《King of Beasts》


 Chapter 1

    Chapter 1


    Walter walked through the dimly lit evening forest. He breathed in deeply as a breeze rustled the leaves in the canopy above. The green lay like a blanket around him, the pine scent a soothing incense. He couldn¡¯t help but look up at the moon. It was so good to see the moon again¡ªhis moon. The shadows the moon cast on the branches danced around him. His mood turned as he heard the two pairs of footsteps behind him. He readied himself.


    ¡°You know we can¡¯t let you just up and leave without saying goodbye.¡±


    Walter turned to regard the newcomers.


    The horizon-spanning collection of trees, bushes, and grasses was now a curtain, hiding away what was sure to be nasty business. One of the two was a giant. He was muscular, but covering the muscles was a thick coating of flesh that cut the figure of a grizzly bear. The other was tall and thin. He had a scar along his right cheek. The scarred man spoke again.


    ¡°You know the rules, Walter. You want a clean break, you have to pay the price.¡± The two men stood in front of him now. Close enough that the decidedly neanderthal odor of their breath overpowered the pine.


    ¡°Guys, we don¡¯t have to do this. I¡¯ll leave. You¡¯ll never see me again. Just tell Chris you gave me a solid beating and we can all move on.¡± It was a desperate attempt.


    ¡°You¡¯re right Walter.¡± Walter¡¯s eyes widened. He couldn''t believe it actually worked. ¡°We don¡¯t have to do this¡­But we want to.¡± Both men donned a cruel grin. A sucker punch found Walter¡¯s soft stomach. Tears welled in his eyes, blurring his vision. Walter collapsed to the ground. He gasped for air.


    Chuckling, the grizzly bear took a step back and watched as the thin man kicked the man he had downed. Walter barely had enough time to cover the back of his head and curl into a fetal position before the beating started in earnest.


    ¡°Stop that!¡± Out of the green veil walked a stranger, someone that neither the pair nor Walter had seen before. He held a staff out to the side and his face began to change. His teeth grew into fangs, forcing his mouth into a predatory smile. His hair grew past his ears and his nails extended into savage points. His gaze turned vicious.


    The bear turned to him. Saying nothing, the massive man slid a pair of spiked brass knuckles onto his hands. A grunt punctuated a kick to Walter¡¯s head as the thin man gave a final blow before ceasing his onslaught. He turned back to look at the wolf-man and drew a wicked-looking knife.


    ¡°Brotherhood business. Piss off.¡±


    The words elicited a low growl from the stranger. He charged at them, faster than the pair had expected, but not too fast for them to react. He swung his staff in a rapid arc. The large man blocked the overhead strike, he used the other hand to capture the weapon. His fist shot forward, seeking the wolf¡¯s unprotected midsection. The wolf slithered around the punch. Claws cut bloody rents along the bear¡¯s face. The man stumbled backward and released the staff, wiping stinging blood from his eyes.


    Scowling, the thin man cut at the wolf. Toward his face, his chest, his arm, his chest, his neck, his leg. The man cut nothing but the air. The wolf-man¡¯s staff shattered the hand holding the knife and the blade fell to the dirt. He then ducked under a haymaker from the bear. The bear roared when the staff dislocated his shoulder in answer. The two broken men plotted as they glared at the stranger.


    ¡°Run.¡± He barked. ¡°While you still can.¡±


    The thin man turned to look upon the torn face of the giant. He laughed. ¡°You¡¯re a dead man walking.¡± He turned to the bloody, beaten heap lying in the dirt. ¡°You too. Both of you. Dead.¡± He nodded to the large man and they began to disappear into the trees, tails between their legs.


    The stranger¡¯s teeth, hair, nails, and, finally, eyes returned to a human appearance. He walked toward Walter. Walter viewed him with equal parts fear and awe. And envy. ¡°Who are you?¡±


    Three Months Earlier¡­


    ¡°Hi, my name is Danny. Welcome to Furry Friends. How can I help you today?¡± Danny routinely answered the ringing bell as the door to the pet store swung open. He finished arranging the chew toys on the shelf. Danny tried his hardest to play the extrovert, but his shift was only half an hour away from ending. No one answered. Danny rose from his squatting position once he had placed the last of the dog toys in its place on the shelf. He turned to see the silent customer, but his muscles wouldn¡¯t respond. He stood, paralyzed, staring at the shelves full of dog and cat toys. Except¡­there weren¡¯t any shelves, at least, not anymore. In their place was an endless expanse of blank white. The subtle smell of pet food and air freshener was gone. Everything was gone, even the box Danny had been re-stocking chew toys and catnip from. Suddenly, a rectangle of color abruptly entered his vision.


    [Welcome to the Multiverse. Integration Initializing. Please Stand By¡­]


    ¡°No!¡± Danny snapped awake. A moist film covered his forehead. The pungent odor of a day without showering or deodorant rose to his nostrils. The sunlight from the tiny window caused him to blink away the sleep. He lay uncovered in a small bed, almost child-sized, in a cramped room. But not his room. So, it was all real after all¡­ Danny realized. The vision of the prison of white and video game-esque message had happened last night. Actually happened. Danny couldn¡¯t believe it, but the claustrophobic dormitory room asserted the reality of the position he was in.If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    Danny walked into the large, open main chamber. The main chamber had prayer mats ordered in uniform rows. The floor was made of natural-looking cobbled stone. The walls were a uniform light gray brick. The vaulted ceiling was made with a dark wood that lacked any polish. Rustic. At the back of the room was a raised stage with another prayer mat, presumably where the leader of whatever kind of religious service that took place here would be. Opposite the stage was the only way in and out of the stone temple. Danny walked through the tall arch.


    The peppery smell of pine accosted Danny¡¯s nose as a cool breeze blew through the courtyard. Danny looked around the area for a second time. The courtyard Danny was standing in was bordered by a forest. The trees were not packed tightly together. Their canopies were tiered, and spaced far enough apart for ample sunlight to break through and feed the ground-hugging shrubbery and grasses. The forest looked serene, but as Danny noted how it stretched on and on without end, he felt¡­less than relaxed. Still turning, Danny regarded the temple he had just exited. A paved path cut through the courtyard and led to a set of stone stairs. Three white pillars stood on either side of the ponderous entrance, holding up a balcony the likes of which a king might use to address his subjects. Above the balcony, the roof extended and sloped upward toward a central ridge. On each of the four corners, there were additional ridges. It reminded Danny of Asian architecture. Skin warmed by the sun, Danny raised his hand to shield his eyes from the light.


    Now that the panic of suddenly finding himself in an unfamiliar place was gone, it was quite majestic. The picturesque views were almost enough to quell the anxiety rising in his throat. Almost. The feeling of the soft ground under his feet, the wind on his face, the sun on his back, was enough to convince him it was real, but he pinched himself just to be sure. Definitely not in a dream. One last test. Status and sure enough¡­


    Daniel Robert Moore Jr.


    ANOMALY: CODE MX109E76K


    Bloodline: @!MX109E##


    Body: 5


    Qi: 5


    Soul: 9


    System Functions:


    Class Abilities:


    Skills (0 / 4):


    The window hovered in his vision. It moved when he moved and turned with him so it was always front and center. When he had first appeared in the whiteness, before being teleported to wherever this temple was, Danny had received an error code, and been branded an anomaly. Apparently, there was some tutorial supposed to be going on, but Danny was ineligible due to this ¡°anomaly¡± status. He wondered if the others were still on Earth. If he was still on Earth. Danny¡¯s stomach grumbled. Loudly. Pushing those thoughts away, Danny focused on the task at hand, finding something to eat.


    The sound of steps echoed as Danny walked through the empty halls of the temple. He had already explored one wing of the temple, that was where the dormitories were. Danny hoped that the other wing would have a kitchen or a pantry. After all, if there were bedrooms that surely meant that there would be a place to store food. Ahead Danny saw a doorway that opened into a larger room. Not as large as the prayer chamber, but much bigger than any of the bedrooms. A low growl broke the silence. Danny hoped that this hallway would lead to the kitchen.


    The hallway did not, in fact, lead to a kitchen. Danny found himself in a library. Bookshelves were arranged in orderly, uniform rows with room for walking between. Danny ignored the protests from his belly and investigated further. The books had a handmade look to them. It seemed that each book was bound in leather and looked more like a journal than the mass-produced hardbacks he was accustomed to back home. Danny ignored the thought that he might be somewhere instead of ¡°home¡± and instead focused on the spines of the books. The titles were in a strange language. It was flowy and seemed based more on pictograms than a set of letters or syllables. That was complete guesswork, Danny had barely passed high school English, he had no right to comment on the structure of a language he had never seen before. Still, it felt good to focus on something, anything, other than the increasingly aggressive demands of his stomach. Suddenly¡­


    [Conditions Met. System Function: ¡°Identify¡± Granted.]


    [Identify: Provides system-approved details about an item, individual, or creature. Also automatically translates speech and writing of similar-intellect sapients]


    Once the System messages disappeared, Danny saw a screen translating the title of the book he was focused on like real-life subtitles. [Pride of the Lightning Dragon Emperor Cultivation Manual] is what it said. That¡¯s¡­extra. Danny thought. It probably sounds better in their language. With his newfound ability to comprehend, Danny opened the manual and began to skim through.


    The first page was a summary by an ¡°Archive Master Buford Whitebeard,¡± a name that made Danny chuckle. The summary described the origins of the manual: some mythical warrior had fought a dragon and, after slaying it, developed a technique based on dragons and their ¡°peerless ferocity and strength.¡± Not all that peerless, because the Archive Master rated the manual C-tier. Barely passing. Danny thought. Such a crazy origin and title just for a measly C? After the summary and rating was a breakdown of the method. It was all about¡­breathing. How to inhale and exhale, and how long to hold each. The different parts of your body to focus on and when. It was a guided meditation, in Danny¡¯s estimation. What does that have to do with fighting dragons? Danny was hopeful that the rest of the book would provide the connection.


    Once he turned past the first section, titled ¡°Awakening,¡± Danny was met with another System message.


    [Ineligible. Complete Stage I: Awakening to View]


    Then another¡­


    [Conditions Met. System Guide Granted. Please Stand By¡­]


    Before the window closed, a small blue light began to glow mid-air. The intensity it shone with grew and grew until it began to change into shape. Human shape. A small, more like tiny, human shape. The form was about as tall as Danny¡¯s hand, fingertips to heel. Then it sprouted butterfly wings. No. Way. Danny thought as he saw a fairy blink into existence before his very eyes. The male fairy wore light blue clothes under his worn leather armor. His face had skin the color of sun-kissed clover and soft, boyish features. His hair was a chestnut brown and kept shortly cropped. He held a constant near-scowl as if the very world around him was not up to his standards. His eyes were a deep amber. Interrupting Danny¡¯s gawking, the fairy said, ¡°Welcome to the Multiverse, native. I will be your guide for the duration of the Tutorial. You will answer me with yes sir or no sir. Clear?¡±

 Chapter 2

    Chapter 2


    Startled. Danny managed to get out a ¡°uh¡­yeah.¡± Danny focused on the creature in front of him and, accidentally, Identified¡­[Level 100 Fairy Guide] popped into his vision. ¡°An actual fairy. Wow.¡±


    ¡°Native, I thought I made myself clear. Yes sir or no sir.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­yes sir.¡± Danny collected himself. It helped that his stomach reminded him of more pressing matters. ¡°Mr. Guide, sir, you wouldn¡¯t happen to have any¡­food on you? Please?¡±


    ¡°Your entire world has been turned upside down and the first thing you think of is to stuff your face?¡± Danny didn¡¯t have an answer for that. His stomach did. Scoffing, the fairy conjured some sort of spotted fruit in its hand. The fruit looked like a twisted gourd, but with smooth skin. It was the size of a watermelon which, when compared to the fairy, made it absolutely massive. Danny didn¡¯t understand how something so small could even support something that size, let alone float in the air with it, but he was too busy trying not to drool in front of the first person he had seen since being dumped here to think about it. The guide tossed the fruit to Danny, and he almost collapsed to the ground trying to catch it. It was like trying to play catch with a bowling ball. ¡°Meet me in the main chamber when you are finished.¡± What came next was not one of Danny¡¯s proudest moments.


    Trying to wipe the sticky fruit juice from his hands, and mouth, and nose, Danny followed the fairy guide¡¯s directions and went to the prayer chamber. He had the manual held under his arm to avoid getting the mess from the fruit on it. Eventually, the pair reached one of the prayer mats and the guide gestured for Danny to have a seat. He complied. He was immediately struck at how all the remaining tension fled his body. He didn¡¯t even realize how on edge he had been, having been occupied with devouring his meal, but his muscles ached from being under the strain of mental stress. He thought it might have been the act of sitting, but thought better of it. He focused on the mat itself. [Heavenly Qi Prayer Mat (Initiate): Imbued with relaxation and meditation enhancing properties, the Heavenly Qi Sect uses these mats during cultivation sessions. This mat is of the most basic quality.] As Danny finished reading the System identification message, his gaze rose and he saw the guide staring at him. Danny shrunk under his gaze.


    ¡°We have three months.¡± The fairy began. ¡°Three months until the Tutorial ends. Three months to get you into fighting shape.¡± Danny quietly listened. ¡°The fact that I am here means that you are an anomaly. Something unfamiliar to the System. I am here to give you the specific guidance you will need to chart your own path.¡± The fairy looked Danny up and down. And sighed. ¡°Do you have any combat experience?¡±


    Danny shook his head.


    ¡°I guess we start with the basics. Now that your planet has been Integrated, monsters have been allowed to spread and it will be up to you natives to control the population. For the next three months most of your species will be in a Tutorial, learning to fight. You will be with me. Are you following?¡± Danny¡¯s widening eyes betrayed his overwhelm.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­I¡¯m not really the fighting type.¡±


    ¡°Everyone is the fighting type now, native. Monsters destroy. They kill, they hunt, they pillage, they have no other purpose. You want to let others walk all over you? Fine. But no assignment of mine will be a liability when it comes to monsters. Not one.¡±


    Danny looked at the floor. ¡°I¡¯m not going to fight. I can¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°You can. It¡¯s the only way. They won¡¯t stop. Not until someone kills them or they consume everything living on the planet. It wouldn¡¯t be the first time either. Are you going to stand back and let that happen?¡±


    ¡°There has to be some other way. I can heal people, or fix equipment, or¨C¡±


    ¡°But you won¡¯t Level. What use is a Level 1 healer when warriors will need to withstand dragonfire? What of when you are alone, no one to heal or equipment to maintain, what will you do then? Non-violence is a lie, native. It¡¯s kill or be killed.¡±


    ¡°I need some air.¡± Danny rose from the mat.


    The guide didn¡¯t try to follow Danny out. It was hard to have your entire world be flipped upside down. He had seen it play out hundreds of times. This approach was always best. It wasn¡¯t rare for the newly Integrated to have qualms about a life of conflict, but it was the way things were. The Multiverse was a harsh place. No room for the weak. That was why Aspen always gave the natives a chance to experience it for themselves.


    ___________________________________________________________Stolen story; please report.


    Danny walked through the courtyard, breathing in the piney scent. It was worlds better than the thinly veiled smell of processed pet food that hung in the pet store. The things that the fairy had said rattled around in Danny¡¯s head. The midday sun shone down on him from overhead. I¡¯m not a fighter. I won¡¯t ever be like him. Danny ruminated on the predicament. Although, there was an entire library dedicated to whatever this temple was dedicated to. Or maybe it¡¯s a monastery. Danny approached the edge of the clearing and looked into the forest. It looked pretty, sure, but to Danny it looked like something you would see in a nature documentary. Ordinary. That just made everything so much stranger. A rustling in the nearby plants pulled Danny back to the moment.


    A small white rabbit hopped into view. The little creature¡¯s ears stood upright as it regarded Danny with inquisitive eyes. It tilted its head and sniffed in his direction. ¡°Hey there, little guy. Are you a long way from home as well?¡± The rabbit watched Danny carefully. Danny approached slowly. He hoped to reach out and pet the soft-looking fur, but something as skittish as a rabbit would rarely let itself be touched by a human. Danny attempted it anyway.


    Danny noted excitedly that the animal didn¡¯t seem to be preparing to run. He tepidly reached out with his hand, as non-threateningly as possible. If it isn¡¯t scared of people does that mean this is someone¡¯s pet? Are they nearby? The thought caused Danny to hesitate. In that moment, a snapping sound was made as a tubular fleshy, leech-like mouth tore out from the center of the rabbit¡¯s face. It snapped at Danny¡¯s outstretched hand, seeking to drain it. The split second of hesitation barely saved Danny from the creature¡¯s bite. Danny tumbled backwards onto the grass.


    The rabbit¡¯s body twisted as six insectoid legs sprouted from the mess of fur. The monster, now resembling a leech with legs wearing the hide of a white rabbit, let out a celebratory screech at the discovery of prey. It skittered towards Danny, elongated neck swaying. On his butt, Danny kicked feverishly at the creature. He hit it in the face once. Twice. On the third kick, the maw ringed with teeth latched onto the sole of his shoe and tore out a chunk of the rubber-plastic composite. Expecting a bloody treat, the monster gulped down greedily. The thing sputtered and gagged as it tasted the processed material. Danny used that distraction to clamor to his feet.


    Danny turned and ran. The courtyard that had once seemed like a pleasant park was now a marathon. With a deadly consequence for losing. Danny¡¯s only option was to come in first. He pumped his arms wildly and commanded his legs to give all they could. His lungs quickly began to burn with the effort. He heard the monster in pursuit. Danny didn¡¯t dare look back. He ran and ran, but the courtyard seemed endless. He heard the creature gaining on him. The sound of the grass parting before those spindly legs. The occasional screech that felt like malevolent laughter. It was close now. Danny stole a glance behind. He saw the fleshy neck reaching forward, nipping at his heels. ¡°Help!¡± Danny shouted between panicked breaths. ¡°Mr. Guide! Sir! Help!¡± Danny was three quarters through the courtyard. Just. A little. More.


    The sensation of something thick, warm, and slimy smacking into Danny¡¯s right leg caused him to trip over himself. He fell a few feet away from the first stair leading to the temple entrance. Danny turned just in time to see the monster pouncing. He covered his face with his arms. A whizzing sound tore past his left ear. When Danny opened his eyes, the monster lay twitching with a small wooden spear lodged in the center of its mass, pinning it to the ground. ¡°Now are you ready to learn?¡±


    Danny quickly got up and turned to thank the fairy. His face was flushing with the embarrassment of needing to be saved within an hour of meeting the guide. He definitely felt like his position on being non-violent was weakening. His savior didn¡¯t seem annoyed. He didn¡¯t seem like he felt much of anything in that moment. He just stared at Danny expectantly, like he knew the answer to come. Danny supposed that he probably wasn¡¯t the first person to need saving, it didn¡¯t make him feel any less childish though.


    ¡°Yeah¡­sure.¡± Realizing his mistake he added, ¡°sir.¡±


    ¡°Good. Follow me.¡± The fairy turned and floated deeper into the temple. Danny had to scramble to keep up. They went down the last unexplored hallway. There were four hallways leading out of the prayer chamber. The two on one side led to the dormitory wing that was shaped like a ¡°U,¡± leading you back to the main chamber if you followed the hallway all the way through. One of the passages on the other side led to the library. This hallway ended in a storage room.


    There were baskets that Danny assumed would have been used to store food. Empty. There were chests that held velvet cushions where treasures would have sat. Empty. The only thing not empty was the weapon racks. Message received, System. Danny thought, ruefully. ¡°Not much left.¡± The guide mumbled. ¡°So much for the generosity of the Heavenly Qi Sect. They are leaving a bunch of trash and pawning it off to the natives as treasure. Pitiful.¡± Danny made note of the slim pickings. The few weapons that were left were all sharp and dangerous-looking. They gleamed with razor edges or ended in cruel spikes. He saw swords, knives, maces, hammers, spears, and even some exotic weapons that he didn¡¯t have a name for. There was one weapon that stood out.


    It was a staff. A thick wooden staff that was a light chestnut color. The varnish caught the sunlight. It was free of wicked blades. Just a stick. Danny doubted that it would be the most effective weapon there, but all these other implements served one purpose. Death. At least with the stick he felt like it didn¡¯t have to end with a spray of blood. Not kind by any means, to be hit with a stick, but Danny was drawn to the one thing that didn¡¯t have that savage cutting quality to it. He grabbed the staff.


    [Staff of the Slumbering Giant: An exceptional quality quarterstaff made of Superior materials. Beware the Slumbering Giant.] The staff felt balanced in his grip, and it wasn¡¯t slippery despite the shiny coating. He gave it a careful spin. He heard the fairy¡¯s voice from behind. ¡°I think you should look at some of the swords over here.¡±


    ¡°I think I found what I¡¯m looking for.¡±


    The fairy opened his mouth to respond, but his eyes suddenly began to glow blue. His lips pursed. After a few moments of silence the glow faded.


    ¡°There is a situation that requires my attention. Rest. I will be back shortly.¡± After finishing, the fairy was enveloped in blue light and vanished.

 Chapter 3

    Chapter 3


    ¡°Aspen! It¡¯s been too long, old friend.¡± A male fairy greeted the guide that appeared in a flash of blue. He was dressed in a smart navy suit. Silver cufflinks glittered in the light. The room was lit by glowing crystals fixed to the walls with golden lattice. The fairy flittered behind a conference table, opposite Aspen.


    ¡°What¡¯s the problem?¡±


    ¡°Straight to the chase as always. I¡¯m surprised you came in person, I thought you were assigned to one of the Integrations.¡±


    ¡°I am.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you have somewhere to be then?¡±


    ¡°I stepped in and saved the native. It won¡¯t hurt if I am a little hands off for a while.¡±


    The fairy in the suit chuckled. ¡°You always did care too much, Alei Tacht.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s an anomaly.¡±


    ¡°And you are telling me you wouldn¡¯t do the same if he wasn¡¯t?¡±


    The silence served as Aspen¡¯s answer.


    ¡°As much as I would love to chat, I¡¯ve got some news for you.¡± The fairy in the suit gave a strained smile. ¡°We just received a distress signal.¡± He examined the floor, refusing to meet the other¡¯s eyes. ¡°From Teak.¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s on the rescue team? Can I meet them?¡± Aspen interjected.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s the problem. The distress signal¡­it¡¯s coming from The Garden.¡±


    Another silence hung in the air.


    ¡°Holly just finished her assignment. Linden too I think. I know of a couple others I can¡ª¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Aspen was cut off. ¡°There is an Integration going on, Aspen. The biggest in millenia. I can¡¯t spare anyone.¡± Aspen glared at the other fairy. ¡°Anyone. If he managed to survive long enough to put out a distress signal, then he can surely make it three more months. Then you will be released from the Tutorial and you can do as you please.¡±


    Aspen took it in. The bittersweet feeling of being so close and yet so far away. A guide¡¯s job was much more than just the Tutorial, but with what the Commander had said¡­


    ¡°Thank you, Eld¡ª¡± A sudden notification appeared in Aspen¡¯s vision. ¡°That damn native!¡± He said as he disappeared in a flash of blue.


    The Elder sighed as he fell back into the chair at the head of the conference table. He was relieved at how well it had gone. He had half expected Aspen to abandon the Tutorial completely. He stared at where the fairy had been a moment before. ¡°Don¡¯t thank me yet. Three months is a long time in The Garden.¡±


    ___________________________________________________________


    Danny wasn¡¯t sure what kind of ¡°situation¡± would elicit that kind of response from his guide, but, judging by his expression, Danny didn¡¯t want to find out. He continued surveying the store room, hoping for something to make a lunch out of, but anything else worth taking besides the weapons had long been cleared out. Danny took his new staff and considered what to do next. I may have a weapon, but I have no idea how to use it. Although¡­I know a place that might have a remedy for that.


    Danny quickly returned to the temple library. The plumes of dust catching the light coming through the windows combined with the scent of aged books gave off a feeling of history. It felt like there was an endless wealth of knowledge, lifetimes of it, waiting to be uncovered. Danny was never the most studious. He had been taking online courses while working at the pet store, it was his dream to be a veterinarian, after all, but he was a firm subscriber of the ¡°C¡¯s get degrees¡± mentality. But the shelves of handwritten manuscripts demanded respect, at least an acknowledgement of the effort and experience hidden away. It was a surreal feeling.


    Danny meandered down the paths between shelves listlessly. He honestly had no idea what he was looking for. Maybe one of these tomes would be titled ¡°Staves for Dummies,¡± but Danny doubted it would be that simple. He hoped that it would be like the store room, where something would just call out to him. He pursued the titles. [Jian Tiger Martial Manual], [Holy Flame Saint Body Manual], [Mortal Steel, Divine Wind Cultivation Manual], [The Blood Lotus Blossoms], [Tears of the Dragon Cultivation Manual]. If there was a rhyme or reason to the placement of the manuals, Danny couldn¡¯t find it. It seemed like an eclectic collection, but Danny noticed a few main groups of texts. Martial manuals were what Danny assumed to be a kind of fighting instruction, probably like kung-fu on steroids. Cultivation Manuals were another common one, but Danny had no idea what that even meant. The only cultivation he had heard of was when he took an agriculture science elective in high school. He got the feeling that a group of combat-hungry super monks probably didn¡¯t do a lot of farming, but he supposed he couldn¡¯t be sure. Even monks have to eat something, right?


    Like this, Danny continued his whimsical exploration of the manuscript chamber. Danny managed to locate a few texts aimed at staff fighting, but they all had cheesy names that Danny felt went opposite to the description of the staff the System provided. Things like [Forms of the Living Catastrophe] or [Raging Titan Shatters the Mountain]. While searching, Danny came across one manual that stood out from the others. [Gentle Body, Heavenly Soul Cultivation Manual]. It was the first Danny had come across that seemed to hint at a non-violent technique. It had nothing to do with fighting monsters or wielding a staff, at least not anything made readily apparent by the title, but Danny was interested nonetheless. He pulled it from the shelf. A cloud of dust rose, causing Danny to cough and sputter as he opened the book to its first page. The first page seemed to be a foreword summarizing the key points of the manual. It read:


    ¡°The Gentle Body, Heavenly Soul cultivation method is unique. Utilizing the interplay between Karma and raw ambient Qi cultivation, this method allows for unprecedented growth, however, it is not without cost. Fell Karma, gained through bloodshed, dampens the efficiency of this technique, to the point that many will be left unable to train the method entirely. This technique is incompatible with the conflict-ridden life one will find in the Multivers. Due to the extreme limitations, practicing this method is considered unwise outside of extenuating circumstances and is given a grade of D- Tier.¡±Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    That¡¯s¡­, Danny considered the overview, perfect! Ignoring the last part, it seems amazing. No fighting, no killing, no danger. Exactly what I was looking for. Danny turned to the next page. Given that his prior knowledge of cultivation was lacking, Danny was surprised to find¡­breathing techniques. I guess I was expecting karate moves or something. All the stuff about Karma and Qi went over Danny¡¯s head, for sure, but how would breathing a certain way help with any of that? Danny knew one thing for certain, he didn¡¯t know a darn thing. Whoever built this place probably knows a thing or two. Besides, the first section is only a few chapters long, there are surely more complicated things in the later pages. Danny flipped to the next section to check. He was met with¡­nothing. Well, the writing was still there in that flowy, pictographic script, but there was no System message, no translation.


    [Ineligible. Complete Stage I: Awakening to View]


    Apparently, The System required Danny to finish the first section before he could move on to the more advanced ones. No sneak peaks, huh? Message received. Danny flipped back to the start of Stage I and decided to study more closely. The first stage was called Awakening and had something to do with ¡°opening the Seventeen Qi Gates.¡± These gates were split into two different sets: the thirteen ¡°Body Gates¡± and the four ¡°Spirit Gates.¡± It all started with Qi. Qi is a kind of energy that is present in all living things and exists ambiently on inhabited planets, that was what Danny had gathered from the reading, anyway. The text was much more eloquent and flowery, but Danny figured he had the gist of it. He closed the manual and began walking towards the main prayer chamber.


    Danny unrolled the prayer mat and laid it on the stone floor. The sunlight from outside had grown noticeably dimmer. Opening the manual for reference, Danny sat on the prayer mat and felt the mystical relaxation wash over him. It was magical. After he had finished savoring the moment, Danny began to take deep breaths. In¡­ 2¡­ 3¡­ 4¡­ 5¡­ hold¡­ 2¡­ 3¡­ 4¡­ 5¡­ out¡­ 2¡­ 3¡­ 4¡­ 5. He inhaled through his nose and exhaled through his mouth, just as the method instructed. He was breathing from the belly, feeling it move in time with his lungs. This was what the manual called the ¡°Core,¡± the place where all a person¡¯s Qi was gathered and then stored, like a well. Stage I was all about gathering as much Qi as you could, and then using it to blast away at the impurities sealing your gates like a pressure washer. The manual referred to it as a ¡°raging river that washes away a dam¡± but Danny visualized his metaphor easier.


    The first gate he had to open was the Heart Gate. It was located in the center of your chest, not directly over the heart. Danny supposed it was close enough, a minor distinction that only someone training in medicine would be cognizant of. Danny figured he was being nit-picky. The Heart Gate was the first of the thirteen Body Gates and the Core fed directly into it. Then, Qi would flow into the two Body Gates in each of the shoulders and the two gates in the hips. Then the gates in the knees and elbows. Finally, the gates in the hands and feet. Between these thirteen gates, the body would be provided Qi. The Spirit Gates were all above the Heart Gate. The first Spirit Gate was in the throat and was called the Gate of Breath. The next was in the head, around the mouth, nose, and ears, called the Gate of Sensation. The Gate of Sight was located between the eyes, and, finally the Divine Gate was on the top of the head.


    Danny steeled himself. The goal was to break the Heart Gate in one go. From what the manual said, it would be the easiest and he should see a noticeable difference in the way he felt. Danny was more than a little skeptical, but it was something for him to focus on, something to distract from the threat of starvation and the unfamiliar surroundings. Manipulating his Qi was tricky, it reminded Danny of water. You could cup your hands and hold it, but try to move it around and force it into a certain shape and you would find yourself with moist palms and little else. Qi was the same way. You could tell it was real and definitely had a sort of mystical ¡°weight¡± to it, but it just kept slipping through Danny¡¯s metaphorical fingers. The manual had emphasized that this was an art all on its own, but Danny had clung to a naive arrogance that it would be as simple as, well, using a pressure washer, something Danny had ample experience with due to his summer job of cleaning driveways back in high school.


    Continuing his struggle with the ethereal flow, Danny refocused on the task at hand. Drawing in the ambient Qi with his inhales and depositing it with his exhales, Danny began the process of collecting Qi in his Core. At the start it was as easy as regular breathing, but as Danny¡¯s Core began to fill the breathing grew shallower and more labored. Before long, it felt Danny had a pile of bricks resting on his chest. Shallow gasps and wheezes were the best that Danny could manage. Reading about it was one thing, but the burning feeling scorching his lungs and throat was tear-inducing. Danny wiped the dampness from his eyes and turned his attention to his Core. Now that he was at capacity, Danny began to push and prod his Qi towards his Heart Gate. The ephemeral energy met the sealed gate and¡­bounced off. It was like splashing water on a brick wall. Pointless. Danny frowned. He needed to readjust his approach; obviously, he was missing something. It was like his Qi had no force behind it. Sweat began to bead up his forehead. Danny¡¯s chest felt like he had been breathing in thumbtacks and lemon juice. Danny just about smacked his face with his palm.


    You need pressure for a pressure washer, stupid! Danny collected all the Qi in his Core and began to push it together. He was careful to apply force evenly, from every angle, so the Qi didn¡¯t seep through the cracks. Then, when he could condense it no further, Danny released the containing force, creating a small aperture in the direction of the Heart Gate. The Qi exploded in a stream and smashed into the blockage that sealed the gate. The seal began to crack. Putrid substances built up over a lifetime of disuse were washed away but the cleansing river. Some of the impurities were disintegrated in the storm, some glommed onto the seals of the connected gates, reinforcing them, the rest Danny was violently expunging them out of his pores, his mouth, nose, ears, and eyes. Black, brown, and green slime dripped off Danny and a puddle of the sludge lay in front of him. Coughing, Danny said with a hoarse voice, ¡°I am pretty sure that¡¯ll stain¡± as he looked at his now-soiled clothes and prayer mat.


    Danny focused inward and marveled at the newly-opened Heart Gate. A lazy swirl of Qi spun inside it, fed by his Core. Qi sleepily flowed through the channels connecting his other gates in a spiritual network. The energy gently rebound off the sealed gates like ripples meeting the walls of a swimming pool. It was picture-esque, despite not being truly ¡°visible.¡± It felt right, like he was in harmony with himself. Even more impactful was the way his body felt; he was full of energy. It wasn¡¯t the ¡°3 energy drinks deep¡± kind of energy either, that was a feeling he had been intimately familiar with last semester. This was like pulling an all-nighter and then finally getting a good night full of sleep after. He had been running on fumes this entire time and had never felt what it was like to truly live. ¡°Oh yeah, I can get used to this.¡± That thought was cut short.


    [WARNING! Cultivation Incompatible with System Leveling.]


    [System Level <!ERROR!> Reverted to <NULL>.]


    [Downloading Cultivation Package. Please Stand By¡­]


    [Download Successful!]


    A familiar blue glow preceded the return of the fairy guide. ¡°What the devil is wrong with you, native!?¡±

 Chapter 4

    Chapter 4


    Danny stared at the shouting fairy that had suddenly reappeared. ¡°One second. I leave for one second and you found a way to screw it all up. Are you happy?¡± The guide was fuming. Danny flinched.


    ¡°I just wanted to¡ª¡±


    ¡°Just wanted to what? Go on.¡±


    ¡°I thought I could find another way. A way besi¡ª¡±


    ¡°Well you found the other way, native. Instead of letting the System do everything behind the scenes and keep it all nice and tidy, you took it all into your own hands.¡± The guide¡¯s voice dripped with venom. ¡°The System was made millions of years ago and countless generations have followed the rules. What makes you so much smarter than them?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think¡ª¡±


    ¡°No. You didn¡¯t think.¡± The guide let out an exasperated sigh. ¡°What tier was it?¡±


    ¡°The manual? Uh¡­¡±


    ¡°If it¡¯s at least A tier it might be salvageable.¡±


    ¡°It was¡­¡± Danny stammered.


    ¡°Spit it out, native.¡±


    ¡°D tier.¡±


    ¡°D tier.¡± The guide echoed. ¡°D tier? Oh, Titania this is¡­¡±


    ¡°Well, it said D minus tier.¡±


    The fairy looked at Danny. ¡°I don¡¯t know why you are so set on dooming yourself, but you are doing a great job so far.¡± Danny opened his mouth to respond, but he couldn¡¯t find any words. ¡°I need some room to think.¡± The guide said. He flew out of the prayer chamber. Danny suddenly felt very exhausted. His clothes were putrid, his entire being felt drained, and the increasingly familiar feeling of embarrassment rose to his face. Wordlessly, Danny stood up and went down the opposite hallway, toward the dormitories.


    ___________________________________________________________


    Aspen pulled a manuscript off the shelves. The light from the nearby floating crystal was illuminating the pages, he found the moonlight insufficient for the task. ¡°They even strip down the light crystals.¡± Aspen scoffed. He put the book back. He had spent hours searching the library and only had a few texts to show for it. ¡°Of course he chooses a staff.¡± Aspen reached for another book. ¡°A cultivator too, just my luck.¡± He put it back. Aspen considered the interaction earlier. ¡°I was pretty heated back there¡­¡± He trailed off as he tried another manual. He nodded as he added it to the collection he carried with him. ¡°At least tomorrow will be a new day.¡± A ray of sunlight began to creep through the library windows. ¡°Today will be a new day.¡±


    ___________________________________________________________


    Danny woke up with a start. He had been having another nightmare and gasped when he saw the flying fairy hovering near his face. Aspen¡¯s expression almost looked¡­soft. Worried. But in a blink, it was back to the same semi-scowl that he wore when Danny first met him. Danny figured he must have been imagining things.


    ¡°Here.¡± The fairy tossed five books onto Danny¡¯s chest. ¡°These are all of the manuals about staff fighting styles that were in the library. Pick one and meet me in the courtyard.¡± Danny looked through the stack of books and read the titles. [Raging Titan Shatters the Mountain], [Forms of the Living Catastrophe], [Weeping Willow Dances on the Wind], [Bulwark of Skeope Ti-Wa], and [Staff Striking Techniques]. The last was a little on the nose like someone had run out of good ideas for a name or something. Danny had already seen the first two and was pretty sure that they were not going to work for him. He did his due diligence and read through the summary on the front page just in case. He was surprised to see that most of these techniques were A Tier, according to whatever ranking system the sect used.


    Raging Titan and Living Catastrophe were immediately nixed from the list. These manuals were focused mainly on hitting and hitting hard. Especially Raging Titan. It was all about using brute strength to overpower defenses and strike at an enemy¡¯s head or body with as much bone-shattering force as possible. That did not sound like Danny¡¯s cup of tea. Living Catastrophe was about wide, sweeping attacks and meant for taking on multiple opponents at once. Danny had no dreams of being a one-man army, so that was another easy ¡°no.¡± Upon further consideration, he put Staff Striking Techniques in the ¡°no¡± pile as well. While this manual was very general, it again focused on offense and ending a fight swiftly using the reach and leverage of a long weapon. Danny could appreciate the methodologies, but they felt at odds with not only his preferences but also the description of his staff and cultivation method.


    Weeping Willow and Bulwark were the most suitable. Both focused on a defensive fighting style. Bulwark initially drew Danny¡¯s interest with its ¡°nearly impenetrable defense,¡± but it was designed for a race called the Skeope. They had a special racial ability that allowed them to absorb impacts and then redirect the force into their strikes. This technique had only one attacking form and it was reliant on using the stored damage from the Skeope¡¯s ability to do any real harm. Danny figured he could make it work if he combined it with some of the forms from the Staff Striking Techniques manual, but the last fighting style looked far more promising.A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    To start with, [Weeping Willow Dances on the Wind] was the sole S Tier manual of the five. It emphasized fluid movement, flexibility, and the redirecting of force. The manual was inspired by the way that the namesake tree would behave in a storm. Bending, but never breaking. The only downside was that the manual was notoriously difficult for even talented pupils to learn, let alone master. Danny wasn¡¯t arrogant enough to think he was better than the young talents who had tried and failed to practice the style, it was just the perfect fit. Rolling with the punches, but never giving in. That felt like someone Danny wanted to be. The imagery of a tree in the wind also spoke to his Gentle Body, Heavenly Soul. No violent giants or natural disasters wreaking havoc, nothing relying on alien powers. A man, his staff, and the wind. Danny liked it. He picked it up and set the others aside.


    ___________________________________________________________


    ¡°Again.¡± Aspen commanded. Danny sunk back into the starting form of his Weeping Willow Dances in the Wind style: Sun Rises on the Willow. His stance was a relaxed crouch, a slight bend at the knee. Danny held one hand on the lower third of the staff, the other hand at the center, holding the staff forward and diagonally up and to the side to defend his body. This was the standard guard position he was to take at the start of the fight and when he was probing his opponent. Danny moved to the second form: Coming Storm. Danny shifted his weight to his back foot and crouched low, bending at the knees, as if intercepting a heavy hit. Snapping branches: Danny pushed down on the front of the staff and brought the back down in a diagonal swing. A counter-attack. He then followed it up with a horizontal attack. Weaving Willow: Danny shifted backward again as if leaning away from an invisible attacker. Sharp Northern Bite: A step forward and thrust, striking at the gut, groin, or knee of his phantom sparring partner.  With a small adjustment of his feet, the thrust left him standing back in the guard position of his first sequence. Back to Sun Rises on the Willow. This was the first sequence of the Weeping Willow Dances on the Wind.


