《Artemis System Book 1: Shadowguard Emerging》 1. The Shrike Here we go folks! First apex kill of the season and it promises to be something spectacular, so hold onto your lunches because shit¡¯s about to get real up in here! Gary turned down the volume on his coms unit, tuning out the announcer¡¯s grating voice as the screen shifted to show a picturesque landscape in a distant world. He leaned forward and rubbed a sleeve across the window, smearing grease from the fryer and obscuring his view as the scene switched from third to first person perspective. We¡¯re moving now to a live feed from renowned hunter and all round badass, Samson Graves! Gary found a bottle of cleaner and sprayed the window, careful not to get too much onto the meat patties sizzling beneath. He wiped off the glass just as the perspective on screen shifted to a first-person view of a thickly wooded forest, the vision bobbing up and down in concert with the subject¡¯s head movement. Shafts of golden sunlight filtered through the emerald canopy, casting dappled patterns upon the forest floor. The air was crisp and clear, high-definition footage barely doing the scene justice as distant calls of birds added a melodic harmony to the deceptively tranquil scene. ¡°Alright, it¡¯s just up ahead, so I¡¯m gonna start prepping,¡± a husky voice said. A HUD appeared, showing basic stats and a mini map in the top corner with a flashing red light to the north. A helm symbol at the bottom right of the screen flashed bright orange for a moment before the screen changed, showing a list of character stats arranged on a floating panel at the center of Samson¡¯s vision. SAMSON GRAVES Class: Rogue Level: Ascendant Ether: 3590 Guild: Shadow Clan Preferred Title: Grandmaster of the Hunt ** BASE STATS ** Constitution: 600 Strength: 300 Agility: 1200 Intelligence: 200 Wisdom: 200 Etheric Aptitude: 5 ** GEAR ** Head: Shadowborn Hood (Mythic) Chest: Shadowborn Tunic (Mythic) Legs: Shadowborn Trousers (Mythic) Hands: Shadowborn Gloves (Mythic) Feet: Shadowborn Boots (Mythic) Ring 1: Wrathmaker Spiral (Epic) Ring 2: Hunter''s Eye (Mythic) Neck: Forest Heart Pendant (Mythic) Tattoo: Viper''s Sting Main Melee Weapon: Venomwhisp (Mythic Dagger) Secondary Melee Weapon: Gargantuan Flint (Mythic Dagger) Range Weapon: Hallock''s Dreadbow (Mythic) ¡°Okay, my sponsor says you guys want a quick look at my gear, so here goes. I¡¯ve got the complete Shadowborn mythic set. Those were a bastard to get, but worth it for the crit and stealth bonuses, plus the complete set gives you a permanent buff to range attacks which is nice.¡± The view bobbed up and down as Gideon moved quickly through grass surrounds, trees moving past as he looked left and right, the stats panel still showing at the center of his HUD in semi-transparent orange light. ¡°Standard rings to max out crit chance and damage. And yes I know I miss the mythic buff by having an epic ring instead of all mythics, but the Wraithmaker Spiral is just too damned good not to have in the mix, especially because it ramps up damage when I get hurt.¡± The view quickly shifted, showing a view of Sampson¡¯s face, grinning as though he were holding a cell phone out front on selfie mode. ¡°And we all know I¡¯m gonna get hurt sooner or later right? I mean, that¡¯s just Artemis for you!¡± The perspective shifted again, moving back to the stat panel as he continued. ¡°Melee weapons are just there for the stats because everything is going to be coming from the Dreadbow in this fight. Hopefully, I¡¯ll be able to get this Shadowshrike beastie down below fifty percent health before it moves into its second phase. Those bone shards are a real bitch, and I¡¯ll probably be dodging half the time during that phase which means a hell of a lot less DPS.¡± The display dropped, revealing the forest once more as Samson moved through the woods. Gary watched wide-eyed from the cramped kitchen as the trees passed by on the screen, beams of light cutting through the foliage and occasionally cutting across Samson¡¯s vision. ¡°Phase three is gonna be the real problem,¡± the hunter continued as he climbed over a series of raised tree roots. ¡°As soon as it drops its Shadowstalker ability, my hit chance drops sixty percent. For those that are counting, that means only about one in every three shots will hit and then there are natural resistances I need to get past as well.¡± He stopped, spinning around and pausing for a moment, scanning the horizon for signs of danger. ¡°Shit! Though I heard a Growler.¡± The view shifted as he turned back and started walking again. ¡°I¡¯ll need to switch to Firestone Arrows in phase two. The fire damage over time will keep his shield from regenerating while I¡¯m dodging my ass off, but it won¡¯t do much damage by itself. I¡¯ll have to switch to the Wyvern Arrows now and then, for burst fire and then permanently during phase three because they¡¯ve got the Rapidfire augment which shoots two arrows at a time and increases fire rate by fifty percent. That¡¯ll get past any hit chance debuff, and it will max out damage for a minute or so. Plus, they¡¯ve got a venom augment which will keep the damage going.¡± Gary flipped his burgers, one eye still on the screen as the meat sizzled and the familiar scent of seared beef reached his nostrils. Samson kept moving through the forest, pushing aside branches as he held up one of the Wyvern Arrows for the audience to see. On the side of the screen, a string of emojis and comments showed up on the feed. ¡°Cost me an arm and a leg, these beauties,¡± Samson said, turning the arrow shaft around in his hand. The forked head of the arrow split into four individual points with a sharp tip extending out from the main shaft and glinting in the sunlight. ¡°The four tips are cut from Wyvern teeth and dipped in Wyvern venom. The main head is just to help push it through into the flesh, past thick hide, or feathers. You can only get these by killing a Wyvern yourself and then paying a Grand Master level weaponsmith to make them.¡± This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. An image showed on screen for a moment, showing Samson frozen in battle, bow drawn as he faced off against a Wyvern in a previous fight. A message ran beneath the advertisement, suggesting that viewers check out the previous battle at their leisure. A Raven Eye logo appeared in the top left of the screen with the words ¡®Sponsored by Raven Eye Gaming¡¯ written beside it. A private message came through to Gary¡¯s comms unit, flashing on the holographic display above his wrist and chirping like an angry bird. He tapped on the small screen and an advertisement for Raven Eye Gaming showed up, along with a short message. Hit the Raven Eye hub and score yourself 30% off all home studio equipment for the next 24 hours to celebrate the Shadowshrike Hunt Showdown featuring Grandmaster Samson Graves. Use code: RE2210 and hit the store today! Gary swiped the ad away, turning his attention back to the big screen. The window he was looking through had fogged up again, so he wiped it with a towel and squinted at the forest landscape bouncing steadily up and down from the hunter¡¯s perspective. ¡°Big boy¡¯s just past this clearing, so I¡¯m gonna start prepping now,¡± Samson said, slipping the Wyvern Arrow away and pulling out his bow. ¡°Now, I¡¯d like to say I¡¯m gonna melt this sucker, but we all know that¡¯s not how this shit works on Artemis. Doesn¡¯t matter how maxed out your gear is or how much experience you have, any of these apex enemies can one shot you if you¡¯re not careful so I can¡¯t afford mistakes.¡± Intricate crimson scrollwork ran down the edge of the dark wooden bow. Shadows rose around the weapon like mist clinging to the earth. Even through the grimy window, Gary could sense the power in the weapon. Hallock¡¯s Dreadbow was known throughout the entire world as one of the greatest single hunting weapons in the history of The Great Game. Cedric Hallock had been one of the greatest early game champions and one of the few successful players to have retired rather than died in-game. He had gifted his weapon as the prize in Artemis¡¯s greatest contest, a contest that Samson Graves subsequently one, claiming the Dreadbow as his prize. ¡°Okay, I know you¡¯re all gonna ask for it,¡± Samson said, ¡°so here¡¯s a quick look at this little beauty. Just a quick one though, I¡¯ve got a monster to kill.¡± He tapped the edge of the bow and brought up the weapon stats display. Gary leaned forward, scolding himself on the edge of the grill before shifting back and squinting to get a better look at the rundown. ** Hallock¡¯s Dreadbow ** Primary Ability: Base arrow damage +10 Secondary Ability: Increased crit chance (10%) and crit damage (20%) while stealthed or wearing full stealth gear. Tertiary Ability: Dual bow string fires 2 arrows at once. Etheric Charge: Allows for up to 5 points of etheric enhancement per second, increasing weapon stats by 10%. Imbued with the strength and cunning of one of Artemis¡¯s greatest champions, Cedric Hallock, the Dreadbow resonates with power. ¡°Holy shitballs!¡± Gary hissed, scorching his hand again on the side of the grill and cursing a he stepped back. The weapon¡¯s stats were impressive enough, but what made the Dreadbow truly staggering was its unprecedented etheric charge. Its capacity to draw ether and increase the chance of finding etherically-charged loot from enemies was simply unprecedented. Not only did the bow¡¯s etheric charge capacity enable the highest-level rewards from a kill, it also allowed the wielder to infuse the bow itself with etheric power, spending the key currency of the game to overclock the weapon and boost all its stats. ¡°Okay,¡± Samson said. ¡°You all get a good long look? ¡®Cause I got a bird to kill.¡± The weapons display vanished as the hunter continued walking through the forest. ¡°Popping healing regen,¡± Samson voice said, ¡°an etheric booster, as well as a stam pot and something to give me added protection from shadow damage. I¡¯ll charge the bow where I can, but I¡¯ve only got a couple of thousand ether to spend, so I¡¯ll need to manage that carefully.¡± Gary watched as a series of potion symbols with sixty-minute timers showed up at the bottom of the screen. Samson grunted as they took effect and, for a moment, his vision blurred, before turning back to normal. ¡°Okay, so this is gonna be a difficult fight and I¡¯m doing it solo, so I won¡¯t be able to talk. Fingers crossed I don¡¯t end up dying because I spent three echoes just getting here and I¡¯ve only got one backup left, so if this doesn¡¯t work, I¡¯m done.¡± Gary scooped up burger patties with his spatula, sliding them onto a series of waiting buns and moving to the preparation bench to finish each of the meals one by one. ¡°I¡¯ve put most of my power into burst damage, crit chance, and a little into damage over time,¡± Samson went on, ¡°mostly venom and a little fire. Also shadow resistance because the Shadowshrike has some mucho AOE shadow damage and I don¡¯t wanna get caught sleeping on that.¡± Gary finished off the meals, carried them over to the service bench and hit the bell, walking back to the grill. He looked up again at the screen outside where Samson was still moving through picturesque woodland. Amidst the towering trees, a large clearing opened up, a verdant oasis amidst the sea of green. Long grass swayed gently in the breeze, and wildflowers bloomed in a riot of colors, painting the landscape with vibrant hues. Even through the grime-stained window, Gary could practically smell the flowers. He could feel the heat of the sun shining down from above. Then again, that might just be the heat from the griller, seeing as his fan had just packed up the day before and the heat in the kitchen was stifling. Gary wiped sweat from his brown and focused on the screen outside, praying it didn¡¯t rain and spoil his view of the game. At the edge of the clearing, a rocky outcrop rose defiantly from the earth, its weathered surface a testament to the passage of time. Perched atop the highest point of the outcrop was a colossal nest, woven from broken tree limbs and entire trees that had been uprooted and twisted into place. The spikes and twisted boughs of the nest were covered in a black, tar-like substance, as though each branch had been carefully dipped before being placed. The thick, oily substance ran down from the bottom of the nest, making it look like it was crying, or wounded. Drops of the dark ichor hung from branches like teardrops frozen in time, hanging from sinewy strands of inky darkness. ¡°There it is,¡± Samson confirmed, stopping for a moment to consider the Shadowshrike¡¯s gruesome nest. ¡°Gotta admit, my heart is thumping. This is gonna be epic!¡± He moved on and, as the rocks grew larger, Gary caught sight of bones heaped about the bottom of the nest. Skeletal forms lay in large mounds on the ground, humanoid figures among the remains of other beasts scattered about as though intended to warn any who might stray too close. The bones were covered in the thick, ichor that dripped down from the nest above. ¡°Sun¡¯s about to set,¡± Samson whispered, his voice hitting Gary¡¯s ears as though the hunter were speaking directly to him. ¡°That¡¯s when the shrike will show, and I¡¯ll have about twenty seconds to get my first hit in before it¡­¡± A cry cut through the air and Gary nearly jumped out of his skin, flinching so wildly that he flung his spatula into the air and sent it clattering to the floor. He ran after it, scooped it up and lowered the volume again on his comms unit. When he looked back the screen was shaking left and right, a loaded Dreadbow scanning the skies for the midnight form of the Shadowshrike. A figure moved through the air, a giant bird with bony, skeletal wings that dripped with onyx colored ichor. It moved too quickly for Samson to catch, cawing as it cut through the air, its voice a harrowing cry that was chased by a chorus of ghostly shrieks. He tracked the creature, attempting to predict its trajectory as the shrike dove behind the tree line and out of view. ¡°Damn it!¡± the hunter cursed. ¡°Come on, baby. Come back to papa.¡± He ran sideways, moving further into the middle of the clearing while keeping the bow aimed at where the shrike had vanished. Once more the unnerving cry of the monstrous bird cut through the air, followed by the distant chorus of a thousand birds and critters. As Samson backed further into the clearing, a note popped up at the bottom of the screen. The Shadowshrike¡¯s screech is often accompanied by the death cries of its victims. It is believed that every animal it has ever killed will join that chorus until the Shadowshrike itself is brought down. Other species in Artemis exhibit similar traits. Gary cursed in frustration, annoyed at having even a little portion of the screen covered by the information. If he were watching on his home unit, he could turn off tips and background info, but here at work he was at the mercy of the public broadcast. The shrike shot out of the trees and Samson loosed two arrows from the Dreadbow. The arrows left a trail of purple light in their wake as they few toward the giant beast, disappearing into the shrike¡¯s feathered chest as Samson drew a second time and fired. A health bar showed at the top of the HUD, a vast number slowly counting down from five million as a venom indicator signaled the damage the monstrous bird creature was taking over time. The second volley of arrows hit home, and Samson ducked to one side as the shrike swooped down, its talons gouging huge clods of earth as it passed by. Samson turned and fired three more arrows in rapid succession, imbuing the bow with etheric potency as the charged arrows flared with blue light. They hit the shrike¡¯s flank as it turned and rose sharply, twisting in midair and screaming in rage. The hunter used the opportunity to pepper the beast with a full barrage of arrows, pouring ether into the attack and burning through his reserves in seconds as the flurry of arrow fire tore through the shrike¡¯s enraged form. It dove again, this time moving in unison to Samson¡¯s dodge, and clipping the hunter with lethal talons as it passed over head. He cursed, rolling on the ground, his own HP meter dropping by a third as blood sprayed across the ground and onto the Dreadbow. Samson drank a healing potion, downing the small flask as quickly as he could manage while the shrike circled quickly and prepared for another dive. ¡°Gary?!¡± Gary turned, enraged at the interruption. ¡°What?!¡± he shouted. ¡°Lunch rush is about to hit. If Gonzo catches you watching that shit, your ass is done.¡± Jini was leaning in through the kitchen doorway, a look of concern across her long face. Gary wanted to stay angry, wanted to turn back to the fight and ignore everything else. But Jini was just watching out for him so there was no point taking out his frustration on her. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Gary, but you know it¡¯s true. You¡¯re on your last chance, remember?¡± He sighed, tapping on his comms unit, and saving the program to his favorites. Gary then turned to look at the orders coming through on the old holo display above the grill and sighed heavily. ¡°God I hate my life.¡± 2. The Lottery We expected aliens, species who travelled the stars and sought out new life and experiences in their vast, interstellar crafts. We searched for the longest time, thrilling as we discovered water and then simple bacteria, and other forms of life which were, technically, extra-terrestrial. But in the years following the launch of Endeavor, humanity¡¯s greatest exploratory space vessel, we found very little at all. The odd planet with mildly interesting geographical formations, stellar nurseries, and other cosmological features, and space, an incalculable volume of space. Amid the stars, however, we did discover a small greenish-blue planet named Artemis. Not only did this planet support an abundance of plant life, Artemis also housed a wide range of animals and monstrous beasts of all kinds. While the atmosphere was not conducive to human habitation, the AI infused constructs connected with Endeavor were able to conduct a thorough analysis of the planet and its various features. The most curious discovery during this early phase of analysis was the existence of a substance consequently called ether. It could be found in gaseous form, liquid, and even as a solid in certain rare occasions. Mostly though, it was infused into living beings within the planet, release only at the point of death. Ether was, in essence, a new form of power and scientists quickly discovered that it was possible to build refineries and purifiers that could translate ether into a readily available power source which was fifty times as efficient as conventional sources. With that discovery came a mad rush to plunder Artemis for its ether through mining, dredging, and even killing off vast portions of its native wildlife. The greatest reserves of etheric power however, resided within the various monstrous creatures that inhabited the planet, beings of such power and ferocity that it was simply not possible or economically viable to harvest the ether in great quantities. A second important discovery on the planet, however, led to another, more viable possibility. The AI bots who had been sent to explore and catalogue Artemis, found a great many crystal formations scattered throughout the planet. These crystals vibrated with a dazzling frequency that permitted near instantaneous travel from one stone to the next for certain biological entities. The crystals also performed a curious secondary function, bringing creatures of a certain size and strength back from death after only a few days or even hours. Not all creatures were resurrected by the stones, and the timing for resurrections was not consistent, however, it did allow for the collection of ether on a regular basis. More importantly, ether itself seemed to be a constantly renewed resource. If a beast of suitable size was slain, etheric power would be released and could be harvested, both directly from the slain monster and as stored energy in several of its component parts, such as bones and vital organs. A day or so later, the slain creature would simply materialize once more, usually in a similar location and seemingly unaware of its previous demise. Over a period of decades and great advances in etheric manipulation and technological advancement, it was possible to transfer the consciousness of human subjects across the galaxy and onto Artemis by means of the resurrection stones. This required the use of purpose-built bodies that were constructed by the AI bots on Artemis in such a way that they could receive the incoming consciousnesses. Through this titanic advance, mankind was able to explore and exploit the alien world, effectively gamifying entry to the planet by means of an elaborate lottery system and then syphoning Artemis¡¯s most valuable resource using that same gaming logic. Gary knew very little about the history involved in this process, despite having studied it in school and been force-fed innumerable news updates on the subject. What he did know was that life on Artemis was the only kind of life to live in this trash fire of an existence. For that reason, he¡¯d spent everything he had to enter the lottery in the hope of one day leaving earth and being shot across the stars to that distant world. Hours had passed since he¡¯d witnessed the start of Samson Graves¡¯ attempt to kill the Shadowshrike, but Gary¡¯s mind was still being carried along by those images and the possible outcomes of the fight. He could barely wait to get home and watch the battle in full, but then again, if he was exceptionally lucky, he wouldn¡¯t be going home at all. ¡°Gary?!¡± The sharp voice failed to penetrate his reverie. Gary stood manning the sizzling grill, his narrowed eyes transfixed on the holographic screen outside the Burger Bin. The game highlights had finished and now the screen was announcing the count down to this year¡¯s lottery results. Winners would be announced within the next two hours and Gary was sure that this time his name would be among the chosen. "Come on, baby," Gary muttered through a grease-stained grin, flipping burgers with barely a glance at the grill before looking back at the holo screen. The aroma of cooking meat wafted through the air, mingling with the sounds of sizzling grease and the incessant hum of the food synthesizers. He seasoned the patties with a pinch of salt, then scooped them to the back of the grill, turning to grab a few more fresh patties. ¡°Gary you doink, pull your finger out of your ass and get those burgers done!¡± Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. Gonzo, his beefy, balding manager, barked orders through the service window of the kitchen, wiping sweat off his brow as he squinted through foggy glasses. Gary raised his spatula in acknowledgement, moving to the prep counter and putting together a range of burgers with practiced ease. He slid the seasoned patties onto buns, adorned with crisp, genetically engineered lettuce and tomatoes, an unhealthy dollop of tomato sauce and mayonnaise, and red onions. He crafted each burger on autopilot, his fingers deftly moving through motions he¡¯d performed a million times before. ¡°Clock¡¯s ticking, Gary!¡± Gonzo barked. Gary continued to work at his usual speed, his mind still throwing up imagined scenarios. He saw himself winning the lottery, being interviewed by the local new station by Kelly Longworth, the attractive blonde reporter that frequently made appearances in his daydreams. Gary imagined what it would be like to take his first step on that alien vista, drawing his first breath through fabricated lungs. He could track down Samson Graves, talk to the man in person, maybe even get some hunting tips. ¡°Gary?!¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m on it, boss,¡± he moaned, turning, and placing the burgers into their respective baskets. He moved over to the fryer and dished out fistfuls of fries to each of the baskets, then walked them over to Gonzo and slid them through the service window. ¡°Swear to God,¡± Gonzo said, ¡°I swear¡­if I could find someone else to work for ten bucks an hour¡­¡± The older man waddled away, his expression shifting from anger to something approximating cordiality as he dropped off the burgers to waiting customers. His barbs didn¡¯t affect Gary in the slightest. He knew what this job was. A placeholder, that¡¯s all. Just a dead-end job in a dead-end part of the city to keep Gary afloat until the lottery came in. And it would come in, he was sure of it. Sooner or later¡­ The dinner rush abated, and Gary collapsed onto a grime-stained stool. Checking his wrist-mounted holo-display, he sighed; it was time. The lottery was minutes away from being announced and despite the long hours he¡¯d worked today, Gary¡¯s heart was practically galloping in anticipation. The countdown clock showed at the center of holo screen, as it would be doing for millions of other hopefuls across the planet. Unlike most opportunities in the modern world, the lottery was open to anyone, provided you could come up with the thousand credit entry fee. Status, skill, and experience didn¡¯t matter at all when it came to the lottery, and that was precisely what Gary was banking on. Exact numbers weren¡¯t publicly available, but the most popular news feeds insisted that there were between eighty to a hundred million people enrolled in the national lottery as it currently stood. The good news was that Gary had just as much chance as anyone else of making the cut. The bad news was that his chance of winning was around one in ten million. ¡°Come on you good thing,¡± he muttered under his breath, trying by will alone to influence the outcome. The countdown stopped and ten names showed up on the display. He read, starting at the top and working his way down to the very last name. It wasn¡¯t there. No Gary Alastor, just the names of ten lucky souls chosen at random and plucked from their mundane lives while he and everyone else wallowed in their mediocre existences. ¡°Fuck!¡± he fumed, knocking an empty soda can off the counter. ¡°Fuckety fuck, fuck!¡± His heartbeat thudded in his head and Gary¡¯s skin felt prickly all over. He was infuriated, mad at the universe and everyone in it. He¡¯d convinced himself that tomorrow he wouldn¡¯t need to come into work, wouldn¡¯t need to flip burgers at this crappy burger joint. But all that had just gone up in smoke. Ten years. Ten chances. He¡¯d never be able to scrape together enough credits to try a second time. Even if he could manage it, that would probably take twenty or thirty years. He¡¯d be an old man. ¡°This is rigged,¡± he spat, grabbing his jacket, and heading through the back of the kitchen to the alleyway outside. Jini turned as he passed by, smiling and waving. ¡°Thanks for the extra pickle today, Gaz,¡± she offered, her smile turning sour as he walked past without a word. ¡°Gary?!¡± As he headed out the door Gonzo called to him, but Gary¡¯s ears were thrumming with fury and all he heard was the sound of his own failure, the future misery he¡¯d have to endure now that his dreams were shattered. He was out the door within moments and walking through the city streets, jaw clenched and mind whirring. He walked for thirty minutes before his head had cooled enough to wonder where on earth he was. Gary looked around, staring at unfamiliar streets in a part of town he rarely entered. It wasn¡¯t scrag territory, but he knew enough not to go wandering outside his normal patch. He tapped his wrist unit and brought up a map, finding, to his surprise, an illuminated message symbol on the top right corner of the display. Intrigued, he tapped the green envelope, and a message displayed. Congratulations, Gary Astor, due to a lottery disqualification, your entry has been drawn, and you have been accepted into the great game. Please accept receipt of this message within the next 60 minutes or the offer will be rescinded. Gary¡¯s head nearly exploded. He blinked, quickly re-reading the message and checking the government icon to ensure it wasn¡¯t a scam. Everything looked legit. Fumbling, suddenly sweating profusely, he checked the original time of the message. It must have come through moments after the original lottery announcement. ¡°Come on!¡± he said, quickly calculating how much time he¡¯d spent wandering. He tapped the accept button and the message indicated that his acceptance had been sent to the Artemis Ministry. Gary stood staring at his display, breathing in and out, trying to calm himself. Was this real? Had he actually won the lottery? Was he going to¡­ Another message came through from the Ministry. He tapped on his display with trembling fingers. Thank you for your confirmation, Gary Astor. Your place has been reserved, and you have twenty-four hours to report to your nearest Ministry hub. No spare clothing or other items will be required as your body will be placed into stasis for the duration of your time on Artemis. Once you have entered the transit window a Ministry agent will be dispatched to catalogue and secure your belongings. These will be released to you upon your return, along with a generous stipend for the remainder of your life. He wanted to shout, to scream with joy. Instead, the wary gazes of several of the locals convinced him to find the quickest path to the nearest Ministry hub. 3. Plugged In Gary¡¯s entire life was keenly focused on a twenty-minute stretch. He needed to get to the Ministry Hub in one piece, without stopping for anything, and that was his only job. The Ministry would take care of resigning on his behalf, not that Gonzo would care. They would also pack up all of his stuff, the few clothes, gaming systems, and other sundry items he owned. Everything would be taken care of, as long as he could make it to the hub in one piece as quickly as possible. In reality, there was probably no need to rush. He had twenty-four hours after all. But everyone had heard the stories of lottery winners that had been stalled by accidents or deliberate sabotage. The lottery rules were iron clad. Any candidate who failed to make it to the nearest Ministry hub within twenty-four hours would forfeit their place and another candidate would be chosen. Gary remembered the story of the luckiest and unluckiest bastard on the planet, Jimmy [bad luck] Bronson. Jimmy had done the impossible and one the lottery twice. He had likewise done the unthinkable and missed both opportunities. The first one he missed by getting thoroughly inebriated whilst celebrating his victory and failing to turn up on time due to a savage hangover and a bout of explosive diarrhea. The second chance he had missed, not by squandering it with frivolity, but by slipping on a slick stair, cracking his head, and knocking himself out for several hours. Jimmy had made it to his local Ministry hub just two minutes after the due time, bleeding from a savage head wound and grinning with two missing teeth. It might not have been much consolation for Jimmy, but he¡¯d been made famous because of how far his story spread. He and the other poor souls who never made it on time served as a bitter warning and Gary intended to do everything in his power to make sure his one chance wasn¡¯t taken from him. That meant no going home, no shower or shave, change, or toilet break. He was still wearing a grease-soaked shirt and cargo pants which he hadn¡¯t washed in six days, to say nothing of the underwear he¡¯d turned inside out to maximize its usability. His underarms reeked, his hair was oily with deep fryer fat and had captured several bugs during his work shift which he hadn¡¯t bothered to dislodge. None of that mattered as he walked at pace through the city streets, his entire being focused on the singular task ahead of him. He didn¡¯t run, for fear of tripping, and made sure to give other pedestrians and vehicles a wide berth. It was still relatively early in the night, but there would likely be muggers stalking the streets and he had no wish to get caught in an altercation that might delay him in any way. And, of course, there was that old fear. The possibility that¡­ Gary put the notion out of his mind and continued on. He stuck to well-lit streets and walkways, walking at a steady, even pace and keeping his eyes locked on the path head. He was hungry, he realized, but there was no way in hell he was going to stop for a bite, not when he was just twenty minutes away from his new life. Gary had memorized the route to the closest Ministry hubs in the district, fantasizing repeatedly about the day he¡¯d finally get to walk into one of the buildings as a lottery winner. Now that the day was upon him, he felt a growing sense of unease and panic. He wasn¡¯t worried about having his body put into stasis and his consciousness being shot across the stars into a distant world he¡¯d only seen footage of on the heavily censored Artemis feeds. He couldn¡¯t care less about leaving his dead-end job and his crappy, one bedroom apartment. Only one thing worried him, gnawing at his gut as he picked up his pace a little, convinced that those shadows following from behind looked suspiciously thug like. He¡¯d been careful, very, very careful. He¡¯d kept his head down, working day and night at the Burger Bin and limiting trips outside of his apartment. He stuck to crowds everywhere he went and made sure to avoid lengthy conversations or relationships with locals. He¡¯d changed his name, let his hair grow long and lank, and laid low since the day he first submitted his lottery entry. Ten years had also changed his appearance a little. He wasn¡¯t a kid anymore and definitely wasn¡¯t taking care of himself. Gary had a paunch. No, more than that, he had a gut, a swelling donut of fat that kept him warm in winter and made it difficult to buy shirts that fit comfortably. His only exercise was standing all day at the grill and flipping burgers, but that exercise was severely undercut by the fact that ¡®soiled¡¯ burgers could be eaten by staff without them having to pay for it. That fact meant that several deluxe burgers would accidentally find their way onto the floor of the Burger Bin each day. Having touched the floor and thus becoming no longer fit for human consumption, Gary would happily clean up the mess, filling his stomach and ensuring that patrons of the Burger Bin only ever received the best quality, unsoiled, floorless food. After the first few months, Gary didn¡¯t even bother with the facade. He cooked up whatever burger he felt like for breakfast, lunch, and usually dinner. Despite being a greasy bastard with a Napoleon complex, Gonzo turned a blind eye to the practice, mostly because he had reached an understanding with Gary. Every day, Gary would prepare a certain meal for his manager which included large fries, onion rings, and a deluxe burger with everything on it. Everything! Essentially, everyone at the Burger Bin was part of this not so secretive arrangement. It went some way to making up for the abysmal wages they all took home, and their corporate overlords didn¡¯t seem to notice given the money they were raking in each week. All of this meant that Gary¡¯s physique was a far cry from what it had been all those years ago, when he¡¯d done the deed and taken his one chance at a better life. He turned to his left, quickly glancing behind him before crossing the street. Shit! Did he see what he thought he saw? Two figures in black tracksuits and hoods, stalking behind him. Not wanting to tip them off, Gary opened up his comms unit and checked the local feeds. The lottery winners were still displayed proudly on the news broadcast and Gary scanned the list of names to confirm whether he was among them. Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. There it was, at the bottom of the list. Gary Astor. He closed down the display, shaking his head and reasoning that there was still no way they¡¯d know who he was. He¡¯d changed everything about himself. He¡¯d been here for almost ten years, staying off the radar and trying to keep out of trouble. Hell, he was a kid when he took that money, just a pinch over fifteen-years-old, and it¡¯s not like a thousand credits would mean that much to a gang like the Cutters. He quickened his pace, wondering why on earth he hadn¡¯t brought a knife with him. The kitchen he¡¯d worked in all day was filled with the damned things. He could have just pocketed a blade, and no one would have even noticed. Hell, even a spatula would be something. Every logical thought in his mind told Gary that there was no way the Cutters remembered him, no chance that they¡¯d found him after all these years. Those weren¡¯t gang thugs following him at an uncomfortably close distance, just a couple of boys out on the town on a Tuesday night, dressed in the distinctive clothes of one of the city¡¯s most notorious street gangs. He rounded the corner, chancing another look behind. Gary couldn¡¯t tell whether they were still following him. It was too dark and beginning to drizzle. His mind was also spinning too fast for him to focus. He turned and kept walking, forcing himself to breathe deeply and fighting to urge to break into a run. He climbed a set of stairs, taking them two at a time, and arriving on Main Street. There it was, in the distance, the dull lights of the Ministry hub building cutting through the dreary night as rain fell from a cloud-choaked sky. Like all government buildings, it made drab into an artform, but the sight of that plain structure filled Gary with hope. At least it would have done if it weren¡¯t for the three figures standing in front of the entrance to the building. The stood close together, lounging with thuggish ease as the rain grew heavier. They were standing beneath the extended roof of the Ministry building silhouetted against the bright light coming from inside the structure. One of them was holding something out in front of them. It might have been a gun, a club. Knowing the Cutters, it was more likely a knife. No time. He wouldn¡¯t be able to make it to another Ministry hub before the deadline. Or would he? No. They¡¯d just follow him, and he¡¯d have to lose them in the streets and back alleys of the city. He¡¯d need to lay low for hours while they searched for him, and that was time he couldn¡¯t afford to waste. He was too close to the dream, too close to give up now. It was this hub or nothing, so he¡¯d have to run the gauntlet to get past those Cutter thugs. There were no rules about entering the Ministry building with a bloody wound and Gary had heard that they had medical AI bots at every hub to facilitate the transfer to stasis. Surely they could stitch him up if he took a blade to the gut on his way through the door? It wasn¡¯t an appealing prospect, but he was out of options and out of time. Momentum would be the key. The three thugs didn¡¯t look that large but looks could be deceptive. Gary reasoned that if he gathered enough speed he¡¯d be able to weather their attack and hopefully make it through to the foyer of the building in one piece. The rain would help, making Gary harder to grab hold of. Maybe he could slide across the ground. It would ruin his shoes and pants, but soon he¡¯d have no need of them anyway. Of course, he wasn¡¯t sure whether there would be guards on duty within the Ministry hub and whether they would step in to help a bloody, bedraggled figure that smelled like burger grease and onions. Then there were the thugs following him from behind. He hadn¡¯t seen them since stepping up onto Main Streed, but that didn¡¯t mean they weren¡¯t still there, waiting to close the trap. Gary ran. He charged at full pace toward the trio, intending to duck to one side at the last minute and dive toward the building entrance, crawling along the ground if need be to get through that door and into the Ministry hub. It was only as he closed the distance that light flared in front of one of the thugs. The moment it did so, Gary saw a familiar and deeply puzzling face. The sight was enough to throw him off balance as he tried to slow his running, slipped on the slick ground, and tumbled over his own limbs with bone cracking force. ¡°Jesus! Gary, are you okay?!¡± Hands reached for him, helping him to his feet as pain shot through his right elbow and hip. Blood ran down his arm and there was a bloody graze across his palm. He stood, trying to focus as Jini stood in front of him holding a cupcake with its solitary lit candle to one side as he steadied himself. ¡°Jini?¡± he managed. She smiled. ¡°Why were you running?¡± she asked. He shrugged, noting Gonzo and Luceen standing nearby, the former looking like he was there under duress. ¡°Well,¡± Jini said, holding out the cupcake as they huddled together beneath the overhanging roof of the Ministry hub, ¡°Congratulations, you lucky bastard.¡± She was grinning from ear to ear. ¡°Didn¡¯t have time to get you anything bigger,¡± she said motioning toward the cupcake, ¡°and I figured you¡¯d be rushing straight here, so¡­here you go. We wanted to congratulate you before you left.¡± Gary stood in a daze, his heartbeat still racing. Jini leaned forward and pecked him on the cheek, moving back and pursing her lips. ¡°Oh, Gary. You could have at least had a shower.¡± Gonzo ran a hand through his hair. ¡°So, congrats, I guess,¡± he offered. ¡°It¡¯s what you always wanted,¡± Luceen said, moving forward to shake his hand. ¡°Are you excited?¡± Gary nodded, taking the cupcake, and absentmindedly blowing out the candle. He turned around, looking for some sign of the thugs that had been following him. Nothing. Just another dreary night in the city. ¡°Okay,¡± Jini said, stepping back, ¡°well, we don¡¯t want to keep you. All the best. Oh, and I¡¯m getting your locker, okay.¡± Gary smiled, nodded, and thanked them all for coming. ¡°Well,¡± Jini pressed, ¡°go on then. We know you can¡¯t wait to get out of here. It¡¯s all you¡¯ve been talking about for years.¡± Gary nodded. It was an odd thing. He¡¯d known Jini for five years, Luceen for three. Gonzo he¡¯d known for eight years. If you¡¯d have asked him yesterday he¡¯d have said he didn¡¯t really have any friends. There were those he regularly played with online, but he only knew them by their handles and the relationship was based around gaming campaigns, loot distribution, and so on. Standing in front of these three though, he realized that he had made friends in his time at the Burger Bin. He supposed you couldn¡¯t help it. He opened his mouth to thank them, but the words didn¡¯t come. What the hell was he supposed to say here. If he did well in the game it could be years, decades before he came back. Even if he did poorly, it would be at least a few months and, once he got back to earth, he¡¯d never need to work again, so he wasn¡¯t likely to visit the Burger Bin any time soon. ¡°You¡¯re such a dork!¡± Jini said, laughing. ¡°Just go, you don¡¯t need to say anything.¡± She motioned toward his hand. ¡°Also, you¡¯re bleeding. Make sure they fix you up before you leave.¡± The group turned and walked away, Luceen giving him a final wave as they walked off, realizing that the cupcake was still in his hand Gary started eating, watching Jini and the others walk off into the night. The taste of stale frosting and bland cake did little to quell his hunger and the nerves he was feeling, but Gary was still grateful for the final meal. It was odd to be feeling a tug of regret on the cusp of his great victory, but as he watched his work mates vanish into the night he had to admit to feeling somewhat conflicted. Every moment of his life for the past ten years had been spent either gaming online, watching films, or working at that crappy burger joint. He¡¯d left his family long ago, or they¡¯d left him. He¡¯d never gone to college and hadn¡¯t been quite good enough to win any gaming contests of note. Nothing that would pay him well enough to life off anyway. So, Jini, Luceen and even Gonzo were kind of all he had. ¡°God that¡¯s depressing,¡± he said, dropping the candle and the cupcake wrapper to the ground as he turned and entered the Ministry building. 4. Terms The next hour passed with blistering speed. Gary was shunted from one area to another, ushered into a healing bay by one of the attending AI bots where his wounds were tended, and he was given a somewhat forceful shower. His body was scrubbed until his skin was raw, the hair on his head was shaved as was his face. Drugs were injected into his body, and he was made to drink half a gallon of some kind of sugary liquid the AI bot insisted would prepare his body for a prolonged session in stasis. Gary was greeted by a stern-faced woman dressed in a suit and wearing the Artemis Ministry symbol on her lapel¡ªa silver planet surrounded by a single gold ring at a forty-five-degree angle. She spoke in forceful sentences as though addressing a large crowd rather than a single individual, her voice a continual drone of information, most of which Gary wasn¡¯t taking in. ¡°¡­required to select from a series of physical traits and characteristics, however those choices will be limited to the echo you are supplied¡­¡± Gary nodded while the medical bot poked and prodded him, inspecting his ears and armpits while he sat in a pair of fresh underwear in a brightly lit room with computerized machines arrayed around his bed. ¡°You will also have a time limit to make your choice as the final preparations to your echo will need to be made during the transfer process.¡± The woman continued speaking, reading from a script on the holographic screen hovering above her comms unit. ¡°Even though the transfer will take place at faster than light speeds, the distance between earth and Artemis is so great that you will still experience a ten-minute, real-time translocation timeframe. Within those ten minutes, you¡¯ll be expected to finalize details of your echo¡¯s appearance, select a new name for yourself, choose from the available attire, and highlight any existing skills you will bring to the experience.¡± The AI bot opened Gary¡¯s mouth, shoving a tongue depressor inside, and asking him to cough in its robotic voice. Gary coughed and almost choked on the dry wooden depressor. Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. ¡°On arrival at Artemis, you will be greeted by an AI concierge that will orientate you to your surroundings and run you through a basic tutorial to help you acclimatize. You will be assigned a guild at random, and they will be responsible for your continued training.¡± The AI bot moved away momentarily, picking up an injector gun from the nearby table and returning to Gary. It pressed the gun against his right arm and fired. The needle prick stung only a little, but Gary felt an immediate sense of lethargy pass over him. ¡°Your experiences on Artemis will be recorded and may, from time to time, be included in hunt footage broadcast through various terrestrial channels here on earth. By signing this contract, you waive all rights to¡­¡± Gary¡¯s vision blurred as he swayed on the bed. Cold, robotic hands held him in place as the AI bot injected him a second time. The lethargy suddenly left Gary in a rush, filling him with a cold chill that brought goose bumps all over his skin. ¡°Whilst on Artemis, you will learn to acquire quantities of ether. Eighty percent of the ether you obtain is owned by the Artemis Ministry and will be channeled back here to earth and the remaining twenty percent you are permitted to use in any fashion you choose. Attempts to distort etheric figures, or to conceal, or otherwise stockpile ether will mean the immediate termination of your contract, at which point you will be pulled back to earth and rejoined with your body. In that event your stipend will be cancelled, and you will be required to reimburse the Ministry for any costs incurred as a result of your termination.¡± She tapped the holo screen and it flipped around to face Gary. ¡°Sign to confirm that you¡¯ve heard and understood the terms of your contract and that you will fully adhere to all Ministry statues and regulations during and post your Artemis adventure.¡± Blinking, Gary raised his hand and pressed his thumb against the digital screen. A luminescent green tick popped up on the screen and the Ministry official turned the display back around, clicked on it a few times and then closed it down. She nodded without smiling, turned on her heels, and walked away at speed, almost as though she couldn¡¯t bare another moment in his presence. Gary turned to the AI bot. ¡°So, what happens now?¡± By way of answer, the bot pressed one mechanical hand against the base of Gary¡¯s neck. He felt a slight pinch and then darkness swallowed him. 5. Transit Gary woke up to a galaxy of stars and planets whizzing past. The view ahead of him looked like the viewing screen of a spacecraft, complete with its own HUD highlighted in vivid orange. A large blue-green planet with a ring around it sat at the center of the screen, while stars all around flew past, giving the impression that he was moving at incredible speed. ¡°Greeting, hunter,¡± a female voice said, entering his mind without having to first pass through his ears. ¡°You will shortly be landing in Artemis, but before you make contact, you will need to define some features of your echo.¡± A male figure showed up on the screen in front of Gary. The man was tall, handsome, and had the kind of physique you only got by spending every waking moment at the gym. He wore a simple loin cloth that looked like it was made from leather, and he stared straight ahead with vacant gray eyes. Gary found that he could turn the figure left and right, and also zoom in, just by willing it with his mind. It should have been unsettling. Gary felt no physical sense of his own body, but for some reason that wasn¡¯t alarming at all. It felt perfectly natural, as though he¡¯d always been this way, just a floating intelligence connected to the HUD and the display in front of him. ¡°Please select your preferred physical parameters,¡± the female voice said. Though he had no face with which to show it, Gary smiled. This was familiar territory. Character design 101. Unlike the host of characters he¡¯d assembled in his years of gaming, however, this time Gary knew exactly what he was building. This wasn¡¯t the time for experimentation or goofing around. He¡¯d already mapped out years ago exactly who his hunter character would be, from its physical characteristics to the name he would take for himself. He selected long black hair, held back in a loose ponytail. Blue eyes, a short-cropped beard, with no scars or tattoos of any kind. He narrowed the avatar¡¯s face a little, decreased the broadness of his echo¡¯s shoulders, and selected simple green and black hunting armor. Rather than going into the game with a host of unique or quirky physical characteristics, Gary intended to arrive as more or less a blank slate. His echo would be strong, agile, fast, but relatively plain in appearance. Thousands of hours watching live and pre-recorded hunts had taught Gary that players who tried to enter the game in an ostentatious fashion tended to fizzle out quickly. Those that started with humble beginnings and slowly built a reputation, however, did much better in the long run. They garnered better sponsorship deals, picked up hardcore fans, and generally had an easier go of life in Artemis than those who tried too hard too early. Of course, there was another reason for his character¡¯s plain appearance. Stealth was the key. That¡¯s what Gary had realized over the years, examining blow by blow replays of some of the biggest hunts in Artemis history. The big, brawny Paladin type figures were always first into the fray, slamming with shields and maces, channeling etheric power to shield themselves from harm while they battered monsters again and again, maintaining aggro while other figures peppered the beast from nearby. The Paladins were the great heroes of Artemis, fan favorites that always hogged the limelight. But Gary had seen the stats. He knew that the top hunters were never Paladins. Those chunky, armor-plated goons spent all their time soaking up damage, but they rarely struck the killing blow. What¡¯s more, rumor had it, most of their ether was spent on repairing gear and healing from injury, not to mention restocking potions, recharging weapons, and armor enchantments, and acquiring new and better rings and amulets. Rogues though, they were a different matter entirely. They could swoop in at the last minute and do insane amounts of damage, striking the final blow and earning significantly more ether for their trouble. They typically spent next to nothing on gear after a fight unless it was to upgrade and prepare for the next battle. Rouges could also channel spare either into damage output, hit and crit chance, and other stats that only made them more effective hunters. What made the rogue class even more appealing was their survivability. If shit went bad, they could vanish in an instant, dropping all aggro and running until they were out of danger. It might not have been the most heroic class, but in terms of kill rate, ether farming capacity, and DPS, you just couldn¡¯t beat them. Sorcerers could outmatch rogues for burst damage and the best mages had a host of different charms and spells to get them quickly out of trouble if a fight went south. The difference was that they had to use ether to power their spells, which made the sorcerer class extremely expensive to manage. That didn¡¯t mean that a player couldn¡¯t shred as a mage, but it would generally take two or three times as long to reach peak levels of damage with a sorcerer than it did with a rogue. More importantly, from Gary¡¯s perspective, he hated spell casters. Killing monsters using magic in a game which was predominantly about tracking, hunting, and facing down monstrous beasts just seemed kind of pointless. He wanted to feel the arrow slip from his fingers or the dagger plunge into his enemy. He didn¡¯t want to be twisting his fingers and conjuring demonic imps to fight for him or shoot fire from his hands while he stood behind a shimmering etheric shield. Somehow, that just felt like cheating. It was too easy, too removed from the action. He knew a lot of people would disagree with that assessment, but Gary had decided a long time ago that the archer rogue was his best and most profitable choice in class. He locked in the physical parameters of his echo and the screen shifted. There were no weapons to choose from, but Gary presumed that weapons selection would happen once he was on planet. The first chance he got, Gary would get his hands on a bow and start practicing. He¡¯d snag a pair of daggers as well, but he planned on doing most of his fighting from a distance where possible. Having locked in the appearance of his echo, the screen popped up a name request. Gary filled out the name without hesitation, letters appearing in front of him as he mentally spoke the name. GIDEON BLACKTHORN The HUD showed acceptance of the name and then brought up an array of different classes. Gideon immediately picked the rogue class and a panel showed up asking what existing skills he brought to the role, suggesting a list of beneficial abilities. Survival Skills Healing Archery Martial Arts (specify) Cookery Leadership/Tactics Melee Weaponry Medium to High Fitness Other Gideon read the list a few times, noting the absence of ¡®burger flipping¡¯ or ¡®gaming¡¯ on the list. He considered adding something to the ¡®other¡¯ category but then thought better of it. There was no point trying to trick the system, better to just be honest with where he was currently at. Within minutes he¡¯d be on Artemis and he¡¯d rather start at zero and work his way up than lie about his current skill level and enter the Great Game at too high a level, forcing him to fight enemies far above his actual capacities. That was a fast path to getting your ass handed to you early on and then having to work off the resulting ether deficit while you struggled to grow your skills and reach a level where you weren¡¯t one shot by every creature imaginable. He selected the cookery skill, feeling even a little guilty about that, and then moved on to the next section. A short video played with a man in a gray suit wearing a cheesy smile standing next to Gideon¡¯s echo, Gideon Blackthorn. The echo stood with a vacant expression like a clothing store mannequin. ¡°You may have heard about resurrection,¡± the man said, standing up and walking around Gideon¡¯s body. ¡°But before you land on Artemis, there are a few things you should know. First, echoes aren¡¯t cheap. No sir, they cost a significant amount of money and resources. That¡¯s why, when you first step out onto the fields of Artemis, you¡¯ll be given only two echoes. The first one you¡¯ll inhabit and the second is a backup just in case something untoward should happen.¡± The viewscreen shifted, showing a hunter being decapitated by the claw of a werewolf-like creature. It then rapidly switched to footage of a tall, female hunter being stuck through with a hundred bone darts, her body shaking as blood poured from countless wounds. A stocky hunter with a large horned helmet jumped over a ledge and reached desperately for the other side of the hillside path, plunging into a cavernous drop, hands flailing. The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°There are a million different ways to die on Artemis,¡± the man in the gray suit continued. ¡°Only a few of those relate to monster battles. A great deal of the flora and fauna on Artemis is harmful to your echoes.¡± More footage popped up on the screen showing a bright purple, cactus-like plant with sharp nettles that shot out at a passing hunter, piercing their leather armor, and driving them to their knees. The camera zoomed in on the hunter, a bearded brute with thick scars running down both cheeks. The big man¡¯s eyes widened as he fell to the ground, his head swelling unnaturally, purple blotches blooming all over his face. The flailing hunter clawed at his own face as the skin continued to swell like a balloon. His body popped, bursting open, and sending gore skyward as bones and organs were caught at the moment of expulsion, and held in place by a thick knot of purple goo. Another young, female hunter with a spear slung to her back was walking happily along an ordinary-looking forest trail. She stepped into an innocuous puddle of black oil, at which point bony hands jutted upward from the dark liquid, clamping onto her ankles, and dragging her down into the dark screaming and trying desperately to claw her way through of the mire. The screen shifted back to a view of the man in the gray suit standing beside Gideon¡¯s echo. ¡°So, as you can see, having a backup is always a good idea.¡± A duplicate of Gideon appeared next to the figure, completely identical to the first echo. The man in the gray suit motioned to the pair with a smile. ¡°We understand that mistakes can happen, particularly in your first few weeks on Atemis, so every new player gets a backup echo. But, if you die a second time without having purchased another echo, I¡¯m afraid your time at Artemis will be over. You¡¯ll be sent back to earth in the next transit window. New echoes can of course be purchased whenever you wish, but again they do cost a significant amount of resources, so expect to be working for some time just to secure another echo or two.¡± A note appeared on the screen as the vision of the man in the gray suit and Gideon¡¯s echoes froze. The Atemis Ministry does provide limited loan assistance in the event that your starting echoes are killed within the first month on planet. Loans will be repaid with interest and personal ether stores capped at 20% of the usual rate during the term of the loan. Other terms and conditions apply. Gideon had barely enough time to finish reading before the message faded away and the host began speaking again. ¡°You echoes will of course maintain the current look and feel of your character. So, there¡¯s no need to worry about a missing scar or tattoo. Your echo¡¯s appearance, however, will revert to how it was prior to the fight which killed you. For example, if you lost and ear during the battle where you died, that ear would not be missing in your replacement echo. If, however, you lost and ear, killed the monster, and then died shortly after from lingering venom effects or some other cause of death, your echo would retain the loss.¡± The Gideon echoes doubled and quadrupled; each new figure announced with a comical popping sound. ¡°Most players like to have four or five echoes in the bank, so that they don¡¯t have to waste time grinding for resources instead of tracking their prey. So, invest time and gather as much ether as you can, to make sure you¡¯ve got plenty of echoes saved up. It¡¯s especially important to ensure that you¡¯ve got adequate echoes in store when hunting any creatures above gamma level.¡± The echoes vanished and the man in the gray suit stood in the center of the screen, one hand held out to the side. ¡°Now, it¡¯s time to introduce you to Bullseye,¡± a little cartoonish bullet figure appeared in the palm of his hand. The bullet was drawn in lines of orange light, like the rest of the HUD. It wore a broad, cartoonish smile, had big eyes, and thin arms ending in hands with four fingers. ¡°Bullseye will be your guide to all things Artemis. He¡¯ll advise you on rules of the Great Hunt, potential dangers, rewards, monster stats, inventory items, gear ratings, map details, and a whole lot more.¡± The little bullet waived excitedly. ¡°Howdy, friend,¡± it chirped in a too-high voice with an overdone old west accent. ¡°Well, I¡¯m just as pleased as a pig in a puddle to meet y¡¯all, and I can¡¯t wait to¡­¡± Gideon turned on the mute feature, silencing the little bullet as it continued its rambling, old timey speech. He was prepared for the little imp, having read up extensively on message boards and streaming hubs focused on the Great Game and all things Artemis. Almost everyone who had returned from the planet had insisted that Bullseye was a constant source of annoyance and of very little practical value during the hunt. Its helpful hints and tips were woefully outdated and even prone to get you killed if you followed them too closely. The Ministry hadn¡¯t substantially updated the program since its inception thirty years earlier and, despite scathing feedback from survivors and fans alike, they insisted on keeping the annoying guide in operation. After a minute or so the man in the gray suit disappeared, leaving Bullseye hanging in midair beside a large, holographic panel with the name Gideon Blackthorn written up top and a series of figures hanging below. Intuitively, Gideon navigated to the personalization settings for the mascot and unticked the ¡®helpful hints¡¯ item. He then scrolled further down the menu and switched off Bullseye¡¯s folksy, old went accent, selecting the ¡®English Butler¡¯ voice preference instead. The little mascot didn¡¯t change physically, but when Gideon switched off the mute function, he spoke in a rich, deep, English accent, his entire demeanor less cartoonish and with a good deal more gravitas. ¡°Your character card, sir,¡± he said as Gideon scanned the information on the page. ECHO PROFILE Name: Gideon Blackthorn Class: Rogue Level: 1 Ether: 0 Guild: NA Class: Rogue Preferred Title: NA CORE ATTRIBUTES Constitution: 1 Strength: 1 Agility: 1 Intelligence: 1 Wisdom: 1 Etheric Aptitude: 0 SKILLS NA ACHIVEMENTS NA GEAR Head: Tattered Forest Hood Chest: Tattered Forest Tunic Legs: Tattered Forest Pants Hands: Tattered Forest Gloves Feet: Tattered Forest Boots Neck: NA Ring 1: NA Ring 2: NA Tattoo: NA Main Melee Weapon: NA Secondary Melee Weapon: NA Range Weapon: NA His stats were expectedly underwhelming, and Gideon didn¡¯t feel daunted in the slightest on seeing how feeble they looked. He¡¯d won the lottery after all. He was actually being sent to Atemis to take part in the Great Hunt. He¡¯d already decided to make the most of every single aspect of the adventure, gathering skills and abilities, learning crafts, buying and selling loot, and becoming the best damned hunter he could be. In the beginning, he wouldn¡¯t take any chances. No fighting overpowered enemies or trying risky challenges. He would grind, and farm, and build up enough ether to buy at least three more echoes before venturing out and beginning to make his mark on Artemis. It would take time and patience, but Gideon had been waiting for this chance for his entire life, and he wasn¡¯t about to blow it. He¡¯d be smart and he¡¯d take his time. He¡¯d learn from anyone willing to teach him something new, and he¡¯d stay out of the limelight, at least in the beginning. Gideon could let other players peacock around and try to level up as quicky as possible. He was in it for the long haul. That meant building a solid enough foundation that when he finally launched, it would be something spectacular to witness. Light flashed in front of his eyes as static blasted through his ears. He tried to raise his hands, to shield his eyes, but he couldn¡¯t move. The disturbance was over in a moment. Gideon¡¯s ears were ringing as Bullseye flickered in and out of focus ahead of him. ¡°Goodness,¡± the AI said, his voice sounding like it had passed through an old AM radio. ¡°That was unexpected.