《Rune Seeker: A Progression Fantasy litRPG ( Book 6 Running now on RR)》


 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. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    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. If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    ¡°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. Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    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 story; please report.


    ¡°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¡­¡± If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. 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 text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    ¡°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 tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    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 narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    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. Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    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.


    The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    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. Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


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


    ¡°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.¡±This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    ¡°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. Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°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.¡±If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. 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.Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    ¡°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.¡±Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    ¡°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 tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°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 author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡°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.Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.


    ¡°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. Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    ¡°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 Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.</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 story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


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


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


    ¡°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. This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    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?¡±Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    ¡°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>


    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    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 story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    ¡°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.¡± The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡°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?¡±Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    ¡°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>


    This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    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.Stolen story; please report.


    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>


    If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.Book 4 Audible Link: https://www.audible.com/pd/Rune-Seeker-4-Audiobook/B0D5JK6JTZ</a>


    Also, if you feel like it, I''d love some upvotes on these Reddit posts:


    https://www.reddit.com/r/litrpg/comments/1hh3w5f/a_double_feature_extravaganza_of_a_release_rune/</a>


    https://www.reddit.com/r/ProgressionFantasy/comments/1hh3sbj/a_double_feature_extravaganza_of_a_release_rune/</a>


    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.The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°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.¡±

 Book 6 - Chapter 2 – Yanily Does Love His Loot

    ¡°So,¡± Elezad started as the two of them looked down at the War Table, the map of the Cradle of Tomorrow sprawled out in front of them.


    It was definitely more filled in than it had been the last time Hiral had a chance to look at it, but if he had to guess, they¡¯d still only mapped out less than twenty percent of their side of the map. For a valley that should only be as big as Fallen Reach, the place was huge. Spatial shenanigans.


    ¡°We know the names of the trials you undertook,¡± his father continued, ¡°as well as their locations and rewards ¨C thanks to the War Table ¨C but nothing about what was inside. What can you tell me?¡±


    ¡°Like I was saying before,¡± Hiral said. ¡°One of the two was pretty quick, and the other must¡¯ve taken¡­ jeez¡­ seventeen hours or so? It was a long one.¡±


    ¡°All combat?¡± Elezad asked, wincing. He was probably imagining any other group trying to pull that off.


    ¡°Thankfully not,¡± Hiral said. ¡°Mostly not, actually.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like there¡¯s a bit of a story there, so let¡¯s start with the shorter trial. This one only took a few hours?¡±


    ¡°Less than two,¡± Hiral said, scanning the map until he found the familiar location he was looking for ¨C a cave that looked like it had teeth at the entrance. Given the trial itself, maybe those were actual teeth. ¡°The Gluttonous Maw ¨C which, by the way, is what I think we¡¯re going to start calling Right and his pastry problem ¨C was a combat trial. Waves of combat, to be precise.¡±


    ¡°How many?¡± Elezad asked, already taking notes. ¡°And definitely B-Rank? Any chance C-Ranks could do it?¡±


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t risk it,¡± Hiral said immediately. ¡°It was eleven waves, with the final one being the cave itself. The theme of the fights was ¡®things that want to eat us¡¯, and that cave might be more of a stomach than a natural formation. The waves came pretty quick, one after another, as well, so I don¡¯t think a C-Rank group could do it.¡±


    ¡°How did your group do?¡±


    ¡°We are¡­ particularly well-suited to deal with wave-type encounters,¡± Hiral chuckled. ¡°Our domains do a lot of the work for us, especially in the early waves. With Nivian and Ilrolik¡¯s groups also there, we basically skipped the first half of the trial. Started getting tougher around wave six, but even then, we did just fine until the surprise final fight of wave eleven.¡±


    ¡°Something happen on wave-eleven?¡±


    ¡°Just Devison losing his damn foot again. I swear, is the thing actually attached in the first place? Even Gran was threatening to stich it ¡®some place that¡¯d make relieving himself real difficult¡¯ ¨C her words ¨C but, other than that, no problems.¡±


    ¡°What can you tell me about the monsters and their abilities?¡± Elezad asked.


    ¡°Left and Yan are putting together entries for the guide,¡± Hiral said. ¡°They said they¡¯d be done in an hour or so. How about I bring you those? All the info you need ¨C and more ¨C will be there.¡±


    ¡°Yanily is really taking this guide thing seriously, isn¡¯t he?¡± Elezad said. ¡°Not that I¡¯m complaining! The information is saving lives, no doubt about it.¡±


    ¡°Yanily¡­ didn¡¯t take losing people very well,¡± Hiral said. ¡°When we first came down to the surface. I¡¯m sure you heard. There were twelve of us at the beginning ¨C not including Left and Right ¨C and only three of us made it back to Fallen Reach. Sure, we got a few of those people back, but he still lost of a lot of friends. He doesn¡¯t want to see other people going through that. If the guides save even one life, it¡¯s worth it.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ll save a lot more than one,¡± Elezad said. ¡°People are taking them seriously. And the ones who aren¡¯t, well, luckily they¡¯ve been in parties with others who were. So,¡± he tapped his notepad a few times, ¡°I¡¯ll wait for their data and stop pestering you with questions on the monsters. As for the reward, the table only gives us the name of it.¡±


    ¡°I was actually a bit surprised about this one,¡± Hiral said. ¡°Gourmand+ was the reward. Straight to the upgraded version. Didn¡¯t expect that from a B-Rank trial, though I guess the power of benefitting from two foods instead of one is pretty strong.¡±


    ¡°Interesting,¡± Elezad said, tapping his notepad again. ¡°I was wondering about that, since this trial over here¡­ oh where is it¡­ ah, there!¡± He pointed at what looked like a group of six¡­ picnic tables in a field? ¡°This is an E-Rank trial ¨C Second Stomach ¨C and it also rewards the people who complete it with the Gourmand ability. No plus on it there.¡±


    ¡°One food buff?¡±


    ¡°One food buff,¡± Elezad confirmed. ¡°This new information from your trial, along with something else we¡¯ve been seeing settles another question that¡¯s come up.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Hiral asked.


    ¡°Before that,¡± Elezad held up his finger. ¡°If I remember correctly, some of your party already had the Gourmand ability, right? How did getting this new one interact?¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± Hiral said. ¡°Everybody went straight to Gourmand+ whether they had the ability or not previously. My Healthy Living got that part of it upgraded as well. Didn¡¯t do anything for the resting-portion, but I¡¯m not complaining.¡±


    ¡°People who already had the base ability didn¡¯t see any additional benefits?¡±


    ¡°Nothing,¡± Hiral said. ¡°At least¡­ nothing I know of.¡±


    A few more quick words scratched on Elezad¡¯s notepad before he put it down on the edge of the table. ¡°Good information. Thank you.¡±


    ¡°No problem. Back to that question you mentioned¡­?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Elezad said, and slowly waved his hand across in front of him to indicate the entirety of the War Table. ¡°We¡¯re estimating the Cradle has hundreds of trials. Maybe more, with most of them being at the lower ranks. Kind of like a pyramid. And, at the beginning, we had a lot of questions about what the rewards for all of these would be. For example, if somebody, somehow, went through every trial, just how full would their status window be?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve got an answer to that now?¡±


    ¡°Not quite, but it¡¯s becoming a bit more clear,¡± Elezad said. ¡°First off, not all trials give ability rewards. Some of them give items. I think the guides are calling it loot.¡±


    ¡°Yanily does love his loot.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s not the only one,¡± Elezad chuckled. ¡°The loot-trials are quickly becoming some of the most popular ¨C and necessary. We¡¯re even starting to figure out a queue system, to make sure everybody at the appropriate Rank runs them.¡±


    ¡°Why are they so popular? Good items?¡±


    ¡°You could say that,¡± Elezad said. ¡°See, each trial rewards one kind of item. Not the same item for every person, but the same type. For example, this E-Rank trial over here, My First Weapon ¨C aptly named ¨C always rewards an E-Rank weapon appropriate to the person running it.¡±


    ¡°An E-Rank weapon is great¡­ for E-Rank,¡± Hiral said slowly.


    ¡°But not great for D-Rank and above, right?¡± Elezad finished, catching on to what Hiral was saying. ¡°Very true. Except!¡± He pointed at another section of map. ¡°To the Winner Go the Spoils ¨C a C-Rank trial ¨C also offers weapons! We¡¯ve only found the two weapon trials so far, but we¡¯ve found head and hand-armor trials at two different Ranks, and body-armor trials at E-, D, and C-Ranks. We¡¯ve also found one foot armor trial, a shield trial, and one that rewards magic rings. That last one was C-Rank too.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re thinking there are gear-trials at every Rank?¡±


    ¡°Exactly!¡± Elezad said. ¡°To help each group transition smoothly from one rank to the next. All the trials we¡¯ve found so far are Low-Rank too. Nothing too unmanageable for people who just evolved.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s pretty fantastic,¡± Hiral said, thinking. ¡°Does that mean there are B- and A-Rank versions as well?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not sure yet,¡± Elezad. ¡°We hope so, but since there are so many less B- and A-Rank trials than the lower Ranks¡­¡±You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    ¡°By the time people get to B-Rank, they should at least be out running normal dungeons? Is that what you¡¯re thinking?¡±


    ¡°We suspect it might be what Tomorrow was thinking,¡± Elezad said. ¡°The Cradle seems designed to prepare the lower Ranks, and refine the higher Ranks. Since we¡¯ve only got limited B-Rank raid groups, it¡¯s a bit slower getting the data on these higher trials, and The Playhouse was the only A-Rank trial completed.¡±


    ¡°Did it ever, I don¡¯t know, come back?¡± Hiral asked, looking at the section of the map where the trial had been. The city was still there ¨C as well as the orchard outside of it ¨C but the wave-like building was distinctly absent.


    ¡°No.¡± Elezad shook his head. ¡°It was a one-time trial, it seems.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s too bad, but back to what we were talking about. The loot trials are all great, but what does that have to do with Gourmand+?¡±


    ¡°Ah, sorry! How the Cradle works is very interesting. I get distracted by it sometimes. As for Gourmand and Gourmand+, we¡¯d been wondering what to do for groups who ¡®missed¡¯ a trial. For example, if we found a critical ability from an E-Rank trial much later, was there anything we could do for D-Rank and above groups? Or, should we stop groups from evolving until we¡¯ve mapped more of the Cradle to see what trials there are?¡±


    ¡°Oooooh, I get it,¡± Hiral said. ¡°But, if Gourmand is upgradable, with no downsides to getting or missing the lower-tier version, you don¡¯t need to hold anybody back.¡±


    ¡°Exactly!¡± Elezad said, pointing at his son. ¡°It¡¯s great if people can get the abilities at lower Ranks to help them level up, but it¡¯s not a huge loss if they don¡¯t get them for whatever reason.¡±


    ¡°You were worried about me, weren¡¯t you?¡± Hiral asked, pointedly looking at his father. ¡°You thought we might miss out on most of what the Cradle has to offer because we were already B-Rank coming in, and we¡¯ll be A-Rank very soon.¡±


    Elezad looked a little sheepish at first, then seemed to decide to totally own it. ¡°And your sisters too,¡± he said confidently. ¡°Not to mention everybody else in the same situation. Really, you and your party could probably do without a few E-through-C-Rank abilities and not notice the difference. Some of the other C- and B-Rank people who came here? The Artists and Academics who are just now dipping their toes in this whole ¡®fighting¡¯ thing? They need every advantage they can get.¡±


    ¡°Speaking of which¡­¡± Hiral started, looking at his father. ¡°I know I asked you to keep an eye on Olimpas, but when are the Trust planning to run trials?¡±


    ¡°Eventually,¡± Elezad said. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ve been talking about it. How can we advise if we don¡¯t experience some of what¡¯s going on out there? Lead from the front, you know? It¡¯s not time for that yet, though. We¡¯ve got to get a better handle on how the Cradle works, and get an idea what the timeline looks like before the other half opens. We¡¯re moving at a pretty good pace ¨C I think ¨C but we don¡¯t know about the other side.


    ¡°From what Al says,¡± Elezad referred to the Arborean Triclops guide they¡¯d found upon entering the Cradle. ¡°The barrier separating us from the other side will drop when either side reaches the threshold of trial completions. We really want to be the ones who get there first for the most advantages.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re all doing a good job,¡± Hiral said. ¡°People trust you. Most of you. Olimpas¡­¡±


    ¡°The Growers?¡± Elezad asked.


    ¡°And me,¡± Hiral admitted. ¡°I don¡¯t know. His story is plausible ¨C he was impersonated. Or so he says. Still, it didn¡¯t feel like that.¡±


    ¡°Grandmother and I are both keeping an eye on him. Not to mention Uncle and Aunt,¡± Elezad said. ¡°But! He is good at administrative tasks like organizing this encampment.¡±


    ¡°Probably the only reason Seeyela hasn¡¯t found him while he¡¯s sleeping.¡±


    ¡°Would she actually do that?¡±


    Hiral sighed as he thought about it. ¡°If he was a threat to her friends ¨C or her family ¨C she just might.¡±


    ¡°Maybe we should send your raid party back out to run some trials after all,¡± Elezad joked.


    ¡°She¡¯s a teleporter,¡± Hiral reminded his father. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t stop her.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s a little terrifying, if what she is.¡±


    ¡°You really have no idea,¡± Hiral said.


    ¡°No, I probably don¡¯t. And¡­ uh¡­ since I don¡¯t want to find out either, please don¡¯t mention I said that.¡±


    ¡°Meh, we¡¯ll see,¡± Hiral chuckled. ¡°But, should we get back to the report?¡±


    ¡°When did you become all business? Can¡¯t I just enjoy a chat with my son?¡±


    Hiral just stared flatly at his father.


    ¡°Fine. Fine!¡± Elezad literally threw up his hands before shaking his head and picking the notebook back up. ¡°Tell me about this other trial. The long one. What was it called?¡±


    ¡°Who Dunnit?¡± Hiral said. ¡°This one was¡­ not like anything else we¡¯d seen before. It took place inside another city, a lot like where we found The Playhouse. We had to go through a portal for this one, and I think it was like a dungeon. Took us to an interspatial location.


    ¡°Hrm, a portal? We¡¯ve only found a few like that. You think this was a dungeon?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but not a PIMP-dungeon. The feel of the portal was different. Closer to what Seena¡¯s Machinis Liber ¨C the new book she got that summons Brass Cannons ¨C does. I don¡¯t know all the details, but Seeyela says they aren¡¯t the same thing. Either way, it took us to a dungeon city.¡±


    ¡°And what was the trial in there? Any danger when you entered?¡±


    ¡°Not immediately,¡± Hiral said. ¡°The gist of the trial is that we had to solve a murder mystery.¡±


    ¡°¡­ not what I expected,¡± Elezad said.


    ¡°Hah, same,¡± Hiral said. ¡°And not something we were quite ready for, which is why it took so long. There are three different factions in the city, and all of them had good reason to want the person dead. Lots of clues and leads, but also lots of dead ends. There had to be thousands of dungeon-created people in the city ¨C though it wasn¡¯t actually a full city, more like twenty blocks or so ¨C and more than a few were¡­ unhappy with us investigating.¡±


    ¡°What did they do?¡±


    ¡°Outright attacked us, a lot of the time,¡± Hiral said. ¡°Word of advice to anybody who does the trial ¨C don¡¯t walk down dark alleys at night. You will get jumped. Every damn time.¡±


    ¡°But, now that you¡¯ve completed the trial¡­¡± Elezad tapped the notepad again as he thought. ¡°Don¡¯t you know the answer to the mystery? Can¡¯t we just use that to solve it right away?¡±


    Hiral shook his head. ¡°No, for a couple reasons. One, you need proof, not just accusations. We tried just saying ¡®He did it!¡¯ and hoping that completed the trial. Didn¡¯t work. Without the evidence, it doesn¡¯t register.¡±


    ¡°If we know what the evidence is¡­¡±


    Hiral was already shaking his head again. ¡°Look, maybe. All that info will be in Yanily¡¯s guide on the trial, but ¨C call this a gut feeling ¨C I think the trial will be different next time. Same murder, but different murderer. I think that¡¯s why there are the three different factions, and so many people.¡±


    ¡°Multiple scenarios?¡± Elezad asked, and Hiral nodded. ¡°Annoying, but there must be a limited number of options. We¡¯ll have to keep track and see if there is any repetition.¡±


    ¡°Probably smart,¡± Hiral agreed. ¡°As for the reward for the dungeon, PIM Upgrade: A Glimpse of Tomorrow, it¡­¡±


    ¡°Wait!¡± Elezad stopped him. ¡°Let me guess.¡±


    ¡°O¡­ kay,¡± Hiral said.


    ¡°It¡¯s giving you a percentage bonus to all your PIM given attributes,¡± Elezad said.


    ¡°It is,¡± Hiral confirmed.


    ¡°And!¡± Elezad said before Hiral could say anything else. ¡°It¡¯s probably¡­ let¡¯s see¡­ twenty percent?¡±


    ¡°Correct again,¡± Hiral said. ¡°Is this like the Gourmand thing? Somebody lower Rank got the same thing?¡±


    ¡°Kind of,¡± Elezad said, nodding. ¡°We have a dungeon that gave a D-Rank version with the exact same name. Only a ten-percent bonus to attributes though.¡±


    ¡°So, five percent per level,¡± Hiral said.


    ¡°Yes, seems that way. We weren¡¯t sure if it was a one-time reward ¨C ten percent multiplier is pretty good, after all ¨C or if it would be ten percent per level that would stack with each Rank. Looks like it¡¯s actually somewhere in the middle. Probably five percent per level, that does stack.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s also additive to other multipliers,¡± Hiral said. ¡°We¡¯ve got a couple of abilities that function similarly, and it adds on to them instead of multiplying again. That makes it a little less powerful than it could be, but still very good overall.¡±


    ¡°Hiral, my boy,¡± Elezad said slowly. ¡°Getting any multiplier is huge news to most of us, and here you are, talking so casually, about having several of them. No, not casually, I think you were complaining!¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t¡­ completely¡­ complaining,¡± Hiral¡­ complained. ¡°Just saying it could¡¯ve been a little stronger.¡±


    ¡°Mmm hmmm,¡± Elezad said. ¡°Anything else you think I should know about the trial?¡±


    ¡°Not really,¡± Hiral said. ¡°Other than the ambush-nature of the fights, they weren¡¯t anything particularly difficult. At the end, we split the raid group into individual parties to investigate each of the three factions. We probably would¡¯ve completed it faster if we¡¯d done that earlier.


    ¡°Oh, and, the city is very different than anything people have likely seen before. It¡¯s kind of like the city where The Playhouse was. Very¡­ I don¡¯t know how to describe it. Futuristic? Lots of metal and glass, with strange screens like status windows and moving images in them. It¡¯s a lot to take in, and it can be really distracting.¡±


    Elezad was back to tapping his notebook. ¡°You think it¡¯s a real place? Something Tomorrow saw from her world?¡±


    ¡°Maybe?¡± Hiral said with a shrug. ¡°Stranger still, it didn¡¯t feel like magic. Like her constructs ¨C or the Mecha-Armor I told you about before ¨C these things didn¡¯t give off any energy I could sense.¡±


    Elezad tilted his head back to look up at the ceiling. ¡°This stuff about other worlds ¨C other universes or whatever she called them ¨C is a lot. Maybe too much, right now. We¡¯re struggling with the idea of keeping Fallen Reach safe, just a little tiny piece of this world. And, she¡¯s saying there are more worlds out there? What are we supposed to do with that?¡±


    ¡°At the moment?¡± Hiral asked. ¡°Nothing. Sure, it¡¯s great to know why each of our tattoos have such elaborate stories behind them, I guess, but does it change anything for us? We still have to deal with the Enemy and the Raze.


    ¡°Maybe down the road, somebody will explore some of what Tomorrow said. First, though, we need to survive the challenges in front of us. So, that¡¯s what we¡¯ll focus on. That¡¯s what we¡¯ll do.¡±


    Elezad just looked at his son, a smile slowly spreading across his face.


    ¡°I¡¯m so proud of you, you know that right?¡±


    ¡°Dad¡­¡±


    ¡°Really, Hiral,¡± Elezad said. ¡°You¡¯ve come so far. I always knew you would be something special, but every time I turn around, you impress me again and again.¡±


    ¡°Every parent says that about their kid.¡±


    ¡°They do,¡± Elezad admitted. ¡°But they aren¡¯t always right.¡±


    Hiral shuffled slightly under the praise from his father. There weren¡¯t a lot of people out there he cared about compliments from ¨C but Elezad was one of them. ¡°Thanks, Dad,¡± he finally said.


    Elezad nodded at him once ¨C smile still in place ¨C then got back to business. ¡°You¡¯re right, too. The other world stuff is a later-problem. A later-problem for Academics,¡± he clarified. ¡°For now, we have a Cradle to conquer.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like you¡¯re planning a baby-napping,¡± Hiral deadpanned.


    ¡°It sounded better in my head,¡± Elezad admitted.

 Chapter 3 – What Happens After

    Hiral left the keep a short time later, right around when his father started to ask how things were going with his mother in the same raid party. Really, things weren¡¯t bad ¨C mainly because Hiral generally ignored Sera being there and made Ilrolik deal with the woman ¨C but he somehow had a hard time telling his dad that. The man wasn¡¯t pushing the two of them to get along ¨C hell, Elezad didn¡¯t agree with how Sera had behaved either ¨C it was more the hope in the man¡¯s eyes they could be a ¡®family¡¯ again someday.


    That¡­ wasn¡¯t in the cards. Hiral loved his dad and his sisters more than anything. He¡¯d go to war for them ¨C as would Left and Right. His mother though? He didn¡¯t hate her, which kind of surprised him when he really thought about it, but he also didn¡¯t love her. Or, even really like her. She was basically a stranger to him. One he had no interest in getting to know any better.


    And, grudgingly, she was good at what she did. Both as an Artist and as member of his raid party. If she¡­


    ¡°Hiral!¡± Elezad said, door opening behind Hiral, and his father jogging out after him.


    ¡°Dad, if this is about Sera¡­¡± Hiral started.


    ¡°It¡¯s not,¡± Elezad said. ¡°Not¡­ exactly.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± Hiral asked quietly while the camp bustled around them. A few people eyed the pair, though nobody approached for the moment. With how busy ¨C and in demand ¨C the Trust¡¯s time was, somebody would come sooner or later.


    ¡°Before things got crazy ¨C and you went out on your trial run ¨C you asked me about new tattoos,¡± Elezad said.


    The sudden change of topic caught Hiral off guard for a second, but he nodded. He had asked his father about new tattoos. He had the Rune of Exchange on the palms of his hands, but Left wasn¡¯t benefitting from that at all. Getting a couple more tattoos his double could potentially use ¨C and that Hiral could custom choose ¨C was tempting.


    ¡°I did,¡± Hiral said. ¡°What¡¯s that have to do with Sera?¡±


    ¡°You want two tattoos, one on each palm?¡± Elezad asked him.


    ¡°Yes¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m good, but I don¡¯t have a Left or Right,¡± Elezad said. ¡°If you want two tattoos, and you want them both done before you go out again, you need two Artists. And the two best ones on the island ¨C and in the Cradle ¨C just happen to be your parents.¡±


    ¡°I only really need one on my left hand¡­¡± Hiral started, brain already running through excuses.


    ¡°For now,¡± Elezad interrupted. ¡°If I remember how Left gets access to the tattoos correctly, he will be able to use the others as you connect to your Edict-things. How often to you think you¡¯ll have the downtime needed to get ¨C and recover from ¨C new tattoos? New S-Rank tattoos.¡±


    Hiral groaned inwardly at his father¡¯s logic. The man was right. With Runic Regeneration+ and all the other bonuses Hiral had now, the recovery process shouldn¡¯t be a big deal, but the time to actually ink the complex tattoos? With the forced downtime right now, yeah, it was the best time to do it. And, since a beast wave could happen at any time, the sooner the work was done, the better.


    ¡°You¡­ may have a valid point,¡± Hiral said. ¡°Is there nobody else who could¡­?¡±


    ¡°Hiral,¡± Elezad had, his rare-yet-stern-father voice coming out. ¡°Your mother has done half the tattoos on your body, including both of the Herald tattoos, which I remember waking up to when the Ex-General attacked. The two that were so perfect, they merged into something new! Something never seen before.¡±


    Hiral blew out a breath. ¡°She also did Touch of the Primal and Way of Shadow didn¡¯t she?¡±


    ¡°She did,¡± Elezad said. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°They combined too, for Left,¡± Hiral said. ¡°Into Touch of Night.¡±


    ¡°They did what now?¡± Elezad asked. ¡°Really? The Heralds weren¡¯t the first combination?¡±


    ¡°Is that so unusual?¡± Hiral asked. He hadn¡¯t heard of tattoos combining like that before ¨C now that he thought about it ¨C but just chalked it up to a random ability evolution. If that was all it was, though, shouldn¡¯t some other Shapers ¨C at some point ¨C have had that happen before?


    ¡°For a Shaper, very unusual,¡± Elezed said. ¡°Remember I said there were some advantages to Artists and Academics using tattoos through their Mediums? We¡¯ve only seen tattoos outright combining in very rare instances ¨C so far ¨C in them. Never with a Shaper. Ever.


    ¡°Yes, Shapers can use their tattoos in tandem,¡± Elezad continued. ¡°Seamlessly in many cases, but merging them into a single, new tattoo? Nope. Except, Left can do that?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s done it twice now,¡± Hiral said. ¡°Touch of Night before, and now the Herald of the Unending Cycle.¡±


    ¡°It has a name?!¡± Elezad said. ¡°The new tattoo created its own name?¡±


    ¡°The PIMP created the name, I guess?¡± Hiral offered.


    ¡°True, that would make sense,¡± Elezad said. ¡°And very interesting. Could it be¡­ could it be Left is as much a Medium for you as he is his own Shaper? Is that what let him do the impossible? And, what other combinations could he facilitate? With S-Rank tattoos!¡±


    Elezad¡¯s eyes widened with every word of his more and more frantic speech, the implications of it clearly exciting the man. ¡°We¡¯re going to have to test this!¡±


    ¡°¡­ and now I know how the others feel,¡± Hiral said under his breath. ¡°Left uses his tattoos a lot, but we haven¡¯t seen any other mergers. Maybe it¡¯s Rank-related somehow?¡±


    ¡°That could be,¡± Elezad said. ¡°You did do the super-risky-but-necessary-to-save-our-lives thing of kicking your way into A-Rank.¡±


    ¡°It was really more of pulling a curtain aside. Temporarily. You make it sound like a home invasion.¡±


    ¡°Either way, if you see any more of these mergers, tell me right away. We¡¯re already exploring how Artists and Academics can use this to their advantage. If we can find a way to make it possible for Shapers too, it would be huge.¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± Hiral said. ¡°And, I¡¯ll send Left over to talk to you about it. He might have some insight on how it happened too.¡±


    ¡°That would be wonderful,¡± Elezad agreed. ¡°But, back to what we were talking about before we went off on a tangent¡­¡±


    ¡°We?¡± Hiral asked with a raised eyebrow.


    A dismissive hand-wave from his father practically swatted the word out of the air before it reached his ears.


    ¡°Your two new tattoos. Do you have any ideas? I¡¯ve got at least one in mind, but I¡¯d like to hear your thoughts.¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± Hiral said. ¡°Left actually had a really good suggestion. Since he¡¯s getting more and more access to his tattoos, and with the layout of the Cradle, we were thinking about Bond of the Hidden Prince.¡±


    ¡°Hrmmm,¡± Elezad said and rubbed at his chin. ¡°Interesting choice. Summons an eagle companion that can be used for scouting and combat.¡±


    ¡°One Left can use his other tattoos through,¡± Hiral pointed out the aspect that had really sold it for Left. ¡°He¡¯s thinking ahead to when he gets access to Perfect Sense, and the things he could do with Banner of Courage.¡±


    ¡°An Eagle of Courage?¡± Elezad chuckled, then stopped. ¡°Actually, that¡¯d be brilliant.¡±


    ¡°Not to mention Way of Light or Waters of Frey,¡± Hiral added. ¡°There¡¯s a lot of strong tattoos he could use through the Bond.¡±


    ¡°I like it,¡± Elezad said. ¡°What about your second choice?¡±


    ¡°We haven¡¯t settled on anything yet,¡± Hiral admitted. ¡°You sound like you have something in mind?¡±


    ¡°A bird theme, apparently,¡± Elezad said. ¡°I was thinking since you and Right are a bit faster and more physical than Left, he could use a high-speed movement option. Something to get him out of danger ¨C or into position ¨C in a pinch. Putting it on his hand ¨C your palm, to be precise ¨C would also make it very easy for him to activate.¡±


    ¡°A bird-themed movement ability?¡± Hiral mused. ¡°And it¡¯d be S-Rank¡­ so that has to be¡­ Moonlit Murder?¡±


    Elezad tapped his nose. ¡°The name always makes me shake my head, but it¡¯s a powerful ¨C though woefully underused ¨C tattoo.¡±The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    ¡°Turns the user into a murder of intangible crows to move around at high speeds,¡± Hiral said. ¡°Great for escape, which means very unpopular with Shapers.¡±


    ¡°Also, very good for repositioning and distraction,¡± Elezad said. ¡°The crows don¡¯t all need to move together, and the user can reform from just a single one anywhere within range. That¡¯s not even taking into account if Left can figure out how to consciously combine more tattoos. Imagine merging Moonlit Murder with Wings of Anella?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯d weaponize the movement ability, like Seena does with hers,¡± Hiral said.


    ¡°Exactly!¡±


    ¡°Hrm, yeah, I like that too. Let me run it by Left to see what he thinks. He¡¯ll be the one using it.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t wait too long. These two tattoos aren¡¯t simple if you go ahead with them. We¡¯ll need a few hours to ink them.¡±


    ¡°You sure you can¡¯t do both?¡± Hiral asked tentatively, and Elezad was already shaking his head. ¡°Fiiiiiine.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a good son,¡± Elezad said. ¡°How long do you need to figure out if those are the two you want?¡±


    ¡°Give me an hour?¡± Hiral asked.


    ¡°Sounds good,¡± Elezad said. ¡°I¡¯ll find your mother and get preparations started. We don¡¯t have a studio set up yet, but we brought the most important things with us.¡±


    At the words, Hiral looked over at the crafting building. ¡°Think there¡¯s an Artist¡¯s studio schematic out there in the Cradle somewhere?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re hoping so.¡±


    ¡°Actually, Dad,¡± Hiral started. ¡°I meant to ask, but how close are we to clearing our half of the valley? Any idea how much longer we have left before we move on to the contested phase of things?¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± Elezad said, stepping in closer to Hiral so they wouldn¡¯t be overheard by everybody. ¡°There are one-hundred-and-fifty-one regular, ¡®known¡¯ trials.¡± His father even used air quotes when he said known. ¡°Then there¡¯s the hidden trials¡­¡±


    ¡°Slow down,¡± Hiral said. ¡°I thought we didn¡¯t know what all the trials are?¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t,¡± Elezad said. ¡°Let me start over. In the interface for the War Table, there is a category for regular trials and another one for hidden trials. The regular trial section has a-hundred-and-fifty-one lines in it ¨C they¡¯re even Ranked and numbered ¨C and the names and rewards for the trials fill themselves in when we learn them. If we haven¡¯t found one of these regular trials, the line is still just three question marks. But, because we know how many there are, we¡¯re referring to them as known trials as well as regular.¡±


    ¡°I guess that kind of makes sense,¡± Hiral said. ¡°And, Al said we need to finish seventy-five percent of those to bring down the wall of fog?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­ and no,¡± Elezad said. ¡°This is where we¡¯re running into a complication. Of the one-fifty-one trials, we ¨C as a larger group ¨C have completed just over thirty trials¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± Hiral interrupted. ¡°We have¡­ fourteen raid groups, don¡¯t we? My group has done three, and that¡¯s with us spending twenty hours recovering from the A-Rank trial. How¡­?¡±


    ¡°Not every group has the same level of coordination, disregard for personal safety, and ability to recover after a difficult battle that yours does,¡± Elezad said softly. ¡°For a lot of these folks, even completing one trial at this point ¨C they¡¯ve barely formed groups and run three dungeons, tops ¨C is a happy miracle. We¡¯d rather they take it slow and survive, than try to race through trials and get themselves killed.¡±


    Hiral groaned at himself. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, you¡¯re right. I shouldn¡¯t have said that.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine to say that with me,¡± Elezad said. ¡°Just remember when you¡¯re talking to the others here at camp, they aren¡¯t as advanced as all of you. I don¡¯t just mean power, gear, or skills.¡± Elezad tapped the side of his head. ¡°This place isn¡¯t just a physical challenge, but also a mental one, as they have to change the way they¡¯re thinking about things.


    ¡°And, let¡¯s be honest here, it¡¯s one thing to think you know what the Cradle is all about, and another thing entirely to actually be part of it. The Makers here went from happily living on Fallen Reach without even knowing how much danger they were all in, to getting attacked by flying, invisible squids, introduced to dungeons and joining parties with Growers, to being told they were needed to help protect the world from those flying squids I mentioned earlier. All in in a few weeks. It¡¯s a lot.¡±


    ¡°And it¡¯s not much different for the Growers and Bonders,¡± Hiral said, understanding. ¡°Sure, they had more exposure to the surface, but this is still a huge shift. And us? We had the same shock of it back when we found out we couldn¡¯t return to Fallen Reach like we¡¯d thought.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve been fighting ever since,¡± Elezad said with a nod. ¡°For you, this is just more of the same. For the rest of us? Our world¡¯s been turned on its head, and we¡¯ve been told to keep up or get left behind.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t¡­¡±


    ¡°Not you,¡± Elezad said. ¡°Or your raid group. It¡¯s just the situation. We know we don¡¯t have a lot of time, but we need a little bit right now to wrap our heads around things. The trial completion speed will increase, don¡¯t you worry about that, but for now? We¡¯re okay with people taking it a bit slower to ease into it. We¡¯ll start using those contribution points if ¨C when ¨C we need to get people moving.¡±


    ¡°I know you and the rest of the Trust have things under control,¡± Hiral said.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m glad it looks that way,¡± Elezad said with a laugh, then coughed into his hand when Hiral glared at him. ¡°Anyway! Back to what I was saying before. We¡¯ve completed just over thirty of the one-hundred-and-fifty-one trials¡­¡±


    ¡°Do you know what Ranks they are?¡± Hiral interrupted.


    ¡°We do,¡± Elezad with his own glare. ¡°Sixty E-Rank trials, forty D-Rank, thirty C-Rank, twenty B-Rank, and one A-Rank.¡±


    ¡°One?¡± Hiral asked. ¡°The Playhouse? That¡¯s it? No, that can¡¯t be right. We know there¡¯s that Mechanized trial¡­ oh! Mechanized is in the hidden trial category?¡±


    ¡°Exactly,¡± Elezad said. ¡°We¡¯ve only got four trials in that category, and only one of them has actually been completed. The other three ¨C like Mechanized ¨C have just been found, not finished. And, here¡¯s where the complication lies. We¡¯ve completed thirty regular trials and one hidden trial, but the counter Al is watching says we¡¯ve completed thirty-one of one-hundred-and-fifty-one trials.


    ¡°One-thirteen is the magic number to open up the rest of the valley, by the way.¡±


    ¡°So, you¡¯re saying, completing hidden trials count toward tearing down the fog wall?¡±


    ¡°Exactly,¡± Elezad said.


    ¡°How¡¯s that a problem?¡± Hiral asked. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t that make things easier?¡±


    ¡°Easier to take down the fog wall, yes,¡± Elezad conceded. ¡°The problem lies in the fact the hidden trial we did complete didn¡¯t provide a schematic or anything for our faction.¡±


    ¡°Faction?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s what Al is calling our side,¡± Elezad said. ¡°Here¡¯s our worry ¨C the hidden trials are more about individual strength than faction strength. If we complete too many of them, will our fortress be strong enough to repel an attack? Will our parties be too weak, because we didn¡¯t find some of the Rank-appropriate loot trials?¡±


    ¡°Mechanized said something about advanced classes,¡± Hiral said. ¡°That sounds like it would benefit the entire faction.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the only one out of the four trials found that offers something for anybody beyond the people who complete them. And it¡¯s a pretty enticing something,¡± Elezad continued. ¡°Hence the conundrum.


    Elezad held up one hand. ¡°Focus on completing normal trials that offer minor upgrades for individuals and faction boosts.¡± He held up the other. ¡°Or, work on the trials that seem to offer larger individual boons, but limited or no options for the faction as a whole.¡±


    ¡°Stronger people means a stronger faction¡­¡± Hiral said.


    ¡°It does,¡± Elezad said. Then he looked at the crafting building. ¡°But, is strength all we want? Like I said earlier, you¡¯re looking at the Cradle a bit differently than the rest of us. For you, it¡¯s a giant dungeon with enemies you need to fight. You had the laws that govern some of rules of this world literally in the palm of your hand, and what did you do? You made them into a weapon.¡±


    ¡°Gran said the same thing¡­¡±


    ¡°Too be clear, I¡¯m not complaining about your choice. Nobody can argue with how effective it was,¡± Elezad clarified. ¡°But, while we need to start looking at things more like you do ¨C and get ready for a fight ¨C maybe you also need to expand how you think too?¡±


    ¡°We need to be stronger to beat Vorinal and the Raze, and to take back our world,¡± Hiral said, though it wasn¡¯t to argue. He saw where his father was going with this. ¡°But,¡± he said. ¡°That won¡¯t happen overnight.¡±


    ¡°Not even with how long night is down on the surface. It¡¯s so¡­ dark,¡± Elezad said with a shake of his head.


    ¡°You barely looked out of the cave at the savanna,¡± Hiral said.


    ¡°You know how clumsy I am. I would¡¯ve fallen in some hole in the dark, or gotten snatched up by one of the flying, invisible squids,¡± Elezad said. ¡°Better to stay inside. And, no, what we have to do won¡¯t happen overnight. Even if we do as the quest told us ¨C to close those three Black Gates ¨C will that suddenly chase the Enemy away or give us back access to a world we haven¡¯t explored in thousands of years?¡±


    Elezad and Hiral both shook their heads in unison.


    ¡°Once we defeat the other faction,¡± Elezad said. ¡°We¡¯ll still have the Cradle, and we can slowly continue completing any of the trials we¡¯ve missed. The Trust gets this, and there¡¯s a valid argument to focus first on whatever we can do to make sure we do defeat the other faction.


    ¡°On the other hand, if all we focus on is fighting ¨C on war ¨C what will that mean for our people? Our children? Not just today and tomorrow, but in the years to come.¡±


    ¡°If we don¡¯t win these fights, there won¡¯t be years to come,¡± Hiral said.


    ¡°That¡¯s true. It¡¯s just¡­ Nat and Milly want to fight. They want to be able to protect themselves and the things that are important to them. Like you did. And I respect their choice. But, as their father, I don¡¯t want fighting to be the only thing they have to do. There¡¯s so much more to living than just that. I want them to laugh and love. To enjoy music or sports.


    ¡°Right now, they believe fighting is the best choice. More like it¡¯s the only choice.¡±


    ¡°Which makes it no choice at all,¡± Hiral said.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not. Look, Hiral, we could go back and forth on this forever. We need to win here, in the Cradle, to give us a safe place on the surface. To continue the fight to defeat the Raze so they don¡¯t wipe us out. It¡¯s kind of a pressing matter, and it definitely needs to be a priority. We also need to not lose sight of why we¡¯re fighting ¨C other than basic survival, which, arguably, is a very good reason ¨C so fighting isn¡¯t all we become.


    ¡°Some of us have to keep thinking about what happens after, and how we change along the way,¡± Elezad said, once more looking at the crafting station. ¡°If getting a few more schematics so people can do things like create instead of destroy will help that, it¡¯s definitely worth considering. That¡¯s all I¡¯m saying.¡±


    ¡°Then it¡¯s a good thing we have people like you and the Trust considering this stuff,¡± Hiral said. ¡°Every time I start to try and think about what comes later, the PIMP seems to slam another dynamic quest in my face.¡±


    ¡°You do seem kind of central to things, whether you want to be or not,¡± Elezad said.


    ¡°Luckily, I¡¯ve decided I want to be,¡± Hiral said. ¡°We¡¯re going to be A-Rank here soon, Dad. Not stopping there, either. We have the power to fight. The power to make a difference. That¡¯s what we¡¯re going to do.¡±


    Elezad didn¡¯t immediately reply to that, just standing there looking at his son, instead. Hiral didn¡¯t shrink under the man¡¯s gaze. They all had their part to play in this battle against the Raze, and being at the front of that ¨C being the vanguard ¨C was Hiral¡¯s role. The big-picture implications of what this all meant to the Makers, Growers, Bonders, and Undead, he¡¯d leave that to people like his father and the Trust.


    ¡°That¡¯s what you¡¯re going to do,¡± Elezad finally echoed Hiral¡¯s words. ¡°And once you put your mind to something¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, I¡¯m very stubborn,¡± Hiral chuckled.


    ¡°You are, and I am apparently easily distracted,¡± Elezad said. ¡°I was supposed to be going to find your mother so you could get some new tattoos.¡±


    Hiral half-sighed. ¡°And you should probably do that before I come to my senses and change my mind.¡±


    ¡°It really won¡¯t be so bad,¡± Elezad said. ¡°Come back here in an hour.¡±


    ¡°An hour,¡± Hiral agreed, then stood there as his father waved, turned, and jogged off into the crowd to find Sera.


    It won¡¯t be so bad? I think I¡¯d rather fight that old goat again¡­

 Chapter 4 – Do You Fear Death?

    As Hiral watched his father head toward the tents where Sera should be, he felt somebody else approaching him through his sensory domain. Somebody he had been planning to go look for anyway.


    ¡°Gauto!¡± Hiral said, spinning and saying his friend¡¯s name so suddenly, the Academic jumped at the word.


    ¡°Jeez!¡± Gauto said. ¡°I keep forgetting about the eyes you have in the back of your head.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not actually eyes,¡± Hiral said. ¡°That¡¯d look creepy.¡±


    ¡°Less creepy than the squiggles on your head? I swear, they never seem like they¡¯re in the same place when I see you.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Hiral asked, reaching his fingers up to trace across the Rune of Dreaming stretching across most of his scalp in place of hair.


    ¡°Really,¡± Gauto said. ¡°Did nobody ever tell you that? It¡¯s not like it¡¯s big differences, but that line there, I¡¯m sure it was a little more to the right last time I saw you.¡±


    ¡°Huh, well, I guess considering what the rune represents, that wouldn¡¯t be so shocking.¡±


    ¡°We should start keeping track of it,¡± Gauto said. ¡°I¡¯ll sketch it out each time I see you, and¡­ oh, I have an even better idea! I¡¯ll trace the lines of the rune in charcoal, then put a white sheet over your head to transfer the image. That way, we¡¯ll get a perfect representation each time to compare! Once we have enough of them¡­¡±


    ¡°Gauto,¡± Hiral interrupted. ¡°Is this what you were looking for me to talk about to?¡±


    ¡°Uhhh, no,¡± Gauto said.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s move on ¨C quickly ¨C from covering my head in charcoal,¡± Hiral said.


    ¡°Fiiiine,¡± Gauto said. ¡°Other things are more important anyway. Where are Left and Right? Hardly ever see you without them around.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re right here,¡± Right said from immediately behind Gauto, making the man jump a second time.


    ¡°Jeeeeeez! What is it with you guys?!¡± Gauto complained, clenching and unclenching his fists, then putting a hand to his chest. ¡°I should be too young to have a heart attack, but if you keep that up¡­¡±


    ¡°Can Wule heal those yet?¡± Right asked Left.


    ¡°Not yet, he needs some practice to get a spontaneous ability evolution,¡± Left said. ¡°Maybe if you scare Gauto a few more times¡­¡±


    That comment seemed to make Gauto pause.


    ¡°I have been very curious about the Grower ability to get spontaneous evolutions,¡± the Academic said. ¡°Do you think Wule would let me study him while he attempts to have one?¡±


    ¡°Depends,¡± Left said evenly. ¡°How willing are you to have multiple, consecutive heart attacks to give him the opportunity?¡±


    Gauto¡¯s head tilted back like he was doing some math in his head. ¡°My body could probably take two, maybe three. If we had another excellent healer on hand ¨C one with actual medical knowledge, and not just ability-based healing ¨C I could potentially squeeze a fourth out. More than that? No, no, I couldn¡¯t do that. However, if we had others lined up to help¡­¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not lining people up to have heart attacks, Gauto,¡± Hiral said.


    ¡°When did you become the voice of reason?¡± Right asked. ¡°Are you using your Rune of Eclipse again to alter reality?¡±


    ¡°No, I can barely touch that rune right now,¡± Hiral said, then shook his head. ¡°And, look, as I¡¯ve sort of, kind of, maybe played with it a bit more¡­¡±


    ¡°Weren¡¯t you supposed to be recovering?¡± Gauto asked, then something important seemed to occur to him. ¡°Which is exactly the best time to test! Continue.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for understanding, unlike somebody,¡± Hiral said, giving his doubles a scowl. ¡°As I was saying, the Rune of Eclipse doesn¡¯t straight up alter reality, like I¡¯d originally thought. In the moment, it sure seemed like that.¡±


    ¡°Then what does it do?¡±


    ¡°It¡­ blurs the lines a little,¡± Hiral said. ¡°It makes the impossible possible, but it ¨C by itself ¨C doesn¡¯t alter anything.¡±


    ¡°Example,¡± Gauto demanded.


    ¡°Okay, that¡¯s easy. In the fight against The Archwizard, he was flying around everywhere. He was¡­ actually very good at flying for a goat. He was also beyond powerful. So much so, even with the Edict of Gravity, I ¨C by myself ¨C couldn¡¯t have brought him to the ground.¡±


    ¡°But with the Edict of Eclipse¡­¡± Gauto said, already catching on. ¡°You somehow tweaked the odds?¡±


    ¡°I think that¡¯s part of it, honestly,¡± Hiral said. ¡°It feels like Eclipse is enforcing my version of reality ¨C and it¡¯s just easier to say that than explaining it every time ¨C but the main thing it did in this case was make it possible for Gravity to bring The Archwizard down.


    ¡°Same kind of thing when I temporarily hit A-Rank. Between Gran¡¯s ability and Politet¡¯s poison, along with my runes and the Edicts ¨C in this case, Separation, Absorption, and Connection mainly ¨C I had the means to be A-Rank. Except, Ranking up by myself is impossible. I need a dungeon interface, along with the PIMP¡¯s approval.¡±


    ¡°Unless you¡¯ve got a certain Rune of Eclipse smudging the border between impossible and possible,¡± Gauto said with a nod. ¡°Let me make sure I¡¯ve got this straight. The poison and the ability primed you, Eclipse unlocked a way to temporarily Rank up, then you used Separation to cut open a path to ¨C What did you call it? ¨C the fold in reality where the PIMP hides. From there, Connection and Absorption brought the A-Rank power into you. Probably a bit of Sealing there as well?¡±


    ¡°Thinking back,¡± Hiral said. ¡°Probably.¡±


    ¡°Eclipse didn¡¯t make you A-Rank, and instead gave you the chance to make yourself A-Rank by using your other runes and Edicts.¡±


    ¡°Exactly! For a short while,¡± Hiral said. ¡°That¡¯s my current theory. I need more testing, and, like you said, I¡¯ve been recovering¡­ and¡­ what were we talking about before?¡±


    ¡°Heart attacks,¡± Left said helpfully.


    ¡°That¡¯s it!! I¡¯m as bad as Dad. Next, I¡¯m going to start hugging everything. Look, no heart attacks.¡± The last part was directed at Gauto, along with the best serious look he could manage.


    ¡°Then stop scaring me,¡± Gauto countered like he wasn¡¯t still calculating how many he could have in the name of science.


    Truly understanding how Seena felt while dealing with Yanily sometimes, Hiral rubbed at the bridge of his own nose, then took a breath and looked at his friend. ¡°How are your trials going? I hear you¡¯ve gotten out for at least one.¡±


    ¡°Two, now,¡± Gauto said. ¡°Both D-Rank, and pretty quick at that.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Hiral asked, tuning his Cycling sense on his friend. The man¡¯s D-Rank base had solidified a bit compared to last time Hiral had seen him. Experience gains through combat ¨C as opposed to study ¨C really did seem to make their PIMs stronger.


    Which, I guess is kind of the point of what the PIMP is working towards. It may not agree with Dad¡¯s hope of having more than ¡®fighting¡¯ in our lives.


    Putting that thought aside ¨C he couldn¡¯t solve it now ¨C he stopped looking at his friend¡¯s energy, and instead more just at his friend. All in all, Gauto carried himself a bit differently, with his Medium floating more confidently at his side. His back was straighter, and he didn¡¯t have the same cower he used to get when Shapers walked by.


    ¡°You found a good party then?¡± Hiral asked.A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    ¡°Fifty-fifty,¡± Gauto said. ¡°Good people, at least. Most of us got together because we have similar interests, not necessarily complimentary skillsets. It caused some trouble in the first D-Rank trial ¨C though, luckily it was only Low-D-Rank ¨C and we managed to get out with minor injuries. Finding a combat-heavy trial for our first go at being a raid group may not have been our smartest choice ever.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you all fight together during that first beast wave?¡± Right asked.


    ¡°Only a little,¡± Gauto said. ¡°We were still getting together as a larger group, and there were plenty of other parties around us more than pulling their weight. The stuff that made it to us, well, it wasn¡¯t a good representation of what we¡¯d find out there in the Cradle. So, we got a hard lesson. Necessary, but hard.


    ¡°The second trial we found was more puzzle-based, and we had much better luck with that. If we stick with the same raid group, we¡¯re really going to have to pick and choose which trials we do.¡±


    ¡°Thinking about separating?¡± Hiral asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Gauto said. ¡°Not because we don¡¯t like each other, but because we think we¡¯d offer better support options if we were mixed in with other groups. With how many D-Rank groups there are ¨C and how we didn¡¯t know what we were getting into when we formed parties and raid groups ¨C I think there¡¯s room for some trades. It¡¯ll just make everybody stronger in the long run.


    ¡°What about your groups, Hiral? You¡¯ve been with them longer than most of us. Are they balanced?¡±


    ¡°They are, actually,¡± Hiral said. ¡°Both as a raid group, and as individual parties. Though, if my party had a weakness, it would be in that support category. Left and I are shoring some of that up, but we don¡¯t have anybody dedicated to the role. Kind of just getting by. With Dole joining Nivian¡¯s group¡­¡±


    ¡°I heard about that.¡±


    Hiral nodded. ¡°He¡¯s actually a good fit. Him and Wule together offer a lot of options. And then, with Sera in Ilrolik¡¯s group, well, she¡¯s got a crazy amount of buffs and debuffs.¡±


    Gauto could only shake his head. ¡°Still can¡¯t believe you ended up in a raid group with your mother. Has she tried to talk to you anymore since¡­?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Hiral said. ¡°Though, Dad talked me into letting her give me a new tattoo.¡± He held up his hands to show the Rune of Exchange on his palms in explanation. ¡°Which I¡¯ve got to get to soon¡­¡±


    ¡°Got it, so get to the point, eh?¡± Gauto asked with a laugh.


    ¡°If it¡¯s important,¡± Hiral said. ¡°If you just came over to chat like old times, I¡¯m more than happy to do that too.¡±


    The Academic blew out a breath. ¡°I wish that was all it was. I think I figured a few things out, and I don¡¯t know what to do about them.¡±


    ¡°What kind of things?¡± Hiral asked. Gauto had been neck deep in research of all kinds since the surface had opened up. Not to mention the work he did figuring out what had happened to children who¡¯d been born like Hiral. Builders who couldn¡¯t access their solar energy after getting a Maker PIM. The ones who¡¯d been thrown off the Fallen Reach. Just thinking about it made Hiral sick to his stomach, but it wasn¡¯t like there was anything he could do about it now.


    To answer Hiral¡¯s question, Gauto tapped the side of his head. ¡°Memory things.¡± Then he tisked. ¡°No, that¡¯s not even the right way to describe it. It¡¯s bigger than that. More¡­ insidious.¡±


    ¡°Sounds ominous,¡± Right said. ¡°Let¡¯s talk about it over lunch?¡±


    ¡°Would there be any problem if the others heard what you found out?¡± Hiral asked. ¡°I¡¯m sure Nivian has some of his stew on¡­¡±


    Gauto was already turning and heading toward where Hiral¡¯s group had set up camp.


    ¡°Of course they can listen,¡± Gauto said, legs pumping as he power-walked.


    Nivian¡¯s stew has that effect on people¡­


    Not to be left behind, Hiral and his doubles caught up to their friend, though they didn¡¯t ask any more questions for the moment. Might as well get it all from the start with at least some of the others around.


    Hiral did update Left on what he and his father had talked about regarding tattoo options, and the double quickly agreed with the two suggestions. There goes that excuse for getting out of Sera doing some of the inking¡­


    Unsurprisingly, a few minutes later, they found Nivian sitting in front of his stew pot, one hand absently stirring the food. Wule sat beside his brother, book in hand while his eyes scanned rapidly across the page before turning it. Seena and Seeyela sat opposite the twins, their conversation with the Death Knight trailing off when they noticed Hiral and the others arrive.


    But, it was the final pair sitting around the stew-pot that Hiral hadn¡¯t expected. Ilrolik and Loan.


    ¡°Party leader meeting?¡± Hiral asked. ¡°Are we interrupting?¡±


    Loan laughed. ¡°Nothing so important.¡± He pointed at the stew. ¡°We couldn¡¯t resist the smell. Came over for a bowl.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s almost ready,¡± Nivian said.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been saying that for nearly ten minutes,¡± Loan grumbled.


    ¡°I might die of old age before it finishes,¡± Ilrolik said, then looked at Loan. ¡°Bury me with a bowl of the stuff¡­ if it¡¯s even ready by then.¡±


    ¡°Stop being so dramatic. You can¡¯t rush him,¡± Wule said without looking up from his book. ¡°Believe me, I¡¯ve tried. I think one time I nearly died from hunger ¨C actually almost died ¨C but even the potential death of his beloved brother wasn¡¯t enough to get him to stop before it was ready.¡±


    ¡°The right amount of spice and temperature are very important,¡± Nivian said. With the words, he took the spoon out of the pot and took a small sip from it. A pause ¨C where everybody held their breath ¨C and the tank nodded. ¡°It¡¯s done.¡±


    ¡°Perfect timing!¡± Gauto said, already seated and with a spoon in one hand. Where the man had gotten it, even Hiral didn¡¯t know.


    ¡°No bowl to go with the spoon?¡± Right asked.


    ¡°Getting a spatially expanded bowl is a lot of work,¡± Gauto said without looking away from the stew. ¡°Why would I ever use a normal bowl ¨C with limited room for stew ¨C when Nivian will just lend me one of his. Saves me trips back and forth for seconds.¡±


    ¡°And thirds,¡± Left said quietly. ¡°Not to mentions fourths and fifths.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s good,¡± Gauto said without a hint of hesitation or guilt.


    ¡°Always happy to feed somebody who appreciates it,¡± Nivian said.


    ¡°Looks like its going to be a lot of somebodies today,¡± Wule said, pointing with his free hand without even looking away from his book.


    When Hiral followed the man¡¯s gesture with his eyes, he found a line forming from some of the nearby camps. And, of course, everybody had a spoon. Gauto¡¯s revolutionary discovery would have to wait until Nivian finished serving lunch, which he quickly got to doing. Practiced efficiency ¨C along with what had to be a spatially expanded ladle to go with the pot and bowls ¨C divvied out one serving after another.


    Genuine thanks came in the wake of each meal, and Hiral realized he likely wasn¡¯t the most well-known person in the camp, even after his fortress-saving stunt with the Ex-General. Nivian¡¯s stew had clearly brought the man a lot of popularity. And, looking at the mix of races lined up and waiting for the food, maybe also a healthy dose of tolerance too.


    Makers stood and chatted with Growers and Bonders alike about the aroma wafting from the pot. The fact it was served by an undead didn¡¯t seem to matter either. While Igwanda wasn¡¯t around, Hiral found Bash nearby ¨C thought not at the circle immediately around the stew ¨C and a few of the people who walked away with a full bowl gave the little Troblin a pat on the head as they went by.


    Apparently, a full stomach was the best way to get people to put their differences aside.


    Not wanting to get mixed up in the line ¨C or get a second one started behind him ¨C Hiral moved over to Gauto¡¯s other side, then plopped himself down between the Academic and Seena. A pat on her knee, then her hand on top of his ¨C along with the smile she reserved just for him ¨C and Hiral nodded a quick greeting to Seeyela. She gave him a small nod in return, though the mantle of blood ¨C Little Shadow¡¯s Cloak ¨C on her shoulders shaped a small, crimson hand, and waved at him.


    Not entirely sure what to do, Hiral waved back.


    That seemed to be the right choice, the cloak burbling happily before settling back down around Seeyela¡¯s shoulders.


    ¡°Still alive, I see,¡± Li¡¯l Ur said from Seena¡¯s far shoulder.


    ¡°Fraid so,¡± Hiral said.


    The mini-lich let out a small sigh of blue flame from his lipless mouth. ¡°The Mistress seems to prefer you alive.¡±


    ¡°I really do,¡± Seena agreed.


    ¡°I may need to begin searching for another apprentice,¡± Li¡¯l Ur conceded. ¡°You, hungry one!¡± He pointed at Gauto as the man¡¯s spoon paused in his mouth.


    ¡°Yesh?¡± the Academic said.


    ¡°Do you fear death?¡±


    ¡°Small ¡®d¡¯ or big ¡®d¡¯?¡± Gauto asked after swallowing his mouthful of stew.


    ¡°Pardon?¡±


    ¡°Well, are you asking if I¡¯m afraid of dying ¨C death with a small ¡®d¡¯ ¨C for dying,¡± Gauto explained. ¡°Or Death ¨C big ¡®d¡¯ ¨C like some kind of Progenitor or something. I¡¯m sure there¡¯s one out there.¡± Then he turned to Hiral. ¡°Is there a Rune of Death?¡±


    ¡°Probably?¡± Hiral said.


    ¡°Death, She of the Last Kiss,¡± Li¡¯l Ur said. ¡°Is indeed a Progenitor you should fear, if you play cards. She cheats. You should also be wary of her partner¡­ whose name I can¡¯t seem to remember. Something that starts with ¡®T¡¯¡­¡±


    ¡°Wait, Death is actually a Progenitor?¡± Seena asked her lich. ¡°How does that even work? I thought it ¨C she? ¨C would be more of a concept than anything else.¡±


    ¡°And, yes, I¡¯d probably be afraid of that one,¡± Gauto said around another spoon of stew.


    ¡°Death is also a concept, and an important one,¡± Li¡¯l Ur said. ¡°It was something built into all our races ¨C with Death¡¯s assistance.¡±


    ¡°Is death, small ¡®d¡¯,¡± Wule started. ¡°Different than undeath?¡±


    ¡°Quite,¡± Li¡¯l Ur said. ¡°Undeath is the limbo between life and death. Neither the Eternal Spark nor Death were thrilled I shouldered in on their territories, but it had to be done. At least, I thought so¡­ at the time.¡±


    ¡°Death is different¡­¡± Wule said under his breath, a shift pulsing out from him, though nobody other than Hiral seemed to notice.


    Taking hold of his runes quickly, Hiral reached out his senses to the Grower, and not surprisingly, there was that tether of Connection coming from a fold in reality. Wule was close ¨C really close ¨C to figuring out his second advanced class. So, Hiral gave him a little push, like he¡¯d done with Yanily and Gran in the past.


    This time, it didn¡¯t seem to be quite enough to check the last box Wule needed, but the man did look up to meet Hiral¡¯s eyes, like understanding of something was clicking into place. He just needed a little more time, but he¡¯d get it.


    So, while Wule dove into his own mind figuring out what he was looking for, Hiral turned his attention back to Li¡¯l Ur.


    ¡°You remembering more?¡± Hiral asked the lich. Li¡¯l Ur¡¯s moments of lucidity were growing both longer and more complete, but there were still holes big enough for Drake to fly through in what the lich knew.


    ¡°Some,¡± Li¡¯l Ur said. ¡°It seems our short time with Tomorrow ¨C along with my Mistress¡¯s growth in strength ¨C has put some pieces of my mind back together. Parts of my memory, however, remain hazy.¡±


    ¡°Which,¡± Gauto said, ¡°makes a good segue into what we originally came over here to talk about.¡±


    Hiral looked up at the now, non-existent line, then at the others who each had their own bowl of stew. Even Wule had put his book down to listen to what Gauto had to say.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Hiral said. ¡°Let¡¯s hear what you figured out.¡±

 Chapter 5 – Default

    ¡°Figured out may be a bit strong,¡± Gauto said, and Hiral just raised an eyebrow at him. ¡°It¡¯s a theory, without hard evidence.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re used to listening to Hiral¡¯s theories,¡± Seeyela said. ¡°Can¡¯t be any crazier than what he usually comes up with.¡±


    ¡°Knowing Hiral, this is probably less crazy and more accurate. I¡¯ve always had a bit more rigor than fantasy in my hypotheses.¡±


    ¡°Ouch,¡± Hiral said. ¡°To both of you.¡±


    Seena just patted the top of his hand and gave him her ¡®there there¡¯ face.


    ¡°You too?¡± he mouthed.


    She shrugged helplessly, like she couldn¡¯t argue with fact.


    ¡°As for what I suspect I figured out.¡± Gauto used air quotes as he said it. ¡°It comes back to something Hiral asked me ¨C and other Academics ¨C to look into with the Bonders and Growers.¡±


    ¡°About why we haven¡¯t really done anything in the last six-thousand years?¡± Hiral guessed.


    ¡°Exactly that,¡± Gauto said. ¡°Now, before I outline my results, I¡¯d like to talk a little bit about the potential clues that led me to my conclusions.¡±


    ¡°Are we going to need math for this?¡± Seeyela interrupted. ¡°Cause, I get stabby when it comes to math.¡±


    ¡°¡­ unlikely?¡± Gauto offered.


    ¡°Just tell us,¡± Hiral urged his friend.


    Gauto nodded. ¡°So, first, based on Hiral¡¯s achievement when he forged Blight¡¯s Mercy¡­¡±


    ¡°Take Pride in Your Work was the name of the achievement,¡± Hiral offered.


    ¡°That one,¡± Gauto said. ¡°It indicated that sword was the first A-Rank item crafted in almost six-thousand years. With that information in mind, we can assume Fallen Reach has been in the sky nearly that long.¡±


    ¡°How come?¡± Wule asked.


    ¡°Well, we know through what you learned in the one of the lost dungeons, The Buried City, I believe, that A-Rank items were crafted during Dr. Benza¡¯s time. S-Rank sounds like it was reserved for things created by the Progenitors.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Hiral said. ¡°Dr. Benza ¨C or was it Fenil? ¨C said they could make A-Rank items, but they couldn¡¯t use them to their full potential, because the users could only get to C-Rank.¡±


    ¡°And, we also know nobody on Fallen Reach has been able to craft an A-Rank item ¨C aside from tattoos, which I believe are a special case,¡± Gauto said. ¡°In fact, any B-Rank, crafted items have been very few and far between. More a miracle than a regular occurrence. C-Rank seemed to be our average limit.


    ¡°I also checked with the Growers and Bonders to see how they were doing, and it wasn¡¯t any different. C-Rank was largely the limit of what they could craft, with the B-Rank items becoming almost legendary in their own right.


    ¡°With those facts in mind, I think it¡¯s safe to assume that the last crafting of an A-Rank item predates Fallen Reach¡¯s launch,¡± Gauto finished his first point.


    ¡°Makes sense to me,¡± Hiral said. Gauto¡¯s reasoning just ¡®confirmed¡¯ what he¡¯d already believed, but, yes, maybe it had a bit more rigor to it.


    ¡°Next, I¡¯d like to go back to something Left mentioned you were told during the Rise of Fallen Reach dungeon,¡± Gauto continued. ¡°While there, Dr. Benza said that nobody older than twenty could be on Fallen Reach when it launched, or there would be consequences. One of the consequences talked about was memory loss.¡±


    ¡°You think that¡¯s why Bonders don¡¯t leave the Hanging Garden, or Makers don¡¯t really try to go down to the surface?¡± Seena asked.


    ¡°Other than to hassle us,¡± Seeyela said. She still ¨C rightfully ¨C didn¡¯t trust Olimpas any more than Hiral did.


    ¡°That was my first theory,¡± Gauto admitted.


