《Rune Seeker: A Progression Fantasy litRPG ( Book 5 stubs Wednesday 11th, 2024)》


 Chapter 1 – Everfail

    Hiral took a deep breath as he stared at the stylized sun on the heavy door in front of him. The same sun tattooed on the center of his chest; both the symbol and source of a Shaper¡¯s power. His power, if he managed to pass the test¡­


    No. No, he couldn¡¯t think like that. He would pass this time. He had to.


    ¡°You¡¯re nervous.¡± The gravelly voice of his teacher and sponsor, Loan, came from behind him. ¡°You always roll your right foot and stand on the edge of it when you¡¯re thinking too much.¡±


    Hiral snapped the sole of his foot back down on the ground, the thin wooden sandal of his ceremonial outfit clapping on the stone.


    ¡°Nothing wrong with thinking,¡± he said to his mentor without turning. ¡°You always tell me to visualize. I¡¯m visualizing.¡±


    ¡°I tell you to visualize success. Shaping. Forging your will and the energy granted to you by the sun to bring your tattoos to life. This, what you¡¯re doing now, is visualizing failing.¡± Loan¡¯s comforting hand dropped onto Hiral¡¯s shoulder.


    Hiral took another deep breath, letting it flow out of his lungs along with the building anxiety. Loan was right; Hiral was nervous.


    ¡°I know you want to, so go ahead and take a look at your status window. I can practically see your fingers itching,¡± Loan said.


    ¡°I¡­¡± Hiral started. Would it make a difference? He knew what it said. What it always said. But, then again, if it had changed¡ªfinally¡ªthen maybe it would ease his nerves. ¡°Just give me a second.¡±


    Hiral reached his hand up to the sun on his chest and pushed gently on it, the warmth of the solar energy flowing through his body focusing on that spot. ¡°Do you want me to share the window?¡± he asked Loan.


    ¡°No need. It will be your turn any minute now.¡±


    Hiral nodded and pulled on the only magic he could use, his status window, and the information sprang to life in front of his eyes like he was reading from a luminescent blue page.


    Name: Hiral Dorin


    Race: Maker


    Class: Unavailable


    Attributes


    Strength (Str) ¨C 18 (0)


    Endurance (End) ¨C 18 (0)


    Dexterity (Dex) ¨C 20 (0)


    Intelligence (Int) ¨C 18 (0)


    Wisdom (Wis) ¨C 18 (0)


    Attunement (Atn) ¨C 18 (0)


    Solar Energy Processing


    Absorption Rate: S-Rank


    Capacity: S-Rank


    Output Rate: Unavailable


    Abilities ¨C Tattoos


    Herald of Peace (Head, Left) ¨C Unavailable


    Herald of War (Head, Right) ¨C Unavailable


    Perfect Sense (Ear, Left) ¨C Unavailable


    The Crowd as One (Ear, Right) ¨C Unavailable


    Equilibrium (Neck) ¨C Unavailable


    Wings of Anella (Shoulders, Both) ¨C Unavailable


    Spear of Clouds (Spine) ¨C Unavailable


    Way of Shadow (Chest, Left) ¨C Unavailable


    Way of Light (Chest, Right) ¨C Unavailable


    Banner of Courage (Bicep, Left) ¨C Unavailable


    Banner of Despair (Bicep, Right) ¨C Unavailable


    Touch of the Primal (Abdomen, Left) ¨C Unavailable


    Abode of Asinef (Abdomen, Right) ¨C Unavailable


    Dagger of Sath (Forearm, Left) ¨C Unavailable


    Dagger of En (Forearm, Right) ¨C Unavailable


    The Pack (Thigh, Left) ¨C Unavailable


    Waters of Frey (Thigh, Right) ¨C Unavailable


    Path of Butterflies (Calf, Left) ¨C Unavailable


    Disc of Passage (Calf, Right) ¨C Unavailable


    Well, the constant training had paid off, with his Str and Dex both increasing by a point¡ªthat was no surprise, really. His eyes continued down the page until he found what he was looking for. Output Rate: Unavailable.


    ¡°No change to my output rate.¡± Hiral withdrew the power fueling the status window, and the page vanished. ¡°I¡¯m sure it¡¯s wrong, though. I mean, I can open my status window, so there has to be some output.¡±


    But, when had a status window ever been wrong? No, don¡¯t think like that. It has to be.


    ¡°Remember your training,¡± Loan said, having had this discussion dozens of times in the past. He added a squeeze of Hiral¡¯s shoulder. ¡°You work harder than anybody else. Practice longer. Your mind is sharper than any of the other initiates and ninety percent of the full Shapers. Present company excluded, of course.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m also ten years senior to any of the other initiates, and older than many full Shapers. Present company excluded.¡± Despite his words, he found himself quirking a smile back at his mentor.


    Meridian Lines spanned the towering older man¡¯s cheeks and forehead, running back across his shaved head and then down his neck to vanish beneath the loose robes he wore today. Due to years of Shaping, the lines had a faint luminescence to them against his dark skin. Those same lines glowed where they showed on his arms and the backs of his hands, their power feeding the intricate and similarly shining tattoos that covered him from head to toe.


    If Hiral passed the test, mastered his power, that was what he would look like in a few years. Sure, he was leaner than his teacher¡ªthe man, like most Shapers, was almost as wide as he was tall, with arms as thick as Hiral¡¯s legs¡ªand, while the tattoos covering Loan¡¯s seven-foot-tall body glowed with the energy he absorbed from the sun, Hiral¡¯s were noticeably dark. Not for long, though. This time, he¡¯d¡­


    ¡°You didn¡¯t shave your head.¡± Loan¡¯s words interrupted Hiral¡¯s thoughts, and the older man glanced at the unruly mop on Hiral¡¯s scalp.


    ¡°I¡­¡± Hiral started, but a gong sounded from the opposite side of the door, catching the rest of his excuse in this throat and setting his heart thumping like a drum in his chest.


    ¡°Breathe,¡± Loan said with another squeeze of Hiral¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Hiral nodded at his teacher, and the bigger man let go of Hiral¡¯s shoulder and stepped in front of him. He then put both hands on the heavy stone doors and leaned into them, legs bracing.


    Muscles bunched on Loan¡¯s back between the wide strips of cloth that crisscrossed his upper half, Meridian Lines flaring as he called on his sun-granted strength. With the power of the Meridian Lines, and being mid-B-Rank, Loan had to have close to 160 Str¡ªalmost ten times what Hiral had, or more. A grinding along the stone floor accompanied a gentle grunt escaping the man¡¯s lips, and a gap split down the middle of the doors, bright sunlight piercing the darker room. This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    The huge doors, symbolic in the strength required to open them, parted to reveal the open-air testing stadium. A warm, sun-drenched breeze rushed into the opening and over Hiral¡¯s skin, his body instinctively reaching for the light and pulling some of that power into his core. While he couldn¡¯t output any of that power¡ªyet¡ªdrawing it in was just as easy as breathing.


    ¡°Come,¡± Loan said, taking his hands off the thick blocks of stone pretending to be doors.


    He strode toward the center of the stadium, where seven equally massive Shapers stood waiting along with six much smaller initiates. Barely more than children, the oldest possibly ten years old, if that, they were almost comical beside the huge, sun-powered Shapers.


    Years of pulling on the sun¡¯s energy had made the Shapers¡¯ physiques legendary. Each in the B-Rank and standing seven feet tall on average, their corded muscles bunched and flexed with every breath. Like Loan, their Meridian Lines glowed faintly from long use, though their individual tattoos varied widely, giving each of them unique strengths.


    ¡°You¡¯ve got to be kidding,¡± one of the women said when her eyes fell on Hiral stepping into the stadium. ¡°This is a waste of our time.¡± She focused her ire on Loan and crossed her arms.


    ¡°Jukil is right; we¡¯re done,¡± the man beside her said, turning his attention to the six initiates.


    Each of the children stood tall and proud where they lined up, none with more than the sun on their chests and the Meridian Lines running straight up to circle the base of their throats and connect to their shoulders. No tattoos to shape beyond the simple daggers on their inner forearms, and no intricate system of Meridian Lines stretching out across the rest of their body to strengthen their limbs.


    Judging by a quick look, those tattooed daggers couldn¡¯t be higher than C-Rank. None of the children would ever be powerful or influential Shapers¡ªbut if they passed the test, at least they would be Shapers. As for Hiral¡­


    No. Stop thinking like that.


    Still, compared to the full set of Meridian Lines connecting Hiral from scalp to toes, and the multitude of S-Rank tattoos painstakingly etched into his skin, they were practically naked. And yet¡­ and yet they looked at him with pity and disdain. They didn¡¯t hide their smirks, and the one on the left end even went so far as to elbow his neighbor and whisper, ¡°The Everfail.¡±


    ¡°Hush, now,¡± the eldest of the Shapers said quietly, turning a quick glance on the children. Though her skin stretched and sagged from her almost two hundred years, her tattoos glowed the most fiercely of all. ¡°Though you may have passed the physical test of giving shape to one of your tattoos, you are far from Shapers if you believe behavior like that to be acceptable.¡± Her eyes turned toward Jukil and the man beside her, as if reminding them of the same fact.


    Jukil had the decency to look abashed, until her eyes settled on Hiral again. ¡°Well, what are you waiting for? Let¡¯s get this over with.¡± She jabbed her finger toward the center of the stadium.


    Hiral let the bite in her words roll off him like the warm breeze. Her attitude wasn¡¯t anything new. She¡¯d been the same¡ªno, worse¡ªthe year before. This time¡­ this time, he would prove her wrong. He¡¯d show them all he could do it, that he could pass¡­


    ¡°Your tenth attempt,¡± one of the Shapers said. ¡°Nine times, over nine years, you¡¯ve come before us, and been unable to shape even the smallest thing. Not the Daggers of EnSath on your wrists, the Wings of Anella on your shoulder blades, neither of the Ways of Light or Shadow nor the Waters of Frey, or the¡­¡±


    ¡°Vule,¡± the eldest Shaper said softly.


    The Shaper who¡¯d been listing off Hiral¡¯s past attempts gave a small bow of his head to the elder. ¡°No offense intended, Ilrolik. I¡¯m merely curious as to why this initiate, this¡­ man¡­¡±


    ¡°Everfail,¡± one of the children snickered, but straightened at a sharp look from Ilrolik.


    ¡°As to why he thinks this, his tenth test, will be any different,¡± Vule went on as if the child hadn¡¯t spoken at all.


    Hiral waited for a small nod of Ilrolik¡¯s head before he answered. ¡°I¡¯ve trained extensively for the year since my last test, and my father has finished the last of the tattoos on my¡­¡±


    ¡°The Spear of Clouds is finished?¡± one of the quiet Shapers interrupted. ¡°Truly?¡±


    ¡°¡­ Yes,¡± Hiral said slowly. ¡°He finished it within the last pass, and the bandages came off¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, yes, you heal slowly,¡± the not-so-quiet-anymore Shaper said, striding out from the rest and right up to Hiral. ¡°We know. Just show us the spear.¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t planning on shaping the spear¡­¡± Hiral said, and the Shaper waved a quick hand to dismiss the thought.


    ¡°Of course you weren¡¯t. Nobody has been able to shape it in thousands of passes, despite how many hopefuls have it inked. The odds of you bringing out more than a puff of light in the vague shape of the spear is so small, I would never¡­¡± He trailed off at a slight cough from Ilrolik. ¡°Ahem, yes. Let¡¯s see it, then.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t¡­ This isn¡¯t why I¡¯m here¡­¡± Hiral said, looking at the man.


    ¡°Please humor us,¡± Ilrolik said, coming up beside the other Shaper. ¡°Your father¡¯s work is masterful, and to finally see his rendition of the S-Ranked Spear of Clouds is a treat for us. We will proceed with your test after that.¡±


    Hiral¡¯s eyes went to Loan, and the man gave a small nod as he and the other Shapers walked over and encircled Hiral.


    ¡°As usual,¡± Loan said, ¡°Master Dorin¡¯s work is exceptional. It took my breath away the first time I saw it. Hiral, if you would¡­¡± He gestured to the wide swaths of cloth over Hiral¡¯s shoulders.


    Even the initiates crept over as Hiral slid the shoulders of the ceremonial robe down his arms so they hung loosely by the tight belt around his waist.


    ¡°Well, where¡­?¡± Vule started to ask, but the gasp from one of the Shapers behind Hiral had the whole group moving around behind him. Predictably, there were twelve more sharp intakes of breath as the others joined the first.


    Hiral stayed perfectly still as their eyes became glued to the spear tattooed up the length of his spine. The less he moved, the sooner this would all be over so he could take the test.


    ¡°The detail¡­ Amazing,¡± Jukil said in barely a whisper, and fingers traced down Hiral¡¯s back.


    ¡°Master Dorin has truly outdone himself with this,¡± Ilrolik said. ¡°His work is usually so small, but the scope of this has allowed for unprecedented detail. The spear almost looks like it could shape itself with the faintest application of power.¡±


    ¡°There has never been a more perfect version of the Spear of Clouds, I¡¯d dare say,¡± Loan agreed. ¡°Other than the original, I would imagine. Though, since none of us has ever actually seen it, perhaps my statement holds some truth.¡±


    ¡°It does¡­ It does,¡± Ilrolik said as more fingers ran along Hiral¡¯s back.


    ¡°My test?¡± he asked, turning to face the semicircle of gawkers.


    ¡°Such a waste,¡± Jukil said with a shake of her head. ¡°If Master Dorin is capable of this, I should go talk to him about getting¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯d do you no better,¡± Vule quickly interrupted. ¡°You don¡¯t have the Solar Absorption Rate or Capacity necessary to shape a tattoo of that Rank. None of us do, other than¡­¡±


    All eyes turned to Hiral, more than half the people scowling out of jealousy, the other half out of disappointment.


    ¡°Next year, he¡¯ll have the Emperor¡¯s Greatsword tattooed¡­¡± Vule started, trailing off at Ilrolik¡¯s hand on his shoulder.


    ¡°Let us begin your test, Hiral,¡± the old Shaper said.


    ¡°And, just in case you forgot what it is you¡¯re trying to do,¡± Vule said, and nodded at the six young initiates, most of them less than half Hiral¡¯s age. ¡°Shape,¡± he commanded them.


    Almost as one, the six children touched the dagger tattoos on the insides of the left forearms with the fingers of their right hands. The suns on their chests glowed faintly, and as they pulled their right hands away, glowing light¡ªalmost like smoke¡ªflowed from their dagger tattoos for several seconds before solidifying into life-size versions of the weapons. None of their Output Rates could be higher than E-Rank with how long the shaping took, but that was still infinitely higher than Hiral¡¯s.


    ¡°Well done, initiates,¡± Vule said before turning his attention back to Hiral. ¡°The minimum expected of a Shaper. Nine times you have¡­¡± He stopped with a glance at Ilrolik, then started again fresh. ¡°Your turn.¡±


    Hiral nodded and took a deep breath, focusing on the solar energy stored within his body. It flowed through him like a raging river, the S-Rank power¡ªhis potential¡ªjust waiting to be tapped and shaped. All he had to do was draw it through the tattoo of his choice to prove to them he could be a Shaper.


    The Spear of Clouds running the length of his spine¡ªthe weapon said to have separated the ground from the sky itself¡ªwas too much for him at this point. As much as he hated to admit it, it was beyond him for the moment, as were most of his other tattoos. Sure, they were all technically S-Rank, but with the level of detail his father had put into them, they should more likely be classified above that.


    No, like the other initiates in front of him, Hiral¡¯s best bet¡ªand biggest chance of success¡ªlay in the first tattoos he¡¯d received: the daggers on his forearms.


    With another deep breath, he moved the fingers of his right hand to the tattoo of a dagger on the inside of his left forearm. Unlike the simple things held in the hands of the initiates, daggers that looked like things of simple metal, the tattoo on his wrist was a weapon seemingly made of water. Blade and hilt both.


    It was one of a pair, with the other sitting on his right wrist. Together, the Daggers of EnSath were said to have slain a beast of fire threatening to burn the world to cinders. Beautiful. Powerful. Deadly.


    The wall between Hiral and his dreams.


    ¡°The same tattoo you tried in your first test?¡± Vule asked.


    ¡°Back to basics,¡± Hiral said, not really paying attention to what his mouth was saying as he instead focused on pulling the solar energy in his body out through the tattoo.


    Nothing happened.


    Stomach flipping at the memory of all his past failures, Hiral pushed it back down and focused harder on the tattoo. The energy was there, waiting for him to call on it, just like when he used the status window. So he called as hard as he could, pushing his will and everything he had into shaping the dagger.


    Still nothing.


    ¡°Whenever you¡¯re ready¡­¡± Vule said, and Hiral glanced up to see the Shaper focused on cleaning the dirt out from under his fingernails.


    ¡°Just¡­ visualizing¡­¡± Hiral said, and spared a look at Loan.


    The man gave Hiral a nod of encouragement, but there was a tightness around his eyes. Unlike the other Shapers, Loan wanted Hiral to pass¡­ but he didn¡¯t really believe it any more likely than the others.


    All the more reason Hiral couldn¡¯t fail. He lowered his eyes to focus on the one thing he needed to do.


    Come on, he practically screamed in his mind at the energy in his body. It was everywhere in him, in every muscle and bone. It was so much a part of him, it practically glowed, but never once came when he called, like something was blocking it.


    If the solar energy in his body was a river, then there was a dam obstructing it somewhere, and that meant one thing¡ªhe needed to rip it right down.


    More focus. More pulling. His fingers drove into the skin of his wrist as he willed the energy to come through. His eyes squeezed shut as something wet and warm ran down his wrist.


    ¡°Hiral,¡± Loan said quietly, but Hiral blocked out his words. It was¡­ It was right there¡­ literally on the tips of his fingers¡­


    A flash behind his eyes hit him at the same time a jolt of searing pain ripped through his body and dropped him straight to the ground.


    His head bounced off the warm stone as darkness clouded his sight from all sides and a single child¡¯s voice filled his ears.


    ¡°¡­Everfail¡­¡±

 Chapter 2 – Definitely Next Year

    Hiral groaned as sensations overcame the darkness, and his eyes flickered open. Pain¡ªor was it the memory of pain?¡ªshot through his body, and then faded away almost as quickly. What in the Fallen¡¯s names had happened?


    ¡°You¡¯re awake.¡± Loan¡¯s voice drifted over to Hiral¡¯s ears, and the large man shortly followed, leaning over to look at Hiral¡¯s face. Fingers thicker than sausages pried Hiral¡¯s eyes wide, and Loan looked at each long and hard before finally leaning out of Hiral¡¯s line of sight. ¡°Bring up your status window, and let¡¯s see if any lasting damage was done.¡±


    Lasting¡­ damage? Still, Hiral didn¡¯t say anything, pulling up the window for Loan with a thought.


    ¡°Hrm, your attributes look fine, though I really wonder about these intelligence and wisdom scores after that stunt. And this¡ªwhat¡¯s this down here?¡± Loan pointed at a notification near the bottom of Hiral¡¯s window.


    Overcharge attempt: Unsuccessful


    Debuff applied: System Shock


    System Shock: No class abilities can be used for one hour (174 seconds remaining)


    ¡°No class abilities can be¡­?¡± Hiral started, then barked out a short laugh. He didn¡¯t even have a class for abilities.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t something to laugh about, Hiral,¡± Loan said, more seriously than Hiral would¡¯ve expected. ¡°I¡¯ve heard of others triggering this Overcharge. It maximizes Solar Output for a brief moment, but comes with risks. At best, nothing happens. More likely, people suffer this debuff, and their internal solar pathways are shut down so they can¡¯t be damaged further. At the worst, though, well, people completely lose their ability to utilize Solar Energy.


    ¡°And before you wonder if that¡¯s maybe what happened to you, they can¡¯t even use their status window anymore. Try to avoid doing that again.¡±


    Hiral nodded, but mention of the Solar Output Rate turned his attention to that section of his status window. He¡¯d felt something when he Overcharged, but apparently, it wasn¡¯t enough.


    Output Rate: Unavailable


    ¡°Go ahead and close the window,¡± Loan instructed, and Hiral followed suit, more than happy to ignore those cursed words while his eyes refocused on his surroundings.


    The ceiling of the room told him he wasn¡¯t in the testing arena anymore, and the cot beneath him was uncomfortably familiar. Back in Loan¡¯s training compound?


    Hiral turned to the question that¡¯d been rattling around his head since he opened his eyes¡ªthe one he couldn¡¯t work up the nerve to voice. ¡°Did I pass?¡±


    A second of silence, then two¡­ three¡­


    ¡°No,¡± Loan finally said. ¡°I thought you¡¯d had it. Something stirred inside of you, obviously the Overcharge, and your eyes flashed like your power was finally coming out¡­¡±


    ¡°And then?¡± Hiral asked when Loan didn¡¯t seem like he¡¯d continue on his own.


    ¡°Then you collapsed, blood coming out of your ears, and your body shaking in seizure. Even Vule looked worried.¡± Loan chuckled, then caught himself as Hiral squeezed his eyes shut. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Hiral. Can you move?¡±


    Despite what had happened, Hiral swung his legs off the cot and pulled himself up to a sitting position. The room spun for a second, but quickly settled, and he ran his hand through his hair. A good thing he hadn¡¯t cut it after all.


    ¡°How do you feel?¡± Loan asked, seated across the small room in his large wooden chair.


    Hiral¡¯s eyes settled on his bandage-wrapped wrist, the red of blood soaking lightly through. ¡°I failed. Again,¡± he said quietly, something in his chest contracting so much, it felt like his whole body would collapse on itself.


    Everfail. The whisper in a childlike voice echoed in his ears over and over, and he saw the other initiates laughing at him as he closed his eyes. Another year. Another fiasco while other¡­ children¡­ half his age succeeded where he failed. Another embarrassment. Another shame to his family.


    He leaned forward, elbows on his knees, and dropped his hands into his face. Ten times. Ten. Ten years, and he hadn¡¯t been able to shape a single thing. Not once. What was wrong with him?


    ¡°What will you do?¡± Loan asked softly. The same thing he¡¯d asked last year. And the year before that.


    Hiral squeezed his eyes shut as hard as he could, the tops of his fingers digging into his scalp under his hair, and he took a deep breath. Holding the air in his lungs, he squeezed everything, pushing all his frustration to its peak¡­ and then let it all out with his breath.


    Raising his head, he looked at Loan. ¡°I¡¯ll try again next year.¡±


    The expression on Loan¡¯s face didn¡¯t shift even a little. ¡°You¡¯re sure?¡±


    ¡°Something was different this time,¡± Hiral said. ¡°I felt something. I¡¯m getting closer to a breakthrough. I¡¯ll get it next time.¡±


    ¡°Hiral, the blood coming out of places it wasn¡¯t supposed to is what was different. Are you sure you should keep pushing¡­?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Hiral interrupted. ¡°If I give up now, what will the last ten years have meant? They¡¯ll all have been nothing but a waste. I have to succeed or¡­ or¡­¡± Hiral trailed off and looked away from his teacher.


    ¡°Do you want to find another instructor?¡± Loan asked evenly.


    Hiral shook his head immediately. ¡°No. You¡¯ve stood by me all this time. The problem isn¡¯t you. It¡¯s me. Besides, nobody else would take me on as a student,¡± he added, only half-joking. This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    ¡°Hiral, maybe¡­¡± Loan cut off as the door to the room cracked open and Hiral¡¯s father poked his head in.


    ¡°I heard voices,¡± the man said, opening the door all the way and stepping in.


    ¡°Elezad,¡± Loan said, using Hiral¡¯s father¡¯s first name.


    With a small nod to Loan, Elezad came over to crouch in front of Hiral. He took Hiral¡¯s right hand in his, putting a thumb over Hiral¡¯s wrist and nodding in time with the heartbeat he felt. Then he turned his attention to his son¡¯s left wrist and the bandages there. ¡°The dagger failed you again. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not¡­ You didn¡¯t¡­ You don¡¯t have to be¡­ You saw?¡± Hiral started and stopped until he finally got a question out.


    ¡°Of course I did. I wouldn¡¯t miss your testing.¡±


    ¡°Did Mom¡­?¡±


    Elezad¡¯s eyes drifted to the side, then back toward Hiral. ¡°Your mother had important work she couldn¡¯t get away from today.¡±


    ¡°I understand,¡± Hiral said, the words somehow stinging despite him knowing they were coming. His mother hadn¡¯t come to a test since he¡¯d failed his first. Why would she have come to this one? It was better, really. One less person for him to embarrass. It¡¯d be bad enough when word of his tenth failure left the testing grounds.


    Who was he kidding? It was likely already all over the island and probably all the way down to the Nomads by now.


    ¡°Let me take a look at your Meridian Lines; maybe I made a mistake somewhere when I was inking them,¡± Elezad said, turning over Hiral¡¯s arm. Starting with the circle on the back of Hiral¡¯s hand, Elezad followed the thumb-thick line up to the circular node on Hiral¡¯s elbow, then continued up the connecting line toward Hiral¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°Dad,¡± Hiral said, trying to pull his arm away from his father¡¯s grip, but the man was always surprisingly strong for an Artist. ¡°You¡¯ve checked my Meridian Lines every year. You didn¡¯t make any mistakes when you inked me. Even the Shapers at the test marveled at the work you do. You¡¯re the best there is. There is nothing wrong with my tattoos.¡±


    ¡°Mmm, your mother might disagree with part of that. Did I hear you say you¡¯ll be trying again next year?¡± Elezad glanced back down at Hiral¡¯s bloody wrist.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Hiral said simply, meeting his father¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°You could come work with me, you know,¡± Elezad said predictably. ¡°You don¡¯t have to be a Shaper.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t be an Artist. Can¡¯t take that class,¡± Hiral said, pulling his wrist back and crossing his arms to hide the bandage. ¡°You know my blood doesn¡¯t mix with the ink. I can¡¯t do what you do.¡±


    ¡°Maybe the test was wrong,¡± Elezad said. ¡°Being an Artist would explain why you can¡¯t shape.¡±


    Hiral looked across the bare skin of his father¡¯s arms. Toned from hard work, yes, and with the same Meridian Lines all Makers had, but completely bereft of any other tattoos. His father, the most skilled Artist in the city, like any Artist, couldn¡¯t shape tattoos into reality¡ªthe two classes were mutually exclusive.


    But at least he had a reason he couldn¡¯t shape. Unlike Hiral, who was just a failure. He couldn¡¯t shape. Couldn¡¯t inscribe. Couldn¡¯t even pass the same test nine-year-olds were breezing through.


    Everfail indeed.


    ¡°I¡¯ll try again next year," Hiral said, mainly to drown out the echoing children¡¯s voices in his head. ¡°And the year after that, if I have to, until I pass. I will be a Shaper. It¡¯s what I was meant to be.¡±


    Elezad opened his mouth to speak, then closed it again, stood up, and put his hand on Hiral¡¯s shoulder. ¡°And I¡¯ll be in the stands watching until you do. Loan¡±¡ªElezad turned to the Shaper¡ª¡°you¡¯ll keep working with him?¡±


    ¡°I will,¡± Loan said. ¡°Once he cracks the wall holding him back, he¡¯ll make them all regret their words.¡±


    Nobody in the room needed to specify who ¡°they¡± were. Everybody.


    ¡°Well, how about we go find something to eat, then? You must be hungry,¡± Elezad said, breaking the dark silence.


    ¡°How long was I unconscious?¡± Hiral asked instead of answering.


    ¡°About an hour,¡± Loan said. ¡°You sure you¡¯re feeling okay? We cleaned you up, but without knowing what caused that¡­¡±


    ¡°An hour? Fallen¡¯s balls,¡± he cursed, then coughed at the glare from his father. ¡°I have to get over to the port.¡±


    ¡°The port?¡± Elezad asked.


    ¡°Work,¡± Hiral said, pushing himself to his feet smoothly. His limbs were stiff, and despite what he¡¯d told the others, the pain wasn¡¯t completely gone. Good thing he¡¯d become so good at faking he was okay over the last ten years. ¡°Scheduled for a trade run down to the Nomads.¡±


    ¡°Arty would understand if you didn¡¯t make it today,¡± Elezad said. ¡°I know this new place that just opened up. Been smelling the bread every morning on my way to the studio.¡±


    ¡°Dad,¡± Hiral said evenly, ¡°nobody other than Arty will hire me. If I lose this job, what am I going to do until I become a Shaper? Besides, it¡­ it¡¯ll distract me. I need that right now. And you¡ªif you¡¯ve been here for the hour waiting for me to wake up, you must have clients lining up at your door. Do you really think Yanna would appreciate you coming back any later than you already are?¡±


    Elezad winced at his receptionist¡¯s name, but nodded. ¡°You make a good point. Look, fine, you win. But I¡¯m bringing bread home tonight to go with dinner, so don¡¯t you dare fill up on some port-market junk food.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to work, Dad, not to shop,¡± Hiral said. He turned to Loan and gave a bow. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I let you down again. Thank you for continuing to support me long after anybody else would¡¯ve given up on me.¡±


    Loan coughed, the sound muffled like he¡¯d put his hand in front of his mouth, then cleared his throat. ¡°When I took you on as a student, it was because I saw the potential in you. Not just the potential the Measure saw when they put that crystal in your chest and your status window came up for the first time.¡± He touched his own chest, where his crystal was embedded under his sun tattoo. ¡°You had a look in your eyes¡ªstill do¡ªthat spoke to me. Something I don¡¯t see in a lot of initiates.


    ¡°Most of the children who walk through my doors act like they are entitled to become Shapers, just because the Measure and their status window said they had a little bit of potential when they were born. Even though only about one in ten of the people who come take the test actually have what it takes, they all assume they are that one.


    ¡°Not you, though,¡± Loan continued. ¡°You told me you¡¯d earn your place among the Shapers, and work as hard as you needed to. Even if it¡¯s turned out to be a bit harder than either of us expected, it hasn¡¯t changed my opinion of you. I know you¡¯ll succeed, and I¡¯ll be there with you when you do.¡±


    ¡°Just to rub it in Vule¡¯s face?¡± Hiral wisecracked to keep down the emotions bubbling in his chest. He could break down later, both at his own failure and the undeserved support, but for now, he had to keep it together. Keep faking. For them¡­ and himself.


    ¡°Might be part of it,¡± Loan said, his voice a little hoarse, and he coughed into his hand again. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you had work to get to? The port isn¡¯t close, even for somebody with your dexterity, and you can¡¯t be planning to go down to the Nomads dressed like that?¡±


    Hiral straightened and looked at his arms, the Meridian Lines and tattoos still dark against his skin, then shook his head. No, no, he definitely couldn¡¯t go down looking like that.


    ¡°You¡¯re right. I need to get home and change first,¡± Hiral said to the two men, his father so normal-sized compared to the gigantic Shaper. ¡°If you¡¯ll excuse me¡­¡±


    ¡°Go on, then,¡± Loan said, his big thumb running along the bottom of one of his eyes.


    ¡°I¡¯ll see you at home,¡± Elezad said, obviously not planning to leave with Hiral.


    ¡°Don¡¯t keep Yanna waiting any longer than you need to,¡± Hiral said, but ducked out the door before his father could respond. He put his hand on the knob and gently pulled it closed as his father¡¯s whispered words crept out behind him.


    ¡°Do you think he has a chance at it next year?¡±


    Hiral closed the door before he could hear Loan¡¯s answer, then ran away from there as quickly as his legs would carry him.

 Chapter 3 – Time Trial

    Hiral checked up and down the hall¡ªclear in both directions¡ªthen opened the door and slipped in before anybody noticed him. Quickly closing the door, he leaned back against it and gently banged his head. Once, twice, three times.


    He¡¯d only told a partial lie to Loan and his father¡ªhe did need to get to the port for work, but not quite as soon as he¡¯d suggested. He still had a couple of hours before Arty was expecting him, and after the test, he needed to vent some frustration. It was that or collapse in a corner and completely shut down.


    Why couldn¡¯t he just do it like everybody else could? Why did he have to be the Everfail? Why was he broken?


    Hiral pushed off from the door and walked down the narrow hall, pounding the bottom of his fist against the stone wall every few steps. He¡¯d worked so hard. Trained every day. Read all the books and done every exercise he and Loan could think of. And it still hadn¡¯t been enough.


    Twenty feet¡ªand an endless stream of internal insults¡ªlater, Hiral exited the hallway into what looked like a small waiting room. A crystal sat on a pedestal in the middle of the room, a plain wall beyond it.


    Looking at the pedestal, he almost turned around and left again. He¡¯d planned to have a class the next time he came here, but¡­ apparently, that wasn¡¯t in the cards this year.


    ¡°Nothing for it, then,¡± he mumbled to himself with a sigh, then stepped forward and put his hand against the crystal. Luckily, it didn¡¯t require an input of solar energy. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to use the interface, even though the System Shock debuff had faded.


    Not even a second later, a blue screen similar to Hiral¡¯s status window materialized in the air above the pedestal.


    Fallen Reach Training Room ¨C Time Trial


    Difficulty ¨C E-Rank


    Top Scores


    Hiral Dorin: 1:01


    Hiral Dorin: 1:02


    Hiral Dorin: 1:03


    Attempt Time Trial?


    Yes / No


    Hiral scratched at his cheek while he looked at his previous times. So close to breaking the one-minute mark, and he¡¯d hoped having the stat boosts from his Meridian Lines after getting his class would make the difference. If any Shapers actually came down to the training room, one of them would¡¯ve shattered his records without even really trying. It was only because they all preferred sparring up in the Amphitheatre that Hiral¡¯s name was on there at all.


    ¡°Ah, whatever,¡± Hiral said, tapping the Yes icon hanging in the air.


    Fallen Reach Training Room ¨C Time Trial selected


    Choose Difficulty ¨C Low / Medium / High


    Hiral tapped High, and the blue window faded at the same time blue energy swirled in front of him like some kind of doorway. He rolled his wrist a few times to make sure the injury and bandage didn¡¯t get in the way¡ªlittle tight, he could deal with it¡ªthen stepped through the portal into the next room. As soon as he passed through, the portal closed, and another blue window popped up to his left.


    Begin? ¨C Yes


    The lack of a No option always made Hiral chuckle, but he took a moment to check out the course ahead of him before he hit Yes while he took his sandals off. As always, the first hundred feet had triangular islands suspended above water, and then a slowly spinning disc immediately after. When he¡¯d first done the course, he¡¯d had to leap onto each triangle and grab the top, and then¡ªonly after catching his balance again¡ªleap to the next and repeat. Then again, he¡¯d only had 10 Dex at the time.


    Still, falling meant swimming, and there was no way he¡¯d crack one minute if he got wet. Even with his higher Dex of 20, he couldn¡¯t get cocky now.


    The moving disc would have three opponents to defeat, generated somehow by the Training Room itself, and then a new path would open. His best times had come when the three enemies were thin but fast. The ones who carried stupidly large shields always ruined his run, even though they opened the easier of the two paths.


    Hiral took a deep breath, blew it back out slowly, and repeated the process twice more. At least the familiarity of the Training Room helped keep his mind off the test. Of course, as soon as he realized that¡­


    He slapped the Yes button before his brain could get in his way, then dashed straight ahead as soon as a glowing blue Begin appeared in the air. Ten feet, and he was up to a full sprint. Fifteen, and he changed his angle slightly. Twenty feet, and he leapt from the platform to the first triangular island ahead and to the right, his foot barely hitting the incline before he pushed off toward the next slanted island three feet ahead and to his left.


    Left, right, left, right, left, right, he bounded back and forth between the triangular islands, his feet only touching them long enough for his leg to bend and then spring him off again. With his high Dex and hundreds of times running the obstacle course, almost all of his momentum kept him racing forward. A handful of seconds later, he was halfway to the spinning disc, and three red icons appeared in the air above it.


    Fallen¡¯s luck. Red means shields.


    Nothing to do but keep going, Hiral bounded back and forth between the islands until he leapt from the final one to the spinning disc. Tucking into a roll to absorb some momentum as soon as he landed, Hiral popped to his feet at the same time three red humanoid constructs of solid light started appearing with shields as tall as they were. A couple good hits were enough to bring them down¡ªthey didn¡¯t have much health, if he could get around the shields¡ªbut the shields themselves completely negated any damage they blocked.


    I need to try something different.


    Hiral moved in the second it took the opponents to fully solidify, darting toward the one on his left, then swept out and around the shield. Suddenly behind the red shield-bearer, he could probably land enough blows to bring it down from that angle, but there was another idea he needed to try. Instead of lashing out with a kick to a vulnerable flank, he instead rushed in and wrapped his arms around the shield-bearer¡¯s waist, then hauled up with all his 18 Str.


    Far lighter than expected, Hiral¡¯s opponent went up and over as he bridged his back, slamming the red head to the stone with an echoing crack. Knowing the other two would already be moving, Hiral gave a gentle push, and the momentum of the shield-bearer¡¯s legs carried it over the edge of the disc to fall into the water. The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    Ah, no, if it isn¡¯t¡­


    One of the red icons above the disc vanished at the same time he kicked up to his feet.


    Wait, did it vanish because of the damage I did, or because it fell into the water? That could mean¡­


    Hiral spun to face the other two, who were already shield-rushing straight at him. He¡¯d learned the hard way they could shove him right off the disc if they hit him, so he¡¯d always fought them near the center of the spinning platform. But it was time for a new plan.


    Bending his knees, Hiral set his feet and forced himself to be patient as the shield-bearers charged. They moved fast, but it still felt like it took them an eternity to corner him on the edge of the platform, and then they both twisted their shields so they held them horizontally instead of vertically. The move exposed their heads¡ªit¡¯d still take more than a single blow to put them down¡ªbut also completely cut off any escape routes along the disc.


    Suddenly with nowhere to go, Hiral took a step back, the heel of his left foot hanging off the edge of the platform. The shield-bearers charged in, intent on pushing him over the side even if they went with him. When they came so close Hiral could touch the shields if he reached out, he bent his knees and then leapt straight up, hands extended for the shield-bearers¡¯ shoulders.


    Feet just barely clearing the rushing shields, Hiral pushed himself off the shoulders toward the center of the disc. That slight nudge was all his opponents needed, and they went tumbling into the water. Still, his landing wasn¡¯t as graceful as it could¡¯ve been, and he stumbled and fell to his hands and knees, losing precious seconds while he twisted to look at the red icons hovering above him.


    Both winked out.


    With no time to waste, Hiral pushed himself to his feet and spun to orient himself, eyes peeled for the path that would open¡­


    There!


    He was on the wrong side of the disc, but that gave him a chance to build up speed as a wall on one side of the hall lifted to reveal a narrow balance beam. Fifty feet long, and only as wide as the palm of Hiral¡¯s hand, it was still no match for his Dex, and he vaulted onto it without hesitation, ran along it as easily as a normal floor, and then jumped to the next platform without slowing.


    As soon as he landed, however, he paused to peer down into what would be best described as a moving, jigsaw-puzzle pit. Blocks all along the twenty-foot depths of the pit moved back and forth, sliding along one wall, and then hovering across the opening to sink into the opposite. Originally designed for racers to leap down block by block, Hiral instead waited for the familiar pattern, and then simply jumped into the middle of the pit.


    Arms tight at his side, and through a space not much wider than his shoulders, Hiral dropped straight between the shifting blocks to land on the next platform below, crouching down to absorb some of the impact, then launching forward like a sprinter. The long hallway, bare by all appearances, stretched a good two hundred feet ahead of him, but he immediately went over to run along the right wall.


    No sooner than he¡¯d covered fifteen feet, arm-thick poles rotated out of the wall on his left, reaching just past the middle of the hall¡ªbut not quite far enough to whack Hiral. One, two, three, four poles swung out at varying heights, and then Hiral dove forward over another bar that rose out of the floor and went from wall to wall at shin height.


    Easily clearing the tripping bar, Hiral tucked his shoulder and rolled under another bar that dropped from the ceiling. Up and to his feet again, he only lost half a step, then ran against the left wall as more bars swung out from the right toward the center of the hall.


    Part of him would¡¯ve felt guilty at the way he almost cheated by memorizing the movements of the Time Trial, except he¡¯d also gained just as many mental stat point increases from the training as he had physical. If anything, he was supposed to learn and memorize the course¡¯s obstacles to get the best time.


    Two more shifts from side to side, a quick jaunt of hopping, and one final tuck-and-roll got him to the end of the tunnel. Sliding under the last bar, Hiral popped to his feet as three blue icons appeared in the center of the walled room.


    Not even waiting for the three thin constructs to form, he dashed at where he knew one would emerge. The instant its outline appeared, he skidded to a stop and launched a quick barrage of blows¡ªkidney punch, liver punch, right hook across the blue jaw¡ªand the construct was gone. Shifting his weight, Hiral spun around on his lead foot, bringing his left arm up just in time to catch a high kick aimed for the side of his head on his bandages.


    Because of his 18 Str and End, he didn¡¯t even budge from the impact. Instead, he leaned his weight on his back foot and raised his right foot, narrowly evading the sweeping kick from the other blue construct he knew was coming. Like he was just stepping over the low kick, Hiral dropped his foot back to the ground as soon as it was past, simultaneously reaching up and hooking the high-kicking leg as it tried to retract.


    Turning as he grabbed the leg, a shoulder-bump to the blue fighter stole its balance, and then Hiral hauled in the other direction. With a solid grip on the leg, his Str was more than enough to lift it completely off its one foot, and he swung it around to slam into its partner. The two blue bodies crashed to the floor in a tangle of limbs, and Hiral dove on top of them in a flurry of punches that first dispelled the top fighter, and then the bottom one almost immediately after.


    Lacking even the time to take a deep breath, Hiral was back on his feet and sprinting toward a wall just now raising. Before it reached the ceiling, he was already in the air, leaping for the two bars attached to the wall above another water-filled hallway. His lead foot touched down perfectly on the lower of the bars, about the same level as the floor he¡¯d just left, while his hand reached out to barely touch the bar at shoulder height.


    Just inches from the wall, and no wider than the balance beam had been, Hiral quick-stepped along the lower bar, using his hand as a guide and nothing more. When he reached the end of the fifteen-foot path, he leapt across the eight-foot hall to more bars on the other wall.


    Faster!


    Hiral devoured the fifteen feet on this bar and sprang across the hall to the next set, bare feet slapping with each step. Five feet before the end, he eased up on his mad sprint and focused on the coming trial. The horizonal bars coming weren¡¯t a challenge by themselves, but he¡¯d learned the hard way that if he jumped to them with too much momentum, it¡¯d mess up his rhythm and slow him down in the long run.


    Step, step, leap, and Hiral caught the first horizonal bar with his right hand, his forward momentum swinging his legs well above the water below. Still, he¡¯d hit them with a bit too much speed, and his only chance was to¡­ reach!


    Hiral extended his left arm past the next bar and instead reached for the bar after that, just barely snagging it with his fingers. Without a full grip on it, it¡¯d be a risk to let go with his right hand, but to have any hope of breaking one minute, he¡¯d need to take a chance and trust his End.


    Here goes. He let go with his right hand, letting his inertia swing him around on the fingers of his left hand, while he brought his right back around and reached for the next bar. So close¡­ Got it! With a secure grip, Hiral fell into his usual powerful rhythm to swing from bar to bar.


    Almost there. Only the rope left¡­


    Fifteen bars in total, barely a few seconds to get across them all, and Hiral reached for the last one while snapping his legs forward. Up and outward he sailed across the three feet of empty air to catch the rope hanging down through the last vertical part of the course. By the time he¡¯d gotten here during the first hundred runs or so of the Time Trial, his arms had been burning to the point the fifty-foot climb seemed almost impossible. Today, he barely noticed it as he tucked his feet around the rope and began the hand-over-hand climb.


    What¡¯s the time? Am I going to make it?


    Hiral pulled himself up in what felt like record time, a small swing and jump getting him back onto solid ground before he lunged out and tapped on the floating blue Finish hanging in the air. Leaning forward and taking deep breaths, he waited the prerequisite six seconds before he got the result. It was almost as though whoever had designed the Time Trial wanted to add a small flare of drama.


    Fallen Reach Time Trial: Complete


    New Record


    Hiral¡¯s breath caught at the mention of a new record, but then he blew out the air in his lungs with an annoyed sigh.


    Time: 1:00


    Well, he had improved his time, but just like the Shaper test, it wasn¡¯t enough. His new time, along with his old, hovered in front of him, along with a new prompt.


    Try Again / Exit


    Hiral ran his hands through his hair while he breathed out. He¡¯d made progress, but it still felt like he¡¯d failed again, and the child¡¯s mocking voice flitted through his mind over and over.


    Everfail¡­ Everfail¡­ Everfail¡­


    He slapped his hand on the Try Again button, and another portal opened up to where he¡¯d started his last run.


    ¡°I will do this,¡± he grumbled, then started the course all over again.

 Chapter 4 – What’s Wrong With Me?

    Hiral put his hands on his knees, then leaned back against the wall in the shade of his home¡¯s overhanging roof as he sucked in air. Sure, maybe he hadn¡¯t needed to sprint all the way home after two hours of running the obstacle course, but as soon as he¡¯d left the Time Trial and the first set of eyes fell on his tattoos, then his small size, the whispers had started.


    No Shaper had as many tattoos as he did without being almost seven feet tall from their constant use of the energy gifted by the sun. Only one person in the entire city, on the entire island, fit his description.


    ¡°Everfail,¡± he whispered to himself as he shook his head, eyes landing on the tattoos covering his sweat-sheened skin.


    Fallen¡¯s balls, even the fact he was sweating with that many tattoos made him stand out. Sure, his End was higher than most E-Rankers because of his constant training, even without a class, but a Shaper with that many tattoos would be at least D-Rank, with three times the End stat. Sweating and out of breath? No way.


    He hadn¡¯t even gotten a sub-minute run for all his trouble. He¡¯d managed to tie his best time twice more, but the rest of the runs were abysmal, despite him having figured out the best way to deal with the red shield-bearers when they popped up. Maybe after his work with Arty, he¡¯d hit it up again. Or, maybe he should wait a few passes? That was a question for later. He did actually need to get to work now.


    He couldn¡¯t go to the port dressed like this, with everybody watching him. Whispering. Time to lose the ceremonial outfit and put on something a little less¡­ revealing.


    Then he had to get to work. He hadn¡¯t been lying when he said nobody else would hire him. He couldn¡¯t afford to lose this job¡­ even if there really wasn¡¯t any good reason Arty had hired him in the first place.


    ¡°He¡¯s just taking pity on me,¡± Hiral told himself for the hundredth time, then straightened and walked around to the back door of the building, still sucking in air through his teeth.


    The stitch in his side ached like somebody had stuck their hand in and ripped something out, and he rubbed his abdomen as he scanned the wide backyard to make sure his mother wasn¡¯t out there tending to her hobby garden. When he thankfully didn¡¯t see her, he scooted around to quietly push the door open.


    ¡°You¡¯re terrible at being sneaky,¡± his younger sister said as he peeked his head in. ¡°The deep breathing right outside the studio window¡­ I thought some creeper had come looking for me while I was home alone.¡±


    ¡°Hey, Nat,¡± Hiral said, carefully stepping through the door and looking around.


    ¡°Mom¡¯s not home, if that¡¯s who you¡¯re looking for,¡± Nat said from where she leaned against the studio doorframe, arms crossed. ¡°Nobody but you and me.¡±


    Hiral let out a sigh of relief. One less thing for him to deal with right now.


    ¡°You¡­ you don¡¯t look like you¡¯re in the mood for celebrating,¡± Nat said, and Hiral looked up to find concern in her eyes. She stepped away from the wall and came over to wrap her arms around his chest.


    Even though she was only three years younger than him, she was small for her age, and her head settled just below his chin. ¡°Want to talk about it?¡± she asked, ignoring how damp he had to be against the side of her face.


    ¡°You can probably guess,¡± he said, fighting to keep the bitterness out of his voice.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I couldn¡¯t make it. I had a test in class, and I¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Hiral said, and gave her a hug. ¡°Your classes are important. You¡¯re going to be the next Master Dorin, if even half of what I¡¯m hearing is true.¡±


    Nat stepped back out of the hug, blushing, and shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s not like that.¡±


    Hiral mussed his little sister¡¯s hair, almost as long as his own. ¡°Don¡¯t sell yourself short just because I had a rough day. I need some good news before I get cleaned up and head to work. How did your test go?¡±


    ¡°Good, I think,¡± Nat said, walking upstairs with him as she talked. ¡°Won¡¯t have the results until later today, but it was just a messaging tattoo. They wanted us to do the Bird of Twittering. That bird is so boring, though, and there are too many limits on how long the message can be. So, I decided to do¡­¡±


    ¡°Two Minds as One?¡± Hiral interrupted, and Nat blushed again. ¡°Nat, that¡¯s an A-Rank tattoo for a test that was calling for a D-Rank. If you didn¡¯t do it perfectly, they can¡¯t even give you partial marks.¡±


    ¡°I did do it perfectly,¡± she said as they got to the door to Hiral¡¯s room. ¡°Better than perfectly. You should¡¯ve seen it.¡±


    Hiral smiled at his little sister. He couldn¡¯t help it. She was just so¡­ perfect. Everything their parents could want in a child. Smart and determined, which was why she was a level 17 E-Rank Artist¡ªjust three levels shy of breaking through to D-Rank, even at her age. Not to mention she was funny and, judging by the number of boys who came by looking for her, pretty as well. And somehow, Hiral couldn¡¯t begrudge her for it even on his worst day of the year, because she dropped everything she was doing to check on him.Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°Dad¡¯s bringing home bread tonight to go with dinner from some new shop that opened up. Will you have the results by then?¡± Hiral asked her.


    ¡°I should,¡± Nat said.


    ¡°Perfect. I¡¯ve got work, but I should be back by then. There¡¯s a cake shop at the port. I¡¯ll grab something to celebrate you passing your test!¡±


    Nat smiled up at him, eyes practically sparkling¡ªthe girl loved cake¡ªbut then a shadow passed over her face and the smile vanished. ¡°Maybe we shouldn¡¯t. It¡¯s not a big deal. Just a small test¡­¡±


    Hiral forced a smile on his own face, as easy as putting on a pair of pants. ¡°Don¡¯t be silly. You deserve this. Look, I¡¯ve got to get ready for work, but I promise I¡¯ll be back for dinner,¡± he said, putting his hand on the doorknob to his room.


    ¡°Hiral,¡± Nat said quietly, ¡°do you want me to ink a lower-Rank tattoo on you? Do you think it would help you¡­ I mean, you know, next year?¡±


    Hiral¡¯s fingers tightened around the doorknob, but he managed to keep the smile on his face. ¡°I appreciate the offer, Nat, I really do, but if you put anything less than S-Rank on my body, it would lower the potency of all my tattoos. All of Mom and Dad¡¯s hard work would be gone. All tattoos share the potency of the weakest tattoo¡ªisn¡¯t that the third tenet of being an Artist?¡±


    ¡°I know, but what¡¯s the point of having S-Rank and above tattoos if you can¡¯t¡­¡± Nat snapped her mouth shut before the words could come out.


    ¡°If I can¡¯t use them anyway?¡± Hiral finished her sentence with the smile still on his face. ¡°Can¡¯t use them¡­ yet,¡± he said, and mussed her hair again. ¡°Yet. I¡¯ll get there. Have a little faith in your big brother, okay?¡±


    ¡°How can you stay so positive?¡± she asked, her voice quiet.


    ¡°Same way you got to level seventeen,¡± Hiral said with a wink. ¡°Hard work!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m almost level eighteen,¡± she said, a hint of pride in her eyes. ¡°And that¡¯s kind of thanks to you. That tip about practicing without using my Meridian Line bonuses was a winner. Gets me more experience for every tattoo I do, and makes leveling easy. Almost feels like cheating. How¡¯d you figure that out anyway?¡±


    ¡°Just an educated guess based on some reading I¡¯d done,¡± he said. ¡°Anyway, I should get changed. I have to get going.¡±


    She held his eyes for a few long seconds, searching for¡­ something¡­ then finally nodded. ¡°Yeah, but you know, if you change your mind about¡­¡± She trailed off.


    ¡°I know just who to talk to. Now, go get back to whatever you stopped doing to make sure I wasn¡¯t a crying wreck.¡±


    ¡°You do ugly cry when you get going.¡±


    ¡°Learned that from you,¡± he shot back.


    ¡°Bleh.¡± She stuck out her tongue and then forced a smile onto her face. She wasn¡¯t quite as good at it as Hiral was, but she was trying¡­ for his sake.


    He waited until she went back down the stairs before he opened the door and ducked into his quiet room. The blackout curtains were still in place, leaving him shrouded in darkness as he closed the door and then leaned against it for support.


    ¡°Ten¡­ times¡­¡± He breathed out, his chest clenching again as he had a moment to himself, with nobody to maintain a strong face for. Sliding down to the floor, Hiral dropped his head into his hands and struggled for breath.


    He¡¯d told Loan and his father he¡¯d keep going until he passed, but¡­ could he really do that? Hadn¡¯t he worked hard enough? Suffered enough? What else could he possibly do? What would it take to make his status window change?


    ¡°I¡¯ve tried everything,¡± he whispered, tears of anger finally bursting out from behind his eyes and running down his cheeks in a rush. ¡°Why am I such a failure? What is wrong with me?¡± He drove his fingers into his scalp beneath the hair. The pain was a distant thing compared to the emotions ripping apart his chest from the inside.


    Hiral¡¯s heart hammered against his ribs, pounding like it wanted to get out, while the rest of his body shivered like he was under a lake of freezing water. The air he managed to suck in between his teeth barely filled his lungs, and he was already trying to breathe in more before the last breath even left. Faster and faster he gulped in air, but it didn¡¯t seem to be doing anything, and darkness deeper than the room around him clawed at his vision.


    Despair and rage warred within him; one telling him to give up and the other driving him back to the Training Room. He imagined obliterating those light constructs over and over again, until he either passed the test or broke himself in the effort. Then he would stand before all who¡¯d doubted him, with a new tattoo of the Emperor¡¯s Greatsword blazing in his hands¡ªjust like they mocked. What would they say then? What would they¡­


    Hiral tried to focus on that image, but it slipped away. After all, he had destroyed the constructs in the Training Room; enough of them to fill an entire army. And if that hadn¡¯t helped for ten tests, how would it help for eleven?


    He couldn¡¯t do it¡­ Just couldn¡¯t¡­


    A door closed somewhere downstairs¡ªprobably the front door, from the sound of it¡ªand Hiral forced his lungs to stop their spasmed gasping. Who was it?


    The bottom stair creaked; somebody starting up to the second level. If it was his other, youngest sister, Milly, she¡¯d come right to his room to ask how he¡¯d done on the test. Wouldn¡¯t even knock.


    He couldn¡¯t let her see him like this!


    Somehow, his need to appear okay snapped him out of the downward spiral enough to push himself to his feet. Another creak¡ªthat¡¯d be the middle landing¡ªand Hiral staggered away from the wall toward his small bathroom. She¡¯d come barging in, but if he was in the shower, even she would leave him alone. Probably.


    Legs heavy and hands still shaking, Hiral shouldered his bathroom door open, then kicked it closed with the heel of his foot. Without even pulling the ceremonial robes off, he stumbled into the small, enclosed corner of the room and passed his hand over the flat crystal embedded in the wall. Streams of hot water came gushing out of the ceiling above him.


    ¡°Hiral, you in here?¡± Milly called from inside his room. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re in the shower? Come find me when you¡¯re done.¡±


    Hiral held his breath, waiting, just in case, to see if she¡¯d come in anyway. She didn¡¯t quite get how privacy worked. Well, at least not anybody¡¯s other than her own. When the bathroom door stayed closed, Hiral finally leaned his head back and let the hot water flow over him.


    Was he broken? Would he ever be able to shape anything, or was he really¡­ Everfail? And if he was, then what? What would he build from his life?


    The falling water didn¡¯t seem to have the answer.

 Chapter 5 – Best (?) Friend

    ¡°¡­then you snuck out of the house so you didn¡¯t have to face Milly?¡± Gauto roared with laughter, slapping Hiral on the back. ¡°Why are you so afraid of your sister?¡±


    Hiral glared at his best friend, though maybe best and friend were both overstatements at the moment, and ground his teeth. ¡°You know very well why I didn¡¯t want to talk to her. Do you remember what she did the third year when I didn¡¯t pass? Six years old, and she marched over and challenged one of the presiding Shapers to a match in the Amphitheatre of the Sun!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I remember that. Didn¡¯t you end up having to take her place?¡± Gauto asked.


    Hiral scowled at the memory of stepping into the Amphitheatre against a full Shaper. A master, B-Rank Shaper, no less. Right after his third failure, to boot. Embarrassing was an understatement. ¡°Yes, and¡­ it ¡­didn¡¯t go well¡­¡± Hiral snarled enough that a couple walking past him did a double take. Actually, didn¡¯t go well was also an understatement; he¡¯d gotten beaten so badly, the Shaper wouldn¡¯t have even gotten class experience for it.


    ¡°So? That was years ago¡­¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s done it three more times since then. Thinks it¡¯s funny,¡± Hiral deadpanned.


