《Ace of Capes [Superhero LitRPG] [Isekai]》 1 - Everything Was Fine The universe sent Lexie signals all day. Subtle hints of the danger to come. Unfortunately, she would only realize what they were after it was too late. Right now, she tried unsuccessfully to clear the dots in her vision as she blinked at her laptop screen, interrupted by panicked conversation surrounding her. ¡°Oh shit, oh shit!¡± The quivering voice of her classmate seated on the neighboring desk went off, loud enough for everyone around her to hear. ¡°I can¡¯t do this.¡± ¡°Relax, Cassie, relax,¡± said her friend seated beside her. ¡°You don¡¯t understand,¡± Cassie snapped at her. ¡°I can¡¯t!¡± ¡°Just open your portal. I swear you got in. I just know it.¡± Cassie didn¡¯t seem confident as she pushed a few buttons on her brand new Macbook. And she was right not to be unsure, because just seconds later she took off running in a teary fit. ¡°Cassie!¡± Her friend chased after her. A few people of their classmates laughd, and others made sounds of sympathy. Meanwhile Lexie tried unsuccessfully to tune all of it out. It was hard enough to focus without the noise. Her head felt foggy, her brain heavy like she had to drag it along. She¡¯d managed two all nighters in a row to finish this research paper and she was still only halfway done. And she felt like she might pass out any second now. Maybe she should take a break. Breaks are for the weak, her inner voice countered mockingly. You¡¯re fine. Just need more caffeine. She rose to get just that, feeling a little woozy as she did. Then as she left her classroom, a buzz of anxious conversation followed in her wake. Everyone was on edge, even though they tried to pretend they weren¡¯t. They spoke in hushed tones, forced laughter, and said stuff like, ¡°Oh yeah, I didn¡¯t want to get in anyway.¡± As she passed the bathroom, Lexie heard someone throwing up. The intercom beeped every hour to remind everyone to stay calm. It wasn''t the end of the world though it might feel like it. The anxiety was eating a hole in Lexie¡¯s stomach too, but she maintained a calm exterior. Her hand shook a little, the nerves buzzing underneath her skin. But no one here would see her sweat. Early Decision''s week was here and the heat was on. Saint Juana¡¯s Preparatory Academy was a school full of dramatic overachievers, like Lexie, who took Early Decision''s week very seriously. For a lot of them, their entire life hinged on getting into a good school. And doing it early¨Cbefore the rest of the less educated plebeians who didn¡¯t go to SJP and hence could only get into schools regular decision¨Cgave them a sort of privilege, solidifying their status as the best and brightest of New York Society. At the end of the day, they all got to send their acceptances on this big class group chat. Anyone who didn¡¯t get in early action or early decision to an elite university was quickly identified and tagged as a loser. Lexie had only applied to one school early, and she was awaiting the email. It felt like the most important email she would ever get in her life. It occupied most of her mind this morning. Until she turned the corner and froze upon the last thing she wanted to see. A bunch of boys surrounding an even smaller one in a leather jacket. Lexie¡¯s mother always warned her to avoid guys with leather jackets, but somehow she didn¡¯t think mom meant this one. For one, he was only sixteen years old, the same as her. He was short for a guy too, only a few inches above her five-three-and-a-quarter. His jacket was clearly not a stylistic choice¨Cit was worn, with patches and tears in the elbows, and faded from frequent use. The boy wore it so often, she figured it might be the only jacket he had. It disappeared during the summer but always made an appearance right before the winter months started. And even when some classmates had thrown it in the trash full of yesterday¡¯s lunch, as a cruel joke, she¡¯d seen him fish it out painstakingly, seemingly unbothered by the smell of rotten food that clung to it. Must be warm, she¡¯d thought to herself. Leather jacket boy¡¯s name was Tate Reynolds and lately, he was having a lot of problems. The tallest guy surrounding Tate, whose name Lexie didn¡¯t care to know, playfully shoved him into the locker. ¡®Playfully¡¯ in quotes because Tate didn¡¯t look like was enjoying the treatment. The other boys prevented his escape, so he could do nothing but stand there, stiff in defiance, shoulders hunched in defense, while they pushed and smirked and murmured whatever they were saying with those cruel looks on their faces. No one was being explicitly violent yet. It was too early for that, and the security cameras were right there. Still, it was meant to be humiliating and psychologically draining. And judging from Tate¡¯s reddened face, it was working. But also, none of this was any of Lexie¡¯s business. Even though frustration had her clenching her fists, and the avenging side of her wanted to sock at least one of those bullies in the face. No, not violence. That wouldn¡¯t help. But maybe she could reason with them. Tell them how unfair and stupid it was that there were five of them picking on the smaller boy. Tell them they looked like total losers doing it. But they wouldn¡¯t care what Lexie thought and getting on their radar would be bad for the rest of her school year. She ran through the scenarios in her tired mind and came up blank. Try as she might, there was nothing she could do for Tate right now. At least, nothing she was willing to do. It¡¯s none of my business, Lexie reminded herself, forcing her fists to unclench and her jaw to unknot. She turned around and walked away, deciding to take the long way to the vending machine. Something in her, that crazy urge, wanted her to go back, to do something about what she¡¯d seen. But what would I even do? She reminded herself that she didn¡¯t have time to worry about someone else when her life was chock-full of activity as is. She woke up at 5:00 am and had online Spanish and Mandarin classes with tutors in Madrid and Shanghai respectively. Then she took the train to get to school early enough for violin practice. And that was before classes began, with eight AP classes and a full roster of extracurriculars. Lexie was constantly exhausted. But even hinting at her exhaustion would only earn her a proud smile and words of encouragement from her parents. "You can do it, Lexie." "We believe in you." I wish you didn''t, Lexie would think uncharitably. So then maybe I could get some rest. She finally got to the vending machine and fed it her card. Then she leaned her head against the cool metal to rest her eyes for two seconds while it hummed. A few seconds later, her fingers wrapped around two cool soda cans, retrieving them from the vending machine. She felt woozy when she straightened but she ignored it, taking a breath as she walked back into the classroom. Tate was at his desk when she got there, his leather jacket gone. His head was propped on the table, eyes closed. A twinge of guilt squeezed her chest. Before she could change her mind, she walked over, put the second can of coke on his desk and walked away back to her seat. It was an empty gesture. She almost hated herself for doing it. The coke wouldn¡¯t actually do anything to solve his problem, most of which surrounded the intense bullying he¡¯d been receiving for the past few weeks. Lexie didn¡¯t know what brought it about, probably something stupid. But she¡¯d seen it with her own eyes yesterday after hours, when most of the staff and students were already gone. They¡¯d cornered him in the back by the cafeteria, where she could see them through the study room window. Tossing his jacket into the trash was only a small part of what they did. And she¡¯d heard stories about other things. Peeing in his locker. Stealing his gym clothes. Occasional shoving in the hallway. For a bunch of smart kids, SJP students were truly juvenile and uncreative with their bullying. Tate never responded to any of it. His eyes would remain carefully flat as they taunted him, as though he knew that expressing emotion would make everything a thousand times worse. Except yesterday, his eyes met Lexie¡¯s and they¡¯d blazed with a rage that seared right through her. She¡¯d frozen when their eyes locked through the glass window, not knowing what to do. Should she have called someone? But no one would have cared. And those who cared wouldn¡¯t have acted. The people behind the bullying were the richest of the rich kids, with well-connected parents. The kind of kids that you never wanted to be on their radar. One of them was the senator¡¯s son. The staff wouldn¡¯t do much more than give them a slap on the wrist, and it would make things worse for the boy in the long run. And if it got out that she snitched, she would get bullied too. So yesterday, after she saw him, Lexie had steeled her heart, and done the sensible thing. She¡¯d turned back to her textbooks and ignored the problem. Just like she did five minutes ago. And now she¡¯d just given him a coke as though that was supposed to make up for her inaction. Because that was essentially the kind of person she was. A sensible, people-pleasing coward. A part of her was truly terrified that she would always be this person. She fought the rising guilt and self-disgust, and tried to tell herself it wasn''t her fault Tate was getting bullied. She shouldn¡¯t even care. They weren¡¯t friends and Lexie wasn¡¯t ''Ms. popular'' either. And she didn''t get him the coke because she felt guilty. It was just supposed to be a nice thing. She repeated those thoughts again and again, as she kept typing, but it wasn''t convincing. She was never very good at lying to herself. He¡¯ll still get bullied tomorrow, and I¡¯ll still pretend not to see it. She thought for a second she felt his gaze at her back, but when she sat and glanced over, his eyes were still shut, not looking like he¡¯d stirred. After the school day had run its course, she got on the subway and finally pulled out her phone. She hadn¡¯t wanted to open up her portal at school, and she didn¡¯t want to do it at home either. But in the subway, no one cared if she got into a good school or not. No one would be disappointed or laugh at her if she cried. So the train was the ideal place to open up the portal. With a pounding heart, she entered her login details (for some reason they never auto-saved), went to the inbox, and opened the newest letter. She read the first line, then reread it three times. Her breath caught. Everything inside her seemed to soar and plummet at the same time. It took a full minute before she could get herself to believe it. ¡°Shit.¡±
¡°Think fast, loser!¡± Lexie heard her brother¡¯s running footsteps before he even spoke and ducked on instinct avoiding his hand that was about to smack her in the back of the head. Missing his target, he stumbled forward a few steps and then righted himself, spinning around to grin. ¡°Damn, almost had you.¡± ¡°Almost doesn''t cut it,¡± Lexie responded smugly. Despite being two years younger than her, Logan now towered over her, his lanky frame looking extra stretched out in his jeans, which he¡¯d outgrown only a few days ago. Her mother had finally given up on buying him new clothes because as she put it, she couldn¡¯t "buy a new wardrobe every two weeks". Logan was growing so fast that he seemed to gain an inch every time Lexie saw him. And now his new puffer jacket had a tear in the armpit. Lexie nudged it open and said, ¡°Mom¡¯s going to freak when she sees that.¡± Logan shrugged. "Mom always freaks. It¡¯s like her favorite thing. I think if she didn¡¯t freak out at least once a day the world would stop turning, and an interdimensional wormhole would open up."Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. ¡°Yeah, I know she can be a lot, but you don¡¯t have to make life harder on her. Her tenure got revoked and you know how dad gets. She¡¯s going through it, you know?" "And I¡¯m not?¡± His voice was a little sharp and Lexie swallowed whatever other admonitions she had. She knew her brother was undoubtedly having a tough time. While Lexie was at least trying to live up to her parent¡¯s lofty expectations, Logan had completely given up on that. He refused to take any extra classes, slacked off when he could, and spent most of his time in his room playing video games. As such, he¡¯d completely bombed the entrance exam to SJP and now went to public school. Which, in their parent¡¯s eyes, was a massive failure. But Logan didn¡¯t really fit in at his school in Brooklyn either. Lexie¡¯s brother may be a slacker but he was also pretty intelligent and was probably the smartest person at that school. And in public school, ¡®smart¡¯ was sometimes a very bad thing to be. ¡°Sorry,¡± she said, and he shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s whatever,¡± which was his way of saying all was forgiven. Still, an awkward-ish silence followed. ¡°I got into MIT,¡± Lexie blurted out. Logan stopped in the process of kicking a piece of snow-covered gravel and gaped at her. "What?" ¡°Early decisions came out today. Just checked mine.¡± She released a sigh. ¡°I got in.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Words seemed to fail her brother and Lexie smiled. He was usually so quick with retorts, part of why he got into so much trouble. To see him dumbfounded was surprising and satisfying. ¡°Good?¡± His breath formed a puff of fog in the frosty air. ¡°Is that a question?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯m guessing it¡¯s supposed to be a good thing, but you kinda look like someone peed in your locker.¡± ¡°So that''s really the new thing teenage boys are doing now? Peeing in lockers?¡± He shrugged. ¡°Don¡¯t ask me. It¡¯s not like I participate.¡± Lexie sighed, as they continued walking, making a sport of kicking snow and gravel concurrently. Exhaustion weighed on her shoulders. There was still a long silent stretch of road to walk before she got home. A dull headache throbbed at one side of her skull. And she still had that paper to finish. ¡°So¡­can I ask? Do you want to go to MIT?¡± ¡°I suppose.¡± The words passed Lexie''s lips before she realized it was a lie. She had never wanted to go to MIT. She¡¯d always just felt like she had to. It was one of the best schools in the country. MIT was also the school her mother wanted to go to. But she never got in and Lexie¡¯s father saw it as a weakness. He made passive aggressive comments about it all the time. Lexie was thirteen when the passive aggressive comments her parents traded like sport turned into something else. She didn¡¯t know why but suddenly they were having daily fights and everything was slowly but steadily falling apart. Then mom cut her hair and dyed it red. Dad bought a Camaro and barely came home at night. They each became jointly fixated on the idea of Lexie going to MIT. Sometimes Lexie felt like that goal was the only thing keeping her family together. And now that she¡®d achieved it, she didn¡¯t know what would happen. ¡°I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d get in,¡± she admitted to Logan. ¡°I thought¡­¡± She thought that her hard work wouldn¡¯t be enough and she would get rejected. She didn''t think her application was all that special. All she had were her grades and very minor leadership roles in a couple of clubs. Her letters of rec were probably so-so, since it was just an extension of how smart she was although most of her teachers probably saw her as an annoying know-it-all who asked too many questions and corrected them at times. She had a personal statement about how she played card games with her grandpa in hospice. Yeah, sad; but everyone had a story like that tucked away. All in all, Lexie didn¡¯t feel exceptional at all. And MIT notably liked exceptional. So she didn¡¯t think she would get in. She had almost made peace with that. It would suck at first, and her parents would most likely make her feel horrible about it, but then maybe they would get over it. Lexie would cry and feel like a failure for a few weeks. But then she would get over it too. Maybe then, she could explore other options and figure out what the heck she wanted to do with her life beyond school. But now that she got in... ¡°You make everything harder for me, you know that?¡± Logan huffed. ¡°Now I look like even more of a failure.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not a failure. You just don¡¯t want to be their focus.¡± She kicked another stone weakly. ¡°You botched the entrance exam to St. Juana¡¯s on purpose, didn''t you? ¡°Obviously. If I didn''t, I would turn into one of you nerds moping about getting into MIT." Lexie shoved him and he chuckled. ¡°You could just not tell mom and dad that you got in. And buy me off so I keep your secret too.¡± He rubbed his hands together schemingly. ¡°I can be convinced for the right price.¡± Lexie shook her head. "I have to tell them. I''d just feel guilty, otherwise." He gave her a disappointed look. "I wouldn''t." "I know." Lexie stared up at the yellowing sky. They walked in silence for some time until a gas station came into view. Once again, Tate came to mind. He worked at that gas station. Lexie thought maybe his dad owned it or something. She¡¯d seen him there a few times and now as they were approaching, that unsettled feeling came back full fold. Maybe I should check if he¡¯s okay. "You go ahead," Lexie said to her brother. "I gotta grab some snacks for studying tonight." "Get me twizzlers." Logan snapped her bag strap and ran off before she could retaliate. As her brother became a blip in the distance, Lexie turned back to the gas station. She dragged her feet across the concrete floors vaguely wondering if she could manage another all-nighter. She was almost at the steps when she noticed: she didn''t see anyone behind the counter through the glass. Instead, she heard voices around the corner leading to the alley. She approached out of curiosity and that was when she noted that the voice was familiar. She peeked around the corner to make sure. Robbie McBride. He went to SJP but she didn¡¯t know much about him, only that he was a grade above her, his dad was a senator and he once offered her Xanax during a Chemistry lab. He was also one of Tate¡¯s bullies. ¡°Do it,¡± he drawled cheerily. "Get on your knees and kiss my feet first. Then admit to the whole school what a pathetic piece of shit you are. And how you had to beg me for money last month." Robbie wasn''t alone. He was surrounded by his chuckling goons, one of whom was holding up a smartphone recording their victim. Opposite them was Tate who was giving them all that annoyed, tired look. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t showing everyone what a ¡®pathetic piece of shit¡¯ I am also implicate you?¡± Tate asked. ¡°Because I didn¡¯t beg you for anything. You paid me to take an exam for you.¡± ¡°And you got me a B!¡± ¡°Because, with your academic history, an A wouldn¡¯t have been remotely believable. We would have gotten caught.¡± He sounded exasperated, like he was tired of explaining this again and again. Someone snickered at that and Robbie shot them a dirty look. ¡°Fuck you. Are you calling me stupid?¡± ¡°No. But this is going too far.¡± Tate asked heatedly. ¡°I got you to pass the class and I don¡¯t see why I¡¯m getting punished for it.¡± Robbie¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°That wasn¡¯t the plan, asshole. Why would I pay you all that money for a B? My parents expected me to ace the test. You wanna know what happened when I didn¡¯t?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry but that¡¯s not my fault. It¡¯s not my fault that your Daddy ignores you and Mommy is sleeping with her yoga instructor. It¡¯s not my fault that none of them give a shit about you. It¡¯s also not my fault you can¡¯t pass a fucking Calculus test on your own.¡± Damn. Lexie was shocked. Those were fighting words, and she¡¯d never heard Tate fight back before. She¡¯d barely heard him speak before now. And she didn¡¯t know he could cut someone down at the knees like that. Lexie was a little impressed. And Tate appeared surprised by his own audacity too. Robbie''s face turned red as one of his goons snickered. ¡°Robbie,¡± Tate said, holding up his hands. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean that. Listen¡­¡± In a harried, flustered move, Robbie reached behind him and pulled out a fancy, historic gun from his waistband. Lexie froze. Tate froze. Even a few of Robbie''s goons looked at him like he was crazy. ¡°Are you insane?¡± Tate asked, his voice stunned and also alarmed. ¡°Ha. Not so tough now," Robbie chuckled. ¡°Bro, is that real?¡± one of the goons said. ¡°Yup. I grabbed my dad¡¯s custom stetson on the way out. Thought maybe I could have some fun with it in the woods. But this loser just gave me a better idea.¡± He turned back to Tate, a manic look on his face. ¡°You really want me to forgive you? To tell everyone to leave you alone? Beg for it. Grovel like I told you to." ¡°Are you serious?¡± ¡°Dead ass.¡± Lexie heard a distinct click that had her heart leaping in her throat. Robbie definitely just took the safety off. Lexie¡¯s heart began racing. Is this really happening? It was easy to believe it wasn''t because Tate looked to the sky with a ¡°Why me?¡± look on his face. As though what was happening was merely irritating. He clearly didn''t appreciate the gravity of the situation. He even said, in a steady tone, ¡°Robbie, I¡¯m sorry I¨C¡± ¡°Nah, I don¡¯t give a shit about that. On your knees.¡± ¡°Come on my guy, I¡¯m sure there¡¯s another way we can work this out.¡± Tate¡¯s reasonable tone only made Robbie madder. ¡°Grovel. Now!¡± But Tate didn¡¯t get on the floor. He stared Robbie in the eye for several seconds and then his eyes flicked to the gun. In a split second, he seemed to come to a decision and he took a step forward. ¡°And if I don¡¯t?¡± Lexie didn¡¯t know who was more surprised, her or Robbie¡¯s goons. Robbie¡¯s face burned. She was even more surprised when Tate suddenly stepped close enough that there was only a few inches between the barrel and his forehead. ¡°Go ahead.¡± His eyes met Robbie¡¯s gaze once again. His expression had not changed much from that carefully expressionless face but Lexie could swear there was a crazed gleam in his eyes. ¡°Put me out of my misery so I never have to see your ugly ass face again. I¡¯m actually curious to know if you have the balls.¡± Oh. My God. Everyone here is crazy. Maybe he doesn''t get it. Lexie thought, heart racing with panic. She retreated a few steps, then pulled out her phone, dialing 911 as quietly as she could. He doesn''t get how much danger he¡¯s in. Even if Robbie¡¯s joking around, accidents happen. "911, what¡¯s your emergency?" "There''s a lunatic with a gun pointing at my¡­friend." She said it in as low a voice as possible. "What¡¯s your location?" She rattled it off and then tuned back into the conversation to see that the two boys were still in a stalemate, with Robbie looking madder and madder. "A lunatic with a gun you said?" The operator repeated and impatience bit at Lexie. "Yes." "Can you describe him?" ¡°The lunatic or the friend?¡± ¡°The former.¡± "Um¡­Shaved blonde hair. Blue eyes. Looks like a preppy skinhead. Do you really need this right now?" she hissed. "Yes ma''am. And do you personally know this person?" Jesus, by the time I answer all these questions, Robbie might actually shoot him. Lexie peeked once more around the wall. Robbie¡¯s hand shook around the hilt, his finger skimming the trigger. Tate eyed him steadily, doing a great job of hiding the terror he was probably feeling. Robbie swallowed, and his nose flared, his shoulders squaring. He took another step to press the gun against Tate¡¯s forehead. Lexie¡¯s heart rate spiked. This was getting out of hand. She should get out of here before she got dragged into it. But if she left, Robbie might shoot Tate before the police even got here. Tate would be dead and Robbie, with his family¡¯s political influence, might even get away with murder. "Hello? Ma''am?" With a single thought, Lexie hung up and went on Instagram Live, aiming the camera to capture what was happening. She didn¡¯t have a large following, mostly acquaintances she¡¯d met through her closest friend, Mickie. But she waited until at least one name popped up on the bottom of the screen. Good. Now at least one of the viewers will call 911 and video evidence would dissuade Robbie from taking this any further. Lexie took a deep breath and stepped out of the corner. "Drop the gun, Robbie. Get away from him." Bang! It turned out that was the wrong thing to do, startling an unhinged maniac. Because Robbie jerked around in shock, still pointing the gun. And then the gun went off. It was facing Lexie¡¯s direction. She had a second to think about how all this could have played out differently. She could have stayed on the phone with 911 instead of trying to play hero. Maybe if she hadn¡¯t been so exhausted she would have realized how stupid of an idea this was. Maybe if she wasn¡¯t so bothered by Tate¡¯s problem, she would have minded her own damn business. But all those maybes didn''t matter anymore. It was hard to describe everything that happened after. A burning pain seared through her chest. There was yelling and she felt her body hit the ground hard, elbow dislocating on impact. She tried to get herself back up but slipped again on blood that was pooling over black tar. It was hard to move any of her limbs, like all the strength was being siphoned out of them. An excruciating agony burned from her chest all the way down to her abdomen and up to her throat. Was it getting harder to breathe? Or was she choking on her own blood? Then, Lexie was lying flat on her back and Tate''s face loomed above her, his eyes wide and horrified. ¡°Oh shit.¡± Contrary to how mellow he¡¯d looked confronting Robbie, he was now pale, and shakily dropped to his knees. ¡°What the hell, Lexie?¡± A harsh whisper emanated from his mouth. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± It was what Lexie wanted to say but her mouth couldn¡¯t form the words properly. Her eyes could barely stay open as they held his. ¡°Everything¡¯s fine.¡± Tate¡¯s eyes were a pale green, so iridescent they almost seemed to glow. How did she never notice before? ¡°I need to stop the bleeding.¡± Tate¡¯s voice was harried, tight and high. Lexie felt his palms pressing down on her abdomen "Why¡­why did you do that? You shouldn¡¯t have¡­I was finally going to¡­God, it won¡¯t stop. Why?¡± "Yeah, you¡¯re right." She shouldn¡¯t have gotten involved. And maybe he shouldn''t have provoked Robbie either. But that was all moot now. She was dying and it was mostly her fault. The hints throughout the day became clear. It all started with that damn coke can. It unearthed everything else that she¡¯d buried deep and tried not to think about. Her guilt. Her anger at herself and her parents. Her need to prove to herself that maybe somewhere deep inside, another¨Cbetter¨CLexie existed. All that led to this point. The words were fighting with her breaths but she needed to get the last bit out. "I¡¯m sorry for being¡­coward. You should go¡­" Her tongue was now heavy. Vision blurry. "You know, before Robbie..." She coughed, and she heard a gurgling sound in her abdomen, followed by the pressure of hands trying to plug it. Shit, that hurt! It hurt so bad. What was she trying to say again? ¡°Phone¡­¡± The phone was evidence. He should get it before Robbie could or Tate might get framed for the crime. Even with the one viewer who saw everything. Robbie¡¯s dad was a senator after all. ¡°Lexie, don¡¯t speak.¡± His voice was firm. His hand tightly pressed down on her stomach. "And don¡¯t¡­Just don''t." Don¡¯t what? Die? She wondered as life bubbled in her chest, pain flooding her nerves, and her eyes slid shut. Not really my choice here buddy. That last thought drifted into the wind. She was too tired to think anymore. All that surrounded her was pain and noises and someone grabbing her shoulders, and yelling from far away. Despite how it all turned out though, Lexie wasn¡¯t too upset. At least she got to go out on her own terms and not in a lame way, keeling over an SAT textbook or something. This wasn''t a bad way to go, all things considered. Though it was stupid, it was nice to actually do what she wanted for a change. To be a different person and do the brave thing, not the sensible thing. I might have actually saved a life today. Maybe because of her, someone else was alive. That was good enough. Well, it had to be good enough now, seeing as how she was dying and all. Sirens echoed in her ears but she didn¡¯t know if it was her imagination. She saw a bright white light. And with that anticlimactic act of heroism, Lexie died. 2 - Until It Wasnt
[INITIATING SYSTEM] [NEW LIFE FORM DETECTED: HUMAN] [INTEGRATION BEGINS] [ANOMALIES DETECTED] [INCOMPATIBILITY DETECTED] [INCOMPATIBILITY RESOLVED] [INTEGRATION COMPLETE] [NEW LIFE FORM: LEXIE SPARROWFOOT, EARTH 9, HUMAN, RANK AND STAT TBD, ROLE TBD]
DUE TO FALLING QUOTA OF CARD USERS, YOU ARE PREDICTED TO BE A CARD USER. DUE TO PAST-LIFE HEROIC POINTS DETECTED, YOU ARE PREDICTED TO BE A HERO Pre-Affixation: [Card User Hero]
Lexie¡¯s eyes popped open with a startling flash of light, and she found herself staring at a cream-paneled ceiling, with sparkling lights embedded in a spiral pattern. ¡°Where am I?¡± she mused aloud. ¡°Lexie?¡± an unfamiliar dark-haired man sat at the foot of her bed, holding her hand. His eyes were red like he¡¯d been crying. ¡°You¡¯re awake. Thank the system, you¡¯re awake!¡± ¡°Who are you?¡± Lexie asked again, trying to yank her hand out of his hold, but he gripped firmly, as he stood, moving closer with an intensity that frightened her. His light brown eyes looked familiar and the eyebags surrounding them almost made her feel sorry for him. She might have, had he not been a stranger who was clearly holding her captive. ¡°Let me go.¡± Fear rattled in her chest and she pulled her hand out of his. She tried to recall the last thing she remembered. Being shot. Bleeding out on the road. And now she was in a strange room, surrounded by a bunch of soft pillows that smelled distinctly floral. Speaking of floral, pink flowers were painted on the wall, but not like wallpaper or childish drawings. It was like an artist of Michaelangelo¡¯s calibre had painstakingly etched each petal to be as beautiful and entrancing as possible. Lexie was distracted by it for a second, before ripping her gaze back at the man with tear streaks on his cheeks who looked like he hadn¡¯t slept for days. She came to a single logical conclusion. Tate had left her on the road to die and this lunatic had kidnapped her before the ambulance arrived. ¡°Are you hungry?¡± the man asked, gesturing frantically as he spoke. ¡°I cooked all your favorite meals every single day and kept them warm for you in case you ever woke up. Silly, I know, but I didn¡¯t have much else to do and it kept my mind off worrying.¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Lexie tried not to panic. She didn¡¯t want to alarm the lunatic. His eyes were wide and glassy already, hair haphazard, stubble breaking out over his chin. His entire being radiated desperation. He seemed on the verge of a breakdown. ¡°I¡¯m not hungry,¡± she said in a calm, unalarming voice. ¡°But I think I might need to go to the .¡± ¡°Why?¡± he asked. ¡°Do you have a headache or nausea?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± she lied. ¡°I¡¯ll request a healer to come see you.¡± ¡°No, I don''t want the healer to come see me,¡± she said, trying to keep from screaming the words. ¡°I need to go to a . I think I need a CT scan, or an MRI or something. I might have a brain injury.¡± Lexie paused after her speech. Why did it sound like she said ¡®healing house¡¯ twice now? She hadn¡¯t. She¡¯d said hospital. The man frowned and cocked his head like she¡¯d just uttered a bunch of gibberish. Then he laid his palm on her forehead, and Lexie noted the silver bangles wrapped tightly around his wrist. ¡°Let me get you something to eat first,¡± he said. ¡°Then we can go to the healing house.¡± She swallowed and nodded. She knew better than to argue with a kidnapper, so she simply waited for him to leave and then she got out of bed, landing her feet on the cool wooden floor. She glanced around, trying to orient herself. She was in a bedroom. A tall, ornate closet stood in one corner and next to it was a standing mirror with intricate carvings on its borders. Lexie walked in front of it and did a double-take when she saw herself. She looked younger. At least six years younger by her estimation. She¡¯d lost six inches of height, her face still had that childish chubbiness that she struggled to get rid of, and her light brown eyes looked way too big for her face. Her light brown hair fell in curly waves down her back framing her features. As she reached up to touch it, it felt slightly electric. As a matter of fact, the air around her felt different, almost static. There was a constant buzz of energy and if she focused on it long enough she could feel it permeating her lungs. ¡°What on earth?¡± she wondered aloud. ¡°Why do I look ten again? What¡¯s going on?¡± That last statement seemed to trigger a whizz and suddenly a window appeared in her vision. Like a computer window. Except there were no computers and it was just hanging in thin air. When it popped up, Lexie screamed and fell back. Instantly, she heard footsteps running up stairs and her door tore open. ¡°Lexie? Are you alright?¡± She shook her head, pointing at the blue screen still hanging in her vision, moving with her head movements. ¡°What is that?¡± ¡°What is what?¡± ¡°Th¡­that thing. It¡¯s like a screen in my eyeballs.¡± He frowned. ¡°You mean your system interface?¡± ¡°My what?¡± The stranger bent, his eyes meeting hers through the blue screen. It seemed for the first time, he was actually evaluating her. ¡°Lexie, do you really not remember who I am?¡± Lexie shook her head. She had a sinking feeling that this was more than just an ordinary kidnapping. ¡°Do you know where you are?¡± the man asked and she shook her head again. He bit out a curse and ran his hand through his longish black locks. ¡°He warned me this might happen,¡± he muttered and then rubbed his face. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, honey bee. I should have explained earlier but I thought¡­I mean I was just so happy to see you awake¡­¡± ¡°Explained what?¡± Lexie asked. ¡°Who I am. Who you are. Where you are.¡± ¡°I already know who I am,¡± she told him slowly. ¡°I¡¯m Lexie Evans from Brooklyn, New York. That¡¯s where we are right?¡± He stared at her, sadness creeping into his expression as he shook his head slowly. ¡°Your name is Lexie Sparrowfoot. I¡¯m your father, Aiden Sparrowfoot. And you¡¯re in Hovelton, Orinia, District 9, Earth 9.¡± Lexie blinked at him. ¡°Is that a new Soho address?¡± He shook his head and sighed. ¡°Let me get you back in bed with some hibiscus tea. Then I¡¯ll tell you everything. It¡¯s going to be a long story."
Lexie counted down from ten and then opened her eyes staring straight up at the ceiling. She released the breath she was holding, her last shred of hope dissipating. This wasn¡¯t a dream. She really was in a new world called Earth 9. According to the man¨CAiden, who said he was her father¨CEarth 9 was only one of the Earth dimensions and it wasn''t divided into continents but into districts. He was going to say more but there was a knock from a downstairs door and he disappeared. Lexie was glad he didn''t say more. She was having enough trouble digesting what he did say. And she wouldn¡¯t have believed him except that there was the pesky blue screen still taking up a portion of her vision. Aiden taught her how to deactivate it. It could be activated by saying, "System Screen on" or "System Interface on" but the AI could also detect questions ¡°What is going on?" or "Where am I?" and that would trigger the screen with an immediate explanation. Of course, to turn it off, she could simply say, "Screen off," or ¡°System Interface off" "Screen on," she muttered and then looked at the words flashing on the blue background.
[Welcome New Player! Please take a moment to familiarize yourself with the welcome manual.]
And then like a Discord channel, there were a lot of topics to explore including the so-called welcome manual, character sheet, something called an ability deck, weapons inventory and a whole bunch of other things. She focused on the character sheet for a few seconds and it opened up to a table.
[PRIVATE WINDOW] Name: Lexie Sparrowfoot Age: 10Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. Race: Human Location: Earth 9 Guardian: Aiden Sparrowfoot (Father) click to open family tree. Status: Unawakened. Full status screen available upon awakening.
It was her second time viewing this window. At first, Lexie had thought the unawakened meant that this whole thing was a dream that she could wake up from. But she¡¯d tried every trick in the book, including pinching herself, rolling herself out of bed (which brought Aiden up again in another panic), and then closing her eyes and attempting to sleep her way back to reality. None of that worked. What is going on? she wondered. Did someone implant a video game in my head for some sick joke? Like in Black Mirror? Am I on some billionaire¡¯s island right now with my confusion televised to sadistic rich folks as some kind of social experiment? Or did I actually die and wake up in a video game? That last one would have sounded crazy an hour ago. Now, it was starting to seem like the only logical explanation. Lexie and her brother had watched a couple of isekai anime so she was familiar with this as a concept. But while Logan always wanted to be isekai''d, Lexie always thought the whole thing would be far too stressful for her temperament. And she was right. She was incredibly stressed out, and trying her hardest not to show it, or let it consume her. Logan would be having a field day with this. She wished he was here. He wouldn¡¯t be on the verge of freaking out like she was. He was a video game nut, he would know what to do. Thinking about her brother brought back memories of their last conversation. A tentative thought followed, carefully so as not to trigger the brimming mania underneath her calm surface. I hope Logan''s okay. I hope he''s not too upset that I''m dead. Hang on. Was she dead? Lexie got up, the combination of her tumultuous thoughts and the buzzing sensation underneath her skin driving her mad. She tried to breathe steadily as she went to the window, looking out of it, marveling at the glittering lights outside. She certainly wasn¡¯t in New York anymore. It wasn¡¯t like any place she¡¯d ever been before but if she had to give a guess, it looked closest to the Scottish countryside, lush greenery, distant mountains and low clouds. She¡¯d gone on an exchange trip to Edinburgh in sixth grade and this looked kind of like the places they visited, lots of grass and trees with cottages and brick buildings littered about. Lonely lanes made of stone connected each home. Only difference was the sky had two moons. That¡¯s right. Two big fat moons sitting up there, driving Lexie crazy. The two neighboring houses didn¡¯t look inhabited. The grass was overgrown, windows dirty, cobwebs on the walls and the roof shingles. Lexie¡¯s new home was in the middle of the deserted homes. The perfect place to stage a murder. Thunder crackled, echoed by a knock on the door. Lexie spun around to find Aiden standing there. He was wearing a loose linen shirt and leather pants, with boots at his feet. Glasses perched on his nose. His neck sported the same silver bands that encircled his wrist and she was tempted to ask what they were but she didn''t. There was too much going on in her mind already. I can¡¯t believe he¡¯s supposed to be my dad. Lexie supposed he looked kind of like her, except that his hair was darker. And her eyes were a surer brown while his were closer to hazel. He was a virtual stranger to her, but something about him also looked and felt achingly familiar. Where have I seen him before? Or am I simply getting confused by the emotions that the owner of this body would have toward her own father? ¡°Lex,¡± he said, and she guessed that was his nickname for Lexie Sparrowfoot. ¡°I¡¯m popping over with Max close by. A dungeon portal is about to open and he needs my help getting rid of it.¡± "A dungeon?¡± she blurted out. He nodded. ¡°One of the unstable ones. I hate to leave you alone but the dungeon portal is less than a kilometer away and we need to get rid of it before it spawns otherwise we¡¯ll be in danger. Anyway, I¡¯ll be back soon. Stay indoors and keep the doors locked. Nothing will be able to get in without your permission. And remember the rules - no using the stove, or the manaronics while I¡¯m gone. Okay?¡± She nodded slowly, and he hesitated at the threshold. She wondered if he was debating whether or not to leave her. Maybe he thinks I¡¯ll run away. Maybe he is holding my captive. And then it also occurred to her that maybe he was waiting for something from his daughter, a hug or whatever. But Lexie certainly couldn¡¯t give him one. She didn¡¯t know him and still wasn¡¯t entirely sure he wasn¡¯t a lunatic who had kidnapped her. Still, she felt a little bad when his face fell and he turned away. ¡°I¡¯ll see you in a minute. I love you, honey bee,¡± he said. Lexie flinched a little. She hadn¡¯t been expecting the ¡®L¡¯ word so blatantly. Even her parents didn¡¯t really say it all that often to her, nor to each other. She was sure they loved her, but they just weren''t that kind of family. It was¡­weird hearing it from a stranger. Lexie said nothing as he shut the door, and she heard his footsteps walking down the stairs. She felt a little hollow as his steps grew farther away. Maybe I should have told him something nice back. Not ''I love you¡¯ obviously, but maybe to come back safe. But this was all too confusing and frankly crazy for her to digest. As she watched, lightning cracked across the skies and the lights in the home flickered. Through the window, she saw the trees in the distance sway although there wasn''t much wind. Probably a storm coming. Left with nothing to do, Lexie went back to her bed and lay down. If she really was kidnapped this would be the perfect time to escape, but where would she even go? She didn''t recognize this place with its two moons. And the kidnapping excuse was holding less and less weight as time passed. After all, what kind of kidnapper would just leave her there, where she could easily escape? And the man did look genuinely relieved when she woke up, like he¡¯d been tortured by the thought of her dead. Lexie Sparrowfoot''s father seems to care about her. A lot. Lexie wondered how her real parents were dealing with her death, if she was indeed dead. She wondered if Logan had told them about her MIT acceptance. She wondered if that would make it hurt extra or if that would soften the blow because at least she''d achieved their dream before she died. How morbid. Lexie and her brother often liked to joke that their parents had them as an experiment. Two highly intelligent academics got together to see if they could create genius children. Lexie was a culmination of their dreams. Straight A¡¯s all throughout elementary and middle school. Acing one of the toughest high school programs in the country. Would have probably continued that trend in college and graduated summa cum laude. In their eyes, they could probably already see her giving a TED Talk or an inaugural address of some kind. She would of course have to mention how much her parents motivated her and made her the woman she was. She might even manage to squeeze out a few tears. That would probably make them happy. She¡¯d thought maybe after she was done achieving their dream, then she could finally live life on her terms. Except, laughably, she didn''t actually know what living life on her own terms even meant. Her entire life, she was raised to be a try-hard and a study-machine. She knew nothing else. With a sigh, Lexie opened up her System Screen again and hovered over the Welcome Manual.
INCOGNITO WINDOW> PRIVATE ACCESS ONLY. ¡°Welcome Human to your new life!¡±An excessively cheery voice sounded in her mind as she read the words on screen. ¡°You have been given a new form, as a candidate of the Interdimensional Soul Travel System (ISTS). ¡°Take a second familiarize yourself with your pre-affixation:¡± !ERRORS DETECTED! !ERRORS RESOLVED! ¡°[CARDUSER HERO]¡± ¡°FULL STAT WINDOW WILL BE AVAILABLE UPON AWAKENING ON SYSTEM DAY. Would you like to access the preliminary stat window now? [Yes] [No]
Out of curiosity, Lexie clicked the yes button. How to do it took some getting used to but she essentially let her eyes linger on the yes button for three seconds and it opened up a new screen.
[STAT SCREEN OPEN] !ERRORS FROM ANOMALIES DETECTED! !ERRORS FROM ANOMALIES RESOLVED! Name: Lexi Sparrowfoot Race: Human Age: 10 Class: Restricted Subclass: Restricted Cumulative Level: Restricted (For individual levels, open the individual tabs) Affinity: Restricted Physical Rank: Restricted Mental Rank: Restricted Mana Rank: Restricted. [STAT SCREEN CLOSED]
Well. That was helpful. It told her absolutely nothing.
[RESUMING INCOGNITO WINDOW] Your current location is Earth 9 which may change in the future. You may travel through the Earth Dimensions with Travel Points.
WARNINGS: DO NOT SHOW ANYONE ELSE THIS WINDOW (INCOGNITO WINDOW WILL NOT BE DISPLAYED OR ACCESSED ON YOUR PRIVATE SCREEN). DO NOT DISCUSS OR DISCLOSE YOUR ASSOCIATION WITH THE ISTS WITHOUT PERMISSION. VIOLATION OF ISTS RULES MAY RESULT IN FINES OF UP TO COST OF DIMENSIONAL TRAVEL (THIRTY BILLION CREDITS) AND ASSORTED PENALTIES UP TO AND INCLUDING COMPLETE SOUL TERMINATION. [OPEN HERE TO FAMILIARIZE YOURSELF WITH ISTS RULES]
Anomalies were detected upon transport and were resolved. You have been allowed to bring 1 item from Earth 2. Would you like to access it? [YES] [NO]
Lexie once again visually hovered over the yes. With an audible click, a glowing familiar thing spun in her vision, seemingly suspended in mid air. She gasped. It was her cell phone. At first it looked like a hologram, but it became solid when she touched it. She plucked it out of the air and stared at it, unable to believe it. The screen flashed showing the screen saver of her favorite Dino Fury Power Ranger. Then she opened it up seeing that everything was just as it had been when she died. The battery percentage was 87%. All her apps and pictures were gone, except for the messaging and call app. The last number she called was 911 and then underneath that was Mickie''s. Her friend had called her on the way home to see if Lexie wanted to walk home with her. Lexie told her that she would be staying late at school to study, but that had been a lie. Truly, she just didn¡¯t want the company today. And now I may never have Mickie¡¯s company ever again. The thought triggered a separate storm within her, as tears pushed behind her eyes. When she tried to call Mickie¡¯s number, it didn¡¯t work. No cell service. The pain stabbed at her chest and she rubbed at the hollow ache. But she swallowed, refusing to cry just yet. I need to get back home. She opened up her messages to find that only her text thread with Logan remained, and even then it was a handful of messages. She tried to text him just to see if it would work. Hey, she sent but it didn¡¯t go through. No service. Defeated, she walked back to bed and scrolled up to read her brother¡¯s messages, feeling the sharp ache of loss expand as she did. Most of what Logan sent were memes or conversations about whatever game he was playing or how annoying their parents were being. No pictures of him and her together. The last convo was about Heroes Online where he had sent Lexie a few photos of the characters that the company had released to the public. And then a picture of himself eating a slice of pizza the size of his head. I hope Logan¡¯s okay, Lexie thought although she couldn¡¯t imagine how he would be. He was alone now. He would have to bear their mom and dad¡¯s obsession on his own, with no one as a buffer. He could no longer escape to her room when their parents fought. Before they would distract each other with meaningless conversation or by playing video games while the storm raged around them. Now that Lexie was gone, so was that bit of comfort. He would have to carry the heavy burden of their grief and their expectations alone. And he was so young. And stubborn. Unlike Lexie, he was less likely to bend to their will and more likely to simply break. A tear escaped running down her cheek. Her throat grew tight. Her finger shook as she scrolled. At least he was too far away to hear the gunshot. I hope. That would have been traumatizing. Okay enough of that. Lexie wiped her face and decided crying right now was unproductive and would only make her more depressed. She needed to plan her next moves. But she couldn''t stop herself from scrolling, even as the sobs tore out of her chest, muffled behind her hand. And then her finger hovered as Lexie froze on an image her brother had sent her. The accompanying message had several exclamation points, talking about how hyperrealistic the graphics were and how interesting the character''s backstory was. But it was the image attached that caught her attention. It was of Aiden, the man whose home she was in, the man who claimed to be her father. Underneath it, her brother had written out the following: Take a look at this character. He¡¯s crazy OP. NAME: AIDEN SPARROWFOOT (AKA THE ARCHMAGE) RANK & CLASS: S-RANK MAGE, S-RANK SCHOLAR ROLE: [SUPER-VILLAIN]. 3 - The Unstable Dungeon Aiden Sparrowfoot watched as the dark swirling mass continued to grow in the air, whistling louder with each passing moment. The portal, like most dungeon portals, was dark and crackling with chaotic energy that thundered through the air. Unlike most other dungeon portals though, there wasn¡¯t a surrounding insignia that represented a seal. Aiden released a heavy sigh. The squatting Max shot him a glare with his one good eye and held up a ball gag dangling on his finger. ¡°You make that sound one more time, I¡¯m going to shove this in your mouth.¡± Aiden cocked his head at the larger man, bemused. ¡°Why do you even have that?¡± Max continued rifling through his rustic backpack, magically reinforced to fit in more items than it appeared. ¡°We don¡¯t know what kind of creature could come through this thing. It could be a gang of chaos canaries or something like that harpy I was obsessed with that one time. Or the siren I dated that other time, remember her?" He smirked at the memory but then the smile immediately fell away. "Or it could be worse. Could be a creature like my ex-mother-in-law.¡± He shuddered a little at that last one, his muscular shoulders shifting dramatically with the movement. ¡°Anyway, I like to be prepared for anything.¡± The man finally pulled out a long shotgun that was decked out with all sorts of make-shift buttons at the side. He handed that to Aiden, then pulled a rifle out for himself. ¡°So,¡± he said as he straightened, brushing dust off his leather pants. ¡°What do you think?¡± ¡°I think you should reevaluate your taste in women.¡± Max threw him a droll look, while Aiden glanced at the buttons on the shotgun uncertainly. ¡°How does one work this thing exactly?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not rocket science, professor. You point at something and shoot. Any of the buttons should do decent damage.¡± Max frowned at him, his well-formed wrinkles etching deeper into his forehead. ¡°And I wasn¡¯t asking your opinion on my sex life by the way. I was asking what you think about the fact that this is at least the fourth time this year that we¡¯ve seen this.¡± He pointed at the swirling wind. ¡°What¡¯s going on with all these unstable dungeons?¡± Aiden shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯m not a dungeon master.¡± Although he did have extensive experience with dungeons in the past. As The Archmage, Aiden had raided and taken down entire level 7 dungeons on his own. And as a superhero, he¡¯d been on the front lines of the battle against quite a few unstable dungeons. But that didn¡¯t mean he understood their mechanism very well. Unstable dungeons were unpredictable things, and he knew first hand how dangerous they could be. Especially since Aiden, once the famous Archmage, was essentially powerless now. Most dungeons were sealed upon spawning and the seal could only be broken by a party that met the minimum requirements to enter. Barring that, the dungeon would remain sealed so the monsters inside couldn¡¯t escape. But unstable dungeons spawned without a seal, so they needed to be destroyed immediately, otherwise a dungeon creature might escape to terrorize the town. It was especially dangerous because it spawned in Olden Street. Close to home for Aiden. They needed to get rid of it quickly, and for that he needed to focus. Unfortunately, there were so many thoughts currently crowding his mind, fighting for prominence. A wolf howled in the distance and the full moons illuminated the silvery dust over green grass. Max checked his barrel and then rechecked it. He also adjusted his eyepatch so it would readily flip open more easily. His muscles were coiled with tension, his eyes eager, hand prepared. All the while Aiden stood by, waiting. He wondered what Lexie was doing right now. Was she staying put as he advised? Or was she up to mischief as usual? A wistful smile crossed his lips. His daughter, though quiet, had always been the inquisitive type. It was how she got hurt in the first place, because he was gone to work one evening and she snuck out to follow him, curious as to what he was up to. But she hadn''t made it very far. Aiden nearly went crazy when he found her on his way back passed out inside a ditch, bleeding from her head. He wanted to kick himself a million times over, the blame falling squarely on his shoulders. He just couldn¡¯t seem to get this fatherhood thing right, no matter how hard he tried. He was a terrible father for many reasons, not least of which was the many years with her he''d already missed out on. And just when he was finally making up for lost time, there she was close to death. And now, she didn¡¯t remember him. What cruel irony. It¡¯s what I deserve for being away for so long. All that time was spent working, teaching, fighting. Now that I¡¯m back¡­I¡¯m just a stranger to her. And I deserve it. He sighed again. Max gave him another dirty look. ¡°Sorry,¡± he apologized. ¡°Just worried about Lexie.¡± Some of Max¡¯s anger dissipated. ¡°You said she woke up?¡± ¡°Yes, but that fall really messed with her head. She doesn¡¯t remember much about anything. Doesn¡¯t remember me.¡± It was a painful pill to ingest, but he swallowed it down. ¡°The healer I consulted said that might happen. He said her memories may come back with time, or they may not. But at least she¡¯s alive and that¡¯s what matters. We can always make new memories.¡± ¡°Right.¡± Max watched him uncertainly then turned back to the spawning dungeon believing the conversation was over. But now that Aiden had started, there was a lot he really wanted to get off his chest. ¡°I mean,¡± he said. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s better she doesn¡¯t remember, right? I wasn¡¯t exactly a great father to her. I missed a bunch of her birthdays, and other important moments. Even her mother¡¯s funeral.¡± He¡¯d seen a video of it though, from a maximum security jail cell. He¡¯d watched his poor daughter standing there, quietly weeping as they lowered her mother¡¯s ashes into the ground. An emotion more devastating than guilt threatened to swallow him whole. ¡°I let her Lara die, and then I let our daughter get hurt on my watch.¡± He grimaced, disgusted at his own failure and shook his head. ¡°Scratch that, I¡¯m a terrible, terrible father. And Lexie likely knows it. Or at least she knew it. But this way it can be like a new beginning. I promise to be better from now on. We can start doing all the father-daughter things we used to do when she was younger. Picking flowers in the forest. Teaching her to ride bikes. I get to plan her birthdays now. Her mother said she liked to visit antique shops. Maybe we can go to the one in Alberton and check out¨C" ¡°Do you want me to call Luke?¡± Max interrupted flatly. ¡°No offense, but all this mushy crap is more his expertise than mine. And it''s making me a little ill.¡± Mushy crap? ¡°Er¡­no that¡¯s fine.¡± Even though they were brothers, Max and Luke couldn¡¯t be any more different. While Luke, acting mayor of Hovelton, was a people person, Max was the opposite. He wasn¡¯t a great talker. He wasn¡¯t much of a listener either. But dungeon delving and fighting magical beasts, Max excelled at that. It was why, despite having little mana capacity or affinity, Max still led one of the most famous dungeon parties in the world. With no magic to call on, he¡¯d doggedly leveled up his physical and mental stats and specialized in long-range weaponry, specifically guns. Now, he had dual classes as a C-Rank Level 6 Rogue Type Fighter and a B-Rank Level 8 Gun Meister respectively. While his stats were only fairly impressive on paper, what he¡¯d done with it, becoming one of the youngest, most prolific dungeon masters alive, was nothing short of legendary. Even Aiden didn¡¯t quite know how Max had managed to lead his team in and out of so many dungeons successfully. Max didn¡¯t give interviews either, and never spoke about what happened in the dungeons after it was gone. Unlike some Dungeon Masters who chased after fame and fortune, Max was solely focused on the fortune part and nothing else. So, Aiden had to chuck Max¡¯s success up to his dogged drive, insane courage and unexpected flashes of ingenuity. If he wanted to, Max could have easily picked up a hero support role, if not become a [Hero] himself. He could have gotten a lot more fame and fortune that way. But Max hated heroes with a passion, likely because of how some of them treated dungeon delvers like disposable tools. Heroes also tended to be more physically and magically powerful than delvers, and they often lorded it over them constantly. Not to mention a few who took credit for the delver¡¯s work in resolving a dungeon. In any case, Max had shirked all offers from The Hero Association preferring to affix as a [Mercenary] instead, with a specialty in dungeon delving. The [Mercenary] role gave one a certain type of freedom, but also meant higher taxes and more local government oversight. After all, it was very easy for a [Mercenary] to transition into [Villain]. And once the dreaded [V] was attached to one¡¯s name, it was a stain that was really hard to get off. Aiden knew that firsthand. After all, he was once a hero beloved by many. Nowadays, strangers either froze in fear or spat when he passed by. A slide of a window had them both glancing up. They were currently standing between two apartment buildings, one of them a brick building that served as a retirement home. An elderly lady with purple eyebrows and rollers in her bright blonde hair stuck her head out. ¡°You rascals aren¡¯t done yet? How long is this going to take?¡± Max completely ignored her so it was up to Aiden to answer. He shrugged. ¡°Not sure. Maybe a few hours.¡± ¡°Well make sure you get it done by morning. The girls and I have a nature hike at dawn.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll do our best madam.¡± He attempted a smile, but the woman didn¡¯t smile back. Apprehension skittered over her face, then she swallowed, harrumphed and shut her window. If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Ouch, Aiden thought, fingering the band at his neck. At least she¡¯s not a spitter. The silver bands were penance, identifying him as a former villain serving his sentence. The cool silver prevented him from using any kind of magic and kept his physical strength below a certain minimum too. And for an extra sadistic bite, the bands sometimes itched for no reason. He scratched at the line of his neck, frustrated that he couldn¡¯t reach under the band to get the spot he really wanted. ¡°You didn¡¯t have to respond to the old witch, you know,¡± Max muttered, shaking his head. ¡°There was no reason for it.¡± ¡°No reason to be rude either.¡± ¡°You could afford to be rude sometimes. Your niceness is off-putting.¡± Max squatted again and began to wiggle a modified bear trap out of his backpack next, carefully avoiding the green goo laced jagged teeth. ¡°And it¡¯s especially irritating because you¡¯re not even a [Hero] anymore. So you don¡¯t have to put on the whole overly accommodating PR act.¡± ¡°It''s not an act. It¡¯s called basic courtesy, something you could use a little of.¡± He snorted. ¡°Right. Is that what they teach you at that stuffy boarding school you went to?¡± His scoffing tone made it clear what he thought of Aiden¡¯s former academy, and it immediately made Aiden defensive. ¡°Yes, my stuffy magic boarding school that trains only the best hero-mages, best school across at least three districts, also taught us excellent manners.¡± And as much as Max made fun of him for it, Aiden was proud of his alma mater, if only for that. ¡°Good for you,¡± Max responded. ¡°But you¡¯re a villain now so you might as well act like it. Which means manners go down the toilet where they belong.¡± Aiden cocked an eyebrow in response. He frankly didn¡¯t see what one had to do with the other. Yes, he may be a villain now¨Cwell ex-villain really¨Cbut that didn¡¯t mean he couldn¡¯t be a polite one. He didn¡¯t get a chance to vocalize an answer though as the still-spawning dungeon suddenly sang at a higher register. ¡°Get ready,¡± Max said, aiming his gun. Aiden aimed too. Unstable dungeons were not like regular dungeons in which a portal appeared in a set location and entering it revealed an expansive universe with different levels, unknown treasures and occasionally monsters. Unstable dungeons weren¡¯t fully developed and acted more like monster spawners. They were chaos personified. Anything that went in got trapped, and then when the dungeon disappeared, it would spawn somewhere else and release whatever it trapped earlier. Most often, these were monsters. So it was in everyone¡¯s best interest to disable an unstable dungeon before its portal finished spawning. That would, theoretically, freeze them or send them back to wherever they came from. The idea was to shoot as many times as possible at the same time, right when the spawning reached its peak and was at its weakest. But unstable dungeons, as mentioned before, were not predictable. And before it reached its so-called peak, a white force shot out of it and sped past, shimmering in the air. ¡°What the hell was that?¡± Max said, swiveling with his gun. Aiden didn¡¯t know. But it looked like the thing was heading for his house. Lexie. His daughter was home alone. His recently comatose, ten-year-old daughter who lost most of her memory was home alone and a thing was headed right for her. Aiden''s stomach dropped. Heart seized. Oh, I am an utter failure of a father. He forgot all about the dungeon and ran.
There was no service in the house. Lexie tried just about every room, which was really only four other rooms, to find service. She were in a two-story cottage, made with wood and red brick. Her room was on the top floor, next to another neatly organized room that she thought was probably Aiden¡¯s. Then she descended to stairs to the living room; neat but eclectically decorated with pastel blue and rust brown accents throughout the room. A shelf was built into the back wall, and each column was filled with books. A table beside that held a reading light and next to that was a loveseat and a yellow embroidered throw pillow, with misshapen ducks on it. It was eerie how normal everything looked. There was even a flat-screen TV made of shimmering glass fixed to the wall, and a vase full of flowers that looked like lilies. It looked like she was still in the normal world. And technically, she was on Earth. Earth 9 according to the manual. And it shared many of the features of her earth except they had a different name for a few things. Like instead of Hospital and instead of jeans. What was the point of that? She thought. Why would the game creators just give random things different names? Her phone screen also constantly showed no signal. No matter what angle she stood at, or how much she extended herself nothing changed. She sighed. Was there really no way to reach anyone at home? At the very least to let them know she was alive and stuck in a video game? Lexie nearly giggled at the thought. I wonder how they would even respond to that. They would probably think it was a prank call or something. Her amusement died the moment she thought about her family and Mickie, her good friend since freshman year. She¡¯d barely spent any time with Mickie these past few months, too busy catching up on several assignments and perfecting her application. One of Mickie¡¯s last correspondences had been asking Lexie to accompany her to a party during the weekend. Lexie had turned her down as usual, because she¡¯d had to study. She¡¯d thought she would have time to attend all the parties Mickie wanted when she was done with school. And now she might never have that chance again. She also thought about her brother. Most fourteen-year-olds didn''t want to hang out with their older sisters but Logan was different. They''d always been close, and he didn''t have any other friends except her and the online people he gamed with. She wondered what he was doing now. How he was coping. Just yesterday, I was worried I wouldn''t get into MIT. Now I¡¯m trapped in a weird video game dimension. Life really comes at you fast. Or in her case, death did. She paced the living room, her thoughts flying about but orbiting around one thing. I need to go home. Perhaps if she understood more about the game then she would find a way out of it. She opened up her brother¡¯s old texts again scrolling through. It was hard not to get a little emotional reading it, imagining him dealing with her death. I hope Mom and Dad aren¡¯t too hard on him. But Lexie forced herself to focus. According to the welcome manual, the point of the game was to complete quests at her given role. But it notably didn¡¯t guarantee her escape. It did say that once she was assigned a role, she would also be given chances to level up and earn rewards when she completed said quests. One of those rewards was known as a Travel Point, and with enough travel points, she could move between different earth dimensions. The manual also highlighted that travel points were really hard to obtain. They required ¡°Acts of Exceptional Heroism, Revolutionary Discovery, or Unbeatable Leadership.¡± How these things were calculated Lexie didn''t know, and neither the manual nor the texts from her brother helped her find out. Most of them were character sheets, the occasional pontification about how hyperrealistc the graphics were and how it had expansive worldbuilding for a beta version of a videogame. And the only thing the manual spoke about, apart from a brief intro, was the ISTS and a whole bunch of rules she had to abide by, most of which concerned keeping her identity a secret and performing her civic duty as a ¡®Chosen¡¯ once she was of age. They also hammered in on the possibility of complete soul termination if she broke confidentiality. And the thought of that should make her panicked, but this whole thing was just so bizarre nothing had sunk in yet. It was like the most realistic fever dream ever. Suddenly a loud bang ricocheted through the air. Lexie screamed a little, and instinctively dove to the floor. She had never been shot at before ¨C well, until she died that is ¨C but she¡¯d heard that was something you were supposed to do during shoot-outs. Lay low and stay there. But this didn¡¯t sound like a shoot-out. It sounded like something slammed into the side of the house. As it reared back and slammed again, china rattled. The light fixture swayed in the aftermath and Lexie stared at it, her heart pounding. What was that? What was out there and why was it trying to get in? Wait, relax. Aiden assured her nothing could get in unless she wanted it to, and while she didn¡¯t know the man, he sounded pretty sure about that. Then again, he was a supervillain. What if he lied to her? Wasn''t that what villains did? He seemed like such a nice guy though. Yeah, I¡¯m sure Ted Bundy¡¯s victims thought the same thing. She glanced around. What was she supposed to do now? Hide? Tempting, but where would she even hide and what if it found her anyway? She would be crouched in a corner defenseless. No, that wasn''t the answer. And then that was immediately followed by the insane thought. Maybe if she fought that thing she could level up. Fight it with what? An equally hysteric response screamed in her mind. A cell phone and a can-do attitude? Another slam rattled against the house, but this time Lexie kept from screaming. No time to panic. She needed to think. Luckily, she''d always done pretty well under pressure. It was why she tested well. Lexie tried to convince herself that was all this was. Just a test. A test she hadn¡¯t studied for and was very ill-equipped to handle but a test regardless. She just had to ignore the pesky little detail that if she failed she might die. But on the bright side maybe if she died, she would end up in her old world. Or maybe not. Maybe she¡¯d go somewhere worse. Somehow that wasn¡¯t an experiment she wanted to try. The next slam shattered the window and Lexie ducked to avoid being hit by shrapnel. The thing was growing in ferocity and power with each slam. It was being kept out likely by whatever protection Aiden had placed, but she doubted it would hold forever. She needed weapons. ¡°Um System Interface on,¡± she spoke out loud, too panicked to think the words clearly. ¡°Can I access my weapons inventory?¡± The response was swift . Great. Of course, it made sense. She supposed the system didn¡¯t want ten-year-olds hauling grenades and such. ¡°Okay so is there anything you can do? Anyway, you can help me?¡± . Yes, but it didn¡¯t sound like whatever was out there gave a damn about a protection artifact. And if she did nothing, it would eventually break in and hurt her. ¡°Screw it,¡± she muttered, getting up and running to the cabinets, throwing them all open. Aiden Sparrowfoot was a villain. There was no way he didn¡¯t have any weapons lying around. However, what she found wasn¡¯t what she wanted. There was a deck of cards, vials of different colors, and varied assortments of pens. But no gun, no dagger, not so much as a pen knife. What the heck kind of villain is he? That was when she remembered he was an Archmage. Meaning he used magic. Which also meant his tools were probably useless to her since she didn''t know how to use them. Crap. Still, it might help. Lexie grabbed the cards, a few cauldrons, and the carved stick that looked like a wand. Then for good measure, she ran into the kitchen, grabbing all the knives in the holder. Her hands were full and she went back to crouch behind the couch and wait. She felt something pulsing in the air. And then with one final hiss and slam, the door flew open. 4 - Lexie Vs The Ghoul Lexie instantly flung one of the kitchen knives at the intruder without wasting any time even looking at what it was. And then as the knife whizzed through the doorway without the sound of impact, she shifted to the side to take a peek. Nothing was there. Through the open doorway, she only saw a manicured lawn with trimmed hedges and her neighbor''s cottage in the distance. But as she squinted, she realized that it wasn''t quite nothing. There was something there, a ghostly presence that shimmered in and out of existence with each blink. And then the second she realized, the thing rushed at her. Lexie squeaked but jumped out of the way in time as it slammed into the couch, sending it flying. She threw another knife, but once again it passed through without impact. Safe to say that the thing was permeable. But that didn¡¯t make sense; how was it able to slam into the door and also throw the couch? The thought was cut short as it charged at Lexie again and she jolted to the side. This time, she wasn¡¯t fast enough. Her fingers wrapped around a knife hilt, as icy cool digits grabbed her ankle tugging her upside down into the air. A scream remained trapped in her throat but she immediately swung into action, driving the knife into the ghostly film wrapped around her ankle. The creature screeched and released her. She dropped to the floor with an oomph but ignored the pain of the collision, got up, and ran. As she got to the kitchen she slammed the door closed, knowing it would only keep the creature out for a few seconds. In the meantime, she needed to process what she just discovered. The thing was both tangible and intangible and could seemingly switch at will. No, not at will. It was kept out by the door and had hit the couch, so it couldn¡¯t pass through furniture. It couldn¡¯t pass through human beings either, so it would appear that physical blockages like that turned it corporeal. And then, once it turned physical, it could be hurt. Lexie braced herself from when it would come through the door. She gripped the last knife in her hand waiting at the other side of the door. The second the door flew open and the creature grabbed her she would stab it again, hopefully enough to kill it. Or wound it enough to leave her alone. She still felt chilly in her ankle where the creature had touched her and the cold rendered her movements a little stiff as she hustled to the other side of the door. She bit her lip, pressing her ears against the walls, trying to hear it coming. And then finally, the door was sent off its hinges. The creature had black liquid on it now. Ink? Or maybe that was its ghost blood. No time to figure it out. As one of its ghostly projections reached for her again, she grabbed it and stabbed, feeling elated when her knife sunk into it. It roared and ripped itself away, with the knife wrenching out of her grip. But it wasn¡¯t enough and she was out of knives. She barely had time to panic before it grabbed her neck. This time, she could barely move. She clawed at her neck and kicked her feet to struggle but it was no use. Frost iced over her lungs and spread through her limbs too fast. She couldn''t breathe. Her movements turned jerky and then stilled. She stared into nothingness that seemed to expand like a gaping mouth around her head. ¡°Lexie!¡± She heard Aiden but didn¡¯t see him until his body slammed into the thing from behind. The creature dropped her and she gasped for breath, feeling like the air was lacerating her throat. When she turned back it was to find Aiden physically holding the creature off, as it reached out ghostly arms for him. It tried to reach for Lexie too, but Aiden kicked at the projection and it reared back. His teeth gritted and he met her eyes. ¡°Card,¡± he barked. ¡°Get my cards!¡± Lexie didn¡¯t hesitate. She ran for the living room where she¡¯d stashed the cards and brought them back. When she returned Aiden had slammed the creature against the opposite wall, but it was still reaching out for him and his face was turning white. ¡°Search for the card, ¡± he choked out. ¡°Activate it.¡± ¡°How?¡± ¡°Follow the¡­" His words wheezed, like he couldn¡¯t breathe and then she saw that the thing was wrapped around his neck. ¡°Instructions.¡± Lexie quickly flipped through the deck looking for the card that he was talking about. The cards didn¡¯t feel like they were made entirely out of paper¨C they were hard, smooth and glassy. The card Aiden was talking about was slightly thicker than the rest, with the image of a ghost imprinted on it. Immediately, a small blue screen with a system prompt appeared on top of the card reading:
Deck: N/A Type: Effect Card Power: N/A Description: Excellent card for those who hate to be the center of attention! Once activated, you fade into the background, and become unremarkable, and unmemorable to your target. Maximum active time is twenty seconds. Activation Prerequisites: To activate this card, simply flash it to the target you would like to be invisible to. Make sure the target isn¡¯t looking at you, touching you or otherwise interacting with you during activation or the card will remain inactive. Avoid too much interaction with the target after activation, or card will deactivate. No other protocol required.