    ¡°Was?¡± Wule hooked on to that word. ¡°It¡¯s not anymore?¡±


    Gauto shook his head. ¡°Left mentioned something else¡­¡±


    ¡°When do you find all the time to talk to him?¡± Hiral asked his double.


    ¡°Somebody had to keep in touch with your friends while you were busy being in a coma,¡± the double said.


    ¡°Okay, I can¡¯t argue with that,¡± Hiral said. ¡°Sorry, continue.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Gauto deadpanned. ¡°Where was I? Ah, yes. During another lost dungeon, this one the Lost Refuge of the Lost, Dr. Benza said something about crystals. Recordings made by the same people who were expected to lose their memories.¡±


    ¡°Riiiiight,¡± Seena said. ¡°I remember that now. We were wondering how that was supposed to work¡­ but if they knew they were going to lose their memories¡­¡±


    ¡°And prepared a solution for it,¡± Hiral picked up Seena¡¯s sentence. ¡°That can¡¯t be the consequence Dr. Benza was worried about.¡±


    ¡°Exactly,¡± Gauto said. ¡°So, let¡¯s quickly review. We know Fallen Reach has been in the sky for around six-thousand years, and that Dr. Benza suspected launching it with people possessing what he termed ¡®old magic¡¯ had potential memory-consequences. We also know he expected people to lose their memories ¨C regardless of old magic or not ¨C immediately upon launch.¡±


    ¡°With you so far,¡± Nivian said.


    ¡°Good,¡± Gauto said when the others agreed they understood. ¡°The next thing I want to talk about are the historical records found on Fallen Reach. Or, more specifically, the historical records that aren¡¯t on Fallen Reach.


    ¡°Hiral may or may not have mentioned this to the rest of you, but it seems records on Fallen Reach don¡¯t last much longer than three-hundred rotations. Three-hundred years. I don¡¯t mean the paper breaks down or anything, either. They¡¯re purposely destroyed or thrown off the island. And, I only know this because I found an old, forgotten-about storage room that had somehow avoided several purges.¡±The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°Why would people destroy records? Wouldn¡¯t there be important information in there?¡± Wule asked, clearly aghast at the thought of anybody damaging a book. He even held his novel closer to his chest, as if Gauto would rush over to claim it.


    ¡°Excellent questions,¡± Gauto said. ¡°And, I can guarantee there was important information in the volumes we found. Other Academics are, in fact, still studying them and learning a tremendous amount about Fallen Reach in past centuries. But, do you want to know the most interesting thing?¡±


    ¡°It hasn¡¯t changed¡­¡± Hiral said quietly, catching on to where Gauto was going.


    ¡°Exactly,¡± Gauto said. ¡°It hasn¡¯t changed. Not really. Fallen Reach is almost the same place it was when it launched, six-thousand years ago. The people are different, of course, but not the customs. Not the way people behave.


    ¡°Now, before you blame this on stubborn Makers, I want to say I talked to a number of Growers and Bonders. Romin connected me with an excellent historical society in the Hanging Garden. One that had been around for nearly two centuries¡­¡±


    ¡°Two hundred years?¡± Nivian asked. ¡°That¡¯s a historical society?¡±


    ¡°I asked them the same question,¡± Gauto said. ¡°And, it wasn¡¯t until I asked them, that they realized it was strange. They even assured me they were the only one. That their founders broke the mold to study the history of the Bonder people and the Hanging Garden. Interestingly, he also noted that interest in the group had been waning recently, with members no longer showing up. Work going undone.¡±


    ¡°What does it mean?¡± Seeyela asked.


    ¡°Almost there,¡± Gauto said. ¡°Ilrolik, please pardon me mentioning this, but you¡¯re near on two-hundred years old now?¡±


    The woman stopped, spoon halfway to her mouth, then slowly looked up and glared at Gauto.


    ¡°You look good for your age,¡± Wule said from next to the woman, only to wilt under the same glare she¡¯d directed at Gauto.


    Truthfully, it wasn¡¯t a lie. Since she¡¯d come down to the surface ¨C since she¡¯d been running dungeons ¨C even Hiral could see a difference in her physique. When she¡¯d judged his final Shaper test, her skin had sagged ¨C slightly ¨C from her large frame. And, now that he was looking, she¡¯d gotten bigger. Her skin had tightened around muscles she¡¯d hadn¡¯t had.


    The experience ¨C the solar energy ¨C she was getting from combat was revitalizing her body. Restoring some of the glory of her youth. It was impossible to say how far it would take her, but she definitely didn¡¯t look two-hundred years old.


    ¡°What¡¯s my age got to do with anything?¡± Ilrolik said.


    ¡°Just that you weren¡¯t born yet during the last purge,¡± Gauto said. ¡°In fact, I¡¯ve only met one person who was.¡±


    ¡°Grandmother,¡± Seeyela guessed.


    ¡°Exactly,¡± Gauto said. ¡°Though, it sounds like she was only a toddler when it happened. However! She vaguely remembers a very odd time. A year, or so, where people madly¡­ cleaned. That¡¯s what she recalls. Her parents scrubbing everything down. Throwing out everything they didn¡¯t need, and almost starting fresh. She thought it was because of the brother they were expecting, but¡­¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t think that¡¯s the case,¡± Seena said. ¡°Are you ready to tell us what¡¯s going on yet?¡±


    ¡°There are two last pieces to this puzzle, actually,¡± Gauto said. ¡°And that comes from what the Custodian of Tomorrow recently told you about our world. About its cyclical nature. How it resets, but doesn¡¯t. That our ¡®time¡¯ ¨C if we can even call it that ¨C goes in constant circles based on the rise and fall of runic energy. At least, it sounds like that was her theory. I can¡¯t really confirm or deny it, as I¡¯d need to study a significant amount of¡­


    ¡°Gauto,¡± Hiral interrupted gently before the Academic could really get going.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± he said with an embarrassed shrug. ¡°The second important thing Tomorrow mentioned was what Amin Thett did with the runic energy. How he set up a kind of framework for the PIM to follow.¡±


    In his head, Hiral took all the pieces Gauto had identified, and began putting them together.


    ¡°Aaaaaaaaand,¡± Seeyela prompted.


    ¡°And, I think Amin Thett¡¯s effort connected the PIMP to the cyclical nature of our world,¡± Gauto said. When nobody really responded to that apparent bombshell, he continued. ¡°What I mean is that our cultures ¨C because we all possess PIMs linked to the PIMP ¨C follow a similar cycle. Without us even realizing it.


    ¡°We are what we were nearly six-thousand years ago because that is our¡­ default. The point in our culture we continuously return to, whether we want to or not. Sure, we make small progress here and there, slightly building on what we were before, but it doesn¡¯t make any real change. It may even be that if a big enough disruption occurs, something in the PIM system will manifest, pushing us back to our default positions.¡±


    ¡°Grandmother¡¯s memory of the big cleaning?¡± Seena asked.


    ¡°Exactly,¡± Gauto said. ¡°Two-hundred-and-fifty¡¯ish years ago lines up with the last purge, as far as I can tell.¡±


    ¡°Any idea what triggered it?¡± Nivian asked.


    ¡°We may have a bigger problem than that,¡± Hiral said before Gauto could answer. ¡°Think about it. A big disruption. Like, say, losing one of the Fallen. Is one of these resets coming for us now? Are we¡­ suddenly going to be compelled to undo everything we¡¯ve done recently? To give up on the Cradle. On stopping the Enemy or the Raze?¡±


    ¡°To go back to Fallen Reach and pretend like none of it even happened? Or, more likely, that it somehow didn¡¯t matter?¡±


    ¡°To forget the progress we made in getting along?¡± Seena asked quietly, first looking at her hand on top of Hiral¡¯s. From there, her eyes went to the small crowds around them all happily sharing in Nivian¡¯s meal, Makers, Bonders, and Growers all mixed together.¡±


    Then, all eyes turned to Gauto.


    ¡°You said the purges happen every three-hundred years,¡± Wule said. ¡°Grandmother is two-fifty. We still have fifty years to¡­ do¡­ I don¡¯t know. Succeed?¡±


    Gauto shook his head, slowly. ¡°Three-hundred years was the longest break I found between purges. The records I found only went back about a thousand years, and there were four purges mentioned in there. Whenever, it seems, something significant enough happened to warrant it.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t we just¡­ not do it?¡± Seeyela asked.


    Again, Gauto shook his head. ¡°That¡¯s the worst part about this. I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll even notice we¡¯re doing it. The records I read, none of them made this sound like a bad thing. Or, even anything really out of the ordinary. It happened as naturally as falling asleep and waking up.¡±


    The proclamation ushered in silence to the small circle seated by the stew pot. Around them, the small groups happily eating continued to chat and laugh, like nothing was the matter.


    Hiral had thought the only time limits they had were unlocking the other half of the Cradle and the Raze arriving. And, even if they didn¡¯t get ahead those timelines, they could ultimately fight them if they had to.


    But this? It wasn¡¯t something they could fight. Wasn¡¯t something they could even see coming. He might literally wake up one day back in Fallen Reach, back in his old bed. Find his sisters and father eating breakfast down at the table, then head over to Arty¡¯s for work.


    No Seena. No Yanily, Seeyela, Romin, or Gran. No Wule or Nivian, or their quest to save the world. Which meant the Raze would come and destroy everything.


    ¡°The PIMP won¡¯t let that happen, will it?¡± Wule asked. ¡°We¡¯re doing what it wants. If we¡­ reset or whatever you want to call it, doesn¡¯t it lose everything it invested in us?¡±


    ¡°It may not even have a choice,¡± Gauto said. ¡°It¡¯s irrevocably tied to that framework Amin Thett set out. Admittedly, he probably didn¡¯t intend for this to happen, but it might be that in combination with the consequence Dr. Benza foretold.


    ¡°At least, that¡¯s my theory,¡± Gauto said, sitting back with his empty bowl in hand.


    Hiral¡¯s hand turned on Seena¡¯s knee, entwining his fingers in hers while he looked at Gauto. The Academic was often a lot of things. Flighty. Focused. Loyal. Stubborn. Hard working or lazy, depending on the day.


    The one thing he rarely was, was wrong.

 Chapter 6 – Both Impressive and Terrifying

    ¡°I won¡¯t let that happen,¡± Hiral finally said. ¡°I won¡¯t let everything we¡¯ve done ¨C that we¡¯re going to do ¨C be forgotten.¡±


    ¡°Your Rune of Eclipse?¡± Seena asked.


    ¡°If I have to,¡± Hiral said.


    ¡°So, what, do we rush to complete the Cradle then?¡± Wule asked. ¡°Then, what? That quest you shared with us talks about three Black Gates we need to close. We don¡¯t even know where they are.¡±


    ¡°We know one is in Tomorrow¡¯s Vigil,¡± Left pointed out. ¡°And, if I had to guess, it¡¯s somewhere near that mountain with the crescent peak we saw in the other dungeons from Ascender¡¯s Tower.¡±


    ¡°Can you figure out where that is, Left?¡± Seena asked the double.


    ¡°Probably,¡± Left said. ¡°If we find another Asylum with a working map. It shouldn¡¯t be that difficult, though it may be time consuming to scour different areas for that particular mountain.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s got to be near a coast,¡± Seeyela said. ¡°We had that boat dungeon, after all.¡±


    ¡°As well as the farmland,¡± Nivian added.


    ¡°Should we go do that¡­ now?¡± Seeyela asked. ¡°Skip the rest of the Cradle and focus on that?¡±


    ¡°Gauto?¡± Ilrolik cut in. ¡°What do the other Academics think of your theory?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve only shared it with Melitor,¡± Gauto said, referring to his mentor-slash-supervisor. ¡°He believes it has merit, but we need to discuss it with others. Given the¡­ implications of it, we haven¡¯t shared it widely yet.¡±


    ¡°So, you could be incorrect,¡± Ilrolik said slowly. ¡°Or, be missing a key piece of information¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, I could be missing all kinds of key pieces of information,¡± Gauto admitted. ¡°This is all a theory. One almost as wild as anything Hiral comes up with. And I¡¯d love to be wrong.¡±


    ¡°It explains too much for you to be wrong,¡± Hiral said. ¡°Or, for you to be very wrong. If you¡¯re not completely correct, I¡¯m sure there¡¯s at least some truth in what you¡¯re saying.¡±


    ¡°Then you¡¯ll leave?¡± Ilrolik asked.


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t come with us?¡± Seena asked right back. There wasn¡¯t anger in her voice, more a touch of disappointment and resignation. Then, her head turned to Nivian and Wule.


    ¡°We¡¯ll go with you,¡± Nivian said without missing a beat. Wule, right next to him, nodded his agreement.


    ¡°We¡¯re not going anywhere,¡± Hiral finally said. ¡°We need to finish things here. For our sakes, and for theirs.¡± He gestured to the small groups still chatting around them. ¡°They aren¡¯t prepared to deal with Vorinal.¡±


    ¡°Then they¡¯re definitely not prepared to deal with the Raze,¡± Seeyela said. As soon as she did, though, she shook her head. ¡°Neither are we, I don¡¯t think. We need trial rewards as much as they do.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s that,¡± Hiral said. ¡°And, really, even if Gauto is completely right, we don¡¯t know how long we have until our behaviors change. We could have minutes, or we could have years.¡±


    ¡°More likely somewhere in between,¡± Gauto said.


    ¡°What¡¯s the plan, Mr. Raid Leader?¡± Seena asked him.


    Hiral blew out a breath before he answered. ¡°First, I want each of you to know, I will find a way to stop this memory thing from happening. Even if I have to rewrite what Amin Thett did to set up the PIM ¨C I will find a way.¡±


    ¡°You think you can replicate ¨C or change ¨C what one of the greatest of our kind did?¡± Li¡¯l Ur asked. ¡°Something he sacrificed his immortal like to accomplish.¡±


    ¡°If I have to,¡± Hiral said. ¡°Yes.¡±


    Li¡¯l Ur crossed his little, lich arms across his tiny chest. ¡°That¡¯s the kind of confidence and ambition I like to see in my would-be apprentices. Godlike power, as if it¡¯s any normal day of the week. World-shaping desire, like it¡¯s putty in your hands. Planetary domination in my Mistress¡¯s name. I¡¯m sorry, hungry one,¡± he looked at Gauto. ¡°Apprenticeship applications are closed.¡±


    ¡°Not sure I was talking about planetary domination,¡± Hiral said, at the same time Gauto mouthed, ¡®Hungry one? Really?¡¯.


    ¡°You get used to it,¡± Seena said.


    ¡°It kind of worries me if that¡¯s true,¡± her older sister said from beside her.


    ¡°You still didn¡¯t tell us the plan,¡± Loan pointed out. ¡°If we¡¯re staying here, you must have a reason why.¡±


    ¡°You sound like you would¡¯ve gone with him¡­¡± Ilrolik said, turning her head to look at the Shaper beside her.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t there when Hiral needed me before,¡± Loan said. ¡°I won¡¯t make that mistake again.¡±


    ¡°Ugh, he was a bad influence on you,¡± Ilrolik said. ¡°You didn¡¯t used to be so stubborn. Or put points into dexterity!¡±


    ¡°Times change,¡± Loan said. ¡°We need to change with them. Or, considering the topic, maybe that¡¯s not as true as I believed¡­¡±


    ¡°It will be,¡± Hiral said. ¡°This time. We¡¯ll make it true. As for the plan,¡± he continued before anybody asked about it again. ¡°It hasn¡¯t really changed. We still need to get our hands on Vorinal to see if he can give us any information about the Raze, or tell us where the other Black Gates are. That means we need to clear the Cradle. It also means we need all of us to be A-Rank, and soon.¡±


    ¡°Trial running?¡± Seena asked.


    ¡°Trial running,¡± Hiral agreed. ¡°We¡¯ll stick around for the next beast wave, like Dad asked, but we¡¯ll also tell him about Gauto¡¯s theory at the same time. I hate to be selfish about this, but we need to be out there getting experience and trial rewards.¡±


    ¡°When push comes to shove,¡± Seeyela said. ¡°The PIMP¡¯s plan ¨C as much as I don¡¯t trust that thing ¨C does seem to revolve around you and your runes, Hiral. If you¡¯re going to be the center of attention, the rest of us need to be strong enough to keep you safe. Sure, having D-Rankers get more powerful will be great for later¡­¡±


    ¡°If we have a later,¡± Wule said. ¡°Sounds like we could all lose our memories ¨C sort of ¨C or stop caring about the Raze long before some of these other people are capable of helping us.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s true,¡± Hiral admitted. ¡°And they can keep running trials at the same time we are. We need them for the Cradle, after all. It¡¯s when we finish the Cradle we have to think about too.¡±


    ¡°So, we get out there and run trials until the rest of us have enough experience to Rank-up,¡± Seena said.


    ¡°Mechanized?¡± Ilrolik asked.


    ¡°Not yet,¡± Hiral said. ¡°I think we need to speed up, but be careful not to rush. Us dying to dumb mistakes because we were taking unneeded risks won¡¯t be any better than losing our memories. We¡¯ll ask Dad what B-Rank trials are out there, even if Burs and his team has already cleared them and gotten the schematic reward. If it¡¯s good experience ¨C and fast ¨C we¡¯ll check it off our own list quickly. It would be great if we could find the teleportation network schematic, but, since we can¡¯t guarantee it, we won¡¯t focus on it.¡±


    ¡°How long do you think before we go out again?¡± Nivian asked.


    ¡°Dad estimates we¡¯ll see a beast wave in the next twenty hours, at the most,¡± Hiral said. ¡°I¡¯m hoping a lot sooner than that. In the meantime, I¡¯ll use my clones to do some additional scouting, especially in those B-Rank zones. Maybe even in the very limited A-Rank territories as well. The more trials we have to choose from, the better.¡±


    ¡°What about the rest of us?¡± Ilrolik asked.This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    ¡°Be ready,¡± Hiral said. ¡°That¡¯s the big thing. Maybe also check out the crafting building, see if any of what they offer there speaks to you. Ideally, we get you all advanced classes before we evolve to A-Rank, but¡­¡±


    ¡°But we can¡¯t hold off on the hopes of it maybe happening,¡± Ilrolik said. ¡°We already understand that. It¡¯s too bad, but we understand.¡±


    ¡°At least we made out like bandits from The Playhouse,¡± Seeyela said. ¡°As far as advanced classes. Nivian, your party got what¡­ three? Ilrolik, was it two or three? We got Romin¡¯s ¨C his True-Bonded Onslaught ¨C and Seena¡¯s (Lost) Gloriosa of Rebirth.¡±


    ¡°Which is both impressive and terrifying,¡± Wule said. ¡°I¡¯ll never look at lilies the same way again.¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t even had to go all-out yet,¡± Seena said, winking at Wule.


    That, of course, made her sister sitting beside her give her a slap on the shoulder. She liked winking about as much as she liked the PIMP¡¯s plans for them. Which just made everybody around her more inclined to do it to annoy her.


    ¡°As for your question,¡± Nivian said. ¡°We got three advanced classes from the trial in The Playhouse.¡±


    ¡°Probably because Seena was right,¡± Wule added. ¡°About doing the A-Rank trial while we were B-Rank. At least from the way Igwanda described the feeling.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad the risk turned out to be worth it,¡± Seena said. ¡°Like me, in those two trials we did, I don¡¯t think anybody really had to give it their all. How are the advanced classes you got?¡±


    Nivian gave Wule a small nod to start.


    ¡°Igwanda got a class called One True Shot,¡± Wule said. ¡°And, as you can expect from her usual bow-fetish, it revolves around the weapon. It¡¯s kind of like Balyo¡¯s original fighting style, with a focus on bigger, individual shots. I¡¯m a little worried it makes our party a little too focused on single-target damage, but we¡¯ll have to find a way to work around it.¡±


    ¡°We will,¡± Nivian said. ¡°Finotol hasn¡¯t gotten her advanced class yet, but she¡¯s been actively working on how she can hit multiple targets at once. She knows it¡¯s her weakness. As for Bash¡­¡±


    Wule barked out a laugh at the same time the Troblin looked up from where he seemed to be shining his hammer. Since the Fist of the First looked like it was made from raw stone, the undead wasn¡¯t making much progress. Didn¡¯t seem to bother him, though.


    ¡°Bash¡¯s new advanced class is Wrath of the Land,¡± Wule explained. ¡°Seems like his new hammer is part of the inspiration, and he has a few abilities that make him an absolute terror as long as he stays on the ground most of the time.¡±


    ¡°And doesn¡¯t wear any boots,¡± Nivian added. ¡°Not that he ever has anyway.¡±


    ¡°Huh,¡± Seeyela said. ¡°Won¡¯t that be a problem if you run into another dungeon like The Plateau of Four Valleys?¡±


    ¡°Not with Dole in the party now,¡± Nivian said. ¡°He¡¯s also why I¡¯m not too worried about our single-target damage. One of his abilities is called Chains of the Uninvited, and it¡­¡±


    The tank trailed off as a slap echoed around the stew pot from Hiral¡¯s hand hitting his own forehead.


    ¡°Of course,¡± he said, shaking his head. ¡°How did I never see that before?¡±


    ¡°See¡­ what?¡± Seena asked him, clearly worried about his sanity as she watched his free hand.


    ¡°That tattoo ¨C Chains of the Uninvited ¨C creates chains that magically double as they chase down their targets. They almost never give up, and with a strong enough Shaper, there could be dozens of them at any one time. Maybe more than a hundred.¡±


    ¡°So?¡± Seena asked.


    ¡°And, the uninvited. As in a guest who wasn¡¯t supposed to be here¡­¡± Hiral said.


    ¡°The old goat!¡± Seeyela said, pointing at Hiral. ¡°The same ability he used to toss you into the portal.¡±


    ¡°Exactly!¡± Hiral said. ¡°Like Tomorrow said, our tattoos are based off old stories. That damn goat was the source of this one. It¡¯s not exactly the same, but close enough I should¡¯ve seen it. Either way, it¡¯s a great tattoo.¡±


    ¡°It is,¡± Nivian agreed. ¡°Dole can use it to bring targets down to the ground for Bash to¡­¡±


    ¡°SMASH!¡± the Troblin shouted.


    ¡°Yes, to smash,¡± Nivian agreed. ¡°They can also be used to hold targets in place while the others cut down one target at a time if they need to.¡±


    ¡°Then there¡¯s your advanced class,¡± Wule said. ¡°And since the cat ¨C your Aspect ¨C is out of the bag, you don¡¯t have to keep holding it in reserve.¡±


    ¡°True,¡± Nivian said. ¡°Without Politet around anymore, we can finally trust our entire party.¡±


    Despite Nivian¡¯s words, there was some sadness in his voice. He¡¯d really tried to give the other undead the benefit of the doubt. To give him a place to be welcome. Politet had never taken it. Worse, he¡¯d tried to kill Hiral. That¡¯d been the last straw, sending Nivian into a terrifying rage.


    And unlocking his second advanced class ¨C Ascendent of Death¡¯s Door ¨C which tapped into both his connection with his sponsor, Landbreaker, and his desire to protect. As he explained, his class decided who passed through that door, and who didn¡¯t. By his own hand, if need be. After seeing how he¡¯d dealt with Politet, Hiral had no doubt at all Nivian had the power to back up the claim.


    ¡°And your group, Ilrolik?¡± Seena asked. ¡°It was Yully and Drahn who got advanced classes, wasn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± the big Shaper said, though she and Loan were both chuckling and shaking their heads. ¡°Yully¡¯s new class is really quite good. Grove Keeper, it¡¯s called.¡±


    ¡°Then why are you laughing?¡± Seeyela asked.


    ¡°Because it excels at regrowth and regeneration, especially of limbs,¡± Ilrolik explained. ¡°In fact, her ability even gets bonuses specifically when she¡¯s regrowing feet.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re kidding?¡± Seeyela groaned. ¡°Because of Devison?¡±


    ¡°Exactly that,¡± Ilrolik said. ¡°You should¡¯ve seen her face when she got it. I¡¯m still not sure if she was thankful or furious at Devison for it.¡±


    ¡°Knowing her, a little bit of both,¡± Seena said. ¡°And Drahn¡¯s has something to do with his Pollen Poison?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Wind of the South,¡± Ilrolik said. ¡°The main thing is that most of his abilities naturally have the same effect as his Pollen Poison, so he doesn¡¯t have to pick and choose as much. Also a few other abilities for direct damage against anything afflicted with the poison.¡±


    ¡°Why the weird name?¡± Seeyela asked, and everybody looked at her.


    ¡°Says the Malice of Greed,¡± Seena said.


    ¡°Yeah, but that one makes¡­¡± she cut herself off before she could completely admit the advanced class perfectly fit her tendency to take things that caught her fancy.


    ¡°It¡¯s not so surprising, if you know the old story,¡± Loan said. ¡°We have a tattoo, Breath of the Four Winds. An S-Rank tattoo, so most people can¡¯t use it fully, but each of the cardinal directions has a wind with a different effect.¡±


    ¡°The south wind,¡± Hiral picked up. ¡°It carries poison.¡±


    ¡°Huh, more connections between stories,¡± Seena said.


    ¡°I feel like we¡¯re just getting started, and we¡¯ll keep seeing more and more as we unlock advanced classes and new abilities,¡± Hiral said.


    ¡°It¡¯s interesting only Growers got advanced classes in your group,¡± Seeyela pointed out.


    ¡°We think it¡¯s because they¡¯d spent more time on the surface,¡± Ilrolik said.


    ¡°And, Hiral, you believe one of the crafting professions¡­¡± Loan said. ¡°I think that¡¯s what they¡¯re calling them now ¨C professions. Anyway, you think one of them might lead to an advanced class for us?¡±


    ¡°My base class as a Builder was Runic Artificer,¡± Hiral said. ¡°Sure sounds like it was meant to be a crafting class.¡±


    ¡°Then you became an adrenaline junkie,¡± Seena said.


    ¡°He always was,¡± Loan said. ¡°Had to be to live on the edge like he was with a dexterity build.¡±


    ¡°That was mainly my sister challenging Shapers on my behalf,¡± Hiral deadpanned. ¡°Which, since you¡¯re sitting right here and I¡¯m not quite as afraid of you as I used to be¡­ you never did anything about that!¡±


    ¡°Meh, built character,¡± Loan shrugged.


    ¡°It could¡¯ve split my character in two,¡± Hiral pointed out.


    ¡°So? You split yourself into three, and it seems to have worked out pretty well for you. You should practically be thanking me. And, speaking of duels, you still owe me a practice spar.¡±


    ¡°You can play with Right,¡± Hiral said, thumbing towards his punchy-double. ¡°I¡¯ve got too much on my plate right now.¡±


    ¡°We can invite Yanily along,¡± Right said. ¡°You¡¯ll love it.¡±


    ¡°Hrm,¡± Loan said, rubbing his chin. ¡°Not quite the same, but we¡¯ll give it a try.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± Hiral said. ¡°Then, fill your parties in on what the plan is. Get some rest while you can, cause once we go out, we¡¯re going to go hard. Soon as that beast wave is taken care of.¡±


    ¡°We have any idea what the reward is for completing three beast waves?¡± Wule asked. ¡°Anybody gotten it yet?¡±


    ¡°Maybe after this next wave,¡± Hiral said. ¡°I don¡¯t think anybody has it yet. Or¡­ you know what, I¡¯m not sure. I¡¯ll ask Dad when I got talk to him.¡±


    ¡°You think he¡¯ll let us go?¡± Seena said.


    ¡°Hate to say it, but he won¡¯t have a choice,¡± Hiral said.


    ¡°Going rogue doesn¡¯t set a good example,¡± Nivian said quietly.


    ¡°Then I really hope we get his permission,¡± Hiral said. The ¡®good son¡¯ in him didn¡¯t want to go against his father¡¯s wishes, regardless of his status as a member of the Trust or not. But, waiting, with the potential risk of the behavior wipe ¨C or whatever they were going to call it ¨C really trumped that feeling.


    There was the question of ¡®What makes my judgement better than Grandmother and her council or experienced advisors?¡¯. Did he and the others ¡®know better¡¯? They just might, and his gut was telling him that taking his time wasn¡¯t the right call.


    Well, again, I hope Dad and the others agree with us when we tell them. They should, right? It makes sense.


    ¡°I¡¯m getting a pair of new tattoos within the hour,¡± he continued after the inner dialogue. From the looks on the faces of the others, he wasn¡¯t the only one considering the implications of their decision. ¡°I¡¯ll talk to Dad then.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d ask if you¡¯ll recover quickly enough,¡± Loan started. ¡°But, I¡¯ve seen how that regeneration of yours works. Not to mention your solar attributes.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re almost as crazy as his theories,¡± Gauto said, somehow with another full bowl of stew in his hands since he wasn¡¯t the center of attention any longer.


    ¡°Don¡¯t think you aren¡¯t coming with me,¡± Hiral said to his friend. ¡°Need to lay it out for them like you did for us.¡±


    ¡°What about the rest of the Trust?¡± Seena asked. ¡°Might save time if we try to get them all to listen at the same time.¡±


    ¡°Not a bad idea,¡± Hiral said.


    ¡°We¡¯ll get Grandmother,¡± Seeyela said. ¡°She¡¯ll make Aunt and Uncle join when we tell her its important.¡±


    ¡°We can probably ask Romin to talk to Fyre and Ceelia,¡± Seena added.


    ¡°Then we should probably get to it,¡± Hiral said. ¡°The more warning they have, the more likely they are to be able to attend. Why don¡¯t we go find Romin,¡± Hiral said to Seena.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go find Grandmother, then,¡± Seeyela said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go with you,¡± Wule said, slipping the rain-rejecting ¡®bookmark¡¯ between the pages of his book. The next second, it had vanished into his Interspatial Ring, and he stood, dusting himself off. ¡°Why don¡¯t you stay here and keep handing out lunch?¡± he told his brother.


    ¡°Makes me think you¡¯re planning to get up to no good while I¡¯m busy,¡± Nivian replied.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be silly,¡± Wule replied. ¡°Besides, I¡¯ll have Seeyela keeping me out of trouble.¡±


    ¡°Now I¡¯m doubly worried,¡± the twin said.

 Chapter 7 – Don’t Sell Yourself Short

    Just about two hours after parting from around the stew pot, Hiral sat in a makeshift tattoo-chair, his father and mother on either side of him. Each had their heads down and their full attention on the work they were doing on the palms of his hands.


    Gauto and most of the Trust had already left, the conversation going surprisingly well, with the group of advisors ¨C and Grandmother ¨C agreeing the Academic¡¯s theory had to much potential to ignore. If they acted ¨C and let Hiral¡¯s group focus on leveling ¨C and Gauto was wrong, the ¡®worst¡¯ that could happen was they¡¯d end up with a stronger A-Rank raid group. On the other hand, if they did nothing and Gauto turned out to be right, well, then they were facing extinction at the hands of the Raze when they forgot they were even fighting them.


    Fyre had even suggested they skip waiting for the beast wave, and ¡®just get out there already¡¯. The others talked her down from that extreme, and that left Hiral there with his parents tattooing his palms. Seena sat nearby with his sisters ¨C who were on a short break from trial running to recuperate ¨C while the rest of their raid group likewise recovered.


    ¡°You know,¡± Sera started, and Hiral damn-near clamped his hand closed at the sound of her voice. He¡¯d been dreading this moment the entire time. Knowing she could talk, and he couldn¡¯t¡¯ leave. Not with the tattoos half-done. ¡°I think the last time we did this, you were five.¡±


    ¡°Daggers of En and Sath?¡± Elezad said without looking up from where he worked on Bond of the Hidden Prince. The man¡¯s hand moved methodically and sure, the needle barely even biting as he worked. Then again, part of that may¡¯ve been Hiral¡¯s B-Rank body, and his growing familiarity with pain.


    ¡°Exactly,¡± Sera replied to her husband. ¡°Those were the only ones we did simultaneously like this.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not entirely true,¡± Elezad countered¡­ carefully? ¡°The Wings of Anella, we did those at the same time too. To improve their synchronicity.¡±


    ¡°Hiral was lying down on the table for those,¡± Sera said without missing a bit, though Hiral caught her eyebrow rising, even though she didn¡¯t look up. It was a gesture he recognized all too well from dealing with Nat and Milly.


    The I-dare-you-to-contradict-me eyebrow. The results of it never went well for Hiral, and he doubted his father would fare much better.


    ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± his father said smoothly. ¡°Hard to believe the daggers were our first joint project.¡±


    ¡°None of our other clients deserved both our attention,¡± Sera said. ¡°Despite what they may¡¯ve claimed. It requires a significant amount of extra energy to do two tattoos at the same time.¡±


    ¡°It does?¡± Hiral asked his mother before he could stop his mouth.


    And, it wasn¡¯t his imagination her quill stopped for a fraction of a second at him talking to her. Even Elezad¡¯s had slowed, but the two were both far too professional for that to last more than a heartbeat.


    ¡°It does,¡± Sera said, her voice taking on a tone he only vaguely remembered from his toddler years. The one she used when she explained something to him, usually after he¡¯d asked ¡®why¡¯ seventeen-thousand times.


    Why is the sky blue? Why do clouds move? Why is the sun always above them? Why doesn¡¯t the sun make the clouds or sky yellow? Why doesn¡¯t the sun sleep? Why is up, up?


    ¡­ why don¡¯t you love me?


    Hiral clenched his teeth at that last one. He¡¯d asked that question more than any other, but never out loud. He couldn¡¯t bring himself to face the truth he thought he¡¯d known ¨C that he was too broken to love.


    That¡­ didn¡¯t turn out to be what it was, but the sting of growing up like that still hadn¡¯t quite faded.


    ¡°You know that solar energy comes from both the Artist and the recipient of the new tattoo,¡± his mother continued in that voice she hadn¡¯t used with him in over a decade. ¡°That doesn¡¯t change when two Artists are working on the same person. In fact, if we let it ¨C we¡¯re purposely not ¨C the strain would likely make you pass out.¡±


    ¡°Maybe not Hiral with his stats,¡± Elezad said. ¡°Most others would definitely be unconscious before we were halfway finished.¡±


    ¡°You could have a point,¡± Sera admitted. ¡°It¡¯s not worth risking.¡±


    ¡°Bad consequences?¡± Hiral asked. He¡¯d already broken his unspoken rule not to talk to her, so he might as well get as much information as he could.


    ¡°Usually temporary ones,¡± Sera said, another brief pause of her quill. ¡°Aside from unconsciousness, we see can see reduced solar energy control, slowdown of thought and reaction speed, sensitivity to light, and severe headaches.¡±


    ¡°A lot like a hangover after getting blackout drunk,¡± Elezad said with a chuckle. ¡°Definitely don¡¯t recommend it.¡±


    ¡°To prevent that in a normal client,¡± Sera picked up. ¡°Your father and I use an additional amount of our own solar energy to bridge the gap. On the plus side, it better allows us to guide the process, since it¡¯s our own energy instead of yours.¡±


    ¡°Downside is it takes longer for the tattoo to settle,¡± Elezad said.


    ¡°Then why are you doing it for me, now?¡± Hiral asked. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be faster to see if my body can handle the extra drain?¡±


    ¡°There is an additional benefit,¡± Sera said. ¡°By using my own solar energy as the primary source, I¡¯m better able to connect with your father¡¯s energy ¨C which I am very familiar with ¨C to make sure the two tattoos have near one-hundred-percent compatibility. Additionally, as I have inked a number of your other tattoos, I can also connect them.


    ¡°Your father tells me Left has managed to combine both Heralds into one ¨C the Herald of the Unending Cycle, I believe he called it ¨C as well as the Way of Shadow and the Touch of the Primal. Tell me, has Left been able to merge the two Daggers of En and Sath into its staff form?¡±


    ¡°More of a two-bladed sword, really,¡± Hiral said.


    ¡°Ah, so I take it he did!¡± Sera said. At that, his parents paused, looked up to meet eyes with each other, then smiled. ¡°It worked.¡±


    ¡°It did,¡± Elezad said. ¡°Told you it would.¡±


    ¡°What worked?¡± Hiral asked.


    ¡°The two dagger tattoos are S-Rank,¡± Sera said, the parents resuming their tattooing while she spoke. ¡°So, the number of people who get even one of them is quite small. As for those who have both, well, there aren¡¯t any that came after you that we inked.¡±


    ¡°And,¡± Elezad picked up. ¡°Even if they have both the Dagger of En and the Dagger of Sath, none of them have been able to combine them into its staff... uh¡­ two-bladed-sword form. The two tattoos didn¡¯t have enough compatibility.¡±


    ¡°It was your father¡¯s idea for us to do both tattoos at the same time,¡± Sera continued. ¡°To try and increase the likelihood you¡¯d be able to combine the daggers. He believed that by doing them together ¨C and linking our solar energy while we did them ¨C it would build a natural connection into the pair. It seems it worked.¡±


    ¡°Could be his natural talent,¡± Elezad said.


    ¡°Left¡¯s natural talent, you mean,¡± Hiral replied. ¡°Still not me using the tattoos.¡±


    ¡°Left is you,¡± Sera said. ¡°At least part of you. Don¡¯t sell yourself short.¡±


    Instead of arguing the point ¨C despite modesty damn-near demanding it ¨C Hiral instead thought more about what his parents were saying about his tattoos. And, it probably wasn¡¯t his imagination Nat and Milly seemed to be listening closer again. Both were still Artists, and Nat especially had a real skill for it. Milly, on the other hand, had begun researching ways to use tattoos to create permanent solutions for otherwise untreatable conditions.


    High-Rank magic could cure a lot of things, but there weren¡¯t that many high-Rank healers. Instead, what could a permanent, lower-Rank tattoo achieve? Like a buff, in a lot of ways. That had been Milly¡¯s goal ¨C and it still was.


    ¡°When you were doing all my tattoos,¡± Hiral started. ¡°Were you linking them up?¡±


    ¡°As we added them,¡± Elezad said. ¡°Yes. It ended up taking a little longer for each, but we had a theory¡­¡±


    ¡°You had a theory,¡± Sera corrected. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t sell yourself short either.¡±


    ¡°Fine, I had a theory,¡± Elezad started. ¡°And we refined it.¡±Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!


    ¡°What was the theory?¡± Nat asked, the two sisters actually coming over to watch what their parents were doing.


    As if that were the cue for a short break, both Sera and Elezad straightened up from where they¡¯d been leaning intently over Hiral¡¯s hands.


    Then, before Elezad responded to his daughter, he instead gently turned Hiral¡¯s arm over and pointed at the Meridian Line running up his outer forearm.


    ¡°How many parts are there in the Meridian Lines?¡± he asked Nat instead of answering her question.


    ¡°That¡¯s a trick,¡± Nat said. ¡°And you know it. The Meridian Lines ¨C despite the name ¨C are all one system. There are no parts to it. Even if you do it a little at a time, it all connects to itself. We start with the central sun where the Measure implants us, then branch out from there as people get older. It doesn¡¯t matter if it takes a week ¨C which is basically impossible ¨C or five years, the Meridian Line system just keeps growing until it¡¯s complete. There are no parts.¡± She repeated that last bit to make sure he didn¡¯t miss how important it was.


    ¡°Correct,¡± Elezad said, unsurprisingly beaming pride at his daughter. ¡°We call them lines ¨C plural ¨C but they¡¯re really all just one large, complicated, single entity. As we ink the system ¨C each line or node ¨C we connect them to whatever was inked before.


    ¡°For more than ninety percent of the population, this isn¡¯t even done by the same Artist through the life of the work. Most Shapers, for example, have anywhere from three to five Artists work on their Meridian Lines until they have the complete set. See, we even call it a set, though, like Nat explained, it¡¯s just one system.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Hiral asked, thinking back. ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°We did your complete Meridian Lines and tattoos,¡± Sera said, intuiting what Hiral was going to ask. ¡°This was part of your father¡¯s theory.¡±


    ¡°Which nobody has explained yet,¡± Milly pointed out.


    ¡°Haven¡¯t I?¡± Elezad asked.


    ¡°No, all you talked about was how Meridian Lines are one¡­¡± she trailed off, eyes slowly widening. ¡°Oh.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s my girl,¡± Elezad said. A glance in Nat¡¯s direction showed she¡¯d reached the same conclusion, her eyes darting left and right like she was considering the implications.


    ¡°Uh¡­¡± Seena held up a hand. ¡°For those of us here who aren¡¯t Artists ¨C or who didn¡¯t grow up in a family of them ¨C what¡¯s the theory?¡±


    ¡°Nat, why don¡¯t you start?¡± Elezad directed the question to his oldest daughter.


    ¡°Sure,¡± the girl said, though her mind was still obviously working a mile a minute. ¡°Like Dad said, Meridian Lines, when complete, are just one large ¡®whole¡¯. If it¡¯s done right ¨C and it usually is ¨C there¡¯s no breaks or sections. It just¡­ flows. Like the energy through it. With me so far?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Seena said. ¡°Like our PIMs too, though they grow inside us. They¡¯re just one plant from one seed.¡±


    ¡°Exactly,¡± Nat said. ¡°Except, because most Makers have three-plus different Artists working on their Meridian Lines, we sometimes see some fluctuations in how well they work. Part of the job of the later Artists ¨C especially near the completion of the Meridian Lines ¨C is to smooth out these imperfections. Make it so everything flows evenly throughout the body.¡±


    ¡°Can I ask a question?¡± Seena stopped Nat. ¡°Why do you need so many Artists to work on the Meridian Lines? Why doesn¡¯t one Artist just do the whole thing?¡±


    ¡°One, it¡¯s a lot of work,¡± Nat said. ¡°Second, it¡¯s usually done over the course of anywhere from five to fifteen years, depending on the class of the person getting inked, and their natural solar energy attributes. Asking one Artist to keep their schedule clear for fifteen years is a pretty big ask. It tends to be more convenient for everybody to work with multiple Artists.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll add here,¡± Sera said. ¡°Because you likely aren¡¯t familiar with some of the things we take for granted. Inking is such a common part of our lives ¨C especially Meridian Lines ¨C we have a system in places where most people get inked by established groups of Artists who work together. These Artists become so familiar with each other¡¯s energy signatures, it makes it much easier to smooth out those imperfections Nat mentioned.


    ¡°For example, if a young Shaper came to me for their Meridian Line inking, they¡¯d actually be coming to me, Elezad, and three others we work closely with. That way, during the lifecycle of the Meridian Line inking, it could be any of us five doing the work, depending on our schedules.¡±


    ¡°The better the Artists know each other¡¯s energy,¡± Elezad picked up. ¡°The less imperfections you see when somebody new picks up the work, also. Sera and I, for example ¨C and pardon my lack of modesty for the moment ¨C are nearly flawless when we work with each other. There¡¯s a little more effort needed when the other three are involved, though they are each excellent at their jobs. We just don¡¯t work with them as much as we have with each other.¡±


    ¡°And this is where you got your idea from, isn¡¯t it?¡± Nat asked her father. Then she tilted her head like something had just occurred to her. ¡°Two ideas, I guess, if I¡¯m right.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like you are,¡± Elezad said.


    ¡°And those theories are¡­?¡± Seena prompted.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± Nat said. ¡°The first is probably that if the two of them ¨C and only the two of them ¨C did Hiral¡¯s Meridian Lines themselves, there would be less imperfections. They¡¯re so familiar with each other¡¯s energy, it¡¯s almost like one person doing the entire thing.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s more than that,¡± Milly interrupted. ¡°Because they were doing it at the same time, they were increasing the synergy of the lines. Making the expansion of the lines symmetrical, easier for the body to handle.¡±


    The younger girl looked at Seena before she continued. ¡°If somebody gets their line on just one arm, then doesn¡¯t get the other arm for a long time ¨C over a year ¨C we see their solar energy movement become sluggish later on. Like it doesn¡¯t know it should be traveling into the paths in the other arm. There are treatments and practices to improve on it, but it can be really time consuming to correct.


    ¡°For Hiral, by doing both sides at the same time, his body didn¡¯t get any of that¡­ confusion. If our parents did it right, his solar energy would move naturally from the very beginning. It¡¯s genius!¡±


    ¡°Then¡­¡± Seena started slowly. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you two know about it? Why isn¡¯t everybody doing it?¡±


    ¡°Because,¡± Hiral spoke up, having already figured it out. And, nobody else would be willing to say it. ¡°Because they didn¡¯t think it worked. In fact, they thought it might be why I couldn¡¯t use my solar energy. They worried they broke me by doing things differently. Or, at least that had been part of it.¡±


    Elezad¡¯s hand wrapped gently around Hiral¡¯s wrist ¨C the man was avoiding his in-process palm ¨C and squeezed.


    ¡°It¡¯s true,¡± his father said. ¡°We suspected it was¡­ you know,¡± he glanced toward his wife¡¯s stomach where the glyph of fertility lay hidden beneath her clothes. ¡°But, on the off chance it was how we inked you¡­? We didn¡¯t want to risk anybody else.¡±


    Seena gave them a moment of quiet before speaking again. ¡°What¡¯s the second theory, then? None of this explains how it connects to Left and the Daggers.¡±


    ¡°Milly?¡± Elezad prompted, hand still around Hiral¡¯s wrist.


    ¡°It¡¯s both simple and complicated,¡± Milly started. ¡°But, look at it this way. While the Meridian Lines are all one ¡®thing¡¯, each of the tattoos is an individual entity. They¡¯re loosely connected to the Meridian Lines, but that¡¯s all it is ¨C connected. They aren¡¯t part of the Meridian Lines.¡±


    ¡°So, you¡¯re saying¡­¡± Seena started slowly. ¡°You two,¡± she spoke to Hiral¡¯s parents, ¡°did more than connect them to the Meridian Lines? You made them part of the larger system?¡±


    ¡°That was our goal, yes,¡± Elezad said.


    ¡°Which we succeeded at,¡± Sera pointed out.


    ¡°And that¡¯s¡­ better?¡± Seena asked.


    ¡°Think about it this way,¡± Elezad said. ¡°If a Shaper had their Meridian Lines and two tattoos, they would basically have three separate entities in their body. Each would operate independently of each other. While it might not sound like much, this would create delays and detours for moving solar energy around the body. More than that, the tattoos would never truly interface with each other. Yes, they could be used at the same time, but they couldn¡¯t be used together.¡±


    ¡°Like Left¡¯s two Herald tattoos,¡± Seena reasoned out.


    ¡°Correct,¡± Elezad said. ¡°Add in twenty more tattoos, and you¡¯ll see even more delays and detours in energy movement ¨C though, really, they¡¯re rarely considered. It¡¯s just part of the process.¡±


    ¡°But, what you did for Hiral,¡± Seena said. ¡°Was create a single system to make it easier for him to move energy around his body.¡±


    ¡°Again, that had been our goal,¡± Elezad said. ¡°Truth be told, we¡¯re not exactly sure how well it worked, aside from Left being able to combine tattoos.¡±


    ¡°Which, alone, is still very impressive,¡± Sera said.


    ¡°It might be more impressive than either of you realize,¡± Hiral said. ¡°The work you did ¨C even though I couldn¡¯t use the tattoos ¨C I think it kind of primed my body. From what we¡¯ve heard, Builders need to use constructs or devices to manipulate the runes.


    ¡°Me? They¡¯re on my body, like tattoos. I¡¯ve been trying to figure out why I was different. Why I could use runes directly. Now? After you explained all this, I think part of it might be because of what you did. You set up this closed, perfect system in me. When I got exposed to runes the first time, they flowed right into that system you¡¯d built.


    ¡°Like Amin Thett had set up the framework for the PIMP to follow, the reverse held true inside me. I¡­ don¡¯t know if we could replicate it, since I had my full set of S-Rank tattoos and Meridian Lines since I was a kid, but, yeah, I think that¡¯s what happened. Which means, maybe we can make more of me to¡­¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Li¡¯l Ur interrupted from Seena¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°Ur?¡± Seena asked. ¡°Is this an apprentice thing?¡±


    ¡°Not at all,¡± Li¡¯l Ur said. ¡°Though, my would-be apprentice is doing just the thing his mother told him not to.¡±


    ¡°Which is?¡± Hiral asked.


    ¡°Underestimating yourself,¡± Li¡¯l Ur said. ¡°Even if you had this advantage from what your parents did, your understanding of the runes ¨C and the Edicts ¨C is not something that can be gifted. Even Amin Thett did not have your grasp on these concepts. That is saying more than you can understand.


    ¡°Yes, if you are correct, what your parents did gave you an advantage. It, however, did not guarantee the result. Your natural curiosity, stubbornness, and choice to pursue the depths of the runes made full use of the advantages at your disposal, and allowed you to reach the heights you have. The further you go down this road, the more it is because of what you do, not what anybody else did for you.¡±


    ¡°Huh,¡± was all Hiral could say. Part of him was a little disappointed they couldn¡¯t ¡®create¡¯ more people like him, using the glyph of fertility and the closed-system of runes and tattoos his parents talked about. Then, the other part of him he wouldn¡¯t talk about publicly was also kind of¡­ happy. That little voice in the back of his head that wanted him to be special.


    And, maybe he was?


    He couldn¡¯t lie to himself or anybody else about the advantages he had. S-Rank solar attributes. Parents that¡¯d inked this ¨C apparently ¨C amazing system of Meridian Lines and tattoos on his body. His ¡®meeting¡¯ with the crystal golem, and the opportunities the PIMP had provided along the way.


    Likewise, though, he couldn¡¯t argue he hadn¡¯t put in his own work to make those most of those things.


    All of it put together had resulted in him becoming as strong as he had.


    And I¡¯m not finished yet. A-Rank? S-Rank? Who says those have to be the limit for me?


    He tilted his head back to look up at the false sky of the Cradle of Tomorrow, his mind going to the ¡®space¡¯ Tomorrow had taken them within The Playhouse. There were dozens, hundreds, thousands more worlds out there. Yes, his first priority was ¨C of course ¨C kicking the Enemy off Genesis, but, after that? Where would the next challenge take him?


    ¡°He¡¯s got that look,¡± Seena said, standing directly in front of Hiral. ¡°You¡¯d better finish those tattoos before he runs off to do something reckless.¡±


    Hiral lowered his head to look at his party leader. ¡°And takes you with me,¡± he said.


    ¡°Well, of course,¡± she said. ¡°Don¡¯t think you¡¯re going anywhere without me.¡±


    Sitting on either side of him, his parents shared ¡®a look¡¯, then chuckled and got back to work. They had new tattoos too finish, and Hiral had places to be.

 Chapter 8 – Training Grounds

    Sitting comfortably on a plane of pink butterflies, a hundred feet above the bustling camp, Hiral focused on pushing his sensory domain out further, little by little. Now easily reaching several-hundred feet, the slight touches of Rejection on the people moving below him weren¡¯t nearly as overwhelming as they had been when he¡¯d first gotten the ability.


    Directly below him, Nivian continued to offer stew to any who wanted it, while Wule sat near his brother, book in hand. Bash wasn¡¯t far from them either, the Troblin creating and playing with small dolls made directly from the earth. They reminded Hiral a lot of the Elder Earth Elementals that old goat had summoned, actually. Not nearly as powerful, but they did seem to be able to move on their own and follow basic commands.


    A benefit of his new, advanced class?


    Unfortunately, those were his only raid members he could sense. The camp had spread out to the borders of the space Al ¨C their Triclops guide ¨C had brought them too. So, Hiral opened his eyes to check on people the old-fashioned way.


    The beginnings of a stone wall bordered the entire area, one that would be nearly thirty-feet tall when completed. Apparently, one of the C-Rank teams had found the schematic while Hiral and his group were out, and the War Table had already gotten started on constructing it. It was¡­ more than a little fascinating to watch ¨C evident by the scurrying groups of Academics studying the process ¨C as whole sections of completed wall just seemed to miraculously appear.


    And, within that wall, the camp itself had definitely progressed. The residence building had added another floor ¨C and working showers, finally ¨C while the crafting building had gotten a station for woodworking. While that didn¡¯t sound tremendously exciting at first glance ¨C yay, wood carvings? ¨C it had actually come with several schematics for bows and staves.


    C-Rank bows and staves.


    People were already madly working on their crafting skill to learn how to make these items, and it only fueled the fire of desire to find more schematics. Contribution points had been offered to for the discovery of recipes ¨C as they were calling them informally ¨C for all crafting professions, but especially smithing. While Hiral could craft crystal weapons and items, and the Growers had relied on a lot of wood or plant-based equipment, the metals they were finding in the Cradle were very, very interesting.


    Another C-Rank group had found a small mine, with a very strange ore in it. One that seemed to increase the body¡¯s natural recuperative process if enough of it was around. Somehow, it promoted an advanced form of Cycling. Well, the group had very quickly combined that with one of the Buildings in a Box they¡¯d gotten, and set that up. The strange dungeon reward they¡¯d gotten incorporated special properties of materials ¨C such as they ore ¨C into the building that seemingly grew from the box.


    Now, almost thirty hours after it¡¯d been started ¨C and four hours after Hiral¡¯s tattoos had been finished ¨C they had a new hospital. It still wasn¡¯t big enough to hold more than two-dozen people, but the building was young. It¡¯d grow up, big and strong, and just being inside it caused injuries to heal faster. Solar energy to recharge faster.


    And, a camp-shaking WHOMP reminded Hiral why they¡¯d chosen that particular location for the hospital ¨C the training ground right next to it. Built from another schematic they¡¯d found, the D-Rank facility didn¡¯t have the power to completely protect the trainees from each other.


    In this case, it was Loan and Right going at it in a spirited spar. Shockwaves from the blows rattled the walls of the lower-Rank training ground, and even knocked some of the spectators from their feet.


    For D-Rankers, the training ground would be amazing, preventing any injuries no matter how hard they went at each other. A great place to try out new abilities and builds. For C-Rankers, the protection barely reached fifty percent, meaning people had to hold back for fear of hurting each other. Hence the nearby hospital. For B-Rank and above, well, only their natural toughness protected them.


    Elezad suspected there were higher-Rank schematics out there, allowing stronger protections for all Ranks. They just had to find them.


    Luckily, since it was Loan and Right, Hiral wasn¡¯t really worried about either of them getting hurt. Left was there too, part of the two-on-one melee against the big Shaper. One that ¨C admittedly ¨C wasn¡¯t going as well for Hiral¡¯s doubles as he¡¯d secretly hoped. Then again, when Loan had explained it to him, it¡¯d made sense ¨C and it was the primary reason they were sparring.


    Loan had trained Hiral the best he could with what Hiral¡¯s strengths were. Dexterity, a quick mind, and any weapon he could get his hands on. What Loan hadn¡¯t trained Hiral with were the power of Meridian Lines and the use of tattoos in combat ¨C because he couldn¡¯t use either of those things.


    And, because Hiral didn¡¯t have that training, neither did Left or Right.


    Sure, they¡¯d done pretty well picking it up on their own, but Loan was a master when it came to a Shaper¡¯s fighting style. Now, he was helping pass some of that knowledge on to the doubles. Helping them refine their fighting styles even more. Nearby, Ilrolik sat with Gran ¨C each sipping tea ¨C and offered pointers when she saw something from an outside perspective.


    They weren¡¯t the only members of Hiral¡¯s raid party in the training ground, either. Yanily, Seeyela, and Devison likewise sparred in another section of the yard, though with less valley-shaking impacts. They moved more through a high-speed game of tag, with Yan and Seeyela pushing Devison to his limits and beyond. The man couldn¡¯t quite keep up with them, but he had some very interesting abilities to work with. Especially the one that seemed to predict and enemy¡¯s movements, and guide his own. He also felt very close to his advanced class, and an intensive training sessions with two of the more dangerous fighters in the camp could be just what he needed.If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    Yully was, of course, nearby in case the man lost another damn foot.


    A little further from them, Drahn and Igwanda practiced on an archery range with their new classes. The two skillsets had deviated from each other, with the One True Shot focusing on annihilating single targets. Drahn¡¯s Wind of the South, on the other hand, seemed to excel at debilitating larger groups. From what Hiral could see and hear, the different classes had driven a small wedge of competition between the two to prove which was better.


    Not that it was a bad thing, with each of them pointing out how the other class could overcome what they saw as a ¡®weakness¡¯. All in all, it would help them both grow in strength, and Hiral actually had to turn away as he witnessed how it also progressed their relationship. The normally bow-focused Wight was a bit¡­ aggressive when it came to kissing.


    Hiral had to find something else to think about ¨C and quickly ¨C before his mind went to all the questions about how a relationship like that could even work. Undead. Squalian. Grower. There were too many variables!


    And Drahn of all people? When Hiral had first met the man, he was almost as racist as Fitch had been. Now he was getting it on with¡­?


    Stop, stop, stop!


    Physically shaking his head to make sure the images ¨C Oh, nine hells, the images! ¨C didn¡¯t take hold in his mind, Hiral focused intently on the last members of his group down at the training ground. The two Bonders, Romin and Finotol, along with their companions.


    For their part, Wallop and Finotol¡¯s large cat ¨C Rive ¨C were busy mauling a pair of D-Rank training dummies. The poor constructs of wood and straw stood little chance against the B-Rank companions, and the two seemed to have a competition going as to how fast they could murder their dummy. Then, in the long seconds it took for the dummy to reform, Hiral could only imagine they were silently taunting each other by the body language he saw.


    As for their Bonders, Romin was explaining his new advanced class ¨C True-Bonded ¨C to see if he could trigger an evolution for this friend. It hadn¡¯t worked yet, but to Hiral¡¯s senses, they were getting closer. They just needed another push or two ¨C maybe some inspiration ¨C before they got the rest of the way there. Since Hiral had already given what help he could, it was up to Finotol and Rive to get the rest of the way.


    That just left Sera, who was understandably spending time with Nat and Milly ¨C though the three of them were also in the training grounds. Sera had turned out to be an excellent support member of the team, with incredibly flexible buffs and debuffs, thanks to her ability to edit the tattoos on her Mediums. Even more so because she¡¯d been the one to ink them herself. With every hour that passed ¨C and battle ¨C they were seeing how the Artists¡¯ strengths differed from Shapers.


    The big, tattooed titans that everybody had associated with Makers tended to be very good at their roles, with tattoos and builds to achieve those results. They were also physically powerful beyond any of the other classes. However, take them out of their element ¨C or ask them to do something outside their established role ¨C and they floundered a bit.


    Artists, on the other hand, were proving to be exceptionally adaptable, with some of the most skilled able to subtly manipulate their abilities on the fly. Sera, for example, had a tattoo that increased the parties¡¯ resistances to a single element. Originally, the tattoo protected against fire, aptly named Burn Resistance. It wasn¡¯t even a high-Rank or costly tattoo because that was all it did. Until Sera got her hands on it inked on her Medium.


    Almost unbelievably, she¡¯d modified the Burn part to any element of her choosing. And it only took her a few seconds to make the change. Sure, she couldn¡¯t do more than one element at a time still, but the fact she could alter the tattoo in that way? Revolutionary. And, now, other Artists were learning to do the same thing.


    Case in point ¨C her two daughters.


    Nat and Milly were both picking it up as easily as breathing. Nat, because of her absurd natural talent for tattoos, and Milly because of the benefits of her Fool tattoo.


    Give them a few more Ranks, and those two are going to be making the rest of us look bad.


    Not that Hiral minded. The stronger his sisters were, the less he had to worry about them.


    With his party accounted for, Hiral turned his attention back to his own work. As comfortable as the breeze was, sitting up there above the bustling camp, he hadn¡¯t been idle in his own practice. Yes, his sensory domain had been part of it, but that had only been a passive thing he worked on while he concentrated on something else ¨C scouting the Cradle.


    More specifically, while dozens of his clones scouted out the Cradle.


    It had been a bit of effort to manifest clones of different Ranks ¨C the poison-effect on a higher-Rank clone in a lower-Rank area was no less pronounced ¨C but once he¡¯d figured it out¡­? Well, it was worth it, to say the least.


    His clones had been sent out with next-to-no health ¨C since Hiral only got information from them when they died or were killed ¨C and simple instructions. Find trials. Then die.


    And they did both those things. Even better, while Hiral got the information on where they¡¯d been in the seconds leading up to their deaths, the War Table got even more. His clones counted as an ability of his, and since he was within the fortress, the Table registered that as him returning with information. Then, just like that, the table would update with the trial¡¯s location, Rank, and the name of the reward.


    Hiral had already found four trials that had been missed by scouts going through pacified areas, and he was pushing out even beyond. The orchard they¡¯d found in the A-Rank zone was definitely one of his goals, but his clones hadn¡¯t reached there yet. They didn¡¯t have pseudo-aspects to boost their speed, and they were ¨C frankly ¨C pretty squishy. More than a few had died ¡®pointlessly¡¯ when they¡¯d gotten ambushed by a lurking monster.


    Even that was useful, though, with Hiral cataloguing the ambush predators, and passing the information along to get recorded in area guides. The more hidden dangers the groups knew about, the less likely they were to get hurt by them.


    Which, led to Hiral nodding as another of his clones was killed. This was the second that¡¯d died in the same general area, and the images filling his mind confirmed what he¡¯d started to suspect a few minutes prior.


    The next Beast Wave was mounting.

 New Launch on Royal Road (Not a Rune Seeker product... exactly.)

    As for the info / blurb for the new story, look no further than... below!


    <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%; overflow: hidden; background-color: rgba(52, 73, 94, 1)" border="1">


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    Spark of War - Chapters begin Jan 13, 2025</a>


    Chapters begin Jan 13, 2025


    ####


    El has trained all her life to do two things ¨C to fly the skies on wings of roaring flames, and to burn her enemies to the ground. Now, having graduated the academy, she¡¯s ready to do both those things.The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡­until she¡¯s dispatched in the opposite direction of the war effort. To a city named after vegetables of all things. Seriously, who names a place after those? But, despite it being a routine mission, El and her unit find a new enemy waiting for them. One who isn¡¯t afraid of a little fire.


    With the war now on two fronts, El and her friends must use every spark of magic they have in a high-flying gambit against an enemy bearing a truth that threatens her faith ¨C and a choice that threatens her nation.


    And, if she¡¯s lucky, maybe she¡¯ll even find a good sandwich along the way. That¡¯d be a real win.


    ####


    What to expect:


    - High-flying, action, progression fantasy


    - Fights - Detailed


    - Chapter releases - M / T / W / Th / F


    - Chapter length - Spark was written as three books, so chapters range in length between 34 words (just 1 chapter) to over 4k. Average 1500''ish.


    - 3 Books in the series, released with no breaks (other than weekends) between them. All completed. We fly until the end.


    - Up to 40 (forty) advanced chapters on Patreon


    - The quest for the perfect sammich.


    ####


    What you won''t find in this story:


    - Harems


    - Murderhobo / pacifist MC - This is war.


    - Cultivation / LitRPG / system elements


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 Chapter 9 – Beast Wave

    As Hiral stood himself up in the air ¨C planes of pink butterflies swarming under his feet ¨C a solar clone split off from him and dashed in the direction of his father. The clones couldn¡¯t speak, use abilities, or really do anything complex, but he¡¯d already told his father what a clone arriving would mean.


    The Beast Wave was coming.


    At the same time the clone sprinted off at B-Rank speed, Hiral reached out to the others in his raid group over the party chat.


    ¡°Wave should be here in the next few minutes,¡± Hiral said. ¡°Ten, tops, I¡¯d guess.¡±


    ¡°On our way,¡± Seena said, which was followed by quick affirmatives from Ilrolik and Nivian.


    Within short order, the other members of his raid group ¨C and their companions ¨C filled the air above the frenzied camp. More swarms of pink butterflies flitted under their feet to hold them aloft, but the group stood calmly despite the activity below them.


    ¡°Remember,¡± Hiral said, the group having moved another two-hundred feet higher up above the keep to get a better vantage point over the in-progress wall. ¡°Don¡¯t do anything unless we have to to save lives. If they can handle a Beast Wave without us doing anything, that means they have less reason to ask us to hang around.¡±


    ¡°Your father and the Trust already said we could go,¡± Seena said.


    ¡°And the sentiment could change very quickly if this becomes a bloodbath,¡± Ilrolik said. ¡°Or, if it would¡¯ve been if we weren¡¯t here. Politics.¡± The old woman tisked at the word like it was poison in her mouth.


    ¡°Exactly,¡± Hiral said, eyes scanning the defenses. Even though the wall wasn¡¯t complete, sections of it stood tall and ready. Atop it, ranged combatants prepared themselves, abilities and weapons close at hand. Those would be ranged damage dealers, buffers, debuffers, and healers. Given the makeup of the last Beast Wave Hiral had seen, the height of the walls would keep them mostly safe, as long as the monsters didn¡¯t make it around to the other side and climb up.


    To prevent that exact thing from happening, the tanks and melee damage dealers filled the spaces in the unfinished sections of the walls. There were a few debuffers down there as well, along with a new category of support that had been dubbed ¡®area-denial specialists¡¯.


