《Saving Earth The Guide System: a LitRPG (First chapters)》 Chapter 1 A thin line of white light appeared just inches above the ground before growing vertically and spreading open. A man walked through, tall and lean; his forest green eyes staring straight ahead. The world was silent as he stood there taking in the scenery. It looked like he remembered. Different, but the same. He turned around and watched as the doorway he had just walked through vanished. He sighed and started walking up the long driveway. Snow fell and the maples lining each side of the dirt road stood naked. Memories flashed quickly into his mind before a screen popped up in front of him. Time: 1356. Date: 25 December 2029. Location: Seattle, Washington, United States, Earth. Magic Level of Current Location: Low. Increase level of basic skill - perception - to extend radius of spatial knowledge. Weather: Winter. Temperature: 29 degrees fahrenheit/-1.6 degrees celsius. Your current attire allows for increased cold resistance. The man mentally swiped the screen away and pulled the fur-lined jacket a bit tighter around him. It had been a long time since he had felt the cold weather. Even the enchantments lining his clothing didn¡¯t keep all the cold away. As he walked, the man looked around, a sad smile creeping on his face. He had missed this. He didn¡¯t realize it until now. He had adjusted to his new surroundings quickly after everything had happened. He would think about this place every now and again, but the longer he was away, the less real it felt. He could hear children playing as he got closer to the house. And then he saw them, four children bundled up for the snowy weather, and a dog running around chasing them as they ran throwing snowballs at one another. One of the kids stopped and stared at the man before turning and running inside. The dog noticed the man and began barking. He knelt down and held out his hand patiently waiting for the dog. He smiled as she gingerly walked towards him. She paused and sniffed the air, then crept forward. The other kids had run inside following the eldest one. The dog moved closer and continued sniffing, until she got close enough and finally recoognized the man. She began jumping and running around him. He laughed and petted her head and back. The blue-grey husky was a year old when he had gone away. She was so much bigger now. He wasn¡¯t really sure she would remember him, but he had hoped. ¡°Hi Aggie,¡± He smiled and stood back up. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s get inside.¡± The dog jumped in front of him excitedly, ran a few feet forward and then came back to his side. By this time an older man had walked out the front door and down the rest of the driveway. ¡°Can I help you?¡± the voice was gruff, but not unfriendly. ¡°Hey dad,¡± the young man said. ¡°Merry Christmas¡±. ¡°Aidan?¡± The man asked confused. ¡°How are you - where have you? I don¡¯t understand¡±. ¡°I know, I¡¯ll explain everything. I promise. But can I come in a sit down? I¡¯ve had a long trip,¡± Aidan replied, finally looking up to face his dad. ¡°Yea, come on,¡± His dad said waving him towards the house. The dog ran up to Aidan¡¯s father and then to the front door, tail wagging and waiting for it to open. Aidan followed behind his dad, looking at the house and the christmas decorations. The door opened and a woman, in her early fifties, was standing there. She pushed the screen door and Aggie ran inside, shaking the snow off her fur as she went deeper into the house. ¡°Who was it Roger?¡± The woman¡¯s voice came with an undertone of concern. His parents had lived down a private driveway in the woods just outside of Seattle. Unless you drive down there accidentally or were invited, you weren¡¯t just walking up the road. They owned twenty acres of land and had held it since the early nineties. Aidan had grown up there, playing in the woods with his siblings and cousins; climbing trees and floating in the small lake in the summertime. Everything felt so similar to him, the same one story house his grandfather had built in the sixties. The cars out front, the rusty and dented red truck parked out by the barn. Yet there was a foreignness to it too. Something screaming in his head that he didn¡¯t belong here. That this was not his home, everything and everyone had moved on. Just like he had done. Just like he had had to do. Aidan¡¯s father stepped to the side and revealed the young man walking towards the door. He scratched his head awkwardly and smiled, ¡°hi mom,¡± he said. ¡°Aid-Aidan?¡± The woman whispered. She walked out in her slippers and slowly stepped towards him. She cupped his face and looked into his eyes. He saw the worry and fear and relief flood through her. He could tell she didn¡¯t believe or didn¡¯t want to believe, but the longer that she looked at him, the more she knew it was true. She smiled, tears rolling down her face and collapsed into his body, her arms wrapping around him. He hugged her back She pushed herself away wiped the tears from her face and then punched him in the arm, laughing and sobbing more. ¡°Where have you been?!¡± she hit him again. ¡°It¡¯s been five years! Five years Aidan! No calls, no letters, no nothing. You just disappear one day. And we hear nothing from you. You¡¯re dead. You know that right? You¡¯re officially dead. We had to. The student loan place wouldn¡¯t stop calling. We hired a private investigator after the police gave up. There was no trace of you. If I didn¡¯t have pictures of you, I would have started to believe you never existed in the first place.¡± ¡°I know,¡± Aidan replied, putting his arm over her shoulder and walking back to the door with her. ¡°I know. And I¡¯m sorry. I promise I¡¯ll explain everything. You¡¯re not going to believe it and it¡¯s a long story, but I¡¯m going to tell you all of it. Everything that happened.¡± Aidan, his mom, and dad all walked into the house and closed the door. They walked into the kitchen and saw the kids next to their parents. Aidan smiled and looked around. ¡°Hasn¡¯t changed a bit,¡± he remarked. ¡°I go away for five years and you still only have pictures of Jack and Sophie, and now their kids, on the fridge. I thought maybe if I died, I¡¯d at least get a spot on the door.¡± He smiled at his mom and she punched him again. ¡°Finally decided to be apart of the family again huh?¡± a tall, muscular man asked. ¡°Heya Jack,¡± Aidan said walking over to him. ¡°Well, you know, figured five years was long enough, might as well make my grand entrance.¡± Jack was taller and bigger than Aidan. Where Aidan was lean and had some definition, Jack was muscle. Years of working out, playing sports, and climbing mountains. ¡°Where the fu-¡± Jack looked down at the little girl holding onto his leg. ¡°Where have you been?