《Dark Matter Ascension [LitRPG, Swordmage MC]》 Chapter 1 – Jace Seren, Courier
The sliverscreen glimmered in Jace¡¯s palm as he tapped the panel to open the application from General Logistics. A priority message was listed in bold text. [Your payment is overdue! You have 8 hours to complete your payment before repossession agents are dispatched.] The situation was grim, and Jace looked down at his prosthetic legs with a sigh. They were expensive, but worth the cost. He would probably be paying them off the rest of his life to the megacorp. Thankfully, this gig would pay well. Slipping the sliverscreen back into his pocket, he pulled up his hood over his unkempt, black-as-mud hair. Jace vaulted the wall he was hiding behind and landed in a crouch, scanning the area for any sign of guards. He jogged to the docks before slowing down to blend in. A handful of workers were moving about, and he was just another shabby-looking porter for all they cared. He had been here plenty of times before and made a beeline for his pickup. The blue boat was bobbing slightly, tied off to the closest possible cleat. ¡°I¡¯m here for the package,¡± Jace announced. A pair of hulking men hopped over the edge of the boat. One of them had a briefcase handcuffed to his arm. Jace recognized the one without the briefcase and gave him a quick wave and a smile. ¡°Greg! I didn¡¯t know you were freelancing again.¡± Greg was a goliath of a man, standing at least a foot taller than Jace. He walked up to him and wrapped the smaller man in a bear hug, his ruddy, red beard scratching against Jace¡¯s face. ¡°Hey! It¡¯s been, what, a few months?¡± He let Jace down and the slimmer man was able to breathe once more. ¡°Last time I saw you, you were running awa- no, crawling away from some gurney in a crappy hospital. I see you got fancy new feet.¡± Jace nodded, ¡°Yeah. They were expensive. She tried to pull some strings ¨C but I ignored her¡­Anyways, I wasn¡¯t expecting to see you anytime soon. How was visiting the family?¡± ¡°Good. We¡¯ll catch up later. You get a rough dropspot, my man, and the clock is ticking.¡± Greg walked to his companion, opened the briefcase, withdrew a thick, clear, plastic bag, and walked back to Jace. ¡°My contact told me you got climate control on that bag.¡± A shining, sparkling, silver liquid sloshed around in the confines of the container. Jace nodded and unzipped the messenger bag, ¡°Hot or cold?¡± ¡°As cold as you can get it,¡± Greg replied as he placed the item gingerly into the bag. ¡°Any handling instructions?¡± Jace asked as he closed the zipper, tapped the temperature control, snapped the lock shut, and readjusted the straps to keep it tight to his back. ¡°Keep it away from magnets. This lady gave a thirty-minute timer. Good luck. I¡¯ll buy you a beer when the job is done. We can catch up!¡± He tapped a button on his sliverscreen - a notification to whoever sent him that he had done his part of the delivery, and to start Jace¡¯s timer. Greg turned away with a slight wave as he and his companion clambered back onto the boat. Jace did not bother waving back. Damnit! You should¡¯ve told me that before we started talking! He turned heel and took off at a sprint. Thirty minutes to get across town was barely manageable, but he would have to sprint the full distance¡­and hope no obstacles got in the way. He racked his brain trying to think of every shortcut he could come up with. He had to cross the river, and while there were a few different ways to cross, the bridge was the most reliable and safest route. But not the most direct. If he did not make the dropspot on time, he wouldn¡¯t get paid. And if he was not paid, he could not pay off his debts on the new prosthetics. He would be no better than the rest of the bums lying on the street with no income, just waiting to die. He did not want his feet repo¡¯d. He instead cut for dangerous territory. Gang territory. The type of territory that street folk like him knew to sneak through and not run through - but he had no choice. Survival came first. And in this case, survival meant getting to the dropspot. This was his best chance at making the delivery deadline. Just survive, he thought as the words of his kid sister echoed through his head. The last words he heard from her. That was the only reason he was alive and had not succumbed in the dingy, charity hospital. Survive for her. No matter what. Survive. There was a wall in the way, and he slowed slightly as he prepared to jump. His metal feet whirred, amplifying the force of his footfalls. Runner¡¯s Replacement: some of the best prosthetics a person could buy. They replicated a human foot near-perfectly, but had a bit of tech inside that could provide a bit more force when running or jumping than a real foot could exert. He jumped up, planted his hands on the top of the wall, hoisted his lower half over, and landed on the ground in a roll. Glancing down the alley, he felt a rush of adrenaline at the impending danger coming his way. Just my luck. Five members of a local gang he had crossed paths with a few times were loitering around their hangout. There were hundreds of gangs all over the city. They took over a building and part of a street, claimed it as their territory, and would run their operation from that location. Small gangs, and they moved frequently. The corrupt and paid-off governments did not care about street-level crime, and the police were never able to track down their next den before they moved on. Gangs like these preyed on people like Jace. And all five spotted him thanks to the loud clang of his bare prostheses impacting the cracked asphalt. He was going for speed, not stealth, and his lack of caution cost him a smooth journey through territory he had traversed dozens of times before without issue. Their shouts overlapped as they began to rush towards him. Jace could hear doors slamming and knew that more were joining those five in the chase. Jace kept sprinting down a familiar alley, feeling his heart beat faster and faster. The exhilaration of a chase kicked in a moment later, as he heard more shouts from behind, and the revving of a motorcycle engine as the pursuit began in earnest. They had fortified their territory, and Jace had to navigate between haphazard traps that lay all around. From simple shattered glass that he easily avoided, to a Molotov-cocktail rigged with a tripwire which he had to leap over, and even somehow an ancient bear trap that he barely dodged at the last second; scarcely noticing it hidden under garbage. They¡¯ve learned, he thought, as these traps weren¡¯t here when he snuck through their territory a few days ago when they were first taking over the block.The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Bang! He instinctively ducked as a bullet whizzed by him before impacting the concrete wall of the building to his left. Tiny chunks of the debris puffed out and provided a small smoke screen. Jace got as low as he could as he kept running, gunshots ringing out behind him as bullets continued to whiz by. Jace felt giddy as adrenaline pumped through his veins, the situation growing more dire with the threat of lethal force. The rhythmic tap, whoosh, tap, whoosh of his feet hitting the ground and lifting off as he continued his journey were a constant reminder of the accident a few months ago. The sound was almost unnerving - but he had begun to get used to it. The revving of the vehicle that was in pursuit pushed him on even faster, and he could feel the internal servos beginning to whine under the pressure of being overworked; a slow heat traveling up the grafted metal and reaching his flesh. Damn, I¡¯m pushing them too hard, he thought. They were great for sprints - not as good for endurance running. He coiled his legs once more and jumped over the small wall of stacked metal siding and wood scraps - the edge of the gang¡¯s territory. He was not able to clear it fully, but he was able to kick off the alley wall to get the height clearance he needed. He landed in a roll and emerged onto a street overlooking the river. A familiar place that he frequented often as a kid. Come on, there¡¯s always a few¡­ he scanned left and right, finally spotting what he was looking for. An old, rusted dinghy. The type that a street urchin like him used to sleep in. A boat that one could use to escape into the bay just to catch some crappy, polluted catfish to roast over a trash fire for dinner. The type that he would use to escape from other street kids who did not follow the code. And a fast way across the river to his drop off location. An enormous crash rang out behind him, and glancing back, he saw that the person riding the motorcycle had burst through the makeshift wall. ¡°Damnit!¡± Jace shouted as he kept running. I¡¯ll be a sitting duck if I am rowing out. That means I have to take the bridge. I¡¯m not going to make it in time! He pushed himself despite the likelihood of failing his delivery. There was no choice - he had to get there as fast as he could, even if it was past the deadline. He ran right past a bodega that had just opened and was blasting a radio broadcast. Some news channel. He barely registered the words as the rush of adrenaline-fueled pursuit dulled his hearing. ¡°...ten-billionth person born today in China.¡± That bit of the broadcast reached his ears. Jace froze. What the hell? He could not feel¡­anything. Not the acrid taste of smog in the air. Not the foul smell of rotten sewage pouring into the river. And most definitely and unsettling of all - not even his own heart that was quickly beating a few moments ago. He could still see. Hear stuff, too. And think, of course. The brackish river that had been slowly sloshing against the sides of the canal had stopped moving. The angler, pole mid-cast off one of the pylons that stood like a soldier at attention in the relatively clean center of the river, was also still. Everything was stopped as if someone had hit the pause button on reality itself. A voice echoed in his head, and a message appeared in the air in front of him, which should not have happened, as he had no ocular implants. The voice was that of a game show announcer. <<<<<>>>>> [Congratulations, Planet Earth of the Sol System in the Milky Way Galaxy!.] [Your world has reached the population threshold (relative to its size) to qualify for entry into The Cosmic System!.] [Cosmogenic Merging: Initiated.] <<<<<>>>>> Jace could still not feel - only see, hear, and think. And his mind raced with possibilities. Some type of experiment? He thought of the weird package in his bag. This fluid stuff? He had no clue what he was transporting most of the time. He could feel something physical - the world shaking under his feet. Not an earthquake, but more like a tremor. <<<<<>>>>> [Cosmogenic Merging: Completed!.] [Welcome to The Cosmic System!.] <<<<<>>>>> What the heck is Cosmogenic Merging? Jace thought. As if to answer his question, a flood of information crossed his vision, and a pleasant - if bored - female voice read it aloud to him. Her spoken words matched the ones filling his vision. <<<<<>>>>> [Your world has now been incorporated into The Cosmic System. Portals to The Cosmic Corridor have appeared in your fifty largest population centers. You will now be given the choice of Civilian or Aspirant classification.] [The Civilian classification forces a maximum lifespan of 150 years while in The Eternal City before removing the individual back to their home world. Prevents willful injury in The Eternal City or The Cosmic Corridor. Choose this option if you want to continue living your usual life, with just a little bit of influence from other worlds. Relocating to The Eternal City is permissible. But you have to get to one of the fifty portals to do so. Keep in mind the time limit! If you stay longer than 1 day past 150 years of age ¨C you die.] [The Aspirant classification provides for a path to becoming an Ascendant. A being with the power of the cosmos at their command. Unrestricted travel to any world connected to The Cosmic Corridor. This carries the risk of injury or death. This leads to practical immortality and near-deific power. Approximately 0.05% of those who choose this classification survive.] [Frequently asked questions.] 1.) This is not a trick, magic spell, hack, or any other form of charade. Your world is going to be part of a larger, multi-world System. 2.) Time is passing differently for each person during the Cosmogenic Merging process, but, in effect, you will ¡®resume¡¯ your existence at the same time as everyone else. 3.) Those who are considered minors by Cosmic System standards will be relocated to The Eternal City to ensure a safe, education-oriented, and standardized upbringing. Parents and caregivers may visit any time. After they become adults, they will choose a classification. 4.) Aspirants will be transported away from their current location. Aspirants who are in a position responsible for the safety of others (pilots, drivers, doctors, etc.) will not be immediately transported. Once their assigned passengers, cargo, patients, etc. are safe, then they will be transported. [Make your choice.] The voice shifted in tone, and she went off-script. [And be quick about it! You are my last one for this shift!] Chapter 2 – Cosmogenic Merging
Jace¡¯s mind raced. No way. This isn¡¯t possible. You can¡¯t stop time entirely. He wished he could turn his head around to look at his pursuers, but he could not. He just knew that they were looking at his back, waiting for¡­whatever this was to end so they could kill him. He tried to move his mouth to ask something, but this¡­voice read his thoughts and answered aloud. The same bored, feminine voice. <<<<<>>>>> [Alright, let¡¯s get this over with. You get three questions. Make it fast. I want to clock out.] <<<<<>>>>> Well. Okay, then , Jace thought. I guess this Cosmic System can read my thoughts. First question: what exactly is an Ascendant? <<<<<>>>>> [My name is Shhiv-zal, not just ¡®System¡¯.] She sounded annoyed. [I¡¯m assigned to you now.] <<<<<>>>>> Sorry. Shhiv-zal. <<<<<>>>>> Her voice softened slightly, [Apology accepted. To answer your question, an Ascendant is a quasi-immortal being. Their power is vast and can affect entire worlds. A lot of them are arrogant pricks, but there are a few good ones. They can be killed, but they are tough. Their immortality is only against aging and age-related diseases. That is question one.] <<<<<>>>>> That made some sense to Jace. This System was describing gods. Well, near-deities, if they could still be killed, poisoned, or die in some other way. The implications of that on a philosophical level were beyond his comprehension, and he chose to ignore any more questions related to them. What exactly is The Cosmic Corridor? <<<<<>>>>> [A travel hub. Transit station. It connects all worlds that have gone through Cosmogenic Merging. You can also get to The Eternal City through it. I mean, the city is nice and all - way better than my home world. But sometimes life can get boring, you know?.] Her tone shifted again to one of interest and became slightly husky. [At least I get the attractive ones to watch on my shifts. I bet you would clean up nicely. That is question two, by the way.] <<<<<>>>>> Jace ignored the remark about his appearance. The thought of having a new chance at life, a whole new lease on life, away from this crappy existence at the bottom rungs of society was tempting. Extremely so. The implication of a city that never ended, and the fact that Civilians could relocate made the decision much more difficult. If he chose Civilian, he would have to get to one of these portals and get through it. Knowing that they would show up in the largest population centers, he did not doubt that the various governments and burgeoning mega corporations of the world would restrict access. And charge an exorbitant fee to travel through them. One he could not afford. And why would they even let anyone past the portal? Civilians only had the non-willful injury clause in The Cosmic Corridor and this Eternal City, if he understood the earlier message correctly. World governments would not want people getting to a place where they did not have control. Jace was stuck on Earth despite this reality-shifting opportunity. This isn¡¯t fair. <<<<<>>>>> [Yup. It sucks. Crappy situation all around in your case. If you do choose Civilian, well, I hope you can get to one of the portals fast. The closest one to you is¡­fifty miles. Yup, you are screwed. Corpo-Age civs are always abysmal; and post Cosmogenic Merging, your world will probably go down the dystopic route. Honestly? Go with Aspirant. You might die, but hey, you will at least get out of what looks like an unbelievably dire situation.] <<<<<>>>>> No shit. People chasing me, shooting at me. Against a deadline that I can¡¯t meet. Probably getting my feet repo¡¯d. This¡­sucks. Plus, the thought of having deific power was enticing. Not just for the sake of having power or using it as an escape from his current life of barely scraping by. I¡¯m definitely choosing Aspirant¡­but I have one more question, right? <<<<<>>>>> [Yes. And that does not count as your question. The Cosmic System knows that clarifying statements do not count against the question limit. But please hurry. I want to get home and watch Zzezox and Misthledorp.] <<<<<>>>>> Jace ignored his instinctual response of, ¡®what?¡¯ as he knew it would count as one of his questions. If becoming an Ascendant means that I can be, effectively, a god¡­could I bring back someone who died?Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. <<<<<>>>>> [A powerful Ascendant may have the capability to bring the dead back to life. All right. You are out of questions. Time to choose.] <<<<<>>>>> I choose Aspirant¡­Thank you, Shhiv-zal. <<<<<>>>>> [Best of luck, I hope you survive your Aspirant Trial. I will be keeping an eye on you.] She giggled. [If you survive, I will take you out on the town. My treat.] <<<<<>>>>> Jace¡¯s vision went black, and he felt his body once more. His heart was racing, he could hear the loud whoosh of air passing by him as he fell through what seemed to be an endless sea of starlight. He could move his limbs as all the sensations of his body returned to him. The feeling of free-falling through inky black skies dotted with stars and swirling with streaks of light filled him with a giddy sensation and he laughed. Not just laughter at the thrill of falling, but at the realization that he could bring his sister back. The memories of her smile at her seventh birthday - her last one - flashed through his mind. He had scraped together enough money to buy her a small cake. He even had enough left over to take her to the park, and for the third time in her life, she got to play on swings and slides. An hour of childhood bliss. The memory of her excitement and elation always warmed his heart. In this instant, it filled him with a desire to get whatever this Aspiration Trial was over with so he could follow this progression to Ascendant and bring her back. The emotional rush he felt was almost unbearable. Come on! Let¡¯s get this started already! The wind cascading by him stilled and Jace felt himself slow to a stop before the black, inky space receded from around him. He was standing in an enormous conference room. Tables and chairs were set up all around. The space could accommodate thousands of people. Other people popped into existence ¨C just appearing ¨C all around him. Some screamed in panic, some shouted, others were quiet and observing what was going on. Jace fell into the latter group, finding the nearest wall and putting his back to it. A young woman - around Jace¡¯s age - with neon pink hair and a street-rocker style soon joined him against the wall. She glanced sideways at him and nodded. She made a sign of her index finger touching her ring finger, with the middle finger extended, the other fingers folded into the palm. ¡°Courier,¡± he replied. He repeated the finger gesture. ¡°Independent Webwalker.¡± She held up two fingers ¨C index and middle ¨C and put them in front of her mouth. ¡°Jace Seren,¡± he replied. ¡°Quinn Cipher.¡± Jace held out his hand and she gripped his index, middle, and ring fingers with her own. ¡°Where you from?¡± he asked. She brushed her hair out of her face. She was cute, but her demeanor left no doubt in Jace¡¯s mind that she used that appearance to manipulate others. ¡°Sydney. You?¡± ¡°New Jersey.¡± The code of the street kid completed, Jace felt himself relax as Quinn giggled slightly, ¡°This is going to be interesting. Cosmic power? A trial? Exciting stuff.¡± ¡°It¡¯s¡­this whole thing is just crazy,¡± Jace replied with a grin. He focused as movement in her eyes caught his attention as if they were focusing in like camera lenses. Holy crap. She¡¯s got head-cybernetics! They were extremely expensive and hard to get. ¡°Where¡¯d you get those?¡± She grinned, ¡°I was able to hack into a government database. I ransomed the data for these, and some brain implants. Getting those installed took a while, though.¡± She glanced down at his ankles, ¡°No shoes?¡± Jace pulled his pant leg up, ¡°They¡¯re on a payment plan.¡± Quinn whistled as her eyes whirred in their sockets, ¡°Those must have cost you a lot.¡± Jace let his pant leg go, ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m basically spending every cred on keeping them paid up. But it was that or be in the gutter.¡± ¡°I feel that,¡± she replied. ¡°¡®Doing whatever we have to do to survive.¡¯¡± She looked at him, ¡°You have the same phrase in your part of the world?¡± ¡°Close,¡± Jace said with a smile. ¡°Ours is ¡®Stick together to survive¡¯.¡± ¡°Why did you choose Aspirant?¡± she asked. ¡°My sister,¡± Jace replied. ¡°Did you get three questions?¡± Quinn asked. Jace nodded and she continued, ¡°My questions were about this Aspirant Trial. We get dropped off in a hostile environment and gotta survive a week. Then, we get Cosmic Power and a Class. After that, we can kill stuff or do Quests to get a type of cred called Stardust. We can use that to buy stuff, or level up.¡± Jace nodded before responding, ¡°The Cosmic Corridor gets us to and from worlds, Ascendants are like gods, and my last question was if an Ascendant could bring back the dead. Turns out¡­they can.¡± ¡°That¡¯s awesome,¡± she replied with a soft, sincere smile. ¡°If this Aspirant thing can get her back¡­I have to try.¡± ¡°Good on you. Well, slater.¡± She turned away and began chatting with someone else who had joined them against the wall. Jace smiled and nodded at her despite not knowing what ¡®slater¡¯ meant. Must be some local Australian slang. A message played across his vision, and he heard a voice in his head. The same announcer-style voice from before. <<<<<>>>>> [Your Wayfinders have been assigned! They will introduce themselves as you travel to your Aspirant Trial!.] [Please note: Aspirant Trials are dangerous. Working with others is allowed, as is harming others.] [Good luck!.] Chapter 3 – Oliver, Wayfinder
Jace saw the world turn black around him once more. He was floating on an enormous ocean of sparkling white and yellow shimmers. The undulating waves under him buoyed him on the surface and the stark, black sky above was a swirl with thousands of galaxies and stars. The closest experience to this was mindscapes showing distant galaxies that telescopes in orbit were able to see. But even those could not compare to the gorgeous display in front of him. Space had always fascinated Jace, and he would often look up at the skies with his sister and imagine a life in one of the floating habitations up in orbit. Where the richest of the rich lived. Just him and Chroma, among the stars. He was transfixed and couldn''t tell how much time passed. The liquid under him shifted and he felt himself sink below the surface, surrounded by the shimmering light and feeling a sensation as if he were sinking into a warm pool. Able to breathe despite the feeling of being surrounded by liquid. A new voice echoed in his head as messages appeared in his vision. A mechanical, very artificial voice. <<<<<>>>>> [Registering Aspirant data.] [Jace Seren, born on August 3rd, 2042. Age, 23. Black hair. Brown eyes. 5¡¯9¡¯¡¯. 145 lbs. Thin, wiry, athletic build. Technological implant in limbs from the tibia down on both legs.] [Odds of survival estimated at 0.03%.] [Your assigned Wayfarer will arrive in 3.] [2.] [1.] <<<<<>>>>> There was a loud pop noise next to Jace and he looked over. A sleek, long, furred creature with a squished face and whiskers swam through the liquid starlight next to him. Nebula streaked behind it in a cascade of pinks and powder blue. The animal¡¯s eyes were like two small planets: dark blue orbs with silvery rings around the outside edge. ¡°Well, you are my new Aspirant.¡± The voice was masculine and surprisingly deep for the small size of the creature, and sounded disappointed. ¡°I¡¯m Jace.¡± ¡°I know.¡± The creature swam around Jace, and its sinuous body curled around him. ¡°Well, any questions?¡± ¡°Lots,¡± Jace replied. ¡°What¡¯s your name, and what are you?¡± The creature sighed, ¡°Why do I get the dumb ones?¡± ¡°Hey, come on,¡± Jace replied. ¡°I¡¯m not dumb. Just not book smart.¡± ¡°I am Oliver. My friends call me Ollie. But let us make it clear, you are not my friend. I am your Wayfinder and nothing more.¡± ¡°Are you a weasel?¡± Oliver¡¯s eye twitched. ¡°A weasel?! How dumb are you?¡± He sounded quite upset. ¡°I had three years of school, all right? I didn¡¯t study animals.¡± Oliver huffed and swam in front of Jace, floating in front of his eyes. ¡°I am a river otter.¡± ¡°What¡¯s an otter?¡± Oliver pinched the bridge of his small snout with his cute, tiny paws. ¡°Carnivorous mammal. This form is the closest thing to what your culture would call a ¡®spirit animal¡¯.¡± He looked up at Jace and frowned, his whiskers forming a small arch. ¡°Wayfinders take the form of an animal or other creature most aligned with their Aspirant. Do you swim a lot?¡± Jace nodded, recalling several times when he would be swimming in the polluted waters of the rivers, looking for hidden treasures that had been discarded. Salvageable stuff. Occasionally, he would find a corpo¡¯s body and could rip out their implants to sell to a chop-doc. ¡°Yeah, I swam a lot. It was one of my favor-¡± ¡°There, that explains it. You like water, river otters live in water. There you go.¡± Jace kept silent for a moment. People like me don¡¯t get this chance. I have to know if other people got this same chance. ¡°Did everyone on Earth get the same choice I did?¡± ¡°Yup!¡± Well, that explains it. I¡¯m not special. He cracked a wry smile and chuckled, of course. Street people like me never get a break. Not even when a System takes over. Whatever that means. He pushed aside the knowledge that he was still just another lowly cog in a larger machine of reality and cleared his throat. ¡°What is a Wayfinder?¡± Jace asked. Oliver kept his frown and bobbed in front of Jace, ¡°A companion. The Cosmic System assigns us to Aspirants to function as an interface between it and you. Only you and other Aspirants can see me, and I am intangible. If you go back to Earth and start talking to me, people will think you are crazy.¡± He chuckled slightly at his joke before the stern, disappointed demeanor reasserted itself. ¡°I will also hold any Stardust you collect.¡± ¡°What is Stardust?¡± ¡°You, me¡­everything.¡± Oliver gestured to the starry seas around them, his voice filling with a sense of wonder as the tone lightened. ¡°Stardust makes up all matter. Aspirants can turn living things into Stardust and use it as currency in The Eternal City. Or they can accumulate it and then consume it to level up.¡± Makes sense, Jace thought. Everything in the universe that we can see is matter, I know that much from the bit of schooling I got. It makes sense that it all breaks down into the same substance. ¡°What¡¯s the Aspirant Trial going to make me do?¡±A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. Oliver¡¯s voice returned to a disappointed tone. ¡°When I give the go-ahead, you will be transported to a hazardous world and must survive for a week while there. Seven days.¡± That surprised Jace. ¡°I¡¯d imagine a multi-world, universe-spanning system would not use Earth¡¯s way of keeping time.¡± Oliver waved his paw dismissively, ¡°I am translating from The Cosmic System time to what you are familiar with. The Cosmic System knows how to adjust times accordingly for all Aspirants. The same for seasons, months, etcetera.¡± ¡°Do I get any survival gear?¡± ¡°Just what you have with you. Here, I will pull up your full information sheet.¡± A screen appeared in front of Jace. <<<<<>>>>> Name: Jace Seren (Aspirant, Tier 0) Power [Class level.]: N/A Skills: Skill Name (Rank) [Evolutions.]: Universal Translation, Environmental Adaptation. Stardust: 0 Equipment: Messenger Bag (unidentified ferrofluid), street clothes, sliverscreen, protein bar (x3), belt knife, Runner¡¯s Replacement. Boons: None <<<<<>>>>> Oliver tutted and shook his head, ¡°Not a good set of starting equipment. The good news is once you survive twenty-four hours, you might get a Quest. If you accomplish that Quest, then you get a Boon - think of it like a redeemable reward.¡± He frowned, ¡°And no need for that sliverscreen anymore. Such rudimentary information and networking technology.¡± Jace took a deep breath. ¡°You said a hazardous world. Will I be able to survive there?¡± ¡°Yup! You have two Skills as an Aspirant. Universal Translation means you can understand all languages whether spoken or written. Ancient, forgotten ones? Not so much. Environmental Adaptation means that you can survive on any world connected to The Cosmic Corridor. Only alterations that a native inhabitant has. So, if you chose an ocean world and the species living there could live underwater, you would be able to as well. You cannot survive an irradiated wasteland of nuclear fallout unless that was ¡®the usual¡¯ for existing inhabitants. The same goes for the magical equivalent of nukes.¡± ¡°Wait-magic?¡± Jace clarified. ¡°Yup! What? Did you think that worlds only advanced upon your world¡¯s understanding of reality?¡± Oliver waved his little paw dismissively, ¡°That is arrogant to assume. Magic exists. Spells, arcane symbols, the whole lot.¡± Jace pushed aside the reality-shattering knowledge that magic existed, focusing on the present instead. ¡°If this place with the Trial is connected to The Cosmic Corridor, couldn¡¯t I just find the portal and head to The Eternal City to wait out the seven days?¡± Oliver nodded and crossed his little arms as his tail wagged behind him, ¡°Yup! Absolutely. That is generally the smart play. Most Aspirants do that.¡± His tone brightened ever so slightly. Jace peered at the screen and pointed at the spot next to his name, ¡°What are these Tiers?¡± Oliver swam behind him and pointed his little paw past Jace¡¯s head. Another screen appeared with a series of level ranges. ¡°Tiers are how The Cosmic System judges overall power effectively, every twenty-five levels you acquire earns you one Tier. Once you hit level twenty-five in your Class, you then may choose an Ascended Power and Advanced Class. Once you hit level twenty-five in that , then you may take on the Ascension Trial and become a fully-fledged Ascendant.¡± Which means that the weakest Ascendant would be Tier 2 overall. ¡°Can you go past level twenty-five?¡± he asked, glancing to his side at his Wayfinder. ¡°Yup! Though it is rarely done. Most Aspirants want to get immortality as soon as possible. The max for a Class or Advanced Class is level 100.¡± ¡°Is there a lock on progression? I¡¯d imagine rushing to immortality would have some type of downside.¡± ¡°Yup! When an Aspirant chooses their Advanced Class, all progression for their initial Class is locked. Same for when you become an Ascendant - Advanced Class progression is locked.¡± ¡°How strong would I have to be to bring back someone that died? Before the Cosmogenic Merging happened.¡± ¡°Hmm,¡± Oliver had an inquisitive look on his face as his cheeks scrunched up forcing his whiskers to expand outward. Jace chuckled slightly at the puffed-up expression. Oliver blinked a few times, his face went slack, and his eyes went dark, pure black. ¡°Accessing System: stand by.¡± His voice was not filled with gruff disappointment but instead was mechanical and robotic. He shook his head a few seconds later as his eyes returned to normal. ¡°Tier 10 at a minimum for pre-Cosmogenic Merging deaths. But there is a time limit of ten years on that. You cannot bring back people who have been gone for too long.¡± ¡°But you can¡¯t get Tier 10 if you get your last Tier at level 75.¡± ¡°Once you ¡®cap out¡¯ at level 100, you are given a Tier for mastering your Class. Think of it like the cherry on top of a cake.¡± There¡¯s a lot to unpack here, Jace thought. It might be a lot all at once¡­but it¡¯s good to know how I¡¯m going to get her back. ¡°Do Tiers have a purpose other than judging an overall power level?¡± ¡°Yup! An Aspirant who is Tier 1 will have reduced efficacy against any other Aspirant or challenge rated at a higher Tier.¡± Oliver chuckled a little, ¡°Earth is a Tier 2 world. So, if you were Tier 3, you could return home and bullets would really, really hurt; but not kill you.¡± He put his paw to his chin and scratched it, ¡°Unless it was a lot of bullets. Same thing if you tried to attack a Tier 2 and you are only Tier 1 ¨C you would find it a lot harder to hurt them.¡± ¡°Good to know.¡± Jace took a deep breath and calmed his beating heart by focusing on the flow of air. In through the nose, out through the mouth. This is it. Once I give the go-ahead¡­this Trial starts. Memories of his sister washed over him. Her smile when he picked her up from the hangout that functioned as a small, community school. The time they spent walking through the city streets, staring up at the high-rise buildings. The empty promises he made her to take them both to the top of society. I¡¯ll get to Tier 10. I¡¯ll become the strongest Ascendant to bring her back. Then¡­we¡¯ll live at the top. ¡°I¡¯m ready.¡± He looked straight at Oliver¡¯s eyes, feeling the silent judgment of the Wayfinder seemingly searching his soul. I survived the streets. I can survive this. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Oliver swam in the starlight around Jace, swirling up the motes of cosmic energy in his wake. A blossoming cascade of every color imaginable. The spectral river otter swam faster and faster until Jace was in a cocoon awash with vibrant colors. ¡°Here we go!¡± he shouted enthusiastically. ¡°Do not die on me. The last four-hundred Aspirants I have been assigned to died within the first few hours.¡± Wait, a few hours? Jace felt a pit form in his stomach despite filling it earlier. Is this place really that dangerous? He gripped his belt knife and drew it, holding it in front of him at the ready. ¡°Where am I going?¡± ¡°A Tier 1 world. A place called Velenar Prime.¡± His face shifted into one of concern, ¡°That¡¯s¡­that¡¯s at the upper end of the Tier 1 difficulty scale.¡± He growled and shouted in anger, ¡°Damnit! We spent too long talking, and now we get the crappiest starting position!¡± The colors stopped swirling, everything went black, and Jace felt a sensation of being sucked down a drain. Chapter 4 – The Aspirant Trial
Jace saw colors flash in front of him - red, blue, and finally a soft purple as he landed on his butt. ¡°Ouch!¡± he yelped in pain from his now-bruised tailbone. It was not a soft landing and compared to the warm starlight he had been drifting in, the wind that caressed his skin was chilling and ominous. Looking around he saw a stark, blasted landscape. Black cliffs of stone arced up in either direction, and a small passage led forward. Glancing back, he saw the same terrain behind. I¡¯m in a canyon, he thought. Oliver manifested next to him with a pop. ¡°Well, crap. This is a bad starting position.¡± He was still a river otter, floating in space; but he appeared to be made of shimmering starlight. Translucent. And he emitted light. ¡°Where are we?¡± Jace asked as he stood up. Oliver closed his eyes and a moment later a map appeared floating in front of the two. It zoomed out until they could see an orbital view, represented in a phantasmal, blue color. There was a blinking, purple dot. ¡°The purple dot is us.¡± Oliver spun his paws, and the planetary map swirled in place until they were looking at the opposite side of the world. There was a bright, blue dot. ¡°And that¡¯s the portal to The Cosmic Corridor.¡± ¡°How far is it?¡± ¡°About 1,250 miles. At an average travel rate of 20 miles per day, you will make it there in 75 days.¡± Jace gripped the bars of protein - ground-up bugs with a little bit of flavoring - and felt a rush of fear through his spine. With one bite every few hours I could maybe have enough calories to last me six days at the most. If I have to run from something then I¡¯ll need to eat them faster. He took a deep breath and did just as his mentor taught him. In through the nose, out through the mouth. You¡¯ve found food and water in worse places than this. He looked up at the skies above. They were a light, soft purple. He could not see the sun from his current vantage point in the canyon. ¡°Which way would be the fastest to get to this Portal?¡± Oliver floated in front of him and pointed, ¡°That way.¡± Jace cinched his messenger bag tight to his body and began trudging forward. Despite the prosthetic feet he could feel the coarse, crusty gravel below that his soles gently sank into before finding firm ground. The walls around him closed in tighter and tighter, and he had to turn sideways and hold his bag over his head to squeeze through at the narrowest point. The black stone was coarse like pumice and scratched at his arms. He could feel parts of his clothing catch and slightly rip. ¡°What¡¯s the temperature going to be like?¡± he asked as cool wind blew through the crag and made him shiver. Oliver¡¯s eyes went black for a moment before they returned to normal and he replied, ¡°It will be around fifty degrees Farenheit. It is the end of summer. Winter is coming. It will last for seventy days.¡± Great. Just my luck. Wrong side of the freakin¡¯ world, it¡¯s going to get cold, and I have no gear for surviving outdoors. He felt a long tear open along the back of his clothes as the rough rock scraped against his skin. ¡°Just terrific!¡± he shouted in frustration as the situation he found himself in truly sank in. A noise responded. A deep, sonorous, grinding growl that echoed down the canyon. ¡°What did you do that for?¡± Oliver asked harshly. Jace lowered his voice to a whisper, ¡°It was a reaction, okay?¡± He heard roaring once more, and even though the canyon caused the noise to echo, he knew it was behind him somewhere. Crap crap crap! He kept wiggling his way through the crevice until he emerged from it. A vast landscape spread out before him. A field of bright purple, yellow, and blue flowers interspersed throughout dark, grey grasses that swished in the breeze. The horizon off in the distance just caressed a setting trio of suns - one green, one white, and one deep orange. The light, purple skies above began to darken as the suns continued to set, and a set of roiling, black storm clouds began to move directly overhead. It was gorgeous. Unlike anything Jace had ever seen. There was more plant life than he could imagine. Something out of the stories that the older street crowd used to muse about before the open spaces were all paved over for factories and housing. He took in a deep breath of the air and could smell something he had only experienced once before. Clean, outdoor, fresh air. No smog cloying his lungs, no toxic smoke from the factories that bellowed out the nasty clouds that would hug the ground. It was refreshing and for a moment he forgot about his dire situation. He was quickly reminded of that, however. The growl behind him brought him out of his reverie and he turned. ¡°What is it?¡± he whispered. ¡°How am I supposed to know?¡± Oliver replied with a huff. ¡°You¡¯re the Wayfinder. Interface with the System or something!¡± ¡°I am not clairvoyant. Once I see it, I can look up information about it.¡± It kept getting closer. Jace turned to the field and did one thing he excelled at. He ran. He ran as fast as his servo-assisted feet could carry him. The rocks he was treading on gave way to soft sod and soil as he sprinted through the flowers. If he were not running from some creature that was hunting him, he would revel in the feeling of actual dirt under his feet. ¡°Oh crap,¡± Oliver muttered as he floated alongside Jace. ¡°This dirt is going to make you slower.¡± ¡°What?!¡± Jace shouted as he kept putting one foot in front of the other. ¡°How?¡± ¡°It is a type of infused soil. Exceptionally fine, sand-like granules. It will gum up the servos and compressors. It holds moisture easily and will crust onto surfaces.¡± Crap! That¡¯ll make me way slower. He spared a glance back and felt terror grip his heart as his blood ran cold. Jace knew in that instant what it felt like to be prey as the multiple, black eyes stared him down.This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. The creature fully emerged from the crevice. A sinuous, lanky, six-legged wolf-like creature. Its face and snout split down the middle, and he could see the two eyes on either side of the skull. The roar it let out as the snout ripped open to reveal a gaping tunnel of a mouth lined with razor-sharp teeth reminded Jace of a roll of razor wire. Its surface was covered with chitinous, black plates that refracted the fading bit of light. Jace turned away. Focus on outrunning it. Finding someplace it can¡¯t get. Can it climb? Damnit! I don¡¯t know! ¡°Oh, that¡¯s what it is,¡± Oliver muttered as he floated backward while Jace continued to run. ¡°It is a Vyrknadine. A very vicious predator. This one is at the very top of Rank 1.¡± He looked over at Jace with a grimace on his fate, ¡°I¡¯m not expecting you to survive. Guess it is back to storage for me.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not helping!¡± Jace shouted as he kept sprinting. His steps became heavier as the servos seized up, and he had to exert more force with each footstep. Sparing a glance back, he could not see the creature. The only indication of any motion was the softly swaying grassland as the chill wind kept blowing. ¡°Where did it go?¡± ¡°They are ambush predators. It is stalking you in the grass.¡± Oliver floated in front of Jace, on his stomach with his head held up by his little paws. ¡°You are in some trouble here. Wish I could help.¡± Jace felt himself slow even more as his feet stopped their automated function. Now, they were just clunky, metal appendages that weighed him down. ¡°Tell me how to beat it!¡± Oliver sighed, ¡°I mean, I doubt you can. But the ones that were killed were defeated by stabbing about six inches into the underside of it. Into the heart.¡± ¡°How does it track?¡± ¡°Scent and sight.¡± Scent and sight. Okay. I can counter those. Jace skidded to a stop and threw his bag to the side. He quickly stripped down to his naked body and rolled back and forth in the sod and dirt. The soil was still damp and mixed with the sweat pouring from him he was able to efficiently cover himself with plenty of dirt. Plus, because of the inert grey-goo infusing the soil, it crusted onto his body like a second layer of skin. My knife isn¡¯t long enough to reach six inches, he thought. I¡¯ll have to improvise on the fly once I see it up close. He knew that the dirt would mask his scent, the clothes would distract the monster, and he could stay low to keep out of sight. Use the environment to your advantage. Growing up on the streets, Jace knew how to blend into his surroundings. Getting dirty was not a problem for him. Looking filthy and disgusting was a skill every street kid honed; great for avoiding the attention of gangs and cops trying to meet their quota. And he knew how to hide. The second-best skill a street kid could develop. One more thing. He scrabbled over to his pants and pulled out one of the protein bars. He unwrapped it and threw it a short distance away before ducking down and hugging the dirt, knife in hand. He focused on steadying his breathing and closed his eyes - zeroing in wholly on his sense of hearing. Something unique that he picked up from his mentor. The man taught him how to focus on one sense in a specific moment. Sight for keeping an eye out for good marks. Touch to be able to find traps and gaps in buildings. Taste to determine if something was safe to eat. Smell to identify toxins in the air. Hearing to keep alert while sleeping. A skill that he had to learn. Years of practical use were continuing to pay off at this critical moment. Jace could make out the soft, swoosh of the swaying grasses. The slight crackle of distant thunder. And the faint growling breath of this Vyrknadine. An apex predator. He had never heard anything like it; the closest he could compare it to was the roar of a souped-up street car¡¯s engine. But it carried an anger. A lethal intent that sent shivers down his body. ¡°It¡¯s right behind you,¡± Oliver said as he floated above. ¡°Do not move. It cannot hear or see me, so I¡¯ll update you on its position.¡± Wasn¡¯t planning on moving, Jace thought as he unfocused his senses and saw the grasses next to him parting and bending. The creature had no scent, and now that he was up close, he could see that the chitinous plates had plenty of gaps that he could sink a blade into. It went over to his clothes and began pawing at the garments before moving on to the protein bar. After sniffing it, it gobbled the substance up. I could wait, Jace thought. I could just hide and wait for it to move on. That was the smart thing to do. Wait for it to move on. Not risk his neck fighting something he was in no way prepared to fight. ¡°Oh, would you look at that,¡± Oliver muttered in surprise. ¡°The Cosmic System already has a Quest for you. Normally those are restricted until a day has passed. Ah, Shhiv-zal put in a bypass request for you. You should thank her when you get to The Eternal City. Here, I will show you the quest.¡± The System message box appeared, but thankfully it filled only the bottom-right corner of Jace¡¯s vision instead of flooding his whole vision. <<<<<>>>>> [Quest: Defeat the Vyrknadine.] [Time Limit: 10 minutes.] [Reward: Epic (Hidden Location) Boon.] <<<<<>>>>> Oliver chuckled, ¡°Wow. That is neat. You must have made a great impression on her. Maybe because of your motive for choosing Aspirant? Low-level System operators like her do not normally put in these types of bypass requests. You should definitely visit her when we get to Khrox. Her personnel file says her favorite snack food is ghantos-pepper wings.¡± Jace wanted to ask how the hell he made an impression by asking questions, receiving answers, and just being polite. But he knew that being quiet was essential to living at that moment. I can figure out later why she''s taken an interest. Jace felt the fear slowly melting away, replaced by an excitement that he might survive this whole encounter. Hidden Location? A place to hole up? Supplies and maybe even weapons? He had not seen a source of water when he first walked out here, and he had no clue about what would be safe to eat or not. Hell, it was a completely different world. The risk is worth the reward. He flexed and unflexed his muscles, slowly warming them up as the creature continued to pad around and nose through the clothing before it arrived at his satchel. It stood there, pawing at the bag. This is it! Jace slowly pushed himself up off the ground and into a crouch, following the trail of trodden dirt the creature had made in its travel through the grass. He got right behind the predator that was easily twice his length - and it had not noticed him. Palming the knife, he took a fast, quiet breath as he jumped onto its back. Chapter 5 – It costs an arm and a leg