    These people weren¡¯t something Hiral had ever really seen on Fallen Reach, and even the Growers from the floating island only had a few ¨C though they didn¡¯t have a separate name for them. No, most of these original area-denial people came from the Hanging Garden. They¡¯d spent centuries ¨C tens of centuries ¨C defending a wall from the monsters in the savanna, and they¡¯d learned very early that preventing those monsters from reaching places they shouldn¡¯t was very important.


    Even if the skills didn¡¯t do a lot of damage, the ability to hold monsters in place or herd them into a kill-zone was immensely useful in a large-scale battle like this. Yanily¡¯s Lightning Tether had proven its worth several times in exactly this role, though Hiral¡¯s raid group still had very few of these area-denial abilities.


    A quick look in Dole¡¯s direction, and he corrected himself. With the new Shaper in Nivian¡¯s group, they suddenly had a lot more options in that regard.


    Moving his eyes from the people hustling to get their defenses finalized, he looked next to the Brass Cannons patrolling. Several of them stood on the walls, ready to rain down their C-Rank version of death on any who attacked. Seena had been summoning them pretty much on cooldown since they¡¯d returned to the keep ¨C and while Hiral had been out of commission before ¨C which meant there were dozens of them down. Beside each of them, somebody stood ready to issue orders to the constructs, a simple chain of command set up to help coordinate the weapons. Really, the opening salvo from those cannons would be devastating if the Chimeras came at them in a tide.


    On the other hand, there was a bit of a cooldown between shots, and once the Wave reached the wall ¨C or got past it ¨C the Brass Cannons would be all-but-useless. Their powerful shots didn¡¯t differentiate between friend and foe. Luckily, there were several of Tomorrow¡¯s Sentinels stomping around just inside the wall.


    There had been some conversation where the best place for them was ¨C inside or outside? Would they be best served to help break the Beast Wave as it crashed against the wall, saving people from injuries or death? Or, were they the last resort?


    The final decision was somewhere in between. They were the backup plan. While they could serve as a powerful first line of defence, well, that would mean less experience and achievements for the people who¡¯d come to the Cradle. Since that was the whole point of being there ¨C danger or not ¨C the Trust had decided to take the risk, with the Sentinels there to support them if needed. Much like Grandmother¡¯s role.


    Even now, she stood back on the balcony of the fortress, looking out over the camp she was responsible for as their General. High above her, on the sheer cliff-face where a massive tree had sprouted during assault by the Chimeric Ex-General, the sapling that had been left had grown over the hours since. Still nothing compared to the huge tree that manifested from Grandmother¡¯s ability ¨C and faded since ¨C the once-small sapling now extended more than thirty feet out from the stone. Thick, strong roots spread around the base of it, latching onto stone as easily as turned earth. Wide leaves of gold and green hung heavy from thick branches, draping nearly twice as wide as the tree was long over the main keep.


    This tree wasn¡¯t one of Grandmother¡¯s abilities, but instead some sort of natural growth born of the meeting between her powers and the inherent magic of the Cradle. And, just like what she¡¯d used during the Ex-General¡¯s attack, this tree radiated an aura of protectiveness. It may not have her strength ¨C yet ¨C but it would do all it could to support the people below.


    To Hiral¡¯s senses, gossamer-thin lines of Connection ran from each individual leaf to one of the people below ¨C including himself. There wasn¡¯t a buff notification or anything like that, but he could feel how the tree was aiding him. A slight increase to his defensive potential and natural healing, as well as his solar regeneration. Small, now, but the benefits would grow over time as the tree matured. Grandmother had realized that long before the rest of them, and had already pulled together a team of arborists to help care for the tree. Much like Grandfather, up on the Grower island.


    Finally, Hiral¡¯s eyes left the tree and went to the last, new addition to the field below him. One of the D-Rank groups had come back with schematics for catapults, and eight of them stood primed and ready. Here, those with classes or skillsets less suited for direct combat would be doing their part. The siege weapons themselves were deceptively simple ¨C once built automatically by the War Table ¨C and had their own minor fortifications around them. An infusion of solar energy would create the ammunition, though manual adjustment was needed to aim and fire.


    Hours of practice had gotten the new teams familiar with the operation of the weapons, and one of the most proficient handlers had even gotten an advanced class option from it ¨C though Hiral and the others hadn¡¯t been at the fortress for the evolution. The new Engineer of War had been an Academic who¡¯d tinkered with building things, so it kind of made sense. More than that, it gave hope to others on how advanced classes could be achieved.


    Hiral nodded to himself. Between the catapults and Brass Cannons, the initial rush should take a pounding and get thinned out, lessening the load on the wall. Conveniently ¨C or, more likely planned by Tomorrow ¨C different Rank-level areas stood at different orientations to the keep, meaning the groups had a pretty good idea what Rank would come at them from which direction. Once the melee got really intense, that wouldn¡¯t hold true anymore ¨C the keep area didn¡¯t have a Rank-ceiling, so there was no poison to worry about ¨C but it let them plan for the initial attack.


    E-Rank enemies would come from the nearest E-Rank area, while D-Ranks would come from the closest D-Rank zone, and so on. There was no B-Rank zone pressed up against the borders of the keep ¨C the highest was C-Rank ¨C so any B¡¯s that showed up would either have to come down the main road, or evolve from merging Chimeras.


    These were the reasons Hiral¡¯s group had been asked to stay.


    ¡°Looks good down there,¡± Loan said, breaking Hiral out of his assessment of the camp¡¯s readiness.


    ¡°Always looks good before the fighting starts,¡± Gran said, followed by one of her trademark cackles.


    ¡°True that,¡± Loan agreed. ¡°But¡­ it¡¯s still a sight to see.¡±


    ¡°Just wait until the War Table has a few more schematics to work with,¡± Seeyela said, but Loan shook his head.


    ¡°Not that,¡± the big Shaper said, his voice oddly reflective. ¡°Makers and Growers standing shoulder-to-shoulder beside Bonders and Undead. Last rotation, if you¡¯d told me we¡¯d be working together ¨C let alone found two new races ¨C I would¡¯ve called you crazy. The majority of the island would have.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a big change,¡± Ilrolik said.


    ¡°A necessary one,¡± Hiral said.


    ¡°Don¡¯t disagree with you there,¡± the Shaper said. ¡°Still, for us old folks, it¡¯s a sight to see. Makes this old heart of mine proud what you all have accomplished. Will accomplish.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t count yourself out just yet there,¡± Loan said to his friend. Though there were decades between their ages, the two had always been cordial, and grown into true friends in the time since Hiral had returned to Fallen Reach. ¡°You¡¯re not that old.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I know I¡¯ve still got a few rotations ¨C years ¨C of adventure ahead of me, but I can only imagine the world you¡¯ll all see in your lifetimes,¡± Ilrolik said wistfully.


    ¡°Assuming we survive the Raze,¡± Yully said, bringing everybody back to reality.


    ¡°We will,¡± Hiral said, turning from the camp to the raid group around him. Like Loan had said, it was astounding to see the different races working together like this. ¡°We are going to stop the Raze. We are going to find a way to prevent the memory reset. We are even going to take back our world, so we¡¯re not always hiding in small corners of it.¡±


    ¡°You sound so sure of that,¡± Yully said. ¡°Almost makes me believe it.¡±


    Loan barked out a laugh. ¡°Spend some more time with Hiral, and you¡¯ll learn that once he sets his mind to something, it happens. Not always quickly, but¡­¡±Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    ¡°You could¡¯ve left out that last part,¡± Hiral deadpanned, then looked back at Yully. ¡°And, I am sure. Not just because of me though. Because of all of you. The people we¡¯ve gathered here, we¡¯re the chance to make these things happen. And I don¡¯t think any of you is willing to squander that chance. We¡¯ll succeed. That¡¯s all there is to it.¡±


    Nobody said anything while Yully mulled over the words, though she did look to the Growers in his party. Nearby, Yanily, Seena, and Seeyela all gave subtle nods of support to his words ¨C to his ideas ¨C and the healer finally smiled. ¡°I was already on board ¨C I joined the group after all ¨C but it¡¯s reassuring to hear our young raid leader so sure of himself.¡±


    ¡°Sure of us,¡± Hiral clarified.


    ¡°Yes, yes,¡± Yanily said. ¡°We¡¯re all going to save the world. Wow, that sounded sarcastic, but, uh, it wasn¡¯t meant to¡­ we really are going to save the world. After we deal with this little Beast Wave.¡±


    ¡°Which is breaching the edge of the woods,¡± Left said. ¡°It¡¯s about to begin.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Left,¡± Hiral said, giving his group one more look-over, before turning back to the coming battle. ¡°Nivian, your group has the right flank, over there where the C-Rank area is. Ilrolik, you¡¯ve got the E- and D-Rank border. Just because the monsters are weaker there, don¡¯t be any less attentive.¡±


    ¡°We know,¡± Ilrolik said. ¡°Our E- and D-Rank people are also weaker, and have a lot less options to get them out of trouble. Things can go bad for them quickly.¡±


    ¡°Exactly,¡± Hiral said. ¡°Seena¡¯s group will stick to the middle, in case any B-Rank monsters come up the road, or either of you need support. I don¡¯t expect the latter to be true, but it¡¯s best we¡¯re ready for it. One more time ¨C don¡¯t act unless you need to.


    ¡°If we can get through this without doing anything, that¡¯s the ideal outcome.¡±


    ¡°Plenty of people down there are growing to strong,¡± Seeyela said.


    ¡°Speaking of people down there,¡± Hiral said. ¡°Is Caleon helping with this wave?¡± He hadn¡¯t heard much about ¨C and nothing from ¨C the healer from Seeyela¡¯s old group. Since she¡¯d surprisingly joined them in the Cradle after leaving the Asylum where she¡¯d decided to stay by herself, he hadn¡¯t once seen her. Not even wandering around the fortress area.


    ¡°Probably not,¡± Seena said slowly. ¡°Did we tell you she left her new group?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Hiral said, one eye on the distant woodline for the coming monster surge. ¡°Did something happen?¡±


    ¡°Not as far as we can tell,¡± Seeyela said. ¡°She just¡­ decided to leave. Wule thinks she was starting to like them, and it scared her off. She didn¡¯t want a repeat of last time, so she quit.¡±


    ¡°Did she join another new group?¡± Hiral said.


    Seena shook her head. ¡°We haven¡¯t seen her in a while, but the rumor around camp is she¡¯s out exploring on her own. Her old group said she was looking for something out there, but they don¡¯t know what she was talking about. One of them thinks it wasn¡¯t something physical she was looking for, but peace of mind from what happened to her before. Either way, from what we¡¯ve heard, she barely ever comes back.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s out there fighting on her own, somewhere,¡± Seeyela said quietly. ¡°Well, as one her own as she can with that mirror of hers. Maybe we should take it away. Make her sit down and talk to us.¡±


    ¡°Everybody copes differently,¡± Yanily said. ¡°Who are we to say what way is better?¡±


    ¡°This can¡¯t be healthy,¡± Seeyela insisted.


    ¡°Any more unhealthy than sitting alone in an Asylum grieving over what she lost?¡± Yanily countered.


    Seeyela didn¡¯t have an immediate answer to that. ¡°I still think we should do something. She¡¯s our friend. We¡¯ve all lost enough; I don¡¯t want to lose any more.¡±


    With how true that statement was ¨C and how much they all agreed with it ¨C the party stayed silent.


    Sentiment in mind, Hiral glanced down at the wall where his sisters stood, conveniently at the border of the central and D-Rank areas; a spot Ilrolik¡¯s group or Seena¡¯s could easily reach.


    ¡°It¡¯s time to see how much they¡¯ve grown,¡± he said quietly. ¡°So I don¡¯t have to worry.¡±


    As if Hiral¡¯s words were a cue, the Chimeric Beast Wave began their charge. Howls and cries from the monsters filled the air, with a dozen different Chimeric strains racing for the walls. Where, before, it had mostly been animal-type Chimeras, Troblins and Squalians also joined the mix this time. Weapons in hand, the two new additions to the field would change things up, depending on how intelligent they proved to be. If they had many abilities they could use, it could change the tide of¡­


    ¡°Fire,¡± a chorus of voices said at the same time to Hiral¡¯s high Atn, and the Brass Cannons and catapults both roared to life.


    The clearcut area ¨C nearly half-a-mile ¨C between the under-construction walls and the edge of the forest made for a deadly area to cross. No hiding spots, with uneven ground that prevented anything from getting up to a full sprint. Even C-Rank monsters would take a dangerously long time to cross. And that was exactly what the cannons and siege weapons were counting on.


    D- and C-Rank artillery lit up the air, straight lines from the Brass Cannons, while glowing spheres of magically-created ammunition arced gracefully. At an absurd range of about two-thousand feet, both the cannons and catapults proved to be quite accurate, hitting their targets in practice about sixty percent of the time. Beyond that, accuracy dropped to barely twenty percent¡­ unless the horde of enemies was so thick it was impossible to miss.


    Like the Beast Wave rushing out of the woods now.


    Explosions lit up the far side of the clearing, landing like the staccato of drums within a hundred feet of the treeline. And where the artillery landed, Chimeras died. In droves.


    Monstrous body parts disintegrated beneath the opening salvo from the cannons, shattering the front lines of the rush and further cratering the ground. Howls meant to intimidate quickly turned to shrieks of death and pain, then silenced entirely beneath the catapult-shots arriving a second later. Between the one-two-punch from the artillery, hundreds of the Chimeras ceased to exist, not even having a chance to merge into something stronger at low health.


    Hiral¡¯s focus stayed on the dissipating energy and fallout from the attack ¨C miraculous survivors already rushing out to continue the mad dash toward the wall ¨C while he glanced at the notifications scrolling past. He wasn¡¯t getting experience for attacks from the siege weapons, but it looked like that was just because of his level compared to the creatures that had been killed. Mainly E- and D-Rank enemies, with what looked like a few low-C-Ranks as well.


    On the plus side, since it was just the level difference preventing him from getting experience ¨C and he didn¡¯t do anything ¨C that meant the others waiting at the wall would be benefitting from softening up the opposition. In more ways than one.


    Catapults cranking back below him, and Brass Cannons waiting on their cooldown to fire again, gave the Chimeric assault precious seconds to swarm across the open space at the wall. Having seen the new siege corps ¨C as they were calling themselves ¨C practice, Hiral could tell the cooldowns wouldn¡¯t be enough time for the attackers to make it more than halfway.


    The only question was how the Brass Cannons and catapults would deal with the more spread-out crowd rushing at them. It was still crowded back by the woods as more creatures continued to emerge, but aiming at them would leave too many Chimeras to make it to the walls.


    He got his answer in the next second, with half-a-dozen Brass Cannons lancing their powerful payloads into the front line of attackers. Were only that many off cooldown¡­? Even before Hiral had a chance to finish his thought, six more Cannons fired their blasts deeper into the horde. Then came six more, and six more again, the shots staggered, with each consecutive volley aiming about a hundred feet further back than the previous.


    The catapults¡¯ shots arrived next, not nearly as precise as the cannons, spread like somebody had taken a handful of stones and just tossed them. Or, seeing the results of how the volley devasted the ranks, maybe that was intended.


    Again and again, the artillery pounded the rush, killing hundreds of Chimeras in the long seconds it took the first to reach the wall. There, practically alone, without its monstrous brethren at its side, that initial Chimera got put down with Yanily¡¯s favorite prejudice ¨C the extreme kind.


    The group at the opening the monster approached moved with surprising coordination, intercepting the loping wolf to make sure it didn¡¯t get past. At the same time, efficient debuffs layered over the weakened monster, while pinpoint ranged attacks put it down. In less than three seconds, the monster was dead, body steaming where it fell.


    The defenders didn¡¯t celebrate their victory, eyes already turning to the next monsters sprinting out of the kill zone.


    Area-denial abilities lit up the space in front of the wall, and Hiral couldn¡¯t help but smile when he saw Milly¡¯s own spiked barriers acting as funnels into coordinated traps. The monsters who didn¡¯t turn fast enough impaled themselves on the vicious spikes, while those who made it between the two walls found themselves in a whirling tornado of fire and metal shards.


    Elsewhere, chains of force or lightning, roots springing from the ground, or even powerful gusts of wind slowed and disoriented the monsters. Hiral just chuckled at the group of twelve Chimeric Troblins dancing in unison. Arms up to the side, step-step, arms to the other side, step-step.


    Then the fireball hit them, and, well, that was it for their dance routine.


    Nat¡¯s getting better and better at that¡­ which is oddly terrifying.


    Despite the coordination of the defending forces, however, it wasn¡¯t going perfectly for them. Where they had powerful and versatile abilities, the Chimeras had sheer numbers on their side. It was called a Beast Wave, after all, and the monsters used that advantage to the fullest, literally using the corpses of the fallen as shields ¨C or in one case, a ramp.


    Near one section of wall on the D-Rank front, a huge crowd of some kind of howling, Chimeric monkey had made it to the wall. And, even though they had been cut down in brutal numbers, there were always more right there waiting for their chance. With each that fell, the pile in front of the wall quickly grew. Five feet. Ten feet.


    Defenders at the top quickly realized what was happening, but what could they do? If they held back, the monsters would leap up anyway, and they were too far from any of the ¡®breaches¡¯ in the wall where construction hadn¡¯t finished, so they didn¡¯t have ground support.


    In the corner of his eye, Hiral spotted Ilrolik¡¯s group moving closer, readying themselves to intervene.


    ¡°Hold¡­¡± the party-leader¡¯s voice said over the raid chat. She was ready to move, but she also wasn¡¯t going to act too early. Ilrolik was an old and experienced Shaper ¨C a teacher to many ¨C and she had never been an easy one. Might be why she gets along with Loan so well. She¡¯d give the young ones below her a chance to save themselves first ¨C even if it meant a few black eyes and broken bones.


    Within thirty seconds, the pile of corpses stood fifteen feet tall ¨C already half-way up to the walkway on top of the wall. Thirty seconds more would see the group overrun by the swarming monkeys.


    In a twisted sort of way, it felt a little nostalgic to Hiral, memories of the monkeys from The Buried City coming to mind. They weren¡¯t much higher rank than the people on the top of the wall there, but they did have better gear.


    The one thing they didn¡¯t have, though, was allies.


    Even as more and more of the monsters rushed what looked to be a growing way past the tall wall ¨C and a chance at getting claws on the people harassing them ¨C more defenders likewise rushed towards the sortie. First came a powerful blast of wind, hurling every creature standing atop the pile ¨C and the whole top layer of corpses ¨C twenty feet back, and clearing the space for a heartbeat.


    In that second, a wave of liquid ¨C like a living, watery serpent ¨C sprung from the hands of a Grower nearby, darting up and over the crenelation, to douse the entire stack of bodies. That was as much as the defenders got done before more of the monkeys arrived, hooting, hollering, and rushing ahead before their building ladder could be cut off from them. Within seconds, the whole space was writhing again, long-fingered hands reaching for a way to scale the perfectly smooth wall. When they didn¡¯t find one, they got to climbing on each other¡¯s backs with renewed vigor.


    The defender¡¯s window of opportunity had closed abruptly, leaving the Chimeras sensing victory an instant away.


    That was, until another Grower standing calmly above the writhing mass snapped his finger. There, at the tips of those fingers, a small lick of flame sprung to life, and the monkeys seemed to pause. Nostrils flared as they drew in deep breaths, a smell wafting up from their feet ¨C one that wasn¡¯t made from water.


    Almost casually, the Grower flicked his hand, dropping the flame toward the pile below him, while dozens of monkey-heads seemed to watch it in slow motion. One ¨C smarter than the rest ¨C stretched out its hand to try and catch the flame, but the fire jerked aside like it was a living thing itself. Again and again, the flame dodged the increasingly frantic grabs of the monkey, then zipped straight down to vanish between the limbs of the corpses it stood on.


    For a long, drawn-out second, all the monkeys stared down, their breaths held. When nothing seemed to immediately happen, they began to let out a sigh of relief. The pile itself seemed to do the same thing, except this sigh was made of flame and fury.


    Like the bonfire it was, the corpse pile burst alight, charring the dozens of monkeys standing right on top of it, while sending twice as many more dashing back with their own limbs aflame. On top of the wall, the defenders that had taken cover in the second before the whoosh popped back up to continue their assault.


    All along the length of the wall, similar situations played out, the ebbs and flows of battle presenting opportunities for growth and challenges to overcome. And, each and every time one group got in trouble, another was there to help pull them out.


    But, never once over the course of that Beast Wave did Hiral¡¯s raid group need to act.

 Chapter 10 – Parents

    After successfully repelling the Beast Wave ¨C with only minor injuries to speak of ¨C Hiral and his raid group once again stood with Elezad and Grandmother. This time, though, they were all gathered back around the War Table.


    ¡°Since we know you¡¯re going ¨C and why,¡± Elezad began, before drawing their attention to the War Table itself. ¡°We thought we¡¯d put together a list of the trials we thought you should hit. The trials ¨C and their rewards ¨C will benefit both you and the fortress. Some of them are trials Burs¡¯s group has completed, while others look to have schematic-rewards we¡¯re after.


    ¡°Of course, if you find any additional hidden trials along the way, you¡¯re free to tackle them as well,¡± he finished.


    ¡°Not that we could stop you impulsive lot anyway,¡± Grandmother said.


    ¡°And you¡¯re sure you¡¯ll be okay without us here?¡± Ilrolik asked one more time. ¡°I know that last Beast Wave went well, but¡­¡±


    Elezad was already waving a hand to dismiss the worry. ¡°We¡¯re better off than I thought, actually. When Dole¡¯s group arrived,¡± the Artist looked over at the newest addition to the raid party with a nod of greeting, ¡°he came with five other B-Ranks. Them, plus a few stragglers we had from before who didn¡¯t have a raid group, got us a lot closer to the magic number eighteen.


    ¡°And, that just filled out with another five B-Ranks arriving in the last hour, giving us our third, full, B-Rank raid group. They¡¯re going to need some time to get acquainted with each other before they head out to start trials, which should be just long enough for Burs to return with his group for a rest.¡±


    Despite agreeing to go with Hiral and the rest when they left, Ilrolik looked a little more at ease after getting the information about the new groups. ¡°Who just showed up now?¡± the Shaper asked. ¡°Bonders?¡±


    ¡°Four Makers and a Grower, actually,¡± Elezad said. ¡°You know Ebidi?¡±


    ¡°Of course I do,¡± Ilrolik said. ¡°He told me he couldn¡¯t come down when I was rounding up people for the raid zone initially. Said he had work.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Elezad asked. ¡°He and a few of the others occasionally do council work, so maybe they were on contract. I¡¯ll have to ask him about it. Good he¡¯s here though.¡±


    ¡°It is,¡± Ilrolik agreed. ¡°If he brought who I think he probably did ¨C Makers, at least ¨C they¡¯d make for a strong party. Good addition to our forces here. Really means we can go without much worry.¡±


    ¡°Speaking of which¡­¡± Yanily said, pointing at the map.


    ¡°Of course, sorry,¡± Elezad said. Then, he began to hand Hiral what looked like a paper map, thought better of it, and gave it to Left. ¡°That¡¯s a map of the trials we¡¯d like you to complete. For the ones we have information on, it¡¯s included in the notes. However, there¡¯s one in particular that just became available that we¡¯d like you to make sure you hit as well. Look here¡­¡±


    As Elezad spoke, a section of map on the War Table seemed to grow larger until it filled the space. Right up against the boundary of the fog that separated their side of the Cradle from the other faction¡¯s, a tower took center stage. Interestingly, as Hiral looked at the overall map, he could still see it through the enlarged section, and he noticed several other, similar towers arrayed near the border.


    ¡°Defense towers?¡± Hiral asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s what we think,¡± Elezad said. ¡°There are fourteen of them along the length of the border, and we suspect they will play a role when the fog lifts.¡±


    ¡°And there¡¯s a trial there?¡± Seena asked. ¡°At each of the towers, or just this one?¡±


    ¡°Just this one,¡± Elezad said.


    ¡°Who found it?¡± Hiral asked. ¡°Who went that close to the fog¡­ and were they able to go in?¡±


    ¡°Nobody found it,¡± Elezad said. ¡°Some trials have been appearing at regular intervals of progression towards clearing our side. This is one of them.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s so important about us doing this one?¡± Seeyela said.


    ¡°Well, some of the trials are about more than just the rewards,¡± Elezad said. ¡°Some also seem to teach us about the¡­ rules of the some of the Cradle¡¯s activities. For example, one of the trials we recommend you do is about controlling territory. It¡¯s very much a war game, with points being awarded for holding ground. But! We think it¡¯s important, because one of our mines has some functions very similar to how the war game works.


    ¡°We think that trial is helping prepare us for contested territory, and how we maintain control of our area. Or, how we take it from the other faction when we get there.¡±


    ¡°And you think this tower trial is something similar,¡± Hiral said with a nod. ¡°Since we have this many towers on our side, the other faction probably has them too. This will ¨C maybe ¨C teach us how to handle them?¡±


    ¡°Or at least give us more information on how the towers work. As a bonus, these trials that teach us Cradle rules tend to be pretty rewarding.¡±


    ¡°Consider it done,¡± Yanily said on behalf of the raid group.


    ¡°Good,¡± Elezad said. ¡°Now, it¡¯s important to note, this tower with the trial in it actually lies within an A-Rank zone, though the trial itself is only B-Rank. This is one of the few A-Rank areas that connects our territory with the fog wall. We¡¯re fine if you wait until you¡¯ve evolved to take it on, but if you don¡¯t wait, be careful.¡±


    ¡°If everything goes to plan,¡± Hiral said. ¡°We won¡¯t be returning here ¨C the only place we can move to A-Rank ¨C before everybody in the raid group is ready to evolve. We¡¯ve got at least seven levels to gain.¡±


    ¡°No small feat,¡± Elezad said, tilting his head back in thought. ¡°At least one of the trials in the list is a wave-type, and probably good for experience.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s also Mechanized,¡± Seena said. ¡°Which we¡¯re planning on taking a run at before we hit A-Rank, once we¡¯re all closer to level twenty.¡±


    ¡°Higher risk, more rewards?¡± Elezad asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s the hope,¡± Seena said. ¡°And, as tough as those Mecha-Armors were, they were good experience.¡±


    ¡°Then you can probably handle the tower,¡± Grandmother said. ¡°And reap the same benefits.¡±


    ¡°Looking at the map you provided,¡± Left said, the paper unfurled between his hands. ¡°I can already see a line of trials we can attempt on the way to the tower. Once we¡¯ve finished there, we can circle back toward the city where we found The Playhouse ¨C and Mechanized ¨C and knock a few more trials off.


    ¡°That will actually take us through the majority of the known B-Rank trials,¡± Left finished.


    ¡°Sounds good to me,¡± Yanily said. ¡°Like an experience and reward buffet just waiting for us to pick up our plates.¡±


    ¡°Knowing how quickly you all complete trials, I expect it will be exactly like that,¡± Elezad said. ¡°I would be lying if I said the Trust wasn¡¯t very interested in just how strong you¡¯ll be when you get back.¡± The man stopped and looked and directly at Hiral. ¡°Or how interested I am in seeing you continue to amaze.¡±


    ¡°Dad¡­¡± Hiral said, trying not to roll his eyes.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t a father allowed to dote a little?¡±


    ¡°Kind of more than a little with you,¡± Hiral said, and Elezad once again waved his hand dismissively. Obviously, he wasn¡¯t going to ever change the man¡¯s behavior, so Hiral went back to the more important topics. ¡°Anything else we should know or look out for as we go?¡±


    ¡°Everything is on the map or in the notes,¡± Elezad said, pointing to where Left had folded the map back up and was slipping it inside his Coat of Amin Thett.


    ¡°Perfect,¡± Hiral said. ¡°Then I think it¡¯s time we¡¯re on our way.¡±


    ¡°Uh, before that¡­¡± Elezad said, then pointed over to a corner of the room where another clone of Hiral sat cross-legged in a corner. Eyes closed, like it was meditating, it was perfectly still. ¡°Mind explaining him to me?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Hiral said, his contingency plan having completely slipped his mind in front of his father¡¯s antics. ¡°Since we can¡¯t communicate after we leave the keep ¨C no faction-chat ¨C I figured I¡¯d leave him here in case you need us to get back here in emergency.¡±


    ¡°So you can swap places with him?¡± Elezad asked.


    ¡°Afraid not. The clones work much better for that when I can see them,¡± Hiral explained. ¡°No, he¡¯s there if you need to get us a short message. If something happens and you need us to return as soon as possible, tell the clone ¨C keep it short, a sentence or two at most ¨C then kill it. I¡¯ll know what happened to it in the few seconds before it died.¡±


    ¡°You want me¡­¡± Elezad said as his head turned slowly to look at his son¡¯s clone. ¡°To kill you?¡±


    ¡°Not me. The solar double. Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t feel any of the pain¡­ though, I will remember what happened to it. Nothing too traumatic, okay?¡±


    ¡°Not sure how I feel about this,¡± Elezad said.


    ¡°We¡¯ll take care of it,¡± Grandmother said. ¡°Even if this one gets a little squeamish about it.¡±


    ¡°Killing my son? Of course I¡¯d be squeamish!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not me¡­¡± Hiral pointed out.


    ¡°Sure looks like you!¡± Elezad countered.The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    ¡°Dad¡­¡±


    ¡°I know! Fine! And¡­ thank you. Hopefully it won¡¯t come to it, but if something comes up, it¡¯s good to know we can tell you.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll still take time for us to get back,¡± Hiral pointed out. ¡°And if we¡¯re in the middle of a trial or something, even longer.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Elezad said. ¡°You saw the last Beast Wave. We¡¯re strong enough to protect ourselves from most things the Cradle will send at us. It¡¯s more you all I¡¯m worry about. Be careful out there,¡± Elezad first said to Hiral, then turned to his wife. ¡°Both of you.¡±


    ¡°And you watch over our girls while we¡¯re gone,¡± Sera said.


    ¡°You know I will.¡±


    ¡°But don¡¯t smother them.¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Elezad started.


    ¡°Will,¡± Sera finished without hesitation. ¡°Which is exactly why I¡¯m telling you not to.¡± Then she looked at Grandmother. ¡°Keep him busy so Nat and Milly have some peace of mind, would you?¡±


    ¡°Plenty for him to do here, don¡¯t you worry,¡± Grandmother said with a chuckle.


    ¡°But, they might need me,¡± Elezad said.


    ¡°And if they do,¡± Sera said smoothly. ¡°They will come to you. Trust them.¡±


    ¡°I do trust them,¡± Elezad pointed out, but held up his hands in surrender. ¡°And I understand what you¡¯re saying. I¡¯ll give them their space, but I won¡¯t be far if they need me. They¡¯re still so young for all this.¡±


    ¡°The world¡¯s changing,¡± Ilrolik said. ¡°Whether we want it to our not. Your girls are young, but they¡¯re smart and capable. Seems to run in the family.¡±


    Elezad¡¯s chest puffed up a little in pride. ¡°It does, doesn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°And that¡¯s definitely our cue to go,¡± Hiral said. ¡°Why are mine the only parents around to embarrass me?¡± he asked quietly.


    Still, even with that comment, he wasn¡¯t able to escape the room without a hug from his father, who also gave one to Sera. Finally, though, he made it out of the keep and into the fresh air of the bustling camp. It was time to¡­


    ¡°There you are,¡± a voice shouted. ¡°Been looking all over for your lazy ass.¡±


    At the words, Hiral spotted an unfamiliar man striding in their direction through his sensory domain. As he turned, he didn¡¯t recognize the tall fellow approaching them, but something about him tugged at a corner of Hiral¡¯s brain.


    ¡°My spear broke out on the last run,¡± the older man said, stomping right up to Yanily. He looked Yan in the eye, then down to the Splinter of the Storm in his hand. ¡°That looks like it isn¡¯t a complete piece of shit. Give it to me.¡±


    ¡°Dad,¡± Yanily started. ¡°I can¡¯t¡­¡± he cut off at a WHAP as an open hand slapped him across the face.


    ¡°That wasn¡¯t a ¡®Yes, Sir¡¯ that came out of your mouth,¡± the older man said while Hiral stood wide-eyed at the scene. ¡°Pretty sure I taught you better than that. Now. Spear.¡±


    Yanily¡¯s head stayed tilted to the side after the slap, and he blinked once, then twice, before looking back at the man who was apparently his father. ¡°I can¡¯t¡­¡±


    THWACK, the sound was entirely different as the man backhanded Yanily¡¯s opposite cheek, snapping his head to the other side.


    ¡°Just what the hell is going on here?¡± Ilrolik asked, coming up to loom over the father and son pair. Loan was right there beside her, but if Yan¡¯s father was intimidated by the two, towering Shapers, he didn¡¯t show it.


    ¡°Stay out of this, Islander,¡± the older man said without taking his glare off Yanily. ¡°None of your business.¡±


    A quick look at Seena and Seeyela showed neither of them was moving to assist their friend ¨C though their teeth clenched like they wanted nothing more than to do that ¨C while Yully, Drahn, and Devison looked likewise pinned in place. Wule had a casual hand on Nivian¡¯s arm, keeping the tank where he was, though wisps of that blue flame flickered behind the Death Knight. They clearly know something the rest of us don¡¯t¡­


    Eyes going to Yanily, the spearman didn¡¯t seem to be physically hurt. He had a B-Rank body, after all, and from the looks of things, his father couldn¡¯t be more than C-Rank. So, just why was Yanily letting the man treat him like that?


    ¡°One more time,¡± Yanily¡¯s father said. ¡°Spear.¡±


    Again, Yanily looked his father in the eye, his mouth working like he wanted to say something. When no words ¨C specifically of the yes variety ¨C came out, the older man¡¯s hand came around for another resounding WHAP.


    This time, though, it was his eyes that widened as he looked at whose cheek he¡¯d just brought his hand across.


    Hiral¡¯s.


    With the energy from the Rune of Exchange fading from his palms, Hiral looked the surprised man in the eye. ¡°If it¡¯s a spear you need, plenty were brought down from Fallen Reach. C-Rank, right? I¡¯ll make sure you get one. But, I¡¯m afraid Yanily can¡¯t give you that one. I made it for him, not anybody else. I don¡¯t think you could even use it.¡±


    That last part wasn¡¯t even a lie. At least, not in the way the man in front of him would probably take it. The Splinter of the Storm was powerful. Anybody other than Yanily trying to use it would likely fry themselves with the rampant lightning contained within the weapon.


    Really, the spearman¡¯s connection with the original Spear of Clouds was a big part of why he could use the Splinter at all. Not to mention the fact the S-Rank weapon had specifically broken off a small shard of itself and gifted it to Yanily, not anybody else. The weapon was more than custom-made for him ¨C it was a gift from a semi-sentient, ancient weapon of unimaginable power.


    ¡°Who the hell are you?¡± Yanily¡¯s father asked, though he glanced down to his hand, opening and closing it like it hurt.


    That could be ¨C just maybe ¨C because of the ever-so-slight coating of Rejection and Impact Hiral had layered over his skin the instant before contact.


    When the man looked back up at Hiral, his eyes darted to both sides at the two, nearly-identical men standing beside him. By the looks on their faces, and the way their solar energy bled into the air around them, neither was particularly impressed with the physical violence.


    ¡°Friend of Yanily¡¯s,¡± Hiral said calmly. ¡°Also, the leader of his raid group, so he¡¯s kind of my responsibility.¡±


    ¡°An Islander for a friend?¡± the man asked, then turned and spit on the ground, the phlegm landing dangerously close to Ilrolik¡¯s boot. He even glanced up at her with a ¡®dare-you-to-do-something-about-it¡¯ look. Luckily for him, Loan¡¯s hand on her arm prevented her from turning the Grower into little more than a red smear on the ground. ¡°Should¡¯ve known,¡± Yanily¡¯s father continued as he turned his head slowly back around to Hiral.


    ¡°More than one friend,¡± Hiral said. ¡°Not just Islanders, either.¡± With his words, the rest of the raid group stepped forward ¨C Seena, Seeyela, and the other Growers included ¨C to form a protective crowd around Yanily and Hiral.


    ¡°Just one more disappointment to add to a life of them from you, eh?¡± the man called over Hiral¡¯s shoulder in Yanily¡¯s direction. ¡°And you,¡± he said to Hiral, even going so far as to raise his hand as if to poke Hiral in the chest. A slight shift from Left and Right seemed to make him think better of the gesture, and his hand lowered again. ¡°You¡¯ll get me that spear.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t a question.


    ¡°I¡¯ll make sure it¡¯s delivered within the hour,¡± Hiral said.


    ¡°Better be a good one,¡± Yanily¡¯s father said. ¡°Not some piece of shit like my son.¡±


    ¡°You mean like his spear?¡± Hiral asked.


    ¡°I said what I mean,¡± the man said, looking around at the raid group arrayed in front of him. More of a crowd had stopped at the building tension, groups in each of the camps forming up as they tried to figure out what was happening. Or, more likely, what would happen. ¡°And within the hour. Or else.¡±


    Hiral resisted the urge to ask ¡®Or else what?¡¯, but Yanily stiffening in his sensory domain helped him hold his tongue. ¡°You¡¯ll have it,¡± he said instead.


    One more glare in Hiral¡¯s direction, then the man casually turned ¨C like he didn¡¯t have a worry in the world ¨C and sauntered toward the bunkhouse.


    None of the raid group moved a muscle as they watched him go, until finally he entered the building, and all eyes turned to Yanily and Hiral.


    ¡°Somebody want to tell me what¡¯s going on?¡± Ilrolik asked. ¡°Why would either of you let him get away with that?¡±


    The Growers all looked at Yanily, and Hiral could see pain on their faces. This thing that had just happened, it wasn¡¯t the first time.


    ¡°I have a younger brother,¡± Yanily said simply. ¡°Younger than Milly. Our mother died just after he was born. Left us just with our dad, and de didn¡¯t handle it well. Didn¡¯t become a drunk or anything like that, but maybe it would¡¯ve been easier. Or just an excuse.


    ¡°He didn¡¯t know how to raise us, so he fell back on the only thing he did know. Hitting things until they stopped doing whatever he didn¡¯t want them doing. Which, included toddlers who cried too much.¡±


    ¡°Yan¡­¡± Hiral started.


    Yanily shook his head. ¡°Ish ¨C short for Ishiuna ¨C he didn¡¯t know any better. But I did. And, even though I wasn¡¯t much older at the time, I could take a hit way better than him. So, I took the blame when he cried. And the punishment.


    ¡°As long as Dad got to hit something ¨C anything ¨C he felt better. Went away for a while until the next time something riled him up.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that got to do with now?¡± Ilrolik asked quietly.


    ¡°Ish lives with Dad¡¯s sister,¡± Yanily said. ¡°Mainly because she¡¯s got a son around his age, and they get along like brothers. Technically, Ish still has another birthday or two before he¡¯s no longer Dad¡¯s responsibility.¡±


    ¡°We have a kind of tradition,¡± Seena filled in. ¡°Kids stay with their parents ¨C or sometimes uncles and aunts ¨C until they¡¯re sixteen. It¡¯s supposed to be to give them a chance to learn the things they¡¯ll need to know as adults. Go to the surface with their parents. That kind of thing.¡±


    ¡°And abusing their kids is okay?¡± Ilrolik asked, though her eyes went to Sera and Hiral quickly. There wasn¡¯t any physical abuse in that relationship, but nobody could argue things were really any different on Fallen Reach.


    ¡°It¡¯s not their fault,¡± Yanily said. ¡°Growers stay out of each other¡¯s family-business unless somebody asks for help. Nobody asks? Everybody else pretends it¡¯s not happening.¡±


    ¡°Yanily never asked for help,¡± Seeyela said. ¡°He could¡¯ve. Still could. We¡¯d be there in a second.¡±


    ¡°Would¡¯ve just made things worse,¡± Yanily said. ¡°Been an embarrassment to Dad. If we¡¯d both moved out, he would¡¯ve tracked us down. Dragged us back. Or worse. This was the safest way I could think of to keep Ish safe. I gave Dad a target to hate, and he let Ish go about his life in another house. And with Dad down here, it means Ish has some real peace at home for once.¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you ever say anything?¡± Hiral asked. ¡°When we were stuck down on the surface that first time, you must¡¯ve been worried about your brother¡­¡±


    ¡°I was,¡± Yanily said. ¡°But, if I¡¯d said anything, that could¡¯ve been seen as asking for help. And, Ish is mostly safe with our aunt as long as I don¡¯t do anything to set Dad off. If I¡¯d died down here the first time ¨C like they thought we did ¨C that probably would¡¯ve been a relief for him. He could¡¯ve forgotten he had any kids at all.¡±


    ¡°Does your brother know you¡¯re doing all this for him?¡± Hiral asked.


    Yanily shrugged. ¡°Who knows. We¡¯re not really close. Dad¡¯s gotten so used to targeting me, I don¡¯t think he even remembers how it started in the first place. If he ever really figured out Ish was important to me, he¡¯d use that to hurt us both. With Ish out of the house, though? Out of sight, out of mind, mostly. As long as I keep his attention.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ messed up,¡± Hiral said.


    ¡°Yup,¡± Yanily agreed.


    ¡°Is there anything we can do to help?¡± Hiral asked.


    ¡°Nah,¡± Yanily said, his easy-going smile getting forced back onto his face. ¡°Just need to stay out of his way as much as possible, or take the odd ¡®love-tap¡¯ when he¡¯s around. Not like it hurt. Yanily¡¯s hand went to his cheek, where his finger scratched absently at where his father¡¯s backhand had struck him.


    ¡°Does he even know how badly you would wipe the floor with him if you even tried?¡± Loan asked.


    Yan¡¯s finger scratched his cheek again. ¡°I don¡¯t think he believed I was B-Rank before. He might be starting to understand now.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s not going to take that well,¡± Seeyela said. ¡°Vevus ¨C that¡¯s Yan¡¯s dad ¨C has always been the competitive type.¡±


    ¡°And he¡¯s always been stronger than Yanily,¡± Seena added in. ¡°Until now.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t think he¡¯s going to like that,¡± Wule said.


    ¡°He won¡¯t,¡± Yanily said. ¡°Not at all. But, with the way the Cradle works, he¡¯s got a chance to make a name for himself down here. Since Ish is back at home, and we¡¯ll be out running our own trials, he¡¯ll focus on his own levels. It¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    ¡°Want me to give him a crappy spear?¡± Hiral asked, and Yanily actually chuckled.


    ¡°As much as I¡¯d love to see that, he doesn¡¯t usually move with a party if he doesn¡¯t have to,¡± Yanily said. ¡°If I had to guess, he¡¯s going to be one of those solo scouts. He¡¯s always loved exploring. Anyway, he doesn¡¯t have anybody other than himself and his weapon to rely on. Giving him a bad one would probably get him killed.¡±


    ¡°You sure you don¡¯t want that?¡± Hiral said quietly.


    Yanily took a breath before he answered. ¡°Some days, I definitely do. Most days, I don¡¯t care enough either way for it to matter. The rest of the time, I remember he¡¯s a person too ¨C if an asshole, and as much as I hate to admit it, he¡¯s pretty good at what he does. We need that for this fight against the Enemy. No reason to start killing off people on our side.¡±


    ¡°Sometimes it needs to happen,¡± Nivian said, clearly referring back to Politet.


    ¡°True,¡± Yanily agreed. ¡°I just don¡¯t think this is one of those times. He can¡¯t really hurt me anymore, so let¡¯s just not worry about it. Okay?¡±


    ¡°Yan¡­¡± Seena started.


    ¡°Really,¡± Yanily said. ¡°Let¡¯s get him his stupid spear ¨C one that is definitely not this one,¡± he held up the Splinter of the Storm, ¡°then get out there and run some trials. You all really want to help me? Let¡¯s get everybody to A-Rank. Nothing will make me happier than that.


    ¡°Except maybe when we get to S-Rank.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like a goal I¡¯m willing to get behind,¡± Hiral said to his friend. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

 Chapter 11 – Status Window

    Nearly a dozen hours after the run-in with Yanily¡¯s father, Hiral sat around a familiar stew pot with the rest of his raid party. The setting around them, however, was significantly less familiar. The group had clear-cut a small section of the tropical forest teeming with life ¨C mainly so they could see any of the bastard, Chimeric snakes that called this place home before they got close ¨C then settled down after the whirlwind of activity.


    Even for B-Rank bodies, twelve hours straight of travel and trials was tiring. Seeing people starting to flag a little, Hiral had called a break before they moved on to their next ¨C and fourth ¨C trial in a row. That would be the tower trial his father had talked about, though it was likely still another hour or two away with how the Cradle¡¯s spatial shenanigans worked.


    Stretching and rolling his neck while the soothing smell of Nivian¡¯s stew spread through the quiet group, Hiral let his mind relax and review.


    Before they¡¯d left the camp, Hiral had arranged for a C-Rank spear to get delivered to a certain asshole in the bunkhouse. The request was easy enough, and a crystal C-Rank spear from the hidden, underground storage rooms from Fallen Reach had probably already long-since been delivered at this point. The weapon wasn¡¯t anything special, but easily as good as any of the weapons that didn¡¯t come from trials or dungeons. It¡¯d do the Yanily¡¯s father well enough until he got something better. Though, according to what the requisition clerk said ¨C he knew of Vevus ¨C that wasn¡¯t likely to happen.


    Much like what Yan had said, his father was something of a loner. His entire time in the Cradle so far had been spent scouting out C-Rank zones ¨C by himself. No raid group. No party. Just him and his spear. And he¡¯d done pretty well, discovering three trials all on his own that¡¯d been missed by others. He either had a knack for sniffing out the hidden trials, or he was just more willing to slip into dangerous places the others had chosen to pass over.


    Either way, he hadn¡¯t been part of a single trial clear, but had been doing well earning contribution points.


    Hiral simultaneously shrugged and shook his head at the thought. Vevus could¡¯ve just as easily gone and asked for a spear as Hiral did, but that wasn¡¯t what annoyed him. Just like Sera, Yanily¡¯s father was good at his job. It would be so much easier to hate him ¨C or maybe even get rid of him, as Nivian had suggested ¨C if he was a drain on resources. Instead, well, the overall raid was benefitting from him being around.


    Not as much as they got from somebody like Yanily, of course.


    After he¡¯d completed that task, the raid group had headed right out, Hiral¡¯s pseudo-aspect and scarves carrying the entire group at breakneck speeds. Again, the way different parts of the Cradle were spatially expanded had made the journey significantly longer than anybody had expected ¨C how Tomorrow had managed to expand within expansions was still a mystery ¨C but the group had arrived at their first trial in under two hours.


    This had been the one his father had told them about ¨C an area-control-type trial. With five resource points ¨C ranging from a farm to a mine, and several in between ¨C the whole point of the trial seemed to be to teach the group skirmish tactics and area-denial. For each of the five areas they¡¯d controlled, resources ¨C or points, since it was a war game ¨C were harvested in their name.


    Easy enough ¨C until the other B-Rank, Chimeric, raid-group showed up. A mix of eighteen Chimeric Troblins, Squalians, and Duggers had been their opponents for their trial, and it had made for a very interesting change of pace. And, if Hiral was being honest, a kind of fun one.


    The trial had interesting mechanics that allowed group members to quickly teleport between controlled points, but only three at a time, with a several-minute cooldown between uses. This transport system could be used for escape or reinforcement of points, but only tactically.


    All in all, it had been good training for the group to practice splitting up, fight with different members of the raid group than usual ¨C though Hiral still avoided getting paired up with his mother ¨C and deal with opponents that weren¡¯t just monsters. Their opponents had been just as cunning as them, changings strategies and tactics mid-battle.


    The trial had been good experience too, even though they hadn¡¯t actually killed any of their opponents. Both sides had prioritized the safety of their members over defending a lost control-point to the death. Part of Hiral wished they could go back in and do it again ¨C they¡¯d definitely win by a larger margin if they did it a second time ¨C but the trial had an interesting mechanic at completion.


    When they¡¯d won, they¡¯d all gotten a message saying the trial was locked to them until the other faction fielded a party to compete.


    Not only would there be contested territory within the Cradle, but the trials would be set up to put the factions head-to-head. The only question was, would the rewards be worth it? Thinking of rewards took Hiral¡¯s thoughts to what they¡¯d already gotten from the three trials they¡¯d completed.


    As good a time as any to double check my status window. On the cusp of A-Rank, Hiral couldn¡¯t suppress the small smile that reached his lips when the window opened. He was¡­ doing pretty well. Especially compared to where he¡¯d started. When he¡¯d leapt from the Grower island ¨C the second time, remarkably ¨C he¡¯d had no class. Barely more than a hope he¡¯d get one on the surface, thanks to the Terminal achievement he¡¯d gotten.


    His highest stat ¨C Dex ¨C had been twenty. And that had been impressive. Compared to now, though? Barely a drop in the bucket.


    Name: Hiral Dorin


    Race: Builder


    Class: (Lost) Vanguard of the Runic Cycle


    Rank: High-B-Rank (Level 20)


    <u>Attributes</u>


    Strength (Str)¡ª18 (25+138) = 270


    Endurance (End)¡ª18 (25+138) = 270


    Dexterity (Dex)¡ª20 (25+613+88) = 1290


    Intelligence (Int)¡ª18 (25+138+91) = 411


    Wisdom (Wis)¡ª18 (25+138+69) = 377


    Attunement (Atn)¡ª20 (25+613) = 1136


    <u>Solar Energy Processing</u>


    Absorption Rate: S+-Rank


    Capacity: SS+-Rank


    Output Rate: SS+-Rank


    Just looking at his attributes and solar energy status made him want to smile. He really had come so far. Even his lowest stats ¨C strength and endurance ¨C were a whopping two-seventy. The bonuses they¡¯d gained from so many Rank Evolutionary Inspirations ¨C plus-two to all stats ¨C was tremendous. Not to mention the incredible hidden multipliers he had. And, in a lot of ways, the numbers he was looking at didn¡¯t do his body justice.


    Thanks to the ¡®poison¡¯ Politet had used on him ¨C and the timely activation of Gran¡¯s ability, An Unfinished Weave ¨C his internal solar energy control had never been better, including a boost to his output rate. Inside, though, he could feel his energy moving like dozens of smaller threads, each of which became easier and easier to manipulate with practice. Abilities activated faster, came out stronger and smoother, and generally just did what he wanted. Even his runic manipulation was benefitting from his increased control.


    Speaking of his runes, Hiral¡¯s eyes went to the next section of his status window. Namely, the long list of his runes, and the Edicts he had access to.


    <u>Abilities¡ªRunes</u>


    Rune of Separation¡ªPrimary


    Rune of Gravity¡ªSecondary


    Rune of Energy¡ªTertiary


    Rune of Piercing¡ªQuaternary


    Rune of Connection (Neck)


    Rune of Attraction (Forearm, Left)


    Rune of Rejection (Forearm, Right)


    Rune of Absorption (Bicep, Left)


    Rune of Impact (Bicep, Right)


    Rune of Decrease (Shoulder, Left)


    Rune of Increase (Shoulder, Right)


    Rune of Time Contraction (Chest, Left)


    Rune of Time Dilation (Chest, Right)


    Rune of Compression (Abdomen, Left)


    Rune of Expansion (Abdomen, Right)


    Rune of Unsealing (Thigh, Left)


    Rune of Sealing (Thigh, Right)


    Rune of Breaking (Calf, Left)


    Rune of Restoration (Calf, Right)


    Rune of Dreaming (Head)


    Rune of Exchange (Palms)


    <u>Abilities¡ªEdicts</u>


    Edict of Separation


    Edict of Gravity


    Edict of Energy


    Edict of Connection


    Edict of Attraction


    Edict of Impact


    Edict of Decrease


    Edict of Increase


    Edict of Sealing


    That was a lot of runes. Each with their own uses and strengths, but none he ignored. They were all handy. Versatile. Much like his role in the party. And, even though his Rune of Eclipse wasn¡¯t listed on his status window, it would definitely have a big part to play in Hiral¡¯s evolution. Its ability to influence possibility, to allow him to rewrite reality ¨C to a limited extent ¨C like it had in his battle against the Ex-General was something Hiral was pushing for. Just a taste of that power had left him wanting to master it.


    Which he would. He just needed to connect with all his current Edicts first. Something he¡¯d planned on doing anyway, since there were numerous benefits to it.


    The two extra Edicts he¡¯d gotten from forcing open his channels in that same battle against the Ex-General had certainly worked in his favor. Not just because of the control it gave him over his runes, or the extra tattoos Left got access to either. No, a bit of testing had shown each Edict connection gave him a roughly five percent bonus to his attributes when he used his pseudo-aspect, which was pretty much all the time now. He¡¯d previously estimated it at three or four percent, but he was definitely feeling a bigger impact than that, even though the bonuses didn¡¯t show up in his status window.


    I guess it¡¯s also possible each Edict connection gives a different amount, with things like Separation being more powerful than the others. Hrm. I guess I¡¯ll need more testing after I unlock the next one. Too bad¡­


    Hiral chuckled to himself again ¨C which only got him a small glance from Seena beside him ¨C before he went back to his status window. This time, his eyes went to a section he hadn¡¯t looked at in a long, long time, since it was a list of things he couldn¡¯t use.


    <u>Abilities ¨C Tattoos </u>


    Herald of Peace (Head, Left) ¨C UnavailableIf you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    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


    Bond of the Hidden Prince (Palm, Left) ¨C Unavailable


    Moonlit Murder (Palm, Right) ¨C Unavailable


    He''d pulled up the tattoos ¨C even though they were greyed out and unavailable because they were on Left now ¨C just to see the full list with the two new additions. All S-Rank, they¡¯d make pretty much any other Maker more than a little jealous. Especially once Left could use them all, which he would, once Hiral connected with the rest of his Edicts.


    Briefly, his eyes went from the tropical forest all around them, the distant calls of animals they hadn¡¯t seen making sure it was never silent, back to his list of tattoos. The Abode of Asinef sure would be handy at times like these. Its location lined up with the Rune of Expansion ¨C which he used quite frequently ¨C so it was only a matter of time until Left got access to that tattoo. And if Hiral focused a little more¡­?


    The streamers of solar energy running through Hiral¡¯s channels practically danced at his whim, like a worm enthralled by one of Nat¡¯s abilities, and wound their way down to his stomach. There, he ran them in circles, round and round, against the node keeping him from the Edict of Expansion. Sure, he could probably sneak a tiny thread past the node ¨C like he¡¯d done in his battle with the Ex-General ¨C but there were also side-effects to doing it that way. Not to mention the fact he wouldn¡¯t have actually unlocked the Edict. More just stolen a glimpse of it.


    No, there was a right way to do this ¨C wearing down the nodes as he used the runes or Cycled his solar energy. While he had the time, he¡¯d keep up on it. If it came to be an emergency, though¡­


    Hiral pushed the thought out of his head. Somehow, he didn¡¯t doubt an emergency would come up. Not with a suspected Fallen ¨C Vorinal, the monster they¡¯d thrown off Fallen Reach ¨C waiting as the leader of the other faction in the Cradle.


    Which means I need to get better ¨C faster ¨C in the right way.


    Leaving part of his attention on focusing the Cycling of energy against the node, he looked back at his status window.


    After the runes and Edicts, that only left two more sections ¨C well, three, if he counted Racial Growth, which he wasn¡¯t going to look at since it was monstrously long at this point ¨C his active and passive abilities. Also lists that would make most people jealous.


    First, came the slightly shorter list of actives. These were the things the PIM directly gave him from achievements or his class¡­ though Hiral had modified a few, like his Vanguard abilities.


    <u>Abilities¡ªActive</u>


    Foundational Split, Terminal, Mold Crystal+, Eloquently Enraged+, Intimidating Aura+, Distracting Shot, (Lost) Chord of the Primal Echo ¨C First, Second, and Third Movement, Shatter Armor, Double Trouble+, Domain of the Sun+, Power Attack+, Dual Power Attack+, Piercing Shot+, Resonance of Heroes, Vanguard¡¯s Sword, Vanguard¡¯s Shield, Emperor¡¯s Decree, Delicate Balance, Empower+, Hundred Handed+, Dismantle, Pennant of Windy Reinforcement, Recuperate


    It was a solid list of abilities, with a heavy focus on combat-related skills. Considering the PIMP¡¯s primary goal of defeating the Enemy, that made sense. Everything it gave them was geared toward defeating the monsters that¡¯d chased them from the surface thousands of years before.


    And, as Hiral considered it, geared toward defeating the Enemy¡¯s masters as well ¨C the so-called Raze. They still didn¡¯t have any idea what the Raze were. What they looked like. Or how they could possibly stop them.


    All they did know was that these creatures ¨C whatever they were ¨C were powerful enough to battle the Progenitors and nearly win. That means they¡¯re at least S-Rank. Maybe beyond. All the more reason we need to get to A-Rank as soon as possible ¨C or stronger ¨C so we can get those Black Gates closed.


    The quest they¡¯d gotten to close the three Black Gates ¨C the portal from the Enemy¡¯s world into theirs ¨C had sat with Hiral and the other B-Rankers since they¡¯d defeated Vorinal the first time. But, at this point, they only had an idea where one gate was, and zero clue on the location of the other two.


    Don¡¯t dwell on what you don¡¯t know yet, he told himself. That¡¯s why we need to capture Vorinal instead of killing him. He knows where that mountain with the crescent peak is. Where Tomorrow¡¯s Vigil is. Maybe even where the other two Gates are hidden. We just have to make him tell us.


    The thoughts of everything they still had to do made Hiral antsy, so his eyes scanned across the rest of his abilities ¨C this time the passive list.


    <u>Abilities¡ªPassive </u>


    Entropic Conjuration+, Racial Growth*, View (Enemy Health), Good Things Come in Threes, Walk on Water, (Lost) One-Man Army+ (+45%), Internal Injuries+ (B-Rank), I Bow to No One (moderate), Elemental Resistances (10%), Inspirational Growth, Party Interface (Communication, Member Status, Shared Attributes, Call of the Wild, Shared Storage, Aim High, Allied Killing Spree+, Healthy Living, Raid Party), (Lost) Heart of the Party+ (25%), (Lost) Vengeful Echo Aura+, (Lost) Solar Drain, (Lost) Cycling+ Technique, (Lost) Runic Regeneration+, (Lost) Evolutionary Inspiration+, In the Hands of the Duelist+, Ever Evolving, Cleaving Strikes, Unseen Strikes, Vengeance+, Solar Supply, Attuned Runic Mastery+ (50%), Bully, Babysitter, Momentum, Right Back at You+, It¡¯s What¡¯s Inside That Counts, Enduring Mind+, PIM Upgrade (A Glimpse of Tomorrow (B-Rank), Solar Heart, Is This How You Do It?), Vanguard¡¯s Presence, Follow-Up Blow, Siege Breaker+, Three¡¯s a Crowd, The Right Tool


    After getting to the end ¨C many of them abilities he¡¯d had for quite a while at this point ¨C he focused on a much smaller few.


    Namely, the newest additions.


    While not exactly as new as the three rewards he¡¯d gotten from the recent trials, those challenges had been a better workout for him to explore his upgraded In the Hands of the Duelist+. He¡¯d gotten the upgrade when Seena had evolved her advanced class, and played with it a bit in the earlier pair of trials they¡¯d done, but it wasn¡¯t until these three he¡¯d gotten to really push it.


    Class Ability (Passive): In the Hands of the Duelist+ ¨C Any weapon proficiency or training the Duelist has is upgraded to a Weapon Skill, and is further refined through experience, training, and fighting with or against skilled opponents.


    He hadn¡¯t quite known what to make of that addition to the description ¨C until he¡¯d done what it said. Battling the B-Rank Chimeric challengers in the area-control trial had taught him how to fight better. It was like he was noticing the way the others were moving, where their efficiencies were, and even how their weaknesses could be used to improve his own form. It wasn¡¯t like he was suddenly getting raw bonuses he could quantify, but he could feel his form and technique sharpening.


    Even a little light sparring with Seeyela and Yanily had helped him, though they hadn¡¯t had a lot of time to really explore it. It was clear that while the bonus from the upgrade was small in the short term, it would only grow with time and experience.


    He cut off the small fantasy of how far he could take himself after only a few seconds, and turned his attention back to the rewards from the recent trials. The area-control trial ¨C named Riches of the Land ¨C had given him the Pennant of Windy Reinforcement. A long name, but a simple ability.


    Class Ability (Active): Pennant of Windy Reinforcement ¨C Plant a pennant forged of pure solar energy and your highest attribute to share some of your strength with your allies.


    Note: Pennant of Windy Reinforcement boosts Dex of allies within 100 feet by 300.


    Note (2): Duration of Pennant of Windy Reinforcement is 3 minutes, with a cooldown of 10 minutes.


    Note (3): Pennant of Windy Reinforcement must be planted in the ground to have any effect.


    Much like Left¡¯s Banner of Courage, the ability summoned a kind of flag Hiral could place that would buff his friends. By a lot. Three-hundred Dex wasn¡¯t a small bonus. Best of all, everybody in the three groups had gotten a pennant based on their highest attribute. While two pennants that boosted Dex ¨C such as Hiral and Yanily ¨C didn¡¯t stack with each other, one of those did stack with a pennant of a different variety. For example, Seena¡¯s Pennant of Shadowy Reinforcement boosted Int by three-hundred, and Romin¡¯s Pennant of Earthen Reinforcement did End. All three of them out at the same time meant three hundred to each of those three attributes. Even crazier, Right and Left got access to their own pennants, meaning they also got Str from Right.


    Since Left¡¯s highest stat was still Int, it wouldn¡¯t stack with Seena¡¯s pennant, but he wasn¡¯t too far off from being able to boost Atn up above it. A few A-Rank levels would do it. Seeyela or Gran also gave them Wis, which meant they almost had the complete set. Overall, a great ability, and one the entire raid party had gotten.


    The next trial after Riches was an interesting one to be sure. The Sermon saw them reliving the events of some ancient and religious scripture. While the proceedings spoke of three warring gods ¨C one of which who got imprisoned deep beneath the ocean by the end ¨C it was more the trying to survive the three factions that took up most of their attention. There was probably more to the story, but the trial itself had been grueling with a number of annoying debuffs preventing the groups from breezing through it.


    In fact, despite the solid experience they¡¯d gotten from all the combat, the three parties had unanimously agreed to move on so they didn¡¯t have to deal with that trial again. Still, the reward had been worth it.


    Class Ability (Active): Recuperate ¨C Convert solar energy into minor self-healing.


    Note: Up to 5% solar energy can be used to heal an equal amount, modified by efficiency and efficacy bonuses.


    Note (2): Cooldown: 3 minutes


    While five-percent solar energy for health didn¡¯t sound amazing on paper, a little testing had proven it was a bit better than that. Taking the second part of the first note into account, it turned out it was more like five-percent solar energy for ten-percent health. The bonuses it talked about were taken into account before reaching the cap of five percent. For folks who had some additional bonuses ¨C like Hiral ¨C they could squeeze a bit more out of the ability.


    It wasn¡¯t an ability that would outright replace one of their healers, but it would help in emergencies. It also seemed particularly good at dulling otherwise severe wounds ¨C like losing a foot. Devison had been¡­ kind enough¡­ to prove the point in the third trial they¡¯d done.


    And that third trial had been another fun one ¨C The Games. A simple name, but a bit more complicated. Much like Riches, the party was told they wouldn¡¯t be able to repeat the trial until the other faction was there to challenge them, The Games consisted of a series of challenges. One-on-one battles, party-on-party battles, raid-group versus raid-group battles, tests of speed on land and water, competitions of skill and cunning, and even a battle where a summons, pet, or companion would battle alone.


    That¡­ last one had been pretty entertaining when everybody realized Left and Right ¨C together ¨C counted as one ability-slash-summons for the entry requirements. Very suddenly, Wallop, Rive, and Li¡¯l Ur had seemed much less enthusiastic about joining. Though their opponents did have entries into the competition, it had turned out to be a final between Hiral¡¯s doubles and the big Runeocerous. Wallop even put up a pretty good showing, but the winner was never in doubt.


    The other challenges were designed to be strictly faction-versus-faction, and two of their raid party ended up losing their individual battles. Sera and Yully just weren¡¯t cut out for one-versus-one fights, and even Drahn had barely squeaked by. Fortunately, these battles weren¡¯t to the death, and some kind of magic in the grand coliseum where they fought protected them from permanent injury or death.


    Unfortunately ¨C for their opponents ¨C Sera and Yully seemed to hold a grudge for losing their battles, and shone like newly formed suns in the group sorties.