O¡­kay. That seemed easy enough to understand. But how to tell if a faceless ghoul was looking at her? She glanced up and swallowed. It seemed pretty occupied with Aiden but she couldn''t be sure since she didn¡¯t know if the thing had eyes in the back of its...head? or not. Lexie retreated into the living room until she was shielded by the wall, and stuck her hand out flashing the card to the creature. She felt something move in and through her. It was odd, like a tiny zing that flitted around her body. She stared down at herself. She wasn¡¯t invisible, but as she stepped back in through the doorway, she did get the idea that the ghostly creature couldn''t see her anymore. And to confirm that the card was active, a notification appeared, eventually becoming a timer that was placed at the corner of her vision. ACTIVE TIME: TWENTY SECONDS. COOL OFF TIME: TWENTY SECONDS. Okay she guessed her invisibility would only be active for the next twenty seconds. So she needed to do whatever she had to do fast. She crept back out to the doorway, and found the Ghoul was still strangling Aiden while he tried to bash the side of its head with a chopping board. He wasn¡¯t strong enough and the thing wasn¡¯t budging. It was no longer even reaching out to her, solely focused on Aiden. Like she was truly invisible but only to the creature. But how was this going to help Aiden? Or maybe... Aiden''s eyes met her and he gave her a small smile. He also mouthed the word "Go" and that was when, with a sinking heart, Lexie realized what he''d done. He didn''t do this to help himself. He did it so she would escape. For a split second, she thought about it. About running. But where would she go? And she couldn''t just leave him to die. He was her...dad. Okay, Lexie. Time to be brave again. With the gift of invisibility, Lexie ran back to retrieve her knives. She then jogged back and with all the force she could muster, she impaled the creature¡¯s back again and again, not wasting any time even as her shoulders ached. "No! Lexie!" Aiden screamed but it was no louder than the creatures wailing. Suddenly, it wrapped around her leg again and flung her across the air. She slammed into the wall and her head collided with a resounding crack. Pain shot through her temple as she slid to the floor. A sickening wave of nausea overwhelmed her. A health bar suddenly appeared in the corner of her vision, the red square blinking an alert. But before she could pass out, the blue screen flickered to life again with an announcement.
CONGRATULATIONS! YOUR STATUS HAS CHANGED. VIEW CHANGES NOW ON YOUR STAT SCREEN.
[STAT SCREEN] Name: Lexie Sparrowfoot Age: 12 Race: Human Location: Earth 9 Guardian: Aiden Sparrowfoot (Father) click to open family tree. Status: Pre-awakened.
Lexie came around to the sensation of someone gently rubbing her head. It somewhat soothed the pounding in her skull, and she also felt a cool ice pack on her temples. Someone was murmuring in a voice that sounded like they smoked about ten packs of Marlboro a day, but then as her eyes started to open, another voice said, ¡°Shh. She¡¯s waking up.¡± She recognized the second voice as Aiden¡¯s which meant that it was his gentle hands that were running through her strands. Gentle but trembly hands. She wanted to keep her eyes closed to enjoy it more, especially when he softly massaged the ache from her scalp. Neither of her parents had been the touchy type growing up. Lexie didn''t think she was either. But this was¡­nice. Nevertheless, she had to face reality at some point. Her eyes slowly opened to meet Aiden''s smile. ¡°Wakey wakey,¡± he said. ¡°Hi,¡± she said and then sat up, embarrassed that she was lyinh on his lap. They were both on the couch that had been righted, and the house no longer looked like a windblown mess. Even the glass had been fixed. She was tempted to think the whole thing was a dream, but she knew it wasn''t. ¡°Are you okay?¡± His gaze softened. ¡°You were worried about me?¡± She nodded and he seemed surprised. Wasn¡¯t it obvious that she would be worried about someone who was going to die? Who had risked his life to save hers? "You saved me." ¡°I think it was the other way round.¡± Aiden untangled a tuft of her curled hair from his shaky finger. ¡°No. You did it first. It was going to eat me before you came around.¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± He toggled his head mildly. ¡°Not to be pedantic, but ghouls don''t technically eat people. They¡¯re pneumatarian for the most part, and sometimes mildly vegetarian. But they only possess bodies and occasionally kill them for fun.¡± At Lexie¡¯s stunned silence, he nudged her with his shoulder suggesting it was a joke, before he continued, ¡°Besides, I''m your father. I¡¯m supposed to save you from crazed, pneuma-hungry ghouls. It¡¯s practically in my job description.¡±Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Lexie swallowed, feeling touched despite his offhandedness. ¡°Thanks. Did you get hurt?¡± ¡°No. You don¡¯t need to be worried. I may not look it but I¡¯m pretty strong, you know. I¡¯ve been exercising occasionally with your Uncle Max too. Just look at these muscles. Feel.¡± He flexed his arm in a very goofy way that almost made Lexie smile. Someone cleared their throat very loudly, and she noticed there was another man in the room, a man with an eye patch and a few nasty scars on his face, who was giving Aiden a pretty disgusted look. His face looked familiar too. Probably one of the character sheets that Logan had sent her. Or maybe Lexie Sparrowfoot knew him too. While Aaron was graceful and lean, this man was stocky and broad with lines etched in his forehead that made him look permanently grumpy. His one exposed eye was blue and he had red hair widely sprouting out of his head. Lexie jerked when his eye was suddenly fixed on hers, blushing at being caught staring. The large man was kind of terrifying, but strangely she didn''t find herself too scared of him. ¡°Glad to see you back in the land of the living," he greeted. "I''m the aforementioned Uncle Max, by the way. No relation. Your father told me you were having issues with your memories." That''s one way to put it. Lexie nodded to answer his question. She also noticed she didn''t feel as bad as she should considering how hard her head hit the world. She should be suffering a concussion right now. Also, her ankle no longer felt frozen. She recalled the health bar she saw, when before she''d passed out. Did her health bar automatically refill, or did they heal her? I guess I''ll find out later. ¡°What happened to the creature?¡± she asked. ¡°I killed it,¡± Max announced casually. ¡°How?¡± she asked. ¡°Well, I started by shooting it and then I sliced off it¡¯s¨C¡± ¡°Not really sure that¡¯s an appropriate explanation for a child,¡± Aiden cut in with a warning look to Max. Max raised an eyebrow. ¡°You realize this ''child¡¯ stabbed that thing twelve times right?¡± He then turned to Lexie with a small grin, something she could tell came rarely to him. Lexie tried not to be intimidated by the fact that his smile made him look even scarier. ¡°That was pretty badass of you kid,¡± he continued. ¡°Great fighter instincts. Most people would have been frozen in fear. You managed to slow it down enough that I only needed a few shots to finish it off.¡± Lexie swallowed and managed a weak shrug, the memory of the ghoul attack still haunting her. She had frozen in fear at first, but then she had to think of it as a game so she could gather the courage to attack. The only reason she seemed brave was because she was operating on video game logic. Most of what was happening didn¡¯t feel real to her yet. So it certainly didn¡¯t feel real that that thing could have killed her on her first full day on Earth 9. Also there was something to be said for the adrenaline pump when placed in a life or death situation. What was that thing her brother liked to say when he played video games? Oh that¡¯s right. Win or die. ¡°I don¡¯t think I did all that well,¡± she said, blushing under Max''s scrutiny. ¡°You did good for your age. Took a ghoul down with a kitchen knife. And you definitely did better than your father who seemed to conveniently forget he was holding a gun.¡± The accusation was unmistakable and Aiden flushed a little then stuck his nose in the air defensively. ¡°I couldn¡¯t use it. The ghoul had Lexie and the bullet could have hit her by accident.¡± ¡°Not if you were a good enough shot. That¡¯s why I always ask you to come train with me, but no. You¡¯d rather spend all your time in that healing house where you¡¯re practically useless because you can¡¯t even use magic anymore.¡± ¡°What happened with the dungeon?¡± Aiden asked and Lexie got the sense Max was itching to continue the argument and Aiden was eager to change the subject. ¡°One of the Elementals is taking care of it,¡± Max finally replied. ¡°Elementals?¡± Lexie butted in, curiosity taking over. Max glanced at Aiden. ¡°She really forgot everything, didn''t she?¡± Aiden nodded solemnly and then Max sighed. ¡°The Elementals are unbound magic users. A race of powerful families most of whom are [Heroes]. They¡¯re also some of the biggest pricks you¡¯ll ever meet.¡± ¡°Max!¡± ¡°What? She¡¯s twelve, I guarantee she knows way worse words than prick.¡± ¡°I do,¡± Lexie admitted, nearly smiling at Aiden¡¯s affronted look. ¡°Anyway, one of the Firebringers came and they seemed to have handled it. They¡¯ll probably be stopping by for our statement any minute no¨C¡± The front door swung open suddenly without a knock and a man in a red coat walked in. He exuded an aura of importance, like the air around him shimmered just a tad. Underneath the coat, he had a bronze spandex suit, with royal blue trimmings on the chest. The suit matched his copper-colored hair and his angular face as he scanned the room with a faint look of distaste. As he got closer, he brought a faint, uncomfortable heat with him and Lexie realized the air around him really was shimmering, but less like a sparkle and more like a desert heatwave. ¡°What did I tell you,¡± Max muttered as the man walked up. ¡°Absolute prick.¡± ¡°If it isn¡¯t Mad Eye Max, the Dungeon Diver.¡± The man spoke in a heavily projected voice that reminded her of every cheesy superhero movie she¡¯d ever watched. ¡°Keeping horrible company as always.¡± His eyes scanned Aiden with disdain. Aiden stiffened underneath his regard, but he kept his tone pleasant when he said, ¡°Hey, Luth.¡± ¡°That¡¯s Luther Firebringer to you, Professor Sparrowfoot.¡± His eyes skipped over me and his lips tightened. ¡°I thought she was sick.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why you don¡¯t get paid for thinking, Luth, only for following orders,¡± Max responded. Luther narrowed his eyes at Max, flames seeming to flicker in his gaze. Max appeared wholly unconcerned. ¡°Just ask your questions, Firebringer, and let''s get this over with. I have somewhere to be at nine.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t tell me what to do, Max. Know your place.¡± ¡°Oh really?¡± Max¡¯s hand rested casually on his holster where he had a pistol tucked. "And who''s going to show me that place? You?¡± Luther smirked. ¡°You think that little thing is going to hurt me? I¡¯m almost tempted to see you try so I can explode it in your face. Maybe take out your remaining eye while I¡¯m at it.¡± ¡°Enough,¡± Aiden said sternly, rubbing his forehead, while Max grinned sharkishly at Luther. Aiden¡¯s hand still shook slightly like he¡¯d been electrocuted. Lexie wanted to ask if he was okay but he kept talking. ¡°My daughter needs sleep and you¡¯re both being childish and wasting time. Just ask your questions, Luther.¡± Luther looked suddenly furious but no longer at Max. He faced Aiden with a deep-seated loathing, animosity vibrating in the air around him. Aiden¡¯s expression though gave nothing away. ¡°Fine,¡± Luther spat. ¡°First question. When did you notice the dungeon spawning?¡± ¡°Earlier today," Max answered instead of Aiden. "At around evening time. Six thirty.¡± ¡°Did you alert the proper authorities?¡± ¡°I did as usual.¡± Max smiled humorlessly. ¡°But we all know that Hovelton is priority ten to the Hero Association, so I had little faith that they would get here in time. And it looks like I was right.¡± ¡°And so you acted on your own. Without guidance.¡± ¡°I did what all your crisis ads tell us to do. Called the [Hero] hotline like I was supposed to and prepared for the high probability that you might not show up on time. And once again, I was right. ¡± Luther¡¯s eyes glittered. He seemed to want to argue against what Max said, but he couldn¡¯t find the right words for it. Uncle Max stared right back at him with the same degree of animosity. So instead, Luther asked, ¡°Was all your equipment licensed?¡± ¡°If it wasn¡¯t, you think I would tell you?¡± ¡°What about injuries? Did the ghoul hurt you?¡± ¡°A Level 4? Don¡¯t insult me, asshole.¡± Aiden gave Max a sidelong look but shook his head without saying anything. Luther crossed his hands over his chest, chin rising and looking down his nose at Max. There was a challenge in his eyes, a tension that radiated between the two men for several minutes. ¡°Fine. Then I just need to do one final check before I go. Give me access to your screens, stat and health.¡± Max suddenly exploded with a creative string of words all of which were way worse than prick. Lexie¡¯s eyebrows flew into her hairline. Aiden sighed and covered his daughter¡¯s ears. ¡°For system''s sake, it was only a level 4 monster. We don¡¯t need a damn wellness check!¡± ¡°It was a ghoul, a possession-type creature. You know symptoms for that can show up weeks later. I need access to your screens to make sure you¡¯re still who you say you are.¡± ¡°How does that even work? You¡¯re just doing it because you¡¯re a dick.¡± Luther shrugged and said, ¡°I can¡¯t help your prejudices against me.¡± Max¡¯s jaw clenched and he didn¡¯t say anything else, but he looked like he really wanted to punch Luther in the face. Luther had a superior smirk that reminded her of Robbie, and looked at Max for a few seconds longer before nodding and turning to Aiden. His smile disappeared when he looked at Aiden. And he seemed to scan him for an even longer time than he did Max, until suddenly it felt like he was in a hurry to look away. And then he turned to Lexie. A second after he did, her status window blinked open.
LUTHER FIREBRINGER [A-RANKED HERO] REQUESTING ACCESS TO YOUR PRIVATE SCREENS. GRANT ACCESS? [YES] [NO]
She glanced at Aiden who nodded at her in approval. Lexie was resistant to the idea of showing anyone else her screen but she couldn¡¯t find a reason to refuse. She was concerned about that ISTS incognito window, but the manual already mentioned that the ISTS information couldn¡¯t be accessed through her private screen. So theoretically, she was good. She visually clicked on the [YES] button and then her private window opened. Luther frown deepened, and apprehension spiked in Lexie¡¯s chest as she had a small crisis of faith. Did he see her Incognito Window after all? Did she inadvertently break the rules? Was her soul about to be terminated? ¡°She¡¯s pre-awakened.¡± Both Aiden and Max seemed to pause. ¡°What?¡± ¡°What does that mean?¡± Lexie asked. Luther glared at Aiden. ¡°She doesn¡¯t know what a pre-awakening is?¡± ¡°Take it down a notch, Luth,¡± Max drawled. ¡°That has nothing to do with you.¡± ¡°It does if he¡¯s being an irresponsible father and neglecting his child¡¯s education! How can his daughter not know what preawakening is? That¡¯s in the basic elementary curriculum. Has she been attending school? And how exactly did you get her to preawaken without a coach? Perhaps, child services need to be called.¡± Aiden¡¯s face turned stony, but there was some guilt that flashed in his eyes as he looked at Lexie. Lexie looked back at him not knowing what any of this meant. Max was the one who finally broke the silence. ¡°Oh, get off your high horse, you prick. You¡¯re giving parenting advice now? Give me a break.¡± Luther shot Max a chilly look at the latter''s wholly hostile tone. ¡°How he raises his kid is none of your business. Call whoever you want but if you¡¯re satisfied that we¡¯re not possessed by evil spirits, then you can leave.¡± Luther glared at Max, whose hand once again was on his holster. Then, the Firebringer ripped his gaze away and stared at Lexie until she started to feel uncomfortable. He sighed, stepped back and said, ¡°Don¡¯t leave town in the next three weeks in case we have follow-up questions." ¡°Of course,¡± Max scoffed. With a tight expression, Luther strutted out of the house, shutting the door behind him. The minute he did, the remaining men stared after him with annoyed exrpressions of varying degrees. "Why did he stare at me like that?¡± Lexie asked, drawing Aiden''s attention. He softened when he looked at her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about Luther, bumble bee.¡± He gave her a comforting head pat. ¡°He was more mad at me than anything.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Aiden made a noncommittal sound and shook his head but Max was all too happy to answer. ¡°Well, it''s because your father was once his mentor." At Lexie''s shocked look, and Aiden¡¯s horrified one, Max continued, "Aiden was also one of the most powerful [Heroes] on Earth 9. Then he did something really cool, but kinda stupid, for the first time in his lame, goody-two-shoes existence and as a result, he became system-marked as a [Villain] for eternity. And then, since he so moronically accepted a [Villain] sentence, he¡¯s now cursed to a life of powerlessness.¡± Max his head and glared after Luther as though holding him personally responsible for Aiden¡¯s misfortune. Then he turned his attention back to Lexie. ¡°You¡¯re preawakened, and given who your father was, a lot of people will try to get you on the [Hero] fast track. I¡¯d turn them down if I were you. [Heroes] are a bunch of ungrateful assholes.¡± ¡°They¡¯re not all like that," Aiden said. ¡°You don¡¯t have to defend them just because you were on their team. None of them defended you when it counted." Max turned his scowl from Aiden to Lexie. "I stand by what I said, kid. There are many other roles where you can earn a decent living. As a [Researcher] for example.¡± ¡°A [Researcher]?¡± ¡°Yes. If you have even half of your father¡¯s intelligence then that should be an easy path for you. You end up with a nice, safe, cushy life; traveling to different planets and maybe even dimensions, and figuring out how the things in this world of ours work. That sounds more suitable for you. Unless you¡¯re somehow thirsty for fame, have an oversized God-complex and a masochistic need to be cannon fodder, stay far away from the [Hero] path.¡± A part of his statement caught Lexie¡¯s attention. Figuring out how this world worked? That sounded like a great way to make an ''Revolutionary Discovery'', one of the requirements for earning Travel Points. She already knew the ''Unbeatable Leadership'' and ''Exceptional Heroism'' were probably out of the question for her. It was just way out of her wheelhouse and she wouldn''t even know where to start with that. But research...that she could do. And maybe if she did it enough, she would get to go home. Or maybe she was reading too much into what Max said, because she was desperate to go home. She was trying to find the clues she could put together to decipher her path back to her original world. She had to be here for a reason right? It couldn¡¯t have just been random. There had to be a storyline here that she was supposed to be a part of, a mystery to solve. Right? Otherwise, why would she be in a video game? Unless of course, this was what happened to everyone who died. They just isekai¡¯d into a random video game planet. Maybe this was purgatory. Her breathing was starting to gallop again at that thought and she reeled herself in. No, don¡¯t go there. Don¡¯t start thinking hopeless thoughts. You¡¯ve been giving a idea, you just have to be patient and work it out. Learn how viable it is. Maybe that [Research] thing Uncle Max mentioned might be her ticket out of here. And if not, maybe, she could find out more about this ISTS business and find a way home with or without the Travel Point. ¡°So what does pre-awakened mean?¡± Lexie asked next. The men shared another look. Max shook his head. ¡°You¡¯ll have to explain it to her yourself. I think I¡¯ve fulfilled my godfather duties for the night.¡± He stretched. ¡°Besides, Flavi is going to kill me if I¡¯m late for our date.¡± 5 - The Pre-Awakened Hero A while later, after Lexie confirmed that her health bar was full and there was no lasting damage, she got off the couch and peeked into the kitchen, where Aiden seemed to be brewing the most complicated tea imaginable. He had about six different mortars of ground herbs and he kept scooping a pinch here and a pinch there into the two different mugs of steaming water, swirling and then tasting the spoon. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Lexie asked and he turned around. ¡°Making us some Muan tea,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s your favorite. Sorry, it''s taking so long, but it has to be made exactingly to turn out right.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± She stepped in and sat at the farmhouse dining table slightly too big for the small space. ¡°I thought you were just trying to delay the pre-awakened talk for as long as possible.¡± He smiled wryly. ¡°That too.¡± ¡°Is it that bad?¡± She asked. She was getting apprehensive with how everyone was acting like it was a terminal disease. She supposed she could check her welcome manual to know for sure what it was, but it would be a hassle to search through the pile of topics. Plus, for whatever reason, she wanted to hear it from Aiden. Despite being a villain, she trusted him more than the blue screen in her head. He seemed to care about her, or at least he cared about who he thought she was. ¡°Not at all," Aiden said in response to her question. "A pre-awakening isn¡¯t a bad thing. Most people regard it as a very good thing actually. It¡¯s just that, for me it¡¯s a sign that you¡¯re growing up. And I just wish I could slow the hands of time on that, you know?¡± Lexie felt a pang of guilt and a strange yearning. He was saying these things to her because he thought she was his daughter. But she wasn¡¯t. Not really. She had no idea where the real Lexie Sparrowfoot was¨Cpossibly back in her body on Earth 2¨Cbut Lexie felt like she was robbing the real Lexie Sparrowfoot of a relationship with her father, by taking her place. At the same time, Lexie herself kinda wished she had a dad who brewed her favorite tea for her and wanted her to not grow up. On the contrary her real dad, Dr. Eric Evans, didn¡¯t so much as know what her favorite food was. He didn¡¯t spend much time with her as a kid, and seemingly couldn¡¯t wait for her to grow up and finally give him some return on his parental investment. Lexie swallowed those feelings and drummed her fingers on the table as she waited for him. When he was finally satisfied with the tea, he filled both flower-patterned cups and then brought them to the table. "You must like flowers a lot," Lexie commented as Aiden took his seat. He shot her a look that was halfway puzzled and halfway amused. "I don''t. But you did." "I did?" "Yeah. You were obsessed with them when you were younger. It''s why I had that painting in your room commissioned. Your mother told me you would most likely gain a botany class at some point. She would talk all about it in her messages." "Oh," Lexie didn''t know what to say about that, but then another thing piqued her curiosity. "Where is she? My mother?" Aiden''s face seemed to freeze, and a deep pain flashed in his gaze, as though she''d dealt him a mortal wound. "Sorry," she said instantly. "No, it''s fine." He swallowed thickly, his voice deeper. "Um...she died. A few years ago." Sympathy settled in Lexie''s chest, both for Aiden and for the other Lexie who lost her mother. "I''m sorry for bringing it up." He waved his hand as though to brush away the ugliness and then took a sip of his tea. ¡°Okay,¡± he said, in a tone that was forced to be brighter. ¡°Now, to explain pre-awakening, I have to first tell you what awakening is.¡± Lexie nodded. She could tell he needed to change the subject right then and she was eager to find out what the big deal was about pre-awakening. ¡°Every year, on a day dubbed System Day, every child who turned eleven in that year¡¯s cycle gets given access to the full System Interface. There, they can observe their full stats window including their rank, class, mana affinity, physical attributes, role points and all that jazz. This is called an Awakening.¡± ¡°So what I¡¯m seeing now, on my system interface, is not the full stat window?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not. You¡¯re a minor so you¡¯re only given the basic information. On System day, you¡¯re given an indepth look into your physical, mental and mana stats and you can choose a class and sometimes get assigned a rank. Your rank can be anywhere from S to C, with S being the highest. Of the ranked individuals, some go on to be system-selected for important roles like [Hero], [Mercenary], [Saintess], [Researcher] and a bunch of others.¡± ¡°A role is like a specialist class? Like a job?¡± Aiden chewed on that. ¡°Of sorts, I suppose. More than that, they¡¯re positions that you must meet certain requirements to fill. So roles are only given through rigorous system testing, unless of course they¡¯re pre-affixed. Since roles have such stringent prerequisites, not every ranked person is suitable for a role. In fact, most of the ranked individuals don¡¯t get a role, only a class. Roles are typically seen as something of a higher prestige and more specificity.¡± He shrugged. ¡°And not everyone gets a rank either. The ranks only go from S-C because nothing below a C is of adequate strength for the System to recognize. So if you don¡¯t meet that minimum requirement, you¡¯re automatically assumed to be unranked in that discipline. That simply means that you lack the building blocks required to develop ability in a relevant class.¡± At Lexie¡¯s confused look, he continued. ¡°For example, if you have no mana ranking, you can¡¯t be a mage, with no physical ranking you can¡¯t be a fighter, and with no mental ranking, you can¡¯t be a scholar.¡± ¡°Oh I see. So what if you lack all three?¡± ¡°Then you¡¯re a mundane.¡± Lexie flinched at the term. ¡°Sounds kinda rude.¡± Aiden palmed his cup. ¡°The name isn''t ideal but unfortunately we don¡¯t have a better word for it right now.¡± ¡°I feel like ¡®unranked¡¯ was right there for the taking and would have worked just as well, but okay. And so what happens with these¡­mundanes?¡± He sighed. He seemed almost hesitant to convey the rest. ¡°Well, in that case, your options are limited. Since you¡¯re locked out of any ranked classes, you can only take on unranked ones, which are usually service-based. There are jobs that do take both ranked and unranked candidates, but usually most jobs show a preference for ranked people. It¡¯s also easier to get promoted if you¡¯re ranked.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± That seemed brutal. ¡°Yeah. It''s a little more complex but that''s the long and short of it. Once your rank is set on System Day, it cannot be changed, only leveled up. Like I hinted at before, one¡¯s rank is decided using affinity and capacity in three measures: physical, mana, And mental. If you have at least one of those beyond the System threshold, then you will receive an S-C Rank in an associated field. A ranked physical score could render you a fighter or a builder of some sort. Ranked mana score usually means mage. Ranked mental score can mean scholar, or cleric, or an expert, or a tinkerer, meister, and the list goes on. There are a also a few combinations of rankings that give you interesting classes. For example, high physical and low mana rankers usually become weaponists. But underneath those broad categories, these are the most common ones.¡± He smiled at her. ¡°Am I losing you sweetheart?¡± ¡°Uh no, I think I¡¯m good.¡± She blew out a breath. ¡°So just to recap, three categories where you can get a rank is physical, mental and mana. And if you don¡¯t get a ranking in at least one, then you¡¯re mundane.¡± ¡°Exactly?¡± ¡°Can you get more than one ranking in a single category? Like if you were both an S-Rank Fighter and C-Rank Builder?¡± ¡°No,¡± he shook his head. ¡°Those are both physical classes and you would have one physical ranking. In that case, an S or a C. What you chose to do with that ranking is up to you. You could choose to be a fighter and then have a subclass as a builder. But it¡¯s typically regarded as pointless to do something like that. You would have to work really really hard to do both and you still wouldn¡¯t be as good at either.¡± Lexie nodded. ¡°Got it.¡± ¡°Yes. And unless you¡¯re pre-affixed, you can choose which class you want, within reason. It also depends on your affinity. But also one thing I want to point out about being a mundane, because it¡¯s important. If you don¡¯t have a mental or physical ranking, that does not mean that you¡¯re not intelligent or physically capable. It just means that¡­¡± "The system did not deem you worthy,¡± Lexie completed instantly seeing the system for what it was. Yet another tiered organization of society. You were either genetically gifted with physical attributes, intelligence, or mana, or you were less than. Then again, wasn¡¯t that how the real world worked too? Kinda? Nah. At least the real world gave you the illusion of a shot. But Aiden shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s not a question of worth. It just means that the System did not deem you compatible with any of the ranked classes. Your physical, mental and mana makeup are just not compatible with it, that¡¯s it. There are plenty of worthy classes that don¡¯t require a ranking. Botanist, for example." Lexie nodded but she recognized the comforting words for what they were. Pretty lies. Aiden was like those parents that told you that it was okay if you weren¡¯t number one, and that all that mattered was that you tried your best. Lexie¡¯s parents had never been one of those. They had at least been honest with her. They had let her know that she had to be the best no matter what. It was perfection or nothing. ¡°This is part of the reason why this is such a difficult conversation to have with a loved one,¡± Aiden sighed. ¡°Especially when they¡¯re as young as you.¡± ¡°No it¡¯s fine,¡± Lexie said and took a sip of the tea. It had a melting effect and tasted slightly sweet and cinnamony with a spicy kick. And there was a slight milkiness to it too, almost like a boba tea. All in all, it tasted very...homey. "This is really good.¡± ¡°Thank you. I¡¯ve been practicing.¡± He beamed.This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. ¡°So what¡¯s pre-awakening? Does it mean that I awakened earlier than others?¡± Aiden mulled it over before he explained. ¡°Yes and no. A pre-awakening is not a full awakening but an acknowledgment from the system that the individual has manifested an exceptional talent or affinity in a particular discipline.¡± ¡°So that means that I¡¯m more likely to be ranked?¡± He nodded. ¡°Yes, you¡¯re pretty much guaranteed a ranking and it¡¯s usually mana-related. As I said, it¡¯s typically a thing of pride for most families. Only about 10% of ranked people ever experience pre-awakening and pre-awakened people often become more powerful over time. No one knows exactly what causes it but it¡¯s said to have both genetic and environmental components. For example, if your parents are both S-ranked, with high mana capacities, then it¡¯s more likely that their child will be pre-awakened as well, because they have good genetics. But there are also environmental factors like stress and sometimes it¡¯s said that feats of extraordinary bravery can trigger a pre-awakening.¡± He winked at me over the mug as he sipped his tea. ¡°Extraordinary bravery like saving one¡¯s father from a Level 4 Ghoul.¡± Lexie avoided his eyes, looking down at her tea. She still didn¡¯t think it was all that brave. It was just a video game. I was just playing a video game. But she couldn''t deny that in that moment, she''d felt a real threat. ¡°Usually it¡¯s a combination of genetics and environmental factors,¡± he said. ¡°Sometimes the top-ranked families intentionally put their children in stressful situations so they can pre-awaken.¡± ¡°Stressful situations like what? Fighting a monster?¡± He nodded. ¡°Sometimes.¡± Lexie gaped. ¡°They would intentionally put their kids in danger just for them to be selected by the system?¡± ¡°More or less. The children first undergo rigorous training with so-called ¡®pre-awakening experts¡¯ before they put them through this though and they¡¯re monitored closely to make sure they don¡¯t really get hurt.¡± ¡°Still. That¡¯s pretty insane.¡± Aiden smiled weakly. ¡°Maybe, but to them it¡¯s worth the status symbol.¡± ¡°That¡¯s horrible.¡± But Lexie was familiar with the type of parents who would do things like that. Parents who only saw their child as a reflection of themselves. They monitored their children¡¯s movements closely, made their kids study every waking moment, just to be able to pass the PSAT. That was the closest reference Lexie had for a pre-awakening, and she assumed an awakening was like the actual SAT. Except no one had ever been gored by the PSAT before, she didn¡¯t think. ¡°There¡¯s another aspect of pre-awakening that I think you should know about,¡± Aiden continued, while Lexie tackled the news and vision of running away from killer textbooks. ¡°which is called pre-affixing. This is the tough part, and the part that makes a pre-awakening a death of childhood. Now, since you¡¯re already pre-awakened, on System day, the system assigns a class and occasionally a role to a pre-awakened individual. This is called a pre-affixation." "Ok,¡± Lexie nodded. ¡°Why would this be a negative thing?" He took a deep breath before continuing. "Because the system doesn''t always pre-affix based on what the individual wants. It''s largely due to their skill set but also due to a need in the System. So even if say, you wanted to be a mage, but the System decided the world needs more melee fighters, they would pre-affix you as one." "Oh." Now Lexie understood Aiden¡¯s hesitation. Yeah, getting stuck with a class they didn¡¯t want would certainly make anyone resentful. "And you don''t have a choice? You can''t change your pre-affixation?" Aiden tilted his head. ¡°You can,¡± he said hesitantly, ¡°But it¡¯s difficult and the System discourages it. Some people get around it later by earning an additional class or a sub-class and building up on that instead, but for the most part, it''s fixed." Lexie frowned as she suddenly realized that she did see something about pre-affixation in her welcome window. It said she''d been pre-affixed as a [CARDUSER HERO]. Shit. It had already happened for her. And she didn¡¯t even know it. And what did her pre-affixation mean? She understood the [Hero] part as being a role, but what on earth was a carduser? Before she could ask though, Aiden seemed to think her silence suggested troubled thoughts and rushed to reassure her. "It''s not all bad, Lex," he said. "In those months before a pre-affixation, it''s possible to nudge the system into a certain class that you want." "It is?" "To some extent. There are things you can do to earn points in whatever class or role you want, although the system really isn¡¯t clear about what those things are. Like I said, it doesn¡¯t encourage changing pre-affixation. But usually a tutor might be able to help you.¡± Aiden said. ¡°Also the beauty of being pre awakened, is that you get a head start on that and your skill grows much faster. A tutor teaches you to exploit that, and the idea is to convince the system that you would be great in that class¡­but again, nothing is concrete. The system might decide it doesn''t care about what you''re good at if there is enough of a need somewhere else." Lexie''s mind was spinning, her hands gripping her cup. So that meant that she more than likely couldn''t change what the system had given her. She was a [Hero]. Disappointment shot through her. That went her plan of being a [Researcher]. Unless she could somehow do both. But why had the System given her that? Did this world not have enough [Heroes]? Was it because she was from a different dimension? Furthermore, why had she gotten her pre-affixation so quickly, even before her pre-awakening? "And pre-affixation always happens after a pre-awakening?" she asked Aiden carefully. "Never before?" Aiden nodded firmly. "Yes. Typically pre-affixation happens for the pre-awakened on System day, although it can be delayed sometimes. And a pre-awakening usually happens around your age too, although I''d hoped you wouldn''t be pre-awakened. It¡¯s a terrible thing, I think, to decide a child¡¯s future before they even know who they are. Normal affixation isn''t even usually recommended until you''re about to enter adulthood. And some people never affix." ¡°Why wouldn''t they?¡± He shrugged. ¡°I suppose they don¡¯t have a strong affinity towards any role or class. The disadvantage is that they never grow any skill to its full potential. The advantage is that they can use the skills they do obtain more fluidly and they¡¯re not bound by the affixation. It¡¯s the reason that I never affixed.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s stop here,¡± he said, putting his mug down. ¡°We can continue the affixation talk in the morning after you¡¯ve had a good night''s sleep. There¡¯s still so much to get into with the roles and classes and your eyes are starting to glaze over.¡± ¡°They were?¡± Lexie thought. She wanted to hear more, but then maybe Aiden had a point. Her head was starting to hurt from all the information she was getting, and she had a feeling he hadn¡¯t even scratched the surface. ¡°Wait one more thing,¡± she said as Aiden stood. ¡°What is a Card User?" Aiden grabbed the cups from the table and took them to the sink. "Cards are a type of bound magic. So a card user would be a mage." "Could a mage also be a [Researcher]?" "Yes. A mage is simply a class, but it can aid a number of different [Roles]. [Researcher] is a role.¡± "And what Max said, was he right? If I wanted to travel to other planets or maybe across dimensions would [Researcher] be the best way to do that?¡± ¡°There are a few ways you can achieve that goal.¡± ¡°But becoming a [Researcher] is the easiest way?¡± He sighed and returned, sliding his hands onto her sides and lifting Lexie into his arms. Lexie felt a little awkward at being carried at her age, but this seemed normal for Aiden so she allowed it. Also, he smelled comforting, like cinnamon, nutmeg and pine. ¡°I don¡¯t want you to decide anything right now,¡± he said as they walked. ¡°You¡¯re still so young and being a [Researcher] can be a very difficult life. Lonely, with a lot of time spent holed up in a dark room studying algorithms endlessly day in and day out. Max was only seeing the monetary incentive and the fact that [Researchers] don¡¯t have to face monsters every day, and I suppose to him that seems like a better deal. But not everything that seems better is.¡± Lexie considered his words, but as he reached her room, one thought remained. Studying endlessly does sound a lot like me. As depressing as it is, it might be the one thing I''m good at. Once she was laid in bed, with Aiden gone, Lexie took a deep breath and then called up the system window again.
YOU HAVE BEEN PRE-AFFIXED AS A [CARD USER HERO].
Her memory was right. The words blinked and she tried to figure out what to do now. Maybe I need to read up more on roles. Maybe there''s more to the [Hero] Role than I understand. She went to the manual and looked for the information. Helpfully, she found a Roles tab and opened it up. Man there were a bunch of roles, even for politicians, military and other things. She would take her time to go through them later, but for now, she selected [Hero]. The description was short and kind of what she expected.
The [Hero] role is one of the most important in the system. You bring balance to society and act as a primary defense against dark forces, and instability. Your heroic deeds serve to instill confidence in the populace, encourage humanity to fight for what''s right, and you save them from supernatural and extraterrestrial threats. The highest achievement a [Hero] can obtain is to become a [Superhero].
Yeah that all checked out. The perks were things like a high salary, fame, and fortune, guaranteed entrance and authority in every city of a district, but none of that excited Lexie. She clicked back to the Role column and then selected the [Researcher] Role.
The [Researcher] role sets one up as a pioneer of discovery. In this role, you seek the advancement of the System and humankind as a result. You¡¯re vital in creating a better, fairer world for all humanity. The highest achievement a [Researcher] can obtain is to become a [System Developer]. Perks: High salary Occasional travel credits where necessary. (System Developers have unlimited travel credits) Access to the ISTS.
Lexie didn''t continue reading past that because she immediately doubled back to that second point. It said that System Developers got unlimited travel credits. That was it. That was all she wanted. Her heart raced as she sat up. With those travel credits, she could go home. And that pretty much sealed the deal for her. Screw being a hero and bringing balance. That was not for her. She had to figure out a way to change her pre-affixation. Maybe, since my pre-affixation happened so early, there''s still time to change it. Aiden said it was possible to nudge the system into a different direction. Maybe I can do that by studying more, or doing more research-y things.And he did say it was difficult to change a pre-affixation but not impossible. I should ask him tomorrow Maybe she was getting ahead of herself here. But if it was at all possible to study her way out of this mess, then she would do it. There was one good thing that her parents instilled in her, and it was the mindset that she could pretty much do or achieve anything she set her mind to. She could ace any test she wanted to, overcome every challenge as long as she put the work in, planned properly, and pushed her body to the brink, barely sleeping or eating until she achieved her goal. Perhaps, it wasn¡¯t always the healthiest mindset to have but in this case it worked to give her the confidence she needed to continue. She reminded herself that she got into MIT, a school that only accepted a small percentage of people in the world. She could definitely change her affixation if she worked hard enough. Heck she defeated a ghoul today with minimal training and impressed Uncle Max, which she somehow knew was the even harder thing. He seemed to think she could become a [Researcher] and he didn¡¯t feel like the kind of person to joke about something like that. So, she could definitely do it. But the question remained in her mind. How did become I pre-affixed before I pre-awakened? Was that what the ¡®error¡¯ on my stat screen was for? Does that mean that it was a mistake¡­ and maybe it could be fixed by somehow influencing the system to make me a [Researcher] instead? There was likely no correlation between those two things, but Lexie didn¡¯t want to give up on that thought thread. It gave her hope, and she struggled to hold onto all the hope she could afford. Lexie wanted to read more about [Research] but her eyes grew weary and she noted how tired she actually was. So instead, she reluctantly waved away the welcome screen and pulled up her inventory instead. Her phone floated in the air. It had somehow gone back to her inventory when she dropped it before the fight with the ghoul. She plucked it out of the air and went back to read through messages from her brother while trying to remain hopeful and not wallow in depression. I''ll come back, Logan, she told him mentally. One way or another. I''ll figure my way out of this mess. I promise. She fell asleep with his "Think fast, loser!" ringing in her head. 6 - Bound Vs Unbound Magic Lexie woke up the next morning to the scent of freshly baked bread. Who¡¯s baking? None of her parents cooked. Her father attempted sometimes, but her mother had a famous hatred for cooking ever since she worked as a fry cook at a fastfood restaurant to put herself through college. Maybe it was Logan experimenting in the kitchen again but usually her brother¡¯s food experiments didn¡¯t smell that good. Or maybe Mom had catered from that bakery on 5th Avenue. But if she was catering then it meant she was about to entertain visitors, and high academia strangers would be in Lexie''s house soon. Ugh. Lexie groaned. I need to get lost before they get here. She opened her eyes, to do just that but then she found that she didn''t recognize her room. And then it all came rushing back. She wasn¡¯t home. She was in a video game world with [Heroes], and [Villains] and dungeons and a system and also a ghoul that had definitely tried to eat her last night even though it was reportedly vegetarian. It all sounded absurd, but not as absurd as it sounded yesterday. Especially since she¡¯d woken up in the middle of the night, and continued reading the welcome manual until she fell asleep again. Most of it was getting her acclimated to her new earth, teaching her how to use her System Interface and even showing her exact location on a map. It also showed her how to work the TV¨Cthough the manual noted that TVs were archaic because you could just project any video you wanted from the NET onto a flat surface or visual pad. Oh and the NET was Earth 9''s internet, but more cohesive and streamlined. Unlike the internet there weren¡¯t different websites that kind of all did the same thing. With the NET, there was a place for everything, but everything also had its place. They had a video section called Video Alley, an article section which collated all the news of the day, and a search section she could use to search for anything she wanted. Like a fantasy Google. It was very helpful. But also highly restrictive. They were certain things she didn¡¯t get a lot of information for. For example, when she wanted to look more into the ISTS and how it worked, she was asked for a Scholar ID before she could proceed. She tried just looking at interdimensional travel and what to do when you had your soul stolen from your body and thrown into another person¡¯s but there would only be brief mentionings in articles that, whenever she tried to open up, would always ask for her Scholar ID. That was a lesson in frustration. She would have to ask Aiden what a Scholar ID was and how she could get one. Over all, Lexie was more relaxed but slightly resentful. In most of the isekai she¡¯d watched, it always seemed so easy. The system automatically bestowed the main characters with all the knowledge they needed and what they were supposed to do. Or most often, they were isekai-d into a book they¡¯d read or a game they¡¯d played and it was all a grand adventure. But no. She literally had no clue about this game except that her brother apparently played the beta version. She¡¯d also read through her brother¡¯s text about Heroes Online again. It listed out the names of the major players and their classes but little else. But he seemed really excited about playing it and it reminded Lexie of all the times he would hang out in her room, playing MMORPGs games on his phone while she studied. They¡¯d mutually ignore each other, but he¡¯d yell out, ¡°Hell yeah¡± when he cleared a level, and she would roll her eyes and tell him to keep it down. The memory of it had threatened to overwhelm her. She''d had to stop reading his texts at that point or she would have ended up crying again. Now, she got out of bed and padded toward the door to the bathroom. Helpfully, the welcome manual also showed her how to work the sink and the shower. It wasn¡¯t too complicated, except there were more dials she needed to adjust to get perfect temperature hot water. It took her about thirty minutes of fiddling to get it right and then when she was done, she went to her closet and skimmed through the clothes. There were a lot of pants and tops but none of the material was denim. Instead, her pants were made of wool, leather, and a coarse woven material that was kind of like denim but softer. She pulled on that one and a cotton T-shirt and went downstairs. Aiden was in the kitchen, watching a projection on a pad screen that was propped on the counter. As she approached him, she could hear a disembodied woman¡¯s voice saying, ¡°...whisk whisk whisk ladies! Keep mixing up all those ingredients until they¡¯re uniform. And when you''re done, you can add another cup of flour and a pinch of dragon dust¨C¡± ¡°A pinch?¡± Aiden grumbled in response. ¡°Really, Nancy. I told you last week in the comments; it¡¯s exactly those types of imprecise measurements that make things more difficult for your viewers.¡± He kept muttering as he measured out a cup of flour, from a plastic container full of it. "Your pinch and my pinch are very different madam¡­¡± Today he was wearing a t-shirt and some sweatpants. On top of that, he''d tied an apron with flowers that looked like they were hand-drawn by a kid. The apron was now dusted in flour. Aiden didn¡¯t seem to hear Lexie as she walked into the room. He was still bent over, muttering and scowling at a black pad in front of him as Nancy continued talking. ¡°Oh and guys! Someone mentioned in the comments the other day about how they didn¡¯t know what a pinch was. A pinch in this case is essentially about half a teaspoon.¡± ¡°Now that¡¯s more like it.¡± Aiden''s scowl disappeared into a self-satisfied smile, as picked up a tiny measuring spoon, dipping it into what looked like a tupperware full of grey powder. ¡°This is why you¡¯re the baking queen, Nancy. You read our comments and incorporate feedback better than any of those other V-Bakers. Especially that Edna fraud¨Cdon¡¯t know what I was thinking listening to her after that croquembouche fiasco. Anyway, I¡¯m glad I learned my lesson. I¡¯ll never again stray from what we have.¡± They have croquembouche here? Lexie thought, immediately followed by, Wait, did that lady say to put dragon dust in the dough? Aiden spoke to the video like the woman was there in the flesh, but her voice continued speaking while he ranted, proving that this was only a prerecorded video. As she got closer, she saw that he was watching a Video from Video Alley, and it was projected onto the pad in extreme high definition. Lexie knew, from reading the manual, that he could also adjust settings to make the video 3D or 4D. But for now, he settled with boring old 2-D. Lexie watched as Aiden dedicatedly measured out the powder, sliding one finger over the tiny grey mountain so it was flat on the spoon. After adding the pinch of the grey powder, Aiden turned to reach for the jug of water on the table behind him and finally spotted Lexie. ¡°Hey busy bee," he smiled. "You¡¯re awake early. Did you sleep well? Have any good dreams?¡± Lexie shrugged as she walked in. She felt like she did have a dream but she couldn¡¯t remember it. That was pretty normal for her. She always forgot her dreams in the morning, but she was pretty sure that was because most of them were about as boring as her life. She probably just studied in her dreams too. On the bright side, she wasn''t having any nightmares about being shot. She barely remembered the sensation beyond a brief pain and disbelief. Probably the adrenaline numbed her to most of the worst parts of the experience. That''s good. I don''t know if I could deal with PTSD on top of all this. Although some might say that her distinct lack of emotionality and strange resignation to her situation might be a form of PTSD. She slipped into the same seat she sat in last night. ¡°What are you making?¡± ¡°Pumpkin Bread,¡± Aiden said happily. "With a twist." ¡°Another of my favorites?¡± ¡°You remember?¡± His eyes glinted with hope that fell a little when she shook her head. ¡°I just assumed, because everything you¡¯ve made so far has been my favorite food.¡± He gave a cough-laugh. ¡°I guess I may be overcompensating a little.¡± A little is an understatement. She cocked her head. ¡°Overcompensating for what?¡± He poured a little bit of water into the mixture as Nancy directed.¡°For not being around enough when you were younger. Always working. Missing a bunch of your important childhood moments, because I assumed I would have time to make up for it later.¡± He paused on that thought. ¡°Although I guess I was somewhat right. Being a convicted Villain gives tons more free time than being a hero ever did. Funny how that works out huh?¡± "Yeah, but I¡¯m sure there are better ways to get time off." Aiden chuckled but he still looked a little sad. Lexie didn''t know what else to say. Her parents had barely been around either when she was growing up, but she didn''t think she minded much. When they were around all they wanted to talk about was school and her ''plans for the future¡¯ anyway. But Aiden seemed torn up about it so she offered him a boon. "It''s okay that you weren''t around. I mean, I understand your work is important." His expression fell and the guilt on his face only grew. ¡°My work shouldn¡¯t have been more important than your needs.¡± He sighed and returned to his bowl. ¡°And it wasn''t just work. After your mother''s death, I was...I couldn''t stop searching for answers. It consumed me. I let it take me down some very dark places and I left you behind in the process." "Answers?" That part piqued her curiosity and that was easier to address than the emotional landmine of the rest of his statement. "You were looking for answers on how my mother died?" He whisked harder, the metal clattering the corner of the glass bowl. His throat bobbed as he swallowed. "They said it was on a mission gone wrong. A high-level dungeon had opened up, so she and a few more high-level fighters were sent to clear it. None of them made it out." His expression grew haunted. "I don''t know what the government was thinking, sending them in. They had no mage with them. No healer." "Mom wasn''t a mage?" ¡°Your mother?¡± He snorted. "She didn¡¯t have a mana ranking. She had some mana affinity, but zero capacity and zero interest in learning anything magic-related. She thought thaumaturgy was a kind of soup and she didn¡¯t like mages very much.¡± His smile turned warm and a little sad. ¡°But she was an amazing fighter, a high-level A-Rank, Soldier Type. But, she wasn''t a [Hero] and they had no business sending her in without backup. And no one could tell me why they did." The last sentence was said in an angry tone, a dark shadow passing over his face. "I wasn''t around when it happened. The Association had me working off the planet. When I came back she was already..." Once again, he couldn''t finish the sentence. Lexie felt a sudden wave of pity for him. She could picture it now, a hero off saving the world, and coming back to meet a dead wife and a young, probably grieving, daughter. And then later his daughter falls into a coma. Thankfully, she returns but it''s not really her. And every time Aiden smiled warmly or patted her head, Lexie felt even more like an imposter. She felt guilty even though none of this was her fault. "That''s how you became a villain?" Lexie asked quietly. "Searching for answers?" He nodded and released a heavy breath. "Something like that. But I''d rather not get into my villainous past right now. That conversation will come when you''re older." Aw. That was too bad. Lexie was curious about the "really cool but kinda stupid" thing he''d done, but she understood why he didn''t want to talk about it. She supposed he probably didn''t want his daughter to know too much about his life of crime. Maybe he''s scared that I''ll judge him. Or that I¡¯ll follow in his path. But he needn¡¯t have worried. Lexie had been a rule-follower all her life and planned on remaining one. The [Villain] life was definitely not for her. On the other hand, she could probably look up his crime later on the NET. She probably should have done that already. Just to make sure that whatever he did really wasn''t that bad. "Does being a convicted [Villain] make it harder to find jobs?¡± she asked Aiden. ¡°In a sense. I can¡¯t do anything magic related, or strength-related. There¡¯s also a limit on how much I can earn and all my communication regarding employment must go through my parole officer.¡± He traded his whisk for a spatula to turn and fold the sticky dough. ¡°Mostly, the system assigns me menial labor whenever there¡¯s a shortage, and I help out in other service roles. Lately, I¡¯ve been working in the Healing House, helping them make their medicinal potions.¡± He carefully placed the spatula on a cloth on the counter, and began kneading the dough with his hand. ¡°It''s nothing compared to my previous work, and making potions without magic is difficult to say the least. But the kind folks at the healing house were willing to overlook my criminal past when they contracted me and so I try my best to make it worth their while.¡± What about the rest of the world? Lexie wondered. She didn¡¯t know what Aiden had done but given how Luther treated him yesterday, a lot of people probably hated him. Lexie didn''t voice her questions though. She asked something adjacent to it. ¡°When you say previous work¡­¡± she ventured carefully. ¡°Do you mean villain stuff? You know, planning world domination, meetings with minions and such?¡± ¡°Not quite.¡± He chuckled. ¡°My ¡®villainy¡¯ as it were, was relatively recent, short-lived and not really prolific. I made no minions in that time and formulated no plans to take over the world.¡± Ok. That was good to know. Assuming she believed him, that is. ¡°My previous job was as the Professor of Unbound Studies at the Victoire Hero Academy. My alma mater.¡± ¡°Unbound Studies? What¡¯s that?¡± Done kneading, he covered the bowl with a clean napkin he retrieved from a hook. Then, he washed his hands, carefully cleaning dough from underneath his finger nails. Once he was done, he sauntered over to take the seat opposite her. ¡°There are, broadly speaking, two different types of magic: bound and unbound. At its simplest definition, bound magic uses artifacts, like wands, spells, weapons or cards to generate a skill. Unbound magic does not. Under the mage class, you will eventually be asked to affix either of the two.¡± ¡°Why would someone choose one over the other?¡±Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Well, for starters only S or A Ranked mages can choose Unbound Magic. Since its magic is conjured without any aids, it requires a large mana capacity and mana affinity to master. Occasionally a B Rank might be able to use some types of Unbound magic, but not as well. On the contrary, any rank can use bound magic, but it¡¯s better suited for people with low mana capacity and affinity. It doesn¡¯t require one to have a large mana capacity or affinity because whatever tool you use already contains some mana, and is designed to help you channel it better. Sort of like magical aids. But, after affixing bound magic, you need your chosen tool for your skills to work. So if you were a wand-user for example and you didn¡¯t have a wand with you, you would be essentially powerless.¡± Lexie nodded her understanding. ¡°So Bound Magic has more limits.¡± ¡°Precisely.¡± ¡°And Unbound magic is better.¡± He hesitated. ¡°Some people might say that.¡± ¡°But you wouldn¡¯t?¡± Lexie watched him carefully as he drummed his now clean fingers on the table. He appeared to consider his next words carefully. ¡°It¡¯s easier to see the value of Unbound magic because it¡¯s very straightforward,¡± he said measuredly. ¡°You have people with lots of internal mana, who can generate powerful skills without needing any conduit. Bound magic often looks like child''s play in comparison. But saying one is better than the other is too simplistic.¡± Lexie didn¡¯t think so. Unbound magic certainly seemed like the better option from just about every angle. She could only imagine how much it would suck to break your wand or lose your magical weapon in the middle of a ghoul attack and die as a result. But Aiden grinned as though he could read her thoughts and found them funny. He rose and Lexie turned as he walked to the cabinet she¡¯d opened yesterday, selecting the deck of cards before returning to his seat. ¡°Bound magic simply serves a different purpose than unbound," he said. "An example is card magic, which is often seen as one of the least powerful types of Bound Magic.¡± He laid his hand on the back of the card, which had intricate purple swirls tunneling a center gem. He flicked the card on top over, revealing a border with a more elaborate design, and a center of dancing heels. ¡°Cards are heavily misunderstood and as a result, denigrated for not adequately doing something they¡¯re not meant for in the first place. Most people can only point out their flaws. Cards usually deal with low-capacity magic. It¡¯s not an attack-heavy tool and it¡¯s notoriously difficult to activate under pressure, also requiring a cool-off time. Cards lack flexibility too, sacrificing that for complexity. They''re fine for an entertainer or educator to use, but horrible for high-stakes situations. It¡¯s why no [Hero], or [Villain] for that matter, has ever been a card-user." "Wait, never?" Confusion ricocheted through her. "There''s never been a [Card User Hero]? Ever?" He shook his head. "Never. For all the reasons I just mentioned." Lexie frowned. ¡°So, let¡¯s say hypothetically, someone was preaffixed as a [Card User Hero]. What would that mean?¡± Aiden¡¯s lips pursed as he thought about the question. Then he shook his head. ¡°Well, assuming it wasn¡¯t some system error, it would be kind of a tragedy, wouldn¡¯t it? For one thing, I think that individual would be laughed out of any [Hero] program they tried to apply to. I don¡¯t even think they¡¯d make good hero support either. And even if they manage to get in and want to do hero work, they would probably have to endure a fair amount of mockery and would only be given low ranking assignments.¡± Great, Lexie thought sarcastically. So it seemed that, without any qualms, the system had rendered her a freak and a failure. Why on earth had it preaffixed her as a [Card User Hero] then? Was it a mistake? Random? Or was her class broken just because she came from a different dimension? She really wanted to ask Aiden more about it, but she didn''t want to give away her pre-affixation quite yet. She wanted to gauge him properly first. Perhaps because, on some level, she thought maybe Aiden didn¡¯t know how a [Villain] would feel about his daughter being a [Hero]. He didn¡¯t seem to hold much animosity toward [Heroes] but she didn¡¯t know for sure. And also she didn¡¯t know if her early pre-affixation had something to do with the ISTS. Maybe it was part of the things she wasn¡¯t supposed to disclose. Either way, she was playing that particular card close to her chest. "But cards are an excellent teaching tool,¡± Aiden continued. ¡°Teaching tool?¡± ¡°Yes, especially when it comes to mana pathways.¡± ¡°What are those?¡± He traced his finger around the cards. ¡°Well, if you become a mage, they¡¯re a topic you study at any mage academy. A mana pathway is the mechanism by which a magical skill is activated, the flow of mana through and out of your body, the movement of magic. Each skill has a different pathway and if you try to activate a skill without the proper pathway, you can get a drastically different result than what you wanted, or worst case scenario, you could harm yourself. So the first thing any mage learns is how to properly activate and navigate many pathways. Most professors use cards as a teaching tool because it¡¯s the most unforgiving when it comes to having strict mana pathways.¡± Lexie furrowed her eyebrows. Aiden pulled in a salt shaker to explain. He shook enough of the salt onto the table and began to draw lines through it resembling a series of connecting tunnels. ¡°For example, let¡¯s take this as a pathway for a particular spell. You say the spell, but you don''t properly go through the activation protocol, maybe you used too much or too little mana and it twists the pathway instead. You could still get a good result just by saying the spell correctly because the spell pathway is more flexible and will end up adjusting to allow for your skill. And with unbound magic, you can just ignore proper protocol and pump your body with ungodly amounts of mana, and some of that is bound to flow in the right pathway, even if it¡¯s a terrible process that generates a lot of waste.¡± Aiden¡¯s face showed his disgust for such a method. ¡°But none of that is possible with cards. As I said before, cards sacrifice flexibility for complexity. They are completely unforgiving when it comes to process. The mana pathway and activation protocol have to be completed exactly right, or the card simply won¡¯t activate. This is their strength. They¡¯re the best and safest type of magic to learn pathways with.¡± He placed the first card down on the table and flipped the next one. ¡°Unbound might seem like the better option at first glance, but that¡¯s because it prioritizes simple raw power output. So if that¡¯s what you¡¯re looking for then that¡¯s the way to go." He tapped the card. ¡°But cards are a subtler type of magic. It¡¯s also said that they were the first magical tools that the system created, before spells or wands or runes. Eventually, as other magic types became popular, things like cards were seen as outdated, and archaic with a lot of redundancies. But I still believe that it¡¯s the best way to fundamentally understand how magic works in our world. It''s the truest form the system gave us." Lexie glanced down at the card. She didn¡¯t know how to feel about anything she¡¯d just discovered. Finding out that card magic was one of the weakest types didn¡¯t make her feel good, but if it made it easier for her to learn then that was a good thing. She was aiming to be a [Researcher] anyway, and not a [Hero]. There was one thing though that she didn''t get. Everything Aiden just said about pathways implied that there was at least some learning curve involved in activating them. But activating that card felt effortless yesterday. She''d barely even noticed the energy that rushed through her. ¡°That card you used yesterday doesn¡¯t count though,¡± Aiden said as though he could sense what she was thinking. ¡°Its skill worked independently of the user. It doesn¡¯t require the user to have any magic for it to work, so even a mundane could have activated it.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Lexie¡¯s interest peaked. ¡°So there are cards like that?¡± ¡°Not usually,¡± he admitted. ¡°This is the only one I know of still in existence.¡± ¡°How come? It seemed like a pretty useful tool. It could help people who don¡¯t have mana to be able to do things like protect themselves from ghouls, and other mildly vegetarian creatures of the night. Why doesn¡¯t the system make more of it?¡± Aiden cocked his head, looking pleased. ¡°I love that you ask the right questions." But for whatever reason, he didn''t answer the question. Instead, he held up another card, similar in design to the others, but with twisted legs in the center of it. ¡°You wanna try to activate a card?¡± Lexie¡¯s eyes widened. She didn''t even take a second to think about it. ¡°Uh, yeah.¡± He passed her the card and she took it, apprehension mixed in with a bit of excitement. Maybe this was a stupid idea but she was curious to find out how these cards worked. Besides, what other chance would she ever get to use magical cards? "Close your eyes," Aiden said. Lexie obeyed and tried not to fidget. "Try as much as possible to feel your internal mana. Take deep breaths if you need to. It should feel like a faintly buzzing sensation, similar to a bolt of less intense lightning. Now, it might take you a few minutes to identify, so don¡¯t worry if you¨C¡± ¡°Got it," Lexie said. She heard Aiden make a sputtering sound. ¡°Are you sure? That fast?¡± ¡°Uh-huh.¡± It didn''t take Lexie that much time at all. Almost as soon as he started speaking she felt it. She probably always felt it but just took notice of it when she turned her attention inward. It was similar to the buzzing in the atmosphere, but different. More her. She could sense pieces of herself in the mana, her fear, her longing for home, her sadness, and even her curiosity. ¡°What do I do next?¡± she asked Aiden, who seemed to have been struck silent for a moment. ¡°Um,¡± he said ¡°Okay, next thing you need to do is push your¡­.awareness slightly outward towards your hand, and feel the mana in the card.¡± Lexie took deep breaths and pushed the skittering sensation outward toward the card. When she focused on the card, she saw a glowing path radiating in the darkness that looked like a complicated ladder, with rungs laced around each other. ¡°What do you see, Lexie?¡± Aiden asked. "A weird ladder," she answered honestly. "Really?" Aiden sounded surprised. "You found it already?" ¡°Yeah. Is this supposed to be hard?¡± ¡°Well¡­yes. Especially since it¡¯s your first time. Frankly, I expected you to struggle a little at the beginning, and then I was going to impress you with the fact that I actually activated my very first card in under a minute. But now it looks like you¡¯re going to beat my time and I won¡¯t get the chance to be the amazingly cool mage dad.¡± She didn''t know if he sounded disappointed or proud. Lexie didn¡¯t want to lose her focus so she merely smiled. ¡°So the ladder is¡­.¡± "It''s the activation pathway for the card. Direct your mana through it, to activate the card. Then the card will help you generate a skill.¡± "Okay. So I just direct my mana through the path?" "Yes. Like you''re tracing the lines of the ladder." Lexie steeled herself, took another deep breath, and then started pushing her mana towards the ladder, watching it enter from the bottom left leg and slowly rise winding through the rungs. It was slow and strenuous. Like working a muscle she didn¡¯t know she had, and had never used before. She found herself frowning hard. But she kept going because she was just fascinated by the process. The mana glowed even brighter as it passed each spot in the pathway it touched and she had to remember not to hold her breath. It was truly beautiful. As it reached the top, filling the ladder, Lexie asked, ¡°Alright, what now?¡± ¡°Now is the harder part. You need to direct the external mana in the atmosphere inside you, using the card as a pathway stabilizer.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Lexie said and then a knock on the door further broke her concentration. "Ah, hang on. That¡¯s probably Max," Aiden said. The chair scraped on the floor and Lexie''s eyes popped open as he rose from the table. His footsteps thumped on the wooden floorboard as he went to answer the door. In the meantime, Lexie remained seated examining the card she was holding. It was similar to the dancing feet card, but instead, the feet were twisted around each other. She focused on it and a blue box popped up. was the title of the card. Before she could read more, the door creaked open and Aiden said, ¡°Rose.¡± ¡°I¡¯m so sorry to disturb you like this.¡± The woman¡¯s voice was frantic, pleading. ¡°But I have no one else to turn to. Evan¡¯s condition has gotten worse.¡± Lexie turned to see a petite woman standing on the porch, holding the hand of a sandy-haired boy of about three or four years old. She thought the boy looked fine at first, but when she squinted, she could see there was a reddish rash spreading over his neck. ¡°When did it begin worsening?¡± Aiden asked in a quiet tone as he squatted in front of the boy, gently holding his chin and turning his head one way then another. Evan looked like he was used to being manhandled because he simply grinned as Aiden lifted his arms to check underneath it. ¡°I have stinky pits,¡± he warned with a giggle. ¡°I can tell.¡± Aiden waved his hand in front of his face, a tad dramatically making Evan giggle more. ¡°But I¡¯m getting used to your unique tang of moldy cheese.¡± ¡°Sorry,¡± Rose cringed. ¡°I haven¡¯t been able to shower him for three days. He screams bloody murder whenever I try.¡± ¡°That¡¯s probably because the water is reacting with the rash. Also could be the hydrophobia kicking in.¡± ¡°Do you think it got worse because of the dungeon opening? I heard an unstable one opened last night and something got out. Do you think that¡¯s what¡¯s causing this? Old Man Lochlan said half his crops shriveled up and died overnight too.¡± Aiden was quiet. Lexie couldn''t see his face, but she got the impression that he was carefully considering his words. ¡°I doubt it,¡± he said. ¡°The creature last night was a possession type, not a pestilence type. It wouldn''t have done this.¡± That didn¡¯t calm Rose. If anything, it made her more frantic. "What if there was another unstable dungeon then? One that they didn¡¯t catch? They¡¯ve been occurring more frequently than before.¡± ¡°The system would have alerted us if a dungeon had completed its spawning. We would have had to evacuate. I don¡¯t think there was another dungeon.¡± ¡°Then why did Evan get worse overnight?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure. You should go to the Healing House. They¡¯ll run tests over there.¡± Rose heaved a heavy trembling breath. ¡°I¡¯m tired of going to the healing house.¡± Her voice was strained. ¡°All they do is run tests and give us potions that don¡¯t work. The rash always comes back. We need a healer, someone with magic.¡± ¡°Emma has called for a healer.¡± ¡°Yes. Three weeks ago, yet no one from the Healer¡¯s guild or Hero¡¯s Association arrived. They probably don¡¯t think we¡¯re worthy of healing because we¡¯re all lower-middle-class mundanes.¡± Bitterness dripped from her tone and she reached forward and took Aiden¡¯s hand. ¡°Please, Archmage. Is there nothing you can do?¡± ¡°You know I can¡¯t use magic anymore, Rose.¡± Her eyebrows furrowed in desperation, voice lowered. ¡°Not even a little bit? I promise I won¡¯t tell anyone if you do.¡± Aiden sighed and shook his head. As he straightened, he ruffled Evan¡¯s hair. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± He said. ¡°Go to the Healing House. I¡¯ll be there shortly, to help Emma with the potions." Rose eventually assented but she looked slightly dejected, shoulder slouched as she took her son¡¯s hand. ¡°Thanks anyway.¡± After she left, Aiden returned to the dining table. The easy smile on his face was gone, and tension coiled in his shoulders. ¡°You really can¡¯t help that lady?¡± Lexie asked quietly. He met her eyes and gave her one of his sadder smiles. ¡°Not with magic. As Max said, part of my punishment is that I can¡¯t use any. These...¡± He pointed to the bands on his neck and the matching ones on his wrists. ¡°...restrict me.¡± ¡°Yes but can¡¯t the system make an exception for when you need to help people? Or can¡¯t you get your sentence reduced for good behavior?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not how it works. There is a lot of flexibility with the system, but unfortunately, this is one of the things it¡¯s strict about. Once a [Villain] sentence is accepted, convicted [Villains] must carry it out. My sentence is these bands. For life.¡± "What happens if you try to use magic?" "Pain," he said almost casually. "Excruciating pain and burning. And sometimes you suffer aftershocks that feel like you''ve been struck by real lightning and it''s ripping through your veins." Lexie shuddered internally at the description. ¡°That¡¯s inhumane.¡± Lexie burst out, and then a thought occurred to her. ¡°Is that why your hands were shaking so badly yesterday? Because you tried to use magic?¡± He grimaced at being caught. ¡°Yes. It was stupid but instinct is hard to beat. When I saw the ghoul heading back for you, I ran but I wasn''t moving fast enough. I was too panicked to think. So I tried to teleport here based on pure muscle memory and I swiftly paid for that mistake.¡± And still, he¡¯d come. He¡¯d ran in here and confronted a ghoul with his bare hands while in excruciating, vein-rending pain. Despite Lexie¡¯s attempt to stay distant from most of what was happening here, her heart melted. He must really love his daughter if he¡¯s willing to put himself through torture for her. It¡¯s just sad for him that I¡¯m not the real thing. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she said. ¡°Don''t be sorry, bumble bee. It¡¯s not your fault and I don¡¯t regret it for a second. Besides, the shakes don¡¯t hurt that much and they go away after some time.¡± ¡°Still, it¡¯s horrible.¡± And sounded kind of excessive. Although she didn¡¯t know what he did, she really couldn¡¯t imagine someone like Aiden committing murder or attempting to take over the world or something heinous enough to warrant living with painful bands for the rest of one¡¯s life. Max called what he did ¡°really cool but kinda stupid.¡± Aiden himself said he was searching for information. Maybe he accessed information that he shouldn''t have, probably by magically hacking this dimension''s equivalent of the CIA. And yeah that was wrong, but Lexie didn¡¯t think it deserved this kind of sentence. Then again, she didn¡¯t know any of these people and maybe she was simply jumping to conclusions. She pulled herself back to reality. You don¡¯t know him. He could be a mass murderer for all you know. A ding announced the oven timer was done counting down. ¡°Oh good, the vanilla bread is done,¡± Aiden said. ¡°Unfortunately I won¡¯t be able to wait for it to properly cool down, or finish baking the pumpkin bread, but we can have a few slices before I go.¡± He donned some oven mitts and bent to retrieve the tray from the oven, placing it on a machine made up of metal tubes. He pushed a button and cool air blew out of the tubes onto the bread. And then he reached for a bread knife. But throughout, Lexie still couldn''t stop staring at his bands. ¡°What you did¡­" she started. "You know, to become a [Villain]. Was it that bad?