The Vyrknadine bucked up and almost tossed Jace off. He wrapped his legs around the monstrosity like a vice and hung on for dear life as it bucked and tried to coil back in on itself to bite him. Flattening himself against it, he felt around with his fingertips until they latched into small grooves between the chitinous plates. But he was right on its midsection. It began yelping in an unsettling, grinding growl. Oliver shouted as he flew above the fray, ¡°Don¡¯t let it buck you!¡± Jace could only grunt in reply as he was shaken every which way. The creature twisted in circles trying to get within bite range and Jace dug his heels in as best he could. Just as he had expected, the chitinous shell prevented some movement - and he was right on top of the largest one. If he moved, he would die. I just have to outlast it. Get it to tire itself out. He could feel the strain on his thighs and knew he could not keep up his grip for long. It¡¯ll probably outlast me. Think, Jace. How do you get to the head without getting bit? He tried to steady his breathing and looked for any discernible pattern to the jostling movements. Left, right, forward, spin clockwise, yelp. A pattern began to emerge. A repetitive movement that creatures at the top of the food chain would never change, because why would they? The same as the corpos that Jace knew to avoid because they would always walk the same. I just have to time it right. Just like a pickpocket. When the creature howled, its sides contracted slightly. That gave Jace a moment to shimmy up its body and re-tighten his legs around its midsection. Then, on the clockwise spin, he moved his right hand up to another one of the segmented, chitinous plates. When it moved left, he would move his left hand up, still palming the knife to use once he got to a weak spot. But, despite getting closer and closer to the creature¡¯s head where he was sure he could deal some damage, he felt fatigue and muscle cramps set in. His thighs were quivering from the constant pressure they were applying, and this creature continued its thrashing with boundless energy. Just go for it! Jace thought as he felt the creature inhale for another yelp. He yanked himself forward and stabbed the blade down into the side of the creature¡¯s neck. Must¡¯ve severed the windpipe, he thought as the expected yelping howl did not emerge from the creature¡¯s throat. Only the hiss of air escaped through the bloody gap he had carved. Viscous, green ichor spurted out. But the knife was stuck, and even as he tried to pull it free, the tight muscle kept it pinched in place. ¡°Good hit!¡± Oliver encouraged. ¡°Keep it up!¡± Jace¡¯s thighs gave out and he went flying off the creature, feeling himself tumble head over heels before he rolled to a painful stop. The blade was wrenched from his grip and he was defenseless with the wind knocked out of him. Pushing himself up to his elbows, he saw the creature begin to turn. Despite the injury he dealt it, the knife was keeping the creature from suffocating as the metal was squeezed in between folds of flesh. Damn it! He scrambled over to the courier satchel and began to open it as the creature charged at him. Time seemed to slow as his palm biomarker activated the lock, and he withdrew the fluid-filled bag that sparkled with metallic flecks. Looking up with it in his hands, he saw the maw opening. The tunnel of razor-sharp teeth descended toward him. Instinctively, he kicked up at it with his left foot. It dragged him in the dirt as the teeth crushed and ripped the metal apart. The creature jerked left and right, and Jace felt the prosthetic give way as he was left with a ripped, metal stub. The monstrosity tried to swallow the prosthetic, but the limb got stuck in its throat. The creature began to hack and wretch, trying to dislodge the metal. The foot refused to be blended by the teeth deeper in the throat, and it did not have the bite-force of the jaws to grind it down. Jace flipped over on his stomach and was able to reach up and pull his knife free. Air hissed out of the Vyrknadine¡¯s neck as blood bubbled out with its breath. The creature flailed left and right, trying to dislodge the limb. ¡°Choke on it!¡± Jace shouted as he let out a laugh of triumph. ¡°Choke on my foot and die!¡± His elation turned to horror as the creature was able to rid its throat of the offending appendage. It turned to him with a snarl; the slit where he had carved healed over. It can regenerate? The creature growled and pounced. As the maw opened and descended upon Jace, he shoved the bag of the mysterious ferrofluid into its maw. The teeth destroyed the thin, plastic bag and the thick, metallic goop spread all over the inside of its mouth. The teeth chomped. Jace screamed as the creature ripped his right arm away, the limb removed elbow-down. He writhed in agony, not even noticing the now-convulsing monstrosity. He dropped his knife and cradled his maimed arm. I gotta tourniquet it, he thought as the pain was lost in the onset of shock and his survival instincts kicked in. Get away from the threat. Patch up. Survive for her. Ignoring the flailing predator, Jace crawled back to his clothes, pushing himself through the dirt and grass with his good foot. He made sure to keep on his back to prevent the limb from touching the dirt and possibly getting infected. Reaching his pants he used his teeth and his good hand to tie off the leg of the clothes onto the stump. He tried to avoid looking at it, not wanting to trigger a panic response and be frozen in shock entirely. ¡°Holy crap,¡± Oliver muttered in shock. ¡°You did it! I cannot believe it!¡± <<<<<>>>>> [Quest Completed: Defeat the Vryknadine.] [Time Limit: N/A.] [Reward: Epic (Hidden Location) Boon.] <<<<<>>>>> Jace leaned back and let out an exhausted laugh. Oliver flew over him and looked down from above with a bemused and astonished expression. ¡°I can¡¯t believe it. I must be dreaming.¡± ¡°I¡­wha?¡± Jace muttered in response as he felt dizziness overtake him. He leaned over and retched as the pain began to spread from his severed limb. He slumped into the recovery position on his side, instinctively pulling his knee up to keep himself from falling on his face and suffocating on his own sick. Oliver no longer had any sound of disappointment in his voice. Instead, the deep voice was filled with astonishment and wonder. ¡°You should look at what you did.¡± ¡°Mmm,¡± he felt like he was in a fog. ¡°Too dizzy¡­¡± The pain surged through his arm and pierced the foggy haze. ¡°Take a few minutes, I¡¯ll keep watch.¡± Oliver floated up into the sky and out of Jace¡¯s vision. Jace took shaking breaths as he looked at the severed appendage. The metallic fluid had hardened, and he untied the tourniquet with his teeth. I survived, he thought. This Boon better be worth it. Lost an arm and a foot. He knew that if he gave in to despair at this moment, he would be vulnerable. Survive. The vertigo slowly faded, and he used his good arm to push himself up. The creature was lying still, and he dragged himself over to it, inspecting the corpse. Oliver floated above him, descending to hover above the creature. Its face was towards him, and Jace could see the metal that had coated the inside of its mouth before hardening. ¡°I got you,¡± Jace whispered with satisfaction at slaying the creature. Something he had never encountered; an actual, wild predator¡­and he came out on top. He had killed before, but nothing like this. A primal force of nature was far different from anything he had encountered. ¡°You should get dressed,¡± Oliver said. ¡°I need to rest a bit longer. How do I use this Boon?¡± ¡°Just ask me to use it for you.¡± Jace weakly nodded, ¡°I hope it''s close.¡±This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. <<<<<>>>>> [Using Boon: Epic (Hidden Location).] [Uploading information to Wayfinder.] <<<<<>>>>> Oliver smirked as a map appeared floating above Jace. ¡°It¡¯s only a mile away,¡± the otter commented. Jace nodded, ¡°If I can rig my foot onto my stump, I can make it.¡± ¡°We cannot harvest this thing. Not in your current state. Want me to break it into Stardust? You cannot use it now, but we can start saving up.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Oliver floated down and waved his paws over the Vyrknadine. It glowed with a bright, powder blue light that was coated in sparkles like glitter. In an instant, it vanished turning into a silvery-grey powder that flew into Oliver¡¯s paw before vanishing. <<<<<>>>>> [Stardust Acquired: 500.] <<<<<>>>>> Jace knew he was still in shock from losing his arm, and that he would have to reconcile with the loss soon enough. But survival was more important, and he needed to keep himself distracted. ¡°Is that a lot?¡± Jace asked weakly as he began to look around for his spit-up foot. ¡°It¡¯s enough to go up a level, from 1 through 25.¡± Oliver flew up higher before floating back down and pointing to Jace¡¯s side. ¡°Your foot is over there.¡± Jace nodded and dragged himself across the small battlefield, gathering his now-empty satchel, his prosthetic foot, and the rest of his strewn-about clothes. He was exhausted, but he dressed himself and was able to use a slashed-off bit of fabric from his pants to tie the chewed-off foot onto his stump. He would have to move slowly, but he could walk if he shuffled that foot forward. ¡°Which direction?¡± he asked. Oliver floated in front of him and pointed, ¡°This way.¡± Jace began a hobbled-walk after the floating Wayfinder who kept talking. ¡°I have never seen an Aspirant defeat a top-Tier creature. That is one for the history books. You will be the talk of all the Wayfinders!¡± He let out a hearty laugh as he twirled in the air. ¡°I finally got a winner! Well, if you survive long enough. Let us hope this Hidden Location has what you need to survive. Holing up for the full seven days would be the smart play.¡± Keep the conversation going. Just ignore it for now. Jace weakly replied, ¡°Do you talk to other Wayfinders often?¡± ¡°When you go to sleep, I go back into The Cosmic System and can chat with other Wayfinders. We share stories and information. You do not have to be sleeping for me to do that.¡± ¡°Can other people listen in on those conversations?¡± ¡°Well, sometimes we do talk to some of the Factions of Ascended. Keep them informed of up-and-coming Aspirants who could be recruited.¡± ¡°Let me guess¡­you¡¯re going to brag about what I did here?¡± ¡°Damn right!¡± Oliver smiled, his little whiskers arcing upward accentuating the expression. ¡°I have been the butt of so many jokes. Finally, I can shove a successful Aspirant into Jeremy¡¯s face !¡± ¡°What happens if a faction shows interest?¡± ¡°Depends. They can send you Quests, just like The Cosmic System can send Quests. If you choose to dedicate yourself to them - pledge yourself to their cause - then you are called a Signer.¡± Jace nodded as he slowly trudged along following his spectral companion. The night sky had fully encompassed all and there was no moon to light his path. Only the light cast by Oliver provided any illumination. Jace paused and stared around at the waving grasses, taking in the view. It was a stark contrast to the streets he knew so well. But those street skills had kept him alive. The night was oddly peaceful. Glancing down at his arm, he grimaced knowing that life was going to be much, much harder in the next few days. The feeling of loss welled up in him, and he cried. For the first time since losing his sister and being stuck in a crappy hospital with literal rats chewing his stumps¡­he felt overwhelming sorrow pour over him. ¡­Damn it. Why? First his feet, and now this? Sure, he was alive. But the loss of a part of him, the near-death experience, the rush of adrenaline that now left him exhausted¡­it was too much. He collapsed to the ground and sobbed. Oliver floated over, ¡°Hey¡­come on now,¡± he softly said. ¡°Just, look up. See the sky? It is beautiful. Come on, we are almost there.¡± His voice was gentle and had no trace of gruff disappointment. ¡°Just look up¡­please.¡± Looking up, Jace saw a sea of starlight and cascading red nebula that arced in clouds across the vast expanse. The sight was¡­soothing. Calming. He felt a sense of peace wash over him as he was reminded for a moment of the promise he made to Chroma. To escape Earth and live out amongst the stars. It fortified his resolve. It¡¯s just an arm. You¡¯ll get a new one. A better one. Survive for her. Bring her back. Push forward. He staggered to his feet and kept walking forward. He kept talking to stay awake and stave off his sleep debt. ¡°What happens if I reject a Quest?¡± ¡°Nothing. If you accept and then fail a Quest? You could be penalized or punished. It depends on who gave it. The Cosmic System will not punish or penalize you; but Factions could.¡± ¡°Good to know,¡± Jace muttered. ¡°Mind keeping my achievement a secret?¡± Oliver frowned and pouted as he crossed his little arms, ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think I want my name spreading around right now. I mean¡­look at me. I¡¯m a dead man walking.¡± Oliver waved his paw dismissively, ¡°If I share word of your accomplishments, then Ascendants will reach out and offer Quests. Sometimes easy ones; like walking a certain distance. It could be a straightforward way to get a lot of Common Boons. Think of it like them buttering you up to try and get you to become a Signer for them.¡± Jace silently contemplated Oliver¡¯s words. Having more Quests could give me a huge leg up in surviving. But this Hidden Location Boon might be good enough for me to hold out the whole week. If it is¡­I can get this Cosmic Power and a Class. Without having to rely on some faction who might see it as indebting myself to them. But¡­I need medicine. I don¡¯t want to risk an infection. ¡°Fine. Feel free to share. But let''s use a code name so they can¡¯t track me down easily in The Eternal City or back on Earth.¡± Oliver nodded slightly, ¡°I suppose I can do that. Any ideas?¡± Jace thought back to his time as a teen when he left the orphanage. He fell in with a group of street kids who were also homeless, and the two adults who acted like their protectors. He made a name for himself. A nickname that had stuck until he sold himself for his new feet. ¡°Flicker.¡± ¡°How¡¯d you come up with that?¡± Jace smiled at the fond memory, ¡°I was good at being seen and then getting out of sight. Made me good bait so the other kids could pull off scams and rob people.¡± Oliver flitted over to a rock that was well-concealed by the grass and barely poked out over the top of the stalks. ¡°Right, well, Flicker¡­this is it.¡± He let out a raucous laugh, holding his tummy with his paws. ¡°I am sorry. Flicker? You sure?¡± Jace trudged over, nodded, and gripped the edge of the rock¡¯s underside. To his surprise, the rock was extremely light, and as he lifted it, he saw a hole descending into darkness with an ancient, wooden ladder. Oliver began flying down, and Jace clambered down after his Wayfinder, closing the rock entrance behind him. ¡°I mean¡­really? Flicker? It sounds silly.¡± ¡°Hey, screw you,¡± Jace replied. ¡°My sister came up with it. Show her some damned respect.¡± Oliver looked up at him, ¡°How old was she when she came up with it?¡± ¡°Five,¡± Jace replied. ¡°She died two years later.¡± Oliver¡¯s expression shifted to one of regret, ¡°Oh¡­sorry. I did not know.¡± ¡°Well, maybe don¡¯t be an asshole before making assumptions,¡± Jace snapped back as the Wayfinder went silent. He was in pain, felt exhausted, and angry. ¡°I¡¯m-¡± He stopped himself from apologizing for the outburst. He does not deserve my forgiveness. Not after doubting I¡¯d survive. Jace descended, gripping the rough, creaking wooden ladder. The instinct to reach out with his now-missing hand was ever-present, and he felt the phantom limb attempting to grab the object. He eventually made it to the bottom and landed awkwardly on his one good foot, and the barely-holding-on prosthetic. Oliver floated in front of him - his guiding light - and pointed down the tunnel. ¡°Look at the walls.¡± Jace did so, feeling the familiar sensation of slight electricity moving through metal. ¡°The walls are charged. Minor electrical currents.¡± He looked over at the otter, ¡°How advanced were the people on this world?¡± ¡°It was at the equivalent of your world¡¯s Renaissance, but they had really potent magic.¡± He pointed at the walls. ¡°I would bet it is some type of way to keep this place from being found. The walls are a single sheet. See? No seams.¡± Jace felt where Oliver pointed and nodded, ¡°Some type of secret base?¡± ¡°A good guess.¡± Oliver floated down the corridor, pausing to make sure the light he shed illuminated Jace¡¯s path. The duo turned a corner and were met by a large, metal door. It was the same material as the walls and floor. As Jace touched it with his palm, he could feel the faint tickling of electricity flowing through the substance. It had small rivets that could be pried out, but that would take time. There was a keyhole. Easier access. Perfect. ¡°We don¡¯t know what the species that lived here could have been doing this far out from their cities,¡± Oliver muttered as he crossed his arms, still in information-providing mode. ¡°Hey, what are you doing?¡± Jace pulled out his knife and wedged it into the lock. ¡°Once you¡¯ve seen one piece of security tech, you¡¯ve seen most of it. All I have to do¡­¡± he trailed off as he focused on prying the tumbler into an open position. ¡°Got it!¡± he shouted with elation as he heard the loud click. Didn¡¯t even need a lockpick. Their security really sucks. The door opened slightly, and the scent of dust and stale air hit Jace¡¯s lungs. He coughed as he waved away the dust. Oliver flew inside the room and began looking around the austere, square chamber. He pointed up at the ceiling, ¡°Decontamination shower, I think. Maybe this was a research outpost.¡± Jace staggered in and nodded. He looked back at the door and shut it, resetting the lock. He sagged down to the floor, the feeling of safety washing over him. ¡°I¡¯m going to¡­¡± he felt his sight dimming. I should clear this place out first. Oliver floated in front of him, ¡°I am sure this place is safe. Get some rest.¡± Jace numbly nodded and surrendered to the darkness closing in on all sides, trusting the word of his Wayfinder. Chapter 6 – Xera’tal Pen’arkon, Architect
¡°Damnit! Not another!¡± the tall, midnight-black-skinned, alien woman peered over the various panels that surrounded her large, cushioned chair. ¡°I told them to stop accessing that database,¡± she muttered to herself as her purple eyes scanned the displays. The three irises each able to focus on separate items within the same field of vision as she navigated multiple monitors at once. She tapped a few keys and composed a message to the leader of the Nebula Alliancen; a faction that ran many of the mercantile organizations on many worlds connected via The Cosmic Corridor and The Eternal City itself. <<<<<>>>>> [Deckard, please stop querying the population of Earth¡¯s endangered species. The System is still tabulating numbers. You are just clogging up queues. I will notify you when it is done. - X.] <<<<<>>>>> She sent off the message and leaned back, noting with satisfaction that the requests for native-Earth species were diminishing rapidly as the message went out and was quite obviously received. Xera¡¯tal sighed and leaned back in her cushioned chair. She rubbed her temples and groaned. I need a break, she thought. ¡°Josie?¡± A spectral, amorphous blob appeared next to her and floated around her. ¡°Yes, Xera?¡± ¡°Can you take over? I need a little breather.¡± ¡°Of course! Happy to help!¡± The Wayfinder¡¯s chipper voice always cheered Xera up, and she gave the companion a head pat right above her floating eyes. Xera left her seat and walked down the corridors of her citadel. She was in the highest tower of Khrox, in a location where only The Architects could access. The creators of The Cosmic System had all left this reality behind once their work was done. Xera was the last to stay behind. She could leave at any time and join her species in their custom-made universe, but she liked being busy. Perfection was boring. And this Cosmic System was anything but perfect. That is what happened when you tried to merge the mastery of magic, the top of technology, and the pinnacle of magitech into one universe-encompassing System. There were flaws and cracks that only became apparent with time, and she made it her personal mission to try and patch them over and fix things up. But she was struggling. Despite having behind-the-scenes Tech Support access to The Cosmic System, there were certain safeguards in place to prevent The Architects from meddling. I need more agents within the System, she thought as she went to the small kitchen of her suite and tapped several buttons on a panel. I need more Ascendants who will listen to me instead of just following their own goals. They only knew her as X. None knew her identity save for the Wayfinders - and they were incapable of revealing it due to the way they were designed. Certain Ascendants that worked as her agents did not even get her name. She was simply the mysterious moderator in the background of The Cosmic System. They did not know if she was a program or a person. And that suited her needs just fine. Most people were not even sure what The Cosmic System truly was. Some believed it to be some ancient computer system. Some thought that X was a singular deity above it all. Some even thought that the system had always existed. Well, they were all sort of right, in their own way. The Cosmic System was a bit of all of those. The ultimate creation of the highest single-universe-bound species. A delicious meal appeared in front of her, and she scooped up the plate before bringing it to the small table next to the window. She sat down and began to eat the new food - a type of fowl dish from Earth called ¡®duck¡¯ - in a delicious sauce with small pieces of round bread that was extremely soft. The sweet, sticky exterior matched well with the slightly sweet bread and a sour dipping sauce. She giggled with delight as she took a sip of her drink. A slightly alcoholic, rice-wine beverage that was recommended to pair with the food. It just keeps growing, she thought as the skyline out in the distance expanded further as new buildings appeared out of thin air. The city could endlessly expand as more and more people arrived and chose to settle in. Traversing the city was simple, as space itself would fold to ensure no location was more than a one-minute walk away. She checked a panel in the table. Wow, a lot of people hated Earth. Two billion have already migrated to Khrox. Khrox was in a weird, liminal space. Sort of in the universe, and sort of out of it. Just like the Cosmic Corridor. It was one of the genius choices her brother, Xero¡¯tol, had suggested. The two were the primary designers of The Cosmic System. He made most of the mistakes that led to the cracks now emerging. Whereas she was a slow and methodical technician and engineer, he was a ¡®go fast, break stuff, fix it and move on¡¯ type of engineer. Magic did not make things any easier, as it barely followed the rules they had forced around the nebulous, hard-to-define phenomena. She heard Josie conversing in the other room, which was Xera¡¯s small command center that allowed her to interact with every aspect of The Cosmic System. But she could not override certain parts of it. Hence her reliance on Ascendants to do some of her dirty work. Xera walked back to the command center and leaned over the console. There were thousands of Wayfinders congregated inside a sea of liquid starlight; A temporary storage for when their Ascendant or Aspirant was asleep. One in particular filled the screen. A slick, furred animal. ¡°Hi, Xera!¡± The deep voice instantly gave away his identity. ¡°Ollie, you look quite humorous in that form.¡± He swam around and twirled in place, ¡°I¡¯m getting used to it.¡± Josie¡¯s amorphous mass quivered as she giggled, ¡°What¡¯s that animal called?¡± ¡°River otter,¡± Oliver replied. ¡°I like it. I am slick and smooth. But I still have fur!¡± Xera looked at Josie, ¡°How many Aspirants survived their first day of the Trial?¡± Josie¡¯s blob-form extended numerous tendrils that interacted with the various screens and panels. ¡°Out of the five-hundred million who signed up as Aspirants, only two-hundred thousand survived day one.¡± Xera clicked her tongue. That¡¯s a little below the average rate, she thought. 0.05% was the success rate for day one survival. Earthlings had a 0.04% survival rate. That two-hundred thousand that survived would be whittled down even further. Around five-hundred total will make it through. ¡°Do we have data on why we have so many failures this time around?¡± Josie¡¯s phantom limbs rapidly fired off a series of input commands. ¡°Looks like they were just underequipped. Many just outright died once they left Earth.¡± Xera crossed her arms and nodded, ¡°That explains it.¡± Her second pair of arms flexed outward and rested on her hips. ¡°Bad timing for Cosmogenic Merging for those folks, then.¡± ¡°And¡± Josie continued in a slightly disappointed tone, ¡°It looks like the entities that control Earth - these governments and a handful of large businesses - have taken control of the portals. They are heavily restricting travel.¡± Xera clicked her tongue again, ¡°Well, draft off a message to the Star Council and Planetary Independence Pact. Let¡¯s see if those Factions can get some trac-¡± Josie shook her head, ¡°The Nebula Alliance already has representatives present and are making connections with Earth¡¯s existing political and economic power structure.¡± ¡°Damnit,¡± Xera muttered. That faction was composed primarily of merchants and traders. ¡°That will only compound the issue.¡± ¡°Messages sent. But I do not know how useful they will be,¡± Josie muttered as she turned her attention back to the screen showing the spectral form of Oliver. ¡°How¡¯s your Aspirant turning out?¡± Oliver smiled - which was odd, as he was quite a dour and gruff individual. Jaded from hundreds of failed Aspirants who never even cleared the Trial. Xera knew every single Wayfinder¡­and seeing Oliver happy instantly filled her with delight. ¡°He is alive. Killed something already. Apex predator. Check the logs.¡± Xera leaned over the monitor and scanned through the incident logs related to Oliver, and her eyes went wide. ¡°Your Aspirant fought a predator rated at the top of Tier 1?¡± she whispered in astonishment. ¡°How¡¯d he survive?¡± Josie asked as she looked at a monitor, anticipating an answer. Oliver swirled in place, ¡°He got lucky, but wow what luck it was. I mean, he could have just hid, but the Quest was too good to pass up.¡± Xera scanned through the logs, watching a recording from Oliver¡¯s point of view. The young human was resilient, no doubt about it. He had sacrificed limbs to survive - something very few would do. I¡­I could work with this. But how did he get a quest? She went through the System conversation history and slightly smiled, Ah. I see someone put in a bypass. She pulled up the personnel file of this Shhiv-zal and frowned. ¡°Why does this Civilian have so many bypass requests saved up?¡± Josie flipped through other files and data, sorting faster than Xera could. ¡°Looks like she is just a regular drone. She never goes out or does anything. Just work and in-home entertainment.¡± Xera shook her head and refocused on Oliver, ¡°So, your Aspirant. This¡­Flicker. Weird name. Is he safe?¡± ¡°Yup. He lost an arm and a leg, but he is alive and safe. Sleeping in a bunker of some type.¡± Xera smirked, ¡°You think you finally found a winner?¡±This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Oliver shrugged and used his cute, adorable paws to rub his little chin. ¡°Maybe. If he lives. Depends on what is around.¡± Xera pushed Josie out of the chair and the spectral blob floated into the air above her. ¡°What¡¯s his goal?¡± Oliver grinned, ¡°He wants to get to Tier 10 to bring back his dead sister. Noble, if you ask me. If he can pull it off, he would be the most powerful Ascendant alive.¡± A lofty goal, Xera thought. ¡°Well, Ollie, I wish you the best of luck.¡± She stood up and surrendered the seat to Josie. ¡°I¡¯m off to sleep. Goodnight.¡± ¡°Goodnight!¡± both Wayfinders said in tandem. Xera went to clean up her meal before going to her bedroom. As she nestled into the sleep pod, a final thought crossed her mind. What am I going to do about this takeover of Earth?
Jace woke up with a start, his heart racing as he woke from the vivid dream of teeth and claws. Almost immediately, the pain of his missing arm reasserted itself, and he grit his teeth. Just¡­damn it. Why? Why didn¡¯t I just throw the bag into that thing¡¯s mouth? Or- There was a loud pop, and Oliver was floating next to him. ¡°Morning sleepy,¡± he said in his gruff, deep tone. But there was an underlying feeling of¡­sincerity. Jace felt his grumbling stomach yearning for food. ¡°How long was I out?¡± he asked as he turned just enough to get at the protein bar in his pocket. He ripped the packaging open with his teeth before chewing through the foul-smelling and tasting food. ¡°Three days.¡± Jace shook his head, ¡°Longest I¡¯ve slept in a while.¡± He chuckled, ¡°I¡¯m not used to having a safe place to sleep.¡± ¡°It also means you just have to survive four more days to pass the Aspirant Trial.¡± Jace nodded as he pushed himself up the wall, gritting his teeth as he forced himself to stand. Glancing up at the ceiling, he saw an ancient spigot. The floor was a metal grate with a small channel underneath it. It was then that he felt his parched throat - forgotten in the pain. There¡¯s got to be a button somewhere, he thought. Scanning the walls he spotted a very faint, glowing icon that looked like a shower head. He walked over, tapped it, and recoiled slightly as lukewarm water fell from above like a rainstorm. ¡°You¡¯re filthy,¡± Oliver muttered as he floated around the now-soaked street kid. ¡°Might as well wash up while you can.¡± ¡°I should,¡± Jace replied as he began to strip down. ¡°Can you tell if it¡¯s filled with bacteria?¡± Oliver flew up into the ceiling for a moment before returning, ¡°Nope. The tank looks clean, and it is boiling hot. There are some pipes it travels through to cool down. Arcane symbols are drawn on the pipes, but their magic language is ancient, and I cannot translate it. I would need more samples.¡± ¡°Flying through walls. That¡¯s useful,¡± Jace replied. He opened his mouth and caught as much as he could, swallowing greedily. No clue if it¡¯s endless. Better make use of it. He opened his messenger bag and held it up to the spigot, filling it with as much water as possible before he sealed and locked it. He scrubbed off the dirt with his fingernails. The infused soil sloughed off in a thick mat and went down the drain. ¡°It is a handy skill. Easy to block if you know what you are doing and secure a location. But this place is long, long abandoned.¡± Jace reveled in the feeling of getting clean - something he had not done in some months, as showers on Earth were too expensive for him to afford. ¡°Did you share word of Flicker¡¯s exploits?¡± he asked. Oliver nodded and floated around him, ¡°Yup. People were impressed. But I don¡¯t think any factions are going to give you a Quest.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Well¡­everything I see is recorded. I blurred your features to keep your identity secret, but they saw the injuries you suffered. Sorry. I really thought that if we told people about your accomplishment, you would get a bunch of easy Quests from factions wanting you.¡± Jace finished getting clean and took the opportunity to wash out his clothes as well. It was awkward trying to do so with just one arm, and he gave up after the third attempt. Well, maybe there¡¯s something in here that I can use. More than it just being a safe space. ¡°Can you search through this place real fast?¡± ¡°I cannot go further than ten feet from you. You are my tether.¡± Jace nodded and put on the still-wet clothing as he hefted the bag full of water with his good arm. There was one door leading out, and it slid sideways into the door frame. The room beyond was illuminated from above by soft, glowing green orbs of light inside wire lattice-work lanterns and smelled stale. The soft, green lights gave a sense of comfort. They were connected by a small, bronze cord along the ceiling. It was a living space. There was a small kitchen space, a few cabinets, a small table, a book, a small stand at the table, and bodies. The bodies were desiccated - centuries old. Jace hobbled over and knelt to examine them. The skin was completely dried out. They were humanoid with four legs and three pairs of arms going down their torso. The top of their heads had small, curved horns and antennas. ¡°The natives?¡± Jace asked. He examined their clothing which was little more than rags. Oliver nodded as he swirled around the room, ¡°Yup. This is a remote outpost.¡± What are the odds they left food? Jace thought as he stood up and went to the cabinets. Of course, empty. He sighed as he shut the panels. ¡°At least there¡¯s a bathroom,¡± he muttered as he opened a door with a toilet-like shape on it. To his delight, there was a full shower in here like the one in the front entry, and a toilet. I won¡¯t have to live like an animal, at least. Walking past the corpses he entered another chamber. This one looked to be a laboratory space of some kind. Desks with reams of paper were stacked high. There were tubes full of dark colored liquid. Most prominent in the center of the room was a chair. A seat with restraints for the torso, legs, and arms. A metal panel with arcane drawings was adjacent to it, and there were a series of needles and spikes that connected to tubes. ¡°What the hell is that?¡± Jace asked. Oliver¡¯s eyes went black for a moment before he responded with intrigue lacing his words, ¡°It¡¯s an experiment.¡± He pointed to a stack of papers. ¡°Start flipping through those. I cannot interact with things in the real world. But I can see all the information and collate it quickly.¡± He flew over to hover above the papers, ¡°And, once I see enough of their writing, I can work out what these arcane symbols mean. They are always based on the language of the society.¡± Jace hobbled over and sank into the seat. His stomach still grumbled, and he pulled out his last protein bar. After this, unless I find something¡­I¡¯m going to starve. He sighed and ripped open the packaging with his teeth. He put the bar in his mouth and chewed absentmindedly as he flipped through the pages. Jace kept flipping through the various records, not really comprehending much of the advanced terminology. But the language was translated because of his Universal Translation Skill. So, he got the gist of it. But Oliver took it all in and directed Jace¡¯s page flipping to a second pile. ¡°Oh, all right. We can use this.¡± He pointed at the chair, ¡°Get in.¡± ¡°What? Are you insane?¡± Jace asked as he looked at the torture device. ¡°I couldn¡¯t understand half of the medical language¡­but it didn¡¯t sound good .¡± Oliver frowned and crossed his arms, ¡°This is worth the risk. They were working on a super soldier serum. Well, the magical equivalent. The System would not have led us here if this Boon were not useful...I think.¡± The last sentence was much quieter. ¡°Have you actually ever had an Aspirant get a Boon?¡± ¡°...No,¡± Oliver admitted with a solemn expression. ¡°None of them even finished a Quest. I do not know exactly what Boon rewards of this type and rarity look like.¡± He shrugged, ¡°But I am certain The System does not do backhanded rewards. Positive.¡± Jace shook his head and stood up, ¡°I¡¯m going to do what I know how to do, first. Before any rash decisions.¡± He scoured every inch, every nook and cranny, looking for anything he could use in the medical lab. Oliver just floated over him and shook his head like a disappointed father. ¡°I know the System would not have sent you to an Epic Hidden Location if there was not something good here. This super soldier serum has to be it.¡± ¡°I am not getting in that thing unless I exhaust every other option. There has to be a first aid kit with antibiotics. Or¡­the equivalent.¡± He kept rummaging and eventually found what he was looking for. Cracking the lid on the red box, he found plenty of gauze, clips, bandages, and bottles of antiseptic liquid. He set to treating his wounds, hissing in pain as the edges of his now-metal-sealed arm wound burned from the harsh chemical. He wrapped it in a bandage before tying that off. ¡°Congratulations. You are still missing an arm and one of your feet is held on by scrap cloth.¡± ¡°Good point,¡± Jace muttered as he used more of the medical supplies to fashion a better jerry-rigged attachment for his ankle to the prosthetic foot. Oliver floated in front of the chair, ¡°Are you satisfied now?¡± ¡°Nope,¡± Jace replied. ¡°I¡¯m going to search this whole bunker and take stock of what I¡¯ve got access to. Then, I¡¯ll decide.¡± He turned to the next doorway and hobbled through it. The hallway split into three rooms. One directly ahead was a glass door, and inside he could see a generator - bright, blue, arcing electricity cascaded inside of a core. The whole object was covered with more of the arcane runes. Oliver floated up in front of Jace, blocking his view. ¡°Just an arc reactor. Infinite energy. Meh.¡± Jace snapped his eyes to Oliver, ¡°Infinite energy? That¡¯s just ¡®meh¡¯ to you?¡± Oliver shrugged, ¡°Yup. We have better in The Cosmic System.¡± ¡°This could change the world!¡± Jace replied. ¡°I could sell this for so much.¡± ¡°Well, we can take it when we leave. If you can carry it. The whole thing weighs five-thousand pounds.¡± Jace sighed in frustration. He went to the next door, and it slid open to reveal a storage closet. ¡°Perfect!¡± he said with satisfaction as he walked in and began digging through the various boxes. He found lots of metal, wood, and some weird metal-like but bendable scrap. I might be able to rig up a better way to keep my detached foot in place. ¡°Not much here,¡± Oliver muttered. ¡°Shame, I was hoping for an armory.¡± ¡°Still one more door.¡± Jace crossed the hall and opened the last room, stepping across the threshold. An enormous flash of light engulfed him. Chapter 7 – Magitech and memory
The flash of light was followed by a cacophonous bang and Jace was blown backward by the shockwave. He screamed out in pain as he hit the wall. Putting his hands out instinctively, he crashed down onto his stump and almost blacked out. ¡°Crap!¡± Oliver flew around him, ¡°You are hurt bad. Bleeding heavily.¡± Jace groaned in pain and felt the warm liquid pooling under himself. Looking up, he saw a small, glowing turret that was trained on him but did not fire again. It¡­must just¡­protect the room. Oliver flew in front of his face and filled his vision. ¡°You¡¯re not dying on me!¡± he shouted with determination. ¡°Get your ass in that chair. Right now!¡± A surge of adrenaline shot through his body. The words of his sister echoed in his head. A moment later his own thoughts raced through his mind. I¡¯m not going to die here! He pushed himself to his knees and his one hand. Blood kept pouring out from his torso - a consistent cascade of red goop. ¡°Come on!¡± Oliver urged. Jace followed the spectral otter until he was gripping the legs of the chair. ¡°Pull yourself up!¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Jace grit his teeth and tried to pull himself up. Slowly, agonizingly, he was able to wriggle his body into the seat. He was so, so tired and absolutely covered in his own vital fluid. ¡°Tap the rune on the armrest! It has raised edges!¡± Jace weakly fumbled around, finding a small, raised symbol. He pressed his finger against it. The straps on the chair slid out from behind him and tied him in place. He felt the slight prick of needles entering him all over¡­and darkness took him.
¡°Chroma! Get back here!¡± Jace shouted as he chased after his little sister. ¡°You¡¯re it!¡± she shouted back as she ran across the park, giggling and laughing. Jace caught up to her and scooped her up as she continued to giggle, ¡°We¡¯ve got a little bit longer. Enough for a few minutes on the swing.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Chroma shouted as she wriggled free of his grip and sprinted toward the slides. Jace followed her, feeling quite content seeing her happy. Buying access to the park cost him quite a bit, but for her? No price was too steep. He reached into his pocket and cupped the small cake in a little box he was saving to cap off the day. This was their tradition. Every year, for her birthday, she wanted the same thing. A small cake and time at the park with her big brother. And he pushed himself hard to make sure he could provide that for her. Their life was far from perfect, but he was making sure she had an enjoyable childhood - something he did not have. It was why he went back and snuck her out of the orphanage. She got onto the swing and began moving back and forth, ascending higher and higher. Jace stood near her, just smiling as she started to twist in the air, coiling up the chains as they would then unravel in the opposite direction. The sound of heavy, metal feet crunching on the soft, plastic padding caught his attention, and Jace turned to find one of the park attendants standing nearby. He gestured to Jace, and mouthed the words, ¡®time¡¯s up.¡¯ Jace nodded and reached out for the chain, slowing Chroma¡¯s swinging until she came to a stop. ¡°Aww. Are we out of time?¡± Jace nodded, ¡°Yeah. Sorry. I just had enough for the hour.¡± She hopped off the swing and walked past the attendant, muttering a short, ¡°Thank you¡± as she did so. ¡°You¡¯re welcome, little lady,¡± the man replied as he looked back to Jace. Jace just gave the man a terse nod before he caught up with Chroma and grabbed her hand. ¡°Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re a bit old for the park?¡± Jace asked as he walked her out and back into their life. The streets. Their home. ¡°Mmm¡­nope!¡± she said with a small laugh. ¡°I like it.¡± Jace pulled the small, plastic container from his pocket. ¡°Happy birthday, Chroma. I love you.¡± She hugged his leg, ¡°I love you too.¡± She grabbed the cake from him and opened the container, holding it up to him. ¡°Do you want a little?¡± ¡°It¡¯s all yours,¡± Jace replied with a smile. She practically squeaked with delight as she dove in. ¡°I¡¯m also working on a new project. One that¡¯ll get us a little apartment.¡± She looked up, her eyes wide. ¡°What type of project?¡± ¡°Just something some of the other street folk are putting together.¡± Jace knelt to her level and put a hand on her shoulder, ¡°Don¡¯t worry though, it won¡¯t make me leave you. Stick together to survive.¡± She nodded, ¡°Stick together to survive.¡± Jace heard the squealing of tires and stood up. There was a chase going on up the street. Some type of gang related turf war, fought out in vehicles. Not an unusual sight, but it pushed Jace into survival-mode immediately. ¡°We have to move.¡± He picked up Chroma and began to run towards an alleyway that would provide shelter from the conflict. A loud bang was followed by a scrit of metal skittering across asphalt. Jace barely turned around in time to see the flat sheet that protected the underside of the vehicle propelled towards him. It sliced through his legs right below the knees, and he let out a scream of pain as he fell over. Chroma rolled out of his grip as he fell forward. Right into the street. Into the path of one of the out-of-control cars. They must have seen her, because they tried to swerve, but they side-swiped her and she went flying off the road, crashing into a building as brick chunks scattered around her.If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°Chroma!¡± Jace shouted as he crawled over to her. She was barely breathing, and he was able to turn her sideways just enough to see her face. She was crying, her tears streaking down her face as she whimpered. ¡°I don¡¯t want to die,¡± she barely managed to get out of her crushed face. ¡°Stay with me,¡± Jace replied as he began to succumb to the blood loss. ¡°...survive¡­¡± her eyes went dull, and her body went slack. Jace passed out mid-scream.
¡°Gah!¡± Jace woke up, breathing heavily as the vivid memories of his sister¡¯s death played through his head. He was still strapped to the chair, and he felt dizzy. Nauseous. He leaned over to his right side and retched. ¡°You¡¯re alive!¡± Oliver said with relief, floating just in front of Jace¡¯s face. ¡°How do you feel?¡± ¡°Like hammered shit,¡± Jace replied. His head was pounding, and he could acutely feel every tingle of agony assaulting his skull. ¡°Touch the symbol just in front of the other one to get out.¡± Jace did as he was instructed and sighed with relief as the pressure left him. He looked down at his forearm - the metal on his arm had vanished. A smooth, healed-up stump replaced it. He felt the minor, tell-tale itch of healing flesh - but running his good hand over it, he could tell it was fully restored with minimal scarring. Perfect for a prosthetic attachment. Looking down at his legs, he felt a jolt of shock. Both of his legs from the shin-down were healed-over, pristine stumps. His full prosthetic and the chewed-in-half one were both on the floor. ¡°What was that stuff?¡± he asked as he looked at the empty tanks. ¡°The magitech version of a super soldier serum. You are¡­much bulkier than before. Thank The Architects that it also healed you! That was a total shot in the dark. The arcane symbols had something to do with ¡®mending¡¯ and ¡®restoration,¡¯ so the gamble paid off!¡± Jace could feel the thicker muscle in his arms, and he used his good hand to feel along his upper arm. ¡°Damn, you¡¯re right. I can¡¯t even fit my fingers around my bicep anymore.¡± Checking his stomach, he could feel the clear definition of abdominal muscles. He slowly put his foot-stumps on the ground and began to put weight very gingerly on them. I can at least get around. Not fast. But¡­it¡¯s something. The cool, metal floor was a welcome sensation to the itchy stumps. Oliver floated around him, bobbing just between his legs before spiraling up around his torso and alighting just above his right shoulder. ¡°Looks good. No permanent injuries.¡± ¡°Really? No permanent injuries?¡± Jace used his good hand to gesture to himself. Oliver grimaced, ¡°Okay, well¡­We can fix that. You have prosthetics back on Earth.¡± ¡°Over a hundred days walking. Oh, wait. It¡¯s going to take way longer now that I don¡¯t even have feet!¡± Jace felt his stomach rumble, and he looked around for his messenger bag. It was on the ground next to a large pool of blood. ¡°I was close to death, wasn¡¯t I?¡± he asked as a pit formed in his stomach. ¡°Yup.¡± Jace shook his head, ¡°Too many close calls,¡± he muttered as he got up, opened the bag, and took several long sips from the cool water within. Sealing it back up, he peeked around the corner at the room that had exploded in his face. A small turret with a set of four barrels was attached to the ceiling of the room. It was a square-shaped contraption and had the same metal wire housing around it. A metal wire also ran along the ceiling to the generator room. A magic- magitech? Turret. Great. Jace went back to the laboratory table, grabbed a small book, and threw it into the threshold of the room. The turret immediately locked onto it and fired off a burst, shredding it with flechette rounds - tiny, razor-sharp metal chunks. Brutal , Jace thought. How to disable it¡­ ¡°Oliver, can you check in there and see if there¡¯s anything worthwhile in it?¡± ¡°On it!¡± Oliver flew through the door and returned a moment later, ¡°I doubt the two we found dried out were able to get past the turret. There are supplies there! A crate of what looks like food, and gear kits in satchels.¡± ¡°I have to deal with this turret,¡± Jace muttered. ¡°We know the doorway has something to do with the trigger.¡± He scanned the edges of the door frame, keeping his eyes peeled for any sign of something he could cut into and disable. The cord running along the ceiling was the first thing that popped into his mind, but upon closer examination, he saw it was fused into the ceiling - he could not cut it even if he wanted to. ¡°What about the spell arc reactor?¡± Oliver asked. ¡°Just shut off power to the facility.¡± ¡°Definitely viable,¡± Jace replied. But I¡¯m not getting locked in here. Let¡¯s do a quick walk-through. He went back through the facility, and traced the small, metal cords along the ceiling to each of the different items that this magical energy fed into. Looks like it¡¯s just the lights, the turret, the chair, the decontamination shower, and the bathroom. ¡°These arc reactors, can they be started up again?¡± ¡°It takes a big surge of magical energy. Once we turn it off, it will be useless.¡± I need food more than luxuries, Jace thought. But first. He went to the living quarters and found every single container, pot, pan, lid - anything that could hold water - and filled it from the decontamination shower spigot. Soon enough, he had several dozen gallons of water in various objects. After refreshing himself in the restroom, he went back to the arc reactor door and opened it. The sparking, crackling blue lightning inside the enormous machine was enthralling. It danced and cascaded all around the inner chamber. ¡°Right, how to turn this off¡­¡± He walked around the circular pylon until Oliver pointed out an arcane symbol. Jace used his knife to scrape away at the substance, peeling away and disrupting the symbol. The power sputtered out and the only light source was Oliver, hovering in space. ¡°Looks like that did it,¡± he stated. Jace walked to the now unprotected doorway, tossed a scrap of metal into the aperture, and grinned as there was no movement from the turret. He went in himself and found the box Oliver had scouted out. It was easy to carry with handles on both sides, and he moved it out to the living quarters by pushing it along with his stumps. If I am going to be here for a few days, I don¡¯t want to have roommates, he thought as he looked at the two corpses. He lifted them - with surprising ease, given their mass - and set them in the turret-protected, now empty room. It was a slow process as he was tottering around on stumps and fell a few times. But the serum must have made him more resistant to pain, as even the discomfort he expected from walking on stumps was negligible. Oliver floated behind and above his shoulder, ¡°You are stronger now. That chair did something good.¡± ¡°I¡¯m happy it didn¡¯t have any negative side effects.¡± ¡°So far,¡± Oliver quipped. Jace looked up at him with an annoyed glare, ¡°Yes. So far. Thanks for reminding me that I am filled up with experimental goop.¡± He turned his attention to the supply chest and unlatched the handles. Chapter 8 – Quinn Cipher, Webwalker
¡°Run faster!¡± Quinn shouted at the Aspirant that was lingering behind her. ¡°I¡¯m trying!¡± the burly man named Greg replied as he huffed and puffed trying to keep up. ¡°I¡¯m built for sprints!¡± Quinn¡¯s Wayfinder - a sparrow named Valerie, chirped in with a peppy, female voice. ¡°Welp! He is a goner. Just keep going! You are almost there.¡± They had appeared on Velenar Prime, about four days¡¯ travel away from the portal to The Cosmic Corridor. Quinn had found the large man sitting on a rock, taking the scenery just as she had at first. She had asked him if he wanted to team up, and he instantly agreed. Safety in numbers was the thought. As Quinn rounded a corner she caught a glimpse of the massive portal. It was the size of a skyscraper, towering up into the black clouds above that poured out torrential rain. There were a few hundred people clustered around it, and they had erected a wooden fortification - spiked logs facing outward. The growling and snarling behind her pushed her on faster. Her cybereyes were able to easily pick out the best path, and she did not slip once despite the mud and downpour. ¡°Almost there!¡± Valerie said merrily. ¡°Then you can relax for a few days.¡± Time seemed to stretch on forever as Quinn outran certain death. The people in front of her manning the wooden stakes shouted at her. ¡°Come here!¡± ¡°The opening is on this side!¡± ¡°Weapons ready!¡± She sprinted to where they were pointing, and found a trench lined with stakes, facing inward. ¡°Dive!¡± one of them shouted, and she instinctively did so, army-crawling on her belly under the spiked barrier. The creature behind her yelped and then the noises faded into the night. She was grabbed from the front by the arms and yanked out of the safe space. A man with a dashing, white crop of hair and soft, green eyes looked down at her. His skin was dark, slate grey, and he had two irises in each eye. ¡°Glad you made it.¡± Quinn stood up with the man¡¯s help and looked down at her tattered clothes. ¡°Thank you.¡± Greg came crawling through the gap a moment later, huffing and puffing in the dirt. ¡°That¡­was¡­too close.¡± He laid prone and rolled over as he chuckled. ¡°I¡­almost died.¡± His pant legs had been torn away by the jaws of the creature that had almost caught him. ¡°Who are you?¡± Quinn asked the man who had helped her up. ¡°Mizarion, Tier 5 Ascendant,¡± he replied as he reached into a pouch on his well-adorned hip and removed a piece of round fruit. He took a bite of it and offered it to her, ¡°Want some?¡± She could not tell what it was - but she was hungry. She grabbed it and took a bite before recoiling in revulsion. ¡°You eat raw lemons?¡± ¡°Weird,¡± Greg commented from the ground, still catching his breath. His Wayfinder, a large spider, crawled around on his shoulder and whispered to him. He just laid back and looked at the conversation occurring right above him. ¡°Earth food is tasty, and my taste buds are way different than yours,¡± Mizarion replied to Quinn as he took another bite. ¡°So, three more days to survive. You can stay here with us if you want,¡± he hiked his thumb over his shoulder, ¡°Or head to The Eternal City. Or heck, even Earth if you want. Just need to live another three days.¡± ¡°Why are you here?¡± Quinn asked, searching for his angle. ¡°You must have a reason besides altruism.¡± Mizarion chuckled, ¡°I represent the Star Council. If you¡¯re interested in making the universe a better place, we¡¯re the faction for you. We send Ascendants and some of the Aspirants who have sworn to our cause - Signers is what we call them - to guard these portals. There¡¯s other factions that try to kill off new Aspirants before they have a chance to even complete their Trial.¡± ¡°What if we want to be selfish?¡± Greg asked from the ground. Mizarion shrugged, ¡°There are other factions besides mine.¡± Quinn cleared her throat and Mizarion refocused his attention on her, ¡°How do I spot them? These other Aspirants who might want to kill us.¡± He smiled and spat out some of the seeds, ¡°Anyone who looks like they worship oblivion. Black Hole Conclave. They want to feed everything in the universe to a giant singularity at the center of it all. Madmen. And women. They¡¯re like cultists worshipping a god of annihilation.¡± She nodded as activity picked up around her. Looking off where everyone else was looking, and using her enhanced, zoomed vision thanks to her installed optics, she spotted another figure running from out of the hills; a few of the creatures were tight on their tail. ¡°Can¡¯t you help him?¡± ¡°Well, we don¡¯t interfere directly. Ascendants aren¡¯t supposed to get involved in the Aspirant Trials. But¡­if you¡¯re interested in our faction, I can give you a Quest that lets you help him out. Interested?¡± ¡°Nope,¡± Greg muttered as he finally got off the ground. He towered over Quinn and Mizarion. ¡°I¡¯m good.¡± Quinn looked as the beasts continued to chase the man. She had only a sharpened stick, and those creatures were numerous. ¡°No. I don¡¯t think I can help.¡± Mizarion chuckled and took another bite of the lemon. ¡°Shame,¡± he said as he chewed on it. ¡°But I don¡¯t blame you.¡± She turned to him and crossed her arms, ¡°Three days longer, correct?¡± ¡°Aye, that¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Well, I think I¡¯ll head to this Eternal City then.¡± ¡°The Eternal City. Make sure you either say it fully or use the actual name. Khrox. Some of the residents dislike having their new home disrespected.¡± He shrugged. ¡°Anyhow. Go into town and look around. Just be careful - you¡¯re still fair game for any Aspirants for the other factions.¡± Quinn stared down at the ground, the experimental microcomputer inside her brain enabling rapid calculations and risk analysis. ¡°I¡¯d rather stick around here. I¡¯d be correct in assuming you could stop other factions from doing stuff to me, right?¡± Mizarion nodded, ¡°Aye. I am allowed to interact with people who have passed their Aspirant Trial. So, I can keep you safe from any Signers for the Black Hole Conclave.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good,¡± Greg said. ¡°I would hate to die before getting these powers I¡¯ve heard about.¡± Quinn looked around and spotted a circle of logs near tents. She went to sit, and this Mizarion fellow sat down next to her. She looked at him and took a photograph with her cybereyes, filing his name and the image away for reference. ¡°What are the factions?¡± she asked as she looked over to the wooden structures erected for defense from the wildlife.This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. ¡°The Star Council, my faction, is led by Star Father. One of the few Tier 8 Ascendants. Anyways, we want to peacefully integrate new worlds into The Cosmic System but helm them towards positive ends.¡± ¡°Seems altruistic. What do you get out of it?¡± Greg asked as he joined the two. Mizarion smirked and kicked his legs out in front of him as he snapped his fingers. Space distorted around his hand and a second later he was holding a bar of gold. ¡°Resources. The Eternal City does not have raw resources. Worlds along The Cosmic Corridor do. That¡¯s really what every faction wants. Resources to make things. The Star Council wants to help worlds become Type 1 Civilizations. Ever heard of that?¡± Quinn accessed her miniature database and nodded, ¡°Yeah, a scientist named Kardeshev came up with ranking a civilization based on their technological advancement.¡± Mizarion snapped his fingers, ¡°Precisely. Type 1 means that the planet is fully under control - everything being manipulatable. Anyways, the Star Council doesn¡¯t just want raw resources like the rest - we want to help civilizations advance. Whether with magic or technology, or magitech - which is just a fancy way of saying ¡®both¡¯ types of advancement.¡± He sighed and juggled the gold bar in his hand, ¡°Then you have the Black Hole Conclave. They are our opposites. They want to take over new worlds and - over millennia - steer them into the singularity at the center of the universe. If you ever hear someone use the words ¡®oblivion awaits,¡¯ fight them or run¡­depending on their Tier.¡± ¡°Why doesn¡¯t the Star Council just beat the shit out of them?¡± Greg asked. ¡°Stop the problem before it spreads.¡± Mizarion¡¯s smile turned to a slight frown, ¡°Their leader, Troxanir the Endless Hunger, is supposedly a Tier 9 Ascendant. A physical manifestation of the singularity at the center, if you believe such a thing is possible. Only Star Dad could take him on in a straight-up fight.¡± He shook his head, ¡°Anyways. Then you have the Nebula Alliance. Folks all about trade and building up networks of exchange - but they sit at the top. Worlds they take over tend to turn into corporate hellscapes - like what Earth is angling towards.¡± Quinn felt a sense of unease churn in her chest. ¡°They willingly do that to people?¡± ¡°Aye. Then you have the Pulsar Coalition. They think of themselves as the defenders of The Cosmic System who really have problems with the Black Hole Conclave. Last is the Planetary Independence Pact. Ascendants who returned to their home world and kept the other factions from intervening. They just want their world to stay¡­mostly the same. We don¡¯t have much issue with them.¡± Quinn filed away every little bit of information into her database. ¡°Just to make sure I¡¯ve got this right. Ascendants can¡¯t directly intervene in Aspirant Trials, but other Aspirants who have cleared the trial can.¡± Mizarion nodded, so she continued, ¡°And sometimes these Aspirants are Signers for one of these five factions.¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Mizarion trailed off as he looked up into the sky. ¡°There¡¯s rumored to be a sixth. I mean, we know there is a sixth faction out there - but the Ascendant at the top is completely unknown. We don¡¯t even have a guess as to how many Ascendants form the faction. We call it the Dark Between Stars.¡± Quinn followed his gaze, ¡°What do they do?¡± ¡°Honestly? I don¡¯t know. The few times I¡¯ve heard of them interacting with any of the factions¡­they showed up at a pivotal moment. Not all the time, but sometimes when there¡¯s a big conflict, they¡¯ll show up and turn the tide.¡± A super powerful, secret faction? How would a person even get into it?