    ¡°Last year was kind of entertaining,¡± Gauto said, his fingers stroking the patchy scruff on his chin. Having a full, sagely beard to fit his new job at the Academy just wasn¡¯t in the cards for him. ¡°Venix chased you around the arena for a good fifteen minutes. If you¡¯d had your Meridian Lines strengthening you, you would¡¯ve wiped the floor with him. Still, the fact you have more dexterity than he does¡ªand he¡¯s C-Rank¡ªis kind of impressive.¡±


    Hiral glanced down at the back of his hand, though the glove and sleeve hid his tattoos from sight. Those, along with the hooded coat he wore, were generally enough to keep people from recognizing him on the street. ¡°Without the lines to harden and strengthen me like the full Shapers have, staying out of the way is the best I can do. Most of them put all their points into strength and endurance, so they¡¯re pretty slow.¡±


    ¡°Well, if you ask me, it did make for a more entertaining match than most of the ones we get. Those Shapers tend to just stand there and take turns hitting each other. First one to fall loses.¡±


    ¡°Like I said, strength and endurance,¡± Hiral said. ¡°When your skin is practically indestructible and you have the strength of almost twenty average people, it does kind of make you cocky. On the other hand¡­ Shapers who avoid getting hit are seen as cowards¡­¡±


    Gauto glanced at Hiral, but didn¡¯t say anything. The implication was obvious.


    Hiral, for his part, forced himself to look around. Anything to take his mind off the test. Like always, the day was beautiful, the sun directly above the city, and people crowded the streets. Midway between the Academy where Gauto worked and the port where Hiral was headed, small stalls of goods lined the streets.


    They offered baked goods that made Hiral¡¯s mouth water, small toys for children, quills brought up from the Nomads for the Artists¡ªthough a quick glance showed their low quality¡ªand a dozen other things. If he couldn¡¯t find what he was looking for in the port when he came back from work, he¡¯d definitely be able to find something for Nat¡¯s celebration in the warren of shops.


    ¡°When you come back up from your business with Arty, why don¡¯t you come by the Academy?¡± Gauto asked, finally breaking the silence. ¡°Lika and Professor Itone would love to see you. The professor asks me at least once a week if I¡¯ve been able to convince you to join us. He says you¡¯d make a fantastic Academic.¡±


    ¡°What did you tell him?¡± Hiral asked.


    ¡°That I¡¯d be thrilled if you joined!¡± Gauto chuckled. ¡°You¡¯ve got the head for it, Hiral. Your attributes are way above average, even compared to somebody who has a class. I don¡¯t know why you¡¯d ever want to be a Shaper.¡±


    ¡°You took the test too,¡± Hiral pointed out. ¡°Three times.¡±


    ¡°And that¡¯s when I learned where my true calling was. Turned my attention to academia, and I¡¯ve never been happier.¡±


    ¡°Or chubbier,¡± Hiral said, gently elbowing Gauto in his soft side.


    ¡°We can¡¯t all be toned perfection like you,¡± Gauto said, eying Hiral up and down. ¡°Though nobody would ever know, with all the layers you wear.¡±


    ¡°Stops people from noticing me,¡± Hiral said, though he¡¯d told his friend that more than once, and pulled his hood lower around his face. Like always, the day was warm under the constant sunlight, but at least he wasn¡¯t the only one in the street dressed like that.


    ¡°The only benefit I can see from all the work you do to join the Shapers is how much the ladies would appreciate your toned body under their fingers.¡±


    ¡°Not going to happen,¡± Hiral said, forcing the smile back on his face. ¡°Most girls won¡¯t even talk to me once they realize who I am, let alone touch me. They think my inability to shape is contagious.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re harder on yourself than anybody else is,¡± Gauto said.


    ¡°Maybe. Anyway, back to your original point, I¡¯m not ready to join the Academy yet,¡± he said, choking off his own words. Yet? Yet!? Was he really considering a future that didn¡¯t involve the Shapers? No, it was just the depression after the latest failure. He¡¯d get it next year.


    ¡­ Which was the same thing he¡¯d told himself last year¡­


    No, he only had one chance at a class, and he needed to pass the Shaper test to get the one he wanted.


    ¡°You have the stats for it,¡± Gauto said. ¡°You enjoy the puzzle of figuring things out. I mean, come on, you love testing more than I do. You remember that time we tested how much we could magnify sunlight before it burned even a Shaper¡¯s body?¡±


    ¡°We were twelve, Gauto. And the result was us getting chased by said Shaper halfway across the city.¡± Hiral chuckled. Why am I always getting chased by Shapers¡­?


    ¡°Yeah, but I remember the smile on your face the whole way. Okay¡­ something more recent, then? Last year, when we started my thesis on the strength attribute relative to the force of a punch? It should¡¯ve been a linear relationship¡­¡± This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    ¡°No, I knew it wouldn¡¯t be,¡± Hiral corrected. ¡°Rank reinforces the body in ways outside of just plain stats¡ªI¡¯m sure that¡¯s where we¡¯re seeing the change. Not to mention our natural attributes that aren¡¯t modified by Meridian Lines; I¡¯m sure they also factor in differently. What we need to do is¡­¡± Hiral trailed off when he saw the huge grin on his friend¡¯s face.


    ¡°See? That¡¯s what I mean. You¡¯re an Academic at heart, Hiral,¡± Gauto said, though his voice softened.


    ¡°I admit, some of what Academics do interests me. But being a Shaper has been my dream since I was a kid.¡±


    ¡°So you can fight in the Amphitheatre?¡± Gauto asked. ¡°Sure, there¡¯s fame there¡­ but also head trauma.¡±


    ¡°Not for that, and you know it. That isn¡¯t what Shapers are meant for. Shapers are supposed to be protectors. Explorers.¡±


    ¡°What are you going to protect us from up here? A sunburn. Not that we can burn with anything less than eight-times magnification.¡± Gauto chuckled again, obviously remembering the large magnifying glass they¡¯d set up over the sleeping Shaper.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got the Disc of Passage,¡± Hiral said. ¡°If I could use it, I could go¡­ anywhere. And I could take you with me. Think of what we could learn. And it¡¯s not just that. I¡¯ve put so much work into passing the Shaper tests. Not just me either. Loan, my dad. My sisters. You. You¡¯ve all supported me for¡­ so long¡­¡± He had to force the last part out.


    ¡°You think giving up would be letting us down,¡± Gauto said, and it wasn¡¯t a question. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be. You¡¯re too smart to believe anything else.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, part of me knows that.¡±


    ¡°Ah. It¡¯s not just us. It¡¯s them,¡± Gauto said, reading into Hiral¡¯s silence. ¡°You want to prove them all wrong. The doubters.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ do¡­¡± Hiral admitted, his fist clenching at his side. ¡°Gauto, I enjoy the research with you because it¡¯s a challenge. I like pushing myself. Testing my limits. I¡¯ve trained with Master Loan every day for years. How to move, how to fight¡­ for when I finally become a Shaper. I want that challenge too. I need to know how far I can go¡­ and¡­ this¡­¡± he said, gesturing his hands up and down himself, ¡°¡­this isn¡¯t enough.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen you train,¡± Gauto said, a twinkle in his eye. ¡°So, when you finally get your class, I hope you do spend a few days in the Amphitheatre. You¡¯re going to be a terror, and that¡¯s a show I¡¯ll happily pay to see.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve got a few scores to settle, don¡¯t I?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think a few is usually counted in the dozens, but yeah, something like that,¡± Gauto said. ¡°Anyway, at least come by and take a look at our newest discovery when you come back up?¡±


    ¡°What did you find?¡± Hiral asked, happy to move the conversation along. His friend was only looking out for him¡ªhe always had¡ªbut it was still hard to talk about.


    ¡°Some old rooms underground. Like a catacomb or something under the city,¡± Gauto said, the excitement of it infecting his voice.


    ¡°Rooms? Underground? How in the Fallen¡¯s names did you get approval to dig?¡±


    ¡°We didn¡¯t,¡± Gauto said. ¡°Somebody was doing renovations on their home in the east end of the city. Floor gave out from the work, and they found the secret room underneath. Called us right away.¡±


    ¡°The floor gave out? That¡¯s unusual¡­ but, was the room empty?¡± Catacombs under the city? Amazing! How had they stayed hidden all this time?


    ¡°No,¡± Gauto said, his eyebrows doing a little dance up and down his forehead.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to make me ask, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to make you come see if you want to know.¡±


    ¡°Not interested,¡± Hiral lied, but he had a lot of practice making people believe what he said, and Gauto¡¯s eyes widened.


    ¡°Come on!¡±


    ¡°Nope. Busy,¡± Hiral said. ¡°Some moldy old pickle jars aren¡¯t worth the time.¡±


    ¡°They aren¡¯t¡­ pickle jars¡­¡± Gauto said, clearly insulted by the mundaneness of it. ¡°Weapons, Hiral. Crystal weapons.¡±


    That got Hiral¡¯s attention, and even he couldn¡¯t keep his true feelings off his face.


    ¡°Crystal?¡± Hiral asked. ¡°Like¡­?¡± He pointed at the nearby pearly white tower, then up its height to the large crystal that sat at its top three hundred feet up. The crystal that grew brighter as Hiral watched, then suddenly went dark as if all the light inside drained out.


    Wait¡­ If the crystal did that, it meant it was¡­


    Hiral blinked and looked at the narrow tower, barely wider than his spread arms from fingertips to fingertips, then at his friend. ¡°That is Lusco¡¯s Tower, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Gauto looked from Hiral to the deep-red crystal at the top of the tower and back again. ¡°Speaking of head trauma¡­ did you hit your noggin during the test?¡± Gauto pointed to another barely visible tower ahead of them, its crystal glittering in the sunlight high above the buildings. ¡°That¡¯s Bellina¡¯s Tower there, Lusco¡¯s¡±¡ªhe gestured at the tower near them, then turned and pointed at a third, exactly three miles behind them¡ª¡°and that¡¯s Pallidis¡¯. You know where we are now? What day it is? Do you remember the fifty chips you owe me?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t owe you any money,¡± Hiral snapped, eyes glued to the tower crystal. ¡°So, the time is¡­?¡±


    ¡°A few minutes past fifth pulse,¡± Gauto said.


    ¡°Fallen¡¯s balls, I¡¯m going to be late!¡± Hiral said. ¡°I¡¯ll drop by the Academy if I have time.¡±


    ¡°Make sure you do.¡± Gauto said as Hiral dashed off. ¡°And not just to see the crystal weapons. I want you to double-check the numbers on another project for me. I think the island might be slowing down¡­¡±


    Then he was gone, Gauto¡¯s words lost to the noise of the market. Hiral shoved his way through the crowd. All thoughts of mysterious underground caverns and crystal weapons fled his mind as he focused entirely on weaving his way through the crowd. Sure, if he¡¯d had Meridian Line-induced strength, he could¡¯ve barreled through without slowing down. It was what most Shapers would¡¯ve done.


    And left a dozen broken bones and Fallen knows how many bruises behind.


    Instead, his lack of a sun-powered body, his sister¡¯s ill-thought-out challenges, and his 20 natural Dex had taught him something, and he weaved through the constantly moving throng of people like an expert dancer.


    A turn of an ankle there meant the person was about to change direction, and Hiral twisted around in perfect time with them, sweeping by so only their clothes barely touched. Another quick sidestep brought him between an arguing couple, but he was gone before the surprise even left their mouths, ducking low under an emphatic gesture, then picking up speed as he found some open ground.


    Three strides brought him to a full sprint while the people ahead of him shifted forward and back into two solid lines, which could only mean¡­


    Hiral vaulted up and over the cart as it was pushed out into the street, his legs just an inch above the carefully piled fruit, then touched down and turned for a quick apology. The small shriek of surprise from ahead was his only warning as he turned his attention around, where a small child, maybe five years old, suddenly moved in front of him.


    Again, while a real Shaper probably would¡¯ve simply gone through the child and then blamed the kid for not moving, Hiral instead kicked off his lead foot into a high cartwheel. His eyes met the child¡¯s as he sailed over, their faces close enough their noses almost touched. Then his feet were on the ground again, and he was running off. This time, he didn¡¯t try to turn around to apologize, and his own words were lost to the wind as he ducked behind one of the stalls and ran through the clearer space against the wall.


    Several annoyed barkers shouted after him, but they paid him little heed other than that. Few people tried to steal, with Shaper justice being what it was. A left turn down a side alley, another twist around an intimate embrace, then it was clear running.


    Good thing, too. If he wasn¡¯t at the port in the next fifteen minutes, Arty might well leave without him.


    That or he¡¯d yell, and Fallen knew which was worse.

 Chapter 6 – The City That Chases The Sun

    ¡°What took you so long?¡± Arty yelled at Hiral. ¡°We were just about to leave!¡± He dramatically pointed at the pier.


    The empty pier.


    Hiral raised an eyebrow at the excitable merchant, and Arty squinted his eyes.


    ¡°Glasses¡­ glasses¡­ glasses¡­¡± the man muttered as he rifled through the pockets of his knee-length jacket. ¡°There,¡± he said, finally pulling the pair of glasses out and putting them on. A second look at the pier, a few blinks, then he turned his attention to a large pile of boxes near the end of the dock.


    ¡°Why aren¡¯t we ready to leave?¡± he shouted at the three hulking Shapers.


    ¡°You told us to wait for¡­¡± the one in the front, Shaper Fual, started.


    ¡°Told you that ages ago,¡± Arty shouted. ¡°Get the platform out and loaded up.¡±


    ¡°Sure, sure,¡± Fual said, strolling out along the pier and then stopping at the end.


    Large tattoos covered his body from head to toe, though his Meridian Lines weren¡¯t naturally luminescent from long use, and one tattoo in particular on his upper-right chest began to gently glow as he reached up and touched it. From a distance, it looked like little more than a large square filling with the light flowing out of Fual¡¯s fingertips.


    The Platform of Movement, a lesser C-Rank version of the Disc of Passage Hiral had on his right calf. Had he been able to shape, he¡¯d have been the one carrying them down to the Nomads under the city.


    While Hiral watched, one second stretched into two. Three. Four. Five. Fual had never been the fastest Shaper. C-Rank Output Rate at the highest. More and more light worked its way through the intricate details that made up the tattoo until, finally, something snapped into place and the color went from a bright white to a warm glow.


    Nodding to himself, Fual pulled his hand away from the tattoo, a streamer of liquid light like a plasma flare trailing behind and connecting to the tattoo. He looked over at Arty. ¡°Right here?¡±


    ¡°Of course right there,¡± Arty snapped back. ¡°Same place as always!¡±


    Fual nodded again, then jerked his arm out, the tether of light growing taut in an instant and pulling the glowing tattoo off his chest. In less than a heartbeat, the hand-sized block of light grew into a floating platform of heavy stone bricks, forty feet by forty feet, perfectly level except for the small pillar in the center he would use to direct its movement.


    ¡°Ready to be loaded up,¡± Fual said, stepping off the wooden dock and onto the platform.


    ¡°I can see that! So, what are you all waiting for?¡± He gestured at the other two Shapers leaning against the pile of boxes.


    Without a word, the towering man and woman effortlessly began moving crates as big as Hiral, and likely twice as heavy.


    ¡°Just about to leave?¡± Hiral asked with an effort to keep the sarcasm out of his voice.


    ¡°Just is relative. Obviously,¡± Arty snapped. ¡°Are you going to help or stand there?¡±


    ¡°Let me get my stuff from my locker?¡±


    ¡°Pah, you¡¯re fine the way you are. We¡¯re just going down to make an exchange with Caaven for quills. You won¡¯t need your weapons.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m supposed to be a guard,¡± Hiral said. ¡°What good is a guard without weapons?¡±


    The skin around Arty¡¯s eyes tightened, and he stepped in closer to Hiral. ¡°Didn¡¯t go well today, then?¡± he asked quietly.


    Hiral forced the smile back onto his face. ¡°Almost had it this time. Next year for sure,¡± he said, repeating his mantra.


    ¡°Do you need the day? Those lugs can manage. Not much use when it comes to thinking, but they can lift a box like nobody¡¯s business.¡±


    ¡°They can also hear a pin drop from forty feet away,¡± Shaper Jenno shouted in her deep voice.


    ¡°Should be lifting instead of listening,¡± Arty said without turning.


    ¡°Nah, I¡¯m fine,¡± Hiral said, only stealing a glance at the Shapers.


    If they hadn¡¯t heard about his test, well, they knew the result now. If he took Arty up on the offer, as appealing as it was, that¡¯d just make it look like he was running away. Shapers respected facing things head on. He¡¯d do that here. This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    ¡°Well, we won¡¯t be there long anyway. Should just be a quick down and back. Few hours, tops. Assuming the crates ever get loaded,¡± he added, turning back to the working Shapers.


    For their part, the towering trio ignored the mouthy merchant and his usual behavior. Really, Arty wasn¡¯t a bad guy, and he paid well for people to put up with him. While his class was technically an Artist, he¡¯d branched out into the merchant field to acquire some of the highest-quality quills in the city from the Nomads below. Without those quills, it would be impossible for Artists like Hiral¡¯s father to do their best work. Or any work at all, really.


    ¡°Last time we went down, Caaven only had a half-order, and not his usual quality,¡± Hiral said. ¡°You think he¡¯ll have what we need this time?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯d better,¡± Arty said while glaring at the three Shapers. ¡°I¡¯ve got customers practically beating down my door looking for new quills. You know, if we could find a way to use a quill more than once, we wouldn¡¯t have this problem.¡±


    ¡°Or if we could harvest them anywhere but from the backs of some very particular animals only found in specific dungeons on the surface,¡± Hiral added. ¡°Hasn¡¯t anybody tried breeding them?¡±


    ¡°They die quickly outside of their natural habitat. Something about the dungeons¡­ I can¡¯t believe we call them that¡ªthey¡¯re caves!¡ªis important to their lifecycle. Maybe you should bring some of your friends from the Academy, see if they can¡¯t figure it out.¡±


    ¡°Ah, the Nomads wouldn¡¯t let us go on a dungeon run with them,¡± Hiral said. ¡°What did they say, proprietary information?¡±


    ¡°Proprietary price-gouging, if you ask me,¡± Arty seethed. ¡°If we don¡¯t know where the dungeons are ourselves, we can¡¯t send some of our own muscle-heads down to clean the place out.¡±


    ¡°Muscle-heads that can still hear you,¡± Shaper Jenno called, a massive crate on each shoulder.


    ¡°Bah,¡± Arty said with a wave, and pointed at the rest of the crates. ¡°Seriously, Hiral, I¡¯d pay good chips to get a look at one of these dungeons where the Quillbacks live. There must be a reason the Nomads call them dungeons instead of caves, and what¡¯s so special about them that the Quillbacks can only live there? The surface is such a mysterious place.¡±


    ¡°Mysterious and dangerous,¡± Hiral amended, walking over to the edge of the pier with Arty as his eyes scanned the horizon for the distant, ever-present storm-wall. Just over one hundred miles away, surrounding the city in a perfect circle, the churning gray clouds poured torrential rain on the ground that slowly scrolled past nine miles below the city. ¡°What do you think it¡¯s like down there? I mean, really like.¡±


    ¡°Our ancestors left for a reason, Hiral,¡± Arty said, but he also looked down at the distant landscape. ¡°Built an entire floating island that circles the world to follow the sun for a reason. It must¡¯ve been a good one to go to all that trouble. I¡¯m more than happy to stay up here where it¡¯s safe.¡±


    ¡°And where you can make enough chips to feed your hoarding hobby,¡± Shaper Jenno said as she walked past with two more huge crates.


    ¡°It¡¯s not hoarding. It¡¯s collecting, and you wouldn¡¯t understand,¡± Arty said. ¡°They¡¯re works of art,¡± he added, only loud enough for Hiral to hear.


    Hiral nodded, but wasn¡¯t really paying attention to the exchange. The ground below them was so green, with a valley over that way, wide forests blanketing the rest until the terrain changed drastically to towering mountains ahead. The highest peak still didn¡¯t reach even close to the main island, but the Nomads¡¯ trailing islands would flow right between them as the city moved in that direction along the EnSath River.


    ¡°Do the Nomads ever talk about the river?¡± Hiral asked Arty. ¡°About why the city always follows its path around and around the world?¡±


    ¡°Some stories that are little more than superstition, if you ask me,¡± Arty said. ¡°I think the Academy¡¯s theory is more likely.¡±


    Hiral nodded again. ¡°Path of least resistance. It¡¯s the only passage through the mountains ahead, and others.¡±


    ¡°A few more minutes and we¡¯ll be ready to go,¡± Shaper Jenno said on another pass. ¡°Anything else in the warehouse?¡±


    ¡°No, everything was already out here and waiting to go,¡± Arty said.


    ¡°Got it. We¡¯ll let you know when it¡¯s done.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to go grab the weapons,¡± Hiral said. ¡°I know we¡¯re just going down to Caaven¡¯s island, not the surface or anything, but at least let me look like I¡¯m doing my job.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re there as much for your eye for quills as anything else,¡± Arty said.


    ¡°Multitasking so you keep me around,¡± Hiral said, backing away from the edge of the pier, then spinning on his heel and jogging back to the warehouse.


    He nodded at a few of the workers inside¡ªthey knew him from his years working for Arty and generally kept the gossip to a minimum when he was around¡ªbut didn¡¯t slow until he got to his locker.


    A quick wave of his hand past the crystal sensor, and the door popped open to reveal the few belongings he left there¡ªhis weapons among them.


    The sigh escaped his lips before he could stop it, and Hiral shook his head. Last time he¡¯d hung these up, it had been with the hopes he¡¯d never need them again. That he¡¯d pass the test today.


    ¡°Looks like you¡¯re stuck with me a little longer,¡± he whispered to the sheathed swords before slipping them over his shoulders and securing the belt across his chest. A quick check to make sure nothing rubbed the wrong way, then he stepped back and closed the locker door.


    ¡°You¡¯ll get it next time,¡± a voice said from where the door had just been, and Hiral nearly jumped out of his skin.


    ¡°Fallen¡¯s knickers in a knot,¡± Hiral cursed. ¡°You scared me, Nanilly.¡±


    ¡°Sorry,¡± the older woman said quietly. ¡°I wanted to catch you before you went down with Arty. You can do it; I know you can.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Nanilly,¡± Hiral said, his breathing back under control after the startle. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve got it next year for sure. Just you watch.¡±


    Nanilly nodded but didn¡¯t say anything else, and Hiral gave her a small wave before he jogged back out of the building.


    Sure, he talked a good game, but what was he going to do differently next time? Maybe it was time to pay the Academy another visit. He¡¯d checked before about anybody with his¡­ condition, but maybe he¡¯d missed it? Or maybe he could find something else to help him along. That was how he¡¯d figured out that training without using the Meridian Lines improved experience and attribute gains.


    ¡°We¡¯re ready to go, Hiral¡ªget over here,¡± Arty called from where he stood beside Shaper Fual on the platform.


    ¡°Sorry, coming,¡± Hiral called back, putting the Academy out of his mind until he got back.

 Chapter 7 – Nomads

    The platform pulled away from the pier without even a shudder, and then arched out slightly from the island to avoid clipping any of the other piers. Hiral, meanwhile, stepped up to the edge of the platform so the crates didn¡¯t obscure his view, and simply enjoyed his favorite part of going down to the Nomads.


    Up in the city of Fallen Reach itself, the scale of the island floating in the sky was completely lost, and Hiral¡¯s eyes traced down along the rock underneath. Like something had reached into the ground and scooped an upside-down mountain out, then tossed it into the air, the image of the floating island still defied reason, no matter how many times he¡¯d seen it.


    Even though the city occupied about half of the island¡¯s thirty-mile surface diameter, the mile-deep bottom completely filled Hiral¡¯s sight as the platform gently descended. Dropping below the outer edge, his eyes naturally turned to the spiraling mist that stretched from the island all the way to the river nine miles below. Hundreds and hundreds of feet across, the source of all water on the island, it looked like a thick wall of almost impenetrable fog even from fifteen miles away.


    Then, there, trailing near the back-most point of the island, the numerous smaller Nomad islands followed like some kind of comet¡¯s tail, though the highest of their islands was only about three-quarters of the way up.


    That highest island, where the elders of the Nomads resided, was also the only Nomad island directly under Fallen Reach. Dozens of other islands of varying smaller sizes followed behind, connected by huge roots that lashed them to the largest island in the front of the pack.


    ¡°Looks like they lost one of the smaller islands from the back,¡± Arty said, coming up to stand beside Hiral.


    Hiral did some quick math in his head, then nodded. ¡°It¡¯s been almost a full rotation since they lost the last one. Good thing we¡¯re coming up on the Needle Mountains soon. They should be able to find another one there.¡±


    Arty¡¯s mouth made a thin line in response.


    ¡°You don¡¯t agree?¡± Hiral asked.


    ¡°Needle Mountains live up to their name,¡± Arty said, pointing toward the mountain range as the platform continued its decent. ¡°Narrow and sharp, more like giant stone tree trunks than actual mountains, it¡¯s harder for them to find something large enough to make into an island. Has to have the right composition to get caught up in Fallen Reach¡¯s magic too, even if they manage to connect it to the others.¡±


    ¡°Huh, hadn¡¯t thought of that,¡± Hiral said. ¡°You know, now that you mention it, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever been down to the Nomads with you while we¡¯re passing over the Needles. Why is that?¡±


    ¡°No quills while we¡¯re in the Needles,¡± Arty said. ¡°If there are even any dungeons down there, the Nomads don¡¯t go. Too hard to get back up to their own islands since they can¡¯t reliably climb the Needles.¡±


    Hiral looked from Arty back to the Needles. Fallen Reach moved at a constant, never-changing three miles per hour, and the edge of the Needles was just visible outside the storm wall, which meant about one hundred miles away. Three cycles and they¡¯d be there. ¡°So, you¡¯re saying that if Caaven doesn¡¯t have any quills for us, we won¡¯t have a chance to get more before we come out the other side of the mountains?¡±


    ¡°Longer than that,¡± Arty said. ¡°The Sea of White is on the other side. It¡¯ll be at least thirty cycles until the next dungeon. And after the last short shipment, well, we¡¯re running out of stock as it is.¡±


    ¡°So, why¡¯d we load so much onto the platform?¡± Shaper Jenno asked.


    ¡°Caaven is good for it,¡± Arty said, shivering and rubbing his arms. ¡°We¡¯ve been trading for years, and they rely on what we¡¯re bringing down just as much as we rely on the quills they provide. And why in the Fallen¡¯s names is it so cold?¡±


    ¡°Ah, sorry,¡± Shaper Fual said, running his hand across one of the crystals on the pillar in the center of the platform. ¡°There, I turned up the protection magic to keep the cold out a bit more.¡±


    Hiral looked, only slightly enviously, at the control pillar. The disc on his right calf would take care of environmental conditions automatically, as well as move much faster than the platform. If only he could shape it. On the whole island, there were only a dozen people or so who had the disc and could activate it. Being in that crowd¡­ well, that¡¯d show everybody. Prove them all wrong.


    Though, technically, they weren¡¯t wrong¡­ yet.


    ¡°Looks like Caaven is already waiting for us,¡± Arty said, gesturing with his chin to the third island, his hands still rubbing up and down his arms despite the cold being held back. ¡°Watch out for the kites on our right, Fual.¡±


    ¡°See them,¡± Shaper Fual said, shifting the direction of the platform to avoid the kites transporting Nomads between islands. ¡°Why don¡¯t they just walk like normal people?¡±


    Hiral raised his eyebrow at the Shaper. ¡°We¡¯re not walking, and it would take forever to follow the roots from one island to another.¡±


    ¡°Those kites are dangerous,¡± Shaper Fual went on. ¡°How do they even control where they¡¯re going without magic?¡±


    ¡°You complain about the same thing every time,¡± Shaper Jenno piped up. ¡°Why don¡¯t you just ask one of them this time?¡±


    ¡°Me, an Islander, talk to one of those filthy Buggers? No, thank you. I might catch something.¡± Shaper Fual¡¯s chin rose higher with each word. ¡°Uh, no offense, Arty.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Arty said. ¡°Thinking like that is why I can trade with the Nomads without much competition. Keep the Bugger talk to yourself while we¡¯re down there. The hives they farm are important to them.¡±


    ¡°I know, I know,¡± Shaper Fual said. ¡°But seriously, how can they spend so much time around bugs almost as big as Hiral? And eating them? Just¡­ yuck.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re just livestock, like our cattle,¡± Arty said without turning, his hand going up into the air to wave at somebody on the nearby island. ¡°Now, really, enough. Time to get down to business.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t see a lot of crates there waiting for us,¡± Hiral said, looking from Caaven waving back to the cleared-off area for the platform.


    ¡°Depending on the wind, they get spray from the mist,¡± Arty said. ¡°Probably have the crates inside to keep the goods dry. Probably.¡±


    ¡°Probably,¡± Hiral agreed, but he scrolled his gaze along the edge of the island. This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    There seemed to be a bit a commotion further down, half a dozen people with¡­ Wait¡­ weren¡¯t those the suits they used to go down to the surface? If what he knew about dungeon runs was true, they¡¯d barely have time to get down and back before the last island reached the Needles.


    ¡°Caaven, my friend,¡± Arty shouted as the platform gently settled down on the island. ¡°How¡¯ve you been?¡±


    ¡°Arty, it¡¯s good to see you,¡± Caaven replied, but the hand he held up in greeting was the only open part about his body language. His other hand was held in a fist, and there was an unusual tightness to his shoulders. The man didn¡¯t have good news.


    And from the way Arty¡¯s hand dropped to his side, he saw it too.


    ¡°Things haven¡¯t improved?¡± Arty asked.


    Caaven shook his head, his other hand balling into a fist at his side as well. ¡°I am afraid not. We are still waiting for the harvesting party to return.¡±


    ¡°To return?¡± Arty asked. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t they have been back a cycle ago?¡±


    ¡°Two,¡± Caaven said.


    ¡°Any idea what happened?¡± Arty asked, genuine concern in his voice as he stepped off the platform and walked up to Caaven.


    Hiral quickly joined him, though the three Shapers stayed firmly in place on the platform.


    ¡°None. It should¡¯ve been an easy trip,¡± Caaven said, his voice cracking with the words.


    ¡°Your niece is part of the party, isn¡¯t she?¡± Arty reached out to put a hand on the other man¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°One of them,¡± Caaven said, his head turning briefly to look at the group of people preparing the kite-like suits further down the edge of the island. ¡°The other is planning something stupid.¡±


    ¡°But, just because they aren¡¯t back yet, that could mean a few things, right? Maybe they just had to make for another jump point?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s one of the possibilities,¡± Caaven said. ¡°The one we¡¯re hoping for. The other possibility is that they¡¯re¡­¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s the dungeon they went to?¡± Hiral asked as the man trailed off, unable to finish his sentence.


    ¡°Almost directly below us,¡± Caaven said, and it was a testament to just how worried he was that he answered Hiral¡¯s question so quickly.


    ¡°So, there¡¯s still time for them to get back to the islands before we¡¯ve passed,¡± Hiral said. ¡°There¡¯s still hope.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Caaven said with a grateful nod. ¡°Now if I could just convince Seena of that. Fool girl is insisting to go looking for her sister. I¡¯ve tried to stop her and the others, but they¡¯ll be ready to go within the hour.¡±


    ¡°If they go¡­¡± Arty started.


    ¡°They risk not making it back in time, I know. It¡¯s cutting it too close, and that¡¯s if things go perfectly.¡±


    ¡°The party that went to the dungeon, what Rank were they?¡± Arty asked.


    ¡°All High-E-Rank. Close to breaking through to D.¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you send anybody of a higher Rank?¡± Hiral asked. ¡°Somebody with more experience?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s only an E-Rank area¡ªthis is how we do things,¡± Caaven answered. Then his eyes widened, like he realized he shouldn¡¯t have spoken so frankly.


    ¡°What classes did they have?¡± Arty pressed on.


    Caaven looked off to the side, then back to Arty. ¡°You know I can¡¯t talk about that. I¡¯ve already said more than I should in my worry. Please forget most of what you¡¯ve heard.¡±


    Hiral glanced at Arty, then back at Caaven. In those few sentences, they¡¯d learned more about these so-called dungeons than the Nomads had revealed in years.


    ¡°Arty, I know this is a lot to ask,¡± Caaven said, but his eyes went to the platform behind the merchant. ¡°I can¡¯t stop Seena and the others from going down, so I was hoping you could perhaps take them on your¡­¡±


    But Arty was already shaking his head. ¡°Afraid not. The Platforms of Movement don¡¯t have the range to make the trip. It can go maybe four miles before it needs to stop. We¡¯d get halfway to the ground, then fall the rest of the way. It wouldn¡¯t help anybody. If we had a Disc of Passage, maybe we could talk about it.¡± Arty then coughed, apparently remembering what Hiral had tattooed on his leg.


    ¡°I¡­ I see,¡± Caaven said, not even looking in Hiral¡¯s direction.


    With the layers he wore down to see the Nomads every time, they didn¡¯t even know he was trying to be a Shaper. They thought he was an Artist like Arty, which was fine by Hiral. All Makers¡ªor Islanders, as the Nomads called them¡ªhad the Meridian Lines, so it wasn¡¯t possible to tell Artists apart from Shapers by their faces alone.


    ¡°So, there¡¯s nothing you can do to help?¡± Caaven asked, a hint of desperation clear in his voice. The look on his face told it all; he was terrified of not losing just one niece, but two.


    Arty shook his head again. ¡°I wish I could,¡± the merchant said, not even mentioning the quills that were supposed to be part of the deal.


    ¡°I see,¡± Caaven said, slightly deflating. ¡°Thank you for at least entertaining my offer.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    Caaven looked at the girl who had to be his niece further along the edge, then back toward a house near the small warehouse. ¡°About¡­ the other reason I asked you to come today,¡± he said with a sigh of resignation, his face lowered. ¡°Did you bring your tools?¡±


    Tools? What tools would Arty need? He was an Artist¡­


    ¡°Uh, why don¡¯t we talk about it in your home?¡± Arty said, throwing quick glances from Hiral to the Shapers on the platform. ¡°Talk¡­ about¡­ the quills you were referring to,¡± he said again, throwing a painfully obvious wink in Caaven¡¯s direction.


    Caaven¡¯s eyebrows bunched up, and his mouth made a little O shape as he looked at Hiral. ¡°Right, the quills,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯ll just be inside with Evenyn¡­ so she can talk to you about the¡­ quills,¡± he finished, giving his own version of the painfully obvious wink.


    Arty winced and nodded. ¡°Right, right. I¡¯ll be along in a few minutes.¡± He watched as Caaven retreated back to his home. ¡°Let¡¯s you and me go for a walk,¡± Arty said, putting his arm over Hiral¡¯s shoulder and leading him in the direction of the party getting ready to go to the surface.


    ¡°What was that all about?¡± Hiral asked.


    ¡°Well,¡± he started, but then looked back at the Shapers again. ¡°Should be far enough, even with their stupid hearing,¡± he muttered.


    ¡°Far enough for what? What do you need your tools for? You can¡¯t tattoo Nomads.¡±


    ¡°Tattoo¡­ no. More of a¡­ glyph. Something much simpler than a tattoo,¡± Arty said sheepishly.


    ¡°A glyph?¡± Hiral asked. ¡°Wait, Evenyn is Caaven¡¯s wife. You¡¯re not doing a Glyph of Fertility, are you? Those are illegal!¡±


    ¡°Shhhh,¡± Arty said, throwing more looks back at the Shapers, though none of them seemed to have heard Hiral. ¡°They¡¯re illegal in Fallen Reach because of the side effects they have on Makers. On our race. Nomads are a different race¡ªGrowers, they call themselves. The glyph doesn¡¯t have the same risks to them. It¡¯s safe.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re sure? How?¡± Hiral asked, but the look on Arty¡¯s face told it all. ¡°Oh, this isn¡¯t your first time.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s how I got the trade contracts in the first place,¡± Arty admitted. ¡°Look, you¡¯ve got to keep this to yourself. Even if it¡¯s safe for Growers, the Council in Fallen Reach won¡¯t think the same. I¡¯d lose more than my merchant¡¯s license, if you catch my drift. Might get to see the surface after all¡­ while falling the nine miles to get there.¡±


    Hiral rubbed the bridge of his nose, but nodded. Arty wasn¡¯t exaggerating. Council law wasn¡¯t often invoked¡­ mainly because of how seriously they took it. ¡°I won¡¯t rat you out. But I¡¯m not going to go in with you and watch you do it.¡±


    ¡°Good, because you¡¯re not invited. Besides, I¡¯ve got something better for you to do,¡± Arty said, a small wave of relief washing over him.


    ¡°Oh? Am I going to like it?¡± He suspected he knew the answer.


    ¡°Depends how much you like talking to girls your own age,¡± Arty said. ¡°Go talk to that Seena girl, see if you can¡¯t find out a bit more about the dungeons. We may not be back here for a year, but the more we know¡­¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± Hiral said. If he was honest with himself, he was pretty curious about the dungeons.


    ¡°Good, I¡¯ll come find you when I¡¯m done. Try to stay out of trouble.¡±


    ¡°Out of the pair of us, I¡¯m not the one who gets into trouble,¡± Hiral said before spinning on his heel and starting over toward the small group getting their equipment ready to jump off the island.

 Chapter 8 – The Fall

    Hiral approached the small group working on checking bags, some of the kites they used to go between islands, and even a few weapons. It consisted of four young men and a young woman who had to be Seena, unless the child playing around the group¡ªshe couldn¡¯t have been more than five¡ªwas actually the secret leader of the party.


    ¡°Hi,¡± Hiral said as he walked up to them, his hand up. ¡°Anything I can do to help?¡±


    A few turned their heads in his direction, took in his Islander clothes, and then went back to what they were doing.


    ¡°Your face is funny-looking,¡± a small voice said from beside him, and Hiral looked down to find the child standing in front of him, a kite almost as big as she was in her hand.


    ¡°I get that a lot,¡± Hiral said. He crouched down in front of the girl, then scrunched up his nose, squeezed his eyes shut, and stuck out his tongue.


    ¡°Hehe, not that kind of funny-looking, silly,¡± she said. When Hiral opened his eyes again to look at her, she reached out and poked him in the cheek, right where his Meridian Line was. ¡°Did somebody draw on you?¡±


    ¡°Kind of,¡± Hiral said. ¡°Everybody has these where I¡¯m from. Well, everybody older than ten or twelve.¡±


    ¡°Oooooh,¡± she said, tilting her head up to look at Fallen Reach high above them, where the sun just glinted over the edge like a horizon. ¡°You¡¯re from up there?¡±


    ¡°I sure am.¡±


    ¡°Is it hot, so close to the sun?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not actually that much closer.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you are,¡± she said, pointing up. ¡°Way closer.¡±


    ¡°Ah, okay, good point,¡± he said instead of arguing about it. ¡°But, no, it¡¯s not really hotter. It¡¯s actually cooler the higher up you go, but the magic of the island keeps it comfortable. Same as here.¡± He then took a good look at the girl¡¯s clothes. And the clothes of the group preparing to go down. They were just as layered up as Hiral was. And they weren¡¯t the only ones. Everybody he saw was dressed for cool weather.


    There wasn¡¯t any magic here to keep the temperature constant. How had he never noticed before? Ah, because he was too caught up in himself to think about it, most likely.


    ¡°We don¡¯t use magic for that, silly,¡± the girl said, confirming what Hiral was just figuring out. ¡°It¡¯s for growing stuff!¡± she added proudly, pointing to a green fence that started about a hundred feet away, then continued off into the distance.


    Considering how high up they were, a wall around the edge made sense, except in areas like the port.


    ¡°Come on, Favela, don¡¯t bother him,¡± the woman around Hiral¡¯s age said, coming over and putting her hands on the young girl¡¯s shoulders.


    ¡°She¡¯s not bothering me,¡± Hiral said. ¡°She¡¯s actually teaching me quite a lot. You must be Seena, right? Ah, sorry, I¡¯m Hiral.¡±


    The woman¡¯s eyes narrowed at him, but she gave a single nod. ¡°Go play, Favela, but stay away from the edge or I¡¯ll take your kite away from you.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s mine,¡± Favela said, clutching the kite closer to her chest. ¡°You said it was.¡±


    ¡°And it will be¡­ as long as you stay away from the edge,¡± the woman replied, staring at Favela until the younger girl nodded. ¡°Good, now off you go.¡±


    ¡°She really wasn¡¯t bothering me,¡± Hiral said.


    ¡°I know. Now, how do you know my name?¡±


    ¡°So, you are Seena, then?¡± Hiral asked, then waited until the woman nodded. ¡°I¡¯m here with Arty to trade with Caaven. He said something happened to your sister. I¡¯m sorry¡­¡±


    ¡°Nothing happened to her. She just decided to stop and look at something shiny. Gets distracted easily,¡± Seena said defensively.


    ¡°You¡¯re probably right,¡± Hiral said. ¡°But, if that was all you were worried about, would you really be getting ready to go down to the surface yourself?¡±


    Seena glared at him for a moment while chewing on her bottom lip. ¡°She also trips and falls a lot,¡± she finally said. ¡°I¡¯m just going to help.¡±


    ¡°But, from what I understand, it¡¯s pretty risky. You could miss making it back up.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll make it. We¡¯ve done it before in less time,¡± she said, looking back at the four men quickly getting their equipment in order.


    ¡°Are the dungeons really that dangerous?¡± Hiral asked, his eyes on a pair of spears. ¡°I thought I heard something about you not killing the Quillbacks to get their quills?¡±


    ¡°Quillbacks aren¡¯t the only thing down there,¡± Seena said, part of the worry over her sister seeping out into her words, but she quickly turned her head toward the edge. ¡°Hey! Favela, what did I say about getting too close to the edge?¡±


    ¡°But the wind is better here for the kite,¡± Favela whined, the kite a few feet above her and climbing.


    ¡°You¡¯ll lose it to that wind,¡± Seena said.


    ¡°No I won¡¯t. I have a good grip. See?¡± Favela showed the thick kite string looped over and over around her wrist and hand.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter¡ªit¡¯s not safe over there. Come back here before you¡­¡± Seena started, but cut off as a gust of wind whooshed by her like it had a mind of its own and yanked the kite high into the air with a sound like a whip.


    And then everything happened all at once.


    ¡°Favela!¡± Seena screamed.


    Instincts Hiral didn¡¯t know he had kicked in, and he dashed forward. Even with 20 Dex, though, he wasn¡¯t fast enough, and the good grip Favela had on her kite hauled the girl right up into the air with it as it went.


    Up¡­ and out over the edge.


    Favela¡¯s eyes opened wide in shock as her feet sailed away from solid ground, the kite still pulling her up.


    Could he make it? Grab her before she dropped?


    The gust of wind faded, and then Favela was gone.The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    No! No, no, no!


    Hiral changed the angle of his dash, just slightly, grabbed one of the kites used to go between islands, then sprinted hard for the edge. A quick glance told him there were straps that looked like they were meant to go around his wrists while he held on to the kite with both hands.


    He didn¡¯t have time for those.


    Or for both hands.


    With one hand wrapped as tight around the main shaft of the large kite as 18 Str would allow, Hiral ignored his mind telling him this was a stupid idea and leapt off the edge of the island.


    Already hundreds of feet below him, Favela¡¯s face was a mask of shock and fear as she looked back up at the sky, arms and legs flailing, the ground miles below. Miles that would vanish all too quickly, and that was assuming Hiral wanted to reach the surface, which he certainly did not. Not like this.


    ¡°I¡¯m coming!¡± he shouted, all his focus on the girl below him.


    He tucked the kite against his side like a shield as he dove down, cutting the air like a knife. The wind whistled in his ears, slashed at his eyes as tears flew away, and tried to rip the kite from his hand. Body rigid, Hiral hurtled downward, each small shift of his body or gust of wind threatening to take him off course.


    The girl screamed, her voice reaching Hiral¡¯s ears in strange, alternating waves as he raced down toward her, the hood over his head snapping back and his hair whipping in the wind. And, somehow, her kite was nowhere to be seen.


    Of course she let go of it now.


    Squeezing his right hand as tight as he could around his kite¡¯s shaft, Hiral extended his left hand out toward Favela, though she was still more than a hundred feet away. The small shift changed the angle of the kite, and suddenly, Hiral was barreling off to the side, whipping out wide from where he needed to be to catch her.


    His fall devoured distance like a starving man, islands coming into view in his peripheral vision and then gone again bare seconds later. He¡¯d closed half the distance to Favela, but was now fifty feet out too wide. Her arms and legs still flailed as she fell, increasing her wind resistance, and if Hiral didn¡¯t do something now, he¡¯d shoot past her.


    Muscles in his abdomen tensing, Hiral twisted ever so slightly, the kite at his side cutting the air and dragging him back across to where he needed to be so hard, he almost got whiplash. But at least he¡¯d¡­ No¡­ his momentum took him too far in the wrong direction! He¡¯d overshot where he¡¯d needed to be and cut the vertical distance between them in half.


    He needed to change the angle again¡­ but that would only do the same thing he¡¯d just done, whipping him past. He couldn¡¯t get back directly above her¡ªhe just didn¡¯t have the practice or control¡ªso he¡¯d need to snag her on the way by.


    Yeah, sure, no problem.


    ¡­Everfail¡­ a child¡¯s voice seemed to echo on the wind. What was he thinking? He couldn¡¯t do this. He couldn¡¯t even pass a children¡¯s test. What had made him jump off the Fallen¡¯s arse-end of an island in the first place?


    ¡°Funny-face!¡± Favela¡¯s voice somehow broke through the wind whipping past his ears, and Hiral forced himself to look at her. At her wide eyes and face full of fear.


    That was why he¡¯d jumped without thinking. She simply didn¡¯t deserve to die like this.


    ¡°I¡¯m coming, Favela,¡± Hiral shouted, though whether she could hear him or not was impossible to tell. So he stretched his hand in her direction, fingers wide like he was reaching for her, and her hand reached toward him.


    Maybe he couldn¡¯t do this. Just like he couldn¡¯t pass the test to be a Shaper.


    But that had never stopped him from trying before, and it wasn¡¯t going to stop him now.


    Hiral twisted the kite in his hand, the drag in the air practically flipping him over as it shot him toward Favela. Spinning, once, twice, round and round, Hiral¡¯s eyes never left that small hand reaching for him.


    At fifteen feet away, the wind gusted and tried to yank him off course. He pulled the kite closer and snapped back toward Favela.


    At ten feet, he was upside-down, hand stretched out and eyes watering from forcing them to stay open.


    At five feet, Favela¡¯s lips moved to form Funny-face.


    Reeeeeeeeaaaaaach, he pleaded with his hand as the wind swirled around them like a living thing, threatening to pull them apart. His fingers brushed again something¡ªskin, cold from the wind¡ªbut then slipped past.


    No! He¡¯d missed. He¡­


    Something dragged on his sleeve; Favela¡¯s small hand had somehow found a grip, and Hiral twisted his body around under hers, using the wide side of the kite to slow his descent so that she practically fell into his chest.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got you,¡± he said, snaking his left hand around her wrist and pulling her into him. ¡°Put your arms around my neck. Go on, hurry, I¡¯ve got you,¡± he coaxed until she let go of his hand and wrapped her small arms around him.


    More islands whizzed past the corners of his eyes. How far had they fallen? How many islands were left? Ah, it didn¡¯t matter; he was going to make this happen!


    ¡°This is going to be bumpy,¡± he said. ¡°But no matter what, do not let go. Okay? Can you do that?¡±


    Favela¡¯s small head nodded against his neck, and Hiral made sure he had as good a grip on her with his left hand as he could. With her small body snug to his, he turned his attention to his death-grip on the kite. It all came down to this.


    Would his 18 Str be enough to hold on? If he¡¯d had his Meridian Lines, it would be no question. If he¡¯d had a class, no question.


    He didn¡¯t have either of those things. All he had was one little girl counting on him to save her life.


    ¡°Here we go.¡± Hiral took a breath and leaned toward the top of the kite so that it tipped forward and they were rocketing straight down, headfirst, again.


    Then, before his brain could tell him how colossally stupid this was, Hiral pushed the kite out from his body at the same time he pointed the nose away at an angle.


    Pain lanced through his arm as the kite caught the wind under it with a terrifying SNAP. His arm? The kite? All of the above? The questions fled his mind as his legs whipped down and around, Favela screaming against his neck at the sudden jerk and twist. Then came more pain, like his fingers coming out of all their joints at once.


    Hiral grunted through the agony, focusing all his effort on those digits despite the pain. Everything hinged on them holding on. He would hold on, even if it meant they¡¯d need to cut his fingers away from the kite later.


    His body swung back the other way, Favela¡¯s arms still tight around his neck, the whooshing wind battering against his face, and his legs trailing weakly behind¡­ but ¡­that was it.


    That was it!?


    Hiral forced his eyes open¡ªwhen had he closed them?¡ªand looked around. The sky stretched out around him, the distant storm-wall gray and angry, but the rolling landscape beneath him comparatively peaceful.


    And far closer than he was comfortable with. They¡¯d already fallen miles.


    Tearing his eyes from the scenery, Hiral spotted the trailing islands¡ªseveral were still below him, but not for long. He wasn¡¯t falling at the same speed he had been before¡ªmore gliding now¡ªbut they were still moving fast and losing altitude.


    ¡°Almost there,¡± Hiral said, forcing his aching arm to pull on the kite to try and turn it.


    Come on, come on. Nothing happened. If he didn¡¯t change the angle of their flight¡ªjust a little, that was all it would take¡ªhe¡¯d still miss the islands and end up Fallen-knows-where.


    ¡°You¡¯ve gotta lean more,¡± Favela said, and he glanced down to see her small face looking up at him. ¡°My Da always talks about leaning.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m leaning as much as I can here,¡± Hiral said, and didn¡¯t mention it was taking everything he had just to hold on.


    ¡°I can lean too,¡± Favela said, shifting her weight in his arm to his left.


    Like some kind of magic, it actually worked. The kite gently arched around toward the nearest island, and Favela centered herself as soon as Hiral told her they were on track again.


    ¡°You¡¯re a natural,¡± Hiral said to her, and her tear-streaked face beamed up at him.


    He¡ªno, they¡ªhad done it. They were going to make it back to the island. All that stood between them and solid ground was a bit of open air and¡­


    Fallen¡¯s balls.


    A huge green wall.

 Chapter 83 – Asylum (END OF BOOK 1)

    It turned out they needed to wait five hours¡ªand four dungeon resets¡ªfor the portal to finally open, and Hiral let out a breath of minor disappointment when he didn¡¯t get to kill the Lord again. Heh, I¡¯m thinking too much like Yanily.


    ¡°If the portal is open, that means P¡ªthe Enemy¡ªisn¡¯t out there?¡± Right asked, changing what he was going to say after a brief look at Cal.


    ¡°Hope so,¡± Hiral said. ¡°Still, be ready for anything.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go first,¡± Left said, shaping his Dagger of Sath and leading the way with Right and Hiral close behind, Cal bringing up the rear. ¡°Clear,¡± Left said as the others emerged.


    Hiral still did a quick look around at the room and all the new chunks of wall, floor, and ceiling missing. Most notable was the new tunnel opposite the one they¡¯d entered through, their glowing root path leading in that direction.


    ¡°Somebody was looking for us,¡± Right said, running his finger along one of the gashes in the floor.


    ¡°And they weren¡¯t happy when they couldn¡¯t find us,¡± Hiral muttered. Was Picoli down the new tunnel, or had she finally given up? Either way, they couldn¡¯t stick around. But, first, he spotted the dungeon interface and swiped his hand over it.


    ¡°Clear Times,¡± Hiral said, as Dr. Benza appeared.


    The Troblin Throne ¨C Dungeon


    E-Rank


    Top Clear Times


    Hiral: 5:57


    Seena: 7:31


    ZZZ : --:--


    Close Window


    ¡°Whoa,¡± Right said.


    ¡°A fast dungeon, one way or the other,¡± Hiral said, nodding. ¡°They must¡¯ve done the same thing we did and went straight for the Lord. It also means they should be out here any minute now, assuming they got stuck in the same reset loop we did. Left, keep an eye down the tunnel we entered from. Right, get the other one, please.¡±


    ¡°Got it,¡± they both said in unison, moving to take up positions.


    This time, they didn¡¯t have to wait long. A portal opened, and the five Growers piled out, ready for a fight.


    ¡°Just us here,¡± Hiral said quickly with his hands up.


    ¡°How do we know you¡¯re not¡­?¡± Yanily started, but cut off when Hiral subtly pointed to Cal standing in the corner of the room.


    Seena, on the other hand, breathed out an obvious sigh of relief. ¡°You got through.¡±


    ¡°After being reckless,¡± Right said helpfully from where he watched the tunnel.


    ¡°Thank you, Right,¡± Hiral said flatly.


    ¡°Did you tell her?¡± Seena asked quietly, eyes zipping to Cal and back again. Hiral just shook his head. ¡°Seeyela will talk to her, but she must¡¯ve realized it when we came out.¡±


    ¡°I think maybe she had an idea even before,¡± Hiral said. ¡°She got some kind of mirror from the dungeon, and she¡¯s been wrapped up in it. Maybe it¡¯s for the best. Either way, I think we should get out of here while we can. There¡¯s a new tunnel.¡±


    ¡°I see that. Everybody ready to move?¡± Seena asked, though her lips tightened when she saw Cal fall into Seeyela¡¯s arms, shoulders shuddering. ¡°Sis?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re ready,¡± Seeyela said, patting Cal on the back. The healer pulled away, tears still streaming down her face. She wouldn¡¯t be much help if it came to a fight, but at least she¡¯d be walking on her own.


    ¡°Left, can you take the lead again?¡± Hiral said, pointing down the new tunnel, and the group quickly moved that way. Not even a hundred feet later, the tunnel widened significantly, and they found what looked like another dungeon interface. Twenty feet beyond the interface, the floor dropped off completely, only darkness below, though the tunnel continued off into the distance, the glowing roots running along the sides of the wall.


    ¡°They expect us to fly?¡± Wule asked.


    ¡°Or clear another dungeon?¡± Nivian said, eyeing the interface.


    ¡°Maybe not,¡± Hiral said, joining Nivian. ¡°Hey, everybody, stand close. I think I know what this is.¡±


    A WHAM echoed back from the way they¡¯d come, small rocks and dust falling from the ceiling. Then, WHAM again.


    ¡°Maybe skip the explanation?¡± Seena suggested, the party drawing weapons and facing the tunnel.


    Was that Hiral¡¯s imagination, or could he hear footsteps? Running footsteps, getting closer. Fast.


    Hiral put his hands on the interface, and the image of Dr. Benza predictably appeared.


    The image of the doctor shimmered briefly. ¡°Accessing PIMs. Access complete,¡± Dr. Benza said, his voice oddly flat. ¡°All zone-dungeon clears detected. Asylum destination unlocked. Would you like to proceed to the Asylum?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Hiral said, along with everybody else around the platform.


    ¡°Destination selected,¡± Dr. Benza said, and a dome of soft blue light rose around the circular platform. Then it gently pulled ahead into the wide hallway so smoothly, Hiral couldn¡¯t even feel it moving under his feet.


    At the same time, the sound of running steps grew louder and more frantic, glowing eyes and a manic grin appearing in the distance.


    ¡°Dr. Benza, faster, please,¡± Hiral said, pushing back the rising panic. If Picoli got on the platform, would they take her right to the one place that was supposed to be safe?


    ¡°Speed increasing,¡± Dr. Benza said, and the platform bolted away from the hall at the same time the thing that was Picoli arrived.


    It skidded to a stop at the edge of the floor, nothing but emptiness immediately in front of it, then dropped down to hands and feet, a familiar glow appearing under the soles of her feet and the palms of her hands. The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    She¡¯s going to try a Rejection-enhanced leap!


    Seena and Seeyela both recognized the threat at the same time, and all three raced back to the end of the platform. Hiral poured energy into his Rune of Rejection while a Gravity Well and a wall of Spearing Roots each filled half the hall. If Picoli jumped, they¡¯d make her work for it.


    But, as one second turned to two, to three, four¡­ five, and the distance between them grew and grew, Picoli instead stood up. Her eyes narrowed, then she threw back her head and let out a raspy, keening howl, the sound quickly getting swallowed by the darkness as the platform accelerated away.


    ¡°Something tells me we haven¡¯t seen the last of her,¡± Seeyela said, a note of sadness to her voice.


    ¡°Maybe we can find a way to bring her back,¡± Seena said, the words forced, but Seeyela nodded her appreciation. ¡°So, Hiral, what¡¯s this?¡± she asked, pointing at their feet.


    ¡°It¡¯s a Disc of Passage. But, a real one. Not a shaped tattoo. It makes sense, I guess. All our tattoos were based on actual items from history.¡±


    ¡°Glad this is a bit more real than history,¡± Seeyela said. ¡°It¡¯s taking us to the Asylum?¡±


    ¡°Seems it,¡± Hiral said.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t even feel like we¡¯re moving,¡± Seena said.


    ¡°The disc creates a protective shield around it¡ªthat¡¯s the blue dome, I think¡ªto maintain a steady environment within. We could even go underwater, and we wouldn¡¯t notice. But, if you look at the roots along the walls, you can see just how fast we¡¯re going.¡± Hiral pointed to the side in demonstration.


    ¡°I know how much you like testing things, but can we avoid the underwater bit?¡± Seena asked.


    ¡°Not up to me,¡± Hiral said with a shrug.


    ¡°Since the travel is taken care of, I¡¯m going to check on Cal,¡± Seeyela said. ¡°This is hitting her pretty hard.¡±


    ¡°Sis¡­ how are you doing? Cal isn¡¯t the only one who¡­ who lost¡­¡± Seena started, but couldn¡¯t finish.


