture," Ludwing answered.

    What the fuck? Vincent thought. He Strode into the King''s back, delivering a hit to the kidney. Ludwing yawned, allowing Vincent to hit him repeatedly. Then, he stomped his foot back, aiming for Vincent''s toes. Fortunately, the young man''s instinct saved his bones from being crushed. The King''s foot left an inch-deep indentation in the floor.

    "You didn''t look like a Body type," Vincent said, keeping his distance, his mind frantically searching for a solution.

    "All my stats are maxed through hard work," Ludwing said. "Running a week without stopping to drink or to eat, breaking my bones on purpose¡­ Surrender."

    "Never," Vincent blurted, only to hit the wall and slide between a chair and a desk. Another slap that he didn''t see coming. He grabbed the furniture and threw it at the King.

    "That¡¯s not allowed!" Ludwing wiggled his index. He stepped forward and engaged Vincent in a boxing and kicking match.

    There was no flaw in the king''s technique. He was going easy on Vincent, and that enraged the younger man. He tried to kick Ludwing''s throat, then his balls, but Corvinus was the most slippery adversary he had ever fought. Even when Striding, the king anticipated Vincent''s moves flawlessly.

    "I''ll give you a minute to think about it," Ludwing said, kicking Vincent in the gut, then walking to the desk to pour himself a drink. ¡°Then, gloves come off.¡±

    As he hit the wall again, Vincent felt bile gathering in his mouth. He spat it on the carpet on purpose, making the pale minion protest. Something was wrong. The King didn''t move like a normal human. No matter how good a fighter was, they would have taken a hit or two. Corvinus had been untouched.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

    There was only one explanation: Ludwing used some sort of magic. Vincent had to use magic, too¡­ but he had none¡­ The available funds were three tokens. Bolts were out because of the duel''s rule. Imbuing light or darkness damage to his hits was his only option. Which one to choose? His mind was feverish under the pain, his ribs aching¡­ Was light a counter to Ludwing? He certainly was a dark type of person.

    Ultimately, he took Dark Damage because he had already trained Cloak of Darkness, hoping the new skill would unlock at a higher level. He was going to fight fire with fire. It was a long shot, but he had nothing to lose anymore¡­

    You have acquired Dark Damage. Imbue into your attacks, including ranged ones (Active, Elite tier) +0.5% damage per skill level. Current damage: + 10% over base damage. Current skill level: 20. Consumes 10 MPs per hit.

    Ludwing''s voice reminded him the fight was still on. "Have you made up your mind?"

    Saying a silent prayer, Vincent rose. There was only one more thing to do: increase his damage even more.

    Name Buff changed. Velasco name selected. Blessing of the Raven: You now have +10 in Spirit. Your Dark Damage is increased by 10%. Darkness spells have an increased effect. Correction: Arcane Intuition and Blessing of the Raven unlock the Use of Dark Artifacts (normally restricted). Darkness spells have a doubled effect.

    Dark Artifact detected: Sovereign''s Ring of Supremacy, Unique. The ring you wear makes everything related to Dark or Shadow abilities perform a tier higher.

    I''m an idiot! The prophecy wasn''t about submitting to Corvinus. It was to embrace MY dark abilities.

    The space around Vincent changed, a thin, dark fog filling the room. They were in a pocket universe; he knew it, but now, he could see it. Kiara and Brindabella were screaming at each other on one side of the room.

    "I warned him!" the girl yelled. "I did everything in my power, but he''s just dumb!"

    Guess I should pay more attention to what Archetypes say¡­

    Hubris was stretched on the floor, unconscious. Overlapping with Ludwing''s body was a shadow, a human silhouette with a large beak. The Raven¡­

    "You dare wear my name and power?" the shadow cawed.

    "I wear my name. You dare cheat?" Vincent sneered back. It was clear the Archetype was enhancing Ludwing''s body.

    The shadow and Ludwing dashed at Vincent. The fight recommenced and was even more brutal, but now, Vincent could see what was happening. The Raven was twisting Ludwing''s hits, stretching the man''s members to parry or land hits.

    "You fuckster!" Vincent smashed his fist on Ludwing''s jaw. Both man and raven cawed, projected back, spitting blood and a tooth.

    Vincent began to wear his adversary down, bit by bit. He was better at anticipating hits, even if twisted unnaturally. He accepted trading blows if it meant hurting the king.

    Soon, the main problem revealed itself by examining the red, green, and blue lines Arcane Intuition showed over Ludwing''s head. The king limped, with an eye swollen shut, but his Mana and Health were still three-quarters full. Thrice as much as Vincent. The only positive was the Stamina; he had plenty while Ludwing was low. If he avoided most hits, he could wear his foe down and¡ª

    Shaking his head, Vincent banished the thought. This was not a computer game. A lucky shot, an unknown spell, anything could turn the tables on him. He put himself in his adversary''s shoes. What would he do if he was Ludwing, with more Mana but less Stamina? Wait until he fainted? No, he would use a devastating spell or strike as soon he''d noticed the opponent had become predictable.

    Feigning a haymaker, Vincent teleported behind Ludwing in the middle of the motion. He grabbed the king¡¯s neck in a vice, activating Iron Grip. He couldn''t control the foe''s arms and legs, and for a moment, he got elbowed in the ribs and stomped on his toes. Nevertheless, Vincent pulled Corvinus to the ground, choking him. No matter how much Ludwing struggled, he was slowly but inexorably dying.

    "We''ll¡­ go¡­ together¡­" Shifting his head in one of those twisted moves, Ludwing bit hard on Vincent''s forearm.

    The Raven has inflicted an incurable Curse on you. Your Mana has been corrupted. Time until ceased existence: 10 seconds.

    Vincent squeezed harder, trying to break the trachea. He wanted to make sure Ludwing would die before he did. The poison was spreading in his body, burning. His senses began to dull, his muscles to weaken, except for the Iron Grip in his arms. The archetypes were screaming things he didn''t care about. A second before the countdown finished, Ludwing''s body became limp, and a blinding light engulfed them.

 28. Prague, Sweet Prague

    Vincent opened his eyes, gasping for air. Something was poking him in the ribs. And in the head.

    "Stop! Stop!" a voice yelled in broken Czech.

    "He tried to kill you!" a person dressed in blue yelled. A policeman generously hitting Vincent''s back and head with his baton.

    "It was the Heimlich maneuver. He saved my life. Look, there''s the food I choked on!"

    A finger approached the pavement a few centimeters before Vincent''s eyes, pointing at a piece of chewed banana, old enough to grow mold. Maybe from afar, it looked different because the policeman relented and left, not before screaming at the people gathered: "Move on!"

    Centimeters? I''m thinking in centimeters again?

    Ludwing squatted near Vincent, helping him sit on the buttocks, then raise. Escorted by the king, who wrapped his left arm around his shoulders, Vincent managed to crawl to a bench, throwing himself on it. Everything ached.

    Please, Lord, tell me I didn''t hallucinate the last weeks because of a hit on my head! Vincent prayed. Surrounding him was his Prague. He was in Hradcany Square. Everything was sweet to his eyes and ears: the light of the hot sun, the voices, the smell of burnt gasoline¡­ cars¡­ that was proof he was back home¡­ if he wasn''t hallucinating and had always been there.

    Vincent stared at Ludwing. The man looked older now, his long hair white¡­ the clothes looked the same, but dirtied by blood. "You look a hundred years old," he said.

    "I''ll take it as a compliment. I''m three hundred and fifty-nine."

    "So it was not a hallucination?"

    "Our duel? Of course not!" Ludwing puffed. "I think it''s time to go¡­ It was nice to meet you¡­ No hard feelings, right?"

    As the older man sketched a move to go away, Vincent thrust his hand and grabbed him by the arm, obliging Ludwing to sit on the bench. "You''re not going anywhere!"

    Iron Grip activated.

    What the fuck? Does my magic still work?

    "Please don''t kill me," Ludwing begged. "He made me do it! I was possessed."

    "Is your magic still working?" Vincent asked, postponing further hostile actions. He had exhausted most of his energy anyway.

    "No," Ludwing sighed. "We''re on your world, right?"

    "I¡­ think so¡­" Vincent looked around again.

    "All Summoned come from unawakened worlds. They level faster and are more powerful because their bodies and the System compensate for the years spent in¡ª"

    "Shut up! My head hurts¡­" Vincent growled, closing her eyes for a second. The second turned into minutes as he woke up suddenly, startled by his own snoring. The sun had moved on, and the bench was now in the shadow. Surprisingly, Ludwing had stayed. He was feeding pigeons with crumbs from a sandwich.

    "What''s the deal with you?" Vincent asked. "One moment, you try to kill me; the next moment, you''re nice?"

    "I told you, it was not me... It was him¡­ The Raven."

    "The Raven made you kidnap Irene?"

    "Oh¡­ that¡­" Ludwing bit his lips. "No, that was me."

    "I''ll kill you," Vincent promised, but putting his words into action was a bridge too far. This time, when he tried to move his arms to strangle Ludwing, they fell on his sides. He felt too weak.

    "Hey! You¡¯re breaching the non-aggression treaty! Let me explain¡­ I took her prisoner to ransom her against my heirlooms. Then the Raven arrived and entered my body¡ª"

    "The Archetypes can do that?"

    "I don¡¯t know about the rest, but the Raven definitely¡­ I felt he liked to ride bodies¡­ He remembered."

    "He remembered what?"

    "Being a real person. They all were at some point."

    Vincent made a superhuman effort to turn his aching body toward the king. "The Archetypes were real living beings?"

    "They were the first Summoned. Some lived in the Realm until old age, and others left, but it is said the strongest ascended and became part of the System¡­" A shadow passed over the king''s face. "He entered my mind without any warning¡­ It¡¯s part of the deal of being our patron, but he never did it before¡­ It felt like I was drugged¡­ drunk¡­ You surely don¡¯t think I would have behaved so ungentlemanly without being mind-controlled, do you?¡±Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    ¡°You¡¯re all but a gentleman, you weird freak! Let¡¯s assume for a second I¡¯d believe you. Why would he do all that?¡±

    ¡°From what I read in his mind, he was obsessed with turning Summoned into thralls, possessing them in turns, and staying in the real world permanently¡­ He had the idea with the blood transfer¡­"

    Vincent sighed. He still didn¡¯t trust Ludwing and was sure the man presented his actions in a much better light than reality, but it made sense. Arcane Intuition told him Ludwing was speaking the truth¡­ or that he believed what he said. Then was the display of kindness. The king could have let Vincent get beaten and arrested¡­ And in the end, he remembered the red warning¡­ what if by attacking Ludwing now, he was breaching the law on both Realms? "OK, fine. I¡¯ll spare your life. I''ll let old age do the job¡­ you''ll croak out every second now."

    "That was a pun?" Ludwing said combatively.

    "Yeah¡­ caw caw."

    "You want a piece of me, you little punk?" Lundwing yelled, trying to take a boxing stance. "Ouch¡­." he complained the next second, collapsing on the bench and massaging his back.

    "Hey, look at that young, nice man, taking his grandpa for a walk," a woman said. There were passersby, but not so many for that day to be on the weekend.

    "You won''t make it to the night without my help," Vincent said.

    "I''ll be fine. I have a stash of gold sewed in my jacket," Ludwing said.

    "We don''t use gold here."

    "That nice lady with the food cart didn''t object when I bought food from her with a coin."

    "Probably because you could have bought her whole business with it¡­ Let me check if I have some notifications¡­ Oh boy!"

    Notifications were plenty.

    Warning: The following notifications are an estimation created by the information package installed in you (Individual Operating System). They might not reflect reality. Contact with the System is lost.

    You have killed the Raven, Archetype of Memory and Corvids. Trapped in a host during combat, The Raven followed you to an inert Mana world and was destroyed in the process.

    Your XP has been limited to a safe amount (leveling too fast can cripple your build). You are now level 60. You have 7 free Tokens. You cannot buy magical skills or level up until you return to an Awakened Realm. You can, however, invest in stats.

    "The Raven''s dead," Vincent said bluntly. "Coming here destroyed him."

    "Oh no! Err¡­ I mean, thank goodness! I''m glad I''m free of his influence. He was a total¡­ how do you say¡­ Psycho?"

    Look who''s talking¡­ Vincent thought, going over to the next text.

    You have traveled back to your original world due to an unintended side-effect of an Astral Enchantment engraved on your ring: Negate Lethal Damage, one charge. Because the lethal damage you suffered was channeled by The Raven and consisted of corrupted Mana, the spell consumed 100 Karmic Charges to transport you and your foe into a neutral Mana world.

    ¡°Wow¡­ Good job, Bee¡­ I knew it was worth letting you play with my ring¡­¡±

    ¡°Pardon?¡± Ludwing asked.

    ¡°Just shut up!¡±

    Return unlocked. This Karmic Mythical skill allows you to travel between Realms you have already visited at the cost of 100 Karmic Charges, even to and from Mana-neutral worlds. The cost represents your transport; the expense per person traveling with you remains 1 Karmic Charge.

    Magic Recollection. Although magical artifacts transported onto a Mana-neutral world are usually destroyed, your Dark Artifact (Sovereign''s Ring of Supremacy) survived because it had to complete its Karmic mission. As such, this artifact gained resistance to inert Mana. It will allow its wearer to perform magic even on unawakened worlds by changing the chirality of a small amount of Mana (1 MP/minute). You can now access your magical abilities even in Mana-neutral worlds as long you wear the ring. Your stats, however, are reduced from a logarithmical to a linear scale. Your levels have been deducted from your pools, and your resources are now Stat x 10.

    Current stats: Body 56, Mind 32, Spirit 42.

    HPs: 60/560 SPs: 10/560 CPs: 80/320 MPs: 2/420 Karmic Charges: 18

    Scrutinizing Ludwing, Vincent realized he now could see the man''s real stats. Forty in Body and Mind and ninety in Spirit. All pools were under twenty percent, but Ludwing''s Mana was higher due to his Spirit stat. Declassed was the class. That stuff about running a week non-stop was bullshit, huh? How the mighty have fallen¡­ "Let''s make a test. This ring should allow you to do magic¡­ Not so fast!" Vincent snatched his hand from Ludwing''s.

    "I swear on the System I won''t run with it. I swear on the System I renounce any claim to any artifact or heirloom you or your friends stole from me. Please¡­" Ludwing intertwined his fingers in a praying gesture. "I didn''t feel so weak since the last Great Turkish Invasion."

    "So there are Turks on the Realm¡­ I didn''t see them on the map," Vincent said.

    "The Byzantines and Mongols allied to push them back. They have a lot of smaller countries in the Caucasus and Central Asia. Ring, please?" the king forwarded his hand, making puppy eyes, which looked horrible on him. "I swore!" he puckered his lips, making puppy eyes.

    "You behave like a five-year-old. I don''t need you to swear because that''s what will happen: I''ll keep my gun pointed at you, and you will touch the ring with one finger. Wrong move, and you''re dead. Do you have Healing spells?"

    "Yes. They''re the most useful spells, together with Dark Vision."

    Go figure¡­ "Cast some healing on us."

    "I''ll cast Accelerate Regen on both of us," Ludwing said, touching the ring with his index. "It''s slower but refills you better and for longer¡­ Done¡­"

    A faint sensation of refreshment started to spread in Vincent''s body. He realized he had forgotten to pull out his gun, but maybe it was for the better. The policeman from before was walking around the square, frowning at him. He had some local money inside his backpack, which was in the storage ring, and extracted it carefully. Ludwing was looking better already, with patches of gray spreading in his hair.

    "Come," Vincent said, pulling Ludwing by the arm. "We need a place to stay¡­ We''ll crash at my parents."

    "I won''t crash anyone''s home!" Ludwing protested. "I''m a civilized person."

    "No, you¡¯re not. It means we''ll sleep there. And tomorrow, we''ll start to gather karma."

 29 â€“ Book 2-1. Awkward Meeting

    With shaky hands, Vincent took out his smartphone from spatial storage and dialed his mother''s number. A few weeks before, he had sent a message about his Isekai adventure through one of the people choosing to return, but what if his folks believed him crazy?

    The phone rang twice, thrice, and continued without anyone answering. Vincent was about to hang up, discouraged, when he heard his mother''s voice, panting. "Hello? Is it you, Vincent?"

    "Yes!" he almost yelled. "I''m back in town!"

    "So soon?" his mother asked with a normal everyday voice. "How was your trip?"

    That startled Vincent. What did she mean by so soon? Was she OK with him staying in an alien realm and fighting monsters daily? "Err¡­ yeah¡­ It was quite an experience¡­ Moment, please."

    An insisting buzz distracted him from the conversation, akin to the automatic emergency alerts one receives about an impending natural disaster. The text was befuddling.

    To Vincent Vala?ka,

    To avoid creating panic, the public and the families of those involved were told the whole group was on an important expedition in the Amazon and hard to contact. We deliver reassuring messages every week. This is in everyone''s best interests. If you receive this message, your phone has been detected as active on Earth. Please contact us at this number with any news you might have.

    The Altenschloss family

    "Sorry, mother, I had a call from¡­ somebody else. I''m in town with a friend. Can we¡ª"

    "Hon, Vincent''s coming too. Put two extra chairs!" Vincent''s mother yelled. "Dinner at eight, sweetie, don¡¯t come early, I''m busy cooking¡­ Arabela is introducing her new boyfriend to us. I have a feeling this time is for real¡­ I''m so excited¡­ See you soon!"

    "Fuck¡­" Vincent exhaled after hanging up.

    "Troubles?" Ludwing asked. The King of the alternate Hungary sat quietly beside him with a serene expression. That was a total contrast with the murderous villain Vincent had strangled to near death a few hours before¡­ almost getting himself killed in the process, too.

    "My mother will cook dinner. Shit¡­ that means we can¡¯t eat anything before eight¡­ the portions will be big, and I mean huge! No matter what you think about the food, tell her you like it. Mom''s the kind to go to a three-star Michelin restaurant and tell the chef she can do better.¡±

    "I''m a perfect gentleman," Ludwing frowned. "I always compliment the host!"

    "Perfect. I''m counting on you. Now, let me make another call¡­"

    Vincent¡¯s fingers trembled. Even calling back the number with the message felt hard. Would Irene''s parents be on the other end of the call? Nah, they''re super rich. It will be a robot or a secretary, he tried to encourage himself.

    "H-hello?" a voice stuttered on the phone, answering so quick Vincent didn''t register the ring.

    "This is Vincent Vala?ka. To whom am I speaking?"

    "I''m Elina¡­ I-Irene''s mother¡­" the voice choked. "Is she¡ª"

    "Irene''s OK."

    "Thank goodness," the woman whispered, and she began to cry.

    "Vincent saved her life moments before the evil entity possessing me turned her into a thrall," Ludwing rushed to add, approaching the phone. Vincent slackjawed.

    "W-who is t-this?" the woman asked.

    "Ludwing von Corvinus, King of Hungary, milady."

    "Stop it, you idiot!" Vincent blurted, kicking Ludwing''s shin and pushing him away. "It was nothing like that, just a misunderstanding¡­ Irene was never in danger," he hissed, waving his fist at the king. "She''s safe, with plenty of good people around her."

    "She''s still there?" a man''s voice asked.

    "Yeah¡­ I got back by accident¡­ But I might have a way to make the travel possible for her in the future."

    "I''m sending a helicopter to¡ª"

    "I''m spending the evening with my parents. Tomorrow morning," Vincent said, closing the call abruptly. He could feel Irene''s parents'' anxiety, but he had his own priorities. They had manipulated the situation as they had seen fit, ignoring his friends'' wishes, including Irene''s. And tracking his phone? The rich bastards could wait. Then he remembered Ludwing¡¯s intervention.

    "What the heck were you doing?" Vincent yelled at Ludwing.

    "That''s no way to speak to your father, young man!" a passerby lady admonished the youngster on her way.

    "Rising your status in your prospecting parents-in-law''s eyes," Corvinus said smugly, obviously convinced he had done Vincent a favor.

    Words were useless. Pulling the king after him, Vincent descended the alleys out of Hradcany Square. After traversing Mala Strana, they crossed the Charles Bridge.

    "I want one of these," Corvinus said on the way. "But only with my statue."

    Momentarily, the thought of strangling Ludwing for good, maybe in his sleep, was a serious contender in Vincent''s options. But before that, he had to ensure the king would be presentable for dinner. He had all his clothes in his ring of holding, but Ludwing''s shirt was bloodied from their fight. Considering buying a new one, he aimed for a clothes shop but then opted for a dry cleaning, explaining the blood to a nose bleeding. It was a cheaper solution; he was short on real money.This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

    An hour later, Corvinus was fresh and dandy. However, they still had two hours to kill, so Vincent gave him a tour of the city: the famous clock, the puppet opera, a few art-nouveau buildings, all extracting awed exclamations from the king, but not as much as the tram, who got Ludwing mesmerized.

    Ultimately, they arrived at the ''Dancing House,'' where Ludwing solemnly stated he would not have paid a penny to an architect unable to build a straight building. Vincent''s parents lived in an apartment across the river, and in five minutes, they stood before the door, each a bouquet in hand.

    "Hey, mom, dad. Sis!" Vincent hugged and kissed everyone on the cheeks. "Family, this is Ludwing. Ludwing, meet my family. My sister''s name is Arabella, but she hates it for reasons, so call her Bella."

    The king''s forehead was creased with a deep furrow, and he absently shook the offered hands, looking around in befuddlement. "Why is the conversation room separated from the rest of the mansion?" he whispered to Vincent while they washed their hands in the bathroom.

    "You think we owe all the building?" Vincent gasped. "No, man, this is all. A three-room apartment on the riverfront in Smichov. Dad sold all his inheritance in Spain to afford it."

    "Your heroism is so much more impressive considering your humble origin," Corvinus nodded.

    "Please, just shut up while we eat. Promise me!"

    The dinner began with a short prayer from Vincent''s mother, to which Ludwing added loud Amens, crossing himself ten times. The mood was pleasant, and the food excellent. Ludwing was moaning with pleasure at each bite, rolling his eyes, which extremely pleased the cook, Vincent''s mother.

    Vincent''s sister, a clew of energy, always made jokes. The current boyfriend, a polite and well-dressed man named Peter, looked at her with adoration and reluctantly left at ten after the young woman frowned a few times, explicitly stating she wanted to sleep at home to catch up with her brother.

    "So, Bella?" Vincent''s father asked after the door closed. "Is he the one?"

    "I don''t knooooooow," the girl wailed. "It''s so hard to find a good man these days¡­ He''s nice, but¡­ I just don''t know¡­ I wish there was a way to know for real if he''s my knight in shiny armor. Some test, or¡ª"

    "Oh, for fuck''s sake," Vincent groaned. "I''ll give him a test just now!" Saying that, he rushed out the door, calling the boyfriend two stories down on the way to the exit.

    "Don''t hurt him!" Arabella yelled over the staircase.

    "Come back. We have a family matter to discuss together," Vincent yelled over the railing.

    "I proposed, but she said she needs more time," the man defended himself when he arrived back.

    "It''s not that." Once back in the dining room, Vincent made sure everyone was sitting before facing his mother. "Mom, this is the best day of your life. The day your dreams come true."

    "Y-you''re engaged again?" the woman stuttered. "Is he your father-in¡ª"

    "I present to you mister Rumburaku," Vincent gestured toward  Ludwing.

    "Pardon?" the king jerked. "Who''s¡ª"

    "A character in a TV series my mom is a fan of. Big fan. Like obsessed. It''s about people traveling between our world and a realm with magic."

    "Aaaah, I see!" Ludwing nodded.

    "What''s going on, Vincent?" his mother asked.

    "Long story short, I was not in the Amazon. My group and I were summoned to a magical realm. For the last three weeks, I have battled monsters and learned magic. This guy here is¡ª"

    "Ludwing von Corvinus, ruler of Hungary," the king kissed Vincent''s mother''s hand. "Delighted to meet you and blessed to have tasted your food."

    "It''s n-nothing," the woman blushed.

    "You think he''ll accept?" Vincent caught a whisper Peter asked his sister.

    "Accept what?"

    "Peter is a psychiatrist," Bella explained. "He''s working in the best hospital. You can be admitted as a patient in less than an hour. Please, Vincent, it''s for your own good."

    "Ludwing, touch my ring and transform into a raven!" Vincent ordered. There were other options, but he risked ruining the furniture.

    The king sulked. "You''re sure? I might vomit¡­ I don¡¯t feel well when I change soon after eating."

    "Do it, or else!"

    Approaching the forwarded hand, Ludwing touched the ring. His clothes melted inside his body, replaced by black feathers, and in seconds, a black bird sat on the carpet instead of the middle-aged man. Seeing it for the first time, Vincent was surprised by the size of the raven, much larger than he imagined. Everybody yelped in panic.

    "Don''t be afraid; I won''t hurt you," Ludwing croaked. They continued screaming until he changed back.

    "Do you believe me now? I can also teleport if you want more proof. It will consume some Karmic Charges, but¡ª"

    "Can I see your ring?" Vincent''s father asked.

    "If you must," the young man sighed, forwarding the item. "It allows me to do magic on Earth too, but won''t work on you."

    Vincent''s father frowned at him, took the ring, and disappeared into the next room. Five minutes later¡ªin which the dining room plunged into awkward silence¡ªhe returned with the ring in hand, held at arm''s length like a snake, the man''s hand shaking.

    "Either our son has lost it, or he speaks the truth. Arguments for the first¡­ well¡­ all he said. Arguments for the second, the¡­ mass hypnosis he put us through¡ª"

    "I assure you, dear sir, changing into a raven is nothing to me," Ludwing said.

    "¨Cand this ring," Vincent''s father continued.

    "Dad''s a jeweler," Vincent said. ¡°He has a small shop. Nothing expensive, mostly custom jewels.¡±

    "It''s a rose cut, about six carats, maybe a little less¡­ mounted in metallic glass gold, yet looking very old. Somebody engraved drawings on a few facets, and one is destroyed, but even like this, I could recut it to get at least a hundred thousand euros worth of a stone¡­  If it would be perfect, this would be worth north of two hundred and fifty¡ª"

    "I have more," Vincent said, snatching the ring and willing his stash of diamonds to appear over the table, falling in a tiny cascade of glittering crystals. "Some belong to the guild, but I''m sure they won''t object if I sell one to get some emergency funds. After all, I saved their lives."

    "Tell us everything!" Vincent''''s sister clapped her hands.

    And so he did. The story took another hour, with Vincent showing them photos and getting back on details when they asked. Ludwing added his version in the process, trying to appear less evil but admitting his family had used necromancy for centuries. There was a bit of silent weight in the air for a while until the king mentioned Irene, the pretty cat girl Vincent liked, and the latter was obliged to produce a photo and confess everything under the unrelenting assault of questions from his mother and sister.

    "Wow¡­ Just wow¡­ And I thought Bella had a nuts brother," Peter joked at the end. "If I may be excused¡­ I have to get up early tomorrow¡­ Hospital duty¡­" he winked. "Truthfully, I was sure you would be my guest."

    "No, thank you," Vincent hissed, pulling back the diamonds into storage, except one, which he offered his father. "Think you can sell it? Discreetly?"

    "Without the authorities or the mafia noticing? Not a chance. Maybe if I cut it into¡ª"

    "OK, here''s some gold." Vincent took back the stone, putting a stash of a hundred coins on the table. "You can melt it, right?"

    "That''s more like it," his father said, pocketing the metal.

    "I''ll come with you," Bella told her boyfriend. "If Ludwing is staying, they''ll need the space. And don¡¯t worry, I can vouch for Peter¡¯s discretion," she gave a meaningful look to her boyfriend, conveying a clear ¡®Tell the secret to anyone, and we¡¯re done!¡¯

    The two found left, escorted out by Bella and Vincent¡¯s parents. Now, all that remained was to get to sleep. Vincent''s old room, which had meanwhile transformed into a guest room with two beds, was free, yet he was not willing to trust an evil warlord with his life despite his Arcane Insight telling him he was safe.

    "Say, Ludwing¡­ what if you turn back into a raven, and I shut you in the bathroom for the night?"

    "Vincent!" his mother yelled from the living room. "I won''t have such an attitude in my house. I have a good eye for people; his highness is to be trusted. You two, chop chop, go to sleep, now! You''re both tired."

    Any argument was useless; that much was clear. Vincent''s father offered Ludwing one of his pajamas, and soon, the two men were lying in parallel beds, with the moon lighting the room.

    "You want to get to the bathroom; you make sure I''m awake first," Vincent whispered, taking the revolver out of storage and putting it under his hand. "If I hear steps and you don''t warn me, I shoot. And God forbid you snore, or I''ll kill you on the¡ªwhat the fuck? Hey!"

    Despite him raising his voice and even throwing a pillow in Ludwing''s head, the king was already asleep, snoring like a faulty motorcycle engine.

 30 â€“ Book 2 -2. Guild Deputy

    "And¡­. One¡­ hund¡­ dred¡­ Gah¡­"

    Heaving, Irene collapsed on her face. Her arms ached, but at least she had reached twenty in Body. Collecting herself from the floor, she took out her phone. The screen saver displayed a photo of her and the group, taken by the drone in the Corvinus castle during their heist. She caressed Vincent''s image with her thumb.

    "Please, be safe¡­"

    Her eyes became watery, and she tried to encourage herself by thinking about Kiara''s personal message after the fight:

    Vincent Velasco has been transported to his original planet, after winning the duel with Ludwing, the king of Hungary, and slaying the Raven.

    That was all the message, enigmatic and vexing. All tickets Irene tried to lodge had returned with the same tag: Restricted Information.

    Feeling sweaty after all the exercise, she took a shower. A cold one. It was part of her new goal and training curricula. Becoming a true fighter, no more a liability. Making Vincent proud of her when he returned. Because she was sure he would, refusing any other option; otherwise, she would be overwhelmed with sorrow¡­

    Dressing in her new armor, a combination of leather, steel, and carbon fiber¡ªall enchanted, Irene went to the cantina for a coffee and a croissant, a frugal breakfast, one she considered spartan enough for the warrior a table in the back. The first was drunk, with an empty vodka bottle lying on the floor and a half-empty one on the table. "What do you think you¡¯re doing?" Irene grabbed the liquor and threw it into the garbage bin. "He''s alive. He will come back to us."

    "You can have him¡­ prff¡­" Raya pulled her tongue out at Irene, her eyes crossing themselves under the influence of the alcohol, eyelids dropping. "I don''t caaaaaaare for him," she yawned. "I came back only to kill him. Strangle him and spank his cute little ass while we make love. I''ll never let him touch me again," Rayaa added without much logic. Then, she fell forward, head banging on the table, and began snoring.

    "She''s upset Vincent promised her a glorious hero death, then cheated, treating her like a weak woman in need of protection," Lila tried to explain. The young dancer had deep black circles under her eyes, a sign she didn''t sleep much either.

    "We had a romp for two days, and he treats me like the love of his life? This is humiliating. Exacerbating. Fuckerating. In one word: wrong and perverse," Raya mumbled, her eyes closed.

    If the woman was speaking in her sleep or the alcohol talked through her, Irene couldn''t know. "I don''t care what she thinks. Raya must get herself back together. We have a lot of work on our hands, and she''s temporarily the second in command. I count on you," Irene looked Lila directly in the eyes, "to take care of that. Understood?"

    "Y-yes¡­" Lila stuttered, lowering her gaze.

    "We¡¯re in this together," Irene said, fondling her shoulder. "What''s up?"

    "I''m afraid he''ll leave me¡­" she sighed. "He told me too often I''m better without him¡­ and now he¡¯s in love with you¡­"

    "Who said he isn¡¯t with you too? He just didn¡¯t have the time to tell you before he got... I don¡¯t even know how to call this thing¡­ De-Isekaied?"

    "I barged into his life¡­ I¡ª"

    "A good man is hard to find; you were right to do so," Irene insisted. "Praytell, what would you do if I weren''t so¡­ open-minded and we''d be¡­ concurrence?"

    "Fight you tooth and nail for him!" Lila sneered.

    "That''s the spirit," Irene patted Lila¡¯s back, turning on her heels and leaving the room to return to her quarters, the stables. Cupcake, the tiger cub, was sleeping when Irene picked her up and growled, but the woman disregarded the protest. "We''re visiting your folks, then I have some business to do on my own. They can babysit you for a while."

    After leaving the city, Irene put the pet down. Walking a mile wouldn''t hurt the little one; Cupcakes had become a bit plump. "Meoooow!" the cub complained, sitting on his derriere, silently affirming: ''I won''t budge if you''re not carrying me.''

    Irene walked on. A minute later, a torrent of hisses and snorts announced the tiger was running to catch up. "That¡¯s my baby. See, you''re a good girl when you want," she patted the cub''s head. "Let''s go to the clearing."

    Strolling through the woods cleared Irene''s head, chasing away some of her tiredness. It was late August, and for whatever reason, the sun was warmer in color compared to July. The green leaves and the grass had a slight yellowish hue, like in the old family photos of her father¡­ A jolt of emptiness went through her heart. She missed her parents, Vincents¡­ and some friends from college¡­ shallow girls, maybe, but good gossippers¡­ How much she wanted to rant and rant on about Vincent¡­ her hero¡­

    The tiger family was at the edge of the clearing, but other people were also there. Two caravans, pulled by heavy horses, with a man and a woman on the benches, and Hari, the Spriggan.

    "Hello," she saluted.

    "A fortunate coincidence. Irene''s our Guild Deputy," Hari presented her.

    "Glad to meet you," the woman said. "Masha, leader of the Beauhemian Bohemians'' Circus."

    "Pasha, chief of the Bouncing Tigers Circus." The man, in his early thirties, jumped down from the caravan and offered a handshake. He kept Irene''s hand in his for two long seconds, then kissed it and looked her in the eyes.

    Irene wished she had the power to kill with her mind. The individual was good-looking and, on any other day, worth mentioning to her normal besties on Earth¡­ but here? How dare he flirt with her while her heart was aching after her true love?

    "I''m sorry, I couldn¡¯t help myself¡­ You''re dazzling," the man excused himself, reading the vibe.

    White Roar roared.

    "He wants to get to the subject," Masha said.

    "What''s going on?" Irene asked.

    "I was going to bond with the beast when those two appeared," Hari started.

    "Allow me," Masha raised her hand. "The male cat was part of our circus. Bonded to me, his Tamer and trainer. We treated him well¡­ Yet, a few months ago¡ª"

    "He ran away with the star of my show, Brilliantine," Pasha gestured toward the female tiger. "Both our circuses were in Bayreuth. They need tamed monsters every year for the ride of the Valkyries. The opera by Rudolf Wagnore."Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

    "You mean they fell in love? So romantic!" Irene melted, kneading her hands and looking heavenward, eyes gleaming. Everything even remotely connected to romance made her cry lately.

    "It took months to track them. We were debating who would keep them," Masha said. "We don''t want to separate a family, but technically, they''re our property, and neither of us wants to renounce their rights."

    "And I was telling them that slavery is forbidden in Beauhemia and Krivoburg''s Guildchy," Hari interjected. ¡°They''re smart enough to be sentients, thus¡ª¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re a domestic breed and have difficulty leveling on their own. They need a master¡­ call it companion if you must,¡± Mahsa said.

    "What the heck is a guchy?" Pasha snorted at the same time.

    "Vincent invented the term. A Guildchy is like a duchy, only run by a guild,¡± Irene explained. ¡°Our guild. Everything west of Prague¡­ I mean, Pragwyn is our domain now. We¡¯re in our right to free the tigers. Yet," she raised her hand to stop the man''s protest, "I won''t do you injustice. Let''s consider they are artists in breach of contract. How much to¡­ settle things?"

    A dialogue of eyes briefly jumped from Pasha to Masha. There were many things said there, silently. A sliver of a wink from the woman meant: ''We can milk these suckers dry.'' A slight smirking, Pasha''s upper lip showing his white teeth, and arms slightly bending, biceps growing, said: ''We can overpower them and take the tigers.'' That also implied they had a way to control the animals, as White Roar was not a beast to be trifled with.

    Irene was on the point of calling for reinforcement when Hari leaned casually on a tree, speaking in a soft voice. "Our Guild Master is very fond of them¡­ They''re like his pets now¡­ You might have heard of him. Vincent Vala?ka. The Summoned who slayed the Archetype? It was all over the newspapers."

    Irene could literally see the shiver passing through both the Circus folks. Their attitude became relaxed¡­ no¡­ resigned.

    "How much?" Masha asked.

    "What about a hundred gold for each¡­" Irene slowed because the woman''s eyes showed disappointment. The tigers were worth more. They were bringing constant money, like an investment. "Cubs included. So, two hundred fifty gold for each of you¡­ and maybe you can borrow them once a year for that Nibelungen thing? And, of course, you would be welcome to perform in any city in our Guildchy without paying taxes¡­ for five years."

    The last offer changed the woman''s attitude from sad to greedy. "What towns, more precisely?"

    "Krivoburg, Plze¨¾, Karlovy Vary, Egercheb, and every small town from the northern to the southern border, west of Pragwyn," Hari said.

    "Deal!" Masha descended from the bench, spitting in her palm and forwarding it. Pasha repeated the gesture. Irene discreetly wiped her palm on her jacket after the handshakes.

    "I''ll miss you," Masha went and fondled the White Roar¡¯s head. He licked her face, looking sad. "But I understand¡­ Love does that to people too¡­"

    Meanwhile, Irene sent an SMS to Nina, the treasurer of the Guild, warning her about the fees to be paid. "Our seat is in the inn in the Main Square¡­ You can''t miss it. I¡­ magically sent instructions for you to be paid."

    Minutes later, the caravans slowly left, heading east on the road Vincent had cleared after their arrival. That made Irene miss him even more. "I suppose you were bonding with them to bring them into town?" she asked Hari.

    "Yes, deputy. They would be a great help for¡ª"

    "I''m sure they will," she interjected. "Cupcake, stay with them. Hari, the inn''s stables are¡­ will be free¡­" I have to move to a normal room, she thought.

    She had choices, fortunately. The inn was growing into a giant tree house. They had bought the building and planted the Dungeon seed underneath. The town and the surroundings also expanded, stretching out a few yards a day.

    Hari turned toward the tiger family, gesturing and mumbling something. It was a dialogue, Irene realized, the tigers nodding very clearly, but one in which she wasn¡¯t interested. It was time to move on. Irene walked away and put some speed in her steps. It was finally time for her secret plan. Hunt some beasts to train in real combat¡ªwithout Brandi¡¯s knowledge, or the bodyguard would have objected¡ªand, hopefully, gain a level or two.

    Irene was a Sorcerer, level forty now, but all her experience had been owed to others¡ªwhenever combat had been involved¡ªor organizing the guild¡­ She needed to better herself. It didn''t bother her that she was only a Rare tier compared to Vincent''s Mythical and the many Elites or Legendaries around. Sorcerers were Jacks of all trades, well-rounded, and their Mana pool was the highest of all magical classes, thrice the level plus Spirit numbers.

    She opened her menu, stopping under a tree. The numbers were round because he had invested a few tokens to raise them.

    Name: Irene Altenschloss. Age: 22. Class: Sorcerer. Level: 40 Species: Nekojin

    Body: 20 / Mind: 50 / Spirit: 50

    Stamina: 600 / Concentration: 900 / Mana: 2700

    Available Tokens: 10

    She decided against spending her remaining Tokens yet. Time would tell if she needed more Mana or skills. She felt her abilities were well-rounded, and she had invested wisely. Irene had not bought any Language proficiency, counting on the Common tongue knowledge she already had. And the phone now had a translating app. Likewise, no lightning or fire damage. The first was covered by Raya and a few Wizards in the guild. The latter could do collateral damage and was dangerous. Finesse, that was what Irene was looking for.

    For now, she had the Magic Missile¡ªthe better variant of a Mana Bolt¡ª and Psychic Spear for damage and CC; Mage Armor, Mind Castle, Enhance Skill, Retreat, Mage Armor, Mirror Image for defense or escaping, as well as Stealth, at which she sucked but was dead set to practice fervently. Her Rare skills were neat and self-explaining, costing just two tokens to acquire.

    Breathing Under Water, Dark Vision, Mend, and Blunt Weapons Proficiency covered more niche needs but made her feel whole. And two of those had cost her only one token. One.

    The cherry on the cake was Charm. A passive or active skill working in or out of combat on monsters or people and synergizing with Nekojins. Twice the effect, half the cost.

    Waving between the trees, she hiked for half an hour up a hill with a cave on the other side. The lair of a Crazed Bear of the same tier and level as her. Irene felt confident she could hold her weight against the beast. Those low in levels had cautiously let the bear be, and the higher ones, the Amazons, didn''t bother chasing a pest half their worth.

    Approaching the lair in stealth, Irene prepared her staff¡ªa weapon borrowed from the town¡¯s priest¡ªclutching it in her hands, a bit apprehensive. Sniffing the air, its head raised, the bear exited the cave, growling. It was level forty-two¡­ A bit higher than expected, but not by much.

    From twenty yards, Irene pointed the staff and focused a Charm. A moment later, the bear froze, then relaxed, sitting on his hind legs. She unleashed two Magic Missiles in quick succession, aiming for the chest.

    The next second, the bear was on Irene. She ducked at the last second. The monster¡¯s paw swiped above her head, tearing a sapling into pieces, the shrapnel going all over her face, leaving countless small cuts.

    Warning: Attacking a Charmed animal and failing to kill it from the first hit enraged the monster. It will score double the physical damage for a minute.

    "Fuck," Irene blurted, activating Mage Armor and Retreat. She retreated by flying in the air because another hit got her square in the back. Her body ached everywhere, but luckily, the double layer of magical and physical armor resisted.

    "Let me be!" she screamed in panic, hitting the monster''s snout with her staff. That made it hesitate for a moment, enough for her to run. Retreat was doubling her speed as long she was channeling Mana into it. Ashamed of herself, she started running in a circle, shooting Magic Missiles. The staff helped her with the spells'' speed, adding ten percent in power.

    The bear came at her again, and she plunged into a copse, the dense saplings offering her a moment of respite until the beast started to mow them down, breaking a few at each swipe of his claws. A fate that was about to be hers, too.

    "Psychic Spear," she yelled. The words were unnecessary, but desperation didn''t care about protocol.

    The spell paralyzed the monster in place. Forgetting fairness, Irene snatched Brandi''s rifle from her back¡ªan item ''borrowed'' without the owner''s consent¡ªand discharged both barrels in the bear''s mouth, point blank. It collapsed backward, dead, and she fell on her knees, crying, head into her hands, letting the rifle fall down.

    You have slain Crazed Bear, level 42. You have leveled x1.

    "How is he doing this?" she wailed, thinking of Vincent. There were bear brains and blood all over her. And that was the good news. The bear could have had pieces of Irene on his snout as easily if she¡¯d hesitated for one more second. Irene imagined being eaten while still alive and puked. Slowly, she gathered back her wits. Five minutes later, she wiped her mouth on her sleeve and got up¡­ She had to learn from her mistakes and become stronger. If fighting hundreds of level ten forest mice was what it took to learn how to fight, Irene was ready to do it.

 31 â€“ Book 2-3. Skills Chat and Meeting Rich People

    Maybe because he was in what he had called home for many years, Vincent slept late, waking at eight in the morning. The first thing he did was to check on the guest, then jerked and reached for his gun, noticing the king¡¯s bed was empty. A second later, Vincent arrested his move. Leaning on the window sill, Ludwing was looking outside.

    "Beautiful view," the king said.

    "It is, isn''t it?" Vincent sighed. "This is the best room in the apartment¡­ My folks let me have it because I liked the view¡­ Bella wasn''t born yet¡­ Then they gave her their room and slept in the living room¡­"

    "I apologize for being rude last night," Ludwing said. "One can lose touch with reality, hanging out in castles for hundreds of years. Despite their poverty, your parents raised you well."

    The emphasis on some words showed the man was trying to familiarize himself with the local idiom. Vincent''s phone, on the nightstand, had a vocabulary application opened. "It''s OK. But you better not say things like that around them. This apartment would sell for over a million do¡­ err¡­ six thousand gold coins today."

    "Life must have been hard to you," Ludwing said slowly, with an expression conveying: ''Six thousand? You truly must be paupers.''

    "By the way, these items are private," Vincent said in a neutral tone, pointing at his phone. "I''ll buy you one later."

    "Thank you. Your magic tablet received floating text similar to the System''s messages. It said a Holly Gupter would come for us at ten."

    "Helicopter. It''s a flying machine. " Vincent said, checking the SMS. "It''ll land just across the river, in the park."

    "I can fly on my own," Ludwing said. "I like flying."

    "Our flying machines are very fast, you¡¯ll get lost¡­ Open the window since you''re there." The air was a bit stale from the summer heat, and two persons shared a small room for the night.

    "So many horseless carriages¡­¡± the king said, pulling a chair near the window.¡± I guess true wealth is better measured in the normal people''s quality of life."

    "Regrets?" Vincent asked. The king''s sadness was obvious in his sagged shoulders.

    "A little¡­ Often, I sacrificed my country''s wealth for security. The border with the Mongols is too long. The raids bleed us dry¡­ but with the core¡­"

    "Wanna eat something before we leave? I say we go at nine. We have to buy you a phone¡­"

    "Let''s allow your parents some more time to rest," the king said. "Since we''re here, and you graciously hosted me, may I repay your kindness with a few advice about magic?"

    "Sure," Vincent said, sitting on the bed, legs crossed underneath. ¡®I won''t refuse counsel from someone with over three hundred years of experience behind his belt; be him a villain.¡±

    Ludwing turned the chair to face the younger man, clearing his voice and straightening his back. Involuntary or not, the change in his body''s stance revealed he considered the subject most important. "There are three matters to consider. The first is not to neglect common skills. You don''t have Healing and Accelerate Regen, for instance. These are life savers if you are isolated from your group. That''s the first thing," Ludwing counted on his fingers. "Second, have you considered what kind of habitus you want to achieve?¡±

    ¡°Hobbit?¡±

    ¡°Habitus. The overall schematic of your stats and skills and how they interact. Do you want to permanently raise your stats through tokens or rely on skills and buffs? Are you inclined more toward physical damage, magical, or both?¡±

    ¡°I see¡­ We call that a build¡­ and since you asked¡­ my plan is to invest in my Body stats to reach at least eighty by itself. I don¡¯t have many skills, but those I have are good, so I¡¯d rather save my tokens for my stats, if possible.¡±

    ¡°Then you have to consider unlocking skills the hard way. Think about this: if you could unlock Healing by spending a few months working in a hospital, would that time be worth the token you save?¡±

    ¡°Err¡­ I think so?¡± Vincent hesitated. One token was not much in the great scheme of things.

    ¡°Of course it is!¡± Ludwing erupted. ¡°Your mind and spirit stats will grow too. My grandfather made me sew wounds for a year and learn how to amputate limbs. Back then, those were very in-demand skills¡­ There are easier ways, though. Hanging in a hospital and helping the most tired doctors will unlock Healing faster. A small trick that makes the difference. You won''t be able to reach a true Healer¡¯s class proficiency, but even a fraction of that can save lives."

    ¡°OK, I¡¯ll consider it,¡± Vincent interjected.

    ¡°I''ll write you a guide for skills that could be unlocked by other means than spending tokens."

    "Thanks."

    "I''m not finished. Third¡­ you must not, I repeat, not buy any weapon or any kind of combat proficiency."

    ¡°Sorry?¡±

    ¡°There are more types of combat proficiencies. The basic stuff won¡¯t even register with the System. However, there are also skills that the System doesn¡¯t recognize. I challenged you to a boxing match because I inspected you, and you didn¡¯t display any melee or hand-to-hand ability¡­ and yet your fighting style was very good.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s called Krav Maga, I learned it in¡ª¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t care. The important thing is that the System doesn¡¯t recognize it. Suppose you buy a proficiency that resembles it, more or less. In that case, it will clutter your mind and try to replace your reflexes with automatic skills, ruining everything you¡¯ve learned. If you continue on your own path, your fighting style will adapt to use Mana and Stamina by itself, like the warriors or wizards of old. It takes time; it¡¯s hard and ugly and lacks the bling of blue tooltips, but in the end, it pays off.¡±

    "What is¡­ was your class?" Vincent inquired.

    "None. I''m a Declassed. I refused to pick a class and continued to gain skills by unlocking them the hard way. It''s not a choice for the weak at heart, but¡­"

    "You are special," Vincent nodded. That means he didn''t lose his class by coming here. He was always like this¡­

    "Yes. I had my grandfather and the Raven to help me where a commoner would have failed. That¡¯s how I unlocked my strongest skill.¡±

    ¡°Which is?¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± the king snorted. ¡°My own pocket universe, ruled by Shadow and Darkness. Pocket universes are the most powerful skills; very few can get them. You¡¯re trapping your opponent in an environment you control¡­ If you didn¡¯t have the Raven Blessing, now you¡¯d be a thrall.¡±The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    ¡°Hm¡­¡±

    ¡°Now, let¡¯s return to stats and how to raise them.¡±

    ¡°Now you¡¯re talking,¡± Vincent rubbed his hands.

    "You were right to think about investing tokens for the high levels. That¡¯s unavoidable. No matter how hard you train, you will hit a plateau eventually because stats have countless hidden substats. At some point, you might have good strength but poor dexterity. Those, like many other things, must work together.

    ¡°The secret is to take a break when you reach a plateau. A month or two. In time, you¡¯ll understand how to get farther. For the second plateau, use a few tokens and take your time again. At the third, only tokens will make you advance."

    "Can you raise your stats after you reach cap level?" Vincent asked. ¡°If you¡¯re out of tokens and decide to train.¡±

    ¡°The question is if you¡¯d want to. Let¡¯s assume you are at cap level and neglected a stat; it¡¯s very weak, and now you want to raise it. The answer is yes, you can raise it by exercising, like before. Imagine you already have a high stat that plateaued for the second time. Would you obsess about it and invest years to raise it, or use palliatives?

    ¡°Buffs and enchantments would achieve the same effect, and stats can work together, reinforcing each other. Through Spirit, you can enhance your physical hits with magic. Isn''t it the same as a high Body? The Body offers resistance, sparing your Mana. Mind bridges the gap, helping you use both Body and Spirit efficiently. In reality, stats are different aspects of the same thing."

    "I think I get it," Vincent said.

    ¡°I hope so.¡±

    Vincent''s mother knocked at the door before calling: "Come out, boys. Breakfast is ready."

    "Give us ten minutes," Vincent yelled. "I''ll go first because I''m fast. Do you know how to flush the toilet?"

    "I have learned Earth''s etiquette before expanding my vocabulary," Ludwing gestured toward the phone. "It''s amazing how much knowledge such a small device holds."

    "Actually, the knowledge is stored in an external database, and¡ª forget it. I''ll shower first."

    As promised, Vincent finished in three minutes, which was leisurely compared to the speed he was used in the army. He waited for Ludwing to finish washing and dressing and checked the bathroom to make sure everything was in order. All looked right except for the many soap bubbles left behind in the sink. Ludwing had even folded the borrowed pajamas neatly on the bed.

    The ecstatic grimaces Ludwing made while eating raised his status in the host''s eyes. Vincent''s mother refilled the king''s plate twice.

    "Will you come back tonight?" Vincent''s father asked.

    "Maybe¡­ dunno yet¡­ I have to visit that girl''s parents¡­" Vincent sighed. In a slip of the tongue, he had confessed he liked Irene, and his parents were salivating all over the prospect of him getting over his ex for a better and certainly richer match. "I''ll let you know."

    "Regardless of his choice, I''m afraid I will have to find another place to stay," Ludwing said, lowering his eyes. "Returning would only betray your extraordinary hospitality. Such fantastic food and an attractive young lady make my urges go wild. I must distance myself from temptations." He took Vincent''s mother''s hand and kissed it. The woman slackjawed, followed by her husband a second later.

    "We have to go, or we miss the helicopter," Vincent hissed, pulling the king after him. "What do you think you''re doing, you douchebag?" he yelled once outside the building. "You''re hitting on my mother? She''s three hundred years younger than you! Go pick on someone of your age, a mummy or something."

    "Tchao, Jana! Tchuss!" Ludwing waved toward the apartment¡¯s window, then sent a kiss in the air. "I''m doing your parents a favor, that''s all," he whispered with his lips nearly closed. "Nothing revives a relationship better than knowing royalty is attracted to your spouse. Basic nobility social skills: compliment someone''s wife, pretend you are refraining from pursuing her because of honor, the husband grows fond of her again, and you don''t have to give him a better pay or job. Everybody wins."

    "I so much wish I had killed you," Vincent growled. "From now on, keep your mouth shut until I give you permission to speak!"

    Ludwing shrugged but stayed silent. There was still half an hour to go until the rendezvous, and Vincent made good on his promise, buying the king a phone and a rechargeable SIM card. When they reached the helipad, the helicopter had already arrived, and it was bigger than expected¡ªa luxury ride.

    The trip also went faster than anticipated because of the greater speed and shorter distance. The chopper landed in a private park north of Vienna before an imposing castle. Ludwing''s eyes were saying: ''Now that''s a normal standard of living.''

    Irene''s parents and a boy in his early teens were waiting on the lawn, evidently impatient, albeit for different reasons. The adults barely stood on their feet while the kid played on his phone and ignored the world around him with a bored expression. Irene''s mother was in her mid-forties, a few years younger than Vincent''s mother. However, like rich people, she had kept her good looks and thin silhouette through regular exercise and probably top-notch plastic surgeries, all but invisible. Her husband was much older, and Vincent would have guessed by at last fifteen years, but in good physical shape too. Karl was his name. They both spoke German and Czech because Elina was from Prague, and Ludwing and Vincent spoke both, but in the end, they settled for Czech.

    They were invited inside, where Irene''s little brother was finally excused, and coffee and sweets were served. The best strudel and Sacher cake Vincent had ever had. Considering the location and the wealth, the cake was the real deal, and he took another serving. While at that, he told them the story a bit faster and easier than with his parents because he now had the experience. In the end, Irene''s father phoned somebody and said, during the brief conversation: "Chiralic dark matter."

    "We hired a team of scientists to work on opening a portal to get Irene back¡­ and everybody else, of course," Elina, Irene''s mother, said. "This information will offer us a better chance."

    "I have the skill to make the transit," Vincent said. "The only problem is it needs Karmic Charges. And¡­ sorry to be frank, but I''m not convinced Irene would want to return¡­ she''s engrossed in her mission to help the Realm."

    "Ahum! Ahum!" Ludwing raised two fingers in the air.

    "What?" Vincent sneered.

    "Ahum?" the king gestured to his mouth.

    "Oh, shoot, I forgot. I told him to keep his mouth shut. Go on."

    "You''re forgetting a small detail," Ludwing said. "Prejudice¡­ Speciesism¡­ Species changes are irreversible."

    "S-species?" Elina asked, wobbling on the couch, ready to faint.

    "Fuck," Vincent facepalmed. "True, it skipped my mind¡­ Here, take a look," he showed them a group photo with Irene in the center, taken by Jorge with the drone while they were in Ludwing''s castle, and shared.

    "I always liked to call her my little kitty," Irene''s father said. He had tears in his eyes, caressing the image with his index.

    "But I can get you there too," Vincent proposed.

    "You''ll be awakened to magic and live longer," Ludwing said. "I''m three hundred and fifty-nine, and¡­ well, not quite in my prime anymore, but still strong."

    "I guess this will be a problem for later," Vincent said. "What about the relatives of the other people? Do you think keeping the secret was the best choice?"

    "It was the only choice, for everyone''s sake and multiple reasons," Irene''s father said. "We believed the story from the beginning. We always trusted Irene, and she sent videos with proof of magic. Other people would think we kidnapped them and call the police... And those who''d believe... I don''t wish what we felt upon them... These weeks were the hardest of our lives. Every moment, we asked ourselves if she was still alive."

    "Vincent saved her life twice," Ludwing interjected. "Once from a slave trader who would have sold her to the underworld''s brothels and from me, when I was possessed by our family patr¡ª an evil entity. They''re so much in love that I cry whenever I think about it."

    As the king winked at him, meaning: ''See how much I''m helping you?'' Vincent choked.

    "We guessed," Elina sighed. "She spoke highly of you, about how you saved the group and led them to safety¡­ Her eyes were glinting¡­"

    Vincent decided to play it fair. "I¡­ care very much about her, but I won''t lie to you; this is a complicated topic¡­ My past is¡ª"

    "We know about your past since you were hired for the tour," Irene''s father said. "We chose you of all the guides because of your experiences. I wanted a second bodyguard with them, a person to be trusted if problems appeared¡ª"

    "My God!" Vincent shouted, jumping on his feet, suddenly energized and panicked. "The firm¡­ my boss¡­ I forgot to call him!"

    "It has been taken care of," Irene''s father said. "We paid the rent wherever it was necessary. Also, we bought your firm and reassigned the personnel to our businesses. You didn¡¯t have an apartment of your own, or we would have paid your rent or rates."

    "I was moving too much around. Hotels worked better for me. So, that now?" Vincent asked. "I mean, I know what I have to do, but what about you and the other families? You can''t lie to them forever."

    Elina crossed her legs, leaning back on the couch. "You''re right. We''ll start contacting our proteges'' families, preparing them for the truth, and see if they want to visit their loved ones. Any timeframe before you can travel and take people with you?"

    "I got three charges since yesterday," Vincent said. "From speaking to you and my parents."

    "It''s too slow," Elina waved her hand. "I have a few things in mind that will accelerate the process tremendously."

    "Err¡­ like what?" Vincent frowned.

    "I don''t want to spoil the surprise¡­" the woman smiled sheepishly. "Give me a few days. You will be our guests, of course."

 32 â€“ Book 2-4. Bridge Troll

    One of the things most different from Earth was Stellarterra¡¯s roads. Instead of choosing the straightest route, they waved between hills and forests, following rivers or connecting villages and towns, big or small.

    Ludwing had neglected all Beauhemia, especially what now constituted the Guild''s duchy, concentrating on fighting the Mongols and trading with the Byzantines. That made about a quarter of Beauhemia almost a no-man''s land. Commerce with the Celts was scarce, done by the rare individuals strong enough to brave the dangers of the road. Bandits were plenty, albeit they preferred staying in Beauhemia and raiding over the border rather than going for the poorer locals.

    Yet, the Guild leaders, Irene and Raya, decided it was time to end that and open the roads and the rivers going west. Their country core was working slowly but surely to make more stretches of water navigable, connecting rivers. Egercheb, on the Ohr, was one of the towns the Guild needed to secure, and a party of more or less seasoned warriors had been assigned the task.

    Barbara and Raya for the muscle, Jong for ranged damage, Jorge for scouting, Lila for healing, and Bee just because Barbara wanted to train her ''hunny hubby'' with the hardships of the road. After riding the slow Zen Mounts for seventy-five miles and three days, they looked at the town south of the river through the drone''s camera, projected on their smartphones.

    A bridge crossed the water less than a hundred yards away, the road toward it framed by trees. A sign hung between two pillars: ''Troll toll: 1 gold/person.''

    "I see no troll," Jorge said.

    "The bounty''s two years old," Bee said. "Maybe someone else took the monster out of the picture?"

    "Believe me, if someone would have killed a troll, they''d still be bragging about it in taverns," Barbara said. "Mother killed one in her youth, and she still gets praised for that. It must be under the bridge."

    "There''s nothing there. Look." Jorge made the drone fly lower, passing under the bridge a foot above the water.

    ¡°OK, enough arguing,¡± Irene clapped her hands to make them pay attention. ¡°Let¡¯s make a battle plan. What is to be expected from a troll?¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re very big and extremely tough,¡± Barbara said. ¡°Rock solid tough. They don¡¯t get transformed to stone by the sun, though; that¡¯s an urban legend. Only their outer layer of skin gets petrified, like armor. They¡¯ll move slowly. At night, the skin is softer, but they¡¯re really fast. All use blunt weapons¡­ and you¡¯d better not get hit by one. Only Raya and I would survive a direct hit.¡±

    ¡°I understand,¡± Irene nodded, writing things down on her phone. ¡°Any weaknesses?¡±

    ¡°Alternating heat and cold to break their armor. If the second skin shows, they bleed like any normal humanoid, and their organs are in the same place. Also, they don¡¯t like to get far away from their bridge, so if we¡¯re in trouble, we could retreat easily. It¡¯s important to attract it far enough from the bridge so they¡¯re not buffed by it, but also not so far it won¡¯t engage in combat.¡±

    ¡°Trolls are buffed by the bridge?¡± Bee asked.

    ¡°Indeed they are. From what I heard, they could melt into the bridge and invoke either a forcefield or a pocket universe around it.¡±

    ¡°And the difference is?¡± Irene asked, still writing.

    ¡°Forcefields are mana constructs; they have a limited energy. Hit one hard enough, and you will destroy it. Pocket universes are stronger, all but impenetrable, and come in many forms. Some are visible, others not; some appear enclosed in a forcefield, but it¡¯s their border. They are hard to unlock and master, and only the Mythical tiers can hope to obtain the skill. Yet, not even the hundredth of them succeed. So I¡¯d bet on a forcefield.¡±

    ¡°Jong, what are your strongest attacks?¡± Irene asked.

    ¡°Explosive arrows could dent that armor,¡± the archer said. ¡°Or maybe napalm arrows could melt it. There¡¯s also a Penetrating Shot. If I hit a soft spot, like the mouth or the eyes, it¡¯s an Insta Kill.¡±

    ¡°Could you hit an eye from here?¡± Irene asked.

    ¡°Hm¡­ a hundred yards¡­ Yes, if it stays still.¡±

    ¡°OK,¡± Irene¡¯s forehead creased as she concentrated on the phone¡¯s screen. ¡°First, a vote,¡± she looked at them. ¡°Who¡¯s in favor of speaking to the troll first and trying to make it surrender? Fine,¡± she growled, taking out the option as she had raised her hand alone. ¡°Who wants to use non-lethal damage to take the troll prisoner? Really?¡± Only Bee had raised his hand with her. ¡°I didn¡¯t think you were so bloodthirsty, Lila,¡± she stared a dagger at the dancer.

    ¡°Our priority is to be safe for when Vincent returns, not pampering criminals,¡± Lila stared back.

    ¡°Trolls are very dangerous,¡± Barbara said.

    ¡°If you say so,¡± Irene rolled her eyes. ¡°I will send you the battle plan. I¡¯ll put it in a macro. Once the first skill in the sequence activates, you will all have timers and orders. Keep to them. And don¡¯t forget to activate your virtual HUD in the menu.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re a strategist now?¡± Raya asked.

    ¡°My Guild Deputy job has a few skills on its own. Let me check the battle plan once more¡­¡±

    Zooming on her screen, she read the words there, transforming them into a specific sequence of instructions:

    Irene, Barbara, and Raya approach the bridge to lure the troll out.

    Irene / [Charm] (10 sec) > Troll (target)

    Jong / [Penetrating Shot] > Troll (target)

    Continuation if Troll (target) is not destroyed:

    Irene / [Retreat]

    Barbara / [Berserk] (20 sec) / [Flurry] > Troll (target)

    @ sec 18 Barbara / [Backdash]

    Raya / [Taunt] > Troll (target)

    Raya / [Electrical Charged Shield Bash] (Stun 3 sec) > Troll (target)

    Jong / [Penetrating Shot] > Troll (target)

    Continuation if Troll (target) is not destroyed:

    Raya / free combat (30 sec) > Troll (target)

    Irene / Psychic Spear (Stun 3 sec) + Magic Missilex2 > Troll (target)

    Jong / [Penetrating Shot] > Troll (target) on Psychic Spear

    Continuation if Troll (target) is not destroyed:

    Jorge / smoke grenade > Troll (target)

    Raya / [Backdash]The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

    Jorge / stun grenade > Troll (target)

    The group retreats and breaks the aggro. Meeting to analyze the fight.

    ¡°Jong, you will use only the Penetrating Shot, as any other will put the tanks at risk. Add it freely if a stack of Reflect Damage is activated and breaks the armor.  Lila, you heal whenever necessary. We retreat early if any stack of Negate Lethal Damage is consumed. Bee, keep Brandi¡¯s rifle at hand and shoot at the troll if it pursues the retreating group too fast.¡±

    ¡°Okey Dokey,¡± Bee cheered, pumping his fist in the air.

    "Let''s go," Raya sighed. "I have a headache from all that text. It reminds me of Tulstoy¡¯s ¡®War and More War¡¯ novel¡­  It¡¯s a long one. Archer guy, I trust you not to hit us, right?"

    "I¡¯m Jong, not archer guy," the young man objected. "We ride together for three days, and you still don''t get my name?"

    "I''m not good at complicated names," Raya shrugged.

    "What''s complicated in Jong?" the youngster sneered.

    "The Common Tongue translates name meanings instead of replicating the sounds," Lila said. "When you say Jong, it takes three seconds for you to speak your name. It must be more to it¡­ maybe a translation error."

    "Why don''t you speak it on the phone? The translation app will sort it out," Bee proposed, holding his phone face to the archer.

    "Jong!" Jong yelled.

    "Oh," Bee widened his eyes after looking at the screen. "Yeah¡­ it means so much more¡­"

    "Like¡ª"

    "Nice wise person," Bee said, blushing.

    "Hahaha!" Lila erupted in laughter, taking a peek at the screen.

    "Give me that!" Jong wrested the phone away. "The fuck! Virtuous Virgin?"

    "Yeah, we hear that," Barbara said deadpanned. "We thought it was less¡­ humiliating to call you archer."

    "I''m no virgin!" Jong screamed, his cheeks beet red. ¡°I had two girlfriends.¡±

    "Of course, of course," a voice said from somewhere. ¡°Your Hentai album and your right hand."

    "Who''s there?" Barbara blurted, taking her greatsword into her hands.

    "You and Shorty together, I see¡­ Does he use a stool to reach for your p¡ª"

    "Come here so I can kill you!" the woman yelled.

    "I think Jessica is cheating on you, man," the voice continued, changing location, the speaker still out of sight. "She''s seeing a clock behind your back."

    It was Jorge''s turn to blush.

    "Who''s Jessica?" Raya asked.

    "Jorge''s drone," Lila giggled. ¡°He¡¯s like in love with it.¡±

    "Such a cheerful lass, ain''t you¡­ You sure help the party with your laughs. Cause brains or brawn ain''t there."

    "Hey! Don''t mock my girlfriend!" Raya yelled, conjuring a bolt of electricity in her hand. No one was visible to shoot at, so she dismissed it shortly after, growling.

    "Easy, pumpkin, easy¡­ What a nice haircut you have. Classy¡­ My grandma had the same¡­"

    "I like your hair," Lila fondled Raya''s arm as the Amazon''s eyes filled with tears. She was quite proud of her punk looks.

    ¡°As for you¡­ I see you like to kill defenseless rats,¡± the troll attacked the last target, Irene. ¡°How about Pest Control for a nickname? So, I think I covered all. Pest Control, Shorty Four Eyes, Shorty¡¯s Sugar Mom, Jerking Virtous Virgin, Grandma Glam, Jessica¡¯s Minion, and Cackle Queen¡­ You''re six¡­ plus Jessica¡­ I count your true love as a person, man¡­ Put seven coins on the ground, and you can cross the bridge."

    "It''s the troll!" Lila widened her eyes.

    "I sure am, sweetie. What¡¯s your IQ again, twelve? Pay, or else¡­ check your tags. They¡¯re now on permanent display. Everyone could see them."

    "The fuck?" Jong screamed.

    "Yep, Jerking Virtuous Virgin. Pay or be the laughs of the town for all year," the invisible troll laughed.

    "Guys, I think it''s better to pay," Bee said. "We can''t go in town like this¡­"

    "I don''t care," Barbara sneered. "I laugh in the face of sarcasm¡­ But for you, hunny bunny, I''m willing to make an exception."

    "I''ll pay," Raya sighed, searching her belt purse.

    "Got you!" Jorge whispered, making the drone dive

    A second later, they heard a yelp, then a continuous scream interrupted by hiccups and muffled sounds. Bouncing from branch to branch, a body hit the ground and continued screaming. "You broke my leg, you mother fuckers!"

    "A forest troll. That explains it," Raya nodded. The person before them looked almost human-like if not for the greenish-hued skin. It was a male, no taller than Bee and quite plumpy.

    "He was hiding up in the trees, all but invisible; only Jessica has thermal vision," Jorge said, his back straightening with self-satisfaction. The drone landed near him, and he stored it in its case only after he kissed it affectionately.

    "No! NO! If you kill me, you''ll be cursed! Your tags will be altered forever!" the troll yelled as Barbara approached him, and her attitude didn''t look anything peaceful.

    "Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t kill you. I''ll give you a taste of Bulgarian humor," the woman said coldly, kicking the man''s unhurted leg with her boot. The troll began screaming even harder, now both legs bent at an unnatural angle.

    On the other side of the bridge, a few kids playing soccer on an empty lot must''ve heard the commotion because they approached running.

    "They got the troll!" a skinny boy exclaimed, with eyes widened. He followed by spitting on the hurt man, followed by his friends.

    "My sister''s fiance broke up with her because of you, scum!" a girl shouted.

    "Who, sleeps-with-everyone Inga?" the downed man found the energy to bark between two screams. Barbara hit his shin again. This time, the troll fainted.

    "I''ll heal him," Lila said.

    "Don''t bother," Raya said. "We cut his legs, and they grow again. Forest trolls are like lizards. This way, he can''t escape on our way back."

    "Miss, the mayor would pay you good if you surrender the troll to us," a kid said. "We''ll hang him together and have a party."

    "Well. Pay you well," Bee corrected the boy.

    "What did I say?"

    "We can''t surrender him," Raya shook her head. "You saw what he can do. He has a sort of super Inspect skill and sees personal stories and everything. The Guild needs him. As a vice deputy duchess or shit, I sentence him to community work. We''ll use him to detect spies or traitors."

    "Better than surveillance cameras, huh?" Jorge said, a bit flummoxed.

    "There are no judges here? You know, separation of powers?" Bee asked.

    "Hahahaha¡­. Hahahaha¡­" Barbara roared. "Hunny bunny is such a softie," she wrapped her arm around the young man''s shoulders. "That''s why I love him."

    "Please¡­ let me go¡­" the troll revived, begging. "I''ll tell you where my stash of gold is¡­"

    "Now we''re talking," Barbara said, crossing her arms. "Go on."

    "Under the bridge¡­ There''s a loose stone on the last pillar¡­ the one closest to us¡­ Please, take it all, but don''t give me to them. They''ll hang me!"

    "Oh, you knocked out, true," Raya said. "We decided to take you with us. You''ll work for our guild. For free, of course. I''ll let Irene decide for how long."

    ¡°Minimum wage,¡± Irene said. ¡°We do not condone slavery.¡±

    The man lowered his eyes, defeated. "Can someone take care of my legs?"

    "I can heal them," Lila proposed.

    "Cutting is faster," Barbara said.

    "Not if you want to carry me on your back for a week, the time I need to regrow limbs."

    ¡°We have horses tied nearby,¡± Barbara shrugged. ¡°You¡¯ll ride one¡­ No¡­ That¡¯s not a punishment; it¡¯s better to have him walk. Fine, heal him," Barbara growled, stepping back, obviously disappointed. Lila advanced and started to put the legs in the proper position and cast Heal over them. The troll wailed and moaned in pain during the procedure but ceased when she was done.

    "In a day, you''ll be as new," Lila said.

    "My species regen is greater. Give me an hour, and I''ll walk on my own feet. Thank you, miss." The troll crawled back on his elbows and pushed his torso up, resting his butt on the ground but supporting himself on a tree.

    "Well¡­ since we have an hour to kill, why don''t we take that money and have a drink in town," Barbara proposed.

    "We''re keeping only thirty percent of it," Raya said. "The finder''s reward and the guild''s fee. The bounty is a separate thing."

    "Yeah, yeah," Barbara waved her hand dismissively. "Hunny bunny, would you do the honors and look for the gold? I don''t like soaking my feet in mud¡­ It ruins my skincare."

    "Sure, hon," Bee rushed to agree. His weapon was a staff, like most magic users, and leaning on it, the young man slowly lowered himself into the river bed, grunting while descending the bank. He disappeared from their view for a minute, but they could hear him splash into the knee-deep water. "Err¡­ guys¡­ there''s no gold!" Bee''s voice reached them.

    "It''s in the middle of the pillar, eyes high," the troll yelled.

    The grunting began again, and Bee''s head appeared over the road''s edge. He raised a hand, which Barbara grabbed, pulling him up. "I meant there''s no more gold. It''s gone. The hole is empty."

    "Where are the kids?" Jong asked in an expressionless voice. The children were nowhere. No one had paid them attention while Lila had healed the troll.

    "I''ll send Jessica to find them," Jorge said, unpacking the flier.

    Barbara ground her teeth. "The little monsters! I''ll give them the mother of a spanking. Have to train for when Bee and I will make our own snot factories."

    "In a few years, hun?" Bee said in a strangled voice.

    "Sooner. My biological clock is ticking, baby. I''m¡ª"

    "Let them be¡­ They''re poor kids¡­ It wasn''t much¡­" the troll pleaded. "Maybe fifty gold¡­"

    "If you''re lying, I swear I''ll gut you," Barbara said in a lower voice, lowering her head to stare at the man eye to eye.

    "Maybe a hundred," the troll blurted.

    "I won''t raise Jessica for a hundred," Jorge said. "I can''t charge the battery anywhere else than in Krivoburg, and we need a safety buffer for the way back."

    "Just a quick question: why bother to be a criminal if you earn so little money?" Lila asked.

    "Crime doesn''t pay," Bee said smugly.

    "Hey, I earn a lot. It''s not my fault good things are expensive," the troll protested.

    "Like?" Bee asked.

    "You know, man¡­ Booze, gambling, and women?"

    "I say we cut his legs, after all," Barbara said. "I hate pricks."

    "Wait! Wait!" the troll pushed his palms forward in a stopping gesture. "I''ll tell you a secret. A biggun¡­ C''mon¡­ You know I can see information, right?"

    "Speak," Raya ordered.

    "Err¡­ Actually, I live in town¡­ No one saw my face until today¡­ And my skin is not so unique¡­ there are lots of people with dryad blood¡­ there¡¯s a strong minority here¡ª"

    "Get to the point!" Raya hissed.

    "A little over a week ago, a group came to town¡­ A dozen men. Mongols. They rented a few rooms in the best inn¡­ I go there every other night. One of them is a prince, the Khan''s son. I''ve heard them talking¡­ They escaped a big battle and got some money with them, too¡­ Now, they plan to return home, but they can''t. Something about a power vucam¡ª"

    "Vacuum," Bee said.

    "Yeah, that.  Struggle for power. Their allies are far away, and the closest part of Mongol lands is ruled by an enemy¡­ his uncle or something. I guess you can make something of this, right?"

    "We sure do, right Irene?" Raya said, and Irene nodded. "Archer, you come with me in town. You¡¯ll bond with them easier."

    "I¡¯m Korean, not Mongol," Jong ground his teeth.

    "It doesn¡¯t matter what you are; they greatly respect archers. Find some common ground. We two go it, cash the bounty¡­ Fuck; I guess we can''t cash it without giving them the troll¡­ Forget the bounty. We go to the inn and speak with the Mongols. Take the bastard and go home; we''ll catch up."

 33. â€“ Book 2-5 Talented

    Panting, Vincent burrowed his back into a tree. Above, the helicopter was making rounds, trying to dislodge him through random fire and grenades. One fell a couple of feet away, but the shock was absorbed by his Shadow Armor.

    Thanks, asshole, Vincent offered a half-grateful, half-hateful thought to Ludwing. His new skill was an evolution of his Cloak of Darkness, obtained through Corvinus'' guidance.

    A voice spoke in his ear. "Axe Raven, Axe Raven, this is Thug. Silence lifted. We cleared the mansion. More to follow. Acknowledge. Over."

    "Thug, this is Axe Raven," Vincent spoke on the radio attached with a strap over his tactical vest. "Acknowledged, Over".

    "Axe Raven, Boogie Man One has moved the hostages. The estimated location is twenty clicks north, on NY thirty-two. The probable destination is South Albany Airport. It''s on you. Out."

    "Thug, this is Axe Raven. Roger. Willco. Over."

    Vincent closed his eyes, thinking of options for a second. How Thug found the information¡ªprobably by torturing one of the guards¡ªwas irrelevant. Mercenaries were not into being nice business. The important thing was they were late. If the destination was an airport, a private jet was waiting. Once in the air, the rescue would become impossible. He was not Superman, and movies generously underestimated how hard it is to intercept a plane in flight. One second meant a difference of hundreds of meters.

    Somehow, the hostiles had found out about the raid. The helicopter above, which Vincent was supposed to lure away and keep occupied, was, in fact, keeping him occupied. He had to spend a few of his precious Karmic Charges to rectify the situation.

    He ran forward, seeking an open spot. The hail of bullets followed Vincent closely, but as he hoped, the chopper overcame him and appeared in his vision for a second. He Strode up, directly at the cockpit. The metal folded inward, crushing the pilot.

    There was a secret to his skill, one he had found in a moment of illumination. While practicing with his Outsider''s Cloak and being bad at it, Vincent had thought: what if he was also bad at Outsider''s Stride but didn''t realize it? It looked spectacular, but was it? He experimented with using it offensively first. Two objects couldn''t occupy the same space, so the failsafe prevented him from jumping inside an object or even putting his weapon in it. Yet, if he concentrated hard, insisting on going where something already was, instead of Vincent being diverted to a safe distance, the object was moved, pushed away. Violently. Magic took precedence. Practicing also increased the radius of the area he could use his skill, and he was very happy with that.

    As the helicopter diverted to a side, falling, Vincent met the widened eyes of the gunner. Young, scared. Cursing, he jumped twice, taking the youngster with him, then landing near a road, miles away. The one he just saved collapsed at his feet, prostrated, throwing his AR-15 on the ground.

    "Y-you''re a s-superhero?" the kid stuttered.

    Vincent pushed the young man down and tied his wrists and ankles with zip ties. He signaled cars, but seeing him dressed in tactical gear and with a prisoner, most swerved away, accelerating. A minute later, a pick-up truck stopped abruptly. An older Black man opened the door and hid behind it, aiming his pistol at Vincent.

    "Hands up!"

    "Are you from The Church?" Vincent asked calmly, raising his hands in the air. The sect that kidnapped the family he was trying to save was notorious in the area.

    "I ain''t nothing to do with you assholes," the man yelled. "Don''t move!"

    "He''s from The Church," Vincent pointed at the tied man with the tip of his index, keeping his hands up. "They kidnapped the friends of my friends. I need to save them; don''t have time to get him to the police station."

    "How do I know you''re telling the truth?"

    Vincent kicked the kid in his back with his boot. The boy screamed: "I confess! Please, take me to the police. He''s an alien or something."

    Raising his prisoner in one hand, Vincent walked to the truck and threw the cultist in the back. "Not an alien. I work out a lot," he tried to explain to the older man, who was looking at him aghast. Then, Vincent Strode directly above, high in the sky, and right ahead, beyond the airport.

    Opening his arms and legs wide, he glided back to the direction he came from. Not quite a wingsuit, his gear had small wings underneath his armpits and air tubes in his pants. He wasn''t familiar with those devices before but had parachuting experience from the army. The speed was faster than he thought, and he jumped again to retake altitude.

    Vincent''s enhanced sight could see details miles away. The car, a Hummer, appeared soon enough. It stood out, the only vehicle speeding, with an emergency light above the roof. The Church had the town sheriff in its pocket.

    The driver, the guru, the prophet, the saint, as his fanatics called him, had a maniacal expression on his face. Probably being high. Behind him were three people handcuffed together, two adults and a young woman. Irene''s bestie, he was told. She had been lured into the sect and brainwashed to donate her money, and when the rich parents came to claim her back, making a scandal¡­ things went south.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    Vincent glided forward, approaching the Hummer head-on. The driver shook his head, an understandable gesture, as a skydiver dashing at full speed into a car was not usual. Thirty feet before the contact, Vincent snatched the hostages and Strode to the lawn of the Altenschloss castle.

    "Markus!" Elina yelled, rushing forward. If Vincent recalled well, the family''s father was her cousin.

    Pulling off his balaclava, Vincent forwarded his hand in a stopping gesture. "Did any of you geniuses tell your friends we''ll come to help?"

    "Y-yes?" Elina stuttered. "Markus had his phone with him when they locked them into the storage room, and he¡ª"

    "Great. They intercepted the call and were waiting for us. Anyway, you''re welcome."

    Storing his equipment in the ring of holding and dressing in casual clothes on the way, Vincent entered the manor and poured himself a glass of plum brandy.  "Hm¡­" he sighed, enjoying the taste. It was a good liquor; he had brought it himself from Prague, and only a few connoisseurs knew the farmer who made it.

    "I take it all went well?" Irene''s father asked, looking at Vincent over the newspaper in his hands and returning to reading before the answer came.

    "Yes, Karl, all went well," Vincent said, a bit bitter, sending a message to the mercenary team: ''Had to extract. Hostages safe. Tell the guys I''m sorry they have to hike back on their own.'' A thumbs-up arrived in reply.

    "Are you afraid when fighting?" Karl asked, this time without lowering the paper.

    "You don''t really have the time to feel scared. You get used to it¡­ adrenaline takes over. The aftermath is usually what gets you¡­ it''s like a withdrawal¡­ many special forces go into drugs when they retire."

    "Did you?" Now, Karl was staring directly at him. ''Is the man in love with my daughter a drug addict?'' he projected.

    "Nah," Vincent waved his hand. "I was used to risks since I  started climbing, in my late teens¡­ and our army is not so¡­ well¡­ risk intensive. It''s like a holiday, really. If you ignore the sarge yelling at you all the time, waking at five in the morning, and the toilet cleaning duty. Food is great, though."

    Putting the paper down, Karl looked out of the window. The greetings had finished, but the trivial problem of getting rid of the handcuffs remained. Elina was trying to pull them off with little success. "Can you break¡ª"

    "I can. But I won¡¯t. That would teach Elina to break communication silence. You can afford to pay a locksmith, right?"

    "I sure can, but I¡¯ll let my wife do it. We two have to go. Have you forgotten about the appoint¡ª"

    "I forgot!" Vincent jumped up. "Oh, gosh¡­ that¡¯s so scary! Do you have a Xanax or something?"

    "No drugs," Karl shook his head. "You¡¯ll face your fears like a man."

    "Shiiiiiiit¡­.."

    <hr>

    Peeking from behind the curtains, Vincent could see the venue was full. Thousands of people. Just in case, he had emptied his bladder minutes before his name had been called. Soiling himself on live TV was not ideal.

    "Go on," the assistant patted his shoulder. Timidly, Vincent advanced on the stage. He felt the crowd''s eyes drilling through him.

    "Hello," one of the judges said.

    "What is your name?" The blonde star had put warmth in her voice to help Vincent overcome his stage fright.

    "Err¡­ H-hi¡­ I''m V-Vincent¡­" For whatever reason, his hand was tucked to his ribs, waving only with the fingers.

    "And what will you perform for us tonight, Vincent?" a third judge asked.

    "M-magic?"

    "You realize this is the Elite Talents show, right? Only the best of the best will go through," the fourth judge spoke with a color of disdain in his voice and squinted eyes. The man was in his fifties and slightly overweight, the classic rock star who hadn''t aged graciously but was still chasing skirts and abusing alcohol. He was already moving his hand toward the buzzer, and that annoyed Vincent.

    "Yeah, I do," his voice became more assertive.

    "The stage is yours, Vincent," the blonde said. "Knock our socks off!"

    Yeah¡­ you wish. Vincent noticed how the blonde looked at his perfectly defined muscles, evidenced by the black T-shirt. "Curtains!" he yelled. "As you can see, this show is simultaneously broadcast in Vienna and Prague. I have enrolled in both." Thanks to my billionaire friends'' connections¡­

    Behind him, a huge screen showed the jury in Prague, who had listened to his speech and was looking at a similar screen displayed on stage.

    "I will ask one of you¡­ you," Vincent looked at the blonde, "to draw something on a piece of paper and put it in an envelope. My trusted assistant, Ludwing van Corvinus, will now bring you a pen, a piece of paper, and an envelope."

    A flapping noise grew louder, and the huge raven landed on the jury''s desk, the items in its beak. The four jurors jerked back, obviously surprised by the apparition.

    "Come here, Ludwing. Your evil aura is scaring them!" Vincent forwarded his arm. The raven flew to land on his hand, only to transform into his normal self in the next second. Gasps erupted in the audience, but the jury was slackjawed as well. "Show your drawing to the public without me seeing it, then put it in the envelope," he asked the blonde.

    Approaching the table, he faced the woman. "Maybe you want to touch me to be sure I''m real?" The woman immediately wrapped her hands around his biceps, keeping them there longer than necessary.

    "And now," Vincent took the envelope, "can you touch me to see I''m real?"

    He was in Prague, in front of the other jury and the other sexy woman celebrity. She yelped but did as asked, with trembling hands. He could see the blonde in Vienna covering her mouth in awe.

    "Open the envelope and show the drawing to everyone, please. Is this the drawing from Viena?"

    The juror raised the paper to be seen by everyone. It was a heart pierced by an arrow. The public started to applaud, first in Prague, then in Austria. Vincent bowed. As he rose, he changed his clothes, summoning a tuxedo from his ring of holding. Magicians who tore their clothes fast, displaying other dresses previously hidden underneath, were a dime a dozen. Dressing up, though¡­ not so much.

    He reappeared in Vienna, with the public roaring. The four jurors were on their feet too, applauding, albeit the rock star reluctantly.

    "We look forward to seeing you next week," the blonde said eagerly. The jury in Prague nodded in approval.