Jace dug through the supply chest and found plenty of food. Airtight food that could last for two months. Two large canteens. A medical supply kit for travel. A bright, orange tarp-like cloth. A powerful flashlight-like stick that momentarily blinded Jace as he fiddled around to try and turn it on. A knife with a serrated back for cutting wood. A stick of flint for starting up fires. ¡°At least I¡¯ll be set when I leave,¡± he muttered as he shut the chest and slowly shoved it into the living quarters, up next to the containers full of water. Oliver floated over his shoulder, providing plenty of light for him to work by. ¡°Gonna stay in here until the Trial is done?¡± the Wayfinder asked. Jace nodded, ¡°Three days. I have plenty of water and lots of food.¡± He glanced over at Oliver, ¡°It¡¯ll also give me time to rig up some basic feet.¡± He went back towards the supply closet that held the spare mechanical parts, and scanning through them he dug out a series of bits and ends. Good. There is enough scrap here for me to make something basic. He would not be sprinting, but it would be better than walking on stumps. He sat down against the wall and set to shaping the bits and pieces of metal. It was softer than his belt knife, and he could cut through it with surprising ease. Must be the new muscle mass, he thought. ¡°Oliver, what side effects could this serum stuff have?¡± ¡°It could be anything. But The Cosmic System would not give you a reward that harms you.¡± Jace gestured to the now disabled flechette turret, ¡°That begs to differ.¡± Oliver looked up at the turret, and then back to Jace. ¡°Well¡­¡± Jace sighed and stared at the otter, ¡°I don¡¯t think you know as much about this System as you should. Can you go and ask someone how it works? I don¡¯t want to be fumbling in the dark if you can shed some light on it.¡± Oliver nodded. ¡°Okay, I can do that.¡± He sounded quite sincere, and the disappointed tone Jace had been hearing up until he dragged himself up into the chair was gone. ¡°Sorry,¡± the Wayfinder muttered. You should be, Jace thought. But instead, he shrugged. I have to stay on his good side. He¡¯s starting to warm up to me since I¡¯m showing that I¡¯m not useless and dying off the get-go like the rest of the Aspirants he has dealt with. ¡°You didn¡¯t know. Now find out¡­please.¡± Oliver saluted with his little arm and vanished with a pop. Jace set to work with his knife and after a few hours took a break to eat one of the rations and drink some of the water. The rations were weird paste that tasted excellent. He devoured two of them before he felt full. Then, right back to work. Hours passed, and he completed the first of two simple prosthetic feet. They were not articulated - just metal platforms with a small rig that led to a cup-shaped spot for his stump to fit into. The cup shape was made from the weird bendable metal, so he was able to perfectly mold it to the stump. I can tie it on later, he thought as he looked at the metal scrap. The other foot tomorrow. He went to the living quarters and laid down on one of the beds. It was firm at first, but then slowly softened as he sank into it. There was a pop and Oliver floated above Jace with a satisfied look. ¡°Okay. The goop you were injected with is not going to do anything bad. And apparently Hidden Location and Secret Cache Boons can have traps. So, we just have to be cautious with those two. The rest do not have danger.¡± Jace smiled, ¡°Thanks for checking. What did the goop do exactly ?¡± ¡°Well, you are going to be physically at the peak of your health until you die, so major plus there. It increased your longevity - not to immortality levels, but a good twenty years. It cured any diseases, genetic disorders, and other maladies. Maybe more ¨C but we need to talk to a physician-type Class Aspirant or Ascendant to find out exactly what it is.¡± Oliver floated above him, staring down at him. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± the Wayfinder stated. ¡°Sorry for being a jaded prick earlier. Every Aspirant I have had failed before finishing the Trial. I figured you would be the same.¡± ¡°Happy to disappoint you,¡± Jace replied. ¡°Now, if you don¡¯t mind, I¡¯d like to sleep a bit.¡± Oliver nodded and vanished with a pop once more. Chapter 9 – Cosmic Power and Classes
Jace rolled out of bed and stretched. Oliver must be busy, he thought as the spectral Wayfinder did not ¡®pop¡¯ into existence when he awoke like the day before. I should just get to work. He made his way to the same supply closet and began to replicate his creation from the day prior, holding the flashlight in his mouth. About an hour passed before Oliver appeared with his telltale pop. ¡°Hey, sleep well?¡± Jace just nodded as he slowly shaped the metal into a bowl. He spoke through the corner of his mouth, ¡°I did. We¡¯ve got two days until this Trial is over. What happens after?¡± ¡°You will choose a Cosmic Power. Think of it like a power source. You will have several options. The most popular is Planet.¡± Jace pulled the magic flashlight out from his teeth and shut it off. ¡°You¡¯re talking about like in video games?¡± ¡°Precisely!¡± Oliver swam around in the air as he spoke, ¡°If you chose Star as a power source, then your Class Skills would be flavored by that choice. So, if you chose something like Mage as a Class, you could throw fire, light, radiation - anything that a Star produces.¡± ¡°So, with Planet, I¡¯d get something like dirt or rocks?¡± ¡°Anything that could be found on a planet. Wood, stone, metal, plants. It is a broad category, and that is why it is one of the most popular. Extreme versatility, in fact.¡± ¡°What are the other options?¡± ¡°Nebula, Black Hole, and Pulsar; in addition to the aforementioned Star.¡± Those are all stellar objects¡­but he¡¯s missing the biggest one. ¡°What about Dark Matter?¡± Oliver¡¯s face went blank, ¡°Come again?¡± ¡°Dark Matter. It takes up a lot of space. If a Star or Black Hole could be a power source, why not Dark Matter? It¡¯s out there, somewhere.¡± Or, at least, that¡¯s what I learned when I got to visit that museum on its free day. The memory of taking Chroma there for his birthday was one of his fondest, and he smiled faintly. ¡°I¡¯ll query the System.¡± Oliver¡¯s eyes went black, and he shook his head as his eyes returned to normal, ¡°Umm¡­You have a chat request.¡± Jace paused his work, ¡°Sorry?¡± ¡°Umm¡­X wants to talk to you.¡± ¡°Who is that?¡± Jace asked. Oliver opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out as he froze in place. ¡°Oliver?¡± The spectral river otter just floated in place, mouth ajar and eyes black pools, just like when he accessed the System. A female voice came from his Wayfinder¡¯s mouth. ¡°Sorry about that. This is the best way to talk. Hello, Flicker. I¡¯m X.¡± Jace set down his tools and leaned back against the wall, cracking his neck, ¡°Why did you want to talk.¡± The voice sounded¡­curious. Inquisitive. ¡°Why did you ask about Dark Matter?¡± ¡°It makes up a lot of the universe, doesn¡¯t it? So why isn¡¯t it a power source?¡± ¡°It is,¡± the voice replied. ¡°It¡¯s a secret power source that I prevent people from choosing. So, tell me, why should I let you choose it?¡± Jace smiled, ¡°I think I¡¯m pretty special. Has anyone else killed one of those Vyrk-things?¡± ¡°No, they have not,¡± the woman replied. ¡°I only let people access it who¡­become a Signer for a specific faction.¡± Jace gestured for her to continue, ¡°Go on.¡± ¡°My faction. One that only very few Aspirants are allowed into. In fact, they have to do something remarkable to stand out during their Aspirant Trial to even have a chance of getting my attention.¡± Her voice shifted to a sadder tone, ¡°And none have survived to Ascendant.¡± ¡°Why do you lose so many?¡± The tone shifted to frustration, ¡°Their work upsets other factions and they are hunted down. My faction, Dark Between Stars, represents people who are helping me keep The Cosmic System in check. You¡¯re familiar with computers, I trust?¡± ¡°I know the basics.¡± ¡°Then you¡¯re aware that computer Systems develop bugs, need hotfixes, and updates. Well, The Cosmic System is like that. I¡¯m the technician that keeps fixing things. Magic, mundane, technology, magitech - the whole deal.¡± She sounded disappointed, ¡°I can only do so much. Safeguards were put in place to prevent an administrator like myself from manipulating The Cosmic System for their own benefit. But¡­Aspirants and Ascendants can meddle where I can¡¯t.¡± ¡°Ask away.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± Be confident. Jace smirked, ¡°I¡¯m sure you have questions you want to ask. And I¡¯m interested. I can¡¯t remain a free agent and reach Tier 10. I doubt the factions would be okay with a powerful, non-committed Aspirant.¡± He heard a slight giggle, ¡°Seriously? There¡¯s never been a Tier 10 Ascendant.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to get there,¡± Jace countered in as serious of a tone he could muster. ¡°It¡¯s the only way to bring Chroma back.¡± ¡°Who?¡± ¡°Someone I love.¡± There was silence. A tense, heavy silence. Jace felt the tension in the air, and it almost became unbearable as he began to open his mouth. But she responded. ¡°I¡¯ve looked through your file. Since joining The Cosmic System, you¡¯ve shown extraordinary resilience, thought fast on your feet-¡± she made an upset noise, ¡°Sorry, forgive the unintentional pun.¡± Jace waved it away, ¡°All good. Please, keep praising me.¡± He tried to pour as much suave into his tone as possible. Even if he did not end up allying with this X person, he could stay on their good side. She was in some position of hidden power. He would be a fool not to. She laughed, then resumed her intrigued tone. ¡°You¡¯ve also got a knack for survival, which might be more important than anything else¡­If you¡¯re interested, I¡¯ll make you a Signer for my faction and unlock access to Dark Matter as a power source.¡± ¡°What¡¯s it do?¡± ¡°Dark Matter is nebulous and on Earth your scientists have only guessed at it. My people know what it really is. Invisible matter. It doesn¡¯t absorb, reflect, or emit any light. Fully undetectable. It also does not interact with electricity or magnetism. It exerts a gravity well, as well. Not as potent as Black Hole would allow for, but you could affect a much larger area.¡± ¡°How would I use it?¡± ¡°Cosmic Power sources alter your Skills granted by a chosen Class. It could manifest in many number of possibilities. There are so many possibilities that I¡¯d be here for decades listing off what might be possible.¡± Jace leaned his head back and nodded. ¡°Last question. If I joined your faction, survive the Aspirant Trial, get to The Cosmic Corridor and all that¡­what would I be doing as your Signer?¡± ¡°You¡¯d be influencing events with which I cannot interact. Helping to keep balance in The Cosmic System. Finding problems and fixing them. In some cases, breaking things to make sure other things work. It would require you to work against the interests of factions. You¡¯d be making enemies¡­but I make sure that my Signers have the best Boons.¡± She giggled, ¡°I get to assign Quests if I choose, and I can make their rewards the highest rarity level.¡± She sounded very sincere. This woman is extremely powerful if she is the tech support for the whole System. Staying on her good side would be a smart way to ensure I can rise to Tier 10. But¡­don¡¯t make it easy. He knew that if he was too eager, then he would be showing her a weakness she could exploit. And he did not trust her yet. ¡°How many Signers do you have right now?¡±If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. He could feel the disappointment in her voice, ¡°None. I¡¯ve got my eye on a few from this current Aspirant Trial¡­cracks are beginning to emerge in The Cosmic System that I can¡¯t fix. I need Signers. Right now? You¡¯re my best bet.¡± Well, she¡¯s being vulnerable. But still¡­build up the wait. Make her desperate. Make her want you. ¡°I¡¯d like a bit to think on it.¡± ¡°...I understand¡± She sounded slightly annoyed. ¡°If you do want to become a Signer for my faction, then let Oliver know. He¡¯s been present for this whole conversation.¡± Oliver¡¯s body jerked and his eyes returned to normal. ¡°Oh, that is always weird.¡± His voice was back to normal as well. Jace picked up his small tools again, ¡°Welcome back.¡± ¡°I was never gone,¡± Oliver muttered as he floated just in front of Jace. ¡°Right. So, you learned about X. Thoughts about her?¡± ¡°For all I know she could be listening in,¡± Jace replied with a slight frown. ¡°I want to think about it. For now¡­tell me about these Classes you both had talked about.¡± Oliver bobbed up and down, ¡°Classes give access to Skills. You choose a Class, and your Cosmic Power influences the Skills and its name. For example¡­let us say you wanted to focus on stealing stuff. You would be a Thief. If you chose Nebula as your Power Source, then you would be a Nebula Thief. Make sense?¡± ¡°Yeah. Simple enough. What are the limits to Classes?¡± Oliver spun in the air, ¡°Limitless. You can choose professions - like Baker or Mechanic - Classes from those video games you mentioned, and anything else you could imagine.¡± It would be neat to be able to fight and use this Cosmic Power at will. ¡°Are there any Classes that let a person fight well and use their power-¡± ¡°Swordmage,¡± Oliver interjected. ¡°That is the best one that matches what you describe. Melee weapons and phenomenal cosmic powers in the palm of your hand. Spell and blade, cannot go wrong.¡± Jace smirked, ¡°That means getting up close and personal. Honestly, something with a gun would be better.¡± Oliver shook his head, ¡°Guns need ammunition. And they will not work on every world.¡± ¡°Come again?¡± ¡°Certain worlds have technology restrictions. There are plenty where The Cosmic System forces changes. A gun would not work if you went to a world with a lower technology level.¡± Oliver held up his little paws and a blade of starlight appeared in his hands. He swung it with his little paws, the cascading sparkles left behind a mesmerizing display. ¡°And swords are in every world. Something blade-like, for sure. I mean, you could go with something like Archer, but projectiles are easy to deal with. Most people do some combination of melee and magic or choose something that aligns towards a merchant or professional role.¡± Still not convinced, Jace thought. I don¡¯t want to be forced up close with something. But it doesn¡¯t sound like these Classes or the Skills that come with them will force me to do something I don¡¯t want to. I can still use all my honed talents from surviving on the streets. I can still hide, sneak around, and run. He smirked and chuckled, Plus, Dark Matter is invisible. If there is some Skill that lets me cover myself in it¡­I might never have to fight things. The two near-death experiences were jarring, and Jace knew he would need time to properly decompress. But now was not the time. ¡°I¡¯ll think on it,¡± he told Oliver as the otter dropped the blade of sparkles which then vanished as they fell. Jace set to finishing the last few parts of the prosthetic. Oliver just floated in place, and his eyes were vacant - as if he were off somewhere else. That did not bother Jace, and he welcomed the light source as the rest of the place was dark save for that and the flashlight. The time alone allowed him to reflect. As he fit the prosthetic to his foot stump and began to secure it, he thought back to the encounter with the Vyrk-thing. One of the talents he developed back on Earth - as all street kids did - was looking at a previous situation to learn from it. He replayed the encounter in his mind. I did the right thing stripping down to hide. But I should¡¯ve stayed hidden. It was too risky to kill it. He had been blinded by the idea of a reward. I can¡¯t let myself get carried away like that. I was lucky. The ferrofluid was a completely dumb stroke of luck. I can¡¯t rely on random chance and circumstances like that. I should play it smarter. Don¡¯t take Quests that have too large of a risk for the reward. He thought through the travel to this hidden bunker. Nothing to improve on there. Down the tunnel, and into the facility. Nothing to improve there, either. Except not securing the facility before falling asleep. But that wasn¡¯t really something I could control. He had been exhausted and was lucky he even made it to the base in the first place before passing out. Last was the whole situation with the turret and the chair. I have to be cautious. Even in a place that feels safe, I can¡¯t let down my guard until I¡¯ve secured it all. That brought him to Oliver. The Wayfinder could travel a few feet away from him and was invisible to all except Aspirants and Ascendants. I need to use him more to scout. His Wayfinder seemed, for lack of a better term, inexperienced. This is just as new for him as it is for me. I can¡¯t rely on him as a crutch. He¡¯s a tool in my kit. Use him to get information from the System. Use him to scout. But don¡¯t rely on his advice. He looked up at the otter as he finished securing his other foot. But¡­he was right about the chair. Jace focused on his muscles over his body - years of training coming to bear as he slowly flexed and unflexed each part he could isolate. A common talent among anyone who had to stay hidden for long - the consistent muscle movement prevented cramps. In this case, it also demonstrated just how much his muscles had grown. He was stronger, no question about it. And he had healed from the near-life-threatening injury because of the call Oliver had made. I have to trust him more. Trust was a hard commodity in Jace¡¯s life. He tried trusting his mother - she dumped him in an orphanage. He trusted the orphanage, and they abused him to the point he had to run away. He tried trusting other couriers, and one tried to kill him. Trust was hard-earned. But if he did not trust Oliver¡­he felt a shiver of fear at what could happen if he did not get over his hangups. Jace sighed and tried putting weight on the prosthetics. He took a few test steps, and then tried to jog in place. Identifying where the supports were weaker, he sat back down, took them off, and made more adjustments. Rails that could run up the shin and then be secured. Trying once more, he found them satisfactory enough. He could jog in place, and sharp turns would be the only real limitation. Is there anything I can do with my arm? He picked through the various parts and shook his head as he came up empty. ¡°Hey, Oliver. Can we break apart anything else in this bunker? Like, can we repurpose that turret as a gun?¡± Oliver¡¯s eyes refocused and illuminated. He flew over to the turret and his head disappeared inside of it before he pulled it back out. ¡°You could get it off the housing. It would need a power source - magitech based - and convert the ammunition container. Plus, something to put it on to make it portable. Some type of platform.¡± Jace dug through the various scraps and found a long length of metal that could work as a grip and platform. He kicked a box over and slid it to climb up next to the turret. Unfastening the object was easy enough, but he could not catch it, and the turret clattered against the ground as the ammunition rained out over his head. ¡°Damnit,¡± he muttered as he carefully got off the box and tried his best to scoop up the ammunition. Soon enough, he had a small pile of all the parts. ¡°Power source,¡± Jace muttered as he investigated the now-dark reactor room. ¡°Think we can take apart that arc reactor? Maybe get something going like a basic battery and crank-powered generator? I mean, you said magi tech, so that implies I could rig some simple, purely mechanic device.¡± Oliver flew through the door, and Jace slid it open as he followed the spectral otter. Oliver flew into the machine and emerged a few moments later, ¡°I¡¯ll point out what you need to pry or break off.¡± The two spent several hours disassembling the device with only short breaks for Jace to scarf down a meal and get some water. Eventually, he had the components he needed, but before leaving he stopped over the desiccated bodies in the spare room. ¡°Can¡¯t I turn them into Stardust, also?¡± Oliver nodded, ¡°Sure. It won¡¯t be much, but I can do that.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like I can bury them,¡± Jace replied as he wiggled his stump. ¡°Go ahead.¡± Oliver flew over them and sparkling starlight cascaded upon the bodies before they vanished, becoming a swirl of sparkles all their own that he vacuumed up into his little paw. <<<<<>>>>> [Stardust Acquired: 10.] <<<<<>>>>> Jace sat down, but Oliver floated above him and held his paw up. ¡°It¡¯s late.¡± He waved his hand, and a clock appeared next to him. <<<<<>>>>> [23:30.] <<<<<>>>>> ¡°Well, this can wait until tomorrow. It¡¯ll take me most of the day to make the gun, anyhow.¡± Jace stood up and went to the living quarters. As soon as his head hit the pillow, he felt the call of sleep. Chapter 10 – Break in and self-defense
¡°Can¡¯t you run any faster?¡± Chroma asked as she kept ahead of the heavily laden brother she loved to playfully torment. Jace shook his head, weighed down with all their worldly possessions. ¡°Do you want to carry the bags?¡± ¡°Nope!¡± She skipped forward and he pushed himself to follow her despite his sore legs. They had been walking for hours, moving from central Manhattan out to New Jersey. Myscape Industrial had taken over the island proper, and they were converting the whole city into their new headquarters. For street kids like Chroma and Jace, the best they could hope for was a fresh start in a city where the megacorps were still fighting for control. Chroma slowed down and let Jace catch up, grabbing his hand and holding it tight. ¡°You promised,¡± she said as her expression became dour. Jace sighed, ¡°Yeah. I did. Okay, what do you want to know about her?¡± ¡°Well¡­what was she like?¡± ¡°She wasn¡¯t home much. But¡­when she was home¡­she would let me sit on the bed with her. She was always tired from a day of work and would just let me lay next to her.¡± He smiled as the memory always brightened his mood. ¡°She scratched my head and ran her fingers through my hair, and kept telling me she would get me into the daycare where she worked.¡± ¡°I mean, how did she look? Do we look like her?¡± ¡°You do,¡± Jace replied as he looked at his sister with a grin. ¡°You look just like her, minus the frown.¡± Chroma nodded and gripped his hand tighter. ¡°Why¡­why did she leave?¡± Jace opened his mouth, wanting to tell her that their mother had no choice but to abandon them. Come up with some made-up story. He did not want to lie to Chroma. Anyone else? Sure. But not her. Never her. He knelt, ¡°She¡­she left me - and then you - at the orphanage because she wanted to focus on her career. She always said that once she made it big and could afford to keep us, she¡¯d come back for us. But¡­that never happened.¡± Chroma had a few small tears running down her face, and she wiped them before nodding with a determined look. ¡°We¡¯ll show her! We¡¯ll get super rich, find her, and show her she missed out on the best thing ever.¡± Jace nodded and stood up, grabbed her hand, and jumped as a car backfired. Bang!
That didn¡¯t happen. It was a bridge, no one was starting their car- Jace shot up in bed, brought out of the memory-filled dream. Bang! The sound came from the entry room. He instantly went for his belt knife and rolled out of the bed, crouching close to the ground. There was a pop and Oliver appeared. ¡°Hi Jace! Sleep well?¡± Jace waved him away and pointed at the outer door, making the street kid hand symbols for ¡®danger¡¯ and ¡®outsider.¡¯ Oliver just stared at him blankly, ¡°Yeah, no, I cannot understand that. But I think I get the gist.¡± He floated forward through the door before pulling his head back. ¡°Oh crap.¡± Jace gestured for the otter to keep speaking. ¡°An Aspiran-¡± A spectral snake floated through the door. Well, close enough to a snake for Jace¡¯s imagination. It had rigid scales and a mane of fur around the head. ¡°Oh, look at that. You will be easy to kill and con-.¡± Oliver clapped his paws, there was a pulse of starlight that expanded to the walls, and it shoved the snake out of the room. ¡°Tier 2 Aspirant. I have blocked the Wayfinder from the room, but once the door opens the block will fade. The Aspirant will be hard to hurt since he is two Tiers up.¡± The otter grimaced, ¡°I hope this isn¡¯t the end for you.¡± Jace got into the entry room with the decontamination shower and jumped up, gripping the ceiling with his one arm. Thanks to his new strength, he was able to pull himself up into the ceiling with relative ease despite the single appendage. ¡°His Cosmic Power is Black Hole, so expect gravity manipulation and entropy. He must be here for the serum you used. When he finds out its gone, he will be pissed.¡± Jace looked at the otter and gave him a look of, ¡®no shit.¡¯ He followed that up by making a stabbing motion. Oliver nodded and flew back towards the living quarters. ¡°I¡¯ll distract them.¡± He cleared his throat and spoke way too loudly, ¡°Yeah, no. They totally cannot take you on. Just hide and ambush them! Yup! Right over there. Perfect! They would never look inside the cabinet!¡± Going a little over the top, Jace thought as he stilled his breathing and froze entirely in place. He kept his blade poised and ready. He had only killed two people in his whole life. The first was a junkie who tried to abduct his sister to sell her to a pedophile for quick cash or drugs. Jace had run that man down, tackled him, and accidentally split his skull on the pavement. There was panic at first, but then he ran from the scene with his sister and spent weeks replaying the scene over and over. The result he came to was that in some instances, especially when protecting those you loved, lethal force was justified. The second was a fellow courier who attempted to murder him to get a larger cut of a split delivery. That one almost cost Jace his life, as the man got the jump on him and stabbed him in the ribs - the bones causing the blade to stop partway in. He had used the moment of stunned surprise to gouge the other man¡¯s eyes out with his thumbs, and the blinded courier walked into the street only to get pancaked by a transport. Neither instance triggered a feeling of guilt. Both of those instances were justified. Just as what he was about to do, now, was just. A foe he would not be able to fight in a straight-up brawl, with some powers of gravity that, for all Jace knew, could smush him into a tiny sphere of meat. Getting an underhanded jump on this person and killing them first was his only chance of surviving. The door below wrenched open. A heavily armored person in plated armor cautiously entered, glanced in each direction - except for up and down - before passing under Jace. The person¡¯s left hand glowed. A black circle with a white center. It glowed through his armor. Now! Jace twirled his body, hung on with his stump of an arm, and coiled his legs under him. He dropped down with the momentum of the swing, kicking out as he did so. Bang! The metal feet slammed into the person¡¯s head, and the armored person tumbled forward, momentarily stunned. Jace let the rest of his weight land on top of the figure, pinning them to the ground. He wriggled the knife into the slit between neck armor and helmet. The knife dug in - not as deep as he would have imagined. Must be because I¡¯m a Tier 0 and they¡¯re Tier 2. But his newfound strength more than compensated for the default difference in Tiers. He felt the blade slide down past the muscle and sinew, catch on bone, and he wrenched it left and right.Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. The person stopped struggling and went limp. They were breathing ever so slightly, but he knew he had severed something in the spinal cord. Their snake-Wayfinder flew up to his face, and he almost recoiled from it. ¡°How dare yo-¡± Oliver flew up and slammed the serpent with his paw, ¡°Otter punch!¡± The snake Wayfinder hissed, ¡°You¡­you¡¯ll pay!¡± It vanished with a pop. ¡°Not sure how this Aspirant had a Wayfinder sti-¡± he flew down and looked at the person¡¯s fingers, ¡°Ah, they weren¡¯t an official Signer.¡± Jace looked down at the person and kept his knife firmly planted in their spinal cord as he removed the helmet. Writhing, grey flesh that slowly pulsed in time with the creature¡¯s heartbeat. It had scales atop its head, and a pair of horns. He could hear the faint gurgling as it struggled to breathe. ¡°Oliver, what are the rules for Aspirant-on-Aspirant violence? I assume it¡¯s okay, since this one was coming for me.¡± ¡°Yup. The rules are a bit complex-¡± ¡°Later, then,¡± Jace replied as he took off his ragged shirt and used the sleeves to tie the person¡¯s arms behind their back, just in case. ¡°How¡¯d they find us?¡± ¡°Well, this was a Hidden Location. But since you found it, it was not hidden, anymore. So, The Cosmic System logged where it was. This person was not a Signer for the Black Hole Conclave, because if he was, X would have stripped his Wayfinder from him.¡± He tapped his chin, ¡°I don¡¯t know how they got here so fast¡­that¡¯s a mystery to me.¡± Jace nodded as he stripped the person down, piling their gear to the side. Except for the armor - he would have to untie them to take that off. He spied buckles and straps. It looked like an ancient design. ¡°Okay. Now tell me the rules.¡± ¡°You will not get any more Stardust from them than what their base species is worth. So, you cannot take his accumulated Stardust that he has used to gain levels. Equipment disappears when they die¡­but.¡± Oliver grinned, ¡°There is a fantastic opportunity here. The Pulsar Coalition hates the Black Hole Conclave. Let me reach out to them. I bet they would give you a Quest for taking out one of their enemies. Well, possible-Signer of one of their enemies.¡± ¡°Alright. See if we can get something for this guy.¡± ¡°Yup. Give me a minute.¡± Oliver¡¯s face went blank, and Jace used the time to look over the still alive but paralyzed body. It was human-like, but it had features of some type of lizard or reptile. It was not very muscular. I wonder if being paralyzed prevents Skill use entirely. Judging by the gear and other equipment, Jace imagined that this thing was not a marksman. A type of bruiser. I¡¯d bet that their Class Skills have to do with hitting things harder. They relied on their armor for defense. I¡¯m probably safe. He could see a small pulse of black and white light appear in front of him. ¡°Oliver?! What¡¯s he doing!¡± <<<<<>>>>> [Quest: Slay an applicant to the Black Hole Conclave.] [Time Limit: N/A.] [Reward: Rare (Equipment).] [Sender: Pulsar Coalition.] <<<<<>>>>> Oliver¡¯s eyes returned to normal, and he flew in front of Jace. ¡°Crap! Quick, finish him!¡± Jace nodded and gripped the knife. Pressing it forward, he kept applying pressure until the form stilled. Just to be sure, he sawed the blade back and forth, feeling the sinew tear away until the spine was fully separated. The black energy faded from the creature¡¯s hand. Jace breathed a sigh of relief. There was no remorse, no sense of disgust at his actions. Like those two people he had killed due to circumstances¡­this was justified. He was raised in a violent world. From an early age, after his mother abandoned him, he knew nothing but the hardships of his youth and the violence that came along with it. He did not relish killing this person. He did not want to kill people. He just wanted to live. Plus, it was in self-defense. If he did not get the drop on this guy, he would not have survived. He was sure of that. Survive, he thought. Survive until you¡¯re a Tier 10 Ascendant. Get Chroma back. Jace was surviving. And this was justified. That was enough. The body vanished - as did all the gear. Even the stuff Jace had removed vanished. The sparkles flew into Oliver¡¯s paw. <<<<<>>>>> [Stardust Acquired: 5.] <<<<<>>>>> [Quest Completed: Slay an applicant to the Black Hole Conclave.] [Time Limit: N/A.] [Reward: Rare (Equipment).] [Sender: Pulsar Coalition.] <<<<<>>>>> ¡°Why so little Stardust? And what happened to all his gear?¡± ¡°Equipment is ¡®stored¡¯ in the Wayfinder¡¯s System-side information storage. When the Aspirant or Ascendant dies, the Equipment is there for a long time. But, when the person is dusted, all of that Equipment, no matter where it is, is recalled. As for the little amount of Stardust, people in general are worth less because they don¡¯t have inherent traits. Humans, for instance, are anywhere from 5 to 10 because they are just fleshy sacks with mostly brainpower. Versus a Vyrknadine ¨C that wolf thing you fought ¨C is an apex predator.¡± Ollie frowned, ¡°And, having people worth less Stardust de-incentivizes committing mass killings for personal power.¡± ¡°Thanks for the information,¡± Jace said. ¡°Makes sense when you put it that way. Okay, I want to use that Boon.¡± Oliver crossed his arms, ¡°What do you want?¡± ¡°What am I limited to?¡± Jace asked as he stood up, wiped the blade clean on his pants, and put his shirt back on. ¡°Rarity is subjective. It is determined by the world you received the Equipment Boon. So, for example, on a world that is more rustic and not as technologically advanced, a stick would be Common, and a magic sword would be Legendary.¡± ¡°This world had a magitech super soldier serum, so they must have had good prosthetics. I need an arm.¡± ¡°Let me see here¡­¡± Oliver¡¯s eyes went dark again, and a few moments later he roused again. ¡°Ah, I found a good one. They called it a Wirecannon Arm. It has a grappling hook with a super strong cord built in, and a retracting cable. You can use it to travel up steep surfaces or buildings.¡± ¡°Or pull someone to me,¡± Jace muttered. ¡°Is that the best thing they have?¡± ¡°The best thing for versatility and survival. There are some that are fancy but meant more for pleasure purposes. Including ones that vibrate. I figured you would not find that especially useful.¡± Jace nodded, ¡°Let¡¯s get the grapple one.¡± <<<<<>>>>> [Using Boon: Rare (Equipment).] [Manifesting.] <<<<<>>>>> Jace felt a searing heat in and on the stump of his arm that then traveled up to his shoulder. He screamed out in pain and grit his teeth as he leaned against the wall of the decontamination shower. There was a glimmer of blue-white starlight that surrounded his limb, and he felt white-hot pain. The starlight faded and he was able to take deep, shaking breaths as his heartbeat slowed once more. He examined his new artificial limb. It was a deep, cerulean, metallic blue color. There were lines of black that cut through at geometric angles. It ran all the way from his shoulder down, having taken away his stump along with most of his natural arm. He held it up to his face and slowly turned it over. In the center of the palm was a small hatch, and on the exterior of the index finger, a small notch that the thumb fit perfectly into. He held his palm out towards the wall, tapped the notch with his thumb, and recoiled slightly as a spiked, metal cord shot out with extreme speed, sinking into the wall. He felt it begin to retract and stood his ground. He was in a tug-of-war with the device, evaluating its tensile strength. It did not budge. Feeling around the index finger with his thumb, he found another notch, and to his satisfaction, the spike retracted its hidden prongs. A third button and the cord coiled itself back up. ¡°How much range does it have?¡± ¡°Fifty feet.¡± Jace smiled, ¡°Well, this will make things easier.¡± He went to the door leading to the entry tunnel and closed it. ¡°Let¡¯s make that flechette pistol. It should kill enough time to the end of the Aspirant Trial.¡± Oliver floated ahead of him, ¡°I have found schematics in the System database that we can use to work our way through. It will not be perfect, but it¡¯ll be serviceable!¡± Jace looked back to where the corpse was before, ¡°You mentioned something about him still having a Wayfinder that was odd. What¡¯s that about?¡± ¡°X hates the Black Hole Conclave since they want the whole System to be consumed by oblivion. So, once an Aspirant or Ascendant becomes a Signer for their faction, she removes their Wayfinder.¡± He gestured to the area where the corpse once was. ¡°This person was an applicant; meaning they had not been accepted. Coming here to check out the new location was probably his ¡®task¡¯ to be let into the faction.¡± ¡°You¡¯d think a fanatical cult would take anyone in,¡± Jace replied. Ollie frowned, ¡°You would think that. But, some people try to infiltrate factions as a Signer, and then disrupt it from within.¡± Good to know, Jace thought. Chapter 11 – Matters of Dark Matter
The hours passed comfortably. Oliver provided schematics and was able to slowly pick them apart, visually separating out the various layers of the designs. Jace was able to intuit how the device would be put together by having Oliver re-layer the different components over each other. It was work-focused, but the two were driving towards a singular goal. Neither was cracking jokes or trying to get to know the other. There was a desired result, and they both wanted to achieve it. As Jace took a meal break Oliver kept looking over the design. ¡°I wonder¡­can it be integrated into the arm? We have not mounted it yet.¡± Jace swallowed down the delicious goop and took a sip of water that had begun to grow stale from sitting out in the various containers. ¡°I don¡¯t want it attached to my arm. Just holding it will be fine.¡± Oliver huffed but nodded, ¡°Fine. Your arm, your choice.¡± He sounded slightly irritated that his idea was shot down. ¡°It¡¯s not a bad idea. Just that I don¡¯t want to commit a single limb to it.¡± Jace tossed his belt knife back and forth, twirling it in each hand. ¡°Ambidexterity.¡± The artificial limb, despite being brand-new, felt natural. As if Jace had been born with it. It just felt¡­right. He assumed it was because it was magitech. Oliver¡¯s tone became brighter, ¡°Ah, well. That makes sense.¡± Jace returned to his work and within a few hours of more concentration he had a functional - if crappy looking - flechette pistol. He had to rig up small boxes of ammunition that he would dump into the top; so, he could only fire one cluster at a time before a reload. A scatter-shot of five rounds in one burst. There was a small crank on the side that would have to be wound up in between shots to power the device. He made sure the magazine was empty, pointed the pistol with the extremely steady prosthetic arm, and pulled the trigger. He took an empty cartridge, pantomimed reloading, cranked the charge handle, and pulled the trigger again. Six seconds. Too long for mid-combat up close. And this thing will have crappy accuracy over distance. The best use for it would be to use it to stall if something closed with him quickly. Oliver nodded with satisfaction, ¡°Looks good. And we are just about done with the Aspirant Trial.¡± Jace stood up and stretched, ¡°Alright. What do I need to do?¡± ¡°Just wait a few more minutes. Maybe get to a place to sit or lay down. It is going to be disorienting.¡± Jace laid down on the bed and Oliver floated next to him, ¡°What¡¯s it going to feel like?¡± ¡°I only have what the System gives me. This is my first time going through this, also.¡± The otter was swirling in place in excitement. ¡°I can¡¯t wait to see what happens!¡± The familiar voice of Shhiv-zal came to him as a message played across his vision. <<<<<>>>>> [Congratulations! Damn, did you get more buff? Hot. That new arm is very, very interesting. Anyways. Okay. Work. You made it past the Aspirant Trial! Major congratulations.] <<<<<>>>>> ¡°Thanks,¡± Jace replied, pushing aside the fact that this woman was enthralled by his looks. Flattered, but he was focused on his goal. ¡°What¡¯s next?¡± <<<<<>>>>> [I am going to put you into that liminal Starlit Sea. Your Wayfinder will be with you. Just answer the questions honestly. Oh, I also saw a flag from X on your profile. Is everything okay?¡±.] <<<<<>>>>> ¡°Just fine,¡± Oliver said as he swam through the air over Jace¡¯s head. <<<<<>>>>> [Okay then. I will be keeping an eye on you. I expect a visit when you get to The Eternal City. I will forward my contact information to Oliver.] <<<<<>>>>> Jace felt his vision go black and he was surrounded by warmth. Every direction showed the liquid starlight from when he met Oliver. The otter swam through the seas next to him, ¡°Well, this is familiar.¡± Jace nodded and looked around, waiting. He was not waiting long, as a grid appeared before him. A series of symbols with corresponding names. <<<<<>>>>> [Star.] [Nebula.] [Pulsar.] [Black Hole.] [Planet.] [Dark Matter.] <<<<<>>>>> ¡°Before you make your choice-¡± Both Oliver and Jace looked to the right where the voice came from. There was a square aperture - a screen - and a gorgeous, black-skinned woman with deep, purple eyes and long, silver hair. She also had two pairs of arms; both were crossed in front of her ample bosom. The eyes had six irises, and no whites - just purple and the black orbs within. ¡°Hi X,¡± Oliver said as he waved. She looked at Jace, ¡°Flicker. What¡¯s your real name? If you¡¯re going to be my Signer, I want the real thing. Oliver has been keeping it hidden. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll keep it hidden, too.¡± Jace looked over to Oliver, ¡°Thank you,¡± he said softly. The otter nodded, and Jace turned back to the woman. ¡°Mine for yours. X is a code name. What is it really?¡± The woman smirked and leaned back in her chair, ¡°Xera¡¯tal Pen¡¯arkon. An Architect.¡± ¡°I¡¯m Jace Seren. Do you go by X to everyone?¡± ¡°Yes, X is what I am referred to by every Wayfinder and component of The Cosmic System. Only my Signers can call me by my shorthand name, Xera. Speaking of Signers; did you make up your mind?¡± He took a deep breath in before letting it out slowly. This is it. A defining choice. Time to get on the good side of possibly the most influential being in the whole System. ¡°I¡¯m in. I¡¯ll be your Signer.¡± She grinned and leaned forward, ¡°Excellent. Now, turn back to the choice panel. Be ready, you¡¯re about to hold the power of the cosmos in the palm of your hand.¡± Jace followed her instructions. I want the secret, hidden power that it sounds like no one else has. He tapped Dark Matter. Everything went black. ¡°Why can¡¯t I see?!¡± he shouted out as he turned in panic, reaching for something - anything. ¡°Just wait a moment,¡± Xera said. Jace felt a soft, fuzzy paw on his shoulder. ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Oliver said. ¡°I am here. You are fine.¡± ¡°I thought you were ethereal?¡± Jace asked as the sudden contact brought him out of his panic at sudden blindness. ¡°In the real world? Yes. But we are inside The Cosmic System right now. I am as real here as you are. Not just a projection.¡± Jace saw dim, purple dots across his vision. Blinking his eyes rapidly, the purple dots expanded until he could see the ocean of stars once more. But it was not the same color. Everything was washed a slight purple hue. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°You can see in the dark, now. A benefit of choosing a Cosmic Power. It¡¯s not a true Skill, but rather an aspect of your Cosmic Power being accessible. Your hair has some purple highlights. Your eye color shifted as well.¡± Xera smirked, ¡°Other Cosmic Power sources have a similar effect. Dark vision is standard for all of them. The color they see is different. Same with hair highlights and eyes.¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t that mark me as one of yours? The hair and eyes? Makes infiltrating difficult.¡± ¡°Look at your hand,¡± She replied. Oliver grabbed his good hand and lifted it up. On the back, Jace saw a symbol. A square with pointed edges, and a swirling series of deep purple, light purple, and neon purple shapes that constantly shifted and danced around each other. ¡°This marks your Cosmic Power. Same with the eye color and hair highlights,¡± Oliver stated. He tapped the center of Jace¡¯s palm, ¡°The symbol is visible even when covered, but only to other Aspirants, Wayfinders, or Ascendants.¡± He grabbed Jace¡¯s fingertip, and that¡¯s when Jace saw the dark, purple nails that shifted between shades of the same color. ¡°And the nails mark your faction affiliation. Species without fingernails instead have the tips of their fingers ¨C or equivalent ¨C colored.¡± Xera nodded, ¡°Correct. Glad that the recognition program update rolled out successfully. Just checking that off my list¡­¡± Jace looked around, ¡°Will it ever all look¡­normal? Or do I have constant purple vision?¡± ¡°Just when you are in the dark or in The Cosmic System,¡± Oliver replied.Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. ¡°How rare exactly is Dark Matter?¡± Jace asked. He held up his hand towards Xera, ¡°When people see this, will they flag me?¡± She shook her head, ¡°The Aspirants won¡¯t know what it means. An Ascendant who has been around for a while, is well-connected, or well-informed might know. Wayfinders will if they query the System, but that would take upwards of five minutes to get through my obfuscation. Thirty have encountered it before and would know it on sight. And even then, they would need to tell their Aspirant. That¡¯s hard to do when being struck.¡± Oliver nodded, ¡°My job when you are facing an Aspirant in combat is to keep their Wayfinder busy so they cannot access The Cosmic System and dig up data on you. We do not suffer permanent injury, but have you tried getting into a computer when someone is punching you? It is tricky.¡± Xera chuckled, ¡°Continuing¡­the faction affiliation can be covered up by wearing gloves or gauntlets. The shifting fingernail color doesn¡¯t go through all coverings, unlike the Cosmic Power symbol. Don¡¯t worry about the eye and hair color - those only manifest when you use a Class Skill.¡± Oliver crossed his arms and grinned, ¡°If others don¡¯t know Dark Matter¡¯s symbol, then they¡¯d have to look it up¡­and they won¡¯t when I sock them!¡± Oliver took a few practice punches in the air. ¡°Otter punch!¡± Xera added. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t worry too much about people flagging you as a part of the Dark Between Stars.¡± Another screen popped up in front of Jace. The mechanical voice accompanied it. <<<<<>>>>> [Use the space below to describe what you desire to do with your Cosmic Power.] [The Cosmic System will then determine a selection of Classes based upon your description.] <<<<<>>>>> Jace ran a hand through his hair. ¡°Well¡­alright.¡± As he spoke, the words lit up on the screen. ¡°Crap, delete that.¡± The words vanished. Oliver floated next to him, ¡°Just describe what it is you want to do.¡± Well, I¡¯ve been thinking about it for days now. ¡°I want to be able to fight things up close with what I¡¯m comfortable with - so, knives, mostly. But I also want to be able to use Dark Matter¡­at will? I guess that¡¯s the best way to put it. Summon it around me to turn invisible, throw it around to make gravity wells? It can do that, right?¡± The screen filled up as he spoke, and after he finished speaking it flickered before being replaced with a series of boxes with names of Classes inside. <<<<<>>>>> [The Classes that best match your description are as follows.] [Swordmage.] [Swordmage.] [Swordmage.] [Swordmage.] <<<<<>>>>> ¡°What¡¯s the deal?¡± Jace asked, feeling frustrated as he looked over to Xera. She had a bemused expression. ¡°I thought I was going to be given a choice?¡± She giggled, ¡°I could enable the other Class choices¡­but trust me. I designed the Class to work with the Cosmic Power you chose. Dark Matter goes with Swordmage like bread with butter. You have that on Earth, right?¡± I¡¯ve heard of it, Jace thought as he turned back to the screen. Haven¡¯t tasted it, though. Butter is for rich people. He looked at Oliver, ¡°I¡­¡± He let out a sigh. ¡°I trust you¡­is what Xera saying correct?¡± He shrugged, ¡°Implicitly. If she says it is the best, it is. She has been around for¡­well, since it all started. She knows Classes better than anyone.¡± He lowered his voice to a whisper and flew right up to Jace¡¯s ear, ¡°Plus, she has an interest in keeping you alive. She needs you. You can trust her.¡± Jace nodded, ¡°Good enough for me.¡± He tapped the top-most Swordmage option. He was surrounded by a dim, golden glow. A few seconds passed, and he could feel a tingling sensation along his skin. The glow faded, and he was wearing quite different clothing. Grey pants with plenty of room to move around. A light, breathable shirt. Boots that snugly fit onto his makeshift prosthetic feet that were quite supple. A pair of gloves fashioned from a type of dark leather went up to the forearm. Lastly, a cloak that wrapped around his torso and midsection before trailing behind. A belt kept everything in place and tidy. He felt a weight on his hip, and attached to the belt was the black hilt of a weapon with a cross guard. ¡°Where¡¯s my knife?¡± he asked. Xera replied, ¡°When you choose a Class, you get Class specific gear. For you, it¡¯s armored clothing - there are little scales sandwiched in between the material - a cloak that will keep you warm or cool in any weather if the hood is pulled up and it¡¯s cinched tight. And of course, the signature Swordmage blade. Go ahead, pull it out.¡± Jace followed the instructions and drew the blade. It was pure black, seemingly absorbing all light. It felt¡­natural in his grip. He took a few practice swings with it, and with each swing of the one-handed blade, he felt supremely confident. Did¡­proficiency come along with the Class selection? A screen appeared in front of him once more. A status display. Like the one Oliver had shown him before. <<<<<>>>>> Name: Jace Seren (Aspirant, Tier 1) Power [Class Level.]: Dark Matter [Swordmage 1.] Skills: Skill Name (Rank) [Evolutions.]: Universal Translation, Environmental Adaptation, Dark Matter Blade (Rank 1), Dark Matter Shield (Rank 1), Swordmage Stance (Rank 1) Stardust: 515 Equipment: Swordmage blade, Swordmage starting gear, flechette pistol, flechette ammunition (x45), Wirecannon Arm, Runner''s Replacement (damaged), messenger bag, sliverscreen, survival knife, survival meals (x50), canteen (x2), medical kit, orange tarp, flint bar, flashlight Boons: None <<<<<>>>>> ¡°Are all of the Skills named like that?¡± Jace asked. ¡°Would someone else get a Shield ability, but have it named something else?¡± ¡°Correct,¡± Xera replied. ¡°They are either a static name ¨C such as Cosmic Infusion ¨C or are altered by the chosen Cosmic Power.¡± The world began to simmer and shift around Jace. ¡°Time¡¯s up,¡± Xera said rapidly. ¡°I¡¯ll be keeping an eye on you. Stay as long as you can on Velenar Prime; it¡¯s a high threat for a Tier 1 world, meaning you can level up quickly. I¡¯ll send you some Quests, also. Stay safe!¡± The starry sea faded and Jace found himself in the bed once more. The whole room was a slightly purple hue. Must be the dark vision at work, he thought as he sat up. Glancing down, he saw the new clothing still on his body, and there was a slight clinking at his waist. Looking over, he saw just the hilt and cross guard of the sword - but not the blade. It had transported from his hand in the Starlit Sea back to his hip. Does it retract or something? He stood up and drew it from the slot on his belt. The blade expanded as he drew it until it was the full length of around two feet. There was a pop as Oliver manifested in front of him, and his purple sight faded as the otter illuminated the area. Jace swung the blade a few times, ¡°How come this feels so natural?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s pull up the Skill descriptions.¡± <<<<<>>>>> Dark Matter Blade (Rank 1) - The blade is rendered invisible, with only the hilt being observable. Dark Matter Shield (Rank 1) - Creates a barrier of invisible matter that acts as a shield. Attached to the forearm of the non-dominant hand. Ambidextrous note: you may swap arms at will. Swordmage Stance (Rank 1) - The user becomes proficient with all bladed weapons. <<<<<>>>>> ¡°And in addition to that, you have Universal Translation and Environmental Adaptation,¡± Oliver added as the screen vanished. ¡°How do I use those Skills?¡± ¡°Some are always on - like Swordmage Stance. The other ones you can think the Skill name, shout it, or just¡­do it.¡± He shrugged, ¡°None of my Aspirants have made it this far, so I do not know what ¡®do it¡¯ entails.¡± Jace closed his eyes and practiced his breathing technique, holding the sword out to his side. In through the nose, out through the mouth. He focused on nothing but breathing until he felt completely calm, and all extraneous thoughts were pushed aside. I don¡¯t want to think about using it. I just want to use it. Invisible weapon. Come on. Behind his closed eyelids, a diagram appeared. A pattern. He followed it with his eyes, tracing the pattern along the back of his eyelids and instinctively tracing it with his fingertip. Oliver gasped, and as Jace opened his eyes, he saw a deep, purple hue covering the blade. ¡°That¡¯s invisible!¡± Oliver shouted in ecstatic joy. ¡°To everyone but us two, that is.¡± Jace thought of turning it off, and the coating vanished. Now to see the different ways to activate it. He first closed his eyes and re-traced the pattern with his sight alone, tracing the pattern along the inside of his eyelids. Opening them, he saw nothing different. All right, finger gestures it is. He subtly performed the small series of movements, and the blade glowed with energy once more. ¡°It¡¯s like entering a code on a keypad,¡± he stated aloud. Oliver nodded, ¡°Makes sense that the System would alter it in a way that made it familiar to you.¡± Jace closed his eyes and repeated the process, envisioning instead a shield on his prosthetic arm - which would enable him to still use the grapple line. He saw the pattern appear once more - slightly different than the one for the Dark Matter Blade, and he traced it in the air with his fingertip. He saw a shimmering, purple shield appear on his prosthetic arm, facing the outside. ¡°That¡¯s good,¡± he muttered. It was transparent, so he could see through it, and knew exactly where it would cover. Oliver nodded, ¡°I will say. And it is invisible to anyone else!¡± ¡°Last thing,¡± Jace said as he dismissed the effect. ¡°I¡¯m going to see if both can be activated with a single motion.¡± He closed his eyes once more. All right. I want both Dark Matter Blade and Dark Matter Shield. An intricate, complex combination of the two gestures appeared. He replicated what he just saw. The blade was enveloped with purple light, and the shield appeared on his arm. He felt a slight fatigue set in. ¡°Let me guess,¡± he muttered as he glanced at Oliver. ¡°Using these Skills costs me some energy. If I overuse them, I¡¯ll pass out.¡± ¡°Yup.¡± Jace nodded. So, I cannot keep activating them and deactivating them over and over. Understood. Time to practice. ¡°Keep a timer in between attempts. I¡¯m going to try and perfect my speed in activating these Skills.¡± Oliver gave a little thumb-up, and Jace spent the next several hours repeating the pattern with his finger until he had memorized both and had reduced the activation time down to under two seconds. He felt tired but was quite happy with the rapid progress. ¡°Now,¡± he stated as he dismissed both effects and sheathed the blade - all but the hilt vanishing as he put it on his hip. ¡°I want to use that Stardust to level up.¡± Chapter 12 – The first of many
Oliver nodded and swam in space, ¡°Right. So, leveling up is straightforward. You just tell me to spend the Stardust. You will then get to choose to Rank up an existing Skill or choose a new one.¡± ¡°I¡¯m assuming Rank up means improved efficiency in some way?¡± ¡°Yup.¡± ¡°Can we see a list of the new Skills?¡± ¡°Nope. Instead, you just describe what you want, and The Cosmic System either finds a matching Skill from the database or invents a new one.¡± ¡°If I¡¯m going to be surviving on an alien planet with more of these apex predators¡­combat efficiency makes the most sense. What would Ranking up Dark Matter Blade do?¡± The answer filtered across his vision. <<<<<>>>>> Dark Matter Blade (Rank 2) - The entire blade from hilt to tip is rendered invisible. <<<<<>>>>> ¡°And what about Rank 3 if I wanted to pursue that route?¡± <<<<<>>>>> Dark Matter Blade (Rank 3) - As Rank 2, and the blade inflicts those struck with a minor gravitational pull, slowing their movement. <<<<<>>>>> ¡°Seems handy,¡± Oliver said. ¡°It does¡± Jace replied. ¡°But that¡¯s another level off. What about Dark Matter Shield? What do the next two ranks offer?¡± <<<<<>>>>> Dark Matter Shield (Rank 2) - The barrier expands to the size of a tower shield. Dark Matter Shield (Rank 3) - The barrier encompasses the whole body. Unlike prior Ranks, blocking damage consumes the user¡¯s energy. <<<<<>>>>> Well, it¡¯s good to know that just manifesting the Shield at Rank 1 or 2 doesn¡¯t drain more energy for blocking. But fully encompassing myself in a shield? That¡¯s tempting. ¡°Question for you, Oliver. Can I manifest a Skill at a lower Rank than whatever I have currently?¡± ¡°Yup!¡± ¡°Alright, last one. What about Swordmage Stance?¡± <<<<<>>>>> Swordmage Stance (Rank 2) - The user becomes an expert with all bladed weapons. Swordmage Stance (Rank 3) - The user becomes a master with all bladed weapons. <<<<<>>>>> ¡°Well, that is a bit subjective,¡± Oliver quipped, crossing his little arms as his tail swung in place. ¡°Let¡¯s go with the Dark Matter Shield Rank up,¡± Jace stated. He saw Oliver reach into where a pocket would be on the side of his leg and a chunk of glimmering Starlight flew from him and into Jace¡¯s chest. He felt a warmth spread from the center of his torso; the same warmth he felt sinking into that starry sea. <<<<<>>>>> Name: Jace Seren (Aspirant, Tier 1) Power [Class Level.]: Dark Matter [Swordmage 2.] Skills: Skill Name (Rank) [Evolutions.]: Universal Translation, Environmental Adaptation, Dark Matter Blade (Rank 1), Dark Matter Shield (Rank 2), Swordmage Stance (Rank 1) Stardust: 15 Equipment: Swordmage blade, Swordmage starting gear, flechette pistol, flechette ammunition (x45), Wirecannon Arm, Runner''s Replacement (damaged), messenger bag, sliverscreen, survival knife, survival meals (x50), canteen (x2), medical kit, orange tarp, flint bar, flashlight Boons: None <<<<<>>>>> Jace sighed as the heat faded. His muscles were very relaxed. For a moment, he was acutely aware of the prosthetic arm and the ramshackle cosmetic feet. But that feeling quickly faded. ¡°What¡¯s a Skill Evolution? I saw that on my information screen before.¡± Oliver swam around in the air, obviously quite excited. ¡°Well, it is a unique Boon from a Quest. They alter the Skill. They are a prefix. Only one Evolution can apply at a time. But it can be applied to any Rank of Skill.¡± Jace nodded, ¡°Good to know. Oh, crap. One more thing.¡± He went to the survival kit and pulled out the knife. He cut off the glove on his prosthetic arm from the wrist-down so the palm-grapnel was not covered. He looked around at the small bunker. ¡°I think I¡¯m ready to move on. I feel ready.¡± He said the last as he stared at the back of his hand where the symbol for Dark Matter slowly moved in a tumbling cascade, a dark dance of tumultuous shapes. Cosmic Power in the palm of my hand. This is ridiculous and awesome. Oliver smiled and his deep voice once more was uncharacteristically enthusiastic. ¡°Let us go! Oh. And¡­this sounds weird. I would like you to call me Ollie.¡± Jace smiled, ¡°Alright, Ollie. Let¡¯s pack up.¡± He set to gathering up everything he could in the duffel bag. Spare metal bits and components from the supply closet to do repairs on his feet if needed. The food. He poured all the water he could fit into the temperature-controlled messenger bag. And, of course, he grabbed his flechette pistol and the ammunition. There were several well-concealed pockets in the pants, and he shoved the ammunition and the makeshift weapon into one. Going to the decontamination shower, he pulled the door aside and walked down the tunnel. The same tunnel he had dragged himself down, injured, and exhausted, only a week prior. Now, he climbed up the ladder with a confidence that he had not felt in a long, long time. 2 levels down. 98 to go. And then, 100 of an Advanced Class. I¡¯m going to bring you back, Chroma. I promise.