    ¡°Your feet are too close together when you step into the combination of form three, you are leaning too far into the thrust and getting off-balance, and every time you lean on your left leg you tense up.¡± Aspen critiqued. Danny felt like no matter how much better he got at the stances and transitioning between them, Aspen always had something he was doing wrong. It was demoralizing. He sighed in disappointment as he returned to the opening guard. At least Aspen will have dinner ready in another hour or so. They had started practice at noon, the sun was just now beginning to set. Aspen would call it and serve up a meal as it got dark, usually. Sometimes he made Danny practice in the dark. ¡°Good training,¡± he called it. Danny hoped this would not be one of those evenings, his stomach grumbled in agreement. ¡°Enough.¡± Aspen said. ¡°Form Two: Rising Tempest.¡±


    ___________________________________________________________


    A rustle in the undergrowth caused Danny to pause his work. He was currently setting a snare at a nearby rabbit run. Aspen had shown him how to find the little passageways that indicated their frequent passing. He had already fashioned the small loop on one end of the wire. Danny had also made a circle, about palm size, with that loop as the fastener. He had been in the middle of setting the snare where the rabbit would hop through when he was interrupted. Danny shakily picked up his staff. His eyes darted around, seeking any sign of another of those things. He was tense. Every part of him was dreading a confrontation. It never came.


    Danny breathed out a sigh of relief. It must have been an animal or something, Danny figured. He went back to setting the trap. Danny didn¡¯t like the thought of trapping the animals in the woods, but Aspen assured him it would be a quick death. Death by choking from a metal wire didn¡¯t seem all that quick, but Danny decided to remain blissfully ignorant. He finished fastening the snare. It was the third one. Aspen had told him to set at least five, and the sun was beginning to lower.


    Danny had spent the morning going through his staff forms under Aspen¡¯s direction. Then came the survival lessons. Making fires, finding water, identifying plants, trapping, it was all-encompassing. Aspen had told Danny that the location that people would be teleported to after the Tutorial was random. He might not have anyone near him for miles. So Aspen was teaching Danny all he needed to know about survival in the woods and beyond. It made sense to Danny, but that didn¡¯t mean it wasn¡¯t grueling.


    The sun-up to sun-down training was exhausting. At least it gives me something to focus on. If I had time to think I don¡¯t know¡­Another rustling came. This time Danny rose in a stance, staff held out in front of him. He saw a streak of orange shooting around the shrubbery. Danny stood in the guard position for longer this time. Slowly, he lowered his weapon. Whatever it was seemed as unwilling to fight as he was. Danny picked up the two coils of wire he had left. I better get these set as soon as possible. Not much daylight left.


    ___________________________________________________________


    Danny settled into a meditative pose, shaking himself free of all the distracting thoughts swimming around in his head. Since opening the Heart Gate, Danny had a larger capacity for Qi in his core. Interestingly enough, it didn¡¯t take him any longer to fill his core either. It seemed that his ability to draw in ambient Qi went up proportionately to his ability to hold it. At least for now. The manual recommended wearing away at the remaining gates over time. When he opened the gates, a portion of the impurities were disintegrated by the pressurized flow of Qi, but most of them were not. A remaining portion was expelled through his pores and orifices, but a substantial amount would be combined with the blockages in his other gates, making each gate progressively harder to break open. His next goal was to open the Gate of Breath, and the body gates in his shoulders. And the body gates in his hips. All at once. The Gate of Breath would supposedly allow Qi to interact with his spirit. The body gates in the shoulders and hips would increase the strength and endurance of his limbs. He didn¡¯t quite understand why the gates affected his body in the way they did, but the manual hadn¡¯t failed him yet. He gathered from the manual that there were two main paths when opening gates. Most started with the opening of all of the body gates then moved on to the spirit gates, and the other vice versa. The simultaneous opening of gates was almost entirely unique to the Gentle Body, Heavenly Soul method.


    It was apparently pretty intense. He would notice substantial jumps in power every time he broke through the remaining gates, at the cost of increased difficulty. The only reason it was even possible was because of the effect Karma had on cultivation, the crux of the Gentle Body, Heavenly Soul technique. By doing the right thing, acting selflessly, and refraining from excess violence, Danny could gain good Karma. Being selfish, exploiting others, and wanton bloodshed would yield fell Karma. Good Karma made cultivating easier, fell Karma made it harder. Pretty simple. However, too much fell Karma and cultivating ambient Qi would be impossible. One would be totally reliant on killing monsters, or people, and absorbing their collected energy to grow. It was a good thing Danny had chosen a weapon that could be used non-lethally. The manual assured that defending oneself was Karma neutral, and could be Karma positive if he showed mercy to his enemies. However, killing them after they had been neutralized as a threat was a no-no in generating good Karma. It was kind of like he had his own set of kung-fu Ten Commandments to follow. Danny didn¡¯t mind, he wasn¡¯t partial to the idea of leaving a tide of blood in his wake anyway. As he thought of these things, his cultivation session came to a close. Despite all of the energy he had gathered being used up, Danny felt satisfied. This was the one thing about Aspen¡¯s training boot camp that he didn¡¯t mind.

 Chapter 5

    Chapter 5


    Frowning, Danny looked down at where the snare was supposed to be. A rabbit should not be able to do that. The stick that Danny had hammered into the ground as an anchor had been pulled out. The wire, and whatever was caught in it, was missing as well. The main benefit of using the wire for the snares was that it was reusable. His guide seemed to be able to conjure supplies out of thin air, but Danny didn¡¯t have that luxury. Every piece of equipment mattered. Hopefully, the fairy would be merciful and give him a replacement.


    Danny returned to the temple with only two rabbits in tow. His last three snares he had set yesterday had been uprooted. The guide looked at Danny¡¯s haul. ¡°Two isn¡¯t terrible for your first attempt.¡± The fairy offered. Danny was surprised. That was the closest thing to praise he had ever received from the guide.


    ¡°Oh¡­thanks, sir. I ran into a bit of a problem.¡±


    The guide waited for him to continue.


    ¡°Three of the snares I set broke. I am sure that I anchored them correctly, but they were missing. Taken.¡±


    ¡°Hm.¡± The guide considered that for a moment. ¡°It is obvious that you know how to set a snare from your success with those two, so for now we will only practice trapping sparingly.¡± Danny nodded. ¡°Now, Form Three. Start to finish.¡±


    ___________________________________________________________


    The sky was painted the color of the sunset as Danny practiced in the courtyard. Falling Thunder. Danny slammed the end of the staff downward in an overhead strike. He caught it before it touched the ground. This was the last movement in Form Five. The final form of the Weeping Willow staff technique. [Would you like to learn skill: Weeping Willow Dances in the Wind (Staff Technique)?] The system message popped into Danny¡¯s view. ¡°I got it!¡± He exclaimed. For the past few days, Danny had been running through all five forms from beginning to end, over and over, trying to get this notification.


    ¡°Good. Accept.¡± Aspen said.


    Danny thought ¡°yes¡± and the window disappeared. He didn¡¯t feel a change. ¡°Did it do anything?¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you run through the First Form and see for yourself.¡±


    Danny began to move through the form. It took no thought. Everything was muscle memory now. Before he would have to think about where he would place his feet next, or keeping the staff balanced, but the skill made all of that automatic. The only thing that Danny had to think about was what move to do next. So he danced. He transitioned through the form, combining the movements in a fluid choreography. Then he began to mix in moves from other forms. He began to see how they could fit together. Each move led to many others, and those led to even more potential options. Weaving Willow could lead to Building Gale. Building Gale could lead to any move from Form Two. And nearly all of them could end with Falling Thunder. The style seemed to hold endless possibilities and sequences. Now, Danny could see them.


    ¡°Wow¡­¡±


    ¡°Tomorrow, we will begin practical training,¡± Aspen interjected. ¡°We have to bridge the gap between your mastery in practice and your failure in actual combat.¡± Ouch, Danny¡¯s pride sunk a bit. ¡°For now, get some rest.¡± He retired over to the prayer mat he had claimed to begin his nightly cultivation. Aspen floated into the library, he seemed to spend most of his time there. Danny wondered what he was doing. No way he is reading all of the books in there, right?


    He shook himself free of the thought. Before long, Danny was in that familiar trance. He felt the connection with the energy around him as he breathed with intention. Each breath pulled energy in from the surroundings and Danny directed it to eat at the blockages in his gates. Soon Danny thought, tomorrow I will break through the next set of gates. He was looking forward to it.


    When Danny awoke in the morning he grabbed a set of five coils of wire from the supplies stashed in his room. There was practically everything you would need to survive in his little kit, one that the guide had mostly collected. Throughout the week that he had spent getting the Weeping Willow skill, Danny had been intermittently setting snares. It got to the point where four out of the five snares set would be pillaged. It didn¡¯t surprise Danny at all when the fairy stopped him on his way out.


    ¡°Don¡¯t bother. You aren¡¯t getting any meaningful practice out of setting the snares anymore. It¡¯s just a waste of supplies. Be ready in the courtyard in five.¡± Danny felt a knot in his stomach. Today was the start of practical training.


    ¡°Incoming.¡± The fairy flew out of the forest and into the courtyard. Danny saw the monster on his heels. Danny could tell by the long bushy tail and tawny pelt that this one had been disguised as a squirrel. He Identified. [Level 2 Vernian Horror]. Danny didn¡¯t have time to dwell on the fitting name. He settled into Sun Rises on the Willow. His breath was shaky and goosebumps rose on his neck and arms. The sickening feeling in his stomach grew worse. ¡°Now.¡± The guide commanded.


    As if on cue, the monster leapt at Danny. The insectoid legs sailed through the air behind it. Its salivating leech-like mouth sought Danny¡¯s blood. Snapping Branches. His body didn¡¯t respond. Falling Thunder. Nothing. Weaving Willow! Danny found himself frozen. Eyes gazing into the abyss ringed with teeth heading towards him. ¡°Oberon¡¯s balls! What the hell are you doing, native!?¡±


    The fairy shot over and grabbed the creature by the throat. A knife appeared in his hand in a flash of blue and he stabbed it into the monster¡¯s midsection. Black blood dribbled from the wound. The Horror couldn¡¯t even screech, its throat was locked in a vice grip. The spindly legs flailed in desperation. It went still. The guide dropped it to the ground and flicked the ichor from his blade. He looked over at Danny. ¡°Again.¡±


    And so the practical training went. Danny did not freeze helplessly again, but every time he made major mistakes, always resulting in the fairy stepping in to save him. They spent hours luring monsters to the courtyard only for Danny to fail to defeat them. It was exhausting and tensions were running high. Finally, it all came to a head.Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°We¡¯re done here.¡± The guide said, ¡°Go find something else to do. This is pointless.¡± Danny was a little startled at the fairy¡¯s reaction. The guide waved his hand and each of the monster corpses littering the courtyard vanished. The exhaustion and stress of facing down monster after monster burst out.


    ¡°What am I supposed to do? You can¡¯t expect me to become a monster-killing machine in a week! I already said I wasn¡¯t going to fight anyway.¡± Danny grumbled the last part.


    ¡°How about you go find food. Plenty of daylight left. Maybe you can find some success with that.¡±


    Danny scowled and stormed off into the forest.


    ___________________________________________________________


    The only food Danny had was a few pieces of smoked rabbit. Not enough for a meal. It had been mortifying to return to the temple after storming off into the woods like that. About ten feet into the trees, Danny realized all of his supplies were still in his room. The only thing he had on him was the staff. That resulted in a shameful walk, but now he was out in the wilderness, searching for sustenance. He knew enough of the edible plants in the area that he was certain he could scrounge up enough to satisfy his hunger. His stomach gurgled. He had worked up quite the appetite from all the ¡°practical training¡± today.


    A warm yellow glow radiated from the small fire that Danny had built. It was still light out, and wasn¡¯t particularly cold, but Danny had decided to practice his fire making. He figured it would be one of the most important survival skills when he was on his own. He had a couple of edible roots, and a few handfuls of edible berries to go with his measly portion of rabbit. Not a feast by any means, not even up to the standards of his usual meals this past week, but it would quell the pangs in his stomach for the night. Just as he began to tear into a tuber, he heard a disturbance in the leaves.


    Danny readied himself. The memories of the morning¡¯s training came back to him. The way he froze, terrified. The way his body wouldn¡¯t listen to his commands. The way he failed. Every. Single. Time. Uncertainly, he held the staff in front of him, pointed in the direction of the noise. A wet black nose poke out of the green. Amber eyes with black pupils and a furry orange head followed. A [Level 5 Navigator Fox] stepped toward Danny.


    Danny tightened his grip on the staff and shifted his feet. The little creature tensed and looked ready to run. If this is one of those shape-shifting horrors, it¡¯s the highest level I¡¯ve seen. Most of the monsters had been in the one to three level range. Danny knew that if this turned out to be a fake, his only option would be to flee. The fox backed away. Danny saw its ribs showing through its coat. Danny had wondered if the monsters were preying on the wildlife, and this fox seemed to be proof. The Horrors were killing the animals that the fox would normally hunt, and Danny¡¯s trapping probably hadn¡¯t helped. Unless¡­


    ¡°You were the one stealing the snares, weren¡¯t you?¡± The fox eyed him carefully. Danny sighed. He had always been a sucker for animals. Danny tossed a piece from his dwindling supply of meat. The fox caught it in the air. It stared at Danny for a moment longer. Then, it darted back into the veil of plants, disappearing. Well, at least I know those snares weren¡¯t feeding some random monster.


    Tonight is the night. Danny was resolved. He sat on a prayer mat that he had moved outside into the courtyard. He was dressed in borrowed undergarments from the temple dormitories. To his sides were from the storeroom buckets he had filled with water from the stream and hauled back. Time to break through the next set of gates, get my class, and fix my Status page. This was one of the major goals that Danny and the guide had been aiming for besides his staff technique. The guide had explained that breaking through the next set of gates would force the System to deploy an update, and fix the errors on his Status. Normally you would just Level Up, but that wasn¡¯t possible for him, not anymore. Danny began to regulate his breathing. The mystical mat improved his focus and concentration. In the two weeks that had passed since he arrived here, Danny had greatly improved both his ability to absorb Qi as well as his capacity. This was partly due to opening the Heart Gate, but also a substantial improvement had been made through the nightly practice.


    Danny directed his Qi to compress down into a tight ball. It obeyed much more, now. The Qi still didn¡¯t do exactly what he wanted it to, but it no longer felt like it was constantly slipping through his fingers. The feeling was similar to handling snow with mittens on. Sure you lacked dexterity and finesse, but for just moving and pushing things around, it was sufficient. Lungs burning and Core full, Danny began the hard part. He would have to create five ¡°spouts¡± that the pressurized Qi would shoot out of and collide with the impurities sealing his gates. Just as he was about to start, Danny felt like he could squeeze in a little more. Clipped gasps of air drew in more Qi until Danny felt like he could hold no more. One, two, then four, and finally five streams of concentrated Qi blasted forth and collided with the gates. Danny had been steadily wearing away at them ever since he had broken through the Heart Gate, and he knew that he would make the final push here and now.


    Blockages were being washed away as Danny kept firm control of his Qi, but the lack of finesse was showing itself. The streams assaulting the gates in his shoulders were getting too much output, while the Qi clearing the Gate of Breath was a dwindling spurt. Sweat began to collect on Danny¡¯s brow as he struggled to even out the discrepancy. Constant focus was needed as Danny continued to make micro-adjustments to the flow of his Qi. After what felt like an eternity, and, at the same time, way too little time, his Core began to run dry. Danny could tell that he didn¡¯t have it in him to refill his Core a second time today. If he didn¡¯t clear the gates now, he would have to wait for tomorrow. It wasn¡¯t the end of the world, there wasn¡¯t a time crunch, but Danny really had his heart set on getting this done today. He needed to finally see his class, it had to be something good to get him a personal guide, Danny just knew it.


    Rallying the last of his Qi, Danny squeezed. What he lacked in reserves he would have to make up for in power. Danny put even more pressure on the compressed Qi, more than he ever had before. His whole body shook with the effort of it. He could hear a low groaning. He realized it was himself. Just when it felt like he had nothing left to give the gates in his shoulders cracked. And blew open. With a second wind, Danny quickly cut off the flow to those gates and redoubled his efforts on the remaining three. The gate in the right hip shattered. The gate in his left soon followed. Danny gathered all the Qi he had left and focused it at one place. The Gate of Breath. Salty drops stung his eyes as Danny shouted in effort. Veins bulging, body quivering, Danny threw all he had left into breaking open the final gate. It worked. A single crack went up the center of the remaining blockage. Then the onslaught was too much. The seal shattered and the Gate of Breath was open at last. Danny took in a deep, exhausted breath.


    It was like breathing for the first time. Danny felt a part of himself that he had never noticed was there before. It was like when you wake feeling refreshed and ready for the day, on steroids. His body felt full of energy and renewed strength. His mind, not so much. The weariness from breaking through made it hard to appreciate just how different his body felt. Adding to the stimulus¡­


    [Breakthrough Detected. Updating Status. Anomaly Detected.]


    [Patching System. System Error @!MX109E##. Patching System.]


    [Patching Successful. Updating Status. Update Successful.]


    [Displaying Status¡­]


    Danny Moore


    Awakening (6/17) Human Beastmaster


    Bloodline: King of Beasts (Pure)


    Body: 5 (8.5)


    Qi: 5 (8.5)


    Soul: 9 (15)


    System Functions:


    Identify, Soul Contract


    Class Abilities:


    Soul Bond, King¡¯s Tribute


    Skills (1 / 4):


    Weeping Willow Dances on the Wind: Staff Technique

 Chapter 6

    Chapter 6


    Danny sat in the prayer chamber with his Status screen open. Aspen hovered in front of him as Danny relayed his contents. Now that the System had patched he could open and close the window at will. Aspen explained that, since he was a cultivator, the System would track his cultivation progress. He would not have access to the Leveling system. Aspen had more input to provide when Danny mentioned that he had the Beastmaster Class.


    ¡°Hm. Beastmaster is definitely a rare Class, especially as the first one, but not unheard of. Never trained one before. Strange though, that, by itself,  shouldn¡¯t have resulted in an anomaly.¡± Danny didn¡¯t mind much. He felt that with his experience at the pet store and his dream of being a veterinarian, an animal focused class was fine with him. His mind wandered to the fox in the woods as he continued to read off his Status.


    ¡°Stop.¡± Aspen interrupted. ¡°Read that last part again.¡±


    ¡°Bloodline: King of Beasts.¡± Danny answered. It seemed to Danny that it must go with the Beastmaster class in some way.


    ¡°That would do it.¡± The guide said.


    He hadn¡¯t spoken of it, but from the summary of the [Bulwark of the Keope Ti-Wa] and the presence of the literal fairy in front of him, Danny had gathered that humans were not the only inhabitants of the Multiverse. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Each race has something that makes them unique. Identify your race in the Status screen.¡± Danny did as he was told.


    [Race: Human Humans are the most common race in all the Multiverse. Humans have the racial trait Adaptability. Humans gain Levels and cultivate at an increased rate. Additionally, while Humans do not have any inherent bloodlines, they have the ability to absorb the bloodlines of other creatures through specialized rituals, treasures, or donation.]


    ¡°It says humans don¡¯t have bloodlines.¡± The fairy nodded along as Danny spoke. ¡°But I do.¡±


    ¡°Hence the anomaly.¡± Aspen finished. They both looked at each other. ¡°Well,¡± Aspen started, ¡°what does it do?¡± Danny Identified.


    [Bloodline: King of Beasts (Pure) Individuals of this bloodline will find that they have greater control over the myriad beasts of the Multiverse. When forming bonds or soul contracts with a beast, the Soul of those with this bloodline is treated as three times greater. Grants the King¡¯s Tribute Ability to the Beastmaster Class.]


    [Class Ability: King¡¯s Tribute When forming a new Soul Bond or Contract with a beast, gain a unique Class Ability based on the beast¡¯s characteristics for the duration.]


    ¡°That is a very powerful bloodline. Pure too, which means that you are the first and, probably, only one with this bloodline. Potentially in the whole Multiverse¡­ An anomaly indeed.¡± Aspen was deep in thought. ¡°Stats please.¡±


    ¡°Uh, okay.¡± Danny was confused on the finer points of the bloodline and its ability, but he pushed that out of his mind as he began to rattle off his stats. ¡°Body is 5 and then there is a second number, 8.5. Mind is the same. Soul is 9 with a¡ª¡±


    ¡°Hm.¡± Aspen interrupted again. ¡°Sorry. Continue.¡±


    ¡°Soul is 9 and the second number is 15. What do the second numbers in parentheses mean?¡± The guide was thinking. It took a moment for him to answer.


    ¡°The first set, Danny, is your base values. The second set is after the multiplier from your Levels or, in your case, cultivation is applied. By the time you finish Awakening, your stats will be three times their base.¡± Danny could clearly see that his Soul stat was higher than the others, and that the gap would only widen as his cultivation furthered, but he wasn¡¯t sure why Aspen seemed so shocked. Unless¡­


    ¡°A 9 isn¡¯t bad, right?¡± Danny was suddenly very nervous.


    ¡°No.¡± Aspen chuckled. ¡°Not at all, a 9 is basically impossible. Human stats range from 3 to 7 in Body, Mind, and Soul. 7 is peak genetics, 8 is a freak of nature. 9 is¡­ an anomaly.¡± Aspen eyed Danny up and down, as if seeing him for the first time. ¡°You have potential. For now, let¡¯s finish the review of your Status.¡±


    Aspen answered Danny¡¯s questions about the remaining portions of the Status screen. His System functions were powers granted by the System itself. He had access to Identify and Soul Contract. He already understood Identify, Soul Contract, however, was a different story. It was similar to Soul Bond, the Beastmaster Ability, but while Soul Bond could only affect beasts with a weaker Soul than Danny, Soul Contracts could be used on any being that possessed a Soul, regardless of the relative strength. King¡¯s Tribute and his staff technique were things that Danny didn¡¯t ask any other questions about, but he was curious why he was limited to four skills.


    ¡°So you don¡¯t stretch yourself thin¡± The guide explained that Danny would have to master and alter each skill to be in line with his Path. Something that would become clear to Danny in the future. The System helped optimize the skills you learned, but fine-tuning them would be entirely up to Danny. He basically had the training wheels on right now.


    A sudden wave of exhaustion crashed over Danny. His train of thought was derailed and he could not, for the life of him, get it back on track. This breaking through stuff is hard work Danny thought dreamily. His eyelids were heavy and Danny was not able to stop their drooping. Danny lowered his head down onto the prayer mat. It did little to cushion him. Danny gave in to the fatigue. No blanket, a breeze blew into the chamber. All it accomplished was causing Danny to roll over onto his left side. He was asleep within moments.


    Danny woke up refreshed. He swung his legs over the side of the bed and stood. The light coming through the window told Danny that it was early in the morning. He would normally sleep for a little longer, but he was feeling wide awake. Danny quickly stripped down and changed, wishing for a warm shower. He grabbed the staff that was now never more than a few feet away and went to the courtyard. His morning routine was calming to him nowadays. Familiar.


    The wind whistled as it was parted by his staff. Danny rehearsed his forms with the practiced grace of a dancer. Once he finished the basic forms he began to explore the various combinations and transitions between them. This was his favorite part. Every new sequence was like a eureka moment. Danny now understood the genius and study that must have gone into this technique. The summary made it sound whimsical and unserious, like it was created in a few days based on a striking scene of a tree in a storm. Maybe it was, and the creator was just that much of a prodigy. He wondered if he would ever reach that peak.This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    As Danny practiced, he moved throughout the courtyard, fully exploring the movement capabilities of his form. Stepping to the side, spinning to the left, but each movement felt off. Like it was choreography rather than something that would be useful in combat. Danny knew that merely going through the motions would not be enough to truly progress, but he just couldn¡¯t bring himself to picture a real fight. Even imaginary, it felt like a betrayal to who he was, who he wanted to be. Or more accurately, who he wanted to not be.


    An orange blue rocketed out of the trees. The fox ran straight at the staff twirling man. Danny stood stupefied as it squawked towards. He was surprised, but he was more confused by the sound it made. Did foxes always sound like that? The orange-furred animal ran between Danny¡¯s legs and cowered behind him, as if he was a shield. Danny was wondering what could have caused the fox to act in such a way when he saw one of the Horrors breach the clearing. It was one that had been disguised as a rabbit, Danny could tell by the deformed pelt that still clung to its body. It skittered right toward them.


    Danny contemplated running inside the temple. Surely the guide would handle the monster, but the panicked squawking behind him made him reconsider. Would the guide save the fox too? That wasn¡¯t something that seemed in character for the fairy. Would he even save Danny? He had mentioned that he was allowed very limited interference. With all the failed attempts at practical training, maybe Danny was out of get-out-of-jail-free cards. The doubts began to pile up.


    ¡°Guide! Sir Fairy! We need help out here!¡± Danny shouted as he readied his staff. He waved it in front him to ward off the monster. It was ineffective. The monster sprung at Danny in its signature pounce. Danny ducked under it and rolled to the side. The creature slid to a stop as it flew past its target, but it turned around, undeterred. Danny continued to try to dissuade the monster, but it kept coming. It leapt at him over and over, missing every time. Eventually, it settled for easier prey. The fox let out a cry as it became the object of the Horror¡¯s hunt. A panicked chase soon erupted.


    ¡°Seriously! Help!¡± Danny swung the staff horizontally as the fox passed under his legs. The staff connected with one of the monster''s legs with a sickening snap. The monster was sent rolling in the grass. It made a low grinding sound as it rose to its feet. The broken leg drug uselessly behind it. It didn¡¯t seem to care. It hobbled forward. The leech-like mouth snapped ferociously. The fox trembled behind him, whimpering. ¡°Stop! Get away!¡± Danny thrusted the staff at the monster repeatedly. The warning shots were ignored. The monster stalked forward, calling Danny¡¯s bluff. Danny stopped each thrust short.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to hurt you. Ju¡ª Just go away!¡± Danny practically begged. But the crippled creature was relentless. Danny jabbed it in the torso and it stumbled backward. But the reprieve was short-lived. The monster once again crept towards the pair. Danny tried everything he could think of. He threatened it with thrusts and wild swings. He prodded it with jabs or smacked it in the body. Nothing would deter it. The thing just kept coming no matter the injuries. Suddenly it stopped. Danny figured it must have finally given up. Then it launched itself in a final gambit. Falling thunder. Danny acted on instinct. The monster¡¯s head squelched as the end of the staff flattened it. Black blood coated it and pooled in the grass making dark mud.


    ___________________________________________________________


    Danny crept up the front steps. If he could just make it through the entryway without him noticing, he would be fine. He¡¯d be over it in the morning anyways, but it was always the moments right after a disaster that were the worst. Danny turned the knob completely before slowly opening the door. The back door was creaky and the hinges caught when it closed, making a loud noise. As counterintuitive as it was, the front door was the best way to sneak in. One foot in the house, Danny began to silently close the door behind as he crossed the threshold. He could hear arguing in the kitchen. He didn¡¯t bother trying to listen in. It was the same every time. Don¡¯t creak, please don¡¯t creak. It wouldn¡¯t be the first time the door betrayed him. The door closed without incident. He was now in the living room, the stairs lying just ahead. Danny didn¡¯t dare breathe yet. He still needed to get upstairs, the third step groaned, and the railing whined when you put weight on it. Danny was so close, but he couldn¡¯t afford to be careless.


    Danny froze, the fight in the other room had ceased. Danny¡¯s face began to tremble as he held his breath. Deciding that it was nothing, the two in the kitchen started it up again. With a measured exhale, the redness left Danny¡¯s face. He looked up the mountain of stairs, ready to make his ascent. At the top of the stairs was his sister. Her eyes lit up as she saw him, undiscovered. ¡°Danny!¡± She whispered. Her tone, however, lacked the subtlety that had been beaten into Danny. Her expression turned horrified as she realized what she had done. There was no escape for him now.


    ¡°Danny! I think we need to have a talk, son.¡± Voice furious, Danny¡¯s father exited the kitchen. He walked into the living room. The man¡¯s nostrils always flared when he was angry, it was almost comical. If he had been angry at someone else, that is. His father had a piece of paper in one hand and a belt in the other. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± He shook the report card in Danny¡¯s direction, it hung, crumpled in a white-knuckled fist. Danny knew what was on the report card, this was the most dangerous day of the year. The end of the semester. ¡°Come on, Danny. I know you can do better than this.¡± It was the same game every time.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do better next semester.¡± Danny had to admit, it was a pretty weak response, but it wouldn¡¯t change what would happen next, so he steeled himself instead of thinking up an excuse.


    ¡°Good. I can¡¯t let you off that easy though. No son of mine is going to settle for half-rate. You are better than this, Danny. You want to be a vet don¡¯t you? You need to get into a school for that, and we sure as hell don¡¯t have the money to foot the bill.¡± Nothing that Danny hadn¡¯t heard before. And then came the dreaded, ¡°Son, this hurts me more than it hurts you, believe me.¡± Danny¡¯s father began to come closer, belt now gripped in both hands, paper fluttering to the floor.


    ¡°Bullshit! You like this you sick fuck.¡± Danny was so fed up with this song and dance. He played like he was the one getting whipped with a belt over B¡¯s. B¡¯s! Dannt had never taken home less than a B his entire life, but it was never enough.


    ¡°Danny!¡¯ His mother reprimanded from the kitchen. ¡°Language!¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s quite alright.¡± His father released the belt from his grip. He began to loop it back into his pants. ¡°Our little Danny is all grown up now.¡± He fastened the belt around his waist and walked closer. ¡°He is a man now.¡± He put his hand on Danny¡¯s shoulder. ¡°So we¡¯ll handle this like men.¡± His fist met Danny¡¯s jaw.


    ¡°Rob! Stop! He¡¯s just a kid!¡± Danny stumbled backward. He had been about to say something before the punch landed. He tasted blood. He raised his hand to his lip and it pulled away crimson. Danny stood there, stunned, as Rob strode over.


    ¡°It¡¯s what he wants. If the boy wants to be an adult now¡ª quit listenin¡¯ to his pops¡ª I¡¯m happy to oblige. We settle this man-to-man.¡±


    Rob¡¯s next blow landed hard in Danny¡¯s gut. He crumpled inward, sputtering. Danny covered his stomach with both hands as he coughed. The sucker punch left Danny reeling. And wide open. Danny was sent to the floor with a thud by a punch to his right eye. Danny lifted himself up on one arm and regarded his father coolly. With his eye rapidly swelling he looked towards his mother. Her misty gaze refused to meet his.


    ¡°Go upstairs. You¡¯ll clean that up tomorrow.¡± Rob gestured to the blood and spittle on the living room rug. ¡°Think hard on whether or not you are ready to be treated like a man.¡± Rob left the living room without looking back. The master bedroom door slammed. Danny climbed to his feet. He shuffled to the first step.


    ¡°I¡ª¡± His mother began. She reached out to offer a comforting hand. Danny shrugged her off. The handrail protested as Danny used it to support his ascent. He didn¡¯t care. No reason to be quiet now. The third step creaked. Bella, his sister, stood, locked in place, at the top of the stairs. Danny kept going.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to¡ª¡± Tears were running down her cheeks. She was much quieter, this time. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± She choked out. ¡°Danny, I¡ª¡± He slid past her. It wasn¡¯t her fault, he knew that. But it was still too fresh to forgive. She flinched as Danny¡¯s bedroom door clicked shut.

 Chapter 7

    Chapter 7


    ¡°Killing monsters won¡¯t affect your Karma.¡± The guide said it like it was reassuring. Danny heard, but he wasn¡¯t listening. He was somewhere else. Some-when else. ¡°Native, there is no other way. It was always going to turn out this way.¡±


    ¡°Maybe you¡¯re right. This was always how it would turn out for me.¡±


    ¡°Listen kid, there was nothing you could have done. Would you keep taking it apart piece by piece until it couldn¡¯t move? Would that have been better? They aren¡¯t animals, or people, nor do they have any semblance of thought. Monsters destroy. They corrupt. That¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    The guide left it at that. He gave Danny a long look before he fluttered out of Danny¡¯s bedroom. He had retreated here after the ordeal in the courtyard. It struck him how, in the course of less than an hour, tranquility turned to chaos so quickly. Going from the top of the world after his breakthrough to a new rock-bottom, his world was turned upside-down, something that happened frequently nowadays. He knew that the guide was right. That thing never stopped, never gave up. It would be him or the monster. All the choices he had made, the cultivation technique, fighting style, even his weapon had been in search of a way to avoid this kind of conclusion. A way to avoid the bloodshed that he had been assured was inevitable. It all felt so pointless now.


    Danny smushed down the defeated feelings. No, he thought, I just didn¡¯t know everything. My way can still work. Monsters were an exception to the rules that guided Karma. His cultivation would be unaffected if he fought and killed them. The true test for Danny¡¯s path would be when the Tutorial ended and he encountered other people. But how could he even know what actions would yield good or fell Karma? Was it based on the results? His intent? What made something right or wrong? Danny grappled with these questions. Part of him still doubted if he made the right choice when he picked out the Gentle Body, Heavenly Soul method.


    Inhale. Exhale. The rhythm of cultivation calmed the chaotic course of Danny¡¯s mind. Even if his Path wasn¡¯t perfect, the feeling of cultivating always relaxed him. That was something that never changed. It was much harder to doubt when he felt the connection with the world around him. He had just broken through, so it surprised him with how much more he could draw in. Roughly double. That was the amount of Qi that Danny¡¯s core could now contain. It was incredible. If this was what happened after the first set of gates, Danny was excited to see what would come of the others. The horror of the day melted away as Danny reveled in the feeling.


    ___________________________________________________________


    ¡°Here it comes!¡± Aspen shouted a warning. A Level 2 Vernian Horror scuttled out of the undergrowth. Danny stood at the ready with his staff. Right in the path of the monster. Danny inhaled. Sun Rises on the Willow. Danny exhaled. He was ready. The monster quickly caught sight of Danny and decided to go after the easier prey rather than keep chasing the fluttering fairy that had been flying circles around it, leading it here. It pounced. Willow Dances. Using the footwork of sequence three form two, Danny sidestepped gracefully. The Horror shot through the air where Danny¡¯s head had been moments before. Striking Thunder. The staff whipped through the air as Danny delivered an overhead strike to the monster¡¯s head. A sharp cracking rang out and the creature collapsed in a mess of limbs. This had been the fourth one today. It was the first that Danny had managed to fell in one hit. A shaky sigh of relief escaped his lips. His hands were locked, white-knuckle on his staff.


    Staring at the unconscious Horror, Danny considered how far he had come in the month since the Tutorial began. He no longer struggled to face down the monsters. It was necessary, like pulling weeds. They consumed without ever giving anything in return. They were never satiated. Like all the others, Danny slammed down hard with his staff, directly onto the head of the Horror. A sickening crunching was heard, then squelching, the butt of his staff reached the insides of the monster. Danny wiped it off with a rag set aside for this purpose.  It rubbed him the wrong way, killing a defenseless creature like that, even a monster, but the guide rightly related to Danny that an unchecked monster population would eventually form a horde. A horde that Danny would have no hope of surviving. So this was how their days would go. The guide was still researching what steps to take toward improving Danny¡¯s class.


    Now that he thought about it, Danny wondered what he would do when the tutorial ended and he was by himself. Fighting monsters would be intense without the fairy as a safety net, but what would he do with no one to keep him company? Danny shelved the thought. No use in getting myself worked up over it now, Danny thought. We still have two more months till we cross that bridge. Plenty of time to get things figured out. I hope.


    ¡°That¡¯s the last one for today.¡± Aspen said as he looked to the sky. ¡°Sun¡¯s going down. You want this one, or should I dispose of it?¡± Normally when Danny finished off a monster Aspen would snap his fingers and the corpse would disappear in a flash of blue. Ever since the second day of drilling, however, Danny had asked to keep the last kill of the night for his own project. Aspen had raised an eyebrow at the request, but he granted it without any questions. They were pretty much Danny¡¯s kills anyways, and the Level 100 didn¡¯t have any reason to collect Level 2 and 3 monster parts anyway. Danny had found a use for the carcasses though, one that made him feel a little better about the slaughter. Just a little.


    ___________________________________________________________


    He bounded through the clearing. He was very careful not to crush any branches or leaves as he kept a moderate pace through the clearing. The setting sun made it easy to keep an eye on the surroundings. A rustle in the underbrush halted him. His eyes surveyed the area. Whatever disturbance there had been had hidden itself away. He resumed his trek towards the clearing. He could smell it now. Food. He could hear the crackling embers and saw the orange light cast shadows on the trees. He slowed to a cautious creep. He had traveled this path before, but still he silently snuck closer. He had been caught off-guard by one of those creatures too many times to be careless. They always struck when he thought he had caught a squirrel or a rabbit, writhing and twisting into something horrific. But the smell¡­the smell from the clearing was making his mouth salivate, unbiddingly. He could barely contain the growls from his stomach. In the clearing was the animal with blue and white fur. It was a strange one. He had never seen an animal like it before, but there were a lot of unfamiliar animals around the forest now. He stepped into the clearing. Without the cover of the grass and shrubs he was exposed. Vulnerable. But the blue and white one gave off a feeling of gentleness, harmlessness. Like prey, but not like prey. The scent carried him forward, maw dripping. The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Danny watched as the fox shyly approached. [Level 5 Navigator Fox] was what the System Identified it as. Once Danny had realized it had a taste for the Horrors he began to save one for the fox each day. He had first gotten the idea on that fateful day of his first kill. When he had calmed down, Danny went out to the courtyard, and to his disgust, the fox was tearing off spider-like limbs and slurping up the meat inside. Danny had heard people rave about crab meat, and he wondered if it was similar. Those kinds of crustacean and insect looking things gave him the creeps, and after his experience with the Horrors, Danny seriously doubted that he would be trying crab any time soon.


    At first, the fox used to not even set another foot in the clearing, so Danny would toss a monster carcass into the woods and watch it from a distance. Foxes weren¡¯t the most attractive animal up close, especially when they were eating, but Danny always had a soft spot for any furry animal. Besides, compared to the Vernian Horrors, the fox looked downright heart-melting. Eventually Danny began to wonder if the monsters were even safe to eat. He never asked Aspen because Danny figured if they were, the guide wouldn¡¯t keep conjuring food to eat out of thin air. He also doubted that the fairy would approve of his nightly activities. He would probably tell him to go train or cultivate. Because of his worry about the safety of monster meat, Danny began to cook the creatures before giving them to the fox. Once he did that, any restraint the fox had seemed to break down as it started to slink into the clearing, salivating, eyes trained on the roasted monsters. Danny found it kind of comical.


    Squaw! The fox made a sound like a bird as it tried to get Danny¡¯s attention. The sound did not fit the animal¡¯s canine appearance in the slightest. Danny noticed that the fox had brought over one of the monster¡¯s legs to him. It dropped it at Danny¡¯s feet, head cocked to the side as it watched him. ¡°No, buddy.¡± Danny said. ¡°I¡¯m good.¡± The animal stared at him. ¡°Go ahead, I¡¯m not hungry.¡± The fox looked at the leg. Then back at Danny. Squaw! Danny kicked the piece of the Horror into the fox¡¯s direction. ¡°All yours.¡± Danny insisted. That seemed to placate the animal. It didn¡¯t bother to ask again. Danny found it cute that the fox tried to share with him, even if the idea of eating the monster leg made his stomach roll. After it had finished its meal, the fox snuck back into the trees, disappearing into the falling darkness.


    Aspen watched from the temple entrance as Danny fed the Earth creature. The animal would be of little use in a fight, but it was good that the native was getting experience bonding with something. It would be integral to developing his Beastmaster class. Aspen held a small leather journal in his hand. All his searching through the library had paid off. It was a small manual, but it was the only one he found that had anything to do with beast taming. It was not a very common skill to develop. Most in the Multiverse preferred to rely on their own personal power than that of another. Maybe it was prideful, but one had to have a little bit of pride to strive for Ascension. As Danny began to return to the temple, Aspen couldn¡¯t help but wonder if this native would have what it takes.