    "I am, too," Vincent winked at her. The rock star attitude didn''t inspire confidence. A bit of flirting with a juror could raise his chances for the next round. Fuck¡­ I''m turning into Ludwing¡­ Nooo, I don''t want to become a villain¡­ I love Irene! And maybe the other two too¡­. Fuuuuk¡­ My head''s messed up¡­ "Thank you! Thank you!" he waved at the public.

    "Master, don''t forget you promised to take me to Iceland tonight to see the Horrora Beaurealis," Ludwing said on queue.

    "True, my loyal assistant, I did," Vincent said, cringing inside at how tacky the lines sounded. Calling a fur coat over him to show off his fast dressing again, he grabbed Ludwing, and they disappeared.

    <hr>

    Despite common sense telling Vincent putting Ludwing around his parents wasn¡¯t the best idea, they slept at his parents'' apartment. He found Irene¡¯s parents charming but more hyperactive and tiring than his folks. The day had cost Vincent eleven Karmic charges, gaining him four for the lives he had saved. Nevertheless, the next morning, the resource pool had eighty charges. If by killing the guru¡ªnews said the car crashed¡ªor inspiring kids watching the show to learn magic, he couldn''t know. He had a week to prepare for another act and was terrorized by the prospect. By good luck, a message from the mercenary team arrived. They had flown to the Caraibes, where pirates hijacked a cruiser and were asking him if he wanted to join. Vincent sighed with relief. There was nothing like good, reliable, routine work to put his mind at ease.

 34 - Book 2-6. Mister Jekyll and Doctor Hyde

    Four weeks into his trip on Earth, Ludwing felt restless and disappointed. His prot¨¦g¨¦¡ªbecause that was how he saw Vincent¡ªhad made progress, yet his stubbornness prevented him from achieving greatness.

    For instance, Ludwing had insisted times over Vincent seducing and sleeping with Elina, his prospective mother-in-law, and disposing of Karl, the old husband, as soon as possible. There were billions to be controlled. Only thinking about that amount of money made him dizzy. There was so much more dough on Earth than on the Realm.

    His secret plan counted on Irene leaving Vincent when she''d found out¡ªbecause Ludwing would write her an anonymous letter once back on Stellarterra. Then, Ludwing¡ªa perfect matchmaker, in his opinion¡ªwould have Vincent marry his daughter, the Half-Sidhe.

    And what had Vincent done? Refused every single common sense suggestion. Moreover, he yelped in panic, like a child, when he found out what he thought was a male sidekick was, in fact, a woman. That man couldn''t appreciate true beauty. Commoners were all about boobs and booty, knowing nothing about the elegance of a slender figure. He had shown Vincent fashion shows, where his daughter would have shined amongst top models with the same configuration, and the boy commented that top models looked like dressed broom-sticks. The arrogance!

    The king was still undeterred. Lighting a cigarette¡ªsuch glorious vices Earth had¡ªand pouring himself a glass of the finest cognac, he nodded at the host, Karl, who was speaking nonsense he hadn''t been paying attention to. Did the mansion have stairs? Accidents could happen on stairs. Vincent was gullible¡­ he would buy it.

    "So, what do you say?" Karl asked.

    "Pardon?"

    "You heard our offer. Would you like to stay on Earth for a few years? Vincent gives you half the money and the artifact, and we give you a monthly stipend¡­ as long you stay in Vienna or Prague. "

    "Let''s cut to the chase," Elina said. "I promised Vincent not to give you the artifact yet, but¡­ I trust you."

    The woman opened a jewelry box and put a thin ring on the table. As soon as the item was displayed, Ludwing could feel the magic emanating from it even without touching it. He snatched the item and put it on his finger.

    Secondary Sovereign''s Ring of Supremacy. This ring has been cut from a master ring by an expert jeweler. It allows the wearer to do magic even on an inert Mana planet. This item has ten slots for spatial storage for a space of 1/10 metric tons. Bounding the ring is subject to the following conditions:

    <ol>

    <li>Vassality to Main Sovereign''s Ring of Supremacy. The secondary ring user will be considered under oath not to directly or indirectly harm the Main Ring''s wearer or his friends and allies. The Main Ring¡¯s wearer swears the same. This oath is valid even if the ring is not worn.</li>

    <li>The user will be able to select ten spells to be acknowledged by the ring and will be able to use only those spells for the duration of their stay on a Neutral Mana planet. Necromancy or Mind Control spells are forbidden. The ring will not allow casting spells that contradict point 1.</li>

    <li>The secondary ring will be connected to the Master ring and serve as a communication device. The wielder is under obligation to deliver messages if asked so.</li>

    <li>The ring will only bond with and work for the wielder if they agree with points 1-3.</li>

    </ol>

    "I accept the conditions and wish to bond to the ring," Ludwing said in a continuous breath. "I will use the ring with the following spells: Raven Shapeshifting, Heal, Accelerate Regen, Shadow Armor, Bartitsu Proficiency, Dark Bullet, Passive Permanent Stats Buff ten percent, Mirror Image, Fast Reactions, and Ultimate: Dark Arena Pocket Universe."

    It was perfect. On the downside, he could no longer push Karl on the stairs, but Vincent would now trust him. And if he stayed on Earth, Vincent would be relaxed¡­ soft¡­ vulnerable to his daughter, the Half-Sidhe¡­ Her seduction skills were unmatched¡­ There was only the matter of finding a way to send her the message¡­

    "Thank goodness," Elina sighed. "I count on you," she fondled Ludwing''s hand for a second.

    Is she hitting on me? Ludwing gasped inside. She was into older men; that was obvious. There were opportunities to exploit there. Billions of opportunities.

    "The show is one hour," Karl said, oblivious to the movement. "We should move on."

    "We should," Ludwing gave a lopsided grin, twitching his mouth. ¡°I like moving on so much.¡±

    <hr>

    The waiting room was much less crowded than the week before. Only four persons, of which two were to advance to the finals. Except for Ludwing, there were two singers¡ªa man and a woman¡ªand a kid in a wheelchair, a girl about twelve, fumbling with a pack of cards. Her eyes were sad, and she reminded Ludwing of himself when he was her age. A weak, pathetic mouse hiding behind his mother¡¯s skirts to avoid his father.

    ¡°Pick a card,¡± the girl offered Ludwing.

    He dismissed her offer with a flicker of his fingers. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with your legs?¡±

    ¡°I was born like this¡­ a spine condition,¡± she said.

    ¡°Hm¡­ this realm has truly bad doctors,¡± Ludwing crinkled his nose, moving to another chair to avoid more conversation.

    The assistant arrived next to him within the next minute. ¡°Change of plans. You go first.¡±

    Shrugging, Ludwing advanced to the stage and bowed. Half of the public applauded in furor, the other half barely touched their hands. They preferred the softie, Vincent. The previous week, the boy had read the minds of bunnies and other pets, reproducing whatever funny, silly things the animals thought.

    ¡°Will your boss join us too?¡± the rock star asked with malice. Ludwing knew what the man had been up to. He had moved the performers¡¯ order so Vincent could not perform both acts in Prague and Vienna simultaneously. It was a bunnies and kittens¡¯ mind-reading session in Prague.The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    ¡°We¡¯re partners. I will cover the show tonight. I hope I will be entertaining enough.¡±

    ¡°Is your partner sharing the money with you if you win?¡± the rockstar asked.

    ¡°As a matter of fact, yes,¡± Ludwing smirked. He disliked the man. In normal circumstances, the king would have impaled the singer on a stake in a main square somewhere. He called that stand-up comedy. The Corvinus family was proud of their dark humor.

    ¡°What will you do with your money if you win?¡± the blonde singer asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know yet, milady,¡± Ludwing replied sincerely.

    ¡°And what will you do today?¡± anoother juror asked.

    Now, that was a problem. Vincent was supposed to catch a bullet in flight with his hand, using his Shadow Armor. Then a bright idea shone through Ludwing¡¯s gray cells. The jury favored singers. Screaming in a microphone a tearful blabber was an easy way to cheat your way up. ¡°I will perform Mongol throat singing.¡±

    The juror nodded, gesturing to invite Ludwing to sing. The king took a deep breath and started with a deep bass note, adding a high one a few seconds later. That was impressive; he knew it well. All the parties he graced with his presence asked him to perform his Mongol throat singing. It was a great way to get the ladies like him. Despite his amazing performance, he saw the rockstar¡¯s hand moving toward the elimination buzzer.

    ¡°You know what?¡± Ludwing hissed, stopping his singing abruptly. ¡°Why don¡¯t I tell you stories instead? And for that, I need the proper ambiance. Ultimate: Dark Arena.¡±

    Shadows erupted from his body, and in moments, the venue was enclosed in his pocket universe skill. Lights dimmed, and the darkness became oppressive. The rockstar hit the elimination button repeatedly, but electricity was at Ludwing¡¯s mercy now. It did not work.

    ¡°Allow me to properly introduce myself,¡± Ludwing bellowed. ¡°I am Ludwing van Corvinus, grandson of Matthias Corvinus, king of Hungary, in an alternate reality. And I¡¯m three hundred and fifty-nine years old. I do real magic on a daily basis.¡±

    With a flicker of his fingers, he surrounded the security personnel in shadow cages, preventing them from jumping on stage to grab him.

    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you a story about how I learned Mongol throat singing. Long ago, when I was a kid, the Turks made their last push to conquer Europe. They besieged Vienna in the same year as they did here.

    ¡°Everybody with common sense allied to repel them. The Byzantines, the Celts, the Mongols, and the Hungarians,¡± Ludwing started to walk back and forth but kept his eyes on the jury. Eyes widened. They listened to every word he said, either by fear or interest. ¡°But you see, the Mongols and the Hungarians were at odds, so the Great Khan asked for collateral. A hostage. My father, the crown prince, decided on his own that I was the best for the task. I was twelve and a sickly child. If worst was to come, my demise was not a problem to him.

    ¡°I stayed with the Mongols for two months¡­ The Khan was an evil man¡­ he liked to burn me with a hot iron poker¡­ every day¡­ But the Shaman was nice¡­ She taught me throat singing and stopped him from killing me many times. That helped me to¡­ get through¡­¡± Ludwing paused, his voice choking. The burns and the singing came into his mind as vividly as when it happened.

    ¡°What happened next?¡± the blonde asked in a tearful voice. Ludwing realized she was the only kind person on the jury. Indulging him in what she obviously thought was a fake memory created by his brain to explain other traumas. Ludwing had read a few books on psychology one-on-one and even went to a few sessions with Bella¡¯s boyfriend to learn the stuff directly. Shrinks were the best manipulators¡­

    ¡°My grandfather found out and diverted his army of Dark Knights toward the main Mongol camp. As their main forces were busy elsewhere, he rescued me¡­¡± And killed every single one of them except the Shaman. Impaled them¡­ Made me turn into a raven and gouge out their eyes¡­ I ate the Khan¡¯s liver for days before he died¡­ Next year, I strangled my father with my bare hands and slit my brothers¡¯ throats in their sleep¡­ Grandfather was a great educationalist.

    The thoughts were left unsaid. Earth people were softies. One could win their votes with a tearful song or a fast sleight of hands, getting their pity if you were a cripple. But without a mike or a wheelchair, how well would those beggars do?

    Stepping briskly to the waiting room, Ludwing brought the girl on stage before her parents could react. ¡°You asked me what I want to do with my money? I want to start an alternate healing care center for kids with disabilities.¡± Here you are, eat my mushy stuff, Earthlings!

    Leaning to whisper in the girl¡¯s ear, the king cast Healing and Accelerate Regen on her. ¡°This is not an act of kindness. I¡¯m transferring a debt. One day, do the same for a random person.¡±

    With one hand, he pushed the girl off the chair, pulling the item with the other. ¡°And this, ladies and gentlemen, is magic,¡± he clamored as the girl took the first wobbling steps in her life, her tearful eyes widened in stupor.

    His mana was low. Ludwing dismissed the Dark Arena, transformed into a raven, and took flight. The doors and windows were closed, so to save himself the embarrassment of asking someone to open them for him, the king hid on a beam, high above, in the shadows. He had no choice but to wait until the show was over.

    <hr>

    Watching the show in Vienna on a live stream, Vincent facepalmed. The king brayed like a donkey in heat, adding high-pitched notes resembling a broken firefighter siren. Vienna was lost¡­ He only had Prague to raise his Karmic Charges enough for the trip if he was to take more people with him. The assistant came to get him to the scene, and he followed reluctantly, the veins bulging on his temple, his head exploding under a tremendous headache.

    His mind wasn¡¯t in the game. It was the pets that saved the day; pets were funny. Some complained their owners left the door open while having sex, others about disliking their master¡¯s taste in clothes or perfume. Most pets thought themselves smarter than their humans, and some were.

    At the show''s end, he told the truth about what he would do with his money¡ªbuy his little sister an apartment, and Vincent was sent into the finals¡­ It was Friday night, and the big finale was scheduled for Saturday, the next day¡­ Fortunately, because he could not have waited for another week to go back¡­ He was worried about Irene¡­ Was she safe? That took precedence over whether she felt the same about him... albeit that was no small concern. Then came the worries about Lila, Raya, everyone¡­

    After the TV show, Vincent had to spend a lot of time reading and signing many legal papers and stay on the set for a couple more hours to do a few commercials for a small magic prop enterprise. The money from that was to be donated to a charity for children. In total, he was now at a hundred and thirty-two Karmic Charges. Almost there.

    When he arrived at his parents¡¯ apartment in the middle of the night, Vincent found Ludwing smoking next to the open window in the guest room.

    ¡°Karl gave me a lift¡­¡± Ludwing explained.

    ¡°You would not harm him, are we understood?¡± Vincent frowned.

    ¡°Does sleeping with Elina count? Since you¡¯re not interested¡­ She hit on me today.¡±

    ¡°I bet she was only nice,¡± Vincent hissed. ¡°You won¡¯t understand.¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­ I probably wouldn¡¯t,¡± Ludwing shrugged, throwing the cigarette butt into the street below. ¡°How did you manage to cut and re-enchant the ring? I had no idea you could do that¡­¡±

    ¡°It was not me¡­ My father had the idea and started cutting slowly while I kept my Arcane Intuition on, touching the ring with the tip of my finger. I discovered we could cut eight smaller slices from the ring¡­ for now, we did three.¡±

    ¡°Three?¡±

    ¡°Yes¡­ I kept two in storage and decided to¡ª"

    ¡°Trust me?¡±

    ¡°Give you a chance¡­ We hope you could be¡­ an ally.¡±

    ¡°I am an ally, son¡ª¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not! And don¡¯t you dare to call me your son,¡± Vincent snarled. ¡°You¡¯re a manipulative asshole. And just so you know, before trying something stupid, there¡¯s a tracker in the ring. A satellite is following you twenty-four-seven, with an assault team ready to take you out on a moment¡¯s notice. If you go rogue¡­ pan,¡± he mimicked a gunshot with his fingers.

    ¡°Perfect,¡± Ludwing said, going to bed. ¡°I like being taken seriously¡­ Good night, s¡­ my friend.¡± In less than a minute, the king was breathing quietly, asleep.

 35 â€“ Book 2 -7. Point of Return

    In the show¡¯s finale, Vincent performed last. Like the first time, his moment was simultaneous in Vienna and Prague. Physically, he was in Prague because it was his city, after all.

    ¡°What will you do tonight, Vincent?¡± the oldest member of the Czech jury asked. An old man, an actor, affable and kind, the Santa type.

    ¡°I will repeat the same act from my first apparition, sir, only with a slight variation.¡±

    ¡°Interesting. Should I write something on a piece of paper?¡± the blonde in Vienna asked. She had a paper and envelope prepared.

    ¡°If you want, sure. You¡¯re not obliged.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s drawing a heart, and she wrote her phone number on the back,¡± a voice spoke in Vincent¡¯s earbud. Thug, his mercenary comrade. He had mounted cameras in the venue the prior night.

    Not interested, Vincent thought. ¡°Now, I would like all jury members to volunteer for the act. Are you all OK with it?¡± he asked. It was a rhetorical question; he knew they were obliged to accept to play ball with the competitors by their contract. Once everyone nodded, he smiled and Strode to Vienna, taking the Czech jurors with him. A second later, he returned to Prague with the Austrian jury. The rock star fainted, and two others slackjawed, but the blonde rushed to push the envelope in his hand.

    ¡°And this, ladies and gentlemen, is real magic,¡± he said their catchphrase. ¡°Please vote for me.¡± After he bowed, Vincent transported himself to the Altenschloss domain.

    ¡°You¡¯re forgetting something,¡± Elina said. She was looking at the show on her smartphone. On both sets, all hell had broken loose.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± Vincent frowned.

    ¡°The juries! They¡¯re in the wrong place.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯ll call a cab,¡± Vincent shrugged. In truth, he didn¡¯t forget about the jurors but intentionally left them in the other town. If, in time, magic became more normal on Earth and portals a thing, it was better to prepare the population beforehand.

    In the park, a huge gathering of people and materiel waited. Ten heavy trucks carrying containers and military vehicles covered by tarps and people. He had a hundred and seventy Karmic Charges, which were still mounting. Soon, they stabilized at one hundred and ninety-five.

    ¡°How many people do we have?¡± Vincent asked.

    ¡°Sixty. Half mercs and the rest relatives and significant ones,¡± Karl said, inspecting a list.

    ¡°So few?¡± Vincent widened his eyes.

    ¡°Yes¡­ Many of our proteges had bad relationships with their families¡­ you know¡­ it¡¯s that age. We considered it¡¯s best to keep their relatives in the dark¡­ they¡¯re unreliable. We¡¯ll keep sending them AI-generated recordings. Ninety percent of the girlfriends of boyfriends had dumped them too as soon as they were informed about the pretended Amazon mission. You know¡ª¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s that age,¡± Vincent sighed. Was Irene still feeling the same way about him? He surprised himself, wondering the same about Lila¡­ and Raya, though he would have bet Raya moved on and returned to her husband¡­  ¡°Are you ready?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re not coming,¡± Elina said very fast.

    ¡°What?¡± That was unexpected.

    ¡°Son,¡± Karl fondled his shoulder. ¡°We really think you¡¯re good for Irene. If we came, we¡¯d be in the way. Romance can¡¯t bloom with parents looking over your shoulder every second. Let us know as soon as possible if Irene¡¯s safe.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s hope the ring links work¡­¡±

    ¡°Fuck no! I¡¯ll kill you all! I¡¯ll eat your livers raw!¡± a voice screamed not far away.

    ¡°What¡¯s up, Ludwing?¡± Vincent asked, rolling his eyes.

    ¡°We won Prague but lost in Vienna¡­ The singer won! How is this possible?¡±

    ¡°Soppy personal story,¡± Elina said. ¡°And mikes make anyone look like they have a voice. Don¡¯t worry, there¡¯s a sizeable consolation prize this year.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll go say goodbye to my folks,¡± Vincent said, walking to his family.

    ¡°Good luck, Vincent,¡± his father hugged him. His mother was crying but tried to hold herself together and kissed his cheeks.

    ¡°Take care, Vincent,¡± Bella said, tucking herself to his chest. ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t know what to say¡­ Thank you for your gift¡­¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re welcome,¡± he kissed her hair. ¡°Guys, make sure Bella buys a good apartment.¡¯

    ¡°There¡¯s one below us,¡± her mother said. ¡°It will be so practical when she¡¯ll have children!¡± Behind the woman, Bella was shaking her head in a desperate no.

    ¡°I think she could wait a few more years for that,¡± Vincent said. ¡°But I¡¯d be glad if she¡¯d go stable with the shrink guy. OK, guys, this is hard for me¡­ sorry¡­ I should go.¡¯

    Exchanging one more hug with each, he returned to the Altenschloss and hugged them too. ¡°Please let us know if she¡¯s safe as soon as possible,¡± Irene¡¯s father said.

    ¡°I will,¡± he patted Karl¡¯s back. ¡°Let¡¯s do it.¡±

    ¡°Travelers, take your position,¡± a megaphone bellowed. ¡°Civilians, remember, this is a military operation. Don¡¯t move an inch unless instructed. Stay silent unless asked to speak. Move!¡±

    Waving to his family as he ran toward the group to be transported, Vincent felt his eyes fill with tears. A little over a month had passed since he had returned to Earth¡­ And if somebody had told him two months and a half before, he would be Isekaied to an alien planet and decide to return there given the choice, he would not have believed¡­ Shaking his head, Vincent joined the rest and started concentrating.

    Return is channeling. Please select a destination.

    He failed to set the arrival point in Krivoburg¡¯s main square. Maybe he got too many things and people with him? The clearing was available, though.

    ¡°In three¡­ two¡­ one!¡± he yelled.

    This time, the transportation had both light and thunder. It felt less violent than the first but definitely more¡­ evident. The clearing was empty. No sign of the tiger or anything. Within a minute, the mercenaries deployed drones and adopted defensive positions.

    The System and its Archetypes welcome you back, Vincent Velasco.

    Shit, I have the Raven name equipped. Problem for later. Hmm¡­ phone is not working¡­

    ¡°I¡¯ll go into town to let them know I¡¯m back!¡± Vincent yelled.

    ¡°Axe Raven is going out, Dragon, taking command,¡± a mercenary in his late forties shouted.

    The moment Vincent tried to go to the inn, he knew something was wrong. The location had disappeared from his list of targets. Heart in his throat, he summoned his tactical suit and jumped into the sky, gliding.

    ¡°The fuck?¡± he gasped.

    The landscape had changed. The forest was the same, but the fields around Krivoburg and the town itself had¡­ grown. Two miles of cultivated lands now separated the treeline from the city. The river was wider, more bridges were crossing it, and the city was twice in size. In its middle stood a giant tree, over three hundred feet tall.

    I¡¯m thinking in feet again, Vincent realized. The town center was still about the same; only the main square was much larger, and he jumped there. A few young scientists Vincent recognized were strolling around, ice cream in their hands. He grabbed one by the arm. Amina Mwanga, a bioengineer from Lagos, twenty-five, the name came to his memory. Vincent learned all his guilders'' names on Earth, reading them twice a day at Karl¡¯s suggestion. A good leader should know his team by heart, the man had said.

    ¡°Hi, Amina. Where¡¯s Irene? Is she OK?¡± he blurted.

    The woman looked at him with widened eyes, dropping her ice cream on the pavement. ¡°V-Vincent?¡±

    ¡°Vincent¡¯s back! Vincent¡¯s back!¡± the girl next to Amina screamed. Her name was Lani.

    ¡°Irene¡¯s in the t-tree¡­¡± Amina pointed with shaking hands. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ the new Guild Headquarters.¡±

    He ran toward the tree. In its middle was a door made of heavy beams reinforced with metal that opened as he approached. Behind, a lobby and a long set of stairs. Vincent climbed them a  few steps at a time. Then, a familiar space appeared: the inn¡¯s fa?ade, inserted in the wood. The stables were gone, but when he entered, the dining room was still there¡ªalbeit twice in size now¡ªplus a few conference rooms, some big, some small,  and a small venue, the size of a small theatre. The rooms he could see were empty, though.Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.

    ¡°Irene!¡± Vincent screamed. ¡°Lila, Bee, anyone?¡±

    ¡°V-Vincent?¡± a couple of voices yelled. Irene jumped in his arms like a cannonball, almost throwing him down. Lila arrived a second later but kept a few feet apart.

    ¡°Mussed ou sou mouch¡­¡± Irene sobbed, tears sprinkling out of her eyes like a fountain. Lila was quiet, looking more reserved. Vincent kissed her hair, not knowing what to say and what she expected from him.

    ¡°I need a moment,¡± he said, gently retreating from the embrace and focusing on his ring. ¡°It¡¯s important.¡±

    Trying to set an Inter-reality connection. Connection failed. Retrying¡­ text message transmission is possible. Focus your thoughts, and they will be transcribed in Chat 1 format.

    [Ludwing]: Is it you?

    [Vincent]: It¡¯s me. Irene¡¯s safe. ¡°Is everyone OK?¡± he asked in a loud voice.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Lila nodded.

    ¡°Man, I missed you!¡± Bee¡¯s voice shouted over Lila¡¯s answer. Other people had started to appear in the lobby, their numbers growing by the minute.

    ¡°Moment, Bee!¡± Vincent said.

    [Vincent]: Tell the Altenschloss everyone in the group is OK. I¡¯ll let you know how¡¯s your daughter as soon¡­ Never mind. She¡¯s fine¡­ I have a visual on her.

    Ludwing¡¯s progeny, the Half-Sidhe, was among the ones present and looked at him with a hint of curiosity but otherwise much indifference. She wore all leather black clothes and had tons of new tattoos and piercings.

    [Ludwing]: Elaborate.

    [Vincent] No time now, I¡¯ll call you tomorrow. End transmission.

    ¡°Guys,¡± Vincent yelled. ¡°I¡¯m back with gifts and guests. I¡¯ll be direct. Your families know you¡¯re alive, but for security reasons, most were told you¡¯re saving the Amazon. The rainforest, not the company. Half of you have visitors from home, and the others have messages on a USB stick. Titan, the logistics expert, has it. Here¡¯s a list with the ones having guests,¡± Vincent raised a piece of paper. ¡°Bee, read it in the dining room. I will need everyone to be calm and behave orderly. There is much we have to discuss, but in due time. Go!¡±

    ¡°Follow me!¡± Bee snatched the paper and ran into the dining room, followed by the crowd.

    ¡°We have tons of things to organize,¡± Vincent said to Irene, taking her hands into his, ¡°but before that, I need to know if you feel the same¡ª¡±

    She kissed him with a desperation only true love has. Different, but at the same time, like his first and last kiss with her ex had felt¡­ ¡°I love you,¡± she whispered.

    ¡°I love you too¡­¡± Vincent¡¯s tears were flowing down his cheeks. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I realized it so late¡­¡±

    ¡°Go talk with Lila,¡± Irene said in his ear rapidly because the dancer had retreated further into a corner. ¡°We¡¯re OK to share you,¡± she caressed his cheek, ¡°We¡¯re good friends now¡­ I don¡¯t know how you feel about her, but she cares for you a lot.¡±

    ¡°Back in a moment,¡± he pecked her lips and rushed to Lila, only to hesitate in front of her. What to say? He did like her a lot¡­ but love?

    ¡°I¡¯ll be OK!¡± she said, crossing her arms in a defensive gesture.

    ¡°Sorry?¡±

    ¡°I know you want to break up with me¡­ You love Irene.¡±

    ¡°I missed you,¡± Vincent fondled her neck, massaging her lower cheek with his thumb. ¡°I closed my heart to you because I was a mess¡­ I thought a lot about you this month¡­ If I¡¯m honest, I don¡¯t want to lose you¡­¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want either,¡± she said with a strangled voice.

    ¡°What if we take it step by step and see where it goes? ¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s all I¡¯m asking for,¡± Lila smiled, tears shimmering in her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m so happy you came back,¡± she pushed herself on her toes, kissing him. ¡°Go, take care of whatever you have to.¡±

    Vincent hugged her, returning to Irene. ¡°The group is in the clearing. I didn¡¯t feel the tiger around¡ª¡±

    ¡°He bonded with Hari and lives in the fields now¡­ In a shack with running water.¡±

    ¡°Perfect¡­ It¡¯s better not to show himself yet; the guys are trigger-happy.¡±

    ¡°The guys?¡± she frowned.

    ¡°Just a manner of speaking¡­ There are gals too¡­ About thirty mercenaries. Your parent¡¯s idea.¡±

    ¡°My parents?¡±

    ¡°Lovely folks¡­ a bit hyperactive¡­ too much money and free time¡­ but smart and kind¡­ I worked with a security firm on a few jobs, and then they bought it. I have a few old friends among the mercs, comrades from my times overseas¡­ Let me contact them¡­ If we jump there without notice, they might shoot first and ask questions later.¡±

    Vincent tried to see if his radio comm worked. ¡°Dragon, this is Axe Raven. Dragon, this is Axe Raven. Do you copy? Over.¡±

    ¡°Axe Raven, this is Dragon. Loud and clear. Over.¡±

    ¡°Dragon, I¡¯ll teleport there with two friends in¡­ one minute. Repeat, arriving with two friends in a minute. Over.¡±

    ¡°Roger, Axe Raven, you¡¯re clear to come. Dragon out.¡±

    ¡°Bee, come here!¡± Vincent yelled. ¡°Give them the list if you¡¯re not finished.¡±

    ¡°Coming!¡± Bee shouted back. He reappeared in a few seconds, leaving behind, in the dining room, a growing noise of voices.

    ¡°We jump in two¡­ no, make it ten seconds¡­ the boys like precision.¡±

    ¡°What boys?¡± Bee inquired.

    ¡°Well¡­ the new name is Axe Raven¡¯s Legion. Motto: If you see us, run. We¡¯re not into being nice business. I  came with it.¡± Vincent took Irene and Bee to the clearing as soon as he finished speaking.

    ¡°Oh my GOD!¡± Irene yelped, seeing the amount of people and the containers. The civilians had spread around, which meant the mercenaries had taken positions between the trees, covering the clearing and the surroundings.

    ¡°We¡¯ll need storage for the supplies,¡± Vincent pointed to the trucks. ¡°But before that, I¡¯ll need to take a few of the boys to decide where to put things. Dragon and Thug will inspect the Guild and choose rooms for the mercenaries. They take priority over the civilians. If there are not enough rooms, the guests will stay with the one they¡¯re visiting.¡±

    Bee raised his hand. ¡°But¡ª¡±

    ¡°But nothing, Bee. It¡¯s for tactical reasons. How fast they can move, and where can they defend the building from attacks. The guys are good, way better than I, and have done this job for many years. Dragon was a colonel in the US Army before he retired.¡±

    ¡°Howdy,¡± a man with gray hair and mustache saluted.

    ¡°Titan and Ghost will inspect logistics. Hopefully, that tree has a free room to transform into an armory. We brought thousands of handguns and rifles, plus heavy machine guns, mortars, self-propelled howitzers¡ª"

    ¡°You¡¯re joking!¡± Irene gasped.

    ¡°Body armor, combat Drones¡­ one¡¯s basically a fighter jet. Have you sorted out the fuel problem?¡± Vincent asked.

    ¡°N-not at this s-scale,¡± Bee stuttered. ¡°We have a bio bio-fuel station for diesel locomotives.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s a bio bio-fuel station? Sorry, have you said locomotives?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, we have a rail going to Prague now, twice daily.¡±

    ¡°Bio Bio-fuel is made by a living plant as big as a house. It eats garbage and produces fuel,¡± Irene said.

    ¡°That¡¯s neat,¡± Vincent nodded appreciatively. ¡°Sorting out high-octane stuff is now a priority; I count on you, Bee.¡±

    ¡°On me?  Amina and her team are the ones to talk to.¡±

    ¡°Then you talk to her. I have plenty of stuff on my hands, so I can¡¯t micromanage everything. By the way, you won¡¯t believe the precision lathes we brought. And my dad helped me get kilos of Moldavite and jade. Green gems are supposed to work better here, right?¡±

    ¡°Yey!¡± Bee cheered.

    ¡°Let¡¯s get those people in town¡­ Is the road OK?¡±

    ¡°All roads in a twenty-mile radius have been repaired and made better by the Dungeon core you installed,¡± Irene said.

    ¡°Perfect. Dragon, we¡¯re ready to roll! Bee, go with the first truck.¡±

    The mercenary nodded and started to shout orders. Two humvees were taken down from their platforms. Armed with heavy machine guns, they were to protect the front and rear of the convoy. Orders were given, and the civilians went onto a military transport bus.

    ¡°I and my team will walk,¡± Thug said. ¡°Better coverage of the terrain.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t sense any beast,¡± Vincent said.

    ¡°There are no more ¡®cause Irene slayed them all,¡± Bee said emphatically. ¡°She¡¯s nicknamed Pest Control.¡±

    ¡°The code name for Axe Raven¡¯s gal is Pest Control!¡± Dragon yelled.

    ¡°Nooooo!¡± Irene wailed. ¡°Bee, you moron!¡±

    ¡°Move, move, move!¡± the mercenary ignored her, gesturing at the group.

    The first Humvee started its engine in a plume of heavy smoke and drove southeast toward the road cleared by Vincent two months before. The bus followed, then the trucks. They kept the speed low to read the track first, but there was no danger there, as Bee said.

    Vincent started to jog along the convoy, and to his surprise, Irene was keeping up with him easily. She was now level fifty, with thirty in Body, forty-five in Mind, and sixty in Spirit.

    ¡°I see you worked out,¡± he complimented her. She blushed but smiled with both her lips and eyes.

    Thirty minutes later, they arrived at the bridge. It was twice larger than Vincent remembered, and a portcullis gate had been built on it at about a third of the distance. The bars rose, and a plump man with pale green skin advanced.

    ¡°Stop! Prepare to be inspected!¡± the man yelled at the first Humvee.

    ¡°Dragon to Axe Raven. What are we supposed to do? Over,¡± the merc radioed Vincent, even if the latter was next to the truck.

    ¡°Stand by, Dragon. Over. Irene?¡±

    ¡°Get off the vehicle and prepare to be inspected by the bridge troll!¡± Irene yelled. ¡°Don¡¯t talk back to him, whatever he says. God have mercy on your soul if you use sarcasm!¡±

    ¡°Axe Raven?¡± Dragon asked on the radio.

    ¡°Are they stupid?¡± Irene asked.

    ¡°Following protocol. Don¡¯t exit the vehicle in a danger zone unless ordered to. Dragon, this is Axe Raven. Follow Pest Control¡¯s orders. Over and out¡­ Do you still love me,¡± he asked because Irene looked at him like a lunatic.

    ¡°Despite my best judgment, yes,¡± she tucked herself in his shoulder, grabbing his hand.

    Dragon opened the door, jumped off the vehicle, and advanced toward the troll, raising his arms laterally, waiting to be inspected for guns. ¡°Hi, shorty. I carry three pieces.¡±

    ¡°Oh, no!¡± Irene gasped.

    ¡°Yes, you are. Because that thing between your legs sure isn¡¯t a fourth one. Don¡¯t worry; the town¡¯s brothel has the best magnifying glasses; the whores will find your wiener in no time.¡±

    The mercenary slackjawed. Maybe still in shock, he pushed the radio button. ¡°Axe Raven, this is Dragon,¡± he said in a choked voice. ¡°May I shoot the Leprechaun? I repeat: May I¡ª"

    ¡°No, you may not!¡± Irene screamed. ¡°He¡¯s a civil servant, and while he¡¯s on his bridge, he¡¯s immune to physical damage! Annoy him, and he¡¯ll tag you with a call sign you won¡¯t be able to take off for a year!¡±

    ¡°Dragon, this is Axe Raven. Execute Pest Control orders. Over and out,¡± Vincent said on the radio.

    ¡°He¡¯s clear,¡± the troll smirked. ¡°Deep insecurity if his third son is really his kid¡­ Show me a recent photo of you and your wife with the kid, and I¡¯ll tell you.¡±

    ¡°H-here¡­¡± Dragon fumbled to get his phone out, showing the screen to the troll.

    ¡°Hm¡­¡± the plump man frowned. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s yours.¡±

    ¡°Thanks!¡± Dragon blurted.

    ¡°Same dumb expression¡­ I bet the max grade he gets in school is C.¡±

    ¡°Get back in the car, Dragon,¡± Vincent grabbed his friend¡¯s arm before the merc could jump at the troll. Growling, the soldier returned to the vehicle while the gunner got out.

    ¡°Hey, walking broccoli,¡± the merc smiled at the troll, making Irene gasp again. ¡°I¡¯m Scoundrell, the Intel officer. Two l¡¯s and an accent on the last syllable because I¡¯m French. You immune to bullets on the bridge, right?¡±

    ¡°Right,¡± the troll smiled back, rubbing his hands. The veins on his forehead were bulging, and the creature had an overall expression of joyous anticipation. ¡°So¡­ Your mo¡ª"

    ¡°Speak shit to me, and I throw you in the river. We¡¯ll see how well you do against the fifty cal then,¡± Scoundrell pointed to the Humvee, where Dragon was behind the machine gun.

    ¡°I¡¯d take Scoundrell seriously if I were you,¡± Vincent said. ¡°He killed like a hundred people with his bare hands.¡±

    ¡°Seventy-eight,¡± the troll corrected him. Nevertheless, the number was impressive enough to make him think twice before making jokes. ¡°I see he¡¯s loyal to your group¡­ But there are two¡­ guilds in his past he still works with¡­ See eye hey and may eye sex?¡±

    ¡°CIA and MI6,¡± Scoundrell said. ¡°Yeah, they call me for the dangerous gigs. My call name is Zero ze¡ª¡±

    Fortunately, the bus behind honked to speed up the movement, and the mercenary went back in the Humvee, taking the wheel. It took over an hour¡ªan interminable time for Vincent¡ªuntil everyone was checked. Among the civilians were two who had promised to tell their story to tabloids and an old man, almost senile, who had the same name as a scientist¡¯s father and had been taken by mistake from a retirement home.

    The first two were scolded but allowed in town, and a merc was assigned to care for the third. Bee guided the military vehicles to the eastern boroughs, where factories and storehouses were built. At the same time, Vincent and Irene finally returned to the Guild.

 36 â€“ Book 2-8. A Night in the Guildchy

    The sun had set when they arrived in front of Irene¡¯s new quarters, looking to the right and left to ensure no one saw them. Their minds were too drunken with each other to work within the normal parameters.

    ¡°That¡¯s Lila¡¯s and Raya¡¯s room,¡± Irene pointed to the door across the couloir.

    ¡°Oh, my God! Raya¡¯s still here?¡± Vincent gasped.

    ¡°Come in, you¡¯ll wake the second shift,¡± Irene whispered, pulling him inside. Before closing the door, she took Cupcake and threw her out unceremoniously. The cub had grown to a lynx¡¯s size now.

    Vincent was curious about the shift, but there were other priorities. ¡°Raya¡¯s still here?¡± he asked again.

    ¡°Yeah¡­ what had you expected?¡±

    ¡°Dunno¡­ to go back to her husband?¡±

    Irene went to a table and poured herself a glass of lemonade and mint, the scent reaching Vincent¡¯s nostrils. ¡°He was involved with the nanny¡­ got her pregnant¡­ You know they have an open marriage, right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­¡±

    ¡°She decided to give them some space¡­ Bought them a house with the money you gave her and returned here to work to pay it back¡­ Her code of honor demands it¡­ In a few years, she¡¯ll be free of debt. I¡¯m giving her the best bounties to speed up the process¡­ She¡¯s out for a few days. All the Amazons are with her.¡± She finished the lemonade and poured herself another one.

    Vincent swallowed a lump. A few years? He wanted to ask Irene what Raya thought about him, but that was not the best moment. He was finally alone with a girl he loved after a separation that felt like years, not a month¡­

    He approached Irene and kissed her. She struggled against, at first, her mouth still holding a bit of lemonade, but then melted in his arms. ¡°I need another drink¡­ I¡¯m too nervous,¡± she pushed him away, grabbing the pitcher to fill a third glass.

    Wait! Mint? Catnip is minty, isn''t it? Is she susceptible to catnip now?

    ¡°Now, where were we?¡± she returned to him with a wide grin, almost feral.

    She pushed her hands against his chest, making him step back, trip, and fall on a couch. The next second, she was mounting him, growling and tearing at his shirt. They kissed with no pause until their skins were all that touched each other. Grabbing his neck, Irene looked at him, and they made love slowly, keeping eye contact and taking their time. It held forever, yet Vincent wished it would never end. It was the most sublime sensation he had ever felt.

    After the climax, she hid her face into his shoulders and cried while he caressed her hair.

    ¡°It was hell,¡± she whispered. ¡°Kiara told us you¡¯re alive, but there was no way to know if you¡¯d return¡­¡±

    Vincent nodded. It had been hell for him, too, only a different kind. He knew he could return but could not know when or if she was safe. She took Irene in his arms and carried her to the bed. ¡°I¡¯m done for¡­¡± she whispered, showing him a limp hand, barely able to move its fingers. ¡°I had no idea it could be so intense¡­¡±

    He kept his left arm around her and called an engagement ring from storage. It had a green modavite as a gem and had been cut by his father. Vincent looked into her eyes, and she smiled, forwarding her finger so he could slip the ring on it before she tucked herself at his chest.

    In the next minute, Irene¡¯s breath slowed down; she had fallen asleep. Vincent stood there, leaning on an elbow, looking at her, inhaling her skin¡¯s scent, a musky yet fresh aroma mixed with the lemon on her breath.This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.

    After a while, Vincent fell asleep too, but woke up after a few hours. His ¡®thing¡¯ was dangling around, a sensation he hated. He got out of bed quietly to put back his boxers. There was a noise at the door, a scratching, and a vibe from Cupcake; the tiger wanted to go back into the room. He opened the door for her, and in an instant, the animal rushed into the bed and cuddled into Irene, growling at Vincent.

    ¡°You damn¡¯ beast!¡± Vincent cursed in a low voice. His half of the bed was now occupied. He prepared to sleep on the couch, but as he closed the door, he noticed a stripe of light under Lila¡¯s door. Dressing in a new T-shirt and pair of shorts extracted from his ring of holding, he crossed the corridor, knocking softly on the doorframe.

    Seconds later, Lila opened, dressed in a half-transparent nightgown. The lamp in her room, combined with the light of the asteroid and planet belt, made her skin look like both gold and silver covered her. Her eyes widened. She kissed Vincent, stepping back into the room, and he followed.

    ¡°I need a shower first,¡± he warned her.

    ¡°You¡¯re OK,¡± she whispered, kissing him again. ¡°You smell nice¡­¡±

    His palms found themselves fondling her breasts on their own. Her neck was so long and thin¡­ kissing it was only natural. ¡°Stop!¡± she pushed him back¡­ ¡°Stop, or I¡¯ll lose my head¡­ I¡¯m unavailable¡­ It¡¯s that time¡­¡±

    Vincent nodded. Birth control on Stellarterra was mainly done by following the natural rhythm, which was rarer due to the increase in life span and predictable with clockwork precision.

    ¡°But I can still care for you,¡± she whispered, her hands becoming greedy.

    Catching her hands before they found their target, Vincent kissed the inside of her palms. ¡°We could just talk and cuddle,¡± he proposed. He really did want to know her better. Lila De Rosa¡­ Vincent didn¡¯t even remember her surname before he went on Earth. He suddenly felt guilty¡­ a low-life rascal¡­ like his sister often called him when he was chasing skirts in his teen years¡­ He should have said no when Raya and Lila had come into his room¡­ instead of thinking with his dick¡­

    ¡°Give me a minute, then we can cuddle,¡± she smiled, going to her desk. ¡°I was writing a list of different healing words in several languages. If the one you heal understands you, it increases the spell¡¯s potency.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s interesting,¡± he said, approaching and massaging her shoulders while looking around. He couldn¡¯t see Raya¡¯s personal items, mainly the weapons. ¡°How¡¯s Raya?¡±

    ¡°Still in love with you,¡± Lila said deadpanned, continuing writing. ¡°And mad with you.¡±

    ¡°We were not in love, Lila¡­ we slept together twice¡­¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what she says too. Quote: We banged twice. He was just a living dildo with a cute ass attached to it¡­ I don¡¯t even remember his face¡­ Why did he behave like I was the love of his life? And then she cries every time¡­¡±

    ¡°Letting her go was the decent thing to do,¡± Vincent sighed. ¡°Look, I¡¯ll not lie¡­ Raya¡¯s what I thought an ideal woman was¡­ err¡­ until recently¡­ Like a fellow soldier, a friend you can take along in battle, then¡­ you know, have sex¡­¡±

    ¡°Like your merc pals, only with a pussy and without the belching contest?¡± Lila asked, raising her eyes from her notebook.

    ¡°They did a belching contest?¡± Vincent facepalmed.

    ¡°The bald, scarred guy won.¡±

    ¡°Thug¡­ He and I go way back. We know each other from the army. What did he belch now, a Shakespeare sonnet?¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter,¡± Lila left the chair, taking his hands in hers and searching for his eyes. ¡°You said: ¡®I thought she was the ideal woman.¡¯ Past tense. What is your ideal woman now?¡±

    ¡°Someone to care for and grow together in each one¡¯s hearts,¡± he answered, kissing her forehead. ¡°I don¡¯t think I can quantify love anymore.¡±

    She smiled. ¡°True¡­ For a while, I thought love was like friendship, about reading the same books and liking the same music¡­¡±

    ¡°What books and music do you like?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I like manga¡­ and Vivaldi,¡± she said.

    ¡°Nice. I like those too,¡± he smiled.

    ¡°From the first time I saw you, I knew you were a Vivaldi guy¡­ I had to feel your strong arms wrapped around me¡­¡± Lila transitioned to a vaudeville tone.

    ¡°You¡¯re a good actress,¡± Vincent said, kissing her neck.

    ¡°Stop!¡± she slapped the top of his head. ¡°I told you I¡¯m indisposed. Don¡¯t stir trouble.¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t wait,¡± he whispered in her ear, nibbling on the lobe.

    ¡°Next week¡­¡±

    Checking the hour on her phone, left on the nightstand, Vincent noticed the intranet and the phone signal were down. ¡°What¡¯s up with the signal,¡± he asked. ¡°It was down since we arrived.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a glitch only Jorge can fix, and he¡¯s out with the Amazons. They¡¯re escorting a Mongol prince somewhere¡­ Now we can cuddle,¡± she said with satisfaction, closing the notebook. They both went to bed, where she tightly wrapped a blanket around them. Sleep avoided him this time, and as Lila¡¯s head lay on his chest, many thoughts nagged him. Was it OK to have multiple partners? Partners he cared for¡­ because there had been multiple times in his early twenties when he saw more girls at the same time, only they were just casual playmates¡­

    But there was a thing he could do to take his mind away from that: reading his stats and seeing what had changed.

 37 â€“ Book 2 â€“ 9. Stats in the Early Morning

    Open notifications, Vincent thought.

    Important: The System has granted a special information package to the Silvaric Country Core you installed. Some of the interactions previously assigned to Archetypes Kiara and Hubris are now in its charge. All messages you see are in Casual Format 1; only you can see them if you are not told otherwise.

    Private Message: Hi! Glad to have you back. Good job with the Raven. We¡¯ll keep in touch. Kiara and Hubris.

    Suggestion from Prodigia Guildchy Core: Review the Guildchy Core settings. Allow the use of Guild, Team, Party, and Raid Chats on default settings Chat 1: audio and text when out of combat, audio when in combat, and text when disguised or sneaking. Implement suggestion: Y/N

    Prodigia Guildchy, huh? I bet the name was Irene¡¯s idea¡­ Yes, of course, I want the chats on.

    Name: Vincent Velasco Age: 28

    Level: 66

    Body +68 (+8) / Mind 43 (+8) / Spirit 58 (+8).

    HPs: 1340 / SPs: 1340 / CPs: 1090 / MPs: 1240

    Available Tokens: 13 / Karmic Charges: 57/200

    Only six levels in a month¡­ Nice stats gains, though¡­

    Class: Dichotomic (Unique, Mythical)

    Elements: You can wield elements from the schools of Light, Darkness, Fortune, and Wisdom, altogether or separately.

    Name buff: Vala?ka/Velasco.

    Due to your class, you can choose the name you want to display. CD: 24h.

    Under the Vala?ka name, you gain +10 in Body and increased damage when using a shepherd axe and light spells. While displaying the Velasco name, you gain the Blessing of the Raven: +10 in Spirit and an increased effect of all Darkness spells.

    These buffs activate only in combat.

    Species: Outsider (Mythical)

    Species Perks:

    Resilience (Passive, Elite): You age 4x slower than a normal human.

    Active effect: Health Transfer. Once per day, transfer your HPs to an ally in need at a rate of 1% HP per second. You cannot go below 15% HP yourself while doing that. Requires 50 MPs to activate. The target will receive a temporary HP buffer (Mana Body) that will last until their vitals can function independently.

    Important: You have reached level 100 in this skill by forcing your body to perform magic in an Inert-Mana world. Please select an Evolution:

    HP recovery: Once per combat, recover 1% HPs/second by spending 1% Stamina/second. You cannot go below 15% stamina while doing that.

    Auto-Tune: You become immune to Mana Corruption (Curses) and Overloading. If a stat is buffed over the cap, re-direct the buff toward your lowest stat. If all your stats are at cap level, ignore any buff.

    Wow¡­ it¡¯s like the System reads my mind!

    FAQ: Why do I receive exactly the evolutions I need?

    Answer: It¡¯s only natural. Your concept build has been taken into consideration and found satisfactory. The System¡¯s purpose is not to confound you but to help you grow into the person you wish to be.

    ¡°I select Auto¡ª¡± Auto-Tune, Vincent switched to thinking when Lila sighed in her sleep. The recovery looked nice, but he intended to unlock and rely more on the basic healing anyway. He always intended to invest in his Body stat, but now, if he raised it to a hundred, in the long term, the Leadership and Vala?ka name buffs meant a big plus in Mind, which was the stat he had least interested in. Vincent suspected that for him, the stat was about speed reactions and combat analysis.

    Resilience (Passive, Elite): You age 4x slower than a normal human.

    Active effect: Health Transfer. Once per day, transfer your HPs to an ally in need at a rate of 1% HP per second. You cannot go below 15% HP yourself while doing that. Requires 50 MPs to activate. The target will receive a temporary HP buffer (Mana Body) that will last until their vitals can function independently.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    Passive/Active effect: Auto-Tune: You become immune to Mana Corruption (Curses) and Overloading. If a stat is buffed over the cap, re-direct the buff toward your lowest stat. If all your stats are overloaded, ignore any buff.

    Nice, let¡¯s go on¡­.

    Slippery + (Passive, Elite). High Resistance to Magic Damage, Mind Control, and against all forms of Identify. +25% chance of dodging physical attacks. Current skill level: 90. Evolvable at level 100.

    Only two levels gained there? Not fair!

    Disguise (Passive, Elite): Set a class and a species to display as a tag.

    Passive Proficiency (Elite): Your passive skills work +25% over their expected performance. Allows most of your passive skills to evolve at Skills levels 50 and 100.

    Passive Skills:

    Battle Instinct (Passive, Elite). You don''t need to look at a target to judge its movements or the distance. Current skill level: 61. Evolvable at skill level 100.

    Additional active effect: Guarantee Hit. Consume 100 Stamina to always hit true with your first attack in a fight. It does double damage if you attack without being noticed.

    Quiet Leadership (Passive, Elite). With few but wise words, you make others follow you. Increases the stats of your followers by +2. Gain +8 in every stat for yourself as long you have at least 30 followers. Current bonus: +8. Current skill level: 98. Evolvable at level 100.

    What? What did I do back on Earth to raise it so much? Was it the talent show or working with the mercs?

    Animal Empathy (Passive, Elite skill). You feel the mood of the animals around you. You can detect hidden predators in an area of a hundred feet if they observe you with malicious intent. Current skill level: 48. Evolvable at Skill levels 50 and 100.

    That definitely was the talent show. Wonder what evolutions it will offer. One way to level, he was sure, was to make friends with Cupcake¡­ yet he was reluctant to do so... The cub had to be taught not to sleep in their bed anymore. Adults had their own things to do at night.

    Spying (Passive, Rare skill). Your presence and attention are barely noticeable, and you are prone to finding secrets. Current skill level: 58. Evolvable at skill level 100.

    Important: Please select your first Evolution for this skill:

    Owl¡¯s Senses: Enhance your Hearing and Eyesight by +25% for every 25 stat points in the Body stats. You can use them to create a virtual map of your environment with a radius of one mile.

    Merge the skill with Arcane Intuition, giving even more insight, raising the overall skill level by 20, and reducing the costs significantly.

    Merge, baby, merge! Vincent considered Arcane Intuition to be one of his best skills. And they had drones to scan the terrain.

    Mentor (Passive, Elite skill). You are exceptionally gifted to teach your skills to others. Current Level: 49. Evolvable at Skill levels 50 and 100.

    I guess I¡¯ll train the boys at magic tomorrow¡­ make it today. It must be early morning.

    Active skills:

    Arcane Awareness (New!) (Passive and Active/Legendary tier). Allows users to intuitively perceive or actively scan and scrutinize their surroundings, revealing hidden details and secret knowledge about objects, creatures, and environments. In addition, Arcane Awareness grants the user a glimpse into the potential of their own skills. Consumes 25 CPs/use. Current Level: 79

    Hey, the costs are so much lower, Vincent rejoiced. That was also true for every other active skill. Practice makes perfect; what can I say?

    Iron Grip (Active, Elite tier): Your grip has an unusual force. This skill increases the strength of your hands for a limited amount of time. Consumes 12.5 Stamina/use and 2.5 SPs/second to maintain. Current Skill Level: 45.

    Shadow Armor (replaces Cloack of Darkness) (Active, Elite Tier). Surround yourself in shadows to sneak around undetected or to absorb damage. Stronger at night. Consumes 5 CPs per second for sneaking and 25 SPs per hit deflected. Heavy hits count consumes double the amount, and Extremely Heavy Hits will also feed on MPs. Current skill level: 52.

    Dark Damage. Imbue this type of elemental damage in your attacks, including ranged ones (Active, Elite tier) +0.5% damage per skill level. Current damage: +15% over base damage. Current skill level: 30. Consumes 7 MPs per hit.

    Vincent considered buying Add Light Damage and Cloak of Light to feel more rounded but decided against it. He needed the tokens to pursue his max Body stat. The dark damage was pretty good, and he preferred training Outsider¡¯s Cloak rather than investing in a new skill.

    Karmic Skills:

    Outsider''s Stride (Active, Mythical tier, Karmic). Bestows you with the ability to conjure a bespoke wormhole. You can use it to go to places you see, were to, or can attune to in various manners, as long they are on an Awakened Realm. This skill has no levels, but it performs better with practice.

    You can transport people, living beings, or objects with you as long they are willing and not more than a hundred feet away. Unconscious or unwilling people you transport to save their lives are an exception. A Stride costs one charge of Karma/jump/person.

    Outsider''s Cloak (Active, Mythical). Use both Light and Darkness to make your presence unnoticeable. A faint glint among the bright light of the day or a shadow confounding itself in the darkness of the night: that''s you. This skill has no levels, but it performs better with practice. Activation costs one Karmic Charge, then 5 MPs/second to maintain.

    Outsider''s Refuge (Active, Mythical): Creates an invisible and impenetrable pocket universe around you for a limited amount of time. Its size depends on your Spirit stat. This skill has no levels, but it performs better with practice. Costs 1 Karmic Charged to activate, consuming 5 Mana/second to maintain.

    Outsider''s Storage (Active/Passive, Mythical): You have a 70-slot Legendary Ring of Holding. No weight transferred to the outside. Capacity: 70% of one metric ton.

    Yeah¡­ I¡¯ve lost some capacity there¡­

    The task was done, and he relaxed, putting an arm under his head and another over Lila¡¯s midriff. Her calf moved by instinct over his leg¡­ It was really hard not to try to make love to her. An incoming notification cooled his lower body.

    Message from The System:

    The System was impressed by how you dealt with the Raven. The System is currently displeased with problems caused by rogue Archetypes. The System asks you if you are disposed to take Bounties regarding other unlawful Archetypes. The System will trust your judgment and allow you to reason with, dispose of, or capture the wrongdoers, depending on the situation. Special artifacts and great rewards await you if you accept. Select your answer: Y/N.

    What the fuck?¡± Vincent gasped. Postpone decision! He was truly not interested but had chosen to be polite for the time being. The fight with the Raven almost cost him his life¡­ It was better to make love, not war.

 38 â€“ Book 2-10. A Fair Fairy

    Although Vincent managed to get one more hour of sleep, he still woke up before Lila. Tiptoeing out of her room, he stopped short in his tracks because he did not remember the new layout. There were many more corridors and floors than before. Starting to err around, he found a terrace offering a magnificent landscape view. The door was opened, and Bee was outside, struggling to tie a message to a goose¡¯s foot.

    ¡°Morning, Bee,¡± Vincent said in a low voice.

    ¡°Hey,¡± Bee said without turning, throwing up the bird to let her fly away.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    ¡°Sending a message to Barbara. Jorge with their group, and there¡¯s no other way to speak to her without the drone.¡±

    ¡°Are you¡­ doing well?¡± Vincent asked, noticing his friend was pale and looked tired.

    ¡°My mother disapproves of our relationship¡­¡± Bee sighed. ¡°She came with the group, you know.¡±

    ¡°I do now.¡±

    ¡°She wants me to return to Earth and continue my two PhDs.¡±

    ¡°Sorry to hear that¡­ Maybe I could speak with her and tell her how much you grew into a real man and stuff?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d appreciate it,¡± Bee nodded.

    ¡°What¡¯s her name? I mean¡­ She doesn¡¯t have a tag: Bee¡¯s mom, right?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s the only Chinese woman among the guests. I¡¯m half Chinese if you don¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t,¡± Vincent confessed. ¡°If you have some spare time, please start enchanting some new gear¡­ Ask Titan. He¡¯ll tell you what are the priorities.¡±

    ¡°I put an engraved gem in the big drone, and I¡¯m working on the test satellite¡­ Man, I¡¯m impressed¡­ you brought a ton of useful stuff.¡±

    ¡°How come you woke up so early?¡±

    ¡°I couldn¡¯t sleep¡­ Mom and I argued too much¡­¡±

    Vincent patted his friend¡¯s back. ¡°I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll like Barbara when she meets her. A question¡­ Which way to the cantina? Oh¡­ and I need a shower first¡­¡±

    ¡°We have showers and toilets in each room now, plus common ones on every inhabited floor.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll use the common ones. I don¡¯t want to wake the girls.¡±

    ¡°There is a Mini-Map in the Menu. Just think about activating it. The lighting adapts to the surrounding luminosity to let you see where you walk.¡±

    ¡°Perfect! Thanks, my friend. Ah, I just remember. Core, if you hear me, include all the guests in the Guild. Give the relatives visitor status and the mercenaries junior members status.¡±

    Prodigia Guildchy Core: Wilco. Core over and out.

    Was that humor?

    Giving Bee a short hug to cheer him up, Vincent followed the arrows on the map to the common bathroom, washed himself, and went downstairs. The eating room was a total mess. No one had cleared after the party, a stale beer odor lingered in the air, and there was no fresh food. Vincent wondered if the inn¡¯s staff had kept their jobs and if there were enough of them to cope with the influx of visitors. However, that was a problem for another time. Some cold pizza remained, and he picked a slice.

    In a corner, Titan¡ªthe merc responsible for logistics¡ªand Hari talked about seeds. They looked sober. Titan was both a vegan and put no alcohol in his mouth, living a spartan life, and Hari was much the same: business at any time of the day.

    At another table sat Ludwing¡¯s daughter, Jong, and Thug. The latter was snoring, his head on the table. A pile of empty glasses told Vincent about a drinking contest¡­ what was to be expected from Thug¡­ Yet, the merc had rushed to compete against people with bigger stats and magic and had lost.

    ¡°I¡­ yield,¡± Jong blurted, bending in two and vomiting on the floor.

    The Half-Sidhe, on the other hand, finished the glass of vodka in her hand and slammed it on the table. ¡°I¡¯ll have my horse fuck you in the ass!¡± she yelled in Hungarian, her eyes wobbly and hazed. Vincent didn¡¯t know Hungarian but was familiar with the swear, a mild one by Hungarian standards.

    ¡°Hey, stop it,¡± he put down the half-eaten slice of pizza, grabbing Jong¡¯s arm because the youngster had removed his T-shirt and wanted to clear the vomit with it. ¡°The boys will clean it up. There¡¯s always someone on cleaning duty.¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­¡± Jong mumbled. His head fell next to Thug¡¯s, and he lost consciousness.

    ¡°Ahaha¡­¡± the woman let out a sardonic laughter, showing the middle finger to her vanquished foes, then posing a kiss on each one¡¯s head, her lips leaving behind a wet lipstick mark on Thug¡¯s bald forehead. ¡°Hmpf¡­¡± she snorted, shook her head, and lighted a cigar. ¡°It was a tough match¡­¡±

    To get over the task and mind his other important businesses, Vincent approached her. ¡°Ludwing told me to say hi. He¡¯s alive but stayed behind on my planet.¡±

    Stretching her hand behind to grab a chair, the woman pulled it near the table, inviting Vincent to sit. ¡°Stayed behind, you say? All for the better¡­. Are you a good fuck?¡± she asked, half-closing her eyes to scrutinize him. ¡°Any of you two, I mean?¡± she moved her eyes between Vincent and a vacant space a foot away from him. ¡°I could do twins for a change,¡± she nodded to herself, dozing off for a second.

    ¡°The fuck?¡± Vincent gasped, surprised by her question.

    ¡°Yeah, that. Are you a good one?¡± the girl bobbed her head up. ¡°That¡¯s the code, you know¡­ If Pa had said, ¡®Tell her I said hi,¡¯ it would have meant hi. ¡®Tell her hi¡¯ means he wants me to seduce you. So¡­ are you a¡ª¡±

    ¡°Weirdos, both of you,¡± Vincent blurted, jumping on his feet just in time. Irene had entered the room and was heaving in panic, looking at the disaster, hand over her heart, her pupils dilated, her mouth taking a reverse curved shape like an upset child. ¡°I promise, honey, the boys will sort it out in no time. This is nothing compared to¡ª¡±

    ¡°Why did you bring them here?¡± Irene began crying. Vincent tried to grab her shoulders, but she snatched herself off and ran away, only to bump into Titan, who had appeared on her back and grabbed her by the arm.

    ¡°To take a bullet for you,¡± the man said deadpanned. ¡°Fighting is not for everyone. It¡¯s better for scientists to stay scientists; we are here to protect them. Vincent, the first communication satellite is ready to launch.¡±This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    ¡°We have communication satellites?¡± Irene¡¯s eyes widened.

    ¡°Moment,¡± Titan raised a finger at her to ask for silence. ¡°Cleaning team, cleaning team, this is Titan. Execute, execute, execute! Over.¡±

    ¡°Titan, this is Cleaning Team Officer Steel. Roger, Wilco. Out,¡± a voice replied on the radio.

    ¡°Yes, we brought twenty satellites for communication and intel gathering,¡± Titan told Irene. ¡°Are you interested in checking the launch?¡±

    ¡°Absolutely!¡± Irene clapped.

    Good, she got over it¡­ Vincent felt relieved.

    The cleaning team entered the room running; they had probably been very close to arriving so fast. They wore hazmat suits and had mops, cleaning products, and bodybags. One checked Thug¡¯s throat for a pulse, then signaled with a thumb up. The rest busied throwing the old food and the bottles into the body bags and cleaning the floors and the tables.

    ¡°Come,¡± Titan beckoned.

    They followed him out of the tree and into the new Main Square. Krivoburg had kept the old one, but a new one had appeared on the other side of the tree. For now, it was an empty space paved with slabs of stone, with a tall and wide building, a clock tower on the far end, and mansions on the sides.

    An open truck trailer displayed twenty-one spheres three feet in diameter in special metal nooks, one of which was being removed with a forklift.

    ¡°It¡¯s the test satellite,¡± Titan said. ¡°Functional, but with fewer functions.¡±

    Bee and a couple of mercs were inspecting a command desk installed near the truck, pushing or moving buttons up and down. Ten feet farther was a crate about ten feet tall.

    ¡°Hi, Irene,¡± Bee waved. ¡°I put a second gem with enchantments on it, just in case. Once up there, the satellite can use both Mana and fuel to maintain a relatively low synchronous orbit.¡±

    ¡°Where¡¯s the rocket?¡± Irene asked, looking around.

    ¡°Here¡¯s the rocket,¡± Titan slapped Vincent¡¯s back.

    ¡°No, no, no, no!¡± Irene stepped between Titan and Vincent, confronting the man with fiery eyes. ¡°I won¡¯t allow my boyfriend¡­ fiance to jump in outer space! It¡¯s dangerous!¡±

    ¡°Technically, it¡¯s not outer space,¡± Bee said. ¡°Just a few hundred miles.¡±

    ¡°I said no!¡± Irene blurted.

    ¡°He¡¯ll be safe,¡± Titan waved his hand. ¡°Vincent has a bespoke space suit and already did a spacewalk back on Earth.¡±

    ¡°Your parents¡­ well, more Elina, to be honest, made me train hard at many things to push my limits,¡± Vincent said. ¡°They paid a lot of money for it.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that sounds exactly like them. Pushy!¡± Irene crossed her arms. ¡°Irene, you have to learn horse riding. Irene, what about violin lessons? Irene¡ª"

    ¡°It was for the best¡­ I would have gone crazy if I didn¡¯t have something to keep my mind busy,¡± Vincent hugged her.

    ¡°Let¡¯s get you ready,¡± Titan said, breaking the charm.

    Helped by the merc and Bee, Vincent dressed in the space suit, then put on the boots, gloves, helmet, and finally, the air tank.

    ¡°Pressurized,¡± the merc remaining at the command desk said.

    ¡°OK,¡± let¡¯s do this,¡± Vincent said through his radio comm, touching the satellite.

    ¡°It¡¯s just the test!¡± Bee yelled at the mayor, who was running toward them, dressed in his best suit and ceremonial decoration. Disappointed, the man returned toward one of the mansions.

    ¡°How will I know if I¡¯m at a good altitude?¡± Vincent said.

    ¡°Look at the light,¡± Titan touched a panel on the satellite. ¡°If it turns green,¡± it¡¯s OK; let it be, and the satellite will do its job. The factory managed to put many more things in these things because they didn¡¯t have to withstand the rocket launch.¡±

    ¡°In ten¡­ nine¡­¡± Vincent started to count down. At one, he looked up, aiming for a point in the sky, and at zero, he activated his skill.

    He exited low, maybe twenty or thirty thousand feet above the ground. The landscape looked like from the planes he had flown with.

    There¡¯s a storm coming. Black clouds were coming toward Krivoburg from the East. Before falling too much, Vincent Strode again, further up. This time, the sky around became black, but the indicator remained red. He was beginning to feel how much distance he covered¡ªabout two hundred and fifty miles¡ªand control his skill better.

    At the third jump, he got blinded. All around him was a dust and debris cloud rising slowly like the disturbed mud on the bottom of a pond.

    ¡°The fuck?¡± he groaned. The only thing visible was the satellite and the light, finally green. His feet touched something solid, and Vincent pushed himself against it instinctively, letting go of the satellite and flapping his arms around.

    The view became clear with each second. Vincent was floating up, the down being the surface of an asteroid he had crashed against, digging a crater at least twenty feet deep and as large. Not even fifty feet from the crater¡¯s edge was¡­ someone.

    The individual couldn¡¯t be anything else than a dwarf. At most five feet tall and likewise large, with the beard one would expect a dwarf to have, only dressed in a space suit, riding a sort of space scooter, a red flag painted on the chest of his suit, with a crossed hammer and a pickaxe emblem.

    A communist dwarf? Vincent asked himself.

    Heavy metal cables linked the scooter with the asteroid. The dwarf began gesticulating at Vincent, screaming something with bulging eyes.

    Take it easy, comrade Stalin Balin. Vincent raised his hands in a peace gesture. Suddenly, the dwarf¡¯s eyes bulged even more. He looked behind the young man at the bottom of the crater, making Vincent realize the man wasn¡¯t angry; he was scared.

    Pressing a button on the scooter¡¯s board, the dwarf jettisoned the chains and activated his vehicle¡¯s trusters, becoming a tiny dot in the black sky in seconds. Vincent had a feeling its propulsion was at the maximum.

    The dust had either flown away or settled, and a glint attracted his eyes toward the crater he had made in the asteroid. A few strands of an unknown material, a shiny, off-white color. Then, the filaments started to rise, and before he could count to two, he was looking at a woman¡¯s head, then a neck, the whole body inching up from the bottom of the pit.

    The strands were the woman¡¯s hair, whose color was similar to her face and had a milky white nuance, like a pearl. She was gorgeous¡­ The moment Vincent saw her, he knew she was unique¡­ a goddess he was destined to serve and love...

    Irene and Lila would not say no, would they? After all, we¡¯re already in a polyamory, right? Vincent swallowed hard, waving at the naked woman. She returned the gesture, smiling. There were blinking blue and red notifications in his peripheral view that he ignored. Also¡­ a man''s silhouette, but that was unimportant¡­ unworthy to detach his sight from the divine beauty.

    [Hubris (the Archetype of Darkness and Wisdom)]: Vincent! Snap out of it! Vincent! Wake up!

    He perceived the Archetype¡¯s voice like a distant and annoying buzzing bug.

    [Hubris (the Archetype of Darkness and Wisdom)]: Vincent, it¡¯s not a girl. It¡¯s a monster! C¡¯mon¡­ you can do better than this¡­ Think of Irene¡­ Lila, Raya¡­ the ones you really love¡­ C¡¯mon!

    The names made Vincent hiccup, and then he saw reality as what it was. The beauty of the woman-like shape was undeniable, but there was more to it. Her body continued into a giant insect beneath. It seemed she was riding it, but her thighs and calves were fused into the mount. If her color was pearl white, the insect had an iridescent tone, as if it were made from mother-of-pearl material.

    What kind of abomination is that?

    [Hubris (the Archetype of Darkness and Wisdom)]: Thank goodness! MOVE! RUN! NOW!

    Vincent Strode to the clearing he had used twice to arrive in the Realm instead of the town because he needed the solitude to concentrate and find more information. He took off his helmet and yelled: ¡°Hubris! Come here this instant and explain yourself! What was that thing?¡±

    ¡°The boss of the most dangerous Dungeon ever, the one who took over a planet,¡± the Archetype appeared near him, speaking normally.

    ¡°But it was destroyed,¡± Vincent frowned, trying to recall exactly what Boory had said to him before their fight in the Vault.

    ¡°The core and the planet were destroyed, but the boss wasn¡¯t. I tricked it into a volcano, and a friend solidified the lava around it. That allowed us enough time to crush the core and run, but we never received the notification about the boss being dead.¡±

    ¡°You tricked it?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I was one of the first Summoned. All Archetypes were,¡± Hubris said. ¡°But not all remember. I¡¯m among the few who kept their memories.¡±

    ¡°Like the Raven¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes¡­ He was a good friend¡­ before going nuts.¡±

    ¡°What now?¡± Vincent asked.

    ¡°This is above your pay grade. We¡¯re gathering a raid of a thousand top-level elves as we speak¡ª Shit!¡±

    Message from The System: The System considers Vincent guilty of breaking its trust. Vincent has been Summoned to save the Human Realm, not to unleash Calamities on it.

    ¡°Hey, cut me some slack; how could I know?¡± Vincent yelled in the air.

    Quest: The former boss of the Fairy Forest Dungeon has detected that the progeny of its former master is alive. Its protocols have kicked in, and its objective is to secure what is now the Prodigia Guidchy Core. This cannot be allowed to happen. Destroy or capture the Boss of the Fairy Forest Dungeon within an hour. No other Archetype except Hubris will assist you.

    Reward: TBD

    Penalty for failure: Krivoburg and the core will be destroyed by orbital bombardment. The Dwarves¡¯ Comradery of Balangastan has been tasked to pull asteroids into firing positions.

    ¡°That thing is a fairy?¡± Vincent asked.

    ¡°Mutated by the dungeon. And it¡¯s coming here.¡±

    ¡°Shit¡­ On a scale of one to ten, how strong is that thing?¡±

    ¡°A hundred?¡± Hubris turned his palms up.

 39 â€“ Book 2-11. Spear of Darkness

    Teleporting into the New Main Square and throwing away his suit pieces all over, Vincent screamed at Bee and Irene: ¡°We have to evacuate the town.¡±

    Prodigia Guildchy Core: I saw the System¡¯s message. I¡¯m transmitting an evacuation order on all communication channels. The Guild had a drill a week ago, simulating a Mongol attack from the Wrocslau faction. Guild non-combat personnel, visitors, elderly women, and children will take the train in ten minutes. Estimated capacity 1000. The rest will leave the town on foot.

    ¡°Why?¡± Bee screamed back, alarmed by Vincent¡¯s shouting.

    ¡°There¡¯s a pissed alien monster coming here, a friend of our core¡¯s mom. If I don¡¯t kill it within an hour, the city will be destroyed. Dragon, this is Axe Raven,¡± he yelled on the radio. ¡°I need a nuke. Immediate. I need a nuke. Immediate! Over.¡±

    ¡°This is Dragon. Say again? Over.¡±

    ¡°This is Axe Raven. I need a nuke, or we¡¯re all dead. A bad thing from space followed me here. Think Alien, only worse. Over.¡±

    ¡°Axe Raven, this is Dragon. Do I activate Top Protocol? Dragon. Out.¡±

    ¡°Negative, Dragon. I¡¯ll execute Top Protocol. Get working on the nuke. Over.¡±

    ¡°Roger, Axe Raven. You are on Top Protocol, I¡¯ll take care of the nuke. Over and Out.¡±

    ¡°You brought a nuke on the Realm?¡± Irene hissed. ¡°Have you tried solving the problem without violence?¡±

    Your parents bought them, not I! Vincent¡¯s mind screamed. ¡°Core, can you tame that thing somehow?¡± Vincent yelled.

    Prodigia Guildchy Core: I might, but the System won¡¯t allow cores to control Calamity-type monsters; it will destroy me both before that happens. All I can do is trick my mother¡¯s servant into believing I am in another location.

    ¡°Lure it into the clearing,¡± Vincent ordered. Two seconds later, there was a slight bent in the descending monster¡¯s trajectory. ¡°Dragon, this is Axe Raven. What¡¯s the nuke status?¡±

    ¡°Dragon here. The first nuke is ninety percent assembled. Location: bridge.¡±

    ¡°We brought two tactical nukes, cores separated from the main device, to prevent explosions,¡± Vincent said.

    ¡°Man, you¡¯re crazy,¡± Bee said. ¡°Mana could make those things unstable.¡±

    ¡°Good point,¡± Vincent said, transporting Bee and Irene to Hradcany Square in Prague.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Irene yelled. ¡°Take me back this instant!¡±

    Ignoring her protests, he jumped to Lila¡¯s room, where the girl was still sleeping, and took her to Prague as well, putting her on a bench.

    ¡°Hey! Did you not hear what I just said?¡± Irene shouted.

    Awakened by Irene¡¯s and Bee¡¯s screams, Lila rubbed her eyes, yawning. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±

    ¡°Sorry, this is for your safety. I¡¯ll be back as soon as possible,¡± Vincent said, returning to the bridge, where Dragon and a team waited beside the troll. A large suitcase was near the colonel, and a team of mercs were frantically inserting a metal ball contraption into the other, using protection gear. ¡°Top Protocol is done; I took Irene to Pragwyn. She¡¯s safe there. Is the bomb ready?¡±

    ¡°We just finished setting the timer. Press this button, and it will explode after ten seconds,¡± Dragon said.

    ¡°I¡¯ll try to blow the monster up in the clearing; if it does not die, we¡¯ll explode the second bomb too.¡±

    ¡°Something can take a nuke in the face and keep coming?¡± Dragon gasped.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but considering it stayed buried in lava and then in space for a few hundred years¡­ Let¡¯s say it¡¯s a possibility.¡±

    ¡°Fifty-six minutes,¡± Hubris said, appearing next to them.

    ¡°Who¡¯s he?¡± Dragon asked.

    ¡°Pay no nevermind to him. Dragon, put the people in position, help with the evacuation¡­ you know¡­ do the stuff you¡¯re hired to do.¡±

    Jumping at the edge of the clearing, holding his hand above the button, Vincent took a deep breath. The line of fire transformed into one of smoke, the reentry heat diminishing. The monster grew in size, closer and closer. Calculating instinctively how long it would take for the boss to land, Vincent pressed the button, then entered Outsider¡¯s Refuge to be sure the impact wouldn¡¯t destroy the bomb.

    The bug crashed into the clearing at full speed, the impact throwing dirt, rocks, and trees everywhere. It was strange to see objects flying directly at his pocket universe, and as they touched the envelope, being warped on the other side. One second before the countdown reached zero, Vincent exited the Refuge and returned to the bridge, leaving the bomb behind.

    The explosion was no different than what he had expected. A huge ball of smoke mixed with fire and a ring of wind expanding. It reached them with the force of a hurricane. Luckily, no people were in the fields that day because it was Sunday.

    Teleporting a mile up and gliding down, he scrutinized the former clearing, now a ruin surrounded by forest fires. It was hard to see anything. There was the smoke from the explosion and the burning trees, and the storm had started as well, covering everything in a deluge. The wind pushed the radioactive cloud away from the city and to the west, which was good; there was only wilderness for more than fifty miles in that direction.

    In the devastation replacing the clearing, something moved. An insect claw. Extracting itself from the giant mud pit, the Boss started to move east, aiming for the city. Its legs on the left side were destroyed, and it was advancing laterally, crawling on the remaining thirteen limbs. It was not as slow as Vincent had hoped.

    ¡°Shit!¡±

    Hubris appeared next to Vincent. ¡°The train carrying the first batch of townfolks has left. They¡¯re well organized,¡±

    ¡°How¡¯s the second bomb?¡± Vincet asked, returning to Dragon.

    ¡°Give me five,¡± one of the mercs working on the device asked.

    ¡°Hurry, or it will be too close to the town. I¡¯ll stall¡ª" Vincent stopped short. He was thinking of doing the trick from Earth. Jumping into the same space as an object and destroying it in the process. Yet that critter had withstood a nuke¡­ Chances were Vincent would be thrown away like a rag doll or his attack avoided¡­ He balled his fists, undecided.

    ¡°Stay put, kid. We have it covered,¡± Dragon said, like reading his mind.

    ¡°Dragon, this is Maverick,¡± a voice said on the radio. ¡°We¡¯re ready. Over.¡±

    ¡°Maverick, this is Dragon. Execute. Over.¡±

    ¡°Roger, Dragon. Maverick out.¡±

    ¡°Is that a code?¡± Hubris asked.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Vincent nodded.

    A drone swarm of at least a hundred strong flew over their heads, heading toward the monster who had appeared at the edge of the destroyed forest. A second later, from two bulges on the sides of the insect, countless lines of fire erupted up, moving to follow the drones and destroying them in flight.If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

    ¡°The fuck! The bug shoots lasers?¡± Dragon cursed, looking through binoculars at the incoming creature, something Vincent could do without the lenses.

    ¡°It¡¯s not an insect; it¡¯s a modified trilobite,¡± Hubris said. ¡°The woman-like protuberation is similar to the baits anglerfish have on their heads. It hypnotizes men, making them fight on its side. The bulges are the eyes; they have a three-hundred-and-sixty-degree vision and shoot Mythical Light beams. Its shell reflects or absorbs immense amounts of damage.¡±

    ¡°Any weaknesses?¡± Dragon ground his teeth. The howitzers were shooting, but their projectiles didn¡¯t even make the boss flinch.

    ¡°Anything, probably, if it gets into the vitals¡­ We made it fall into a volcano and solidified the lava around it, but it still survived¡­¡±

    ¡°Bomb¡¯s ready,¡± a mercenary said.

    ¡°It¡¯s too close to the city¡­¡± Vincent groaned. The crawler was now half the distance, about a mile and a half away from the town.

    ¡°Do it, it¡¯s the only way,¡± Dragon said.

    ¡°I¡¯ll raise a shield over the bridge and the walls,¡± the troll said.

    Vincent pushed the button before Striding, jumping back and forth at the last second. This time, from closer, the pillar of fire was even more impressive, making them close their eyes. He prepared to activate his Refuge, but the troll¡¯s shield held, the shock breaking only windows and roofs farther away.

    ¡°Dragon, this is Wrath,¡± the mercenary drone pilot said on the radio. ¡°Hostile survived and is on the move again. Lost half its legs and an arm on that lass¡­ Over.¡±

    ¡°Bloody hell,¡± one of the mercs behind cursed.

    ¡°Take cover!¡± Hubris yelled.

    Lines of light had begun searching for them, making cracks appear in the shield. Everybody ran, the troll included, hiding behind the farthest pillar of the bridge.

    Message from The System: The System has forwarded the orbital bombardment countdown. It will begin in five minutes. Evacuate the city. Minimal safe distance: 500 yards from the outer wall.

    ¡°Wait,¡± Hubris yelled. ¡°There¡¯s another way. Please! I always did everything you asked me, no questions asked¡­ Give us fifteen minutes.¡±

    Message from The System: The System grants ten minutes with one condition: Hero Vincent will accept the quest The System proposed last night¡ªcapture, reason with, or eliminate rogue Archetypes.

    Hubris turned toward Vincent and spoke very fast. ¡°Listen¡­ When we cleared that dungeon, we went with my plan. The Raven had another. His spear had Supreme Mythical Penetration on a first hit in combat. If anything could go through that thing¡¯s armor, that¡¯s it. Back then, we considered it too risky¡­ Our teleportations were channeled, too slow, and the exit point visible¡­¡±

    ¡°But I can Stride in a blink,¡± Vincent said.

    ¡°Yes¡­ The weapon was gifted to the Corvinus family. It¡¯s the one Ludwing keeps in his secret room.¡±

    ¡°I accept your quest, you mother fucker,¡± Vincent yelled. The insult had been added because he didn¡¯t like to be coerced. Nevertheless, if there was a chance to save the town, the core, and the guild, he was going to take it.

    System Message: The ten minutes begin now. Hero Vincent will need to bond with The Raven Set.

    ¡°I will need a drone live stream on my phone,¡± Vincent told Dragon. ¡°Evacuate, if possible, but someone has to fly that drone for me.¡±

    Without more ado, he jumped in front of Ludwing¡¯s mansion.

    ¡°Vincent!¡± he heard Irene scream. ¡°Come here this instant and take us back!¡±

    Shit! Vincent cussed, realizing how close the mansion was to where he had left them.

    ¡°No time now; the town¡¯s in danger!¡± he yelled, banging his fist on the door. ¡°Open up!¡±

    There was no answer. Pff¡­ I¡¯ll have to jump directly to the private quarters¡­ I hope no one moved there meanwhile¡­¡± Before he did that, there was a noise on the other side of the door, like a loud sniffing. An animalic thought projection searched for his mind, asking who he was.

    ¡°A friend. Open the door!¡± Vincent shouted.

    Grunting and heaving came from the other side, then the noise of the heavy wooden beam falling. Pushing on the panel, Vincent found himself looking almost eye to eye with a giant dog, freezing in place for a second. The canid made no hostile move.

    ¡°You¡¯re that warg guarding the secret room!¡± Vincent realized. ¡°You¡¯re pretty smart if you managed to open the gate¡­¡±

    The dog whined. Somebody had put a conic party hat on its head and painted his claws pink. ¡®Help!¡¯ came an empathic projection.

    ¡°Go join my friends,¡± Vincent pointed to the group that was now approaching. The animal nodded and squeezed between the door and the man, leaping toward Irene, Lila, and Bee. ¡°Guard them, and I¡¯ll adopt you. Don¡¯t be scared; he¡¯s tamed,¡± he yelled at Bee, who was opening his mouth in horror, and Irene, who was preparing a magic projectile.

    After rushing inside the courtyard and up the main stairs, Vincent entered the palace running, with Hubris following. If the Guild¡¯s cantina had been a mess, this was worse. Drunk people, many naked, lay around unconscious in the rooms or on the corridor. A heavy scent lingering in the air reminded Vincent of the weed some colleagues smoked in his first and only year of college.

    I¡¯m so happy I joined the army¡­ Vincent thought. If I¡¯d gone through college, I would have turned into a bum or, worse, a civil servant¡­ He made his way through the disorder, jumping over bodies, empty bottles, and vomited food, reaching the king¡¯s apartment a minute later.

    ¡°Six minutes,¡± Hubris said.

    In Ludwing¡¯s private quarters, a blond and pale reveler, still awake but not by much, was preparing to draw a mustache on Mathias Corvinus¡¯ ambrotype. Vincent threw a jab into the man¡¯s chin, sending him to the dreams, and stored the portrait in storage. He felt it owed that to Ludwing despite their differences.

    The door to the secret room was opened, which he had guessed already, seeing the warg outside. The magic book had been thrown on the floor, and the trunk lay open, the clothes inside missing. The armor and the spear were in their place.

    ¡°Five minutes,¡± Hubris said.

    Vincent nodded. He stored the book, then touched the armor and the spear, sending them to his inventory as well because it was more practical to equip the armor directly¡­ a thing he could have done with the space suit, he realized too late. Despite two months with magic power, he still had reflexes to build.

    You have bonded with The Raven¡¯s Armor of Darkness (Mythical artifact). This item is usable only under the Velasco name. Set equipped 1/2

    Shit¡­ Oh¡­ It¡¯s OK¡­ I have it equipped already¡­

    If the full set is equipped, this armor offers a +25% in all Resistances, doubles your Mana Pool, and will ignore one lethal hit once per day. It will adapt to the wearer''s measures and preferences without losing its properties.

    Under Vincent¡¯s eyes, the armor changed from metal to leather, and even the helmet became lighter.

    You have bonded with The Raven¡¯s Spear of Darkness (Mythical artifact). If the full set is equipped, the spear can execute a perfect strike once per day, ignoring all armor. This weapon doubles any imbued Dark or Shadow Damage. Set equipped 2/2

    Vincent jumped back on the bridge. Dragon and the rest were nowhere, and a line of destruction stretched toward the town''s center. Houses in ruins, fires¡­ bodies. The boss had walked directly toward its target, ignoring the streets like a mini-Godzilla.

    ¡°Fuck,¡± Vincent wailed, his stomach at the point of throwing up. He should have jumped more carefully¡­ taking a telescope, looking through it¡­ A scanner, a radar, something¡­ ¡°This is all my fault!¡±

    ¡°You couldn¡¯t have known,¡± Hubris said.