Quinn looked down at the small display mounted to her wrist. It had been a single day since she passed her Trial of Ascension, and she looked past the wrist-mounted screen and at the back of her hand. A radiant sun that shifted color; bright orange, gold-yellow, and a deep red all spun slowly in place marking her Cosmic Power selection. Her fingernails also glowed with the same soft glow - an indicator of her being a Signer for the Star Council. Greg had split off and headed back to Earth. As he put it, ¡°I want to see if I can get paid for my last job. I might come and join you later.¡± Mizarion walked next to her, chewing on a pineapple - not bothering to take off the rough exterior. ¡°This is so juicy! I love the crunchy exterior. You Earthlings have a lot of tasty food.¡± Quinn nodded and looked at the Ascendant. ¡°Thanks for the escort. And you¡¯re not supposed to eat the husk.¡±If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°Hey, no problem! I wanted you to get to faction HQ as soon as possible. And, well, you¡¯re part of us now! Not fully fledged, but good enough. Also, I like the crust more than the interior.¡± Quinn had learned that most, not all, but most people became a Signer for the faction that matched their Cosmic Power. Sticking with an Ascendant who could keep her safe seemed like the wisest option, especially once she learned how valuable her Class was. She looked over her information sheet again. <<<<<>>>>> Name: Quinn Cipher (Aspirant, Tier 1) Power [Class Level.]: Star [Broker 1.] Skills: Skill Name (Rank) [Evolutions.]: Universal Translation, Environmental Adaptation, Broker''s Instinct (Rank 1), Broker''s Contract (Rank 1), Broker''s Fee (Rank 1) Stardust: 50 Equipment: Broker''s interface, Broker''s starting gear, Webwalker Implants, Cybereyes Mk. 3, Cybermind Mk. 4 Boons: None <<<<<>>>>> She dismissed the screen from her vision and looked over at Valerie, her Wayfinder, who was perched on her shoulder. ¡°The whole point of my Class is trade of information and physical goods, right? Not just data?¡± ¡°Correct,¡± The bird chirped with a melodic, feminine voice. ¡°Your three skills help you find useful sources of information or goods to trade. You can make binding contracts with other Aspirants, and whenever you do a trade, you acquire a bit of Stardust.¡± She preened herself a bit, removing a spectral feather that drifted into nothingness. ¡°It¡¯s a safe way to work towards Ascendant.¡± ¡°And¡± Mizarion added. ¡°We can never have too many merchants in The Eternal City. Especially in the Star Council. Most end up going with the Nebula Alliance.¡± That was the allure that really made Quinn choose this faction. In the Nebula Alliance, she could have more opportunity for rapid advancement, but they were also a bit cutthroat in the way they did business. Competitors often sabotaged or killed others to get an edge in the market. And she did not want any of that. A safe, simple life, protected by one of the more prominent factions seemed like the perfect life to her. It would let her use her information gathering and Webwalking talents, since The Cosmic System had something akin to the Webnet. ¡°We¡¯re here,¡± Mizarion said as he ate the rest of the pineapple - stem and all. He turned to face a building, and Quinn craned her head back to look up. It was a colossal skyscraper that went up thousands of feet. The exterior was burnished bronze with gold and orange highlights depicting the various stages of a star¡¯s life cycle. Mizarion led the way inside, and Quinn followed right behind him. They walked into a large lobby, and a pleasant looking woman stared out at the two from behind a desk. ¡°Mizarion. Did you have a fun time?¡± She had dark, midnight black hair that was held up in a bun. She had glasses on that masked her eyes, and her skin was a deep, calming green like a verdant forest. ¡°I did,¡± he replied with a flourishing bow before he put his hand on Quinn¡¯s shoulder and gently patted her. ¡°This is Quinn Cipher. She¡¯s Signed for us!¡± ¡°I can tell,¡± the woman replied. As she stood up, Quinn felt a sense of admiration. From her waist down, a spider¡¯s body replaced the female form. ¡°I am Casey Selsam. Concierge for the Star Council. Tier 6 Ascendant. What Class did you choose?¡± ¡°Broker,¡± Quinn stated proudly. ¡°Perfect!¡± The woman clapped her hands. ¡°We do not have many trade-oriented Classes amongst our faction - whether Ascendant or Signer. Well, we have a wonderful safe place to set you up-¡± ¡°Actually,¡± Quinn interrupted. ¡°I had an idea for that. Put me somewhere that can be protected by the Star Council, but open enough that those not affiliated with the faction would want to visit. More opportunity for trades.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Casey looked at Mizarion, ¡°Your thoughts?¡± ¡°Unless Star Dad wants me to do something? I¡¯m fine babysitting for a bit. Earth has a ton of neat foods to try out. I¡¯m sure Quinn here can tell me the good ones.¡± Casey¡¯s eyebrow twitched behind the glasses, ¡°You know he does not like that name. Use his full name.¡± Mizarion chuckled, ¡°Nope. Come on, Quinn. I know the perfect place.¡±
Jace emerged from the bunker and into a bright, shining sun. He had to shield his eyes as he adjusted to the overwhelming light. After blinking rapidly for a few seconds, he could make out the landscape with clarity. The grasslands were not as vibrant as they were during the night; they were still striking, only less-so. Deep, rolling green fields with no trace of the flowers from when he first arrived. They must be night blooms, he thought. He did not know much about flowers, but he could have sworn he had heard of flowers that only bloom at night back in the orphanage. Overhead, murky grey skies, and a few, scattered black clouds were all that he could make out. ¡°There¡¯s no main sequence star,¡± Ollie commented as he floated around Jace. ¡°Like your sun in the Sol system that Earth orbits. Instead, it is a trinary system - three stars. One green, one white, and one deep orange. You would be able to see them - but we have overcast weather from rain the past two days.¡± Jace nodded and drew the slim sword with his left hand. He quickly traced the pattern he had practiced and manifested the Dark Matter Shield (Rank 1) and Dark Matter Blade (Rank 1). Barely visible, light purple surrounded his prosthetic arm before it elongated into the heater shield shape. His blade ignited with deeper, purple energy - an indicator that to others it was now invisible. If a predator charges me, I can just hold my ground and let it impale itself. He took a few practice swings before glancing at the shield. I should have this at Rank 2. Those predators had large mouths. He moved the prosthetic fingers in the pattern he had memorized, and the shield activated at (Rank 2), altering form until it covered his whole body from ankle to torso; still a shield, but one that towered at nearly his full height. It was almost non-existent weight wise, and he moved it around his body as he got used to how he would have to shift his body to swing while wielding it. I could use this thing to bludgeon things also. ¡°Practicing?¡± Ollie asked as he rose up higher to keep a watch. Jace nodded and practiced a few swings with the blade, alternating between swinging and hiding behind the shield. The movement felt natural and second nature, as if he had been using a sword and shield his whole life. ¡°Yeah, I think this will do.¡± Thankfully, only manifesting the Skills themselves cost any amount of his energy, and he only felt slightly winded - as if he had just jogged a few hundred feet. ¡°Let¡¯s get going.¡± He trudged over the landscape, staying quiet as to not attract any predators with his voice. Ollie hovered above him at his maximum tether range of ten feet, scanning the horizon line for any trace of the creatures. ¡°They¡¯re nocturnal hunters,¡± Ollie muttered. ¡°But I queried the System last night about this planet¡¯s remaining threats. The Vyrknadine you beat is the apex predator and only hunts at night, lone wolf style. They are the top dogs. Lower down the food chain, you have another predator called a Brontasp which is active during the day and hunts in packs. Then, you have a prey type animal called a Neeshk. They burrow.¡± Jace nodded and kept his eyes peeled for any movement amongst the gently rolling grass. The breeze brought a clean scent to him - fresh fallen rain. It was something he was not used to smelling, as the rain that fell back on Earth was laden with chemicals from the toxic smoke and smog. For the hours that passed as the skies brightened before darkening once more, he felt quite at ease despite the possible threat of danger. As night began to descend, and he saw the moons coming, he began to think about where he would stay for shelter. I need to find somewhere defensible. I don¡¯t have a shovel, so I can¡¯t dig a hole and cover it with the tarp. Ideally a cave. An abandoned one. ¡°Any thoughts?¡± he asked, breaking the silence. Ollie floated down to him and shook his head, ¡°Not sure what you mean.¡± ¡°About where to stay,¡± Jace softly said. ¡°I can¡¯t just sleep in a field.¡± Ollie floated back up and spun in a slow, lazy circle before coming back down. ¡°There is a slight indent in the grassland about two-hundred feet ahead. That way.¡± He pointed and Jace followed the direction, coming upon a small dell. At the center was a grass-covered, overgrown cave. Small enough for him to duck and crawl into. ¡°Convenient,¡± he muttered. ¡°Mind scouting?¡± Ollie saluted and flew to the edge of the tether range of ten feet from Jace¡¯s position. The latter walked forward as the spectral river otter flew down the burrow before re-emerging. ¡°It¡¯s empty and pretty shallow.¡± Jace crouched down and crawled into the cramped tunnel. His sight hue-shifted to purple as the dark vision activated, and he could make out an abandoned nest of some dried grasses. Droppings, as well - but those were desiccated and ancient. ¡°Definitely abandoned,¡± he muttered as he pulled the satchel from his back, sheathed the sword, and dismissed the shield. He pulled out the orange tarp and covered the entrance - leaving a small hole at the top for his breath to escape. Digging deeper into the burrow, he shoved dirt up along the edges of the tarp, and finally pushed his bag up against it. It¡¯s not the best, but it¡¯s something. Having a sheet of metal to put over would make me feel a lot safer. He broke open and consumed a double portion of ration - having skipped a meal that day - and laid down, shutting his eyes as Ollie disappeared with a pop. ? Chapter 13 – Battle and a Broker
Jace was woken up by the sound of sniffing. He closed his eyes once more and focused his senses on hearing alone. The soft breathing of a Vyrknadine was somewhere outside the burrow. Fifteen feet from it - and getting closer. At least I¡¯m more prepared now, he thought. But this thing probably hunts the prey animals while they''re sleeping in these burrows. That means it can fight in an enclosed space way better than I could. He slowly sat up and drew the sword in his left hand, quickly making the symbols to manifest his Dark Matter Blade and Shield in the other, both at (Rank 1). The hue blazed around his sword, and the smaller heater shield appeared on his magitech arm. He put the tip of his blade against the center of the tarp and waited. In through the nose, out through the mouth. He steadied his breath and his racing heart. Wait until it¡¯s just on the other side and sniff. Then¡­stab. Fighting while he could not move in this cramped space was a death sentence. But, if he did some damage and the predator recoiled backward, he could get out and regain his maneuverability. The snuffling noise came closer, and he could see the tarp begin to bulge inward. A screen popped up in the corner of his vision. <<<<<>>>>> [Quest: Slay 10 Vyrknadine.] [Time Limit: N/A.] [Reward: Legendary (Skill Evolution) Boon.] [Sender: Dark Between Stars.] <<<<<>>>>> He smirked, Xera watching out for me. All right. One out of ten, coming up. He sat with bated, held breath as the tarp slowly pushed in more. Then, the tarp shifted and began to fall. Now! He jabbed the blade forward and felt it sink into the creature. There was a loud yelp followed by a sharp whine, and then he felt his sword yanked forward. Holding firm on the grip, he pulled it back and saw a small amount of green blood spurt against the tarp. Jace ripped it away and emerged from the burrow as he brought the shield to bear in front of him. The apex predator snarled as the large hole in the center of its snout slowly sealed, and it paced around the edge of the dell. Dark Matter Shield (Rank 2), Jace thought. The invisible-to-the-creature barrier grew to the tower shield height, and he imposed it between him and the creature. It snarled and lunged forward. Jace braced himself as the animal slammed into the barricade. He was pushed back several feet, and his feet slid through the dirt. One of the braces around the prosthetic foot snapped. Damnit! He went to one knee as the creature tried to claw at him, trying to rip him apart but only meeting the invisible barrier. Ollie appeared with a pop and looked at the situation unfolding, ¡°Wow. That is inconvenient.¡± ¡°No shit!¡± Jace shouted back. He stabbed around the edge of the shield, and the blade sank deep into the eyes on the left side of the creature. It began to back away, and Jace dismissed the shield as he pointed his right palm and fingered the grapnel trigger. The anchor projectile launched out like a gunshot and implanted into the creature¡¯s skull, just to the right of its jaws. It let out a roar of pain as it recoiled from the injury. Jace tapped the button to retract the cord, and he jumped - letting it pull him towards the creature. Instinctively, driven on by the Swordmage Stance Skill, he was sure, he angled the blade for a thrust. The predator whipped sideways and Jace was flung into an arc around the monster, swinging around it as his full weight pulled against the still-tethered hook. The flesh healed around the cable, and he was tied to the creature as the magitech inside the prosthetic tried desperately to recall the grapnel. Fine then. Let¡¯s see if you like this! Jace sheathed the blade and reached into his pocket, pulling out the flechette pistol and gripping the handhold in his teeth. He dug around in the next pocket, pulled one of the ammunition cartridges, dumped it into the receptacle on top, and then cranked the charge handle. The creature stopped its spin and Jace tumbled to the ground before the cord retracted and pulled him toward the creature. It snarled and began to open its mouth to bite down on him. He brought the pistol to his hand, pointed it down the open maw, and pulled the trigger. Bang! The tiny, fin-stabilized projectiles launched out and down the maw, ripping through flesh and sinew. The creature roared and backed away. In a flash, Jace pocketed the pistol, drew his sword, and stabbed it right between the eyes as the cord finished retracting. His palm rested on the right side of the creature¡¯s skull, and he could feel tension inside the arm as it tried to pull the cord back. His blade was planted firmly into the center of the creature¡¯s skull, and it collapsed to the ground. He thumbed the release, and the grapnel withdrew its hooks before returning to the socket. The green blood sloughed off as it met some magical barrier to prevent foreign substances from entering the grapnel-hole. ¡°Good job,¡± Ollie said as he floated over. Jace nodded and sat down, pulled off his boot, and re-attached the foot prosthetic. ¡°I really need something grafted like my arm,¡± he muttered. ¡°Do you want this thing as Stardust?¡± Ollie asked. ¡°What else could we use it for?¡± Jace asked as he pulled on his boot. ¡°Well, you can harvest it. That will take time and be some messy work, but in raw materials it could be worth more Stardust if you found a merchant who wanted to buy it. But there is a lot of material here, and you do not have a means to transport it.¡± ¡°Fair point,¡± Jace replied as he looked over the carcass of the animal. It was easily twelve feet long from snout to tail, and three feet wide at its widest point. ¡°Dust it.¡± Ollie flew over it and tapped the hide. The animal turned into liquid starlight before Ollie sucked it up. <<<<<>>>>> [Stardust Acquired: 500.] <<<<<>>>>> ¡°That¡¯s enough for another level, right?¡± ¡°Yup. 500 Stardust for 1 level, in the 1 - 25 range. After that it goes up to 1,000 per level from 26 - 50. I can show you the chart if you want.¡± ¡°Maybe later.¡± Jace nodded, ¡°Let¡¯s use it then. I want that Dark Matter Shield next Rank.¡± Ollie flew over Jace and sprinkled the Stardust on his head. He felt a rush of warmth in his torso again and felt very relaxed. <<<<<>>>>> Name: Jace Seren (Aspirant, Tier 1) Power [Class Level.]: Dark Matter [Swordmage 3.] Skills: Skill Name (Rank) [Evolutions.]: Universal Translation, Environmental Adaptation, Dark Matter Blade (Rank 1), Dark Matter Shield (Rank 3), Swordmage Stance (Rank 1) Stardust: 15 Equipment: Swordmage blade, Swordmage starting gear, flechette pistol, flechette ammunition (x40), Wirecannon Arm, Runner''s Replacement (damaged), messenger bag, sliverscreen, survival knife, survival meals (x48), canteen (x2), medical kit, orange tarp (damaged), flint bar, flashlight Boons: None <<<<<>>>>> ¡°Can I hit things while the Rank 3 Dark Matter Shield is active?¡± Ollie nodded and floated in front of Jace. ¡°Yup! It is one of the best defensive Skills out there. No one knows you are protected, and you can attack them back once they get surprised by their blow not hitting.¡±The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. But it costs me some energy every time I get hit, Jace recalled from the Rank 3 description. ¡°Is there a limit to Skill Ranks?¡± ¡°Yes. Some Skills have varying limitations on their Rank. Evolutions let you keep expanding on the single Skill, but those are reliant on Boons from completing Quests.¡± Ollie swam around Jace before going up to the maximum height he could. ¡°Hmm, there is not much movement out here. Even the wind is quieted down.¡± Jace looked around and took note of what Ollie observed. The grassland was still. Not static, there was movement, but it was calm with no breeze. ¡°Is that cause for alarm?¡± ¡°No. Just weird,¡± Ollie muttered. He frowned, then he waved his paws, and a screen appeared in the sky in front of him. <<<<<>>>>> [Quest: Slay 10 Vyrknadine.] [Current Progress: 1/10.] [Time Limit: NA.] [Reward: Legendary (Skill Evolution) Boon.] [Sender: Dark Between Stars.] <<<<<>>>>> ¡°Well, look at that,¡± Ollie said as he floated down. ¡°Looks like Xera is keeping an eye on your logs.¡± ¡°How does my killing these predators¡­balance this Cosmic System?¡± Jace looked at Ollie, ¡°It doesn¡¯t make much sense.¡± ¡°Well, in ecosystems if there are too many predators, then they can hunt the prey to extinction. I am guessing that she has identified that Velenar Prime has an overpopulation problem - at least where we are.¡± He waved his paw, and a map of the world appeared. Spinning it so that their location was centered, he tapped the floating sphere, and a border appeared around their dot. ¡°Looks like she wants us to stay within the defined region for the Quest.¡± Jace nodded, ¡°You said they¡¯re nighttime predators?¡± ¡°Yup!¡± ¡°Then we should wait until early morning and see if we can track them back to a den. You said they¡¯re lone wolves when it comes to hunting. But, if they¡¯re like the wolves I read about, they can have packs.¡± Ollie went back up and looked around, ¡°I am not seeing anything in the grasslands surrounding us.¡± Jace went around the dell and examined the ground. He found tracks that the soil held firmly. ¡°How long will tracks last in this dirt?¡± ¡°Until it rains,¡± Ollie replied as he flew down. ¡°Why not track them down now?¡± ¡°I want to fight them when they¡¯re tired,¡± Jace replied. ¡°And when I¡¯m fully rested up.¡± He turned back to the small combat area and kicked dirt over the bloody areas before retreating into the den and putting up the tarp again. ¡°Can you be like an alarm clock?¡± ¡°Sadly, no. I can only manifest while you¡¯re conscious.¡± Jace nodded and moved the tarp slightly so that his eyes would be in the path of incoming light. He set his head on the dirt and shut his eyes.
Quinn smiled as a customer entered her shop. It was a small shop just off the Cosmic Corridor - prime real estate. She shared the space with three other merchant-style Class Aspirants, and Mizarion who was the only Ascendant but was intimidating enough muscle that no one tried anything foolish. ¡°Welcome to The Star Market. What are you looking for?¡± Quinn asked as she leaned on the counter. ¡°Information,¡± the calm, stern, feminine voice replied. Quinn could not tell what she looked like as she was covered from head to foot in armor. She recognized the exact model, in fact. General Logistics Mk. 5. She must be a heavy hitter for them if she has that type of experimental tech, Quinn thought. The woman¡¯s left hand had a glowing symbol marking their Cosmic Power - Nebula. She exuded a presence that screamed ¡®don¡¯t screw with me,¡¯ and Quinn felt fear tingling down her spine. ¡°What type of information? People, places, or things?¡± Quinn asked as she kept her customer service smile put on. ¡°I¡¯m looking for someone. An Aspirant. From Earth.¡± ¡°I need a bit more than that to go off of,¡± Quinn replied as she glanced at Mizarion who was sitting in the corner chewing on a mango. Better be ready if this person tries something funny, Quinn thought. ¡°Description, name, or something else to go off of, please.¡± The Nebula-power woman nodded and produced a small monitor. She slid it over to Quinn, and Quinn recoiled slightly at the image. ¡°A courier named Jace Seren.¡± He must have been transporting something important, Quinn thought, recalling the man she talked with in that giant conference room briefly. ¡°Well, it may take a few days to find his location.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine.¡± The woman pulled out several bars of gold and platinum. Mizarion came over and picked one of the platinum bars up, inspecting it before looking at Quinn and nodding. Quinn returned the woman¡¯s gaze. Or, what she imagined was their silent gaze, as she could not tell any facial expression - let alone where the armored figure was looking. ¡°This will do.¡± Broker¡¯s Contract. She willed the Skill to activate, and a floating, gold panel appeared in between the two Aspirants. Quinn filled in some information before gesturing for the contract to flip around for the woman to read. ¡°Standard contract. You give us half the payment up front, give us three days, and if we cannot produce your information then we return the payment.¡± The woman nodded and waved her hand across the screen, signing it. ¡°I¡¯ll be back,¡± she stated as she picked up the gold bar and walked out. Broker¡¯s Fee, Quinn thought as her Wayfinder Valerie flitted down from the ceiling. A small amount of Stardust spontaneously generated in front of Quinn and flew up into her companion. Quinn felt her legs shake slightly, but she gripped the countertop to stay standing. Let¡¯s see how much I have. <<<<<>>>>> Name: Quinn Cipher (Aspirant, Tier 1) Power [Class Level.]: Star [Broker 1.] Skills: Skill Name (Rank) [Evolutions.]: Universal Translation, Environmental Adaptation, Broker''s Instinct (Rank 1), Broker''s Contract (Rank 1), Broker''s Fee (Rank 1) Stardust: 450 Equipment: Broker''s interface, Broker''s starting gear, Webwalker Implants, Cybereyes Mk. 3, Cybermind Mk. 4 Boons: Common (Secret Cache) <<<<<>>>>> Mizarion leaned on the counter, ¡°You have a look on your face. What¡¯s up?¡± ¡°I met this Jace guy.¡± Quinn tapped the countertop with her fingers, drumming them along in a consistent rhythm that reminded her of the consistent thump of the machinery near where she used to sleep. ¡°He seemed like a good guy. Courier. Another street kid. I wonder¡­what was he carrying?¡± Mizarion shrugged, ¡°Well, you better get to investigating.¡± ¡°Right.¡± Quinn looked up at Valerie, ¡°Come on, let¡¯s do this.¡± The Wayfinder fluttered down and landed on her shoulder. ¡°Hold on!¡± the bird chirped. Quinn took a deep breath and slumped back into the chair behind the counter. Her mind left her body and traveled into The Cosmic System through Valerie. She traveled through the Starlit Sea where she chose her Cosmic Power and Class and passed through that. Into the levels of The Cosmic System that most Aspirants and Ascendants could not access. She found herself standing in a large corridor. The information hub, she thought. Only merchant-styled or information-oriented Classes could access the System like this, doing it themselves through their Wayfinder, rather than the companion doing the work themself. Valerie lifted off her shoulder and sped off to search through various data logs. Quinn raised her hands, and several screens appeared in the space that, to her senses, was a plain, grey office building. She tapped through several screens trying to find any information on Jace she could. She found nothing on Jace Seren. Even if he died, there should be a record of him. She began cross-referencing Aspirants from Earth along with his physical description. Using that, she found an Aspirant named Flicker. A pseudonym? Interesting. Well, assuming this is Jace, he¡¯s alive¡­so he passed the Aspirant Trial. She dug deeper into Flicker¡¯s file and came across a large letter X in black across everything. All information was blocked except a single video. What the hell? Valerie flitted over and landed on her shoulder. ¡°Oh, wow. X is blocking access. This Flicker guy must be something else. Here, let me.¡± The bird raised her wing, and the video played. It was heavily edited - blurring the face until it was so pixelated it could never be unscrambled. But Quinn saw the metal feet and knew it was Jace - the model matched up with what he had shown her. The two watched as he fought against a monstrous creature. Quinn winced at the sound of his arm bitten off and the accompanying screams of pain. The creature he was facing died and the video cut to black. ¡°Lots of questions,¡± Quinn muttered. ¡°Why can¡¯t we learn his Cosmic Power or Tier? I thought that was information any Wayfinder could learn?¡± ¡°X is blocking access.¡± ¡°Who is X?¡± ¡°An admin. Tech support. Archmage. Magitech engineer. I do not know what she really is. She is above Wayfinders with clearance in The Cosmic System.¡± The bird looked up at Quinn and cocked its head sideways, ¡°I¡¯ve never met her myself.¡± Quinn replayed the video and slowed it down as Jace lifted the bag and shoved it into the creature¡¯s mouth. She saw the sloshing goop and saw how it blew back on him. Oh. That¡¯s what he was carrying. Also explains why General Logistics wants it. Shit. She was bound by contract to share this information with her client. ¡°Flicker is Jace. Can we warn him? Tell him that someone is hunting him for what he was transporting?¡± ¡°Nothing in the contract says we can¡¯t.¡± Quinn nodded, ¡°Do that, please.¡± ¡°Just have to hope that your sleep schedule matches up to his¡­wherever he is. Or, that his Wayfinder is in The System proper when I am. Oliver, I think, is his name. I have met him twice before. Both times were¡­interesting. He is a bit rough around the edges, but a decent enough guy, I think.¡± I¡¯ll set my brainware to half-circadian cycling. It would dull her brainpower by approximately 50%, but effectively put her into a constant state of half-sleep. She could do simple tasks around The Star Market, and Valerie could stay in the Starlit Sea to try and talk to Jace¡¯s Wayfinder. We need to warn him that some big muscle is coming his way. But another thought went through her head. One that made her very, very afraid. There¡¯s someone or something behind the scenes that has way more control than any Ascendant could. ? Chapter 14 – A hunter must hunt
The faint light of morning caressed Jace¡¯s face and he woke up. He pushed his way out of the hovel and stretched in the small dell, looking around for any signs of danger. Thankfully, his night had been without incident after the one predator came by. They must really range out far from each other, he thought. He scarfed down a meal of the packaged rations and took some sips of the chilled water from his messenger bag. After putting everything into the larger duffel, he looped it around his shoulder and began following the faint trail of large, clawed footfalls of the creature that he had slain. The grey goo in the soil ensured that the indentation stayed quite visible, and even though he had no tracking experience, the trail was quite easy to follow. Pop. Ollie appeared next to him and floated around, ¡°Morning. Bad news.¡± ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Jace asked. ¡°Well, a Wayfinder named Valerie wanted to talk to me. She is assigned to Quinn Cipher.¡± Jace smiled and nodded as he trudged along, ¡°I know her. We met for a few minutes. Another street kid.¡± ¡°Yeah, well, she has set up a shop right along The Cosmic Corridor and joined the Star Council. But that is not the important part that is bad news. Someone from Earth is tracking you down.¡± ¡°Let me guess. They want whatever I was transporting.¡± Ollie nodded but looked at Jace with a quizzical expression, ¡°How¡¯d you know?¡± Jace peered at the ground as the trail disappeared. Looking around, he saw a wet patch. ¡°Damnit, I lost it.¡± Ollie flew up and pointed, ¡°That way. They continue over there.¡± Jace followed the directions and responded to the question, ¡°I was transporting something for General Logistics. I was one of the best covert couriers in the city. I¡¯d bet that grey goop was some experimental prototype that a lot of companies were after.¡± Ollie nodded, ¡°Quinn passed along as much. Something called Cyberconnect Integration Fluid, or CIF. It is supposed to make a prosthetic fueled by the user''s biological systems, instead of being reliant on external power sources. It was the foundation for more intensive cybernetic implantation. A milestone of sorts in Earth¡¯s technology.¡± ¡°Why did it harden and kill the one that bit down on it?¡± ¡°It was not designed for non-humans. Instead of being absorbed by the body through the skin, it hardened and became inert.¡± ¡°I wonder if my body absorbed some,¡± Jace mused. ¡°It was on my arm and had hardened but vanished once I was injected with the serum.¡± It does feel like¡­my arm, he thought as he ran his fingers along the magitech prosthetic. A little bit. Ollie shrugged, ¡°Possible. We would need a medically inclined Class to determine for sure.¡± He scratched his chin, ¡°Why didn¡¯t these companies just hire an armored convoy?¡± ¡°Those are easier to track and heist,¡± Jace replied. ¡°A single street kid though? One who no one would ever suspect? Much safer. Plus, I had good rep.¡± Jace glanced around for any predators before refocusing on the trail. ¡°What¡¯s coming after me?¡± ¡°A big hitter. Nebula Cosmic Path, Tier 1. In a heavy suit of armor from what Valerie said.¡± Jace clicked his tongue and frowned, ¡°I don¡¯t know if a sword can get past modern Earth armor.¡± ¡°Maybe consider spending your next level choice on a new Skill. Something that will let you deal with armored opponents.¡± ¡°A wise suggestion,¡± Jace agreed. The grasslands ended and the ground maintained its consistency. ¡°Why doesn¡¯t it keep growing out? The ground is the same.¡± ¡°Not quite,¡± Ollie replied. ¡°It¡¯s mostly the weird soil with not much dirt.¡± ¡°What happened on this world?¡± ¡°The people here created the equivalent of magitech nanites that did everything for them. Once the world was connected to The Cosmic System, someone decided it would be smart to give the nanites a hive mind. This gunk is their remnants.¡± Jace began trudging across the encrusted landscape. Thanks to the ground staying the same consistency, and due to the lack of grass and plants, the trail was quite easy to follow. A few hours passed in silence. Jace spent the time thinking about how he would approach a den of these Vyrknadines sleeping. A good stab to the skull seemed to put them down, and he knew that if he got under them, he could stab upward into the heart as Ollie told him in the first encounter. If they live in a den or something like it, then I can find a choke point and force them to come to me one at a time. They¡¯re predators, so they¡¯ll protect their home and be aggressive. If I make my presence known, then I can try that method. It was around mid-day when he took a breather to eat another one of the pouch meals. He took in the bleak landscape and felt a sense of exposure. I¡¯m out here in the open with no cover. It¡¯s not like the grassland where I could get onto the ground and hide. It made him feel vulnerable, having lived amongst skyscrapers his whole life and not being in such a wide, open space. He felt a ball of anxiety in his chest. He picked up his gear and pushed forward at a faster pace, speed-walking along the tracks until the land began to slowly slant upward. There was not a mountain range, and when he asked Ollie to pull up the world-view map, he was able to zoom in and rotate it to make a topographical map. ¡°We¡¯re getting up to a ridgeline,¡± Ollie stated. ¡°Then there¡¯s a bit of a crater.¡± ¡°A bit?¡± Jace replied. ¡°It looks like it''s ten miles across.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve seen bigger,¡± Ollie smugly said. ¡°It was made on my Aspirant that time, but I saw bigger.¡± He shook his head, ¡°He had such promise. I told him not to touch that metal sphere in the weapons factory, but no, he did not listen to me.¡± Jace grimaced, realizing that Ollie must have seen the deaths of hundreds of people he had grown attached to. Well, at the start, at least. The way the otter had greeted him led Jace to believe that his Wayfinder had lost all hope in any Aspirant he was assigned passing their Trial. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± he softly said. ¡°Don¡¯t be,¡± Ollie replied with a grin. ¡°You have gotten further than any I¡¯ve been assigned. Already that puts you near the top of my favorite people list.¡± ¡°Who is above me?¡± ¡°Xera. And a few Wayfinders.¡± Jace smirked, ¡°Do you have a crush on one of them?¡± Ollie put on quite the bashful expression - which was odd, because Jace did not know that otters were capable of that level of facial expression. ¡°Well¡­there is one. But I do not want to talk about her behind her back.¡± Jace nodded as he crested the ridge and took a deep breath. Before him lay a crater that was exceptionally large. ¡°What caused¡­this?¡± ¡°A last-ditch effort,¡± Ollie replied. ¡°An attempt to shut down the magitech nanite swarms by taking out the center of the ¡®hive mind.¡¯ It worked, and that is why you have all this crusted goop everywhere.¡± Jace looked down at the large bowl and spotted the tracks going down further. He carefully descended, ensuring that he did not lose his footing. The descent to the bottom of the bowl took him into the early evening, and as the three suns passed overhead and began to hit the horizon line, his vision shifted to the purple hue. The bottom of the crater was filled with water. A silvery muck of water. All around he saw ancient tunnels - a sewage system or maintenance corridor at one point, once buried under the ground. ¡°This whole place could be their den,¡± he muttered as he drew his sword and activated the (Rank 3) Dark Matter Shield, and the (Rank 1) Dark Matter Blade. The shield formed a barrier around his body. A skin-tight coating of purple colors that shifted across the spectrum of hues. He kept following the tracks and noted that there were varied sizes of footprints around the pool. This is where they sleep for sure. A pack of these predators, and then they go out in different directions to hunt. He walked into the tunnel and whispered, ¡°I¡¯m not emitting light, right?¡± ¡°Nope. I can also turn mine off,¡± Ollie replied. His starlight faded and he became naught but a silvery outline of a river otter, as if threads in that shape were cascading through the air. Jace kept walking forward, trying his best to set his feet down gently. The soft crunch of the grey goo slowly faded and became light taps of his metal-booted feet on concrete. He began to see signs of detritus in the five-foot-wide and slightly taller tunnel. Tracked-in goop, bones, other inedible cartilage, and dried, spattered blood. They don¡¯t just eat on location. They bring back food. Which probably means they¡¯re feeding their young. He did not want to kill defenseless pups or their mothers - or fathers if that is how this species worked - but his survival came first. And this Legendary Boon would most definitely help his survival. The rarest type of Boon, from what Ollie had told him while traveling. It could make a massive difference to Jace¡¯s survivability. Jace pulled out his flechette pistol and loaded it. After a quick spin of the charge handle, he stowed it in his pocket. Just in ca- A deep growl echoed up from the tunnel, beyond a bend about fifty feet away. Jace held his sword tip-forward. He planted his feet and took a deep breath. ¡°Ahhh!¡± he shouted down the tunnel, trying to draw attention of the creatures he now hunted. The largest Vyrknadine he had ever seen charged around the corner and ran at full tilt towards him. Jace made sure to angle his ankles so that the makeshift prosthetic attachments on his feet would not snap, and instead, he would be pushed back along the ground. As long as he could hold his arms steady when the impact hit. The creature charged into Jace and impacted the barrier with a loud but dull thud as the creature dazed itself. He felt no recoil as the shield took the full force of the blow, and he used the opportunity to stab into the creature¡¯s brain. It collapsed as the sword pierced through the skull and into the vital organ. Just to be sure of its death, Jace went to its side, found a spot between the chitin, and stabbed down before wrenching his sword around. I must¡¯ve hit the heart somewhere in there. <<<<<>>>>> [Quest: Slay 10 Vyrknadine.]The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. [Current Progress: 2/10.] [Time Limit: N/A.] [Reward: Legendary (Skill Evolution) Boon.] [Sender: Dark Between Stars.] <<<<<>>>>> Jace felt his knees shake and he leaned against the wall, taking deep breaths. It felt like he had run a mile at a full sprint. His hands were shaking, and he slid down to his knee. ¡°That¡­hit on the barrier¡­lots of energy¡­¡± Ollie floated behind Jace, ¡°Turn around, swap to Rank 2.¡± Jace groaned and turned as he forced himself to stand. At the tunnel entrance he had come from, another two of the creatures were standing next to each other, snarling, and snapping their multi-hinged maws. Dark Matter Shield (Rank 2), he thought. The barrier surrounding him vanished and was replaced by the tower shield. He placed it in between himself and the creatures and planted his feet once more as they charged. This time, however, he was able to shove his heels against the slain creature behind himself so he would not be pushed back. These smaller predators would not have the same force as the big one, so he was sure he could stay firm, have them bounce off the invisible shield, and then follow up with quick stabs. The one on the left took the lead from its peer and slammed into the shield. Jace felt the impact shake up his prosthetic arm, but he held firm. The pressure on his calves was intense, and he could feel the prosthetic attachments beginning to buckle. He flipped the shield to the side - the creature¡¯s head going the same direction as it was redirected - and he stabbed into the side of its head. The creature went limp. The second one got next to him before he could bring the shield to bear, and it tried to chomp down on him. He turned his body, slammed his prosthetic arm¡¯s palm into the side of its head, and thumbed the fire trigger. The grapnel shot into the creature¡¯s skull before exiting the other side and it, too, went limp. He retracted the line. <<<<<>>>>> [Quest: Slay 10 Vyrknadine.] [Current Progress: 4/10.] [Time Limit: N/A.] [Reward: Legendary (Skill Evolution) Boon.] [Sender: Dark Between Stars.] <<<<<>>>>> Thankfully, these two Skills at their currently manifest Rank did not cost Jace any energy, and he felt a giddy rush of adrenaline just like when he was chased. He laughed aloud, reveling in this newfound strength. The magitech super soldier serum, Cosmic Power, a Class¡­it all was a game changer. ¡°Bring it on!¡± he shouted. ¡°Come on! I¡¯m in here!¡± ¡°Behind you!¡± Ollie shouted. Jace turned and brought his shield to bear as another of the Vyrknadine had snuck up behind him. He was able to interpose the tower shield, but he was pinned on his back between gnashing teeth and a hard place. He got a good, long look at the creature¡¯s maw as it tried to bite through the invisible shield. Jace could only imagine the frustration this creature must have felt, seeing a juicy bit of prey, only to find some invisible obstacle. This one was around the same size as the two he had slain. He tilted the shield to the side and pushed his knees against it, bucking the creature up and off him. The Vyrknadine landed and regained its footing. ¡°From the other side, too!¡± Ollie yelled. Dark Matter Shield (Rank 3). Jace saw the barrier pop into place around him and glanced back towards the tunnel entrance. Another two were over there. Terrific. Three on one. He tossed the sword to his right hand and pulled the flechette pistol from his pocket. The creature he had initially faced jumped at him, and he held up his hand, watching with delight as the shield followed his movement. The creature began to chomp down, and he pulled the trigger. Bang! Fthft! The scattergun ripped through the soft palette of the creature¡¯s maw. The spiked, metal rounds ripped up into the brain cavity before pinging around, shredding brain matter. The creature dropped. Jace turned to the other two who were holding their distance. Perfect. Stay there for six seconds. He put the sword between his teeth, reloaded once more, and cranked the charge handle. He re-equipped his sword and waited as the two creatures cautiously approached. Their chitinous shells were oscillating, and that¡¯s when Jace saw the grey goop coating them both. ¡°Ollie? Is that anything to be concerned about?¡± Ollie frowned, ¡°It¡¯ll just make them a bit harder to injure.¡± The otter turned in the air to keep an eye on Jace¡¯s back. The pair of beasts lunged forward. Jace held the invisible blade out towards one of them, and the scattergun at the other. They both reached him at the same time, and the one on his left had its brain blown apart just like the one that Jace had just dispatched. The one on the right, however, did not impale itself on the blade as Jace expected. The tip of the sword impacted the skull - just like the other ones - but the weapon slipped without making good contact as the goop coating the creature¡¯s shells gave it a slick quality. It lunged into his guard and chomped down on his arm. The shield took the full blow, but Jace felt himself getting tired as exhaustion set in from the energy drain. He pocketed the pistol, swapped the sword to his left hand, and stabbed into the Vyrknadine¡¯s eye. It plunged deep into the brain cavity, and he shoved it from his arm as it went limp. ¡°Any behind me?¡± Jace huffed out in between recovery breaths. ¡°Nope. Clear behind.¡± <<<<<>>>>> [Quest: Slay 10 Vyrknadine.] [Current Progress: 7/10.] [Time Limit: N/A.] [Reward: Legendary (Skill Evolution) Boon.] [Sender: Dark Between Stars.] <<<<<>>>>> ¡°Dust them,¡± Jace muttered as he sat down on the floor of the tunnel. ¡°Please.¡± Ollie nodded and gave a small thumbs up with his little paw, ¡°Yup!¡± He pointed his paws down both sides of the tunnel, and the various corpses turned into Stardust before flying into Ollie¡¯s paw. <<<<<>>>>> [Stardust Acquired: 2100.] <<<<<>>>>> ¡°600 for the big one - must have been a pack alpha - and 300 for each of the rest.¡± Ollie smiled as he bobbed in place. ¡°Current total is at 2115.¡± Jace nodded, ¡°Four levels?¡± ¡°Yup!¡± ¡°Right. Okay.¡± Jace rested the back of his head against the tunnel wall, chuckling at his situation. I survived without injury. And I got a massive amount of Stardust. Part of him wanted to level up right there, but another part, the street kid part, told him to hold onto the currency of The Eternal City. I don¡¯t even know what my living situation will be like. Or buying food. Or entertainment options. I mean, sure, I want to get to Tier 10 which will take a lot of effort¡­but I need downtime here and there. Ollie flew over and laid down in front of him on the tunnel floor, his silver outline like a drawing against the surface. ¡°What are you thinking?¡± he asked with genuine curiosity and a tinge of concern. ¡°What¡¯s my living situation going to be like in The Eternal City?¡± ¡°As a Signer, you can live in Xera¡¯s faction HQ. It is the biggest spire at the center of the whole place. But that would mark you as her Signer. Right now, and as far as any other Wayfinder is concerned¡­you are just a free-agent Aspirant. Unless they know what Dark Matter¡¯s symbol is or can do a System request-¡± He punched the air with his little paw. ¡°-Which they will not be able to do with my otter punch in their face! They will not know who you work for. You will just be an unsigned Aspirant.¡± Jace nodded, ¡°Think she¡¯d give me a salary of Stardust for a place to live? Food? All that stuff?¡± Ollie nodded, ¡°I can talk to her about that as an alternative to stay at her headquarters.¡± ¡°Good. Then let¡¯s use all that Stardust. 4 levels.¡± ¡°What do you want?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s spend two levels getting Swordmage Stance up to (Rank 3) so that I¡¯m a master with bladed weapons. The other two levels, let¡¯s stay balanced and get Dark Matter Blade up to (Rank 3) as well.¡± ¡°You sure? You wanted something to deal with that General Logistics person hunting you down. Something for armored opponents.¡± Jace waved the concern away, ¡°We¡¯re over two-thousand miles away from the portal. Even if they used the fastest car on Earth, they wouldn¡¯t get here before my next level. I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll be fine.¡± ¡°Yup! You got it.¡± Ollie pointed his paw at Jace, and a flood of Stardust surged into the Aspirant¡¯s torso. Jace felt a more intense but still quite pleasurable rush of heat through his body. He still felt tired, but he felt a little better as his muscles relaxed. <<<<<>>>>> Name: Jace Seren (Aspirant, Tier 1) Power [Class Level.]: Dark Matter [Swordmage 7.] Skills: Skill Name (Rank) [Evolutions.]: Universal Translation, Environmental Adaptation, Dark Matter Blade (Rank 3), Dark Matter Shield (Rank 3), Swordmage Stance (Rank 3) Stardust: 115 Equipment: Swordmage blade, Swordmage starting gear, flechette pistol, flechette ammunition (x30), Wirecannon Arm, Runner''s Replacement (damaged), messenger bag, sliverscreen, survival knife, survival meals (x46), canteen (x2), medical kit, orange tarp (damaged), flint bar, flashlight Boons: None <<<<<>>>>> Dark Matter Blade (Rank 2) - The entire blade from hilt to tip is rendered invisible. Dark Matter Blade (Rank 3) - As Rank 2, and the blade inflicts those struck with a minor gravitational pull, slowing their movement. Swordmage Stance (Rank 2) - The user becomes an expert with all bladed weapons. Swordmage Stance (Rank 3) - The user becomes a master with all bladed weapons. <<<<<>>>>> The various System screens popped into his vision, and he re-read the new Skills. The Swordmage Stance should always be on just like before. I wonder if the new Skills cost me more energy. He glanced at Ollie, who was looking at him with keen eyes. ¡°What?¡± he asked. ¡°You are getting strong, fast. Which is great! I have always wanted a strong Aspirant. At this rate, you will max out your Class at level 100 in no time!¡± Jace smirked, ¡°I like the optimism, but that¡¯s a long way to go.¡± ¡°Baby steps.¡± Ollie floated up into the air and began to swim around, ¡°Or, baby strokes, I suppose.¡± Chapter 15 – When Systems fail it becomes Complex
Jace got up after resting a bit and crept towards the front of the tunnel. Looking at the silvery pool, he saw no indication of movement or life. Did I kill all the ones here? The whole den? He glanced over at Ollie, ¡°Is there a way to scan for more of these Vyrknadine?¡± ¡°Nothing I have,¡± Ollie replied as he flew up to the ten-foot maximum tether range and circled in place. ¡°I don¡¯t see any fresh tracks, either.¡± Jace walked over to the pool and looked down into the shimmering silver goop. I wonder if there¡¯s anything feeding this water pool, or if it¡¯s just runoff accumulating. He drew the sword and poked it down into the silvery liquid - and almost fell off balance. There¡¯s not a bottom? Looking around for something heavy, he went back into the tunnel and grabbed one of the hunks of rotting carcass. Keeping his face turned away, he carried it to the water hole, right on the edge, and chucked the hefty cartilage and offal into the liquid. It floated on top for a few seconds before sinking. Ollie flew down, ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°I think this is a single hole going down,¡± Jace replied. ¡°Can you go into it and check?¡± Ollie saluted and flew down into the sludge-like liquid, vanishing from sight without disturbing the surface. He came up a few moments later. ¡°It is a tunnel. The magitech nanite stuff is only on the surface. You can put your face into the water and see what I mean.¡± Well, I¡¯ve submerged myself in worse. Jace took a deep breath, got on his hands and knees, and pushed his face below the surface. The goop on the surface clung to him until he got his face fully underwater, and he opened his eyes. The water was clean, and he made a mental note to refill his canteens. Thanks to the dark vision, he saw that the tunnel went down a good thirty feet before turning off sharply. He pulled his head out and shook his hair to wick away some of the moisture. Ollie flew up after him and floated above the surface of the water, ¡°This is the entrance to a Complex.¡± Jace leaned back on his butt and propped himself up with his arms, ¡°You said this was probably where the magitech nanite things had their hive mind.¡± Ollie frowned and crossed his arms, ¡°Well, yes, it is a complex in that sense. But I meant a Complex. Proper noun.¡± Jace stared at him, ¡°That doesn¡¯t tell me a lot.¡± Ollie smirked, ¡°A challenge for Aspirants and Ascendants. Normally, when you enter the Complex, you get a Quest automatically that the System itself assigns. Like a default program.¡± Jace nodded, ¡°See that? That makes sense. What causes these Complexes?¡± ¡°The Cosmic System might ¡®tag¡¯ a certain location as having a threat. Any Ascendant or Aspirant can clear out a Complex - normally slaying whatever corrupted monstrosity exist-¡± ¡°You said corrupted monstrosity.¡± Jace raised a quizzical eyebrow, ¡°Just what do you mean by that?¡± ¡°Well¡­when Cosmogenic Merging happens, sometimes¡­creatures get caught up in a System malfunction. Think of it like a glitch. It is rare, but they become a corrupted Aspirant. Part of that, however, causes them to view an area as their territory and they do not leave it. That creates a Complex. It is their territory.¡± He raised his paw and frowned, ¡°It can also be any creature, not just sapient life. So, there could be a corrupted Vyrknadine down there with a Cosmic Power and Class, just like you.¡± ¡°Great,¡± Jace replied sarcastically. ¡°Just what I need. One of these things is already a threat, with the added bonus of having Skills. Fun.¡± Ollie frowned, ¡°Sarcasm doesn¡¯t suit you.¡± Jace smirked and shook his head, ¡°Do I have to clear this Complex?¡± ¡°No, but-¡± <<<<<>>>>> [Quest: Clear the magitech nanite Complex.] [Time Limit: 6 hours.] [Reward: Legendary (Equipment) Boon.] [Sender: The Cosmic System.] <<<<<>>>>> ¡°-Xera probably wants them cleared,¡± Ollie finished as the screen flashed across Jace¡¯s vision. Jace sighed and nodded, ¡°Well, at least the reward is good. Hopefully, I can get some strong, magitech prosthetic feet that are grafted on like the arm.¡± ¡°Plus! With that fluid in your body, those prosthetics would integrate perfectly! I think. Different world, and tech versus magitech.¡± Ollie shrugged, ¡°We won¡¯t know until we find out!¡± ¡°Right. Well, I don¡¯t know how deep I have to go. I can¡¯t take my gear with me.¡± Jace turned around and went to the start of the incline. He used his hands to dig a hole into the crusted goop, into the dirt underneath, and shoved his gear inside the hole. He covered it with the tarp, and then covered that with the excavated dirt. Lastly, he made a small mound of dirt marking the location. ¡°Oh, one more thing,¡± Ollie said as he hovered behind Jace. ¡°Boons for (Equipment) of the higher rarity might give you a limited number of other Class and Cosmic Power Skill uses each day. It is refreshed when you sleep, since I have to go into the Starlit Sea and pull out some power to recharge them.¡± ¡°Good to know.¡± Jace walked back to the water¡¯s edge. The silvery surface reminded him of the oil that floated atop the waters of the city¡¯s rivers. The ones he used to paddle across on those small boats that were little more than thrown-and-bolted together metal. The ones that his mentor on the streets taught him to fish from. The polluted water he used to swim in, struggling to get to the bottom to dig through the trash for valuables he could sell. In through the nose, out through the mouth. Jace took deep breaths as he pushed his chest out and expanded his diaphragm, trying to give his lungs as much space as he could. After two minutes of steady, deep breathing, he sucked in a large lungful of air and dove beneath the surface.Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. The muck atop the water parted and he began to swim down. The magitech arm was, surprisingly, not as heavy as Jace expected, and it did not drag him down. Ollie swam next to him, leaving small lines of silver behind him. The two descended thirty feet before sharply turning to the right. The walls of this tunnel were the same smooth metal as that hidden outpost, and there was goop crusted on the walls. Jace made sure to stay at the center of the tunnel. He felt his lungs beginning to burn and let out a little bit of air to stave off the feeling of tension. A slow, steady stream of bubbles to keep his breath held a bit longer. He saw a curve in the tunnel that bent upward and following that he came to a spot where the water did not reach. A small lip that he was able to get his hands up onto and hoist himself on top of. He sucked in a deep lungful of air as he broke the surface. A square tunnel descended deeper, and his purple-hue vision pulsed for a moment before a warning appeared in the corner of his vision. <<<<<>>>>> [Warning! You are about to enter a Complex!] [This location has been marked by The Cosmic System as Tier 2.] [Number of foes to clear out: 3.] <<<<<>>>>> Ollie floated in the air next to Jace, ¡°Welp, only three. But they are Tier 2.¡± That¡¯s dangerous, Jace thought. It means I won¡¯t be able to hurt them as easily, and they can do more harm to me. ¡°Could we come back and revisit this place?¡± ¡°We could, but the unique items at the end that give Skills from other Classes are unbelievably valuable. Especially to Ascendants.¡± ¡°Because they can¡¯t keep leveling,¡± Jace muttered. ¡°Yup! You could get lucky and even get one that lets you heal yourself in some way.¡± I needed three more Vyrknadine¡¯s for the other quest. What are the odds¡­ ¡°One more question before we go in. Do you think that Xera knew this was here, and knew that we would come here?¡± ¡°I do not think she is omniscient. She is smart, but she is not a goddess.¡± Jace nodded and turned to face the square corridor. He drew the sword and focused on drawing up his new Skills. Dark Matter Blade (Rank 3), Dark Matter Shield (Rank 3). The purple aura popped into existence around him before adhering to his body, and the sword in his hand was completely engulfed in the purple hue that was much richer and darker. Last, he put the blade between his teeth, pulled out the flechette pistol, and cranked the shaft to charge it. He held that in his right hand, sword in his left, and descended into the darkness with only a floating river otter by his side.