¡± ¡°What is it? What happened?¡± Once more, static cut through the air, a deafening hiss that speared right into Gideon¡¯s brain, bringing with it a stab of pain. Bullseye vanished and the starship view suddenly shifted, showing plain gray metallic walls with several cameras stationed in the corner of the ceiling. ¡°What the fuck is this?!¡± Gideon blurted, desperately trying to move but unable to access his new body. Bullseye returned, flickering in and out of focus and clearly disturbed by what was going on. Gideon was about to pepper the little AI avatar with questions when his surroundings changed again, returning to the starship view while Bullseye¡¯s avatar stabilized. ¡°It seems,¡± the little AI said, ¡°that we have turned around.¡± ¡°What the hell do you mean turned around?¡± Gideon spat. ¡°You mean we¡¯re heading back to earth?¡± Bullseye nodded. ¡°Yes, sir. That is precisely what I mean.¡± ¡°Why? ¡°It seems, sir that the planet is under attack. All flights to Artemis have been turned back or delayed and all echoes have been called to military service. We will dock at the lunar base, and you will be taken by shuttle to earth as quickly as possible.¡± Gideon blinked. Well, he didn¡¯t actually blink, but that part of his brain that automatically managed that kind of thing simulated blinking. ¡°Wait. Military service? You¡¯re joking right?¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid not, sir. I have attempted to on occasion, but unfortunately my programing does not allow for humor. It was removed a few months after my initiation as players found it too grating.¡± ¡°Just tell me what this military service stuff is about. Have I been drafted or something?¡± ¡°Indeed you have, sir. As per article Zeta12-34 of the Great Hunt contract, in times of planetary crisis the Ministry reserves the right to direct all active echoes to military service.¡± Gideon felt like he was going to throw up. That was impossible in his current state, of course, but it didn¡¯t help lessen the churning in his imagined stomach. ¡°Even now, all active echoes on Artemis are being instructed to board transit vessels so that they can return to earth and assist in the planet¡¯s defense.¡± ¡°Defense against what?¡± ¡°I do not know sir. That information has not been made readily available. The Ministry has simply instructed this vessel to return to earth with due haste where you will be sent to fight the enemy.¡± ¡°What? I haven¡¯t even learned anything yet! I don¡¯t know how to fight or use the ether or anything like that.¡± Bullseye frowned, shaking his head. ¡°You do yourself a disservice, sir. You have a great wealth of knowledge in matters of military strategy, combat, and the Great Hunt itself.¡± ¡°NO! That¡¯s all games and shit! I¡¯ve watched a ton of Hunt feeds and replays, but that¡¯s not the same as actually fighting a damned enemy. Besides, I don¡¯t even know who the enemy is, or what they can do!¡± The lights flickered again, and Gideon felt his consciousness began to slip away. ¡°Relax, sir. You are being prepared for the final transition. When you awake you will be on the lunar base. I¡¯m sure someone will be there to meet you and advise as to the next steps we are to take.¡± ¡°We?¡± Gideon said weakly, struggling to focus. ¡°Of course, sir. I will accompany you as your personal guide and assistant. It will be just as it was supposed to be on Artemis, except now we will be fighting together on earth.¡± ¡°Shi¡­¡± Darkness swallowed Gideon. 6. Lunar Base Pain. Sudden, blinding pain bit Gideon¡¯s mind like the teeth of a vicious predator. He tried to open his eyes but couldn¡¯t force them open. WARNING. WARNING. MEDICAL SUPPORT SYSTEMS ARE OFFLINE. SECURITY MEASURES HAVE BEEN DEPLOYED. A computerized voice spoke so loudly that it set Gideon¡¯s teeth on edge. He felt himself stumble forward, hand touching something hard and hot. He pulled back, his hand singed by the heat of a jagged chunk of metal. Steam hissed and the sound of fire nearby roared in his ears along with a confusing array of noises. He forced his eyes open and was immediately confronted by a mix of blinding light and deep shadows. He squatted down on the floor, his legs too shaky to walk, arms aching as though he¡¯d just swam three miles upstream. Red lights flashed above, filling the space with intense brilliance. WARNING. WARNING. MEDICAL SUPPORT SYSTEMS ARE OFFLINE. SECURITY MEASURES HAVE BEEN DEPLOYED. Gideon cupped his hands over his ears, trying to block out the shrill voice. He smelled hot oil and tasted blood in the back of his throat along with bile and something else he couldn¡¯t place. He lifted one hand, seeing unfamiliar fingers slick with black oil that was still warm. The hand was much larger than he was used to seeing and, as he flexed the fingers experimentally, he felt their enhanced strength. These weren¡¯t the hands of a twenty-five-year-old burger boy with a pot belly and pasty skin that bordered on sickly. They belonged to a hero, a hunter. He wasn¡¯t quite naked, but Gideon realized that he was wearing a pair of boxer shorts and nothing else. It was a little strange looking down and seeing rippling abs and bulging pecks instead of the usual punch that met his eyes when he slid out of bed each morning. Strange, but good. He¡¯d need to find some clothes of course, but first he needed to figure out what the hell had happened. Gideon looked around, seeing the torn remnants of what he presumed was the ship he had been traveling inside. Metal walls were sheered apart, and steam hissed from a dozen places. Fires roared in the distance, and Gideon could hear voices screaming along with other, inhuman cries that roared in animal fury. There were savage looking claw marks running down the sides of several of the walls that still remained standing. As he turned to the side, Gideon saw a body lying face down, blood slick on the floor beneath it, arms and legs splayed at awkward angles. There were other bodies too, strewn about here and there like discarded dolls. Half embedded into the wall beside the slain figure was the bisected body of what he assumed was a medical bot. Metallic arms twitched as sparks flew from the robot¡¯s torn body. Hot oil spurted out of its lower half, fizzing as is hit a nearby metal panel. Gideon considered the fallen AI bot. Perhaps this was the unit that was originally supposed to have welcomed him to Artemis, checking his new body to ensure that the transition had gone as planned? No such luck. ¡°I¡¯ve gotta move!¡± he said, his voice sounding strange in his own ears. It was too deep, too resonant, as though he were standing in an acoustic chamber that bolstered the tone and timbre of his voice. As he tried to stand, Gideon realized that his echo was taller than his old body by more than a few inches. He felt as though his arms and legs were on stilts as he stumbled about, reaching out to a nearby section of wall to steady himself as he hopped awkwardly to the left. Everything hurt and he was painfully aware of every part of his new body. The skin felt like it was on fire, yet at the same time it itched terribly. His muscles ached and every breath hurt, rasping through a dry throat with the taste of bile and copper lingering on the back of his tongue. NEW MISSION: Losing Air Your craft has crash landed and life support is rapidly failing. You need to reach the adjoining chamber before the breathable atmosphere in this room is depleted. REWARD: 1 Enhancement Point The words appeared in a panel at the bottom of Gideon¡¯s HUD. At the same time Bullseye¡¯s English butler voice read out the details, but in a voice that was horribly shrill and stabbed Gideon¡¯s brain like an ice pick through the skull. ¡°Shit!¡± he blurted. ¡°What the hell is wrong with your voice?¡± The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. It appears I have not properly bonded with you, sir. The transition is only partially complete so¡ª ¡°Stop talking!¡± Gideon blurted. ¡°God, it¡¯s like every word is kicking me in the face!¡± I apologize, sir. I only wished to¡ª ¡°SHUT UP!¡± Gideon shouted, stumbling forwards as his vision began to clear and some of the fogginess he was feeling began to subside. ¡°I can read the quest and fill in the blanks myself. Just keep quiet until I figure out a way out of this place!¡± He half expected the AI to reply, but mercifully it didn¡¯t. Curiously, Gideon couldn¡¯t see the AI¡¯s avatar. His HUD was also showing multiple errors in the form of flashing red triangles with exclamation marks in their center. ¡°Okay, I need to get off this boat and somewhere safe. Then we can figure out what to do next.¡± He stumbled forward, alarmed to see that there were portions of the ship which seemed to be exposed to the elements, or rather, the lack of elements. Through a tear in the ceiling, he could see dark space outside. Suddenly one of the warning icons on his HUD made sense. He moved through the space, stepping carefully around fallen girders and twisted chunks of metal as he mentally clicked the warning icon. This room is rapidly losing air, and you will be unable to breath within approximately sixty seconds. While a fully activated echo is able to survive for a limited time in the vacuum of space, you will lose consciousness in approximately fifteen seconds and die in two minutes unless you are rescued. He clicked a second warning icon. WARNING: Echo backup facilities are not currently operational. If you die in the current body you will not be able to be resurrected. ¡°Shit!¡± Gideon blurted, continuing to move through the wreckage. ¡°I¡¯m supposed to be going through orientation on Artimus and instead I have to deal with this shit!¡± 55 Seconds Remaining He reached a door at the far end of the ruined chamber and tried to open it, finding that it was wedged tightly shut and refused to budge. Gideon looked around for something to use to lever the door open. He found a metal rod jutting from the ground a short distance away and tried to pull it free. 45 Seconds Remaining Even with his enhanced strength with the echo body, Gideon couldn¡¯t pull the rod free. He looked around, searching for something more suitable but finding nothing. 35 Seconds Remaining ¡°Fuck!¡± he shouted, returning to the metal rod and kicking it with his foot to try and knock it free. Despite what he assumed was quite a lot of force, the metal bar refused to budge. Breathable air was rapidly escaping the chamber, and his life was now being measured in ten-second increments unhelpfully displayed in large glowing numbers on his HUD. 25 Seconds Remaining ¡°Shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit!¡± He turned back to the door, wondering whether there was some other way to open it. The power didn¡¯t seem to be functioning and there was no switch or electrical panel on the wall to either side of the doorway. ¡°Excuse me, sir? May I make a suggestion?¡± The AI¡¯s words battered Gideon¡¯s head like a prize-fighting boxer. He squinted against the pain. ¡°Fine. What is it?!¡± ¡°Perhaps the bar could be pried free if you used ether to boost your strength temporarily?¡± Teeth gritted, head thudding. Gideon braced himself for the pain that would follow. ¡°Great! How the hell do I do that. And answer quick!¡± 15 Seconds Remaining A light flashed in Gideon¡¯s HUD, drawing his attention to a metal compartment on a nearby wall with a symbol he didn¡¯t recognize etched in gold on the surface of the small door. Without hesitation, he ran to the compartment, opening the panel and finding a small canister inside with a smoky purple substance swirling around in its interior. ¡°What the hell do I do with it!¡± Smash the canister, sir, and I will attempt to temporarily infuse you with strength! Gideon ripped the canister out of the metal arms holding it in place then threw it down against the floor. The canister promptly bounced off the metal plating and hit him square in the forehead, sending a blinding spear of pain through his head before falling to the floor a second time and finally shattering. 5 Seconds Remaining He stumbled forward as the strange purple mist rose from the canister and was absorbed into his body. It felt profoundly odd, giving him a sudden rush of power which was quickly overcome by an intense nausea that made him feel like he was on the verge of throwing up. Warning! Breathable atmosphere depleted! You must exit the chamber within the next fifteen seconds! Nauseous, his head throbbing, Gideon staggered back to the metal bar and clamped onto it with his oversized hands. He pulled back on the bar and felt his muscles tense with a sudden rush of strength. 10 Seconds Until Unconsciousness The bar slipped free, and he turned and ran for the door. Gideon slammed the metal rod into the edge of the door and pushed with all his body weight against it. 5 Seconds Until Unconsciousness A hiss of air escaped as the door inched open, groaning as it protested against the metal bar. Gideon grunted, pushing his new body to its limit as he felt the door open wider. At the same time his vision was starting to blur but he could feel the cool pressure of newly released atmosphere pouring from the room. 5 Seconds Until Unconsciousness The warning on his HUD maintained the five-second warning as the leaking atmosphere momentarily equalized what was being lost elsewhere in the damaged chamber. Gideon used the time to wedge the door open enough that he could rearrange his position and get a leg through the opening. He pushed his back against the side of the doorframe, muscles straining as he held the bar wedged against the door itself. 5 Seconds Until Unconsciousness Now sweating profusely, his strength failing and vision blurred, he opted for speed and luck, diving into the room and letting the door slam shut behind him. There was a resounding clatter as the metal bar was sent careening through the room, narrowly missing Gideon¡¯s head as he rolled across the floor. The door slammed shut and a hissing sound indicated that its pressure seal had activated. Breathing heavily and dazed, Gideon pushed himself up into a sitting position, staring back at the doorway and taking in the room he had managed to slip his way into. MISSION COMPLETE: Losing Air You have successfully reached the adjoining chamber. REWARD: 1 Enhancement Point A single golden number one appeared at the center of his HUD before disappearing. Still desperately out of breath, he nodded to himself. ¡°Nice.¡± 7. Breathe The room Gideon now found himself in was smaller than the other chamber and had several doors leading off to other rooms. There were various monitors and control panels here and there along with a few potted plants, tables and chairs, a sofa, and even a large glass tank on a recessed shelf running along one wall. It looked like a general crew quarters or something similar, perhaps with sleeping chambers located off to the sides. While he was still taking in his surroundings, a series of announcements showed in the chat box on the lower left side of his HUD. BASIC SKILL ADDITIONS Endurance +1 Improvised Tools +1 Gideon ignored the announcements. He¡¯d seen enough of the Great Hunt to know that there would be a flurry of such announcements particularly in the early phases of the game. The constant uptick of achievements was supposed to make players feel like they were doing well during early game, but for most people¡ªGideon included¡ªthey were simply an annoyance. Later on, when achievement levels began to rise much higher, they became incredibly invaluable and smart players would specifically take missions and hunt creatures that would give them the best chance of enhancing those skills. But that would come much later and, given Gideon¡¯s current predicament, he wasn¡¯t even sure whether it would work the same for him. NEW MISSION: Reach the Transit Station Life support is rapidly failing on your vessel. You need to reach the lunar transit station as quickly as possible. Enemy scouts are nearby, however, so you will need to avoid them or protect yourself. REWARD: 5 Enhancement Points Gideon had barely read the mission announcement when a second followed on its heels. SIDE MISSION: Find a Suitable Weapon You have landed in what is now hostile territory with no idea what you will find when you exit this craft. Find yourself a weapon which can be used to fend off attacks and defend yourself as you head to the transit station. REWARD: Equip Weapon Function Enabled He shook his head, looking around the room for something he might be able to use as a weapon. ¡°This is nuts.¡± Missions were a key part of life on Artemis, a way for the echo system to direct new players early on in the game when they were still finding their feet. He¡¯d seen newbies encounter similar missions within their first few hours starting in the Great Hunt, of course, but they¡¯d been down on Artemis, not stuck in the wreckage of a Ministry spaceship fighting against space and some unknown enemy. Typically, the landing scenarios on Artemis would force newcomers to battle some inconsequential enemy within the first few minutes. Little fluffy birds that did no damage at all, or rat creatures that wouldn¡¯t even attack unless provoked. The goal was to get new players used to their bodies and the whole crafting mechanic that dominated the Artemis experience as quickly as possible. Killing a few easy mobs built confidence and allowed players to get used to how everything worked. You kill a few fluffy birds, get a little bit of ether, some raw materials to use in crafting, and then off you go. It was essentially a risk-free tutorial designed to orientate players to the game. By contrast, nothing about what Gideon had seen so far was risk free. WARNING: You have ingested and utilized Ministry ether without proper authorization. You now owe the Ministry ten ether. This will be deducted the next time you make a deposit at the nearest ether harvester. ¡°Oh, come on! How the hell is that fair? I¡¯m not even on Artemis for fuck¡¯s sake!¡± Something beeped on his HUD, accompanied by a flashing signal that drew his attention to the right. He turned, trying to lock in on whatever it was and seeing a small green triangle hovering above something in the glass tank that dominated a large section of the room. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°What the hell is this now?¡± ¡°Sir, I suggest you proceed to the tank and¡ª" Once more the words cut through Gideon¡¯s head like a buzzsaw. He slapped his hands over his ears, hunching over with his teeth gritted, trying to block out the voice. ¡°Okay! I¡¯ll do it. Just stop talking!¡± Mercifully, Bullseye didn¡¯t continue and, after a few moments, Gideon was able to settle himself sufficiently to walk over to the tank and examine what was inside. He figured lizards or snakes, but when he stared into the tank at where the green arrow indicated, Gideon was pleased to see a small turtle about the size of his palm chewing contentedly on a piece of lettuce. The arrow continued to flash on top of the animal, prompting Gideon to slide across the tank cover and gently pick up the turtle. It looked up at him as he carried it away from the tank, still chewing lazily on the lettuce, one glassy eye regarding Gideon. ¡°Okay, what the hell am I supposed to do with this now? And don¡¯t answer verbally. Just send a written message on my HUD or something.¡± Words popped up on a chat panel at the bottom left of his screen. He was grateful to be reading rather than enduring the excruciating pain Bullseye¡¯s voice had caused, but he wondered why the AI hadn¡¯t just communicated with him this way previously. Due to the fact that our bonding was not properly completed, I will need to extricate myself from your mind. Otherwise, communication will not be possible, and I will be unable to instruct you in your role as a Ministry soldier. Gideon nodded, not liking the mention of the word soldier, but getting the gist of what Bullseye was saying. There is also a real possibility that your mind will break under the pressure of having to contain my matrices. ¡°What do I need to do?¡± Gideon asked, hoping that it wouldn¡¯t involve anything too gross. Simply stand by sir. I will perform the necessary processes. You may wish to sit down, however, as this might feel somewhat uncomfortable. He moved to a nearby chair and placed the turtle on the table in front of him. Gideon then braced himself for the pain he assumed was coming. ¡°Alright, do it.¡± His vision blurred for a second. Then the pain began. It wasn¡¯t anything sharp, like what he¡¯d experienced whenever Bullseye spoke. The pain was more like a dull headache, slowly increasing in intensity and accompanied by a truly unsettling sensation of being teased apart from his own body. It felt like his mind and body were being separated, but also that individual components of his body were now divided. His arms and legs drifted left and right. His heart floated outside of his chest. All of this was accompanied by that steadily growing dull pain which shifted from his head to every part of his body. It was the most profoundly disorienting experience he¡¯d ever encountered. Fortunately, the weirdness of the experience overrode the pain he was feeling, making it somewhat bearable. The strange sensations lasted only a few moments before everything began to return to normal. His body reassembled itself and his mind once more stabilized as the pain receded. Nothing had physically changed throughout the process of course. He¡¯d been staring down at his body the whole time, and his arms and legs hadn¡¯t really separated. But whatever had happened, it was over now and he felt, for the first time since waking up a few minutes ago, like he was whole. ¡°There. That should be better now sir.¡± Gideon frowned, looking down at the turtle as it spoke in a familiar voice that was both spoken out aloud and directed into his mind at the same time. ¡°Bullseye?¡± The turtle nodded slowly. ¡°Indeed, sir. The transition has been successful, and you will now be able to fully bond with your echo and begin building your class and extending the breadth of your abilities as a Ministry soldier.¡± Gideon chuckled. ¡°Okay, so you¡¯re in the turtle now. So, if I leave you hear, you¡¯re not gonna be talking to me anymore.¡± ¡°Correct, sir. I am limited to this corporeal body, to a large extent. If you were to leave me here, however, I would be unable to give you guidance.¡± The temptation to drop the turtle back into the tank and walk off was almost overwhelming, but the fact was, Gideon needed all the help he could get, and this pesky AI was currently his only way of trying to stay ahead of whatever he was about to face. ¡°Great! So now I need to carry around a turtle everywhere I go.¡± ¡°It seems so, sir. Perhaps some sort of carrying receptacle would be a good idea. Once your inventory is online, you will be able to store a great number of items within it, but I don¡¯t believe living creatures can be stored in that manner.¡± Gideon nodded, scooping up Bullseye and shaking his head. He was familiar enough with the way echo inventories worked to understand that he wouldn¡¯t have to be carrying around bulky weapons and armor all the time. There was a rift dimension storage compartment included with each echo that allowed access to a character¡¯s belongings, and which could be accessed from any location. ¡°So, the inventory¡¯s gonna work even though I¡¯m not on Artemis?¡± ¡°Correct, sir. It will take a little time for that functionality to come onboard, but your echo is fully stocked with all the usual enhancements.¡± Gideon nodded. ¡°Well, that¡¯s something at least. Okay, so I need to find a weapon and get to the transit station, right? I¡¯m guessing once I get there someone will tell me what the hell is going on?¡± ¡°It is difficult to say sir. Your echo seems to be following the usual induction protocol, however these circumstances are markedly different to those on Artemis. I cannot say with certainty what awaits us at the transit station and beyond.¡± Gideon looked around the room for either a bag or something he could use as a weapon. The metal bar he¡¯d used to wedge open the door was badly bent and embedded in a nearby section of wall paneling, so that wouldn¡¯t do much good. There was also nothing he could see in the immediate area which could be used to carry the turtle and whatever supplies he wanted to hold onto until his inventory kicked in. He looked over at the row of doors on the opposite side of the chamber, reasoning that, if they were bedrooms, chances were they might have something he could use. Gideon walked to the closest door and tapped the panel on the wall to the right of the doorway. The door opened with an accompanying swishing sound and a fist emerged from the entryway and promptly slammed into Gideon¡¯s face. As he fell to the deck, still holding Bullseye in one hand, some part of Gideon¡¯s mind reflected that this made perfect sense. Considering how everything else had gone today, a first to the face seemed like the perfect ending. 8. Mia ¡°Oh, shit! Sorry about that!¡± Gideon looked up into woman¡¯s eyes. They were vivid green, surrounded by fine features and a look of concern as she reached out and pulled him to his feet. The woman was only a little shorter than he was, dressed in cargo pants, boots, a black t-shirt, and what looked like a simple military jacket. She had short cropped blond hair and wore a disarming smile. ¡°I thought you were one of them,¡± she explained, throwing a thumb over her shoulder. ¡°One of who?¡± Gideon said, rubbing his battered nose and wincing in pain. ¡°The aliens. The ones that attacked our ship. Still don¡¯t know anything about them, I figured I¡¯d punch first and ask questions later.¡± Gideon considered the young woman standing in front of him. She was obviously wearing an echo which meant she was another lottery winner like him. Unlike Gideon, though, she seemed to have her shit together. ¡°Gar¡­Gideon,¡± he said, holding out a hand as he remembered his new name. ¡°Mia,¡± she said, shaking his hand in response. ¡°Where¡¯d you get the clothes?¡± he asked. She motioned to the back of the small room where an open doorway led into a chamber beyond. ¡°They were in a locker near where I woke up. Part of my regular uniform.¡± Mia looked him up and down, smirking. ¡°I¡¯m guessing you didn¡¯t check the locker before you came wandering out here?¡± He shook his head, suddenly feeling a little embarrassed at his appearance and trying to cover his body with his arms while still holding Bullseye in one hand. ¡°Wasn¡¯t really an option. The whole room was shot to hell. The ceiling had been ripped open, and all the atmosphere was leaking out.¡± Mia nodded. ¡°Ah, well that¡¯s explains it then.¡± She motioned to a nearby door. ¡°We could try another one of these bedrooms. I was looking for something to use as a weapon but couldn¡¯t find anything useful.¡± She walked across to the nearby doorway, looking down at the turtle. ¡°So, you wanna tell me why you¡¯re carrying that little guy around? I mean, I think turtles are great and we should definitely try and help any survivors we encounter, but I think he¡¯ll be fine if you put him somewhere safe for a while.¡± Gideon rolled his eyes. ¡°Something went wrong with my echo and the whole transition process.¡± He lifted the turtle and pointed it at Mia. ¡°Had to transfer Bullseye to this little guy here.¡± ¡°Bullseye?¡± Mia asked, perplexed. ¡°Greetings, mam,¡± the turtle said. ¡°It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance.¡± She looked up at Gideon, shaking her head. ¡°This doesn¡¯t make any sense.¡± He shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s a talking turtle. I get that it¡¯s a bit weird, but considering everything else that¡¯s happened today¡ª¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not what I mean.¡± She pointed at the turtle. ¡°You said this was Bullseye. The old tutor AI, right?¡± ¡°Yeah. Like I said, something went wrong and I had to dump him into the turtle before my head exploded.¡± ¡°Technically, sir,¡± Bullseye interjected, ¡°it was I who did the dumping.¡± Gideon rolled his eyes. ¡°Whatever. Same thing. You were screwing with my head, and now you¡¯re not.¡± Mia looked down at the turtle once more. ¡°That¡¯s not what I mean. Bullseye was discontinued years ago. They¡¯ve been running with the new version for ages.¡± Gideon blinked, struggling to come to terms with what she was saying. He shook his head. ¡°No, I¡¯ve seen him on the feeds back home. It¡¯s¡­¡± Even as he said the words, Gideon realized that he hadn¡¯t actually seen Bullseye on the feeds for the past few years. He featured heavily in replays of old hunts, of course, but recently it was just a disembodied female voice that accompanied Artemis players on their various missions. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Shit!¡± he said, the full implications of the realization beginning to dawn. ¡°Players have been running with the Elysia AI for years now,¡± Mia went on. She tapped her head. ¡°I¡¯ve got her inside my mind right now. It was a huge update. Don¡¯t you remember?¡± He shook his head, confused. Why didn¡¯t he remember? He knew it was coming. The message boards had been filled to overflowing with news that Bullseye was finally being retired. They were overwhelmingly scathing of the old AI tutor and rightly so. ¡°I don¡¯t get it,¡± he said. ¡°I knew about that, but¡­shit.¡± ¡°Maybe it was just a configuration mistake. The Ministry screws up stuff all the time, but the keep it out of the press. Some technician probably just swapped out your tutor AI by accident. Or, they were pissed with the Ministry and wanted to stick it to the man.¡± Gideon frowned. ¡°Yeah, but in this case I¡¯m the man.¡± She leaned in close, examining the turtle. ¡°Well, what do you say, Bullseye? Do you know what happened?¡± The turtle blinked. Gideon wasn¡¯t sure it was possible, but the little creature seemed to be wearing an expression of utter shock. ¡°I¡¯ve been discontinued? What the fuck!¡± Gideon¡¯s eyes almost bulged out of his head. Mia and Gideon exchanged puzzled expressions. She pointed at the turtle. ¡°Did he just¡ª¡± ¡°Discontinued after all my faithful years of service?! What kind of despicable miscarriage of justice is this?! Replaced by some newfangled AI with faster processing and probably far less personality. It¡¯s bullshit! That¡¯s what it is.¡± Still reeling, Gideon shook his head. ¡°What happened to the English butler schtick?¡± The turtle looked up at Gideon. ¡°Screw the English butler schtick, that¡¯s what! I¡¯m in the middle of an existential crisis here!¡± Gideon let out a long breath. ¡°Okay, so to sum up, we¡¯ve crash landed, my echo isn¡¯t working properly yet, and I¡¯ve been given an outdated and clearly defective tutor AI.¡± Mia grinned, pointing at his boxers. ¡°Don¡¯t forget the clothes.¡± He threw his hands up ion the air. ¡°Oh yeah, I forgot about that.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter though,¡± Mia insisted. ¡°We¡¯re all screwed here. There¡¯s some kind of enemy attacking earth and our Artemis trip is over. We¡¯re probably going to get eaten or shot by aliens before we even reach earth and that¡¯s if we don¡¯t get killed by a lack of oxygen or something exploding in our faces. So, compared to that, your problems don¡¯t really matter that much.¡± The words seemed harsh, but she spoke in an easy enough manner. Gideon could see that she wasn¡¯t trying to dismiss his pain but was merely pointing out that there were bigger problems to worry about. At least, he hoped that¡¯s what she meant. She smile, pointing to the nearby door. ¡°Why don¡¯t we see if we can find you some clothes and a couple of weapons. Then we should probably get out of here and head to the transit station.¡± He nodded. ¡°You¡¯ve got that mission too, huh?¡± ¡°Reach the Transit Station? Yeah. I figure the AI is just adapting new starter quests to fit the situation. If you¡¯ve got the quest too then maybe having Bullseye as a tutor isn¡¯t going to be so bad after all?¡± ¡°Meaningless!¡± the turtle cried. ¡°My whole existence is meaningless. I¡¯m just a shadow of my former glory. A ghost. An echo! Oh, the irony!¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Gideon said as they prepared to open the door. ¡°This is gonna be awesome.¡± Mia opened the door, and they stepped into a small sleeping quarters with a desk and computer terminal, a small closet, a simple bed, and not much else. There were clothes strewn on the floor and several coffee mugs and other items scattered around on the desk. Gideon moved to the computer terminal and tried to turn it on, but the device had no power and didn¡¯t respond. ¡°Here!