    ¡°Once we get to the Asylum and can finally relax, I¡¯ll deal with it. For now, I¡¯m just not thinking about it. I can¡¯t. It¡¯ll be too much.¡± A crack formed in her fa?ade, but she quickly buried the emotion. ¡°See. It¡¯s that close to the surface. Excuse me.¡± She spun on her heel and went over to join Cal.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how she¡¯s doing it,¡± Seena said quietly for Hiral. ¡°If that was me¡­ would I be able to keep going?¡±


    ¡°You would,¡± Hiral said. ¡°You¡¯re both strong.¡±


    ¡°I hope we never have to find out,¡± Seena said. ¡°Losing Vix was already hard enough. I couldn¡¯t bear to lose another one of you. Yes, I¡¯m including you in that category, so stop being reckless,¡± she added with a soft punch to his shoulder, then walked over to join the others.


    Hiral, for his part, turned back the way they¡¯d come, eyes trying to pierce the darkness to make sure Picoli didn¡¯t find a way to follow them. That thing inside of her could fly, couldn¡¯t it? So why didn¡¯t it burst out and give chase? A shake of his head, and he let it go¡ªthere were just too many questions he didn¡¯t have answers to.


    Instead, he walked over to where Wule was handing out rations, and took one from the healer. ¡°You guys have much trouble with the Lord?¡±


    ¡°Yes and no,¡± Wule explained. ¡°The fight was brutal, but relatively quick. We had a pretty good system by the fifth time we had to fight it, but it didn¡¯t get any easier. I can¡¯t believe you two made it through. You¡¯re lucky you didn¡¯t have to fight it multiple times.¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­¡± Hiral said, then took a bite out of his ration.


    ¡°You did fight it five times? Just the two of you? Well, four, I guess. Maybe that¡¯s not so different than what we did.¡±


    ¡°Except Hiral solo¡¯d the Lord the last four times,¡± Right said. ¡°One swing. Boom. Dead.¡±


    ¡°What!?¡± Wule exclaimed.


    ¡°Overpowered S-Rank weapons,¡± Yanily grumbled, running a hand along the shaft of his spear. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, baby. I know you¡¯re just working up to it.¡±


    ¡°In all seriousness, you want to tell us how you managed?¡± Seena asked.


    So, Hiral did, outlining the fight as the disc traveled. His story finished, and they took their turn. Then, from there, it became stories about Lonil, Balyo, Vix, and Fitch. They seemed to avoid talking about Picoli for the time being, but even Seeyela and Cal joined in. Minutes turned into an hour, then two, before the trip seemed to be nearing its end.


    The Disc of Passage slowed to a stop when it ran out of tunnel, but then rose gently straight up. A moment later, the party found themselves in a wide, circular room seemingly cut from the stone itself, two more holes in the floor that looked like they¡¯d fit their own discs, and a single tunnel leading out. More glowing roots ran along the walls and domed roof, and the air felt stale as Hiral breathed it in.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since anyone was here,¡± Nivian said, his voice barely above a whisper.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter, as long as it¡¯s safe,¡± Seeyela said, then strode toward the only exit.


    The group walked down the narrow tunnel¡ªjust wide enough for two people to walk side by side¡ªwith their weapons drawn, the familiar roots their only light. This tunnel seemed to go on and on, so long, Hiral had trouble making out where they¡¯d entered, and then further still. Ten minutes they walked in silence before somebody finally spoke.


    ¡°Why couldn¡¯t the disc thing just take us all the way?¡± Yanily complained, his voice echoing strangely off the stone around them.


    ¡°Shush,¡± Seena scolded.


    ¡°Just saying¡­¡± Yanily mumbled, but they continued on in silence for another five minutes before emerging into another room.


    Unlike the first room or the tunnel, the domed ceiling of this one was made from or covered in the same crystal as Hiral¡¯s weapons. Four more doorways branched off from this area, their own rooms visible beyond¡ªso no more long tunnels, at least¡ªand, of course, there was an interface pedestal in the middle.


    ¡°This is the Asylum, isn¡¯t it?¡± Wule asked as the group spread out around the room.


    ¡°This looks like some kind of training room over here,¡± Nivian said from beside one of the doors. ¡°It¡¯s huge.¡±


    ¡°A kitchen here, and¡­ a garden?¡± Seena said from beside another door.


    Hiral veered over toward another door, peering in and finding what looked like workbenches, a forge, and tools lining the walls, among other things. ¡°Some kind of workroom here. For trades or crafts?¡±


    ¡°This one looks like¡­ a house?¡± Seeyela said, Cal close at her side. ¡°Living quarters or a dorm or something. I see more doors further down, but it kind of reminds me of the inn we stayed at.¡±


    ¡°Any Troblins and their inappropriate paintings?¡± Yanily asked.


    ¡°Don¡¯t even joke about that,¡± Wule said. ¡°Hey, I think I can activate this pedestal even though Hiral isn¡¯t close.¡±


    ¡°Try it,¡± Seena said, and Hiral made sure not to move closer despite his curiosity.


    The healer waved his hand over the crystal, and Dr. Benza appeared beside the pedestal.


    ¡°Welcome to an Asylum,¡± he said. ¡°If you¡¯re here, that means you¡¯ve cleared the three dungeons in the area. Congratulations. Within these walls, you will find safety, shelter, and a place to regain your strength before you push on to the next set of dungeons.


    ¡°The remote location, along with the rare materials used to craft the Asylum itself, reduces the chances of Enemy detection to almost zero. Though, this does limit the maximum occupancy to only eighteen,¡± Dr. Benza added with a shrug. ¡°Believe me, if we could¡¯ve just built more Asylums to house our people, we would have. The dozen we¡¯ve constructed around the world as waypoints for your journey through the dungeons will have to do, however.


    ¡°During your stay, please feel free to make use of the fully equipped training room, the well-stocked kitchen and garden¡ªthough watch out for the rabbits, they bite, little bastards¡ªand the multi-purpose workroom. You will, of course, also have access to the Tutorials and Help sections equivalent to the number of dungeons you¡¯ve cleared.


    ¡°With all that in mind, I¡¯m sure you have many questions, and I would be happy to answer¡­¡± The image flickered, then vanished.


    All at once, red lights came on within the crystal dome overhead, tinting the entire room the color of blood, and Dr. Benza¡¯s image reappeared, though this time, it looked¡­ older. Tired. Ragged.


    ¡°If you¡¯re seeing this version of me, it can only mean one thing¡ªthe magic keeping Fallen Reach in the sky is failing.


    ¡°You need to act. You need to save it. If you don¡¯t, within one year, the island and everybody on it will be destroyed.¡±

 Rune Seeker book 1 finished! Rune Seeker Ebook + Audiobook Launches on Amazon on the 17th!

    Well, everybody, here we are once again at the end of book 1 of another series.


    This is the third Book 1 I''ve finished on Royal Road, the first being The Ogre''s Pendant (the first book in the Oaths, Blood and Coin series), the second being Mark of the Fool 1 and now? Rune Seeker 1.


    I have to say it''s been a great experience, made all the better by my wonderful co-author, Carter Thompson. I can say with full, 100% certainty that, if it were not for this collaboration, this book would not be in front of you on Royal Road right now.


    Another factor that made this so great was you. Yes, you, the one reading this book. Your reception has made this an absolute pleasure :D. I''ve loved watching the Rune Seeker readers grow on the discord server. It''s just been so gratifying.


    So, with book 1 finished, the book will stub end of day Monday, just after book 2 starts Monday. There will be no Rune Seeker update on Sunday.


    If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    Now, as many of you have pointed out, there is no patreon for Rune Seeker, so if you want to support the book, myself and Carter, the best way would be by buying the ebook or audiobook on Amazon. I''ll post about that on the day itself, but if you want to preorder, you can do so through the links below:


    https://www.royalroad.com/amazon/B0CBSQZMW4</a>


    https://www.audible.com/pd/Rune-Seeker-Audiobook/B0CDN84FND</a>


    As always, you do not have to do this, it is your choice. That said, I would be very very grateful. As always, y''all are awesome.


    Carter and I will see you on Monday!

 (Book 2 begins!) Chapter 1 – Welcome To The Asylum

    Hiral sat back and rolled his shoulders, upper body stiff from how he¡¯d been hunched over the workbench, but couldn¡¯t help but smile at the progress. The shattered¡­ stuff¡­ he¡¯d gotten as the dungeon reward from the Troblin Throne sat organized and sorted back to a semblance of its former shape. Using the flowing script inscribed within the crystal itself, he¡¯d been able to carefully align the hundreds of broken shards until they formed a flat ring almost two and a half feet in diameter.


    ¡°Still no idea what you do,¡± he said to the ring quietly, fingers practically itching to start using his Mold Crystal ability to mend the seams. Considering he¡¯d gotten the item for basically soloing the zone-capping dungeon, it had to be good¡­ whatever it was.


    But¡­


    Hiral¡¯s eyes drifted up from the bench to the red glow of the Asylum¡¯s central room just beyond the workshop door. They¡¯d arrived there just around twenty hours ago to be met with Dr. Benza¡¯s shocking proclamation.


    ¡°If you¡¯re seeing this version of me, it can only mean one thing¡ªthe magic keeping Fallen Reach in the sky is failing,¡± Dr. Benza¡¯s tired image had said. ¡°You need to act. You need to save it. If you don¡¯t, within one year, the island and everybody on it will be destroyed.¡±


    Then, before anybody even had a moment to really digest the words, he¡¯d continued. ¡°Accessing PIMs. Access complete. PIMs of suitable power to achieve necessary results not detected. Failure calculated at 98.3%. Shutting down external access to run crisis response scenarios.


    ¡°External access to be restored in approximately twenty-four hours.¡±


    Dr. Benza had then vanished without another word, leaving the entry room with its ominous blood-red glow, the interface unresponsive to the party. Maybe, in a way, that¡¯d been for the best. Considering everything that had happened¡ªthe deaths of four friends and the¡­ loss¡­ of Picoli¡ªthe group needed a rest. The Fallen Reach crisis wasn¡¯t something they could do anything about immediately anyway, so the forced twenty-four hours of downtime after so long on the run? Not a bad thing.


    Needing to stretch his legs, Hiral got up and began to slowly pace around the central workbench. As he did, his fingers traced along the tabletop while his mind replayed the events that had brought him there. The first long edge of the table was like his time without a class¡ªhis time on Fallen Reach as the Everfail. It made sense it was the longest part of the table¡ªit¡¯d been the longest part of his life, after all¡ªbut still, that wasn¡¯t who he was. Yes, it had shaped him. No, it didn¡¯t define him.


    He reached the corner, which represented when he¡¯d jumped off the Growers¡¯ island. Twice. Two jumps and one turning point that¡¯d brought him to the surface with Seena, Nivian, Yanily, Wule, and Vix. Hiral¡¯s steps faltered slightly as Vix crossed his mind, but he pushed it aside; that part of the journey was further down the table. For now, this short end of the table represented those first chaotic hours on the surface. The search for Seena¡¯s sister, Seeyela, and her party. The run-in with the Shapers from Fallen Reach who¡¯d captured and planned to kill the Growers.


    And, most importantly, at the next turning point¡ªthe next corner of the table¡ªhis getting a class. Never in a million rotations¡ªor years, as Dr. Benza preferred to call them¡ªwould he have predicted the crystal monster that¡¯d chased them gifting him a class. But it had, and his entire world had changed.


    That led him to the next long section of the table, representing the first part of their time stranded on the surface. With their way back blocked by the Shapers, they¡¯d done the only thing they could¡ªreturned to the dungeon. What followed were arguably some of the best times in Hiral¡¯s life, despite the circumstances: Challenge. Growth.


    Friends.


    Real friends. Oh, and his doubles, Left and Right.


    Hiral shook his head a bit at that. It was surreal literally talking to two different versions of himself complete with their own abilities, thoughts, and personalities. It was also enlightening and brutally honest.


    His fingers continued along the table as memories of their battles in the first two dungeons, Troblin Keep and The Mire, played out in his head. The Troblin bosses¡ªthe summoning ritual, the Butcher, and finally the Eloquent Duke¡ªhad been a literal trial by fire, packed with explosive growth. The Runic Hand Cannons he¡¯d gotten there, along with the experience using his new runes, had led to his evolved fighting style. In The Mire, the King and Queen of the Swamp, The Scholarly Sealer, and finally the monstrous hydra, The Prince of the Swamp, had forced the party to work together like never before to survive. To thrive.


    His reward for surviving that dungeon had been the legendary, S-Rank Emperor¡¯s Greatsword, and his eyes went to where the broken blade rested on another nearby table. He still had a quest to repair it, but even in its current state, it was fearsomely powerful.


    All in all, things had been going pretty well¡­ until he got to the next corner of the table.


    The corner where everything changed. It was then that the Enemy had found them. The thing Dr. Benza had warned them about. He turned the corner slowly, and in the short edge of the table, Hiral relived watching his friends die. Lonil the tank, smashed into the ground. Vix, his party-mate and friend, yanked into the dark, night sky. Picoli, possessed by the Enemy, and her fist through Balyo¡¯s chest. Even Fitch, asshole that he was, was gone.


    After they¡¯d barely escaped the carnage with their lives, Hiral had somehow managed to solo the third and final dungeon of the area, the Troblin Throne. That¡¯d opened the path to the Asylum. It was a success that would¡¯ve been celebrated any other time.


    Still, so many lost in such a short time, and Hiral lifted his hand from the table before he got to the next corner. What would come after the next big change when the Asylum interface unlocked?


    ¡°Not something I¡¯ll find an answer to walking circles around a table by myself,¡± Hiral muttered, taking one look at the shattered ring on the table, then spinning on his heel and exiting the workshop.


    After the initial shock of Dr. Benza¡¯s words, the party had mainly dragged themselves to one of the beds in the dormitory area and then collapsed into unconsciousness. With Left and Right keeping watch, just in case, they¡¯d slept for hours.


    Hiral hadn¡¯t been the first to awaken¡ªhe¡¯d found Seena and Seeyela out in the living area chatting quietly, but it¡¯d looked like they needed time. So, he¡¯d given it to them, going to explore the multi-tiered training room and then losing himself in fixing the crystal ring in the workshop. Now¡­ now it was time to see how the others were doing.


    Following the rhythmic thunking of metal on wood, Hiral peeked into the kitchen first. This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    ¡°Hey,¡± he said, spotting Nivian in a floral apron behind the counter, a mountain of chopped vegetables beside him. ¡°What you making?¡±


    ¡°Hey Hiral. Stew,¡± Nivian said, looking up while still chopping. ¡°Figured we could use something a bit more wholesome than rations. The pantry is fully stocked, and the garden over there¡±¡ªhe nodded his head in the direction of another door¡ª¡°is surprisingly extensive. I think there¡¯s even a section further for small animals like rabbits.¡±


    ¡°Are they covered in spikes, or Elites?¡± Hiral asked with a chuckle.


    ¡°Heh, not the one I saw,¡± the tank said. ¡°Er, though I didn¡¯t View it, so it might be Elite. Wouldn¡¯t that just be something? A killer rabbit in here with us?¡±


    ¡°Dr. Benza seemed like he was kind of a sadist, so I wouldn¡¯t be surprised,¡± Hiral said. ¡°Do you need any help with dinner?¡±


    ¡°Just need you to keep Left and Right out of here,¡± Nivian said, actually stopping the knife to point at Hiral. ¡°If I hear one more comment about needing more salt¡­¡±


    ¡°Whoa, got it.¡± Hiral held his hands up and patted the air. ¡°Where are they anyway?¡±


    ¡°Think I saw them in the training room with Yanily,¡± Nivian said, the knife blurring back to activity.


    ¡°You¡­ sure you don¡¯t need some help?¡± Hiral asked once more.


    The knife slowed, then picked up speed again as Nivian shook his head. ¡°I think I just need the time to myself, if you don¡¯t mind,¡± he said, his voice low.


    Hiral opened his mouth to tell the tank it wasn¡¯t his fault the others had died. That he couldn¡¯t protect everybody all the time. But, between Nivian¡¯s slumped shoulders and too-firm grip on the carrot, Hiral sensed the words would only do more harm than good.


    ¡°Well, let me at least do the dishes, then,¡± he said instead.


    ¡°Deal. I hate dishes,¡± Nivian said without looking up, and Hiral left the kitchen silently.


    ¡°He¡¯s still cutting vegetables?¡± a voice asked as Hiral entered the blood-red interface room.


    ¡°He been at it long?¡± Hiral asked when he spotted Nivian¡¯s twin brother, Wule, leaning against the entrance to the living area with a book in his hand.


    ¡°Almost as long as you were nose deep in that crystal stuff in the workshop,¡± Wule said. ¡°You make any progress?¡±


    ¡°Just about ready to put it back together, assuming my Mold Crystal ability works,¡± Hiral said, walking over to join Wule. ¡°Nivian going to be okay?¡±


    ¡°Give him time. He¡¯s taking it pretty hard. Who am I kidding? We all are. Lonil was kind of a role model for Nivian, though, and after he¡¯d promised to take care of everybody¡­¡± Wule trailed off. ¡°Can we not talk about it, though? I picked up a book to try and forget some of that.¡±


    ¡°Sure. What did you find? Anything good?¡±


    ¡°Steamy romance,¡± Wule side, sliding a finger into the collar of his shirt and pulling it away from his neck a few times like he was trying to cool off. ¡°Don¡¯t expect me to get anything productive done until I finish it.¡±


    ¡°Just picture them all as Troblins,¡± Hiral said, and Wule visibly blanched.


    ¡°Aaaaaaand I¡¯m done,¡± he said, the book clapping shut. ¡°Thank you very much. That painting still haunts my dreams, you know.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, couldn¡¯t help myself,¡± Hiral said.


    ¡°Yeah, and I¡¯ll remember it the next time you need a heal,¡± Wule grumbled before stomping back into the living area.


    ¡°Oh, come on! It¡¯s not that bad,¡± Hiral called after him.


    ¡°Whatever!¡± Wule said, tossing the book onto one of the couches.


    Seena and Seeyela glanced up at him, though their faces still looked serious.


    Hiral gave the two sisters a wave when they saw him, but it didn¡¯t look like they were ready for company yet, so he waved a second time and then went into the training room.


    ¡°¡­ to jump higher,¡± Left was saying as Hiral walked in. Yanily stood in front of the double with his spearpoint driven into the floor, Right hanging back a few steps.


    ¡°I¡¯m jumping as high as I can,¡± Yanily said, lifting his spear up from the unmarked floor. The surfaces of the training room had proven to be extremely durable when Hiral had been in there earlier. ¡°Right just moved too quickly.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I should just stand still while you bunny hop?¡± Right asked.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t a bunny hop!¡± Yanily said, his hands slowly spinning his spear in his Dancing Spear Style. ¡°It was majestic and fearsome.¡±


    ¡°Bunnies can be fearsome and majestic,¡± Hiral said, walking over to join the three. ¡°Just ask Nivian about the Boss-level one in the kitchen,¡± he added, thumbing back over his shoulder.


    ¡°There¡¯s a Boss-Bunny in the kitchen? Think it¡¯s worth much experience?¡± Yanily asked, the spear whipping around his back in a tight spin like it was second nature.


    ¡°Not that you could hit it with your bunny hop,¡± Right said.


    ¡°Not a bunny hop!¡± Yanily snapped again.


    ¡°Should I ask?¡± Hiral said.


    ¡°Yanily is working on a new ability,¡± Right said. ¡°Er¡­ a new move? It¡¯s not an actual ability.¡±


    ¡°Need any help with it?¡± Hiral asked.


    ¡°Oh, yes, a third one of you critiquing me will definitely help,¡± Yanily said dryly.


    ¡°I¡¯m a little more balanced than these two,¡± Hiral said, giving his doubles a small glare. ¡°What are you trying to accomplish?¡±


    Yanily twisted away, his feet moving smoothly across the floor in a dance akin to the namesake of his spear style, then dropped into a fighting stance with the spear held in front of him. ¡°The last dungeon¡­ and¡­ and the things that happened before that¡­ they showed me a lot of my weaknesses. When I had¡­¡± He gulped, then forced the words out of his mouth. ¡°When I had Vix opposite me, we played off each other, moving fast to keep our opponents off balance.


    ¡°We also never fought anything really strong. But then, against the Troblin Lord and¡­ and Picoli¡­ I hardly did anything. I couldn¡¯t punch through the Lord¡¯s armor, and you saw Picoli move around me like I wasn¡¯t even there. Getting better with Dancing Spear Style will help with that second one, but I need something like what Balyo had. A one-hit, big-damage move.¡±


    ¡°And that¡¯s what you¡¯re working on?¡± Hiral asked. ¡°Something you¡¯re trying to create instead of an ability you got from an achievement reward?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Yanily said, his spear thrusting up rapid-fire like the shaft was made of rubber¡ªor a giant reed. ¡°I¡¯m hoping for a spontaneous ability evolution, or¡­ you know, maybe just doing it like you do. Through practice.¡±


    ¡°Can you show me? I might have some pointers.¡±


    ¡°Sure. You know my Reed Spear Style,¡± Yanily said, continuing the rapid thrusting. ¡°I¡¯ll keep using it for straight on fights, but what I want to do is¡­¡± He trailed off as the spear went from thrusting back to spinning around him in wide arcs. Sweep right, left, around his back, and then his feet moved in as the spear¡¯s blade whipped down then up in a powerful uppercut. More than that, Yanily leapt into the air as his blade went up, letting the momentum of the swing carry him until, at the apex of his jump, he spun the blade around again to drive it point-first into the ground as he landed. ¡°That,¡± he finished.


    ¡°I see,¡± Hiral said, replaying the maneuver in his head. ¡°Which part do you want to be the big hit?¡±


    ¡°The thrust from the sky,¡± Yanily said.


    ¡°Sky is pretty low these days,¡± Right mumbled, and Hiral shot him another glare.


    ¡°The uppercut part was really well done,¡± Hiral said, ¡°but¡ªI hate to say it¡ªfor the final part to pack enough punch, you need¡­¡±


    ¡°More than a bunny hop,¡± Left said.


    ¡°I was going to say height,¡± Hiral said, tapping his lip in thought. ¡°If you had the Runes of Rejection and Attraction¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t have your abilities,¡± Yanily pointed out.


    ¡°No, but I have an idea about how I can maybe¡­ loan them to you¡­ so to speak,¡± Hiral said. ¡°Let me work on it and get back to you.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Yanily asked, his eyes practically lighting up.


    ¡°Yeah, just don¡¯t get your hopes up until we see if it works,¡± Hiral said.


    ¡°That may have to wait,¡± Left said seriously, and Hiral turned to his double, who was facing out of the training room.


    Hiral followed the other¡¯s gaze to find the blood-red glow from the entryway gone, and the normal image of Dr. Benza standing beside the interface.


    ¡°Welcome to an Asylum,¡± Dr. Benza said. ¡°If you¡¯re here, that means you¡¯ve cleared the three dungeons in the area. Congratulations.¡± Then, as though he felt Hiral¡¯s eyes on him, he added, ¡°I¡¯m sure you have many questions, and I would be happy to answer them.¡±

 Chapter 2 – Evolutions (And Explosions)

    Hiral left the training room with Yanily and his doubles close behind, making his way into the Asylum entryway at the same time Seena and her sister did.


    ¡°Crisis mode or whatever it¡¯s called is finished?¡± Seena called over when she saw him.


    ¡°Looks that way,¡± Hiral said.


    ¡°Right as I was putting the stew on, of course,¡± Nivian said, coming out of the kitchen while he wiped his hands on his apron.


    ¡°Stew would¡¯ve been ready hours ago if you didn¡¯t try to cut every vegetable in the garden,¡± Wule said, coming out behind the sisters with another book in his hands.


    ¡°Figured you¡¯d be hungry. You have been putting on weight,¡± Nivian shot back, and rolled his hands out and around his stomach.


    ¡°I have not! Take that back,¡± Wule said, only to glance down at his stomach and wince. ¡°Okay, maybe I did overindulge a little in stress-eating those rations, but healing is hungry work.¡±


    ¡°Veggies,¡± Nivian said simply. Then he thumbed back over his shoulder and looked at the others as they all gathered around the Asylum interface, Dr. Benza smiling beside it.


    ¡°What are we waiting for?¡± Yanily asked. ¡°Don¡¯t you all need to evolve to D-Rank?¡±


    ¡°Caleon?¡± Wule asked Seeyela.


    ¡°She¡¯s still in her room,¡± Seeyela said. ¡°Hasn¡¯t come out once. Must still be asleep.¡±


    ¡°The beds are pretty comfy, considering what we¡¯ve been sleeping on up till now,¡± Hiral agreed, thinking back on the small dorm rooms they¡¯d each claimed. Simple, with a bed and desk, but with their own private bathrooms. Eighteen of them in total. Luxurious compared to the stone cave floors they¡¯d been sleeping on¡ªwhen they got to sleep at all¡ªbut with Cal, it was probably more than just that.


    ¡°She wouldn¡¯t talk to me,¡± Wule said. ¡°Seeyela, is she okay?¡±


    Seeyela gently shook her head. ¡°Not yet. Maybe not ever. You all know how she felt about Lonil¡ªeven if she never admitted it to herself.¡±


    ¡°Worst-kept secret, except to her,¡± Wule said, nodding.


    ¡°Yeah, and now that¡¯s she realized it¡ªI mean really realized it¡ªshe regrets not figuring it out sooner while she still had time,¡± Seeyela said.


    ¡°How about you?¡± Nivian asked softly, and the Growers all sort of looked at each other. They¡¯d all given each other some space since they got to the Asylum, but it looked like the time for being alone was over.


    They¡¯re a party, after all. No, we¡¯re a party.


    ¡°Talking helps,¡± Seeyela said, wrapping her arm around Seena¡¯s shoulder. ¡°It¡¯s still tough, though. I can¡¯t¡­ I can¡¯t believe they¡¯re not going to come walking in any second now, you know? Balyo and her stupid laugh¡­¡±


    ¡°Like a cat dying,¡± Yanily said seriously. ¡°A wonderful, badass cat,¡± he quickly amended. ¡°Dying. Slowly.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I swear she could¡¯ve used it as an ability in a fight.¡± Seeyela chuckled. ¡°Lonil even tried tickling her one time when we were up against some Troblins to see if it would work.¡±


    ¡°Did it?¡± Nivian asked, smirking.


    ¡°Heh, not exactly. Lonil ended up with a broken nose and Cal had to use her long cooldown to fix it. There was so much blood.¡± Seeyela laughed. ¡°Like, gushing. Oh, I know I shouldn¡¯t think that¡¯s funny, but then the last Troblin jumped on Picoli while we were distracted. But¡­ but¡­ Lonil had knocked its teeth out earlier, so when it got her¡­ it just sort of gummed her arm a bit.¡± She wrapped her lips over her teeth and gnawed on her own arm.


    Everybody else just looked a little shocked, but once Hiral pictured the scene and failed to stop himself from giggling at it, the others quickly joined in.


    ¡°Did¡­ did you just let it chew on Picoli?¡± Yanily asked between chuckles.


    ¡°Nah. Fitch bashed it over the head, then yelled at us for being careless,¡± Seeyela said, tilting her back so she could breathe through the laughter. But when her face came forward again, something inside her just seemed to¡­ crack. ¡°I¡¯m going to miss them all¡­ so much¡­¡± She clenched her jaw, trying to hold it together.


    Seena got to her first, wrapping her arms around her sister, and the others quickly followed until it was only Hiral and his doubles standing to the side.


    ¡°What are you waiting for?¡± Seena asked him quietly, waving him over with small hand gestures. She made room for him when he arrived.


    Hiral slipped in between Seena and Nivian, joining in the group hug until Seeyela¡¯s shoulders finally stopped shaking several minutes later.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s embarrassing,¡± Seeyela said as they broke up, wiping her eyes and then her nose.


    ¡°No idea what you¡¯re talking about,¡± Nivian said, his voice cracking a little. ¡°I didn¡¯t see anything. Too busy hugging.¡±


    ¡°Me neither,¡± Yanily said, eyes red and snot running down his top lip.


    Seeyela forced herself to smile at them, then turned to Dr. Benza, obviously ready to change the subject. ¡°Want to see what he has to say?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a little afraid to, actually,¡± Wule said. ¡°But I guess we have to, don¡¯t we?¡±


    ¡°Hey, we got to level twenty in the Troblin Throne since we had to keep killing the Lord.¡± Seena looked at Hiral and quietly asked, ¡°How close are you?¡±


    ¡°I got twenty too,¡± Hiral said. ¡°Solo experience and that rested bonus ability.¡±


    ¡°Over¡­ powered¡­¡± Yanily enunciated specifically, meeting Hiral¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°He had help,¡± Right spoke up.


    ¡°Only the first time,¡± Left clarified.


    ¡°Only the¡­?¡± Yanily balked. ¡°Seriously overpowered.¡±Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    ¡°Yeah, but just wait until you get to enjoy the passive party buff I got from the achievements,¡± Hiral said. ¡°Then you¡¯ll be overpowered too! Uh, you guys did get that Party Interface ability, right?¡±


    ¡°We did,¡± Seena said before Yanily could answer. ¡°But¡­¡± She looked at the people around the interface.


    ¡°Parties can only have six people, and we have seven,¡± Nivian finished.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to need to figure something out,¡± Seena conceded. ¡°After we talk to Dr. Benza here and get our evolutions.¡± She looked directly at Hiral and added, ¡°Also going to need to coordinate new abilities, from the sounds of things.¡±


    Despite the slight glare Seena threw at him, Hiral couldn¡¯t help but smile. She isn¡¯t automatically leaving me out to fit Cal in.


    ¡°Happy to,¡± Hiral said. ¡°And like I was telling Yanily earlier, I think I have some ideas on how I can help you guys out with those crystals we got.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s great,¡± Seena said, then shook her head. ¡°How do we always get distracted from what we¡¯re supposed to be doing?¡± She looked back at Dr. Benza.


    ¡°At least there isn¡¯t a Troblin gnawing on your arm,¡± Wule said, stifling a laugh.


    ¡°There is that,¡± Seena said, rolling her eyes before swiping her hand over the interface crystal. Of course, since Dr. Benza¡¯s image was already there, nothing happened. ¡°Fine. Right. Whatever. Rank Evolution.¡±


    As soon as she said the words, a streamer of glowing, smoke-like light extended out of the interface crystal and connected to the center of Seena¡¯s chest. A pulse, and her entire body lit up from within, the dark shadows of roots growing insider her. Pulse after pulse of light, the roots spread further through her body, like they were stretching for the surface of her skin. Then it stopped, the light vanishing like it¡¯d never been there.


    ¡°Woah,¡± she said, blinking and looking at her hands.


    ¡°It¡¯s a rush, isn¡¯t it?¡± Yanily said, gently elbowing her in the shoulder.


    She looked at Yanily. ¡°It is¡­ and wow, we get four stat points right away?¡±


    ¡°Yup! I didn¡¯t mention that?¡± he asked innocently. Too innocently.


    Seena glared at him, but then her eyes went distant as she regarded her status window. ¡°Same auto-distribution, but now I have an extra free point every level. Nice. I¡¯ll just put one¡­ here¡­ and the other one? Um¡­ there. There we go.¡± Her eyes refocused on the others. ¡°My body feels lighter. More¡­ I dunno¡­ real. I can¡¯t explain it. Who¡¯s next?¡±


    ¡°Ladies first,¡± Hiral said, gesturing for Seeyela to go ahead, which she did.


    Nivian and Wule quickly followed, and then it was Hiral¡¯s turn. Even though he¡¯d gotten to level 20 in his class, just like they had, the idea of a rank evolution had been nothing but a far, far away fantasy for most of his life. Part of him wondered for a second if this was all just a dream and he was about to wake up, but then two hands pushed gently on his shoulders from behind.


    ¡°What are you waiting for?¡± Right asked. ¡°We can¡¯t evolve until you do.¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ sorry,¡± Hiral said, stepping up closer to the interface crystal, at which point Nivian took an obvious step back. Then two more.


    ¡°What?¡± the tank asked. ¡°You have a tendency to explode.¡±


    ¡°Oh sh¡­¡± Yanily said, quick-stepping back as well. ¡°Is this far enough? Do you think this is far enough?¡± he asked rapid-fire to Seena¡­ who¡¯d also put a good ten feet between them.


    ¡°Something I should know?¡± Seeyela asked, seeing Wule also backing away.


    ¡°Yes¡ªhe explodes when he gets excited,¡± Nivian said.


    Seeyela¡¯s eyebrow went up.


    ¡°Just¡­ trust us. Take a few steps back,¡± Wule said, waving her over.


    Seeyela shrugged and walked over to join Wule. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s see the show.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not a show. Tell them I¡¯m not going to¡­¡± Hiral turned to his doubles, only to find even they¡¯d backed far away from him. ¡°You guys too?¡±


    ¡°Just safekeeping your solar energy,¡± Left said.


    ¡°Go, Hiral, you can do it, rah rah,¡± Right added, pumping his fist in the air.


    ¡°Sometimes I can¡¯t believe we¡¯re all part of the same person,¡± Hiral grumbled, then looked at Dr. Benza. ¡°Rank Evolution.¡± The solar energy wafted up from the interface to connect with the Rune of Separation and the crystal embedded in his chest.


    Energy exploded out of him, lifting him to hover five feet off the ground and ripping the double-helix script off his flesh. Lines and lines of glowing characters orbited around him in a sphere of radiant power, energy dancing across his skin like electricity, and then everything went completely dark. Before he even had a chance to wonder¡ªor panic¡ªmore of the shimmering script burst through the darkness of his sight.


    Words. Sentences. Stories. Lifetimes. Truths. Primal facts.


    He saw them all, stretching across the land, the sky, the universe¡­ and into another. A place like his own, but not. A place of power where¡­


    The room appeared again in front of Hiral as he dropped straight down, collapsing to the floor in an instant while the glowing script tightened around his body again. The double helix pattern burned into his skin, filling him with the power of his PIM, and some of those truths he¡¯d gleaned lingered in front of his eyes.


    ¡°Haaaaaa¡­¡± He let out a breath he didn¡¯t know he¡¯d been holding, the air running up his throat and past his lips practically scalding hot. ¡°Yeah¡­ a rush¡­¡± he wheezed.


    ¡°See. Explodes,¡± Nivian said from somewhere out of Hiral¡¯s line of sight.


    ¡°You weren¡¯t kidding,¡± Seeyela said.


    ¡°Hiral, hey, you okay?¡± Seena said, coming over and kneeling down beside him. Then, more quietly, she asked, ¡°You¡¯re, uh¡­ done exploding, right?¡±


    ¡°I think so,¡± he said, looking up to meet her eyes.


    ¡°Good¡­¡± Her eyebrows slowly climbed up her forehead before she leaned down very close to him. So close, in fact, their noses almost touched as she stared into his eyes.


    ¡°Uh¡­ Seena?¡± Hiral asked softly, almost afraid to move.


    ¡°Seena?¡± Seeyela asked, a little more big-sister-protectively.


    ¡°Your eyes,¡± Seena said, finally pulling back to a more comfortable two feet from Hiral¡¯s face.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with my eyes?¡± Hiral asked, a different kind of panic in his chest.


    ¡°Your irises¡ªthe colored part of your eyes¡ªthere¡¯s¡­ there¡¯s writing in them. Like the stuff on your arms. Glowing. Too small to read, but it¡¯s definitely there.¡±


    ¡°What? Let me see,¡± Yanily said, barging over and also getting far too close to Hiral. With the man¡¯s bigger nose¡­ well¡­ they actually touched.


    ¡°Uhhhhh¡­ personal space,¡± Hiral mumbled.


    ¡°She¡¯s right,¡± Yanily said, leaning back like nothing had happened. ¡°Totally glowing eyes. That better not be some other overpowered ability.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not,¡± Hiral said.


    ¡°You sure? You checked your status window?¡± Yanily snapped back, crossing his arms.


    ¡°Well¡­ no¡­¡± Hiral said, then did just that. ¡°Nope. No new abilities. Happy?¡±


    ¡°Is exploding listed on your ability section?¡± Nivian asked.


    ¡°What? No,¡± Hiral said.


    ¡°Then we can¡¯t rule out the eye thing,¡± Nivian said sagely.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t explode.¡±


    ¡°Yes, you really did,¡± Seeyela said. ¡°Just go with it.¡±


    ¡°I just¡­ fine. Can somebody help me up?¡± Both Yanily and Seena took his hands, lifting him to his feet. ¡°Thank you. Guys, shall we?¡± He reached out to Left and Right after Seena and Yanily let go.


    ¡°Bout time,¡± Right said, taking one hand while Left took the other.


    ¡°Everybody is such a critic today,¡± Hiral said, but he absorbed his doubles and immediately activated Foundational Split.


    As usual, his tattoos and Meridian Lines didn¡¯t even have a chance to fully rise again to the surface of his skin before they peeled off, smoke-like solar energy stretching out to his sides to solidify into Left and Right.


    ¡°Oh, yeah,¡± Right said, his Meridian Lines glowing softly. ¡°That is a rush. I feel like I could run all the way back to the Troblin Keep and solo it.¡±


    ¡°Not that you¡¯d be able to get in,¡± Left pointed out. ¡°But I feel the same way.¡±


    ¡°Why do you guys get a rush and I feel like I got a bad sunburn?¡± Hiral asked, running his hands down his arms, the flesh still abnormally warm.


    ¡°Because you exploded,¡± Nivian said one more time, in case Hiral had somehow missed it.

 Chapter 3 – Advanced Classes

    Hiral ignored the comment¡ªas well as the others chuckling¡ªand turned his attention to the interface. ¡°Let¡¯s find out what he has to say?¡±


    ¡°Sure¡­¡± Seena said, one hand in front of her mouth.


    ¡°Dr. Benza, Tutorial,¡± Hiral said, forcing himself to only look straight ahead, and to not smile.


    For the first time in his life, having other people laugh at him¡­ felt good. This wasn¡¯t like up on Fallen Reach. It wasn¡¯t mockery of the Everfail. They laughed because they cared and felt comfortable enough to let their guards down, not to hurt him.


    It¡¯s kind of nice.


    ¡°Accessing PIMs,¡± Dr. Benza said, his voice oddly flat. ¡°Access complete. All zone-dungeon clears detected. Introductory-three and Introductory-four Tutorials unlocked. Please make a selection.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s do them in order?¡± Seena suggested, and the others nodded.


    ¡°Introductory-three Tutorial, please, Dr. Benza,¡± Hiral said.


    The image shimmered, and then Dr. Benza was pacing back and forth in front of them. ¡°Is it recording yet? What? Why didn¡¯t you say something? Oh, fine. Whatever.¡± He stopped, smoothing out the long robes he wore, then turned his attention towards the party. One second ticked by, two, three¡­ four¡­ five, and then he finally spoke again. ¡°You made me forget my line!¡± he snapped. ¡°Where¡¯s the script?¡±


    ¡°You guys think he¡¯s okay?¡± Yanily asked.


    ¡°No. No, I don¡¯t,¡± Hiral said, but he clapped his mouth closed when Dr. Benza started again.


    ¡°You know what? I¡¯m just going to wing it! Yeah, you heard me right. And what you do mean it¡¯s still recording?¡± Dr. Benza facepalmed. His shoulders rose and fell, like he was taking a deep breath, and then he lowered his hand and looked straight ahead. ¡°Alright, before we start in on Introductory-three,¡± he said, holding up his hands for air quotes, ¡°there¡¯s something I want to explain to you first.


    ¡°Now, I need to tell you about this before it leads to things like segregation, paranoia, or oppression. What is that thing? First, go ahead and open up your status windows. Go on, I¡¯ll give you a second.¡± Dr. Benza crossed his arms and tapped his foot.


    ¡°Should we?¡± Nivian asked.


    ¡°Might as well,¡± Hiral said, his status window open.


    ¡°Everybody got their window open?¡± Dr. Benza asked.  ¡°Good, now what¡¯s the first thing you see after your name?¡±


    ¡°My last¡­¡± Yanily started.


    ¡°Not your last name,¡± Dr. Benza said, like he could predict having somebody like Yanily in the room. ¡°Under that.¡±


    ¡°Race?¡± Hiral and Seena said at the same time.


    ¡°Probably says Race,¡± he said, again with air quotes. ¡°Big R, small a, small c, small e, right? Well, that¡¯s not what it¡¯s supposed to say. What it should say is R.A.C.E. Stands for Role Affinity Classification Engine.


    ¡°That¡¯s right! You¡¯re all the same race. Surprise! The intern doing the input didn¡¯t pay close enough attention, and I hope you¡¯re hearing this before anything major happens because of it.¡± Dr. Benza shook his head at that.


    ¡°Anything major, like, say, living on separate islands?¡± Yanily asked.


    ¡°Shush,¡± Seena said, then looked over at Hiral and kind of shrugged.


    ¡°The R.A.C.E. tag was meant to help streamline what classes people would have access to through their PIMs,¡± Dr. Benza continued. ¡°It turns out everybody has a kind of affinity, which the classification engine reads during the first interface. Kind of like how the PIM¡ªoh, sorry, I guess I¡¯m not supposed to talk about PIMs much until Introductory-four.


    ¡°Back to the main topic, now that we¡¯ve gotten the race thing out of the way. This Tutorial is about classes and dungeon access. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve been wondering by now why it takes at least two people from different races to access the dungeons, and it¡¯s simple: cooperation. While we all have the same origin, we worried that grouping people by their affinities would create cliques and specialized parties.


    ¡°That was a problem. There¡¯s the old adage, specialization breeds weakness, and we believe the opposite is needed to defeat the Enemy. We need cooperation, adaptability, and variety to win this war. With that in mind, we made it so that at least two of the four ¡®races¡¯ needed to be present to access the dungeon. They¡¯d need to work together to grow stronger. As a pleasant side effect, the nature of magic¡ªwhich I¡¯ll explain more in introductory-four¡ªmade it a more impactful dungeon experience. But I¡¯ll get to that later.


    ¡°Back to cooperation. The most important part was that it¡¯d hopefully also make sure we all focus on the Enemy instead of each other.¡±Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t work so well,¡± Wule said and looked at Seeyela, clearly referencing how she¡¯d been captured by the Shapers.


    ¡°It didn¡¯t,¡± Seeyela agreed.


    ¡°And that¡¯s it for dungeon access,¡± Dr. Benza said. ¡°On to classes. If you¡¯re seeing this message, that means you¡¯ve cleared at least two E-Rank dungeons, so you must be working your way to level twenty and D-Rank. I hope you¡¯ve been enjoying your classes up until this point, but¡±¡ªthe image paused, the man¡¯s lips parting in a knowing grin¡ª"did you know you¡¯ll have an opportunity for a class evolution once you reach D-Rank?¡±


    ¡°What? Really?¡± Hiral asked, looking at the Growers to see if they¡¯d known.


    By the expressions on their faces, this was news to them too. While there were no A-Ranks on Fallen Reach, there were a few dozen B-Ranks, as well as plenty of C- and D-Ranks. How had Hiral never heard of class evolutions? Was it a secret to those with classes? No, that didn¡¯t make sense. He was the exception, not the rule. So why¡­


    His eyes settled on the interface.


    ¡°Of course,¡± he said. ¡°The class evolutions must need the dungeons somehow.¡±


    ¡°Ah, you know, this was probably all explained to you already before you even got sent to the dungeons,¡± Dr. Benza went on after his dramatic pause. ¡°Maybe we should just skip this part?¡±


    ¡°No!¡± six voices said in unison, and everybody looked sheepishly at each other.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry¡ªI¡¯m kidding,¡± Dr. Benza said. ¡°Obviously I can¡¯t trust somebody else to explain something this important without mucking it up. So, class evolutions. Yup, we¡¯re getting to the good stuff now.


    ¡°When you reach D-Rank, a lot of new options will open up to your PIMs, and class evolutions will be one of the biggest and most impactful. Now, I have to warn you, not everybody will have this chance, and class evolutions are only available in D-, B-, and S-Ranks. That¡¯s right¡ªwhile the unluckiest of you may potentially never see a class evolution, some of you may even go through three of them. Those that do¡­ well¡­ We¡¯ve done some calculations on their potential strength, and I have to say, it¡¯s a little absurd.


    ¡°From our math, a thrice-evolved S-Rank would be about as far above a non-evolved S-Rank¡­ as that same non-evolved S-Rank would be above a B-Rank. Some people around here are calling the once-evolved S-Ranks, S+Rank. Twice-evolved are SS+Rank, and the ultra-rare thrice-evolved are SSS+Rank. It¡¯s a mouthful, I know. Don¡¯t worry¡ªthe evolutions don¡¯t do weird things like make your hair glow and stand on end¡­¡± He trailed off, looking past the party like he tended to do.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ve just been corrected. It¡¯s believed that some of the evolutions might do just those things. Guess we¡¯ll find out when somebody gets there.¡± He shrugged.


    ¡°At least Hiral and Yanily won¡¯t have to worry about the crazy hair,¡± Wule said.


    ¡°It¡¯ll grow back!¡± Yanily said, rubbing his hand over his still perfectly smooth head, then glanced at Hiral¡¯s scalp. ¡°How do you keep it so shiny?¡±


    ¡°The fancy special effects aren¡¯t what make the S+Ranks so desirable, though,¡± Dr. Benza went on, thankfully saving Hiral from having to address Yanily. ¡°Some of the classes do get additional attribute points to distribute, but only some. No, the common theme amongst the evolved classes is clearly the more advanced abilities and ability evolutions. It¡¯s not an across-the-board-type thing where all the abilities evolve at the same time, but each of the evolved¡ªor advanced¡ªclasses tend to focus on a strength.


    ¡°As you can imagine, considering what I just said about specialization breeding weakness, this made us nervous at first. It¡¯s one of the reasons we developed benefits to working in groups, but¡­ but¡­ the theoretical power of the advanced classes, especially when as a member of a party, far outweighed the risks. Really, if any of you watching this get an evolved class, it will be a big step towards victory in our war against the Enemy.¡±


    ¡°Okay, that¡¯s great and all¡­¡± Nivian said. ¡°I mean, Yanily is literally drooling over there¡­¡±


    ¡°Not because he¡¯s thinking about your cooking,¡± Wule said quietly.


    ¡°¡­ but how do we get these evolved classes?¡± Nivian continued while scowling at his twin.


    ¡°Let¡¯s ask,¡± Hiral said. ¡°Dr. Benza, how do we get evolved classes?¡±


    The image in front of him didn¡¯t even shimmer, though Dr. Benza¡¯s lips curled up in another smile, like he¡¯d purposely put in a second dramatic pause to make somebody ask the question. ¡°You¡¯re probably wondering about how to get an advanced class, right? There are a few ways to do it, though none of them are guaranteed. This goes back to saying that some of you may get one.


    ¡°The advanced classes need to be¡­ let¡¯s call it¡­ unlocked. This unlocking process will happen through your own actions and choices while in D-, B-, or S-Ranks. Skills you choose to use, how you approach battles, or perhaps how you solve dungeon encounters. All these things will feed into the PIMP and its calculations, judging whether or not you¡¯re eligible for an advanced class. Understand this though: the PIM system was built to make the strong stronger, not to gift the lazy with easy progress.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t work for an advanced class, you won¡¯t get one. It¡¯s that simple.¡± Dr. Benza stood straighter and crossed his arms. ¡°And that concludes our Introductory-three Tutorial. I¡¯ll see you in number four.¡±


    The doctor¡¯s image shimmered and reverted back to him standing calmly with his hands clasped in front of him.


    ¡°How much work do you think it is to get one of those advanced classes?¡± Seena asked.


    ¡°I¡¯d say it¡¯s probably doable,¡± Hiral said.


    ¡°Maybe for you, Mr. Overpowered,¡± Yanily said.


    ¡°No, seriously,¡± Hiral said. ¡°You already learned that Dancing Spear Style from the Lizardmen we fought, and you¡¯re working on a new technique, right? It sounds like those are exactly the kinds of things considered for the class evolutions. And, I may not be an expert on it, but I¡¯d say nobody here is average. You¡¯ve all been working hard to improve. I¡¯d honestly be more shocked if we didn¡¯t see several class evolutions.¡±


    ¡°Hiral¡¯s right,¡± Seena said. ¡°I¡¯ve known you all our whole lives. If anybody can get these evolutions, it¡¯s you guys.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, boss,¡± Nivian said. ¡°So, should we jump right into the fourth Tutorial? That was a lot of info.¡±


    ¡°It was, but pretty straightforward. Let¡¯s hear what he has to say about PIMs, then we can¡­ Well, we¡¯ll have to talk about Fallen Reach. That issue isn¡¯t going away. I know we all needed some time to decompress, but¡­¡±


    ¡°No, you¡¯re right,¡± Seeyela said. ¡°One way or another, we can¡¯t hide from what we heard. Putting it off will only make things worse. First PIMs, then Fallen Reach.


    ¡°Dr. Benza, Introductory-four Tutorial please.¡±

 Chapter 4 – Balancing Act

    Dr. Benza¡¯s image did its familiar shimmer, and suddenly the man was tapping his lip like he was thinking about something.


    ¡°You probably don¡¯t know this,¡± the doctor started, ¡°but magic is all about balance. Unfortunately, because of the appearance of the Enemy, we learned that all too well. Since they arrived¡ªsince they¡¯ve been systematically killing us off¡ªwe¡¯ve been building the planetwide PIM system.


    ¡°That¡¯s probably a lot to digest, so let me start from the beginning before we get into the finer details. Like, for example, why you¡¯re not all S-Ranked from birth, or what the PIM is in the first place.¡± Dr. Benza paced side to side like he was lecturing a class.


    ¡°Magic is about balance. Yes, I said that already, but it¡¯s important enough I needed to repeat it. Before we developed the PIM, we had magic. Magic very similar to what you¡¯re familiar with. It was part of the world we were born into, and over the course of our history, we learned how to manipulate it. Magic was an integral part of our society.


    ¡°But it was too weak. When the Enemy attacked, we were completely overwhelmed. The magic we¡¯d grown so accustomed to¡ªthat we relied so heavily on¡ªlet us down. We¡¯d been¡­ complacent. We felt we¡¯d deserved the magic, which meant we didn¡¯t earn it. Effort equals results, and we didn¡¯t put in the effort. That was our first clue.


    ¡°Well, technically our second. Let me back up a minute and tell you about the Fallen.¡±


    Hiral¡¯s eyes widened. What do the Fallen have to do with anything?


    ¡°Ah,¡± Dr. Benza said, looking beyond the party and shaking his head. ¡°Apparently the Fallen are the topic for the Intermediate-one Tutorial. So, please come back after you¡¯ve cleared your first D-Rank dungeon.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s just a tease,¡± Yanily said.


    ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t get this censorship,¡± Nivian said. ¡°Why doesn¡¯t he just tell us everything we need to know?¡±


    ¡°This is actually a good example of balance,¡± Dr. Benza continued, again tapping his lips. ¡°It¡¯s why we broke up the Tutorials into different levels after certain accomplishments, and why we limit the information the public receives. It makes your PIMs more powerful. Okay, I jumped way ahead there. Yes, I know, this is what happens when I go off-script. Thank you for the reminder.


    ¡°Anyway, going back to the arrival of the Enemy. Ahem. When we realized our magic wasn¡¯t strong enough and saw an example of stronger magic, we decided to completely start over. Yes, we found a way to utterly destroy the magic system we¡¯d used. Then, and only then, we rebuilt it from the ground up. We sacrificed our history to give our future a chance.¡± He held out his left hand, then his right. ¡°Balance.


    ¡°We constructed the PIM system based on what the Fallen use, but modified it to take this balance into account in the hopes of forging magic capable of defeating them. Effort equals results. The true power of the PIM isn¡¯t how it tells you what your stats are¡ªor how it modifies them¡ªbut how it grows exponentially based on how much effort you put in.


    ¡°We designed the system to grow with you. The more you grow, the more powerful you get. Kind of obvious, right? To give you an example, our strongest warriors were probably around what you would call Low-C-Rank. That was our cap. The most powerful we¡¯d ever get. And not nearly strong enough to stop the Enemy.


    ¡°However, by building the PIM to start at the bottom of E-Rank, the magic balanced it out by giving it a very high ceiling¡­ S-Rank. Or, SSS+Rank if you consider the theoretical class evolutions. We also built in other requirements to push that ceiling up, such as requiring solar energy, the limit of attribute points you get per level¡­ and even levels themselves! Yes, having twenty levels per rank, instead of say, one, allowed the PIM to be more powerful overall.


    ¡°It¡¯s why we went to all the trouble of building dungeons and Fallen Reach. These efforts allowed us to create a magic system with tremendous potential. Enough potential, we believe, to finally defeat the Enemy and the Fallen.¡±


    A shiver ran through Hiral¡¯s body. ¡°Why did he just group the Fallen in with the Enemy?¡± he asked quietly, and the Growers in the room looked his way.


    ¡°We gave up everything to build the PIM system,¡± Dr. Benza went on like nobody had said anything. ¡°But, what is it? Personal Interface Magic? It sounds so simple, doesn¡¯t it? The status window you can pull up conveniently tells you what your stats and abilities are, but is that all the PIM does? Rhetorical question, I know. It does far more than that, though that is where we started when building it.


    ¡°The PIM both reports on and modifies your attributes. It¡¯s part of who you are, but also separate, all at the same time. It¡¯s the lens through which magic is focused into you, but also a filter that feeds information back to the PIMP. Balance. Now, I can¡¯t go into details on the PIMP in this Tutorial, but needless to say, it¡¯s integral to the magic of the PIM system.¡± Dr. Benza then held his hand up beside his mouth. ¡°It¡¯s also listening to what I say,¡± he added more quietly, giving a wink.


    ¡°An added bonus to the PIM growth as you cross Ranks is that it allows the incorporation of more and more outside influences. What do I mean by this? At E-Rank, the gear you can get from dungeons is somewhat limited, in that it can modify abilities to a certain extent or, more likely, grant new ones.


    ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong¡ªversatility is very important, but not always a direct path to increased power. Once you reach D-Rank, you can also start getting equipment that will give you things like bonus attributes. Need more strength? You can get rings that do that, because your PIM has evolved to have that functionality. Neat, huh? Also, in case you didn¡¯t guess it, this is part of that balance I was talking about.¡±


    ¡°Wait, Nivian, don¡¯t you already have an amulet that increases your endurance?¡± Hiral asked, thinking back to their first dungeon.


    ¡°Uh¡­ not exactly,¡± Nivian explained. ¡°It doesn¡¯t actually up my endurance number, but makes me tougher relative to my strength and dexterity. Kind of like armor. It doesn¡¯t make me get tired slower or anything.¡±


    ¡°As for how the PIM manifests itself,¡± Dr. Benza continued. ¡°Well, that goes back to our race discussion from Introductory-three. The four races identified by the classification engine have different PIM manifestations, each with their own advantages. The Makers, for example, need to have their skin inked to access the power of their PIMs. Growers have roots¡­ uh¡­ growing within them, while Bonders rely on their animal companions.


    ¡°Builders, finally, have the truths of the universe written on their skin, which allows them to power the runes they inscribe in crystals. Each of these systems has strengths and weaknesses. For example, only the Growers are truly self-sufficient, needing no outside objects or help. Makers, on the other hand, can manifest very powerful tattoos, assuming they were inked on their skin by another.


    ¡°Balance,¡± Dr. Benza said again, holding up his hands. ¡°And that is the end of the Introductory Tutorials. I¡¯ll see you again after you¡¯ve cleared your first D-Rank dungeon. Who knows? Maybe one of you watching this will even have your own class evolution by then!¡±


    With that, the image reverted to the standard ¡°waiting¡± image they¡¯d seen earlier, and all eyes turned to Hiral, who looked down at the runes on his arms.


    The truths of the universe? Is that what the double-helix pattern is? But he said Builders needed to use the runes inscribed in crystal. There must still be more to it. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    ¡°Over. Powered,¡± Yanily said. ¡°We get roots and he gets the truths of the universe. How is that fair?¡±


    ¡°He also explodes,¡± Nivian said.


    ¡°So, Hiral, I always thought Fallen Reach was just a name,¡± Seena said, ignoring the banter in a practiced fashion. ¡°He brought up the Fallen a couple times in all that. Anything you can share?¡±


    Hiral let his arms drop to his sides¡ªhe could mull over Dr. Benza¡¯s words later¡ªand looked at his party. ¡°Fallen Reach is named after the Fallen, as you can probably guess,¡± he said with a small chuckle. ¡°They are¡ªwere¡ªheroes, or so history tells us. They were the ones who put Fallen Reach in the sky to chase the sun.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t exactly match up with what the doctor was saying,¡± Yanily said.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t, though maybe we¡¯re missing something? He said he couldn¡¯t talk about it until the Intermediate Tutorials, so¡­¡± Hiral trailed off with a shrug.


    ¡°Are they important to you?¡± Seena asked. ¡°The Fallen, I mean. Do you worship them or anything up on the island?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Hiral said immediately with a shake of his head. ¡°Like the tattoos¡±¡ªhe thumbed at Left and Right¡ª¡°they¡¯re part of our legends. The towers are named after them¡ªthe ones we use to tell time, because one pulses every hour¡ªbut other than that¡­ they¡¯re basically just a footnote.¡±


    ¡°Do you know anything about them?¡± Nivian asked. ¡°Anything that might be a hint?¡±


    Hiral ran his hand over his scalp while he thought about it, then shook his head again. ¡°Honestly, no. Other than them being heroes, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever read anything about them. We use them in our curses.¡± He chuckled.


    ¡°Well, I guess we¡¯ll find out more when we get to the next Tutorial,¡± Seena said.


    ¡°Are we going to get to the next Tutorial?¡± Nivian asked. ¡°I think it¡¯s time we have this conversation. Don¡¯t get me wrong, that stuff about the PIM was interesting and all, but it doesn¡¯t change what Dr. Benza said when we got here about Fallen Reach crashing.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s kind of moot, isn¡¯t it?¡± Yanily asked. ¡°Even if we wanted to do anything about it¡ªand if the doc here would tell us anything¡ªFallen Reach passed by ages ago. We can¡¯t catch up.¡±


    ¡°If I may?¡± Left asked, and the others looked at him.