Ollie followed behind Jace, looking down at the Aspirant. He is good, Ollie thought. Finally, I got a good one. Ollie had been a Wayfarer for a little over a thousand years. He was young in Wayfarer terms, but that also meant he was less risk-averse than some of the older Wayfarers when it came to overseeing Aspirants. Sure, he had pushed Jace to make some rash decisions. But in the end, everything had turned out well enough. And as of right now, he was the only Signer for a secret, hidden faction. Sure, Xera would be trying to add more Aspirants to her faction¡­but the lack of agents meant that she would be giving lots of high-rank reward Quests to Jace and Ollie. Jace did not have to complete a Quest that was assigned - and Xera would not exile him from Dark Between Stars for doing so. She was too desperate for Signers to do that. But it was Ollie¡¯s job to try and keep him not just informed, but also on the right path. A path that helped The Cosmic System. I have to keep pushing him toward helping Xera and taking every one of her Quests. That wa- <<<<<>>>>> A message from Xera that only Ollie could see popped into the otter¡¯s vision. [How is he doing?.] [Good. We are going after a Complex.] Ollie replied, willing the words into the reply box. [I did some digging. Those Vyrknadines up on the surface were the original apex predator of Velenar Prime. They are equally acclimated to on land or underwater. Keep that in mind.] Ollie smirked, [Will do. Any information you could dig up on this person who is hunting Jace?.] [No. Her Wayfinder is obfuscating my attempts.] Ollie frowned, [Keep me in the loop.] [Will do. Keep my Signer safe.] [Of course.] <<<<<>>>>> Ollie refocused and bobbed in air above Jace as the two continued down a square corridor that turned a few times, dipping into watery passages that the Aspirant swam through. Ollie swam alongside his new companion; not really swimming in the water but appearing as if he was. His whole goal is to bring back his sister. It is noble, but I wonder if he¡¯ll do anything to get her back, or if he will set boundaries. Xera would doubtless task Jace with killing Ascendants who had crossed her or were causing The Cosmic System to experience issues. Would the young man be able to accomplish her tasks? Or would he push back against certain actions? Ollie hoped it was the former. Xera was smart, the smartest person Ollie knew. If she needed a Quest completed, then Ollie had to push Jace to complete it. Even if it meant compromising morality. The signs were there that Jace would do what needed to be done. Killing the Black Hole Conclave member was proof enough. Ollie had not detected any sense of remorse from the action. It was quick and efficient. I think he is the perfect Dark Between Stars Signer, Ollie thought. You made a good call, Xera. Ollie just had to keep building their friendship. He had felt the moments of brusque standoffish behavior from Jace and knew that he would have to really work to show he was an asset and a true ally. After all, they were bound together now. At least¡­until Jace achieved his goal of becoming an Ascendant. Then he could choose to cast aside his Wayfinder as so many did. I am not going to start over from scratch again, Ollie thought. I need to make him want to keep me around forever. I have to become invaluable. His best friend. He wanted a friend. Not just an acquaintance, but someone who actually cared about him. An equal. Plus, being a Wayfinder to a Tier 10 Ascendant meant that everyone would respect him. No more being made fun of for the loss of Aspirants in the past. No more being the butt of jokes from those who had also lost their assigned individual. We will get you there, Jace. Then I will show them all! Chapter 16 – Sometimes, one is greater than three
The crusted ground crunched under the heavy footfalls. The armored woman with the Nebula symbol on her hand glanced over at her Wayfinder; a mako shark floating through the air next to her, made of sparkling starlight. ¡°Map,¡± the Aspirant¡¯s gravelly, partially mechanized voice rumbled out. Female, but she could be mistaken for an automaton given the level of distortion in the tones emanating from her helmet. ¡°Right,¡± the shark growled out. Unmistakably male. There was a flash of starlight and then a three-dimensional planet appeared. ¡°They are on the other side of the world. It will take 12 days to arrive at their last reported location.¡± The armored woman nodded and revved the engine on her General Logistics hypercycle. The powerful machine belched out toxic fumes from its exhaust and rocketed off across the landscape. The woman held a large hammer in her left hand, letting it dangle behind her as she traveled. ¡°Incoming predator animal,¡± the mako shark stated. ¡°Nine o¡¯clock. On an intercept course.¡± The woman turned and saw the creature approaching. A chitin-covered shape like a wolf. Lifting the hammer, she willed her Skill to activate, and it crackled with shimmering ice spikes. The wolf kept charging at an intercept course, and she brought the hammer across its face, killing it with a single blow as the head was fully knocked off, and ice spread along the body. Within seconds the form shattered into pieces. Her Wayfinder immediately converted the corpse to Stardust as the two sped off over the blasted land towards their prey. Someone who had taken a job from General Logistics and had the key to the future of cybernetic advancement and integration on Earth. A courier with valuable cargo. Flicker. Jace Seren. Dead man walking. She grinned with sadistic delight under the helmet as the miles passed by.
Jace cautiously walked down the corridors. The boots softened his footfalls that would have otherwise been quite noisy due to the makeshift prosthetics. He held the sword slightly in front of him at an upward angle and had the flechette pistol at the ready. Ollie floated in front of him, acting as an advance scout and peering around corners. He had to sheath the weapon and pocket the pistol several times as he went through partially flooded corridors, wending his way through the single tunnel. How far does this go on? I¡¯ve been going for a good twenty minutes. ¡°Ollie, pull up the map.¡± ¡°Yup.¡± Ollie paused and his paws sparkled with starlight as the map of the world appeared. He zoomed in and even though they could only see the location relative to the surface, Jace could tell from the topography that they had gone past the edge of the crater. Ollie pointed at one of the zoomed in sections, at the far end of the Vyrknadine ¡®kill ten¡¯ Quest area that was marked off. ¡°It looks like there was a building there at one point. I bet that these tunnels lead there.¡± ¡°What do you think the purpose of the tunnel was?¡± Jace asked as he resumed his journey into the darkness. Ollie assumed his lead position, ¡°Well, the crater is where the weird magitech hive mind for the nanites was located. This might have been a way to feed it power?¡± Jace scanned the walls, floor, and ground. ¡°I don¡¯t see any sign of those copper-like wires that we saw in that hidden post.¡± ¡°Neither do I,¡± Ollie muttered. He stopped in the air at a turn and held up his paw in a small, closed fist. ¡°Stay quiet.¡± Jace crept forward and peered around the corner with meticulous caution. There was an open chamber - an enormous square room that was full of weird, arcane symbols and the same brass-colored wires. And arc reactors. All of them deactivated. Glancing down, Jace saw that there was some type of ¡®cut¡¯ where the brass-colored lines that had led down the corridor to the crater once lay. They were removed. ¡°Someone took away the hive mind¡¯s power source,¡± Ollie commented. ¡°Before making that crater. I bet that was the final effort after the magitech nanites found another way to power their control point.¡± Jace nodded and snuck into the room. Ollie ascended to his maximum tether height. The cavernous space slightly echoed with Jace¡¯s footfalls. He could hear his faint breathing coming back to meet him. He passed the rest of the way through the area before entering another square tunnel that turned into a staircase ascending upward. And he heard a soft growling noise. Far off above him, but it was rhythmic. Three distinct types of breath - different pitches, almost creating a small harmony with each other - sucking air in and out. Careful. Even quieter. Jace went as slow as he could, calling up all his ability to sneak around - just like he had done with gang territory dozens of times before. After an agonizingly long climb, with his heartbeat racing faster and faster as he grew closer to the noise, he came to a torn-off door. All that remained was a frame and torn-away metal. The frame was bent inward as well - as if something tried to push its way down the passage but could not fit. Beyond the door he saw a sight that made him freeze in place. An enormous Vyrknadine - as large as a semi-truck - was inside this large space, shredded metal storage shelves were scattered around and used to make an uncomfortable bed in the corner of the room that it lay upon. Its tail was tipped with an enormous cluster of chitin that made it appear mace-like, and that was coiled around the three pairs of legs as it slumbered. More shocking was that it had three heads. Just like a band logo Jace had seen before. He could not remember the name of it. Ollie spoke at a normal volume. ¡°The Cosmogenic Merging glitching out¡­it merged three Vyrknadine together.¡± He looked back to Jace with a slight smile, but there was a tone of worry that tinged the words. ¡°Two Quests with one kill. This counts as three of them.¡± Jace mouthed the word ¡®how,¡¯ and Ollie shrugged. ¡°It has the same weak spots as a regular Vyrknadine. So, get in under it and stab up at the heart.¡± The creature stirred and Jace froze. He looked up at Ollie and put a finger to his lips. The thing is technically part of The Cosmic System¡­so it could hear Ollie talking. It¡¯s an Aspirant, just a corrupt one. The otter clapped his paws over his mouth and nodded. Well, it¡¯s asleep. I need to sneak in close and try to kill it before it wakes up. Looking it over, and taking in the size, Jace also knew that if he got behind it - he could use his grapnel to latch onto its back should it wake up. That size, it can¡¯t easily bend around and reach for something small holding on. Jace could not help his trembling arms despite trying to command them to still. Fear was coursing through him. This creature was enormous. It could eat him in one bite. The tail could do some major damage as well, not to speak of the clawed feet. Is this too much? I can always go back. There¡¯s no harm in that. Ollie noticed his hesitation and flew down right in front of Jace. ¡°You can do this. You have the power. Use it.¡± The voice was a whisper, just loud enough for Jace and none other to hear. Jace did not know if it was the words or some other, unknown effect of Ollie¡¯s personality¡­but Jace felt his confidence buoy up. Yeah. You are right. I survived losing an arm and a foot. And an Aspirant hunting me down. I¡¯ve only gotten stronger since. He went forward with agonizing slowness, making sure to not step on any bit of detritus that would make a noise and give away his position. The sound of breathing continued to get louder and louder until he was next to the creature. It was almost deafening, and even the sound of his rapidly beating heart was drowned out by the rhythmic inhalation and exhalation. He got to the stomach and found a gap between the chitinous plates. Okay. This is it. His plan was simple enough - stab in, make a small gap, and fire the flechette pistol into the body cavity. If it were encased with bone like the skull, he could rely on ricochet to help finish the creature. But if this were not a lucky shot, he would have to fight this thing. He knew these things could regenerate, but a solid hit to the heart or the brain should kill it, if it was anything like the ones on the surface. He placed the tip of the blade against the gap and softly took a breath in. Now! He exhaled as he thrust deep inside. The creature woke and began to move, but before it could pull itself away from the sword, Jace shoved the pistol alongside the weapon and shot it into the small gap. Some of the projectiles made it into the wound, and as Jace pulled the blade out and leaped backward, he could see the aftereffect of the (Rank 3) Dark Matter Blade. A soft, purple glow surrounded the wound before spreading across the creature like a film. That should slow it down, he thought knowing that now it was afflicted with a small gravitational pull.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. The creature yelped out in pain and stood up. The three heads whipped around, and one of them bit down on Jace. Seemingly driven by instinct - or more likely the Swordmage Stance - he flattened himself on the ground and the monstrous maw chomped onto empty air overhead. Rolling to the side, he dropped the pistol, aimed his prosthetic arm¡¯s palm at the ceiling, and launched the tether. It attached, and he thumbed the rewind button. He was pulled out of danger by the coiling line, and he tapped another button to release the spike as he vaulted through the air and landed on his feet. He felt slightly winded as the Dark Matter Shield (Rank 3) took the brunt of the fall damage. That spared his makeshift prosthetic attachments, thankfully. The triple-headed Vyrknadine stood up to its full height and released a melodic howl that was almost haunting as the three tones overlapped each other. Jace looked on with dismay as the wound on the stomach sealed, and the slight drip of green ichor ceased. Damnit! I didn¡¯t get the heart. The creature began charging toward him. Ollie shouted, ¡°Grapple the roof again and fling yourself away!¡± Jace did so and once more left the space where the creature¡¯s mouths chomped down on empty air. As he went zipping by, he struck out with this blade. To his surprise, his arm turned by instinct and carved into a gap between the chitinous plates. Must be the Swordmage Stance kicking in, moving my body on its own. There was a spray of green ichor, and more of the purple film spread slowly over the creature. ¡°Just keep carving at it! Stack the slowing effect!¡± Ollie ordered as Jace once more landed and felt the slight dip in his energy. ¡°Right,¡± Jace replied, filled with confidence at the exhortation of his newfound capabilities. The monstrosity turned once more - slightly slower - and charged again. Jace pointed the grapnel to the ceiling and triggered it to pull him along. As he passed over the head of the creature, he slashed downward. And it bit upward. The center head craned back at what looked like an impossible angle, and it latched onto his prosthetic foot. ¡°Damnit!¡± Jace shouted as he felt his arm pull against the creature¡¯s maw. He could not keep letting this thing tug on him. The Dark Matter Shield kept him from suffering injury and kept the mouth from actually biting down on the prosthetic itself, but the more the teeth ground down and it pulled, the more tired Jace felt. It¡¯s either release the grapnel and fall down into it. Or¡­ He took a deep breath. Deactivate Dark Matter Shield. The purple bubble around him vanished with a ¡®pop¡¯, and he winced - not out of pain, thankfully - as the creature bit onto his prosthetic foot and the jerry-rigged part attaching it to his stump went slipping off. Jace went sailing up towards the grapple point and thumbed the release. Twisting his body in the air, he took aim at the center of the creature¡¯s spinal cord - and fired the now-coiled cord once more. The hook shot out and planted firmly into the nape. It pulled Jace forward - the body whipping around trying to get at him. But, thanks to the Dark Matter Blade (Rank 3) gravitational pull effect, it moved slower than his grapnel line pulled him to it. Within a second, he was planted firmly on the base of its neck. The creature began to thrash and buck, trying to kick him off. Jace clamped down his thighs - just like he had done with the first Vyrknadine he had encountered, his legs finding purchase on spikes of the chitin - and swung the sword repeatedly at the left-most head. The blade went up and the ichor would spray, and then it would come down and cut just a little bit deeper. The monstrosity flailed and tried to roll to crush him, but Jace simply wrapped his prosthetic arm around the creature, swung his body onto the front-side of its neck, and then released the grapnel. It was belly down for a moment - and he was on top of it. He stabbed down into the center-head¡¯s neck and carved a bloody, vertical slash. The momentum of the creature¡¯s roll sent him spinning off to the side of the chamber, and he felt shredded metal cutting at his armored clothing. Thankfully, none of it penetrated, and despite the bumpy throw he ended up only lightly bruised. ¡°Hell yeah!¡± Ollie shouted. ¡°You got it on the ropes now!¡± The creature writhed on the floor as it tried to get up. I must have cut down deep enough that I got their singular windpipe, he thought as he could see the sputtering green fluid. But he also knew it would regenerate quickly. I need to end it now! Once more, he aimed the grapnel, fired, and watched it sink into the once-more-upright creature that seemed stunned whilst it recovered. The hook slammed into the wound he had cut in the neck, and he retracted the line - pulling himself towards it at high speed. He pointed the blade straight forward with his left hand and stabbed as deep as he could - his arm going all the way up to the elbow. The monstrous creature shuddered before collapsing. Jace cried out in pain as the sudden mass fell on him. ¡°Ollie! Dust it!¡± he tried to shout, but the air was pushed out of his lungs, and he felt himself being slowly crushed to death under the weight. This is how I die? Really? I beat the thing! The world began to go dark. A single, brief instant passed. And then the weight was lifted. Jace gasped and took a deep breath as he saw the cloud of shimmering starlight above him, swirling into his river otter companion. Ollie flew over him and hovered in place, ¡°You okay?¡± Jace groaned but nodded. ¡°Alive,¡± he croaked out as he coughed and rolled himself into the recovery position on his side. Screens flashed up in his vision. <<<<<>>>>> [Stardust Acquired: 2000.] <<<<<>>>>> [Quest Completed: Slay 10 Vyrknadine.] [Current Progress: 10/10.] [Time Limit: N/A.] [Reward: Legendary (Skill Evolution) Boon.] [Sender: Dark Between Stars.] <<<<<>>>>> [Quest Completed: Clear the magitech nanite Complex.] [Time Limit: 6 hours.] [Reward: Legendary (Equipment) Boon.] [Sender: The Cosmic System.] <<<<<>>>>> Ollie flew overhead and smiled, ¡°Well, you have gotten a Legendary (Equipment) and (Skill Evolution) Boon. Plus, a bunch of Stardust to use.¡± Jace chuckled. ¡°Just¡­let me rest for a few minutes.¡± He glanced sideways and scanned the room for his scattershot pistol. He saw the crushed remains, slightly sparking, off to the side near this creature¡¯s nest. Damnit. That was useful. Just to confirm it was destroyed, he pulled up his status screen. <<<<<>>>>> Name: Jace Seren (Aspirant, Tier 1) Power [Class Level.]: Dark Matter [Swordmage 7.] Skills: Skill Name (Rank) [Evolutions.]: Universal Translation, Environmental Adaptation, Dark Matter Blade (Rank 3), Dark Matter Shield (Rank 3), Swordmage Stance (Rank 3) Stardust: 2115 Equipment: Swordmage blade, Swordmage starting gear, Wirecannon Arm, Runner''s Replacement (1/2) (damaged), messenger bag, sliverscreen, survival knife, survival meals (x46), canteen (x2), medical kit, orange tarp (damaged), flint bar, flashlight Boons: Legendary (Skill Evolution), Legendary (Equipment) <<<<<>>>>> Damnit. He looked down at his smooth stump where there once was a makeshift prosthetic. ¡°At least we have that Boon to use. Can it get me a pair of feet?¡± ¡°Even better!¡± Ollie shouted. ¡°A pair of legs.¡± Jace smirked. Guess I¡¯m getting magitech legs then. He looked down at the still-holding on singular Runner¡¯s Replacement foot, hanging on by straps and rails. And I suppose I can sell you. Chapter 17 – Greg Bhastal, Private Security
There was loud knocking at the door. ¡°I just woke up!¡± The tall and sumptuous woman got off the bed and walked over to the door. Peering through the peephole, she saw a familiar face. ¡°Oh shit!¡± she flung the door open as the harsh sunlight of The Eternal City poured onto her face. ¡°You¡¯re back!¡± She flung her arms around her beloved. Greg held her close, ¡°Of course I¡¯m back,¡± he whispered in Missy¡¯s ear as he squeezed her in his burly arms. She squealed with delight and pulled him inside, and he pulled the door shut with his foot. She pulled away and held his face for a moment before leaning in and giving him a deep kiss. ¡°You left all of a sudden.¡± ¡°And you left Earth.¡± Greg smirked and swept his girlfriend off her feet, walking over to the bed and gently laying her down before getting alongside her. Neither said any words as they just lay there, enjoying the presence of each other. ¡°Sorry to interrupt,¡± a masculine voice stated. A spectral, starry spider floated off to the side in the corner of the room. ¡°Mind introducing me?¡± Missy sat up, ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± she asked. Greg chuckled, ¡°Missy, this is Darrin. Darrin, Missy. Girlfriend, meet Wayfinder. Civilians normally can¡¯t see Wayfinders, but since you¡¯re my partner¡­well, we get a little bit of a workaround.¡± Darrin floated forward, ¡°Aren¡¯t females normally afraid of spiders in your world?¡± Missy shook her head and held out her hand, ¡°I actually like them a lot. I had an extensive collection back on Earth.¡± She looked over at Greg as Darrin settled on her palm, ¡°What¡¯s a Wayfinder?¡± ¡°Think of him like my helper,¡± Greg said as he leaned into the cushions. ¡°I chose Aspirant. That¡¯s why I¡¯ve been AWOL for a while.¡± He held up his left hand and looked at the symbol on the back of it. A deep brown and green sphere. Planet Protector , he thought. Nice ring to the combo. He willed his status screen to open as he had been doing every thirty minutes, still floored that he had Cosmic Power at his disposal. <<<<<>>>>> Name: Greg Bhastal (Aspirant, Tier 1) Power [Class Level.]: Planet [Protector 1.] Skills: Skill Name (Rank) [Evolutions.]: Universal Translation, Environmental Adaptation, Protector''s Vow (Rank 1), Planetary Defenses (Rank 1), Planetary Retribution (Rank 1) Stardust: 315 Equipment: Protector''s starting gear, Pheracorp deflection matrix, Stunstick Boons: None <<<<<>>>>> Protector¡¯s Vow (Rank 1): Designate a target or object. That item has all damage redirected to the user, after going against the target''s defenses. Planetary Defenses (Rank 1): The user hardens their body with earth and rock, increasing their resilience at the cost of speed and nimbleness. Planetary Retribution (Rank 1): The user duplicates damage back to those who inflict it upon them at half efficacy. <<<<<>>>>> He had chosen a Class that let him protect people or cargo. In effect, making him more effective at his chosen profession. The Aspirant Trial had only ended a few days ago, but he had already made it back to Earth and - for now - remained a free agent among the various factions. His Skills would enable him to take damage for a person or other target, give himself a barrier of rock and stone that would increase his durability, and even deal damage to those who harmed him. The perfect bodyguard or cargo escort. What he had done for most of his life back on Earth. With the opening of The Cosmic Corridor on Earth, he knew that his talents would be invaluable for off-world trading and transit. She slapped him, ¡°Why would you do that?! The voice thing said it was dangerous!¡± Greg rubbed his jaw as the screen vanished. The blow did not hurt, but he wanted to act like it did. ¡°I deserve that.¡± He sat up and looked into her eyes as Darrin floated off her hand and went to the ceiling. ¡°I¡­I just wanted a better life for us. You got here and are already set up in this nice apartment¡­but I don¡¯t want us to be just working grunts.¡± He grabbed her hands and sandwiched them between his large, calloused palms. ¡°I love you, baby. I just want to give you the best life. What better way than becoming an Ascendant?¡± She had teared up slightly and nodded, ¡°I¡­thank you¡­I love you, too.¡± The two lay together, just present in each other¡¯s presence. Content to live and be alive. ¡°Hate to interrupt,¡± Darrin stated as he floated down from above, his skittering legs walking on invisible webbing that appeared underneath him when he moved. ¡°But you¡¯ve got a message.¡± ¡°From whom?¡± Greg asked. ¡°That Aspirant you met. Quinn. She is curious if you are interested in working with her faction. She is a Star Council Signer.¡± Greg crossed his arms, ¡°I don¡¯t want to be a Signer-¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to be,¡± Darrin replied. ¡°She wants to pay you for a gig.¡± Greg grinned and looked at Missy, ¡°See? Already got clients lining up for a bit of Giant Greg¡¯s Guard service.¡± Missy giggled a little at the alliteration, ¡°You always had a way with words.¡± ¡°Hey, I¡¯m going to copyright that name. You watch, it¡¯ll be my new business.¡± He gave Missy a kiss and looked back to Darrin. ¡°Tell her I¡¯ll meet her tomorrow. And do you mind leaving us alone for a bit? I¡­would like some time with my lady love here.¡± ¡°Say no more,¡± Darrin replied as he vanished with a pop.
Jace finished taking his temporarily attached Runner¡¯s Replacement off. Damn, lost a boot when the three-headed thing got my other foot. Jace shook his head and sighed. ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s do this.¡± He set the still-intact boot to the side and looked at his two stumps just below his shins. ¡°You said that we can get legs, not just feet?¡± ¡°Yup!¡± Ollie flew around Jace¡¯s torso and twirled in the air, leaving small, blue streams of liquid starlight behind him. ¡°All the way up to where they would socket into your hips. That should help with fatigue and remove a lot of stress your body would suffer.¡± ¡°Is there any¡­risk with that level of prosthetic?¡± ¡°Not really,¡± Ollie stated. ¡°I mean, against a Pulsar powered Aspirant or Ascendant? Sure, their magnetism or electricity powers would mess you up. But ¡± he chuckled. ¡°You have Dark Matter as your Cosmic Power. Just by nature of that, you are highly resistant to electricity and magnetism. So¡­for you? There is no real risk of going heavy into prosthetics - magitech or just tech based. Someone who isn¡¯t you? Yeah, I would not advise this level of change.¡± Jace took a deep breath and nodded, ¡°This is going to hurt like the arm, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Yup!¡± ¡°Alright, let me-¡± Jace reached for the boot and put it in between his teeth, biting down as he laid back. ¡°Doo itth!¡± <<<<<>>>>> [Using Boon: Legendary (Equipment).] [Manifesting.]This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. <<<<<>>>>> Jace felt the searing heat once more. It started in the stumps right below his knees and then raced up his leg and to the thighs. He bit down on the boot, screaming in pain as his vision began to go white. The heat surged up along his hips and he could feel the ungodly pain in his pelvis. Just as he thought he could not stand it any further, the pain stopped and was replaced with a soothing, cool feeling. ¡°These are called Dragonclaw Devastation Legs.¡± Jace stood up and - to his surprise - felt the ground under the claws that gripped the floor below. ¡°Crap. How do I-¡± he tried unflexing his toes, as if he were pulling them back and curling them up from the floor, and the claws receded from their grip. The metal was a deep crimson with the same black geometric lines running along the length as his arm had. ¡°Well, they look cool.¡± ¡°You will be able to walk on walls and even ceilings by sinking your feet-claws into them. Plus, they are really, really strong! You could jump ten feet vertically.¡± Ollie excitedly said as his tail wagged. ¡°And they give you a once-per-day use of the Starfire Stride Skill.¡± Jace tested hopping from one foot to the next. He cracked a smile and laughed aloud as he felt mobility unlike any he had ever had before. Experimenting, he took off at a sprint across the room, planted the foot-talons to suddenly stop and pivot, and then ran back the same way from which he had come. It was¡­almost natural, retracting the claws with each footstep, which gave him even more power to push himself forward. ¡°What¡¯s Starfire Stride do?¡± he asked as he pivoted once more, intending to continue practicing in this now-safe space. Ollie flew after him as he continued his wind sprints and sharp turns. ¡°It will leave a trail of fire behind you for ten seconds. The flames will not injure you or any of your gear.¡± Jace grinned and stopped his sprints, taking in deep breaths. The legs felt like his legs. The ones he was born with. He could feel every sensation of the metal crumpling under the powerful feet-claws. But there was no pain, no muscle fatigue. Just sheer, raw, power. The tactile sensation was intriguing, as he could feel the sharp edges of the crumpled metal, but it did not actually hurt at all. ¡°Looks like I don¡¯t need boots at all,¡± Jace said with a smile as he went to the wall and tested stepping on it with his right leg. He felt the metal of the wall crumple under the foot-claw¡¯s grip, and he tried moving his other leg up. Only to fall flat on his ass. ¡°Ow!¡± He shouted out as he bruised his tailbone for the second time since arriving on this world. ¡°What the hell? I thought you said I could walk on walls and ceilings?¡± Ollie rolled over in the air, laughing. Jace had not heard that noise before, and despite the deep voice, the laugh was infectious and Jace felt himself chuckling as well as he got up. ¡°It doesn¡¯t stop physics,¡± Ollie replied. Jace looked up to the ceiling and fired off the grapnel arm, retracting the cord until he was on the ceiling. He swung his legs forward and clamped down with the claws, hanging upside-down as he let go with the grapple hook. ¡°Ok, so physics still apply, despite magitech stuff.¡± ¡°Yup!¡± Jace let go with his feet, flipped around, and fell the thirty feet down before landing in a crouch. He hardly registered any impact. ¡°That¡¯s enough messing around. We have another Boon to use, and a ton of levels we can use, right?¡± ¡°Yup! Four levels if you want.¡± ¡°Right. I want to level up. Are there any more Ranks to my already-existing Skills?¡± ¡°Not for Dark Matter Shield - it is maxed out at Rank 3. Dark Matter Blade has two more Ranks available. Here, I will show you.¡± The screen appeared in the corner of Jace¡¯s vision. <<<<<>>>>> Dark Matter Blade (Rank 4) - As Rank 3, increasing the gravitational pull and movement slowing effect. Dark Matter Blade (Rank 5) - As Rank 4, and the gravity begins to form micro-singularities that deal constant damage. <<<<<>>>>> ¡°What about Swordmage Stance?¡± Ollie shook his head, ¡°Nope, that¡¯s maxed out at Rank 3 as well.¡± Jace nodded. ¡°Well, we should get Dark Matter Blade up to (Rank 5). That takes two of my levels. I know I want a Skill I can use at range. Preferably that can deal with armored enemies.¡± He frowned, ¡°What exactly does the ¡®mage¡¯ part of Swordmage do for me?¡± Ollie waved his paws, and another screen appeared in Jace¡¯s vision - taking up most of it. He saw a person dressed in billowing clothing. They raised their hand, and a ball of flame appeared before shooting out and exploding in a huge area thirty feet away. ¡°The ¡®mage¡¯ part of Swordmage means you can do stuff like that. But, Dark Matter¡¯s version.¡± ¡°Which would look like what?¡± <<<<<>>>>> Dark Matter Dart (Rank 1) - The user launches a concentrated dart of Dark Matter that pierces the target. <<<<<>>>>> ¡°Okay,¡± Jace muttered. ¡°But it doesn¡¯t explode like the other one I saw.¡± ¡°That¡¯s where a Skill Evolution would come into play in your Cosmic Power¡¯s case,¡± Ollie explained. ¡°And you have one saved up from a Boon.¡± ¡°Well¡­are these Skill Evolutions random or can I choose the effect?¡± Ollie frowned and shook his head, ¡°Random. You just choose the Skill it applies to.¡± I¡¯d rather have it empower the thing I use more often. Plus, I imagine that Dark Matter Dart always costs me energy. ¡°I want the Evolution applied to Dark Matter Blade.¡± Ollie nodded and waved his little paws in the air. <<<<<>>>>> [Using Boon: Legendary (Skill Evolution).] [Applying to Skill.] [Skill Name: Dark Matter Blade.] [Evolution Name: Rending.] [Effect: The blade causes a bleed that cannot be stopped unless the user wills it.] <<<<<>>>>> ¡°That¡¯s nasty,¡± Ollie commented. ¡°But will be brutally effective for hit and run tactics.¡± Jace drew his sword and closed his eyes. Okay, show me the pattern. Behind his eyelids, he saw the pattern that he traced with his fingertips. After finishing, he held up the blade to inspect it. The whole entire length from hilt to tip was sheathed in the purple glow - invisible to all except him and Ollie - but there was a subtle, deep crimson hidden within the purple. Like a mixer in an alcoholic beverage - he could tell it was there, but it was easy to miss. ¡°Okay,¡± Jace said as he sheathed the blade and let the Skill fade. ¡°Let¡¯s level up. Dark Matter Blade up to (Rank 5), and Dark Matter Dart up to (Rank 2).¡± ¡°Yup! Coming up!¡± Ollie reached into his little dimensional pocket-pouch, pulled out the stardust, and threw it at Jace¡¯s chest. He felt the warmth settle throughout his body and he felt giddy at the rush of energy that jolted through him a moment later. Let¡¯s see that status screen. And what Dark Matter Dart at (Rank 2) does. <<<<<>>>>> Name: Jace Seren (Aspirant, Tier 1) Power [Class Level.]: Dark Matter [Swordmage 11.] Skills: Skill Name (Rank) [Evolutions.]: Universal Translation, Environmental Adaptation, Dark Matter Blade (Rank 5) [Rending], Dark Matter Shield (Rank 3), Swordmage Stance (Rank 3), Dark Matter Dart (Rank 2), Starfire Stride (1/day) Stardust: 115 Equipment: Swordmage blade, Swordmage starting gear, Wirecannon Arm, Dragonclaw Devastation Legs, Runner''s Replacement (damaged), messenger bag, sliverscreen, survival knife, survival meals (x46), canteen (x2), medical kit, orange tarp (damaged), flint bar, flashlight Boons: None <<<<<>>>>> Dark Matter Dart (Rank 2) - As Rank 1, but launch 3 darts at a single target, or spread across multiple targets. <<<<<>>>>> Jace smiled and looked up at Ollie, ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s get out of here. The same way we came in? Or out that way?¡± Jace pointed to another beat-to-hell door frame on the opposite side of the room where they came in. ¡°What about the arc reactors downstairs? We were going to see if we could take them apart, right?¡± There were a lot of them. It would take me a couple of days to disassemble them and remove the useful components that can generate power. I can¡¯t remake the flechette pistol, but I can sell the valuable components when I get to The Eternal City. ¡°Let¡¯s get my gear first, then we can come back and disassemble them." Ollie nodded and floated next to Jace as he took off at a fast pace, walking with confidence in his newfound power. But more than that, the feeling of fully functional legs after walking around on makeshift prosthetics and stumps was thrilling. Chapter 18 – Baring the truth and bearing poor company
Jace walked up many, many flights of stairs that kept doubling back on each other. This facility was buried deep to keep the arc reactor safe, he thought. It took about thirty minutes to climb up - and he did not feel any strain on his legs. His hip flexors were burning with exertion, and he had to pause a few times. Going up stairs was not something he was used to, as most buildings he did happen to go inside on Earth had elevators. When he did arrive at the top, he found a closed and locked door. Lifting his leg, he kicked forward, and the object went clattering into a dusty, ancient room. Bunker living quarters, he was able to scavenge and find another one of the survival kits - just like what he found in the other hidden outpost. This is a little under what I¡¯ll need to make it to the portal, he thought. He left the crate, knowing he would return to the location, and broke through more doors before arriving outside once more. The night sky was dark, and the stars filled up the vast expanse overhead. Glancing around, he saw that this building facade was built into a small hill. The crater was ahead, and he was able to get back to his stash quickly. He climbed back up, re-entered the arc reactor building, and barricaded the front entrance. Jace made sure to clear the whole living quarters for anything useful - but all was stripped save for the one survival kit. Adding those meals to his satchel, he descended into the facility once more. Ollie helped direct his efforts in breaking down the arc reactors, and five days passed. After the first day, the disassembly process was rote to the Aspirant, and Ollie and he chatted at length about the Wayfinder¡¯s past charges. He had been responsible for several hundred in his approximately 1,000-year existence. All of them died during The Aspirant Trial. Jace was his first successful case. And over the course of those several days of conversation, Jace understood more and more why Oliver was so rude and pessimistic at their first meeting. He had seen those he was responsible for dying. Over and over. Hundreds of deaths. ¡°Eventually,¡± Ollie said. ¡°You have to make yourself numb to it.¡± On the fifth day, as Jace was finishing the last arc reactor and collecting the forty critical components that Ollie said would sell for a good amount of Stardust, the otter admitted something he had kept secret. ¡°There¡¯s one more thing I¡¯ve not talked about,¡± Ollie said softly, but his voice was filled with trepidation. Jace wiped his brow with the back of his sleeve and nodded, ¡°Go ahead.¡± The otter¡¯s expression was¡­pensive. ¡°When you become an Ascendant - not if, because I know you¡¯ll make it there with your knack for surviving tough spots¡­you don¡¯t have to keep your Wayfinder.¡± He sighed, ¡°You could¡­choose to dismiss me.¡± Jace frowned, ¡°And do you think I shouldn¡¯t? You completely doubted I would survive when I first got transported to this world. Quote, ¡®I¡¯m not expecting you to survive.¡¯ But I did. And only then did you begin to warm up to me.¡± Ollie¡¯s face twisted into one of remorse and he floated down to the ground, curling up in a pathetic-looking, cuddle-able spiral. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± It sounded like a genuine apology. Jace had heard plenty of fake ones, but the way that Ollie said it smacked of Chroma¡¯s apologies when she did something stupid and Jace had to teach her why what she did was dangerous. It sent the young man reeling into his memories for a moment before he shook off the recollections. ¡°Apology accepted,¡± Jace said with a soft sigh. ¡°Wha-¡± ¡°I forgive you. For doubting me. It¡¯s all right.¡± Jace turned to the stairs to begin his ascent to the surface again. ¡°I¡¯ve had people doubt me since I was a kid, escaping onto the streets and not expected to survive. But I did. Then, when I rescued my sister from that place, I kept myself and her alive.¡± He glanced back at the now-floating river otter who followed with a sorrow-filled, curious expression. ¡°I don¡¯t plan to discard you. We might have had a rough start, but you¡¯ve been genuinely helpful, and I don¡¯t think I could survive this Cosmic System without your help.¡± Ollie floated in front of him, ¡°You mean it? Really?¡± ¡°Of course,¡± Jace replied. I need you right now. And the past few days have shown that you¡¯re someone I can trust. ¡°You and me, all the way to Tier 10 Ascendant. Then, I¡¯ll bring back Chroma.¡± He raised an eyebrow, ¡°But that does bring up a question - what happens when I bring Chroma back? Will she be given the whole Civilian vs. Aspirant choice?¡± Ollie shrugged, ¡°I do not know. I would bet it is like a person being present during Cosmogenic Merging and she would get the choice.¡± Jace nodded, ¡°So if she chose Aspirant, she¡¯d have to deal with the whole Trial. But she could work towards her own immortality.¡± Ollie nodded, ¡°Yup.¡± ¡°But I couldn¡¯t help her, since The Cosmic System prevents Ascendants from getting involved.¡± Ollie frowned, ¡°Also a yup. She was young when she died from what you have said, so she would be in The Eternal City in one of the childcare centers.¡± Jace sighed in relief. ¡°Good to hear.¡± He got up to the surface and trudged across the barren landscape toward the portal that lay across the planet. ¡°Any good stories to tell to pass the time?¡±
Quinn was frazzled and frantic, running around the shop. A special guest was going to be visiting - someone especially important to the Star Council. Someone who went by the name Levi. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Mizarion had been chatting idly as he helped to move some of the heavier cargo about. ¡°Levi¡¯s real name is Leviticus Smith. He¡¯s a Tier 5 Ascendant. And he is an asshole.¡± Quinn looked up from her feverish cleaning of the countertops, ¡°How so?¡± ¡°He¡¯s just¡­just rubs you the wrong way, you know? Speaks quickly, snaps at you if you interrupt him. Just not very pleasant.¡± ¡°Are my ears burning or are you talking about me?¡± A young voice called out from the doorway. Quinn looked up. The person walked in out of The Cosmic Corridor, and she gasped at his adonis-like form. Golden skin with chiseled muscle, a jawline that could cut glass, a nose that could only be described as deific, deep, sky-blue eyes, and a dashing crop of equally blue hair that was tied up in a warrior¡¯s bun. ¡°Hi! Mr. Levi. I¡¯m Qui-¡± ¡°I know who you are,¡± he snapped back at her. But he didn¡¯t look at her. He looked at Mizarion and crossed his arms. Despite the more friendly Ascendant standing taller, the sheer cockiness oozing out of Levi¡¯s every movement and syllable uttered left no doubt as to who felt they were stronger. ¡°So, Miz.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t call me that,¡± Mizarion growled. Levi shrugged, ¡°I¡¯m here to pick up the package.¡± Quinn raised her hand, ¡°Umm, I have it, Mr. Levi.¡± The golden-skinned man turned to her and strode over, flashing her a quick smile. ¡°Ah, one our newest faction additions. At least, the most valuable of the newest ones.¡± He lightly gripped her hand, pulled it to his lips, and kissed it gently. Quinn pulled her hand away as if a slimy tentacle had gripped it and tried to drag her into the abyss. ¡°Ew! Sorry, um-¡± Levi¡¯s eye quivered in affront, but he just put on a dashing smile and chuckled. ¡°Ah, I get it. You¡¯re not into men. Totally respect that.¡± He smirked and looked over at Mizarion, ¡°Miz, you her type? The brooding, not-in-shap-¡± Mizarion stomped over and an ominous, crackling static charged the air as Quinn¡¯s hair stood on end. ¡°Back off, Levi. Just get the package and go.¡± Levi smirked and looked around the countertop, ¡°I don¡¯t see a package.¡± Quinn reached behind and under the counter and pulled the deep, orange package up to the countertop. ¡°Here you g-¡± ¡°Thanks,¡± he said, cutting her off as he picked up the package. ¡°This baby is off to Earth. Gonna try and win over some guy named the President.¡± Quinn¡¯s eyebrow shot up with curiosity, ¡°Of where?¡± Levi shrugged, ¡°No clue. I know the flag is red, white, and blue.¡± Quinn smirked, ¡°Ah, the seppo.¡± Mizarion¡¯s demeanor shifted to one of confusion - as did Levi¡¯s. ¡°Sorry?¡± both said in tandem. ¡°Ah, the Americans.¡± Mizarion frowned, ¡°The people that farm these?¡± he asked as he produced a banana. ¡°Some company called Dole?¡± Quinn nodded, ¡°Yup. That country has one of the strongest militaries on Earth.¡± Levi nodded, ¡°Then that¡¯s where I¡¯m off to. Hopefully, this will sway them to our side and away from the Nebula Alliance.¡± He waved and flashed Quinn a smile once more, ¡°If you¡¯re ever interested in the most impressive, masculine man around, give me a shout.¡± Quinn just smiled her customer-service smile until he left, and then she leaned forward onto the counter and let out an exasperated groan. Why do they hit on me? She thought. But then her mind began working; assisted by the Cybermind Mk. 4 boosting her mental faculties. If America is on the fence about factions, then that means the Nebula Alliance isn¡¯t¡¯ making as solid of inroads as reports have led me to believe. She knew that the Pulsar Coalition was keeping the Black Hole Conclave from getting too involved with Earth. The Planetary Independence Pact and Nebula Alliance were the two front-runners for the dominant force on Earth - with the former planning on placing an Ascendant there to run things until an Earth-born Ascendant grew strong enough to take over for them. But the Nebula Alliance¡­they were very much of the same mindset as the various corporations that had begun to take over Earth before Cosmogenic Merging. Quinn knew that no matter what the Planetary Independence Pact or the Star Council did, the corporations would win out, and the Nebula Alliance would take over the world. It would mean a megacorporation hellscape. People would be trapped there, without the chance of getting out to The Eternal City. ¡°Can we do anything?¡± she asked Mizarion. The man was mid-way through eating the banana - peel on - like it was corn-on-the-cob. She winced at the way he was eating it, and he shrugged. ¡°Probably not. Earth seems like it¡¯s going to go the way of the Nebula Alliance. If the Star Council can win this one, strong, military-focused country to our side though? We could stave it off for a while.¡± He took another bite. ¡°Could the Star Council team up with the Planetary Independence Pact to try and push the Nebula Alliance out?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure Star Dad has thought of that.¡± He finished munching down the banana and frowned, ¡°But¡­there might be a reason why he hasn¡¯t acted yet.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Have you heard of X?¡± ¡°...I have.¡± Mizarion smirked, ¡°Well, whoever X is may end up getting involved as well. We¡¯ll see. Who knows? We might even get lucky and see someone from the Dark Between Stars.¡± ¡°Who?¡± Mizarion grinned and leaned forward. ¡°If you really want to learn, we should go talk to the Star Council historian. Come on! You¡¯re due a day off anyhow. And every Aspirant should learn about The Cosmic System.¡± Chapter 19 – Ice, ice, lady
Days passed and Jace continued his journey across the broken landscape. He had stumbled across a road, and after consulting Ollie¡¯s map, found that the cracked, stone walkway more-or-less led to where they were going. He was not wanting for shelter after the third day. Small villages with twenty-to-thirty houses were spaced out along the road or not too far from it ¨C like the suburbs that rich people lived in back on Earth. He was able to hole up and get a decent night¡¯s rest. For some reason, the wildlife avoided the remains of the buildings ¨C but he slept with his sword in hand just in case. On the horizon he spotted the skyline of a city. ¡°Any information on this place?¡± Jace asked as he continued to trudge along. Ollie¡¯s eyes went black, ¡°Accessing¡­¡± he shook his head, and the light returned to his vision, ¡°Ah, this was one of their places of leisure. Like Las Vegas from Earth. This is where people would come to experience all types of interesting attractions.¡± Movement in the corner of Jace¡¯s vision stood out to him. Atop one of the skyscrapers that went up at least four-hundred feet, he saw a flickering light. ¡°Did anyone from this civilization stay post-Cosmogenic Merging?¡± ¡°Yup. A few. Those that were affected by the magitech nanite swarm. They were part of the ¡®hive mind¡¯ of sorts. Now? They are little more than¡­the best equivalent on Earth would be zombies.¡± ¡°Really? Slow, shambl-¡± ¡°No-no-no!¡± Ollie replied. ¡°They are fast. And they are not¡­dumb. Just animalistic. Their higher reasoning was replaced by the hive mind, and so when it was stopped, they were left with their base instincts.¡± ¡°What you¡¯re saying is they¡¯re not really human?¡± Ollie laughed, ¡°I mean they were never human. The native humanoid species that dominated the world were called Velenian.¡± <<<<<>>>>> [Quest: Clear the Glimmerdust Skyscraper resort Complex.] [Time Limit: 12 hours.] [Reward: Legendary (Skill Evolution) Boon.] [Sender: Dark Between Stars.] <<<<<>>>>> ¡°Would you look at that,¡± Ollie said with a grin. ¡°Xera is still feeding you impressive Quest rewards.¡± Yeah. It is nice having these Legendary rarity rewards tossed my way. ¡°Clearing a whole skyscraper is going to be tedious.¡± ¡°First things first! Get to the city proper.¡±
The mako-shark swam through the air alongside the armored woman. ¡°New information,¡± it growled. ¡°A System query occurred one-hundred miles to the North-East. If the target is traveling towards the portal from their last known location, then they are most likely the one who sent the query.¡± The three-dimensional map of the world appeared just above and in front of the armored woman. ¡°Zoom in and highlight the best path,¡± she muttered. The map zoomed in and displayed a route that went along one of the cracked roads that her hypercycle could traverse. ¡°Let the faction know we¡¯re almost there.¡± She pulled up the Quest message to remind her of the sweet, sweet reward waiting for her if she succeeded. <<<<<>>>>> [Quest: Recover the Cyberconnect Integration Fluid.] [Time Limit: Unlimited.] [Reward: Equipment (Epic) Boon.] [Sender: Nebula Alliance.] <<<<<>>>>> She pushed the hypercycle to its top speed as she traversed the shattered road, heading towards her prey.