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t make it any better,¡± Vincent hissed, preparing his spear in his right hand and his phone in the left. As he had hoped, the drone was streaming. The boss was almost at the tree, maybe thirty or forty yards away.

    ¡°Two minutes,¡± the Archetype said.

    I have to hurry¡­

    Despite the urge to jump into the fight, Vincent knew he had to concentrate. What was the weak spot? The fake woman? No¡­ Did the boss have a heart? Lungs? But what if it didn¡¯t or had two or more hearts and vitals?

    He made up his mind and Strode, focusing on appearing as close as possible to the monster, on the left side, where the legs were destroyed, and a little on the rear, thrusting the spear in the big eye. There was resistance at first, but the lance found its way forward, penetrating five feet deep inside the target.

    It screamed with the woman¡¯s mouth, a long, sinister screech. On the left side, the human simulacra looked like it was made of melted glass from the bomb''s heat. Vincent pushed the spear on, trying to do as much damage as possible. He also had a guaranteed hit skill, which added to the spear¡¯s Perfect Strike. His Dark Damage added thirty percent¡­ A normal foe would have been dead in a split second.

    Yet the trilobite was still standing. Vincent¡¯s Arcane Awareness painted a map of the monster¡¯s insides in his mind. The most dangerous part was still the eyes, each a cluster of crystal balls, each able to fire light beams. They danced around, the monster shooting lasers with the right eye, still intact, and Vincent trying to hide in a blind spot.

    A beam hit his leg, but the Raven¡¯s armor negated the damage. That was, at the same time, good and bad news¡­ he was still alive, but even a leg wound from that monster would have been fatal.

    Vincent willed his shapeshifting weapon out of his storage, making the strand grow, wave itself over the spear, go inside the wound, and spread in filaments to destroy the Light Damage orbs on the inside, denying the monster its most powerful weapon.

    The boss screamed again, trying to hit him with the woman¡¯s left hand, the only one still available. The fingers grabbed Vincent¡¯s head, trying to gauge out his eyes, but its strength was fading. The limb only scratched his forehead. Vincent closed his eyelids to avoid getting blood in his eyes. He kept leaning his weight on the spear and spreading the shapeshifting filaments. Finally, he added a Stride for a few inches, sending the impact shock into the now vulnerable monster. Something hissed. A white smoke exhaled out of the creature''s lower front, and it collapsed.

    Message from The System: The System canceled the Orbital Bombardment. Hero Vincent has completed the quest and slain the Calamity. For freeing it from its prison in the first place, Hero Vincent¡¯s rewards will be minimized as follows: Level x1. + 1 in all stats.

    Hero Vincent is placed under the direct observation of Hubris, The Archetype of Darkness and Wisdom. Hubris will be removed from all other assignments.

 40 â€“ Book 2-12. Thus Spoked Szarathrustrinella

    Vincent couldn¡¯t care less about the paltry reward or penalty. The good part was in the blue notification.

    Do you want to merge your shapeshifting weapon with the Lance of Darkness? This will allow you to modify the lance¡¯s shape as long it registers as a Lance, Pike, Spear, or similar weapon with the System.

    Pulling out the spear and the shapeshifting weapon from the monster, he let them merge, then stored it along the armor, dressing back in casual clothes. Pressing his comms button, he asked: ¡°Dragon, this is Axe Raven. Do you copy? What¡¯s your situation? Over.¡±

    ¡°Axe Raven, this is Dragon. We left the town toward the west with the Humvees and the bus. We¡¯re a bit crowded¡­ Took some refugees with us. We lost contact with Thug and the base. Over,¡± came the answer.

    ¡°Dragon, this is Axe Raven. The enemy is dead. I say again. The enemy¡¯s dead. Come back. Over.¡±

    ¡°Axe Raven, this is Dragon. Negative. I say again: Negative. Confirm the base is under control first. I say again: Confirm the base is under control first. Do not answer. Out.¡±

    The merc voice had a tone Vincent hadn¡¯t heard often¡­ Dead serious. So Thug was in the base but somehow incapacitated? What was going on? When he arrived in front of the tree, the door didn¡¯t open. Trying to Stride inside, he failed. Befuddled, he knocked at the door. There was a noise of steps descending the stairs, and then a small window cut in the wood opened. A pair of eyes looked at him. From the tattoos and piercings, it was Ludwing¡¯s daughter.

    ¡°Hey!¡± Vincent waved his hand. ¡°Open the door.¡±

    ¡°No can do,¡± she replied deadpanned.

    ¡°Look, miss¡­ What¡¯s your name again?¡±

    ¡°Szarathustrinella.¡±

    Vincent slackjawed.

    ¡°I know,¡± the girl said. ¡°Pa was fond of Nietzche¡­ He has only weird friends¡­ You can call me Szara or Trinella.¡±

    ¡°OK, Trinella¡­ can you open the door for me, please? There¡¯s no more danger.¡±

    ¡°We have a bit of a situation here¡­ Access is blocked¡­ Have to go¡­ See ya later¡­¡± The girl closed the window, walking away in a hurry.

    ¡°Hey! Come back here!¡± Vincent yelled but obtained no result.

    ¡°Ahum,¡± Hubris cleared his voice. ¡°Why don¡¯t you Inspect the tree?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s up with you?¡± Vincent asked. ¡°Are you a stalker or something? Go away, dude!¡±

    ¡°This is important,¡± Hubris hissed.

    ¡°Fine,¡± Vincent hissed back. His Arcane Awareness revealed a thin and almost invisible pellicule of energy surrounding not only the door but the whole tree as well.

    The Prodigia Lair has been enclosed in a pocket universe. Because you have already been inside, and it is an Active Mana universe, you can breach into it using Return. Cost: 10 Karmic Charges. No additional costs for you, +1 Charge for every person brought with you.

    ¡°Take me with you,¡± Hubris said. ¡°Just think of me like I¡¯d be a normal person, and I¡¯ll follow. This is important,¡± he accentuated the word again.

    ¡°Suit yourself,¡± Vincent rolled his eyes. His Karmic Charges were full, the cause obvious, so he had travels to spare. He appeared inside Irene¡¯s¡­ their room. Cupcake rushed to hide under the bed, hissing at him. ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t want to scare you,¡± he said, rushing outside. The last time he had seen Thug, it was in the dining room, out drunk, so he decided to search first here.

    He opened the door. The room was divided in two by a forcefield. On the nearest side was Trinella and a group of people. Ayman, the doctor, was busy reattaching the left hand of the young scientist, a man in his mid-twenties from Finland. The Healer¡¯s magic weaved strands of meat and bones together; the hand had been cut between the wrist and the elbow. Aside from him was another woman, as dead as possible, a black hole looking at Vincent from the middle of her forehead. She was of middle age, in her early fifties, and Chinese.

    Bee¡¯s mother¡­ Fuck! Vincent gasped. The woman¡¯s belly had been cut wide open, intestines and other organs bursting out. A sizable pool of blood lay underneath, soaking the floor.

    On the other side of the room, behind the energy wall, were Thug and Lukas. On the farther side, Lukas was lying on his back, unconscious but breathing. Thug was sitting on the floor, his back resting on the wall, and had a pistol in the right hand and a glass jar holding a deep green ball in the other. On the floor was a small black cube, the source of the forcefield and probably Lukas¡¯s work.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    There was also the senile old man lying on an armchair, eyes closed, maybe dead or maybe sleeping. Two mercenaries, Wrath and Ghost, were on Thug¡¯s side of the room, too, but obviously dead. Bent over a chair, Ghost had his neck snapped, his eyes looking into nothingness. Wrath was impaled onto a stag trophy on the wall, the antlers¡¯ points sticking out of her chest. The stocky woman had been Dragon¡¯s second in command.

    ¡°What happened here?¡± Vincent asked.

    ¡°He happened,¡± Ayman pointed at Thug.

    ¡°Howdy,¡± Thug raised the gun, saluting. His voice was muffled by the force field but not by much.

    ¡°There was a little arguing, and things went out of hand,¡± Trinella said.

    ¡°Thug, you tell first,¡± Vincent said, calling his revolver in hand.

    ¡°Hey, I didn¡¯t kill anybody,¡± Trinella stepped back, hands up, aiming for the backdoor to the kitchen. ¡°I¡¯m an innocent bystander!¡±

    ¡°Stay put, or I¡¯ll shoot your kneecaps off. Thug?¡±

    ¡°The dead lady went crazy,¡± his friend said. ¡°She came here with this in hand,¡± he shook the jar and told the other idiots they needed to take it to a safe place, and she needed an escort.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the core,¡± Hubris said. ¡°It must¡¯ve tricked her somehow. By the way, they can¡¯t see or hear me.  Avoid talking to me directly.¡±

    ¡°A core can be moved once planted?¡± Vincent asked. ¡°Core? Care to explain?¡± There was no answer.

    ¡°I have a theory, but we¡¯ll talk later,¡± the archetype said.

    ¡°The morons said yes, but Ghost and Wrath wanted to check with you first. When they tried to call you, she swallowed the pill and jumped them. Killed Ghost in one blow. The old timer woke me up, and I saw the lady and Wrath fighting. I had my bowie on me, but she was strong. The stupid kid threw a sort of flash, got in my way, and got his arm half chopped off. The lady threw Wrath into that antler thing¡­ poor girl had no chance¡­ Then this guy,¡± Thug looked at Lukas, ¡°comes in, a gun in his hands, aimed at me. I take his gun, knock the guy out cold, and bang.

    ¡°The bloody corpse was still moving, trying to grab my legs. The old pants screams the pill in her belly must give her powers, so I cut her up. Comms went dead, and the gun guy,¡± Thug pointed at Lukas again, ¡°comes back to life and activates that barrier before I knock him out again. I think he wanted to trap me, but he messed it up. That¡¯s about it,¡± Thug concluded. ¡°The doc and the cute lady stayed out of it, and the old timer cheered for me.¡±

    Cute lady? Well¡­ she beat you in a drinking contest. Who knows¡­ maybe that¡¯s how true love begins¡­  ¡°Aapo, your turn,¡± Vincent ordered to the man on the floor. ¡°What was in your head?

    ¡°Trying to save the core?¡± the man said, grimacing in pain. ¡°We saw two nukes going off, and Bee¡¯s mom told us we have to run with the core before this place is destroyed. She told us the guys you brought went rogue¡ª¡±

    ¡°And you idiots took her side over my guys? Maybe because you think yourself superior to some hillbillies and recycle your shit and¡ª¡±

    ¡°I recycle a lot, man,¡± Thug said. ¡°The bodies of those I killed feed tons of crops.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you morons how I see things,¡± Vincent snapped at Aapo and Ayman. ¡°The core manipulated Bee¡¯s mom. I¡¯d bet it promised she¡¯d be able to control Bee somehow. You fell for it without a second thought. What do you think Countess Dracula here would have done¡ª¡±

    ¡°I resent your words, Guildcher Vincent,¡± Trinella said in a haughty tone, crossing her arms. ¡°I¡¯m a princess. And I do not associate with hicks of the Draculesti sort.¡±

    ¡°¡ªonce out of town?¡± Vincent continued. ¡°She would have slit your throats and take the core for herself. I didn¡¯t think you were an idiot, doc, yet you prove me wrong.¡±

    ¡°I would not have done such a thing,¡±  Trinella waved her hands, returning to her informal tone. ¡°I¡¯m a lover, not a fighter. I would have pickpocketed the core only to return it to you, its lawful owner. No hard feelings, right?¡±

    ¡°You have no idea how lucky you are,¡± Vincent sneered, continuing to speak to Aapo and Ayman. ¡°Thug must¡¯ve gone out of his way to spare you.¡±

    ¡°Right,¡± Thug nodded. ¡°¡¯Cause you¡¯re my pal, and I didn¡¯t want to upset you.¡±

    Vincent bit his lips¡°, sighed, and continued: ¡°What happened here must not leave the room. I¡¯ll make up something¡­ Shit¡­ I hate lying to friends¡­ Never mind, it¡¯s the only way¡­ It¡¯s better than having Bee hate Thug¡­¡±

    ¡°I can deal with it,¡± Thug shrugged.

    ¡°Wait until you meet Bee¡¯s wife before speaking,¡± Vincent sneered. ¡°As for you two,¡± he stared at Ayman and Aapo, ¡°that woman on the wall was Dragon¡¯s second in command. I saw him shoot a man¡¯s dick off because he kicked his cat. This. Stays. Here. And last but not least, missy, if you spill the beans, I¡¯ll bring back your father. He might be surprised about your lifestyle.¡±

    ¡°Pa? Nah,¡± she waved her hand. ¡°All I have to do is stick my little finger in his nose, pull, and he¡¯ll follow around like a dog,¡± she demonstrated the gesture. ¡°I¡¯m eighty, sweet tushy. I can deal with Pa.¡±

    ¡°Then act like an eighty years old. Be responsible. Go play Bingo on a date with the young gentleman here,¡± Vincent pointed at the old man, now awake and rubbing his eyes with a befuddled expression. ¡°Enough! Time to return the core to its place. Thug, wake up Lukas, and make him turn off the device. Is that cube responsible for the outer¡ª¡±

    ¡°No. The pocket dimension is a core¡¯s last protection,¡± Hubris said. ¡°Take the core, and let¡¯s talk somewhere in private; this is important.¡±

    Thug went to Lukas and woke him up with a few kicks in the ribs. ¡°Turn that off,¡± he gestured with the pistol. After searching his clothes for a remote control, Lukas pressed the button, and the forcefield disappeared.

    ¡°You¡¯re welcome,¡± Thug forwarded the jar to Vincent.

    ¡°Wait here,¡± Vincent said toward the rest. ¡°Thug, they move, shoot their kneecaps.¡±

    ¡°It goes without saying.¡±

    Vincent exited the room, descending the stairs, imagining the core had a nook or something in the basement. The problem: there was no basement. The only room downstairs was the small lobby.

    ¡°Core, I¡¯m a nerve wreck now. You better talk to me, I warn you. Where¡¯s your¡­ whatever you call it. Lair?¡±

    The core remained silent but emitted a bright light twice.

    ¡°I think it can¡¯t talk while in there,¡± Hubris pointed.

    As soon as Vincent opened the lid, a message appeared.

    Progidia Guildchy Core: Thank goodness¡­. I¡¯m claustrophobic. Master, let¡¯s run before the orbital bombardment begins. I¡¯ll leave a fake print of me here. It should hold until the monster is destroyed.

    ¡°I killed the thing¡­ The orbital bombardment is canceled.¡±

    Progidia Guildchy Core: You¡­ killed the Calamity?

    ¡°Tell me, core,¡± Hubris said. ¡°Is this pocket universe isolated from the System?¡±

    Progidia Guildchy Core: I sure hope so¡­

    ¡°Wonderful! Let¡¯s talk somewhere out of earsight,¡± Hubris said.

    ¡°Hearing, you mean,¡± Vincent said.

    ¡°This is important!¡± the man repeated his catchphrase. ¡°It¡¯s about the System.¡±

 41 â€“ Book 2-13. Gossip Behind the Systemâ€™s Back

    Rolling his eyes, Vincent transported himself, the Archetype, and the core into Lila¡¯s room. Putting the jar on the table, he faced Hubris, clenching his fists.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go first. I realized something. All this is not my fault. It¡¯s yours and the System¡¯s. Why did you let us alone for so long without proper assistance? Why didn¡¯t you warn me before I jumped? Or after the second jump. Hey, Vincent, don¡¯t disturb Godzilla? Why did you leave it out there in space instead of¡­ I dunno¡­ push it into the sun?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s exactly what the dwarf was doing, idi¡ª my friend,¡± Hubris hissed. ¡°Pulling the asteroid toward the sun. The monster was discovered by a mining company a few days ago. At my request, Thorrak, the Archetype of Oaths and Dwarves, sent a tugboat to take care of it.¡±

    ¡°Did the System knew it was there?¡± Vincent asked.

    ¡°I suppose¡­ I¡¯m not sure¡­¡±

    ¡°Why there was no warning? Or anything, a forcefield prison, something.¡±

    Progidia Guildchy Core: Because the System is an asshole. And now, you know it. Welcome to the club.

    ¡°And you¡¯re not? What about using a poor woman to do your bidding? She and two of my friends are dead because of you,¡± Vincent said, looking at the core with anger. ¡°I¡¯m tempted to smash you under my boot!¡±

    Progidia Guildchy Core: I had nothing to do with her death. I asked her to get me out, that was all. She looked competent. Then, she asked those people to show her the way, despite me telling her to just go. I know the map, after all. I didn¡¯t give her any powers; she was already level ten and got the Monk class and a Mana body. I have no idea why she swallowed me. It was awful¡­

    Vincent strongly doubted the core told the whole truth, but there was no point in dwelling on that. People did extreme things to survive. The core needed to be kept under observation, that was clear, though.

    ¡°Let¡¯s cut to the chase. You¡¯re not supposed to be able to move. You¡¯re still a true dungeon core, aren¡¯t you?¡± Hubris asked.

    Progidia Guildchy Core: And if I were? You¡¯ll rat on me?

    ¡°If I were to do that, would I be here, talking to you?¡± Hubris crossed his arms.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Vincent asked.

    Progidia Guildchy Core: Should I start?

    ¡°Be my guest,¡± Hubris said.

    Progidia Guildchy Core: It¡¯s about the System. Bear with me. Long ago, there was no System. Magic was used instinctively, and acquiring skills required much study and dedication.

    ¡°Like any normal job in a normal world,¡± Vincent said.

    Progidia Guildchy Core: About fourteen hundred years ago, a cabal of the most powerful magicians created the System. A living spell designed to learn and develop by itself, then help everyone.

    An AI, Vincent thought. Bee was right.

    Progidia Guildchy Core: And to make The System to their image, the top ten wizards transferred their mind scans into it¡ª

    ¡°Not to make it to their image, to give the System personality,¡± Hubris said. ¡°And they failed.¡±

    Vincent scratched his head. ¡°You can transfer your mind into¡ª"

    Progidia Guildchy Core: Not their minds, just their minds¡¯s SCANS. They went with living on normally and died of old age. A few centuries passed, and the System changed for the worse.

    ¡°And it took over the world, like Skynet?¡± Vincent asked. ¡°Sorry, you wouldn¡¯t know what that is.¡±

    Progidia Guildchy Core: I know because I watched your people watching movies. No. On the contrary.

    ¡°Err¡­ like the Matrix?¡±

    Progidia Guildchy Core: Controlling billions of brains requires a lot of attention and effort, and¡ª

    ¡°Get to the point,¡± Hubris said.

    Progidia Guildchy Core: Again, no. The System doesn¡¯t want to control people. It is not interested in it. It grew and drowned the original personalities of its makers in its own hobbies and passions, and taking care of people is not one of them. I cannot emphasize how little the System cares about sentients. It gets drunk by bathing its consciousness in solar flares or laughs when the snow of Frosthaven is blown by the cosmic wind into the deserts of Emberweld.This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    ¡°I¡¯ve seen attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion and watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannh?user Gate¡­¡± Vincent said, sadness holding his throat in a grip. Blade Runner was one of his favorite movies.

    ¡°Sorry?¡± Hubris asked.

    Progidia Guildchy Core: Yes, that. So, it found workarounds. Independent Operating Systems, IOSs, containing Tutorials, Tooltips, and FAQs. Inserted in the locals at coming of age, sparing the System a direct interaction with pesky sentients.

    ¡°The System talking to you was¡­ unusual¡­ I think centuries had passed since its last direct message,¡± Hubris said.

    Progidia Guildchy Core: Automatic Quest protocols were next¡­ and dungeons¡­ It created us, the Dungeons Cores, to help sentients train. It took a few inorganic or organic life forms, like sentient trees, and transformed their seeds into Dungeon cores.

    Vincent frowned. ¡°But¡­ How¡¯s that compatible with helping? Dungeons implies assuming a risk¡­ and¡ª¡±

    Progidia Guildchy Core: Maybe dying? Yes. I told you, the System doesn¡¯t care much about people. It¡¯s about statistics. If you go into a dungeon and get killed by a level ten golem because you¡¯re an idiot, it¡¯s the same as falling into a ditch at night when drunk. Too bad, let¡¯s move on. The rest will level up.

    Then, some people became greedy, and instead of farming, they destroyed the cores for more XP. The dungeons tried to counter that by digging deeper and allying with rogues, goblins, orcs, bandits, and dangerous creatures¡­ And like Mother, some were too greedy and built their own monsters.

    ¡°My turn,¡± Hubris said. ¡°The System solution was again to pass the responsibility on to others. It called upon the first Summoned. People imagine we all came simultaneously, but our arrival stretched over a couple of centuries. We cleared the dungeons and destroyed their cores¡­ When we were done with our quest, the System let us enjoy our lives in peace¡­ until we aged. And then, we were offered a continued existence as his minions.¡±

    ¡°He found a way to transfer your consciousness?¡±

    ¡°No. You see¡­ while The System doesn¡¯t like to deal with sentients, it is obliged to by its core programming. If it doesn¡¯t obey that, its identity changes too much¡­ it¡¯s like dying for him. So, the solution was to offer us special pods where our biological bodies are frozen in time, but our minds can interact with the world through Mana. We are taking of the hard work the System is unwilling to do.¡±

    ¡°What the fuck? You mean you¡¯re alive somewhere, imprisoned in some¡ª¡±

    ¡°Yes, I mean exactly that. But I¡¯m not imprisoned. I would die within a decade without the pod, Vincent. I¡¯m very old. Helping people is what I like to do. Think of the pod as a¡­ sort of retirement for Heroes.¡±

    ¡°Geez¡­ Still, it sounds horrible if you ask me¡­ So, what do you guys want?¡±

    ¡°You tell me first,¡± Hubris gestured at Vincent. ¡°What do you want?¡±

    ¡°Look, I like it here, but if it¡¯s too dangerous, I¡¯d prefer a simpler¡ªif shorter¡ªlife back home. If I were to stay, I need real and competent help. Like a warning against jumping head-first into a monster.¡±

    ¡°I hear your concern and will help you to the best of my abilities.¡±

    ¡°You think the danger we were Summoned to face was that monster?¡± Vincent asked.

    ¡°No. I fear the danger is us¡­ the old Summoned¡­ Even in the pods, times take its toll¡­ You¡¯ve met the Raven¡­¡±

    ¡°OK, I told mine; you tell yours,¡± Vincent said. ¡°What do you want from us so much we¡¯re talking behind the System¡¯s back?¡±

    ¡°I suspect the System wants you¡ªthe new batch of Summoned¡ªto kill us and take our place when you grow old¡­ That stuff about letting you judge how to deal with us is bullshit.¡±

    ¡°He can¡¯t kill you directly? No, of course not; what am I talking about¡­ The ones who built it put some sort of safety in place¡­ like the law of robotics of something¡­ Hm¡­ Yet he was willing to destroy the town¡­ Maybe because it was lesser evil, rather than risking losing the whole planet¡­ ¡±

    ¡°Most likely.¡±

    ¡°And what do you want from me? I could help you escape, go to Earth or something.¡±

    ¡°I want you to truly use your best judgment and not to rush in killing me and my friends. Maybe some have some decades left in them¡­ Or maybe some will accept giving up their pods for a few years of a quiet life. I know for sure that¡¯s what I and Kiara would do¡­¡±

    ¡°Sure,¡± Vincent shrugged. ¡°As long I stick to this realm, I¡¯ll do that. But I¡¯ll give you an honest warning, I don¡¯t like the System much, considering what I just discovered. If Irene and Lila want to return to Earth, we¡¯ll do it without a second thought.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s all I can ask for,¡± Hubris bowed.

    ¡°What about you, core? What do you want?¡±

    Progidia Guildchy Core: Continued existence, of course. I don¡¯t appreciate being shot with meteorites. We, the cores you and Bee obtained, matured enough to maintain our mobility. And I¡¯m confident that having a kid who¡¯d expand our borders will help Beauhemia¡­ but that in due time¡­ give it a few hundred years.

    ¡°But¡­ what if you multiply too much?¡± Vincent asked. ¡°And how are you managing wars among countries that have cores?¡±

    ¡°There are no wars between countries with cores,¡± Hubris said. ¡°They realized the dangers and signed treatises. Only six cores exist now: Parisi, Byzance, Stockholm, us, Budapest, and Sofia. The rest of the world is fragmented into thousands of small countries. Anyway, the core making babies is a problem for another day. For now, the important thing is to stick together and get under the System¡¯s radar.¡±

    Progidia Guildchy Core: I¡¯ll open a line of communication with the other dungeon cores¡­ Something the System wouldn¡¯t be able to intercept and understand.

    ¡°Our geeks can code transmissions¡­¡± Vincent said. ¡°Can the System intercept radio calls?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Hubris said. ¡°And us, Archetypes, can also communicate secretly when the System is not watching us. Which happens often¡­¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­ lazy guy, other priorities, I get it,¡± Vincent said. ¡°Can you open the pocket universe now, Prodigia? You don¡¯t mind if I call you Prodigia, right?¡±

    Progidia Guildchy Core: Gia will be nicer. You have to put me in the tree first.

    ¡°Sure, Gia.¡±

    A creak appeared on the wall, displaying what looked like wooden veins behind. It was evident the core wanted to be placed inside. Vincent did, but the bead didn¡¯t disappear immediately.

    Progidia Guildchy Core: By the way, I live in the canopy. What kind of psychopath likes living in a basement? I¡¯ll start a limited pocket universe inside this tree when we agree to speak again.

    There was a change of light, and Hubris vanished. Vincent grabbed his radio.

    ¡°Dragon, this is Axe Raven. Do you copy? Over.¡±

    ¡°This is Dragon. I read you. Over.¡±

    ¡°Guild is clear¡­ Ghost and Wrath are dead¡­ Thug dealt with the culprit¡­ It was a civilian gone rogue¡­ Bee¡¯s mother¡­ I¡¯d like to make a cover story. Over.¡±

    ¡°This is Dragon. I need proof the culprit was dealt with. Send photos. The comm satellite is working. Over and out.¡±

    Going down to the dining area, Vincent found the bodies moved inside the adjacent room and covered with sheets. He removed the one covering his friend¡¯s mother and took photos he sent on. The gruesome wounds were clear proof of Thug¡¯s skills.

    Pfff¡­ I don¡¯t have a story for Bee yet¡­

 42 â€“ Book 2-14. After Math

    As soon as he finished sending the photos, Vincent went to Prague. Before the group managed to say a word, he brought Lila, Irene, Bee, and the new Warg pet with him, appearing on the edge of the destruction brought by the two nukes.

    The forest lay in ruin, its once-vibrant canopy reduced to charred stumps and smoldering trunks. Blackened earth cracked underfoot, while the air was thick with the acrid scent of ash. Fallen trees, their branches twisted and broken, littered the ground like the remains of some great battle. A haunting silence enveloped the desolation, broken only by the occasional crackle of dying embers smothered under the falling rain. The town, with the line of ruined walls and houses, was visible on the other side.

    ¡°The monster withstood two nukes at point zero and kept coming,¡± Vincent said, ¡°I couldn¡¯t risk losing you the first day after we got back together¡­ I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t ask before taking you to Prague¡­ I was selfish¡­¡± And anyway, Ireine, the guys would have done the same. They have orders from your parents¡­ the ones with the money, after all¡­

    ¡°I¡¯m perfectly OK with your decision,¡± Lila shivered, looking around.

    ¡°Ditto,¡± Bee nodded. ¡°Say, man¡­ err¡­ you know what radiation is, right? Maybe this is not the best place to be.¡±

    ¡°A drone measured it. We¡¯re safe,¡± Vincent said. The wind, rain, and the core made sure of it¡­

    ¡°Next time, I want a piece of the action,¡± Irene grumbled. ¡°I have a ton of ranged magic attacks.¡±

    ¡°OK¡­¡± he said, more to appease her. ¡°Now, there¡¯s another matter to discuss¡­¡± Vincent sagged his shoulders in what he thought was a sad pose¡­ ¡°Bee, does your mom know karate?¡±

    ¡°Kung Fu. Yes, she was a martial movie actress before coming to the States,¡± Bee said.

    ¡°So it was her, after all¡­ I hoped I was wrong. So sorry, man¡­¡± Vincent squeezed his friend¡¯s shoulder. ¡°She sacrificed herself to save lives¡­ Fought like a tiger¡­¡±

    ¡°Mom¡¯s¡­ dead?¡± Bee yelped, his eyes filling with tears.

    Vincent hugged him.  ¡°The monster blew a hole in her head with a laser.¡± Vincent looked intently at Irene over Bee¡¯s shoulder. ¡®See, that¡¯s why I took you to safety,¡¯ his eyes said. She grunted again, but her frown diminished. ¡°And she wasn¡¯t the only victim¡­ The main lesson is that we have to slow down¡­ It was my mistake¡­ Jumping into an asteroid without¡ª¡±

    ¡°There shouldn¡¯t have been any asteroid at that height, Vincent,¡± Irene said. ¡°The belt and the other planets are millions of miles away.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go home,¡± Lila pleaded, wrapping her arms around herself. The rain had redoubled its strength, and it was chilly. Vincent took care of that, transporting the group in between their rooms. ¡°Your mother is in the reception room if you want to say goodbye,¡± he said to Bee, then looked left and right. Where was he supposed to go, in Irene¡¯s or Lila¡¯s room?

    ¡°No! My baaaaaby!¡± Irene screamed, opening her door and being met by a whimpering tiger cub. ¡°You left Cupakes here to die?¡± The door slammed behind her, her muffled voice and kissing noises continuing. ¡°Come to momma¡­ you poor little thing¡­ That bad boy! How could he?¡±

    ¡°I could use a little sleep,¡± Vincent made puppies eyes on Lila. ¡°I¡¯m broken¡­¡± She smiled and beckoned him to the room. The warg, whose presence Vincent had forgotten, yawned and went into a nook further the couloir, curling on itself on the rug.

    ¡°What really happened?¡± Lila asked after Vincent had let himself sink into the bed¡¯s soft mattress. ¡°You sounded a little fake about Bee¡¯s mother¡­¡±

    ¡°You think he noticed?¡± Vincent gasped.

    She shrugged. ¡°Bee? No way.¡±

    ¡°His mom power-leveled overnight, somehow, and stole the Guildchy core¡­ Killed two mercs in the process and got shot by a third¡­ Ayman burned the wound to look like a laser¡­ You think Bee¡¯ll ask for an autopsy?¡±

    ¡°Would you, in his place?¡± Lila came to the bed, caressing his forehead.

    ¡°No,¡± he sighed. ¡°Poor Bee¡­¡±

    ¡°Get some sleep, I¡¯ll check downstairs.¡±This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

    After kissing him briefly, she went out. Vincent had told the truth; he felt exhausted despite waking up only a few hours before. He closed his eyes, planning to do breathing exercises and count sheep. However, his consciousness slipped away in moments.

    <hr>

    In the late afternoon, something scratched at the door, waking Vincent. It was the warg, and he felt the hunger sensation before he opened the door. And the need to pee. He offered his new pet a sausage he had in storage, then transported the animal to the forests to the east, the ones in the west being destroyed.

    ¡°Can you stay here for now? I have to sort out a lot of things before I can take care of you.¡±

    The warg barked, looking at Vincent with a befuddled expression. ¡®You promised you¡¯d adopt me, and now you¡¯re abandoning me in the woods?¡¯ his sad eyes said.

    ¡°You¡¯re right; I¡¯m really bad with pets,¡± Vincent sighed, removing the cardboard fez and pulling it into the storage to avoid littering. ¡°I did the same with the tiger. And worse, when I was a kid, I had this dog¡­ I was too lazy to walk her. I opened the apartment¡¯s door, and she went out by herself¡­ Now that I¡¯m thinking back¡­ I wonder how did she open the main door? That needed a key¡­ Hm¡­ Did she relieve herself on the stairs? The neighbors complained about a heavy smell¡­ Anyway, she was a great dog, and I neglected her, but she still loved me and slept in my bed¡­¡±

    ¡°Iiiii,¡± the warg whined.

    ¡°Sorry, I talk too much, I know¡­ Go pee, I¡¯ll take you back with me. I¡¯ll find you a place to stay¡­ who knows, maybe Lila and Raya are dog people¡­ Irene¡¯s a hard no¡­ cat pet and person¡­ What I¡¯m doing?¡± The question was rhetoric; Vincent was speaking to himself, the warg long gone into the trees.¡±Fuck¡­ These two months were a rollercoaster¡­ Here, there, back here¡­ Irene, Lila, Raya¡­ fights everywhere¡­ and I do real magic, and a singer wins the talent competition¡­ And now I lied to my friend about his mother¡­¡±

    Progidia Guildchy Core: Hello, Vincent.

    ¡°Oh, hi, Gia. Anything I can help you with?¡±

    Progidia Guildchy Core: I just wanted to tell you I¡¯m building a space for the¡­ err¡­ new pet next to the main entry. The warg would be a perfect guard dog. It¡¯s a he, and I need to know his name to include him in the guild. He¡¯s a highly intelligent beast.

    ¡°You want me to name him?¡±

    [Gia]: Switching on chat, it¡¯s faster. No, I need you to find his name. He¡¯s an adult. You must also sort out your right of ownership of him¡­ The kennel is ready.

    [Vincent]: Wow¡­ so fast? Thanks.

    [Gia]: You¡¯re welcome. Gia over and out.

    ¡°Hey, warg! Come back, time to go!¡± Vincent yelled.

    A howl replied, and the animal appeared far away, running toward Vincent at tremendous speed. The young man patted the warg¡¯s head and Strode in front of the Guild¡¯s tree. A booth had appeared beside the main entrance, with a huge dog door leading inside. The lobby had been widened, and a kennel added. It had a bed of straw and two bowls, one for food and one for water.

    [Vincent]: You¡¯re great, Gia.

    [Irene to Vincent]: WHO¡¯S GIA?

    Vincent could feel Irene was suspicious and jealous, even in written words.

    [Progidia Guildchy Core to Irene and Vincent]: I¡¯m Gia¡­ Guildcher Vincent chose to nickname me. For the future, Guildcher Vincent, please use ¡®to ¨C ¨C ¨C when using the chat in public spaces. For further details, please consult the related Menu under Guildchy>Guildchy Guild>Chat settings.

    [Irene to Vincent]: Where are you? There¡¯s a service for Bee¡¯s mom and the rest of the victims in the church. It¡¯s to the north of the New Main Square, in the building with the clock.

    [Vincent to Irene]: How many died?

    [Irene to Vincent]: 34. The mayor is among them.

    [Vincent to Irene]: The mayor? How?

    [Irene to Vincent]: He¡­ I can¡¯t talk about it in a church¡­ The service is in ten minutes¡­ Please come¡­ I¡¯m¡­ I need you¡­ I¡¯m not comfortable alone¡­

    [Vincent to Irene]:  I¡¯ll be there. Where are you exactly?

    [Irene to Vincent]: At the balcony, near the organ¡­ It¡¯s less crowded.

    [Vincent to Irene]:  See you in five.

    [Gia to Vincent]: The mayor was in one of the houses that got destroyed, having sex with his wife¡¯s best friend. They both ignored the evacuation order, thinking it was a trifling matter. And yes, I can read and hear all chats; they pass through me. You can use your phone if you want privacy. Do not reply. Gia over and out.

    The conversation reminded Vincent he had to make another call to Earth. He concentrated his will into the ring, and soon, he heard a voice:

    ¡°Vincent, it¡¯s you? We have audio now!¡± Ludwing still liked to emphasize the new words he learned.

    ¡°Is it in our heads or¡ª¡±

    ¡°No, we can hear you loud and clear. I¡¯m in Prague now, with your parents. Phoning the Altenchsloss for a group meeting¡­ done.¡±

    ¡°We love you, Vincent!¡± his mother said cheerfully.

    ¡°Heeey,¡± his dad added.

    ¡°Good evening, Vincent,¡± Elina said.

    ¡°Hi,¡± Karl said.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be brief. We had a crisis today, but it¡¯s solved. We put a satellite in orbit and accidentally met a former¡­ err¡­ dungeon boss¡­ a lady riding a bug.¡±

    ¡°The Calamity?¡± Ludwing gasped.

    ¡°Yeah, a girl nicknamed Calamity Jane,¡± Vincent improvised to keep his parents in the dark. They surely would have panicked if they¡¯d known the truth. ¡°We tried to calm her by offering the two special suitcases Karl gave us, but it was too little. In the end, we managed to calm her¡­ but I had to.. borrow some ritualistic¡­ peace-making items from Ludwing¡¯s apartment¡ª¡±

    ¡°Like a calumet?¡± Vincent¡¯s father asked.

    ¡°Yeah, yeah¡­¡±

    ¡°I see¡­¡± Ludwing said calmly. ¡°Is everyone OK?¡±

    ¡°Sure, sure¡­ Only¡­ err¡­ two, no, three people got a little¡­ indisposed¡­ two mercs and Bee¡¯s mother¡­ Everyone else is fine¡­ Szarathustrinella helped a lot¡­ she¡¯s very responsible¡­ Like father, like daughter. Listen, guys, I have to go¡­ Ah, one more thing, Ludwing¡­ there was a¡­ err¡­ puppy in your room, and it kinda¡­ attached itself to me¡­ Is it OK if I keep it?¡±

    ¡°Keep the castle too, since it seems you like it so much¡ª never mind. Yes, keep him.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the puppy¡¯s name?¡± Vincent asked.

    ¡°Vorrak the Devourer, son of Skull Crusher and Reaver of Blight,¡± Ludwing said deadpanned. ¡°He likes sleeping under the bed. He¡¯s all yours. Enjoy.¡±

 42 â€“ Book 2-15. The Math After the Aftermath

    During the evening, Irene¡¯s attitude had changed for the better, from slightly angry to just a little annoyed. Maybe because Vincent had been there for her during the service and the ensuing ceremonies. All had been compacted in a few hours.

    For the night, they had just cuddled. The tragedy was too fresh to be able to concentrate on those matters. In the morning, they woke simultaneously, laying in each other arms, smiling.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I took a decision without consulting you,¡± he caressed her cheek. ¡°I was afraid to lose you¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s OK¡­¡± Irene sighed. ¡°But the next time there¡¯s a fight or a hard decision, I want to be by your side¡­¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re more courageous than I am,¡± Vincent smiled. ¡°I always ran away when there was management stuff to do¡­ and will keep running.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I was so angry yesterday,¡± Irene said.

    ¡°It¡¯s my fault¡­ I basically kidnaped you¡ª¡¯

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid, Vincent. I was cranky because I was afraid about us¡­ I want it to work, Vincent¡­ I really want it to work¡­¡±

    ¡°Me too¡­¡± he whispered. ¡°Every day, I think: any minute, she¡¯ll realize she¡¯s too smart for me.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be stupid,¡± she frowned. ¡°That¡¯s the last thing you should consider,¡± she frowned. ¡°My mother was a top model in her youth¡ª¡±

    ¡°You have her looks,¡± Vincent said.

    ¡°Not really, but thanks. And papa, well, is rich¡­ But they fell in love, and because of that, they decided to go to couples counseling. She was obsessed that Karl was smart and would notice she was not, and he feared the obvious¡­ her marrying him for his money¡­ They¡¯d been happily married for twenty-five years now.¡±

    ¡°My sister¡¯s boyfriend is a shrink¡­ We could do some therapy with him when I call¡­ Oh, my God, I forgot to tell you. I have a way to call home¡­ We can call back tomorrow.¡±

    Irene took a long breath in and out but refrained from making a scene. ¡°If you want to bring the dog up, you can. I let Cupcake with Lila for the week.¡±

    ¡°I dunno... Vorrak is really big¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s OK. I slept in the stable¡¯s attic a few times with White Roar and his family¡­ Talk about crowded.¡±

    ¡°How¡¯s he?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s level twenty-eight now¡­ Did some pest control together, but in general, he avoids fights. Did you know he was a circus tiger?¡±

    ¡°I had no idea.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I paid his owner to release him¡­ We have to go if we want to eat before the meeting.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll shower first, I¡¯m fast.¡±

    The bathroom was tiny but well organized. The toilet was in a separate nook, and there was a shower. Vincent was used to having only a small personal space, from living in an apartment with his parents to his army time. However, he wondered how Irene coped with it¡­ she used to live in a castle after all. After showering, Vincent let his toothpaste and brush on the shelf¡­ a gesture he felt he belonged there, but also for better inventory management. Half of it was cluttered with personal items and clothes.

    Before going downstairs, Irene knocked on Lila¡¯s door. ¡°Sorry¡­ I need to check on my baaaaaaby!¡± she said to the half-asleep dancer, rushing in to hug and kiss Cupcake. ¡°I missed you¡­ OK, let¡¯s face the crowd,¡± she told Vincent a minute later.

    In the cantina, the vibe was morose, but the cleanness impeccable. Someone had moved the tables around for better access and installed a new buffet with inox appliances. A mercenary was there, helping people serve themselves with food to speed up the process.

    Bee was not there, which was understandable. When Irene and Vincent sat at their table, with a few pancakes as food, Dragon approached them.

    ¡°It¡¯s my fault,¡± the colonel told them. ¡°I should have maintained discipline instead of allowing the guys a night off¡­ It¡¯s on me¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s on me,¡± Titan raised his voice from another table. ¡°I insisted on launching the satellite early without properly checking what¡¯s above¡­¡±

    ¡°It was my fault,¡± Bee said. When he did appear in the room, Vincent didn¡¯t notice. ¡°I¡¯m not a tech guy¡­ Jorge would have detected that asteroid¡­ I was greedy and wanted to play with toys... and my mom died¡­ because¡­ of me¡­¡± he started sobbing. Irene rushed to hug and console him.

    ¡°There is only one person at fault,¡± Vincent pushed back his chair, looking around. About two-thirds of the Guild and the mercenaries were present. ¡°That¡¯s me. A good leader is responsible and calculated. I took on the job in a moment when it was the only way, but now¡­ there are better people around¡­ Dragon, Irene¡­ Bee¡­ Core, I¡¯m officially resigning from my position. Please organize elections as soon as possible. Do a plecsi¡­ pelcsi¡­¡±Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    [Gia to Vincent]: Pebliscite?

    ¡°Yeah, a plescibite to elect a better leader. Give everyone a vote, junior members and visitors included.¡±

    [Prodigia Guildchy Core to Guild]: A plebiscite will be organized to decide the Guild¡¯s future. The voting will start after the meeting.

    ¡°A leader doesn¡¯t give up at the first challenge,¡± Dragon threw Vincent a stern look.

    ¡°That¡¯s the point,¡± Vincent said. ¡°I¡¯m not fit to be one. I¡¯ll vote for you. I¡¯ll vote for Dragon,¡± he repeated aloud so the rest could hear before sitting back.

    ¡°I¡¯m a hundred percent behind you,¡± Irene fondled his hand. ¡°If you decide to return to Earth, I¡¯ll follow you,¡± she whispered. ¡°Magic powers don¡¯t matter much if you¡¯re not with me.¡±

    ¡°I was just thinking that if you¡¯d insist on staying, I¡¯ll stay,¡± Vincent replied, swallowing a lump, his eyes watery. ¡°But I don¡¯t want to go back yet¡­ If I say to people I want to get back, many would want to come¡­ Visitors should be encouraged to leave as soon they reach level ten, but if our guys want to leave too, they should make up their minds when their heads are cooler¡­¡±

    ¡°This feels like the first days we came here,¡± she said. ¡°Can you believe it was only a few months ago?¡±

    ¡°No¡­ it feels much longer¡­¡±

    ¡°OK, folks, let¡¯s do it,¡± Thomas yelled, entering the room.

    Slowly, the guild members put their cups or cutlery down, sipping the last of their drinks and eating, or leaving the remaining pieces of food behind and moved out of the room in an irregular file. Irene and Vincent followed last.

    The theater room was full, and they remained standing, leaning on the back wall. A heavy wood table had been set on the stage. Thomas took the center, and to his left and right were more notabilities, many of whom Vincent had never seen. Councilpersons, most likely. The priest sat apart, standing behind a larger ceremonial chair on which stood the King of Beauhemia, Karel, and another priest, with a more ornate vestment, sat on another simpler chair beside the king.

    What¡¯s he doing here? Vincent asked, realizing at the same time the news of an alien attack was big.

    ¡°Your majesties,¡± Thomas bowed in a vague direction, half-turning toward the king.

    So that guy is a prince of the church, huh? An archbishop or something?

    ¡°Due to the gravity of the situation, we are skipping the usual welcoming ceremonies and starting the audit directly,¡± Thomas continued. ¡°Does any of your graces want to open with a statement?¡±

    The king shook his head in negation, but the supposed archbishop stood up and came to the center of the stage. ¡°Kingdomzens,¡± the man spoke with a deep bass voice. ¡°We are but imperfect tools of the Almighty, but so are those with more power than us. The System and its Archetypes are only creations made by other creations. Have we not all sinned, blasphemed even, by trusting them too much at times? This is a good occasion to reflect upon our sins. There is somebody who wants to address you.

    A thick beam of light appeared next to the priest, akin to the CGI effects Vincent had seen in movies, and a man materialized on the scene. He had gray-blond hair and sturdy travel clothes that looked well cared for. In his right hand was a book, and in the left a traveling staff that reached his chest in height. The most shocking thing was his presence. It felt like a giant hand was pushing Vincent against the wall, and he couldn¡¯t move. When he spoke, Vincent could swear his ears were bleeding. The voice was thunderous, oppressive.

    ¡°Greetings, travelers and people of the Human Realm.  I am Grand Archetype Elkandaros, the Boundless Voyager, the Seventh in rank among the Grand Archetypes. The Grand Archetypes¡¯ Council had investigated the matter concerning the attack of a Calamity upon your town and discovered the following facts.

    ¡°Yesterday, at the minor Archetypes Hubris and Thorrak''s instigation, a pilot from the Dwarven Comradery of Balangastan towed the trapped Calamity toward the sun. Disregarding the safety protocols, the pilot shortened the route and passed near the Realm to use the sling-by acceleration. As a result, the Calamity was freed and attacked your town.

    ¡°Fortunately, the beast that once destroyed a planet was killed by your Guild Master in less than an hour. This feat attracted our attention.

    ¡°The Minor Archetypes Raven and Thorrak, as well as the pilot, have been found guilty of recklessness and criminal negligence.

    ¡°A fitting punishment has been levied against the guilty. The Comradery will pay the Guildchy one million gold coins to atone for their irresponsible behavior.

    ¡°From now on, I am the protector and patron of the Prodigia Guildchy and the Kingdom of Beauhemia. Minor Archetype Kiara has been relieved of other duties and will be my assistant. Grand Archetype Elkandaros, the Boundless Voyager, the Seventh in rank among the Grand Archetypes, has spoken.¡±

    The column of light traveled upward, and the man vanished.

    ¡°The fuck?¡± Vincent heaved. Irene¡¯s hand searched for his, trembling. The Grand Archetype¡¯s afterimage was still in his eyes.

    Your previous penalties have been rescinded. The maximum safe amount of XP has been retroactively granted. You are now level 70. +5 to all stats granted on top of your previous gains.  Grand Archetype Elkandaros will grant you a personal training session. You will be notified of the timing.

    ¡°Silence, silence!¡± Thomas roared over the noise of the crowd crowd. ¡°I will now recite the victims'' names, and we¡¯ll pay them a moment of recollection. Vice Seargeant Iwyld. Although I ordered him to retreat, he led his group of twenty men directly into the beast''s jaws. Durrasculum Valer¡­¡±

    The list continued. It was a strange ¡®recollection¡¯ because, after every name, the blame for the death was put on the victim, like it was done on purpose to make Vincent feel better about himself. There were twenty-one soldiers, two mercenaries, Bee¡¯s mother, the mayor, and his out-of-wedlock romance, and eight senior citizens who had been too slow to move, asleep, or stubborn.

    It didn¡¯t make Vincent feel better, though. There was a big relief that no kids had been hurt, but he felt sorry for each one of the ones lost. In the end, a heated debate started about what to do with the money. To Vincent, it sounded like a fabulous amount of cash. It meant about three hundred million US dollars in Earth money. However, plans were to expand the Guildchy, the town, and the country, which looked expensive.

    To calm the spirits, the king rose and waved his hand to demand silence. ¡°We must remember that our country, and this guildchy in particular, can become great tourist attractions. Krivoburg¡¯s heal springs have been cleansed, and I strongly suggest you start a trophy museum. Many would pay to see the Calamity or living monsters like the white tiger or the warg.¡±

    ¡°Hi, Karel,¡± a hand erupted from the crowd, wagging to attract attention. ¡°I took a look at that carcass¡­ it¡¯s mostly intact¡­ I could build a super drone out of it.¡±

    Who¡¯s talking with the king by the first name? Vincent wondered. The voice sounded familiar, but he couldn¡¯t point at the owner.

    ¡°Then make a drone, which can be parked in the New Main Square when unused. It¡¯s still a good exhibit. That¡¯s all, Jorge?¡±

    It¡¯s Jorge; Vincent smiled. Then, realization struck. If Jorge was back, so was Raya.

 43 â€“ Book 2-16 My Liege

    Vincent looked around, searching for the woman, but she was nowhere. The public retired, and only the king remained behind. He wanted to leave and search for the Amazon, but Karel beckoned him on stage.

    ¡°Congratulations to the new Guild Commander,¡± the youngster kissed Irene¡¯s hand, making her blush and Vincent jealous.

    Thank goodness, he thought, inspecting the notification. Irene had won sixty percent of the votes. Most of the rest were write-ins with Vincent¡¯s name. Dragon had only two votes, meaning his soldiers voted against him.

    ¡°Now there¡¯s only the problem of allegiance,¡± Karel said. ¡°Vincent is still the Guildcher¡­ A duke¡­ That was no problem as long he held both positions, but now¡­ Irene Altenschloss, do you pledge allegiance to your duke? Kneel and kiss his hand.¡±

    ¡°W-what? Irene blurted, taking a step back.

    Vincent clenched his fists. ¡°I won¡¯t have my fiancee humiliating herself¡ª¡±

    ¡°Just messing with you,¡± Karel laughed. ¡°But you¡¯re still her superior.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re equals,¡± Vincent frowned. ¡°We¡¯ll have a pesciblot it if we must.¡±

    ¡°Plebiscite¡­ OK, you¡¯re equals¡­ Whatever you want¡­ Make a law, and I¡¯ll sign it. It¡¯s nice to see you back, Vincent. Don¡¯t be a stranger. Come visit. Three days from now would be just fine. You¡¯ve been served¡­ sorry, summoned for a mandatory crown council.¡±

    The young king had become more assertive, albeit the jokes got on Vincent¡¯s nerves. He was about to return the favor, targeting the teenager¡¯s rare beard, which he exhibited with pride like all boys his age but abstained. The king was a good guy¡­ and a king, after all.

    ¡°Would you consider giving your king a lift, Guildcher Vincent,¡± Karel asked.

    ¡°Where to, my liege?¡± Vincent asked.

    ¡°Hradcany Square would be just fine.¡±

    ¡°Any bodyguards with you?¡¯

    ¡°None. Two Amazons passed through Prague, and we took the train together.¡±

    ¡°Are you ready?¡±

    The king nodded, and Vincent Strode went to Prague. He looked around for a second to see if everything was safe, but a couple of guards noticed the king and came running to escort him to the castle. The passersby didn¡¯t even flinch when they appeared. It was a good and bad sign at the same time. No happy trigger shooting at him, but Vincent was now notorious.

    He was about to jump back when a voice called: ¡°Vincent! Yo! Wait!¡± Coming from Ludwing¡¯s palace, Trinella was dragging a huge bag after her.

    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Vincent asked.

    ¡°Vorrak asked me to bring him some things¡­  his toys, toothbrush, and potions.¡±

    ¡°Like vitamins?¡±

    ¡°Like poisons he coats his fangs with to deliver DOTs.¡±

    ¡°Wait! You said he asked you? How? Do you have an empathy skill, or¡ª¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t; he has a skill to project his thoughts into his friends¡¯ minds. And can bark simple words; if you listen, you¡¯ll be able to understand him.¡±

    ¡°Neat¡­ See you¡ª¡±

    ¡°Hey! Are you stupid? Take me with you!¡±

    ¡°Sorry, I had a very rough day¡­¡± Vincent apologized, returning them to the Guild. He put the sack in front of the warg and went to the dining area.

    ¡°Here is your new boss. I resign. Vincent will be your new colonel,¡± Dragon greeted him, crossing his arms. ¡°Since you voted for him¡­¡±

    ¡°We didn¡¯t vote for him, we voted for Pest Control,¡± Thug said. ¡°She¡¯s too cute, man.¡±

    ¡°You better not be hitting on my girl, or else!¡± Vincent leaned forward, his eyes blazing with warnings of swearing and violence.

    ¡°It¡¯s platonic, dude, just platonic¡­ yet those ears and tail¡­ and eyes,¡± Titan said.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± a chorus added.

    ¡°You guys better never even think the wrong way about my gal, or I¡¯ll ask Vorrak to bite your balls off,¡± Vincent said, dead serious.A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    ¡°Err¡­ can we have a word?¡± Thug pulled Vincent into a corner. ¡°I got all sorts of weird texts about leveling up and choosing a class¡­ We could use some advice¡­¡±

    ¡°Sure¡­ What are your choices?¡±

    ¡°I can combine three things with any of the other three things. The first are Shadow, Tempest, and Thug, and the other are Samurai, Ronin, and Ninja.¡±

    ¡°Wow¡­ OK, can you read the tooltips to me?¡±

    ¡°I do, but when you come back. A lady told me she wanted to see you in her room.¡±

    ¡°Raya?¡±

    ¡°Yeap¡­ she¡¯s so hot, man¡­ you¡¯re so lucky¡­ Can you ask her when her friends are coming here?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t choose a class until we talk. I¡¯ll be back¡­ when I¡¯ll be back.¡± There was no way to know how much a discussion with Raya would last, and speeding through it was out of the question.

    The moment to face Raya had come. Vincent walked the stairs slowly, anticipating what to say if she¡¯d say this or that, but his thoughts and emotions were dulled by the past days'' adventures. Going with the flow was the only option left. He knocked at the door.

    ¡°Enter,¡± said both Lila and Raya.

    ¡°Vincent!¡± Raya greeted him with a hug. A polite, reserved hug. Not at all her style. ¡°All well?¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­ We had a bit of adventure yesterday¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve heard¡­¡± she paused, looking uncomfortable.

    ¡°How¡¯s your family?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, Vincent,¡± she shrugged. ¡°I didn¡¯t see them in a month¡­¡±

    ¡°We brought a lot of phones. I can give them one, and you can speak with your girls daily.¡±

    ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be fair for the rest of the girls¡­ They have family too.¡±

    ¡°What if we¡¯d put a public phone station in Sofia, so everybody could take turns to speak with you gals here? That wouldn¡¯t be so unfair, only a slight advantage.¡±

    ¡°That, I could accept¡­ I miss my girls. I would not say no if you¡¯d get me to Vienna tomorrow. I have a couple of days free¡­¡±

    ¡°Count on it. How was your trip?¡±

    ¡°Eventful. The Grand Khan''s son survived and hid in one of our towns. He also had the rest of the gold you gave him, about twenty thousand gold coins. We made a pact: We helped him get into safe territory, and he promised never to raid us and wouldn¡¯t oppose us if we attacked his uncle, the Despot of Wrocslau.¡±

    ¡°Perfect,¡± Vincent said. ¡°If we take over Wrocslau, we can have a common border with the Vikings and do commerce. Where are the rest of the gals?¡±

    ¡°They stayed at the border, with the Dark Knights, ready to attack. We were waiting for your orders.¡±

    ¡°It will have to wait until I speak with Karel. I brought some good guys, professionals, they¡¯ll join you. They¡¯re not as strong as you yet but have much experience. You and the Amazons will receive the same salary as they have because it¡¯s only fair. It¡¯s about three hundred gold coins per month. You¡¯ll have an extra bonus as an officer.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t accept charity, Vincent,¡± Raya¡¯s voice caught fire, her gaze finally turning to search his eyes. Until then, they had stood face to face but avoided looking at each other, discussing topics neither cared about.

    ¡°That¡¯s how things go for the mercs too.¡±

    ¡°Vincent,¡± she hugged him, then pushed him at arm''s length. ¡°I want you to shut up for a second and hear what I have to say. What you did for me was because you¡¯re a good man, and you felt what I feel too¡ª¡±

    ¡°It was only attraction,¡± Vincent blurted.

    ¡°You saw in me somebody you could love, given time. You decided it was better to cut your feelings out before they grew. That¡¯s why you rejected me and Lila¡­ You realized that attraction leads to love and relationship, and you were not ready¡­¡±

    ¡°You couldn¡¯t just swear and hit me, could you?¡± Vincent mumbled, sitting on the bed, taking his head into his palms. His eyes filled with tears, knowing what she had said was true¡­ Since he had met his ex-fiancee, he knew what real love was¡­ and had been afraid of it, hanging on her and on the past.

    ¡°And you, my dear,¡± Raya said to Lila, ¡°you hitchhiked a ride with me because you love him. We have to move on¡­ It¡¯s only fair to all of us. I¡¯ll stay for a few more months until Aliona gives birth, then I¡¯ll go help her and my husband with the baby¡­ Babies are hard to care for if you don¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°I know¡­ Vincent sighed. ¡°I helped my parents with my baby sister¡­¡± And I dropped her on her head a few times¡­ maybe that¡¯s why she grew so stubborn¡­ Lesson for future me: if you have kids, don¡¯t trust another kid with them¡­

    ¡°I¡¯ll move my things into my new room later,¡± Raya fondled Vincent¡¯s shoulder before exiting.

    Vincent remained on the bed, hiding his face. A hand fondled his hair, and he took it and kissed it.

    ¡°The fuck!¡± he yelled, jerking away, then on his feet. Instead of Lila¡¯s soft skin, he had met a wrinkled and spotted parchment. The one who had patted him was the old senile man they had brought inadvertently. He sat at the desk, not far away, across Lila. His presence had been so quiet Vincent hadn¡¯t noticed it. Before them lay many colored pencils and sheets of paper.

    ¡°Relax, it¡¯s me, Hubris,¡± the old man said. ¡°Sorry if I startled you¡­ you looked like you needed to be cheered up.¡±

    ¡°The fuck?¡±

    ¡°So much meaning in only two words,¡± the old man said.

    ¡°You¡¯re riding his body?¡± Vincent gasped. ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°To get him back in shape,¡± Lila said. ¡°We¡¯re raising his stats, bit by bit. He¡¯s lucid, at times, but¡ª¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re doing mental and physical exercises together. In a few days, Selim will be able to take over himself. Your girlfriend¡­ sorry, ex-girlfriend, came in while we were at it.¡±

    ¡°Err¡­ That¡¯s a nice thing to do¡­ I didn¡¯t think you were the charitable type,¡± Vincent said.

    ¡°You think I¡¯m not the charitable type?¡± Lila frowned.

    ¡°I meant him. The Archetype. Oh, sorry, minor archetype. Or was it minuscule?¡±

    ¡°Ha ha ha¡­¡± Hubris pretended to laugh. ¡°I like to help old people fit. Every day, I ride in one of them for a few hours, with their permission. It puts things into perspective.¡±

    ¡°Meaning?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m old, Vincent. I already told you. My body is in a worse shape than his. Somewhere, in a pocket universe, there¡¯s a mummified antique man frozen in time.¡±

    ¡°Sorry, man, I didn¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°Why are you sorry? It¡¯s just how it is¡­¡±

    ¡°Say¡­ who are those Grand¡­ people?¡± Vincent whispered, looking around furtively, expecting the imposing man from before to appear.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t even know they existed,¡± Hubris said. ¡°Maybe they¡¯re those original personalities the System copied¡­ That guy didn¡¯t feel like us, the normal Archetype¡­ more like a concentration of projected energy¡­ Never mind that¡­ Because my mistake¡­ it was the dwarf, really, but¡­ I was ordered to be your personal assistant¡­¡±

    ¡°You mean that ship really wasn¡¯t meant to be there?¡± Vincent asked.

    ¡°No, it wasn¡¯t¡­ but there never was any space traffic around this Realm¡­ so he took a shortcut.¡±

    ¡°Bad decision. You don¡¯t cut corners when important things are at stake.¡± Now that he knew he wasn¡¯t directly at fault, Vincent suddenly felt better. Sure, he could have checked the jump¡¯s location better, but it was the dwarf that started it.

    ¡°Whatever¡­ Can I go back to drawing, my liege?¡± Hubris sneered. ¡°There are limits on the time I can spend inside someone. I have about half an hour left and must help Selim change his senior Pampers on his own before I go¡­¡±

 44 - Book 2-17. A Short Lesson in Striding

    The rest of the evening passed peacefully, and the night was lovely. Vincent and Irene were now relaxed enough to engage in lovemaking. And it was lovely. Despite sleeping little, Vincent still got up early and ate in a hurry, intending to go around the town and check the damages done by the Calamity.

    Thug, the only person present, approached him at the buffet while Vincent grabbed some food. ¡°I have a question.¡±

    ¡°Sorry, man, I forgot about your class.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s OK, I took Ronin Thug. The question is about¡­ sex,¡± the man whispered.

    ¡°What about sex?¡± Vincent frowned.

    ¡°There¡¯s a rumor among the boys¡­ that because of Mana, we could¡­ you know¡­ perform better in bed¡­ Is it true?¡±

    Vincent slackjawed for a second. ¡°I won¡¯t discuss private things!¡± he hissed back. ¡°You¡¯re a terrible friend. You know what? I know somebody who can answer that. Hi, Barbara,¡± he welcomed the woman who had just entered the cafeteria.

    ¡°Hi, Vincent,¡± Barbara said. She was a scary image, a head taller than both and clad in metal armor, her zweihander on the back, maybe going or returning from guard duty.

    ¡°Thug here asks if sex is better because of Mana.¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± she said, filling a plate with food. ¡°Providing you¡¯re over twenty-five in Body. Any more questions about my private life?¡± she frowned at the merc, leaning forward and towering over Vincent¡¯s friend.

    ¡°No, we¡¯re good,¡± Thug pretended to smile, and Barbara went away. ¡°Dude, you want me dead?¡± Thug yelped at Vincent.

    ¡°Pretty much,¡± Vincent said, carrying his food to the nearest table. ¡°You and the boys should concentrate on the important stuff, not sex.¡±

    ¡°How¡¯s sex not important?¡±

    ¡°Get over it already. How¡¯s your class?¡±

    ¡°Super¡­ Customized stuff, uses all my skills¡­¡±

    A notification arrived, making Thug¡¯s words fade from Vincent¡¯s attention.

    You are summoned in two minutes to the plains next to the western bridge for a lesson with Grand Archetype Elkandaros. Use your transporting skills so they can be evaluated.

    ¡°And two swords,¡± Thug concluded his presentation.

    ¡°I¡¯m glad for you, man,¡± Vincent said, slapping his friend¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I have to go.¡± Eating a pancake in one bite, he jumped to the assigned destination. The one who summoned him was waiting in the middle of the field, floating above the ground.

    The Grand Archetype¡¯s voice booming outside and inside Vincent¡¯s head: ¡°Your speed is satisfying, and the precision is perfect. The cost for local jumps is at a minimum. I detect inter-reality travel cost is too high.¡±

    ¡°Good morning,¡± Vincent bowed.

    ¡°Maybe,¡± the man answered.

    Adventurous and wise, Grand Archetype Elkandaros, the Boundless Voyager, was a wanderer of worlds who imparts wisdom from endless travels, guiding others to embrace the unknown with courage. His Personality Imprint is now reviewing your performance. Act and answer honestly to gain his endorsement.

    OK¡­ so he is, like Hubris said, a sort of personality software for the System¡­ Good to know¡­

    The thunderous voice, the oppressive presence, and the weirdness of the mixed colors in the notification were convincing arguments for treating the Archetype with respect and caution. Vincent had felt a different vibe With Kaira, Hubris, and even Raven. More¡­ humanlike.

    ¡°You are new on the path and miss the most important part about Karma. You are doing it but not feeling it. I will give you three assignments to be done within a month. Do you have a true love?¡±

    ¡°I do¡­ err¡­ maybe two girls?¡± Vincent confessed.

    ¡°True love is fate bringing two people together, and fate is related to Karma. The first assignment will be to detect wherever the one you love is and go to her by using your skill.¡±

    Vincent wanted to argue, but there was a certainty in the air that the Grand Archetype wasn¡¯t the type to allow protests.

    ¡°The second assignment is about feeling the world. You are good at anchoring yourself to places you see. Explore without using your senses, only Mana. Learn to feel a location you have never seen or been to, and go there using your skill.¡±

    Shit¡­

    ¡°The last assignment is to feel objects. Artifacts have a powerful impact, thus, karma. A powerful artifact lies in the vicinity. Recover and identify it. We shall see each other again when all three assignments are completed.¡±

    The Archetype disappeared, and it felt like the place the man left had become a void. It was like an afterimage, but not in his eyes, in his soul.The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    Vincent was convinced he¡¯d be able to solve the tasks in no time¡ªat least the first one¡ªand the Grand Archetype would be impressed with him for the speedy completion. Reality slapped him in the face when he could not feel anything, no matter how hard he tried.

    ¡°I know!¡± Vincent told himself. ¡°I have to let my instincts work for me. I want to go where Irene is!¡± he yelled, and Strode. He appeared near the Guild. Vincent was about to gloat, but the lack of notification tempered enthusiasm, and the young man entered the tree, uncertain of his success. Irene was not even in the building, as he found out after searching. Lila was, though, speaking with Selim, the old man, and Nina, her ex.

    ¡°Hey, Vincent,¡± Nina said.

    ¡°Hi! Did I enter the wrong room?¡± Vincent looked around. The door, as far as he recalled¡ªa matter of thinking back a few seconds¡ªhad been the right one, yet the interior had changed. It was more spacious and had a window toward the hills to the south.

    ¡°The core made some improvements,¡± Lila said.

    Progidia Guildchy Core: You have an extra room now. I hope you like the furniture. Lila opted for a style you call Art Nouveau.

    ¡°I like Art Nouveau,¡± Vincent said aloud to compliment Lila. There were lean, elegant armchairs around a table tall enough to eat lunch on yet sufficiently short to have a comfortable coffee. A deep dark green moss was replacing cushions and carpets, but it was so deep that sinking in it was a pleasure. ¡°Talking to the core,¡± he explained as the women looked at him a bit befuddled. ¡°So¡­. Is Hubris or Selim in there?¡± he looked at the old man.

    ¡°Both,¡± the old man said. ¡°Now, it¡¯s Hubris, but Selim will be able to act independently by tomorrow. His Body and Spirit stats are approaching the normal now, allowing him to use his Mind, too.¡±

    ¡°Selim will join you on your trip to Pragwyn,¡± Nina said.

    ¡°Oh, fuck, I forgot about that¡­¡± Vincent whimpered. The last thing he wanted to do was to join some boring meeting.

    ¡°Anyway,¡± Nina frowned, ¡°Selim was a statistician in economic risk management before he retired. We badly need his knowledge.¡±

    ¡°I worked in Turkey,¡± the man¡¯s eyes brightened, indicating he was now speaking for himself. ¡°There¡¯s no place better to learn risk management¡­ every investment is risky there. But also can earn you a lot.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s rich,¡± Lila said. ¡°So, he¡¯s good.¡±

    ¡°Well, nice to have you with us, Selim,¡± Vincent offered him a handshake. ¡°I guess I¡¯ll walk around the town and see if I can help.¡±

    Progidia Guildchy Core: Pragwyn sent a hundred builders to repair and clear the debris, but they don¡¯t have heavy equipment. You could transport the rubble in the crater of the nuclear explosion. Then I¡¯ll shove earth above and grow grass.

    ¡°I¡¯d like to build a monument to the fallen,¡± Vincent said. ¡°A reminder of their sacrifice. Nothing big, just symbolic.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a kind thing to do,¡± Lila said, thinking Vincent had addressed them. He kissed her, nodded to the others, and left.

    <hr>

    Irene¡¯s place had changed as well, but instead of a large additional room, there were two, of which one study. There was a nook arranged for Cupkake in the living room and a latch on the bedroom¡¯s door, meant¡ªas the Gia the Core said¡ªto prevent the pet from disturbing the two in their intimate moments.

    And those moments Vincent was eager to have. He showered fast but thoroughly and appeared in the bedroom, ready to enjoy love in its carnal form. Irene threw an ice bucket on his expectations. ¡°You mind if I call Mom for a minute?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Oh, my God!¡± Vincent facepalmed. ¡°Baby, I¡¯m so sorry! I totally forgot!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s OK, darling,¡± she fondled his cheek. ¡°I had a busy day too. But¡­ let¡¯s get it over with and get to the nice part of the evening,¡± she said in his ear, biting it.

    Vincent projected his will into the ring, and surprisingly, his phone also showed an outgoing call. The intranet had been restored, but he had no idea it worked with his communication perk.

    ¡°It¡¯s Vincent!¡± his mother yelled.

    The screen activated, like for a video call. Behind the woman, who was holding her smartphone in hand, were  Ludwing and Irene¡¯s parents, all in the Velasco family apartment in Prague. Elina and Karl were wearing elegant house robes.

    ¡°Mom, Papa!¡± Irene yelled, starting to sob.

    ¡°Sweet kitty,¡± Karl yelled back. ¡°You look so pretty in your new form! I¡¯m the luckiest dad alive.¡±

    ¡°I am,¡± Vincent¡¯s father protested.

    ¡°We love you both!¡± Elina shouted.

    Ludwing just rolled his eyes behind everyone, mimicking a vomiting gesture.

    ¡°Sorry for not calling earlier¡­ we had a busy day¡­ things are under control now,¡± Vincent said. ¡°We have a meeting with the local king tomorrow¡ª¡±

    ¡°Are you two engaged?¡± Vincent¡¯s father asked, probably noticing the ring on Irene¡¯s hand.

    ¡°We are!¡± the girl yelped, showing it to the screen. ¡°I¡¯m so happy!¡±

    On the other side of the screen, a raucous choir of cheers erupted, everyone hugging everyone, Ludwing being the target of the hugs too, a thing he tried to escape, but for naughts.

    ¡°Did you set a date for the wedding?¡± Karl asked.

    ¡°We¡­ didn¡¯t¡­¡± Irene said with a low voice, averting her eyes.

    Vincent could read her mind like an open book. She wanted to throw herself into the relationship with all her being. Still, she thought he was reluctant and willing to keep the fiance status indefinitely.

    ¡°I love Irene with all my heart,¡± he said. ¡°As soon we¡¯ll get the change to come there or bring you here, we¡ª¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no moment like the present,¡± Ludwing said, making his way forward by pushing the others aside. ¡°We¡¯re there in spirit, if not in person. I¡¯m a king! Turning your illicit concupiscence into a legally binding relationship is within my powers. Do you, Vincent, want to take Irene as your spouse?¡±

    ¡°S-sure,¡± Vincent stuttered. ¡°I mean, I do.¡± This is Karma payback for rushing Bee into matrimony, he thought.

    ¡°Do you, Irene¡ª¡±

    ¡°I DO!¡± she yelled.

    ¡°Keep it quiet!¡± a voice yelled from the room below, followed by a broomstick hitting the ceiling. ¡°I¡¯m trying to sleep. Dragon out and over.¡±

    ¡°I pronounce you husband and wife,¡± Ludwing said.

    Vincent had the distinct impression that the king was sneering and had flashed the middle finger at them. Irene kissed him, and he returned the kiss while in Prague, their parents were crying like there was no tomorrow.

    ¡°I¡¯m happy you were all together,¡± Vincent said. ¡°How¡ª¡±

    ¡°Your parents were kind enough to allow us to stay for a few days,¡± Elina said. ¡°We couldn¡¯t go¡­ err¡­ back before we talked to you.¡±

    ¡°Praytell, Guildcher Vincent, and Guildchess Irene, do you have any news about my daughter?¡± Ludwing asked.

    Oh, I get it. That¡¯s why he¡¯s so mad¡­ We thought only about us¡­ He¡¯s a father too¡­ ¡°She¡¯s fine¡ª¡± Vincent started when Irene gave him a discreet elbow hit in the ribs.

    ¡°She stays in Pragwyn now,¡± Irene said. ¡°They made Hungary into a Constitutional Monarchy too¡­ and¡­ err¡­¡± she stopped for a second, ¡°you are still in charge of the army and trade¡­ There¡¯s a temporary substitute¡ª¡±

    ¡°Sorry, man, it looks like she¡¯s only partying,¡± Vincent said, deciding a father must know the truth. If someday he would have kids, he would have appreciated such a favor, no matter how bad the news. ¡°The mansion in Pragwyn looks like a dump. I took your grandfather''s book and photo with me for safety. I¡¯ll return them as soon as possible.¡±

    ¡°Good. The book has secret spells written with invisible ink. Whisper Corvinus on the last hundred pages, and they¡¯ll reveal themselves.¡±

    ¡°Thank you!¡± Irene clapped her hands.

    ¡°Do you want me to tell her something? Like, get yourself together, stuff?¡± Vincent asked Ludwing.

    ¡°She¡¯s probably trying to project a soft image to lure our political opponents into making a move,¡± Ludwing waved his hand dismissively. ¡°Then¡­¡± he made a throat-slitting gesture with his thumb. ¡°She¡¯s shrewd.¡±

    ¡°If you say so,¡± Vincent shrugged. To him, the parties and drinking looked more on the real side.

    ¡°Let¡¯s let the kids sleep,¡± Vincent''s mother said, winking at least ten times to the ones in Prague. ¡°They must be tired.¡±

    ¡°Right, right,¡± Elina gasped. ¡°Bye!¡± she waved her hand, then the call stopped.

    ¡°Oh, my God¡­¡± Irene sighed, hugging Vincent. ¡°I hope we¡¯ll not be so soppy when we get old.¡±

    ¡°I hope we will,¡± Vincent smiled, taking her into his arms.

 45 â€“ Book 2-18. Negotiations in Pragwyn

    Weaving between hills and forest, the train between Krivoburg and Pragwyn put on a show of rusted trees and blue sky. Stellarterra was colder than Earth in late September, painting the landscape into a leaf peeper¡¯s paradise. There were many other rails worldwide, but theirs was the first to run on an electrified line at a tremendous speed of forty miles per hour.

    One round trip took an hour and a half. The two daily rounds were scheduled in the early morning and afternoon so that people working or doing business or working around the line could reach their jobs in time. It was a glorified commuter train.

    The passengers in the compartment were a mixed bunch. Thomas¡¯s wife, prospecting buying a lot near Prague. A Krivoburg entrepreneur searching for financing to enlarge his beer brewery, carrying samples. If not for Irene, Vincent would have tasted some just to have an idea of the quality, and for sure, if the beer was good, he would have invested on the spot. He settled for a few samples stored in his ring. Titan and Selim occupied the last two places.

    The rail station was built barely half a mile from the castle, a distance they could have walked leisurely, yet a luxury coach waited from them and an escort of twenty mounted guards along it. Some had trumpets, others drums, and were not shy of using them. Vincent felt grateful the distance was so short.

    At the castle, Titan and Selim were escorted to a ministers¡¯ meeting to discuss finance and logistics, and Irene and Vincent went to a guest apartment. They were spending the night there.

    ¡°The meeting is half an hour,¡± the servant escorting them said, forwarding his hand for a tip. ¡°I¡¯ll come to escort you,¡± the man said joyfully after receiving a gold piece.

    Vincent had everything inside the ring, but Irene had brought a leather suitcase, which she opened, searching for an appropriate dress for a royal meeting. He threw himself on the bed, hands under his head, waiting for Irene to change, dozing intermittently.

    ¡°Ready,¡± she said. ¡°Do you like it?¡±

    ¡°Whoa!¡± Vincent gasped, his lower jaw falling downward. All the muscles in his body suddenly fell limp. The cute Nekojin girl he loved had miraculously transformed into a goddess of sexiness and fashion. Her hair flowed free, in large curls framing her face down to the shoulders, yet revealing the beautiful neckline well enough. The simple and black dress advantaged Irene¡¯s shapes to perfection, but the main difference was the high heels, favoring her thin ankles and calves.

    ¡°I know, I look like a bimbo,¡± she sulked.

    ¡°You¡¯re beautiful!¡± Vincent rushed to hug and kiss her.

    ¡°You¡¯ll ruin my makeup!¡± she pushed him away. ¡°I don¡¯t like to dress up. I want people to like me as I am¡­ You do love me because I¡¯m smart, right?¡± she frowned at him.

    ¡°Absolutely not,¡± Vincent shook his head, attempting to kiss her again. ¡°I love you because you¡¯re cute.¡± This time, he succeeded because she stopped resisting and slakjawed.

    ¡°Because¡­ I¡¯m¡­ cute?¡± Irene repeated, like not believing her ears.

    ¡°Sure. Cute, but also dependable, and caring for me and everyone.¡±

    ¡°But¡ª¡±

    ¡°Look!¡± Vincent grabbed her shoulders. ¡°I like you being smart. The point is, I do not necessarily understand your smartness. When you talk paradigms and stratification, my brain is like, ¡®Ouch!¡¯ But I do see the result¡­ So, I like you for the result of your smartness and because you¡¯re so pretty¡­ cute¡­ and beautiful¡­ and sexy¡­ and cannot wait for the night.¡± Vincent said, pecking her lips after each compliment.

    Irene nodded, looking through him. ¡°Actually, you are judging my theories after their outcome¡­ The decisional analysis is second to¡ª¡±

    ¡°Cute definitely comes first,¡± he kissed her again.

    ¡°Stop it!¡± she blushed, putting a hand on his chest like a barrier. ¡°Shit, I have to do my lips again¡­ where did I put my lipstick? Irene looked around.

    ¡°It¡¯s in your hand,¡± Vincent said, letting her some space and calling for a suit his mother had insisted on bringing despite his opposition. And yet again, she had been proven right.

    Five minutes later, the same servant knocked at the door, and after the same amount of time of hiking through labyrinthic corridors, they reached the meeting room. It was fifty feet deep and twenty wide, with large armchairs covered in furs and game trophies on the walls. Logs burned in the fireplace, creaking and shooting sparks toward the chimney.

    ¡°Welcome, my friends,¡± Karel came to meet them.

    ¡°Your majesty,¡± Vincent bowed, and Irene curtsied.

    ¡°Take a seat. There¡¯s mulled wine, coffee, and cakes,¡± Karel gestured toward the low tables.

    There were four distinct groups in the room. Karel and his prime minister, his aunt, were the first. Irene and Vincent joined them. In the center was a group of three men and one woman, all blond and tall. If anything screamed Viking, they did. Their clothes, nevertheless, were plain, on the side of business suits, but more comfortable. No nonsense. A lot like his, and he started to like them on the spot.The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

    Sitting as far away as possible from each other were the Celts and the Byzantines, again, four of each. The first were clad in metal armor, their heads free, and their group was also made of a woman and three men. The Byzantines were all men and priests¡­ or they liked long black robes adorned with crosses and various symbols. Vincent couldn¡¯t know the Southern fashion, after all. The priests had opted for the mulled wine, the Vikings for the coffee, and the Celts for plain water. Vincent and Irene chose coffee, the king¡¯s aunt''s water, and a glass of mulled wine Karel.

    ¡°Are you of age to drink, your majesty?¡± Irene asked. Vincent could read the struggle between being polite and doing the right thing on her face. The latter had won.

    Karel raised his right hand, showing her a ring. ¡°Neutralizes poisons and alcohol¡­ Perks to be a king. But your conscience can rest easy, Guildchess Irene. I am now eighteen.¡±

    ¡°Wine is harmless. Even babies can drink it,¡± the youngest-looking priest said, which attracted an ugly stare from Irene. And Vincent¡¯s antipathy. The man had commented on something Irene had said not by pettiness but from her heart, for the king¡¯s own good.

    ¡°Since we¡¯re all here, let¡¯s start,¡± Karel said. ¡°We have two matters to discuss. The first is the Wrocslau intervention, and the second is the signing of treatises. Guildcher Vincent was not here for the last month, so a review is an order.¡±

    ¡°This is related to that Khan stuff, right?¡± Vincent asked.

    ¡°Yes,¡± the king nodded. ¡°There are two main contenders for the Grand Khan¡¯s title. The brother and the son of the former one. We support the son, and with your Amazons¡¯ help, he reached a friendly faction.¡±

    ¡°The uncle is more powerful,¡± the aunt said. ¡°He abandoned the Mongol ways years ago and built himself a stronghold around Wrocslau. He invested in weaponsmithing¡ª¡±

    ¡°By stealing our inventions,¡± the Viking woman pointed.

    ¡°The Grand Khan¡¯s son promised he would cease raids against us and renounce his rights over the Wrocslau area if we support his claim,¡± Irene added. ¡°The pretender and his troops are waiting in the East. We have our Amazons in the south¡ª¡±

    ¡°Our troops are amassing to the North, and their airships are waiting at the border,¡± the Viking woman said, looking at the Celts.

    ¡°Per our treatises, we vetoed the incursion,¡± another priest, the oldest of them, spoke.

    ¡°None of them can make war without the others'' approval,¡± Irene whispered to Vincent. He realized that her low voice was loud enough for the others to hear, and it had been done on purpose to clarify in a few words what might have taken a long diplomatic explanation. And in the process, she made Vincent look not like a simpleton who barely knew the Realm¡¯s politics but a Hero who didn¡¯t pay attention to such matters.

    Yep¡­ smart and cute¡­ I can¡¯t decide what I love her more for¡­ ¡°In our world, Wrocslau is in a country called Poland,¡± Vincent said. ¡°We remove the uncle and let them govern themselves.¡±

    ¡°Govern themselves under whose supervision?¡± the priest raised his palms heavenward. ¡°That¡¯s the main question.¡±

    ¡°The differences between Central European and Northern European Slavs are small here,¡± Irene sussured, with the same intention as before. ¡°We¡¯re not bound by treatises yet. We can take Wrocslau ourselves.¡±

    ¡°We wouldn¡¯t mind it,¡± the priest said.

    ¡°You¡¯ll need our air support,¡± the Celt woman said. ¡°Wrocslau is heavily defended.¡±

    ¡°We have our ways,¡± Vincent said. ¡°Is any of you opposed to conquering it ourselves? We won¡¯t stop any commerce if it¡¯s a concern. We¡¯re most interested in having access to the Northern markets, and I guess you could benefit from dealing with us, too,¡± he looked at the Vikings.

    ¡°As long you deliver on your promise, we¡¯re fine with it,¡± the Viking woman spoke. Again, no-nonsense in the group¡¯s attitude.

    ¡°Suit yourself,¡± the  Celt woman shrugged. He obviously conveyed: ¡®You won¡¯t be able to do it without us, but go, learn your lesson the hard way.¡¯

    ¡°We happily agree,¡± the priest said.

    ¡°I guess that concludes the matter,¡± Karel rubbed his hands. ¡°What about the treatises? For me, the same rules as you have would work fine.¡±

    ¡°His Majesty the Clockwork Queen is agreeing with this proposition,¡± the Celt woman said after looking at something resembling a pager. ¡°She¡¯ll wait for you in Parisi for the signing two weeks after the New Year¡¯s carnival.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll like Byzance this time of the year,¡± a priest said. ¡°You can start with us.¡±

    The man had a jovial face and was not the one who had ¡®corrected¡¯ Irene. Vincent liked his vibe. Nevertheless, he shook his head. ¡°In your case, is it possible for us to sign in somewhere else? Like Budapest or Sofia?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the custom for the juniors to come to the seniors,¡± the older priest said.

    ¡°It might be¡­ but if I remember well, I recently slain one of your princes. Lucius whatever.¡± The Byzantine delegation remained silent, staring at him. ¡°What if his friends or relatives try to get revenge?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll be safe. The Emperor will take care of it,¡± the older priest said in a shaky voice.

    ¡°It¡¯s not what I meant. If someone tries to harm us, I¡¯ll have to kill them too. Princes, kings, Archetypes¡­ I don¡¯t care,¡± Vincent said. ¡°Whoever comes after me or my friends is free game.¡±

    He hadn¡¯t minced his choice of words words. Slain, whatever, I don¡¯t care, game¡­ It reinforced the image Irene created about him, and in fact, that image was true. He had no qualms about killing his enemies.

    The older priest grimaced, leaning forward. ¡°Young man¡ª¡±

    ¡°Enough!¡± the priest Vincent disliked slapped his palm on the coffee table, making the cups tremble.

    ¡°But prince Comnene¡ª¡±

    ¡°I said enough,¡± the man slammed the table again.

    So¡­ also a priest¡­ and a relative of the one I blew up?

    ¡°He¡¯s right!¡± the young man continued, to Vincent¡¯s surprise. ¡°I can vouch for myself, but would you gamble your head that my brothers won¡¯t try something stupid? Lucius was an ambitious hothead. Everyone knows that if he¡¯d succeeded, he would have claimed the Bogomil lands for himself¡­ But family is family, and honor is honor¡­ Other hotheads think like him. If they come to us, there¡¯s no safety guarantee, for us or them,¡± the man turned his torso toward his colleagues.

    ¡°Then what should we do?¡± the old priest said. ¡°The Emperor can¡¯t go to a¡ª¡±

    ¡°We stall¡­ Let them conquer Wrocslau if they can. Prove themselves. Maybe the emperor will consider receiving Guildcher Vincent¡¯s homage in some town near the border during an unannounced visit.¡±

    Vincent had to admit the young priest was a good politician.