    ¡°Got an idea?¡± Hiral asked.


    ¡°Possibly,¡± the double answered.


    Hiral glanced at the others, and when they didn¡¯t have any objections, he nodded at Left.


    ¡°Dr. Benza,¡± Left said, ¡°can you tell us more about Fallen Reach crashing?¡±


    The image of the doctor shifted briefly and then shook his head. ¡°Crisis response data is limited to those at C-Rank and above, or those at D-Rank with evolved classes and above,¡± he said with that monotone voice he used sometimes.


    ¡°If we were going to Fallen Reach anyway, would you tell us?¡± Left persisted.


    ¡°No,¡± Dr. Benza said. ¡°Access is limited as outlined previously and cannot be circumvented.¡±


    ¡°Think this is one of those balance things?¡± Hiral asked Left.


    ¡°Possibly, at least partially,¡± Left said, not turning away from the image. ¡°Dr. Benza, when we leave this Asylum to get to the next one, how do we travel?¡±


    Another image shift. ¡°A Disc of Passage will take you to the next zone of your choice when you¡¯re ready to continue your growth.¡±


    ¡°Of our choice? Doctor, can you show us a map of the zones?¡±


    Dr. Benza¡¯s image stuttered to the side, and a glowing, three-foot sphere appeared beside him. Blue, green, brown¡ªthe colors started blurry at first, then sharpened as mountains grew, rivers connected to lakes and seas, and a wind seemed to blow across the grassy plains.


    ¡°This¡­ this is our world?¡± Wule asked, stepping closer to the incredibly detailed globe.


    ¡°It appears so,¡± Left said. ¡°And a far better depiction of it than I¡¯d hoped. Dr. Benza, where are we?¡±


    A blinking blue dot appeared on the side of the globe closest to Left.


    Taking a step forward, Left reached out and touched the sphere, then gently squeezed his fingers closer together, the whole globe shrinking in response. A smile quirked the double¡¯s lips as he reversed the motion, making the sphere grow until it was as big as they were.


    ¡°How did you know it would do that?¡± Hiral asked. ¡°We don¡¯t have anything like this on Fallen Reach.¡±


    ¡°Just a hunch,¡± Left said. ¡°Regardless, this is where we are¡­ and I believe these are the Needle Mountains.¡± He was pointing surprisingly far to the south.


    ¡°Is our world really small?¡± Yanily asked. ¡°That seems pretty far away.¡±


    ¡°The discs move really fast,¡± Hiral said. ¡°Assuming they¡¯re like the tattoos, I mean. We could¡¯ve easily traveled seven hundred miles or more in the two hours we were on it.¡±


    Somebody whistled at the number.


    ¡°And if these are the Needles, that means this is the EnSath River,¡± Left continued, drawing his finger in a line between the mountains, ¡°and the Sea of White beyond. Dr. Benza, can you show us where Fallen Reach is now?¡±


    A blinking yellow dot appeared above the Sea of White.


    ¡°See?¡± Yanily said. ¡°Even if we wanted to go, we¡¯re never going to catch up to it. We have to wait for it to come around again.¡±


    ¡°Dr. Benza, please show us the zones we¡¯d have access to travel to,¡± Left said, and different areas on the globe glowed a soft red, dotted lines connecting them to the blinking blue dot.


    ¡°I see what you¡¯re thinking,¡± Hiral said, looking at the lit-up zones and walking around the globe. ¡°None of them are beside the river, though. Even if we get ahead of the island, we need a jump point.¡±


    ¡°Get ahead? How¡­?¡± Yanily started.


    ¡°The discs,¡± Seena caught on. ¡°Left and Hiral are suggesting we take a disc to a zone near the EnSath River, ahead of Fallen Reach, then jump when it gets close.¡±


    ¡°Exactly,¡± Left said. ¡°The EnSath River runs along the equatorial line of the planet, almost too perfectly to be natural when looking at it like this.¡±


    ¡°There are Academics who are pretty sure it isn¡¯t natural,¡± Hiral said for the Growers¡¯ benefit. ¡°Something to do with the pulses is one theory. Sorry, that¡¯s not important now,¡± he added as he finished his second rotation around the globe. ¡°I checked again; none of these zones are where we need them to be. Left?¡±


    ¡°Dr. Benza, assuming we clear the three dungeons in the D-Rank zone, will we have access to another Asylum and the zones connected to it?¡± Left asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Dr. Benza said simply.


    ¡°Can you show us the connected zones and their ranks?¡±


    More areas blossomed red, though this time they were slightly different shades and had large letters in the middle of them.


    ¡°D and¡­ C. Zone ranks?¡± Nivian asked, looking at one of the zones.


    ¡°Must be,¡± Seena said. ¡°Anybody see one beside the river?¡±


    ¡°Here!¡± Hiral said, putting his finger on the globe, and the others rushed around to join him. ¡°It¡¯s actually not too far ahead of us, and just two trips.¡± He traced his finger along the dotted lines back to the blinking blue dot.


    ¡°Do any of you know this area?¡± Right asked.


    ¡°Can you make it bigger again, Left?¡± Seena asked. ¡°This area right here.¡±


    Left put both his hands on the globe and then gently pulled them apart, increasing the size of the globe even further. Interestingly enough, as the sphere grew, it also rose up into the air, forcing the group to tilt their heads back while they looked at the planet Left seemed to be holding above them.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough,¡± Seena said.


    ¡°Explains why this room is so big,¡± Hiral mumbled, looking at how the globe almost reached the tall ceiling. The details of the map, on the other hand, were impressive.


    ¡°I think¡­ I think I know this area,¡± Seena said. ¡°Nivian, do these look like The Horns to you?¡± She pointed at a pair of curved mountains straddling the EnSath River.


    ¡°Those are definitely them,¡± the tank said.


    ¡°These are jump points,¡± Seena said, tapping the mountains, though her finger barely made the light shimmer.


    ¡°So,¡± Hiral said, nodding as the pieces came together in his head, ¡°we take a Disc of Passage from here to this zone¡±¡ªhe drew his finger along the line connecting the blue dot to the first zone¡ª"clear the three dungeons there, get to the next Asylum, then immediately take another disc to here.¡± He traced along the second connecting line.


    ¡°From there,¡± Seena picked up, ¡°we cross the zone, ignoring the dungeons if we have to, to get to the jump point before Fallen Reach does. Are you sure the discs are fast enough to get us ahead of the island?¡±


    ¡°Dr. Benza, can you add a scale of distance to the map?¡± Left asked, and a small notation appeared in the corner. ¡°We have about two hundred to two-fifty hours until Fallen Reach arrives at The Horns. I estimate each of the disc trips is roughly two or three hours.¡±


    ¡°Easy peasy,¡± Yanily said.


    ¡°There¡¯s also the time we need to clear the dungeons,¡± Nivian said.


    ¡°Not to mention getting to them,¡± Wule said. ¡°This zone looks huge. We¡¯re going to be doing most of this on foot, remember.¡±


    ¡°Then there¡¯s the rain¡­¡± Hiral said, and everybody just kind of paused. ¡°If it¡¯s light, I think we can pretty safely move through it. But if it¡¯s storming¡­ that seems to be when the Enemy comes out. We need to think about hiding when the rain is at its heaviest.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s also the issue of needing to be C-Rank or have an evolved class to get any information about what¡¯s going on up there,¡± Seeyela said. ¡°But that¡¯s something we can work on while we travel. If we get to this zone ahead of schedule¡±¡ªshe pointed at the zone with The Horns in it¡ª¡°we can always go the dungeons there to farm.¡±


    ¡°You think we should go?¡± Seena asked her sister.


    ¡°How can we stay here safe and sound if what Dr. Benza says is true?¡± Seeyela asked. ¡°Even if he won¡¯t tell us what¡¯s going on¡­ Favela is back there. I¡¯m going.¡±


    ¡°And we¡¯re going with you,¡± Seena said, glancing at her party members, each of whom nodded at her in turn.


    ¡°I guess it¡¯s settled, then,¡± Yanily said. ¡°When do we leave?¡±


    ¡°Not until at least after dinner,¡± Nivian said.

 Chapter 5 – Rune Testing

    Hiral stretched as he leaned back from the workbench, his finished products lying on the table in front of him. Seeyela had wanted some time to talk to Caleon and explain what was happening before they left¡ªand, of course, there was the issue of dinner¡ªthen they¡¯d have one last good rest. That gave Hiral a couple of hours to work with the crystal they¡¯d found back in The Mire and the Troblin Throne.


    The small projects for Yanily and Nivian had gone relatively quickly, though molding crystal had been a bit more difficult than he¡¯d expected. It wasn¡¯t that the material was difficult to work with¡ªin fact, it was just the opposite. It was too malleable. He did everything with his hands directly, including inscribing the runes into the crystal, and even slight pressure could completely ruin it. He¡¯d had to start the first project for Yanily over more than a dozen times.


    The large ring had taken the longest time, with its hundreds of pieces and needing to make sure the edges were seamless, but even that was done.


    Though¡­ what the ring actually did¡­ Yeah, that was still a mystery.


    ¡°Progress?¡± Left asked as he walked into the workroom with Right, the second double flipping one of the small crystal chips they¡¯d found in the Troblin Throne up from his thumb and catching it.


    ¡°Yes, finally,¡± Hiral said. ¡°How long until dinner?¡±


    ¡°Fifteen minutes,¡± Right said. ¡°Found out what these are too,¡± he added, holding up the chip.


    ¡°Tell me on the way,¡± Hiral said, picking up three of the small crystals with runes inscribed in them. While one was just a flat rectangle about as long Hiral¡¯s hand, the other two were small discs that would fit in his palm. ¡°Yanily is back in the training room?¡±


    ¡°Doing his bunny hop,¡± Right confirmed.


    ¡°Perfect. That¡¯s our first stop,¡± Hiral said, heading out with his doubles beside him. He couldn¡¯t help but look up at the glowing globe dominating the room. ¡°Left, I know I¡¯ve said this already, but good job figuring out a way back to Fallen Reach for us.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m here for,¡± Left said.


    ¡°So, Right, the chips?¡± Hiral asked.


    ¡°They¡¯re currency,¡± Right said. ¡°Dr. Benza explained it through the Help section. Apparently as we fight monsters, these will charge up with some of the solar energy from the things we beat. That solar energy can then be used to buy things in the Asylums.¡±


    ¡°What? Where?¡± Hiral asked.


    ¡°From the interface,¡± Right said. ¡°There¡¯s a new option called Shop, and the doc said it was like a¡­ What did he call it, Left?¡±


    ¡°A vending machine, whatever that is,¡± Left said. ¡°The interface Shop apparently connects to the Vault Dr. Benza had mentioned before. I took a look at some of the items available, as well as the amount of currency we have from killing the Troblin Lord five times each¡ªit¡¯s a surprising amount¡ªand I have a few recommendations on what we should buy.¡±


    ¡°Oh, we already have some of this currency?¡± Hiral asked. ¡°That¡¯s nice. Can you tell us about your suggestions over dinner?¡± Just then, they entered the training room and found Yanily hard at work.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Left said, then added more quietly, ¡°We have two parties¡¯ worth of currency for one, so¡­¡±


    Hiral could only shake his head at that. The currency situation was good, kind of, but how they¡¯d gotten there? By losing five people? Nothing even close to good. With a second shake of his head¡ªhe couldn¡¯t do anything about it for the moment¡ªhe turned his attention back to the Spear Warden.


    ¡°Think I¡¯ve got something to help you out with your new move, Yanily,¡± Hiral said, holding up the three crystals between his fingers.


    ¡°What you got there?¡± Yanily asked, jogging over.


    ¡°Runes,¡± Hiral said. ¡°Like I use, but I¡¯ve put them into these crystals using my class ability Mold Crystal. These little devices will basically activate a very specific function of the rune when you thread solar energy into them.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the specific function?¡± Yanily asked, leaning forward to look at what Hiral was holding.


    ¡°This first one here is for your spear. It¡¯s the Rune of Attraction, and when you put your solar energy into it, it should draw your spear towards your target.¡±


    ¡°Should?¡± Yanily asked, one eyebrow going up.


    ¡°First time I¡¯ve done this¡ªgive me a break,¡± Hiral explained. ¡°When I inscribe the rune in the crystal, I have to focus on a concept¡ªit¡¯s hard to explain¡ªthat will be part of the trigger. For this, I focused on the concept of your target. Whatever you consider your target, well, the spear should be attracted to it. I figure it will help you with the coming-down part of your leap attack.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I like the sound of that. How do I use it?¡±


    ¡°I need to attach it to your spear. Just below the blade would be best, I think. May I?¡±


    Yanily handed the spear over. With a quick application of his Mold Crystal, Hiral wrapped the crystal band around the haft and secured it so that it was basically a piece of the spear itself.


    ¡°There, that should do it,¡± he said, handing the spear back to Yanily.


    ¡°Can I test it out?¡± Yanily asked.


    ¡°Oh, please do. In case there are¡­ uh¡­ any kinks we need to work out.¡± Hiral shrugged.


    ¡°Kinks?¡±


    ¡°First time! Anyway, focus on one of those practice dummies as your target and see what it feels like.¡± Hiral made sure not to stand in front of the spear.


    ¡°Okay¡­ so I just need to¡­ WHOA!¡± Yanily shouted, the spear ripping out of his hands and shooting forward ten feet to embed itself in the dummy. ¡°That¡­ that wasn¡¯t what I expected to happen.¡±


    ¡°Me neither,¡± Hiral said. ¡°But at least we know it works.¡±


    ¡°Losing my spear isn¡¯t exactly a success,¡± Yanily pointed out.


    ¡°It¡¯s not perfect, no,¡± Hiral agreed. ¡°You¡¯re going to be using it after you¡¯ve jumped, though, not while you¡¯re on the ground. Try it out after we put these runes to work, and then we¡¯ll see if we need to make some adjustments.¡±


    ¡°Why do I feel like a test subject?¡± Yanily asked, but he retrieved his spear and came back over to join Hiral.


    ¡°You get used to it after a while,¡± Right said with a chuckle.


    ¡°Now, these two runes,¡± Hiral said while ignoring his double¡¯s comments. ¡°These are for your boots. Runes of Rejection. The plan is for them to help you jump higher, faster. They¡¯re going to have similar force to the spear, though, which is why I wanted to try it first, so you could see how much energy was involved. I¡¯m going to put them in the heels of your boots.¡± He looked down at Yanily¡¯s feet.


    ¡°Do I need to take them off?¡± Yanily asked, also looking down at the hydra-scale boots he¡¯d gotten from The Mire.


    ¡°Would be easier,¡± Hiral said flatly.


    ¡°Fine!¡± Yanily whined. He dropped to his ass on the ground and took off one boot, then the other, handing them to Hiral.


    ¡°Should be pretty easy to do this,¡± Hiral muttered to himself, molding the crystal to the heel of the boot and then making it as thin as possible. ¡°This should do it. Might feel a little odd walking until you get used to it.¡± He handed back the first boot.


    ¡°What if I only put solar energy into one boot?¡± Yanily asked.


    ¡°Probably only that foot will jump. There could be situations where it¡¯s a good thing, but, uh, practice and testing.¡± He then handed back the second boot.


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s do this!¡± Yanily said after he got his boots back on, standing up and taking a few test steps. ¡°Feels a bit different. Do I look taller?¡±


    Hiral just looked at Yanily, then at the practice dummy.


    ¡°Yeah, fine, testing. Got it.¡± Yanily dropped into his fighting stance. ¡°Should I try it with one of my spear styles?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s just start with seeing how high you jump,¡± Hiral said.


    Yanily looked at the hole in the practice dummy from his launching spear, then nodded. ¡°Good idea. I¡¯ll just¡­ WHOAAAAA!¡± He launched end-over-end, ten feet into the air. His boots stayed firmly planted on the ground.


    ¡°Whoops¡­¡± Hiral said, Yanily crashing to the ground a short distance away and immediately jumping to his bare feet.


    ¡°What was that!?¡± he asked, his empty hand pointing emphatically at the boots clearly not on his feet.


    ¡°I may have been focusing on you leaping into the air instead of rejecting the ground when I inscribed those runes,¡± Hiral said, considering where he might¡¯ve gone wrong.


    ¡°Can you fix them?¡± Yanily asked while both Right and Left chuckled.


    ¡°Yeah, won¡¯t even take a minute,¡± Hiral said, quickly picking up one boot then the other and re-inscribing the runes¡ªcareful to focus on the floor this time. ¡°That should do it. Ready to give them a try?¡±


    ¡°Little nervous to,¡± Yanily said. ¡°But no pain, no gain, right, Right?¡±


    ¡°As long as it¡¯s your pain, and not mine,¡± Right said.


    ¡°At least you¡¯re not exploding,¡± Left pointed out.


    ¡°I don¡¯t explode,¡± Hiral deadpanned.


    ¡°Wait¡­ exploding is a possibility?¡± Yanily asked, glancing down at his feet like they were suddenly very dangerous things.


    ¡°Like Hiral said, this is his first time,¡± Left explained. ¡°Of course it¡¯s possible.¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­¡± the spearman started.


    ¡°If you were going to explode, it would¡¯ve already happened,¡± Hiral said with a wave of his hand. ¡°Just get back to testing.¡±


    ¡°You knew it was possible to explode¡­?¡± Yanily said quietly, but then just sort of shook his head and shrugged. ¡°Meh.¡±


    ¡°Small possibility,¡± Hiral said quietly, so that only Left and Right could hear.


    The doubles shook their heads while Yanily dropped back into his fighting stance. This time, when he threaded solar energy into his boots, he launched into the air¡ªkeeping his footwear¡ªin a controlled leap that arced almost gracefully until he landed fifteen feet away.


    ¡°Nice!¡± Hiral said. ¡°How did it feel?¡±


    ¡°Not bad. It¡¯ll take some getting used to, and I¡¯ve got to use the spear part while I¡¯m up in the air there¡­ but¡­ yeah, not bad! Thanks, Hiral.¡± Yanily turned around and then leapt again to get back to Hiral and his copies. The man stumbled a bit on the landing, only staying upright this time because Right caught him, but he had a huge grin on his face.


    ¡°You should have a bit of time to practice before we go¡ªmake the most of it,¡± Hiral said. ¡°I¡¯ve gotta go give Nivian his thing.¡±


    ¡°You got a thing for Nivian?¡± Wule asked, wandering into the training room with another book in his hands. ¡°Did you get me anything?¡±


    ¡°You made jumping boots for Nivian too?¡± Yanily asked without responding to Wule. ¡°Oh, please tell me you made them for Seeyela. I would pay to see that.¡±


    ¡°Jumping boots?¡± One of Wule¡¯s eyebrows had climbed to his hairline. ¡°And Seeyela? Never mind. I don¡¯t think I want any part of this. Actually, do me a favor and forget I was even here.¡±A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    ¡°Something a bit different,¡± Hiral said with a chuckle to Yanily. ¡°Though I¡¯ll keep that last part in mind if I run short on chips. Anyway, good luck with this. Right, you¡¯ll help him?


    ¡°I¡¯ve got some experience being thrown around by your runes,¡± Right said. ¡°I¡¯ll make sure he gets the full lesson.¡±


    ¡°Back to my book, then,¡± Wule said.


    ¡°Aaaaaactually,¡± Yanily interrupted before either Hiral or Wule could get more than a step. ¡°Since you¡¯re both here, what do you say about helping me work out the kinks, Hiral? It¡¯s been a while since we did any sparring. I¡¯ll even go easy on you, and Wule can patch you right up.¡±


    Right¡¯s knuckles cracked as he grinned. ¡°That¡¯s a lot of confidence you¡¯ve got going on there.¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­¡± Yanily quickly looked at Hiral, then Left and Right, only then remembering they were actually part of Hiral¡¯s ability. Sparring with him would mean sparring with all three of them. ¡°Just you, Hiral. You know, so you can get some practice if¡­ um¡­ they are too busy to help you¡­¡±


    ¡°Too busy doing what?¡± Left asked.


    ¡°Helping Nivian in the kitchen?¡± Wule asked. ¡°I know that gets me all the time.¡±


    ¡°Exactly!¡± Yanily said, latching on to the excuse. ¡°And no S-Rank sword of unfairness.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m the one getting the handicaps¡­ and you¡¯re going to go easy on me?¡± Hiral asked.


    ¡°Generous, right?¡± Yanily asked, spear spinning in his hands. ¡°So, what do you say?¡±


    Hiral thought about it for a second¡ªgetting a bit of a workout after all the time in the workshop might be a nice break¡ªthen tossed his ¡®present¡¯ for Nivian to Left. ¡°Hold on to that for me, will you?¡±


    ¡°You really going to make us sit out?¡± Right asked, clearly disappointed.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, if he embarrasses me too much, we¡¯ll gang up on him for revenge later.¡±


    ¡°Fiiiiine.¡± Right went over to join Left and Wule near the wall, with only a minor pout.


    Hiral, for his part, unslung his RHCs from his thighs, the weight comfortable in his hands, then went through a few light stretches.


    ¡°Try not to outright kill each other,¡± Wule said, barely looking over the top of his book. ¡°Or break too many bones. Only Cal can heal those. I can probably handle a minor maiming now, though.¡±


    ¡°Does maiming come in minor?¡± Left asked.


    ¡°Objectively speaking,¡± Wule said. ¡°When I¡¯m not the one being maimed. Yes.¡±


    ¡°Fair.¡±


    Hiral just shook his head and put the banter out of his mind, turning his attention to the spearman across the training hall from him. Yanily wasn¡¯t all talk. If Hiral didn¡¯t take the spar seriously, well, getting embarrassed wasn¡¯t an exaggeration. The man likely wouldn¡¯t try to hurt Hiral, and Wule was around in case of any accidents¡­ but¡­


    That competitive part of Hiral was rising in his gut, demanding he push to see how far he could go. How far he¡¯d come.


    ¡°You ready?¡± Yanily asked, spear still spinning lazily from hand to hand.


    ¡°Are you?¡± Hiral asked, but didn¡¯t wait for the man to answer. Rejection burst under his feet as he shot straight ahead, RHCs coming up in a snap, his fingers squeezing the triggers. Bolts of Energy-infused-Impact¡ªthanks to the modifications he¡¯d made to the weapons¡ªzipped ahead at the wide-eyed spearman.


    Even though he obviously expected Hiral to try and keep his distance with his ranged weapons, Yanily didn¡¯t miss a beat, tightening the rotation of his spear¡¯s movements. Just like the lizardmen in The Mire dungeon, both bolts deflected off the spear¡¯s shaft, harmlessly passing Yanily by. In that same movement, he darted forward, the blunt end of the weapon seamlessly coming around to bludgeon Hiral across the top of the head as they streaked for each other.


    There was a challenge in that simple movement¡ªlightning fast as it was. Yanily had used the blunt end on purpose.


    Hiral resisted the urge to scoff at the spearman for underestimating him, and twisted to the side, just enough the spear¡¯s haft passed an inch in front of him. Momentum carrying him forward, Hiral started to slip behind Yanily, only to catch the pointy end of the spear in his peripheral vision streaking at him from the continued rotation. Maybe Yanily hadn¡¯t underestimated him after all, and Hiral dropped to his knees to slide along the ground¡ªand under the spear.


    Two feet past the other man, a burst of Rejection kicked Hiral back up to his feet, and he spun just in time to find Yanily already after him. A thrust for his chest. Another side-step. Then a second thrust¡ªparried aside with an RHC¡ªa third dodged, a fourth ducked under, and a fifth that had Hiral flipping and diving to the side. His high Dex and Atn were letting him keep up with the barrage, but Yanily¡¯s Reed Spear Style was no joke.


    He couldn¡¯t let the other man stay on the offensive.


    The moment he hit the ground from the dive, Hiral rolled back to his feet and spun, pointing the RHC in his right hand at Yanily. A pull of the trigger at the same time Yanily¡¯s spear came around to block the expected blast, and it was a race as to which would arrive first. Time seemed to slow as the searing bolt of Impact cut through the space. As it got deflected up to strike the ceiling somewhere above. As Hiral¡¯s eyes never left the spearman. He didn¡¯t have the same Atn Hiral did, but Yanily¡¯s instincts were scary good, completely negating the advantage Hiral should have at a range.


    So, he launched himself back in instead of firing his second shot when time snapped back to normal speed. Yanily just grinned, sliding ahead to meet him.


    Down and at an angle, the spear¡¯s blade practically whistled as it streaked for Hiral¡¯s shin, forcing him to stop short and lift his lead foot. With Hiral¡¯s leg still in the air, Yanily continued his spin¡ªhaving swapped to Dancing Spear Style¡ªbut Hiral hip-fired his other RHC.


    The blast deflected harmlessly off the spear¡¯s shaft, though the move forced Yanily to change his tempo, and bought Hiral the second he needed to plant his foot. Then, not slowing, Hiral stepped in with an angled, rising knee. Yanily¡¯s spear moved perfectly to block the strike, and his eyes widened as he realized it was a feint. As soon as knee collided with spear, Hiral twisted at the hip just a touch more, and turned the knee into a kick.


    This time, it was Yanily who went diving to the side, though the spearman quickly rolled to his feet and spun, weapon already moving.


    Up and around, Yanily¡¯s spear came as Hiral gave chase, forcing him to duck low to evade the sweeping blade, while he brought his own RHC in tight to his chest and pulled the trigger. Close like they were, it would be impossible for Yanily to block the blast. Except, the nimble spearman didn¡¯t even try. Continuing the rotation of his spear like it was the most natural thing in the world, the movement of the weapon twisted Yanily¡¯s body so the bolt of Impact slipped between his torso and arm, while the spear arced for Hiral¡¯s thigh.


    High enough he couldn¡¯t lift his leg, and low enough he couldn¡¯t dodge, it was a masterful counterattack. One Hiral was ready for, and his second RHC dropped down to block the strike. Crystal rang out against the twisted metal of Yanily¡¯s spear¡ªwhile Hiral gave silent thanks to how sturdy his weapons had been built¡ªand he pivoted to shoulder-check into Yanily. Little more than a shove, it pushed the spearman back on his heels, and Hiral thrust out with his RHC.


    Still on cooldown, he didn¡¯t bother pulling the trigger, but instead just stabbed it into Yanily¡¯s chest. Though neither move did any damage through Yanily¡¯s Hydra-Scale Armor, they did keep him from falling into one of his weapons styles, and Hiral pressed in. Close as he was, with Yanily off-balance, he had the chance to¡­


    Solar energy flared from the soles of Yanily¡¯s boots, and the man vaulted away from Hiral, instantly opening a dozen feet between them.


    ¡°I feel like that¡¯s cheating,¡± Hiral grumbled as Yanily landed and caught his balance, a huge grin on the spearman¡¯s face.


    ¡°On the contrary, isn¡¯t that the whole point of this spar?¡± Yanily said, dropping down again into a comfortable fighting stance. ¡°But, Hiral, I have to ask¡ªis that all you¡¯ve got?¡±


    Hiral narrowed his eyes at the man across the room¡ªand specifically at the smile. Yanily was enjoying this. A lot. And, though it took him a second to realize it, so was Hiral. They¡¯d pushed each other¡ªthough neither went all out¡ªand it was pretty much a draw. Sure, Hiral had ¡®landed a pair of hits¡¯, but they weren¡¯t anything more than no-damage taps. No, if either wanted to break the stalemate, they were going to have to up their game.


    Let¡¯s do it.


    Solar energy weaved its way to his Rune of Rejection at the same time Yanily activated his boots, and the two shot directly at each other. A second burst of Rejection pulled Hiral up short, while a tug with his Rune of Attraction yanked on Yanily¡¯s spear to pull him off balance. Unfortunately, it did little more than pull the weapon past Hiral, though it was enough to let him slip in close. From there, the RHC in his right hand came up in front of his chest, and he pulled the trigger to fire at the man beside him.


    Spear twisting, Yanily used the momentum of the weapon to bend over backwards, the blast zipping by straight above them, then rolled out of it in an athletic move that defied understanding. One moment it looked like he was going to fall to his back on the floor, and the next his weapon was stabbing straight for Hiral¡¯s face.


    Rejection pushed the weapon just wide of punching into his cheek¡ªthat kind of maiming might be beyond Wule¡¯s abilities¡ªthe speed of it hauling the air across his skin, and he hip-fired his other RHC again. A small twist of Yanily¡¯s wrist deflected the bolt¡ªbarely¡ªand then Hiral was in close even as the pair moved to circle each other. Spear against Runic Hand Cannons, the weapons played out at their least ideal ranges as Hiral and Yanily jockeyed for position. While the spearman tried to force distance between them¡ªjust an extra foot or two¡ªHiral fought to stay as close as possible, even if it meant his shots always came at bad angles.


    Solar energy flared under Yanily¡¯s boots to jump away again, but Hiral wasn¡¯t going to let him do that a second time. A flood of energy to his Rune of Attraction turned the leap into little more than a hop, completely negating the move, and Yanily seemed to accept that was the range they were going to fight at.


    Choking his hands up higher on the shaft of the spear, he wielded it like a quarterstaff, keeping it closer to his body in a blur to turn aside Hiral¡¯s blasts. Practically on cooldown, the spearman managed to parry or evade the shots, while Hiral  danced between the near-constant sweeps from the spear¡ªeven though they were so close it would be intimate in any other circumstance.


    The problem was, they were falling back into Yanily¡¯s tempo. The man was just too good at controlling the fight. And Hiral wasn¡¯t making any ground just by pushing harder. It was like everything he did, Yanily rose to meet it.


    Pushing, huh¡­


    Weapons a blur as they moved around each other, Hiral kept his RHCs above his waist, gradually bringing his shots higher and higher, forcing Yanily to raise his weapon to keep up. From deflecting near his chest, to blocking shots aimed for his face, Yanily didn¡¯t slow in the least. He didn¡¯t even wince at the shots that could break bone¡ªor worse¡ªhe just kept going. And, even though Hiral felt like he was directing the fight, some small part of him was screaming that Yanily was the one leading him around.


    Which meant he needed to act. Now.


    One RHC after another, Hiral pulled the trigger, watching Yanily watching him for the trick they both knew had to be coming. Right weapon, straight for Yanily¡¯s face, deflected aside. Left, dodged underneath. Right caught in tight and pulled off-target. Left, ducked under. Right, hooked under the barrel to shoot high. Left, side stepped.


    Yanily was leading him. Purposefully only making contact with the weapon in Hiral¡¯s right hand. And if Hiral was realizing that, it was leading to something. Yanily was anticipating everything he was doing. Countering it. What could he do that Yanily wouldn¡¯t expect¡­?


    Hiral threw his RHC at his opponent, Yanily¡¯s eyes scrunching up in confusion even as the spear instinctively came up and slapped it aside.


    Moving forward in that brief opening, Hiral¡¯s now empty hand continued past the spear. He wasn¡¯t close enough to land a punch, at least not before the spear came back across hard enough to likely break his arm. Good thing he wasn¡¯t trying to hit Yanily yet. Instead, his open hand erupted with a burst of Rejection right in front of the spearman.


    The sheer amount of solar energy he¡¯d released threw Yanily back like a ragdoll, flipping through the air, though he still managed to bat Hiral¡¯s other RHC-blast like he knew it was coming¡ªwhile upside down. Hiral was already hot after him though, and as soon as Yanily¡¯s feet touched down, an Impact-enhanced fist whipped around with enough bad intentions to make Right proud, before stopping an inch in front of Yanily¡¯s face.


    ¡°Give up?¡± Hiral asked, the rune glowing between his knuckles and Yanily¡¯s nose.


    ¡°Was just going to ask you the same thing,¡± Yanily said, his eyes darting from Hiral¡¯s face to somewhere lower. Following the other man¡¯s look, Hiral glanced down to find the tip of Yanily¡¯s spear brushing up against the side of his abdomen.


    ¡°I¡­ would¡¯ve hit you first¡­?¡± Hiral said lamely, then they both chuckled at that. ¡°Ah who am I kidding? You controlled that fight from beginning to end.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t do so bad yourself,¡± Yanily said as Hiral took a step back. ¡°I¡¯ve got some pointers for you, if you¡¯re interested.¡±


    ¡°Definitely,¡± Hiral said. ¡°I¡¯m not too proud to say ¡®no¡¯ to improving. But, after dinner? I need to get over and talk to Nivian before that.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s fine. We still have time,¡± Yanily said. ¡°Off you go then. Right can keep me company.¡±


    Right just nodded, while Wule looked up from his book just long enough to make sure everybody still had all their pieces attached. When he was sure nothing was missing, his eyes went right back to the page, and he exited ahead of Hiral.


    ¡°You did well,¡± Left said as he and Hiral started for the kitchen. ¡°I also have some pointers if you¡¯re open to hearing them.¡±


    ¡°Sure am,¡± Hiral said as he walked with Left. He wasn¡¯t kidding when he¡¯d told Yanily he¡¯d be happy to get some advice. And, Left had a keen eye for things. Speaking of which¡­¡°You know, I never asked¡­ What are you putting your fourth stat point into now that we¡¯re D-Rank?¡±


    ¡°Intelligence,¡± Left said right away. ¡°You¡¯ve got attunement covered, and all the Growers have very good wisdom. I figured I would specialize in that to balance out the group.¡±


    ¡°Makes sense; it¡¯s what I would do. Guessing Right is doing something similar? Probably¡­ strength?¡±


    ¡°Exactly,¡± Left explained as they entered the workshop again. ¡°You and Yanily focus more on dexterity, but we felt Right could offer big, single-hit decisiveness. Like Balyo did.¡±


    ¡°Definitely something we need, even if Yanily¡¯s new training pays off. What do you think¡ªcan he force an ability evolution by practicing something like that?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d need more data points to speak definitively on the subject,¡± Left said, ¡°but I believe it¡¯s possible. For you as well. From what Dr. Benza was saying, it sounds like the PIMP system is almost like a living entity. One constantly growing and evolving. I suspect there are even abilities and combinations not foreseen by the creators.


    ¡°What the system is today may not be the same thing as what they believed it would be all those years ago when they built it,¡± he finished as the pair entered the kitchen.


    Hiral could only nod. There was so much they didn¡¯t know about the PIM and the PIMP. Still, as long as it gave them the avenue they needed to get stronger, did it really matter? It was obviously already catering to their needs with the specific loot and abilities it provided, so for now, he¡¯d just have to trust it to do its thing.


    Meanwhile, he¡¯d do his.


    ¡°Hey, Nivian, I¡¯ve got a present for you,¡± he said, holding up his new runic device.


    This one should work a little smoother than Yanily¡¯s.


    Should.

 Chapter 6 – Party Formation

    ¡°You can¡¯t be serious?¡± Nivian said as the eight of them sat around the table, plates full of piled food. ¡°Cal wants to stay behind? Here? By herself?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what she told me,¡± Seeyela said, and Hiral looked to the empty ninth chair set at the large table.


    The healer hadn¡¯t come out of her room, not even once, since they¡¯d arrived, but Seeyela had found a way in. When she¡¯d come back out for dinner, she¡¯d dropped the news on them: Cal didn¡¯t plan to leave until Fallen Reach came around again.


    ¡°What¡¯s she going to do here by herself?¡± Wule asked. ¡°It¡¯s not just a few hours alone. It¡¯s basically a whole rotation.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s got that mirror,¡± Hiral said, thinking back to the item she¡¯d gotten from the Troblin Throne dungeon. ¡°The Mirror of Memories, I think it was called when I used View on it.¡±


    ¡°Any idea what it even does?¡± Wule asked. ¡°No, never mind, that¡¯s not important. We need to change her mind. Bring her with us.¡±


    ¡°You suggesting we tie her up and make Nivian carry her over his shoulder?¡± Seena asked. ¡°Cause, from what Seeyela was telling me, that¡¯s what it¡¯s going to take.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s shaken. Badly,¡± Seeyela said. ¡°The loss¡­ What happened to¡­ to the others¡­ She thinks we never should¡¯ve left that first dungeon. Partly blames herself too, I think, since she was the group¡¯s healer.¡±


    ¡°She wasn¡¯t even there¡­ or conscious¡­ for most of it,¡± Wule said. ¡°How can she blame herself?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not logical; it¡¯s grief,¡± Left spoke up. ¡°I¡¯m sure there are a dozen things she wishes she could go back and do differently, and no matter what we say to her, nothing will change her mind until she¡¯s ready for it. This isn¡¯t a process we can force.¡±


    ¡°So, you think we should just leave her?¡± Wule asked.


    ¡°I think we should consider her wishes,¡± Left said.


    ¡°I hate to be the one to say this¡­¡± Yanily started, ¡°but I¡¯m going to anyway. Cal staying behind¡ªas much as I don¡¯t like it¡ªsolves an issue about party size and dungeons.¡±


    Hiral¡¯s spoon paused on the way to his mouth, a mix of relief and hesitance churning in his chest. He¡¯d been thinking the same thing¡ªeverybody must¡¯ve been¡ªbut it was always the question of who was going to mention it. Thank you, Yanily. From the looks on the others¡¯ faces, Hiral wasn¡¯t the only one feeling that way.


    ¡°Yanily¡­ has a point,¡± Seena agreed. ¡°Look, I¡¯m not happy about it either, but with the Party Interface option and the limits on going into the dungeons, it¡¯s something we need to actually talk about. We can¡¯t just pretend it¡¯s not a thing.¡±


    ¡°We could hold off on forming the party through the interface,¡± Nivian offered. ¡°Do it like we¡¯ve always done it. Alternate somebody in and out to get all seven of us through the dungeon.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s always an option¡­ if she agrees to come with us,¡± Seena said. ¡°Seeyela, really, if we hold off on leaving for a bit, do you think she¡¯ll change her mind? From what Left says, we don¡¯t have to head out immediately.¡±


    ¡°To be clear, there are a number of unknowns,¡± Left said. ¡°Sooner would be better, but¡­ there is probably some leeway.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s not going to change her mind¡ªat least, not any time soon,¡± Seeyela said. ¡°I¡¯ve seen her like this before.¡±


    ¡°Should one of us stay with her?¡± Wule asked, but all eyes settled on Seeyela. Out of everybody, it would have to be her. Wule, Nivian, and Hiral were all needed for the dungeon runs. They were part of Seena¡¯s party, so it meant she would be going, and then Yanily¡­ well¡­ Yanily wasn¡¯t somebody who got left behind to offer moral or emotional support.


    Seeyela was already shaking her head. With a threat to Fallen Reach¡ªand her daughter, Favela¡ªthere was no way Seeyela was staying behind. ¡°It¡¯s Cal¡¯s choice, and at least we know she¡¯ll be safe here. There¡¯s plenty of food, and we don¡¯t have to worry about the Enemy, according to Dr. Benza.¡±


    ¡°So, that¡¯s it, then,¡± Seena said. ¡°We¡¯re going. The six¡­ er, eight of us. Like Left said, sooner is better, but we¡¯ve been pushing hard since The Mire. I suggest we take a bit of time to make sure we¡¯re rested and ready to go. Once we¡¯re on the road again, who knows the next time we¡¯ll be able to let our guard down?


    ¡°Twenty hours, I¡¯d say. Any objections or suggestions?¡±


    ¡°I just want to check, one final time,¡± Wule spoke up. ¡°We¡¯re really doing this? Leaving Cal behind?¡±


    The two sisters exchanged a look, their lips parting like they were each going to say something. Then, as if they had the same thought at the same time, their mouths tightened, and they nodded at each other.If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    ¡°I hate it too, Wule,¡± Seena said. ¡°But, if this threat to our islands is real, we have to go. We have to try.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t even know what the threat is,¡± Nivian pointed out, then sighed and faced his brother. ¡°And staying here won¡¯t tell us. She¡¯s right.¡±


    Wule looked in the direction of the dormitory, as if he could see through the walls to Cal in her room. ¡°I know she is. It¡¯s¡­ probably better this way. Cal is safer here than she would be out there, and if she¡¯s distracted¡­ then she puts us all at risk. It¡¯s the wrong choice for the right reasons.¡±


    ¡°Then it¡¯s settled,¡± Seeyela said, her face clearly a mask of forcing a strong front. ¡°Twenty hours.¡±


    ¡°I can prep some other food to take with us,¡± Nivian said, after the weight of the choice settled on the party¡¯s shoulders. ¡°The rations are good and all, but there¡¯s enough here to add some variety to them. Stuff that¡¯ll keep.¡±


    ¡°Might offer some different buffs as well, depending on the situation,¡± Yanily said.


    ¡°Good idea,¡± Seena said. ¡°Need any help?¡±


    At least five sets of eyes widened at Seena¡¯s offer, and every head around the table quickly shook.


    ¡°We want buffs, Seena,¡± Yanily said. ¡°Not debuffs.¡±


    ¡°Maybe we should leave Yanily behind after all,¡± Seena said to her sister. ¡°Tie Cal up instead, drag her along. Could be worth it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m good taking care of the cooking,¡± Nivian said. ¡°Could use a few volunteers to maybe test things and see what kind of buffs the food gives, though.¡±


    ¡°Looks like this,¡± Hiral said, pointing at his dish while he had one eye on his status window, ¡°gives bonuses to endurance and attunement.¡±


    ¡°Good buff while we¡¯re traveling,¡± Wule said. ¡°And I can help be a taste-tester.¡±


    ¡°We can all help,¡± Seeyela clarified.


    ¡°Right and Left also found out something interesting,¡± Hiral said when the food conversation seemed finished. ¡°We got currency from the Troblin Throne. The chips¡­¡±


    ¡°The currency is called wats,¡± Left said.


    ¡°Oh? Thanks,¡± Hiral said. ¡°Anyway, these wats accumulate as we defeat monsters, absorbing some of the solar energy released. We can, in turn, spend the currency at the Asylum interfaces for equipment. Left was saying we already have quite a bit from killing the Troblin Lord several times, and he has some suggestions as far as what we should spend it on. Left?¡±


    ¡°The current equipment we can purchase from the interface Shop is relatively limited, but there was one very stand-out item,¡± Left said. ¡°So stand-out, in fact, that I almost feel like the PIMP is suggesting we purchase it.¡±


    ¡°What kind of item?¡± Yanily asked. ¡°A weapon?¡±


    ¡°The item is called an Interspatial Ring,¡± Left said. ¡°According to the description, it¡¯s some kind of storage device that contains an instanced sub-space, similar to a dungeon. It will allow us to carry far more supplies than a normal backpack would, and without all the extra weight. It¡¯s simply a ring.¡±


    ¡°How do you store something in a ring?¡± Seena asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure on all the details,¡± Left admitted with a shrug. ¡°We have enough wats to purchase six of the rings, though.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s oddly convenient,¡± Nivian said.


    ¡°Which isn¡¯t unusual for the PIMP,¡± Hiral said. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure it¡¯s doing what it can to tailor our paths towards whatever will make us strongest, without simply gifting us that power.¡±


    ¡°Says the guy who got an S-Rank weapon,¡± Yanily mumbled.


    ¡°Which, based on what we learned from Dr. Benza, means he earned it,¡± Seena said. ¡°If you want an S-Rank weapon, I guess that means you¡¯ll have to work harder. We all will. Anyway, about the ring, let¡¯s buy one and see how it works. If it¡¯s useful, we¡¯ll pick up the others. Can we put things like tents in it?¡±


    ¡°I think so,¡± Left explained. ¡°I did see some limits to what it would hold, and I believe it takes time to deposit or withdraw items, so it may not work well in combat.¡±


    ¡°Either way, pick one up after we finish here and let us know?¡± Seena said.


    ¡°Certainly. I¡¯d also like to spend some time doing what I can to reconfirm our route.¡±


    ¡°Please,¡± Hiral said. ¡°I¡¯d hate to get lost along the way. We should also form a party through the Party Interface ability. I poked around a bit, and one person has to act as the party leader and invite the other five.¡±


    None of the others spoke up, but they all looked at Seena, then at Seeyela, and back to Seena again.


    Right. Seena was the party leader, but Seeyela was the¡ªwhat did they call it?¡ªraid leader.


    ¡°Go ahead,¡± Seeyela said. ¡°This is your party, after all.¡±


    ¡°You sure?¡± Seena asked.


    ¡°Yeah. Slot me in as a damage dealer, I guess.¡±


    ¡°Whoa, I thought I was going to be a damage dealer now?¡± Wule said.


    ¡°Throwing snowballs doesn¡¯t make you a damage dealer,¡± Yanily said. ¡°Not like we¡¯re going to be fighting more Lizardmen in the next zone anyway.¡±


    ¡°I think you¡¯ll be a good fit to our party,¡± Seena said, ignoring the others with practiced grace. ¡°Hiral has his RHCs, but with Left and Right up with Nivian and Yanily, it¡¯s getting kind of crowded at the front line. We should probably take a few hours and do some training together before we head out. Get used to the new flow.¡±


    ¡°I think Yanily needs a couple hours to work on his new move, and I¡¯d like a few to finish what I was doing in the workshop as well,¡± Hiral said. ¡°Can we meet up after that to practice together?¡±


    ¡°Knowing you, you¡¯d just be off in your own little world if I asked you to train before you were ready anyway,¡± Seena said with a smirk. ¡°That works. So, here¡¯s the plan. A few hours on our own to get ready. A few more after that to smooth out our teamwork. Rest. Save Fallen Reach. Simple, huh?¡±


    ¡°I like how you just slid that last bit in there like it was no big thing,¡± Yanily said.


    ¡°Yeah, now we just need to figure out what exactly we¡¯re saving it from,¡± Hiral said, putting another spoonful of the stew in his mouth.

 Chapter 1 – Give Him The Shoulder Tap (Beginning of Book 3)

    Hiral watched as the shapes of Wule and Nivian grew smaller and smaller, then finally faded from sight as the Disc of Passage sped away.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t right,¡± Seena said from beside him, her sister and Yanily both shaking their heads at the situation. ¡°We should stop the disc and go back. Make them come with us. Or¡­ or stay with them and help.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not right, not at all,¡± Hiral agreed. ¡°But it¡¯s what they wanted.¡±


    ¡°Who cares what they want?¡± Seena snapped. ¡°What about what I want? First Cal back in the Asylum, now them in a city full of undead? We stopped the Urn of Ur¡¯Thul from spreading its power. Practically saved the world, if we believe what Odi was saying. And what do we get for it? How many friends do we have to leave behind? How many friends do we have to¡­ lose¡­?¡±


    ¡°They aren¡¯t dead,¡± Yanily said. ¡°Well, Wule isn¡¯t. Not sure about Nivian, with the whole undead thing, but that doesn¡¯t matter. They aren¡¯t gone. We¡¯ll see them again.¡±


    ¡°Will we?¡± Seena asked. ¡°It¡¯s them against an entire city.¡±


    ¡°Seeing what Nivian did to Ur¡¯Thul, I feel bad for the city,¡± Hiral said.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t funny, Hiral,¡± Seena said, turning from where she¡¯d been watching the hall behind the speeding Disc of Passage.


    ¡°And I¡¯m not laughing,¡± Hiral said, tears running down both his cheeks and a pit like some endless whirlpool in his stomach. ¡°I may not have known them as long as you all have, but they were my friends too. I didn¡¯t want them to stay behind any more than you do. But¡­ they stayed behind. We didn¡¯t leave them behind.


    ¡°They chose. Nivian¡¯s advanced class¡ªand what the Urn of Ur¡¯Thul did to him¡ªchanged him. Made him into an undead of some kind. He was afraid of what he might do to us if the hunger overwhelmed him. You saw it in his eyes as much as I did. Can you imagine what it would¡¯ve done to him if he¡¯d lost control? If he¡¯d hurt¡ªor worse, killed¡ªone of us?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s right,¡± Seeyela said, her voice hitching. ¡°I hate it too, Seena, but he¡¯s right. Nivian is fighting against something inside him. Something we can¡¯t understand.¡±


    ¡°We could¡¯ve tried. Been there for him,¡± Seena said, but there was less heat in her voice. ¡°We were so close to being free of that stupid city.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s still got his brother with him,¡± Yanily said. ¡°And Wule¡¯s advanced class will help Nivian stay in control, and heal him if he gets hurt. Kind of strange he doesn¡¯t have solar energy anymore, just health, but¡­¡±


    ¡°Probably the only reason he can still use his healing abilities on Nivian,¡± Hiral said. ¡°Pure solar energy hurts the undead.¡±


    ¡°Lucky.¡± Yanily shook his head. ¡°Or¡­ was that the PIMP? Giving them the chance to survive?¡±


    ¡°Probably,¡± Hiral said. ¡°I bet the influence of the Urn had something to do with it, too, but either way, if anybody can survive this, it¡¯s them.¡±


    ¡°Mistress, they made the right choice,¡± Li¡¯l Ur, the Lizardman mini-lich floating at Seena¡¯s shoulder, said. ¡°The hunger isn¡¯t to be underestimated, but neither are your friends. There is hope to see them again, if what Odi said is true. And the one called Nivian is now a Death Knight; there are few classes more powerful among the undead.


    ¡°It is second only to being a lich.¡±


    ¡°What about a Dracolich?¡± Hiral asked.


    ¡°Those don¡¯t count. They¡¯re cheating,¡± Li¡¯l Ur said. ¡°If anything can reach the heights needed to stave off the hunger, it¡¯s a Death Knight.¡±


    ¡°Did you suffer from it?¡± Seena asked Li¡¯l Ur.


    ¡°As the first undead, I did not. If anything, I¡­ created¡­ the hunger¡­¡± Realization dawned on the little lich¡¯s tiny face, only to be replaced by panic. ¡°Uh¡­ Mistress, I¡¯m sorry, I¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t blame you, Li¡¯l Ur,¡± Seena said, gently patting the lich on the head and forcing a smile. ¡°I know that wasn¡¯t you. It was that jerk Nivian pounded into bone-dust back in the city. Good riddance to him. Do you really think Nivian can beat this thing?¡±


    ¡°I do, mistress,¡± Li¡¯l Ur said, clearly relieved Seena wasn¡¯t blaming him.


    ¡°He¡¯s not the only one who believes that,¡± Hiral said. ¡°We all do¡­ you included.¡±


    Seena blew out a breath between her lips, then nodded. ¡°Yeah, I guess so. Never known either of those two to give up on something, especially not each other. With Wule there supporting him, Nivian won¡¯t stop until he succeeds.


    ¡°I just wish we could¡¯ve stayed to support him too.¡±


    ¡°We will go back, if he doesn¡¯t catch up first,¡± Seeyela said. ¡°After we save Fallen Reach. Since we know about the Asylums, we can just take these discs back and find him as soon as things are wrapped up on the islands.¡±


    ¡°Won¡¯t be that easy,¡± Seena said.


    ¡°It could be,¡± Seeyela countered, but then she shrugged. ¡°No, who am I kidding? It won¡¯t be. Never is. Still, doesn¡¯t change that we¡¯ll be coming back.¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± Seena said. ¡°I know you¡¯re right¡ªthey were right¡ªit just doesn¡¯t make it any easier.¡±


    ¡°No, it doesn¡¯t,¡± Yanily said, going over to Seena and putting an arm over her shoulders. ¡°But, hey, as long as we have their Party Interface buff from Till Death Do Us Part, we know they¡¯re okay.¡±Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    ¡°You just want the bonus stats,¡± Hiral said, punching Yanily gently in the shoulder.


    ¡°Not just¡­¡± the spearman said. ¡°I mean, I¡¯m not complaining about them¡­¡±


    But Seena didn¡¯t seem to be listening. Her eyes were glazed over, likely staring at a notification window or something.


    Probably looking at her status window to make sure we have the attribute bonus. Yanily is¡­ actually right. As long as we have the bonus, we know they¡¯re okay.


    ¡°Thanks, Yan,¡± Seena said, her eyes focusing again. ¡°It¡¯s good to remember that.¡±


    ¡°See, she likes the bonus too,¡± Yanily said, but Hiral and Seeyela just shook their heads.


    ¡°Anyway,¡± Seena said with a roll of her eyes, ¡°what¡¯s in the sack Nivian left? My money¡¯s on sandwiches.¡±


    ¡°Plenty of those, for sure,¡± Left said, crouching in front of the open bag. ¡°Looks like they put the currency we can exchange in the Asylum¡ªwhat we got from Ur¡¯Thul¡ªin here as well.¡±


    ¡°They could¡¯ve held on to it,¡± Seena said. ¡°They can come to the Asylum if they need a breather.¡±


    ¡°You know they won¡¯t do that,¡± Seeyela said. ¡°They¡¯re both too stubborn to take a real break. Well, Nivian is, and he¡¯ll strongarm Wule into keeping up.¡±


    ¡°You sure?¡± Hiral asked. ¡°I always thought it was because Seena was such a taskmast¡ª¡± Noticing the scowl coming his way, he quickly amended to, ¡°Uh, motivational leader¡­¡±


    ¡°Nah, he was just making excuses,¡± Seena said. ¡°Back before you joined up with us, on our surface runs, he was always the first one up and the last one to sleep.¡±


    ¡°To make sure we were okay and to cook breakfast,¡± Yanily said. ¡°I¡¯m going to miss the guy.¡±


    ¡°Guess meals are on you now, Yanily,¡± Hiral said. ¡°Unless you¡¯d prefer Seena or Seeyela to handle it?¡±


    A look of pure horror passed over Yanily¡¯s face, and he shook his head. ¡°Sandwiches. We have sandwiches. And we¡¯ll be back up on the islands in¡­ what? How long now, Left?¡±


    ¡°Around a hundred hours,¡± Left said. ¡°At most.¡±


    ¡°See! We have plenty of sandwiches for that,¡± Yanily said. ¡°It¡¯s not like Left or Right need to eat...¡±


    ¡°Nice, Yan, nice,¡± Hiral said before turning to Left. ¡°Any idea how far we are from the Asylum?¡±


    ¡°Like the first time, a couple of hours, I think,¡± Left said. ¡°I suspect the tunnel has to be long enough the Enemy can¡¯t follow. There is probably some kind of protection to dissuade the Infested as well.¡±


    ¡°I was kind of wondering why the thing inside Picoli didn¡¯t just use the Rune of Attraction to run along the wall. Maybe there¡¯s more runes too¡­¡± Hiral trailed off as he turned to inspect the walls blurring by. He barely shifted before a hand grabbed his chin and twisted him back around to face Seena.


    ¡°Nuh-uh,¡± she said, shaking her head. ¡°The disc isn¡¯t nearly big enough for you to explode.¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t¡­¡± Hiral started, but a not-so-gentle squeeze on his chin made him stop that line of excuses. ¡°Pwobabwy fow da bestu,¡± he forced out.


    ¡°I thought so,¡± Seena said, giving one more friendly squeeze before she let go. ¡°I need some time to¡­ process all of this.¡± Then she looked at Left and Right. ¡°Keep him out of trouble.¡±


    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am,¡± Right said.


    Seena walked to the front end of the Disc of Passage and plopped herself down. Then her shoulders started shaking, and Hiral took a step in her direction before a hand caught his arm.


    ¡°If you like living, don¡¯t go over there right now,¡± Yanily said, letting go of Hiral¡¯s arm.


    ¡°Just give her some space,¡± Seeyela said. ¡°And take Yanily¡¯s advice. She does not like when people see her cry. There¡¯s nowhere to Bamf if she tries to blow you up.¡±


    ¡°That bad?¡± Hiral asked.


    ¡°She was scary before she had the magic firepower to wipe out a city,¡± Yanily said. ¡°I really don¡¯t want to push her.¡±


    ¡°You probably have a point,¡± Hiral said. ¡°Hey, Left, give me one of those sandwiches, and maybe you guys can tell me some of those stories about your first trips down to the surface?¡±


    ¡°Hah, tell him about the second time we came down,¡± Yanily said, taking an offered sandwich as well and sitting down. ¡°The time Nivian missed the landing spot and we had to go get him down from the tree.¡±


    Seeyela groaned and leaned her head back. ¡°How that man¡ªwell, boy then¡ªmanaged to get stuck on the top branch, I will never understand.¡± She dove into the story, and when it was finished, Yanily started on another. By the time they¡¯d gotten to the third story¡ªthis one about Wule and the time he was reading instead of healing¡ªSeena came over to join them.


    One story led to another, hours passing for the group, until the Disc of Passage slowed beneath them, then came to a stop.


    ¡°We must be here,¡± Left said, looking straight up at the wide shaft stretching above. No sooner had he said that than the disc shot upwards, hundreds of feet passing by in a heartbeat, until it stopped again in a wide, familiar room.


    ¡°We¡¯re¡­ uh¡­ sure this is a different Asylum, right?¡± Yanily asked.


    ¡°Left?¡± Hiral prompted.


    ¡°According to the map we saw in the last one, this should be a new location,¡± Left said. ¡°One much closer to the jump point we need. And, if you look there¡­¡± The double pointed to a wide crack that ran along the floor and up the wall. ¡°That wasn¡¯t present at the last Asylum.¡±


    ¡°It also makes me nervous,¡± Hiral said, lifting his RHCs off his thighs.


    And he wasn¡¯t the only one getting his weapons out.


    ¡°Keep your eyes open,¡± Seena said, raising her arm as if to give Nivian the shoulder tap. Instead, her hand sort of hung in the air, her mouth open until she purposely closed her lips and lowered her arm. ¡°Going to be a tough habit to break,¡± she said quietly.


    ¡°You can tap Yanily¡¯s shoulder,¡± Right offered.


    ¡°No way I¡¯m going first,¡± Yanily said.