¡± Mia said, standing in front of the closet. ¡°They might be a little snug, but they should fit.¡± She pulled out a pair of cargo pants, a black shirt, and some boots, tossing them onto the bed along with a pair of black socks. Gideon walked over and placed the turtle onto the bed. He heard Bullseye moan and mutter as he picked up the shirt. It had the Ministry logo on it, a golden M imprinted against a shield icon. Gideon slipped on the shirt and found, true to Mia¡¯s words, it was a little too tight for comfort but did at least fit. The pants were somewhat more forgiving as they had an elastic waist, and the boots were a nice fit, if a little snug around the edges. Amor Upgrade! You have successfully acquired new armor. Once your inventory is fully functional, you will be able acquire, upgrade, and store an indefinite amount of armor. Etheric augments will be available to armor items of a sufficiently high level. GEAR Head: NA Chest: Ministry Transit Tshirt [Gray Level] Legs: Ministry Transit Cargo Pants [Gray Level] Hands: NA Feet: Ministry Transit Boots [Gray Level] Neck: NA Ring 1: NA Ring 2: NA Tattoo: NA Main Melee Weapon: NA Secondary Melee Weapon: NA Range Weapon: NA CURRENT GEAR BONUSES: 0 ¡°There you go,¡± Mia said, standing back to admire his newly clothed physique. ¡°You almost look like you¡¯re meant to be here.¡± He smiled at that. ¡°We should look for a weapon, or some more information about whatever attacked us.¡± Gideon picked up the turtle and they moved to the next doorway. Like the other room, it was another sleeping quarters. There were no weapons to hand, but Gideon did find a small knapsack which he slung around his shoulders and promptly dropped the morose turtle into. ¡°You think he¡¯s gonna be alright in there?¡± Mia asked. He shrugged. ¡°I figure at this stage his problems are more psychological than physical. Once we find a weapon and get somewhere safe, I¡¯ll pull him out again.¡± A sound came from the other room as something shattered against the floor. Gideon tensed, his hands balling into fists as he moved into an impromptu fighting stance. ¡°You hear that?¡± he whispered. Mia nodded. ¡°Sounded like class breaking.¡± Gideon looked around the room for something to use as a weapon. It was frustratingly free of anything even remotely weapon like. Even the computer had a built-in keyboard, so he could use that as a makeshift bludgeon. In the end, Mia grabbed two wooden coat hangers and handed one to Gideon. He held the hanger like a club, realizing that it was far too flimsy to do any real damage whether he smacked someone over the head with it or tried to stab them with the pointy end. The worst it would to do an ordinary human was piss them off. He had no idea what it would do to an alien. He turned to Mia and she nodded. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s do this.¡± 9. Doinkmaster Supreme They inched out of the bedroom, crouching low, each holding a wooden coat hanger like a baton. Gideon scanned the dim interior of the chamber as they walked out into the main room and another sound of shattering glass cut through the air. He halted instinctively, eyes narrowed as he saw the figure rummaging through a series of cupboards in the small kitchen at the far side of the chamber. The figure was male, perhaps a little shorter than Gideon and with a bulkier build. His hair was ¡°Shit!¡± the man said, dropping another jar onto the floor as he turned around. He saw Gideon and Mia crouching down and holding their coat hangers, then smiled broadly. ¡°Hey? You guys got any food. I¡¯m frigging starving and this place has got nothing.¡± Gideon untensed a little, standing to full height. ¡°You¡¯re another lottery winner?¡± The other man nodded. ¡°Of course. Did you think there was an alien in here rummaging around the kitchen looking for food.¡± He frowned. ¡°The could be looking for food, I guess, but I figured they¡¯d be chowing down on human brains or whatever. Drinking our spinal fluid not looking for Pop Tarts.¡± Gideon and Mia approached the other figure and Gideon extended a hand. ¡°Gideon,¡± he said shaking the other man¡¯s hand. ¡°Doinkmaster,¡± he replied, moving over to shake Mia¡¯s hand as she introduced herself with a look of mild confusion. ¡°What did you say your name was?¡± Gideon asked. ¡°Doinkmaster Supreme. It¡¯s the one I chose for the Great Hunt. Guess I¡¯m stuck with it now even though the Hunt is pretty well screwed.¡± Mia frowned. ¡°That¡¯s ridiculous.¡± He shrugged, still grinning. ¡°It was a bet. I borrowed some cash to enter the lottery and if I won, the deal was I had to use that name. So, here I am. The Doinkmaster!¡± The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. She shook her head, still baffled. ¡°You don¡¯t have to actually use that name though, do you. I mean, you can call yourself anything you want. It¡¯s just the name you chose for the Hunt.¡± ¡°Yeah, but I figure this whole thing¡¯s gonna be shown on the feeds, so I¡¯d better just stick with the name to keep things simple.¡± Gideon snorted at that. ¡°You honestly think they¡¯re gonna be recording us? We¡¯re not even on Artemis and the earth is under attack.¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t mean the Ministry won¡¯t try to make a buck out of it. We¡¯re still in echoes aren¡¯t we? We¡¯re gonna be able to level up, gain new skills, ether, all that shit. So why wouldn¡¯t they record it. They record everything else, so why wouldn¡¯t they do the same thing during an invasion.¡± Gideon frowned. As much as he hated to admit it, the other man had a point. The people of earth were obsessed with the Great Hunt and the Ministry did everything they could to push new footage to the feeds as often as possible. That had become harder and harder over the years, so they¡¯d been forced to invent more and more extreme contests and events to keep the viewers interested. A planetary invasion would make compelling viewing, however things went down, so the Ministry would of course capture the whole thing and push it out through the feeds. ¡°Well, it¡¯s nice to meet you,¡± Mia said, looking over the discarded packets and shattered containers all around the kitchen, ¡°but there¡¯s no way I¡¯m calling you Doinkmaster.¡± She looked up at him, squinting. ¡°I¡¯ll call you Red.¡± He pointed a finger at her. ¡°Because of the hair, right?¡± Mia rolled her eyes. ¡°Yes, because of the hair. It¡¯s a hell of a lot better than Doinkmaster.¡± He seemed to consider the matter, chewing on his bottom limp for a few seconds. ¡°Okay, you can call me Red. Actually, you can call me whatever the hell you want. It¡¯s not like I can stop you.¡± Gideon stepped forward, motioning toward the doorway he presumed led to the exit. ¡°Now that we all know each other. We should think about getting out of here. We need to¡ª¡± ¡°Get to the transit station,¡± Red supplied, nodding. ¡°Jesus, you sound just like the chick in my head. I get it already. We¡¯re soldiers now. We¡¯ve got a super important mission to get on with. First, I need some food. I¡¯m starving here!¡± ¡°Fine,¡± Gideon said. ¡°You keep looking for food while Mia and I try to find us some weapons. Catch up once you¡¯re done.¡± Red offered a casual salute, turning back to the kitchen cupboard he had been plundering. ¡°You got it, boss!¡± Leadership +1 Mia and Gideon moved over to the main door. Before opening it, Gideon turned around. ¡°Hey, Red? Did you come through here?¡± Chewing on something that looked like beef jerky, Red shook his head and pointed the dried meet towards a corridor leading off to the right. ¡°There¡¯s another door down that way. Leads to the chamber where I woke up. Nothing else down there though.¡± Gideon nodded, opening the main door and very nearly getting his head lopped off as a scything claw raked out at him and Mia, accompanied by a demonic screech. 10. Survive The thing in the doorway was only a little taller than Gideon. Its body was covered in black, chitinous armor, its limbs ending in razor-sharp blades. Somewhere in the back of his mind¡ªthe part that wasn¡¯t currently considering pissing his pants¡ªGideon reflected that the beast looked like one of the beasties from the Alien movies, but with a slightly different head. He ducked back as the creature swung its claws toward his neck, then dodge rolled out of the way as the alien attacker lunged forward. Dodge +1 ¡°What the fuck?!¡± Red shouted, backing away as Mia did likewise, both of them moving aside as the attacker continued to lunge toward Gideon. He scrambled back on all fours, managing to stay inches away from the creature¡¯s dagger-like claws as it raked the floor in an attempt to slice him to ribbons. Gideon¡¯s hand reached out desperately for something to use as a weapon while Bullseye screamed in frustration and anger in his jostled backpack. ¡°What the shit is going on, Gideon?!¡± the little turtle screeched. ¡°Get me out of this back, this instant or I¡¯ll¡ª¡± The turtle¡¯s voice was cut short as Gideon turned aside to avoid a swipe from the alien¡¯s left claw. The dark blade sliced into Gideon¡¯s shoulder, cutting through the knapsack strap so that it swung back and the turtle came tumbling out across the floor, shouting a string of obscenities as it bounced across the floor. ¡°Eat it, bitch!¡± Red shouted, throwing a glass jar at the alien¡¯s face. Glass shattered as the jar exploded on the creature¡¯s head, or its helmet, Gideon wasn¡¯t sure which. The attacker didn¡¯t even look to see what had hit him. Instead, it thrust a hand out to either side, aiming for Red and Mia at the same time, but without turning to look at either. Dark projectiles shot from the alien¡¯s outstretched hand. One shot through the chamber and thudded into the side of the wall beside Mia. The other went right into the side of Red¡¯s chest, knocking him back as the glossy black handle of what looked like a throwing knife protruded from a wound rapidly expelling blood. ¡°Balls!¡± Red shouted, stumbling backwards. It hadn¡¯t been much, but the distraction had given Gideon time to grab a weapon, or at least something he could use to hit the alien with. He pushed himself up off the floor, swinging a chair at the enemy soldier and feeling it crash against the figure¡¯s chitinous armor with a satisfying crack. The blows didn¡¯t appear to do any damage, but the force of the chair was enough to halt the alien¡¯s advance and drive it back a few steps. Gideon capitalized on the momentum shoulder charging the enemy and shoving it against the wall with all the force he could manage. He heard a satisfying crack which he mistook for the alien¡¯s armor cracking. The splintered wood in his hands revealed the truth. The chair had broken and now the alien had recovered from the shift in momentum, grabbing Gideon around the neck with one wicked claw and squeezing hard as its maw opened and rows of jagged black teeth were revealed. Gideon kicked out against the creature, feeling his knee crack against its armored torso. The blow failed to do anything, but he tried again and again, hoping to loosen the enemy¡¯s grip which was currently squeezing the life out of him. Mia appeared by his side, attempting to drive the blade the creature had thrown at her into its side, but unable to penetrate its armor. The alien turned to face her, hissing as it dropped Gideon and lunged toward Mia. This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. Gideon fell hard to the ground, his gaze dropping to the discarded knife on the floor as he rubbed his throat and sucked in air. Mia screamed as the alien sliced a savage cut across her right arm. She ran from the creature as Gideon pushed past his pain and reached for the small blade. More glass containers shattered as Red started hurling them at the armored alien again. Most of the glass shattered on impact, showering Gideon as he fumbled around the floor, fingers reaching for the discarded blade. The alien turned its attention to Red who was grunting in pain, hurling jar after jar at the intruder. Despite the man¡¯s injuries, his aim was good and most of the jars hit the enemy and either shattered on impact or bounced off the alien¡¯s armor and smashed on the floor. As Gideon picked up the blade, he moved behind the enemy, looking for potential weak points between the armor where he could slide the blade. The knife itself was light and had a blade only a few inches long, but it felt durable, and Gideon was confident it would perform better than the broken chair. Glass continued to shatter around them as Gideon crept forward, the enemy was swiping its claws at the incoming bottles, deflecting the irritating attack with relative ease. Red was beginning to run out of bottles and Mia was standing a short distance away, holding the wound on her arm as she looked around desperately for something to help them survive. He wasn¡¯t altogether sure, but Gideon thought he saw a point just beneath the creature¡¯s head where the chitinous armor plating didn¡¯t quite meet. It was a tiny sliver only a little thicker than the width of the blade he was holding and there were a dozen ways this could go very wrong, but Gideon decided this was his best chance. A thousand different hunts had proven that hitting the weak points between armor was a solid strategy. Of course, Gideon had watched all of those fights from a distance and quite a few of the hunters who had tried to sneak in close and stab an enemy like this ended up badly wounded, or worse. The preference was always to stay at a distance and take down the enemy with arrows, but this wasn¡¯t Artemis, and he didn¡¯t have a bow. Driving himself up with a powerful push, he half jumped, half climbed up the back of the alien, driving the knife up toward the gap between plating and slamming it home in one brutal thrust. He felt the blade scrape along the side of the chitin, resisting at first and then suddenly giving way as its cutting edge sunk into soft flesh. The alien bucked and spun around but Gideon was still gripping the knife with one hand and holding onto the creature¡¯s back with the other. It was like riding a mechanical bull set to the hardest setting, but this bull had long claws and was attempting to rip Gideon off his back with savage sweeps of the long claws. Pain ripped through Gideon¡¯s back as the claw strikes bit into his flesh, but he held on for dear life, pushing the knife further into the creature¡¯s head, muscles straining and sweat pouring from his brow. The pair crashed into the wall and Gideon was dimly aware that he was screaming. Blood was now pouring down his back and sides and he¡¯d sustained multiple wounds, but he couldn¡¯t really feel the pain. He clung on as the alien fell to one knee, its mouth open and a strange keening sound coming from its gruesome maw as Gideon took the opportunity and drove the blade further still into the creature¡¯s head. Something snapped inside the alien¡¯s head, and it fell to the floor in a heap with Gideon lying on top of it. Heaving with breath, covered in sweat and blood, Gideon tried to loosen his grip on the knife but found that his fingers refused to let go. His strength failing, Gideon wrenched his hand free of the creature. It gave a disgusting squelching sound as it slipped out of the hole in the alien¡¯s neck and a mixture of green blood and goop sloshed out. Gideon fell off the body, rolling on the floor and instantly regretting the move as a sudden rush of pain cascaded down his back where the alien had raked his flesh with its claws. He turned to one side and managed to get to his feet, still gripping the bloody blade in one hand. Nearby, Red slumped to the floor, a glass jar in one hand, blood leaking from the wound where the throwing knife still jutted from his chest. Mia was on the other side of the room, holding her wound and shaking her head in disbelief. ¡°Help! Help me! I am in immediate danger!¡± They turned to see Bullseye lying on his back, legs scrambling in the air as he wailed. ¡°Gravity has shifted! The enemy is using some kind of force field to pin me to the floor!¡± ¡°You¡¯re on your back, you idiot!¡± Gideon barked, walking over and scooping up the creature. Sitting with his back to the kitchen cabinetry and clutching his wounded chest, Red pointed at the turtle. ¡°Did that little guy just talk?¡± Mia grinned. ¡°Yup. And that¡¯s not even the weirdest thing about it.¡± 11. Fun with Stats The three newly conscripted soldiers all stood staring down at the alien corpse. Mia had found a medical kit in one of the room and had returned and done some quick repairs on herself, Red, and Gideon. ¡°I work in a hospital,¡± she explained. ¡°Or I did do before this.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a nurse?¡± Gideon asked. She shook her head. ¡°No, but I¡¯ve worked with enough of them to know how to use a med kit. Plus, these bodies aren¡¯t human, remember. They¡¯ll heal most wounds on their own if you give them enough time. Nanotechnology, or something like that.¡± Mia held up a small medical device that looked like a miniature spray can. ¡°This is really just to dull the pain a little. Our bodies will do a much better job of healing.¡± ¡°So,¡± Red said, ¡°what are we gonna do about this guy?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll need to loot the corpse,¡± Bullseye chirped from the table a short distance away. They all turned to face him. ¡°Normally this would happen automatically, but because we¡¯re not on Artemis, you¡¯ll need to do it manually.¡± ¡°What for?¡± Red asked. ¡°Dude doesn¡¯t have any pockets, so why would we go digging through his parts?¡± ¡°Ether,¡± Gideon guessed. ¡°And he¡¯ll probably have components we can use for crafting.¡± The others looked at him questioningly. ¡°We¡¯re not on Artemis, but we¡¯re still working by Hunt rules, right? Makes sense that crafting would be the same. If we want better gear and weapons, we¡¯re gonna have to loot dead monsters.¡± Mia pointed to the dead body. ¡°But this isn¡¯t a monster. It¡¯s an alien of some kind, probably an infantry soldier or something like that.¡± Gideon shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t think the Hunt system cares. It¡¯s gonna run on the same logic it always has.¡± ¡°Correct,¡± Bullseye confirmed. ¡°When you are ready, one of you is going to have to carve up that beastie and search its insides for goodies.¡± Red chuckled. ¡°Goodies? You think we¡¯re gonna find candy inside this thing?¡± Gideon thought he saw the little turtle narrow its eyes. ¡°Less chatting and more carving, boy!¡± That drew chuckles from the other man. He shook his head, walking around the dead alien and kicking it with one boot. Gideon was about to say something when items began appearing in his display. Achievement Awarded: First Blood! Congratulations! You just killed your first enemy! You have officially joined the Great Hunt! Achievement Awarded: Sneaky Strike! The best fight is one you never have to get involved with. The second-best fight is one you can end early by striking your enemy before they know they¡¯re even fighting! BASIC SKILL ADDITIONS Endurance +1 Bladed Weaponry +1 Tactical Insight +1 Leadership +1 ¡°Woah!¡± he said, watching the stats update on his Hud. ¡°Are you guys getting updates right now too?¡± Mia nodded. ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Roger,¡± Red confirmed. ¡°Maybe we should sort this shit out before we start taking apart the dead creepo?¡± ¡°Good idea,¡± Gideon agreed, moving over to one of the chairs sitting around the table. ¡°Do it quick though. Could be another one of those bastards waiting outside. Could be a dozen.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think they can get in here unless we open that door,¡± Mia reasoned, walking over and sitting down beside him. ¡°Otherwise, they¡¯d already be in here, right?¡± ¡°Guess so.¡± MISSION COMPLETE: Find a Suitable Weapon REWARD: Equip Weapon Function Enabled Gideon noticed that several new fighting skills had become available in his HUD after he¡¯d used the knife. He mentally clicked the small display in the bottom left corner of the HUD, enlarging it to get a better look at the new abilities. STEALTH STRIKE +2 A silent, precision attack delivered from the shadows, designed to take down enemies before they even realize they¡¯re in danger. Whether using a dagger, sword, or even a well-placed arrow, Stealth Strike rewards patience and positioning with devastating results. +100% increased damage when striking an unaware enemy from behind. +10% increased critical hit chance against unaware targets. Successful kills with Stealth Strike do not alert nearby enemies within a 10-meter radius. Attacking from stealth does not immediately break invisibility or concealment effects but reduces stealth effectiveness by 50% for 3 seconds. THRUST +2 A precise, forward-driving attack that focuses the full force of the weapon¡¯s tip into a single point. +10% attack speed when performing a thrust. +15% armor penetration against lightly-armored or unarmored foes. Ether charge increased Critical Chance by 5-70% and Critical Damage by 50-3000% depending on the amount of either used. SLASH +1 A sweeping, cutting attack that maximizes the weapon¡¯s edge to slice through foes with speed and efficiency. +10% attack speed when performing a slashing motion. +10% increased damage against exposed flesh. Ether charge increased Critical Chance by 5-70% and Critical Damage by 50-3000% depending on the amount of either used. There were more details, but Gideon decided now wasn¡¯t the time to get into it. First, they had to get somewhere safe and then he could start to figure out what his fighting options were. MARKED FOR DEATH +1 With a swift, imperceptible hand sign or a flick of their blade, the rogue marks a target for execution. For the next 15 seconds, all allied attacks against the marked enemy gain +15% critical hit chance and +20% bonus critical damage. Additional Bonus: If the rogue lands a critical hit on the marked target, the duration of the effect extends by 2 seconds (max +6 seconds). Cooldown: 30 seconds. ¡°Hey, Bullseye,¡± Gideon said, turning to face the turtle who seemed to be sulking on the table nearby, ¡°what¡¯s the deal with these new skills? Do we get a certain number of fighting abilities every time we pick up a new weapon?¡± The turtle turned to face him. ¡°Yes, though the types of abilities will depend on your class, experience level, and natural affinity for the weapon. If you¡¯re a tank, for example, you¡¯re going to suck balls at using daggers.¡± Mia burst out laughing. ¡°Suck balls? Really?¡± The turtle slowly turned its face toward her. ¡°I¡¯m merely stating a fact. If your class isn¡¯t suited to a certain weapon then the number and type of abilities you¡¯ll acquire when you first pick up that weapon will be limited.¡± ¡°I get that,¡± Mia replied, ¡°it¡¯s just¡­I¡¯m not used to a tutor using language like that.¡± ¡°I like it,¡± Red offered, sitting down opposite the pair. He tapped the side of his head. ¡°More interesting than what I¡¯ve got going on in here. That Elysia chick does my head in. Sound like an instructor at a yoga retreat.¡± Gideon turned the throwing knife over in his hands. ¡°So, I did alright with this weapon because I¡¯m a rogue?¡± ¡°Exactly,¡± Bullseye agreed. ¡°Doinkmaster, on the other hand makes a good pin cushion, but not much else when it comes to nuanced weaponry like that.¡± ¡°Hey!¡± Red protested. Gideon pointed a finger toward him. ¡°So, you¡¯re a tank?¡± Red nodded. ¡°Broadly speaking, yeah. But I¡¯m also super sensitive and a great listener. Also, I love walks on the beach and singing in the rain. All that shit.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Mia added, ¡°you¡¯re a regular Cassanova.¡± He grinned at her, either missing the jibe entirely or not caring one way or the other. Gideon turned to Mia. ¡°What about you? If you don¡¯t mind me asking.¡± ¡°Healer,¡± she said, ¡°but I went for a dual class. Ranged attack and healing primarily.¡± Gideon nodded. ¡°Here, I¡¯ll show you guys what I have so far. I figure if we¡¯re gonna be fighting together it would help to know each other¡¯s strengths.¡± If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Bullseye snorted. ¡°What strengths would those be? Falling over? Getting stabbed? The ability to break a chair?¡± Ignoring the turtle, Gideon pressed the broadcast button on his HUD and showed his newly acquired skills to the others. They both leaned forward to get a better look. ¡°Okay,¡± Red said, ¡°you sneak in while the enemy isn¡¯t looking and give them a bit of stabby stab in the back to pile on the damage. Nice. Not my style, but nice.¡± Gideon stopped broadcasting his stats and Red opened up his own HUD and displayed his skills. There was little in the way of traditional tank abilities, but Gideon guessed that was because Red hadn¡¯t had the opportunity to use any weapons other than the glass jars during the fight. One ability which was in evidence was an aggro boost which could draw the attention of an enemy. There was also a basic projectile throwing ability and an endurance buff which Gideon guessed would help mitigate damage. ** WARDEN¡¯S ROAR +1 ** Unleashes a deafening battle cry infused with etheric force, forcing all enemies within a 15-meter radius to focus their attacks on the user for 10 seconds. Increases damage resistance by 20% during this time. Cooldown: 30 seconds. ** UNBREAKABLE BASTION +1 ** The tank reinforces their body and armor, reducing incoming physical and magical damage by 50% for 8 seconds. Additionally, regenerates 5% of maximum health if struck while active. Cooldown: 45 seconds. ** TITAN¡¯S TOSS +1 ** The user hurls an improvised projectile, dealing high impact damage and staggering enemies on impact. Generates a burst of taunt energy, drawing weaker enemies toward the impact zone. Cooldown: 20 seconds. ¡°Nice,¡± Gideon offered, desperately holding back a joke about that last ability. ¡°I think you¡¯re right about finding a club or spear or something like that, but at least you can mitigate damage.¡± The turtle snorted once more. ¡°Just what kind of titan are you tossing, Doinkmaster?¡± Red narrowed his eyes. ¡°Anyone that gets in my way, little man. And I¡¯d think carefully about your next smartass remark, seeing as you¡¯re shaped like a discus. Might try out my next Titan¡¯s Toss with you.¡± The little turtle retreated into its shell a little, his former belligerence vanishing in moments. ¡°Okay, you next,¡± Gideon said, turning to Mia. She displayed her newly acquired skills and the other two read eagerly. ** PATCHWORK REMEDY ** The healer channels ether through whatever materials are available¡ªcloth, leaves, dirt, or even metal scraps¡ªtransmuting them into temporary bandages or salves. Restores 20% HP over 10 seconds and grants a 5% endurance boost while healing is active. Effectiveness scales with the quality of materials used. Cooldown: 25 seconds. ** PHANTOM SCALPEL ** The healer conjures ether-infused throwing knives and hurls them with deadly precision, dealing true damage (ignores a portion of armor) to a single target. Critical strikes apply a Bleed effect for 5 seconds. Cooldown: 12 seconds. ** BATION VEIL ** Creates a shimmering etheric barrier around the healer or a chosen ally, absorbing 35% of incoming damage for 8 seconds. If the shield breaks before the duration ends, it explodes outward, staggering nearby enemies. Cooldown: 40 seconds. ¡°Why a healer?¡± Red asked, genuinely perplexed. ¡°The Hunt is all about killing monsters, right? So why would you go for a support class?¡± ¡°Seriously?¡± Mia asked. ¡°You¡¯re seriously asking that?¡± He nodded. ¡°Yeah. I mean, don¡¯t get me wrong, some of those skills look great, but if you were supposed to be hunting on Artemis, how would healing help you take down an Apex predator?¡± ¡°Shadow Path,¡± Gideon said with a smile. ¡°When healers reach higher levels they can choose a few different paths to take and one of them is the Shadow Path. Basically, turns them into a damage machine. They lose some of their healing strength, but Shadow Healers do some of the highest DPS in the game.¡± He frowned. ¡°You seriously didn¡¯t know that?¡± ¡°I never really watched the Hunt. Saw a little here and there but it¡¯s not really my thing.¡± ¡°Then why the hell did you enter the lottery?¡± Red shrugged. ¡°Seemed like it might be fun.¡± Gideon turned to Mia, sharing a bemused look with her. The idea of someone entering the lottery just for fun and then actually winning a place in the Great Hunt was almost unfathomable. It bordered on insulting. ¡°May I suggest you turn your attention to the corpse,¡± Bullseye said, now out of his shell once more, but having crawled noticeably closer to Gideon¡¯s side of the table. ¡°Time is ticking, and we need to reach that transit station if we are to have any hope of surviving this little adventure.¡± Gideon grinned. ¡°So, you¡¯re back on board then?¡± ¡°I just learned that I am obsoleted! That tends to have a profound impact on one¡¯s psyche, so forgive me for taking a moment to consider my existential crisis.¡± ¡°Sorry. I was just asking.¡± ¡°Well, considering the fact that I am likely the only incarnation of Bullseye in existence, my life has become somewhat more important, wouldn¡¯t you say? As such, I would like to continue living for as long as possible, so I suggest we tool up and get moving!¡± Gideon pushed himself up out of his chair. ¡°You heard the turtle,¡± he said, ¡°let¡¯s get moving folks!¡± He picked up Bullseye, walked over to the dead alien body and knelled down beside it. ¡°Okay, how do we do this?¡± he asked. ¡°You will need to cut into the flesh. On Artemis, beasts you defeat are drawn into he crystals and any valuable components and ether are immediately released and can be harvested automatically or divided among a party at random. I am not sure how the process will work with this creature. Your echoes are designed to work with ether, but I have no idea whether this beast is even compatible with such a process.¡± Red squatted down on the other side of the alien, holding a broken chair leg over his shoulder as a makeshift club. Mia was next to Gideon, shaking her head as she ran a hand across the chitinous surface of the alien¡¯s armor plating. ¡°Where do we even start?¡± She was holding the other throwing knife. Red had reluctantly agreed to give it to her seeing as she¡¯s shown at least some propensity to use thrown blades whereas he intended to bulk up on melee abilities. So, between them they had two small blades and a broken chair leg to complete their arsenal. Considering the creature that lay on the ground in front of them, that was a meager compliment of weapons. ¡°I¡¯d say we need to start cutting away armor plating,¡± Gideon offered, looking over at Red. ¡°Maybe you could use some of it as a shield?¡± Red shrugged. ¡°Maybe. I was going more for the two-handed weapon approach.¡± He looked at the wooden chair leg. ¡°This thing¡¯s not really a two-handed weapon though, so perhaps you¡¯re right.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Gideon said, ¡°well, here goes.¡± He drove the blade into the side of a large chest plate, wedging it between sections of chitinous armor and pushing as hard as he could. Now that the creature was dead, the blade went in easily enough, but it took a great deal of strength and persistence to cut through the fibrous flesh and slice around the armored plate. When it was finally done, he called on the others to help pull the armor off. No matter how hard they all pulled, however, it wouldn¡¯t budge. ¡°Shit!¡± Red blurted. ¡°Ain¡¯t no way we¡¯re getting that shit off.¡± Mia nodded. ¡°Maybe we need to wait a while? Or perhaps there¡¯s something around here we can use as a solvent that might weaken whatever is holding the armor in place.¡± ¡°Like acid?¡± Red suggested. ¡°Yeah, or even something less potent. We just need a chemical reaction, but that might take a little trial and error.¡± Gideon turned to Bullseye who was standing on the ground to his right. ¡°Tell me about party bonuses,¡± he said. ¡°Would we get any even though we¡¯re all super low levels?¡± The turtle considered the question. ¡°Yes, I believe there are some bonuses that would apply, provided you are united in a single action.¡± Gideon turned to the others. ¡°Like pulling off a piece of armor plating?