    ___________________________________________________________________


    ¡°No drills today.¡± The guide said as Danny entered the courtyard, which was the standard place for him to train once he had finished morning cultivation. He tossed a black leather book to Danny. [Beast Breaking: The Art of Subjugating the Multiverse¡¯s Wild Denizens]. Danny Identified it before he caught it. These manual titles are getting more pretentious by the second. Danny gathered that it should at least be relevant to his Beastmaster Class. Although, the connotations of the title were dubious at best.


    ¡°Read this.¡± He ordered. ¡°Time to put that beast you¡¯ve been buttering up to good use.¡± Danny wanted to say that he wasn¡¯t just ¡°buttering up¡± the fox, that it was the same as him, the last remnants of Earth in some unfamiliar, alien place. But the fairy seemed different today. Even more prickly than usual. The kind of different that meant something was wrong. Danny went along with the commands, but he attempted to pry the reason for the even grumpier attitude, if such a thing were possible.


    ¡°Sure, thanks. Is everything ok?¡± Not his most subtle work, but Danny figured that it would get the job done.


    ¡°We won¡¯t have enough time.¡±


    ¡°Time for what? I thought you said we will have two months until the tutorial ends. What¡¯s the rush?¡± Danny was pretty confused, they had made major progress. Danny had already opened eleven gates of the seventeen of the Awakening stage. He had picked up and become skilled with a notoriously difficult martial technique, and he had a powerful bloodline, base Soul stat, and Class Ability. Would even that be not enough? Danny¡¯s thoughts were derailed when he saw the grave look on Aspen¡¯s face.


    ¡°Have I ever told you what happens after the tutorial?¡±


    ¡°No, you only mentioned that it lasts three months. Nothing about after.¡± This is actually something that Danny was curious about. He had asked before, but the guide would always put off an explanation, usually forcing a training exercise upon him.


    ¡°After the tutorial, there will be three System Events. The System has developed a standard suite of these Events that it uses for Integration.¡± The guide dove headfirst into the explanation. ¡°First will be the Monster Horde Event, next is the Hunts. Treasure Hunt and then Monster Hunt. Then there will be another waiting period until the First Wave.¡± That was a lot for Danny to digest. Horde? Hunts? Treasure? First Wave? The questions rattled around the inside of Danny¡¯s brain.


    ¡°That¡¯s true for 75% of planets.¡± Aspen continued. His brow was now set low upon his face. Danny could tell this was the part that was upsetting him. ¡°24% of planets will have one of these Events replaced with an Experimental Event, where the System tries to find something more effective.¡±


    ¡°So we are going to have one of these Experimental Events? Is that bad?¡± Danny didn¡¯t particularly like the idea of being an ¡°experiment,¡± but he also figured that the System didn¡¯t seem like it wanted to harm anyone, so what was the worst that could happen?


    ¡°No Danny. We will only have Experimental Events. That¡¯s what happens to the last 1% of planets. The Wildcards, they call them.¡±

 Chapter 8

    Chapter 8


    ¡°Oh. Is that a problem?¡± Danny was still unsure what had the fairy so bothered.


    ¡°Yes, native, it is a problem.¡± The fairy spat out the words. ¡°A big one. The standard Integration is studied. Predictable. A Wildcard is¡­not. But the planets that become Wildcards all have one thing in common. A lot of exceptional natives.¡±


    A part of Danny wondered if he would be counted among these ¡°exceptional natives.¡±


    ¡°Wipe that look off your face, you may have made good progress so far, but you are from far enough to be considered a true elite.¡±


    Danny was getting really sick of the attitude.


    ¡°Wildcard Integrations also have over triple the amount of casualties.¡±


    ¡°What makes them so dangerous?¡±


    ¡°The standard Integration is designed to maximize the amount of survivors while still challenging them. A Wildcard Integration isn¡¯t concerned with casualty rates or fairness. A Wildcard Integration makes monsters. Not the kind with sharp teeth and fangs, but the person kind. That¡¯s what¡¯s so different. Bonding with that Earth creature is now the highest priority, you will need all the help you can get.¡±


    ___________________________________________________________________


    Danny walked towards the edge of the clearing holding a dead Horror that had been disguised as a small songbird. It was the one taken from this morning¡¯s training session. The drills had been tense. Both the fairy and Danny had not spoken much. Just the sounds of a staff flying through the air and screeching Horrors filled the courtyard, It was haunting. Danny was glad to be near the pine-scented forest. The smell had become calming to him, much better than the smell of monster blood and sweat.


    Familiar amber eyes shone from the underbrush. The fox bounded into the courtyard squawking and yipping. ¡°Hey, little guy. You¡¯re getting stronger¡­¡± The fox was now Identified as [Level 7 Navigator Fox]. Aspen had told Danny that beasts could gain levels by eating the meat of other creatures, they got bonus experience from monster carcasses. It was the System¡¯s way of incentivizing nature to help control monster populations. Danny tossed the many-legged body, which the fox caught and began to shake like a chew toy. Not exactly the adorable dog I had dreamed of, but I guess cute things don¡¯t last long around here. Danny had wanted a dog. Or a cat, anything, even a fish. Rob would promise Danny a pet if he could get his grades up. It was never enough. Nothing was ever enough.


    Danny shook his head. He was at a loss for what was drudging all of these thoughts and memories up from the depths of his mind. You¡¯ve got a job to do. Focus. This wasn¡¯t a social call, Danny had to figure out how to use his Beastmaster Class Abilities to form a bond with the fox. It felt a little unfair to him, bending an animal like this to his will, but Danny resolved himself that, if what Aspen said was true, they would both need each other to survive. Danny opened up his beast-taming manual and skimmed through the pages. It was written in the flowery prose that these authors seemed to love. It used figurative language and metaphor in a way that made it hard to understand the actual meaning behind some of the phrases. ¡°Form a Spirit Bridge to link the islands of the Soul¡± was pretty and all, but how was he supposed to do that?


    The fox continued to prance around the courtyard as it threw the monster a few feet away and then retrieved it only to repeat the process, giving the thing a good shake in between. It brought a smile to Danny¡¯s face. Maybe this whole Integration thing won¡¯t be so bad after all. Danny stumbled across a page that looked promising.


    ¡°So, first I need to sense the connection.¡± Danny closed his eyes as the manual recommended. He tried to ¡°feel¡± the fox, the same way he ¡°felt¡± his Qi in his Core. His face scrunched with concentration. He opened his mind and allowed his awareness to spread throughout the area. He reached towards the fox who was playing with his food. And he felt it! Wait¡­ that was just a breeze. Danny sighed as he opened his eyes. The fox tilted its head quizzically at him before it went back to its game. That¡¯s a dead end.


    The guide frowned as Danny relayed the results of his attempt at forming a Bond with the navigator fox. ¡°We¡¯ll put that on hold for now then.¡± He said, much calmer than he had been earlier in the morning. Danny still felt himself walking on eggshells after the morning¡¯s training. ¡°The timeline will need to be adjusted, but it shouldn¡¯t matter too much.¡± The fairy¡¯s eyes glowed blue and a small map-like image hovered in the top-right of his vision. ¡°This is a mini-map.¡± He explained. ¡°Marked by a red X is the nest of those Horrors. You are going to take it out. Then, we will move on. I have gathered everything of value from this place and it is time for us to go on to the next.¡±


    Danny felt a little shell-shocked. He hadn¡¯t realized that they would be moving on. In hindsight, Danny didn¡¯t want to spend the rest of his life in an abandoned temple in the middle of nowhere, but it wasn¡¯t like there were any people out there anyway. Everyone was still in the Tutorial. In reality, the place was kind of crappy. The rooms were tiny, like prison cells. The prayer hall was uninsulated and hard to concentrate in due to the temperature fluctuating with the weather. Then there was the constant assault of Vernian Horrors that made going into the woods a nightmarish, anxiety-inducing affair. But it was familiar, the place he had been dropped in at the start of the Integration. Danny was finding it hard to visualize spending his days anywhere else, as weird as it seemed.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    And then there was the matter of the monster nest. They had been drilling combat against small groups, but Danny was certain that a nest would be on another level. He wondered if this was retribution for earlier, but Aspen didn¡¯t strike Danny as that petty, just¡­stressed. This Wildcard business had pushed his guide to ramp up the intensity. But Danny was the one being Integrated, the one who was in danger, he would have to take this seriously from here on out to not be overwhelmed by the new regiment. Looking at the sky, Danny determined that he should have more than enough daylight to clear out the monster nest today. It was worryingly close to the temple. No point in delaying the inevitable, Danny thought. ¡°I¡¯ll do it now,¡± Danny said. Aspen had his brow furrowed in thought. He gave a slight nod without looking in Danny¡¯s direction. Danny took it as an acknowledgment and began his trek to the nest of Horrors, Staff of the Sleeping Giant in hand.


    The branches rustled as Danny shoved his way through. Danny had been training his skill at fighting monsters, but fighting through this forest was another thing. The pack of supplies he was lugging around on his back did not make it easier. The lowest branches were at head level for Danny, so he had to duck under or push through them to make progress. Every snapped stick or shifting shrub sent a spike of panic through him. It was exhausting. A little rabbit would hop through the undergrowth and Danny would snap to the ready, expecting a fight, only for it to truly be an Earth rabbit, rather than a Horror in disguise. So it went, a slog through the sun-dappled greenery, jumping at every shadow and sound until the inevitable happened.


    A vigorous rustling caused Danny to whirl around. From the leaves and grasses burst forth a streak of orange and white, squawking in alarm. On the fox¡¯s tail were a trio of Vernian Horrors each with fuzzy ringed tails of a raccoon. Spider legs tore into the topsoil as they scurried towards Danny. With a Yip! the fox dove between Danny¡¯s legs and hid behind him. The fox seemed to have a habit of bringing trouble to Danny¡¯s doorstep. Danny could hardly blame the thing, the monsters were, well, horrific. Danny settled into his guard position with his staff at the ready, staring down the newcomers: [Level 4 Vernian Horror], [Level 7 Vernian Horror], [Level 5 Vernian Horror].


    With a shriek, the highest level of the three leapt at Danny. Danny intercepted it mid-air with his staff. A crunching sound accompanied by a strangled screech marked the monster¡¯s fall to the ground. Meanwhile, the other two began to circle Danny, surrounding him, and cutting off his escape. The injured Horror was now leaking a sickening black ichor, but still, it rose to its feet. Once again it threw itself at Danny, but this time not alone in its attack. Danny ducked under the aerial assault and turned his attention to the flankers. One of them charged straight into the swinging end of Danny¡¯s weapon. The other found the flesh of Danny¡¯s leg. The leech-like mouth latched on to him. He could feel the suction, like a vacuum cleaner, trying to turn his insides into outsides.


    Danny flailed his leg and hammered the monster with his staff, but the creature¡¯s grip on him held firm. He didn¡¯t have any time to waste on his new passenger, either. The two wounded Horrors positioned themselves on either side of him, pincering him. They would hop forward menacingly, but they never committed to an attack. A good old-fashioned stick to the head must have them too scared to strike. Danny used the time their hesitation bought him to rest. It wasn¡¯t until Danny began to feel light-headed that he figured out the true reason for their behavior. They¡¯re waiting for it to bleed me dry. Danny realized.


    Danny began to wildly swipe at the attached monster with renewed vigor. But each swing of the staff was weaker and weaker. He could feel the effects of the draining, like giving blood except, instead of the whole pint this thing wanted all Danny had to offer. Finally, a lucky strike landed on what must have been the blood-sucker''s version of a temple because it separated from him and fell to the ground in a daze. Desperate due to their foiled plan, the other two monsters leapt at Danny simultaneously. Danny dove to the side, but the fatigue in his limbs caused his foot to catch on a tree root; he stumbled and fell flat on his face. He quickly rolled onto his back to keep his eyes on the danger, but it was too late. The two monsters, one was still trying to regain its senses, scuttled towards Danny. He raised his arms to cover his face and heard the terrible sound of¡­a squawk? Danny opened his eyes that he had clamped shut and saw a familiar furry orange form biting down on the Level 7 Horror¡¯s leg. It was attempting to shake it around, as it had with the dead ones, but a living monster was a little bit harder to manhandle, as the fox was now finding out.


    Taking advantage of the distraction, Danny clamored to a stand and landed a nasty overhead strike on the unhindered monster. Its body made a slick sucking sound as Danny ended its life. The Horror grappling with the fox slashed at its captor with its pointed spider legs and scored a long gash on the woodland creature. The fox let out a pained warble and released its hold. But its work was done. Danny swiftly shattered the monster''s chitinous shell. The remaining Horror was skittering around haphazardly, as though drunk. Danny made short work of it.


    Danny limped over to his injured savior and knelt. He inspected the thin slash that ran along the animal¡¯s side. ¡°You did great back there,¡± Danny said softly. ¡°Saved my life.¡± He pet the fox¡¯s head and it affectionately pushed into his hand in return. Danny realized that the fox was also the reason he had even been in danger in the first place¡­ Uncaring and satisfied that the injury was skin-deep, Danny used his staff to help himself to his feet. He then pulled out his ¡°goo-rag¡± and began to wipe the ichor from his staff. Danny pulled a robe that was too small for him from his pack of supplies. He bandaged his injury and used water to clean the fox¡¯s. He quickly realized that the lightheadedness and fatigue had come from some sort of side-effect of the monster attaching itself to him. Possibly venom, but the fact that it stopped as soon as he put the creature down made him think that it was more like a video game status effect. ¡°More where that came from,¡± Danny said, looking at his companion, ¡°you up for it?¡± The fox responded with a high-pitched bark.

 Chapter 9

    Chapter 9


    Man and fox stood at the entrance to a cave. The sunlight that broke through the canopy overhead did little to illuminate the entrance. The dark expanse spread before them. The man held a staff in a relaxed way, but ready to snap to attention at any moment. The fox held the limp body of a monster that it playfully shook back and forth. The fox froze. The monstrous chew toy fell to the ground. Yip! The fox shot forward into the cave. Yip! Yip. yip, Its enthusiastic calls echoed as it disappeared into the darkness.


    ¡°Wait!¡± Danny yelled after it. What the hell are you doing?! Danny trepidly stepped into the maw of the cave. The darkness hung in the air, preventing Danny from seeing more than a few feet in front of him. He took a nearby branch and pulled one of the extra robes from his pack. He tore off the sleeve and wrapped it around the end of the branch. He wished he had some sort of fuel to soak it in for a longer-lasting light source, but hopefully, he wouldn¡¯t be in the cave too long. Danny used a firestarter from his pack to light the torch. The smooth walls of the cave were illuminated by an orange glow as he entered.


    Danny crept carefully through the cave on high alert. His eyes were beginning to adjust to the low light, but only enough that he could avoid tripping over himself. Danny was again pleased to find that the dizzy spell and profuse bleeding caused by the Horror earlier was only temporary. Must have been some sort of effect that would incapacitate prey. I was almost prey. Danny shivered at the thought. As he went on, Danny began to wonder exactly how far this cave would go. So far the cave had been a straight shot, so he was somewhat confident he could retreat if he ran out of light.


    This was supposed to be a nest, but Danny had yet to see any of the Horrors. That only added to his anxiety. Then there was the matter of that hair-brained fox. I swear, Danny thought to himself, afraid to speak aloud, I don¡¯t know what I am going to do with that thing. Maybe it was a good thing we didn¡¯t Bond after all¡­ Danny noticed movement ahead. And a soft green glow. The green light cast the cavern in a sickly color. The light source flickered as a shadow kept moving around it erratically. Danny heard the something ahead clatter and skitter on the stones. As Danny got closer the shadow formed a silhouette, one rushing back and forth and around, fixated on the apple-sized orb that was glowing green. The silhouette came into clearer focus as Danny crept forward, trying his best to be silent. Then Danny saw the streak of orange and realized he recognized the shadowy form.


    The fox was excitedly trotting around the source of the glow, but there was still no sign of any monster. Danny had expected more from the nest. The fox scampered over to down and jumped to a halt. It crouched low and let out a Yip! Then the fox continued to hop around the chamber, fully satisfied with itself. I guess this green thing was what caused him to take off like that. It still seemed odd to Danny. He had no idea what this thing was, or what use it would be to the fox. Danny walked closer to the orb. It was a smooth, polished-looking stone. The jade-esque ball was lit from within, a swirling galaxy was locked inside. It captured Danny¡¯s gaze and he began to lean forward. A nervous Yip! pulled Danny back to Earth. The ground around the polished stone began to shake. A crustacean the color of slate rose from the ground. The green glow remained attached to the top of its body like an angler fish. Danny realized he had fallen for the oldest trick in the book.


    Pincers the length of Danny¡¯s arm snapped menacingly. In place of eye stalks the monster had two long, tubular mouths, ringed with teeth. [Level 15 Horror Matriarch] Yeah, probably should have done that sooner, Danny thought in hindsight. Thick armored legs lifted the Matriarch¡¯s body into the air. A terrible screeching, the nails-on-chalkboard kind, reverberated through the cave. Danny gaped. Quickly, Danny put some distance between himself and the creature and settled into his stance. The guardian of the nest did not keep him waiting.


    The impact of the claw on the cavern floor sent Danny stumbling. A panicked Yip! echoed several feet away as the fox turned tail. So much for getting help. Danny felt a grim determination. It was him against this oversized crab. Never was a fan of seafood. Danny¡¯s staff collided with one of the monster¡¯s leg joints with a crack. It didn¡¯t budge. Oh sh¡ª


    Danny dodged to the side. A massive, monstrous pincer claw hurtled into the stone floor, passing through where Danny had been standing. It left cracks in the cave floor. Getting hit is not an option. Weaving around another miss from the Matriarch, Danny tested a full-power strike on one of the monster¡¯s mouths. A dull thud was the result. Followed by another ear-piercing screech. She did not like that. Danny hurriedly backpedaled a few steps as the monster lowered its torso and tried to bodyslam him. Danny had managed to gain enough distance that he was unbothered at the attempt, but the Horror had the range advantage. The devastating claws that would surely shatter bones if they connected would be much easier to utilize with Danny at arm¡¯s length. He had to get in close.


    Danny hurdled over a low sweep. He closed the gap and began to swing his staff, building momentum. He pivoted and spun, narrowly avoiding another pincer. Danny used the speed he he had built up with his staff to throw a devastating horizontal swing toward the mouth stalk he had hit earlier. This time, the thick grey skin split at the point of contact, causing the mouth to tremble and ichor to dribble onto the Matriarch¡¯s shell. This time the monster didn¡¯t screech. A claw came out of Danny¡¯s blind spot and caught him in the side. Danny was flung backward as he felt his ribs fracturing. The skin on Danny¡¯s elbows was flayed as he slid against the hard uneven, rocky surface. Danny grunted as he was stopped by a stalagmite.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    Danny pushed himself up with his hands and took a moment to think. He had been thrown fairly far away, and the Matriarch did not seem in a hurry to press him. The monster had not gone unscathed. The pulverized mouth hung uselessly and Danny noticed discoloration on the claws from all the slamming into the hard cave floor. Ok, this thing is a lower level than me, but it is bigger, stronger, and harder to hurt, reasoned Danny. I have to change it up, try something different. What would I do if this was a video game? Danny took in a deep breath. And winced. His right side burned like a dozen cuts being made on the inside of his body. Danny readied himself. He charged.


    The monster clicked its claws together as Danny approached in some sort of taunt or battle cry. A pincer opened and shot out to Danny¡¯s midsection. Then it slammed shut, trying to bisect him. But Danny had already slid to the ground and was fast approaching. The second claw came from above. Danny leapt backward as it crashed down. The collision echoed off the walls of the cave. He then jumped onto the claw. The Matriarch had not expected this and was slow to react. Danny began to run up the monster¡¯s arm, but it reminded Danny of trying to balance on the sidewalk curb when he was a kid. Except the sidewalk was a monstrous crab queen trying to kill you. Danny propelled himself off his tenuous balancing beam just in time to dodge the monster¡¯s other claw. A snapping sound was heard as the Horror broke its arm in an attempt to catch the annoying gnat that was Danny. Danny lifted his staff over his head as he flew. With a shout, he brought the weapon down on the glowing green orb on the top of the crab-like body. It shattered.


    Danny tumbled unceremoniously to the ground behind the Matriarch. She screeched the loudest screech so far. One that echoed intensely in the cavern, causing Danny to cover his ears with his hands. He realized they were raw from the relentless swinging of his staff. The cry had to be heard from miles away, by Danny¡¯s estimation. It finally stopped. Danny looked upon the monstrous crustacean and found that it had collapsed. Both mouths now dangled unresponsive and those once surprisingly fast claws were still. Danny smiled. Alright! Just like a video game. If the monster has something glowing on it, just break it. Danny was quite proud of all those nights spent playing RPGs now instead of doing homework. His sleep schedule might have suffered, but now it was finally paying off. ¡°Speaking of video games.¡±


    He walked over to where the Horror Matriarch had emerged from. Where there was a boss, there would be loot. It was the gospel truth of all video games, and what better place to hide it than where the boss itself laid hidden? Sure enough, Danny found a small jade necklace lying in the crater the monster had left behind. [Necklace of Rejuvenation]. It looked to be made of the same green material that the orb on the Matriarch¡¯s head had been made of, without the glow. It was shaped like an oval disk with a leather cord adorned with small wooden beads. Danny picked it up and Identified it closer. The System gifted him with¡­


    [Necklace of Rejuvenation This necklace is made with the Spirit Orb of a Horror Matriarch. This particular Life Orb grants a passive boost to the regeneration and healing of the wearer. Qi can be channeled into it for greater effect.]


    Danny figured that there was no better time than the present to test his latest find. He put it around his neck and immediately felt¡­nothing. Waiting a few moments, Danny expected to feel a change, maybe less pain for a start. There was nothing. Nothing that he could feel, anyway. Danny decided to try out the second feature. He had never heard of items that could interact with his Qi before¡­ although the guide was not exactly a font of information. Danny began to breathe according to the Gentle Body, Heavenly Soul method. This time, instead of sending the collected Qi to soften the blockages on his gates, Danny directed it to the necklace.


    Except, Danny couldn¡¯t feel the necklace at all. Like when he tried to form a Bond with the fox, Danny had no idea where the item was in relation to his Qi. He could feel his Heart Gate and the Gate of Breath, along with the body gates in his shoulders and hips, but not the Necklace of Rejuvenation. He tried guessing, but there was no reaction. Danny could feel where his Heart Gate was, and it was about the same area as where the necklace hung, about his neck. Danny used the gate as a guide. He pushed the Qi into the direction he knew the necklace to be, but it seemed to dissipate into the air, like smoke. If moving the Qi in his body was moving water, then manipulating Qi outside his body was moving steam. It just couldn¡¯t be done.


    Danny had one last idea. He borrowed the tactic he used to break open his gates and pushed the Qi in his Heart Gate down into a sphere. He kept building the pressure until he felt he couldn¡¯t comfortably squeeze any harder. Then, Danny shot the pressured stream of Qi in the necklace¡¯s direction. It was effective. Sort of. Most of the Qi dissipated like earlier, but a small, wispy strand of the energy made it to its destination. The green stone glowed the same hue as the Matriarch¡¯s orb and Danny felt energy wash over his body. The power sought out his injuries, the skinned elbows, torn hands; then, the energy flowed deeper into him, soreness he hadn¡¯t noticed in the heat of battle was relieved, the burning, stinging pain in his side lessened, but that marked the end of the necklace¡¯s effect. The necklace didn¡¯t seem to have a limit. But Danny did. The Qi he had collected was gone. He hadn¡¯t pushed the issue too hard, so Danny could tell he would be able to cultivate later tonight, once he had a bit of rest.


    A skittering sound grew louder and louder from the direction of the entrance. Danny readied himself for a fight, appreciating the fact that it no longer hurt to breathe. With a squawk, a fox slid to a stop in front of Danny. ¡°So now that it¡¯s over, you come back?¡± Danny relaxed. ¡°You are such a little punk.¡± The fox yipped at him. ¡°Don¡¯t backtalk me.¡± Yip! Yip! was the answer. ¡°Well, see if I ever bring you monster meat again.¡± The fox whipped its head towards the entrance. Ears back, it barked at the darkness and then scampered behind Danny, hiding. ¡°I already killed the big one, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Danny grew worried. The fox whimpered from behind him. Danny remembered the death cry the Matriarch had let out before it succumbed to its injuries. ¡°Was that the sound of the thing dying, or was it summoning its minions?¡± The scraping of a hundred spidery legs was the only answer Danny received.

 Chapter 10

    Chapter 10


    Aspen watched the trees from the temple courtyard. The native had been gone for some time now. Even from here, he had heard the Matriarch¡¯s rallying cry. The Horror nest would certainly be a challenge for the young native, especially as a first clear, but he would face much more difficult things in the time to come. He would have to work quickly if he was to forge tempered steel rather than a blade broken when tested. It wasn¡¯t his first Wildcard. No, that had been Teak¡­ Aspen pushed away the reminiscence, there was no time for that.


    The native should be more than capable of taking down a Matriarch at this point, but the horde she summoned might be too much. Once he got to the clearing, Aspen would ensure that no harm would come to the native. If he couldn¡¯t even make it back¡­Better to find out now if he is a failure instead of after the full three months. It was harsh, but that was the reality of the Multiverse. The Tutorial was the only time the System would ¡°take it easy.¡± After the three months, it was all fair game.


    He should have been back by now. The nest was not far. Aspen waited. It was unsettling how silent it was. Aspen remembered when planet Vern had been Integrated. The place was a Catastrophe. A planet whose natives had all perished to the monster population. The Horrors were one of the planet¡¯s unique species of monsters. Every Integration had them. Now though, Vern was just referred to as ¡°The Garden.¡± Aspen was interrupted by a sound in the distance. A man draped in ragged robes stepped out of the forest. He hung on his staff like it was the only thing keeping him upright. Torn and stained-red pieces of cloth wrapped around his arms and legs.


    I look like a ten-year-old dressed up like a mummy for Halloween. Danny thought as he limped into the courtyard. The relentless rush of the little Horrors had taken its toll. The only thing keeping him standing was the trickle of healing that came from the necklace he wore. The fox trotted behind him, contentedly carrying two monster carcasses. I¡¯m not even sure I want to try this whole Bonding thing anymore. Just like before, the fox fled at the first sign of trouble, using Danny as a human shield. The little guy did jump in to help a few times. He would nip at legs or push one of the monsters off balance. He had saved Danny what would have been much more grievous injuries more than once. Okay, maybe you aren¡¯t all that bad. At that point, Danny¡¯s mental faculties were running on fumes. It was all he could do to stumble his way up the steps. He barely noticed what the fairy floating at the entrance said. ¡°Nice work, kid.¡±


    ___________________________________________________________________


    When he awoke the following morning, Danny found it hard to move. All the strength in his limbs felt depleted. The trickle of healing from his newest piece of equipment sped things along a little bit, but he could tell it would take a while to heal unless he used it actively. As Danny was considering it, a small man with butterfly wings floated into his room. ¡°How are you feeling?¡± The guide asked.


    ¡°Like I was hit by a train.¡±


    The guide nodded. ¡°You were in rough shape. Slept for a whole day.¡±


    Danny groaned.


    ¡°What did you do with the Life Core?¡±


    ¡°The what?¡±


    ¡°The glowing colored orb on the head of the Matriarch. The only reason that the planet Vern hasn¡¯t been turned into a cloud of space dust. The Life Core.¡±


    ¡°I shattered it.¡±


    ¡°You¡ª¡± The guide exhaled slowly and collected himself. ¡°Native, it may come as a surprise to you, but there is more to the Multiverse than killing monsters. And for all those extra-curriculars, monster parts are used. Crafting, smithing, rune-forging, even cooking, all of it takes monster parts. The meaner and rarer the monster the better. A Matriarch¡¯s Life Core is one of the more valuable. ¡±


    Danny wished that he had been told this before, but he couldn¡¯t imagine how he would have won if hitting the Matriarch¡¯s weak point had been off-limits. He wondered if that was a normal ask for someone of his power. Well, not exactly a normal Integration, is it? The thought of challenges that had even his guide rushing and forgetful made Danny more than a little anxious. Danny remembered something that had happened shortly after the fight.


    ¡°I got a new skill.¡± The guide raised his eyebrows, but silently waited for Danny to continue. ¡°It¡¯s called Qi Manipulation. I think it makes it easier to do stuff with my energy.¡±


    The guide nodded. ¡°That¡¯s one of the most common skills.¡±


    Danny deflated. It felt like he had an epiphany back in that cave. He had at least hoped it had resulted in something special or unique.


    ¡°Don¡¯t misunderstand.¡± The guide said, reading Danny¡¯s mind. ¡°When I say common, I mean common among Ascended. Those who reach the end of their Path and ascend to the Mythical Realms. Over half of the Ascended have Qi Manipulation as a skill. It is extremely potent. Exceptionally hard to acquire, too.¡±


    That was reassuring. At least the skill was strong and there was a level of prestige behind it, even if it wasn¡¯t unique to him. But the talk of Ascended and Mythical Realms and Paths raised even more questions. Before Danny could ask them the guide cut the conversation short.


    ¡°You need to rest. For now, focus on cultivating. You may be recovering but you won¡¯t be idle. Breakthrough the next set of gates by the end of the week.¡± With that, the guide flittered out of Danny¡¯s room. Geez, that guy has no chill.Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    Using the active property of the necklace would drain Danny¡¯s Qi in exchange for accelerated healing. It was substantial. While it wouldn¡¯t heal broken bones in one go, it should speed along his recovery nicely. But if I do that, I will have little to no energy left over for my gates. I could probably split it, but I don¡¯t think I could make the end-of-the-week deadline if I do. Danny puzzled over his options. Making his decision, Danny slipped into the soothing trance of cultivation and began to direct his Qi to erode the blockages of his gates. Surely a break from physical training won¡¯t be too bad¡­


    The days blurred together. Danny hovered between being lucid, asleep, and meditating. He would occasionally get up and walk around the temple or in the courtyard. In the first few days, Danny kept the activity to a minimum, but as he began to feel better Danny would spend longer and longer on his feet. Sometimes, he would see the familiar orange fox basking in the clearing. It seemed he called the place home now. When the animal first saw Danny after he had been injured it ran around him excitedly. It squawked and yipped as it ran between his legs, nearly causing him to trip. Danny found it a little exhausting, but it also made him feel warm. The fox was the apex predator, now that the Horrors had been dealt with. There were a few stragglers, and the fox would make short work of any he found near the clearing. He was now Level 10.


    ¡°You¡¯ve grown a lot.¡± Danny said as he sat in the grass next to the fox. ¡°I can still remember when you would run at the sight of those things. Now look at you.¡± The fox yipped in answer.  It had taken five days for Danny to feel recovered enough to return to his normal routine. Not 100%; Danny was more at 80%, but it was enough to return to his training, at least by his guide¡¯s estimation.


    They were to move on as soon as Danny broke through his next set of gates. Secretly, Danny wondered if he could get away with delaying a little longer. The manual on taming had answered why Danny had not been able to sense the fox. He needed to open the next gate, the Gate of Sensation. Well, the manual recommended he wait until all the gates were open, but the Gate of Sensation was required. It would allow him to feel the Qi of others and the ambient Qi of the world around him. He wondered what would happen when he was Bonded with the fox. Would it be like this? Sitting in the with the warm sun upon his face with the orange furred animal by his side, or would something change? That was another reason Danny hesitated. The truth was he could probably break through right now if he pushed. But what he had now was good. Comfortable. He didn¡¯t want to lose everything again. In a world of martial arts and monsters, can I afford to be left behind? Danny again wrestled at the precipice. Danny looked at the snoozing fox beside him. Will I be able to protect him if something bigger than a leech crab thing shows up? He felt like there was only one, real answer. I¡¯ve already come this far. Danny thought as he rose from his seat on the grass. The fox halted its snoring as he moved, but it quickly fell back into a deep sleep.


    The wooden bucket of water sloshed as Danny set it down on the stone path. After his last breakthrough, he learned that it was easier to wash the expelled impurities off the pathway. Trying to clean it out of the grass resulted in a swampy, smelly mess. He rolled the prayer mat out. It was still stained from last time. He decided to reuse it instead of soiling another one. He sat cross-legged. Part of it was informed by pop culture depictions of kung-fu masters, but he also found it comfortable. As he settled into his meditation, the feel of the hard stones supporting him began to fall away. The peppery smell of the pines, the breeze on the back of his neck, the sun that warmed it soon after, all of it faded. He once again tapped into the wavelength where he felt connected to the Qi of the world. Deeper than the sunlight, deeper than the tree or wind, Danny drew in what was beneath it all.


    He began to regulate his breathing. A deep inhale, pulling in as much as he could handle. A warmth spread throught his stomach and Danny absorbed more and more energy. The energy roiled as he pushed it down, creating pressure. It was almost too much for Danny to handle at one time. The perspiration dripping down his face was the only indicator of his efforts. The energy lapped against the blockages, but Danny was able to break through the gates without too much difficulty. Then the world exploded.


    Everything was a new sensation. Danny could feel the energy of the world around him. The energy in the forest and in his necklace beat with a steady pulse. The energy from the earth and stones felt sturdy, solid. The Qi wafting off the water was like flowing silk. Energy that was sharp wild and free came with the breeze. It was overwhelming. Danny felt as though he had blind and now could finally see. The Gate of Sensation truly lived up to its name. Danny also noticed the flexibility gained from breaking through the second set of body gates. His joints were fluid and Danny sensed that he would be able to push his body even further than before when it came to dodging and weaving.


    Danny spit out some of the black impurities, but there was much less of the stuff covering him than before. He washed himself and then shanged into the spare set of clothes he had brought. A beacon of an aura approached. It felt wild and ferocious. Primal. But also disciplined, a tiger kept on a leash, but ready to be released at any moment. It made Danny shiver. Like standing in front of the Horror Matriarch all over again.


    ¡°Done?¡± the source of the energy, Danny¡¯s guide, asked.


    ¡°Y-yes.¡± It was hard for Danny to stop himself from gawking.


    ¡°Good. The earth creature next.¡±


    ¡°...oh! Right.¡± The fox was still lying on the grass, but now it stared at Danny with its head cocked to the side. Danny wondered if it sensed his breakthrough. Animals do have better senses than us. Does that extend to Qi as well? Danny filed away the thought for later. The guide was waiting on him.


    Danny walked across the courtyard to where the fox lay. It didn¡¯t get up, but the fox did shift from its side to lying on its stomach. The fox¡¯s tail swung from side to side, rustling through the grass. Danny closed his eyes. Unlike before, he could feel the fox in front of him. The aura he felt was like smoke. Ephemeral, but at the same time it danced forward and retreated, equal parts curious and trepidacious. Danny reached out. The flickering mist darted back. Danny stopped. It seemed nervous. Danny was nervous too. He tried a trick that he had picked up when dealing with his friend¡¯s cat. He relaxed and remained still. Soon, the fox investigated. It poked and prodded. Satisfied with what it found, the energy pushed against Danny. Like a Qi version of a handshake. Acceptance. Danny accepted right back.


    Slowly opening his eyes, Danny looked at the fox in front of him. It now sat upright. He almost jumped back because of how close the thing was. He could smell the monster carcass on the fox¡¯s breath. Then the fox sneezed in his face.


    ¡°Ew, gross.¡± Danny didn¡¯t feel any different. He wondered if it really worked.


    [Class Ability Gained: Treasure Sense (Navigator Fox).]


    Danny quickly opened up the Status screen to view the description.


    [Treasure Sense: Borrowing the unique ability of the Navigator Fox to sense valuables, allows the King of Beasts to sense nearby treasures of value to them.]

 Chapter 11

    Chapter 11


    ¡°Strange.¡± The sudden interjection pulled Danny from the reading.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°The earth animal, it lost levels.¡±


    ¡°Wait¡­that can happen?¡±


    ¡°See for yourself.¡± Danny took the guide¡¯s advice and Identified the fox. [Level 7 Navigator Fox] The animal had gone from Level 10 to Level 7.


    ¡°Is that normal?¡±


    ¡°No. That¡¯s why I said ¡®Strange.¡¯¡± The guide snorted. ¡°The ability you gained from the Bond must have come from the creature¡¯s own power.¡±


    ¡°Is it going to be ok?¡± Danny was suddenly worried that he had hurt the fox.


    ¡°Probably.¡±


    ¡°Probably? You don¡¯t know?¡±


    ¡°No. I don¡¯t know, native. Because you are an anomaly. Try to keep up.¡± The fairy sneered. ¡°A few levels is no big deal. He¡¯ll get them back eventually. Get cleaned up and go pack. We leave at sunrise.¡± Danny had almost forgotten the fact that they were leaving as soon as he broke through. The fairy flew back into the temple. Danny sat down next to the fox.


    ¡°I guess you need a name now, huh?¡± The fox yawned. ¡°Boy names. Treasure. Fox. What about Sly or Robin? Those aren¡¯t really fox names though.¡± What about¡­ ¡°As King of Beasts, I hereby dub thee Indiana Jones. Named after the greatest treasure hunter of all time. Indy, for short.¡± The fox jumped in place and ran around in a circle in excitement. Indy playfully hopped into a low stance, daring Danny to try to catch him. Danny accepted the challenge. The two ran about the courtyard. Then they added sticks from the pine trees to their games. Before long the sun was setting, and Danny had yet to begin packing.


    ___________________________________________________________________


    Danny hurriedly stuffed another set of robes into the sack. He finished packing the necessities and then he gathered the survival pack he had refilled since his clearing of the monster nest. He looked around the room. It was small. Barely any room to move around. The sunlight from the window reflected an ever-present swirl of dust that hung in the air. The wooden bedframe creaked as Danny lifted his belongings. It felt strange to say goodbye. He had barely been here a month, but Danny was struck by the sense of loss in his chest. Today was the day.


    His staff balanced precariously among the packs as Danny shuffled into the prayer chamber. It was only due to his enhanced strength from his breakthroughs that he was able to carry it all. Unfortunately, that did not make it any less awkward to handle. The tenuous balance was maintained for a few moments before Danny¡¯s grip faltered. Inches from the stone floor, the baggage was enveloped by a blue glow and hovered in the air. A familiar winged figure floated into the prayer chamber, arm raised. ¡°Now thats just unfair,¡± Danny said.


    ¡°Practice your Qi Manipulation and you will be able to manage at least this much.¡± Danny groaned at the idea of yet another thing to train, but the thought of carrying stuff with his mind was an appealing one. The pair, and the floating supplies, exited the temple.


    The fox ceased its prancing about the courtyard when it saw them walking down the steps. It squawked and scampered over to Danny. He reached down and scratched between its ears. ¡°Alright Indy, it¡¯s time to head out.¡± The fox cocked its head to the side as Danny rose. Then he realized that the fairy had not waited for them. Danny took one last moment to breathe in the cozy pine scent and feel the cool breeze on his skin. Danny jogged a few steps to catch up with the fairy.


    ___________________________________________________________________


    The light broke through the canopy in thin beams that flickered with the breeze-blown branches. Danny felt like he was in one of those famous landscape paintings. Now that the threat of the Horrors was gone, it felt peaceful. The occasional call of a songbird echoed through the forest, the population had been lessened drastically by the monsters. Soaking in the serenity around him allowed Danny a moment of reprieve from the training that had consumed his moment-to-moment life since the Integration started.


    Before long, the novelty of the trip was lost. Danny began to feel impatient, bored. He also was curious about where they were going. He remembered how the guide was able to bestow a mini-map to him and wondered if he had something similar for himself. How else could he find a path? Or did he not know at all and just wore a confident facade? Danny could ask. But he refrained. The fairy looked so somber. Well, not much different than usual, but when Danny started asking questions the guide usually turned it into a training session. Questions stopped being asked quickly.