¡± Lexie was somewhat surprised when Aiden paused for a moment, turning to her with a strange expression on his face. Like regret but also anger. ¡°It was,¡± Aiden said. He didn¡¯t say anything else, just quickly turned away and began slicing the bread. 7 - Plots and Plans Lexie decided to accompany Aiden to the Healing House. She was bored of staying home all day, and this was a chance to see if she could maybe get cell service from somewhere else. Besides, despite his [Villain] status, she wasn¡¯t scared of Aiden. Not yet anyway. Plus he was the only one who could tell her about this world. So she went out testing her phone to see if she could get anything. The dreaded ¡®no service¡¯ bar persisted, no matter what direction she turned it to on her walk. The sky was overcast as they strolled the cobblestone walkway, snaking onto paved roads. Aiden told her he enjoyed walking long distances but he could buy her a bike if she wanted. That led to a detailed explanation of the different transportation services on Earth 9 including bikes, hoverbikes, trains, air trains, sea trains, different flavors of cars, and the whimsically named skybirds (which were like...artistic planes?). Aiden said that, while he wasn¡¯t much of a car guy, he was knowledgeable about many things and cars just happened to be one of them. He also apparently enjoyed sharing that knowledge, judging from the satisfaction on his face as he discussed the intricacies of a multi-turbo mana-engine 6th-edition road rocket which, from the sound of it, was a very nice, very fast car. Like her dad¡¯s Camaro. Aiden also provided, completely unsolicited, Rose¡¯s entire backstory, including the fact that she was once the daughter of a widowed nobleman and a once-famous opera singer. While Orinia was now a district full of semi-independent states ran by separate governments, it was once an Empire and tendrils of that still remained, with old lords and nobles claiming some attachments to the now merely symbolic Orinian royal family. Rose¡¯s father was one such man and, although he was not super wealthy or prominent in any way, he gave his daughter a strict upbringing, including an arranged marriage that went by the typical noble formula. But then his daughter, Rose, had made the gruesome mistake of hooking up with a man she fell in love with, some ¡®scallywag¡¯ (Aiden¡¯s word) who got her pregnant and then disappeared. After her father kicked her out, she had nowhere to go, so she came to Hovelton to start a life with her son. She worked at a bakery and currently lived one the first floor of a retirement complex called Green Fox, where the retirees helped her watch Evan while she worked. He mentioned a few other people by name too, but Lexie blanked out on their stories because she had no face to attach to the facts. Eventually, in a rare silent moment, Lexie whipped her phone out of her inventory to check the signal on it again. Still nothing. At least the battery percentage remained the same, which meant...something but she wasn''t sure what. The first time she¡¯d taken out the phone she¡¯d expected Aiden to comment on it, but he had not. She knew they had phones here. There weren¡¯t really used anymore, mostly seen as archaic relics of the past. But she thought he would at least ask where she got it from, in which case, she would tell him the lie she¡¯d prepared about how she¡¯d found it in their backyard or something. But Aiden had simply smiled sadly when he saw it and looked away. She didn''t know what to make of that. Did he already know about the phone? Did Lexie Sparrowfoot have one? Maybe she would ask at a different time, when he didn¡¯t look so melancholy. In any case, it didn''t look like she was getting a signal anytime soon, so she put the phone back in her inventory. While there, she briefly looked at Aiden''s deck of cards that she stored there. Aiden showed her how to upload the physical cards to her system storage, which involved having the card in her hands, visually focusing on it, and just telling the system, ¡°Add Cards to Inventory.¡± Of course, Aiden also had to approve the transfer, since the system recognized him as the original owner of the cards, but then now they were in her inventory, they were as good as hers. Aiden allowed her to bring them along, to give her something to do while he was making potions at the hospital. She was curious to try out the cards and wanted to know why the system would make her a [Card User Hero] when the two things seemed counterintuitive. Judging from everything Aiden had said, a card user would undoubtedly make a craptastic [Hero]. And the last thing Lexie wanted was to be craptastic at anything. You have to be good. The mantra her parents taught her remained resounding in her mind. Better than good. You have to be great. On the plus side, cards apparently also made learning much easier because she could safely experiment with magic. Aiden also told her on their walk that the Orinian Department of Card Magic was always searching for more scholars and [Researchers], and being a card mage, in addition to being a scholar, would give her a significant advantage over other applicants. All she had to do was to gain a scholar class, in addition to her mage one. Aiden said she could nudge the system into giving her that on System Day by simply doing scholarly things, convincing the system that she was well-suited for it. So, up to this point, her plan was a no-brainer. Learn more about card magic, study them like hell, make revolutionary discovery, profit, and then go home. Or learn about card magic, earn enough points to change her pre-affixation to [Researcher], study hard to become a [System Developer], and then go home. She didn¡¯t know which one would take longer, but she would try both simultaneously. She was also open to other possibilities being a better way out of here. It was just hard to know because of how restrictive the Net was about such things. She would of course take time to do her own research about other magic disciplines and whether those would be easier to earn points with. She¡¯d chosen card magic because it was the easiest to learn with, and the system seemed to want her to use that medium so she didn¡¯t want to fight it on that. She wanted to focus all her energy on changing the [Hero] part of the equation. So for now, her plan seemed like the way to go. She¡¯d also been tempted to ask Aiden about the ISTS and all but she hesitated. She didn¡¯t know how much she was allowed to reveal and she didn¡¯t want to unknowingly tip Aiden off that she wasn¡¯t his daughter. Did normal ten-year-olds know about the ISTS? Could Lexie pass it off as something she¡¯d heard in school or something? She didn¡¯t know. There was so much she still didn¡¯t know about this world and she didn¡¯t want to inadvertently say anything that would get her in trouble. Aiden was technically a [Villain] after all and even though he seemed like a nice guy so far, she didn¡¯t actually know him. He was only nice to her because she was his daughter. If he suspected she wasn¡¯t¡­well, she didn¡¯t know what he would do. I wish I¡¯d paid more attention to Logan when he talked about this damn game. Of course, she also needed to research more about cards and card magic to figure out what she wanted to focus her research on. But it still bothered her that the system hadn¡¯t made things easier for her, by making her a [Researcher] instead of a [Hero]. If they really evaluated her past life, like it said it did, then they should have known that what she did for Tate was probably the single heroic thing she¡¯d ever done in her entire life. But she studied every single day, aced every single test. Her entire history and being was better suited toward scholarly pursuits. So why not make her a [Researcher]? Could it be that it had no faith in her research capabilities? Were the people here so advanced and evolved that they were leagues in intelligence ahead of anyone on Earth 2? The thought bothered Lexie more than she wanted to admit. She hated to think about it but she did anyway: Were there much smarter people than her in this world? Probably, considering they had magic and better technology than anything she¡¯d ever seen on her earth. The system probably thought it would be too much for Lexie to catch up. Regardless, it should have given her a chance. She sighed. There were no answers to be had now. Only more questions. Aiden and Lexie were now on another cobblestone pathway behind a row of old buildings in various states of disrepair. They looked like apartment complexes with broken windows, layers of cracked red brick stacked upon each other, walls bleeding muck and mold, and the scent of dirt and decay staining the air. The houses were packed so close together that there was barely space for two bodies to pass through at a time and even just staring at the tiny matchbox windows made Lexie feel claustrophobic. ¡°What are these?¡± Lexie asked. Aiden¡¯s response was once again quick. ¡°These are the miner flats. Lower-income housing, mostly used by miners.¡± ¡°Miners mine what exactly?¡± ¡°Dungeons. Remember how I said dungeons spawned randomly, stable and unstable?¡± She nodded. ¡°The stable dungeons are usually raided by parties of either [Heroes] or [Mercenaries] like Max. They clear it out and get loot, gems, and occasionally magical items and slay whatever creature might be there. Solve whatever puzzle they find that could make the dungeon dangerous for the layman. And when they''re done making sure it¡¯s safe, miners are sent in. They go and mine the ground for more gems and magic stones. Once they meet their quota, it¡¯s sent to the local government and they¡¯re paid a fee for it. Dungeon mining is hard, back-breaking labor and it¡¯s also dangerous because you¡¯d have to get out of the dungeon before the open time elapses and the dungeon disappears.¡± ¡°Wait, dungeons do that? Just disappear?¡± ¡°Of course. Dungeons don¡¯t stay open forever. They spawn, stay for several hours to days, sometimes weeks or months, and then they resolve.¡± ¡°And they can disappear with people still inside?¡± ¡°Yes, although the system tries its hardest not to let that happen. When the resolution time is imminent, and it detects people still in the dungeons, it will alert any [Heroes], dungeoneers, delvers and local law enforcement nearby. Then the system will attempt to interfere with the resealing of the dungeon to give the person more time to get out. But if all that fails then yes, the dungeon will be sealed off and it will disappear with whoever or whatever is still inside.¡± ¡°And then what happens? Do they die?¡± ¡°We don¡¯t know.¡± He stared off in the distance. ¡°We don¡¯t know where the dungeons go when they disappear. There are many theories, but no one is sure.¡± ¡°I see,¡± Lexie said. The more she heard about the mundanes, the more she felt bad for them. It seemed they were forced to do all the crappy labor, and were completely reliant on the ranked individuals for their survival. It was a somewhat symbiotic relationship but the system certainly gave them the shorter end of the stick. All for what? The sin of not being born ¡®right¡¯? ¡°What¡¯s wrong with Rose¡¯s son, Evan?¡± Lexie asked next. She saw the rash on his neck, but she had a feeling it was something more serious than that. Why else would Rose be panicking like she was? ¡°He has what they call, loiter sickness. It¡¯s an infection that can be caught from sick animals or sometimes from eating enough sick plants, although that¡¯s rarer. When bit by a sick animal, the rash is the beginning. Then the smell. Then we move onto general hydrophobia and sensitivity to sound. Then the individual slowly grows rabid and in the final stage, they lose their sanity. Once they''re past that, they''ll have to be put down.¡± Like Rabies, Lexie thought but she still asked, ¡°And there¡¯s no cure?¡± ¡°There are potions that can help symptoms. But only a healer will be able to cure him, and it¡¯s recommended for them to do it before the final stage. If not, it¡¯s harder.¡± ¡°So? Why not call a healer to come heal him now?¡± ¡°We did.¡± Annoyance glinted in his eyes. ¡°Several times.¡± ¡°But they haven¡¯t come yet? Why? Because most of the town is mundane?¡± He glanced at her. ¡°I see Max¡¯s prejudice is wearing off on you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not Max¡¯s prejudice. Rose implied as much too. And to my own observation, you¡¯re telling me a little boy is going to die from a curable illness because a healer can¡¯t be bothered to show up here?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that simple. There are too few healers circulating in the country and they¡¯re needed in so many places. So many of them are stretched thin.¡± Lexie wasn¡¯t convinced. ¡°Tell me this. If instead of Evan, it was a mage or a pre-awakened person like me who had contracted loiter sickness, would a healer already be here or not? What if it was the mayor, someone who was rich and could offer them financial incentives? Would they come then?¡± Aiden didn¡¯t answer the question. And that was answer enough. Lexie faced forward, her lips pressing tight. This is just a video game, she tried to remind herself. It¡¯s not Aiden¡¯s fault. He¡¯s simply abiding by the rules of the game. But that mantra didn¡¯t make her feel any better. Because why is it like this? Even in a game that was made up of fantastical creatures and magic systems, where the game designer could probably at least had everyone start out at the same rank and leveled the playing field, given a meritocracy, they still decided to make some kind of arbitrary separation that existed in every facet of the normal world. Why not just give everyone powers? Or at least make sure there were enough healers to go around? If the system could force her to become a specific ultra-lame niche of [Hero] why didn¡¯t it pre-affix enough healers? With each second, the thought made Lexie angrier until she was practically fuming. Internally, she knew that she was probably extra sensitive about this topic because of her Grandpa. His medical condition was a huge strain on her parents, not just mental but financial as well. Although they did okay in their respective careers, Lexie¡¯s parents were not quite upper middle class, and they spent so much on Lexie¡¯s education and tutoring already. They also had to sacrifice a lot to keep up with his care. Sometimes, Lexie thought that Grandpa chose to die earlier than he was supposed to, just to save them the effort. He always said it was pointless that they kept seeking treatment even though none of it could cure him. And when her mother found something that maybe could work, it was too expensive to try and insurance refused to cover it. And there would be no one to blame because that was simply how the system worked. No one cared. Until money and power were involved. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Aiden said. For some reason, his apology only made her angrier. ¡°Don¡¯t apologize. It¡¯s not your fault.¡± ¡°But I''m part of the order that makes things the way they are.¡± He tucked his hands into his pockets, uplifting his face toward the sky. ¡°For so long I was blind to the unfairness of the system¡­no not blind. That would be giving me too much credit. Rather I was willing to ignore the unfairness, ignore how it benefited me while disenfranchising others. I felt like everything I had was because I earned it, not just because I was fortunate enough to be born as a double S-Rank.¡± He looked down at Lexie. ¡°It took a lot to get me to see what you see so easily.¡± She released a breath. She didn¡¯t want to take her anger out on Aiden. He was already dealing with enough. ¡°So there¡¯s really nothing that can be done for Evan?¡± she asked quietly. ¡°The potions Rose mentioned? Why aren¡¯t they working?¡± ¡°Potions are arguably a category of very mild bound magic. Though they don¡¯t need the user of the potion to have any internal mana, the creator should be some kind of mage. That¡¯s because the end step of creating every potion requires magic bonding, or the potion can be ineffective at best, and defective at worst.¡± ¡°So¡­you created those potions without magic and that¡¯s why they are not working?¡± ¡°Yes. Ideally, we would use already-made potions from official potion makers but we¡¯ve run out of those and the town budget isn¡¯t enough to buy more. The Governor also isn¡¯t giving us more money, even though the population of the town has more than doubled in the past three years.¡± His annoyance leaked into his tone. ¡°In the meantime, I¡¯ve been helping Emma, the head caretaker at the Healing House, to make potions while Luke, our Mayor, appeals for more funding. Emma and I have been using forest-grown mana-infused herbs to try to supplement that final magical step but it¡¯s not even remotely as effective. As such, the potions we make have very low healing properties and can only treat the simplest of symptoms. We¡¯ve been experimenting with a potion that delays advancement of a disease and it seems to have been helping a few patients like Evan. But it¡¯s not a hundred percent sure.¡± When he finished, Lexie¡¯s mind worked fast and then she ventured, ¡°That card you had me use yesterday. You said it was the only one of its kind.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± he said. ¡°And mundane people could use it too.¡± ¡°Yes. By nature of its construction, it doesn¡¯t require any internal mana from its user, only external.¡± Lexie stored that piece of information about internal versus external mana for later, and then finally voiced out her question. ¡°Is there a way to make more of those then? If each card had some kind of healing magic, or could at least treat the symptoms, we could give that to all the mundanes in Hovelton. That way they wouldn''t need to keep buying potions and they could heal themselves as regularly as they want. They could even share it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s difficult for a card to do that,¡± Aiden said. ¡°First off, like I mentioned earlier, cards are limited in time, power, and they¡¯re immensely difficult to make. It requires perfect control of mana pathways, in-depth knowledge of the etymology and origin of whatever ability you''re trying to imbue, and enough mana to power the creation. Most people can never even create the most basic of cards, much less a card like that.¡±Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°If people aren''t creating them, then where do cards come from?¡± ¡°Usually? The system. They¡¯re made by [System Developers] working with medium to large groups of mages and scholars. A party of about a dozen of them is usually assigned to research and create a single card with a little help from a Fae overseer.¡± ¡°Fae?¡± Her eyes widened. ¡°Yes. Extraterrestrial species that we share an interplanetary alliance with. I¡¯ll tell you more about them later. But for now, just know that it is incredibly difficult to make cards.¡± ¡°Okay, then we can tell the system to make more of those mundane-friendly cards.¡± ¡°They won¡¯t.¡± ¡°They did before.¡± ¡°No, they didn¡¯t. The system didn''t make that card, Lexie.¡± A smug look eased his features when he admitted. ¡°I did.¡± Lexie gaped at him. He smirked. ¡°I made it a long time ago, back in my Academy days. I was about four years older than you are now, and going through a¡­let¡¯s say, less-than-ideal time in my life.¡± He looked to the sky again. ¡°I was the only mage in my small town of fighters and mundanes, and this nobleman¡¯s son had had it out for me since I was a scrawny child. It only got worse on System day when my supposed best friend announced that I awakened as a high-rank mage. It made my tormentor jealous and vengeful.¡± She could see the tension and annoyance still in his face as he remembered. Then he released a loud breath. ¡°I couldn''t use magic against him because that would get me kicked out of the Hero Academy. And I wasn¡¯t strong enough to fight back physically. So during my second year at the academy, right before summer break, I tried to create something that would make me invisible so I could hide from him. I started out with potions and when that didn¡¯t work, I moved to artifacts and eventually cards. They were the cheapest to work with and I didn¡¯t know how to use spells or unbound magic that well at that time. Anyway, I worked on it day and night every waking hour and after many failed attempts, I finally got that card. It wasn¡¯t exactly what I wanted and it only worked on one person at a time. But it worked.¡± "Wow." For the first time, she wondered just how powerful Aiden Sparrowfoot was. He just admitted that he created something that typically took a team of mages to do, and even worse, he did it as a teenager. And he said it like it was a casual Tuesday activity. She could see a younger Aiden ticking it off his to-do list one by one: Homework. Check. Bake banana bread. Check. Create a magical item that takes others years and entire teams to master. Check. ¡°So you¡¯re the only one who¡¯s ever made a card?¡± ¡°Well, maybe not the only one, but there¡¯s certainly not many of us.¡± He stuck his nose up a little higher. ¡°You know they used to call me a generational genius? They didn¡¯t do that for no reason now.¡± Lexie fought the urge to smile but she was too impressed to roll her eyes. And Aiden clearly enjoyed impressing her, strutting with an extra pep in his step and giving off a very ''look-I¡¯m-a-cool-dad'' energy. It took her a while to remember the main point of her question. ¡°So if you could make that as a teen,¡± Lexie said. ¡°Then, maybe another, older, more trained, card mage could make a healing card, right? I mean that would work as well as a potion but it can be used over and over again. Surely the government would love to give funding for that because it would solve the healer shortage problem." Aiden¡¯s light dimmed a little as he shook his head. ¡°That won¡¯t work,¡± he said. ¡°Even if the government funded it, healing magic is one of the hardest types of magic to master, and creating a card like that would require more mana than I think anyone has. The card I created was pretty weak in comparison and I experienced the worst burnout after creating it. So creating a healing card might actually kill them.¡± Lexie deflated like a punctured air balloon. Disappointment and frustration curdled in her belly. She thought her idea had promise but it got shut down so easily. Still, she would keep trying. Maybe that was her purpose here. After all, if she was going by video game logic, this would be the point where they introduced a problem that the main player needed to solve. What did they call that in literature? The inciting incident? ¡°But Lex, I¡¯m happy you''re thinking this way,¡± Aiden interrupted her thoughts, laying a hand on her shoulder. She thought she detected a kind of pride in his eyes. ¡°It¡¯s how your mother used to think too.¡± His face contorted. He swallowed. ¡°Despite never being an official [Hero], Lara was more of a hero than anyone I know.¡± And even though it pained him to talk about her, Aiden Sparrowfoot couldn¡¯t seem to help mentioning his wife any chance he got. And in doing so, he finally pulled Lexie¡¯s attention back to reality. Aiden wasn¡¯t her father and Lara wasn¡¯t her mother. She had to constantly remind herself of that, so she didn¡¯t lose track of who she was. And maybe she shouldn¡¯t be so concerned about Rosa¡¯s son and healers in Hovelton. This wasn¡¯t a real place after all. It was a video game that she was somehow transported into and rather than getting involved, she needed to find a way to get home. ¡°I think I¡¯ve decided to be a [Researcher],¡± she started. ¡°With cards as my field of focus.¡± Aiden seemed hesitant to answer. ¡°It¡¯s a valid field of research. A little underfunded at the moment but that also means there¡¯s little competition. But bumblebee, are you sure about this [Researcher] thing?¡± ¡°Why are you so against it?¡± Lexie asked, a tad defensively. ¡°You want me to be something else? A [Hero]?¡± ¡°Of course not.¡± His reaction was so genuinely taken aback that Lexie believed him. ¡°I¡¯ve never wanted to push you to be a [Hero] just because I was one. In fact, I thought I went out of my way to make it clear that you didn¡¯t have to do anything you didn¡¯t want to, particularly not following in my footsteps.¡± He looked so distraught that she would think such a thing, that Lexie felt bad for assuming. It was just that, for a second there, it felt very much like how her real parents had steered her entire life. Picking which school she went to, which classes and extracurriculars she would take, not to mention extra classes and such. They turned down anything that didn¡¯t feel ¡®useful¡¯ to Lexie¡¯s future, like art and dance. Even Lexie¡¯s free-time was carefully rationed and if her grades slipped even a little, they would sometimes go through her phone to make sure that she wasn¡¯t getting too much screen time. She¡¯d already gone through that in her past life. She wasn¡¯t about to do it again. ¡°Sorry,¡± she said. ¡°It¡¯s just that you¡¯re very adamant that I don''t choose research.¡± ¡°Yes. For all the reasons I said. With your personality, I don¡¯t think you would enjoy it. It¡¯s a very isolating experience.¡± ¡°You sound like you¡¯re speaking from personal experience.¡± ¡°Well, I do have some personal experience. My class is often heavily encouraged to become researchers and I tried it out for a little bit, before discovering it was not for me at all." ¡°I thought you were a mage.¡± The corner of his lip quirked. ¡°Yes, and a scholar.¡± Oh. She forgot about that. ¡°I have two classes, one mana-based, one mental-based. Double S-Ranked.¡± He had that air of pride again which warned Lexie he was about to start bragging. ¡°There are less than 0.1 percent of people who have such high ranking in two classes. It¡¯s technically possible to find someone with a ranking on all three¨Cmana, mental, and physical. But those people are extremely rare and you''ll probably want to stay away from them. They tend to be awfully arrogant with terrible personalities. Unlike your father who is the picture of humility, despite being a world famous mage at one point.¡± Right. Lexie thought with some amusement. Picture of humility indeed. A new question then occurred to her. ¡°Is it possible to affix both [Researcher] and [Hero]?¡± Maybe instead of replacing one with the other, she could just do both. ¡°No," Aiden said definitively. "The system avoids giving one person two roles because it''s very overwhelming. Roles are important because, once affixed, they get special system-quests and the logistics get complicated when one person carries multiple roles. They could get different quests regarding both roles at the same time and not be able to accomplish one or the other. Not ideal.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Well, that was out of the list of solutions. Aiden released her shoulder and took her hand, as they crossed the street. Though the roads were strangely empty, Lexie caught sight of a hovering car in the distance, on the winding mountain road. ¡°Besides," Aiden continued. "Even with multiple classes, the system tries to make you prioritize one over the other so you don¡¯t get too overwhelmed with both. For example, I¡¯m¨C or was ¨Ca level 9 mage, but only a level 7 scholar. And I started out as a Level 5 so I only went up two scholarly points, which is below scholarly average growth. Of course, it didn¡¯t help that I didn¡¯t specialize in any scholarly discipline but the point remains that you¡¯ll eventually have to prioritize one of the classes over the other. It can be tedious to develop both equally, even for geniuses like you and me.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not a genius.¡± Lexie pointed out. She didn''t want him to get his hopes up. ¡°I¡¯m just above average and good at studying.¡± Lexie had learned that about herself when she was younger. Even though her parents touted her as some kind of prodigy, she really wasn¡¯t. She just studied a lot, practically every waking moment. She had to work twice as hard as some of the other people in her AP classes just to stay ahead. And she wasn¡¯t great with numbers which was why she¡¯d needed so many math tutors in the past. ¡°Right,¡± Aiden snorted like he didn¡¯t believe her. ¡°You know that¡¯s similar to what I used to tell the press back in the day so they would write articles about how humble I was. The public ate it up.¡± He flourished his hand, and spoke in a very deep, reporter voice. "¡®Breaking News: We¡¯ve received word that the Incredibly Talented and Heroic Generational Genius Archmage Aiden Sparrowfoot, is also super laid-back. Hear him in today¡¯s interview, how he downplays his own genius. Now, look at him in this photo, out and about drinking a hot beverage in a totally down-to-earth way. He¡¯s just like us! He even tells us he occasionally reads tabloids, like this very one. Buy this issue so you can learn more about how great and handsome Aiden Sparrowfoot is, although he does not realize this himself.''¡± ¡°Ok, I get it. You can stop.¡± Lexie cringed at the elaborate headline as Aiden laughed. ¡°Yes, but I actually mean what I said. I don¡¯t think I¡¯m a genius, so I don¡¯t want you to expect that from me.¡± She may have to act as Aiden¡¯s daughter for the time being but she wasn¡¯t about to waste her time trying to impress him like she did with her real dad. Aiden wasn¡¯t a stranger.. She may have buckled to her parents expectations, sacrificing her own happiness to meet the standards they set for her, but she didn¡¯t feel as obliged to do that for someone she just met. Also, it felt surprisingly empowering to lay down the boundaries now after not having it in most of her real life. And since Aiden wasn¡¯t her real dad, she wasn¡¯t too worried about offending or disappointing him. But he didn¡¯t look disappointed. Instead, he looked impressed. ¡°That,¡± he said, ¡°was perfect. You should say it exactly like that if you¡¯re ever asked to give an interview. ¡®I¡¯m not a genius so don¡¯t expect it from me¡¯. Cindy Burley on Chanel 9 would go crazy with that soundbite.¡± ¡°I¡¯m serious,¡± Lexie finally broke and smiled. ¡°I¡¯m no generational genius archmage. I¡¯m just a normal girl.¡± ¡°Oh, the press would love you. You¡¯re very good at this fake humility thing. If you weren¡¯t my daughter, I¡¯d almost be convinced.¡±
The healing house turned out to be a tall dull-gray building sitting on top of a shallow hill. Below it was a sprinkle of smaller cottage, and behind the hill sat the sun. At the porch entrance, a woman with warm chocolate skin and grey eyes stood, talking to another shorter plumper woman. They were both wearing white long robes and Lexie immediately figured that those worked the same as scrubs in this world. The minute the first woman spotted Aiden she abandoned her talk with the nurse and she approached him quickly. ¡°Thank the system, you¡¯re here.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Aiden frowned. Instead of answering, her eyes flickered to me and a smile crossed her face. She bent over, with her hands on her knees. ¡°Hey, Lexie." She spoke in a gentle tone that felt like a warm hug. "I¡¯m so glad to see you feeling better.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± Lexie responded politely, wondering who the woman was. Aiden answered immediately. ¡°This is Emma Cole. She¡¯s a nurse who runs the Healing House.¡± To Emma, he added, ¡°Lexie can¡¯t remember anything ever since she woke up.¡± ¡°I know, the poor thing. Max told me yesterday.¡± ¡°You saw Max?¡± ¡°Yes. He showed up in the middle of the night with a nasty gash on his side that wasn¡¯t healing fast enough." Aiden¡¯s eyes flared. ¡°I didn¡¯t even notice he was hurt." ¡°No one ever does right up until that one-eyed jerk drops dead.¡± Emma¡¯s tone was annoyed and affectionate all at once. ¡°The only reason he came to me to stitch him up is because he had a hot date, and didn''t want to get blood on his cashmere.¡± She rolled her eyes and then straightened, before smiling at Lexie again. ¡°Anyway, to reintroduce myself, I¡¯m Emma. You call me Aunt Emma most of the time and I sometimes sneak you candy when your father¡¯s not looking.¡¯ ¡°You do?¡± Aiden frowned his disapproval. ¡°That¡¯s foul, Emma. You know Lexie can¡¯t have too many sweets, they¡¯ll hamper her growth and she¡¯s already small enough as is.¡± Lexie frowned, objecting to that last comment. She didn¡¯t think she was that small. She was about the same height she¡¯d been at the start of middle school (4¡¯6) and a doctor then had told her she was in the 35th percentile of kids her age. That meant she was only slightly below average, and he''d assured her it was fairly normal and that she could even still have a major growth spurt in high school that would put her at a solid five-six. Of course, it hadn''t happened by sixteen, by which point she¡¯d only gained four inches and was still the shortest person in her class, but that didn¡¯t mean it would never happen. She¡¯d heard of people having growth spurts in college too. Maybe that would happen to her. Power of positive thinking and all that. Hopefully with that, she just might some day reach the appropriate height for an adult. ¡°Sweets don¡¯t hamper growth Aiden,¡± Emma said, nudging him with her elbow. ¡°I should know I¡¯m a nurse. Plus I think her size is fine.¡± Exactly. Lexie nodded, liking what the woman had to say until Emma added, ¡°Besides when Lexie eats jawbreakers, her cheeks puff out like a widdle baby squirrel.¡± Lexie went right back to frowning but it didn¡¯t deter Emma. ¡°Yes!¡± she said, poking and pinching Lexie¡¯s cheek. ¡°Just like that. Aren¡¯t they cute?¡± ¡°Leave my daughter¡¯s cheeks alone,¡± Aiden said sternly and apparently he wasn¡¯t ready to let the earlier argument die, so he added. ¡°And no more sweets. You¡¯re going to create bad habits.¡± ¡°Every child deserves a few bad habits,¡± she said and then turned around, gesturing for them to follow her. Aiden firmly grasped Lexie¡¯s hand and Lexie hurried to keep up with their longer steps. The inside of the building looked very much like a hospital, with white walls and a waiting room in the entryway, next to a welcome desk. Each chair in the room was occupied, and white-robed people rushed up and down talking amongst themselves. Someone in the waiting room coughed so hard, they hacked a loogie onto the guy in the chair beside them. The victim stared at the cougher like he wanted to beat him to death, but Aiden and Emma barely noticed as they walked past the welcome desk, through swinging doors leading to a thin hallway with a staircase at the side. At a point, Aiden saw that her tiny steps would never be a match for his and Emma''s so he stopped, leaned down and scooped her up. Lexie blushed. It was even more uncomfortable and undignified than it was last night, especially now they were in public, but she couldn¡¯t say anything as Aiden had turned his attention back to Emma. ¡°Since last night we¡¯ve had a steady influx of new patients, most of them with infection," Emma started. "A dozen of them seem like they¡¯re from animal bites, but quite a few are waterborne. Also, Mrs. Frazer had a bad fall. She¡¯s stable now, but she¡¯s crankier than the time she went swimming in Clear Valley and a jellyfish stung her in the¨C¡± ¡°Emma,¡± Aiden warned and his stubble scratched Lexie¡¯s cheek as he spoke. ¡°Oh I wasn¡¯t going to say it,¡± Emma said but met Lexie''s gaze conspiratorially over her shoulder. ¡°And don¡¯t pretend to have your panties in a twist now, since you were the one who told me the story.¡± ¡°Yes, in strict confidence.¡± Emma tutted, turning away. ¡°Should have been stricter.¡± Aiden sighed and shook his head. ¡°No, you¡¯re right. I should have known you would gossip.¡± ¡°Takes one to know one, sweetie.¡± Emma threw him a smirk. ¡°Anyway, my point is, we¡¯ve got more people here than usual. Like a lot more.¡± "And their health bars aren''t refreshing?" ¡°Some of them are, just slower than normal. And there are more random cases that don¡¯t make sense. Mr. Foster has blood in his urine and we¡¯re running tests on that. Chase Thornton has a weird sensation in his chest that isn¡¯t pain. Isobel Wynan says she feels unusually sad, and broke up with her eighty year old ¡®boyfriend¡¯ over some bad fishcakes.¡± ¡°Rose says Old Man Lochlan¡¯s crops died.¡± Aiden rubbed his chin. ¡°But I don¡¯t understand why this is happening. It was a ghoul that escaped from the dungeon. A ghoul wouldn''t cause all this." ¡°Max said the same thing.¡± We finally turn into another hallway where there¡¯s only a row of doors with three art deco seats at the end of the hall. Seated in one of them was a tall girl who looked about my age, with warm tawny skin and long black hair that shielded most of her face. She was staring down at a large tablet, with a video projected onto the screen. As we approached her, Aiden called out, ¡°Hello, Xena.¡± The girl ignored him. Aiden didn¡¯t act surprised or offended. ¡°Still not talking much, is she?¡± he asked Emma. ¡°Nope. Except for when she¡¯s making a concerted effort to be a pain in my ass.¡± ¡°I can hear you,¡± the little girl warned. ¡°I know,¡± Emma responded in a saccharine tone. She shifted her attention to me. ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯ve met Xena yet, have you, Lexie?¡± Before Lexie could respond, Emma said, ¡°Oh that¡¯s right you wouldn¡¯t know if you have. Lexie, this is my daughter and personal cross to bear, Xena. Xena, this is Lexie.¡± ¡°Hey,¡± Lexie said but Xena ignored her, not looking up from her screen. ¡°I¡¯m not your daughter,¡± was all she said. ¡°Saying it enough times doesn¡¯t make it true,¡± Emma said offhandedly as she regarded Lexie. "Lexie, can you wait out here with Xena while I talk to your father inside? It¡¯s about private, patient confidentiality stuff.¡± "Um..." Lexie didn¡¯t mind waiting but she wasn¡¯t sure about the ''with Xena'' part. She glanced uncertainly at the girl and Emma waved a hand dismissively. ¡°Oh don¡¯t worry about her. She has the charm of a kidney stone, but her bark is much worse than her bite.¡± ¡°Um¡­ okay.¡± Lexie nodded. Aiden lowered her and she went to settle next to Xena making sure to keep a seat between them. Xena stiffened when she approached but otherwise said nothing. As the two adults walked into one of the rooms and shut the door, Lexie couldn¡¯t resist taking a peek at Xena¡¯s screen. The image projected there was of two men in costumes fighting in what looked to be a colosseum. There were scoreboards and switching perspectives as they charged into each other. A man with announcer-voice said something that sounded fairly technical as one of them dipped to duck a blow and slammed his fists into his opponent''s face, sending him flying. ¡°What are you watching?¡± Lexie asked, curiosity beating out her social discomfort. Xena threw her a glare. ¡°Grand Fighters Tournament.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± She saw the other guy, the one who took a blow to his face, extended his hand and something like a forcefield hit the other in the chest. ¡°Are they using magic?¡± ¡°No, they¡¯re using balloon animals.¡± Sarcasm dripped from her tone. Well, she¡¯s just lovely. At the same time, Xena kind of reminded her of Mickie when they first met. That started as a rocky situation too. In any case, Lexie wasn¡¯t necessarily scared of the girl''s temper but she had nothing else to say, so she just fell silent. Lexie was wondering if she should take the cards out now, when a familiar little boy bounced around the corner, trailed by his mother. He paused when he caught sight of her, and then his entire face brightened up. ¡°Lexie!" He ran to her and wrapped his arms around her waist, burying his face in her belly. ¡°You¡¯re not dying anymore!¡± ¡°Uh¡­yeah.¡± What a disturbingly accurate statement. Lexie hadn¡¯t realized they were close, but the boy seemed ecstatic to see her. He also genuinely did smell like moldy cheese, but Lexie still helped him climb into her lap, trying not to visibly gag the whole time. ¡°How are you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m stinky,¡± Evan said, arranging himself so his legs could splay entirely over her thighs. Lexie ruffled his hair with a grin. ¡°Yes, but don¡¯t let that define you.¡± He was too young to have insecurities. His mother finally reached us, giving me a warm smile. ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re okay.¡± ¡°Yeah, thanks.¡± Rose was very pretty and looked like she was in her mid-twenties but stress had aged her somewhat. There were dark circles under her eyes and permanent lines on her forehead. It was easy to see the toll her son¡¯s illness was taking on her. ¡°Sorry about Evan,¡± Lexie said to Rose. ¡°I am Evan,¡± Evan announced with a hand up sending even more fumes of glory Lexie¡¯s way. Lexie pinched her nose tight, making Evan giggle as his mother shook her head indulgently. . ¡°Thank you. Hopefully, your dad and Emma can figure something out. Where are they?¡± ¡°They¡¯re in there.¡± Lexie pointed at the door. ¡°Talking about patient confidentiality stuff.¡± ¡°Oh. I¡¯ll just knock and tell them I¡¯m here. We had to go back to the apartment because I left the door unlocked, but I told Emma I would return.¡± Rose walked to the door and knocked, with Evan hopping out of Lexie¡¯s lap to follow her. But before he took two steps, he stopped. And let out a loud and throaty bark. Rose spun around in alarm as a violent jerk ripped through her son, contorting his body one way and then another. And then he dropped his knees, foaming at the mouth. Another loud bark. And then another. Color washed out of Rose¡¯s face. Horror overtook her expression. Lexie was pretty horrified herself at the rapid change from beaming boy to rabid animal. Veins popped out on his face, eyes reddening. His hand clawed on the floor and his body twitched erratically, trembling in between. The door opened and Emma and Aiden hustled out, then froze in step. Aiden¡¯s eyebrows rose. ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± Rose rasped, looking like she was trying very hard not to panic. Aiden¡¯s expression was grave. ¡°It seems Evan¡¯s about to enter the final stage." 8 - Enemies and Allies Xena and Lexie shot to their feet as Evan snarled, remaining in a crouch on the floor. His eyes were veined and red, saliva dripping out of his mouth. His head moved erratically from side to side, tendons snapping with each oscillation. ¡°Oh no.¡± Rose¡¯s horrified whisper echoed in the air. She attempted to run to her son, but Aiden snagged her elbow quickly, holding her back. His eyes were fixed on Evan and he spoke in a tight, steady voice. ¡°Lexie. Very slowly, step back from the patient.¡± ¡°You too Xena,¡± Emma said in a similar tone. ¡°Try not to make any sound.¡± Xena and Lexie met each other¡¯s eyes for the first time, suddenly aware of their precarious position. They were standing closest to Evan and hence were closest to danger. The disease worked like Rabies, so if either of them got bit, they would probably get it too. Xena¡¯s face was a shade of grey as she stepped back from Evan. Lexie swallowed, shuffling slowly until she had put a few feet between her and the snarling boy. For whatever reason, Evan¡¯s head snapped to Xena and she froze in step. Everyone in the room held their breaths as he began crawling to her, on all fours, movements jerky. He ate up the distance between them, step by step. Closer and closer. Saliva dripped onto the floor leaving a trail behind him. Xena swallowed and her eyes flared even wider as the child stalked her like an animal. Her hand shook. Her face showed she didn''t know what to do. Maybe there was nothing she could do. Maybe he would attack her anyway. In a flash, Emma rushed to block her daughter pushing her back. Evan launched himself and Aiden leaped forward to catch him by the back of his shirt but it was too late. His teeth snapped into Emma¡¯s arm that she used to ward off the attack. Emma cried out as he dug in, shaking his head like a dog as he snarled. ¡°Mom!¡± Xena screamed as Aiden yanked Evan off, pulling Emma in the process. She fell and got dragged halfway across the floor. Xena tried to run to her but Lexie jumped in and grabbed her wrist as Aiden managed to dislodge Evan''s teeth from Emma''s arm. Lexie didn''t want Xena to go over yet. Emma was sitting up but she was close to thrashing Evan and Aiden didn¡¯t have him under control yet. Xena turned around and glared at Lexie, trying to claw her fingers off her wrist. ¡°Get off me.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t go there. You¡¯ll make it worse.¡± Already Evan was twisting around trying to get a chunk out of Aiden and the sight made Lexie¡¯s chest twist with fear. Aiden was in danger. The very thought scared her, so viscerally that she couldn¡¯t deny the terror clenching her heart. She just met him. She shouldn¡¯t be feeling that strongly. Was it because she was in his daughter¡¯s body? Were Lexie Sparrowfoot¡¯s emotions taking over? Or was it simply because she liked Aiden? He may not be her real dad but he seemed like a good guy who cared for his daughter and had already been through tragedy and¡­heck, he was her only family in this strange, crazy world. So, yeah, while she held onto Xena for the girls'' safety, it was partially a selfish move too. Because if Xena ran in there, and put herself in danger, Aiden would probably instinctively try to keep her out of harm''s way and then he wouldn''t be able to focus on not getting bitten. Xena still struggled and eventually managed to tear out of Lexie''s hold. But luckily, by that time, Aiden finally managed to tackle the little boy onto the floor, face down. A few white-robed individuals came running, one of them staring at Emma in wide-eyed horror. Another one, a woman with a blonde ponytail, ran into one of the rooms and returned with a blanket, tossing it to Aiden. He caught it and pressed it over Evan¡¯s face, muffling his growls. ¡°Oh God. My poor baby!¡± Rose screamed from behind Aiden. ¡°Don''t hurt him!¡± ¡°In this state, it would be really difficult to,¡± Aiden bit out. ¡°His body is extremely resilient.¡± Aiden spoke as the boy attempted to bite his fingers off through the blanket. Thankfully the material was too thick, but Lexie still bit her lip, feeling on the edge. Still struggling to corral Evan, Aiden rushed into a different room and Emma finally got to her feet, cradling her bleeding arm and following him. Xena went after her mother and so did Lexie and all the nurses, crowding into the room. They all watched as Aiden pushed the struggling Evan into the hospital bed. The white robes rushed forward and they helped hold Evan¡¯s limbs down, fishing out sheets and tying his limbs down the corner of the four-poster bed. In the meantime, Aiden held the blanket over the boy¡¯s face, a bead of sweat in the corner of his head as the boy continued to gnaw at him. He caught Aiden''s finger between his teeth a few times, and Aiden winced, but luckily it didn''t draw blood. At some point, the woman who tossed Aiden the blanket returned to the room with a muzzle. With a lot of difficulty and clumsiness, she and Aiden managed to secure it around Evan¡¯s face. ¡°We need to sedate him,¡± said another dark-haired woman. ¡°How are we supposed to find a vein when he¡¯s twitchier than a hypokalemic sewer rat?¡± the blonde woman retorted. The shorter older woman sighed. ¡°Someone call Godfrey. He¡¯s the only one capable of getting a line into him at this point.¡± One of the male white coats nodded and left. Soon, he returned with a tall man with whitish hair holding a plastic container full of syringes, and medical tubes attached to a bag. The man placed the container on the table beside Evan and efficiently began setting up a drip, attaching a thin tube to the syringe. He hummed while he worked and seemed to be in the zone, completely ignoring Evan¡¯s snarling and snapping and jerking in the bed. He almost lovingly caressed the syringe before he attached it to the needle. Then he eventually brushed one of the other nurses to the side, firmly held onto Evan¡¯s arm despite the latter''s efforts, and slid the needle inside him. The drug was brutally effective. Almost immediately, Evan¡¯s jerks reduced and his snarls drawled into low growls. ¡°Good work team,¡± Emma said. She was holding a blood-soaked cloth at the bite wound. Evan must have really torn her up, but she still managed to give everyone a tremulous encouraging smile. ¡°Excellent response times as usual. Especially Godfrey, you little IV god, you.¡± Godfrey inclined his head once to accept the praise. The male nurse who went to get Godfrey approached Emma, face streaked with concern. ¡°You got bit?¡± ¡°Yeah." She sighed like it was just a bother rather than a life-threatening injury. Her voice shook though, her face beaded with sweat as she swallowed her pain. "But I should be fine. Sparrowfoot was nice enough to make a dozen potions while he was here last time and thankfully I think we have the ingredients to make more.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a loiter bite,¡± Xena said quietly from Emma''s side, her gaze intense on the wound. ¡°Potions can¡¯t cure it.¡± ¡°No, but they can delay the symptoms in time for the healer to arrive.¡± ¡°It¡¯s been three weeks since you guys called for one!¡± ¡°Which means that they should be here any day now.¡± With her free hand, she touched the tips of Xena¡¯s hair affectionately and gave her a comforting smile. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, dear Xena. It¡¯s not my first roiter bite.¡± Xena¡¯s face showed her struggle to rein in her emotions. She kind of looked like she wanted to scream and cry at the same time. ¡°What happened to my son?¡± Rose asked in the silence that ensued. Her eyes were red, her face pale. Her head whipped around the room, searching for answers. ¡°You told me just yesterday that you had slowed the disease down in the first stage. How did it develop this quickly? He never even got to the second stage.¡± Emma and Aiden shared a look. Finally, Aiden sighed. ¡°I¡¯m not sure why this happened,¡± he said. ¡°But I have my suspicions.¡± ¡°What is it then?¡± ¡°In rare cases¡­the extended use of the potions as symptomatic relief can cause the symptoms of a disease to accelerate. This is because the infection grows an immunity or evolves in some way to advance faster. In lieu of a healer, we¡¯ve been using the potions to delay Evan¡¯s symptoms for far longer than we should have and thus, we gave the disease more time to evolve, and become much stronger than anticipated.¡± ¡°So the potions you gave my son did this?¡± Aiden¡¯s forehead wrinkled. He opened his mouth to say something, then closed it. Then he nodded. ¡°In a sense. But¨C¡± ¡°You murderer!¡± Rose launched herself at him, slamming her fist into his chest. ¡°You¡¯ve killed Evan!¡± ¡°Rose.¡± Emma jerked forward to stop her but Godfrey beat her to the punch. He held both of Rose¡¯s elbows, trying to drag her back from Aiden. But for such a small woman, Rose was hard to wrangle and packed quite the punch, getting Aiden in the gut again and Godfrey in the face. Godfrey cursed and Aiden reared back at the blow but didn''t make a sound. ¡°Calm down,¡± Godfrey ordered. ¡°Or I¡¯m going to sedate you too.¡± ¡°No, you won¡¯t.¡± Emma countered. ¡°Godfrey, don¡¯t scare her.¡± ¡°It¡¯s your fault he¡¯s like this!¡± Rose didn¡¯t even appear to hear them. Her eyes glowed with hatred as she spat at Aiden. ¡°It¡¯s my fault too. I knew that I never should have let a [Villain] near my baby.¡± Aiden had flinched at the words ¡®villain¡¯ and ¡®murderer¡¯ but otherwise didn''t try to stop Rose, only putting up his hands intermittently to avoid blows to the face. His expression was carefully flat. ¡°He didn¡¯t murder your son, Rose,¡± Emma explained as another of the female nurses joined Godfrey to hold the woman back. ¡°All potions and medicines have side effects, as we warned you in the beginning. Your son simply caught a rare one. There was no way to know what would be the result¨C¡± ¡°I trusted you.¡± Rosa''s voice broke as she faced Emma. Tears flowed down Rose''s face and her breath hitches matched her son¡¯s muffled murmurs.¡±When you told me to let him treat Evan, I trusted you would keep my son safe.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Emma''s gaze dropped, then returned with a sheen of sympathy. ¡°We didn¡¯t predict this. And for that I¡¯m sorry.¡± At that point, Rosa collapsed to the floor and wept bitterly. The two nurses stood over her, watching her with pity and conflicted feelings. The rest of them eyed Aiden with some sympathy but traces of accusation or at the very least suspicion. Emma was the only one who seemed entirely understanding when she turned to Aiden. ¡°Are you alright?¡± He nodded, but he didn¡¯t meet her eyes. Instead, his hollow gaze was on her bite mark. ¡°We should get some poultice on that instantly. And get you started on the potions.¡± ¡°The same potion that drove that kid coo-coo?¡± Xena asked sardonically and Emma gave her a quelling look. ¡°It was a rare side effect,¡± Emma said. ¡°We¡¯ve given plenty of others the same potion before and nothing like that has happened.¡± Xena pressed her lips together but her distrustful eyes didn¡¯t leave Aiden. Lexie glared right back at the taller girl. She understood that this was a very tragic circumstance and what happened to Evan was truly heartbreaking but she was tired of everyone piling on Aiden as though he wanted this to happen. Especially since Aiden looked a little worn by it all, as much as he tries to act unaffected. ¡°It¡¯s not his fault,¡± she said, drawing all the eyes in the room. ¡°He tried to help Evan. It¡¯s not his fault that this happened.¡± ¡°Oh? Then whose fault is it genius?¡± Xena challenged. ¡°It¡¯s no one¡¯s fault. It was an unforeseen side effect. The disease evolved.¡± Was antibiotic resistance not a thing here? Because back on her earth it was common knowledge that sometimes bacteria and viruses could morph and gain immunity from medicine that was supposed to treat it. Heck, she''d had pneumonia three times as a kid back to back, partially exacerbated by the bacteria''s resistant nature. "It''s not right for you to put it on him as though he''s the one who infected Evan. He couldn¡¯t have known for sure the potion would do this." ¡°He''s an Archmage,¡± Xena argued back, her voice echoing around the room and probably down the hallway. ¡°Isn¡¯t he supposed to ¡®foresee¡¯ stuff like this? Isn''t that his whole thing, being smart and magical?¡±Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. ¡°Yeah, but he¡¯s not all-knowing.¡± Lexie¡¯s voice got louder too. She hated how it was high pitched and made her sound childish but she couldn¡¯t help herself. ¡°And it¡¯s not like he can use his powers anymore, but he¡¯s still trying to help. As I understand it, without him, Evan would have already been dead." ¡°Oh great, he¡¯s trying to help, just like everyone else here.¡± Xena threw up her hands. ¡°Let¡¯s build a monument in his honor.¡± ¡°Are you even listening to me?" Lexie yelled back because now the other girl was being willfully obtuse. "That¡¯s not what I said. All I¡¯m saying is there¡¯s no need to crucify him for what is, at worst, a mistake.¡± ¡°A mistake? He just killed that kid and you call it a mistake? Of course, because people like you only see our lives as nothing. We¡¯re just experiments to you. That¡¯s how all you rankers see mundanes." She pointed at Aiden. "He may be a [Villain] now but I bet if he was the one with a loiter bite, his old [Hero] buddies would send a healer for him immediately. Or his fellow [Villains] would pitch in for his treatment. But since it¡¯s just a little mundane boy called Evan, no one cares.¡± Even though Lexie had expressed a similar sentiment and frustration just this morning, she hated how Xena was using it to attack Aiden, like all the blame in the world rested on his shoulders. She disliked Xena¡¯s accusing nature in general and it even seemed directed at Lexie who literally (metaphysically) just got here. ¡°So?¡± she said. ¡°How is any of that Aiden¡¯s fault? You think being jealous and nasty is going to solve that problem?¡± ¡°Ha. You think this is nasty? Cause I can show you nasty.¡± ¡°Xena,¡± Emma said at the same time that Aiden said, ¡°Lexie.¡± Both girls stared at the adults in angry unison ignoring the few nurses who were either staring at them from beside Emma, or clearing out of the room. Emma released a breath. ¡°I think something very stressful just happened and you¡¯re both a bit tense. Xena, I think you should go home. I might be here for the rest of the day so I won¡¯t be able to make you lunch like you wanted.¡± ¡°Who the hell cares about lunch? You¡¯re going to die!¡± ¡°Lexie, that same goes for me,¡± Aiden said. ¡°I¡¯ll be here a while so you should probably get home. You remember the way, right?¡± Lexie nodded reluctantly. ¡°But I can stay if you want me to help...¡± He shook his head before she could finish. ¡°I¡¯ll feel a lot better when you¡¯re home safe. Don¡¯t forget to lock the door.¡± ¡°You too, Xen-Xen. And don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t die. You just called me ¡®mom¡¯ so there¡¯s no way I¡¯m going to die now.¡± Emma gave her a smile that trembled a little bit at the corners, and Xena¡¯s face was filled with palpable devastation that Lexie''s anger melted away instantly. The other girl looked like she was trying very hard not to cry. Beyond that, she looked terrified. Like her nightmare had come to life. She didn¡¯t say anything else. She swung around and stalked out. Lexie hesitated for a second but at Aiden¡¯s encouraging nod, she also left. And then on her way out, she heard one of the nurses in the room say, ¡°The kid has less than a few hours before the disease eats his brain.¡± ¡°What do we do?¡± That was Emma¡¯s voice. ¡°We need Max,¡± Aiden murmured in response. But then as Lexie got to the hospital, her guilt worsened. She thought that maybe she was too hard on Xena. The girl just watched her mother get bit and infected with a deadly illness all because she saved Xena¡¯s life. She was entitled to be upset about it. Sure she shouldn''t have turned it on Aiden, but Lexie should have tried to de-escalate rather than make it worse. After all, she was older than the girl, at least mentally. She should have kept her cool better. And on a deeper level, she could relate somewhat to what Xena was feeling right now. Lexie had reacted similarly when her grandpa died. Grandpa Morris, her mother''s dad, had often been snarky and mocking, calling her Point-Dexter, and crowing endlessly whenever he beat her at spades. Not to mention the obscene things he said when he lost. He was a sore loser and an even worse winner. But he was also the only one in her family, apart from Logan, who encouraged Lexie to pursue a life she wanted, not one that her parents planned out for her. "You''re a smart girl, Point-Dexter," he would say in that heavy, raspy voice of his. "And you''re wasting it on good grades and a formal education. Pah! Wasting the best moments of your life on pleasing those wardens you call parents." ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Lexie smiled as she shuffled the cards. ¡°I don¡¯t mind. I like studying and getting good grades. I enjoy most of my subjects too.¡± Plus it wasn¡¯t like she had a ton of friends to hang out with, or even other hobbies to participate in. She hadn¡¯t cultivated them because of her upbringing. Her parents limited the amount of fiction she could consume every month and her phone and TV time was monitored. Apart from occasionally gaming with her brother, and even less occasionally hanging out with Mickie, reading textbooks and research papers was really her only means of entertainment. And getting good grades gave her something to do, gave her purpose. Without it, she¡¯d probably just be lost and depressed. She didn¡¯t think she said anything wrong, but Grandpa Morris had stared at her for a long time after she spoke. And then he¡¯d responded in the most sober tone she¡¯d ever heard him speak in. ¡°You know, Lexie, there¡¯s a difference between the prisons others make for us, and the ones we make for ourselves. The former sucks, but the latter is a lot harder to break out of.¡± Lexie never figured out what he meant by that, but she could appreciate that it came from a good place. And so she continued to visit him every Sunday because she knew her mother probably couldn''t visit often and her dad hated him, and Grandpa Morris didn''t have any other friends or family. Until one Sunday, the one time her mother could visit with Lexie, they were met with devastating news. Lexie knew the old man would die eventually but she didn¡¯t expect it to happen like that, so suddenly without warning. One second he was there and vibrant and full of sarcastic life. And the next second, he was gone and the doctor was delivering the news in a monotone, exhausted voice of someone who¡¯d been on-call all night and was probably heavily questioning the validity of their own existence at that point. Lexie¡¯s mother caused a scene, railing at the doctor for not trying hard enough to save him. Lexie was silent but she mostly agreed. She also had a split-second thought that maybe the sleep-deprived doctor intentionally let her grandpa die so he wouldn¡¯t have to deal with him anymore. After all, not everyone could tolerate Grandpa Morris¡¯ special brand of humor. She just couldn''t understand how he was dead. He wasn¡¯t even that sick the last time she¡¯d seen him. What changed between then and now, and why wasn¡¯t her mother informed? It had to be the hospital''s fault, and right then and there, the doctor was responsible as a representative of the hospital. But it had just been grief making her thoughts irrational and cruel. Thinking about that now, made her cringe, regret flogging her. To be honest, it was probably Grandpa Morris¡¯ choice to go out like did. He probably just made himself stop breathing out of sheer willpower. And even if that wasn¡¯t how it happened, it still likely wasn''t the doctor¡¯s fault either. She wished she could rewind time and go back and apologize to the poor medical resident, who was probably fighting his own emotions at watching someone die. She wished she could tell him she was sorry that she and her mom had acted so thoughtlessly, blinded by their own despair and probably a fair amount of guilt on mom¡¯s side. Xena was younger than Lexie had been when Grandpa Morris died. And Xena was losing someone even closer to her. She was losing her mom. Lexie saw Xena¡¯s back retreating in the distance. She ran to catch up, needing to give her an apology. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Lexie said when she was sure Xena could hear her. ¡°About what I said. I shouldn''t have called you nasty. I get that you were just upset about your mom¨C¡± ¡°She¡¯s not my mom,¡± Xena interrupted without pausing her long, angry strides. Now Lexie was confused. ¡°That¡¯s not what you said when she was bitten.¡± Xena stopped, turning that fierce greyish-blue gaze on Lexie. ¡°I''m an orphan,¡± she said. ¡°I don¡¯t have real parents or family, but the orphanage was getting filled up, so the system paid Emma to take me. I have to live with her till I turn eighteen or get a decent job, but no one said I had to like her or treat her like my mom. But for some reason, she thinks I should.¡± Ah. So like foster care. Annoyance bristled over Xena¡¯s face as her eyes flickered over Lexie¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m not sure I like it here. There''s nothing to do in this town and everywhere smells like old people. Emma¡¯s always working. And when she''s home she is always in my business trying to talk to me. Calls me that stupid nickname ¡®Xen-Xen¡¯ like I¡¯m a toddler. Burns all our food, because she¡¯s scatterbrained and whatever she doesn¡¯t burn just tastes like ass. She also constantly plays these annoying holiday songs even though it¡¯s not the holidays and then calls me a pill for not singing along.¡± She took a breath after that long rant. ¡°But she¡¯s not a bad person. She doesn¡¯t deserve to die.¡± ¡°You are kind of a pill.¡± It slipped out before Lexie could stop herself. Xena shot her a look. She attempted a comforting smile in response. ¡°But your mom¡¯s not going to die.¡± ¡°She¡¯s not my mom. And I won¡¯t let her die.¡± Xena continued walking, and Lexie followed behind her. Xena didn''t seem like she''d accepted her apology yet and Lexie still felt bad for not being sensitive enough about Xena¡¯s feelings. But she also didn¡¯t know what to say next. Maybe by the time they reach their destination, she might. Lexie kept track of the path they took, but it was really only one straight road, surrounded by rolling hills, with vast expanses of nature and a few lakes in the horizon. The crisp air stung her nose, carrying the scent of grass and sea to her. A light mist hung low in the sky, and the two moons were now too blazing suns on opposite sides of a distant mountain. It really was a beautifully quaint town. But clearly deserted. She didn¡¯t see a lot of buildings and at least half of those she saw didn¡¯t look like anyone was living there. Single branching lanes lead to stone cottages that littered the hillside on the left. The right side of the road revealed a town center, with low brick buildings that were either gray or brown and had wooden shop signs out front. She saw a few older women riding mopeds that hovered over the ground, with bags of groceries in their baskets. The shop buildings were often intercepted by grassy plains rather than roads and were arranged in winding rows. Train tracks soon intersected the main road, bordered by stone ruins and what looked to be a rune carved on them. The train station itself was on the right side of the road, the platform so small and dated that it was almost ignorable. Xena turned and headed that way, but Lexie frowned. She thought Xena was going home, but there were no buildings beyond the platform. ¡°You live at a train station?¡± Xena sighed. ¡°You know, you ask really stupid questions sometimes.¡± Fair enough. Lexie shrugged and followed. The station was made up of faded awning over cracked pavement with walls that had several layers of dust on them. A single wooden bench, with uneven cracked panels stretched across the middle of the platform, bordered by the worn pillars holding up the awning. Right next to them were metallic trash bins, sleek glass podiums, and vending machines that were half empty. As opposed to the dilapidated nature of the train station, the tracks themselves looked new and shiny, the gleaming metal cased with a transparent bluish fluid like substance that seemed to crackle with energy. What was that? Xena continued moving until she approached one of the glass podiums with a curved stand and a square surface. She tapped the surface a few times and a hologram appeared in the air, with buttons. Lexie couldn¡¯t read them from a distance, but as Xenae continued pushing buttons, Lexie surmised that she was about to take a trip. ¡°Where are you going?¡± Lexia asked. ¡°To the Azures¡¯ party.¡± ¡°The who?¡± Xena gave her another ¡®you¡¯re dumb¡¯ look and Lexie got tired of looking stupid so she finally explained. ¡°I lost my memory, okay? I fell into a ditch and hit my head and I can¡¯t remember anything. So I don¡¯t know who the Azures are.¡± Some of the tension on her Xena¡¯s face fled. ¡°Really?¡± Lexie nodded. ¡°Oh.¡± Xena visibly relaxed, eyeing her with less suspicion. ¡°You probably should have led with that.¡± Would it have made a difference? ¡°The Azures are a loaded family that live in a mansion over a hill, in Arcadia. The dad is the Governor of our tri-state and is also a retired cape called Blueman whose whole thing was changing people¡¯s vision to only see the color blue. Dumb ass superpower. No wonder he got benched.¡± A mild gust of wind blew hair into her mouth and she spat it out before continuing. ¡°They''re holding some kind of gala for the Arcadian [Heroes] in Coventry Garden today. I saw it on NET, so it''s probably being live streamed right now." ¡°Okay.¡° At least she knew what ¡®Arcadian¡¯ was. Arcadia, according to the map, was a city close to Hovelton. ¡°So you¡¯re going there in order to¡­¡± ¡°To get help.¡± Determination was set on her face. ¡°The capes are all about their image and looking like good guys. They won¡¯t want the public to know that they¡¯re over there partying it up while a kid is dying. I mean yeah, everyone knows that there¡¯s a healer shortage and other places get priority over our mundane little town, but to have it be so blatantly in their face, especially with the fact that we''ve been requesting a healer for three weeks¡­it just doesn¡¯t look good. So, I¡¯ll go crash their stupid party, stand in front of the cameras, and expose to the world how much they suck until someone there gives me a fucking healer.¡± Lexie blinked. She wasn¡¯t used to hearing kids swear. Even at sixteen years old, she still hesitated to drop f-bombs but this little girl said it like it was her birthright. And Xena¡¯s idea was wild and crazy¡­ but if it worked, it would save Evan and Emma. Which Lexie wanted desperately. Though she had just met them, she felt some kindredness towards them. Maybe it was because Evan¡¯s name was Lexie¡¯s last name. Or maybe it was because Emma pinched her cheek and seemed to find her adorable. In any case, Lexie didn¡¯t want anything bad to happen to those two. And it seemed, if a healer didn¡¯t come, something bad would. Lexie watched Xena for a while weighing her options. She didn¡¯t know much about this world, and didn''t know if ten year olds could go on a trip to a different town by themselves. Aiden didn¡¯t seem to mind that she was walking home by herself but that was a whole different thing than hitching a ride to a different city. Was that normal here? Would Xena be safe? Lexie felt conflicted, biting her lip. On one hand, it wasn¡¯t Lexie¡¯s business. She¡¯d done what she came to do, which was apologize, and she could leave Xena, go back home and focus on her own problems. But two images remained imprinted on her brain¨CEvan, switching from a smiling boy into a rabid creature, and Emma, holding her bleeding arm, smiling despite the pain. She couldn¡¯t forget it. This was a game but it was starting to feel more real to her. If those two died while she did nothing to stop it, she would feel awful. And if this mundane little girl was willing to risk herself to do something, then Lexie had no excuse not to. ¡°I¡¯ll come with you,¡± she found herself saying. Xena turned to stare at her. ¡°Why?¡± Lexie shrugged. ¡°I feel bad about what happened to Emma,¡± she said. ¡°She was a nice person.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say ¡®was¡¯ like she¡¯s dead.¡± ¡°No, I meant it like¡­you know, I don¡¯t even know what I meant. Were you planning on going by yourself?¡± She narrowed her eyes. ¡°Not like I have anyone to go with.¡± The short-tempered, sarcastic, unnecessarily abrasive girl had no friends? Shocker. Lexie chewed on her options once more and then said, ¡°It might be too dangerous to go alone. I¡¯ll go with you. I can help." ¡°How?¡± ¡°I¡¯m pre-awakened. So I can use my dad¡¯s cards to get us into the party.¡± Though her plan for that was a little fuzzy, she knew the cards may be able help. They were magic after all. Besides, she was curious to see what this cape party was about. Maybe she would see a few characters she recognized from her brother''s notes. Maybe one of them could help her. A word of mental caution told her that it was risky to wander off with someone who could barely stand her to break into a party of super-powered people. But then again, she was in a video game and getting out of it would require some risk. The more information she had the better and seeing the world from a perspective that wasn¡¯t Aiden¡¯s would give her a more fleshed out view. Besides, if anything went wrong she would call Aiden. He showed her how to use the call function on the system to contact her guardian. It also had a location feature that she could turn on and off at will. ¡°There might be security and stuff so I can help cause a distraction so you can get in,¡± she told Xena. Xena raised an eyebrow but she appeared to be thinking deeply about it, her eyes holding the air over Lexie¡¯s shoulder. A rumbling sound in the distance, along with a loud horn warned that a train was coming. They didn''t have much time left to wonder. She looked from Lexie to the approaching train and then back to Lexie. ¡°Fine. But no yapping and no dumb questions on the way there.¡± Lexie made a zip and lock gesture over her mouth. ¡°No yapping. No questions. Deal.¡± 9 - The Party Planners Deck Xena didn''t talk much while they were on the train. Her eyes were fixed resolutely on the video playing on her black metal pad and Lexie didn¡¯t mind because it gave her time to survey the environment freely without being worried she looked like a complete idiot. The train was very similar to the New York subway, except for the incorporation of glass panels intercepting the metal body of their currently empty carriage. The outside of the train seemed wrapped with some shimmering material, similar to the make-up of the podium Xena had bought a ticket from. Speaking of the podiums, there were a few on the train too. By Lexie''s calculation, there was one between every six seats on each side. She didn''t know what they were for, but she''d promised Xena she wouldn''t ask so she tabled the question for Aiden later. The trains also had clean and comfortable seats, made of a semi-flexible material that Lexie had never experienced before. Somewhere between plastic and rubber, but with the smoothness of glass and the comfort of a cushion. Nevertheless, the underside of the train was actually what she found most interesting. Turned out that the trains didn¡¯t have wheels, and instead were held onto the tracks by that same glistening, almost-liquid substance that covered the tracks. Lexie didn¡¯t know what it was nor did she know its utility, but she thought maybe it helped the train move smoother and faster. She decided to look that up later too. There was so much to look up, a seemingly endless stream of questions flooding her mind. Honestly, now that her anxiety was receding a little bit, she was actually getting increasingly interested in finding out more about this new world and how it worked. The technology and mystery was captivating. Maybe even exciting. No, that was too far. There was nothing exciting about getting separated from her family and thrust into an unfamiliar world. But, it was a curious new world, and Lexie was a curious girl. And until she could figure out a way out of here, she might as well indulge her curiosity. The train moved for about five minutes and many miles of nothing but grass, proving just how remote Hovelton was. Lexie could see bright lights in the distance on a hill and a disembodied voice had announced when they left that they would be arriving in Arcadia in about thirty minutes. Which meant she only had thirty minutes to get ready for what was to come. She¡¯d already spent most of the first five minutes watching the Hero Party online. It was being live streamed on Video Alley, and it showed various people walking around a decorated garden in the most elaborate and outrageously feathery outfits she¡¯d ever seen. Seriously. Some of them looked like actual creatures of flight. To be fair, about half the people were dressed more normally than the rest, and the ones in the gaudy outfits looked fairly uncomfortable with what they were wearing. But still. These were supposed to be [Heroes]? Lexie wasn''t sure what she expected but it wasn''t this. They looked more like celebrities attending a met-gala or something. I guess they can¡¯t be in costume all the time. Sometimes they liked to trade in their spandex for white, monstrously large, feathers. Since Lexie didn¡¯t have a video pad, she had to watch the live stream on her blue screen, which didn¡¯t give her quite the video quality that Xena¡¯s pad had, but it wasn¡¯t exactly a staticy VHS tape either. Especially since whoever was taking the video apparently went to great lengths to make sure the images looked crisp and well-graded. The shots showed different perpectives of the garden and switched seamlessly from wide-angle to close-ups, to profile to a shoulder-level shot and even a few Dutch angles were thrown in. The footage looked less like a live stream and more like a cinematic masterpiece, with clear 4k quality images. And the camera guy, whoever it was, seemed to have a real knack for getting people¡¯s best sides. Or maybe heroes were just more photogenic than the rest of the populace. Was that natural? Or was it something you had to work at when you were a hero? Yet another question she couldn''t ask yet. After watching a few seconds of the feed, she waved it away and opened her inventory. Aiden hadn¡¯t quite finished telling her how to activate the cards but she thought she could probably figure it out on her own. After all, he claimed she had a knack for it, and though that last step had sounded confusing, maybe it was just the phrasing that was the problem. If young mages could activate cards, then Lexie, mentally almost an adult, could do it too. Except that young mages probably had the advantage of knowing how magic worked here. Regardless, she would try. And yes, she knew she was probably in over her head, and this may not work, but at least she was fairly certain the cards wouldn''t harm her. And if there was ever a time to get daring and adventurous, it was now. Ha. Look at you. Acting completely out of character. The thought was followed by another: It¡¯s a video game. I can be a different character here. The thought comforted her as she visually scanned through the cards in her deck. The deck itself was conveniently named the Party Planner¡¯s Deck with the tagline, "SHUFFLE TO ENSURE A GOOD TIME ALWAYS." Lexie chuckled. They may have been going to a party but they certainly weren''t going there for a good time. More importantly though, she needed to know what the cards did and how to activate them. Luckily, the instructions were fairly laid out on each card.