¡± ¡°Was it drugs? I bet it was drugs. Rehab looks good on you,¡± a shorter woman said, walking over and pushed a finger against his shoulder. He looked at her and she shrugged, ¡°Just had to make sure you were real¡±. ¡°It wasn¡¯t drugs,¡± Aidan replied. The family looked at him quesitoningly. ¡°It wasn¡¯t drugs!¡± This was going to be harder than he thought. ¡°Okay, okay, leave your bother alone Sophie. He said it wasn¡¯t drugs. So we¡¯ll believe him,¡± their dad said. ¡°For now¡­¡± Sophie whispered under her breath smiling mischeviously at Aidan. He shook his head, ¡°You know, I thought there¡¯d be tears and hugs and offers of food and drinks. Maybe presents¡±. ¡°Mom had the tears and hugs covered,¡± Sophie replied. She nodded towards Jack, ¡°We¡¯re the interrogators. And presents are for good kids who don¡¯t run away and die for five years just to come back to life. For all we know, you could be a zombie¡±. ¡°Definitely not a zombie,¡± Jack said. ¡°He¡¯s not trying to eat our brains.¡± ¡°Not yet,¡± Sophie looked at Aidan. ¡°Not a zombie Soph,¡± Aidan said. ¡°Maybe I¡¯ll leave for another few years. You just let me know when you¡¯ve gotten this out of your system¡±. ¡°Would you two leave your brother alone,¡± their mother said. ¡°He¡¯s not a zombie and you¡¯re not interregators. Go sit on the couch I¡¯ll bring you some coffee.¡± She pointed to the living room. ¡°What are you wearing?¡± Jack asked, finally noticing Aidan¡¯s outfit. ¡°Yea, what are you wearing? It¡¯s like something out of a post apocalyptic movie,¡± Sophie said looking him up and down. Before he had left, Aidan had put on a light fur-lined jacket and pants, with a thin cream colored undershirt. He wasn¡¯t sure what the weather would be like when he returned. This outfit had been sewn with an enchanted thread that gave a buff to cold resistance. But it was still light enough that had he returned in the summer, he wouldn¡¯t be too hot. ¡°They¡¯re clothes, there¡¯s nothing wrong with them,¡± Aidan replied looking at himself.This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°You sure it wasn¡¯t drugs?¡± Sophie eyed him again. ¡°Positive,¡± Aidan said. He walked towards the couch and sat down. He looked around the living room and saw wrapping paper thrown about. There was Christmas music playing from the tv with a yule log crackling on screen. The tree was covered in lights and bobbles. A few strands of tinsel hung on the upper half of the tree. His mother had always hated tinsel and made a rule that it couldn¡¯t be on the lower half because the dogs might try and eat it and choke. And the last thing she wanted was a dead dog on Christmas. The same angel that the family had had since he was a kid stood atop the tree; her wings gently, robotically, waving back and forth. The room smelled of cinnamon and apple, but he couldn¡¯t tell where it was coming from. His mom handed him a hot mug of coffee. It smelled wonderful with more creamer than coffee, just the way he liked. ¡°Thank you,¡± he smiled and took a sip. It was the first taste of coffee he had since he left. Aidan closed his eyes and savored the flavor. ¡°Hmm-mm¡± Jack cleared his throat in Aidan¡¯s ear. ¡°So, did Santa just drop you off at the end of the driveway or maybe the CIA?¡± ¡°Oh yea!¡± Sophie said sitting on Aidan¡¯s right. ¡°You worked for the CIA huh? That¡¯s why you disappeared. You went deep undercover and couldn¡¯t tell us where you were. You could have at least told us a war was coming before you vanished¡±. Aidan looked at her confused, A war?¡± ¡°Yea, like six months after you left, China took over Taiwan and the Philippines,¡± Jack said. ¡°They surrounded Japan cut it off basically. Russia moved into Afghanistan. Israel bombed Iran. Iran bombed them back. Russia, China, North Korea, and Iran teamed up, I think they¡¯re officially called the Eastern Axis or something like that. They¡¯ve gained control over most of the Middle East. Israel has held out, but they¡¯re expected to fall in the next few weeks. The U.S, France, Germany, and the U.K. have been trying to gain territory in the Middle east. They took back Egypt and Turkey two years ago and have held those. They secured South Korea and Japan earlier this year, but China is trying to push them back again. Australia has been fighting in the South China Sea and South East Asia. We¡¯re basically in World War Three. Luckily, the idiots running the countries, haven¡¯t used any nuc¡¯s yet. But it¡¯s only a matter of time. But don¡¯t you know all of this, didn¡¯t you work in the CIA? ¡°No, no I did not work in the CIA,¡± Aidan replied slowly, taking in everything his brother had just said. His mother and father had sat down in the love seat next to the couch. The kids had gone off to the bedroom to play with their Christmas toys. Jack¡¯s wife Julie had sat down next to him and Sophie¡¯s husband Mark was standing at her side. Aggie put her head on Aidan¡¯s legs and he was scratching her head. ¡°Listen, I know you¡¯re not going to believe me. Because I know how incredibly ridiculous this is going to sound. But I swear it¡¯s true. And I just need you to listen to the whole story. And then you can ask whatever you want.¡± The others sat in silence waiting for Aidan to continue. ¡°Okay, so five years ago I was starting work towards my PhD. I was in the library at school looking through some books for my research. I went down into the basement where they keep all the old manuscripts. I was walking through the shelves and then there was this bright flash of light, like someone had just taken a picture but brighter. I walked over to see what it was and there was a bubble. A huge floating bubble just sitting there. It was glowing. I got curious-¡± ¡°Oh my god. You touched the bubble, didn¡¯t you?¡± Sophie accused. Aidan nodded, ¡°Yea, I touched the bubble. And it sucked me in¡±. ¡°Of course you did. And of course it did! Didn¡¯t mom and dad teach you not to touch things that don¡¯t belong to you?!¡± Sophie shook her head. ¡°We¡¯re never going to get through this if you keep commenting,¡± Aidan said. ¡°Yea, shut up Sophie. We have to listen to Aidan¡¯s not drug story,¡± Jack replied. Aidan looked at both of them and rolled his eyes. ¡°Anyways, the next thing I know I¡¯m in a forest. At first I thought I had just passed out and was dreaming. Then I thought maybe I had died and was in the afterlife. Turns out, it was neither of those. I had been teleported to another world called Estea. I was going to walk back through the bubble, but it was gone. And I was stuck there. So I panicked a bit, yelled for help slapped my face and pinched myself to try and wake up. The normal stages. I had left my phone on the table outside of the manuscript room because we weren¡¯t allowed to have them inside. And my wallet didn¡¯t seem to make it through the bubble either. I didn¡¯t know what else to do so, finally, I got up and started walking. I had no idea where to go or what direction I was walking in, but I walked until it got