    And so they trekked on in relative silence. The fox, however, did not seem to get the memo. He bounded and hopped around, ducked into the leaves, and all around went wild. Out in his element, the fox pranced through the forest. He seemed an endless font of energy, it was exhausting to watch. Now and then, the fox would walk alongside Danny. That would last a moment before he grew bored and went back to causing a ruckus. Until he suddenly went still. The fox stared into the distance, entranced. With a Yip!, Indy dashed forward. Realizing that the human was not following it stopped and turned. It hopped up and down as it squawked at him, urging him to follow, before disappearing into the trees.  Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°We should follow him. Based on your ability description, he might find something useful.¡± The guide said.


    Danny stopped himself from interjecting that they should follow regardless, they were bonded, but it would be a waste of breath anyway. The fairy didn¡¯t seem to view the fox the same way as Danny. It was a tool to him, not a companion. Danny felt that was callous. However, they both agreed on one thing, so follow they did.


    As Danny trailed Indy, he noticed it started to get darker. I could have sworn it was hardly past noon. When he looked up to verify, Danny saw that an opaque fog hung suspended in the canopies. It wasn¡¯t like a normal fog either. For one, it stayed in the canopy instead of sinking low to the ground. Secondly, it was gray, nearly verging on black, like a sort of factory smog. Danny could barely see the sun struggling to cut through the obstruction. The trees began to twist. Branches reached out like claws above and around him. Naked of their needles, the trees set an ominous tone to the once serene forest.


    ¡°Monsters ahead.¡± The guide said. ¡°I won¡¯t be helping you.¡± Danny wanted to reply that he didn¡¯t need babysitting, but a screeching in the distance made him hold his tongue. An orange bandit broke through the fog and ran toward Danny. The fox held a carved statue in his mouth. Is that¡­a fairy?


    ¡°That¡¯s¡ª¡± The guide was interrupted by a swarm of leathery-winged bats. They were brown, furry creatures. Their eyes were a beady red dot on either side of a mouthful of exaggerated fangs and a repulsive pig nose. The cacophony of screechs and squeals was bone-chilling. The fox just kept on running, right past Danny and the gobsmacked fairy. The floating staff pressed against Danny¡¯s chest, and he instinctively grabbed ahold. ¡°Alright native. Time to see how far you¡¯ve come.¡±


    Danny whipped his staff into a wooden whirlwind. Leaning heavily on the movements of Form Two: Rising Tempest, Danny formed an impenetrable shield from the spinning staff. This form excelled at facing relatively weak attacks from multiple angles. Danny was surprised to see that about a quarter of the bats broke off to continue chasing the fox.


    I can¡¯t worry about that now. Danny refocused himself. The wind whistled as the staff smacked into a diving bat, snapping its thin bones like dry sticks. Danny rebuilt his momentum and another bat sailed to the ground broken. He never let his staff stop. As soon as they neared him they fell to a heap on the ground. Danny picked them apart like an electric bug zapper picked apart flies. But the bats were many. Inevitably, one slipped through. Then another. Soon, Danny had three bats hooked onto his arms and chest. They dug the claws at the end of their wings into him, holding tight. Then they drank from him. ¡°What is up with all these blood-sucking monsters?¡±


    Danny plucked them from his body. The highest level among them was Level 5. It was pitiful compared to Danny, who was over halfway through the Awakening stage. Once he pulled them free, he awkwardly threw them away. It did little to the bats since they could catch themselves mid-air, but he succeeded in keeping as much blood inside his body as possible. Danny plowed through the thinning swarm. The bats soon realized the futility of throwing themselves at him. They flapped there in the air, waiting, It was much different than the suicidal rush that the Horrors had preferred. Danny wondered if that was a species thing as he spun the staff to preserve momentum.


    One of the bats let out a clipped squeak and turned around. A few of them turned and watched as if debating retreating as well. Before the bat could fly more than a few feet away, a large blur descended on it from above the mist. Danny hadn¡¯t even seen so much as a shadow up there. The larger bat had blood-red wings. It sunk its fangs deep into the deserter. It drained the smaller bat dry. Letting the traitor fall to the forest floor, the red-winged bat let out a rallying cry. Danny Identified it. [Level 15 Midnight Myotis]


    The remaining bats hurled themselves at Danny, clearly more afraid of the boss bat than the staff-wielding man. The one-way charge led to a handful more furry brown corpses on the ground. Partway through his defense, the boss bat let out another screech, this one targeted at Danny. It was more intense than the rallying cry had been, more focused. Ears ringing, Danny stumbled, and a couple of bats managed to get their hooks in him. Danny recovered quickly and ripped them out. He spiked them onto the ground and caved in their skulls with swift strikes from his staff. He was careful not to look at the results. He was sure it made a sickening sound. Except¡­Danny couldn¡¯t hear it.


    A warm trickle dripped down the sides of Danny¡¯s head. The red-winged bat, seeing its compatriots all killed, let out another of the sonic attacks. Danny again stumbled. He felt a resounding pain in his head. With the hearing loss, this shouldn¡¯t even affect me. I can¡¯t even hear it. The hesitation his puzzlement caused earned him another splitting headache. The pain vibrated throughout his skull interrupting all attempts at thought. But with that last screech, Danny had felt it. Something other than the sound. A Qi whose composition Danny could not yet unravel, but it was there. And if Danny could feel it, then surely there would be some way to defend against it.


    Danny watched the boss bat carefully. He saw it puff its chest up with a deep inhale. He couldn¡¯t hear it, but he could feel the energy behind the sonic blast heading for him. He reached out and attempted to grab ahold of the Qi, to send it off target or halt it entirely. It slipped right through. Danny was racked with a pain that covered his vision with black spots. Now the pain spread through his entire body and caused his breath to catch. Once the spots faded, Danny¡¯s vision blurred. And remained that way.


    The energy was too fast, or slippery, like it resisted his attempts to manipulate it. The bat sucked in another deep breath. The timing between attacks was growing longer. The bat seemed to be tiring, but Danny was the one who would be worse off if this continued. Desperate, Danny turned to a time-tested technique: the pressure washer. He raised his hand and copied the bat, inhaling deeply and drawing in as much Qi as possible as quickly as possible. He then pushed it all into his palm and began to squeeze it into a little ball. Just as he saw the flying monster about to release its built-up energy, Danny loosened his grip on the Qi in the direction of the bat. A jet stream of his own energy was unleashed. It cut through the sonic blast and dissipated the energy, leaving Danny unaffected. Danny¡¯s Qi also punched a hole through the bat¡¯s mouth and out the back of its head.


    Danny looked around as if checking to see if anyone else saw what he had done. He saw the guide floating a little ways off. The fairy was mouthing something that Danny couldn¡¯t make out. Reading his confusion, the guide emphatically pointed at Danny¡¯s chest and then to his ears. Danny looked down and saw the jade necklace around his neck. Fighting the embarrassment rushing to his cheeks, Danny dripped his remaining Qi into the healing artifact and felt the sharp pain in his head be reduced to a dull throb.


    ¡°¡ªtive. Oberon¡¯s balls did you forget you can heal yourself?¡±


    ¡°Maybe¡­¡±


    ¡°Hm.¡± The fairy looked at the carnage surrounding them and then the corpse of the nearly decapitated boss bat. ¡°Sloppy¡­but workable.¡±


    ¡°Wait¡­ Where¡¯s Indy?¡±

 Chapter 12

    Chapter 12


    ¡°The earth creature can wait.¡± The guide tossed Danny a knife. There was no way Danny would be able to catch it without warning. Just before the tip bit into the arm he raised to cover his face, the knife hung suspended in air, coated in blue. Danny snatched it out of the air.


    ¡°What am I supposed to do with this?¡± Danny asked.


    ¡°Skin it.¡± The guide gestured to the dead boss bat. Danny looked at the revolting scene around him. It made him want to gag. The smell of the bodies voiding their excrement stung his eyes and the horror of bones sticking awkwardly out of leathery skin and flattened, leaking skulls sent his stomach turning. The supernatural fog above had begun to fade once the Midnight Myotis had fallen, allowing every gruesome detail to be put on display.


    ¡°I think I¡¯m going to be sick.¡±


    ¡°Oh no you don¡¯t, native. Last time you didn¡¯t harvest a single thing from the Matriarch. I will not let you make the same mistake twice.¡± Danny began to feel like he was floating. Looking down, he realized that he was. He was enveloped in that familiar blue energy and being manhandled toward the boss bat¡¯s corpse, where he was unceremoniously dropped to the ground. ¡°Skin. It.¡±


    ¡°But what about Indy?¡±


    ¡°The earth creature can wait.¡± The guide repeated.


    ¡°But what about that carving of the fairy?¡± Danny pleaded. It had elicited a reaction from the guide earlier, so Danny hoped that this would get him out of monster skinning duty.


    ¡°Nothing around here could damage that. It can wait.¡± Danny looked hesitantly at the monster carcass. Hesitantly he drove the knife blade into the hide and began to slice it open. That lasted about a second before the fairy floated over and instructed him on ¡°proper skinning form.¡± The fur, fangs, wings, eyes, and even the organs were extracted. Anything that could have special properties. These bat monsters were unique to Earth, according to the guide, so there was no prior information on what would be useful or not. System Identification was not useful either, merely offering things like [Midnight Myotis Liver: A liver from the Midnight Myotis] Not exactly the most illuminating.


    This was par for the course, apparently. The System gave information that was considered ¡°widely known¡± or that the individual Identifying the material would already know. For monster parts that had never been used before, there would be no details to display. Therefore they collected everything. The guide wisked it away in a flash and Danny was thankful that he would be free of the stink of carrying around monster parts. They left the bodies of the lesser monsters intact. Monster corpses broke down in a day or so. That was the reason Danny had been unable to collect anything from the Matriarch he had killed while they were staying at the temple. Danny was ready to begin the search for Indy, but his guide had other plans.


    ___________________________________________________________________


    ¡°Are you really sure that Indy will be fine?¡±


    ¡°For the last time native, ¡®Indy¡¯ is a beast, not some child to be coddled.¡± Danny tried to stamp down the anxiety. The fox was definitely faster than the bats, trickier too, and only a portion of them went after him. He also had a handful of levels on them too¡­


    ¡°Here.¡± Danny was cut off as the guide stopped at a massive tree. Like all the others in this section of the forest, the needles were absent. The massive branches shot out like daggers into the sky. A littering of small animal bones and guano covered the ground beneath the tree. It reeked. These bats were quickly beating out the Horrors on Danny¡¯s ¡°grossest monster list.¡±


    ¡°Somewhere there should be¡ª¡±


    ¡°Found it!¡± Danny shouted. He pulled a brown cape-looking thing from a pile of bones. He wasn¡¯t sure why, but he just had this feeling that something good was over here. Sure enough, [Deflector Cloak: Crafted by the Zebo Corporation. The Deflector Cloak is resistant to piercing and slashing attacks and also dampens impacts on the wearer.]


    ¡°Hm. Not bad.¡± The guide said after floating over to Identify it for himself. ¡°Should last you a little while. Danny couldn¡¯t help but be a little disappointed. With how strong the healing necklace was, he thought he would get a cloak of invisibility or something. His disappointment must have been visible. ¡°Not everything is going to be like that necklace you have there. Besides, anything is better than what you have. Which is nothing.¡± Danny reread the description. Depending on the extent, he figured that resistance to piercing, slashing, and impacts could be pretty useful.


    ¡°What is the Zebo Corporation?¡±


    ¡°Never heard of them.¡±


    ¡°Then why would the System mention them by name?¡±


    ¡°Because they must have donated enough.¡± The guide answered. ¡°Now do you want to go look for the Earth creature or not?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean donated?¡±


    ¡°They gave it to the System.¡± Danny waited for further explanation. After seeing that he wouldn¡¯t be getting any, he followed after the guide who had begun to float in the direction they had come from.Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    ¡°I know that. I meant why are they donating to the System at all, surely the System doesn¡¯t need charity.¡± Danny pushed.


    ¡°No, the System doesn¡¯t need charity. You do. How do you think the System can provide little trinkets to those who clear monster nests? How do you think the temple you first arrived at came to be on Earth? Donations.¡±


    ¡°So it¡¯s just goodwill? Helping out the little guys?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s for recruitment as well. To build a reputation with the natives and win over the most promising recruits to their faction.¡±


    ¡°So should I just leave this here? What about my necklace, there wasn¡¯t any faction mentioned in that description. Do I owe someone something now that I have taken and used it?¡±


    ¡°Well, that necklace must have been taken from a dead Leveler on one of the other planets, or maybe the faction didn¡¯t donate enough.¡± The fairy said, growing annoyed. ¡°Eyes on the next step, not on the clouds. That¡¯s how you stay on the Path, native. Focus on finding your fox friend for now. You will learn more soon enough, no point in rushing.¡± Danny had so many more questions, but it was clear that his guide had finished entertaining the conversation. The guide was also right, he had more pressing concerns. They were nearing the place where Indy had run off.


    ¡°Indy!¡± Danny began to holler. He walked in the direction he remembered the fox running in and shouted periodically. Despite the fairy¡¯s repeated assurances, Danny began to feel a gnawing panic. His calls grew more frequent, louder. Soon, he was screaming as loud as he could. Growing resentment toward the guide built. If he hadn¡¯t stopped me from looking earlier¡­ The anxiousness and frustration boiled over and just as Danny passed a gnarled tree with a hole in it he turned to give the fairy a piece of his mind. Infuriated by his uncaring demeanor, Danny began.


    ¡°I¡ª¡± Just then a familiar orange blur leapt out of the hole in the tree, plundered statue in its mouth, and landed in front of Danny. Out of the corner of his eye, Danny could have sworn that he saw the guide breathe a sigh of relief. ¡°Indy, you¡¯re okay!¡± The fox dropped the carved fairy at his feet. ¡°Oh, uh¡­ Good boy, Indy!¡± Danny considered chastising the fox for running off, or taking the statue in the first place, but he figured that would give mixed signals at this point. He decided to roll with it and began to scratch the vulpine between the ears. He thumped his leg in appreciation. Danny bent down and picked up the statue to examine it closer. A fairy with a sword raised in a martial pose was the subject. There wasn¡¯t much in terms of distinguishable features, just a blank face and expression. ¡°What is this?¡± Danny asked the guide.


    ¡°One of the three Pillars of the Fey. A training treasure that is the pride and joy of my people.¡± Danny didn¡¯t have a response. The guide must be familiar with this thing and that was why he was so confident that nothing would happen to it. ¡°A little farther and we will reach our destination. I¡¯ll explain then.¡±


    The rest of the trip was uneventful. Dead trees jutted sharply into the air all around them. The fog may have lifted, but whatever had caused this section of forest to become a dry, dead graveyard was not so easily reversed. Danny, led by the guide, saw a raised stone platform in the distance. Pillars stood on the foundation, set above the dirt and mud and separated from the decaying trees. Each of the pillars was built out of rough stone and mortar, giving a time-worn appearance. They were roughly chest height, which would be about twice as tall as a fairy. At the top of each of the pillars was a circular recess that perfectly fit the base of the statue. None of the statues were present, the empty recesses were the only indication that something once stood atop the pillars.


    ¡°What happened to the rest of them?¡± Danny asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure the same that happened to the one we found. Now put it on the one on the left.¡±


    Danny slid the statue into place. Once it was in position, a green light shone from within. A brilliant emerald shine preceded the appearance of another fairy. This one had blonde hair that flowed in the air as though underwater. Her skin was more similar to the pink-white of Danny¡¯s than the green of the guide¡¯s. She wore a flowing white dress with a sword strapped to her side. Orange and black wings, similar to a Monarch butterfly, extended from her back. ¡°Alei Tacht?¡± She seemed surprised. ¡°With a human? Very strange.¡± She circled Danny as she appraised him. Unlike the guide, she gave no indication of effort when flying. Her wings didn¡¯t move, her hair was the only thing that shifted as she soared.


    Danny had never been given a name to call his guide outside of ¡°sir.¡± He wondered if that was his name and if the two fairies knew each other. The guide glared at her.


    ¡°Enough. Danny, this is the Training Spirit.¡± The guide said. ¡°She will instruct you in the Hin-Alei, the Dream World.¡±


    ¡°Do you two know each other?¡± Danny was ignored.


    ¡°Each of the Pillars represents one of the core stats. Body, Qi, and Soul. The one we have is the Pillar of Body, so that is where we will begin.¡±


    ¡°Is Alei Tacht your name?¡±


    ¡°You will never repeat that. Never. Do you understand, native?¡± The guide said, even more curtly than usual.


    Startled, Danny responded, ¡°Uh, yes sir.¡±


    ¡°Feed the statue your Qi. Now.¡±


    ¡°Yes sir.¡± Danny hurriedly complied. Approaching the statue, Danny put his hands on either side of it. He fed the statue of the sword-wielding fairy a stream of his Qi. It was simple now that he had opened the Gate of Sensation. When he had first activated his Necklace of Rejuvenation it had been like fumbling for the light switch in the dark, now it was broad daylight. But instead of reminiscing on how far he had come, Danny experienced an escalating drowsiness. In a few seconds, his head hung asleep as the rest of his body remained standing.


    ___________________________________________________________________


    ¡°Have you not told him anything?¡± The golden-haired fairy asked Aspen.


    ¡°Nothing that the native does not need to know.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°You know why.¡±


    ¡°Hm. A human using the pillars at the direction of the great Aspen Salica¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s an Integration. I am a guide. I am not the one who donated a set of Pillars, I merely directed the native here.¡±


    ¡°I see. I do not remember the Alei Tacht retiring. How long has it been?¡±


    ¡°A lifetime.¡±

 Chapter 13

    Chapter 13


    When Danny was lucid again, he found himself in a patch of grass bordered by a sprawling pink mist that stretched to the horizon. The area was large, but not as big as the temple courtyard he had originally trained in. A small pond with blooming lily pads whose flowers were the same color as the ephemeral fog that bordered this place. The silhouette of trees could be seen, but no matter the angle Danny scrutinized them, they were never more than a shadow. The grass, water, and lily pads shifted with a breeze that was neither felt nor heard. ¡°What do you think?¡± Danny jumped when the yellow-haired fairy girl suddenly appeared.


    ¡°It¡¯s nice, I guess, but where am I?¡±


    ¡°My Hin-Alei. I¡¯ll be your Training Spirit for the time being.¡± She effortlessly glided to the ground and drew her sword. ¡°You can call me Sassa.¡± Sassa''s blade was an exquisite mix of gleaming silver-white metal and dull gold: expensive-looking, yet not gaudy or pompous, simply the stark beauty of expert craftsmanship and quality materials. After a flourish, she pointed the sword at Danny. ¡°Let¡¯s begin.¡±


    ¡°But I don¡¯t have¨C¡± Just as Danny was about to object, he looked to find his hands wrapped around the familiar wooden handle, already in his opening stance. ¡°When did¡ª¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a dream world, try not to think too hard.¡± And with that, the Training Spirit shot forward. Danny knocked the blade aside, relying on instinct. The sword jabbed at his stomach, Danny again smacked it aside and was met with a kick to the abdomen that sent him reeling. Sassa waited for Danny to straighten. She didn¡¯t say anything. He had been expecting a taunt or a quip from the light-hearted fairy spirit, but she just patiently stared at him. Silence seemed to be even worse than a witty one-liner. Danny had grown used to the feeling of being stronger, even the Matriarch and her horde, while a challenge that had left him broken, he had overcome. Something that was the opposite of how he had felt before the Integration. Here, it almost felt like he was going backward. Danny did not want to go back to how it had been before, not after he had gotten a taste of being strong.


    Reaffirming his grip on the staff, Danny settled back into his stance. The fairy took that as a sign to continue and closed the gap like a pouncing lion. Danny dodged, Sassa slashed at his twisting figure, his staff deflected the strike, she dropped her shoulder and slammed, Danny redirected with the staff¡¯s butt. Sassa leapt back in order to end the exchange, but now Danny sought to press his advantage. Rising Tempest. The staff built its momentum, calling on the strength of the storm. Three rapid strikes put the fairy on the backfoot. Weaving Willow. Danny nimbly avoided a hasty counter. Falling Thunder. The wind whistled as Danny delivered the fight-ending blow, forgetting that this was practice, that this was a dream world built by some far-off race of fairies, all he wanted was to win. For once. To not be the one walking away with bruises and broken pride, just one time.


    ¡°Wow!¡± Sassa remarked as she caught Danny¡¯s staff. Caught. With one hand. Like it was easy. ¡°That was a great warm-up!¡±


    ¡°Warm-up?¡±


    ___________________________________________________________________


    Danny came out of the trance dripping with sweat. Bruises riddled his body and his muscles ached despite all of the training taking place somewhere separate from the real world. The crackling sound from behind caused Danny to look around and realize that the guide had not been wasting any time while he was being trounced by Sassa. A fire had been built that now burned steadily. Two square tent-like structures made a makeshift campground. The guide was putting the last stake in the ground on one of them. Danny wondered how he got all this stuff.


    It seemed that Danny¡¯s coming-to had gone unnoticed. He decided to take a second to catch his breath. Sassa had been brutal. After their ¡°warm-up,¡± she was a blur. Unable to keep up, Danny had received strike after strike, certainly dying if it had been a real fight. A humbling experience. Fortunately, Danny¡¯s Body base stat had gone up from a 5 to a 6. The ordeal was worthwhile, at least. Although that did little to ease Danny¡¯s hurting pride. Or his body.


    ¡°That was fast.¡±


    ¡°Sure didn¡¯t feel like it.¡± Danny was surprised when something approximating a smile crossed the guide¡¯s face. It didn¡¯t linger, but the fairy stood in silence for a moment, somewhere else.


    ¡°In the morning we will find the other Pillars, they are barely usable like this.¡± The guide said, ending the pause. ¡°Any gains?¡±


    ¡°I got a point in Body.¡±


    The fairy nodded in response. Having finished the setup of the camp, the guide retired to one of the tents. Leaving the other for Danny. Danny had so many questions, but he was trepid due to the fairy¡¯s listlessness. The lack of human company was beginning to weigh on Danny and he could only imagine how it must feel for the guide. At least Danny was on his home planet, who knows how far the fairy was from home. Meeting another person helped, even if it was a Training Spirirt that kicked his butt, but there was no substitute for the real thing. A night of video games and pizza with his friends, or going to a coffee shop and just being around other people. What I wouldn¡¯t give to see TJ or Brett, even Z-dubs. Thinking about his friends from before was too much, so Danny heeded the guide¡¯s words and entered his tent to cultivate. That always eased his mind.You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    When the sunlight woke Danny, the guide was already out and about. Danny groggily rubbed at his eyes as he exited the tent, yawning as he went. The fairy guide hurried him along. This time, the guide made Danny carry his own supplies. Thankfully there wasn¡¯t as much to haul after making camp. As usual, Danny followed behind the guide. He thought back on his time with Sassa.


    It seemed that she had been much less chatty regarding information about Danny¡¯s guide than she had been at the start. Danny wondered if that was a coincidence. In general, it seemed that Danny¡¯s guide had a stranglehold on the information he received. Anything that the System didn¡¯t provide Danny had to get from the fairy, and he had been less than forthcoming. That was beginning to become frustrating. Well, it had been frustrating for quite some time, but now it was becoming frustrating enough that Danny felt like he needed to say something. Surely if he knew more he could be better prepared, right? What harm could there be in answering a few questions? Danny finally built up the courage to approach the guide.


    ¡°Uh, Guide sir, can I ask you something?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± The guide shut him down without even turning his head.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll just¡ª¡± No, Danny, come on! ¡°Wha¨CWhat was that name or title that the Training Spirit fairy called you?¡± The floodgates opened. ¡°And why did she say that it was unusual for a human to use the Pillars? What are the Pillars anyway?¡± At this point, Danny wasn¡¯t even giving the guide a chance to answer. ¡°How do you always know where we are going? Where do you keep all the random suppli¡ª¡±


    ¡°Enough. You¡¯ll understand everything soon enough.¡±


    ¡°You keep saying that! Why won¡¯t you tell me anything?¡±


    ¡°Because you have other things that require your focus.¡±


    ¡°Like what? Walking? Right now, couldn¡¯t you answer at least one question? I have a thousand of them and instead of answers I just keep getting more and more mysteries.¡± Danny said.


    ¡°And who are you to ask, native?¡± The fairy boomed, now turning to face Danny. ¡°Knowledge is power. Too much and you are weak, too little and you are crushed beneath the weight. The System doesn¡¯t hand out tomes and tomes of the Multiverse¡¯s collective knowledge, it assigns guides. Guides that determine what you need to know and when you need to know it. Eyes on the next step native, remember that.¡± The guide was finished. But Danny wasn¡¯t.


    ¡°But I can handle a little bit more than just vague references and being led around like a child. Give me something.¡± Danny pleaded.


    ¡°You are a child. You don¡ª¡± The guide cut himself off when he saw the scene in front of them.


    They had finally escaped the depressing dead trees, but before them was a battlefield of corpses. They looked like monkeys. Like baboons that wore hides of snow white. Snow white that was stained red. The skin of their faces was red by default, hiding just how bloodied they were. Large rents were torn across their necks, faces, and bodies. Pools of blood turned the ground to ruddy mud. The stink of death made a miasma that hung heavy in the air. ¡°What would this?¡± Danny asked while scrunching his nose.


    ¡°Only two things kill like this and leave a mess behind. Natives. And monsters. And the natives, save you, are in the Tutorial right now.¡±


    ¡°Monsters kill each other like this?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Usually not this early though. Whatever did this must be much stronger than what you have faced thus far.¡± The fairy said.


    ¡°Is the Pillar here?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. You¡¯ll have to look for it.¡±


    ¡°Me?¡±


    The guide glared at Danny in answer.


    With a groan, Danny began to wade through the carnage. As he moved aside the severed hand of one of the monkeys, Danny wondered if he was beginning to become desensitized. It was the second gruesome spectacle in just as many days. His face felt warm as salty moisture misted his eyes. Danny vomited. Guess not.


    After voiding his stomach, Danny continued to sift through the corpses looking for¡­ ¡°Wait, what am I looking for?¡±


    The guide sighed. ¡°It¡¯ll be another statue, similar to the one before.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m not seeing anything like that.¡±


    ¡°Then keep looking.¡±


    ¡°How about you come over and help.¡± Danny fired back.


    ¡°Native, what is your¡ª Fine. One question.¡±


    ¡°What does Alei Tacht mean?¡±


    ¡°Next question.¡±


    ¡°Wuh, ok¡­¡± Danny struggled to think of just one question, there were so many. In the end, he went with something simple. Arguably the first one you would ask upon meeting someone. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±


    ¡°Aspen. Aspen Salica.¡±


    ¡°Well, hello Aspen, my name is Danny.¡±


    Danny went back to digging through the mess, a smile on his face disregarding the grim circumstances. He could have asked about anything. About the factions of the Multiverse or the details of what comes after the Tutorials, but when he stood there, trying to come up with something to ask, he realized that maybe focusing on the ¡°next step ahead¡± wasn¡¯t that bad of a way to live. This way, at least things didn¡¯t feel so stiff. So alien. Danny figured it was a good start. Now if only he didn¡¯t have to dig through blood and guts that stunk like a mix of wet-dog and sun-baked sewage¡­


    What a strange native. Aspen watched as Danny scrounged through the field of corpses. He seemed to not have the greatest control over his treasure-seeking powers, or else he would have already found the enchanted ring a dozen yards away. The Pillar obviously wasn¡¯t here. Probably it had been abducted by whatever monsters had caused this devastation. Aspen found it troubling that this Integration had already been so out of the norm. He wondered if the last one had been like this. That seemed so long ago.


    ¡°There¡¯s a magic ring, I think!¡±


    ¡°Grab it. What we are looking for isn¡¯t here. We should head back before the sun sets.¡± The ring had been clasped in the hand of a larger monkey. Its white coat was adorned with black spots and had three horns on its head. [Oni Baboon] was what it had been called. The fact that it died while holding the artifact made Danny wonder.


    ¡°Can monsters use items?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but I have never heard of it happening before Level 100.¡±


    The way that he found the thing made him wonder if this monster had been an exception to that rule. He shuddered at the thought. If a monster had been able to use this item and it still was slaughtered so decisively¡­Danny didn¡¯t like his chances.

 Chapter 14

    Chapter 14


    [Bubble Ring: Crafted by the Zebo Corporation. Creates a protective bubble around the wearer that reflects damage back to the attacker. Lasts 1 second.] The silver ring had a thick band with a smooth, spherical red gemstone. The piece of jewelry seemed strong. Although, one second isn¡¯t that long. I am going to have to time it well in order to get use out of it. Danny activated the ring to get a feel for how it functioned. A thin film encased his body for a moment then it disappeared with a Pop! That felt weird. The bubble had been inches away from his skin and felt cool and soapy, like taking a cold bubble bath. Danny activated the ring again. Nothing happened. Don¡¯t tell me¡­


    [Bubble Ring: Recharge time 24 hours.] Danny was relieved that it wasn¡¯t a one-off thing like he had originally thought, but once every 24 hours was still a pretty big limitation. Since monster bodies vanished after about a day, combined with the fact that Aspen the guide had never heard of them using items before Level 100, it was unlikely that the Oni Baboon had used this in the fight that resulted in its death. That at least made Danny feel a little better about facing down whatever had killed all the monkeys. Are baboons monkeys? He hadn¡¯t learned a whole lot about the more exotic animals in his classes before the Integration. Trying to avoid thinking about his life before, Danny asked, ¡°Should I harvest this thing?¡±


    ¡°Up to you.¡± The guide said. Danny had made an in-road earlier and he wanted to continue to build goodwill with the guide, if he could. He decided that practicing some of the things that he had recommended earlier would be a good place to start. Danny diligently carved the Oni Baboon¡¯s body, harvesting hide and organ alike. This time it was a little easier, but cutting apart something eerily human-like left a foul taste in his mouth. That and he threw up in his mouth a little. After powering through, Danny returned to Aspen. He waited for a moment. He didn¡¯t really know what he was expecting, an ¡°attaboy¡± maybe? But that never came. The guide just wordlessly turned and led the way back to their camp at the Pillars. It seemed that compliments were as hard to come by as answers when it came to the guide.


    ___________________________________________________________________


    Aspen felt the corners of his mouth turn upward. He quickly schooled his expression. It was important for the natives to not see any sign of approval until they at least made it to Level 50, or, in the case of this one, past the Awakening stage. Compliments made them complacent. This was just another tried and true practice that he had learned from his decades of experience in training fairy youth. There was a reason that the race was one of the most distinguished when it came to military operations. Despite their diminutive size and small number, the fairies had a reputation for being some of the most effective mercenaries in the Multiverse. Aspen took pride in the fact that none of his charges were anything less than exceptional. Lot of good that did Teak¡­


    Aspen quickly dismissed the negative thoughts. He had been thinking of his pupil. Something about the native reminded him of Teak. The Earth native was squeamish and didn¡¯t listen. He squandered a lot of his talent by foolishly pursuing cultivation, but there was something about him that made Aspen certain that he would go far, confidence-inspiring moments of brilliance. In that way they were similar. Aspen wouldn¡¯t make the same mistake with this one. He was the guide. Danny was a native. They weren¡¯t friends, even less than acquaintances. It was purely professional. Once the Tutorial was over they would never see each other again. Don¡¯t get too close, Aspen. It never ends well.


    ___________________________________________________________________


    The current plan was for Danny to train using the Body Pillar until he had increased his stat by another point. Then, they would do some reconnaissance on the remaining monster nest. Danny would do the reconnaissance, Aspen would grumpily give barbed pointers. It made sense, each point in your base Stats would be multiplied by your cultivation. Right now, with 11 gates opened, Danny had an effective strength of 13.5. The System rounded to the nearest half, but Danny could view the more detailed breakdown if he wanted to. That was nearly three times stronger than he had started. According to the guide, Danny would only be able to increase his base stats by around three to four points. Also, once you reached higher Levels, it became harder to get these increases. At Level 100, or the end of the second stage for cultivators, it would be entirely impossible to raise base Stats. Danny had plenty of time to maximize his growth, but there wasn¡¯t a whole lot to do right now unless they chose to relocate.


    He practiced a little bit with his Qi Manipulation and Weeping Willow Dances skills, but he felt that he had largely hit a roadblock with those. The Qi Manipulation practice looked promising at first, but Danny quickly realized that he had no idea how to improve his technique. There was no manual like with his staff fighting style. And even that he had memorized a while ago. He mainly needed experience. He was too weak to fight the monsters near him, but he needed to fight monsters to progress. It was like trying to find a job straight out of school. He thought about trying to practice his coordination with Indy, but again, he needed a live combat situation for that. At least I have the Pillar.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    The Body Pillar was the only thing that he could see actual meaningful results with. Danny put his hands on the statue. This would be his third time. Once when they first found it, another after the disappointing trip to the baboon monster nest, and now. He had only got that single point so far, but he hoped he was close to another. Unlike with opening his gates, Danny couldn¡¯t really tell if he was close or not. Regardless, there was no time like the present. Danny fed a small stream of Qi into the statue and opened his eyes back in the misty world of Pillar, a familiar Training Spirit looked surprised as he stepped forward.


    ¡°You must be something if he lets you use the Pillars like this.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Sassa donned a clever smile. ¡°If you land a touch, I¡¯ll tell you.¡± Danny smiled back. His staff appeared in his hands, again obeying the dream logic. The closest he had been to landing a hit had been on his first visit, during their ¡°warm-up.¡± Since then, Danny hadn¡¯t even come close. Sassa liked to in-fight. She almost always began an exchange by getting close and then unleashing a barrage of slashes, mixing kicks and punches and shoves in between. The versatility made it hard to predict what she would do and her speed made it hard to react.


    Danny had been puzzling over what to do. Everything he had thought of didn¡¯t seem to work. He tried focusing on defense, only to be betrayed by his inability to react to her attacks. He tried going on the offensive, but she was much more comfortable than Danny was while pressured and would always capitalize when he inevitably made a mistake. An idea had come to him when he had been cultivating last night. He started thinking more about styles and the weapons that each of them used and realized that he had a drastic reach advantage. If he could stop her from getting close in the first place, he would stand a much better chance of landing his hit.


    ¡°Begin.¡± Sassa said. She launched forward but had to stop after a couple of steps due to Danny jabbing his staff toward her head. Every time she tried to close the distance she would lean forward slightly. Danny used this tell to stuff every attempt to approach. If she didn¡¯t respect his reach, she would run straight first into the butt of Danny¡¯s staff.


    Unfortunately, this led to her just circling him, like a predator stalking its prey. Sassa stayed just outside of his range, daring him to overextend for the touch. Danny quickly realized that this status quo wouldn¡¯t be conducive to him winning their bet. He also didn¡¯t have to be the first to land a touch, he just had to get one at some point. Armed with this realization, Danny began to strike aggressively. The Training Spirit deflected his jabs and strikes without taking the bait. She continued to keep her distance, until Danny struck hard at her sword, seeking to knock it out of her hand. She deftly dodged the attack and was upon him. Danny¡¯s staff was wildly out of position from the disarming attempt. He had to work hard not to let a smile creep onto his face and give away the trap. Using a modified version of the technique he had used on the boss bat, Danny let out a wave of Qi instead of a pressurized jet. He aimed at Sassa¡¯s legs. She was thrown off balance and had to stop to catch herself, leading to Danny¡¯s staff making contact with the side of her arm.


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s cheating!¡± Sassa whined. It was a bit of a dirty trick, and Danny was pretty sure that it wouldn¡¯t work twice against someone as skilled as Sassa, but she had never told him of any rules. ¡°This is the Body Pillar, save the cheap stuff for the Qi or Soul Pillars.¡± She glared at him. ¡°Ugh. Fine. A deal¡¯s a deal.¡± She stared blankly at him. ¡°What was the question again?¡±


    ¡°You said that it was strange how I was using the Pillars.¡±


    ¡°Oh! Yes, the Pillars are a pretty big deal to us, you know. One of the closest kept secrets of fairy-kind. You are the only outsider I have ever heard of using them. And a set was donated to the Integration no less. Unprecedented.¡±


    ¡°Wow, I am the first human to use one of these?¡±


    ¡°Probably, and you¡¯ve used it three times in three days! You should really slow that down, by the way.¡± Sassa said.


    ¡°What, why?¡±


    ¡°Because the Pillars aren¡¯t made for sustained use. Usually, they are given a few days in between sessions to recharge. I can already see degradation.¡± Danny looked around and saw that the grass was a little duller, the water was more opaque, even the mist had gone from thick and dreamy to thin and dreary.


    ¡°I¡ª I didn¡¯t know. What happens if the Pillar doesn¡¯t recharge?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll break. This place will be gone forever.¡±


    ¡°What about you?¡±


    ¡°A Training Spirit cannot exist without their Hin-Alei.¡± Sassa said solemnly. Danny looked away. He had not even considered that he was being irresponsible with its use. He wondered if Aspen knew about this. Surely he had to¡­right? What could be his reason for not saying anything?


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much about it,¡± Sassa said ¡°I¡¯m not actually alive or anything. I am a copy of the real Sassa¡¯s memories and skills. The real me is out there somewhere, having adventures. I wonder what it¡¯s like¡­¡± She trailed off. Somehow that made Danny feel worse than potentially harming the spirit.


    ¡°I better go then. I don¡¯t want to cause any more damage.¡±


    ¡°No! Um¡­The energy was already spent to bring you here, might as well make good use of it.¡± Danny hesitated. That logic seemed a little thin to him. But Danny needed to get stronger if he was going to face whatever massacred the baboons.


    ¡°Okay¡­But if I get another touch, then you have to answer another question.¡±


    ¡°And what makes you think you¡¯ll even get close now that I know your little trick?¡± Danny set his feet into his opening stance and held the staff before him, sure to point it at Sassa, ready for jabbing.


    ¡°Just a wild guess.¡± They sparred for several hours.


    Danny never landed another touch.

 Chapter 15

    Chapter 15


    Danny Moore


    Awakening (11/17) Human Beastmaster


    Bloodline: King of Beasts


    Body: 7 (16)


    Qi: 5 (11.5)


    Soul: 9 (20.5)


    System Functions:


    Identify


    Class Abilities:


    King¡¯s Tribute


    Treasure Sense (Navigator Fox)


    Skills (2 / 4):


    Weeping Willow Dances on the Wind: Staff Technique


    Qi Manipulation


    I did it, Danny thought as he viewed his Status screen. Finally, he had gained another point in Body. He was now over three times as strong as he had been before the Integration. There has to be some kind of diminishing returns, right? If Danny was truly three times as strong as a normal person, then he could probably punch straight through one of these dead trees nearby. He walked over to one nearby and punched. Ow! Danny held his hand close to his chest. Definitely didn¡¯t go straight through. As Danny nursed his bruised knuckles he saw a fist-shaped indent in the tree. The bark had splintered, exposing the woody flesh underneath. That¡¯s still pretty sick.


    Danny had been in his personalized Tutorial for two months now. Many sessions with Sassa had been needed to push his stats over the edge. He still felt bad about using the Pillar so much, but Aspen had refused to slow down. ¡°If it breaks, it breaks.¡± He had said. That seemed callous to Danny, but Sassa had explained that if one of the other Multiverse factions got their hands on a functioning set of Pillars, one of the fairies¡¯ greatest secrets would be revealed. That was another reason why outsiders didn¡¯t use them. This raised the question of who would donate the Pillars if it was such a closely guarded secret. Sassa didn¡¯t seem to know, although her information was a little outdated. When the real Sassa had allowed a copy of her consciousness to be turned into a Training Spirit it only took a snapshot of her current knowledge. Without any way to gather knowledge of current events, the Training Spirit was going off old news. Aspen wasn¡¯t any help either. ¡°Eyes on the step ahead, not the clouds.¡± The guide seemed to use that one a lot recently.


    Aspen had been more forthcoming with information though. Not by much, but he explained a little about the finer points of the Pillars. They had some sort of time-slowing effect while inside. Danny had noticed that the sun was never quite as low as he would expect when he came out, so he wasn¡¯t all that surprised. The dream world also boosted the gains of training which caused Danny to grow much faster than if he trained purely in the real world.