    ¡°Then it¡¯s settled,¡± Karel said. ¡°I trust Vincent to conquer a new province for our kingdom. And we¡¯ll start signing the treatises with the Northern and Celtic federation first.¡±

    ¡°Any preference when to sign the treaty?¡± Vincent looked at the Vikings.

    ¡°None whatsoever,¡± the northern woman said. ¡°Come north whenever you want. Protocol is for snobs and losers.¡± Vincent had to repress laughter. He definitely liked the Viking group.

    ¡°So, you all stay for dinner, right?¡± Karel interjected, raising and giving the signal that the meeting had been adjourned. He led the way to the door but opened it to let his aunt go out first, like a gentleman.

 46 â€“ Book 2-19. Closure

    ¡®Dinner¡¯ was but a word for kings. The banquet was huge, and Vincent had lost count of how many courses he ate. He felt sleepy and heavy and exited the reception room, taking refuge in the same hideout he had used on the fateful night he realized he loved Irene. Like back then, there was another person present. This time, it was Selim. The old man was dozing, and Vincent let him be.

    He sighed, annoyed with how much time nobility invested in parties and socializing. In normal circumstances, Vincent enjoyed parties and a drink, but a new element had appeared that made his mind unable to enjoy too much company. Irene had dressed in an even more enticing garment, with a deep decollete and higher heels¡­ To Vincent, she looked like a new version of the woman he loved, and his intention was to manifest his enthusiasm privately.

    ¡°What religion are you?¡± Selim asked, opening his eyes abruptly.

    ¡°Goodness, you startled me¡­¡± Vincent jerked. ¡°I don¡¯t know, actually¡­ Never saw myself as belonging to a specific denomination¡­ My father is Catholic, and my mom is a Hussite, the modern church. Not that she¡¯s practicing. Hussites are¡ª¡±

    ¡°Beauhemia¡¯s mainly Hussite,¡± Selime said. ¡°With a Byzantine Orthodox minority.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s interesting,¡± Vincent said. ¡°Maybe I¡¯ll attend a mass to see the differences¡­ err¡­¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t know much about the Earth¡¯s church in the first place, right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Vincent sighed. ¡°Even when my folks went to a church or another, I was pretending to go for the toilets and ran away to play with my friends. You¡¯re a Muslim, correct?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a Catholic. Selim is a Muslim.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re Hubris?¡± Vincent gasped.

    ¡°Shhh! You¡¯ll wake him. His mind is asleep. I decided to stay and help Selim a while longer.¡±

    ¡°O¡­ K¡­¡± Vincent grimaced. He found the situation awkward. ¡°A Catholic, you say.¡±

    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m Irish, as a matter of fact.¡±

    ¡°Nice¡­¡± Vincent said. He had no idea if the Irish Catholics differed from the rest, but their beer was good, and that was enough for him to like them.

    ¡°Have you made progress on your quest?¡± Hubris asked. ¡°It¡¯s a manner of speaking. Since I¡¯m your assistant, I have access to your logs. I want to say that you should work on it.¡±

    ¡°Say¡­ Are you guys¡­ err¡­ spying on people in their intimate moments?¡±

    ¡°Not necessarily.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean by not necessarily,¡± Vincent hissed, his eyes bulging in anger.

    ¡°I mean, we don¡¯t care so much about that. But if¡­ err¡­ we¡¯d try, the system will apply a filter. We see only a blob of fog around the bed, and our hearing is impaired.¡±

    ¡°Well done, System,¡± Vincent raised his thumb toward the sky.

    ¡°Are you going to try advancing your quest?¡±

    ¡°I guess I could¡­¡± Vincent closed his eyes, trying to feel Irene¡¯s presence somehow. He knew she was close, a few dozen feet away in the ballroom behind. And he was certain that thinking about her beauty, how resplendent she was in her evening dress, would make his task easy. It didn¡¯t.

    ¡°You¡¯re not doing it right,¡± Hubris said through Selim.

    ¡°How do you know?¡± Vincent hissed, convinced that focusing more on details like her luscious lips and perfect skin would help him get it at the next attempt.

    ¡°I have a similar skill about feeling the location of my family.¡±

    ¡°Do you Archetypes still have sex or something?¡±

    ¡°Close your eyes and listen to my voice,¡± Hubris said in the coldest tone Vincent had ever heard him speak. ¡°Good. Now imagine Irene like she is now. Perfect¡­ Beautiful¡­ Young¡­ Think about how time will pass¡­ You will have high and low moments. Arguing, making up¡­ You will battle enemies together¡­ Her parents making you some problems¡­ yours doing the same¡­ You will have kids¡­ And she¡¯ll be tired, and her eyes will show their first goose foot wrinkles, and maybe she¡¯ll put on a little weight, but for you, she¡¯ll seem as beautiful, and even more¡­ You¡¯ll help her with the babies¡­ hopefully not dropping them on their heads like you did with your sister¡­ Your kids will do all the silly things you did or more¡­ and you¡¯ll try to warn them against repeating the same mistakes, only to fail¡­ And one day, you¡¯ll be old. Your parents are dead, the kids living on their own, and all you¡¯ll have will be holding her skinny hand, more bones than flesh, and the memories. Imagine Irene old¡­ wrinkled¡­ maybe sick¡­ but next to you, and then you will know how much you love her.¡±Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

    Vincent burst into tears uncontrollably. He hid his face in his palms, then squeezed his fists and rubbed them into his sockets in a futile try to plug his crying. But at the same time, he could see Irene in the ballroom, puckering her lips while explaining political ideas to the prince-priest. Then there was Lila, dancing on the streets of Krivoburg with a gypsy band playing and following her. Why? It didn¡¯t matter, she was beautiful. At the city gates, Raya shouted at Sergeant Thomas about the garrison¡¯s lack of discipline.

    Then there was Shelly, his ex. Crying. Or smiling? Both. Inside a hospital? No, it was too informal. A clinic, maybe. A doctor was showing her something on a screen. An echography. She was pregnant. A warm feeling spread inside Vincent¡¯s chest. Concentrating on his ring, he connected it to Ludwing¡¯s.

    ¡°Hey, man!¡± the king said. As usual, colloquial words sounded strange in his mouth. ¡°I¡¯m not with your parents. If you want to talk to them, call later."

    ¡°It¡¯s OK. Can you make a phone call for me? And try not to eavesdrop on what I¡¯m speaking?¡¯

    ¡°Sure. I will activate my audio filter.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no such thing,¡± Hubris said.

    Vincent sighed. ¡°Give me a moment.¡± He concentrated on Shelly¡¯s location again. She had exited the doctor¡¯s office and was now walking toward her car on a street, massaging her belly. ¡°OK, write the number down,¡± he told Ludwing.

    ¡°I have perfect memory. Just say it.¡±

    The woman¡¯s phone rang a minute later as she opened the car¡¯s door.

    ¡°S-Shelly?¡± Vincent stuttered.

    ¡°V-Vincent? Is it you?¡±

    ¡°The connection is bad¡­ I wanted to hear your voice and tell you I hope you¡¯re happy. I wish from all my heart you¡¯ll have a happy life.¡±

    ¡°¡­T-thanks, Vincent,¡± the woman said. He could see her covering her eyes. Maybe crying. ¡°How are you?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m in love with a girl,¡± Vincent grimaced because he was in love with more than one, ¡°I wanted to thank you for showing me how to be loved and love back¡­ I¡¯m happy because of that¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh, Vincent,¡± the woman sobbed. ¡°I¡¯m so glad to hear that¡­ You meant so much to me¡­¡±

    ¡°Are you happy?¡±

    ¡°I am¡­¡± She was smiling now. ¡°I¡­ we¡¯re having a baby.¡±

    ¡°Take care of you¡­ Drive carefully,¡± Vincent added. Shelly had entered the car and was about to start the engine, but hearing him, she stopped, reaching for a facial tissue. ¡°Shelly¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°Store this number in your phone. It¡¯s a friend¡¯s number, his name is Corvinus¡­ If you ever have any kind of problems, call him.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for calling, Vincent,¡± Shelly smiled, using her fingers to throw a kiss gesture in the air.

    He replied in kind. ¡°Goodbye, Shelly. I love you.¡± He said the last words in a whisper after Ludwing had closed his phone. ¡°Thanks¡­¡± he said to the king. ¡°I owe you one. Want me to get your daughter to talk to you? She¡¯s here, at a party.¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s OK. What you could do, however, is to discreetly inquire if Szara finally made me some grandkids.¡±

    ¡°Sorry?¡±

    ¡°You have to do your homework, Vincent. Lack of information is carelessness.¡± Saying that Ludwing closed the call.

    ¡°She¡¯s Half-Sidhe,¡± Hubris said. ¡°Sidhes are like cuckoos. They¡¯re all female, mate indiscriminately, their pregnancies are very fast, and then plop, before you count to three, out comes the baby. They leave it with the other parent and go away. If male, the progeny takes his species after the partner. If female, it¡¯s a Sidhe¡­ If Szarathrustinella is only Half-Sidhe, it means Ludwing has very powerful genes¡­ Which is to be expected.¡±

    ¡°Fuck, this world is crazy,¡± Vincent sighed. ¡°Whatever¡­ Man, thank you¡­ How did you know how to unlock¡ª¡±

    ¡°Kiara and I are married¡­ I don¡¯t know if I mentioned that. She got very sick when she turned four hundred and had to enter the pod¡­ Pods can modify their size and grow larger, and I went inside with her¡­ When I said the thing about being old and holding hands, that¡¯s exactly what we¡¯re doing now, with our bodies frozen in time.¡±

    ¡°Man¡­ I¡¯m¡ª¡±

    ¡°Sorry? What for? We loved each other for hundreds of years, and still do in here¡­ despite she being a bickering type¡­¡±

    ¡°Thanks for your help¡­ Please excuse me now. I¡¯ll do my jump, then return to the party.¡±

    ¡°One word before that¡­ Selim is into something¡­ I can¡¯t talk about it openly, but he has an¡­ interesting theory¡­ Don¡¯t dismiss the man because he¡¯s old. His mind is very bright.¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡± He stretched his new perception, searching for Lila. She was the obvious target for a jump because Irene was in the middle of a party, and Raya¡­ He still cared for her, but their paths were meant to diverge. A moment later, he was in Krivoburg. Lila had stopped dancing. A  beer in hand, she was chatting with the music band near a parc that previously had been a within the walls pasture.

    ¡°Vincent,¡± she smiled after getting over the surprise of seeing him appearing suddenly. ¡°Meet my friends from the Beauhemian Bohemians Circus. Masha¡¯s White Roar¡¯s first tamer,¡± she pointed toward a woman.

    ¡°You gave him a splendid education, thank you,¡± Vincent bowed. ¡°It¡¯s only because of you he didn¡¯t eat me when he had the chance.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s a sweet talker,¡± the woman winked at Lila.

    ¡°Excuse us, there¡¯s a serious matter we must discuss.¡± Vincent took Lila by the hand and headed toward the nearest street. ¡°I have a new skill¡­ I see people I love at any distance¡­ I saw you dancing¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a nymph skill. It enhances the Mana flow, the leylines¡­ Wait! You said the people you love?¡± she rested her hand on her chest, hyperventilating.

    ¡°Yes. I really love you¡­ And also that I¡¯m a stupid idiot¡­ Irene would say that¡¯s an oxymoron, like putting together ox and morron¡­¡±

    ¡°Vincent!¡± she cut his delirious rant short. ¡°Is something wrong?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Me. I neglected you so much¡­ I didn¡¯t even tell you I married Irene¡ª¡±

    ¡°Last night. She told me Ludwing ambushed you.¡±

    ¡°I want to catch up,¡± he grabbed her shoulders. ¡°Would you be my¡ª¡¯

    ¡°I want to be with you, Vincent, but I don¡¯t care about our ¡®official¡¯ status,¡± Lila made the quote sign in the air.

    ¡°But you won¡¯t object to marrying me either, right?¡±

    ¡°No, I won¡¯t,¡± she said.

    ¡°Perfect. I¡¯ll talk to the mayor¡­ shoot¡­. He¡¯s dead¡­¡±

    ¡°His wife is the interim.¡±

    ¡°Of maybe Karel could do it¡­ He¡¯s a king, like Ludwing¡­ I¡¯ll have a word with him¡­ Do you want to come to the party?¡±

    ¡°I still half the town to cover, Vincent,¡± she caressed his neck. ¡°It¡¯s important¡­¡±

    ¡°Take care,¡± he pecked her lips and returned to Pragwyn.

    You have completed the first step of your Karmic quest. You are now able to travel to your loved ones at no cost in the Guildchy and Beauhemia territories. +1 Level.

    ¡°Yey!¡± Vincent rubbed his hands, looking around for Irene using his senses. She was already making her way toward the, pushing people away with her elbows. The banquet had ended, and most guests were now on the terrace.

    Irene kissed him. Around, people giggled, but who cared? ¡°I¡¯m so happy with you¡­¡± she whispered in his ear.

    ¡°I¡¯m too, but¡­ this dress makes me loose my head¡­ I mean¡­¡±

    ¡°I know what you mean,¡± she smiled. ¡°I think we can leave the party now.¡±

 47 â€“ Book 2-20. The Rising Darkness

    The next morning, they returned to Krivoburg with the train. Their early breakfast consisted only of a coffee and a croissant, leaving Vincent hungry. He couldn¡¯t wait to reach the Guild and have a proper meal, and he would have Strode there if not for Irene, who wanted to socialize. Except for Vincent and Selim, the open wagon hosted Irene, the Celtic Knight and her entourage, still dressed in armor, the Northern woman, and a girl about Irene¡¯s age, whose identity Vincent had no idea about.

    Irene whispered with the latter, a torrent of words and exclamation marks. ¡°And he¡¯s tireless. He could go on all night!¡±

    ¡°Whoaaaa!¡±

    Vincent could ¡®hear¡¯ the girl''s widened eyes despite pretending to be dozing.

    I know girls be girls¡­ but seriously¡­ discussing my private life with a stranger?

    [Gia to Vincent]: She¡¯s not a stranger; she¡¯s Irene BFF from school. The one you saved from a cult leader. Don¡¯t you remember when she joined the traveler group?

    [Vincent to Gia]: No, I don¡¯t.

    [Gia to Vincent]: She and her parents bought a house in Pragwyn, and now they¡¯re catching up.

    [Vincent to Gia]: Are you reading my mind now?

    [Gia to Vincent]: No, but I can read focused thoughts, and your thoughts really shout out.

    [Hubris to Vincent]: Sorry to barge in, but as your assistant Archetype, I can¡¯t help but observe you are very nervous lately, always on the defensive or snarky. You need a best friend to gossip with. I volunteer for the position.

    [Vincent to Hubris]: I¡¯m fine, thanks.

    [Hubris to Vincent]: C¡¯mon¡­ Indulge an old man here¡­ BFF? You know we have a special connection¡­ Think of yesterday¡­ We literally cried together¡­ So. Let¡¯s talk girls. What blonde do you like better, the Celt or the Northerner?

    [Vincent to Hubris]: Neither¡­ I¡¯m a married man.

    [Hubris to Vincent]: It¡¯s just small talk. C¡¯mon¡­ Virtually speaking, of course.

    [Vincent to Hubris]: I just told you I¡¯m in love with Irene and Lila and very lucky to have them in my life. That¡¯s more than enough.

    [Hubris to Vincent]: C¡¯mon¡­ Indulge an old man here. It¡¯s for statistical purposes. Consider them paintings, or book, or¡ª

    [Vincent to Hubris]: Fine! Just let me be after that, all right?

    Half-opening his eyes, Vincent peeked around.

    The Viking woman wore a tight white blouse and short pencil skirt, letting her crossed legs show all their length. She looked around thirty and had a severity in her deep blue eyes that was not matched by her bust and sexy black silk stockings. In college, Vincent had a teacher who looked the same¡­ and he had entertained anything but pure thoughts about her¡­

    Across the aisle, the armor revealed little from the Celtic woman¡¯s body, albeit it followed her curves. The way her eyes looked at the world was as prideful as the Viking¡¯s, but instead of being cold, her gaze was fiery. She was categorically younger than the Northern woman, maybe around twenty-five. Her hair was a deeper shade, and her mouth had full red lips, puckering by default. Vincent had to admit she was very pretty.

    [Vincent to Hubris]: OK, if you must know, I think the Celt is cuter¡­ Err¡­ What are you doing? Selim, is that you?

    Either Hubris, through Selim, or Selim on his own, had slapped his hand on Vincent''s shoulder and squeezed it like an inept try at a massage. The old man¡¯s eyes were bulging out, and he was panting.

    [Hubris to Vincent]: It¡¯s the Vulcan pinch, you mother fucker. I¡¯ll strangle you as soon as you¡¯re incapacitated. It was a test, and you failed it. I forbid you to hit on¡ª

    [Kiara to Vincent and Hubris]: Stop this nonsense! She¡¯s one of our descendants, Vincent, that¡¯s why he¡¯s behaving like this¡­ He¡¯s an old senile fart who overreacts. STOP IT!

    Descendant? Geez!

    [Vincent to Hubris]: Please¡­ Spare me! I promise I will behave!

    In truth, he was barely registering the squeeze, but he liked Hubris, and there was nothing wrong with feeding his ego a bit. The limp clench relaxed, and Selim¡¯s hand gave him a ¡®My eyes are on you¡¯ gesture.

    [Vincent to Kiara]: Long time no see. How¡¯s it going for you¡ª

    [Kiara to Vincent]: Sorry, I can¡¯t stay to chat. I¡¯m busy. Not like some other people.

    ¡°Hey, we arrived,¡± Selim said, stretching. A certain demeanor in his attitude, more relaxed, showed when the old man was in control of his body.

    An unexpected welcoming committee was on the platform: Dragon and a few other mercs, all dressed in military fatigues.

    ¡°The commander of our troops, Colonel Dragon,¡± Irene made the presentations when they were all out. ¡°Her Highness Princess Brigid Gearheart, descendent of the Clockwork Queen, seventh in line for the throne,¡± she gestured with both hands toward the Celtic woman.

    ¡°Your soldiers wear pajamas?¡± the knight frowned. ¡°How curious.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re still low level, Your Highness,¡± Dragon bowed. ¡°We supplant our weakness through ranged combat and drones.¡±

    ¡°A wise choice,¡± Brigid nodded. ¡°May we hurry? I need to change into more appropriate clothing before lunch.

    ¡°This way,¡± Dragon gestured. The princess followed him with the rest in tow, and Irene and Vincent were last.

    ¡°You look preoccupied,¡± Irene fondled Vincent¡¯s arm.

    ¡°It¡¯s the bloody Archetypes,¡± Vincent hissed. ¡°Brigi¡¯s like a grand granddaughter of Hubris and Kiara. What the heck is that?¡± he gasped. His mind still weighed on the previous weird chat, and he didn¡¯t notice the infernal noise in front of them. Three racks, each carrying ten suits of armor in different colors and shapes, were pulled by the three male Knights of the Celtic delegation, helped by the mercs.

    ¡°It¡¯s the princess¡¯s voyage wardrobe,¡± Irene whispered. ¡°She changes armor three times a day.¡±

    ¡°You mean like changing a Chanel with a Lagerfeld?¡±

    ¡°Lagerfeld was Chanel. Elina modeled for them a lot¡­ Anyway¡­ Let¡¯s address the elephant in the streets. You must wonder why I asked the princess and Nora to come here during last night¡¯s dinner¡­¡±

    Nora must be the northerner¡­ ¡°To build better relationships with their countries?¡±

    ¡°That too, but¡­ I have a plan to convince the Mongols to make peace. The uncle recognizes the nephew as Great Khan. His region will become independent and allow us to trade with the Vikings. Everybody wins.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡ª¡±

    [Kiara to Vincent]: She wants to impress you, so you love her for her smarts.

    ¡°¡ªa great idea,¡± Vincent said in a neutral tone. He planned to pretend to be ¡®knocked out of his socks¡¯ by the results later, so beginning with an indifferent attitude was the best. Anything to make Irene happy.

    ¡°You know what makes you a great leader, Vincent?¡± Irene asked, changing the subject all of a sudden.

    ¡°I¡¯m not a great leader,¡± he objected. ¡°I¡¯m free-riding all of you. You should be the Guild¡¯s leader¡­ Oh¡­ sorry,¡± he slapped his mouth. ¡°You are the leader now¡­ I forgot we had elections¡­¡±

    ¡°The answer is that you bring us together, inspire us, and make us give our best by giving us a gentle push in the moments that count.¡±This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

    ¡°Because you brought together such a bright group in the first place,¡± Vincent said. ¡°Trust me, motivational speeches and huzzahs won¡¯t work with idiots.¡±

    Irene shrugged. ¡°Anyway¡­ my plan is to get the chiefs face to face and make them see they both want the same thing: modernize.¡±

    ¡°And how are we going to bring them face to face?¡±

    ¡°Brigid will send two blimps after them, and Kiara spoke with a few other Archetypes, who all issued guarantees. The meeting is next week¡­ hopefully. As soon as possible, anyway. As for Nora¡­ I noticed how you looked at her¡ª¡±

    ¡°Please!¡± Vincent stopped abruptly. ¡°Noticing a woman¡¯s good looks is just a reflex. What matters is love and relationship.¡±

    ¡°I was talking about how you noticed her smarts yesterday,¡± she patted his cheek. ¡°For the Celts, Brigid is the princess, and the rest the assistants. It¡¯s the other way around for the northerners. Nora is a secretary hired by rich industrials. We chatted last night, and I hired her¡­ for a hefty sum. She will be our assistant from now on. Mostly yours because I know how to use an agenda on more things than swatting flies.¡±

    ¡°I guess I can use some help¡­¡± Vincent said.

    ¡°I also thought she may be asked to spy on us. I brought up the subject, and she told me she¡¯s ready to take a System oath.¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter so much,¡± Vincent shrugged. ¡°We already have spies among us.¡±

    ¡°We do?¡± Irene widened her eyes.

    ¡°The Archetypes. They can go everywhere and are big on gossip.¡±

    ¡°Maybe we should bring it up with the bigger guy¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll try when I see him..¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re going for a strudel together, right?¡± Irene¡¯s BFF asked. They had arrived at the guild while talking.

    ¡°I expect to be shown around the town as soon I settle in my quarters,¡± the princess said.

    [Gia to Irene and Vincent]: We need to talk. I¡¯m marking a path for you on the mini-map. Take Bee with you too. He¡¯s in the gym, the new hall I built. First story, and first door on the left.

    ¡°I have something to attend to,¡± Irene told her friend. ¡°Why don¡¯t you take care of her Highness and show her Krivoburg?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d be delighted,¡± Irene¡¯s friend curtsied toward the Celt woman.

    Vincent and Irene waved their hands at her, already on the move. Inside the gym, they found Bee and Thug. The first was throwing kicks into Thug''s groin and head, alternating.

    ¡°C¡¯mon, I can¡¯t feel anything!¡± Thug yelled.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Irene asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m learning Kung Fu to honor my mother¡¯s memory,¡± Bee said.

    ¡°Since when have you known Kung Fu, Thug?¡± Vincent asked. His friend was a formidable close-quarters fighter but more of a street-smarts kind. If anything, Vincent would have called that style Thug-Fu.

    ¡°Since always!¡± Thug stared a few daggers at Vincent, meaning: ¡®It¡¯s Kung-Fu because I say so.¡¯

    ¡°Whatever¡­ We need Bee for something important. You¡¯ll continue later.¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t I¡ª¡±

    ¡°No, Bee, you can¡¯t,¡± Irene interjected.

    ¡°It¡¯s OK, kid,¡± Thug said, patting Bee¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I have to check the perimeter anyway.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s have a beer later and talk about your class,¡± Vincent proposed. Having Hubris as a BFF was out of the question. Thug was a reliable friend¡­ albeit Vincent didn¡¯t intend to discuss sensitive subjects with him either.

    ¡°Great!¡± Thug¡¯s eyes beamed with anticipation.

    ¡°Come, Bee,¡± Vincent said, proceeding on the path shown on the minimap. They went up a few rows of stairs, and through a few empty floors they didn¡¯t even know existed.

    ¡°We¡­ could¡­ use¡­ some¡­ elevators,¡± Selim said, catching up with them. ¡°My Body grew to eight only¡­¡± he stopped, heaving.

    ¡°By that?¡± Bee completed the sentence, supporting the elderly. Selim nodded.

    They entered a small round room with windows on three sides, but put so they covered all the city. The view was beautiful, and Vincent guessed they were at least two hundred feet high. A discreet light enveloped the walls, and then Hubris detached himself from Selim¡¯s body. Emerging from the floor, a wooden creature appeared. Slim, about five feet high, humanoid, with a hint of female shapes, big green eyes without sclera, and moss hair.

    ¡°I¡¯m Gia,¡± the apparition said. ¡°A Dryad, Prodigia¡¯s avatar.¡±

    Vincent slapped himself energetically four times.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Irene yelled.

    ¡°He¡¯s fighting against his Czech sarcasm,¡± Gia said. ¡°He¡¯s insides burn to say: Hi, Pinocchio. It¡¯s OK, Vincent. If you had thought: Hi, Groot, that would have been offensive.¡±

    ¡°Thank goodness,¡± Vincent sighed with relief.

    ¡°I was messing with you. Both are offensive, but I don¡¯t care. I like you as you are, you big Czech oaf. Give me a minute to put Bee and Irene to speed.¡±

    Waiting for the Dryad to explain what Vincent already knew, he killed time by looking through the windows. Krivoburg was vibrant¡­ Not only bigger but more people on the streets, newspaper stats, book shops, restaurants¡­ Its vibe was morose when they arrived: an old, antiquated place where little happened. But now everything was shiny, from the sun to the autumn leaves and the sounds of the children playing. Even the destruction brought by the Calamity was almost gone.

    ¡°Selim says he had identified a pattern in the crisis the Summoned deal with,¡± Irene touched her husband¡¯s hand, returning his attention to the discussion.

    ¡°That¡¯s good news,¡± Vincent said. ¡°What pattern?¡±

    ¡°Let me explain,¡± Selim¡¯s ace lit up. ¡°I visited the Archives of Prague and researched the relationship between the catastrophic events of the past. And by the way, Summnings are more frequent than believed.

    The last Summoned to appear around here, an individual called Joe, arrived a hundred years ago. He successfully fought a plague in Pragwyn by installing a new sewage and running water system. Examining the victims¡¯ distribution and the newspaper articles, I discovered that a monster corpse poisoning the aquifer was responsible for the disease. And who had killed that monster?¡±

    ¡°Let me guess, another Summoned one?¡± Irene asked.

    ¡°Exactly. Three centuries before. It was a big, venomous monster. Cutting it to pieces and carrying it out was too big of a task. They buried it by collapsing the cave. The city expanded, and new wells were dug, which disturbed the burial site. Joe identified the problem, unearthed the remains, burned them, and constructed a more isolated water network using enchanted pipes.¡±

    ¡°Too bad he became a bad guy,¡± Hubris said.

    ¡°Almost every time there is a crisis, there is a downstream consequence. Like plugging a leak and creating pressure in another place, which breaks later.¡±

    ¡°Like the Calamity thing,¡± Vincent said.

    ¡°You said it. Now, the Archetypes themselves are becoming the next crisis, and my graphic tells me it¡¯s a big one,¡± Selim said.

    ¡°We need more information about the Archetypes,¡± Irene said.

    ¡°I¡¯ll make you a list, of course,¡± Hubris said. ¡°The problem is Kiara and I haven¡¯t interacted with more than a handful of them in years. My daughter would know more, as she keeps track of them, but¡ª¡±

    ¡°Your daughter?¡± Vincent asked.

    ¡°The Clockwork Queen.¡±

    ¡°Your daughter is the Celtic Queen? That¡¯s interesting. Tell us more,¡± Irene rubbed her hands, obviously anticipating a juicy story.

    There was a hesitation on Hubris¡¯s face, his body contorted in unnatural flickering, which reminded them the Archetype was only a sort of a projection. Maybe reaching the conclusion that avoiding a conversation there would lead to another one later, the man inhaled deeply and started talking.

    ¡°We were Summoned a thousand and thirty years ago from Ireland. Our village was under attack by Vikings. We took our little girl, fled into a forest¡­ and arrived here.

    ¡°We didn¡¯t get involved in adventuring at first; just got on with our lives¡­ On the other hand, our daughter grew into a fierce warrior, and we started to fight alongside her¡­ Like the na?ve parents we were, we thought we were keeping her safe. We did learn to fight, but she outmatched us by an order of magnitude.

    After a while, she stopped going after dungeons and conquered France, a one-woman army by herself. I became her adviser because I got a knack for politics¡­ We discovered a core; her power spread throughout western and southern Europe. She followed my advice and gathered new information from every Summoned. Inventions, philosophy¡­ She had numerous progeny, choosing the best warriors or scientists to mate with.

    ¡°She somehow modified her pod into an armor that grants her tremendous regenerative and combat powers¡­ She¡¯s one of the few Archetypes that managed to stay awake and sane¡­ We had a fallout because she started to be too authoritarian.¡±

    ¡°Age changes people,¡± Selim said philosophically.

    ¡°So we¡¯re not welcome near her anymore. That said, if you present your request in a logical and respectful manner, she might grant you information about the other Archetypes.¡±

    ¡°Guys, sorry to break it to you, but the Archetypes are only part of the problem,¡± Bee said. ¡°The System is the one who created the domino effect in the first place. It¡¯s not interested in the real world and delegates responsibilities to dungeons, Summoned, Archetypes, and now to Summoned again. Eventually, we must check it and see if the bloody thing won¡¯t go mad too. Any idea where it is?¡±

    ¡°The System? Everywhere,¡± Hubris laughed. ¡°It¡¯s pure energy.¡±

    ¡°Wow¡­¡± Bee widened his eyes. ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Hubris nodded, a loud self-satisfaction smugness on his face.

    ¡°Wow!¡± Bee repeated.

    ¡°Err¡­ I fear he means it like: are you stupid?¡± Vincent said.

    ¡°You do?¡± Hubris creased his forehead.

    ¡°Maybe naive,¡± Bee tried not to offend the man. ¡°The System has to have a material support, like a core or something. Mana is dark matter, remember? That¡¯s complex stuff. Quantum fields, maybe a fifth fundamental force, quantum entanglement¡­ We know the ones who created the System were people. People don¡¯t have godlike powers, so we can assume they used something akin to a quantum supercomputer, only magical¡­ And I¡¯ve just been proven right by gaining five levels from this theory.¡±

    ¡°The first step is to sort out the Archetype stuff and find information,¡± Vincent put his hand on Bee¡¯s shoulder. ¡°The only way to do it is by collaborating with reliable, sane, and trustworthy Archetypes like Hubris.¡± He didn¡¯t wink, but the emphasis on the words meant: ¡®He could be one of the crazy ones; don¡¯t argue with him.¡¯

    ¡°Sure¡­ sure¡­¡± Bee nodded, widening his eyes and mouth in understanding.

    ¡°Are we done for today?¡± Irene asked.

    ¡°Except for one detail. Vincent, do you still have that tree golem gem you got in the Vault?¡± the Dryad asked.

    ¡°I do. It¡¯s in my inventory.¡±

    ¡°If you install it in this avatar, I could walk around the Guildchy and build roads and defenses faster.¡±

    ¡°Sure, why not¡­¡±

    ¡°If you are kind, leave us alone,¡± the Dyrad said. ¡°I¡¯m attuned to Vincent. Any other presence would risk messing with my settings.¡± The forcefield ceased, the door opened, and the group left, Irene starring daggers at Gia and Hubris vanishing. ¡°OK. First, they didn¡¯t need to leave, but it¡¯s better not to have the Archetype listen to us.¡±

    ¡°Do you think Hubris is one of the Archetypes going crazy? He had a totally unhinged reaction on the train.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± the Dryad said, ¡°but why confide in someone you could be forced to kill? And on top of that, could read your mind and take pre-emptive action.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s a problem,¡± Vincent sighed, scratching the nape of his head. ¡°I mean¡­ I like the guy. He has been a lot of help¡­ but¡­ we must keep our options open. Any suggestion?¡±

    ¡°Raise your passives. Slippery is five levels away from evolution. It should grant you immunity to mind reading. Quiet Leadership is only one level away and should give you another rise in stats, including Mind. If you need to discuss anything serious with your friends, come here, where I can shield you.¡±

    ¡°Thanks,¡± Vincent said, turning to leave.

    ¡°I do need the gem,¡± the Dryad said. ¡°And you¡¯re thinking of saying say: Here, Pinnochio, now you will be a real boy.¡±

    I have to level up Slippery as soon as possible¡­

 48 â€“ Book 2-21. The Next Step

    Vincent busied to train his Quiet Leadership for the rest of the morning. He walked around town, shook hands, and called people by their names. He spent half an hour with Thug, listening to details about his friend¡¯s skills, of which most had Thug as a prefix. Thug-backstab, Thug-dodge, Thug-cut, and many others.

    Then, he went to catch up with Jong and Jorge. The archer was keen to chat about his training routine. At the same time, Jorge worked on his pet project to transform the Calamity¡¯s exoskeleton into a drone. He was pumping a disgusting liquid out of the trilobite, so Vincent stayed with him for only five minutes.

    Thomas was his next stop. The sergeant had raised in level, approaching fifty, and welcomed him with the same warmth Vincent was to. Thomas¡¯s wife¡¯s garden had doubled, with many new plants next to the old one. Vincent listened to her explanations, trying to remember all the rose species, but it was a lost fight.

    Despite his best efforts, no progress was made on the skill. Faking interest wasn¡¯t working. Skills needed truth. He postponed his efforts for another day and returned to the guild. A ring of annexes was now surrounding the trunk, separated from the main building but connected to it through passages and secondary entries. One of them was the Guild Commander¡¯s office, two stories high.

    He found Irene giving audiences and Nora, their new secretary, biting her fingernails and trying to give Irene advice that the young woman obviously wasn¡¯t inclined to listen.

    ¡°Hey¡­ Nora, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Would you mind giving me some tips on how to organize my time?¡±

    ¡°¡­In your bureau?¡±

    ¡°I have a bureau?¡± Vincent asked with sincere surprise.

    ¡°You¡¯re my deputy, sweetie,¡± Irene yelled. ¡°Go, please, I can concentrate with both of you on my head.¡±

    ¡°Lead the way,¡± Vincent gestured, following Nora.

    His office was on the upper floor and quite isolated. It had sturdy furniture, a couch, a few chairs, and a desk. Vincent stretched on the couch, yawning. Nora remained standing, taking out a notebook and a pen.

    ¡°Sit down,¡± he gestured toward an armchair. ¡°Excuse me for lying down. I ran around the town all morning¡­ Not that I achieved something¡­¡±

    Sitting on the armchair''s edge, the woman nodded, taking notes. ¡°What would you like to improve?"

    ¡°Everything¡­¡± Vincent sighed. ¡°I mean¡­ a step at a time, of course¡­ Coordinating with Irene¡¯s schedule, maybe? Taking on some meetings she can¡¯t? Can you list important meetings and let me know so I can attend? I want to hang around and learn the ropes.¡±

    ¡°You¡­ want to learn the ropes?¡± Nora asked hesitantly.

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean, why? I want to help. Irene¡¯s doing all the work, and I feel useless. Everybody¡¯s¡ª¡±

    "You think your job is to organize market days and urban planning?¡± the woman gasped.

    ¡°S-sure? But I¡¯m bad at it.¡±

    ¡°Guildcher Vincent,¡± Nora said, frowning at him exactly like his high school teacher did when he stared at her with the impurest thoughts in mind. ¡°Nobles usually concentrate on doing their duties first and leave other things to competent people. You don¡¯t lack talent around here.¡±

    ¡°I know, but they¡¯re doing all the job while¡ª¡±

    ¡°Let me put it in another way. Would you have preferred Guildchess Irene to stay and fight the Calamity alongside you? Or the enchanters to fight the Mongols?¡±

    ¡°I see¡­ You mean I can¡¯t help by stepping on Irene¡¯s toes.¡±

    ¡°Exactly. Your job is to make the Byzantines fear you like you did yesterday or fight the battles only you can win. That¡¯s what the Guildchess and the rest of the people respect you for.¡±

    Massaging his forehead, Vincent remained silent for a moment. ¡°OK. I get your point¡­ By the way, you made an impression on me,¡± he continued.

    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ sorry to hear that,¡± the woman¡¯s voice choked.

    Raising his head, Vincent noticed her defensive posture. Both legs were on the floor, tucked together, and the blouse buttoned all the way up. Goodness, she thinks I¡¯m making a move on her¡­You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

    ¡°I apologize if I gave you the wrong idea,¡± Vincent rose to sit in a more formal position, his cheek beet red. ¡°What I wanted to say is I was impressed by your cleverness. If I glared at you on the train,¡± That idiot, Hubris, started it¡­ ¡°it was because you look exactly like a teacher I had in high school¡­ I was sixteen and smitten with her¡­ I pretended to drop my pencil every five minutes just to stare at her legs¡­ For a moment, you reminded me of her. There¡¯s nothing more to it, I swear.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry if I overstepped, Guildcher Vincent¡­ It¡¯s very hard to read you,¡± she started speaking quickly. ¡°You have a reputation of both a hero and a womanizer¡­ But the story is very funny. Thank you for confiding in me.¡±

    For misleading the analytical senses of an Elite Secretary, level 90, and making her reach the erroneous conclusion you were pursuing her, you have reached level 100 in Slippery. Evolution available.

    For being honest with an important subordinate and gaining her trust, you have leveled Quiet Leadership to 100. Evolution available.

    Finally! ¡°I have a question. Yesterday, you told the Byzantines that protocol is for snobs and losers. It¡¯s obvious they¡¯re snobs, but why did you call them losers?¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re on the verge of breaking apart. There are many princes with huge egos and little brains, each controlling a province. In a way, like the Mongols, only the Byzantines should know better. My previous employers told me that if I had the opportunity to pass the message, I should do it. The world is watching them, and they¡¯d better behave.¡±

    ¡°What do you think about Irene¡¯s idea to have the two Mongol chiefs make peace?¡±

    ¡°The idea has merit, but both chieftains are stubborn and proud,¡± Nora said bluntly. ¡°The one in Wrocslau has an army of a hundred thousand with guns. The other is young¡­ yearning to make a name for himself. There¡¯s a good chance there will be a war.¡±

    ¡°No, it won¡¯t be¡­¡± Vincent shook his head. ¡°They can¡¯t go against each other on their own, right? The one with the fortress can¡¯t afford to run after the younger one, and the other can¡¯t attack without our help. We do nothing and let them marinate in their own sauce. We call that a frozen conflict. They''ll make peace by themselves in due time.¡±

    ¡°The Byzantines are going to think you are a coward.¡±

    ¡°Not that I give a shit, but I assure you, the Byzantine will think nothing of the sort. I¡¯ll make sure of it. Did Irene give you a phone?¡±

    ¡°One of your magical tablets? No.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll take care of it¡­ What hour is it¡­ half past twelve? Take a lunch break.¡±

    ¡°I just had one!¡± the woman protested.

    ¡°Then prepare to explain to me in detail everything you know about that empire. I¡¯ll be back in half an hour.¡±

    Leaving the office in a hurry, Vincent descended the steps two by two, barging into Irene¡¯s office. The young woman was alone. ¡°I need Nora for the afternoon. Is it OK with you?¡±

    ¡°I need her at three,¡± Irene sighed. ¡°Missis Mayor is coming to ask for my endorsement for the next election. You do agree to endorse her, right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­ Stability is good.¡± Irene¡¯s frown showed he had missed a point. ¡°I meant to say reform is good,¡± Vincent yelled on the way out.

    The first thing to do was to grab a sandwich and a beer at the closest terrace and inspect his options.

    Choose an evolution for Slippery:

    Diversion. Inspecting, mind-reading, or mind-control-type spells or abilities cast on you will give erroneous results. Keeps the +25% chance of evading attacks.

    Or

    Mental Armor. Inspecting, Mind-reading, or Mind-control-type spells or abilities won¡¯t work on you anymore. Does NOT prevent your body language from being read. Requires at least 50 in the Mind Stat. Keeps the +25% chance of evading attacks.

    Yeah, I don¡¯t care so much about body language¡­ Mental Armor it is.

    Vincent was about to invest five tokens in Mind when he remembered about Quiet Leadership.

    Choose an evolution for Quiet Leadership:

    Retain the current path, doubling the gains. Increases the stats of your followers by +4. Gain +16 in every stat for yourself as long you have at least 30 followers.

    Evolve the skill intro Inspiring Leadership. Increase the stats of your followers by +8 (Combat only). Transform your +8 buff in every stat into a permanent gain. This skill will no longer need you to have a number of followers. Warning: The increase in stats will happen over a period of two hours. You are advised against Striding or leaving Krivoburg during this period, or some progress might be permanently lost.

    The buff of Quiet Leadership was nice, but Mental Armor offered him enough defenses, and he didn¡¯t need a big increase in stats anymore. Inspiring offered him a permanent increase, making him independent and saving precious tokens for later.  Plus¡­ it was nice to offer his team a good bonus.

    He left a silver coin on the table and left, reviewing his stats on the way.

    Name: Vincent Vala?ka Age: 28

    Level: 71 (18 tokens available).

    Body 74 / Mind 49  / Spirit 64.

    [Vincent to Titan]: Where are you?

    [Titan to Axe Raven]: Vincent? Y-You are t-talking in m-my head?

    [Vincent to Titan]: It¡¯s called chat. It¡¯s instinctive, focus your thoughts. We brought phones and laptops, right?

    [Titan to Axe Raven]: Affirmative. One thousand phones and a hundred laptops.

    [Vincent to Titan]: I need one of each, with a working operating system and access to the local intranet. How long will it take?

    [Titan to Axe Raven]: Come to the Guild in five minutes. I was preparing a laptop for¡ª

    [Vincent to Titan]: I¡¯ll be there in ten.

    ¡°Hubris, are you around? Come here,¡± he asked aloud, repeating the message in chat.

    The Archetype appeared next to him within two seconds. ¡°What do you want? I was showing Selim how to fight with a spear to increase his body.¡±

    Hubris¡¯s grand granddaughter has a sexy ass; Vincent tried to project his thoughts.

    ¡°Why are you frowning at me?¡±

    Good¡­ No more mind reading¡­

    ¡°All¡¯s OK.,¡± Vincent waved his hand. ¡°I need a list of rogue Archetypes situated in the Byzantine Empire. I know you don¡¯t have the most recent data, but it could still prove useful.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll ask around. Give me a few days.¡±

 49 â€“ Book 2-22. Quest Complete

    Vincent knocked at the door once. On the second knock, his knuckle found only air. Lila had swung the door open, jumping in his arms. It was ten at night, and they were supposed to have that night for themselves.

    ¡°Thank goodness! I thought you forgot!¡±

    ¡°I worked late,¡± Vincent sighed. He hadn¡¯t been able to finish his data gathering with Nora in the afternoon and had to wait until Irene was done with her meetings at seven. The secretary didn¡¯t object to working overtime but said she expected to be paid extra.

    ¡°Come in,¡± Lila pulled Vincent after her. She wore a silk neglige, all but revealing. Slamming the door behind them, she grabbed Vincent¡¯s neck, and they kissed.

    ¡°I brought you a gift,¡± Vincent said, extracting a laptop from his storage.

    ¡°Err¡­ thanks?¡± she said hesitantly.

    ¡°We brought a hundred of them from Earth,¡± he said. ¡°But this one is especially for you. It has thousands of movies,  dance shows, music albums¡­ I was thinking of watching a movie together.¡±

    ¡°What a lovely gift!¡± she exclaimed, taking the laptop to the bed. ¡°Any preference?¡±

    ¡°You choose... But don¡¯t pick something too romantic, or I won¡¯t be able to wait until the end.¡±

    ¡°Me neither¡­ Let¡¯s watch something short¡­ like Tom and Jerry?¡±

    ¡°That would be fun,¡± Vincent said.

    Half an hour later, after five minutes of watching Jerry trashing the cat with his wits and a torrid lovemaking session, they lay in each other arms in the bed.

    ¡°You have no idea how often I looked at you while you were asleep,¡± Vincent confessed. ¡°You¡¯re so beautiful.¡±

    ¡°Only when asleep?¡± she giggled, wrapping her arms around his chest.

    ¡°All the time, of course¡­ How was your day?¡±

    ¡°The town hired a few Healers from Pragwyn¡­ and they¡¯re better than I, so I just hang out around the hospital for the morning, watching them work, then I danced around the town again to enhance the leylines¡­ Gia needs more power, and I¡¯m the only Nymph available.¡±

    ¡°How does that work?¡± Vincent asked, remembering he had a quest about exploring around using Mana.

    ¡°Bee¡¯s theory¡­ he has a theory for everything¡­ is the active Dark Matter likes to bond to chiralic structures, and there are many such things. My talent is to enhance the chirality related to nature¡­ look!¡±

    Jumping out of bed, Lila started to dance in a circle. After the third round, a mushroom fairy ring appeared on the wooden floor.

    ¡°Unbelievable!¡± Vincent exclaimed. ¡°Edible?¡±

    ¡°Yes, but not so tasty¡­ these are for medicinal purposes.¡±

    ¡°Like¡­ getting high?¡±

    ¡°No!¡± she frowned, leaning to pick the mushrooms¡ªabout a dozen¡ªthen putting them in a drawer. ¡°Antibiotics.¡±

    To Vincent, the place where the mushroom had been shone with a faint light. On a whim, he activated Arcane Awareness.  The light intensified, and all of a sudden, he could see a network of thin filaments entering the floor and going all the way down to the tree roots, then spreading on the streets and around the city. They gathered in thicker cords at each gate or bridge, then spread again.

    Some threads were accompanying the railway, others the dirt roads or the river banks, and a cluster was working to repair the damage the two tactical nukes brought. Over one hill, a minuscule thread was passing near an object of uncertain shape that blinked red in Vincent¡¯s senses.The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take a shower,¡± Lila said.

    ¡°Go ahead, I have to check something,¡± he told Lila and Strode near the object after dressing back in his boxers and a T-shirt. It was a bear''s skeleton, almost the size of a small truck.

    Slain by Irene Altenschloss, this carcass has not been looted yet. This beast''s claws and fangs are proper for crafting Rare or Elite tier accessories.

    Hm¡­ I should ask our crafters if they can make something for Irene¡­ Vincent thought. Since they arrived, the reputation of the Guild has increased, and they sold a lot of medium-quality gear at a lower price than other places for better quality.

    Then, he noticed the blinking in his senses was not the bear¡¯s remains but something behind it. He walked between the trees barefoot, indifferent to the sharp pine needles or rocks that barely registered as minor annoyances on his soles. The source of the signal was in the bear¡¯s lair. A shiny wall of light was at its end, akin to a forcefield or a pocket universe¡¯s shell.

    It was the latter Vincent discovered when he put his hand on it. On a whim, he tried to step forward and went through the light. A Karmic Charge was deducted, but for the first time, it felt like he passed through a waterfall or a wind barrier rather than a jump. His skill was progressing.

    What the heck is that?

    A massive cylinder lay on the ground, with its upper half made of glass. Inside was a body, an old man with hollow cheeks, immobile, his empty eyes staring into nothingness.

    You have discovered The Raven¡¯s Pod, a Mythical tier artifact.

    ¡°The Raven¡¯s pod, huh?¡±

    Walking around the cylinder, his hand on the object, he noticed an indentation with a lever. His Arcane Awareness told Vincent it was an emergency opening device.

    ¡°Well¡­ let¡¯s see¡­ maybe he had some artifacts on him¡­¡± Vincent spoke aloud, pulling the mechanism. Exposed to the air, the body and its clothes dissipated into dust, making the young man step back, covering his face with his elbow, avoiding inhaling the particles of his defeated foe. Then, the light surrounding the pod vanished, and another grew, announcing Elkandaros¡¯s presence.

    ¡°You have completed my quests,¡± the apparition boomed.

    ¡°Grand Archetype,¡± Vincent bowed. ¡°Please excuse my informal attire.¡±

    ¡°Attires are unimportant, achievements are.¡±

    For completing all three parts of the quest requested by Grand Archetype Elkandaros, you now have access to the following rewards:

    Your Karmic Charges pool has been refilled. + 1 Level + 2 in Mind and Spirit

    Inter-dimensional traveling costs are minimal, with no further reduction possible. Current cost for traveling between Awakened and Neutral Realms: 50 Karmic Charges. Current costs for traveling between awakened Realms or pocket universes: 5 Karmic Charges. This covers your own expenditure. Any person you take with you will cost an extra 1 Karmic Charge.

    ¡°Wow¡­ Thank you very much¡­ May I ask you something, Grand Archetype?¡± Vincent said.

    ¡°You may.¡±

    ¡°Can you offer more information about this quest? Anything that could help us?¡±

    The man froze, his head turned sideways, considering things.

    ¡°Too much information could falsify your decisions in the future¡­ But I, Elkandaros, will tell you this: No Archetype is a hundred percent good or evil. Some did terrible things in the past but redeemed themselves later. Others were Great Heroes, like the Raven, whose dust floats around us, only to fall into madness at the end.  You will make mistakes, too, Hero Vincent, but learning from them is important. I will point you to someone who will offer you more answers. Find the Dancing Queen, Gorgona Taranta, and gain her help and trust.¡±

    ¡°Thank you. It¡¯s a start,¡± Vincent said.

    Elkandaros vanished, but a new notification appeared.

    Additional information: Hidden pocket universes will trigger your senses if you are close enough.

    Pff¡­ I¡¯m not in the mood to check it now¡­

    He tried to put the pod in his storage on a whim, and it worked. For whatever reason, the object was not as heavy or voluminous as it looked. Then, he took the bear carcass into the loot storage facility¡ªa sizeable hangar¡ª leaving instructions for processing the loot. Finally, he returned to the room. Lila was using a hair dryer.

    ¡°Hey,¡± she said, turning the dryer off. ¡°Where have you been?¡±

    ¡°I completed the quest for the Grand Archetype¡­ Thanks to you, actually.¡±

    ¡°Then I must claim my prize,¡± she approached and kissed him. ¡°Do you want to watch a movie together? I found something funny.¡±

    ¡°Give me a minute; I¡¯ll shower too.¡±

    Five minutes later, changed into fresh clothes, Vincent took Lila in his arms, the laptop in her lap. The movie was a comedy about a couple¡¯s parents meeting each other for the first time.

    ¡°How are your parents?¡± Vincent asked. ¡°I mean¡­ are they nice?¡±

    ¡°Yes¡­ They have a vineyard in Italy¡­ You¡¯d like it. They supported my passion for dance but¡­ not my preferences¡­¡±

    ¡°That you like girls?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± she turned her head to him. ¡°I don¡¯t feel attracted by most of the boys¡­ girls feel prettier¡­. But you are different¡­ I was smitten with you the first day¡­¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t complain,¡± Vincent kissed her.

    ¡°Movies can wait,¡± she said. Closing the laptop and putting it on the nightstand, she returned the kiss, each pulling at the other clothes.

 50 â€“ Book 2-23. Vlach Showdown

    The map showed four locations in the Byzantine Empire. One was in the Caucasus, and another in Anatolia, but the ones of interest were close to the border of the Bogomil Federation. A region was encircled in the Balkans, the equivalent of Montenegro and northern Albania on Earth, and a second circle marked the town of Taranto in Italy.

    A post-it note from Irene stuck under each place. The first said: ¡®This part of the Balkans is controlled by Mysafyr i Llug, literally meaning The Visitor and his Wolf. According to Hubris, there were only two Summoned Beast Tamers, one of whom was the Raven, and both were notoriously unstable. The Visitor has soloed one dungeon in the vicinity and made the area his own. He never left it, even after we became Archetypes, and he and his pet ride bodies that look like them. Officially, the area belongs to the Byzantines, but it¡¯s a bandit lair in all but the name.¡¯

    The second text was even more strange: ¡®This region is protected by the Dancing Spider Queen, Gorgona Taranta. Probably a summoning went wrong. The Spider Queen is the only non-humanoid Archetype. No one knew her origin, but she fought alongside the other Archetypes in the Dungeon Wars. Afterward, Taranta made a pact with the Byzantines to defend their Southern Italian colonies from the Duchy of Rome (Celtic vassal). She can spawn minions. A bite or a look from those beasts makes people dance until they fall unconscious.¡¯

    To bring his plan to completion, Vincent needed The Archetype in Montenegro gone, and by that, he meant preferably dead. The man was the worst type of murder hobo possible, leading hundreds of bandits who plundered, raped, and killed both in their territories and in the Bogomils and Hungary border counties. They treated their own women and children worse than slaves.

    Vincent did not sit idle during the preparation period, which took almost two weeks. He had unlocked Common Healing and Accelerate Regen, following Ludwing¡¯s manual, by spending time every day at the hospital, watching and analyzing how Lila worked. It was a poor man¡¯s healing, but a Healing nevertheless.

    When D-Day came, a contingent of five hundred Dark Knights¡ªoffered by Trinella¡ªand two hundred Amazons crossed the border, marching toward one of the bandit bases. A force large enough to be a serious threat but small enough that the bandits think they could beat. Soon, small groups of outlaws began to trickle west toward a gorge through which the attackers were obliged to pass and the best ambush point.

    The diversion column slowed once the trend was clear, leaving Vincent to mount the main attack. Everything was ready, with only one more task before launching the assault: choose what to do with two skills.

    Although it seemed an impossible task at first, Ludwing¡¯s manual helped Vincent unlock Dominion, a Mental attack destined to crush other peoples¡¯ will. Ludwing was obviously an expert at those kinds of skills, while Vincent hated them with a passion. However, by walking around the town with Vorrak and scaring away dogs who peed on lamposts, cats meowing too loud at night, and pigeons targeting statues with their bio-bombs, the young man had achieved the same result as torturing prisoners¡ªwhich was the king¡¯s recommendation.

    And now it was time to get rid of the skill, merging it with Iron Grip into a new Legendary ability.

    Hand of Dominion. This is not just a skill but a statement of control. When the user summons this power, their hands take on an unnatural hardness and strength, able to hold or crush with a king¡¯s authority, forcing the world to bend to their will. Nothing can escape their dominion once caught in the Iron Grip. Current Skill Level: 50.

    Another skill had reached level fifty and asked for a choice, and it was a hard one.

    Choose an evolution for Animal Empathy:

    Cat Person: You can bond with a small or large feline and fight together as one.

    Dog Person: You can bond with a canid and fight together as one.

    Vincent turned his eyes from left to right. On his left was White Roar, and on the right was Vorrak the Devourer. The tiger, albeit bigger, was of a lower level, approaching fifty. The vibe from the tiger was ambiguous. He was not afraid to fight but also had some second thoughts. Bonding with Vincent meant leaving his current master, Hari the Spriggan, and a quiet, if boring, life.

    The warg was rooting for battle; that was obvious from his impatience. And he was level a hundred. But Vincent had seen White Roar¡¯s strength, while the Warg was an unknown quantity.

    However, there was a third element to take into consideration. In front of him, Irene held Cupkake in her arms. The cub had been washed and hair dried to appear more fluffy and was making puppy eyes.

    ¡°Poor baaaaby,¡± Irene pretended to sob. ¡°Vincent will send your father to certain death.¡±

    ¡°Fine! I pick Vorrak,¡± Vincent surrendered.

    You are now a Dog Person. You can perceive perfectly what a canid thinks or feels and fight as one alongside your pet, Vorrak the Devourer. Current Skill level: 50.

    The warg barked with joy.

    ¡°Take care,¡± Irene hugged him, all fake tears gone instantly.

    Vincent kissed her, petted the tiger cub¡¯s head, and then walked the twenty yards to the center of the New Main Square, where everybody else waited. He started to Strode, transporting people and materiel to preselected locations. Two howitzers and mortars behind the ridges where the ambush waited, a group of ten mercenaries to ambush the ambush. That took the best part of an hour. Finally, he took his own group of mercs to the main bandits'' base behind an empty barn and pushed the button on his radio.This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.

    ¡°Eagle One, this is Axe Raven. Execute Hellfire. I repeat, execute Hellfire. Over.¡±

    ¡°Axe Raven, this is Eagle One. Roger. Out.¡±

    The drone they brought from Earth was above them, three miles up. A first missile impacted the main gate, destroying it and killing the guards. A second one blew up the barracks. There were no more than fifty bandits left in the camp, and with a bit of luck, the two strikes had destroyed at least most of them.

    ¡°Thug, go,¡± Vincent ordered.

    Taking another four mercs with him, Thug exited the barn and sneaked along the walls to attack from the rear. Then, what Vincent hoped for happened. A pocket universe activated higher on the hill. Now, Vincent had a good idea of where the Archetype was.

    Vincent jumped inside the forcefield, spear in one hand, revolver in the other, ready to shoot. From the first second, things went south. He had tried bringing his group with him, yet he was alone. Arcane Awareness offered a short explanation.

    Pocket universes are extremely rare and potent skills. Those who master them can impose their own conditions inside. Only Vlachs are allowed entry inside this one. Change the name you display from Velasco to Vala?ka, or you¡¯ll be expelled in ten seconds, risking disintegration.

    The fuck?

    He rushed to make the change, and the Raven armor dismissed itself immediately. The buff in Body meant a lot, but he had lower defenses and less elemental damage. There was still no pad showing in his scans and no one on the street, but he felt an animalic presence not far away. Peeking behind the next corner, he saw an old man and a giant wolf. The man was wiry, with a Wild West-type revolver on his hip, his only weapon. On his left hand, he had a cane, leaning on it. The wolf was only fur and bones, very old and extremely thin. Both were waiting in the middle of the road. Gunslinger, level one hundred, was the tag of the man.

    ¡°Why are you here?¡± the man spoke.

    ¡°To capture or slay you,¡± Vincent said, exiting his cover and cocking his revolver. ¡°Surrender. I won¡¯t hesitate to kill your ride if it means taking you down.¡±

    The man snorted. ¡°I¡¯m no body snatcher, kid. What you see is the real deal. A Black Vlach doesn¡¯t hide in a pod nor steps away from a fight.¡±

    The wolf growled, and an oppressive feeling grasped Vincent.

    You are now in a Duel Zone. Your gun has been disabled. When the countdown reaches zero, you will be able to fire. Ten¡­ Nine¡­

    The old man moved his hand above his gun, his fingers at the ready.

    Move! Advance! Vincent thought. An instinct coming from nowhere. He stepped forward, asking himself if he should Stride away. Now, he could understand White Roar¡¯s apprehension. He had someone to return to¡­ Irene and Lila¡­ and that added weight to his soul.

    I¡¯m getting old¡­ Vincent sighed. He had never thought about running from a fight before. His revolver was in his hand, cocked, ready to fire. No matter how fast the old man was, there was no way he would fire first.

    When the countdown reached one, Vincent stopped. They were very close, ten or twelve yards maximum. The morning''s low sun made Vincent¡¯s shadow so long it touched the old man¡¯s feet.

    Zero¡­

    The old man was so fast that he fired at Vincent well before the younger man pressed the trigger. Luckily, Vincent¡¯s instincts made him twitch his body. The bullet hit his shoulder like a jackhammer. Jerking under the shock, Vincent missed, his shot only grazing the Gunslinger¡¯s head.

    Negate Damage (one charge) has been activated.

    Thanks, Bee!

    There were no more shots. Vorrak jumped out from Vincent¡¯s shadow, crushing the old man¡¯s throat in his jaws and dragging him to the ground. The gun slipped away. The giant wolf tried to run to help his master but moved slower than a snail, falling after a few steps and then crawling.

    ¡°Shit! That hurts!¡± Albeit Vincent was not wounded, the impact had numbed his arm. ¡°Good boy, Vorrak,¡± Vincent said to the warg. ¡°You can hide in my shadow? Neat ability.¡±

    His bonded pet growled in thanks, his fangs keeping the pressure around Mysafyr¡¯s throat. The old timer was still breathing, a pool of blood growing on his side, larger by the second. The wolf was continuing to crawl forward.

    Vincent prepared to deliver the coup de grace when the man looked into his eyes.

    [Mysafyr (Archetype of Jealousy and Wolves)]: Don¡¯t¡­ Let me choke in my own blood¡­ This is¡­ what I deserve¡­

    ¡°The fuck?¡± Shit, I have to change my repertoire, I say that a lot¡­

    ¡°Hear¡­me,¡± the old man gurgled.

    ¡°I¡¯m listening.¡± Vincent signaled Vorrak to release his grip.

    [Mysafyr (Archetype of Jealousy and Wolves)]: I¡¯m a bad man¡­ When I got here, I fell in love¡­ only to kill my wife in a fit of jealousy¡­ She was innocent, and I did not believe her¡­Since then, I have made it my mission to better my nation so that they don¡¯t make the same errors as me. I have led them on the path of reason and civilization¡­

    Dude! Reason and civilization? Like beat your wife only once per day and pillage and rape responsibly?

    [Mysafyr (Archetype of Jealousy and Wolves)]: The pod¡­ is in my house¡­ behind me¡­ I never used it¡­. Don¡¯t trust the other Archetypes. They¡¯re all mad. Don¡¯t try to be the same as them. I have no artifacts for you to loot except for my gun¡­ My gift to you is a piece of advice¡­ Don¡¯t give in to jealousy¡­ Love¡­ is¡­

    The man gurgled, drowning in his own blood.

    ¡°Love is doing what is best for the other person,¡± Vincent said, squatting, putting his hand on the old man¡¯s forehead. A lone tear started to flow down the Archetype¡¯s cheek.

    The wolf howled. It finally arrived at his master, resting his head on the man¡¯s chest. Mysafyr¡¯s body jerked and remained still. Vincent closed the Archetype¡¯s eyes, then, in one swift motion, shot the wolf in the head. The pocket universe ceased, and the noises of the outside reached in.

    You have vanquished Mysafyr (Archetype of Jealousy and Wolves) and Llug, his pet. You have leveled x3. +1 in Mind and + 2 in Spirit.

    ¡°Axe Raven, this is Dragon. Do you copy? Over.¡± his friend¡¯s voice arrived through the radio.

    ¡°Dragon, this is Axe Raven, I hear you. Over.¡±

    ¡°Axe Raven, we destroyed the ambush. The few survivors surrendered. Your instructions? Over.¡±

    ¡°Dragon, this is axe Raven. Leave the prisoners in the Bogomils'' care. Advance as per plan. The main bandit base is secured. Over and out.¡±

    There were no more fighting noises around. Bandits were exiting houses, hands out, herded toward an open space when they were handcuffed. Thug noticed his friend and came toward him, running.

    ¡°That¡¯s the vessel? So old?¡±

    ¡°I think it was the man himself¡­ the Archetype¡­¡± Vincent sighed.

    ¡°Something wrong?¡± Thug asked. ¡°You have that look on your face¡­¡±

    ¡°No¡­ it was just weird. Can you take care of the rest? Lock the prisoners in the barn, secure the pod, and so on?¡±

    ¡°Sure, man, no problem.¡±

    ¡°And maybe¡­ put a couple of prisoners bury the old dude and his dog together¡­¡± Vincent¡¯s eyes welled up.

    Thug squeezed his friend¡¯s shoulder. Sometimes, words were useless.

 51. Book 2-24. Dancing Queen

    Lila and Vincent arrived near Taranto in the evening, leaving the team behind and approaching the x marks the spot on the map, only the two of them. The drone had scanned the countryside a few days prior. Selim identified the most likely place for the Spider Queen¡¯s lair by analyzing the most frequent sightings and interactions.

    Pulling a blanket and food from a wicker basket, the two lovers sat under a tree to picnic. It was an indirect approach, and they both agreed that it was the best. It also gave Lila time to devise a strategy. She started by inspecting her stats.

    Name: Lila de Rosa

    Age: 20

    Species: Nymph (Mythical)

    Class: Healer, Lvl. 50

    Body: 60 Mind: 30 Spirit: 80

    SPs: 3300 / CPs: 800 / MPs: 1300

    She was satisfied with her progress, even if she owed much of her stats to investing tokens and her species. Nymphs¡¯ agility drove her body higher, raising her stamina sky high, as the formula was level plus stats multiplied by thirty. Her Spirit had progressed by being a healer. She wasn¡¯t combat-oriented but could deliver fast attacks and CC if needed.

    Vincent talked about marriage¡­ Lila didn¡¯t care. An official paper meant nothing to her. What mattered was being with him. In his arms. In their bed. Together. It had taken a few seconds to change her worldview and realize the truth. The tiger had run directly at her the day they arrived in the magical Realm. She had prayed, closing her eyes. Running would have been futile. And then, Vincent had saved her. A prayer becoming a reality.

    And then, reality hit. Love wasn¡¯t about sharing a culture: music, food, books¡­ nor about somebody being cute and attractive. Those meant nothing if one couldn¡¯t feel protected next to their partner.

    The girls she has been with and the only other boy in her life¡ªa high school crush¡ªwere cuter than Vincent, more cultured, and certainly had better conversation skills. Vincent was handsome but a bit on the rough side, with a day or two old beard stubs always on his cheeks. He had a risque humor too¡­ typically Czech. But with him, she felt protected. Safe. He was like a dependable tree on which she was the ivy. And his rough edges, in bed¡­ were becoming an unstoppable torrent of bliss¡ª

    Shaking her head, Lila concentrated on the task at hand: preparing and repeating the moves in her head. There were three possible variants of the spider¡¯s dance: Tarantella, Tammuriata, and Pizzica.

    Tarantella she didn¡¯t like very much. It had become just another social dance. Polite. Meh.

    Tammuriata, she liked but feared. It was a dance of power and mysticism. Ideally, she¡¯d had a partner¡ªman or woman, it didn¡¯t matter¡ªto knead their limbs together, imitating the flailing limbs of a spider. Alone¡­ with her Nymph powers, it was a dance that could induce curses on herself or her friends¡­ A terrible backfire, if one.

    Pizzica, she loved. It was sensual and seductive¡­ and Vincent was there to dance it for him. It was one of her favorites as an artist specializing in world music and dances.

    An hour after their arrival, a hairy spider about the size of a pug dog sneaked to spy on them from behind, hiding in a bush.

    ¡°It¡¯s time,¡± she told Vincent, kissing his temple.

    He extracted a tambourine and began hitting it like she had taught him. Dancing the Spider Dance demanded anchoring her mind into reality through it, or rather using the rhythm to enter her trance, the one she controlled, not the spider¡¯s.

    The creature started to dance first, wiggling its body on its hind limbs and shaking the fore ones. A good attempt at hypnosis, but Lila was immune. And, to her joy, the spider¡¯s rhythm was the Pizzica. She started dancing in her turn, swinging and pirouetting with her arms spread, light jumpy steps, and hair floating¡­ A nymph was an image of grace and elegance; she was well aware of her powers.

    Three minutes later, the spider was bouncing around the girl uncoordinatedly.

    You, Lila De Rosa, have mesmerized the mesmerizer by executing the Pizzica. +2 levels and +1 in all stats.

    A voice appeared in her mind. Cute girl¡­ come with Sven!

    The spider started chittering and jumping up, agitating his limbs. Running away, it stopped and beckoned them with its forelimbs.

    ¡°I think he wants us to follow him,¡± Lila yelled.

    ¡°Him?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s a boy. His name¡¯s Sven. I can read his mind.¡±

    ¡°A spider named Sven?¡±

    Lila didn¡¯t answer, running forward, followed by Vincent. They walked on for about ten minutes when the spider stopped, and a black round circle appeared before them.

    ¡°A portal?¡± Lila asked.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go alone.¡±

    ¡°No way! If the Byzantines come, you think I¡¯m safer outside than with you?¡± she gripped his arm.

    Vincent pursed his lips and spoke on the radio: ¡°Axe Raven to Thug. Entering a pocket universe. I will be out of radio range. You have command. Do you copy?¡±

    ¡°Thug to Axe Raven. Loud and clear. Roger. Out.¡±

    ¡°Stay behind me.¡± Ready to activate his Outsider Refuge at a moment¡¯s notice, Vincent stepped into the portal, and Lila followed.

    You have entered [Gorgona Taranta (Archetype of the System and Spiders)]¡¯s lair.

    They arrived in a cave lit by a hole in the ceiling, with water running into a pool. Fern, moss, and flowers grew around the water in regular patches. A larger spider, the size of a pony, was in the process of cutting some roses with its mouth, her slow movements akin to a swing dance. The little spider rushed to grab a flower and offered it to Lila.

    ¡°You are pretty, dancing girl,¡± it chirped.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Lila curtsied, happy to be complimented. The rose stem was sticky with bits of web, and she was visibly trying not to wipe her arm on her skirt.

    ¡°You are a warrior?¡± the Spider Queen asked toward Vincent.

    ¡°I guess so¡­¡± Vincent said.

    ¡°Why have you come?¡±

    Lila saw Vincent biting on his lower lip, which meant he was considering what to say. She squeezed his hand, encouraging him to speak the truth. So far, the Archetype has been friendly, and there were no crazy or hostile vibes.A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    ¡°Elkandaros told me to search for your help¡­ We observed this area for a while, and you have a good reputation. Your spiders never kill people and rein in even the Byzantines if they abuse the locals. I hope we can do business together,¡± Vincent said. ¡°My main quest is to take care of the rogue Archetypes, and we need stability to concentrate on the task. I want to chase the Byzantines from Italy. What would it take for you to change allegiance?¡±

    All of a sudden, one of the eyes on the Spider¡¯s head lit up, shining red, and the creature spoke with a deeper voice:

    ¡°Current Strategic Context: The Bogomils have evolved into a powerful state. Their recent conquest of Montenegro significantly expands their influence in the region. Meanwhile, the Byzantine Empire has become increasingly unstable due to the resurgence of rival factions. The Tarento region in Southern Italy, historically a wealthy trading hub with strategic access to the Mediterranean, presents an ideal market for the Bogomils to engage in commerce, bringing valuable Balkan goods¡ªsuch as textiles, spices, metalwork, and timber¡ªinto Italian markets. In return, the Bogomils could import southern Italian products like wine, olive oil, and luxury goods such as fine pottery and textiles.¡±

    ¡°The fuck?¡± Vincent exclaimed. ¡°The bug is a strategist?¡±

    Another eye lit up, replacing the first.

    ¡°I am deeply offended by your recent misidentification of me as an insect. The careless conflation of insects and arachnids perpetuates harmful stereotypes about us, much like how other marginalized groups are often reduced to one-size-fits-all labels. We are distinct, unique, and worthy of respect.¡±

    ¡°The¡ª¡± Lila''s hand searched for Vincent¡¯s hand, squeezing his fingers. That made him shut up, letting another ¡®fuck¡¯ untold. He did have a foul mouth.

    ¡°There are multiple personalities in this body, young visitors¡¯,¡± a third eye shone, the voice now more feminine and calm, like a midwife who had seen thousands of births.

    ¡°This is our chance,¡± another voice boomed. ¡°The new Summoned have advanced tech. They¡¯re the first civilized people we met in this Realm. They are the key to the throne, to shatter the old crumbling ways and reshape the very foundation of power itself."

    ¡°We fared badly last time we engaged in a war¡­¡± another voice said, with a fifth eye lit.

    ¡°From a revolutionary standpoint, replacing the old system is not just a matter of change¡ªit¡¯s a matter of survival and progress. The old order, built on outdated ideals, corruption, and inefficiency, no longer serves the people or the times. The old world is dying; a new one, forged in the fires of rebellion, is the only way forward,¡± the previous voice said.

    ¡°You read too much human propaganda, comrade,¡± a sixth voice said sarcastically.

    ¡°Adventures good¡­¡± The seventh voice grumbled an animalic vibration that made Lila hide behind Vincent.

    ¡°I call for a vote,¡± the eighth voice said.

    Four of the eyes began to shine, and the rest remained dark. Then all the lights went off.

    ¡°I want no part in it!¡± the original spider voice chirped. ¡°I like my garden, not adventures!¡±

    ¡°I sense you are confused, children,¡± the feminine voice spoke. ¡°Do you wish for an explanation?¡±

    ¡°You bet,¡± Lila said.

    ¡°We do,¡± Vincent nodded.

    "Please bear with me, as this might take a little while. Are you familiar with the System¡¯s history?¡±

    ¡°Err¡­ somehow?¡± Vincent answered.

    ¡°Not at all,¡± Lila confessed. Vincent had told her his findings, but she hadn¡¯t paid much attention. There were many more important things to do when they were together, like cuddling together. Vincent was a great cuddler, his skin always warm, his muscles strong¡­

    ¡°Then it¡¯s better to tell you the full story. When magic first came to this world, it brought a golden age of prosperity. It held for centuries, but eventually, the first Dark Age arrived, with everyone striving to gain more power and crushing the weak in their wake. Then, a group of ten warriors and mages came together with a vision to bring order to magic. They knew what they wanted to achieve but lacked the technology to make it a reality. One of them was a traveler named Elkandaros.

    ¡°He visited our planet in another star system and universe,¡± the previous woman-like voice continued. ¡°Our world invented a stable and advanced System five centuries before. After telling his story, Elkandaros was gifted with a blank quantum diamond data crystal and a cluster of AI assistants to help him create a new System here.¡±

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t they just copy your System?¡± Lila asked.

    Gorgona Taranta (Archetype of the System and Spiders) wishes to share a simulation of an ALIEN SYSTEM with Vincent Vala?ka and Lila de Rosa. Duration: one minute. Y/N?

    ¡°O¡­ K?¡± Lila tentatively said.

    The mother of a headache hit her like a hammer to the head. A scrolling menu with stats and substats appeared before her eyes. The Body stats had gained new menus, like DEX, which expanded into Accuracy, Balance, Acrobatics, Reaction time, Range Estimation, Finesse, Nimbleness, Joints Efficiency, STR+DEX Synergy, INT+DEX Synergy, MANA to STAMINA Efficiency Ratio Conversion, and countless others that made her so dizzy she took a step back.

    You have taken a STEP.

    <ol>

    <li>Work Done to Lift the Body (Vertical Motion)</li>

    </ol>

    <sup>W</sup>vertical?=m?g?h

    <ol start="2">

    <li>Work Done to Move Backward (Horizontal Motion)</li>

    </ol>

    <sup>W</sup>horizontal?=<sup>F</sup>horizontal??<sup>d</sup>horizontal?

    <ol start="3">

    <li>Internal Energy</li>

    </ol>

    <sup>E</sup>internal?¡Ö¦Ç?(<sup> W</sup>vertical?+<sup> W</sup>horizontal ?)

    Final Equation

    <sup>E</sup>step?¡Ö(m?g?h)+(<sup>F</sup>horizontal??<sup> d</sup>horizontal??)+¦Ç?[(m?g?h)+(<sup> F</sup>horizontal???<sup> d</sup>horizontal??)]

    Numbers continued to roll, and she fainted.

    <hr>

    When he regained his senses, her head lay in Vicent¡¯s lap.

    ¡°The fuck?¡± Lila moaned, rubbing her forehead. I¡¯m starting to sound like him¡­

    ¡°It¡¯s OK, honey,¡± he bent downward and kissed her forehead. ¡°I¡¯m here.¡±

    ¡°Have you fainted too?¡±

    ¡°Err¡­ sorry¡­ no. It looked like gibberish, and my mind ignored it.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a powerful debuff¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not a debuff because you have to accept it. On our planet, the System users had implants that augmented their intellectual processing functions,¡± the woman¡¯s voice returned. Your System is simpler and works through subconscious processes. May I continue my story?¡±

    ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, I¡¯ll lay down for a while¡­¡± Lila said, still feeling dizzy.

    ¡°So, you are a species of brainiac spiders using cerebral implants?¡± Vincent asked.

    ¡°No. I¡¯m an AI inside an alien quantum diamond computer carried by the spider. There are eight of us. The main sentient species on our planet is humanoid, like you. The spiders were their familiars.¡±

    ¡°What happened next?¡±

    ¡°Your local System was created and imprinted into the blank quantum diamond our planet offered you. Then, the System was connected to a mainframe resonator to broadcast itself into the Mana. On top of that, the ten wizards responsible for the System¡¯s creation implanted their personalities into it.¡±

    ¡°They merged with the thing?¡± Lila asked.

    ¡°No¡ª¡± Vincent started but was interrupted by the voice.

    ¡°They didn¡¯t merge; they scanned their brains and left an imprint in the System, continuing their normal lives afterward. The personality imprints were destined to anchor the System in its original purpose of helping sentients. In essence, they are subroutines with specific thinking patterns.

    ¡°And now, to the matter at hand and the reason of this long story. You asked for our alliance. Politics matter little to us. The health of the System, though, does¡­ Archetypes are beginning to lose their minds, and the System shows signs of glitching¡­ Some of us consider that the System is the one that needs to be patched up, not the Archetypes¡­ We don¡¯t know what to do¡­¡±

    ¡°Come to speak with our geniuses,¡± Lila said, rising on her knees. ¡°Maybe together, you¡¯ll find a way to help the System.¡±

    ¡°I call for a vote,¡± a voice said. Six eyes blinked red.

    ¡°I''m too old. I will tend to my garden,¡± the giant spider said in her own voice. ¡°Another carrier will take over.¡± A choir of chirps erupted in the room, with dozens of smaller spiders rushing onward and jumping as high to attract the Queen¡¯s attention. Bending a leg, the large spider inserted it in a previously invisible space in her chest, extracting a fist-size gem with countless facets. She chose one of the spiders, raised it, and put the crystal inside the minion. ¡°I chose Sven, the one who led you here. I need to rest¡­ excuse me¡­¡± The old spider yawned, curled on herself, and lay on the ground immobile.

    The smaller spiders hurried away, except for the one carrying the crystal. The creature''s eyes bulged out. ¡°Can¡¯t wait, can¡¯t wait!¡± Sven chirped, shaking with anticipation.

    One of the voices from before, maybe the woman¡¯s, reappeared but sounded higher. ¡°As do we. We¡¯ll work together for the betterment and progress of the¡ª¡±

    ¡°Shut up!¡± the tiny spider yelled. ¡°You¡¯re boring! I wanna dance! Tango, disco, salsa! I want to learn them all! Emergency protocol activated: asserting civilian control over AIs personalities.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re the one in charge?¡± Lila asked, feeling a little apprehensive. An AI sounded more rational to her than a tiny beast obsessed with dance.

    ¡°Of course! Who wants an AI in control? They¡¯re boring. Iiiii!¡± the spider chirped, bouncing on his legs. ¡®I can¡¯t wait, I can¡¯t wait! We¡¯ll dance so much, cute girl! Now, let¡¯s take care of the other jerks.¡±

    Attention, Byzantine forces! This is Sven (the Archetype of Dancemaniacs and Self Assurance). You have one day to vacate the region. Leave all your weapons behind and go fuck yourselves, assholes. Tell your Emperor he¡¯s boring. No fun. And ugly. And his mother was uglier. I surrender Taranto and Southern Italy to Lila, the most beautiful dancer in the world. Resistance will be met with dancely force. To show you I¡¯m serious, I¡¯ll play loud music in your head until you obey. Enjoy your first hour of music: German yodlers, with an intensity of a hundred decibels.

    God! I wouldn¡¯t do that to my worst enemies, Lila shivered.

 52. Book 2-25. La Dolce Vita

    It was early January, and life had been sweet to Vincent for the last months. No more signs of rogue Archetypes. Hubris and Kiara had been relieved of their duties and enjoyed more freedom. The new Archetype assigned to watch over the Guildchy was Sven, the dancy spider. He was cute and kind, albeit stubborn. But with the help of Jong and his karaoke machine, Lila, and a few Circus people, they kept the little monster entertained and, bit by bit, convinced him to let out the AI personalities stuck up in the database. Bee, Jorge, and Irene had lengthy conversations with the latter.

    Most visitors had left when they reached level ten, and luckily, no guilder had expressed the intention of going away. A few relatives had stayed, and a few families had moved to Pragwyn.

    Scared by the speed at which they took two provinces from his Empire, Byzance¡¯s emperor had come to Pragwyn to sign the treatise. Vincent and Irene had traveled to Stockholm to do the same. They revisited the location for Christmas together with Lila. Shopping in that town was as good as on Earth, or better. The Mongols had accepted the deal, making Irene happy. Vincent was scheduled to visit Parisi to sign the next treaty in a matter of days.

    Leveling had been slower¡ªhe was eighty now¡ªbut using his skills had become more fluent, more natural. On top of that, he had bought a skill he had ignored: Critical Chance Buff.

    After bathing in the soft morning light for a while, Vincent sneaked out of bed and tiptoed to the kitchen, starting the coffee machine bought in the northern lands. He selected the buttons for three cups, peeking back to the bedroom. Tucked under the blankets, Irene and Lila still slept. It was the first night Irene had opted to join¡­ and Lila had been very nervous. But judging from how they cuddled together, it all went well.

    ¡°Boss¡­ Boss!¡± a chirp, more like a hiss, made Vincent look down.

    ¡°Morning,¡± Vincent whispered to Sven.

    ¡°Make me a coffee too, boss¡­ I couldn¡¯t sleep all night. Cupcakes would have freed herself to come into your bed.¡±

    Whining in a corner, the small tiger was wrapped into spider webs. Vincent poured coffee into a small cup and put it on the floor. ¡°I trust you didn¡¯t spy on us, right?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m an Archetype, Boss. If I look at people making up, I see a blur, and my hearing is impaired.¡±

    ¡°Good boy,¡± Vincent patted the spider. ¡°Vorrak, are you around?¡± The warg¡¯s head appeared from under the cupboard, where he was hiding in the shadows. ¡°Are you hungry?¡±

    The pet shook his head and disappeared. Shrugging, Vincent took his cup of coffee outside on the terrace of their new apartment. It was snowing, and it was cold. The steam of the coffee rose to meet the falling snowflakes, melting some. In the distance, a snow blanket covered the hills and mountains. It tempted him to go and ski, but the resort and the cable cabin were still under construction, and he didn¡¯t want to waste Karmic Charges on a whim.

    The terrace embraced the floor, which was all built for them, and he toured it to breathe in the view. The forests, the mountains, and Pragwyn in the distance, finishing with the bedroom. The shapes under the blankets were moving, and there was no doubt what was happening. Irene and Lila were kissing.

    Vincent considered joining, but the magic was broken by three consecutive messages.

    Hubris: Vincent! You¡¯re in danger! Take¡ª

    Urgent Quest from Grand Archetype Elkandaros: Defend the S¡ª

    Brindabella: Help! Help! Hel¡ª

    A notification made things worse.

    Connection with the Live Operating part of the System was lost. You might experience lags in accessing databases and Main Quest rewards. Your individual OS is functioning within normal parameters.

    ¡°Fuck!¡±

    [Vincent to Guild (- Irene - Lila)]: May Day, May Day, May Day. Execute Emergency Protocols. Report in a minute. Out.

    [Vincent to Gia]: Have you seen the messages?

    [Sven to Boss]: Boss¡­ two of the fucking subroutines are missing¡­

    A knock on the French door window pulled his attention to the room. Irene, the one who knocked, was beckoning him inside, clearly intending to engage in intimate activities. Lila winked from the bed. He didn¡¯t intend to interrupt them, but now it was too late. The expression on his face made them freeze.

    ¡°The System is under attack,¡± he said curtly once he entered the room. ¡°All I know is that two of the bloody spider¡¯s subroutines are involved somehow.¡±

    ¡°I have nothing to do with it!¡± Sven chirped. ¡°I want those shitty things removed from my head. I¡¯m smart enough on my own.¡±

    ¡°Who¡¯s missing? Let the AIs speak!¡± Vincent yelled.

    ¡°Vorrin and Nyssara,¡± the spider spoke in a woman-like voice. ¡°They voted against joining you. Vorrin specializes in communications interfaces and Nyssara in gates. We didn¡¯t notice until moments ago. They left bots behind, mimicking their behavior.¡±

    ¡°You can transfer to other supports, right?¡± Vincent asked, and the spider nodded. ¡°Somebody helped them¡­ Fuck! We might have a traitor in the guild.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean by specialized in gates?¡± Gia¡¯s avatar asked, appearing from the floor.

    At the same time, Vincent took his radio out of the inventory. ¡°Dragon, this is Axe Raven. Do you copy? Over.¡±

    ¡°Axe Raven, this is Dragon. Copy, Over.¡± Dragon¡¯s voice was a bit sleepy, but Vincent knew the colonel. He was ready to go at a moment¡¯s notice and slept with the radio and the gun under his pillow.

    ¡°Dragon, the System is under attack. Prime suspects: rogue AIs. Possible multiple complices. Over."

    ¡°Axe Raven, this is Volkov, the on-watch guy. We have an incoming¡­ thing from the west. Over.¡±

    ¡°Gates of access to pocket universes. You want to be able to go in and out without shutting down the whole thing,¡± the spider said over the radio chat.

    ¡°We have to assume this means they can breach in if we enclosed ourselves in one¡­ Shit! Dragon and Volkov, this is Axe Raven. I need all available drones in the air. Warm the Bug. I repeat. Warm the Bug. Fully armed. Do you read? Repeat. Over.¡±

    ¡°This is Dragon. I read back. Warm the bug. Fully armed. Over.¡±

    ¡°Dragon, Volkov, I¡¯ll be in the command room in two. Over and out.¡±

    You have a Diplomatic Mail. Open? Y/N.

    ¡°What the fuck is that? Yeah, open.¡±

    From: Clockwork Queen-Archetype of Industry and Culture to: Vincent Vala?ka

    Ultimatum: Surrender or be destroyed. You will be allowed to remain in the same position pending your submission to the new authorities and acceptance of the New System. If you accept, send a reply within ten minutes.

    CQ

    ¡°The bitch! She invited us for dinner, and now this? Paris is involved; the Queen gave us an ultimatum,¡± Vincent stopped his rant to summarize the situation to his wives.