dark. ¡°Luckily, those forced family camping trips came in handy. I was able to start a small fire. Turned out that was a mistake. At some point in the night, three men found my campfire and sat down with me. They started some small talk and asked why I was out in the woods. I told them the group I was with had gotten separated but they weren¡¯t far off. They saw that I wasn¡¯t wearing clothes like theirs. There was a fourth man that had been sneaking up behind me. I heard him at the last minute before he attacked. I rolled out of the way, but one of the others caught me and picked me up. One of them punched me in the gut until I fell down. I tried to crawl away but they kept pulling me back. I honestly thought I was going to die. ¡°All of a sudden a ring of fire shot out above me and spread. It hit the men. I didn¡¯t know what it was, but I got up and ran. I could hear one of them chasing me. I knew that I had to do something, so I hid behind a tree and tripped him as he ran by. He fell to the ground and I jumped on top of him and just started beating on him. I found a rock close by, grabbed it and smashed it into his face. I didn¡¯t want to. But I had to. I never thought I¡¯d kill somebody, but I didn¡¯t have a choice. Wherever I was, I had to stay alive.¡± Aidan looked at his family. They were all sat silent, watching him. He could tell they didn¡¯t believe him, but they were worried. Maybe he shouldn¡¯t have come here. Maybe he should have come back to do what he needed to do and then returned to Estea without seeing his family. No. He pushed the thought away. They needed to know. Even if they didn¡¯t believe. They had to know he was alright. He continued, ¡°I didn¡¯t have time to think about what I had done, I got back up and kept running. As I did, a ringing in my head started. It was soft at first and then got louder and louder. I tried covering my ears, but the ringing didn¡¯t stop. I looked back and couldn¡¯t see anyone following me so I sat down against a tree and tried to catch my breath. The ringing was so loud I thought I was going to pass out. But then it stopped and a screen appeared in front of me. I tried pushing it away but my hands just went right through it. I didn¡¯t understand. I threw a rock at it. Nothing. Words started appearing on the screen¡± Time: 2219. Date: 23rd Rotation of Autl. Location: Grattik Forest, Faltean Peninsula, Kingdom of Faltea, Estea. Magic Level of Current Location: High. Increase Skill Level - Perception - to gain more knowledge of surrounding area. Welcome to The Guide. This guide will help you as you level up in the world. It will track your progress, skills, and enhancements. People, creatures, and places that you interact with with be noted and can be referred back to at anytime. You have killed a level 15 Necromancer Defiler. You have done so without access to The Guide. Congratulations! You have leveled up to Level 3. Continue leveling up to unlock class and specializations. Your current stats are: Intelligence - 18. Strength - 6. Charisma - 10. Vitality - 12. Wisdom - 16. Perception - 9. You are an outsider. Not from this world. You have gained additional stats due to your outsider status. Passive stat Luck - 11 - You have survived in unfamilair territory with no access to The Guide and fought enemies over 10 levels above you. You¡¯re Lucky. Mother¡¯s Tongue - 18 - Due to your background in History and Languages, you have gained an understanding of complex conversations and writings in foreign languages, even ones you have not yet studied. Level up this skill to understand ancient and/or dead languages. Stealth - 13 - You were a wallflower on your previous world. This allowed you to come and go as you pleased without notice. While it may have made you lonely there, here it gives you a boost to your stealth stat. Increase this stat to master the darkness. All stats are currently locked at a maximum of 20. Reach Level 10 to increase stat level maximum. ¡°And then I passed out,¡± Aidan said. ¡°This whole guide thing just appeared and started spitting out information. I didn¡¯t understand any of it. I realized I had actually just killed someone, and the ringing had came back. I very much remember puking my guts out and then passing out. That was my welcome to Estea¡±. Aidan looked at them and nodded his head, ¡°I told you it¡¯d be hard to believe¡±. ¡°Sweetie¡­It¡¯s okay if you were addicted to drugs,¡± his mother spoke at last. ¡°Every family has one. Sometimes even two. You remember your Aunt Estelle? Everytime she went to ¡®cooking class¡¯ she was actually going to rehab. It happens honey¡±. ¡°That makes a lot of sense,¡± Sophie muttered. ¡°Woman couldn¡¯t cook for shit. But she was always in a cooking class.¡± She lifted her eyebrows and looked at Aidan. ¡°You need to go to ¡®cooking class¡±? Aidan sighed and sagged deeper into the couch. He closed his eyes. ¡°So it¡¯s like a video game?¡± His brother spoke up. ¡°You play, you kill monsters, and you level up. So, if we believe you, every video game has some storyline. What¡¯s yours?¡± Aidan opened his eyes and looked at Jack. He wasn¡¯t sure if he was being egged on or if his brother was genuinely curious. But he continued, ¡°Well, on Estea at first it was just to get home. I had to get stronger so I could live long enough to get home. After I woke up, I was laying next to a fire. A creature was sitting there puffing on a pipe. He looked like a hamster that came up to my waist. He had rescued me. He had sent the rings of fire out. He said he was a Basic Fire Mage. Said he couldn¡¯t do much more than scare people and light his pipe. But it kept him and his convoy safe when needed. He was a trader and his group hadn¡¯t been too far away from where I had built my fire. He had gone out for a piss, saw my fire and watched as the four men attacked. When he saw that I couldn¡¯t or wouldn¡¯t defend myself, he shot the rings out. He said they were more for light than doing actual harm. But he managed to scare a few of them away. He saw me take off and one of the men chase after me. By the time he had caught up, the man was dead and I was passed out. ¡°He couldn¡¯t drag me, so he built a small fire and waited for me to wake up. His name was Kaistos. He allowed me to travel with his family. They were heading south to the city of Magerat; a large port city on the southern tip of the peninsula that I had ended up on. He said it would take about a month to get there. If I wanted to leave he wasn¡¯t going to stop me, but I¡¯d find more help in a larger city. Or at least a guild to join. I decided to stay. As we traveled south, he told me about Estea. About the different races and kingdoms. The guilds. I told him I wasn¡¯t from here, that I was something The Guide called an Outsider. He said that Outsiders were rare. Not unheard of, he had never met one or even seen one. The last one he had heard of was over a hundred years ago. And that it was that kind of information that I should keep to myself. The wrong kinds of people might take an interest in me.