    This was not that special. The guide had said that nearly everyone in the Multiverse will have trained their Stats as high as they could go before Level 100. For each individual that number was different, but it was usually somewhere between three to four points in each stat. If Danny was able to increase his Soul by four points, it would be truly monstrous. At least that was what Sassa had said. She had become Danny¡¯s main source of information. Much less grumpy. Everything was not sunshine and rainbows though.


    There had been something gnawing at Danny. In those moments when he was between training, when he had time to think, when the routine allowed his mind to wander, Danny thought of the bat. Not the big one that used some sort of sound attack, but the one that tried to run. It had been swiftly punished, but monsters weren¡¯t supposed to run. But it had happened. A monster had been afraid of him. A monster. Afraid. That was not how things were supposed to work. What happened to the unfeeling, bloodthirsty to the point of self-destruction, nature of the Horrors. They had been so much easier to deal with. Maybe not physically, but they didn¡¯t leave Danny with so many questions.


    All of this was supposed to be settled. Monsters were evil. They would never stop until they died. So Danny had to kill them. Black and white. Simple. Now, Danny wondered if that was truly the case. He also wondered if it changed anything. If a monster ran from him but would attack someone weaker, did that make a difference? He didn¡¯t feel that he could allow monsters to run free on good conscience. What about tigers or lions before? They hunt and kill people, should we have just exterminated them all? Those predators served a purpose. They kept the populations of other animals in check. These monsters killed without purpose, at least, that was what Aspen had said. Is he telling the truth? Disturbingly, Danny wasn¡¯t sure. Aspen seemed to view himself as the arbiter of knowledge when it came to Danny. He frequently kept things hidden. Would it be so strange if he altered the truth here and there?


    ¡°Good, you¡¯re finished.¡± Aspen practically popped into existence. Danny had been too lost in thought to notice his coming. ¡°Anything?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I got another point in Body.¡±Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    The guide nodded. ¡°We have enough daylight to go to the nest.¡±


    Aspen had instructed Danny to pack light this time. Because they were just trying to scope the nest out, the guide had wanted him light on his feet. All Danny carried was a staff and a bag with enough food for a quick meal. They passed the dead trees and were surrounded by the familiar pines. Even after spending so long around them, Danny was relieved to get away from the somber air that the graveyard of trees created. After a short hike further, Aspen whispered for Danny to move quietly, yet another thing that had been drilled into him in the past months.


    ¡°Look. Through the trees.¡± The guide pointed. Danny could make out a black four-legged shape ahead, but not much else.


    ¡°I can¡¯t see it,¡± Danny whispered back.


    ¡°Identify.¡±


    [Level 25 Dreadwolf] He was a little surprised that it even worked, considering it was barely a smudge at this distance. Although, outside of the Level, the System didn¡¯t provide much information. He didn¡¯t know what abilities the Dreadwolves would have, or what their boss would be like. The piercing red eyes narrowed at them. All three of them stared at each other. Danny was very glad that they did not bring Indy along, that fox would have surely brought the entire pack bearing down on them by now. The wolf broke the staring contest off first. It turned away and sauntered away, unbothered.


    ¡°We should go,¡± Aspen said, ¡°it will be bringing the rest soon.¡±


    They took a circuitous route back. Danny covered their tracks as best he could, another thing that had been learned in the Tutorial. However, they had no way to mask their scent. There was no stream or river nearby, and that didn¡¯t really work anyway. It was just a Hollywood myth. The reality was, when you were hunted by something with a great sense of smell, it was just a matter of time. Danny began to feel that it might have been better to take them on back there, rather than leading them back to base camp. Aspen seemed unbothered.


    ¡°Better to face them on our home turf,¡± he said, ¡°where we can prepare.¡±


    Danny spent the rest of the evening doing just that. They hung wire with little noisemakers in a perimeter around the camp. Sharpened sticks were turned into makeshift palisades. That was time-consuming, so they were intermittently spread out. The gaps between were easily big enough for several wolves to fit through, but at least it would limit the angles they could approach from. Even Indy seemed to be weighed down by the tense air. The normally rambunctious fox was subdued. He stayed in the center of the camp, far away from the trees.


    That evening was a nerve-wrenching one. Danny was so amped up with anxiousness that he never managed to go to sleep. Every branch in the wind was an assault. The rustling leaves were an assassination. He jumped when a twig was snapped. Adding to the unease was a suspicious lack of any sound of life. No frogs croaking or insects buzzing. Silence. Constantly staying alert for such an extended period began to drain him. His eyelids began to grow heavy. Danny found himself nodding and willed himself to open his eyes wide, fighting off the exhaustion. Then, a light jingle was heard.


    In other circumstances it would be a pleasant sound, but it brought a deep dread upon Danny. The perimeter, something is here. The weighty eyelids, tiredness, nodding head, all of it was replaced by an awareness that sent Danny into a constant checking of his peripherals. Out of the corner of his eye something lurked, but it always hid when he tried to get eyes on it. He sat like that for a long time. After an eternity of feeling like a lamb waiting for slaughter, a bird tweeted. Then another, and another. The dead trees of the forest were revived with the birdsong. Danny poked his head out of the tent and was surprised to see the sun rising in the distance.


    Exiting the tent, Danny breathed out a sigh of relief. There had been no attack in the night. Either their twisting and turning way back had worked, or the wolves decided that they weren¡¯t worth it. Without the adrenaline, the weariness hit Danny all at once. It wasn¡¯t safe yet. Danny was certain that sleeping now wasn¡¯t an option. But when would it be? Is this how the days would go until there was finally a confrontation? Danny wouldn¡¯t last long like this, he knew.


    Danny sought out his guide for advice. He found him waiting by the Pillars. As Danny approached it seemed that the guide mistook his intentions. ¡°No training today.¡± He said. ¡°I have no way to pull you out from the dream world from outside. I need you to be ready.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t sleep at all last night.¡±


    The guide took an appraising look at Danny. The bags under his eyes and the slight hunch of his shoulders cut a pitiful figure. ¡°Sleep now. It is unlikely they strike at dawn, when we are fresh. I will wake you if something happens.¡± Danny silently thanked the System, or God, or whoever was watching. He nearly closed his eyes and curled up on the spot. Instead, he stumped back into the tent for a dreamless sleep that left him groggy.


    When Danny awoke, there was much to do. Defenses continued to be reinforced. Aspen insisted that Danny travel with his staff at all times. He didn¡¯t argue the point. In lieu of training, he carved more pointed sticks from thick broken branches and set them in the dirt alongside the others. He wondered if this was what the other Tutorials were like. Sometimes he found himself feeling envious of the others. Being the only human on Earth was difficult. He wished that he could have someone to commiserate with. Sassa was much easier to get along with than the guide, although their relationship had improved recently, but she didn¡¯t get it. She didn¡¯t understand what it was like to have your entire life uprooted by an all-powerful System. Danny ruminated more as he checked the perimeter.


    He could have sworn he heard one of the noisemakers go off in alarm last night. Danny diligently checked all of the tripwire he had put up last night. What am I going to do without Aspen to conjure all this stuff out of thin air? Danny thought. Then he found it. A small section of the line had been moved. Large paw prints were all around. It seemed that whatever had tripped it had not stayed around long, or gone very far toward the camp. Danny also noticed dried blood on the grass and surrounding plants. The prints had to be from one of the wolves, they were much larger than Indy¡¯s. It was at this point that Danny realized he had not seen Indy all day. He hadn¡¯t been in the camp or the nearby woods. His daze of drowsiness mixed with panic had made him overlook that one, small detail. The realization made him nauseous.


    Danny followed the tracks as best he could, he had to know. He crept through the dry forest using the prints and blood as his compass. He didn¡¯t have to go far. The blood became wet. Danny reached the terminus of the trail. It lead into a patch of overgrown bushes. He pulled away at the curtain to reveal the dreaded scene. Two red eyes looked back at him.

 Chapter 16

    Chapter 16


    Danny expected to see a demon with a blood-stained maw devouring his friend, but the Dreadwolf just watched him. Up close, the monster had inky black fur that seemed to soak up all the light that fell on it, a void-like shape that made it hard to see the definition of the creature beneath. Eyes like cloudy red planets carefully regarded him. The monster was¡­pitiful. Deep claw marks tore and split its hide. Sickly red seeped into the soil. Bite marks wrapped around its neck like savage jewelry. It wheezed with every exhale. Labored breaths racked its body. A [Level 25 Dreadwolf] reduced to this¡­ The wounds looked suspiciously familiar. They were the same ones that had been upon the body of the Oni Baboon and its kin. Was there something bigger on the prowl?


    A fuzzy orange worm wriggled its way out from under the Dreadwolf. ¡°Indy!¡± Danny readied his weapon that he had relaxed when he saw the state of the Dreadwolf, prepared to put this monster out of its misery to save the fox. The fox cocked its head slightly. Indy walked away from the wolf and nuzzled Danny¡¯s leg. The monster didn¡¯t stop him. It was all so surreal. Here, a creature that stood easily past Danny¡¯s waist and had a mouth full of razors looked resigned as it watched the fox affectionately pat its head on his leg.


    What is going on? Whining, Indy pulled on Danny¡¯s clothes. Danny didn¡¯t drop his guard. The fox let go and bounded over to the injured monster. Then, Indy licked the wolf¡¯s open wounds. ¡°Indy get away from there, that thing is dangerous!¡± The fox again shot a puzzled, head-cocked look at Danny. It resumed first-aid. Why¡ª what is he doing? The bizarre display continued until the fox returned and pulled Danny closer to the Dreadwolf. ¡°What do you want me to do?¡± The sorry excuse for medical attention would do the monster no good. It was obvious that the monster would succumb to its wounds shortly. Probably less than a day left, if Danny had to guess. At this point, it would be a mercy killing. Since when did I start thinking that way?


    Being a veterinarian had been Danny¡¯s dream before the Integration. He spent countless sleepless nights grinding out online classes so that he could maintain a perfect GPA. The gap years he had taken after graduating high school had made him feel like he was behind the curve, so he worked extra hard to catch up. Accelerated classes, competency based programs, all while working at the pet store full-time. Still, he had been on a hotdog-and-ramen budget in order to make it all work. And the student loan debt¡­not that it mattered now.


    All that to say that Danny was struck now by how much his state of mind had changed. I had set out to help not hurt. Danny remembered. The choices he made about what weapon to use and what techniques to practice, it had all been to search for a way that had less of a violent finality to it, something that had been lost along the way. He thought about that bat again, the one that almost got away. ¡°Ok Indy, let¡¯s try to make a better way.¡±


    Danny pulled out the water vessel that he always kept on him, courtesy of Aspen¡¯s extensive survival training. Stepping as carefully and non-threateningly as possible, Danny approached the Dreadwolf. He was close enough to feel the ragged breathing warm his skin. The cool water pooled in his hands as he offered it to the monster. His nerves were taut as the great furred head wearily sniffed the liquid. Danny realized that this was a very stupid, very bad idea. The only idea that would be worse, at the moment, would be making any sudden moves, so Danny simply stayed on alert as the rough tongue lapped up the water. The wolf never took its eyes off him.


    Hydration was amazing and all, but it did little for the shredded flesh and blood loss. Danny was at a loss for what to do next. The robes he had used for bandages would have no way to fasten on such a large creature. Looking at the massive claws that could turn him into ribbons, Danny dismissed trying to sew the wound shut. He didn¡¯t have the materials for that anyways. In the past Danny had always used¡­ The necklace.


    Whether or not the Necklace of Rejuvenation would even work on someone¡ª something¡ª else was something that Danny had no knowledge of. He tried activating it and focusing or redirecting the energy toward the monster, but the healing power did not answer to him. Another stupid idea struck. Danny took off the necklace and tried to put it around the wolf¡¯s neck. When his hands got near a low growl was given as a warning. Danny deeply enjoyed having both of his hands attached to his body, so he quickly retreated. He decided to just set it on the monster and see if that would get a result. The wolf craned its neck in a way that was sure to be uncomfortable to keep Danny in its field of view.


    After putting the necklace on the Dreadwolf¡¯s back, Danny tried to activate it. It was much harder than doing so when it was on his person. Danny had to focus intently on sensing the healing power of the necklace. What he sensed first was the Dreadwolf. The aura of the thing was unsettling. Truthfully, it would be terrifying were it not for the fact that it was so weak, like a campfire could evoke the feeling of a wildfire, but few were afraid of it. First and foremost, there was a wrongness to it. This thing was unclean. Corrupted. A ferocity was beneath. It reminded Danny of Aspen, but instead of a restrained, yet still threatening, primal strength there was no rhyme or reason to this creature¡¯s viciousness. That feeling made Danny want to abandon the project entirely.


    If another way besides a cycle of killing monsters to get stronger and then killing stronger monsters to get yet more stronger existed, this was something that Danny had to take a risk on. The wolf hadn¡¯t bit him when he provided water. It hadn¡¯t lashed out when he put the necklace on it, this one was different. Or maybe they were all different and Danny had never given the monsters a chance. The ones he had killed¡­Danny couldn¡¯t save those ones, not anymore, but this wolf¡­ Danny had to try.If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    He pushed past the unsettling feeling of the monster¡¯s Soul laid bare and he found the necklace. Sending a stream of Qi, Danny powered it. The healing effect bled off into the surroundings. Without properly wearing it, much of the effectiveness was lost. A small amount did enter the wolf though. Blood began to clot on the open wounds. Pink irritated stretches of skin began to fade. The wheezing grew less noticeable. Danny could have sworn that the red clouds began to clear from the monster¡¯s eyes, but a low growl sent the energy into chaos. The eyes shone scarlet.


    The ravenous aura of the beast descended on the necklace. The inky blackness invaded the artifact that had been made for healing and drank. The green jade began to lose its luster. Even the Qi lost to the atmosphere was not safe. The wolf pounced and chased the energy and feasted. Upon consuming the energy, however, the healing effect was lost. The current state of the monster¡¯s injuries were still touch and go. While improved, the situation was still dire. The wolf would have days to live instead of hours, but would surely die if it continued to tear apart the power that sought to heal it. ¡°You are going to die if you do this! Why can¡¯t you see that?¡± The monster gave no indication of hearing.


    Danny couldn¡¯t tell if the monster couldn¡¯t control itself, or if this had been part of the plan all along, but he stopped being gentle. He raised both arms, dropping the staff. With all his focus and the help of his Qi Manipulation skill, Danny grabbed onto the beast¡¯s aura. He wrestled with it. But he was wrestling a cloud. It defied any attempts to contain it. Danny made a box around it. He bound it with bands of Qi, like a leash. He encircled it, he bear-hugged it, he put his own energy between the thing and the necklace. And something interesting happened.


    For one inexplicable moment, the struggle ceased. A connection was made. Danny heaved as it seemed he had finally subdued the Dreadwolf. But that was only how it seemed. With renewed ferocity, the corruption struck. The Necklace of Rejuvenation blackened and shattered. Next, it turned on Danny. Tendrils of tainted energies tunneled into Danny. It spread on his Qi like a poison, straight to the source. Danny¡¯s core was under attack.


    Resistance proved to be ineffective. Danny tried to send a flood of his energy to wash it away, but it was adding fuel to the fire. Think, Danny, think! Resorting to his only proven tactic, Danny shot a jet of pressurized Qi at the invading force. It cut through, only to have the energy replaced by the endless well of rage and hunger. How do you stop an infection from spreading? That was what this was, an infection, something foreign seeking to take Danny¡¯s strength for its own gain. Danny¡¯s mind turned to amputation. Cutting off a necrotic limb. The infection had spread too far though. It was nearly to his core. Fire, burn it!


    Whether it was illness-carrying clothes or disease-ridden bodies, burning had a successful track record when it came to stamping out infection. He imagined his Qi blazing hot, but it wouldn¡¯t catch. Danny had always imagined his Qi as something approximating water, how could water burn? There was one thing that water could do, however, and that was boil. Purify. Danny set his Qi to a roiling, scalding torrent. Then he hosed down the infection. There was a scream and a growl. Insides cooked from within, guts roasted, flesh turned a lobster red. Unconsciousness took hold.


    ___________________________________________________________


    The sofa cradled Danny like a loving mother. He would be late, but what was five minutes? He pushed his head deeper into the cushions and pulled the blanket over his head. I¡¯m so glad TJ let me crash here, he has the softest couch. Danny¡¯s sleepy mind thought. He really should be going soon. There was something very important happening¡­he was going to be late to work. One more occurrence and Danny would be out, three strikes as they say, he couldn¡¯t bring himself to move.


    ¡°Bro, you can¡¯t keep doing this,¡± TJ said. ¡°I barely make rent, I can¡¯t be your welfare check too.¡± TJ worked at the same place Danny did. It was a shipping fulfillment center. A fancy name for a big warehouse full of guys who drove forklifts for little more than minimum wage, and who didn¡¯t believe in deodorant.


    ¡°Five more minutes.¡±


    ¡°No, dude. I put my ass on the line for you. Stuff has been rough lately, I get it, but that was a year ago. You have to get your shit together or I¡¯ll have to¡­ I¡¯ll have to ask you to go somewhere else.¡±


    ¡°Whatever.¡±


    ¡°No, not whatever. Danny, get up. Danny, wake up. Native, wake up! Can you hear me native?¡± TJ¡¯s voice morphed into another. The sunlight was colored orange by the tent¡¯s thin walls. Danny had to blink his eyes and squint to make out the figure with him. Aspen, Danny¡¯s fairy guide, sighed like a crushing weight had been lifted from his back.


    ¡°Oberon¡¯s balls, native, do you have a death wish?¡± Danny lifted himself onto his elbows but immediately regretted the decision. He tried to remember what had happened. Indy. A monster. It was hurt badly. He had tried to help it and then¡­


    ¡°Where¡¯s the¡ª¡± That was about all Danny could get out before he coughed. His mouth felt like he had been binge-eating sand. When he inhaled through his nose he noticed a crusty substance and, upon wiping it away, realized it was dried blood.


    ¡°Easy. The earth creature is fine.¡± Danny heard high-pitched whining and saw the silhouette of a fox lying at the tent flap that served as the entrance and exit.


    ¡°What about the¡ª¡± Another coughing fit took Danny.


    ¡°Stop.¡± The guide passed him a wooden vessel of water. ¡°Drink.¡± The relief, the care, slipped from Aspen¡¯s expression. ¡°Then, you will tell me everything.¡±

 Chapter 17

    Chapter 17


    Aspen waited for Danny to finish his retelling of the events of last night. The guide''s face was an unreadable mask set in a half-scowl through it all. The lack of any sort of noticeable reaction began to make Danny feel uncomfortable, anger would be understandable, Danny had helped out one of the creatures on the hunt for them, after all. Something about that Dreadwolf had been different. Danny wondered if that invading energy he had felt was present in all monsters. ¡°It hurt and burned all over like I was on fire from the inside out. Then I don¡¯t remember much. After that, I woke up here.¡±


    ¡°Get up.¡±


    ¡°But I thought you said to¡ª¡±


    ¡°Get up native. There is something you need to see.¡±


    Danny rose from the tent floor, pushing through the dizzy spell that washed over him, the unyielding eyes of the guide watched him carefully. What-ifs began to race through Danny¡¯s mind, competing for the most terrifying. Did that thing attack Indy? He wondered if he would be met with a three-legged fox hobbling around and missing an eye. Did it bring friends? That could be worse. Danny was unsure if he could fight like this, and Aspen had made it clear that the amount of help he could provide was carefully regulated. The tent flap opened revealing an excited Indy who had been anxiously waiting.


    Enthusiastic squawking lightened the tension in the air. Danny reached down to scratch the fox between the ears and under the chin, causing its leg to thump against the ground. He inspected Indy, but the fox looked perfectly fine. All limbs were accounted for. ¡°For a second there, you had me worried. What am I supposed to¡ª¡± There in the trees. A large gray wolf was lying in the trees, watching with intelligent eyes¡ªa [Level 9 Direwolf]. The red clouds in the wolf¡¯s eyes were replaced by a stunning green. A lot of things went through Danny¡¯s mind at the moment their gazes met. Some were verified when he pulled up his Status screen and found a few new entries.


    [Lupine Ferocity: Call upon the monstrous heritage of the Direwolf. The King of Beasts gains enhanced agility, strength, and heightened senses. Claws and fangs serve as natural weapons. Costs a steady amount of Qi to upkeep.]


    [Would you like to learn skill: Purify?]


    [Purify: Your Qi can be used to purify either physical or spiritual corruption.]


    The class ability that Danny had gained meant that somehow he had Bonded with that monster. Which meant that the Direwolf used to be¡­ The other skill was a no-brainer. This was exactly the thing he had been looking for: another way. Danny easily accepted the skill. Only one spot left, better make it a good one. Although, the wolf was now quite a few levels lower than before. From 25 all the way down to Level 9. And a little spark ignited something in Danny¡¯s chest. All this time, ¡°the only way¡± had been a cop-out, a lie. Something that was sold to him so he would go along with whatever genocidal agenda the System ran under. Maybe it wasn¡¯t the System¡¯s agenda¡­ ¡°Aspen, I think our conversation isn¡¯t quite over.¡±


    ¡°I figured you might have left something out. That wolf has been watching the tent while you were unconscious..¡±


    ¡°That wolf is a monster¡ªwas a monster. A Dreadwolf from the nest. That was the monster that I had tried to heal last night.¡±


    ¡°Native, it¡¯s been two days. That thing isn¡¯t a monster, just some Earth creature, like the fox. You are still suffering from whatever put you in that sorry state, Qi overuse most likely.¡±


    ¡°No. I know what I saw, know what I did. The description of the class ability even mentions how it used to be a monster. I got a new skill too, Purity.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not a very useful¡­¡± The guide paused and truly considered Danny¡¯s words for the first time. ¡°No, no. That¡¯s not how¡­¡± Danny had to fight a smile as he saw something on the guide¡¯s face he never had before. Confusion. For once, he might know less about something than Danny did.


    ¡°Monsters don¡¯t have to be killed on sight. There is another way.¡± Danny said.


    ¡°Native, I need you to listen to me. You are mistaken. Never say that again, never repeat what you have told me. To anyone.¡±


    ¡°But, this is huge! What we thought was wrong. There is another way. We can actually¡ª¡±


    ¡°Native you do not understand the trouble you are in. Killing monsters isn¡¯t something that we do because we have to, or because no one has ever found another solution. In the Multiverse, we kill monsters because it makes us stronger. Wealth, fame, power, it is all hinging on that one simple fact. There is a reason that no other way has been found, and that is because no one wants it to be.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s ridiculous,¡± Danny said. ¡°You¡¯re telling me that, what? People will silence me if I share what I know.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Nobody would¡ª It¡¯s a good thing, right? Not everyone is content with how things are, someone out there must be willing to take me seriously, to make a change.¡±


    ¡°Native, you blasted a hole through the head of a flying monster. Soon, you will be able to rip a tree out of the ground with your bare hands, and that is just scratching the surface. Who would give that up?¡± Aspen said. ¡°They are just monsters, unfeeling and destructive. The only way to contain them is to put them down.¡± Aspen paused. ¡°Keep quiet about this, native. If anyone asks, this is some rare Earth beast whose species was killed off by monsters. It¡¯s uncommon, but not impossible. With your class, no one will look twice.¡±If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    ¡°You don¡¯t get to tell me what to do anymore. You lied. You said there was no other way and you knew that there was. You knew!¡± Danny was overcome with the unfairness and betrayal of it all. All this time he had been led to believe that he was hanging on to a pipe dream. But that was all a lie. ¡°I¡¯m not going to kill anymore monsters, not when I have the power to save them. And screw you!¡± Danny added for good measure.


    ¡°Please, nati¡ª Danny. Just listen to¡ª¡±


    ¡°Why should I? Aren¡¯t you just going to lie again or hide something from me?¡±


    ¡°Because I can¡¯t lose another one!¡± The fairy was now yelling. Pain was evident on his face like some long-scarred wound being torn anew. ¡°I can¡¯t lose another student because of a mistake. Not again.¡± He said, quieter this time. There was a long pause. Danny was ready for a big blowout, where both of them got angry and Danny would storm off, something easy, expected, but seeing Aspen like this took all the fight out of him.


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a long story¡­¡± Aspen sighed, his breath catching ever so slightly. ¡°His name was¡ªis¡ª Teak. He had a Wildcard Integration, like you¡­


    ___________________________________________________________


    ¡°Titania¡¯s tits, I hate flying.¡± Ald cursed. I couldn¡¯t help but laugh at the veteran who squirmed like it was his first time on a Qi Vessel.


    ¡°This time, keep lunch in your stomach.¡± Holly jested. She was large for a fairy. Unlike most species of the Multiverse, Fairies don¡¯t differ much between the sexes. If there was anyone I could count on to crack a couple skulls, it was Holls. Ald held a hand over his mouth. Holly chuckled at his misfortune. Linden was checking over some of the more¡­complicated equipment. Teak was the one who stood out. Unlike the rest of the squad he was a Shad¡¯Jahar. A humanoid species with four arms and scarlet skin. Typically, they were massive, towering over most of the Multiverse¡¯s races. Teak was an exception. He had a slight build, wiry. His people called him an Ah¡¯rint. It wasn¡¯t a lovingly-given title. Despite being small compared to his kin, Teak was a titan to the fairies. This vessel had to be specially commissioned to fit him. Not that Linden disliked the extra space to store his shiny toys¡­


    ¡°Holls, lay off.¡± Teak said. His face was pulled back into a menacing scowl. That quickly changed. ¡°The geezer might need to change his diaper if you keep poking him like that.¡± Holly and Teak broke into a fit of laughter. Ald was about to say something, but a bout of turbulence gave him other ideas. Barely been with us for two months and the kid was like family. To me, he already was. I went over and sat next to him.


    ¡°Listen Teak, this is the most dangerous mission we have gone on since you joined. We¡¯re going in blind. Just a distress signal. No I.D. Be caref¡ª¡±


    ¡°I got it, boss.¡± Teak said. His smile quickly faded into a serious expression. ¡°I¡¯m not Integrating on some backwater planet anymore. I¡¯ll keep my head on a swivel.¡± I smiled. I knew it wasn¡¯t just empty bravado. The kid was something special. Never before had an outsider been allowed to join an elite unit. Luckily, being the Alei-Tacht had some benefits. I turned to the rest of my Reapers.


    ¡°Touchdown in ten! We have no eyes on the ground. Get in, find the source of the distress signal, get out. Clear?¡±


    Various noises of confirmation were made in answer.


    ¡°Now let¡¯s get down there¡­¡± I called.


    ¡°And fuck shit up!¡± They all answered in unison.


    ___________________________________________________________


    Ald led the way through the swamps. He had centuries of field experience under his belt. Urban, jungle, desert, marshes, he had seen it all. Tall, leaning trees with branches that hung low made for poor visibility. ¡°Tits and balls,¡± Ald grumbled, ¡°tar pit!¡± He was already proving his worth. In terrain like this, one wrong step and you would be stuck. The unit followed Ald around. Fairies would normally fly over such an obstacle, but as their fearless navigator¡¯s stained black clothes modeled, this planet was a fairy¡¯s worst nightmare.


    I paid careful attention to the radar as we walked. We were getting closer. There was not much intel on this planet. Not Integrated. No sapient life. Just some marsh world in Sect space. Fitting place for cultivators. Strange though, that there were no monsters, the Sects liked to keep their wild planets well stocked for their junior members. Going so long without action was winding up my nerves, the rest of the squad¡¯s too. I was beginning to get a bad feeling about this.


    A whizzing ball of fire flashed through the trees. It met Ald¡¯s chest and only a smoking hole was left behind. He couldn¡¯t even react. ¡°Shit! A Stage 4. Scramble!¡± Fire and lightning shot through the branches as the ambushing force was revealed. The radar didn¡¯t even pick them up. A trap. They managed to crack our Qi-tech or someone flipped either way, we were caught with our pants down. We went in blind, and now we paid for it. Holly, Linden, and I managed to regroup far enough away that we no longer had to flee for our lives. When I finally caught my breath I looked around. ¡°Where¡¯s Teak?¡± They both just looked at me. Into my transponder I said ¡°Teak, point B.¡± That would be enough for him to find us. The three of us went to the rendezvous point. No one said the obvious. For my sake.


    ___________________________________________________________


    ¡°Ald, KIA. Teak was missing. They fed us a transmission. A ransom message.¡± Aspen finished the story. ¡°In exchange for a Favor they would let Teak go. When we were finalizing the deal, however, we found out Teak had escaped, but no one could find him. That was a long time ago. Too long. People don¡¯t come back from the dead like that.¡± He breathed out heavily, having told it all. Danny let the silence hang for a moment.


    ¡°Why for a favor?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Favors are important to fairies. For whatever reason, we can¡¯t go back on them. We have to try to do what is asked, even if it kills us. And, besides one from the Elders, a Favor from the Alei-Tacht is worth a kidnapping.¡±


    ¡°What does that mean anyway? Alei-tacht, a title or something?¡±


    ¡°It means Planet-Killer. It was a name given to me during one of the wars with the Sects.¡± Danny waited for further explanation, maybe even another story. It didn¡¯t come.


    ¡°Okay¡­ are you going to tell me what you did to get that name?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°When you say Sects, do you mean cultivators? Like that temple we started at?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Danny waited. He realized he would have to work for more.


    ¡°Do Sect people not get along with the fairies?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± The guide sighed as Danny, yet again, stared at him expectantly. ¡°Cultivators stay in groups called the Sects, each one has their own specialty or identity. Likewise, Levelers join System factions. The two are always at odds.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Does that mean we are going to be enemies or something?¡± Danny asked.


    The guide laughed. ¡°No. At least, for your sake, I hope not. The fairies are mercenaries. We don¡¯t usually start conflicts, although we do have many enemies¡­¡± Aspen trailed off.


    ¡°Am I going to have to join one of these Sects when the Tutorial ends?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to, but¡ª¡± A low bark interrupted them. Both of them quickly rose to their feet and looked towards the treeline. A [Level 25 Dreadwolf] was backing Danny¡¯s newest companion down, closer to the camp, a deep, threatening growl coming from its throat. ¡°Looks like you have a visitor. He doesn¡¯t seem very happy with your new friend¡¯s change of heart.¡±

 Chapter 18

    Chapter 18


    Danny quickly retrieved his staff from the tent. Adrenaline washed away the general pain and dizziness he had felt. However, Danny could tell that he wasn¡¯t at 100 percent. He moved toward the two wolves. They seemed to be locked into a battle for dominance. It reminded Danny of two aggressive dogs who happened upon each other on a walk or at the dog park. First, they began posturing, and if one didn¡¯t back down, it could get violent. Danny could tell that neither would be backing down. Luckily for him, he remembered what he had done to ¡°cure¡± the first wolf and was intent on doing it again. Using his Qi to ¡°reach out,¡± Danny tried to find a way to grab hold of the Dreadwolf as he had before. The monster was a wild will of destruction left unchecked. It lashed out at him in manic bloodlust. Danny tried to set his Qi aboil and Purify it, but this one was not on the verge of death like the other.


    The Dreadwolf charged past Danny¡¯s ally and sought to snuff out the source of the energy that was antithetical to itself. Danny had to abort his attempt to defend himself. He swatted the monster on the snout when it tried to bite him. Danny dodged another. The Direwolf, Danny¡¯s companion, sunk its teeth into the monster¡¯s flank and pulled it away slightly. The two engaged each other. Out of nowhere, a little orange fox flew through the air and clamped down on the monster¡¯s ear, tearing half of it off its head. With the monster preoccupied, Danny again began to channel purifying energy toward it.


    The monstrous wolf howled. Its hulking black body spasmed. A hateful stare bore daggers at Danny, but he continued to assault the monster with his Qi. Howling intensified as the monster began to desperately try to get to Danny. It was a maelstrom of teeth, claws, and bloody fur. Danny¡¯s two animal allies were able to harry the monster enough that it could not get to him. The melee lasted for what seemed like an eternity. All three of the beasts began to pile on the injuries. Then, the monster faltered. The Dreadwolf began to move sluggishly and that marked the beginning of the end. Soon, the monster was a twitching heap on the ground, white foam leaking from its mouth, its eyes an unresponsive white. It was dead.


    Danny frowned as the fox hobbled over. Why didn¡¯t that work? Poor Indy was punching way above his weight class in that fight and had paid the price for it. ¡°Good job Indy.¡± The fox perked his ears up at the praise. Having a larger friend around seemed to make him braver, or maybe he just didn¡¯t want to be upstaged. Then there was the wolf. It had scored a nasty cut below the eye, but stared stoically at Danny as if it was waiting to be addressed. ¡°I guess you need a name too, huh?¡± It would get pretty confusing just calling it wolf all the time, especially when they moved to take on the nest. ¡°Are you a boy or a girl?¡± Danny moved to check.


    I am female. The husky feminine voice in Danny¡¯s head caused him to whip around. There was no one around him. Indy was sniffing the dead monster and Aspen was watching from afar.


    ¡°Who said that?¡± The wolf continued to make eye contact with Danny.


    I did.


    ¡°No way. A talking wolf?¡± Danny looked over toward the fox. ¡°Indy, can you talk?¡± The fox raised its head from where it had been digging into the Dreadwolf, its white muzzle now stained red. Indy cocked his head in his curious way before resuming his meal. ¡°Guess not.¡±


    The pup is too young. Until Level 50 it won¡¯t be able to communicate.


    ¡°But you are Level 9, what do you know about being Level 50?¡¯


    I¡ª The wolf made an expression that looked like squinting, struggling to grasp something out of reach. I don¡¯t know. I  do know, but I don¡¯t know how¡­ Danny took a careful look at the wolf. The way it acted was uncanny somehow, he didn¡¯t like it, but for better or for worse, they were Bonded now, a package deal.


    ¡°Okay. Let¡¯s go with Ash.¡± Ash¡¯s coat reminded Danny of a campfire that had long since gone out. As surprising as having a talking wolf as his newest Bond was, Danny was even more concerned by what had happened with the Dreadwolf. He hadn¡¯t done a whole lot differently. In fact, Danny had been much more prepared and on top of the whole process, but this time the monster died instead of reverting to a tamed beast form. There was too much that he didn¡¯t know. If Danny wanted to go against the grain and actually find a better way, then he would have to get serious.


    ¡°Aspen, tell me everything about monsters. I have to know.¡± Danny called out to the guide behind him. His voice was firm, serious. There was a steely confidence to it that Danny had lacked for¡­ most of his life, really.


    ¡°We¡¯ve been over this, there are some things that you aren¡¯t ready for.¡±


    ¡°If I wait until I am magically ready then it will be too late. I have to learn what I can, either from you, or the hard way.¡±Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.


    The guide half-smirked. ¡°Very well.¡±


    From there, Danny¡¯s monster studies began. Aspen told of the fundamental forces of the Multiverse. Qi, which was present in all living things, powered the System and the various skills and superhuman abilities of the Multiverse¡¯s cultivators and Levelers alike. And Corruption. Corruption was the yang to Qi¡¯s yin. It usurped Qi and perverted it into something it had not been before. Qi can survive on its own, but Corruption needed a host, needed something to feed on. Corruption was what monsters were made of. Corruption was the thing that Danny was Purifying when he used the skill on the Dreadwolves. Corruption was an integral part of a monster, as necessary as blood, and when Danny took that away with nothing to replace it, the monster died. That was mostly conjecture, though. Topics like this were strictly regulated by most Factions. Even the cultivator Sects didn¡¯t disseminate this kind of information.


    As for why his first attempt had worked and the second hadn¡¯t, Aspen wasn¡¯t sure. Their leading theories were that it had something to do with either the Necklace of Rejuvenation, that had been destroyed in the process, or the Bond that Danny had formed with Ash. Bonds weren¡¯t something that could be forced, so if that was the difference, there might be only a small subsection of monsters that were actually able to be saved. That had been disheartening to hear, but Danny focused on testing if the healing magic of the necklace had been the root cause of success. The only problem was, Danny didn¡¯t have any backup healing artifacts. None of the manuals from the temple had any information on healing either, apparently that was something reserved for recruiting done later in the Integration. Danny was beginning to see how the powers-that-be would dangle the carrot to get the most talented of the Integration to join up.


    Danny also questioned Aspen on how Ash seemed to have memories that she shouldn¡¯t. That led into a whole conversation on reincarnation. Apparently, when a monster died it would be reincarnated as another monster. Same with sentient species. Corrupted souls stayed corrupted and, if they died a violent death, previously pure souls could become corrupted as well. The guide indicated that there was an ever growing population of monsters across the Multiverse, hence the Integrations being needed to keep them in check. Danny wondered if this was fact or some sort of System-based religion, but Aspen seemed convinced of its veracity.


    The conversations were a massive information dump. Danny almost wished he had listened when Aspen had said to wait until he was ready, but he needed to sort through this sooner rather than later. He wanted to have an action plan for dealing with the Dreadwolf pack. Living in fear of an ambush in the night was beginning to drain on him. They already sent one to investigate, who knows how many they will send next time? Danny reasoned. All that to say, this was important to Danny. He dove into his studies like a madman, his waking moments consumed with thoughts and theories on how or why his interaction with Ash had been so successful. Then, there was his cultivation.


    It was like Danny was a new man. When he cultivated, it felt like the world was practically forcing Qi upon him. Breaking through within the week was a foregone conclusion, that was the extent of the windfall he had found. A fraction of the time was needed to complete cultivating sessions as well, meaning that Danny was able to spend more time considering his pet project. He also began to revisit the Body Pillar, although not as frequently as before. Danny was also careful to limit the time he spent inside the Dream World to prevent unnecessary damage and drain on the Pillar itself. He also found himself looking forward to recovering the other two Pillars. With how much he had grown from the one he had access to, Danny was certain that his progress would skyrocket with the full set.


    The only part of Danny¡¯s arsenal that went untrained were his companions. Danny had no idea where to even start with them. Ash seemed wise and would play-fight with Indy, but Danny didn¡¯t know the first thing about animal training, especially when it came to battle. Aspen was at a loss as well. That was yet another thing added to the increasingly long list of ¡°I don¡¯t knows.¡± At some point, the Factions and Sects would begin sending representatives and recruiters to Earth in an event called ¡°The First Wave.¡± Danny should be able to fill the gaps in his knowledge then, according to Aspen. Danny got the feeling that he was even more frustrated than Danny at not having answers. Although, for him it was a pride thing.


    Another attack came. This time three Dreadwolves. They had come after a day had passed since the earlier scout came sniffing around. Instead of trying to use Purify on the monsters while his Bonds held them off, Danny took an active role in the fight. Once they were beaten down, Danny began his work. It was not pretty. There was a moment when Danny wondered if it would be kinder to kill them quickly instead of making them endure this seemingly agonizing process. However, if the reincarnation thing was right, wouldn¡¯t a chance at a non-monstrous life be better than an eternity stuck in a prison of uncontrollable rage and destructive impulses? Danny wasn¡¯t sure, but this way felt like he was pursuing something good and not mindlessly enforcing the status quo.


    After the attack, Danny broke through. Even Aspen was visibly astonished by the pace. Now that the Gate of Sight was open, Danny could see the Qi around him. He saw the ephemeral aura of Indy. The blood-red, dense, hard aura of his guide. Ash had an aura of twilight. One part was steadfast, unwavering, but it held a darkness under the surface. Danny couldn¡¯t really see his own Qi. It was like scent-blindness. He had grown so used to it that the only thing he could determine was that it was his own. He could see how the Qi in the air changed as it rose into the sky, the way that the copse of dead trees the Pillars resided was different than the lush pine forest further out. Now, there was only one gate left. The Divine Gate.