    By the end of The Games, Hiral¡¯s raid group had come out convincingly on top, with only a few minor losses to mar their records. Again, if they had another shot at it, they were pretty sure they could sweep the competition. Their rewards for the trial were interesting as well.


    Namely because they got two rewards for one trial ¨C along with the raid interface that had allowed them to claim all these rewards ¨C something none of them had seen or heard of before.


    The first was actual loot. A weapon, to be precise.


    One Hiral promptly threw into his Arsenal of Amin Thett because it was only B-Rank. He¡¯d barely even looked at what the pair of short swords did before he¡¯d dismissed them as something he wouldn¡¯t use. Nivian¡¯s item, on the other hand, was a kind of mace. Again, not something the tank would use, but it did have a type of Infuriate ability on it. Still not something Nivian needed.


    So, he suggested Hiral take it and use Emperor¡¯s Decree on Ilrolik with it.


    Emperor¡¯s Decree


    Emperor¡¯s Decree: Abilities of weapons stored within the Arsenal of Amin Thett can be imbued onto bearer, party members, or the Greatsword of Amin Thett.


    Note: Emperor¡¯s Decree has a 1-minute cooldown per recipient, and abilities cannot be swapped within that time.


    That combined with his Raid Party ability meant he could use the ability on anybody sitting around the stew pot with him.


    Party Interface: Raid Party


    Party Interface: Raid Party ¨C Allows multiple parties to join together to form a raid party (up to 18 members), and additionally allows any abilities or skills that would normally only apply to party members to apply to all members of the raid party.


    Note: User of skills and abilities can designate (to a limited degree) who is affected by said abilities or skills within the raid party.


    With the combination of abilities and Nivian¡¯s generosity, Ilrolik suddenly had another option for getting an enemy¡¯s attention besides her Shaleclaw Grudge axe. Hopefully they¡¯d get a chance to see that in action in the next trial.


    Along with their last new ability ¨C The Right Tool.


    Class Ability (Passive): The Right Tool ¨C Different circumstances require different tactics.


    When fighting alone, user gains +15% damage done and -15% damage taken.


    When fighting as part of a group, user gains +15% to all attributes.


    When fighting as part of a raid group, user sees all abilities that affect the group gain a +30% bonus to efficiency and efficacy.


    Note: Only one aspect of The Right Tool may be active at any one time.


    It was too bad the bonuses from the passive weren¡¯t cumulative, but Hiral could definitely see advantages for each of them. Especially for the poor healers in some of the larger, more dangerous battles they¡¯d been part of. With their eyes set on Mechanized soon, any group-wide benefits would be highly appreciated.


    Thinking of their next major goal ¨C completing the A-Rank trial ¨C Hiral closed his status window and looked at the others gathered nearby. Conversations were few or quiet, but also comfortable. The three groups had been working hard together, and friendships were being built on all fronts. With the removal of Politet, the last real antagonist had been taken care of.


    Now, they had a unified group.


    Okay, maybe Dole still looked a touch uncomfortable, but Loan, Ilrolik, Sera, Nivian, and Wule were doing what they could to make him feel welcome in the raid group. Even Right was sitting with the three Shapers, chatting quietly about the last trial.


    Dole and Right hadn¡¯t gotten off to the best start ¨C with Dole calling Hiral Everfail when they¡¯d met in the waiting room of Elezad¡¯s studio ¨C but that seemed to be water under the bridge. Dole was genuinely sorry for that and, more importantly, committed to seeing the raid group succeed.


    Just like everybody else in the clearing with them.


    ¡°Three hours,¡± Hiral finally said into the party chat, so everybody could hear him. ¡°Then we¡¯re heading to the tower trial. Eat. Rest. Be ready to go.¡±


    Every head in the clearing turned to him as he spoke, but nobody complained about the short break. Thanks to their B-Rank bodies, the time should be more than enough for them to recover. And, like him, they could practically taste A-Rank waiting for them.


    Or, maybe that was just Nivian announcing his stew was ready¡­

 Chapter 12 – If it’s a Race You Want…

    ¡°Another few feet ahead of us, and we¡¯ll enter the trial,¡± Hiral said, eyes on a shimmering veil hanging in the air like a massive dome over the distant tower. The structure stood almost a mile from them, atop a prominent hill where it overlooked the territory in all directions. Far in the distance to the left and right, two more towers stood proud, and even more beyond them, to Hiral¡¯s high Atn.


    Really, it might be more accurate to call all of them forts themselves. A circular, tall wall that looked thick even from the distance surrounded the central tower that climbed into the air almost like an inverted pyramid. The angle of the walls was steep, making the width at the top of the tower less than a quarter of its overall height. At the top, crenellations hid whatever lay on the roof of the building, while the slope of the walls would make them almost impossible to scale by normal means. Shielded windows were visible at regular intervals, but something about them made the non-existent hair on the back of Hiral¡¯s neck stand on end. No way those weren¡¯t going to be bad news for anybody who got past the wall.


    ¡°I don¡¯t see an interface,¡± Nivian said.


    ¡°This one¡¯s different,¡± Hiral said. ¡°There¡¯s something like a boundary, around where that foot-shaped rock is. I think when we cross it, that¡¯ll start the trial.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t see anything,¡± Gran said. ¡°But maybe we can take that rock for the next time somebody loses a foot.¡±


    ¡°He only has rocks in his head,¡± Yully said.


    ¡°I¡¯m right here,¡± Devison pointed out. ¡°I can hear you insulting me.¡±


    ¡°You never seem to listen when we tell you to stop kicking the inside of monsters¡¯ mouths,¡± Yully said.


    ¡°Or to stop trying to block an axe with your ankle,¡± Gran added with her customary cackle.


    ¡°Seemed like good ideas at the time¡­¡± Devison grumbled, and Drahn gave him a consolatory pat on the shoulder.


    ¡°Plan?¡± Seena asked Hiral as they all stood looking for whatever he saw. ¡°I don¡¯t think the rest of us can see this boundary you¡¯re talking about. Is it an attunement thing?¡±


    ¡°Maybe in part,¡± Hiral said. ¡°It reminds me a bit of the fold in space the PIMP hides in.¡±


    Beside them, Seeyela snapped her fingers. ¡°It¡¯s like the city we went to. For Who Dunnit?¡± the woman said. ¡°Like Tomorrow overlayed a dungeon on a real place. How the hell did she even do that?¡±


    ¡°¡­ you asking me?¡± Gran said when she noticed Seeyela was looking in her direction.


    ¡°You are one of the people who helped build dungeons in the first place,¡± Wule said, referring to the fact Gran had been outed as Laseen, one of Dr. Benza¡¯s two assistants. The other ¨C Fenil ¨C had turned out to the be the Custodian of Tomorrow.


    ¡°And Tomorrow was a damn Progenitor,¡± Gran said. ¡°One who apparently helped guide our construction of the dungeons in the first place. Fenil was around for all of Dr. Benza¡¯s biggest dungeon breakthroughs. I bet he¡­ she¡­ they¡­ it¡­ whatever had a hand in encouraging the doctor¡¯s thinking. Seeing what I have here in the Cradle makes me realize just how much we don¡¯t know about what we started with the PIMP and dungeons.¡±


    ¡°But you must¡­¡± Seeyela started, only to trail off as Hiral raised a hand.


    ¡°For now,¡± he said. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. We¡¯ll find out what¡¯s going on when we pass through this barrier, or whatever it is.¡±


    ¡°We should expect the trial to start immediately,¡± Nivian said. ¡°Some kind of assault on the tower, you think?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I think,¡± Hiral said. ¡°These towers clearly look like they¡¯re set up to defend our side from the other faction. If what Dad was saying is true, this trial will probably teach us how to deal with towers on the other side.¡±


    ¡°Which means this tower probably isn¡¯t going to want to be taken,¡± Yanily said. ¡°There¡¯s bound to be defenses in place.¡±


    ¡°And people guarding the tower when we get there,¡± Romin said. Beside him, his companion snuffed and pawed at the ground. ¡°Wallop suggests we¡¯ll likely have to deal with artillery, like the catapults we¡¯ve been able to create back at the fortress.¡±


    ¡°Getting hit by one of those ¨C a B-Rank version, I¡¯m sure ¨C doesn¡¯t sound pleasant,¡± Drahn said.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll shoot any projectiles out of the sky before they reach us,¡± Igwanda said.


    ¡°Speaking of the sky,¡± Seena said. ¡°Can you fly us there, Hiral?¡±


    ¡°I could,¡± he started slowly.


    ¡°But?¡± Seeyela and Seena asked at the same time.


    ¡°But I don¡¯t think we should cheat too much on this,¡± he said. ¡°Look, if we skip or bypass some of the defenses by flying, how will we be able to tell the other raid groups what to expect?¡±


    ¡°The other towers are going to be different ranks, aren¡¯t they?¡± Wule asked. ¡°I bet this whole area along the border is stratified. Almost like lanes where different Ranks can move into the other faction¡¯s territory without having to worry about the solar poisoning.¡±


    ¡°Just like how we got here by following a series of trials,¡± Nivian said.


    ¡°Even if we punch through the B- or A-Rank tower when the fog lifts,¡± Romin said. ¡°The others won¡¯t be able to follow us safely.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ll need to make their own way through,¡± Ilrolik said. ¡°Meaning they need to knock down their own tower.¡±


    ¡°So,¡± Hiral continued. ¡°The more we learn now, the more prepared we can make sure the rest of the raid groups are.¡±


    ¡°Do you think this B-Rank tower will have more tricks, or just stronger ones?¡± Seena asked.


    ¡°Only one way to find out,¡± Hiral answered. ¡°Buff up. It¡¯s time to storm the tower.¡±


    With the command given, solar energy pulsed out of those around him, buffs layering themselves across the entire party. Longer-duration protections and enhancements reinforced Hiral¡¯s body, and he even reached out with his scarves to give everybody a boost to their attributes. It wasn¡¯t as strong as the forty-five percent multiplier he was getting from his own pseudo-aspect, but more likely closer to fifteen or twenty percent.


    They¡¯d save their new pennants ¨C and other short-duration buffs ¨C for when they really needed them.


    ¡°Everybody ready?¡± he asked barely fifteen seconds later, and he got three nods from the party leaders. ¡°We¡¯ve got a little bit of space, so we¡¯re going to spread out when we cross the boundary. Not too far. Fifteen feet between parties in case there is any of that artillery Wallop reminded us of. Nivian, you¡¯ve got the right side. Ilrolik the left.¡±


    Without a word, the other two parties moved away from Seena¡¯s group, then took up positions with their tanks at the front. As for Seena¡¯s group, Wallop trundled up into the lead, a snuff in the tower¡¯s direction like he was daring to it throw something his way. Through practice in the previous trials, Romin and his companion would save their Onslaught transformation for when they actually ran into something they¡¯d need to fight.


    ¡°If we get separated like we did in The Playhouse,¡± Hiral continued. ¡°Head for the tower and meet up there. I trust you can handle anything this trial sends your way. Make note of anything you think the other raid groups will need to know. Questions?¡±


    ¡°Smash?¡± Bash asked, his toes flexing and churning at the dirt beneath his feet.The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    ¡°We¡¯re ready,¡± Nivian said. In his hand, his triple-spinal-cord whip writhed like it was an unliving serpent, the fanged skulls at the end clattering in anticipation.


    ¡°Don¡¯t expect us to go slow and wait for the rest of you,¡± Ilrolik said with a wink. ¡°In fact, why don¡¯t we make this a bit of a game? See who can get there first.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you supposed to be the wise, patient, and responsible one?¡± Loan asked the old Shaper.


    ¡°Let¡¯s just say spending time around all these kids is kindling the old spark of youth in my chest,¡± Ilrolik said.


    Loan actually buried his face in his hands. ¡°Fallen help us, I remember how competitive you used to be.¡±


    ¡°Only stopped because there wasn¡¯t any worthy competition,¡± Ilrolik said, looking at the other groups. Her eyes finished on Hiral.


    ¡°If it¡¯s a race you want,¡± Hiral said and flared his pseudo-aspect. The white energy of his Coat of Amin Thett snapped back like it¡¯d been caught in a powerful gust of wind, embers of it breaking off and floating up before getting replaced by his deep well of solar energy. Power seemed to surge around him, concentric circles whirling on the ground beneath his feet as he lifted into the air. Behind him, his scarves whipped like the tails of a predator in anticipation of a hunt, while the double-helix of his PIM shone bright. ¡°Bring it on.¡±


    ¡°You kids finished posturing?¡± Seena asked, shaking her head at the childishness of it all. Then she seemed to notice the rest of her party, each bristling with power and readiness. Lightning arced across Yanily¡¯s body, wings of storm clouds spread at his back. Arcs of black and purple crackled through the air around Seeyela, as if a dozen portals were just waiting to open. Wallop¡¯s hoof pawed at the ground, ready for the command to charge. Even Romin and Gran had shifted forward, wide grins on their faces. ¡°Ugh, at least Nivian¡¯s¡­¡±


    She didn¡¯t even bother finishing the sentence, the other party poised like they stood at the starting block. Wule didn¡¯t even have a book out.


    ¡°What?¡± the Grower healer asked. ¡°You¡¯ve been showing us up since the Ascender¡¯s Tower. Time for a little payback.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s how it¡¯s going to be then, huh?¡± Seena asked the other two party leaders.


    ¡°Looks that way,¡± Ilrolik said.


    Nivian smiled at her, a spark flashing in the blue-flame of his eyes. ¡°Scared of losing?¡±


    At the question, Seena¡¯s eyes first widened and then immediately narrowed. ¡°We. Do. Not. Lose.¡± Then she pointed at both of the other party leaders at the same time. ¡°Remember, you brought this on yourselves.¡±


    A flash of fiery solar energy ignited the Phoenix Sheath across her body, the heat and light of it rolling off her.


    ¡°Let¡¯s crush them,¡± she said to her party.


    ¡°Cross the boundary,¡± Hiral said. ¡°And we¡¯ll be waiting for you at the tower.¡±


    As one, the three parties strode forward, then crossed the border they trusted Hiral to be there. Immediately, two things happened.


    The first was an instantaneous sort of overlay, like one image of the landscape in front of Hiral had been placed on top of the other. It was only for a split second, but something had been shifted. Whether it was the space around them, or the parties themselves, it was impossible to tell. Much like getting teleported to a dungeon, wherever they were wasn¡¯t exactly where they¡¯d been.


    Hiral didn¡¯t have long to ponder how amazing the level of transportation Tomorrow had was, with the second thing happening right away ¨C namely a notification window popping up in front of them.


    Dynamic Trial: Storming the Tower (Mid-B-Rank)


    Before you looms the first line of defense. Built from nearly indestructible stone, with the ingenuity of Tomorrow, the towers stand vigil over wide swaths of land. Powerful weapons, an eternal fuel source, and stalwart troops guard their home and duty, with orders to destroy any who try to pass.


    And pass you must, if you wish to conquer the Cradle.


    Destroy the tower: 0/1


    Or


    Capture the tower: 0/1


    ¡°Two choices,¡± Hiral said, all three parties having stopped at the notification. Yes, it would be a competition for fun, but none of them were willing to rush ahead and risk the others before they had some idea what they were getting into.


    ¡°Which option we going for?¡± Ilrolik asked.


    ¡°Can you do the same thing to this place you did to the mountain?¡± Drahn asked, likely referring back to the D-Rank mountain from the Fields of Prey.


    ¡°Doubtful,¡± Hiral said as he spotted distant movement atop the tower. They¡¯d already been spotted. ¡°They know we¡¯re here, but this is the plan. The description said the walls are almost indestructible ¨C probably like the Fallens¡¯ towers ¨C so smashing the place from the outside is likely out of the question.¡±


    ¡°Smash¡­¡± Bash said sadly.


    ¡°That core mentioned is probably a clue to how to destroy the place though,¡± Hiral continued. ¡°Why else would it be in the notification?¡±


    ¡°Taking control of the tower sounds like an even better option,¡± Wule said. ¡°If we can do that to the other faction¡¯s towers, it could be a big advantage for our groups.¡±


    ¡°Correct. First group that gets to the tower, head for the top floor. Second group, see if there¡¯s a basement or something. Whoever gets there last, find out if there¡¯s anything useful in the area immediately around the tower within the walls.¡±


    ¡°Got it,¡± Nivian, Seena, and Ilrolik said at the same time. And, not a moment too soon, a trio of flashes lighting up the top of the tower.


    ¡°Incoming!¡± Hiral said, but he needn¡¯t have bothered, with all three groups scattering at the tower¡¯s opening salvo. For his part, a burst of Rejection shot him forward, inches above the ground, while his party sprinted with him.


    Arcing through the sky, three spheres like falling meteors glowed ominously, but struck behind the fast-moving parties. Explosions shook the ground and hurled dirt thirty feet in the air, even as another trio of flashes lit up the top of the tower. That didn¡¯t seem to be all the tower had, either, a swarm of something spewing up from behind the circular, outer wall.


    To Hiral¡¯s eyes, they looked like some kind of mechanical birds, though their wings didn¡¯t flap to move them around. And, they were unnaturally coordinated, moving in perfect unison to stream in the direction of Nivian¡¯s group sweeping out to the right to circle around.


    ¡°I thought you were going to shoot those down¡­¡± Wule said into the raid chat.


    ¡°They weren¡¯t going to hit us anyway,¡± Igwanda replied.


    ¡°It¡¯s cause there were three¡­ isn¡¯t it?¡± Wule asked back flatly. ¡°You could do one, but three¡­¡±


    ¡°Focus,¡± Nivian said over the chat as the swarm spread like a flock of strangely synchronized birds to blanket the sky as it approached the group.


    On the other side, where Ilrolik¡¯s group sped ahead at what looked like open ground toward the tower nearly two miles distant ¨C Yup, spatial shenanigans ¨C a series of rapid explosions shattered the peace.


    ¡°Traps!¡± Loan roared, another staccato of eruptions hurling dirt and fire into the air.


    Not that Hiral or his group had time to worry much about the others. That next trio of arcing artillery was already arriving, with the crew manning the weapons having gotten their range. Just watching the trajectory of the falling meteors, one each would like in front of and behind the party, while the third ¨C and final ¨C would smash down right in the middle. Directly on their heads.


    Really, it was a marvelous shot.


    Still, to their B-Rank bodies ¨C and especially to Hiral¡¯s Atn ¨C the shots didn¡¯t move at a particularly threatening speed.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got this,¡± Hiral said. ¡°Don¡¯t slow.¡±


    Trusting in him, the rest of the party maintained their speed rushing forward, while he launched himself into the air, and straight for the incoming shot. His hands glowed with runic energy ¨C Attraction, Rejection, Sealing, Connection, and Dreaming ¨C and he reached out to the falling ball of energy. Using his sensory domain like an extension to his own grasp, he wrapped the shot in his will as it got to within fifteen feet of him, then jerked himself slightly to the side.


    Down came the blast, then curved around Hiral as he twisted in the air, following the path of his hands. Held like a shotput, Hiral spun the blast in a complete three-sixty, ready to return the package to the sender. Before he let go, though, he made sure to send it back better than he¡¯d received it.


    Runes of Impact, Breaking, Increase, and Energy flooded into the shot, and Hiral released it at the same time the other two blasts smashed into the ground. Through the shower of debris and smoke rising into the air, the tower couldn¡¯t even see what was happening until their own attack came barrelling back in their direction.


    By that time, they¡¯d already released another salvo of shots, and the three meteors passed a fourth ¨C much larger ¨C travelling in the opposite direction.


    Having gotten a good feel of how the blasts held together, Hiral activated Hundred Handed+, then burst ahead of his group.


    Hundred Handed+: Gain control of eight spectral arms to make attacks or conduct actions for 3 minutes per Rank (current duration is 12 minutes)


    Note: Damage of attacks based off Str or Dex (whichever is higher).


    Note (2): Speed of limbs based off based off Str or Dex (whichever is higher).


    Note (3): Precision and deftness of hands based off Wis or Atn (whichever is higher).


    Note (4): Skills and Abilities can now be channeled through limbs produced by Hundred Handed+ as if they were the user¡¯s own natural limbs.


    Note (5): Don¡¯t worry, these don¡¯t explode ¨C unless you want them to.


    Eight, new, spectral limbs sprouting from his back, he shot higher into the sky, a pair of arms each reaching below him toward one of the falling meteors. Just like he¡¯d done with his own hands for the previous shot, he wrapped each of these blasts in a cocktail of runic power, then, before they hit the ground, he somersaulted in the air.


    Spectral arms each at different lengths ¨C and with their own payloads of destructive energy ¨C windmilled above the party sprinting by underneath. Around, up, and over, the arms went, before catapulting the three shots right back the way they¡¯d come.


    Even as Hiral released these three newest shots, the first one he¡¯d launched arrived back at its origin point. A massive blast of glowing energy erupted at the top of the tower, the boom of it drowning out the near-constant explosions from the traps harassing Ilrolik¡¯s party. Even the swarm of metal birds ¨C each firing beams of concentrated energy ¨C seemed to pause at the attack.


    Then the other three hit, and the battle was well and truly joined.

 Chapter 13 – Least of Their Worries

    In a lot of ways, the challenges in front of Nivian¡¯s and Ilrolik¡¯s parties were almost the perfect counters to their strengths.


    The swarm of bird-like, metal flyers weren¡¯t individually strong or powerful ¨C each getting killed by little more than a stern look from one of the party ¨C but they were numerous. So much so, that killing one or a hundred hardly made a difference. There were just always more. And Nivian¡¯s party didn¡¯t have a great way at dealing with that.


    The newest member ¨C Dole ¨C seemed to be doing the best at it, with his magical chains likewise swarming through the air. Since the bird-things weren¡¯t terribly durable, even the chains meant to restrain-more-than-damage were enough to kill the targets, but the numbers were still to the enemies¡¯ advantage. The rest of the party, more focused on single-target damage, was barely putting a dent in their opposition even as minor damage built up on them from the constant, stinging attacks from the birds.


    If things didn¡¯t change there, they would be overwhelmed eventually.


    On the other side, Ilrolik¡¯s group didn¡¯t actually have anything to fight. The massive Shapers, towering juggernauts who could stand toe-to-toe with nearly any opponent and expect to win, just made for bigger targets. Traps by the dozen littered that side of the field, from metal plates that triggered chains of explosions, to pits filled with spikes, jets of flames, and even zones of debilitating debuffs and illusions.


    Sera seemed to be doing the best of the bunch, using her buffs to offset some of the danger of the traps ¨C until one of those explosions went right off in the center of the group. Health bars dropped in the raid interface as nobody managed to get away unscathed, though they started climbing again immediately as Yully got to work.


    Much like the birds, the traps didn¡¯t individually seem capable of one-shotting any of the party members, but there were just so many, and it didn¡¯t seem like standing still bought them any time. The traps were able to move and ¨C worse ¨C rearm.


    If Ilrolik¡¯s group didn¡¯t evolve their tactics, winning the race would really be the least of their worries.


    As for Hiral¡¯s group, despite the four meteors of volatile energy exploding against the tower¡¯s walls, there didn¡¯t seem to be any significant damage done, and no more of those shots came his way. They¡¯re learning quickly.


    Still, considering the party was sieging the tower, they had a nice little bonus thanks to one of their recently upgraded skills.


    Siege Breaker+


    Gain bonuses when attacking or defending a fortified position.


    When attacking: Inflict 20% additional damage to buildings, constructs, and inanimate object, and leave a lingering debuff that degrades structural integrity and the defenses of their defenders.


    Additionally, defenders suffer a penalty based on Rank difference when trying to resist any of your debuffs.


    Note: Rank-difference penalty as follow: No difference ¨C 10%. 1 Rank ¨C 25%. 2 Ranks ¨C 45%. 3 Ranks ¨C 70%. 4 or more Ranks ¨C 100%.


    When defending: Buffs or abilities that would normally only apply to party members now apply to anybody within a range determined by Rank. Additionally, buff potency is increased by 1% per 4 additional people outside of user¡¯s party affected, including the user.


    Note: Bonus potency caps at 100%


    Note (2): Current buff range is 625 feet.


    Before Hiral had a chance to spot any of that lingering damage mentioned, more flashes from the top of the tower got his attention, even as movement spurred along surrounding wall.


    ¡°More inc¡­¡± he started, but didn¡¯t even get to finish his sentence as a spear of hard light streaked past him to smash into the ground. Lacking some of the outright chaotic and destructive potential of the catapult-like shots, this one more than made up for it in speed and piercing power. As soon as the blasts hit the earth, the hardened light the spear seemed to be made of, erupted, cascading onward to shred anything in its path, tearing a line fifteen-feet long through the dirt.


    Luckily, the party had managed to dive aside and avoid the worst of it, but the next volley was already on the way. And it wasn¡¯t the only thing.


    That movement Hiral had spotted on the wall turned out to be lines of faintly-green-glowing soldiers, each with a bow raised in the direction of the party. As they were nearly two miles away, Hiral inwardly scoffed at them being any threat compared to the siege cannons hurling those spears at them.


    ¡°Spectres,¡± Li¡¯l Ur said suddenly. ¡°Interesting choice for defenders, but it explains the energy signature I¡¯m sensing. Do not to get hit, Mistress¡­¡±


    ¡°Trying!¡± Seena shouted, diving out of the way of yet another spear of light that crashed into the ground where she¡¯d just been standing. Even with the loose tree-cover they had around them, none of them trusted a simple tree-trunk to block one of these devastating shots.


    Even as she said that, the sky above Hiral tinted green, and he looked up to find a veritable wave of arrows coming down in their direction.


    Two miles. Two damn miles, and they reached us?


    ¡°Arrows are mine,¡± Yanily shouted into the party chat.


    ¡°Ours!¡± Seeyela corrected.


    Then, at the same time, Yanily shot into the sky, arcs of lightning trailing behind him like he¡¯d zipped along a guide rail, while Seeyela vanished in a Bamf of purple and red flame. Both of them appearing further above Hiral, planes of pink butterflies under their feet, they stood looking at the crashing tidal wave of arrows coming in their direction. From the sheer number of them, there had to be some magic hijinks going on, because there weren¡¯t nearly that many Spectres.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get the left side,¡± Yanily said. Nearby, Seeyela nodded, and solar energy rippled off the pair of them.


    From the spearman, one, two, three terrible bolts of lightning leapt from his spear as he lunged forward. Clawing and snapping at the air, the very draconic-looking lightning tore its way at the coming arrows, and as soon as it met the first one, branched off in a hundred different direction.


    In a flash ¨C literally ¨C the Chain Lightning created a net of electricity, flash-frying every arrow it touched. Just like that, half the sky was empty again. As for the other half of the sky, well, those arrows continued to fall¡­ directly into gaping portals that opened in front of them. Sheets of black unfurled in numbers and size Hiral had never seen Seeyela pull off before, and when they vanished, the arrows were gone with them.


    Insatiable indeed¡­Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    All the while, more of the lances of light had continued, though they didn¡¯t seem to have the same accuracy ¨C somehow ¨C of the catapult shots. Instead, they relied on speed, destructive ability, and fire rate. Lines of torn earth and shattered trees showed where they¡¯d hit dozens of times, but none of them had managed to hit any of the party members.


    In fact, as more of the spears fell, each of the party members found their own way to deal with the attacks.


    Right, of course, simply punched the spear coming straight for him. The hard-light of the attack met the semi-solid, solar Auroran Conquerors, and the winner was never in doubt, with the force erupting from the blow blasting the spear¡¯s fallout backward.


    Romin and Wallop ¨C apparently impressed by Right¡¯s display ¨C combined into their Onslaught form. Now almost twice as big, armored like a walking fortress, and with something to prove, Romin threw his own punch to meet the spear.


    He¡­ actually missed¡­ with his fist hitting nothing but empty air, while the spear slammed into the center of his chest. Shattering against his armored chest, the full power of the artillery-lance¡­ didn¡¯t do much to him. A single percent of his health dropped in the party interface, and his steps barely slowed.


    Compared to the overwhelming power of The Archwizard they¡¯d fought, Romin¡¯s Onslaught class was more than up to taking on something his Rank.


    Just goes to show how overpowered that old goat was.


    Left, unlike his double, took a more refined approach to the spears ¨C he avoided them. With his Atn still being second only to Hiral¡¯s amongst the group, he clearly saw the attacks coming, the lines they would follow, and the area where they destructive fallout would swallow. Then he made sure he simply wasn¡¯t there. The Wings of Anella sprouting from his shoulders and the Touch of the Primal coating his body in a sheath of energy gave him all the physical speed he needed. Meanwhile, beside him, he¡¯d even summoned The Pack to give the spears more targets. The agile hounds didn¡¯t have any more problems than Left avoiding the spears.


    And, just in case, the Herald of Peace floated behind Left, the robed man sitting serenely with his four hands pressed together in front of him. The Aura and Circle of Peace would dull any attacks that did manage to hit one of the party members.


    Gran, almost surprisingly, didn¡¯t have any more trouble than Left. Any time a spear got near her, the old woman¡¯s body would suddenly blur to the side, like a series of frozen images in a line, for her to appear several paces ahead and to the side, well out of the way of the danger. Over and over, she sped ahead on the battlefield, cackling all the way.


    With her role as the party¡¯s healer, it was easy to forget she was a powerful ¨C and very dangerous ¨C vampire as well.


    Last, but most certainly not least, was Seena. Spears of her own flames launched ahead of her to intercept the hard-light lances coming straight for her. Where the two collided, spheres of fire ¨C twenty feet in diameter ¨C erupted, completely consuming the dangerous energy of the artillery. One after the other, she snapped an arm forward, tossing a spear to block the attacks coming her way. With each one, she refined the amount of power she was using. Corrected her aim. Perfected her timing.


    Hiral couldn¡¯t help but smile at his party leader, friend, girlfriend using the opportunity to test her own limits and hone her skills. No wonder we get along so well.


    On her shoulder, Li¡¯l Ur glowed with blue energy, scripts like liquid flowing from his hands, down Seena¡¯s shoulders, and across her body. Wrapping her almost like a second PIM, the power clearly reinforced her magics, adding sparks of blue within the swirling red of her own fire.


    But, even in the seconds Hiral observed the rest of his party ¨C mainly through his sensory domain ¨C flashes from the top of the tower showed he wasn¡¯t excused from dealing with the artillery. A long spear of the hard light streaked straight for him, and while he could simply sidestep it ¨C Slow¡­ ¨C he instead took a page from Seena¡¯s book and decided to test something.


    Reaching into his Arsenal of Amin Thett, Hiral pulled out four of his Mobile Artillery Spheres. While they were the same sphere the Artists and Academics used ¨C and the ones he¡¯d borrowed after the battle with Vorinal ¨C he didn¡¯t have the option of inking them. Instead, they just had three simple functions.


    The first, of course, was their ability to fly and follow his commands, thanks to the power of the Arsenal. The second ability was offensive, with concentrated beams of energy. As the Spheres were only C-Rank, those beams had already proven to be unfortunately weak compared to their B-Rank opponents.


    Maybe I can find a way to upgrade these in a different way than the other Makers are¡­


    A thought for later, and Hiral instead focused on the third ability of the Spheres, and the reason he¡¯d brought them out in the first place.


    Barriers of force appeared in front of each of the Spheres as Hiral maneuvered them in front of him, forming a wall between himself and the incoming attack. Again, much like the beams, the barrier would only be C-Rank as well. Clearly not powerful enough to stand up to the attack coming his way.


    Assuming he didn¡¯t do anything to improve it.


    Runes of Rejection, Dreaming, and Increase swirled around him, then reinforced the shield. A good start, but he wasn¡¯t finished there. Next came his Runes of Energy, Impact, and Decrease. Much like he done against that face-making construct in the Lost Refuge of the Lost, he altered the shield to also directly counter the incoming force.


    The only question was how well it would work.


    Just in case, Hiral took a small step to the side, a heartbeat before the hard-light spear slammed into the barrier.


    With a sound like shattering glass, the spear exploded into shards of energy, filling the air and cascading safely past Hiral. His barrier hadn¡¯t even shuddered. More spears came, and he didn¡¯t even bother moving from where he floated, hand extended in front of himself.


    WHAM, WHAM, WHAM ¨C the spears hit, broke under their own force, and lit up the sky like sparkling diamonds of energy.


    An energy that called out to Hiral. No, not to him¡­ to his Rune of Energy. Free floating like it was, lost, directionless, it was like the energy sought a home. A purpose.


    On instinct, Hiral threaded solar power into his Runes of Energy and Attraction, then focused on the central point of his Ring of Amin Thett. Like a whirlpool, it further broke down the ambient shards, transforming them into streams of energy that flowed into the rune seared in the space within the ring.


    Just like when he got kill-energy to power up his Annihilation of Amin Thett, the script on the outside of the ring began to fill ¨C quickly.


    Four more spears shattered against his barrier, their broken components getting sucked into the ring, and then it was full.


    Hiral could only smile as he transformed the Ring of Amin Thett into its Crown of Amin Thett form, bringing the two crystal horns to rest comfortably across his skull. Extending slightly in front of his face, the horns almost acted like a focus, painting whatever lay between them as a target to his eyes.


    ¡°Hey, Hiral,¡± Seena said into the party chat as she continued to play with the streaking artillery coming her way. Above them both, another wave of arrows crashed against the defense Seeyela and Yanily mounted. And, it wasn¡¯t Hiral¡¯s imagination, but Yanily was laughing as he released another sky-filling Chain Lightning+. ¡°Go take care of those archers, would you? We¡¯ll follow.¡±


    ¡°Spectres are nearly immune to physical damage,¡± Li¡¯l Ur quickly added into the chat. ¡°I created them to act as assassins unhindered by small things like walls, armor, or even armies.¡±


    ¡°Energy works?¡± Hiral asked.


    ¡°The right kind, yes,¡± Li¡¯l Ur said. ¡°I trust that you ¨C as my would-be apprentice ¨C can figure that out.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯ve got an idea on the top of my head,¡± Hiral said.


    Seena actually groaned. ¡°Seriously? Just go kill the Spectres. Use your bad jokes on them instead of us.¡±


    ¡°You know you love them,¡± Hiral said.


    ¡°No comment.¡±


    Joking aside, Hiral¡¯s eyes lingered on Seena a moment longer ¨C thankful yet again he¡¯d managed to save her from the Unnamed ¨C then turned to the distant Spectres. Around a mile-and-a-half distant, they drew back on their bows with impunity, thinking they could bombard the party with little threat to themselves.


    Runic power pulsed outward from Hiral, another spear shattering harmlessly on his shield, and his pseudo-aspect flared. The Coat of Amin Thett snapped in a windless sky, while the Edicts called to him.


    Another pulse of power, and Hiral was simply gone, Rejection rocketing him forward like one of the meteors that¡¯d be thrown at the party. In the next instant, he appeared above the outer wall of the fort, energy spiraling between the horns of the Crown of Amin Thett.


    Little threat? Time to show them just how wrong they are.

 Chapter 14 – No Promises

    Color fled the area as Hiral¡¯s Annihilation of Amin Thett turned everything monochrome. Spectral faces below him paled as they realized their doom had arrived. Fingers slipped off arrows, the energy constructs fading into nothing even as they began to fall. Commanders opened their mouths as if to give orders, but no words came out. Even the cannons on top of the tower silenced in anticipation of what was to come.


    No need to keep them waiting.


    A sound like fabric tearing shattered the brief silence, echoing off the walls, as the growing ball of volatile energy erupted into a cylindrical beam wider than Hiral was tall. Black and white mixed like paint getting stirred together, air and reality itself tore at the passing.


    But, if the beam was bad, the actual strike was worse.


    Hitting the top of the wall, Spectres simply vanished ¨C like sugar in water ¨C before a dome of energy exploded outward from the impact point.


    Ten feet. Twenty. Forty. Eighty. Two-hundred feet, the destruction spread, swallowing everything as it grew. White bubbles seemed to boil within the expanding black. Titanic cracks reverberated across the hilltop, the dome reaching the tower and clawing its way up the walls.


    Collected energy spent, the beam finally ceased, the explosive dome of destruction following it a few seconds later. Left in its wake, scars marred the air, the whole space shivering like it was on the verge of breaking down. The Spectres manning the wall were gone, not a trace of them left.


    The wall, however, stood nearly as tall and proud and before. Only where the beam had directly struck, was there much sign of destruction, with a circular gouge fifteen-feet wide torn out of it. The tower, as well, stood nearly unblemished.


    Like the notification had said, the walls were strong.


    And, though he¡¯d slaughtered every single soldier that had been visible, more of them streamed out of doorways along the wall and the base of the tower. Above, the hard-light spears resumed their barrage, though none came his way because of their angle of fire.


    Sure, he could go up there and do something about them, but Seena had asked him to take care of the archers, and with more of them coming out, that was exactly what he was going to do. Claws of Separation instantly formed on the ends of his fingers, energy crackling off them like small bolts of lightning, and Hiral launched himself at the top of the wall.


    Rejection and Impact joined his ¡®landing¡¯, ballooning out with Expansion and Energy to shred the closest Spectres. A bend of his knees to absorb some of his momentum, then he kicked back off to the side, claws slashing.


    Two Spectres fell to the first swipe, their bodies eroding as the Breaking added into his claws ravaged them outward from the wounds. Low under an arrow trying to skewer him ¨C slashing through a pair of legs as he went ¨C a twist to avoid a second arrow aimed at his face ¨C an uppercut slash extending his claws to rip apart a line of targets ¨C and Hiral reached the pair drawing their bows back for a second shot. Reached and dashed past, his hands lifting up as he went to catch the face of each of the Spectres as he went by.


    Somehow expecting his hands to pass through their insubstantial bodies ¨C or, frankly just too slow to dodge ¨C the archers didn¡¯t even attempt to avoid him. Runic energy gathering in his palms made sure they weren¡¯t so lucky, and suddenly they were ripped from their feet as Hiral hurtled forward.


    Lines of glowing energy appeared along the Spectres¡¯ bodies by Hiral¡¯s next step, unhealthy doses of Breaking, Expansion, Energy, Impact, and Unsealing streaming into them. By the third step, Hiral¡¯s feet skidded along the stone surface of the wall, and he twisted at the waist, hurling the Spectre in his right hand straight ahead. Even as it flew at a group of six more Spectres rushing at him, he twisted hard the other way, throwing the second Spectre over the side of the wall into the courtyard below.


    Then, he dashed right back the way he¡¯d come, hands at his sides, and claws shimmering with deadly intent.


    Twinned explosions rocked the area behind him, columns of force twenty-feet wide climbing into the air in his sensory domain.


    Bodies made entirely of energy are a very bad match up. For them.


    Already with two stacks of Ever-Evolving+, Hiral tore into the line of Spectre¡¯s trying to stop him. To their undead eyes, he couldn¡¯t have been more than a blur, like a razor-wind flitting between them as if they were standing still. And, to him, they might as well have been. Acting as little more than statues frozen in different poses, Hiral whipped down the length of the wall, claws slashing with pinpoint accuracy as he went. For those just out of reach, well, they didn¡¯t make out any better, thanks to the eight spectral arms sprouting from Hiral¡¯s back. Each equipped with their own terrifying claws of Separation, the Hundred Handed+ lashed out in a constant flurry.


    In the time it would¡¯ve taken for one of the Spectre¡¯s to blink, Hiral had reached the far end of the parapet. Then, behind him, bodies fell like a line of puppets getting their strings cut. To his side, another door opened, and his sensory domain sped down it.


    Dozens more Spectres ran up the stairs to support their fallen comrades.


    They¡¯re almost endless¡­


    Hardly doing more than glancing at where the enemies would come from, Hiral fed power into his Runes of Connection and Gravity, filling the entire stairwell with connected points. A snap of his fingers, and a dozen gravity bombs erupted within the bowels of the wall. While not quite as effective as his claws, the bombs more than did their job. Maiming and outright destroying every Spectre hoping to exit through that doorway.


    But, if there was one¡­


    All down the length of the wall, those same doorways as before slammed open, scores of troops rushing to get out. Even with how fast he was taking them down, if the numbers kept coming like this¡­


    If they kept coming¡­


    Hiral would have a lot of test subjects.


    Which was perfect, considering there was something else he¡¯d been looking for an opportunity to attempt. And, with all the Spectres he¡¯d just killed, now was the perfect time. First though¡­


    Solar energy spiked in Hiral¡¯s body before dozens of his clones burst out of him in all directions. Moving far faster than the Spectres climbing the stairs, these solar-energy clones reached the tops of the stairwells long before the undead did. In those fractions of a second they were moving, Hiral hadn¡¯t been idle, either, channeling the kill-energy he¡¯d gotten into a second Annihilation of Amin Thett. With how spread out the doorways were on the length of wall surrounding the tower, it wasn¡¯t like he could hit all of them with one shot.


    Not unless it was somehow in front of all the doorways at the same time.The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    Or, more accurately, nearly the same time.


    Twenty-three Hiral¡¯s stood in front of induvial doors as he spooled energy into the Rune of Exchange on his palms, while color fled his section of wall. In the next second, Hiral released his blast at the same time he rapidly ¨C and repeatedly ¨C activated his rune. All across the wall, everything went monochrome before the all-consuming Annihilations of Amin Thett flooded down the separate stairways.


    To Hiral¡¯s sensory domain, Spectres died in droves, the energy of his attack filling every inch of the enclosed space all the way down to the base of the wall. There ¨C and on the floors in between ¨C the rampant energies exploded out to fill nearby rooms, erasing all unlife to be found.


    In seconds, it was over, and Hiral let out a breath as his body reacted to the absolute deluge of solar power he¡¯d had to put out to make that work, and the spike he¡¯d gotten in return for Allied Killing Spree+. Sure, he was back up to full, but emptying his well and then filling it back out so suddenly brought an odd discomfort, and it took him a few seconds to adjust.


    Luckily, nothing attacked him in that time. Actually, according to the sensory domain stretching down into the depths of the wall, there wasn¡¯t anything left to attack him.


    Spears of hard light still fired from the roof of the tower, though even those stopped a few seconds later, as the sounds of feet landing on the wall nearby reached his ears.


    ¡°Good of you to join me,¡± Hiral said, turning to find his party there with him.


    ¡°Looks like you had some fun without us,¡± Yanily said.


    Hiral couldn¡¯t even lie about it. ¡°I kind of did, yeah.¡±


    The spearman just walked over and offered a fist-bump, which Hiral happily met. ¡°Just leave some for us to play with next time,¡± Yan said.


    ¡°No promises.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure there are plenty more in there,¡± Seeyela said, one dagger pointed at the tower. ¡°Unless you killed them to?¡±


    ¡°Nah, the Boss only told me to deal with the archers,¡± Hiral said. ¡°How are the other two parties doing?¡±


    ¡°Regretting saying they wanted to race,¡± Seena said with a confident laugh. Then she turned a little more serious. ¡°They¡¯re fine. Look for yourself.¡±


    And, Hiral did, eyes widening at Nivian¡¯s towering Aspect swinging its warmaul through the swarm of flying attackers. With each sweep of his weapon, entire swaths of the constructs vanished. What¡¯s more, there were dozens of chains hanging off the hammer¡¯s head, catching and destroying even more of the things.


    The counterattacks ¨C hundreds of small beams ¨C weren¡¯t even pinpricks to Nivian¡¯s huge, armored form. He simply wailed his hammer around with abandon, decimating the swarm. From the ground near his feet, Wule¡¯s three lanterns blasted out wide cones of energy that swallowed sections whole, leaving nothing behind.


    With every swing of Bash¡¯s new hammer ¨C the Fist of the First ¨C spikes of stone shot from the earth. Sure, the little Troblin probably missed more constructs than he hit, but Hiral¡¯s high Atn easily picked out the hoots and hollers of fun from the fight.


    Finotol ¨C from the looks of things ¨C had found a way to make the stones from her slingshot explode in larger areas, erasing groups of constructs within ten feet of the initial blast. Even her companion, Rive, looked to be releasing some kind of sonic, roar attack. The range and damage weren¡¯t anything amazing, but the big cat was most certainly trying. Or, maybe it was just supremely annoyed the birds tended to fly just outside the range of its leaping, swiping claws.


    Igwanda, well, her arrows possessed incredible, piercing power, punching through lines of the birds with ease. It certainly wasn¡¯t the most efficient, usually taking down around five of the birds, but then Hiral¡¯s eyes narrowed at the next shot. Instead of half-a-dozen birds with the arrow, a wave of rupturing birds followed in the wake of the arrow.


    Whatever Igwanda had figured out ¨C spontaneous ability evolution? ¨C had created some kind of tail of destruction left behind her arrows. Nice.


    From the pace the party was moving, it would catch up to Hiral¡¯s group within a few minutes at most.


    Ilrolik¡¯s group couldn¡¯t be said to be having quite the same success. While the had found a way to deal with the constant barrage of traps ¨C combining several abilities to turtle up and slowly move forward ¨C it was not going to win them this race. In a lot of ways, they had the trickiest obstacles ¨C the traps ¨C to deal with out of everybody, considering their builds.


    Loan or Ilrolik probably could¡¯ve used one of their cooldowns ¨C like Juggernaut ¨C to barrel themselves through the traps, but that would¡¯ve left the rest of them exposed to what came next. Yully, Devison, Sera, and Drahn definitely didn¡¯t have the durability to take too many of those traps. And, Hiral could even hear Yully scolding Devison for stepping on something, because of course he would.


    Really, they needed something like Seena¡¯s movement ability ¨C the one that turned her and nearby allies into a phoenix to rush forward ¨C to get past sections of the traps. Or, maybe some kind of skills to temporarily disable them.


    Thinking about it, Gauto or his raid group might have something exactly along those lines. Splitting them up to join other raid groups suddenly made a lot of sense. That¡¯s Gauto, though, seeing a problem before anybody else even realizes one exists.


    ¡°So,¡± Romin said, pulling Hiral¡¯s attention back to his own group. The Bonder and his companion were back in the separated forms again. ¡°I guess ¨C since we got here first ¨C we¡¯re going up?¡±


    Snuff, stomp, snuuuuuff, from Wallop.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t care how much you don¡¯t like stairs, nobody is carrying you.¡±


    ¡°Should we expect more of these Spectres inside?¡± Hiral asked Li¡¯l Ur.


    ¡°They going to come out of the walls and floor at us?¡± Seeyela asked. ¡°From the perspective of an ambush hunter, that¡¯d be annoying.¡±


    ¡°Come to think of it,¡± Hiral said. ¡°They came through doors and up the stairs here. Didn¡¯t come through the floor or wall at all.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the stone,¡± Li¡¯l Ur said. ¡°There is something that makes it resistant to energy.¡±


    All eyes went to the missing chunk of it where Hiral had landed his first Annihilation of Amin Thett.


    ¡°I said resistant, not immune,¡± the little lich clarified with crossed arms.


    ¡°Anything else we should know about them?¡± Seeyela asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Li¡¯l Ur said, his head turning as his blue-flame eyes looked at something only he could see. ¡°From the energy I sense, these were likely lesser Spectres.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a difference?¡± Hiral said.


    ¡°A few minor ¨C but important ¨C differences, actually,¡± the lich replied. ¡°For starters, Lesser Spectres aren¡¯t quite as strong as the regular kind. It¡¯s in the name, after all. More than that, though, they possess no intellect of their own. No sapience. Much like puppets, they are given an order, and they follow it.


    ¡°Defend this tower. Attack that castle. Conquer those lands in our Mistress¡¯s name. That kind of thing. Beyond the order given, there is nothing else they can or will do. Finally, while they are risen, undead spirits, their lack of individuality ¨C of a soul ¨C gives them one strength the regular Spectres do not have.¡±


    ¡°And what¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°They are very difficult to truly kill. Barring exceptional circumstances, given time, they will reform again and again to continue carrying out their orders. It is a much¡­ ahem¡­ lesser version of a lich¡¯s immortality, but equally as potent in the right circumstances. Like this tower.¡±


    ¡°How long are we looking at between killing them and reforming?¡± Yanily asked, eyes already going to the empty doorways.


    ¡°Hours, at the minimum,¡± Li¡¯l Ur said. ¡°However, that will mainly apply to those we find within the tower itself.¡±


    ¡°Why¡¯s that?¡± Seeyela asked.


    Li¡¯l Ur once again looked at the chunk missing from the wall. ¡°Exceptional circumstances.¡±


    ¡°Ah,¡± Seeyela said in understanding.


    ¡°OP,¡± Yan said at the same time.


    ¡°So, while the tower is probably the same in that the Spectres¡­¡± Seena started.


    ¡°Lesser Spectres,¡± Li¡¯l Ur corrected, and Seena just raised an eyebrow at him. ¡°Mistress, it¡¯s important you know the difference as we build our army. You deserve much better than this¡­ this fodder.¡±


    ¡°Still not needing any army.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps not now, but rest assured that when you do decide you want one, its ranks shall be filled only with regular and greater undead. As is fitting of you.¡±


    Seena opened her mouth to argue the point, then just seemed to give up, and went back to her earlier points. ¡°The tower is probably built with stone the lesser Spectres can¡¯t move through, but we¡¯ll have to deal with them reforming if we take too long.¡± When she finished, she pointed down across the courtyard to what looked like a door at the base of the tower. Beyond most logic ¨C outside the realm of magical shenanigans ¨C the tower really was almost an upside-down pyramid, with the base of it being little more than twelve feet across, and then widening as it rose. ¡°That¡¯s our way in.¡±


    ¡°Just looking at it, I have to agree with Wallop,¡± Yanily said. ¡°That¡¯s going to be a lot of stairs.¡±


    ¡°Then we¡¯d best get stared,¡± Seena responded.


    ¡°Or,¡± her sister said, a sheet of black unrolling beside her. ¡°We could just start at the top and work our way down.¡±


    Snuff.


    ¡°Wallop agrees,¡± Romin said, in case anybody had missed the Rune-o¡¯s intent.


    Seena seemed to consider it a moment ¨C likely wondering if they should face any traps or danger inside head-on so they could report them to the other groups ¨C then nodded. ¡°If we gain control of the tower, I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll figure out what other defenses it has.¡±


    Seeyela thumbed over her shoulder to the portal. ¡°This¡¯ll take us to the roof. Watch out for cannons or whatever was shooting us when you come out.¡±


    ¡°Hope you heard that, big guy,¡± Seena said, then walked over and gave Wallop the shoulder tap.


    Another snuff.


    ¡°He¡¯s reconsidering his opinion of stairs,¡± Romin said.

 Chapter 15 – That’s It?

    If a heavily armored Runeocerous could blush, Wallop sure did before he charged through the portal, horn glowing with Runes of Impact. Romin followed a second behind, with Right and Hiral going next.


    As soon as the pair emerged, Hiral saw Wallop Blink-Charge past a line of Spectres just now turning at the appearance of the party. Why was he charging beyond them instead of through them? Probably because of the line of archers on the far end of the roof ¨C the ones that had been conveniently aimed in their direction before the group had arrived.


    Runic energy hit the group of surprised Spectres like¡­ well¡­ like a charging Runeocerous would. The formation of eight archers shattered like cheap glass, semi-transparent bodies hurtling in all directions. Two went straight over the edge ¨C which taught Hiral that Spectres could scream in fright and were afraid of heights ¨C while five more slammed into nearby crenellations or skidded along the floor. As for the final one, Wallop¡¯s horn had speared it through the chest, leaving the Undead swinging on the companion¡¯s face as he spun around for his next targets.


    Those targets looked to be the group of surprised Spectres the Rune-o had initially blinked past ¨C until a blast from Romin¡¯s Runic Blunderbuss struck the center of them. Much like when Wallop had hit the first group, the blast sent spectral bodies tumbling, even as artillery engineers around the space caught on to what was happening.


    Frankly, for the Spectres, that was far too late.


    With how fast each of the party members moved, the battle was almost over before it even began. Hiral and Right had dashed to the sides as soon as they¡¯d emerged from the portal, claws of Separation and purple-and-red-enshrouded fists reaping the unliving in short order. Yanily and Seena had followed a moment later, one Skyfall+ and a pair of fireballs wiping out everything on the far end of the roof flanking Wallop.


    As for the ¡®leftovers¡¯ on the same side of the portal, Seeyela and Gran took care of them as they came through last. Spectres made good ¡®fuel¡¯ for Gran¡¯s healing well, apparently, and her crimson needles pierced nearly a dozen of the ghosts before she yanked on the connected thread. With a strength belying her appearance, the connected Spectres were all drawn together into a multi-limbed ball. One that Gran sucked dry of Undead-lifeforce through her threads.


    It only took seconds for the party to end the fight, leaving them standing on the now-empty roof, the cannons that¡¯d been firing at them before, now silent. Three of the weapons ¨C forged of a green¡¯ish metal that didn¡¯t look entirely solid stood facing in each direction. That would explain the volleys coming three at a time. Meanwhile, in the center of the roof, three catapults on rotating diases remained primed and ready to fire. Semi-porous stones rested in their firing baskets, but that didn¡¯t look nearly as dangerous as what had come hurtling in the party¡¯s direction.


    ¡°What are these weapons?¡± Yanily asked, tapping one of the cannons. Despite how the barrel of the thing kind of looked see-through, his knuckle donked like he¡¯d struck metal. ¡°Something of yours, Li¡¯l Ur?¡±


    ¡°Actually, yes,¡± the lich said. ¡°Tomorrow must have¡­ borrowed the plans for the weapons when she enlisted the lesser Spectres.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m surprised she can create Undead like you did,¡± Hiral said, and Li¡¯l Ur scoffed.


    ¡°She did not create these lesser Spectres. She simply moved them. As I said before, they possess no sapience of their own beyond following orders. In all likelihood, she made a deal with one of the spectral commanders in my absence. And, if we¡¯re in a kind of dungeon ¨C as I suspect we are ¨C even these are only dungeon-fabrications, with the real thing existing only in the actual towers.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s assuming all the towers have Spectres,¡± Seeyela said without looking up from where she inspected one of the catapults. One that was notably missing the porous stone that had been in its basket. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t put it past Tomorrow to have different defenders at different towers.¡±


    Seena was already rubbing the bridge of her nose. ¡°You¡¯re probably right. Taking our time might be worth it.¡±


    ¡°I doubt that¡¯s completely true,¡± Hiral said, gesturing to the siege weapons arrayed on the roof. Then to where Nivian¡¯s group and Ilrolik¡¯s worked their way to the tower, with the Death Knight¡¯s group being much closer. ¡°We can probably ¨C and safely ¨C assume each tower will have a similar setup. Long-range artillery covering certain angles of approach with powerful attacks.¡± He extended his arms ahead to indicate a line of fire. ¡°For the spaces between those kill zones¡­¡± Hiral pointed to the other two groups. ¡°There will be traps or some kind of highly mobile hinderance.


    ¡°On top of that, we¡¯ve got the walls and defenders. Even if we don¡¯t know the specifics of what those things will be exactly at each tower, knowing there are those categories of challenges will prepare the raid groups.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Seena said. ¡°I guess you¡¯re right about that.¡±


    ¡°Should we go inside?¡± Romin asked from where he and Wallop loomed above a stairwell leading down into the tower. Before Seena could answer, the Bonder lifted, aimed, and fired his Runic Blunderbuss into the stairs. ¡°Seems there are more Spectres inside.¡±


    ¡°One second,¡± Seena said after seeing Romin had the stairs under control. ¡°Hey, Nivian, how long until you all get here?¡±


    ¡°Is that a poke at us because of the race?¡± Wule asked before his brother could say anything.


    ¡°No, but yes,¡± Seena said honestly. ¡°Told you you¡¯d regret it.¡±


    ¡°Who says I regret anything?¡± Wule asked right back.


    ¡°Two minutes, tops,¡± Nivian interrupted. ¡°Saw you were going to win the race, so we¡¯re not rushing. This is a good chance for us to face one of our weaknesses head-on and with little risk.¡±


    ¡°Mid-B-Rank isn¡¯t as scary as it used to be,¡± Seena agreed. ¡°When you get here, Hiral already cleared out the walls¡­¡±


    ¡°Lots in the courtyard though,¡± Yanily said.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Seena asked, then she ¨C along with everybody else ¨C walked over to where Yanily was standing and looking over the tower crenellation. As soon as they did, they saw what he was talking about ¨C easily a hundred lesser Spectres had emerged to take up position between the base of the tower and the outer wall.


    Compared to the ones Hiral had fought atop the wall ¨C archers almost exclusively ¨C these looked more heavily ¡®armored¡¯, despite still being partially transparent. Heavy knights with swords and shields stood facing the wall, with long-spear-wielding soldiers taking up position behind them. There was even a third rank with what looked like crossbows, then a fourth line made up of what could only be commanders.


    ¡°What do you think, Boss?¡± Yanily asked. ¡°Should we take care of those before Nivian gets here?¡± There was a grin on the spearman¡¯s face at the experience standing below them. Worse ¨C for the Spectres ¨C they didn¡¯t seem to even notice the party within their ranks.


    One of those weaknesses of them being lesser Spectres? They have their orders to defend against the walls being breached, but can¡¯t adapt beyond that¡­Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°I think we definitely should,¡± Seena said, her smile spreading in a very predatory way. ¡°Niv, we¡¯re going to make things a little more comfortable for your arrival.¡±


    Then fireballs started swirling above her hands, and Hiral could only wince at the unfortunate fates of the Spectres below.


    ¡°Left,¡± he said. ¡°Banner, if you would. Romin, keep an eye on the stairs?¡±


    ¡°Got it,¡± the Bonder said, while Hiral¡¯s double shaped the Banner of Courage without a word. The golden dome spread across the top of the tower, but none of the lesser Spectres below even bothered looking up.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got this side over here,¡± Yanily said, jogging over to a different section of tower.


    ¡°Gran, you want in on this?¡± Seena asked, a line of six fireballs swirling above each hand.


    ¡°Thought you¡¯d never ask, girlie,¡± Gran said. A use of her strange, still-image movement ability got her over to another wall.


    ¡°Leaves one more,¡± Seena said. ¡°Hiral or Seeyela? Which of you wants it?¡±


    Seeyela looked at Hiral. ¡°Share or rock, paper, scissors for it?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m game for sharing,¡± Hiral said. ¡°Few things I can test, but we¡¯ve only got a minute or two.¡±


    ¡°Perfect, let¡¯s go,¡± the woman said, and the two of them jogged over to the fourth side of the tower. Not a moment too soon, either, with elemental apocalypses lighting up two of the four directions in the courtyard below.


    ¡°So,¡± Seeyela started casually when they got to the wall, while two Gravity Wells appeared ahead of them. Instead of three hydra heads emerging from them to breathe fire, lightning, and a combination of the two at the Spectres below, they instead began to spew some kind of dark liquid like rain. ¡°What did you want to test?¡±


    Hiral eyed the ¡°rain¡± falling on the Undead below, the acidic venom immediately dousing about a fifth of the creatures on either end of those gathered. From the looks of things, these Spectres didn¡¯t have any special resistances to the poison, with steam and pained grunts already rising.


    ¡°Just a couple small things,¡± he said, still looking at the ¡°rain¡±. Then he pointed at one of the two Gravity Wells. ¡°That¡¯s it?¡±


    ¡°Oh, not at all,¡± she laughed. ¡°I was just giving you a chance to do something before I got a bit more serious.¡±


    ¡°That sounds like a challenge,¡± Hiral said, funneling solar energy into his runes. Within a second, ten solar-energy clones peeled off him. Then they immediately jumped over the edge of the tower like they were completely suicidal.


    ¡°Not quite what I was expecting,¡± Seeyela said, watching the clones fall. ¡°Going to do the swapping thing?¡±


    ¡°Not this time,¡± Hiral said. ¡°I made these ones a bit different.¡±


    ¡°What are they going to¡­?¡± she started, just as the first clone hit the ground.


    BOOM, the clone exploded in a small dome of Expansion, Impact, Energy, Breaking, and Increase, tossing Spectres aside like ragdolls. The other nine clones landed a second later ¨C spread amongst the Undead ¨C and immediately exploded as well.


    Each of the eruptions expanded to a radius of about twelve feet, and then dissipated after that, making Hiral tisk.


    ¡°Not as big as a I was hoping,¡± he said under his breath, and reallocated the distribution of this runic energies to try again. A lot of the Spectres caught within the blasts were even getting back up. Not powerful enough either. ¡°What about you? The poison rain isn¡¯t a new trick.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Seeyela agreed. ¡°But this is.¡± With a dramatic flourish of waving her hand across in front of her from left to right, a sheet of black opened across the sky ahead of them. Then, out of the horizonal plane, dozens of spectral arrows shot toward the ground like a new ¡°rain¡±.


    The arrows she caught with Insatiable, Hiral realized, though the arrows didn¡¯t come out in the same density she¡¯d captured them in.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to release all of the energy ¨C or attacks ¨C you capture at the same time?¡± Hiral asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m testing now,¡± Seeyela said. ¡°Requires more concentration to limit everything from just sort of falling out, and a touch more energy.¡±


    Even as Hiral watched, the ¡°rain¡± of arrows steadied, with the number of bolts over several seconds growing consistent.


    ¡°There we go,¡± Seeyela said. ¡°Getting the hang of it.¡±


    And, while she did that, Spectres died. Somehow, despite getting sucked into some other plane of existence by her ability, the arrows hadn¡¯t lost any of their speed or power. They thunked painfully into the Spectres below, killing many in the opening waves. Those who moved slightly to try to avoid the falling arrows instead ran face first into the poison showering from above. At that point, if they went much further than that ¨C and they survived ¨C they found a new kind of hell.


    On the left side, Gran¡¯s needles had sought out more than three quarters of the Spectres, bundling them up like some kind of unfortunate meal for a giant spider. Hiral¡¯s sensory domain clearly spelled out how the Undead were being desiccated, and many from his section of the wall opted to try to tank out the poison or arrows. When that didn¡¯t work, some of the survivors decided to try their luck with the other cardinal direction.


    That went even worse for them than Gran¡¯s needles, with fire ravaging the area like some kind of new, actual armageddon taking place there. They had ¨C of course ¨C found Seena¡¯s firestorms absolutely wrecking the place. Tornados ¨C literally ¨C of hungry flames scoured the weaker undead, sweeping them up as they ground past. Within the swirling fire, blue flashes reminiscent of Li¡¯l Ur¡¯s magic lit up like lightning strikes, and were immediately followed by green flashes and a pained cry.


    Thanks to Hiral¡¯s high Atn, he could hear Li¡¯l Ur informing his Mistress of exceptional circumstances.


    And, as if the tornadoes weren¡¯t enough, Seena kept lobbing fireballs down on top of the heads of anything left standing. Anything that wasn¡¯t one of her thralls of From the Ashes+. Because, of course, she could somehow re-raise undead to fight ¨C and explode ¨C on her behalf.


    It was the antpocalypse all over again, just with Spectres instead.


    At least she was having fun, by the huge grin on her face and the experience notifications flying past. Much like the wall, there had been more Spectres hiding within buildings in the courtyard, and they¡¯d rushed out, heedless of their doom.


    Now, though, the numbers seemed to be tapering off ¨C on all sides, from the feel of his sensory domain ¨C and he¡¯d only gotten to try one exploding clone experiment! So, a little grumpily, he hurled another dozen versions of himself off the tower in all directions.


    ¡°Hey!¡± Yanily shouted over while hurling bolts of thick Chain Lightning+ down at the ground. ¡°Stay on your own side. These are mine to¡­ hah! Okay, that was funny. Your clone must¡¯ve gotten a crit, cause a pair of ghostly-Troblins jumped out of the explosion to bonk some Spectres on the head.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Hiral asked. ¡°They can trigger the Third Movement? That¡¯s interesting to know¡­ maybe if I¡­¡± but he trailed off. The fire and lightning had stopped. No more rain ¨C poison or arrows ¨C fell. The horrifying cries of getting sucked dry of their energies had even ceased. All was still.


    The Spectres were dead.


    WHUMP, a blast from the tower¡¯s roof made everybody turn.


    ¡°Couple coming up the stairs,¡± Romin explained. ¡°I got them. Not many though. They might be running out.¡±


    ¡°After that,¡± Seena said, and waved her hand in the direction of the courtyard. ¡°I sure hope so. Niv, how close are you guys?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re here,¡± Nivian¡¯s voice replied over the party chat.


    ¡°We were waiting until it was safe to go in,¡± Wule pointed out.


    ¡°Plenty safe now,¡± Seena said. ¡°We got rid of the all the Spectres.¡±


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t the Spectres we were worried about,¡± the healer replied flatly.


    ¡°¡­ fair,¡± Seena admitted.


    ¡°We¡¯re also not alone,¡± Nivian said.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± Ilrolik¡¯s voice came on. ¡°Those traps were a lot more of a nuisance than I expected.¡±


    ¡°Never should¡¯ve tried to race Hiral,¡± Loan said. ¡°Karma.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah, yeah,¡± Ilrolik said. ¡°It was good practice though.¡±


    ¡°Figured something out?¡± Hiral asked.