¡± Aidan stopped talking and focused on something. His family looked at him and then towards the corner of the room. ¡°Aidan?¡± His dad asked. ¡°Everything alright¡± ¡°Something is coming,¡± a low growl came inside the young man¡¯s head. Chapter 2 He got up and started towards the front door. ¡°You should stay here,¡± he said, suddenly more serious than they had ever seen him. ¡°Make sure the kids and Aggie stay in the house¡±. ¡°Wait! Aidan, what¡¯s going on,¡± his mother said jumping up from her spot on the chair. They followed him out of the door, Sophie telling Aggie to sit and stay as she closed the door behind her. Aidan was walking slowly, but confidently. They had chosen to stay a few steps behind him. All of a sudden a large grey wolf appeared padding along beside Aidan. ¡°What the fu-¡± Jack said, stopping and grabbing his wife¡¯s arm to stop her too. She noticed the wolf and screamed. Everyone stopped. ¡°Aidan. Why is there a wolf next to you?¡± Sophie asked, taking a step backwards meeting with Jack and his wife. ¡°This is Aurora. She¡¯s my¡­,¡± he hesitated. ¡°She¡¯s my companion. She won¡¯t harm you.¡± He looked back at his family. ¡°This is where you start to believe me.¡± He turned around and continued walking down the road. The rest of the family slowly began walking again. As they walked, they noticed a black suv type car at the end of the driveway. Two people got out as the group got closer. ¡°The one on the right is strong. It would be a fight but we could take him. The one on the left is weaker,¡± the low growl came in his head again. ¡°Maybe they¡¯re friendly Aurora. Let¡¯s see what they have to say,¡± he mentally replied. He used Identify on the stronger of the two first. Name: Unknown. Race: Human. Class: Warrior Mage - Equivalent. Level: 37. Strength: 112. Strength enhanced by armor and weapons. Strength enhanced by consumption of beast essence. Wisdom - 118. All major abilities enhanced by consumption of beast essence. Aidan looked at Aurora. ¡°They consume beast essence?¡± He asked. ¡°She said different worlds attained their abilities in various ways. Perhaps Earth does not have innate abilities like Estea. They have to get them by consuming the essence of the beasts they kill,¡± Aurora spoke. ¡°The natural order. I approve¡±. Aidan focused on the woman, Aurora¡¯s weaker of the two. Name: Unknown. Race: Human. Class: No Equivalent Found in Guide. Level: 22. Strength: 18. Intelligence: 56. Intelligence enhanced by skill book knowledge. Intelligence enhanced by consumption of beast essence. All major abilities enhanced by consumption of beast essence. The woman held up her hand and waved. ¡°They got here faster than I thought they would have,¡± Aidan said. They walked up to the end of the driveway and Aurora sat down next to him. ¡°Hello. Who are you?¡± Aidan asked, not unfriendly. The man stared at him unbliking. The woman reached out her hand and took a step forward. She smiled, ¡°Hi! My name¡¯s Grace. I¡¯ve - we¡¯ve been waiting for you to come back.¡± Aurora let out a small growl and Grace took a step back. Aidan patted the wolf¡¯s head. ¡°She doesn¡¯t like strangers,¡± Aidan said. He looked at the man again before turning back towards the woman. ¡°You¡¯ve been waiting for me to come back. Which means you¡¯ve been watching my family. I don¡¯t know if that was a smart idea.¡± ¡°Are you threatening her?¡± The man finally spoke. His arm steadying at his side. Aidan just looked at him, his hand never leaving Aurora¡¯s head. ¡°No, no he wasn¡¯t Max,¡± Grace smiled. ¡°And even if he was, he¡¯s not wrong. Nobody wants their family watched.¡± She looked at Aidan. ¡°When you disappeared five years ago, the agency that we work for noticed a surge in magic. By the time we got to the library, the magic was gone. We thought it was one of the Demons. They had been getting stronger at the time. Popping up in random places. But there wasn¡¯t any evidence of a Demon when we arrived. So we looked at the cameras and saw you and the bubble. We found out who you were and watched your home and your family to see when or if you¡¯d show back up. Today, there was another massive surge of magic. And it happened to be at your family¡¯s home. I knew it had to be you.¡±This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. Aidan listened to her while keeping his attention on the man. ¡°Demon?¡± He asked. ¡°That¡¯s what we call the creatures that appear in this world,¡± Grace replied. ¡°We know they¡¯re not all Demons. And some of us have taken a more scientific approach to naming them. But the agency started out in the Catholic Church before exapnding. So what do you expect really?¡± ¡°You need to come with us,¡± The man called Max said. ¡°We have questions, you need to answer them.¡± Aidan raised his eyebrows, ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯m going anywhere today. I just got back. Tell you what. In three days I¡¯ll meet you on the 11:10am ferry from Bremerton to Seattle. That still exists right?¡± He turned to look at his family. They all nodded. ¡°Great! 11:10 ferry. An hour each way. That¡¯s how much time I¡¯ll give you time to explain who you are and what you want. And then I¡¯ll decide whether it¡¯s worth my time. But I¡¯m not going anywhere with you today,¡± Aidan finished and started to turn around. ¡°I didn¡¯t give you the option,¡± Max said. Golden armor forming around his body. A longsword appearing in his hand. ¡°You are coming with us today.¡± Aidan turned back to face Max and Aurora stepped in front baring her teeth. ¡°You¡¯re strong. But do you know what I learned all my years away? Physical strength isn¡¯t always the best advantage. Sometimes, it takes more than muscle to show just how truly powerful you are.¡± ¡°Feel my wrath and despair!¡± Aidan said. His eyes turned black and a cloud of purple mist envoloped him. At first the two felt nothing. Grace looked at Max who had started moving forward. And then they felt it all. A soul-crushing heaviness. It was suffocating them. Max in all his armor fell to his knees. Grace was clawing at her throat, desperately gasping for air. Her eyes filling with tears as she looked at the man hidden in the purple cloud. And then it was gone, the heaviness and suffocation. The purple mist had dissipated and black eyes too were gone. For a moment it felt as if those few seconds had been nothing more than a nightmare. But the fear was still there. She could feel it. She looked over and saw Max laying on the ground. His armor and sword gone. He was gasping for air. Grace had faired better. Not much. But better. Aidan figured it was her intelligence level and whatever was helping to enhance it. Max¡¯s intelligence had lowered slightly when he put the armor on. His strength had increased from 112 to 147. He didn¡¯t want to fight the man. He couldn¡¯t have won in strength alone. But he needed them to know he wasn¡¯t a push over. They were going to need him by the time all of this was over. He needed them to understand that he wasn¡¯t just going to sit back and take their orders. That¡¯s not what he was here for. Aidan¡¯s family had seen all of this happening and went from disbelief to utter shock and horror. They watched as their son and brother nearly killed two strangers in their driveway. They watched as the wolf had snarled and bit at the air. And then vanished. Aidan walked over to Grace, who instinctively slid back on the snowy ground. He held out his hand and waited for her to take it. She did and he helped her to her feet. Then he walked over to Max and held out his hand for him. Max looked at him angrily but took his hand and he too got to his feet. ¡°Look,¡± Aidan started. ¡°I can¡¯t go into all the details now.