    With only three weeks left of the Tutorial, Danny was certain that he would have it open by the end. Due to the nature of the impurities joining with blockages of the other gates once they had been broken up, the Divine Gate was the hardest to open. It also provided the most sizable leap in power. Bordering on the external world and Danny¡¯s internal one, the Divine Gate¡¯s opening would allow him to even more easily manipulate the Qi around him. He would draw in more, move it around easier, and even be able to push his own Qi outside his body in a more elegant manner. Danny already had a talent for Qi manipulation along with a skill to show for it, but Aspen assured him that he would see massive changes in his ability. But there was still one major obstacle he would have to face before then: the Dreadwolf nest.

 Chapter 19

    Chapter 19


    Another Dreadwolf was reduced to a twitching heap. Danny let out a sigh that carried the sound of repeated failure. He could not figure out how to repeat what he had done with Ash. That first time had been different somehow. It was reassuring that, with each purified monster, his cultivation was getting easier and easier. That reinforced the feeling that he was on the right path after all, if Karma said it was a good thing then it had to be, right? Danny figured it was as good a guide as any. Indy and Ash were rapidly improving as well.


    The two were becoming a well-oiled machine. Indy had this natural knack for finding opportunities to annoy and throw the Dreadwolves off-balance and then slink away into the brush like an orange ghost. Ash was practically just as devastating as any of the monsters they faced. The System appeared to agree as they had both risen to Level 10. Danny had yet to try his new Lupine Ferocity skill. It was the first skill that he had to ¡°activate.¡± All the others were more similar to passive boosts that empowered a certain technique, but this one was different. The closest thing was his Purify skill, however that one was more like something he just did, a new application of his Qi rather than some video game power-up. Danny figured he would be forced to put it to the test soon.


    For the past few days, Danny and the dogs (trademark pending) had been luring out Dreadwolves so that Danny could try to refine his purification technique. They would coax one at a time out into the open, but the wolves wisened up shortly after they had lost two of their pack. Now, they would have to take on three or more at once. There weren¡¯t any injuries yet, but it was only a matter of time before something went wrong. The constant failure to replicate his past results was weighing on Danny as well.


    A little bit over half a month of Tutorial remained. The decision had been made to go ahead and clear out the nest, regardless of whether or not Danny had mastered purification. Letting the monsters remain at large would result in them slowly increasing in strength until it would be impossible to stop them. That was how all monsters were, but these Dreadwolves seemed to grow at a rate that surprised Aspen. They were definitely the strongest foes that Danny had faced. Tomorrow would be the day that they cleared the nest, and Danny had been making a final push to get things figured out. Once again, it eluded him.


    The next day was a cold morning. Fog hung low on the ground and prevented Danny from seeing his feet. Pine trees rustled with a biting wind that made Danny wish for a jacket. While his temple robes allowed free movement, they did little to protect against the elements. They were beginning to show signs of wear as well. Frankly, it was miraculous that they had lasted this long. Danny chalked it up to superior Multiverse craftsmanship. The sun hid behind a veil of clouds, adding to the ominous atmosphere. Danny looked to his right and saw Ash''s steadfast figure, ready to take on the world. To his left, Indy kept nervously glancing to the sides. Guess there can only be one brave one.


    At that moment, Danny was transported somewhere else. The familiar pine trees and forest floor were gone, replaced by an ominous mist that made it seem like he was standing on clouds. Sunlight flickered overhead as it passed through windblown branches. Maybe this was still Earth in a literal sense, but just how drastic the change had been dawned on Danny yet again. Wolves, a color so dark that calling it black was an understatement, formed before them like ghosts made from the mist. Red embers glowered at them in place of eyes. A larger Dreadwolf sauntered to the front. The vanguard made a path for them. They even bowed their heads as he passed, paying reverence to their leader. Soon, he was close enough for Danny to Identify. [Level 40 Dreadwolf Alpha].


    Danny counted only nine Dreadwolves including the Alpha. It would be a stretch, but Danny was certain that he and his Bonds could handle it without anything life-threatening. A commanding bark rang out and echoed off the trees. The play at intimidation was a good one, but Danny was too seasoned to be set atremble by something so mundane. Then the flankers arrived. When Ash started to swing her head around, Danny knew something was wrong. A dozen Dreadwolves had snuck around them, using the dense morning fog as cover. They were surrounded, trapped, like a rabbit in a snare. Danny readied himself.


    Expecting the ambushers to pounce on their opportunity, Danny was twitching in anticipation. No attack came. The wolves watched. The Dreadwolf Alpha began to walk along the perimeter. Danny had to hand it to them, they were clever and patient. No wonder they had been able to take out the other monster nest with ease. He was unnerved at the calculated way the Alpha scanned them as if they were a puzzle to be solved, not threatening in the least. Ash seemed to feel a similar way. The fur between her shoulders bristled and the corners of her mouth pulled back into a subtle snarl. When he looked for Indy¡¯s reaction, the fox had already melted into the mist. Indy never truly abandoned the fight, but the fox knew its strengths well, and direct contests of strength were not among them. Danny wondered what the best course of action was. Should I just attack now, or wait for them to make the first move? Either way, he knew it was an uphill battle. As he tried to figure out his next move, the decision was made for him.Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    Howling a battle cry, the Alpha directed his troops to attack. The pack struck, but the rank and file lacked their leader¡¯s discipline. A few of them rushed forward excitedly while some lagged behind. Ash was the first to catch the mistake and pounced on the over-ambitious Dreadwolves in front of them. She tackled one to the ground, her jaws clamped around its throat. Danny quickly followed. A swift strike to the snout sent one reeling, and another received a jab to the eye. With a Falling Thunder, Danny left an unconscious heap of fur. The other fell shortly after. Their saving grace was the lacking communication of the pack; as long as they only had to face a few at a time, Danny was confident they could come out of this.


    Danny forced himself not to flinch as Ash tore apart the monster she had engaged with. This is a fight, he told himself, us or them. Danny shot a blast of Qi at an incoming Dreadwolf. It rolled in the dirt. A hole leaked in its head. A flurry of strikes dispatched another pair. Ashe wrestled with another challenger. A sudden force sent Danny to the ground where a mouthful of soil greeted him. Heavy paws pinned him there. The Alpha had joined the assault.


    He tried to push himself up, but the monster was too strong. Despite not being able to see what it was doing, Danny just knew that the teeth would soon pierce the back of his neck. A shrill Yelp! accompanied a lessening of the restricting force. Shoving hard, Danny raised himself to his knees, bucking off the Alpha Dreadwolf. He whirled around to see Indy with his small maw around one of the Alpha¡¯s hind legs. Somehow, the little guy had managed to distract the monster enough for Danny to get up. Danny wanted to shout a ¡°Thank you!¡± or a ¡°You really saved my bacon!¡± but the words died in his throat when, in one motion, the Alpha turned on Indy, wrapped its mouth around his midsection, and shook him like a dollar store chew toy. Indy was sent flying into a tree where he tumbled to the ground unresponsive.


    ¡°Indy!¡± Danny wanted to rush over to the fox. He wanted to hold it and tell it that everything would be okay. The Alpha put himself between Danny and his Bond. A challenge. Rage bubbled inside as Danny looked at that superior look in the Dreadwolf¡¯s eyes. You¡¯re going to pay. Blood dripped from its mouth. I¡¯m going to hurt you. Indy¡¯s blood. I¡¯m going to fucking kill you! Like he had said the magic words, Danny began to transform. His pupils turned to slits, his irises became golden. Danny¡¯s mouth became too wide for a human¡¯s and the teeth grew abnormally long and sharp. His fingernails were replaced by pointed claws. Everything was sharper, clearer like his vision was in HD. He could hear every grunt, bark, and footstep around him. He could smell the coppery blood all around. One thing was in the center of it all: the Alpha.


    Danny wished he could say that the first use of Lupine Ferocity was an effective one, but that would be a lie. One might expect Danny to target vitals like the eyes, throat, stomach, or chest, but that was not the case. No, Danny drank deeply from that well of wrath that had been overflowing within him. He lashed out. He carved chunks of flesh and fur from the monster. With his teeth, Danny ripped strips of hide and exposed the pulsing red underneath. The Alpha fought back, but its struggles were drowned in the typhoon of violence Danny had become. By the time his gruesome work was finished, the ground was metallic-scented mud, and even the trees were stained scarlet. Danny regained his senses. He found himself covered in blood, tasted it, like a coyote let loose in a hen house. He couldn¡¯t¡ª didn¡¯t want to¡ª remember what happened. His mind was focused on one thing.


    ¡°Indy!¡± Danny ran to his first friend in this unfamiliar, barbaric place, the one who always found time to goof around. It felt a little stupid to care so much for an animal, but Danny had never felt so deep a despair as he did when he saw the limp fox that lay like a discarded orange scarf. No¡­ Danny could feel the moisture welling up in his eyes, yearning to fall. No, he can¡¯t be¡­ There was a wheezing sound as the fox sucked in a shallow breath. Danny looked around for someone to help. He saw Ashe, bruised and bloodied, but he was the one responsible for them. He was the adult here, the only adult. That was an uncomfortable weight.


    ¡°Ash, uh, go get the Pillar things, you know where they are, right?¡±


    The wolf nodded and turned, limping toward where the Dreadwolves had come from.


    ¡°Shit.¡± The fox¡¯s coat was more red than orange. Danny tore at the loose sections of his robe and wrapped makeshift bandages on the pitiful Indy¡¯s wounds. He picked up the fox and cradled it in his arms. For a moment, he thought the exertion had been too much, but a sigh of relief escaped him when he saw the fox inhale weakly. Danny applied pressure as evenly as he could to the wounds. Like a mother desperately clinging to an injured infant, Danny hurriedly carried the fox back to their camp.


    For me, Danny thought as he worked his way through the fading fog, Indy sacrificed himself for me. Because I was weak. Being hurt after these fights like he had been with the Horror swarm, with Rob, never felt good, but the burden of carrying someone who bore those wounds because of you, instead of you, that was worse. That was a pain Danny quietly vowed he would never feel again. That solemn promise, that singular purpose kept Danny¡¯s legs pumping through the fatigue and his arms holding strong despite the numbness. I will never let this happen again.

 Chapter 20

    Chapter 20


    Danny was a whirlwind when he finally made it to camp. After shouting the guide¡¯s name, Aspen looked over the fox. The rags Indy was wrapped in were sticky with red. ¡°There has to be something you can do,¡± Danny begged. ¡°Please.¡± The look in Aspen¡¯s eyes nearly sent Danny into a rage again. Cold detachment. A look that conveyed a core lesson of the Multiverse. People get hurt. People die. Get used to it, because it will happen again. Danny wondered how many friends Aspen had seen bleed out on a battlefield long forgotten outside of guilt-ridden nightmares. He wondered if all the powers and growth in the world would make it worth it.


    Yes. He thought. Because I can save him. Danny pushed past Aspen. Just because he won¡¯t do anything, doesn¡¯t mean I can¡¯t. With great care, Danny laid Indy on the floor of his tent. The Necklace of Rejuvenation had been Danny¡¯s method of healing in the past, but that had been destroyed. It¡¯s just Qi, right? If I can use my Qi to purify I must be able to use it to heal, I just don¡¯t know how yet. To Danny¡¯s panic-ridden mind, it seemed logical enough. The problem was, he didn¡¯t know where to start. He tried to remember exactly what that healing energy felt like, but his mind and heart were racing too fast to focus. I think it was warm? Like standing out in the sun. But there is something more to it. The finer details escaped him.


    There¡¯s no time! Danny couldn¡¯t exactly tell, but he imagined that, with each second, the chances of Indy recovering were falling dramatically. Deciding that he had to do something, Danny began to move his Qi. He covered the fox with his energy, hoping to stop the bleeding. If he could just hold on tight enough, maybe he could keep the fox from leaking anymore. There was middling success. Danny wondered if he could pinch the wounds together like a spiritual suture. Pained whining made him quickly abandon that idea. The last thing he wanted to do was put Indy through any more pain.


    Readjusting his approach, Danny slowly tried to shift his Qi so that it felt like that healing necklace. Rushing would get him nowhere. The only thing he would get by hurrying is hurrying Indy to his death. That morbid thought scared him into finding his patience. He imagined the warmth of the healing magic. It wasn¡¯t a boil like purity, instead, it was a lukewarm bath, the kind you take after a long day to soothe your aching muscles. There was a vibrancy about it as well. Almost as if you were watching a time-lapse of a plant grow. The promise of new life. Trying to replicate that feeling felt out of reach. Still, Danny tried.


    His Qi was colorless when he imagined it. Now, it took on a faint green glow. The green started at his Core and slowly changed all the energy surrounding the fox. Danny could have sworn he saw the wounds closing, but he only managed to sustain the ephemeral shroud for a moment. The Qi lost its color. The grip that Danny had employed to stop the blood loss dissipated. From his Core, Danny rallied more energy. Just a little more, he thought. But more didn¡¯t come. Danny had run dry. Maybe I can¡­cultivate to¡­refill my¡­ Danny¡¯s thoughts became molasses, slowly dripping by. He half-fell half-sat down on the tent floor. Eyelids began to droop, and creeping black began to cloud his vision. Not¡­ again¡­ Danny¡¯s head hit the ground with an unceremonious thump.


    ___________________________________________________________


    The oversized grey hoodie wouldn¡¯t fit in his neon green backpack. As it was, Danny had no idea if he would even be able to get the thing to zip up. Neon green wasn¡¯t exactly conducive to successfully sneaking around past midnight, but it had been years since Danny had gotten a new backpack. They never had enough money. Got enough for Malboros and Bud Light, though. Just another reason on the laundry list for why Danny was running away tonight. He had it all planned out. Zeke already said Danny could crash with him. Z-dubs had graduated last year and lived on his own 20 minutes away. Danny would call him when he made it to the gas station a couple blocks down and Zeke would pick him up. Forcing the zipper shut and putting the tattered straps on his shoulders, Danny expertly avoided making the door creak when he opened it. There was only one thing that made Danny hesitate. And she was standing right in the doorway.


    ¡°Why¡¯s your light on?¡± Isabella asked sleepily.


    ¡°Bella, go back to sleep. It¡¯s nothing.¡± Danny coaxed his little sister.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡± She had noticed Danny¡¯s backpack.


    ¡°I¡¯m just¡ª I¡¯m going out for a bit, I¡¯ll be right back.¡± By now, Bella was awake enough to know that wasn¡¯t the truth.


    ¡°You can¡¯t go.¡± Her voice grew louder. ¡°I¡¯ll tell¡ªmmmm!¡± Danny cut her off by covering her mouth with his hand.


    ¡°Shh. Bella, please. I can¡¯t stay here. He¡¯s getting worse.¡± He whispered. She licked the palm of his hand which Danny in turn pulled back in disgust. ¡°Eww, gross.¡± He wiped his hand on his pants.Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    ¡°Let me go with you.¡± She was whispering now too.


    ¡°You know I can¡¯t. I¡¯m one thing, but they would tear this entire city apart looking for their little princess.¡± She hated that nickname. In hindsight, it was unwise to poke fun at a child when all she had to do was yell and his entire plan would be foiled, but Danny had never been the best at forward-thinking.


    ¡°Let me come or¡ª or I¡¯ll yell for Dad. Right now.¡± Ultimatum delivered, she stared at Danny with those big brown puppy-dog eyes. Danny would be lying if he said that the look didn¡¯t make his stomach twist.


    ¡°I can¡¯t. You¡¯ll be fine, but I¡ª I just can¡¯t take it anymore.¡± Danny had worked his tail off at his fast food job, ever since he was old enough to work. He caught rides with his friends or co-workers until he was able to finally pass his license test. Then, he bought a clunker in cash, having Zeke register the car since he was the only one in their friend group who was 18 at the time. This plan had been underway for a while now, and Danny didn¡¯t want to falter when he was so close to the finish line. ¡°Please, Bella, just go back to your room.¡±


    She regarded Danny for a long time. Finally, she said, ¡°I hate you,¡± under her breath as she turned away. When the door clicked shut, Danny felt like he could breathe again. The pit in his stomach remained. She didn¡¯t mean it, she¡¯s just a kid. He told himself. This is hard for her too. But those last few moments repeated in his mind as he descended the stairs, stepping on the sides near the left wall to avoid unnecessary noise. Danny turned the knob to the front door before he opened and then closed it behind him the same way. He walked under the light of the streetlamps thinking about those three words. I hate you. Part of him wanted to run back, or call child services, or something, but the truth was¡ª he was scared. Scared that the facade of a happy family would be impenetrable to whatever agent answered like a veneer hiding a rotted tooth. Scared of what would happen afterward. Scared of being put in foster care or a group home, the stories were horrific. Scared of not being much better than Rob when it came to raising a child. I hate me too.


    ___________________________________________________________


    Danny was pretty sure he had headbutted an oncoming Greyhound bus with how badly his head was throbbing. I gotta stop doing that. His pain was quickly shoved to the back burner as he recalled last night¡¯s events. ¡°Indy?¡± Danny meant to shout, but he was only able to get out a hoarse call.


    ¡°Easy.¡± A familiar voice said. ¡°The beast is resting native.¡± Danny tried to sit up to see where his guide was. All he could manage was to build up to his elbows. ¡°You¡¯re developing a dangerous habit. Never lose control so much as to cause you to overdraw your Qi.¡± Aspen lectured. ¡°You would have achieved a more satisfactory result if you had regenerated your reserves and then attempted¡­ whatever it is you did.¡± The last thing Danny needed at the moment was a schooling in moderation.


    ¡°Is Indy okay?¡±


    The guide snorted. ¡°Yes, native. The Earth creature will live. Whatever you did managed to bring it back from the brink, even if just barely.¡± Sure enough, Danny saw a little orange coil wrapped tightly in the corner. Indy¡¯s coat still had flecks of dried blood in it. He looked like he had rolled around in a red paint that now dried in flakes. Danny was relieved to see that his breathing was much more steady than what he had last seen.


    ¡°What about Ash?¡± In his panicked haze, Danny had sent the Direwolf off to find the other two Pillars. He now realized that the pack they had faced might not have been the last of the monsters. Danny might have sent an injured Ash straight into the proverbial lion¡¯s den¡ª wolves¡¯ den.


    ¡°The Magibeast returned with the Pillars. And something else.¡±


    Danny wasn¡¯t sure what Aspen meant by ¡°Magibeast,¡± but he was too relieved about hearing she was okay to care. Struggling to a seated position, Danny crawled over to where Indy was lying. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± he whispered so as not to wake the fox, ¡°this was all my fault.¡±


    ¡°Native, tell me how your battle went.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t tell?¡± Danny¡¯s words dripped with venom. ¡°Badly.¡±


    ¡°In detail.¡±


    Danny recounted how the encounter with the Dreadwolves had gone: the ambush, the following melee, the Alpha slipping into his blindspot, Indy¡¯s gruesome injury, and, finally, his rampage. Aspen just listened. When Danny had finished, the guide spoke. ¡°When did you use the Bubble Ring?¡±


    ¡°The Bubble¡­ I didn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because I forgot¡­¡± Danny couldn¡¯t seem to pull his eyes away from the ground.


    ¡°You engaged an enemy of unknown strength and number without full knowledge of your abilities,¡± Danny flinched with every word, ¡°and you didn¡¯t use the tools at your disposal. Accurate?¡± Danny nodded. ¡°You are right about one thing: this was your fault. If you weren¡¯t punching down, all of you would have died. Because of you.¡± The guide let the admonishment hang in the air. Without another word, Aspen exited the tent to let Danny stew with his words.


    He¡¯s right, Danny thought, I was careless, and Indy paid the price. How can I be upset with Aspen withholding information if I don¡¯t even know my own powers? If I had used my Bubble Ring, or made better use of the Cloak¡­ If I had known how to enter wolf-mode from the get-go¡­ His thoughts trailed on and on with what-ifs and could¡¯ve-beens. Danny resolved himself to take his training even more seriously. What happened today was on him, no doubt about that, but at least no one had died. He would have to get Indy some extra monster meat as a get-well-soon gift. There was one other thing that was troubling Danny. Something he could not get out of his mind.


    As he went over the fight in his head, he kept replaying when he wolfed out on the Dreadwolves. How it felt. How he enjoyed it¡­ It had felt like he let out a part of him that had been caged away deep inside, a part that he sensed would not go quietly back into captivity. Down in his depths, Danny had this feeling that he had been afraid of for a long time. What if that rage isn¡¯t from the ability? What if I¡¯m not that different from Rob after all?

 Chapter 21

    Chapter 21


    Training with the Pillars had been forbidden. Confined to bed rest for the rest of the day, Danny had nothing to do but cultivate and ruminate on that last fight. He wanted to get back into the dream world and throw himself into sparring, but Aspen watched the tent like a hawk. Pretty much any time Danny got up to move around and stretch he was under surveillance. The fact that every part of his body was fatigued only added to the growing sense of stagnation. He knew it wasn¡¯t logical; one day of rest wasn¡¯t going to completely erase all of the progress he made. Still, wanting to train and not being allowed to was beginning to chafe him. Instead of getting stronger, he was forced to sit in the same tent as Indy. He couldn¡¯t even look at the fox, the guilt wouldn¡¯t allow it.


    That restless day came and went. Slowly, for Danny, but it passed all the same. When his compulsory hiatus ended, Danny nearly sprinted to the stone platform where the Pillars stood. Now, an ornate carving stood atop each pillar. One with a fairy wielding a sword, indicating Body. The middle pillar depicted a fairy sitting cross-legged in a meditative pose, that one must be symbolizing Qi. The final carving was a fairy holding his hand out in an exaggerated martial arts pose with roiling energy rising around him, Soul. The two newly-recovered Pillars had a translucent quality to them like they were made of polished gemstones. By contrast, the Body pillar looked cloudy as if it had been rubbed with sandpaper instead of varnish and cloth.


    When Danny stepped onto the platform, three phantasmal fairy figures appeared. Sassa, the only familiar one, was noticeably fainter than the others. The Training Spirit arising from the Qi pillar was a chubby male fairy with joyful eyes and a rotund midsection. His hair was so short that you could see the peachy skin of his scalp. The fairy wore a solid tan robe with a rope tied around as a belt that had several knots in it. Over that, he wore an ornate burgundy vest with faded gold embellishments. The plump spirit raised an eyebrow when he saw Danny, then both when he saw the figure of Aspen watching nearby. ¡°Ah, Alei-Tacht. I am honored. Is this human to be my student?¡± Aspen nodded. ¡°Very well,¡± he said, dawning a jovial grin, ¡°My name is Maypa, pleased to be at your service.¡± Maypa bowed his head slightly. Danny found himself instinctively returning the gesture.


    The other new Training Spirit was not as cordial. He was thinner than the other fairies, almost scrawny. Instead of a smooth, youthful face, his was wrinkled and wizened. His hair was a silver-gray with a sparse mustache growing over his upper lip. It seemed to Danny that fairies struggled to grow facial hair even into their twilight years. The thing reminded him of something a boy just hitting puberty might wear. Danny never could grow a beard, so he guessed he didn¡¯t have much room to talk. The older fairy wore form-fitting clothes in a nondescript gray. Based on the fact that he was the Training Spirit of the Soul pillar, Danny was certain that there would be more to him than what meets the eye.


    ¡°Hm. A native. Using the Pillars?¡± He spoke with a creaky voice whose cadence reminded him of Aspen. ¡°Damn shame. Are you really allowing this, Alei-Tacht?¡±


    ¡°Yes. The native has proven worthy.¡±


    ¡°I suppose it¡¯s settled then.¡± Clearly, that wasn¡¯t the answer he had been hoping for. ¡°I¡¯m Oke. Master Oke to you, native. I won¡¯t tolerate any disrespect, even from one of his pupils.¡±


    ¡°Understood, Master Oke.¡± Danny figured it would be best to go along with the crotchety fairy.


    ¡°Hm. At least it has manners.¡± Danny took in his tutors. With less than three weeks until the end of the Tutorial, he would set a breakneck pace to open his Divine Gate and raise his base stats as much as humanly possible. Then, Danny would be prepared for whatever came next. He was determined to ensure that what had happened with the Dreadwolves would be the first and last time Danny would fail to protect the ones he cared about.


    The flower garden of the Qi pillar spread its floral fragrance into Danny¡¯s nose. Waves rolled across the sea of blue, yellow, and pink with an imperceptible, ghostly breeze. He sat cross-legged in a patch of small white flowers. It was warm despite the lack of any visible sun or other heat source. Maypa sat next to him and guided the cultivation session. ¡°Breathe deeply now, from the stomach. More, more, until you can barely hold it in.¡± His cadence was calming. ¡°Hold. Just a little longer¡­ Out.¡± As they exhaled, Danny marveled at how exhausting the breathing exercises were. Already, after less than ten minutes, he was beginning to feel a dull ache in his chest.


    ¡°How¡¯s that? Is your core full yet?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Danny felt like he was about to pop. ¡°I can¡¯t take in any more.¡±


    ¡°Good. Now push that energy down and compact it like you are packing a duck with stuffing.¡± Danny pushed his Qi down in his core. It was a familiar sensation to him, so it gave him little issue.


    ¡°Okay. Now what?¡±


    ¡°Now you take in more. Breathe in.¡± Danny tried, but the moment he stopped pressing down on his Qi he felt like he was going to be sick. Seeing this, Maypa interjected, ¡°Careful now, keep the pressure up.¡± Danny shoved his Qi back down, along with a bit of bile that had climbed up into his mouth, and drew in more Qi. ¡°Just like that,¡± Maypa encouraged. Again, Danny filled his core, and again he was instructed to compress his Qi. Once he had finished the third set of breathing exercises, Maypa told him to slowly let the Qi in his core expand. It felt like Danny was being inflated like a balloon. He steadily eased his grip on his energy, Maypa insisted that he be very careful as this was the most dangerous part. Then, when he was filled to bursting, Maypa had him release the Qi he had stored up back into the world. And repeat. Danny would much rather be batted around by Sassa all day than endure any more Qi training.


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    After finishing his exercises with Maypa, Danny moved over to the Soul pillar. Master Oke¡¯s Dream World consisted of a flat dirt yard with a couple of training dummies offering the only decoration. The only thing more no-nonsense than the scenery was Oke himself. ¡°What are you gawking at native? Blast them.¡±


    A jet stream of Qi punched a hole through one of the dummy¡¯s heads. The dummy head shimmered and was made whole. Originally, the self-repairing practice target had been a marvel, after the fifth time, however, Danny felt like it was taunting him. ¡°Again.¡± Oke barked. As he was preparing to fire another blast, the Soul Training Spirit interrupted, ¡°Stop, stop. What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Blasting the dummy again, like you said.¡±


    ¡°You squash your Qi into a ball first. Every time. Why?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, it¡¯s just what works for me.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s wasteful.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Hm.¡± Master Oke rolled his eyes. ¡°Watch.¡± The crotchety old fairy lifted his hand. Danny was curious about what the old spirit could do. There was no loud yelling, no channeling, no powering up. Without any warning, a small beam of Qi shot from the fairy¡¯s palm. It was thin, but impossibly dense, like a stream of syrup that moved at the speed of light. With a flick of his wrist, Oke decapitated both training dummies and cut off the beam. ¡°Command the Qi. It¡¯s yours, isn¡¯t it? Act like it.¡± Oke said. The dummy heads disappeared and then reappeared atop the targets, once again reattached. ¡°Again. This time no inane charge-up.¡± Mumbling under his breath he said, ¡°might as well shout what you¡¯re going to do next. Natives.¡±


    Envisioning his Qi like water and his blast technique as a pressure washer had been Danny¡¯s go-to for as long as he had control of his powers. It felt weird to think that was all a mistake, but Danny couldn¡¯t deny that while the fairy might lack manners, personality, and a general likeability, the one thing he did have over him was experience. He pictured that beam in his mind. Instead of building up pressure or concentrating Qi in his hand, Danny just willed it to copy what Master Oke had done. A beam shot out of Danny¡¯s hand. The responsiveness of it caught him off guard. Waving his arm in a wide arc, Danny attempted the same clinical execution of the immortal training dummies. The result was not as clean. Danny struggled to move his arm in a straight line. He cut one of the dummies in half but completely missed the other. Cutting off the Qi, he inspected his hand as if it were an alien device. ¡°Woah,¡± he said, ¡°that was so much cooler.¡± He couldn¡¯t help but smile.


    ¡°Far from adequate, native,¡± Oke said. ¡°Wipe that grin off your face. Danny schooled his expression. The prickly fairy was harsh, but he was right. Lacking control was what had led to Indy¡¯s disastrous injury. He wouldn¡¯t go into another fight like that again.


    ¡°Yes, Master. Should I go again?¡±


    ¡°You¡ª yes. Yes, again.¡± Oke said. Over and over, Danny tore apart the dummies with a beam of energy. Master Oke made more and more appear until Danny was massacring a veritable army of straw-stuffed soldiers. With each pass, the creases in the old fairy¡¯s face became a little fainter. His eyes softened. When the native turned to relay that he had run out of Qi, Master Oke quickly lowered his brow and pulled his face into a scowl. ¡°Well. We¡¯ll have to work on endurance, and the other aspects of your Soul are lacking, but the progress is acceptable.¡±


    Danny nodded. ¡°That reminds me, what exactly is the Soul stat?¡±


    ¡°What has your guide told you so far?¡±


    ¡°Um¡­¡± Danny tried to think of anything. ¡°Just that mine is kind of high.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± The fairy smoothed his nearly nonexistent mustache. ¡°I assume that means you know nothing?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Danny hung his head slightly.


    Oke muttered what Danny figured were fairy curse words under his breath. ¡°The three stats are all interconnected. Your Qi stat represents how much energy you can hold in your Core and how fast you can refill it. Body is your speed and strength. More specifically, and you will understand this better as you progress, it is how your Qi reinforces your body.¡± The fairy was really getting into it now. Danny had discovered one of his passions, besides being a grump. ¡°Soul, on the other hand, is the external to Body¡¯s internal. That stat indicates the extent and how effectively you can alter the world around you using your Qi. It¡¯s a little more complicated than that and each of the three main stats have sub stats that you can access once you pass Level 50, or in your case the first Stage, and¡ª are you following native?¡±


    ¡°Oh, yeah. Qi is how much you got. Body is, well, body. Soul is laser beams.¡±


    ¡°Hm.¡± Master Oke snorted. ¡°Close enough. That¡¯s the basics of it anyway. Not much we can do when you are out of Qi. That will be all for now.¡±


    Danny nodded and then bowed slightly. He figured that any goodwill he could build would be invaluable, and he was willing to be a little shameless in his sucking-up if it made him stronger in the long run. ¡°Thank you, Master.¡±


    ¡°Dismissed.¡±


    After that was the part Danny was most looking forward to. Sparring with Sassa. There was so much that he wanted to practice. Getting better at using his auxiliary equipment was his priority at the moment. But Sassa wasn¡¯t making that simple. Danny fell into the pond with a splash, thrown off-balance by a shoulder check from one of Sassa¡¯s clones. ¡°Why did you fail that time?¡± She asked. The Training Spirit had begun to analyze each of their fights once Danny either fell or took what would have been a lethal injury. Having all your mistakes was disheartening, but Danny took pride in the fact that he rarely made the same one twice. Danny pulled himself out of the water. Strangely, he wasn¡¯t wet at all.


    ¡°I used the Bubble Ring too early. There was no way to stop the clone on the flank afterward.¡± It felt a little unfair to him that Sassa could create a seemingly unending number of clones, but she kept it limited to three in their spars. He knew that limitation was only for his sake though.


    ¡°Too early wasn¡¯t the problem. Being decisive can be a strength. However, the attack you mitigated was one that I could easily bail out of. Save your trump card for a highly committal attack to make the best use of something with such a long cooldown between uses. Sometimes that might be the first move of the fight, but it rarely is.¡± Sassa said. ¡°I can tell you have made a lot of progress, and that ring of yours is very annoying to deal with.¡±


    ¡°Thanks. Let¡¯s go again. I think I got you this time.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve said that three times already.¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­but this time I¡¯m sure.¡±


    ¡°Alright, get ready.¡±

 Chapter 22

    Chapter 22


    Danny shot toward Sassa, playing the aggressor this time. The Staff of the Sleeping Giant whistled through the air as it whipped towards her head. Sassa ducked under the strike, but Danny spun the miss into a flurry of body shots. With perfect footwork, Sassa retreated while parrying with her sword. Danny swept a low kick at her feet. She jumped over. But now, Sassa was in the air and unable to dodge his staff. Danny had to redirect his strike to block the incoming slash from a clone that Sassa had summoned. Another blow from his blind spot caused Danny to dodge and weave. Danny, Sassa, and her two clones disengaged.


    Wordlessly, they picked the fight back up. Danny met a sword with his staff and then shoved its wielder into an incoming clone. The remaining Sassa sliced the air where Danny¡¯s arm had been a moment ago. Danny tried to retaliate, but the real Sassa caught the counter attack. While he was trying to wrench his weapon free, a clone spawned into existence and hacked at his arms. Danny was forced to disarm. His nails turned to claws and his teeth to fangs as he activated Lupine Ferocity. Now recovering, the other clones synchronized with Sassa, attacking in a way that would prevent Danny from blocking them all at once. With a sloshing sound, a thin film enveloped Danny and the three clones turned to smoke as their attacks were reflected. Only the real Sassa remained, her strike late enough that she managed to curb it before hitting the Bubble Ring¡¯s barrier. Sassa lunged towards Danny, going for a fight-ending strike now that her advantage in numbers was gone. Danny thrusted his claws at her midsection.


    ¡°That time you used your Bubble Ring well. Why did you fail?¡± She pulled the sword out of Danny¡¯s stomach. Luckily, in the Dream World, such injuries were superficial. The wolf-like features faded from Danny¡¯s face.


    ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have tried to trade blows. My claws don¡¯t have the same reach.¡± Sassa nodded.


    ¡°You also waited to use your transformation until you were disarmed. Had you led with it, you might have avoided getting into that situation entirely.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I don¡¯t like how it makes me feel. It gets hard to think. The wolf form makes me so angry, the only thing going through my head is to kill.¡± Back in the fight with the Dreadwolves, Danny had been furious. Somehow, the wolf transformation heightened those feelings, along with his senses and physical capabilities. Danny didn¡¯t like the way it clouded his mind.


    ¡°The only way to improve your control is practice. You ready for round four?¡± Three clones appeared behind Sassa. They all spun their swords in a flourish.


    ¡°Let¡¯s do it.¡±


    Their sparring continued until Danny could barely lift his staff over his head. Still, he never got a clean win against Sassa. All he could manage was a tie¡ª at best. A tie that would have resulted in his death and Sassa walking away with a nasty bruise, if it had been a real fight. He learned much from that sparring and he knew that it was only a matter of time before he could sneak a win out from under her. There were also the other Pillars to consider.


    From this first day alone, Danny had already raised his Soul and Qi stats by one each. He figured they must have been close to going up on their own, since he used them in nearly every fight nowadays, and this training had just pushed them over the edge. It was incredible progress. His Divine Gate was also nearly ready to open. He stopped in front of his tent, where Indy was resting. Danny pulled the tent flap open.


    Indy still hadn¡¯t moved¡ª couldn¡¯t move. He was awake though. The amber eyes followed Danny as he came close. Danny began to pet Indy, careful to avoid the torn skin and matted fur. The fox pushed against his hand affectionately and let at a sound that was the mix between a purr and cooing. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Indy.¡± Danny spoke softly. ¡°I¡¯ll never let anything like this happen again.¡± Hard as it was to leave, the Pillars were not the only parts of his training. After he practiced with each of the Training Spirits, he would go to Aspen to learn more about the System, his powers, and the Multiverse at large.


    The guide was staring at something unseen to Danny as he appeared to be taking inventory of the survival pack Danny had thrown together. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Danny asked.


    ¡°Cataloguing my contribution. You are only allowed so much help and I have to ensure I have not given you too much.¡±


    ¡°Oh. What happens if you do?¡±


    The guide looked up at Danny. ¡°Either I get banned from being a System guide indefinitely, or I get permanently reverted to Level 1, depending on how generous the System is feeling."


    "The System can take away Levels?" Danny asked.


    "Yes. What the System gives it can take away. Your power doesn''t come from the System though, so nothing you need to worry about." Aspen said. "It''s the only advantage to being a cultivator, if you could call it that. It also makes them ruthless and cutthroat because they do not fear retribution."


    Danny didn''t feel like he was cutthroat, but then again, the things he had done in that last fight were pretty brutal. "I had a different question," he quickly changed the subject, "earlier I healed Indy, but I didn''t get a skill for it. Why is that?"


    "If you bandage a wound, are you a doctor? Barely stabilizing someone in critical condition while at the peak of Stage 1 is not sufficient to earn a skill in healing."


    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    "But all I did to get Qi Manipulation was activate a necklace. What''s the difference?"


    "The farther you progress, the harder skills are to earn." The guide explained, "Think back to when you got that skill. You had activated an item without ever being taught how and without being able to so much as sense Qi outside of your body. If you activated an item now though, it would not warrant a skill. Even if you memorized and ran through the entirety of the Weeping Willow manual at this stage, you wouldn¡¯t get a skill at your current level. That''s why many in the Multiverse stick with the first four skills they learned; it''s too hard to replace them once you get farther along on your path."


    Danny asked other questions about what would happen after the Tutorial, and what his cultivation would look like after opening his final gate. Aspen kept that information close to his chest though, only offering vague answers that danced around what Danny was really asking. He figured that what he had gleaned so far was better than nothing, so Danny dropped the conversation and let the guide get back to whatever inventory he had been taking.


    The days of training passed with grim determination. Even Ashe joined in. Apparently, Aspen had done a stint training a race that fought alongside animal companions as their primary battle strategy. Danny raised his Qi and Soul stats by another point. The impurities blocking his Divine Gate had slowly been eroded away, and now Danny was ready for the final push. He decided to take care of the generally messy and smelly business a few feet into the woods so he wouldn¡¯t bother anyone. Bringing some water for washing, Danny found a suitable spot.


    A mossy log lay on the ground. Some time ago a tree had fallen here. The chirping of the birds made for a serene song that helped ease Danny into his meditation. Clearing his mind and taking command of his breathing, Danny began to open his senses to the well of energy all around him. The ambient Qi was especially eager this time. Ever since he had begun the process of Purifying monsters instead of outright killing them, Danny¡¯s cultivation had exponentially accelerated. What would take him months would take him a week, and what would take him days he could accomplish in a single session. Add to that the progress on his base stats, and Danny was beginning to become quite the powerhouse.


    Danny tore through the blockage like it was nothing; truly, this was the easiest breakthrough he had managed yet. There wasn¡¯t much change to note. Each of his previous Spirit Gates: the Gate of Breath, Gate of Sensation, and the Gate of Sight had led to substantial differences in the way he perceived and felt the world around him. The Divine Gate, however, just felt like more of the same. The real difference was in the way he controlled his energy.


    His Qi was much more responsive now. How it would bend and move according to his will reminded Danny of how it felt to walk. You just thought about doing it and it happened. There was no calculation of how high to raise your foot, no visualization of the optimal walking cycle, you just did it. That was how it felt to control his energy. Blasts, beams, waves, even picking up objects was smooth as butter. Danny wondered if it was like this for everyone. Well, I do have an abnormally high Soul stat, and a skill for using my Qi, so it probably isn¡¯t this drastic for everyone. That thought felt good. He was special. Excellent, even. Danny had been one of the more able kids in his class, but he always struggled with paying attention to the subjects that he wasn¡¯t interested in. Maybe he was ¡°smart¡± in terms of how easily school came to him, but he was more than a little forgetful and disorganized. Daydreaming, a strength of his, was not the most conducive to classroom success.


    Collecting energy from the atmosphere like he was a magic vacuum cleaner on the other hand, that was a different story. Finally, Danny found something where he was both talented and actually enjoyed doing the thing in the first place. He hoped that, even as he progressed, there would still be that contentment that came with cultivating. Washing himself off, Danny thoughtlessly lived in the moment. The guilt and pain of the battle with the Dreadwolves seemed so far away. He was at peace. I wish it would always be like this. The pleasantness soon faded. The thought of Indy, still struggling to stand, and the dangers that were sure to come after the Tutorial began to weigh on him once again. Figures, he thought, nothing good lasts forever.