PARTY PLANNER¡¯S DECK: TO ENSURE A GOOD TIME ALWAYS Deck Difficulty: Moderate Number of Cards: 12 WARNING! In cases of injury to self or others, The Torad Card Corporation holds no liability. Read complete Terms of Use before continuing.
The terms of use was a thirty page document which Lexie didn¡¯t have time for so she simply moved on.
Card Type: Effect Card. Power: 4 Description: You¡¯re the type that likes to lighten things up with a little mischievous fun! Crack the tension with a harmless comic relief character, by making someone else the clumsy sidekick to the story. Reduces coordination in the target''s hands and feet. Just be careful they don¡¯t hurt themselves, or hors d''oeuvres aren¡¯t the only thing that will be served ;D. Active Time: 5 Seconds Activation Prerequisites: Complete Activation Protocol A minimum mana output of 40. Target pathways must not be in defense mode. No further prerequisites.
Card Type: Creature Card Power: 3 Description: Are you bored and lonely? Summon an animal companion to execute a series of acrobatic feats for you! Wow the crowd by showing off your little friend¡¯s skills. Guaranteed party pleaser. Everyone loves a backflipping frog! Active Time: 5 Seconds Activation Prerequisites: Complete Activation Protocol A minimum mana output of 60. No further prerequisites.
Card Type: Ability Card Power: 4 Description: At busy parties like these, you need to be light on your feet. This card gives you a slight speed boost for ten seconds so you can be everywhere at once. Card has individual levelling capabilities and can be levelled up to . Active Time: 10 Seconds Activation Prerequisites: Complete Activation Protocol A minimum mana output of 30. No further prerequisites.
Card Type: (Alternate and Combined) Ability/Effect Power: 6-9 Description: Dance the night away! A card like this is perfect for balls and EDM festivals. It increases coordination and boosts rhythm. Activate with two or more targets and they will be able to keep up with your moves, for a synchronized choreography of up to 30 seconds. Active Time: Up to 30 seconds Activation Prerequisites: A minimum mana output of 70-100. Must begin dancing before activation Targets must be standing in an organized configuration (see recommended arrangements) within 5 meters. When used as an effect, the target pathways must offer no resistance. Silence is golden as talking can distract you and ruin coordination, thereby prematurely deactivating cards. No other prerequisites.
Card Type: Ability Card Power: 6 Description: You¡¯re the hostess with the mostest and naturally everyone wants a piece of you. They want drinks refilled, introductions to be made, and tension to be eased. They need you, but you may not always know who, what or when! This card gives you a sixth sense, like a spider¡¯s, that helps you detect who is watching you within a 50-meter radius. They probably want some attention but are too shy to ask! Active Time: Up to 30 seconds Activation Prerequisites: A minimum mana output of 60. No other prerequisites.
Card Type: Ability Card Power: 7 Description: Who doesn''t love a good confetti cannon? End the party the right way, by showering the air with colorful sparkling lights and flowers. Note: Confetti is self-cleaning and disappears after 3 minutes. Active Time: Instant, One-shot Activation Prerequisites A minimum mana output of 70. Must perform the accompanying choreography while directing mana through the path. (Watch Video for choreography) Follow the pathway to completion.
Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. Card Type: Ability Card Power: 6 The music¡¯s loud and the party is bumping. But you have an urgent announcement to make. This card helps you project your voice at 50 decibels higher for a speedy announcement of ten seconds or less. Make it quick, so we can get back to the party. Active Time: Up to 10 seconds Activation Prerequisites A minimum mana output of 70 Complete activation pathway. No other protocol required.
Card Type: Creature Card Power: 9 Description: Understaffed and overwhelmed? Get back on top of things! Summon an extra set of phantom hands to do the job for you. How many? The more the merrier but NOTE, more hands increases activation time and reduces active time. The effect will shut off after a maximum of 50 seconds or if exhaustion is detected. Active Time: Up to 50 seconds. Activation Prerequisites A minimum mana output of 110 Complete activation pathway A contract with an acceptable helper creature within the vicinity.
Card Type: Ability Card Power: 5 Description: Did you know that charades remain the number one most popular party game on Earth 9 (and a few other planets)? Bust it out at your next party, and wow everyone with your accurate guesses. This card boosts perception to help users read the target¡¯s body language. Tried and tested to ensure accurate guesses 75% of the time. Active Time: Up to 20 Seconds Activation Prerequisites A minimum mana output of 50 Complete activation pathway. Target must remain silent for skill to work.
Card Type: Ability Power: 5 Description: It''s your big night. No one can blame you for wanting to be the belle of the ball. Use this card to give you a slight charisma boost for one whole minute. Works especially well when standing next to a less physically appealing target! Always keep an ugly friend on deck, and shine like the star you are. Active Time: Up to 20 Seconds Activation Prerequisites A minimum mana output of 50 Complete activation pathway. Must already be reasonably appealing for skill to work.
Card Type: Effect Power: 8 Description: We all have that one guest who hates every single song on the DJ¡¯s playlist. But Torad Card Corp. loves to accommodate the special needs! Have them pick from a list of songs and the card will play that song only for them. For one whole minute! It¡¯s a music party of one. Active Time: 60 Seconds Activation Prerequisites A minimum mana output of 80 Complete activation pathway. Target must hum a song that they want. Other prerequisites may apply.
Card Type: Ability Power: 5 Description: You don¡¯t have to get organized if you stay organized. This card helps you out by removing spills and returning dishes and party items back to their last known origin. Works within a 10-metre radius. Active Time: 20 Seconds. Activation Prerequisites A minimum mana output of 60 Complete activation pathway. Point at the items that you want to be returned to their origin. No other prerequisites.
And then of course, there was her which looked very different from all the other cards in the deck, both in construction and design.
Deck: N/A Type: Effect Card Power: N/A Description: Excellent card for those who hate to be the center of attention! Once activated, you fade into the background, and become unremarkable, and unmemorable to your target. Maximum active time is twenty seconds. Activation Prerequisites:\ To activate this card, simply flash it to the target you would like to be invisible to. Make sure the target isn¡¯t looking at you, touching you or otherwise interacting with you during activation or the card will remain inactive. Avoid too much interaction with the target after activation, or card will deactivate. No other protocol required.
Lexie read the cards again, frowning as she considered what she learned. Now she understood what Aiden meant when she said that cards sacrificed flexibity for complexity. They seemed to be only good for doing very specific things, for a pretty short time period. And those things didn''t feel particularly impactful in the grand scheme of things. Sure all those skills generated by the cards made party planning easier, but you could still plan a kick-ass party without that. Heck, jocks with single-digit IQs and zero magic could plan great parties. So it wasn''t something that Lexie necessarily thought needed magic. Plus with every card, you would need to wait for it to recharge before you could use it again? Yeah, that was kinda lame. Lexie could understand why the card user population was declining. On a more personal level though, Lexie was fascinated. Maybe because she¡¯d never actually had magic before and she just generally loved to learn about new things. But to people who¡¯d had magic their whole lives, this was probably underwhelming. After all, how many magic users wanted to be able to be party planners, when you could probably do that too just as well without magic? And in times of crisis, you would much rather have a gun than a back-flipping frog. Thankfully, they weren¡¯t going to the party to shoot anyone. But had she been, she would have been shit out of luck. Yeah, there¡¯s no way I¡¯m supposed to be a [Hero] with cards like these. How? Am I supposed to entertain people into submission? Of course this was only one deck to consider. Maybe there were more decks that had more of a combat lean. She''d check later, but for now, her problem was starting to get clearer. Right now though, she decided to start again with the card that Aiden made her activate, the . She selected it mentally and the card materialized in her hand, a hologram screen popping out next to it reminding her of the requirements. She read over the requirements and then began trying to make it make sense in her head. First, what was Power? Did that correlate to how much force the card emitted or simply how difficult it was to activate? ¡°What¡¯s Power in this scenario?¡± she muttered to herself and her System AI was happy to answer.
WITH CARD MAGIC, POWER IS A MEASURE USED TO ASCERTAIN THE RELATIVE EASE BY WHICH THE CARD IS ACTIVATED BY MOST USERS. CALCULATING POWER TAKES INTO ACCOUNT ACTIVATION PATH LENGTH, COMPLEXITY, MINIMUM MANA OUTPUT AND VARIOUS OTHER UNKNOWNS. MOST CARDS HAVE A MAXIMUM POWER OF 10. CONTACT A CARD SCHOLAR FOR MORE INFORMATION.
Ah. So it was the latter then. So it was good she was starting with one of the easier cards to activate. Next was the part that required a mana output of 40. How was she supposed to know her mana capacity? She repeated the question to the system and it said,
PRE-AWAKENED MINORS CAN GET ACCESS TO THEIR PRELIMINARY STAT. SCREEN. WOULD YOU LIKE TO? [YES] [NO]
Upon accepting, it brought her the screen she¡¯d seen before:
Name: Lexi Sparrowfoot Race: Human Age: 10 Class: Restricted Subclass: Restricted Cumulative Level: Restricted Optimal Mana Range: Restricted Affinity: Restricted Physical Stats: Restricted Mental Stats: Restricted Mana: Avg. Restricted Pre Awakened Mana Capacity: 400
Okay. That was very doable. She had more than enough to work with. Now, time to activate the card. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and followed the steps. The hum in the atmosphere was constant but she separated it from the noise inside. It was even easier to do now that she¡¯d done it before, easier to even sense where the energy was strongest in her body, at her core. She pushed that buzzing sensation down to her hand, where she held the card, and suddenly the pathway opened. She saw the ladder. Excitement fluttered in her heart. She filled it up slowly with her mana tracing until the end. Then as the stairway glowed brightly, she tried to remember Aiden¡¯s next words. Something about directing the outside mana inside? Using the card? How? She took a second to think about it, then Lexie decided to try something. First, still keeping her focus on the glowing ladder, she tried to get a feel for the external mana again. She found she could still feel it, and it now felt thicker somehow, almost like mana particles had shifted closer to her, crowding her. The vibration in the air had gotten more intense. Maybe that was what Aiden was talking about? Activating the card might have caused the mana to shift closer to her and now she was supposed to lead it inside her. But how? He said using the cards to stabilize. Could she push the mana to her hands? It was worth a shot. She felt the mana around her hands and then tried to somehow push it closer. But it was too foreign an act. She didn''t even have the knowledge of how to do that and didn''t know what internal muscles to activate. But suddenly, she saw the pathway changing. Huh? Her heart skipped a beat because she didn¡¯t quite know what she¡¯d done to trigger it. Maybe because she¡¯d focused on her hand? Or maybe it was going to be triggered anyway because it didn¡¯t feel like it was done through much effort on her own part. As the shape morphed into more of a staircase than a ladder, it began getting filled up again, this time a purple color that felt more like the external mana than the internal one. The fizzing inside her grew. She felt it prickling in her chest, and in her core, and maybe also in her brain. It felt like she was being filled with life and it was an amazingly intoxicating feeling. This is what I¡¯ve always imagined being drunk to feel like. Not like the one time Mickie had convinced her to try her father¡¯s scotch. Lexie had only had two glasses before she blacked out, puked most of it out, and then fell into a dreamless sleep. That was totally not fun. This was more than fun. ¡°Do you know how to use that thing?¡± The voice cracked her focus and Lexie¡¯s eyes flew open. She was a little startled to find Xena staring at her and also jarred when all that mana that had been growing inside her dissipated rudely into the air. She felt bereft and cold. ¡°What did you say?¡± Lexie asked, trying to fight her annoyance at being interrupted. Xena was staring at her doubtfully. ¡°I asked if you knew how to use it. Because you kept muttering to yourself and it was taking forever.¡± Oh. I was muttering? ¡°I kinda know how to use it,¡± she said. ¡°And according to Aiden, I may be good at it too. In theory.¡± Xena gave her a funny look. ¡°You really have pre-awakened?¡± ¡°I mean I wouldn¡¯t lie about that,¡± Lexie quipped. Xena watched her carefully. ¡°I¡¯m guessing you¡¯re going to be a [Hero] like your dad?¡± ¡°No,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯m trying to be a [Researcher].¡± Xena scoffed like she didn¡¯t believe her. Lexie supposed the little girl found researchers to be lame also. ¡°What would you want to be if you had mana?¡± Lexie asked her. ¡°A Healer," Xena said without hesitation. Lexie wasn¡¯t surprised, but she gave her a wry smile. ¡°I thought you hated [Heroes]. Aren¡¯t healers part of the Hero Association too?¡± ¡°Not all of them,¡± Xena said. ¡°Some work solo, some register only under the healer¡¯s guild, or some work for mercenary groups. The Hero Association just pays more, but I don¡¯t care about credits. I want to help people.¡± ¡°You mean like a Hero would?¡± Lexie joked but Xena didn¡¯t find it funny. ¡°Heroes only pretend they want to help people. Most of them just do it so they can be famous and have money and go wherever they want and be recognized.¡± Lexie thought that might be a bit harsh. ¡°Yeah I mean I¡¯m sure some of them suck, but are all of them that bad?¡± Xena upper lip curled. ¡°Of course, you wouldn''t get it. Your father was a hero. He probably told you a bunch of stories of him saving people and doing amazing things. He never told you the bad parts.¡± ¡°Meaning?¡± Xena pinned her with a look. ¡°Do you know that a hero can get away with a crime that a regular person can¡¯t? And even if they get punished, it¡¯s like a slap on the wrist kinda deal. Emma says there¡¯s even a law called the ¡®Caring Cape Clause¡¯, which basically means that if they try to help you and end up killing you instead, they won¡¯t get charged because their ¡®intentions were good.¡¯ Can you believe that? It basically giving them the right to murder people.¡± Lexie¡¯s eyebrow shot up. ¡°Really?¡± Sure, they had a Good Samaritan Law back in Earth 2 as well, but it didn¡¯t extend that far. ¡°Yeah. I know for a fact. The orphanage told me that my parents, the real ones, were killed by heroes. It was supposedly a mistake. They were chasing a bad guy down in a supposedly evacuated area, tried to shoot at him, and then zapped my parents. Lasered right through their skulls.¡± Lexie winced. That sounded brutal. And Xena wasn''t done. ¡°It was marked as an unforeseen casualty and the [Hero] who did just got put on mental leave. He never even got a trial.¡± She tried to sound casual as she spoke, but I could sense the anger bristling, and the bitterness in her tone. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure he¡¯s still serving as a [Hero] too. They probably gave him a cushy job on another planet.¡± ¡°That¡¯s horrible,¡± Lexie said quietly. The girl had really been through a lot. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry.¡± ¡°It¡¯s whatever. I don¡¯t even remember them much anyway.¡± She took a deep breath and seemed to deflate, her expression looking lost. ¡°Just goes to show you that [Heroes] can get away with a lot of stuff that no one else can. They would have to do something pretty bad to get punished like your dad was.¡± Her eyes met Lexie¡¯s suddenly. ¡°Kinda makes you wonder what he did, doesn¡¯t it?¡± Xena''s gaze seemed to bore right through Lexie but she held it. The words were like loud bells in Lexie¡¯s mind, gnawing at her. It made her uncomfortable. More than uncomfortable in fact. And Lexie felt an inexplicable urge to say something in defense of herself, of Aiden, but she couldn¡¯t. Instead, she looked away, turning to stare out at the grass until Xena went back to her video pad. Then, with her heart racing, Lexie promptly went back on the NET and tried to look up Aiden¡¯s crime. She probably should have done that earlier but to be fair, so much had happened and she didn''t have any reason previously to think he¡¯d done something egregious. Now she did. Unfortunately, she didn¡¯t find much on the NET. She didn¡¯t find much information about Aiden in general, which was strange given that he had supposedly been a powerful, and presumably popular, [Hero]. It was like someone had gone out of their way to wipe out much of his presence from the NET. Like they wanted him erased, forgotten. Maybe that was what happened when a [Hero] became a [Villain]. All evidence of their heroic deeds were wiped away so that history wouldn¡¯t remember them as who they had been but who they currently were. A nobody. A [Villain]. It was the sort of thing she expected from the System. But unexpectedly, she didn¡¯t really find out much about his crime either. All she got was one article that announced he was going on trial, and it showed him with large handcuffs being walked to a courthouse, surrounded by about a hundred armed guards. Aiden looked rough in the picture, overgrown beard, bloodshot eyes, his hair long and ratty. She almost didn¡¯t recognize him. But the most unfamiliar thing was that hard defiant look in his eyes, the same ones that often shone with affection and kindness when he looked at her. Suddenly, the train came to a smooth halt. ¡°You have arrived at the City of Arcadia.¡± ¡°We¡¯re here,¡± Xena said. 10 - Luther Firebringer and the Party From Hell (Luthers Interlude) Luther Firebringer was constantly assailed by incessant tufts of plume. He was getting really sick of it. He should have expected it coming into this party. The Azures were known for nothing if not throwing very flamboyant events and outfitting them with whatever fashion pundits decided the fabric of the season was. Last year, it was Peluda fur and so all their parties had featured what looked like spiky, red pubic hair around their entrances, accenting the walls and even on outfits. The year before that it was dragonscale and people got creative about how to graft that onto their actual skin. And this year, it was goose feathers which meant plume. Lots and lots of plume. It had attacked him almost as soon as he arrived. When he¡¯d walked through the doorway, stepping cleanly through the forcefield that would only allow guests and staff to enter, he was greeted by a face full of goosefeathers from a woman in a large fluffy bustle who crossed his path at the wrong time. The plume went right in his mouth and he had to splutter to spit it out. That still didn¡¯t help get the dry taste of raw perfumed poultry off his tongue. He just hoped none of the drone cameras whizzing about caught spitting. So freaking undignified. But that was nothing compared to what happened when he was on his way to get a drink. Someone crossed his paths wearing wings made of plume and once again it got him in the face. This time stray particles went up his nose and he had to fight the urge to snort and sniff long after she¡¯d passed. And then came the overwhelming urge to sneeze. It wasn¡¯t just one dainty little sneeze either. He could sense multiple violent sneezes on the horizon and it would involve lots of sniffling too, and probably snorting to get the leftover particles out. Panic clawed his chest as he held it back. Can¡¯t do that in front of the cameras. Apart from looking undignified, if he began snorting and sniffing like a druggie, rumors might start and that was the last thing he needed. It might seem like an overreaction but it was true. He was one of Earth¡¯s most famous heroes and one ill-timed screenshot with his hand under his nose, could cause public uproar. He might even get called into the hero''s association for a random drug test, which would make the rumor mill worse whether he came out clean or not. His spotless reputation would be tainted. And then there was his family to worry about. His grandmother would kill him if she even thought he was doing drugs. Even worse, she¡¯d also call one of those long, boring family meetings and his older sister, Stella, would be there and she would cackle mockingly and say something like, ¡°Glad you finally loosened up, Luthy. I¡¯ve always thought drugs would be good for your personal development.¡± He got annoyed just thinking about it. As if he would ever display a weakness like that. Luther had better self-control than anyone he knew, and was actively disgusted by people who gave in to their vices and baser urges. His exceptional self control was also how he held the sneeze until he got to the bathroom. He first checked that there were no cameras in there. And then he let it rip, a series of successive sneezes followed by a loud snort. Then once he was done letting it all out, he washed his hands and ensured his hair and face were still camera ready, before he stepped out. As he walked over to grab a glass of wine, deftly avoided the plume paintings on the gazebo, and then stood near the orchids while he observed the party. The Azures had outdone themselves this time. Swathes of threaded gold and red silk swang around the garden seemingly suspended in air by nothing. White glass flamingos floated on artificial ponds. The garden itself was gated by perfectly manicured shrubbery with flowers of reddish pink and gold. They even got their shimmering forcefield, which was usually clear, to have a golden cast. People milled about in their pink, red, or golden dresses most of which had blown-out skirts like they were at a prom. And they all looked silly. Luther could only imagine what their stylists were thinking and wondered if the invite mandated they show up as ridiculous and uncomfortable as humanly possible. He might have thought it was all an elaborate joke on Vera Azure¡¯s part, if she were smart enough to actually pull off such a thing. ¡°Luth!¡± Speak of the devil. He turned around to see the petite woman skittering to him. Her tight pink dress, which looked like it was made out of shiny snake skin and chain mail, clung to her thighs and practically plastered them together, restricting her movement. Behind her was a train of feathers that looked like they had been plucked from every creature of flight imaginable, with a matching feathered shawl circling her shoulders too. She was the living embodiment of plume. ¡°You came!" she squealed happily in a girlish manner unbefitting of the nearly forty-year-old woman. "And in the correct dress code, thank heavens! I was so frightened you wouldn¡¯t get my message in time informing you of the hue change.¡± I¡¯m in dress code? Luther frowned and scanned his own outfit, worried that he looked as ridiculous as the rest of them. But then he realized that she meant the colors. He was wearing a red button down shirt and rust-brown pants but that was just a coincidence that had nothing to do with any dress code. Those were simply his family colors which he usually wore to formal events. Vera reached in for a brief impersonal hug and her perfume wafted around him making him slightly ill. ¡°Cousin Vera." He greeted and pulled back with a forced smile. "You look¡­¡± Stupid. ¡°Interesting.¡± ¡°It¡¯s beautiful isn¡¯t it?¡± She turned to show off more of the train. ¡°Can you believe that this is an authentic Maragialo? Flown right in from Silia. He had to make it last minute because my other dressmaker was murdered and you wouldn¡¯t believe the state she left the fabric in. No other designer would touch it, and I¡¯d spent nearly a hundred thousand credits on special Fae goose feathers already so it¡¯s not like I could just throw it all away. So I went to my friend Maragialo and told him, ¡®I will positively perish if you don¡¯t help me.¡¯ It took a lot of convincing, but he agreed.¡± She sighed, shaking her head. ¡°Still, getting it done was a nightmare. Like I can¡¯t even express to you how stressful it was, you had to be there.¡± As stressful as foiling a demon-led bank heist? Luther wondered, amused. Or resolving a level 6 dungeon solo? ¡°Your forbearance is admirable,¡± Luther said, trying to keep the sardonic bite from his tone. "I''m glad it all worked out." ¡°Me too.¡± She beamed. Luckily Vera was largely immune to sarcasm. ¡°This fabric in this color was also a nightmare to get because it¡¯s super rare. Cost me nearly a million credits just to get put on the waiting list. And another million to ship it in without those space pirates getting to it. So much effort...I¡¯m glad it didn¡¯t go to waste. What do you think?¡± She turned around again to show off the full dress. I think your husband should grow some balls and tell you to stop wasting his money on clothes. ¡°Looks great.¡± ¡°Thank you, again. Anyway, I''m so surprised to see you here. I thought you couldn¡¯t make it. Didn¡¯t you say you had to deal with a terrorist attack in District 5?¡± ¡°Yeah, but I got summoned at the last minute for a dungeon in Hovelton.¡± ¡°Oh, you poor thing.¡± She shot him a sympathetic look. ¡°That town always depresses me whenever Harold goes to campaign.¡± Luther agreed. Everything about Hovelton was drab and grey and depressing. Arcadia was more advanced and leagues more colorful. In some cases, like at this party, too colorful. ¡°Yes, but they reported an unstable dungeon problem and no one in Arcadia would have been able to tackle it," he continued with a long-suffering sigh. "The Association sent me in to take care of it instead.¡± Although, by the time he got there, the dungeon was pretty much on its last leg and Mad-Eye Max had killed the escaped ghoul. Thinking about that worsened his mood. Luther didn¡¯t like Mad-Eye Max and he especially disliked that someone like him, who didn¡¯t have any formal training as a [Hero] nor did he have any magic, was able to disable a level 4 unstable dungeon and kill a ghoul without much damage. It wasn¡¯t that he wanted Max to get damaged¡­.much. He wasn¡¯t that petty. It was more so what Max¡¯s lack of damage meant for the larger society. Max was a [Mercenary], a role that wasn¡¯t bound by heroic codes, and was only contracted for dungeon work because they had a knack for doing just about anything to make a quick buck. [Mercenaries], like Max, were selfish, greedy, and opportunistic. The total opposite of heroic. He didn¡¯t hold it against them. That was all they were supposed to be. That was all Max was supposed to be. Max was not supposed to be able to take down unstable dungeons and save his drab little town from ghoul attacks. And it shocked and bothered Luther that he had. Something like that skirted too close to vigilantism for his liking. And vigilantism like that could start to get attention. It could encourage others to do the same. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. Which, amongst other things, was totally destructive for society. Luther clenched his jaw as he thought about what should have happened with that unstable dungeon portal. Max should not have touched the portal no matter what. At most, he should have evacuated everyone closeby and waited for the proper authorities¨Cmeaning Luther¨Cto show up. He shouldn¡¯t have been able to destroy the portal by himself. That was¡­unprecedented for a second-rate mercenary like him. Max had no magic. Luther had checked when he¡¯d been given access to Max¡¯s private window. The man had medium physical traits, higher on the strength and dexterity component. His intelligence was at a B Rank but he¡¯d focused nearly all of it on gun knowledge. He was also crass, mercurial, and according to what Luther had heard, quite vulgar as well. He was not [Hero] material. So why was he now acting like it? It would be different if it was a one-time thing, if it was just about the dungeon. But Max had already built a somewhat modest name for himself as a young expert Dungeon Master who always ensured that everyone who entered a dungeon with him left alive, and frequently with all their limbs attached. As such, he''d been building a small cult following in underground scenes, and had other delvers scouring to be on his team. It wasn''t unusual for people to die during dungeon raids. If anything, it was probably more normal for parties of ten to reduce to parties of one before leaving a dungeon. Yet Max had only ever lost two people to a Dungeon raid, and it was right at the beginning of his career. He reportedly never lost another, even if it meant he had to give up everything else he''d scoured from the dungeon to get people out safely. Again, that attitude was unprecedented for a [Mercenary]. And it pissed Luther off. He internally scoffed. Max liked to pretend like he didn''t care about fame, yet he did stuff like that, obviously for attention.There was no way he was doing it simply because he was kind. That man with the vindictive eye didn¡¯t have a kind bone in his body. Luther knew that for a fact, and he was rarely ever wrong about people. Yet, despite how unpleasant the other man was, Luther didn''t have any personal problems with Max. It was just that the concept of him, a [Mercenary] who did heroic things, shouldn¡¯t exist. He was not a [Hero]. He should know his place. Unlike Max, Luther was a [Hero]. One of the best actually. He did have magic and he outranked Max on the Physical level too. He also had his family bloodline. He was a Firebringer, arguably the most powerful race of trained [Heroes] in the entire world. Even without his family¡¯s wealth, he had enough sponsors to own one of the most expensive condos in Capital City. He was so famous that sometimes people camped outside for days just to take a picture with him. It was annoying sometimes, but that was the type of treatment only [Heroes] of his caliber got, and frankly only they deserved it for all the sacrifices they made. If people like Max started sprouting up seemingly doing the same things Luther was doing, (though on a much smaller, less efficient scale) the prestige of being a hero would be reduced. And without that prestige, they would lose sponsorships and funding and it would make it difficult for them to do their work. It would also be difficult to recruit more heroes. It was bad enough that they were already facing a hero shortage. Polls showed that younger high rankers were less likely than previous generations to dream of being heroes. A bunch of them were choosing paths in entertainment instead. If being a self-serving [Mercenary] started growing in popularity then it would make things worse. Those kids would think, "What is the point of being a hero and going to hero school, and abiding by heroic code? I can just do whatever I want anyway and save people when I feel like it and also get a bunch of sponsorship money." And just like that, the era of [Heroes] would end. Stella always thought he was overreacting when he told her his concerns, but Luther knew everyone else was underreacting. It was maddening that the association wasn¡¯t considering what Max did as an active threat, and clearly didn¡¯t see where their world may be headed if things like that continued and people took notice. Max was also a unique problem. Unlike other stray vigilantes who had come and gone over the years, foolhardy beings that had either died in obscurity or joined the Hero Association, Max already had that cult fanbase, had at least enough skill to save some people, yet he hated [Heroes]. So he would neither be obscure enough to forget, nor would he join the Hero Association. He was a primed danger to their way of life. And to make everything bloody worse, Luther also had to worry about Aiden Sparrowfoot, with his recovered, newly pre-awakened daughter. I¡¯ll have to report that last piece of news to the association, he thought. A powerful [Villain]¡¯s pre-awakened child was certainly cause for concern. ¡°Wait, you resolved a dungeon in Hovelton yesterday and you stuck around this long?¡± His cousin¡¯s surprised tone dragged his attention back to their conversation. ¡°I''m shocked. Usually, you zap back to Capital City the second you¡¯re done with your mission.¡± He shrugged. ¡°Yes, but I decided to stay a while. You know, in case more trouble arises.¡± It was a lie but it sounded better than admitting that the Hero Association asked him to stand by and survey the situation at Hovelton for a little longer. There¡¯d been three unstable dungeons spawning there in the last year and that was highly unusual, to say the least, to have so many spawn in the same area. The Association was trying to make sure that it wasn¡¯t linked to a larger trend they were seeing. To that end, Luther was supposed to stay in Hovelton and report whatever he witnessed. But he hated Hovelton. So he got a hotel in Arcadia instead. It was fine since he could easily move back and forth thanks to the teleportation orbs he bought. He hadn''t mastered fire flight yet but he could also jet himself there in twenty minutes through brief spurts of pyro-velocity. Either way, he refused to get a hotel in that dingy, run down town that smelled like moth balls. Nevertheless, Arcadia though leagues better than Hovelton, was drastically lacking in adequate entertainment. So he decided to come to his cousin¡¯s party after all and meet some of the heroes of the town. Or more accurately, he thought it might be good for them to meet him. He could already see them watching him, whispering behind their hands, some in awe and jealousy and others to size him up. The last part excited him. The possibility of a fight always excited him especially if he could be televised putting someone in their place. [Heroes] and other high rankers used to mess with him all the time, especially when he was younger, scrawnier and didn¡¯t have a good hang of his powers yet. Every ranker at Victoire wanted to make a name for themselves, to be acknowledged as powerful, and what better way to do that than by beating up a Firebringer. Even if they got in trouble for it momentarily, ultimately it would help their reputation somewhat in the heroic circles. His older sister Stella was too much of a threat for them, but Luther was a significantly easier prey. So he¡¯d been a frequent target of bullying throughout his Academy. It was why he fought so hard to get stronger. And eventually, he made sure everyone who¡¯d ever tried to humiliate him lived to regret it. Now, very few [Heroes] were at his caliber, much less the ones at this party. Though to be fair, he only recognized a few of them. There was Tophat, the object summoner, showing off his new headpiece. Lucy Frank, the young arithmancy genius who could predict an opponent''s next ten moves, was dancing with another woman by the pond. Both were beneath him in both strength and popularity so he didn''t bother introducing himself to them. The only other hero worth noting at this party was the one in a flower-patterned shirt and casual slacks laughing at something another guest said. Monty Ward, a B-Rank telepathic spell-caster who had saved a group of people from jumping off a building last month. It was some kind of cult mass suicide and because of that, it had made big news across all of Orinia. Monty''s name has been trending on the NET for a month and he was currently the number ten most popular hero in Orinia right now. We¡¯ll see how long that lasts. A few paces away from Monty, a quiet platinum-blonde woman stood, looking bored out of her mind. ¡°Kids!¡± Vera suddenly called out and beckoned over his shoulder. ¡°Come say hi to your uncle Luther.¡± Soon, two children rushed up, one of them a girl with strawberry blonde hair in gentle curls around her face and a smile practiced to reveal a dimple on her cheek. Next to her was her shorter, pudgier brother who had similar coloring but had a square face and owly eyes behind huge glasses. He was in a suit with a tangled bowtie that Vera frowned at. ¡°Hi, Uncle Luther,¡± the girl said and it took Luther a second to recall her name. ¡°Veronica.¡± He remembered only because the name was so similar to her mother¡¯s that it bordered on narcissism. ¡°How nice to see you again. You look adorable.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± she beamed. ¡°I got pre-awakened last week, Uncle.¡± ¡°You did?¡± he smiled. ¡°That''s great. Congratulations!¡± ¡°We always knew she would.¡± Vera beamed as she wrapped her arm around her daughter¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Our Veronica has always been so smart and talented. And we¡¯ve worked hard this year, haven¡¯t we Vero?¡± Vera didn¡¯t even wait for the girl¡¯s nod to continue talking. ¡°Madam Clementia is the best pre-awakening coach I¡¯ve ever seen and she says Veronica is a talented student. She predicted that Vero would be preawakened within five months and wouldn¡¯t you know it, yesterday a horse flung her and she preawakened just like that.¡± ¡°What a nice story,¡± Luther lied and then turned his attention to the bespectacled boy standing behind his sister eyeing him owlishly. Luther couldn''t for the life of him remember this one¡¯s name. Thankfully Vera helped him out. ¡°Dewitt, greet your Uncle Luth.¡± ¡°Greetings, Uncle Luth,¡± Dewitt said and executed a random and extravagant bow. ¡°Thank you for gracing us with your presence on this fine evening. Did you happen to see two gnomes on your way here?¡± ¡°Two¡­gnomes?¡± ¡°Yes. The lizard people told me they¡¯d be here soon.¡± Lizard people? What the hell was he on about? ¡°Dewitt.¡± Vera¡¯s smile grew tight around the corners. ¡°Remember what I told you about making polite conversation." "I thought that''s what I was doing." He sounded puzzled. "I welcomed him to the party and said ''thank you for coming''." "Yes. But then you said something...strange. Remember you''re not supposed to do that. What did we say about offering normal, publicly-necessary information?¡± Dewitt opened his mouth to say something in response, then pressed his lips together. He nodded soberly, seeming disappointed he couldn¡¯t share more. His mother sighed. ¡°Ignore him. It¡¯s just Dewitt and his nonsense. He¡¯s always had an active imagination and I think maybe he¡¯s making the wrong friends who are encouraging that behavior.¡± ¡°He doesn¡¯t have friends,¡± Veronica pointed out helpfully, and Dewitt scowled at her. ¡°That wasn''t publicly-necessary information,¡± he said. ¡°In any case,¡± Vera interrupted. ¡°We¡¯re working on his preawakening now but it¡¯s giving us some trouble. Dewitt¡¯s not as naturally talented as Veronica so we don¡¯t know if he will get there but we¡¯re trying our best.¡± Poor kid, Luther thought as Dewitt¡¯s shoulder deflated, hurt flashing across his face before he hid it. ¡°It¡¯s better to let these things happen naturally. Besides, a preawakening isn¡¯t everything. He can still be an excellent [Hero] even if he hasn¡¯t pre-awakened.¡± After all, Luther had never pre-awakened and he was one of the best heroes in the district, currently number four in Orinia. ¡°Yes, but you know that pre-awakenings are a big deal for Victoire. It¡¯s one of the things they look out for in their applications.¡± ¡°There are many Heroic institutions that aren¡¯t Victoire. They make good heroes too.¡± ¡°Victoire is the best [Hero] academy in the country and that¡¯s where the entire Firebringer clan has gone. I don¡¯t want my children to be different." Well, technically your children are not Firebringers. It was what he wanted to say. Though he considered her a relative, Vera was only his cousin in the sense that her husband¡¯s brother had married a Firebringer cousin of his. It was a thin tether of a relationship but Vera insisted on acting as though her kids had Firebringer blood. For the most part they let her have her delusions. ¡°Is Aunt Stella coming?¡± Dewitt asked, hope perking up his voice. ¡°Or Cousin Theo?¡± Ah. It was clear from his enthusiasm that those two were his favorites in the family. Luther felt less bad for the kid now. ¡°I wouldn''t know.¡± The answer was most likely no. Unlike Luther, Stella and Theo probably had better things to do this evening. He wished he did too, as Vera launched into another overly detailed explanation of the making of her dress. Meanwhile, Dewitt Azure listened to the conversation with half a mind and wondered when the gnomes would arrive. He hoped it would be soon because he was bored out of his skull. 11 - How To Break Into A Hero Party The station at Arcadia stood in stark contrast with the one at Hovelton. For one thing, it was much larger with storeys and multiple lanes on the stretched platform. It also seemed leagues more advanced, from hoverboard racks to moving walkways that morphed and shifted, blending seamlessly on the futuristic sleek floors. Also, the station had far, far more people. Once the doors of the train opened, Lexie and Xena tried to get out but they were inundated by a bunch of tired faced adults, colorfully dressed teens, and a bubble gum popping girl who nearly kneed Lexie in the eye on the way in. Lexie and Xena pushed their way through anyway, Xena snarling at a few people in the process. No one seemed surprised to find two young children on a train alone. Only one person, a man in a white robe that looked like Xena¡¯s moms, threw them a curious look but even then he didn¡¯t stop them as they made their way out onto the expansive platform. There were several train lines intersecting the platform, at least a dozen on each side. The decor of the open space was predominantly made of steel and reflective glass with curved ergonomic surfaces and absolutely zero spray paint. Their ticketing podiums also looked a step above Hovelton¡¯s, larger and glowing with LED lights. One woman had pulled up a 3D hologram map on a podium and was turning it around in the air, drawing dots on it and connecting it. When she was done, a series of text appeared next to the hologram, which Lexie surmised might be direction or information on the train lines. A few of the podiums were not solid at all, and seemed entirely holographic, which made Lexie curious about what that meant. Was it a more advanced type of podium? Or simply a decor choice. Or maybe it served a different purpose entirely. She didn¡¯t have time to ponder. Xena was already walking in that direction, moving through a turnstile that seemed to glow green when she stepped through. It also turned green when Lexie did the same, hurrying to follow Xena¡¯s determined, long steps. They were heading for a holographic exit sign marked over an automatic sliding glass doorway. Lexie caught up to Xena at that exit, and they walked through the sliding doors together, turning into a marble staircase that would lead them above ground. ¡°I guess you know your way around here,¡± Lexie quipped. ¡°What did I say about stupid questions?¡± Lexie frowned at her. That wasn¡¯t even a question. But before she could retort, they appeared at the top of a busy street. Wow. Arcadia was very¡­colorful. With bright neon streetlights that were on even in the afternoon and crowds of people walking everywhere, the city felt like it was overflowing with energy. Kind of like New York although it didn''t look like New York necessarily. The city itself reminded her more of Tokyo or Singapore sprinkled with the vintage Romanesque and Baroque architecture of Old London. The vibe was a mixture of classic and ultra-modern and Lexie admired the effortless fusion of both styles. Logan was really into architecture for a while, she thought as they kept moving. He would have loved this. The roads looked normal enough except that they were choked with traffic, unlike anything she¡¯d ever seen before. First of all, the sheer variety of cars (hovering sedans, cars that looked like mini airplanes, trucks with bird wings) stunned her. Secondly, these cars were stacked on top of each other with inches of space between them. Of course, they were only stacked in twos and threes, a shimmering line in the air seemingly mandating that the stacks should not rise higher than that point. Or maybe it was more so an unspoken rule that there couldn¡¯t be more than three cars stacked above each other. Either way, the whole thing was a sight to behold. Lexie had never been a fan of sitting in traffic. But hovering in traffic strangely sounded kind of appealing right now. ¡°Maybe we should take a cab?¡± Lexie suggested. The last word didn¡¯t auto-translate which meant that the word ''cab'' was still used in this world. Interesting. It felt like some of these changes the game maker made were arbitrary. Things differed in a lot of ways that mattered and a lot of ways that didn¡¯t. ¡°It¡¯s not far,¡± Xena said. ¡°We''d probably get there sooner by walking. Plus I don¡¯t have enough credits for a cab. I had to spend it on getting you a ticket.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± Lexie said. ¡°I¡¯ll pay you back once I figure out how to access my credit account.¡± ¡°Whatever,¡± was the taller girl''s response. They turned a corner and continued down a thinner street, with shops lined on each side. She knew they were shops because the neon signs basically exclaimed it to everyone who walked by, and they seemed to be battling each other for the most in-your-face advertisement possible. The text styles were all bold and practically (and sometimes literally) jumping out the page. As they passed by, Lexie spent some time reading ads that raised more questions than answers in her mind. GET YOUR HAIR CUT BY HEROIC BARBER SHEFFIELD SLICES! 20% DISCOUNT TODAY THROUGH FRIDAY. A heroic barber? Lexie wondered. Is he a hero that also cuts hair or a barber that does haircuts for heroes? Or both? GET YOUR DUNGEON-DELVING TOOLS HERE! APPROVED BY 9/10 DUNGEON DELVERS Why did the one disapprove? Lexie mused. LOST AND ITEM? HEAD TO THE LOST AND FOUND ON FIFTH STREET! *FOR A SMALL FEE* YOU CAN FIND ITEMS YOU NEVER LOST What does that even mean? Lexie thought. Xena interrupted her perusal by pointing. ¡°See that big shiny ugly building right up that hill? With the garden in front? That¡¯s Coventry Garden.¡± Lexie peered at it. The building wasn¡¯t ugly but it was prominent. It looked more like an old cathedral, with an iron wrought gate that surrounded the garden. Lexie nodded. ¡°Alright. But do we have a plan for getting in?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°I mean I¡¯m pretty sure there¡¯s going to be security. Big guys with guns and swords...maybe. How do we get past them?¡¯ Xena looked at Lexie like she had said something stupid. ¡°Why would superheroes need security? They are security.¡± ¡°Yeah, but don¡¯t they need guards to keep away their crazed fans?¡± She smirked. ¡°They like their crazy fans. That¡¯s why they put on events like these with huge signs and so many ads that tell everyone where it¡¯s going to be held. So that crazed fans would know where to find them.¡± Lexie could see her point, but still. ¡°Aren¡¯t they scared that the fans will, I don''t know, mob them or something?¡± Xena simply snorted and kept walking. As they got closer, Lexie noticed that the crowds were getting even thicker, moving in the same direction they were. Dozens of people were standing in front of the gate, some of them interacting with a tiny floating orb and posing with a ''peace'' sign. She noticed that every once in a while they would snap or tap a finger against their leg or something and it would elicit a click from the orb. ¡°What are they doing?¡± Lexie murmured, low enough that Xena didn''t hear it. The system screen automatically activated.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO TAKE A PICTURE? FREE-FLOATING PHOTO-TAKING ORBS PRESENT.
Ah. So they were taking pictures. She glanced at the orbs again, and whispered to confirm, ¡°So those orbs take photos?¡± The system came in clutch with another explanation.