    ¡°Different kinds of traps triggered from different things,¡± Ilrolik said, even as Hiral felt the other two parties entering the courtyard. ¡°Some were physical things, like tripwires. Others seemed to need line of sight, sensing solar energy within a certain range, even sound. Once we found ways to counter those, it was much smoother. Still got tagged by a few outlier-traps we have no idea how they saw us, but nothing we couldn¡¯t handle.¡±


    ¡°We got three spontaneous ability evolutions,¡± Nivian chimed in. ¡°To deal specifically with groups. They¡¯ll help a lot.¡±


    ¡°Huh,¡± Seeyela said. ¡°I was hearing a lot of people talking about spontaneous ability evolutions when we were back at the fortress. Seems like they¡¯re either more likely to happen here in the Cradle, or it¡¯s just people being on the surface for the first time. Either way, they¡¯re happening.¡±


    ¡°Which is only good for us in the long run,¡± Seena said. ¡°Now, though¡­¡±


    ¡°Now it¡¯s time to take this tower,¡± Hiral said. ¡°Or, destroy it, I guess. Since the courtyard is clear for the moment, Nivian and Ilrolik, why don¡¯t you both enter the tower down there? If there¡¯s no basement or anything, both start working your way up, while we work our way down.¡±


    ¡°If there¡¯s a basement,¡± Nivian said. ¡°We¡¯ll take it. I want to see how Bash does underground and not just on it.¡±


    ¡°Smash!¡± the Troblin exclaimed.


    ¡°Hopefully,¡± Nivian replied.


    ¡°Then, in we go,¡± Hiral said.

 Chapter 16 – Brutal

    Since Romin had kept the stairs clear of Spectres trying to retake the roof, the party moved down to the top-floor of the tower with little trouble. Wallop had to decrease his size to fit, but that was the worst of it, and they quickly found a reinforced door blocking their progress.


    ¡°Locked,¡± Romin said, one hand on the door as he pushed. ¡°Or barred. Either way, it¡¯s not opening up without some force.¡±


    Snuff.


    ¡°Wallop says there¡¯s not enough room for him in here, otherwise he¡¯d make short work of the door. We could use our Onslaught ability¡­¡±


    ¡°No need,¡± Yanily said. ¡°Hiral has a key.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Hiral said, stepping up beside the Bonder. ¡°Save your cooldown. I doubt we¡¯ll finish this trial without meeting a Boss of some kind.¡±


    The tank gave him a nod of understanding ¨C but kept his blunderbuss at the ready ¨C while Hiral pressed his fingers against the door in front of him. Then he used the key Yanily had mentioned.


    His Rune of Separation.


    Luckily, the door wasn¡¯t anywhere near as sturdy as stone of the tower, and the thick wood ¨C or whatever it was that looked like wood ¨C fell apart in a shower of perfect cubes. Interestingly, in the instant before the door fell apart ¨C while his runic energy moved through it ¨C Hiral didn¡¯t feel any sort of mechanism to actually open the door.


    Of course, Spectres don¡¯t need to open doors. They just need a material they can pass through.


    Still, there were other ways to simply break the door down, so raid groups taking the trial would have options. It was unlikely they¡¯d be as fast as his key, but at least they wouldn¡¯t be completely blocked from progressing to¡­


    ¡°A hallway,¡± Romin informed the others, a second before he stepped out, swung to the left, and pulled the trigger of his blunderbuss. ¡°More Spectres too.¡±


    ¡°Right, Yanily,¡± Seena said. ¡°Go show some more prejudice to the Spectres. Hiral, can you see the layout of the floor yet?¡±


    ¡°Pretty straightforward,¡± Hiral said, his sensory domain ballooning out through the halls with every beat of his heart. ¡°This hallway is short, with three more of these doors connected to it. Two seem to lead to the main part of the floor ¨C since we¡¯re at one side here ¨C while the other probably leads to another staircase.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re inside,¡± Nivian said. ¡°Stairs going both up and down.¡±


    ¡°Got it,¡± Seena said.


    ¡°Nivian,¡± Hiral quickly added. ¡°If you do find something down there to either control or destroy the tower, hold off on triggering it?¡±


    ¡°What, you don¡¯t want to explode along with the tower?¡± Wule joked.


    ¡°He might like it,¡± Yanily said. ¡°Rest of us? Not so much. Boss, Spectres are cleared.¡±


    ¡°That was fast,¡± Seena said as the rest of the party filed out of the stairwell.


    ¡°Weren¡¯t many of them,¡± Right said. ¡°Kind of felt like stragglers. Romin probably got most of them trying to come up to the roof. Hardly put up a fight, too.¡±


    ¡°Good to know,¡± Hiral said, walking over to one of the doors he suspected led to the main part of the floor. ¡°Ready?¡± he asked, fingers on the wood.


    Romin braced his blunderbuss in reply, a miniature Wallop at his side, and nodded he was good to go. The rest of the party was close behind.


    A surge of solar energy into his Rune of Separation once again opened the path in front of them, the cubes cascading to the floor in a clatter, and the party rushed into a much larger room. Occupying what had to be almost the entire top floor of the tower, the room itself was mostly empty, with only two major things of note standing out.


    The first was an orb on a pedestal at the far end, light swirling within the glass in waves of color.


    The second was the six Spectres standing between the party and said orb. These Spectres weren¡¯t the same as the ones they¡¯d been fighting up to this point, either.


    Two at the front wore heavy armor and carried shields almost as tall as they were. Between and behind them, a Spectre in a robe held a long staff with a crook at the top. Next to that one, a second robed Spectre carried what could only be described as a wand, while a skull floated in its other hand. Finally, on either side of those two, the last pair of Spectres were lightly armored, and each wielded a sword and dagger pairing.


    ¡°A party of Spectres?¡± Seena asked, and that was exactly what it had to be ¨C though they¡¯d gone with a two-tank setup.


    Interesting choice.


    ¡°We found one too,¡± Nivian said over the party chat. ¡°Engaging now.¡±


    ¡°Make that three,¡± Ilrolik added. ¡°Damn these halls are narrow!¡±


    As if the other parties meeting spectral groups was a cue, solar energy began to cycle around the Spectres in front of the orb.


    ¡°Incoming,¡± Hiral said, though he needn¡¯t have bothered, his party already reacting to what they¡¯d all felt.


    Romin and Wallop combined into their Onslaught form, the towering Runeocerous-beastman stomping forward. Heavy plating covered him from horn-tip to toe, and his large fists practically creaked as he Blink-Charged at the two tanks. Well, past the two tanks¡­


    Or, at least that had probably been his intention, with both of the large shields flashing before Romin slammed into them. Somehow, they¡¯d interrupted his partial-teleport ability ¨C kind of like Infuriate, but impacting the ability on a fundamental level ¨C and pulled the Bonder right back to them.


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


    Except, if the two tanks thought that would be enough to stop the charging Bonder, it seemed all three tanks¡¯ plans didn¡¯t turn out quite as they¡¯d expected. With momentum befitting his Runeocerous origins, Romin hit the two Spectres with enough force to carry all three tanks back through the ranks of the Spectre-party. Phasing out of touch, the two robed Spectres managed to evade the charge, their weapons lifting and pulsing with power as soon as they reformed.


    Wrong choice.


    Hiral¡¯s hand caught the face of the Spectre with the wand as he dashed past, pseudo-aspect glowing with power and casting shadows through the ghostly-green opponents. Runic energy ¨C Breaking, Separation, and Impact ¨C cycled into a painful cocktail in his palm in the second before he reached the far wall, where he promptly slammed the Spectre against it.


    The Spectre¡¯s body flickered like it was trying to phase away from him, but the stone wall of the tower prevented it from moving in that direction, while the energy of Hiral¡¯s runes kept it within his grasp. Between his spread fingers, he met the thing¡¯s blue-flame eyes, though they remained dead and thoughtless. Like all the other Undead they¡¯d fought here, the thing was a mindless drone, following orders.


    Not for much longer.


    Hiral released the runic energy in his hand, and power flashed into and through the Spectre. Without a real will to talk about, the thing had no good way to resist the power of his runes. Especially not when one of them ¨C arguably the most dangerous ¨C was reinforced by an Edict.


    Cracks ¨C like the Spectre was a statue ¨C quickly spread from its face and down its body, green and undead-blue light leaking out. The wand moved as if to point in Hiral¡¯s direction, but his free hand snapped out faster than the Spectre could think, pinning the arm against the wall. That still left the other hand ¨C and legs ¨C free to try to counterattack, until three of Hiral¡¯s own spectral limbs reached out and pinned those as well.


    Thanks to Hundred Handed+, he had more than enough arms to hold the Spectre in place while his runes ravaged it from the inside out. Churning energy through the thing¡¯s body ¨C and its solar energy channels ¨C Hiral absolutely ruined it internally.


    Within a second of the cracks forming, the wand-user began to seize. Within two seconds, light leaked out of the cracks like it was fleeing the horrible things happening within. By three seconds, Breaking was spreading from those cracks, consuming the transparent material that made up the Spectre¡¯s body. As four seconds passed, the seizures turned to full-on convulsions.


    At five seconds, the Spectre completely ruptured, exploding outward in a wash of A Violent End.


    Part of Hiral paused at the efficient ¨C and brutal ¨C method he¡¯d just used to exterminate the Spectre. Really, he¡¯d expected it to be able to fight back more than that, but the mindless Undead hadn¡¯t had any defense against what Hiral brought to bare against it.


    That hadn¡¯t been a fight, it¡¯d been an execution.


    In his sensory domain, the rest of the spectral party wasn¡¯t doing any better. Yanily and Seeyela had taken one of the dual-wielding Spectres, while Left and Right teamed up on the other. Spear and twinned-daggers ¨C along with the two Primal Chords guiding their movements systematically cut their target down. Despite being a B-Rank opponent ¨C one clearly focused heavily on Dex ¨C the Spectre looked like nothing more than an amateur fighting before the two Growers.


    They didn¡¯t even need to activate any of their powerful abilities or cooldowns as they worked in tandem to overwhelm their opponent. It barely took them more than a few seconds longer to find a fatal opening, each lunging in to bury their energy-charged weapons deep into their opponent¡¯s body. Lightning and terrible venom seemed to flash behind the blue-flame eyes for an instant before the thing simply dissolved on their daggers and spear.


    As for Left and Right, the two doubles wouldn¡¯t be outdone when it came to coordination and efficiency. Powered by Hiral¡¯s pseudo-aspect, the pair in their glowing Coats of Amin Thett first disarmed their opponent of its weapons, and then its actual arms. Left removed the first with a vicious, two-bladed-spear uppercut into the Spectre¡¯s armpit. When the trailing stream of purple-and-red liquid caught up, the blast completely severed the arm at the shoulder.


    Just as the Spectre reeled from the appendage getting removed, its other arm reaching for an opening against Left, Right snapped his hands out. Then in an even-more-brutal move than what Hiral had done, Right took hold of the wrist and forearm, snapped his foot up to brace against the Spectre¡¯s chest¡­ then pulled.


    There was a strange sort of stretching of the thing¡¯s arm before Right literally ripped it off. Then, before the Spectre could even process what had just happened, Right spun around and smashed the arm ¨C like some kind of flail ¨C across the side of the Spectre¡¯s head. The sheer savagery of the blow kicked the opponent up sideways, right into the path of Left¡¯s descending spear.


    Another trailing stream rushed forward as the blade struck torso, cleaving the target in two before it also dissolved into greenish energy.


    As for the two tanks that¡¯d thought to delay ¨C or maybe overwhelm Romin ¨C they¡¯d quickly found they couldn¡¯t disengage from him. Like a juggernaut himself, the Onslaught lived up to his class name, rune-enhanced blows battering the shields ¨C and the tanks holding them ¨C in a never-ending stream. Infuriate forced the tanks to stay in range, and they could do nothing but watch their party get pulled apart one at a time.


    That included the sixth and final Spectre, a healer of some kind, by the way it tried to channel abilities into the others. Tried and failed as the flames hit it. Unfortunately for the spectral healer, it was Seena¡¯s target, and she had the opportunity to test a few of her advanced class¡¯s abilities. The first was ¨C of course ¨C her Aspect of Rebirth. Six, flaming, lily-petal-like wings sprung from her black, while her skin had taken on a dark, greenish tint. Spiked vines ¨C much like her old Lashing Vines ability ¨C burst out from her back to strike and grapple the healer, wrapping around and shredding spectral limbs as they tightened.


    As soon as the thorns pierced whatever the Spectre had for flesh, Seena¡¯s Unnamed Grasp activated, robbing the target of its power. Energy and meaning flowed up the vines to Seena, and she probably could¡¯ve just let that continue ¨C the Spectre was hardly strong enough to fight back ¨C but it seemed she had another ability to try.


    From the petal-like-wings at her back, orange pollen burst out and floated directly at the Spectre like it had been caught on the wind. Another few heartbeats, and it covered the spectral healer from head to toe.


    Then it burst into a clinging, gel-like flame. Pollenuption lit the Spectre up like a bonfire, completely consuming it within another few seconds. All of a sudden, the entire flame winked out, leaving the four vines holding nothing but air, as the Spectre had clearly been outright destroyed.


    Back to the two tanks that had thought to contain Romin ¨C and been contained themselves instead ¨C one lay sprawled out on the ground, an Onslaught-sized fist-print in the side of its armored helm. The other? Well, it had a number of needles and crimson thread restricting its movement before Romin horn-charged into it.


    With the Rune of Impact enforcing the horn, the Spectre¡¯s armor and intangibility did nothing to protect it. A roar of effort ripped out of Romin¡¯s lips as he plunged that horn straight through the center of the other tank¡¯s chest, then snapped his head up. Instead of getting stuck on the horn, the spectral tank got hurled hard straight into the ceiling. Its body splayed out against the energy-resistant stone of the tower ¨C hanging there for a second like gravity forgot what it should be doing ¨C before it began to fall.


    Even before it hit the ground, Romin¡¯s big hand snapped out and caught it by the leg, just above the ankle, then whipped his body around. Hauling on the Spectre, up and over, Romin slammed it down right on top of its comrade. The two spectral bodies crunched on each other ¨C They can do that? ¨C before Romin took a step in their direction.


    The second step involved him lifting his huge foot above their stacked chests, then crushing it down.


    Brutal.


    Needless to say, those two Spectres dissolved quite quickly as well, leaving the party in a now-empty room with just the strange orb.

 Chapter 17 – Going Up

    ¡°Status?¡± Seena asked into the party chat.


    ¡°One, dead, spectral party,¡± Yanily said. Then, just for the people around him to hear. ¡°Were those things really B-Rank?¡±


    ¡°Probably what normal B-Rank would look like,¡± Seeyela said. ¡°Without advanced classes or a lot of dungeon loot.¡±


    ¡°The tanks had an interesting ability,¡± Romin said, still in his Onslaught form, and stomping over to the rest of his party. ¡°It was like an Infuriate, but just for my skills. Whenever I used one, their shields pulled me over.¡±


    ¡°That what happened with the Blink-Charge?¡± Hiral asked.


    ¡°Yes, though I guess it worked out in the end.¡±


    ¡°What about the rest of you?¡± Seena asked. ¡°Anything worth mentioning before we go see what that orb is all about?¡±


    ¡°Maybe the one we fought used an ability or two?¡± Seeyela half-asked while she looked at Yanily. ¡°Hard to say with how amateur the fighting style seemed to be though.¡±


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t so much amateur as slow and predictable,¡± Yanily corrected. ¡°Like it had a limited number of moves it could or would do, and it kept just cycling between them. Worse, we baited out which moves we wanted to see by how we attacked.¡±


    ¡°We did?¡± Seeyela asked.


    ¡°¡­ I did,¡± Yanily said. ¡°Weren¡¯t you doing the same?¡±


    ¡°I just stabbed it when I saw an opening,¡± Seeyela said with a shrug. ¡°Seemed to work.¡±


    ¡°Ours was mostly the same,¡± Left said. ¡°Though I believe the fighting style was inherently a little different, as it had poisoned blades.¡±


    ¡°Did you get hit?¡± Hiral asked, and Right actually scoffed. ¡°Sorry,¡± Hiral quickly corrected.


    ¡°Nivian, Ilrolik?¡± Seena then moved into the party chat, when it was clear her group wasn¡¯t even out of breath. ¡°How are you two doing?¡±


    ¡°Tight space of the halls is giving us some problems,¡± Ilrolik said, while clearly still fighting. ¡°Miraculously, Devison still has both fee¡­ ah damnit. I spoke too soon. There it goes. I¡¯ll get back to you.¡±


    With that, the channel to Ilrolik cut off ¨C likely so the big Shaper could focus ¨C and Nivian¡¯s voice picked up a few seconds later.


    ¡°We¡¯re finishing off here soon,¡± the Death Knight said. ¡°A very tanky group that uses a lot of barrier abilities. They work like Left¡¯s Shield of Peace and absorb all the damage from a hit.¡±


    ¡°No smash¡­¡± Bash said sadly.


    ¡°It¡¯s true,¡± Wule asked. ¡°Really annoying match up when Bash, Igwanda, and Finotol all do big, single-hit damage. It¡¯s like the Cradle knew what to throw at us to slow us down. Is it the same for you?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­¡± Seena stalled out. ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°You¡­ you¡¯re already done, aren¡¯t you?¡± Wule asked.


    Seena looked over at the orb sitting at the far end of the otherwise empty room. ¡°There¡¯s still one more thing we need to deal with¡­¡± she said lamely.


    ¡°I shouldn¡¯t be surprised,¡± Wule mumbled.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be done here soon too,¡± Nivian said. ¡°Only the tank and healer left. They won¡¯t stand much longer.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± Seena said.


    ¡°Anything down there that looks out of place?¡± Hiral asked. ¡°Like, say, an orb on a pedestal?¡±


    ¡°No orb,¡± Wule said, taking over again. ¡°There is a big, pulsing pillar though, with glowing crystal roots spreading into the floor and ceiling. That might be an orb there in the middle of it¡­¡±


    ¡°It is,¡± Igwanda said. ¡°Would you like me to shoot it?¡±


    ¡°NO!¡± Wule said immediately. ¡°No, I absolutely do not want you to shoot the mystery, pulsing orb connected to the pillar that seems to be holding the roof ¨C and the entire tower ¨C up above our heads.¡±


    ¡°It remains an option if you change your mind,¡± Igwanda said.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Wule just said flatly, like he¡¯d had similar conversations a dozen times before.


    ¡°Smash?¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Wule chastised. ¡°I don¡¯t want you to smash it either.¡±


    ¡°How about,¡± Finotol started. ¡°Rive uses her claws to¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you even start,¡± Wule snapped.


    ¡°We¡¯ll talk when we¡¯re done with these two,¡± Nivian cut everybody off, then the channel closed.


    When Hiral looked over at his party leader, Seena was smiling.


    ¡°They sound happy with their new group, don¡¯t they?¡± she asked the others without using the party chat.


    ¡°They actually do,¡± Seeyela said. ¡°Are you okay with that? They were your tank and healer, after all.¡± Then she looked over at Romin and Gran. ¡°No offense.¡±


    ¡°None taken,¡± Gran said, and Romin shook his head.


    ¡°I¡¯m okay with it,¡± Seena said, while she turned and started in the direction of the orb at the same time. ¡°More than okay with it. They may not be in our party anymore, but they¡¯re with us again as part of the raid group, and that¡¯s enough. Besides, you two have been great additions to the group,¡± she said to Gran and Romin.


    ¡°You just saying that, girlie?¡±


    ¡°Not at all,¡± Seena said. ¡°Having new people in the group has pushed us all to be stronger, I think. Now, enough about that, what should we do with this?¡± She pointed at the orb in front of the now-gathered group.


    ¡°Reminds me of the Cycling orbs we saw in the Forge of Ur¡¯Thul,¡± Hiral said. He reached out his hand ¨C but didn¡¯t touch the glossy surface ¨C and gently threaded power into his Rune of Energy. ¡°Hrm. Not quite the same, but I definitely get the feeling it¡¯s some kind of interface.¡±


    ¡°Ur, before we give this a try, is this a Spectre thing?¡± the party leader asked the little lich on her shoulder.


    ¡°It is not,¡± Li¡¯l Ur said. ¡°I sense ¨C as my would-be-apprentice suggested ¨C this orb is a control interface. Likely for the tower itself, by the flow of energy.¡±


    ¡°Think it¡¯s trapped?¡± Yanily asked.


    ¡°Excellent question to ask before we touch it,¡± Seena said. ¡°Anybody¡­ I don¡¯t know¡­ feel anything?¡±


    Hiral carefully ran the powers of his runes around the orb, but nothing jumped out at him ¨C figuratively or literally. The flow of energy seemed smooth and expected, with nothing standing out.


    ¡°I don¡¯t sense anything I wouldn¡¯t expect,¡± Hiral said.


    ¡°Nor do I,¡± Li¡¯l Ur said.


    ¡°Left, give Hiral a Shield of Peace, just in case,¡± Seena said.


    The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    A second later, a notification popped up in front of Hiral¡¯s eyes.


    You have been buffed by Shield of Peace.


    All damage is negated for 6 seconds.


    Six seconds wasn¡¯t a terribly long time, so he immediately put his hands on the orb, and his senses spread out around him in an instant. Similar to when he used his sensory domain, he got the impression of a much larger space ¨C namely everything within the outer wall of the tower¡¯s property.


    ¡°It¡¯s the control orb, alright,¡± Hiral said, menus and options like notification windows in his Party Interface popping up. ¡°All of the options are locked to me at the moment, though. There¡¯s a kind of lock on it to prevent just anybody from accessing the tower¡¯s systems.¡±


    ¡°Can you use your key?¡± Yanily asked.


    ¡°Not on this lock,¡± Hiral said, already seeing how the barrier worked. It was a lot like Cycling, with different channels acting like a maze into the heart of the orb. If he moved his solar energy through those channels and reached the central core, it should unlock the orb¡¯s functions to him. ¡°I think can open it, but, do I want to?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s wait to see what Nivian¡¯s group finds with that pillar,¡± Seena said. ¡°I want to know all the options before we make a choice, so we can share it with the Trust for the other towers.¡±


    ¡°No problem,¡± Hiral said, taking a few more seconds to feel out the solar maze ¨C it really wouldn¡¯t be difficult after all the practice he¡¯d had guiding energy ¨C then took his hands from it. As soon as he did, the sensation of seeing everything in the tower, though muted and blurred, faded away as well. ¡°The orb has a function that lets whoever¡¯s using it see what¡¯s going on in the tower. Since I was locked out, I didn¡¯t get a lot of details, but I bet if I had full access, I could keep track of everything going on inside the outer walls.¡±


    ¡°Does that make sneaking in out of the question?¡± Seena asked.


    ¡°Hrm, once we know about the pillar near Nivian¡¯s group, we can check something,¡± Hiral said. ¡°Left has the Touch of Shadow tattoo combination that makes him hard to spot, and something about Seeyela¡¯s armor does the same thing. If they can hide from the tower¡¯s senses, then people with even more of a stealth-focus should have some options.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s definitely do that,¡± Seena said. ¡°There are at least a couple groups that¡¯ve built heavily around it. Would be nice if they could make these towers a bit easier when the fog lifts.¡±


    ¡°On the other hand,¡± Seeyela said. ¡°One more thing our own people need to worry about if we¡¯re defending these.¡±


    ¡°I wonder if each of the towers will have those Spectre-parties,¡± Romin said. ¡°Or if we need to put our own groups here.¡±


    ¡°Boring line of work for the unlucky groups,¡± Gran said. ¡°Don¡¯t think many will be looking to sign up, unless the contribution points are real good.¡±


    ¡°Which makes me think there will be Spectres ¨C or something else ¨C by default at each of the towers,¡± Hiral said. ¡°Though, we probably have the option of staffing our own groups here as well. Another variable we¡¯ll have to consider when we start assaulting towers, if that¡¯s what we choose to do.¡±


    ¡°Hrm, not just Spectres at all of the towers?¡± Seena asked. ¡°I guess that would make sense, in a way, to keep us guessing a bit more. We can¡­¡±


    ¡°Pillar is secured,¡± Nivian reported over the party chat. ¡°Wule is looking into what it can do right now.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t trust Bash, Igwanda, or Finotol to play with the potentially explosive interface?¡± Seena joked.


    ¡°No comment,¡± Nivian said.


    ¡°Ilrolik, how¡¯s your group doing?¡± Hiral asked.


    ¡°Just one Spectre left,¡± Ilrolik said. ¡°We¡¯re in some kind of dormitory floor. Lots of connected rooms, and wooden wall-door-things this Spectre keeps fleeing through before we can finish it off.¡±


    ¡°I think you¡¯d like this guy, Hiral,¡± Loan added. ¡°Dexterity build, hit-and-run-type class. Surprisingly high-damage when it hits, but uh¡­ let¡¯s just say it doesn¡¯t do so well when we catch up. There were four in the group.¡±


    ¡°Plus a healer of some kind,¡± Ilrolik added. ¡°And a debuffer. Sera countered that one quickly.¡±


    ¡°It had some dangerous debuffs,¡± Sera said. ¡°Luckily, not much resistance to other¡¯s debuffs.¡±


    ¡°Which gave Devison a chance to finally use his foot the right away,¡± Yully said.


    ¡°Sounds like you¡¯ve got it under control,¡± Hiral said. ¡°Let us know when you¡¯re done there. Nivian, when Wule has an idea¡­¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s figured it out,¡± Nivian said. ¡°This is definitely the power source for the tower¡¯s functions. He says he can control which systems the energy flows to, and can probably send some of that energy to places it shouldn¡¯t go. The warnings that pop up mean this is probably our means to destroy the tower if we want to. Or, at least permanently disable it.¡±


    ¡°Odd they¡¯d build that kind of weakness into the tower,¡± Seena said.


    ¡°Simple answer? Probably because it¡¯s a war game,¡± Hiral said. ¡°These towers were built for the Cradle of Tomorrow to challenge her creations, not actually defend the land.¡±


    ¡°Makes sense,¡± Seeyela said. ¡°So, what¡¯s the plan now?¡±


    ¡°Hiral?¡± Seena pointed at the orb.


    ¡°Yeah, let me see about taking over the tower,¡± Hiral said. ¡°Now that we know how to destroy it ¨C or at least disable it ¨C I think control would be the better option.¡±


    ¡°Why are there two?¡± Yanily asked.


    ¡°Because this is a war game,¡± Gran emphasized. ¡°Fenil ¨C Tomorrow ¨C built this to have multiple win conditions. He did always love adding choices to things. And it adds some spice to the task. Think about it, if you¡¯ve only got one win-lose option ¨C the tower control room ¨C and you know your enemy is going to attack, where are you putting all your people? All your defenses?¡±


    ¡°The control room,¡± Yanily said.


    ¡°Exactly,¡± Gran said. ¡°At that point, how is this any different than just one of those arena battles we did? What¡¯s the point of the whole tower scenario?¡±


    ¡°Strategy,¡± Yanily said, catching on. ¡°Having the two win conditions means both sides have to try to guess what they other side is going to do, and do better themselves.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re catching on, knucklehead,¡± Gran said with a cackle.


    ¡°And I¡¯m in,¡± Hiral told the group, having bypassed the defenses while they talked. It¡­ really hadn¡¯t been difficult for him at all. ¡°Lots of options in here. The weapons on the roof, command options for where to deploy the lesser Spectres, layout and status of the traps and that¡­ hrm¡­ it¡¯s called a drone swarm. That¡¯s the thing that attacked Nivian¡¯s group. All automated, apparently. And there are three more swarms in reserve, if attacks came from the other sides.


    ¡°Oh, and there¡¯s the sensory system,¡± Hiral said. ¡°Loan, door right behind you. Last Spectre is coming out¡­ now!¡±


    ¡°Hah!¡± Loan roared into the party chat as Hiral ¡®watched¡¯ the big Shaper¡¯s hand close around the surprised Spectre¡¯s head as it emerged from the wooden plane. What happened after that¡­ well, it wasn¡¯t anything good for the Spectre. ¡°And that looks like the last of¡­¡±


    His words cut off as he got forcefully disconnected from the tower¡¯s interface, only for a notification window to pop up in its place.


    Dynamic Trial: Storming the Tower ¨C Complete


    Congratulations. Achievement unlocked ¨C Going Up


    Through completion of this trial, you have unlocked towers to defend your territory, along with a personal reward.


    Please access a Raid Interface to unlock class-specific reward.


    ¡°Well,¡± Hiral said after a few seconds to reorient himself and read the notification. ¡°I guess that¡¯s that.¡±


    ¡°We had to finish off the last defender and capture or destroy the tower?¡± Seena said. ¡°Ah, the latter option there probably would kill anybody in the tower as well.¡±


    ¡°Could be the ¡®easier¡¯ option if it¡¯s well-defended,¡± Yanily said.


    ¡°Might just mean we see towers with two groups in the power room, and one group in the control room,¡± Gran said.


    ¡°Or even three groups,¡± Seeyela said. ¡°We¡¯ll have to talk to the Trust when we get back to decide on some strategies.¡±


    ¡°Any sign of a raid interface up in the control room?¡± Nivian asked over the party chat.


    A quick look around the room with his sensory domain, and Hiral replied. ¡°Nothing. Looks like The Games having a raid interface was special to that trial.¡±


    ¡°One achievement probably isn¡¯t worth going back to the fortress.¡± Seena said. ¡°What¡¯s next?¡±


    ¡°We have two options,¡± Left replied over the party chat so everybody could hear. ¡°One option would be to take a round-about path toward Mechanized. I can see three B-Rank trials we could complete along the way. The second option would be to go straight to Mechanized itself, and see about clearing it.¡±


    ¡°A-Rank trial is definitely going to be the tougher option,¡± Ilrolik said.


    Before Hiral said anything, he brought up the quest he¡¯d gotten back on their way to The Playhouse.


    Dynamic Quest: Update


    Hidden Trial (A-Rank): Mechanized


    Tomorrow¡¯s 0M3G4 W34P0N stirs. Defeat more Mecha-Armor to initialize its systems. Defeating it will result in a hidden schematic unlocking new defenses and advanced classes.


    Tomorrow¡¯s Mecha-Armor, Mark G14NT Defeated: 1/5


    Tomorrow¡¯s Mecha-Armor, Mark W45P Defeated: 2/30


    Tomorrow¡¯s 0M3G4 W34P0N Defeated: 0/1


    The rewards for the quest looked very good, and that wasn¡¯t even accounting for any personal achievements or rewards they would get. On the other hand, the Mecha-Armors had not been pushovers.


    ¡°Four more of those G14NTs is no laughing matter,¡± Loan said. ¡°However¡­¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t mind a bit more of a challenge,¡± Yanily finished off the big Shaper¡¯s sentence. ¡°If we¡¯re going to do three more trials like this for experience, I¡¯m all for it. But, if we¡¯re trying to get some advanced classes or something, we¡¯re going to need to push ourselves more.¡±


    ¡°I agree with Yanily,¡± Nivian said. ¡°While there were some challenges to this trial, it wasn¡¯t challenging. Our levels are all getting close to twenty, and the Mecha-Armors may give us what we need in terms of experience and difficulty to trigger advanced classes.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s two for going straight to Mechanized,¡± Seena said, after getting nods of agreement from her group. ¡°But, we won¡¯t go unless we all agree on it. Ilrolik?¡±


    ¡°Make that three,¡± the Shaper leader said over the party chat.


    ¡°Not even going to pretend to disagree this time?¡± Loan asked.


    ¡°No, I agree with Nivian,¡± she said. ¡°If we take the easy route, it¡¯s not going to push us to new heights. We need to temper ourselves against things that are actual threats.¡±


    ¡°Anybody have an objection to heading straight out?¡± Hiral asked. When none came up, he continued. ¡°Then let¡¯s meet outside the tower, and I¡¯ll take us to Mechanized.¡±

 Chapter 18 – Bit More Dramatic

    Hiral dashed across the strange, stone floor of the glass and metal building, explosions ripping the space apart behind him as he went. One after another, the deep percussions shredded everything caught in the blast radius of the self-propelled cannisters the Mecha-Armor G14NT fired from its shoulder-mounted launchers.


    As dangerous as they were, though, they weren¡¯t fast enough to catch him, and Hiral barely paid any more heed to them than making sure the G14NT was focused on him. As for his attention, it zeroed in on his true target, and a pulse of Rejection ahead of him shattered the glass, outer wall of the building as he burst outward.


    Hand reaching, he caught the faceplate of the flying, Mecha-Armor W45P as it whipped down the alley between buildings. The torque of snagging the fast-moving, winged armor yanked Hiral¡¯s shoulder, but his new and improved stats showed their worth, and Attraction kept him practically glued to his target. There, before the flyer could really figure out what the hell was going on, Hiral pulled himself in close, knees against the big pack on the armor¡¯s back ¨C to avoid the powerful jets keeping the thing aloft ¨C and slashed down with the claws of Separation on his other hand.


    Aimed not for the heavily-armored wings or torso, he instead sliced through the thick belt connecting the backpack to the dangerous rifle in the thing¡¯s hand. The belt that supplied ammunition to the rapid-fire weapon fell apart in multiple pieces, finger-sized rounds raining behind them as they went. With that done ¨C in case his next plan didn¡¯t work ¨C Hiral fed energy into a combination of his rune, several versions of himself climbing off to wrap themselves around the Armor¡¯s limbs and body.


    A pulse of Rejection launched Hiral back into a flip a second before the six clones exploded in a serious of vicious explosions. Far more powerful than the ones he¡¯d tossed off the side of the tower earlier in the day, these still weren¡¯t anywhere enough to take down the A-Rank enemy that continued out of the plume of energy.


    Even as shattered glass from the buildings on both sides fell around like rain, the thing twisted in the air like a top ¨C shedding its rifle as it went ¨C to do a complete one-eighty. Momentum carried it further down the alley, blades popping out from its left forearm, and then it was coming back in Hiral¡¯s direction.


    Tears had been ripped in its armor from the explosions, the leg didn¡¯t look like it would bend again considering how crushed it looked, and half the helm still smoked. None of that was enough to make the pilot give up, and it tore straight at Hiral with a vengeance.


    Too bad it was so focused on him, it fell for the same trick a second time.


    Right came out of the opposite building, purple-and-red-flaming fist leading the way to slam into the armor¡¯s torso. Where Hiral had been forced along by the armor¡¯s forward momentum when he¡¯d done something similar, this time it was the armor that bent sideways at the blow, before shooting into the nearby building.


    Like a an out-of-control carriage, the Mecha-Armor shattered a line down the glass wall, twisting and flipping as it went before finally coming to an upside-down stop. The trail of destruction left behind had hardly damaged the powerful, A-Rank W45P, but it clearly couldn¡¯t say the same for the collapsed chest armor. More of the glass broke at its back, the weight of its legs flopping it down onto its back.


    Which lined it up perfectly for Hiral to arrive with the Weight of Tomorrow.


    Weight of Tomorrow ¨C A-Rank


    Effects: Grants user access to Ability ¨C Here Today, Gone Tomorrow and Ability ¨C No Time Like the Present


    Ability ¨C Here Today, Gone Tomorrow: Call on the advanced technology of Tomorrow to enhance your next strike with the weapon, increasing velocity and power, at the expense of accuracy. Damage and critical hit damage each increased by 30%; hit chance and critical hit chance each reduced by 20%.


    Ability ¨C No Time Like the Present: At the moment of impact, trigger a mechanical facsimile of Tomorrow¡¯s breath to devastate your target. Damage based on combined total of Str, End, and Dex.


    Note: Weapon features are mechanical in nature, not magical.


    Having learned from experience with the large hammer¡¯s abilities, Hiral slid the moving handles along the hafts and pulled the triggers to activate the two abilities an instant before he struck. Inches away from the W45P¡¯s exposed chest, powerful jets of flame and force fired from the back end of the hammer, rocketing it forward. At the same time the maw of the dragon-shaped face of the hammer hit, the second ability ¨C No Time Like the Present ¨C a blast of pure, raw energy erupted. As always, the terrifying energy ¨C like the epitome of the end ¨C sent a shiver down Hiral¡¯s spine.


    It was worse for the Mecha-Armor.


    The combined effects of the hammer drove it straight down like a nail, smashing through the thirteen floors to the ground in rapid succession. None of the stone floors did a thing to slow the descent, the smashes coming so hard and fast they sounded like a single crash even as the W45P cratered the black stone of the alley.


    Broken metal from the torn wings, and shards of stone from the building, rained down in the path following the A-Rank armor, and Hiral moved to pursue. Sure, the thing lay in a crater made by its own body, but it wasn¡¯t dead yet. He had to¡­


    Dun-dun-dun-dun echoed through the alley, and Hiral shot across it from one building to the next as high-powered rounds from another W45P tore apart where he¡¯d just been. Stone broke like cheap ceramic where the shots hit ¨C and his body would¡¯ve fared even worse if he hadn¡¯t dodged ¨C and he flared Rejection to speed his flight through the empty space of the open floor. Behind him, he heard the roar of the engines powering the W45P after him ¨C the thing raising its weapon again in his sensory domain ¨C and he cut hard to the side.


    The rifle bellowed out its payload, the dun-dun-dun echoing off the bare, stone floor and ceiling, while the burning rounds traced the line of fire. Hiral sped right while the rapid shots blew holes in the ceiling as they chased him. Then, just as they were about to catch him, he ducked low and rolled under the fire as it went over him. Swerving around one pillar, then another, he used the thick stone to block the shots long enough to twice more cut across safely before he reached the far end of the floor.


    Another burst of Rejection ahead of him shattered this wall of glass, and he burst out above the wide street. As soon as he was clear of the building, a pulse of solar energy sent a wave of clones spreading out in all directions ¨C like he¡¯d burst apart ¨C before he arched his back and bolted for the sky.


    Predictably, the armor chasing him emerged from the same building he had not a second later, then seemed to pause ¨C just for an instant ¨C at all the clones around him. Unfortunately, it didn¡¯t take the thing¡¯s sensors long to lock onto Hiral¡¯s expenditure of solar energy, and it looked straight up at him.


    The barrel of the rifle followed a heartbeat later, more of the burning rounds blasting up to tear Hiral apart.


    Despite how fast Hiral was going in a straight line, he still wasn¡¯t faster than the rounds chasing him, and the first that caught him tore into the bottom of his foot. Finding little resistance, the A-Rank shot bored into his leg, shattering it as it went, before ripping apart his torso and exiting his shoulder. Just like that, his entire body exploded in burst of solar energy, and the Mecha-Armor paused for another fraction of a second.


    Just long enough for Hiral to hit it from the side where he¡¯d Exchanged himself for one of his clones. Out and around came the fallen-star form of the Greatsword of Amin-Thett. S-Rank weapon versus A-Rank opponent ¨C even though Hiral was still only B-Rank himself ¨C he¡¯d put his money on his sword every time, and it seemed like the W45P agreed.


    Stolen novel; please report.


    Caught too flat-footed to dodge, the W45P did the only thing it could in time; it moved its rifle in line to parry the massive, glowing sword. Left arm coming up to brace the back of the barrel, the metal of the gun buckled under the Gravity-enhanced weight of Hiral¡¯s attack, even as the Mecha-Armor¡¯s arms pressed backward, unable to resist the force of Hiral¡¯s swing.


    Somewhere in that second of collision, the A-Rank enemy seemed to realize contesting the blow was going to be a losing battle, so its jets cut off to let it get hurled back by the attack. Better to get thrown into a building than get cut into little pieces by the legendary sword.


    Expect, Hiral wasn¡¯t the only one he¡¯d Exchanged, and Right¡¯s fist slammed into the upper-back of the enemy at the same time Hiral¡¯s sword crushed it from the other side. Caught between the two nearly unstoppable forces, something had to give.


    A-Rank armor against B-Rank opponents, the W45P should be able to withstand all but their most devasting blows. And, while the twinned attack was undoubtably powerful, the fact neither hit had immediately punched through meant it did have a chance.


    Until darkness fell across the trio, like something had passed in front of the sun high above.


    Across Hiral¡¯s body, each of his runes connected to his Edicts bled black, vein-like lines leaking out through the glowing white of his pseudo-aspect. It wasn¡¯t the full Rune of Eclipse ¨C he couldn¡¯t do that yet ¨C but it was enough to tilt reality in his favour.


    And, there, in Hiral¡¯s version of reality, the PIM adjusted his strike every so slightly to line it up with a flaw in the A-Rank armor for a critical hit.


    Solar energy flashed across his body ¨C his solar channels roaring inside him ¨C as the Greatsword of Amin Thett likewise pulsed. At the same time, Hiral released all the built-up power he¡¯d gathered dodging the Mecha-Armor¡¯s shots the whole time as he activated Right Back at You+.


    Class Ability ¨C Right Back at You becomes Class Ability ¨C Right Back at You+


    Right Back at You+: When you or those connected to you avoid or block attacks, a calculated portion of damage that would have been suffered is instead stored for later use by you.


    Note: Calculated damage has limits.


    Note (2): Stored damage can be used on an attack or ability of your choice.


    Note (3): Stored damage can be maintained for up to 3 minutes per Rank.


    Note (4): New instances of stored damage refresh storage timer.


    Note (5): Due to interaction with advanced class: Vanguard of the Runic Cycle, those chosen as your Sword and Shield of the Vanguard are considered ¡®connected¡¯.


    Unsurprisingly, the rifle blocking the edge of its blade parted, as did the arm bracing the barrel. Next came the chest, stressed and spread from the way Right hit the back.


    Slipping into a space between armored plates, there was one more flash before Hiral was past his target, a glowing arc of Energy and Separation ¨C along with a spray of blood ¨C following the blade. Arm shorn apart into three separate pieces ¨C only one still attached to the body ¨C the broken Armor spun in the air from the two hits twisting it like a top.


    Blowback from forcing the Rune of Eclipse lanced through Hiral as his feet skidded across the stone of the floor Right had just exited. His whole body seized for a second, the solar energy itself outright stopping inside his channels like it didn¡¯t know where to go. Some of it wanted to keep moving forward. Other parts of it tried to go backward. The worst of it attempted to move out.


    The pain of his channels ballooning inside him while he fought for control of the dozens of tiny streamers of solar energy left him wide open. He couldn¡¯t dodge. He couldn¡¯t block. He couldn¡¯t even move.


    And though he¡¯d landed a crippling blow on the Mecha-Armor, it hadn¡¯t been a fatal one. Coming out of the spin, jets of flame and force stabilized the Armor in the air, while its eyes locked on Hiral. Its rifle was destroyed. Its left arm ¨C and the blades there ¨C was still falling to the ground far below, along with an alarming amount of blood. The Armor¡¯s most dangerous weapons had been destroyed. But, it was still an A-Rank opponent, and its fingers clenched into a fist as it saw its chance to give Hiral back a little of the punishment he¡¯d given it.


    With his solar energy running rampant, there wasn¡¯t anything he could do about it either.


    There sure was something Right could do about it though, the double¡¯s feet landing on the shoulders of the hovering Armor. Before the thing could act ¨C or even fully realize the double was there ¨C fingers plated in the Auroran Conquerors slipped under the lip of the helmet. Meridian Lines flared purple and red, flames of both colors jetting into the air around Right like he was a volcano erupting, as his muscles bunched.


    Then he pulled up.


    With a roar of effort and his titanic strength, Right ripped the helmet¡­ no¡­ not just the helmet ¨C the whole head ¨C off the Mecha-Armor. Viscera, blood, and bone came with it, the body below the double¡¯s feet spasming even as crimson fountained into the air.


    Like even he was surprised with that he¡¯d done, Right froze as the crimson liquid showered him. A second like that ¨C the Armor¡¯s jets beginning to sputter ¨C before he looked at the head in his hands, then tossed it aside. A bend and flex of his legs hopped him off the headless corpse, and he landed lightly on the floor not far from Hiral, red dripping down him. Behind him, the jets ¨C and life ¨C of the Mecha-Armor finally gave out, and it dropped like a rock to crunch on the ground below.


    Through it all, Hiral had regained control of his solar energy, forcing it all to go in the direction he intended it to, and he looked at his double.


    ¡°Thanks for the save,¡± Hiral said.


    ¡°I¡­ didn¡¯t exactly mean to do that,¡± Right said. ¡°I thought the helmet would come off. Same result, regardless, I guess.¡±


    ¡°Was a bit more dramatic than your usual, punchy style,¡± Hiral said.


    ¡°The weakness of just about any armor,¡± Right said. ¡°Is how far it will bend, pull, or twist before whoever is inside it breaks.¡±


    ¡°We should probably get back to finish off that first one,¡± Hiral said.


    ¡°Taken care of,¡± Left said, landing on the same floor with his Wings of Anella spread. ¡°The others also managed to finish off the G14NT and bring down two more W45Ps.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Hiral asked, immediately moving to check the quest status.


    Dynamic Quest: Update


    Hidden Trial (A-Rank): Mechanized


    Tomorrow¡¯s 0M3G4 W34P0N stirs. Defeat more Mecha-Armor to initialize its systems. Defeating it will result in a hidden schematic unlocking new defenses and advanced classes.


    Tomorrow¡¯s Mecha-Armor, Mark G14NT Defeated: 3/5


    Tomorrow¡¯s Mecha-Armor, Mark W45P Defeated: 16/30


    Tomorrow¡¯s 0M3G4 W34P0N Defeated: 0/1


    Hiral nodded. They¡¯d made good progress since they¡¯d returned to the city. Carefully choosing their battlegrounds ¨C and targets ¨C had meant they didn¡¯t deal with more than one G14NT at a time, or more than three of the W45Ps. At least, not until this last fight, when four of the flyers had found them before they¡¯d finished off their initial, huge target.


    All in all, they were now past the halfway mark in the quest. And it had been good experience so far. Much better than any of the B-Rank trials, likely thanks to the Rank-disparity, even though Hiral had a pair of abilities that ignored some of it and made it really worth their while.


    Party Interface: Aim High ¨C Allows all party members to ignore up to 1 Rank of Rank disparity.


    Note: Party Interface: Aim High can be resisted by adequately powerful opponents.


    Class Modification: It¡¯s What¡¯s Inside That Counts


    It¡¯s What¡¯s Inside That Counts: When fighting enemies of higher rank than yourself, gain 10% bonus experience per stage of rank difference (low, medium, high), or a flat 30% for unknown ranks.


    Between those two raid-group-wide abilities, the party was basically fighting A-Ranks like they were B-Ranks, but getting another thirty-percent experience for doing it. Really, if the groups could find a reasonable wave-type, A-Rank trial, they could clean up.


    Then again, looking at the levels in the Party Interface, they wouldn¡¯t even need that. Almost everybody was level twenty, or damn close.


    ¡°I take it you¡¯re okay over there,¡± Seena¡¯s voice came over the party chat.


    ¡°We took care of the two W45Ps, yeah,¡± Hiral said.


    ¡°No surprise there,¡± Seena said. ¡°Need you to come back, though. Got some surprisingly good news.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡±


    ¡°Wule got an advanced class option.¡±


    ¡°Time for some of that sweet, sweet Evolutionary Inspiration,¡± Yanily cut in. ¡°You don¡¯t want to miss it.¡±


    ¡°No, I certainly don¡¯t,¡± Hiral said. While a good number of people had gotten advanced classes in their party, a lot of them had happened within The Playhouse trial, where Hiral¡¯s party hadn¡¯t been around to witness it. In other words, they hadn¡¯t gotten the bonuses from it.


    He sure wasn¡¯t going to miss the chance with Wule¡¯s class evolution now!


    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Hiral said to his doubles, and he grabbed on to them with his scarves, before dashing back to where the rest of the party was.

 Chapter 19 – Kind and Generous

    ¡°Oh yeah,¡± Yanily said. ¡°That¡¯s the stuff.¡±


    Wule had just finished his class evolution, the healer having emerged from a now six-sided lantern, three colors alternating between the panes. Vibrant orange, representing pure life. The familiar blue found in an Undead¡¯s burning eyes and the tears running down their cheeks. Finally, an endless black, the nothingness of true death.


    Behind Wule, one lantern of each color floated. Life and death over his shoulders, with undeath hovering between, behind his head.


    ¡°Can¡¯t believe it took me that long to figure it out,¡± Wule said with a shake of his head.


    ¡°What changed?¡± Seena asked him as the gathered party members got closer again. Left, Right, Drahn, and Igwanda were all off keeping an eye out in case the evolutionary lightshow attracted any attention. They¡¯d gone somewhere purposely out of the way ¨C a large basement ¨C but it was better to be safe than sorry.


    ¡°Well,¡± Wule said, holding up his hands. ¡°Since we got our first advanced classes,¡± he pointed at himself and his brother, ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking there was life and unlife. The living and the undead. Two types of energy and healing ¨C two sides of one coin ¨C and I could do both. But, something about that just wasn¡¯t sitting right with me. Like I was missing something really important. And that was keeping me from getting my next advanced class.¡±


    Everybody looked at the third lantern.


    ¡°When Li¡¯l Ur started talking about Death ¨C capital D ¨C as not just a Progenitor, but as a concept all unto herself, it got me thinking. What if there weren¡¯t just two types of energy ¨C two sides ¨C but three? It was never a coin at all. It was a scale, with three measures instead of two. I wasn¡¯t balanced because it wasn¡¯t balanced.


    ¡°That realization led me down a new path of questions, and it wasn¡¯t until I got¡­ uh¡­ contacted, that it all came together.¡±


    ¡°Contacted?¡± Seena asked, raising an eyebrow.


    ¡°Another sponsor,¡± Li¡¯l Ur filled in. ¡°Like you, he now has two.¡±


    ¡°Hold on,¡± Yanily said. ¡°Are you saying Death ¨C capital D ¨C is your other sponsor?¡±


    ¡°She is,¡± Wule said.


    ¡°¡­ is that good for your health?¡±


    ¡°Because I have The Eternal Spark balancing it, with the energy of undeath bridging the two, it¡¯s not harmful.¡±


    ¡°No third, undead sponsor?¡± Hiral asked, eyeing Li¡¯l Ur.


    ¡°Jealous?¡± the little lich asked him. ¡°You¡¯re the one holding out on being my apprentice.¡±


    ¡°Did you do something?¡± Seena asked the lich on her shoulder.


    Li¡¯l Ur shook his head. ¡°No. As I said, I don¡¯t have the power to be a sponsor at this time. Nor may I ever. I suspect it has more to do with the close ties he has with the Death Knight.¡±


    That kind of made sense, since Wule¡¯s first class evolution had come from his desire to save his brother from the Urn of Ur¡¯Thul. Maybe it was even some of those energies getting mixed in with their class evolutions that¡¯d led to this.


    Huh, could the Urn be used in other ways to manipulate advanced classes? Ugh, and just how dangerous would that be? Would need to be preeeeeetty stupid to risk that.


    ¡°And your class is called¡­?¡± Ilrolik asked.


    ¡°I am now a Shepherd of the Crossroads,¡± Wule said.


    ¡°And you got an Aspect with the new class?¡± Seena said.


    ¡°I did,¡± Wule said. ¡°Same duration and cooldown as your Aspect. Here, let me show you,¡± Wule said. Then, just like that, his body burst into what looked similar to flames. Except, these ¡®flames¡¯ gave off no heat, and were definitely not the right colors, each half of him burning something different.


    Split perfectly down the middle, his left half ¡®burned¡¯ black, while his right burned a pure orange. And it wasn¡¯t just that either, as Hiral looked closer. Wule¡¯s body had become more¡­ ethereal. Like it wasn¡¯t just flames on him, but instead his entire body was now made of these two opposing concepts. He didn¡¯t even have feet anymore, his legs ending around his shins, like he was wearing a robe of some kind that tapered off down there.


    There was also one more important change ¨C his eyes. They now burned undead-blue, with the common tears running down his cheeks.


    ¡°A Wraith,¡± Li¡¯l Ur said. ¡°Interesting.¡±


    ¡°Ur?¡± Seena asked.


    ¡°His new Aspect has taken the form of another Undead, a Wraith. I guess I shouldn¡¯t be surprised, as it¡¯s a type that resides most closely to both life and death. It is a manifestation of a soul that holds on so dearly to life, even death can¡¯t fully bring it across the threshold. Because of this, it¡¯s similar to a Spectre in that its physical body is barely that. It¡¯s truly insubstantial, and has tremendous difficulty interacting with the material world.


    ¡°On the other hand, its ability to touch the soul of another creature makes it incredibly dangerous. Also incredibly difficult to create.¡±


    ¡°Chilly, too,¡± Wule said, voice reverberating like his brother¡¯s did, as if he were speaking down a long, metal hallway. ¡°Wind goes right through me.¡±


    ¡°I can still punch you ¨C and your bad jokes ¨C even when you¡¯re intangible,¡± Nivian said.


    ¡°You really think¡­ ooooof,¡± Wule doubled over as his brother gave him a gentle backhand in the gut. ¡°H-h-how?¡±


    ¡°Perks of being a Death Knight,¡± Nivian said.


    ¡°Good bonuses?¡± Hiral asked Wule while the twins glared at each other.


    ¡°Other than the fact I can¡¯t hold a book,¡± Wule said. ¡°Yes. Boosts any abilities that use life-enforced energy,¡± he pointed at the orange lantern over his right shoulder. ¡°Death-enforced energy.¡± The black lantern over his right shoulder. ¡°Or Undead-enforced energy.¡± Finally, he pointed at the blue lantern floating behind his head. ¡°Since that¡¯s pretty much everything I do, it¡¯s amazing.¡±


    ¡°And that¡¯s one more advanced class we¡¯ve got on the team,¡± Seena said. ¡°Almost there, people.¡±


    Looking at the group, it was true. More than half the raid group had advanced classes now. Interestingly, it was only the Makers that had no racial representation in the advanced class department. Was there a reason for it? Something they needed to do differently to get one?


    He hadn¡¯t thought to ask around before he left the main camp, but had any Makers there gotten one yet? Something he¡¯d have to check on when they returned if things didn¡¯t change before they all reached level twenty.


    Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.


    But, instead of dwelling on that for the moment, he opened a channel in the party chat. ¡°The class evolution is done down here,¡± he said. ¡°Any sign of Mecha-Armors making a beeline for us?¡±


    ¡°Looks clear on my end,¡± Drahn said.


    ¡°Nothing for me to shoot here,¡± Igwanda added.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t see any Mecha-Armor coming in our direction,¡± Left said. ¡°But, I did notice something out of the ordinary.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Hiral asked.


    ¡°I spotted a patrolling G14NT in the distance, and it had four W45Ps accompanying it. Definitely accompanying it. I suspect it may be because we¡¯ve passed the halfway point of the quest, and the patrol sizes have changed.¡±


    ¡°Then that last one we fought,¡± Seena said. ¡°Where those four flyers showed up, that was just a prelude of things to come.¡±


    ¡°We handled it,¡± Loan said.


    ¡°We did,¡± Seena agreed. ¡°Partly because the G14NT was already on its last legs. Taking on a fresh one ¨C along with the flying support ¨C from the start is going to be a bit tougher.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like we might need a new strategy,¡± Hiral said. ¡°And this is as good a time as any to take a break and work one out. Unless anybody has any objections?¡±


    ¡°None here,¡± Nivian said.


    ¡°Or here,¡± Ilrolik added.


    Seena bumped her shoulder gently against Hiral¡¯s. ¡°I agree with our wise raid leader,¡± she said.


    ¡°Then a short break it is,¡± Hiral said. ¡°Left, think you can handle keeping an eye out up there since it seems quiet? Give the others a chance to come grab a quick bite to eat?¡±


    Even as Hiral said it, Nivian was already getting his stew pot out of his Interspatial Ring. That man would not miss an opportunity to keep everybody well-fed.


    ¡°By the way,¡± Seena said as they joined the others gathering around Nivian and the soon-to-be meal. ¡°How did you do with the Evolutionary Inspiration? Get anything good?¡±


    ¡°Honestly?¡± Hiral answered. ¡°Something I¡¯d pretty much forgotten I even have got upgraded. You know, one of those passives always working in the background, then you kind of take it for granted?¡±


    ¡°Not a build-defining passive then,¡± Yanily said, peeking past Seena on her other side.


    ¡°Not really,¡± Hiral said. ¡°But I suspect it was always useful, even if I didn¡¯t realize it.¡±


    ¡°You still haven¡¯t said what it is,¡± Seena pointed out.


    ¡°Let me just share it with you.¡± Hiral chuckled, pulled up the notification window, then made it viewable by Seena and Yanily. The others weren¡¯t really close enough ¨C or interested enough ¨C for him to share with them as well.


    Class Modification: (Lost) Solar Drain+


    (Lost) Solar Drain ¨C Your abilities now also drain a small amount of solar energy and meaning when they do damage.


    Note: Amount of solar energy and meaning drained based on Atn.


    Note (2): Once sufficient meaning has been incorporated into user¡¯s PIM, spontaneous ability evolution may occur.


    ¡°Ooookay,¡± Seena said slowly. ¡°The solar energy part I get. What¡¯s this about meaning?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m taking it to be ¨C to mean,¡± Hiral chuckled again. ¡°Some of how my target¡¯s PIM or solar energy or whatever works. Basically, my PIM is ¡®learning¡¯ from things we fight. Haven¡¯t you noticed how our PIMs are kind of evolving along with us?


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t until D-Rank they could use items that boosted stats. Now, at B-Rank, we¡¯re getting abilities like Is This How You Do It?.¡± And, just in case they didn¡¯t remember which one he was talking about, Hiral quickly shared that ability window as well.


    PIM Upgrade: Is This How You Do It?


    PIM Upgrade: Is This How You Do It? ¨C Defeating an opponent has a chance to teach your PIM a replicated version of an ability they used in combat.


    Note: Power of replicated ability produced by Is This How You Do It? Is based on user PIM, not the original power of the opponent.


    Note (2): Not every opponent has abilities that can be replicated.


    Note (3): Only one instance of Is This How You Do It? can be activated per single opponent defeated, even if multiple people present have this ability.


    ¡°Which hasn¡¯t happened yet,¡± Yanily pointed out. ¡°This is our fifth trial, and nothing!¡±


    ¡°Ability doesn¡¯t say how high the chance is,¡± Seena said. ¡°Must not be very high.¡±


    ¡°Free abilities is a pretty powerful bonus,¡± Hiral said. ¡°I¡¯d be shocked if it could happen often.¡±


    ¡°Except yours seems to guarantee it?¡± Seena asked. ¡°No, still says a chance. So, you could do all the work to hit things, and then still get nothing out of it.¡±


    ¡°I mean,¡± Hiral started. ¡°I¡¯m going to hit things pretty much regardless, so I¡¯m not really going out of my way or anything¡­¡±


    ¡°Do you think the evolution will depend on the thing you¡¯re fighting, or the ability you¡¯re using?¡± Yanily asked. ¡°I mean, you¡¯ve been using your runes a lot lately, with good reason, they¡¯re very flashy¡­¡±


    ¡°Not the whole reason I¡¯m using them¡­¡± Hiral mumbled.


    ¡°¡­ so could you get a runevolution?¡± Yanily finished.


    Despite the terrible naming ¨C part of Hiral¡¯s brain pointing out is sounded like something he would come up with ¨C it was a good question.


    ¡°Probably based on the target,¡± Hiral said slowly. ¡°Since my PIM would be learning from that. Though, to be fair, the PIMP also seems to be learning from my runes, so it could all be part of one big circle.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll find out when it happens,¡± Seena said. ¡°We¡¯ve still got another, what, sixteen or seventeen Mecha-Armors to beat up. Sounds like plenty of stuff for you to hit.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s also sparring,¡± Nivian said without looking up from where he stirred the stew.


    ¡°That¡¯s a really good point,¡± Hiral said. ¡°When Yan and I linked up our PIMs against the old goat to reset Turn Back the Clock, an echo of it lingered in my own PIM, like it¡¯d learned from the connection. Maybe that¡¯s how this upgraded ability works? Basically builds abilities a little at a time through connecting with targets. Oh, I bet I could even make it better by using my Rune of Connection.¡±


    Even as he said it, Hiral threaded solar energy through the rune on his neck, then added in a small dose of Increase, Unsealing, Attraction, Dreaming, and a tiny touch of Exchange. Topping it all off, he layered some Sealing in there as well, all with the concept of creating a stronger pull on the ability. Even as he did it, the black lines spread across his Coat of Amin Thett, and the room around them darkened.


    Like before, the solar energy in his body turned chaotic, and he completely froze where he sat, while his work on the ability sputtered out.


    ¡°Hiral?¡± Seena asked, eyebrow raised while everybody else looked at the receding shadow.


    Behind him, Right had practically appeared out of nowhere to put a hand on his back to save him from toppling over. He would have, too, with his entire focus once again forced on sorting out his solar energy.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± he said a few seconds later. ¡°Seems I need to be careful with this Rune of Eclipse.¡±


    ¡°I thought you couldn¡¯t use it yet,¡± Yanily said. ¡°Something about it not being complete.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not,¡± Hiral said. ¡°But, it seems I can still tap into it ¨C somehow ¨C in its partial form. I did it against one of the W45Ps we fought, and just now, but there are some side-effects. Nothing serious, but also not something I want to happen again in the middle of a fight.¡±


    ¡°What were you trying to do?¡± Seena asked.


    ¡°Just use my runes to improve the new Solar Drain,¡± Hiral explained. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect the Rune of Eclipse to trigger, but I must¡¯ve accidently tried to do something permanent or deeper. I¡¯ll need to do some testing to see what triggers Eclipse and what doesn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°You need more Edicts,¡± Right said. ¡°Then you won¡¯t have to worry about any side-effects.¡±


    ¡°True,¡± Hiral said. ¡°And you get access to more Meridian Lines.¡±


    ¡°I have no ulterior motives whatsoever,¡± Right replied, entirely unconvincingly. ¡°Seriously, though. That Rune of Eclipse is too powerful to ignore ¨C it¡¯s like a force multiplier for your other runes and abilities ¨C but too dangerous to use in a fight right now. If I wasn¡¯t around last time¡­¡±


    ¡°But you were.¡±


    ¡°But if I wasn¡¯t,¡± the double countered quickly. ¡°It would¡¯ve been bad.¡±


    ¡°It would¡¯ve,¡± Hiral agreed, then felt a spike of danger from his side, and sloooowly turned his head to look at Seena. ¡°But, he was there. So, totally fine!¡±


    Almost surprisingly, instead of lecturing him on being reckless, Seena leaned in and gave him a small kiss. ¡°You have some time while we¡¯re taking a break, and while I was hoping we¡¯d get some time together, it sounds like you have something you need to work on. Just understand, you¡¯ll be making it up to me later.¡±


    ¡°Looking forward to it,¡± he said, giving her a quick return kiss of his own.


    ¡°And it better involve cheese, in case you didn¡¯t clue in to that part,¡± Seena said flatly. ¡°Some of that sour stuff, with the crackers that crunch. You know the ones I¡¯m talking about.¡±


    ¡°I absolutely do,¡± Hiral said.


    ¡°Good,¡± she said, then added a dramatic sigh. ¡°The things I do for you. The sacrifices I make.¡±


    ¡°Truly a kind and generous Mistress,¡± Li¡¯l Ur said from her shoulder.


    ¡°Truly,¡± Hiral agreed. Then after one more smile between him and woman beside him, Hiral turned his attention inward, and got to work figuring out some of the rules to his newest rune.

 Chapter 20 – Chains

    This was it, the last patrol of a Mecha-Armor G14NT and W45Ps the party needed to deal with before the 0M3G4 W34P0N finally awoke ¨C whatever, exactly, that meant. One G14NT and six W45Ps rumbled down the street two blocks ahead of the party, blissfully unaware of what was coming for them.


    The last group the party had fought consisted of one behemoth and only four flyers, so this would truly be the biggest test before what the party assumed was some kind of Wild-Boss armor. This time, though, the party was planning on changing things up a bit, since the previous battle had gone smoothly.


    For the last one, they¡¯d all stayed in the comfort zone, with Hiral, his doubles, Yanily, and Seeyela dealing mostly with the flyers. Drahn and Igwanda had helped out a bit as well, but most of the group had focused on the tanky G14NT. For it, they¡¯d gotten damn good experience.


    With them all close to level twenty at this point, it wasn¡¯t experience they needed or wanted, but advanced classes. Which meant they needed to go outside their comfort zones. After a bit of discussion, and unanimous agreement, they¡¯d come up with a simple plan.