¡± He looked back at his family. ¡°But I¡¯m not here forever. I¡¯m going home. Before I do that though, Earth needs my help. It¡¯s either that or everything and everyone dies. I was sent back here to do everything I can to ensure this world¡¯s survival. That includes the people on it. You don¡¯t have to trust me. Gods know I certainly don¡¯t trust you. But we are going to have to work together to make sure you all live. So, in three days I¡¯ll meet you and your boss or whoever you report to, on the ferry. You should go now. I want to spend the rest of the night with my family. And if I have to worry about you, then I¡¯ll be upset.¡± With that Aidan turned aorund and walked back towards his family. Aurora had reappeared and was silently walking beside him. The two strangers got back in their SUV and left. They walked in silence back to the house. Just before they walked inside Aidan stopped and held out his hand. They thought for a moment that he was catching snowflakes. But a purple flame appeared dancing in the palm of his hand. ¡°This is my domain.¡± He spoke. The flame stopped dancing, grew in size, and then shot high into the air. It exploded, shards flying off in all directions. A purple shimmering dome fell around them before disappearing. ¡°What was that?¡± Jack asked. ¡°It¡¯s a protective barrier. Connected to my Will. It won¡¯t last forever. And it won¡¯t do any damage. But it will tell me if anyone uninvited tries to come onto the property,¡± Aidan said looking back into the sky before walking into the house. Jack looked up, shuddered, and closed the door behind him. Chapter 3 Three days later Aidan was sitting in his favorite spot on the ferry. He had always enjoyed the rides to and from Seattle. Sitting by the window watching the water flow by. Standing out front waiting for the view of Seattle to pop up as the boat rounded the end of Bainbridge Island. The salty wind and chill in the air. ¡°We need to find out how they level,¡± Aidan said mentally to Aurora. ¡°And what they know of the Veil, if anything. We also need to find out more about their abilities and classes. The Guide is having a hard time finding similar classes.¡± ¡°Aidan,¡± A soft voice pulled him back to reality. It was Grace standing next to the table. He stood up and smiled, held out his hand for her. She took it and smiled back. Aidan could tell that her smile hid fear. He knew that look well. The smile that was just a bit too forced. The eyes that looked him up and down quickly trying to gage his mood without his notice. The voice that shook slightly as she greeted him. He couldn¡¯t blame Grace for her apprehension. But Aidan knew that if he hadn¡¯t done what he did he would probably be sitting in a cold room with a two way mirror right now. ¡°Good morning Grace,¡± He said sitting back down. He had noticed a man standing at her side but made no mention of him. He quickly ran identify on him and Grace started to sit in the booth. Name: Unknown. Race: Human. Class: Winter Sage - Equivalent. Level: 53. Wisdom: 146. Wisdom enhanced by magical objects in user¡¯s possession. Wisdom enhanced by consumption of beast essence. Strength - 118. All major abilities enhanced by consumption of beast essence. This man was strong. And higher level than Aidan. It gave Aidan pause for just a moment before quietly recovering. Back in Estea, Winter Sages were some of the strongest magic users. They could pull drops of water out of the air, create spears of ice and hurl them through you before you had time to move. Some were said to have strong enough Wisdom that they could freeze a person in place by controlling their blood. Aidan had never met anyone that strong, but there was a rumor that the Emperor of Havil in the southern archipelago employed such a Sage. If this man could wield that much power and only be level 53, Aidan was worried. Even with an exit plan this could be a fight he wasn¡¯t truly prepared for. The man held out his hand, ¡°James Glovell,¡± he said, smiling and friendly. His voice was authoritative, but kind. ¡°Director of Section 16, Western Division.¡± Aidan looked the man up and down. The man was older, maybe in his fifties. Greying hair, combed and kempt. He was shorter than Aidan but had a commanding air about him. He looked every bit the Director of some firm that Aidan had seen in movies, down to the perfectly tailored suit. He almost looked out of place on the ferry. But Aidan smiled and shook his hand. He gestured for the Director to sit down opposite him. He noticed Max standing not too far off. Aidan raised his hand and gave a small wave to him. The man nodded slightly in acknowledgement and turned to look out the window. ¡°Director, huh?¡± Aidan said settling in as the vibration of the ferry increased. He looked out the window next to him and saw the boat starting to pull away from the dock before turning back to face Grace and James. ¡°Of the Western Division¡± the Director said chuckling. ¡°I promise it¡¯s not as prestigious as it may sound. More paperwork and meetings than anything else.¡± Aidan turned his attention squarely on Grace, ¡°I want to apologize for my actions three days ago. I had no intentions on hurting you or your bodyguard. And certainly not on killing you. Where I live,¡± Aidan hesitated. ¡°Where I call home, there is always somebody stronger than you. And you can¡¯t back down. Because if you do, it could mean death. But,¡± he turned his attention back to Director Glovell, ¡°I also wanted you to know that I am not one to be pushed around. I don¡¯t like being told what I¡¯m going to do. Especially by people that show up at my family¡¯s home and tell me I have no choice but to do so.¡± ¡°I understand,¡± The Director said sympathetically. ¡°And I apologize for the situation escalating to a show of force. We¡¯ve not had someone appear on Earth in a very long time. And never had someone from Earth go to another world and come back. You are unique.