    After he made it back to camp, Danny was greeted by a limping orange fox. He thought about chastising the fox for forcing itself to move around, but instead he just scratched him behind the ears. He probably wouldn¡¯t understand anyway. Besides, the extent to which he limped around was worrisome. Left hind leg raised, never touching the ground, the fox hobbled back to its resting place at the foot of the tent. Indy didn¡¯t blame Danny, and that made it all the more heart-breaking. If anything, the fox seemed grateful to Danny when he brought it food or water. That only added to his guilt. And his determination.


    Before Danny knew it, there was only a week left before the Tutorial ended. In celebration of this, a countdown appeared in the upper right corner of his vision, [7d 23hr 59min 59sec], in red. He spent the bulk of his days in a crazed rush to fit in as many base stat boosts as he could. The Pillars began to lose their luster and, before long, they were completely inoperable. At night, Danny would cultivate using the newly unlocked second section of his Gentle Body, Heavenly Soul. It was¡­ less than comfortable. Actually, it was akin to a simultaneous wringing out of every fiber of his being mixed with his insides being lit on fire. Danny felt like a sponge being squeezed in the depths of Hell. For the first time, Danny was dreading his cultivation sessions.


    The second stage was called Condensation; the stage involved reinforcing one¡¯s body with Qi. The painful process ate up his Qi reserves like nothing he had seen before. Thankfully, that meant that the sessions were short. Ash had her own training regiment that she tended to out in the woods under the supervision of Aspen. He hoped she was doing alright. The direwolf was detached lately. Indy was still confined to rest, but he was still up to his usual shenanigans: sneaking up behind people, hiding in the trees, and begging for food every time Danny ate. Unfortunately, his hind leg never healed properly and the fox had a constant limp. Every time Danny saw him, the fox reminded Danny of the time when he was too weak and inexperienced to protect him.


    But the clock ticked down and down. Inventory was taken. Supplies were distributed and redistributed until Aspen was satisfied that it all met the System¡¯s guidelines. Finally, with merely half an hour left on the countdown, Aspen found Danny at his log, his new favorite cultivation spot.


    ¡°We need to talk.¡± He said.

 Chapter 23

    Chapter 23


    ¡°The guides have been told what event will be first,¡± Aspen said.


    Danny listened carefully.


    ¡°It¡¯s called Monster Invasion. The event is a play on the usual Monster Horde event that attacks population centers in waves. Instead of steadily increasing groups of monsters, you will face an army from one of the Three Monster Cabals.¡±


    ¡°Monster Cabals? I thought monsters were unthinking. What happened to that?¡± Danny asked.


    ¡°Well¡­ that may have been an exaggeration.¡± The guide quickly amended, ¡°On a newly integrated planet, they should be. Clever, maybe, but forming a society or communicating outside of basic commands is rarely seen until the mid-100s.¡± Danny glared as yet another thing he had been misled about was brought to light. ¡°I won¡¯t apologize for telling you what you needed to know and nothing more. If you think you can guilt me using that stupid look then the Multiverse will chew you up and spit you out.¡± Aspen sneered.


    ¡°Whatever. What should I expect from the Cabal?¡± It was a drop in the bucket at this point anyway. Danny had already figured that monsters were not as simple as the guide had originally made them out to be. Things rarely were so black and white.


    ¡°The three are the Vampires, the Lycans, and the Liches. Vampires are the most well-rounded of the three. They have an even split of magical abilities and physical prowess; they also like to turn their enemies against each other with the promise of power. Fancy themselves nobility as well¡ª hubristic bloodsuckers.¡± Aspen scowled as if speaking of them brought a sour taste to his mouth. ¡°The Lycans are the most physically impressive. Big, hairy, and mean with claws and teeth that would put your pet monster to shame. Luckily, their intellect is about what you would expect from such a brutish bunch. One of the hardest to deal with is the Liches. They can raise monsters back to life, provided the body isn¡¯t destroyed. They also are powerful casters in their own right, but the real hangup is how they never run out of warm bodies.¡±


    ¡°Which one is it going to be?¡±


    ¡°Like the System would spoil that surprise. You¡¯ll find out when the System wants you to, and not a moment before.¡±


    ¡°Do they have any weaknesses? A wooden stake to the heart, garlic, a crucifix?¡±


    ¡°What? No. If it were that simple, they would have been wiped out ages ago. You natives are so backward it¡¯s almost amusing. Your only saving grace is that the System will put a limit on the Level of the invaders. Probably a cap at 100, with only a limited number allowed at that Level. That should be your goal before the event starts. Get to the peak of Stage 2, hopefully beyond it, before the invasion starts in earnest.¡±


    ¡°How am I supposed to do that? I just got to Stage 2, and that took three months!¡± Danny said.


    ¡°Get to Stage 2, or the monsters win the planet. That¡¯s it, no do-overs, no second chances. This world will become a Catastrophe if you don¡¯t repel whatever Cabal comes.¡±


    ¡°No pressure,¡± Danny said sarcastically. ¡°What about everyone else, are they going to help?¡±


    ¡°The System wouldn¡¯t throw this at you if there was no chance at success. The problem is, Wildcards fall about half the time. After the first event, the Multiverse factions all get a chance to try and recruit the best and brightest. Many of them will go off-world, leaving all the dregs behind, the ones already unable to keep up. When that happens¡ªwell, you can imagine the rest.¡±


    ¡°So I either have to save the entire world on my own or jump ship?¡± This felt like a lot. Even if half failed, that meant the other half didn¡¯t. Surely, things weren¡¯t as dire as Aspen was making them out to be. He did have a penchant for being on the glass half-empty side.


    ¡°Not quite. You can build your own faction and recruit the natives yourself. Convince them to stay on planet. One thing is for sure, if you aren¡¯t at the head of this, then you are leaving the fate of your planet up to chance. Is that what you want to do?¡±


    Danny thought carefully. He didn¡¯t like the idea of abandoning the place he grew up, but looking around, could he even really say that this was the same Earth that he had known? It was completely different, even the trees, while similar, were unlike anything he had seen before. There wasn¡¯t much left for him here, except his friends. If push came to shove though, Danny figured that he could take them somewhere else, away from here, there was a whole Multiverse out there after all. But there was also something appealing about founding his own little group. Furthering his goal of Purifying and transforming monsters could be their focus. The idea of gathering a like-minded group had a satisfying quality to it.


    ¡°What does it take to make a faction?¡±


    The guide smiled. ¡°First, you need a Pylon. They¡¯ll be spread all around the world. Claim one, there will be someone to take you through the finer points later.¡±


    ¡°Why do you want me to do this so badly?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want you to do anything besides what will be the best for your progress.¡± The guide answered.


    ¡°Yeah, okay. Is there anything else I should know?¡± The countdown now indicated that they had less than ten minutes left.


    ¡°I called in a couple of favors and have a list of some groups you should seek out when the First Wave comes. The Ketloq Raiders, for your beast taming; the Watchers, for your cultivation; and any of the fairy factions to further your mastery of the staff. The Ketloq might not be the most receptive, but if you mention my name, they should help.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Aspen,¡± Danny said. ¡°Seriously. For everything. I know we had our issues, but I would have died several times if not for you and the things you taught me.¡±


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    The fairy gave Danny a once-over. ¡°Native, you have been trained by the Alei-Tacht of the Faerun Armada, earned the respect of three well-respected Training Spirits of the Pillars, you have the highest Soul stat I have ever seen, and you were the most damn annoying student I¡¯ve ever had,¡± He said. ¡°You will do great things, I am certain of it.¡± Danny felt something wet run down his cheek, but he wiped whatever it was away. Not trusting in his ability to speak, the two sat in a comfortable silence as the timer turned down. 5¡­ 4¡­ 3¡­ 2¡­ 1¡­ A final flash of blue enveloped Aspen. And he was gone. Leaving an irritable, controlling, demanding fairy-shaped hole behind.


    Danny lingered for a moment longer before he got up and returned to the campsite. He packed his things. Ash walked into the clearing and watched patiently as Danny collected the supplies that had been left to him. Indy tried to initiate some sort of game by nipping at her tail, but a low growl dissuaded him from continuing his hijinks. The familiar stone platform that held the Pillars was Danny¡¯s next stop. Somehow, slotting them into their slots in the stone allowed them to recharge, but Danny figured he could take them with him and use them till they gave out. He still had a couple of points to gain. Except, the Pillars were not in place. Come to think of it, what was in that bag that Aspen had been hiding behind his back?


    ___________________________________________________________


    Aspen looked at the satchel that hung from his shoulder. Three ghostly figures appeared around him.


    ¡°That was not cool,¡± Sassa said.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure the Alei-Tacht has his reasons. Besides, you saw what he left the boy in exchange.¡± Maypa replied.


    ¡°But still¡ª¡±


    ¡°The Pillars are the pride and joy of all fairies. It would do no good in the hands of a native. Even if he did have some middling talent.¡± Oke broke in.


    ¡°Shut it you old fart.¡± Sassa shot back.


    ¡°Treat your elders with respect you¡ª¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think we need to be¡ª¡± Maypa tried to reason.


    ¡°Go ahead, finish what you were¡ª¡± Sassa taunted.


    ¡°Amateur.¡± Oke finished.


    ¡°Amateur!? I could¡ª¡±


    ¡°Need to be fighting over something¡ª¡± Maypa interjected.


    ¡°You could, what?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I could¡ª¡±


    ¡°Enough!¡± Aspen cut their argument short. ¡°The Pillars are too important to even leave it to chance that they get in the hands of another faction.¡±


    ¡°But Danny wouldn¡¯t do anything like that. He knows they are important,¡± Sassa said.


    ¡°You¡¯re right. He wouldn¡¯t¡± Aspen answered. ¡°But with how easily I took them from under his nose, do you trust that someone more skilled couldn¡¯t do the same? Especially when the Sects send their recruiters with the First Wave?¡±


    Sassa was silent. Maypa tried to stay out of it, not leaning to one side or the other. Oke hmmph¡¯d with satisfaction.


    ¡°Besides,¡± Aspen said, ¡°I left him something that was a worthwhile trade.¡±


    ___________________________________________________________


    When he was finished firing off epithets into the air, Danny made peace with the fact that the Pillars were not really his to begin with. The thing that really hurt was not getting to say goodbye. Sassa, Maypa, and even Oke hadn¡¯t been his friends, not even acquaintances really, but it felt like there was something meaningful there. A bond built by blood and sweat. Something that felt wrong to just be torn away without any semblance of closure. Maybe that¡¯s just how things are. Danny had a countdown. Whenever he wanted too, he could have gone to the platform and said what he wanted to say. At least I have you two¡­


    Ash sat with her back straight, at attention. Indy limped around in lopsided circles in a never ending chase to catch his tail. It wasn¡¯t all bad, anyway. Danny pulled the parting gift out of his pocket, Aspen had left it on the stone platform with a note. [Necklace of Regeneration]. The note read:


    Native, the Pillars are too important to leave on this planet. I don¡¯t know who donated a set, but I have left you something that the System has deemed a worthy trade. Hopefully, it will serve you as well as the last.


    -A


    ¡°Ash, do you have any idea where to go now?¡±


    The wolf sniffed the air. No.


    ¡°Great. What about you Indy?¡±


    The fox paused its game to look up at Danny. It cocked its head to the side with a mouthful of orange fur. Deciding that whatever it was must not be that important, the fox returned to hobbling after its orange and bushy prey.


    ¡°What do I have to do to get a minimap? Was that just because Aspen had special guide powers?¡± Danny got an idea. Minimap. He thought. Map. Location. Quest. Log. Journal. Menu. After waiting for a minute or two, Danny realized that the System seemed to be done giving out freebies. The Tutorial is well and truly over then, I guess, Danny mused. We are on our own now.


    Already being confronted by the harsh reality of not having a guide, Danny puzzled through what to do next. Finding more monsters would be a must. He had to dial in the exact conditions that led to something like Ash instead of a steaming husk like all of his other attempts thus far. The new necklace might help, but he didn¡¯t want it to just be destroyed like last time. In that case, Danny thought, maybe healing powers should be my last skill. I already touched on it briefly with Indy, but I haven¡¯t been able to replicate it. The desperate moments in the direct aftermath of the Dreadwolf fiasco had felt like Danny made a breakthrough, in regards to healing magic, but the epiphany hadn¡¯t stuck. Then there¡¯s the Pylon faction-building angle. Honestly, I have no idea where to start. I have to recruit people and organize stuff. Danny had once been asked if he wanted a promotion to assistant manager at the pet store, but Danny declined. Being responsible for a bunch of other people, a lot of them older than he was, did not seem like something he wanted to do. Now, he had little choice in that matter.


    With no clear direction, Danny was unsure how he could even accomplish any one of these goals, let alone all of them. ¡°Eyes on the next step, I guess,¡± he told himself. He looked around the now packed-up camp. There was a patch of flattened grass where the tents had been. A small fire-pit smouldered. ¡°I¡¯ve got a good feeling about this direction.¡± It was North-East. Probably. North-East-ish, at the very least. Danny had a hard time telling when his treasure sense was activating and when it was just a random hunch or whim; hunches and whims were all he had to go on anyways, so Danny figured that this way was as good as any. ¡°Come on guys, we¡¯ve got an Integration to take care of.¡±

 Chapter 24

    Chapter 24


    The moon had already risen into the night sky. Danny was struck by how much it illuminated the surroundings when no light pollution clouded the glow. Indy whined from his arms. The poor fox had grown tired quickly. Urged by this feeling that he was so close to something important, Danny decided to carry Indy the rest of the way. Ash followed dutifully behind, with no complaints. ¡°Almost there guys, I can feel it.¡± Orange ears perked up and Indy suddenly seemed very interested in what lay ahead. ¡°You feel it too, huh?¡± The Treasure Sense was a peculiar power, but Danny was hopeful that it would lead to something good. He heard a muffled conversation ahead. Nature¡¯s night sounds made it hard to make the words out clearly. Only bits and pieces were intelligible.


    ¡°...know the rules¡­ break¡­ pay the price.¡±


    ¡°...don¡¯t have to¡­ never see me¡­ move on¡­¡±


    ¡°...right¡­ but we want to.¡± Danny was close enough now that he heard the sound of a soft thud mixed with the wheezing moan that came when the wind was knocked out of you. When he was close enough to see the scene, Danny watched two men beating up on some other, smaller guy. It was clear that this was not some fight between equals, they were going to kill the dude if they kept this up. Carefully setting Indy to the ground, Danny commanded his animal companions to stay put. Ash outright refused. In a hushed voice, Danny struck the bargain that if he was in trouble Ash could help, but he was going to try to settle this on his own first. After getting her agreement, Danny stepped out of the cover of the bushes and branches.


    ¡°Stop that!¡± Danny said. Maybe there was some context that he was missing. Maybe the guy getting beat up deserved it. Maybe Danny should ask questions first and hit people with a stick later, but seeing these guys wail on the obviously defenseless guy was infuriating. Something about it rubbed him the wrong way. Feeling his teeth, nails, and sense sharpen, Danny resolved himself to give these two a taste of their own medicine. The two men were an almost comical duo: one was a hulking giant that probably ate whey protein and an entire cow for breakfast, and the other was slender and thin with a mean look in his eyes and a cruel smile. They turned to take in the challenger, but not without giving a final kick to the groaning heap on the ground. The big man put on a pair of brass knuckles with spikes on them. The thin one pulled out a serrated knife that looked more like an instrument of torture than a practical weapon. The thin one spoke.


    ¡°Brotherhood business. Piss off.¡± That was the last straw. Whatever this ¡°Brotherhood¡± was in the business of, Danny didn¡¯t like it. He shot forward, recalling his training with Sassa. His rage made him reckless. Instead of probing out the strengths and weaknesses of his opponents, like he had been drilled to do, Danny launched a Falling Thunder directly at the big man. One meaty paw caught the staff. The surprised and pained flash that ran across his face told Danny that the hit had still hurt. The giant retaliated with a punch to Danny¡¯s midsection. Watching the fist sail through the air, Danny was struck by how slow it was. He easily avoided it while closing the gap. Scratches to the face of the big man forced him to release Danny¡¯s weapon. The bulky boxer stumbled back, wiping blood from his cheek.


    The thin one decided to take his turn. Their coordination was nothing compared to Sassa and her clones. Instead of attacking simultaneously, they let Danny take them on one at a time. Wild slashes came from the thin man. Sloppy and slow, Danny had little trouble dodging them. He heard the larger man recovering, so Danny struck the knife-wielding hand of his current opponent with bone-breaking force. The crippling blow bought enough time for Danny to deal with the incoming haymaker. Again, Danny dodged and answered with a strike of his own, this time dislocating the shoulder of the giant-sized man. Both men retreated next to each other, huffing and puffing as they tried to decide their next move.


    ¡°Run.¡± Danny said. He had made his point. Besides, it was taking all he could muster to hold back enough to prevent permanent injuries. The well of rage that the Lupine Ferocity transformation caused was hard to ignore. The thin man, who seemed to be the leader of the two, looked at the bleeding wound on the big man¡¯s face. Danny could see the creases of fear on his face. The leader turned back, putting on a mask of bravado.


    ¡°You¡¯re a dead man walking,¡± he said. He turned to the man they had beaten. ¡°You too. Both of you. Dead.¡± With a nod to his large companion, the two of them disappeared into the forest. Images of chasing them down and tearing them apart flashed through Danny¡¯s mind, but he pushed them away. Features returning to normal, Danny walked over to their victim. He looked at Danny with a face somewhere between grateful and afraid. There was something else there too, but Danny couldn¡¯t figure out what it was.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± The bloodied and bruised man wheezed out.


    ¡°I¡¯m Danny. I was¡ª¡±


    ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing? Are you stupid?¡± The man began a coughing fit. He spat some blood into the grass. ¡°Now they¡¯ll be after me. I was supposed to¡ª¡± he broke into another cough.


    ¡°Easy, easy,¡± Danny said. ¡°Those two punks are gone now. It¡¯s gonna be fine.¡±


    The other man snorted. ¡°Hog and Slim aren¡¯t the ones I¡¯m worried about. The whole Brotherhood is going to be after me now. Do you have any idea what you¡¯ve done?¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about? Who is the Brotherhood?¡± Danny was confused. The guy used a nearby tree and pulled himself upright. Maybe he isn¡¯t as helpless as I thought.


    ¡°Who¡¯s the Brotherhood¡ª are you? You actually don¡¯t know. Shit. You must be from a different Tutorial or something. The Brotherhood is a biker gang, from before. We beat guys for loan sharks, deal drugs, that kind of stuff.¡±


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    ¡°We?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, we. Well, I suppose I¡¯m an ex-member now. Anyway, all of us ended up in the same Tutorial and took it over. Nobody Levels without the boss, Chris¡¯s, say-so. Keeps all the best stuff for his inner circle and the other members. Non-members are forced to do all the shitty stuff.¡±


    ¡°So why were they after you?¡± Danny asked.


    ¡°I wanted out. I joined up a couple of years back.¡± Now that Danny was getting a better look at him, this guy was not at all the helpless victim that Danny had thought. He had a tattoo on his neck that he hadn¡¯t noticed with the struggle and shadows. The beat-up guy had on a black wife-beater with a leather jacket over it. His jeans were worn and distressed, but free of holes; a black belt with a large silver belt buckle in the shape of a devil head held them up. Brown boots completed the ensemble. ¡°Ever since the current leader, Chris showed up, the Brotherhood has been going to hell.¡± The biker continued. ¡°We weren¡¯t angels before, but it got more violent when he took the reins. Only got worse in the Tutorial. Now, I can¡¯t stomach some of the things they do, ¡®specially to the girls.¡± His nose scrunched like he had smelt sour milk.


    ¡°Why did they do that to you?¡± Danny gestured to the dripping red coming from the biker¡¯s nose and mouth.


    ¡°It¡¯s the rules. You want out, gotta pay the price.¡± The man used his shirt to wipe the blood from his face. ¡°We¡¯re fucked now.¡± The man let out a sigh. ¡°Name¡¯s Mario.¡±


    ¡°Mario? You don¡¯t look like¡ª¡± Danny quickly realized how that sounded. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean¡ª¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. Mario¡¯s my biker name. Guys found out I like to play video games when I¡¯m at home, busted my balls for days. Started calling me Mario, guess the name stuck.¡± Mario answered. ¡°Brotherhood¡¯ll be after us now. Me because I broke the rules. And you, well, for steppin¡¯ in on Brotherhood business. Chris¡¯ll wanta make an example out of the both of us.¡±


    ¡°I think I¡¯ll manage.¡± As if on cue, Ash stepped into the moonlight, Indy hobbling behind her.


    ¡°Oh shit-fuck! Big wolf incoming!¡± Mario shouted. He raised his hands and they began to glow. Flames began to flicker in his palms.


    ¡°Woah, woah, woah,¡± Danny put himself between Mario and Ash. ¡°She¡¯s with me. I¡¯m a beast-tamer class. Chill!¡± Finally, the embers flickered out and Mario reluctantly lowered his arms.


    ¡°Sorry, uh, Danny. I¡¯m a little amped up still. When your wolf¡ª dog?¡ª came out of nowhere, I thought we were about to get wasted.¡± He appraised Danny and Ash. ¡°I¡¯m not typically a fan of backwarmers, but maybe we can keep an eye out for each other. At least until this Brotherhood stuff blows over.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we just take out these Brotherhood guys, they are bad news, aren¡¯t they?¡± Danny asked. It seemed simple. These gang members were not the good guys, that much was clear, and they got a bunch of people under their thumb who couldn¡¯t leave without a beating. Sounded like a good group to put a stop to.


    ¡°Easy, tiger. The Brotherhood has got some strong guys. All of ¡®em are around the same Level as me.¡± Danny realized that he had yet to Identify Mario. [Level 45 Human Pyromancer].


    ¡°Pyromancer?¡±


    ¡°Stage 2? Where¡¯s your Level?¡± It seemed that they both had the same idea.


    Danny explained the broad strokes of cultivation and how it split from System Leveling. Mario seemed surprised that there was an entire other way to get stronger, but he was much less enthusiastic than Danny had been when he found out. Monster-slaying had been right up the biker¡¯s alley. Despite the moniker, Mario was a fan of classic fantasy RPGs rather than platformers featuring green pipes and turtle-dragons with spiked shells. What build did he usually play? Stealth archer. Apparently, the System didn¡¯t base classes on one¡¯s gaming preferences. The relatively casual conversation, while based on Levels and classes, was welcome. That Danny had not had a conversation that wasn¡¯t based on training and getting stronger, or invasions and existential threats in a long while was not lost on him. Eventually, they returned to the matter at hand.


    ¡°Listen,¡± Mario started. ¡°Way I see it, we have two options: get the hell out of dodge, or we face the music. Staying around the area is not feasible with the Brotherhood after us. Assuming you still want to travel together¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Danny said. ¡°Can never have too many friends, right? It doesn¡¯t sit right with me letting those guys keep doing what they¡¯re doing.¡±


    ¡°No offense, I¡¯m sure you¡¯re super strong and all, but Chris and some of his inner circle are over Level 50. Can¡¯t exactly just storm in there guns blazin¡¯. Gotta think it out a little more. Hogs and Slim aren¡¯t exactly the cream of the crop.¡±


    Danny made a mental note to Identify new people he met in the future. ¡°Any ideas?¡± He asked.


    ¡°We can sleep on it. Sending Hog and Slim back with their tails between their legs won¡¯t raise too much of a stink. They will send out a crew tomorrow though, we¡¯ll have to get a move on by then.¡±


    ¡°About that¡­¡± Danny explained that he only had one tent. Another requirement of the more and more Draconian-seeming Brotherhood rules was that Mario was only allowed to bring the clothes on his back with him. No supplies, no weapons, no food, just his jacket, shirt, jeans, and boots. They found a suitable area to make a camp, and Danny felt so bad that he insisted Mario sleep in the tent. He made his bed lying next to Ash and Indy under the stars.


    ¡°Should we even get involved, Ash?¡± Danny asked the large wolf that had become his pillow. ¡°I mean, this won¡¯t get us any closer to one of those Pylons that Aspen mentioned. Maybe we could recruit some of the people who are stuck there to our Faction, but why wouldn¡¯t they just try their luck on their own, especially after how the Brotherhood treated them.¡± Danny sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ I also just don¡¯t like the idea of letting a bunch of biker bullies go unpunished. It just doesn¡¯t seem right to me.¡± He sat to look Ash in the eyes. ¡°What do you think?¡±


    I think it is your path to follow, Ash responded, whatever you decide, I will be with you.


    Danny flopped back down to a lying position. ¡°Thanks, but not exactly all that helpful.¡± He could¡¯ve sworn he heard the wolf growl out a chuckle. ¡°Good night, Ash.¡±


    Sleep well.

 Chapter 25

    Chapter 25


    ¡°He got away?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, boss. Well, not by himself. Some crazy guy came out of the woods. He was like a werewolf. Fangs and claws and shit.¡± Slim explained nervously. For the second time. ¡°Son of a bitch was crazy fast¡ª like, we could barely keep up¡ª right Hog?¡± The beefy man grunted in agreement. ¡°He broke my hand, fucked up Hog¡¯s shoulder. We, uh, made a tactical retreat.¡±


    ¡°You pussied out, you mean.¡±


    ¡°C¡¯mon boss. What would you have us do, die?¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s Walter and the¡ª werewolf?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Probably long gone by now.¡±


    ¡°No, Walter knows our M.O.,¡± Chris said. ¡°He¡¯ll make camp somewhere nearby and then shove off early in the morning before we send a squad.¡±


    ¡°We got ¡®em pretty good. Mario ain¡¯t¡ª¡± Slim was interrupted.


    ¡°Don¡¯t call him that. He isn¡¯t one of us anymore. His name¡¯s Walter.¡±


    ¡°Right, uh, Walter was pretty banged up. He ain¡¯t gonna be movin¡¯ fast. I say we wait till¡ª¡±


    ¡°Get some guys together. Biggs, Johnny, and Wreck, plus a few others. Walter broke the rules. I¡¯m not letting him shake us that easy.¡± Chris ordered.


    ¡°Got it. We¡¯ll be ready in¡ª¡±


    ¡°Not you two. You are on bucket duty.¡±


    For the first time, Hog stepped forward. ¡°I ain¡¯t shovelin¡¯ no shit buckets,¡± he said.


    Chris walked forward until only a foot separated the two men. Hog was over a foot taller than the leader. They stared each other down. Hog glared down at the leader of the Brotherhood. Staring right back, there was a strange look in Chris¡¯s eye. Not anger, or pride, but an eagerness like a smile in his eyes that his mouth didn¡¯t dare mimic. It was as if Chris was begging the large man to pull something, to give him an excuse. Chris popped his neck. Hog folded. ¡°Bucket. Duty.¡± Chris repeated. ¡°Get me that squad in five minutes. It¡¯s time for a little shock-and-awe.¡±


    ___________________________________________________________


    Sleep was hard to come by. Resting after just sending injured messengers to call revenge-seeking bikers down upon them felt like a poorly thought-out plan. Mario had explained it in about five different ways. It was a psychological tactic: the Brotherhood would rest up and comfortably prepare for revenge while those on the run would have anxiety-ridden sleepless nights. The Brotherhood would be fresh and their prey would be anything but. Then there was Hog and Slim. They were the lowest-status members of the Brotherhood, according to Mario. They got all the jobs the other members scoffed at, got the worst rewards, got the last pick of any spoils, and were held in general contempt by everyone in the gang. Any slight against those two would take its sweet time getting punished.


    The small snippets of Brotherhood life that Danny had heard made him overwhelmingly grateful that his Tutorial had been a solo endeavor. Sure it got lonely at times, but there were no biker gangs mandating who dug the latrines. Danny shivered at the idea. Danny also wondered if it was a setup. He didn¡¯t know Mario. No one was around to vouch for his character. Maybe turning in fresh meat would be enough to pardon whatever crime he had committed in the gang¡¯s eyes. That creeping suspicion kept his gaze locked on the tent. Danny didn¡¯t give the man the prime sleeping space purely out of the kindness of his heart. It was much easier to hear someone come and go when they had to fumble with a zipper. His experience with the Horrors taught him that things weren¡¯t always as they seemed, and his talks with Aspen emphasized that other people were often more dangerous than monsters. His only comfort was the thick fur coat of Ash.


    She matched his wary regard of the tent where Mario slept. The coarse hairs were itchy, smelly, and matted in places, but she had a calming presence about her. Ash never got anxious, at least not like Danny did. Her head rested on her large paws. Ash¡¯s long furry tail made a blanket. Danny¡¯s feet were warmed by a coiled orange comforter that had fallen sound asleep in moments. That innocence made his heart melt. After all they had been through, Indy didn¡¯t consider for a moment whether or not Danny and Ash would protect him. His only worry was chasing fluffy little rabbits in his dreams. Ash perked her head up.


    A snapping sound caused Danny to sit up. He followed the wolf¡¯s gaze into the trees. Something was out there. An animal¡ª deer most likely. But Ash didn¡¯t relax. Fangs bared, a low growl began to emanate from deep in her throat. Danny could feel the vibration of it. A deep bark caused a stirring in the tent. Another caused a not-so-graceful struggle with the zipper. After a third bark, a bald head poked out of the tent. ¡°Will you shut that mutt up, I¡¯m trying to¡ª¡± Mario was cut off by an arrow that tore a red line above his left eyebrow. ¡°Shit!¡± The ex-biker dove back into the tent. Danny shot to his feet. The hairs between Ash¡¯s shoulders raised as she rose to a stand. Danny wished he would¡¯ve named the fox Houdini because he had disappeared. Picking his staff up from the ground, Danny was thankful that always having a weapon in arm¡¯s reach was hammered into him.


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    Another arrow whizzed through the air, this one aimed at Danny. He moved his staff to intercept. Shock caused Danny to freeze. A feathered stick stuck out of Danny¡¯s arm near the shoulder. Danny stared at it, forgetting what he had been about to do. It was¡­ so fast. Couldn¡¯t even¡­


    ¡°Good fuckin¡¯ shot Biggs!¡± One of the ambushers shouted. Startled to his senses, Danny realized that three men were now in the clearing. Another showed themselves, then another. No sign of the archer. The momentary lapse quickly gave way to the drilling and training that Danny had endured over the past three months. Danny threw himself to the side. He groaned as his wounded arm was aggravated by the evasive maneuver. A quick flash was the only thing Danny saw as another arrow sailed through where his head had been a second ago. A brilliant orange followed by panicked screaming heralded Mario¡¯s joining. A bearded man walked toward Danny, blazing forest and smothering smoke in the background.


    ¡°Danny!¡± Mario shouted, ¡°I got the archer son of a bitch.¡± Danny wasn¡¯t able to make use of this development. A pair of muscular arms with all the give of steel beams locked him in a headlock from behind. The bearded man in front of Danny smiled a yellow smile as he rained punch after punch onto Danny¡¯s stomach. Sickness rose in Danny¡¯s throat. A blur of orange flew towards the bearded man¡¯s head and Indy grabbed ahold of the man¡¯s ear. He let out a pained shout as he was pulled downwards, wrestling with the fox. Danny threw his head backward in a reverse headbutt. For a moment, he was surprised it worked before he wrested himself free. Ash snarling and snapping at the man who had restrained him put an end to his delusions of bar-fighting grandeur. Danny hurriedly surveyed the clearing. Six men, all in the Level 50s, had invaded the clearing. The archer was nowhere to be seen, but the lack of projectiles flying through the air made Danny believe that Mario had well and truly dealt with him.


    A couple of swift staff strikes to the temple of each of the bearded men sent them into unconsciousness. They looked eerily similar, like twins. Danny discarded the distracting thought and pushed forward to find Mario. It took all of two seconds to locate the ex-biker. He was slung over a massive man¡¯s shoulder. He wasn¡¯t quite as big as Hog, but he was more muscular, sculpted. He looked like a candidate for Mr. Olympia, albeit one that had done multiple stints in prison and was clad in leather. The man carrying an unconscious Mario bellowed, ¡°Where¡¯s Johnny? He was with that kid with the staff.¡± No one answered. ¡°Find him! Someone go check on Biggs, too.¡± He shifted Mario around like carry-on luggage. ¡°What¡¯re you waiting on? Boss said to make it quick!¡± The men suddenly began to spread out, searching. Intermittently they let out cries of ¡°Johnny!¡± or ¡°Biggs?¡± Danny¡¯s enhanced senses from Lupine Ferocity were the only reason that he could see them through the smoke and low light.


    They didn¡¯t say anything about finding me. Danny thought. But could he really just leave Mario in the hands of the Brotherhood: who knew what they would do to him? He gripped his staff tightly and began to walk towards the group.


    What are you doing? The familiar voice in his head stopped Danny short.


    ¡°I have to go help him,¡± Danny answered. ¡°We didn¡¯t know each other very long, but he needs our help.¡±


    Even with the three of us, we barely took down one of them. What makes you think we could take on the whole group?


    ¡°One? There were two guys, thank you very much.¡± But when Danny looked down, there was only one body. Instead of two twins, there was a single bearded man on the ground. Just how common are clones in this place? ¡°Are you really saying that we just leave him behind?¡±


    It was never our fight to begin with.


    This had been the most Danny had heard Ash speak since they had met. Why is she so apathetic towards this guy? It almost seemed personal. Danny¡¯s internal war was interrupted by one of the searching men getting closer.


    What about the fox? What will they do to a crippled animal like him if we get captured?


    Regardless of how unappreciative Danny was about Ash preying on his protectiveness of Indy, she did have a point. Whatever these men had in store for their captives would not be pleasant. The decision left a pit in his stomach and a foul taste in his mouth. Danny plucked Indy from the ground, turned, and ran. Ash followed behind.


    Danny''s enhanced speed, lent by his Lupine Ferocity ability, allowed him to build distance between himself and the biker gang rapidly. Soon, the scent of smoky, charred wood gave way to the fresh pine of the unburned forest. Danny hoped that Mario didn¡¯t start a forest fire. Part of him wanted to look back and check, but the rest of him couldn¡¯t bear to face Mario, even if the man would have no way to see him from this far. It became clear that they were not being pursued. No footsteps or cracking sticks followed them. Birdsong returned to the area. By all accounts, Danny should feel relieved, but the feeling was soured by the fact that Danny had turned his back on a person who needed him. Although it felt childish, Danny hoped he would be a hero. Someone to save others from the unfair and cruel people of the world¡ª from the monsters, even the humankind. Instead, he ran. When the odds were stacked against him, Danny didn¡¯t hold his own, or go down swinging in a blaze of glory. He ran.


    He didn¡¯t lie to himself. If Danny had tried to fight off the Brotherhood members, he would have ended up in the same position as Mario, maybe worse. The rational argument did little to assuage the guilt. ¡°I guess I am no different than before,¡± Danny said ruefully, ¡°a coward.¡± He had run away before the Integration and it seemed that the mysticism and video game power ups hadn¡¯t changed a thing.


    Sleep was something he denied himself. He might not have saved Mario, but Danny could at least suffer alongside him. It also felt like a fitting punishment. The drone of insects tried to befuddle his mind and make him forget why he was so intent on staying awake. The faint moonlight weighed on his eyelids. Cool, night air coaxed him to rest¡ª just for a moment. He fought valiantly, but the night¡¯s events had thoroughly wrung out the energy and willpower from his body. He closed his eyes for a few seconds, and when Danny opened them next, bright sunlight bore down on him.

 Chapter 26

    Chapter 26


    Getting up felt like fighting against the weight of the world as Danny lifted himself from where he had been lying. Early that night, he had used Aspen¡¯s parting gift to heal his injured arm. Even thinking about pulling the arrow from his flesh made him flinch. He rubbed his eyes free of moisture and crustiness. Danny had neither succeeded in staying up through the night nor getting any meaningful rest. Thoughts of meeting Mario and stepping in to save him from his beating invaded his mind. I should have just left it alone. Worse images of brutal torture flashed by as Danny imagined what sort of pain he must be going through now. They had only met momentarily, truly they were barely even acquaintances, but Danny couldn¡¯t help but feel like he had let someone down. That pattern of thinking was useless. Ruminating on failure was a thing that the old Danny did. The current Danny focused on one step forward at a time. One thing was certain, the Brotherhood needed to be stopped. He wasn¡¯t sure if that would help him with his task of finding a Pylon, he wasn¡¯t even sure what a Pylon was, or if he would become closer to forming his own Faction, but they were a tyrannical menace. This time, Danny wouldn¡¯t suffer any bullies. Plans of revenge fueled his morning training session.


    He started with Qi exercises, working on his capacity and regeneration. After that, Danny ran through his staff forms and practiced using Qi manipulation to cut wood for a fire. Normally, Danny would begin with a session of cultivation, but the still-hot embers of anger within him had prevented him from falling into a meditative state. Now that he had worked off some of that negativity, Danny was ready. Like before, it was excruciating. The feeling of absorbing Qi into his physical body was akin to injecting molten lead into his veins. At least, Danny was pretty sure this was what shooting up a syringe of super-heated metal would feel like, and he would fight anyone who disagreed. The agony made the session feel like hours to the point that Danny was certain the entire day must have passed by. He was both relieved and disappointed to see that the sun hadn¡¯t moved at all in the sky. When he first started cultivating, it felt like huffing and puffing after a long run. Eventually, that feeling became less severe until he hardly even noticed it. He hoped that this would prove similar.


    Danny wiped the sweat from his face with his robes. All of his supplies had been left behind when he fled from the Brotherhood ambush. The first task that needed tending was finding food. In a new section of the forest, Danny would have to find new rabbit runs. Except the snares had been abandoned as well. With that plan out the window, Danny tried to think of a way to find sustenance. Indy interrupted Danny¡¯s planning. The fox limped along with an animal in its mouth. For a moment, Danny was grateful. There was food around here! Then, he was confused. How could this crippled fox catch something? Finally, surprise as Danny realized it wasn¡¯t an animal at all. [Infant Wyrmling Carcass]. A baby monster. He wasn¡¯t an expert, but Danny was pretty sure that mama monsters would get pretty angry when they saw that their child had been not only kidnapped but eaten too.


    ¡°Indy, where¡¯d you get that buddy?¡± The fox¡¯s tail wagged excitedly back and forth. With a flick of its head, it tossed the corpse at Danny. The creature rolled to a stop at his feet. It looked like a lizard. Scaly, massive eyes with slitted pupils and the disproportionately large head of a child. The thing might look cute if it wasn¡¯t for the bloody teeth marks around its neck. The fox stared at Danny expectantly. ¡°No,¡± Danny said when he realized what the fox intended. ¡°Uh-uh, I am not eating that.¡± Indy¡¯s head cocked to the side and his tail swished in the grass. An adult monster may have been one thing. But a baby? Danny had some standards. He kicked it back over to the fox. The orange hunter looked uncertain. His hunger quickly won out and the fox slunk away into the undergrowth with its prize.


    Danny¡¯s grumbling stomach announced its disdain with his sense of morality. A pang of longing almost made Danny consider chasing Indy, but he figured there had to be other options. Right? With the demands of his stomach serving as motivation, Danny started to search the area. His first thought had been berries, fruit, or edible plants. That line had yielded nothing. He thought about trying to catch small woodland animals, but without any snares, it would be difficult. He hadn¡¯t ever hunted before. Trapping, supplemented by Aspen¡¯s seemingly bottomless well of supplies, had sufficed during the Tutorial. Danny had a couple of tricks up his sleeve and was confident that his Qi-based attacks would be as good as any bow and arrow or firearm.


    Thinking of firearms made him wonder what was left of pre-Integration Earth. Were there empty skyscrapers in the big cities? Were there people out there armed with guns and tanks and airplanes? Was there even a government left? Those kinds of things made him feel lost and overwhelmed, so Danny refocused on the task at hand.