PHOTO-TAKING ORBS (PHORBS FOR SHORT) ARE TOOLS USED TO PRODUCE IMAGES, BOTH TWO AND THREE-DIMENSIONAL, WHICH CAN THEN BE PROCESSED INTO OTHER MEDIA FORMS. THESE IMAGES CAN ALSO BE STORED IN YOUR SYSTEM INVENTORY, TRANSFERRED TO EXTERNAL MEDIA STORAGE OR SENT AS A MESSAGE. ADDITIONALLY, YOU CAN USE PHORBS TO TAKE VIDEOS OR STREAM AN ACTIVITY DIRECTLY TO THE NET. ADVANCED INTELLIGENT PHORBS CAN WORK INDEPENDENTLY TO GET THE BEST POSSIBlE SHOT IN A SCENE AND CAN AUTOMATICALLY CUT AND EDIT THE VIDEO AS YOU FOR MAXIMUM ENTERTAINMENT. [TO LEARN MORE, CLICK HERE¡­]
No, that''s cool. Lexie already had what she needed. Thanks for the info, system. Lexie bet that the last part about the advanced PHORBS would be great for streamers. Not having to hold a camera and worry about angles. It would also just edit it for you. She wondered if that was how the [Hero] party was getting all those cool shots, even though it was being live streamed. Speaking of live-streamed¡­ ¡°What Fighters were you watching back in the train? For the All Fighter¡¯s Circuit?¡± Lexie turned Xena as they continued toward the continuously thickening crowd. Lexie had already searched it up on the train and learned that the AFC was a federation, kind of like the UFC, that organized fighting matches all over the world. And just like MMA, people brought different fighting styles to the ring, and simply used whatever they could to win. Lexie had never been into MMA so she asked Xena about the AFC, not necessarily because she wanted to know more, but because the silence between them had gotten kind of awkward and she just wanted to break it. But, given the girl''s attitude, she also expected Xena to not answer. To her surprise, Xena did. ¡°There¡¯s only two fighters worth watching right now,¡± she said. ¡°Conrad Grace and Top Dog. Conrad is sixteen and he¡¯s the son of two [Heroes]. But he doesn¡¯t want to be a [Hero] himself and said during an interview that he wanted to be a [Mercenary] instead. His parents didn¡¯t approve and basically threatened to disown him for that and so he uses the AFC to raise money so he can emancipate from his parents. He¡¯s an A-Rank Berserker Type Fighter so he¡¯s really unpredictable and that makes him fun to watch. He¡¯s new but he¡¯s already climbed the ranks pretty quickly in just a few months and a lot of people consider him to be number two in the junior league."A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. The wind blew hair into her face again, and she tucked it behind her ears before she continued talking. "And then there¡¯s Top Dog. He¡¯s been number one in the junior division since forever. He¡¯s kind of an ass, but he¡¯s a really skilled A-Rank Warrior Type Fighter and a C-Rank Weaponist. His parents are mundane so he has a huge chip on his shoulder especially against Capes. He really wants to take a bite out of Conrad. Bad.¡± She shakes her head. ¡°Anyway, their fight is scheduled for next month. It¡¯s the preliminaries for the Golden Glove Juniors. I watched their preliminary matches against other opponents and honestly, it¡¯s going to be close but I still put my money on Conrad.¡± Lexie was surprised. She¡¯d really expected Xena to blow off her question or give her usual clipped reply, instead of that shockingly detailed, passionate layout. She supposed she¡¯d stumbled in on the one topic that the girl liked to talk about. But then almost at the same time, Xena seemed to realize that she was having a conversation without sass, and she decided to sass it up by quipping ¡°Move faster, kid. With those little legs, by the time we get there, the party will already be over. ¡°They¡¯re not little,¡± Lexie muttered glaring at Xena¡¯s back as she followed her. ¡°You¡¯re just freakishly tall. And stop calling me kid, we¡¯re probably the same age.¡± Well, Lexie was technically older but not right now. Xena gave her a disbelieving look. ¡°Aren''t you like eight?¡± ¡°I¡¯m ten.¡± ¡°You¡¯re short for ten.¡± ¡°I¡¯m in the thirty-fifth percentile. That¡¯s almost average.¡± Xena didn''t look convinced but she didn¡¯t say anything else. Finally, as they reached the top of the hill, they saw the hordes of people collated around the garden. But when they got close Xena paused. There seemed to be a forcefield or something over the entire garden and cathedral, about five inches or so from the outer gates. The forcefield was golden and glittering in the sun, pulsing with energy. The minute Xena saw it, she frowned, ¡°Shit.¡¯¡¯ Which probably meant that the forcefield acted as some kind of security. Lexie tried to resist the urge to say I told you so. Tried and failed. ¡°Told you so,¡± Lexie said with only a tiny bit of smugness. Xena¡¯s lips pursed. She glared at the forcefield as though she could make it manually combust with her gaze. ¡°You didn¡¯t have a plan for getting inside?¡± Lexie asked, a little disappointed. Maybe she shouldn¡¯t have been since Xena was a ten-year-old kid and all, but she¡¯d somehow thought she¡¯d be smart enough to have a plan. ¡°I did,¡± Xena bit out lowly. They were surrounded by the din of the crowd and no one seemed to be paying particular attention to them, too busy taking selfies or observing the people at the party. ¡°I just didn¡¯t expect a forcefield. They didn¡¯t have that last year.¡± ¡°Ok. But even without the forcefield there¡¯s still the gate and the crowd to worry about. How did you expect to get in?¡± ¡°You see that small woodsy area by the gate, on the right of the garden? You can access that through Clifford Street, right by the Aveyard building. Their gates aren''t interconnected but two of the rods are broken and there''s a hole between them you can sneak through. It''s hidden by the woods over there so it''s a pretty easy way to get in." ¡°How do you know?¡± Lexie asked. ¡°Spend your time sneaking into Cathedral Gardens?¡± ¡°That¡¯s none of your business. In any case, we can¡¯t do that now, because of the forcefield.¡± Lexie didn''t want to give up just like that, so she told ¡°Show me the place.¡± Maybe they could figure something out when they got there. Xena sighed and then set off, not towards the garden, but towards a street before it. She turned right into the street and hurried, turning left into the first alley. She took another right and then left, which brought her in front of a small white building that reminded Lexie of the DMV. Xena squeezed herself behind a brick wall, and Lexie followed as the pavement bled into a woodsy area sectioned off by a low gate. They hopped it pretty easily and approached the second gate, which was significantly higher and spikier, matching the one they found in front of the cathedral. Xena led her to the missing rods and there was just enough space for two little girls to squeeze through, admitting them into a mini forest. The trees shielded them from the crowd surrounding the garden, and they seemed to be at the back of the cathedral itself. The forcefield was right across from them, mocking them. They hid behind bushes as they saw about two servers come out, carrying trays of half-eaten food. Lexie guessed that this acted as some kind of server''s entrance. The two men passed through the forcefield without effort. ¡°How do you think they¡¯re getting in?¡± Lexie asked, pointing to the server while crouched. He had his side to them, walking down a path, leading away from them and towards a huge truck. ¡°Probably that badge at their hip,¡± Xena said. ¡°Or maybe facial recognition software. Although my mom, I mean Emma, used to be a server at these things, and she told me once that they usually don''t use facial recognition for employees who are only contracted for the night. I think keying a forcefield with each individual''s facial features is kind of costly, especially since you have to take into account adjustments if they gain or lose weight, or if they have eyebags, and then there''s shapeshifters and long-lost twins to worry about also. Plus, it''s a lot of paperwork. So if it¡¯s short-term employment, they just have the waiters and staff use badges. It also makes it easier to fire and replace someone on the spot." ¡°So he''s most likely getting in with a badge.¡± ¡°Probably. But who knows?¡± Lexie thought a little and opened her system interface, and her card deck. ¡°Let me see if I can find something that can help us get in. ¡°You barely know how to use that thing.¡± ¡°Yeah, but I¡¯m a fast learner.¡± She read each card carefully, trying to ascertain which one could best serve her needs right now. showed promise because of the whole phantom hands thing. She could use that to maybe snatch the card while the server''s back was turned. But it was a whopping 9 in power which meant it would be very complicated to activate. Not to mention she didn¡¯t know what the ¡®contract with a suitable creature¡¯ entailed. was another card she considered. She thought of running and snatching a badge from one of the servers who was coming out of the garden. But that plan wasn¡¯t great for two reasons. One, she didn¡¯t actually know how much more speed the card gave her and since she was tiny, the server might be able to catch her even with a speed boost. The second and most important thing was that, even if she snatched the badge from him and managed to get away, he could simply call someone and tell them that his badge was compromised, disallowing access before Xena could get in. Unless they planned on knocking him out, which Lexie neither had the strength or inclination to do, that was a bad plan. They needed to take the badge without the server knowing it was taken. Which was going to be more complicated than she thought. But she focused on reading through the cards again, and again, trying to think outside the box. Saint Juana¡¯s Prep had held regular ¡®Thinking Skills¡¯ classes every other Friday, where they would give each student a problem, and have them solve it, using only limited tools and information. While most SJP students groaned at those classes, Lexie used to look forward to them and became quite good at them too. Now, she just needed to be good faster. She was about to read through the cards again when her eyes lingered on the first and last cards in her deck. Suddenly, she had an idea, a plan that bloomed in her mind. ¡°Okay,¡± she told Xena, who had been tapping her feet not so patiently as she waited for Lexie to come to her conclusion. "I think I know what to do.¡± ¡°Care to share with the class?¡± Lexie frowned at her. ¡°Not if you¡¯re going to be a pill about it.¡± She was kind of getting sick of the other girls¡¯ snark. Xena pressed her lips together but said nothing else. Satisfied, Lexie relayed the plan. ¡°We need to wait for another server to come out. I have a card that, I think, could get him to trip over himself. When he does, I¡¯ll run over to help him and pretend he dropped his card. And then I¡¯ll give it back to him. After he walks away, I¡¯ll activate this other card, , which says it returns things to their last known origin. I think, theoretically since I was the last one to hold the card before giving it to him, that should bring the card back to me.¡± Xena looked doubtful. ¡°Sounds complicated. Are you sure it would work?¡± She shrugged. ¡°Maybe not but it¡¯s the best I have so far.¡± Xena nodded. "Fine. Let¡¯s do it." Lexie went around the trees and got into a hidden position near the forcefield to wait. And wait. She''d told Xena to alert her when they saw a server coming through the garden toward the gate. The minute she got the signal, Lexie got to work. Lexie knew that it would take at least a minute to activate the card, so she wanted to start when the person was far enough away that she would have time for the activation. Hence, Xena''s signal ideally meant that he was a minute away from walking in front of her hiding spot. She took a deep breath and focused inward until she saw the activation symbol, this one looking like a tree with looping roots which she then filled with her mana. After, she switched her attention outward, to the mana around her hands, she saw another shape, another tree with twisted branches. She began filling that one too, slowly, with the external mana, until it got to the edge. Once it was done she got a ding at the corner of her vision
ACTIVATION COMPLETE. POINT AT TARGET NOW.
She opened her eyes and luckily her target was already out of the garden sauntering over at her right and muttering while carrying three garbage bags. Lexie pointed at him and instantly his foot caught on a stone and he fell. She winced as he crashed onto the ground, the garbage bags flying around his head. Shit. I didn¡¯t think it would be that violent. I hope he¡¯s not hurt. ¡°Are you okay?¡± The concern in her tone was genuine as she jogged over to him. But her eyes immediately searched for the identification badge on on a metal magnetic lapel looped through a belt buckle. Lexie rushed forward and grabbed the badge while he was still trying to right himself. She played it off that she was helping him pack up some of the trash that had fallen out of the bag. He wasn¡¯t paying attention to her at first, muttering about damned heroes and overbearing cooks. But when he saw her, his features eased. ¡°Hey kid,¡± he said. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be here.¡± ¡°Yeah. I know. I was gonna sneaked into the hero party through there, but there¡¯s a forcefield.¡± She used her best little girl voice and pointed at the wrought iron entrance while giving him the most innocent look. "That''s where I came through. But now I''m gonna go back because my mommy is probably looking for me." Am I laying it on too thick? Do ten-year-olds still say Mommy? He smiled. "Yeah, she probably is. I would walk you but that slave-driver Philipe will have my ass if I''m gone more than a minute." "It''s okay. My older sister''s on the other side waiting for me," she said. ¡°Do you need help?¡± "That¡¯s very kind of you but no. I got it." She nodded. "Oh here. You dropped this.¡± She gave him back the ID badge. He frowned and looked down at himself as though trying to figure out how he dropped it, but then he just shrugged and took it. "Thanks.¡± And then as he walked off, she immediately activated the card. This time the activation symbols were a squarish bird and a¡­ llama? She didn¡¯t know. It took her forty-five seconds to activate. Luckily enough the server was still within her radius by that time, and once she was done, there was a pop and the ID badge was in her hand. Xena, who had jogged down to meet her once the server was out of view, gaped at Lexie¡¯s palm. ¡°That was so cool.¡± ¡°Yeah," Lexie grinned proudly, handing Xena the card. "But we should hurry before he gets back." Xena nodded and they both jogged to the forcefield. Xena held the badge against it and the flat metallic disk glowed green, but the moment Xena tried to move forward, she was blocked as the forcefield turned back solid. ¡°Shit,¡± Xena swore. ¡°I think they use facial recognition too.¡± "They use both?" Xena huffed. ¡°Yeah. Of course. The Azures have lots of money to blow. Why not have two-step authentication?" "Darn." Lexie bit her lip in thought. Was it over? Was it the end? Then suddenly she had a crazy idea. "Hang on.¡± She opened her inventory again and pulled out her card. It was a long shot, something she hadn¡¯t thought through fully. But the adrenaline was making her thought processing faster than it would normally be. It was actually the image of the forcefield that gave her the idea. When it became solid, a flash of memory came to her, of something becoming solid or permeable at will, both corporeal and not. It was exactly like the ghoul she fought. Aiden said he designed the card to make himself invisible to one person at a time. The forcefield wasn¡¯t technically a person but neither was the ghoul. It wasn¡¯t even alive. Just a semi-intelligent being that acted on its instinct. The forcefield also seemed to have some intelligence. And instinct. There was no reason why the card wouldn''t work on a forcefield right? ¡°Here." She materialized and handed the card to Xena. ¡°Flash it to the forcefield.¡± Xena raised an eyebrow. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Just do it. Hurry before the guy comes back or realizes his badge is gone.¡± ¡°What about you?¡± "I''ll hide somewhere. Xena, you should really hurry." Xena took a deep breath, turned and flashed the card to the forcefield. To their relative surprise, the card instantly shattered into soundless glass shards, like they had when Lexie first used them, floating and disappearing in the air. Xena blinked. ¡°Does that mean it worked?¡± ¡°Only one way to find out.¡± Xena swallowed apprehensively. She held up the server''s badge in one hand and she inched towards the forcefield, shifting one foot forward. Her foot went through. ¡°It worked.¡± She gaped. ¡°I know.¡± Exhilaration whipped through Lexie. She couldn''t believe that actually worked. She didn¡¯t really think it would. It was just a lucky try. "Thanks." Xena gave her a single grateful look and then passed through the forcefield. She hesitated then turned around to Lexie and tossed her the badge. It passed cleanly through. ¡°Put it on the ground somewhere,¡± she said. ¡°He¡¯ll think he just dropped it.¡± Lexie nodded. That seemed like a solid idea. Xena then gave her another nod and then bolted in without looking back. ¡°Hurry Xena,¡± Lexie muttered to the air watching as the tall girl stormed across the garden. ¡°Whatever you¡¯re going to do, do it quickly.¡± 12 - Party Pooper Monty Ward was the only telepathic spell-caster in all of Orinia and maybe the entire ninth district. As such he typically got a lot of questions at parties like these. Questions like: What''s a telepathic spell caster? Does it mean you can recite spells with your mind? Can you see the future? Can you control what I¡¯m thinking? Can you read my mind? The answers to those questions were typically no, ''no'', ''hell no'', and ''it¡¯s complicated''. But he usually didn¡¯t elaborate much beyond that, keeping them guessing, partially so he could laugh at the funniest answers. It was amazing the lengths the human imagination could get to when faced with a mystery. There were no true telepaths left on Earth and he was the closest thing to one that most had ever met. Hence their fascination. But another reason why he didn''t speak much about his skill was that the true strength of telepathic spell-casting lay in its mystery. If people didn¡¯t know exactly how it worked, then it was much harder for them to guard against it. And it made him a particularly useful hero for [Villain] capture and hostage negotiation work. Still, contrary to popular belief, Monty Ward could not read minds nor could he predict the future. So when the tall slender girl in a black boots and cut-off jeans strutted to the middle of the grass, he didn''t know what she was going to do. Not until it was too late and she was already screaming. The scream pierced through the din, shocking several people into spinning around and brandishing weapons. Some even immediately had their hands out ready to act and the girl may never know how close she came to being sliced to pieces or blasted into the stratosphere. ¡°Listen up everyone!¡± she said each word clearly and efficiently, not screeching at all. ¡°While you guys are over here having fun in your stupid outfits, a child in Hovelton is on his deathbed, dying from loiter disease. And if we don¡¯t get a healer, he¡¯s going to legit die in the next few hours and it will be your fault!¡± ¡°Who the hell is that?¡± he heard someone say but the girl kept going. ¡°Hovelton has been asking for a healer for three weeks now! No one has come or even bothered to give us a timeline of when they''ll be there. A little boy will die within a few hours. And then a mundane doctor will probably die in the next three days because she''s one of the few people who actually tried to help him. And not just him, she tries to help everyone. So many other people are hurt or sick in that town and none of you gives a damn. The Head Nurse has put in like fifty requests for a healer and it''s been three weeks of nothing!" Monty¡¯s heart, now that it had gotten over its initial alarm, clenched in sympathy for the girl. Damn, that had to suck. He¡¯d never actually met a loiter-diseased patient but he¡¯d heard stories about the illness and it was truly a tragic way to go. And the worst thing was that no one here could do anything about it. There was no healer at this party, and probably only one other heroic healer in Arcadia. The healer shortage had been something the Hero Association had been trying to tackle for months now and there was no easy solution. At the same time, his eyes immediately travelled to the biggest threat in the room. Luther Firebringer. Monty didn¡¯t like Luther. He didn¡¯t hate Luther, but he didn''t like him. The guy was a trigger-happy elitist snob and right now he was looking at the girl like she was a bug. Monty had to act. Fast. He put down his wine glass and began approaching her. But when she saw him coming she took a step back and she shouted louder, repeating everything she¡¯d just said. ¡°A little boy in Hovelton will die within hours if we don''t get a healer. Another person, a mundane nurse, will die in probably three days. No one here cares about that? Seriously? Is it because we¡¯re lowly mundane people?¡±| ¡°It¡¯s not that simple,¡±. Monty said calmly. Her only response was to glare at him. He tried to explain.¡°Between Arcadia, Hovelton and about five surrounding city-states there are only twenty healers. Most of them have been sent to Turnwall to deal with an outbreak. And the rest are busy in their own towns.¡± ¡°So it screws us then?¡± she said without missing a beat, like she¡¯d heard this explanation before. ¡°It¡¯s fine if we die right? Because Hovelton doesn¡¯t have any superheroes or celebrities living there, so we¡¯re not a priority.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what it looks like.¡± ¡°For system¡¯s sake, Monty, get that kid out of here.¡± Another voice cut in. Monty shot a look at Orbiter, aka Wesley Hunter, who glanced pointedly at the PHORBS above them. The whole thing was being televised live. A techmage was probably scrubbing and adjusting in real time but still. Clips might make it through to the Undernet and might surface again in the future. He needed to end this. He could see some heroes approaching in his peripheral vision, probably having their own ideas on how to de-escalate the issue, but Monty held his hand up to stop them. Then he squatted. ¡°What¡¯s your name, friend?¡± ¡°Nunya.¡± ¡°Your name is Nunya?¡± Unusual name. ¡°Nunya business.¡± Someone snorted in the background and even Monty had to smile. He¡¯d walked right into that one. ¡°Very funny. Listen, Nunya. Tell you what. How about I¡¯ll come with you right now and you can tell me all about the problems in Hovelton? ¡°Are you a Healer?¡± ¡°No. But I can take you home and try to help you fill in the priority form. That would push you to the top of the list of people who want a healer.¡± She bit her lips doubtfully. ¡°We¡¯ve done that already.¡± ¡°Yes, well maybe you filled it out wrong. Is there a Healing House in your town?" ¡°Yes. My mom runs it. Well, not my real mom, but she pretends she is.¡± Monty grins. ¡°Of course. Your mother must be a very strong and brave woman.¡± ¡°She¡¯s a mundane. She got bit by a loiter-diseased patient. His disease has a mutation so it advances quickly. She''ll die if no one comes." Her voice was now more pleading than hostile. Once more, Monty felt a sadness sweep through him. But he held it back. He couldn¡¯t let his emotions distract him now. ¡°And someone will come,¡± he told her gently. ¡°I assure you of that. But it¡¯s getting late and your parents might be worried.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have parents.¡± She said it but an emotion passed across her expression. Hope. That should be enough. He put his hand on her shoulder, and mentally felt for her pathways while pushing a gentle soothing spell.
Lexie watched it all play out from behind a well-pruned broom shrub that was next to the forcefield. She was keeping an eye out for the server''s return, but also trying to watch what Xena was doing. It was hard to see properly from her angle, with the cathedral mostly in the way, but she managed to have a full view of Xena''s back. And she saw the man in a Hawaiian shirt approach her and put his hand on Xena¡¯s shoulder. She noticed Xena grow unusually still. Lexie could almost sense a change in the atmosphere and it set her teeth on edge. Maybe this was a colossally bad idea after all. The more she watched, the more nervous she got. Hawaiian-shirt man was doing something to Xena. Lexie was sure of it. She was scared that Xena was in trouble, mostly because the heroes looked poised, getting ready to pulse into action. Even the servers had stopped to watch the commotion. No one was coming out, but she needed to get in. What could she do? Lexie opened up her inventory watching the timer at the corner of her vision. The active time for the card had elapsed for Xena, and the card reappeared in Lexie¡¯s inventory, just like Aiden told her would happen once he signed over the card to her. He said even if she gave it to someone, once they used it, it would return to her. That was the beauty of being assigned as the new deck owner. It had now entered its twent- second cool-down with fifteen seconds on the clock. That wasn¡¯t that bad. Fifteen seconds of waiting was nothing in the grand scheme of things. But for some reason, Lexie felt so anxious. So much could happen in fifteen seconds while everyone stood around staring at Xena like a zoo animal. Fourteen, thirteen¡­ Seeing Xena surrounded by all those heroes made the reality of what they were doing finally hit her. Xena¡¯s a helpless mundane little girl surrounded by all these superpowered people. Just because they say they''re [Heroes] doesn''t mean they''re decent people. This could get lethal very quickly. Eleven, ten¡­ To be honest, Lexie didn''t think that this mission would be particularly dangerous. Potentially embarrassing maybe but not dangerous. She half-way didn¡¯t even think they would get in. And if they managed to, she thought the worst the heroes could do was kick them out. And she also hoped there would be a small chance the heroes would actually send them home with a healer if only because they were shamed into compliance. That was the ideal scenario for Lexie, the one that would have brought her joy and peace. It would have saved Emma and Evan. It would have cleared Aiden¡¯s name too. She didn¡¯t admit it to herself at first, but that was a big part of why she was doing what she was doing. But the [Heroes] didn''t look like they wanted to help Xena. They all stared at her with varying levels of distaste, confusion, worry and pity. But no healer was popping out saying, ¡°Sure let me help!¡± And no one was stopping Hawaiian-shirt man from whatever he was doing to her. Lexie checked again. 10 Seconds. God, this was taking forever. He still had his hand on her shoulder. He was still talking to her. And Xena was almost¡­smiling. That was odd, considering how furious she was coming here. And Xena didn¡¯t seem like the type who was easily amused. He was doing something to her. She needed to get him away from Xena. He may be virtually drugging her. Or even mind-controlling her. Lexie opened up her inventory and pulled out the card again. Maybe if she got him to trip, he''d let Xena go. Lexie hastily and clumsily activated the card, her heart racing as she tried to go through the steps quickly. As quickly as they could anyway. God, mana moved slowly. She could see why people hated these things. Wasting over a minute trying to do something simple was irritating. But when she got to the final step, when she pointed at Monty, nothing happened. She frowned. She followed the steps. The card shattered. Everything was done right. But it didn''t work. Did she miss something? Was it because of the forcefield? She glanced at the card again and saw that it was going through a 20-second cooldown. While it did, she opened up information on the card, reading through the instructions again. The only condition given for the card not to work was to target pathways in defensive mode. Was he in defensive mode? Why? No time to think. The man was still talking to Xena and the rest of the heroes seemed like they were turning back to their normal conversations, bored of the spectacle. Lexie had to try again. She glanced beside Hawaiian-shirt man at one of the servers holding a tray of champagne glasses. He was still watching the show, probably storing up on gossip for later. Lexie activated the card again, this time targeting the waiter. Once she pointed at him, it acted almost instantly. The waiter suddenly fumbled and sent the glasses flying, including one that flew to Hawaiian-shirt''s face. The [Hero] spun around and caught it and Lexie took that chance to flash her card and badge to the forcefield and run in. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. She sprinted as fast as her little legs could carry her and caught Xena¡¯s hand in hers. ¡°Run!¡± she said as she pulled and thankfully Xena complied, the two of them darting back through where they came. People shouted and called out but no one stopped them. Not even the forcefield. Either someone had let them through, or it was designed to keep people out, not in. The two of them dropped the server¡¯s badge on the floor as they ran and squeezed themselves through the first fence. And then they heaved themselves over the second. Even as Lexie''s lungs burned she didn''t stop going, following Xena''s jog back to the train station. The adrenaline must have done its job, because Lexie had never been a runner. And she doubted Lexie Sparrowfoot was either. But they managed to cover the 2-mile distance relatively quickly and were back at the train station on their return platform. Only there did they stop to catch their breath. Lexie collapsed onto the floor to heave in breaths. Xena bent over with hands on their knees unable to do much but gasp in air. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Lexie finally asked when her chest was no longer burning. Xena nodded and looked behind her. ¡°I don¡¯t think they¡¯re coming after us.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so either.¡± The [Heroes] probably had bigger things to worry about probably. Like damage control. ¡°But the sooner we get home the better I think.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Xena swallowed. Lexie analyzed her trying to see if she looked different but she looked fine. ¡°What did that guy do to you?¡± ¡°What guy?¡± The one holding your shoulder.¡± ¡°Oh. I don¡¯t know. He was just trying to convince me to go home saying he would help me fill the priority form. Probably just giving lip service to the orbs.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± Lexie glanced at the approaching train. ¡°So he wasn¡¯t doing anything magical or something?¡± If not then why was she smiling? Xena thought about it. ¡°I don¡¯t know. At a point, I started to calm down a little, but I thought that was maybe because I already yelled and got it out of my system. And the whole thing seemed kind of funny in retrospect.¡± She frowned. ¡°Although not so much now.¡± Oh.¡± Lexie could have sworn that guy was up to no good. Was she mistaken? Should they have stayed? Maybe he wanted to help them? ¡°Anyway,¡± Xena said. ¡°Maybe they might send someone now. If the footage was live at least some of it made it into the stream. They can¡¯t scrub everything in time and someone from outside crowd may have recorded it as it was happening." ¡°Mhmm,¡± Lexie really hoped it worked but she wasn¡¯t too optimistic. In her experience, high-powered people with influence could be very good at covering things up if need be. Xena watched her out of the corner of her eyes. She sensed there was something the girl wanted to say, just from the struggle in her features. She probably wants to say thank you but doesn''t know how to. And then Xena said, ¡°You talk weird.¡± Lexie frowned. That wasn¡¯t a thank you. But Xena wasn''t done. "You sound different from how you were before. Like, older. And also like a robot.¡± She sighed. "But you¡¯re pretty smart and it was cool of you to help me, so I guess it¡¯s fine." Lexie considered the words. That also wasn''t a ''thank you'' but she guessed it was as good as she was going to get. They waited about ten minutes for their return train and in that time, Lexie fought exhaustion that weighed her down. She would probably sleep on the ride home. She felt like she needed a nice long lap. After they boarded, Lexie sat and Xena distractedly sat next to her, glancing at her pad where footage from the livestream played. ¡°They cut the sound.¡± She sighed. ¡°But the video is still there. Maybe someone got the uncut version. Hopefully, they reshare it and someone reposts it. Or maybe the Undernet people have it.¡± But that might take a long time and we need a healer today. But Lexie didn¡¯t want to discourage her, so she simply said, ¡°Great.¡± Xena nodded and then slid the video out. Underneath that, in the recommendations was a video titled Conrad Grace Vs Buzzshot preliminaries. ¡°Which one of them is Conrad?¡± Lexie asked tiredly. ¡°The brown-haired one. I already watched that fight. He wiped the floor with Buzzshot. Buzzshot is a weaponist that uses fake lightning-infused arrows, but Conrad is a berserker which means he¡¯s really good at taking damage and he¡¯s also really good at using an opponent''s weapons against them. The more you have the better. So each arrow he sent over was a weapon for Conrad.¡± ¡°Uh-huh.¡± Lexie was only half listening. Her eyes were drooping closed, and her head sunk onto Xena¡¯s shoulder. Xena jerked away. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sleepy,¡± Lexie said. ¡°So? Do I look like a pillow?¡± ¡°Oh, come on, I did you a favor. Just let me sleep on your shoulder.¡± ¡°In your wildest dreams.¡± Xena lightly shoved Lexie but the latter simply rebounded and her head landed on Xena¡¯s lap. She snuggled in. ¡°Get off me, you pervert.¡± Lexie didn¡¯t respond. She was so tired. Suddenly, Xena stopped trying to push her off, as though suddenly realizing that something was seriously wrong here. ¡°Hey Lexie,¡± Xena said, shaking her shoulder. ¡°You good?¡± ¡°Shh. Stop talking pillow.¡± ¡°Hey, wake up. Don''t fall asleep.¡± Xena shook her again. ¡°I don¡¯t think you should fall asleep. Something¡®s wrong. Shit, I¡¯ll have to call Emma.¡± But before she could finish her sentence, Lexie was already gone to the world.
When Lexie woke up, she was staring at the white ceiling. Sunset blasted in through the windows bathing the entire room with an orange glow. She saw in clear detail the tube that ran from her arm up into a IV bag. She was in the hospital. And it was so easy to believe that this was a hospital back in the real world, in New York and she was waking up from the fever dream she was having after being shot. But then one of the nurses who held Evan down opened the door and dashed those hopes. ¡°Hey, kiddo.¡± She smiled, one curly blonde strand escaping from its low bun. She tucked it behind her ear. ¡°You''re awake. Good. Your father will be happy to know.¡± ¡°Where is he?¡± Lexie asked. ¡°He¡¯s still in the infirmary helping Emma. They¡¯re developing more potions for Evan. Trying to see if they can somehow reverse engineer a mutation and maybe get a cure.¡± ¡°I thought there was no cure.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what we said but¡­well, your dad is a pretty stubborn guy.¡± ¡°Can I go see him?¡± Lexie asked. The nurse hesitated. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. I think it¡¯s better if you rest.¡° ¡°I¡¯m fine now,¡± she said. She no longer felt sleepy or tired. She wanted to see Aiden. He was her anchor in this world and she¡­.she just needed to see him. ¡°Can I go see him? Please?¡± The nurse sighed. "Alright. I¡¯ll take you to him.¡± She came over and dislodged the empty bag from the hook, taking out the syringe from Lexie¡¯s hand. She cleaned the insertion site and then held out her hand. Lexie gripped the woman¡¯s palm as she stood and though she felt a little nauseous from the sudden movement, she didn¡¯t feel weak. At the very least, she didn¡¯t feel nearly as weak as she did back on the train. Speaking of which, how long ago was that? How did she get to the hospital? And where was Xena? ¡°What happened?¡± she asked the nurse as they walked down the hallway toward the front of the hospital. She could see the waiting room through the glass panel and once again, the seats were packed with anxious patients waiting. There was an air of anxiety amongst the staff too. Lexie could tell from their strained faces, the way they muttered on themselves that something was wrong. One nurse snapped on another when asked for a pen, and practically flung it at her like a projectile. Everyone seemed on the edge. The nurse that was escorting Lexie caught the commotion, grimaced, and then shook her head at Lexie. ¡°Well, my dear, you had what they call a TMB. Total mana burnout. You¡¯d completely used up all your mana so your body essentially went into shutdown to recover. ¡°Oh.¡± That made sense. That was why she felt so tired. But she¡¯d only used a handful of cards, and one of them didn''t need her mana. By her calculations, she hadn''t used up to her allotted 400 mana points. So what gave? Why did she burn out? Did Lexie Sparrowfoot have a weakness she didn''t know about? ¡°How long ago was that?¡± she asked. ¡°You¡¯ve only been out for about forty-five minutes. Luckily, Xena called the second it happened and so we met you right at the train station and got you on recuperative fluids immediately.¡± ¡°What would have happened if you didn''t?¡± ¡°Probably death.¡± Lexie¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Really?¡± She could have died from that? How did no one warn her? But then an irreverent smile split the nurse¡¯s lips and she said, ¡°Nah, I¡¯m just messing with you. You would have had a terrible headache and maybe felt like death for a few days, but you wouldn¡¯t have died.¡± She suddenly got serious. ¡°But seriously don¡¯t do that again. You may not be able to kill yourself but you can cause irreparable damage to your pathways if you keep wiping out.¡± That sounded dire. ¡°I won¡¯t,¡± she said. Maybe I should have read the card terms of use after all. They turned the corner and the nurse gave her considering look. ¡°So. You¡¯ve pre-awakened huh? That¡¯s pretty impressive.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Now that she knew what it meant, she felt a little bashful under the scrutiny. ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s to be expected given who your dad is but still. Only about 10% of rankers are pre-awakened, you know?¡± ¡°Yeah, I heard.¡± ¡°Do you know what you want to be yet?¡± She asked. ¡°Because I gotta tell you, we could really use a healer around here.¡± ¡°A healer would be nice.¡± And she was seriously considering it after the fiasco today. ¡°But I haven¡¯t made any decision yet.¡± ¡°Well, let me know when you do decide. I¡¯m Ashley by the way.¡± ¡°Nice to meet you. I¡¯m Lexie.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Ashley grinned. They turned left in the hallway and approached a door. Ashley knocked and opened to reveal a lab of nurses and Aiden standing at the head of the table. A wave of relief filled Lexie when she saw him and she wasn¡¯t sure why. It¡¯s not like she thought he was dead or something. Yet she had an urgency that she couldn¡¯t explain, and it only calmed after she saw that Aiden was indeed there. This is what it feels like to be a kid again, and lose your parents at the mall. Or maybe it because he was the first person she¡¯d met in this world, her supposed dad. Whatever the case might be, she felt more stable around him. Emma was next to him. Her wound was completely bandaged and her index finger was poised over what looked to be a petri dish. She smiled when she saw Lexie. ¡°Well if it isn''t my deviant daughter¡¯s, deviant friend.¡± Max was there too, next to Emma, and he also grinned. ¡°I heard you broke into a cape party, rascal. Bad ass. Glad to see some of your mother in you after all.¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t badass,¡± Lexie told them. ¡°We basically just broke in to ask for a healer and then ran away.¡± ¡°Smart. If you¡¯d stayed any longer the cowards might have tried to get you arrested or something similarly ridiculous.¡± Aiden wasn¡¯t smiling though. Lexie realized it was the first time she¡¯d seen him look this unhappy and it was all directed at her. It made her want to duck her hea, which she did. ¡°You¡¯re supposed to be resting,¡± he said sternly as he lowered his test tubes, took off his medical gloves, and walked to her. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Aiden muttered something under his breath and then Max said, ¡°Don¡¯t be too hard on her. She was just trying to help.¡± ¡°Stay out of this,¡± Aiden shot back, and then to Lexie he added tersely, ¡°You¡¯re going back to bed.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Lexie said but Aiden didn¡¯t ask again. He simply swept her up into his arms and she had no choice but to wrap her arms around his neck as he carried out of the room. . He walked with a stiff silence, his eyes directed straight ahead. After they walked a little away Lexie had to ask. ¡°Are you mad at me?¡± He shot her an incredulous look. ¡°Lexie, of course, I¡¯m mad at you! Do you have any idea how dangerous what you did was? I told you to go home and yes, I expected maybe a few detours due to your infernal curiosity. What I didn¡¯t expect was for you to hitch a ride with Xena¨Cwho I¡¯m realizing now is a terrible influence¨Cto go to another city, and break into a cape party. For system¡¯s sake, what if they thought the two of you were some undercover spies sent by a [Villain]? They could have vaporized you before they asked questions.¡± ¡°Undercover spies? We¡¯re ten.¡± ¡°The Spy academy starts training young,¡± he said. ¡°An eight-year-old nearly took out an Emperor in District 8 last year.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Now that sounded like an interesting story. But the answer she got was a brief glare from her father. Lexie sighed. Aiden was right. She did realize how braindead what she did was. Old Lexie, who was sixteen and cautious, probably would have thought twice about it. But this new Lexie, stuck in a ten-year-old body, seemed to have gotten some of its childish tendencies too, including impulsivity and that young naive fearlessness kids often had because they thought nothing bad could ever happen to them. ¡°Ok, I¡¯m sorry,¡± she said finally, hoping it would end there but Aiden shook his head. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m not done.¡± Each stride bounced with his agitation and he pushed his glasses up to secure them. ¡°As if that wasn¡¯t bad enough, you, my completely untrained, only-pre-awakened-yesterday daughter used enough cards for her to completely burn herself out in a transportation system that all types of creeps and reprobates use. And you might say I¡¯m overreacting because, ¡®normal people also use the train too¡¯ but my ten-year-old daughter and her friend won¡¯t know who¡¯s normal and who is vermin from the very valleys of hell. Do you know I almost had a heart attack when Emma told me? I thought it was a bad joke for a second but no she was serious. I couldn¡¯t believe it. I couldn''t believe you activated a bunch of cards and burned out on the train! I know I told you that cards are safe to practice with but only when you don''t do deliberately stupid things with them!¡± ¡°Three cards.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°You said I activated a bunch of cards but it was only three cards. And one of them was the card which you already said doesn¡¯t use mana.¡± She pointed out. ¡°I checked my pre-awakened mana capacity and it said it was 400 and by my calculation, I only used about 140 mana points. So I thought I would be okay. I don¡¯t know how I burned out from just that.¡± She bit her lip, hating to admit the next part. ¡°I think there might be something wrong with me. Maybe I¡¯m weak? Or maybe you were wrong and I really suck at this.¡± He met her gaze as though shocked by her gall. ¡°That¡¯s what you''re worried about? That''s the only thing you retained from my whole rant?¡± ¡°I already said I was sorry. I¡¯m not sure what else to say.¡± ¡°You¡¯re supposed to tell me you won¡¯t do it again!¡± ¡°I probably won¡¯t do it again. Passing out in Xena¡¯s lap was kind of embarrassing.¡± He sighed and threw open the door for the hospital room and put her down finally on the bed, gently despite his anger. Then he drew the covers over her and said. ¡°You didn¡¯t pass out because you were weak. You passed out because you were untrained, and your pre-awakened mana is only a fraction of your full awakened capacity. You don¡¯t have enough practice with pathways to not waste mana.¡± ¡°But I did it exactly as the instructions said.¡± ¡°It doesn''t matter. Each time you activate a card, you waste mana. Even if you do everything right, you probably still waste at least half the minimum mana indicated by the card. It¡¯s the nature of it, that when using any power or skill some mana will be wasted.¡± Ah. Just like force. When kicking a ball, not all of the force is transferred to enact on the object, some of it is wasted as friction. Damn. She really should have read the terms of use. ¡°Oh.¡± ¡°With training, you¡¯ll learn how to activate mana pathways with as little waste as possible.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll teach me?¡± She sounded hopeful. Aiden¡¯s face was conflicted. ¡°Later. If you promise never to do anything like this again.¡± ¡°I promise.¡± His eyes remained uncertain and then he sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t want you to grow up too fast. You¡¯ve barely had a childhood. I want you to enjoy it a little more. Your mother would have wanted the same thing too.¡±¡¯ Lexie was quiet for a little bit. ¡°You said she was a fighter?¡± A pained look entered his eyes. ¡°Yes. She was also brave. Sometimes stupidly so. And stubborn. Like you. At least I never had to worry about her suffering magical burnout.¡± ¡°Because she didn''t have magic.¡± He swallowed. ¡°No, she didn''t. I¡¯ll have to get back and help Emma with the potion. Can I trust you to stay put?¡± Lexie nodded. She knew that Aiden had intentionally changed the subject to avoid talking about her mother because it hurt him to do so. Even though he was the one who brought it up in the first place. He straightened to leave and then hesitated. Then he turned back and brushed his lips over her hairline. ¡°I appreciate what you were trying to do,¡± he said in a much gentler tone. ¡°And I¡¯m sure Emma appreciates it too. But it would be a sad day indeed when kids started doing the work for the adults. Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯re doing the best we can for Emma. We¡¯re handling it.¡± ¡°What about Evan?¡± Lexie didn''t want to think about it, but since the nurse had mentioned that Lexie had been unconscious for forty-five, she thought maybe he was already¡­ She swallowed. ¡°Is he dead?¡± Aiden''s face was grave. ¡°Not yet. We¡¯re working on a potion that will place him in a medically induced coma. That way his body and mind will be stuck in limbo until a healer arrives. It will prevent further damage. In the meantime, I¡¯m also trying to see if there is a way to heal him with a potion.¡± ¡°How? You said it wasn¡¯t possible without magic. And Evan doesn''t have a lot of time. And what if the first potion doesn''t work? What if he takes it and the medicine makes him worse? They¡¯ll call you a murderer again.¡± Lexie had whispered the ¡®m¡¯ not wanting to hurt Aiden¡¯s feelings. But Aiden merely smiled. ¡°I know you¡¯re worried honey bee, but you should have a little more faith in me. Though I don¡¯t like to toot my own horn, you should remember that father wasn¡¯t just an Archmage. He also happened to be a generational genius.¡± 13 - A Gruelling Battle Aiden didn¡¯t come home all night. He didn¡¯t leave the hospital at all and volunteered another nurse called Rowena to take Lexie home and babysit her for the night. Rowena was a little old and a little bent, and had a stern croaky voice. She also expected Lexie to go right up to her room, shower, and sleep the second they got there. Lexie obeyed without question. Rowena intimidated her, the same way her Sunday school teacher had. She just had that elderly no-nonsense air about her that said she was not to be messed with. When Lexie was heading up, Rowena had already locked all the doors and was settled in front of the TV. Just in case another ghoul got in though, Lexie snuck a knife from the kitchen and got into bed with it. But she couldn¡¯t sleep. She wasn¡¯t sure why. It was probably anxiety or left-over adrenaline or maybe a bunch of other things. Whatever it was, she lay in bed and stared at the ceiling, her thoughts racing with no destination and no pattern. She needed something to distract herself, something to center her mind before it fractured. Then she remembered the video of Xena breaking into the party was online. She wanted to watch it. She wondered which parts had made it into the clips. Could people see the desperation on Xena¡¯s face? Did the cameras catch Lexie running in there to pull Xena out? She had to know.
SYSTEM INTERFACE> VIDEO ALLEY LOADING>
The two alerts flashed back to back, so fast it was almost like they were happening simultaneously. And soon Lexie was welcomed to a new web page, with a series of videos scrolling down it. ¡°Woah.¡± The top of the page indicated that there were currently two million videos in priority circulation on this day. From the context and clicking around she figured out that meant that two million videos were trending across Earth 9. That was an insane amount. But the viewership was insane too. In just the first page alone, the least of the top twenty videos had 500 billion unique views. At the top of the stack was a video of a [Hero] called Stella Firebringer. She had red hair like Luther, and they shared similar eyes too but hers had more humor in it, sporting crow''s feet and lines that showed she was prone to laughing. The actual video itself was more of a gif of her winking at the camera over and over again. It was titled, "The Queen of Dragons gives us a rare wink!¡±, and had 89 trillion views and a bunch of people fawning over Stella in the comments. She must have been very popular because the video was only posted this morning and was already the highest-viewed video trending. The one underneath it, with thirty trillion views, was posted five days ago. It was a video of a Fae ambassador eating a cookie. Lexie only knew he was a Fae ambassador because that was what the title of the video said, but he didn''t look anything like what Lexie thought a Fae would look like. Well, maybe the long hair tied in a knot at the top of his (its?) head and the sharp pointy ears matched. But that was where the resemblance ended. The man had serpentine features, a flat nose that was basically slits in his face, yellowing eyeballs with blue pupils, ridges in his neck, and strange smooth shiny skin. He looked very much like the alien Aiden said Fae were. And the alien seemed to like the cookie because after he took a bite, he was asked what he thought by reporters and he responded, in an oddly human-sounding voice, ¡°It was a delightful dessert.¡± He even managed a human-like smile while he was at it, while his audience clapped and laughed. Lexie thought she saw the tip of his ear twitch a little when they did. Was it from annoyance or mirth? She only watched the video halfway before x-ing out, feeling strangely disconcerted. Lexie kept clicking down from video to video, trying to numb the worry in her brain, until she got to the second page, with a video that had 10 billion unique views. The video was titled The MIGHTY SHOWDOWN, Conrad Grace Versus Top Dog HIGHLIGHTS. Lexie clicked on that video. It was about six minutes long, and it began with two announcers, sitting at a very ESPN-like desk with a huge screen behind them, showing the same colosseum Lexie had seen on Xena''s iPad. ¡°Mallory, I gotta tell you, this was the fight of the year." The burly male announcer started. "Heck, of the past ten years. Ever since I started this job, I have never seen a fight quite as exciting as this one.¡± ¡°I agree with you, Harold and this is why.¡± The pretty blonde in a business suit chimed in. ¡°From the start, you can see the audience is already eager and roaring to go. We''ve got Conrad fans there with their signs and Top Dog¡¯s ¡®bullies¡¯¨Cthat¡¯s his fan base¨Care on the right in their T-shirts. Both sides are waiting and cheering on their competitors. Conrad''s trying his best to respond to the crowd''s energy, poor thing, but this whole thing is new to him. But Top Dog is a professional. See how he works the crowd? He gives them a show." Mallory¡¯s voiceover led to a zoom-in of the screen behind them which showed a tall dark-skinned boy in a gas mask with fangs at the end of it. He was wearing a sweater with ripped-off sleeves and black techwear cargo pants that were baggy at the thighs but tight around the calves. Also, he had on big black boots that Xena would probably appreciate. On his arms, he wore black fingerless tactical gloves with metallic protrusions at the knuckles. Silver metal also covered much of both forearms. They flashed and gleamed in the sunlight as he threw both hands up and the crowd roared. He did it again and they made an even louder sound, some drumming their feet for him. ¡°Oh, they love him,¡± The square video of Top Dog swam away as they switched back to Mallory. ¡°Top Dog is the longest-running junior champ we¡¯ve had for a while, you know?¡± ¡°Yeah, and the funny thing is he came out of nowhere. Just like his competitor today Conrad Grace. You know Grace is Julia and Mechanico¡¯s son.¡± ¡°I know but you know he doesn¡¯t like to disclose that fact. You probably shouldn''t mention it.¡± ¡°I know love, but it¡¯s just so rare to find a kid with two famously hero parents, who doesn''t want to be a hero himself. I mean kids used to dream of being heroes. What is the world coming to?¡± ¡°Well, we''re in the new gen now and Conrad¡¯s a special breed. He¡¯s also special in the fact that he¡¯s most likely the only Junior in the circuit today who stands a chance against Top Dog.¡± ¡°Yes. And if you ask his fans, the Gracers, they¡¯ll tell you that Conrad will almost certainly beat Top Dog today.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll see about that. Look, he¡¯s getting himself ready with a little stretch to warm up.¡± The square arena video was back, and it showed Conrad actually doing stretches. Unlike Top Dog who was dressed like an assassin, Conrad was dressed very much like an 80''s jock at the gym. He was wearing loose basketball pants, with a loose graphic t-shirt and striped headband that held back his hair. Clean sneakers on his feet. No mask, and no gimmick. He had some metal on both arms but shorter, only around his wrist. He didn¡¯t look like he was there to fight. He looked like he was there to have fun. But his unassuming nature immediately made Lexie identify him as a threat. ¡°And then now we see the start of the match with Conrad Grace getting in position.¡± Mallory¡¯s voiceover continued, as both boys walked to each other. ¡°He¡¯s loose and ready to go. Top Dog is too. And at the sound of the bell¡­¡± Gong! ¡°Oh, they charge! TD just went for it, did you see? He doesn''t waste any time at all and that¡¯s the beauty of TD¡¯s fighting style. He doesn''t hesitate to go for the finishing move early. He knows how to take a risk.¡± He certainly did. And he was fast, faster than should be humanly possible. Lexie literally saw Top Dog leap from the other side of the field, clearing nearly forty feet in a single jump. He landed right in front of Conrad, aiming a kick to the side of his face. ¡°Beautiful! I love that guy. But Conrad expects it. There¡¯s no surprise in his expression and he doesn''t block. He leans right into TD''s kick.¡± Lexie was a little confused as she watched Conrad do just that, until at the last minute, as Top Dog¡¯s foot connected with his chin, Conrad hooked both arms underneath Top Dog¡¯s leg and flung him far away, toward the concrete wall at the side of the Coliseum. Top Dog quickly adjusted and landed on the wall sideways with his feet. Like Spiderman, he used the wall as a springboard to propel himself back to Conrad. Conrad once again accepted a blow to his stomach and didn''t bother blocking the connecting blow to his face. Instead, he grabbed Top Dog¡¯s head, twisting it so the fangs faced away from him, and then drove his forehead right into TD''s. Lexie winced at the sickening crunch. "Ooh, that one''s going to leave a mark." That was brutal. Lexie couldn''t see Top Dog''s face, but she imagined there were birds floating around his head. And then Conrad did it again, harder. And again. Conrad kept head-butting Top Dog. The mics picked up the ''thunk'' sound each time. It was a brutally efficient move, because Top Dog was stunned motionless. And Lexie couldn''t look away. But after about the sixth thunk, TD brought up his hand and a curved but squarish forcefield sprouted out of the metal, about the length of his arm and a few inches wide. It blocks Conrad''s next head-butt, though it cracked under the force. That allowed Top Dog to escape, by hopping up and driving both feet into Conrad''s chest. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. The force of his shove threw both men in opposite directions and they landed on their backs. Top Dog got up faster and immediately jumped to the other side of the field. ¡°Damn, that was a savage start." The fight screen went away and they were back to Mallory''s wide and white grin. "You a betting man, Harold?¡± ¡°I am. And I put a bet on Conrad winning this whole thing.¡± ¡°Well TD is my favorite to win and he has to win to keep his undefeated status.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll see.¡± Lexie also wasn¡¯t sure. It seemed like Conrad had the advantage in this case because, despite the powerful blows TD had landed, Conrad still looked pretty steady while TD was very obviously wounded in the nasal area. Top Dog leaned against the wall and a vial of green liquid appeared in his hand. He upended it into the mouth of his dog mask and swallowed. Instantly an alert came up on the screen to announce that TD had used his only allotted health potion for this match. For the next few seconds, Lexie could see Top Dog trying to think of what to do next as Conrad got to his feet. What she didn¡¯t understand was why Conrad was giving him the break though. The latter clearly had the upper hand there, and wasn''t even halfway as beat up as Top Dog. He should have charged TD the second he got his bearings, and kept wailing on him. But Conrad seemed to be watching Top Dog too, as though trying to figure the other boy out. And then suddenly, their mutually assured break time was over. Lexie saw it coming, the gleam in Conrad¡¯s eyes before he rushed Top Dog. Top Dog instantly went into a boxer¡¯s stance and as Conrad tried to swing at him, he put his arms up to block. Conrad''s right hook was powerful and probably would have snapped TD''s arm if the latter didn''t have the metal protection. TD also threw up his forcefield shields, which rattled with each blow that Conrad dealt while TD stayed protected. ¡°God Conrad is dog-walking him here,¡± Harold''s voice-over said. ¡°What do you think Mallory?¡± ¡°Well, everything''s going in Conrad¡¯s favor but if experience has taught us anything, it¡¯s to never count Top Dog out early.¡± And just as he said it, Top Dog''s hands did something. It took a pause and a replay for Lexie to tell exactly what. The knuckles of his tactical gloves, the metallic parts suddenly exploded up into spikes with blunted edges. The forcefield fell and the spikes met Conrad¡¯s fist blocking his blow, and nearly getting him in the eye. Conrad leaned back and threw up his ow forcefield to block. That allowed Top Dog to spin around, drop low, and shoot his heel right up into Conrad''s chin. It connected with a resounding crack! Conrad''s head snapped back and he stumbled. But TD wasn''t done. He performed a double combo of powerful kicks right in the stomach and then a roundhouse kick to the face that sent Conrad side-spinning to the ground. Conrad caught himself on his elbows and coughed, spitting out blood. ¡°Ah, see what I mean." Back to Mallory. "What did I tell you? Let¡¯s not forget, Harold, Top Dog isn¡¯t just a brawler. He¡¯s also a weaponist and those gloves of his are weapons. Now let¡¯s fast forward a little to one of my favorite scenes from the match. This scene is why we love Top Dog." In the next shot, which was sometime after Conrad had gotten back up, Top Dog swiftly parlayed a parry of kicks and attack combos that Conrad struggled to keep up with. Top Dog focused his attacks on Conrad''s face, side, and stomach. At one point, Top Dog flew into the air, grabbed Conrad''s head, and drove it into his knee. Mid-air, he then wrapped an arm around Conrad¡¯s neck, trying to RKO him into the ground, but Conrad reversed the move at the last moment, positioning Top Dog to bear the impact. ¡°Shit,¡± Lexie thought, but Top Dog wasn¡¯t done. He aimed one fist at the ground and caught himself on his metal spikes that pierced through the earth. At the same time, he wrapped both legs around Conrad¡¯s neck, and using just one hand to twist himself around in the air, he flipped and flung Conrad to the other side of the field. Lexie winced again as Conrad crashed into the ground, rolling in and scraping his skin probably. But she kept watching. She couldn¡¯t look away. She was impressed by Top Dog¡¯s artistry, strength, and resourcefulness. She could see why he was number one. And also watching him was fun because he just put so much flair into every move, making it look almost like he was dancing. But she had to give Conrad props too, because the guy just kept getting back up. He even grinned as he did, as though being flung halfway to Mars had been fun for him. Lexie thought she saw a crazed look in his eye as Top Dog jumped on the offense again. This time, Top Dog was even faster, employing more combos, not giving Conrad space to catch up. But Conrad was catching up for some reason. He was getting faster too. But he wasn''t blocking all the blows. He seemed to be deliberately taking some while blocking others with force fields generated by his metallic armband. At a point, it almost felt like he was matching up to Top Dog''s speed. Finally, Top Dog dropped into another finishing move where he squatted low and clearly planned on shooting forward to impale Conrad with his blunt spikes. But Conrad stepped back at the last minute and twisted around to side kick Top Dog in the middle of the movement. ¡°Duck,¡± Lexie muttered and Top Dog did, just barely dodging the blow. Relief bloomed and the scene immediately freeze-framed with the announcers coming back to say, ¡°I mean did you see that last-minute duck by Top Dog? He literally had a split second to correct himself and he did.¡± ¡°Well," Harold sounded a little grudging to admit. "We¡¯ve always known Top Dog¡¯s reflexes are legendary.¡± ¡°What¡¯s legendary is the blow he lands right after, right to Conrad''s midsection.¡± The video plays again, and they see the blow. ¡°He keeps targeting that spot, perhaps because he knows Conrad suffered a broken rib during his last match. But Conrad is a Berserker-type fighter and they''re known to be tough and have amazing reflexes. The berserker skill also helps them match up to their opponent''s strength or speed, so the longer the match goes on, the faster Conrad gets. You see he''s almost as fast as Top Dog now. One second, Conrad''s on the floor, and the next, he is sweeping TD''s feet and stomping him into the ground. I mean did you even see him move?" "I didn''t!¡± Harold sounded excited. ¡°And that''s why I still think Conrad''s going to take this whole thing." "We''ll see about that. Now in this next highlight, we see Conrad punch TD so hard he flies into the wall. And here, he stumbles as he regains his balance. But he''s not giving up. He gets right back into attack mode. Oh, Harold, this match gave me chills. I¡¯ve never seen two more evenly matched candidates than these.¡± Lexie had to agree. She was even smiling while watching the match, her heart pounding as she became increasingly engrossed. The holographic nature of the video made her feel like she was there, in the arena. It was weird because she¡¯d never been interested in sports before and never watched MMA with Logan. But there was something different about this. Or maybe she was different. Either way, she kept watching. She didn¡¯t know why she was rooting for Top Dog here. Maybe because both his parents were mundane and they probably needed this win more than a [Heroes]¡¯s kid. Or maybe because Top Dog seemed more dedicated and like he was taking the fight a lot more seriously. Or maybe she just liked his fighting style and his resourcefulness. Because despite his relative experience, Top Dog was the underdog in this fight. He landed more hits, but his opponent''s hits dealt more damage. Conrad was stronger than him, could match up to his speed during brief bursts, and could take damage better, which meant that Top Dog had to fight smarter. Lexie liked smarter. But she also liked that none of them seemed ready to give up yet, even though they''d been at it for nearly an hour already. Even when it was obvious that Top Dog''s strength was flagging¨Chis whole body was dripping in sweat, his breaths panted, one leg limping slightly¨C he kept going, never letting it slow down his moves. ¡°The next highlight is where the tides turn in Conrad¡¯s favor,¡± Harold spoke first. ¡°You see here, that he totally has the hang of Top Dog¡¯s fighting style now. He can predict the angles Top Dog is going to try for, and he can even predict how much force he''s going to exert on each attack. Conrad is indefatigable and so he uses Top Dog''s predictability against him. When Top Dog feints for the left, Conrad uses his own momentum to knock him off his feet.¡± ¡°But then you forget, that this was Top Dog¡¯s intention the whole time," Mallory countered smugly. "Watching the fight live, many thought that Top Dog was a goner at this point. That he did too much too quickly, and showed all his hands. By the second round, they thought he¡¯d be exhausted and Conrad would win easily. But no one saw that Top Dog''s real plan was to force Conrad¡¯s true nature to the surface. You see, the very strength of a Berserker is also its weakness. In the middle of serious, extended battles, when they feel significantly threatened, their mind often shuts down and their instinct takes over. They go into Madness. All they want to do is destroy their opponent and they lose sight of strategy and leave themselves open to fatal attack. You can see it here, in the middle of the second round, where Conrad starts to behave more erratically. He leaves his midsection wide open for that blow from TD, and this other time, he doesn¡¯t even try to block this leg kick that dislocates his knee.¡± ¡°Yes, but look how amazing he is. He stands on said dislocated knee and still uses his other leg to send TD packing.¡± ¡°But that¡¯s not the point. The point is if this continues, Top Dog is going to systematically dismantle Conrad¡¯s body until he can¡¯t move anymore. Or Conrad¡¯s going to go all out and do something stupid to get himself disqualified. Either way, Top Dog will win.¡± ¡°I gotta tell you, that¡¯s an evil plan Mal.¡± Harold sounded disgruntled. ¡°Evil, but genius. Back to the match, we see Top Dog gets back to his feet, and a time-out is called by Conrad¡¯s team.¡± ¡°A well-timed time out, giving Conrad time to calm down.¡± ¡°Yes, but it might not be long enough to control The Madness. There''s a single one-minute-long time out in this match and most Berserkers need to sleep the blood-lust off. So Conrad''s in a tough spot. If he goes too far in the next round he can get eliminated. And Top Dog''s not letting himself relax either because, even though he probably planned this, it''s still a dangerous position for him to be in. Conrad could literally kill him when he¡¯s in Madness state, or at least gravely injure him. He¡¯s on edge because of that. Even when he speaks to his team, his eyes are still on Conrad Grace.¡± As they spoke, they showed an video of TD, surrounded by three people, a tall, broad man, a brown-haired girl, and a shorter boy. The boy whispered something in TD¡¯s ear. Top Dog nodded. A bell sounded calling an end to the time out. ¡°And they¡¯re back. This is the third and final round. The fight has been ongoing for an hour at this point.¡± ¡°It¡¯s one of the longest preliminary fights this season, hasn''t it?" "No, that title goes to Kane the Mundane and Eric Stewart. But God, what a dull match that was. But anyway, this is still anyone¡¯s game. Both competitors are wounded and handicapped in different ways.¡± ¡°But once it starts, Top Dog still goes all out and watch here. This is where Top Dog executes his finisher. ." Lexie sat up, literally and figuratively at the edge of her seat at this point. Top Dog leaped into battle and just began wailing on Conrad Grace. He was even faster than before, milliseconds between each strike, not giving Conrad any room to see, react, or correct. It was just right hook, left, kick, everything all at once. And Conrad was getting backed into a corner, snarling and groaning but unable to fight back. ¡°It¡¯s called because once he gets you in it, it¡¯s almost impossible to break out,¡± Mallory explained. Lexie already figured though. But she could also see that the moves put a strain on Top Dog''s body. Plus while Conrad was starting to become immune to the blows, not looking like he felt the pain anymore. He started fighting back with powerful jabs of his own. He made huge, hard moves that weren''t as coordinated as he snarled, missing more times than he connected. One such blow seemed to dislocate Top Dog¡¯s shoulder, but the latter still kept going. Yes, he swung with a dislocated shoulder. It was the craziest thing Lexie had ever seen. And then Top Dog finally got past Conrad''s defenses and got him into a chokehold. He had his good arm wrapped around his neck and both legs around his midsection. He activated the forcefield to press down against his neck and his spikes turned and pushed into Conrad''s pulse. Conrad had his eyes squeezed shut but he couldn''t hide the pain on his face. And he was growing purple. Finally, his hand slapped the floor three times and he tapped out. ¡°Yes!¡± Lexie cheered, throwing her hands up and feeling an exhilarating wave of relief flood through her. She smiled and sagged back in bed. ¡°Way to go Top Dog!¡± Her heart raced and euphoria flooded her mind. Now she saw why people liked sports so much. This was the feeling it gave? Incredible. And to Lexie¡¯s delight, the men didn¡¯t seem to hurt after the game was over. They both drank health potions and while it didn¡¯t heal everything, they looked better than they did before. They even shook hands at the end, so that meant that there was no bad blood between them. And then they smiled for the camera, while they did it, with Conrad throwing a wink and Top Dog, giving a loud and throaty bark. Lexie wanted to watch more of Top Dog¡¯s other battles, but she decided to do something else before that. She¡¯d put it off for long enough. Steeling herself against the cringe, she went to the search bar and typed Arcadia Hero Party. It was the third result with 1 million views. ¡°Crazy Kid Crash Hero Party. Monty Ward saves the day.¡± 14 - An Unexpected Visitor ¡°Crazy Kids Crash Hero Party. Monty Ward saves the day.¡± Lexie took a deep breath, the euphoria from the match win fading. She''d indulged in that for long enough. It was time to face her problems once again. She clicked on the video. It was a clip from the party. It began with Xena stomping in to yell ¡°Listen up everyone!¡± But then the sound glitched right after that, and the video was scrubbed forward to where Lexie grabbed Xena''s hand and ran out there. There was no mention of what Xena said. Lexie went out and searched more videos trying to find one that would show the truth. But none of them had any sound. All the comments found the whole thing hilarious. Some of them thought it might have been a prank staged by [Heroes] who were not invited to the exclusive party. But the [Heroes] in attendance were clearly confused as they watched the girls run off. Yet no one made any move to stop them, as though it weren¡¯t worth their time. In the first video, Hawaiian-shirt did try but someone in a weird hat stopped him with a hand on his chest. And that was where the video ended. Lexie finally released the breath she was holding, disappointment curdling like spoilt milk in her gut. And with that, she had to accept the mission was a total failure. Everyone thought the whole thing was a joke, so there would be no social outcry pressuring the [Heroes] into saving Evan. And unless her dad could somehow create a potion in twenty-four hours to heal an incurable illness, Evan was going to die. She imagined the boy''s face as he threw his hand around her waist. She saw him struggling to climb into her lap. Lexie pressed her lips together and swiped back to her system screen showed that her assignment here was as a [Card User Hero].