¡± Aidan laughed at that. The amount of times he had heard that in the past five years had truly astonished him. And here he was back in the place he had called home for the first 25 years of his life as an average everyday member of society, being told he was unique. He couldn¡¯t help but laugh. The Director and Grace looked at each other for a moment, confusion on their faces. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t believe me if I told you,¡± Aidan said, smiling and sighing. The speaker pinged and the familiar automated voice came on telling the passengers of the safety features of the craft. It was all AI now Aidan had noticed. The technology boom had increased significantly since he had left. But it had also been hampered by the unofficial World War Three. He tuned out the voice and turned his attention to the two sitting across from him. ¡°So tell me about Section 16 Director,¡± Aidan growing serious once again. ¡°I don¡¯t trust as easily as I once did. If I¡¯m going to trust you with my story, I¡¯m going to need to know yours.¡± The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. Director Glovell nodded, ¡°Of course. But before I begin, I¡¯d like to know why you¡¯ve come back? And if you plan on staying. We know you¡¯re strong. It¡¯s not easy to take down someone like Max,¡± the Director looked in Max¡¯s direction. ¡°And while I understand why you did what you did, others in my agency have decried it as an act of aggression. And have said you need to be handled.¡± The Director said the last word more as a warning than as a threat. Aidan picked up on that and was slightly relieved. This Director Glovell seemed to be reasonable. ¡°I convinced the other Directors and Board Members that this meeting could be beneficial. That we could learn from one another and maybe help each other out. I don¡¯t think I am going to be able to persuade you to become a member of Section 16 like the others want me to; but maybe if I can go back and tell them you¡¯re not an enemy, they might back off,¡± the Director finished. Aidan sat with that a moment. Then he began, ¡°I won¡¯t tell you everything, I can¡¯t. There are secrets that I have to keep. To protect myself. I hope you understand that. But I will tell you as much as I need to.¡± Director Glovell nodded and Grace, who had remained silent, finally spoke, ¡°Where have you been the last five years?¡± ¡°On a world called Estea,¡± Aidan said. ¡°It¡¯s larger than Earth. Much larger. I couldn¡¯t tell you where in the universe it is. But I do know that Estea and Earth are connected. The bubbles, like the one I walked into, appear every now and again. Usually they¡¯re smaller. And most people don¡¯t notice them. But every once in awhile they¡¯re large enough for someone to walk through. Estea has had its fair share of Outsiders. But until I got there, there hadn¡¯t been one for at least a hundred years.¡± Grace was quickly typing into a pad as Aidan was speaking. Excitiedly, she looked up at him, ¡°What¡¯s the world like? Who lives there? How many people are there? Climates? Landscape?¡± The Director put his hand on her arm gently and she seemed to calm down. He chuckled, ¡°Grace is our resident expert on Offworlders. Like I said, we don¡¯t have many of them, but they have come. Though from what I recall, none from a world called Estea.¡± He looked at Heace questioningly and she shook her head. ¡°No,¡± she said, ¡°Never heard of Estea. None of our records mention it.¡± Aidan nodded, ¡°We can talk about Estea later and I will happily go into as much detail as I can.¡± He looked in Grace¡¯s direction smiling. She smiled back at him and nodded her approval. ¡°You asked why I¡¯ve come here, what do you know of the Veil?¡± The Director and Grace looked at each other and then back to Aidan and shook their heads. ¡°The Veil?¡± Glovell asked. ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of it or anything like it. Perhaps some of the higher ups have knowledge of it.¡± This will make things much more difficult, Aurora¡¯s voice came to mind. ¡°I thought that might have been the case,¡± Aidan replied. ¡°When Earth was created, much like the other worlds, it was built by a group of ¡®gods,¡± Aidan air-quoted the last word. ¡°These gods were sent by something the Esteans call the Electorate.¡± Aidan paused for a moment while Grace furiously wrote everything he was saying. Director Glovell was shifting between confusion and disbelief. I realize that this changes almost everything that you and most every other person on this planet think they know, but I assure you this is true.¡± Aidan looked up and then focused back on the two seated across from him. ¡°I can¡¯t go into much detail on the Electorate. Truthfully, I don¡¯t know as much as I wish I did. What I can tell you is that they are a group of ascended beings. People who gained so much power on their various homeworlds that it put their people in serious danger. Estea had one of these people thousands of years ago, Everlynn. She was so powerful that at one point the oceans disappeared entirely. Just emptied out completely. Mountain ranges shifted daily. But the worst were the beasts that were found in the dungeons. These places that were once safe for low-level adventurers and hunters, now housed monsters dozens of levels higher than they should have been. Everlynn influenced the magic of the world.¡± ¡°I have a skill called Identify, it¡¯s boosted by my perception stat. It allows me to see the current level, highest stats, class, and a number of other things of those around me. It also allows me to see the magic level of the world I¡¯m currently on. For instance, Earth¡¯s magic level is low. Estea¡¯s is very high. When Everlynn was living there, the magic level was said to be untenable. She had no choice but to leave. So, she pooled all of her magic and Will and energy inside of her and let it implode. Normally this would kill any living creature; however, when someone is high enough leveled and has strong Will, they can work through the extreme pain and direct the energy inside of them to do whatever they want. Including ascend. That¡¯s as much as I know about ascension,¡± Aidan finished. The Director and Grace looked at each other for a very long moment. Perhaps this was too much for them, Aurora said with a small growl-chuckle. They may not have been ready for all of the information. I didn¡¯t have a choice, Aidan replied mentally. They needed to know so they could understand the Veil. We don¡¯t have time to ease them into it. Glovell drummed the table with his hands, clearly thinking of what to say. ¡°So, I assume that has something to do with this Veil?¡± Grace asked breaking the silence. Aidan thought for a moment before looking at Grace and saying, ¡°When I used Identify on you, your class was unknown. What is your class?