    ¡°Somebody has to,¡± Left pointed out.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go first,¡± Hiral said. ¡°I¡¯ve got the best chance of spotting anything out of the ordinary anyway.¡±


    ¡°There, he said it,¡± Yanily said. ¡°Seena, give him the shoulder tap and let¡¯s get moving.¡±


    ¡°Do you need it?¡± Seena asked Hiral.


    ¡°If it¡¯ll make you feel better¡­¡± Hiral said, shrugging.


    Seena reached out and tapped Hiral on the shoulder, then gave him a wink. ¡°Don¡¯t die.¡±


    ¡°You never said that to Nivian!¡± Hiral said.


    ¡°I¡¯m being a motivational leader,¡± she said before giving Hiral a shove towards the tunnel that should lead into the main part of the Asylum.


    ¡°Rah, rah,¡± Hiral said under his breath. He squeezed his fingers around the grips of his weapons, then started down the tunnel.

 Chapter 2 – You Explode When You Test

    Like the first Asylum they¡¯d been to, the hallway extended far into the distance ahead of him, nothing but a glowing root on the left side for light. The root on the right looked shriveled and long dead, which meant this was probably a different Asylum, like Left had suggested.


    But what happened here?


    Hiral had read about something called an earthquake that occurred on the surface from time to time, and about how they had the power to move the land around like a child throwing a tantrum¡ªexcept on a continental scale. Could that be what this was? And, if so, were they safe here? Should they just head back to the discs and find the right one to take them to the next zone?


    Then again, an earthquake was better than some of the other explanations about what could¡¯ve happened¡­


    ¡°Anything?¡± Seena asked quietly behind him.


    ¡°Nothing yet,¡± Hiral said, his voice echoing off the narrow hall around him even though he¡¯d barely spoken loud enough to be heard.


    ¡°Should we really be going this way?¡± Yanily said.


    ¡°We need Dr. Benza to tell us what the threat to Fallen Reach is,¡± Seeyela said. ¡°We have to go this way.¡±


    ¡°We can ask the version on the disc,¡± Yanily suggested.


    ¡°Pretty sure he won¡¯t know; it seemed like something unique to the Asylum version of him,¡± Seena said. ¡°No, we have to keep going.¡±


    ¡°Maybe we should stop talking about it, so nothing hears us,¡± Hiral suggested, eyes peeled and fixed straight ahead. Every breath was heavy and stale, like nothing had moved or lived within the walls for a very, very long time.


    Lived? If all the root systems are connected, could the undead influence have spread here? Do we have zombies waiting for us at the end of the hall?


    Hiral looked again to the glowing root on his left, a soft orange like sunlight on the horizon, and let that worry fade. The roots back in the undead city¡ªDid it even have a name?¡ªhad all been shades of blue or green. When they¡¯d purged the death energy powering the Urn that held the nation under its curse, the color of those roots had returned to something closer to this. So, that ruled out an undead influence. Probably.


    Which just left earthquakes, the Enemy, or something else Hiral had never seen before.


    Gee, so many choices.


    ¡°Anything?¡± Seena asked again.


    ¡°It¡¯s been fifteen seconds,¡± Hiral hissed.


    ¡°So?¡±


    ¡°No, nothing¡­ Wait, I do see something.¡± Hiral squinted ahead, where the root¡¯s straight path seemed to curve and vanish. ¡°I think we¡¯re almost to the crystal room.¡±


    ¡°Wule, buffs¡­¡± Seena started, but Hiral heard her teeth clack shut as she cut off her own words. ¡°I guess Lashing Vines will have to do.¡±


    You have been buffed by Lashing Vines.


    Vines will make independent attacks to enemies within range for 39 minutes.


    Hiral glanced at his shoulder to find the vine with flaming thorns, the independent construct hanging lazily down his back. A quick look at the one on the other shoulder showed it similarly relaxed. Maybe they know something I don¡¯t.


    A tap right beside where the vine extended from, and Hiral shook his head, then continued down the hall, RHCs pointed straight ahead of himself. Holding his breath and focusing on his hearing, he took step after careful step, alert for any scuff or hint of movement ahead of him. Nothing. Not a peep or shuffle.


    Closer now, he could make out the faint glow he¡¯d seen in the last crystal room, like the walls and ceiling themselves gave off light, and he spotted the outline of what had to be the interface.


    ¡°Get ready to cover me,¡± he whispered through the party chat as he closed to within fifteen feet of the doorway, then burst ahead.


    Quick steps followed behind him as he darted into the room, head¡ªand RHCs¡ªswinging first left, then right. Nothing immediately attacked or tried to eat his face, and he paused just a few feet inside. Like before, there were four doors leading off the main room, more soft light glowing within, though it flickered off and on, off and on, off and on, like a slow heartbeat. Hiral kept his eyes on each for a few seconds before turning his attention back to the crystal room.


    Just to his right, a massive crack stretched across the floor beside the interface, then up the far wall and to the domed ceiling above. At his feet the crack was only an inch wide, but by the time it reached the far wall and climbed to the ceiling, it was at least three feet from edge to edge.


    This is the first time I¡¯ve seen the crystal broken¡­


    ¡°Looks clear,¡± he finally said, slightly relaxing the tension of his shoulders.


    ¡°Looks broken,¡± Yanily corrected. ¡°What happened here?¡±


    ¡°Enemy?¡± Seeyela asked.


    Hiral carefully stepped over to the crack and looked down, then up, nothing but darkness greeting him. ¡°Doesn¡¯t look like it goes all the way to the surface,¡± Hiral said, eyes on the ceiling.


    ¡°Maybe Dr. Benza knows,¡± Seena suggested. ¡°Let¡¯s get that interface activated. If we need to leave in a hurry, we have to figure out what the threat to Fallen Reach is first.¡±The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    ¡°On it,¡± Seeyela said with a bamf. She appeared beside the interface, then waved her hand over the crystal.


    Nothing happened.


    ¡°Uhhh¡­¡± she said, passing her hand over it again, and a glow within the crystal flickered. Jagged veins of light pulsed through the dome around them like an echo, but still¡­ no Dr. Benza.


    ¡°Ideas?¡± Seena asked.


    ¡°Let me take a look at it,¡± Hiral said.


    ¡°You think it needs two different races?¡± Yanily asked.


    ¡°No, but maybe my Runic Artificer class will tell me what¡¯s wrong with it,¡± Hiral said, giving the four rooms one last look before sheathing his RHCs on his thighs. With his hands now free, he jogged over to join Seeyela at the pedestal¡ªTeleporting sure is convenient¡ªthen looked at the interface.


    ¡°Nothing looks wrong with the crystal itself,¡± he said, carefully checking it for cracks or fractures. ¡°The interface column doesn¡¯t seem to be damaged¡­ which means¡­¡± He trailed off, moving over to crouch at where the crack split the floor beside the interface pedestal. ¡°Seeyela, try it again.¡±


    ¡°Did you fix it already?¡± she asked.


    ¡°No, just testing something,¡± Hiral said without turning. He heard several sets of feet stepping away from him, and when he glanced over, he found everybody other than Seeyela¡ªwho was looking squirrely¡ªstanding a good ten feet back.


    ¡°What?¡± Seena asked. ¡°You explode when you test.¡±


    ¡°Just try the interface crystal,¡± he said with a sigh, focusing his attention back on the split in the floor.


    ¡°Here we go,¡± Seeyela said, and Hiral waited for¡­ There! Small flickers of light, like glowing smoke, stretched from one side of the crack to the other before sputtering out. ¡°Got it. Whatever powers the interface crystal seems to be cut off.¡±


    Hiral lay down on the ground so he could get a better look. A small feed of solar power into his Rune of Energy, and a sphere of light appeared around his hand, outlining where the power should be flowing. On both sides of the crack, there were the broken ends of what had likely been some kind of crystal pipes. No, pipes wasn¡¯t right; they weren¡¯t hollow. Actually, solar energy would probably travel better directly through crystal, which would explain why they were solid.


    ¡°Can you do anything about it?¡± Seena asked him.


    ¡°I think I can, actually,¡± he said, pulling some of the raw crystal they¡¯d gotten way back from The Mire out of his Interspatial Ring. Rolling it between his hands and extending it into something like an inch-thick, crystal rope with his Mold Crystal ability, he then reached down to measure the length. ¡°Little shorter and thicker,¡± he muttered to himself, shaving two inches off the rope, then making it a touch wider. One more check to confirm it was the right size, and he touched one end on the near side of the crack against the broken crystal. Another pulse into his Mold Crystal connected it like it¡¯d never been broken in the first place.


    Gently pulling to make sure it wouldn¡¯t snap off immediately, he extended it over to the other side, connecting it there.


    ¡°Done?¡± Seena asked, now crouching on the opposite side of the crack and watching what he was doing.


    ¡°Two more,¡± Hiral said, starting on the next one. Now that he¡¯d done the first, the second only took half the time, and the third half again. Just a few short minutes later, he had the three crystal paths ready for the energy to travel to the interface.


    Assuming he was right about what the crystal veins did.


    ¡°Ready for me to try again?¡± Seeyela asked.


    ¡°Yeah¡­ Wait¡­ no!¡± Hiral quickly amended, pushing himself to his feet and then taking several steps back from the crack. He waved for Seena to move away as well. ¡°This might actually explode if I did it wrong.¡±


    ¡°Wonderful,¡± she said, coming over to join him.


    When they were all clear¡ªjust in case¡ªHiral gave Seeyela the go-ahead, and she waved her hand above the crystal.


    Orange light blossomed out of the crack on the ground, and Dr. Benza appeared beside the pedestal.


    ¡°Welcome to an Asylum,¡± he said, his image flickering slightly, but his voice strong. ¡°If you¡¯re here, that means you¡¯ve cleared the three dungeons in the area. Congratulations. Within these walls you will find safety, shelter, and a place to regain your strength before you push on to the next set of dungeons.


    ¡°The remote location, along with the rare materials used to craft the Asylum itself, reduces the chances of Enemy detection to almost zero. Though, this does limit the maximum occupancy to only eighteen.¡± Dr. Benza shrugged. ¡°Believe me, if we could¡¯ve just built more Asylums to house our people, we would have. The dozen we¡¯ve constructed around the world as waypoints for your journey through the dungeons will have to do, however.¡±


    ¡°Same thing he said last time,¡± Yanily whispered.


    ¡°Exactly the same,¡± Hiral confirmed.


    ¡°During your stay, please feel free to make use of the fully equipped training room, the well-stocked kitchen and garden¡ªthough watch out for the rabbits; they bite, little bastards¡ªand the multi-purpose workroom,¡± Dr. Benza continued like nobody had spoken. ¡°You will of course also have access to the Tutorials and Help sections equivalent to the number of dungeons you¡¯ve cleared.


    ¡°With all that in mind, I¡¯m sure you have many questions, and I would be happy to answer¡­¡± The image truly flickered, then vanished, though Hiral didn¡¯t even bother checking his work.


    He¡¯d been expecting this.


    All at once, red lights came on within the crystal dome overhead¡ªthough only on the right side, with veins splitting the left like lightning¡ªand tinted the entire room the color of blood. A second later, the older version of Dr. Benza reappeared.


    ¡°Here we go,¡± Seeyela said, palms on the hilts of her daggers at her back as if having the weapons in hand calmed her.


    ¡°If you¡¯re seeing this version of me, it can only mean one thing: The magic keeping Fallen Reach in the sky is failing.


    ¡°You need to act,¡± he said dramatically. ¡°You need to save it. If you don¡¯t, within one year, the island and everybody on it will be destroyed.¡± He flickered again, his whole body growing static. There was a flicker, then another, and Hiral¡¯s eyes went to the crack in the floor, where small stutters interrupted the previously steady light.


    Is something wrong?


    ¡°Accessing PIMs,¡± Dr. Benza said, drawing Hiral¡¯s attention back to the once again solid image. ¡°Access complete. PIMs of suitable power to achieve necessary results detected. Success calculated at forty-eight-point-three percent.¡±


    ¡°Did he just say we have worse than a one-in-two chance of still failing?¡± Yanily asked.


    ¡°He did,¡± Hiral said, but that kind of made sense. Only two of them had the advanced classes, and for now, they were all still D-Rank. Sure, they were level 19, and within spitting distance of C-Rank, but they barely met the minimum requirements.


    Dr. Benza¡¯s image shifted again, away from the rigid and tired form, and now he paced back and forth in front of the group. Once, twice, he passed the party before finally looking up like he¡¯d noticed somebody was there.


    ¡°We were afraid this day would come, though we estimated it wouldn¡¯t be until thousands of years after I recorded this message. The seals should¡¯ve held that long. Longer, if the Enemy was defeated. Which can only mean they haven¡¯t been¡­ yet. It means you¡¯re still fighting. And, I hate to say this, but things will only get worse if you don¡¯t save Fallen Reach.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t stop the Fallen from awakening.¡±

 Chapter 3 – The Fallen (Final stubbing date has been picked. It is the 8th: see author note)

    The Fallen awakening?


    ¡°Yes, you heard me correctly,¡± Dr. Benza said, as if he could read Hiral¡¯s thoughts. ¡°I don¡¯t know where you¡¯ve gotten to in the Tutorials, but if you¡¯re seeing this, you¡¯re at least C-Rank. Or, if we¡¯re really lucky, have advanced classes. So, I¡¯ll just explain things here. Now.¡±


    ¡°Finally!¡± Yanily said with a sigh of relief. ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting for those words since we first met this guy.¡±


    ¡°Most of what I¡¯m going to explain to you is covered extensively in the Tutorials,¡± Dr. Benza said. ¡°But if you haven¡¯t had the chance to view them yet, I¡¯ll give you the most important details. And it all starts with the day we found the dying member of a very strange species. Something almost like a squid, but with a body that bends the light around it. Stranger still, it possessed a magic very unlike our own, utilizing powerful runes that commanded some of the foundational forces of how the universe operates.


    ¡°If you haven¡¯t guessed yet, that was our first encounter with what we came to call the Enemy. This discovery was years before I was even born, and the creature quickly died in our care. Though we tried to nurse it back to health, we couldn¡¯t figure out why it continued to get worse and worse. It wasn¡¯t until years later we realized it needed rain. Not water¡ªrain. Even now, we¡¯re still not sure why, but rain is its natural environment. I¡¯ve theorized that¡­¡± He trailed off, looking at something behind the party, then shook his head. ¡°You¡¯re right; my theories aren¡¯t important now.


    ¡°Where was I? Ah, yes, the corpse. Even though the creature passed away, that didn¡¯t stop us from dissecting it. Scientists and researchers spent years going over every inch of the body, trying to unlock its secrets. We were able to discover how they moved solar energy through their limbs¡ªa much more focused activity than how we passively circulated it. But, beyond that¡­ almost nothing.¡±


    At this, Dr. Benza lifted his hands in front of himself and stared at them. ¡°I can only imagine my predecessors¡¯ frustrations. So many secrets locked away within the corpse, and they couldn¡¯t unravel them. So, for years, the body stayed in storage, until one day, somebody asked a question nobody else had bothered with: Where had the squid come from? Surely it wasn¡¯t a creature of our world.


    ¡°There was nothing like it in any of our records. Subtle inquires with the Troblins and their less advanced cousins, the Duggers, led to no answers. The lizard-like Squalians lent us access to their history records, and even their museum. Despite their excellent variety of species, from the bones of the extinct phoenix and reclusive dragon to marvelous mechanical constructs, they had nothing like the squid.


    ¡°By this point, dozens of years had passed since the discovery of the creature, and a new group of researchers took over the project. These were some of our best and brightest, perhaps ever, and they made monumental discoveries.


    ¡°They were able to trace the energy of the preserved corpse to another world entirely. Maybe world isn¡¯t the right word. Realm would be better. A sister-realm that existed next to ours. And more than that, the researchers found a way to open the doorway to the other side.¡± Dr. Benza dropped his hands to his side and tilted his head backwards as if he were looking up at the ceiling.


    ¡°A doorway that should¡¯ve remained closed forever. Yes, these researchers were the people who would become the Fallen, but we¡¯re not quite there yet. Before that, they spent years unlocking that gate and prying it open. And then, when the barest black crack existed between our two realms, they pulled another of the squids through.


    ¡°With a new, healthy specimen, the experiments continued. The things they learned from the research¡ªthe torture¡ªadvanced our understanding of magic by leaps and bounds. It still wasn¡¯t enough for them. No, they theorized there was even a way to steal the squids¡¯ power for their own, so they pulled another through. Then another, and another¡­ and more.


    ¡°With each squid they forced into our world, they widened the gate¡ªa black crack in reality that seemed to feed on the life of the creatures passing across¡ªand allowed bigger and bigger things to come through. More powerful things. Which only excited them further."


    ¡°I think I can see where this is going,¡± Hiral mumbled, but Dr. Benza continued before the others could question him.


    ¡°After somewhere around one hundred sacrifices to their research, the scientists made a revolutionary breakthrough,¡± Dr. Benza said, back to pacing. ¡°By grafting a still-living squid to somebody, reinforcing the person with the squid¡¯s limbs, they could use the squids¡¯ magic. Could harness their power, without the need for the rain to sustain them.


    ¡°Those early hybrids were unstable, however. Powerful, yes, but they broke down quickly. From what I¡¯ve read, their deaths weren¡¯t pleasant. Or quick. External grafting wasn¡¯t the answer. They needed something more¡­ symbiotic. So, they continued their experiments, this time bioengineering the squids to meet their needs.


    ¡°More and more, they pulled specimens through the crack now as big as a true door, bodies piling like firewood. Their work produced results, though, and finally they created a batch of twelve perfect squids.


    ¡°Eleven of these squids were implanted here,¡± Dr. Benza said, reaching down to his own stomach, ¡°and the Fallen were born. The squids¡¯ tentacles stretched through their bodies, carrying unparalleled amounts of solar energy with them and empowering the Fallen with magic the likes of which our world had never seen.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like an Infested,¡± Seena said. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°He said eleven, didn¡¯t he?¡± Seeyela asked.


    Before Dr. Benza had a chance to say anything else, something flashed within the crack in the floor, a sizzle sounding, and a wide band of glowing smoke rose into the air.


    ¡°Hiral?¡± Seena asked, but he was already on his way back to the split.


    A quick push of Rejection cleared the smoke to reveal one of his three ropes of crystal completely fried. Worse, a second later, a whole section of the crystal dome to his right blinked and then sputtered out, leaving light in just two-thirds of it.


    ¡°Hiral¡­¡± Seena said again.


    ¡°One second,¡± he said, focusing back on the two remaining ropes of crystal in the crack.


    He couldn¡¯t do anything about the dome for now¡ªif it even mattered¡ªbut what was the cause? It didn¡¯t take him more than a few seconds to figure it out: There was too much energy for his improvised connection to handle.


    Maybe it¡¯s the wrong kind of crystal for this? Or I did something wrong?


    ¡°My repairs aren¡¯t going to last long,¡± Hiral explained, crouching down and reaching towards one of the ropes to try and reinforce it. ¡°The energy is too much for them.¡±


    His hand couldn¡¯t even get closer than two feet before an arcing whip of solar smoke lashed across his palm. Jerking his limb back with a yelp of pain, he turned his hand over to find a nasty red welt forming and then vanishing under the effect of his Regeneration+.


    ¡°You okay?¡± Seeyela asked, the two sisters coming over to join him.


    ¡°Yeah, fine, but I don¡¯t think I can fix this,¡± Hiral said. ¡°We¡¯re on a timer.¡±


    ¡°How long do you think it will last?¡± Seena asked.


    ¡°More than a second and less than a year?¡± Hiral offered with a shrug.


    Seena glared at him, but she got it. ¡°Yan, try activating the interface again. See if that will unpause Dr. Benza here.¡±


    ¡°Why me?¡± Yanily asked.


    ¡°Because you¡¯re still right beside it,¡± she pointed out.


    ¡°Ah, good point,¡± he said, not even having to stretch as he waved his hand over the crystal.


    ¡°Now, you¡¯re probably asking what happened to the twelfth squid,¡± Dr. Benza said, his image coming back to life like it¡¯d never stalled. ¡°It escaped. Back through the portal, but the Fallen didn¡¯t worry about that. They were too busy being drunk on their own newfound power. And, in their defense, nothing happened¡­ immediately.¡±


    ¡°You two should stand over by Yanily,¡± Hiral told them as Dr. Benza took a breath to collect himself. ¡°I¡¯ll keep an eye on things here as best I can.¡±


    ¡°Be careful,¡± Seena said, but the sisters moved away from crack, and Hiral watched the two remaining glowing crystal rods. The way they¡¯re getting brighter and brighter can¡¯t be good¡­


    ¡°It happened about a year later,¡± Dr. Benza said, drawing Hiral¡¯s attention. ¡°Around the same time the Fallen turned their attention from research to dominance. I still don¡¯t know why anybody was surprised. Of course people with that much power would want to rule. But, that¡¯s not what we¡¯re talking about now. This was also when they started actually being called the Fallen, for how far they¡¯d fallen from grace. Once lauded as our people¡¯s greatest minds, they were now moving to overthrow our government. To take the rule for themselves.


    ¡°And, if we¡¯re being honest with each other, they would¡¯ve succeeded if the squids didn¡¯t pry the crack open from their side at that point. Now big enough to drive a carriage through, monstrous versions of the creatures the Fallen had experimented on rushed through, and they weren¡¯t happy. Even worse for the rest of us, the modified squid that had escaped through the crack returned¡ªwith its progeny. This squid saw the Fallen as some kind of gods who had created it, and it led a faction of its kind to join with them.


    ¡°Now, we weren¡¯t only dealing with wild, angry squids, but also the Fallen and their fanatical, otherworldly followers. It was¡­ a bad time¡­ And this was when I was born.


    ¡°Our empire was in chaos around me as I grew up, forces on all sides fighting for survival. The wild squids battling against the Fallen and their troops were the only thing that really gave us a chance to scurry off to the side, so to speak. While they struggled for control, we fled. Hid.


    ¡°And¡­ continued some of the Fallen¡¯s own long-lost research. This would be what led to the development of the PIM system and the PIMP. It took some consultations with the Squalians, and access to something they called the Urn of Ur¡¯Thul, but that gave us the final clues we needed to rebuild our understanding of magic from the ground up.


    ¡°I quickly found myself part of the team working on the PIMP, as my unrivaled skill and genius showed itself¡­¡± Dr. Benza again looked past the party. ¡°I heard that, Laseen. No, don¡¯t you snicker over there, Fenil. You know, two years ago, both of you would¡¯ve been tripping over yourselves to compliment me¡­¡± He shook his head and continued.


    ¡°Whatever. While my team worked on the means to battle the Fallen and the Enemy, another team worked on a way to trap the Fallen. To delay them. And, as fate would have it, their plan solved one of our biggest hurdles: power.


    ¡°The PIMP would be revolutionary. It would change the world. Give us a chance to save our people and defeat the Enemy, except¡­ it needed sunlight. Solar energy. Massive amounts of it. By this point in the war, the Enemy had already begun their weather alterations, bringing more and more rain to our world. Sure, the root system you¡¯re probably familiar with existed even then¡ªa natural evolution of a world with such a slow rotation¡ªbut it wouldn¡¯t be enough to power the PIM system.


    ¡°And, worse, to keep the PIMP safe from the Fallen and the Enemy, we needed to build it deep, deep underground, in a place they would never find. How were we supposed to supply it with that power? We needed a location safe from the rains, so the Enemy couldn¡¯t find it, and a place the Infested couldn¡¯t destroy.


    ¡°We needed¡­ Fallen Reach.¡±

 Chapter 4 – All You Have To Do Is…

    ¡°You know, I half-expected him to say the PIMP was in Fallen Reach,¡± Hiral said as Dr. Benza went back to pacing.


    ¡°Me too,¡± Seena agreed.


    ¡°At this point, I need to explain how we captured the Fallen and got Fallen Reach into the sky in the midst of the war. It was a bloody, brutal two years of work, but we¡­¡± Dr. Benza¡¯s image vanished as another violent flash erupted from the crack in the floor. Solar smoke vented into the air, sizzling on the stone where it touched, and everybody quickly backed away.


    Long seconds passed as the raw solar energy pitted the stone in a thick cloud before finally fading, spent. Then, as if that were a cue, another third of the light within the dome on the right side of the room blinked out of existence.


    Hiral held up a hand to Seena before she could even say his name, then swept a wave of Rejection over the area just to be sure. That done, he carefully approached the crack¡­ and blew out a breath at what he saw from a safe distance.


    ¡°Second bar is gone,¡± he said. ¡°Just the one left now, and I don¡¯t know how long it¡¯ll last.¡±


    ¡°Can you fix the other two?¡± Seeyela asked.


    ¡°Don¡¯t think it would matter,¡± Hiral said, pointing at the wall while he stared at the remaining crystal bar, noting how it glowed like a molten sun. ¡°I think when the other two bars blew up, they created some kind of feedback, damaging the larger system. Once that last third of the wall fades, we¡¯re out of power. The interface will die. At least, that¡¯s my best guess.¡±


    ¡°Can we power it with our own solar energy?¡± Seena asked.


    ¡°Maybe, but I don¡¯t know if it would be worth it,¡± Hiral said. ¡°Even if we completely drained ourselves, it wouldn¡¯t even be a drop in the bucket compared to what¡¯s moving through the bars. We might be able to get some functionality out of it, but it would likely only be a few seconds at most. A minute? No, we just have to hope Dr. Benza gets to the important part before the whole thing goes.¡±


    ¡°Never known Benza to be brief,¡± Seeyela said.


    ¡°Is there anything you can do, Hiral?¡± Seena said. ¡°Anything we can do?¡±


    Hiral squinted at the crystal bar before answering, ¡°We need to hurry. Even without the projection, the energy is damaging the bar. Turn it back on. Turn it back on now.¡±


    Thankfully, Yanily didn¡¯t hesitate, waving his hand over the interface.


    When Dr. Benza reappeared, he wasn¡¯t in the same position as when he¡¯d left, and he held a cup in one of his hands.


    ¡°¡­ and so, that is how we captured the Fallen, despite their power and advantages, and got Fallen Reach into the sky to circle the world¡ªeven though I still hate that name. The lives it cost will never be forgotten, but those deaths gave us a chance. Gave us the Fallen trapped on the island, and provided us with the solar energy we needed to power the PIMP.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Seena said as Dr. Benza took a sip from his cup and let out a breath like he¡¯d just told a very long story. ¡°Did we just skip something super important?¡±


    ¡°Seems that way,¡± Hiral said, glancing at the crystal bar. It was almost too bright to even look at. ¡°We should probably thank him¡­ or¡­ the PIMP. Did it do this, knowing we¡¯re short on time?¡±


    ¡°You probably have two questions,¡± Dr. Benza said. ¡°We don¡¯t have time for more than those. Apparently, the recording is getting close to the limit of what an Asylum interface can handle. No, Fenil, it¡¯s not because I talk too much! Ahem. Anyway, back to what I suspect your questions are.


    ¡°One, why did we need the Fallen trapped in Fallen Reach? Easy. Their bodies, once bonded with the Enemy, were tremendous, rechargeable solar batteries. Each of them could process more solar energy than hundreds¡ªno, thousands¡ªof people. By using them to collect solar energy to be sent down to the surface, we solved the PIMP¡¯s power needs.¡± He then took another sip from his cup.


    ¡°Down to the surface?¡± Hiral asked, and then something clicked in his head. ¡°The pulses!¡±


    ¡°What about them?¡± Yanily asked.


    ¡°The pulses, the ones every hour, those are the energy being sent down to the PIMP. There must be something in the EnSath River that collects the energy and feeds it underground. That¡¯s why Fallen Reach goes around and around, chasing the sun¡ªbecause it is the power source for our PIMs.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s great and all,¡± Seena said, obviously thinking about something else, ¡°but if they have the Fallen captured somewhere on Fallen Reach, why didn¡¯t the war end there?¡±


    ¡°Your second question is probably why the war continued even after we¡¯d managed to capture the Fallen,¡± Dr. Benza said at that moment.


    Seena just thumbed at the image and shook her head, but Hiral glanced at the glowing crystal bar in the crack. At where parts of it dripped off to sizzle below. It¡¯s not going to hold much longer.


    ¡°The answer is simple: The Fallen were dangerous, but they weren¡¯t the only threat. By that time, the doorway to the Enemy¡¯s realm was as tall as a building, and only getting bigger. Time seemed to slow around it, and it sucked some of the life out of those who got too close, making it almost impossible for us to try and close. Meanwhile, more and more of the squids were coming through every day, their rains spreading across the world. They¡¯d expanded past the boundaries of our land and begun invading other¡­ kingdoms. The death toll wasn¡¯t just rising; it was multiplying.


    ¡°We knew we couldn¡¯t match them, so we did the only thing we could: We played the long game. We set the stage so that people like you would have the power to one day stand up to the Enemy in a way we never could.¡± Dr. Benza put his cup down, and the item vanished from the image.


    ¡°Except, if you¡¯re seeing this, the Fallen¡¯s seals are weakened. Our models suggest one will awaken first, with the others naturally stirring within a few years, unless the first manages to wake them as well. All is not lost, though. With what I¡¯m about to tell you, there is a way to make sure they stay asleep. It¡¯s a bit complicated, but listen closely.This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    ¡°First, you¡¯ll need to¡­¡±


    ZZZZAAAAAAAPPP! FWAAAAAASH! A gout of solar smoke shot from the crack in the floor all the way to the ceiling, like a volcano blowing its top. At the same time, the last red light within the right wall completely vanished, leaving the venting energy as the only illumination.


    Even the light from the roots had faded, and it almost would¡¯ve been pretty, had it not been dropping deadly, scorching gas from above. Hiral threw out a wave of Rejection while the whole party dashed away from the interface.


    Bamf! Seeyela got to the doorway first, but the others weren¡¯t far behind, and they all scrambled into the tunnel, then turned to watch the cloud settle on the ground. As soon as the first wisps of solar energy touched the stone, a soft hissing and popping began, quickly escalating as more and more of the deadly gas spread across the floor. Even at a distance, Hiral saw small holes forming in the stone, the pitting spreading almost as quickly as the raw energy.


    ¡°Should we move back more?¡± Yanily asked, his spear pointed at the cloud like it would actually do something.


    ¡°No, I can cover a small area like the entrance,¡± Hiral said, feeding solar energy into his Rune of Rejection. The heavy fog naturally resisted the push slightly, but nothing he couldn¡¯t overcome. It gradually slowed, then stopped a few feet out in a semicircle around the doorway.


    ¡°That was bad timing,¡± Seena said. ¡°He was just about to tell us how to save the island.¡±


    ¡°Worse, we don¡¯t even know where the Fallen are sealed,¡± Seeyela said before turning to Hiral. ¡°Unless they¡¯re just on display right out in the open.¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­¡± Hiral said, looking at his doubles.


    They both gave him a nod, like they were thinking what he was. Then again, since they were him, they were probably doing exactly that.


    ¡°That might actually be true, Seeyela,¡± Hiral said, doing a quick check on the corrosive solar smoke before continuing. Less seemed to be venting out of the crack in the floor, and the spread had slowed, but it still wasn¡¯t anywhere close to safe in the room. ¡°Remember when I told you we had towers named after the Fallen?¡±


    ¡°You use them for time or something, right?¡± Seena asked, though she was nodding along.


    ¡°Yeah, they flash every hour. Sound familiar?¡±


    ¡°Like the pulses,¡± Seena said, catching on. ¡°Are they connected?¡±


    Hiral nodded. ¡°I think so. At the top of each of the eleven towers is a large crystal. One that looks, now that I think about it, remarkably similar to¡­¡±


    ¡°The seal we used on the Urn of Ur¡¯Thul?¡± Seeyela asked.


    ¡°Got it in one,¡± Hiral said, pointing at the older sister.


    ¡°Odi did say something about that seal only physically stopping the Urn, and not doing anything about its energy,¡± Seena said.


    ¡°Exactly,¡± Hiral said. ¡°They must¡¯ve somehow captured the Fallen and put them at the tops of the towers¡ªthe highest points in the city¡ªto collect solar energy. Then, every hour, the system drains one of them of the energy they¡¯d stored up, and shoots it down to the surface.¡±


    ¡°Feeding the PIMP, and in turn, our PIMs,¡± Seena said, nodding along.


    ¡°How are they even still alive?¡± Yanily asked. ¡°It¡¯s been a long, long time since Dr. Benza built the island, right?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a really good question,¡± Hiral said.


    ¡°Are they undead?¡± Seena suggested. ¡°Or maybe they just live a really long time because of the Enemy attached to them?¡±


    ¡°Or the seal does more than just hold them physically,¡± Left suggested. ¡°Hiral has runes of time; it¡¯s possible there is a concept like that at play here.¡±


    ¡°Either way, it doesn¡¯t matter,¡± Hiral said. ¡°We have to assume they¡¯re alive, and when this one wakes up, it¡¯s going to be angry. And, now that I¡¯m thinking about it, it might even be worse than that¡­¡±


    ¡°Of course it is,¡± Seena said flatly. ¡°Well, out with it.¡±


    ¡°Okay, look, nobody has ever really been sure how Fallen Reach stays in the sky, but it¡¯s always been assumed solar energy plays a part in it. My guess, now, is that it¡¯s using runes, and yes, they¡¯re powered by solar energy. That energy is probably coming through the Fallen. If they¡¯re so efficient at absorbing it, they¡¯re probably sending energy down to the surface and keeping the whole island up.


    ¡°This means two, equally bad things,¡± Hiral went on, holding up a finger. ¡°The first is that they¡¯re probably somehow connected to the runes¡­ and maybe every other solar energy system on Fallen Reach.¡±


    ¡°Do you think they can control those systems?¡± Seeyela asked.  ¡°And, if they can, how bad is it?¡±


    ¡°No idea to either of those questions, but I bet really cold showers won¡¯t be the worst of it,¡± Hiral said.


    ¡°Cold showers?¡± Yanily mouthed to Right.


    ¡°What¡¯s the second thing?¡± Seena said. ¡°Is it worse?¡±


    Hiral held up a second finger and nodded. ¡°I don¡¯t know if the island needs all eleven to stay in the sky, or if the PIMP does.¡±


    Seena rubbed the bridge of her nose. ¡°You¡¯re saying if this Fallen wakes up and escapes, that might be enough to crash the island?¡±


    ¡°Might be,¡± Hiral said with a shrug. ¡°But, if the Fallen wakes up and stays connected to the system, it could be even worse. If they can control the systems on the island, they could force it to the ground, or shut off the magic keeping the weather at bay. The more I think about it, the more I think leaving an awake Fallen connected is worse.¡±


    ¡°If we had to, could we knock one of the towers down?¡± Seeyela asked. ¡°Break it to break the connection?¡±


    Hiral shook his head. ¡°Over the years, we¡¯ve been careful not to damage the island, since we don¡¯t know how to fix it if something major breaks. But accidents do happen from time to time. We¡¯ve learned a bit about which structures stand up to damage better than others.¡±


    ¡°And the towers stand up to it pretty well, I¡¯m guessing,¡± Seena said.


    ¡°Practically indestructible,¡± Hiral said. ¡°There¡¯s an old record of a pair of B-Rank Shapers throwing down in the market. One of them accidently punched the tower there. Rang like a gong from one end of the island to the other, but didn¡¯t even scratch the stone.¡±


    ¡°Great, so we really need to make sure this Fallen doesn¡¯t wake up,¡± Seena said, looking past Hiral into the central Asylum room. ¡°Looks clear. What do you think?¡±


    Seena was right. The deadly smoke had vanished, though the floor looked practically porous, and Hiral pushed a wave of Rejection through the room just to be sure.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see if there¡¯s something we can do to get the rest of his message,¡± he said, cautiously leading the others out of the tunnel. ¡°Uh¡­ we¡¯re going to need some kind of light. Looks like there are still some roots in the side rooms, but¡­ this is dark.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve got you covered,¡± Seena said, lifting her right hand into the air. Flames burst to life, coating her arm down to her elbow like a glove.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ handy,¡± Yanily said, and Seeyela punched him in the shoulder.


    ¡°Terrible, Yan, terrible,¡± she said.


    Hiral forced himself not to grin at the pun¡ªit wasn¡¯t that bad¡ªthen moved further into the room with Seena beside him. His boots didn¡¯t melt as soon as he stepped past the semi-circular divide where he¡¯d blocked off the gas¡ªGood sign¡ªand he walked up to the interface. Like the floor, the stone and crystal of it looked like they¡¯d been devoured by the bites of several thousand insects.


    ¡°Think it¡¯s still going to work?¡± Yanily asked, doubt in his voice.


    ¡°Only one way to find out,¡± Hiral said, passing his hand over the interface crystal.


    Nothing. No reaction. Not even a flicker.

 Chapter 5 – The Path Forward (Post Book 3 note located here)

    ¡°Damnit,¡± Seena cursed. She looked like she was almost ready to punch the interface, and with her flaming-gauntlet-thing, there was no telling how much damage it would do.


    ¡°Wait, wait, wait,¡± Hiral said, holding up his hands to delay her frustration. ¡°Let me try one thing first.¡±


    ¡°Thought you said there wasn¡¯t anything we could do,¡± Seeyela said.


    ¡°I doubt it¡¯ll work, but it¡¯s better than hitting it, right?¡±


    ¡°Debatable,¡± Seena said, still scowling, ¡°but go ahead.¡±


    After one more look to make sure she wasn¡¯t going to start swinging as soon as his back was turned, Hiral went over to the crack in the floor. Stone crumbled underfoot as soon as he got close, and he had to quick-step back so he didn¡¯t fall in. He approached more carefully the second time. The damage inside the crevice was exponentially worse than the rest of the room, and he only spotted one cracked shard of crystal remaining on the near side.


    If it¡¯s still connected to the interface, maybe we can at least get something else from it.


    Stepping over carefully to make sure he didn¡¯t tumble down in the split in the floor¡ªI wonder how far down it goes. Hrm, on second thought, I don¡¯t want to know¡ªHiral crouched at the side. Then, leaning down, he fed solar power into his Rune of Energy. A sphere of light appeared in the palm of his hand, growing as he pushed energy into the rune, until it touched the edge of the broken crystal.


    Almost immediately, there was a tug on his solar energy, like the totem they¡¯d used to seal the Prince of the Swamp, or his Ring of Amin Thett, and Hiral gently let energy flow into it. Eyes on the crystal every second the energy moved, he watched for any changes, any instabilities that could result in another violent ejection of energy. His face was far too close to the crack for that to be safe.


    ¡°So far, so good,¡± he muttered, following the connected flow of energy with his mind.


    Just like Cycling, in a way, the energy got pulled through several nodes within the interface, spread out to the area where Dr. Benza usually appeared, and then ran up towards the crystal. The nodes closest to the surface were horribly damaged, the energy stalling there and even visibly leaking out¡ªwhich made the others take a step back¡ªbut all in all, nothing exploded.


    Nivian would probably be disappointed.


    ¡°Give it a try,¡± Hiral said, eyes never leaving the flow of energy.


    Nobody moved.


    ¡°Oh, come on, it¡¯s probably not going to blow up,¡± Hiral said.


    ¡°He said probably,¡± Seena said.


    ¡°Give Yanily the shoulder tap,¡± Seeyela suggested.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want the shoulder tap!¡± Yanily quickly said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it,¡± Left said, and Hiral sensed movement behind him.


    The next second, more energy pulled towards the interface crystal, and Hiral meticulously fed it.


    The flow of energy changed a second later, rushing towards the floor off to the side of the pedestal, and suddenly Dr. Benza flickered to life.


    ¡°Welcome¡­ Asylum,¡± Dr. Benza said, his speech broken as his image faded in and out. ¡°If¡­ that means¡­ three¡­ in the area. Congrat. I¡¯m sure¡­ ny questions, and¡­ would¡­ answer them.¡±


    ¡°Nice, Hiral, nice!¡± Seena said, moving closer. ¡°Can you make it any stronger?¡±


    ¡°One second,¡± Hiral said, forcing more energy along the channels leading to Dr. Benza¡¯s image. Something popped, a small section of the floor under Dr. Benza¡¯s foot bursting, and his whole left leg vanished. ¡°Damnit.¡± Hiral pulled the extra energy back, as he felt two more of the channels on the verge of rupturing. ¡°No, that¡¯s the best I can do. Any more and the whole thing will¡ªyou guessed it¡ªexplode.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Seena said. ¡°We¡¯ll just have to ask him about it and piece it together. How long can you keep this up?¡±


    Hiral took a quick look at his solar energy capacity. Nice, the belt and the Life of the Party+ efficiency boosts seem to be working for this. Still, energy is draining steadily. ¡°A couple minutes at most,¡± he said. You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    ¡°Left, banner,¡± Seena said quickly, catching on that his limit would be his personal solar energy.


    Left reached over to his left bicep, a glow quickly forming on his fingertips as he touched the tattoo there. Not even a heartbeat later, he pulled his hand away with a streamer of glowing smoke. It stretched from his arm to his hand, then snapped into reality as he shaped the Banner of Courage. A dome of golden energy spread outward as soon as the banner was fully formed, and a notification window popped up in front of Hiral¡¯s eyes.


    You have been buffed by Banner of Courage.


    Critical Strike Rate increased by 12% for 180 seconds.


    Critical Strike Damage increased by 40% for 180 seconds.


    Minor Healing Over Time for 180 seconds.


    Minor Shielding granted for 180 seconds.


    Immune to Fear and Fear-like effects for 180 seconds.


    Solar Absorption Rate increased by 1 Rank for 180 seconds.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Hiral said. ¡°Still, make it quick.¡±


    ¡°Got it,¡± Seena said, turning her attention to the one-legged image flashing in front of her. ¡°Dr. Benza, how we can stop the Fallen from waking up?¡±


    ¡°Infor¡­ len¡­ found¡­ Tutorial¡­¡± Dr. Benza said, his speech broken, face contorting horrifically with each blinking word.


    ¡°Any idea what he just said?¡± Seeyela asked.


    ¡°He was referring to one of the Tutorials,¡± Left said. ¡°But¡­ this isn¡¯t the same Dr. Benza who was telling us about Fallen Reach.¡±


    ¡°Damn, you¡¯re right¡­¡± Seena said.


    ¡°No, he¡¯s Left,¡± Yanily whispered quietly to her.


    ¡°¡­ this is the younger version of him,¡± Seena went on as if Yanily hadn¡¯t spoken. ¡°How can we get old-man-Benza back?¡±


    ¡°We might not be able to,¡± Hiral said. ¡°When we saw him, the room was in crisis mode or whatever. Red light in the dome. That has to be where the old him was coming from. With this crack, the connection is completely broken.¡±


    ¡°So, he can¡¯t tell us anything?¡± Seena asked. ¡°Nothing useful?¡±


    ¡°There is one thing we need to check,¡± Left said. ¡°The path to the next zone where we¡¯ll jump to Fallen Reach. We don¡¯t know which Disc of Passage to take.¡±


    ¡°Can you figure it out, Left?¡± Hiral asked, energy continuing to drain out of him just by Dr. Benza standing there.


    ¡°I think so.¡± Left turned to Seena. ¡°May I?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s all yours,¡± Seena said, gesturing to Dr. Benza.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Left said. ¡°Dr. Benza, can you show us the connecting zone maps, specifically to D-Rank zones?¡±


    ¡°¡­ hzrfrap¡­¡± Dr. Benza¡¯s voice came out completely distorted, and there was a sudden tug for energy on Hiral. He let the solar power flow out of him, the extra resources straining the channels, and fought to hold the flow just below the breaking point.


    Come on, come on, he told himself, though he could feel the tiniest of cracks forming within the buried crystal lines even as a globe of light formed in the air. Unlike the globe they¡¯d seen in the last Asylum, this one had huge chunks missing¡ªeven with only D-Rank zones selected¡ªlike it¡¯d been the victim of some terrible worldwide war.


    ¡°Hurry,¡± Hiral said, all his attention now on making sure the globe had enough energy to do its job, but not so much it blew out the channels. ¡°This is going to go any second.¡±


    ¡°Dr. Benza, show our location and Disc of Passage routes,¡± Left said, reaching out with one hand to grab the globe.


    As soon as the red dot and blue lines appeared, he quickly spun the sphere this way and that, stopping a few seconds later on one section that looked to have the EnSath River flowing through it. A spread of his fingers made the globe suddenly larger, more solar energy rushing into the channels, and another one burst.


    Dr. Benza¡¯s right arm vanished up to the shoulder, along with another chunk of the globe.


    ¡°Warn me next time,¡± Hiral said, pulling and pushing different streams of energy in a battle to hold the system together. A battle he was losing.


    ¡°There shouldn¡¯t be a next time,¡± Left said. ¡°Seena, are these the Horns you spoke of?¡± He pointed at a mountainous formation on both sides of the river.


    ¡°Looks like them,¡± Seena said.


    ¡°Dr. Benza, please activate the Disc of Passage to take us to this zone,¡± Left said.


    ¡°..sc¡­ age¡­ vated¡­¡± Dr. Benza said, another surge of energy shooting off into the distance, and that was it, all the system could take. Channels ruptured throughout the room, small pops sending porous stone fragments jumping harmlessly into the air, then leaking thin lines of glowing smoke. Within seconds, it was over, Dr. Benza and the hanging sphere winking out of existence.


    ¡°Good job, Left,¡± Hiral said, cutting off his flow of energy as he stood and stepped away from the crack in the floor.


    ¡°Yeah, I was so focused on the Fallen, I¡¯d completely forgotten about getting to the jump point,¡± Seena said.


    ¡°Does that mean we¡¯re going now?¡± Yanily asked, but the man was leaning on his spear. And it wasn¡¯t his usual confident lean¡ªhe was tired.


    He wasn¡¯t the only one.


    They¡¯d battled through two dungeons, practically back-to-back, without a real rest. Add in the emotional turmoil of leaving Nivian and Wule back in the city¡ªThey chose to stay¡­ but it doesn¡¯t make it any easier¡ªand it was no wonder exhaustion was catching up to them.


    ¡°Do we have time to rest, Left?¡± Seena asked.


    ¡°I estimate we still have around one hundred hours,¡± Left said.


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s do a sweep of this place to make sure nothing crawls up through the crack to eat us while we rest, then we¡¯ll get some sleep,¡± Seena said. ¡°After that¡­ well¡­ we¡¯ll figure out what our next step is.¡±


    Hiral was nodding before he even realized it.


    ¡°Sounds good,¡± Yanily said, literally stifling a yawn. ¡°But, if this is like the last Asylum, watch out for the rabbits in the garden. They have big teeth.¡± With that, he stuck his fingers in front of his mouth to imitate fangs.


    Yup, terrifying¡­

 Rune Seeker 2 Launched on Kindle and Audio (Chapters following after this)

    HIIIIIIII! IT''S LAUNCH DAY!


    So, Rune Seeker book 2 launched today on kindle and audio, which is very exciting of course. It''s been the upmost pleasure for both Carter and I to watch all of you go through book 2, and it''s great to see book 2 meet the audience on amazon and those that listen on audio as well.


    It''s amazing to be here, and we''re truly thankful we truly are.


    That said, we could use your help!


    We don''t have a Patreon for this series so this is the only way to support Rune Seeker.


    If you have Kindle Unlimited then downloading the book would be super helpful, and reading it if you feel like a reread. Using a credit on audible would also be amazing or buying if you so choose.


    You do not have to do any of this, but know it is very helpful :)


    You can find them here:


    Amazon: https://www.royalroad.com/amazon/B0CKXX7D6C


    Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.</a>Audible: https://www.audible.com/pd/Rune-Seeker-2-Audiobook/B0CN1WLVKK</a>


    ALSO it would be awesome if we could get some upvotes on these reddit posts.


    https://www.reddit.com/r/ProgressionFantasy/comments/193a1od/rune_seeker_2_is_out_on_kindle_audible/</a>


    https://www.reddit.com/r/litrpg/comments/193a1p0/rune_seeker_2_is_out_on_kindle_audible/</a>


    Now, to celebrate FOUR CHAPTERS TODAY! LET''S GOOOOO!!!

 Rune Seeker 3 launches today!

    Welcome to Rune Seeker 3 everybody!


    Thank you for your patience while we edit Rune Seeker 4!


    And today RS 3 launches on Amazon.


    We''re so thankful to have taken this journey with y''all! If you wanna support the series, since it has no Patreon, give it a download or buy here! https://www.royalroad.com/amazon/B0CRD2PG6R</a>


    Even downloading it helps!


    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    Also: If we could get upvotes on the following posts, that''d be siiiick:


    https://www.reddit.com/r/ProgressionFantasy/comments/1c6evdh/rune_seeker_3_launches_today/</a>


    https://www.reddit.com/r/litrpg/comments/1c6exca/rune_seeker_3_launches_today/</a>


    But that''s not all, for today we have a little bit of BONUS content! Stay tuned:

 In The Rain - A Short Story

    Jan stopped short at the sudden pinprick of cold on her arm. Was that her imagination? She ran her finger across her skin and brought it right in front of her eyes. Moisture? Could be¡­


    She scanned the sidewalk, but, no¡­nothing.


    Her eyes went up to the dark sky roiling above. That was definitely not her imagination.


    Damnit, had they taken too long scavenging in the grocery store? She checked her watch; if anything, they were faster than expected. So, what¡¯d happened? The clouds sprinting across the sky answered her question. A fast-moving storm, a bad one they didn¡¯t know was coming, had snuck up on them.


    ¡°Guuuuuys,¡± she called slowly, her pitch rising with the length of the word, while she tightened the straps of her backpack over her shoulders. If she needed to run, she couldn¡¯t have it bouncing around.


    ¡°What¡¯s up, babe?¡± Roger asked as he left the store.


    Jan didn¡¯t turn, but pointed up with her free hand.


    ¡°Oh, shit!¡± Roger cursed. ¡°Hey! Get a move on. We¡¯re out of time. The skies are about to open up out here!¡± he shouted back into the store.


    One by one, in quick succession, the others joined Jan and Roger until they numbered eight.


    ¡°Should we go back in, wait it out?¡± Rose, the youngest of the group ¨C and wearing a jacket colored to match her name ¨C asked nervously.


    ¡°No way, you saw that ceiling. Bet it leaks like a sieve,¡± Hussein, the oldest, answered back.


    ¡°We make a run for it,¡± slender-Mike said, pushing the glasses up his nose like he always did when he was nervous.


    ¡°Less talking, more moving,¡± Jan said and started down the street at a jog. The pack had to weigh a good forty pounds on her back ¨C why¡¯d she grab so many damned cans? ¨C but they could make it if the skies held back just a little longer. Just a few more minutes.


    A fat raindrop slapped the tip of her nose so hard she jerked back like she¡¯d been punched.


    ¡°Babe?¡± Roger asked and stopped beside her.


    ¡°We¡¯re out of time,¡± she said, quarter-sized splotches of wetness appearing every second or so on the street around her. ¡°We need to find shelter. Now. Before it gets worse. Before they¡­¡±


    A shimmer flashed across her line of sight, no bigger than her pinky finger, but her blood ran cold.


    ¡°They¡¯re here,¡± she whispered, her eyes raking across the abandoned cars in the street, and the ruined buildings on both sides. It looked like a war had torn the city apart, and that wasn¡¯t exactly far from the truth. If they didn¡¯t find a place to hide from the rain¡­


    ¡°The entrance to the subway tunnels isn¡¯t far,¡± Roger said, grabbing Jan¡¯s arm and pulling her forward. ¡°If we run, we can get there before it gets too heavy.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re already here,¡± she said weakly, but let him pull her along. Get it together, Jan!


    ¡°Just the small ones, and the rain isn¡¯t hard enough for the big ones to come out yet. Tunnel¡¯s just a few blocks and¡­¡± Roger said.


    ¡°¡­we¡¯ll be safe there,¡± Jan finished for him, her voice strengthening. Roger was right, the rain was getting heavier, but they could make a few short blocks.


    ¡°What the hell is the hold up?¡± Hussein asked from about fifteen feet in front of them, the other five gathered around. ¡°We don¡¯t have time to be gabbing.¡±


    ¡°We need to¡­¡± slender-Mike cut off as a shimmer the size of an adult¡¯s leg knifed through the air in front of him, the falling raindrops hitting its skin the only reason the group could see it.


    Everybody froze as their eyes followed the shimmer swim through the air faster than a galloping horse, down the street, up the side of a three-story building, then over the roof and out of sight.


    ¡°How come it didn¡¯t attack?¡± Mike asked, his head swiveling to the people around him who could only shrug.


    How come, indeed?


    ¡°Maybe it wasn¡¯t hungry?¡± Hussein asked.


    What else could there to be to eat around here? There¡¯s no reason for it to leave us alone unless¡­


    ¡°Look out!¡± Jan shouted and pointed, all she had time for, half-a-dozen shimmers racing over the top of the building and rocketing towards the larger group of people.


    Slender-Mike turned, as if in slow motion, while the others dove aside.


    The lead shimmer lanced straight towards him, splitting down the middle into a frenzy of writhing tentacles that wrapped around his face and upper body as it collided with enough force to lift him from his feet. He hit the ground ten feet back, muffled screams mixing with the sound of breaking bones as the shimmer¡¯s tentacles squirmed around his shoulders and squeezed with inhuman strength.


    Blood jetted into the air, painting the briefest outline of the shimmer, like some kind of otherworldly five-foot-long squid, while Mike twitched and jerked underneath. Within a heartbeat, the steadily increasing rain washed away the crimson, leaving little more than a conical outline atop Mike¡¯s horribly broken body.


    ¡°Go, he¡¯s gone,¡± Roger said, and shoved Jan towards the closest car still in one piece. The other five were already running.


    Rose dashed into a nearby phone booth and slammed the Plexiglass door behind her. Hussein and his oldest son, Samir, ran into an enclosed bus stop, somehow still standing after everything that had happened. The other three, Yin, Erik, and Peter, raced into an old fast-food diner and dove under the long-unused tables.


    Jan spared one last quick look at Mike, the other shimmers had joined the first, and the heavier rain outlined their features as they feasted.


    ¡°In, in,¡± Roger urged, and pushed Jan into the front seat of the car, then slammed the door behind her. The back door opened and closed in quick succession as he joined her in the vehicle, even going so far as pushing down the lock with a click.


    Heavy rain pattered along the hood with a sound like tin while the wind picked up, lashing the car and gently rocking it.


    ¡°Hell of a storm,¡± Roger said quietly. ¡°We shouldn¡¯t have come. Never should¡¯ve come.¡±


    ¡°We needed food,¡± Jan whispered back, her eyes locked on Mike¡¯s body as the almost invisible predators devoured it. Great chunks of him just vanished, swallowed inside the monsters she couldn¡¯t quite see.


    So, they weren¡¯t transparent. Something about their skin must¡¯ve refracted the light around their bodies. Useful information, if she survived long enough to tell anybody.


    ¡°The others?¡± Roger asked.


    ¡°Okay for now. Rose is on her own, but she¡¯s out of the rain and got the door closed. Peter made it inside, with Yin and Erik, so as long as the roof holds, and they stay quiet, they should be fine. It¡¯s Hussein and Samir I¡¯m worried about.¡±


    ¡°Where?¡± Roger asked, peeking through the bottom of the backseat window.


    ¡°The little bus-house, or whatever it¡¯s called. They¡¯re sheltered, but with the wind picking up, the rain is going to get inside.¡±


    ¡°They can¡¯t stay there.¡±


    ¡°They can¡¯t leave.¡±


    ¡°Never should¡¯ve come out.¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t on you, Roger,¡± Jan said, glancing back between the space separating the front seat and door. ¡°You made the right call. We couldn¡¯t wait another day; everybody was already getting antsy.¡±


    ¡°Tell that to Mike.¡±


    ¡°He knew the risks when he volunteered.¡±


    ¡°Is that supposed to make me feel better?¡± Roger snapped, then they both ducked lower in the car at the volume of his voice.


    ¡°No,¡± Jan said, rolling onto her back, her heart skipping a beat when she saw the sunroof. Her panicked mind took a full three seconds to realize she wasn¡¯t getting wet as she stared up at the falling rain. ¡°No,¡± she said again. ¡°Knowing you, you¡¯ll never feel better. You¡¯ll beat yourself up over this for months, but it doesn¡¯t change it was the right call at the time.¡±


    Roger sighed then shifted in the back. ¡°We need to get them out of there. Maybe a distraction or something so they can get to the diner?¡±


    Jan gazed out the sunroof at the pitch-black clouds high above. When did it get so dark? Jagged lightning split the sky and briefly illuminated a shimmer as big as the car lazily weaving above the street before the darkness swallowed it whole again. Thunder like the world breaking echoed a second later, rocking the car and reverberating straight through Jan¡¯s chest.


    ¡°It¡¯s too late,¡± Jan said when she found her voice, then propped herself up to try and catch a glimpse of the large shimmer again. Thick rivulets of water ran down the windows and windshield, and she couldn¡¯t locate it in the driving rain. The big ones had arrived, which meant they weren¡¯t going anywhere. ¡°The rain¡¯s gotten too heavy. Anybody who goes out there¡­ isn¡¯t going to make it. We have to hope they don¡¯t get noticed.¡±


    ¡°This is my fault, Jan.¡±


    ¡°And getting yourself killed with no guarantee of saving them won¡¯t make it any better!¡± she shot right back.


    ¡°Damnit,¡± Roger hissed, but stayed in the car.


    Jan took a deep breath to calm down, she had to keep thinking, but a small part of her couldn¡¯t help but marvel at the power of the storm. Wind drove the rain almost sideways, lashing the car hard enough the pattering had become more like a drumming. Thick streams already formed in the road, flooding water through the long-deserted streets and overflowing out of the debris-filled sewer drains.


    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s better we didn¡¯t make it to the tunnels,¡± Jan said. ¡°We¡¯d be swimming all the way home.¡±Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!