DUE TO FALLING QUOTA OF CARD USERS, YOU ARE PREDICTED TO BE A CARD USER. DUE TO PAST-LIFE HEROIC POINTS DETECTED, YOU ARE PREDICTED TO BE A HERO Pre-Affixation: [Card User Hero]
She sighed. She was trying to keep an open mind. But she was really starting to hate the heroes.
Lexie¡¯s dad came in the next morning, looking exhausted. Lexie was also pretty exhausted too, but that was because she had spent the rest of the night watching Top Dog Highlight Videos. She''d watched like five more of his matches, then went to a few fan sites that had exclusive information about his stats and his personal life, and who they thought he would fight once he graduated into the adult division. And that also led her to find out about everyone else on Top Dog''s team, including another fighter called Dust Bunny who fought like an acrobat on steroids. According to her stat board, she was an A-rank Martial Arts Type Fighter and a C-rank Illusionist (she used spells to create minor illusions with dust that distracted her opponents during fights). Lexie liked her. Like Top Dog, her fighting style had flair and grace, and she made up for her lack of strength with speed and efficiency. She was the definition of death by a thousand small cuts. Plus she had a move called , where she would deliver like a hundred kicks in the space of a minute, before pouncing off into a backflip and landing like a gymnast with her hands in the air. The crowd loved that one especially. They also loved that, no matter how pain or trouble she was in, or how tired she seemed, she always pulled a funny face for the cameras whenever it first focused on her. According to the Leaderboard, she was number nine in the teen division right now. The third member of TD''s team was TechnocRat. To Lexie¡¯ knowledge he didn¡¯t fight much, but he was responsible for most of their gear and was a B-Rank Technomage (which was a kind of Bound Magic). When he did fight, he used rubber bullets and some fancy lasers for attack, and a jetpack to increase his speed. Oh, that was another thing. According to the rules of the circuit, no sharp objects or excessively damaging weapons were allowed. For example, all guns had to have rubbery bullets, sharp weapons had to have blunted edges, plus a few other criteria that governed the games to make them safe, if temporarily painful, for everyone involved. Top Dog¡¯s team was called the Mundane Society because they were all kids of Mundanes. Lexie had done a little more research on them and by morning she was officially a Bully Pup (Top Dog''s fanbase), a Mitten (for Dust Bunny), and a Fleabag (for TechnocRat). At breakfast, she was still checking out Dust Bunny¡¯s social media page, while sipping some hibiscus tea. Rowena made her tea before she left for work this morning, and though it wasn¡¯t as good as Aiden¡¯s, Lexie thanked her for it. A few minutes after Rowena left, the door opened again. Lexie shot to her feet and turned around. Aiden stood there with his hair harried around his head, lines in his face, red-eyed and pale. ¡°Hey¡­dad.¡± The word came out naturally although it sounded wrong at the same time. But it didn''t feel right calling him Aiden, especially because she didn¡¯t want him to suspect she wasn¡¯t his real daughter. She couldn¡¯t disclose her true identity until she got a hang of the situation and knew what the ISTS really was. So she might as well get used to playing his daughter, at least for however long she was here. She hurried to his side, taking his hand. ¡°You look awful.¡± He managed a weak smile and put his hand on her shoulder. ¡°Thanks, honey bee. That¡¯s what every father wants to hear when they get back home after a long day of work.¡± ¡°I¡¯m only saying it because it¡¯s true." She trailed him to the seat. ¡°And I don¡¯t think it¡¯s fair that you give me hell for burning out and you look like you¡¯re on the verge of it too.¡± ¡°Unlike you, I know my limits," he said a tad smugly, but the effect was ruined after he overshot his landing and nearly slipped right off the chair. And Lexie couldn¡¯t resist the urge to point it out. ¡°You almost face-planted, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°I did not. That''s just a new technique of sitting you''ve never heard of.¡± He threw his hands in the air, much like Dust Bunny would. ¡°And see how fast I made that flawless recovery.¡± Lexie giggled and rolled her eyes at the same time and he smiled. ¡°How did you sleep?¡± ¡°Good,¡± she lied. She¡¯d probably only gotten a combined three hours of sleep all night but she hoped that Aiden was too tired himself to notice. ¡°You don¡¯t look so good yourself,¡± he said. "Were you worried about me?¡± Lexie ducked her head and she realized with surprise that she was. That was part of why she couldn''t sleep. Between thoughts of Evan and Aiden and Emma and the potion, she felt so restless and helpless that she¡¯d had to distract herself with the videos all night. ¡°Yeah,¡± she admitted. ¡°I¡¯m also worried about Evan and Emma.¡± Aiden rubbed his hand over his face. ¡°Yeah me too. On the bright side, we managed to create a comatization potion for Evan. He¡¯s currently in a medically induced transient state which should slow the growth tremendously and give more time for a healer to get here.¡± ¡°Do you have to wait for a healer?¡± Lexie blurted out because she had little faith that there were even any healers coming. ¡°I mean, are you sure you can¡¯t craft some kind of cure using human medicine? You said you were running experiments right?¡± Aiden sighed. ¡°Yes. We¡¯ve tried the whole night, but it¡¯s not proving easy. All our options need a lot of experimentation which takes time. Evan¡¯s strain is a mutation which adds an extra layer of difficulty. There¡¯s also the fact Evan¡¯s mind has already been at least partially destroyed and it would be near impossible to reverse that too even if we did manage to get the potion to work. I made a potion last night, but the best it can do so far is heal him as he is, which isn''t ideal, to say the least.¡± He sighed. ¡°Even that needs further experimentation.¡±If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. Lexie blew out her breath. ¡°What if there was something he could have taken to prevent getting sick in the first place?" Aiden frowned. "Something like what?" "Like a potion that would give him and everyone who drinks it immunity to the disease by producing antibodies..." She wasn''t sure she should continue, since she wasn''t sure that antibodies were a thing here. Because when she''d checked on the NET, there had been no vaccines present in the world. It was weird. Apparently, several vaccines had been in circulation several hundred years ago, but they stopped being produced due to redundancy. It happened around the time that the System was created, and though the article she read didn''t go into detail, Lexie figured that it was the advent of Healers and Saintesses and Potion Makers that made vaccines no longer relevant. So essentially, the advent of magic had stifled some regular human invention and medical discovery. Most things in this society seemed far more advanced than on her earth, but other things, particularly things to do with mundanes, seemed less so. So maybe, the presence of magic and healers slowed the development of regular human medicines? It made sense. Why spend years and money to develop a cancer cure, when a magic person can just fly over and zap your cancer away? And even as she tried to explain what a vaccine was to Aiden, he only nodded vaguely. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s also part of the research I¡¯ve been conducting at the Healing House. Only Emma knows about it. The rest think I¡¯m merely doing volunteer work. But I¡¯d rather not give anyone false hope in case such a thing isn¡¯t possible anymore. A lot of the ingredients used to make them are no longer being produced.¡± Lexie nodded, but she felt crushed. It was good that Aiden was thinking about making a vaccine. But it was also tragic that he hadn''t made one earlier to save Evan from this horrible situation. ¡°Now I know I promised you a card lesson eventually but I need to get some sleep.¡± Aiden yawned. ¡°I''ll have to go back later today to monitor his condition and continue on the potion.¡± ¡°Can I go with you?¡± ¡°You really don''t have to,¡± he said. ¡°I want to,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯m bored staying at home and I¡¯d rather be there doing something useful.¡± Although she didn¡¯t know how useful she would be, she couldn¡¯t watch videos all day or she would start to feel sick. And as much as Lexie wasn¡¯t necessarily extroverted, she did need human companionship once in a while. Aiden gave her a tired smile and reached out to smooth her hair back. ¡°Alright,¡± he said. ¡°You can come.¡±
The rest of the week was much of the same. She spent so much time at the healing house that she learned the names of almost everyone working there. There was Nancy at reception who gave her cookies and pinched her cheeks. And then Riordon, a male nurse who knew all the gossip about everyone there and was always ready to share it, doctor-patient confidentiality be damned. And of course, Ashely and Lisa who were roommates that argued as much as they got along. Lisa was also the one who threw the pen at Ashley that other day in frustration. And then Carissa who wanted to be a social media star, Godfrey the guy who could get a needle into any vein, Tion, the elderly security guard and Rowena Lexie''s occasionally babysitter. Plus Lacey, Gemma, and Horace who she didn¡¯t know that well, only by name. In any case, it was a small group of people and they were basically in charge of all the health needs for the entire town. Seriously. It was crazy to Lexie, crazy for her to even think about. A group of about ten people who generalized in human medicine, ran the scans, tests and did everything at the healing house. No wonder everyone was sick all the time. Meanwhile, while the nurses kept Lexie company, Aiden spent most of the time in the lab working. He was doing testing on a species of mice that Max had brought from a forest, which according to Aiden, were the best kind of mice to test potions on because they had a physiology even closer to humans than regular mice. Lexie had only been in the lab once to watch him work, but then he''d kicked her out after some time because he didn''t know how the chemical fumes would affect growing children. Emma rolled her eyes and told him that the fumes wouldn''t do anything, but Aiden wasn''t willing to take the chance with his daughter. So, Lexie found herself exploring the hospital more often than not. Sometimes, she even found herself peeking into Evan¡¯s room. He was in a coma, his skin looking white, body stiff as a board. Rose was constantly with him, holding his hand looking just as drawn and pale as he was. Once when Lexie stood at the doorway, their eyes met and the other woman didn¡¯t look away. Lexie couldn''t stand the strong emotions pulsing through her, so she simply averted her gaze and kept walking. In her spare moments, she searched the NET for information and also watched more matches on her pad. She would sometimes even read about spells or aliens or subway trains or anything else she found curious about this world. She was desperately trying to occupy her mind with something, anything so she didn''t have to think of the passage of time and Evan''s incoming demise. And then she would also check her cell phone and read old messages from her brother. She was scrolling through the phone, walking down the hallways when she nearly ran into Ashley who was coming in from the other side. "Oh it¡¯s so cute," Ashley said. ¡°I haven''t seen one of these in forever. Where did you get this?¡± ¡°Um¡­¡± Lexie wasn¡¯t sure what to say. Was she referring to the phone? She''d seen it before. Lexie figured, judging from Aiden''s reaction, that there were probably phones in this new world, but she hadn''t seen any yet. Probably something else that was rendered archaic thanks to the System. Thankfully she was saved from answering by the arrival of Xena who walked in and was about to head straight down the hallway but stopped and stared at Lexie. She didn''t smile, neither did she scowl. Just stared straight at her. Despite herself, Lexie was happy to see the other kid. ¡°Hey.¡± ¡°Hey,¡± Xena said, less enthusiastically. ¡°You¡¯re not dead.¡± ¡°I know,¡± she grinned. ¡°Isn¡¯t it great?¡± ¡°I guess.¡± Lexie tried not to take her lack of enthusiasm to heart. After all, Xena was probably still worried about her mother. Lexie couldn¡¯t forget how horrible this situation must be for Xena, especially after she risked so much to break into that party all for the video to not even show what she said. And then suddenly, Lexie remembered Xena mentioned a¡­subnet? Darknet? Undernet. Yeah that was it. Lexie had been exhausted at that point, but she thought Xena said something about the video being in the Undernet people. But as she opened her mouth to ask, she realized Ashley was still around listening to their conversation. If this Undernet was really like the dark web, perhaps she should wait to ask for it when they¡¯re in private. ¡°Oh and I watched the fight by the way,¡± Lexie announced instead, mostly to take Xena¡¯s mind off her worry with some lighthearted teasing. ¡°Top Dog kicked Conrad¡¯s ass.¡± Annoyance replaced Xena¡¯s wain expression. ¡°That¡¯s only because Conrad got distracted at the end. And Top Dog cheated.¡± ¡°How did he cheat?¡± ¡°He used his weapon to force Conrad to surrender. Even after Conrad cut him some slack in the beginning." ¡°Top Dog never asked Conrad to cut him any slack. It¡¯s not cheating if you use your enemy''s weaknesses against him." And in this case, the weakness was that Conrad didn''t seem to take Top Dog as seriously as TD took him. Perhaps he simply thought he would win because he was stronger. ¡°Yeah well, it was lame of Top Dog to do that. And dishonorable.¡± ¡°He did what he had to do." Lexie shrugged. "You¡¯re just on Conrad¡¯s side because you think he¡¯s cute. ¡°I do not!¡± Her face flamed. ¡°I like that he''s a good person and I like what he stands for.¡± ¡°Which is?" ¡°He¡¯s not an asshole, and doesn¡¯t want to be a [Hero] despite his [Hero] parents.¡± What lofty standards. ¡°And that makes him great, how?¡± ¡°You wouldn¡¯t understand. Your dad was a [Hero] so you think they''re all great.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think they¡¯re all great. I went to that party with you, didn¡¯t I? But I don¡¯t think being anti-[Hero] makes him a good guy either." ¡°I don''t care what you think. You support that cheater Top Dog with his stupid magic gloves." ¡°They¡¯re not stupid and it wasn¡¯t cheating.¡± ¡°Not that all this quibbling isn¡¯t fun and all, because it totally is.¡± Ashley sounded amused. "But I have to deliver these test tubes to Emma in room 5, I''m going to go." "I''m going there too," Xena said. "Me three," Lexie concurred then when Xena glared at her, Lexie added, "It''s not like I''m following you. My dad''s there." "Oh, he''s your dad now huh?" Xena quipped. "What''s that supposed to mean?" "You called him Aiden on the train." Oh shit she had, hadn''t she? "I was confused. I have memory loss, cut me some slack." As they walked side by side still quibbling they finally met up with Emma and Aiden in a hospital room. Emma was on the bed while Aiden stood in front of her, looking grave. Emma was wearing a scarf to cover her rash, and her face looked a little strained too. Xena instantly went to her. "Are you okay?" "Yes I''m fine," she said quickly with a weak smile. "Just....we tried the new potion and it didn''t work quite as well as I wanted it to." "Oh." A tense silence hung between everyone in the room. ¡°I¡¯ll keep going,¡± Aiden said even though he looked pale and like he was on death¡¯s door, dark eye bags underneath his eyes, stubble on his cheeks. ¡°I must have missed something small. Or maybe my calculations were wrong somewhere. I¡¯ll run it over again.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay Aiden,¡± Emma said with a sigh. ¡°I think you¡¯ve done your best.¡± "Mom," Xena whispered, but they were interrupted by another knock on the door. "Um Emma." Riordon stuck his head in, his face a mixture of shock and feverish excitement. "You''re not going to believe who''s here." Emma bolted out of bed and Aiden straightened. "A healer?" He shook his head, smiling secretively. "You should probably come see for yourself." Emma, Xena, Lexie, and Nancy all filed out of the room, following Riordon who was basically rubbing his hands in glee. He walked in hurried steps, and they matched it, their excitement building as they went. They were scared to hope. But they couldn''t help it either. And when they finally got to the waiting area she saw why Riordon was so giddy. A tall, radiant blonde woman was standing at the welcome desk, chatting with Carissa. Or more like Carissa was chatting and basically fawning and the woman was merely smiling pleasantly. Emma froze first gaping at the woman. Nancy''s reaction was no less stunned. ¡°[Saintess],¡± Emma whispered. She finally flicked her gaze over to us, and when she smiled it was like the sun parting the clouds and warming up our skin. "Someone asked for a healer?" she said. 15 - Healing and Purification Lexie stared at the tall golden-haired woman, wondering why she felt the urge to weep for joy in her presence. Not just weep. She felt like getting on her knees and thanking her for being alive. And then confessing every bad thought she¡¯d ever had, every naughty thing she¡¯d ever done. She wanted to ask the woman for forgiveness and a hug to make all her guilt go away. Which was an odd way to perceive a stranger, but to be fair it wasn¡¯t even the top three oddest things that had happened this week. Still, Lexie saw that she wasn¡¯t the only one feeling this effect. Multiple other people in the hospital were silent and slack-jawed at the sight of the woman. Lexie didn¡¯t blame them. The woman was radiant, filled with health and beauty and something else that Lexie couldn¡¯t quite pinpoint. Later, she would try to recall exactly what feature made the golden-haired lady so captivating. And it would be incredibly difficult because apart from her hair, there wasn¡¯t anything truly special about her looks. She was of average height and had pleasant unremarkable features. She even looked like her nose had been broken a time or two, but at that moment, Lexie didn¡¯t care about any of that. She thought that the woman was the most beautiful thing she¡¯d ever seen in her life. ¡°Saintess,¡± Emma whispered again, addressing the woman. ¡°What are you¡­I mean...I didn¡¯t think¡­¡± She sputtered for a second and shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m sort of at a loss for words. I mean we asked for a healer but I didn¡¯t think they would send you.¡± The Saintess¡¯ smile widened and once again, Lexie thought of the sun. Was there a halo around the woman''s head or was it simply her imagination? ¡°Well," she said. "I was kinda busy but then someone called in a favor and that put me on this trajectory. Plus I heard some crazy kids needed a healer to save their friend.¡± She glanced between Lexie and Xena but the smile curling her lips let the young ones know there were no hard feelings. ¡°That would be you two?¡± Lexie and Xena both nodded numbly and the Saintess chuckled. ¡°Well, I¡¯m sure greetings are in order, but I heard there was a child in need of saving.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± That seemed to jog Emma out of her stupor, and she gestured down the hallway starting to walk briskly to lead the Saintess there. ¡°He¡¯s right down here. We¡¯ve kept him stabilized in the meantime but we''ll have to move fast since he''s already in the final stage." Lexie and Xena along with several other nurses followed them in time to hear the Saintess ask, ¡°For how long?¡± ¡°Nearly a week?¡± She raised an eyebrow. ¡°He should be dead then.¡± ¡°He isn''t," Emma said. ¡°We created a potion that would keep his body and mind in limbo while we waited for a healer''s arrival." ¡°Oh? A comatization potion? I didn¡¯t know they started teaching those formulas at mundane clinics.¡± ¡°Yeah me either. But we met a mundane man some time ago who taught us a few things,¡± Emma''s eyes dropped from the Saintess when she uttered the lie. And even then the guilt in her face gave it away. Is Emma a bad liar, Lexie wondered, or is it the Saintess'' influence messing with her skill? "It was necessary," she said as they turned the corner. "The disease moved much faster than anticipated.¡± ¡°A new strain?¡± ¡°Maybe." The voice came from Evan''s doorway, and Aiden was standing there. He had shirked his lab coat and his gloves, wearing his normal button down and linen trousers. Apart from the tired eyes, he did not look like he''d been conducting experiments all day. He looked like maybe he was here for a visit. The Saintess paused to regard him. She did a good job of hiding her shock, and whatever other emotions she must have been feeling. ¡°Archmage,¡± she finally greeted. ¡°Saintess.¡± ¡°I should have known. I assume you''re the reason the mundanes have a comatization potion. You are aware it¡¯s dangerous to create it.¡± "I''m not sure what you''re talking about," Aiden said and he lied a lot more convincingly than Emma did. Lexie suddenly realized that not only were her father¡¯s experiments risky, but they might be illegal too. Probably had to do with the whole ¡®ex-villains were not supposed to use magic¡¯ thing. Also the potion itself was clearly a grey area. Lexie wasn¡¯t sure how bad Aiden¡¯s crime was, but with the way the Saintess and Emma were acting, it was clear that he had committed, at the very least, a minor misdemeanor. ¡°He informed us of the risks,¡± Emma assured the Saintess hastily when it was clear the other woman wasn''t buying Aiden''s non-participation. ¡°And in any case, it worked. And it''s the only reason Evan is still alive. We permitted him to do it so if there are any sanctions they should fall on us." "No," Aiden said. "I acted on my own. You may sanction me." The Saintess looked between them, sighed, and said, "You know what? I suppose I can let this one slide." Then she walked into the room. Lexie watched from the doorway squatting so she could see in between the legs of the nurses and others that had gathered and pushed ahead of her. Rose was already on her feet. She greeted the Saintess enthusiastically, hope and fear still battling in her eyes. Hope that they could somehow save Evan. Fear that it was too late. The Saintess walked beside the bed and held out her hand over Evan¡¯s face, palm down. She closed her eyes and hovered it over his whole body, muttering to herself as she did. Lexie couldn''t hear the exact words she was saying but her furrowed eyebrows and downturned lip told Lexie that the Saintess didn¡¯t like what she was seeing. ¡°There¡¯s a lot of structural damage to his pathways,¡± she said. ¡°It will take time to heal. Possibly multiple rounds and weeks to get it done completely. And we should start with his mind because that has the most damage, and is the hardest to reset." Pathways? Lexie thought. Evan had pathways? But he was a mundane and just a kid? Did he have magic too? She decided to ask Aiden about it later. ¡°But it can be done?¡± Rose asked, wringing her fingers. ¡°You can heal him?" The Saintess didn¡¯t answer at first. Instead, she did another pass over Evan¡¯s body. And then another. ¡°I can," she said and relief flashed through Rose¡¯s face. The atmosphere eased, like the entire room collectively exhaled. ¡°Thank you, Saintess,¡± Rose said. "Thank you." She reached out to touch the woman but Emma immediately intercepted. And a second later, Lexie saw why. The Saintess had already begun work, closing her eyes and muttering to herself once more. She did another pass and this time, her brow furrowed from the concentration. She hesitated around his skull area, and then continued with her hands moving in a circle. Evan wasn''t moving during all this. In fact, no one in the room was moving, too entranced by the sight of the Saintess performing her magic. Although Lexie couldn''t really tell what the magic was yet. There was no flashiness to it, no light show or floating glass cards that shattered in the air. But Lexie knew that the golden-haired woman was doing something because her face was increasingly more strained. While it was previously youthful and full of color, it paled rapidly. Then she touched Evan¡¯s forehead and emitted a raw bark that was much like the one Evan had ejected when he''d turned. Lexie and half the people in the doorway jerked. At which point, the Saintess'' being seemed to glow just a little. ¡°Is she healing him?¡± Lexie whispered to no one in particular. "She¡¯s doing even better." It was Godfrey who looked back to answer, smirking when he saw her squatting. ¡°She¡¯s purifying him."If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Lexie wanted to ask what that meant but before she could, someone gasped so loud that it echoed down the hallway. And when she turned back to the Saintess, she saw why. Evan was awake. Not just awake. He was awake and his face looked as healthy as ever. Color returned to his cheeks, his eyes were bright and he grinned at the woman who still had her hand on his forehead. ¡°I have stinky armpits,¡± were his first words. ¡°Oh Evan,¡± Rose ran to his side and fell to her knees before him. ¡°Oh, my poor baby! You¡¯re okay. Mommy''s here¡± ¡°He¡¯s not out of the woods yet,¡± the Saintess¡¯ voice was slightly hoarse and she looked a little ill but she managed a smile as she stepped back from him. ¡°He might look okay, but I only pushed back the first wave, and the disease will try to come back again in a few hours. I¡¯ll have to purify him multiple times to convince it to leave for good.¡± She glanced at Emma. ¡°He was close to death so he¡¯ll need a little time and some warm food for his pathways to recover. And I''ll visit him tomorrow to continue the healing." Emma nodded. ¡°That¡¯s very generous of you. Thank you.¡± ¡°Thank you so much, Saintess.¡± Rose hugged her son and then turned to Emma, teary-eyed. ¡°Thank you, Emma.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t thank me,¡± Emma said. ¡°Thank Aiden. He¡¯s the one who created the potion that stopped the spread of the disease.¡± Rose¡¯s gaze turned to Aiden and her face dimmed. She opened her mouth to say something. She didn''t manage to get it out and her gaze dropped. Finally, she nodded once and muttered unintelligible words, before turning back to her son. Despite her sympathy for Rose, Lexie got annoyed. Aiden might not have healed Evan, but he was the one who kept Evan alive this long. And it had cost him a lot of sleepless nights, and endless days spent working. After all Aiden¡¯s hard work, even after Rose accused him of being a murderer, she couldn¡¯t even say thank you? No apology? All she could manage was unheard words? Lexie wanted to say something, but Aiden caught her eye and shook his head. Let it go, his expression said. He didn¡¯t want to make a scene. It only made Lexie angrier, but she bit her tongue to respect his wishes. Apparently, Xena wasn¡¯t so inclined. ¡°He¡¯s the only reason Evan¡¯s still alive you know.¡± She spoke up, facing Rose directly. ¡°You could at least apologize for what you said to him." True, although ironic coming from Xena. ¡°She¡¯s right,¡± Riordan said. ¡°He was basically killing himself trying to save Evan,¡± Godrick chimed in, and the other nurses nodded murmuring their ascent. Aiden blushed as one by one they came to his defense, gently asking Rose to make things right. Shame took over Rose¡¯s features. She finally looked Aiden in the eye, a mortified blush spreading across her cheeks. ¡°Thank you. I¡­ I¡¯m sorry for what I said, it''s just...¡± ¡°I understand,¡± Aiden said graciously. ¡°Don''t worry, talk to your son.¡± Rose¡¯s face reddened even more, and her eyes dropped again. She nodded and murmured more words of gratitude before turning her attention back to Evan. The Saintess watched the drama with a keen eye and then refocused on Emma. ¡°You were bitten too?¡± Emma seemed to have forgotten because she looked at the bandage on her arm as though surprised it was still there. ¡°Oh yeah, I guess I was.¡± The Saintess reached out for Emma¡¯s arm but Emma didn''t give it right away. Instead, she hung back and said, ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re okay? Mine can wait. You probably need to rest.¡± ¡°Of course not.¡± The Saintess smiled kindly. ¡°I''ll get all the rest I need after I''m done here. But for now, let me look at your arm." ¡°But you look a little¡­¡± ¡°Mom,¡± Xena said, tugging Emma¡¯s robe. ¡°Just give her your hand.¡± Emma glanced at Xena, still whiffling with her decision, and then bit her lip. She reluctantly held her hand out and the Saintess took it, closing her eyes again. Within a few seconds, the rash on her neck was gone, although the Saintess looked more than a little nauseous. ¡°While I¡¯m here,¡± she said, despite it. ¡°I might as well see your sickest patients. Those whose health bars aren¡¯t refreshing. I heard there were quite a few reports." ¡°Yes,¡± Emma said and then gratitude shone in her face. ¡°Yes, that would be great. Thank you so much, Saintess.¡± ¡°Please. Call me Dee.¡± Dee leveled a final look at Aiden as she followed Emma and the nurses out of the room, flanked by Xena. It was just Aiden, Lexie, Rose and Evan left. The latter two were in their world and barely noticed as Lexie approached Aiden. ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± He put his hand around her shoulder and dragged her close. His hand shook. ¡°Just a little tired.¡± ¡°You should come home and get some rest. Evan¡¯s fine now. It¡¯s time for you to recuperate.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Rose spoke softly, turning to regard them. ¡°Please go and rest. You¡¯ve earned it.¡± Aiden looked like he wanted to argue but he finally sighed wearily. ¡°Fine. Let me just tell Emma that I¡¯m leaving. I¡¯m glad Evan¡¯s okay, Rose.¡± ¡°Thank you for everything, Archmage. I¡¯m¡­I¡¯m truly sorry about how I acted. I guess I lost my mind a little.¡± ¡°You have nothing to be sorry about,¡± Aiden said. ¡°All is forgiven.¡± Rose pressed her lip together and nodded. But it was clearly not all resolved. There was still a lot of tension between the two, and it was clear that Rose was uncomfortable with them still being here. So they left the room with mumbled goodbyes and went in search of Emma. On the way, Lexie asked her father, ¡°What¡¯s the difference between purifying and healing?¡± Luckily, Aiden wasn''t too tired to answer. ¡°Purifying is healing with something extra. It¡¯s hard to explain or quantify what that ¡®extra¡¯ is but essentially, with Evan purified, he won''t get loiter disease any time soon. Probably not for the rest of his life even if he¡¯s bitten. He¡¯ll have some boosts in vitality and strength too, for the next few months at the very least. Any disease or pestilence will literally avoid him.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Now Lexie saw why the woman was so revered. ¡°Yes. Usually, Saintesses aren''t dispatched for single patients. They aren¡¯t used as Healers necessarily, but to purify lands after disease outbreaks. Occasionally they''re called for summonings too. But they¡¯re usually reserved for large-scale events. It¡¯s a wonder she¡¯s here.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Lexie responded. She too wondered why the Saintess was here. Who called in the favor? On the way home, Lexie had a second question for Aiden. ¡°Oh, by the way, why did she keep talking about Evan¡¯s pathways? I thought only people with magic have pathways." Aiden smirked. ¡°No, bumble bee. Everyone has pathways even if they don¡¯t have mana. And there are different types of pathways too." At her puzzled look he continued, "All life is simply a series of systems and pathways. It¡¯s how we operate. Mundanes have pathways too, but they¡¯re usually less flexible than the pathways of rankers. It''s part of the reason why they have low mana affinity. Because rather than their pathways adjusting to control the mana flow, they would just rupture." Ah. So pathways were probably similar to veins and arteries in one¡¯s body. And mundanes had much stiffer arteries, like they had atherosclerosis. ¡°Healers are pathway experts,¡± Aiden continued. ¡°They have to be able to do what they do. Not only that, they have to have the most flexible pathways to direct the disease to an elimination channel in a way that gets rid of it.¡± ¡°Elimination channel?¡± ¡°Yes. Healing isn¡¯t as easy as it looks. A healer links their pathway to the patients through a link channel, and then draws some of the patient¡¯s disease to what we call an elimination channel in their own body. That means they take a sample of the disease into themselves, but contain it in a specific part of their body, as their skill generates an accelerated cure. Then, they direct the cure back to the patient''s body. That''s how healing works.¡± ¡°Wow, that sounds complex. And painful.¡± ¡°It can be, particularly when the individual is close to death, meaning the healer has to work faster and take on more of the infection.¡± ¡°I see.¡± No wonder the Saintess had looked so awful after healing Evan. She felt sorry for the woman, and sort of regretted every nasty thing she¡¯d ever thought about the healers from the Hero association. Lexie had also briefly, and very briefly, considered being a healer but not anymore. It would undoubtedly be a noble skill, but she wasn¡¯t that sacrificial to put herself in pain every time she had to use her powers. Another reason why I''m not hero material. But as she thought more about what Aiden said, another realization came to her. ¡°Doesn¡¯t the healing mechanism sound a little bit like how cards work." She pointed out. "Activating the card with your mana, and then using a card as a link to external mana. Right? And then drawing the external mana inside to generate a skill. That¡¯s basically what you just said about how healing works.¡± Aiden sighed with a wry smile, but there was that hint of pride on his face again. "Did you get more clever after you lost your memory, or were you just holding back before?" Oops. Lexie kept forgetting to act like a ten-year-old. But surely a ten-year-old would probably also notice that parallel. Right? Well, whatever. She¡¯d already made the mistake. In for a penny, in for a pound. ¡°If she healed him with a potion, or say a card, or some other magical artifact it wouldn¡¯t be as painful right?¡± ¡°Not this, again.¡± Aiden¡¯s amusement dropped. ¡°Lex, I don''t want you to focus too hard on that, because I don''t want you to get disappointed. As I already told you, crafting a healing card would be an extremely difficult, probably pointless endeavor.¡± ¡°Notice you didn''t say impossible.¡± He sighed again. ¡°No. I didn¡¯t say it was impossible.¡± Lexie thought about it. "Can you teach me how you created your first card?" He glanced up at the sky, hesitation clear in his stance. ¡°Lexie¡­¡± ¡°You said you weren¡¯t much older than me when you made it. And you didn''t have a generational genius father to guide you, did you?¡± Lexie thought stroking his ego might help her argument. But Aiden shook his head. ¡°Making cards at your age is dangerous. I did it because I was young and foolish, and even then I had an appropriate lab at the academy where I could perform experiments. You don¡¯t have that, so it¡¯s even more dangerous for you. And I won¡¯t be able to help you since I can''t even visualize mana fields anymore.¡± ¡°Mana fields?¡± ¡°See? You don¡¯t even know what that is. There¡¯s so much you need to learn before you even think about crafting a card.¡± ¡°Then teach me.¡± Lexie pointed out the simple solution to their predicament. ¡°Or at the very least, teach me proper card activation so I won''t waste so much mana. You said you would.¡± ¡°I did say that, didn''t I?¡± He sighed, then ruffled her hair. ¡°Fine. I¡¯m going to go home and we¡¯re both going to take a long nap. And then, I¡¯ll teach you everything you need to know about proper card activation.¡± Lexie grinned and resisted the urge to pump her fist into the air. She would count that one as a win. 16 - Card Lessons Much later that evening, after said nap, the card lessons officially began. Even though Lexie had pestered Aiden right after he woke up from his nap in the early evening, he''d insisted they have dinner first, and told Lexie that she had to eat all her asparagus before he taught her anything. It wasn¡¯t a chore. The asparagus he made was buttered to perfection, but according to Aiden, Lexie had a habit of hiding her vegetables underneath the table napkins when she was younger. So he kept an eagle-eyed gaze on her as she ate. Lexie dutifully cleared her plate of steak and potatoes, ate all her veggies, and then helped her father clean up, earning herself a loving head pat. After that, they''d retired to a low table, and Aiden had finally asked Lexie to present the deck. ¡°Alright,¡± Aiden said to start. They were sitting cross-legged on the floor at opposite ends of the table. ¡°The first thing you need to know about cards is the kind of deck you¡¯re using.¡± He gestured to the cards neatly stacked on the table. ¡°This one is called the Party Planner¡¯s deck. I got it a while ago at an antique shop because I was going to my first ever party and wanted to impress a certain someone who was throwing that party.¡± ¡°My mother?¡± Lexie inquired. He shook his head. ¡°No, this was before I knew Lara. It was another girl, but that didn¡¯t work out. Anyway, I got this at the antique shop, but you don''t have to do that. Most people just buy their decks from the systems store directly and keep them in their inventory so they can easily summon them. But these were pretty cheap and I preferred antiques at that time." His gaze grew soft and he allowed himself a little smile. "So did your mother. She and I used to visit antique shops a lot when we first started dating. And after we had you, we would take you along. There''s even one in Alberton that you used to love. We can go there when you''re feeling better." "Um...sure." Lexie felt a little uncomfortable under the intensity of his gaze. Once again, imposter syndrome was poking her guilty conscience, reminding her that she was an unwilling accomplice in robbing Aiden''s real daughter of these touching moments and loving words. "Yeah, we can discuss that later." Aiden coughed to cover the slightly awkward silence. "Where was I? Right. There are different card decks you can choose from, usually bearing about twelve cards each, and each deck is dedicated to a specific purpose. For example, the Party Planner¡¯s Deck is all about planning and entertaining at parties. You also have the Juggler¡¯s Deck, which helps you learn to be a better juggler, the Dancer¡¯s Deck for dancers, the Librarian''s Deck and so and so forth. They¡¯re probably hundreds of them, including different variations of the more popular decks. All can be bought from the system store. Are you following so far?¡± ¡°Lots of decks with terrible names. Got it.¡± He smirked. ¡°Alright. Now you have your deck. Again, typically comes with twelve cards, although not always. The next thing you need to know is that each card has an activation time, an active time, and a cool-off time. The activation time is how long it takes you to activate a skill. The active time is how long that skill stays in play. And the cool-off time is how soon you can use the card again after it¡¯s no longer active. You can activate two cards concurrently, and typically most decks are arranged to optimize for this so that it¡¯s relatively easier to activate the next card after you''ve activated one already. But you still need to take into account your cool-off time and how much mana you spent during your last activation so you don''t burn out. It''s recommended that you wait at least a minute between each card activation." Lexie nodded. No wonder she''d burned out. She definitely hadn''t done that. "You also cannot activate two cards at the same time." "Why?" Lexie wondered aloud. "Safety reasons. Also logistical reasons. It''s a lot easier to focus mana on one pathway than two and it''s mostly advisable to activate a skill at a time. This is a general rule that most other mages, bound or unbound swear by. And with cards, it''s even more important that you have that waiting period in between activations because typically card users don''t have a ton of mana capacity to begin with. You need time for your stores to refill." "It refills in a minute?" He shook his head. "No. That''s why I said at least a minute. Your mana stores won''t completely refill by then but it makes it less likely you''ll burn out. Some better trained mages wait less than that. But most card mages, particularly beginners, have to wait longer and waiting longer will usually nets better results." Jeez, she might have to wait longer? A minute already sounded like a long time. And that wasn¡¯t even counting the time it would take her to actually activate the card, all for a few seconds of use. Yeah, it''s definitely not something I can use in an emergency. Which begged the question what was the point of card magic. Just as a teaching tool? Even for entertainment, it sounded so lame. "Is there any way to shorten the activation time?" Lexie asked. Aiden hesitated to answer. "There are some ways, but it''s not straightforward. Usually, that just comes with time and getting used to your pathways. I''ll explain it more once I actually show you how to activate the cards." "Okay." She nodded. "I''m assuming that if you try to activate two cards at the same time, nothing bad would happen right?" "No. If a card senses that you''re trying to activate another at the same time, it will just deactivate." "Wait, the cards can sense each other?" "Of course. When they''re in a deck, they''re all linked. So they can play off each other in a sense." Hmm. That was interesting. Lexie was already thinking about the logistics of it and perhaps how to use that to her advantage. She was also thinking of a way around the no-double-activation thing. That could be one way to save time, and she wondered how the shut off system worked. For example, say she didn''t take the recommended minute-long cool-off time, and simply wanted to activate one card right after another. What was the minimum in-between time she could get away with before the card tagged it as simultaneous activation? A second? A millisecond? A microsecond? At what point would it shut off? And what was the role of the deck in coordinating this? ¡°Question,¡± Lexie put her hand up like she was in class and Aiden grinned. ¡°What¡¯s the point of a deck? Just for the aesthetic and organization?¡± ¡°No, it also serves a practical purpose. Card developers created decks to increase cohesiveness and efficiency. Card activation, as you¡¯ll come to find out, is all about time management. And having cards arranged in a deck makes everything easier, and reduces the activation time for each card.¡± Lexie could see how that would be useful. ¡°How does that work?¡± ¡°Well, card pathways in a deck are designed close to each other on the mana field, in such a way that the pathways actually flow into each other.¡± He grabbed a salt shaker, shook some tiny white crystals out, and once more drew connecting tunnels on the table. ¡°Think of these as pathways. See how they¡¯re all interconnecting? This pathway even flows directly into that pathway. This would be how a deck would look on the mana field. Two cards that are not part of the same deck, will likely be much farther apart from each other and less likely to intersect." "And the mana field is?" Aiden cocked his head, thought for almost a minute, and then shook it. "That''s something that''s going to be difficult to explain at this stage. And it will only confuse you more. For now, simply think of it as a collection of all the pathways in a single item or body." "That doesn''t sound that difficult to explain." "That''s because it''s not the complete explanation. But it''s what we tell young mages who are just starting out. You have an internal mana field, an external mana field, and an object mana field, in this case, the object is your card. Card magic influences all those mana fields, forming links between pathways that were previously not connected." Lexie was still somewhat confused and it showed in her face. Aiden nodded, then he cleared his previous salt drawings to start a new one, the excitement of teaching in his eyes. "You see, your internal pathways are typically correlated with where a skill is generated. For example, the card''s pathway is in the feet, and core, and the card pathway is in the mouth. So say, you wanted to dance, and right after that make an announcement. Your feet and your mouth are on opposite sides of your body and so are their pathways. But as long as the two cards you use are part of the same deck, it creates an artificial link between all those pathways thereby making the mana travel easier and smoother." He keeps drawing different pathways on the salt and linking them with a dotted line."When mana congregates at one side of your body, it''s termed a mana cloud. And once a card in a deck is activated, your internal mana creates a cloud that moves in that direction of that card, and binds to the deck, making it easier for each subsequent card to be activated. So you see, this makes everything even more streamlined, and reduces waste. Some cards in a deck even share sections of the same pathway, which cuts down the activation time even more¨Cespecially if you do one after another¨Cbecause of mana cloud binding." His eyes glinted up at Lexie and he adjusted his glasses. "Do you understand what I''ve said so far?" She nodded. "I think so." She tried to mentally reiterate it to herself, and explain it in her own words. Basically, a deck connected the activation pathway for all the cards, and also bound her mana cloud to make everything easier and faster. So the first card activated gets the least advantage, but then each subsequent card becomes easier. That means when activating more than one card, I should always start with the lowest powered cards and save the more complicated highest powered cards for last. "So this linking effect a deck has," she continued. "Does it last only as long as the card is active?" He shook his head. "Lasts about twenty four hours after the deck is active. That''s also why you''re not allowed to use more than one deck within a twenty-four-hour period." "Seriously?" So many rules.Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. "Yes. If you used a card from the Party Planner''s deck and then tried to activate a card from the Dancer''s deck right after, the latter wouldn''t activate. Partially because the mana cloud is somewhat attached to pathways in the first deck." "How?" "That''s another thing that''s too complicated to explain at this stage, honey bee." Lexie swallowed her frustration along with her impatience to find out more. ¡°It''s typically not seen as a problem," Aiden said. "Because Card Mages often affix and specialize a few decks in their entire lifetime. You see, it helps them level up faster if they only focus on a handful of decks. But we¡¯ll get more into deck management in the future, including how to create your own deck.¡± Lexie''s eyes widened. "You can do that?" "Of course." He wiped off the salt diagrams, creating a clean board. ¡°Not from scratch though, not unless you''re an official card crafter working with system developers. You can mix and match cards from different decks to create your unique deck but note, this is also liable to system approval.¡± ¡°Why would the system not approve a deck?¡± Lexie asked. ¡°If it¡¯s not cohesive enough or the mix-and-match may potentially endanger its users, the system will not approve and will not give a deck signature which is what links all the cards in the deck together." "Endanger how?" "Well, the most frequent way is by having too many high-powered cards in the same deck. If most of the cards in the deck have a power of seven or higher, then the system will not approve. And in a less specific sense, if the system thinks that the deck can cause harm to oneself or others, it will not allow it either." "Oh." She guessed that was another reason why the cards themselves were limited by time and potency. So they wouldn''t cause harm. "Again, this is all advanced knowledge that we¡¯ll get into when we¡¯re discussing card crafting," Aiden said. "Right now, I just need you to understand the rules. 1. Work with cards in a single deck for now until you master it. This will make it easier for you to learn mana control and also not burn out. 2. Don''t use more than one deck within a twenty-four-hour period. 3. Don¡¯t activate more than one card at a time. 4. Leave at least a minute of rest between each activation. More depending on total activation time and how much waste you produced." Lexie nodded and noted down the rules of the game on a writing pad her father had given her. It was called a study pad, and it was a clear glass screen that transmitted the words directly to her system notes section. When she was done writing, she looked at Aiden expectantly. He picked up the cards, shuffling them as he spoke. ¡°Now let¡¯s move on to the basic mechanism of card action. First, let me explain mana and the three different types of it. There¡¯s internal mana, object mana, and ambient or external mana. Internal mana is the mana that is contained in your body. This is dependent on your mana capacity. Then external mana is the mana in the environment. Object mana is the mana stored in an artifact a mage uses, which in this case is the card. Each card has its own personal mana which was imbued during its creation.¡± ¡°And it¡¯s released upon activation?¡± ¡°Exactly. So what causes the skill to be generated you see, is usually some combination of object and ambient mana. But it all starts with the internal mana, and aiding the interaction between these three types of mana is basically what you need to learn to have smooth and low waste activation." "Okay." She nodded again and noted that down. "So first off," he said. "To activate the card you need to guide your internal mana along the card¡¯s activation pathway, as I showed you before. Once that¡¯s completed successfully, the card¡¯s mana is then suffused to open up an internal pathway for the mechanism of action. It stabilizes or disrupts the target pathway enough for you to guide the external mana into it. And this is then used to generate a skill.¡± He waited and smiled. ¡°Did that make sense to you, bumble bee?¡± ¡°Yeah, I think so.¡± She tried to visualize since that always helped her understand complex topics. ¡°So basically, the internal mana activates the card and the card tells the external mana what to do in the target pathway?" His lips ticked up. ¡°Precisely. Of course, in truth, it¡¯s a little more complex than that. But that¡¯s good for the basics.¡± "Right," she said. Though he said that, nothing she was hearing felt basic at all. ¡°Now you have to be careful when directing mana through both the card activation pathway and the target pathway. Like I said before, if you use too much mana or too little, the card will deactivate. Also, any attempt to use the mana to change or deviate from the pathway will also cause the entire mechanism to shut down and mana to be wasted." ¡°I see.¡± And then she asked. ¡°Could deviation also cause damage to my mana pathways? Or the card pathways?¡± He shook his head. ¡°Highly unlikely. First of all, cards don¡¯t deal with any high-capacity skills likely to cause damage. Secondly, there are several contingencies placed along the pathway that ensure that the card deactivates if it detects any anomaly along the pathway. One of those contingencies is at the very start of the pathways. If you push too much mana into the card at the very start, far more than is required to activate, the card will not activate. Too little mana and it won¡¯t activate either. If you try to force the pathway into a different shape, it won¡¯t be long before it deactivates too. These are all safeguards. And then the final safeguard is if, for whatever reason, a card detects that the skill you''re trying to generate will damage your pathways, it will direct all the mana back to the card and the card will simply self-destruct.¡± ¡°Like a fail-safe?¡± ¡°Yes. Exactly. That¡¯s what makes cards such a great teaching tool for beginners. Even the worst mage is unlikely to get hurt from it.¡± He smirked. ¡°Of course, after most people get the basics with cards they move onto spells, and from then on, if their capacity is high enough, they can start with Unbound magic. But usually, pre-awakened mana isn¡¯t enough to learn Unbound magic. Unless of course, you¡¯re from one of the elite Elemental Families.¡± ¡°Like the Firebringers?¡± He nodded. ¡°We¡¯ll get into that later. Right now, let''s focus on cards. And activating to minimize waste. Try to go slow. Don''t push in too much at once and don''t try to force your mana. Simply gently guide and shepherd it where it needs to go." Lexie nodded and then noted down all of that too. ¡°Any more questions?¡± he asked when she was done. She shook her head. ¡°Great.¡¯¡¯ He clapped once then picked up the deck, shuffled the cards one more time, before laying them flat and spreading them out ¡°Pick a card, ma¡¯am, any card,¡±¡¯ he said in a blackjack dealer voice and Lexie smiled. All the cards had a similar pattern on the back that she soon recognized as tetrahedral abstract designs. One of them looked like confetti popping out of a finger. The other was a musical note. She already knew what that one was. She picked that.
Card Type: Effect Power: 8 Description: We all have that one guest who hates every single song on the DJ¡¯s playlist. But Torad Card Corp. loves to accommodate the special needs! Have them pick from a list of songs and the card will play that song only for them. For one whole minute! It¡¯s a music party of one. Active Time: 60 Seconds Activation Prerequisites A minimum mana output of 80 Complete activation pathway. Target must hum a song that they want. Other prerequisites may apply.
¡°Hmm, that one might be a bit tricky,¡± he said. ¡°Here, pick another one.¡± ¡°Let me try first,¡± Lexie insisted. ¡°Are you sure? It¡¯s an effect card and those are harder because they involve disrupting someone else¡¯s pathways. Plus, using it against me adds an extra complication.¡± ¡°Why?¡± He shrugged. ¡°Because I have better pathway detection and control than you. That would make me particularly resistant to pathway disruptions.¡± He thought about it. ¡°But, maybe not because I¡¯m effectively a mundane now.¡± ¡°I see.¡± So [Heroes] and people with powers had better control of their pathways. That was probably why her skill hadn¡¯t worked on Hawaiian-shirt guy. She thought as much then but she didn¡¯t have the words to explain it. ¡°I still want to try. ¡° ¡°Okay, buttercup. Give it a go.¡± Lexie nodded, took a deep breath, and closed her eyes, breathing the air into her lungs. Once more she had the awareness of that buzzing inside her, her own mana. She tried to go slow like Aiden advised, simply letting the mana flow in the direction she needed, only giving a gentle push here and there. Slowly the pathway lit up for her, a stream of water that was twisted and coiled around itself. While she worked Aiden hummed a song, which was part of the requirement. Lexie then guided the mana out of her hand and through the card pathway, activating it easily. And then once more, she felt the external mana and also the card mana flowing into her, giving her that euphoric feeling.
ACTIVATION COMPLETE. POINT AT TARGET NOW.
She felt in her hands and when she pointed at Aiden, she felt it leave the atmosphere and she assumed it entered him. She eyed Aiden. ¡°Did it work?¡± He grinned to answer and she couldn¡¯t help but grin back. ¡°I can¡¯t believe it worked.¡± Some of her excitement leaked into her voice. "And it was a high-power card too! It wasn''t as hard as you said it would be.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because I put up absolutely zero resistance,¡± he said with a smile. ¡°And like I said, I¡¯m effectively a mundane. It¡¯s easier to do magic on mundanes because their pathways have neither the knowledge nor mana to put up much of a fight.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Some of her excitement dimmed. He reached across and took her hand, squeezing it. ¡°But you still did good. Especially for the first time. Most people don''t get the activation pathway right on their first try, even with simpler cards. That was a high-powered effect card you worked with and you managed it with little difficulty. That''s very impressive. I''m pretty sure you have an affinity for card magic." ¡°I guess,¡± she said noncommittally but she was still disappointed. ¡°Can I try again?¡± ¡°Yes. After you rest for, I think five minutes? How much was the cool-off period?¡± Lexie checked quickly and then said, ¡°65 seconds.¡± Complete activation time had been two minutes. Strange, it hadn''t really felt that long. ¡°Hmm. Then make it ten minutes of rest.¡± ¡°Ten whole minutes?¡± she gaped and he laughed. ¡°It¡¯s actually not bad for the first time,¡± he said, still chuckling. "I¡¯ve heard of people having to rest an hour for their first few activations.¡± "How long was your first time?¡± He shook his head. ¡°Oh no, don¡¯t do that, my love. Don¡¯t compare yourself to me or anyone else. You¡¯re doing well. Move at your own pace." He smiled. "In this, it''s just you against you. All you have to do is be better than you were yesterday.¡± Lexie wasn''t mollified by that, as dissatisfaction still plagued her. Aiden¡¯s words were nice and they were often the very words she wished her real parents would say to her. But right now, they fell on deaf ears. Lexie had been an overachiever for as long as she could remember and that overachieving nature didn¡¯t just disappear. Even without her parents here, she had an irrational fear of being stupid, or mediocre at anything. She wanted to be the best. She had to be the best. Especially if she had any hope of getting out of here. Aiden had already told her he wouldn''t teach her crafting until she mastered card activation. That meant that she had to master it as soon as possible.
Lexie tried two more times that night with two different cards. One was the . That only took her only about 45 seconds to activate and it had the effect of making her only slightly faster than she usually was. Aiden said it was a scalable skill but still. She probably wouldn''t turn into Usain Bolt overnight with that card. Also, she noticed the card itself didn''t so much give speed but a certain weightlessness that made her feel more buoyant. She also tried the creature card, and it took her nearly two whole minutes to summon a hologram of a small frog that did weak backflips. It was kinda lame but Aiden must have sensed her disappointment because he started making jokes about how his backflips were just like that. "Really?¡± she asked. "No,¡± he admitted. ¡°I have zero athletic abilities. If I attempted a backflip, I think I would break a hip.¡± Lexie cracked a smile. After that, Aiden called for an end to the session, and to Lexie¡¯s dismay, he took the cards away so that she wouldn''t keep practicing through the night. He must have sensed how obsessed she was with getting better. Aiden promised to teach her more tomorrow. He didn¡¯t seem to mind at all if it took her while to successfully grasp a concept, he simply looked happy to be teaching. And Lexie supposed she was lucky to have a professor like him. He had vast wells of knowledge, but he also managed to break it down to such an elementary level that she could pretty much understand everything easily, despite not being from this world. Unlike some of her former teachers who prided themselves in making things as difficult as possible, Aiden was only satisfied when she truly understood. Later that night, Lexie googled the Party Planner''s deck to learn more about each card and the average activation times. She was below standard in most of them and she saw that the record for the fastest activation for the least powerful card () was sixteen seconds. That became her new time to beat. And then before she fell asleep, she checked the Video Alley and pulled up the video of the Dust Bunny fight. This one was against a guy called Kane the Mundane, who seemed to have tons of metal and weapons on his body called mechs. One of the mechs on his wrist could fire rubber bullets which, while they wouldn''t kill a target, seemed to really hurt. He got Dust Bunny in the boob with one and leered at her when she glared at him, even blowing her a kiss. He also had forcefield shields on just about every part of his body and he had goggles that offered him some immunity to Dust Bunny''s illusions. How he afforded all that, Lexie didn''t know because according to the NET, mechs like his were stupidly expensive. It was a hard fight despite Kane being mundane. Ultimately, Dust Bunny summarily whooped his ass in the end, much to Lexie''s satisfaction. Despite her earlier disappointment with the cards, Lexie fell asleep with a smile on her face. 17 - Mana Shaping and Meditation The next morning, after breakfast, Aiden taught Lexie about cloud awareness and mana shaping. He did this by first having her hold onto one of the cards. Then, he instructed her to push mana into the card without actually activating the card. It was a funny thing to do, directing her mana to her hands and watching the pathway appear, without filling it up. It felt like a waste of time at first to Lexie, but Aiden assured her that it had a purpose. It was supposed to help her get finer control of the movement of mana in her own body, and thus it would make her better at moving the mana cloud through the pathways. Better also meant faster. And as long as she didn''t start filling in the activation pathway, then she didn''t waste mana by doing it and thus didn¡¯t need any recovery time.. Given the explanation that this would ultimately make her faster, Lexie enthusiastically threw herself into practicing it. She did it religiously, when she woke up in the morning, the afternoon and even the evening. Even while at the clinic with Aiden, she would find a quiet spot to practice. She did this for about a week, and then Aiden gave her her second lesson. Mana shaping. Now that she had a better feel for her mana cloud, she was tasked with the more advanced skill of trying to manipulate it into shapes. Aiden taught her how to do it, using breathing exercises to ground herself and meditation to shut down her other senses so all she could focus on was the buzzing inside her. She was then asked to shape that buzzing tighter and tighter so that it covered less surface area. Like two hands corralling the mana into a smaller circle. Aiden called it molding and it was the first step to true mana shaping. And despite him making it seem like the skill was elementary, it was extremely difficult to do. The awareness lessons were easy for Lexie¨Cshe could feel her mana cloud without even trying. But even after three days of lessons, Lexie couldn¡¯t quite manage to shape her mana well. It was like her mind was finding it tough to comprehend the idea of holding something internally and pressing it together. Maybe if she could visualize it, it would get better. But with the pathway unactivated, she couldn¡¯t see the mana, only feel it. And that made everything worse. Still, she tried. She watched a few videos that taught her about ¡®internal limbs¡¯ that you could see with a third eye. But the woman used a bunch of potions to activate it and Lexie neither had the potions nor did she feel comfortable asking Aiden for money to buy them. So she kept raw-dogging it trying to shape mana without seeing it. She did this by first going into a deep meditative state, then trying to create an artificial blockade between her card-holding hand and the rest of her body. That way, she would separate the mana cloud from the mana-poor areas in her body, effectively shaping it on a larger scale. She spent about two hours on this every morning and though it still didn¡¯t feel like a smooth process, she thought it was getting better. She ended the session by completely activating the card and it did feel slightly more effortless. But not necessarily faster. Lexie couldn''t seem to crack forty seconds on that card. She worked on it every day, for at least two hours, with three-minute breaks in between each try. The actual mechanism of the activation wasn¡¯t difficult now that she knew what she was doing. It was a pretty straightforward process and she managed to at least somewhat activate half the deck (3 ability cards, 2 effect cards, and one creature card) relatively smoothly. Most of them had simple activation patterns to lace her mana through, except for which supposedly had a choreography component to it. But was the easiest card in her deck which was why she was using it as a study tool. Her goal was to get sub-30 second activation in a few weeks. But she kept getting stuck at that damn forty second mark, even after a week of trying. This morning, Lexie kept activating it again and again. Then she took a break from card activation to practice mana shaping once more. It was still hard. She still wasn¡¯t much faster or smoother. Yes, it had only been a couple of hours since she last tried and she didn¡¯t really expect things to move along at a break-neck pace, but she didn¡¯t exactly have time to spare either. After a few rounds of mana shaping and cloud awareness excercises, she tried again. Once again, disappointing results. It made her feet feel significantly lighter, and it was more noticeable when she tried to run across her room, but it wasn¡¯t an overwhelming speed. She could probably beat another ten year old in a race¨Cprovided they weren¡¯t super tall¨Cbut she could also have done that with just proper training. She didn¡¯t need a card for that. The effect itself didn¡¯t last as long as the recovery, because she was still wasting too much mana. But she didn¡¯t give up. She kept going. As she kept activating more cards in the deck, one after another, she noticed that she became more efficient with each subsequent card and, upon activation, her mana cloud seemed drawn to that pathway instinctively, meaning she had to ¡®push¡¯ less in that direction. So this was the power of the deck. After what felt like her twentieth try with the card, the activation clock was still stuck on 41 seconds. Lexie finally dematerialized the cards in a huff putting her head down on her desk. ¡°I suck,¡± she grumbled. A knock on the door interrupted her self-flagellation and a second later, Aiden poked his head in. He had his hair tied in a bun at the top of his head and he was wearing a bright pink apron with frills along the edges and thick plastic gloves dusted with soot. And then he topped it all off with big worker boots, a pair of goggles on and a clothespin on his nose. It was such a comical presentation that a snort cracked through Lexie¡¯s frustrated mood. ¡°What?¡± Aiden asked in a nasally voice frowning down at himself. ¡°I didn¡¯t get it on my face, did I?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t get what on your face?¡± ¡°Coal. I was cleaning out the chimney and I was trying not to get in on my face. I hope I didn''t. It takes forever to scrub off.¡± They have coal here. Interesting. ¡°You were trying to clean the chimney? By yourself?¡± Lexie didn¡¯t know how it worked, never having had a chimney in her life, but the thought of how it got cleaned had never occurred to her. Aiden nodded with a heavy sigh. ¡°Unfortunately, I can¡¯t afford a cleaner right now, or get any of those fancy doohickeys in the infomercials. Usually, I would use magic but¡­¡± He let that trail off with a shrug. ¡°Desperate times call for desperate measures.¡± ¡°Sorry. I wish there was a way I could help.¡± She thought about it. ¡°Wait, is there a cleaning card?" ¡°There probably is but it¡¯s part of a different deck so you won''t be able to use it today.¡± ¡°Oh. But if it can wait till tomorrow, I can give it a try then.¡± ¡°No, that''s fine. I only want you to focus on Party Planner¡¯s Deck for now, to make it easier on yourself. Besides, I don''t want you anywhere near the chimney. All that soot and mana dust¡­ absolutely not. After the government relaxed mana smog regulations, you will not believe the pollutants these new-age devices have. That¡¯s why your mother and I prefer to buy vintage when we can." He gave a self-righteous sniff and then continued, ¡°And apart from that, there¡¯s a small but non-zero chance you might encounter a soot sprite." "Sprite? Like a fairy?" "Precisely. Nasty little cretins that lurk in there and try to bite your finger off. The exterminator is supposed to take care of them every five years, but they''re tough little things to eliminate. Usually, at least one of them is left behind." He looked disgusted. "You may not remember, but you used to be terrified of them when you were younger.¡± "You sound like you''re pretty scared of them too." He described them with the same narrow-eyed look and tone of hatred with which one would discuss a sworn enemy. "Well, I''ve had experience with them. Experience I''d rather not share." And now he looked like he was a soldier reminiscing on his time at war. Lexie tried not to smile. "They''re that dangerous huh?" He nodded firmly. "Very. With sharp teeth. And due to magic creature humanitarian laws, we can''t kill them and even if we could, they¡¯re not easy to kill. And did I mention their teeth are like blades or pincers slicing into you and the most inopportune moments? And they have a predilection for biting off noses too?¡± "How fearsome. Sounds like you need a hazmat suit and a helmet." She thought he would catch on to her sarcasm, but he rubbed his chin thoughtfully. ¡°That¡¯s not a bad idea, actually.¡± The image of him cleaning the chimney in a hazmat suit nearly made Lexie crack up but she held back. ¡°You should make the helmet iron, like what the Knights used to wear. Make it sturdier in case the sprite goes for your nose." "Hmm, you might be onto something here." Lexie¡¯s grin widened. "Or maybe just wear the whole suit of armor." That snapped him out of his musings. He shook his head. "Oh no. That would be overkill. Plus I would just look ridiculous, wouldn''t I?" Lexie simply nodded, showing significant restraint in holding her laughter back. He walked all the way into her bedroom now and said, ¡°Anyway, I believe the two hours of training time are up.¡± ¡°Aww.¡± Lexie pouted. As frustrated as she was about not being able to go lower than forty seconds she didn¡¯t necessarily want to stop her training yet. She wanted to keep going so that her mana would adapt to the pathways faster and she would gain greater control. But Aiden had insisted she only study it for two hours a day at a time and it appeared he was the type to lay down the law. ¡°I know how you are,¡± he said gently, holding out his hand. ¡°When you get interested in something you¡¯ll obsess over it all day if I let you. When was the last time you moved from that desk? Or drank water?¡± She thought about it. "Today," she said confidently. He sighed. "That¡¯s what I thought. Your dedication is admirable, but as your father, I have to make sure you don¡¯t go overboard and study all day." That sounds like me, Lexie thought. I guess Lexie Sparrowfoot and I have a few things in common. Except Lexie Evans'' parents had encouraged that tendency and turned her into a study beast instead. Aiden, on the other hand, was adamant that she didn¡¯t spend all day in her room looking at cards. He seemed to be one of those parents who thought their kids should have a life outside of learning.Stolen story; please report. Strange. Lexie occasionally used to think she wanted a parent like that. But now that she had one, she found it a little frustrating. ¡°Can I just get one more hour?¡± Lexie pleaded, holding her hand to her chest. ¡°It¡¯s just that I set a goal to crack under forty seconds today and I feel like I¡¯m close.¡± He sighed. ¡°You already cut your activation time by nearly five seconds. In just a week. That¡¯s amazing Lex. You''re doing astoundingly well. You don¡¯t need to push yourself any further.¡± "I watched some videos online and quite a few people have been able to shave thirty seconds of their time in a month by dedicating at least 6 hours of practice a day. And that resulted in them cutting down by 7.5 seconds every week. I think conservatively if I follow that, I should be able to do it at least another second today." "What did I say about comparing yourself to others? Those people often have paid tutors or have parents who are dedicated card users to teach them all the tips and tricks." "I have you," Lexie said hopefully. ¡°Yes, but I¡¯m a generalist mage which means I would be a poor tutor for any one specific skill. I know about magic in a general sense, but because I never affixed, I don''t use any one type of magic exceptionally well and don''t have tips and tricks for you. These things come with time, Lexie. And if you try to rush it, you¡¯ll only hurt yourself. And even if there was a way for you to do it without hurting yourself, I still wouldn¡¯t let you spend more than two hours a day on it. It¡¯s not mentally healthy and there¡¯s more to life than studying." Ha. Lexie thought. Not according to Dr. and Dr. Evans there is not. Aiden held his hand out and signaled a ''hand it over'' with a stern look. ¡°The cards, Lexie.¡± Lexie bit her lip and with a loud sigh, she finally materialized and gave the cards to Aiden. Then she crossed her arms over her chest and pouted. Aiden smiled at her dramatics. ¡°Thank you. Now, do you want to get changed and accompany me to the grocery store?¡± She kinda wanted to sulk but then curiosity got the better of her. ¡°Groceries don¡¯t just appear on the system interface?¡± While exploring her interface, she thought she¡¯d seen a section of food. ¡°Not usually. Food can be stored and sent through the system but it¡¯s just a hassle for the system to transport it that way. Most of us are encouraged to do our own shopping physically unless you¡¯re off-earth or in a remote area where it¡¯s hard to find food. In that case, you put in a special circumstance request, and that transports a designated amount of non-perishables to your inventory. But even that is a long tedious process with a lot of red tape and so it needs to either be an emergency or you would likely have to get pre-approved in advance.¡± Huh. Lexie guessed that information was good to know in case she ever got stranded somewhere. "Okay," she sighed. ¡°I guess I¡¯ll come with you." "I''m glad." Aiden looked happy about it and added, "Emma and Xena will be joining us too." Lexie paused. "They will?" "Yeah. Emma and I like to do our shopping together. We get great sales that way, and can buy in bulk." She didn¡¯t know how to feel about that and her reluctance must have shown on her face because Aiden paused. "Do you not want them to join us?" "It¡¯s not Emma I have a problem with," she admitted hesitantly. "So it¡¯s Xena? You don¡¯t like her?" Lexie thought about it. "It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t like her. It¡¯s just that I get the feeling she doesn¡¯t like me very much." After their little Arcadian excursion, Xena didn''t scowl at her as often anymore when they crossed paths at the hospital. But the little girl still made it clear that there was no friendship between them. "I don¡¯t think she doesn¡¯t like you," Aiden said, pinching her cheeks lightly. "I think it¡¯s impossible for anyone not to like you, honey bee." Lexie raised an eyebrow which made Aiden grin before he sighed. "The thing with Xena is not about you," he said. "She''s had a difficult childhood which makes her put up walls. She''s not great with people either, especially with people like us." ¡°Yeah, I know. She told me how her parents died, and I get why she would hate [Heroes]. But you''re not even a [Hero] anymore, and I was never a [Hero] in the first place." Lexie tried to remind herself that grief wasn''t exactly rational and being young, Xena was allowed to handle her problems irrationally. But still. "I mean I get it. It''s fine that she doesn''t like me but it''s just uncomfortable to be around her." Lexie met Aiden''s eyes and could tell there was something on the tip of his tongue. He struggled for a second and then leaned in conspiratorially. "Okay. Don¡¯t tell Emma I told you this. I¡¯m only confiding in you because I know you¡¯re not one to spread rumors, and you know I hate to gossip¡­¡± Lexie nodded slowly even though she secretly thought her father rather loved gossip. "About Xena...according to what the orphanage told Emma, Xena has been adopted before. In fact, she''s been adopted and returned to the orphanage four times." "Four times?" Lexie blurted. "How?" "Emma doesn''t know. She chose not to ask so it wouldn''t color her opinion of her daughter, and she told Xena to talk to her about it whenever she felt like it. But yes, I think something like that might have worsened Xena''s predisposition for building walls. It will make it difficult for her to trust anyone, even if she likes them." "Yeah." Lexie was still reeling from what she''d heard. Four canceled adoptions? Why? Sure, Xena could be annoying with her snarkiness but she didn''t seem that bad. Lexie would only understand if she was some kind of creepy psychopath like that girl in that Orphan movie. But Xena was a far cry from that. I mean she risked her life and broke into a cape party to save a boy she barely knew and a woman she won''t call mom. Those are not the actions of an unadoptable psycho. "This really wasn''t my story to tell, so you should be discreet with it," he said. "I just wanted you to understand Xena better. And even though I still think she''s a bad influence on you, I personally think you should keep an open mind when it comes to her." Lexie stared into Aiden''s eyes and slowly picked at her sweatpants. She''d always found it difficult to make friends growing up. Partly because she didn''t have time for friendship, nor the energy. Mostly, she felt like a zombie moving from class to class, homework to homework, doing things that felt important but not really, not in the grand scheme of things. If not for Mickie''s persistence, Lexie wouldn''t have friends at all. And even with Mickie, their last year of friendship was strained by Lexie''s focus on getting into MIT. She''d had to cancel plans to finish papers, couldn''t focus when Mickie would talk about her boy problems, and truly found it hard to care about anything. It was a wonder Mickie had stuck around that long. No other person would have. Lexie unintentionally pushed people away too, so in a way, she could understand Xena. People at her old high school probably thought Lexie was standoffish too. They thought that she was a smart loner who didn''t want or need companionship. It was the aura she gave off. But truly, Lexie had actually wanted friends. A lot. Lexie finally nodded to her father. "Fine. I''ll keep an open mind."