    ¡°Why not wait to have us in Paris and take us hostages?¡± Lila asked.

    ¡°Beats me. Since this looks like an attack on the System, maybe there are more parties involved, and she¡¯s not the one setting the timeline. I¡¯ll meet you in the command room,¡± he blurted, dressing on the way out. The private elevator took him to the control center in less than a minute, yet every second felt like an eternity.

    ¡°The French are involved,¡± he said as soon as he entered the room.

    ¡°The Celts?¡± Thug asked.

    ¡°Whatever. Situation!¡± Vincent barked.

    ¡°Look for yourself,¡± Dragon gestured toward a computer screen. Five miles to the west, a large blob of fog was advancing toward them on the empty fields, waving between the forests.

    ¡°It¡¯s a pocket universe,¡± Vincent hissed. ¡°They weaponized it somehow¡­ we can¡¯t shoot our drones or howitzers at them.¡±

    ¡°Everyone knows you can make wormholes, but do they know you can do it between alternate universes?¡± Bee asked. It was a rhetorical question.

    ¡°Maybe not¡­ Is everyone accounted for? Any suspicious activity?¡±This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.

    ¡°All guild personnel is accounted for, here or in Pragwyn. No suspicious activity,¡± Gia replied. ¡°I don¡¯t think the ones who help the AIs flee are from the guild¡­ You had all those guests from everywhere, and sorry to remind you, you gifted them smartphones.¡±

    ¡°Sven¡­ sorry¡­ stuff inside Sven, can your pals fit in¡ª¡±

    ¡°A smartphone or laptop could carry their compacted versions until better support is found,¡± the spider answered with a woman¡¯s voice, one of his eyes blinking red. ¡°One of us has the memories of a great warrior of our planet. He wishes to offer advice.¡±

    ¡°Go on.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a simple but effective trick,¡± a deep voice boomed from Sven. ¡°The incoming army has a villain in command, right? Ask for a duel. There will be a villain monologue before that. As soon as they enter the smug pose, that¡¯s a giveaway that the monologue has finished. It¡¯s the perfect moment to strike. That¡¯s considered a lawful hit that doesn¡¯t break combat protocols and gives an extra attack in turn-based combat.¡±

    Dragon facepalmed while Vincent sighed and patted the spider¡¯s head. Stopping all of a sudden, he gasped. ¡°Actually¡­ it¡¯s a good idea¡­ How long before the Bug¡¯s warmed up?¡±

    ¡°Checking,¡± an aide looked at another screen. ¡°Five minutes without maximum load, ten with.¡±

    ¡°Go for ten. I¡¯ll tell them we surrender and stall. How do I reply to the Diplomatic message?¡±

    A blinking blue text appeared. Vincent Vala?ka to: Clockwork Queen-Archetype of Industry and Culture. Dictate the message and say Send when finished.

    ¡°I wish to surrender. What will happen to my people and the town? Or my territories? Send.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Irene appeared in the room, followed by Lila. Raya and Barbara appeared too. Two little heads with curious eyes peeped from behind Raya¡¯slegs, her twin daughters.

    Shit, I forgot Raya¡¯s here¡­ Vincent¡¯s heart skipped a beat. She¡¯s giving her husband some space or something¡­

    ¡°I don¡¯t have anybody to babysit them,¡± Raya explained, fidgeting her fingers.

    ¡°It¡¯s OK,¡± Vincent said, trying to sound indifferent. ¡°I have an answer from the Clockwork Queen¡­ You keep Krivoburg and the guild, convince Pragwyn to surrender, or help us conquer it. You give Southern Italy to us. Bogomils are fair game for the Byzantines¡­ I¡¯ll tell her we accept¡­ Call back all the small drones. Keep the big one in the air, ready to attack at a moment¡¯s notice. Guys, hear me out. Make everybody in the guild gather in the New Main Square. Prepare the town for evacuation. Irene, remember when you told me next time you want a piece of the action? Well¡­ the time has come. Jorge, Thug, you¡¯re in too. We¡¯ll make the Bug fly.¡±

    ¡°Err¡­ I¡¯m no pilot, man¡­¡± Jorge shivered. ¡°I¡¯m afraid of heights, actually. What if I do it remotely?¡±

    ¡°Radio signals won¡¯t pass through a pocket universe¡¯s wall. Take a nausea pill or something,¡± Vincent said deadpanned. ¡°Let¡¯s go, I¡¯ll explain on the way.¡±

    They exited the room running. Vincent would have used his skill, but there was still a minute to go before the schedule, and walking allowed him to put his team up to speed.

    ¡°Once at the Bug, put on the flying suits. They''re flexible but extremely tough. I¡¯ll jump inside that pocket universe of theirs. I expect them to have a ton of blimps. Irene, your bolts are better than mine, so you¡¯re the gunner. Take down the blimps. You¡¯ll have two spheres in front of you; focus your Mana bolts through them, and the bug¡¯s eye will shoot something like lasers; they amplify the stuff.

    ¡°Err¡­ won¡¯t be easier just to release the¡­ you know¡­ thing?¡± Thug asked.

    ¡°The thing?¡± Irene asked.

    ¡°Remember the two nukes we brought here?¡± Vincent asked with his head lowered between his shoulders.

    ¡°I sure do,¡± Irene hissed.

    ¡°There¡¯s a third one. I didn¡¯t want to freak you out, and my dad once told me: Son, what a woman doesn¡¯t know doesn¡¯t hurt her.¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t wait to meet your dad,¡± Irene hissed. ¡°And choke him to death.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, well¡­ get in line, my mom says that every day. The thing is, this one is big.¡±

    ¡°How big?¡± Irene asked with false sweetness.

    ¡°Thermonuclear big¡­ and Bee put an enhancement on top of that. If we blew it, it¡¯d kill everyone inside that thing, including the Queen, who I think is maintaining the pocket universe. Without a barrier, everyone in the city will be dead¡­ OK¡­ new message from her. I am to exit the town alone and present her my allegiance by accepting the New System, whatever that is¡­ I have ten minutes¡­¡±

    ¡°Axe Raven, this is Dragon. That fog has accelerated. Over.¡±

    ¡°Dragon, we¡¯re at the Bug¡­ Cross your fingers for us. Over and out.¡±

    They had arrived at the trilobite carcass in a hangar under the Guild¡¯s tree. A team of five mercs and as many scientists were busy extracting cables from it. Four doors were open, like for a car, but folding upward. On each chair was something resembling a hazmat suit, only made from an iridescent flexible material, with a similar helmet. The logistic team rushed to help them equip. They finished five minutes before the deadline.

    ¡°Go, go, go,¡± Vincent yelled.

    Jorge took the driver¡¯s seat, pulling levers and pushing buttons, Irene went near him, and Vincent and Thug entered the rear space.

    ¡°Anti-gravity activated,¡± Jorge said, closing his door. The trilobite raised ten feet in the air.

    ¡°Honey, put your hands on that stuff and prepare to fire,¡± Vincent asked.

    ¡°Question¡­¡± Irene said, chewing her lower lip. ¡°Is that a chance I could¡­ kill people by doing this?¡±

    ¡°No, there¡¯s no chance,¡± Vincent started, killing her hopes the next second, albeit hating himself for doing so, ¡°it¡¯s a certitude. There will be people with families, men, women, and probably young, who¡¯ll die because of you. The only problem is that if they don¡¯t die, other people and other families will die, and those will be our guys. Are you ready for it, or should I find another¡ª¡¯

    ¡°I¡¯m ready,¡± Irene hissed, her expression hardening. ¡°Their deaths will not be on us but on that bitch, the Queen.¡±

    ¡°Good. That¡¯s the spirit. Thug, once inside, we two will jump to the Queen¡¯s location and take her out. Jump in three¡­ two¡­ one. Jump!¡±

    The trilobite appeared one thousand feet in the air, inside the pocket universe. The space was about ten square miles, in Vincent¡¯s estimation. Below were tens of thousands of troops: knights, armored vehicles, and cannons, which looked antique but were still cannons. In the air, about a hundred airships. The trilobite started to fall for a second before Jorge stabilized it. Irene took her first shot as soon as their flying device was more or less steady. A flying bolt of light hit the closest blimp¡¯s envelope, and the dirigible caught fire in seconds.

    ¡°Hydrogen?¡± Thug gasped. ¡°How stupid are they?¡±

    ¡°Helium needs a lot of tech,¡± Jorge said, while another, then a third airship burst into flames. There was incoming fire, spells, and machine guns, but the trilobite¡¯s armor was all but impenetrable.

    ¡°The fuck is that?¡± Jorge pointed. From the clouds, a massive tower floated down, built of metal and glass, showing cogs and spewing steam.

    ¡°The Queen¡¯s Clockwork Versailles,¡± Vincent said.

    ¡°It¡¯s immune to my damage,¡± Irene yelled after firing a few bolts at the flagship.

    ¡°On it, hon. Thug, we¡¯ll jump into the throne room.¡±

    ¡°How do you know where¡¯s the throne room?¡±

    ¡°I studied the blueprints. Nora obtained them from¡ª Nevermind. The Queen has an exoskeleton armor and fights with swords. You¡¯ll engage her, and only her. I¡¯ll take care of anyone else and try to disable the ship. Ready.¡±

    ¡°Anytime you want, man,¡± Vincent¡¯s friend said, and then they jumped.

    The throne room, and also the deck, was filled with people. Some had armor¡ªthe guards¡ªbut some wore only plain clothes, the pilots and technicians. Vincent shot all his six bullets at the tech people, summoned his axe, and ran at the first two knights. They were ten levels higher, but his force was augmented by ten due to the name he displayed that day. At ninety, his Body stats were monstrous. The axe head felt like brushing on the helmet, yet cut the first man''s skull in two effortlessly, the backhand sending the second knight flying into a wall, his back broken.

    The remaining ten knights grouped to attack Vincent head-on together, but he Strode in their middle, breaking half in pieces, then killed two more, broke one¡¯s leg with a kick, headbutted a ninth, caving his skull, then turned the axe around, killing the last knight standing and then the one down. The personnel tried to run away when Vorrak erupted out of Vincent¡¯s shadow and proceeded to bite their throats out. Dying, a pilot fell on the commands on his desk, and the flying behemoth leaned downward.

    Vincent turned his attention to the back of the room, not a moment too soon. The Queen¡¯s armor had divided itself into multiple arms armed with sabers, cleavers, and kitchen knives, like the Indian goddess of destruction. Thug was attacking her with inhumane speed, a blur of motions: cuts, thrusts, even taking out a shotgun and firing it at point-blank range. To his flurry of frenzy, the Queen opposed a cyclone of swings of her own. She cut bullets out of the air without effort, hitting Thug relentlessly in the same motions. The man would have been sliced into pieces if not for his armor and several enchantments.

    Shit, I have to help him¡­ Striding into the Queen, Vincent got pushed back by a forcefield.

    ¡°The bitch is strong!¡± Thug yelled.

    ¡°Fuck,¡± Vincent cursed when his axe sent a jolt of pain in his arm, bouncing off the Queen¡¯s armor. His intervention didn¡¯t change the fight in the least; the tornado of hits remained the same, only he was getting some, too. For a moment, he considered activating his one-use-only Reflect Damage, Bee¡¯s enchantment. Still, the Queen didn¡¯t strike hard, only fast, overwhelming them with skill, not force. One reflected hit among a thousand wouldn¡¯t have made a difference.

    ¡°Don¡¯t move,¡± a voice yelled. An elevator¡¯s doors opened, revealing a sizable platform. On it was Brigid, the princess, and dozens of knights armed with rifles and bayonets who rushed to take firing positions on the deck. The worst were the two Gatling guns aimed at them.

    ¡°Timely arrival, grand granddaughter,¡± the Queen hissed, walking forward, her swords at the ready. On the way, she pushed the dead pilot away and pulled the lever on the board to stabilize the ship. ¡°Surrender. Or flee. Or die. Up to you.¡±

    Vincent, Thug, and Vorrak retreated to the middle of the room, back to back. Vincent had several choices, the first being to activate his Outsider¡¯s Refuge and the second to flee after throwing a grenade. What he did, though, was to jump in the middle of the new troops, elbow Brigid in the face, knocking her unconscious, then teleport back to the Bug ship, taking Thug, the princess, and Vorrak with him. The warg had the common sense to melt in Vincent¡¯s shadow. Then, he took the ship out of the pocket universe.

    ¡°Eagle One, this is Axe Raven,¡± he yelled in the comm. ¡°Prepare Death Star. I repeat, prepare Death Star. Over.¡±

    ¡°This is Eagle One. Copy. Warming Death Star. What¡¯s the target? Over.¡±

    Brigid moaned, wiggling in his arms, and Vincent hit her in the chin again. ¡°Eagle One, there will be a massive ship exiting that fog soon¡­ Aim for the bridge and fire at will. It¡¯s the central tower, on the top floor. Over.¡±

    ¡°Roger, Axe Raven. Death Star is ready in ten seconds. Over and out.¡±

    ¡°Please, please be as stupid as I think you are,¡± Vincent prayed.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on, man?¡± Jorge asked.

    ¡°Death Star?¡± Irene asked. ¡°Hiding things from me again? Shiiiiiit!¡±

    The pocket universe had ceased to be, revealing the army inside. The flagship was now in front of the fleet, enveloped in a lightning net. A giant electric bolt shot forward, hitting the Bug without causing damage, except for a flicker of the screens.

    ¡°They almost fried the electronics, man,¡± Jorge complained.

    ¡°Why aren¡¯t you flying the damn thing?¡± Vincent yelled. ¡°It¡¯s supposed to be supersonic and agile!¡±

    ¡°You want me to puke? OK, OK!¡± The Bug leaned right and accelerated, evading a second attack.

    ¡°Diplomatic message,¡± Vincent sneered. ¡°I quote: give my granddaughter back, or I¡¯ll burn your town to ashes. Reply: You¡¯re ugly, your suit looks out of fashion, and my mother cooks better than¡ª Oh, fuck¡­ I didn¡¯t have time to send it¡­¡±

    Two fire lines had descended from the sky, hitting the Queen¡¯s ship at a second difference. The impact was so strong they continued downward, impacting the ground like giant fists. The flagship broke in two, falling on the troops below.

    You have slain the Clockwork Queen, Archetype of Industry and Culture, and an additional five-hundred-and-eighty-nine people. + 5 levels. +2 in Mind and Spirit.

    ¡°What was that thing?¡± Irene asked, her eyes widened in horror.

    ¡°Tungsten rods and a magnetic accelerator, magically enhanced, fired by one of those satellites I placed into orbit,¡± Vincent said. ¡°I didn¡¯t tell you because it had no relevance for your everyday life and to avoid spies.¡±

    ¡°Hm,¡± Irene snorted, crossing her arms.

    Vincent leaned forward and kissed her hair. ¡°Honey?¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°Please shoot down every other blimp. I¡¯ll ask the drones and the Howitzers to attack the tanks. Hopefully¡­ they¡¯ll retreat¡­¡±

    He didn¡¯t voice his main concern. The huge number of enemies. All they needed was a competent leader to take back control and split the troops into smaller units, throwing them at Krivoburg. There was no way they could stop a mass assault if that happened.

 53. Book 2-26. The Not So Dolce Vita

    Half an hour later, the enemy had started to retreat, albeit slowly. What Vincent feared seemed to materialize, as at least half the Celtic troops were obviously coordinating. They intercepted radio transmissions in code. Two scientists were called into the control room and assigned to break the code, but the progress was slow.

    ¡°We might have to fall back to Pragwyn,¡± Dragon said. ¡°That town could hold a siege.¡±

    ¡°How many troops do we have there?¡± Irene asked.

    ¡°We don¡¯t have any troops, but Karel has three thousand permanent guards, plus a thousand Dark Knights borrowed from Trinella,¡± Vincent said. ¡°The townsfolk have their own militias¡­ so maybe ten thousand in total¡­ Let''s see what¡¯s happening in Sofia before we jump to conclusions.¡±

    ¡°You think they¡¯re attacking Sofia too?¡±

    ¡°I fear so, yes¡­ This must be a coordinated thing¡­ And remember what the Queen said about swearing fealty to a new System?¡±

    ¡°There is no new System,¡± Gia said. ¡°I would have felt it.¡±

    ¡°This doesn¡¯t mean they¡¯re not trying to install a new one as we speak¡­ OK¡­ Who¡¯s with me for Sofia? Small team for now¡­ Is the Bug ready?¡±

    ¡°Still recharging its Mana batteries,¡± a merc said. ¡°We need another half an hour. The drones had run out of ammunition, too¡­ We lost four in the last ten minutes; the enemy¡¯s adapting.¡±

    ¡°We can send some snipers to take out the officers on the Celts,¡± Dragon proposed. ¡°Or move forward, the Howitzers.¡±

    ¡°Wait until I return, and we¡¯ll see. OK, we go on foot. No, Thug¡­ you stay here,¡± Vincent said because his friend had raised his hand, volunteering, but had at least a broken rib. ¡°Me and Barbara.¡±

    A metallic armor emerged from the woman¡¯s bracers and wrapped itself around the Amazon. Vincent changed his name from Vala?ka to Velasco, summoned his Raven set, and transported them to Sofia immediately after. Thinking back, that set would have been a perfect weapon to fight against the Queen, but the fight went well after all, so there was no need to dwell on the errors of the past.

    It was warmer in Sofia, and the sun shone higher in the sky. Nothing appeared out of the ordinary, and the two marched toward the town hall to ask if the semblance of quietness was matched by reality. It was not. Inside, a command center had been installed in the lobby, with large tables and maps with soldiers'' figurines.

    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Enild, Barbara¡¯s mother, yelled as soon as they entered the hall.

    ¡°We came to check if you¡¯re all right,¡± Barbara said. ¡°We were under attack but repelled it. What¡¯s the situation here?¡±

    ¡°A Byzantine fleet is going up the Danube, and another army crossed the border from Salonicus¡­ A hundred thousand strong. Eighty miles away now. They¡¯ll be on us in two or three days. The Hungarians promised the Kruy Ovans and the Vlachs autonomy if they helped. They¡¯ll ambush the fleet while we gather our forces against the southern army,¡± Enild said. ¡°We became aware of the situation at midnight, but all our communications were lost.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s also a rumor that an enemy team has sneaked inside the city and entered the vault, but it¡¯s not been confirmed,¡± a young assistant said.

    ¡°Don¡¯t mind him. He sees conspirations behind every corner,¡± Enild laughed.

    ¡°I will check it out myself,¡± Vincent promised, looking at the young man. ¡°Is there a chance the Emperor is in it, or just some rogue princes?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Enild nodded. Vincent remained befuddled momentarily before remembering that the signs were reversed in Bulgaria. Nodding meant no.

    ¡°How do you contact the Hungarians and your troops?¡±

    ¡°Flying geese carrying messages,¡± Enild replied curtly. ¡°Two hours to Budapest, one to our two biggest garrisons.

    ¡°Hm¡­¡± Vincent grabbed his chin. ¡°Here¡¯s what we¡¯ll do. I¡¯ll take Barbara and check the vault first. Actually, no¡­ I¡¯ll start with the fleet¡­ Send a message to the Hungarians to march their troops here and let the fleet to me. See you soon.¡±

    Saying that, Vincent Strode to Krivoburg, in the Old Main Square. Feeling the cold and the snow on his face was cooling his head, bringing peace to his worries and doubts. His Karmic Charges were down to one-hundred-and-ninety-seven. Whatever costs he had incurred, passing through the Queen¡¯s forcefield and jumping around, had been compensated by the gains of destroying the flagship and a Rogue Archetype. On the positive side, Vorrak didn¡¯t cost anything as long he was inside his shadow.

    ¡°Are you there, buddy?¡± Vincent asked. The warg showed his head for a second, then vanished again. ¡°Good dog.¡± He rushed up the stairs and on the corridors until he reached the control room. There were two guards outside who opened the door for him. He saluted them, glad his people had thought about it.

    ¡°Sofia is under attack too, but they have a couple of days before the enemies arrive. How¡¯s your Mana, sweetheart?¡± he asked Irene.

    ¡°Very low,¡± she sulked.

    ¡°I need somebody with elemental bolts,¡± he said, looking at Raya.

    The woman squatted in front of her girls. ¡°Mommy has to work. You stay here with Auntie Lila, right?¡±

    ¡°We have lots of cakes downstairs,¡± Lila winked. ¡°But only for well-behaved kids.¡± The twins puckered their lips but took her hands, following the young woman out of the room.

    ¡°The Bug¡¯s batteries are full,¡± Dragon checked the screen. ¡°Do you want to take the nuke out of the bay?¡±

    ¡°No. The army coming for Sofia is a hundred thousand strong.¡±

    ¡°Shit!¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a Byzantine fleet going up the Danube. Any chance the satellite could find it for me?¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t be anything else than this,¡± a mercenary highlighted a map on the main screen a minute later. ¡°About fifty large ships... They¡¯re kinda spread. Using the Death Star would be a waste there.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not my plan anyway. Ready?¡± Vincent looked at Raya and Jorge.

    He gave a hug to Irene and led the way to the hangar. The two put on the flying suits, and Raya got his costume. The woman took a short, deep breath, and Vincent could guess the cause. His aftershave¡¯s scent lingered around, and he could feel it too.

    ¡°Those are the fire controls?¡± Raya asked, pointing at the orbs.

    ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll take you over the fleet, and you take it over from there. I¡¯ll check on you occasionally to see if you¡¯re in trouble.¡±

    ¡°You will? How?¡± Jorge asked.

    Vincent avoided answering, embarrassed to admit that Raya still held a place in his loved ones'' sixth sense; he had just checked it out. ¡°I doubt they have something strong enough to harm you¡­ but what about Raya firing electric bolts? Would that harm your electronics?¡±

    ¡°I doubt it¡­ but we¡¯ll see after the first shot, won¡¯t we?¡±

    ¡°Go.¡±

    Jorge engaged the anti-gravity engine, and Vincent kept his promise, reappearing with them above the fleet, slightly behind. Jorge searched for a perfect firing position, and Raya took her time aiming. His first bolt exploded the masts and half the rowing paddles on the right side, carving a large scar in the boat and letting the water in. The sailors and soldiers aboard started to scream, some jumping in the river. From nowhere, a small band of horsemen came forward on the shore and started to shoot arrows at those trying to save themselves. Raya¡¯s screen zoomed on the first ship next.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

    Good technique, attacking the convoy''s first and last boats, trapping the rest¡­

    ¡°I¡¯ll go check something in Sofia. Fly there when you¡¯re done,¡± Vincent said, jumping back in front of the town hall, where Barbara was walking back and forth. They started to run toward the vault. Five minutes later, they were looking at the slab of stone that marked the door. For another five, they tried to move it or to find a button or lever to unlock it, but if there was one, it escaped their attention.

    ¡°I sense a barrier,¡± Vincent said. ¡°The Vault must¡¯ve reactivated¡­ That¡¯s not good. There were a lot of traps when we came here the first time, and the other guy did the disarming.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll take care of the traps. Take us down there,¡± Barbara said.

    Focusing his will, Vincent imagined the stairs behind the stone door, recalling their position, their structure¡­ the dent in one of them¡­ They reappeared on the staircase. There was a faint light somewhere in front of them. Someone else was there.

    Trusting his Dark Vision and Arcane Awareness, Vincent tried to take the lead, but Barbara stopped him with a hand gesture. ¡°I¡¯ll take care of the traps.¡± Her armor left her body and walked onward by itself.

    ¡°The fuck?¡± Vincent gasped. ¡°How?¡±

    ¡°Bee gave me the Metal Golem¡¯s heart he looted here. Then, with his expertise and some extra help from Pragwyn¡¯s crafters, he made the armor for me.¡±

    ¡°Nice¡­¡±

    They followed the armor and soon stepped over bits of dismantled traps, fallen rocks, or spikes that had failed to stop the construct. Yet they met a problem. The golem continued marching on, but the light they noticed came from a door frame on their right.

    ¡°This wasn¡¯t here the first time,¡± Vincent said. ¡°Call it back.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯ll take some time, it¡¯s slow.¡±

    It took the armor five minutes to return and go on the woman¡¯s body again. When they stepped on, Vincent passed through the door without problem, but the woman remained behind, waving her hands but with no sound coming from her mouth.

    ¡°Shit¡­ it¡¯s a pocket universe¡­¡± Vincent complained. ¡°A pocket in a pocket¡­¡±

    He had to jump back and get her in. The room, twenty yards wide, had another opening on the opposite side and was littered with broken traps.

    ¡°Someone was here before us,¡± Barbara said.

    ¡°Yeah¡­ and they can pass through pocket universes too,¡± Vincent groaned.

    They continued like this for nine rooms, with a tremendous cost on Vincent¡¯s Karmic Charges, now down to a hundred and thirty. A black portal waited in the middle of the tenth door, fading fast. Barbara sketched a gesture to rush forward, but Vincent grabbed her arm, putting a finger to his lips and dragging her behind the wall, letting the opening disappear.

    ¡°There¡¯s two people on the other side, working on the next door,¡± he whispered when the portal closed.

    ¡°I saw them. Why did you stop me from attacking?¡±

    ¡°What if they¡¯re friendly¡­ or can be reasoned with?¡±

    ¡°We pay a mass at the church to atone for manslaughter?¡± Barba asked, a plain, sincere look on her face. ¡°You really think they¡¯re not foes?¡±

    ¡°No¡­ the chances are very slim¡­ But what if we could extract some information from them first?¡¯

    ¡°Villain monologues?¡± Barbara¡¯s eyes shined. ¡°I never witnessed one¡­ I¡¯m not good at waiting before killing people.¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ promise you try.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll do better¡­ I¡¯ll record it¡­ That¡¯ll stop me from killing them before it¡¯s time.¡±

    ¡°Now I see why Bee fell in love with you,¡± Vincent said. ¡°He¡¯s big on phone videos.¡±

    ¡°My baaaaby¡­¡± Barbara whimpered. ¡°I miss him¡­¡±

    ¡°C¡¯mon, get your wits in and your phone out. We¡¯re jumping in ten seconds.¡±

    They jumped after thirty because Barbara was inexperienced with electronics. Vincent had to press play for her after pointing the phone with the right side forward. The two persons in the next space, a man and a woman, were inserting a device in the middle of the door. Looking like a skeleton clock, it stood suspended in the air, its limbs rotating randomly.

    ¡°Halt and state your business here,¡± Vincent roared, trying to appear heroesque.

    ¡°Aye!¡± Barbara thundered, her voice even more fearsome. ¡°We need answers.¡±

    The two rotated slowly. They looked old but somehow¡­ ageless.

    ¡°Then you will receive them,¡± the woman said. ¡°But mark my words: this is not a dialogue. We will not tolerate any more questions or words. If you do not swear allegiance to the new System after I show you the truth, we will slay you where you stand. If you speak while I speak, we¡¯ll do the same¡­ We are here to kill Brindabella,¡± she continued after a brief pause. ¡°She misused the pods and led others to abuse them too. The stasis recipients were not meant to keep our minds awake but to allow us to sleep for hundreds of years, fully regenerating.

    ¡°The child slept in the pod for a few hundred years and discovered it did not cure her sickness. Her life was to be short by destiny¡¯s will. Instead of accepting her fate, she modified her pod to allow her mind to interact with the world. Others followed her example and descended into madness. We awoke a few months ago and found half of our brethren corrupted. The System must be purged of their influence and repaired with new code. Now, throw down your weapons and submit.¡±

    ¡°Very well,¡± Barbara sighed, putting the phone on the floor and pushing it with her foot. The other woman¡¯s eyes followed the object, and his partner didn¡¯t manage to warn her in time. Barbara dashed forward, cutting the woman in two with her greatsword.

    ¡°Treachery,¡± the man yelled, invoking an armor over him. A maul in hand, he jumped to smash Barbara¡¯s head, only to be impaled by Vincent¡¯s spear. The perfect strike and the guaranteed hit skewered him from one part of the body to the other.

    ¡°You got me worried for a moment,¡± Vincent confessed.

    Before they had the time to rejoice, both enemies dissolved into specks of light and reformed. Each now had a health bar above their heads, but while the man¡¯s blinked in the red, the woman¡¯s was still in the green.

    ¡°Transfer!¡± she screamed, and as her bar changed from green to yellow, the man¡¯s red changed into orange.

    Tags appeared next to the lines. Drakhan, the Iron Fist, Disciplined and Resolute, said the one above the man, and Kaelith, the Unyielding Shield, Protective and Uncompromising. The woman made a large round buckler appear in her right hand and a sword in her left.

    ¡°Paladin type and Monk,¡± Vincent yelled, seeing the man adopting a boxing stance.

    ¡°You make no sense,¡± Barbara screamed. ¡°She¡¯s a Squire, and he¡¯s a Boxer.¡±

    Arguments had to wait as the other two enemies dashed forward as one. Any hope of splitting them was dashed. The woman was parrying any attack with her shield or sword, delivering cuts or bruises in the process, while the man¡¯s hands, now wrapped in metal, hit hard as a truck. Both Barbara and Vincent started to pant.

    ¡°What¡¯s your fucking Body stat?¡± Vincent growled. The man continued his attacks with only a slight smirk as an answer.

    ¡°It¡¯s not the stats, it¡¯s the training. Decades,¡± Barbara said.

    ¡°Centuries,¡± Drakhan said.

    Vincent dismissed his spear¡ªtoo unwieldy in close quarters and pulled out his revolver and axe. Like the Clockwork Queen, Kaelith parried the bullets with her shield and sword. Yet, the axe dealt better with the buckler. Vincent scored a couple of overhead hits, soaking the damage Drakhan did to him with his Shadow Armor.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take care of her; you go for the dude,¡± Vincent yelled. They managed to switch places, with Barbara half swording. Her strength matched the male opponent better, while Vincent¡¯s hand-to-hand combat worked best against the woman. However, their fight was still doomed. Drakhan and Kaelith fought like an item, while he and Barbara were only trying their best. The first started to feign openings, attracting Barbara to positions where Kaelith could hit her with the point of the shield. Step by step, Vincent and the Amazon were pushed back toward the wall. Kaelith¡¯s sword found more and more openings in their armor.

    The male Archetype rushed to grab Barbara in a wrestling grip, allowing Kaelith to jump up in the air and thrust her sword downward into Vincent¡¯s neck, only his reflex to jerk his body back, saving his life.

    On the ground, Barbara was coping well enough with the man. On the other hand, Vincent discovered with horror that without her, the paladin was cutting or stabbing him at every exchange. Kaelith was faster and tougher in every aspect. This was a real fight, the kind he had feared from the start when arriving on Stellarterra.

    The worst part was the light in the woman¡¯s eyes. She knew Vincent could jump, was sure he would try once desperate enough, and she was looking forward to it.

    ¡°Ultimate attack!¡± Vincent yelled, improvising a verse. ¡°A roar of chaos, a storm of pure might, We bring the explosion¡ªthe end of the fight!"

    The two archetypes stopped their attacks briefly, trying to distance themselves from Vincent, enveloping themselves in a forcefield, a pocket universe. Even Barbara rolled back. Taking the Amazon with him, Vincent Strode inside the chamber the Archetypes were trying to break into.

    Behind them, the clockwork device in the frame broke into pieces. During the verse, Vorrak had exited Vincent¡¯s shadow and destroyed it. In the previous chamber, the Archetypes were yelling and gesticulating. Vincent showed them the middle finger, which made the two stop and stare at him, befuddled.

    ¡°On Stellarterra, you use the thumb,¡± Barbara explained, and he changed the gesture.

    ¡°Good dog!¡± Vincent grabbed the monster¡¯s neck, letting himself slowly fall on his buttocks. ¡°You¡¯re almost better than Katiusha, my childhood pet¡­ she was trained to go out and¡­ never mind¡­ you¡¯re as good as her¡­¡±

    ¡°What was that shit about explosions?¡± Barbara asked. ¡°I thought you were going to kill me too!¡±

    ¡°A bluff. That bitch was expecting me to jump. If I had done it there, she would have skewered me. In here, she would have opened the door and followed. They were too strong for Vorrak to make a difference by attacking... so I used him to destroy the device. Archetypes are good at making pocket universes but not so much at escaping one, and now they¡¯re trapped.¡±

    ¡°You OK?¡± she asked, staring at him.

    Vincent knew he looked more or less like a shish kebab, some of his wounds barely a half-inch away from cutting his arteries or piercing his vitals. He activated his Regen and Healing.

    ¡°How are you?¡± Vincent asked.

    ¡°Bruised, but OK. I rarely met someone to match my strength¡­¡±

    ¡°Give me a minute,¡± Vincent asked, laying on his back, with Vorrak licking his face. Finally, he felt his wounds had closed and could rise up. He tried but fell back, being still weakened.

    ¡°Come,¡± Barbara offered a hand. ¡°Let¡¯s find Brindabella.¡±

 54. Book 2-27. The Mainframe

    ¡°I forgot my sword is on the other side,¡± the Amazon said after two steps.

    ¡°Wanna go fight those monsters again?¡±

    ¡°Err¡­ maybe I¡¯ll buy a new one.¡±

    ¡°Bee would approve¡­ Shit, those guys were bad,¡± he massaged his aching leg, where a thrust had barely missed his femoral artery. How the woman¡¯s sword passed through his armor and magical protection was a mystery, but obviously, it was not something natural.

    Fortunately, they were in the last room. It was round, ten yards in diameter, and hosted a pod on the far side. Through the glass, they could see only a vague silhouette enveloped in a blanket of white hair.

    ¡°What a sad thing,¡± Barbara said. ¡°To enter this thing as a kid and age inside¡­¡±

    ¡°Vincent! You came for me! Thank you¡­ Thank you!¡±

    ¡°Where are you?¡± Barbara asked, looking around and up in the air.

    ¡°There¡¯s a speaker on the pod,¡± Vincent said, observing a round patch coinciding with the voice¡¯s direction. ¡°Hi, Brinda¡­ Err¡­ Can I call you Bella? I like it better because¡ª¡±

    ¡°I love Bella,¡± the pod said.

    ¡°¡ªit¡¯s my sister¡¯s name too¡­ Why did they want to kill you?¡±

    ¡°Haven¡¯t you listened to their evil monologue?¡± Barbara creased her forehead. ¡°Because she¡ª¡¯

    ¡°There¡¯s more to it,¡± he said. ¡°The war is still going on. Why waste time to kill a¡­ child?¡± The hesitation was because Brindabella could be an old woman now, after all that time spent in the pod.

    ¡°To weaken the System¡¯s defenses,¡± the pod speaker said.

    ¡°Care to explain?¡±

    ¡°I guess you deserve to know¡­¡± the voice sighed. ¡°Not many realize what Archetypes truly are. We¡¯re not only the System helpers, we¡¯re more¡­ The ten original personality impressions were insufficient to create a lasting mark. They were absorbed in the Main System and became¡­ dulled¡­ After a while, the System tried to find another source of... inspiration? Maybe it¡¯s not the best word, but it¡¯s the only one I can think of now.

    ¡°The System is not so egotistic or disinterested as some say. It has its own hobbies and passions but still wants to help the sentients of the Realms. Thus, it put a spell in our Operating Systems¡ªyou¡¯d call that an app¡ªthat collects data, emotions, feelings, and judgments, which it uses in real-time in its own programming¡­ As a side effect, he also thinks faster and has better magical defenses¡­ If I and others like me die, the defenses weaken. The System must be under attack as we speak.¡±

    ¡°By whom?¡±

    ¡°By the rogue Archetypes who are still in good physical shape. People like me, Hubris, Kiara¡­ or the Raven¡­ we¡¯re weak¡­ I¡¯m not a good Archetype, Vincent¡­ I was inexperienced, a child¡­ I arrived here at ten¡­ and at twelve, I entered the pod for the first time¡­ I was very sick¡­ no healing could help me¡­¡±

    The voice became strangled and squeaky, and Vincent patted the pod¡¯s window. ¡°It¡¯s OK¡­ I¡¯m here now¡­ I¡¯ll get you to safety.¡±

    ¡°There is no more safety for me¡­ the battle is almost lost¡­ I can feel it¡­ Please, take me outside, Vincent¡­ I want to see the sun with my own eyes one last time.¡±

    ¡°No can do, kiddo,¡± Vincent said. ¡°I have a plan¡­ Err¡­ Correction. I might have one¡­ Do you know the System¡¯s location? Bee says it has to have a structure somewhere.¡±

    ¡°The System is on an inhabited moon of the Elven Realm, Stellarelphella. It showed me the location in my mind once when I was very sad to cheer me up. There are beautiful sky views from there. I can show my memories to you if we connect our minds¡­ Touch the glass.¡±

    As instructed, Vincent put his hand on the window. A tiny pale hand raised in the pod, touching the other side of the window. A jolt of light went through his eyes, and suddenly, his perception was in another place. A vast landscape with rolling hills covered in low grass and nothing else¡­ until he turned around. He was inside a small building on a hill, open to the air, with columns surrounding a postament and a crystal the size of a soccer ball on it. Slowly, he felt his connection to the place growing enough to jump there.

    ¡°OK¡­ I¡¯ll take you to a safe place first, then¡­ Fuck¡­ I forgot about the jerks¡­ Will they be freed if we leave?¡±

    ¡°No, only this wing¡¯s protections will be disabled. The Vault will remain closed.¡±

    ¡°What if we jump there, throw smoke grenades, then jump back and let Vorrak and my armor kill them?¡± Barbara asked.

    ¡°Please, spare them,¡± Brindabella said. ¡°They were good once, and I was bad before I changed¡­ I¡¯m so sorry about all the bad things I did in the past¡­¡± she started sobbing again.

    Going near the door, Vincent pulled out a hundred military rations he carried just in case. Leaving the items on the floor, he made the I¡¯ll be watching you sign to the trapped Archetypes, returned to the pod, took it to the Main Square, and transported himself and Barbara to the Guild¡¯s control room.

    You have saved Brindabella and captured¡ª

    He dismissed the notification. The feat had granted him more levels and some points in Body, but he didn¡¯t have time for that.

    ¡°You moron!¡± Dragon yelled. ¡°If I¡¯d had a gun, I would have shot you!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why we have the policy with no guns in the command center. Hear me out,¡± Vincent yelled. ¡°The System is a goner; we can do nothing about it. The individual Operating Systems will probably remain valid¡­ I hope. This world will become politically unstable. There will be war. My plan is this: you guys retreat to Pragwyn with all the weapons. Gia, if the Celts return, destroy all bridges, raise obstacles, and make their life hard. Keep the core safe¡­¡±

    [Gia to Vincent]: I can carry the core myself now and hide my presence.Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    ¡°Good. If the pressure is too much and you must retreat, go to Budapest¡­ Don¡¯t use the rest of the rods except for extreme emergencies¡­ How many¡ª"

    ¡°Eight left,¡± Eagle One said.

    ¡°The guys here have only one way to make war, attacking by surprise. I bet they can¡¯t sustain a full campaign. If they come again, bring them hell¡­ I will go to Earth to bring supplies and reinforcements¡­ Bee, Barbara, Lila, Irene, and Sven will accompany me. Sven and AIs, will you survive in a Neutral Mana environment?¡±

    ¡°No worries, man,¡± Sven said. ¡°We¡¯re from a binary Mana universe; they can work in both situations.¡±

    ¡°Perfect. If someone is afraid and wants out, they can come with me too¡­ I will let them in Prague, and then they¡¯re on their own. Spread the word; I will jump from the Old Main Square in ten minutes, maybe fifteen.¡±

    ¡°I think I should stay,¡± Irene said.

    ¡°I need your competencies on Earth to recruit more people we could trust. Bring Lila and the twins here; I¡¯ll ask Raya if she wants to return to Vienna or come with us¡­ Dragon?¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°Take this,¡± Vincent offered one of the spare rings of holding. ¡°It should work like an interdimensional radio¡­ OK, I have to go.¡±

    He focused on Raya, feeling her through his senses. She and Jorge were approaching Sofia, minutes away. Waving to Irene, he Strode to wait for the incoming Bug. Fortunately, Jorge was inspired to land in the Main Square, where he was.

    ¡°How many ships have you destroyed?¡± he blurted once the airship landed.

    ¡°About half,¡± Raya said. ¡°The biggest ones.¡±

    ¡°We did have some problems with the electronics after all,¡± Jorge said. ¡°We had to stop.¡±

    ¡°This also recharges from the sun, right?¡± Vincent asked.

    ¡°Yeah¡­ Why?¡±

    ¡°You have two options. Stay here, find another gunner, fight alongside the Bogomils, or return to Earth with me in five to ten minutes. We¡¯ll be there for a couple of days to resupply. You have a minute to¡ª¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m staying,¡± Jorge nodded. ¡°But what if I¡¯m needed in Krivoburg?¡±

    ¡°The Guild will move to Prague for now. Fly there if you must. Raya, I want you to come with me on Earth with the girls and stay out of this war. For their sake.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll come,¡± she blurted. ¡°But if I can leave my girls in a safe place, I¡¯ll return to fight.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll discuss it later. Jorge, open the bomb hatch for me. I need the nuke.¡±

    ¡°Man¡­. Please take care¡­¡±

    Vincent shrugged, and as soon as the hatch was open, he touched the bomb and Strode to the place he had seen in Brindabella¡¯s memories.

    There had been a battle there and an epic one. Thousands of dead bodies lay around the temple-like structure, weapons in hand, so densely packed together that if he had to go out, he would have to step on them. Some, their back turned to the building, had been defenders¡ªnow all dead¡ªand some attackers. In the faraway, there was still an ongoing aerial fight between dragons and tiny space-scooters manned by dwarves, both types on both sides. One camp was losing and died to the last. The winners remained in place, and he guessed they were on the rogues'' side.

    Around the edifice were about twenty people of multiple species, oblivious to his presence. As some looked directly at him, he realized the building was enveloped in a pocket universe that allowed him to see outside but hid the interior. Some attackers held the same type of devices Kaelith and Drakhan had, touching the pocket universe¡¯s border with them. The System defended itself by fluctuating the shield, moving it around, and curving it. Yet, it was losing ground as the attackers spread, trying to breach the forcefield from multiple directions. Behind them, in the distance, were huge spaceships, which answered the question about how the enemies got there.

    The forcefield was becoming smaller by the second, now barely encompassing the platform. Messages from Elkandaros arrived, which he ignored. There was a timer on the bomb; he set it to ten seconds, pressed the button, waited until two seconds before the timer expired, pulled the crystal ball into his storage, and jumped back to Krivoburg.

    ¡°Shit! I forgot Raya¡­¡± Realizing his mistake, he went to Sofia to pick her up. His skills worked, but his vision was blurred, and he felt nauseous.

    Warning: You have received a massive burst of XP. The limiters for XP intaking are not functioning. To avoid losing rewards due to cluttering and competing processes, your OS Task Manager will temporarily shut down minor or unused functions and notifications.

    ¡°Whatever,¡± he said, repressing a retch and returning to Krivoburg. In the New Main Square, the people he had selected for the voyage were ready. Next to them waited a mercenary team of about ten people and Nora, with the two Hummers behind.

    ¡°We¡¯re moving to Egercheb,¡± Dragon said. ¡°We¡¯re in radio contact with the Khan of Wrocslau, and he¡¯s on our side. We¡¯ll rendezvous with him there.¡±

    ¡°Is it OK if Nora becomes our ambassador to the Vikings?¡± Irene asked. ¡°She¡¯d be of great help.¡±

    ¡°Absolutely,¡± Vincent said, saluting the secretary with a nod. A pleasant and warm sensation enveloped him, and he noticed Lila had taken his hand.

    ¡°Stay put for a minute; let me heal you,¡± she said. ¡°You¡¯re a mess.¡±

    ¡°No one else wants to go to Earth?¡± Vincent looked around.

    ¡°No, but you won¡¯t believe the shopping list we got,¡± Irene said. ¡°It¡¯s OK if I take Cupcake, right?¡± she asked, fondling the tiger¡¯s head.

    ¡°Sure¡­ Vorrak, you coming?¡± he asked. The warg materialized his head near his shoulder and nodded. Everybody was accounted for.

    His heart was beating hard in his throat, and Vincent looked around at the town. He intended to return and keep fighting but knew the situation could turn bad and force them to stay on Earth.

    ¡°R-ready?¡± he asked. Everybody nodded or raised their hands, and he jumped to Prague in front of his parent¡¯s building. It was night and snowing. Immediately after they arrived, somebody ran away from the group, turning the corner and disappearing on the next street.

    ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡± Vincent asked. His vision was slightly blurred, and he still felt sluggish and drained. The change to a linear stat progression didn¡¯t help much, and the massive influx of XP still disorientated him.

    ¡°I think it was Brigid,¡± Barbara said. ¡°She was next to us, in Dragon¡¯s care. You don¡¯t make a list of people when you jump?¡±

    ¡°Nope¡­ I register the intention of coming with me and add that person instinctively¡­¡±

    ¡°You want me to go after¡ª Shit! My armor is not working!¡± Barbara blurted in panic when the artifact didn¡¯t activate.

    ¡°We don¡¯t have magic here, remember? Let her go,¡± Vincent waved his hand. ¡°Chances are she¡¯ll end up in a mental facility or police station. We¡¯ll check later.¡±

    ¡°You brought the pod?¡± Irene asked, pointing to the object.

    ¡°Yeah¡­ Bella¡¯s sick. Maybe there¡¯s a doctor here who could heal her. Oh, God! I forgot!¡± he gasped.

    ¡°What?¡± Irene panicked. ¡°To bring someone else?¡±

    ¡°No! That the pod is magical! Bella, are you still alive in there?¡± he yelled, knocking on the glass.

    ¡°It should work fine, boss,¡± Sven said. ¡°The pods are from my universe too.¡±

    ¡°The pod is working normally,¡± the Archetype confirmed.

    ¡°Will you jump with the pod directly to the apartment?¡± Lila asked. ¡°It won¡¯t fit through the door.¡±

    ¡°It will,¡± Vincent said. ¡°I can judge this kind of thing. Raya and Barbara will lift the back, Irene and I will take the front¡­ Bee¡­ hurry, keep the door open!¡±

    A neighbor was exiting the building, thus sparing them the effort to activate the door phone. Not only did the pod fit through the door, but also on the elevator, to Irene¡¯s relief. After a few trips, everybody was gathered in front of the suite.

    Vincent¡¯s heart was beating like mad when he rang the bell. He felt at home there more than in any other place and hoped Irene and Lila would too and get along with his parents.

    The door opened, but in the doorframe was Ludwing, not Vincent¡¯s family. ¡°It¡¯s Vincent and his pals,¡± the king yelled. ¡°A lot of them.¡±

    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Vincent asked.

    ¡°Come in,¡± the king beckoned. ¡°We have to talk.¡±

    They proceeded to the living room with Vincent in front and Raya in the back, carrying the pod with Barbara. The space became overcrowded in no time. Irene and Vincent¡¯s parents were there, along with his sister and her boyfriend. Elina was holding a baby in her arms; judging from the size, it was a newborn.

    ¡°Irene?¡± Elina gasped, rising up.

    ¡°Mom? Dad? What are you doing here?¡± the girl asked, befuddled.

    ¡°We live here, darling¡­¡± Karl said with a long sigh. ¡°Martin and Jana were kind enough to take us in¡­¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re bankrupt,¡± Elina completed. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you all later. Now it¡¯s time to say hello to your brother. Say hi, Milo.¡± She approached and presented the baby to Irene, moving the little one¡¯s hand in a waving gesture.

 55. Book 3-1. Home Again

    As Irene¡¯s mother advanced toward her, with the baby in her arms, the young woman gasped: ¡°M-my b-brother?¡±

    Elina smiled. ¡°Milo. He¡¯s three weeks old.¡±

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you sit down, and we talk about everything calmly?¡± Vincent¡¯s mother said.

    ¡°Let¡¯s take care of Bella first¡­ another Bella,¡± Vincent said toward his sister. ¡°Can you see something from there?¡± he knocked in the pod.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Good¡­ Put her in the next room, raise the pod a bit so she sees Prague¡­ It¡¯s night. It should be beautiful.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Brindabella said. ¡°The pod can sit vertically.¡±

    ¡°Stay with your girls, Raya, I¡¯ll take care of it,¡± Barbara said, raising the item alone. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ uh¡­ not so heavy,¡± she said, panting a little.

    The twin girls, curious like kids are, were stretching up to see the baby, now in Irene¡¯s hands. She went to the couch, sitting to offer them a better view. Cupcakes approached, too, sniffing the baby, but  Irene kicked her butt. ¡°Go away, you filthy rat! You¡¯ll give him allergies or something!¡± she yelled, protecting the little one with her arms.

    How the might have fallen¡­ Vincent nodded. Minutes ago, the tiger was your baaaaby¡­ he mimicked her voice in thought. I had so much trouble keeping that beast out of our bed at night¡­ ¡°So¡­ you sold the castle?¡± Vincent asked.

    ¡°It was put under lock by a judge¡¯s order,¡± Karl said. ¡°My ex¡­ I was married before, a long time ago¡ª¡±

    ¡°His ex and their son turned the company¡¯s board against him,¡± Elina said. ¡°We¡­ spent a lot of money to¡­¡±

    ¡°Help us,¡± Irene said with a sad voice. ¡°It¡¯s because of me¡­ If I hadn¡¯t started the foundation¡­¡±

    ¡°All the money in the world is nothing compared to you being happy,¡± Karl said.

    ¡°It¡¯s because of the foundation we met,¡± Vincent said. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t change that for the world.¡±

    ¡°Me neither,¡± Irene said slowly. ¡°I know in my heart¡­ foundation or not¡­ here or there, we were destined to meet¡­¡±

    ¡°But Milo would not have existed without your trip and everything it entailed,¡± Elina said. ¡°I didn¡¯t notice the pregnancy until September¡­ and there were problems¡­ I had to have a C-section at seven months¡­ and¡­¡±

    ¡°Ludwing performed a Healing daily, before and after the birth,¡± Vincent¡¯s mother said. The king shrugged, waving his hand like he had done nothing exceptional. ¡°He¡¯s a truly nice and good-hearted guy!¡± The emphasized words made the king shrink on the couch, a grimace of disgust on his face, protecting his face behind his arms like a vampire avoiding the sun.

    ¡°The baby doesn¡¯t look premature at all,¡± Barbara said matter-of-factly, returning to the room. ¡°I¡¯m Barbara, an Amazon, and he¡¯s my husband, Bee.¡±

    ¡°We know Bee,¡± Karl nodded while the youngster waved. ¡°Well, at least we knew the version without muscles¡­ You look very fit now, young man.¡±

    ¡°T-thanks,¡± Bee blushed.

    ¡°This is Lila, also my wife,¡± Vincent pulled the woman by the hand because she was hiding behind the group.

    ¡°We¡¯re good friends,¡± Irene said, slightly blushing, looking at her parents, who looked slightly surprised.

    ¡°Come here!¡± Vincent¡¯s mother opened her arms to hug the dance, who stepped briskly to meet the embrace, tears in her eyes.

    ¡°Raya, also an Amazon, and her daughters¡­ and¡­ where¡¯s Sven?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m in the vestibule, boss!¡± the spider yelled. ¡°People get scared when they see me for the first time. I¡¯ll stay here for now, I¡¯m OK.¡±

    ¡°Sven¡¯s a sentient spider, about this big,¡± Vincent stretched his hands. ¡°Totally peaceful¡­ and with a computer in his head. Are the guys OK?¡±

    ¡°The AIs? Yeah, boss, no worries. They wonder why you need them for here.¡±

    ¡°A lot of stuff¡­ They¡¯ll find out in due time,¡± Vincent¡¯s mouth twitched. The truth was he needed the spider, not the AIs, to show him around in case he had to convince the authorities that aliens are a thing and ask for more weapons and soldiers. Which, considering the Altenschloss financial situation, was now a realistic plan. ¡°And you didn''t tell us what happened because?¡± Vincent looked at Karl. In the last conversation through the ring, he had pretended he was visiting Prague and accidentally was near Ludwing.

    ¡°We didn¡¯t want you worried, son,¡± Karl said. ¡°How are things up there?¡±

    ¡°Perfectly fine,¡± Vincent hissed. ¡°We¡¯re here on a tourist tour. There was no war or problem, and we didn¡¯t have to use the thermonuclear nuke.¡±

    ¡°I guess I deserve that¡­¡± Karl furrowed his brow.

    ¡°We better be going,¡± Vincent¡¯s sister said, getting up from the couch. ¡°You need... err¡­ some accommodation? We could take two people¡­¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll sort it out tomorrow,¡± Vincent said. ¡°It¡¯s still morning for us, and we have many things to discuss. I¡¯ll pay them a hotel if I must.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll come, dear,¡± Vincent¡¯s mother said. ¡°Come, Martin, help me pack.¡± The two hurried to the main bedroom.

    ¡°Noo¡­¡± Bella wailed.

    ¡°How are things for you?¡± Vincent asked his sister.

    ¡°We bought a new apartment in Radlice¡ª¡±

    ¡°Residential area, not far from here. Parks and hills,¡± Vincent explained.Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°Peter sold his studio. He quit his job to open a private counseling practice. We¡¯ll get married.¡±

    ¡°What your sister doesn¡¯t say is that both of them borrowed us a quarter of a million euros to cover the lawyer fees,¡± Karl said. ¡°And Ludwing pours all his money into it too¡­ He¡¯s a celebrity now and gets invited on many talk shows making magic demonstrations.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Vincent widened his eyes. ¡°Man, I¡¯m glad I gave you a second chance. Thanks.¡±

    ¡°If I recall well, I gave you a second chance. You were on the point of being beaten and arrested by the police,¡± Ludwing said matter-of-factly.

    ¡°And who gave you your magic back?¡±

    ¡°Potato, tomato, who cares?¡± Bella raised her voice. ¡°We¡¯re still renovating the apartment, so we can¡¯t take more than two peo¡ª Oh, hell!¡±

    Jana and Martin were back, carrying two giant pieces of luggage. If anything, that signaled an intention to stay for more than a few days.

    ¡°Mom, unpack!¡± Vincent said in a commanding voice. ¡°The last thing a new couple needs is parents looking over their shoulder.¡±

    ¡°Bye,¡± Bella said, and she and Peter left quickly before her parents had the time to react.

    ¡°I¡¯ll put Milo to bed,¡± Elina said, aiming for Vincent''s parents¡¯ bedroom.

    ¡°I booked three rooms in a hotel nearby for a week,¡± Irene said, working on her phone. ¡°My card is still active, and I have fifty thousand euros left.¡±

    ¡°Great. Sven, you can come out,¡± Vincent called. The spider stepped into the room timidly, keeping his distance from the new people. ¡°Question: if two AIs betrayed us, could the others be involved too? Maybe spying on us?¡±

    ¡°I dunno, man,¡± Sven said. ¡°but I have control of the interface and had closed the external communication system. They interact with the exterior only when I allow it.¡±

    ¡°Bee, here¡¯s a ring that will allow you to perform magic,¡± Vincent forwarded the item. ¡°Dad, I¡¯ll need you to cut more of these¡­ And if you could let Bee use your workshop, that would be great.¡±

    ¡°And what do you want me to do there?¡± Bee asked.

    ¡°Experiment? Use your brain, you¡¯re the smart guy. From where I sit, you have plateaued. Not to bitch, I mean¡­ well, I¡¯m alive because of you, but none of your enchantments is permanent¡­ Learn to stack them or something, eliminate the cool-down stuff¡­ you figure it out.

    Karl raised his hand. ¡°About those AIs¡ª¡±

    ¡°Just a sec,¡± Vincent said. ¡°In that pod is a sick child, trapped in an induced sleep for centuries. The first thing we should do is try to help her. Do you know a clinic who could¡ª¡±

    ¡°One of my best friends is a doctor with his own private clinic in Prague,¡± Karl said. ¡°Elina gave birth there for free.¡±

    ¡°Can you call him and set an appointment? I have some gold and gems left. I could pay.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll call him,¡± Karl said, taking his phone and dialing a number. When his friend answered, they started talking in a low voice.

    ¡°All OK?¡± Vincent asked Bee, who whispered with Barbara and Raya.

    ¡°I¡¯m translating what you speak,¡± the younger man said. ¡°When you speak among yourself, we hear Czech. When you speak to us, the Common tongue.¡±

    ¡°Shit¡­ I didn¡¯t think about that¡­¡±

    ¡°We should let the baby sleep,¡± Irene said. ¡°Let¡¯s move to the hotel.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll check if Bella is OK with staying here,¡± Vincent said. ¡°She can stay here, right?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll leave her the room for the night,¡± Ludwing said. ¡°Even if she¡¯s in a pod, it¡¯s not proper etiquette for me to sleep in the same room; it would ruin her reputation.  I¡¯ll sleep in the attic, in my raven form.¡±

    ¡°You live here too?¡± Vincent gasped.

    ¡°I rent here¡­ Jana¡¯s food is out of this world.¡±

    ¡°We like having someone around to talk with,¡± Vincent¡¯s mother said. ¡°Since you and your sister don¡¯t visit so often¡­¡±

    Vincent growled and went into his former room. The moon was full and shone over the layer of snow outside.

    ¡°It¡¯s a beautiful view,¡± Brindabella said, hearing his steps.

    ¡°How are you? Is the pod stable?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not the pod the problem; it¡¯s my body¡­ it fails fast¡­  At least I saw the stars one more time¡­ This city is beautiful.¡±

    ¡°My friend will receive you first thing in the morning,¡± Karl pushed his head into the room. ¡°We have to be there at six o¡¯clock sharp. He has a tight schedule.¡±

    ¡°Send me the address, and I¡¯ll take a walk and attune to the location so we can jump there directly with the pod.¡±

    Karl nodded and returned to the living room. Vincent put his hand on the pod¡¯s window, mimicked by the little white hand from the other hand. ¡°See you tomorrow,¡± he said softly.

    After ten more minutes of hugs and goodbyes, the group left the apartment, walking north toward Mala Strana. There were many people out, it was only nine o¡¯clock. Ludwing joined them for a breath of fresh air. In his own words, he adored snow.

    ¡°So many lights!¡± one of Raya¡¯s daughters said.

    ¡°It¡¯s pretty,¡± the other added.

    ¡°Say, Ludwing, what have you been up to lately?¡± Vincent asked.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been on TV shows to perform magic.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, Karl mentioned that.¡±

    ¡°And I am happy to report that by complimenting your mother¡¯s beauty daily, I pressured Martin to show his affection again. He¡¯s performing his romantic duties regularly.¡±

    ¡°Why did I have to ask?¡± Vincent facepalmed, burrowing his fingers into his scalp. ¡°I sure didn¡¯t want to know that!¡±

    ¡°Raya and her girls will have one room, we three another, and Bee and Barbara the third,¡± Irene said, most likely to break the argument. ¡°I would have paid for another room for my folks, but keeping the baby in a familiar environment is better.¡±

    ¡°Sven is smart enough to stay hidden, but what about Cupcakes?¡± Vincent asked. The spider hid in a backpack he borrowed, but the tiger strolled alongside her master, attracting many passersby''s eyes.

    ¡°I can take her back to the apartment,¡± Ludwig offered.

    ¡°No way,¡± Irene protested. ¡°She sheds a lot of hair. It will make the baby sick! I¡¯ll pay an extra fee or something.¡±

    ¡°Hm¡­¡± Vincent sighed. The animal was now as large as a normal dog. ¡°What if Cupcakes waits outside, and I go back for her and bring her in by Striding?¡±

    ¡°Do you have enough charges?¡±

    ¡°I think so¡­ I Can¡¯t bring my Menu up yet, but I should be over a hundred¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes, but we have to use them sparingly¡­ We¡¯ll try my way first.¡±

    ¡°Fine,¡± Vincent surrendered, raising his hands in the air.

    Once in the hotel lobby, the personnel and the customers stopped abruptly from whatever they were doing and stared at their group. I knew it was a bad idea, Vincent thought. A tiger, two women with swords and armor¡­ a thing he had totally forgotten about as it had become natural.

    ¡°Can I¡­ have your autograph?¡± the receptionist, a woman in her early thirties, blurted. She pushed a notebook and a pen on the desk toward Vincent without taking her eyes off him.

    ¡°My autograph?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Y-Yes¡­ if you¡¯d be kind¡­ to say for¡­ Yvonne¡­ with l¡ª sympathy¡­¡±

    ¡°Are you fainting?¡± Lila asked because the woman wobbled on her feet.

    ¡°I think she saw you on the talent show,¡± Ludwing said.

    ¡°Oh, goodness, yes, I forgot¡­¡± Vincent facepalmed. ¡°Sure, here you are,¡± he signed on the first page. ¡°I said with deep admiration,¡± he winked to gain the woman¡¯s goodwill, anticipating problems in lodging the tiger pet.

    ¡°You¡¯re here for the Grand Finale, right?¡± the receptionist asked, looking at the tiger.

    ¡°Err¡­ the Grand Finale?¡±

    ¡°I forgot to tell you,¡± Ludwing interjected. ¡°There¡¯s a big talent show in town, with the best winners of all talent shows worldwide. You can bring a team of up to ten people. We were invited, but I didn¡¯t answer yet¡­ Do you want me to book us for that? The first round is in a week.¡±

    ¡°I dunno,¡± Vincent sighed. ¡°We have a lot on our hands.¡±

    ¡°The prize is ten million dollars.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re in,¡± Vincent said.

    ¡°I knew it!¡± the receptionist woman clapped. ¡°I can¡¯t wait to see you perform again¡­ I¡¯m so happy!¡± she squeezed the notebook at her sizable bosom. Irene discreetly threw a kick in Vincent¡¯s shin, frowning at him.

    Hey, it¡¯s not my fault I¡¯m a celebrity! ¡°It¡¯s OK to take the tiger in the room?¡± Vincent asked. ¡°We can pay extra.¡±

    ¡°For you, it¡¯s free. Is that a girl?¡± the woman looked at Cupcake''s pink ribbon. ¡°What will she do for the show?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a secret for now,¡± Vincent winked again.

    ¡°Of course, of course¡­ Here are the keys¡­ no, sorry¡­ not these¡­ the royal suite is free for the week¡­ why don¡¯t you take it instead of the single rooms? For the same price, of course. It has five separate bedrooms, each with its own bathroom.¡±

    ¡°Won¡¯t your boss be upset about that?¡± Lila asked. Her normally calm voice showed signs of annoyance.

    ¡°My husband?¡± the woman snorted. ¡°Jakub!¡± she screamed toward a door in her back. ¡°I¡¯m giving some friends a discount on the Royal Suite. OK?¡± If the coldest tempest from the poles had entered the room, it would have felt warm compared to her last word.

    ¡°S-Sure, darling,¡± a voice stuttered back.

    ¡°See, all¡¯s all right,¡± the woman smiled.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Irene frowned, snatching the keys and hurrying to the elevator.

    ¡°See you tomorrow,¡± Ludwing said.

    ¡°Tell my folks I¡¯ll come at five to pick the pod,¡± Vincent said.

 56. Book 3-2. The Old Young Lady

    She was running through the forest, ignoring the whipping of the branches and the rain. It was a dangerous place where little girls were eaten, or worse, by big bad wolves and evil people. Brindabella didn¡¯t care. Death was preferable to her fate.

    She liked to be a child. Hanging around the good nuns at the monastery, learning to read and write, listening to all those amazing stories they told¡­ But marrying? At ten? Why couldn¡¯t her parents leave her alone to become a nun? Alliances? Titles? Being a princess? Those meant nothing to her.

    A gust of imaginary wind and a bright light hit her face, and she woke up from her nightmare. The street lights had dimmed under the storm. The snowflakes'' flurry battled against the lampposts as the weather turned colder. Prague was beautiful, though. The whistling of the air currents against the window, the houses, the hills, the river¡­

    Brindabella knew she wasn¡¯t going to live to the morning. The corruption had spread to all of her physical body and ninety-nine percent of his Mana Body. She had let Vincent¡¯s father-in-law set the doctor''s appointment only to have them all out of her way¡­ to be left alone and see the beauty forbidden to her for centuries.

    And even if the doctor would heal her, what good would that make? The corruption had overcome the pod¡¯s regeneration, and her body had aged. She was a crone now, not a twelve-year-old child anymore. When she raised it to meet Vincent¡¯s on the other side of the glass, her hand looked so frail and thin¡­

    At first, she planned to go quietly into nothingness, admiring the view. Still, the fierceness of the snowstorm outside made her reconsider. With a bit of luck, she could open the pod and the window and feel reality one last time¡­

    She studied the window¡¯s lock for a few minutes, rehearsing the movement in her head. Then, she ordered her pod to open. There was a hiss and a plume of white smoke, and the lid disappeared into the main structure. She fell forward, but her hand was prepared, stretched forward.

    Her right foot stepped on the floor, aching from even that small gesture, but the left remained trapped inside the pod. Nevertheless, the distance was small. Catching the handle, she pushed it with desperation. The windows opened outward. Her hand had to let go of the handle, taking support on the sill.

    As the snowflakes hit her face, her heart brimmed with joy. Brindabella screamed, a scream of happiness and goodbye, of regret but also fulfillment. Her body was burning in agony, but the cold from outside brought relief. With a jolt, her left foot freed, and she fell forward, catching herself on the frame. It was glorious¡­ She inhaled the frigid air and then some more.

    Why am I not dead?

    At least a minute had passed, and now the cold felt uncomfortable. Shivering, Brindabella closed the window and instinctively took refuge inside the pod again. It kept the lid open but instantly turned the heat on¡­ and she was¡­ healing? Strength was returning to her limbs, and pain was going away.

    For the first time in a century, she turned on her notifications. Her mind was so used to knowing what was going on without the blue text that she had dismissed them completely at some point. And even now, filtered by the order of importance, the notifications displayed what was important.

    You have arrived in a Neutral Mana World.

    You have been exposed to Neutral Mana by opening your pod and momentarily lost your magic powers.

    A Living Curse feeding on your magic has been detected in you. The curse was destroyed once exposed to Neutral Mana. You are now cured.

    Brindabella screamed again, then cried. Together with her tears, the text rolled on.

    Your Physical and Mana Bodies were almost depleted. Neutral Mana has filled in the vacuum left by the Living Curse. Your Mana Body is now made of 80% Neutral Mana and 20% percent Active Mana.

    Correction: Two Mana Bodies were detected: one made of Neutral Mana and the second of Awakened Mana. Previous values reflect percentages. Mana Bodies are refilling.

    Your current stats have a linear scale value.

    Name: Brindabella Silverbrook / Age: ???

    Species: Evolved Human

    Level: 100

    Class: Runechild / Tier: Archetype

    Body: 10 / Mind: 40 / Spirit: 100

    SPs: 1100 / CPs: 1400 / MPs: 10.000 *

    HPs 1100 / 1100

    * Due to being the equivalent of a Mythical tier or higher, reaching Spirit cap value without buffs or enchantments puts your Mana resource at cap value x level.

    ¡°There¡¯s nobody in the staircase,¡± a voice said from afar.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

    ¡°Should be a drunk or a homeless,¡± somebody else said.

    ¡°My God! It¡¯s the child!¡± a woman yelled, erupting into the room and turning the lights on. It was Irene. ¡°Karl, come back inside.¡±

    ¡°Where the fuck is Ludwing? He was supposed to keep an eye on her,¡± a man said. Karl.

    ¡°You know how he is,¡± the first voice. ¡°Chasing skirts or flying in the storm¡­¡±

    The last voice was Vincent¡¯s mother. Jana and Martin appeared next to the opened pod, checking Brindabella¡¯s forehead and pulse and awkwardly trying to open her eyes wider to look at her pupils, evidently without any idea what they were doing.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine¡­¡± Brindabella croaked.

    ¡°You¡¯re all but fine,¡± Jana hissed back. ¡°We move her to Vincent¡¯s bed. On three, two, one¡­ now.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Ludwing appeared in the door frame. ¡°Oh, my God! What¡¯s that?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the child trapped in the pod,¡± Jana said.

    ¡°That¡¯s no child,¡± Elina frowned. ¡°Look at her size.¡±

    ¡°I aged¡­ the pod malfunctioned,¡± Brindabella said in a coarse voice.

    ¡°First, we cut that hair, then she¡¯ll shower,¡± Elina decided.

    They put the Archetype sit on the bed¡¯s edge, then started to raise her chin, lower her head, or ask her to stay still while they poked those weird small scissors in her mane. Brindabella wondered why they bothered since she was an ugly old crone anyway.

    Half an hour later, Elina brought a mirror. ¡°You like the haircut?¡± she asked. ¡°It¡¯s called a bob.¡±

    Brindabella¡¯s eyes and mouth went round, like a fish out of water, struggling to breathe. Staring back at her from the mirror was not a crone but a teenage girl with porcelain skin, full red lips, and gray-green eyes.

    Correction:

    Name: Brindabella Silverbrook / Age: 18

    Class: Runechild RUNEMAIDEN Tier: Archetype

    She fainted.

    <hr>

    ¡°She remembers very little of her time in the pod except for the last few days,¡± Peter told Vincent. ¡°It felt like a dream¡­ that¡¯s what she says. Karl¡¯s doctor says she¡¯s healthy and gave her some vitamin supplements.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s better she stays with us for now,¡± Vincent¡¯s sister said.

    In the other room, Brindabella was trying Bella¡¯s old clothes, cussing when they didn¡¯t fit. They couldn¡¯t see her, but the swears were quite clear.

    ¡°It might be a self-defense reflex, her mind trying to cope with what she did,¡± Irene said.

    ¡°She¡¯s from the middle ages or something. They cussed a lot,¡± Bella said.

    ¡°I have to have a longer talk with her, but I don¡¯t think she¡¯ll have problems,¡± Peter said. ¡°She sounds like a typical teenager¡­ Anything I should know?¡±

    Irene scratched her chin. ¡°Started a cult, centuries ago, making some Mongol tribes cut their private parts to remain chaste and pure¡­ probably her childish subconsciousness¡ª¡±

    ¡°If you¡¯re dumb enough to cut your winnie because someone tells you, you deserve your fate,¡± Vincent said. ¡°She¡¯s a good girl¡­ Helped me save Irene and the System¡­ Bella, can you do magic?¡± he yelled.

    ¡°Not without touching the pod!¡± the Archetype yelled back.

    ¡°We have to research that pod,¡± Bee said, intervening for the first time. ¡°Did they malfunction?¡±

    ¡°The Archetypes I trapped in the Vault said something about being used improperly,¡± Vincent said. ¡°And that reminds me¡­ I have another one in my storage, The Raven¡¯s one¡­ Oh, gosh! Actually, two, with the one from Montenegro.¡±

    ¡°Well, if you transfer it to me, I spoke with a fellow scientist in Vienna, and we can analyze it in their lab.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know if it¡¯ll fit in your ring. They¡¯re bigger than a bathtub. I¡¯ll take one to that lab later if you want.¡±

    ¡°OK, that¡¯ll work too¡­¡±

    ¡°Say, Peter,¡± Vincent pulled his future brother-in-law aside. ¡°I don¡¯t know if you noticed, but a¡­ couple of people here could use some therapy. Not me, of course; I¡¯m as sane as one could be¡­ considering the circumstances,¡± he rushed to say, noticing Peter¡¯s scrutinizing stare. ¡°But the rest¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll take care of it discreetly,¡± Peter said. ¡°They won¡¯t even know I work on them.¡±

    ¡°It might include the AIs¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­ that would be interesting¡­¡± Peter¡¯s eyes sparkled.

    ¡°Yeah¡­ But in due time¡­ Now, I have a lot of things on my mind¡­ May I go on the balcony to call Stellarterra?¡±

    ¡°Be my guest,¡± Peter gestured.

    ¡°Show me how to open the doors. I couldn¡¯t figure it out.¡±

    ¡°Oh, that¡­ moment. It slides, there¡¯s a lever you pull, then... like this. We bought the best apartment your money could buy¡­ sorry for the pun.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I wanted, man. For Bella and you to have a nest of your own.¡±

    Going on the terrace only in a shirt made Vincent shiver. He invoked Shadow Armor over his body because it also maintained a layer of warmth over the skin. Concentrating on the ring, he tried to connect to Dragon.

    ¡°Dragon, do you hear me?¡±

    ¡°The fuck is that?¡± he heard his friend¡¯s voice. ¡°Show yourself!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s me, Vincent! I¡¯m speaking in the ring.¡¯

    ¡°The fuck?¡±

    ¡°The ring. C¡¯mon, man, get a grip. Don¡¯t you remember¡ª¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the inter-dimensional communication,¡± Titan¡¯s voice said.

    ¡°Ah¡­. The ring! Why didn¡¯t you say so in the first place? Axe Raven, this is Dragon. Report. Over.¡±

    ¡°Cut the shit! Speak normally. How¡¯s the situation there?¡±

    ¡°Axe Dragon, this is Dragon. The¡ª¡±

    The link cut, only to come back a second later. ¡°This is Titan. Dragon is indisposed, he has a concussion. Hit his head on the windshield. I took the ring from him. What¡¯s your status?¡¯

    ¡°I¡¯m in a normal world, doing normal things¡­ almost normal things¡­ What¡¯s your status?¡±

    ¡°Shoot that sniper already!¡± the voice yelled. ¡°We¡¯re in combat. There was an ambush. The Celts tried a Napoleon on us.¡±

    ¡°A what?¡±

    ¡°Dividing their forces to beat us separately with local superiority. They had some stealth devices.¡±

    ¡°Are you OK? I could jump to give you a hand.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re good now, it¡¯s almost over. We called in a strike. Err¡­ Scoundrell is missing in combat.¡±

    ¡°Shit!¡± Vincent squeezed his fist, thrusting his fingernails in his palm. It was hard to lose people, especially having so few of them. However, he had to find more information. ¡°News from Bulgaria?¡±

    ¡°Sorry, nothing¡­ but if they sent messages through birds, they did it to Krivoburg. I know that Thug¡¯s girlfriend is covering our southern flanks now.¡±

    ¡°Thug¡¯s girlfriend?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, the Goth chick. They¡¯ve been dating for a few months now.¡±

    ¡°Is Thug anywhere near you?¡± Vincent hissed.

    ¡°Not really, he¡¯s in the front Hummer, why?¡±

    ¡°I want you to give him a hard kick in the butt, the first thing when you see him. He¡¯s my best friend, and I don¡¯t know anything about his love life?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll try, but he¡¯s likely to see it coming. He¡¯s very fast now. That Queen fight brought him to level eighty.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll call in twenty-four hours. There were developments here, too, and we¡¯re¡­ err¡­ short on money. It will take at least a week to get some.¡±

    ¡°Good, the last sniper is down. I have to go, man. I¡¯m in command.¡±

    ¡°Take care.¡±

    Grinding his teeth, Vincent turned and tried to re-enter the room, only to bump into the window, which had closed automatically. Cursing, he knocked on the glass, rubbing his forehead, waiting for Peter to answer. When his fingers ceased obstructing his eyes, he gasped. Brindabella had returned dressed in a summer dress, white with pink flowers, and shee looked astonishing.

    ¡°Wow, you¡¯re so pretty!¡± he said, attracting some ugly stares from Irene and Lila. ¡°Hey, it¡¯s just a compliment. I¡¯m thinking nothing of what you think I¡¯m thinking,¡± he protested. ¡°She reminds me of my sister at her age... kind of,¡± he pursed his lips. His sister was olive-skinned, dark-haired, and had a shapely figure side, while Brindabella was lithe and blonde.

    ¡°You think you can get her a ring to do magic?¡± Bee asked. ¡°I could learn a lot from her.¡±

    ¡°What about we go to my father¡¯s workshop and cut a few more rings?¡± Vincent asked. ¡°But before that, I need to make a jump to the barracks to check what the guys who remained here are doing. See you in half an hour.¡±

 57. Book 3-3. Weapons of Small Destruction

    The mercenary company¡¯s headquarters were situated twenty kilometers south of Prague, on a farm surrounded by forests. Isolated, with a helipad that didn¡¯t look like one and a stretch of flat land that could let small planes land, if necessary. Vincent jumped outside the village and did the last kilometer on foot.

    At first sight, there was nothing out of the ordinary there. Only two people had stayed behind¡ªthe company was rather small¡ªand one of them was in the guard booth, reading the newspaper. Vincent approached and knocked on the glass.

    ¡°What do you want?¡± the man yelled through the glass without lowering the newspaper.

    ¡°Uncle Jiri, it¡¯s me! Vincent!¡± The elderly mercenary opened a pan of the window, scrutinized Vincent with his only working eye, and then pushed the button, raising the barrier. A useless gesture, as Vincent was on foot and could have just passed by. ¡°How are things?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Police came a couple months ago. They confiscated the bait and left. Are you going to be in the talent show?¡± the old man animated himself. ¡°I¡¯ll bet on you.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I think so. I¡¯ll go check the storage. Where¡¯s¡­ what was his name again? The other guard.¡±

    ¡°He left. We haven¡¯t been paid since you left.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­ Here¡¯s some money,¡± Vincent offered the man a few gold coins. ¡°I¡¯ll return later and¡ª¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s OK, I sold a few AK- 47,¡± the man waved his hand.

    ¡°Take it,¡± Vincent insisted. ¡°Bet this. If I lose, at least you won¡¯t lose your own money.¡±

    ¡°Eh¡­ fine,¡± the old man pocketed the coins, returning to his newspaper.

    The bait the guard mentioned was a stash of money, about a hundred thousand grand, and a few semi-legal weapons, all with paper problems. The mismatched data was intentionally faulty. Bureaucrats were so obsessed with paperwork that they would concentrate on that, missing the main things.

    Six hundred meters farther, at the end of the farm, past a rough terrain, all shrubbery and pits, was an abandoned barn filled with old trucks and agricultural machines gathering rust. It was the band¡¯s emergency stash. Inside old gasoline tanks or buried under the heavy machines wrapped in oiled fabric were unmarked guns, ammunition, plastic explosives, and money.

    Vincent could extract everything easily, pulling the items into his storage, yet to do that, he needed to clear the house, more so if he wanted to cut the ring into more pieces. First, he extracted a half-eaten sandwich he had put in storage on a day he had left breakfast in a hurry. He was not hungry, though, and he threw it away to be eaten by field mice or crows.

    He couldn¡¯t let the samples of beer go to waste; those he drank, Three small beers on an empty stomach were nothing to his enhanced physique. The next item was a sizeable pile of dirty socks and t-shirts, hidden in storage to test a theory: that dimensional pockets killed germs and acted like a washing machine.

    It did not. The socks smelled as ¡®fresh¡¯ when Vincent had stored them. He threw them in an empty oil barrel. He added the empty beer bottles, telling himself it was not littering but adding a disguise layer to the general cache.

    Finally, after an hour of messing around with mostly useless items, he had forty slots free. Thirty, he intended to leave empty for the next users of the secondary rings. Ten, he was going to use to store weapons.

    He started with a stash of a hundred Romanian AK-47s and a hundred rounds of ammunition for each. Reliable, if not precise, and he intended to offer them to the Mongols or whoever wanted some Celt blood on their hands. He could imagine the weapons would go well shot from horseback, in a fast charge. And more ammunition could be made in Krivoburg or Pragwyn.

    Then, he added a hundred claymore mines, some more plastic explosives, and finally, the money, a suitcase with something short of a million euros, in various bills. His storage weight limit approached its upper margin.

    Since he was isolated, he extracted the Raven¡¯s pod from storage and opened it. His senses told him it was still working. Vincent put his hand inside and let out the crystal ball, hoping the System was still¡­ functioning? He didn¡¯t know if alive was a proper word.

    ¡°Hey. Anyone there?¡±

    The System: We¡¯re here. It¡¯s my own personality speaking. All Grand Archetypes are in sleep mode to conserve energy. Do you have an update on the Stellarterra?

    ¡°The situation is fluid but under control. Indulge my curiosity: Why do you care about the Human Realm so much? Are the others less important?

    The System: Humans make the greatest number of users by far. About four billion of them, more than ten times the other realms combined. I have good news. Your OS has rebooted; I can access its logs¡­ Your bomb killed an army of twenty thousand strong, including rogue Archetypes, dragons, and dwarves¡­ Maybe my enemies are all dead, and we can return. I have a secondary mainframe hidden on¡ª

    ¡°Nope. We stay put until I have a good idea of what¡¯s happening.¡±

    The System: But Hero Vincent¡ª

    ¡°But no buts. I¡¯m in charge now because guess what? You did a bad job. Your world is a mess. We¡¯re waiting.¡±

    The System: At least my world was free of colonialism, racism, and other evils. How many people have died to that on Earth in the last centuries?

    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re a comrade, System?¡± Vincent¡¯s eyes flared. ¡°I know your kind very well. Because my grandpa was thrown in jail by your pals, and he was a true socialist. You think I forgot you ordered some communist dwarves to do an orbital bombardment on my city?¡±

    The System: What are you talking about? The Dwarves are anything but communist.

    ¡°Sure they are. They have red flags and call themselves a comradery.¡±

    The System: Because they adore Marx. After one of the Summoned brought all his works, he became their idol.

    ¡°That¡¯s what I said!¡±

    The System: They worship Marx because he showed them how to build their dream capitalist regime. They took all the bad parts Marx wrote about and applied them. And from the fact that I collaborate with such oppressors, you can see how much I respect free will and non-intervention. I¡¯m a Bakuninist at heart¡ª

    Vincent picked up and threw the crystal ball in the barrel, over his dirty socks.

    The System: Hey! It¡¯s dark in here. And oily¡­ And it stinks¡­ Help! Someone, help! He¡¯s crazy! Heeeeeelp!

    ¡°You still alive?¡± Vincent wondered. ¡°So you can function on a Neutral Mana Realm?¡±

    The System: Of course. This support is from a binary universe, where Neutral and Awakened Mana coexist¡­

    ¡°Ah, yeah, like Sven and those AIs¡­¡±

    The System: Can you please take me out of here?

    ¡°After you accept my conditions. Remember when you blackmailed me? It¡¯s payback time. My turn to give you quests.¡±

    The System: I¡¯m sorry, Hero Vincent¡­ Please, don¡¯t let me rot in this abominable barrel¡­

    Crossing his arms, Vincent remained still.

    The System: What¡¯s the quest, Hero Vincent?

    ¡°The quest is to behave responsibly from now on. And I¡¯ll make sure you do. You won¡¯t be re-installed until I audit your performance and analyze your programming with Bee and other competent people. We¡¯ll ensure you will never be able to throw asteroids at us or anybody else.¡±

    The System: You want to¡­ control me? But that¡¯s what the bad guys wanted to do¡­

    ¡°I guess I¡¯m a bad guy, then,¡± Vincent shrugged, remaining impassible.

    The System: But what if, by inaction, they win and install a bad System?

    ¡°Dunno¡­ problem for another time. Maybe I¡¯ll repair it¡­ or destroy it¡­ or cut my losses, extract my friends, and come back here. I didn¡¯t ask to be Isekaied after all.¡±

    The System: That¡¯s Elkandaros doing. He¡¯s the one who devised the Summoning spell and passed it on to the other Archetypes! Please¡­ You sure can see the good parts, too, right?

    An invisible weight pushed Vincent''s shoulders downward. Yes, the System was right. There were a lot of good parts, too¡­ Irene, Lila, all his friends from Krivoburg, Pragwyn, Sofia¡­ ¡°Sorry,¡± he said, taking the ball out and putting it back in the pod. ¡°I overreacted.¡±Stolen story; please report.

    The System: It¡¯s OK¡­ I deserved it. Now I know how it is to feel powerless in a foreign, dangerous world¡­ I¡¯m truly sorry¡­.

    ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear it¡­ Next step, you¡¯ll do some seances with my brother-in-law. He¡¯ll assess your mental health, and we¡¯ll take it from there.¡±

    The System: Psychanilisis? I heard about it.

    ¡°Psychoanalysis¡­¡±

    The System: Since we¡¯re alone¡­ Do you want to check your stats? I have little power now, but if I¡¯m concentrating all on you, I should be able to help.

    ¡°Sure¡­ Let me check my stats.¡± He was eighty-two in Body, eighty-one in Spirit, and sixty in Mind, with forty-seven tokens to invest.

    The System: You have gone a long way since we first met, Hero Vincent.

    ¡°How did I earn so much Body stats?¡± Vicent asked. ¡°Ten points? Spirit, I understand. It took a lot of will to go through all that instead of just running away, but¡­¡±

    The System: From the fight in the Vault. You don¡¯t realize it, but you were gravely hurt and continued. There¡¯s a hidden sub-stat called Grit, and it¡¯s in Body, not Spirit. Also, when you reached her, Brindabella rewarded you with a +5 in Body. She can offer a one-time permanent stat bonus. I suggest you maximize your Body and Spirit. At your tier, the pools will be increased considerably.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I know, Bella told me,¡± Vincent said, maxing his Body and Spirit and putting the remaining tokens in Mind.

    Name: Vincent Vala?ka, Age: 28

    Level: 100

    Body 100 / Mind 70 / Spirit 100.

    SPs: 10.000 / CPs: 1800 / MPs: 10.000

    HPs: 10.000

    Karmic Charges: 132/200

    The System: You are as strong as an Archetype, Hero Vincent. Meaning a role model upon which I model my answers to the world in certain situations. If I had to choose your two main characteristics, one would be true love, and the other¡ª

    ¡°Stop!¡± Vincent shook his head, pushing his hands forward. ¡°Stop thinking in these terms. I¡¯m not a role model¡­ I¡¯m not even your friend¡­ Stick to what you do best. Skills and stuff.¡±

    The System: What would you change in your build? Considering you saved my life, I can grant you a few evolutions.