¡± Grace¡¯s eyes went wide. Aidan continued, ¡°When I used it on Max, it said he is a Warrior Mage Equivalent. And the Director is a Winter Sage Equivalent. But when I got you, there was nothing.¡± The Director started speaking at this, ¡°We don¡¯t have classes here.¡± He said this slowly as if trying to digest and understand what Aidan was asking. ¡°After we become a part of Section 16, we go through training. Towards the end of the training process, as a graduation of sorts, we are sent into a Rift, what you would call a Dungeon I suppose. We go in as individuals with a small group of previously graduated. They¡¯re there to make sure we don¡¯t die and to take care of the smaller Demons. Our only job is to kill the Demon Leader, or Boss, and to gain its essence. After we defeat the Demon Leader and have the essence, there¡¯s a ceremony with the others. During that time we -¡± the Director looked slightly disgusted before continuing. ¡°We eat the essence." Chapter 4 ¡°You eat it,¡± Aidan repeated. ¡°How? As far as I know when you kill a beast there¡¯s only the body left and whatever loot you acquire. But I¡¯ve never seen them leave essence. Though I have known chefs in Estea that use beast flesh in their cooking. It¡¯s rare and fairly frowned upon. Do you eat the flesh?¡± The Director looked at Aidan for a moment, ¡°I can¡¯t tell you everything. Each group or agency or whatever they call themselves has a different process and it¡¯s all secret. But we don¡¯t eat the flesh. Not really. We have a refining process. Every part of the Demon¡­beast,¡± Glovell corrected himself, ¡°is essentially magic. We have a system that tears down the beast; flesh, bones, blood, everything; and creates what we call an essence shard. Once that shard is created, we consume it. The larger the beast, the more powerful the shard. So, as far as classes go, we don¡¯t have them. We gain the primary power of the beast that we kill.¡± That made Aidan pause for moment. He considered the repercussions of eating a beast¡¯s essence. ¡°So,¡± he started slowly. ¡°Your abilities are finite then.¡± More of a statement than a question. Grace looked at Director Glovell, a sense of worry tinging her features. The Director cleared his throat, ¡°Essentially, yes, our powers are finite. However, we typically only use them while fighting beasts that enter Earth. Sometimes as a show of power to other agencies. We can usually hold onto our abilities for decades. We also give our strongest fighters the larger beasts to defeat and gain their essence. Though with this war right now, some have decided to aid their countries by using their powers to help on the battlefield. Which is draining them of their abilities quickly. Section 16 has not deemed that necessary as of yet, but it¡¯s probably only a matter of time. Right now we feel that our enemies are within the Rifts and not with one another. But we are not our government.¡± ¡°I understand why you¡¯d be hesitant to tell me that,¡± Aidan replied, processing what he had just learned. He was also starting to understand why he had been sent back to Earth. If these people had to worry about their abilities draining and weren¡¯t able to fight without eating the beasts, then the changes that were coming would be nearly impossible for them. It would probably be too much for just him alone. ¡°The world is going to change soon,¡± Aidan began. ¡°The Veil that I mentioned earlier,¡± he noticed Grace pick up her tablet again, ¡°The Gods that the Electorate sent to build this world and populate it were from a secret order with the Ascended called the Purists. These Purists believed that magic and Will should¡¯t be artificially injected into a world or its people. Rather, it should develop naturally over time. Or at least that¡¯s my understanding of their beliefs. None of that has been confirmed. As far as I know, the Electorate doesn¡¯t even acknowledge that this order exists. Either way, once the Gods were finished constructing this world, they placed a Veil around it tht not only hid it from the other worlds within the Electorate, but also significantly diminished the magic coming into this world. It didn¡¯t stop it completely, obviously, but they ensured that Earth developed as naturally as possible.¡± ¡°The problem is, all of the worlds within the Electorate are connected. That means when one world becomes overpowered, the ruler or leaders of that world discharge the excess magic and Will to the other worlds. For literally billions of years the Veil around Earth has been taking that beating of excess Magic and Will. But now it¡¯s deteriorating and will fail soon.¡± ¡°How soon?¡± The Director and Grace both interjected. ¡°Within the next three years,¡± Aidan replied. ¡°You might have already noticed stronger beasts appearing. Maybe your Rifts are more active than in the past.¡± Glovell nodded at this. ¡°We have seen some unusual activity lately. We believed that it was just the increased activity from those aiding in the war.¡± ¡°That certainly doesn¡¯t help. The more power and Will being used in an area will increase the magic activity. But, the Veil is failing and when it does Earth will be flooded with an immense amount of magic and Will. It will fundamentally change this world. When that happens, tens of thousands of Rifts will open and beasts stronger than any of you have ever fought will appear. And if you survive all of that, you will be connected to the rest of the worlds who have had these abilities for eons. Some will be friendly. Others will be antagonistic. Either way you will have extremely strong visitors.¡± The Director opened his mouth to speak but Grace beat him, ¡°You keep saying magic and Will. There¡¯s a difference?¡± Aidan smiled slightly at this, noticing the Director stop and look at him. ¡°Yes there¡¯s a difference.¡± He held out his hand palm up and a ball of purple rippling liquid formed in his hand expanding and contracting. ¡°This is magic.¡± The purple ball lifted up, growing larger and enveloping Aidan. The young man disappeared entirely before reappearing right next to Max smiling at the man. Max jumped back and began to form his sword. Aidan held up both hands and slowly backed away until returning to the table with the Director and Grace, their mouths hanging open. ¡°I¡¯m a Domain Mage,¡± Aidan said taking his seat. ¡°And that ability is called Shift. It allows me to move myself and others or objects anywhere I need. Though I¡¯m more of a melee fighter when it comes to combat.¡± And two short swords appeared from black smoke on the table before disappearing. ¡°They call me a mage, but I think of myself much more as a rogue that uses magic.