    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen anything like this,¡± Roger agreed. ¡°It was sunny when we left this morning.¡±


    ¡°Right, you were from¡­where was it, Ontario or something, before all this started?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, came down here for a vacation. Sun and sand, you know?¡±


    ¡°Guess you don¡¯t get a lot of hurricanes in Ontario then, huh?¡±


    ¡°This is a hurricane?¡±


    Thick trees at the nearby intersection waved in the wind like they were freshly sprouted instead of a foot thick. Rain hit the ground so hard it exploded into mist, leaving a haze-like layer hanging over everything like a blanket.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Jan admitted. ¡°But that¡¯s the only thing I¡¯ve seen like this.¡±


    ¡°How bad does it get?¡±


    Jan didn¡¯t answer immediately. ¡°The shimmers may not be our biggest concern,¡± she finally admitted. ¡°We might be able to ride it out in here, if it doesn¡¯t get much worse. Or, we could find ourselves literally down a river.¡±


    ¡°The others?¡±


    ¡°No better. Probably worse.¡±


    ¡°So, you¡¯re saying we¡¯re screwed? Because of my choice to come out?¡±


    ¡°Enough with that, okay? It¡¯s not going to help us. If the weather doesn¡¯t get any crazier, we can make it.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t like relying on ¡®if¡¯,¡± Roger said quietly.


    ¡°Neither do I¡­¡± Jan admitted.


    ¡°¡­ Szzhhhtt¡­ Jan¡­ Jan I¡¯m scared¡­ szzhhhtt¡­¡± static and Rose¡¯s voice hissed from Jan¡¯s backpack, and Jan nearly jumped out of her skin at the volume of it.


    ¡°Turn that down!¡± Roger said, simultaneously trying to look out all the windows at the same time.


    The walkies! Jan shifted, struggling to get the backpack off without rocking the car ¨C why¡¯d she tighten it so damn much? ¨C and then dug the walkie out of the front pocket.


    ¡°¡­ Szhhhtt¡­ Jan, what should I do, Jan¡­ szhhhtt¡­¡± Rose¡¯s voiced echoed out of the walkie-talkie as Jan lowered the volume.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Rose. Everything is going to be okay,¡± Jan said softly into her walkie and looked out the car window towards the phone booth. Rose huddled down in one corner, barely more than a red outline through the rain.


    ¡°Could you two possibly keep it down?¡± Hussein¡¯s voice scolded over the walkie.


    ¡°Turn your volume down then, she¡¯s scared,¡± Jan snapped.


    ¡°She isn¡¯t the only one, but she¡¯s going to bring those things down on all of us,¡± Hussein shot right back.


    ¡°Jan, do you have a plan?¡± Yin¡¯s voice joined the conversation.


    ¡°Yin! Are you guys okay in there?¡± Jan asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s it, I¡¯m turning this off,¡± Hussein said.


    ¡°Yeah, you do that you old¡­¡± Jan said without pressing the button.


    ¡°Be nice, Jan,¡± Roger warned gently.


    ¡°Whatever, he¡¯s always¡­¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re okay¡­ for now¡­¡± Yin said quietly, interrupting the conversation.


    ¡°For now?¡± Jan asked.


    ¡°The whole back of the building is missing. Water¡¯s pouring over like a waterfall, and there¡¯s a dozen leaks. I¡¯m stuck under a table, but I can hear drops hitting it every second or so. Erik and Peter are under the counter, I think, but I can¡¯t see them. I don¡¯t know¡­¡±


    ¡°Peter here,¡± a new voice joined the conversation. ¡°Erik hurt his ankle pretty badly getting in here. Dunno if it¡¯s broken or just sprained, but he doesn¡¯t think he can walk. What¡¯s the plan, Jan?¡±


    ¡°Why are they asking me?¡± Jan asked Roger without pressing the button on the side of the walkie. ¡°You¡¯re the one leading¡­¡±


    ¡°Because you¡¯ve always been the best in emergencies. You keep your head on straight while the rest of us¡­ don¡¯t¡­¡± Roger said.


    ¡°Jan¡­ Jan¡­ can I come to you?¡± Rose asked, her voice shaking, or maybe it was just the rain interfering with the connection.


    ¡°No, Rose, no. You¡¯ve got to stay there,¡± Jan said quickly, looking towards the phone booth to make sure the girl hadn¡¯t done something stupid. ¡°You¡¯re safe in there. Just stay put. Okay, Rose?¡±


    ¡°¡­ okay¡­¡± Rose said.


    ¡°Mike? Is he with you Jan?¡± Yin asked.


    ¡°¡­ he¡­ isn¡¯t¡­¡± Jan said vaguely.


    ¡°Damnit,¡± Yin said quietly. ¡°Back to Peter¡¯s question. What¡¯s the plan?¡±


    ¡°The weather¡¯s bad,¡± Jan said, shaking her head at the ferocity of the storm. ¡°We¡¯ve got to wait it out.¡±


    ¡°Wait?¡± Rose¡¯s shrill voice practically shrieked. ¡°I can¡¯t¡­ I can¡¯t do that Jan. I¡¯m coming to you.¡±


    ¡°Rose, Rose, don¡¯t do that,¡± Jan said strictly as the girl¡¯s red outline stood inside the phone booth. Stupid girl! Stay there. ¡°You¡¯ve got to stay in where it¡¯s¡­¡± Jan¡¯s voice cut off as movement caught her eye. Her head slowly tilted back, then back some more as she looked up. Mouth suddenly dry, her jaw worked, but no sounds came out.


    ¡°Where I¡¯m what, Jan?¡± Rose¡¯s panicked voice crackled over the walkie. ¡°Stay where I¡¯m what?¡±


    ¡°Babe? Babe, what is it?¡± Roger asked from the back seat.


    ¡°A¡­ above¡­ the bus¡­ shelter¡­¡± Jan said, forcing her mouth to spit out the words her brain was struggling with.


    ¡°Jan, what do you¡­ oh¡­ fuck me!¡± Roger said as his eyes must have found it too.


    A shimmer, at least thirty-feet long and ten-feet wide, hovered lazily above the bus shelter. The heavy rain, torrential and constant, outlined the sinuous, barbed tentacles as they split and spread, gently reaching down to probe the top of the glass building.


    ¡°Rose¡­ stay inside. You can¡¯t, CAN¡¯T, go out right now. You hear me? You have to stay inside,¡± Jan said as firmly as she could.


    ¡°Hussein and Samir? Can you warn them?¡± Roger asked.


    ¡°He said he was turning off his walkie,¡± Jan replied.


    ¡°Try anyway!¡± Roger snapped.


    ¡°Hussein. Hussein, can you hear me?¡± Jan asked and waved in Hussein¡¯s direction. Was he even looking her way? The rain made everything little more than a silhouette. ¡°Hussein, if you can hear me, say something.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Peter asked. ¡°Something going on?¡±


    ¡°Hussein!¡± Jan said, squeezing the walkie as hard as she could like that would make Hussein hear her. ¡°There¡¯s a shimmer right above you. A huge one! You¡¯ve got to¡­ got to¡­¡±


    What could he do? If he left the bus shelter, he¡¯d be exposed to the rain, and it wouldn¡¯t just be the huge shimmer he¡¯d need to worry about. But, if he stayed inside and that thing found him¡­


    ¡°Peter! Peter!¡± Yin¡¯s urgent voice interrupted Jan¡¯s thoughts. ¡°In the back. Do you see it?¡±


    ¡°See what?¡± Peter asked nervously.


    ¡°There¡¯s a tentacle coming through the waterfall¡­ it¡¯s huge!¡± Yin answered.


    ¡°What?! Where? Holy shit!¡± Peter said. ¡°Erik, get over here man! Yin, does it know where we are?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± Yin said. ¡°I can¡¯t see it other than where it¡¯s coming through¡­ oh¡­ wait, I think it¡¯s gone. Must¡¯ve been too dry in here.¡±


    ¡°Thank goodness. Not really anywhere for me and Erik to go. Don¡¯t look at me like that, man, you¡¯re the one who tripped,¡± Peter said, relief in his voice.


    Jan turned her attention back to Hussein, the massive shimmer floating down and resting on the top of the bus shelter. Tentacles as thick as trees snaked over the edges and around the glass hut. Hussein has to see those¡­


    ¡°Jan!¡± Hussein¡¯s voice crackled over the radio. ¡°We¡¯ve got a problem in here Jan. Can¡­ can you see it? How big is it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s big, Hussein, bigger than I¡¯ve ever seen,¡± Jan answered. ¡°Are you guys okay?¡±


    ¡°No, Jan, we are NOT OKAY!¡± Hussein shouted into the walkie, obviously not caring about being found any more. ¡°The glass is starting to crack under the pressure and¡­ shit¡­ it¡¯s coming in. Samir, get in the back, behind me. Don¡¯t argue boy, now!


    ¡°Jan, Jan, you need to make a distraction or something. Get this thing away from us so we can make a run for it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it,¡± Roger said from the back seat.


    ¡°No! It¡¯s suicide,¡± Jan said. ¡°I¡¯ll think of something.¡±


    ¡°Jan! We need it now. At least get Samir out of here. You owe me this, Jan!¡± Hussein shouted into the walkie.


    ¡°Oh shit! It¡¯s back,¡± Yin¡¯s voice broke into the conversation. ¡°Two¡­ no¡­ three tentacles. Peter. Peter, man, they¡¯re heading right for you. You¡¯ve gotta get out of there.¡±


    ¡°Damnit, the one by the diner is just as big as the monster going after Hussein,¡± Roger said. ¡°Since when did they get this huge? What can we do, Jan? What did you think of?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Yin, where are they, Yin? I can¡¯t see them,¡± Peter asked. ¡°No Erik, stay there.¡±


    ¡°Jan, I¡¯m scared, Jan,¡± Rose¡¯s voice pleaded.


    ¡°I need a distraction in here NOW Jan! The glass is spiderwebbing,¡± Hussein roared.


    ¡°Peter, it¡¯s right above you! Get out of there,¡± Yin commanded.


    ¡°Jan, what do we do?¡± Roger asked. ¡°Fuck it, I¡¯m going!¡±


    ¡°No, Roger¡­¡± Jan started, but a banging on the window behind her cut her off. She spun, a blurry outline of red visible through the rivers of rain running down the window. The palm of a young hand slapped against the glass, and then Rose¡¯s face pressed right up against it, eyes wide and soaked hair plastered to her cheeks.


    ¡°Stupid girl,¡± Jan hissed and grabbed the steering wheel to pull herself up.


    ¡°Rose?¡± Roger asked.


    Jan didn¡¯t answer, instead unlocking the door and throwing it open.


    ¡°Jan¡­¡± Rose cried while Jan made room and waved the girl in. At least she¡¯d made it.


    Rose ducked and started to climb into the car, but tripped and fell flat on the seat, her legs still outside in the driving rain.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Jan hissed. ¡°Come on,¡± she said and grabbed the girl¡¯s hand to pull her in.


    Rose must¡¯ve found her feet, because she got up to her elbows, but then she kept rising, and her panicked eyes met Jan¡¯s.


    ¡°Jan, Jan, something¡¯s got my leg. Jan, help me!¡± Rose pleaded. One of her hands grabbed the stick-shift, while her other held onto Jan¡¯s for dear life.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got you,¡± Jan said. ¡°I won¡¯t let go.¡±


    A sharp jerk pulled Rose¡¯s wet hand out of Jan¡¯s with impossible strength, and Jan couldn¡¯t do anything but watch as Rose was catapulted up and over, then hurled thirty feet to smack into the side of a concrete building two floors up.


    Rose fell limply to the ground and didn¡¯t move.


    ¡°No, Rose!¡± Jan screamed and scrambled past the steering wheel and out the door. Something strong grabbed her by the arm, but she ignored it, her eyes on Rose¡¯s still form. This can¡¯t be happening. And suddenly she was back in the car, Roger¡¯s top half between the two front seats as he held her down. His mouth moved, but Jan couldn¡¯t make out what he was saying.


    The sound of shattering glass cut through the roar of the storm, and Jan stopped fighting, her head turning mechanically towards the noise.


    Fifteen feet away, the bus shelter finally collapsed under the strength of the huge shimmer, Hussein and Samir standing back to back inside. They held their hands out, as if to ward back the massive tentacles, but what good would it do?


    Hussein¡¯s eyes met Jan¡¯s, blame somehow crystal clear through the rain.


    Then his body was compressed into Samir¡¯s with such force the two of them appeared to be a single person before Jan could turn away.


    Roger pulled her all the way back into the car and closed the door.


    ¡°Erik, don¡¯t let go!¡± Peter¡¯s voice crackled out of the walkie on the floor. ¡°Jan? Answer me¡­ are you still there? It¡¯s got Erik!¡±


    ¡°Aaaaargh, it hurts!¡± Erik¡¯s distant voice came out of the radio.


    ¡°Yin! Yin, you¡¯ve got to help us,¡± Peter said, gasping.


    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m sorry, I can¡¯t¡­¡± Yin practically whispered.


    ¡°Yin you chicken-shit! Help us. Erik, don¡¯t let go! I¡¯ve got you,¡± Peter shouted, then cut out.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry,¡± Yin cried into the walkie, Erik¡¯s pained screams echoing in the background.


    ¡°Yin! If you don¡¯t get your ass out here and help me¡­¡± Peter¡¯s distant voice shouted, barely audible through the walkie. ¡°No! Erik!¡±


    ¡°It¡­ took Erik,¡± Yin said flatly. ¡°Jan, I¡¯m sorry. I just¡­ couldn¡¯t¡­¡±


    ¡°Couldn¡¯t what?¡± Peter¡¯s voice roared.


    ¡°Peter¡­ don¡¯t Peter¡­ please! Jan¡­ Jan and Roger can hear everything!¡± Yin pleaded.


    ¡°Like I care, we¡¯re all dead anyway,¡± Peter said, followed by a series of thumps and the sound of the walkie dragging along the floor.


    ¡°¡­Peter¡­¡± Yin coughed, a lisp to his voice, but a sharp crack stopped him from saying anything else.


    ¡°This is your fault,¡± Peter shouted, followed by another thump. ¡°You damn coward.¡± Another thump. Yin¡¯s pained cough.


    ¡°Pe¡¯er. Pu¡¯ease,¡± Yin begged.


    A wet thwack, like a baseball bat hitting a melon.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ for¡­ Erik¡­¡± Peter said between panting breaths. ¡°Never should¡¯ve brought you wiiiiiiiiii¡­¡± Peter¡¯s voice trailed away from the walkie in an instant, then silence.


    Jan shook in Roger¡¯s arms. From the cold? The shock of it all?


    ¡°They¡¯re all gone,¡± Jan croaked, her voice barely a hoarse whisper.


    ¡°I know,¡± Roger said quietly. ¡°Nothing you¡­ we¡­ could¡¯ve done.¡±


    ¡°They were all looking to me to get us out of this,¡± Jan said, tears mixing with the rainwater on her face. ¡°I said I¡¯d think of something¡­¡±


    ¡°And I got us into this in the first place,¡± Roger said. ¡°We can blame ourselves when we get back.¡±


    ¡°Are we going to get back?¡± Jan asked, doubt worming its way into her heart.


    ¡°Of course we are. Those things seem to be leaving the car alone. Like you said, we just need to stay quiet and wait out the storm.¡±


    Something jarred the car, slamming it to the side and throwing Jan and Roger apart. Up was down, left was right, as the vehicle rolled, and Jan bounced around like a pinball. When the rollercoaster ride finally stopped, both Jan and Roger sprawled out on the ceiling, the car upside down.


    Blood ran down Roger¡¯s forehead, eyes closed, and he didn¡¯t move.


    ¡°Roger?¡± Jan asked quietly, blinking to dispel the stars dancing across her vision. Red ran into her left eye, and she quickly wiped it away. ¡°Roger? Can you hear me?¡±


    She shifted to push herself up, but froze when her hand splashed.


    The windows on one side of the car had completely shattered, and water ran in and pooled an inch deep. But the rain¡­the rain had stopped. Was it over?


    Jan stared out the window, it was barely believable, but the street was calm. No more pitter-patter of rain on the car or the street around her. Even faster than it¡¯d come, the storm was gone.


    If that was the case though, why did her gut clench like she¡¯d just been punched by a pro-boxer? What was she missing?


    A car down the street slid sideways, hinting at the answer to her question. Something pushed it aside, crushing it against a nearby building, and then another car, this one closer to Jan, was shoved aside.


    What the hell? One of the bigger shimmers? But there isn¡¯t any rain¡­


    More and more cars were pushed around while Jan watched, like a child sweeping toy cars apart.


    With that thought, Jan blinked and refocused, and it became suddenly, terrifyingly clear. A single tentacle, as wide as the four-lane street, coming straight for her.


    The rain hadn¡¯t stopped. No, there was just something unimaginably large shielding the car, and the whole city block, from the storm. Something directly above her.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think staying quiet is going to help us¡­¡± Jan whispered.

 Chapter 1 – That Makes Me Nervous

    Hiral carefully ¨C very carefully ¨C slid the rope of braided crystal into place, channeling his Mold Crystal ability. Like his senses were extending outside of his fingers, he felt the edges slip into the space he¡¯d just prepared, then fused the ends right where he needed them. Still holding his breath, he eased himself back until he was sitting on the floor, looking up at the crystal roots beneath the final Fallen¡¯s tower.


    All ten towers were now complete, and it¡¯d only taken¡­


    Uh, how long did it take?


    With each tower he¡¯d gotten faster and faster ¨C more sure of his ability and what he needed to do ¨C but it¡¯d still all blurred together. Hours, at least. More likely dozens of hours, and that was even after he¡¯d taken a break to meet Seena.


    When they¡¯d gotten that quest.


    Blowing out his breath in an exaggerated sigh, he opened the blue window so he could read the quest text for the hundredth time.


    Dynamic Quest ¨C That¡¯s Asking a Lot


    Though you¡¯ve saved Fallen Reach, the Enemy is still out there, with free entry into your world.


    Will you let that stand?


    Black Gates closed: 0/3


    World saved: 0/1


    The whole party had gotten the quest, as had other B-Ranks and above on the islands. The Black Gates mentioned had to be those doorways the Enemy was using to cross worlds, and apparently there were three. Or, at least three the PIMP believed needed to be closed.


    ¡°Whatever,¡± Hiral grumbled, dismissing the window again. They¡¯d have to talk about it sooner or later ¨C probably sooner now that he¡¯d finished repairing the Fallen towers ¨C but he was hoping for a small break before that. Was that really too much to ask?


    A small flash at the corner of his Party Interface said it might be, and Seena¡¯s voice reached his ears a second later.


    ¡°Hey,¡± she said.


    ¡°Hey yourself,¡± he replied, reaching over to grab his canteen. ¡°Miss me already?¡±


    ¡°Already? You¡¯ve been holed up so long even Li¡¯l Ur was pestering me about whether you were okay or not.¡±


    ¡°He was just worried he wouldn¡¯t have my body to turn me into his undead apprentice,¡± Hiral said flatly, and Seena didn¡¯t immediately respond.


    ¡°It¡¯s the thought that counts¡­¡± she finally said.


    ¡°Not exactly sure that¡¯s how it works,¡± Hiral chuckled. ¡°Probably not what you wanted to talk about though. If this is about cheese¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not. Unless¡­ you have some?¡±


    ¡°You polished off my stash last time we saw each other.¡±


    ¡°It was good.¡±


    ¡°It was. So¡­?¡±


    ¡°Right, sorry,¡± she said. ¡°How close are you to finishing the towers?¡±


    ¡°Actually, just finished. Not even a minute before you contacted me.¡±


    ¡°Perfect!¡±


    ¡°Oh? Why¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°Fallen Reach is about twenty hours from leaving the Horns zone and moving into the next, but we found the second dungeon. We need to run you through it before we leave,¡± Seena explained.


    ¡°But, it¡¯s a D-Rank zone,¡± Hiral said. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t that make the dungeon D-Rank too?¡±


    ¡°Mid D-Rank, actually,¡± Seena said. ¡°Not even a wild dungeon.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re B-Rank now¡­ actually, did Yanily hit B-?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s about to. We¡¯re waiting for you so you can get the benefit from Evolutionary Inspiration.¡±


    ¡°Oh, wow, thanks! Back to my question ¨C Why would we want to run a D-Rank dungeon?¡±


    ¡°The same two reasons we run every dungeon,¡± Seena said, then seemed to consider something. ¡°Well¡­ the two reasons we would run dungeons if we hadn¡¯t been rushing back to save Fallen Reach.¡±


    Hiral only needed to think about it for a second before he figured it out. ¡°Loot and achievements?¡±


    ¡°Exactly! The experience for us at B-Rank is terrible, but this dungeon has a piece of loot you need to get, and the achievements will be handy too.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think we¡¯d actually get achievements from a dungeon two ranks below us¡­¡±


    ¡°Normally wouldn¡¯t,¡± Seena interrupted. ¡°But, we will if we escort some people who are E-Rank through it.¡±


    Hiral whistled gently. ¡°How did you ever figure that out?¡±


    ¡°Yan did, actually. He was helping some people cross from E- to D-rank, and he got it at the end of the run.¡±


    ¡°Nice! So, what are these achievements?¡±


    Seena actually chuckled. ¡°I won¡¯t ruin it for you.¡±


    ¡°That makes me nervous.¡±


    ¡°Oh c¡¯mon, where¡¯s the trust in your party leader?¡±


    ¡°Fiiiiine,¡± Hiral said, but his tone made it clear he didn¡¯t actually mind. ¡°Can you at least tell me what the loot is, or who we¡¯re escorting through?¡±


    ¡°The ¡®who¡¯ is another surprise, but I think you¡¯ll agree they¡¯re a good choice. As for the loot, I guess I shouldn¡¯t keep everything from you.¡± Even though Seena said that, she didn¡¯t immediately continue.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to make me ask, aren¡¯t you?¡±Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.


    ¡°Preferably with some praise at how amazing I am as a party leader to make sure you¡¯re included, along with apologies for how you¡¯ve been ignoring me,¡± Seena said smoothly. Like she¡¯d practiced it.


    ¡°I was sealing the Fallen, which is slightly important! It¡¯s not like I wanted to avoid you or anything.¡±


    ¡°That was neither praise nor an apology for our mistress,¡± Li¡¯l Ur¡¯s voice rasped over the party chat.


    ¡°He has a point,¡± Seena added, and Hiral could practically envision her patting the head of the six-inch-tall, lizardman lich floating at her shoulder.


    ¡°You know I would¡¯ve much rather been with you than in these tunnels,¡± Hiral said. ¡°And I am sorry we didn¡¯t get to spend more time together. Let me make it up to you with another bottle of that red, along with the cheese from that place at the port?¡±


    ¡°Hrm, as a generous party leader and girlfriend, I¡¯ll accept the peace offering.¡±


    Hiral¡¯s heart fluttered at the word girlfriend ¨C were they actually that far along again? Apparently. All the implanted memories from the Rise of Fallen Reach dungeon surfaced in his mind, and he found himself blushing. I guess it¡¯s time to find out how real all of that is.


    Instead of mentioning any of that, he said, ¡°Thank you oh generous one. And, as such a sagely party leader, I would be in your debt if you shared with me the loot you so wisely suggest we get.¡±


    ¡°Little over the top there,¡± Seena said.


    ¡°Yeah, I took it too far,¡± Hiral agreed. ¡°But, the loot?¡±


    ¡°A Recall Token,¡± Seena said, a hint of conspiracy lacing her voice.


    ¡°A what now?¡±


    Seena laughed. ¡°I said exactly the same thing when Yan told me what he got.¡±


    ¡°Does it do something for memory?¡± Hiral asked, rolling the name of the item around in his head.


    ¡°Nothing so boring,¡± Seena said. ¡°It actually teleports the holder back to the Grandfather. Or, I guess, the Measure for Makers.¡±


    ¡°Whaaaaaaat?¡± Hiral said, literally spitting out the water he¡¯d just drank from the canteen. ¡°Teleports? What¡¯s the range? How many people?¡±


    ¡°Whoa, slow down there,¡± Seena said. ¡°It only works for the person who looted the stone; there¡¯s some kind of connection. Yanily showed me the window for it, and I think it said it was something called soulbound. Anyway, everybody in the group got one, and it has a really long cooldown.¡±


    ¡°Range?¡± Hiral repeated.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t see one¡­¡± Seena trailed off like she was thinking. ¡°Maybe it doesn¡¯t have one?¡±


    ¡°I guess that could be possible,¡± Hiral mused. ¡°If it¡¯s got a long cooldown and can only take the person who owns it, that could be enough of a balance to make range not matter. And we can each get one from the same dungeon? It drops every time?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve had six groups run it so far, actually, maybe more by this point, and everybody got a stone on their first run. Anybody who ran it a second time didn¡¯t get anything, but that¡¯s no different than the dungeons¡¯ usual loot rules.¡±


    ¡°Hrm,¡± Hiral mumbled as he thought over the uses for an item like that. ¡°That¡¯s kind of amazing. For anybody running dungeons, it means they can get back to the safety of Fallen Reach ¨C or your islands ¨C from just about anywhere. Don¡¯t have to worry about making it to the jump point or risk getting trapped on the surface.¡±


    ¡°Exactly!¡±


    ¡°Would¡¯ve been handy to have those before.¡±


    ¡°You know that¡¯s not really true,¡± Seena said. ¡°If we¡¯d had those, everything that happened since we went to the surface wouldn¡¯t have happened. And Vorinal would probably be awake right now. Which means we wouldn¡¯t be.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Hiral agreed. They¡¯d had this kind of conversation several times. ¡°Still means we should get one now, though. Is the teleportation instant? Do you know if we can use it from inside a dungeon?¡±


    ¡°No idea on either of those questions,¡± Seena said.


    ¡°Guess we¡¯ll have to do some testing,¡± Hiral said, unable to completely keep the eagerness out of his voice.


    ¡°I can see why Gauto thinks you should¡¯ve been an Academic. Again.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah, yeah. Would need to be a Maker and not a Builder for that.¡±


    ¡°Did you ever talk to your mother?¡± Seena suddenly changed the topic. ¡°About, you know, the glyph? Or how she treated you during your childhood?¡±


    Hiral¡¯s stomach dropped at the mention of his mother and the glyph of fertility she¡¯d gotten while she was pregnant with him. The glyph that¡¯d possibly caused him to be born as a Builder instead of a Maker. That¡¯d caused him to get branded as the Everfail for not being able to pass the Shaper test even after ten attempts.


    That¡¯d caused him to go to the surface with Seena and the others.


    He¡­ couldn¡¯t really be mad at the glyph. If his theory was true, the single character inscribed on his mother¡¯s stomach had completely changed the trajectory of his life. It¡¯d opened up new classes and opportunities for him, and there was no way he¡¯d be where he was if it wasn¡¯t for the glyph. Unless¡­


    For a moment, he imagined himself as a Shaper. Seven feet tall, slow and built like¡­well, like a Shaper. Or maybe he just would have been like Left and Right: still him, just with different powers. He might have been happy like that¡ªand strong¡ªbut how different would he be? If he¡¯d had it so easy from birth, maybe he would have been one of the Shapers sneering in the arena, looking down on the Growers.


    No, his path in life, even those hard years as the ¡®Everfail¡¯ were worth it. Without them, he would never have gone down to the surface. Never have discovered the truth.. Never would have met Seena.


    In the end, the glyph was for the best.


    His mother¡¯s behaviour, on the other hand, wasn¡¯t something he could think about so rationally. A decade of indifference ¨C and outright ignoring him ¨C hadn¡¯t exactly endeared him to her.


    ¡°Not yet. We always seem to miss each other at the house,¡± Hiral said, the words coming out lame even to his own ears.


    ¡°How many times have you even been back since you started repairing the towers?¡± The tone of her voice made it very clear she would know if he was lying. And it wouldn¡¯t be good for him.


    ¡°Once,¡± he admitted.


    ¡°What?! Where have you been sleeping? In the tunnels by the towers?¡± Seena rapid-fired the questions. ¡°Wait¡­ have you been sleeping?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­¡± Hiral started.


    ¡°Still having nightmares?¡± Seena asked softly, the genuine concern in her voice melting Hiral¡¯s resistance to answering the question.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± he admitted. He¡¯d been¡­ killed twice during the Fall of Fallen Reach dungeon, and even though his That All You Got? ability had brought him back, it didn¡¯t remove the memories. The¡­ nothingness after Vule had punched him or Vorinal had hit him with the super-death beam ¨C as Yanily called it.


    It¡¯d only been a heartbeat he¡¯d been gone, if that, and he couldn¡¯t really remember anything about that instant. While he was awake. When he slept, though, his mind filled in all the blanks¡­ with terrible things. As soon as he woke up ¨C which he did, sweating like mad and his heart racing ¨C the nightmares fled before he had a chance to latch onto the images. Something about that fraction of a second before his ability rewound his time was terrifying.


    And it came to him every time he slept.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll fade with time,¡± he lied.


    ¡°Hiral¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, really,¡± he quickly interrupted. ¡°Cycling is almost as good as sleep. It¡¯s like meditation. Back to more important things ¨C when are we leaving for the dungeon?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re sure you¡¯re okay?¡±


    ¡°Just fine,¡± Hiral said. ¡°Besides, a good ol¡¯ dungeon run will let me stretch and work off some tension.¡±


    ¡°If you say so. How about in an hour? Should be plenty of time to get the others together. Meet us at Arty¡¯s?¡±


    ¡°Arty¡¯s?¡± Hiral asked. ¡°Why don¡¯t I just head down to Caaven¡¯s on Drake?¡±


    ¡°We need you to carry somebody else with you down to the dungeon,¡± Seena said, another conspiratorial note in her voice.


    ¡°Down to the¡­? One of the people we¡¯re escorting is from Fallen Reach? Is it Arty?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll find out when you get there in an hour, and I¡¯m not telling you until then! See you soon!¡±


    With that, Seena vanished from the party chat, and Hiral was left with his thoughts. The Recall Token sounded amazing, and would really allow dungeon runners to push harder. Which would get the PIMP more, stronger fighters sooner. It was win-win.


    And, truth-be-told, Hiral really wasn¡¯t against going to do a dungeon run. All the work on the towers had been important ¨C and not not fun ¨C but his body was already missing the workout from the near-constant fighting they¡¯d been going through.


    ¡°Maybe I¡¯m as much an experience junkie as Yan is,¡± Hiral sighed softly to himself.

 Chapter 2 – Welcome to the Party!

    After a quick burst of Rejection to remove the dirt and grime ¨C faster than running home for a shower, and less risk of seeing his mother ¨C Hiral finally left the tunnels beneath the city of Fallen Reach. Sun kissed his skin for the first time in hours, and after all his time on the surface under the pounding rain, he stood with his head held back to soak it up.


    ¡°Feels good, doesn¡¯t it?¡± Right asked from beside him.


    ¡°Better than Cycling, but not as good as sleep,¡± Left said with a slight reprimand in his voice.


    ¡°You know about the nightmares better than anybody,¡± Hiral said quietly to his doubles, keeping his voice low so passer-bys didn¡¯t overhear.


    ¡°I do,¡± Left agreed. ¡°I just don¡¯t think avoiding them is the best way to deal with them.¡±


    ¡°It was just while I was repairing the towers,¡± Hiral lied. The look on his double¡¯s face told him he wasn¡¯t fooling anybody. ¡°After we get back from the dungeon, okay? We¡¯ll all join up together and take a nap.¡±


    ¡°Pretty sure you don¡¯t need us to sleep,¡± Right pointed out.


    ¡°Coward,¡± Hiral said flatly.


    ¡°Those dreams are terrifying,¡± Right admitted. ¡°But! Once you get over them on your own, we don¡¯t have to worry about them anymore.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll remember them just as well as I do.¡±


    The forced grin on Right¡¯s face faded as he looked at Hiral. ¡°It¡¯s not something we¡¯ll ever forget. And, in a way, I don¡¯t want you to get over it. You did something ¨C as Seena would say ¨C very reckless. You basically died on purpose. No, don¡¯t give me that look. We know why you did it, but Hiral, what if the ability didn¡¯t work? What if Vorinal was so powerful he could ignore it?¡±


    ¡°I would¡¯ve really died,¡± Hiral admitted, some of that existential terror welling up in his gut again. The thought of the world existing without him¡­ forever¡­ while he was nothing; not conscious; not thinking; not part of it; it unsettled him. No, that was a vast understatement.


    ¡°And you¡¯re not the only one,¡± Right reminded him. ¡°Not trying to guilt you here. We just want you ¨C need you ¨C to be a bit more careful than that in the future. I know you¡¯re probably going to take risks and be reckless, it¡¯s kind of what you do, and there will be situations that demand it. We get that. Just¡­ don¡¯t throw yourself in front of super-death beams for a stat bonus?¡±


    ¡°Before you say anything,¡± Left interrupted as Hiral¡¯s mouth opened. ¡°I am going to guilt you. Think of how you felt when Yanily died in the Rise of Fallen Reach. Then, think of how your friends would feel. Think of how your sisters would feel. Your parents.¡±


    ¡°Mom wouldn¡¯t care,¡± Hiral said reflexively, then shook his head. ¡°Sorry. Not trying to deflect. I get what you¡¯re saying, and I hear you. That All You Got? is a powerful ability, but I won¡¯t try to abuse it like that again. There¡¯s no guarantee it¡¯ll always work.¡±


    ¡°And all it will take is one failure for it to be your last,¡± Left said.


    ¡°I know,¡± Hiral admitted. ¡°I appreciate you guys reminding me.¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ expect to have the same conversation again,¡± Right said.


    ¡°Why? I already agree with you guys. And you¡¯d know if I was lying.¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ not with us,¡± Right said. ¡°Pretty sure Seena¡¯s been waiting until you finish with the towers before she took her turn.¡±


    ¡°We were just warming you up,¡± Left said.


    Hiral buried his face in his hands. ¡°She¡¯s going to kill me.¡±


    ¡°Probably not, but it¡¯ll be close,¡± Right said.


    ¡°Li¡¯l Ur, on the other hand, will likely urge her on,¡± Left added.


    ¡°Can I cancel the trip to the surface? Tell her I forgot one of the towers? Maybe make up a hidden one. She¡¯s not a Maker; she won¡¯t know for sure¡­¡± Hiral mumbled.


    ¡°You know that¡¯ll only make it worse for you,¡± Right said.


    ¡°It so would,¡± Hiral groaned. ¡°Save me if it gets bad?¡±


    ¡°No way we¡¯re getting in Seena¡¯s way.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, thought as much,¡± Hiral said.


    ¡°Besides, if she does kill you, at least you have That All You Got? eh?¡± Left added.


    ¡°You know.¡± Hiral¡¯s eyes narrowed in thought. ¡°That¡¯s a good point¡ª¡±


    ¡°That was a test, Hiral, and you failed immediately. What¡¯d we just talk about? Don¡¯t say that in front of Seena or she¡¯ll kill you twice.¡± Left gave him a withering look.


    Hiral winced. ¡°Guess we should get it over with. Anything you guys want from the market on the way to Arty¡¯s?¡±


    ¡°Pastries,¡± Right said immediately. ¡°Uh, not for me. Figured it would be a good way to butter Seena up.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± Hiral eyed his double. ¡°And it doesn¡¯t have anything to do with the flakey goodness you seem to be addicted to.¡±


    ¡°Nothing.¡± Right said it with such a straight face, Hiral almost believed him. Almost. Stolen story; please report.


    Still, after Hiral made sure the entrance to the underground tunnel was closed with a wave of his hand over the activation crystal, the three joined the crowd. With their matching Coats of Ur¡¯Thul, along with the Ring of Amin Thett and Emperor¡¯s Greatsword, the trio kind of stood out. Not enough to make it easier to move through the crowd, but enough people would turn, point, and whisper at his passing.


    Most ¨C if not all ¨C of Fallen Reach had known him as the Everfail for the better part of his life. And, even with word spreading of his role in saving the island, there were more than a few people who still didn¡¯t believe the ¡°rumors¡±. Those people seemed to think Hiral was trying to take credit for what the ¡°real heroes¡± did.


    Funny those ¡°heroes¡± are the Shapers we rescued from prison, and who spent most of the time fighting the rebels.


    Hiral shook his head at that. Whatever. It didn¡¯t really matter, as long as the Makers and Growers kept working together. There were too many benefits to putting aside the old hatred, and running dungeons was just the beginning.


    ¡°We could take Drake,¡± Right said after the group exited the bakery, a large bag of delicious treats in his arms.


    ¡°He¡¯d cause too much of a scene,¡± Left said. ¡°Not that we need him to get where we¡¯re going. Arty¡¯s isn¡¯t much further from here. With our own abilities, it would be easy enough to bypass the crowds.¡±


    ¡°I missed the crowds,¡± Hiral said, despite the dirty look he saw coming his way from an absolute stranger. Okay, so not all the old hatreds will vanish so quickly. ¡°After all that time on the surface, let¡¯s just be¡­ normal. With people.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re pretty far from ¡®normal¡¯,¡± Right said. ¡°In fact, one could argue you¡¯re the strongest person in Fallen Reach now.¡±


    ¡°Ilrolik,¡± Hiral started.


    ¡°Strong, for sure,¡± Right said. ¡°But with your achievements and gear? Nah, you could take her. Especially now that you¡¯re B-Rank and don¡¯t have to worry about the rank disparity.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t even think about suggesting Loan,¡± Left said quickly. ¡°He may¡¯ve taught you everything you know, but your In the Hands of the Duelist ability took it all to the next level. Because of it, you¡¯ve mastered every weapon you ever dabbled in.¡±


    ¡°Or imagined dabbling in,¡± Right added. ¡°Whips? Really?¡±


    ¡°I thought it¡¯d be fun to swing from stuff when I was a kid,¡± Hiral said, heat crawling up his neck.


    ¡°We were literally in your head,¡± Left said. ¡°We know that wasn¡¯t your only¡­ fantasy.¡±


    ¡°Does Seena know?¡± Right suddenly asked.


    ¡°I will kill you,¡± Hiral said.


    ¡°That All You Got?¡± Right asked smugly.


    ¡°Or unsummon you. Forever. Or let Gauto study you. Something you really wouldn¡¯t like.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯d never look at us the same way either.¡± Right shrugged like he wasn¡¯t really afraid.


    The friendly banter continued between the three odd friends as they crossed the market district near Arty¡¯s office. Unlike the main section of Fallen Reach, this neighbourhood was actually close to the edge of the island. Normally, on the rest of Fallen Reach, it was farmland or nature, with the city taking up the central section of the island. However, on this side of the city ¨C not far from where Vorinal¡¯s tower used to stand ¨C a peninsula of buildings stretched the miles toward the edge.


    It wasn¡¯t the busiest section of the city, with it only being a few streets wide, but many of the city¡¯s more esoteric shops had opened along the way, with Arty¡¯s dynasty occupying the end. Maybe dynasty was a bit of an exaggeration, as Arty only owned three of the dozens of port buildings spreading in both directions along the edge of the island.


    All the companies that traded with the Growers ¨C previously known as Nomads to the Makers ¨C had space nearby. It was just so much easier to fly down to the Growers¡¯ islands from the ports along the edge than to head out from the center of the city. The extra fifteen miles made a huge difference.


    ¡°Huh, what are they doing here?¡± Left suddenly asked.


    Hiral followed his double¡¯s line of sight ¨C expecting to see his party members ¨C but his eyes widened when they landed on two familiar women. Girls, really.


    His sisters.


    Seeing them together like that, it was impossible to miss the resemblance. Just a year apart in age, people who didn¡¯t know them often mistook them for twins. Milly was letting her hair grow out, while Nat preferred to keep it shorter. Besides that, though, they could practically be mirror reflections of each other.


    And of a younger Mom, I guess¡­


    ¡°Nat? Milly?¡± Hiral asked as he walked up to his two chatting siblings with Left and Right at his sides. ¡°What are you two doing here? You knew I wasn¡¯t working today.¡±


    The two girls looked from Hiral to each other, then back again.


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t know?¡± Nat, the middle sibling, asked Milly.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t look like it,¡± Milly, his youngest sister, responded, and Hiral¡¯s stomach did a flip.


    ¡°Don¡¯t know¡­ what?¡± he tentatively asked. Then his eyes went to the floating crystal sphere near each of their shoulders, tattoos etched into the surface, and some pieces began to click into place. ¡°I should¡¯ve known.¡±


    ¡°You should¡¯ve,¡± Nat, always the smartass, agreed.


    Left and Right both seemed to catch on pretty quickly, but it was Left who spoke up. ¡°You already inked your Mediums?¡±


    ¡°Mom and Dad helped us,¡± Milly said, looking at her own Medium ¨C the crystal sphere floating by her shoulder.


    Since Vorinal¡¯s attack ¨C awakening ¨C the previously dormant systems of Fallen Reach had come to life. While Hiral and his party had battled a literal horde of the mobile, flying spheres, it had turned out island defense wasn¡¯t their primary purpose. No, they were meant to be bound to Artists and Academics as a way to allow them to use tattoos, much like Shapers did. The connection didn¡¯t give the two classes the same sort of physical power the Shapers possessed, but it turned out to make them amazing healers and buffers.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter,¡± Hiral interrupted. ¡°I¡¯m not taking you to the surface to run a dungeon.¡±


    ¡°What? Why not?¡± Nat asked, eyes narrowing dangerously.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell Mom,¡± Milly threatened, then seemed to think better of it. ¡°I¡¯ll tell Dad,¡± she corrected in a slightly quieter voice.


    ¡°You do that,¡± Hiral said right back. ¡°Does he know you¡¯re going to a dungeon? They¡¯re dangerous! You could die.¡±


    ¡°Says the guy who died up here where it was safe,¡± Milly countered.


    ¡°Twice,¡± Right clarified.


    ¡°While it was a dungeon!¡± Hiral said to his sister, then turned on his double. ¡°And you¡¯re not helping.¡±


    ¡°He likes me more than you,¡± Nat told Hiral.


    ¡°He does not,¡± Hiral said, though he looked at Right sideways. ¡°Do you?¡±


    ¡°No comment,¡± Right said.


    ¡°Left, you¡¯re on my¡­¡± Hiral turned, only to find Milly running her hand down the unbelievably soft sleeve of his Coat of Ur¡¯Thul.


    ¡°You can show him what a real big brother acts like, can¡¯t you?¡± Milly said.


    ¡°Traitors, both of you,¡± Hiral grumbled. ¡°But, no, you¡¯re not coming. And that¡¯s final.¡±


    ¡°Says who?¡± Nat asked, a dangerous sparkle in her eye.


    ¡°Says me!¡±


    ¡°Pretty sure it¡¯s my party,¡± Seena said from behind Hiral, and he didn¡¯t even need to turn around to imagine the quirky smile on her lips. ¡°And I get to decide who joins it.¡±


    ¡°Checkmate,¡± Right said quietly to Hiral, then turned to Milly and Nat. ¡°Welcome to the party!¡±

 Chapter 3 – Fool

    Hiral turned from his conniving sisters and traitorous doubles to find Seena, Seeyela, and Yanily coming out of Arty¡¯s building, with the merchant at their side. Despite the conflicting emotions of his sisters wanting to go to the surface, he couldn¡¯t deny how good it was to see his friends again.


    Seena stood at the front of the group ¨C Li¡¯l Ur at her shoulder, of course ¨C with her flaming mantle falling like a fiery waterfall behind her. Bulky gauntlets covered her hands almost up to her elbows, while a pair of pouches on her waist held the tomes she used as weapons. Armor made of red and green feathers covered the rest of her, and it probably wasn¡¯t his imagination when he saw small bonfires burning in her eyes.


    Seeyela, her sister, stood just to her right. In her Armor of the Ghost-Web Matriarch, she cut an imposing figure. Even without the eight-eyed helm on her head ¨C it was currently cradled under one arm ¨C the ivory carapace gave off a dangerous aura. Or, maybe that came from the Fangs of the Lady, the hilts of the two daggers peeking out from behind her hips. Hiral could only shudder when he briefly remembered the horror of being inflicted with the venom those daggers carried ¨C and how close it¡¯d come to killing him. Those daggers weren¡¯t her only weapons ¨C though they were the most dangerous, besides the woman herself ¨C and the handles of Seeyela¡¯s hand-crossbows jutted just above her shoulders, where a cloak of literal blood hung down her back.


    Like her sister, Seeyela had a ¡®go on, I dare you to argue¡¯ smile on her face.


    Putting that aside for the moment, Hiral looked at the third and final member ¨C Yanily.


    Hiral¡¯s heart still sang at having his friend back from the dead. Left hadn¡¯t been exaggerating the pain they¡¯d all felt when their friend sacrificed himself to protect them. And yet, there he stood again, almost like nothing had ever happened. He still wore the same hydra-scale armor he¡¯d gotten from one of their first dungeons, but the charred ¨C and somewhat ominous-looking ¨C spear he¡¯d carried before had been lost when he died.


    Instead, as part of the reward for completing the Fall of Fallen Reach dungeon, Yanily had been given a Splinter of the Storm. Looking like little more than a crystal needle, the splinter had been part of the Spear of Clouds, the legendary weapon that held back the storm around Fallen Reach. Of course, such a small shard didn¡¯t contain the same power as the original, S-Rank weapon, but the description of it promised it would grow into its own weapon, given time and the right environment.


    What did that right environment turn out to be? A crystal spear Hiral had created himself, and into which he¡¯d placed the Splinter. Now, the whole weapon had taken on the same name, with bolts of tiny lightning arcing within the clear weapon, and dark clouds boiling and moving from end to end. It really looked like a bottled storm ¨C though in the shape of a spear.


    A B-Rank spear.


    Without the Splinter from the dungeon rewards, Hiral was sure he wouldn¡¯t have been able to make anything above C-Rank, even with the materials he¡¯d salvaged. Honestly, the PIMP must¡¯ve been trying to make up for the emotional distress of losing Yanily, as Hiral had felt like his hands had been guided through the process ¨C much like when he got a critical hit ¨C during the forging of the spear. Whatever it was, Hiral was thankful. Not as much as having his friend back, but still thankful.


    Behind the three party members, Arty stood with his hands on his hips, looking at Hiral.


    ¡°You never visit,¡± Arty said simply. ¡°Thought you were dead, then I thought we were all going to die with that storm, and this is still only the second time you¡¯ve come by. And it¡¯s only to leave again!¡±


    ¡°Been busy,¡± Hiral said, though the words sounded hollow even to him. He owed Arty a lot more than the time he¡¯d given him since he¡¯d been back. ¡°You¡¯re right. I¡¯ll come by¡­¡±


    ¡°After the dungeon,¡± Seena interrupted.


    ¡°Yes, yes, I know,¡± Arty said with a wavy hand in Seena¡¯s direction. ¡°Dungeon this, dungeon that, it¡¯s all anybody is talking about.¡±


    Hiral looked from Arty to the Medium floating at his shoulder, then back to the man again. If he had one of those, he had to be planning to do dungeon runs himself.


    Huh, what is he? D-Rank? C?


    Hiral answered his own question with a quick use of View. High-D-Rank huh? Not bad. He must¡¯ve gotten all that experience from doing merchant-things.


    Putting his grumbling, merchant friend aside for the moment, Hiral turned his attention on the party leader, ready to argue to the surface and back how much of a bad idea it was to bring his sisters. Ready¡­ until he saw her soft smile, and the slight flush glowing on her cheeks. Ready¡­ until he realized she¡¯d missed him just as much as he¡¯d missed her while he was fixing the towers.


    Every single argument he¡¯d been lining up since he¡¯d realized what was going on fled his head in a heartbeat, and all he managed to say was, ¡°Hi.¡±


    ¡°Hi, yourself,¡± Seena replied, with a small ¨C yet entirely adorable ¨C shuffle of her feet.


    Even Li¡¯l Ur rolled his eyes at the uncharacteristically shy gesture, and he didn¡¯t even have eyes.


    Still, Hiral only noticed that because of his absurdly high Atn, with most of his attention focused on Seena.


    ¡°How¡¯ve you been?¡± Hiral asked.


    ¡°Busy, you know,¡± Seena said. ¡°Helping train people how to use Cycling, explaining dungeons and the surface¡­ you?¡±Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.


    ¡°Towers,¡± Hiral said with a shrug. ¡°It¡¯s been¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, come on!¡± Arty interrupted. ¡°What are you, teenagers? I thought there was some big rush to get down to the dungeon. Some big rush to prevent my valued employee ¨C and I thought friend ¨C from having lunch with me to tell me all about how he¡¯s been.


    ¡°And¡­¡± Arty¡¯s voice got quieter while he looked down to the side and crossed his arms. ¡°And¡­ to let me explain a few things.¡±


    Ah. He wants to talk about the glyph of fertility he gave mom. He¡¯s probably been blaming himself as much as anybody for me not being able to become a Shaper.


    ¡°I don¡¯t blame you,¡± Hiral said, tearing his eyes away from Seena to look at Arty. The man really was more than just a boss. He¡¯d supported Hiral through most of his life ¨C though Hiral had only figured out why recently. Even though that support had started through guilt, Hiral didn¡¯t believe for a moment it was the only reason as the years had passed. They¡¯d become good friends.


    ¡°Blame him for what?¡± Yanily asked Seeyela quietly.


    ¡°Read the room and don¡¯t talk,¡± Seeyela whispered out of the side of her mouth.


    ¡°You should,¡± Arty said. ¡°If I¡¯d been more careful¡­¡±


    ¡°I never would¡¯ve met any of these Growers,¡± Hiral said. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t have Left and Right. Wouldn¡¯t have gone to the surface or come back up from it strong enough to help save the island. In a way, Arty, you saved Fallen Reach by that choice you made before I was even born.¡±


    Arty had to open his mouth and close it a few times before words finally came out. When they did, the older man¡¯s voice cracked, and it was obvious he was holding back his emotions at not getting blamed. ¡°It was¡­ so hard for you.¡±


    ¡°It was,¡± Hiral admitted. Arty had seen him at his worst after the ten failed Shaper tests, and plenty of times in between. Bullied, ridiculed, ignored, Hiral had gone through it all. And Arty had always been a shoulder to lean on. ¡°But it¡¯s not anymore.¡±


    Hiral lifted his black-clad hand up in front of him, and clenched his fingers into a fist, while a Rune of Impact flared in front of it. ¡°I¡¯m happy where I am now. Happy who I am now. So, you don¡¯t have to worry about what happened before. I know I don¡¯t.


    ¡°I¡¯m not the Everfail anymore.¡±


    Ignoring the others ¨C and completely failing to hold back his tears ¨C Arty walked up to Hiral and wrapped his arms around him in a tight hug. ¡°You¡¯ve no idea how long I¡¯ve been waiting ¨C hoping ¨C to hear you say those words. Good for you.¡±


    Hiral returned the hug, holding his good friend, when four more sets of arms joined in. Left, Right, Nat, and Milly had either been with him ¨C or remembered ¨C all the years it¡¯d been so tough. They stayed like that for just a moment, before Arty mumbled something about suffocating, and extricated himself from the group.


    ¡°Come see me when you¡¯ve got time,¡± Arty said gruffly. ¡°No rush. Just, it¡¯ll be good to talk.¡±


    ¡°It will,¡± Hiral agreed. Then the merchant coughed a few times like he hadn¡¯t just been crying like a little kid, and strode back towards his office.


    ¡°He¡¯s a good guy,¡± Right said.


    ¡°He is,¡± Hiral agreed, letting himself take a breath to get past the wild ride of emotions from the last two minutes. With his mind settled, he stepped back and put his arms over each of his sisters¡¯ shoulders. ¡°So,¡± he said to Seena, ¡°what¡¯s this all about?¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± Seena said while Li¡¯l Ur seemed to be wiping the tears from beneath her eyes with a tiny cloth.


    ¡°There, there, Mistress,¡± the floating, little lich cooed.


    ¡°We need somebody E-Rank to come with us to the D-Rank dungeon so we can get the achievements,¡± Seena explained. ¡°And, being a lower rank, Nat and Milly will also get an achievement for clearing a higher-rank dungeon. It¡¯s win-win.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a dungeon,¡± Hiral said. ¡°It¡¯s dangerous. Even more so since they¡¯re a rank below. Rank disparity alone could make almost any damage they take lethal.¡±


    ¡°So, what, you don¡¯t want us to run dungeons?¡± Nat asked. Her tone had the familiar ¨C yet terrifying ¨C pitch she used when her question was a trap.


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I said.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like exactly what you said,¡± Milly joined in, and Hiral really regretted choosing to stand between them.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t been down there,¡± he said. ¡°You don¡¯t know what it¡¯s like. How you can¡­¡±


    ¡°Get tons of experience and loot,¡± Yanily interrupted. ¡°Not to mention the achievements that make you really strong.¡±


    ¡°Not helping, Yan,¡± Hiral said.


    ¡°Actually,¡± Seena said, ¡°I think he¡¯s helping more than you¡¯re letting yourself realize. No, let me finish. I know you just want to protect your little sisters, but they are going to run dungeons eventually. Everybody is. And, really, Hiral, what¡¯s better than running their first dungeon while you¡¯re there to physically protect them?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, if you¡¯re as strong as everybody is saying,¡± Nat piped up. ¡°It shouldn¡¯t be hard for you, right? You can show us the ropes, so we don¡¯t make stupid mistakes when you¡¯re not around.¡±


    Hiral looked down at his little sister on his right. ¡°You two don¡¯t make stupid mistakes. You¡¯re both way too smart for that, and it¡¯s not what I¡¯m worried about. Even without mistakes ¨C even when you¡¯re strong ¨C bad things happen.¡±


    ¡°Bad things happen when you¡¯re weak, too,¡± Milly said. ¡°I couldn¡¯t do anything when those Shapers came to catch me and mom. Then there were the clouds, and we could feel the solar energy from the fight you were having with the Fallen. And what could we do then?


    ¡°Nothing.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t want to sit back and have somebody else save us,¡± Nat said. ¡°Sure, bad things happen even if you¡¯re strong, but at least then you have the power to try and stop it.¡±


    Hiral inwardly groaned at the sound argument. He really hadn¡¯t lied when he¡¯d said the two sisters were smart.


    ¡°We don¡¯t have a healer,¡± Hiral pointed out.


    ¡°I¡¯m a healer!¡± Milly immediately told him.


    ¡°Wait, what?¡±


    In answer, Milly untangled herself from his arm, then reached up and physically grabbed her Medium to show him. She probably could¡¯ve just willed it over, but the excitement was clear on her face.


    ¡°You know I was going to be a doctor-type Artist after I graduated,¡± Milly said, face beaming. ¡°So, I got Mom and Dad to put those kinds of tattoos on my Medium.¡±


    ¡°Let me see that,¡± Hiral said, taking the head-sized, crystal sphere in hand to look at what his parents had inked.


    ¡°If what she told us is true,¡± Seena said. ¡°She¡¯s going to grow into an amazing party healer.¡±


    ¡°What? Why do you have this?¡± Hiral practically exploded, finger jabbing into the mark on the sphere. ¡°The Fool! Why do you have the Fool tattoo?¡±

 Rune Seeker 3 Audio Launch (Chapters coming after this post to celebrate)

    Yooooo!


    Carter and I are pleased to announce the launch of Rune Seeker 3 on audio!!!!


    Narrated by the awesome Ralph Lister, it is now available if you feel like returning to the third entry of the story in a new format.


    You can find it through this link: https://www.royalroad.com/amazon/B0CWJHRYRH</a>


    Also it''d be super helpful if you could upvote these posts on reddit, if you have an account:


    https://www.reddit.com/r/ProgressionFantasy/comments/1dofvd8/rune_seeker_3_audio_launches_today/</a> https://www.reddit.com/r/litrpg/comments/1dofz67/rune_seeker_3_launches_today_in_audio/</a>


    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    Now...to celebrate?


    5 chapters today! Let''s go!

 Heralds – Chapter 1 – The Arrival

    ¡°Vanguard, Sir,¡± a voice crackled over Ekert¡¯s comms. ¡°We¡¯re about five minutes out from initiating the last gravity-jump to the Polaris sector.¡±


    ¡°Good work, Captain,¡± Vanguard Ekert replied, looking toward the front of the U.F. Herald of War, his units¡¯ ¡®personal¡¯ ship. ¡°You and your crew got us here in good time. I¡¯ll make sure that goes on the report when we get back. See about getting you a couple extra leave days before we get shipped out again.¡±


    ¡°We go where you¡¯re needed, when you¡¯re needed, Sir,¡± the Captain replied, though Ekert could hear the small hope in the woman¡¯s voice at the chance of even an extra shore day.