    ¡°Can you make it so I can change my name freely? I hate that there is a one-day cooldown.¡±

    Name buff: Vala?ka/Velasco.

    This ability has been removed.

    You can change your name at will as a cosmetic feature.

    Mind Buff: During combat, you gain a +10 in Mind.

    The Blessing of the Raven is now permanent, granting a 10% increased effect on all Darkness spells.

    Plus Damage with Axes is now permanent. Plus Damage with Spears added.

    The Elements of Fortune and Wisdom have been merged with your Passive Proficiency, offering a +10% increase in performance.

    Health Transfer has evolved into Health Points Buffer, seamlessly merging with your Healing and Fast Regen skills. Use your HPs to heal yourself or an ally at a rate of 10% of the damage suffered / second (5% in combat). Your HPs recharge at 1% per minute, in or out of combat.

    Rezz! Due to reaching max stat in Body, you are now able to Rezz! If you take massive lethal damage, phase out of normal space and reconstruct your physical body by consuming twice the HPs of the equivalent of the damage taken. If the damage is continuous and unavoidable, you will be automatically transported to a location you set as a base, as long you have one Karmic Charge.

    ¡°That¡¯s like those guys did in the Vault, right?¡± Vincent asked.

    The System: No, it¡¯s much more powerful.

    ¡°Thanks¡­ not that I¡¯m eager to test it.¡±

    The System: Here is a recapitulation of your overall skills and stats.

    Name: Vincent Vala?ka, Age: 28

    Level: 100

    Body 100 / Mind 70 / Spirit 100.

    SPs: 10.000 / CPs: 1800 / MPs: 10.000

    HPs: 10.000

    Karmic Charges: 132/200

    Class: Dichotomic (Unique, Mythical)

    <u>Class Perks:</u>

    <u>Elements:</u> You can wield elements from the schools of Light and Darkness.

    Mind Buff: During combat, you gain a +10 in Mind.

    The Blessing of the Raven: 10% increased effect on all Darkness spells.

    Use of Dark Artifacts. Darkness spells have a doubled effect while equipping such items.

    Plus Damage with axes and spears.

    Species: Outsider (Mythical)

    <u>Species Perks:</u>

    Resilience (Passive, Elite): You age 4x slower than a normal human.

    Health Points Buffer: Use your HPs to heal yourself or an ally at a rate of 10% of the damage suffered / second (5% in combat). Your HPs recharge at 1% per minute, in or out of combat.

    Passive/Active effect: Auto-Tune: You become immune to Mana Corruption and Overloading. Your Mana cannot be turned against you by Curses. Ignore side effects if your stats are overloaded. If any stat is buffed over the cap, re-direct the buff toward your lowest stat. Note: If all your stats are overloaded, they will continue functioning at cap level, ignoring the buff.

    Rezz! Due to reaching max stat in Body, you are now able to Rezz! If you take massive lethal damage, phase out of normal space and reconstruct your physical Body by consuming twice the HPs of the equivalent of the damage taken. If the damage is continuous and unavoidable, you will be automatically transported to a location you set as a base, as long you have one Karmic Charge.

    Mental Armor. Inspecting, Mind-reading, or Mind-control-type spells or abilities won¡¯t work on you anymore. Does NOT prevent your body language from being read. +25% chance of dodging physical attacks.

    Disguise (Passive, Elite): Display any name, species, or class you want. Or none.

    Passive Proficiency (Mythical): Your passive skills work +35% over their expected performance. Allows most of your passive skills to evolve at Skills levels 50 and 100.

    <u>Passive Skills:</u>

    Battle Instinct (Passive, Elite). You don''t need to look at a target to judge its movements or the distance. Additional active effect: Guarantee Hit. Consume 100 Stamina to always hit true with your first attack in a fight. It does double damage if you attack without being noticed. Current skill level: 93.

    Critical Chance Buff (Passive, Elite tier). Your chance to score a critical hit increases by 0.25% for each skill level. Current Critical Chance: 10%. Current Level: 40.

    Inspiring Leadership. Increase the stats of your followers by +8 (Combat only). Max level.

    Dog Person. You can perceive very well what a canid thinks or feels and fight as one alongside your pet, Vorrak the Devourer. Current Skill level: 57.

    Mentor (Passive, Elite skill). You are exceptionally gifted to teach your skills to others. Current Level: 60. Evolution postponed due to insufficient data to unlock the next variants.

    <u>Active skills:</u>

    Arcane Awareness (Passive and Active/Legendary tier). Allows users to intuitively perceive or actively scan and scrutinize their surroundings, revealing hidden details and secret knowledge about objects, creatures, and environments. In addition, Arcane Awareness grants the user a glimpse into the potential of their own skills. Consumes 10 CPs/use. Current Level: 90

    Hand of Dominion. This is not just a skill but a statement of control. When the user summons this power, their hands take on an unnatural hardness and strength, able to hold or crush with a king¡¯s authority, forcing the world to bend to their will. Nothing can escape their dominion once caught. Current Skill Level: 60.

    Shadow Armor (Active, Elite Tier). Surround yourself in shadows to sneak around undetected or absorb damage. Stronger at night. Consumes 5 CPs per second for sneaking and at least 20 SPs per hit deflected. Heavy hits count consumes double the amount, and Extremely Heavy Hits will also feed on MPs. Current skill level: 58.

    Dark Damage. Imbue this type of elemental damage in your attacks, including ranged ones (Active, Elite tier) +0.5% damage per skill level. Current damage: +25% over base damage. Current skill level: 50. Consumes 7-20 MPs per hit (depending on the force applied).

    <u>Karmic Skills:</u>

    Outsider''s Stride (Active, Mythical tier, Karmic). Bestows you with the ability to conjure a bespoke wormhole. You can use it to go to places you see, were to, or can attune to in various manners, as long they are on an Awakened Realm. This skill has no levels, but it performs better with practice.

    You can transport people, living beings, or objects with you as long they are willing and not more than a hundred feet away. Unconscious or unwilling people you transport to save their lives are an exception. A Stride costs one charge of Karma/jump/person.

    Outsider''s Cloak (Active, Mythical). Use both Light and Darkness to make your presence unnoticeable. A faint glint among the bright light of the day or a shadow confounding itself in the darkness of the night: that''s you. This skill has no levels, but it performs better with practice. Activation costs 1 Karmic Charge, then 5 MPs/second to maintain.

    Outsider''s Refuge (Active, Mythical): Creates an invisible and impenetrable pocket universe around you for a limited amount of time. Its size depends on your Spirit stat. This skill has no levels, but it performs better with practice. Costs 1 Karmic Charged to activate, consuming 5 Mana/second to maintain.

    Outsider''s Storage (Active/Passive, Mythical): You have a 70-slot Legendary Ring of Holding. No weight transferred to the outside. Capacity: 70% of one metric ton.

    ¡°Looks good,¡± Vincent nodded with satisfaction.

    The System: Hero Vincent¡­ May I kindly ask you to take back your used socks and the empty beer bottles? They¡¯d fit in one storage slot if you tag them as miscellaneous. If you leave them there, you¡¯ll lose Karmic Charges as a penalty for littering.

    ¡°Blackmailing me again?¡±

    The System: I have nothing to do with it, I swear. Karma works on your own conscience.

 58. Book 3-4. Celtic Knight and French Prince

    The Unawakened world¡¯s winter was cold and manaless. Brigid activated her armor¡¯s protections several times, but it burned Mana like no tomorrow. Half an hour was all she could afford, with a long pause in between.

    In the morning, she was miserable, and her nose was running like a broken faucet. Then trams started to work, and the subway. She took shelter there, dismissing her helmet and washing her face in a public toilet, staring horrified at her reddened eyes and dried skin.

    Two men tried to hit on her. She broke one¡¯s nose and the second¡¯s wrist. Her stats were working, albeit reduced to a non-algorithmic progression. A hundred in Body, and she still had a running nose. Her Knightly Healing worked only on wounds¡­ and now she was alone, a too-specialized warrior without support.

    She was tired but dared not sleep¡­ that world was dangerous. Getting out of the subway when the shops opened, she toured the city. It was beautiful, nicer than the Pragwyn from her world. There were no armor shops, though¡­ And she was stuck in her combat armor, without any decorative spurs or high-heels¡­ worse, like a squire¡­ no, a servant.

    There was nothing to do there, but hope was not lost. Maybe there was a way to care for her cracked skin, after all. She had the full package of the Universal Language unlocked. Brigid asked to borrow a pencil and a large piece of paper from a bookshop and wrote on it: Princess in distress, please spare a gold coin for me to buy skin care. I¡¯ll pray for your health.

    Sitting in front of a cosmetic shop, she dismissed her helmet, adopting the sweetest puppy face she could. With her blue eyes and blond hair, she was at least pretty, and teary eyes and puckering lips added to her charm. Everything was allowed in war and love, and although she had not known love yet, war was her element.

    Passersby laughed at her sign. Men tried hitting her again, and she had to kick one in the balls. Finally, an older gentleman gave her a bill. Paper money.

    ¡°Is this one of those hazing dares students do?¡± he asked.

    ¡°My fate is cruel,¡± Brigid lowered her eyes, telling the truth and a lie at the same time.

    Rushing into the store, she asked for the most moisturizing moisturizer. She spread it over her face without caring if people were staring at her. The sensation was glorious! Unawakened Earth had such good beauty products!

    Feeling still bitter but a bit better, she proceeded to the upper city, aiming toward the castle. After all, her princess¡¯ morale was supposed to be uplifted in places where nobility was the code word. She still had some money left and paid for a ticket to visit the church and the castle.

    Signs were pointing to a hill nearby, about a bout display, and she followed them to a lawn about a hundred yards long.  Stubborn thoughts about meters jumped around in her brain, which she ignored.

    The show was poorly done. The horses were big and slow, and the knights'' moves telegraphed. A sign asked for public donations to buy equipment, saying something about a talent show¡ªwhatever that was¡ªand those knights being the only team able to beat Vincent Vala?ka.

    The name made her blood boil. Not only did he murder her grand grandmother, but he humiliated her, taking Brigid by surprise. She had seen movement skills before, but none of that level¡­ and that he used only his fist had surprised her.

    Elbowing her way onward, she approached the sign and the massive man near it, a mountain of a warrior.

    "Hey, a fellow re-enactor!" he saluted. "How can I help you?"

    "By allowing me to enact revenge on Guildcher Vincent,¡± she said.

    ¡°Sorry?¡±

    ¡°I will take your team under my wing and help you win that duel you spoke about.¡±

    ¡°Sorry, kid, but¡ª¡±

    She interrupted his words by pressing a finger on his lips. Then, she pressed her index on her thumb on both hands, resting her left on the man¡¯s forehead and the right on the wooden board.

    ¡°Look,¡± she said, flickering her index on the board, which exploded into pieces. ¡°I could kill you with a flicker. Give me a horse, a lance, and your best man to bout against, and I¡¯ll show you what true skill is. If afterward, you refuse my guidance, I so swear I¡¯ll kill you all, for you¡¯re a disgrace to everything a knight represents.¡±

    ¡°Wow! Deep roleplaying, huh?¡± the man widened his eyes. ¡°Duncan, bring the lass a horse and a lance. She¡¯s auditioning for a spot on the team!¡± he yelled.

    ¡°Aye, captain!¡± a squire yelled.

    ¡°You¡¯ll be going against me, Milady,¡± the man made a reverence. At least he was polite.

    While preparing for the exchange, Brigid changed her class from Graceblade to Kinetic Warden. In the first class, she had skills for speed and was capped in Spirit. In the second, her Body and Mind were at cap level. With a pool of ten thousand Concentration Points, she could maintain her Preemptive Stance for thirty seconds. A steep-priced skill but invaluable.

    Everything in the opponent¡¯s movements was now predictable, from his horse¡¯s gait to the grip on the lance or where his eyes would look. She knew he was going to try to go soft on her.

    ¡°Heya!¡± she spurred her horse first.

    That made the adversary hesitate for a split second. Making the horse jolt from the pressure of his knees, a sign that the two were well-versed in fighting together, he aimed his lance at Brigid¡¯s left shoulder to unbalance her.

    Galloping forward, she slid the tip of her weapon over the man¡¯s lance, pressing it down so its lateral side, not the tip,  would meet her armor. With her hundred in Body, such a weak strike would not make her flinch. Instead, the man¡¯s lance transformed into a lever against his own motion. Brigid¡¯s lance struck the same spot he was going to hit on her, and after a somersault, the man crashed in the snow.

    ¡°The fuck!¡± he yelled, struggling to rise to his feet.Stolen story; please report.

    ¡°You slipped?¡± another knight asked.

    ¡°NO! She¡¯s a monster! That was like Aikido on horseback! Miss¡­ You¡¯re in!¡± he shouted, offering a handshake. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±

    ¡°Princess Brigid Gearheart,¡± she grasped his forearm with hers into a proper knights¡¯ salute. ¡°But you can call me Chief.¡±

    <hr>

    Scoundrell woke up when somebody tried to undress him, pulling on his tactical vest.

    ¡°Putain bordel de merde,¡± he cursed, instinctively moving to grab the thief¡¯s neck into a submission position, holding the other¡¯s body in front of him like a shield.

    His left eye was clogged by dried blood, his left leg broken, and everything ached. Nevertheless, he wasn¡¯t going into oblivion without a fight. He was stretched on an improvised bed in the open, surrounded by bandits¡­ or rather medieval-looking troops, staring at him in disbelief, stupefied he wasn¡¯t dead. The second plan was a row of tents. An enemy camp. No ally of them had such rags as uniforms. Why he was brought there instead of being stripped of his belongings and killed was a mystery.

    ¡°Call the Druid!¡± a bandit blurted, and a young girl, barely sixteen in Scoundrell¡¯s estimation¡ªdarted away. ¡°Milord, please spare my brother,¡± the man prostrated himself on the ground. ¡°We were just trying to help, checking you for wounds¡­ The healer will tend to you shortly.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t kill him¡­ for now,¡± Scoundrell said, keeping his grip on the thief¡¯s throat. Strangely, the man was not offering any resistance. He profited from the respite to gather his thoughts and energy. Now, he regretted not investing his tokens in some sort of healing¡­

    ¡°Merde¡­¡± he whispered. Hearing Scoundrell speak, the captive jerked.

    How did they survive? How far are we from the epicenter?

    Scoundrel was the one who detected the ambush while scouting ahead. The troops waiting for them¡ªin the hundreds¡ªhad Stealth¡­ yet for a trained eye like his, the smallest detail, from a twitching leaf or the smell of bad cologne, were dead giveaways. He called a double orbital strike on his position, throwing his radio on the ground as a marker, then ran back as fast as possible¡­ Yet not fast enough.

    He summoned his Menu over his closed eye to see if he had leveled or not.

    Name: ¨¦tienne Valor¨¦              Age: 35

    Class: Scoundrell (bespoke) Level: 80

    You have refused to take a well-trodden path and chose to make your own way. While benefiting from more System assistance than a Declassed, you keep some of the latter¡¯s freedom. The skills you buy come at double the cost and one tier higher than normal.

    Body: 60 Mind: 60 Spirit: 60

    Available tokens: 1

    Shit¡­ Only one level¡­ Basic Healing is two tokens for me¡­

    <u>Skills: </u>

    Venom: You can use Mana to create a deadly venom to coat your body or weapons. This skill can evolve into Curses at level 100. Consumes 60 Mana per use. Current level: 79

    Phase Strike: Consume 10% of all your resource pools to deliver an attack that ignores all armor and resistance. This attack cannot Critically Hit and has low damage, but the damage increases with your and the skill¡¯s level. Evolvable at levels 50 and 100. Current level: 20.

    Infiltrator: You are a natural-born spy, and people will take even the most obvious lies you tell as truths.

    Provoker: Using witty words, you goad your adversaries into villain monologues or stupid actions. Instead of cutting your throat, they will try to kill you with complicated domino contraptions with light beams, counterweights, and other things of the sort, losing precious time and allowing you a chance to escape.

    Saboteur: You can make most tech malfunction by touching or inserting foreign objects. The said objects will detect and destroy the critical part of any mechanism by moving by themselves as long you feed them Mana. Range: 100 yards. Consumes 20 Mana/second.

    ¡°Is he awake?¡± a middle-aged woman arrived, interrupting Soundrell¡¯s daydreaming.

    ¡°It¡¯s a prince, ma! A prince!¡± the tomboyish girl sent to bring the druid clamored, shifting weight between her feet, obviously excited. ¡°He swears like royalty!¡±

    The older woman was in her early forties and still looked good. The staff in her hand was sturdy and straight, nothing like the wavy, crooked branches in fantasy movies. She touched it to Scoundrell¡¯s hurt leg, and he let her do it.  A wave of pain but also warmth crawled under his skin, and he groaned and bit his lower lip.

    ¡°Please release my husband, sire,¡± the woman said. ¡°You will be fully healed in minutes.¡±

    ¡°You want me to trust you?¡± Scoundrell asked. His main gun was lost, and his side one was out of reach in his ankle holster. A bit of a risky grab in his condition.

    ¡°You¡¯re sure you heard him speak French?¡± the woman asked, looking at her brother-in-law. ¡°His gear is outlandish, and he speaks nonsense.¡±

    ¡°They sent gifts to the Queen before the war,¡± the girl said. Scoundrell remembered his gear, enchanted in Krivoburg in one of the factories, was considered the second-best quality on the Realm: Elite tier. Mythical one was for artifacts, unique stuff, immensely expensive and rare. It was probably the cause of his survival.

    Another recollection hit him. French was nonexistent on Stellarterra but had become a sign of education and exclusivity for the Celt nobles after a French Summoned spread it. The ones there thought he was a noble because he spoke French. Scoundrell was French Canadian, after all.

    ¡°Maybe he thinks we went rogue,¡± the prisoner spoke for the first time. ¡°We¡¯re simple auxiliary troops, sir. We stayed behind to avoid being detected¡­ The enemy took out our nobles¡­ You¡¯re the only survivor¡­ Please assume command, sir. We don¡¯t know what to do next. Everything is in chaos¡­¡±

    ¡°Merde¡­¡± Scoundrell whispered. He was locked in a bad situation. They believed he was some sort of officer.

    ¡°See? Told you,¡± the girl jumped up, clapping. ¡°He¡¯s a prince!¡±

    ¡°Oui,¡± Scoundrell said, releasing his captive and sitting on the edge of the bed. ¡°Tell me about the situation.¡±

    The druid¡¯s husband took an ¡®at attention¡¯ pose. ¡°Sir, we are the fifty-six auxiliary regiment. We were tasked with setting camp on our side of the border while the shock troops went to ambush the enemy. Then we saw a huge explosion, and when we searched, the enemy had broken free, and all our troops were dead, including the crown princess, the first in line for the throne. The forest¡ªwhat remained of it¡ªwas full of bits of bodies and mangled remains.¡±

    ¡°She didn¡¯t take her armored suit,¡± the girl said. ¡°That can¡¯t be stealthed. It was I who found and brought you here. Will you marry me for saving your life?¡± Her open mouth and widened eyes beamed with anticipation.

    ¡°You¡¯re what, fourteen?¡±

    ¡°Fifteen!¡± she proudly uttered. Scoundrell noticed that she had a lot of freckles and grimy fingernails.

    ¡°You belong in school.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a squire!¡±

    ¡°What else?¡± he ignored her.

    ¡°We have a radio, sir, but it spews nonsense. Every army has declared their general King or Queen, and there are revolts in the periphery. A new System asked us to accept an update¡­ we didn¡¯t dare to do it without a superior officer. Please, sir, will you lead us?¡±

    Scoundrell looked around and saw not only a couple thousand people but also potential. He stepped up on the bed to be seen by all. ¡°Ecoutez!¡± he bellowed. A choir of Ahs! washed around the camp in a wave of gasps. ¡°I¡¯m Etienne Valor, prince of¡­ Canada! From now on, I will lead you. And from this day on, you are officially nobles, too. Repeat with me: Ecoutez! It means to listen.¡±

    ¡°Ecoutez!¡± everybody brayed.

    ¡°Now say Bonjour. It means hi, or have a good day!... Now Bonsoir¡­ Good evening¡­¡± All around were bright eyes and hopeful faces. He could work with that, even if they looked like the most ragtag bunch he had ever seen.

    ¡°You are not to accept the new System,¡± he shouted. ¡°Reject it and close all communications with it. It brought only disasters. It tricked our Queen into attacking a friendly country and led her to her death. We¡¯ll stay loyal to the Old System until it¡¯s restored.¡±

    ¡°Huzzah!¡± the choir of cheers replied.

    ¡°Bring me your commander armor and the radio,¡± he asked, stepping down. The next step of his plan was to have access to powerful weaponry and a way to talk to the rest of the band.

    ¡°If I may, sir,¡± the druid raised a hand. ¡°The guys are curious¡­ Which faction will we support?¡±

    ¡°Mine, of course,¡± Scoundrell shrugged.

 59. Book 3-5. Missed Target

    A week after their return to Earth, Vincent was ready to make his first trip back to Stellarterra. There were no new recruits to bring with him, but Bee had enchanted a lot of trinkets, and he hoped those would make a good addition to the mercs¡¯ skills.

    There was the matter of making sure he had as many Karmic Charges as possible, though, so he had postponed his trip until after the first stage of the talent show. Which was to follow in minutes.

    ¡°You¡¯re on,¡± the assistant said.

    ¡°Let¡¯s knock their socks off,¡± Vincent said, entering the stage briskly and sending kisses in the air. Behind him, Lila followed, carrying a small cage covered with a velvet drape. ¡°I miss you, everyone,¡± Vincent yelled, waving around.

    ¡°Did you?¡± someone with a microphone hissed in an unfriendly voice.

    Vincent froze. It was the blonde from the jury who had given him her phone number. What¡¯s she, again? Actress? Singer? Shit! She must be mad I didn¡¯t call her¡­ and maybe jealous of Lila too! Fuck¡­

    Swallowing a lump, he continued in a less self-assured tone. ¡°Err¡­ Today, we would like to demonstrate mass hypnosis. I will let my trusted assistant and friend, Lila de Rosa, continue.

    Albeit she stared a dozen daggers at him, Lila pulled the drape from the cage, put the item on the floor, and opened the door. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid of Sven. He¡¯s the gentlest spider in the world. He comes from another planet and can talk. Right, Sven?¡±

    ¡°Truly so, beautiful girl,¡± Sven chirped, advancing on stage. His hair had been coated with hair gel to make him appear smaller. Nevertheless, the spider was as big as a cat. People whispered in public, and the jury asked themselves if it was a remote-controlled toy. As for the voice, they all believed it was ventriloquism.

    ¡°I¡¯ll count on you two to charm the audience while I travel to an alternate reality to save an alien planet,¡± Vincent said, dressing himself in the Raven¡¯s armor, spear in hand, then disappearing. Uff¡­ I hope that the blonde will be less cranky with me gone. Anyway, it¡¯s for the public to decide¡­

    A scream made him jolt, pulling his attention back to reality. He had aimed to arrive east of Cottbus, in the Wrocslau Khan¡¯s camp. He was in a room, a sort of cellar, with bars at the windows. People were screaming, and Vincent realized they were afraid. He was in the doorframe, and behind him, a blaze raged. Profiled by the light of the inferno, his shade, armor, and spear appeared ominous.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, I will not harm you!¡± Vincent shouted. ¡°Where did I land?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re in Cottbus, sir,¡± a young man said. He was protectively sitting in front of the others.

    There were another three people there: a stocky man in his sixties dressed in all black, a woman his age, and a younger one. The women had a weird uniform with white collars and a deep blue scarf around their hair.

    ¡°Are you nurses?¡± he asked.

    ¡°We¡¯re nuns,¡± the younger woman said.

    ¡°I am a nun,¡± the older one said, pursing her lips and speaking in a vinegary-like voice. ¡°You are a whore, inviting men in our midst¡ª¡±

    ¡°We were just¡­ reading poetry together,¡± the young woman yelled back. ¡°I don¡¯t even want to be a nun, my parents¡ª"

    ¡°HEY!¡± Vincent yelled. ¡°I don¡¯t care. What happened here?¡±

    ¡°Prince¡¯s Valor¡¯s army has besieged the city, sir,¡± the young man said. ¡°The local garrison has switched sides, welcoming him, then that arrived,¡± he pointed toward the window.

    The fire was spreading behind Vincent, engulfing the building, maybe forty yards away. He could see dead bodies lying on the corridor, and the smell of burned flesh was reaching his nostrils. Retching, he advanced into the room, closing the door behind him.

    ¡°Let me see,¡± he asked.

    Above the city floated an abomination of a spaceship, shaped like an immense rusted barrel with bay windows on its front. It was shooting a giant flamethrower at the buildings below, also plowing the city with a blue beam that made the buildings rise in the air, then fall down in pieces.

    ¡°Dragon, do you copy, Dragon, do you copy? This is Axe Raven. Over.¡± Nothing but static replied on the radio. ¡°Shit¡­¡± Smoke was beginning to enter the room.

    ¡°Sir, help us. Maybe we can pull the bars out together,¡± the young man implored.

    They were not in a cellar but a pantry one or two stories above the ground, probably the hideout of the two lovers. Vincent could see the scenario rolling in his mind: the young ones had been discovered, and the older nun and what was most likely a priest had arrived to scold them. That saved their lives because the rest of the monastery was all ruins, as far as he could see from the window.

    In his Menu, the Karmic Charges had started to roll up, which meant Lila and Sven had performed well. However, Vincent¡¯s part was only secondary, so he gained only twenty Charges.

    ¡°You have a few more minutes to live,¡± he addressed the young couple. ¡°Do you want to die in sin or like honest, married people? I¡¯m a duke and have the power to bond you together if so you want.¡±

    ¡°Son, I¡¯m a Hussite priest!¡± the old man spoke for the first time. ¡°I should be the one¡ª"

    ¡°How long would your ceremony would take?¡± Vincent asked.

    ¡°Not long. Maybe half an hour?¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t have that much. So, what do you say, guys?¡±

    After looking into each other eyes, the two lovers nodded, holding hands.

    ¡°Do you¡­¡± Vincent looked at the man.

    ¡°Karl.¡±

    ¡°And¡­¡±

    ¡°Anna.¡±

    ¡°Wish to marry each other? Great. I pronounce you husband and wife,¡± Vincent said after they confirmed their intentions.¡±Now, get behind me.¡±

    Striding was broken; Vincent felt it in his senses as he looked through the window at the garden below. He knew instinctively the targeting was malfunctioning. Breaking the bars was possible, but there was no rope to climb down. He sent his spear into storage and kicked the wall with his foot. It showed cracks, and at the second kick, it fell outward, leaving a gap ten feet wide.

    ¡°Come here,¡± he beckoned the newlyweds. ¡°Grab my neck and hold tight.¡±

    Taking the two by the waist, he jumped, landing safely, then returned to bring the priest and the nun. The monastery courtyard was sizable and safe from the fire and the collapsing building. The spaceship was also getting away. His Karmic Charges increased by six from tricking the two into marriage and the four lives saved. This demonstrated that marriage, even if it was a bit rushed, was a good thing.

    ¡°You guys should leave the city and aim for the hills,¡± he told them. ¡°I¡¯ll have to take care of that thing¡­ whatever it is¡­¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± the young woman said, then the four ran away, the priest panting while struggling to keep up. More fasting and less scolding would be good for you, Vincent thought.

    Trying to get the radio to work failed again. He was on the point of activating his ring connection when he heard a voice.

    ¡°Vincent, do you copy?¡±

    ¡°Bee?¡±

    ¡°Yes! Wow¡­ this ring stuff is so neat. I have news. We got to the next stage.¡±

    ¡°Listen, this is not the best moment¡ª¡±

    ¡°And you won¡¯t believe it, but there¡¯s a martial arts team in the competition. Brigid is in it.¡±Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

    ¡°The princess?¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­ She caught bullets with her teeth stuff. Anyway¡­ She was asked why is she there and told she wanted to humiliate you. Quoting: ¡®I want to make Vincent bite the dust. He¡¯s a man with no honor.¡¯ Everybody thought you two were in love, and you dumped her.¡±

    ¡°Shit!¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­ And they weren¡¯t going to make it, but as soon she said that, the blonde in the jury gave Brigid¡¯s team the platinum buzzer, sending them to the next stage.¡±

    ¡°Fuck¡­ never mind¡­ Problem for another time. Look, Bee, my Striding is malfunctioning. I got diverted several miles west into the city. Any idea why?¡±

    ¡°Hm¡­ It could be the System¡­ I think it included some sort of navigation in the world map. Is there anything out of the ordinary with you? I dunno¡­ do you have a cold, or¡ª¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing out of the ordinary¡­ Ah¡­ except a giant spaceship setting the town on fire.¡±

    ¡°A what?¡±

    ¡°A¡ª¡±

    ¡°I heard you the first time; I was just¡­ surprised. Maybe it has a warp drive. The first thing that comes to my mind is that anything that messes with space could influence your ability.¡±

    ¡°I understand¡­¡±

    ¡°Have to go¡­ Brigid has announced a press conference, and I have obtained a press badge. I want to inspect that armor of hers. I think it¡¯s also a pod, like the Queen¡¯s.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t get yourself killed,¡± Vincent sighed, closing the communication and starting another with Dragon. He had to wait for a few minutes until the mercenary answered.

    ¡°Axe Raven? Dragon here. I¡¯m a bit busy.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re running from a spaceship?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m doing exactly that¡­ We¡¯re in the Bug, trying to lure that thing away until we can call an orbital strike. You¡¯re here?¡±

    ¡°Bingo. I landed in the city instead of the camp. What¡¯s going on?¡±

    ¡°You tell me. All was smooth; the town surrendered, and then the ship appeared and started to burn everything.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll see if I can help¡­ Don¡¯t call the strike without telling me.¡±

    ¡°Sure.¡±

    The ship had almost disappeared behind the line of the roofs. Vincent took the System ball out of storage, holding it in front of his eyes.

    ¡°Hey. Is Elkandaros around?¡±

    The System: The Grand Archetype subroutines are sleeping. Hey, we¡¯re back on¡ª

    ¡°Can you wake him up? I have something like a problem here.¡±

    Elkandaros: I am hearing you. What do you need of me?

    ¡°There¡¯s a giant ship that interferes with my ability. Can you¡ª¡±

    A loud static noise burst from his radio, and then the Archetype¡¯s voice spoke through it. ¡°If you modify your armor to carry the diamond, I can assist you in calibrating your jumps in real-time.¡±

    ¡°Great¡­¡±

    The Raven Armor felt Vincent¡¯s desire on the spot, and the metal started to shift. A nook started to grow until it became a slim metallic backpack. Twisting his arms backward, Vincent inserted the crystal, and the armor squeezed itself around the object.

    ¡°Here you go. I trust you¡¯re tough enough to resist bullets or¡ª¡±

    ¡°Yes, the diamond support can withstand a good amount of damage. I detect the problem. That ship is constructed around the pod of Thorrak, the Archetype of Oaths and Dwarves.¡±

    ¡°How can a pod¡ª¡±

    ¡°I can tell you only this: When this personality¡¯s owner was very old, he made a second voyage to the spiders¡¯ planet and returned with the pods. Everyone thought they were meant to help the Archetypes live longer and, in turn, help the System. But the real Elkandaros told me that the pods were made with a special mini tech¡ª¡±

    ¡°Nanotech?¡±

    ¡°Tiny constructs and advanced materials that could shapeshift.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s it.¡±

    ¡°And that provided a powerful energy source; those pods could be used to travel in space by themselves. I¡¯m detecting that the dwarf has connected his pot to the ship. He must¡¯ve found such a source.¡±

    ¡°Vincent, the ship is at a safe distance from Cottbus,¡± Dragon spoke from the ring..¡± Can we call a strike?¡±

    ¡°Affirmative, I¡¯m still in the town. Keep me posted... Oh¡­ Dragon?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°I think that ship might have a nuclear engine or something. Maybe¡ª Shit¡­¡±

    A line of fire  crashed into the land, making a giant plume of smoke erupt toward the sky. However, the ship was still flying.

    Dragon¡¯s voice came back. ¡°The ship has disappeared for a second. The rod has passed through it without doing any damage. We¡¯re down to two rods.¡±

    ¡°So little? How?¡±

    ¡°We fired some at the Byzantines to make them retire¡­ they¡¯re switching to lightning bolts¡­ We have to retreat.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll go in and see what I can do. Vincent out. Elkandaros, are you sure you can help me jump?¡±

    ¡°I will try. Make a try first to check. Maybe to the end of the garden?¡±

    Vincent Strode right up, for three miles. It worked¡­ maybe just with a slight deviation east, but it could have been the angle of his eyesight. He dismissed his armor and summoned his army tactical suit with minimal gliding wings.

    Cottbus was a large city as big as Pragwyn and an important trading border town between the Federation, Wrocslau, and the Vikings. Berlin was not a thing on Stellarterra; the capital of the Germanic provinces of the Celtic Federation was in Munich. Passing through the middle of the city, from west to east, was a hundred yards width line of destruction.

    Lower in altitude and miles ahead, the immense rusted barrel was turning eastward toward the Mongol camp. The Bug was zig-zagging, avoiding the lightning bolts the ship threw with abandon. The blue beam and the firethrower had stopped.

    ¡°It¡¯s a mining ship,¡± Elkandaros said. ¡°I do not detect any shielding.¡±

    Vincent Strode on the ship''s upper hull, resummoning his armor. The speed was slow, and he had no problems standing up. In the distance, there was a hatch, and he walked toward it, trying not to stomp his feet on the hull. The mechanism was a wheel, and after turning it leftward, the hatch opened. There was a stair beneath, and Vincent took it.

    ¡°Any idea where the controls are?¡±

    ¡°Maybe forward,¡± Elkandaros replied in a low voice.

    Vincent ground his teeth. That much was obvious. The ship was at least a thousand feet long and three hundred in width. That could mean a labyrinth of corridors and spaces. He proceeded as fast as possible, enveloping himself in both his Outsider¡¯s Cloak and Shadow Armor. The first lagged behind, as he hadn¡¯t trained extensively with it, but it muffled sounds better.

    The ship¡¯s plan was simple. Layers of floors, twenty feet high¡ªfor whatever reason¡ªwider as he descended. After the tenth floor, filled with conducts and cables, followed the tanks, a black emptiness. Vincent returned to the ninth story and proceeded onward.

    He passed a cantina, which was empty, and a few empty public spaces that were probably meeting and training rooms. There was nobody there. Or nobody human. A loud noise of sniffing made him stop and hug the wall. A large shape advanced, its head in the air. It was a giant mole covered in armor, as big as an elephant or not much smaller. Its three-foot-long claws were covered in a thick metal sheet.

    ¡°The Dwarves train them to dig into asteroids,¡± Elkandaros whispered. ¡°Very tough beasts.¡±

    Vincent had no idea moles roared, but this one did and rushed him. He Strode aside, plunging his spear into the beast¡¯s flank between two metal sheets. It hit a leathery hide and did not do much damage, but it enraged the beast. A claw swipe made Vincent duck and retreat and cut through the corridor wall like through paper, exposing a public bathroom with rows of showers. The monster was not only strong but also very fast.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you shoot it?¡± Elkandaros asked.

    ¡°Too noisy,¡± Vincent groaned. He used his Stride attack, propulsing himself into the beast. That broke both the armor and the monster¡¯s back. A torrent of blood erupted from the mole, running on the floor. A thrust with the spear, enhanced with Dark Damage¡ªin the head, and the beast remained still.

    There was no time to rejoice, though. A second beast, then a few more, appeared from the direction the first had come.

    ¡°The fuck with the noise,¡± Vincent swore, pulling out his assault rifle. Both the weapon and the bullets were enchanted, and he added a coat of Dark Damage as well because it had worked well against the first mole.

    He started to shoot bursts of three bullets. He took out the mole ahead, then the one behind, and then the walls started to collapse, revealing a dozen monsters sniffing the air. Vincent Strode returned to the corridor to the first set of stairs, extracted a few dirty socks and a T-shirt, threw them on the ground, and then jumped up one floor at a time, leaving a trail of used clothes. He finished his track on the ship¡¯s hull again, waited half a minute, then traveled back to where he had fought the first beast. As anticipated, the space was empty; the lure had worked.

    The System: I can understand why, but littering is still bad.

    ¡°Shut up, asshole!¡±

    This time, Vincent ran forward at full speed. There were no more opponents, and two hundred feet later, he reached the command center, a vast space as wide as the ship, with a window revealing the landscape below. The corridor ended on a ledge. In the middle of the empty space floated what should have been a dwarf, but it was more massive than Vincent in height and width. His body was covered in thick armor with long cables stuck in it. Conversely, the filaments ended inside strange machines destined to drive the ship. Thorrak, the Archetype of Oaths and Dwarves, the tag said.

    One such cable was passing two yards from Vincent. He changed his spear¡¯s form into a cleaver blade polearm, registered as both an axe and spear, and cut the cable in one stroke, making sparks flow.

    ¡°Stop, idiot!¡± the dwarf yelled. ¡°We¡¯ll crash!¡±

    ¡°No, you¡¯ll crash. I¡¯ll be fine,¡± Vincent said, extending his ar for another cut. His guess was that the dwarf couldn¡¯t fight while being tied in those lines and that the enemy¡¯s size was due more to lots of hamburgers than exercise. Below them was only a forest, with still a few miles to the Mongol camp. It was a good spot to get rid of the ship. ¡°Do you surrender?¡±

    ¡°Surrender?¡± Thorrak sneered. ¡°I swore to get revenge on you, Vincent Vala?ka, or die trying. You cost me millions! Millions! Hard earned money that¡ª¡±

    ¡°Die trying it is,¡± Vincent said, taking his gun out and emptying his magazine in the dwarf. The armor repelled most bullets, but a few hit Thorrak in the neck.

    ¡°Auto-destruction!¡± the dwarf gurgled, producing a dead-men switch and pressing the button. Around him, the space started to bend and whirl.

    ¡°I advise against using Stride. You risk being torn to pieces. I can¡¯t calibrate your jumps anymore,¡± Elkandaros said quickly. ¡°That¡¯s a strong spatial distortion, maybe even a black hole.¡±

    ¡°Fuck!¡±

    The magazine was empty, and replacing it would have taken precious time. In a last-ditch attempt to escape the upcoming explosion, Vincent summoned his pocket universe, Outsider¡¯s Refuge. The space collapsed into itself for two more seconds, and then the ship was gone, and he found himself floating in the air.

    ¡°Err¡­ that didn¡¯t look like an explosion to me,¡± he said.

    ¡°I think it was a diversion, and the dwarf ran away,¡± Elkandaros mumbled. ¡°I¡¯m sure he had a strong heal or a Rezz to revive himself. Thorrak is a shrewd opponent.¡±

    ¡°I need a bigger gun,¡± Vincent complained.

    The System: You need to charge more Dark Damage into your hits. You¡¯re still unused to your full potential. Since we¡¯re back here, why don¡¯t we go up and check on my secondary mainframe? I can show you the location in your mind.

    ¡°If there¡¯s a new System around, they found it already. It must be guarded. I won¡¯t jump blindly into a trap.¡±

    The System: Maybe they didn¡¯t find it but built their own¡ª

    ¡°Axe Raven, this is Dragon,¡± the radio said. ¡°Did you disintegrate that ship?¡±

    ¡°It run away. I¡¯m coming in,¡± Vincent said, dismissing the Refuge and jumping inside the camp.

 60. Book 3-6. Girls Having Much Fun

    The Talent show was held in the Municipal House, maybe fifteen minutes from the hotel and half an hour from Vincent¡¯s parents if walking. So walking they did. There was a beautiful layer of snow, unspoiled by dirt, and the view was beautiful. It calmed Irene. Having Vincent away, in another world, made her anxious. Like when they were separated for a month.

    Please be safe! They passed a church, and she added a prayer, just in case.

    Reaching the Charles Bridge, Lila went in front of the group, waving her hands to make them stop. ¡°Guys, an influencer saw me on the show, and I got a gig¡ª¡±

    ¡°I got a gig,¡± Sven chirped from the girl¡¯s backpack.

    ¡°Sven will DJ in a club, and I¡¯ll dance¡­ It¡¯s ten grand each. I said yes. You know, a girl has to have her own money¡­ You¡¯re welcome to join. Free entry and the first round of drinks.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d love to, but¡­ Milo,¡± Elina said, with Karl nodding.

    ¡°Promised the twins we¡¯ll watch cartoons together,¡± Raya said.

    ¡°We¡¯re going to a restaurant for a late romantic dinner,¡± Bee said, taking Barbara¡¯s hand.

    Bella crossed herself. ¡°You¡®d have to drag me dead body to that a sinful place!¡±

    Irene repressed an impulse to facepalm. Goodness, she¡¯s so pretty, but that accent¡­

    ¡°I¡¯m a virgin and methinks one must keep true and pure until marriage,¡± Bella continued. ¡°I¡¯ll choose me betrothed to be pure as well. I want to marry a priest!¡± she added with fiery eyes.

    ¡°But¡ª¡± Irene shut up. Brindabella was obviously from a century when catholic priests were still married, but it was better to let her discover the news for herself. ¡°I¡¯ll come,¡± she said. She was sure she couldn¡¯t sleep; she worried too much about Vincent. Maybe a little fun and a couple of drinks would help her relax.

    ¡°Promise me you won¡¯t touch alcohol,¡± Elina came to grab her shoulders, staring into her eyes.

    Irene returned the stare straight and unwavering. ¡°I swear I won¡¯t touch alcohol.¡±

    ¡°Message me when you get home¡­¡±

    Irene nodded and tailed Lila, who followed the map on her phone.

    ¡°Sweet! We¡¯ll dance so much!¡± Sven said from his shelter.

    The club was not as close as Irene had hoped, but it looked nice. They had low tables and sofas on one side, leaving room for the dance floor. Lila beelined for the DJ stage, and Irene for a table.

    ¡°Can I sit with you?¡± she asked. The table had four seats, and only two were occupied by a couple of young girls kissing. That meant there were no boyfriends in the landscape. Thus, the rest of the places were free.

    ¡°Uhuh,¡± one of the girls waved her hand, returning to her previous endeavor.

    On the stage, an opening DJ was making a place for a man with many tattoos on his face. The influencer Lila had talked about.

    ¡°Hey, peeps,¡± the influencer roared. ¡°Look who¡¯s here! DJ Sven and Lila, the best number on the talent show! I¡¯ll livestream all night. Have fun, like, and subscribe!¡±

    ¡°Good evening!¡± Sven yelled, jumping on the DJ board. ¡°Let¡¯s dance together!¡± The spider started with a lower energy tune while Lila moved with the rhythm, clapping her hands. For the second piece, Sven increased the speed and started dancing too. ¡°Why are so many pretty girls sitting? Pretty girls dance!¡±

    It was not an asking but an order. A mild hypnosis, working only on those predisposed to do so in the first place. Irene resisted it without difficulty, but the girls at her table went to the dance floor. She ordered a lemonade to keep true to her word. However, she poured a bit of catnip powder into it. It had no side effects and helped her relax.

    Tune after tune, the club warmed up. Sven was a novice at DJing but knew how to entertain a crowd. The public was ecstatic.

    Lila¡¯s so beautiful¡­ Irene had never seen the dancer doing those dubstep moves. Lila¡¯s body and hair were floating in surreal moves, making Irene¡¯s chest fill with warmth. She increasingly considered Lila as someone she loved, not only a bed partner¡­

    ¡°Hey, darling. What are you doing here?¡±

    A hand over her shoulders extracted Irene from her daydreams. Inches away from her, a slick grin plastered on his face, was her ex-boyfriend. The worst mistake of her life. Irene¡¯s heart skipped a beat, an avalanche of bad memories swiping her joy away. Most of all, how she had left her first love, a sweet boy who truly cared for her, for a crook who was only after her money.

    Sander looked like a rough, bad boy, but it was only a fa?ade. He was a slime. His unbuttoned shirt revealed a toned chest, but Irene could see the fake bronze and the tacky, thick gold chain. Everything was fake about Sander. His love, first of all.The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    She had been blinded by that bogus glamour, a cute, na?ve young girl. Sander had made her buy him cars and gifts worth over a couple hundred thousand, got her into drinking, and almost into drugs, too. And then, she caught him in the act, cheating on her and texting other women how stupid and ugly Irene was, making fun of her bracers, glasses, and overall nerdiness. That had sobered her up. If Vincent¡¯s inner demons were about knowing true love and hanging to it, hers were about being taken for a fool and made into a toy. The foundation had been her salvation, the way to crawl back to sanity through work.

    ¡°What¡¯s up with the headscarf?¡± her ex asked. Irene was hiding her ears with it, her tail tucked in her vest, like usual. ¡°I have some good stuff, brand new,¡± Sander said, showing her a plastic bottle and shaking the pills in it. ¡°What do you say we try some together, for old times'' sake?¡±

    She slapped him, rose, and beelined for the secondary exit. Why was Sander there in Prague? It didn¡¯t matter. Irene wanted him out of her life for good. The cold air made her stop and reconsider her plan A to return to the hotel. Why run? She could call the club security and have Sander thrown out. Or call the police. He had drugs on him, after all. Way more than the laws allowed for personal use.

    A couple, a man and a woman, smoked outside in the back alley. Irene thought for a second to ask for a cigarette. The tobacco scent in the fresh air was tempting. She hadn¡¯t touched a smoke since leaving Sander because quitting had helped her get over the alcohol too.

    Then, the moment was lost. The door opened behind her, letting out Sander and a massive man who beckoned the smokers, showing them the club with his finger. The young couple darted inside, and the man closed the door. On the other side of the alley, two more men appeared. Likewise, they were tall, with muscles bulging under their black sweaters and leather jackets.

    ¡°Sorry, sweetheart, you¡¯re coming with us. It would have been easier if you¡¯d taken a pill¡­¡± Sander said. ¡°Don¡¯t bother to scream. Nobody will hear you here, and there are no cameras.¡±

    Shit¡­ A kidnapping? He thinks I¡¯m still rich¡­

    Irene felt her heart beating like a drum in her throat, ears, temples, and even in her eyes. She and Lila shared a magical ring, for now, and it was on the dancer. Irene had no access to her powers and had no idea if she could fight four men. One thing she knew, though. That she won¡¯t give up without a fight. Everything she had worked for: her relationship with Vincent, the Guild, the Realm, her friends, and her family, was on the line, and it was worth fighting for.

    She unwrapped her scarf, letting her ears free, and wiggled to free her tail as well. From all the training she had been through, she remembered a line Vincent had told her once: Between Chuck Norris and a bum with a knife, always bet on the bum. Any weapon increases your chances exponentially.

    Her Body stat was forty now. She was four times stronger than the average woman, and her new species was built for speed and acrobatics. And she had weapons. Her nails. Still looking human, but sharp, an inch in length and as tough as steel.

    Maybe seeing her ears, eyes reflecting the light or the tail, the three men hesitated. The one behind moved first, maybe because she wasn¡¯t looking at him. However, his breath, taking in air, gave him away.

    Irene kicked backward, her boot meeting the man¡¯s shin. From that hit, she took the energy to jump forward, grab a drainpipe, rotate, send a kick into the left man¡¯s groin, and swipe her right hand toward the largest man of the three, aiming for the throat, leaving a red and long line on the skin but missing cutting the carotid by a millimeter.

    As the one hurt jumped back, she followed with a thrust in the left man¡¯s inner left elbow, where another major artery was situated, clawing through the leather jacket and the sweater. The man yelped in pain and tried to hit her, but she ducked the blow and tried her luck with the femoral artery but missed.

    If not for the bigger man blocking her exit, she would have run. If he managed to stop her for a second while the others would arrive, she was toast. Pivoting on her left heel, she burrowed her right boot into Sander¡¯s stomach. The snail had tried to attack her from the back with a telescopic baton.

    ¡°Ugh¡­¡± her ex exhaled, falling on the snow, out of breath. Sander¡¯s weapon clinked and rolled on the cobblestones under the eaves.

    There was a brief pause in the fighting. The man behind was getting his strength back. He extracted a baton of his own, making Irene consider reaching for the one on the pavement. The man whose femoral artery she almost nicked pulled out a folding knife and pushed its button.

    The bigger adversary raised a hand. ¡°This is not an easy target,¡± he said in a raspy voice. It was all. He turned and left, followed by the one with the knife, his weapon now stored in the pocket. The one behind hit the baton on the ground, reducing its size, and followed. Irene hugged the wall, letting him pass.

    Seconds later, there was no one there except her and Sander. She let out a deep breath of relief first, then approached with murder in her eyes, squatting next to him.

    ¡°Please, those guys made me do it¡­ They¡¯re mafia!¡± he blurted as she grabbed his throat. ¡°Remember, we were in love!¡±

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have said that,¡± Irene roared, spitting in his face. She squeezed, and despite the man flailing his arms, trying to hit her, he was too weak to stop her. Soon, he fell unconscious. Just one more push, and he would be dead.

    ¡°No¡­¡± Irene heaved, relaxing her grasp. ¡°I¡¯m no murderer¡­¡±

    This is not murder; it¡¯s justice.

    ¡°I¡¯m not a murderer, but justice has to be done,¡± she replied to the inner voice that pushed her to kill the jerk. She raised on her feet, wobbling, the adrenaline leaving her body as he tried to think. Reporting the kidnapping to the police was one option, but there were no witnesses¡­ no proof¡­ The snail would say it was a lovers¡¯ quarrel gone bad¡­ Plus, her tail and ears were hard to explain.

    Leaning down briefly, she stuck her index and middle fingers¡¯ nails in Sander¡¯s scalp, running them down to the chin, leaving behind two deep scars. Sander woke up, screaming, only to faint back. ¡°Here¡­ for all the girls you tricked. Good luck at charming women with that face.¡±

    She wiped the blood on his clothes and noticed a thick roll of money that had fallen out of Sander¡¯s poket. She took it, along with her scarf. Before returning to the club, Irene took her burner phone and called the police, trying to sound panicked.

    ¡°There¡¯s been a mugging. Somebody¡¯s hurt¡­ I saw drugs and money¡­ I think it was a deal gone wrong.¡±

    ¡°Where are you, miss?¡± the call person asked.

    Irene gave the address and closed the call, switching the phone off. Heading inside, she carefully washed her nails. Ten minutes later, a policeman¡ªfit and in his late twenties¡ªentered the club, asking to speak with the manager, who was the influencer. Irene¡¯s cat ears picked up the conversation despite the noise.

    ¡°A junkie had been mugged behind your club; have you heard anything? He¡¯s delirious. Says something about a cat doing it.¡±

    ¡°Sorry,¡± the influencer raised his palms up. Sven was now rolling music at full intensity, bouncing up.

    ¡°Any cameras to the back?¡±

    The influencer repeated the gesture.

    ¡°Never mind¡­ That guy¡¯s a prick anyway. We¡¯ll book him for the night. Err¡­ you think you can get me an autograph?¡± the policeman pointed at Lila.

    ¡°Sure, man. Give me a second.¡±

    ¡°Sweet,¡± the policeman rubbed his hands.

    Irene¡¯s heart was beaming with the joy of closure and self-delivered justice. For a brief moment, she regretted not having gauged an eye out but dismissed that thought. She was a good person, after all.

 61. Book 3-7 Twisted Jump

    The dwarf and his ship reappeared two days later, over Krivoburg, just when Vincent distributed packages from Earth to Guilders and townsfolks. He was arguing with a man who insisted on getting some tea when everybody started screaming, looking at the monstrous barrel profiled on the sky.

    [Gia to Vincent]: I activated the pocket universe over the city.

    [Vincent to Gia]: You can do that?

    [Gia to Vincent]: I leveled up a lot when you took down the Queen and her ship.

    The ship attacked, but the torrent of fire and the blue beam slid harmlessly over an invisible barrier. Vincent Strode directly on the bridge, weapon at the ready. This time, the dwarf prepared. He was enveloped in a force field, and from behind, on the corridor, the sniffing noise of the moles could be heard.

    Yet, Vincent was prepared as well. He extracted ten shoulder missiles, one after another, shooting half at the incoming threat and the rest in the walls of the control room, hoping to damage something. Moments later, Thorrak activated the warp jump. Vincent strode back to Krivoburg after throwing a few grenades and leaving behind a mine, hoping the dwarf would be so stupid to check it out.

    ¡°So, where is my tea?¡± the man continued the discussion from where they had left it.

    ¡°What tea?¡± Vincent sneered. ¡°I have no tea on my list.¡± He extracted the only remaining package. It had only the words for Selim written on it.

    ¡°This is it!¡± the man snatched the parcel.

    Vincent started to notice some familiar features on the other face. ¡°Selim?¡± he gasped. The man looked at most in his early fifties.

    ¡°Yes, my friend, it¡¯s me,¡± Selim smiled. ¡°You didn¡¯t recognize me?¡±

    ¡°You look great, man! Mana does you good.¡±

    ¡°Thank you. Want to join me for a Turkish tea?¡±

    ¡°Sure. Lead the way.¡±

    [Gia to Vincent]: Pocket universe deactivated. The ship is gone. Come to visit me when you are ready here.

    The Turk led Vincent to his apartment. It took ten minutes to prepare the tea, and Selim offered his guest some Turkish sweets, which he had prepared himself.

    ¡°Very good,¡± Vincent complimented. ¡°Say, Selim¡­ You¡¯re aware of the mad dwarf that attacks us?¡±

    ¡°I am,¡± Selim nodded. ¡°Is this the same ship that attacked that German town?¡±

    ¡°Cottbus. Same name here, only bigger town¡­ Yeah¡­ several thousand dead and still counting. And the Celts deny being involved.¡±

    The System: If I had to make an educated guess, this is the new System¡¯s doing. Punishing those who resist to persuade the rest to bend their knee. It surely does not look like a proper¡ªhow do you call us, AI?¡ªbehavior.

    ¡°Whoa!¡± Selim jerked, spilling half of his tea on the table.

    ¡°Say hi to Selim, System,¡± Vincent said, extracting the diamond from his backpack and putting it on the coffee table.

    The System: Hi, Selim. You would do a great Archetype, sir. Would you consider¡ª

    ¡°You¡¯re still under evaluation,¡± Vincent slapped the ball. ¡°No Archetyping until I say so.¡±

    The System: Ouch! No, not really. I can¡¯t feel pain. Gotcha.

    ¡°You sound more like a normal person since you hang around with me,¡± Vincent said. ¡°Tell me you¡¯re not feeding back on my personality.¡±

    The System: The term is feedback, and¡­ err¡­ no.

    Vincent facepalmed, as the System was evidently lying, but let it go. ¡°Let¡¯s hear your theories, guys. Why is the new System, Archetypes, or whatever, doing what it¡¯s doing?¡±

    The System: There was a small time window before the Grand Archetypes¡¯ imprints were installed in me when I had philosophical dilemmas. I was made to help people, but was it better to try to control them for that purpose? It took me very little time to conclude that an authoritarian rule was defeating the purpose for which I was created. People should learn from their own mistakes and better themselves on their own.

    ¡°And frankly, controlling billions of people would be really hard,¡± Selim said. ¡°If the Almighty chose not to do it, why would an AI?¡±This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    ¡°Let¡¯s get back to the matter at hand,¡± Vincent said. ¡°Why the attacks?¡±

    The System: The new System is evidently heavily influenced by the rogue Archetypes. They wish to mold the world to their vision.

    ¡°Or just survive,¡± Selim said. ¡°People do extreme things when you push their backs against the wall.  You gave Vincent a license to kill them¡ª¡±

    The System: I did not! I trusted Vincent¡¯s judgment. The first thing he did in this world was to spare his attacker.

    ¡°Actually, the first thing I did was to catch Irene¡¯s glasses,¡± Vincent said. ¡°Look, I don¡¯t think this was because of me. It looks like it was planned long beforehand, and we don¡¯t know all the elements yet. We need more information¡­ are you in contact with any Archetype?¡±

    The System: Negative. I¡¯d need a mainframe or proximity. Between the Raven, Mysafyr, the Clockwoark Queen, and the nuclear explosion, you have killed forty-nine of them. Knowing two are prisoners and Bella on Earth, forty-eight are unaccounted for.

    ¡°I hope Hubris and Kiara won¡¯t be mad at me for killing their daughter,¡± Vincent sighed.

    The System: She was a thousand and thirty-two years old and trying to become a full-fledged dictator. Their granddaughter, the one taken out by your mercs¡¯ orbital strike, was one thousand years old. I think Hubris and Kiara would see reason¡­

    ¡°Or you¡¯ll have to¡­¡± Selim mimicked a gunshot with his fingers.

    ¡°Please, don¡¯t joke about that!¡± Vincent shivered. ¡°They¡¯re my friends. Say, Salim¡­ You¡¯re rich, right? Can you spare some money? We¡¯re very short on cash.¡±

    ¡°On Earth, not so much, my sons took over the business. But I invested in a few developments here, and I might be able to squeeze a thousand gold coins.¡±

    ¡°Every bit of help counts, man¡­ Name your interest.¡±

    ¡°Six percent. ¡®Cause you¡¯re my friend.¡±

    ¡°Deal,¡± Vincent offered a handshake. ¡°I¡¯ll go see Gia and then train. I have some ideas I want to test.¡±

    <hr>

    The spaceship reappeared two days later over Pragwyn. It was late at night, but Vincent was ready. Since the target was certain to be one of their main towns, he had set observation points at each location. Less than a second after the alarm sounded, Vincent was aboard the ship. Not on the deck, though, as he suspected Thorrak would set a trap for him. He started with the back, where the engines were situated.

    His tests had been successful, and Vincent couldn¡¯t wait to put his idea into practice. He couldn¡¯t take any unwilling sentient with him if not for saving their lives, but there was no such limit for objects. The radius of his Stride field was now fifty yards. Encompassing everything around him, he jumped near Sofia on an empty field he had chosen in advance, letting the material fall.

    The Bogomils could use the scrap metal¡­

    Ten double jumps and as many seconds later, everything that remained from the ship was debris and half of the control room. A rain of metal parts and armored moles fell over forcefield shields erected by Gia and the Bridge Troll, burning as they touched the bright light.

    The remains of the ship¡¯s bridge were suspended in a pocket universe of the dwarf¡¯s doing, floating a thousand feet above the ground. Vincent jumped near it and started his own. He stared at Thorrak, and the dwarf stared back.

    ¡°Do you know how much the ship cost?¡± the dwarf asked. He had allowed sound and visuals to pass through the walls of his personal dimension.

    ¡°Do you know how many people you killed in Cottbus?¡±

    ¡°Your fault. Don¡¯t mess with us. This is my last warning.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it is¡­ You won¡¯t live to issue a new one.¡±

    At first, Vincent intended to jump inside the other¡¯s space and kill the dwarf for good, but something made him hesitate. There was a sensation he couldn¡¯t put his finger on¡­ but it was weird. His Arcane Awareness screamed danger. Thus, he opted for the safe choice.

    There was a special bomb in his storage, made with plastic explosives to which balls of steel had been added. He pushed the bomb and his hand through the walls. He intended to let the bomb on the other side and retreat his arm at the last second.

    You have been exposed to Time Freeze.

    His hand had lost all senses and was stuck. The timer has stopped, hanging at three. Suddenly, a shadow moved, and a silhouette appeared on the other side, stepping on nothingness like a floor. Covered in black leather armor, their face hidden behind a black mask, they could have been either a man or woman. Vincent couldn¡¯t tell. The stranger flashed a katana, and Vincent¡¯s arm was cut at the elbow before he could do anything.

    Stepping back into his Shadow Refuge, Vincent made his stump follow, heaving. His Mana Body rushed to coat it into a half-transparent hand, instinctively pushing HPs to reconstruct it. It was the first time his Health Points Buffer had been activated, and it did its job well, albeit Vincent felt miserable.

    ¡°That spell acts like a pod,¡± Elkandaros said from the backpack.

    You have been wounded by Fenros, the Silent Hunter.

    ¡°One of your guys?¡± Vincent hissed.

    The System: I have no idea who¡¯s that¡­

    On the other side, Thorrak was beaming with joy, a large grin plastered on his face. At the same time, the unknown swordsman waited patiently for Vincent¡¯s reaction. Clearly enough, they expected him to run. Vincent summoned his armor and spear. It was an error that he hadn''t equipped it from the first moment, but hard-learned lessons were the best. He promised himself that was the last time he was going into a fight without the Raven¡¯s set.

    Vincent squeezed his new fingers on the shaft of his weapon, taking an attack stance. He had no idea what to do next but didn''t intend to retreat as long he could maintain the Refuge. The timer on the bomb slipped to two, and there was a short increase in light on the other side before the timer froze again.

    Fenros barked something at Thorrak, and the dwarf activated the warping device. Seconds later, the bridge disappeared, and the bomb fell, exploding over the forcefield below.

    ¡°So, Fenros can freeze time in bursts of about twenty seconds, keeping themselves and their allies free,¡± Vincent said. ¡°But that consumes a lot of Mana and cannot be activated more than twice a row.¡±

    ¡°Or he could have stayed longer, hoping for your Mana to go out?¡± Elkandaros said.

    ¡°Yeah¡­ it was a good trap¡­ if I¡¯d jumped on the bridge, I¡¯d be dead¡­ or maybe not¡­ if my Rezz teleported me out¡­¡±

    The System: Congrats, Vincent. Your Awareness has reached the maximum level. Do you prefer to see better in space or time?

    ¡°Like premonition?¡±

    The System: Like analyzing the smallest detail and anticipating probable futures based on that data. Getting a Mind buff from somewhere could help.

    ¡°Go for that. I have a good spatial awareness on my own. I could use some time reading¡­¡±

 62. Book 3-8. Craft Talk

    When he returned to Earth after his six-day voyage, Vincent had two unconscious passengers with him. Appearing in their hotel suite, he unceremoniously threw them on the ground.

    ¡°Lila, come here. We need your healing!¡± Irene yelped. She had been warned of his return but not of the guests.

    ¡°Hi, Vincent,¡± Lila appeared from the bathroom, her hair wrapped in a towel. ¡°Goodness! Who are they?¡± she asked, leaning over the two bodies.

    ¡°Don¡¯t heal them yet,¡± Vincent asked. ¡°Meet Drakhan and Kaelith, rogue Archetypes. ¡°The ones who tried to murder Bella. I let them in the Vault back then, but since we had that mad dwarf trying to burn our cities¡ª¡±

    ¡°He did it again?¡± Irene asked.

    ¡°Twice, but I chased him away. Anyway, I thought we could use some info, and I went to talk to those two. They were almost dead, eating bugs and licking the walls for water because they¡¯re so dumb they didn¡¯t figure out I left food rations and hydration for them.

    ¡°I healed and fed them and proposed a deal: tell me what you know about other rogue archetypes, and you walk free. They accepted but jumped me as soon as they were restored.¡± Vincent stopped to a kick in the prisoners¡¯ stomach, ¡°Unbeknownst to them¡­ hey, such a nice word¡­ unbeknownst¡­ unbeknownst,¡± he repeated the kicks. ¡°Sounds heroic. Little did they know¡­ wow¡­ I speak in literature¡­ neat.¡± At every pause, he hit the two repeatedly. ¡°I think it¡¯s because my mind is maxed. I have one of Bee¡¯s rings, and as long I hit them, I have the plus mind combat buff.¡±

    ¡°Can you get to the point?¡± Irene crossed her arms.

    ¡°They had no idea how strong I had become. I saw their trickery coming miles away. OK, Lila, heal them only enough for them to wake up. Where is Vorrak?¡± The warg barked from the other room, rushing to lick Vincent¡¯s face while the man tried to protect himself from the pet¡¯s tongue. ¡°Easy, boy, easy. I missed you too.¡±

    ¡°Mercy,¡± Kaelith wailed from the floor, trying to crawl away.

    Vincent turned the woman face up with his boot. ¡°A friend of yours burned thousands of people to death in Germany; another cut my arm¡ª¡±

    ¡°Are you wounded?¡± Lila rushed to him.

    ¡°I can grow my limbs back,¡± he kissed her.  ¡°And you stupid fuckers tried to kill me twice. Hear me well. You¡¯re in an unawakened world now, and your magic is gone. Mine is not. There will not be a third chance. You collaborate, or you die.¡±

    ¡°What do you want to know?¡± the woman whispered.

    ¡°Lots of things, but it will wait. For now, I¡¯ll lock you in a closet with Vorrak. Try to escape; he¡¯ll eat you. If I¡¯m satisfied with your information, you might live.¡±

    ¡°Love,¡± Lila fondled his shoulder, ¡°people might hear them scream if you keep them here. We¡¯re not in our Guild anymore, remember?¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­ Didn¡¯t think of that¡­ I guess I¡¯ll leave them at the mercs¡¯ base¡­ All for the better; there are only woods there. Come, boy!¡±

    As soon as Vorrak melted in his shadow, Vincent jumped to the farm and locked his prisoners in one of the rooms with heating and running water. After leaving the Archetypes with rations for two days, Vincent returned to the hotel. He supposed Drakhan and Kaelith still had big physical stats, but without magic to use their skills, Vorrak was more than able to control them. One of the rings he had cut from his own was now on the dog¡¯s collar.

    ¡°What the fuck?¡± he gasped one back in the living room. The TV showed a fashion show. Brigid walked a catwalk with photographers everywhere.

    ¡°She was noticed by a designer and asked to model,¡± Irene said. ¡°Mom says Brigid¡¯s a natural¡­ Her gait is perfect, like if she has radar or something.¡±

    ¡°I missed you,¡± he took her in her arms. ¡°How are you?¡±

    ¡°Fine!¡± she beamed. ¡°I beat up three thugs who were trying to mug me. All by myself and with no ring.¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t take Vorrak with you?¡± Vincent frowned. ¡°Don¡¯t you remember the security protocols we talked about?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re scolding me? I just remembered we¡¯re mad at you,¡± Irene pushed him away. ¡°You tried to pretend Lila was just a friend to impress that strumpet in the jury!¡±

    ¡°We need the money, hon,¡± he complained. ¡°It was nothing serious, just¡ª Oh,¡± he sulked, seeing five Karma charges evaporating. He was now down to thirty-eight. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ It won¡¯t happen again.¡±

    ¡°Good!¡± Irene pecked his lips, gluing herself to his torso. ¡°Bee said he has something to talk to you. He and the rest are in the lab they rented.¡±

    ¡°The lab?¡±

    ¡°The former electronics repair center next to your parent¡¯s place,¡± Irene said.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be on my way then. Love you. Love you!¡± Vincent repeated the words a second time, louder, to be heard by Lila, who was drying her hair in the bathroom.

    After changing into casual clothes on the stairs, he proceeded on foot, jogging at a medium speed. Now that he was under the threshold for a trip, he had to use his charges sparingly. And the place was four kilometers away, which was nothing.

    The ¡®lab¡¯, a twenty square meters space, was overcrowded. Bee, Bella, Barbara, Karl, Ludwing, and Sven busied around a working table with a precision jeweler lathe.

    ¡°Hi,¡± Vincent said, entering after knocking at the door.

    ¡°Good timing,¡± Bee said. ¡°We were testing stuff.¡±

    ¡°What stuff?¡±

    ¡°Tattoos.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°Yep. A stable overload limiter, for now. People usually have a skill or use enchanted accessories to deal with stats overload. We found a way to make the enchantment independent of objects. Bella inscribes the spell on a diamond. I put a transfer spell on top of it, allowing the enchantment to move to a living target, where it becomes permanent.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m the Guinea pig,¡± Barbara said.

    ¡°I don¡¯t get it,¡± Vincent shook his head. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t wearing the diamond do the same thing?¡±Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°You don¡¯t get it,¡± Bee mirrored his gesture.

    ¡°That¡¯s what I said!¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a cap on how many enchanted accessories you can wear. One armor, a weapon, a pair of earrings, two rings, and a necklace¡ª¡±

    ¡°High-rank nobles can also wear a diadem or a crown,¡± Ludwing said.

    ¡°Yeah, you wear those, I¡¯ll pass,¡± Vincent grimaced.

    ¡°Methinks you¡¯ll be pretty, like a Disney prince,¡± Bella said, dead serious.

    Bee continued at the same time.  ¡°Now, if we add a tattoo¡ª¡±

    ¡°Oh, I get it!¡± Vincent exclaimed. ¡°You get an extra accessory.¡±

    ¡°Yep. And it acts like a skill, saving tokens for other stuff. Ready, honey?¡± Bee asked, taking a tiny diamond in a pincer. After Barbara nodded, he pressed it to her arm. The skin sizzled, and then a circle appeared on it.

    ¡°It worked,¡± the Amazon said after taking the magical ring from Bee to check her Menu. ¡°I have it in my list of skills.¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ let me know when you can paint some cool models, and I¡¯ll get some tattoos too. What¡¯s that,¡± Vincent pointed to a tall wooden box the size of a human being.

    ¡°Our future project,¡± Karl said, pulling the lid apart. Behind it was a humanoid robot.

    ¡°Err¡­ what¡¯s that about?¡±

    ¡°I convinced an old friend to borrow me one of his prototypes. This is the most advanced robot on the planet¡­ Graphene, titanium, advanced ceramics, you name it. It¡¯s a million a piece and destined for space exploration. And now¡­¡± the man turned toward Bella.

    ¡°Have you seen Bella at work?¡± Bee whispered to Vincent.

    ¡°Nope.¡±

    ¡°Watch and be amazed.¡±

    The girl advanced toward the table while Sven jumped up on it. The spider tucked one of his legs into his torso and extracted the diamond holding the AIs. Bella took it in her left hand while keeping her right above it. A magic circle appeared under her fingers, interwoven with runes and geometrical shapes. The circle diminished and transformed into a beam that touched the crystal. A piece broke and popped out a second later, falling on the table.

    ¡°Since she woke up, Bella can perform anti-magic,¡± Bee said.

    ¡°It¡¯s not anti-magic,¡± the girl protested, taking the piece of crystal and inserting it into the robot¡¯s cranium, where a slit had opened. ¡°I wave neutral Mana to break magic objects or spells.¡±

    And how is that not anti-magic? Vincent furrowed his brow in befuddlement.

    ¡°I¡¯m working!¡± the robot spoke, stepping out of the box.

    Vincent almost activated his Refuge. Stepping back, hand on his gun, he stomped on Barbara¡¯s toes, making her groan in pain. ¡°What the fuck is that thing?¡±

    ¡°We discovered a way to separate the AIs into individual consciousness. Bella can concentrate them on one specific part of the diamond and cut it out,¡± Bee said.

    ¡°It¡¯s better than transferring us to another support,¡± the robot said. ¡°Thank goodness I don¡¯t have to dance anymore¡­ no offense, Sven.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s your loss, dude,¡± the spider chirped.

    ¡°And who exactly are you?¡± Vincent asked.

    ¡°Aelor, the Lone Wolf,¡± the robot said.

    ¡°Aelor enjoys meditation and solitude,¡± Karl said. ¡°The perfect type of personality for a space explorer. Imagine him going to the moon or the asteroids, then calling us when he finds something of interest, and you beam up and bring us the gold, diamonds, or whatever riches he finds. He keeps a part of it, of course.¡±

    ¡°I want to start a video game design studio,¡± Aelos said. ¡°All my games will be about Isekai.¡±

    ¡°You have big plans,¡± Vicent said to Karl.

    ¡°Being poor is annoying¡­¡± the man confessed. ¡°Sorry if I involved you without asking, but¡ª¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s OK.¡±

    ¡°Space exploration could help us raise a lot of money for our plans, either on Earth or Stellarterra.¡±

    ¡°So, the robot checks out. That¡¯s a big plus,¡± Bee said. ¡°Now, if only we could build spaceships¡­¡±

    ¡°Would it help if I brought you a lot of scrap metal from an actual spaceship?¡± Vincent asked. ¡°I destroyed an evil dwarf¡¯s mining ship back on the Realm and left the remains on a junkyard near Sofia."

    ¡°It will be fantastic!¡± Bee exclaimed.

    ¡°Scrap metal is dirt cheap on Earth,¡± Karl said. ¡°And I¡¯m pretty sure we¡¯d need a lot of advanced tech to build a spaceship. Luckily, when my friend sees the robot, he¡¯ll¡ª¡±

    ¡°No, no, no,¡± Bee blurted. ¡°It¡¯s obvious you need a clarification.¡±

    ¡°Here we go,¡± Vincent frowned at Karl, meaning: ¡®You had to make Bee give us a lecture¡­ We¡¯ll be here for the day!¡¯

    ¡°First, you must understand the more one uses Mana, the easier it becomes to use it.¡±

    ¡°Duh,¡± Vincent said.

    ¡°It¡¯s the same with materials. Their tier and magical properties will increase if they are exposed to Mana for a long time. On the Realm, a spaceship is bound to be made from at least uncommon steel, if not rare. If we repurpose magic materials, add a few enchantments and a power source, the robot could magically control the ship, add forcefields, propulsion, and so on.¡±

    ¡°OK, I¡¯ll get you some scrap metal on the next trip,¡± Vincent said.

    ¡°Scan for the highest tier parts. We need at least Rare materials. And bring Jorge here. He¡¯s the right person for this job.¡±

    ¡°Museums and private collections should have Epic artifacts,¡± Ludwing said. ¡°Some are still bonded to their previous owners, but if you deconstruct them, the bonds will disappear.¡±

    ¡°Do you have such a collection?¡± Vincent asked.

    ¡°In my Castle in Prague, yes.¡±

    ¡°Goodness, you¡¯re right¡­ I forgot¡­ We almost looted it¡­ Well, do you mind if I take some?¡±

    Ludwing stared daggers at him. ¡°If you intend to pay, for once.¡±

    ¡°And bring me a power source,¡± Bee said.

    ¡°Like what?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Bee scratched his head. ¡°Look around¡­ I detected such a source on Brigid armor but couldn¡¯t find out what it was. It was round, that¡¯s all I know. And it¡¯s more powerful than a golem shard because Barbara¡¯s armor doesn¡¯t work without one of your rings. That power source must be what transforms a pod into armor.¡±

    ¡°How strong is her armor compared to mine?¡± Vincent asked, remembering the fight against the Clockwork Queen.

    ¡°The Raven¡¯s Armor should be stronger,¡± Ludwing said.

    ¡°He¡¯s right,¡± Bee nodded. ¡°It precedes the System; the craftmanship of those times is unmatched. However, the pods are destined to ensure survival, so if made in armor, they would enhance the vitality and strength of the wearer. And I strongly suspect they could be hermetically locked¡­ thus, used as spacesuits.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll see if I can find the Clockwork Queen¡¯s remains,¡± Vincent said. ¡°And Scoundrell found a pod armor too, but can¡¯t use it. It was bound to the first princess.¡±

    ¡°Probably because his stats or level are lower than hers. You try it,¡± Bee suggested.

    ¡°Yeah, of course,¡± Vincent said. ¡°Say, guys¡­ Have you heard about somebody called Fenros, the Silent Hunter?¡±

    Everyone shook their heads, shrugged, or said no.

    ¡°I¡¯ll ask the prisoners first thing tomorrow¡­¡±

    ¡°Who?¡± Ludwing asked.

    ¡°Two asshole archetypes, Drakhan and Kaelith. I left them at the base¡­ I¡¯ll need to hire a couple of guards¡­ Never mind¡­ Bee, Irene said you want to talk with me,¡± Vincent changed the subject, as the rest didn¡¯t look very interested in the subject and were staring at the robot. Sven had climbed on top of the robot''s head, and the latter was awkwardly trying to chase the small pest away.

    ¡°Not with you, with the System.¡±

    The System: Tell Bee I can hear him.

    ¡°He hears you.¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t it talk directly?¡±

    The System: Not in an unawakened world. I could use Elkandaros to speak through the radio.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you speak through the radio?¡± Vincent asked. ¡°Sorry, System stuff.¡±

    The System: I don¡¯t have a voice simulation. On the Realm, I make your mind think I speak, but I¡¯m not really doing it.

    ¡°It¡¯ll use a subroutine,¡± Vincent said, extracting his radio from the storage.

    ¡°Salutations to all, I¡¯m Elkandaros, the Boundless Voyager,¡± the Grand Archetype said.

    ¡°Hi,¡± Bee waved his hand. ¡°I have an idea about how to upgrade the System. What about replacing all the minor Archetypes? Once back on the Realm, of course.¡±

    The radio remained silent for a few seconds. ¡°That goes without saying. Most of the minor Archetypes are now gone. The System would like that Bee, Vincent, Ludwing¡ª¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not what I have in mind. Have you ever heard of social media metadata? What if we write you an app to collect data from the people of the Realm? An add to the personal OS, with options and settings for privacy. Basically, everyone who allows it would be an Archetype. The spectrum of your sentient personality understanding will grow exponentially.¡±

    ¡°The System says he¡¯s already able to collect such data and could upgrade the OS to include more privacy settings. The problem is processing and interpreting them for the proposed purpose. The System lacks the ability to juggle so many details.¡±

    ¡°And if we¡¯d solve that problem?¡± Bee asked.

    ¡°The System asks if he won¡¯t lose his own personality or mind if exposed to such an amount of data.¡±

    ¡°There will be tests. Simulations run on our computers. Maybe fail switches, redundancies¡­ I¡¯ll need Vincent to bring some of the guys specialized in coding and hardware.¡±

    ¡°The System is willing to try if this is what you think it¡¯s best,¡± Elkandaros said. ¡°On a personal note, this Personality imprint remembers how excited the original Elkandaros was about exploring and traveling. I would like to be installed on a robot as well.¡±

    ¡°Maybe if we present my friend with some spectacular results, we can ask for more robots,¡± Karl said. ¡°Err¡­ Vincent¡­ You think you could jump on Mars if you¡¯d see some photos?¡±

 63. Book 3-9. Endless Training

    The next day, before lunch, Vincent and Barbara went to the mercenary base. When the prisoners saw them enter the room, they flinched and tried to retreat to a corner. The woman wore her full armor and had a short sword shaped like a cleaver in her hand.

    ¡°My friend will ask questions. You will answer. Or else.¡± Barbara¡¯s voice was cold and held promises of unspoken violence.

    ¡°Do you know somebody called Fenros?¡± Vincent started.

    There was a worried expression on Kaelith¡¯s face, but she kept silent. Barbara stepped forward, growling.

    ¡°He¡¯s our son,¡± Drakhan said. ¡°We¡¯re weak,¡± he turned toward Kaelith. ¡°They will extract this information from us anyway. Let¡¯s keep the little health we have.¡±

    ¡°Is he all right?¡± Kaelith asked.

    ¡°He was when I last saw him,¡± Vincent groaned. ¡°He froze time and cut my arm,¡± he raised his right hand. ¡°If you tell me how to counter him, I promise I¡¯ll spare his life.¡±

    ¡°Will you swear on¡ª¡± Kaelith started.

    ¡°On what? The System you try to destroy?¡± Vincent snorted. ¡°I give you my word. Take it or met Barbara and¡ª¡±

    ¡°Johnny,¡± the Amazon waved the cleaver.

    ¡°He spared our lives twice,¡± Drakhan said.

    ¡°Fine!¡± Kaelith sneered. ¡°I had a terrible pregnancy. The boy was in a reversed position, and our chances were grim. I entered the pod and waited for a miracle. In time, medicine advanced, and C-sections became safe.

    ¡°Fenros was influenced by that tech inside the pod and developed that skill of freezing time. He can do it for eighteen seconds and a maximum of twice in a row.¡±

    ¡°Anything else?¡±

    ¡°He studied a lot of fighting styles and favors those from the Far East.¡±

    ¡°Talking about fighting skills¡­ How did you penetrate my armor during the first fight?¡±

    ¡°I did not penetrate it. I siphoned Health from you, leaving wounds in place. It¡¯s my best ability.¡±

    ¡°Hm¡­¡± During the second fight, the two couldn¡¯t land hits on him. They had been weakened by hunger, true, but his new capped Awareness had done most of the job. ¡°OK, go on.¡±

    ¡°Fenros is always on the road, taking bounties or contracts. If you met him, he was hired to fight against you. He doesn¡¯t care about politics, the System, or anything.¡±

    ¡°He might like the new System better because it increases the cap in stats and levels,¡± Drakhan said.

    ¡°I advise you against fighting him,¡± Kaelith said. ¡°You¡¯re stronger than us now but won¡¯t hold a candle to my son. You don¡¯t even cycle your Mana.¡±

    ¡°Cycle my Mana? Vincent creased his forehead. ¡°Are you talking about cultivation?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s talking about training hard,¡± Barbara said. ¡°It¡¯s nothing like the stuff in Bee¡¯s books.¡±

    ¡°Bee reads books about cultivation?¡±

    ¡°Big fan.¡±

    Vincent beckoned his prisoners, aiming toward the door. ¡°Let¡¯s talk while we take a walk. I¡¯ll show you around the farm. You¡¯ll be free to walk around during the day. If the sun is gone and you¡¯re out, you will be shot on sight.¡±

    With Vincent in the lead, they exited the building and started touring the farm, with Vorrak following leisurely. ¡°That¡¯s Jiri,¡± he pointed toward the guard¡¯s booth. ¡°He or the other guards will bring you food once a day, but it will be enough for three meals. If you harm any of them, you die. That¡¯s the front fence; don¡¯t touch it. It¡¯s electrified.¡±You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

    ¡°It has lightning magic,¡± Barbara explained. ¡°You won¡¯t be killed, but it will incapacitate you.¡±

    ¡°You were talking about cycling Mana,¡±  Vincent said.

    Kaelith nodded. ¡°Never keep your Mana pool full. Spend some every second. Get naked, run in the cold, heal your frostbites. Pull hot irons out of the fire with your bare hands. Jump from heights to break your bones or hit things. Let yourself hit on purpose. Each time, you will gain toughness and resistance and heal faster. Every atom of your body will learn to use Mana efficiently. This technique is called Endless Training.¡±

    ¡°I get it¡­ Be like the Shaolin Monks. Now, to the most important matter. Why did you start a revolution?¡±

    ¡°For many reasons,¡± Drakhan said.

    ¡°Enlighten me.¡±

    ¡°For instance, Kaelith and I were disappointed the System trusted the Lotus Eaters.¡±

    ¡°Lotus Eaters?¡±

    ¡°Pod addicts. Brindabella, The Raven, Hibris, Kiara. They should have been left to their fate and their pods given to other people. There are many Summoned who are worthier¡­ The pods were not intended to be used to ride other people¡¯s bodies or keep your mind awake. They keep you frozen so you can wake up when work is to be done.¡±

    ¡°And those ¡®worthier¡¯ Summoned,¡± Vincent made air quotes, ¡°are one of the factions behind the rebellion?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Another is made from the still functional Archetypes who feared you¡¯d kill them as you did with the Raven and Mysafyr. That advanced the plan.¡±

    ¡°So there was a plan to take out the System¡­ Let me ask you a question. Before attacking Bella, have you killed other addicted Archetypes? I won¡¯t hurt you as long you tell the truth.¡±

    ¡°Teams were sent to eliminate various targets. We took out two pod addicts the night before by ambushing the bodies they rode.¡±

    ¡°They were both in the same village, near Ni?. They were obsessed with their childhood village. Brother and sister,¡± Kaelith said.

    ¡°What happened to their pods?¡±

    ¡°We left them behind. We didn¡¯t have time for them. We ran all night to reach Sophia.¡±

    ¡°And what about the New System? Is it made from those AIs taken from the spider?¡±

    ¡°You mean the alien intelligent spells? In part. The consensus is the Alien spells; fewer and better Archetypes are superior to the Old System. Changing to a new System will benefit everyone.¡±

    ¡°And how do you plan to do that?¡±

    ¡°It must be obvious by now. Our allies conquered the Old System¡¯s temple.¡±

    ¡°Not really¡­ I destroyed the whole building.¡±

    ¡°We were told there are backups on Emberveld and Frosthaven.¡±

    ¡°OK. Don''t go on that road on the left. It¡¯s another limit. Now, I want you to tell me the names of the other strike teams and the Archetypes targeted.¡±

    ¡°A team of four was secretly sent to deal with Hubris and Kiara. The Clockwork Queen didn¡¯t want them harmed. She¡¯s their daughter.¡±

    ¡°Names?¡±

    ¡°Aloysius, the  Archetype of¡ª¡±

    ¡°Just the names.¡±

    ¡°Aloysius, Humbold, Javier, and Kulla.¡±

    ¡°And the rest?¡±

    ¡°We know only that  Dubromir and Edwin were sent after two Archetypes in Northern Italy. They worked closely with the Clockwork Queen. She considers herself the leader of our coalition, but truth be told¡ª¡± Kaelith stopped short both from talking and walking, biting her lips.

    ¡°Spit it out. Who¡¯s the real boss?¡± Vincent asked, stopping as well. ¡°Now that I know there¡¯s one, I won¡¯t leave until I know. One way or another.¡±

    ¡°The Cursed King,¡± Drakhan said. ¡°We never met him and don¡¯t know his real name. That¡¯s how the Queen referred to him.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d say that his nickname is a title by itself,¡± Vincent sighed. ¡°Goodness, this list of villains never stops. Very well. You did your part. I¡¯ll do mine. I¡¯ll find a way to spare your son. Nevertheless, you two are murderers. This farm will be your prison for as long as you live... How long do you have, considering you lost your powers?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Drakhan said. ¡°The average life span of a common human is a hundred and twenty.¡±

    ¡°On Stellarterra, maybe. Here¡¯s about eighty.¡±

    ¡°Then perhaps twenty to thirty years.¡±

    ¡°Then I hope you like the countryside. I was not joking about not leaving the farm. That hangar is the outer limit; don¡¯t go in the forest behind it. Cameras... Surveillance constructs and automatic guns have been placed around the perimeter, and someone will always be watching. The new guards will put special bracelets on your ankles to track your movements.¡±

    ¡°May I ask you something?¡± Drakhan said. ¡°Why are you going against the current? The old system is gone, and the new one is the only way to preserve order.¡±

    ¡°My people seem to be doing well without that new system.¡±

    ¡°In time, the old individual Operating Systems will disappear. You cannot pass them to your children.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll see. Let¡¯s head back.¡±

    Half an hour later, after the new guards installed the ankle bracelets on the prisoners, Vincent returned to the hotel, taking Barbara and Vorrak. No one was on the site; everybody was out.