    A blast of energy tore through a nearby bush. Danny had heard a rustle and seized the opportunity to secure a meal. When he investigated his quarry, Danny found a squirrel. A headless one. Okay, Danny thought, take it down a notch. Blowing the head off the squirrel had made for a painless death, but if he hit one in the body, there wouldn¡¯t be much left to eat. It was a testament to how far Danny had come. At the start of the Tutorial, he couldn¡¯t do anything with his QI, didn''t even have any. Now, he could explode the heads of small rodents with his mind. On second thought, that wasn¡¯t exactly the celebration-worthy achievement that Danny had originally thought, but it was progress.


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    Upon return, Danny used the wood he had gathered to build a small fire and roast his catch. Skinning squirrels was similar enough to skinning rabbits that he didn¡¯t have much trouble. Danny ate his squirrel and was quite proud of himself. He thought about offering some to Ash, but then she walked past with a trio of squirrels, held by the tails, in her mouth. Suddenly his accomplishment seemed meager. As he chowed down on his now-not-so-great-tasting squirrel, Danny thought about what to do next.


    He definitely wanted to save Mario. Putting an end to the Brotherhood in general was on his to-do list as well. The problem was how. Danny could waltz up to whatever camp the biker gang had erected and throw himself to certain doom, but that wouldn¡¯t accomplish anything. He needed something game-changing. Danny thought back to the Wyrmling. A plan began to take shape.


    ___________________________________________________________


    The Wyrmling nest had been a piece of cake. The monsters were in the mid-twenties in Level. The Wyrmling Warrior, the boss monster, had been Level 30. A spear had been the reward. The head was fashioned out of some kind of bone, but never chipped or got scratched no matter what Danny struck it with. Feathers were tied onto the end and it looked like an enlarged version of the one that the Wyrmling Warrior had used. It was somewhat similar to a staff, so Danny decided to hold onto it. The real prize was the 30 Wyrmlings that now stood at attention in front of Danny. He finally had some success in monster taming! The process wasn¡¯t perfect, however.


    Blank eyes stared back at him. The Wyrmlings would follow his commands to the letter, but they lacked that spark of life in their eyes. Even the Wyrmling Warrior was a husk of its former self. On top of that, he had only gotten one ability from the lot of them, [Pack Tactics], which allowed for the command of the Wyrmlings. They acted like robots. Fortunately, they retained some amount of reasoning, so Danny could say ¡°find food¡± or ¡°get some wood¡± and they would carry out the task effectively. Too complex orders would result in them trying the same thing over and over again to no avail or simply ignoring the command. Adding in the healing element from his newly replaced Necklace of Rejuvenation had led to the monsters surviving Purify, but he had yet to replicate another Ash. There was something he was still missing. Maybe Ash was just that special. There was still much that Danny did not know. At least he had something that could turn the tables on the Brotherhood: an army. Complete with the Wyrmling Warrior acting as his general.


    ___________________________________________________________


    The swelling in Mario¡¯s right eye made it hard to see. Tightly tied rope burned his wrists. His arms were uncomfortably tied around a tall log that had been raised in the certain of the Brotherhood camp. Members of said group would spit as they walked past him or offer a kick to his side. The ¡°guests¡± who enjoyed the ¡°protection¡± of the Brotherhood would try to keep from staring as they hurried by, heads down. They tore his jacket from his body before securing him to the pole. Chris said it was ¡°too good for a traitor.¡± He¡¯d had that jacket for ten years. The memory of his arrival still burned in his chest. The humiliation of it all haunted him.


    Mario had come-to while being carried by Wreck, one of the bigger guys in the Brotherhood. Wreck was the competent type. He was also obedient and quiet, traits that Chris valued. A throbbing headache greeted him as he awoke. He tried to kick or squirm, but he found his arms and legs both fastened. Mario resigned himself to being hauled like a sack of potatoes back to the place that he had fled from. When they arrived, Wreck dumped him at the feet of Chris.


    Lying in the dirt like that made his blood run hot. It was set to boiling whenever Chris smirked at him and spoke, ¡°Problem with you is you think you¡¯re smarter than everyone, Walter.¡± How dare you speak to me like I¡¯m beneath you, Mario thought. Chris continued, ¡°I let you off easy, considering all the shit you pulled, for old time¡¯s sake. You know me, sentimental and all. But I won¡¯t make that same mistake again. I¡¯ll make an example out of you like I should¡¯ve the second I heard you were planning a power grab.¡± Chris waved to one of the men beside him and said something Mario couldn¡¯t make out. That¡¯s when they had taken him to the newest addition to the Brotherhood base. They called it the ¡°Cross¡± although it was little more than an oversized stick. Considering Chris thought himself the second coming, Mario thought it was right up his alley.


    Mario¡¯s meditating on his misery was interrupted by a boot to the ribs. He coughed a spatter of blood. One of the men who had been on the ambush squad knelt down next to Mario. ¡°That was for Bigg¡¯s you piece of shit.¡± Biggs must have been the archer who his fireball had hit. Mario remained silent with his head hung as a mixture of drool and blood dripped from his chin. Getting no response the man tsked and then rose from the ground, but not before slapping Mario across the face on the right side. Right on his swollen eye. A pained yelp broke Mario¡¯s defiant silence. The Brotherhood member smiled in cruel victory as he walked away.


    ___________________________________________________________


    Finally, the forest gave way to an open stretch of grass. Not far off from the treeline was a chaotic assortment of tents. So that¡¯s the Brotherhood camp, Danny thought, I guess Ash is actually pretty good at this whole tracking thing. He had assumed she would be, since she was a wolf and all. Is that stereotyping? Distracting thoughts aside, Danny was anxious. His first run-in with the Brotherhood had not ended on a high note, and now he was deep in enemy territory. He looked behind him at the battalion of Wyrmlings that he had ordered to follow at a distance. This time will be different.


    Danny stepped out of the trees. It had been the first time since the Integration that he had not been in some variation of forest. He had grown used to roaming about the woods. The sunlight, unbroken by branches and leaves, beat down on his face. The clear blue sky stretched on forever. Danny¡¯s head smacked into the ground and all he could see was the tiny insects that crawled among the grass. He tried to call out, but he sputtered as he got a mouthful of dirt. Suddenly, he was flipped around. Someone dressed in a dirt and sweat-stained grey sweatshirt and pants pinned his arms and legs.


    ¡°Are you stupid? What do you think you¡¯re doing?¡± The stranger asked.

 Chapter 27

    Chapter 27


    ¡°This is Brotherhood territory, are you trying to get yourself killed!?¡± The stranger asked. They wore a mask over their face with the sweatshirt hood up, making it hard to get a good look at them.


    ¡°Yeah, I know,¡± Danny said. The person was smaller than him so he tried to buck whoever it was off, but surprisingly, they overpowered him.


    ¡°So you¡¯re one of them?¡± The masked stranger¡¯s voice turned dark. Their knees began to dig into Danny¡¯s stomach, making their opinion of the Brotherhood very clear.


    ¡°No! A¡ª Ash, do something!¡± Whatever he tried, Danny could not get free. The wolf sauntered out of the woods and growled. With an acrobatic movement, the masked stranger released Danny and faced Ash, all while unsheathing a sword and putting it between her and the wolf.


    ¡°Monster,¡± She said. The stranger made a hand gesture with two fingers. Two arrows shot down from above. Ash barely managed to dodge any serious injury. The two arrows were buried to the feathers in the ground. A thin red line ran down the front of her left leg.


    ¡°Stop!¡± Danny shouted. ¡°She¡¯s with me!¡± The stranger paused mid-gesture. In the commotion, the hood had fallen and a ponytail of long black hair had spilled out. Heat gathered in his face as Danny realized that he had just been pinned by a girl.


    ¡°And who are you?¡± The stranger asked in a voice that Danny now registered as feminine.


    ¡°Uh¡ª I¡¯m Danny?¡± She began to lower her hand in a signal to shoot another volley. Danny collected himself. ¡°My friend got taken by the Brotherhood. We¡¯re on the way to save him.¡±


    The stranger scoffed. ¡°You and the wolf? You two are going to take on the whole Brotherhood?¡±


    ¡°Well, I did bring some friends.¡± The Wyrmling army approached the edge of the forest and became visible. The stranger was stunned. With the mask, Danny couldn¡¯t tell what she was thinking, so he added, ¡°They¡¯re also with me. Don¡¯t shoot. Please.¡± This silence stretched on. ¡°It¡¯s my class, Beast Tamer, I can¡ª¡±


    ¡°You can control monsters?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a little more complicated than that, but yeah, I can control monsters,¡± Danny answered.


    ¡°And you¡¯re against the Brotherhood.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Danny said, somewhat exasperated. Is she even listening?


    She seemed to consider him for a moment. Then, lowering her weapon, she said, ¡°I guess we don¡¯t have a problem then.¡± There was still no sight of whoever had been loosing arrows at her command. Despite that, the tension began to melt away. Now that the standoff had ended, Danny asked who the stranger was. She took off her mask, revealing a round face with soft features and large brown eyes, and answered.


    ¡°Not everyone is willing to stand by and let the Brotherhood do whatever they want.¡±


    ¡°Does that mean you are going to help?¡± When he had first assembled his army, it seemed like an overwhelming force, but the Brotherhood camp was much larger than he had thought. There had to be at least a hundred people living there. Danny could easily make short work of one of the Wyrmlings, so they would likely not put up much of a resistance against the ones who had managed to kidnap Mario. More allies would be welcome.


    After a moment of consideration, she said, ¡°We¡¯ve never met before. I can¡¯t go around promising aid to the first person I see, can I? If you are serious about stopping the Brotherhood, we¡¯ll be in touch.¡± Suddenly, she threw something to the ground, and an obfuscating smoke spread through the area. The tree tops rustled. Danny couldn¡¯t see anything. When the smoke cleared, she was gone.


    ¡°That was a little extra,¡± Danny muttered. Although he realized it was a long shot asking strangers to assault a camp of buffed-up bikers, Danny had hoped for some added assistance. Time was of the essence though, Mario was sure to be in unfortunate circumstances¡­ if he was still alive. Danny tried not to entertain that thought. He turned to the Wyrmlings. ¡°Alright guys, change of plans¡­¡±


    ___________________________________________________________


    The Wyrmlings poured from the treeline like bees from a hive. Starting as black dots on the horizon, they quickly approached the camp outskirts. One was larger than the others, the Wyrmling Warrior, and threw back its head in a war cry. The sound was a mix between a hiss and a growl. It echoed throughout the charging horde as the lesser Wyrmlings answered. Danny was shocked that he could hear it from so far away. They are definitely leaning into the whole ¡®distraction¡¯ thing. Rather than a united frontal assault, the Wyrmlings would serve as a distraction. He would sneak into the camp from the side and find Mario. Together they would escape before the Wyrmlings died. It felt a little callous to just throw away the lives of his newest companions, but they weren¡¯t alive. Not truly. Even their battle cry felt forced and stilted. Still, if they weren¡¯t so pressed for time, or he had other options, Danny would never have resorted to this.


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    Refocusing on the task at hand, Danny noted the movement within the camp. While his army made their move, he had concealed himself in the forest. The Wyrmlings were ordered to be defensive and refrain from dealing any serious injuries. There was no way for them to distinguish between Brotherhood members and innocents, so Danny figured this would be the best way to avoid unwanted casualties. It would also allow the Wyrmlings to survive longer. They were quick. Even Danny would struggle to land a clean strike if they were fully committed to evasion. Hopefully, the Brotherhood would fare similarly. Once he was certain that whoever guarded the camp was sufficiently occupied, Danny made his move.


    He sprinted towards the camp. Ash was alongside him. Danny hoped that she would be able to sniff out Mario. With each hurried step, Danny felt more and more exposed. The campsite was well-selected. There was a significant stretch of open area between the forest and the camp, making it nearly impossible to go unseen under normal circumstances. On top of that, it was the middle of the day. Broad daylight was not exactly conducive to successful stealth missions, but had already committed to this course of action. There was no telling if Mario would last until nightfall. Danny hoped his distraction would be enough. Just in case, he had brought his staff.


    As he got closer, Danny noticed the rather dilapidated state of the tents. They were stained and erected hastily. He could hear hushed voices from within them. At least five or six people were crammed into each tent. Even with just himself, his tent wasn¡¯t exactly spacious and these weren¡¯t much bigger. Ash nudged Danny, pulling him from his thoughts. She caught Mario¡¯s scent. Weaving deftly through the haphazardly placed tents, Ash led Danny through the camp. Everything was going according to plan. It seemed that any guards were responding to the Wyrmlings and the other residents were hunkered down in their tents. Danny began to believe his first rescue would be an easy one. Then he felt it.


    A sharp pain froze Danny in his tracks. A piece of him had been torn away, like a tooth pulled without anesthesia. An emptiness was left behind. Then another. In quick succession, two of his Wyrmlings had died. Ash looked back at him, noticing he had stopped. It was hard to breathe. Danny began to suck in air. In, out. In, out. But the emptiness was stealing the air from his lungs. He collapsed onto his hands and knees. What happened when one of his Bonds died was something Danny had never considered. This wasn¡¯t normal. Deep in the middle of enemy territory, Danny¡¯s spirit was assaulted as Wyrmling after Wyrmling fell in battle.


    Ash nudged the heaving Danny with her snout. Finally, his gasping was noticed. A voice from inside one of the nearby tents said, ¡°I think I hear someone out there¡­¡± Danny knew he couldn¡¯t stay here. He couldn¡¯t be discovered. Clenching his jaw, Danny rose to his feet, using Ash as a support. Each step felt like a Herculean task, but they slowly progressed through the camp. The frequency of the pains began to lower. At first, Danny was relieved. The onslaught was subsiding. Then he realized what that meant.


    Danny redoubled the pace of his hobbling. There was no way to keep track of his Bonds except, apparently, when they died. With no way to know the status of his distracting force, panic began to set in.


    As they approached the center of the camp, the tents became cleaner and more organized. Fewer people were crammed into each one. The central tents were also bigger than the ones on the outskirts. Danny figured this must be where the Brotherhood members live. The rest of the camp was resigned to squalor. The message was clear. It was the Brotherhood¡¯s world; everyone else was just living in it.


    A landmark stood out over the tops of the tents, some sort of wooden pole. Ash was heading straight towards it. The pole looked like someone had torn a tree out of the ground, cut off the branches, and stuck it in the ground. When the pole came into full view, Danny saw Mario. At least, he thought it was Mario. The man had his hands tied around the tree. His head hung, defeated. His face was bruised and bloody, even worse than when Danny had first met him. Gone were the leather jacket and the boots. Barefoot and bare-armed, the man was filthy.


    ¡°Psst. Mario, is that you?¡± Danny whispered. The captive didn¡¯t respond. Danny tried again. ¡°Mario it¡¯s me, Danny. I¡¯m here to get you out of here.¡± At the mention of freedom, the man¡¯s head turned slightly. One eye was swollen shut. From busted lips, the man whispered something, but he broke off into a coughing fit before Danny could hear. ¡°Look, don¡¯t talk.¡± Using his hunting knife, Danny cut the restraints.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Mario said. It was barely audible. He rubbed at the raw red rashes the rope had left.


    ¡°Come on,¡± Danny said, ¡°We¡¯ve got to go.¡± It had now been a very long time since he had felt one of the flashes of pain signaling the fall of one of his army. ¡°There¡¯s no time.¡± After a futile attempt at trying to help Mario to a stand, Danny looked to Ash. ¡°Can you carry him?¡±


    Yes.


    ¡°Come on, big guy.¡± Danny huffed as he situated Ash¡¯s new passenger. From the way she walked, Danny could tell she was struggling under the load. The escape was painfully slow. Ash¡¯s gait caused Mario to moan out in pain periodically. Danny felt too bad to try and shush him or cover his mouth. A ripping sensation in his chest caused Danny¡¯s legs to go out from under him. The taste of topsoil entered his mouth, but it hardly registered as Danny was reeling from the most intense pain yet. A system message appeared.


    [Class Ability: Pack Tactics Lost]


    Danny built up to an elbow before he had to take a moment to breathe. The final Wyrmling had died. Judging from the severity of the backlash, Danny assumed that had been the Wyrmling Warrior. With the Wyrmling boss gone, it would not be long until the Brotherhood returned. The adrenaline was the only thing that allowed Danny to rise to his feet once more. Ash had paused to wait for him but continued ahead now that Danny was upright again. Danny shuffled after her.


    The beleaguered trio crossed into the open space between the Brotherhood camp at the forest. ¡°All clear!¡± A shout rang out from much too close for comfort. Several more came after. ¡°You can come out now.¡± ¡°Monsters are dealt with.¡± and other assurances began to stir the people from their tents. Ash was entering the trees when Danny heard a voice behind him.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡± Danny turned to see a man wearing a leather jacket. Mario¡¯s leather jacket.

 Chapter 28

    Chapter 28


    ¡°Hey, ya hear me?¡± The man¡¯s harsh tone snapped Danny from his staring. ¡°I said, where are you going?¡± Danny¡¯s mind pushed into overdrive trying to fabricate a cover story.


    ¡°I¡ªuh,¡± he wasn¡¯t off to a great start. ¡°My friend! He¡­ was in the woods when the attack happened. I was on my way to look for him.¡±


    The man looked Danny over appraisingly. Knuckles tightening around the staff, Danny felt like he would snap from the tension building in the air. The man noticed. ¡°Well, that¡¯s a beautiful staff you have there, I don¡¯t believe we¡¯ve met.¡± Anxiety began to twist Danny¡¯s stomach. ¡°Would you mind letting me see it?¡± Danny had half a mind to tell this guy to kick rocks, but he thought that might blow his cover.


    Danny offered up the staff. ¡°I¡ª¡± Another man came jogging from the camp. He did not look like the jogging type. His huffing and puffing supported that impression.


    ¡°Boss, he¡¯s¡ª¡± the rotund man sputtered out. ¡°Walter, he¡¯s¡ª gone.¡±


    The man wearing Mario¡¯s jacket narrowed his eyes and turned to face the non-jogger. ¡°Check the civvy tents, every one. Tear them apart if you have to!¡± Wheeling around to face Danny, he said, ¡°Get your friend and bring him to the center of camp. Head count in five. Anyone absent forfeits tomorrow¡¯s rations.¡± He stomped back from where he had come. The non-jogger struggled to catch his breath, but hurried after anyway.


    When he was sure they were gone, Danny let out a sigh of relief. That had been a close one. One wrong move and he would have been found out. The out-of-shape one had called the other his boss. Danny had gotten lucky if that really had been the guy in charge of the Brotherhood. Lottery ticket lucky. From what Mario had said, the Brotherhood leader, Chris, was bad news. Not only was he one of the strongest, he was also the cruelest of them all: cold, calculating, and completely lacking in human empathy. Danny was certain that they would meet again, but he would need to be much stronger than he was now if he was going to survive it. Danny still shook a little when he remembered the Identification the System had provided. [Level 60 Human Berserker]


    That man had been the highest level Danny had seen, besides Aspen. The thought of what might have happened if they had come to blows haunted Danny even as he entered the obscuring cover of the forest. Mario had slid off of Ash and was lying face down in the dirt. Their trip had been hard on him. Some of the scabbed-over wounds had begun to bleed again. Danny pulled the Necklace of Rejuvenation out from underneath his shirt and put it around Mario¡¯s neck, eliciting groans of pain from the man. Since he was over Level 50, Mario should have no problem using it.


    ¡°Here, use this. All you have to do is¡­¡± Bruises began to fade and the bleeding cuts began to seal. ¡°Oh, I guess you figured it out.¡± Taken back to his struggling in the Horror Matriarch¡¯s cave, Danny couldn¡¯t help but feel a little embarrassed by how easily Mario figured out the Necklace. Mario pushed himself up and rested on his knees. Discoloration was still present on his face. Not even the Necklace could heal it all in one go.


    ¡°Thanks. We have something similar back at camp. Used it a few times when I got banged up.¡± He tossed the Necklace back to Danny. ¡°It¡¯s a useful thing to have around. Where¡¯d you find it?¡±


    ¡°It was just one of the things I got from clearing a monster nest. Back in the Tutorial.¡± Neither of them had spoken about the Tutorial, or much of anything really. Danny wondered how different the other Tutorials had been. Probably a lot less boring, for starters. After putting the Necklace on again, Danny channeled Qi into it, hoping to get rid of the internal needling left by the loss of the Wyrmlings. He felt his energy flowing into the artifact and the warming sensation of the healing taking effect. Except it didn¡¯t. The sensation of his internal organs being used for batting practice did not subside. Whatever injury he had sustained, the Necklace would not relieve.


    ¡°You got a place sorted?¡± Mario distracted Danny from the troubling development. ¡°Cuz the Brotherhood isn¡¯t going to let this one fly. We gotta get outta here soon.¡±


    ¡°Not really. To be honest, I hadn¡¯t thought that far ahead.¡±


    ¡°So you broke into the Brotherhood camp¡ª in broad daylight¡ª without an escape route?¡±


    ¡°Well, when you put it like that¡ª¡±


    ¡°It sounds incredibly stupid.¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ I guess it does.¡±


    ¡°Do you have any ideas at least?¡±


    ¡°Maybe¡­¡± Seeing the exasperation on Mario¡¯s face, Danny amended, ¡°Yes. I have an idea.¡±


    ___________________________________________________________


    Sunlight cast an intricate web of shadows as it broke through the canopy. Birds called back and forth in conversation, joined by the buzz of insects. A sharp crack sent a few of them to the air. Danny, Ash, Indy, and Mario all continued their trek through the forest. Breathing in the now-homey scent of the pines, Danny paused for a moment. ¡°This is where I last saw them.¡±


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    ¡°Saw who?¡±


    ¡°Mask Lady! Tree people! Anyone there!?¡± Danny yelled.


    ¡°What the hell are you doing?¡± Mario scolded. ¡°Are you trying to get us killed?¡±


    ¡°I met a group earlier. They said they were against the Brotherhood. I figure they must have a base or something nearby. Hopefully they¡¯ll take us in.¡±


    ¡°The gi- the Scouts, you mean?¡±


    ¡°One of them had a mask on. They shot arrows from the trees, and this one girl used a smoke bomb like a ninja or something.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s the Scouts. I don¡¯t know if that¡¯s the best idea¡­¡± Mario said.


    ¡°Why not? They seemed pretty sneaky. I bet they could help us lay low for a while.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not the problem. I¡¯m Brotherhood, remember? Maybe they let you in, but I¡¯d probably have better luck with Chris.¡±


    ¡°Ex-Brotherhood, right? Nobody is going to hold it against you. You¡¯ve changed.¡±


    ¡°Look, uh¡ª here¡¯s the thing. I might have undersold myself a little when we first met. I wasn¡¯t just some lackey. I was Chris¡¯ second in command. And some of the things I did back in the Tutorial¡­ I¡¯m not sure they¡¯ll be very understanding.¡± Mario said.


    ¡°Oh. I¡¯m sure it will be fine. You¡¯re one of the good guys now. You¡¯ve even got the face to prove it.¡± Danny gestured to the still present bruising marking Mario¡¯s features. He turned away to continue on his search for the ¡°Scouts.¡± ¡°Besides, it couldn¡¯t have been that¡ª¡± By the time Danny processed what was in front of him, he had already planted his nose into the massive man¡¯s chest.


    The man wore a dark brown t-shirt. It was littered with holes and you could still see dirt stains despite the color. His frame was that of a professional bodybuilder. Over his dirty shirt, he wore a black jacket with the hood up. His jeans were frayed at the knees. Further obscuring his identity was a familiar looking mask. [Level 45 Human Ranger]


    Ash let out a fierce-sounding bark. ¡°Looks like your calls worked,¡± Mario said. His flat tone indicated his excitement on the matter. The intimidating appearance of the stranger dampened Danny¡¯s enthusiasm as well.


    ¡°Come with me.¡± He said. The voice wasn¡¯t high-pitched by any means, but it was not the thundering echo that Danny had expected from the imposing figure. It made him feel a little better, like this man might actually be mortal after all.


    ¡°Okay.¡± Danny answered. He put a hand on Ash¡¯s back to settle her. While he had been hoping to see a familiar face, he had gotten what he had asked for.


    ¡°Okay!?¡± Mario said. ¡°What do you mean? This guy comes out of nowhere, and you are just going to go with him, no questions asked?¡± The fact that a man who looked like he had been on human growth hormone since he was toddler had snuck up on them so effortlessly was troubling, but they were on the same side. What was the harm? On the other hand, maybe it was better to be safe than sorry.


    ¡°Where are we going?¡± Danny asked the masked man.


    ¡°Maxwell wants to see you.¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°The one who can hide you from the Brotherhood. That¡¯s what you''re after, right? Although I wasn¡¯t expecting you to be bringing one of them with you.¡± The masked man growled out the last part.


    Feeling the tension, Danny smiled nervously. ¡°Yeah, he¡¯s switching sides. Turning a new leaf, you know?¡± The man continued to glare at Mario. Danny couldn¡¯t clearly see his eyes, but he was in a glaring sort of stance. ¡°Everyone deserves a second chance, right?¡± That elicited a snort from the stranger, but he seemed to relax.


    ¡°Whatever, not my call.¡± He muttered. ¡°You coming or what?¡±


    Danny nodded.


    The man seemed satisfied enough and led the way deeper into the forest. Mario lingered a fair bit back, putting distance between himself and the stranger. Danny hung back a little as well. ¡°I told you,¡± Mario whispered. ¡°If anything, this guy had a mild reaction. Once we get to wherever he is taking us, it will be a whole lot worse.¡±


    ¡°Relax,¡± Danny whispered back, ¡°you heard what he said. It¡¯s up to whoever is in charge. As long as we convince them, it will be fine. Even if it goes sideways, it¡¯s four against one.¡±


    ¡°Why are you like that?¡± Mario¡¯s voice rose. ¡°You don¡¯t know any of these people. How can you say it will all be fine?¡±


    ¡°Well, what do you want me to say? We are screwed majorly? That we are up against impossible odds and have no chance? Is that what you want to hear?¡± They weren¡¯t whispering any longer. ¡°I say it¡¯s going to be fine because it has to be. If it¡¯s not¡­ it has to be.¡±


    The walk was silent after that.


    ___________________________________________________________


    On the trek, Danny had learned that the man¡¯s name was Samuel, although he went by Sam. Conversation hadn¡¯t picked back up with Mario, so Danny had found a new conversation partner. Being alone during the Tutorial had taken its toll on him and Danny found it difficult to refrain from talking when he now had company.


    Sam had been a fast food manager before the Integration. He looked like he could be a full time fitness influencer, so Danny found his true occupation to be pretty ironic. Contrary to his appearance, the man was friendly. He entertained Danny¡¯s small talk, but Danny could tell that he was still wary of Mario. It didn¡¯t help things that Mario sulked half a dozen feet behind them, or the fact that they traveled with a massive monster-wolf. Regardless, the rest of their trip passed without incident.


    ¡°We¡¯re here,¡± Sam said. It was¡­ nothing. In front of them lie a stretch of forest like the rest. Except for the fact that the normal grass and shrubbery was replaced with thorny brambles. Danny wasn¡¯t exactly sure where ¡°here¡± was, but he was not excited at the prospect of wading through the spiky plants.


    Sam, however, seemed unperturbed. He waltzed right through without flinching. Then he disappeared.


    ¡°What the!?¡± Danny was understandably surprised. ¡°Where did he¡ª¡±


    ¡°I knew it!¡± Mario said. ¡°He led us out to the middle of nowhere.¡± Flames sparked to life in his hands. ¡°I bet that invisibility trick is how he snuck up on us in the first place.¡±


    ¡°Careful! You start flinging fire around and we¡¯ll have a much bigger problem on our hands.¡± Danny scanned the surrounding area. He trained his ears on any sound that might indicate where Sam had gone. Did he really mean to dispose of them out here? Based on their talk, Danny didn¡¯t think Sam would do such a thing. Then again, how much did Danny really know about this guy?


    Come to think of it, how much did Danny really know about Mario? The rescue mission, their chance meeting after the Tutorial ended, Danny had felt like they were close, but in reality they were barely more than strangers. After so long without human company, he may have gotten attached too quickly¡­


    Out of nowhere, a hand grabbed Danny by the collar. And pulled. Before Mario¡¯s eyes, Danny disappeared as well.

 Chapter 29

    Chapter 29


    Ash had worked herself into a fit of snarling and barking. Having seen some pretty nasty dogs, Mario was not all that scared of the she-wolf. Most of the time. Now, however, with her fangs bared and her haunches raised, ready to kill, Mario was uneasy. More than that, Mario was shocked at what he had just seen. More accurately, what he no longer was seeing. Just like that, Danny had disappeared.


    He was now certain that this was a setup. Letting your guard down was the one cardinal sin Mario believed in¡ª everything else was flexible¡ª and he had committed it. Danny¡¯s naive enthusiasm had lulled him into a false sense of security, and now he would pay for it. Once again, Mario prepared himself for an ambush. However, even he was taken aback when the disembodied head of Danny popped into view.


    ¡°This place is pretty nice. Come on!¡± It said.


    Mario barely kept himself from blasting the talking head into cinders. As quick as it came it disappeared again. Apparently reassured, Ash ceased her growling and sniffed the air. She must have liked whatever she smelled because she walked straight into the brambles and, like Danny and the masked man, vanished. Danny¡¯s pet fox bounded into the brambles after her.


    Mario was now left by himself. He stared at the wall of thorns. Tepidly, he approached. The thorns had to each be as long as his index finger. They reminded him of needles, and not the kind that lead to fun times. Mario extended his hand and bracing himself for the pain. But it never came. Instead, his hand had disappeared, but he could clearly feel a distinct lack of sharp objects poking into his skin. He took a deep breath and forced himself into the thorns.


    ___________________________________________________________


    The first, and most notable, thing was the sound. Construction. Hammering and sawing and various other sounds of industry rang in the clearing that had been disguised by the brambles. Dozens of people hurried about the place, carrying wood or other supplies. They conversed comfortably with each other as they worked. Recently chopped tree stumps indicated the effort the Scouts had taken to carve out this small piece of nature for themselves.


    All of this resulted in the construction of treehouses. Some were merely platforms of hand-hewn planks. Others had a wall or two up, and a notable few were fully completed. They resembled something you might find in someone¡¯s backyard, only bigger. Rope ladders hung from above to provide access.


    Danny was taken aback by the progress they had made. The Tutorial had only been over for a few days, yet the Scouts were erecting permanent structures at a rapid pace.


    ¡°Damn,¡± Mario said. Sam snorted, but it was evident from the way he stood a little straighter that he took pride in what they were building. Ash reclaimed her place beside Danny, this time standing a little closer as if he might disappear again. Indy also pulled in. His hobbling had become much more subtle as time passed. If you hadn¡¯t seen the way he moved before, you might even be tricked into thinking he was perfectly fine. Danny wasn¡¯t.


    Making a good impression on the Scouts was important. There was no chance that the four of them could survive if the full might of the Brotherhood descended upon them. That fact had been made clear from his brief encounter with Chris. Looking around at the Scouts, Danny wondered if they could turn the tables. The more he thought about it though, the more it troubled him.


    ¡°Why would anyone stay with the Brotherhood if they could live in a place like this?¡± Danny asked. To him, it seemed like a no-brainer. Sam breathed in like he was about to answer, but Mario spoke first.


    ¡°They don¡¯t tell them.¡± Mario said. ¡°Even I didn¡¯t know it was like this. I¡¯d always heard that the Scouts lived in trees, dirty and disgusting. We were told that even the worst among us lived better than the Scouts. Guess they got the living in trees part right.¡±


    ¡°We?¡± Sam snarled. Any goodwill left from Mario¡¯s statement of awe was gone.  ¡°They? You act like you had no part in it, in the lies. But we know you, Walter.¡± Sam jabbed a finger toward him. ¡°You were the one who started those rumors about us. So many we could have freed, but you couldn¡¯t let that happen, could you?¡± A few of the workers nearby paused to listen.


    ¡°That was the info I had to work with! What was I supposed to do? From what my guys said, you weren¡¯t going to survive a week! Should I have just sent those people to their deaths?¡± Mario fired back.


    ¡°Look around! Do we look dead to you? Certainly this is closer to living than being packed like sardines into filthy tents. We all know why the non-members are left on the outskirts of your camp: so they die first. A buffer. Don¡¯t you dare act like you care about the lives of the people you ¡®protect.¡¯¡± It was clear that this conversation had struck a nerve for Sam. Each word was hurled at Mario. Danny was about to step in to deescalate when¡­


    ¡°You¡¯re right. We didn¡ª I didn¡¯t care. But I can see that I was wrong now. That I had no idea what we could do if we banded together. The world I grew up in was harsh and violent, so that¡¯s how I thought it would be now.¡± As he spoke his eyes were locked intently on the grass beneath his feet. ¡°I was prepared for the worst. I was prepared to do the worst, if that¡¯s what it took.¡± Mario paused. He raised his head and locked eyes with Sam. Then he turned his gaze to each of the workers that had slowly gathered, it had gone from a few to a handful, and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    A stunned silence ensued. ¡°Pssht.¡± Sam retorted. ¡°I¡¯m not the one you should be apologizing to.¡±


    If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    ¡°I know,¡± Mario said quietly.


    Sam seemed uncertain what to say next. So he said nothing. He simply jerked his head, indicating the direction they were heading next and led the way to the Scout camp proper.


    As they walked through the camp, the occupants stopped and stared. Most did a double take upon seeing Mario. A few tossed out colorful epithets. Others smiled as Indy pranced around, begging for attention. The treehouses transitioned from works-in-progress to completed buildings. One of the completed treehouses stood out. It was larger than the others, more elaborate. A small railed terrace faced toward the center of the clearing. Upon the terrace was another masked individual. They were dressed in a green hooded poncho made from some sort of fabric.


    ¡°Maxwell!¡± Sam bellowed to the terrace. ¡°Here is Danny, like you asked.¡± He called to mind a royal attendant, announcing the name and allegiance of the court¡¯s guests. Danny wondered who had decided on all the pomp and circumstance. ¡°And¡­ Walter. From the Brotherhood.¡± Murmurs of disapproval and gasping pulled Danny¡¯s attention to the crowd that had been gathering.


    ¡°Ex-Brotherhood.¡± Mario corrected. The crowd didn¡¯t seem to care.


    A hand shot up from the balcony. The crowd went silent. A dark ponytail tumbled out of the green hood with the movement. The style on the mask, Danny realized it looked familiar. Ash stoically bore the attention, but Indy shrunk behind Danny¡¯s legs. At first, he had drunk it in, hopping around and enjoying the smiles as he passed the workers by. Now, he seemed overwhelmed.


    ¡°We meet again, Danny.¡± The woman overhead called down. ¡°Why don¡¯t you and your¡­ associate climb on up. We have some things to discuss.¡± She turned her back to them and entered the treehouse. It seemed that it served as a dismissal for the workers as well. Each of them returned to their various tasks, leaving Danny and company standing awkwardly.


    ¡°That seemed overdramatic,¡± Mario muttered. Nevertheless, he followed along as Sam escorted them to the rope ladder. There were stone weights on the end to keep it from swinging wildly, but it was still a tricky climb. Even getting onto the ladder was a trial for Danny. Ash did not seem to like the idea of him climbing off to where she could not follow. Indy had no such qualms, having set off in chase of a fly that had flown too close. Danny was finally able to reassure Ash. He was the last one up the rope ladder.


    Danny didn¡¯t know what he was expecting, but the treehouse seemed empty. There wasn¡¯t any furniture. No mattress or table. Or chairs. Just an empty central room. He did notice a doorway off to the side with a curtain of some kind providing privacy. The masked woman from the balcony walked forward to greet them. She pulled her hood off, revealing the long black ponytail that Danny had gotten a glimpse of before.


    ¡°I take it your rescue mission was successful?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Yeah. Well¡­ kinda.¡± The ache of losing the Wyrmlings was still present. Not just an emotional ache either. While he did feel bad about basically leading them to their deaths, he was feeling physical effects as well. Everything felt a little muted. His head would occasionally throb if he moved too quickly. Danny felt exhausted. It was reminiscent of the day after an all-nighter playing video games with his friend, except the circumstances leading up to his suffering were much less enjoyable.


    The masked woman, Maxwell, tilted her head in question, but did not probe. ¡°I asked someone to monitor your stunt, and I have to say, well done. When we first met, I thought you were marching to your death.¡±


    ¡°You had me watched?¡± Danny asked.


    ¡°In an interested-in-a-future-partnership kind of way. Not a creepy-spying kind of way.¡±Danny did not feel very reassured. ¡°I understand you have some sort of power over monsters, you have a couple of animal companions, and you launched a successful attack on the Brotherhood.¡± Maxwell continued, ¡°What I don¡¯t understand is how you ended up in the company of Chris¡¯ right-hand man, potentially one of the worst offenders among the Brotherhood.¡±


    Danny was a little worried that Mario might start something after that comment, especially after the bickering between him and Sam, but he held his tongue. ¡°He was actually the first person I met,¡± Danny said. ¡°After the Tutorial,¡± he quickly added. Danny then recounted the circumstances around their meeting. How he had abandoned the Brotherhood and was beaten for it. That night Mario was kidnapped and Danny was forced to flee to lick his wounds. Then the rescue mission, which brought them to the present day.


    ¡°You saw how they treated their people. They call them ¡®civilians,¡¯ or ¡®civvys,¡¯ and offer protection from the monsters. The only price is your pride and indentured servitude. Is that the kind of person you want to associate yourself with?¡± Maxwell had adopted that same dark tone that she had the last time the topic of the Brotherhood had come up. Even though he was pretty sure that there were no hidden soldiers ready to release an arrow if she gave the word like before, Danny was intimidated. Her hatred for the Brotherhood was evident.


    This exact question had been needling Danny as well. It was clear that Mario wasn¡¯t a ¡°good guy.¡± He had been complicit in some bad stuff, even admitted he had done some of it himself, but he also had endured multiple beatings to leave that life behind. Danny had also heard something sincere in his voice when Sam had confronted him. He was pretty sure that something had been remorse. Everyone deserves a second chance¡­ right?


    ¡°No.¡± Danny said. ¡°But I don¡¯t think Mario is that kind of guy anymore. Just look at him. He has been through a lot to try and separate himself from the Brotherhood. Maybe he has a lot to pay for, but isn¡¯t the best way for him to redeem himself to help take the Brotherhood down?¡± Danny felt like he was on a roll now. ¡°You said it yourself, he was the right-hand man. Surely someone like that will have valuable information.¡±


    Maxwell stared straight ahead. Danny couldn¡¯t glean much from her body language. Those masks were one hell of a negotiating technique. ¡°What about the other people from your Tutorial?¡± She asked.


    ¡°What?¡± Danny was caught off guard by the change in topic.


    ¡°You said he was the first person you met after the Tutorial. I assume that means that you were not in the same Tutorial as we were. So, are there any other groups we should be aware of? Like the Brotherhood, or anyone that might ally with us?¡±


    ¡°No, I was¡ª I¡¯m the only one.¡±


    Maxwell straightened when he said that. ¡°Oh¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡± She said. ¡°Well, you have given me some things to think about. I¡¯ll have Samuel here take you to a place you can sleep. I hope you don¡¯t mind if we have someone keep watch. You know, just in case.¡±


    ¡°I guess that¡¯s fine.¡± Danny was pretty sure it wasn¡¯t a real question. He felt like she might have the wrong idea about his Tutorial, but she had already retreated behind the curtain entrance into the other room. He assumed that must be her bedroom, so Danny made extra sure not to try to look inside. That felt¡­ creepy.


    Ash and Indy waited for them below. Indy was his usual self. Hopping and jumping around in greeting. Ash was reserved, but the swishing of her tail gave away her true emotions. As Sam led them to where they would be spending the night, Danny couldn¡¯t help but think one thing. Who names their daughter Maxwell?