Jace entered the city proper and looked up in awe at the enormous buildings. They were not made like the buildings on Earth ¨C from concrete, stone, and steel. These buildings were fully made of dull, green metal. The way the light from the three suns reflected off them revealed tracing, winding lines of silver that intersected with the green. There were no windows as far as he could tell. There were streetlights lining the road that were the same design as the lights within the bunker ¨Cbronze or copper casing around what should be an illuminated, sparking core. Old advertisements ¨C painted onto large wooden panels ¨C had rotted away and could barely be read. The streets were completely empty. ¡°Did they have transports of some kind?¡± ¡°Yup. Magitech vehicles that ran off arc reactor. I am surprised there are not any out here abandoned.¡± Jace traced the pattern with his fingers to manifest Dark Matter Shield (Rank 2) and Dark Matter Blade (Rank 5) [Rending]. The tower shield manifested on his grapnel arm, and his whole sword ignited with the deep, purple energy with the crimson core. He felt slightly winded and had to catch his breath as the energy expenditure drained him of stamina. He shut his eyes and focused on his sense of hearing. He heard the sharp howling of the wind through the buildings, blowing through the different alleys and buildings with high speed. Far above, he could hear the slight thwap of cloth that was flapping in the wind. ¡°Doesn¡¯t sound like there¡¯s anything hostile nearby,¡± he muttered as he opened his eyes. Ollie pointed at a building a few blocks down the road, ¡°There¡¯s the Complex.¡± He twirled in the air and ascended to his maximum tether height. ¡°Doesn¡¯t look like anything¡¯s approaching.¡± Jace nodded and headed to the building. The front doors were the same metal as the exterior of the building but were a deep green color. Glimmerdust Skyscraper was written in silver letters along the front of the building, along with the words resort and pleasure den. Jace raised a clawed leg and kicked forward. The door slightly dented. Damn, tough stuff. He kicked out twice more ¨C the door bending inward each time. Each kick led to an enormous clang noise that echoed throughout the city and surely alerted these zombie-like creatures that Jace was present. ¡°What is this made of?¡± he asked as he pulled his leg back. ¡°No clue,¡± Ollie replied. ¡°Give it a few more kicks.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± Jace muttered as he did so, kicking in with his powerful prosthetic over and over. Finally, he had bent the door inward enough that he could squeeze through the gap. <<<<<>>>>> [Warning! You are about to enter a Complex!] [This location has been marked by The Cosmic System as Tier 1.] [Number of foes to clear out: 18.] <<<<<>>>>> All right. Into the breach. Squeezing through, he found himself in a lobby. His vision shifted to the purple hue as the light from outside could not penetrate the darkened interior. Sumptuous couches with end tables were spaced out all around. Dust coated every surface, and he could smell the scent of mildew as some of the bits of furniture had been soaked in ages past. There were a series of elevators next to a large set of stairs that doubled back on themselves, ascending higher. Jace walked over to the counter and jumped behind it. There were a series of cubby holes with a small keyhole on the front. ¡°Must be where they keep the room keys,¡± Jace commented. ¡°I do not think there¡¯s any need,¡± Ollie replied. ¡°I doubt anything you find is going to be more valuable than what you have already acquired.¡± ¡°Fair point,¡± Jace replied. He headed to the elevator and tapped the button. Nothing happened. ¡°As expected,¡± he muttered. ¡°You could go find the maintenance area and try to turn on an arc reactor.¡± ¡°I¡¯d need a big jolt of magic to do that, right?¡± ¡°You have an ability that lets you shoot Dark Matter.¡± Jace frowned, ¡°Does that count?¡± ¡°Maybe? I do not know. This is all new to me, too.¡± Jace nodded and went back behind the counter, opening a door that was labeled for employees only. He saw a series of lockers, and beyond that a door labeled maintenance. The door was open, and he walked down a set of stairs until he was in the basement. Something had flooded the space, and there was a layer of greyish water. At the back of the chamber, he spotted one of the arc reactors. ¡°So, what? I just shoot it with a Dark Matter Dart?¡± ¡°Give it a try.¡± Jace raised his sword and pointed it at the generator. Dark Matter Dart (Rank 1). A bolt of deep purple energy in the shape of a short, sharp stick launched out from the tip of the blade. It raced forward and slammed into the arc reactor, going right through the device and boring into the far wall. Stolen novel; please report. ¡°Welp, that did not work,¡± Ollie muttered. Jace sighed and turned back to the stairs, heading up to the lobby and then looking up at the enormous double-back stairs leading higher. ¡°Looks like I get to walk up then.¡± ¡°Cheer up, it¡¯s only fifty stories.¡± Jace groaned and began trudging up.
She slowed the hypercycle and activated the silent-running mode. It would cause the vehicle to heat up, but due to her Nebula powers, she could simply encrust her weapon in ice and tap it to the engine to keep things cool. ¡°He¡¯s close,¡± the mako-shark Wayfinder commented. ¡°In that city.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a big place,¡± She muttered. ¡°How will we find him?¡± ¡°Just wait to hear sounds of combat.¡±
Jace did not feel much strain on his legs ¨C but his hip flexors were burning. He had to stop a few times on the landings of some floors to stretch those out and catch his breath. Don¡¯t want to be out of breath when I end up finding these things, he thought. For some reason they had not gone downstairs when he had made so much noise breaking in. The only reasoning he had was that these zombie-like things he was supposed to be finding up here just had crappy hearing. It did not make much sense if they were more animalistic, but then again Jace did not know what normal was anymore. He was wielding a sword ¨C something he had never, ever thought he would be doing. Not to mention the magitech prosthetics and Dark Matter powers. On the 48th floor, he heard a noise. It was faint, but he could make out a sound of chattering. Some type of communication that did not rise to the level of intelligible and translatable by his Universal Translation Skill. Holding his sword and shield at the ready, he slowly ascended the stairs to the next level. There was a loud shriek that came from right above him and made him jump. Reflexively, he moved the tower shield up to cover his head, and he had to tense his legs in a squat as a heavy weight landed on it. The same type of humanoid creature that he had found desiccated in the bunker, but this one was crusted with the magitech nanites and had a bit more meat on its bones. It tried to flail around the shield to grab Jace. Glancing over, an idea popped into his head. He slightly tipped the shield to his side and bucked up from the squat position. This tossed the creature off the shield and down the small gap running down the stairs. It crunched and slammed into the different landings before something snapped. One down. These things are weak. This shouldn¡¯t be a problem if I can funnel them onto one of the landings or keep them on the stairs. There were more shrieks coming from further up, and he grinned as he pushed up the stairs. ¡°Come on!¡± he shouted, feeling supremely confident in his abilities. ¡°Bring it!¡± Oliver whooped next to him but then turned around, ¡°I¡¯ll watch your back!¡± He charged up the stairs and saw a group of the creatures coming down from higher up. With a single slice, he carved the first one in half ¨C their lack of any type of exterior shell making them an insignificant threat compared to the predators he had been fighting. Is it this easy to kill people? He thought. Well, used-to-be people. The ease at which he was dispatching them with shocked him. I¡¯m curious, he dismissed the shield and tried punching one of them. The magitech limb, combined with the strength increase from the serum injected into him, resulted in a blood-laced, gory explosion as the punch decapitated his target. Goddamn! They¡¯re so¡­flimsy. Perfect time to test out these legs. He backed away down the hallway from the landing, luring the creatures out of the stairwell and past their dead companions. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Ollie asked. ¡°Practicing,¡± Jace replied as he jumped straight up, flipped upside-down, and latched his claw-feet onto the ceiling. Reorienting himself was jarring, and he felt the blood begin to rush to his head instantly ¨C but he had to get used to this feeling. Fighting in an unconventional way like this would be useful against foes who could think. And this fodder was perfect practice. Thanks to Swordmage Stance (Rank 3), even though he was slightly disoriented, his body perfectly weaved a web of strikes before him. Each foe that approached was carved apart. They were dying so quickly to singular strikes that he could not even see the Dark Matter Blade¡¯s (Rank 5) or [Rending] effects. I need to know what that looks like, he thought. There were only two of the creatures left. He dispatched one with ease, and then flipped back down to an upright position as the last one charged at him. Nonlethal, he thought as he waited for it to come closer. His body instinctually responded to his will, and he sidestepped the charge. He smacked the creature in the head with the hilt of the weapon. It crumpled to the ground, dazed, and he followed up with a stab through the thigh. The creature screeched, and Jace saw the effects take hold. The purple glow of the slowing effect spread more rapidly, and he could see small, black dots sparkled amongst the purple glow ¨C the micro-singularities that were causing constant harm. Underneath the purple glow, there was a deep, crimson nebula that slowly spread through the thigh and gushed out of the humanoid zombie-like entity. It shrieked and tried to turn around, but Jace planted his foot-claw on its back. The purple and crimson spread up through the thing¡¯s body, and it expired once the glow had reached its midsection. It must¡¯ve bled out. He kicked it over and saw the large pool of black underneath where it lay. ¡°Ollie, dust them.¡± Ollie nodded and held up his paw as Jace walked back towards the staircase. The bodies vanished and flooded towards the otter. <<<<<>>>>> [Stardust Acquired: 180.] <<<<<>>>>> [Quest Completed: Clear the Glimmerdust Skyscraper resort Complex.] [Time Limit: 12 hours.] [Reward: Legendary (Skill Evolution) Boon.] [Sender: Dark Between Stars.] <<<<<>>>>> ¡°Alright, let¡¯s hold onto that Boon,¡± Jace stated. Ollie nodded, ¡°Ready to head out?¡± Jace looked up the staircase, ¡°I¡¯m only two floors from the top. Might as well get up high and then get a good look at where we¡¯re going next.¡±
She brought her hypercycle to a stop right in front of a skyscraper that doubled as a resort. The doorway was kicked in. She put the kickstand down and reached back into the cargo pod mounted to the side of the vehicle. She pulled out a shotgun, racked the slide, loaded it, and then slung it on her back. Last, she grabbed two grenades ¨C one filled with sticky webbing meant to incapacitate, and another that would send out an EMP pulse. ¡°I can¡¯t find any information on this place,¡± the mako-shark commented as it swam around her head. ¡°The Complex was entered just-¡± She heard a battle cry from somewhere high up. ¡°Sounds like he¡¯s still up there.¡± She took a deep breath and focused her will. Her armor crusted over with razor-sharp spikes of ice that would deflect blows and protect her from harm. Her large hammer grew the rime spikes that oozed out a deep, radiating cold. She could not make it through the crack in the door caused by blunt force. ¡°They must be weak,¡± she muttered as she lifted her servo-assisted foot and kicked the door into the lobby with a resounding crack and thud. She walked in and her vision shifted to a pale blue color as darkness set in around her. ¡°The stairs,¡± the mako-shark commented. ¡°No shit.¡± She rumbled out as she walked to the stairs. A loud crack above her caught her attention, and she spotted a corpse of some creature ¨C sliced in half and oozing a miasmic purple and crimson hue ¨C come rocketing down towards her through the gap at the center of the staircase. ¡°Huh.¡± It splatted against the ground floor ¨C still partly intact. Her mako-shark Wayfinder hovered over the corpse and its eyes went deep, black. ¡°Oh¡­that is not good. Stand by.¡± She stood there, waiting, hearing combat from far up. ¡°Hurry up.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a Dark Matter Skill,¡± the shark replied as its eyes went deep, dark black. ¡°I didn¡¯t see that as an option,¡± she replied. ¡°It is not an option. That is why it is weird¡­it is like they made the Cosmic Power source. I am being blocked from finding more information from the effects on the corpse. I need to see the Aspirant to query the System.¡± ¡°Right.¡± She began walking up the stairs, feeling the anticipation building and her heart thumping at the impending brawl with this secret power user.
Jace got to the door leading to the roof and opened it with ease. The metal swung outward, and he stepped onto the roof. Almost immediately he gagged at the wretched smell. He leaned over and retched. Piles of refuse and feces were splattered all around the rooftop entrance. ¡°Is this where they-¡± ¡°Their bathroom, apparently.¡± Ollie pointed to the left, ¡°Looks like there is a clear path there.¡± Jace carefully moved around the piles of refuse as he made for the front of the building. Thankfully, once he got around the doorway leading to the stairs, the wind carried the foul odors away from him and he could breathe clean air. He stood on an open space with a spire of metal extending up higher ¨C an antenna. Walking to the edge of the building, he clamped his feet and leaned over. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± he asked, pointing at a motorcycle. Ollie floated over the edge, ¡°Querying¡­That¡¯s a General Logistics hypercycle.¡± ¡°Shit,¡± Jace replied as he scanned the street below for any sign of the individual who he had been warned was hunting him down. ¡°They must¡¯ve gone into the building.¡± Ollie chuckled, ¡°You could be a real bastard if you wanted. Just use your grapnel and the legs to get down along the exterior of the building¡­steal the cycle.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a good id-¡± Jace stopped speaking as he felt a chill across his flesh. Not a chill of fear. A very real, biting cold that spread from his back and radiated outward. It sent his teeth to chatter, and he felt his body start to lock up. ¡°Crap!¡± Ollie shouted out as he turned in space to look behind Jace. Dark Matter Shield (Rank 3), Jace thought. The bubble popped into place around him, and he breathed a sigh of relief as the cold feeling faded. But he felt weaker and a little tired from the activation of the Skill. Spinning around, he felt an actual trace of fear down his spine. A person in the heaviest armor he had ever seen was lowering their hand as ice trickled from their palm. Her body was fully covered in icy protrusions and waves of visible frigid air flowed from her. Her right hand held a massive hammer with what looked to be an exhaust pipe on the back. ¡°You have something I want." Chapter 20 – What are claws if not foot-knives?
Jace patted his messenger bag that was slung alongside his duffel bag. ¡°Right here,¡± he lied. "Got some left over from that animal attack." "I don''t want you, just the goods." She kept her palm raised, ¡°Throw the bag to me.¡± Her voice was harsh and demanding. Gruff and coarse, as if she had spent years screaming orders. Good thing it¡¯s filled with water, Jace thought as he knew the shifting form would make her think it was filled with the ferrofluid. He used his prosthetic arm to remove the bag from around his shoulder and held it over the ledge. ¡°Not a step closer.¡± She lowered her hand, ¡°Terms?¡± Jace put the bag back on his shoulder, ¡°You want the bag? Slowly walk towards me, and I¡¯ll give it to you.¡± He spotted a shark Wayfinder hovering just behind the person. Ollie flew behind him and whispered, ¡°He is querying the system! You have to get within ten feet so I can stop him. Xera¡¯s restrictions can only keep him out for five minutes, tops. But that timer resets if I can get close.¡± The woman nodded and began to slowly approach. Jace whispered back to Ollie, ¡°If we can get out of here, I think it¡¯ll be fi-¡± ¡°If he finishes the query, then people will know your Cosmic Power, Class, Tier, and if enough time is spent querying, he could even find out your real name and faction. He does not need you to stay in line of sight for it.¡± Damnit. Jace knew that if all that information got out, then he would not be as useful an asset to Xera. That would lead to less rare rewards, and a loss of progression pace. ¡°Ten feet?¡± ¡°Ten feet,¡± Ollie confirmed. Jace nodded. Thankfully, he still had his sword in his left hand ¨C and it was completely invisible to his opponent. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± he asked. ¡°Henrietta,¡± the woman replied as she got closer. ¡°Flicker,¡± Jace replied, and he began to walk toward her. ¡°I was going to deliver it, you know. I just got caught up in the whole Cosmogenesis thing.¡± She shrugged, ¡°You¡¯re on the blacklist as a courier. Took too long. Also, they want your feet repo¡¯d.¡± ¡°Closer,¡± Ollie whispered. ¡°The feet got shredded,¡± Jace replied. ¡°I got new legs from a Quest, want to see?¡± He poured as much enthusiasm and naivete as he could into his tone. ¡°Sure,¡± she stated plainly without interest as she moved closer. "Give me the ferrofluid, and you can lea-" ¡°Otter punch!¡± Ollie flew forward and slammed into the mako-shark ¨C who up until that point was just hovering behind Henrietta. Ollie¡¯s paw smacked into it, and it writhed before the two began fighting with each other. It was almost humorous, as they could not hurt each other. But Jace knew that neither would be able to interact with The Cosmic System while engaged. He could focus on the threat in front of him. Henrietta raised her left hand. A cascading icy-blue mist exuded from her palm and rushed towards Jace. ¡°I should¡¯ve guessed you¡¯d try something sneaky.¡± Jace ran to the right in a tight circle ¨C keeping close enough for Ollie to do his thing ¨C and got out of the bulk of the misty cone-shaped Skill. It did touch his left side, and he felt himself grow more tired as his Dark Matter Shield sapped his energy to prevent the bone-chilling frost from reaching him. Raising his prosthetic, he thumbed the release. It shot right past her, and he activated the retraction as it planted into the wall behind her. Shooting forward, he released the cable as he got into range with her and swung his still-invisible weapon. He caught her by surprise, and the blade did not cut into the armor but did carve a gash across the front. The purple miasma began to spread, and she let out a scream of rage. The icy shell around her exploded, and Jace felt extremely tired as he took the point-blank effect head-on, his shield draining even more energy. Dark Matter Shield (Rank 1). The barrier shifted, and he had the heater shield on his right forearm. She swung her frost-laden hammer at him, and he could feel the cool rush of air streaming off the weapon, setting his teeth to chatter. He put his shield up and caught the blow. If not for the magitech prosthetic, he was sure that the force of the blow would have broken his arm. But it held firm. Almost faster than he could react, the woman drew a stockless shotgun from her back and aimed it at Jace¡¯s torso. Nope! He moved in close to her and sliced at the shotgun, cutting it in two at the breach, disabling the weapon. She let it drop to the ground and brought down the hammer once more. To both of their surprise, he was able to duck under her blow as his legs bent in the opposite direction; as if his body was guiding itself to safety thanks to the Swordmage Stance Skill. Oh, that¡¯s useful. Jace used the moment of her being off guard to spin his body around as he came up, slicing along the backside of her arm as her momentum carried her by. The icy shell gone; the dark, purple energy spread over her armor as the slowing effect took its hold. Within the purple, tiny singularities slowly shredded the armor, and the deep crimson nebula burrowed deep. He could see the blood seeping out from her injury. She swung the hammer back at him again. But he kept to her backhand and pivoted with her. Starfire Stride, he thought as he activated the Dragonclaw Devastation Legs¡¯ once per day Skill. His lower body flared with a deep crimson for a moment before a neon purple flame consumed the foot-claws. Wherever his feet touched, the trail of fire burned bright. ¡°Just stay still!¡± she shouted as she pulled out a grenade. Jace jumped back away from her, counting seconds in his head until the fire effect would fade. She brought the grenade up to her teeth, pulled the pin, and threw it on the ground in front of him. Jace had never seen the design before, and he winced slightly as static electricity filled the air as the sides of the object opened. An EMP grenade? He smiled as he knew that Dark Matter being his Cosmic Power meant that electricity and magnetism would not affect him. He took advantage of Henrietta¡¯s momentary lapse from confusion and leaped forward ¨C propelled by his powerful prosthetics. She swung out with the hammer once more, and he got his shield in the way to deflect the blow and swing her off balance. She turned with the spin, drew another grenade, and threw it directly at his feet ¨C all in a single, deft movement demonstrating her battle prowess. There was an explosion of yellow goop that quickly spread and caused Jace to slow down as it coated him in the foam-like substance. For all of a second. The foam was ignited from the fire trail he was leaving ¨C and both combatants were standing in a blazing inferno as the flame spread. She screamed in pain and her body exuded a cool, icy mist as the flames began to die out. But Jace was unaffected, as they originated from his prosthetic¡¯s innate Skill. He took advantage of that and slashed her twice more before she had fully recovered. The purple and crimson nebula slowly spread over her armor from the two wounds.Stolen novel; please report. ¡°Just die!¡± she shouted as she slammed her hammer into the ground. An explosion of sharp, icy spikes shot up from the ground. Jace jumped straight up ten feet, aimed his grapple up at the antenna, and tethered himself to it as the ice below began to radiate a freezing mist that extinguished his flames. Dark Matter Dart (Rank 2), he thought, pointing his sword at the woman. The Skill launched all three darts at her torso, and they tore through the chest armor. Blood seeped from her body before the armor released some type of medical foam that sealed the wounds. Jace felt so, so sleepy, but forced himself to keep his eyes open. The woman below him was heaving from exertion as well, and the icy ground faded away. Jace let himself drop down to the roof once more and assumed a dueling stance with his shield in front of him and his sword extended to his left side. ¡°Just give up,¡± he said confidently, grinning to put her off her game. ¡°I have plenty of energy. I can do this all day.¡± She shook her head and turned on him, ¡°You¡¯re exhausted, just like me.¡± She hefted the icy hammer and grinned, ¡°A straight-up brawl.¡± Jace smirked, ¡°You¡¯ll lose. If you haven¡¯t noticed, I¡¯m kicking your ass.¡± She used her left hand to tap a button on the armor. There was a loud fwsh noise as some type of liquid flooded either into the armor or possibly into her. She charged forward and thumbed the hammer¡¯s rocket ¨C imbuing her swing with insane force. Jace took the blow on his shield and dug his claws into the rooftop. To the woman¡¯s surprise, her strongest blow did not even make him waver, and Jace just grinned at her. He slashed at her wrist at the same time he pushed her hammer away with the shield. She was huffing inside the armor, ¡°This isn¡¯t worth the money,¡± she let the hammer fall to her side, and he heard a laugh come from her. ¡°This just isn¡¯t worth it.¡± Liar. Jace knew a lie when he heard one. He stepped forward and stabbed into her torso. She looked up and him, the helmet a faceless visage, and she grabbed his left, real arm with her hand. Jace cried out in pain as he felt the crushing strength that threatened to snap it in half. She raised the hammer in the other hand and brought it down. He barely got his shield in the way in time. ¡°Not falling for that, eh?¡± She slid her hand down to his and squeezed ¨C breaking his fingers. Jace screamed in pain as he was forced to let go of the blade which became visible as the auras faded. ¡°Oh, invisible sword. Neat trick.¡± Jace backed away when she let go to grab at the sword, pulled it out of herself, and threw it aside. The miasmic glow spread from her torso ¨C but the wound foam that the armor kept pumping out seemed to counteract the effect. She kicked the sword further away. Think Jace. What else can you do? He could try and use the grapple line as a means of injuring her. Or he could just try to keep his distance and hope the [Rending] effect would finish her off. She ran forward with speed that caught him off guard, as she covered the space quickly despite the purple miasma surrounding her. If she were not slowed, he was sure he would have been dead by now. She brought a crushing forehand swing across his body, and Jace barely got his shield in the way. Instead of stopping the blow, he let himself spin with the momentum. She swung with a backhand swing, and he deftly jumped backward. The two kept this pace, back and forth with her on the offensive and him dodging or blocking. The miasma did not spread any further and even started to recede. The purple, at least. The crimson continued as per the Evolution version of the Skill. Jace¡¯s breath was coming to him in ragged inhalations. I need to put her down. Then, an idea popped into his head. Aren¡¯t claws sort of like knives? Might as well try it. Dark Matter Blade (Rank 5) [Rending]. Jace saw his legs imbued with the purple and crimson light. He felt exhaustion kick in and almost fell to his knees from the tiredness that washed over him. To her view, his legs vanished, and he was a floating midsection. ¡°The hell did you just do?¡± She shouted. He smirked and waited for her next blow. She came in with another backhand, and he blocked with the shield once more, spinning with the blow as he performed a kick, feeling his claw impact ¨C he latched down. The armor crunched where he gripped her by the abdomen, and he could feel the crumpling metal give way as he dug into the flesh underneath. The crimson and purple began to spread once more. She tried to turn to get at him, but Jace just let go and pulled his foot back ¨C she could not find it and failed to grab anything. She followed the grab with a shoulder check ¨C and this pushed Jace out over the edge of the skyscraper. He began to fall and felt gravity take hold. Ollie was tugged away from his Wayfinder combat and shouted in alarm at the sudden jerking of his tether tying him to stay within ten feet of Jace, ¡°This isn¡¯t good!¡± he shouted in panic. Jace aimed his prosthetic arm at the edge of the building and fired out the grapple. It sank into the metal building, and he swung in towards the side of the structure, stopping his momentum with his feet. Thumbing the retract button, he ascended, kicking off to build some side-to-side momentum. Henrietta¡¯s head appeared over the edge of the building, and he slammed into that with his clawed foot. Releasing the grapnel with a button press, his momentum carried the two forward and caused the armored woman to fall flat on her back. Jace jammed his other clawed foot down into her torso ¨C using the gash carved by his sword to get deeper. He opened and closed the foot claws over and over ¨C shredding her organs as blood spurted up and out of the wound. The mako-shark that Ollie was fighting vanished as the woman ceased moving. Jace let out an exhausted groan as he stepped out of the woman¡¯s torso and shook the viscera from his feet. ¡°Damn¡­¡± he sat down and took in deep breaths. Ollie flew over to him and landed on his knee. ¡°You beat a hostile Aspirant. Excellent job. Second one you have dealt with.¡± Jace felt the adrenaline fading and the need to sleep crept up on him with even more strength. ¡°Dust her,¡± he muttered. Ollie nodded, raised his little paw, and the corpse vanished into glimmering starlight. <<<<<>>>>> [Stardust Acquired: 100.] <<<<<>>>>> Ollie nodded, ¡°She was worth a good amount. It makes sense, since Earth is a Tier 2 world.¡± ¡°Sword?¡± Jace asked weakly. Ollie pointed to it, and Jace pushed himself to his feet, walked over to his sword, picked it up with the prosthetic arm, and sheathed it. ¡°Those fingers look like they¡¯re in rough shape,¡± Ollie commented. Jace nodded, ¡°I have bandages to set the breaks.¡± He opened the duffel bag and pulled out the medical kit. Inside he found a bottle of pills that were the equivalent of painkillers. He popped several into his mouth before dry swallowing them. Next, he set to work pulling the bones back into place. This was the worst part, and he bit down on the one shoe he still had in his gear to muffle his cries of pain. Just do it! Get the worst of it over! The bones were definitely broken, but Jace had dealt with that before and was able to get them into the right position where they could heal up. After splinting each finger, he bound them all together with clean bandages before refitting the glove to hold everything in place. As the painkillers set in ¨C faster than he expected ¨C he felt himself drifting off to sleep. ¡°Don¡¯t let me fall asleep,¡± he muttered. ¡°Not safe.¡± He felt himself slipping from consciousness despite trying to fight back against it. Ollie flew in front of his face and nodded, ¡°Time to make the most annoying sound that you will not be able to sleep through.¡± He took in a deep breath and began¡­screaming. It was an odd noise to hear, as it came out at a very deep pitch, and the absurdity of the situation made Jace weakly laugh. ¡°What the hell was that?¡± Ollie stopped and frowned, crossing his arms. ¡°The most annoying sound I could think of.¡± Jace kept laughing ¨C perhaps out of exhaustion, or the sheer stupidity of the situation, or the elation of living through a near-death experience. It kept him wide awake for a few more minutes. ¡°Thanks.¡± He got up and made his way back into the skyscraper, holding his breath as he walked past the roof entrance. Descending to the top floor, he found the penthouse suite, shut and barricaded the door, and then collapsed onto the luxurious bed. ? Chapter 21 – A little history and a new ride
The streets of Khrox, The Eternal City, were bustling with the morning commute of the citizenry. Shops and businesses of all kinds had transplanted themselves from their home worlds to Khrox proper. Stardust was the universal currency of the realm. Natural resources were not created spontaneously in the multi-dimensional space between reality and the unreal, and thus the competition to incorporate new worlds by factions was fierce. Greg left Missy¡¯s building ¨C a massive skyscraper that extended far, far up into the bright, white sky above. Not a piercing white, but a warm, cream white that gave a sense of sterility and comfort. Focus on where you want to go. He began walking down the street. There were no vehicles, and so the wide boulevards of black stone were paced out by thousands upon millions of people. The sheer vastness of the species variety still blew Greg¡¯s mind. Most were humanoid with alterations that made them quite distinct from humans, but there were plenty of weird aliens that were decidedly not bipedal humanoids. Greg knew that if you just focused on a location, within a minute of walking you would arrive there. Space would warp without you noticing it, and you would just arrive at your destination. Meet up with Quinn. He kept walking forward, counting down the seconds in his mind as he glanced at the other Aspirants spread throughout the Civilians. Some he gave curt nods of recognition to. Others, he avoided their gaze entirely. Darrin was latched onto his shoulder, the spectral, starry spider an ever-present fixture. Common courtesy was to have the Wayfinder for each Ascendant or Aspirant stick to the physical form of their bound Aspirant while inside The Eternal City. Greg felt the slight uneasy shift under his feet that signaled he had been walking long enough, and the world flashed before his eyes ¨C warping reality as he was on another street with different shops and new buildings. The one he found himself in front of called The Star Archive, as denoted by the brass metalwork on the front doors. ¡°Keep an eye on my back, would you?¡± he asked as he glanced down at Darrin. ¡°Roger,¡± the spider flipped about on his shoulder. In Khrox, Aspirants and Ascendants could engage in combat with each other. It was uncommon, but not unheard of ¨C and Greg had already barely avoided a fight with Pulsar Coalition Signers who wanted to ¡®convince¡¯ him to join their faction. Greg walked into the lobby of the building. There was a long, brass table that extended across a hallway entrance in front of him, and behind that table was a massive archive with thousands upon thousands of books, tomes, and data-screens. Seated at the table was a disheveled-looking humanoid figure. He was dressed in a very unkempt, ragged fashion. His skin was a bluish color, and his red eyes seemed sunken and hollow. A mop of ragged grey hair topped his head. Seated at the table with him were two other individuals. ¡°Hi there. Some person named Quinn here?¡± He had seen and accompanied her for a short time during his Aspirant Trial but didn''t recall much about her. That whole experience was a blur. This woman looked somewhat like her; but better safe to ask than assume. ¡°Good to meet you,¡± the grey-skinned man replied. ¡°This is Quinn Cipher, I¡¯m Mizarion, and this is Shuck. He¡¯s the Star Council¡¯s archivist and historian.¡± Greg nodded and looked at Quinn. Just with a brief glance, Greg knew she was heavy into cybernetics. The way her hand jerked slightly, and the way her eyes focused led him to no other conclusion. Amateur installation job , he thought. She must¡¯ve obtained them illicitly. Quinn smiled and gestured to the seat next to her, ¡°Please, I¡¯m sure you¡¯re interested in hearing about this opportunity.¡± Greg nodded and took the offered seat. The man named Shuck sighed and took a sip from a thermos, and the scent of something analogous to coffee smacked Greg¡¯s nostrils. ¡°Hey, you here to make fun of my writing, too?¡± Mizarion looked at the disheveled archivist, ¡°We would never make fun of your writing.¡± He looked over to Greg, ¡°We were actually just about to have a history lesson.¡± Quinn looked over at Greg and tapped a few buttons on her wrist-mounted interface. A golden screen popped up in the air, facing him. ¡°This is a bodyguard contract. Your services contracted out to defend me. The wage is 100 Stardust a month, courtesy of the Star Council.¡± Greg looked over at Mizarion who he knew from Darrin¡¯s System queries was a higher-up in the Star Council. ¡°Why not have one of your members guard her?¡± ¡°We¡¯re busy,¡± The man replied as he stood up. ¡°It¡¯s a good deal. Just stick around her at The Star Market, and if she needs to go off-world. Of course, if you go off-world, you¡¯ll get an additional stipend. It¡¯s all in that contract.¡± ¡°Darrin?¡± Greg asked as the spider wheeled around. ¡°Mind looking this over? I was never good at legal stuff.¡± The spider nodded and began tapping the hovering screen. Whilst he read it, Greg looked at Quinn, ¡°Why choose me? Hell, how¡¯d you know I even did private security back on Earth?¡± She smiled, ¡°Broker Class Skill. I looked at new Aspirants from our batch who had a background in guard work. It was you, or some lady named Henriette. I went with you, because I met that lady already and she didn¡¯t seem like she had time for my contract.¡± Her eyes whirred in her skull, zooming in or out ¨C Greg could not tell. ¡°Plus, you have a significant other in Khrox. You¡¯re already incentivized to live here. Why not work here, too?¡± Greg chuckled as Darrin gave him the nod. He signed the contract which vanished in a glimmer of gold. ¡°Well, I wouldn¡¯t mind just holding down a shop for a bit.¡± Mizarion stood up, ¡°With that, I take my leave. Quinn, pleasure collaborating with you for these few days. Shuck? Give them the history lesson, please.¡± Shuck sighed and nodded, ¡°Alright kiddos, grab a book.¡± As Mizarion left, Greg grabbed one of the books on the table. It was a deep green cover with a simple, black-lettered title. The Cosmic System ¨C Origins. ¡°Really? We have to read?¡± Shuck smirked and shook his head, ¡°Ah, my Class is Historian, my Advanced Class is Archivist. Just by reading that book, you¡¯ll get the information you need.¡± He clicked his tongue, ¡°But for some reason, all my work comes out as raunchy smut. Don¡¯t get me wrong, it is historically accurate, but it comes off as¡­well, you¡¯ll see for yourself.¡± Well, I am curious about this whole Cosmic System. Glancing over at Quinn, he saw her already a few pages in. If we¡¯re going to be here for a bit, I¡¯d rather do something instead of just sitting around. Greg opened the book cover and began reading the first page. The descriptions of The Architects, the species that designed The Cosmic System, were very elaborate. Every detail was meticulously laid out, but it was not described in an anatomical, textbook way. It was far more sensual than that. Greg looked over at Quinn and the two shared a look. I don¡¯t read much, but this guy is a freak. After reading for about an hour, Greg had finished the book and had a solid understanding of the origins of The Cosmic System. A species created it as the ultimate way to control and harness all possible power sources in the universe ¨C magic, technology, magitech ¨C everything that could generate energy. They used that to ¡®punch¡¯ a hole to a ¡®blank¡¯ reality that they could shape to their desires. All of them left, except for one system technician who stayed behind. No one knew who they were, but it was rumored to possibly be one of the older Ascendants. Quinn let out a sigh as she finished the book and closed it. ¡°Well¡­that¡¯s a lot of information.¡± Shuck had a look of eager anticipation on his face, ¡°So? Did you like it?¡± Greg chuckled, ¡°It was something. Can I take a copy home for my girlfriend?¡± The Archivist frowned, ¡°I assume for the sensual aspects?¡± Greg nodded, and Shuck groaned, ¡°Damnit! I always try to write boring, historical texts. But they always come out salacious.¡± ¡°This is good information, but what I wanted to know about was this hidden faction. The Dark Between Stars,¡± Quinn stated. Shuck¡¯s face paled, ¡°Oh shit. Those guys? Okay, hold on.¡± He stood up and walked into the colossal archive, vanishing into glimmering, white dust. A second passed, and he reappeared in the chair before the two, causing Quinn to jump. ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­ah! The Dark Between Stars. Want me to just get to the juicy bits?¡± ¡°Yes, please,¡± Quinn replied. Shuck cleared his throat, ¡°Ahem. The Cosmic System experienced an outbreak of conflicts between a faction once known as Twisted Apocrypha and the still existing but young Star Council. The Star Council was assisted by an unknown entity, wielding Cosmic Power that could not be quantified or identified. The individual designated themselves as a representative of the Dark Between Stars and fought against Twisted Apocrypha alongside the Star Council. The person destroyed the faction, and then vanished once more.¡± He put the book down, ¡°I removed the saucy bits from my summary.¡± Why is she looking into this secret faction? Greg thought as he looked at Quinn. She had a contemplative look on her face as her eyes continued to telescope inside her skull. What could she possibly want with some hidden, powerful group? After a few seconds, she spoke, ¡°Thank you.¡± She looked over at Greg, ¡°I¡¯m expecting one of these Dark Between Stars people to make a move on Earth.¡±The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°Why?¡± Greg and Shuck asked at the same time. ¡°The Star Council and Nebula Alliance both want it to join their list of controlled worlds.¡± Greg shrugged, ¡°Okay, and?¡± She sighed and stood up, ¡°I think this Dark Between Stars will get involved. I don¡¯t know which side, but their members ¨C historically, at least ¨C show up during faction conflict on a large scale.¡± She looked over to Shuck and dipped her head, ¡°Thank you for your time.¡± He nodded, ¡°Feel free to take copies of any book you want! They¡¯re free to the public.¡± Quinn led Greg out of the building, ¡°Let¡¯s head back to my shop.¡± She began walking down the street, and Greg was a step behind her. Protector¡¯s Vow, Greg thought as he targeted her. He saw the faint, brown symbol hovering above her head that denoted he was now going to get any damage aimed at her redirected.