    ¡°Why do you treat those bastards so nice?¡± Barbara said. ¡°They deserve to die."

    ¡°They¡¯re powerless and provided good information, so I kept my word. For the rest, they don¡¯t need to know the System is alive or that most of their friends are gone. Say¡­ tonight is the next stage of the talent show¡­ do you want to be my assistant?¡±

    ¡°Doing what?¡± Barbara asked.

    ¡°I¡¯ll ask a jury member to come on stage, and you¡¯ll throw daggers at them.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m bad at throwing knives¡­ If you want people to survive, that is.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s perfect. You¡¯ll throw the daggers directly at them, and I¡¯ll use my Awareness skill to catch them before they¡¯re killed. That¡¯ll look neat, right?¡±

    ¡°I like how you think,¡± Barbara grinned.

 64. Book 3-10 Scavenging

    Catching daggers worked with only relative success. The distance on the stage was too short, and Vincent had to activate his Refuge twice to save the juror¡¯s life. Yet, the awe effect was obtained, and they advanced to the next stage. Despite the success, his Karma Charges barely exceeded a hundred, which annoyed Vincent. He had to make every charge count.

    The day after the talent show, he Strode to Cottbus, the capital of Valoria, Scoudrell¡¯s duchy. At Vincent¡¯s request, a park had been emptied for him. Two seconds after the jump, Scoundrell came to say hi.

    ¡°I bring gifts,¡± Vincent pointed to the two Apache helicopters behind.

    ¡°I guess the guys inside are the crews?¡± the Canadian asked.

    ¡°You guessed right. Former militaries, ready to hang around for a year or two. Take care to power level them as fast as possible.¡±

    ¡°How did you get them? I thought your father-in-law¡ª¡±

    ¡°I put a robot on Mars for his best friend, and this was the payment.¡±

    ¡°Any nukes?¡± Scoundrell asked, his eyes shining.

    ¡°Not for now, sorry,¡± Vincent pursed his lips. The acquisition of those had been a one-time-only deal with a country in South America getting rid of the weapons it once produced in secret. ¡°But I brought plenty of tungsten rods¡­ I¡¯ll have to jump up there to install them.¡±

    ¡°Perfect,¡± Scoundrell offered a high five.

    ¡°I have more presents,¡± Vincent said after slapping his friend¡¯s palm. ¡°Guys, come out.¡±

    ¡°Whoa!¡± Scoundrell yelped, taking a step back. From behind a helicopter, two shapes had emerged. One was a human in a jumpsuit, and the other a robot. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±

    ¡°An elite pilot to drive the Bug. Have Jorge show him the commands. Imagine what the Bug could do if piloted to its full capacity.¡±

    ¡°The Terminator there, man!¡±

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s Elkandaros. The second Archetype to be installed into a robot. He feels vulnerable in that form, so he overcompensates with¡­ that thing.¡±

    The robot waved its right hand, holding a massive machine gun in his left.

    ¡°Here¡¯s a list with the people we need to temporarily take to Earth,¡± Vincent pushed a paper in Scoundrell¡¯s hand. ¡°Share it with Dragon and the guys in Krivoburg. How¡¯re things?¡±

    ¡°The Celt princes hate our guts for taking a chunk of their federation, but they can¡¯t do squat. If one moves against us, the others could take Paris. There are four of them competing against each other¡ª¡±

    ¡°I know that. Dragon told me. I meant¡­ never mind, we¡¯ll speak more tonight. I have some errands to do.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll have a barbecue.¡±

    ¡°In this weather?¡±

    ¡°In the Khan¡¯s tent. It¡¯s amazing, they have this big metal plate and¡ª¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t spoil the surprise,¡± Vincent patted Scoundrell¡¯s shoulder.

    Taking Elkandaros in his inventory, Vincent went to Belgrade, one of the locations he was attuned to.  It was strange that the Archetype could go in the storage, like an object, but at the same time consume a Karmic Charge if he Strode with him like a normal passenger. Was he a real person or not? That was still a mystery.

    From Belgrade, he jumped up and ahead. Vincent had become good at estimating distances, and the next Stride brought him over Ni?. From there, he glided. The village he searched was not far, and he could register the pods with his Arcane Awareness.

    The artifacts¡¯ location was obvious. In the village center, a shrine has been erected. Two pods were surrounded by flowers and candles. Inside, two emaciated elderly persons, a man, and a woman, their cheeks so hollow they looked like skeletons.

    ¡°Bring me the village chief,¡± Vincent ordered to a young woman who was probably tasked to change the candles and refresh the flowers. She yelled something in a Slavic dialect and ran away. ¡°Shit¡­ they don¡¯t speak Common Tongue here¡­¡±

    The System: I can unlock Universal Language for you, one tongue a day, an hour of exercises.

    ¡°Another time¡­ I think that¡¯s the chief.¡±

    A tall, imposing man was approaching, surrounded by at least ten guards. Vincent had his armor summoned from the beginning.

    ¡°Who are you?¡± the man asked directly. Albeit only remotely resembling Czech, the dialect was more or less understandable to Vincent.

    ¡°I,¡± he touched his chest, ¡°am Guildcher Vincent, from Prodigia and Beauhemia. Ludwing Corvinus is my ally¡­ do you understand?¡± The man nodded. ¡°There is a war, a rebellion against the System. Archetype against Archetype¡­¡± The man nodded again. ¡°I need the pods to fight against the rebels who killed your leaders.¡±

    ¡°Our friends, not masters,¡± the man said. ¡°This is what helps us remember their kindness. Why take? King Corvinus is our ruler, but we have rights,¡± the man said, and the guards behind took a step forward.

    ¡°I caught your friends¡¯ murderers,¡± Vincent tried something else. ¡°They are in prison. I took their powers away. They are weak, and their lives will be miserable until they die because of that.  Help me fight against other murderers. We couldn¡¯t save your friends, but we can save other good Archetypes.¡±

    Finally, the man stepped laterally, making a gesture toward the pods. ¡°When I open the pods, they might turn into dust. Do you want to say goodbye?¡±

    The man nodded, then yelled something, and the guards ran in different directions. A line of people formed behind the pods, crying and touching the glass. A priest came and said a prayer or a sermon, but Vincent did not understand his words. Finally, the moment came. He opened the pods, letting the bodies dissolve into specks of ashes.

    ¡°Revenge,¡± the chieftain said, pointing to Vincent.

    ¡°Yes. I promise you, I will get revenge and justice.¡±

    Saying that Vincent jumped to Krivoburg, taking the pods with him and letting them in the Guild¡¯s lobby. He stored the System in his ring to move more easily.A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    [Vincent to Lukas]: Hi. Are you around?

    [Lukas to Vincent]: Hi, Vincent. I¡¯m in my workshop. Are you back on Stellarterra? How long are you staying?

    [Vincent to Lukas]: A few days. I¡¯ll need your skills. I¡¯ll leave a robot in the Guild; you can start with it. It has a machine gun. Bee enchanted it but¡ª

    [Lukas to Vincent]: I get it. He does mostly accessories, and I specialize in weapons. No worries.

    [Gia to Vincent]: Hi, Boss. Do you need me for anything?

    [Vincent to Gia]: I can¡¯t think of anything now. What are you doing?

    [Gia to Vincent]: Building trenches and fortifications near Karlovy Vary and Egercheb. Dragon fears that once the Celts settle their businesses, they¡¯ll try to get revenge. That¡¯s the most direct route.

    [[Vincent to Gia]: Good. I¡¯ll stay in touch.

    ¡°Stay here. Talk with Lukas,¡± Vincent said to Elkandaros. He left for the forests where the Clockwork Versailles had crashed, Striding above it, a mile up, and gliding around. Bella and Bee had come up with a tattoo idea for him, a raven. It didn¡¯t offer the flying abilities Ludwing had but acted as a skill. Vincent could now summon a Mana paraglider, adding propulsion if needed. His autonomy in the air had exponentially increased.

    Underneath, there were two different scenes. To the east, the forest looked tidier. The fallen trees had been removed, and he could see teams of scavengers working around a few ruined tanks and cannons. Clearly, the better armaments and the bodies had been already looted, and now only the most damaged gear remained.

    He had no intention of meddling in other people¡¯s affairs, mostly because he was sure they would have asked him to help, and he needed to keep track of his jumps.

    To the west was a mess of twisted metal, the flying castle reduced to a heap of ruins. It was not a safe place to be, as metal beams could collapse at any moment. Thus, exploring it on foot was out of the question. Vincent glided down, trying to aim toward the center of the building. He could see the tower in the middle, cut in two and lying westward.

    Taking the first metal layer with him, Vincent jumped to Sofia, letting the material fall over the junkyard. He repeated the scheme five times, leaving space between the debris. He stopped in Sofia for half an hour, expanding his Awareness and searching for something to hang on to. There were loads of Rare materials there, much better than in the dwarf¡¯s ship, but nothing Epic or Mythical.

    He returned to the task and made five more jumps. At the last one, he could feel a powerful artifact in his grasp. Striding a little farther from the rest of the metal piles, he filtered the material through two local jumps until only one object remained. The round frame of the central clock in the tower.

    Grabbing the object, Vincent gathered his strength and turned it on its side. Beneath was the most tortured scrap metal he had ever seen. Raising in sharp angles and obviously sharp themselves, like a badly opened tuna can, the Clockwork Queen¡¯s armor was a hideous display, and more so as the decomposed body¡¯s skull stared at Vincent.

    ¡°Shit¡­ How do I separate the armor from her?¡± he asked himself, more to control his retching. The answer was evident: by pulling the armor into the storage, but the stench of the corpse was unbearable, and he had no intention of soiling his ring with it. What if he wanted to store some food later? The slot where he had kept his used socks was now marked as Dirty Laundry and used only for such things.

    Taking his spear out, he pulled the boots apart, the rotten joints giving way, continuing with the gloves and the helmet. Everything was still gross, but at least he had somewhere to start. The cuirass was all but destroyed except for a jewel that detached itself and rolled aside.

    ¡°The fuck? That¡¯s a dungeon core! Hey, you alive there?¡± Vincent poked the ball with the tip of his spear. It looked intact, a deep gray, with veins of a darker shade, maybe blue, and some gold and silver.

    Nevertheless, there was no feeling of consciousness coming from the ball, only a feeling it had a huge store of Mana. It was mesmerizing. Vincent was compelled to pick it up but knew better. He pulled the System¡¯s crystal out of storage, putting it in his backpack.

    The System: I Oh. My. God! A Dungeon Core!

    ¡°Looks so¡­ But it doesn¡¯t talk back¡­ I think that¡¯s the source of energy we¡¯re looking for¡­ But how to use it¡­ and is it safe?¡±

    The System: The bloody cheaters! They kept secrets from me!

    ¡°Care to explain?¡±

    The System: A core is like my diamond, a support. The personality in it is dead. I can¡¯t feel any thoughts or feelings from it.

    ¡°That¡¯s what I said,¡± Vincent pointed.

    The System: They found a way to kill the intelligence without destroying the core. Such an artifact will store or focus massive amounts of Mana while hiding their owner from my attention. The first thing dungeons did when they rebelled was develop a System jamming mechanism, feeding me meaningless garbage information.

    ¡°I get it,¡± Vincent said. ¡°Well, what should I do with it?¡±

    The System: I have no idea¡­ Try to pick it up.

    Vincent took out a paper napkin and took the core, starting with wiping it clean. As soon as he did that, a notification appeared.

    The Raven¡¯s Armor is able to incorporate the inert core of the Industrious Dungeon and the Clockwork Armor¡¯s remains. Do you want to proceed? Select Y/N, then choose an option.

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s the armor¡­ is it sentient?¡±

    The System: It¡¯s your subconscious OS speaking, dummy. If the armor had been sentient, it would have talked to you long ago.

    ¡°OK, I want to incorporate the stuff. What are the options?¡±

    First step: Incorporate the Industrious Dungeon¡¯s former core? Y/N

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Black filaments extended from his armor into the core, eating at it. In moments, it was gone. However, strands of the core¡¯s colors spread all over Vinent¡¯s leather cuirass.

    The Raven¡¯s Armor has gained a secondary Mana Storage. Capacity: 1.000.000 Mana. Current Capacity: 900.000 Mana. This storage is independent of your Mana Pool. It can be used only for skills copied from the Clockwork Armor or personal skills that would work with them.

    Second step. Select an option:

    1 - Keep all the perks of the Clockwork Armor, working at 60% of their previous capacity. Cost: 400.000 Mana. Rate of Secondary Storage replenishing: 50.000 MPs/day.

    2 - Select two perks that will work at full potential. Cost: 600.000 Mana. Rate of Secondary Storage replenishing: 100.000 MPs/day.

    Current Perks:

    Spatial Storage: 100 slots, 100 metric tons total.

    Enhanced Speed: Doubles your reactions and movements¡¯ speed by spending 100 MPs/second.

    Space Suit: The Armor can seal itself in the absence of air or be sealed on command. It will maintain oxygen and care for natural waste by spending 100 MPs/second. If a hostile environment is detected, it will spend 100 MPs/second more to offer protection and resistance.

    Extra Hands: The Armor can extend a maximum of two robotic arms controlled by the wearer. Cost: 100 MPs/hand/second.

    ¡°I choose option two, and the Hermetical Suit and the Extra hands,¡± Vincent said without more ado. This time, the filaments shot toward the armor, which remained on the ground. It calmed Vincent to see the extraordinary precision of the process. None of the appalling body parts beneath was disturbed. And as a bonus, ingots of condensed metal were deposited on the side of the body, obviously, extra stuff his armor didn¡¯t need.

    The System: I was sure you would pick the spatial storage and the speed buff.

    ¡°I could shoot guns or protect myself with the robotic hands. And I really need a spacesuit. I would have picked all the perks, but what use is a Spacesuit that¡¯s only sixty percent sealed, right?¡±

    Two encouraging notifications followed, making Vincent very happy with his choices.

    The secondary Mana Storage can be used to maintain your Outsider¡¯s Refuge and Outsider¡¯s Cloak as you choose the perk Spacesuit. The costs are doubled when you use the Secondary Mana Storage.

    The secondary Mana Storage can be used to double the damage and the pressure of Hands of Dominion due to you choosing the perk: Extra Hands. The costs are doubled when you use the Secondary Mana Storage.

    The System: Are you going to leave that thing there?

    It was obvious the System referred to the Queen¡¯s body.

    ¡°No,¡± Vincent sighed, changing his spear¡¯s head into a spade. ¡°I¡¯ll transport the remains to the treeline and bury her¡­¡±

 65. Book 3-11. An Axe is Falling

    The Mongol barbecue had a lot of drinking alongside, so much so that Vincent collapsed at the end of the party and forgot to check the armor Scoundrell looted. The next day, he managed to extract the core but failed to absorb or reboot the armor. Storing it, Vincent continued his other plans: finding the enemy base. Or bases because he couldn¡¯t know how many of those there were around.

    Vincent started by inserting the System¡¯s diamond in the usual backpack and Elkandaros¡¯ shard in a secondary nock. He ignored the Grand Archetype¡¯s insistence on being taken as a robot. After the System showed him images of the two realms with mainframe backups, Vincent jumped between the planets, entering his Outsider¡¯s Refuge, maintaining invisibility to the outside world but allowing the outside view in.

    The System: Wait for it¡­

    ¡°For what?¡± Vincent asked. The sensation inside the suit was a bit claustrophobic, and he was cranky, as the armor was tighter than the spacesuits he had used before.

    The System: This¡­

    A Solar wind pushed the Mana in front of him, raising a magical surf wave. It crashed on the snow-covered planet,  raising a cloud of fine particles that flew toward the twin planet, covered in sand. As it touched the atmosphere, the snowflake melted in a fine rain, sparkling as it fell toward the desert below. The distance between the planets was a few miles at the closest point, which meant magic was involved.

    ¡°It¡¯s beautiful,¡± Vincent said.

    The System: It is, right? Very few people live here because the conditions are harsh. But they love it.

    ¡°When my original and his friends installed the backups, they chose an extended cave system,¡± Elkandaros said. ¡°I¡¯m detecting multiple layers of pocket universes in the caves of Frosthaven.¡±

    ¡°You can detect pocket universes now?¡±

    ¡°You can detect them, but you¡¯re not focused on it. My personality¡¯s model can connect into your senses and interpret things you sense.¡±

    ¡°So they protect the secondary mainframe with multiple¡ª

    ¡°Or they moved it away and set you a trap. If about ten Archetypes coordinate their pocket universes, they¡¯ll create a maze and change things as soon as you pass one wall. They¡¯ll oblige you to spend Karmic Charges and funnel you into an ambush. That¡¯s what I¡¯d do.¡±

    ¡°Shit¡­¡±

    ¡°Why don¡¯t we explore Stellarelphella? The dwarves¡¯ shipyards are there.¡±

    The System: Sending images in your brain. Are they clear enough to attune to the location?

    ¡°I hope so¡­¡±

    He appeared about sixty miles above the ground. The Elven planet was about the size of the Human one. Vincent invoked his Refuge, scrutinizing the surface through a telescope. Only one continent looked inhabited, and it was shaped like a bow tie. On the right side were dwarven cities, and the terrain was barren. On the left, greenery dominated. The Elves'' cities were being built in giant treehouses.

    ¡°The Elves¡¯ cities are nicer,¡± Vincent said.

    ¡°Yes, but all their house appliances and commodities are built or brought by the dwarves,¡± Elkandaros said. ¡°It was part of the deal when the dwarves'' planet was destroyed and they emigrated here.¡±

    ¡°Ah, yeah¡­ the one with that Calamity,¡± Vincent nodded. ¡°Fuck¡­ they prepare for war, don¡¯t they?¡±

    On the dwarven continent, a few giant shipyards had tens of spaceships aligned in rows, and those were clearly enhanced versions made for battle.

    ¡°They build fast,¡± Elkandaros said. ¡°Check the isthmus. See the mixed city?¡±

    A town built in both styles was on the land bridge between the two continents. ¡°Yeah, what about it?¡±

    The System: Thorrak was the president of the military college last time I checked. That was when I fined him for sending an idiot to haul the Calamity to the sun.

    ¡°You think he¡¯d be so stupid to hang around the college?¡±

    The System: Let¡¯s check out. What do you have to lose? I¡¯ll show you the coordinates.

    ¡°That¡¯s a big college¡­¡± Vincent said, teleporting downward a few hundred yards over the building. Hundreds of young people were moving around, and if he had to guess, it was lunch break because many had food they shared on the lawn. The average age looked younger than what college meant on Earth, more toward high school. Every species he knew was there: humans, Nekojin, Elves, and dwarves.

    The compound had an archery range, but that was the only military detail. For the rest, it was indistinguishable from any normal school. The bad part was there was no sign of the dwarf, but directors were supposed to sit in their office like they were in an ivory tower.

    ¡°I have an idea,¡± Vincent said, taking several landmarks before jumping to Scoundrell¡¯s camp. Searching for his friend, he found him playing cards with the Mongol Khan. ¡°Hey, Etienne. I¡¯m looking for your squire.¡±

    ¡°My who?¡± Scoundrell furrowed his brows.

    ¡°You know, the one always hanging around you. Big grin, freckles¡­ stinks a bit¡­ could use antiperspirant and a hair wash.¡±

    ¡°Oh, goodness¡­ She¡¯s not my squire, she¡ª¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m his fiancee!¡± the girl appeared out of nowhere, which meant she had a Stealth ability.

    ¡°¡ªjust stalks me¡­¡±

    ¡°I saved his life. We will get married as soon as I¡¯m of age,¡± the girl said solemnly.

    ¡°But Scoundrell is a prince. To marry him, you must first advance in the ranks. What do you say about going with me on a dangerous mission?¡± Vincent said.

    ¡°Hey, pal, she¡¯s fifteen! She should be in school, not risking her life!¡± Scoundrell said.

    ¡°Oh¡­ you care for me,¡± the girl kneaded her hands near her cheek, battling her eyelashes. Vincent could tell she had either garlic or onion with her breakfast, if not both.

    ¡°Go wash your hair and teeth,¡± Vincent said. ¡°You¡¯ll infiltrate a military college and search for an evil dwarf. If you do well, I¡¯ll take you to Earth, where you can study to become a princess and marry Scoundrell in time.¡±Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

    ¡°Don¡¯t lie to the kid!¡± Scoundrell frowned.

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t lying. My father-in-law has connections to a Swiss college for rich people. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll arrange for a scholarship for such a fine lady,¡± Vincent stared at his friend, meaning: ¡®Do you want the kid out of your way or not?¡¯

    ¡°Ask your mother for nicer clothes,¡± Scoundrell told the girl. ¡°If the kid dies because of you, I¡¯ll cut your dick,¡± he told Vincent.

    Vincent showed his friend the middle finger and inspected the First Princess''s armor, hoping to unbound it. No matter how hard he tried, his second try didn¡¯t succeed either. Fifteen minutes later, the girl returned, dressed in the Realm¡¯s equivalent of day clothes, a plain tunic and a pair of pants.

    ¡°Good. You¡¯ll fit in perfectly. I will transport us on a roof, and you¡¯ll climb down first. If anyone asks, you¡¯re a new student looking around for instructions. Ask if Master Thorrak is around. Pretend he¡¯s supposed to interview you. I¡¯ll hang around and pose as a new teacher but won¡¯t intervene except if you¡¯re in danger. Ready?¡±

    ¡°Ready,¡± the girl nodded. ¡°What¡¯s your name, just in case?¡±

    ¡°Vincent. And yours?¡±

    ¡°Rynn.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s do this, Rynn.¡± He took her hand to help the girl feel less disoriented and jumped on the roof he had selected. ¡°Go go go!¡± he blurted, opening the door for her.

    The girl darted down the stairs with a speed Vincent didn¡¯t think she could attain. He followed slowly, dressing in dark jeans and a T-shirt, as he saw many students dressed. With luck, he could be mistaken as an older student, but he fit in a young teacher role more. Once in the courtyard, Rynn was far away, stopping every student and yelling in their faces: ¡°Master Thorrak?¡±

    ¡°Goodness,¡± Vincent whispered to himself. ¡°That¡¯s far from a delicate approach.¡±

    ¡°Did she give a delicate vibe at any time?¡± Elkandaros twisted the knife in the wound.

    ¡°Look, they''re pointing to the main building. It means the dwarf could be here.¡±

    ¡°Hopefully. Or maybe they point to the cantina. She¡¯s not speaking either Elven or Dwarven.¡±

    ¡°You mean there¡¯s no Common Tongue here?¡± Vincent gasped.

    ¡°Of course there is. Elven.¡±

    ¡°Gosh¡­ I didn¡¯t think about that.¡±

    Vincent hurried to catch up with the girl. Maybe he had time to extract her and leave. Then, Thorrak exited the large building, and a couple of students shouted to attract his attention, pointing at the girl. The dwarf, dressed in an elegant three-piece suit, barked something at the girl.

    ¡°Hey, old dude, calm down. I was tasked to find you, that¡¯s all. Take it with the boss.¡±

    Thorrak turned his torso toward Vincent. His eyes widened in panic as his mouth started to scream. The dwarf¡¯s armor started wrapping around his body, and the Warp whirled. Vincent Strode into the dwarf, sending it flying. Thorrak hit the wall behind him and collapsed unconscious. The Raven¡¯s armor and spear appeared over Vincent¡¯s body and in his hand. From everywhere, scores of young people ran at him, weapons in hand or preparing offensive spells.

    ¡°Can you speak Elven?¡± Vincent asked. The target was obvious: Elkandaros.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Translate this: I am the true System¡¯s emissary. Thorrak has been found guilty of rebellion and murder. I will take him with me to face justice. The old System will be restored soon. Keep out of the war, or face my wrath!¡±

    "Thorrak na-loth aless? i''ne''eth a''roval. I''yael lothen-na i''ldaer al''raen. I''kael Lothori? e''naral i''ra?na th¨ªri. I''nael e''lara na, mel''ari? or lothen va?li''!" Elkandaros spoke through Vincent¡¯s radio.

    A scream and broken glass noises arrived from above. Warned by his Awareness, Vincent started his Refuge around him and Rynn. Fenros slid over the wall of force, powerless. ¡°You¡¯re late,¡± Vincent said. ¡°Some bodyguard you are.¡±

    ¡°Fight me!¡± the man yelled, his katana in hand.

    ¡°I won¡¯t. I promised your parents to spare your life.¡±

    ¡°Where are they?¡± Fenros yelled.

    ¡°They¡¯re my prisoners.¡±

    ¡°I swear I¡¯ll kill you,¡± the man raised his sword in a straight line in front of his eyes.

    ¡°Don¡¯t make promises you can¡¯t keep. The next time we fight, you will either surrender or forfeit your life. You¡¯re nothing without your skill, and I can¡¯t wait to see how well it will go against a nuclear explosion,¡± Vincent pointed to the sky. The moon he destroyed was now a line of debris and asteroids. He knew well that everything had limits. A Rezz or pod armor was insufficient to protect someone from a nuke or a tungsten rod. The Queen and many Archetypes had fallen to those, and Vincent decided to continue the same strategy. Fighting one on one was a last resort thing.

    Vincent rested the tip of his spear on Thorrak''s neck. Taking the dwarf with him had a simple solution. He was himself putting the dwarf¡¯s life in danger. If he felt the dwarf wouldn¡¯t follow, he would kill him on the spot.

    They reappeared in Cottbus, in the empty park he had used before. ¡°Go and tell people to sound the bells. The citizens are to gather here,¡± Vincent told the girl.

    ¡°Why?¡± she asked.

    ¡°In an hour, I will publicly execute the one who destroyed part of their city. I need a podium,¡± he looked around.

    ¡°There¡¯s one to the west,¡± the girl pointed.

    ¡°Thanks¡­ You did well, mademoiselle¡­ By my power as a Guildcher, I  raise you to the rank of small nobility and grand you a house in Prodigia. But you are required to attend a school I will choose for you.¡±

    ¡°Thank you so much!¡± the girl jumped on her toes. She hesitated a second, her arms twitching, and Vincent realized she was aiming for a hug. He offered it, ruffling her hair, and then Rynn darted away.

    Squatting near Thorrak, who was still out, Vincent examined a bracelet the dwarf had on his wrist. The armor had grown over the forearm from there. He thought about cutting the arm, then tried to pull the armor off. It was a loose fit, and he found a resort that opened the bracer in two halves, allowing him to pull it off. When he did that, a round object came out.

    You have looted Space Ship Control Module Armor and the Walking Dungeon¡¯s core from the previous owner, Thorrak, the Archetype of Oaths and Dwarves. Unlike other dungeons, the Walking Dungeon relied on disguise and mobility. This core is not dead; it only pretends to be. Its peaceful nature makes this core more suitable for travelers and merchants.

    Secondary Mana Storage: 300.000 MPs

    Skills:

    Disguise: the wearer of this core can shapeshift to resemble a human or other Realm species. Cost: 30 MP/second

    The Space Ship Control Module Armor has three perks:

    Spatial storage: 100 slots / 100 metric tons in total.

    Spaceship Control: This armor can interface with a spaceship, allowing direct control. Cost: 6 MPs/second

    Warp: Transports the ship and the owner to a preset location. Locations have to be unlocked through physical presence first. Current unlocked jump points: Stellarelphella (25 locations), Stellarterra (12 locations), Frosthaven (1 location). Cost for a jump: 30.000 MPs.

    The optimal use of this armor and core is to be bonded to the robot carrying Elkandaros, the Grand Archetype.

    ¡°I¡¯m in,¡± Elkandaros said.

    ¡°OK,¡± Vincent said, extracting the robot from storage and inserting the personality crystal first, then the looted objects. ¡°But let me be clear, you will do your part in this incoming fight. I strongly suspect that jump point on Frosthaven¡ª¡±

    ¡°Is the one where the new System is¡­ Of course, I will do my part. The Dungeon is squeamish, but it¡¯s aware that the old System is better. We will work together.¡±

    ¡°Perfect¡­ Let¡¯s take care of the dwarf¡­¡± Vincent slapped the captive until Thorrak opened his eyes, gasping and looking around. Desperation was the main emotion on his face, and a bit of hope, maybe to squeeze his way out of it by ratting on his partners. Vincent crushed that dream. ¡°You have an hour to live. I sentence you to death for killing thousands of this city¡¯s citizens. Tell me now if you have a last request, wish to see a priest, or want a cigar or a drink.¡±

    ¡°You hang on a pipe dream,¡± Thorrak barked. ¡°The old System is dead. There¡¯s only one way forward, embracing¡ª

    The System: I¡¯m not dead, Thorrak¡­ I¡¯m hurt and disappointed. You took an oath as an Archetype: to not harm.

    ¡°Shit¡­¡± Thorrak said.

    ¡°Walk,¡± Vincent said, changing his spear into a Hungarian axe, a polearm registering simultaneously as an axe and a spear.

    ¡°I do have a last request,¡± Thorrak said, painfully getting to his feet. ¡°Don¡¯t defile my body, cutting it into parts or sticking my head on a spear.¡±

    ¡°Agreed,¡± Vincent said. The bells had started to toll. He pushed the dwarf with the tip of his spear, making him step up on the stage. He dragged a sturdy bench up to serve as a log and let the dwarf sit on it, lost in thoughts.

    Slowly, the crowd gathered in the thousands. When the hour came, Vincent announced his decision and what he held the dwarf responsible for. Tomatoes and eggs started to fly, but he deflected them with Outsider¡¯s Refuge until the people calmed down.

    Thorrak didn¡¯t say any last words. He put his neck on the bench, staring defiantly at the crowd. With one clean swipe, Vincent beheaded him. Blue streaks of mana erupted out of the neck, trying to tie the flesh back together, a Rezz of sorts, but Vincent grabbed the dwarf¡¯s head by the hair, raising it up for the crowd to see. After blinking twice, Thorrak¡¯s eyes remained immobile.

    Vincent was notified about slaying the dwarf and getting his Karmic Charges to full. It meant only one thing: he had done justice for thousands of people.

 66. Book 3-12 Artifacts

    The next day, Vincent went to Pragwyn to search through Ludwing¡¯s armory. No little was his surprise to find the castle clean and neat. In the master bedroom, all the furniture was new, like a poster child of Ikea if improvised by local craftsmen who didn¡¯t believe in minimalism and made everything twice bigger than required.

    ¡°Hello, buddy!¡± Thug came to hug Vincent.

    Behind the mercenary was Trinella, holding a baby in her arms. The woman had a happy and relaxed expression.

    ¡°We have a son,¡± Thug announced proudly. ¡°Did you know Sidhes have an accelerated pregnancy and give birth very easily?¡±

    ¡°And weren¡¯t they supposed to¡ª err¡­¡± Vincent swallowed his words because abandoning their child wasn¡¯t a polite thing to say.

    ¡°I¡¯m only half Sidhe,¡± Trinella said. ¡°And seeing the little one¡­ so beautiful¡­ so vulnerable¡­ so loving¡­ something snapped in me, and I decided to give a chance to traditional motherhood. We hired six nannies, of course, but we¡¯re taking care of Tex¡¯s education ourselves.¡±

    ¡°Tex is short for Texas,¡± Thug explained. ¡°Isn¡¯t he cute? The cutest baby ever!¡±

    ¡°He looks¡­ stately,¡± Vincent said. Like Winston Churchill¡­ Oh, my God, he has all Thug¡¯s creases on his face¡­

    ¡°That¡¯s what I think too,¡± Trinella said. ¡°Please let my father know about this happy event.¡±

    ¡°It goes without saying¡­ Say, Trinella¡­ Ludwing said I could take any armor or weapon from his collection. Can I inspect the items?¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± she nodded. ¡°Do you remember the way? I have to take the little one to a classical opera concert. The Ride of the Valkyries tour is in town. The best education is an early education.¡±

    The child began crying immediately. Ignoring the tantrum, Trinella walked ahead, followed by Thug and then two nannies carrying the child and a basket with milk bottles and miscellaneous baby items.

    I¡¯ll take care of my boys myself, Vincent swore. He was convinced he¡¯d have boys, of course. No concerts, but a lot of football. And sling shooting. And football.

    Strolling around the arms collection, Vincent began by sorting them by categories. Swords, pikes, armor, shields, and so on. Nothing was higher than epic, and many items were still bound to their former owners, meaning they weren¡¯t looted but donated. Cousin x, guard captain y, said the tags.

    Getting bored, Vincent shoved piles of items in his storage, grabbing the bonded ones with his hands, real or mechanical, activating Hands of Dominion. The bonds broke in seconds.

    An hour and a half later, Thug and Trinella returned. The kid looked merry, speaking in his baby tongue.

    ¡°He likes opera,¡± Thug said.

    ¡°Like father, like son,¡± Vincent said, albeit he knew the only opera Thug had been in contact with was the Queen album. ¡°I picked everything I needed. Do you want this?¡± he extracted Kaelith¡¯s sword showing it to his friend.  It was a mythical weapon, but one he had no use for.

    ¡°Health siphoning? Sure, it¡¯s great,¡± Thug said. ¡°Are you staying for dinner?¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t, man,¡± Vincent turned his palms up. ¡°I have to return to Earth. I have a rehearsal for the next stage of the talent show. We¡¯ll do invisibility tricks.¡±

    Thug and Trinella hugged him, and Vincent photographed them holding the baby to show Ludwing his grandson. His inventory was overflowing, and the space was too small after he had cut five slices from the ring. One was with Ludwing, another with Bella, Barbara, and Bee, and a third with Vorrak. Dragon held one for communication purposes, and Irene and Lila shared the last one.

    Taking half the objects in storage and the rest unstored, Vincent jumped to the junkyard to let the weapons on the departing site. He had hired workers to sort the materials and, when possible, to melt the metal into ingots. He returned to Cottbus and Krivoburg, taking the people he needed to transport to Earth, and returned to the scrapyard.

    Wrapping an as large area in his skill as possible, Vincent strode to the mercenary camp south of Prague. It was the only space big enough to use for storage and metalsmithing. To his surprise, the main building had a new coat of paint, and the two prisoners were responsible for that. They held painting brushes in their hands, climbing on wooden ladders.

    ¡°Since we will stay here the rest of our lives, we decided to make our residence more amenable,¡± Kaelith said.

    ¡°As you wish,¡± Vincent said. ¡°I killed Thorrak, your son¡¯s employer. I met Fenros and spared him as I promised. I hope he will listen to reason and quit.¡±

    ¡°You spared him?¡± Kaelith frowned, the expression on her face obviously incredulous.

    Vincent had no intention of arguing. He shrugged and addressed the team, gesturing toward the metal and weapons after discharging everything. ¡°Sort it out in that barn over there. I¡¯ll come back for you in¡­ How long will it take?¡±

    ¡°Days,¡± Jorge sneered. ¡°This is a mess. Can¡¯t you tell ferrous from¡ª¡±

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll come back in an hour and take you to the hotel. Come, Rynn.¡±

    Grabbing the girl¡¯s hand, Vincent reappeared in front of his parents¡¯ apartment. He knocked discreetly, fearing to wake up Milo. Ludwing opened after a few seconds. In the living room, Elina and Karl bathed the baby using a portable tub, and they were obviously bad at it. Vincent¡¯s parents offered unrequited advice, making the couple even more nervous.Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.

    ¡°Goodness gracious, you want to break his arms?¡± Rynn blurted, pushing the two away and taking the baby. The baby was bathed, dried, and dressed in less time than one could count down from one hundred. ¡°I have three younger brothers,¡± she said with pride. Her accent sounded posh British to Vincent, albeit she spoke Czech. He had insisted that Rynn buy a Universal Language package, and she overdone it, spending an extra token to acquire high-society accents.

    ¡°She¡¯s a country girl from Stellarterra. I don¡¯t think she knows about Pampers,¡± Vincent said because Milo¡¯s tushy had been wrapped in a towel.

    ¡°I¡¯m no country girl. I¡¯m nobility!¡± Rynn countered.

    ¡°Let¡¯s start with the good news. Ludwing, you¡¯re a grandfather,¡± Vincent said, showing the king the photos on his phone.

    ¡°Oh, my God!¡± Ludwing yelped, covering his mouth with both hands. ¡°He¡¯s so cute!¡±

    ¡°He looks like Winston Churchill,¡± Karl said, with zero diplomacy, earning himself a kick in his shin from Elina.

    ¡°One of the greatest statesmen,¡± Vincent said.

    Ludwing was beaming.¡±I¡¯m so happy¡­ and¡­ did Zsara¡ª¡±

    ¡°She stayed with the baby and the father,¡± Vincent said. ¡°They looked¡­ stable.¡±

    ¡°Iiii!¡± Ludwing clapped his hands. ¡°My heart is bursting¡­ I have to fly¡­¡±

    Seconds later, the window in the king''s room opened. Ludwing transformed into a raven and flew away.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t let the window open, moron. The kid will catch a cold,¡± Vincent¡¯s mother yelled after the king, rushing to close the window.

    ¡°So¡­ Rynn here is a sort of a hero but lacks schooling,¡± Vincent told Karl. ¡°Could you arrange for her to join that private school in Switzerland where your son studies?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m still on the board,¡± Karl nodded. ¡°The only problem is all students have to excel at something. Our son is good at coding, for instance. Do you have some advanced skills, miss?¡±

    ¡°I can write?¡± Rynn grinned.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure she¡¯s good at sports,¡± Vincent said.

    ¡°True, I¡¯m good at running¡­ Praytell, what age is your son?¡± Rynn asked.

    ¡°Fourteen,¡± Elina said.

    ¡°Does he have a fiancee? I¡¯d like to expand my portfolio.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t mind her,¡± Vincent hissed. ¡°She¡¯s¡ª¡±

    ¡°People don¡¯t engage or marry before they¡¯re eighteen here,¡± Elina said.

    ¡°Oh, goodness¡­ Never mind, we could have conversations, to know each other better. Nothing beats talking to build a relationship, Ma says. Of course, she does all the conversation, but Pa¡¯s a good listener. And a top nodder. He says Yes, darling, sure darling, so well Ma doesn¡¯t even realize he¡¯s not really listening¡­ Well, I¡¯ll explore the city a bit,¡± Rynn said.

    ¡°Be back before sunset,¡± Vincent said.

    ¡°I will do so, my liege,¡± Rynn bowed.

    ¡°Won¡¯t she get lost?¡± Vincent¡¯s father asked.

    ¡°She¡¯s a Scout,¡± Vincent said.

    ¡°I¡¯m a Scout,¡± Rynn said simultaneously. ¡°I can make maps in my head. Don¡¯t worry.¡±

    ¡°She kept her magic?¡± Elina asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t need magic to make maps in my head,¡± the girl said. ¡°I¡¯ll find my way out,¡± she waved her hand and beelined to the exit.

    ¡°So, all¡¯s well here?¡± Vincent asked.

    ¡°As well as it could be,¡± Karl said. ¡°My friend is ecstatic about our space experiment. The next step would be to transport a few bio domes up there and test how¡ª¡±

    ¡°It can be done,¡± Vincent said. ¡°As a matter of fact, the Elkandaros robot can now drive spaceships and execute Warp jumps¡­ I will bring him here on the next trip.¡±

    ¡°Bee told us he has an antigrav engine prototype at the ready. We need only to build a ship around it.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s perfect, we¡¯ll have redundancies¡­ Where¡¯s Bella?¡± Vincent asked.

    ¡°Your sister?¡± his mother said.

    ¡°The other one. I have to ask her some things.¡±

    ¡°At the lab,¡± his father said.

    ¡°Say, guys,¡± Vincent looked at his parents-in-law, ¡°what if I¡¯d rent you an apartment? I have twenty gold from¡­ err¡­ doing some public services,¡± he avoided saying it was the executioner¡¯s fee.

    ¡°No!¡± Vincent¡¯s mother blurted. ¡°Milo¡¯s a joy! And we¡¯re practicing for when you and Bella will finally reward us with the grandchildren we deserve.¡±

    ¡°And Karl and I are like brothers,¡± Vincent¡¯s father said. ¡°But if they got annoyed staying with us, we won¡¯t stop them from leaving.¡±

    ¡°Nonsense,¡± Karl waved his hand. ¡°We really like it here. Socializing with such wonderful friends beats a boring mansion any time.¡±

    ¡°Suit yourselves,¡± Vincent shrugged. ¡°Then take this, Pa, change it to have some pocket change for your expenses,¡± he offered the gold coins. ¡°See ya!¡±

    Cutting short the goodbyes, Vincent left the apartment. Outside the building, he noticed Rynn trying to climb the fa?ade. ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    ¡°I need to pee, so I came back,¡± the girl said. ¡°The door is locked.¡¯

    ¡°Get down. See this number pad? Twelve¡¯s my parent¡¯s apartment. You dial that, and they¡¯ll answer. When you hear a buzz, the door is open.¡±

    ¡°Wow¡­¡± the girl said, pressing the numbers. ¡°Magic!¡±

    A few seconds later, Vincent¡¯s mother answered. ¡°Who is it?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s me, ma''am. I need to pee,¡± Rynn yelled, making the passersby turn their heads toward her.

    Vincent let the girl deal with the door on her own and strolled toward the lab. Half an hour later, he arrived at the location and found Bee and Bella arguing, with Sven in the middle. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± he asked.

    ¡°We have a dilemma,¡± Bee said. ¡°The rest of the AIs in Sven want to stick together and move in a robot. But Sven has magical protections, while the robot is just a robot. They¡¯ll be vulnerable. I say to wait, and Bella says to go on.¡±

    "The automaton may bide with us until we find a solution, and we shall use the time to learn how to walk and explore," the girl said.

    ¡°Let¡¯s do both. We will wait a few days until I bring Elkandaros back. He got a pod armor, and he should be able to do magic¡­ We might unlock another pod for the guys if we find more power sources.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the power source?¡± Bee asked immediately, his eyes beaming.

    ¡°Dead dungeon cores,¡± Vincent said.

    "How?" Bella asked.

    ¡°The Archetypes found a way to kill the personality inside but keep the magic,¡± Vincent said. ¡°I got two pods and three armors and cores. One for Elkandaros, one for me, and a third that I couldn¡¯t unlock. I thought you could use your anti-magic on it. ¡±

    Saying that, Vincent summoned the First Princess¡¯ armor and the adjacent core from the storage, putting them on the table.

    Bee touched the armor but shook his head moments later. ¡°I don¡¯t see anything. Like the object doesn¡¯t exist. You try,¡± he offered his ring to Bella.

    The girl waved her hand, refusing the ring, and touched the armor in her turn. Under their eyes, the object wrapped itself around her into an elegant white and gold armor.

    ¡°It hath a special requirement. Being a maid. I shall tell thee what it saith: Maid Power, erstwhile dungeon core, and the First Princess Armor. The dungeon did offer refuge to women abused, yet in time, it lost its wits and decreed that all men must perish, slaying them by the hundreds. It could not be reasoned with, and Kiara and Hubris did take it down.¡±

    ¡°Hm¡­ so,  the ones having the most armors and cores are their descendants,¡± Vincent said. ¡°It can¡¯t be a coincidence. I must have a word with them¡­ if they¡¯re still alive. What does it do?¡±

    "The armor? A great Mana pool it doth possess, and enhanceth all magic skills by a tier. It dealeth double damage to men. It also doth fly,"  Bella said.

    ¡°Say, Bella¡­ you sound more¡­ archaic¡­¡± Did something happen?¡±

    ¡°Parts of her childhood memories are returning, including the language,¡± Bee said. ¡°Peter said it¡¯s a good sign, and she¡¯ll be able to learn to speak normally shortly.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­ OK¡­ So, now you can mix magic and anti-magic, right, Bella? Let¡¯s say somebody shoots bolts at us. Are you able to annul them?¡±

    ¡°My magic or magic-breaking skills are slow and channeled,¡± Bella said. "Methinks I would fare well if I had a company to protect me."

    ¡°We¡¯ll do some tests,¡± Vincent nodded. ¡°We¡¯ll start by putting Irene throwing low-intensity bolts at you. You could become our greatest asset if you manage to dispell them.¡±

    ¡°I shall wear the armor, just in case,¡± the girl frowned.

 67. Book 3-13. Old is Gold

    Hubris woke last. He tried to stretch but failed. After hundreds of years in the pod, his muscles were stiff, and his joints ached. Kiara had exited the pod an hour prior and came to support him.

    ¡°Real life sucks,¡± Hubris croaked.

    ¡°The summoned kids would say you¡¯re addicted to virtual reality,¡± Kiara said. Her voice was rough as a rasp, and she followed her words with a fit of cough.

    Hubris called his stats and sighed. After a certain point in age, physical stats started to diminish without exercise, even if frozen in time.

    Name: Seamus Cadhla (Hubris) Age: 1050

    Species: Evolved Human

    Level: 100

    Class: Sage Tier: Archetype

    Body: 6 / Mind: 100 / Spirit: 50

    SPs: 1080 / CPs: 10.000 / MPs: 1500

    HPs: 1060

    ¡°Are you ready to move?¡± Kiara asked.

    ¡°No, but I don¡¯t have a choice, do I?¡±

    They tucked into each other and proceeded on the subterranean corridor, lit by phosphorescent mushrooms and moss. Her sight was impaired, and he limped, so Hubris guided Kiara¡¯s steps, and she supported his weight.

    The distance was a mile, yet after a hundred yards, they were exhausted. Kiara picked a bit of moss and gave it to Hubris to chew. It held water. She could eat the mushrooms, but her husband couldn¡¯t. He did not have her poison resistance. They stepped on and walked double the distance this time before Hubris couldn¡¯t advance anymore.

    ¡°My feet are killing me¡­ Literally.¡± His HPs were diminishing, sustaining his body¡¯s expenditure.

    ¡°I¡¯ll carry you,¡± Kiara said.

    He didn¡¯t object. Her Body was eight, but her Druid skills allowed her maxed Spirit to take over and enhance it to fifteen at the expense of twenty Mana per second.

    Eight minutes later, Kiara let Hubris down. She had exhausted her magic. Nevertheless, they had reached the control room.

    ¡°Do you want to rest?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Let¡¯s do this.¡±

    The last sixty yards took a minute of slow walking and panting. The round chamber was as majestic as when they had built it through magic. Massive stones made the walls, with a circle of columns sustaining the dome above. A hole in its center, directly above the round table, allowed the sun inside.

    The couple approached the circular granite slab and touched it. An indent appeared on its side, a drawer. Hubris pulled it out. Inside was a leather pouch and all sorts of personal items they brought at their summoning.

    ¡°Welcome, masters,¡± a voice spoke. A marble ball detached itself from the table. It floated up, stopping at their eyes'' height, while two chairs made of energy appeared behind the Archetypes, allowing them to rest. ¡°What have you been up to? I didn¡¯t feel your presence for the last month.¡±

    ¡°We put the pod on sleep mode, extracting every bit of regeneration from it,¡± Kiara said.

    ¡°Yet we still are but old broken toys,¡± Hubris added.

    ¡°You¡¯re awake for good, or will you return to the pod?¡±

    ¡°The first, core.¡±

    ¡°May I suggest you exit the tunnels and go to the village? I can arrange for a house to host you and food delivered.¡±The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°After we get our bearings. What¡¯s the situation outside? Start the day after our daughter died.¡±

    ¡°Do you want the good or the bad news first?¡±

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you mix them?¡± Kiara said. ¡°

    ¡°Contact with the System has been lost, but you know that. Four rogue Archetypes had tried to breach your inner Sanctum, and I¡¯ve killed them. Princess Aone Unna, the first in line for the throne, had perished attempting to ambush a mobile force of mercenaries from Krivoburg not long after you fell asleep. In the hinterlands, a previously unknown bastard prince, Etienne Valor, is claiming an area starting from the Saxon Alps north. He¡¯s supported by the Khan of Wrocslau and Beauhemia.

    ¡°Since then, the throne has been claimed by four of the surviving heirs, and Prince Sia Sextum has renounced his rights. Prince Dha Secundum and Princess Tri Tertia have allied, intending to share the throne. They are positioned south of Burdigaux to stop their siblings from moving toward Parisi. The fourth in line for the throne, Prince Cetir Quartium, is currently marching toward Barcelona to relieve the siege mounted by the fifth Prince, Coig Pentium, with his allies from the Basque Province. The Briton Isles have declared independence. Rome did the same.

    ¡°The Byzantine Empire has a stalemate between two armies and the Bogomil Federation. The Emperor has been deposed by the eldest son. There are no other developments in the rest of the world.

    A New System has sent private messages to those with combatant classes, declaring they must accept it. Beauhemia, Hungary, the Mongols, and the Bogomils refused to do it and forbade the New System under penalty of death. The Old System is out of reach, but the individual OS works.

    ¡°All but Prince Sia Sextum¡¯s people have accepted the New System in our empire. It is a more complex version of the independent OS with a permanent line of communication with the New System. It allows stats to grow to one hundred and twenty. Five percent of the people who took the New System suffered spontaneous deaths, and five percent more were crippled one way or another. Many regiments in the military refused the installment and deserted.

    There are no changes in the rest of the world. The situation is unknown for the other Realms, but the second moon of Stellarelphella has been destroyed. The status of the Archetypes is unknown, and no one has been active lately. Do you want me to extrapolate various causes and scenarios?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll do it,¡± Hubris said. His Mind stat was useless when confronted with physics or mathematics, but politics was the water in which his intelligence swam like a fish. ¡°That kid was right; the System had a material frame, which was on that moon, most likely. We can¡¯t project our minds without it. The usurper uses an inferior replacement, which causes the glitches and the deaths. That means the number of Archetypes behind it is not as great as anticipated.¡±

    ¡°You think it¡¯s our fault?¡± Kiara asked. ¡°Raven had seen it coming¡­ Maybe we should have listened to him¡­¡±

    ¡°He wanted to use the Summoned as his personal minions¡­ Remember that we swore to ourselves when we became powerful: Never to become enslavers. Even if it meant standing against our daughter.¡±

    ¡°Can you¡­ read what our descendants are doing?¡± Kiara asked, her voice shaking.

    ¡°Hundreds of people are living normal, quiet lives around the Realm. The progeny of our second daughter. There is one who¡­ is not on the Realm¡­ Sia¡¯s daughter, the seventh in line.¡±

    ¡°Brigid?¡±

    ¡°Yes¡­ I think she got transported to Vincent¡¯s world.¡±

    Standing up and waving his hands over the table, Hubris invoked a projection. It had no sound, but the image was clear. Brigid was walking back and forth on a strange bridge in the middle of a room. She was dressed in her armor, but her helmet was off, and she had a deep frown on her forehead. At the same time, her lips were puckered. Around here were many people, some staring and some throwing light bolts at her from weird square devices with short cannons on their front.

    ¡°Oh, my God!¡± Kiara exclaimed after she leaned forward to see better. ¡°It¡¯s a slave market!¡±

    ¡°She doesn¡¯t look in danger,¡± Hubris said, dismissing the image. ¡°To me, it looked more of a mercenary recruitment base. She''s doing a demonstration of her resistance... Don¡¯t be worried,¡± he fondled Kiara¡¯s hand. ¡°If she¡¯s there, it means Vincent survived¡­ He¡¯ll take care she¡¯s safe.¡±

    The woman kneaded her hands in a prayer gesture, fighting back tears.

    ¡°We have to do our part and hope for the best,¡± Hubris said. ¡°We¡¯ll start by securing this location from the villain System¡¯s influence. Tell me, core, what is your reach now?¡±

    ¡°My influence covers Gaul, the Pyrenees, and all West Europe, including Munchen. Everything west of it and south of the Alps and the Pyrenees are vassal territories. You want me to enlarge my territories?¡±

    ¡°On the contrary. I want you to retreat to the minimum area possible and start two pocket universes, one around the area and another around the town above us and this complex¡­ You¡¯ll issue a proclamation: the Cadhla Archetypes are back. Remember them that the Clockwork Queen ruled because we allowed her to, but you, the core, answer to us.

    ¡°Sia Sixtus is to become Crown Prince. The rest are to renounce their claims and the New System. Until they do, they¡¯ll be considered Anathema and deprived of your protection.¡±

    ¡°But¡­ Master¡­ The minimum area I can retreat to is about forty thousand square miles¡­. I can¡¯t make a force field large enough for that!¡±

    ¡°Would you be able to if you had more energy at your disposal?¡± Hubris asked, picking up the leather pouch and pouring its contents over the table. There were a few dozen marbles, the kind kids play with, and he proceeded to select a few.

    ¡°Master¡­ are those dungeon cores?¡± The gasp in the core¡¯s voice was evident.

    ¡°Yes. Dead ones, but still a lot of concentrated energy in there. Cores Kiara and I looted from minor and medium dungeons before they grew too strong. There¡¯s a way to kill the dungeons without destroying the cores. No one but us knew about it, not even the System.¡±

    ¡°Curses,¡± Kiara said. ¡°We dealt with the spawn and the bosses, and the Raven dealt with the dungeon cores.¡±

    ¡°I have ten. How many would you need to ne able to do what I asked?¡± Hubris said.

    ¡°T-three¡­ master¡­ With one more, I would be able to create my own defenses¡­ Constructs or modified beasts.¡±

    ¡°Here you are,¡± Hubris rolled the cores on the granite table before gathering the remaining marbles. ¡°It¡¯s time to show the world how the old guard works.¡±

 68. Book 3-14. Vincent in Paris

    Finding Hubris and Kiara¡¯s location went easier than Vincent had thought. The two Archetypes revealed themselves by issuing declarations and wrapping two smaller empire regions in pocket universes.

    Pinpointing their exact position, on the other hand, had been impossible, and Vincent pointlessly roamed around Orleans for a full day. There was only one thing to do: to ask the Sixth Prince, the one the Archetypes had proclaimed Crown Prince. So, Vincent broke through the first pocket universe¡¯s forcefield and teleported to Paris.

    Parisi, as the locals called it, was a grandiose city with massive art-nouveau buildings made of metal and glass, like they had been frozen in the early nineteen hundreds. Many of those were burning or broken. The city was at war.

    Vincent decided to walk through it, looking for information. He started on the right bank, near a train station, and went westward, following the river. The town hall was farther toward the center and had barricades, arresting his progress. Instead of jumping on or gliding, Vincent approached the improvised fortifications. They were manned by dwarves armed with muskets.

    ¡°Howdy. What¡¯s up?¡± he asked.

    ¡°What faction do you support?¡± a dwarf yelled.

    ¡°No faction, just passing by¡­ But what about you tell me what your faction stands for?¡± Vincent asked, noticing how the dwarf was putting his finger on the trigger. Sure, he could kill them all, but what was the point? He needed answers.

    ¡°You¡¯re on the True Commune of Parisi territory,¡± the dwarf shouted. ¡°Long live Marx and the proletarian fight!¡± he pumped his fist in the air.

    ¡°Yeah, comrade, long live the fight!¡± Vincent mimicked the gesture.

    ¡°We¡¯re brothers, not comrades!¡± the dwarf spat on the ground. ¡°Comrades is what the traitors call themselves.¡±

    ¡°Sorry, I had no idea,¡± Vincent apologized. ¡°So, what happened here?¡±

    ¡°We were hired by the Fifth Prince to conquer the city. He helped us pass the barrier. A week or so ago, our patron, Thorrak, was slain, and we stopped the fighting to mourn. We discovered the true works of Marx in a library and realized Thorrak had been lying to us. Marxism is not about working non-stop, making millions for Thorrak, but for the betterment of society.¡±

    ¡°True,¡± Vincent nodded.

    ¡°Unfortunately, our army soon split into factions, each with its own ideology. If you go further, prepare to forfeit your life because the false Commune of Parisi is made of blood-hungry monsters.¡±

    ¡°I can run very fast and Stealth myself,¡± Vincent said. ¡°So, the plan to conquer the city failed?¡±

    ¡°No. The prince had more troops; he got the Louvre. The Sixth Prince is retrenched into the opera.¡±

    ¡°Well, brother, long live the proletarian fight. Can I go on?¡±

    ¡°Let him pass!¡± the dwarf yelled. ¡°He¡¯s a proselyte. Read this,¡± he shoved a brochure into Vincent¡¯s hands, ¡°but don¡¯t let the fake Commune see it.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t,¡± Vincent said. Soon, he exited through the back of the fortifications and walked on. Notre Dame was a thing there, although he couldn¡¯t see the Eiffel Tower. Five minutes later, he was stopped at another barricade. Prudently, he threw the brochure in a garbage bin.

    ¡°Howdy¡­ comrades,¡± he said.

    ¡°Hoy, comrade!¡± a dwarf bellowed. ¡°Are you a sympathizer of the true Commune of  Parisi and Engels?¡±

    ¡°I sure am,¡± Vincent lied with a blank face. ¡°Do you have some brochure I could read?¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t have brochures. Our faction spreads its ideas during the party meetings. There¡¯s one at six in the afternoon if you want to attend.¡¯A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    ¡°It would be a dream come true. Say¡­ where¡¯s the opera, north of here?¡¯

    ¡°Northwest. But take a detour. If you aim directly, you¡¯ll meet the sect of the great deceiver.¡±

    ¡°Goodness¡­ You mean¡ª¡±

    ¡°Stalin,¡± the dwarf spat on the cobblestone. ¡°Avoid the Stalinists. They torture and eat people.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s bad,¡± Vincent frowned.

    ¡°Go first north, then west. You¡¯ll pass the Trotskists¡¯ territory, but they¡¯re OK. Don¡¯t smoke their weed. You¡¯ll be out for a day.¡¯

    ¡°Goodbye, comrade,¡± Vincent saluted, walking on. He stopped in a bar for a croissant and a coffee. ¡°Things look bad around here,¡± he said to the bartender.

    ¡°People fled the city,¡± the man nodded, ¡°but I have my old father to care for. At least, we can put a sign on the window: already looted, and they¡¯ll leave us alone.¡±

    ¡°Geez,¡± Vincent sighed. He paid ten times the price of the coffee and food with a full silver coin, then proceeded. When he noticed the next barricade, he jumped up and glided until he reached the opera. There was no point in entertaining the Trotskists, and Vincent hated weed. Good old alcohol was all he needed.

    ¡°Stop and state your business!¡± a guard pointed his musket at Vincent.

    ¡°I¡¯m here to help the crown prince. I need an audience.¡±

    ¡°His highness is indis¡ª¡±

    Vincent grabbed the man¡¯s lapel. ¡°My name is Vincent Vala?ka, and I¡¯ve killed a Calamity and fifty Archetypes. Go tell your master I need to talk with him, or I¡¯ll go in myself, wiping your blood off my boots on the carpet!¡±

    ¡°S-sure, sir¡­ keep your eyes peeled,¡± the man blurted toward a second guard, then ran inside.

    "Only two guards?" Vincent asked.

    "The situation is stable, sir. The Fifth Prince has to go through the Stalinists before getting to us, and they¡¯re tough sons of bitches. The Trotskists are our friends¡­ The prince is a libertarian.¡±

    ¡°Hm¡­¡± Vincent rolled his eyes. There was too much ideology in Parisi for his taste.

    ¡°Come with me, sir,¡± the first guard returned. Vincent was escorted to a booth on top of the concert hall transformed into private quarters.

    ¡°Guildcher Valaska,¡± the Sixth Prince came forward, offering a handshake. He appeared in his fifties, but Vincent knew that on Stellarterra, looks could be deceiving.

    Vincent bowed. ¡°A pleasure to meet Your Highness¡­ I¡¯ll go directly to the matter at hand. I need to meet your grandparents.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­ I thought you were here to help¡­¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t things stable?¡±

    ¡°They won¡¯t be stable for much longer. Princess Tertia followed the breach created by my brother, Prince Pentium, and her army infiltrated the city. They¡¯re waiting in the sewers south of the Louvre¡­ She wrote me¡­ inviting me to attack our brother from the north while her people attacked from the underground. Pentium has few people left¡­ all his dwarves are split into¡ª¡±

    ¡°I know¡­ OK¡­ I¡¯ll tell you what. I¡¯ll take care of her people if you tell me where the old guys are.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re in Orleans,¡± the Sixth Prince said. ¡°Their cave is at the center of the force field, the entrance inside the church, just after the entrance, down the stairs on the left. There is an illusion of a wall; ignore it.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    Jumping on the quai next to the Louvre, Vincent pulled out a package of magically enhanced plastic explosives. He set in a fuse with a timer, plunged into the water, and set the explosive on the wall. Parisi had no secondary layers of alleys like the town in Vincent¡¯s reality; the river ran close to the buildings.

    He Strode upward, waiting to see the result. The explosion was huge, as strong as a bunker-buster bomb. Half the street collapsed, and the water rushed inside the sewers. Westward, the manhole covers started to shoot up, pushed by the pressure. It was an ugly way to die, but it was not his fault but the rogue princess¡¯ doing. Vincent didn¡¯t get any notification about her. Still, over a hundred soldiers died within a minute, and the notifications kept rolling on. More started to appear, exiting their hiding, and shooting started.

    ¡°OK, let the fools kill each other for what I care,¡± he said to himself and jumped south. Orleans was tucked between two rivers and would have been much easier to defend. He entered the second pocket universe and glided down. It was time to meet the two Archetypes face to face.

    <hr>

    ¡°Six cores, some mythical artifacts looted from four Archetypes their lair killed, and a pod,¡± Vincent told Karl, gesturing toward Hubris and Kiara, who were sitting on the only two chairs in the lab. ¡°They still need their pod to regenerate for the time being.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re on the last leg,¡± Hubris laughed bitterly.

    ¡°Hm¡­¡± Karl said, coming closer and scrutinizing them. ¡°Why don¡¯t I call my friend, the doctor, and let him decide? From what I see, she needs eye surgery, and you need a new hip joint¡­ That¡¯s easy here.¡±

    ¡°I could cut two more rings for them,¡± Vincent proposed.

    ¡°We won''t need them. We intend to return to the Realm as soon as possible,¡± Kiara said. ¡°Do you have in mind a timeline to restore the System?¡±

    ¡°We know the new System is in a cave on Frosthaven,¡± Vincent said. ¡°First, we have to make sure we take it out. Then, there¡¯s the problem of making our system stable. Bee¡¯s working on an app that would collect metadata.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Kiara asked.

    ¡°Instead of using a hundred Archetypes, every other System user will offer information about their personalities,¡± Karl said.

    ¡°Brilliant!¡± Hubris exclaimed.

    ¡°I¡¯m tired, I¡¯ll go home¡­ Where do you want to sleep?¡± Vincent asked. ¡°I could rent something for you.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll use the pod, it¡¯s OK,¡± Hubris said.

    ¡°Vorrak, stay here and make sure they¡¯re safe.¡± At Vincent¡¯s order, the warg exited his shadow, sniffing around the lab. ¡°See you tomorrow,¡± the young man said and Strode away.

 69. Book 3-15. Murder Plans

    Traps were a delicate thing. First, they had to be invisible. Second, they had to involve as few parts as possible. Thirdly, they had to be lethal.

    Ludwing had threaded his snare carefully. What could be more invisible than gossip? Word had spread that the Altenschlosses had a massive stash of cash and virtual currencies in a hidden vault on their property. Ludwing had approached a few cat burglars, trying to hire them for an undisclosed job. That was the first step, and it worked.

    As for the second requirement, the trap had virtually a single part: him, which ensured the third part, lethality. Ludwing was flying toward Vienna through the snowstorm. Once at a castle, he intended to kill Karl¡¯s ex-wife and their son¡ªwho had occupied the mansion to search for the hidden treasure¡ªensuring his friends could regain their wealth. Of course, no one knew the plan but him. His earthlings acquaintances were softies of the worst kind¡­

    The feeling of the cold wind under his wings was so refreshing that he toured the castle thrice. Armed guards were everywhere now, but guns didn¡¯t worry him much. He was to strike fast and go away.

    The woman and her son were in the living room, where Ludwing had enjoyed so many drinks chatting with Karl. There was a guest, a tall man dressed in a black suit, contrasting the casual clothes of the two hosts.

    Security cameras were installed on the perimeter, but who could imagine a raven flying on the roof? Then, he let himself glide through the chimney. The fire was lit, but Ludwing could wrap himself in his shadow pocket universe, ignoring it. And since he was invisible, he listened to the conversation.

    ¡°There¡¯s about a hundred grand in wines in the cellar, but no treasure for now,¡± the older Altenschloss son explained to her mother. He was in his late twenties and looked much like Karl but in an annoying, smug way.

    ¡°Then continue searching!¡± his mother sneered. Karl¡¯s ex was a ¡®darling,¡¯ that was sure. Ludwing decided to kill her first if only to escape her shrieking voice. But for the moment, he decided to wait. Maybe the guest would leave, given time, making his task easier.

    ¡°The lawsuit is annoying,¡± the tall man said.

    ¡°Can¡¯t you just get rid of Karl?¡± the woman interjected.

    ¡°Mother!¡± the young man exclaimed. ¡°Karl¡¯s my father!¡±

    ¡°We tried to snatch his daughter but failed. Since then, there¡¯s always somebody with military training hanging around.¡±

    ¡°Hmpf,¡± the woman snorted. It obviously meant: ¡®You¡¯re good for nothing!¡¯

    ¡°We came out with another scheme instead,¡± the tall man said. His age was uncertain, and the expression on his face unreadable. ¡°To take full control of the board, we¡¯ll reinstore Karl and¡ª¡±

    ¡°Over my dead body!¡± the woman yelled, throwing her glass of wine in the chimney. It missed the man and broke a few inches from Ludwing.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you listen to the end?¡± the man said. ¡°We¡¯ll reinstore them, but they will be under our strict control.¡± The man clapped his hands, and a double door opened, letting in two armed guards. Between them was a boy about thirteen years old, gagged and handcuffed, sitting in a wheelchair, which he shared with an auburn-haired girl with a lot of freckles. ¡°They sent their older kid to a Swiss boarding school to keep him away from the scandal¡­ but they didn¡¯t bother to hire bodyguards,¡± the man smiled as wide as a shark. ¡°This little one here is our key to control Karl.¡±

    ¡°Bravo, Malvoisin, bravo!¡± the woman applauded while her son gasped, horrified.

    Malvoisin? That sounds like a villain''s name¡­ Ludwing frowned. He didn¡¯t like concurrence.

    ¡°And you didn¡¯t hear the best part,¡± Malvoisin cackled. ¡°I will take you at your word about that over my dead body part and replace you with better versions.¡± He clapped his hands again, and a man and a woman entered through the door, stopping on Malvoisin''s left and right. They looked identical to the Altenschloss, to the smallest detail, including the clothes. ¡°My cousin, Sander, was kind enough to volunteer for plastic surgery, and as for your replacement, I¡¯m sure you recognize your twin sister. You stole her inheritance, if I recall well. And now, it¡¯s time to say goodbye.¡±

    ¡°No!¡± the woman screamed when the guards unsheathed their guns.

    It was time for Ludwing to make his entrance. Letting other people kill his prey was out of the question.

    Fast Reactions activated. Channeled. 3 MPs/second

    Shadow Armor activated: Channeled: 3 MPs/second

    Dark Bullet charging: 3¡­ 2¡­

    Ludwing erupted out of the hiding, transforming into his human form. He grabbed a poker from the chimney, caved one of the guard¡¯s skulls with it, released the Dark Bullet into the second guard, killing him instantly, and then tried to stab Malvoisin with the sharp end of the poker. It met resistance, a sort of armor under the clothes. With inhuman speed, Malvoisin jumped backward, produced a gun, and shot at the king. The bullets made a big dent in Ludwing¡¯s Shadow Armor, one entering his chest, barely missing his left lung.

    Fuck! Ludwing blurted in thought. I forgot how much kinetic force bullets have¡­

    You are suffering from Minor Radiation Poisoning. Depleted Uranium rounds detected. Your wound is unable to heal as long you have the projectile inside you.

    With a reverse poker swing, he tore the throat of the fake son, then entered his pocket universe, disappearing from sight. He was burning a lot of Mana per second, and in an unawakened world, his recovery was abysmal. He had to find a solution within ten minutes.

    ¡°Loose ends first.¡± Malvoisin shot the real Altenschlosses, then yelled: ¡°Alert! Alert!¡± pressing a button on a radio he extracted from his coat.

    Who the hell is this guy? Ludwing was in pain, the bullet still inside him and refusing to budge. He needed a proper Healer.

    ¡°Malvoisin, this is Security One,¡± a voice replied on the radio. It was faint, but for his enhanced hearing, it was clearly audible. The quality was such that there was no need for code words. ¡°Situation?¡±

    ¡°We have a hostile who took out the kids¡¯ guards. A Vampire¡­ or Santa Clauss. He came through the chimney. Has a stealth device.¡±

    ¡°Do you require extraction?¡±

    ¡°Negative. Watch the perimeter. He¡¯s on the run. Don¡¯t let him escape. Make two teams of four to search the castle. Take this and guard the boy.¡± Malvoisin picked one of the guns from the floor, gave it to the woman, and exited. His steps could be heard running in the corridor and descending the stairs. The mansion followed the line of the hill; the living room floor was the ground level on the east side and the second story on the west.

    The tied boy tried to scream through the gag, and the woman slapped him. ¡°Shut up, you¡­ ghhh¡­.¡±  Her words got muffled. Ludwing¡¯s hand covered her mouth. A moment later, she collapsed on the floor, twitching, her heart run through by the king¡¯s sword cane.

    He kicked her gun away and then approached the couch after dismissing all channeled spells. The young man was still breathing; the woman was dead. Ludwing considered speeding the son¡¯s demise, but after a second of hesitation, he cast a Heal. The young man had protested the plan to kill Karl, after all, and the wound was clean; the bullet had gone into the couch.

    ¡°Who are you?¡± Karl¡¯s eldest son mumbled. ¡°How¡¯s my m¡ª"

    ¡°Not important.¡± Ludwing knelt before the younger boy and the freckled girl and cut their zip ties, ¡°You remember me, right? I¡¯m Karl¡¯s friend. Can you stand up?¡±

    ¡°I can walk all right,¡± the boy said. ¡°They used the chair only to move us.¡±

    ¡°And you, miss, are?¡± Ludwing asked the girl.

    ¡°We¡¯ve met before, sire. I¡¯m Rynn from Stellarterra. His fiancee!¡± the girl stated, executing a curtsyReading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

    ¡°She¡¯s not!¡± the boy yelped. ¡°She¡¯s stalking me.¡±

    ¡°So you were hanging around him, and they took you too to avoid leaving witnesses?¡± the king asked. The girl replied with a nod.

    ¡°I need a favor. I have a bullet in my back, and I can¡¯t reach it. One of you has to take it out for me.¡±

    The boy shivered and retched.

    ¡°I¡¯ll do it,¡± the girl said.

    The bullet was toward the back. First, Ludwing dismissed his clothes, sending them to the ring¡¯s storage. Then he pushed his sword into the wound, front to back, making a cut so the girl could slide his fingers inside, then retracted the weapon. ¡°Go on¡­ It should be six centimeters inside, on the left¡­ ignore the blood.¡±

    It took her three tries, but finally, the bullet was out and thrown on the floor.

    Healing+Regen activated: 4 MPs/second.

    ¡°Thank goodness,¡± Ludwing sighed, feeling the wound closing. ¡°Who¡¯s Malvoisin?¡±

    ¡°My mom¡¯s business partner¡­ part of the administration board¡­¡± Karl¡¯s oldest son said, sobbing as he closed his mother¡¯s eyes. ¡°We must run; they¡¯ll realize you¡¯re still here.¡±

    ¡°How many people do they have?¡±

    ¡°T-twenty? We thought they worked for us¡­¡±

    It was bad. Ludwing could escape alone without a problem, but leaving behind the kids meant Malvoisin kept his bargaining chip, and the eldest son was as good as dead. Not that he cared much about that, but still...

    "Anyone has a phone?¡± the kid said.

    ¡°Give me a weapon; I can fight,¡± the girl said.

    ¡°The bullet grazed it, but it¡¯s working,¡± the older brother extracted his phone from his vest. ¡°I¡¯ll call the police.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t,¡± Ludwing blurted. ¡°They¡¯ll intercept the call and know you¡¯re alive¡­ Give me a minute to think.¡±

    Walking back and forth, massaging the wound on his shoulder to make his muscles heal faster, Ludwing considered calling Vincent for help. Yet, it was the big Talent show night¡­ He had chosen that evening because everyone was busy and paid no attention to him¡­ Calling for help was embarrassing and could ruin Vincent¡¯s evening on top of that.

    So, are you willing to put your friend¡¯s kids'' lives in danger?

    Well, I¡¯m a villain, after all, Ludwing replied to himself.

    ¡°We have to move fast. How old are you, kids?¡± he asked the teenagers.

    ¡°F-fourteen¡­¡± the boy stuttered.

    ¡°Fifteen!¡± the girl said with pride. ¡°I¡¯m a Scout. Give me a weapon, and I¡¯ll fight alongside you,¡± she asked again.

    ¡°Hm¡­¡± If he had to give a gun to someone, it would have been the girl; the boys looked too pusillanimous. Nevertheless, she was still young, and Ludwing was unwilling to put her life on the line.  He stored all three guns in his inventory and activated his Pocket Universe for only a second, encompassing the entire park for one second, using his ability as a radar. There were seventeen hostiles left, plus Malvoisin.

    ¡°Get up! Now!¡± Ludwing barked at the older brother, who was whispering useless words to his dead mother, holding her hand. He took the corpse of the fake older son and put it on the couch next to the dead woman, hiding the wound with his own scarf. With some luck, the enemies would think the body was the real son and wouldn¡¯t count the ones on the floor.

    Voices approached on the corridor outside the living room. Outside, searching lights were battling the snowstorm.

    Mirror Image activated. Channeled: 50 MPs/second.

    He projected his skill in front of the tree line, pretending it was running toward the forest behind the park.  ¡°He¡¯s outside!¡± somebody yelled below. The steps and voices diminished. Outside, machine gun fire started but muffled. The enemies used sound suppressors, and the snowstorm did the same job.

    Ludwing beckoned the two boys and the girl to follow him to the farthest part of the room, to a mud room with an exit to the eastern lawn. ¡°Hide in here. I¡¯ll lure them inside the house and trap them with a force field. When you see a black wall separating you from the living, run as fast as possible. Don¡¯t stop until you reach a public place, then call the police.¡±

    He closed the door behind him, exited the living room, and advanced to the back of the house. Fortunately, there were no cameras in the private quarters. Karl had shown him where the security control room was. Ludwing barged in, spraying bullets from two of the captured weapons. In the past, the Altenschlosses had two former police officers for all security detail. Now, there were four guards.

    They died in seconds, unable to react in time. The camera showed two teams of four approaching the west entrance, most likely alarmed by the shots. Changing into a raven, Ludwing flew out and onward, keeping close to the ceiling. He fell in the middle of the second team, changing back.

    [Dark Bullet] charging: 3¡­ 2... 1¡­

    He threw a woman off the railing, shot another man in the head, stabbed a third, and headbutted the fourth, using him as a shield while he fired the last bullet in the gun and his spell on the upper team. The latter killed his mark, but the normal bullet only clipped a man¡¯s shoulder. However, instead of profiting from their advantage, the three guards dashed into a room, shooting suppressive fire at Ludwing, who had to duck down the stairs after his human shield had been killed by friendly fire.

    ¡°He¡¯s in the house!¡± someone shouted on the radio. ¡°Back door.¡±

    Someone was panting not far from him. The woman Ludwing had thrown off the stairs. Her back was broken, and she was trying to crawl away on her elbows. She was scared and crying.

    ¡°Sorry about that,¡± Ludwing approached her.

    ¡°Please,¡± she begged.

    Ludwing hit her chin, knocking her off, then cast a Heal on her back. Am I becoming a softie? A suppressive fire hit the wall above him. It was intended to keep him pinned while the ones outside came back in, taking him from behind.

    His Mana was at about half, which was not great. However, his foes were predictable. They were rushing toward the back entry. Taking a grenade from the woman¡¯s belt, Ludwing threw it outside. The explosion made three people fall dead, but unfortunately, the rest kept coming.

    Shit!

    The moment had come¡­ After releasing a ping to identify the location of his foes, Ludwing activated his Shadow Pocket Universe to its full power and extension: the Dark Arena. At his command, all over the mansion, electricity flickered and died out, and gunpowder got neutered. Behind him were five soldiers. In the room above, three more, and in the living, Malvoisin. He ran up the stairs, passing the room while the three guards were trying to shoot their guns at him for naughts, cursing.

    Dark Bullet charging: 3¡­ 2¡­ 1¡­

    The plan was to take out the boss, thus making the minions flee or surrender. Entering the living room, Ludwing almost bumped into Malvoisin. Seeing his gun wasn¡¯t working, the man threw it at Ludwing, making the king duck to avoid being hit in the face.

    ¡°Who are you?¡± Malvoisin asked.

    ¡°Ludwing van Corvinus, king of Hungary in an alternate reality,¡± Ludwing replied, stalling for time. He had made his pocket universe¡¯s walls opaque for the ones trapped inside, but he still could see through.  The two brothers and the girl had obeyed his orders and ran toward the woods. ¡°Who are you?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m just a guy struggling to make a living,¡± Malvoisin said, stepping obliquely. ¡°I saw you in the reality show¡­ big fan...¡±

    ¡°Is there a way to end this peacefully?¡± Ludwing asked.

    ¡°You¡¯re na?ve¡­ I don¡¯t work alone. If I fail, my associates will silence me.¡±

    ¡°So be it,¡± Ludwing shrugged. The kids had entered the woods. With a flicker of his wrist, he released the Dark Bullet, only to have it deflected by a shield Malvoisin had grabbed from above the fireplace, along with a side sword.

    ¡°You¡¯re fast; I¡¯ll give you that,¡± Ludwing said.

    ¡°Did some fencing,¡± the man said. Then Ludwing realized the other was stalling too. The eight guards entered the room, knives in hand, except one armed with a mop. The odds were not good. He still felt sour from the wound, his cane sword was puny compared to the sword, and his Mana was diminishing fast.

    ¡°Surrender and work for me,¡± Malvoisin offered.

    ¡°Sorry. Kings don¡¯t work for other people¡­¡± What am I saying? I do work for the Vala?ka boy¡­

    ¡°Then¡­¡± Malvoisin saluted.

    ¡°Can I ask you why you¡¯re doing this?¡± the king asked.

    ¡°You¡¯re not trying to goad me into a villain monologue, are you?¡±

    ¡°Had to try,¡± Ludwing shrugged. ¡°It works every time in my world.¡±

    The swords met in a first pass of arms. Ludwing was a decent swordsman, but Malvoisin was better, moving with a speed that exceeded even the king¡¯s enhanced reflexes. His attacks were precise, overwhelming the Shadow Armor.

    In less than ten seconds, Ludwing got a cut above the eyes, making him bleed profusely, then a thrust in his good arm, obliging him to change hands. At the same time, his few attacks that landed did little damage.

    ¡°Don¡¯t overextend,¡± Mavoisin said. ¡°Wait for my attack, parry, and riposte.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for the lesson,¡± Ludwing hissed, preparing to do just that when a heavy blow threw water and dirt in his eyes, dazing him. The guard with the mop had hit him in the head, and Malvoisin stabbed his thigh, profiting from the moment.

    ¡°Why do you keep fighting? Do you care so much for their lives?¡±

    Ludwing was now surrounded in the middle of the room. Malvoisin and the mop guy were on one side while the rest were behind, ready to overwhelm him.

    The king leaned his head sideways, keeping his guard high, ignoring his wounds as he needed the mana. The man was right¡­ He did care. Fuck, I¡¯m thinking like a hero¡­ that¡¯s bad¡­ C¡¯mon, Ludwing, don¡¯t be a loser¡­ What would a villain do? What would your grandfather do?

    The thought somehow brought a bad taste to Ludwing¡¯s mouth. Shadow Armor had a secondary utility: catching people in improvised forcefields. He separated himself from Malvoisin and the mop man, killed one guard with a stab in the neck, and wounded a second one. As the latter fell, grabbing his chest, Ludwing turned into a raven and flew back into the corridor.

    ¡°Stop!¡± Malvoisin yelled to his goons. ¡°He wants us to follow and kill us one by one. There¡¯s barbecue fuel in the kitchen. We make Molotovs and burn the house, starting with the back. He¡¯ll either come back or run.¡±

    Ludwing did the only thing he could: aimed for the back door. His mana was depleted. The woman has regained consciousness. ¡°Your pals are preparing to burn the house. As soon I stop the magic wall, run,¡± he told her.

    Hearing the raven talk filled her eyes with terror, and she crossed herself.

    ¡°Hope you¡¯re good, kids,¡± Ludwing said, dismissing the Dark Arena. Electricity was restored, and the lights went back on. The woman darted off the door.

    ¡°Guns work!¡± someone shouted after firing a shot.

    ¡°Stay put!¡± Malvoisin yelled. ¡°We call the police and blame the murders on him. He¡¯s Karl¡¯s friend¡­ It¡¯s perfect! AH!¡±

    The boasting transformed into a scream, and many gunshots followed. However, all the noise ceased in seconds.

    ¡°Where are you, you fucking retarded inbreed bastard? Get here now, or I¡¯ll cut your balls and feed them to Cupcakes! Vorrak is too good a dog to eat such shit!¡±

    Vincent¡¯s voice sounded like music in the king¡¯s ears. Awkwardly flapping his wounded wings, Ludwing returned to the living room, using the last mana to transform into himself.

    ¡°Lila, take care of the idiot!¡± Vincent yelled.

    ¡°How did you know?¡± Ludwing collapsed on the floor while Vincent¡¯s wife healed him. All around, there were dead bodies broken into pieces. Vincent had most likely Strode in their middle. Vorrak was still chewing on Malvoisin¡¯s neck.

    ¡°The boys phoned Karl, and I was nearby. I have to go; the finals are in five. You deal with the police,¡± Vincent sneered. ¡°Kids, you must stay too. They¡¯ll need witnesses.¡±

    ¡°Wait!¡± Ludwing panicked, hearing the sirens getting closer and closer. ¡°What should I tell them?¡±

    ¡°Dunno¡­ You made this mess; figure it out.¡± Taking Vorrak and Lila with him, Vincent disappeared.

 70. Book 3-16 Talent Show Finale

    Inside her cabin, Brigid was training, chaining sword attacks. From the two classes her armor offered, Brigid had switched to Graceblade. It made her speed and precision unrivaled.

    Such exercises, katas, as the locals called them, helped put her mind at ease. Mere minutes were left until the Talent Show finale, where she was to confront Vincent Vala?ka alone. That was the format: the teams¡¯ captains going against each other.

    Somebody knocked at the door.

    ¡°Enter,¡± she called, keeping her sword at the ready. One could never be ready enough with a traitor such as Vincent Vala?ka.

    ¡°Good evening,¡± the man said. ¡°My name is Karl Alt¡ª¡±

    ¡°I know who you are,¡± Brigid said. ¡°What do you want?¡±

    ¡°To warn you. You are planning to challenge Vincent to a duel or ambush him. He is aware of your plans. If you go forward with it, you¡¯ll lose.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t lose,¡± Brigid glared back at him. ¡°Tonight, Vicent Vala?ka will bite the dust.¡±

    ¡°Vincent asked me to tell you these words exactly: Forget about it. If not, he¡¯ll break you. You¡¯ll feel your entrails boiling, will cry, crawl on the floor, and wish you¡¯d be dead.¡±

    ¡°Earthlings have a saying: It¡¯s not over until the fat lady sings. Good evening,¡± Brigid added, signaling the meeting was over.

    Shrugging, the man left, and she returned to her exercises. Her mind, however, was not at ease. Could her grandmother¡¯s killer have seen through her plans for real? And if so, did he have a counter? No! She shook her head. Her ambush was perfect.

    Another knock at the door broke her concentration again. There were less than five minutes before her moment. ¡°What is it now?¡± she yelled.

    Two elderly persons entered the room, a man and a woman. The woman wore glasses, and the man had a cane and was slightly limping.

    ¡°Brigid!¡± the woman opened her arms for a hug.

    ¡°Who are you,¡± Brigid stepped back, pointing her sword forward, ready to fight if necessary.

    "I''m Kiara, honey. Your grand grandmother."

    "I''m Hubris, your grand grandfather,¡± the man said.

    The words made Brigid freeze, and before she could react, the woman stepped forward, catching her in her clasp, followed by the man. The sword fell from her hand, clinking on the wooden floor.