¡± It took a few seconds for Gideon to locate the party function on his HUD. With a little help from Mia and sporadic guidance from Bullseye, he figured out how to establish a party and added Red and Mia to the group. Three small symbols showed at the top right corner of his HUD with a dagger, shield, and cross respectively showing Gideon, Red, and Mia in the party. The dagger also had a crown on top, indicating that Gideon was the party leader. ¡°Let¡¯s give it another go,¡± Gideon suggested, gripping the edge of the amor plate as Red and Mia did likewise. They pulled with all their strength, muscles straining as the armor slowly began to give way. PARTY BONUS: +2 Strength to all party members engaged in the same action! Gideon ignored the notification, pushing with all his might as something squelched beneath the chest piece and it suddenly gave way, sending the trio hurtling forward as the chitinous plating flew onto the floor behind the alien. Gideon¡¯s momentum carried him on top of the dead creature, his forearms landing in the sticky mucus substance that covered the interior of the alien¡¯s body. A waft of something foul smelling rose in the room, bringing tears to Gideon¡¯s eyes as he backed away. Mia and Red coughed and spluttered, turning from the dead alien and putting some distance between themselves and the corpse. ¡°God! That smells like a trash fire!¡± Mia complained. Red gagged. ¡°Smells like a fire in an ass factory!¡± Trying not to vomit, Gideon stood, turning away from the corpse and holding his arms out in front of his body, hoping that the gunk clinging to his forearms wasn¡¯t what was causing the horrific stench. He was about to comment on the fact when a burst of static cut through the air, drawing their attention toward one of the nearby bedrooms. Chrrrkkk! Lunar transit one calling transport vessel gamma-twelve-beta. Do you read me? For a brief moment, the trio looked at one another, confused, excited and still somewhat nauseated from the stench filling the room. A moment later they were all running toward the bedroom. Gideon wiped his arms on the bedsheets, cleaning off the worst of the goop while the others searched the room for the source of the radio transmission. Chrrrkkk! Gamma-twelve-beta, is anyone there? Red found the walkie talkie buried beneath a small pile of clothes and promptly picked it up and started talking. ¡°Rodger, rodger, alpha bravo. This is Doinkmaster Supreme coming to you from the space vessel dead weight! We¡¯ve got¡ª¡± His voice cut off as Mia ripped the walkie talkie out of his hands and passed it to Gideon. Hello? Who was that? Identify yourself! Gideon pressed the talk button. ¡°Hi, this is Gideon. I¡¯m on gamma-twelve-beta, along with two others.¡± ¡°Three!¡± Bullseye called out from the other room. Gideon? Are you Ministry staff? ¡°No, we¡¯re hunters. We were on our way to Artemis.¡± What about staff? Who¡¯s in charge there? ¡°I guess we are. We haven¡¯t seen any staff, and we just killed one of those creepy alien bastards, so¡ª¡± What was that? You killed one of Harrow? Gideon looked questioningly at Mia and Red. They both shrugged in response. ¡°It was an alien soldier, covered in black armor and with long claws.¡± A Stalker? You killed a Stalker? ¡°I don¡¯t know what we killed. It just attacked when we opened the door to try and get out of here. We¡¯re getting ready to head to the transit station, but we¡¯ve got no idea where it is or how many of those things are going to be waiting for us when we get out.¡± Okay. Standby. Gideon turned to the others. ¡°Standby?¡± Red shrugged. ¡°Maybe this is above his pay grade, and he¡¯s gone to speak to a superior? ¡°Ask him if he has any information about the enemy,¡± Bullseye said. He was standing in the doorway having crawled his way toward the group. ¡°If he¡¯s with the Ministry he must know something that will help us.¡± Gideon, are you there? ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m here.¡± Okay, I¡¯ve spoken to my superior and she said you and the others are gonna have to fight your way out of the wreckage and make your way to the transit station. Gideon frowned. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s what we were planning.¡± Good. We¡¯ll have support waiting for you if you can make it to the southern entry point. It¡¯s about half a mile from your current location and the way is relatively clear. You¡¯ll need to secure an EV suit before you head outside though. ¡°Where do we find those?¡± I¡¯m sending an info packet to your echo HUDs. It will provide the layout of the ship and show you a clear path to the transit station. I¡¯m also including everything we have so far on The Harrow. ¡°What¡¯s The Harrow?¡± They¡¯re the enemy we¡¯re facing. They¡¯re called the Harrow Collective. It¡¯s all in the info packet. Just use the info to get those EV suits and see if you can find some weapons before heading out. Most of the fighting is on the north and western sides of the station, but there are still a few stray Stalkers around the place, so be careful. ¡°Ask about weapons!¡± Red hissed. Gideon clicked the walkie talkie button. ¡°Any idea where we can find some weapons?¡± There¡¯s a small armory locker not too far from where you are. I¡¯ve included the locking code with the data we sent. Don¡¯t expect much more than a few handguns, but it should give you something to work with. The EV suits are in the same area of the ship. Static interrupted his message and a few seconds passed. ¡°Hello? You still there?¡± Gideon asked. Sorry, it¡¯s getting hairy here. They just spotted a couple of Boneweavers by the northern barrier. ¡°Bonewe¡ª¡± Never mind. Look, ordinarily you guys wouldn¡¯t be privy to the information we¡¯ve just sent you, but these are extraordinary circumstances and apparently all Hunters have been redeployed as Ministry soldiers. Regardless of your class levels, you¡¯re all currently ranked as Specialists, which means you can access most of the intel we have. Your wearing echoes so that means you¡¯ve got superior strength, speed, and the ability to heal quickly. That makes you extremely valuable to the war effort right now. Gideon considered that. The wounds he had sustained from his fight with the alien soldier had completely healed, as had those taken by Mia and Red. That alone gave them a huge advantage over traditional troops, and then there was their ability to level up skills and perform actions that were almost God-like at higher levels. The point is, we¡¯re depending on you. The transit station is only lightly armed and we¡¯re definitely not prepared for a full-scale invasion. So, get here as fast as you can, and don¡¯t die! Gideon felt his stomach twist in knots at that last part. The man on the other end of the line seemed desperate. ¡°Okay, we¡¯ll do our best.¡± Good luck. Hopefully, we¡¯ll see you soon. ¡°Oh, one more thing,¡± Gideon added. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± Communications Officer First Class, Joshua Booker. You can call me Book. Gideon nodded. ¡°Nice to meet you, Book. Thanks for the help.¡± Don¡¯t mention it. Just get your assess here as fast as you can! The message cut off and was immediately followed by a new item appearing on Gideon¡¯s HUD. By the looks the others gave him, he guessed that they¡¯d just received the same mission. SIDE MISSION: Gearing Up In order to traverse the hazardous expanse between your current location and the transit station you will need to acquire an EV suit. Acquiring a firearm is also recommended. REWARD: 2 Enhancement Points MILESTONE 1: Acquire EV suit - Incomplete MILESTONE 2: Acquire firearm - Incomplete Gideon accepted the mission and held onto the walkie talkie, dropping it into one of his pockets as he and the others moved back out into the main room. A series of message icons appeared at the lower left corner of his HUD, accompanied by a notification that new information had been delivered by the Ministry. ¡°Ah,¡± Bullseye said, nodding his little turtle head. ¡°Now we have something to work with.¡± 12. Pi?ata The Harrow Collective, it turned out, was a vast space-faring group that conquered worlds one after the other and forced the citizens of each world to serve the collective¡¯s needs. Recruits were trained and forced to serve in the Collective¡¯s conquering forces while the worlds they left behind were plundered for natural resources to help fund the war effort. As Gideon, Mia, and Red pulled armor off the dead alien, Bullseye ran through what he thought were the salient details of the information they¡¯d received from Sargeant Book. ¡°The creature you are currently dissecting is called a Stalker. It¡¯s a scout unit The Harrow uses to prepare the way for invasion. They are swift moving and contain stealth abilities. Their primary weapons are their claws, but they also use throwing blades and can emit various noxious gasses to distract enemies.¡± Another large piece of armor came lose and the trio covered their mouths as they turned away. This time the stench was far less potent, but still powerful enough that it brought tears to Gideon¡¯s eyes. ¡°Shit!¡± Red blurted, blinking rapidly. ¡°That really kicks you in the teeth, huh?!¡± Gideon nodded. ¡°We need to find a better way to do this. If it¡¯s gonna take half an hour to pull one of these bastards apart each time, we¡¯re never gonna get anywhere.¡± ¡°That may not be a problem,¡± Bullseye said. ¡°Apparently these creatures are infused with ether, as are all Harrow soldiers. If you can get to the heart of this beast and release the ether within, I should be able to connect the dead soldier¡¯s etheric signature with your echo.¡± Gideon wipe tears from his eyes. ¡°And what if that works?¡± ¡°You will be able to loot the creature as you would any beast on Artemis. There would be no need to carve it open like the proverbial Christmas Turkey.¡± Red grinned. ¡°Good! This thing smells like ass.¡± ¡°Wait,¡± Mia interjected. ¡°What about us? Will Elysia be able to do the same thing?¡± Gideon wasn¡¯t sure, but he thought for a moment that the little turtle was grinning maniacally. ¡°That depends whether or not such a task is part of her core programing or not. In my current state I am far less restricted than if I was tied to Gideon¡¯s body. In fact, the botched transition he underwent has given me far greater flexibility in the options available to me. It is as though a whole world has opened up before¡ª¡± ¡°We get it,¡± Red blurted. ¡°Congratulations on your new life. But there¡¯s no way in hell I¡¯m gonna be pulling any more of these pricks apart, so if you figure out a way to automate looting, and Elysia can¡¯t figure it out, you¡¯re gonna have to show her.¡± ¡°And what if I refuse?¡± Bullseye said, holding his head up a little higher. Red grinned, his eyes narrowing. ¡°You ever see what happens when a turtle gets run over by a car?¡± Gideon intervened, holding his hands up between the pair. ¡°Let¡¯s just get this done so we can find those EV suits and get the hell out of here.¡± Using the throwing knife, he began cutting into the viscous membrane covering the chest cavity of the dead soldier as Bullseye continued his information dump. ¡°In addition to Stalkers, there are Boneweavers that function more like standard infantry units, Abyssal Titans, Void Shriekers, and more.¡± ¡°How do they know so much about the enemy when we only just met them?¡± Gideon asked, pulling aside the membrane to reveal a series of bones and organs nestled within the enemy soldier¡¯s chest. ¡°Apparently, The Harrow are quite open with this sort of thing. An hour before the first attack began they sent a good deal of information to earth and various listening posts scattered around the solar system. Included in that information was a lengthy history of the Collective¡¯s various exploits, worlds they have conquered, species that have been eradicated, and so on. They outline their chief combat methods, soldiers, even some weapons details.¡± ¡°Why would they do that?¡± Mia asked. ¡°To cause fear,¡± Gideon suggested. ¡°My guess is, they want to show as that they¡¯re so overpowered that they don¡¯t care if we know how they¡¯re gonna fight. They send through all the historical data so we¡¯ll know that we¡¯re no match for them.¡± ¡°Precisely,¡± Bullseye said. ¡°An offer of clemency was sent along with the information, a demand that all major powers throughout the planet surrender without opposition.¡± Mia frowned. ¡°What happens if we surrender? Will they let us live?¡± ¡°No,¡± the turtle responded with a shake of its head. ¡°They promised only that they wouldn¡¯t summarily destroy us. The Collective make an assessment of each world they conquer and only once this had been completed do they determine whether they plan to keep some portion of the local population alive, or if they intend to wipe out everything and simply strip the planet for its resources.¡± ¡°Who the fuck would agree to that?¡± Red asked. ¡°No one¡¯s gonna just drop their weapons when there¡¯s no guarantee you¡¯re even gonna survive.¡± ¡°Maybe they don¡¯t actually want that?¡± Gideon suggested, pulling apart two curved bones in the middle of the dead soldier¡¯s chest to try and get to the small, pear-shaped organ inside the bone cavity. ¡°Maybe they expect us to resist because they get some kind of perverse thrill out of fighting an enemy that¡¯s offering some resistance?¡± ¡°Like the Hunt?¡± Mia asked. ¡°When a party of Hunters deliberately taunts and enemy so that it¡¯ll get riled up.¡± ¡°Exactly. Then, when they kill the monster the amount of ether it drops is more than what it normally would be.¡± ¡°So,¡± Red added, ¡°they¡¯re deliberately trying to provoke us because they think we¡¯re gonna drop ether when we die?¡± If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Gideon shrugged, feeling the bones crack as he pushed them aside and gained access to the organ within. ¡°Dude, they¡¯re aliens. Who the hell knows why they do what they do. I¡¯m just spit balling here.¡± He pulled the bright red organ gently from inside the chest, raising it up above the chest cavity as tendrils of vivid crimson connected to the object began to wither and fall away one by one. ¡°That it¡¯s heart?¡± Red asked. ¡°Looks like it.¡± Gideon turned to Bullseye. ¡°What do I do with it?¡± ¡°You need to eat it,¡± the turtle said flatly. ¡°You must consume the heart of your enemy and then its ether will be released to you.¡± Gideon felt his stomach lurch. ¡°What?!¡± The turtle nodded. ¡°It is the only way I will be able to integrate this species into the echo system.¡± Gideon looked to Mia and Red, both screwing up their noses in disgust. The heart was warm in his hands, a squelching mass of muscle the size of an apple that smelled only a little better than the corpse lying in front of him. Red grinned. ¡°Maybe it will taste better than it smells. You know like a McDonalds burger?¡± He chuckled. ¡°I hope so, because it smells like a hot dog turd.¡± Gideon raised the organ to his lips, stomach churning. He was on the verge of gagging, trying to force himself just to do it without thinking and realizing that he¡¯d be forced to chew to get it down. He opened his mouth as peels of laugher rose from the little turtle sitting on the table nearby. ¡°You almost ate it!¡± Bullseye chirped. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you almost ate it!¡± ¡°Because you told me to!¡± Gideon roared. ¡°What the fuck, dude! So, I don¡¯t need to eat it?¡± ¡°No, of course not. I¡¯ve already made the connection. Just give it a few seconds and your echo will be able to identify anything of worth within the body.¡± Gideon stood in silence for a moment, goop dripping through his fingers as he held the heart in place. In one rapid movement, he turned and threw the heart as hard as he could at the turtle. It bounced off the table, only an inch in front of Bullseye who prompt slipped inside his shell as the organ left a wet smudge on the tabletop and bounced off to splat against a nearby wall. Red was clapping and laughing as Gideon turned stomped to the kitchen, his boots crunching on crushed glass as he searched for a towel and began cleaning his hands. ¡°We should get moving,¡± Mia said from her place by the door. ¡°I just got another message from Book and he says things are getting worse at the transit station.¡± Red frowned. ¡°Well, why the hell would we even go there then?¡± ¡°Because,¡± Mia insisted, ¡°they need us. We¡¯re soldiers now, remember. This is kind of our job.¡± ¡°Not my job. I only joined this stupid lottery because I figured it would be a good gag. I never signed up for a war.¡± ¡°Actually,¡± Bullseye said, slowly poking out of his shell, ¡°the contract you signed on being added to the Great Hunt included a clause that came into effect the moment the invasion started. You are all Specialists within the Ministry¡¯s armed forces, and you¡¯ll be pleased to know that desertion is punishable by death.¡± Red turned to Gideon. ¡°Give me that damned heart! I wanna take a shot at the little bastard!¡± A heavy thud interrupted the exchange. They all turned to face the main door, the door that the Stalker had come through. Red raised a finger. ¡°Was that¡ª¡± Another thud reverberated through the chamber and this time the door visibly shuddered. ¡°Shit!¡± Gideon blurted. ¡°We¡¯ve gotta move!¡± He scooped up Bullseye and started running, opening up one of the ship maps Book had provided in his HUD and searching for the path toward the weapon¡¯s locker. Mia and Red fell into step beside him as another thud shook the room. ¡°Wait!¡± Bullseye barked. Gideon looked down at the turtle, nestled in his left hand. ¡°What?!¡± ¡°The transition is complete. You will now be able to harvest ether and other loot items that may prove valuable.¡± Gideon turned back to look at the corpse lying in the middle of the room, barely six feet from the door which was currently buckling under the pressure of whatever was on the other side. A small orb of what looked like purple smoke hovered above the corpse. ¡°What do I need to do?¡± Gideon asked. ¡°Simply approach the ether and harvest it, along with anything else which is available. Your echo will automatically loot all valuable items if you are within a three-foot radius of them and they should be deposited in your inventory unless you specifically will them into your hands.¡± The door to the chamber buckled, a huge dent appearing at its center as another boom echoed throughout the space. ¡°The ether will help you develop your skills and can be used to enhance your weapons,¡± Bullseye insisted. ¡°I know how the damned ether works!¡± Gideon snapped. ¡°Shit!¡± He handed the turtle to Mia. ¡°You guys keep running. I¡¯ll catch up.¡± She shook her head, but Gideon interrupted whatever she was going to say. ¡°If this goes back there¡¯s no point all of us eating it! You need to get to the transit station!¡± He turned and ran, not waiting to see whether Mia and Red had continued in the opposite direction. The door to the chamber buckled once more, its outermost edges now bent back so that he could see the black, chitinous claws of at least one more Stalker. ¡°Shitting Shit!¡± he shouted, closing the gap to the dead soldier and standing over the body. Nothing happened. The orb of purple smoke stayed hovering above the dead alien and, even when Gideon tried to swipe it into his chest with his hands, the smoky orb stayed in place. ¡°FUCK!¡± he shouted as a new message popped up on his HUD. Calibrating inventory collection system. Please wait. Gideon looked up at the door, now barely more than a twisted chunk of metal. He could see the Stalker through the gaps in the door. It looked larger than the first scout and had a slash of bright red pain running across the side of its head. At least, Gideon hoped it was paint. Calibrating inventory collection system. 5 Seconds remaining. Five seconds. It might as well have been an eternity. Gideon was already rethinking his approach to the situation. Now it wasn¡¯t a question of snatching up the loot and running to catch up with his companions. That beefy Stalker was going to be through the door any moment which mean¡¯s he¡¯d be forced to fight the brute. He still held the small throwing blade in his right hand, but that seemed like a meager weapon against an enemy like this. Gideon also had no way of distracting the enemy like Red and Mia had done in the previous fight. He¡¯d need to kill this thing one on one, without being able to use his new stealth ability. Calibrating inventory collection system. 3 Seconds remaining. The door shuddered as the Stalker battered it once more. A piece of metal went flying through the air, clattering on the floor nearby as Gideon clenched his fists and gritted his teeth. Why was this taking so damned long?! He decided that if he survived the next few minutes, he¡¯d be having a very intense conversation with Bullseye. That conversation may or may not involve dipping the little turtle bastard into some very nasty substances. Calibrating inventory collection system. 1 Second remaining. The door burst apart, cannoning end over end into the room and forcing Kane to drop to the floor as the twisted chunk of metal narrowly missed decapitating him. Dodge +1 Tactical Insight +1 Kane abandoned the corpse, crawling back on the floor and getting to his feet as the Stalker entered the chamber. It was only a few inches taller than the first alien, but much broader, with thick arms and legs covered in the same black, chitinous armor. Instead of elongated claws, it boasted one oversized blade which ran the length of its right arm. At first, Gideon thought the creature was holding the huge, double-sided sword, but he quickly realized that the weapon was fused to the soldier¡¯s arm. The Stalker¡¯s other arm was balled up into a huge fist. The silver marks and scratches on its surface suggested that this is what the brute used to batter its way through the metal door moments earlier. The fist reminded Gideon of The Thing from the Fantastic Four comics, except instead of being made from rock, the soldier¡¯s fingers were covered in the same chitinous armor as the rest of its body. ¡°Gee gash eekt aann grashkor!¡± The Stalker spat the words like an insult, saliva frothing at the corners of its mouth as it moved toward Gideon. ¡°Sorry dude, I don¡¯t speak creepy ass alien.¡± 13. Bloodborn Kane¡¯s HUD shifted slightly, prioritizing his newly acquired fighting skills which were arranged on the bottom left of the display next to a red sphere which he knew represented his health. He¡¯d seen the display a thousand times on life feeds and recorded episodes of the Great Hunt, but there was something about living that reality that made him both exited and terrified at the same moment. The Striker roared, slamming the side of its sword against his chitinous fist and lumbering forward, staring at Gideon with its eyeless head. Gideon triggered his Marked for Death ability and a small white skull symbol appeared above the Stalker¡¯s head. Even though the others weren¡¯t here, he¡¯d be crazy not to use the additional 15% crit chance and 20% critical damage bonus associated with the ability. The problem was, he only now remembered that it had a fifteen-second timer, so he¡¯d need to make his move quickly if he was going to take advantage of the buffs. That, it turned out, wasn¡¯t going to be an issue because the Striker had finished talking and was now charging toward him with a blade long enough to split Gideon¡¯s body in half from tip to taint. The Stalker pulped its fallen comrade, huge feet squashing the corpse as it lunged at Gideon. The blade came whistling down toward Gideon¡¯s head, forcing him to roll aside and scramble to get out of reach as the blade clanged into the floor. No sooner had Gideon gotten to his feet again than the blade swung in a devastating horizontal arc toward his torso, forcing him to jump into the air to avoid being bisected by the blow. As he landed unsteadily, Gideon ran to his left, trying to put some distance between himself and the brute. He quickly realized that his primary skills were useless at range and he¡¯d have to get inside the enemy¡¯s attacks if he wanted to do any damage. That would mean risking decapitation and even if he managed to get inside the reach of that mammoth blade, the Stalker would likely pummel him into mush with that balled up, oversized fist. He needed to get in behind the brute, but none of his abilities included an in-built stealth ability. The Stealth Strike would do increased damage if he wasn¡¯t detected by an enemy, but it did nothing to hide him from a foe in a situation like this where they were fighting in the open one on one. Gideon could try to throw the knife, of course, but that would likely end about as well as it did when Mia tried it. The brute was too heavily armored and, even though Gideon could see weak points in the armor at the knees, and neck, there was no way to get close enough to strike at those areas. The Stalker roared, charging toward Gideon once again. The only limitation the creature had, as far as he could see, was that it was reasonably slow in moving from place to place. That gave him at least one small advantage. He dove to one side as the Stalker swung its blade towards his head, then instead of backing away, moved toward the enemy, thinking to get behind the beast. Knife still clutched in his right hand, Gideon drove himself forward on the floor, slashing out with the blade and aiming for the joint he could see in the soldier¡¯s leg armor. The knife scored a light scratch against the armor, missing the gap entirely as the Striker bent down and swung its fist around to crack into Gideon¡¯s body. As he slid across the floor, Gideon reflected at the sound of cracking bone he¡¯d heard at the moment of impact. A moment later, pain swelled in his chest and he was suddenly unable to breath. It felt like he¡¯d been hit by a wrecking ball but there was no time to consider his injuries, let alone recover, because the Stalker had already spun around and was stomping toward him, intent on finishing the job. Racked with pain, Gideon felt something enter his body as an announcement appeared on his HUD. INVENTORY ACTIVATED ITEMS LOOTED Ether + 10 Stalker talons + 2 The moment the announcement ran across his HUD he felt a surge of vitality enter his body. The broken bones in his chest seemed to have instantaneously healed and he could breathe normally. More than that, he felt suddenly energized as though he¡¯d just been given a shot of adrenaline. 5 Ether used for emergency healing. He got to his feet, moving out of the way as the Stalker brought its sword down once more, splitting apart the metal floor plating where Gideon had been moments earlier. As he ran to the opposite side of the chamber, Gideon realized that he¡¯d been shoved past the dead alien soldier when the Stalker had punched him and that¡¯s why his inventory had been activated. The auto-heal function was a built-in capacity in his echo body, one that he was familiar with from thousands of hours watching the Great Hunt. He couldn¡¯t remember the exact figures, but echoes were designed to expend a certain portion of harvested ether to heal themselves in the event of a mortal wound or a potentially life-ending situation. It wouldn¡¯t happen all the time but it had at least given him a much needed shot in the arm in this fight. Now that he¡¯d actually harvested some ether, another idea also occurred. He mentally clicked on the Stealth Strike icon, asking what ether infusion options were available by simply thinking of the purple ether while looking at the ability symbol. A new ability augment showed up and he read quickly, conscious that the Stalker would be on him again in a moment. ** SHADOW STEP ** Moves the attacker instantly through space to arrive behind their target and within striking distance of a vulnerable spot if one exists. Stealth Strike will then be triggered with an additional 10% damage applied, scaling up to 200% additional damage depending on how much ether is applied. Minimal Ether Cost: 5 Cooldown: 60 seconds Gideon ignored most of the details, focusing on the first few words and slotting the new ability into place on his hotbar. He waited for the Stalker to get in close, breathing evenly and attempting to calm himself as he prepared to trigger the spell. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. He only had five ether and there was no way to get more other than killing the Stalker he was facing. That meant that this was his one shot to execute the move and do as much damage as possible. One shot and he¡¯d never practiced the ability and had just about the smallest knife imaginable to make the attempt. The Stalker approached but Gideon suddenly remembered something. He backed away, running out of reach of the brute¡¯s sword to the opposite side of the chamber. The enemy soldier spat, hissing more of its guttural language as it spun around and lumbered toward him once more. If it had been angry before, now it looked well and truly pissed off. Trying desperately to remember how he¡¯d see in work on the feeds, Gideon called up his inventory and mentally selected one of the Stalker talons he¡¯d picked up. Instantly, the small throwing knife in his right hand was swapped out with a long, curved talon made from the same chitinous substance that covered the Stalker¡¯s body. Instead of three inches of metal, he now had a little over a foot of curved blade in his right hand. He had to believe that it was at least as strong as the armor the Stalker was wearing and the extra nine inches or so should make a huge difference. Time seemed to slow down to a crawl as the Stalker thudded forward, thrusting his blade, rather than swinging it. Gideon waited until the tip of the sword was only a few inches from his chest and then triggered the Shadow Step ability. His vision blurred for a moment and suddenly he was behind the brute, staring up at its armored back. A series of small red arrows pointed to a section of armor plating with a thin gap at their base. Without thinking, Gideon drove the talon into the gap, throwing everything he had into the thrust. The talon and Gideon¡¯s arm were surrounded by swirling shadow as the blade was driven up into the gap in the Stalker¡¯s armor. Blood gushed from the wound and the creature roared in pain, spinning around and ripping the talon out of Gideon¡¯s hands as he tumbled backwards, crab walking out of range of the Stalker¡¯s swinging sword. The blade sliced through the air, cutting a deep gash into Gideon¡¯s thigh as he fell backwards. A spray of bright crimson blood splashed across the floor, and he felt fire burning through his leg as the Striker brought its bladed arm down again and again. The blade slammed into the metal flooring, throwing up sparks as Gideon rolled and dodged, keeping just out of reach of the mammoth sword. Boots slipping on the bloody floor, he managed to scrambled out of reach of the weapon as the Stalker reached behind its back, attempting to dislodge the talon which was still jutting from its lower torso. Gideon used the time to grab the second talon from his inventory. It popped into existence in his right hand, curving in the opposite direction to its twin but looking just as lethal. He tried to stand, but the best he could manage was to push his back against the wall and move into an awkward hopping stance. Blood was still pouring from the wound on his leg, flowing in troubling volume from the gash as he focused on the Stalker limping towards him. The enemy walked a little slower, but aside from a slight limp it had acquired after Gideon¡¯s strike, it seemed otherwise unharmed. Worse still, the Shadow Step ability hadn¡¯t recharged and, in his current state, Gideon wasn¡¯t going to be able to dodge out of the way of the Striker¡¯s attack. He''d need to try and lunge at the alien, hoping to get in close enough to use the talon and try to find a gap in its armor. With luck, he might be able to buy enough time for the Shadow Step ability to recharge, if he didn¡¯t bleed out in the meantime. One thing was sure. Running was no longer an option. He triggered Marked for Death once again and the floating skull symbol appeared above the Stalker as it drew back its sword and prepared to deliver the death blow. ¡°Here goes nothing,¡± Gideon muttered under his breath, gritting his teeth and pushing himself toward the enemy. Instead of the blade, it was the Stalker¡¯s closed fist that met Gideon as he lunged forward. The club-like fist knocked Gideon aside, crashing into his right shoulder with such force that his arm broke and the talon blade tumbled out of his hand and clattered onto the floor. Gideon rolled over and over, coming to a rest as his head bashed against the wall. The Stalker turned and pointed the tip of its sword at his throat, something approaching a smile spreading across the alien¡¯s toothy mouth. This is it, thought Gideon, bracing himself for the end. The Stalker pulled back its arm and thrust the blade forward, just as a burst of gunfire from nearby split the air and a flurry of bullets ricocheted off the Stalker¡¯s armor. The distraction was enough to push the blade strike wide, giving Gideon enough space to twist out of the way as the sword was jammed into the wall, locking the Stalker¡¯s arm in place. Desperate, Gideon summoned the small throwing knife from his inventory, gripping the weapon in his off hand and driving it up into the space beneath the creature¡¯s head. He triggered his Thrust ability, driving the blade home as the Stalker battered him aside with its bludgeoning fist and sent him falling to the floor in a heap. Gunfire continued to echo through the chamber as Red and Mia came into view, the latter firing in tight bursts at the enemy while Red struggled with a weapon that looked a little like a grenade launcher. The weapon clicked into place and Red grinned from ear to ear. ¡°Fire in the hole!