Jace woke up in a wonderfully soft bed ¨C albeit a dusty one. Sitting up slowly, he felt intense, pulsing pain in his left hand. Right. Broken fingers. He sighed and rolled out of the bed. Digging through his satchel, he got his messenger bag and took several sips of the still-chilled water. That was followed up with two of the ration pouches. As he was finishing up his meal, the pop of Ollie manifested sounded off behind him. ¡°Hey. How¡¯d you sleep?¡± ¡°Well, all things considered,¡± Jace replied as he popped a few of the painkillers from the med kit. ¡°Ready to check out that hypercycle downstairs.¡± Ollie stopped moving and his eyes went black. His mouth opened, and Xera¡¯s voice came through. ¡°Hey, just giving you a quick update. First off ¨C good job at dealing with that other Aspirant.¡± Jace vividly recalled the gushing blood, and glancing down at his foot claws, saw the dried blood on them. For a moment, he felt a pang of remorse. But that was quickly pushed aside by the knowledge that the woman had attacked him from behind with an ice or cold Skill, and fully intended to get that package. Whether he was dead or not. ¡°I¡¯m okay,¡± he mumbled as he choked down another one of the painkillers. ¡°Well, I just wanted to remind you that you shouldn¡¯t leave Velenar Prime until you¡¯ve hit level 25. Stay there until the diminishing returns for Stardust accumulation kicks in.¡± Jace nodded, ¡°Thanks for the Quests by the way.¡± ¡°I have to keep my Signers well equipped,¡± she replied. ¡°Any suggestions on where to go next?¡± ¡°Accessing the planetary reports, it looks like the Black Hole Conclave has some type of mining operation set up a few hundred miles away from you.¡± She went silent for several moments, and Jace sat in rapt attention waiting for her voice to return. ¡°Shit. They¡¯re drilling a borehole to the core.¡± ¡°That¡¯s bad why?¡± ¡°They want to install an engine that uses the planet¡¯s core as its energy source. One that would propel the planet to the black hole at the center of the universe. ¡®Feeding oblivion¡¯, as they would put it.¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound good,¡± Jace stated. ¡°But wouldn¡¯t that take¡­millions of years?¡± ¡°Magic exists ¨C though it¡¯s a pain in the ass to wrangle into the constraints of a mechanical device. The engine they have can bypass the rules of physics. Faster than light, effectively. It¡¯s mostly running on magic ¨C however, that works.¡± ¡°Why not just propel stars into the black hole instead? That would be more matter than a planet, right?¡± Xera let out an exasperated sigh, ¡°I don¡¯t know why the Black Hole Conclave is only snagging worlds to propel to the center of the universe. There¡¯s plenty I don¡¯t understand about the more esoteric parts of The Cosmic System. My brother dealt with the magic and magitech stuff ¨C I primarily focused on the actual science and technology.¡± Jace nodded, ¡°Sorry for being nosy.¡± It doesn¡¯t make much sense though, from the little I know. Stars are way bigger than planets. If they wanted to make this black hole bigger, they¡¯d want to feed it the biggest things possible, right? But, as she had said, magic and magitech also existed. It might not make sense to me, but I¡¯m sure it has some logic behind it. I just can¡¯t comprehend it. ¡°Alright. Destroy the engine. Seems simple enough.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to set up a Quest. Give me a moment here-¡± <<<<<>>>>> [Quest: Stop the Black Hole Conclave¡¯s activities on Velenar Prime.] [Time Limit: 12 days.] [Reward: Stardust.] [Sender: Dark Between Stars.] <<<<<>>>>> ¡°You can give Stardust as a reward?¡± Jace asked. ¡°Couldn¡¯t you just give me all of the Stardust I needed to max out my levels?¡± Xera let out a disappointed sigh, ¡°I wish. But that is one of the safeguards in place when we first made The Cosmic System. The Stardust reward I¡¯ll be giving you is from my personal stores. And, that¡¯ll tap my funds for a good few days. I figured since the Black Hole Conclave Signers themselves won¡¯t be worth much, this would be the best way to ensure your progression.¡± ¡°Makes sense,¡± Jace replied. ¡°But¡­ I don¡¯t even have to kill anyone. Just stop their activity.¡± ¡°Correct. But they are fanatical devotees, every one of them. Hellbent on destroying the whole universe by feeding that supermassive black hole all matter in existence. Killing them isn¡¯t reprehensible. You¡¯d be making our reality a better place.¡± He nodded and began to pack up, ¡°Any ideas on how to stop them permanently?¡± ¡°On that world, destroying the engine they plan to install would set them back months. There¡¯s no way to permanently stop them from trying to take this planet and send it to the universe¡¯s center.¡± No way to permanently stop them. So, I¡¯ll be coming back here to disrupt over and over again¡­unless¡­ an idea popped into his head. ¡°Doesn¡¯t the Pulsar Coalition hate them? Can¡¯t we bring them in also?¡± ¡°Already on it. But they won¡¯t get there before the engine is installed. Once that¡¯s done, then the Black Hole Conclave will start to bulk up defenses around the engine. You need to strike while they¡¯re vulnerable.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Jace replied as he removed the barricades at the door. ¡°We¡¯ll give it our best shot.¡± ¡°Talk to you soon,¡± Xera said. Ollie¡¯s eyes returned to normal, and he shook his head. ¡°Exciting stuff, getting involved in faction conflicts.¡± Jace began walking down the hallway, to the stairs, and descended to the ground floor lobby. ¡°Yeah. Why do they want all the universe to be fed to this singularity?¡± Ollie¡¯s voice became dour and gruff, ¡°Troxanir, the Endless Hunger. The only Tier 9 Ascendant, and it claims to be a physical manifestation of that black hole. It started up the faction and promises a ¡®paradise¡¯ on the other side of the singularity.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t the members of that faction just jump onto spaceships and fly to the center of the universe? Why take everyone with them?¡± ¡°It is sort of like a crusade. They want to ¡®save¡¯ everyone by forcing them through the singularity. The only way to do that is to grow the black hole by feeding it enough matter.¡± Jace went through the smashed-open doors and paused ten feet from the hypercycle. ¡°Can you pop over there and look for any traps?¡± Ollie flew forward, around and inside the machine. ¡°Nope. Looks like you are clear.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never driven a vehicle,¡± Jace stated as he walked over and began opening the various compartments. He truly found little save for rations, water, a med kit, and fuel. ¡°How does a person even turn it on?¡± Ollie¡¯s eyes went black, and a few seconds passed. A screen appeared in front of Jace ¨C a simplified user¡¯s manual. ¡°Here you go.¡± Jace looked through the start-up section of the guide as he took a seat on the vehicle. Following the instructions was easy enough, and he winced as he had to use his broken, splinted fingers to manipulate one of the hidden switches to power it on. It thrummed with power and vibrated under him, causing his teeth to rattle. Okay. You¡¯ve got good balance. Just take it slow. He steadily applied a soft touch to the accelerator, and felt the vehicle move forward. Lifting his legs and setting them on the pegs, he went in a straight line as he got used to the balance portion. ¡°Now you turn by leaning,¡± Ollie said as he settled on Jace¡¯s shoulder. Well, hovered above the shoulder. Jace leaned slightly as instructed, and almost fell off the bike. He planted his leg down on the concrete instinctively, and to his surprise, the hypercycle swung around in a fast, hairpin turn. As he steadied his posture, he pulled his leg away and found himself traveling in the opposite direction. You¡¯ve got this. Now just a little more acceleration¡­ The vehicle began to speed up, and Jace had to lean down towards the body of the rumbling hypercycle as it pulsed under him, vibrating even harder as he sped off down the cracked road. ? Chapter 22 – A reunion and betrayal
Jace got used to the rumbling engine and bumpy road quickly enough, and was able to ride along the cracked, broken roads with little issue. He did not even have to navigate around obstacles as the path was cleared of any debris. You¡¯d think that they would have vehicles with all of this open road, he thought. Abandoned when people went through Cosmogenic Merging. But he had not seen anything of that nature. Maybe they had some type of public transport that eliminated the need. Riding a vehicle was something he had never experienced before. The rush of wind through his hair when he poked it above the windshield, the strong thrumming of the behemoth under him, and the exhilaration of sheer speed was a thrill that coursed through his whole being. Ollie was flying alongside and above him, constantly scanning the environment in a slow, bobbing circle. He flew down next to Jace¡¯s ear and practically had to shout over the roaring engine, ¡°You are being followed! Brontasps!¡± Jace looked over his shoulder and saw a horrific sight that shook him to his core. Snakes the size of small dogs were slithering over the landscape at a ridiculous speed. Traveling in a pack of five as the suns shone down from on high. How are they keeping up? Jace looked down at the speed gauge and grimaced, Oh. Only 50 mph. To someone who had never gone that fast before? It was an insane speed. But apparently these things were far faster, as they gained ground on him. ¡°They have a top speed of seventy miles per hour!¡± Ollie shouted once more. ¡°You can go faster and outrun them or fight them!¡± I¡¯d rather get more Stardust. ¡°What all can they do?¡± He shouted back as he accelerated a bit faster, wanting to maintain his current distance until he had all the information. ¡°They will try to surround you, take nips with venomous fangs that will paralyze, and then drag you back to their nest. They are ferocious and will not run off even if there is only one left. They¡¯re not as tough as the Vyrknadine are, but they are faster!¡± Right. Okay. Dark Matter Shield (Rank 3). The faint purple film covered his body, and he stopped accelerating, letting the vehicle slow down at its own pace. The Brontasps closed the distance and were thirty feet away when Jace dug his clawed foot into the ground, spun the bike around, and came to a stop. With a single deft movement, he dismounted and drew his sword, wincing as he did so because of the broken fingers, and then tossed it to his prosthetic right arm. Dark Matter Blade (Rank 5) [Rending]. The blade ignited with purple and crimson fury as the Brontasps finally reached him. One charged right at him while the other four circled around him. The lead one struck out and Jace¡¯s Swordmage Stance (Rank 3) guided his body to deftly bend around the strike. He struck down, severed the head entirely, and then pivoted with the momentum of the swing. Wow. These things are way weaker than the Vyrkn-things. Jace felt his energy drain slightly as one of the creatures in his blind spot struck out and buried its fangs into his shield. Jace wheeled around and lopped its head off with ease as it writhed down to the ground. The other three all struck out at once. An idea popped into Jace¡¯s head, and he swung his sword in a rapid spin. The creatures couldn¡¯t see it, and with the single, circular cleave, he carved into the mouths and heads of each. Not decapitating blows ¨C the angle for that was wrong ¨C but the miasmic purple and crimson coated their heads as the black micro-singularities spread. All three creatures recoiled away and writhed on the ground before coming to a stop. ¡°That wasn¡¯t too difficult,¡± Jace stated as he looked around for any others. He winced as he heard the hypercycle clatter to the ground. Right, the kickstand. Ollie held up his paw, ¡°Dust them?¡± ¡°Go for it.¡± <<<<<>>>>> [Stardust Acquired: 500.] <<<<<>>>>> ¡°100 each?¡± Jace asked as he sheathed the weapon and let the shield fade. ¡°That seems pretty damn good.¡± ¡°It puts you at 895 right now,¡± Ollie replied. ¡°You could always go searching for their nest.¡± ¡°Are they invasive like other things?¡± ¡°Querying¡­no. Does not look like it.¡± Jace nodded, ¡°Would killing them mean that the prey animals get out of control with breeding and end up starving themselves?¡± ¡°The Neeshk? Yes. They would eventually overpopulate.¡± Jace walked back to the hypercycle and pulled it upright, ¡°Then I¡¯m not going to go take out their nest.¡± Ollie flew up and put himself in front of Jace¡¯s face. ¡°Why not? They are worth 100 Stardust each for adults. You could get a lot of levels out of it.¡± ¡°Xera¡¯s faction is about keeping the balance of The Cosmic System, right? I don¡¯t think that upsetting and unbalancing the ecosystem would be keeping the balance. If she wanted me to clear them out, she¡¯d give a Quest, wouldn¡¯t she?¡± Ollie opened his mouth as if to say something but stopped himself and frowned. ¡°I cannot fault that logic.¡± Jace refueled the hyperbike and stowed the empty jug of fuel. ¡°How far can this take us?¡± ¡°About 500 miles on a single tank.¡± ¡°Is that far enough to get to these Black Hole Conclave Signers?¡± ¡°Yup!¡± Jace nodded and revved the engine, swung the vehicle around, and took off towards his destination.
Quinn stepped through the portal with Greg by her side. Valerie flew just above her, and Darrin was hovering just above Greg¡¯s head. The two Wayfinders pulled up a map of the world. ¡°Velenar Prime,¡± Valerie stated as the globe slowly spun. ¡°Remember, purple and yellow flowers,¡± Quinn said as she looked around the portal-arrival location. The field they were in was a lush, off-white color. ¡°Right. The more we get the better,¡± Greg stated as he knelt next to the grass. ¡°Correct,¡± his spider Wayfinder replied. ¡°The purple goes for 4 Stardust, the yellow is worth 7.¡± Quinn looked up at the bleak, grey skies and spied a few black clouds floating on the horizon. ¡°They¡¯re both night blooms, correct?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Valerie replied. ¡°See how this grass is off-white? It¡¯s been picked dry. We¡¯ll have to go farther to find the stuff.¡± Greg shook his head as he stood up, ¡°How far?¡± ¡°Twenty miles,¡± Quinn said as she manipulated the floating globe and zoomed in on a region just to the South of them. ¡°And remember, this world has daytime and nighttime predators.¡± Greg nodded and shouldered his heavy load. A large, two-person tent that could have an electrical charge pulsed through the fabric along the exterior to keep wild animals away. ¡°As long as we don¡¯t take longer than a week. I¡¯ll keep an eye on the rations.¡± Quinn smiled and nodded as she led the way South through the grasses, her telescoping Cybereyes Mk. 3 scanning the horizon for any trace of hostility.
Jace traveled through the day, only stopping to fight another group of the Brontasps ¨C adding another 700 Stardust to his reservoir ¨C before he found another one of the small neighborhoods that he could take shelter in. As he pulled the hypercycle to a stop, he put the kickstand down and stretched. His fingers were healing up nicely. Much faster than a break should heal up. Ollie attributed the rate of recovery to the serum. Jace had also been hungrier and ate double the number of rations he had on prior days. Again, Ollie theorized that his body was metabolizing more calories to increase the rate of healing. The science didn¡¯t make sense to Jace, but in summary Ollie had said, ¡°Just eat more and you should heal faster.¡± Jace kicked down the door of one of the buildings, went inside, and then shoved it back into place. After securing the other entrances with ancient, abandoned furniture, he scarfed down even more survival meals and drained a full canteen. I need to find a water source to refill my canteen, he thought. Ollie floated down to the floor and then into it, poking his head up as if he was submerged in water. ¡°Ready to level up?¡± ¡°We¡¯ve got three stored up, right? And an Evolution?¡± ¡°Yup. 1595 Stardust. 1500 for 3 levels.¡± ¡°Ok. Let¡¯s max out Dark Matter Dart at (Rank 4) for 2 levels, and then I want some type of Skill that will give me stealth, or an invisibility field, or cloaking. Let¡¯s use the Evolution on Dark Matter Shield.¡± Ollie reached into the ground ¨C into his little extradimensional pocket ¨C and threw the Stardust at Jace. It filled him with warmth once more. Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. <<<<<>>>>> Name: Jace Seren (Aspirant, Tier 1) Power [Class Level.]: Dark Matter [Swordmage 14.] Skills: Skill Name (Rank) [Evolutions.]: Universal Translation, Environmental Adaptation, Dark Matter Blade (Rank 5) [Rending], Dark Matter Shield (Rank 3) [Reflecting.], Swordmage Stance (Rank 3), Dark Matter Dart (Rank 4), Dark Matter Cloak (Rank 1), Starfire Stride (1/day) Stardust: 95 Equipment: Swordmage blade, Swordmage starting gear, Wirecannon Arm, Dragonclaw Devastation Legs, Runner''s Replacement (damaged), messenger bag, sliverscreen, survival knife, survival meals (x76), canteen (x4), medical kit (x2), orange tarp (damaged), flint bar, flashlight, 40x arc reactor components. Boons: None <<<<<>>>>> Dark Matter Dart (Rank 3) - As Rank 2, but launch 6 darts at a single target, or spread across multiple targets. Dark Matter Dart (Rank 4) - As Rank 3, but launch 9 darts at a single target, or spread across multiple targets. Dark Matter Cloak (Rank 1) - Covers the user in Dark Matter, rendering them invisible. <<<<<>>>>> [Using Boon: Legendary (Skill Evolution).] [Applying to Skill.] [Skill Name: Dark Matter Shield.] [Evolution Name: Reflecting.] [Effect: The shield will redirect the harm intended on the user back onto the attacker. Drains energy each time damage is reflected regardless of manifested Rank.] <<<<<>>>>> ¡°That¡¯s useful,¡± Jace said. ¡°What exactly does invisible include for the Dark Matter Cloak?¡± ¡°You can¡¯t be seen.¡± ¡°Tsk. Annoying. I thought it would make me impossible to find.¡± Ollie smiled as he paddled at invisible waves of starlight upon the floor around him, ¡°Those are higher ranks. Here, I¡¯ll show you.¡± <<<<<>>>>> Dark Matter Cloak (Rank 2) ¨C As Rank 1, in addition renders the user untraceable. Dark Matter Cloak (Rank 3) ¨C As Rank 2, in addition renders the user undetectable. <<<<<>>>>> Jace nodded and began to make himself a comfortable spot to sleep in the corner of the front room. ¡°I suppose that makes sense. So, I need two more levels before we hit those Black Hole Conclave guys.¡± ¡°If you want to run it as a stealth Quest? Yup.¡± Jace nodded, ¡°Thanks, Ollie. Goodnight.¡± ¡°Sleep tight!¡± Ollie vanished with his signature pop.
Quinn got out of her sleeping bag and sat up as her internal clock went off, ringing in her mind. Quietly, she set up the small camp stove and cranked the generator that spun up an electric hot plate. Greg let out a massive yawn and sat up, ¡°Morning. What¡¯s for breakfast?¡± Quinn chuckled and shook her head, ¡°Just some warmed-up sludge.¡± ¡°Mmm, sludge. My favorite.¡± Greg smiled as he got out of the sleeping bag and began rolling it up. Both of their Wayfinders appeared with a faint pop noise. ¡°Good morning!¡± Valerie tweeted out as she landed on Quinn¡¯s shoulder. ¡°One more day of travel and then a full night of flower picking!¡± Quinn nodded, ¡°Yeah. I think a few more nights and we¡¯ll be full up of what we can carry back.¡± Greg frowned as he finished rolling up the sleeping back. ¡°That Vyrknadine last night was a tough son-of-a-bitch. Took four shocks!¡± He reached over for the electricity-imbued cudgel known as a Stunstick. I¡¯d be screwed if you weren¡¯t around, she thought. She had been bending over, picking the various flowers when a growling came from right in front of her. She was thrown to the ground and a horrific creature bit down on her. But she felt no pain. Instead, Greg screamed out in pain, pulled his weapon, and went to work beating the creature to death. It was a violent, gory encounter¡­and Quinn was given a newfound fear of the man who was protecting her. He was dangerous, no doubt about that. Thank God he¡¯s on my payroll. Patching him up was messy work, as the bite that would¡¯ve clamped down on her shoulder instead appeared on his. If we get attacked again, by surprise, we¡¯re screwed. She only had a knife to defend herself with. Her ears perked up as she heard a sound. A whining, whirring, growling sound. ¡°Do you-¡± Greg was already on his feet, Stunstick in hand, and his body was covered in a rocky crust. ¡°Stay in here.¡± He went outside the tent. His spider went with him. Quinn turned off the stove, set it to the side, and crouched with her knife drawn, waiting. The sound of the hypercycle ¨C a common sound out in the badlands that extended outside of Sydney ¨C came closer before it came to an abrupt stop. She heard Greg shout something, another person shouted in return¡­and then laughing? Valerie looked up at her, ¡°It sounds like whoever it is isn¡¯t hostile.¡± Greg opened the tent flap with a huge grin on his face, ¡°You won¡¯t believe it! I found one of my old contacts! Come on outside.¡± Quinn got out of the tent and followed Greg¡¯s footsteps with her eyes. He walked over to a cloaked and hooded man with a sword hilt strapped to his waist, weird, prosthetic legs, and a singular prosthetic arm. She telescoped in on the face as he turned to her, and gasped. Holy shit. He¡¯s alive? Henriette should¡¯ve killed him. The woman sent by General Logistics was a heavy hitter. Maybe she hasn¡¯t found him yet. She began walking closer and noted the model of the hyperbike. Nope. He must¡¯ve killed her and taken that. ¡°You¡¯re level 14 already? That¡¯s crazy! I¡¯ve just been saving up my Stardust to buy some sweet stuff for my gal,¡± Greg was talking in a very relaxed manner. ¡°Yeah,¡± the familiar-to-Quinn voice replied. ¡°Missy, right? How¡¯s she doing?¡± Quinn rummaged through her memory database and pulled up the conversation with the courier from the small meeting before the Aspirant Trial. Definitely him. ¡°Jace?¡± The man turned to her, and she got a good look at him, ¡°Oh. Quinn, right?¡± He made a hand gesture ¨C palm facing inward in front of his chest, with the middle, pinky, and thumb curled inward leaving the index and ring finger sticking out. She walked closer and looked at his arms. ¡°Looks like you lost something.¡± The courier grimaced and nodded, ¡°Yup. My right arm, and both my legs.¡± ¡°Shit, dude,¡± Greg replied. ¡°Mind showing me?¡± Jace nodded and pulled his pant legging up, revealing a deep, crimson metallic color with black lines. Most noticeable were the almost hawk-like claws where the feet should be, and the weird, omnidirectional knee joint. He also rolled up his sleeve the rest of the way and she saw that the metal integrated with the flesh¡­perfectly. Too perfectly. He used the ferrofluid. That¡¯s going to keep a big target from General Logistics on his back. Quinn knew that if they got ahold of him, they could dissect him and filter out the CIF. He would remain a high-profile target once they got word that their agent failed in the recovery task. He pulled his sleeve back down. ¡°I completed a few Quests for the prosthetics.¡± He tapped the hypercycle, ¡°And I took this after taking down an ice-using Aspirant from General Logistics.¡± Quinn felt a sense of shame and guilt. The type that burrowed deep and wouldn¡¯t let go. She had set a corpo goon after a fellow street kid ¨C one of the worst betrayals possible. But I was bound by Broker contract, she thought. Despite that, the guilt still festered in her chest. A spectral river otter appeared from inside the hypercycle. ¡°Hi, I¡¯m Oliver. Ollie to my friends.¡± He frowned and crossed his cute paws, ¡°You are not my friends¡­yet.¡± Greg chuckled and gestured to the spider on his shoulder, ¡°This is Darrin.¡± ¡°And I¡¯m Valerie!¡± the flitting bird exclaimed. Oliver nodded as he floated out towards Valerie, ¡°You¡¯re the one who gave us the heads-up about the Nebula Aspirant. Thanks for that.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Jace swung his leg off the vehicle and stood up. He was a bit taller than Quinn remembered from their brief meeting, and he was much, much more muscular. ¡°Wait. Quinn¡¯s Wayfinder told us we were being hunted?¡± He looked into Quinn¡¯s eyes, ¡°How did you know we were being hunted?¡± ¡°I¡­sort of¡­gave the corpo the information,¡± Quinn muttered as she looked away ¨C unable to look him in the face. She could feel the anger directed her way. Jace turned back to the hypercycle and pulled his hood back up, ¡°The snake-things are easy to kill, but they attack in groups during the day. The wolf-things ¨C Vyrk-whatevers ¨C those are harder to kill. Get on their back, and they can¡¯t hurt you easily.¡± The voice was monotone; completely devoid of emotion. He looked at Quinn, and she saw the disappointment and feeling of betrayal in his gaze. He turned the hypercycle on and sped away with his Wayfinder. Damnit, Quinn thought. I just alienated a huge asset. She glanced at Valerie and whispered, ¡°Was his symbol the one we researched?¡± ¡°Yup. Dark Matter. And we only got that information because X let me through the firewall. So, we are lucky in that regard!" Great. An asset with a super unique Cosmic Power. Stupid, Quinn. Broke the code and shot yourself in the foot. She sighed and looked at Greg, ¡°Come on, let¡¯s eat breakfast.¡± ? Chapter 23 – Introspection and interceding
The rumbling of the engine was the only accompaniment to Jace¡¯s otherwise silent travel as night began to fall. He was fuming at the fact she broke their code. One of the first rules of the street was that you never sold-out fellow street folk. Only if you were threatened with death or grievous injury was it acceptable. Seeing Greg brought him a bit of joy. The two had been business partners on several occasions, and had even gone out for drinks a handful of times when Jace could afford it ¨C before he became responsible and rescued his sister from the crappy orphanage. Greg was a good man with a solid work ethic. Not one of the street folk ¨C but good people, nonetheless. Ollie floated up next to his ear, ¡°You have a Brontasp nest coming up on the right side of the road!¡± He pointed and Jace followed the otter¡¯s paw to a junk heap with several cave-like holes. Good. I need to vent. Jace stopped the hypercycle when he got up alongside it, popped down the kickstand, and drew his sword as he dismounted. Dark Matter Blade (Rank 5) [Rending], Dark Matter Shield (Rank 3) [Reflecting.]. The blade ignited with purple and crimson fury, and the shield that popped around his body was no longer just a smooth, simple barrier encompassing his form. Small, aura-like whisps of purple energy wicked upward before dissipating. Ollie flew in front of him and at his maximum height. ¡°Here they come!¡± And he was right, as the Brontasps ¨C that must have been settling down to sleep for the night ¨C came out of the different holes all around the giant trash pile. 12? That¡¯s a bit excessive. Jace grinned and held up his still-injured left hand. ¡°Dark Matter Dart (Rank 4).¡± He felt his arm shake as his energy depleted to fuel the Skill. Nine, deep, purplish-black darts streaked out from his palm and struck dead-center into the skulls of nine Brontasps. They fell silently, wriggling for a moment before stilling. And just like that, 12 becomes 3. Those three descended on him, and they performed the same pack-hunting tactic he¡¯d dealt with already ¨C one took the lead, and the others circled to strike from behind. Jace swung out at the one approaching from the front, cleaving its head clean off. The other two struck his shield, and he felt his arms sag from how tired he became. But, looking back at the two creatures ¨C they had recoiled, and their heads were severely damaged from the [Reflecting.] damage. Jace followed up on their recoiling forms with two deft chops, putting them down. He heaved with exertion ¨C the Skills having taken more energy out of him than actual fighting had ¨C and he sat on the ground as Ollie dusted them. <<<<<>>>>> [Stardust Acquired: 1200.] <<<<<>>>>> Jace planted the blade in the ground and let the Skills fade. Ollie flew over to him, ¡°That¡¯s enough for two levels.¡± ¡°And¡­maxing out¡­Dark Matter¡­Cloak.¡± Jace shuffled back to the hypercycle and plopped himself onto the seat. Letting his frustration at Quinn¡¯s betrayal fizzle with his waning stamina. Note to self; Reflecting takes a lot of my energy if combined with the (Rank 3) Shield. Ollie nodded, ¡°Want to level up now?¡± ¡°No point¡­in holding off,¡± Jace replied as he chugged some water from a canteen. I still need to refill these. I¡¯ve got less than a full canteen left. He had four of them in total so he could carry a few days¡¯ worth, but he¡¯d tapped out all the water he had gathered from the research post hidden location. The otter threw Stardust at Jace, and he felt a warmth spread through him. <<<<<>>>>> Name: Jace Seren (Aspirant, Tier 1) Power [Class Level.]: Dark Matter [Swordmage 16.] Skills: Skill Name (Rank) [Evolutions.]: Universal Translation, Environmental Adaptation, Dark Matter Blade (Rank 5) [Rending], Dark Matter Shield (Rank 3) [Reflecting.], Swordmage Stance (Rank 3), Dark Matter Dart (Rank 4), Dark Matter Cloak (Rank 3), Starfire Stride (1/day) Stardust: 295 Equipment: Swordmage blade, Swordmage starting gear, Wirecannon Arm, Dragonclaw Devastation Legs, Runner''s Replacement (damaged), messenger bag, sliverscreen, survival knife, survival meals (x74), canteen (x4), medical kit (x2), orange tarp (damaged), flint bar, flashlight, 40x arc reactor components. Boons: None <<<<<>>>>> Dark Matter Cloak (Rank 2) ¨C As Rank 1, in addition renders the user untraceable. Dark Matter Cloak (Rank 3) ¨C As Rank 2, in addition renders the user undetectable. <<<<<>>>>> Nice. Now I can sneak around and there¡¯s no way for anyone to find me. I¡¯ll have to test how much energy it drains and how quickly¡­but this could be a game changer. ¡°Oh crap,¡± Ollie stated as he looked off to the South. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Emergency Quest.¡± <<<<<>>>>> [Quest: Rescue Quinn Cipher.] [Time Limit: ASAP.] [Reward: Uncommon (Information) Boon.] [Sender: Star Council.] <<<<<>>>>> Oh, so now they want me to save the person that betrayed me? Jace shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m not going there to save Quinn.¡± ¡°Are you su-¡± ¡°Greg¡¯s with her. I¡¯m going to make sure he is okay. And, if I save her in the process, it¡¯s a bonus.¡± Jace revved the hypercycle and took off to the South, across the plains as the flowers began to bloom in the night.
¡°Get back you fuckers!¡± Greg shouted as he stood with his back to the tent. The exterior was electrified, and Quinn was hiding inside of it. Facing him down were two Vyrknadine predators. He had bashed the chitinous shell of one of them and had managed to break a few of its legs. The tent was meant to ward off curious predators, not bloodthirsty ones that already got a whiff of prey. If Greg retreated inside, they would tear at the fabric; better to fight out in the open where he could maneuver at least. The other one was untouched, and it was the larger of the two. Greg¡¯s Stunstick thrummed with electricity, and he held it out to keep the creatures at bay. ¡°Any ideas?!¡± he shouted. Quinn¡¯s voice came from inside the tent, ¡°I put in a Quest! Just hold on!¡± For how long? Greg thought as the uninjured creature took a nip at his Shockstick, and he bashed it on the snout ¨C jolting back away from him. He was still coated in a rocky shell ¨C but these creatures had taken chunks out of it with their initial surprise attack. He didn¡¯t even see them coming out of the grassland. Ambush predators. He kicked himself for not being more vigilant. One of the two ¨C the uninjured one ¨C leaped forward. He shoved his arm into its mouth ¨C trusting in the strength of his earthen shell to keep him safe ¨C as he drove the Stunstick into the side of its head. This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. The creature locked up, but the injured one took advantage of the opening to clamp down on his shoulder. Greg felt the teeth start to get past the armored shell and into his flesh. Grunting against the pain, he drove the Stunstick into the creature¡¯s head ¨C driving through the thin ¡®temple¡¯ part of the skull. The one with his arm jammed down its throat let out a keeling whine before it flopped flat, dragging him prone to the ground with it. The one tearing at his arm pulled him away and flung him back and forth like a chew toy. The Stunstick stuck in the downed one, and Greg felt himself bashed over and over as he was tossed like a rag doll from side to side, impacting the dirt with painful thuds that sent shockwaves through his body. His vision started to get hazy, and he heard a loud roaring noise right above him. There was a rush of air that split apart and carved a path through the grassland. Blood sprayed out over his body and the tension against his shoulder vanished as the predator¡¯s jaw went limp. What happened? He thought as he sat up, his body protesting at the movement and telling him to stay on the ground. Ignoring the pain as he¡¯d done countless times before, he pushed up to his feet and looked around. There was the hypercycle Jace had been riding¡­but no one was on it. The vehicle came to a stop, and Greg could make out the spray of dirt from the side of it. ¡°Quinn?¡± he shouted out as he looked at the still sealed sparking tent. ¡°I¡¯m fine!¡± she shouted back through the fabric. Jace appeared in front of him riding the hyperbike; as if he was there the whole time and suddenly appeared. He turned the vehicle off, dismounted it, and a quiet descended upon the small battlefield. ¡°You alright?¡± he asked. Greg nodded and let out a laugh of exhaustion as he leaned back onto the ground and let the earthen armor fade away; the rocks clattering off and sloughing away. ¡°That was close .¡± The tent opened and Quinn poked her head out, ¡°Thank God you got the emergency Quest.¡± Jace just frowned. His spectral otter companion raised its paw, but Darrin flew up, ¡°Hold on! You don¡¯t get to take all the Stardust.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± Oliver asked. ¡°We saved your Aspirant from death.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Jace said as he waved Oliver off. He walked over and held out a hand to Greg. Greg accepted the help up. ¡°You okay? Other than the shoulder.¡± Greg nodded, ¡°Just the shoulder.¡± He cracked a smile, ¡°How¡¯d you get here so fast?¡± Jace looked back at the hypercycle that clattered onto the ground, ¡°I went way faster than I was comfortable with going. That thing has some type of turbo mode. It guzzled all the remaining fuel.¡± ¡°Well¡­damn. Sorry about that.¡± Jace waved the concern away, ¡°I should be able to get my other Quest done in time. Speaking of¡­¡± he looked to Oliver, and there was a flash of light-blue starlight that came from the river otter. ¡°Quest completed.¡± Jace looked past Greg to Quinn, who was still staring from the tent entrance. ¡°Th-thank you,¡± she muttered. Jace looked back to Greg, ¡°We each dust one of them. Sound good?¡± Greg blinked in confusion, ¡°Sorry. Dust them?¡± Jace raised a quizzical eyebrow, ¡°You¡­you can turn things you kill into Stardust. Did you not know that?¡± The river otter flew over one of the Vyrknadine corpses and held his paw out over it. The creature¡¯s body vanished, turning into liquid starlight that flew into his cute, little paw. ¡°Dusted,¡± he stated as he flew over to Jace¡¯s shoulder and wrapped himself around the back of his neck like a fancy scarf. Greg looked to his spider Wayfinder, ¡°Can we do the same?¡± ¡°Yup.¡± The spider flew over to the other Vyrknadine. <<<<<>>>>> [Stardust Acquired: 500.] <<<<<>>>>> ¡°Whoa,¡± Greg stated in awe. ¡°That¡¯s¡­so much!¡± He looked at Jace, who was stripping the hypercycle of his gear and valuable components, ¡°How much did you get?¡± ¡°500 Stardust,¡± Jace replied. ¡°The adult ones are worth that much. The smaller ones ¨C I¡¯m guessing their pups ¨C are 300 Stardust.¡± He looked up at Greg with a smirk, ¡°I also fought a three-headed one.¡± Quinn came out of the tent and walked over to Greg, ¡°Can I patch you up?¡± Greg nodded, ¡°Sure.¡± He stood still as the woman fussed over his shoulder, cleansing it with some type of disinfecting powder, and then wrapped the wound. The powder numbed his shoulder, and he couldn¡¯t feel any discomfort. ¡°Thanks.¡± Quinn went over to Jace and made some hand gestures that Greg was not familiar with. Jace frowned and made some gesture back to her. She returned a few more gestures. Jace¡¯s frown turned to a scowl. ¡°I came here for this Quest because I knew Greg was here. That¡¯s all. I¡¯m not interested in associating with someone who broke the code.¡± Greg was not keyed into this ¡®code¡¯ ¨C he didn¡¯t grow up on the streets. But he knew that across the world ¨C Earth ¨C this underclass had strong ties. They had a shared identity, and apparently, some strict rules. ¡°Jace, man. I don¡¯t know what you both told each other, but it¡¯s all goo-¡± The courier shook his head, ¡°No! You never give up another street kid!¡± He pointed at Quinn with the prosthetic arm, ¡°She broke the code.¡± Greg walked up next to Quinn, ¡°Chill out. You¡¯re an Aspirant ¨C a strong one. I mean, you dealt with that thing instantly. And you turned invisible! Who cares about some code from another life you lived?¡± He wrapped his good arm around Quinn¡¯s shoulder, ¡°Plus, now you have a Broker who owes you.¡± Quinn nodded, ¡°I¡¯ll make up for it. I promise.¡± She was shaking slightly, and Greg felt his protective nature come out as he rubbed her shoulder reassuringly. ¡°25%,¡± Jace replied bluntly. ¡°Off of anything I buy from you. And I get 25% more Stardust from stuff I sell you.¡± Quinn answered quietly, ¡°Okay.¡± Jace made a gesture with his fingers, touching the pinky of his right hand to the palm of his left, shouldered his large satchel, and began walking away. ¡°Stay safe, Greg. Those things ¨C get on their spine to stay out of their bite range.¡± Greg nodded as his old friend walked off into the tall grasses. Quinn walked back to the tent and sealed it up behind once Greg got inside also. She began laying out her supplies, slightly trembling as she did so. Greg looked at Darrin, ¡°I want to level up. How much Stardust do I have?¡± Darrin flew down and his spindly legs caressed Greg¡¯s arm. ¡°1915. What Skills do you want to Rank up?¡± ¡°Three levels? Hmm. Let¡¯s do one Rank into each existing Skill.¡± ¡°Okay, incoming!¡± A stream of starlight emitted from Darrin¡¯s legs and Greg felt his body warm up. <<<<<>>>>> Name: Greg Bhastal (Aspirant, Tier 1) Power [Class Level.]: Planet [Protector 4.] Skills: Skill Name (Rank) [Evolutions.]: Universal Translation, Environmental Adaptation, Protector''s Vow (Rank 2), Planetary Defenses (Rank 2), Planetary Retribution (Rank 2) Stardust: 415 Equipment: Protector''s starting gear, Pheracorp deflection matrix, Stunstick Boons: None <<<<<>>>>> Protector¡¯s Vow (Rank 2): As Rank 1, damage redirect effect halves the damage transferred to the user Planetary Defenses (Rank 2): As Rank 1, and the speed/nimbleness reduction is reduced drastically. Planetary Retribution (Rank 2): As Rank 1, but the efficacy is three quarters. <<<<<>>>>> That is awesome, Greg thought as he chuckled. Looking over at Quinn, he saw her bundling into her sleeping bag. ¡°You okay?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Quinn turned to him, and he could see the sad look in her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m¡­I broke the code.¡± Her voice dropped to a whisper and she made the pinky-to-palm gesture Jace had made, ¡°This means ¡®I forgive you.¡¯ I know he won¡¯t hold it against me.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like you didn¡¯t pay some price, from the little I know about you. A permanent 25% discount? That¡¯s steep.¡± Greg leaned back onto his sleeping bag. But if this code is so important¡­maybe it¡¯s an appropriate punishment. He smiled to himself, not concerned with this code he barely understood. He had his own code to live by. And one of the first things he would do when Jace made it to The Eternal City would be to buy the man who just saved his life a nice, ice-cold beer. ? Chapter 24 – Breaking locks and condemning the Conclave
Jace trudged along the path that Ollie had laid out in front of him. Saving Greg was something he was happy to do ¨C despite it costing him the hypercycle¡¯s remaining fuel. He got Stardust and some of the vehicle¡¯s components. The betrayal stung ¨C but he had forgiven the trespass on the street folk code. That is what his last gesture to her meant; he forgave her. But not for nothing: a permanent 25 percent discount and trade-price improvement for going through Quinn to buy or sell goods. She paid for breaking the code, he thought. Ollie flew above him ¨C at his maximum tether height to keep an eye out as he turned in a circle. ¡°We¡¯re about four days out on foot from your destination.¡± ¡°We¡¯ve got what, eight days left?¡± Jace asked. ¡°Yup.¡± Jace nodded and used the time traveling to practice. He wanted to figure out the exact amount of time it would take to drain his energy from the new Ranks of Dark Matter Cloak. Several hours of experimenting ¨C with a few stops to catch his breath ¨C resulted in him getting a rough estimate for each Rank. Rank 1 is about an hour if I sustain just that. Rank 2 is half that. Rank 3 is about ten minutes. He found another one of the abandoned prey-holes to tuck into for the evening, repeated his tarp trick, and slept with sword in hand. The night was uneventful, and he took off again in the morning. ¡°Hey Ollie, question.¡± ¡°Go for it,¡± he replied as he continued bobbing above Jace¡¯s head. ¡°Is there a way to increase my energy? A way I can use Skills more often without getting tired?¡± ¡°Cardio,¡± Ollie replied. ¡°The more endurance and stamina you have, the more you can use.¡± ¡°How do my prosthetics play into all of that?¡± Ollie floated around his head, ¡°It should mean that your endurance lasts longer than most others because you are not using up energy from moving your legs or arm ¨C well, you are using a lot less. Just the connective tissue.¡± He smiled, ¡°You could always use that Information Boon to find out exactly what the effects are.¡± ¡°I think someone in The Eternal City will have an answer to that. I¡¯d rather save the Boon for something else.¡± The two continued on in silence, but Jace was wracking his brain for what he could ask with the Boon. I could ask about some type of secret. Maybe dig up information on a person? The Black Hole Conclave is still unknown. ¡°I want to use the Boon,¡± Jace stated. ¡°The guy at the top of the Black Hole Conclave.¡± Ollie nodded and waved his paws in the air as a screen filled Jace¡¯s vision. <<<<<>>>>> [Using Boon: Uncommon (Information).] [Query: Information about Troxanir.] [Answer: Known only as Troxanir, they are from Oblivion¡¯s Edge. They have the Cosmic Power known as Black Hole, and the Ascended Cosmic Power known as Singularity. Their Class is Warrior at level 100, and their Advanced Class is Archmage at level 80. Their species is unknown and unquantifiable. Current residence in Oblivion¡¯s Edge. Leader of the Black Hole Conclave. [HIGHER RARITY REQUIRED]. <<<<<>>>>> So, some information is hidden behind a higher requirement. Interesting. Jace looked up at Ollie as the message faded from his vision, ¡°Well, that was a lot of the same information we already knew. But knowing their Class and Advanced Class might be helpful if we end up going up against them.¡± Ollie frowned, ¡°Yup. Looks like it. Warrior focuses on fighting up-close and personal ¨C pretty versatile. Archmage means that he could throw around literal singularities or even age items through entropy until they turn to dust.¡± His tone was somber and there was a trace of fear underneath it. Jace felt the same fear, knowing that this entity would be able to obliterate him. ¡°We have to be careful in Khrox, since they could attack me.¡± ¡°Yup.¡± Ollie smiled, ¡°But you can become completely undetectable now. Plus, I am sure Xera can manipulate the city to keep you two from interacting. Troxanir will not even know we are the ones who mess up this operation. I think we just have to keep Wayfinders from identifying who you are.¡± ¡°Easy enough. I Cloak, get close, and kill them.¡± Jace replied. ¡°You¡¯re a killer through and through, aren¡¯t you?¡± Ollie said with a little wry smile. ¡°No,¡± Jace replied. ¡°I¡¯m not just some killer. These guys? Sure. They want the literal death of everything.¡± He grimaced, ¡°I don¡¯t know much about science stuff, but I did like visiting the museum when I could, and the space exhibits were my favorite.¡± He looked up at Ollie, ¡°I know that everything turns to spaghetti-something when it hits the center of a black hole. This faction wants that to happen to everyone? It¡¯s a death cult.¡± ¡°They don¡¯t turn to literal spaghetti,¡± Ollie said with a slight chuckle. ¡°It¡¯s called spaghettification. They get stretched out and all twisted up as they are compressed.¡± Jace shrugged, ¡°My point is the same. They are people that want the universe to end. It doesn¡¯t feel wrong. I don¡¯t feel like I¡¯m doing something bad. Hell, Xera is telling me I have to stop them with this Quest.¡± He felt a sense of justification. Righteous justification. ¡°I¡¯m doing the right thing.¡± ¡°And that ¡®oblivion awaits all¡¯ mindset is why the other factions hate the Black Hole Conclave. Well, except the Nebula Alliance ¨C they will sell or buy from anyone.¡± I bet I¡¯ll end up interacting with those two factions frequently, Jace thought as he shouldered his satchel and kept on walking. I¡¯d also wager given the way Earth was heading, that the Nebula Alliance is going to take over. It¡¯ll just become more of a corpo-dominated place. They continued onward, making camp three more times before arriving at another city as night fell. This city was not a resort like the prior one. The buildings were all uniform in height and distance from one another. Ten story-tall boxes lined up in a grid pattern. Side streets were big enough that a small car could drive down one. The environment reminded Jace of an office park. And there was movement. Jace saw a group of people down the street. He quickly ran over to an alleyway and pressed himself against the wall. Ollie followed him and poked his head out around the corner. ¡°Identifying,¡± he stated. Jace drew his sword and manifested the Dark Matter Shield (Rank 3), as well as his Dark Matter Blade (Rank 5) [Rending]. He poked his head around the corner and could only make out the vague shapes of upright people walking around, moving crates and boxes. I really need something like binoculars, he thought. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Ollie turned around and looked at Jace with a resolute expression, ¡°Black Hole Conclave Signers. All of them. They have a variety of Cosmic Powers at their disposal.¡± Ollie grinned, ¡°They look like they¡¯re getting ready to set up camp for the night.¡± Jace nodded, ¡°Then we wait until they go to sleep, strike silently, and take them out.¡± He went down the alley and cautiously made his way forward towards where the Black Hole Conclave members were setting up their camp in the middle of the road. They aren¡¯t setting up in a smart way, he thought as he found a vantage point to spy on them from. They¡¯re just in the middle of an intersection. It¡¯s good for preventing ambushes if you have enough people, but they¡¯d be safer in a building. Jace looked at the building he was next to and ran his hand along it. The substance was solid metal just like the other buildings in that resort city. He jerked his hand away as he felt a beat inside the metal structure. As if someone had hit it with metal and the vibration reverberated through the entire structure. ¡°Ollie, any idea what that was?¡± Jace whispered. Ollie flew into the side of the building before coming back out a moment later. He had a look of sheer panic on his face. ¡°Cloak. Now!¡± Dark Matter Cloak (Rank 3), Jace thought. The purple light surrounding him from the shield turned into a near-black, purple hue as he was rendered invisible, untraceable, and undetectable. From his earlier testing, he knew he could keep this up for about ten minutes before he would be exhausted. ¡°Don¡¯t talk. Just let me,¡± Ollie said, his voice trembling. ¡°It is¡­You remember those nanite-covered Velenians?¡± Jace nodded. Yeah, the zombie-like things. They were easy to deal with. Ollie gulped audibly, ¡°There are hundreds in that building. They are¡­weaker? But there are way more.¡± An idea went through Jace¡¯s mind, and he cracked a smile. Moving along the edge of the building towards the Black Hole Conclave members, he made it to the front of the building. Now that he was closer to the Aspirants, he could make out their attire and weaponry. All of them were dressed in some type of black, leathery armor with metal rivets and studs. They had cloaks on with a white, circular emblem on the back. Their weaponry was varied ¨C but all of them were melee weapons. No ranged combatants? Jace mimicked shooting a pistol with his hand and then pointed at them. Ollie seemingly picked up on Jace¡¯s confusion, ¡°Projectiles are easier to block or dodge. And firearms are unreliable given the multitudinous worlds on The Cosmic Corridor. Most Classes focus on melee weaponry or Cosmic Power manifestation ¨C like a Mage.¡± The Conclave members were setting up a perimeter ¨C taking some type of foldable mesh out of their bags and pouches, planting metal spikes into the ground, and creating a barricade of some type. Jace watched in awe and jealousy as the spikes sent a beam of energy up into the air a good twenty feet before lines of deep, brown energy connected them. Electric fence. Smart way to make camp in the open. Jace went over to the set of doors that led into the office building. They were sealed shut tightly, and placing his ear against them, he could hear the faint sound of shuffling inside. Time to let the horde out. He slashed at the lock with his sword, the metallic clang echoing in his ears ¨C but completely undetected due to his Dark Matter Cloak. He made sure to catch the lock so it wouldn¡¯t hit the ground. Slowly, very slowly as to not alert the Conclave members, he opened the door and came face-to-face with one of the Velenian zombie people. Jace threw himself back as the horde streamed out, shrieking and screaming. The Conclave members began shouting in panic as tens, then hundreds of these zombie-like humanoids slammed into the barrier surrounding their camp. The barrier sparked and zapped with the deep, brown energy ¨C and the Velenians were turned to ash. But they kept swarming. Jace kept far away from the chaos, crossing the street. ¡°Go inside this one,¡± Jace whispered. ¡°See if there¡¯s more.¡± Ollie poked his head through the wall before pulling it back and nodding, ¡°Hundreds here, too.¡± Jace looked back and saw that the Conclave member¡¯s barrier seemed to be holding as the line of zombies trickled to a slim flow. I wonder how much that barrier can take. Jace cut through this locked door caught the lock, and let the second swarm loose. They charged forward toward the barrier, and the Conclave members stood on the other side, weapons brimming with various energies. The barrier sparked, zapped, and thrummed¡­before fading. The swarm descended, and Jace observed as the makeshift camp turned into a chaotic mess. Raising his right hand, he grappled the side of the building and got up above the fray, clinging on with his feet as he saw the battle unfold. The Conclave members were throwing around blasts of gravity ¨C waves of purple that shot outward in a shockwave and forced the Velenians to the ground. The pressure increased even more, and they turned into a fine paste from the force of gravity weighing down on them. Another cluster was carved through with a line of grey-white energy that desiccated them before disintegrating their forms. More splashes of colors and elemental energies ¨C fire, water, blasts of air, shards of metal ¨C all went flying into the horde of creatures and devastated their numbers. The energy threw off cascading arcs of residual power, and Jace could feel the heat, cool, wind, and even felt his energy drain slightly as metallic shrapnel reached him. They¡¯re winning, Jace thought as the Conclave members held firm. He raised his left hand ¨C now uninjured and fully healed, holding the sword ¨C and focused on the eight targets. I¡¯m assuming there is a horde in each of these buildings. Then, a thought struck Jace. These doors were locked from the outside. These people were locked in there to die. Jace felt a sense of unease at using these zombie-like figures that were condemned to such a terrible fate ¨C succumbing in the dark. But he shook the feeling off. They don¡¯t have higher brain functions. The magitech nanites took that away from them. This is setting them free. Dark Matter Dart (Rank 4). He had one spare dart that he sent towards the lock on another door across the street. The other eight sped to the Conclave members ¨C one apiece, focused on their torsos. He felt extremely weak, and his Cloak faded away as the bolts of invisible-to-others, purplish projectiles flew out. The darts blew holes through the armor of the Conclave members. The sudden injury that all of them suffered was enough to let the horde turn the tide. The lock he shot across the street clattered to the ground, and another group of zombie-like creatures swarmed out. The situation grew dire, and Jace saw the Aspirants struggling to hold off the rush of monstrous forms. They had seemingly expended all their energy. One of them, with the Cosmic Power symbol of a Black Hole on his hand, screamed out. ¡°Oblivion awaits!¡± ¡°Get up higher!¡± Ollie shouted. Jace aimed his prosthetic, fired up, and ascended. Glancing back down, he saw reality begin to distort and warp. A small, black dot he could barely make out appeared in front of the Aspirant. And then reality collapsed with a roaring, distorted slurp sound. The space around the newly created singularity twisted and warped as everything within a fifty-foot sphere vanished. The horde was gone, the camp, all the Aspirants. There was nothing but a fifty-foot-deep hole in the center of the crossroads. ¡°Ollie¡­what was that?¡± ¡°It was a Skill. I did not have enough time to figure out that one¡¯s Class, but I would bet that it was something akin to a Battle Mage. Think of that as a more generic Swordmage.¡± ¡°Are they all dead?¡± Jace asked. ¡°Yup. Every one of them. Too bad this wasn¡¯t the main force with the drill.¡± He crossed his little arms, ¡°They would rather go to their oblivion than die to these things.¡± Jace felt disappointment. I was hoping to get a ton of Stardust out of this. ¡°Do you think every one of these buildings is filled with more of these people?¡± ¡°Yes. But to verify? Only one way to find out.¡± Ollie made a swinging gesture, ¡°Swing to another building and I can check.¡± Jace nodded, aimed the grapple at the next building across the alley, and swung over. He clamped his feet onto the new structure, and Ollie flew inside. He poked his head back out and nodded, ¡°Yup, more in here.¡± ¡°This would be an easy way to get a lot of Stardust,¡± Jace replied. ¡°I can just recover my energy, go invisible, and clear out every building.¡± Ollie nodded, ¡°Yup. That would be a smart play. But we are on a time crunch. At this rate, we will barely make it to the Black Hole Conclave¡¯s site. We cannot spend long here just farming Stardust.¡± We can come back later. They aren¡¯t going anywhere. He looked out at the few still milling about the street, aimlessly wandering. I can come back through this way and rack up a ton of Stardust. He used the grapnel arm and his feet to keep swinging from building to building, making it to the edge of the city before he clambered down and continued the journey towards his Quest. Chapter 25 – Encroaching threats and discussing pasts
The next day passed without incident, and Jace took cover in an abandoned building that evening. ¡°We are almost there,¡± Ollie said as he floated up and swam in the air above Jace. ¡°Map please?¡± Jace asked as he set to fortify the entrances and windows with whatever furniture was lying about. Ollie nodded and waved his paws. The projection of the world appeared, hovering in front of them both. The dot representing them was about a half-day travel from the destination of the Quest. ¡°Did you still want to hit them at night?¡± Jace nodded as he lay down, ¡°Yeah. A few hours of sleep. Hopefully, they have water. I¡¯m almost out.¡± ¡°They should,¡± Ollie replied. ¡°If they plan on installing this engine into the planet to then defend it. Many species across The Cosmic Corridor require water or something that you could drink that would pass for it.¡± Jace nodded and shut his eyes, ¡°If you end up seeing Quinn or Greg¡¯s Wayfinder, tell them to steer clear of that one city with the zombie hordes. I want that Stardust to myself.¡± ¡°Yup.¡± There was a pop, and Jace tried to relax and let sleep take him.