The shopping trip was uneventful. Emma was nice and friendly as always while Xena stayed mostly on her pad watching yet another fight. She completely ignored Lexie¡¯s existence and Lexie¡¯s attempts to start conversations about the fight fell flat. Lexie could take a hint so she focused on Emma and her father''s conversation, in which they appeared to be gossiping about a love triangle going on at the Green Fox retirement home. At a point, Lexie''s mind wandered back to the cards. It bothered her that she wasn''t advancing fast enough. Even though Aiden often commended her skill, she thought as a pre-awakened daughter of a magical prodigy, this would be a lot faster. At this rate, it would be forever before she learned any card crafting. She also had a thought that maybe Aiden was intentionally slowing her down and putting limits on her because he didn''t want her to advance too quickly. He''d implied as much many times, telling her he didn''t want to grow up fast and such. Maybe there were other ways to do this faster that he wasn''t telling her. So Lexie decided to use some of the time out shopping to go on the NET to research on how to reduce her activation time. She found articles discussing different mana-shaping techniques and their percentage efficacy. One of them looked like a college scientific paper, and used all sorts of foreign vocabulary, that Lexie either had to look up or glean the meaning of just by reading the abstract (the full article needed a Scholar ID). She bookmarked the page and went on to the next. She also found a video about cardless meditation techniques that were said to help speed up activation. She bookmarked that for later too. And then somewhere in her research, she came up on the concept of deadrooms. Apparently, when a high powered dungeon portal disappeared from an area, it sucked out all the mana from the spawn spot, leaving that spot mana-empty. These were known as deadspots, spots in the atmosphere that were bereft of mana, and they actively repelled mana so the mana particles in the air moved around them. Back in the day, mages would often congregate at these dead spots and use them to practice both internal and external mana shaping as well as mana cloud movement. The dead spots made it easier to shape internal mana and be more aware of it. But it also made it harder to shape external mana, so that way one could train both muscles simultaneously in different ways. Now using this concept, a few mage-scientists created what became known as deadrooms. They were rooms that looked like pc rooms but they simulated deadspots using artificially created tools to repel mana. A few major cities, like Arcadia, had deadroom rentals in malls and city centers. The only problem was that it was far too expensive. Aiden had shown Lexie how to open her credit account and he gave her about a fifty credits a month, apologetically telling her that it was all he could afford. Lexie didn''t mind the amount and she told Aiden it was fine because she didn''t want him to feel bad. But looking at it now, she would have to save for at least ten months to be able to rent an hour at the deadroom. Damn. Later that night after dinner and helping Aiden clear the table for the second time, which earned her a smile from him, she went upstairs. And after she was sure he thought she was in bed, she watched the meditation video. She mimicked as she watched, trying to feel the mana in her body and move it around without using cards. It was infinitesimally harder, but she kept trying, concentrating, focusing until she gave herself a headache. In the end, she wasn''t sure she moved the cloud so much as an inch. But she kept trying for hours later until her muscles felt sore from being clenched in concentration and her brain hurt. Then she switched over to watch some organized violence, and dozed off.
The next morning, Lexie woke up early to do meditation, shaping and cloud-awareness exercises. She did it for two hours straight and then did some more reading on the NET about activation times. They suggested potions and deadrooms were fastest way to cut down activation times. Lexie knew she couldn¡¯t afford either but she had another idea. She jogged down the stairs eagerly, already smelling the pumpernickel in the air. Aiden said he was baking pumpernickel bread today. When she got there, she walked to the counter right next to his aproned form. Salivating, she reached for a roll on the bread cooling machine, only to have Aiden tap the back of her hand with a spatula. ¡°Hey," she protested. ¡°Wait till they cool down,¡± he said, amused. ¡°Or you¡¯re gonna burn your tongue.¡± "Oh." Lexie shifted from one foot to the other. ¡°After we¡¯re done can we go for a walk? I wanna see if I can find a deadspot." He gave her an amused look. "Who told you about deadspots?" "The NET," she responded. "Are there any close by? Maybe that last unstable dungeon that Uncle Max destroyed left one behind." "No,¡± he said, dashing her hopes. He picked up a bread roll, made sure it was cool enough and then handed it to her. She took it eagerly. ¡°That dungeon was far too weak to create a complete deadspot. And you shouldn''t be going to dead spots anyway at your age. Besides, we¡¯ll have to spend some time today getting you ready for school next week." ¡°School?¡± Lexie squeaked, nearly dropping her bread roll. ¡°I have to go to school?¡± ¡°Of course,¡± Aiden blinked as put the freshly baked bread down to cool. ¡°Did you think you wouldn¡¯t have to?¡± Lexie hadn''t really considered it. Despite what Luther had said, her only thought had been to stay home, study the cards with Aiden, and try to change her pre-affixation before System Day. Speaking of which she still had to ask Aiden about that... ¡°You¡¯ve missed quite a bit, but they understood because you were incapacitated,¡± he said. ¡°But I¡¯m afraid now that everyone knows that you¡¯re awake, especially with Luther knowing about it, there will be problems if they think that I¡¯m shirking your education which every child is entitled to by law. I could get into trouble for that.¡± ¡°Aw." She deflated and almost wasn¡¯t even as excited about the bread anymore. Almost. She bit into it, melancholically. It was still soft and tasty though. Aiden ruffled her hair before turning back to the counter. ¡°I know it will be difficult at first, but I let them know that you lost your memory so you''ll be given some time and extra help to catch up.¡± That wasn¡¯t the problem, although now that she thought about it, it did present a different type of problem. Lexie had always been one of the best in all her classes, but now she was tackling a curriculum from a new world that she wasn''t born in. Undoubtedly, there would be things she didn''t understand or simply didn''t know. Things she would fail at, questions she couldn¡¯t answer. The thought sent shivers down her spine, anxiety knotting her gut. While she had an irrational fear of looking stupid in general, she had a very rational fear of looking stupid in front of middle schoolers. They''re not technically real people, she tried to comfort herself by saying, So it doesn''t matter if I look stupid. Still. The anxiety remained. The second issue was time. She assumed that things like history and science and maybe even math would be different in this world that had magic. That would mean swaths of new information she would have to learn. And that would undoubtedly cut into her card lessons. ¡°What school do I go to?¡± she asked. "Everstone Elementary. It¡¯s in Arcadia." ¡°That far?¡± she asked and he nodded. ¡°Well, not too many kids in Hovelton so not too many schools. It¡¯s kind of a retirement community. But Everstone is a good school. One of the best in Arcadia." She sighed. Great. So she was going to school as the weird girl who lived in another town full of older people and who also lost her memories and was maybe stupid. This was going to be fun. ¡°So I¡¯ll need to take the train?¡± ¡°Well, not unless you want to. There¡¯s a separate bussing system and we can request them to pick you up." "I think I¡¯d rather take the train," she said quickly. She¡¯d done bussing once in middle school. She was lucky to make it out sane. "You only really have to attend classes in person two times a week," Aiden continued. "The rest of the study is through NET video conferencing so you''ll still be home most of the time.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± That was convenient and made her feel slightly better. ¡°Why isn¡¯t the whole thing just done through the NET then? Seems like that would be a lot more convenient.¡± ¡°Because going to school is good for developing interpersonal interaction,¡± he said, pointedly looking at her. ¡°You can¡¯t avoid the world forever Lex. Eventually, you have to start living in it.¡± Lexie frowned Once again, she had no clue what he was talking about. 18 - A Conversation With The Saintess Aiden kept to two-hour practice time for the next week. But in the morning, Lexie would wake up early to do the meditation exercises she found on the net, trying to move her mana without the use of a card. One person advised her to pretend like she was pulling a string from her body with her finger, and the mana would follow. She thought maybe it worked a little and she felt the mana cloud moving towards her hands. But she couldn''t be sure. It was a lot easier to be aware of the movement of mana with a card in her hand. She supposed that the card helped her affinity. But her affinity wasn''t zero without the card. The more she did it, the more she worked whatever internal muscle controlled the fizzling particles inside of her. Pretty soon, she was sure she could move the cloud at least more than an inch without using the card. And she was no longer getting the headaches as much either. The headaches, she read, were signs of approaching mana exhaustion, a separate concept from burnout that simply meant that she was straining the internal muscles that she used to move around her mana cloud. She didn''t want to strain her muscles, so whenever the headaches started, she would take a break, watch videos or read some more articles. And then when she felt adequately rested she would get right back into it. Maybe because of that, she thought she was starting to see some progress. Today she managed to activate the card in forty point two seconds. Elation filled her. That was her best time yet. At the rate she was going, she would get to her goal. Maybe not as fast as she wanted but faster than most people who weren¡¯t practicing for eight hours a day with potions. She again briefly wondered if this was usual, her affinity for mana. Or if she could simply sense mana better because she had lived in a world without it and was more attuned to the differences in her body with mana. Either way, she was happy about her time. If she kept at it, she could get her internal mana to move faster through the pathways. But the problem was that external mana movement was even slower than internal. And based on everything she''d seen and read, the only way to increase external mana movement was through deadspaces. Either way, she decided to celebrate her increased mana intuition by activating more cards, including the elusive . She had just got done with the choreography, moving her arm in a winding up pattern, when a knock on the door interrupted. It symbolized that her two hours were up. Disappointment washed through Lexie as Aiden opened the door, holding a large text book with a smile on his face. "Ready for the wonderful world of mathematics?" he asked. Lexie groaned. Her worst subject. During the week, Aiden was also trying to catch her up to speed before her first day of class. That meant brushing up on basics¨CBasic Science and Magic, English, History and Politics, Common Language and Literature, and Geography. It wasn''t that Lexie didn''t enjoy the classes. Aiden was a good teacher. He didn''t expect her to understand everything right away, and he never made her feel stupid for any question she asked. He also had analogies that made the lessons stick better in her head, like when he compared the War of the Greater Districts to a group of friends who really wanted to but just couldn''t get along. Lexie noted everything down¨Cshe was getting the hang of writing on the study pad¨Cand made sure she understood it before moving on. But something was telling her that it still wouldn''t be enough. "I know you''re not a fan of maths," Aiden said grinning at Lexie''s groan. "And I don''t expect you to be a number cruncher overnight, but I at least want to get you up to a point where you pass the final exam, even if you fail a few assignments or tests here and there." Lexie gaped at Aiden. Failing a test? Absolutely not. The horror. Lexie hadn¡¯t even thought about the possibility of botching an exam. She¡¯d never botched anything before. She¡¯s never even gotten below an A- in her life, and even that was only because Mr. Gunther hated that Lexie corrected him all the time. The thought of doing worse than that gave Lexie hives, but Aiden seemed laid back about the thought of her failing. "It¡¯s okay, you don¡¯t have to do as well this term," he said. "It¡¯s not a big deal even if you don¡¯t pass the final exam so I don''t want you to worry. Anyone would understand given your condition." And then Lexie finally had to wonder, a question she probably should have asked earlier. ¡°And what exactly is my condition?¡± She asked. ¡°I mean what happened before that coma?¡± Guilt flickered across his expression and he shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± he said. ¡°I went out late to talk to Max, and I think you followed me out and then fell into a ditch. You hit your head and was probably unconscious for hours. When I came back and saw you, I...I nearly lost it." He swallowed thickly at the memory. "The healer said that you might have memory loss and it might stay for a while. Apparently, the concussion you sustained was more complicated than most. It might have been fatal. Thank the system, it wasn¡¯t.¡± "Ah." So it was a concussion from a fall? Huh. Lexie thought it would be a little more dramatic than that. How often do concussions here lead to an interdimensional soul exchange? And since it was apparently life-threatening, was the real Lexie Sparrowfoot dead? If Lexie Evan''s soul left the body right now, would this flesh just slump over, empty? Or was the other Lexie asleep in this body? Would she one day wake up and kick her out? That thought was disconcerting to say the least. She wondered how Aiden would react to the knowledge that she wasn''t his real daughter. Sometimes, she wanted to tell him, just to see if maybe he could help her figure out what happened, why she was here and how she could go back. But even without the ISTS rules, she still didn''t trust Aiden with that secret. And also, a huge part of her didn''t want to break his heart. Every time he smiled at her and gazed at her with strong emotion, it lathered Lexie with that uncomfortable guilt again. She felt like she was stealing something that didn''t belong to her. Aiden''s affection. And if there was one constant she knew in this new world, it was that Aiden Sparrowfoot loved his daughter. And Lexie wasn¡¯t her. That thought made her feel uncomfortable on many levels that she didn''t want to dig into right now. So she decided to change the subject. "So what kind of work do you do with Max?" she asked. "Dungeon delving?" He''d told her a few days ago that her Uncle Max was a famous Dungeon Delver. He''d even shown her a video of the one and only interview Max had ever done, where he''d looked like he wanted to behead the interviewer every time he was asked a question. Although to be fair, the questions were kind of inane. They asked him things like, "How did you feel when you encountered the monster on the seventh level? Were you scared or excited?" and "How did it feel watching your teammate get his arm torn from his body?" And the man said it with such wide-eyed glee, that it made Lexie kind of want to punch him too. According to Aiden, Max had sworn off interviews altogether after that. "No, I don¡¯t delve," Aiden said to answer her question. "Apart from the unstable dungeon problem we''re having, Hovelton is not a dungeon destination. Not even close and so Max is pretty much the only dungeon delver in town, and he only lives here because his brother lives here. The rest of his team live in other cities in Orinia and a few live in the other districts. They come together during peak delving season, which is in a few months, and Max will have to leave town then." "I see. So you''re helping him before he leaves?" "Yup. During off-season, he does a lot to get ready. Mostly working on improving his weapons, learning minor potion-making, and studying advanced theoretical dungeonology. The latter two is why I went to see him that night.¡± "To teach him?" Lexie guessed and Aiden nodded. "So you know a lot about dungeons?" "I know a lot about everything," he said with that slightly prideful tilt that made Lexie roll her eyes with a smile. In response, he reached out to tweak her nose. "Where do you think you get your obsessive studying habit from?" ¡°It''s not obsessive,¡± she said, but even she knew it was a lie. Even in her past life, before her parents made it her job to get good grades, Lexie had always been curious and liked to learn new things. As early as six-years-old, she used to read encyclopedias to pass the time. "Although I guess your mother was an obsessive learner in her own way too," Aiden continued. "Not with books but with battle techniques. She was a soldier-type fighter but she would spend hours poring over videos of other fighter techniques. It made her style more versatile." "Mmm." Lexie wanted to ask more about her mother, but she didn''t want that sad look to remain on Aiden''s features so she said, instead. "Okay. Let''s get this math thing over with." The math lesson took about two hours and then after that, they had History and Politics. Luckily though, Earth 9 shared a lot of history with Earth 2 with a few tweaks in details and names and such. For example there was the War of the Greater Districts which resembled World War 2, with Russia and Germany both being nations in District 8. District 5 also had a trade route that was reminiscent of the Asian silk trade.Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. And then there was the history of the Guardians who were like the old Grecoroman gods of this world that not everyone was convinced actually existed. Lexie drew the parallels to make the information easier to remember, and even luckier for her, thanks to the system interface''s automatic translation, there was no need to learn different languages, unless she wanted to go into linguistics. History and Politics lasted a lot longer than Maths did, mostly because both father and daughter were enjoying it so much. It was essentially like a long story time and Lexie enjoyed asking questions to figure out all the neat ways Earth 9''s history differed from hers. ¡°You said you wanted to check on Evan, right?" Aiden said after they were finally done. They were both lying on the floor at this point staring at the roof, with Lexie''s head on his extended arm. Lexie nodded. She knew Evan had finally been completely healed by the Saintess, and so had several other people at the clinic. And so he would be getting discharged today. She wanted to see him but she also didn''t know about running into Rose who had been very awkward every time they met in the hospital hallway. ¡°Yeah, but it''s fine. I just wanted to know he''s okay.¡± As she spoke, Lexie paid particular attention to the bands on her father¡¯s wrists. She wondered if it was her imagination, or if his wrists looked a little rawer than they did before. It didn''t look like that before the whole Evan thing, did it? She would have noticed. Why was it so red now? He¡¯d told her that the bands often chaffed. Was it from that? Maybe I should get some ointment for him. ¡°Tomorrow I''ll be working all day, so you''ll have to do some self-study," he continued. "I think you can study Science and Magic tomorrow, and I have a textbook that can help you understand it better. It can help you understand cards too." ¡°Will it help me be faster?¡± She couldn¡¯t help but ask and he shot her a look. ¡°No. I repeat, faster comes with time, dear. But it can help you understand pathways better, and maybe that might help visualize." He transferred the book right to her inventory and continued, ¡°Once you¡¯re done with an hour of that, then you can move on to the cards. But you have to promise me that you¡¯ll only spend two hours on cards.¡± ¡°I promise,¡± Lexie said immediately but mentally crossed her fingers. Aiden didn¡¯t even pretend to believe her. He gave her a resigned look. ¡°At least try to get adequate rest between each try. Can you promise me that?¡± ¡°That I can do,¡± she nodded. She wasn¡¯t trying to burn out again. That was scary. After the lesson was over, Aiden let her play with the cards for a few more minutes and then finally insisted that she take a nap. *** The next day, Lexie''s lowest activation time was only forty-two point six. She was disappointed but decided not to let it linger. It''s like exercising, she reminded herself. You couldn''t expect your body to be at its peak at every moment. Sometimes you went out jogging and hit your PR. Other times, you didn¡¯t. Probably, it suggested that she needed more rest. While in bed, waiting for sleep to catch up to her, she scanned the Video Alley and found that most of the top videos today were clips of a team of [Heroes] rescuing people off a burning building. One of them could fly, and he was going one-by-one to take each person off the building. But there were too many people desperately calling his attention and the fire was raging even more. Another person was using a forcefield to try to contain the fire from spreading to the street. And then, finally, a young man shot in the air, fire jetting from his hands. He floated then he put the side of his fist against his mouth, as though about to cough. But instead, he inhaled deeply. The craziest thing happened next. The fire began to form a whirlpool in the air, pulling in toward the man''s breath. Amazing. It was like he was sucking in the fire through his fist, like a reverse dragon breath. The flames arced and danced in the air, leaving the charred building as the victims stared at the [Hero] in awe. And then once it was over, they cheered for him and he dropped back to the floor. According to the comments, his name was Theo Firebringer. A quick net search revealed that he was Stella Firebringer''s seventeen-year-old son, Luther''s nephew. And apparently he was pretty popular because nearly all the comments were about him and also how good-looking he was. Lexie guessed she could see it. He had that longish curly red hair of a boyband member, not to mention clear blue eyes with a chiseled jaw. He was definitely heart throb material and the comments knew it. The top three comments read:
Firefangirlabbie90 Theo Firebringer is the dreamiest hero ever. Hot (literally), competent and I¡¯ve heard he smells better than Chef Nancy¡¯s xinnamon rolls. How can one human be so damn perfect? Nani232: Oh my gosh, I wish I was that building so he could take the fire right out of me. deadinsidejkjk: Guys, can we focus on the near tragedy that just happened? You all can be so gross sometimes. And girls like to say we¡¯re the pervs.
Lexie had to agree with deadinside. Some of the comments got pretty gross but she got it. Theo was a looker, but Lexie was definitely more interested in how the fire-swallowing thing worked. Was that some kind of Unbound magic? It had to be since Max mentioned that elementals were all Unbound magic users, but she didn''t know for sure that they didn¡¯t use any aids at all. Because where on earth did the fire go? His pathways? How did he eliminate it? Someone in the comments posted Theo''s probable stats, mentioning that he was an A-ranked Elemental (Fire Type). That got Lexie thinking: since elementals were all unbound magic users, did that mean that there were no B or C ranked elementals? Why? And how? According to what she read, unbound magic worked in a similar way to bound magic, in that it still somewhat balanced internal and external mana, except without a conduit. Occasionally, if the user was powerful enough they didn¡¯t need to even consider the external mana which meant that they could use magic even in mana-poor regions like District 2. She wondered if the Firebringers were like that, and that was why they were so revered. Watching Theo Firebringer work, saving an entire building in one go and swallowing fire, Lexie knew he probably was one of those people with mountains of mana. She felt a little envious and wistful. Would she ever be able to do something like that with cards? Be the bad ass who saved people? Not that she wanted to be a [Hero], obviously she couldn''t. But she did want to be powerful enough to save those around her. Lexie suddenly felt very bad about her affixation. Although she had no plans on being a [Hero], it was still a bummer that there were skills like Theo¡¯s in existence and she¡¯d been given one that was so¡­meh. Maybe if I¡¯d gotten a skill like Theo''s I wouldn¡¯t have minded being a [Hero]. It would have been easy for me to earn points by establishing feats of heroism. But that¡¯s going to be difficult with cards which is why I stick to research. Aiden told her that one way to change a preaffixation would be to continue to earn points in another affixation that she wanted more. So in this case, since she wanted to be a [Researcher] she had to earn scholar points, which were gotten from studying and research and other scholarly activity. So she was on the right track there. After a short, uneventful nap, Lexie made herself a bologna sandwich and had it for lunch. Once she was done, and Aiden still hadn¡¯t returned, Lexie made another sandwich for him. She had no clue if he remembered to eat at the hospital or not, but considering how many times he came home looking two paces from death she figured not. She packed up the sandwich and headed out locking the door behind her. Aiden said that the protection artifact he¡¯d gotten from Max for his home was kind of a full-blown security system, which only recognized her and Aiden as the owners of the house. No one else would be allowed in without permission. Well, no living thing at least. Ghouls didn¡¯t count since technically they weren¡¯t alive and non-corporeal entities messed with the artifact. Aiden mentioned that Max''s tech friend was working on a new version that would be impervious to ghouls too. Either way, she set off down the winding path, trekking to the hospital. Hovelton was relatively safe, Aiden said, and so she would be fine walking by herself. But if she saw a dungeon portal, a wild beast, or a creepy stranger, she needed to press a button to call the authorities and run away. She was met with an unexpected sight when she walked into the hospital. The waiting room was pretty much empty, which was interesting given how packed it usually was. There was only Carissa lounging at the front desk with a selfie PHORB. She grinned and waved at Lexie, then turned back to what she was doing. Lexie headed down the hallways, and found the Saintess talking to Xena. For once Xena didn¡¯t have that antagonistic expression on her face, nor did she look guarded either. Xena¡¯s expression was open, actively listening and when the Saintess said something with a wink, Xena actually cracked a smile. Of course, the second she noticed Lexie standing there, the smile died. A thread of annoyance weaved through Lexie''s mind. What did I ever do to her? ¡°Ah if it isn¡¯t the other little rascal,¡± the Saintess greeted as she approached. ¡°Come to deliver food?¡¯ ¡°Yeah. For my dad.¡± She shifted from one foot to the other and said, ¡°Thanks again for coming, Saintess Dee. My dad and Emma and everyone really appreciate it, especially since we all know you¡¯re probably really busy." She sighed. ¡°Unfortunately. The church works me like a dog. Literally. I live with priests and they keep me locked in the basement most of the time, feeding me slop on a metal plate and only letting me out when I¡¯m useful.¡± Lexie and Xena gaped at her with similar horror. ¡°I¡¯m kidding!¡± the Saintess laughed. ¡°Mostly. Anyway, you''re Lexie, right? I just gave Xena here my contact info, and I suppose she can share it with you. If you guys need anything, just let me know, alright?¡± Wow. Lexie shared a look with Xena then turned back to Saintess Dee totally awed. No wonder Xena was in a good mood. Healers were rare and Saintesses even more so. Plus they were always busy, so for her to make them that offer¡­that was insanely nice of her. ¡°Thank you,¡± Lexie said, staring at the Saintess with a whole new level of respect. But she also couldn¡¯t stop herself from asking the question that had bothered her for some time now. ¡°How come there aren¡¯t more healers pre-affixed by the system? If the system can pretty much force you to be anything it wants, then the lack feels like a feature, not a bug.¡± The Saintess wasn¡¯t expecting that question. Her eyebrow flew up her forehead. Even Xena frowned at Lexie as though Lexie was being rude. Lexie maintained eye contact until the Saintess finally answered. ¡°My, how articulate you are for such a youngster," she said, then her smile gentled. "The system can force you to have powers, but it can¡¯t force you to use them, not unless it employs some very unethical methods. It¡¯s not that there aren¡¯t more healers in the system. It¡¯s just that most people who end up being pre-affixed as healers, choose not to use their skill.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°Because healers die early,¡± she said matter-of-factly, so easily that Lexie simply assumed it was another joke. She waited for the punchline but to her growing dread, it never came. ¡°Healing is really hard on the body,¡± Saintess Dee continued. ¡°Our pathways get damaged and diseased along the line and we lose the ability to rejuvenate ourselves much less heal anyone else. It¡¯s a career with a short lifespan, literally and figuratively. Most of us don¡¯t live it past fifty.¡± Xena and Lexie still stared at the Saintess confused and dismayed. Dee''s tone still wasn''t properly relaying the gravity of what she was saying. Lexie didn''t know whether to take her seriously or not. It was hard to believe the woman was talking about her impending early death so casually. Especially since she followed it with a bright smile and a clap. ¡°Anywho, enough about that boring stuff. It was really nice meeting you two, but I¡¯m about to be summoned out now. You got my number, so don¡¯t be a stranger. Don¡¯t forget to call me if you need anything, alright?¡± They just nodded at her still in shock. Lexie was also thinking, How do you expect me to call you for help when you just told me that healing kills you? After the Saintess left, Lexie didn''t want Xena to think that she wanted to talk to her. So she pointedly ignored her and continued down the hallway to the lab. Unfortunately, Xena was going in the same direction. Lexie walked faster. At least this way she''s following me, not me following her. It was such a petty thought to have, but it gave her some satisfaction. She got more satisfaction when she delivered food to Aiden. He made a huge show of it, fawning over it to everyone else in the lab until Emma said, "Oh, how adorable. Xena you should stick with Lexie. Maybe she''ll be a good influence on your." She stared pointedly at Xena when she said it, which made Xena roll her eyes and Lexie smile smugly. And then Lexie soon returned home. She spent some more time practicing mana shaping, and doing more exercises she found online. In between that she watched more fight videos, including one of Dust Bunny Vs The Ink Witch, a weaponist who turned ink into solid weapons. Lexie knew within the first five minutes of the match that it would be Bunny¡¯s win. The other girl was good too, but Bunny was simply better. And the comments knew it too. Most of the comments were praising Bunny¡¯s skill. A few people wanted Bunny to step on them as she did on the Ink Witch at the finisher. Nani252 also crafted an elaborate fanfiction about Bunny and Ink Witch in the comments, and the replies called for her to find religion. And then as Lexie fell asleep, she tried not to let her stomach knot with dread. Tomorrow would be her first day of school. 19 - First Day of School Monty drummed his fingers on the table, but the sound was drowned out by the general din of the busy bar that sat at the corner of 5th and 6th Avenue Crest City, Arcadia. A hard, loud tune was playing on the radio, from some musician he¡¯d never heard of and it clamored over the wooden lodge decor. Monty was tempted to suggest that someone reduce the volume. It wouldn¡¯t take much to get them to oblige. He didn¡¯t even have to do it himself. A half-drunk crowd of mostly mundanes had loose control over their pathways, and it would take nothing at all for him to whisper a spell into enough loose ears and they in turn would pressure the bartender to turn it down. Or he could simply talk to the bartender for long enough that he would be amenable to his suggestion to reduce the music. Or he could somehow start a riot which would undoubtedly lead to the radio being broken. But of course, he would do none of those things. He wasn''t evil. He wasn''t his father. Besides, he was currently occupied with another spell, one that allowed him to telepathically touch the pathway of everyone in that room. It wasn¡¯t mind reading. He wasn¡¯t even close enough to scanning the surface of their thoughts because that was another huge no-no. What he was doing was more closely associated with reading auras, translating body language through pathways, detecting the sensations the crowd were unknowingly leaking into the air as waste. Mostly, he focused on detecting if anyone had any murderous intent toward him. Currently, no one did. He was sure with his cap and the dim lighting no one even knew who he was. And even if they did, he didn''t expect anyone here to want him dead. But it was good practice to check. The spell was still active when he detected a very distinct familiar psychic register. He felt a pleased aura which meant she¡¯d spotted him and a smile split his lips as she slid into the seat across from him. ¡°I feel like death,¡± she sang pleasantly to the angry beat of the song. ¡°You always say that every time I see you." He had to speak loudly to be heard. He also passed her the plate of cheese fries and fried chicken that he¡¯d ordered her. ¡°Yes." She accepted the plate eagerly. "But this time I feel it. I don''t think I¡¯ve been this exhausted since I had to deal with that plague.¡± ¡°That bad?¡± A quick probe of her surface emotions showed that she was indeed tired. Monty kept it at the surface, though he knew Dee wouldn''t mind him going deeper. She was one of the few people who''d permitted him to look into her mind whenever he wanted. Of course, he didn''t take liberties with that either. Like he said, he wasn''t his father. Monty pulled back his probe, her exhaustion weaving him with guilt. It was his fault for asking her the favor, even though he knew how hard it was on her. Left to him, she wouldn¡¯t use her healing powers much at all, but Dee could never resist a soul in need. That was one of the reasons why she''d affixed early as a [Saintess]. ¡°Hey, sorry bout that," Monty said. "When I called you, I thought it was just two people who needed healing. I didn''t think the whole town was affected.¡± ¡°They weren¡¯t. At least not by the loiter bite. But they had much bigger problems.¡± She took a fry and stuck it in her mouth chewing enthusiastically but looking far off. ¡°They hadn''t had a healer visit them in years and they¡¯ve had at least three unstable dungeons attempt to spawn in the last few months.¡± Monty frowned. ¡°Dungeonology has never been my strongest subject but isn¡¯t that like¡­an abnormal amount?¡± ¡°It is,¡± she said. ¡°Even stranger is the fact that they reported a ghoul type monster escaping the dungeon a few weeks ago, but then on the same day they had a pestilence-type creature that attacked their crops.¡± ¡°So they had two different types escaping the same dungeon?¡± That was unusual for unstable dungeons. Normal dungeons could have multiple types of creatures (although they were usually limited to two and most commonly there was only one creature type present). But unstable dungeons were a trap for creatures that were in their natural habitat. When one creature went in, the dungeon would officially close and respawn somewhere else. So typically, only one creature escaped at a time. ¡°There were so many sick people there,¡± Dee added and her eyes darkened, her entire expression losing that light teasing affect that it usually had. ¡°And some of them didn''t even know it. They had simply gotten accustomed to living with their illnesses because they hadn''t been visited by a healer for so long. They had a mundane Healing House but still. I don¡¯t even know how they managed.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not your fault,¡± Monty said because he knew that guilt that always ate her up when she faced the human dilemma of not being able to save everyone. ¡°The priests are spreading you thin as is. You can¡¯t be everywhere at once.¡± ¡°I know,¡± she said but her next smile was too weak to be convincing. ¡°But, it is strange that the hero association hasn''t said anything about both the healer problem and the dungeons. And they haven''t sent anyone in to investigate either." ¡°Yeah, strange.¡± Monty frowned in thought. He might have to ask around about that. Dee took another fry and eyed him as he sipped his beer. Hunger flashed across her face. ¡°On second thought,¡± she said, ¡°I think I know how they¡¯ve been managing.¡± ¡°How?¡± A slow smile spread her lips. ¡°What''s that information worth to ya?¡± She eyed the beer again as though waiting for him to get her meaning. Monty raised an eyebrow. ¡°You know you could just order your own beer.¡± She shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m meeting the priests in an hour and they¡¯ll smell it on my breath. You know how they get.¡± ¡°Ah, I see.¡± While drinking didn¡¯t affect Dee''s powers, The Church of which the Saintess was bound to, frowned upon her participating in any of the vices, namely drinking, smoking, partying, eating too much greasy food, or anything fun. They used the excuse that they wanted to keep her as healthy as possible, for as long as possible, but Monty often thought they were just prudish. The punishment for disobeying those orders wasn''t that bad. It usually required hours of prayer and reflection. But Dee hated that more than anything¨Csitting in a dark room with nothing but her thoughts. So she tried to avoid pissing off the priests as much as possible. Monty felt bad for his friend frequently because he knew how much she liked beer, but he failed to see how her drinking his beer was a work around. And after a few seconds of trying to figure it out, Dee finally rolled her eyes. ¡°Oh come on, do I have to spell it out to you? Just use your mind magic to form a small little harmless connection with my brain pathway, you drink the beer and I get the taste and satisfaction of drinking it myself.¡± ¡°No,¡± Monty said immediately. ¡°Oh come on.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going to invade your mind.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not an invasion if I ask for it.¡± Discomfort crawled through Monty, so much so that it itched his skin. Even the thought of it turned his stomach. It was one thing for him to scan surface thoughts and use simple soothing spells. It was a whole other thing for him to use mind magic on his best friend. ¡°Not happening," he said. That was crossing one of his hard boundaries and he tried not to do that unless he explicitly had to. Dee crossed her arms and leaned back into the seat. With a pout and her hoodie up, she didn¡¯t look like the Saintess. She just looked like Dee, the stubborn, sassy girl he''d always known. Perhaps it was because he''d known her for so long that her ''Saintess glow'', as they called it , had little effect on him. ¡°Well then I guess you¡¯re just not getting the information then.¡± Monty smirked. ¡°You realize you''re a terrible liar, and I could guess my way to it, right?¡± ¡°Not if I make myself hard to read.¡± She shot back which was a fair point. They reached a stand-off but eventually, she relented. ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll tell you,¡± she said. ¡°Sparrowfoot was there. In Hovelton.¡± He froze, feeling everything lock up inside him. She mistook his lack of response for a lack of understanding. ¡°You know. Aiden Sparrowfoot? The Archmage?¡± ¡°I know who he is.¡± Monty couldn¡¯t forget even if he wanted to. He still saw the guy in his nightmares sometimes. ¡°He was in Hovelton?¡± ¡°Yeah. Actually, one of the kids who broke into the party was his daughter.¡± ¡°The one who screamed?" "Not the taller one. The shorter one. She has the most adorable pinchable cheeks, so cute.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± He¡¯d barely seen the other girl who¡¯d run and grabbed her friend and he didn¡¯t think to get a sense of her, so focused on resolving the situation before it got out of hand. Dee gave him time to sort through his emotions while eating her fries. From her frequent glances, she knew how much she had discombobulated him. He didn¡¯t know how to react to this news. Years ago, Monty had been part of the extraction team that was sent to capture Aiden Sparrowfoot after the association discovered his whereabouts. It was an off-Earth expedition that nearly cost him his mind. He¡¯d faced a lot of fearsome foes in his time. Facing Aiden Sparrowfoot was another thing entirely and attempting pathway manipulation on the former [Hero] had nearly resulted in half of Monty''s pathways being ripped to shreds. With the timely arrival of other [Heroes], he''d managed to make it out of that fight but it had taken months of therapy, physical and mental, before he could go back to work. Still, that wasn¡¯t the part that featured most often in his nightmares. More than the agony and pain of having his pathways torn wounded, what haunted him was the rage, and sheer agony on Aiden¡¯s face as he faced down a battalion of mages and knights sent to capture him. His scream had been one of despair, and anger and utter desolation that had less to do with his capture and more to do with losing hope. Monty couldn¡¯t forget the other man''s sadness either, giving him dual, opposing but equally powerful impressions of Aiden. ¡°And the Archmage?¡± he said finally. ¡°What did you think about him?" Dee twirled a fry between her teeth. ¡°Why? Are you jealous?¡± She teased with a smile then cocked her head. ¡°I suppose he was kind of good-looking in a nerdy professor way." ¡°Not that, I meant about his aura. I can never get an accurate read on the guy.¡± He¡¯d tried again after Aiden¡¯s powers were suppressed with the Tilling bands. Suppressing his fear, he¡¯d approached the prison bars and tentatively tested probed Aiden''s mind. This time Aiden''s pathways didn''t put up any opposition. They couldn''t. Monty had searched him as Aiden sat staring sightlessly in that cell.Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. At the time, Monty no longer detected animosity or a strong thirst for vengeance from the [Villain] and he relayed that to the association. That information, and Aiden¡¯s many years of impeccable service, were why the [Villain] was released into the world with only the Tilling bands as his punishment. But Monty still wasn''t sure releasing Aiden was the right decision. The things the Archmage had done...things he was capable off... They terrified him. Even when Aiden Sparrowfoot was sitting in the cell, alone and powerless, there was something about him that put Monty on edge. The man was effectively mundane, but he still didn¡¯t feel like it. He had a formidable aura despite his lack of mana, and supposed lack of willpower. Monty second-guessed himself all the time and frequently wondered if he''d done the right thing by inadvertently convincing the association to free Aiden. He wondered if Aiden really wasn''t planning any type of retribution or similarly heinous plots. What if Monty had read him wrong? What if the Archmage simply had an exceptionally guarded aura? After all, the man had more mastery of his pathways than anyone Monty had ever met. His plaguing doubt was what caused him to ask Dee the question, about her impression of Aiden. Dee¡¯s powers didn''t really work in the same way his did. She mostly got feedback emotions when she healed people but occasionally she could sense whether anyone close to her was in physical or emotional distress. Although, how that would help him figure out if Aiden Sparrowfoot was plotting something, he didn''t know. ¡°He was concerned about the kid with the loiter illness. And the woman too,¡± Dee said to answer the question. ¡°But mostly he was worried about his daughter.¡¯ ¡°She was bitten?¡± She shook her head. ¡°No. I think it was just general parental angst. You know, does she hate me? Is she doing okay? That sort of thing." ¡°Oh,¡± Monty took a deep breath. At least Dee didn¡¯t detect evil intent either. But he still wasn¡¯t totally relieved. ¡°His daughter is pre-awakened by the way." Monty''s eyes widened. ¡°How do you know?¡± ¡°He told me. Well, more like he and Emma, the head nurse, humble-bragged about it to anyone who would listen. Never seen a prouder pair.¡± "Oh." Must be nice to have a proud parent. Wonder what that¡¯s like. Monty suppressed the childish thought, and chewed his lip in concern. ¡°Does the [Hero] association know?¡± ¡°Probably. Apparently, Luther Firebringer visited Sparrowfoot recently so might have figured it out." ¡°So Firebringer already knows,¡± he said. "And his sister probably knows too." "Yup. What do you think Stella''s going to do with that information?" Monty had no idea. Though he was acquainted with the Firebringers, he wasn''t close enough to either of them to make an educated guess. While he was thinking, Dee''s arm shot out and she snatched his pint glass. In a blink, she downed the entire thing and then closed her eyes in bliss. Monty watched her. ¡°Thought you said you were meeting the Priests in an hour.¡± She grimaced as she put down the glass. ¡°Yes, but it was worth it.¡±
Everstone Elementary School was a tall building that stood near a busy shopping center. It was walking distance from the subway, and around the corner from where Aiden sometimes worked as a street cleaner. ¡°It¡¯s over there." Aiden pointed at it with his free hand as they turned the corner. His other hand was firmly wrapped around Lexie¡¯s as though he was frightened she would run off on her own. ¡°When we cross the street, you should head straight up and the gate should be big and obvious on your left,¡± he said. ¡°Make sure you pay attention to your surroundings. Arcadia is pretty safe but you never know.¡± ¡°Wait, you¡¯re not walking me in?¡± She turned her face up to him. Not that she needed him too, but she was surprised. He¡¯d insisted on taking to train with her today and with how he¡¯d hovered, she just thought he wouldn¡¯t retreat till he was sure she was in school. But Aiden seemed shocked by her question. ¡°You...want me to?¡± Lexie shrugged. ¡°I mean, sure.¡± ¡°Really? I only walked you to school a few times in the past, but you always told me not to get close." ¡°Why not?¡± Lexie asked again. Aiden gave her a small smile. ¡°You never mentioned it but I¡¯m pretty sure I have a good guess." And then when Lexie still didn¡¯t get it, he tugged his collar a little lower so that the metallic bands on his neck showed. ¡°Oh.¡± Lexie thought. That made sense. So that was why he¡¯d dressed like that today. It was a pretty warm day, but he¡¯d worn a long-sleeved loose top with a high-collar hoodie that covered all his bands. Not entirely though. The bands were thick enough to push underneath the fabric and anyone who got close would see them. Nevertheless, they were covered up. Lexie could understand Lexie Sparrowfoot being embarrassed by her [Villain] father and instructing him to not go near her school, where her friends could see them together. It was the exact type of thing a young, preteen girl would be stressed out over. And she could also imagine how much that would pierce Aiden''s heart. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she said. She felt bad, even though it hadn¡¯t truly been her doing. Aiden cared about his daughter so much and it probably hurt him that his daughter didn''t want him to walk her to school because she didn¡¯t want to be seen with him. ¡°That was mean of me.¡± But Aiden looked completely taken aback by her apology. ¡°Don¡¯t be sorry, honey bee." He copped a squat so he could stare into her eyes, his hazel gaze exuding warmth. ¡°Lexie, you weren¡¯t wrong for what you did. I¡¯m the one who did the wrong thing, and I hate that you have to pay the price for it every time people know who you are.¡± A struggle appeared on his face. ¡°If I could go back...¡± As he trailed off, Lexie waited for him to finish the sentence wondering what he would say. If he could go back, then what? Would he have not searched for answers? Would he have given up on discovering the truth behind his wife''s demise? He clearly still loved her, to the point where, he left everything behind, including Lexie, just to chase the ghost of her. And knowing that, Lexie couldn''t judge Lexie Sparrowfoot too harshly. She likely had a different view of Aiden, and likely felt abandoned by him. Meanwhile Lexie Evan''s view of parenting was colored by her experience with her not entirely healthy parents. To her, Aiden was golden in comparison. As guilty as it made her to think such a thing. ¡°You can walk me in,¡± Lexie finally said in the ensuing silence. ¡°I mean if you want to¡­¡± The slow smile Aiden beamed at her more than made up for the awkwardness of the request. ¡°I would love to.¡± And then he straightened, recaptured her hand in his, and boldly walked her toward the building. The gate was made of sleek steel vertical bars with horizontal slants, and she could see the school field beyond that. It was vast, with a playground, a sandpit, and a few athletic accouterments. It all looked very normal. Aiden brought her up to the smaller gate, where a bleary-eyed security guard blinked at them. "Hey Mitch," Aiden greeted. The man merely nodded and yawned, rising from his seat. "I can''t go past this point," Aiden told her as he let go of her hand. "So Mitch is going to take you into the reception to get you situated. I already told them everything about your memory loss, so they''re going to take special care of you." Lexie nodded, but she was reluctant to leave Aiden. She felt like a kid on the first day of a new school all over again and she was anxious and frankly wanted to go home. But she didn''t want to worry him, so she swallowed those feelings. ¡°Good luck,¡± he said as Mitch took her hand and she followed him in. She turned back to stare at Aiden who was still at the gate. He smiled and waved at her. She waved back, feeling a pining in her chest. She already missed him and felt his absence. She shook the feeling off and faced forward. She could do this. And she wasn''t going to cry on her first day back at school. That would be lame. As they headed to the reception building, she spotted a boy doing a handstand while two other boys were counting down loudly. "Nineteen, eighteen, seventeen¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to hurl," the handstand boy groaned and looked like he was on the verge of it. ¡°Give up," the chubby one smiled evilly. "Give up and kneel before your king peasant!¡± "Fourteen," the bespectacled guy continued counting, ignoring his friends. Boys, Lexie thought with a head shake and she walked into the cool reception building. A curly-haired woman was by a water dispenser (mana powered of course) and she grinned when she saw Lexie walk in. "Hey Lexie," she called out. "How''s it going?" "Good," Lexie answered as the security guard let go of her hand and started making his way back out without another word. The receptionist didn''t seem to mind, walking to Lexie with a styrofoam cup of, not water, but coffee. It was a coffee dispenser? "Your father already told me about your memory loss, you poor thing. You don''t remember me do you?" Lexie shook her head. "I''m Maisey. The school receptionist. But it''s okay, we can catch up later. Class is about to start. Follow me." She led Lexie back in the direction she just came from, across the courtyard and the playground. The boys weren¡¯t there anymore and Lexie distantly wondered if the other guy had managed to hold his vomit till the final count. There was no visible throw-up on the floor, but maybe he¡¯d given up before he could. The hallways were relatively empty but they looked like every other middle school hallway she¡¯d ever seen, with lockers and bulletin boards and water fountains. Except for the random holograms here and there, and a self-cleaning vacuum that streaked up and down the hallway avoiding bodies as it went, Lexie would have thought she was back home. They turned two more corners before Maisey approached the classroom. Lexie could already hear the faint rumble coming from inside, which meant that everyone was already there. The knot in her stomach tightened. Maisie''s body blocked Lexie''s vision as she knocked on the wooden door and then slid it open. Lexie stepped to the side, in time to see the petite woman with shoulder length black hair blink at them from the front of the class Behind her was a holographic chalkboard, on which she was currently drawing something with her fingers. "Yes, Maisey?" she answered. ¡°I have Lexie Sparrowfoot for you,¡± ¡°Oh Lexie. Of course,¡± she beckoned Lexie forward with a warm smile and as Lexie tentatively entered, she did a brief scan of the classroom. She immediately recognized the boys who had been in the courtyard earlier, laughing amongst themselves at the back right of the room. The one who was doing the handstands still looked green but grinned triumphantly meaning he¡¯d managed to make it all the way through. Her eyes went across the room and they instantly fell on a beautiful blonde girl sitting to the far left, who was also laughing with an equally pretty dark-haired girl. As Lexie went to the middle of the room and faced the rest of the class, the noise around them quieted. It was silent even before the teacher laid a hand on her shoulder and said, ¡°Class, Lexie has returned to join us again. She¡¯s been gone because she had a minor accident and has lost most of her memories so you¡¯ll have to be patient with her alright? And try to help her out where you can, so she can recover her faster.¡± A boy stuck his hand in the air and before the teacher could call him, he asked, ¡°How¡¯d ya lose your memories?¡± ¡°Now, Bennie, I don¡¯t think that¡¯s an appropriate question for you to-¡± ¡°I fell down a ditch,¡± Lexie answered. She figured that they would just keep asking or make up stories if she didn''t clear it up now and she wanted to get it over with. ¡°And hit my head. I was out for a few days and then when I woke up, I couldn¡¯t remember anything.¡± Bennie didn¡¯t seem pleased with that response. He frowned. ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± ¡°It was a deep ditch,¡± Lexie said defensively. ¡°My grandmother fell down a deep ditch once,¡± one very short bespectacled boy said. ¡°She hit her head on a rock and it split right open. Her brains came pouring out and everything.¡± ¡°Gross,¡± a girl sitting in front of him said and he nodded. ¡°It was." He looked down at his laced hands. ¡°It''s my fault. I should have told her to watch out for the lizard people. They had it out for her.¡± Everyone in the class was silent for a second as they all processed his trauma dump. ¡°The lizard people?¡± someone muttered. ¡°How deep was the ditch?¡¯ Bennie asked Lexie as though the other boy had never spoken but thankfully, the teacher saved her from having to answer. ¡°Okay guys, enough questions about that. Just make sure you help her feel welcome alright?¡± ¡°Yes, Mrs. Thiery,¡± they chorused. ¡°Now, Lexie, I''m Mrs. Thiery, your mathematics teacher, alright? You can sit wherever you like while I chat with Maisey outside for a second." Lexie nodded as Mrs. Thiery and Maisey stepped out. But Lexie hesitated at the front of the class. Mrs. Thiery''s parting words posed a small but significant problem. There were only two free seats in the classroom. One was in the middle back row, by someone who she now recognized was Xena and who suddenly gave her a quick glare so that she dare not even think about it. The other empty seat was by the window and while she liked the view, it was beside the boy who¡¯d told the story of his grandmother¡¯s brains spilling out. Well, here goes nothing. She made her decision quickly, approaching the window seat. But before she could sit, the boy peered at her and a small smile curved his lip. ¡°Are you sure you want to sit there?¡¯ Lexie was instantly alarmed. ¡°Why? Did something happen?¡± ¡°Something might happen,¡± he said. Lexie didn¡¯t know if he was joking or not but she knew that when middle school boys said weird cryptic stuff like that, it usually spelt trouble. He was probably planning some kind of stupid prank. But she couldn¡¯t sit by Xena either so what was she supposed to do? ¡°Don''t mind my brother,¡± the pretty blonde girl from across the classroom suddenly said. ¡±He just likes to make people uncomfortable. You can come sit by me.¡± The seat beside her was already occupied by the black-haired girl but without looking, the blonde snapped her finger and said, ¡°Move.¡± Black-hair gaped and then glared at Lexie, as though it was her fault, before getting up and moving to sit by Xena. Xena stiffened slightly but she said nothing. Okay that was weird. The blonde girl had just rudely dismissed the other girl from her desk, and now she was tapping on it, smiling at Lexie all friendly. "Come on. You can sit here." Lexie wasn''t sure she wanted that seat anymore but it was either that or potentially end up as the victim of a middle school prank. So she decided to take her chances with young Regina George. Lexie gave the boy an apologetic smile and thought she detected a hint of sadness in his expression as she walked away, which definitely didn¡¯t make her feel better about her decision. ¡°Alright,¡± Mrs. Thiery said walking back into the class as Lexie took her seat. ¡°Now let¡¯s get back to our recap for the week. Quadratic equations. Great. Her first lesson of the day was maths. Lexie didn''t need to pay too much attention to follow the lesson closely. Much of it was like what she''d learned on Earth in seventh grade (Earth 9 had a faster curriculum) including familiar concepts of rational numbers and algebra. She was missing a few foreign details here and there, but anything she didn''t understand she just noted it down for later. After the first hour long lesson, they got a brief break and Mrs Thiery left the room again. The blonde turned to smile at Lexie. ¡°My name is Veronica by the way.¡± ¡°Nice to meet you. I¡¯m Lexie.¡± ¡°I know. I¡¯m not the one who lost my memory.¡± She said it in a joking way so Lexie smiled. ¡°Yeah. Sorry. I don¡¯t know if we were friends before that¡­¡± ¡°We weren¡¯t,¡± she said. ¡°I don¡¯t think you had friends. You were kind of quiet and weird.¡± "Oh.¡± Was that rude, blatantly honest or both? Either way, Lexie was used to it. Mickie had been the same way when they met, and made similar offhanded comments that were a breath away from rude. In fact, Veronica reminded her of Mickie in a lot of ways, especially looks wise. There were also other parallels, given that she also met Mickie in middle school, when Mickie demanded she sit by her and forced the weird quiet girl to be her friend. Lexie wondered if that was what was happening here. ¡°We definitely weren''t friends then,¡± Veronica continued. And then she winked. ¡°But we¡¯re both pre-awakened so I figured we can be friends now.¡± ¡°Wait, Lexie you¡¯re pre-awakened to?¡± Bennie spun around in his seat and his eyes suddenly widened in awe. His voice had carried throughout the entire class. Suddenly, all eyes were on Lexie. 20 - A Faustian Offer Lexie blinked at Veronica stunned and a little embarrassed. How did Veronica know she was pre-awakened? She wasn''t planning on broadcasting it, simply wanting to keep a low profile in middle school. And the only one she told was¡­ She instantly turned to Xena, who like most people in the class was staring at her. ¡°You told her?¡± Lexie asked incredulously, and a tad accusingly. Xena¡¯s expression was first shocked then turned stormy. ¡°Why on earth would I tell her?¡± ¡°Yeah, why on earth would she tell me?¡± Veronica repeated blankly. ¡°So, she didn¡¯t...¡± Lexie spun back to Veronica and asked. ¡°So how did you find out?¡± ¡°My Uncle Luth mentioned it.¡± ¡°Uncle Luth?¡± The image of the red-haired [Hero] instantly flashed in her mind. That was Veronica¡¯s uncle? ¡°Luther Firebringer of the Firerbringer Elementals.¡± The black-haired girl blurted out, a vague sneer on her face. ¡°You don¡¯t know her Uncle? He¡¯s like one of the most famous capes, duh.¡± Before Lexie could respond, Veronica rolled her eyes at the girl. ¡°She lost her memory, Diane. Duh. She barely remember her name. How is she supposed to remember who my uncle is?" Bennie snorted and Diane¡¯s face flamed. Lexie felt bad for her and wanted to tell Veronica to ease up on the poor girl but she didn''t know how to say it without embarrassing her more. In any case, Diane¡¯s lips fused shut and she turned to glare back down at her desk. ¡°Anyway,¡± Veronica''s attention was back on Lexie. ¡°He mentioned last week when you broke into my mother¡¯s party that you had pre-awakened. Is that true?¡± Lexie didn''t have a choice but to admit. "Yeah." Veronica beamed. ¡°So neat. I pre-awakened too, like a week before you did. Isn''t it cool? We can totally be friends now, as long as you promise not to turn into a [Villain] like your dad.¡± Lexie stiffened. She didn¡¯t know what kind of facial expression she was making but she wasn''t okay with what Veronica just said. Even though her dad was a [Villain] now, it felt kind of a rude thing to mention in front of everyone. ¡°Oh sorry.¡± Veronica cocked her head and gave her an innocent smile. ¡°Is that a touchy subject for you?¡± ¡°Sorta,¡± Lexie admitted. Aiden might be a [Villain] but she didn¡¯t like people reducing him to just that. Especially when they didn¡¯t know and didn¡¯t see how hard he tried to be good. ¡°My mom says it¡¯s rude to use the ''V'' word,¡± a separate voice butted in. It was the boy who who did the handstand outside. He gave Lexie an encouraging smile. ¡°She''s a philosopher and she thinks that [Villains] are just people with a different set of morality.¡± ¡°Do you know what your dad did?¡± Bennie cut in. ¡°You know, to go stuck with the big [V]? Apparently, no one knows.¡± Lexie shook her head and Veronica frowned at Bennie. ¡°How would she know? She lost her memory, genius.¡± ¡°Oh right." Bennie nodded. "But did you know before you lost your memory?¡¯ Veronica looked to the ceiling and heaved a sigh. ¡°Why am I surrounded by idiots?¡± Then she completely ignored Bennie and turned back to Lexie with that bright smile again. ¡°Anyway, I can''t wait to be pre-affixed on System Day. I¡¯m probably going to be a [Hero] because most of my extended family are [Heroes]. Will probably be a fire user too. What about you? I assume you want to be a [Hero] too, like your dad was before he turned evil.¡± ¡°My dad isn¡¯t evil.¡± ¡°Sorry. ''Differently-moraled''.¡± Lexie was fairly uncomfortable with the thread of conversation and she had a sneaking suspicion that Veronica was being intentionally malicious here. Unlike Mickie, who sometimes said rude things innocently, Veronica seemed to be trying to get a reaction out of Lexie. But Lexie refused to give her one. She thought about not answering the question, but then decided that that would only worsen the attention she already had on her. ¡°I don¡¯t know. But I think I want to be some kind of [Researcher].¡± Veronica was shocked by that answer. Bennie was downright disgusted. ¡°That¡¯s lame,¡± he said. ¡°Why would you waste a pre-affixation on that?¡± ¡°Are you sure you want to be a [Researcher]?" The boy with the philosopher mom said, looking truly concerned about Lexie'' decision. "Pre-affixed people make some of the most powerful capes. And your dad was a [Hero] once so..." "I don''t wanna be a [Hero]" Lexie said firmly. "I don''t think I''d be good at it. I¡¯m good at studying. And I enjoy [Research]. Maybe one day I¡¯ll be a [Developer].¡± "Still lame," Bennie cut in. "No offense but if I was pre-affixed I would be a [Hero]. Or in the Fighter''s Circuit." ¡°Only about two in five thousand [Researchers] become Developers,¡± Veronica pointed out. ¡°So you probably won''t make it. You should be [Hero] with me instead. It''s easier and much nicer. And if we''re on the same team, I''ll make sure you train hard, so nothing bad happens to you. " That''s sweet but since when was this a group decision? Lexie shrugged. "I¡¯m not interested in being a [Hero]. That''s all." Endangering her life and possibly shortening her life span didn¡¯t seem like a fun career path. ¡°Right.¡± Veronica still looked confused, and Bennie looked disappointed. Luckily, another teacher walked in at that point¨CMr. John, the class called him¨Cand class resumed. Lexie heaved a sigh of relief, happy to have been saved from that conversation. And then when she finally turned away, she saw that Xena was looking at her as though she¡¯d listened closely to everything she¡¯d said. There was a thoughtful look on her face but then when Lexie''s eyes met hers, the animosity was back full-force. Xena frowned before looking away. Lexie glanced at the clock on her system screen. Two hours down. Five hours to go.