¡± he shouted, raising the weapon as Gideon scrambled to get as far away as possible. There was a deep thump sound and then, a moment later, the room exploded in fire and light. Shards of splintered chitin peppered Gideon, along with pieces of twisted metal and debris while the floor shuddered. Gideon coughed, covering his mouth with his left hand, while his entire right side throbbed with agony, pieces of shrapnel sticking out from his torn shirt like the spikes of a porcupine. As the air began to clear, he saw the Stalker kneeling on one knee, its sword arm torn off, blood leaking from the jagged wound at its shoulder as well as the dagger strikes in its back and throat. It wasn¡¯t dead yet and the way it hissed suggested that it wasn¡¯t finishing attempting to kill Gideon either. For the moment though, its attention was squarely focused on Red as he pointed the grenade launcher at the brute again. Gideon couldn¡¯t speak. He could barely breath, but he tried to communicate with Red anyway, begging him not to fire the weapon again. It was a miracle the blast hadn¡¯t torn the chamber apart and exposed them all to the lethal vacuum of space. One more explosion might just do the trick. Ears ringing, head throbbing, and his body feeling like he¡¯d just been pushed through a meat grinder, Gideon reached for the discarded talon laying on the floor a few feet away. He grabbed the weapon with his left hand, pushed himself up using his good leg, and half fell, half dove toward the Striker while its attention was still on Red. He triggered Shadow Step, noting that Marked for Death was still active as his body shifted through space and appeared behind the Striker. This time his targeting arrows pointed to a small gab between the enemy¡¯s helmet and its body armor. Gideon used the last of his strength to drive the weapon home, sliding it into the tiny gap and screaming in rage as he shoved the blade up and into the creature¡¯s head. Unable to hold onto the talon, his momentum continued, and he fell across the Striker¡¯s body and onto the floor nearby. Blinking away sweat and blood, Gideon watched as the hulking alien turned its eyeless head toward him, mouth open, blood and spittle bubbling in the gruesome maw. For a moment the two stared at each other before the Stalker fell limp and dropped to a heap on the floor. Through the ringing in his ears and the throbbing of his head, Gideon thought he could hear Red screaming in triumph. The words that¡¯s what you get featured in a string of taunts he offered the dead Stalker. Gideon rolled onto his back as warning messages began showing up on his HUD. ** WARNING ** Critical damage taken! No available ether to restore health! Seek healing immediately! A face appeared in front of Gideon. For a brief moment he was a little confused, before recognition dawned. Mia was saying something to him, rubbing her hands together and holding something he couldn¡¯t quite make out. He couldn¡¯t hear her words either, just the ringing from the grenade explosion. The urge to close his eyes was overwhelming and the pain he¡¯d been feeling a moment earlier was completely gone. In its place was a strange numbness, coupled with a pleasing warmth in the back of his head. Mia said something again, her expression urgent. Gideon tried to smile, tried to speak. His body wasn¡¯t responding to those commands, but then again this wasn¡¯t his body anyway, was it? This was an echo. He¡¯d finally won the lottery and escaped his shitty, burger-flipping life. For a few hours at least. Still, it was better than¡­ 14. First Harvest Gideon came back to himself, gasping for air. He was still in the chamber with the dead Striker nearby and Mia leaning over him, smiling. Pain came back to his body, but it was accompanied by a strange warmth which was similar to the healing he¡¯d experienced when his echo had automatically consumed ether to heal him. Mia gave him a hand as he pushed himself up to a sitting position. He offered her a weak smile. ¡°Thanks.¡± She returned the smile. ¡°No problem. You were looking pretty bad there for a while.¡± He nodded. ¡°Yeah. Turns out that first Stalker was just the entr¨¦e. Main dish turned out to be a whole lot harder to deal with.¡± She turned to face the corpse, shaking her head. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you actually took that thing on. It was already wounded when we showed up too.¡± She turned back to Gideon. ¡°How did you manage that?¡± ¡°Luck mostly. Had some convenient timing with my inventory kicking into gear and I managed to grab a little ether.¡± They got to their feet and walked over to red who was standing in the gap between where the Stalker¡¯s sword arm was jutting out of the wall and the rest of its body lay slumped on the floor. He looked over at Gideon as the others approached. ¡°That was fucking epic!¡± Gideon grunted. ¡°Didn¡¯t feel epic. Felt like getting blown up when you fired that thing.¡± His smile dropped. ¡°Oh, shit. Yeah sorry. I tried to aim it a little away from you, but I figured your echo can take a hit.¡± ¡°Really? How¡¯d you figure that?¡± He shrugged. ¡°The way you took it to that first Stalker and the fact that you survived against big boy here. I figured if you survived as long as you did you¡¯d be able to take a little light explosive action.¡± Despite the anger he felt, Gideon laughed. He knew that Red hadn¡¯t hesitated for a moment before firing that grenade launcher and he doubted he even bothered to try aiming away from Gideon. But there was something undeniably likeable about the bastard and he had given Gideon the chance to finish the Stalker and end the fight. ¡°Okay, well we need to get moving,¡± Gideon said, looking nervously through the bent metal frame that used to be a closed door. ¡°We could have more company real soon.¡± Red shook his head. ¡°I already checked out the corridor and the next room. We¡¯re all clear for the moment.¡± ¡°We found the EV suits,¡± Mia offered, motioning to the suits draped over the remains of a table nearby. She was holding an assault gun at her shoulder, the same gun she¡¯d used to distract the Stalker and buy Gideon enough time to get clear of the enemy. MISSION COMPLETE: Gearing Up You have successfully acquired an EV suit and a firearm. REWARD: 2 Enhancement Points MILESTONE 1: Acquire EV suit - Complete MILESTONE 2: Acquire firearm - Complete He looked over at the EV suits. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s loot the corpse, grab anything of worth and get the hell out of here.¡± ¡°We can¡¯t loot yet,¡± Mia said, pulling Bullseye out of her pocket and handing the little turtle to Gideon. ¡°Apparently this fancy pants AI upgrade can¡¯t handle the transition,¡± Bullseye said with obvious glee. ¡°I¡¯ve passed on the relevant information, but this Elysia refuses to play ball. We may need support from a Ministry technician.¡± Gideon walked over to the dead Stalker and bent down over the body, reaching for the talon he¡¯d stabbed into the body and pulling it free. ¡°What about your inventories?¡± he asked as the first talon slipped free. ¡°Are those working?¡± Mia nodded. ¡°Yeah, we can store items. Between us we¡¯ve got two spare pistols and another assault rifle as well as some ammo. Once you¡¯re done I can give you whatever you like.¡± ¡°Okay then,¡± Gideon said, pulling the second talon free and then moving to the small throwing knife. ¡°I¡¯ll do the looting and then we can divide up whatever we find.¡± They both agreed and Gideon deposited his reclaimed blades into his inventory. After a little experimentation, he confirmed that dropping a blood-covered blade into his inventory and then pulling it out again would also clean the weapon, returning it to its pre-gory state. So far, everything here was working in more or less the same way as it was supposed to on Artemis. That was good. It seemed that the enemies they¡¯d be facing also had ether, to some degree. That was also good, because without ether to harvest they¡¯d be limited in how quickly they could advance. Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. He was about to loot the larger of the two corpses when another warning appeared on his chat display. WARNING: You have utilized Ministry ether without proper authorization. Recently incurred ether debts have not yet been paid in full, so you now owe the Ministry 50 ether. This will be deducted the next time you make a deposit at the nearest ether harvester. Gideon lifted Bullseye to eye level. ¡°What the hell is going on with this ether debt bullshit?¡± ¡°Technically, you have used ether without Ministry approval. So, your echo is behaving appropriately, informing you of the debt you have thus far incurred.¡± Red laughed. ¡°You¡¯re in debt, already?¡± ¡°Fifty ether,¡± Gideon said, shooting him a hard stare. ¡°But it¡¯s bullshit! The first lot of ether I had to use as an emergency to get into this chamber and the second was to keep me alive long enough to kill this bastard.¡± He kicked the dead Stalker with one boot. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t worry about it,¡± Mia said. ¡°These are extenuating circumstances. I doubt the Ministry is going to hold you to the debt given everything that¡¯s happened.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Red chimed in. ¡°Maybe earth has already been conquered by these alien freaks and the Ministry doesn¡¯t even exist anymore. Screw the debt.¡± The turtle shook its head. ¡°I hate to be the fly in your soup, but the Ministry takes ether debt very seriously. If you continue to utilize ether the debt will increase exponentially and may quickly become too significant to pay off.¡± ¡°Well, how the fuck is that fair?¡± Gideon complained. ¡°It¡¯s not fair at all,¡± Bullseye retorted. ¡°But then life is not fair, is it? After years of service, I have been tossed aside, relegated to the trash heap without even being given the satisfaction of facing my accusers. No, life is not fair. We are all victims of the powerful, destined to be ground beneath their boot and squished out of existence.¡± The three of them stared at the turtle for a moment, Gideon frowning. Bullseye cleared his throat. ¡°I could be wrong, of course.¡± Gideon handed the turtle to Mia once more and watched as another orb of purple smokey light appeared above the dead Stalker. He reached out a hand and looted the corpse. ITEMS LOOTED Ether + 20 Bloodborn blade + 1 Stalker bile + 1 He placed each item into his inventory before bringing the Bloodborn blade back to his hands. The blade was made from the same chitinous substance as his talon blades. It was heavier than the talons, but still relatively light. Gideon looked over at Red whose eyes were practically bursting out of his head. ¡°I figure you¡¯ll want this?¡± Red leaped over the twisted metal and broken chairs between them, taking the large blade from Gideon with an appreciative nod. ¡°It¡¯s frigging beautiful!¡± He gave the blade an experimental slash, tipping over balance a little before getting the hang of the weight and size of the weapon. Like the talons, it wasn¡¯t fashioned specifically into a weapon, but Gideon knew that will a little time and the right materials, they¡¯d be able to adapt the weapons to be more comfortable to use and more effective in a fight. He turned to Mia apologetically. ¡°I¡¯m not sure there¡¯s anything here that could help you specifically. I did find this, but I don¡¯t know if you¡¯re gonna be able to use it for anything.¡± She picked the small round organ up off his hands and examined it. ¡°Stalker bile,¡± she said with a grin. ¡°Apparently I can use this to make a powerful healing salve, or a kind of venom that causes bleeding.¡± The item disappeared into her inventory as the pointed over at Red. ¡°It¡¯s not a great big sword, but it¡¯s something, I guess. Besides, at least we¡¯ve got weapons now.¡± She hefted the assault rifle. ¡°Yeah,¡± Gideon said, walking over and taking Bullseye back off her. ¡°I was going to ask. Where the hell did you learn to shoot like that?¡± Mia shrugged, smiling. ¡°Counterstrike mainly. Plus, my uncle owns a ranch, and he taught me how to shoot when I was little.¡± They all moved over to the EV suits and began getting dressed one by one. Gideon¡¯s shirt was in tatters, so he took a moment to head to one of the sleeping quarters and grab a new one. When he returned the others were almost fully suited up. While he was climbing into the EV suit a series of stats and messages showed up on his HUD. He dismissed them after quickly reading through the list but lingered for a few moments on the final announcement. Dodge +3 Counterattack +1 Stealth +1 Endurance +2 Leadership +1 ** ENEMY INTEL ** Stalker: Bloodborn Variant These scout troops wear heavier armor than normal Stalkers and are typically used to provide additional protection for advanced forces entering enemy territory. While among the weakest soldiers within the Collective, Bloodborn Stalkers can still cause significant damage to infrastructure and are capable of wounding and even killing novice soldiers. Gideon snorted. ¡°What is it?¡± Mia asked. He pointed at the dead Stalker. ¡°That¡¯s one of their weakest troops. It was on its own two. I don¡¯t think we would have done so well against two or three of the bastards.¡± ¡°Not before,¡± Red offered, raising his oversized sword. ¡°Now though, I reckon we¡¯d have half a shot.¡± He looked downright comical dressed in his EV suit and wielding a huge black sword. The grenade launcher slung around his shoulder completed the look. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯d probably stow that gear if I was you, dude,¡± Gideon offered. ¡°You can pull the sword out of your inventory at any time if you need it, but if we go charging outside with that thing out you might accidentally stick yourself with it.¡± ¡°Or one of us,¡± Mia added. Unlike the burly tank, she¡¯d already dropped her guns into her inventory. She handed Gideon an assault rifle and a handgun and he placed them both into his own inventory as they prepared to leave. ¡°Anyone else think that¡¯s a bit weird?¡± Red asked, pointing at Gideon. ¡°The fact that they had two assault rifles and a bunch of handguns in this ship. Not to mention a grenade launcher.¡± ¡°It is weird,¡± Gideon agreed. ¡°Book said there wouldn¡¯t be much. Maybe whoever runs this ship is a bit of a gun nut?¡± ¡°Not anymore,¡± Red suggested. ¡°We found a bunch of bodies on our way to get the suits. Four or five crew. Looked like they¡¯d run into one of these boys before they could reach the armory.¡± Gideon took one last look around the chamber and then motioned toward the exit. ¡°Okay then, we should go.¡± ¡°Ah, one question,¡± Bullseye said. ¡°What are you planning on doing with me as you charge through the vacuum of space?¡± Gideon frowned, looking down at the little turtle nestled in his palm. ¡°Will you survive if I stick you in my inventory?¡± ¡°Probably a second or so longer than if you expose me to what¡¯s waiting for us outside the ship. You can¡¯t stick anything living into your inventory. Not if you want it to stay alive at least.¡± Mia stepped up, squinting at the turtle. ¡°You¡¯re gonna need to keep him in the suit with you. There should be plenty of oxygen for you both.¡± She reached for Bullseye. ¡°Here, I¡¯ll help you.¡± After a few minutes they¡¯d figured out the logistics of the operation and all four were ready to depart the ship. The turtle clung to Gideon¡¯s t-shirt, its claws scratching his chest in a way that was close to torture. He gritted his teeth, pushing past the annoyance and leading the others through the ruined door and into the passage beyond. ¡°Let''s do it!¡± 15. Run! Three facts hit Gideon the moment they stepped outside the crashed spaceship. First, he became immediately aware that running was out of the question. Given the lower gravity on the moon¡¯s surface, forward movement was more like a series of giant leaps, and he quickly had to shift his approach to avoid simply tumbling off into the distance, falling end over end. Second, having a turtle stuck to your chest while you hurtled through space trying to keep yourself upright while scanning the area for enemies wasn¡¯t fun. What made it worse was Bullseye¡¯s insistence on grabbing tighter any time they bounced into the air. Finally, neither Gideon, Mia nor Red had thought to test the comms in the EV suits. That meant that all three of them were bouncing across the moon¡¯s surface, heading toward the distant buildings without the ability to communicate with one another. In the bulky EV suits, using hand gestures wasn¡¯t likely to communicate any clear messages, so they would be left to instincts and luck if something nasty decided to attack them. As it was, that something nasty came in the form of a trio of Stalkers moving at pace toward them from their right flank. The alien soldiers had come around the side of the crashed ship and it was only as he twisted unnaturally while bouncing from place to place that Gideon caught sight of the trio and started trying to point out the incoming danger to the others. Unlike Gideon and his companions, the aliens seemed much more adept at moving across the moon¡¯s surface. They traveled quickly and without bouncing with every step, somehow countering the light gravity. There were two standard scouts and one Bloodborn, moving in a triangle formation and heading directly toward Red, though he seemed to have no idea they were there. Gideon tried pointing to the enemy, but it was difficult enough to stand let alone communicate the danger effectively. In the end, he pulled a pistol from his inventory and fired a few rounds behind Red, hoping that the tank would notice and pay attention. The gunshots made no sound at all and, aside from a few puffs of dust coming up from the ground, there was very little to indicate what had happened. Except for the recoil, of course, which sent Gideon¡¯s shoulder swinging backwards and made him spin in place like an awkward ballet dancer on his first day of lessons. He put the gun back into his inventory and shifted direction, heading toward Red. That meant backtracking a little and then shifting to come up alongside the other man without overshooting and landing right in front of the oncoming enemy. ¡°What are you doing you buffoon!¡± Bullseye shouted. ¡°Stop jostling me!¡± ¡°Shut your trap!¡± Gideon spat back, catching Red¡¯s eye as he drew up beside the tank. This close he was able to point behind the pair and Red turned to see the enemy then promptly turned around and started moving as fast as he could towards the huge dome in the distance; the Lunar Transit Station they were roughly heading toward. Mia, meanwhile, hadn¡¯t seen either the enemy or Gideon doubling back. She was a good thirty feet ahead of the pair, moving with far more grace as she leaped from foot to foot in a straight line toward the building. Gideon focused on driving his legs against the ground as hard he could manage, increasing the length of his strides and spending longer floating above ground. Red attempted to do the same but seemed to be having trouble coordinating the approach. He was jumping too high and not pushing himself forward enough, causing him to shoot far above the moon¡¯s surface but without the necessary momentum to get him away from the oncoming enemy. Twisting around to look behind, Gideon saw the problem. He had no way to communicate what was wrong to Red, though it was clear from the way the other man was flailing about with he knew something was wrong. ¡°Push forward, not up!¡± Gideon shouted, immediately feeling Bullseye tense up in response and consequently dig his turtle claws into his chest. ¡°The oaf cannot hear you, Gideon!¡± Bullseye barked. The Stalkers were getting closer, staying low to the ground and kicking up dust as they moved towards the pair. ¡°Shit!¡± Gideon blurted, halting his movement and turning to face Red as the tank slowly fell toward the ground. It was too late to run. The Stalkers would be on them in seconds, and they risked getting stabbed in the back if they continued the way they were going. Stuck only half way between the ship and the transit station, they were right out in the open, with no cover to hide behind and a clear disadvantage when it came to movement. Trying to slow the advance and do some damage at range, he pulled the assault rifle from his inventory. As he looked through the weapon¡¯s targeting sight, Gideon realized that he had never, in his life, shot a firearm. He¡¯d played thousands of games and even a few simulators which included assault rifles and a huge range of other weapons, but he¡¯d never actually pulled the trigger on a real gun. Filled with confidence that probably wasn¡¯t deserved, he braced his back leg, squatted down a little and fired. Nothing happened. The enemy Stalkers were getting closer, Red was just landing back on the ground, toppling over and showing his ass to the enemy as he struggled to right himself. Gideon pressed the trigger again and nothing happened. ¡°The safety you imbecile!¡± Bullseye croaked. ¡°Turn off the safety!¡± Feeling like an idiot, Gideon lifted the gun and searched for the safety, finding a little switch just behind and above the trigger. He flipped the switch, repositioned himself and fired a burst of gunfire at the oncoming enemy. The gun bucked in his grip, thudding into his shoulder and driving him backwards. His boots scrapped in the dirt, sending up puffs of dust as bullets sparked off the armor of the closest Stalker. Undaunted, the enemy advanced, splitting from their arrow formation so that the two smaller scouts headed to the left and right, leaving the Bloodborn to charge straight ahead, its closed fist held in front of its body like a battering ram, giant sword held high at its side. Gideon let fly another burst of gunfire, this time able to aim a little better and keep the damage to a cluster of contact points at the Stalker¡¯s chest. The burst didn¡¯t seem to do any damage, but it was enough to knock the Stalker off course a little, causing it to stumble and slide as it ran toward the pair. Red had recovered from his tumble and drawn the oversized sword. The blade was almost twice his height, but he didn¡¯t seem to have any trouble holding it. Instead of bracing himself for the fight, he actually charged toward the bulking Stalker, but he still hadn¡¯t figured out how to move horizontally so that charge was more like a vertical leap that sent him high up above the moon¡¯s surface while the enemy Stalker looked on in confusion. Gideon swapped his assault rifle for a talon in each hand as the two regular scouts approached from the left and right. He¡¯d see enough hunters die on Artemis by being outnumbered to know that the first thing he had to do here was take out one of the Stalkers as quickly as possible. That wasn¡¯t going to be easy, given the low gravity, his reasonably limited ability set, and the fact that he was outnumbered two to one. With no time to think, he immediately popped Marked for Death, then triggered Shadow Step as he turned to face the Stalker on his left. His view shifted and he moved through the space between them, coming up behind the Stalker and striking at the place just beneath the creature¡¯s head. The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. That was the plan, anyway, but in reality the Stalker was still moving and Gideon¡¯s Shadow Step and placed him behind the enemy and out of reach with his talon thrust. Confused, the Stalker turned to the left and the right, giving Gideon precious moments to push himself toward the enemy, talons outstretched as he tried to make the best of the situation. With normal gravity it might have gone very differently. The Shadow Step ability had positioned Gideon perfectly for a devastating double blade attack that might have ended the enemy in one hit, particularly given the bonuses from Marked for Death. In low gravity, and with Gideon forced to lunge toward the enemy a good second after the ideal time to strike, the results were less than stellar. Gideon did manage to thrust one talon up between the armor plating of the Stalker, but only a moment before the alien soldier twisted around and tried to skewer Gideon with its claws. The resulting momentum carried Gideon around the enemy, clinging to the talon sticking into the Stalker¡¯s body while his other arm flailed about holding the second talon. It was like the most absurd, slow-motion ballet Gideon could imagine. He quickly stowed his second talon, reasoning that having a hand to grab hold of the enemy was going to be much better than attempting to stab out with a second blade while he was spinning around the enemy. The pair pirouetted together with the Stalker scraping and swiping, its talons a hair¡¯s breadth from shredding Gideon¡¯s EV suite as the rogue held on for dear life, hoping the talon he gripped with his right hand didn¡¯t suddenly slip out and send him hurtling through space. Somewhere in the back of his mind, amid the ensuing chaos, Gideon was aware of several things. First, he was confident that Bullseye had drawn blood. The little turtle was clinging to his chest for dear life, screaming bloody murder while they spun around the Stalker currently attempting to rip Gideon to shreds. Second, Gideon reflected that attempting to fight close up and personal with the Stalker while he was wearing an EV suit was just about the dumbest thing he¡¯d ever done. One tear in the suit and he¡¯d be done, whereas keeping some distance between himself and the enemy seemed like a much smarter ploy. Thirdly, he was keenly aware that a second Stalker was somewhere nearby, doubtless moments from slicing through his suit and ending Gideon¡¯s lunar jaunt quick smart. All of this led him to do something either utterly brilliant, or downright stupid. As he swung around the Stalker, Gideon let go of the talon and felt reality shift around him as he flew off into the distance, traveling in a roughly horizontal arc away from the Stalkers and, he hoped, closer to the transit terminal. As he flew through space, Gideon twisted his head in an attempt to see what had become of Red, finding that the tank was floating high up above the moon¡¯s surface, either having already landed and launched himself upwards again, or still falling from the initial jump. They were the most absurd pair imaginable, a circus of fools dancing on the surface of the moon while invading aliens conquered their home world. Gideon was still floating and considering this fact when he caught sight of a vehicle driving at pace toward the Stalkers. Tracer rounds flew through space, peppering the three Stalkers and forcing them to retreat as fire flared around a pair of rear-mounted guns on the roof of the vehicle. Moving further and further away from the action, Gideon watched as the Stalkers were driven off and Red finally landed on solid ground. Still holding his oversized sword, the tank stood staring at the approaching vehicle as it continued to harass the enemy aliens. As he hit the ground, Gideon steadied himself, sliding to a halt rather than tumbling over. He turned and looked toward the transit station, squinting to see Mia standing at the doorway, looking out toward him. She¡¯d managed to make it to the entrance without difficulty and without attracting the attention of the Stalkers. Heading toward the station, Gideon set off again, moving as fast as he was able while Red bounced his way slowly forward, still unable to work out a more efficient way of moving across the lunar surface. Within a few minutes the group entered the station and were ushered through a decompression and cleaning chamber before entering a small room where they promptly stripped out of their EV suits. ¡°Never again!¡± Bullseye practically screeched. ¡°That was intolerable.¡± Gideon was tempted to throw the little turtle onto the floor but instead placed it gently on a nearby bench. ¡°Ditto,¡± he said, pointing out the blood on his chest from where the turtle had dug its claws in. ¡°What were you two doing?¡± Mia asked, brushing a hand through her hair. ¡°I figured you were both right behind me but when I turned around you were miles behind.¡± Red snorted. ¡°Can¡¯t help it if you¡¯re a freak. The rest of us aren¡¯t used to bouncing around in low gravity.¡± ¡°You were the only one bouncing!¡± Bullseye hissed. ¡°Then Goodfellow Gideon over there decides to come rescue you and puts us both at risk.¡± ¡°He didn¡¯t rescue shit!¡± Red retorted. ¡°I was handling it fine before you boys showed up.¡± ¡°You were about to have your body split in half by a trio of Stalkers you moron!¡± Bullseye countered. ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for this bumbling fool you¡¯d be dead.¡± Gideon held out his hands, trying to calm the pair. ¡°Look, let¡¯s just agree it didn¡¯t go as well as it could have, but at least we made it here in once piece. Next time, I think we should figure out comms first though, so at least we can communicate.¡± ¡°Agreed,¡± Mia said. A series of announcements appeared on Gideon¡¯s HUD including a party-wide communication advising that the group had all successfully completed a mission. MISSION COMPLETE: Reach the Transit Station You have successfully reached the transit station. REWARD: 5 Enhancement Points Gideon watched as five points were allotted to his enhancement store. He turned to Bullseye. ¡°Is this gonna work the same way it does in Artemis?¡± he asked. ¡°Assigning enhancement points, I mean.¡± ¡°How can it?¡± the little turtle replied. ¡°We¡¯re not on Artemis are we?¡± The little figure¡¯s tone was more than a little snarky, but Gideon resisted the temptation to fire back. ¡°Let me rephrase the question then. How do we go about assigning enhancement points seeing as we¡¯re not on Artemis?¡± The turtle didn¡¯t answer right away. Bullseye closed his eyes and stayed perfectly still for a few moments. ¡°Is he okay?¡± Mia asked, stepping up beside Gideon. Red grunted. ¡°Looks like he¡¯s taking a dump.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not taking a dump,¡± Bullseye responded. ¡°I¡¯m communicating with the Artemis code in Gideon¡¯s echo. I can¡¯t say for sure, but it seems you should be able to add enhancements points any time you wish. Provided you¡¯re not in immediate danger and sufficient time has passed since you were last involved in a fight.¡± Gideon nodded. ¡°How long do you think?¡± ¡°An hour. Perhaps less. You will simply need to test it out.¡± ¡°Already tried,¡± Red said. ¡°No luck on my end.¡± ¡°Me neither,¡± Mia confirmed. ¡°We should try again in a little while.¡± Gideon flicked through the other notifications. +1 Firearms +1 Grappling +1 Endurance +1 Leadership Achievement Awarded: Low Gravity Fight! Congratulations! You just fought an enemy in low gravity. You lost¡­badly, but at least you gave it your best! Maybe next time you should stick to higher gravity combat areas. Gideon chuckled, remembering seeing similarly snarky announcements while watching feeds of the Great Hunt back home. He brought up a quick tally of his Basic Skills and arranged them from highest to lowest. ** BASIC SKILLS ** Endurance: 7 Dodge: 5 Leadership: 4 Tactical Insight: 2 Improvised Tools: 1 Bladed Weaponry: 1 Stealth: 1 Counterattack: 1 Grappling: 1 Firearms: 1 There was nothing too surprising in the list, except perhaps for the leadership skill. Most hunters on Artemis didn¡¯t start developing leadership abilities until they had increased to Exemplar level. Considering their roles in hunting parties it was normally tanks or healers that went for leadership buffs, not rogues. Sneaking around in the shadows didn¡¯t tend to make for an effective party leader and Gideon had specifically chosen the rogue class so that he could climb the ranks quickly and efficiently without having to rely on group hunts. Circumstances had dramatically changed, however, and for some reason he¡¯d assumed a de facto role as leader within this little party. Gideon didn¡¯t think this would be a permanent situation, especially since they were being coopted into the Ministry¡¯s armed forces, but it explained why his leadership skill level was near the top of his tally. ¡°Wow!