Ollie appeared in the Starlit Sea. Almost immediately, Xera¡¯s screen opened a private communication channel with him. ¡°Oh, hi!¡± Ollie said with a wave. He saw Josie behind Xera, and¡­she looked concerned. Xera looked like a mess. Disheveled hair, unkempt clothing. Normally, she was a bit run-down looking; but this was uncharacteristically messy. ¡°Been putting out fires all day,¡± she muttered. ¡°We¡¯ve got a problem. My other four Aspirants from this last batch who became Signers¡­they were killed.¡± Ollie frowned and crossed his arms, ¡°What? How?¡± ¡°It looks like the Nebula Alliance. They¡¯re completely invested in Earth. And my other Signers went back almost right away ¨C despite my trying to warn them that their Tier was too low.¡± She grimaced and he could tell that she was holding back tears as she was talking to him. ¡°You and Jace are my only option now. You have to get to Tier 3 as soon as possible. Get back to Earth. Stop the Nebula Alliance from taking over.¡± ¡°How do we stop a whole faction?¡± Ollie asked with genuine curiosity. ¡°That will be, what, tens of thousands of Aspirants?¡± Xera swept her hair out of her face, ¡°We have an ally in that capacity. The Star Council has already been making moves with one of the most powerful government entities of that world. I¡¯ll be allying you with them, once you¡¯re at Tier 2 and start getting the diminishing returns from Velenar Prime.¡± Ollie nodded. He knew well enough that once Jace reached Tier 2, all Stardust income from a Tier 1 world would only reward 50% of the possible amount. Once he achieved Tier 3, then he would get nothing from the Tier 1 world. ¡°What about the Planetary Independence Pact? I thought they had a stake in Earth as well.¡± ¡°There isn¡¯t a singular, strong Aspirant that can achieve Tier 3 or higher and pass their Ascension Trial fast enough to step up and take the reins of the world. We have a month, maybe. The Planetary Independence Pact is going to support the Star Council in their endeavors. And so is the Dark Between Stars.¡± That means we will not be dealing with the Black Hole Conclave on Earth ¨C too many moving parts. And since they will not show interest, the Pulsar Coalition will also be staying out of it. ¡°Earth joining the Star Council. Sounds like a plan.¡± Ollie saluted, ¡°We will get to Tier 3 as fast as we can, and then head to Earth.¡± That way he will suffer far less harm than he would if he was Tier 2. Her face relaxed slightly, but there was still a look of concern. ¡°How is he doing?¡± ¡°Jace is doing just fine,¡± Ollie replied. ¡°He¡¯s committed to the cause. We took out ¨C well, they took themselves out ¨C a group of Conclave members.¡± ¡°And he didn¡¯t raise any qualms about that?¡± ¡°Nope. He was fine with it.¡± ¡°Good. Just make sure you keep his sanity in check. I don¡¯t want him going into some psychotic break from what he¡¯s going through.¡± Ollie chuckled, ¡°If what he has already been through has not given him that break, then I do not think anything we come across will shake him. Heck, he even dealt with a betrayal of some type of code from a Broker.¡± ¡°Oh! That¡¯s Valerie¡¯s Aspirant,¡± Josie said as she filled the screen in front of Xera ¨C much to The Architect¡¯s annoyance. ¡°I¡¯ve seen Quinn a few times in the System, perusing files.¡± ¡°Well, she betrayed Jace by selling out information about him. It is fine, though. He forgave her in exchange for a huge discount on prices.¡± Xera smirked, ¡°Good. Then we already have some ties with the Star Council, so Jace won¡¯t be reaching out to their faction out-of-the-blue when he goes to offer his assistance.¡± She looked at Josie, ¡°I¡¯m off to bed. Deal with the evening affairs, please.¡± ¡°Goodnight, Xera!¡± Ollie said as he waved.
Jace woke up with a start. There was a noise outside of the building he had barricaded. Dark Matter Cloak (Rank 3), he thought as he drew his sword. There was muttering outside, and he could barely make out the conversation. ¡°Patrolling this far out sucks,¡± a high-pitched, female voice stated. This was followed by a pang noise of something being kicked, and a curse. Jace moved to the window and peeled away a tiny corner of the tarp he put up the night before. He could see a woman dressed in some type of armored jumpsuit; metal pads covering her torso, thighs, and forearms. She had a helmet on, as well ¨C but her ponytail was pulled through a hole at the top. Most prominent was the glowing symbol for Black Hole on her hand, and the symbol Jace had seen on the cloaks of the Conclave members, emblazed on the back of her uniform. Ollie appeared with his pop right behind Jace, and the woman turned to the building. Jace stayed completely still, knowing that she could not see him. ¡°Uh oh,¡± Ollie said. He clapped his paws together and starlight expanded to the edges of the room. ¡°She is a Signer, so no Wayfinder for her ¨C but better safe than sorry.¡±If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Jace shook his head and raised his hand ¨C pushing it under the slight gap in the tarp and out the window. Dark Matter Dart (Rank 2). Three bolts of purple energy shot from his palm ¨C one into the woman¡¯s head, one into the center of her chest, and the other into her thigh. At the same time, he thumbed the ¡®fire¡¯ on his grapple. All the projectiles impacted first, and the woman gasped as the air escaped from the hole in her chest that suddenly appeared. A split-second later, the grapple hit her, and Jace retracted the line, pulling the woman¡¯s body to a stop at the edge of the building, just below the window. ¡°Brutal,¡± Ollie said. ¡°Necessary,¡± Jace replied. ¡°She was doing a morning patrol. If she found me, well, who knows what type of communication they have with each other.¡± He pulled the tarp from the window, stepped through, and inspected the corpse. She was human ¨C fully human. So, she¡¯s gotta be Tier 1 like me, Jace thought. He looted her remains but only found two items of value. Another canteen that he quickly drained, chugging down the vital fluid, and a circular object inscribed with arcane runes. Different ones from those he had found already on this world. ¡°Oh, I am familiar with those runes,¡± Ollie stated. ¡°They are from a world one of my other Aspirants died on. Tier 3. This is like a magical communicator. You could use this to listen in to their conversations.¡± ¡°That sounds usef-¡± ¡°And they can track it. That is the downside,¡± Ollie frowned and flew up, so his head was just over the edge of the building. ¡°Looks clear. Only the one scout.¡± I can carry the communicator with me for the time being, Jace thought. If I¡¯m getting close to their base, then it¡¯ll seem like their person is still alive and patrolling. I can ditch it when I get closer. Maybe find someone else to plant it on, so it keeps moving. He pocketed it and stood up. ¡°Dust her,¡± he instructed as he let the Dark Matter Cloak drop. <<<<<>>>>> [Stardust Acquired: 10.] <<<<<>>>>> Her corpse and all the remaining gear turned to Stardust. He felt the weight leave his pocket. Oh, right. Gear gets dusted along with them. ¡°Can¡­someone detect that this communicator went missing?¡± Ollie frowned, ¡°Yes. Damn, I did not think of that before dusting her. They will know that the device was disabled.¡± He looked at the place where the corpse once was, ¡°What would cause a human to join the cult of nihilism that embraces oblivion?¡± ¡°Revenge. I bet she lost everything on Earth. When you¡¯re kicked down enough¡­well, sometimes you want to just burn it all.¡± Jace went back inside and began packing up. ¡°Did you ever feel like that?¡± ¡°Once, before Chroma,¡± Jace replied. ¡°I used to run with a street crew that would try and take down some minor corpo operations. You know, bust into a store or two and boost everything valuable we could get our hands on. I stopped that once I rescued Chroma. That¡¯s when I started my courier work.¡± ¡°You were successful at it, yes?¡± Jace finished packing up and left the building, ¡°I was a freelancer, so, yeah. I was good enough I could have gone onto a corps¡¯ payroll. But I liked the freedom to choose my own gigs.¡± He smiled fondly, recalling his early evenings back in the small lean-to he had constructed as his and Chroma¡¯s makeshift home in an alley. ¡°I could always get back to her every night. I couldn¡¯t do that if I worked for a corp. I¡¯d be working all the time. Just like my mom did.¡± Ollie floated around Jace¡¯s shoulders and settled on them like a scarf. Jace couldn¡¯t feel him, but the closeness was¡­soothing, in a way. They had grown comfortable enough with each other at this point that there was not any lingering hostility. ¡°Your mom, did she want to give you up?¡± Jace nodded and recalled the memory as if he were reading it from a historical text ¨C devoid of emotion. ¡°She was part of General Logistics. She had us in a small apartment owned by the corp. When I was¡­six? She put me into the orphanage run by the corp. Well, they called it ¡®long term daycare,¡¯ but I was effectively abandoned. She never visited. I got out of there when I was twelve and learned from street folk how to survive.¡± ¡°And Chroma?¡± Jace felt sadness at her name. ¡°She¡­mom had Chroma when I was fourteen. I got her out of the orphanage when she was five.¡± Ollie winced, ¡°It was that bad, huh?¡± ¡°Yes. That place was an indoctrination school to make us into workers for the corporation. I got her out of there as soon as I could. Mom didn¡¯t even care. She was working higher up in the chain and focused on her career.¡± Jace felt anger run through him. Burning him up from the inside, nestling into a small, writhing knot of heat in his guts. ¡°She fucking abandoned her kids for her career .¡± ¡°I am sorry.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be,¡± Jace snapped back. ¡°She¡¯s a bitch that left us.¡± ¡°¡­Are there any good memories you have about her?¡± ¡°Why are you pushing this?¡± Jace asked. ¡°I am your lifelong companion. I think I should know as much about you as possible.¡± Jace nodded, ¡°That makes sense.¡± He smiled slightly as the anger faded into a less tangible feeling in his chest. Still there but pushed aside as the one happy memory of his mother resurfaced. ¡°She would let me sit on the bed with her and would scratch my head and run her fingers through my hair. She called me something, but I don''t remember what...¡± He frowned as he realized¡­he didn¡¯t even remember her face. Not that he wanted to, but the fact he didn¡¯t know her face anymore was just a further testament to how insignificant she was in his life. ¡°You could find her. Back on Earth, I mean. Give her a piece of your mind.¡± ¡°No,¡± Jace replied. ¡°I want nothing to do with her.¡± Ollie nodded, ¡°Understood. Thank you for being open with me.¡± Jace frowned, ¡°They can¡¯t just worship oblivion and destruction," he said wanting to redirect the conversation. "What else is the Conclave about?" ¡°Their sales pitch is that paradise exists beyond the singularity at the center of the universe.¡± Jace had heard of paradise before; some person came to the orphanage when he was younger and tried to convert them to something called Neo-Christianity, claiming that if he believed, he would go to some place called ¡®heaven¡¯ which was a paradise. But few believed in religion anymore. And they were very¡­peace-oriented. A far cry from these Conclave people. That does make me wonder though¡­is this ¡®heaven¡¯ place really beyond a singularity? Chapter 26 – Where there’s a drill, there’s a way
Jace trudged onward towards the plume of dust that became visible just on the horizon. The location where the Black Hole Conclave was boring a hole towards the center of the world, to install some type of weird, magic engine that could propel the planet to the center of the universe. ¡°What¡¯s our best approach?¡± Jace asked. Ollie manipulated a three-dimensional map of the world that zoomed in on their location. ¡°There¡¯s a ravine that goes near the site. You could use that to approach, then use your Cloak to get in closer.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve got enough Stardust for a level, right?¡± ¡°Yup!¡± ¡°And I¡¯ve maxed out all of my current Skills.¡± ¡°Also, yup.¡± I¡¯ve got offense up close, defense regardless of distance, a ranged option, and the cloak. I could use something that I can plant down ¨C like a trap of some type. ¡°Is there anything that could be used as a trap?¡± ¡°Give me a moment.¡± Ollie¡¯s eyes went black as he stopped moving. A few seconds passed and he shook his head, the light returning to his eyes. ¡°Yup! There¡¯s a sub-type included in Dark Matter ¨C Dark Energy. It applies negative pressure ¨C the opposite of gravity, effectively.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s cool. Anti-gravity. So, could I make, like, an anti-gravity mine? Something I can plant on the ground as a trap?¡± ¡°Yup!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s do that.¡± Ollie pulled Stardust from his little extradimensional pouch and threw it down on Jace. The warmth spread through his torso. <<<<<>>>>> Name: Jace Seren (Aspirant, Tier 1) Power [Class Level.]: Dark Matter [Swordmage 17.] Skills: Skill Name (Rank) [Evolutions.]: Universal Translation, Environmental Adaptation, Dark Matter Blade (Rank 5) [Rending], Dark Matter Shield (Rank 3) [Reflecting.], Swordmage Stance (Rank 3), Dark Matter Dart (Rank 4), Dark Matter Cloak (Rank 3), Dark Energy Mine (Rank 1), Starfire Stride (1/day) Stardust: 305 Equipment: Swordmage blade, Swordmage starting gear, Wirecannon Arm, Dragonclaw Devastation Legs, Runner''s Replacement (damaged), messenger bag, sliverscreen, survival knife, survival meals (x62), canteen (x4), medical kit (x2), orange tarp (damaged), flint bar, flashlight, 40x arc reactor components, 2x hyperbike components Boons: None <<<<<>>>>> Dark Energy Mine (Rank 1) - Places an invisible trap that lasts for 10 minutes. Upon activation, removes gravity from all objects in a small radius for 30 seconds. <<<<<>>>>> Jace looked up at Ollie, ¡°How big is a small radius?¡± ¡°Five feet from the planted location.¡± ¡°And how long does it remove gravity for?¡± ¡°Thirty seconds.¡± Jace smiled, ¡°I think we have a counter for the Black Hole powers.¡± Ollie looked at him, confused for a moment before his eyes widened. ¡°Oh. Wow. You¡¯re right. This could be used to remove gravity¡¯s influence on you ¨C so it would negate a singularity-type effect.¡± Jace nodded and headed towards the ravine that Ollie showed on the map, ¡°Exactly. And I can use my legs or grapnel to stay tethered to a solid surface, so I¡¯m not affected.¡± ¡°Unintentional genius,¡± Ollie quipped. ¡°Okay. Time for you to drop the starlight form and do that outline thingy again.¡± ¡°Yup!¡± Ollie¡¯s form shifted and became the silvery outline of a river otter. He stuck close to Jace¡¯s shoulder. ¡°The ravine is going to take you close to their site.¡± Time to be sneaky, Jace thought as he bent his knees slightly to better control the volume of his footfalls. He dipped into the ravine ¨C whitish colored grasses dipping down into the space alongside him ¨C and slinked through the winding path. A small stream trickled under him, flowing in the same direction as he traveled. I¡¯ll have to come back here and refill my canteens. The sound of voices reached Jace¡¯s ears, and he used his fingers to trace the pattern for Dark Matter Cloak (Rank 1). Rendered invisible, he crept forward until he could see two armored figures ¨C very similar in dress to the other Conclave members he had seen in that city a few days ago. ¡°I swear, it¡¯s getting hotter and hotter down there,¡± the first one said. ¡°That¡¯s what happens when you get closer to the core. Soon enough they¡¯ll bring in some Conclave members of a species that is mostly made of rock.¡± The second individual turned to the first one, ¡°This your first time sending a world to oblivion?¡± The first one nodded, ¡°Yeah. First time.¡± Ollie moved his mouth up to his ear, ¡°They¡¯re both Tier 1.¡± This is going to be too easy. Jace got out of the ravine and easily made his way past the two guards. ¡°Why not kill them?¡± Ollie whispered once more. ¡°It could cause alarm,¡± Jace replied. ¡°The Quest is to stop their activities. Disabling the drill should do it. And they aren¡¯t worth much Stardust compared to the predators here.¡± He continued forward through the grasslands. Thankfully, the enormous plume of dirt and debris that was being kicked up a few thousand feet away was blowing in the opposite direction. This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. As he approached, he had to pause as patrols went by ¨C but none noticed him. They¡¯re relying primarily on vision, Jace thought. Creeping forward he got to the edge of the drill site. A large groove had been carved into the ground ¨C like a moat ¨C and the dirt piled up behind it to make a simple barricade. The rod-like spikes were placed in the ground, and the brackish-brown energy cascaded across the gap. Jace slipped into the moat and went around the outside edge until he got to an opening. Two guards were standing there. They both were dressed in heavy armor ¨C like that Nebula lady that Jace fought. They held huge glaives with sparking, crackling tips. The symbols on their hands indicated that they had Planet-based Cosmic Power. I have to get past them. They were hulking brutes of people ¨C and their helmets were extended outward. One of them looked right at Jace, and he froze. Dark Matter Cloak (Rank 3), he thought. ¡°What is it?¡± the one who didn¡¯t look at him asked. ¡°I smelled something.¡± The one that had looked at Jace walked over to him, and he scrambled out of the moat and made for the gap now left by the guard who went to where Jace was standing. ¡°There¡¯s a scent trail here!¡± The person pulled off their helmet and Jace got a good look at them. They were a dog-person with an elongated snout that sniffed at the air. ¡°Someone was here. This way!¡± He ran off down the moat that Jace had been traveling along, and the other one turned to the inside of the protected space. ¡°We need more on the perimeter! We might have an intruder!¡± Jace got inside the barrier, past the entrance, and got next to a bunch of stacked boxes marked as supplies. A group of Conclave members went past him, shouting orders and barking commands as they reinforced the perimeter. And just like that ¨C I¡¯m in, and the guards inside are reduced. He smiled at the lucky occurrence. The dust continued to be carried away into the distance by the wind, and Jace could finally take in the whole of the operation. He was on the top-most level of a terraced dig site. Rings descended down to the bottom of the pit, where an enormous, building-sized metal tube was vibrating and whirring, with plumes of dirt, rock chunks, and smoke shooting out of various apertures. Each terraced level had tents, equipment, supplies¡­at a guess, Jace figured with two people to a tent, they had around a hundred people here. ¡°There¡¯s a lot of them,¡± Ollie whispered. ¡°We don¡¯t have to fight them all. Just stop the drill.¡± Jace looked around the top-most level. ¡°Ollie, keep a timer for me. Seven minutes.¡± ¡°You got it.¡± Jace knew that he had ten minutes of the Rank 3 Cloak before he would run out of energy and have to deactivate the Skill. He didn¡¯t want to run up against the clock. Limited time. He took a deep breath and focused on the various palettes of supplies placed around the bottom of the drill. They were marked and labeled; thanks to Universal Translation, Jace could tell exactly what was inside. Replacement parts. Destroying those would slow things down. ¡°There has to be an energy source,¡± Ollie whispered. ¡°Move around the rings so I can get a better look at the drill.¡± Jace followed the instruction and spent three minutes carefully navigating the now-abuzz drill site. Dodging the people going to reinforce the perimeter was easy enough, but he had to be careful about not dislodging any dirt or rocks that could tumble down and give away movement. He might be invisible, untraceable, and undetectable ¨C but the environment around him was not. ¡°Okay. I have queried the System.¡± Ollie pointed next to Jace¡¯s head, using his little paw to direct the Aspirant¡¯s vision. ¡°See that panel? That is the control console. Destroying that should prevent the drill from being useable until its replaced.¡± Jace nodded. The metal platform Ollie pointed to was on a terrace one ring above the drill itself that was at the bottom of the pit. A long, thick, metal cord connected it to the side of the device. Getting over to it was easy, and he was in front of the controls within a minute. ¡°Time?¡± he asked. ¡°Two more minutes on your timer.¡± Jace looked up at a sudden noise ¨C a clattering and shouting. People complaining about a ¡®false alarm¡¯. They¡¯re coming back. ¡°Best way to destroy it?¡± ¡°Chop it up.¡± Jace nodded and pulled his sword. He hacked at the console over and over, carving through the metal as it sparked and crackled. To an outside observer, large gashes spontaneously appeared upon the rent apart metal. Thankfully, none were down here monitoring the drill. Jace was able to chop the device up into bits before moving away. But the drill didn¡¯t stop. It kept going. ¡°Damn,¡± Ollie whispered. ¡°It must have a default setting to be ¡®on¡¯.¡± Damnit! What else can I do? Jace looked up at the exhaust that was still kicking up dirt and debris. Come on Jace, think. What can you use? Looking around, he saw the repair components, and an idea popped into his head. Sheathing the sword, he pulled out his tarp, wrapped it around the crates, and used his belt to tie the whole bundle together at the top where the corners of the tarp met. Dark Energy Mine (Rank 1). A sphere of black energy ¨C about the size of a baseball ¨C appeared on top of the bundled crates. And¡­detonate. The mine went off, and Jace gripped the belt holding the tarp and boxes all together as gravity lost its pull on him. Aiming his prosthetic arm to the drill, he fired off the grapple and pulled himself with his cargo to the top of the drill¡¯s exhaust. He gripped down with his feet claws and pulled the now-weightless cargo up and over the lip. Jace shoved the boxes down as far as he could. ¡°Ollie, can I turn off the anti-gravity effect?¡± ¡°Yup! You can cancel Skills early if you want.¡± Okay¡­then stop floating. He felt gravity reassert itself onto him as his legs and grapnel were suddenly supporting his weight. And the crates fell into the machine. They were ground into bits and pieces as the metal components fell into the inner mechanisms of the drill. The object began vibrating violently under Jace¡¯s feet. It emitted a tremendous creaking and rumbling noise as it kept shaking harder. ¡°Time to go,¡± Ollie whispered. Jace used the grapple to descend before retracting the cable. He felt his eyelids fluttering from the energy use. I have to get out quickly. Foregoing any type of subtlety, he used his grapple prosthetic to pull himself up the terraces rapidly, getting to the perimeter barrier within thirty seconds. The focus of the Conclave members was on the drill, and they were shouting commands and orders to try and shut it off. But they couldn¡¯t. The control console was shredded. Jace glanced down as he sprinted around the outside edge, trying to get to the entrance he had come in from as the electric fence was too high to jump over. ¡°Shield! Now! Rank 2!¡± Ollie shouted. ¡°Put it in between you and it!¡± Dark Matter Shield (Rank 2), Jace thought as he manifested the tower-shield. The drill vibrated, whirred, and ground to a stop. There was shouting down below, and Jace felt even more tired. ¡°What''s coming?¡± Jace asked weakly. ¡°Just watc-¡± Crack! The drill¡¯s top snapped off. Bang! The world in front of Jace exploded. ? Chapter 27 – Pray you survive this predation
Jace¡¯s leg-claws kept him rooted in place, and the Dark Matter Shield kept his body safe as the concussive shockwave was stopped entirely by the barricade. A roiling ball of flame ascended into the sky as the drill¡¯s remains smoked on the bottom of the mining area. ¡°That was close,¡± Ollie whispered. Jace had to deactivate the Dark Matter Cloak or risk falling unconscious. He felt his arms shaking from exhaustion as a dull ache set in from the pressure that had pushed against the shield. Thankfully, no one was looking at him ¨C and the electric fence was disabled. Now¡¯s my chance. Jace got over the dirt berm and into the moat before clambering out the other side and moving as fast as he could away from the area. <<<<<>>>>> [Quest Completed: Stop the Black Hole Conclave¡¯s activities on Velenar Prime.] [Time Limit: 12 days.] [Reward: Stardust.] [Sender: Dark Between Stars.] <<<<<>>>>> Ollie surged with starlight that flared a bright, luminescent blue and white. <<<<<>>>>> [Stardust Acquired: 2000.] <<<<<>>>>> ¡°Four levels?¡± Jace said as he kept moving away as fast as he could. ¡°Yup! Great job. That¡¯ll throw a wrench in their plans for a good, long time. Enough for the Pulsar Coalition to get some Aspirants and Ascendants here to stop them for good.¡± Jace felt a giddy exhilaration despite his tiredness. He, a single guy, had just stopped an operation guarded by at least fifty Aspirants that worked for a hostile faction. It had taken less than ten minutes to do it. Play to your strengths. Sneaking around and running. ¡°Level up.¡± ¡°Alright. What do you want?¡± ¡°How¡­how many more Ranks does Dark Energy Mine have?¡± ¡°Two. It caps out at Rank 3.¡± ¡°That¡¯s two levels,¡± Jace replied as he slightly slowed his pace ¨C his hip flexors shaking from the exertion of moving the prosthetic legs ¨C and his overall exhaustion. ¡°You know what? Just the two levels.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± <<<<<>>>>> Name: Jace Seren (Aspirant, Tier 1) Power [Class Level.]: Dark Matter [Swordmage 19.] Skills: Skill Name (Rank) [Evolutions.]: Universal Translation, Environmental Adaptation, Dark Matter Blade (Rank 5) [Rending], Dark Matter Shield (Rank 3) [Reflecting.], Swordmage Stance (Rank 3), Dark Matter Dart (Rank 4), Dark Matter Cloak (Rank 3), Dark Energy Mine (Rank 3), Starfire Stride (1/day) Stardust: 1305 Equipment: Swordmage blade, Swordmage starting gear, Wirecannon Arm, Dragonclaw Devastation Legs, Runner''s Replacement (damaged), messenger bag, sliverscreen, survival knife, survival meals (x62), canteen (x4), medical kit (x2), flint bar, flashlight, 40x arc reactor components, 2x hyperbike components Boons: None <<<<<>>>>> Dark Energy Mine (Rank 2): Increases the duration the trap lasts to 1 hour. Dark Energy Mine (Rank 3): As Rank 2, Increase radius. <<<<<>>>>> Only thirty seconds of anti-gravity still, Jace thought as the messages filtered past his vision. ¡°How big is the new radius?¡± ¡°Rank 3 the radius is thirty feet from the point you plant it.¡± Damn, that¡¯s a huge area. Jace nodded as he slowed to a walk. He put his arms above his head so he could take in more air. The skies had darkened ¨C not just from the billowing smoke behind him ¨C and the night sky expanded ever onward. He felt his racing heart slow slightly. Well, back to that office-style city. A few days travel to get there, and I can get a lot of Stardust easily.
Agh. My head. Brom looked up and saw the enormous fireball in the sky, the smoke trailing up after it¡­and he felt pain. Looking down, he saw metal shrapnel embedded in his leg. Annoying, he thought as he focused on a Skill. The metal vanished as it turned to nothingness ¨C accelerated entropy to the point it turned to dust. ¡°Report!¡± he shouted. A group of Aspirants who had become Signers for his faction came over, ¡°The drill exploded,¡± one of the younger ones said with a tremble in his voice. ¡°No shit,¡± Brom replied as he stood and dusted himself off. And this smoke is going to prevent me from tracking whatever caused it. He was one of the Dervkork ¨C these new Aspirants had referred to him as a ¡®dog person¡¯ when they thought he wasn¡¯t listening. And they had been punished appropriately for their lack of respect. ¡°How bad is the damage?¡± ¡°Sir,¡± One of the engineers replied. ¡°It¡¯s¡­gone. Down to the bit far below. We¡¯ll need a new one.¡±This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Brom grimaced and nodded, ¡°Was it an accident?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± the engineer replied. ¡°The control console was slashed and shredded ¨C that¡¯s why I couldn¡¯t turn it off.¡± ¡°How many did we lose?¡± ¡°None, thank oblivion. We just have to get a new drill delivered and operations can resume.¡± Brom nodded and sniffed the air. ¡°Search the perimeter. If any other Dervkork¡¯s get a whiff of something off-¡± One of his two most trusted Aspirants walked over to him. ¡°I smelled something and sounded the alarm earlier. It was up near the moat entrance.¡± Brom went with the Aspirant to the location and sniffed the area he pointed to. ¡°That¡¯s the path we went down,¡± the Aspirant pointed down the moat to the left of the entrance. But Brom picked up something different. Singed hair. To the right side of the moat. Following the scent, he picked up a trail going off into the night. ¡°I think I¡¯ve found our saboteur,¡± he said with a grin. ¡°Shall we chase?¡± his lesser asked. ¡°I¡¯ll deal with it. We don¡¯t know when our reinforcements are going to arrive, or when the Pulsar Coalition will get here. Reinforce our positions, put the fence back up.¡± He turned back to the open plains. ¡°This prey is mine to hunt.¡±
Jace traveled through the night, turning his Dark Matter Cloak (Rank 3) on and off in short bursts to disrupt anyone possibly tracking him down. When morning came, he was bone tired. Finding another burrow was easy now that he knew what type of terrain to look for among the grasslands. All out of water, he thought as he drained the last of his four canteens. ¡°Ollie, are there any water sources on that map?¡± ¡°Not on the map,¡± the Wayfinder replied. ¡°Your best bet would be that city with the office buildings. They should have water tanks on the roof.¡± I should¡¯ve gone that path down the creek, but they could have tracked by smell and found me. I made the right call. Just suck it up for now; I can survive another two days without water. Maybe more, since I don¡¯t have legs and an arm. Jace shoved dirt to the entrance of the small, abandoned burrow ¨C his tarp having been dragged down with his cargo. And his belt. He sighed as he pushed himself back as far as he could. This burrow was slightly deeper than prior ones, and he shut his eyes.
Brom followed the scent trail for hours until it faded away. Damnit. Where did it go? He used his large, broad sword and cut away at the grasses. No footprints, he thought as he dug a small divot with his blade. From that point, he slowly spiraled out in a circle, sniffing the whole time. Hours passed before he picked up the scent again. Clever. Some way to mask yourself. He kept following the trail ¨C having to repeat the process several times. Thankfully, his Ascended Power prevented any need for sleep, food, or drink. He was a merciless hunter. And his prey was close. He could see buildings on the edge of the horizon. And the scent trail led right to the uniform skyline.
Jace made his way through one of the empty buildings. The zombie-things had gone¡­well, he didn¡¯t know where they went. There were plenty of locked buildings, still, and he planned on going into each of them with Dark Matter Cloak (Rank 3) active, clearing them out, and harvesting a ton of Stardust. But first, water. He reached the rooftop access and kicked down the door. To his delight, there were several, large, metal barrels strapped in a neat line across the flat top. Going up to the first one, he tapped the side and heard the sloshing of liquid inside. ¡°All right!¡± Pulling out the survival knife, he stabbed in and made a slit that poured out the clear liquid. Jace caught some in his palm, sniffed it, and then took a sip. Stale, but clean. Rummaging in his pack he filled up the four canteens and stowed them back in their place. After drinking his fill, he leaned back and scarfed down some of the goop-bag survival meals. Ollie floated up to his maximum tether height, ¡°It is a nice day today,¡± he commented. ¡°Great for dealing with hordes of these creatures.¡± Jace nodded as he cracked open his second pouch of the meal, ¡°Yeah.¡± Slurping down the delicious slurry, he smiled, swallowed, and looked up at the otter. ¡°It¡¯ll be easy pickings.¡± He finished the meal, adjusted the straps on the bag to keep it secure to his back, and drew the sword. ¡°Ready?¡± Ollie nodded and saluted, his cute little paw going up to the top of his head. ¡°Yup! Here we go killing again!¡±
Brom arrived at the edge of the city and heard gurgling sounds. The slap of flesh being carved apart and slapping against a surface. The scent of decay and rot reached his nostrils¡­and the scent of blood and sweat. The same scent he¡¯d been tracking, mixed with the smokey smell from the drill¡¯s explosion. In the city somewhere, eh? He backed away a few thousand feet and pointed his hand at the space above the city. ¡°Black Hole Summoning!¡±
Jace swung his blade back and forth, carving away at the horde that was pushing past him. He had figured the best way to kill these things would be to use the entrance as a natural funnel, keep Dark Matter Cloak (Rank 3) active so they wouldn¡¯t interact with him, and then just slice at neck-level. That plan had gone out the window rather quickly, as the tide of creatures was enormous. He couldn¡¯t keep up ¨C and they spilled out into the street before grouping up and running one direction or another. Jace felt an odd tug. His clothes began moving upward. What the hell? He felt his body begin to move upward, and clamped down with his clawed feet to stay put. The Velenian zombie things began to ascend skyward ¨C to a singular point far up in the sky above. ¡°It is one of the Conclave!¡± Ollie shouted. ¡°That is a powerful Skill. We can¡¯t outrun it. Use the mine!¡± Jace tapped his torso, Dark Energy Mine (Rank 1). He immediately detonated the Skill and felt weightless. ¡°We were followed?¡± ¡°Yup!¡± Ollie had a trace of fear in his voice. ¡°That is not just a black hole from someone with that type of Cosmic Power. That is a Supermassive one. An Ascended Power.¡± Jace watched with fear and awe as the buildings, the street, everything around him began to ascend skyward and compress into the singular point. He was standing on a spit of cement and ground as the world was sucked upward into the gravity well before compressing. This is insane! He began scanning each direction. The whole city was being sucked up into the singularity. And the ground under it. Everything except for Jace and the ground in that five-foot radius was sucked skyward. Ollie shifted to his silvery-outline form and clung to Jace¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Over there!¡± he shouted over the din of ripping metal and clashing concrete. Jace looked along Ollie¡¯s arm and saw a bulky person wearing some type of armor that looked to be heavier than what Jace was wearing, but lighter than that ice-using General Logistics corpo had on. ¡°That is¡­a Tier 3 Ascendant,¡± Ollie whispered. ¡°What powers?¡± Jace asked. Ollie nodded and gulped, ¡°Black Hole Cosmic Power, and Supermassive Ascended Power. Level 25 Berserker, Level 39 Warlord.¡± There was a massive boom that resounded across the area as the sphere compressed even tighter, crushing all of the metal and resulting in a singular mass of matter. ¡°You might want to run.¡± Chapter 28 – Reaching new heights
¡°No shit,¡± Jace replied as he saw the singularity vanish above him. A single, compressed sphere of matter ¨C maybe the size of a soccer ball ¨C fell into the now-sixty-foot-deep pit. ¡°But¡­if all of those bodies were compressed into that, there¡¯s a ton of Stardust.¡± Jace pushed himself off the spit of land and hit the bottom of the pit right as his Dark Energy Mine faded and gravity reasserted itself. ¡°Dust it,¡± he ordered. Ollie nodded and did so. The spur of ground that Jace was standing on crashed to the ground behind him. <<<<<>>>>> [Stardust Acquired: 3000.] <<<<<>>>>> ¡°Why so little?¡± Jace asked. ¡°There had to be thousands of these things killed.¡± ¡°You did not get the kills, or participate in the kills,¡± Ollie replied. He looked over to the crater edge, and Jace followed his gaze as the armored figure slid down into the bowl. ¡°You should run. An Ascendant, 2 Tiers higher? You will do far less damage.¡± ¡°How much Stardust do I have?¡± ¡°4305 Stardust currently.¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough for eight levels, and I¡¯m level 19. I¡¯d hit Tier 2, right?¡± ¡°Close. It costs 500 Stardust per level until you hit Level 25. Then, it costs 1,000 Stardust from 26 to 50. So, you will get seven levels if you spend all you can right now.¡± ¡°But that level up means a Tier increase, which should offset the damage reduction from being a lower Tier.¡± The figure kept approaching but was a few thousand feet away still. ¡°Okay,¡± Ollie said softly. ¡°I trust you. You got this!¡± He threw the Stardust into Jace¡¯s face, and he felt a huge rush of energy fill him up. ¡°What do you want for a Skill? It will not happen until you make that choice.¡± ¡°I want some type of Skill that I can dump lots of Ranks into. Maybe something like body improvement?¡± <<<<<>>>>> Name: Jace Seren (Aspirant, Tier 2) Power [Class Level.]: Dark Matter [Swordmage 26.] Skills: Skill Name (Rank) [Evolutions.]: Universal Translation, Environmental Adaptation, Dark Matter Blade (Rank 5) [Rending], Dark Matter Shield (Rank 3) [Reflecting.], Swordmage Stance (Rank 3), Dark Matter Dart (Rank 4), Dark Matter Cloak (Rank 3), Dark Energy Mine (Rank 3), Cosmic Infusion (Rank 7), Starfire Stride (1/day), Stardust: 305 Equipment: Swordmage blade, Swordmage starting gear, Wirecannon Arm, Dragonclaw Devastation Legs, Runner''s Replacement (damaged), messenger bag, sliverscreen, survival knife, survival meals (x46), canteen (x4), medical kit (x2), flint bar, flashlight, 40x arc reactor components, 2x hyperbike components Boons: None <<<<<>>>>> Cosmic Infusion (Rank 1): Increases the user''s physical traits by a minor amount. Cosmic Infusion (Rank 2): As Rank 1, increases the user''s sensory traits by a minor amount. Cosmic Infusion (Rank 3): As Rank 2, increases the user''s cognitive traits by a minor amount. Cosmic Infusion (Rank 4): As Rank 3, increases the user''s physical traits by a moderate amount. Cosmic Infusion (Rank 5): As Rank 4, increases the user''s sensory traits by a moderate amount. Cosmic Infusion (Rank 6): As Rank 5, increases the user''s cognitive traits by a moderate amount. Cosmic Infusion (Rank 7): As Rank 6, increases the user''s physical traits by a large amount. <<<<<>>>>> [Congratulations! You have achieved Tier 2. If you wish to stop your advancement in your Class and choose an Ascended Power, speak to your Wayfinder.] <<<<<>>>>> Jace grinned as he turned to face this new threat. He was still under the effects of his Dark Matter Cloak (Rank 3), and he sprinted to the right of the person. Oliver was whispering in his ear as he ran to the side of the figure ¨C completely undetected. ¡°Physical traits include your strength, agility, flexibility, breathing, heart rate ¨C anything that has to do with your body. Sensory traits are your senses, like sight, hearing, and smell. Cognitive traits encompass concentration, memory, reaction speed, and mental fortitude. The Skill is always active. Literal Cosmic Power coursing through you. Every Aspirant has access to it.¡± Jace could feel the effects prominently. His breathing had never been clearer, he could see the edges of the person¡¯s armor with crystal clarity. His sight was able to discern minute fragments of debris that had scattered from the singularity collapsing. And, most significant of them all, the figure appeared to move slower. Jace knew it was just his perception sped-up; but the thought that he could maybe eventually reach some Rank that slowed the world around him even more was filling him with excitement. The prospect of this fight being something difficult or dangerous didn¡¯t even cross Jace¡¯s mind. He felt supremely confident. I¡¯m a master swordsman. I¡¯ve got Skills for everything I need. Let¡¯s do this! Jace already had Dark Matter Blade manifested at (Rank 5) with [Rending] active. He used his fingers to trace out the Dark Matter Shield (Rank 2) pattern, and the tower shield appeared on his prosthetic arm. Running in, he slashed into the figure¡¯s back. A pulse of black energy surged out and blew Jace back. Digging his feet claws into the ground, he came to a stop as the figure turned around, ¡°Invisible? Interesting. I¡¯ve not encountered a Cosmic Power that enables that .¡± How can he see me? Jace thought. I¡¯m invisible, untraceable, and undetectable. Unless he can¡­sense gravity around him? That makes sense. No point in keeping the Cloak active and draining my energy, then. Jace let the Cloak drop and took up a fighting stance. ¡°Ah, there you are.¡± The figure pulled out an enormous sword ¨C ridiculously large ¨C that dwarfed Jace¡¯s whole body with its sheer bulk. His right hand had the Black Hole Cosmic Power symbol, but there was another symbol that was smaller and hidden inside of that one ¨C a pure, black dot that absorbed all light. He turned his body sideways to present a small target and pointed the weapon at Jace, ready to impale. ¡°You¡¯re the one who destroyed our drill. Working for the Pulsar Coalition?¡±If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Jace clenched his jaw and dashed forward, swinging his blade in an arcing curve. His opponent lifted his blade and blocked Jace¡¯s invisible weapon. The gravity detection is all around him. That¡¯s inconvenient. Jace backed away. ¡°Not one for talking during a fight?¡± The figure moved forward with a speed that belied their large mass, and Jace interposed his shield between him and the overhand chop. The sword impacted the invisible barrier, and Jace angled it slightly upon impact so that the blow would slide to the side. It gave him just enough of an opening to stab forward with his own weapon, cutting into the Conclave member¡¯s side and scoring a wound. The purple miasma-tinged crimson began to slowly fester and spread as micro-singularities formed along the wound. There was a pulse of black energy that filled the air around the figure. Jace was forced to the ground from the crushing pressure. ¡°Gah, why you-¡± The Ascendant swung. Jace screamed out in pain as the blade cut down into his good arm ¨C severing the limb with a single chopping blow. He couldn¡¯t move ¨C the crushing gravity drove him to the ground, and he couldn¡¯t breathe as his lungs were being squished. Dark Energy Mine (Rank 1). Detonate. A small sphere of black appeared under him and then immediately exploded. The man with the sword floundered for a moment ¨C and Jace deactivated his shield, using the chance to point his prosthetic arm out to his right, fire the grapnel, and drag himself away. He was able to catch his breath as the enormous pressure lifted. Another arm. Fuck! He gritted his teeth and shoved the stump into the dirt, screaming out in pain as he did so. Need to stop the bleeding. Anything to make it clot faster. I¡¯ve got med kits in my bag. Glancing up, he saw the figure with the enormous sword slam back into the ground as they used some gravity-based Skill to return to the surface. I¡¯ve got twenty-five seconds of mobility. Jace shot out the grapnel again, activated the retracting cord, and went zipping away. He thumbed the release as he got closer to the tether point ¨C and let his momentum carry him to the edge of the crater. The man with the sword was chasing ¨C but couldn¡¯t move nearly as fast. Jace repeated his action on the lip of the crater, launching himself up into the sky. Now¡­disable. He felt gravity reassert itself and he began to fall. Dark Energy Mine (Rank 1). Detonate. He was weightless once more and went flying in a gentle arc towards the ground. Once he touched down, he let the Skill deactivate. He ripped open his pack and fumbled for the supplies to clean and staunch his still-bleeding stump. The shove into the dirt had helped stop the flow, but he felt dizzy from the blood loss. Ollie never left his side, ¡°I will keep an eye on your back.¡± Jace grunted an affirmation as he got the disinfecting liquid out. Gritting his teeth, he poured the whole container over his stump, stifling a scream of pain. Survive, he thought. Survive for her. You can¡¯t die here. He used gauze to clean the wound of the dirt, applied a second round of the disinfectant, and wrapped the stump in the bandage that squeezed down on the severed nub. It had some type of painkiller inside the fabric, and he felt the sharp pain become a dull throb. The pulsating throb brought clarity, and he focused on the here-and-now once more. ¡°Sword?¡± Jace asked as he stood up. ¡°Back with your arm,¡± Ollie replied. ¡°He is still coming.¡± Jace nodded. ¡°I can¡¯t take this guy. I should just leave the arm and run for the portal.¡± ¡°He will track you. You will not make it in your current state.¡± Ollie¡¯s voice was monotone and robotic. <<<<<>>>>> [Quest: Slay the Black Hole Conclave Ascendant.] [Time Limit: ASAP.] [Reward: Legendary (Equipment) Boon.] [Sender: Dark Between Stars.] <<<<<>>>>> ¡°I got you a Quest,¡± Ollie said as his usual voice returned. There was a trace of fear, of panic ¨C but also a sense of resolve. ¡°You will survive. For Chroma. For yourself¡­for me.¡± He looked at Jace and the Aspirant saw the whiskers of his otter companion twitch slightly. ¡°He has stronger gravity manifestations than Dark Matter can emulate. But he specialized in gravity manipulation, not entropy. Just stay out of range.¡± ¡°Can¡­Can he do another one of those singularities?¡± ¡°Doubtful,¡± Ollie replied as he crossed his arms, ¡°You struck him. [Rending] never ends unless you will it to end. That is making him weaker. That is sapping his energy. You can just keep away from him and let that do its work¡­but he might be able to stave it off.¡± Jace nodded. Dark Matter Cloak (Rank 3). He vanished once more, and moved away from his last position, knowing that the scent trail would lead to that spot. He saw the sword-wielding figure stomping across the ground towards Jace¡¯s last location. The man was covered in the black miasma, and the crimson had spread from his midsection to the tops of his legs. Good thing I got him with the Dark Matter Blade, Jace thought. He ducked into the grasses out of instinct. Hold on a second¡­ This was the exact same type of grassland that Jace first arrived in. He gripped the ground with his claws and felt the familiar, slight ¡®crunch¡¯ of the soil. That gives me an idea. He pulled out the survival knife. Dark Energy Mine (Rank 1). The black dot manifested on the dagger. He flung the blade in an overhand throw. The dagger stopped and dropped two feet from the Black Hole Conclave Ascendant. He looked over in the direction of Jace. Detonate. The space around his target erupted as the nanite-infused soil floated from the ground and created the equivalent of a smokescreen. Dark Matter Dart (Rank 4). Jace launched a flurry of invisible projectiles at his opponent. There was a pulse of black energy as the anti-gravity was disabled and the particles fell to the ground. A split-second later, the nine darts slammed into him ¨C punching into the armor across his torso and neck. He toppled to the ground. Jace waited patiently, watching as the purple and crimson miasma continued to spread across the prone form. He was moving, but barely. There was a burst of black energy once more, and the miasma creeping across him receded ¨C but was still there and began to slowly spread once more. Some type of healing? The Ascendant stood up, but looked completely exhausted. His shoulders were shaking, and Jace could hear the ragged breathing. Jace felt tired, also. His eyelids were drooping and he felt himself falling asleep. Just one more shot. He raised his palm. Dark Matter Dart (Rank 1). The bolt of purple slammed into his opponent¡¯s skull, and punched all the way through the head, blowing out the other side. The body collapsed into a heap on the ground. <<<<<>>>>> [Quest Completed: Slay the Black Hole Conclave Ascendant.] [Time Limit: ASAP.] [Reward: Legendary (Equipment) Boon.] [Sender: Dark Between Stars.] <<<<<>>>>> ¡°Wow¡­you did it!¡± Ollie shouted. ¡°I knew you could do it!¡± Jace nodded, tried to say something witty in response, but collapsed as the world went dark.