Veronica invited Lexie to lunch with her and Diane but Lexie turned them down. Apart from the pretty severe glare Diane was leveling her, Lexie wanted some space, especially after being inundated with questions all day. At lunch, after everyone else had left, she stayed behind and materialized her cards. She wanted to spend time practicing mana shaping and wanted to use the push and pull technique that she''d just read about last night. She used the card for a change and took deep breaths, imagining she was a water-bender and her mana cloud was a wave that she would send forward and then pull back. She closed her eyes, doing this for several minutes, happy that the mana cloud was starting to feel more and more tangible to her every single day. And then she decided to activate the card, happy when, within seconds, a frog was backflipping on her desk. It was still more transparent than solid, and it was still kind of a lame thing to do. But she''d broken the 40 second-barrier and done it in 39.2 seconds. Lexie was ecstatic. "Oh, I can do that." Lexie jerked and looked up. Veronica was leaning by the doorway and smirking at her. "I can do it in under thirty seconds too," she said as she walked to Lexie. "And I can also do this." She uttered a spell and snapped her finger, and suddenly a mirrored frog, even more full and more real-looking, started backflipping with Lexie¡¯s frog. "Illusion magic," Veronica explained. "Madam Clementia and I have already moved onto spellwork. We learned about cards months ago and I got sick of it after like a few days." Lexie didn''t know what to say so she nodded. She couldn''t take her eyes off Veronica''s frog. But Veronica wasn''t done. As she sat back at her desk, she continued talking, ¡°Madam Clementia''s the best pre-awakening magic coach. Our family has a deadroom and last month she took me to one every single day. And had me do a bunch of boring mana-shaping exercises. It was annoying but I guess it was worth it since I can do spellwork now. She says I''m the first one she''s ever seen who learned this fast.¡± Veronica glanced at Lexie and perhaps she could detect the envy in her face because she smiled pleasantly. ¡°I can ask my mom about adding you to my lessons if you''d like. You¡¯d have to apologize for crashing her party though. She was pretty pissed about it.¡± ¡°Oh right. Sorry about that.¡± ¡°Not to me." She waved the apology away. ¡°I didn¡¯t care. The party was boring anyway. But mom''s anal about everything and she planned it to perfection and then you guys barged in wearing the wrong color scheme and ruined the party for everyone. Drove her crazier than Dewie¡¯s shenanigans.¡± She jabbed her thumb to the empty desk where her brother had been sitting, so Lexie would understand who Dewie was. ¡°Anyway, as I was saying, Madam Clementia is a really good tutor. She also has access to a bunch of potions that help you channel your mana easier. So I can set up a date for you to meet my mom and ask.¡±This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. ¡°Oh.¡± Lexie was conflicted. On one hand, it was a tempting offer and she wanted to get the hang of her magic faster. Aiden said a dedicated tutor would probably be able help her. Not to mention access to deadrooms would be great. On the other hand, she didn¡¯t want to be indebted or overly reliant on Veronica. While the girl was being nice to her now, she couldn¡¯t forget how easily she dismissed Diane without a second thought, even though the two were laughing together just minutes before. Veronica wasn¡¯t trustworthy and while Lexie didn¡¯t want to be her foe, she didn¡¯t want to be her friend either. Veronica made the choice easier for her when she added, "If it''s credits you''re worried about, you don''t have to. I''ll let you join for free. I know your [Villain] dad''s probably poor now and stuff." Another dig at Aiden. After I told her not to call him a [Villain] too. That one was definitely intentional. Now, Lexie felt more sure about turning down her offer. ¡°Thanks but no thanks. My dad is handling my training,¡± she said. ¡°Sure. Of course." Veronica''s smile was a tad tight. ¡°He is the Archmage after all. Well, was.¡± Lexie only smiled back at her just as tightly. And then people started coming back into the class and the two girls broke eye-contact to go back to their respective lives. But through the rest of the day, Lexie thought she felt visual daggers being thrown at her face.
After school closed, Aiden was at the gate to pick her up. ¡°There¡¯s my bee,¡± he said the minute she got to him. ¡°How was the first day of school, Lex?" She gave him a look that said everything that needed to be said. ¡°Say no more,¡± he joked and they headed home. After they left the Hovelton train station, Aiden sent Lexie ahead of him, saying he had to stop by the hospital to make potions. Lexie nodded and continued on her way, her thoughts keeping her company. She got home in one piece and walked in, wondering whether to start with mana shaping or card activation today. She was halfway up the stairs when she heard the rustling sounds along with mutters of ¡°Where is it?¡± But it wasn¡¯t coming from her room. It was coming from Aiden¡¯s. Lexie froze on the steps, her thoughts and heart racing. She took a second to think about whether or not to leave. Then she made her decision. She returned down the stairs, grabbed a kitchen knife, and then went back upstairs. Aiden didn¡¯t have a lot of worldly possessions. He didn¡¯t have money as is, and this robber was trying to steal from them. By the time she got help, they would probably already be gone. She should at least get a glimpse of him, so she could tell the law enforcement what he looked like. Lexie called up her system interface, her vision hovering on the emergency line as she crept closer to the door. But the second she peeked in, she found it wasn¡¯t a robber at all. She should have known. The voice sounded familiar. So did the wide back of the crouched man who was rustling through Aiden''s dresser. ¡°Max?¡± Max spun around when she spoke and they both reared back. His eyes flared in surprise then flickered to the weapon in her hand. A smile curved his lips and something like respect glinted in his gaze. ¡°You really have a thing for knives, don''t you kiddo?¡± ¡°What are you doing?¡± Max cocked an eyebrow and gestured with his arms wide. ¡°Well clearly, I¡¯m not having a picnic now, am I?¡± ¡°You¡¯re looking for something.¡¯ "Ding ding.¡± He turned back to continue rummaging. ¡°And don¡¯t think you snuck up on me either. I heard you coming from a mile away.¡± ¡°Right. Then why didn¡¯t you stop and hide?¡± ¡°Why would I hide? Why didn¡¯t you run away?¡± ¡°Because it¡¯s my house. And I thought we were getting robbed.¡± ¡°I see,¡± he said. ¡°Well, word of advice, but next time you hear a potential robber, especially one who can bypass my security system, you run away and get help. You don¡¯t run in headfirst with a kitchen knife. You¡¯re a tiny, ten-year-old kid not a barbarian. I know you¡¯re your mother¡¯s daughter and all, but try to be smarter than she was alright?" Man. Everyone''s just taking digs at my¨CLexie Sparrowfoot¡¯s¨C parents today, aren''t they? But he was right. In hindsight, coming in here was stupid even if she had a good reason for it. This is the exact type of thing that got me killed in Earth 2. I have to stop doing stuff like that. Lexie was distracted when Max paused what he was doing for a second, as though instantly recognizing that he made a faux pas. ¡°And that was probably very insensitive to say about your mom," he said without turning around "Sorry. I¡¯m in a hurry and I don¡¯t have enough brain space for manners and sensitivity right now.¡± "It''s okay," Lexie responded. If that had been her real mom, she would probably been more offended, but as it were she couldn''t fake it. ¡°What are you looking for?¡± she asked. ¡°Maybe I can help.¡± ¡°A book," Max answered going back to his rummaging. ¡°What¡¯s the name of the book?¡± ¡°Not sure." Lexie didn¡¯t believe that for a second. ¡°You¡¯re looking for a book you don''t know the name of?¡± ¡°Yup.¡± Lexie mused on that for a second. ¡°Well, do you at least know what it¡¯s about? Or what it looks like? And why do you want the book anyway? Also, why didn¡¯t you just ask my dad for it? But you won¡¯t be able to ask if you don''t know the name. How come you don''t know the name though?¡± Max heaved a sigh at being called out so many times and turned to her. ¡°Anyone ever told you that you ask too many stupid questions?¡± Lexie crossed her arms defensively. ¡°No,¡± she lied. He smirked. ¡°Of course. The only person you talk to is your dad and he¡¯s even nosier than you are." Lexie sniffed in the offense. ¡°I was just trying to help.¡± She did not understand why people kept being bothered by her asking questions. It wasn¡¯t illegal to want to know things. And then it hit her. ¡°Wait, is that why you came around when Aiden isn¡¯t here? Because you don''t want him to know what you''re doing?¡± "Aiden?" Max frowned. "You call your dad by his first name?" Oops. "It''s a memory loss thing. But don''t change the subject. You don''t want him to know you were looking for this book, do you?¡± Max straightened and cracked his neck. ¡°It''s a dungeonology book. One of the ancient ones that you can¡¯t even find in libraries or on the NET anymore, written in Eldritch Tongue. The only other copy I found was in District 8 and some basement-dwelling bastard was asking a thousand credits for it. Greedy nerd. I¡¯m not giving a thousand credits to a troll who hasn''t washed his ass in weeks.¡± He took a breath after his rant and then shot Lexie a sharp look after he said it. Lexie said, ¡°It¡¯s fine. I won¡¯t tell...Dad about your swearing. But why do you need the book? Because of the unstable dungeons?¡± ¡°Good guess. That book is the most comprehensive book I''ve ever seen on unstable dungeons, and has information that is apparently pretty forbidden for the public to know. I want to know what the hell is going on and I can¡¯t trust the [Heroes] to be honest about it.¡± Lexie digested that information and then asked, ¡°What do you think is going on?¡± ¡°Unstable dungeons could be a sign of magical instability somewhere on the planet,¡± he said darkly. ¡°I think someone somewhere is doing something they¡¯re not supposed to do, using mana in a very dangerous way, and they¡¯re screwing us over in the process. And the fact that the hero association hasn¡¯t done anything about it, despite the several reports Luke has made, is making me think they¡¯re the ones up to no good. But your dad doesn¡¯t like to hear me badmouth his old friends so¡­I¡¯m doing the research on my own.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± ¡°And in the interest of keeping secrets, do you think we can keep this little visit from your dad?¡± Lexie was about to say ¡®yes¡¯ but then she thought about it. ¡°What do I get in return?¡± Max laid a hand on his chest, a look of mock hurt on his face. ¡°Really, Lex? After everything we¡¯ve been through?¡± Lexie said nothing, smiling sweetly at him. That¡¯s what he gets for calling my questions stupid. Max crossed his arms. ¡°Another haggler huh? Fine, I get it. What do you want?¡± ¡°What are you offering?¡± Lexie asked. She kind of already knew what she wanted but she also wanted to know how far she could push him. Max smirked and then jerked his chin to the knife in her hand. ¡°How about instead of those, I make you a gun. A cute, pink one with turbo propeller bullets that whistle ever so slightly while they slice your enemy''s innards to shreds." Lexie blinked in surprise. ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t think Dad¡¯s going to like that.¡± ¡°Fine. No whistling then.¡± ¡°I think it''s the ¡®ten-year-old with a gun¡¯ part that¡¯s going to bother him more.¡± ¡°You think?¡± Max rubbed his chin. ¡°We¡¯ll make it child-friendly. Plus I''ll give you shooting lessons, like the ones I offered your dad. It¡¯s never too early to learn how to defend yourself." Lexie shook her head and Max¡¯s forehead furrowed in annoyance. ¡°Then what the hell do you want from me, kid?¡± "A favor,¡± she said, then ventured tentatively. "Do you know about deadspots?" He raised an eyebrow. "I know enough to know I''m never taking you to one." Lexie''s hopes fell. "Why not?" "Because your dad would skewer me. And those things can be dangerous for young people." And guns aren''t? "Deadrooms are safe for eight-year-olds and above." "Deadrooms and deadspots are two different things. The answer is no. What else you got?" "Fine." Lexie crossed her arms over her chest and resisted the urge to pout. "You''ll owe me an undefined favor then. I¡¯ll eventually ask for a favor from you some time in the future and you have to do it." Max''s frown deepened. ¡°Hmm.¡± He rubbed his chin in thought. "That¡¯s a tough one.¡± "That¡¯s what I want." He chewed on the inside of his cheek and sighed. ¡°Can''t believe I¡¯m getting fleeced twice today. Alright, fine. But this favor can¡¯t be something that endangers you or is too expensive or too annoying or takes too much of my time.¡± ¡°Deal.¡± She said. Lexie figured that was as good as she was going to get out of Uncle Max. After they shook on it, Lexie asked, ¡°Are you sure you don''t want my help looking for the book?¡± ¡°Nah." Max shook his head. ¡°I already searched everywhere. I don¡¯t think he has it anymore. It was probably one of the first things the association confiscated when they raided his place.¡± "Okay." There was an awkward bit of silence as they both stared at each other. Was she supposed to offer him something? Like a hot beverage? ¡°Do you want some tea?¡± Max smirked and shook his head. "I''ll see you around kid." Max patted her head then threw a salute as he left. After he was gone, Lexie went to her room and started on her shaping exercises. And then she tried the cards again. This time took her 37 seconds. Progress. But she knew the closer she got to her goal, the harder it would be to shave off time. She needed to someway to get to a deadroom fast. During her hourlong break, she took out her phone from her bag. She''d secretly checked several times at school today but there was still no signal. Now, she went back to reading her brother''s texts, scrolling all the way back up to when he was telling her about his day at school: Logan: Someone got frosted today Lexie: Do I even wanna know what that means? Logan: Probably not. But I¡¯m going to tell you anyway. It¡¯s a Diet Coke milkshake mixed with menthose and it''s dumped right in the back of your pants right before it explodes. Rashid Blumenthal got it today, walking into the cafeteria. It was juvenile but kinda funny. Lexie: Oh God. How is that funny? Logan: Because. It got everywhere and Rashid was so mad he turned red. Thought he was gonna fight someone but then he just cried and ran out of there. I think he might have peed himself. Or pooped, it was hard to tell. Lexie: And let me guess, you stood there and laughed instead of helping him. Logan: Nah. I was sitting. Lexie: Very funny. You should have helped. Logan: So I can get frosted next? You¡¯re out of your mind. Lexie: Jerk. Logan: If you were there you wouldn''t have helped either. Trust me. Lexie smiled and shook her head at the conversation. Now that she was repeating middle school, she had a lot more sympathy for her brother. Middle school was tough. Nothing super bad had happened today but she¡¯d been on edge regardless. All those questions, the looks, the subtle jabs. She sighed and stared at the ceiling. She had to get used to it. Anyway she sliced it, it looked like she was going to be here for a long time. She had conflicted feelings about that, but as always she chose to look at the bright side. At least this way, she didn¡¯t have to go to MIT. She could take time to figure out what she was going to do with her life, once she got back to her real world. She didn''t know how time worked in relation to different dimensions but she was tempted to think that her old was was frozen waiting for her return. In which case, she could look at this as an extended vacation away from her real life and try to have fun while she was here. It might not be so bad. Aiden was nice, and so was Emma. Hovelton was charming. She was learning magic which was amazing to think about. Plus, they had the best bread she''d ever had in her life. And croquembouche. 21 - Getting Tripped Up Lexie¡¯s first breakthrough came after two weeks. Ironically, that was also the day of her first major hiccup in school. Things had actually calmed down by that point. After the first few days of questions about her memory loss and the pre-awakening, most of her classmates lost interest and no longer stared at her for abnormally long times while whispering behind hands. Well, most except Veronica. The girl was still weirdly nice to her, even though Lexie got the impression she didn¡¯t like her all that much. Veronica''s pleasant facade was more than likely because of the pre-awakening thing. It must have been more of a big deal than Lexie thought because Veronica brought it up in every conversation, and she also brought up her famous [Hero] relatives often. Her aunt Stella was one of the most powerful unbound users ever, one of the youngest to achieve the rank of Super-Hero. She was amongst something called the Famous Five, who were the elite heroes of Earth 9. Her uncle was a [Hero] too and her cousin had just recently saved a bunch of people from a building (Lexie put two and two together and figured out she was talking about Theo Firebringer). Her other cousin was some kind of fire genius. Interestingly though, Veronica barely ever mentioned her parents except to say that her father was the Governor and her mother sometimes did charity work. She never spoke about her dad''s time as a [Hero], quite possibly because she was ashamed of it. Eventually, since Lexie barely ever engaged in the conversation by asking questions and frequently refused offers for extra lessons, Veronica finally resolved to ignore her, returning to conversations with her friend Diane who had switched seats with another girl behind them. Lexie was happy for the reprieve. And whenever Lexie got a spare moment, she worked on her cards, or her mana shaping. She''d gotten so attuned to her mana that it didn''t tax her too much even if she did her shaping for two hours straight without stopping. Lexie simply held the card in her hand during class, practicing the push-pull method while the teacher droned on. And she continued to do the mana shaping exercises too, until she was pretty sure she could shift her mana cloud without too much strain, nearly effortlessly. Everything was going well. Until one fateful recess when she returned from lunch. She walked into the half-empty classroom and found the three musketeers¨Cthe handstand boy and his friends¨Chaving a loud fight. "The two of you must be out of your minds, okay?¡± The loud declaration met Lexie at the door. ¡°You must be smoking something truly lethal for you to think that anyone can beat Brayden Rock in a full-on battle. He''s the adult champ!" It wasn¡¯t so much the exuberance behind the statement that gave Lexie pause. It was who was saying it. It came from the bespectacled one¨Cshe thought his name was Abernathy. He was typically more subdued than his friends but today his face was red, and he looked livid. ¡°And you must be stupider than Brayden dumb-as-Rocks if you think he''s going to win this battle,¡± his friend commented with a smug look. "He¡¯s not dumb." "He walked right into Refract¡¯s forcefield the other time." "It was a super-clear forcefield. Anyone would have made that mistake!" Lexie knew what they were talking about. She¡¯d heard them arguing over it yesterday. Top Dog had an upcoming exhibition match, not part of the major tournament, with Brayden Rock. Brayden was currently number 2 in the adult division, and he would probably be number one soon after Mr. Amazing retired. Top Dog would also be graduating out of the under-18 division soon, and so this was a match that would essentially set the tone and prove where he belonged in the adult league. ¡°Brayden has magic," Abernathy pointed out. "Not the pathetic kind like TD uses, but he¡¯s an actual A-Rank weaponist. He doesn''t need spells or anything. That¡¯s real magic.¡± "Top Dog doesn¡¯t need magic," the handstand boy¨CBoyle¨C sniffed. "He can beat Brayden with his eyes closed." Abernathy was starting to look even more infuriated and exasperated. "Top Dog is a speed-based fighter, but Brayden has him beat on both speed and endurance. Plus, let me repeat, he¡¯s only a spell user. Brayden can punch him in the throat before he can even spit out a word.¡± "It won¡¯t matter," Lexie said before she could help herself. "Brayden Rock doesn''t stand a chance against Top Dog." Both boys paused their argument, looking at her dumbfounded. "You watch the AFC?" Boyle asked. Lexie nodded. "Yeah. Which is how I know Top Dog is going to win this match." She heard someone snort and when she turned, Xena was looking straight at her with a mocking smile. ¡°Oh, do you have something to say?¡± Lexie challenged. She expected Xena to ignore her but she only stuck her nose higher in the air, giving an air of superiority. ¡°Just wondering when you plan to get off Top Dog¡¯s nuts and stop being such a fangirl.¡± Lexie narrowed his eyes. ¡°I¡¯m just saying things how I see it. I¡¯m not on his nuts." ¡°I am.¡± Boyle stuck his hand in the air with pride. ¡°And that¡¯s how I know that Top Dog has large nuts, possibly the largest in existence and he is definitely going to use at least one of them to pound Brayden Rock into a pebble.¡± Lexie winced at the visual, but she nodded to agree with the general sentiment as she walked to them. Abernathy crossed his arms over his chest and shook his head at Lexie in disappointment. "And here I thought you were sensible.¡± ¡°I am. That¡¯s how I know Brayden¡¯s going to lose.¡± ¡°How is he going to lose when he literally has everything to his advantage? He¡¯s bigger. Faster. Better.¡± ¡°Top Dog holds back in most of his matches,¡± Lexie pointed out. ¡°He never spends more than he has to. That¡¯s why it might look like he¡¯s weaker. But he''s not." ¡°You don¡¯t know that.¡± ¡°Yeah, I do. It¡¯s obvious. He was faster during the Conrad Grace match than he was during his prior match with Ghost. And every time, Conrad matched his speed, he would give himself a boost and get even faster. Top Dog might look like he goes all out but he conserves as much energy as he can in all his fights. And that''s how he tricks people into thinking he''s not as fast as he is." Abernathy looked like he wasn''t sure whether to look impressed by her insight, upset that she was disagreeing with him or doubtful of her conclusion. "Well you don''t know that," Abernathy said. "And it doesn''t even matter if he''s faster. Brayden stats are higher in everything." "Presumed stats.¡± The stats online found about each player were only presumed. Each player had to give their starting stat information while joining the circuit but they didn''t need to keep updating it after each level up. So it was anyone''s guess how Top Dog distributed his leveling points. "And I do know Top Dog is faster than he seems," Lexie said. "I ran the maths." "You...ran the maths?" Abernathy looked confused. Lexie nodded. A few days ago, while practicing speed equations (which were slightly different from the ones on Earth 2 since you had to also take into account the mana coefficient which affected aerodynamic drag and friction) she decided to do a few work sets measuring Top Dog''s speed. She watched him do that forward leap in a bunch of matches, and calculated the distance covered over time. To do so, she had to search up schematics for the colosseum and pull up a 3D holographic image of its field, so she could properly gauge the distance Top Dog cleared. She also timed his attacks, estimated the speed of his combo kicks, and noticed that they weren''t similar across each match. Which meant he greatly varied his speed based on his opponent. ¡°Based on my calculations, I believe Top Dog has more than what it takes to win this match,¡± Lexie said. ¡°Every other advantage Brayden has at his disposal, Top Dog can use it against him, the same way he used Conrad''s Berserker traits against him. And Conrad was a better hand-to-hand fighter than Brayden, who is a lancer.¡± "Conrad¡¯s a noob," Abernathy said and Lexie nearly chortled when Xena made a choking sound at that. "He lost because of lack of experience, not because he wasn''t better than Top Dog." Lexie shrugged. "Whatever it was. A loss is a loss." "She sounds like she knows her stuff," Boyle said. "You should just admit you''re wrong Abernathy." But that only made Abernathy dig in his heels more. "Yeah right. She''s just saying a bunch of words to sound smart. I doubt a girl who wants to be a [Researcher] knows more about AFC than I do." Lexie cocked an eyebrow. So it''s like that huh? "Didn''t you want to be a [Researcher] too?" Boyle pointed out and Abernathy blushed. "That''s not the point." ¡°It kind of is.¡± ¡°Ladies and Losers.¡± The chubby one¨CChris¨Cspoke and his voice projected over the din as he laced his fingers together like an evil mastermind. ¡°No need for further contentious discourse and nut measuring. Are we willing to put a wager on it?¡± There were a few seconds of silence, like a momentous gauntlet had just been thrown. It was broken by Xena shrugging and saying, ¡°Nope. Not interested.¡± "Of course not," Lexie smirked. "Because your precious Conrad''s not involved." Xena gave her the finger as she turned back to her pad. Lexie''s smile widened. Nice to see that still means the same thing on Earth 9. ¡°Conrad would wipe the floor with both of them," Xena muttered under her breath. "No, he wouldn''t," Lexie responded. ¡°A hundred credits say Top Dog wins this fight," Boyle declared. Abernathy gaped. ¡°You dick. That¡¯s my allowance for the whole month.¡± "Ha! You know you''ll lose. So just admit you''re wrong." "I''m not wrong," Abernathy insisted. ¡°It''s okay to be wrong every once in a while genius,¡± Boyle said. ¡°You just have to say the words, ''I''m wrong.'' And wager rules say, for being wrong, you¡¯ll have to switch socks with me for a whole month.¡± ¡°Never. You don¡¯t wash your socks. ¡°Exactly.¡±Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. Abernathy bristled for a second then spat out. ¡°Fine. A hundred.¡± ¡°Ha. Baited.¡± Boyle turned to Lexie and said in an overly formal voice. ¡°And you madam? A hundred on the books for you too?¡± Lexie hesitated. That was all she had for the month too. And was it worth it to waste Aiden''s money on a stupid bet? Then again, she was fairly certain that Top Dog would win. She¡¯d watched one of Bradyen''s fights a few weeks ago, and while he was good, he was also fairly predictable. Top Dog would read him in a second. Plus with every second that passed, Xena was looking even smugger and Lexie didn¡¯t want to give the other girl the satisfaction of backing out now. ¡°Sure why not?¡± she said. ¡°A hundred.¡± ¡°Whoop!¡± Boyle called and then bumped his shoulders with hers. ¡°Welcome to the winning team, Ditch-Girl.¡± ¡°Lexie,¡± she corrected. ¡°Sure. Lexie. Oh and by the way, if you back out at any point, you¡¯ll have to pay the wager penalty,¡± he said. "I''m not exchanging socks with anyone." "Of course not, we''re on the same side." Boyle slung his hands over her shoulder, and Lexie tried not to rear back from his armpit scent, reminiscent of a loiter-infected Evan. "Welcome to the wager-guild Lexie Sparrowfoot," Chris said while Abernathy narrowed his eyes in protest. ¡°What are you guys yapping about?¡± Veronica said in a bored voice as she walked in with Diane and another girl called Desmodella. ¡°I could hear you from across the hall.¡± ¡°They¡¯re talking about large nuts and dirty socks." This came from Veronica''s brother Dewitt, who everyone called Dewie. He was at the desk in front of Abernathy and co, and had silently listened to the whole conversation. Boyle had been struck silent by the fact that Veronica was talking to him, and struggled to recover in time to cooly say, "Oh nothing. Just talking about the AFC you know. Boy stuff." ¡°Ew. You guys watch that?¡± Her lip upturned. ¡°It¡¯s so gross and vapid and shallow, watching a bunch of people beat each other bloody for no reason.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that kinda what your family does too?¡± Xena challenged, throwing Veronica a look of dislike. Veronica¡¯s eyes narrowed, ice in her voice. ¡°My family are [Heroes]. They have a code. They don¡¯t mindlessly attack their opponents. They have respect for themselves, and the citizens they are saving.¡± ¡°Huh. Must be why they respectfully levelled a building last week.¡± ¡°That was a mistake!¡± Veronica¡¯s voice was heated. ¡°And they didn¡¯t level it.¡± ¡°From what I saw on the news it was pretty levelled.¡¯ ¡°Well, they''re rebuilding right now. And it wasn''t their fault. It was a terrorist attack and the [Heroes] were preoccupied with catching the bad guys and making sure everyone got evacuated safely." "A couple of people were left behind," Xena said quietly. "And they got caught in the fire that your cousin Theo started." ¡°It was the rescue team who messed up! Those people were not supposed to be there. They were reporters who snuck in to get an exclusive. And Theo did the best he could to stop the fire once he realized there were people in there, and he even risked his life to save one of them, but then they got orders to..." Veronica seemed to realize what she was doing, and then she scoffed. "You know what? Why am I even explaining it to you anyway? You''re too dumb to understand." "What''s dumb is you defending them because they''re your family." "Yeah, and so what? If you had family you would defend them too. But you don''t so you make it everyone else''s problem." Her eyebrows went up with as she concluded in a cruel innocent tone. "It''s not my fault you''re an orphan." Xena shot up to her feet, eyes blazing like she was about to attack Veronica. Lexie wouldn¡¯t blame her if she did. Lexie didn¡¯t entirely agree with Xena¡¯s telling of events but Veronica crossed the line. Lexie was outraged on Xena''s behalf especially as Veronica smirked. ¡°That¡¯s a messed up thing to say to someone,¡± Lexie told her. Xena turned on her. ¡°You stay out of this.¡± Lexie reared back, shocked by the animosity. ¡°I¡¯m trying to help you.¡± ¡°I don''t need your help. I don¡¯t need anyone¡¯s help!¡± And with that Xena glared at everyone in class, then stormed out, bumping into Bennie on her way. Bennie didn¡¯t even flinch and seemed used to it. ¡°Again with the dramatic exit,¡± he said. ¡°Who annoyed her this time?¡± ¡°Lexie and I did,¡± Veronica said and Lexie glared at her because she didn¡¯t like being put in the same category. ¡°You should go apologize,¡± Lexie told Veronica. ¡°For what? She¡¯s the one who came at me first.¡± ¡°She made a legitimate point and you brought up her dead parents.¡± Veronica rolled her eyes. ¡°Whatever. I would worry more about your parent if I were you. Diane and I went to the coffee shop across the street yesterday, and I saw your dad cleaning up the gutters. Is that for community service or something?¡± Lexie found herself grinding her teeth. ¡°Yeah. So?" Veronica snorted. ¡°It¡¯s just kinda sad, isn¡¯t it? He used to be this bigshot [Hero] and now he cleans gutters for a living.¡± Anger spiked and before she knew it, Lexie shot back, ¡°Well, not everyone can organize boring parties with horrible color schemes for a living, like your mom does. Or be a lame ass [Hero] like your dad.¡± Lexie didn''t know where that came from. It was odd and completely opposite to her initial plan to keep her head down. But she couldn¡¯t help it anymore. She was sick of Veronica¡¯s barbs. The shot hit deep because Veronica''s face reddened. ¡°Excuse me?¡± Lexie didn''t back down. ¡°Not so fun when it¡¯s your parents being mocked, is it?¡± ¡°I was trying to be nice to you, you amnesiac freak!" Veronica¡¯s voice was so loud it echoed out the hallway. ¡°And this is the thanks I get?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t ask you to be nice to me! I asked you to stop throwing jabs at my dad. And if you mention my dad one more time, I''m going to do something you''re not going to like very much." The words hung in the tense silence following the statement, as everyone in the classroom gaped at Lexie. She stood her ground, staring down at Veronica. Outwardly, she was composed and assured. Internally though Lexie was reeling. Did I just threaten her? Why did I say that? What was even the plan there? What did I mean by that? Veronica retaliated by going to pick up Lexie''s bag from the desk beside hers and throwing it at the doorway. A clatter sounded as her pad hit the ground. "Consider yourself evicted," she said. Rage swelled within her, but Lexie just said, "Whatever." She stormed over to pick up her bag. But when she grabbed the handle and tugged, it wouldn''t move. Lexie frowned. She tried pulling but there was no give. And then suddenly, her body betrayed her. Her legs turning into noodles and she fell straight to the floor. "Ow!" she exclaimed as her knee hit the ground and she fell forward. A few people laughed, while some gasped as Lexie''s face burned. "Way to be a clutz, Lexie," Diane chortled and Lexie glared at her. She glared at Veronica¡¯s smug face too, knowing exactly what the other girl had done, despite the fact that she¡¯d probably uttered the spell under her breath. ¡°Oops,¡± Veronica said with a tiny evil smile. "You should be more careful. next time." Lexie was boiling with rage, but she didn''t retaliate. She had to sit on the ground until the effect wore off, and she¡¯d never felt so much like punching someone in the face. After a few seconds, she got up on steady legs again. She took the bag and thankfully it left the floor and she stomped over to sit by Dewie. There was a free seat by Xena too but Lexie didn''t dare take it. In the mood they were both in, they would probably kill each other before the day was over. ¡°Should we have said something?¡± Lexie heard Boyle mutter behind her. ¡°No dude," Chris responded. "It¡¯s good we stayed out of it. Girls are scary." *** Veronica decided to mess with Lexie for the rest of the day. Tripping her up in the hallway. Making her spill soup all over herself in the cafeteria. Making her legs give out whenever she got up. Most people couldn¡¯t tell that it was Veronica''s doing so it seemed Lexie was just unusually clumsy. Some people blamed it on her concussion and memory problem. Teachers called her aside to ask her if she was okay and if she wanted to go home early. The whole thing was mortifying. Lexie wasn''t actually physically hurt from any of it. But the embarrassment was just as bad. Even worse was that Veronica hadn''t done anything major, just little stuff. Lexie would have almost preferred if the girl came right out and tried to beat her up. Instead, she was just sneakily humiliating her. Death by a thousand insulting cuts. Lexie was pissed throughout the whole day and also at home. She punched her pillows for what felt like an hour and then when she calmed down a little, she tried to activate the card again. 41 seconds. She made a sound of frustration and threw herself back on her bed. Damn it. Why the hell was it so slow? Why did she have to be pre-affixed as a card user? It was such bullshit. She bet things would be easier if she could use spells like Top Dog or even that damn Veronica witch. Veronica hadn''t even looked a little stressed the entire day, nor burned out. Spellwork all seemed effortless for her. She just said the word and Lexie tripped on her own two feet. ¡°Ugh!¡± Lexie grabbed a pillow and flung it over her head. She wanted to scream so badly but she knew Aiden was downstairs. She didn¡¯t want to worry him. He¡¯d already been giving her sidelong looks the entire way home like he got a hint of her mood but he knew better than to ask why. But then when she heard his footsteps on the stairs anyway and the knock on her door, she knew he couldn''t hold himself back anymore. ¡°Lex,¡± he said as he stuck his head through her door. ¡°I know you probably don¡¯t want to talk about it right now and I¡¯m trying to respect your wishes, but it¡¯s killing me to sit back and listen to you murder our pillows.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m just pissed.¡± He walked in and sat at the foot of her bed. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Lexie stared at the ceiling contemplatively while the heat seared through her. ¡°I hate school.¡± He was silent. ¡°I hate cards too.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not being patient, Lexie.¡± ¡°I¡¯m trying to be! I was being patient and I was doing all the exercises and trying to be happy with slow progress. Then Veronica Azure tripped me with a simple spell.¡± ¡°Azure...that¡¯s the mayor¡¯s daughter?¡± ¡°Yeah. And guess what? She¡¯s pre-awakened too. And she¡¯s a giant pain in the ass who won''t shut up about¨C¡± Lexie released a breath. ¡°Do you think you could teach my spells instead?¡± ¡°Is that what you want?¡± Lexie thought about it. She¡¯d chosen cards because the system had assigned it for her and, due to her affinity for it, she¡¯d figured it would be easier to go along with it while trying to change the [Hero] portion instead of overhauling the entire pre-affixation. But now, she was starting to look at the alternative. ¡°Spells aren¡¯t as easy as they look either,¡± he said. ¡°They¡¯re definitely cooler. And more powerful.¡± Veronica had managed to seal her bag to the ground while making Lexie fall over. That was two things at once. ¡°I bet if I had a spell Veronica wouldn¡¯t have sent me sprawling.¡± ¡°Is that what happened?¡± he asked, alarmed. "It got physical?¡± ¡°Only a little,¡± Lexie said because she didn¡¯t want her father to report anything to the school. In her experience that only made things worse and she was pretty sure she¡¯d already become Veronica¡¯s target. ¡°Mostly, it was just embarrassing.¡± Aiden nodded in sympathy, then shifted closer until he was lying beside her on the bed, staring at the roof too. They were both silently contemplative for minutes. And then Aiden said, ¡°Did I ever tell you about what led me to create the Card?¡± ¡°Yeah. A kid was picking on you.¡± ¡°Yeah, but it wasn¡¯t¡­I mean that made it sound lighter than what it was.¡± Lexie glanced at him and his eyes had a pensive look. ¡°It was relentless. Everyday. I couldn¡¯t get away from him. If I skipped school he would find me. We lived next door to each other and his family was powerful enough that he could get away with anything he did to me. Unless I was invisible there was no way to hide from him." Aiden took a breath and seemingly wanted to hold the next part of the story in. Lexie didn''t say anything and continued staring at the ceiling. ¡°Eventually though, he got sick of it." Lexie smiled sardonically. ¡°Is this the part where you tell me to ignore her and she¡¯ll eventually get sick of it?¡± ¡°No." Aiden let out a humorless chuckle. ¡°Ignoring seldom works. Some bullies only truly get tired after they''re done breaking you down. And by the time Chauncey left me alone, the damage was done. I was already...psychologically trapped by him. Even years later, I saw him and everything in me just froze. I would flinch when I heard his voice. It didn¡¯t matter that he hadn''t assaulted me in a decade, because the demon was inside me now. He¡¯d managed to make me fear him, so much so that I feared the ghost of him. I had nightmares and would sometimes see him when he wasn''t even there. He''d won, forever." Aiden shook his head. "Maybe if I''d stood up to him and fought back, then he wouldn''t have." Sympathy rolled through Lexie. "I''m sorry. That sucks." Lexie hadn''t been bullied in middle school. She hadn''t had friends except Mickie but no one had really picked on her. Mostly because she faded into the background, kept her head down, and didn''t bother anyone. But her brother Logan wasn''t like that. She knew he got picked on sometimes even though he never mentioned it. And Lexie let him keep the secret, pretending it wasn''t happening because she didn''t know how to deal with it either. I''m a horrible sister. And friend. And card mage. Everything I''m supposed to be good at, I''m failing. Aiden sighed. ¡°Lexie before I say this, I want you to know exactly why I¡¯m reluctant to teach you how to advance faster with your cards.¡± ¡°Because you¡¯re not a specialist.¡± ¡°No. That was just a lie." Lexie''s head snapped to him in shock and he gave her a droll look. "I¡¯m the most powerful Archmage in decades Lexie, a generational genius. You think I couldn¡¯t have been your card magic tutor?¡± Someone¡¯s humble. She thought about the question again. ¡°Is it because you don''t want me to be a [Researcher]?¡± "That¡¯s part of it. But that¡¯s a cover too.¡± He inhaled deeply and sighed. ¡°Lexie, it¡¯s because I don¡¯t want you to become me." ¡°What?¡± ¡°Knowledge is...addictive. It''s like an onion with a million gem fragments in a million centers. You keep peeling and peeling and you find more and more and the more you find, the more you realize how much you don¡¯t have. And it gets hard to know when to stop. It¡¯s hard for me to know when to stop and you and me, we''re very similar. I''m scared you''ll become obsessed with finding out everything there is to know about everything. Even the forbidden." A low howl of wind hit her window, making it clatter against the panes. Aiden wasn''t distracted and continued to regard her with an expression devoid of humor. "I let my thirst for forbidden knowledge lead me down a dark path. I don¡¯t want you to do the same and I¡¯m scared that you¡¯re too similar to me for it not to.¡± Lexie understood what he was saying. She felt that same draw to knowledge, especially when it came to her cards. She couldn''t explain it but maybe that was why she had always been reluctant to abandon card magic for something more practical like spells. Maybe it wasn''t just about her affinity. She felt there was something there, in card magic, something more to discover. ¡°Before I teach you what I''m about to," Aiden said. "You have to promise me that you¡¯ll know when to stop peeling.¡± ¡°I promise,¡± she said. She must have answered too quickly because he didn''t seem to believe her. He looked at her closely. ¡°I¡¯m serious, Lexie. I can¡¯t...I can¡¯t have you hurt too. I wouldn¡¯t know what to do with myself. Please, know when to stop." Aiden''s eyes were honest in his fear and concern for his daughter. His jaw clenched tightly. That sobered Lexie up. His daughter might already be gone. ¡°I promise," Lexie said again, a lot more quietly, and carefully. He sighed, then sat up reluctantly. ¡°Alright then. Let¡¯s begin the real training.¡± 22 - Black Hole Excercises Lexie shot up in bed, excitement making her heart beat faster. She immediately materialized the cards but Aiden halted her by shaking his head. ¡°Leave that alone for now,¡± he said. ¡°We¡¯re not using that.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± ¡°No. That¡¯s only going to make it harder and it¡¯s going to be hard enough as is." Lexie cocked her head to the side. ¡°I thought using cards made shaping easier." Aiden sighed and seemed reluctant but he eventually admitted. "The method I¡¯m going to teach you right now is going to make things easier and harder. It¡¯s going to be harder in the beginning because I''m going to ask you to do something that will likely be impossible for ninety percent of mages to do, especially those at your stage. It requires a very high affinity to do it, and even then, you''ll still need quite a bit of help and dedication to make it work. And if you didn''t have all those things, I wouldn''t be teaching you this. But I suspect you do." He didn''t look happy about it, neither did he have that proud glint in his eyes. Everything about his body language told Lexie that he really didn''t want to teach her this. Which made her appreciate it all the more that he was doing it. "I''m going to warn you again that this is going to be difficult. One because I cannot visualize the mana-field with you. Plus, you''ll be using a transient skill that I''ll find difficult to explain to you. Today is going to be a test, to see if you can feasibly learn this method in the first place. If you can''t, we forget about it and go back to regular shaping. But if you can get the hang of it, it opens up a new world, and everything else flows much easier and faster.¡± Lexie nodded eagerly. She criss-crossed her legs on the bed mimicking Aiden¡¯s pose as they faced each other. "The final thing I want to say is that what I''m about to teach you...I''m not going to say it''s forbidden, but it''s not knowledge you should necessarily advertise. So you probably shouldn''t tell anyone I''m teaching you this." "I won''t." ¡°Alright then. The first thing we''re going to discuss is pathway imaging. I¡¯m going to teach you how to see your pathways without using the cards.¡± ¡°I can do that?¡± Lexie blurted out. ¡°Yes. The cards are an aid and a conduit but they¡¯re not the things generating the pathways. They¡¯re already there in your mana field. And you can see them with the right technique.¡± Aiden shut his eyes and took a deep breath. ¡°This is going to be a little difficult. It¡¯s not an elementary skill at all and I can¡¯t exactly guide you with my magic either, so it¡¯s more complicated. But you already have incredible mana control for someone your age. And you''re only getting better faster than anyone I''ve ever seen before.¡± ¡°I am?¡± ¡°Of course. I told you that, didn''t I?¡± He had, but Lexie had just assumed he was saying it so she would feel better about not upping her time on the cards. ¡°Lexie. I meant it when I said, you were already doing well,¡± he emphasized. ¡°Incredibly well actually, considering that you¡¯re not using any aids like potions to speed up your progress. And it¡¯s a good thing you didn¡¯t use that. Those might have helped you, but ultimately they would have become a crutch and would have stagnated your growth.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Lexie didn¡¯t tell him about the one time she¡¯d been tempted by Veronica''s offer. Now she was glad she didn''t do it. ¡°But this method won¡¯t just help you with cards but also with any magic and anything pathway-related. You got it?¡± ¡°Got it.¡± ¡°Alright, let¡¯s start. Take a deep breath and close your eyes.¡± Lexie obeyed. Excitement buzzed over her skin, just like the mana did within. ¡°Take another deep breath. You¡¯ve been doing the shaping exercises, right?¡± She nodded. "Even meditation?" Lexie peeked one eye open to meet her father''s amused gaze. "You knew?" He nodded. "I caught you once or twice doing it before dinner." Drat. And here she thought she was being sneaky. ¡°But it''s good that you did. If you can do that, it makes what we''re about to do easier. Oh and hold on, we need one more thing." He got to his feet and quickly padded out of the room. Within a few seconds, he was back with a corked tube full of blue liquid. "What''s that?" Lexie asked. "Vitality potion. It will help." "I thought you said I''m not supposed to use potions." His lip quirked. "Maybe just this once. You''ll need all the help you can manage with visualizing your mana field, and this isn''t as strong as some of the others, so you likely won''t form a dependency with just a single use. It just helps boost your magical vitality and awareness." Lexie vaguely wondered why Aiden had a magic vitality potion if he couldn''t use magic anymore, but she decided not to ask. Instead, she took the potion he handed over and observed, swirling it a little bit. "I''m supposed to drink the whole thing?" "Yes." Lexie twisted the cork off, put the tube to her lip, and then upended it into her mouth. "Blergh!" she almost spat at it out as the foul liquid went down her throat and spread across her tongue. Aiden smiled. "Sorry. I would have warned you but I thought it would be better not to." "Yeah." If he''d warned her she might have thought twice about taking it. It truly tasted disgusting. She wiped her tongue on her shirt when she was done, trying to get the awful taste out as Aiden went back out and then came back with some juice in a glass. She drank it down like she was dying of thirst. "Thank you," she said once she was done. "Now what next?" "Now, I want you to go into as deep a meditative state as possible. And I do mean deep Lexie. However deep you think you''ve gone, go deeper." Lexie closed her eyes and took a deep breath, and then another. She did just as she''d done for weeks, getting herself into the proper mind space, but something was different now. It was like the buzzing in her body was louder, more distinct. Like before it sounded like a swarm of bees but now she could almost select out each individual bee. It felt incredible. This must be the vitality potion at work. And it wasn''t just hearing that was enhanced. As she continued her breathing exercises with her eyes closed, her sight was starting to change too. At first, it was just the darkness of her closed eyelids. But then she started to see white dots in the darkness, that seemed to expand and shake. The dots were vibrating and had a halo around them. They were growing and singing and dancing in circles. "What do you see Lexie?" Aiden said, sounding like he was from very far away. "Um..." she hesitated to say it but then she did. "I think I see my mana." He was quiet for a second. "What does it look like?" "White dots." "I see. You''re not quite there yet, but you''re on the right track. Keep going." "Keep going with what?" "Whatever it is you''re doing." But all she was doing was sitting there and breathing. Lexie wanted to ask more but she didn''t want to break her concentration and lose sight of the dots. So she kept breathing, kept listening to the buzzing getting louder and louder. At one point, she thought her back was cramped, and her knee hurt, but she still didn''t move, not wanting to lose focus for a single second. Something told her that if she lost it, it would be damn near impossible for her to get it back. Her head felt heavy suddenly like there was fog filling her brain. The more she concentrated, the more it filled until it became an uncomfortable pressure, on a physical and psychological level. It made her feel like her head was too heavy for her neck but it was also like she couldn''t think straight. Her mind was literally foggy. I hate this, she thought but she didn''t stop. She couldn''t. If she stopped now she would revert to the old weak Lexie who got tossed down like five times in the cafeteria today. Who struggled to reduce her activation time. Who was so horrifyingly mediocre that it wasn''t funny. Lexie didn''t want to be that girl. She refused. So she would sit here as long as it took. Even as her brain filled with fog, even as she became so terrifyingly aware of her breathing that it made her want to hyperventilate because she felt like maybe she could make her heart stop at will and the thought of having that kind of power terrified her. Even though she felt like her muscles were on fire, and she was so damn tired of sitting in the same position and everything hurt. Even though she couldn''t hear or feel Aiden anymore, and that scared her because he was her anchor. She still sat there and waited and breathed. And then the discomfort began to fade. The pain in her body was no longer there, or perhaps it was her body itself that was missing. The fog became clearer, it was simply her metaphysical thoughts trying to shield her mind from something deeper, something she could only understand if she was on the same plane. She cleared it away with a phantom wave and the strain lifted from her mind. And then suddenly she could see inside her. I think I did it. She had no clue if she spoke out loud or not, but she heard Aiden''s voice, disembodied, saying, "What do you see Lexie?" "Everything," she said. It was a messy field of everything, that was occurring all at once, but not necessarily on the same plane. It was difficult to explain. It was a tangled roller coaster, a complete motherboard of systems that interconnected to each other. She saw the physical and metaphysical all at once, saw the shapes on a board, twisting and winding like blood vessels, and overlaying on top of each other. There were three different colors of vessels, blue, green, and pink. And outside of them, casting their glow, were buzzing little particles, waiting for something to happen. "I think I see pathways," Lexie was aware of her voice saying her mouth was moving but it wasn''t the same feeling as she usually got while she was talking. It was just a voice in her mind. "Blue. Green. Pink. I think I see the mana as well, buzzing gold, outside the pathway." Aiden released a breath of...relief? Regret?This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. "That''s good Lexie," he said. "That''s incredibly good. You''re in your mana field. Now, what I want you to do is to pick a spot, and slowly drive out the mana from that spot, almost like you''re creating a black hole in your body." "How?" "You''ll have to figure that out on your own. But if you''ve gotten to that stage then you probably already know." Lexie didn''t allow the confusion to set in because it would only distract her. Instead, she thought about it and then realized something. She could move closer to the particles at will, like she was zooming in. She could also move the particles, picking them with her phantom hands that she used to clear the fog from her mind. She did so now, taking each particle one by one, and moving it to a pile on the side. While she did, she noticed something about the particles. They weren''t like water or air particles, that rushed to fill in the empty space she created. Instead, they tended to be attracted to themselves and repelled by the mana-less blackhole that she was slowly forming in her body. Ah. Lexie finally understood. It''s like making my own internal mini-deadspace. Once she''d formed a small space of nothingness, she said, "I have it." "Good," Aiden said. "Now I want you to focus on that spot. Like really focus. Harder than you¡¯ve ever done before. Try to analyze it with all your senses. Smell, taste, and sight. Feel it alright? Fuse it with your consciousness.¡± Lexie tried but she didn¡¯t even know what she was doing. She fumbled for a second then she decided to go for one at a time. What did that spot smell like? It smelled like her but deeper. Probably like her lungs would smell. Not that she knew what a lung smelled like but somehow her subconscious knew. And it told her that she was smelling her lungs. And tasting it. And feeling it. She felt every pulse of breath, every crackle of air in the black hole. She concentrated on it, harder than she''d ever done on anything before and her head began to throb but she didn''t stop. Fuse with the black hole? How? "I don''t know how," she admitted to her father. "Relate to it," he said. "Match its energy, but anchor yourself too." It''s energy? It had none. Unlike the particles that were buzzing about inside her, the black hole was still, lifeless and empty. Maybe she should be still too. She began shutting down all her senses, one by one. She decided she didn''t want to hear anymore so she shut it down. She didn''t need her sense of sight and the world went black. She didn''t need to hear or taste anything, so she pulled her attention from that too. And finally, she didn''t need to breathe at least for a few seconds. So she stopped it. And just like that, the connection snapped in place. She became the black hole. The next moment, someone shaking her shoulders. She blinked her eyes open and stared up at Aiden, blinking in surprise. "What happened?" He released a breath of relief. "You tell me what happened." He instantly demanded Lexie blinked and said, "I did what you said. I became the black hole." Aiden appeared shocked for a second and then he shook his head. "You''re not supposed to become it. You''re supposed to link with it." "I don''t understand." He sighed and ran his hand through his hair. "Next time Lexie, you must anchor yourself before you connect to the black hole." "Oh. How?" "Retain awareness of at least one of your senses," he said. "Make sure you can still see the mana particles even when you''re linking with the hole. That way you can still be yourself." She nodded. "Okay. Can I try again?" He shook his head. "Maybe tomorrow. Right now, you need rest and I need to explain to you what it is you saw." "I''m not tired," she said even though she kind of was. "Well, I am." He gave her a wry look. "Lexie, do you know how long you were meditating for?" "Um¡­" Lexie glanced out the window and found that it was dark outside. The moons were out. It couldn''t be. It was just an afternoon a second ago. But then she realized that she didn¡¯t know how much time she thought had passed. Maybe an hour? A few minutes? Surely it couldn''t have been hours. ¡°You were in there for five hours,¡± Aiden said. ¡°That¡¯s pretty impressive bee. You didn¡¯t get distracted at all.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± She preened at the compliment, but she was still surprised. That did not feel like five hours at all. ¡°So what do we do now?¡± ¡°Now, we have dinner. While you were in there, I ordered us some pasta and made some chicken to go with it. We¡¯ll eat while I explain to you what exactly it is that you saw. I couldn''t explain it to you until you experienced it yourself. Otherwise, it would sound like gibberish." She nodded and Aiden had her lie in bed as he went out to bring in the food. They ate chicken and pasta on her bedroom floor, as Aiden explained, "So, the process of card activation as you know it is that internal mana moves out, activates the object mana, which brings the external mana inside. A step-by-step process with three separate mana fields?" "Yeah," Lexie said, biting into the crunchy chicken. It was really good, with the honey sauce. It reminded her of Korean fried chicken. "Well, as I mentioned that day, that explanation of mana fields the most dumbed-down version of events. It''s not really a step-by-step process and there aren¡¯t three mana fields. There¡¯s only one. The truth is that all those things are happening simultaneously, all at once on a different plane that all magical processes occur on." Lexie paused with the chicken in her mouth, blinking at her dad. He smiled at her confusion. "Imagine you were a spell user, and you said a spell. The words leave your mouth and you see the effect. But what you don''t see is the process by which the effect happens because that process occurs on a much different plane than the ones we see in our human eyes. It occurs on a fourth dimension, a magical plane." "And that was the plane I was just in?" "Yes. Once you''re on that plane, you can see that the pathways are all stacked on top of each other, and they''re not as different as they initially appear. They all work by a feedback loop impacting one another. It''s how cards can be shut down even after activation is complete to prevent damage. Becausse both internal, external and object pathways all inform each other.¡± "I see." Aiden bit a fry. "Now, using magic on the magical plane is a bit more complicated than what we''ve been doing so far. But once you''ve mastered that plane, it makes it easier to manipulate your pathways and your magic. And it makes it so much more powerful." Lexie grinned, feeling zeal and hope race through her. Now they were talking.
Aiden made Lexie work on her visualization for the next two days. Each time she tried it, her senses became a little sharper, the image a little better. It took a little less time to form the black hole. And when Aiden was off to work, she still kept up with her mana shaping exercises and her breathing exercises, finding that it helped her get in the mood faster. On the second day, she finally tried to link with the black hole again. Aiden finally explained to her what he wanted, that she was to move with the black hole, and it would help her see the individual mana particles better, as she chased them around her body. When connecting to the black hole this time, she kept some of her senses still awake, enough so she could still see and hear and visualize each mana particle even clearer like it was right in front of her. When she moved the black hole, the mana particles shifted to avoid it, and it became a fun game of chasing the big golden glowing balls. As she did, she studied and wrote down everything she found out about the pathways. Like Aiden suggested, they were malleable. People with high mana affinity had more malleable pathways than those without. And mundanes did not have malleable pathways at all. Pathways also had pores in them, which was how mana leakage and waste happened. There was research currently ongoing about how to calculate the distance between each pore and the level of elasticity in the pathway. At this point, it was highly individual, but researchers and scientists were determined to find a general formula that would predict or govern the way people learned pathways. And Lexie also found that the technique Aiden taught her wasn¡¯t all that commonly known. At least not as a way of controlling pathways. There was no reference she could find online at all for ''Black Hole Exercises'' which was what Aiden called them. So either they were super forbidden, or they were just not known to the general population. Which begged the question of how Aiden had found out about them in the first place. Perhaps she would ask later after she was done mastering this new skill. She didn''t want to spook Aiden into stopping his lessons by asking too many questions. Aiden, for his part, was continuously impressed by Lexie''s mana affinity. Lexie was convinced that her unusual mana affinity was due to her being from Earth 2. Well, that and probably Aiden''s genetics. Come to think of it, he said her mother had a high affinity too, although she wasn''t interested in learning anything magical. Did that mean that Lara Sparrowfoot could have learned what Lexie was doing if she wanted to? Could it have helped her? And then the thought was followed by another stunning question. Were there mundanes with high mana affinity without the capacity? What could she do with that? She noted it down. Potential area for research in the future. Lexie could see herself now, studying pathways with a concentration in card magic to serve a mundane population. If she could somehow make cards that worked for mundanes, that would certainly meet the criteria for revolutionary discovery, wouldn¡¯t it? Plus, it would help people and that was pretty heroic too. In any case, she should probably get started looking into that. Well, once she was done with her black hole exercises that is. The next day, when Aiden got back from work, she gave him some time to decompress and relax. She even made them sandwiches for dinner, (plus warmed up some left-over pizza) so he wouldn¡¯t have to worry about it. And she brewed some tea, not a complicated Muan tea, but one of the other ones he kept in little pots in the pantry. Aiden seemed amused by her devotion. ¡°Are you buttering me up for something?¡± She sat on the dining table chair beside him. ¡°No. Just trying to be a good daughter.¡± ¡°Ah. So you wouldn¡¯t mind if, after having this tea, I went up to bed?¡± She almost gasped. But she forced herself to choke out the words.,¡°No, that''s fine. If you''re tired you should rest." He laughed then. ¡°Yeah right. I don''t believe for a second that you mean that. Alright, then. Let''s go to the living room and so you can in position.¡± She nodded and scrambled to do just that. She arranged herself right in the middle of the living room, with a pillow under her butt for comfort. "Materialize card," he said next. Lexie did and the card appeared in her hand. "Now you''re going to activate the card, but you''re not going to bother with activating it all the way. We''re just going to have what we call a partial activation while you visualize how the mana moves into the pathways." She nodded. She was excited. ¡°Visualize first.¡± She did. She concentrated until she was in the magical plane and his voice was once again, a far-away echo. "Activate the card." Once again, she did and it wasn''t as hard as she thought it would be focusing on two things at once. Actually, it was almost intuitive to activate the card while in the magical plane. All she had to do was think about it, and since she was already in the plane, she immediately saw which part of her lighted up. She zoomed in on over there, as the mana began filling out the shape." "Again, you don''t have to fill it out. Once you''re halfway there, stop and focus on create a black hole, right outside the pathway." Lexie nodded, observing the golden stream. Then once, she had enough, she began meticulously creating a black hole outside the pathway as mana particles drifted all around her. This time, when she connected with the black hole, she left her senses open, and observed the movement of the golden mana orbs into the lit up pathway. ¡°Now I want you to zoom in on the pathway vessels. What do you see?¡± She did as he asked, and confirmed what the online articles told her. ¡°They¡¯re moving. Shifting a little¡± ¡°Yes. And what else?¡± ¡°There are pores on it.¡± ¡°Good. Now focus on them.¡± She did. And she saw something else. Constant mana, streaming in, streaming out. ¡°I want you to try and plug as many of those pores as you can.¡± Lexie was so confused that it nearly broke her concentration. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°You¡¯re going to control the stream of mana. The only way to do that and avoid mana leakage is to plug the pores.¡± ¡°How¡­how do I do that?¡± ¡°Pick a spot to focus on, not the entire channel, just a portion of it.¡± She did, focusing deeper on the portion of the pathway she was already looking at. ¡°Do you still remember the shaping exercises I taught you?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Well here¡¯s where they come in handy. To avoid leakage you¡¯d have to control the mana stream and shape it so perfectly that nothing escapes out the pores. The mana inside the pathways? You¡¯re going to mold it tighter so that it pulls back from the walls of the pathway. If they don¡¯t touch the walls they can¡¯t escape through the pores." "Um..." That sounded overwhelmingly difficult. "It is difficult, isn¡¯t it?" Aiden seemed to read her mind. "And it would be far too difficult for you to control the entire stream. That''s something that comes with years and years of these types of exercises. But luckily for you, we don¡¯t need to do that right now. You don''t have tons of internal mana so it makes it even easier for you." "How?" "Well, you see the mana stream, traveling along inside the pathway." She nodded. "What you need to do is concentrate on the particles directly at the edges of the pathway near the pores. Pretend like those are split off from the rest of the stream. Don''t lose them to the stream or let them mix in. Keep them in their position, and hold them there so they don''t escape." "Okay." Lexie swallowed and tried. Just like she''d done with the black hole, she tried to selected the particles one by one, to separate from the rest of the stream. But it was hard. Each particle she touched vibrated in her hold wanting to escape and link back with it''s brethren. Lexie took a deep breath and admitted, "I think that might be a bit much for me right now." "What might make it easier," Aiden continued. "is to use a black hole you already have to cut through and create mana-less paths between the stream and the edge particles. That way you don''t have to worry so much about them mixing in." Oh. That made sense. That was probably why he had her create the black hole in the first place. Lexie immediately held on to the black hole and began separating the stream. It was still hard, but not as difficult as what she was trying to do earlier. It was just a much slower process though for whatever reason. ¡°This is supposed to make activation faster?" she asked because it seemed like it was taking forever. ¡°It will be once you get used to it," he said. "And it''s easier than just controlling the whole stream?" "Yes. It¡¯s much harder and slower to corral mana when it¡¯s moving in bulk because particles bounce around. But when you separate them like this, there are fewer particles to worry about." ¡°Alright.¡± She was kind of getting a headache now but she kept at it, shaping the lines by the pathway walls making them thin, and using them to guard the walls of her pathway. It was easier with after she used her black hole like a knife efficiently cutting through paths through her mana. After that was done, all she had to do was focus on the lines closest the walls. ¡°Think of those lines as your little soldiers," Aiden was saying. "Every time one of them starts to get out of hand you corral them back in.¡± Lexie did her best and after painstaking moments, she managed to form an immovable wall of mana particles. She felt like a sheepdog, herding cattle. Just for that small section of pathway that she focused on, she wasn''t allowing anything to escape through the pores. And then she noticed that once there was no more room for escape, the mana particles inside the pathway were pushed together and gushed forward as a result of the force, like water from a spigot that too much water pressure. ¡°They¡¯re moving faster.¡± Excitement made Lexie breathless. ¡°God. Now you can stop Lexie." She disconnected from the plane and opened her eyes to meet Aiden''s proud smile. "You did it," he said and she couldn''t contain herself anymore. Giddy with happiness, she got up and ran into his arms, hugging him tight. "Thank you," she whispered into his chest. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her hair. ¡°This is good for a start,¡± he said. ¡°But it¡¯s just a start. I have to warn you that we¡¯ll keep going for some time until you can do that for an entire pathway, not just a portion of one. And it will only get harder before it gets easier.¡± ¡°Sure,¡± she said. She was just excited for progress . "I¡¯m ready.¡±