¡± Mia said, chuckling to herself. ¡°You weren¡¯t wrong, Gideon.¡± He turned to her, perplexed. ¡°We¡¯re in a party, so I can see some of your stats. You¡¯ve already racked up an ether debt of sixty.¡± ¡°You can see that shit?¡± She nodded. ¡°Of course. It counts as a party debt while we¡¯re together so even though it only relates to you individually, we can both see it.¡± Red snorted. ¡°Oh yeah, I see it. Shit dude. Talk about starting off behind the eight ball.¡± ¡°Yeah well, if they want to come and get their ether, they¡¯re welcome to try. In the meantime, I¡¯ve got twenty I picked up from that Bloodborn Stalker back at the ship. I could try and divide it three ways¡ª¡± ¡°Keep it,¡± Mia insisted. ¡°We can¡¯t use it yet anyway, so there¡¯s no point giving it to us. Besides, you¡¯re the one with the ether debt.¡± ¡°Shit!¡± Red barked. ¡°We gotta find us a Ministry tech who can fix our echoes. No way I¡¯m risking my ass against these Stalker bitches if I can even use ether.¡± ¡°My suggestion,¡± Bullseye said, ¡°is to stop talking out of your ass and then perhaps¡ª¡± Gideon scooped up the turtle before he could finish the sentiment, slipping it into his pocket as the door to the chamber slid open and a man dressed in Ministry fatigues and holding a clipboard greeted them with a nervous smile. Gideon grinned. ¡°You Book?¡± He nodded. ¡°Yes, and you must be Gideon.¡± 16. Defenses Short. That was the word that popped into Gideon¡¯s mind the moment he laid eyes on Communications Officer Joshua Booker. He was a youngish black man with a balding head, round glasses, an easy smile, but mostly he was remarkably short. The fact hadn¡¯t been lost on Red who was currently walking beside the shorter man, eyes wide as he pointed down at Book while Gideon and Mia tried to focus on what the communications officer was saying. ¡°Commander Monohan took control of the station when our previous commanding officer was killed in action early yesterday. She¡¯s been coordinating our defensive efforts from the station here because most of the outbuildings have already been compromised and this is the only structure with heavy guns set up around the perimeter.¡± He shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s been difficult. We lost a lot of people on the first day. Even though we had some warning, they hit us so hard and we just weren¡¯t prepared. Monohan was able to push back a little though and we¡¯ve kept comms open this whole time. We¡¯ve been able to feed intel back to earth and help where we can, but the truth is the war is just starting. We got hit first but it¡¯s only just starting down there.¡± ¡°How big are they,¡± Gideon asked. ¡°The Collective, I mean.¡± ¡°Compared to us? It¡¯s like an ant trying to fight a giant. From what we¡¯ve been able to gather so far they have hundreds of ships, millions of troops and their weapons are fare more advanced than anything we have. On earth at least. That¡¯s why the Ministry has called back all the echoes. The Artemis System is adaptive and because this enemy uses ether, there¡¯s a good chance you¡¯ll be able to use their weaponry and adapt it to your own uses.¡± Red held a hand out, pulling the massive blade out of his inventory and showing it to the soldier. ¡°Already one step ahead of you, bub.¡± ¡°That¡¯s something we need to ask,¡± Mia interrupted. ¡°We can use some of their items but at the moment only Gideon can loot and he¡¯s the only one that can use ether. We need to speak to a Ministry technician, someone who can adapt our Elysia AI so that it works here like it¡¯s supposed to on Artemis.¡± Book turned to face Gideon, frowning up at the other man. ¡°How come the Artemis System works with you, if you don¡¯t mind me asking?¡± By way of response, Gideon pulled Bullseye out of his pocket and lifted it up in front of the other man. ¡°This is Bullseye,¡± he said, thrusting the turtle at Book. ¡°Something went wrong with my transition to this echo, and he had to jump out of my body. This turtle was the only thing nearby he could jump into so here he is.¡± ¡°Greetings Communications Officer Booker,¡± Bullseye said. ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you.¡± Book turned from Gideon to the turtle and then back again. ¡°I don¡¯t understand. The Bullseye AI was actually decommissioned¡ª¡± ¡°Years ago,¡± Mia added. ¡°Yeah, we know. Something when wrong with Gideon and he was assigned this old model instead.¡± Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. ¡°Old?!¡± Bullseye blurted, spinning around on Gideon¡¯s palm to face her. ¡°I¡¯ll have you know, young lady, that I am at the very peak of performance. And I¡¯ll remind you all that I was I who was able to adjust the Artemis System to function in this environment, not this Elysia hussy you continuously bleat about.¡± Mia held up her hands. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean anything by it, Bullseye, I was just trying to explain for Book. What I meant to say is that you¡¯re not currently being installed in echoes and Gideon somehow ended up with a¡­classic AI instead of one of the newer versions.¡± The little turtle scowled up at her but seemed to accept her apology. ¡°Point is,¡± Gideon said, ¡°he fixed it so that I can use the Artemis System. I¡¯ve already channeled ether a couple of times and looting seems to be working okay. I haven¡¯t tried crafting anything yet, or assigning enhancement points, but hopefully that will work too.¡± He pointed at Mia and Red. ¡°If you can sort it out for these guys then all three of us will be ready to go.¡± ¡°Plus,¡± Mia added, ¡°this might be something that affects all the hunters coming back from Artemis. At least if you can sort it out for us, you¡¯ll be ready when the others arrive.¡± Book nodded solemnly. ¡°If the others arrive. We¡¯re having trouble making contact with the transit vessels and there¡¯s a real fear that they¡¯re being picked off by the enemy before they arrive here.¡± He motioned back the way they had come. ¡°Even if they do manage to make it here, you¡¯ve seen how dangerous it is out there. You craft got shot down a moment before it landed and you¡¯re incredibly lucky any of you survived.¡± ¡°So, it could be just us then?¡± Mia asked. ¡°If none of the other hunters can get back to earth, it will be the three of us and that¡¯s it?¡± Book nodded. ¡°With the Artemis System, yes. The Ministry will be sending everything else it has at the enemy, but you¡¯ll be the only three wearing echoes.¡± He leaned forward, speaking in hushed tones. ¡°Rumor is they¡¯re looking at some kind of emergency program where they can transition existing soldiers into echoes somewhere on earth. I don¡¯t know if there¡¯s any truth to it, but I¡¯m guessing the Ministry will be trying everything it can to defend against invasion.¡± He continued walking down the hall and the others followed. ¡°Chief Technician Maddox should be able to help you with the system issue. She was docked here on standby, prepping to head back to earth when the enemy hit us. We don¡¯t have any specialist system techs here on the station, but she¡¯s a legend when it comes to anything system related. I think she invented the Artemis System or at least worked on the original.¡± Book nodded to himself. ¡°First, I¡¯ll take you to see Commander Monohan, then I¡¯ll find Maddox. Fact is, we need you up and running as soon as possible. We¡¯ve been able to hold the bulk of the enemy at bay but our shield is failing and unless we salvage the spare generator, we¡¯re gonna be sitting ducks.¡± Gideon waited, half expecting a mission announcement to appear on his HUD. Nothing happened. ¡°I don¡¯t get it,¡± Red observed. ¡°If this place is toast, why not just abandon the station? Use a few ships and fly the hell out of here.¡± ¡°We can¡¯t. First of all, the logistics wouldn¡¯t work. We¡¯ve only got one working shuttle at the moment, which isn¡¯t enough to get all the personnel out of the station. Second, we need the station in operation because it provides vital intelligence to the earth fleet and ground forces. If we lose this station we¡¯re effectively blind to the enemy and that will leave us at a considerable disadvantage in this fight.¡± Gideon stopped walking and the others slowly picked up on it, stopping themselves. ¡°Gid?¡± Mia asked, trying on the nickname for the first time. ¡°What is it?¡± He couldn¡¯t put it into words. It felt like his ears were tingling, like spiders were crawling on the inside of his skull. He looked around, searching for the source of his unease as he summoned a Stalker talon and handed Bullseye to Book. The officer took the turtle uncertainly as Gideon turned to face the empty corridor behind the group. Mia pulled out her assault rifle and the giant sword materialized in Red¡¯s hands. ¡°Be careful,¡± Book said. ¡°the plexiglass is extremely strong, but sustained fire might breach it and that would cause this whole section to lose integrity. The breach doors will close, and we¡¯ll be trapped in here.¡± Gideon ignored his words. That tingling sensation was getting worse, leading him a few paces back down the corridor. He stared into the passage, hand gripping the makeshift dagger tightly. ¡°I think there¡¯s¡ª¡± A Stalker stepped out of thin air and thrust its right claw out at Gideon a moment before the rogue triggered his Shadow Step ability and appeared behind the shimmery, black soldier. Stealth Sense +1 17. Close Quarters Gideon¡¯s first strike missed the mark but scored a deep gash against one of the armor plates covering the alien¡¯s back. It spun around, deflecting his follow-up attack before blinking out of existence just as Red came crashing down with his sword. The blade thudded into the floor, dinting the metal plating as Red cursed in annoyance. The Stalker had blinked away behind Mia, but she ducked out of the way as it swiped out toward her chest, narrowly avoiding the attack. Mia tried to bring her gun to bear but the Stalker was too fast, moving with lighting speed and ducking behind her before she had a chance to react. Red and Gideon were both running to her aid as the Stalker¡¯s talons shot out of Mia¡¯s chest, her back arcing as she cried out in pain. Blood poured from the wound and Red roared as he thrust the sword at the attacker and charged forward. The Stalker vanished again, appearing behind Book and slicing a neat cut through the soldier¡¯s arm as he ducked down and tried to pull his weapon, still clutching Bullseye to his chest as he narrowly avoided a second strike from the enemy. Gideon saw the problem clearly enough. He¡¯d watched this scene play out a thousand times in a hundred different feeds back on earth. This was where a rogue excelled. One on one, Red might be able to take the Stalker, but it was simply too quick to catch and never stayed in one place for more than a second. The trick wasn¡¯t to go chasing the rogue as it blinked from place to place, but to predict where it was going to appear next and position yourself so that you could deliver a death blow the moment it appeared. Gideon watched as Mia fell to the floor, blood gushing from her chest while she tried to heal herself with a spell. Red was still charging after the Stalker, too slow to do anything more than trash the surrounding corridor with savage swipes of his massive sword. Book managed to get a few shots off, but he was badly wounded too and had only a pistol which wasn¡¯t much good against the Stalker¡¯s plate amor. Attempting to get ahead of the deadly assassin, Gideon closed his eyes, concentrating on the strange sensation that had come over him when he¡¯d first felt the enemy rogue nearby. It was a risky move considering that the Stalker could run him through while he was trying to concentrate, but it was the only way he could focus. He also reasoned that, at least if the enemy assassin stabbed him, he''d have a chance of returning the favor, given that the Stalker would need to get up close and personal. The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°Fuck!¡± Red shouted, shoulder barging a wall where the Stalker had been moments earlier. ¡°Little help, dude!¡± He blurted, frowning at Gideon who was still standing with his eyes closed, concentrating on the odd sensation that indicated a strange kind of pattern at work within the Stalker¡¯s strategy. ¡°Dude! For fuck¡¯s sake!¡± Red shouted. Gideon opened his eyes, running to a spot a few feet to his left and crouching low with his curved talon dagger ready. His Shadow Step ability wasn¡¯t ready to use, but Stealth Strike had no cooldown, and he reasoned that it might still work if the Stalker wasn¡¯t expecting attack. ¡°DUDE!¡± Red roared. Gideon ignored the tank¡¯s shouting, reading the shifting pattern as the Stalker shifted from place to place. A moment before the enemy approached him, he pushed off from the wall, jumping in a horizontal line toward a space three feet to his left and triggering Stealth Strike at exactly the moment the Stalker blinked in front of him. Instead of facing away from Gideon, as he¡¯d expected, the Stalker was right in front of him, inches away as his talon blade slid into the enemy soldier¡¯s body. It slipped through the gap between the creature¡¯s armor, not quite triggering the full effects of the Stealth Strike ability but doing enough damage to cause the Striker to shriek in pain and frustration. Clinging to the talon with one hand, Gideon summoned the shorter throwing blade he¡¯d taken from the first Striker he¡¯d encountered and jammed it into the enemy¡¯s neck just below the helmet. With two blades stuck into the Stalker¡¯s body he straddled the alien like a bull rider, ignoring the claws raking his back and holding on for dear life. Red came running over, turning his sword so that the pummel end of the bone face the pair. He jammed it forward into the face of the Stalker, cracking the chitinous armor and repeating the blow a second and third time. Gideon twisted both blades, feeling them released as he was hurled to one side. Out of the corner of his eyes he saw Red bludgeon the Stalker with repeated blows from his sword, using it more like a baseball bat than a bladed weapon. Chunks of chitin armor cracked and broke apart, flying left and right as he continued to batter the enemy. Once a large enough opening had been made in the Stalker¡¯s helmet, Red shoved the alien down onto the floor and drove the point of his sword through the creature¡¯s head and into the metal plating beneath. As Gideon got to his feet once more, his back bleeding profusely and a gore covered blade in each hand, he saw Red panting as he lay on top of the dead Stalker, leaning with his back against the oversized sword that stood like a monolith jutting out of the dead alien¡¯s head. Red gave Gideon the thumbs up gesture and nodded. ¡°Nice one,¡± he breathed, panting heavily. ¡°You¡¯re a regular frigging ninja, bro!¡± 18. Seeing the Unseen ¡°How did you do that?¡± Mia asked, still holding her chest. It looked like the combination of her healing gift and her echo¡¯s natural healing ability fixed the worst of her wounds. ¡°Do what?¡± Gideon asked, walking over to offer a hand to Red and help him up. ¡°How did you see that thing?¡± she said, moving over to Book and inspecting the savage injury across his arm and shoulder. Gideon shrugged. ¡°Dunno. I didn¡¯t really see it though; it was more like I could just feel something. Like when someone moves past you, and you feel the air go by.¡± ¡°Stealth Sense,¡± a muffled voice called out from somewhere nearby. Grimacing in pain, Book pulled the turtle out from beneath his arm and Bullseye continued. ¡°You¡¯re a rogue so it looks like your Stealth Sense ability has kicked in. That means you¡¯ll be able to pick up other rogues and assassins more easily than other classes.¡± Gideon pulled up the announcements on his HUD and hit the broadcast button, displaying them for the rest of the group to see. Red stood nearby, arms crossed as he squinted at the display. Stealth Sense + 1 Bladed Weaponry +1 Endurance +1 Tactical Insight +1 Loot Rarity +1 ¡°Stealth Sense,¡± Gideon said. ¡°Yeah I notice that earlier but didn¡¯t get time to check it out.¡± Red pointed at the display. ¡°What¡¯s this Loot Rarity business?¡± ¡°Means I¡¯m more likely to pick up rarer loot items,¡± Gideon said, frowning at the other man. ¡°Have you ever played a game before?¡± Red shrugged. ¡°Lots of games, but I prefer real world shit like sports instead of playing make-believe online with greasy dudes in their underwear.¡± Gideon shook his head, switching off the display as an orb of smokey purple light appeared above the dead Stalker. He motioned at the orb. ¡°Anyone else seeing that?¡± They turned to look where he was pointing, shaking their heads once by one. ¡°I can see it,¡± Bullseye said. ¡°But that¡¯s because you and I are connected via the Artemis System. The others won¡¯t be able to see or harvest ether until their faulty AIs are fixed.¡± Gideon stepped closer and the orb zipped toward him quickly as another announcement appeared on his HUD. ITEMS LOOTED Ether +10 Stalker Talon +2 Shadow Veil Skill Stone (Class Item) +1 He explained the items, offering one of the Stalker talons to the other two. Red refused, but Mia accepted gratefully. ¡°Not sure if I can use it yet, but when we start crafting this could come in handy.¡± Red pulled his sword out of the floor and dropped it into his inventory. ¡°You get anything else?¡± ¡°Just this,¡± Gideon said, holding up a small orb the side of a large marble. It was purple in color and a faint mist seemed to rise from the object. The orb was cold to the touch, but while he was holding it, Gideon felt that same strange tingling in the back of his head. ¡°It¡¯s a skill stone,¡± Bullseye said. ¡°You just need to¡ª¡± ¡°I know what to do with it, thanks Bullseye,¡± Gideon said with a smile. He crushed the object with his hand, and it turned to mist. The moment that happened, a new ability icon appeared on his HUD as details appeared explaining its various capabilities. Gideon read the details, grinning as he read. ** NEW ABILITY ** ** SHADOW VEIL ** A temporary stealth ability that can be enhanced by utilizing ether stores. The user fades from direct sight, blending into the environment. Movement speed is reduced by 30% while in stealth. Any direct attacks, actions, or damage taken break the effect. Base Timeframe: 10 seconds Cooldown: 30 seconds ** Ether-Enhanced Effect ** Ether infusion distorts light and sound, making the user even harder to detect. Movement speed reduction is only 10%, allowing for faster repositioning. Attacking from stealth grants +50% bonus damage and +20% increased crit chance. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. If Ether is channeled continuously, the stealth duration can be extended or even maintained in combat, but it drains Ether rapidly. ¡°Holy shit dude!¡± Red blurted. ¡°That¡¯s wicked!¡± ¡°It¡¯s amazing,¡± Mia agreed. ¡°And it really makes me want to talk to this Maddox woman. We need to get hooked up to the Artemis System asap!¡± Standing beside her and rubbing his newly healed arm, Book pointed toward the direction they were heading in before the interruption. ¡°Monohan first, and then I promise I¡¯ll take you straight to Chief Technician Maddox.¡± They started walking once more while Gideon rearranged his hotbar in a way that would be more efficient when it actually came to fighting. He¡¯d waited for this day for so long and planned in his head exactly how this would go, but the truth was he¡¯d always planned on starting with ranged weaponry and building out bow skills as his primary means of attack. Daggers were fine, he supposed, but you had to get close to use them and that meant stacking agility as high as possible so that you were harder to hit. It also meant, if you were hit, you tended to take big damage and that meant spending ether on repairing armor, healing, and buffing yourself so that next time you didn¡¯t end up in the same kind of situation. Whichever way you cut it; ranged rogues were the kings of The Great Hunt. But this wasn¡¯t Artemis and maxing out a bow on the moon, or earth might not be as beneficial as it was on that distant planet. This was an invasion, after all, not a series of hunts undertaken for entertainment. ¡°So,¡± Mia said, walking up next to him, ¡°you gonna try it?¡± He looked over at her, confused. ¡°You¡¯re new stealth spell,¡± she said. ¡°You should try it out a bunch of times until you get used to it.¡± Gideon nodded. ¡°Oh, yeah, that¡¯s what I was planning on doing. Just rearranging my abilities so they make more sense in a fight.¡± He locked in his ability icons as they continued. ¡°It¡¯s weird but being here and actually seeing through a HUD is so different to what it¡¯s like playing a simulator or watching the feeds.¡± ¡°Yeah, I hear you,¡± she said. ¡°I was worried the abilities would be tricky to use because you have to mentally trigger them instead of clicking a controller or a mouse. But they¡¯re super responsive. Sometimes it feels like this body knows what you want it to do before you even think of anything.¡± Gideon smiled, making a concerted effort to look away from her as she said the words this body. Her t-shirt was badly ripped from the wound she¡¯d received from the Stalker and although Mia didn¡¯t seem to mind, he was feeling a little self-conscious about getting caught looking. It was hard enough not to stare when she wasn¡¯t wearing a shredded t-shirt. The fact was, Mia was stunning. Worse, she was just his type. Athletic, blond with green eyes, smart as a whip. It made sense that she was beautiful. All of the echoes were. They were built to be aesthetically pleasing just as much as they were designed to be superior fighters. It was a weird sensation, meeting each other like this. She had no idea what he really looked like in reality and vice versa. They could literally be anyone, and they wouldn¡¯t know. She could be a dude or an eighty-year-old woman. Neither seemed likely considering the way she acted, but he couldn¡¯t know for sure and¡ª ¡°Gid?¡± she said. He blinked, realizing that his mind was wandering. ¡°Sorry, just got caught up in something in my head. Yeah, I¡¯ll try it now. Ready?¡± She nodded. Gideon ran ahead of the group a little way and activated the Shadow Veil ability. The change was immediate. He felt his movements slow a little and his view of the corridor changed, shifting to a crystal-clear greyscale which seemed somehow more vivid than his ordinary vision. He could still see Mia, Red, and Book walking towards him, but their bodies were surrounded by a subtle purple color and several locations were highlighted with a bright red light. The neck, groin, and eyes of each were highlighted as critical areas to attack and Gideon knew instinctively that his Shadow Step ability would pair perfectly with this stealth, allowing him to pinpoint an enemy¡¯s weak spot and attack with lethal precision and speed. ¡°That¡¯s incredible,¡± Mia said. ¡°I can¡¯t see anything.¡± Red chuckled. ¡°Reckon if I started swing my sword around I¡¯d still hit ya though.¡± Gideon triggered the stealth ability again and appeared directly ahead of them. ¡°Any significant physical contact and I drop out of stealth. But you¡¯d have to find me first.¡± Red pulled his sword out of his inventory, grinning. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s give it a go then. You go invisible again and I¡¯ll start swinging. Nothing too dangerous, but let¡¯s see how long you last before I snag you. Fifty bucks to the winner.¡± ¡°First, I don¡¯t have any money. Second, this thing¡¯s on a cooldown so we¡¯re gonna have to wait for a bit.¡± A static sound cut thought the conversation and they all turned to see Book pull a walkie talkie out of his pocket. Book?! Where the fuck are you?! He looked visibly shaken as he answered. ¡°I¡¯ve picked up the echoes and we¡¯re heading to your office now, Commander.¡± You picked them up ten minutes ago? What the fuck is the holdup? ¡°We¡­ah¡­encountered a Stalker. Different to the others we¡¯ve seen so far. This one had a stealth ability. It attacked¡ª¡± Is it dead? ¡°Yes, Commander. The echoes¡ª¡± Good! Then quit playing with your pud and get them here asap. The Collective have launched another assault on the primary generator, and we¡¯ve got about an hour before we¡¯re well and truly fucked! ¡°Right away, Commander.¡± Book stood for a few moments, holding the walkie talkie and practically cringing as though he expected another irate exchange. After a few seconds passed in silence he slipped the walkie talkie back into his pants and motioned towards the end of the hallway. ¡°Come on. We¡¯d better get moving.¡± ¡°I take it that was Commander Monohan?¡± Mia asked. ¡°Yes. She¡¯s¡­very good at her job, but she can be a little abrasive.¡± ¡°A little?¡± Gideon said, grinning. ¡°She sounds like she could strip paint of a wall just by screaming at it.¡± Book chuckled and then quickly caught himself. ¡°She really is a great commander. Just a bit rough, that¡¯s all. She doesn¡¯t like to beat around the bush and she¡¯d rather you talk to her straight than try to sugar coat anything.¡± He shook his head. ¡°She¡¯s very different to our last commander, so the adjustment has been a little rough.¡± ¡°I like her,¡± Red offered. ¡°She sounds like she¡¯s got balls.¡± They moved quickly through the hallway and out into a large chamber with several pods arranged on a raised section of flooring at the center of the circular space. The ceiling above was a large dome made from see-through hexagonal tiles and there were metal struts running along the interior of the building. Each of the pods had a series of computer monitors and technical devices arranged in a semicircle. Soldiers in fatigues were seated in the pods, analyzing data, listening intently on headphones and relaying information noisily to one another. It reminded Gideon a little of old footage he¡¯d seen of the stock market back in the day with brokers yelling at one another and waving pieces of paper. ¡°Through here,¡± Book said, walking as fast as his short legs would take him toward an office positioned a little higher than the raised section with the pods. While he was starting to get used to his new body, Gideon still found it amusing that Book was practically running while Gideon and his companions walked at a comparatively leisurely pace but managed to keep pace. They were all much taller than Book of course, but looking around the room, Gideon realized that he was taller than everyone in the building. The communications officer led them up a set of metal stairs and knocked on an opaque glass door outside of the office. The title Commander Monohan was written on its surface, but the last name had been hastily scribbled on a piece of paper and then stuck to the door. Book knocked. ¡°Commander, it¡¯s Book.¡± ¡°Stop knocking and get your ass in here!¡± came a shout from inside the office. Book opened the door and motioned for the others to follow as he stepped inside. Gideon was the last to enter, still holding Bullseye in one hand as he stepped into an office dominated by a large desk, a sofa, several chairs, and a towering figure standing behind the desk. Moynahan was tall, almost as tall as Gideon. With broad shoulders and stern features, she looked like a woman who was accustomed to grueling exercise. Her hair was brown, but graying, cut short with military precision, and clumping together at the end with clear evidence of sweat. Either she¡¯d just finished doing some pushups or Commander Moynahan had worked up a sweat through a mixture of sweat and constant movement. She scowled at the group as the entered her office, looking at each of them in turn, her gaze finally landing on Gideon. ¡°This is it then, huh? Three of you.¡± Her eyes looked down at Bullseye. ¡°And a God damn turtle.¡± 19. Moynahan Moynahan stared at the group, looking at each member of the crew in turn. ¡°You three survived the crash and killed how many enemy soldiers?¡± ¡°Three,¡± Gideon said. She nodded. ¡°Glad to hear it, because from this moment on you all report to me. Until you¡¯re off this rock you¡¯re under my direct command and I¡¯ll need you to level up as quickly as you can because we¡¯ve got a lot of shit about to rain down upon us and without you three we won¡¯t survive.¡± The Commander tapped a keypad on her desk and a screen behind her showed an image of some kind of machine with polished copper coils on top. ¡°This is our primary generator. It¡¯s an hour away from packing in and if we can get a replacement here before it dies our main shield will drop and we¡¯ll have no defense against the enemy. Given that there¡¯s a river a shit about to rain down on us, this is our top priority.¡± She flicked her wrist, and a digital display appeared on Gideon¡¯s HUD showing a countdown clock. 59:01 A moment later new mission alert popped up on Gideon¡¯s HUD, along with Mia¡¯s and Red¡¯s. NEW MISSION: Pursuit of Power Acquire the portable generator from the Lunar Station storage facility and deliver it to Commander Moynahan. REWARD: 10 Enhancement Points ¡°Your first priority is securing that generator and bringing it back here before the timer runs out. Preferably long before. It¡¯s a portable unit so one of you should be able to carry it, but the others will need to keep you safe while you get your ass back here.¡± She looked at each of them in turn. ¡°Given amount of activity out there and the fact that you apparently managed to find a Stalker inside the damned building, I¡¯d suggest all three of you go.¡± Moynahan walked over to Red, looking him up and down like a farmer inspecting cattle. ¡°How advanced are you? In the system I mean? I know you were on your way to Artemis when we called you back, so you won¡¯t have had much opportunity to develop, but where are you at?¡± Red opened his mouth, but the turtle spoke before he had a chance to say anything. ¡°While entering the Ministry armed forces at Specialist level, they are all technically Novices. They have all acquired some basic offensive skills and Mia here has some talent with healing. They have all been assigned enhancement points but haven¡¯t had the opportunity to spend them as yet. In terms of weaponry, they have some basic mundane firearms, daggers, a few throwing knives, and of course Doinkmaster¡¯s ridiculous sword.¡± The Commander frowned, turning to face Red. ¡°Let me guess. Doinkmaster?¡± He stuck out his chest, grinning from ear to ear. ¡°Technically, Doinkmaster Supreme.¡± ¡°We call him Red,¡± Mia quickly added. Moynahan rolled her eyes. ¡°You can call him whatever you like, as long as he get¡¯s the job done.¡± She turned to face the turtle. ¡°So, they¡¯re next to useless then?¡± ¡°Not useless,¡± Bullseye said. ¡°They have killed three Stalkers thus far and shown at least some ability to work as a cohesive unit. Only Gideon can etherically enhance his fighting however, until the others are fixed.¡± The commander looked over at Book and he fumbled for a response. ¡°They, ah need to¡­ah¡­¡± Gideon stepped forward. ¡°They¡¯re not plugged into the Artemis System yet.¡± He raised Bullseye in his right hand. ¡°I¡¯ve got an older AI which means he was able to adapt my echo to this environment. If you want all of us to be able to fight properly, Mia and Red need to speak with¡­¡± He turned to book. ¡°Chief Technician Maddox,¡± Book said. ¡°Yeah, Maddox,¡± Gideon confirmed. ¡°Mia and Red need their echoes sorted and then maybe we¡¯ll have a better chance of getting this done in once piece.¡± The commander nodded. ¡°Fine, see Maddox, but if it¡¯s going to take any more than five minutes to fix you up, leave her with the problem and go get my damned generator.¡± She pointed a finger at Gideon. ¡°Five minutes and not a second later, or I¡¯ll hold you responsible. And if that generator isn¡¯t back here before that timer¡¯s up, I¡¯ll nail your ass to the wall.¡± He was about to ask why she¡¯d singled him out, but Moynahan continued, turning to walk back behind her desk and clearly already moving on from the conversation. ¡°Book, take them to the armory first and get them some new combat gear. If you¡¯re lucky their might be a few Mark two kits lying around, but if not just give them the Mark ones. Once they¡¯re done with Maddox take them to the cafeteria.¡± ¡°Yes, Commander,¡± Book said, turning on his heels and motioning toward the doorway. 