¡± Aidan then grew quiet, his eyes beginning to shift between grey-white and a deep purple. A heaviness fell over the entire vessel. Max looked towards the table, taking a slight, unintentional, step back. Grace remembered this feeling. Though it wasn¡¯t as overbearing as it had been, it still filled her with a sense of dread. A dark heaviness fell over her. She couldn¡¯t think of anything else but death. As hard as she tried, it wouldn¡¯t go away. The Director felt a deep fear inside of him and began to slightly tremble, balling his hands into fists to try and stop. And then a moment later the heaviness was gone and world seemed to return to normal. If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°That is Will,¡± Aidan said. ¡°Some use their Will to heal. Others to contain, attract, provide a sense of calm. It depends on the person and their experiences and each one is different. Will is difficult to understand and nearly impossible to master.¡± ¡°You seem to use it with ease,¡± Grace said. ¡°A lot of trial and error. And not so great times,¡± Aidan replied, looking down at the table. ¡°All I¡¯ll say for now, there¡¯s a reason why my Will feels like oppression. And that usually doesn¡¯t come with happy stories.¡± ¡°So, how do we fix the Veil?¡± the Director asked. ¡°You can¡¯t,¡± Aidan said. ¡°It¡¯s going to fail. The only way forward is to prepare yourselves. That¡¯s going to mean ending the war and making sure the people of Earth are ready for what¡¯s coming.¡± Aidan noticed the skeptical looks on Glovell and Grace¡¯s faces and chuckled. ¡°I may have been gone for five years, but I do still remember how the world was before I left. And I¡¯m sure with everything that¡¯s happening now it¡¯s gotten much worse. All governments can be secretive. How much does the U.S. government know about Section 16 and what you do?¡± Director Glovell clicked his tongue and shuffled uncomfortably in the seat. ¡°Are they completely blind to Section 16 Director?¡± Aidan asked. This is going to be a disaster. Aurora growled to her companion. If the governments cannot stand with the only ones who can possibly fight what is coming, this world is doomed. Perhaps it is best to let the world end and try and save those that might move to another world. She did say that could be the worst case. Though it would take a lot of Will. ¡°Then we should prepare for that possibility,¡± Aidan said out loud. The Director and Grace looked at him confused. ¡°Sorry,¡± he scratched at his head. ¡°I was talking to my companion. Still not used to not having her next to me¡±. ¡°The wolf that was with you?¡± Grace asked. ¡°She felt like a beast, she¡¯s pure magic¡±. Aidan laughed, ¡°She¡¯s much more than that. But that¡¯s a story for another time. If your government doesn¡¯t know about Section 16¡ª¡± ¡°They are aware of out existence,¡± the Director cut him off. ¡°A select few within the government are given access to the information about the Demons and Rifts and what we do. But we¡¯ve primarily operated in the shadows because it¡¯s safer. Other governments like France and Saudi Arabia and China have full knowledge of their essence users. And have made them fight in the war or do their bidding. We never wanted to be beholden to a government that could easily become corrupt. So Section 16 has remained neutral around the globe.¡± ¡°The officials that do know,¡± Aidan began, ¡°I¡¯m assuming they are in positions of some influence? The President?¡± ¡°They have influence,¡± Glovell nodded. ¡°We don¡¯t usually read the President in unless absolutely necessary. Plausible deniability or some nonsense. Plus, because the war, the President and Congress have paused elections for the time being.¡± ¡°Paused elections?¡± Aidan said. ¡°How long has this been going on?¡± ¡°Since the first bombs went off in Los Angeles,¡± Grace replied.¡±Three and half years ago¡±. ¡°The Presidential election was supposed to be in November. It didn¡¯t happen. A lot of people protested. Some members of government walked out. Some states tried to fight against it, and still are. Doesn¡¯t seem likely,¡± the Director said. This was truly going to be an uphill battle. ¡°Alright,¡± Aidan said. ¡°So the government doesn¡¯t really know about anything that matters, you all have finite amounts of magic and little to no will. We have maybe three years until the Veil comes crashing down. And in that time beasts will be growing stronger and more and more Rifts will be appearing. Oh and we need to stop a war before it goes nuclear.¡± Aidan nodded and held up both thumbs. ¡°Cool. Yea, totally doable.¡± There was a chime from overhead and the automated voice came, ¡°Now arriving at the Seattle Ferry Terminal¡±. The vessel began to vibrate louder as it slowed to pull into the terminal. ¡°Well it seems that¡¯s our time Director. It was good to meet you. And to see you again Grace,¡± Aidan said smiling to both. ¡°I¡¯m sure we will talk soon. But my family is important. And I need to make sure they are prepared for what¡¯s coming. I¡¯ll be here to help. But you need to get your people ready. And quickly.¡± Director Glovell nodded and held out his hand. Aidan took it. ¡°I understand that you won¡¯t be joining Section 16. But I¡¯m glad to hear that you¡¯re at least willing to help us.¡± Their conversation was cut short as Max walked up and started whispering into the Director¡¯s ear. Aidan felt a flash of power. Strong somewhere in the distance. Something is here, Aurora said. Something powerful. I felt it too, Aidan said back mentally this time. It seems that maybe our time with the Director isn¡¯t finished just yet. Glovell looked at Aidan and sighed heavily. ¡°There was a report¡ª¡± ¡°Sir,¡± Max cautioned, ¡°do you really think it¡¯s a good idea to tell him?¡± ¡°Something has broken through a Rift not far from here,¡± Aidan said. The three looked at him. Ho-how do you know?¡± Grace asked. ¡°Will is a powerful thing. And when something big breaks through a Dungeon, or Rift in this case, it sends a massive push of Will out with it. Most won¡¯t notice it, unless they¡¯ve trained their Will. Mine is constantly surrounding me,¡± Aidan said. ¡°So, would you like help? Honestly, I¡¯d like to see how your Section 16 fights. And I¡¯m sure you¡¯re curious to see how I stack up¡±. The Director thought for a moment and nodded his head. ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± he said. ¡°We need to see how we fight together. If what you¡¯re saying is really coming, we don¡¯t have the time to stand around doing nothing. This fight will see what we need to get better at. And what you could learn from us. Max, max sure you¡¯re ready to go. There¡¯s a car waiting for us outside the terminal. It¡¯ll take us to the Cascades where the beast was seen. Let¡¯s call in the troops.¡± Aidan smiled, stood up and stretched. Aurora appeared next to him and yawned. The Director¡¯s eyes grew wide and his jaw slightly dropped. ¡°We¡¯ll see you there Director,¡± Aidan said and started to walk away. A moment later the purple ball appeared enveloping around the wolf and young man and they disappeared. ¡°This is going to be interesting,¡± The Director said. He and Grace stood up and along with Max, walked towards the exit of the ferry.