    Ilrolik¡¯s group would take care of three of the A-Rank W45Ps. Nivian¡¯s group would handle the other three. That just left the G14NT for Seena¡¯s group. And, honestly, Hiral was kind of looking forward to it. He¡¯d really only gotten to fight the faster ¨C and more lightly armored ¨C flyers. It was a good chance to stretch a bit.


    ¡°Nivian, Ilrolik, you in position?¡± he asked over the party chat.


    ¡°Almost,¡± Nivian replied. ¡°One more minute.¡±


    ¡°Getting set up now,¡± Ilrolik said immediately after. ¡°We¡¯ll be ready when the others are.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± Hiral said. He looked at the others huddled in the alleyway, and they gave him a nod they were good to go at any point. Romin and Wallop stood closest to the mouth of the alley ¨C since they¡¯d be the first to rush out when it was time ¨C and the Bonder hefted his blunderbuss, while Wallop pawed at the ground. Out of the everyone in the party, those two and Seena had the most experience fighting G14NTs, but they¡¯d gone over everything the titans were capable of. ¡°We¡¯re ready here any time.¡±


    Thanks to a bit of testing, they¡¯d determined that attacks past a certain range would break up the patrol, with half the flyers ¨C exactly half, every time ¨C going to intercept. If two attacks came at the same time, half of the flying W45Ps would go after each group. If there were three, then the G14NT would move on the third. If there were only one or two attacks, the G14NT would always move after the first, but it wasn¡¯t like the raid group was going to let that happen this time.


    No, the party was going to use the predictability to nicely break up the larger group and fight it on their own terms. All they needed was¡­


    ¡°Ready,¡± Nivian said. ¡°Igwanda is set.¡±


    ¡°Also ready,¡± Ilrolik said. ¡°Drahn¡¯s got the closest one on the top here.¡±


    ¡°Bottom here,¡± Nivian confirmed, to make sure they weren¡¯t aiming at the same targets.¡±


    Moving up beside Romin and peeking around the corner, Hiral eyed the Mecha-Armor group as they entered an intersection. ¡°Go.¡±


    No sooner had the words left his mouth, then pulses of solar energy came from both sides in the distance. Two arrows followed immediately after. The first, from the right, went boom, boom, boom as it created vertical blast waves in the air, the speed of it seemingly breaking some kind of sound barrier as it sped up.


    From the other direction, Drahn¡¯s arrow shot like a meteor, the head of it flaming with volatile energy. It didn¡¯t have quite the same dramatic entrance as Igwanda¡¯s shot¡­ until it hit. The Mecha-Armor W45P at the top-left from Hiral¡¯s point of view vanished within a sphere of flame as the Explosive Arrow struck. The flash and sizzle lit up the sky, until a second Armor got hurled into the flames.


    This was, of course, the armor Igwanda had hit with her arrow, the durable armor of the W45P taking the hit without breaking. The momentum of the shot, though, was another story entirely, and it sent one Armor careening into the other.


    Out of the flaming sphere, both Armors tumbled, tangled with each other and still on fire. Meanwhile, two of the flyers predictably shot off in each direction toward where the attacks had come from.


    ¡°Igwanda¡­¡± Nivian said flatly over the party chat.


    ¡°You asked me to shoot it,¡± the One True Shot said. ¡°I did.¡±


    ¡°I also asked you not to overdo it¡­¡±


    ¡°Complain later,¡± Wule interrupted. ¡°Incoming.¡±


    Just as the healer had said, two of the W45Ps streaked at the party clearly visible on the roof of one of the tall buildings. The barrels of their heavy weapons flashed, heavy rounds streaking at the party even as they closed the distance.


    In front of Nivian ¨C and the rest of his party ¨C a dome of blue-flame, almost like armor, took shape to block the opening salvo. The two flyers obviously weren¡¯t going to give up just because of that though, and streaked in to close the distance.


    That immediately turned out to be a bad idea for them, with Nivian¡¯s fiery dome shaping into his Aspect. Just the top half of it though, and much smaller than normal. This time, instead of being as tall as the towering building they stood atop, the torso of his Aspect was ¡°only¡± thirty feet tall. Before the two flyers could even react to the change, a massive hammer of blue flame swept around to bat one of them clean out of the sky.


    Like a streaking comet ¨C one engulfed in the same blue flame ¨C the Armor shot down at an angle to crash into and through the building across the street.


    Meanwhile, on the opposite side, Ilrolik¡¯s group had chosen to make their stand from within one of the buildings ¨C instead of on top of one. Drahn pelted the two incoming targets with Pollen-Poison-laced arrows, then ducked inside and out of sight as the A-Rank opponents arrived to give chase. More of their rifle fire shattered windows and tore out the side of the building, and it seemed like they¡¯d completely cornered their prey.


    ¡°Got you,¡± Loan said over the party chat, and Hiral could clearly imagine the predatory grin on his instructor¡¯s face.


    In the next second, another window shattered outward, though this time there were two forms within the falling glass. The first was, of course, one of the suits of Mecha-Armor. The second was Loan, one hand glowing with black light and clenching the faceplate of the armor, while the other held the barrel of the dangerous weapon out to the side.


    If the armor thought it could overpower the big Shaper ¨C it was A-Rank compared to him only being B-Rank, after all ¨C that idea was quickly dispelled. The weapon didn¡¯t budge. In fact, it broke within the man¡¯s large, squeezing fingers. Quickly realizing that weapon was now useless, the Armor popped the blades on its left forearm, clearly planning to skewer the Shaper with them.


    It even seemed like a good plan, until one of Sera¡¯s barriers appeared to block the blow in instant before the pair crashed into the ground fourteen stories below. With Loan on top, the big man used the Mecha-Armor to ¡°cushion¡± the fall, and even as dust and debris shot into the air from the impact, a WHOMP sounded from within, blasting those fragments away in a shockwave.


    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    Loan¡¯s fist fell again and again on his target, each with their own resounding WHOMP, driving the W45P deeper and deeper into the ground.


    As advantageous as the positions were for both parties, the last two Mecha-Armor W45Ps finally untangled themselves, and one each went to assist their struggling allies.


    Which meant Hiral didn¡¯t have any more time to enjoy the show.


    ¡°Our turn,¡± he said, and felt Seena give Romin the shoulder tap through his sensory domain.


    Wallop, who¡¯d eagerly been awaiting the tap, trundled out of the alley and around the corner. The ground shook under his steps as he picked up speed far faster than something his size should be able to. One wide turn later, he lined himself up with the G14NT several blocks distant, then he really charged, the air around him shimmering as powerful barriers built alongside his momentum.


    A powerful SNUFF echoed from his nostrils, dust and solar energy billowing ahead of him like the big Rune-o was shouting, ¡°COME AT ME!¡±.


    The G14NT ¨C sensitive to solar energy ¨C instantly turned at the display, the thirty-foot cannon over each shoulder taking aim at the companion sprinting in its direction. BOOM, BOOM the cannons bellowed in response to Wallop¡¯s challenge, the shells digging channels through the air as they crossed the distance in the blink of an eye before slamming into the Rune-o¡¯s barrier.


    Twinned explosions filled the streets, shattering some of the few remaining windows in the city on both sides, before Wallop burst out of the flame on the far side. Feet crunching pavement with each step, wisps of smoke streamed from this thick armor-plating, and he snuffed again.


    Is that the best you can do? It seemed to say. My turn!


    More energy shimmered across the Rune-o¡¯s body, like he became made of colorful glass, before he shattered into a shower of thousands of shards. Those shards vanished before they hit the ground, only for thousands more to reform blocks ahead, Wallop appearing at the foot of the G14NT to slam into it.


    The Rune of Impact flared, living up to its name, blasting the left leg out from underneath the huge Armor. Right arm stretching out for balance, the heavy, metal hand clawed into the building next to it, shredding even more glass and metal as it stretched for something to prevent its fall.


    During all this, the rest of the party hadn¡¯t been idle either. The moment the two cannons had fired ¨C Wallop¡¯s first role had been to draw the fire of the powerful weapons and put them on cooldown ¨C the rest of the party had moved.


    Scarves of solar energy grabbed Hiral¡¯s doubles, pseudo-aspects flaring on all three of them, before he dashed out of the alley and sprinted down the street. Even without the benefits of Wallop¡¯s Blink-Charge teleportation, he arrived at almost the same time the Runeocerous did, simultaneously throwing Left and Right into position while he reached over his shoulder for the Greatsword of Amin Thett.


    At the same time, a flaming bird had shot up the side of the building the party had hidden behind, wings spreading as it cleared the top of it to arc in the direction of the G14NT. It¡¯d barely gone more than a few feet forward before it erupted in a shower of flaming feathers to reveal two forms.


    The first, a vaguely man-shaped dragon with wings of storm-clouds and lightning, and a spear of crackling energy. No sooner had the bird released him, then he transformed into a bolt of thick lightning that shot for the sky before bouncing down toward the Mecha-Armor.


    The second was a woman with green ¨C almost stemlike ¨C skin, clad in armor of red-and-green, metallic feathers, and six, fire-lily wings stretched from her back. Despite not being able to actually fly, Seena seemed to glide imperiously through the air, arms spread out to each side as new suns were born next to her. From her location, a bone-chilling chant echoed, syllables fading in and out like the words themselves navigated the threshold between life and death. Blue lines of power ran from Li¡¯l Ur¡¯s raised hands, running down his Mistress¡¯s shoulders and arms, then out from her hands to the building suns.


    To Hiral¡¯s side ¨C and as he¡¯d run down the street ¨C flashes of purple-and-red flame announced Seeyela had kept pace with him, building her own momentum and power through the Chord of the Primal Moon. Her daggers glowed a sickly green, the coronas around them seeming to melt space itself as they passed, and she appeared behind the G14NT before lunging forward.


    Out of a sheet of black that unfurled across the street, the two final members of the party emerged. Gran¡¯s hands snapped out, needles and crimson threads coming in a storm from each. Her left hand ¨C aimed at the building the Mecha-Armor was falling into ¨C wound dozens of the crimson lines around the monstrosity¡¯s hand and arm, binding it in place. From her right hand, one thicker needle went to each of her party¡¯s damage dealers, filled with potent healing to offset the thirty-percent Delicate Balance they¡¯d each activated.


    Ability ¨C Delicate Balance: Exchange health for bonus damage for thirty seconds.


    Note: Bonus damage is equal to twice the % of health sacrificed to the ability, with a maximum sacrifice of 50%.


    Note (2): Health cannot be sacrificed below 50% through the use of this ability.


    Romin, at the healer¡¯s side, came out with his Runic Blunderbuss already up and ready. From experience, he knew what always came after the cannon fire, and even while the G14NT stumbled, a section of its thigh opened up. Lined with the explosive, self-propelled canisters, it would be the next salvo to pummel the close-range Rune-o, fire already flashing within to signal their launch.


    The bolt from the Runic Blunderbuss arrived at the same time, causing each and every one of those dangerous cannisters to rupture at the same time. The resulting explosion threw the massive Armor even more off-balance.


    Which left it wide-open for the coordinated arrival of the other party members.


    Hiral got there first, Greatsword of Amin Thett whipping out and across in its fallen-star form. Enhanced by his runes, the blade practically vibrated with power, Separation, Breaking, Dreaming, Increase, and Impact leading the way. In the rest time Seena had ¨C so generously ¨C granted him, he¡¯d figured out how far he could take his runic enhancements without accidently triggering the Rune of Eclipse, and it was a fine line.


    With access ¨C even limited as it was ¨C to the new rune, his other runes were more powerful than ever. Easier to use than ever. With a greater limit to what they could do than ever. The downside was that half of that new power resided within the realm of the Eclipse, and had drastic side effects if he ventured in there.


    Still, he was able to push his runes just a little further than he¡¯d been able to before without calling on the Eclipse, and that was what he did then and there. Walking that razor¡¯s edge of how far he could push himself, Hiral channeled his runes into the strike. But, there, in that moment, inspiration struck.


    Threads of solar energy leapt into his Runes of Time Dilation and Contraction, slowing his rocketing body to a bare crawl while solar energy practically flowed like converging rivers from his allies around him. His strike was going to be powerful, perhaps one of the most powerful he¡¯d ever used¡­ at B-Rank. But, for a few short, glorious moments, he¡¯d been A-Rank in his battle against the Ex-General. And, while he couldn¡¯t replicate most of what he¡¯d done then ¨C yet ¨C there was something he could modify.


    The sword of utter destruction he¡¯d forged directly from the Edicts had been a terror-and-a-half. Except, he couldn¡¯t do that again. Not without Eclipse, at least, but what he could do was use those same Edicts to enhance his Greatsword of Amin Thett instead of creating one of his own.


    With that thought ¨C that desire ¨C in mind, Hiral reached out to the Edicts of Separation, Gravity, Energy, and Increase. He didn¡¯t have the same access to the Edict of Expansion he had while in his rage-induced epiphany before, so the sword wouldn¡¯t be any bigger, but as he felt the energies coalescing along the greatsword, he was not worried.


    A notification popped up in the corner of his vision as something shattered, ripping him out of the paused time from his runes. The blade in his hand howled as it swung, the fallen-star form of it now etched in energy with symbols of the Edicts along its length. To Hiral¡¯s eyes, a spectral chain appeared around the blade, then blasted itself apart into hundreds of fragmented links, while strings of Connection now spider-webbed out. With every inch the blade moved, it pulled on the power, concepts, and very being of the Edicts around him.


    The Greatsword of Amin Thett didn¡¯t just have energy extending its length ¨C it was Energy. The core concept and purest form of it. The blade didn¡¯t swing with additional mass because of Gravity, it swung with the true unwavering and indisputable authority of Gravity. The limits on the blade weren¡¯t just expanded because of Increase ¨C they¡¯d been outright removed, though Hiral¡¯s limits still capped what they weapon could do.


    Finally, the edge of the blade didn¡¯t just cut anymore, it Separated. Anything it touched would become part of that reality. Before the Edict, the concept of ¡®whole¡¯ didn¡¯t exist.


    And neither did the G14NT¡¯s knee.

 Chapter 21 – Catching Up

    Slamming into the leg joint of the Mecha-Armor G14NT, the Greatsword of Amin Thett flared its supremacy, Edicts searing along the length of its energy-blade in unison. The A-Rank, brasslike metal didn¡¯t buckle under the force of the blade. It didn¡¯t crumple or bend.


    No, it simply parted, like that was the most natural thing in the world. Like worshippers stepping to the side before their divinity to walk. Through and through, Hiral¡¯s strike passed, a perfect line unhindered by paltry things such as durability or Rank. In its wake, Breaking followed. Though not powered by an Edict itself, the runic power rode high on the wave, basking in the glory of that which came before, and used that vulnerability to live up to its name.


    Like frost retreating under the noonday sun, the metal gave way, rusting, decaying, and retreating from where the blade passed.


    And then Hiral was by, his dash and the complete lack of resistance to his strike carrying him nearly forty feet beyond the legs of the G14NT before he slowed and turned. Just in time to see the repercussions of his party¡¯s coordinated assault.


    While his blow hadn¡¯t completely torn the leg apart at the knee ¨C the limb was simply too thick, though he¡¯d cut through about three-quarters of it ¨C it had compounded the Armor¡¯s imbalance. Now, with one leg kicked up into the air from Wallop¡¯s Charge, the other buckling under its own weight, and its hand seemingly stuck in one place, the whole thing twisted on the one, weakened joint.


    Vulnerable and off-balance like that, it had no defense to the pseudo-aspect-clad doubles who reached its shoulders. On the one side, Right did what he did best, one hand snagging the barrel of the large cannon to whip down, over, and around it. Landing there, directly in front of the base of the weapon, one hand still on the barrel as the Armor stumbled, he lashed out with his other fist.


    Strong as the metal Tomorrow used was, the party had long learned the joints or connecting pieces weren¡¯t nearly as resistant to damage. Metal bent inward as Right¡¯s Auroran Conqueror struck it, before the sheer power of his punch ripped the whole, damn cannon off its mounting as he let got of the barrel.


    On the other side, Left didn¡¯t have the same outright hitting power, and instead swept around with the combined spear-form of the Daggers of En and Sath. With a trail of liquid the length of the street from the alley where they¡¯d started, the moment the blade slipped between the cannon and the shoulder it was mounted on, the outcome was a given.


    And the eruption of force did not disappoint. While it didn¡¯t have the same visceral impact of Right punching something, there was no denying the effectiveness of the attack, with a quick follow-up blow from the spear knocking the cannon toward the ground below.


    During all of this ¨C which happened barely within a second ¨C the G14NT almost seemed like it would be able to hold itself upright for a heartbeat, before a white-clad Greed of Malice Bamf¡¯d in place beside the vulnerable knee, her daggers coming in from each side. Glowing venomous green, the Fangs of the Lady looked far too small to ever be able to threaten even the damaged limb.


    The two moons that appeared overlaying those Fangs, though?


    This time metal did crumple, the force of the two, converging celestial bodies pressing together with the tips of Seeyela¡¯s weapons. Green veins spread up and down the leg, like worms burrowing through the brass at the touch, before her daggers met in the middle. At that point, the knee was simply gone, and it only seemed like a hiccup in the natural laws of physics kept the Armor upright.


    Not for long, with a thick bolt of lightning slamming straight into the center of the Armor¡¯s chest, blasting it clean out of the air to crash into the ground. Pieces of the nearby building tore off, the stitching keeping them attached to the limb as the connected torso got ripped away, while more arcs of electricity spread out across the street like dozens of spider¡¯s legs. Up the walls of the buildings on both sides of the road, the lightning clearly wasn¡¯t behaving like it was supposed to, zipping along glass and metal with wild abandon.


    When it reached the tops of the top buildings, it seemed to leap off in glee, arcing up and over the center of the street, directly above where Yanily stood atop the prone G14NT, his spear held above his head. Back down like it was running through a funnel, the lightning met at the top of Yan¡¯s weapon, before he spun it and drove it down a second time into the chest of the Armor. This time, all that lightning burrowed down instead of out, sparks of it appearing in the joints and the mouths of the cannons¡¯ barrels.


    ¡°Move,¡± Seena¡¯s voice said over the party chat, and Yanily leapt straight for the sky, more lightning trailing him as he climbed hundreds of feet in seconds.


    No sooner had he vacated the space, than something like orange dust rode in on the wind, coating the surface of the Armor, while the sky above it flickered as if were on fire. Well, not all of it, just the two twenty-foot suns.


    Between the swirling balls of massive flames, Seena continued to float down, arms extended, with the flames spinning against her outstretched palms.


    ¡°For the Mistress,¡± Li¡¯l Ur said from her shoulder. ¡°You. Shall. Burn. Become the first of in her conquest. The lesson to all who would oppose her. The screaming effigy that will¡­¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s just burn it,¡± Seena said flatly, and hurled her arms forward.


    From nearly three-hundred feet up and at an angle, the twin suns shot forward, only for blue lines to stretch out between them. As soon as the lines connected, the two suns began to spiral around each other as they raced for the G14NT lying on the ground. Closer and closer they drew to each other as they moved, their solar energy and power somehow resonating. Growing stronger with each rotation, while black flames of familiar necrotic energy swirled within.


    When they struck, they would¡­


    Hiral looked at how terribly close he was to ground zero.


    Oh, nine hells¡­


    Scarves of Connection and Attraction reached out to snag his doubles from the air where they¡¯d leapt from the falling titan ¨C but hadn¡¯t landed yet ¨C and then Hiral ran. Ran like his life depended on it, because it did from the feeling of the fire coming down behind him.


    Burn indeed!


    Two blocks away ¨C as far as he could get in the short time ¨C Hiral darted hard around a corner as the apocalypse erupted behind him.


    Red and blue climbed into the sky at the same time Seeyela, Romin, Wallop, and Gran jumped out of a portal beside Hiral, while a roar like the world ending shook the Cradle.


    ¡°Think she overdid it,¡± Seeyela said flatly.


    ¡°You don¡¯t say?¡± Gran asked with a cackle and shake of her head.


    ¡°Still smaller than when Hiral tried to cut the Cradle in two,¡± Yanily said from somewhere high above, his leap taking them over their heads to another distant building.


    ¡°Not shaking the Cradle as much either,¡± Romin said. ¡°Wallop causes this much rumbling when he takes a d¡­¡±


    Snuuuuuffffff!


    ¡°You¡¯re right, they don¡¯t need to know about your alone-time,¡± Romin said. ¡°Though I¡¯m sure most of the fortress heard your last¡­¡±


    Snuff! Stomp, Wallop cut off anything the Bonder was going to say with a fair amount of vigor while the world ended a few blocks away.


    Shadows on the walls stained red and blue as the temperature climbed, like they were in another world entirely, before it all abruptly stopped.


    It happened so suddenly, Hiral had to blink a few times to make sure he wasn¡¯t seeing things. But, no, that was it. The roar had vanished so quickly, there wasn¡¯t even an echo. The temperature was back to normal, and the fake-sun-ambient-lighting returned to before the twin suns had appeared.


    ¡°What are you even doing over there?¡± Ilrolik¡¯s voice came over the chat, her words punctuated with grunts like she was grappling with something.


    ¡°Ignore them,¡± Wule said. ¡°It¡¯s just not even worth asking anymore.¡±


    ¡°How can I ignore that?¡± Ilrolik asked.


    ¡°By maybe focusing on the Armor trying to pull Devison¡¯s¡­ oh COME ON!¡± Yully practically shouted over the party chat. ¡°I just regrew that!¡±


    ¡°Good thing you get a bonus to it¡­¡± Loan chuckled over the chat at the same time a W45P with its wings ripped off got hurled into the sky.


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


    ¡°Focus,¡± Sera instructed, cutting off the joking with her single, calm word. Like the mother corralling her rambunctious children, that was enough to quiet the chatter coming from the group.


    ¡°Yan,¡± Seena said, filling the space. ¡°You going to finish this thing off?¡±


    ¡°You got it, Boss,¡± Yanily said from high above, his leap just now reaching its apex, as Hiral peeked around the corner of the building. In the sky, solar energy pulsed ¨C that had to be Turn Back the Clock ¨C and the spearman transformed into the customary lightning of Skyfall+.


    Hiral glanced at the wreckage of the G14NT splayed out in the center of the street in the second of existence it had left to its name. Impressively, it was still alive after everything they¡¯d hit it with ¨C which made sense, considering it was A-Rank. Maybe it was more impressive they¡¯d put it down so quickly, considering their own B-Rank status. High-B-Rank, all with advanced classes, sure, but Rank disparity really was difficult to get over¡­ if they didn¡¯t have Hiral¡¯s Aim High.


    As for the Mecha-Armor, the leg they¡¯d broken at the knee was now entirely gone ¨C even the thigh ¨C where it had been evaporated by the twin suns. Joints had fused together, the head was little more than what looked like a melted, overturned pot, and the chest reminded Hiral of one of those wide candles that had been left to burn too long ¨C droopy and runny in the middle.


    Then Yanily came back down, painting the world in electric blue and white, to strike that crevasse he¡¯d earlier opened in the armor. The centre of the aptly-named G14NT vanished within the pillar of nature¡¯s fury ¨C or heaven¡¯s punishment ¨C as the impact further cratered the street and sent a shockwave rushing up the nearby buildings. What few had survived the cataclysm of Seena¡¯s attack simply gave up the ghost at this point, collapsing away from ground zero as the earth beneath them bucked.


    The city shook and bellowed with the falling buildings groaning in protest as the metal and stone in them gave out, crashing them into their neighbours. Long, loud seconds turned into over a minute, while Hiral lifted those nearby into the air to make sure they didn¡¯t get crushed by the fallout. He grabbed Yanily and Seena on the way by, and when they were finally all hovering above the rising dust cloud from where they¡¯d battled, they got a second to look at each other.


    ¡°Good reminder not to fight anything A-Rank around people we need to protect,¡± Seeyela said somberly at the destruction.


    None of them had planned to wreck the city like that.


    ¡°Or at least not to let those two.¡± Gran didn¡¯t hesitate for a second to point at the two main culprits ¨C Yanily and Seena.


    ¡°It was A-Rank,¡± Seena said in her own defense. ¡°We had to give it our all.¡±


    ¡°You just wanted to see if you could make Tomorrow¡¯s brass melt or ¨C better yet ¨C burn,¡± her sister accused right back.


    Seena¡¯s mouth opened, but she didn¡¯t have a comeback. Her sister knew her too well. So, instead of whatever excuse she had planned to make, she just grumbled instead. ¡°Stupid metal wouldn¡¯t catch on fire.¡±


    ¡°Speaking of fire,¡± Hiral said. ¡°Ur, was that necrotic energy I saw in there? Did you do that?¡±


    Before answering, Li¡¯l Ur held his small hand up to his mouth and blew a jet of blue flame across his fingernails, then rubbed them on the chest of his robe like he was polishing them. ¡°I added in a hint of one of my signature abilities from my legendary-evil days; Blight and Burn.¡±


    ¡°You can do that now?¡± Yanily asked.


    ¡°As our glorious Mistress grows stronger ¨C now on the cusp of A-Rank ¨C more and more comes back to me,¡± Li¡¯l Ur explained. ¡°There are still¡­ many holes¡­ in my memory, and my strength is but a vague echo of my prime, but I do find myself able to channel the blueprints of my abilities through my Mistress.¡±


    ¡°Basically,¡± Seena said. ¡°He¡¯s using my solar energy to fuel the abilities he¡¯s showing me how to use. The little guy can¡¯t use them on his own. Yet? Ever? Not sure about that part.¡±


    ¡°Either way, that was pretty impressive,¡± Hiral said. ¡°Who knows, maybe in S-Rank, your final advanced class will give you a third kind-of sponsor.¡± He looked at the lich floating on her shoulder. Li¡¯l Ur had said he couldn¡¯t be a sponsor ¨C since he didn¡¯t have access to his urn or old power ¨C but Seena was already benefitting from the core of a dead-plant-sponsor-thing. And the way their abilities seemed to be growing more and more interlinked¡­ could it be possible?


    ¡°That¡¯s assuming I even get an option for another advanced class,¡± Seena said. ¡°I barely got this one before we reached A-Rank.¡±


    ¡°Out of everybody,¡± Seeyela said. ¡°If there is somebody ¨C other than Yan ¨C who I know is going to get their third advanced class, it¡¯s you. Just because it took a little longer doesn¡¯t mean anything. You¡¯ve always been slow, but you get there eventually.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ not sure if I¡¯m feeling deeply complimented or insulted here¡­¡± Seena said slowly, then shook her head. ¡°And, hold up, enough about me. We¡¯ve all been ignoring that.¡± As she said it, the party leader pointed at Hiral. Well, not at Hiral specifically, but more the giant, glowing, Edict-etched Greatsword of Amin Thett in his hands.


    The fallen-star form of it had definitely evolved, growing even a bit larger, while the Edicts running the length of the blade burned black. In his hand, the energy visibly churned ¨C especially along the edges that gave off the unmistakable aura of Separation ¨C while the air around it seemed to warp.


    ¡°Well,¡± Hiral started, then remembered he¡¯d gotten a notification he¡¯d ignored back when he¡¯d been fighting the G14NT. A thought brought it up in front of him.


    Dynamic Quest: Update ¨C Unfathomable Power


    You¡¯ve merged the power of a legendary¡ªyet broken¡ªS-Rank item with some of the rules governing the universes, loosening the limiter on the weapon¡¯s bound potential. Find a way to restore it to its original state.


    Repair Progress: 75/100%


    Sharing the notification window with the others around them, Hiral said, ¡°Looks like I completed another step in the quest to unlock the sword¡¯s true power.¡±


    ¡°That was fifty-percent last time, wasn¡¯t it?¡± Seeyela asked, reading the notification. Hiral nodded. ¡°Means¡­ one more step?¡±


    ¡°I think so,¡± Hiral said. ¡°Should be one more chain left.¡± He¡¯d explained the spectral chains he¡¯d seen wrapping the blade before, and though he hadn¡¯t seen them this time, that was probably that sense of shattering he¡¯d felt.


    ¡°How did you do it?¡± Yanily asked. ¡°Progress the quest, I mean.¡±


    ¡°Used the Edicts directly on the blade,¡± Hiral said. ¡°Kind of like what I did with the Edict-blade I¡¯d created against the Ex-General.¡±


    ¡°Good job,¡± Seena said, giving his sword one last look before giving him a smile. Then, she turned her attention to the city below. The crashing of collapsing buildings had finally stopped, though dust still filled the space where they¡¯d fought. In either direction, directly opposite the floating party, the other two groups were still engaged with their flyers.


    While not as durable or powerful as the G14NT, the W45Ps were much more mobile, making them difficult to pin down when they wanted to play cat and mouse.


    ¡°Should we help them?¡± Seeyela asked, though she didn¡¯t use the party chat.


    ¡°No.¡± It was Yanily who spoke. ¡°They¡¯ve got it under control. And, if they don¡¯t, they need to be able to do it on their own.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re fine,¡± Hiral said, spotting flashes of the ongoing battles.


    ¡°They¡¯re catching up,¡± Seena said, but Gran cackled at that. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Maybe they¡¯re catching up to me and new-guy here,¡± she thumbed at Romin. ¡°But catching up to you lot?¡± She then pointed at the catastrophe directly below them. ¡°Not sure you¡¯re even in the same race.¡±


    ¡°They are catching up,¡± Hiral said, though he could see Gran¡¯s point. ¡°Especially Nivian and Wule. Maybe it¡¯s the D-Rank advanced classes? I didn¡¯t expect them to make such a difference ¨C it¡¯s just a couple stat points per level ¨C but could there be some kind of more intrinsic benefit? Something deeper? Fundamental?¡±


    ¡°Sounds like something for Gauto to figure out,¡± Seena said.


    ¡°It does,¡± Hiral agreed. ¡°And with some other people actually getting advanced D-Rank classes here in the Cradle, now¡¯s the time to find out.¡±


    ¡°One thing at a time,¡± Seena reminded him, even as another W45P went hurtling through a building. ¡°Once they¡¯re done there, we¡¯ve still got to finish this quest.¡±


    At the mention of it, Hiral popped open the quest window to see how close they were.


    Dynamic Quest: Update


    Hidden Trial (A-Rank): Mechanized


    Tomorrow¡¯s 0M3G4 W34P0N stirs. Defeat more Mecha-Armor to initialize its systems. Defeating it will result in a hidden schematic unlocking new defenses and advanced classes.


    Tomorrow¡¯s Mecha-Armor, Mark G14NT Defeated: 5/5


    Tomorrow¡¯s Mecha-Armor, Mark W45P Defeated: 27/30


    Tomorrow¡¯s 0M3G4 W34P0N Defeated: 0/1


    Just three more W45Ps, then they¡¯d have to go find Tomorrow¡¯s 0M3G4 W34P0N, though he had a pretty good idea where it was hiding, thanks to his scouting previously. A massive facility lay hidden under the city ¨C it was where the other Mecha-Armors had come from ¨C so it was probably where this final monstrosity would be hiding.


    ¡°The last two fights were pretty quick, but let¡¯s find a place to rest until they¡¯re done,¡± Seena said. ¡°Hiral, how about the roof of that one still-standing building below us? Can you take us there?¡±


    ¡°Sure thing,¡± Hiral said. The section of the oddly huge city directly below them really had taken the worst of the recent battles, though most of it stood tall, light reflecting off the glass windows of the towering structures. Is there really a place like this somewhere out there? I wonder what it¡¯s like¡­


    Hiral didn¡¯t have time for such musings at the moment, though, so he drew himself back to the present. And, since it didn¡¯t look like he¡¯d need to hit anything for the moment, he cut off power to his upgraded Greatsword of Amin Thett. As soon as the energy faded from the blade, he moved to sheathe it over his back again, but completely paused at what was in front of his eyes.


    ¡°Uh¡­ Hiral¡­?¡± Yanily said, also looking at the same thing he was. ¡°I thought your quest was to repair it, not¡­ that.¡±


    In his hand, the greatsword was now little more than a hilt, a cross-guard, and about four inches of blade. That was it. The rest of the broken blade was just¡­ gone. He¡¯d thought the blade had gotten shorter after the last seal broke, but a big part of him had dismissed that notion as wild fancy or imagination. There was no way this was his imagination.


    ¡°It¡¯s becoming more energy and less crystal as you complete the quest?¡± Romin asked.


    ¡°Seems that way,¡± Hiral said. ¡°I¡¯ll try to figure it out after¡­¡±


    Hiral didn¡¯t get to finish his sentence as a notification window popped up in front of him.


    Dynamic Quest: Update


    Hidden Trial (A-Rank): Mechanized


    Tomorrow¡¯s 0M3G4 W34P0N stirs. Defeat more Mecha-Armor to initialize its systems. Defeating it will result in a hidden schematic unlocking new defenses and advanced classes.


    Tomorrow¡¯s Mecha-Armor, Mark G14NT Defeated: 5/5


    Tomorrow¡¯s Mecha-Armor, Mark W45P Defeated: 30/30


    Tomorrow¡¯s 0M3G4 W34P0N Defeated: 0/1


    The final W45P had apparently been defeated, which meant it was time to go find¡­


    A far corner of the city erupted, stone, metal, glass, and an entire building shooting into the sky. That had to have been an entire city block going off. Some kind of explosion? No, the timing was too convenient with the notification they¡¯d just gotten. That could only be one thing.


    And, as a massive, metallic arm reached out of the hole in the city¡¯s foundation, Hiral realized they wouldn¡¯t have to go looking for the 0M3G4 W34P0N.


    It had come to find them.

 Chapter 22 – 0M3G4 W34P0N

    What crawled out of the several-city-block-sized hole was well beyond what Hiral had imagined when he¡¯d seen the name 0M3G4 W34P0N. This thing wasn¡¯t quite mountain-sized, like the Colossus they¡¯d fought, but it might as well have been.


    Emerging to stand on four legs, the thing had a body somewhere between a cat and a dragon. The molded brass looked sleek, yet powerful, with layered plates of armor seemingly flexing as the thing found its feet. The shoulders were definitely wider than a cat¡¯s would be, while the belly was far more narrow ¨C somewhat reminding Hiral of the Ex-General he¡¯d fought. From those shoulders, metal horns or spines of some kind curved up then back almost the entire length of the body. Similar ¨C though shorter ¨C spines also emerged from sides of the shins of each leg. Massive claws tipped the end of each paw, while a pair of incredibly long tails whipped through the air behind the monstrosity.


    And, given how they smashed cleanly through an entire building, they weren¡¯t just for show.


    At the opposite end of the construct, the head had more of a canine-slash-draconic imaging to it. There didn¡¯t looked to be any scales across the face, and the snout was clearly more modeled after a wolf¡¯s head than anything else Hiral could think of. From the side of the head, though, a pair of crescent-shaped horns extended to point directly in front of the beast¡¯s face.


    Given what the horns on Tomorrow¡¯s Colossus had been capable of ¨C as well as Hiral¡¯s own horn-shaped Crown of Amin Thett ¨C he had a pretty good idea they weren¡¯t just for decoration either.


    All in all, standing on four legs, the thing was still a towering twenty-five stories tall, and more than three-times that length, without even including the tail.


    ¡°We¡¯ve got to fight that?¡± Gran asked what everybody present had to be thinking.


    ¡°It¡¯s so big, we can¡¯t miss it,¡± Loan said over the party chat, Ilrolik¡¯s party finding a roof to get a good look at their next opponent.


    ¡°Maybe we can just jump on its back and keep hitting it?¡± Wule asked. ¡°Worked for Hiral against the King of the Swamp, and this looks kind of like a bigger version of that. If it doesn¡¯t have any defenses against¡­¡±


    Wule¡¯s words trailed off as a swarm of those metal, bird-like flyers ¨C a drone swarm ¨C came out of the metal spines running the length of the W34P0N¡¯s body..


    ¡°Never mind¡­¡± Wule said, and Hiral could hear him shaking his head, even though he couldn¡¯t see it.


    ¡°Seriously, how are we going to deal with something that big?¡± Yully asked.


    ¡°Nivian?¡± Hiral said, instead of directly answering the question. ¡°Think you can keep its attention?¡±


    ¡°For a few minutes, at most,¡± Nivian said. ¡°Something like that can¡¯t be lacking on offense.¡±


    ¡°Good thing you¡¯re so good at defense,¡± Hiral said.


    ¡°Sounds like you have a plan, Mr. Raid Leader,¡± Seena said.


    ¡°The start of one,¡± Hiral said. ¡°That thing has to have a weakness, even if it is the fact something smaller like us can get on its back and dig our way down until we find something important. While Nivian distracts it, the rest of us need to find that weakness.


    ¡°High mobility folks, that¡¯s our job. So, me, Left, Yanily, Seeyela, Devison, we¡¯re starting on top of it. Drahn and Igwanda, see if you can find some decent vantage points and start hitting it from range. Remember, it can tear down entire buildings, so if it starts heading in your direction, get out of there.


    ¡°As for the rest of you, you¡¯re on the ground looking up for any weak points you can spot. If you see something, give it a shot, and share what you find with the rest of us. Unlike some of the other fights we¡¯ve had recently, an opponent this big¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a Wild-Boss,¡± Yanily said. ¡°In case your View hasn¡¯t triggered yet.¡±


    ¡°A Wild-Boss this big,¡± Hiral amended. ¡°Is going to have a lot of health ¨C and tricks ¨C which means it¡¯ll be a marathon fight instead of a dash. Ilrolik and Nivian, how are your groups looking for resources?¡±


    ¡°Would¡¯ve liked to have gotten a break,¡± Ilrolik said. ¡°Doesn¡¯t look like that¡¯ll happen, so we¡¯ll manage.¡±


    ¡°Same,¡± Nivian said simply.


    ¡°No big cooldowns that have a backlash,¡± Hiral went on. ¡°And keep any longer cooldowns with big single-hit potential at the ready for any of those weak points I¡¯m really hoping we¡¯re going to find.


    ¡°Questions?¡±


    ¡°Smash?¡± Bash asked, though it summed up what everybody was feeling.


    The Wild-Boss in front of them was intimidating ¨C to say the least ¨C but at the same time, it was exciting. This had to be one of the peak challenges in the entire Cradle. It was new, unknown, and clearly powerful. It felt like the last chance to push their B-Rank bodies before they moved to A-Rank. And, if they won ¨C no, when they won ¨C there would have to be some great rewards for achieving that while they were B-Rank.


    ¡°One last thing,¡± Hiral said. ¡°If this thing is like the other Mecha-Armor we fought, it¡¯ll only really take notice of you when you¡¯re using solar energy. If things turn bad, stop using any abilities and reposition. That should be enough to hide you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll wait to engage until it notices one of you,¡± Nivian said. ¡°Even in the best-case scenario, I won¡¯t last long against that on my own.¡±


    As if to prove Nivian¡¯s point, the giant W34P0N smashed yet another building as it casually turned. Stone, glass, and metal shattered at the slightest touch from the thing¡¯s heavy body, and it stepped away from the gaping hole it¡¯d crawled out of. Then, as if it were taking in its surroundings, the head slowly swept from right to left. No, it wasn¡¯t just sightseeing, it was looking for something.


    What?


    Before Hiral got the answer to his internal question, the 0M3G4 W34P0N stopped, and an echoing, metallic growl rumbled out of its chest. Small stones and debris along the road vibrated from the volume of the deep sound. Whatever it was looking for, it¡¯d found it.


    Wait, that direction¡­


    Realization dawning on him, a notification window popped up to confirm his fear.


    This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Dynamic Quest: Update


    Hidden Trial (A-Rank): Mechanized


    One of Tomorrow¡¯s greatest weapons has awoken, standing as a final trial to those who would challenge it. However, should no contenders emerge ¨C or stop it ¨C the 0M3G4 W34P0N will follow its programing to cleanse the Cradle of Tomorrow of all life.


    ¡°That¡­ doesn¡¯t sound good,¡± Seeyela said.


    ¡°It¡¯s worse than that,¡± Hiral said.


    ¡°Of course it is,¡± Wule deadpanned.


    ¡°That direction it¡¯s looking,¡± Hiral continued. ¡°Our base is that way.¡±


    ¡°Then the time for talking is over,¡± Seena said. ¡°We woke it up, we have to deal with it.¡±


    ¡°And it¡¯s not a short walk to get to it,¡± Yanily said, storm-cloud wings bursting from his shoulders.


    ¡°Go,¡± Hiral said. ¡°Stick with the plan to find its weakness first, but if it gets to the edge of the city, we¡¯re going to have to engage either way. Can¡¯t risk dealing with the spatial expansions if we need to chase it outside the city.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not taking us?¡± Seena asked him.


    ¡°Want to get a better vantage point,¡± he replied, pointing up. ¡°Besides, moving that many of us radiates quite a lot of solar energy ¨C it might notice.¡±


    ¡°Time for an old-fashioned hike then,¡± Seena said.


    ¡°Speak for yourself,¡± Seeyela said, Bamfing five blocks away in a heartbeat.


    ¡°You could¡¯ve at least taken some of us with you!¡± Seena called after her sister, then looked at Hiral. ¡°See you over there soon.¡±


    ¡°Be careful,¡± he told her. ¡°It¡¯s got to have¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­ lots of tricks,¡± she finished. ¡°I know.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Hiral said. ¡°Go with her. Keep her out of trouble.¡±


    The double and the party leader looked at each other.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it usually me telling him to keep you out of trouble?¡± Seena asked.


    ¡°Why do I always get the impossible jobs?¡± Right asked at the same time.


    Then it was Hiral and Seena¡¯s turn to exchange looks.


    ¡°Hey!¡± they said at the same time, like they silently agreed they should be insulted by the comment.


    ¡°I¡¯m taking Left with me,¡± Hiral then added quickly.


    ¡°Who has the impossible job now?¡± Left asked Right.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve got it a bit easier,¡± Right agreed. Then he looked at Seena. ¡°Let¡¯s go before somebody changes their minds.¡±


    With the rest of the parties already moving as fast as their B-Rank bodies would take them in the W34P0N¡¯s direction, Seena couldn¡¯t linger. Her fingers reached out to touch Hiral¡¯s ¨C just for a second ¨C then her party-leader face was back in place.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go melt that Wild-Boss,¡± she said to Li¡¯l Ur and Right, before the three of them ran off to join the others.


    ¡°And me?¡± Left asked when it was just the two of them. ¡°Need an extra set of eyes?¡±


    ¡°Among other things,¡± Hiral said, lifting himself off the ground on a stable stream of Rejection. ¡°Follow me.¡±


    With the words ¨C and blue Wings of Anella growing from Left¡¯s shoulders ¨C the two of them shot into the sky, the city spreading out below them. As for the giant Mecha-Armor, it hadn¡¯t moved much from where it¡¯d climbed out of the giant hole. Yet.


    ¡°It¡¯s not completely awake yet,¡± Hiral said, as the two reached thousands of feet up. From there, Hiral could see the other party members sprinting in the giant¡¯s direction, each of them being careful about any abilities they were using so as to not attract the titan¡¯s attention. Even Seeyela¡¯s Bamfs didn¡¯t seem to be registering to Hiral¡¯s solar senses. And if he couldn¡¯t notice her while he was trying, it should be just as hard for the W34P0N to as well.


    ¡°Can you feel it?¡± Hiral asked, eyes back on their opponent. ¡°Its solar energy is still cycling up.¡±


    ¡°While not a flesh-and-blood beast, the waking up analogy is a good one,¡± Left agreed. ¡°The climbing energy is steady, but since we don¡¯t know what its limit is, there¡¯s no way to know when it will be ready to move.¡±


    ¡°No way at all,¡± Hiral agreed, eyes roving across the massive body. ¡°How much energy do you think something like that would use?¡±


    ¡°Tremendous amounts,¡± Left said immediately. ¡°More than anything we¡¯ve seen.¡± The double seemed to stop to think about that for a second before making an amendment. ¡°Aside from The Archwizard perhaps, or some of the squids we¡¯ve witnessed.¡±


    ¡°What do you think, then? One power source or multiple?¡±


    ¡°Hrm,¡± Left said, clearly evaluating the flow of energy circulating around and through the 0M3G4 W34P0N. Thanks to the heavy, brass plating serving as the armor and body of the beast, even feeling the energy was a challenge. ¡°I feel like each option ¨C one power source or multiple ¨C would have merits.


    ¡°More than one would offer redundancies in case of damage, and offer shorter routes for the energy to reach directly. On the other hand, one single source would likely be larger, and potentially capable of more output.¡±


    ¡°Do you think Tomorrow really expected this thing to get damaged?¡± Hiral asked.


    ¡°As its whole purpose is to battle¡­¡± Left started. ¡°I suspect her logical side knew it would get damaged.¡±


    ¡°But her prideful side couldn¡¯t believe it,¡± Hiral finished.


    ¡°Exactly. So, you believe it to be a singular power source because of that?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but not just because of that theory. Look,¡± Hiral said, pointing at the left, front leg. ¡°There at the shoulder, the elbow, and the top of the paw. And in between.¡± He moved his arm up and down to indicate the clear line of smooth brass that didn¡¯t seem to move quite like the rest of the surrounding armor. ¡°Remind you of anything?¡±


    It only took two seconds for Left¡¯s eyes to widen. ¡°That looks like a Meridian Line.¡±


    ¡°Complete with its own nodes,¡± Hiral said, tapping his elbow where he¡¯d have a node if his tattoos were present. ¡°And, one of our theories about our PIMs is that one of their main purposes is to carry the bulk of our solar energy to our extremities quickly. Once it gets there, it disperses through smaller channels to where we need it ¨C and it¡¯s why we have something like B-Rank bodies, as opposed to E-Rank ¨C for abilities and our stats.¡±


    ¡°This W34P0N is modeled after a Maker¡¯s lines to carry the energy across its massive body,¡± Left said. ¡°Or, perhaps Tomorrow helped design a Maker¡¯s tattoos based on this work.¡±


    ¡°It could go either way,¡± Hiral said. ¡°And neither matters, at this point. What does matter, is we may have our target. I¡¯d wager the power source ¨C if it is just one ¨C is buried so deep we¡¯re never going to punch through that much armor. Remember the plating we saw where the Colossus was being built?¡±


    Left nodded.


    ¡°But, those nodes and lines, for whatever reason, they¡¯re on the surface, not buried under the¡­¡± Hiral trailed off, then literally slapped his own forehead. ¡°Of course. It¡¯s running off solar energy too. Maybe not pure solar energy ¨C the power source is probably working like our PIM to transform or magnify the energy, like our new Solar Hearts ¨C but it still needs a way to take sunlight in. The brass armor itself probably doesn¡¯t work as well as our skin, so it has to have the nodes and lines made of something else.¡±


    ¡°And if we can damage or destroy those,¡± Left said. ¡°We can cut this thing¡¯s power off, or at least slow it down.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t necessarily give us the win,¡± Hiral said. ¡°But it¡¯s a start.¡±


    ¡°Looks like the others are almost there,¡± Left said.


    ¡°Before we join them,¡± Hiral said. ¡°Anything else you see? Or can think of?¡±


    ¡°If it¡¯s really like a Maker¡¯s Meridian Lines,¡± Left said, tapping the center of his chest. ¡°The most important node will be right here. The other nodes will be more minor in comparison, but also ¨C likely ¨C less heavily armored.¡±


    ¡°And easier to reach,¡± Hiral said.


    ¡°Agreed. And since it¡¯s under the chest of the W34P0N, it may not even be clearly visible. It could be where the main power source is, as well. The Solar Hearts we each got were part of a PIM evolution, and though they are lower in our bodies than our actual hearts ¨C for those of you who have one ¨C it¡¯s possible Tomorrow wouldn¡¯t have foreseen them.¡±


    ¡°And looking at the sheer size of that thing,¡± Hiral pointed at the monstrosity standing beneath them. ¡°The chest is by far the most heavily armored section. If I was going to build a power source into something to protect it, that¡¯s where I¡¯d put it.¡±


    ¡°Exactly,¡± Left said. ¡°It should be a high-priority target if somebody sees an opening.¡±


    ¡°An opening and a way to capitalize on it. If we start hitting that spot without punching through, there¡¯s a good chance it¡¯ll catch on to what we¡¯re doing. We have to make our first attempt count.¡±


    ¡°It may catch on anyway, if we start going after its Meridian Lines and nodes,¡± Left pointed out.


    ¡°Then I guess we need to take out as many as we can before it figures out our plan.¡±


    ¡°I see something on this guy¡¯s back,¡± Seeyela said. ¡°Couple somethings¡­ actually. Kind of like crystal or glass domes of some sort. And, why does this look familiar?¡±


    ¡°Sounds like we¡¯re not the only ones who spotted it,¡± Left said.


    ¡°Nope, so let¡¯s get over there,¡± Hiral said to his double, before going to a wider channel in the party chat. ¡°Let me explain our theory as to why that is, and what we¡¯re going to do about it.¡±

 Chapter 23 – Swarms

    Plan explained to the others ¨C and their roles given in quick succession ¨C Hiral and Left swept down out of the sky toward the massive brass beast below them. At the same time, the other raid-group members came at it from all sides.


    Devison and Yanily ¨C the fastest besides Seeyela, Hiral, and Left ¨C leapt from sky-scraping rooftop to rooftop. Using nothing more than their B-Ranked bodies, they vaulted dizzying heights over the streets far below, until they closed the distance. Another leap or two would get them to their destination, except the swarm of metal flyers suddenly changed their flight patterns.


    From circling above the 0M3G4 W34P0N in three iteratively larger rings, the bottom ¨C and smallest ¨C circle broke apart into two halves, each lancing at one of the two damage-dealers approaching.


    ¡°I can fry some of these, right?¡± Yanily asked.


    ¡°Clear a path,¡± Hiral told the Spear of the Storm, and Yanily leapt from the final rooftop, his body exploding with power.


    The wings of storm and lightning on his back more than doubled in size, while heavy scales covered his body. His draconic head appeared with an echoing roar ¨C and a Debilitating Roar, by how the flyers seemed to stutter in the air ¨C before he thrust forward with his spear.


    Electricity dancing across his body and the weapon in his hand, it came as no surprise when thick ropes of lightning lunged forward. With claws, teeth, and wings of its own, the Chain Lightning+ looked more and more like a stampede of unchained dragons with every cast of it, and it tore toward the momentarily frozen flock of flyers.


    An almost literal wall of black stood in front of Yanily, as if it were a huge swarm of insects ¨C each the size of a large bird ¨C to block his path. From appearances, they looked similar to the ones Nivian¡¯s party had battled in the tower-siege trial, which meant they¡¯d have finger-length barrels on their backs to spit beams of high-intensity energy. Individually, they¡¯d be little threat to an A-Rank opponent ¨C or a strong B-Rank one ¨C but with the sheer number of them, they could be dangerous.


    Luckily, Yanily wasn¡¯t just ¡®could be¡¯ dangerous. He was simply plain-old, outright, dangerous.


    The first flyer his lightning struck ceased to exist within a heartbeat, while arcs of crackling energy spread in all directions like a net. From flyer to flyer to flyer ¨C so on and so forth ¨C the cascading electricity spread a web across the sky in front of him. Dust and small pieces of broken machines fell from the air like heavy rain from the initial hundred-foot radius of his strike-point.


    And yet, that was as far as the absolute destruction went. While hundreds of the things had died in the blink of an eye ¨C stacking up the group¡¯s Allied Killing Spree+ and even Ever Evolving ¨C nothing beyond that hundred-foot range died. Damaged, sure, but still flying.


    ¡°Stronger than they look,¡± Yanily said, another pulse of energy from his wings rocketing him forward and into the opening even as the swarm began to close. Dozens ¨C hundreds ¨C of red glows began all at once, the quick flyers moving in coordinated perfection, and suddenly Yanily was within a sphere of black. Almost like they¡¯d sacrificed hundreds of their numbers ¨C and planned for it all along ¨C to capture Yanily like this, the flyers simultaneously opened fire.


    Beams raced for the surrounded spearman with pinpoint accuracy, each closing to a few scarce inches before he seemed to even react.


    Inches was all he needed, his body transforming into a bolt of lightning itself before he suddenly jerked straight up. Skyfall+ tore a hole through the collapsing sphere even as the beams struck time and time again, then reached the ¡°ceiling¡± of the Cradle before jerking back down. More of the flyers evaporated in his descent, and Yanily slammed into one of the crystal domes Seeyela had identified. More lightning arced out from the point of impact, dancing along the brass and sparking as it tried to burrow deeper.


    As for the dome? It¡¯d cracked. Barely. An inch around where the spear had struck, and that was it. Atop it and looking down in clear surprise, Yanily smoked in dozens of places from where the flyers¡¯ beams had struck his lightning form. While the change to Skyfall had protected him from the worst of the damage, it clearly wasn¡¯t complete immunity from attacks.


    And, all around the massive W34P0N, similar scenes were playing out, with the other two swarms having dissolved into smaller hunting packs to go after the party members. Even Left and Hiral had a large group racing in their direction.


    ¡°Going to be hard to focus on the nodes with these hassling us,¡± Left said, Daggers of En and Sath forming in hand. Really, they weren¡¯t the best weapons for the enemies in front of them, but he didn¡¯t have a lot of better options. Without access to the Way of Light tattoo ¨C or the Spear of Clouds, since Hiral didn¡¯t have the Edict of Piercing ¨C his choices for dealing with swarm-type enemies were very limited. In fact, Hiral and has double had relied a lot on his other party members ¨C namely Seena, Seeyela, and Yanily ¨C to deal with large groups of weak enemies.


    ¡°Domains,¡± Hiral said into the party chat, partly to answer Left, and to give permission for the others to use them. Yan¡¯s and Seena¡¯s especially would wreak havoc on smaller enemies like this. Though, looking at the sheer size of their main opponent ¨C almost eight-hundred feet long, not including the tails ¨C their domains wouldn¡¯t even cover the entire thing. Then again, the decision was to cull the flyers supporting it more than injuring it. Any damage it took from the domains would just be a bonus.


    They still wouldn¡¯t help Hiral and Left up there in the sky though, and Hiral¡¯s domain wouldn¡¯t do much of anything against what was coming for them.


    Luckily for him, there were a few things he wanted to test, and this seemed like the perfect opportunity. Forging claws of Separation on his right hand as he and Left raced forward, he stuffed the blades full of other runic energy. Of course, there were the usual suspects. Energy and Separation were two of the prime ingredients for this self-made ability, as well as a solid dose of Expansion to give the claws shape.


    This time, though, Hiral added a lot more Expansion, almost a ridiculous amount in a lot of ways. He even tried something a bit new, by adding it in partitions. If this worked ¨C or at least didn¡¯t explode outright in his face ¨C the new technique he was trying ¨C to section the runic properties ¨C could revolutionize how he used the runes. There were just a few things he had to finish first.


    Threads of Breaking and Impact joined the clusters of Expansion, to which ¨C on a whim ¨C he added in the same formula of Gravity and Connection he¡¯d used to make his Gravity bombs. Next came Increase to make sure the whole plan had enough punch to deal with the flyers, and he topped it all off with Dreaming.


    The Rune of Dreaming seemed to be the key to making his will more a reality than anything else. Even better, he could use it in such a way he didn¡¯t trigger his Rune of Eclipse and still get just that small hint of its power.


    With all that done ¨C he hadn¡¯t even realized he¡¯d instinctively activated his time runes, which he released ¨C Hiral swept his right hand out and around. Releasing part of his hold over the claws at his fingertips, edges more than razor-sharp cut across the space between him and the 0M3G4 W34P0N.


    And the flyers in his way.


    In four lines directly in front of him, everything seemed to slant to the side. The flyers he¡¯d struck separated into two pieces so perfectly, they continued to fly toward him for a second before they even realized they¡¯d been severed. And it wasn¡¯t just one or two flyers, but dozens ¨C hundreds ¨C of them in the horizonal lines from one edge of the sky to the other.


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    Still, with how sharp Separation was, thousands of the flying constructs remaining completely untouched. Only those specifically along the lines of his cut had been destroyed. Which was exactly why Hiral triggered the second part of his ability in the heartbeat after his hand swept past.


    To his eyes, the slash and parting of the flyers had happened almost in slow motion. To anybody else ¨C including the small constructs ¨C it would¡¯ve barely been two blinks. So, when the next part of his attack came, it was actually almost instantaneous.


    All along the cuts across the sky, his held-clusters of runic power erupted. Four rows of consecutive blasts exploded from right to left, following the path of his swing. The spaces so briefly seen as safe between the cuts filled with spheres of destructive Energy, Breaking, Impact, and Expansion.


    Flying constructs were shattered, broken, swallowed, incinerated, blasted, and annihilated in quick succession, leaving a space forty feet from top to bottom completely free of the black pests. And through that space, Hiral and Left hurtled toward the W34P0N.


    ¡°Effective,¡± Left said, no beams racing in their direction yet.


    Must be a limited range on them.


    ¡°Still not what I was hoping it would be,¡± Hiral said instead of dwelling on the flyers¡¯ weapons¡¯ range. ¡°It only really worked because of how individually weak these are. Against any true A-Rank enemy ¨C or even B-Rank, probably ¨C that would¡¯ve barely scratched them.¡±


    ¡°It did the job it needed to,¡± Left countered. ¡°You can keep refining it as we go.¡±


    ¡°True,¡± Hiral agreed, arriving at the massive back of the W34P0N and dropping to all fours to absorb some of his momentum, then dashing off again as more of the flyers converged on their position. High above, storm clouds had materialized to blot out the clear sky, ominous thunder rumbling within. Then the first lightning bolt came, searing down through the swarm of black constructs to sizzle harmlessly on the titan¡¯s back. At least the flyers the bolt had struck were blasted out of the air.


    And more came after the first, Yanily¡¯s domain taking hold of the area. Several bolts fell every second, coming down like rain, though it still wasn¡¯t enough to handle the seemingly endless number of flying constructs on its own. To Hiral¡¯s senses, he felt the unmistakable solar energy of Seena¡¯s domain as well, this one below the giant Mecha-Armor, as they likely dealt with their own flyers down there. Beams and flashes of red burst from within the buildings that still stood nearby, as more of the party members engaged the horde.


    Back and across, Hiral swept each of his hands, the blades of detonating Separation slicing into the area around him. More cascading explosions ripped apart the small, metal bodies by the dozens, but more always appeared to fill the gaps. At his side, Left shaped his new Bond of the Hidden Prince, a glorious eagle forming to rest on his arm. A shrug, and the double launched the eagle into the air.


    On its own, barely bigger than the flyers it was sent to fight, it wouldn¡¯t be able to offer much to the ongoing battle. Yes, it was A-Rank in power ¨C thanks to the bonuses from the Second-Skin of Amin Thett ¨C but its claws and beak were its only weapon. Until, that was, Left reached for this next tattoos. First came his Wings of Anella ¨C even though he already had them on his own shoulders ¨C and blue flames engulfed the Bond¡¯s wings.


    Now, as the Bond streaked through the ranks for metal flyers, every touch of its ¨C Her? ¨C wings coated the enemies in thick ice, blocking them weapons or weighing them out of the sky. Left wasn¡¯t done, either, hands going next to his wrists, where the Daggers of En and Sath sat. Purple and red energy burst from the Bond¡¯s claws as the infernal and entropic energies took hold, while flickers of black ¨C like ink in the fire ¨C swam within. Of course, the signature streams of liquid trailed behind the eagle, painting her path through the sky, until she chose a target.


    A lightning-fast swoop, the trails of racing to catch up, then a detonation that obliterated the flyer ¨C and everything within ten feet of it ¨C and she was moving again. With her clearing her own path of destruction, Left next shaped The Pack, with the six huge wolves materializing at his side. Without even a word from the double, they howled ¨C buffing Hiral and Left, while also debuffing the nearby flyers ¨C then dashed out in every direction. Powerful legs launched even more powerful jaws to crush low-flying constructs that thought to sneak up on their summoner. Razor-sharp claws likewise lashed out and reaped lives as they passed.


    The wolves themselves couldn¡¯t fly, but it turned out they could jump the same distance as the apparent range on the flyers¡¯ weapons. Neither side was safe, and both landed attack after attack, though The Pack was the more durable of the bunch. Heavy spines that emerged from the wolf-live creatures went a long way to dulling the bite of the energy beams, though as more and more struck, it was clear they would only last a few minutes at most.


    ¡°That¡¯s the best I can offer for this type of enemy,¡± Left said, leaving his companions to do their grisly work. ¡°More of those AFC-833¡¯s are coming from the shoulder appendages too.¡±


    ¡°A..F¡­?¡± Hiral started to ask, then View finally activated as he focused on a flyer that didn¡¯t die the instant his eyes settled on it.


    (Construct) Autonomous Flying Construct-833 ¨C Low-A-Rank


    Ah, AFC. Wait¡­ 833? Hiral looked at the massive creature beneath his feet ¨C which oddly hadn¡¯t really moved yet ¨C and then thought back to the Mecha-Armor they¡¯d fought. He couldn¡¯t help but groan at Tomorrow¡¯s naming conventions. 833¡­ BEE?


    ¡°Of course she called them bees,¡± he mumbled, lashing out at another swarm of them heading in his direction. ¡°We need to do something about the¡­ about the hives where they¡¯re coming from, or we¡¯re going to be fighting these things forever.¡±


    ¡°Hives?¡± Seena asked. ¡°Oh, I see. Bees. Hives. Do you two have the same sense of naming or something?¡±


    ¡°Fenil was always much worse than Hiral,¡± Gran cackled over the party chat. ¡°If you can believe it.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t,¡± Left and Right said at the same time.


    ¡°Regardless!¡± Hiral interrupted before the bullying from his own doubles could start. ¡°The large, curved spines or horns or whatever they are¡­¡±


    ¡°They aren¡¯t horns,¡± Romin said. ¡°According to Wallop. They aren¡¯t elegant enough.¡±


    ¡°Fine, the spines,¡± Hiral said. ¡°Those are where the bees are coming out of. We¡¯ve seen our own constructs back at the fortress getting made before our eyes, with smaller things coming faster. I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if this thing could make an endless amount. So, the hives need to be taken care of. I¡¯ll¡­¡±


    ¡°Nope,¡± Seena interrupted. ¡°Overruled.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Hiral stuttered.


    ¡°Party-leader prerogative here,¡± Seena explained. ¡°You, Yan, and Right need to take out those dome-node things. You have the best-single target options for it. Seeyela is¡­¡±


    ¡°Working on something else,¡± the other sister said, and Hiral noticed he didn¡¯t actually know where the woman was. He couldn¡¯t sense her at all. As the raid leader, he should probably know what she was up to¡­ but¡­ he honestly found he didn¡¯t mind. He trusted her.


    ¡°Gran,¡± Seena continued. ¡°Think you can handle one of those hives?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll sew it up nice and tight,¡± the vampire said. ¡°But I won¡¯t be destroying it, if that¡¯s what you¡¯re looking for.¡±


    ¡°Igwanda will take care of that,¡± Nivian said, even though he¡¯d yet to make an appearance ¨C he was waiting until the W34P0N itself moved.


    ¡°I¡¯m embarrassed to say it will take more than one shot,¡± Igwanda said, a powerful arrow booming through the sky to slam into the base of the spine on the left shoulder. While it didn¡¯t blow the thing clear off ¨C the spine was the size of a building, after all ¨C it did take a chunk out of the brass.


    ¡°Got your back,¡± Dole said, and Hiral spotted the man¡¯s chains shooting up from a distant rooftop to engage the nearby bees.


    At the same time, a sequential line of Grans, like dozens of still-images of her one after the other ¨C courtesy of her strange movement ability ¨C brought the woman to hover near that same spine. Out thrust her hands, dozens of crimson needles and strings shooting from the depths of her sleeves.


    Bees between her and the spine did nothing to stop the racing needles, their own bodies left impaled and hanging on the threads as her ability continued ahead. Within heartbeats the needles reached the side of the spine-hives ¨C dozens of bees killed along the way ¨C and began their work on the massive, porous structure.


    With nearly thirty needles and threads working at one time, Gran¡¯s hands moved like those of a conductor, waving and weaving with every motion. Somehow, though her needles couldn¡¯t punch through the heavy brass, she could still slip a little through the surface, giving her threads an anchor point.


    ¡°How¡­?¡± he started to ask, hands lashing out more Separation to give the woman space to work.


    ¡°Girl¡¯s gotta have her secrets,¡± Gran cackled, though Hiral noticed the Shard of the Lost Epoch glowing where it hovered behind her.


    ¡°Finotol,¡± Nivian cut in over the party chat. ¡°Take over covering Gran for Hiral.¡±


    ¡°On it,¡± the Bonder said, and it only took a few seconds for sling stones to begin exploding around the vampire.