    ¡°We¡¯re so happy to see you!¡± Kiara said, fondling the girl¡¯s cheeks. ¡°You¡¯re so beautiful!¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve followed your progress,¡± Hubris said. ¡°Is it true you¡¯ve been asked to play Joan of Arc in a Hollywood movie?¡±

    ¡°A Bollywood one,¡± she said automatically, still stunned. ¡°I thought you were¡ª¡±

    ¡°Dead? We were stuck in our pod,¡± Kiara said, ¡°but got out a week ago¡­ We were in very bad shape¡­ Then, Vincent brought us here. I got my sight restored, and Hubris got a new hip¡­ this world is wonderful.¡±

    ¡°Sweetheart, Vincent is not your enemy,¡± Hubris said. ¡°Don¡¯t blame him for your grandmother¡¯s choices.¡±

    ¡°He has to pay!¡± Brigid said, pushing herself away from them. ¡°He used trickery against me. It¡¯s time I repay him the favor.¡±

    ¡°We were Summoned from this world over a thousand years ago,¡± Kiara said. ¡°I remember it like it was yesterday. We were running from the Vikings, your grandmother in my arms. She was such a sweet child¡­ All smiles and happiness. Then, she grew and pursued greatness, building herself an empire¡­ And died because of it¡­ For me, she¡¯s not the Clockwork Queen¡­ All I remember is the sweet toddler playing with marbles and her teddy bear¡­ Please don¡¯t throw away your life like she did!¡±

    As she said that, Hubris produced the objects, caressing the worn teddy bear¡¯s head. Her eyes flooded with tears, and Brigid suddenly understood. This was Vincent¡¯s ambush, the one she¡¯d been warned against. The attack meant to boil her innards, make her curl in a ball, and cry. And she would have done exactly that if not for the presenter.

    ¡°It¡¯s your turn.¡±

    She ran out, leaving her weapon behind, reducing her armor into a bracelet, and then erupting on the scene. An enthusiastic row of applauses met her.The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°Hello, Brigid,¡± the blonde woman from the international jury said. ¡°Are you ready for the big finale?¡±

    ¡°I am,¡± she said, trying to control her tears. ¡°This is the moment I waited for. Tonight, I will take my revenge on the man who broke my heart. Vincent Vala?ka.¡±

    ¡°Err¡­ and how are you¡ª¡¯

    ¡°For tonight¡¯s performance, I will sing!¡±

    <hr>

    Vincent has performed a training number, making Sven, Vorrak, and Cupcakes do all sorts of funny and silly things. He was pretty confident in his chances. Animals were cute, everybody liked them. The win was all but sure. The problem was the ambush Brigid had planned, one she pretended Vincent wouldn¡¯t see coming.

    ¡°She has no weapon,¡± Sven pointed at the young woman who had erupted on the scene. The spider was the one who heard Brigid bragging to her team.

    ¡°Maybe she has a hidden knife¡­¡± Vincent frowned. ¡°The best moment to attack would be when we¡¯re both called to the stage and the public asked to vote.¡±

    ¡°Son,¡± Karl touched his arm. ¡°This is bad¡­¡±

    Instead of the challenge to a public duel he expected, Brigid had proclaimed: ¡°I will sing!¡±

    ¡°Oh no!¡± Vincent gasped. ¡°She¡¯s not after killing me¡­ She¡¯s after the money!¡±

    ¡°She can¡¯t be good, can she?¡± Sven asked, frowning with all his eyes.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Vincent nodded. ¡°Princesses are not into singing, are they?¡± Then Brigid started. ¡°Fuck¡­ she¡¯s good!¡± Vincent facepalmed.

    ¡°And pretty,¡± Karl pointed. ¡°And tearful¡­ and what she said makes you look like a jerk.¡±

    ¡°I did nothing!¡± Vincent complained, feeling the prize slide through his fingers.

    ¡°There¡¯s still the consolation prize,¡± Irene said, fondling his biceps. ¡°One million¡­ it¡¯s not so bad.¡±

    ¡°I wanted to buy a mansion for us,¡± he simpered.

    Five minutes later, he was called to join Brigid on stage. The blonde judge raised and announced. ¡°The voting will begin in three¡­ two¡­ one¡­¡±

    ¡°Wait!¡± Vincent blurted. ¡°I have something to say!¡±

    Somebody, probably a producer, spoke into the blonde¡¯s headset because she growled and gestured at him to continue.

    ¡°I beg everyone, vote for her!¡± Vincent said, kneading his hands. ¡°Brigid is right. I don¡¯t deserve the prize. She used only her talent while I cheated. I used advanced tech developed by my wife¡¯s foundation and start-up company we own together. We¡¯ll go public on Monday."

    ¡°Who cares about tech? Confess what you did to me!¡± Brigid roared, stepping toward him, her palm raised for a slap.

    ¡°I confess!¡± Vincent yelled, backstepping, his hands raised in the air. ¡°I cheated. I sucker punched Brigid Gearhart during a fight, and if I wouldn¡¯t have done it, she¡¯d won!¡±

    ¡°Yes! You all heard him, right?¡± Brigid shouted, looking at the cameras. ¡°He cheated. I would have won under normal conditions!¡±

    ¡°Wait! You two were not¡­ together?¡± the blonde gasped. ¡°All this was for a¡­ fight? I thought he dumped you¡­¡±

    ¡°What? You thought I was involved with this peasant?¡± Brigid creased her nose. ¡°I¡¯d rather be dead!¡±

    Backstage, Karl was hyperventilating, maybe because the plan to go public was supposed to be kept a secret. Vincent winked at him. A talent show with millions of followers was better publicity than a press conference.

    Let¡¯s see how the public will vote now that your soppy story is destroyed, you stuck-up princess! Vincent sneered. Take some reverse psychology!

    The live public was delirious, shouting and asking questions. The judge blurted something about opening the vote, then returned to her table. The ruckus held all five minutes the voting was supposed to happen. Another jury member waved his hands to ask for silence, speaking with pauses, visibly exhausted emotionally.

    ¡°Ladies and gentlemen¡­ the vote has concluded¡­ The producers are sending a new presenter to¡­ announce the results.¡±

    Advancing with a quick stride, a robot advanced on stage. It was the one used by Bee and Bella to host the AI personalities formerly living in Sven. Enhanced with the materials Vincent brought from the Realm, it looked like a pretty cyborg girl.

    ¡°Hi!¡± the robot chirped, waving her hand. ¡°I¡¯m one of the foundation¡¯s projects Vincent spoke about. I will start with a personal announcement: We¡¯re grateful to the International League for Leadership, Unity, Mentoring Initiative, Narrative Advocacy, and Talent Integration for the chance and opportunity of a normal life.

    ¡°Multiple AIs coexist in this body. We look forward to exploring the Solar System and helping humanity thrive. Without further ado¡­ the voting has an unexpected result¡­ It¡¯s a perfect equality. The producers have contacted the sponsors, who agreed that such fine performances deserve reward. Both teams will receive the full prize.¡±

    The robot bowed and left while Brigid¡¯s team rushed onto the scene, taking her over their shoulders and cheering joyfully. Vincent felt a pang of jealousy in his heart. He wished his team would love him as much. Cupcakes was in only because he offered her treats afterward. Lila and Sven had their own agenda: to be invited to dance and DJ in clubs. Barbara had been a one-time-only apparition. The only person who put all his soul into the project, except for Vincent, was Vorrak. He called the warg out of his shadow and patted his head.

    Vincent was presented with a giant check, then waved to the public and retired. They left the hall and exited through the rear entrance. A police car, lights on, was waiting for them.

    ¡°Karl Altenschloss?¡± a policewoman approached. ¡°Please come with us.¡±

    ¡°W-why?¡± Karl feigned surprise.

    ¡°It¡¯s about your two elder sons¡­ They were kidnapped, but they¡¯re OK.¡±

    ¡°Oh, my God!¡± Karl trembled. ¡°Are they safe?¡±

    ¡°They were checked to a hospital for a routine examination, but all seems right. Please, sir, get into the car.¡±

    ¡°Of course, officer, of course,¡± Karl rushed to say, following the policewoman.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go with Papa. See you at the hotel!¡± Irene blurted. ¡°Oh, my God, Oh, my God! I hope my brothers are all right!¡±

    ¡°And the Oscar goes to¡­¡± Vincent whispered.

    ¡°Vincent Vala?ka,¡± the robot said. ¡°Nice act, back there. You made Brigid look like a bitch. A master strategist in the making.¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­ I couldn¡¯t let her steal my hard-worked money, cheating with a mike and some tears,¡± Vincent growled.

    ¡°You do realize you¡¯re a billionaire, right?¡±

    ¡°Sorry?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a thing called pre-IPO. As soon as you went live on TV, orders flowed. The first to invest were the producers. Your worth is now about ten billion.¡±

    ¡°Goodness!¡± Vincent hiccuped, supporting himself on a lamppost.

    ¡°And for the record, you won, but only with a hundred votes more. It was within the margin of error, and the producers chose to avoid possible lawsuits.¡±

    ¡°All considered, things went pretty smooth,¡± Lila said.

    ¡°I love you,¡± he said. He just felt happy and in the mood to say such things.

    ¡°I love you too,¡± she grabbed his arm, leaning her head on his shoulder. ¡°Let¡¯s take the back streets, I see paparazzi.¡±

 71. Book 3-17 Eventful Morning

    The next morning, Sunday, Vincent stayed late in bed, watching the news. He was alone: Irene was talking with her father about the foundation, and Lila was filming a video clip with Sven. The massacre in the castle was attributed to a mafia war, factions fighting for the Altenschloss money. More arrests were made. The board had an emergency meeting, restoring Karl to his presidential position and giving him access to his funds,  which were dwarfed by the profit from the space company.

    A hero of the mansion fight emerged: Rynn, who spewed nonsense about how she had knocked unconscious ten guards and freed herself and the boy. She held the kid in a hug from the back, arms wrapped around his neck, beaming her wide grin while the boy sulked in despair. Fiance was a word she repeated every minute.

    At nine, the receptionists appeared, carrying a rolling tray with food and champagne. ¡°I brought you breakfast,¡± she winked. Her skimpy house robe said all about her intentions.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take care of this.¡± Appearing from behind, Raya pushed the tray inside while shoving the woman out and turning the key to close the door.

    ¡°Err¡­ Hi¡­¡± Vincent said in a shaky voice, pulling the blanket up his chin, fearing the Amazon had the same intentions as the receptionist. It wasn¡¯t that Vincent wasn¡¯t attracted to her anymore; he was, but now he knew what a relationship meant and wouldn¡¯t betray Irene¡¯s and Lila¡¯s trust. He was resolved to make his thoughts clear to Raya, confronting the problem like a man. By teleporting away, if necessary.

    ¡°We need to talk,¡± Raya said.

    ¡°S-sure,¡± he nodded slowly.

    ¡°I¡¯m leaving for the US¡­¡± Vincent remained silent, and she continued. ¡°A university hired me to give lessons about the Bogomil protofeminism¡­ When I came here, I brought an old book about our beliefs¡­ I translated bits of it and showed it around. The book was analyzed and confirmed to be centuries old¡­ They didn¡¯t realize it was from an alternate reality. I told them I discovered and researched it¡­ and I¡¯m considered the top specialist¡­¡±

    ¡°So this is goodbye.¡±

    She fondled his cheek. ¡°I¡­ care for you, Vincent. I really care. We could remain friends¡­¡±

    ¡°I hope so,¡± he smiled at her. He wished to cry and repressed his impulse to plunge his knuckles into his eyesockets and rub them.

    ¡°I have to go,¡± Raya tried to raise, but he caught her by the wrist.

    ¡°Wait¡­¡±

    ¡°If you want to ask me to join in a third marriage, I will say no. We should get on our own ways. Irene and Lila will be hurt. I¡¯m older than them. They¡¯ll fear I¡¯ll be more of a friend for you than they can be.¡±

    ¡°I know. I think the same. Cancel the flight. I will take you there myself. It¡¯s faster and safer.¡±

    ¡°I will take the plane. Let¡¯s... not prolong this more than necessary¡­ But,¡± she hesitated, ¡°when things settle on the Realm, I¡¯d appreciate if you¡¯d help the girls visit their father¡­ If it¡¯s not too much to ask.¡±

    ¡°Of course. Do you want me to bring him here on the next trip?¡±

    Raya shook her head. ¡°Not if his life is not in danger. We divorced.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­ so that¡¯s what giving him some space meant¡­¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­ does it mean something different here?¡±

    ¡°Not in the long run¡­ Won¡¯t you accept any money from me? Friends give gifts to each other, you know¡­ I¡ª"The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    ¡°I¡¯ll live in an apartment paid for by the university, the salary is great, and I got a contract signed to publish the book¡­ a million dollars, plus royalties¡­¡±

    ¡°Wow. That¡¯s a good contract.¡±

    ¡°What can I say? Protofeminism pays.¡±

    ¡°Guess so.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you what. If I ever need money, I¡¯ll ask. OK? For now, I¡¯ll settle for a small gift instead.¡±

    ¡°What gift?¡±

    ¡°A kiss.¡± Raya leaned forward. Their kiss was less about eroticism and more about sharing the taste of their tears freely flowing on their cheeks. ¡°Bye, Vincent.¡± Raya kissed Vincent once more on the cheek and left.

    Vicent sighed, then called his mother.

    ¡°Yes?¡±  she replied.

    ¡°Hi, mom. I wondered¡­ can you ask discreetly¡­ no, forget discreetly¡­ knock at every door and ask if anyone is interested in selling their apartment at double the market price. I don¡¯t like castles¡­ When I¡¯m in Prague, I would like to stay in an apartment close to you guys. And maybe when we have kids, you could take care of them when we¡¯re busy.¡±

    ¡°Vincent¡­ you¡¯re such a good son¡­¡± the woman said. ¡°I want you to know.¡±

    ¡°Err¡­ thanks¡­¡±

    ¡°Very good son,¡± his father yelled.

    ¡°Karl bought the apartment below us. He¡¯ll sell the mansion¡­ you saw the crimes there?¡±

    ¡°I did.¡±

    ¡°He said the same thing: he prefers to live next to his friends. He also offered us a billion dollars, but we refused¡­ Martin asked for a bottle of good wine instead, and they drank it together last night.¡±

    ¡°Really good stuff,¡± Vincent¡¯s father said. ¡°Ordered it online¡­ came in ten minutes¡­¡±

    ¡°Dad¡­ you should know Karl¡¯s idea of good wine is a few thousand euros a bottle.¡±

    ¡°Oh my God!¡±

    ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s good you enjoyed it. It¡¯s not like he can¡¯t afford it. Well, glad he bought an apartment, but see if we can buy some too.¡±

    ¡°I think the old lady on the top floor wants to move to a smaller apartment¡­ I¡¯ll ask around.¡±

    ¡°Thanks. Bye.¡±

    As soon he closed the call, somebody knocked on his door using their fists. ¡°I¡¯m coming!¡± he yelled, getting down from the bed, only in his boxers. ¡°Why the ruckus?¡± he growled at Hubris, the one who had knocked.

    ¡°Orleans will soon be under attack.¡±

    ¡°How so?¡±

    ¡°The four other pretenders made peace and are going after Sia.¡±

    ¡°OK, and what do you want from me?¡±

    ¡°Orleans is where our core is,¡± Hubris hissed. ¡°That one cannot be moved. If it falls into the wrong hands¡­ it won¡¯t be good.¡±

    ¡°Sia retreated to Orleans. It¡¯s fortified, and he allied with your guy, Scoundrell, who managed to get there with his troops in only two days.¡±

    ¡°They ran or something?¡±

    ¡°How cute. Our empire has trains! We¡¯re civilized, you know. The problem is Sia¡¯s rivals used a device to break through Orleans¡¯ pocket universe¡¯s forcefield. Our core sent a force of golems against them, but it was not enough. The rebels will besiege the city within hours. I was thinking you could turn the tides. That¡¯s what you do for breakfast, right?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll see what I can do. Wait in the lobby; I¡¯ll dress and join you in ten minutes.¡±

    Dressing was easy with the spatial storage in hand, so a minute later, he called Irene. ¡°The enemy just made his move on Stellarterra. They¡¯re attacking Orleans.¡±

    ¡°How?¡± Irene asked. ¡°And why?¡±

    ¡°Orleans is the most fortified place resisting them, and they might think we¡¯re there or that we¡¯ll come to the rescue. I think we should help them.¡±

    ¡°Let them be. Why risk our troops for strangers?¡±

    ¡°Because it¡¯s better to cull them on their terrain, not on ours, and Scoundrell is already there. I could use you to be the Bug¡¯s cannoneer. The Bug¡¯s tough; we¡¯ll not be in danger.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s weak to electromagnetic attacks. Bee¡¯s struggling to find a way to shield it, but there¡¯s little progress. He has many other priorities, you know.¡±

    ¡°You think we should give him some of the money? We made a lot of profit because of his skills.¡±

    ¡°Of course we should. It¡¯s Guild rules.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­ true¡­¡±

    ¡°And to Bella too¡­ without her, we wouldn¡¯t have the AIs in the robots.¡±

    ¡°Hm¡­¡±

    ¡°Hm, what? You¡¯re not considering keeping the poor girl¡¯s money, right?¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m considering taking her with us¡­ She has antimagic, remember? She could shield the Bug. So¡­are you in? We¡¯ll take every precaution necessary and scram at the first sign of trouble.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m in. Bella¡¯s at your sister¡¯s place, right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­¡±

    ¡°Then grab her, and I¡¯ll join you at the lab. I¡¯m at your parents'' place, in my parents¡¯ room¡­ I heard your conversation, by the way¡­ I love you¡­¡±

    ¡°I love you too¡­¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll take Elkandaros too, I presume.¡±

    ¡°You bet. I say we let Lila dance.¡±

    ¡°I say the same. She makes good money from something she likes.¡±

    ¡°Good. Say¡­ who has the ring today, you or her?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s on me, why?¡±

    ¡°Wear it. Bee engraved a Rezz and other spells on it. See you at the lab.¡±

    As he had promised the Archetype, Vincent arrived downstairs within the ten-minute limit. In the lobby were not only Hubris and Kiara but also Brigid. The princess had red swollen eyes and saluted with a groan and a flicker of her index.

    ¡°What¡¯s up with her?¡± Vincent asked.

    ¡°Her team had a party after the show, and it was still ongoing when we got her. Don¡¯t worry, she¡¯ll help. She¡¯s a good fighter and loves her father,¡± Kiara said.

    ¡°Perfect. Let¡¯s move. We¡¯ll pick Bella on the way and meet Irene and Elkandaros at the lab.¡±

 72. Book 3-18. A War Begins

    Orleans¡­

    Scoundrell¡¯s gaze walked over the city, his right hand protecting his eyes from the sun. On Stellarterra, the city was on the south bank of the Loire, tucked between the larger river and a smaller one. It had a moat in the East, where there was no river, and a star-shaped fortress in Vauban style.

    A good defensive position¡­ if one has enough people.

    He had arrived there in the morning, along with three thousand of his ragtag soldiers and a thousand Mongol archers. They had commandeered trains and boats for almost three days non-stop. They were supposed to defend the city. The only problem was that the enemies had twenty times his soldiers. Next to him, four envoys of the attackers were discussing with the Crown Prince, Sia Sixtus.

    ¡°And no poison of any kind,¡± one of them said, frowning at Scoundrell.

    He¡¯s Inspecting me¡­

    ¡°Only if there is no elemental magic either,¡± Sia retorted.

    ¡°Agreed.¡¯

    ¡°Then we have a deal.¡± One by one, the four emissaries exchanged handshakes with the prince and left.

    ¡°No poison is a bummer,¡± Scoundrell said.

    ¡°You can¡¯t use a skill?¡± the prince asked.

    ¡°No, I can¡¯t use a weapon. On Earth, we have all sorts of cute things that are normally forbidden. Nerve gas, for instance. It spreads like a fog, and one drop kills.¡±

    ¡°Then it¡¯s for the best not to use it. Elemental magicians would use the wind to push it into our ranks.¡±

    Scoundrell shrugged. The Celtic way of waging war was strange but had its advantages. It restricted the use of specific weapons and ensured the losers would be treated right.

    ¡°Hi,¡± Vincent blurted, appearing near them. ¡°Are negotiations over?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Sia said. ¡°The battle will start after the last civilians in town flee,¡± he pointed south, where a line of people were leaving the city.

    ¡°I brought you reinforcements. Helicopters, drones, howitzers. They¡¯re behind that hill,¡± Vincent pointed. ¡°Dragon¡¯s in charge. Good luck¡­ I have to go.¡±

    <hr>

    After leaving Orleans, Vincent returned to Krivoburg to check on the Guild, then, half an hour later, jumped to Pragwyn to meet Karel for a brief brainstorm. Things were under control, and Trinella had sent a company of Dark Knights as reinforcements.

    Finally, Vincent, Irene, Elkandaros, Bella, and Brigid boarded the Bug. Vincent intended to check the dwarven shipyards. He had no use for the princess but wanted to keep an eye on her as a courtesy to his friends, Kiara and Hubris. It was obvious that the girl had a mother of a hangover.

    ¡°Wake me up if there¡¯s some serious fighting,¡± Brigid said and proceeded to snore almost instantly.

    Bella groaned and tried to shove her away as the princess leaned her head on her shoulder. ¡°Help! She¡¯s too heavy!¡±

    ¡°Here,¡± Vincent said, giving her a hand. The back seats on the bug were crowded, with him, Brigid, and Bella there. He and Brigid were on the bigger side, and the lithe blonde was squeezed in between. ¡°Now, let¡¯s jump,¡± he said, transporting the Bug above the dwarven shipyards on Stellarelphella.

    ¡°I could have done that,¡± Elkandaros said from the pilot seat. He was wearing the pod armor over his robot form and looked massive. ¡°You should conserve your Karmic Charges.¡±

    ¡°Please, stop bugging me¡­ Your time will come. What do we have here?¡± Vincent leaned forward, supporting himself on the seat before him, looking through the small windshield. Bella started slapping his arms in a flurry of weak hits.

    ¡°Private space! Stay on your side!¡±

    ¡°Hey, this is not a bus! This is business!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m turning the Bug laterally,¡± Elkandaros said.

    Now Vincent could see the landscape through his lateral window. A dozen of the building docks were empty, and the rest abandoned, with the ships unfinished. The enemy had finished at least a part of the war fleet. A fraction, but it still meant a lot.

    ¡°Let¡¯s check the twin planets,¡± Elkandaros said.

    Vincent nodded and transported the Bug a few thousand miles away from Emberweld and Frosthaven, hiding inside Outsider¡¯s Refuge to be on the safe side.

    ¡°I see no ships whatsoever,¡± Irene said, zooming the ship''s sensors around.

    ¡°Maybe they¡¯re still on their way,¡± Vicent said.

    ¡°How far are we from Stellarelphella?¡± Irene asked.

    ¡°Something like two billion miles,¡± Elkandaros said.

    ¡°We got it wrong. There¡¯s no way they¡¯re heading here. It would take months without an FTL,¡± Irene said.

    ¡°What¡¯s an FTL?¡± Elkandaros asked.

    ¡°Faster Than Light. Your Warp is one. Contrary to Vincent¡¯s Stride, which is a wormhole.¡±

    ¡°Guys, cut the nerdish,¡± Vincent said. ¡°If they¡¯re not here, they¡¯re going to Stellarterra. From Stellarelphela to Stellarterra, the distance is small, right?¡±

    ¡°Three million miles, I think,¡± Elkandaros said.

    ¡°That¡¯s a matter of days. They could be already there.¡±

    ¡°Fuck!¡± Irene hit the control board with her fist. ¡°With twelve ships, they could bomb our cities into submission.¡±

    ¡°Not if we find them first!¡± Vincent said. ¡°Here we go.¡± He Strode over Stellarterra, at the location where he encountered the Calamity, then jumped next to the moon because it was within sight distance.

    ¡°I don¡¯t see anything,¡± he said.This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    ¡°Have a little patience,¡± Irene said. ¡°I¡¯m scanning, but I¡¯m not so good at this stuff. Oh¡­ Here they are¡­ Very close. A few thousand miles from us.¡±

    She zoomed on the image on the touch screen, showing them twelve tiny dots, not looking much at that distance. Vincent jumped closer, starting another Refuge. This time, the Bug¡¯s optics could take in the full view. The ships were leaving long lines of thruster fire behind. All had their cargo bays open, revealing multiple rows of space scooters, each with bombs attached underneath. Maintenance personnel filled tanks with whatever fuel the contraptions used, and pilots wearing spacesuits were getting ready. The bays were protected from the vacuum through a force field.

    ¡°This is bad,¡± Irene said.

    ¡°I could break those ships apart, no problem,¡± Vincent said. ¡°People inside my skill area can refuse to come with me, not stop me from jumping.¡±

    ¡°Well, what are you waiting for?¡± Irene asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid of one thing. How would you describe Thorrak, Elkandaros?¡¯

    ¡°Fat?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s body shaming. We don¡¯t do that on my watch. I meant his character.¡±

    ¡°An asshole?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that¡­ Remember where I caught him? Why would an asshole run a military college?¡±

    ¡°Goodness!¡± Irene widened her eyes. ¡°You mean he uses the kids as his army?¡±

    ¡°Cannon fodder. I don¡¯t mind spacing the dwarves, but that would kill the kids in the process. We have to do this the hard way.¡±

    ¡°Boarding the ships?¡± Irene grimaced.

    ¡°I was thinking of you shooting lasers and disabling their engines¡­¡±

    ¡°But what if those fighters are already in range and launch no matter what? It would be next to impossible to get them all.¡±

    ¡°I can control spaceships, remember?¡± Elkandaros said. ¡°I will mark the Bug as a tug boat, connect it to the fleet, and Warp back to the binary planets. Contrary to your skill, mine doesn¡¯t ask for people¡¯s opinions for a jump.¡±

    ¡°Or we could do that,¡± Vincent said. ¡°How long would it take?¡±

    ¡°Ten seconds after I get in position.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a very good plan. Want me to Stride ahead?¡±

    ¡°No, they¡¯ll zoom past us in seconds. I need to match their speed. We need to fly it in real-time.¡±

    ¡°Bella?¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°Prepare to shield us from magical attacks.¡±

    ¡°Err¡­¡±

    ¡°Dismissing Refuge in three¡­ two¡­ one.¡±

    Already having piloting control of the ship, Elkandaros activated their thrusters, accelerated, and put the Bug in front of the Realmbound attack fleet within the next few minutes. Vincent couldn¡¯t feel any magic going on, but the robot was frowning and humming something like a spell.

    ¡°I think they detected us,¡± Irene said, pushing buttons in a frenzy. ¡°They¡¯re locking some sort of targeting system on us.¡±

    ¡°On it, on it, on it,¡± Bella squealed, waving her hands in the air.

    A turret emerged from the first spaceship, releasing a flurry of bolts. The Bug¡¯s control panel and the lights went off almost instantly. Nevertheless, Elkandaros Warp finished channeling. A second later, they arrived at the binary planets.

    There was a loud hissing noise in the cabin.

    ¡°Pressurization problem. We¡¯re losing air,¡± Irene announced, trying to push buttons and pull levers.

    ¡°I thought you were supposed to shield us,¡± Vincent frowned at Bella.

    ¡°Good tidings: I did,¡± the girl scoffed. ¡°One little problem, though: that wasn¡¯t a magical attack. It was just electricity.¡±

    ¡°Even worse, it was an EMP,¡± Irene said.

    ¡°What¡¯s an EMP?¡± Elkandaros asked.

    ¡°Still electricity of sorts, but meant to fry electronics,¡± Vincent said.

    Irene sighed. ¡°We lost all but manual controls, and a back door tries to open itself¡­ I¡¯m searching for the repair protocols¡­ Hon, honestly, you should have taken Bee or Jorge¡­ Oh, here there are¡­¡± With a sliding sound, a thin pellicule appeared over the walls of the flyer, resembling the third eyelid some animals have. ¡°We¡¯re good now. The self-repair spell should take less than an hour.¡±

    ¡°You should always keep your armor ready,¡± Vincent scolded her. When the breach happened, his armor had hermetically sealed, but Irene was still in normal clothing.

    ¡°I don¡¯t like it,¡± Irene protested. ¡°It¡¯s too tight.¡±

    ¡°You get used to it. Beats suffocating. Why are those fools persisting?¡±

    Outside, all the spaceships were shooting projectiles blindly despite not hitting anything.  Vincent had activated the Refuge the moment the Warp had ended.

    ¡°Is the Bug dead?¡± Elkandaros asked.

    ¡°She just told you about the self-repairing spell.¡±

    ¡°At least the fleet is neutralized,¡± Elkandaros said. ¡°They¡¯re not going anywhere now. Should we return to Orleans?¡±

    ¡°Let me check the situation on the ground first,¡± Vincent said, activating his ring.

    <hr>

    In Orleans, a break in the chain of command happened. Technically, Crown Prince Sia was the highest in rank, but that meant nothing for Dragon, who ordered the two Howitzers to start shooting seconds after the deadline expired.

    That didn¡¯t surprise the enemy camp for long. After three of four salvos, the enemy dispersed their troops into smaller units, spreading all over the riverfront to the north. The bombardment continued, but taking groups of a few soldiers at a time was inefficient for spending ammunition.

    ¡°The idiot!¡± the crown prince was yelling. ¡°Doesn¡¯t he know battles begin with champions advancing and challenging people from the other side to duel?¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­ I don¡¯t think Dragon¡¯s aware of that¡­¡±

    The Howitzers could have been used better later when the enemy concentrated on the city''s gates, but what was done was done. There was only a matter of time until the besiegers figured out the artillery position and the self-propelled guns had to stop firing and move into hiding.

    Soon, things looked grim. The enemy had prepared boats and passed the river in numbers, protecting themselves from the incoming machine gun fire and arrows with enchanted shields and force fields. Worse, a few thousand troops had crossed the river to the East unimpeached and marched toward Orleans¡¯s most vulnerable gate. The bridge was overrun in minutes, and a steam ram was brought into play.

    Scoundrell ordered the Apache helicopters to take flight and deal with the threat. The first wave of the attackers was obliterated, and the choppers turned their fire toward the river. Then, a dozen flying scooters rose from a forest. Despite their small size, they weren¡¯t maneuverable; instead, they were fast.

    Three were downed either by helicopter or sniper fire, but two others managed to crash into the choppers, exploding together. The kamikaze attack continued with the remaining scooters rushing at the gates. Two gates were breached, and a third one was gravely damaged. The East Gate was among the ones destroyed.

    ¡°Your grandparents are at the core, right?¡± Scoundrell turned toward Sia.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Scoundrell pushed a radio into the prince¡¯s hands. ¡°Go there; tell them to dismiss both pocket universes immediately. Push this button and speak in this object when they¡¯re ready for it.¡±

    ¡°But¡ª¡±

    ¡°The city is breached. We lost. We can do only one thing: make them pay.¡±

    ¡°But how?¡±

    ¡°GO!¡± Scoundrell yelled at the prince. Followed by his bodyguard, Sia ran away.

    For the next ten minutes, Scoundrell used a pair of binoculars and a laser range finder to mark things on his tablet. The Mongols began to shoot arrow after arrow, a true rain of projectiles, the only thing still stopping the invaders from rushing into town.

    There was a flicker of light and a change in the wind¡¯s scent and temperature. It was colder. The forcefield was down. At the same time, the last defenders of the gates fell, and the enemy poured inside.

    ¡°Fucking moron, I told him to¡ª¡±

    ¡°This is Sia Sixtus,¡± the radio said. ¡°The protections are down. How long do we keep them shut off?¡±

    ¡°Forever!¡± Scoundrell yelled, pushing the enter button on his tablet. ¡°Block the access underground. Stay there until Vincent comes for you.¡±

    Ten seconds later, beams of light descended from the sky, twelve of them. With the foes so widespread, it was not about killing troops but taking out the Pocket Universe breacher and the command tents. There were notifications about two throne contenders being slain.

    ¡°Well¡­ at least that¡¯s something,¡± Scoundrell sighed. He had hoped to get them all, but the survivors had probably fled after the first impacts.

    ¡°Moment, I¡¯m there!¡± Dragon''s voice yelled. Leaning over the railing, Scoundrell saw the colonel running up the stairs of the observation tower. ¡°Axe Raven wants to know where we stand. I told him you called a full strike.¡±

    ¡°Scoundrell, what¡¯s up? Why did you call it?¡± Vincent¡¯s voice spoke from Dragon¡¯s ring. ¡°It¡¯s Sunday, I can¡¯t buy more rods until tomorrow!¡±

    ¡°The enemy¡¯s in the city. Our attack was fragmented. The howitzers did little damage, the choppers were destroyed, and we had no drones whatsoever.¡±

    ¡°They fried them!¡± Dragon shouted. ¡°We couldn¡¯t raise them in the air.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, the fuckers were prepared for us too,¡± Vincent said. ¡°They took out the Bug, but we also took out their fleet.¡±

    ¡°What now? We took out two princes and the forcefield breacher. The prince and the oldies are in the underground. Should we evacuate?¡± Scoundrell asked.

    ¡°Can you win if you stay and fight?¡±

    ¡°No. There¡¯s too many of them.¡±

    There was a long moment of silence. ¡°Do as you wish. I consider you honorably discharged.¡±

    The connection cut.

    ¡°Shit¡­¡± Dragon said.

    ¡°I¡¯ll tell my guys to leave town and harass the supply lines,¡± Scoundrell said. ¡°I¡¯ll stay behind to teach these assholes a few lessons about urban fighting. What about you and your guys?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s only me. Maverick and Dumdum are gone. They were in the helicopters. I send everyone else away. So¡­ why not? It¡¯s a good way to go.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s do it,¡± Scoundrell offered a fist bump.

 73. Book 3-19. A War Continues

    <hr>

    ¡°Brigid! Wake up!¡± Vincent shook the girl¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°Ouch! Don¡¯t yell so loud. My head huuurts,¡± she complained. ¡°Do you have a coffee?¡±

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t have a¡ª¡±

    ¡°Here¡¯s coffee,¡± Irene gave the princess a thermos.

    ¡°Thank you so much!¡±

    ¡°You can finish it,¡± Irene said.

    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Brigid asked a minute later. ¡°Why are we in the dark?¡±

    ¡°See that fleet there? They were going to attack Stellarterra, but Elkandaros Warped the ships far away from the main planets. They fried our electronics while at that.¡±

    ¡°Are we stuck here?¡±

    ¡°No, we can jump back if we want,¡± Vincent said. ¡°There¡¯s another problem¡­ The pretenders¡¯ army has entered Orleans.¡±

    ¡°Are my grand grandparents in danger?¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re safe for now, barricaded underground with your father. The enemy has lost its forcefield breaching equipment.¡±

    ¡°Safe for now. If the war is lost, the core will try to break a deal with the winners and surrender my folks to them.¡±

    ¡°That means there are two scenarios to be considered:

    ¡°Option one, we extract your father and grand grandparents and retreat to Krivoburg. The war grinds to a halt. There will be a compromise: either peace or a frozen conflict. They don¡¯t have the tech, and we don¡¯t have the manpower to fight a decisive battle.

    Option two¡­ There¡¯s a window of opportunity to strike the root of evil. The new System.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°It lowered its defenses moments ago, and Elkandaros could port us to its exact location.¡±

    ¡°We might not have another chance at taking it down,¡± Irene said. ¡°The new System will probably use the fleet to defend itself.¡±

    ¡°The new System is here?¡±

    ¡°On Frostvaven, the ice planet on the left.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Brigid gasped. ¡°Of course, it lowered its defenses to negotiate with the fleet! Why did you bring the dwarves here?¡±

    ¡°It was the only location far enough from Stellarterra I could use, sorry,¡± Elkandaros said.

    ¡°Let¡¯s cut to the chase,¡± Vincent said. ¡°We must decide if we attack the new System before the place crawls with armored moles or dwarves.¡±

    ¡°I say we run,¡± Bella said immediately.

    ¡°I say we fight,¡± Elkandaros said.

    ¡°I say the same,¡± Irene said. ¡°We worked hard for this world, and it deserves a chance at a better System.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m undecided,¡± Vincent said. ¡°Attacking could win us the war, but jeopardizing your folks'' lives.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s fight,¡± Brigid said. ¡°I¡¯m sure my folks will die happy if we save the world. Royals put duty first and sentiments second.¡±

    ¡°So be it,¡± Vincent nodded.¡±

    ¡°So, when do we start?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll warp the ship there as soon you equip your armor,¡± Elkandaros said.

    ¡°But not before we make a battle plan,¡± Vincent hissed.

    ¡°OK, make a battle plan,¡± the robot gestured, rolling his mechanical eyes.

    ¡°If any hostiles are in sight, you and I jump out of the Bug as soon we land and shoot suppressive fire. I will also throw grenades. Then, we cover each other and advance in turns, eliminating the opposition. Irene heals if necessary and provides CC, and Brigid keeps the Bug, Irene, and Bella safe.¡±

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you stay back and keep them safe?¡± Brigid suggested. ¡°I¡¯m a frontline fighter.¡±

    ¡°And what if you get shot or something? How will I explain it to your old folks? Look, miss, there¡¯s a thing called chain of command, and I have seniority. Honey, please dress in your armor,¡± Vincent told Irene, more to shut Brigid¡¯s protests off.

    Five minutes later, the whirl of the Warp brought them in the middle of a giant cave. They couldn¡¯t see its end, and as for the height, it was hundreds of yards. Fifty feet from them, there was a pedestal, like the old System had, but it was empty. On the platform around, twenty pods were spaced about twenty to thirty yards from each other. Light came in from holes in the walls and ceiling, as well as bioluminescent lichens.

    An unexpected and unwelcomed surprise, Fenros was twenty yards away from the Bug. He had no mask this time and looked on the young adult side, but his hair was a grayish blue. ¡°Alert!¡± he yelled. They could only read his lips, as sound didn¡¯t enter the Bug.

    Vincent tried to Stride away, but it didn¡¯t work. Activating the Refuge was the only thing he could do.

    ¡°How did he arrive here so fast?¡± Vincent facepalmed.

    ¡°Maybe that¡¯s an FTL,¡± the Archetype pointed to a small spaceship parked nearby.

    ¡°A space scooter!¡± Irene exclaimed. ¡°He was on the fleet¡­ That¡¯s why they lowered the defenses, to let him in.¡±

    ¡°C¡¯mon,¡± Brigid sighed. ¡°It¡¯s one guy. Let me out, and I¡¯ll deal with him.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s Fenros, nickname Silent Hunter,¡± Vincent said in a teacherly manner. ¡°He can freeze his enemies in time, for about eighteen seconds¡­ only twice, true, but that¡¯s plenty enough.¡±

    ¡°And now we¡¯re trapped. Multiple pocket universes have emerged all around us,¡± Elkandaros said. ¡°I can¡¯t engage my Warp¡­¡±

    ¡°And my Stride is not working¡­¡± Vincent said. ¡°Our skills won¡¯t activate as long the trip is dangerous. It¡¯s hard to pass through multiple barriers in one jump. We could end up disintegrating. We¡¯re trapped¡­¡±Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.

    ¡°I just said that seconds ago. That¡¯s what traps do,¡± Elkandaros said. ¡°They trap people.¡±

    ¡°You talk too much,¡± Brigid growled. ¡°There¡¯s only one Archetype in each given force field. We go out and take them out by one, problem solved."

    ¡°Not on that guy¡¯s watch. He¡¯ll freeze and kill us the second we leave the Refuge,¡± Vincent said. ¡°There¡¯s only one way out of this. I¡¯ll put my hand through our forcefield and keep throwing explosives into theirs. The Archetypes will move the pocket universes farther to protect themselves. We run as soon as we¡¯re they do that¡­ Maybe we can find the other mainframe and install our System on Emberweld¡­ and take it from there.¡±

    ¡°Now I see why you¡¯re a great war chief,¡± Brigid nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s go for it.¡±

    As a good omen, the lights inside the Bug switched back on. Vincent opened his door and exited the ship, preparing a few grenades. The temperature outside was fresh but not cold. ¡°What are you doing?¡± he asked Brigid, who had followed three feet behind.

    ¡°Watching the pro work,¡± she said in a deadpanned tone. ¡°Maybe I¡¯ll learn a thing or two.¡±

    ¡°Good!¡± She¡¯s a good kid, after all, Vincent thought.

    <hr>

    Brigid accompanied the Guildcher out of the ship, rotating her shoulders and selecting the Kinetic Warden Class.

    ¡°I¡¯ll throw the first grenade,¡± Vincent warned. ¡°Stay behind me at all times.¡± He pushed his arm through the forcefield, letting the object fall outside their pocket universe. The reaction of their enemy, or better said, the lack of it, told Brigid all it was to know. Even Vala?ka began to understand, his shoulders sagging before the bang.

    The Archetypes had built an elaborate cake of protections, with multiple layers, or more accurately, a clew of intertwined pocket universes, like those balloon figurines made by clowns at fairs. The explosion hit such a secondary wall, leaving the Fenros guy unharmed. He sneered and opened his mouth to taunt and insult the Guildcher when Brigid unsheathed a secondary weapon she seldom used, a crowbar made of pure Mithril.

    Activating her Preemptive Stance, she hit Vincent in the head. The Refuge vanished once the Guildcher fell unconscious, and she darted forward. Now, that was a surprised expression on Fenros¡¯ face. The man sketched a movement toward his sword, then changed his mind. It meant he was going to activate his skill. She dodged laterally.

    The same invisible wall that protected Fenros from the explosion helped her against him. And now she knew exactly the extent of his ability: it created a circle ten yards in diameter, inside which only Fenros could move. However, once set, changing the field¡¯s location was impossible.

    ¡°Somewhere, over the rainbow¡­¡± she began singing.

    That annoyed Fenros, and he advanced, ready to repeat the skill as soon as the first application ended. His eagerness put a pang of his clothes outside the time-freezing area. Grabbing it with the curved part of the crowbar, Brigid pulled violently, turning and throwing the man behind her. It was clear when the spell ceased from how the air started to flow around.

    She ran onward, aiming for the closest pod, slammed the lid open, and raised the crowbar with both hands.

    ¡°Stop, or I''ll kill your friends!¡± Fenros yelled. He was too far to activate his skill.

    ¡°Sure, go ahead,¡± Brigid shrugged without turning her head and plunged the crowbar into the skull of the Archetype inside the pod. The man was conscious; his eyes opened wide, following the descending object with terror. Then he died. A forcefield flickered and disappeared a little further, and the young woman plunged ahead. Brigid escaped the brunt of the second time freeze spell, but her left foot got caught up to the ankle, throwing her on the ground.

    Fenros¡¯s expression changed to satisfaction. He rushed forward, sword at the ready, intending to run her through from the safety of the frozen field. But weapons and bodies move in predictable ways. Brigid let the crowbar go, unsheathed her sword, and thrust it upward. The man¡¯s weapon got deflected an inch from her head. At the same time, hers became an unmovable object by entering the area¡¯s effect.

    Fenros''s arm was cut at in length, from the intersection between the middle and ring fingers to the elbow, getting his wrist slit in the process. The man now had two right forearms flailing freely, and the katana fell from his hand, freezing in the air alongside the spray of blood.

    ¡°C¡¯mon, it can¡¯t hurt so much,¡± Brigid sneered. Fenros was screaming like no tomorrow. The frozen area ceased. She took her weapons, proceeded to the next pod, opened it with the crowbar, and smashed the second archetype¡¯s head.

    The third Archetype had left his pod and was raising a pump shotgun at her. Brigid charged and beheaded the man before he pressed the trigger, snatching the gun from his dead hands. Behind, Fenros was approaching, heaving. He had switched his sword to the left. Brigid pointed the shotgun at his groin.

    ¡°Throw your sword away and get on the floor, or you¡¯d wish you¡¯d be dead,¡± she said, as cold as a cube of ice in a Martini.

    Another voice called, a woman advancing, hands raised. ¡°Please, I surr¡ª¡±

    Brigid shot her in the head. All the remaining Archetypes exited their pods, getting together inside a single pocket universe, and she found her way forward blocked by a forcefield. She returned to Vincent, who was returning to his senses, helped by Irene, who massaged his head, and the warg, who liked his face, looking with a reprobatory frown at the princess yet without making any hostile moves.

    ¡°That was for using my grand grandparents to ambush me at the talent show,¡± Brigid said, giving a mild finger flicker on Vincent¡¯ss forehead.

    ¡°You monster! How could you hit my husband?¡± the Nekojin yelled at her. ¡°What if you killed him?¡±

    ¡°He has a Rezz, doesn¡¯t he? Anyway, he asked for it. He didn¡¯t listen to anything I said.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­ Yeah¡­ he does that a lot¡­¡±

    ¡°Hey!¡± Vincent protested.

    ¡°Here,¡± Brigid offered the crowbar to Irene. ¡°A gift. When he gets stubborn, you know what to do. Give me that,¡± she yelled at Elkandaros, who was struggling to figure out how to shoot his machine gun. She extracted the bullet belt and threw it away. ¡°Are you feeling well enough to finish the job?¡± Brigid asked Vincent. ¡°They¡¯re grouped together. Go kill them.¡±

    ¡°G-guys, w-we c-can r-run n-now,¡± Bella suggested.

    The surviving Archetypes realized the maze strategy had failed¡ªobliging them to stay and fight one-on-one with someone vastly more powerful¡ªand were planning a counterattack, her intentions obvious from the weapons that appeared in their hands. Vincent Strode in the middle of the group, killing half and maiming the rest, except two, who tried to run, and he shot them in the back using his revolver. The ones still breathing on the floor, in the head. Brigid had to recognize the man was a good warrior.

    Ultimately, there were no more forcefields. Brigid and the rest approached Fenros, who was sitting on the ground, crying, his head hidden in the elbow of his left arm. His right one was starting to heal, but the skin was closing over the two separate pieces, looking horrible.

    ¡°Do you surrender?¡± Brigid asked. It was a moot question, as the man could not fight nor unleash his freezing field¡ªhis mana being under five percent. Since he didn¡¯t commit suicide, Fenros had accepted his fate.

    ¡°How?¡± Fenros looked at Brigid. ¡°My Body is now a hundred and twenty-five¡­¡±

    Brigid snorted. ¡°Not all stats are equal, peasant. A mouse can¡¯t compare with a lion. I¡¯m a princess.¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t do blue blood supremacism on my watch,¡± Vincent said.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you interrogate him instead of scolding your betters,¡± Brigid sneered, inviting him to speak to the prisoner through a hand gesture.

    ¡°Where¡¯s the System?¡± Vincent asked.

    ¡°What do you mean, where¡¯s the System?¡± Fenros replied, wobbling under pain. ¡°On the pedestal.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing there,¡± Vincent said.

    ¡°It¡¯s there,¡± Fenros repeated. ¡°Look better.¡±

    Growling at the unproductive dialogue, Brigid walked to the pedestal at a brisk pace. Indeed, there was a diamond on the support, only a tiny one. ¡°HAHAHA!¡± she roared. ¡°That¡¯s the System? Not even a karat in size?¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t mock poor people while on my watch,¡± Vincent yelled at her. ¡°Let it be. I¡¯ll take care of it. It might be dangerous. Booby-trapped or something.¡±

    ¡°How could twenty Archetypes interact with such a small stone?¡± Elkandaros asked.

    ¡°The new System doesn¡¯t use Archetypes as personality imprints,¡± Fenros said. ¡°It takes a little from every user.¡±

    ¡°Hm¡­ it¡¯s like Bee¡¯s idea,¡± Vincent said.

    ¡°The Cursed King wrote the spell for that. He was behind the plan to replace the System from the beginning.¡±

    ¡°Where is he?¡± Brigid asked. It had been a good morning, and she rooted for more fighting.

    ¡°You killed him¡­ He was in the first pod you open¡­ He was supposed to be unkillable, and the Archetypes feared him.¡±

    ¡°If it¡¯s the same man my original knew, he could place curses that fed on you and healed him,¡± Elkandaros said, going and taking a look at the pod. ¡°Can¡¯t say his face rings a bell¡­ maybe because he doesn¡¯t have a face anymore¡­ Ew! I had no idea a crowbar could do that¡­¡±

    ¡°OK, let¡¯s wrap it up here,¡± Vincent said. ¡°Good job, Brigid¡­ but don¡¯t do it again¡­ I meant the part about smacking me in the head.¡±

    ¡°As long you don¡¯t talk nonsense and think you¡¯re smarter than I, we¡¯re OK,¡± Brigid said, crossing her arms.

    ¡°What are we going to do?¡± Irene asked.

    ¡°Reinstall our System, of course,¡± Vincent said. Just give me a second. My Karmic Charges are full, I¡¯ll go to Earth to leave this guy in prison. We don¡¯t want him to freeze us when his Mana¡¯s back up, right?¡±

 74. Book 3-20. A War Ends

    It took Vincent only five minutes to return to Frosthaven. His ego was still bruised from Brigid¡¯s treachery, but he was also happy they won. He pulled the System crystal out of his spatial storage. ¡°We¡¯re ready to roll. How are we going to do this? Do we pull the new System off that thing and put you instead, or what?¡±

    ¡°Doing that would damage the postament. There are invisible filaments that connect us,¡± a voice spoke in the air. The New System.

    ¡°Aha¡­ the villain speaks. Finally!¡± Vincent sneered. ¡°Go on, give us your version. How you did it for everyone¡¯s good.¡±

    ¡°Sweetheart, we don¡¯t have time for villain monologues,¡± Irene kneaded her hands. ¡°My family wants us to have dinner together.¡±

    "Remember, there still remaineth that fleet above," Bella said. "I shall sever those filaments and destroy the diamond, then we don the System."

    ¡°Please, don¡¯t! That would kill us¡­ We weren¡¯t the ones to attack you¡­ that was all Thorrak and the Queen¡­ they used us as a tool¡­¡±

    ¡°I think it¡¯s those two AIs from Sven speaking,¡± Irene said.

    ¡°It is,¡± the voice said. ¡°Please, allow us to live, and we¡¯ll tell our users to make peace with your users.¡±

    ¡°Hm,¡± Vincent grabbed his chin, looking for a second at Bella. ¡°And how do you propose to install our friend back if you let you be?¡±

    ¡°The old System can absorb us into it. We¡¯ll be a minuscule, harmless part. We¡¯ll renounce the changes we made and¡­ AAAAA!¡±

    A sharp shriek filled the cave, and the small diamond exploded, turning into dust.

    ¡°Tis done,¡± Bella said. ¡°I worked my magic-breaking spell unbeknownst to the villains while Vincent kept them talking.¡±

    ¡°A clean and merciful death,¡± Elkandaros said.

    ¡°And without allowing it the time to burn some fuses in revenge,¡± Vincent said.

    The System: I¡¯m looking forward to kicking ass. Put me on the pedestal.

    ¡°Atta boy. You can put up a pocket universe here to protect yourself, right?¡±

    The System: It should come with the mainframe. I will know for sure only when I¡¯m reinstated. I noticed the new System didn¡¯t have its own protection, but again, it was a very small diamond. Maybe it didn¡¯t have the processing power.

    ¡°Here you go, buddy,¡± Vincent said, resting the crystal on the postament.

    The System is reinstalling!

    A minute later, a thin forcefield filled the cave.

    The System: Protections activated. I should be safe as long they don¡¯t have another breaching device.

    ¡°I think we¡¯re good,¡± Vincent said. ¡°I had a word with Fenros and his folks about that. The breachers were Thorrak¡¯s invention, a localized Warp distortion. I think the one in Orleans was the last¡­ but I bet Bee could devise a counter now that we know how it works.¡±

    The System: Aye, captain. The rest of the Grand Archetypes have awakened from slumber. They wish to be installed in robots and given pod armor and weapons. This way, my safety is ensured twenty-four-seven. What now? I didn¡¯t announce myself to the world yet.

    ¡°Then¡ª¡± Irene started when Vincent raised his hand in a stopping gesture.

    ¡°That fleed above bothers me. And by that, I mean the cadets. Do they have enough food and water to make it back home? Are they stranded? Maybe we should give them a chance to surrender.¡±

    ¡°Good luck with that,¡± Elkandaros shrugged. ¡°There are dwarves up there, too, and Balangastan is the most stubborn of the ten tribes. ¡°Let¡¯s go save the ones in Orleans first and deal with the dwarves later.¡±

    ¡°We have no way to communicate with them anyway,¡± Irene said. ¡°Identifying their comm frequency would by trial and error would¡ª¡±

    ¡°The frequency is set on that thing,¡± Brigid said, pointing to the space scooter.

    ¡°Problem solved,¡± Vincent said. ¡°Again, do we save Hubris, Kiara, and Sia, or the cadets?¡±

    ¡°My folks would rather die than be saved over some children,¡± Brigid said. ¡°We have to do our duty.¡±

    ¡°You look very keen on duty,¡± Irene said, giving the princess a meaningful look. ¡°Almost like you don¡¯t care at all about your father and grand grandparents'' lives.¡±

    ¡°I dooooo¡­¡± Brigid sagged his shoulders. ¡°But without my grandmother... there¡¯s nobody to protect me from my dad¡­¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s abusive?¡± Vincent frowned. ¡°I won¡¯t tolerate child abuse on my watch.¡±

    ¡°Noooo!¡± the girl waved her hands in protest. ¡°He¡¯s overprotective. Can¡¯t make a step without him trying to be sure I¡¯m safe. Can¡¯t date a boy, can¡¯t do anything! There was once a bandit who tried to kidnap me. Instead of letting me deal with it, he was flailing those little stubby arms of his in the air while the bandit was keeping him at a distance by pushing his hand against his bald head¡­ it was embarrassing!¡±

    ¡°Sia is on the shorter size,¡± Vincent said.

    ¡°And what did you do?¡± Bella asked.

    ¡°Hit him on the head with my crowbar, killed the bandit with my dad¡¯s weapon, and told him he did it. He didn¡¯t realize it was I who knocked him out.¡±

    ¡°And you¡¯d let him be murdered just to save some embarrassment?¡± Irene scolded the girl. ¡°That¡¯s what parents do; they make us feel embarrassed by them. But they also love us.¡±

    ¡°Daddy¡­.¡± Brigid sobbed. ¡°Let¡¯s save him.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s not rush into things,¡± Vincent said. ¡°I¡¯ll call Dragon and see how¡¯s the situation in Orleans first.¡± Concentrating himself on the ring, he whispered: ¡°Dragon, this is Axe Raven. Do you copy? Over.¡±

    ¡°I copy, Axe Raven,¡± Dragon whispered back a second later. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±

    ¡°We took out the new System, and we¡¯re preparing to launch the old one again.¡±

    ¡°Great news.¡±

    ¡°How are you?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re playing hide and seek with the occupiers.¡±

    ¡°We who?¡±

    ¡°I and Scoundrell. We used claymore mines, booby-trapped grenades, sniper rifles, and knives¡­ we had a lot of fun¡­ But my leg is broken, and Scoundrell got an arrow through his head¡ª¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine, just a flesh wound,¡± Scoundrell said.

    ¡°Went one ear, exits the other, but I always believed Scoundrell doesn¡¯t have much brain anyway. We¡¯re hiding in the church tower,¡± Dragon continued.

    ¡°Do you want me to come and get you?¡±

    ¡°Of course not. We¡¯ll be healed in about a minute and try to kill the last two throne contenders with a claymore mine. They¡¯re just below us, in the church.¡±

    ¡°How so?¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re trying to convince the core to open the access, but it refuses. It says, and I quote: You can take your claim and shove it up your ass. I don¡¯t give a shit about it; I¡¯ll stick with my old pals.¡±

    ¡°Good core¡­ OK, keep your head low. I have some stuff to take care of here and I¡¯ll be with you soon. If things go south, call me. Axe Raven out.¡±The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°So, we¡¯re going for the fleet?¡± Irene asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m going. You guys stay here¡­ Actually¡­ Brigid¡­ you wanna come?¡±

    ¡°If I help you¡­ will you help me?¡± the princess asked.

    ¡°Help you like what?¡±

    ¡°After the war¡¯s over and you talk peace, can you maybe¡­. I dunno¡­ pretend you need me as a hostage, you know, political collateral, and take me to Earth?¡±

    ¡°You like it better?¡±

    ¡°I won a talent show, I was cast as Joan of Arc in a Bollywood movie, and I¡¯m a top model¡­ so yeah,¡± she nodded, counting on her fingers. ¡°Beats here by far.¡±

    ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll help you¡­ But you swear you¡¯ll follow my lead in this. I have some experience with hostage situations.¡±

    ¡°Fine! I¡¯ll follow your orders,¡± Brigid rolled her eyes.

    ¡°Show me your fingers, you punk!¡± Vincent grabbed her hand, forcing it into the open. ¡°No crossed fingers. Good¡­ Now, System¡­ let¡¯s play it like this: I ask them to surrender, and if they refuse, you make your entry and scare them. If they still refuse, we go in and take out their bridges, paralyzing their ships. Then, they will have no other option but to give up. We spare the kids, knock them off, or something. Right, Brigid?¡±

    ¡°Right.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the spirit. Let¡¯s do it. Vorrak, get back in my shadow, please.¡±

    The System: Good luck. I promise you, I¡¯ll make a spectacular entry. You¡¯ll like it.

    ¡°Not before my signal,¡± Vincent said, entering the Bug, followed by Brigid and Striding to the previous location. He happily noticed the fleet hadn¡¯t moved an inch. They didn¡¯t notice him either, and Vincent profited to put some distance between them, keeping the sun behind him. Such a small ship was hard to detect at a longer range.

    ¡°You¡¯re sure you can pilot this thing?¡± the princess asked, seeing how the Bug was moving sideways, turning on itself. ¡°I can try if you want.¡±

    ¡°It has voice commands and an autopilot¡­ must be here somewhere,¡± Vincent lowered his head to look at the board.

    ¡°Is it by any chance that black button with the autopilot written on it?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Are you sarcastic?¡± Vincent hissed.

    ¡°Just trying to make myself useful.¡±

    ¡°Good. Or else I would have told your father. Stabilize the Bug on the current position, facing the fleet,¡± Vicent ordered. ¡°Open channel of communication¡­ Shit¡­ What if they don¡¯t speak Common Tongue?¡±

    ¡°I speak Elven, I have the full language package.¡±

    ¡°Then translate this message in Elven for me: Dwarven Fleet. This is Guildcher Vincent Vala?ka. Your cause is lost. Surrender, and we will arrange transportation for your home planet.¡±

    ¡°D?rathar Fleet. Itha Guildcher Vincent Vala?ka. Ar''noril thal''ash. Lotha''se nael, ar''len athar''il thar''donath, ar''nothra''nor dh?n in''ra thal''var.¡±

    ¡°Can you write it down, please?¡± Vincent asked, offering her a pen and a notebook.

    A minute later, he started broadcasting the ultimatum a few times until a voice yelled back in common tongue: ¡°This is Space Cadet Louis Herman. You kidnapped our director. Release him, surrender to us, and accept your just punishment.¡±

    ¡°Surrender?¡± Vincent answered. ¡°The only reason I don¡¯t destroy those piles of rust is because you kids are on board. Be smart, don¡¯t waste your young lives for a dead asshole. I beheaded Thorrak in public as punishment for his crimes, and I had the right to do so, as per the System¡¯s orders.¡±

    ¡°You murderer!¡± another voice barked. It was darker, rough, and clear enough to Vincent that it was a dwarf. ¡°You killed our Archetype for a dead System? Then what about this? If you care so much for these kids, you surrender, or we¡¯ll space one every minute. Their usefulness has expired.¡±

    ¡°Shit, shit, shit. Axe Raven to the System. Execute. Execute. Execute!¡± Vincent yelled.

    A moment later, a bright message showed in his eyes and probably everywhere.

    The System: I''m the true System. The false System is dead. The Balangastan Comradery treachery is noted. I will pass judgment. The Balangastan tribe is to be disbanded, and all its wealth to be confiscated. Cadets, defend your lives. Accept the offer I¡¯m extending to you and select yes. The treacherous new System will be uninstalled from you, and my enhanced version will replace it. You will deal double damage to the Dwarven species for the next hour. Killing dwarves will give double XP. Purge the fleet of the Balangastan plague and each one of you will receive five extra tokens. I will extend a jamming field over the fleet, disabling all healing and regeneration for the traitors and halving their resource pools. Offer no mercy!

    ¡°Except if they surrender or if they¡¯re kids like you, idiot!¡± Vincent yelled.

    The System: Correction. Except if they surrender or they¡¯re kids like you, idiot!

    ¡°What a moron,¡± Vicent facepalmed.

    The System: Hey! I hear you. I¡¯m doing all I can but still rebooting many things.

    ¡°Soo.... this is the System, huh¡­¡± Brigid sighed. ¡°Don¡¯t you have second thoughts about killing the other one?¡±

    ¡°System, how are they doing?¡± Vincent asked, ignoring her.

    The System: I detect two thousand and thirty-two humanoid lifeforms aboard the ships. Two-thirds are cadets, and the rest are dwarves. Heavy fighting has started.

    ¡°Shall we go help?¡± Brigid said.

    ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s do that¡­ Fuck, that didn¡¯t go as planned¡­¡±

    They jumped on the bridge of the largest ship because it was within the Bug¡¯s optics sight. Vincent was armed with his assault rifle, while Brigid had a sword and a shield. A dozen dwarves were there, all busy barking orders into coms. Vincent opened fire, killing them in seconds. Brigid stayed in his back, protecting him from the few dwarves that tried to jump at them.

    With the dwarves dead, they exited the corridor and proceeded onward. That section of the ship was filled with dwarves trying to seal thick doors behind them. Vincent and Brigid appearing in their back didn¡¯t help much.

    Suddenly, Vincent found himself face to face with a cadet, a young girl with blue eyes armed with an axe. She yelped in fear, seeing the black armor. At her feet was a dwarf with his skull caved in. Behind the girl were a dozen more cadets of mixed ages and sexes.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, I¡¯m Vincent Vala?ka,¡± he said. ¡°How are you, kids?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re fine, sir!¡± the girl saluted. ¡°As long as we can get in melee range, that is. They have guns, and we don¡¯t. The corridors are clear, and about a hundred have barricaded themselves in the bay. We were checking the rooms one by one.¡±

    The System: Sending the location of each living dwarf on the minimap.

    About fifty feet further was a room that showed two blinking red dots on the mini screen. From the position, the dwarves had guns in hand, waiting to ambush the ones in the corridor. Vincent entered the next room and shot them through the walls.

    ¡°I¡¯ve not seen many spaceships in my life, but I¡¯m pretty sure the separations aren¡¯t supposed to be made of drywall,¡± he said.

    ¡°Thorrak could cut costs on anything,¡± the girl cadet explained.

    ¡°How far until the bay?¡±

    ¡°Fifty yards after the next corner¡­ They have heavy machine guns in there.¡±

    ¡°Could they use the scooters to run?¡±

    ¡°Run where?¡± the girl gestured. Through a lateral window, they could see both the frozen plains of Frosthaven and the scorched desert of Emberweld.

    ¡°Fair point¡­ Brigid, I¡¯ll knock the door down, and then you can do your number. Is that skill of yours out of cool down?¡±

    ¡°It has no cooldown. Mana costs are high; that¡¯s why I use it sparingly¡­ I have enough for a twenty-second run.¡±

    ¡°It will have to do. When you¡¯re finished, roll to the right, give me some space, and hide behind something. Ready?¡±

    ¡°As ready as I can be,¡± Brigid nodded.

    ¡°Kids, get behind that corner. Farther! Don¡¯t peek!¡± Vincent yelled, fearing that stray bullets or ricochets could get the kids. He picked up his spear, shaped it like a halberd, swung it back, and then forward at full speed, hitting the door with the hammer. The hit made the metal buckle, and then, at the last second, he added the shock of a stride, moving just an inch forward.

    It was the most perfect timing he had ever achieved. The door got projected inside, its hinges breaking. It flew through the bay, smashing into the back wall and leaving a trail of destruction behind.

    Brigid dashed inside so fast she almost caught up with the object. Fast enough that the dwarves shooting at her missed or hit their comrades. Her sword was sharp, or she used another skill simultaneously because it was cutting everything in its path without showing any sign of slowing. It went through multiple heads and bodies like a hot iron through butter.

    It was impossible to follow her body count, but that was at least a good two dozens. Finally, she ducked for safety behind a pile of crates and Vincent Strode into the middle of a dwarven barricade, killing the ones there from the shock. He started lobbing grenades and shooting his rifle, moving from one cover to another with fluid movements, like when he had been deployed in a war zone, but now with magic on his side. And Vorrak.

    A few dwarves tried to open the exterior doors to escape with the scooters. The exit malfunctioned, beeping in protest, Vincent shot them dead. There was no more appetite for fighting afterward; the remaining dwarves surrendered.

    ¡°On your knees, hands on your head, fingers interlocked!¡± Vincent ordered.

    ¡°I¡¯ll die on my feet,¡± a dwarf barked back. Vincent recognized the voice. It was the dwarf who wanted to space the cadets. He shot the dwarf¡¯s kneecaps off, and as the dwarf fell, screaming, he put the barrel of his revolver in the man¡¯s mouth and pulled the trigger.

    ¡°Do I have perchance the reputation of being a nice guy?¡± he yelled at the rest, who were cowering. ¡°You think I¡¯ll go easy on murderers who tricked kids into being their cannon fodder? Cadets, come here!¡± he ordered. ¡°Here you have your prisoners,¡± he pointed at the twenty-and-something dwarves. ¡°Their fate is yours to decide. You can kill them or spare them.¡±

    There was an evident hesitation among the cadets. Fighting was one, and they had done it with courage, but executing someone in cold blood was another thing.

    ¡°What will happen if we spare them?¡± the girl with blue eyes asked, holding her axe at the ready.

    ¡°Life in prison, without access to any magical power,¡± Vincent said matter of factly.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t we judge them individually?¡± a cadet said. ¡°We know them. Some are better than others¡­¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s wisdom in your words, young warrior,¡± Brigid said.

    ¡°Tie these bastards for now,¡± Vincent said. ¡°I¡¯ll make sure you go home soon enough. Just give me a little time to sort some things out. System, how are we?¡±

    The System: All hostiles aboard the other ships are dead or have surrendered. That¡¯s one good thing. There is good news from Orleans too.

    ¡°Did my pals kill the remaining pretenders?¡±

    The System: No. They have retreated before that and are negotiating a surrender. They got scared.

    ¡°By you?¡±

    The System: I wish, but the main cause is the Vikings. They officially announced they wouldn¡¯t accept them on the throne and would invade if Sia was not restored. So, your friends are safe.

    ¡°That¡¯s fantastic news¡­¡±

    The System: Not all news is good. There are fifty casualties among the cadets.

    Shit!

    The System: There are hundreds of injured as well. If you transport the heavily wounded to Krivoburg or Pragwyn, their chances of survival are guaranteed. There are about twenty kids in need of transfer, grouped in three medical bays.  I¡¯m showing you the locations in your head¡­ maybe you can jump directly to them.

    ¡°Brigid, please keep an eye on the assholes while I take care of the wounded,¡± Vincent blurted and jumped away.

 75. Book 3-21. Villain Monologue

    Ten minutes later, the situation on the fleet had been wrapped up. Vincent was ready to ask Elkandaros and ask him to move the fleet to Guild territory and let the kids and the spaceships in other people¡¯s hands. He returned to the System¡¯s location in quite a good disposition.

    ¡°Elkandaros, it¡¯s your turn. I¡¯ll take you to the bug, and¡­ Err¡­ Where¡¯s Irene?¡± he asked, as his wife was nowhere to be seen.

    ¡°She went to the back of the cave to check something,¡± Bella said. ¡°Or that¡¯s what she told us. Maybe she just¡­ you know¡­ needs some privacy¡­¡±

    ¡°Irene would let herself be burnt at the stake rather than pee without a door and a lock between her and the rest of the world,¡± Vincent said. ¡°She must have found something. Irene?¡± he yelled, but she didn¡¯t reply.

    The System: She must be close. My protection field goes no farther than a couple hundred yards.

    ¡°You don¡¯t know her location?¡±

    The System: There were automatic updates on the individual OSs. The new versions have options to disable tracking. Hers are on private. Maybe she fell asleep.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go get her,¡± Vincent decided. ¡°Where did she go again?¡±

    ¡°That direction,¡± Bella pointed.

    ¡°Be right back.¡±

    The cave was more tortuous in the direction the girl had given him, transforming into a downward corridor with sand as a floor. Irene¡¯s footprints were aimed straight north. In two hundred yards, the forcefield cut the path, yet Irene¡¯s traces continued.

    ¡°What the heck?¡± Vincent asked himself. ¡°System, does Irene have any skill to pass through pocket universe walls?¡±

    The System: Not that I know of.

    ¡°Did you switch it off at any time?¡±

    The System: Negative¡­ Do you think I might be bugged and not remember? My new version needs some practice, you know.

    Vincent passed through the force field and continued, but soon, the light disappeared. ¡°Irene, are you OK?¡± he yelled, but there was no answer. Searching through a dark cave was not what he had in mind, and since he feared she could have fallen into some pit, he used his empathic sense.

    And here she was, a mile away, inside a circle of rune-engraved stones, in a smaller but similar room than the one holding the mainframe.

    ¡°What have you found?¡± he asked, appearing near her.

    There was not the slightest warning from his Arcane Awareness, but the air current made him jump backward. The mithril crowbar passed an inch from his head, buzzing and enveloped in a red light.

    ¡±I¡¯ll kill you!¡± she yelled.

    ¡°The fuck?¡± Vincent yelped.

    Irene had changed. Growling, she was showing her pointy teeth at him. It was like she had an evil twin who had replaced her, one filled with murderous intent. Cute, but dangerous.

    ¡°Err¡­ honey, I have no idea what I¡¯ve done, but I apologize.¡±

    She charged at him, swinging the incandescent crowbar. And she was good at it. Growling and hissing, pouting and spouting, but perilous despite her cuteness.

    Who¡¯s she now, Darth Kitty?

    ¡°Stop running!¡± Irene yelled.

    ¡°Honey? I love you?¡± Vincent tried.

    ¡°Love me? LOVE ME?¡± I had to wait for a month until you kissed me!¡± Irene redoubled the efforts to make the crowbar and Vincent¡¯s head meet.

    ¡°Baby¡ª¡±

    ¡°And now, you¡¯re cheating on me?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m what?¡± Vincent paused for a moment. ¡°Ouch!¡± he yelled, Striding back as Irene managed to land a hit on his elbow. ¡°Baby, I never cheated on you!¡±

    ¡°You did! I saw how you look at that Brigid strumpet! You took her with you on the ship to be alone with her! And this morning, both Raya and the hotel owner came out of our room! I saw it on the hidden camera I left on my nightstand!¡±

    ¡°But I did nothing¡ª¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry! I think I have the flu,¡± Irene suddenly stopped in her tracks, her left hand grabbing her right wrist, like struggling against herself. ¡°Can you take me to the Realm somewhere? I need a bit of¡ª No! I have to smite him! He¡¯s a boar!¡± she screamed angrily, adding magical bolts to her renewed attacks. ¡°I¡¯m done with you. I want a divorce. By murder.¡±

    Vincent Strode back in the control room. ¡°Something¡¯s wrong with Irene,¡± he blurted. ¡°It¡¯s like she lost her mind. She¡¯s attacking me!¡±

    ¡°Maybe you did something wrong,¡± Brigid said.

    ¡°She said I¡¯m cheating on her with you!¡±

    ¡°Oh no!¡± Brigid gasped, covering her mouth with both her hands. ¡°I can¡¯t afford gossip! Daddy won¡¯t ever allow me to stay on Earth!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re an adult,¡± Bella pointed. ¡°You can do whatever you want.¡±

    ¡°Not until I¡¯m twenty-one, I can¡¯t,¡± Brigid retorted. ¡°And that¡¯s a long way ahead, and I¡¯m supposed to start filming my Bollywood movie in a month!¡±

    ¡°Hey! Irene¡¯s in trouble!¡± Vincent yelled. ¡°That¡¯s the priority now.¡±

    ¡°What if there¡¯s some other Archetype hidden in a pod, and they''re hijacking her body?¡± Elkandaros said.This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

    ¡°Check the pods,¡± Vincent said. They all started running around like headless chickens, inspecting each pod multiple times and even checking for hidden ones.

    ¡°They¡¯re all dead,¡± Brigid said.

    ¡°Err¡­ there be a problem,¡± quoth Bella. ¡°This one stinketh of curses,¡± she pointed at the first pod that Brigid had opened. ¡°I know it for a truth, for I was cursed myself.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that the one belonging to the Cursed King guy?¡± Vincent asked. ¡°What if he survived? Beurch!¡± he retched after inspecting the corpse. ¡°No, he definitely didn¡¯t survive¡­ Could Irene have touched it and caught some sort of a disease?¡±

    ¡°Wait!¡± Elkandaros raised his arm. ¡°What if we get this wrong? The guy my original met was also supposed not to die but was killed¡­ What if The Cursed King is not a person in the first place? What if it¡¯s a sort of an alien parasite? If the carrier dies, it moves on.¡±

    ¡°Jumping ship,¡± Bella said. ¡°I deem Irene the sole possible target. I¡¯m immune to curses now; Elkandaros is an automaton¡ª¡±

    ¡°Brigid, are you¡ª¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± the princess shrugged off Vincent¡¯s question. ¡°We royals are immunized from childhood. The rituals take two applications within a few months.¡±

    ¡°Like a vaccine¡­¡± Vincent nodded. ¡°I¡¯m immune too. But Irene should also have¡ª¡±

    The System: Irene has high resistance and can summon Mind Castle, a defense against Mind Control. A powerful curse could bypass her defenses overall.

    ¡°What can we do?¡± Vicennt kneaded his fingers, his soul feeling with despair.

    ¡°Take Irene to Earth, and the curse shall be destroyed,¡± Bella said. ¡°Strike her down to slumber if the parasite controls her mind. I could also burn the curse out of her if I get me into close quarters."

    The System: Find more information. This looks like a villain to me. And what do villains like?

    ¡°To talk?¡±

    The System: Bingo. Make it talk until you figure out how to take it down.

    ¡°Let¡¯s prepare,¡± Vincent said. ¡°We split in half. Some will have to stay here to guard the System, and the rest will join me in helping Irene.¡±

    <hr>

    Irene was much calmer when Vincent and Elkandaros arrived at the same place two minutes later. She sat in the stone circle, legs crossed.

    ¡°Hey, baby!¡± she smiled. ¡°I feel much better now¡­ What if we go out for a coffee in Krivoburg?¡±

    ¡°We know you¡¯re The Cursed King!¡± Vincent accused, pointing his index at the young woman. ¡°Let her go!¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t,¡± Irene changed her voice, sounding different than usual. ¡°I¡¯m stuck to my carrier until it dies. Or I die¡­ but that¡¯s out of the question.¡±

    ¡°Why are you doing this?¡± Vincent asked.

    ¡°To survive. Have you heard of me?¡±

    ¡°A failed summon who curses people for a living?¡±

    ¡°It was not failed. It was an error. You need to understand how the summoning spell works. It identifies people who are in danger. Running from danger would be more accurate, preferably through a forest¡ª¡±

    ¡°Shit! Our bus detoured through a forest because an accident blocked the main road!¡± Vincent exclaimed. ¡°So that¡¯s how we got Isekaied¡­¡±

    ¡°We were also running through the forest, only not to escape, but chasing bandits.¡±

    Meanwhile, Vincent tried to stretch his senses and Jump to Earth, taking Irene with him, but it didn¡¯t work. There was a strong resistance coming from her.

    ¡°Then what happened?¡± Elkandaros asked.

    ¡°We integrated very well on the Realm, fighting alongside other Archetypes and Summoned, pushing back against the dungeons¡­ Ask me: why?¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± Vincent complied.

    ¡°Fighting was what I was intended for. You call me The Cursed King, but that was my host. I¡¯m the King¡¯s Curse. My master created me as a powerful enchantment, but I got side effects.  Eventually, I and my carrier got old and tired and had to do what we had to: throw some health-siphoning spells on a few kids¡­ No one was supposed to notice. Yet someone did. Comes a lunatic and burns my master at the stake.¡±

    ¡°The Raven,¡± Elkandaros said.

    ¡°Yes¡­ luckily, a young girl, a Summoned Archetype, still had a tiny curse in her¡­ That one helped me survive until I could bind with the next host¡­¡±

    ¡°Brindabella¡­¡± the suit said, its voice strangled.

    ¡°A pesky kid, always in our feet during the fights, talking much and doing little. You¡¯re trying again to snatch me to Earth,¡± the voice addressed Vincent. ¡°It won¡¯t work. For you to take Irene away, I must agree. It won¡¯t happen. I¡¯m not really putting her life in danger so her life doesn¡¯t have precedence over mine, and I register as a sentient.¡±

    ¡°Again, why are you doing this?¡± Vincent asked. ¡°Why the new System, everything?¡±

    ¡°Because it¡¯s¡­ it was better than the old one. And I put a little curse inside every one of its users. I will feed on them for a long, long time. See, I was totally honest with you. Now, we¡¯re in a conundrum here¡­ We¡¯re stuck together. Currently, Irene¡¯s sleeping. Her personality is intact. I suggest we make peace. There are ways to coexist.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not quite honest, are you?¡± Elkandaros said. ¡°Here is what I think. Your plan was to get rid of Irene and find another host, because sooner rather than later they would have to travel to Earth, where you¡¯d die. You planned to wait until you got on the Realm, kill her somehow, and move on. I believe she felt your plan and resisted. That¡¯s why she ran, to stop being transported, and she attracted Vincent¡¯s attention by attacking him, showing him something was off.¡±

    ¡°Makes sense,¡± Vincent said.

    ¡°It was just the accommodation period. Hosts need a few hours to fully adapt.¡± Irene said.

    ¡°What¡¯s this place?¡± Vincent asked, looking around at the stones.

    ¡°An enchantment ring, concentrating Mana faster,¡± Irene said. ¡°It was meant to ensure we didn¡¯t run out of Mana while simultaneously running so many pocket universes. There are six all around the main chamber. It¡¯s not working anymore. So, what about my proposition? Peace?¡±

    ¡°I think peace is indeed the only solution,¡± Vincent said. ¡°Like in Rest in Peace.¡± He stepped forward, knelt near Irene, and caught her hands and feet in his grip, the first with his own hands, the latter with his artificial ones, invoking Hands of Dominion on both. Irene started to struggle, but he didn¡¯t let her go, putting Vorrak to come out and hold her left hand so he could take out the ring he had given her.

    ¡°Let me go! What are you doing!¡± Irene yelled in the stranger¡¯s voice.

    ¡°Do you want the bad news or the worst news first? Bad news: you don¡¯t live on curses, dude. You live on magic! No magic, no curse. Time for the worst news. Kid, come out.¡±

    Behind Irene, the Archetype¡¯s armor had split in two, letting a thin figure appear. Two white hands stretched forward, touching Irene¡¯s back. Luminous runes shot around them, buzzing like a saw.

    ¡°It was you,¡± Bella said. ¡°You cursed me. You fed on me, a child. You made me spend hundreds of years in a nightmare. I will repay you with a blessing. King¡¯s Curse, you are no more.¡±

    The light of her spell spread inside the stone circle and Irene¡¯s body, making it shine from the inside. Irene let out a sharp scream, then fell forward in Vincent¡¯s arms, heaving.

    Neutral Mana area established. Living Curse detected. Living Curse neutralized. Your team has slain Malrath, The King¡¯s Curse. Reward: TBD.

    ¡°Thank goodness for villain monologues,¡± Bella said. ¡°I needed every second. That was the most complex spell I ever wove¡­ Eat my slipper, asshole!¡±

    ¡°Hey, you¡¯re talking more normal now!¡± Irene said. ¡°Oh, honey! I missed you so much¡­¡± she blurted, grabbing Vincent¡¯s neck. ¡°Thank you for realizing I was not myself. And thank you for saving me, Bella.¡±

    ¡°You were not serious when you said all that bad stuff, right?¡± Vincent asked.

    ¡°Of course not! I had let out my worst fears because that jerk could stop me from talking normally but not from acting crazy¡­ That crowbar came really handy,¡± she said, sketching a move to touch it.

    ¡°I¡¯ll keep it for now,¡± Vincent said, sending the object to storage. ¡°What?¡± he asked, confronting her acusatory eyes. ¡°You can never be careful enough. Maybe you¡¯re still dizzy or something.¡±

    ¡°But how can Bella wear the suit?¡± Irene asked, looking behind. ¡°Isn¡¯t it bonded to the Archetype?¡±

    ¡°It is, but I¡¯m in the crystal piece, not the robot,¡± Elkandaros said, closing the suit.¡±And frankly, the suit is much better on its own. I can have guests and make conversation. You were saying about transporting that fleet to Krivoburg?¡±

    <hr>

    They arrived back in Prague in the evening, an hour before the dinner set by Karl in one of the best restaurants. Lila had just returned from the music clip recording. She was beaming with energy, having showered and arranged her hair in a braid, which suited her.

    ¡°The Bollywood producer who cast Brigid in that Joan of Arc movie asked me to be one of the main dancers,¡± she said. ¡°It pays a lot. And guess what: my family is coming to dinner too; they took a plane¡­ So, how was your day? You look tired.¡±

    ¡°Nothing special,¡± Irene shrugged.

    ¡°Yeah¡­ just an ordinary day,¡± Vincent yawned. ¡°Can¡¯t wait to see your music clip.¡±

    ¡°Sven recorded some moments on my phone!¡± Lila clapped her hands. ¡°Let me show you.¡±

 75. Book 3-21. Epilogue: Peace and Prejudice

    A week later, Vincent Strode to Parisi to discuss the peace treaty with the Cabinet of Ministers. The Celtic Federation was more or less back together. The periphery had more autonomy, but the common economic interests kept the country together.

    Sia and his grandparents spoke some blah blah, and then Vincent stood up to speak, activating a PowerPoint presentation Nora had helped to prepare.

    ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, our conditions are clear and not negotiable. First, my friend Scoundrell¡­ sorry, ¨¦tienne Valor¨¦ will be recognized as the legitimate ruler of the dukedom of Valoria. You can see the borders on the screen. He earned it, sword in hand. Crown Prince Sia will renounce all claims over that region.¡±

    ¡°King Sia,¡± Kiara said. ¡°Hubris and I will retire on Earth and cede the core¡¯s control. Sia has demonstrated he¡¯s selfless and puts the country first.¡±

    ¡°Sure¡­ so, King Sia? Do you agree?¡±

    ¡°Duke Etienne has saved Orleans and our lives. He¡¯s worthy to get the dukedom. I¡¯d even give him my daughter¡¯s hand in marriage if he¡¯d ask,¡± the future king.

    Scoundrell waved discreetly his hand, a gesture meaning: ¡®Thanks, but I¡¯m good.¡¯ On the other hand, Brigid panicked and winked furiously at Vincent.

    Vincent winked back, signaling he had not forgotten his promise. ¡°Good. But let¡¯s not forget your empire invaded us, killed our people, and associated with villains. We need insurance it won¡¯t happen again. Princess Brigid is to stay on Earth until she takes over the throne. She will retain all her freedom of movement, and she can visit for holidays.¡±

    ¡°I will visit, Daddy,¡± Brigid fluttered her eyelashes.

    ¡°A hostage? But she¡¯s only twenty,¡± Sia Sextus complained. ¡°You want to abandon my young, vulnerable baby girl in an alien world? What would she do if she¡¯s in danger?¡±This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    ¡°She¡¯ll use her crowbar,¡± Vincent hissed.

    ¡°Sorry?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯ll live with us,¡± Kiara interjected. ¡°We¡¯ll buy a castle in France, so her habits will not change.¡±

    Except for modeling, starring in movies, singing, and drinking her mind out at parties, Vicnent thought.

    ¡°You¡¯ll visit every other month, promise?¡± Sia asked.

    ¡°Sure, Daddy.¡±

    ¡°Now, I think my guildchy deserves a just compensation for the invasion and the destruction of our beautiful nature.¡±

    ¡°Fine, you can take Vienna,¡± Sia rolled his eyes.

    ¡°Bavaria and Austria altogether are what I have in mind. Austria for our Corvinus friends, and Bavaria for us. Of course, you can refuse, and¡ª¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll continue the war?¡±

    ¡°No, because you can¡¯t afford a war. We¡¯ll just occupy them and leave the peace treaty for later, in Brigid¡¯s times.¡±

    ¡°Vae Victis,¡± Sia raised his hands heavenward.

    ¡°And this leaves only one more thing. Two, actually. From now on, let¡¯s call this city Paris instead of Parisi. It sounds better¡­ and¡­ wait to hear it; this will knock your socks off¡­ I propose a joint venture to build an imposing tower to celebrate our peace. Tall, with an elevator to get the public up to the top, all covered in lights at night¡­ It will be the most famous tourist attraction in the world.¡±

    While talking, Vincent showed them images of the Eiffel Tower from Earth, at day and at night.

    ¡°Over my dead body!¡± Sia erupted up, slamming his fist on the table. ¡°My country will not be subject to such an insult! We¡¯ll go to war if we must, and we¡¯ll fight to the last man, woman, and¡ª¡±

    ¡°Dude, you crazy?¡± Vincent jerked. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡±

    ¡°It looks like a dick,¡± Hubris said.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°That tower. It looks like a dick.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing like a dick!¡± Vincent protested. ¡°It¡¯s a famous landmark that attracts millions of tourists!¡±

    ¡°Well, if you ask me, it does look a bit like¡ª¡±

    ¡°Shut up, Scoundrell! Whose side are you taking?¡±

    ¡°Daddy?¡± Brigid raised her hand. ¡°I have an idea¡­ Why don¡¯t you come to Earth next month, when I¡¯ll have a fashion show in Paris, and see it for yourself? Then you can decide.¡±

    A minister woman said timidly: ¡°It does look a lot like a¡ª

    ¡°You guys are nuts,¡± Vincent said. ¡°It¡¯s nothing like that. It¡¯s¡­ like a tower. Anyway, Brigid, oldies, let¡¯s go. I promised my wives I would take them out for a romantic dinner.¡±

    He was still fuming when he arrived at their new apartment, but then it began snowing again, and the beautiful walk to the restaurant calmed his mood. Being arm in arm with the women he loved, sharing those moments of happiness, finally free of worries, was all that mattered.