    ¡°It may¡¯ve only taken us a week to get out here to Polaris,¡± Ekert said, ¡°But we¡¯ve been on deployment after deployment for more than three months now. We could all use a break.¡±


    ¡°True,¡± the Captain said. ¡°The missions have been great experience, and the crew have gotten a few excellent skill engrams¡­ but¡­ yeah. Home would be nice. Tim started kindergarten this last week, and his damn father won¡¯t even send me pictures. Asshole. No idea what I saw in the man.¡±


    ¡°Abs like chiseled stone, and a jawline that could cut reinforced protium?¡± Ekert said with a chuckle. ¡°Pretty sure that¡¯s how you described him to us.¡±


    There was a second ¨C then two ¨C of silence before the comms crackled back to life. ¡°Guilty as charged, Sir. And, I guess, he¡¯s¡­ around more for Tim.¡±


    ¡°Captain¡­ Sandy,¡± Ekert said. ¡°I know the last few months¡­¡±


    ¡°No need, Sir,¡± Sandy said before Ekert could continue. ¡°This is what I signed up for. Knowingly. Even got my own ship out of it. And a better crew than I could¡¯ve ever hoped for. The bucket-heads we have to ferry around aren¡¯t so bad either.¡±


    ¡°Ouch, Captain,¡± Ekert said. ¡°Bucket-heads? As much respect as I have for the GDF infantry, my unit is on a slightly different scale here. At least call us chromes-domes, metal-heads, or shelled-hobos.¡±


    ¡°Hah, understood, Sir,¡± the Captain said. ¡°I¡¯ll pass that on to Jitzer when she announces the jump.¡±


    ¡°Five minutes?¡±


    ¡°Less than that now, Sir.¡±


    ¡°Got it, we¡¯ll be ready,¡± Ekert said. ¡°Not sure what kind of drop we¡¯re looking at when we get there, so standard orbit. Get the Phoenix and Drill both prepped. We¡¯ll decide which we¡¯re taking after our sensors have done a sweep.¡±


    ¡°Preparations already underway.¡±


    ¡°Should¡¯ve known. You don¡¯t need me telling you how to do your job.¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t,¡± the Captain said. ¡°But you¡¯ve been doing it for near on four years now. Kind of gotten used to it and your gravely voice.¡±


    ¡°Old dogs and old habits,¡± Ekert said.


    ¡°Sure thing, Vanguard Grampa,¡± the Captain said, voice going from casual to professional in a few words. ¡°Grav-jump announcement will come ten seconds before we hit it. Make sure your people are ready.¡±


    ¡°Roger,¡± Ekert said, ending his conversation with the Captain and turning his attention to his surroundings. His unit ¨C his Heralds of Peace ¨C had gone quiet when he¡¯d begun talking to the Captain, and all looked expectantly his way. Each an elite in their own right, they stood ¨C or sat ¨C at the ready in their customized and individual Personal Interface and Reinforcement System Armor. With their PIRSAs enhancing the attributes and acting as highly mobile weapons platforms, comparing any of them to infantry was like calling a dragon a puppy, and hoping it would roll over to let somebody scratch its belly.


    Then again, the last dragon they¡¯d dealt with back on Rodikon ¨C Shit, was that already a year ago? Or is it two now? Maybe I¡¯m the one who needs some leave¡­ ¨C might as well have been a puppy for all the fight it managed to put up against them. Ekert¡¯s Heralds of Peace didn¡¯t get called in for small problems, after all.


    ¡°Almost there?¡± Ekert¡¯s second-in-command, Corporal Cool asked. Sitting on the reinforced bench in his PIRSA, with one hand absently rubbing a cloth down the barrel of his six-foot-long PUNCH sniper-rifle, the man was the embodiment of his name. Calm. Cool. Collected. All things that made him very good at his job as their scout and ranged damage dealer.


    As for the rest of their unit ¨C or their party, as some people called it ¨C Ekert took a brief second to review everybody¡¯s status, both visually and through the unit-interface in his HUD.


    Cool was, of course, in top shape. His own health and his armor¡¯s were topped off, as were his energy reserves and ammunition counts. Of course, a little energy could produce ammo as needed, but the man knew better than to go into a mission unprepared. As for the black armor itself, Cool had replaced the cape he used to wear ¨C Style is important, he always said ¨C with the small jump-pack ability he¡¯d picked up on the last mission. It would help in positioning and movement, though it still wouldn¡¯t make him the fastest on the team.


    No, that title belonged to Jackal, the unit¡¯s speedster and close-range damage-dealer. Where Cool¡¯s armor was tight and compact, Jackal¡¯s was downright sleek. Micro-jet nozzles and short ¨C but extendable ¨C vi-blades were the only ornamentation on her otherwise smooth armor. Both were ability engrams she¡¯d gotten early on in their unit¡¯s career, with the first upping her dexterity-focused build to the next level, while the second offered a reliable backup if anything happened to her weapon of choice. Said weapon of choice, a pair of ominous, stylized katanas ¨C blades glowing with purple flames ¨C currently rested in the sheaths across her back. Her Pride and Joy ¨C their literal names ¨C were an absolute terror if she got into melee range. Which she always did.


    He¡¯d been trying to convince her to pick up a ranged ability ¨C even if it was just a handgun engram ¨C to round out her skillset. There were plenty of monitored and itemized dungeons on registered worlds they could run to get her one, but she wasn¡¯t interested. Admittedly, having a ranged option would come with penalties ¨C thanks to her advanced PIRSA class ¨C which was the only reason he hadn¡¯t forced the issue with an order. That, and she just did so much single-target damage with those swords they¡¯d found from the dungeon-bust, he couldn¡¯t argue.


    Minor complaints aside, her readings were all green ¨C Jackal was ready.


    Which took Ekert¡¯s eyes to the next in line. Almost the complete opposite of Jackal, Salvo was their group¡¯s backup tank and garbage man. He took care of the smaller trash, which left Jackal to focus on any bigger threats. Standing in his PIRSA that was at least twice as wide as the rest of them, the man¡¯s armor sported tons of endurance and strength, but next to no dexterity. He wouldn¡¯t move fast ¨C for a PIRSA ¨C but with the weapons he had at his disposal, he didn¡¯t need to move much, though his target would sure want to. Not that they would realize that just from looking at him, the only visible weapon he carried strapped to the back of his waist. A machete-like Ripper ¨C a chainsaw sword, for all intents and purposes ¨C didn¡¯t seem to fit the juggernaut¡¯s motif.


    Ekert actually hadn¡¯t even seen the man draw the Ripper in months other than to make sure it still worked. It was only a last-resort option anyway. Thanks to getting a top-tier Folded-Space Storage ¨C or FS Storage ¨C ability, all of Salvo¡¯s main, ability-weapon engrams were safely hidden from sight. And he had a lot. Arm and leg-mounted mini-missile launchers. Shoulder-braced, rotary mini-guns. Dual-grenade launchers. Plasma-flamers. Burst-needlers. The list went on. And on. And on.


    Ekert scowled as he reviewed the ammo count for each of Salvo¡¯s weapons. Seventy-five percent for almost all of them other than the missiles. A quick ping went to Cool let the Corporal know to take care of it before they dropped. This wasn¡¯t the first ¨C or likely the last ¨C time they¡¯d be bringing it up with Salvo.


    One last glare in Salvo¡¯s direction ¨C the man flinched, likely knowing exactly what was up ¨C and the Vanguard moved his attention to the group¡¯s actual tank. Ward wasn¡¯t what most people expected when they thought of the PIRSA assigned to tank roles, but nobody who¡¯d seen him ¨C and his armor ¨C in action would be disappointed. Unlike Salvo, Ward¡¯s PIRSA wasn¡¯t big or bulky in comparison, fitting somewhere closer to Cool¡¯s. Relatively compact, it boasted a surprising amount of dexterity for a tank-class armor. Even more surprisingly, Ward had leaned heavy into mental stats.


    Why had he done this? Simple, Ward was a barrier specialist. Four small, sphere-shaped drones orbited him even now ¨C and he had half-a-dozen more in his FS Storage when he needed them ¨C that were the prime manifestation of his engrams. Each able to produce powerful barriers with multiple functions for his allies, Ward was very particular about keeping his group safe. Large-caliber pistols sat on each of his thighs ¨C repeating hand cannons he called them, or RHCs ¨C and a standard-issue assault-rifle engram were his main weapons of choice. He hadn¡¯t invested a lot into damage output, and it was the only real ¡®weakness¡¯ he had.


    As for Ward¡¯s vitals, most were in good shape, but his armor was sitting at around ninety percent. That man had a habit of prioritizing his teammates over himself, even if his nanite swarm could take care of the repairs with a minor investment.


    One more quick ping from Vanguard Ekert ¨C this time to the final member of the team ¨C to see to the armor, and he reviewed their medichanic¡¯s status.


    As the sixth, and possibly most important member of the unit, Dawk sat in her matching black PIRSA, with only a white cross on her shoulder signifying her role. On the opposite shoulder, she of course had their unit¡¯s logo ¨C the white silhouette of a four-armed man in a robe sitting cross-legged, a different firearm in each of his hands. Compartments for extra nanite swarms ¨C both for PIRSAs and the people who wore them ¨C along with extra energy cells people could siphon, bulked up her chest and upper arms. On her back, similar to Cool¡¯s jump pack, Dawk carried her two support units, Ruff and Skwak.


    This whole unit is terrible at codenames¡­


    While Skwak provided the unit with powerful PIRSA-enhancing buffs as it flew nearby, Ruff focused on debilitating debuffs on their enemies. Highly mobile, with its canine shape, it wasn¡¯t as fast as Jackal, but the smaller size and sensor-jamming technology made it hard to keep track of.


    Dawk only had a standard-issue pistol and rifle for damage, with most of her attention and ability upgrades focused on her nanite swarms. Looking over her specs, she was of course ready to go.


    That just left Vanguard Ekert himself, and he did a quick check of his PIRSA through his HUD. All systems were green, with ammo and energy levels capped off. He had his own RHC on his left thigh ¨C a three-barreled monstrosity he¡¯d picked up more than thirty years ago when he was still a cadet on his first dungeon run. A single pull of the trigger would set those barrels spinning and spitting hard-energy bolts like they were going out of style. A prolonged burst was hard on his energy reserves, but there was no arguing the results.


    Resting on his hip above the pistol was another dungeon-find, this one a straight-edged blade that appeared to be little more than a hunk of metal welded to a grip. At least, until he fed it some energy, which brought the ravenous nanite swarm within the blade to life, coating the metal in what looked like a black flame that ate anything it came in contact with. A terrible weapon to be sure, but again, he couldn¡¯t argue with the results.


    Besides his preferred sword-and-pistol style, Ekert ¨C codenamed Veil ¨C had a top-quality FS storage himself, mainly because he¡¯d been around so long he¡¯d been able to upgrade it multiple times. In there, he had a veritable arsenal of weapons to rely on, though he rarely used them if he didn¡¯t have to. Simple was better, and trying to juggle a dozen different fighting styles¡­ well¡­ he was too old for that. But, if worse came to worst, it was better to have them ¨C along with the ability that gave him his codename ¨C and he refused to go in unprepared.


    Finally, his review done ¨C notes added to his HUD for feedback to the group later ¨C he addressed Cool¡¯s question. ¡°We¡¯re sub-four-minutes out from the last gravity jump to the Polaris system.¡±


    ¡°Always takes the Captain so long to find the damn G-spot,¡± Salvo said. ¡°Maybe she needs a hand to¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t even bother,¡± Jackal said. ¡°She¡¯s shot you down faster than a newb in a dogfight the last four times you¡¯ve asked her out.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve got a new plan,¡± Salvo said. He twisted a little and then slapped his own ass with the metal clang of protium on protium. ¡°She likes physical guys. I¡¯m physical. And who can say no to this ass.¡±


    ¡°You have an ass like a cinderblock,¡± Jackal said dryly. ¡°The only thing it¡¯d turn on is a sledgehammer.¡±


    ¡°Maybe she¡¯s into toys.¡±


    ¡°Guys,¡± Cool interrupted. ¡°The Vanguard was speaking.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Colonel,¡± Ekert said, though he didn¡¯t really mind the unit¡¯s casual banter. They were serious when it counted. Where it counted. ¡°Like I was saying, four minutes out. After we complete the last gravity-jump to the Polaris sector, we should be almost right on top of Polaris-3, our destination.¡±This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°Never a good sign when a planet doesn¡¯t have its own name,¡± Ward said. ¡°And a week of back-to-back-to-back-to-back G-jumps¡­ just how far from civilization are we this time?¡±


    ¡°Two sectors away from the Gaps,¡± Ekert said evenly, though everybody else in the room ¨C other than Cool ¨C winced.


    ¡°Blight and burn, Vanguard, are we dealing with Scavs here?¡± Dawk asked, sitting forward to drop her elbows onto her knees. Across her head, the nanites that made up the protium of her PIRSA¡¯s helmet retracted, revealing the woman¡¯s face to the group, three decades of hard service lining her skin. Other than Ekert, she was the oldest ¨C and most senior ¨C member of the Heralds. ¡°You know how Scavs leave survivors ¨C at least the ones they don¡¯t take. If it¡¯s them, we¡¯re going to need more than just me.¡±


    ¡°Fuggin¡¯ Scavs,¡± Salvo hissed. ¡°You remember what they did on Agritok?¡±


    ¡°How could we forget?¡± Jackal asked right back. ¡°Even with the PIRSA¡¯s filters, I smelled burnt-farmer for a week.¡±


    ¡°If it¡¯s Scavs,¡± Ward said. ¡°We¡¯d know that, wouldn¡¯t we?¡±


    ¡°Colonel, review,¡± Ekert said.


    ¡°Yes Sir,¡± Cool said, moving his hand to smoothly put the cloth on the bench beside him. In the next second, his sniper-rifle vanished into his FS-Storage space. ¡°Polaris-3 is categorized as a demi-planet, rich in tetrazite ore. Not particularly valuable, but widely used in bulk. As such, there is limited demand for anything from the planet other than the mineral shipments that occur once every three months. Aside from these shipments, there is next-to-no traffic to or from the sector. Which means no Gravity Lanes.¡±


    ¡°Which is why we¡¯ve been G-jumping non-stop for the last week,¡± Jackal said. ¡°That partly explains why it¡¯s us coming here ¨C the Herald of War here being one of the few ships that can do that ¨C but, we¡¯re B-Rank. We only get called out when it really hits the fan.¡±


    ¡°Scavs,¡± Dawk said again. ¡°Has to be them then, right?¡±


    ¡°While the mining operations on Polaris-3 are relatively extensive,¡± Cool continued like he hadn¡¯t been interrupted. ¡°The population is not. Less than thirty-thousand people occupy the planet year-round.¡±


    ¡°Huh,¡± Jackal said. ¡°Thirty thousand isn¡¯t enough to warrant Scavs crossing two sectors.¡±


    ¡°Especially not for tetrazite,¡± Salvo added. ¡°Aren¡¯t the asteroid belts out in the Gaps rich in the stuff?¡±


    ¡°They are,¡± Cool said. ¡°And, you are also correct Jackal. The population of Polaris-3 doesn¡¯t fit the Scavs¡¯ M-O.¡±


    ¡°What about Polaris-1 and 2?¡± Ward asked. ¡°Anything on there to draw Scavs¡¯ attention?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Cool said. ¡°Both are generally uninhabitable. We don¡¯t have any established colonies on either planet.¡±


    ¡°Okay, so why were we called out here then?¡± Ward asked.


    ¡°Still think it¡¯s Scavs,¡± Dawk said. ¡°Only thing that makes sense.¡±


    ¡°It might be Scavs,¡± Cool said. ¡°We aren¡¯t ruling that out. Back to what we do know. The majority of the Polaris-3 population lives in the city of Grenity, where the Grav-elevator up to the spaceport is located. All the tetrazite they mine is bounced up the shaft and loaded onto cargo ships from there. It¡¯s also the only place ¨C other than the spaceport itself ¨C that has a long-range communication facility.¡±


    ¡°What have they been saying about what¡¯s going on there?¡± Jackal asked.


    ¡°Nothing, and that¡¯s one of the problems,¡± Cool said. ¡°Communications with Polaris-3 went dark an estimated five weeks ago.¡±


    ¡°Estimated?¡± Dawk asked.


    ¡°Communication with the planet isn¡¯t regular,¡± Cool said. ¡°Usually just monthly reports on production, or right before a shipment. Five weeks ago, they were scheduled for an update. People on our end just assumed they were late, and waited. One week passed ¨C people started to get a bit worried. Two weeks passed, and it got reported up to the U.F.¡±


    ¡°Then the vaunted United Federation took another two weeks to send us out?¡± Ward said with a shake of his head. ¡°Then a week to get here¡­¡±


    ¡°We were a little busy dealing with that shitstorm on Bezziny,¡± Salvo pointed out.


    ¡°Yeah, well they could¡¯ve sent somebody else,¡± Ward said. ¡°Four weeks? Five now? Can you imagine what¡¯s been happened to those people.¡± He paused as he looked at the Corporal. ¡°Cool, what¡¯s that face?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s possible it¡¯s been more than five weeks,¡± Cool said. ¡°It could be up to nine, as that¡¯s the last time we had confirmed communication with the planet. They reported finding old ruins in one of the new mines. Ancient, by the sounds of things. Were working on decoding the script they¡¯d found, but hadn¡¯t had any luck.¡±


    ¡°Nine weeks?¡± Salvo asked. ¡°Why are they even sending us now? We aren¡¯t a rescue team.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not,¡± Jackal said slowly. ¡°Which means we aren¡¯t being sent in for a rescue. We go in and clean shit up when it goes bad. So, how bad is it, Sarge?¡±


    ¡°We really don¡¯t know,¡± Ekert said. ¡°But, for a city of thirty-thousand ¨C and a spaceport ¨C to go dark, it can¡¯t be good. Polaris-3 is classified as a D-Rank planet¡­¡±


    ¡°Dungeon bust¡­¡± Dawk said, sitting back. ¡°You think it was a dungeon bust. Man, I almost wish it was Scavs now.¡±


    ¡°What kind of dungeon is on Polaris-3?¡± Ward asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s just it,¡± Ekert said. ¡°There isn¡¯t one. That we know of. It¡¯s one of the reasons there hasn¡¯t been more investment in Polaris-3. No dungeons.¡±


    ¡°So, if it is a dungeon bust, it¡¯s got to be an undiscovered one,¡± Salvo said. ¡°Which means it could¡¯ve been building for months. Years. Longer. Wait, those ancient ruins they found? You don¡¯t think there was a bottled-up dungeon down there, do you? Even if P-3 is only D-Rank, a dungeon going that long without having its Boss killed could¡¯ve ranked up. This could be a C-Rank bust. And nine weeks, we¡¯re talking a full-on flood here.¡±


    ¡°Now it makes sense why they sent us,¡± Jackal said. ¡°Sarge, could it have Ranked-up twice? Could we be dealing with a B-Rank bust and flood? Or¡­ higher?¡±


    Ekert shrugged. ¡°Even after almost fourteen centuries of dealing with dungeons ¨C and the abilities that came with their discovery ¨C we understand so little about them. Busts, especially, as nobody wants to force one to happen just to study it. They¡¯re too destructive. All we know is that if a Boss goes long enough without being killed, the dungeons seem to get stronger. The monsters inside, well, for lack of a better term, they level up. They can even Rank-up, given enough time.


    ¡°When either of those things happen, they usually break the shackles keeping them in the dungeon. Gain a kind of limited sentience that sees them forcing their way out of their prisons to destroy everything nearby. Once that happens, even killing the Boss doesn¡¯t shut the dungeon back up completely ¨C though it does seem to reset the growth of anything still inside.


    ¡°It could be what happened here,¡± Ekert said. ¡°It could be what we¡¯re getting into. Or, it could be a blown fuse in their communications tower, and they just couldn¡¯t find the breaker.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve never been that lucky,¡± Dawk said.


    ¡°No, no we haven¡¯t,¡± Salvo said. ¡°You remember the last time we got called out to a break in communications?¡±


    ¡°Dragon!¡± Cool, Jackal, Ward, and Dawk all said at the same time.


    ¡°Exactly,¡± Salvo said. ¡°Dragon. Are we dealing with another dragon here, Sarge?¡±


    ¡°If we are, dibs on the horn,¡± Ekert said, and five sets of eyes widened around the room.


    ¡°Bastard,¡± Jackal swore.


    ¡°It was supposed to be my turn,¡± Ward said, throwing up his hands.


    ¡°Should¡¯ve called it,¡± Ekert said, and before anybody else could argue, the PA system in the corner of the room crackled to life.


    ¡°This is cockpit to¡­ ahem¡­ chrome-dummies,¡± a snarky voice said. ¡°Hold on to your britches, bitches, T-minus-ten to G-spot.


    ¡°Nine. Eight¡­¡±


    ¡°Chrome-dummies?¡± Ward said, shaking his head, as everybody took a seat and quickly buckled in. ¡°I¡¯m gonna put curry powder in her brown sugar. That¡¯ll show her.¡±


    ¡°Five. Four¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re an evil mastermind,¡± Jackal said flatly.


    ¡°She puts it on cereal. Can you imagine?¡± Ward countered.


    ¡°Two. One¡­¡±


    ¡°Okay, that is evil.¡±


    ¡°Geeeeeeeeee-spoooooot!¡±


    With the declaration, the whole ship bucked and rocked, parts of it seeming to stretch out, while others collapsed inward. Even the Heralds of Peace in their PIRSAs weren¡¯t immune to the strange effects of gravity-jumping, though mercifully it was more visual than physical. None of their internal organs got squished or pulled apart, though for a few long seconds, it sure felt like that.


    And then, just as quickly as it started, it was done.


    ¡°Awwww, now I need a smoke,¡± Salvo said.


    ¡°Status?¡± Ekert asked, already unbuckling.


    ¡°Green across the board,¡± Cool said, confirming what Ekert was seeing in his own HUD.


    ¡°Expect a drop in the next few minutes,¡± Ekert said, on his feet. ¡°Once we confirm what the situation is with our own scanners, I want us boots on the ground ASAP. Last-minute prep starts now. That includes ammo and repairs. Cool, make sure it¡¯s handled.¡±


    ¡°Yessir,¡± the man said, standing and turning to look straight at Ward and Salvo.


    ¡°Buuuuusted,¡± Jackal said quietly.


    One eye on Cool getting the other two in order, Ekert did a final, quick run-through of his own systems. Yes, the readouts showed everything in top condition, but like he¡¯d said to the Captain ¨C old dog, old habits.


    He¡¯d had his PIRSA for near on thirty-five years, getting it promptly when he¡¯d turned of age. He wasn¡¯t some kind of prodigy or anything. Nope, perfectly average, if somewhat¡­ unstoppable. Once he put his mind to something, it got done. And right now, his mind was on making sure his system was accurate.


    Opening and closing one first and then the other in quick succession, he monitored the nano-musculature reinforcing his body. Response time was fluid and smooth. Check. Next came small, quick hops on his toes from one foot to the other. Leg systems were all in order. A few basic stretches tested the movement ranges of the armor ¨C something he was always impressed with considering it looked like it was solid, though that wasn¡¯t quite the case. Instead, the nano-swarm modified connections on the fly, stretching and reinforcing as needed.


    For him, it could act like a thick liquid across his body, doing nothing to limit his movements. To an enemy, it¡¯d be a B-Rank suit of protium composite, nearly indestructible to anything below his Rank.


    With the physical check on his PIRSA complete, he moved next to its sensory suite. Different types of vision flicked in front of his eyes, while automated detection systems fed him information on the room around him. Most of it was useless ¨C little details he didn¡¯t need like air pressure, number of screws in the bench, ambient temperature ¨C but it worked smoothly. Next was the prediction modeling system, phantom images of the others in the room moving ahead of them.


    Another rare engram he¡¯d gotten in one of his earlier years, the skill couldn¡¯t exactly predict the future, but it sure did a good job attempting to. Combined with his own years of experience and a bit of time observing an opponent, he was confident in his ability to take down nearly any enemy with it.


    Confirmed, systems green, he told himself. That just left the others to¡­


    ¡°Vanguard,¡± his private comms lit up, the Captain speaking in his ear. ¡°You should come up to the bridge, Sir.¡±


    ¡°Something happen, Captain?¡±


    ¡°Afraid so, Sir. We can¡¯t find the spaceport,¡± the Captain said.


    ¡°Can¡¯t find?¡± Ekert confirmed, though he already knew what that meant. ¡°Debris field?¡±


    ¡°Some, but not enough for the entire station,¡± the Captain replied.


    Not enough? The spaceport was taken? That was nearly unheard of. The resources needed to steal an entire space station that wasn¡¯t intended to move was rarely worth the gain.


    ¡°There¡¯s one other thing,¡± the Captain said. ¡°And this is the part you need to see for yourself.¡±


    ¡°On my way, Captain. Ekert out,¡± he said on the private comms, then opened a channel up to his unit. ¡°Trouble already,¡± he told them. ¡°Captain needs me to see something, so I¡¯m heading to the bridge. Assume we¡¯re going into a shitstorm.¡±


    ¡°Understood, Sir,¡± Cool said. ¡°We¡¯ll be ready.¡±


    Ekert nodded at his troops, banged the door-release button to their ready room with the bottom of his fist, then walked through the heavy, metal door after it slid open. The Herald of War wasn¡¯t a pleasure craft, the halls narrow enough Salvo had to retract his PIRSA when he wanted to move from the unit¡¯s ready-up area to the rest of the ship. In his lighter PIRSA, Ekert didn¡¯t have that problem. In fact, he¡¯d evolved his PIRSA exactly in that direction as he¡¯d progressed in his career. Any time he had to move around without it was a moment of weakness.


    Could be why my wife left me. Or maybe it was the constant deployments. The anger issues. The alcohol? Or, all of the above.


    The list of his flaws continued as he stalked down the hall, protium boots silent on the metal grating of the floor simply because he didn¡¯t want them to make noise. By the time he reached seventeen separate ¨C and equally likely ¨C reasons his marriage had failed, he arrived at the bridge. Huh, the walk usually only got him to sixteen reasons. Slowing down in my old age?


    ¡°Permission to enter the bridge?¡± he asked into the comms instead of trying to answer his own question.


    ¡°Granted,¡± the Captain said immediately.


    Another gentle smack of a button beside the door, and Ekert left the cramped hall to the roomier bridge. A small walkway extended directly ahead of him to the universal-plotting system, a fancy name for a space map, if anybody were to ask him. On either side, in lowered sections, flight and support crew manned two stations on each side, readouts flashing on their screens.


    Thanks for the technical marvel of his PIRSA ¨C practically magic, really ¨C the information on their screens instantly filtered into his HUD even though he wasn¡¯t trying to read over their shoulders.


    He didn¡¯t like what he ¡®saw¡¯, and it just made him pick up the pace.


    Past the map ¨C which currently displayed a 3-D model of Polaris-3, and the Herald¡¯s approximate location to it ¨C Ekert joined the Captain and her right hand at the viewing deck. Large enough for the three of them to stand by side, the deck was flanked by the two officers¡¯ chairs, though neither sat in them. Instead, they stood waiting for the Vanguard, looking down at the world below them.


    From the reports, Polaris-3 was a rocky planet, utterly barren in places. Water covered about a third of it, usually in the form of large, isolated lakes. There were no seas or oceans, and the weather was generally dry and windy. Vegetation and animals alike had learned to live with it, though it certainly wasn¡¯t an easy life.


    Except, looking through the thick, reinforced glass rated to take fifty-mil cannon-fire and laugh like it tickled, he couldn¡¯t see any of those things.


    Why? Because the entire, damn planet was covered in storm clouds. Lightning flashed nearly constantly within, and whole sections of it twisted like a whirlpool on a continental scale.


    ¡°Well, shit,¡± he said.

 Heralds – Chapter 2 – The Drop

    ¡°Not that I doubt you, Captain,¡± Ekert started. ¡°Or your crew, your ship, or her instruments, but I have to ask¡­¡±


    ¡°This is definitely Polaris-3,¡± the Captain said. ¡°We checked three times before I called you up here.¡±


    ¡°Did I get the wrong briefing notes?¡± he asked as his eyes scanned the churning storm spread across the entirety of the world. It wasn¡¯t just Polaris-3 he would¡¯ve been surprised to see such a storm on; something planet-wide like this wasn¡¯t normal. And he¡¯d visited hundreds of worlds, even the stormy ones. Never ¨C never ¨C before had he seen something on this scale.


    ¡°No, Sir,¡± the Captain said. ¡°We all read the same thing. This is not what Polaris-3 is supposed to look like.¡±


    ¡°Might go a long way to explaining why we stopped hearing from it, though,¡± the ship¡¯s First Officer said. Jitzer stood next to her Captain, with none of her usual snark or casualness, data pad in hand, and eyebrows lowered in concentration. ¡°Readings are showing a lot of interference. Only about twelve percent of our scans are getting through that mess.¡±


    ¡°What are they finding?¡± Ekert asked.


    ¡°Nothing useful, at the moment,¡± Jitzer said with a frustrated sigh. ¡°It¡¯ll take some time for the systems to put a composite together based on multiple scans. The more we run, the better twelve percent looks. There are entire sections¡­¡± she pointed to one particularly large hurricane that had to be the size of an entire continent, ¡°¡­ that we can¡¯t get any readings on at all. Whatever is happening down there, if it¡¯s been like this for weeks ¨C or months ¨C I don¡¯t know how anybody has survived.¡±


    Ekert tapped into the ship¡¯s readouts with his PIRSA, reviewing much of what First-Officer Jitzer had said. Thanks to the processing power of his armor ¨C even without any real dedication to his intelligence or wisdom stats ¨C it only took a few seconds for him to go over everything they¡¯d gotten so far.


    ¡°As cold as it may sound to say,¡± Ekert said quietly, just for the Captain and First Officer¡¯s ears. ¡°We don¡¯t get sent on rescue missions. We¡¯re a clean-up, pacification, or extreme prejudice unit. Securing the safety of the citizens of Polaris-3 would¡¯ve been a happy bonus that helps us all sleep better at night, but that¡¯s not why we¡¯re here. Those huggy-feely ships are three days behind us¡­¡±


    ¡°If they can even find the jump points,¡± Jitzer said under her breath. The unspoken rivalry between the elite dropships ¨C like the Herald of War ¨C and the more run-of-the-mill support vessels that didn¡¯t carry specialized units wasn¡¯t really that unspoken.


    ¡°Exactly,¡± Ekert said. ¡°We¡¯ll do what we can if we find any survivors, but our focus is on whatever caused all this. And putting it in the ground so it can¡¯t do it again.¡±


    ¡°You planning on killing nature, Vanguard?¡± the Captain asked him.


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t be the first time,¡± he responded evenly.


    Jitzer raised an eyebrow at the comment, but the Captain just nodded along like she agreed.


    ¡°Captain,¡± a new voice called out from one of the sensor stations in the pits near the entrance.


    ¡°Go,¡± the Captain said, with the three of them at the viewing window turning.


    ¡°I think I know where our missing spaceport went,¡± the voice said, and Ekert picked a young man out at one of the terminals. His hands were a blur as he adjusted scans, reports, and other instruments.


    Like he¡¯d done earlier, Ekert tapped directly into what the man was seeing, and he was already nodding as the crewmember continued speaking.


    ¡°I¡¯m picking up a very minor debris trail leading from where I believe the spaceport used to be,¡± he said.


    ¡°Where¡¯s it going?¡± Jitzer asked. ¡°Playing hide-and-seek behind a moon on us?¡±


    ¡°Down to Polaris-3,¡± the man said, like even he didn¡¯t quite believe what he was seeing. ¡°Straight down.¡±


    ¡°Is the port capable of atmospheric operation?¡± the Captain asked.


    ¡°Not according to the specs I have of it, Sir,¡± the man said. ¡°And, even if it was, this¡­ flight path¡­ isn¡¯t one. It¡¯s like it got yanked straight back down its own gravity elevator.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard of some horrific gravity elevator accidents,¡± Ekert said, system running a news search at the same time for the last century of anything like that happening. Nothing. ¡°Never anything on that scale though.¡±


    ¡°Gravity elevators can¡¯t pull the spaceports they¡¯re connected to back down to the planet,¡± the Captain said. ¡°Not physically possible.¡±


    ¡°Well, something pulled it down,¡± Jitzer said. ¡°Oiy, Bund, how much debris did you find? Did the port break up on entry?¡±


    ¡°Not nearly enough to account for the entire station,¡± the crewmember ¨C Bund ¨C said. ¡°This was an industrial loading port, nearly two miles from end to end. If it broke up as it dropped to the surface, we should be picking up pieces of it all over the place.¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯re sure what you¡¯re seeing is the station? Not something else heading down to Polaris-3?¡±


    ¡°Positive. These are pieces of the spaceport. It definitely went down.¡±


    ¡°Which is exactly the same thing we¡¯re going to do,¡± Ekert said. A thought sent a signal to his team to finish up their preparations.


    ¡°Phoenix won¡¯t be able to handle this kind of weather,¡± the Captain said. ¡°Anna won¡¯t risk her baby in that.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Ekert said. ¡°We¡¯ll take a DRILL, do what we came here for, then wait out the weather until you can send a ride down for us.¡±


    ¡°If this has been going on for months¡­¡± Jitzer said.


    ¡°Then we¡¯ll wait months,¡± Ekert said without missing a beat. ¡°Or find our own way back up.¡± With the simple facts stated, he turned to the Captain and snapped a salute. ¡°Permission to disembark?¡±


    ¡°Granted,¡± the Captain said. ¡°And, Vanguard, be careful on this one. My gut is telling me there is some bad news down there. And if it¡¯s bad enough to pull a spaceport two miles long out of secure orbit, I¡¯m not going to stick too close to it. We¡¯ll be moving out to long orbit to continue observation.¡±


    ¡°Understood, Captain. No reason to risk your ship or her crew.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Vanguard. Good luck down there, and go punch Mother Nature in the nose. See you when you get back.¡±


    ¡°You will,¡± he said simply, snapping another salute, then turning and leaving the bridge. As soon as the door closed again behind him, he opened his comms to his unit. ¡°Head to the DRILL. We¡¯re going down.¡±


    ¡°The hell?¡± Salvo asked. ¡°The DRILL? I just ate.¡±


    ¡°Should¡¯ve known better than that,¡± Cool said. ¡°That¡¯s on you.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll be on us,¡± Jackal said. ¡°He pukes every damn time we take a DRILL. What¡¯s the scoop, Sarge?¡±


    ¡°Planet¡¯s under a massive storm,¡± Ekert said, moving towards the DRILL launch-bay. His unit ¨C despite the lip ¨C would already be moving as well. ¡°Too much turbulence to risk Anna or her Phoenix.¡±


    ¡°Pair of dainty girls, those two,¡± Ward said.


    ¡°Their judgement is sound, in this case,¡± Ekert said.


    ¡°Any word from the spaceport?¡± Cool asked. ¡°Communications? Is War going to dock and inspect while we take care of the surface?¡±


    ¡°Spaceport is MIA,¡± Ekert said. ¡°Evidence suggests it may¡¯ve crashed on Polaris-3, or been pulled down along the path of its gravity elevator.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t say it was a literal shitstorm covering the planet, Sarge,¡± Jackal said at the same time another door opened in front of Ekert, and he stepped into the launch-bay. Across the way, his unit filed through a similar entrance.


    ¡°Might as well be,¡± Ekert said, looking from his team to the DRILL. Shaped like a stocky bullet with six, coffin-like chambers around its circumference, it wasn¡¯t made to be comfortable. Or spacious. Or even pleasant to look at, despite the graffiti ¨C a tradition ¨C on its side.


    What it was designed for was speed and entry into hostile environments.


    ¡°You know, DRILL isn¡¯t how you spell Rapid Deployment Inertial Launcher and Lander,¡± Salvo said.


    ¡°You say the same thing every time we get on one of these,¡± Jackal replied.


    ¡°And we come back every time,¡± Salvo replied. ¡°It¡¯s good luck.¡±


    ¡°We come back,¡± Ward said. ¡°Because when the Herald of War arrives on scene, people, monsters, planets ¨C whatever ¨C know they¡¯re in for a hell of a fight. And when the Heralds of Peace finish, there ain¡¯t anything else left that can fight.¡±


    ¡°We come back,¡± Cool added, ¡°because we¡¯re six of the most badass B-Rankers this side of the Solar Tide, and because we¡¯ve got the Veil giving us orders.¡± You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    ¡°I¡¯ll agree with the first part of that,¡± Ekert said. ¡°And I¡¯ll do some of the second.¡±


    With the words, the body language of the five across from him stiffened into attention, professionalism instantly replacing the casual behavior.


    ¡°You know the routine, but I¡¯m going to say it anyway,¡± Ekert said. ¡°Limited storage on the DRILL for our drop. If it¡¯s not part of your PIRSA, you¡¯re probably not taking it. The ride and the landing are going to be rough, especially with the storm. I want full biometrics shared across the unit interface system. No hiding injuries.


    ¡°Looking at you here, Ward,¡± Ekert said, and the tank nodded. ¡°As soon we hit, Cool and Salvo, secure our landing site. Dawk, you know your job.¡±


    ¡°Yessir,¡± the veteran said.


    ¡°The DRILL will aim for a landing about a mile out from Grenity, and we¡¯ll hoof it from there. In all honesty, with the weather, we could land anywhere from a dozen miles out, to smack dab in the mayor¡¯s house. Be prepared for anything.¡±


    ¡°We expecting hostiles, Sir?¡± Jackal asked.


    ¡°I always expect hostiles,¡± Ekert said. ¡°And to be clear, just because there¡¯s a massive, cataclysmic storm obscuring War¡¯s sensors, none of this rules out a dungeon bust. We could be dropping into a D- through B-Rank flood.¡±


    ¡°Can we expect support drops from War?¡± Cool asked.


    Ekert turned his eyes to the person-sized, bullet-shaped pods along the edges of the launch-bay. Designed to fast and accurate supply drops, they were often a godsend on missions where stealth wasn¡¯t necessary.


    ¡°Expect, sure,¡± Ekert said. ¡°Rely on, no. Nothing new there. Once we¡¯ve secured our landing zone and seen to any drop-related injuries, we¡¯ll head into the city and see what the state of it is. Hard reminder here folks, we¡¯re not going down to save anybody. Our mission is to find the source of whatever started all this trouble, and put an end to it. Questions?¡±


    There weren¡¯t. The Heralds of Peace knew their work.


    ¡°Mount up,¡± Cool said, walking over to a nearby console to ready the DRILL. A few button presses ¨C along with the familiar clunking of industrial-strength mechanisms ¨C lowered the large pod into place. No sooner had it stopped, than the six stepped into their small, coffin-like slots. Another pair of clunks sealed the outer doors ¨C thick protium that could withstand a destroyer-class shelling ¨C and moved the coffins deeper into the drill.


    There, the six stood nearly face-to-face with each other, a narrow pillar ¨C kind of like a central set of nozzles at a communal or prison shower ¨C between them. In case of emergency, impact-dampening foam would fill the space, hopefully protecting the passengers from the worst.


    ¡°I really shouldn¡¯t have had that third burrito,¡± Salvo said a second before one final clunk lowered the DRILL into its launch position.


    ¡°Launch prepared,¡± a voice came over their joint comms. ¡°Coordinates set. Sorry, Vanguard, with the weather, I can¡¯t guarantee your landing spot. If things go well, you should head due north to reach Grenity.¡±


    ¡°And if things don¡¯t go well?¡± Jackal asked.


    ¡°Topography records show a mountain range that runs along the east side of the city. Find the mountains, keep them on your right, and follow,¡± the voice said.


    ¡°Odds of us landing on the other side of the mountain range?¡± Ward asked.


    Silence.


    ¡°Prepare for launch,¡± the voice came back.


    ¡°Bastard,¡± Ward hissed.


    Then there was no more time ¨C or inclination ¨C for words.


    The DRILL launched from the belly of the Herald of War like a shell from a cannon, inertia pulling at the unit for a split second until the weightlessness of space embraced them. Before they even had a second to enjoy that though, they reached the atmosphere. If hitting the gravity-jump point was like riding a wild bull, deploying in a DRILL was like doing the same thing in the middle of an earthquake.


    Add in the storm, and it was like both the quake and the bull were simultaneously drunk and in a mosh pit.


    The impact-absorbing foam deployed almost immediately, Ekert¡¯s PIRSA lighting up with minor bumps and bangs before the white foam enveloped him. Even that wasn¡¯t enough, the drop-pod shaking and rattling as it shot through the atmosphere toward the very rocky surface.


    A massive WHAM sent a powerful vibration through the whole craft, like they¡¯d impacted the ground, though Ekert¡¯s PIRSA told them they were still more than a mile above the surface. He barely had a chance to wonder what the hell they¡¯d just hit before they reached the ground.


    This second WHAM made the first feel like a love-tap, the sudden stop of it straining his body even through his PIRSA and the foam. Yellow stress lines flashed across the readout of his skeleton and muscles, though none of them turned red to indicate a break or tear. Nothing more than a bit of soreness, and his armor was already releasing a nanite swarm to fix him up.


    Good thing, too, as the tubes the unit were in jerked straight up. Foam dissolved as they passed through a mist designed to break it down, and suddenly rain coming down in sheets washed over him from one side. The magnetic locks on the soles of his boots kept him from launching into the air as the deployment vault came to a sudden stop, depositing him on the surface of the where the DRILL had dug into the ground.


    Out came his RHC in one hand, sword in the other, while his sensors ran through the gamut of options to figure out where the hell they were and what was around him.


    ¡°Status?¡± he asked into his comms.


    ¡°Clear here,¡± Salvo replied, rotary miniguns out on his shoulders. This weather would not be conducive to ordinance.


    ¡°All clear,¡± Cool echoed.


    ¡°Jackal has a severe muscle tear,¡± Dawk said a second later. ¡°Working on it now. Need thirty seconds.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve got it,¡± Ekert said.


    ¡°Foam hardened on me at a bad time,¡± Jackal cursed.


    ¡°It happens. As soon as you¡¯re able, we¡¯re moving,¡± he continued. ¡°If my scans are right, we landed only slightly off-target. Actually closer to the city than planned, too.¡±


    ¡°Any idea what we hit before we landed?¡± Ward asked.


    ¡°None,¡± Ekert said. ¡°Whatever it was, I bet it had a worse time than we did.¡±


    Even with his scanners running at full tilt, he couldn¡¯t ¡®see¡¯ much beyond thirty feet out from the group, and that was fuzzy at best. And it wasn¡¯t just the torrential rain and wind, either. Lightning flashed near constant above them, ionizing the air and playing absolute havoc with many of the scanners the PIRSAs had. Thunder shook the ground beneath their feet and sent powerful vibrations through their chests.


    And the darkness? Well, it might as well have been midnight with how absolute it was.


    On the plus side, judging by how difficult it was for them to see, it would make it equally impossible for anything else to spot them.


    ¡°According to my map,¡± Cool said over the comms, the man down on one knee with his rifle up. ¡°Grenity should be a straight shot in that direction. Not much between us and it. We can be there in less than a minute when Jackal is ready.¡±


    ¡°Which she is, now,¡± Dawk said. ¡°Nanites took care of the tear.¡±


    ¡°Then we¡¯re moving,¡± Ekert said. ¡°Cool, five-hundred feet ahead. Jackal, keep an eye on our backs. Rest on me.¡±


    Orders given, the unit bolted in the direction Cool had said the city was. At the speeds a PIRSA could move ¨C even Salvo ¨C they knifed through the rain, devouring the distance. Thankfully, along with the physical speed the armor bestowed them, it equally gave them processing power, taking in and adjusting the sensory input from the suite mapping out the ground immediately around them. Cracks and holes in the terrain that would threaten anybody not in a PIRSA at these speeds were easily avoided, even if they couldn¡¯t see more than thirty feet.


    Despite the visibility ¨C or lack thereof ¨C the group reached a fifteen-foot wall in less than a minute, then vaulted over it to find themselves at the edge of the city.


    Ekert¡¯s boots splashed to the pavement under an inch of water, sensors peeled for any alarms or shouts of surprise at the Heralds¡¯ entrance. Nothing. Not a good sign. The wall meant there were things the people wanted to keep out of their city, and guards usually accompanied something like that. Sure, the rain was bad, but there had to be failsafes in places to catch somebody ¨C or something ¨C sneaking in. No response suggested no guards.


    Ahead of them, intermittent streetlights flickered in the heavy rain, like they were a dying heart struggling to continue beating despite knowing their end was right around the corner. And, those flashes of light were the only movement in the street. No vehicles. No people.


    ¡°Smashed windows, here,¡± Cool said, peering through the shattered glass of what looked like a storefront. Some kind of bakery, it seemed. ¡°Place is leaking like a sieve. Wasn¡¯t made for this kind of weather.¡±


    ¡°Survivors?¡± Ekert asked.


    ¡°None my armor can find,¡± Cool said.


    ¡°Okay, we¡¯re heading toward the center of the¡­¡± Ekert started, only for one of his proximity detectors to flash ¨C two-hundred feet up and to his right. With the empowered speed only a PIRSA could offer, Ekert¡¯s RHC snapped up in the direction of the brief contact, his finger on the trigger¡­ but it was already gone. ¡°Did¡­?¡± he started.


    ¡°Affirmative,¡± Jackal said. ¡°There was definitely something there. Armor only caught it for a fraction of a second.¡±


    ¡°Something flying,¡± Salvo said.


    ¡°Could¡¯ve been a glitch,¡± Dawk said. ¡°Caused by all the electricity in the air.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re assuming it wasn¡¯t a glitch,¡± Ekert said. ¡°Sensors are picking up more damage to the buildings ahead of us.¡± The longer they stayed in one place, the better their scanners got at punching through the interference. Within an hour, it¡¯d be like the storm wasn¡¯t even there. His eyes went back to the sky above them, though. An hour was a long time to run around practically blind. ¡°Safeties off, permission to fire granted. Anything in the air isn¡¯t our friend.¡±


    ¡°And here I was hoping¡­¡± Salvo started, only for their proximity to detectors to light up again.


    Almost as fast as Ekert¡¯s PIRSA could process it, signals changed to alarms, something coming over the edge of a two-story building opposite the bakery. Down to street level, Ekert almost didn¡¯t believe his sensors ¨C his eyes telling him there was nothing there ¨C until suddenly Dawk got ripped off her feet, into, then through the back wall of the bakery.


    ¡°Jackal,¡± Ekert ordered, and the woman was already gone, dashing through the hole after the medichanic. ¡°Ward. Back her up. Cool and Salvo with me.¡±


    Back-to-back-to-back the two soldiers formed a triangle with Ekert, watching all sides, while the Vanguard both monitored the video feeds coming from Dawk and Jackal, and reviewed footage of whatever had attacked them.


    Despite the nothing in front of Dawk¡¯s camera, something clearly had her, smashing her through a second, then a third building, before dragging her along the ground. Flashes on her PIRSA¡¯s shields lit up across her body, like invisible chains had wrapped around her, and stress warnings issued from her joints.


    On Jackal¡¯s camera, the other woman looked to be having some kind of seizure, her body struggling and pulling as if it had a mind of its own. Dawk¡¯s left arm jerked up into the air, hand bending backward to the limit of the PIRSA, while even her warnings blinked about the elbow¡¯s integrity.


    Armor hijacking? No, doesn¡¯t show the same signs.


    Not having an answer ¨C and having even less time to find one ¨C Ekert overclocked his processors. Like a drug that slowed time around him, he threw his attention first at the footage of what had triggered his proximity sensors the second time. Reviewing it once, twice, he didn¡¯t see anything that¡­ wait, what was that? On the third run through of the footage, slowed down to almost frame by frame, what he¡¯d pegged as wind whipping through the rain looked to be far too straight to be that at all.


    Quick adjustments to the resolution, half-a-dozen filter and camera options, and he finally got a look at what he was dealing with. Eight-feet long, cylindrical, and about a foot-and-a-half thick. Was that¡­ a squid?


    A flying, invisible¡­ squid?

 Heralds – Chapter 3 – The Rain

    Vanguard Ekert stared at the strange, paused image a second longer in his overclocked state, then fed the filter-slash-image combination through his PIRSA¡¯s software, and shared it with the others. Just like that, the nothing on Jackal and Dawk¡¯s screens took terrifying shape. A monstrous, eight-foot squid had their medichanic wrapped tight in its nine tentacles, each of them trying to bend her in directions she really shouldn¡¯t bend.


    But, as soon as it became visible, it became a target.


    Trails of purple flames hanging behind her in the falling rain, Jackal was at Dawk¡¯s side in the next second. A pulse of energy from her PIRSA activated her Blink-Cut engram, and suddenly Jackal moved like she was in an old-fashioned slideshow while everybody else stayed stock-still.


    Cutting down and through, the first version of her severed the tentacle working on Dawk¡¯s arm. Before her enflamed blade fully even parted that limb, the second version of Jackal appeared on the opposite side, down low and cutting across with her second sword, aimed at the tentacles pinning Dawk¡¯s legs. The third image of her appeared hanging upside down, like she¡¯d done a cartwheel over the prone medichanic, her twinned blades scissoring backhands across in front of her to slash at the body of the invisible squid.


    Then, even as the spray of blood seemed to flicker through the air like a bug in the PIRSA¡¯s sensory suite, Jackal¡¯s fourth and final image appeared, this one immediately behind the recoiling squid. Legs already spread in a lunge, the speedster thrust both blades forward, piercing the back of the monster, and erupting from the front of it. A twist and brace with one blade, then Jackal ripped the other free, taking a good chunk of the squid¡¯s body with the burning sword.


    A shriek of pain rippled out through the falling rain, like the individual drops paused and shuddered at the sound before continuing to the ground. At the same time, the squid on top of Dawk shifted, whipping one of its tentacles around like a cudgel to try and catch Jackal.


    It wasn¡¯t nearly fast enough, the woman tearing her other blade free and darting to the side before the invisible limb snapped through the air right where she¡¯d been. Which, as practiced, lined it right up for a burst from Ward¡¯s rifle.


    Two, armor-piercing rounds led a third, concussive, buster-round to tear a wound into the chest of the monster, before ripping it open wider. The squid on top of Dawk shuddered backward, more of its glitchy blood splashing into the air in front of it. Hell, it might¡¯ve been thrown right off her, if its body didn¡¯t press up against something that held it in place.


    Dawk¡¯s drawn sidearm.


    Point-blank, she pulled the trigger again and again, pushing the speed of her PIRSA and the weapon to its limit. Despite being a single-shot weapon, it practically auto-fired with how fast she squeezed her finger, emptying an entire clip into the beast on top of her.


    When even that didn¡¯t seem to be quite enough to put the creature down, Dawk¡¯s other ¨C empty ¨C hand snapped up at the same time Jackal darted back in. Pressing up against the squid¡¯s invisible flesh, the medichanic unleashed possibly her most dangerous weapon ¨C a swarm of unstable nanites that began to ravage the monster at a cellular level.


    Invisible flesh turned into invisible goop as the nanites went to work, and the creature would¡¯ve been in for a ¨C relatively ¨C slow and painful death, except Jackal¡¯s blades cut across in opposite directions just above where the mass of tentacles met the rest of it.


    Before the terrifying edge of her swords, the squid¡¯s body parted like invisible butter, and finally the tension of the remaining tentacles on Dawk¡¯s armor lessened.


    Reports from Dawk¡¯s PIRSA fed directly into Ekert¡¯s, updates on her status and her armor, but he didn¡¯t have time to review them now. Just as the squid had died, another had shown up down the street. This one ¨C massively larger than the first ¨C zipped along the road in their direction. Likely responding to the death-cry of the other monster, it charged straight for Ekert, Salvo, and Cool, confident in either its power or its invisibility.


    Time to show it neither of those things was enough to protect it from the Heralds of Peace.


    Four weapons snapped in the speeding monster¡¯s direction, PIRSA-enhanced muscles and accuracy lining up the shots with ¨C literal ¨C military precision. Two, shoulder-mounted, rotary mini-guns went from zero to death-dealing in point-three seconds, spitting a barrage of hard-light rounds capable of undressing a tank. Next to it, Cool¡¯s PUNCH sniper rifle silently boomed, the shockwave from the sound of it bursting outward in a sphere around the trio, though it didn¡¯t make an audible peep, thanks to one of his engrams.


    Not that that was the scary part of the weapon. No, the round it fired was what made it so dangerous. Crafted from a strange and hard to find material, the six-inch-long bullet was actually a composite flechette that separated and reformed depending on the distance it traveled. Even more peculiar, it gained speed and penetrating power with distance ¨C until it reached its limit, where it just straight dropped to the ground.


    Next to them, Ekert¡¯s three-barreled RHC looked tiny by comparison. So much so, it was almost a question of if he even needed to pull his trigger.


    Almost.


    Near on thirty-five years of hard service had taught Vanguard Ekert a lot of things, and two of those always stood at the forefront of his mind.


    One, never underestimate an opponent ¨C especially one you haven¡¯t fought before.


    Two, don¡¯t start slow. Don¡¯t pull punches. When it turns time to kill something, kill it fast, hard, and with extreme prejudice.


    So, as Ekert¡¯s finger squeezed the trigger of his RHC ¨C the three barrels spinning to life in an instant ¨C he also activated his namesake engram-ability. The one he¡¯d found in his first dungeon ¨C along with the sword in his hand ¨C right after he¡¯d gotten his PIRSA. The one that¡¯d gotten him noticed, promoted, and then on the front line of every major sortie for the past three decades.


    They didn¡¯t call him Veil because it was easy to say or rolled off the tongue. He didn¡¯t wear a gauzy mask over his face, or try to hide himself away.


    No, they called him Veil because he was the thing that stood next to life and ushered it into death. He was a killer. A reaper. A force of nature himself.


    Black, flame-like energy rippled across his hand and into his weapon, igniting the spinning barrels of his RHC within a heartbeat. In the next, more bolts of hard-light joined the shower coming from Salvo¡¯s mini-guns, though these ones flew wrapped in hungry, black flames.


    Veilfire, the unique ability was called. A flame made of a swarm of insatiable nanites. One that fed and burned off life. As long as life existed within the target, the flames would continue to burn. Merciless. Unending. The only possible outcome when Ekert¡¯s Veilfire struck was simple ¨C death.


    And strike his shots did ¨C along with Salvo and Cool¡¯s attacks ¨C crashing into the squid speeding toward them like a runaway bus.


    Cool¡¯s flechette reached it first, shredding PIRSA-imaged, simulated flesh, and almost stopping the monster cold from the sheer impact of the shot. Then, before the creature even had a chance to shriek in pain, Salvo¡¯s¡­ salvo¡­ arrived, battering and tearing at the body as it went from horizontal to vertical. Tentacles slithered out from where they¡¯d trailed behind, bringing themselves up to try and reflexively block the shots chunking pieces of its body off into the falling rain.


    And, that was its first mistake. Well, it¡¯s second ¨C it never should¡¯ve tried to fight the Heralds of Peace in the first place. No, instead of trying to block the shots, it should¡¯ve run.


    Ekert¡¯s black bolts arrived even as the tentacles rose to intercept the rain of fire practically drowning it. One after another, the Veilfire rounds found flesh. Tentacles, body, it didn¡¯t matter. So small compared to the heavy shots from Salvo¡¯s mini-guns, the monster couldn¡¯t have imagined their threat. Hell, it probably didn¡¯t even feel them hitting compared to the sledgehammer-like shots it was already taking.


    But, it sure felt something when the flames took hold.


    A dozen wounds ¨C in the blink of an eye ¨C ignited across the squid, another of those shrieks of pain and outrage spreading through the falling rain as it recoiled. Except, then, when it should¡¯ve started dying, it did something very strange.


    Energy readings spiked to Ekert¡¯s sensors ¨C levels he¡¯d never seen before in something that size ¨C and strange symbols seemed to flash to life on the ends of the tentacles. All at once, the barrage from Salvo¡¯s guns and Ekert¡¯s RHC began hitting a wall of light in front of the monster.


    Some kind of forcefield?


    Unexpected, but not something they couldn¡¯t handle. Already, Ekert¡¯s PIRSA was analyzing the strength of the field based on how it reacted with each impact of their hard-light rounds. His own Veilfire didn¡¯t seem to be doing anything extra to the shield, so he like the ability drop ¨C no reason to waste energy ¨C and opened his mouth to start giving orders.


    The squid moved faster, one of its tentacles flicking up with a tiny gesture that scythed a beam of energy along the street and straight up the center of Savlo¡¯s body.


    Warning alarms flashed through the man¡¯s readout as he staggered back, his guns going silent. The beam had cut through the PIRSA, and into the man underneath. The injury wasn¡¯t deep, barely more than a papercut thanks to the crazy durability of the protium that made up the armor. Nanite swarms were already going to work both on the flesh wound and the damage to the armor, but the fact the squid could whip out an attack like that at the drop of a hat changed things.


    ¡°Threat level: Red,¡± Ekert said into his comms as he darted to the side of the street. Not a moment too soon, either, with another of those scything beams parting the pavement right where he¡¯d been. Quick scans from his PIRSA showed the beam wasn¡¯t a laser of any kind ¨C no residual heat ¨C nor was it plasma or ionic. In fact, his armor couldn¡¯t pick up any recognizable energy signature from the attack.


    Another flick of a tentacle ¨C this one horizontal ¨C and Ekert¡¯s predictive modeling software urgently suggested he duck. Again, not a second too soon, as the beam carved across above him, parting the building next to him at shoulder height.


    Scans indicated the cut went clean through the entire building, the slice so perfect, the material probably didn¡¯t even realize it¡¯d been chopped apart.


    It was like the beam didn¡¯t cut, it was cutting. The purest form of it. And it was dangerous. This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    Another flechette round from Cool¡¯s rifle slammed into the wall of light in front of the now-stationary squid ¨C black flames still burning across its body ¨C drawing its attention away from Ekert. Using that second of distraction, the Vanguard leapt through a shattered window and into a nearby storefront. Landing and rolling, he was back on his feet an instant later ¨C the PIRSA giving him athleticism that¡¯d make most gymnasts jealous ¨C and he sprinted through the first door he saw.


    Behind him, a predictable beam slashed through where he¡¯d entered, but didn¡¯t follow. In fact, readouts from his armor indicated the squid wasn¡¯t moving or firing at them. Cool had managed to get himself and Salvo into another building on the opposite side of the street, and it was like it was waiting for them to make their next move.


    Waiting¡­ and unable to see them?