    With that side taken care of, it just left¡­


    ¡°I¡¯ve got the other spine,¡± Drahn said into the party chat. ¡°Pollen Poison seems effective not just on the bees themselves, but on the systems making them. It¡¯ll take me a few minutes to dose the entire thing, but consider it done.¡±


    ¡°And I¡¯ll keep the AFCs off you,¡± Sera said. ¡°They seem quite vulnerable to system interference, cutting them off from the larger swarm. I have several debuffs that fit the requirement.¡±


    With the two spines ¨C and the swarms of bees coming from them ¨C basically taken care of, Hiral turned his attention to the real task at hand.


    Finding a way to take down the 0M3G4 W34P0N itself.

 Chapter 24 – Titans

    Hiral allowed himself a fraction of a second to be proud of how well everybody was working together. At how well they were adapting to the situation and the opponent in front of them. The hives would be taken care of, it was only a matter of time.


    ¡°Yan, how¡¯s it going?¡± Hiral asked again.


    ¡°Stupid glass definitely isn¡¯t glass,¡± Yanily said as Hiral and Left approached. Color was returning to the area even as they got closer, meaning the spearman had used his Dragon¡¯s Breath attack to try and destroy what they suspected was some kind of power node. It hadn¡¯t worked ¨C not completely ¨C but spider-web fractures spread across the entirety of the dome. ¡°Almost got it, but that was both my big cooldowns. Since you were close, didn¡¯t think it was worth using Turn Back the Clock.¡±


    ¡°Definitely save that,¡± Hiral said. ¡°Especially since you could do it for the whole raid group if we need it.¡± As he spoke, Hiral hopped into the air, one hand going to the Greatsword of Amin Thett even as he began channeling his runes ¨C and Edicts ¨C into the weapon. The sword practically came to life in his hands, the new-and-improved fallen-star form bursting with power as the black, runic script etched itself down the length of the energy-blade.


    There was a pulse around him, 833¡¯s that¡¯d gotten closer dropping from the sky ¨C no, slamming to the back of the W34P0N ¨C as gravity increased manifold for a hundred feet in all directions. Barely even needing to think about it to make it happen, more like the weapon knew his will and intent before he directed it, a tether of more Gravity connected the blade to the top of the dome. Right where Yanily had struck with his Skyfall+, and lightning still crackled.


    Hiral triggered Empower+, pulling on Yanily¡¯s lightning to increase his own power, electricity surging along the greatsword and leaving an arcing trail in its wake. Not satisfied with that being all he could bring to it, Hiral added his Runes of Increase and Connection to lean on the final note from the ability.


    Class Ability ¨C Empower+


    Empower+: The strength of your allies is your own. Borrow an energy type from one of your allies to infuse into your own attacks or abilities to inflict bonus damage.


    Note: Only one type of energy can be applied by Empower+ at a time.


    Note (2): Damage and duration of Empower+ based on Atn.


    Note (3): Energy types borrowed through Empower+ have a chance to ignore resistances. This effect can be increased further.


    The dome hadn¡¯t shattered at Yanily¡¯s strike, which meant it had to have some kind of resistances, not to mention the fact spearman¡¯s lightning looked to be having trouble finding purchase on the brass. If Hiral could ignore that resistance, just how much damage could he do by borrowing Yanily¡¯s power?


    As the sword came up, over, and down, he got his answer.


    Separation coated the edge of the blade ¨C just like he¡¯d done against the G14NT ¨C but the 0M3G4 W34P0N was made of sterner stuff. Not stern enough, though.


    Glass parted before the edge, barely, as electricity dug its way into the cracks Yanily had already formed. Impact came next, like a small moon fell just behind Hiral¡¯s strike, and Hiral flexed his will directly against the dome.


    While it wasn¡¯t enough to fully trigger his Rune of Eclipse, it did shift things in his favor. The once impossibly strong glass had a chance to break. Without a sentience of its own, the not-glass had no defense to the slight tweaking of its own existence, or to the power of the sword, runes, and Edicts. On the other hand, the colossal sense of self that seemed to awaken at the same time the not-glass shattered into a thousand, broken shards was an entirely different story.


    Even as Hiral¡¯s blade busted through the dome and into the more vulnerable mechanisms beneath ¨C destroying them nicely ¨C a tremendous sentience threw back his manipulation like he was a leaf on the wind. Beneath his feet, the W34P0N truly seemed to come to life, another roar bellowing out from its chest. A notification window sprung up to fill them in on exactly what had happened.


    Dynamic Quest: Update


    Hidden Trial (A-Rank): Mechanized


    0M3G4 W34P0N systems and power at 73%.


    Relay destruction detected. Power-up cycle interrupted.


    Initializing.


    Initializing.


    Catastrophe-mode Initialized.


    Commencing extermination.


    A third roar shook the city as the canine-head reared back, massive jaws spreading. Huge teeth lined the maw, and the swarming bees all around seemed to pause. That last part was fine for the party, who quickly capitalized on the opportunity to shred the numbers arrayed against them. More of Igwanda¡¯s powerful shots landed with resounding thumps against the spine on her side, followed by the echoing booms that chased them. Flames lit up one side of the giant W34P0N, the sheer amount of light speaking to how much fire Seena was using to reduce the bees¡¯ numbers.


    Despite all that, the 0M3G4 W34P0N moved, practically spinning in place to lash out with its twin tails. Weighted at the end with heavy, tube-like fixtures, the tails came around like a flail, shredding buildings in a massive radius around the monstrosity. The glass, stone, and metal of the structures were not at all up to the task of dulling the sudden and brutal blow, as entire floors got ripped away.


    More cracks and crashes resounded as the instantly unsupported tops of the buildings toppled down, crushing their own bases beneath them in a series of catastrophic, structural failures. Through it all, solar energy pulses went off like small bombs as each of the party members who¡¯d been using the buildings as battlegrounds did everything they could to escape the collapses. Movement abilities, shields, short-lived buffs came and went, more than one person blindly leaping out through a shattering window just in the nick of time.


    Through some kind of miracle, none of them had been directly in the path of the sweeping tails, but, just like that, half the raid group had injuries. It didn¡¯t get any better from there, either, with those same two tails rearing up behind the four-legged beast like a pair of scorpion¡¯s tails.


    Light grew and converged at the ends of tubes, before powerful beams of searing energy swept out in lines raking at forty-five degrees from each other in front of the Wild-Boss. Where the beams passed ¨C each several feet wide ¨C nothing remained. Glowing cuts lay smoldering in the black stone of the streets, through the distant buildings that hadn¡¯t been felled by the earlier rampage, and almost to the edges of the city.


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    ¡°We need to take out more of these nodes!¡± Hiral shouted at Yanily. ¡°I¡¯ll get the other shoulder one, you move toward the back.¡±


    ¡°Got it,¡± Yanily said, activating his movement ability at the same time Hiral darted across the wide back.


    Left, without needing to be told, followed after Yanily, trails of burning liquid hanging from both his daggers and the wings of his Bond.


    ¡°Right,¡± Hiral said as he tightened his grip around the greatsword¡¯s hilt. ¡°Any nodes down there on the ankles? Should be one if they are like Meridian Lines.¡±


    ¡°There are,¡± the other double said.


    ¡°Break them,¡± Hiral said, though he got the distinct impression Right was already on his way to do that. ¡°As for anybody else under the 0M3G4 W34P0N, see about breaking the dome-shaped nodes. They¡¯re strong, but don¡¯t give up.¡±


    With those words said, Hiral brought the Greatsword of Amin Thett down on the next node. Energy splashed out as the blade dug into the glass-like material, but it didn¡¯t completely Separate, only going a few inches deep. Impact followed a heartbeat later, smashing down on the dome, and sending spider-web fractures out in all directions.


    Tearing the weapon free, he brought it down again and again, each blow carving off sections of the broken glass as he tore his way down to the more vulnerable mechanism inside.


    ¡°There really are strong,¡± Seena said over the party chat. ¡°A few more seconds¡­¡±


    Suddenly, Hiral was in the air, the brass-like back of the W34P0N flashing by inches below him. Then it was gone, the two tails passing on either side of him before he watched it crash into the distant building Igwanda had been firing from.


    Such explosive speed for something that size was more than a little terrifying.


    And, so was it¡¯s power, the building practically getting turned to dust by its attack, though that didn¡¯t last long.


    Emerging out of a nearby street, a figure clad in glowing, blue armor rose as it charged the Wild-Boss. Growing with each step, the Aspect reached nearly two-hundred-feet tall, and it was still dwarfed by the larger construct in front of it. Not that Nivian would be intimidated just by his opponent¡¯s size.


    Up and under, Nivian brought his new form¡¯s blue-flame hammer to crunch into the chin of the construct as it turned ¨C almost in surprise ¨C to face him. Nearby windows shattered from the expanding shockwave of the blow, the impact even lifting the Wild-Boss from its feet before weight and gravity brought it back down.


    Even before its feet reached the ground, the Death Knight charged in even closer, jamming his spiked shoulder into thing¡¯s neck to try to get inside the dangerous range of the powerful jaws. The empty, left hand reached out to grapple one of the piston-powered legs, and Nivian pushed.


    Back legs digging divots in the street, the Wild-Boss struggled off-balance, until Nivian stopped his forward momentum and did something amazing. A small step to reposition his feet, a twist at his waist, then a flare of solar energy so powerful, Hiral felt it from the distance, and the tank hauled the much larger Wild-Boss up and over himself to body-slam it into the ground with a city-shaking smash.


    ¡°Yessss!¡± Hiral couldn¡¯t help but shout at the awe-inspiring display that¡¯d all happened within barely a few seconds.


    ¡°Show off,¡± Yanily said, from the ground below Hiral, where he stood with the rest of the party. ¡°But, yeah, wow.¡±


    ¡°We need to get over there,¡± Seena said, more of the raid members pushing their way out of the rubble of the fallen buildings. Another slam resounded from the direction of the two battling titans, and Hiral looked over to see Nivian literally boot-stomping the Wild-Boss trying to find its feet beneath him. Blow after blow rained down on the heavy brass Tomorrow used to build her weapon, but despite the one-sidedness of the encounter, Nivian wasn¡¯t really making any headway.


    He was controlling the fight, battering the head with his hammer, fist, and spiked boots, while he continually kept the thing from getting up, but he wasn¡¯t damaging it. Against a true, A-Rank, Wild-Boss, the tank didn¡¯t have the offensive power to win by himself.


    Hiral¡¯s eyes narrowed at something in the center of the Aspect¡¯s chest. Was Nivian actually alone?


    While the Death Knight resided within the skull of the Aspect, there was clearly somebody else within the chest of it. Hidden by the thick energy that made up the nearly-solid armor, it wasn¡¯t really a question who that could be, and the lantern that materialized over the Aspect¡¯s shoulder confirmed it.


    ¡°Wule is in there with Nivian,¡± Hiral said as the six-sided lantern flashed in alternating colors. Finally, it settled on orange, and a beam of concentrated energy larger than a house drilled down into the Wild-Boss¡¯s exposed chest.


    ¡°Do we even need to help?¡± Ilrolik asked at the same time she threw a slab of foot-thick stone off her like it was a dirty blanket.


    The whole party got their answer as the Wild-Boss seemed to give up on getting its feet under it, the twin tails instead whipping up. One-two, they slammed into Nivian¡¯s side and shoulder, staggering him to the side. Considering similar blows had completely blown through the towering buildings of the city, the fact Nivian was still standing and in one piece was a testament to the power of his Aspect. Though, from the cracks running from the impact points on his armor, it wasn¡¯t as easy as all that.


    Unfortunately, the W34P0N wasn¡¯t finished after that, its rear legs lashing out even as it lay on its back. Claws that would¡¯ve towered over Hiral in length tore into the side of Nivian¡¯s Aspect, huge chunks of it torn out to leak blue, solar energy. Even as Nivian staggered back, the giant construct flipped over with unreasonably agility to its feet, then lunged straight for the twins.


    Fangs stretching for the head of the smaller opponent to crush it ¨C and the Death Knight within ¨C Tomorrow¡¯s construct was clearly going straight for the kill. Crunch, the jaws closed hard enough to crush the armor they crushed like an eggshell.


    The armor of Nivian¡¯s forearm, which he¡¯d managed to slip between himself and his attacker at the last second. He¡¯d saved himself from instant death, only for the W34P0N to whip itself around like a dog with a bone.


    Feet leaving the ground, Nivian¡¯s Aspect slammed through the rubble of a nearby building, sending crushed stone and metal showering for hundreds of feet to rain destruction on everything in its path. Again and again, the four-legged Wild-Boss jerked Nivian around, bashing him into buildings or the ground with every violent thrash. One final slam put Nivian and Wule down on their backs, and the W34P0N¡¯s clawed foot crashed down onto their chest to pin them beneath it. The deadly blades on the foot dug into the plate armor while it pressed down.


    Then, without mercy, the Wild-Boss snapped its head away, tearing the arm right off Nivian¡¯s Aspect. Blue-flame solar energy poured out, but if the W34P0N expected that to end the fight, it got a rude surprise in the form of Nivian¡¯s hammer coming up and slamming it in the face as it looked back in his direction.


    Stunned by the blow, the thing staggered off the brothers, who rolled over their now-armless side ¨C like it was all part of the plan ¨C and to their feet in one fluid movement. As they rose, the hammer came up with them in a vicious uppercut that again caught the bottom of the Wild-Boss¡¯s chin to send it careening into a block of collapsed buildings. Something must¡¯ve snagged one of its legs, the huge beast toppling over the rubble in an undignified roll.


    The brothers didn¡¯t immediately give chase, with Wule¡¯s lantern flashing again. The cracks in the armor sealed even as Hiral watched, while Nivian pushed himself off the building he¡¯d staggered into from the momentum of his own blow. Hammer still in his one hand ¨C the other arm wasn¡¯t regrowing ¨C he turned on the W34P0N as it found its feet.


    Head lowered, jaws open, another growl reverberated out of its chest as it sized up its opposition.


    ¡°Everybody here?¡± Hiral asked, doing a quick count before reaching out with his scarves. It was time for them to¡­


    Hiral¡¯s brain blanked for a second as the Wild-Boss whipped around in one spot again. This time, it wasn¡¯t to slam its tails into Nivian as it had before. No, this time it spun perfectly around to face Hiral and the others just as he flared his solar energy to grab on to the others. It noticed us. Me.


    Worse, it came around with its mouth wide like it was silently roaring, a ball of spiralling energy directly in front of it ¨C and between the crescent horns. Black and white rolled over and over into the rapidly building power, the area around it turning monochrome.


    It was the same type of attack Hiral and Yanily both used, except it had to be more than fifty feet in diameter.


    ¡°Oh¡­ shit¡­!¡± Seena swore from right beside him as the Wild-Boss released the instantly-full-power blast directly at the party that¡¯d conveniently gathered all in one place for it to wipe out.

 Chapter 25 – Become One

    ¡°Seeyela!¡± Hiral shouted as the beam scoured the city in their direction. Almost in slow motion to Hiral¡¯s senses, the beam annihilated everything in its path, the ground beneath it vanishing even though it wasn¡¯t directly hit. Like ambient heat around the core of intermingled black and white. Further out from that, in the wake of the rushing attack, rubble the size of houses lifted into the air, only to get incinerated down to nothingness almost instantly.


    The sound of it all wasn¡¯t loud, but it was everywhere. It drowned out everything else, like a white noise so absolute, it was impossible to even imagine any other sound existing at the same time.


    Worst of all, even though Hiral felt like he could watch the beam rush at him inch-by-inch, that was only because he¡¯d instinctively activated his time runes, along with his high Atn. As soon as he released his runes, the beam would almost be on top of them.


    There simply wasn¡¯t time to move the group ¨C not anywhere safe at least ¨C so, there was only one thing they could really do, and that was try and stop the attack. As Hiral cut his runes, he and the woman he¡¯d called out to darted forward with solar energy surging within each of their bodies. She¡¯d realized the same thing he had.


    Bamf, and Seeyela appeared a hundred feet above and in front of the group, a sheet of black unfurling beneath her.


    ¡°It¡¯ll be too much,¡± she had time to say before the blast reached her portal.


    Overwhelming energy met an insatiable greed to swallow that energy, and much to Hiral¡¯s surprise, the curtain directly in front of him held. Waves of the terrible power vanished as Seeyela¡¯s advanced-class ability gulped down the beam attack for two, long seconds.


    Then, to his horror, the edges began to fray, while cracks spread through the strange ¡®backside¡¯ of the portal.


    It¡¯s not going to hold.


    At the thought of the people behind him, Hiral¡¯s pseudo-aspect flared, small veins of black spreading out from the Edict-connected runes.


    But, I will.


    Hands snapping up in front of him like he¡¯d physically hold the beam back if he had to, the Ring of Amin Thett at his back shattered and reformed atop his head as the Crown of Amin Thett. Solar energy roared through his channels, breaking apart into dozens of separate streams to move more easily, and threaded their way to almost every corner of his body. In his sensory domain, black lines ran from his eyes, reaching to meet his Runes of Dreaming and Connection, but he held them back.


    The partial Rune of Eclipse he commanded wouldn¡¯t be enough to stop this ¨C it was too impossible ¨C and the loss of control over his solar energy would be a death sentence for everybody. No, he¡¯d borrow a hint of its power ¨C when he needed it ¨C but that time wasn¡¯t yet.


    His time runes had engaged by themselves again ¨C an instinct like holding his breath when he dove underwater ¨C and Hiral called on the power of his runes and Edicts. The beam in front of him ¨C the one breaking down a damn portal ¨C was just energy. A terribly inconvenient amount of energy, yes, but just energy. And he could handle energy.


    Runes and Edicts came to his call, one after the other, and he focused them into the point between the horns of his Crown of Amin Thett. Of course, the Rune of Energy came first, coupled with Decrease to try and make what would hit him more manageable. Knowing stopping the beam probably wasn¡¯t possible, though, Hiral twisted runes into the second part of his plan.


    First came the Runes of Attraction, Absorption and Compression. He¡¯d used the Crown¡¯s ability to suck in energy in the past, and he planned on making full use of that here as well. Dreaming and Breaking would help dull the damaging intent of the beam coming his way, and make it more digestible to his Crown. From there, Sealing would help prevent spillover that could rip him apart, and a little bit of Restoration for what he couldn¡¯t catch. Expansion did what its named implied, expanding the area of where his Crown would pull on the energy.


    A spark, like the seed of a tiny star, spiraled between his horns, his hands coming up to cup it. Eight more spectra arms sprung from his back as he activated Hundred Handed+, and those hands joined his own. The palms of each glowed with runic power, while around him, the Edicts took shape in his vision. Forming a circle in front of him ¨C even though he couldn¡¯t use all of them for this ¨C they took the shape of the shield that would meet the beam. The funnel that would pull the energy into his Crown. With that done, he was ready.


    Well, at least as ready as he could be.


    The only question was whether it would be enough or not.


    Letting go of his time runes, he was about to find out.


    In front of him, the portal finally gave out, the whole thing shattering like broken glass containing hints of Gravity within the shards as they fell before the beam. Another heartbeat, and the beam reached Hiral¡¯s Edict-wall. As nearly absolute rules, the Edicts themselves were in no danger from the destructive force of the beam, and it was entirely up to Hiral¡¯s own power whether or not he¡¯d survive what came next.


    As soon as the 0M3G4 W34P0N¡¯s attack met the barrier, the sheer magnitude of it washed across Hiral, even as his runic cocktail sought to break it down. Tomorrow really had managed to artificially create something like Yanily¡¯s Dragon Breath or his own Annihilation of Amin Thett through a construct. Fragments of how the energy was combined, built, and projected tickled his senses, bringing inspiration with them.


    Not that he had time to be inspired, with the blast currently trying to erase him from existence.


    Within the first second of contact ¨C the leading morsels of black and white energy transforming into a whirlpool to funnel into his crown ¨C he knew he was out of his depth. His plan was good, it could work, except he could feel his process getting overwhelmed. He couldn¡¯t transform all the energy fast enough, and his Edict-wall was getting physically pushed in his direction. From fifteen feet in front of him, down to fourteen, thirteen, twelve¡­ he was losing ground so quicky, it wouldn¡¯t even be seconds before it reached him. Before it ended him. And all the people counting on him.


    What could he do?


    The Crown was handling its part of the deal, transforming the energy that reached it happily, its own ball of power condensing like a birthing star. The problem lay in getting that energy to the Crown in a form it could devour. He¡¯d succeeded in attracting it all ¨C partly by standing directly in front of it ¨C and, now that he looked at it, even at the transformation phase.


    No, the problem was his rate of absorption. Basically, his funnel was too small for the volume coming his way. Even as he realized that ¨C the Edict-wall now only eight-feet from him ¨C pain tore along his body as the edges of him began to degrade. The Second-Skin of Amin Thett was doing what it could to protect him, along with his pseudo-aspect, but the splash-energy that wasn¡¯t going into his funnel was breaking down his flesh.


    And it hurt.


    The shock of it cost him another foot in distraction, and he pulled lightly on the Rune of Eclipse to hold his own body together. It didn¡¯t completely allow him to ignore the pain, but it did dim it a bit. Enough he could focus entirely on the devastation waiting for him. On the fact he didn¡¯t have a solution for his problem.


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    What was the issue? Why was some of the plan working flawlessly, while this other part wasn¡¯t up to the task? The energy transformation was fine. The connection to pull it into the Crown seemed to be perfect. He was reducing the energy to a generally acceptable level¡­ but the¡­ the problem was the absorption.


    That¡¯s it. The parts of the process that were working had Edicts directly supporting them. The Edicts of Energy, Connection, and Decrease. He didn¡¯t have the Edict of Absorption, though, and that was why his funnel wasn¡¯t up to the task. He wasn¡¯t A-Rank, even with something like Aim High, and he was straight-up being overpowered without the Edicts¡¯ support.


    Four feet in front of him, the Edict-wall churned with energy, but Hiral took his mind from it and turned it inward to the node lying inside his Rune of Absorption. While he¡¯d had the rune itself for a long time, it wasn¡¯t one of his most used. It had been more passive than anything, due to the complications of directly absorbing things. A few bad experiences ¨C namely some Ghost-Web Venom ¨C had probably made him more hesitant to use it than he should¡¯ve been. Without it, he never would¡¯ve saved Drahn¡¯s like from the Chimera¡¯s blood.


    And he needed it now to save everybody.


    Forcing the nodes in the past had come with consequences. Side effects. A whole lot of discomfort. What choice did he have?


    Three feet. The Edict-wall was so close he could reach out with his spectral hands if he wanted to ¨C though he¡¯d have to get them through the whipping energy in between.


    No real choice, Hiral focused on pushing his will beyond the node. To moving solar energy through the space to connect with the Edict. If he could force¡­


    He half paused as he felt something already working its way through the blockage. It wasn¡¯t his solar energy stream, not completely. No, it was more like¡­


    Of course! Since he was actively using the Rune of Absorption right now, he could feel the node slowly wearing down. He¡¯d theorized more use of the runes would unlock the nodes, and he was seeing it firsthand! Except he needed it to happen faster. Exponentially faster.


    Two feet.


    The answer came to him almost immediately, with how the energy moved through the node. It wasn¡¯t a straight line, but instead like a river that ebbed and flowed. It would almost be impossible to explain why it moved like that ¨C almost ¨C if Hiral didn¡¯t also hear the current.


    The melody.


    The chord.


    The Chord of the Primal Echo, more precisely. The energy through the node ¨C while he was using the rune ¨C was moving like it was trying to line up with Cycling. It was just too rough, like an amateur playing a master¡¯s composition. Unguided. Hitting the wrong notes as often as the right ones.


    So, Hiral grabbed that energy with his will, and he took control of the melody. He guided the hands of the amateur when they were about to make a mistake, and let them go when it was correct. With each miniscule improvement, the flow of energy tightened, like it was learning. Hiral only had to make an adjustment in one place, one time, and the next rotation was smoother. Like that, in the time between seconds within his body, he strummed the strings of his solar energy like an instrument until the Chord sang in his ears.


    As the melody improved, the energy thrumming through him magnified, the Edict itself feeling eager at being met.


    One foot, and he was so close¡­


    The node standing between him and the Edict dissolved within the Cycling energy, and Hiral immediately thrust one of the strands of potential through the space. As soon as the Rune and the Edict of Absorption connected, the image of it flared in front of Hiral¡¯s eyes ¨C directly between the two horns of his Crown.


    A whump pulsed outward as inspiration and power filled Hiral¡¯s body ¨C as it always tended to with connecting to new Edicts ¨C but all his attention was on the funnel of energy. Would it be enough to¡­?


    The Edict-wall in front of him ¨C now not even six inches from the spinning energy being gathered by the Crown ¨C had stopped moving. The energy that¡¯d been a raging whirlpool that threatened to break free at any moment almost seemed¡­ calm. Controlled. It still came in massive amounts as the W34P0N¡¯s beam met Hiral¡¯s Edict-wall, but it moved so smoothly, Hiral could make out the individual lines of black and white as they got separated out.


    And then¡­ it vanished. Seeyela and Hiral had absorbed everything. Somehow.


    Which left him with his own swirling ball of power just begging to be used.


    An Annihilation of Amin Thett with this would be bigger than any he¡¯d let loose before.


    But, would it be enough to fell the 0M3G4 W34P0N?


    Looking at the monstrosity staring at him across the gulf carved by the beam, his gut told him it wouldn¡¯t be. He could damage it ¨C badly, most likely ¨C but it wouldn¡¯t be decisive enough. No, he needed something more than¡­


    Nivian slammed into the distracted titan, driving it sideways, before dropping an elbow on the top of its head, then reaching down to brace the haft of his hammer under the thick neck. Feet compressing the stone around them with the force, the Aspect of Landbreaker twisted around, then around again, and again, hauling the 0M3G4 W34P0N with him as its feet left the ground. By the fourth rotation of the top-like motion, claws tore at Nivian¡¯s thighs, and he was forced to let go, hurling the giant, metal animal two hundred feet through a series of buildings that came down in a deafening crash.


    Without missing a beat, Nivian ¨C with Wule merged inside the chest of the Aspect mending the damaged legs ¨C charged right after.


    ¡°Any time here,¡± Nivian said through the party chat as he engaged again. ¡°I can throw it around all I want, but I¡¯m not doing any damage. If you¡¯ve got any ideas¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡­ do,¡± Hiral said, an absolutely mad plan forming as he took hold of the power donated by the W34P0N and his inspiration from unlocking an Edict. ¡°Nivian, keep it busy for another few seconds. Everybody else, gather up. Igwanda and Drahn, need you here now.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll get them,¡± Seeyela said without questioning what he had in mind, and vanished with a Bamf.


    ¡°Sounds like our raid leader has a plan,¡± Yanily said.


    ¡°Is it a good one?¡± Ilrolik asked as Seena reappeared with Drahn. A second later, the Greed of Malice vanished in another purple and red flash. ¡°I tend to remember your plans being a bit reckless.¡±


    ¡°And usually ¨C thankfully ¨C effective,¡± Seena said. ¡°Hiral?¡±


    ¡°Oh, this plan is both effective and epic.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s hear it,¡± Seeyela said as she returned with Igwanda.


    ¡°What I need each of you to do,¡± Hiral explained, his solar energy already primed and ready as he¡¯d prepared while Seeyela was fetching the others. ¡°Is work together. As one.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± Gran asked. ¡°What were we doing before?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t get it either,¡± Yanily said.


    ¡°You will,¡± Hiral said. Then, ear on the tune of the Primal Chords ¨C not just his, but also the thundering Chord of the Primal End ¨C Hiral waited until they met. In that perfect note, it all came together for Hiral to activate his abilities.


    First came Terminal, pure potential exploding out of him like the universe was at his fingertips. It was both liberating and terrifying ¨C because of the potential backlash ¨C but he trusted in the Primal Chords and first activated Double Trouble+ and then an ability he hadn¡¯t used with either of them in the past because he hadn¡¯t seen any benefit to it when testing the combination.


    Class Ability (Active): Resonance of Heroes


    Worry not on the darkness of the road ahead, for new heroes stand with you.


    Resonance of Heroes: Grants a party-wide buff that echoes abilities of the new generation of heroes.


    Grants Ability (Passive): Resonance to user and members of user¡¯s party within range.


    Resonance: Chance on ability usage to repeat as a Resonance Echo.


    Note: Abilities generated by Resonance have a chance to manifest as a Building Resonance, charging for up to 3 seconds before releasing.


    Note (2): Building Resonance attacks do up to 45% increased damage, while Building Resonance support effects see 45% increased proficiency.


    Note (3): Chance to manifest as a Building Resonance increases against enemies of higher Rank than user, or of Unknown Rank.


    Note (4): Range of Resonance of Heroes is 200 feet from user at time of usage.


    Note (5): Duration of Resonance¡ª2 minutes per Rank


    Note (6): Cooldown¡ª60 minutes


    Note (7): Cooldown between Resonance Echoes ¨C 10 seconds.


    Powerful as the buff was, though, it wasn¡¯t the crux of his plan. No, it was more just a vehicle to make the plan the inspiration gave him work.


    ¡°Right, Left, you¡¯ll have to carry me,¡± he said quietly to just the doubles.


    ¡°Always,¡± the two replied, likely catching on to what he was doing.


    ¡°Nivian,¡± he said on another channel. ¡°You need to let this happen.¡±


    ¡°I trust you,¡± the Death Knight replied simply. ¡°Do it¡±


    ¡°Whatever it is,¡± Wule said.


    ¡°Here we go,¡± Hiral told them all, then took hold of the one-time inspiration of unlocking the Edict, combined it with the raw power from the 0M3G4 W34P0N¡¯s own attack, fed them into his newly empowered Resonance of Heroes, then tied the party members together with powerful strands of Connection. ¡°Let twenty-three heroes¡­ become one.¡±


    With the words uttered and a touch from his Rune of Eclipse to bend reality, Hiral merged his creation within a matrix of Dreaming and Exchange, then thrust the whole thing through his Edict of Absorption.


    Straight into the center of Nivian¡¯s Aspect.

 Chapter 26 – Aspect

    The whole group crossed the distance to Nivian¡¯s Aspect within the single beat of a heart. By the next one, twenty-two hearts ¨C and whatever a lich had ¨C beat in unison. Solar energy swirled and mixed, the Party Interface linking up more than their PIMs and words. Their minds became one, all thoughts other than defeating the 0M3G4 W34P0N banished. There, in unison, Nivian¡¯s Aspect forged a new shape as the raid members took up places within it where Meridian Nodes would reside.


    First, the Aspect gained another fifty percent in height and width as it leaned forward, its body reforming. Shoulders that had looked powerful before took on bulk to make a Shaper proud ¨C each with small cannons on them, loaded with an archer and their bow drawn ¨C while the skull-like face grew a Rune-o¡¯s horn from its forehead. Runes of Impact shimmered in the air around it.  The missing arm regrew, draconic scales and lightning coating it from shoulder to fingertips, while a spear of solid storm clouds emerged from within the sparking palm. Bands of green energy circled the other hand, the now-much-stronger fingers clenching the hammer that grew to look rockier.


    From the sides of the Aspect¡¯s torso, two new arms grew, these unarmored but muscular. Covered in tattoos and with their own Meridian Lines, each of these wielded a different weapon. The first was a gauntlet of semi-solid solar energy, the knuckles glowing like a rising sun as the fist clenched. In the other hand, a blade forged of flaming liquid ¨C red and purple, with hints of black within ¨C that left a trail hanging in the air as it moved.


    The four arms ¨C and what they carried ¨C weren¡¯t the Aspect¡¯s only weapons anymore, though, with a long tail snaking out from the small of its back. Armored like the rest of the titan, this new, prehensile appendage sported a long stinger at the end, deadly venom dripping from it to pop and sizzle where it hit the black stone of the roadway below. From higher up on the back, dozens of crimson chains connected to long needles hanging in the air like snakes poised to strike.


    Above the Aspect¡¯s helm ¨C and its new horn ¨C a ring of plasma burned to life, searing its presence into the air, hovering in line with the head it topped. From it, flames of oranges, reds, and blues ignited, shaping themselves into a burning crown for all to see.


    Though those were the most dramatic changes to the aspect, other small alterations took place across the huge body. The armor on one of the feet fell aside to reveal the bones underneath wrapped in some kind of bandages, while the other foot grew claws like a large cat¡¯s from the booted toes.


    Outside of the physical transformation, two new energies sparked along the surface of the titan as it stood tall. The first worked in tune with Wule¡¯s, fully mending the breaks in the armor and sealing them up like they¡¯d never been there in the first place. The second energy reinforced every part of the Aspect, empowering it in a dozen ways as a veritable catalogue of buffs took hold.


    Finally, Hiral¡¯s place was in the stomach of the Aspect, below where Wule resided. There were no alterations representing what he brought to the combined power of the raid party, but none of the others would be possible without him. He was the central link that allowed them all to combine ¨C briefly ¨C like this, and the power source fueling it all.


    Even with the inspiration from unlocking the Edict and what he¡¯d absorbed from the W34P0N¡¯s beam attack, he could feel his reserves already starting to drain. And they hadn¡¯t even started to fight yet.


    As soon as he realized that, the whole group knew it, their minds connected as they were, and the Aspect shot forward. Now at-height with the W34P0N ¨C though still vastly outweighed ¨C they blurred between the rubble of buildings, moving with far more agility than something their size should, to circle around where their opponent had tumbled. Feet skidding on the stone road ¨C and grinding away the top layer of it ¨C as they turned, the Aspect dropped into a crouch, using the gauntleted hand on the ground to help slow their explosive speed. More divots carved out of the road as powerful fingers dug in for grip, while four weapons readied.


    Even before they¡¯d completely halted their momentum, powerful Runes of Rejection flared behind them, and the Aspect charged at the W34P0N just now turning in their direction. Twin tails instantly came up in defense, spewing their cutting beams of energy, but the spear and hammer swept into place to block. With one, the blocky face of the earthen maul tanked the damage, barely more than a glowing scar left behind. With the other, the spear forged of cloud and storm stabbed the oncoming beam with perfect precision and seemed to drink in the energy assaulting it, the storm growing more furious within the clouds.


    In counterattack, the floating needles shot forward, the connected chains glowing behind like they had a mind of their own. Snaking in and out of the beams from the dancing tails, the needles stabbed into different parts of the four-legged W34P0N, seeking weakness. Shoulders, legs, chest, and even tails, the needles stabbed, but deflected off the thick brass Tomorrow used. That wasn¡¯t the end of the attack though, with the trailing chains proving they themselves could act outside the laws of normal physics.


    Even with the needles rebounding or skidding off the target¡¯s armor, the previously straight chains kinked and seemed to extend both from the back of the Aspect and the needles themselves. Catching on the curved spines from the W34P0N¡¯s back, shoulders, and legs, the chains worked to tangle the beast, while the needles changed direction mid-flight to attack again.


    At the same time, the Aspect itself arrived ¨C still parrying the beams the whole way ¨C and stabbed out with its dagger. Caught as it was in the chains, the W34P0N couldn¡¯t outright retreat to dodge the blow, though it seemed to sense the dangerous energies coming from the gauntleted fist sweeping in its direction. With every foot the clenched hand moved, it built up more speed and power, compounding the damage it would do over and over and over the further it traveled.


    Snapping unbelievably fast, the powerful maw that had ripped Nivian¡¯s arm off before crushed down on the gauntleted wrist, stopping it before it drove into its shoulder. Then, in an almost perfect mirror of what it had done before, it moved to thrash its head to the side and hurl the Aspect from its feet.


    Things weren¡¯t the same as last time though, with the Aspect not only being bigger and stronger, but also piloted by twenty-three minds working in perfect unison. As soon as the powerful jaws clamped on the wrist, three other limbs immediately moved to account for what was happening. While the clawed foot braced to keep the Aspect from getting thrown aside like a ragdoll, the other leg whipped up. More of the blue-plate armor fell away as the knee rose, revealing the whole leg underneath wrapped in the strange bandages with Ur¡¯Thul¡¯s script lining it.


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    That empowered knee slammed into the side of the jaw holding the wrist in place. The move shattered the Aspect¡¯s hand between the sharp teeth, but the blow lifted the W34P0N off its front feet, and exposed the shoulder for another limb. This one ¨C armed with a dagger trailing a stream of glowing liquid ¨C thrust into that space where shoulder and throat met. Brass bent and just barely parted before the dagger¡¯s tip.


    Then the trailing river caught up, and the blast hurled the W34P0N back, taking the hand with it and breaking the chains holding it in place.


    Suddenly separated, the two opponents looked each other up and down, the W34P0N literally spitting the torn hand out of its mouth. To its surprise, however, the severed limb regrew before its eyes, the abilities of three powerful healers working in unison to replace the hand in seconds. Even the solar gauntlet reformed as quickly as the hand itself.


    As for the damage the W34P0N took, it was little more than a small gash in the heavy brass, barely a flesh wound. It was significantly more damage than it had taken while fighting the Aspect piloted by just Nivian and Wule, but they would need to do a lot more to bring this opponent down.


    Like it was thinking the same thing about them, the W34P0N darted out to the side, claws tearing chunks out of the roadway and shaking the ground as it went. As big as it was, it devoured distance, moving hundreds of feet per second, before spinning and pouncing at the same time the Aspect turned to keep it in front of them.


    Jaws lined with wicked teeth spread while the front legs stretched to rake with huge claws. Not ones to back down, the raid party likewise leapt into the literal jaws of combat, meeting the oncoming construct with spear and hammer. WHAM, the stone hammer slammed into the right shoulder of the leaping W34P0N, while the spear stabbed into the wound left by the glowing dagger earlier. Neither of the blows were enough to completely halt the opponent¡¯s momentum, but the lower two arms ¨C hands now empty ¨C came up to catch the bottom of the snout. Straining, they managed to direct the closing jaws just over their shoulder as they got pushed back to redirect some of the oncoming force, though the construct¡¯s claws came across to swipe them.


    New wounds opened on their right thigh as one paw swept past. As for the other, those hooked claws smashed into the Aspect¡¯s left side, digging into the armor and not letting go. Pistons along the W34P0N¡¯s leg went into overdrive, as it attempted to disembowel the Aspect. Luckily, Nivian¡¯s armor was no joke ¨C especially not when it was getting reinforced by a certain Runeocerous ¨C and the plating held long enough for yet another appendage to make an appearance.


    This time, snaking down and to the side, the tail that¡¯d been hidden behind the Aspect¡¯s body unexpectedly came stabbing straight up for the W34P0N¡¯s chest. Clearly sensing the solar energy ¨C and the danger ¨C leaking from the stinger on the end of the tail, the construct somehow got its rear legs onto the ground and pushed off again, carrying itself up and over the raid party.


    Twisting with the awkward leap of the W34P0N, they weren¡¯t going to let it get away so easily, the hold they had on the jaw, along with the position of the spear and hammer, acting as a fulcrum point. Despite the power of the leap, the W34P0N¡¯s back end climbed higher, up and over, as the party hauled on the neck. A pivot, a pull, and a lot of solar energy, tore the bigger construct back down to the ground, slamming it through a building in a shower of glass and metal.


    Even with the violent nature of the ¡°landing¡±, it wouldn¡¯t be nearly enough to damage the strong brass, so the party let go and lifted the clawed foot. In almost completely opposite positions, this time it was the Aspect that slammed its heel down onto the W34P0N¡¯s chest, claws digging into the armor. They¡¯d missed that central node Hiral and Left had theorized about ¨C though they did spot it ¨C and the hammer came down like a meteor.


    SMASH, the maul cratered the ground next to the W34P0N¡¯s head, one of its paws coming out of nowhere to parry the blow aside before it could strike. The simple movement ¨C not one that¡¯d be expected from a beast-like construct ¨C opened up the lower-abdomen area, where a semi-solid, solar gauntlet landed a powerful, hooking punch. Brass groaned in stress from the blow, even bending slightly in the shape of the knuckles.


    A second punch had to be aborted, the rear legs of the prone W34P0N coming up between them and then snapping back to rake across their chest. Shallow scars bled energy from their chest plate where they weren¡¯t quite fast enough, and they hopped back a pair of steps to continue the assault before their enemy could roll back over.


    Except, this time it didn¡¯t need to roll over to get back up, the shoulders and hip joints rotating completely to lift the thing straight up. Even the head did a complete one-eighty at the neck, leaving the curved spines now on the bottom of the W34P0N. And, from those spines, hundreds more bees came swarming out.


    A powerful ROAR from the 0M3G4 W34P0N seemed to hurl the black swarm forward, though dozens of them got destroyed by the pressure. Those that survived closed the distance unbelievably fast, their own tiny beams of energy coming like a wave. Against the regular-sized party, the beams were no real threat unless several of them caught a person at once. At this size? The Aspect ignored them as they rushed ahead, trusting in their heavy armor. Meridian Lines glowed on the lower arms, offering their own sort of protecting, while the glowing bandages were apparently much sturdier than they looked.


    Darting right, the Aspect smashed its gauntleted fist into a nearby building, hurling a load of debris and rocks at the W34P0N, then dashed left. Atop its head, the crown of flames pulsed with power, then launched spears of plasma behind the screen of flying stone. The first of the boulders to arrive clanged harmlessly off the brass armor, but served their purpose. With all the solar energy radiating from the Aspect, the W34P0N hadn¡¯t been able to sense the plasma spear hidden within the distractions.


    Sizzles announced the successful strikes, glowing red spots and small trails of rising smoke marking where they¡¯d hit, and the Aspect again closed the distance. Something that was apparently fine with their opponent, as it happily engaged them in melee.


    This time, neither of the two titans seemed willing to back down, blows coming at each other from all sides as claws, tails, weapons, and energy attacks lashed out. Scars were torn in the Aspect¡¯s armor in exchange for landing earth-shaking blows with the hammer or a pinpoint strike with the spear. Two solid punches from the gauntleted fist caved in one of the shoulder plates, while the stinger-tipped tail finally punctured a back leg. All the while, more of the plasma spears rained down from above ¨C along with powerful arrows from the shoulders ¨C focusing on the central-node area in an attempt to burn through the thick plating protecting it.


    But, even with the blows raining down on it from all sides, the W34P0N snapped forward, jaws closing over the elbow of the arm carrying the enlarged Dagger of Sath. Then, in one violent and rapid move, the construct jerked to the side and tore the arm completely off.


    Exactly what the party had been waiting for ¨C what they¡¯d predicted by opening themselves up to just such a maneuver ¨C and they spun in the opposite direction as the W34P0N presented its flank to them. Then, in a fluid movement like kicking a ball, the bandaged leg came up in a powerful blow, directly into one of the curved spines now on the bottom of the beast.


    Weakened by Igwanda¡¯s earlier barrage of shots, the rising kick finally broke the spine before continuing on to slam into the W34P0N¡¯s belly. Powered by buffs they¡¯d held back on using for just an opportunity like this, the four-legged construct bent around the force of the blow before getting shot away.


    Buildings fell in a line hundreds of feet long from the W34P0N¡¯s flight before it crashed and rolled, tearing down more of the city in the process. Really, the place was less a city now, and more the aftermath of a warzone.


    From the look in the 0M3G4 W34P0N¡¯s eyes as it rose again, it was clearly saying this war was not over yet.

 Chapter 27 – Skyfall

    Healing energies washed over the Aspect in waves, repairing torn armor, mending punctures, and healing energy burns. The solar energy cost was astronomical even to the combined raid party ¨C and Hiral in particular. From the looks of the 0M3G4 W34P0N across the way, they¡¯d done some solid damage to it, but taken more in the process. They couldn¡¯t keep just trading blows and hope to come out on top.


    Growling, the W34P0N in front of them crouched as if getting ready to pounce, and the two tails snapped up above its back to lash out with its raking energy beams. Lines of melted stone and metal marked the whipping and seemingly random path of the beams ¨C like a hose of pressurized water left unattended ¨C but they inevitably converged on the raid party.


    Out extended the spear of storm clouds, spinning in hand to create a barrier that caught the beams every time they swept by like they were pulled to it. Above, the crown of flame tossed back its own barrage of plasma spears, needling in the direction of the construct.


    Crunch, stone broke underfoot as the W34P0N darted to the side, legs practically a blur as it sprinted out and around, somehow slipping between the rare, still-standing buildings. The Aspect caught glimpses of it between the towering structures, spear up and ready for more beams, but none came as the construct continued racing around them. Then, suddenly, the shaking ground ceased as it reached a cluster of buildings that¡¯d somehow remained untouched.


    It was clearly up to something, and the party couldn¡¯t let it go unmolested. Solar energy surged out of Hiral as they leaned forward and charged. Runes of Rejection shot them forward, while Runes of Impact sprung from the horn on their head, creating a kind of shield in front of them. They didn¡¯t bother with more plasma lances for the moment and instead crashed right into ¨C and through ¨C the first line of buildings. Rubble fell around as the towers barely slowed them, one block, two, three, they absolutely wrecked the place like some kind of monster stomping a city for fun.


    After that, they got their answer as to what the W34P0N was up to ¨C with a black and white ball of destruction nearly the size of the party waiting to greet them. Time slowed as Hiral¡¯s runes kicked in, and just looking at it, he could imagine the damage it would do to them or the surrounding area.


    Wait¡­


    It wasn¡¯t the surrounding area that was in danger. The damn W34P0N had sprinted around and repositioned like that to put the Aspect¡¯s back to where their camp was. If they dodged the blast, would it actually travel far enough to hit the fortress?


    Can¡¯t risk it.


    As powerful as the barrier was from their Runes of Impact and Wallop¡¯s Charge was, there was no way it could tank that kind of blast. Seeyela and Hiral wouldn¡¯t be able to absorb it against like last time ¨C this one was much more powerful ¨C and letting it go was absolutely out of the question. Setting it off at point-blank range would catch both the 0M3G4 W34P0N and them in the fallout, but the construct had to be confident in its durability to survive the blast.


    Hiral wasn¡¯t quite as confident in the Aspect being able to shield them, even with Nivian¡¯s aura of ¡°I protect¡± suffusing everything about the combined form. No, triggering the blast in all their faces would have to be a last resort if they couldn¡¯t come up with another option.


    Really, what they needed was something like what Seeyela and Hiral had done earlier. A way to consume or absorb the energy. They had the process for that, but no place to put the energy. No storage for it. Seeyela¡¯s portal space was already still full, and Hiral had reached his limit with what was left over. If they had somewhere to¡­


    The Aspect nearly face-palmed with one of its four arms. It had the answer to their problems literally in one of their hands. The Splinter of the Storm was constantly eating energy. It was even more gluttonous and greedy than Seeyela.


    Could it swallow an energy attack like what was laid out in front of them? Well, they were going to find out.


    With reality knocking at the back of Hiral¡¯s head while he held time in place, he called on the same runic combination he¡¯d used to absorb energy from the first blast the W34P0N had so generously thrown their way. This time, instead of focusing the collection of it on his own Crown of Amin Thett, he wrapped the spear in the Aspect¡¯s hand in the gathering array.


    Runic script flared along the haft of the giant representation of the spear while the Rune and Edict of Connection formed a bridge between it and the true Splinter of the Storm. From there, more Edicts surged to life, creating a ring of glowing energy around the spear¡¯s blade with surprising ease. Because I was the one who made the weapon?


    Power flowed from Seeyela while Hiral worked, adding hints of her own intent to the building creation. Gravity. Portals. Greed. She suffused the spear in it like she was forging a weapon to gobble the world up whole. More and more flowed from the pair as they worked between seconds, and they weren¡¯t the only ones.


    Buffing magics from Sera overlayed everything they did, enhancing it beyond the norm, while Seena tipped the spear in a flame so hot it was like it had been dipped in the sun. Igwanda flooded the core of her class ¨C One True Shot ¨C into the weapon, to make the coming thrust nearly unstoppable. Nivian and Romin reinforced the Aspect¡¯s armor along that arm, giving it the strength to endure what it was about to go through.


    And Yanily, yeah, he did Yanily things.


    With the spear so intimately connected to the man through his rebirth, his class, and his mindset, he took everything the others were doing, and then just made them better through nothing more than sheer talent. Pieces fit together so perfectly, it was like they were meant to be that way the entire time. Each individual modification stopped adding to the effectiveness of the others, and instead multiplied it.


    Is this what an ability evolution feels like when it¡¯s happening?


    Just like that, it was ready.


    Power surged in their hand, lightning crackling along the arm and spear both. The image of spread wings seemed to flicker in and out of existence along the haft, and a snarl told Hiral to let go of the paused time.


    The instant time snapped back into place, the Aspect burst forward, its left side thrusting forward with the spear wreathed in cascading energy. Lined up perfectly, the tip pierced the heart of the growing orb of black and white, then continued straight through. Into the open maw, it reached some kind of device hidden at the back of the construct¡¯s throat, but didn¡¯t extend far enough to punch into it.


    While the crescent-shaped horns focused the power of the attack, the mechanism in the throat was what generated the raw power for it.


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


    And the spear wanted that power.


    Again, time seemed to freeze, though it wasn¡¯t anything Hiral was doing, as the ring of Edicts perfectly circled the circumference of the destructive orb. Like they were searing themselves into it, they bound the growth of the power, then focused it back down on the spear itself. At the same time they did that, the combination of Hiral and Seeyela¡¯s workings hauled on that rampant energy, unmaking it from the inside out. Pulling it into the seemingly bottomless pit that was the Splinter¡¯s hunger for energy.


    Mechanical eyes widened as the W34P0N seemed to realize something was wrong, but dozens of crimson threads and spectral chains leapt from the back of the Aspect to hold it in place. Individually, none of the bindings would be enough to slow a beast like the 0M3G4 W34P0N, but together, they did manage to delay it. Just for a second.


    Which was all they needed.


    The destructive blast had been primed and ready to fire when the Aspect thrust its spear through it, and neither of the two battling opponents could stop it. As the compressed power released in the next second, a ROAR shook the cradle.


    This wasn¡¯t the W34P0N, the Aspect, Hiral, or even Heaven¡¯s Punishment come to support his apprentice. No, this was Yanily, as the power from the blast condensed down through the giant spear, through the bridge of Connection Hiral had built, and into the Splinter of the Storm. Along with the man holding it.


    Within the left arm of the giant Aspect, the image of a man sheathed in lightning and storm flashed, a spear in his extended arm, the two halves of a greater whole battling to consume a power that should annihilate either of them alone. That frozen second seemed to last an eternity, pain and struggle radiating out, as even the spearman¡¯s abilities were pushed to their limit and beyond.


    Just when it seemed like he would be overwhelmed by the task, another presence settled on the spearman, wrapping its arms over him in a blanket of safety. Of security. Dulling the pain and shouldering the worst of it to let Yanily focus on what he needed to.


    Nivian.


    I will protect you, it seemed to say.


    That moment of clarity was enough, and suddenly the power bent to Yanily¡¯s will. No more was it being fired from the W34P0N, but instead pulled from it.


    The Splinter of the Storm drank deep from the W34P0N¡¯s well of power, the construct¡¯s legs pressing against the ground like it sought to escape. Chains and strings pulled taut, right up to their breaking point, as the Edicts flared.


    They were so close. Hiral could feel it to the depths of his gut, but something was missing. Some way to finish it. The energy filled the giant spear, while the actual Splinter¡­


    Of course.


    With just a smidge of the inspiration left over from awakening his Edict of Absorption ¨C and some stolen power from the spear ¨C Hiral pushed on another node. Yes, he was one-hundred percent cheating, and boy he¡¯d feel it in the morning, but this was the path to success.


    And he was the Vanguard.


    Pain and power exploded simultaneously in his abdomen, the thread of potential following behind the forced-open node, and a familiar symbol flashed before his eyes. Taking his new Edict of Compression, Hiral squeezed the energy in the spear down into the Splinter of the Storm. There, he took hold of his Edict of Sealing, mixed in his Rune of the Eclipse ¨C no half-assing this one ¨C and created a new reality.


    The explosion sent both fighters hurtling in opposite directions, their bodies shredding deep lines through ground and buildings. As the flash cleared and rubble rained from above in all directions, Hiral¡¯s eyes went to the severed left arm. There was simply nothing below the bicep, with everything else ¨C including the spear ¨C missing.


    Yanily?


    Hiral got his answer a second later ¨C along with a notification he ignored ¨C when he looked to ground zero. A sphere of white and black energy easily five-hundred-feet around vanished to reveal the spearman floating in the middle, the weapon in his hand crackling with power. Wings of stormclouds held him aloft while he first looked at the weapon in his hand, then to the smoking 0M3G4 W34P0N standing up in the distance.


    Missing its maw entirely ¨C and a solid chunk of its chest ¨C the thing¡¯s face looked like a melted candle left too long. Large sections of its forelegs and shoulders had been removed by the device in its mouth going nova, and its first step almost toppled it back to the ground. The joints on the left foreleg had been fused together. On its back again, the remaining, curved spine that¡¯d housed the flying 833s had been torn off, leaving a jagged horn pointed at the sky.


    Still, despite the catastrophic damage done to it, the W34P0N wasn¡¯t backing down. Its one, good eye glared at them through the drooping metal that¡¯d cooled like bars in front of it. This fight wasn¡¯t over.


    The smile that spread on the Yanily¡¯s face in response wasn¡¯t Hiral¡¯s imagination.


    Solar energy on a level Hiral had never seen from the spearman exploded out ¨C It feels like one of my inspirations¡­ ¨C before the man transformed into a bolt of lightning and shot for the sky. This time, however, instead of immediately ricochetting back down, the gathered storm clouds seemed to hold him. In an embrace almost a like a father welcoming his son home, the clouds gathered around where Yanily had vanished.


    Huge eyes of criss-crossing lightning bolts opened within those clouds, looking down at the scene below. No, not at the scene below, but at what was to come.


    Heaven¡¯s Punishment had descended to witness something.


    Another roar shook the Cradle as the image of Yanily¡¯s Aspect flashed within the clouds beneath the glowing eyes. More arcs of lightning danced along the building storm, the pressure of it pushing down on the valley below. Thunder boomed in time, like echoes of the roar. Or, in answer to the roar. Then came Skyfall, and Hiral suddenly understood the name of the ability.


    Like a dream ¨C or a nightmare ¨C Yanily burst out of the clouds spear first, at the tip of the absurdly large lightning bolt that brought the storm with it. Hauling on the clouds in slow motion, the tower-sized bolt brought a tornado of storm clouds, thunder, and rain with it. Elements churned in his wake, even fire and ice ¨C like the strange tornado-creature he¡¯d absorbed back in the Lost Refuge of the Lost ¨C swirling within the hurricane-force winds.


    As it fell, the form of it shifted. Solidified. Where the Yanily-led lightning bolt met the tip of the clouds, they split to reveal a roaring maw, followed by a serpentine neck, ridges running down its length. Wide shoulders with powerful arms and stretching claws came next. Wings that seemed to spread from horizon to horizon extended from the muscular back as the draconic body looked to be bursting from the storm above, but was too big to make it all the way out.


    And yet, none of that was nearly as impressive as the man leading it all.


    Yanily¡¯s Aspect radiated power. Command. Confidence. The weapon in his grasp glowed with might, reforged through their combined effort, and in the hands of the one who truly deserved to wield it.


    Together, they were the spear that leads the storm.


    Too bad for the 0M3G4 W34P0N.


    Yanily¡¯s empowered Skyfall+ struck the center of the W34P0N¡¯s back, slamming the massive construct to the ground ¨C its fused leg absolutely shattering in the process ¨C with a titanic boom. Electricity flashed for half a second in arcing lashes that tore at the ground, before the rest of the storm dragon arrived. Like an upside-down mountain falling, it crashed down with an earth-shaking force, only to spread across the ground as more and more of the sky fell behind the attack.


    Within another second, the raging storm had completely engulfed that section of city, and Hiral was very thankful they¡¯d been thrown so far by the initial blast. The roar of the wind drowned out every sound and pulled at the Aspect even as they lifted themselves to their feet.


    The attack had been mighty, to say the least, but would it be enough? Even as they found their feet, the Aspect stumbled down to a knee, the solar energy running through its body almost halved with Hiral¡¯s own energy a mess after using his Rune of Eclipse. Others quickly picked up the slack, their own pools dropping fast as they worked to make up for what he¡¯d been contributing while the storm in front of them calmed.


    Half-dreading what he¡¯d see ¨C and half-working on trying to get his energy under control again ¨C Hiral looked to the where the 0M3G4 W34P0N was.


    Well, to the crater, where it had been.


    Now, all that stood in that place was a spearman atop a torn sea of broken brass.

 Chapter 28 – I’ll Always Come Back

    ¡°That,¡± Yanily said over the party chat. ¡°Is what I¡¯d call a Skyfall!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d call it a whole lot more than that¡­¡± Ilrolik replied.


    The fact her voice came as an individual¡¯s ¨C as opposed to the combined thoughts of the group ¨C was the thread that unraveled the Aspect. Without Hiral¡¯s solar energy to hold them all together, they¡¯d communally fought to fill in the gaps, but the pause in awe at Yanily¡¯s display had ground it all to a halt.


    Dropping to a knee, spheres of blue flames emerged from the towering Aspect as party members were deposited safely on the ground one after another. Hiral, in the arms of Left and Right, came just before Wule, and then finally Nivian, the Aspect vanishing as his feet touched the ground.


    ¡°I hope that¡¯s the end of the fight,¡± Yully said.


    ¡°It is,¡± Seena said. ¡°We got a quest complete notification.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not the only one we got,¡± Seeyela said. ¡°Did you see the other one?¡±


    As the others talked, Hiral couldn¡¯t do much other than lie there ¨C with doubles standing protectively over him ¨C and was just about to open the notifications the others were talking about, when he felt a hand slip into his.


    ¡°Good job, there,¡± Seena said quietly. ¡°Again.¡±


    ¡°Just doing my part,¡± Hiral said, his solar energy still all over the place inside his channels.


    ¡°More than that,¡± Seena said. ¡°As usual. You know, Hiral¡­¡± she started slowly, and he completely stopped focusing on his solar energy to look up at the party leader. That tone in her voice wasn¡¯t normal. ¡°This is usually the part where I talk to you about being reckless ¨C like standing in front of a gigantic death beam ¨C but¡­¡±


    ¡°But your sister did it first?¡± Hiral asked, more than willing to sacrifice Seeyela to take the brunt of the attention.


    ¡°No¡­ well, yes,¡± Seena amended. ¡°Not what I was getting at, though. You¡¯ve constantly put yourself in danger to save us, and after, every time, I go and harass you about being reckless.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not harassing me,¡± Hiral said.


    ¡°I¡¯m not intending to,¡± Seena said. ¡°And I wanted to say that. I know ¨C we know ¨C what you¡¯re doing for us. And we appreciate it. A lot. I don¡¯t complain about your being reckless because I want you to stop. I know you won¡¯t, anyway. It¡¯s not even about asking you to be more careful¡­ it¡¯s¡­¡±


    ¡°Your way of showing you care,¡± Hiral filled in. ¡°Especially before we were¡­ this.¡± He gently squeezed her hand to make sure she knew what he was talking about.


    ¡°I may not be a very good girlfriend,¡± Seena said. ¡°I¡­¡±


    ¡°Kicked her last boyfriend before you off the island,¡± Yanily said. ¡°Yes, you two are in the party chat again.¡±


    Hiral blinked slowly as he looked at Seena.


    ¡°He was wearing a jumpsuit¡­¡± Seena said after several silent seconds. ¡°And you know what, I don¡¯t care if everybody else can hear us. Hiral, none of us¡­ no, scratch that. This isn¡¯t about them. It¡¯s about me. I don¡¯t want to lose you. I don¡¯t want you to stop being reckless, but I also really don¡¯t want you to stop coming back to me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll always come back,¡± he said.


    ¡°You can¡¯t even walk right now,¡± Right pointed out.


    ¡°Good thing I have you two to carry me,¡± Hiral said without looking at his double.


    ¡°Good thing you do,¡± Left agreed.


    ¡°So,¡± Seena continued, her attention still firmly focused on Hiral. ¡°I may not say this enough, but, thank you.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome,¡± was all Hiral could say, a comfortable warmth in his chest from Seena¡¯s sentiments.


    ¡°Me next,¡± Yanily said over the party chat. ¡°I should definitely get something for that Skyfall.¡±


    ¡°You got an S-Rank weapon,¡± Wule said. ¡°What else do you really want?¡±


    ¡°S-Rank weapon?¡± Hiral asked. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t look at the notifications yet, did you, boy?¡± Gran asked.


    Hiral glanced at Seena. ¡°Had more important things to do,¡± he said.


    ¡°Go ahead and look at it,¡± Seena said. ¡°I have a feeling it was only possible because of you.¡±


    Now far more curious about the notifications than before, he happily opened the notification window that¡¯d popped up in the middle of the battle. As soon as he saw it, his brain almost completed stalled out, and it was frankly a good thing he was already lying down.


    Congratulations. Achievement unlocked ¨C The Beginning of a New Legend


    Through a combination of opportunity, ingenuity, teamwork, and decisiveness, that which had been the sole dominion of the Progenitors has been wrought by mortal hands. A new artifact (S-Rank item) has been born.


    May the ground tremble as the skies thunder its name ¨C Tempest Roar.


    As a major contributor, please access a Raid Interface to unlock class-specific reward.


    ¡°We¡­ made an S-Rank item?¡± Hiral asked, mind still stuttering in awe at the notification floating in front of his eyes.


    ¡°You bet we did,¡± Yanily said. ¡°And¡­ She. Is. Beautiful.¡±


    ¡°She?¡± Seeyela asked.


    ¡°Way too pretty to be a he,¡± Yanily said smoothly, at the same time a shadow passed over the group. Thunderclaws did a swooping pass before landing near the group, and Yanily hopped off his Reflection¡¯s back, new weapon in hand.


    And¡­ Yanily wasn¡¯t lying about the weapon being gorgeous. Still made of crystal, the spear had taken on a blue hue. The blade on the end was two feet long by itself, sharp on both sides ¨C to be used as a cutting as well as a piercing weapon ¨C with intricate etchings of a roaring dragon along it. Where the blade met the haft, two more crystal tines spiraled out and closely down another foot along the shaft, like winds circling. Within those rotations, small bolts of electrical power constantly went back and forth, making that whole end of the weapon practically glow.


    Within the shaft itself, fragments of a captured storm raged, but in a way that brought a strange sort of calm over Hiral. There was a beauty to it, like safely observing the power of nature¡¯s fury in the distance, and being left awed by its magnificence. At the same time, hints of danger flashed within. A constant reminder that while it could be beautiful, it could also be terrible for those unfortunate enough to get in its way.


    Tempest Roar was the same way.


    Hiral was more than a little glad it was on his side.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Seeyela said as everybody gawked at the weapon. ¡°I have to agree to with Yanily on this one. That is one, pretty, stabber.¡±


    ¡°Almost seems a shame to stick it into something,¡± Loan said.


    ¡°Seems more a shame not to,¡± Seeyela countered, and the big Shaper could only shrug and nod.


    ¡°Did everybody get the achievement?¡± Hiral asked.


    ¡°I think so,¡± Seena said. ¡°But mine says I was a minor contributor or something. What does your say?¡±


    ¡°Major contributor,¡± Hiral said.


    ¡°Mine is major too,¡± Yanily said.


    As the others began listing off what theirs said, it was only Hiral, Yanily, Seeyela, and Nivian who got the nod as major contributors. The rest got the minor title. Even the companions.


    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    ¡°It¡¯ll probably make a difference for the rewards,¡± Wule said, then punched his brother gently in the shoulder. ¡°You better share.¡±


    ¡°You should¡¯ve just done more,¡± Nivian countered smoothly.


    ¡°I was busy healing you when you decided to tank things with your face,¡± Wule said. ¡°Isn¡¯t that doing more?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t even bother,¡± Gran said with her customary cackle. ¡°You know he likes the punishment. Him and a certain other tank who is nearly incapable of dodging anything other than cleaning duty around the camp.¡±


    All eyes went to the Rune-o in his miniaturized form beside Romin. A snuff was his only reply.


    ¡°He says its hard to pick up litter without thumbs,¡± Romin said.


    ¡°Manages to make a mess just fine without them,¡± Gran said.


    ¡°Back on topic,¡± Seena said to round everybody up again. ¡°We¡¯ll get the reward for being part of crafting an S-Rank item¡­¡±


    ¡°Pretty easy process, too,¡± Yanily said. ¡°We should do it a few more times.¡±


    ¡°Do you happen to have,¡± Hiral held up his hand, then started counting off fingers as he went down the list. ¡°A giant, mechanical construct with a nearly unlimited power supply and a method to convert that into destructive energy? A pair of Edict-inspirations to guide the process? The combined efforts ¨C and their shared mind ¨C to support you in combining the previous two? Another custom-built A-Rank item so in tune with its owner they might as well be one in the same, to upgrade to S-Rank?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve got you,¡± Yanily said. ¡°You¡¯ll figure it out, like you always do.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m honestly not sure if I should be flattered by the sentiment, or a little horrified you¡¯re serious.¡±


    ¡°Little of column A,¡± Seeyela said. ¡°More of column B.¡±


    ¡°As I was saying,¡± Seena interrupted. ¡°That was our first achievement. Everybody make sure you look at the second one as well.¡±


    The party leader¡¯s glare made sure there weren¡¯t any additional off-topic comments, and Hiral wisely dove right into the second notification window.