    The Heralds had the advanced software and sensors of their PIRSAs practically mapping out the terrain around them, as well as their opponent. Even though Ekert couldn¡¯t visually see the squid, his armor was bouncing around enough tracking pulses, he had a highly accurate, rendered map of the area. One that was real-time within zero-point-one seconds. Combined with his predictive modeling¡­


    ¡°Down!¡± he ordered into the comms at the same time he dropped to his belly behind the counter of some kind of hardware shop.


    An instant later, that same modeling software proved its worth, with the squid¡¯s tentacles lashing out in every direction, beams of absolute cutting following. Like it was randomly trying to find them in the buildings in front of, beside, and behind it, the beams lashed through everything.


    Around and around they went, making spaghetti out of everything. Sheer luck and a lot of predictive modeling kept Ekert rolling and stretching enough to stay in one piece.


    The buildings, though, they couldn¡¯t say the same thing.


    Finally, they¡¯d had too much, collapsing in on themselves one after another.


    Within seconds, a full, city-block around the monster had fallen to pieces, and silence came with it.


    Black, insatiable flames still ravaged the thing¡¯s body, but it hovered there like it hardly cared. Like it was taking a deep breath after defeating a powerful opponent, injuries-be-damned. Too bad for it, a falling building wasn¡¯t any more impediment to a B-Rank PIRSA than the rain was.


    Ahead and to the side, one very angry man in a heavy suit of armor hurled off the shattered roof that¡¯d fallen on him. Gone were the mini-guns on his shoulders, instead replaced with mini-missile canisters on those same shoulders. As well as his arms, legs, torso, and back.


    Salvo was done playing around.


    ¡°Raaaaaaaah!¡± he shouted, his loudspeaker vibrating the air and rain in front of him from the volume, as he threw his arms back and unleashed his weapons. All at once, dozens of small missiles rocketed out from him, filling the air with their exhaust, and then converging on the squid.


    All nine tentacles stuttered in shock, then snapped up, more of those strange symbols appearing at their tips in the second before the missiles arrived. Just in the nick of time, too, with the wall of force appearing to intercept the volley.


    Explosions rocked the street. Shattered the pavement. Filled the air with smoke that rolled past the erected barrier.


    The barrier that was only in front of the squid.


    So, imagine its surprise when Ekert burst out of the smoke and rubble on its side, PIRSA pushing his speed far beyond any human limits. In that split second, he went from throwing the building off him, to leaping, to landing on the side of the bus-sized squid. Sword coated in its swarm of black nanites ¨C the same power as his Veilfire ¨C and held reverse-grip, the Vanguard drove the weapon hilt-deep into the side of the monster.


    Then, using that as an anchor point, he pressed the three, flame-enshrouded barrels of his RHC up against the thing¡¯s flesh, and pulled the trigger.


    Round after round chewed through the rubbery outer-layer of the squid, the body twitching in shock and pain, before drilling deeper inside. Even as the black flames began to literally eat away at its insides ¨C while the rounds themselves blended them ¨C the thing howled in pain and shot into the sky.


    Twisting and bucking as it moved, it sought to hurl Ekert from its body, his finger never leaving the trigger, and his body holding on like it was glued there. When that didn¡¯t work, a tentacle came around to swat him off.


    Too bad for the squid, a flechette round severed the limb even as it moved, Cool¡¯s nearly-impossible shot just another day in the office for the man.


    Another shriek of pain and glitchy blood fountaining into the air, and three more tentacles flexed to remove the unwanted passenger. The rifle-bearing man couldn¡¯t possibly fire three times that quickly, right?


    Unfortunately, that was true.


    Fortunately, Ekert had more than Cool to rely on, and Jackal appeared in the air with her Blink-Cut ability. Three of her images sliced the incoming tentacles, while the fourth got her safely back to the ground.


    Now, nearly out of its mind in pain, the squid brought all its remaining five limbs around to peel Ekert off it. Well, to try to.


    What it found, instead, were four hovering shields completely encircling Ekert in a field of energy. Ward had done his part.


    Now, it was time for Ekert to do his.


    The Veilfire ravaging the monster would kill it. His small RHC could also, eventually, kill it. The thing had proven too durable though. Too dangerous. It needed to die now.


    Instead of the weapons in his hands, Ekert reached out to his FS Storage ability. It was one of his trump cards, but holding back wasn¡¯t in his nature.


    A pulse of energy ¨C along with another activation of Veilfire ¨C and FS storage portals began opening one after another around the squid. And, from those portals, the barrels of Ekert¡¯s arsenal emerged. Shotguns. Sniper rifles. Assault rifles. Revolvers. Mini-guns. Crossbows. Throwing knives. If somebody could imagine the weapon, it was present.


    And black flames wrapped them all aiming at the squid in the middle.


    Even the monster seemed to pause as it saw or felt death reach out from those portals to wrap around it. But, if it thought it could do something to stop what was coming, it didn¡¯t even have a chance.


    Ekert didn¡¯t bother removing himself ¨C or take his finger off the trigger ¨C as every single weapon opened fire simultaneously. New thunder and lightning roared in the center of the storm, Veilfire-coated rounds converging on the squid like another rain.


    Symbols flashed on the ends of its five tentacles, planes of force forming to shield the creature from the attacks, but they didn¡¯t seem to be able to shield more than one side at a time. As soon as the barrier came up and blocked a few rounds, a dozen more hit it from every other side. And, it wasn¡¯t like it could use Ekert as a shield from his own assault.


    Bullets rained around him, even as he moved and repositioned to keep his pistol breathing death directly into any open wounds he found. With his PIRSA¡¯s predictive software, he was a leaf in the wind of his own firestorm, shots passing a hair¡¯s breadth from him, but never even nicking his armor.


    Within seconds, the squid¡¯s invisible body was riddled with holes, while black flames outlined it from tip to top. Black flames that devoured it. A few more seconds, and the thing crashed to the ground, Ekert riding it down the entire time, guns never ceasing their onslaught. Water splashed where it landed, limbs twitching in its death throes.


    Then, all at once, the black nanite flames extinguished. Gone, without a trace like they¡¯d never been there, and Ekert pulled his finger off the trigger.


    ¡°Target number two, down,¡± he said into the comms. ¡°Good work team. Status?¡±


    ¡°Shit myself, but otherwise okay,¡± Salvo said. ¡°Armor is finishing repairs now. Integrity is going to be a little iffy until its had about an hour to fully patch itself up. Unless Dawk can help with that?¡±


    ¡°Negative,¡± Ekert said. ¡°Dawk, I need you to figure out what the hell we just fought. Ward, help her get that corpse into one of the nearby buildings. A basement if we can. These things don¡¯t seem to have an easy way to find us inside.¡±


    ¡°That means there might be survivors,¡± Jackal pointed out.


    ¡°There might,¡± Ekert agreed. ¡°But, unfortunately for them, they aren¡¯t our priority. Ward, Dawk, you have your orders.¡±


    ¡°Affirmative,¡± Ward said.


    ¡°I¡¯ve already got some information for you,¡± Dawk said. ¡°Something you¡¯re really not going to like.¡±


    ¡°And what¡¯s that?¡± Ekert said.


    ¡°These things were only C-Rank,¡± the woman said, and Ekert¡¯s head looked down at the bus-sized, invisible corpse he stood on.


    His View ability hadn¡¯t triggered because he couldn¡¯t actually see the thing beneath him. But, that much trouble, and only C-Rank? It was almost too bad he knew she was right. These things were stronger than any other C-Rank¡¯s they¡¯d fought, by a lot.


    ¡°Understood,¡± he said. ¡°Cool, we need some intel on the surrounding area while Dawk cuts up some calamari and Salvo repairs his armor. These things are dangerous, so go full ghost. We¡¯ll worry about the cost later.¡±


    ¡°Understood,¡± Cool said, saluting, then stored his rifle in his FS storage. That done, his entire PIRSA grew insubstantial in the rain, and when he jogged at a nearby building, he passed right through it like it wasn¡¯t there. Or, more accurately, he wasn¡¯t entirely there.


    Being able to turn insubstantial was an almost unfair, cheat ability, and Ekert was damn glad it was on his side. It would also ¨C hopefully ¨C keep Cool safe from these monsters until they knew more about them.


    Their scout gone, Ekert hopped off the corpse of the larger squid, then jogged into a nearby building, Salvo at his heels. Jackal came behind a second later. His gut was telling him to get out of the open and stay out, so that¡¯s what he did.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to take the long way around to you three,¡± he said over the comms to Dawk and Ward. ¡°I want heads-down and no contact until we know a bit more about what we¡¯re up against and where they came from.¡±


    ¡°Got to be a dungeon-bust,¡± Jackal said. ¡°Something in those ruins they dug up. Must¡¯ve cracked something they shouldn¡¯t have.¡±


    ¡°That seems like the best answer we have so far,¡± Ekert said. ¡°But, it doesn¡¯t explain this storm. Never heard a dungeon-bust manifest like this. Something else is going on here too.¡±


    ¡°Something that can bring down a spaceport,¡± Cool said into the chat. ¡°Found what¡¯s left of it, few blocks from where you are.¡±


    ¡°Any idea what brought it down?¡± Ekert asked.


    ¡°Honestly? If we hadn¡¯t just fought a bunch of flying squids, I wouldn¡¯t know what did this damage I¡¯m seeing,¡± Cool said.


    ¡°But now you do?¡±


    ¡°Tentacles,¡± Cool said. ¡°Very, very big tentacles. The wreckage looks like something reached up and pulled it down here.¡±


    ¡°One of these squids pulled a two-mile-long spaceport out of orbit?¡± Jackal asked, clear disbelief in her voice.


    ¡°No,¡± Cool said. ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous.¡±


    ¡°Good¡­¡± Jackal started.


    ¡°The one that pulled this thing down was much bigger.¡±


    ¡°Oh, bloody hell. You¡¯re serious, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Very.¡±


    ¡°How bad is the damage to the city?¡± Ekert asked. ¡°Could that explain the communications blackout?¡±


    ¡°Most of it came down outside city limits, I think,¡± Cool said. ¡°PIRSA is still simulating the crash zone for me to¡­¡± the scout trailed off.


    ¡°Cool?¡± Ekert asked, pointing Jackal and Salvo to a set of stairs they found in the building heading into some kind of basement. Water had come in through the broken windows, and a thin layer of it rain down the steps. As long as it wasn¡¯t completely flooded down there, it could make for a decent place to regroup. Hell, even if it was flooded, that wouldn¡¯t be a problem for most of their PIRSAs, though the damage Salvo¡¯s had taken was still a big question mark.


    ¡°The rain suddenly stopped,¡± the Corporal said, and Ekert¡¯s head snapped to the open window, before he jogged over to it.


    ¡°It¡¯s still raining here¡­¡± he started, looking out and up. And up. Through the still falling rain, his PIRSA¡¯s optics overlaid a familiar combination of filters and camera options.


    Just what the hell was he looking at?


    It took his brain a solid two seconds to make sense of the blur that seemed to fill the entire sky. A massive flying squid hovered above the city. Now that he knew what he was seeing, even without his suit¡¯s sensors, he could spot the heavy rain pooling and waterfalling off its huge body in places.


    Very suddenly, it wasn¡¯t so unbelievable that something had reached up into orbit and pulled the space-station down.


    ¡°Cool, contact immediately above you,¡± Ekert said, sharing his video feed with his unit. ¡°Find cover and stay hidden until it passes.¡±


    ¡°Holy hell,¡± Jackal breathed into the comms when she saw what he was looking at.


    ¡°That¡­ uh, that¡­¡± Salvo started a few times. ¡°That doesn¡¯t look like something that¡¯s C-Rank.¡±


    ¡°No way it is,¡± Ward said. ¡°That¡¯s B- or A-Rank, at the least. Are we looking at something S-Rank?.¡±


    ¡°Sarge?¡± Jackal asked. ¡°What¡­ what are we supposed to do about that?¡±


    Ekert took a breath before he responded, centering himself. ¡°The same thing the Heralds of Peace do whenever we find a new monster ¨C a new Enemy ¨C we find a way to kill it.¡±


    Fin

 Chapter 1 – I Thought About It (ACTUAL beginning of book 5!)

    Hiral stared down at the two new runes on the palms of his hands. Well, technically, the two halves of the new rune. Singular. The Rune of Exchange. It had been one hell of a gamble putting off the inspiration for it ¨C and then accepting it when he did ¨C but it had paid off. Thanks to the rune, he¡¯d somehow managed to save Seena from the Unnamed.


    And save himself from Seeyela murdering him later if he¡¯d failed.


    With the two women in his thoughts, he looked to where they sat at a nearby table with Nivian and Wule. The two parties had just gotten back from their visit to the raid zone entrance, and now had over a hundred hours until they needed to get back. Drahn had already left ¨C both the Hanging Gardens, where Hiral sat now, and the party ¨C to recruit additional people for the zone. Needing E- through A-Rank people meant a lot of people suddenly needed Asylum access as soon as possible.


    That left a hole in their party, which was why there were two other people sitting at the table with his friends. A pair of Bonders. Coincidentally, the same two Bonders Nivian¡¯s party had rescued.


    While Hiral and the others had raced through the maze-like Siege of the Hanging Gardens and dealt with the beast wave assaulting the Bonders¡¯ fortified wall, Nivian¡¯s party had fought through their own wild dungeon ¨C the Assault on Ascender¡¯s Tower.


    Apparently, the Ascender¡¯s Tower was where the Bonder dungeons lay. Each floor housed a different Rank dungeon, with the bottom floor being E-Rank, while the top was S-Rank. And, it hadn¡¯t just been one party Nivian and the others had saved ¨C it¡¯d been ten. Three parties were each running the E-, D-, and C-Rank dungeons, and then there was the single B-Rank group there as well. It was that group that¡¯d been primarily responsible for protecting the other ¨C weaker ¨C groups when the Chimeras had arrived.


    It was also that group that¡¯d suffered the worst losses, with three of the six falling while Nivian¡¯s party rushed to their aid. A fourth had died even after the undead made their appearance, but they¡¯d at least managed to save all the weaker parties.


    Hiral had asked a bit about it, and unlike the numerous weaker enemies he had battled with his party, the enemies arrayed against Nivian¡¯s party had been much smaller in number, but higher in strength. Luckily, there hadn¡¯t been any Unnamed there. How they were going to deal with those inside the raid zone ¨C if there were any ¨C was still a very big question mark.


    ¡°So,¡± a voice said off to Hiral¡¯s side, pulling him from his thoughts, and he looked over to find Seeyela standing there. She was still practically invisible to his sensory domain, which was more than a little terrifying when he wasn¡¯t sure how she felt about him killing her sister. Sure, Seena had gotten better, but he¡¯d basically tortured the party leader. Then Separated her head into little, tiny cubes. Not a great way to make a good impression on her older ¨C and significantly stabbier ¨C sister. ¡°What tattoos does Left get now that you have those?¡± she pointed at the runes in his palms.


    ¡°None, unfortunately,¡± Hiral said. ¡°I don¡¯t have any tattoos here.¡±


    ¡°Was your shiny scalp the last empty place then?¡±


    Hiral shook his head and ran his hand across the Rune of Dreaming there. ¡°I actually have tiny tattoos on my earlobes, the Crowd As One ¨C a communication ability ¨C and Perfect Sense, which you can probably take a guess at. Good for scouting and anything requiring attention to detail. There¡¯s also the Spear of Clouds on my back that¡¯s not complete either.¡±


    ¡°Did all your other runes overlap with tattoos?¡± Seeyela asked, and looked at the bench beside Hiral.


    Getting the hint, Hiral shuffled over to the side a bit and gestured for her to sit. After she did, he moved to answering her question. ¡°They did, which is odd about this one. Then again, this rune is already odd.¡±


    ¡°How so?¡±


    ¡°Well, kind of like the Rune of Dreaming on my head.¡± Hiral pointed to his bald scalp. ¡°It¡¯s actually two halves. These two runes are¡­ more three dimensional than the other ones. You can¡¯t see it, but the lines extend inside my skin, not just across it. And, even though this Rune of Exchange is on both palms ¨C and not touching ¨C the two halves are connected, making it one single rune even though it¡¯s across a distance.¡±


    ¡°Can you use it like that?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Hiral said, then pushed solar energy into the rune. There was a slight resistance, but he was able to push past it easily enough, then had to turn his head from looking to his left to looking to his right.


    ¡°What?¡± Seeyela asked, likewise turning from right to left to look at him as she realized she was now sitting where he¡¯d just been. ¡°How did you do that?¡±


    Hiral held up his hands. ¡°Rune of Exchange. The most straightforward use of it is, well, that. Swapping places. Like what I did in that fight before.¡±


    ¡°I barely felt anything. And there wasn¡¯t a prompt like Nivian¡¯s Swarm Tactics¡­ if it¡¯s even still called that for him,¡± Seeyela trailed off.


    ¡°Maybe because it¡¯s a runic application instead of a PIMP-given ability,¡± Hiral suggested. ¡°Seems like rune-powers are a little hit-and-miss with whether or not they have names or give notifications.¡±


    ¡°And you can use the rune, just like that? You don¡¯t need to clap or anything?¡±If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    ¡°Clap?¡± Hiral asked, eyebrow up.


    ¡°Since the rune is on both hands,¡± she said, pointing.


    ¡°Uh¡­ no. Never thought of that. Like I said, even though you can¡¯t see it, it¡¯s connected. As for just like that, it¡¯s an expensive ability to use. Solar energy, I mean. Even with the efficiency boosts we have, it¡¯s one of my more costly tricks.¡±


    ¡°It didn¡¯t just use gravity to transport us, either,¡± she said, head tilted back like she was trying to remember the feel of getting exchanged. ¡°It¡¯s different than my portals or Bamf.¡±


    ¡°It is,¡± Hiral agreed. ¡°I¡¯ve still got to do some more testing with it, and I¡¯d appreciate your input on things. You¡¯re the expert on teleporting after all. If you¡¯re willing, that is.¡±


    Instead of answering, Seeyela leaned forward onto her knees, and looked at where her sister talked with the twins and Bonders. ¡°That¡¯s why I actually came over here,¡± she said slowly. ¡°Asking about the runes was just me procrastinating.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Hiral said, though he wasn¡¯t really surprised.


    ¡°Hiral,¡± she said his name evenly after a few seconds of silence. ¡°I have to ask you something, and I want you to be honest with me.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± he said, though she still wasn¡¯t looking at him.


    ¡°Against the Unnamed, did you know it would work? Did you know your new rune would be able to save Seena?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Hiral said quietly.


    ¡°Then why did you do that to her?¡± Seeyela asked, and finally turned to look at him, her face a war of emotions. The anger was impossible to miss in her eyes. But, it was tinged with sadness, guilt, and something else he couldn¡¯t quite place. Hope?


    ¡°Because I had to try something,¡± Hiral said. ¡°If I did nothing, we would¡¯ve lost her. Completely.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re sure of that?¡±


    ¡°More than anything,¡± Hiral said. ¡°You didn¡¯t see what it did to her PIM¡­¡±


    ¡°And you did?¡± she asked sharply.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Hiral said with a nod. ¡°Only because of the unique connection between the Unnamed and Seena. But, it was foul. The way it corrupted and stole what she was.¡±


    ¡°You think she would¡¯ve been better off dead if your plan didn¡¯t work?¡±


    Hiral hesitated before answering, but finally nodded, and barely whispered, ¡°I do. Even if she survived the process, she would¡¯ve been an empty shell, at best. A monster, at worst.¡±


    ¡°And,¡± Seeyela started, her teeth clenching for a second before she continued. ¡°And what makes you think you have the right to decide that for her? Because she has a crush on you?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think¡­¡± Hiral started.


    ¡°I¡¯m her sister!¡± Seeyela hissed. ¡°I should be the one who decides¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, you should,¡± Hiral shot right back. ¡°But you couldn¡¯t. So, I did. I¡¯m sorry for what I did to Seena. I really am. Every time I close my eyes, I see that thing wearing Seena¡¯s shape. And I see myself hurting it. Knowing Seena is feeling everything I do, because I could see it through her PIM, but also knowing I couldn¡¯t stop. Not if I wanted to ever see the real her again.


    ¡°In the time we had, that was the best I could do.¡±


    Seeyela¡¯s hands clenched into fists on her knees as she locked eyes with Hiral, but he wasn¡¯t going to back down on this. If this was going to be an issue between them, it needed to get settled now. Not when they were neck-deep in a dungeon or the raid zone. If she couldn¡¯t trust him because of what he¡¯d done¡­


    The woman twisted and lunged at him so quickly, Hiral¡¯s eyes widened, but he didn¡¯t try to dodge. He didn¡¯t move a muscle until after her arms wrapped around his neck, and she buried her head in his shoulder. Then, as the first sob wracked her back, he reached around and pulled her into a hug.


    ¡°Thank you for saving my little sister,¡± Seeyela said. ¡°When I couldn¡¯t.¡±


    It¡­ wasn¡¯t him she was angry at. It was herself. Again. Just like with Picoli and Balyo. While the woman was an absolute terror in a fight, her friends ¨C and her sister ¨C were her biggest weakness.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Hiral said quietly. ¡°I was lucky I had something that could help.¡±


    Seeyela gave him another squeeze before pushing herself back to a seated position. Wiping away tears with the back of her hand, she shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s not just that. Not just your rune. I know you would¡¯ve found some other way if you¡¯d needed to. You would¡¯ve made it work.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know about that,¡± Hiral said. ¡°I had another idea or two, but¡­¡±


    ¡°You would have saved her,¡± Seeyela said, iron in her voice. ¡°Like you saved Yan. Don¡¯t give me that look. I know the PIMP was involved there too, but he wouldn¡¯t be back with us if you hadn¡¯t done something. And I also know you¡¯d do the same thing for any of us. Every time.¡±


    ¡°Of course I would,¡± Hiral said.


    The woman reached out and put a hand on his shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I got angry at you out in the field. You were¡­ hurt. Badly. And all I could do was think about what you¡¯d done to Seena. I should¡¯ve helped you instead of almost¡­¡±


    Hiral shook his head. ¡°You didn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°I thought about it.¡±


    ¡°You did a little more than think about it, if I remember correctly.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t I just say you were hurt badly? Obviously, your recollection of events is a bit jumbled. I thought about it. Don¡¯t make me think about it again.¡±


    Hiral smiled despite the threat. If she could talk like that, then she really wasn¡¯t blaming him.


    ¡°You¡¯re probably right,¡± Hiral said.


    ¡°Usually am,¡± Seeyela said, then looked over again towards Seena. ¡°Usually. And, it¡¯s a relief to know you¡¯ll be there for the rare times I¡¯m not.¡±


    ¡°Are we good, Seeyela?¡± Hiral asked, just to make sure. ¡°Are you?¡±


    ¡°I need to figure my shit out,¡± Seeyela admitted with a shake of her head. ¡°But us? We¡¯re good, I hope.¡±


    ¡°We are,¡± Hiral said. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ sorry I didn¡¯t tell you what I was going to do.¡±


    ¡°I would¡¯ve stopped you.¡±


    ¡°Tried to,¡± Hiral said with a wink.


    ¡°Ugh, not you too now!¡± Seeyela groaned and leaned back.


    Hiral winced. ¡°Sorry. I think it¡¯s contagious.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, whatever,¡± she said, then leaned in and gave him one more hug. After a few seconds, she pulled away with a sigh. ¡°None of this is even why I came over to talk to you.¡±


    ¡°Oh? I¡¯m glad we did talk about it though,¡± Hiral said.


    ¡°Me too,¡± Seeyela agreed. ¡°No, it¡¯s about the Bonder dungeon. The Ascender¡¯s Tower. Nivian and Seena are in agreement we should go clear as many floors as we can for experience, achievements, and loot before we move to the raid zone.¡±


    ¡°Makes sense,¡± Hiral said. ¡°Seena mentioned something like that to me when we were at the raid zone.¡±


    ¡°Before you exploded?¡±


    ¡°Exactly.¡±


    ¡°Okay, well, maybe what she didn¡¯t mention was that one of the Bonders Nivian rescued is a tank. A B-Rank tank, at that.¡±


    ¡°Oooooh,¡± Hiral said, clearly seeing where this was going.


    ¡°Exactly,¡± Seeyela said. ¡°The other one was a damage dealer, so they¡¯re going to join Nivian¡¯s party.¡±


    ¡°Is Burs okay with that?¡± Hiral asked. ¡°Are those two Bonders okay with it? They just lost their whole party¡­¡±


    ¡°Burs was the one who suggested it,¡± Seeyela said. ¡°As for them, well, it sounds like they saw how strong Nivian and his party were. They want to be like that so they can protect the Hanging Gardens. They¡¯re turning the loss into motivation. Kind of like what we did,¡± she added quietly.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that easy,¡± Hiral said.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not,¡± Seeyela agreed. ¡°And, they don¡¯t have their friends around to support them as they work through it. It¡¯s going to be hard.¡±


    Hiral nodded. ¡°If one of them is really joining us, we¡¯ll do what we can.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Seeyela said, then patted Hiral on the knee. ¡°On that note, Mr. Raid Leader, let¡¯s go introduce you to our new tank, and his companion.¡±

 Rune Seeker book 4 launches on amazon!

    That''s right everybody! Book 4 launches on amazon today!


    Carter and I are super pleased by this, and to celebrate we will be dumping 5 chapters today!


    It''s gonna be awesome!


    We''re super thankful to you for walking with us on this journey!


    You can find it through this link: https://www.royalroad.com/amazon/B0CW1M4CJK</a>


    Also if we could some upvotes on these reddit posts, that''d be swell!


    https://www.reddit.com/r/litrpg/comments/1es6k9j/rune_seeker_4_launches_to_today_in_ebook_and/</a>


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    https://www.reddit.com/r/ProgressionFantasy/comments/1es6iv3/rune_seeker_4_launches_to_today_in_ebook_and/</a>


    Now onto the chapters!

 Chapter 9 – Tempestuous Jailbreak

    Hiral stepped through the portal with Romin and Wallop right behind him, and the blue gateway spiraled closed.


    ¡°Everything okay?¡± Seena asked.


    ¡°Fine,¡± Hiral said, looking at the notification window that had sprung up when they¡¯d entered.


    Tempestuous Jailbreak ¨C Dungeon


    D-Rank


    Top Clear Times


    Zevidiah : 37:14


    Finotol : 41:41


    Burs : 49:01


    Attempt Dungeon?


    Yes / No


    Hrm. Like Romin was saying, this one looks a bit more challenging, from the times.


    One look at Yanily, though, lightning already coursing across his body, the Cloak of the Tempest on his back spreading into the shape of wings, and it was the prisoners Hiral suddenly felt bad for.


    ¡°Ready,¡± the spearman said. Solar energy pulsed with every breath he took, then seemed to hang in the charged air. Small sparks crackled around them, while the sisters¡¯ hair began to rise around their heads.


    ¡°We¡­ should probably stand back,¡± Seena said, and everybody moved to sides of the small ready area while the party leader tapped the air. As soon as her hand hit the Yes button, the white walls of the ready room vanished. Ahead of ¨C and all around ¨C the party, hundreds of prison-cells materialized. Metals bars in the thousands ran from thick-timbered ceiling to floor, lit only by the occasional lantern, casting shadows through a space that extended far beyond what Hiral expected a ship to be. The whole thing had to be thousands of feet long, and maybe a third as wide. But, it wasn¡¯t the sight that really got his attention in that instant of the dungeon forming.


    No, it was the smell ¨C strong enough to almost knock Hiral back a step ¨C that slammed into him. A putrid combination of sweat, shit, and hopelessness, it had a thickness to it that felt like fingers reaching into his nose and throat. On top of the gag-inducing odor, the next second had what had to be the front end of the ship rising suddenly into the air, tilting the whole floor under their feet.


    Foundational Split burst out of Hiral¡¯s sides as his boots began to slip ¨C Left and Right forming next to him ¨C then the Rune of Attraction locked everybody down.


    Up, up, up the world tilted until everybody seemed to be leaning forty-five degrees forward. Then the front dropped so quickly, Hiral and the others almost had the floor slam into their backs. A massive shudder rocked the ship, pushing everybody but Yanily to their knees to keep their balance.


    In the center of the group, the spearman stood completely untroubled, like the ship wasn¡¯t trying to buck them completely off. Lightning arced off him to the nearby bars, spreading a white light through the prison area, illuminating the prisoners throwing open their cells. As one, hundreds of heads turned in the party¡¯s direction ¨C the floor evening out beneath everybody ¨C then the rush came.


    A wall of angry, bitter bodies, races of all kinds from Troblins to Squalians and humans. Another, larger group mixed with the rest. With thick, knobby skin, these things almost looked like walking trees, but they had far too much muscle to be plants.


    No, those had to be the Duggers he¡¯d only ever heard about. Unlike the Troblins, these creatures had fat lips with tusks jutting up from their bottom jaws. Heavy folds of skin hooded the top of their eyes, while quill-like protrusions coated their heads in place of hair above bat-like ears. In a way, the things looked like an odd combination of Quillbacks, Troblins, and the Spined Great Tusks.


    For a brief second, Hiral wondered if he¡¯d need to do something ¨C even with a two-Rank difference, this many bodies could overwhelm them ¨C until Yanily stepped forward. Or, maybe lunged was a better descriptor, his spear thrusting out while the lightning vanished from his body and the air around the party. Only for it to reappear in a thunderous roar like a beast finally unchained.


    Leg-thick ropes of lightning snarled ahead, scoring long burns across the floor and ceiling until they slammed into the lead runners. Striking them so fast they didn¡¯t even have time to react ¨C or get thrown away ¨C before they were suddenly ash, the lightning lived up to its name, chaining outward. And, even as those lead bolts of Chain Lightning+ spread in all directions, two more follow-up bolts launched from Yanily¡¯s spear, courtesy of his cloak and the Wristbands of the Recurring Tempest. Each with a chance to repeat abilities he¡¯d used ¨C apparently both had triggered.


    The devastation was instant and decisive, a wave of ash blasting away from the party as body after body simply poofed in a rushing line towards the far end of the room. Bones lit up for a split second within the flesh before both disintegrated, washing those standing behind them in fine grey powder before they themselves evaporated. Where Hiral thought the arcing lightning would eventually run out of power, he found his eyes widening as it just kept going. Within three blinks, the room was almost entirely empty of bodies ¨C all the way to the far wall and a lonely set of stairs leading up ¨C with only three prisoners left standing. And those, barely at all.


    View popped up a moment later to identify the three Mid-Bosses. Warlord Dugger Dugg, Split-Twin Ror, and Split-Twin Mir. Just looking at the three staggering out of their cells, bodies smoking and charred in places, it was easy to tell they weren¡¯t long for this world.


    While similar to the other Duggers, Warlord Dugg was a hulking specimen. More spines ¨C like the ones on his head ¨C trailed across his shoulders and down his muscular arms. Fists like warhammers hung at his sides, until he casually reached out and ripped one of the prison cell doors off its hinges to use as a weapon. Part of Hiral¡¯s mind wondered why he didn¡¯t just do that to escape in the first place, but his attention quickly got pulled to the Twins.


    Like Romin had mentioned, there was definitely¡­ something else going on there. Almost like one person had been split right down the middle and separated in two, their ¡®outer¡¯ sides were normal. Just people, like a Grower or Maker on the outside ¨C without any tattoos or anything. However, it was their ¡®inner¡¯ sides that got Hiral¡¯s mind spinning.


    A pair of gaunt arms grew from the shoulder and just below ¨C similar to the crystal golems the Builders made ¨C but each ended in a hand with clawed fingers. A blade of bone seemed to protrude from the backs of those elbows, while another, shorter one, rose from the shoulders. Even that side of the torso, now that Hiral was looking, seemed starved, with the ribs outlined through the alabaster-colored flesh, red veins visible through the thin skin. From the back, around the shoulder blade, a pitch-black wing extended, though the feathers looked more like long, narrow scales. On the bottom, the leg was of similar make, relatively human-shaped until it got to the foot, where more claws adorned the toes, and a spike of bone extended from the heel.Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    All of that ¨C different as it was ¨C didn¡¯t prepare Hiral for the head. A single horn jutted from the temple at eye-level straight ahead, shaped almost like a bolt of lightning. Beside it, the eye would¡¯ve seemed entirely black, except Hiral¡¯s high Atn picked out what looked like a universe within it ¨C eerily similar to Fate Spinner. The lipless mouth extended almost all the way back to the slightly pointed ear, sharp teeth fitting together so perfectly, Hiral wouldn¡¯t have even realized it wasn¡¯t flesh if the mouth wasn¡¯t open. Glistening hair hung from its head, and ¨C honestly ¨C if it wasn¡¯t for the damage Yanily¡¯s attack had done, the facial features could¡¯ve almost been said to be¡­ beautiful. Perfectly proportioned, it was¡­


    ¡°Kindred?¡± Li¡¯l Ur said. ¡°That¡¯s unexpected.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s a¡­?¡± Seena started, before light seemed to flee the room. No, flee wasn¡¯t the right word. Consumed. Light. Color. All of it pulled towards a single point as the world turned monochrome.


    A point directly in front of Yanily¡¯s mouth as the man leaned forward.


    Energy spiraled into a growing sphere, the air around it warping as it grew and then condensed in power. One second ¨C no, less ¨C was all it took before the ball of energy tore apart, and his Dragon Breath was unleashed.


    Growing from the size of a fist to a beam more than a foot wide, the blast overtook the three Mid-Bosses ¨C who were conveniently lined up in front of the spearman ¨C and punched straight through them before they could take another step. Charred lines along the ceiling and floor, just from the proximity to the beam, ran the length of the room.


    For a split second, Hiral could see straight through the perfectly symmetrical holes in each of the Mid-Bosses¡¯ chests ¨C and the one through the staircase and outer hull of the ship ¨C before the bodies fell over. Just like that, the entire room was empty except for the party.


    ¡°Damn, Yan,¡± Seeyela said, though she didn¡¯t get to say anymore before Yanily shot ahead with his movement ability.


    ¡°We¡¯re not getting left behind,¡± Hiral said, igniting his pseudo-aspect and grabbing the others in his scarves without a word. Then he was moving too, the ruins of the prison blurring past as he caught up to Yanily and followed the other man up the stairs. Rain lashed against him halfway up, though a field of Rejection pushed it back a heartbeat later, and he crested the top step.


    To find a massive serpent¡¯s head staring down at them. Spikes as long as a horse-drawn wagon ¨C complete with four horses to pull it ¨C extended back from the side of the beast¡¯s head, leathery flesh between them vibrating in threat. Fangs as big as some buildings extended from its upper jaw, while the serpentine eyes narrowed. Scales like shields glistened in the rain, while two fins almost like wings ran down the length of the massive body that vanished over the side of the ship and into the thrashing sea.


    Well, maybe vanished wasn¡¯t quite right. Hiral could feel more of the body behind him through his sensory domain, wrapped around and around and around the hull of the ship. Squeezing. It was a wonder the whole deck hadn¡¯t already collapsed, though anything that had been in that area was now simply gone.


    That would have to be the part of the Boss they¡¯d have to target to bring that head down within range to hit.


    The head that¡­ was still staring at them. In fact, the whole sea serpent seemed to have completely frozen in place.


    Eyes narrowing, Hiral let View activate.


    (Boss) Unilaxtiz ¨C Ward of the Storm ¨C Unknown Rank


    Even as the name appeared above the Boss¡¯s head, the monster¡¯s eyes closed, and its massive form lowered. But it wasn¡¯t attacking. Lower and lower the head went, until the chin gently touched the deck fifty feet in front of the party. Only there ¨C though it still towered over the group ¨C did it open its eyes, to look intently at one person.


    Yanily.


    The spearman stood in front of the rest of the party, lightning sparking along his body while the bottom of his spear rested on the deck beside him. And though he didn¡¯t have his weapon at the ready, an aura of unflinching dominance poured off him.


    Ward of the Storm¡­?


    The sea-serpent wasn¡¯t attacking¡­ because it was bowing. To Yanily.


    ¡°Go on then,¡± Yanily said, lifting up his free hand to make a shooing gesture.


    Relief seemed to pass across the Boss¡¯s body in a wave, and Hiral felt the previous death grip of the serpent¡¯s long body on the ship loosen ever-so-carefully. Hundreds of feet of body ¨C thousands ¨C unfurled from around the hull until only the head remained, the rest hidden beneath the waves that calmed within the next blink of an eye. Overhead, thick storm clouds that¡¯d been spewing rain simply broke apart and fled in all directions, the sun appearing to shine down like it¡¯d been there the whole time.


    With the sea calm all around them, the Boss finally lifted its head from the ship¡¯s deck, gave one last bobbing bow, then gently slipped beneath the surface of the water.


    ¡°Uh¡­¡± Seena started. ¡°Is that¡­ did we win?¡±


    As if in answer to her question, a notification window sprung up in front of Hiral¡¯s face.


    Dungeon ¨C Tempestuous Jailbreak: Complete


    New Record


    Time: 0:01:01


    Through force ¨C and apparently mercy ¨C you¡¯ve ¡°quelled¡± a dangerous riot and prevented a violent horde from descending on a peaceful land.


    Time until Dungeon ¨C Tempestuous Jailbreak instance closure: 59:99


    ¡°Damn,¡± Yanily said, turning with a smile to the rest of the party. ¡°Bet I could get it under a minute next time.¡±


    As Yanily said that, Hiral looked off the side of the ship. Where was a peaceful land? With the storm gone and the sea calm, it actually didn¡¯t take him long to figure it out ¨C a coast of sandy beaches well within swimming distance. Even if the ship had been crushed, any who escaped its grasp could¡¯ve made it to shore. And beyond the beaches? Plains of flowing green grass, extending far in the distance until they reached the foot of a towering mountain.


    One with a crescent shaped peak¡­


    ¡°Before we even talk about next time,¡± Seeyela started, drawing Hiral¡¯s attention back to the group. ¡°What did you do, Yan? Did you just chase the Boss away with a staring contest?¡±


    ¡°Oh, Laxi? Nah,¡± Yanily said, somehow referring to the massive sea serpent by a nickname. ¡°He worked for Heaven¡¯s Punishment, so he recognized me, I guess? Apologized a whole bunch for attacking a ship I was on ¨C even though it¡¯s trespassing ¨C then begged for me to spare him. Said something about having a wife and kids at home, you know, usual sob story.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think anything about this is usual,¡± Hiral said. ¡°And, even though this is a dungeon, that worked?¡±


    ¡°I guess?¡± Yanily said with a shrug. ¡°I don¡¯t make the rules.¡±


    ¡°You know,¡± Seena said. ¡°I still have more questions ¨C like what the Kindred thing you talked about is, Ur ¨C but that¡¯s the interface over there. Let¡¯s get our rewards and move on to the C-Rank dungeon while you explain that,¡± she finished while talking to the little lich.


    ¡°Of course, Mistress,¡± Li¡¯l Ur said, and the group walked over to the interface.


    As soon as they reached it, Seena paused as if something had occurred to her. ¡°Hey, did anybody get an achievement for speed running our third dungeon?¡±


    Hiral did a quick check to see if he¡¯d missed a notification. Nothing. ¡°Not me,¡± he said.


    ¡°Nothing here,¡± Seeyela agreed, and the others quickly confirmed the same.


    ¡°Ah well,¡± Seena said. ¡°There goes that theory. Too bad.¡±


    That hope quashed, the party leader swiped her hand above the crystal, and the whole dungeon began to darken, though Hiral¡¯s eyes went back to the mountain in the distance.


    That really looks like the same one, except from a different angle¡­


    Then it was gone, swallowed by the absolute night sweeping across the land. In its place, far above, the night sky filled with stars. Pinpricks of light appearing one by one, then ten by ten. Soon, hundreds, thousands, millions of them filled the sea of black above, and reflected off the actual sea below. Just when Hiral thought that would be it ¨C and the chests would appear ¨C the stars above began to streak across the sky. No, it wasn¡¯t the stars moving, it was them. Like the world they were on was suddenly spinning in place. Individual stars became searing lines, merging together as the world spun and spun.


    The sea of black with white specks quickly reversed into a sea of white, only the faintest hint of the darkness lingering in the corner. Then, all at once it stopped, leaving the ship floating in light, though nothing was visible beyond it.


    ¡°That was new,¡± Yanily said quietly.


    ¡°Same as usual,¡± Romin said, voice normal, though the rest of the party stared in wonder at the different dungeon conclusion. ¡°Chests have arrived.¡±


    Hiral let his eyes linger in the direction of the mountain for a few more seconds before he pulled them away to eye the five chests ¨C again ¨C on the deck. Like the Quaint Farm dungeon, the chests here looked almost identical. Has to be more of those vials, just like we were hoping.


    ¡°All right folks, let¡¯s get these done and move on to the C-Rank dungeon,¡± Seena said. ¡°Don¡¯t think we need a rest after this one, though, Left, if you would?¡±


    ¡°Got it,¡± Left said, once again bringing out the Banner of Courage to help Yanily regain his solar energy.


    With the dome of gold light mixing with the dungeon¡¯s light, Hiral walked over and opened his chest.


    Time for another upgrade.

 Rune Seeker 5 release on ebook and Rune Seeker 4 release on audible!

    Yooooo! It is time! Time for Rune Seeker book 5 on ebook and Book 4 on audiobook!


    Check the cover:


    Thank you so so so much for reading folks!


    As always, you do NOT have to do anything, but if you feel like supporting the novel, then check out the links here:


    Book 5 Link: https://www.royalroad.com/amazon/B0DCKDQF65</a>


    The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.Book 4 Audible Link: https://www.audible.com/pd/Rune-Seeker-4-Audiobook/B0D5JK6JTZ</a>


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    Cya at the end of December!

 Book 6 - Chapter 1 – You Offered

    Hiral cracked open the door to the war room ¨C that¡¯s what they were calling the space with the War Table in it ¨C then poked his head in.


    ¡°Dad, you in here?¡± he asked even as his sensory domain ballooned out ahead of him. Rejection gently pressed against everything as Expansion carried it forward, painting a complete picture of the room¡¯s contents, like another sense. Expectedly, a reply came from the far side of the table.


    ¡°Hiral?¡± Elezad asked, looking up from where he inspected the mapped-out rendition of the Cradle of Tomorrow. ¡°Did you just get back?¡±


    Not even having finished his question, Hiral¡¯s father rounded the corner of the table and ushered his son to come in. Other than the two of them, the room was empty of people. Sure, there were chairs enough for the entire Trust ¨C the council of six that advised Grandmother, their General ¨C but none of them were present at the time. And, from the looks of the table with a spread of food, they hadn¡¯t been gone long.


    Hiral narrowed his eyes at his father. ¡°You already knew I was back. And you kicked the others out.¡± He crossed his arms. ¡°Nat and Milly said you did the same thing the first time they got back from a trial.¡±


    His father paused mid-step, eyes looking everywhere other than directly at Hiral. The man¡¯s mouth opened, paused, closed, then opened again. ¡°So, what if I did? You three are so popular right now, I hardly ever get any alone-time with my kids!¡±


    ¡°I came to report on the trials we did,¡± Hiral said, resisting the urge to sigh at his doting father¡¯s predictable antics. ¡°Isn¡¯t this a¡­ I don¡¯t know¡­ an abuse of power or something?¡±


    ¡°P¡¯shaw,¡± Elezad said with dismissive wave of his hand. ¡°Aunt and Uncle were already complaining about taking a break,¡± he said, referring to the two Grower members of the Trust. The pair that seemed to get along with everybody other than each other. ¡°Fyre said she was bored, and Ceelia wanted to talk to Burs before he headed out.¡± Those were the two Bonder representatives on the Trust. Which just left one more unaccounted for. The one Hiral actually trusted the least.


    ¡°Olimpas?¡± Hiral asked, the image of the Maker clear in his mind. The same image as the Artist who¡¯d ordered Hiral killed the first time he¡¯d been on the surface. Sure, the man had a possible excuse of another Shaper using an ability to copy his appearance, but nobody had been able to prove it one way or another. That left Elezad keeping an eye on the man.


    ¡°Wanted to talk to Ilrolik, when we got word you were all back,¡± Elezad said.


    ¡°News travels quickly around here,¡± Hiral said.


    Elezad thumbed at the War Table. ¡°Only because we were looking at the table when you returned,¡± he explained. ¡°B-Rank areas suddenly got more detailed, and we got information on the trials you found and completed.¡±


    ¡°Ah.¡± Hiral nodded. Of course. The War Table was connected to their PIMs somehow, so whenever a party ¨C or individual ¨C returned to the fortress, any areas they visited updated on the map. ¡°And since we were the only B-Rank groups out¡­¡±


    ¡°It had to be you coming back,¡± Elezad finished for him.


    ¡°Then, seeing as the map already has all the information I was going to give you, I guess I don¡¯t need to report in,¡± Hiral said and started to turn.


    ¡°Whoa now! Not so fast,¡± Elezad said, quick-stepping over to his son. ¡°There are things the map doesn¡¯t tell us. Details about the trials and¡­ and¡­ trial¡­ details,¡± he finished lamely. ¡°We have finger sandwiches?¡±


    Hiral chuckled. ¡°Really, should the others be here for this?¡±


    Elezad shook his head, expression more serious. ¡°No, really, they needed the break. We all do. It¡¯s been almost non-stop. I¡¯ll update them in a few hours when we reconvene. Honestly, if it was anybody but you, I¡¯d have locked the door and taken a nap under the snack table.¡±


    ¡°You can still do that,¡± Hiral offered, looking closer at his father. Now that the man¡¯s antics had faded, Hiral could see the bags under his eyes. Sure, Hiral and his raid group had been out running a long trial, but it didn¡¯t seem like his father had been working any less hard. ¡°I can come back later to¡­¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Elezad. ¡°This is good. I want to hear about your trials, and I¡¯ve got a couple things to update you on as well. Need you to stick around for a bit, also.¡±


    ¡°Another Beast Wave due?¡± Hiral asked, catching on as he followed Elezad around to the head of the War Table to get a better look at their half of the Cradle of Tomorrow. Like before, half the map remained clouded in a thick fog. People had tried sticking their hands into the fog to see if they could ¡®feel¡¯ any hints of what lay within, but all their fingers felt was the hard wood of a table. Since their side of the table had grown more detailed with each zone explored, Hiral just chalked it up to magic shenanigans and left it at that.


    ¡°One came shortly after you left,¡± Elezad said. ¡°Put the interval between the first two waves around thirty¡¯ish hours. With everything going on, we didn¡¯t keep careful enough track. If it¡¯s going to be a regular thing, the next one will be in ten to fifteen hours. Burs and his group were around for the last one, and we actually needed them a few times.¡±


    ¡°So, you want one of the B-Rank groups around at all times?¡± Hiral reasoned.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Elezad confirmed. ¡°Sorry. I know it¡¯s going to slow down your trial progress, but¡­ look, let me be honest with you. Grandmother was a good choice to be our General. And, when that Ex-General attacked, we would¡¯ve lost a lot of people if she wasn¡¯t here protecting them.


    ¡°But¡­ she wouldn¡¯t have been able to beat that thing. I¡¯ve learned a bit more about her abilities since then, and she¡¯s just not a fighter. Tough as one of the Fallen¡¯s towers, but her ¨C What was Nat calling it? ¨C her build, that¡¯s it, it¡¯s not put together for fighting. If she was in a party, she¡¯d be a back-line support. Besides her natural, A-Rank status, she doesn¡¯t have much to throw at a fight.¡±


    Hiral nodded again, thinking back to the Chimeric Ex-General that¡¯d attacked the fortress after Hiral and his group had completed Tomorrow¡¯s Playhouse. It¡¯d been the closest Tomorrow had gotten to a perfect race ¨C apparently ¨C though it still hadn¡¯t met her standards. Instead, she¡¯d put it into some kind of stasis, to be automatically released and seek out the strongest person in the Cradle. Hiral and the others had assumed that would be one of them.


    It wasn¡¯t ¨C the Ex-General had gone straight after the only A-Rank in the valley. Grandmother. And it had brought a small army with it. If Hiral hadn¡¯t gotten back when he did ¨C with Left and Right ¨C things would¡¯ve been far worse. He¡¯d literally found the Chimera with its hand around Grandmother¡¯s throat like it was about to throttle her.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong,¡± Elezad continued. ¡°She stepped in during the last wave, and it really helped. She¡¯s plenty strong, but if we need something done decisively¡­¡±


    ¡°You want people with abilities built around combat,¡± Hiral said. ¡°Yeah, I get it. And, it¡¯s fine. After that last trial, we could use a bit of a break anyway. Did somebody have this conversation with Burs and his group already? We¡¯ll have to coordinate a bit to make sure none of us stay out too long.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what Aunt and Uncle are doing now,¡± Elezad said. ¡°Two trials or fifteen hours. That¡¯s how long they¡¯ll stay out.¡±


    ¡°Oof,¡± Hiral said. ¡°I guess we were out longer than that. We got the two trials done, but it was what, a little over twenty hours since we left?¡±


    ¡°Around that,¡± his father said. ¡°And, I¡¯d like to know why the two trials took your groups so long¡­¡±


    ¡°Really only one of them,¡± Hiral said with a groan. ¡°The other was quick.¡±


    Elezad held up his hands to stop Hiral right there. ¡°We¡¯ll get to that. First, though, how are you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, Dad,¡± Hiral said immediately.


    ¡°Hiral,¡± Elezad said in his I¡¯m-your-father-and-you¡¯re-going-to-be-straight-with-me voice. ¡°It¡¯s barely been over forty hours since you forcefully put yourself into A-Rank. Then passed out mid-sentence and went into seizures. Milly says she didn¡¯t do much, but I¡¯m pretty sure she¡¯s lying so I don¡¯t worry. I don¡¯t have the same attunement you do ¨C or your fancy runes ¨C but even I felt your solar energy take a serious nose-dive. Whatever you did, it looked like it was going to kill you. For a few hours there¡­¡±


    ¡°It didn¡¯t kill me,¡± Hiral pointed out gently before his father could go down the what-if-path. ¡°And, if I¡¯m being honest here too, it probably would¡¯ve killed anybody other than me. Look, before you start to worry, even if I wanted to do the same thing again ¨C which I don¡¯t ¨C I don¡¯t think I could. I had to use the Edicts to breach A-Rank unnaturally like that, and I just don¡¯t have access to them regularly like that.


    ¡°Besides, I¡¯m B-Rank-twenty now. I can evolve to A-Rank at any point, and I will when the others are ready.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t change what you did,¡± Elezad said. ¡°Or what it did to you. Are you really fine after that?¡±


    ¡°I really am,¡± Hiral said. ¡°Now,¡± he amended. ¡°My time on the surface and in the dungeons has gotten me a few advantages. More than a few. And, those combined with one of Gran¡¯s abilities created a perfect ¨C once in a lifetime ¨C convergence of events that let me do what I did without outright exploding. In a bad way, I guess, since I explode pretty much on the regular.


    ¡°Dad, I did what I needed to do to beat the Ex-General. Yes, the side-effects were terrible, and I never want to go through them again. They also took me out of commission for a while, but I did recover.¡±


    ¡°That quickly?¡± Elezad pushed. ¡°You were walking around like Grandmother. Without her cane.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t remind me,¡± Hiral said. ¡°Those first few hours after I woke up were the worst. My body heals pretty fast though. I was back to ninety-percent by the time we left for the trials, and the workout got me the rest of the way. You can ask Left and Right if you don¡¯t believe me.¡±


    ¡°They would tell me¡­¡± Elezad said, seriously considering the suggestion.


    ¡°I¡¯m a little hurt here that you don¡¯t trust me¡­¡±


    ¡°You offered.¡±


    ¡°Rhetorically!¡±


    ¡°You need to make that more clear.¡±


    Hiral just crossed his arms and stared at the man.


    ¡°And you need to work on that look,¡± Elezad continued. ¡°It¡¯s not nearly as effective as when Milly does it.¡±


    Hiral winced just thinking about it. ¡°She¡¯s a bit terrifying, isn¡¯t she?¡±


    Elezad rubbed his cheeks like he was trying not to think about it, then gently slapped them, and stepped in to put his hands on Hiral¡¯s shoulders. ¡°I know other people have told you this, Hiral,¡± his father said. ¡°What you did, it saved us from that monster. Thank you. I also know you did it well aware of what the consequences would be.


    ¡°I won¡¯t tell you not to be reckless. Or not to do something like that in the future. If you hadn¡¯t done that, I could¡¯ve lost my girls.¡±


    ¡°And yourself,¡± Hiral said gently, remembering seeing his father unconscious between his sisters on the battlefield.


    ¡°Maybe, but, speaking from experience here, losing a child is far worse than dying, for a parent.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I put you through that¡­¡± Hiral said, referring back to when he¡¯d first leapt from the islands to go down to the surface. When everybody had believed he¡¯d died down there.


    ¡°I know you are,¡± Elezad said, not dwelling on it. ¡°You had a good reason for going, and every reason to believe you¡¯d make it back without trouble. No, what I¡¯m getting at is that I¡¯m not going to try to stop you from doing what you¡¯re going to do. Instead, I¡¯m going to give you the same advice my father gave me when I chose to be an Artist.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to be the best at what you do ¨C I won¡¯t love you any less ¨C but do everything you can to try to be. You won¡¯t be satisfied with anything less.¡±


    ¡°You know I will,¡± Hiral said.


    ¡°Good,¡± Elezad said, hands still on Hiral¡¯s shoulders. ¡°And I¡¯m going to add my own spin on it, specifically for this situation. It¡¯s a little different than me being an Artist, after all.


    ¡°Get so damn strong none of us have to worry about you ever again.¡±


    ¡°That¡­ doesn¡¯t really sound like advice¡­¡± Hiral pointed out.


    ¡°It¡¯s kind of advice. Maybe more of a suggestion? Either way, do that.¡±


    ¡°Was always my plan,¡± Hiral said. ¡°Me and my party. First, we¡¯ll take care of whatever¡¯s on the other side of this valley. Then we¡¯ll figure out how to deal with the Enemy and the Raze.¡±


    ¡°If anybody can, it¡¯s you,¡± Elezad said. ¡°You¡¯ve always been stubborn once you put your mind to something.¡±


    ¡°Have you and Loan been sharing notes or something? He says the same thing.¡±


    ¡°Your old trainer knows you pretty well,¡± Elezad said. ¡°Enough about all that though. I¡¯ve got one more question for you before you give me your trial report.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Hiral asked, honestly a little happy to move past the topic.


    ¡°How are things working out with Dole?¡± his father asked, removing his hands from Hiral¡¯s shoulders and stepping back.


    Hiral blew out a breath prior to answering. Before they¡¯d gone out to run their trials, Nivian had had to find a replacement for Politet. The alchemist¡¯s attempt on Hiral¡¯s life ¨C and the undead¡¯s subsequent death at Nivian¡¯s hands ¨C had left a hole in the party. There hadn¡¯t been a lot of B-Rank options either. At least, not until Elezad brought a familiar face to the group.


    One of the two Shapers Hiral had met ¨C and Right had threatened for using Hiral¡¯s old nickname of Everfail ¨C up in his father¡¯s studio. Dole had come to the raid zone late, as part of a mixed-Rank group who¡¯d banded together to clear three, low-Rank dungeons. Apparently, his unusual build had gotten him passed over during the initial selection process of who would come to the raid zone. That hadn¡¯t stopped the man from finding his own way here.


    After renewed apologies ¨C and a real lack of options ¨C Nivian had agreed to give the man a chance to see how he fit with the group. And, the answer?


    ¡°He actually wasn¡¯t bad,¡± Hiral said. ¡°I can see why Ilrolik didn¡¯t pick him for the initial group ¨C his tattoo combination is downright strange on paper.¡±


    ¡°But,¡± Elezad asked. ¡°Did it work?¡± The man had a bit of a stake in the question, considering he¡¯d inked most of those tattoos.


    ¡°Surprisingly well,¡± Hiral said. ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong, they¡¯d be downright terrible in the Amphitheatre of the Sun, but for a dungeon run or trials? Using them the way he did? They were good. He was good. And he fills the pseudo-buffer-slash-support role Nivian¡¯s group needed. We¡¯ll keep him around a while longer.¡±


    Elezad nodded. ¡°We¡¯re seeing combinations like his tattoos on more Artist and Academic¡¯s Mediums ¨C and they have a real advantage with them ¨C but I always saw the potential in what he asked for. I¡¯m glad to see it working out for him.¡±


    ¡°Advantage?¡± Hiral asked. ¡°Why would an Artist or Academic have an advantage?¡±


    ¡°Oh, maybe you haven¡¯t heard? We¡¯re just learning about it ourselves, really. Artists and Academics can slightly manipulate ¨C or alter ¨C the tattoos on the Mediums. Tweak the functionality a bit. Artists especially, if they ink the tattoos themselves. On the other hand, Academics can modify the effects on the fly slightly. Shapers get pure physicality out of their tattoos and Meridian lines, while Artists and Academics get flexibility.¡±


    ¡°Huh,¡± Hiral said, thinking it through. ¡°I guess that makes sense. Wouldn¡¯t be balanced otherwise.¡±


    ¡°And we¡¯re still learning more about what the two groups can do. There are probably other advantages we haven¡¯t even realized yet.¡±


    ¡°I bet Gauto is loving this.¡±


    ¡°Oh, he absolutely is,¡± Elezad said. ¡°He¡¯s been a big part of identifying differences in the classes. There¡¯s a small group of Academics down here with us devoting any time they aren¡¯t running trials on learning and documenting.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll have to track him down while I¡¯m back. I think he was looking for me before we went out on the trial run,¡± Hiral thought back to how he¡¯d kept missing his friend.


    ¡°He was,¡± Elezad said. ¡°And he should be back as well. Let¡¯s get your trial report done so you can go find him.¡±


    ¡°Sounds good to me.¡±