    Dynamic Quest: Complete


    Hidden Trial (A-Rank): Mechanized


    Congratulations. Achievement unlocked ¨C Technological Superiority


    Having defeated some of Tomorrow¡¯s most advanced and powerful technological creations, you have proven there is still room for improvement in her designs. Will you scrap the work she has done, and leave it to rust? Or, will you take up the mantle of innovator to pick up where she left off, joining her creations with your own skills?


    Tomorrow¡¯s Mecha-Armor, Mark G14NT Defeated: 5/5


    Tomorrow¡¯s Mecha-Armor, Mark W45P Defeated: 30/30


    Tomorrow¡¯s 0M3G4 W34P0N Defeated: 1/1


    Please access a Raid Interface to unlock class-specific reward.


    Note: Unique schematic and associated advanced class options have been delivered to your War Table.


    ¡°We don¡¯t get advanced class options here and now?¡± Hiral asked, a little disappointed. That would¡¯ve helped make sure everybody¡­


    ¡°We got advanced classes,¡± Loan spoke up. ¡°All three of us.¡± He gestured between himself, Ilrolik, and Sera.


    ¡°You aren¡¯t the only one,¡± Devison said.


    ¡°Does it make sure your feet stay attached?¡± Yully asked. ¡°Because if it doesn¡¯t, turn it down and wait for one that does.¡±


    ¡°All four of you got advanced classes?¡± Hiral asked. ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡±


    ¡°Not just them,¡± Finotol spoke up. ¡°Seems like combining into that big Aspect triggered one for me too. Another True-Bonded class.¡±


    ¡°Me too,¡± Dole said.


    ¡°Everybody who still needed an advanced class got one?¡± Hiral asked, partially a little surprised. That had been¡­ easy? Then again, maybe not. They¡¯d just completed a very difficult A-Rank trial with some exceptional circumstances. And, he didn¡¯t really know how difficult it was to get an advanced class, just that when they could be acquired was limited. ¡°What are they called?¡±


    ¡°True-Bonded Weapon,¡± Finotol said. ¡°As in the one we just fought, I think, not what we all fight with. It reads like our True-Bonded form will be closer to Rive¡¯s shape than mine.¡±


    ¡°Which would make it closer to the construct we just fought,¡± Hiral said, nodding. ¡°How about you, Dole?¡±


    ¡°Inscribed Warden,¡± Dole said. ¡°Focus on my area-control abilities.


    ¡°Both of our classes start with inscribed too,¡± Loan said. ¡°Mine is Inscribed Bruiser.¡±


    ¡°Inscribed Knight,¡± Ilrolik said.


    ¡°While mine is Scribe of Battle,¡± Sera said. ¡°Seems to be a common theme for Makers.¡±


    ¡°Are any of them lost classes?¡± Seeyela asked.


    ¡°How would we know?¡± Loan asked.


    ¡°You¡¯d see lost in brackets in front of the class name,¡± Seena said, and all four Makers shook their heads, as did Finotol.


    ¡°Ilrolik,¡± Hiral said. ¡°You didn¡¯t get a class connected to your Shaleclaw Grudge like Bash?¡±


    ¡°Smash?¡± the little Troblin asked.


    ¡°Shh, later,¡± Wule said, patting the undead on the head.


    ¡°Nothing,¡± Ilrolik said. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ not really surprised though.¡±


    ¡°Why¡¯s that?¡± Wule asked while he scratched Bash behind one of his overly large ears. The Troblins leaned into it like it was the best thing in the world.


    ¡°Just look at him and his new hammer,¡± Ilrolik said, pointing to where said weapon was nestled against Bash¡¯s leg while he got ear-scratchies. ¡°To him, that hammer isn¡¯t just a weapon. A tool. It¡¯s practically part of his identity now. Has been since he got it.


    ¡°Me? The axe is a way to help me keep monsters¡¯ attention on me so I can tank better,¡± Ilrolik continued. ¡°And ¨C pardon the pun ¨C a grudging one at that. If I had a choice, I¡¯d just be using my tattoos. Those are who I am. Who I have been for my whole life. This axe, while great for what I need it for, just doesn¡¯t feel natural. There isn¡¯t the same connection when I use it like there is with what I shape myself.¡±


    ¡°Shapers believe in themselves,¡± Loan added, slapping a big hand on his even bigger chest in the process. ¡°Always have, probably always will. We have too much pride. Especially us old dogs.¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you get a new tattoo for generating threat?¡± Romin asked. ¡°Like Hiral got new ones.¡±


    Ilrolik and Loan both barked out a laugh, but it was Sera who answered.


    ¡°Most Shapers don¡¯t have the same recovery abilities my son does,¡± Sera said. ¡°For Ilrolik, Loan, or Dole to get new tattoos that would serve them well here in the Cradle, they would need to be at least B- or A-Rank tattoos. At the minimum. The recovery period for those ¨C for regular Shapers ¨C wouldn¡¯t be measured in hours, but in cycles. Dozens or hundreds of hours. The more powerful the tattoo, the longer the recovery time.¡±


    Beside Hiral, Seena looked over at Left and Right, then to Hiral. ¡°What about when you were a kid?¡±


    ¡°Children have it much easier,¡± Hiral said, then sort of paused. ¡°For¡­ some reason¡­?¡±


    ¡°A young child neither has nor instinctively draws on their solar energy like an adult does,¡± Sera said. ¡°For them, the tattoos are just tattoos, up until they begin to master the flow of their solar energy. Interestingly, the better someone gets with their energy ¨C and the stronger they become ¨C the more adding a new tattoo stresses their body.¡±


    ¡°You know,¡± Hiral said, thinking. ¡°I bet it has something to do with how formed the PIM is, and what modifying it externally does. I¡¯ll have to talk to Gauto about it¡­¡±


    Seena patted his arm to remind him that was a discussion for later. ¡°Are you happy with the advanced class you got?¡± she asked the other party leader.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s as strong as some of the ones your group has,¡± Ilrolik said. ¡°And these Inscribed classes feel like default advanced classes for Shapers¡­¡±


    ¡°Like the True-Bonded for us Bonders,¡± Romin said with a nod.


    ¡°Exactly,¡± Ilrolik said. ¡°That doesn¡¯t make it bad, though. Quite the opposite. This Inscribed Knight has some abilities that will help with tanking. And, even though PIM-granted abilities still don¡¯t feel as smooth as my own tattoos, they¡¯re closer than an external weapon. I¡¯ll happily take it.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s more than we ever thought we¡¯d get before all this started.¡± Loan gestured around them at the ruined city, but probably referred to everything since Hiral had jumped from the islands.


    That seemed like a good enough answer for everybody. They hadn¡¯t all gotten Lost advanced classes, but any advanced class was significantly better than nothing.


    ¡°What about your Devison?¡± Seena asked.


    ¡°Not Lost either,¡± Devison said. ¡°As for the class, it¡¯s called Fractured Warrior¡­¡±


    Yully just burst out laughing. Or maybe it was crying, it was honestly a little hard to tell.


    ¡°It¡¯s not about my feet,¡± Devison sighed. ¡°It¡¯s because of how my ability lets me choose or change outcomes in the near future or immediate past. The class is calling them fractured potentials.¡±


    ¡°Maybe just keep choosing the ones that keep you in one piece,¡± Seena suggested.


    ¡°Should we take these classes now?¡± Ilrolik asked. ¡°We can practice with them in the next trial we do to get a feel for them.¡±


    ¡°I think we should¡­¡± Hiral started, and was cut off yet again. This time, it wasn¡¯t by one of the others saying something, though, and instead by a memory slipping its way into his mind.


    ¡°¡­ is gone,¡± Elezad said in the memory, standing in front of Hiral with a knife in his hand. ¡°So, you should probably come back as soon as you can. Ugh¡­ I¡¯m not sure I should do this. Stabbing my own son? It feels so¡­¡±


    ¡°Just do it, Dad,¡± Nat¡¯s voice said from off to the side. ¡°You¡¯re wasting his memory time. He might not even see the message.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re right, you¡¯re right,¡± Elezad said. ¡°I¡¯ll just¡­ sorry.¡± That was the last thing Hiral¡¯s father said in the memory before he reached out and slit his son¡¯s throat.


    Hiral shook his head to dispel the strange memory, and how it¡¯d arrived.


    ¡°Hiral?¡± Seena asked.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± Hiral said. ¡°Remember the clone I left back at camp in case my father needed us to come back? I just got a message through it.¡±


    ¡°What did it say?¡± Seeyela asked.


    ¡°A lot of nothing,¡± Hiral chuckled. ¡°He wasted most of the memory stressing over killing the clone. What little he did say made it sound like something is missing, and that we should get back.¡±


    ¡°Did it sound urgent?¡± Ilrolik asked.


    ¡°He didn¡¯t seem panicked,¡± Hiral said, thinking back to his father¡¯s behavior. ¡°But, for him to send the message at all ¨C and I only left the one clone, so there aren¡¯t any second chances ¨C gives it at least some urgency.¡±


    ¡°Then we should head back,¡± Nivian said.


    ¡°Is everybody level twenty now?¡± Seena asked.


    ¡°Everybody in my group is,¡± Ilrolik said.


    ¡°The last of us got it in the battle with the 0M3G4 W34P0N,¡± Nivian said. ¡°We¡¯re all ready to hit A-Rank.¡±


    ¡°The last B-Rank trials would¡¯ve been nice,¡± Yanily said. ¡°But, we might be able to come back for them after we figure out what¡¯s going on at the camp.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Seeyela said. ¡°It doesn¡¯t look like the fog is missing, so it¡¯s not that, at least.¡±


    ¡°What about the advanced classes?¡± Loan asked.


    ¡°If we can, save them until we¡¯re back at the camp,¡± Hiral said. ¡°We got an achievement and the Evolutionary Inspiration ability from being around two simultaneous class evolutions. Might as well give that to as many people back at the camp as we can.¡±


    ¡°Might even get something special for¡­¡± Yanily paused to count how many people had just gotten advanced class options. ¡°¡­ for six at once. Wow. Yeah, we better get something for that.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s settled then,¡± Hiral said. ¡°We¡¯re heading back to camp.¡±

 Chapter 29 – Yanily Would Love This Guy

    Despite his words, the group needed time to recover from the battle with the 0M3G4 W34P0N before they went anywhere. While they hadn¡¯t directly taken a lot of damage, the process of merging with Nivian¡¯s Aspect had been more strenuous than any of them had realized until after the fact. A kind of deep exhaustion had set in, like a marathon runner would feel after the adrenaline of winning a race faded.


    Luckily, the raid party had the perfect solution for that problem ¨C Nivian¡¯s stew.


    Despite probably being the most tired out of all of them ¨C and the one, other than Hiral, who¡¯d used the most solar energy ¨C the Death Knight got out his stew pot and his apron, and proceeded to feed everybody. The hour it took to prepare, serve, and eat the food was exactly what the team needed. Most simply sat and chatted quietly, while Wule, Gran, and Yully went around to make sure there wasn¡¯t any healing that needed done.


    After the food and recovery ¨C and Hiral getting his solar energy back under control from using his Rune of Eclipse ¨C he looped his scarves around the group and began the journey back. Thanks to the spatial expansions Tomorrow had put inside her Cradle, the distance was much longer than it looked, but they¡¯d taken the route a few times at this point.


    It was somewhere between two and three hours after they¡¯d gotten the message from Elezad that they returned to the camp, a now-complete wall standing guard around it.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ actually kind of impressive,¡± Yanily said as Hiral released the raid group to look at the wall. Sentries stood at the ready along the top ¨C many of them paired with Seena¡¯s Brass Cannons ¨C while new weapons looked to have been installed in other places. Some kind of large crossbow or small ballista, and fitted on a swivel.


    The feeling Hiral got from the weapons put them firmly in C-Rank, as were the people manning them.


    ¡°I feel a lot better seeing that,¡± Ilrolik said. ¡°It looks sturdy.¡±


    ¡°And it¡¯s been tested already,¡± Left added. ¡°Look over there.¡±


    As the party turned off to the far corner where the double pointed, they found a large group of people harvesting the remains from what had to have been a beast wave. And, now that Hiral was looking for it, he could see evidence of damage to the walls, though solar energy within them was already working on repairs.


    Self-repairing walls? Nice function to have.


    ¡°Welcome back!¡± a voice called from the top of wall in front of them. ¡°We¡¯ll crack the gate for you to come in. Beast Wave just finished about an hour ago, and sometimes we see stragglers. Should be clear now, though.¡±


    ¡°We could just hop the wall, couldn¡¯t we?¡± Yanily asked quietly.


    ¡°Look at them, Yan,¡± Seeyela said just for the parties¡¯ ears, eying the people along the top of the wall. ¡°Look how proud they are of the wall ¨C the camp ¨C they¡¯re defending. Us jumping over all that would be dismissive of the work they¡¯re putting in.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean it like that¡­¡± Yanily said. ¡°But, you¡¯re right. Not like another minute will kill us.¡±


    As he said the words, he, Hiral, Left, and Right all turned to check to see what was sneaking up behind them.


    Nothing, this time, and they all chuckled.


    ¡°I knew I shouldn¡¯t have said that as soon as the words were out of my mouth,¡± Yanily said. ¡°Guess we got lucky this time. No problems sneaking around to bite us in the ass.¡±


    ¡°This time,¡± Hiral agreed.


    They didn¡¯t get the chance to continue the small talk, with the one of the two large doors making up the gate in front of them swinging inward. It didn¡¯t go far, just wide enough for somebody to walk through ¨C even a big Shaper ¨C before somebody poked their head out.


    ¡°Portcullis already up?¡± the younger woman asked. ¡°That¡¯s convenient. Hey! It¡¯s you guys! C¡¯mon in.¡± The woman stepped out, waved excitedly for the to follow, then darted back in through the space between the doors.


    ¡°She seems chipper,¡± Wule said.


    ¡°The power of youth,¡± Ilrolik said. ¡°I remember being like that, once.¡±


    ¡°You were never like that,¡± Loan said. ¡°Smiling? Hah!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t make me throw you through the door,¡± Ilrolik said. ¡°And I don¡¯t mean the opening between them.¡±


    ¡°See, that is how you¡¯ve always been,¡± Loan said, but then put his higher Dex to good use by quick-stepping out of the other Shaper¡¯s reach and into the fortress grounds.


    The others followed behind, and were greeted by an absolutely bustling camp. There was activity practically everywhere, with more harvested monster parts over by the crafting building, work being done on the catapults, what looked like three new buildings being started from schematics, and a number of the tents getting moved. None of this even accounted for the people practicing in the training yard, lined up at the raid interface, or the ¨C what looked like ¨C new notice board on the side of the main keep.


    A dozen questions formed in Hiral¡¯s head at everything going on, but it was one of the new building footprints that really drew his attention. This thing ¨C whatever it was ¨C was huge. Almost as big as the main keep itself, a large section of tents had been moved to put this building safely in a back corner. Even more interesting was what it seemed to be getting made from.


    Brass.


    ¡°Hey, hey!¡± the woman who¡¯d let them in said, practically bouncing in front of the party. ¡°Have a good trial? See any exciting places? Beat up any baddies? Get good loot?¡±


    With each question the woman asked, she darted side-to-side about six feet at a time in front of the group. And, every time she did, Hiral felt a build up of solar energy within her, as if her class was turning movement into power. On the ground, a small, horned rabbit zipped along beside her.


    A Bonder? C-¡­ no, new B-Rank. Advanced class too, from the energy.


    ¡°Polis,¡± Romin said. ¡°What did I tell you about asking so many questions before you got at least one answer?¡±


    ¡°Cutie-Pie-Romin!¡± the woman ¨C girl? ¨C said as if she hadn¡¯t noticed him before. ¡°Look at me, look at me! I¡¯m catching up! Just got B-Rank, and my own advanced class. True-Bonded Runner. Wheee!¡± As if to prove why she got such a class, she literally ran in in a circle in front of the group. And, to be fair, she was fast. Fast enough she¡¯d put most B-Ranks to shame. ¡°Remember what you promised! Don¡¯t you dare say you forgot!¡±


    ¡°What did you promise?¡± Seena asked the Bonder quickly turning red beside her.


    ¡°To go on a date with me!¡± Polis said. ¡°He said he would when I caught up to his Rank, and look at me¡­¡± She ran another circle. ¡°I caught up!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re just about to go get A-Rank,¡± Romin started. ¡°Which means¡­¡± A white, armored hand fell on his shoulder as Seeyela appeared beside him, and his mouth paused mid-sentence.


    ¡°Don¡¯t play with a young lady¡¯s heart,¡± Seeyela said. ¡°And don¡¯t make promises you¡¯re not willing to keep.¡±


    Wallop snuffed beside them, though it somehow sounded like a shaky, yeah, what she said¡­ gulp?


    Clearly resisting rolling his eyes at his companion, a steely look came over Romin¡¯s face.


    If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°You¡¯re right, of course,¡± the Bonder said. ¡°I did promise, and Polis lived up to her end of the agreement. It¡¯s only right I live up to mine. I just¡­ didn¡¯t expect her to get there so quickly.¡±


    ¡°I do everything fast,¡± Polis reminded him.


    ¡°You also run into danger too fast,¡± Romin said. ¡°I¡¯d hoped you¡¯d stay safe a little longer.¡±


    ¡°Me and Bun-Bun can¡¯t protect you if we¡¯re too weak!¡± Polis said, and the pair did a full circle around the raid party in less than a second.


    It also definitely wasn¡¯t Hiral¡¯s imagination that the Bonder pair was building more energy the more they ran.


    Snuff, Wallop ¡®said¡¯.


    Sniff, Bun-Bun ¡®replied¡¯.


    Then the two companions wandered off together, the rabbit running circles around the small Rune-o.


    ¡°She is going to be surprised when she loses that race,¡± Romin said with a shake of his head.


    ¡°You think she can lose?¡± Polis asked him.


    ¡°They¡¯re racing?¡± Yanily said, clearly trying to understand what was going on.


    ¡°I think she doesn¡¯t understand he¡¯ll happily cheat,¡± Romin said.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you two go see how that goes,¡± Seena offered. ¡°We don¡¯t need everybody to go crowd around and see what Hiral¡¯s dad wants us for.¡±


    ¡°Same goes for the rest of you,¡± Hiral said. ¡°Except for maybe Ilrolik and Nivian. You two ¨C and Seena ¨C should probably come with me.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Nivian said.


    ¡°We all ate before we came back anyway,¡± Wule said like it was the most important thing.


    ¡°Hold off on the advanced classes until we talk to Dad,¡± Hiral said.


    ¡°You just want the evolutionary inspirations,¡± Yanily said.


    ¡°Damn straight I do,¡± Hiral said. ¡°And¡­ we may want to clear a big enough space for the six of you to all go at the same time.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll start getting that arranged,¡± Loan said, his head turning to Sera. ¡°I take it you¡¯re going with Hiral to see your husband.¡±


    ¡°He is hard to get any time with,¡± Sera said. ¡°So, yes. Then to find Nat and Milly, if they¡¯re back.¡±


    ¡°Since we reached our goal of getting everybody to level twenty and with advanced class options, we don¡¯t need to rush right back out,¡± Hiral said. ¡°Take some time to unwind. I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll still be around for another beast wave ¨C since it sounds like one was just here ¨C so we probably won¡¯t be able to get that achievement.¡±


    ¡°Somebody around here should¡¯ve gotten it,¡± Yanily said. ¡°I¡¯ll see if I can find out what the reward is for it. Might be worth stick around for.¡±


    ¡°Sounds good, thanks Yan,¡± Hiral said. With that, everybody had a few more short words with each other, then headed off in separate directions.


    Hiral, his doubles, the party leaders, and Sera of course went to the main keep, where they found another large Shaper leaning against the wall near the door.


    While he was just as powerful looking as the average shaper, there was somehow more bulk to him. Like a particularly large barrel had sprouted arms and legs, along with nearly a million different muscles to go with them. The usual robe-like outfit Shapers wore ¨C tight at the waist, and loose on the legs and chest, with openings to access tattoos or slide off the shoulders entirely ¨C was stretched to the limit of the fabric. He also stood almost a foot taller than even Loan did.


    ¡°Ebidi?¡± Ilrolik asked as they approached. ¡°That is you! When Elezad told me you¡¯d come down, I half thought he was trying to pull one over on me. Just like when you told me you couldn¡¯t come down in the first place.¡±


    At the name, Hiral¡¯s memory of the big Shaper clicked into place. He¡¯d been in the prison with Ilrolik and the others when Seena¡¯s group had rescued them ¨C along with Dole ¨C and had fought at Vorinal¡¯s tower. Before that, he¡¯d been prominent in the Amphitheatre of the Sun as quite the brawler. A powerful B-Rank Shaper, and definitely somebody they wanted in the Cradle.


    ¡°Work for the council,¡± Ebidi said, pushing himself off the wall to come over and clasp hands with Ilrolik. ¡°You know how it is. One of them says jump and they expect us to ask how high?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m on the council,¡± Ilrolik reminded him.


    ¡°My point stands.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re as bad as Loan¡­¡±


    Ebidi looked around, his height clearly giving him an excellent vantage. ¡°Where is that guy anyway? He owes me a spar.¡±


    ¡°Working on for something for a council member. Me,¡± Ilrolik said with a chuckle.


    ¡°Ah, pity. I could use the workout against somebody who can at least put up a fight,¡± Ebidi said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll spar with you,¡± Right said from beside Hiral. ¡°Always wondered how I¡¯d match up against the self-proclaimed Bull of the Sun.¡±


    ¡°Hah, self-proclaimed?¡± Ebidi laughed. ¡°The crowd chanted my name for me. I didn¡¯t need to¡­¡± he trailed off as he looked at Right. Then Left. Then Hiral.¡±


    ¡°No, we¡¯re not in a band,¡± Left answered before the Shaper could ask.


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t care if you were,¡± Ebidi said. ¡°Music is boring unless it¡¯s there to compliment a big fight.¡±


    ¡°Boss music,¡± Seena mumbled. ¡°Yanily would love this guy.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen you somewhere before,¡± Ebidi continued, ignoring Seena¡¯s comment.


    ¡°I¡¯m Elezad¡¯s son,¡± Hiral said. ¡°I¡¯m not famous like you, but you probably heard of me. Or at least my nickname.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Hiral?¡± Ebidi asked, surprisingly not using his Everfail name. ¡°Right. Right. Loan¡¯s student. The one he never stops talking about. Look at you. All¡­ three of you? But, no, that¡¯s not it. Not where I know you from¡­ where was it¡­?¡±


    ¡°What are you even doing loitering out here?¡± Ilrolik asked. ¡°Waiting to steal somebody¡¯s lunch money?¡±


    ¡°Pretty sure it was you stealing my lunch money when I was kid,¡± Ebidi said.


    ¡°You were a runt. Needed motivation,¡± Ilrolik said.


    That made everybody pause as they tried to imagine the giant in front of them as a runt.


    ¡°Elezad wanted to see me,¡± Ebidi said, referring back to the other Shaper¡¯s earlier question. ¡°Asked for me a while ago, but I was out running some of these trial things with me new raid group. Interesting set up, all that. You do many of them?¡±


    ¡°Just got back from some,¡± Ilrolik said.


    ¡°Seem like good experience,¡± Ebidi said. ¡°Making much progress?¡±


    Ilrolik smiled, and there was definitely a hint of smugness on the older lady¡¯s face. ¡°After we¡¯re done in here, we¡¯ll be ranking up to A.¡±


    Ebidi paused as he digested the words. Then he stepped forward and slapped his big hands on the woman¡¯s upper arms. ¡°Good for you!¡± he practically bellowed, causing passerby¡¯s to jump at the volume of it. ¡°Well deserved! If anybody should be A-Rank, it¡¯s you!¡±


    ¡°Not just me,¡± Ilrolik said. ¡°And, I won¡¯t be the first breaking through.¡±


    ¡°Loan?¡± Ebidi asked. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me he did it too?¡±


    ¡°He did,¡± Ilrolik said, but then nodded toward Hiral. ¡°Elezad¡¯s boy ¨C Loan¡¯s student ¨C he¡¯ll be the first A-Rank.¡±


    ¡°I will?¡± Hiral asked.


    ¡°Not only did you get to B-Rank-twenty first,¡± Ilrolik said. ¡°But none of this would be possible for the rest of us if you hadn¡¯t done what you did on the surface. Like your class says, you¡¯re the Vanguard. You go first.¡±


    ¡°The surface!¡± Ebidi suddenly said, like they weren¡¯t all on the surface as they spoke. ¡°That¡¯s where I¡¯ve seen you. I remember the outfits. You have a skeletal bird-lizard thing, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°A skeletal¡­¡± Hiral started. ¡°A dracolich? You mean Drake?¡±


    ¡°Dracolich?¡± Ebidi said. ¡°Huh, I guess it did kind of look like a dragon. So it was you there.¡±


    ¡°Was me where?¡± Hiral asked, no idea where he would¡¯ve seen Ebidi with Drake around. It wasn¡¯t like the man was on the surface when Seeyela had been kidnapped by those Makers.


    ¡°That city,¡± Ebidi said with a snap of his fingers. ¡°No idea what it was called. Empty though. Other than the dry corpses and the creepy vines. Saw you out the window. You looked like you were leaving to go somewhere.


    ¡°Ilrolik wasn¡¯t there with you. Neither was this guy,¡± Ebidi looked at Nivian. ¡°Nice to meet you. Ebidi, the Bull of the Sun.¡±


    ¡°Nivian,¡± the Death Knight replied.


    ¡°She was there too,¡± Ebidi said to Seena. ¡°Ebidi.¡±


    ¡°Seena,¡± she introduced, but her face was screwed up like she was trying to figure out where they¡¯d met before too.


    Wait. City. Dried out vines. No Nivian, but Seena was there¡­


    ¡°The undead city?¡± Hiral said. ¡°You saw us there? Connected to the broken Asylum from the zone with the Endless Tunnels and those dungeons?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Ebidi said, barking out a laugh like he was relieved to have finally figured it out.


    ¡°What were you even doing there?¡± Hiral asked at the same time the keep¡¯s door opened and Elezad poked his head out.


    ¡°Down there on council work,¡± Ebidi said. ¡°Like I was telling Ilrolik before, and what Elezad here probably was going to ask me about. Had a few jobs, and that was the first one.¡±


    ¡°Council work? What kind of council work brought you to the undead city?¡± Hiral asked, something in his gut starting to do small flips.


    At the question, Ebidi¡¯s face turned a bit more serious.


    ¡°Not sure if I should tell you¡­¡± the big Shaper said. ¡°Council business.¡±


    ¡°You can tell him and me,¡± Elezad said, coming out put his arm over Hiral¡¯s shoulders.


    ¡°If you say so,¡± Ebidi said, voice dropping so not everybody walking past would hear him. ¡°We went to secure a dangerous item. Me, my team ¨C or party, as they¡¯re calling it now ¨C and the councilman.¡±


    ¡°And, this was just after Vorinal¡¯s tower and everything happened there?¡±


    ¡°Pretty much,¡± Ebidi said. ¡°Right when we started putting together mixed-member parties.¡±


    Oh, no, no, no¡­


    ¡°What kind of dangerous item?¡± Seena asked.


    ¡°A vase or something,¡± Ebidi said. ¡°Apparently it was some kind of really powerful weapon that could wipe out the whole island, and it was just left lying there.¡±


    ¡°A vase¡­ or an urn?¡± Hiral said.


    ¡°Yes, yes! That¡¯s what he called it. An urn.¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t just lying there,¡± Seena said.


    ¡°No, it was in some kind of crystal,¡± Ebidi admitted. ¡°Still, we just picked it up and that was that.¡±


    ¡°And you brought a member of the council with you?¡± Elezad asked. ¡°Why would a council member ¨C other than Ilrolik ¨C ever go on a surface mission?¡±


    ¡°He had the Trunk of Asinef,¡± Ebidi said, like that answered the question.


    ¡°It¡¯s a storage space tattoo,¡± Hiral explained quickly. ¡°Like our Interspatial Rings. And he still has the urn right now? With him?¡±


    Ebidi shrugged. ¡°Maybe? It¡¯s not like I¡¯ve run into him to ask.¡±


    ¡°Who?¡± Seena asked, even the little lich on her shoulder looking pale at the thought of the urn being unaccounted for. ¡°Who has the Urn of Ur¡¯Thul?¡±


    ¡°Councilman Olimpas,¡± Ebidi said. ¡°You¡­ don¡¯t look happy with him having it. He should be around here somewhere, why don¡¯t you ask him?¡±


    ¡°And that¡¯s a problem,¡± Elezad said, his arm stiffening over Hiral¡¯s shoulders. ¡°The whole reason I called you back was because Olimpas has gone missing.¡±

 Chapter 30 – Dirty Work

    ¡°Let me get this straight,¡± Seena started, already rubbing the bridge of her nose. ¡°Not only does Olimpas have the incredibly dangerous Urn of Ur¡¯Thul, but the man is also missing?¡±


    ¡°That seems to sum it up, yes,¡± Elezad said, only wincing slightly at the tone of the party leader¡¯s voice.


    With the influx of information, part of Hiral¡¯s mind just wanted to reel in shock and pretend it couldn¡¯t be real. But, thinking back, Drake had reacted oddly that time he¡¯d summoned the dracolich outside where the Urn had been. He must¡¯ve sensed somebody up there, and Hiral had basically ignored the concern. The whole party had, more focused on getting on the trail of Nivian and Wule.


    And now it¡¯d come back to bite them.


    ¡°How long ago did Olimpas go missing?¡± Hiral asked, forcing himself back to the task at hand. Reprimanding himself ¨C and apologizing to Drake ¨C could come later. ¡°And would anybody else know what he was carrying?¡±


    ¡°The council didn¡¯t even know¡­¡± Elezad said with a helpless shrug. ¡°Ebidi?¡±


    ¡°My party who brought him down all knew,¡± the big Shaper said. ¡°But, we were told in no uncertain terms not to tell anybody else. Not that he needed to be so strict about it. My people are professionals. We don¡¯t gossip about work.¡±


    Everybody sort of just looked at him, since that was kind of, exactly what he was doing right there.


    ¡°Another councilman asked!¡± Ebidi said in his own defense as he realized the same thing, and pointed at Elezad. ¡°My point stands. Nobody leaked this. Anybody else who know about this urn-thing was because Olimpas told them.¡±


    ¡°Or,¡± Seena said, and looked at the lich on her shoulder. ¡°Could somebody have sensed he had the urn?¡±


    ¡°Not even I could sense he had it,¡± Li¡¯l Ur said, then kind of deflated. ¡°He was right in front of me with it, and there wasn¡¯t even a trace of the energy.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t beat yourself up, Ur,¡± Hiral said. ¡°The Trunk of Asinef is more than just an interspatial storage¡­¡±


    ¡°You just told us that was exactly what it was,¡± Seena pointed out.


    ¡°For sake of expedience!¡± Hiral countered with a roll of his eyes. ¡°Anyway! The tattoo is A-Rank because of how well it seals things within it. The story goes Asinef used the trunk specifically to carry dangerous goods, which would make it the perfect ability to move the Urn. In a way, it might actually be safer with Olimpas than where it was in the undead city.¡±


    ¡°Except we¡¯re still not convinced he didn¡¯t try to kill my sister and her party,¡± Seena said. ¡°Or that we trust him at all with something of that power.¡±


    ¡°Does he have any enemies?¡± Nivian asked. ¡°Somebody who wouldn¡¯t know about the Urn, but would want to harm him?¡±


    Every eye turned to look at Seena.


    ¡°While my sister has been very vocal in her urge to stab the man,¡± Seena said. ¡°She hasn¡¯t done any such thing. Besides, we¡¯ve all been out of the camp together.¡±


    ¡°Any other enemies?¡± Nivian said.


    ¡°Usual council nonsense,¡± Elezad said. ¡°We all make minor enemies through the politicking we¡¯re forced to do. Olimpas is no different. You think somebody took him?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s one possibility,¡± Nivian said. ¡°Unless you think he left on his own?¡±


    ¡°I hate to think somebody here,¡± Elezad said while looking around the bustling camp of people working together. ¡°Tried to hurt or kidnap somebody when we all need to be working together.¡±


    ¡°Could he have gone back up to Fallen Reach?¡± Ilrolik asked. ¡°The Discs of Passage are still here. Does he have a Recall Token?¡±


    ¡°He does,¡± Ebidi said. ¡°We all got one together.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure him being back on Fallen Reach would be better,¡± Elezad said. ¡°Just how dangerous is this urn?¡±


    ¡°Before my Mistress and would-be-apprentice stopped me,¡± Li¡¯l Ur said. ¡°I was on the verge of finally unleashing my Urn¡¯s power on the world, spreading a creeping plague to turn the living into the unliving. To create a land under my iron-fisted rule, obedient to my god-like power and infinite wisdom. To¡­¡±


    ¡°We get the idea, Ur,¡± Seena said. Then she looked at Elezad. ¡°Really, really dangerous.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m starting to see that,¡± Elezad said.


    ¡°The War Table,¡± Hiral said with a snap of his fingers. ¡°Can¡¯t it show us where Olimpas is.¡±


    ¡°Only if he wants to be found,¡± Ebidi said, and everybody looked at the Shaper.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t even seen the War Table, how would you know that?¡± Elezad asked.


    ¡°Hold on,¡± Hiral said before Ebidi could answer, something just clicking into place in his mind. ¡°Olimpas has the Trunk of Asinef tattoo?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Ebidi said.


    ¡°Olimpas is a Shaper? Not an Artist or Academic?¡± Hiral¡¯s first question went to Ebidi, while the second went to his father.


    ¡°I¡­¡± Elezad started. ¡°I always thought he was an Academic.¡±


    ¡°As did I,¡± Sera said. ¡°Though he never clearly stated that ¨C as far as I can remember ¨C he certainly let everybody believe it.¡±


    ¡°Another secret we were told to keep,¡± Ebidi grumbled. ¡°But, yes, he¡¯s a Shaper. Very limited tattoos. With a few very focused on staying hidden. Unless the War Table has a way to pierce through his Veil of the Forgotten¡­¡±


    Elezad, Hiral, and Ilrolik groaned in unison.


    ¡°Veil of the Forgotten,¡± Hiral said to Seena and Nivian¡¯s questioning looks. ¡°Another tattoo. Obviously. This one is all about being undetectable. Among other things, it includes invisibility, sound negation, and even memory manipulation. It¡¯s limited, but it makes you forget you saw the person under the Veil even if you notice them.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s technically S-Rank,¡± Elezad said. ¡°Few people have it, and nobody has been able to use its full power¡­¡±


    ¡°Could Olimpas?¡± Seena asked the pertinent question.


    ¡°He¡¯d need to have at least one S-Rank solar attribute, possibly two,¡± Hiral said. ¡°An A-Rank person can pull off an S-Rank tattoo¡­ sometimes. Barely. Most don¡¯t bother.¡±


    ¡°He can definitely use the tatoo,¡± Ebidi said. ¡°As for whether he is A- or S-Rank, I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°Somebody has to know,¡± Seena said.


    ¡°His output is A-Rank,¡± Ilrolik said, head tilted back like she was thinking. ¡°If I¡¯m remembering his test at the Measure correctly. ¡°C-Rank absorption, and maybe B-Rank capacity.¡±


    ¡°Did you know he was a Shaper?¡± Hiral asked. ¡°Did he take the test?¡±


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


    Ilrolik shook her head. ¡°He never took the Shaper test.¡±


    ¡°Then how did he become¡­?¡± Hiral started, then stopped. Beside him, Left turned and met his eyes, then nodded. His double had just realized the same thing. ¡°PIMs. We didn¡¯t know about PIMs for so long. Is the Shaper test even needed to become one? Or did we have our classes the whole time, and the traditions were¡­ just that. Traditions? All the people who failed the test repeatedly, they just didn¡¯t have Shaper PIMs from the beginning.¡±


    Hiral and the four Makers all paused at the implications of that. Hiral wasn¡¯t the only one who would¡¯ve never passed the test, no matter how many times he tried. What about the people who didn¡¯t pass the first time, but passed later? Was it just because their PIM wasn¡¯t fully formed enough to connect with the tattoos?


    ¡°Growers are born with our classes,¡± Seena said quietly. ¡°Would it be so strange for Makers to be the same?¡±


    ¡°Undead gain their class upon their rebirth,¡± Li¡¯l Ur said. ¡°At least, that was how it worked before the PIM brought them under its purview. I suspect it¡¯s the same now, as Nivian was a Death Knight from the moment he¡­ transformed.¡±


    ¡°We thought the test was so important¡­¡± Ilrolik said, clearly shaken by the revelation. ¡°That it was something to be proud of. Prestige.¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t change anything for me,¡± Ebidi said with a shake of his head. ¡°I always knew I was born to be a Shaper. This just proves that.¡±


    ¡°And¡­ and it¡¯s not the problem we need to focus on right now,¡± Elezad said. ¡°We need to figure out where he is.¡±


    ¡°Just so I¡¯m on the same page as all of you,¡± Seena said with a slight raise of her hand. ¡°Him secretly being a Shaper is a big thing, right?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s almost unheard of for somebody to conceal their class like this,¡± Sera said. ¡°There is no rule stating we need to share the information, but most openly do. It doesn¡¯t need to be a secret.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s very common though,¡± Hiral started. ¡°For people not to share their status windows. That¡¯s the only place that actually says our class. If he didn¡¯t show anybody that¡­¡± He didn¡¯t need to finish his sentence for everybody to understand the implications.


    ¡°Yeah, so, all the more reason not to trust him,¡± Seena said.


    ¡°You suggesting we should¡¯ve let Seeyela get on with her stabbing?¡± Hiral asked.


    Seena shrugged. ¡°If you ask me, it¡¯s looking more and more like he really was the one who ordered those Shapers to kill Seeyela, her party, and you,¡± she said to Hiral.


    ¡°It really is,¡± Hiral agreed. ¡°But, if that¡¯s true, and he chose to disappear now, there has to be a reason. He¡¯d know this would make him look suspicious.¡±


    ¡°War Table,¡± Elezad said. ¡°We¡¯re not getting any answers out here.¡± With that, he turned and strode back through the open door.


    Hiral shared a look with Seena and the others ¨C though Ilrolik still looked a little shocked at the revelation about the Shaper test ¨C then followed his father inside. They got to the room that housed the War Table in short order, where they found Grandmother and their Guide ¨C Al the Arborean Triclops ¨C in quiet conversation.


    ¡°¡­ and I¡¯m telling you, that¡¯s too much water. You¡¯ll drown it,¡± Grandmother was saying.


    ¡°And I¡¯m telling you ¨C respectfully ¨C it is not too much. The air here is very dry, and the sapling needs¡­¡± Al trailed off when he saw the others entering. And, maybe the looks on their faces.


    Grandmother followed the Triclops¡¯s gaze, then sighed. ¡°I know that look. Was it something from the beast wave? Did Devison lose more than a foot this time?¡±


    ¡°No more than usual,¡± Ilrolik said distractedly.


    ¡°It¡¯s Olimpas,¡± Elezad said, immediately going to the War Table. ¡°Him being missing could be worse than we feared. He has the Urn of¡­ Unusual¡­?¡±


    ¡°Ur¡¯Thul,¡± Hiral filled in.


    ¡°That. He has the Urn of Ur¡¯Thul in his possession, apparently,¡± Elezad explained.


    ¡°The thing you told me about?¡± Grandmother asked Seena and Nivian. ¡°The one that turned the whole city into undead.¡± Her eyes went to the Death Knight. ¡°Turned you.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the one,¡± Nivian said. ¡°Apparently, he took it shortly after the others returned to the surface to find me and Wule.¡±


    ¡°He said it was dangerous and we couldn¡¯t leave it lying around,¡± Ebidi grumbled.


    ¡°Nobody is blaming you for anything,¡± Ilrolik said.


    ¡°Any luck?¡± Hiral asked his father as he moved in to stand by the man.


    ¡°Checking the camp first,¡± Elezad said, his finger flicking through the air while he squinted at something only he could see. ¡°The War Table provides a list of anything within the walls. Even the Veil of the Forgotten shouldn¡¯t be able to hide him from that.¡±


    ¡°Anything?¡± Seena asked. ¡°As soon as you locate him, I can tell Seeyela¡­¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s still not here,¡± Elezad said. ¡°I checked this before when we first noticed we hadn¡¯t seen him in a while.¡±


    ¡°Any idea when he vanished?¡± Left asked.


    ¡°None,¡± Elezad said. ¡°Last time I personally saw him was before you all left for your trials,¡± Elezad said.


    ¡°So, he could¡¯ve been gone for twenty hours, or more,¡± Hiral said. ¡°A lot can happen in that amount of time.¡±


    ¡°And this table won¡¯t tell us if he¡¯s gone back to Fallen Reach,¡± Seena said.


    ¡°Let¡¯s check the rest of the valley before we worry about that,¡± Elezad said. ¡°While unlikely, he could¡¯ve asked another party to take him out into the Cradle. Like he got Ebidi and his party to work with him.¡±


    ¡°To do his dirty work, it¡¯s starting to sound like,¡± Ebidi growled. ¡°He made it sound like we were doing such a great thing for Fallen Reach.¡±


    ¡°And, maybe you were,¡± Hiral said. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ still possible Olimpas has a good reason for what he¡¯s doing.¡±


    ¡°Do you actually believe that?¡± Seena asked him flatly.


    ¡°Not in the slightest,¡± Hiral admitted. ¡°I was just trying to make him feel better.¡±


    ¡°Really didn¡¯t work since I can hear you say that,¡± Ebidi pointed out.


    ¡°Feelings aside, here,¡± Elezad said, spreading his hands above the War Table. With the motion, colored dots appeared in a wave starting with where the keep was. The space there was almost instantly filled with blue, red, and green dots. A couple of white dots moved around as well, while a single yellow dot showed exactly where Hiral was.


    From there, a kind of pulse spread outward, illuminating more dots ¨C parties and individual scouts ¨C out and running trials in the Cradle.


    ¡°I¡¯ve modified access for a short while to allow you all to interact with the War Table,¡± Elezad explained. ¡°But it¡¯s only temporary. You¡¯ll need to tap one of the dots to bring up the information associated with it. Best you¡¯ll get is a name and Rank.¡±


    ¡°Since Olimpas is a Maker, just worry about the blue dots,¡± Hiral instructed as the assembled people spread out around their half of the Cradle¡¯s map. ¡°We¡¯ll have to check each one to see if it¡¯s him.¡±


    ¡°If he¡¯s even still in the Cradle,¡± Seena said, though she was tapping blue dots closest to her as she spoke.


    ¡°If we don¡¯t find him,¡± Elezad said while also poking dots. ¡°We¡¯ve got people watching the entrance of the Cradle to make sure nothing unpleasant sneaks in. They¡­ may have seen Olimpas leave if he wasn¡¯t using his tattoo. Or token.¡±


    ¡°Not something I¡¯d be willing to bet on,¡± Ebidi said.


    ¡°It would be a very bad bet to take,¡± Sera said, eyes lingering on a pair of blue dots in front of her. ¡°My girls,¡± she said quietly, then shook her head. ¡°None of these are Olimpas.¡±


    ¡°Not here, either,¡± Hiral said, having checked each of the dots closest to him. Twice.


    ¡°No luck,¡± Seena said. ¡°Nivian?¡±


    ¡°Nothing.¡±


    ¡°My arms aren¡¯t as long as all of you,¡± Grandmother said. ¡°But Olimpas isn¡¯t in this corner.¡±


    ¡°Not in this one either,¡± Ilrolik said with a scowl.


    That just left Elezad, Right, and Left. The first two likewise shook their heads to say the hadn¡¯t found the councilman. Left, though, while he shook his head at the dots in front of him, his eyes were entirely focused on something else. The wall of fog in the map?


    ¡°Al,¡± Left said. ¡°Could somebody enter the fog?¡±


    ¡°Technically?¡± Al said. ¡°Yes, though they wouldn¡¯t get far, and the magic of the barrier would turn them around to spit them back out where they started as they walked.¡±


    ¡°What if they didn¡¯t walk?¡± Left pressed. ¡°Just entered, then stopped there?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ not sure,¡± Al admitted. ¡°The fog¡¯s magic needs movement to trigger it.¡±


    ¡°Do you see something, Left?¡± Hiral said, moving up beside his double.


    ¡°Maybe, though it¡¯s hard to tell,¡± Left said. ¡°I had a better view of it where I started, but in front of that tower in the small valley. The one near what looks like a large oak tree. I was sure I saw a hint of blue before. You see those two green dots there?¡± The double pointed at a pair of Growers out near the fog. ¡°The blue was just past it. A straight line from where we are here.¡±


    ¡°Let me see if I can¡­¡± Hiral started, and took a few steps back to where Left had started. He hadn¡¯t even gotten the whole way before the entire wall of fog simply vanished, leaving a single, blue dot, and the two green ones not far away, standing practically in the middle of the map. No sooner had it appeared ¨C everything on that half of the map was completely revealed ¨C than it all grew blurry. Like looking through a window with heavy rain running down it. They could still see the general shape of the other side of the Cradle ¨C including what had to be the enemy fortress ¨C but none of the details.


    ¡°Dad, what did you do?¡± Hiral asked his father.


    ¡°Nothing,¡± Elezad said. ¡°I have no idea what happened.¡±


    The notification window that sprung up sure seemed to, though.


    Dynamic Quest Update: The Cradle of Tomorrow


    One faction has reached the required threshold of trial completion. Both sides now have eight hours until the Cradle is completely unlocked, and the true battles will begin.


    Prepare well, and protect your Generals. Surrender by or defeat of the General will result in a loss and extermination for their faction.


    ¡°Surrender is an option?¡± Grandmother asked. ¡°Not in my book it isn¡¯t.¡±


    Despite the woman¡¯s strong words, they weren¡¯t at all what Hiral was focused on. They had no way to be completely sure that blue dot they¡¯d seen for a fraction of a second was actually Olimpas or not. None of them had had a chance to poke it.


    Really, Hiral only knew one thing from the brief instant he¡¯d seen the dot, and that was in that split second between the fog wall vanishing and the blur taking over, the dot had moved.


    Into the other faction¡¯s territory.

 Chapter 31 – Rightfully Angry Sister

    ¡°Al,¡± Hiral said slowly, his eyes still locked on that section of map. He hadn¡¯t imagined it. No way. ¡°If that dot was Olimpas, could he have switched sides? Walked over to the other faction¡¯s territory?¡±


    ¡°No, it wouldn¡¯t be possible,¡± Al said, and Hiral started to breathe out in relief. ¡°Unless¡­?¡± Al continued quietly.


    ¡°Unless¡­ what?¡± Seena asked.


    ¡°The fog itself was more a deterrent than a physical barrier,¡± Al said. ¡°The magic would¡¯ve redirected anybody back out, but a perfect series of coincidences or lucky guesses could ¨C in theory ¨C get somebody several feet deeper into the other side without being turned back. The odds are nearly one-in-a-million though.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s say ¨C just for a minute ¨C those odds lined up in somebody¡¯s favor,¡± Hiral pushed.


    ¡°If it¡¯s as you say, and the person was far enough into the other side¡¯s territory before the actual barrier raised itself, then, yes, they could find themselves in the enemy¡¯s land,¡± the Triclops explained. Even his three-eyed face seemed a little disbelieving at the possibility.


    ¡°And,¡± Hiral went on. ¡°What if they weren¡¯t an actual enemy? I mean, what if they¡¯ve been allies before the Cradle pitted us against them. Would it force them to fight?¡±


    ¡°The Cradle¡¯s goal is to create one victor, not allies,¡± Al said. ¡°It will push for one faction to gain absolute victory over the other.¡±


    ¡°One faction,¡± Ilrolik said. ¡°Not one individual. Betrayal is not an uncommon tactic when it comes to battle.¡±


    ¡°Or politics,¡± Elezad added. ¡°Did Olimpas just switch sides on us? Is he going to use information on our strengths and weaknesses to buy his way in?¡±


    ¡°Considering we think he¡¯s carrying the Urn of Ur¡¯Thul, it could be worse than just a bit of espionage,¡± Seena said.


    ¡°Worse than even that, I think,¡± Hiral said.


    ¡°What did you figure out?¡± Nivian asked him.


    ¡°The timing of it is all too suspicious,¡± Hiral said. ¡°Let¡¯s continue assuming that dot was Olimpas for all this.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m way past assuming,¡± Seena said.


    ¡°Perfect. Then, how did he know exactly when to be standing at the fog wall?¡± Hiral asked. ¡°Since he was a member of the Trust, he knew the functions of the War Table. He¡¯d know Dad could track him down when somebody realized he was missing. Which meant he left when he did for the specific reason to getting through the wall.¡±


    ¡°He would¡¯ve needed to know when the wall was coming down¡­¡± Seena started, her eyes widening as she spoke and caught on to the same thing Hiral was thinking. ¡°Oh hell. Seeyela is going to kill us. Literally, murder us.¡±


    ¡°What does your angry sister have to do with this?¡± Sera asked.


    ¡°My rightfully angry sister,¡± Seena corrected.


    ¡°Olimpas must have been in contact with Vorinal this whole time,¡± Hiral explained. ¡°Probably since they were both up on Fallen Reach.¡±


    ¡°The Voice of the Island,¡± Ilrolik cursed. ¡°Olimpas heard it too, but kept it secret?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s very possible,¡± Hiral said.


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t explain why your rightfully angry sister would be involved,¡± Sera said.


    ¡°Because it means that was probably, actually Olimpas down on the surface torturing and trying to murder her,¡± Seena said. ¡°And we stopped her from killing Olimpas. If we¡¯d let her, we wouldn¡¯t be in this mess now.


    ¡°She¡¯s going to give me such an ¡®I-told-you-so¡¯ before she kills us,¡± Seena dropped her face into her hands. Somehow, her sister being right was worse than everything else going on.


    ¡°Nothing we can do about it now,¡± Hiral said. ¡°And beating ourselves up about not agreeing to casual murder isn¡¯t going to get us anywhere.¡±


    ¡°Just soften us up before Seeyela gets her hands on us,¡± Nivian said.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t make me feel any better,¡± Seena deadpanned.


    ¡°Not supposed to,¡± Hiral said, though he did walk over to put an arm gently around her shoulder. ¡°Right now, we need to figure out what our next steps are. Al, this barrier, any way through it?¡±


    ¡°Not unless you can overcome Tomorrow¡¯s might,¡± Al said.


    ¡°Your Rune of Eclipse?¡± Nivian asked.


    ¡°All depends on how much power Tomorrow put into the barrier,¡± Hiral said, but he was already shaking his head. ¡°She was expecting A-Ranks by the time the barrier went up, which means it has to be at least a tier stronger. Even with the rune, I bet I can¡¯t get through it. Besides, even if we left now, it would take us hours to get there with the interspatial shenanigans.¡±


    ¡°How ready are we for the barrier when it comes down?¡± Ilrolik asked, the question directed at Elezad.


    ¡°We were only halfway to meeting the requirements to bring down the fog wall,¡± Elezad said gravely. ¡°And I thought we were moving fast. Reckless, even. But, they did twice as much as we did.¡±


    ¡°Which means twice as many trials completed,¡± Grandmother said. ¡°Twice as many achievements and rewards.¡±


    ¡°That has the potential for a large gap between their strength and ours,¡± Sera said. ¡°On the other hand, we have outside assistance in the form of Seena¡¯s Brass Cannons and Tomorrow¡¯s Sentinels patrolling our keep.¡±


    ¡°They won¡¯t be enough to stand up to a B or A-Rank group,¡± Seena said. ¡°And they have to have at least one of the latter. They must¡¯ve cleared their Playhouse as well.¡±


    ¡°Their A-Rank trial would¡¯ve been different than yours,¡± Al said.


    ¡°But still A-Rank,¡± Seena said, and Al couldn¡¯t argue the point.


    ¡°Left, Right, would you two mind going to fetch the rest of the Trust?¡± Elezad asked, Sera having moved to stand beside her husband while he stared at the map. ¡°We¡¯re going to need them for any major decisions.¡±


    ¡°Be back soon,¡± Right said, and the two doubles jogged out of the room.


    ¡°Al,¡± Elezad continued when the two had left. ¡°How¡¯s this going to work when the barrier comes down? Are they going to rush straight at our keep?¡±


    ¡°Luckily, or unluckily, no,¡± Al said. ¡°Due to the Rank-restricted zones you¡¯ve found throughout the Cradle, there will be lanes through which the opposing faction may attack. It will start with the towers on each side, then move deeper into the two territories from there.¡±


    ¡°How is this lucky or unlucky for us?¡± Sera asked.


    ¡°You¡¯ve already discovered contested trials,¡± Al explained. ¡°Trials ¨C that upon first completion ¨C say it can¡¯t be completed again until the other faction presents a team to compete against.¡±


    ¡°We did a couple of those,¡± Hiral said with a nod to confirm to his father. He¡¯d likely heard it already, but it didn¡¯t hurt to make it clear now.


    ¡°These trials will act as minor roadblocks for any groups looking to rush through their lanes,¡± Al continued. ¡°Groups won¡¯t be able to pass them without completing them. More so, now that the fog wall has come down, each of the trials will have set times when they start, holding groups in place, to allow opposing groups to arrive.


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    ¡°The design is ¨C once again ¨C to produce a clear winner.¡±


    ¡°The trials we did,¡± Seena said, head tilted back like she was thinking. ¡°They had¡­ tricks¡­ in them, that seemed like it would make it more difficult to kill or be killed. Lots of ways to move around or escape quickly.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Al said. ¡°The contested trials aren¡¯t meant to be slaughterhouses. Sufficient skill or power on one side may allow that, but not the design of the competition itself. These are another opportunity to forge warriors in the heat of battle. While the monsters of the Cradle ¨C even with the Chimeric¡­ improvement ¨C are dangerous and good learning material, there is something to be said about a contest to the death with another creature capable of complex thought. Strategy.¡±


    ¡°Why do I feel like that old goat we fought in The Playhouse would say the same thing?¡± Hiral asked Seena.


    ¡°He would be very wise if he did,¡± Al said with a smile.


    ¡°Let me make sure I understand this,¡± Elezad said. ¡°Since every minute we talk, is one less minute we have to prepare. Now that the fog wall is gone, this new barrier will come down in eight hours. At that point, either side ¨C ours or theirs ¨C can begin their campaign of marching on the opposing keep?¡±


    ¡°Correct so far,¡± Al said.


    ¡°Because of the way the Cradle is set up, and the solar poisoning, this will create lanes that the different Ranks will need to follow to get from the border to the keep. Within those lanes, there are contested trials that will act as hard stops to groups¡­¡±


    ¡°The outside groups,¡± Al clarified. ¡°If somebody from your faction has cleared the trial at least once, your people will be able to pass it without entering. If, however, it remains unbeaten when the barrier falls, it will also act as a hard stop to you.¡±


    ¡°Another benefit of clearing as many trials as possible,¡± Elezad reasoned. ¡°The first of the contested trials that either side will likely face are the towers, since they are right on the border?¡±


    ¡°Yes, though these trials differ from the other contested trials in two small ¨C but important ¨C ways. First, these trials will actively try to kill the opposing faction when they get within a certain range.¡±


    ¡°The artillery we faced,¡± Hiral said. ¡°Will the towers also have those Spectral guards?¡±


    ¡°Only some,¡± Al said. ¡°Each tower will be guarded by soldiers, but there are different kinds to give them variety.¡±


    ¡°And we can put some of our own people within these towers to defend them?¡± Elezad asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s one strategy,¡± Al said. ¡°The second difference is that these trials can be skipped. If the group can pass without getting destroyed by the tower¡¯s weapons and defenders, they can continue in their lane. It leaves an enemy at their back, and reduces their odds of retreat, but can allow them to move deeper without fighting an opposing group.¡±


    ¡°Strategy,¡± Elezad said. ¡°We could fill all the towers with our groups, to give them a defensive advantage against the other faction. And then the other faction could simply pass the towers by without ever fighting them.¡±


    ¡°Do we want our groups going up against the other faction directly?¡± Grandmother asked. ¡°They¡¯ve cleared more trials. They¡¯re going to be stronger.¡± She looked at Hiral and Seena. ¡°In general, at least.


    ¡°We could keep everybody here at the fortress. Defend it when the other side arrives.¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t stay around and wait for them to get here,¡± Hiral said. ¡°My raid group, I mean. We need to go after the Urn. It¡¯s too dangerous to let Vorinal get his hands on it.¡±


    ¡°Do you even know why he wants it?¡± Grandmother asked. ¡°Or if it¡¯s him over there?¡±


    Hiral shook his head. ¡°No, but it¡¯s not a risk we can take. Trust us on this. The Urn is bad news.¡±


    ¡°It has the power to cause catastrophe for the living,¡± Li¡¯l Ur said. ¡°And for my Mistress. Unfortunately.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Ur,¡± Seena said. ¡°This isn¡¯t your fault.¡±


    ¡°And it¡¯s not just Hiral¡¯s group,¡± Elezad said. ¡°The other faction clearing the contested trials unmolested will get them more achievements and more strength. It will just compound their advantages.¡±


    ¡°You are correct,¡± Al said. ¡°But, if your faction puts opposition within those trials, the rewards will increase for the winner. If your people can overcome the handicap of starting weaker, they can come out stronger.¡±


    ¡°Assuming they survive,¡± Grandmother said. ¡°It sounds like it¡¯s going to be a meat grinder.¡±


    ¡°We always knew it would be,¡± Elezad said. ¡°Clearing and capturing the Cradle was going to come at a cost.¡±


    ¡°One I¡¯m not sure I¡¯m willing to pay anymore,¡± Grandmother said. ¡°Not with the lives of our young ones. People like your children.¡±


    Elezad¡¯s hand tightened in Sera¡¯s as the two of them looked hard at the War Table.


    ¡°If we could shoulder this entire battle,¡± Ilrolik said, placing her big hands on the edge of the table and leaning over it. ¡°I¡¯d love to say we would. But, we shouldn¡¯t. What happened on Fallen Reach was eye opening to all of us, the young ones included. None of us want to feel that powerless again.


    ¡°Everybody knew the risks when they came down here,¡± Ilrolik continued. ¡°And, yes, they just got a little higher, but it doesn¡¯t change what our goal is. We can give people the opportunity to leave if they want to, nobody is going to make them throw their lives away, but it needs to be their choice. Those who stay, we¡¯ll find a way to finish what we started.¡±


    ¡°The Cradle is too good an opportunity to let go of,¡± Hiral agreed. ¡°If we ever want the hope of taking our world ¨C Genesis ¨C back from the squids, we need this place.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Grandmother said quietly. ¡°Just hate the thought of watching the little ones die. All while I have to stay here, safe and sound in this fortress.¡±


    ¡°You won¡¯t be so safe,¡± Al said. ¡°While the fortress will confer certain protections and advantages to you ¨C especially with the upgrades you¡¯ve found for it ¨C you will also be the opposing faction¡¯s primary target. Your death or surrender results in your faction¡¯s loss.¡±


    ¡°What does that mean?¡± Elezad asked.


    ¡°The Cradle itself will turn on you,¡± Al said. ¡°Your own keep will become enemy territory, and powerful debuffs will suppress you, making your easier targets to be hunted by the other faction. You can attempt to flee back outside the Cradle, but it will not be easy.¡±


    ¡°Speaking of fleeing,¡± Seena said. ¡°What about those contested trials. If our people are losing inside ¨C if there¡¯s no way they can win ¨C can they run away?¡±


    ¡°Depending on the nature of the trial,¡± Al said. ¡°It may be possible. Avoiding death at the enemy party¡¯s hands until the trial is won through the built-in mechanics is one option. In fact, nobody needs to die for a trial to be won.¡±


    ¡°Those mechanics you mentioned,¡± Hiral said. ¡°Play by the trials rules, and you win?¡±


    ¡°Correct,¡± Al said.


    ¡°What if you wipe out the other group?¡± Seena said. ¡°Does that automatically win for you?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Al said. ¡°Though it would make achieving the trial¡¯s goal far easier, which will lead to victory.¡±


    ¡°We need to put groups in these trials,¡± Elezad said. ¡°Trials we think we can win, so our people get stronger. Al, if our group wins without killing everybody from the other group, can the other faction pass the trial then? Or do they still need to complete it?¡±


    ¡°The trials need to be completed ¨C other than the towers ¨C to pass them,¡± Al said. ¡°Losing is not considered completion. However, once one group from the faction has cleared the trial, any group from the faction can skip it.¡±


    ¡°Which means if we can hold at least one trial in each lane,¡± Sera said, looking at the map with her husband. ¡°We can keep the enemy from reaching our keep.¡±


    ¡°While at the same time, one of our raid groups makes a beeline for their keep and their General,¡± Elezad said. Then he turned and looked at Hiral and Seena. ¡°One guess who that group is going to be.¡±


    ¡°The A-Rank group,¡± Hiral said. ¡°We¡¯re going to Rank-up before we go. Uh, that won¡¯t cause any problems, will it, Al? There is an A-Rank lane for us to take¡­?¡±


    ¡°There is, and it is the most direct,¡± Al said. ¡°Unless Tomorrow made changes I am not aware of to the progression of the Cradle, there will only be one contested trial beyond the towers and the fortresses on each side. They do, however, have a longer queue before they start. There will also likely be a high density of B-Rank monsters in the lane enjoying the more refined energy.¡±


    ¡°Not worried about the B-Rank monsters ¨C I can¡¯t believe I just said that,¡± Seena said with a shake of her head. ¡°It¡¯s the A-Rank group that¡¯s going to be dangerous.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re going to be the Infested,¡± Nivian said.


    ¡°They definitely are,¡± Seena agreed. ¡°And probably a whole raid party of them. Could be our toughest fight yet.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not even including if that Fallen ¨C Vorinal ¨C is with them,¡± Ilrolik said.


    ¡°We¡¯ll find a way,¡± Hiral said. ¡°That¡¯s our role in this. Deal with the A-Rank group and the Fallen. Dad, do you think you and the Trust can figure out the rest?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what the rest includes,¡± a new voice said as the door opened and Fyre walked in. ¡°But, yeah, see, figuring shit out is what we do. Elezad, what are we figuring out this time?¡±


    ¡°How to win a war against a stronger enemy,¡± Elezad said. ¡°And not lose many of our people in the process.¡±


    ¡°That all? Yeah, see, we got this,¡± Fyre said.


    ¡°Then I guess we¡¯ll get to our part of it,¡± Hiral said.


    ¡°Ranking up and advanced classes,¡± Seena said.


    ¡°Which reminds me.¡± Hiral looked at his father. ¡°Are Nat and Milly in the area? We¡¯ve got six people who are about to get advanced classes, and anybody around when it happens is bound to get an achievement from it. If it¡¯s like the one we got for two people, it¡¯s definitely worth getting.¡±


    ¡°If you give us a little time ¨C an hour, give us an hour ¨C we can gather everybody up,¡± Elezad said. ¡°With what¡¯s coming, we¡¯ll take whatever boost we can get.¡±


    ¡°I think we can wait that long,¡± Hiral said. ¡°We¡¯ll do advanced classes, then our Rank evolutions for people to hopefully get the bonuses from them. I¡¯ve got a project I want to finish up after I hit A-Rank, then we¡¯ll head out. I want to be at the tower when the barrier comes down and go from there.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll get as many parties back for the achievement as we can,¡± Elezad said. ¡°Then send them right back out to prepare for what¡¯s coming. A few hours will have to be enough to plan.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll make it work,¡± Sera said. ¡°You always do.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Elezad said. ¡°Go check on the girls before all this starts. Their raid group won¡¯t be held back.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Sera said, glancing in Hiral¡¯s direction. ¡°All our children are far too determined to throw themselves in harm¡¯s way for the benefit of others. It¡¯s hard being a parent sometimes.¡±


    ¡°Hard not to be proud,¡± Elezad said and turned to Hiral with the very clear I¡¯m-going-to-hug-you-until-you-can¡¯t-breathe-look on his face.


    ¡°And that¡¯s our cue to go,¡± Hiral said.


    It was time to finally hit A-Rank.