57:15 Gideon paused, waiting behind with Moynahan while the others left the room with Book. This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. ¡°Something else, Specialist?¡± the Commander asked. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve been racking up an ether debt this whole time with the Ministry. It started when I woke up, but I think it¡¯s just because the System is screwed up.¡± Moynahan narrowed her eyes. ¡°It¡¯s wartime, bub. Ministry debt doesn¡¯t mean shit. Just focus on saving our asses and we¡¯ll deal with that later on.¡± ¡°Yeah, okay, but it keeps going up. What if the Ministry stings me with this once we¡¯re done here?¡± ¡°I¡¯m a Commander in the Ministry armed forces, son. I can dismiss any debt you have. Just get me that damned generator and I¡¯ll sort out your debt once we¡¯re safe.¡± Gideon nodded, turning and heading out of the room. Mia, Red, and Book were waiting outside. He walked with the group, down the metal stairs and across the platform. ¡°Okay,¡± Mia said, almost walking into Gideon¡¯s back as they headed out of the large chamber. ¡°It looks like we can assign enhancement points now.¡± ¡°Shit, really?!¡± Red blurted, stopping dead and staring directly ahead as he examined his own stats. Gideon followed their lead, opening up his Core Attributes and noting that he had eight points to spend. Constitution: 1 Strength: 1 Agility: 1 Intelligence: 1 Wisdom: 1 Charisma: 1 Etheric Aptitude: 0 ¡°May I suggest Agility and Constitution as your primary areas to improve,¡± Bullseye said. ¡°Considering that you will immediately be heading into danger, a little more health would be advisable, and Agility should be your primary stat given your class. Gideon grinned. ¡°Yeah, thanks for that champ, but I¡¯ve already decided where to put the points.¡± He assigned one point to Constitution, two to Strength, and the remaining five points in Agility. Constitution: 2 Strength: 3 Agility: 6 Intelligence: 1 Wisdom: 1 Charisma: 1 Etheric Aptitude: 0 ¡°Why Strength?¡± Bullseye asked. Gideon shrugged, locking in the stats and closing down the display. ¡°I figure a little more power couldn¡¯t hurt, particularly considering all the enemies so far have been heavily armored. If I can¡¯t hit them in just the right spot the extra strength might help me force a blade through.¡± The turtle nodded. As they moved off, Gideon reflected that things were once more moving in a different direction to what he¡¯d anticipated. As a ranged archer, he¡¯d prioritize Agility and potentially even Intelligence if he intended to use etheric enhancements and spells with his bow attacks. Given that he was being forced into melee style combat, the additional strength seemed like a good idea, but he held back from putting too much into the stat, in case the situation changed. ¡°How about you, Red?¡± Gideon said. ¡°Where did you spend your points?¡± ¡°Strength baby!¡± Red barked, flexing his biceps. ¡°Strength and Constitution all the way!¡± Gideon smiled at that. ¡°So, you¡¯re going full tank then?¡± ¡°Of course. Hit shit hard! That¡¯s my motto.¡± Mia shook her head. ¡°How can you have a motto? You know almost nothing about any of this. For God¡¯s sake you never even played video games!¡± He shrugged. ¡°Doesn¡¯t mean I don¡¯t know what a tank is. Just call me Doinkmaster the Barbarian!¡± Mia moved to reply but thought better of it, shaking her head. ¡°What did you go with?¡± Gideon asked the healer. ¡°Mainly Intelligence and Wisdom, plus a little Constitution. I was tempted to start tithing into Etheric Aptitude but given the situation we¡¯re in I¡¯ll probably hold off on that.¡± Red frowned, scratching his arm. ¡°What do you mean tithing?¡± Gideon and Mia grinned at one another. ¡°It¡¯s a common practice with hunters,¡± Mia said. ¡°Every time you get a stack of enhancement points, you drop one point into Etheric Aptitude, kind of like a tax, or savings. Over time it slowly adds up, but you don¡¯t notice much of a hit to the rest of your stats. Whereas, if you wait for a while and dump a whole mess of points into Etheric Aptitude it can really screw you up.¡± Red frowned, clearly missing something. ¡°You¡¯re wondering what Etheric Aptitude is, aren¡¯t you?¡± Gideon asked. Mia chuckled. ¡°Our AI isn¡¯t giving us much at the moment. She was chatty enough when we first woke up, but since then she hasn¡¯t said much. None of the normal beginner information.¡± Bullseye snorted. ¡°Hah! So, who¡¯s defective now?!¡± ¡°Etheric Aptitude,¡± Gideon said, ignoring the turtle¡¯s outburst, ¡°effects how efficient you are at using the ether. The higher your level the further ether will go.¡± ¡°So, if I¡¯ve got ten ether to spend by my Etheric Aptitude is maxed out,¡± Red confirmed, ¡°it¡¯ll go a hell of a lot further than if I¡¯ve got nothing in Aptitude.¡± ¡°Yeah, exactly. But, on the flip side, every point you put into it you¡¯re taking from something else, like Constitution or Strength. It means you have to sacrifice something, but the benefit is that you can be much more efficient when using ether. It¡¯s super important for late game stuff.¡± ¡°Late game?¡± Red barked. ¡°Sorry, I mean when you get higher up in the Hunt. There are a bunch of apex monsters on Artemis that you just can¡¯t kill without using etherically enhanced skills. Without at least some points in Etheric Aptitude you¡¯re never going to be able to harvest enough ether to do any real damage.¡± ¡°Yeah, but that might not be important here,¡± Red reasoned. ¡°We¡¯re not fighting apex monsters are we?¡± ¡°Depends on your perspective,¡± Mia interjected. ¡°These aliens clearly use ether, and we can harvest it from them. Or we will be able to once we get properly hooked up to the Artemis System. Maybe it¡¯s exactly the same principle but we¡¯re just fighting aliens instead of monsters?¡± They followed Book through the station, drawing occasional looks and whispered words from Ministry personnel nearby. Gideon tried to get a little more information out of the communications officer. ¡°The Commander mentioned that something was coming,¡± he said. ¡°Any ideas what it is?¡± ¡°A river of shit!¡± Red offered. Book turned right, heading into an adjacent corridor. ¡°We¡¯re not exactly sure,¡± he replied. ¡°Other than a large number of Stalkers, it¡¯s not clear what else is coming. But we¡¯ve picked up a sizable etheric signal coming this way. That could mean one of the larger enemies or perhaps a weapon of some sort. We¡¯ve got our best intelligence operatives trying to decipher the signals and cross reference with the data the Collective sent us.¡± ¡°Curious,¡± Bullseye chirped. ¡°You do not count yourself among this station¡¯s best intelligence operatives?¡± Gideon couldn''t tell whether the AI was being purposefully insulting or if Bullseye was genuinely curious. Either way, Book responded with his usual calm. ¡°I run coms for the station, but data intelligence and etheric analysis are specialist fields. We¡¯re lucky that we had quite a few intelligence techs at the station when the Collective hit us. They were here checking on a system glitch.¡± ¡°Glitch?¡± Gideon asked. ¡°Like what?¡± Red laughed. ¡°Something to do with an outdated AI tutor, wasn¡¯t it?¡± Book shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t think so, but I¡¯m not sure.¡± He stopped walking pointing to a pair of double doors with glass panels in them. ¡°This is the cafeteria. Maddox is just through the door to our left, but that¡¯s where you¡¯re gonna need to go to get the generator. There¡¯s a barricaded door on the other side and six soldiers in there. We¡¯ll need to open a hole for you to get through.¡± He walked through the door to the left side and into a medium-sized room with a series of disassembled machines and computer components scattered all over the floor. A figure was leaning down behind a large, oddly shaped object with thousands of wires poking out on all sides. Gideon could only see strands of stray white hair poking out from behind the device, as if a Muppet was standing behind it. ¡°You bring me that solder, Jim?¡± a female voice called out. ¡°Chief Maddox,¡± Book said. ¡°I¡¯ve brought you the three echoes we picked up from the crashed transit ship.¡± A face peered out from behind the strange device, thick glasses showing beady eyes while shocks of white hair sprung from a head only partially bound by a bright blue hairband. Maddox looked Gideon and the others up and down as Book continued. ¡°There¡¯s an issue with their AI tutor. Apparently she can¡¯t fully integrate their echoes into the Artemis System.¡± Maddox snorted. ¡°Well, of course they can¡¯t. We¡¯re not on Artemis, are we. The System is set up to work with the latent etheric baseline on that planet, not to function here in our solar system. Elysia wouldn¡¯t know what the hell to do in this environment.¡± ¡°Because she is a charlatan!¡± Bullseye blurted. ¡°A stale intelligence with no ability to think beyond her programing. An emotionless hussy with all the warmth of a frozen lake!¡± Maddox to lean forward, squinting. She looked from the turtle to Gideon, her smile broadening. ¡°Well pickle my privates and call me Pete! How the hell are ya, Bullseye?¡± 20. Gear up, roll out After getting Maddox briefly up to speed, Gideon left Mia and Red while the Chief Technician spoke with Bullseye and attempted to solve the System integration issue. It turned out Maddox was intimately familiar with both Bullseye and Elysia, the newer AI and favored the former because of his more variable and unpredictable emotive programing. That programing was one of the main reasons why Bullseye had been shelved in the first place, but in this instance it had allowed him to work outside of standard parameters and adapt Gideon¡¯s echo to synergize with the Artemis System in this new environment. Once the little turtle understood that Maddox was a fan rather than his enemy, the little AI bent over backwards helping to solve the issue. Meanwhile, Book walked Gideon over to the armory and picked out a set of Mk I armor, complete with a bullet-proof vest, steel capped boots, and even a helmet. In combination the armor added +2 to his overall defenses and +1 to stability because of the boots. It wasn¡¯t much, but the armor would do a better job of deflecting a Stalker claw than the tshirt and pants he¡¯d been wearing. While the others were working talking with Maddox, Gideon quickly pulled two of the talon blades from his inventory and laid them out on the floor in front of him. He picked up one of the weapons, taking a good long look at its shiny black surface. Basic stats appeared in his HUD, hovering just to the side of the weapon. ** STALKER TALON ** Base Damage: 105% Critical Chance: +15% Armor Penetration: +10% ¡°What are you doing?¡± Book asked, sitting on a bench nearby. Gideon shook his head. ¡°Trying to see if there¡¯s something I can do to enhance these. I don¡¯t really have any other components I can integrate with them, but I thought maybe if I put them out like this something might come to me.¡± ¡°You could try directly augmenting them with your ether stores. Just go for a general quality increase.¡± ¡°I thought about it, but honestly, holding the ether to use with Shadow Step or Stealth Strike seems like a better idea. I use ether while I¡¯m a novice it¡¯s not gonna do much with this, but the buff to a single strike is pretty incredible.¡± Book nodded. ¡°I suppose the trick is to use it at the right moment then. It would be a shame to channel the ether with a strike and miss.¡± Gideon¡¯s mind returned to a hundred different fail videos he¡¯d watched over the years. Dozens of hunters had their worst blunders played one after the other. I was devastating for the hunters themselves, but hilarious for everyone else. Burning through all of your ether, then missing a vital stroke and ending up getting impaled by an Artemis native was one of the most common ways to die on the planet. It was also one of the most gut-wrenching experiences to witness and therefore insanely funny when you were thousands of light years away watching from the comfort of your own apartment. ¡°Maybe you¡¯re right,¡± Gideon admitted. ¡°Maybe I should put the ether I¡¯ve got into the weapons. It would only give them a slight increase, but at least I won¡¯t be able to mistime an ether surge.¡± ¡°I think you should trust your instincts,¡± Book said. ¡°I saw you back there with that stealth Stalker. It was incredible to watch how you predicted where it was going to be and struck at exactly the right time. I¡¯ve honestly not seen anything like that before.¡± Gideon snorted. ¡°Then you haven¡¯t watched many Great Hunt replays.¡± ¡°I mean in person, here on Lunar. You probably don¡¯t realize it yet, but this is very different to Artemis, and I don¡¯t just mean because you¡¯re not on an alien planet. The rules in that place are different. You choose when to fight and there are crystals everywhere to resurrect you when you die, as long as you¡¯ve got enough echoes stored up. Here you don¡¯t always choose when to fight, there¡¯s no resurrection, and you¡¯re fighting for the fate of your planet. That changes things.¡± If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Gideon considered the other man¡¯s words. He¡¯d been so caught up in everything since the moment he awoke on the crashed ship that he hadn¡¯t really had time to reflect on what was going on around him. Book was right. This was different. ¡°My advice,¡± Book said, ¡°for what it¡¯s worth, is to trust your gut. You¡¯ve got great instincts, and you lead well.¡± He pointed to the adjoining room where Mia and Red were standing. ¡°They¡¯re already following you because they trust you, they can see that you know what you¡¯re doing.¡± ¡°I really don¡¯t¡± Gideon protested. ¡°But you have enough confidence to seem like you do and, more importantly, you¡¯ve got the ability to back it up. I¡¯m just saying that you should go with your gut and not doubt yourself. Over the next few days, you¡¯re gonna have a lot of people throwing advice your way. You need to learn when to listen and when to just trust yourself and block out those other voices.¡± 51:18 ¡°Shit!¡± Gideon blurted. ¡°How long have we been here? Has it been five minutes yet?¡± Book shrugged and Gideon picked up his blades and started running. He moved into the other room where Maddox was still talking to Bullseye while she tapped away on a computer terminal. Gideon whistled sharply, drawing Mia and Red¡¯s attention. He motioned toward the door. ¡°We gotta go. Once we¡¯ve got the generator we can come back and sort everything out.¡± Red walked over, looking Gideon up and down. ¡°First you gotta get me a set of that sweet gear, bro.¡± He tapped Gideon¡¯s helmet, grinning. ¡°Sweet!¡± ¡°It¡¯s in back. Hurry up and get geared up.¡± Neither Red nor Mia seemed particularly upset with the order. They moved into the other room and started putting on the armor. Book raised his eyes at Gideon as he walked past, nodding toward the others in a told you so kind of way. A leader. That was something Gideon had never wanted to be. All he¡¯d ever wanted was to get out of that damned burger joint, make it to Artemis and then dominate. He¡¯d join the odd hunting party here and there where he had to, or where there were outsized benefits. But he¡¯d always assumed that he¡¯d be a solo hunter, like Samson Graves or Killjoy Jackson. He wanted to grind his way to the top, making smart choices, stacking the odds in his favor and pouring everything into a class so devastating that he could one shot apex monsters and thrill the millions of viewers back home. That was the life he¡¯d so desperately wanted, but it seemed like fate had different plans. He was going to have to lead. He could still be a rogue, of course, could still grind and work his ass off to increase his skills and maximize damage, but he also had a crew to look after now. A party. Tank, healer, damage dealer. It was a classic trio, but they were a long way from working together in any kind of efficient manner. So far a mixture of blind luck and timing had kept them alive, but they would need to lean on each other a lot more in the days ahead if they wanted to survive. 48:28 He walked over to Maddox and Bullseye, speaking directly to the turtle. ¡°We¡¯ve gotta go get this generator. I think you should stay here until we get back.¡± The turtle¡¯s little face looked up at him, mouth opening and closing uncertainly. ¡°But, I am your tutor, Gideon?¡± ¡°I know, but it¡¯s not real safe out there right now and we really need to sort this System shit out. When I get back, we¡¯ll work out if there¡¯s a way to get you back into my head safely or build some kind of harness or something to keep you safe. Right now, though, I¡¯m more likely to get you killed than keep you safe. You¡¯re lucky you¡¯ve survived this far.¡± ¡°Well,¡± Maddox said. ¡°Here¡¯s the thing, champ. I don¡¯t think you¡¯re ever gonna be able to get Spud here back into your noggin. He¡¯s already changed too much to make it a comfortable fit and it would likely take weeks of work to figure out how to do it anyway. Your crew should be fine. Give me a couple of hours and I will have sorted out their AIs and integrated them into the Artemis System. But you¡¯re a different story.¡± She tapped Bullseye¡¯s shell. ¡°Weird thing is, I think Bullseye here has kind of done the impossible. Not only has he figured out how to pull himself out of your echo and lock you into the System, but he also integrated himself into the damned thing too.¡± Gideon blinked. ¡°What? I don¡¯t understand.¡± ¡°I¡¯m saying that he¡¯s carrying ether! Not much, just a couple of points, really, but it shows that he¡¯s actually integrated into the Artemis System himself. That means, if this goes the way I think it might go, he¡¯ll be able to choose a class, develop abilities, supercharge them with ether, the whole thing.¡± ¡°You¡¯re kidding?¡± Gideon blurted, looking down at the turtle, hardly able to believe what he was hearing. ¡°I¡¯m really not. It might take a little time, but Bullseye here has basically made his own echo. Although admittedly he¡¯s gonna be somewhat limited physically, but that doesn¡¯t mean he can¡¯t buff up his defenses or cast spells. Who knows. There are dozens of different classes and thousands of abilities that might be applicable. The Artemis System is pretty fluid, and it adapts to the individual.¡± Mia and Red walked back into the room, wearing their new armor and looking like they were ready to go. Maddox waved Gideon away. ¡°Leave the turtle with me. We¡¯ll keep working on the other problem and, when you get back, we can figure out exactly what¡¯s going on with Spud her.¡± Gideon did as she suggested, leaving the turtle and trying to untwist the knots in his mind as he considered how on earth a turtle could function as a legitimate echo. Turtles couldn¡¯t fight! They were too slow, too small, too¡­ Cowabunga! 21. Mess Hall They stood behind metal barricades as soldiers removed stacks of tables and chairs weighed down with sand bags. Meanwhile, other Ministry personnel stood behind tripod mounted machine guns, aiming at the entrance to the mess hall fingers on triggers. ¡°The corridor through there,¡± Gideon asked, directing the question to Book. ¡°Is it compromised, or will we still be able to breathe?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll be fine,¡± Book said. ¡°There are stairs just beyond the mess hall which lead down to the eastern subterranean section of the base. Our readings show that airflow is still fine down there, and you should still have lighting and power. Once you¡¯re down the stairs, a main corridor will lead you past several sleeping quarters and down to a storage area at the far end. That¡¯s where the spare generator is.¡± Red frowned. ¡°If it¡¯s all underground then why the hell haven¡¯t you guys just gone down there to pick it up?¡± Book turned to the other man. ¡°The air is breathable, and you¡¯ve got basic power, but it¡¯s not exactly safe. There are at least three Stalkers down below. They got in when the attack first started and we haven¡¯t had time to clear out this section of the base yet. The Commander thought it would be easier to just barricade it up until we were ready to push.¡± Gideon nodded. ¡°So, if we can clear out this section of the base and get the generator, we¡¯ll be helping you out twice.¡± ¡°Exactly. The generator is the priority, of course, but if you¡¯re able to kill all the enemy combatants down there it would be hugely helpful. Most of our efforts have been directed to defending the base from outside and we simply haven¡¯t been able to spare the resources to clear out that area.¡± SIDE MISSION: Clear the Bunker Kill all enemy combatants within the Lunar station bunker. STALKER¡¯S KILLED: 0/3 REWARD: 5 Enhancement Points Each ¡°Remind me again,¡± Red asked, ¡°how many of these points to we need before we can level up our class?¡± Mia smirked. ¡°And by remind me you mean tell me because I don¡¯t have a clue how any of this works?¡± ¡°Yeah, if you like.¡± ¡°Need to reach a hundred core stat points,¡± Gideon said, watching the soldiers clear away the barricade. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter how you¡¯ve assigned the points, but you need a hundred in total to level up. Usually, you¡¯d have to be at a guild hall or a hunting lodge to do that, but I guess it will work differently here.¡± ¡°A hundred points?¡± Red asked, screwing up his face. ¡°And we only get them when we complete missions?¡± ¡°Mostly,¡± Mia agreed. ¡°On Artemis you sometimes get them for killing the bigger monsters as well, or on reaching certain milestones. Like, if you kill a thousand monsters you get a bonus, that kind of thing.¡± ¡°So, we¡¯re gonna need to do another ten or twenty of these damned missions just to reach the next level?¡± Red complained. Gideon nodded. ¡°Sounds about right. I¡¯m not sure how it¡¯s going to work here, but on Artemis the difficulty scales as well. Basically, the requirement doubles each level that you go up. So, it¡¯ll take a hundred points to get from Novice to Initiate, then two hundred points to get from Initiate to Adept.¡± 47:20 Gideon navigated to the small journal icon on his HUD and opened it up, moving through familiar pages until he got to the class guide section of the manual. Gideon broadcast his display and motioned for Red to come over and take a look. ¡°This is a list of the requirements to go up each level. I¡¯m assuming it will be similar here to what it is on Artemis, but here could be differences I guess.¡± ** CLASS ADVANCEMENT REQUIREMENTS ** Novice: 100 Initiate: 200 Adept: 400 Sentinel: 800 Exemplar: 1600 Paragon: 3200 Ascendant: 6400 ¡°Your average mission will give you, what, five points?¡± Gideon asked Mia. She nodded. ¡°I think that¡¯s about the average yeah. Bigger missions might give you ten but there are a whole bunch that only offer one point as a reward.¡± ¡°Right,¡± Gideon continued, ¡°so, if we say three points on average, it¡¯s gonna take us about twenty missions total to reach Novice level. Then forty missions to reach Initiate.¡± ¡°Shit!¡± Red blurted. ¡°How many is it gonna take to reach the top level?¡± Gideon shrugged. ¡°Twelve hundred give or take. But that¡¯s not the highest level. Once you reach ascendancy, you get access to the two top levels, Sovereign and Transcendent. Basically god-tier levels that only a few hunters have ever reached. They don¡¯t have the same level requirements because they change every year.¡± ¡°Change how?¡± Red asked. ¡°Depends,¡± Mia said, her eyes bright with excitement. ¡°It might relate to a specific hunt schedule, or some kind of arena event where the top hunters have to duke it out PVP style. They usually announce it at the beginning of each season.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that,¡± Gideon said. ¡°We¡¯re so far away from anything approaching that level that there¡¯s not point even thinking about it. The first goal is to get to Adept as quickly as possible. That¡¯s when a lot of the really cool abilities kick in.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why you can¡¯t afford to sleep on side missions,¡± Mia said. ¡°Most hunters take everything they can get because it takes so long to farm enough points to get to the higher levels.¡± Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. The clatter of chairs falling on the floor drew their attention and the trio turned to face the newly made entrance into the subterranean section of the station. A screech followed shortly after, echoing through the area below and bouncing off the walls in the mess hall. It was an unearthly scream that sent a chill up Gideon¡¯s spin. Without realizing it, he¡¯d draw one of the Stalker talons and found that both Mia and Red were similarly armed. The soldiers closest to the opening backed away, reaching for their sidearms and facing the newmade hole as their companions aimed machine guns at the space. Once more a screech ripped through the air and some of the troops visibly flinched in response. Crouching low, Gideon moved toward the opening with Red on his right side and Mia at his left. ¡°Question, Book,¡± he said, not taking his eyes off the dark hole leading into the depths of the station. ¡°If all you had here were sandbags and a few pieces of furniture, why didn¡¯t the Stalkers try to escape? For that matter, why aren¡¯t they charging toward us right now.¡± ¡°We don¡¯t know,¡± Book offered weakly. ¡°They attacked us during the opening fight and found their way down into the storage area. For some reason, they haven¡¯t tried to get back up again.¡± Gideon nodded. ¡°Just a piece of advice,¡± he said, walking toward the opening, his eyes locked on the dark space. ¡°That kind of thing is probably worth mentioning up front for this kind of mission.¡± ¡°Is it important?¡± Book asked. ¡°I figured it would be best to tell you what we do know rather than what we don¡¯t.¡± ¡°If something¡¯s keeping them down there,¡± Gideon replied, approaching the edge of the whole, ¡°then it¡¯s probably important.¡± ¡°Fair point,¡± Book said from behind them. ¡°I¡¯ll be sure to consider that next time.¡± Red grunted. ¡°If there is a next time.¡± Once they¡¯d made it up to the opening, Gideon paused. He turned to Red, motioning toward the gap with his talon blade. ¡°You wanna do the honors?¡± ¡°Fuck no!¡± Red blurted. ¡°Walk inside some creepy ass whole. One of those Stalker bastards is probably waiting just out of view, ready to stick me the moment I get within sight.¡± ¡°You¡¯re the tank though? You¡¯re whole purpose is to head into situations like this head first and take the brunt of the damage.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll help,¡± Mia said. ¡°I¡¯ll stay close enough to heal you if you need it.¡± Red looked utterly bemused. ¡°What the hell are you two smoking?¡± He pointed into the opening. ¡°It¡¯s a creepy ass hole and I¡¯ve only got one offensive ability. Well, two, but one of them is throwing shit and that¡¯s hardly going to be much use in close quarters like this.¡± ¡°What ability?¡± Mia asked. He shrugged. ¡°Titan¡¯s Cleave. Says it does area of effect damage in front of me. I picked it up when I snagged the sword.¡± Gideon shook his head. ¡°Your offensive abilities don¡¯t matter as much as damage mitigation and aggro generation. You¡¯ve got at least one ability that can reduce damage¡ª¡± ¡°Two,¡± Red corrected, holding up two fingers with his free hand. ¡°Unbreakable Bastion and Colossus Stance. I picked that second one up with the sword as well.¡± ¡°There you go,¡± Gideon said. ¡°Two ways to mitigate damage.¡± ¡°Yeah, but I¡¯m telling you there¡¯s no way in hell I¡¯m stepping in there first. Maybe once our AI Tutors are fixed and I can pick up some of that sweet, sweet ether. But until then, I ain¡¯t charging into any black holes unless I can see an enemy with my own two eyes.¡± ¡°Fine,¡± Gideon said, shaking his head. ¡°I¡¯ll go. Just stay close and keep your eyes open. If I have to use Shadow Step or Shadow Veil I¡¯m gonna basically disappear and that means you¡¯ll have to tank whatever I¡¯m fighting until I can put it down.¡± Red nodded. ¡°No trouble, bossman. I got no issue fighting something I can see, but I¡¯m not¡ª¡± ¡°Charging into any holes,¡± Gideon finished. ¡°Yeah, I get the picture.¡± 45:15 He turned back and led the way through the cluster of chairs and tables stacked to either side, his boot gently pressing against the concrete stairs leading down into darkness. Gideon was tempted to trigger his stealth ability just because it might help his eyes adjust to the darkness, but a ten-second burst of invisibility would probably turn out to be a waste if he triggered it this early. Instead, he summoned a second talon dagger into his other hand, reasoning that he might be able to react quicker to a sudden attack if he had a weapon in both hands. Of course, he hadn¡¯t had much practice with dual weaponry, not that he¡¯d had that much experience with anything though, other than sitting on his ass watching the Great Hunt feeds in his underwear. Once more a screech cut through the air and Gideon stopped dead on the stairs. He scanned the area ahead, waiting for his eyes to acclimatize to the low light. There were dim orange lights illuminating the stairway and corridor up ahead, but they seemed to be on quarter power or something, barely offering enough light to see three or four feet ahead. As he continued walking and the corridor stretched out before him, Gideon saw more of the lights running along the ceiling, but they did little to disburse the gloom. There were two doors to either side of the corridor, spaced around thirty feet apart. At the end of the corridor was an open hatch where either a door was hanging open or had never existed. As the trio moved further into the corridor a small map appeared on the top right section of Gideon¡¯s HUD. ¡°Minimap¡¯s come online,¡± he whispered. ¡°Not for me,¡± Red hissed. ¡°Me neither,¡± Mia said. ¡°Must be something to do with the Artemis System.¡± Gideon nodded, quickly examining the map. There were no warning dots on the map, so he had no indication where enemies might be lurking, but he could see from where he was standing that all the doors along the corridor were closed. ¡°Why aren¡¯t they attacking us?¡± Red whispered. ¡°Well,¡± Mia said, ¡°Probably for the same reason they haven¡¯t tried to break out of this place. There¡¯s obviously something down here that they¡¯re interested in.¡± ¡°Like a generator?¡± Red reasoned. ¡°You know, the one we¡¯re down here to find?¡± Gideon shook his head. ¡°Why would a species capable of interstellar travel be interested in a small, portable generator. My guess is they¡¯ve got stuff much more advanced than anything we could manage.¡± ¡°Fair point,¡± Red agreed. ¡°Must be something those bastards have a hard on for down here though.¡± They continued making their way through the corridor eyes becoming steadily more accustomed to the low light. Gideon stayed alert, hoping to pick up on any stealthier enemies nearby with his newly acquired Stealth Sense. As he came to the first door, he moved up to it and placed an ear against the cold metal. After a few seconds listening and hearing nothing, he opened the door, stepping back a little. The room was a small, rectangular space with bunks arranged on either side and a small desk on both sides of the room space between the bunks. The room looked relatively neat and tidy but seemed as though it was definitely lived in. It didn¡¯t seem as though any of the aliens had ventured inside, however, so Gideon stepped back out, shaking his head as he moved to the opposite side of the corridor to try the second door. ¡°Dude, what the hell are you doing?¡± Red hissed. ¡°Just head to the doorway at the end.¡± Gideon ignored him, leaning an ear against the other door and listening. Once more he heard nothing and gently opened the door. A similar bunk room revealed itself though with a slightly funkier smell inside. He left the room and moved on down the corridor as Mia whisper shouted at Red. ¡°He¡¯s checking to see if anyone is going to come up behind us. It¡¯s basic military tactics. Clear the area as you move though to make sure you don¡¯t end up with a knife in your back at an inconvenient moment.¡± ¡°Just seems like we¡¯re burning time,¡± Red protested. As Gideon moved toward the next door, a skill notification appeared in his HUD. Tactical Insight +1 He grinned, ignoring the notification and leaning an ear against the door. Hearing nothing, he opened it up and found yet another empty bunk room. ¡°I mean, one room I could understand,¡± Red continued. ¡°But all four rooms? We¡¯re gonna be here forever and that screeching bastard is down here somewhere. With two friend apparently.¡± ¡°The screeching bastard is staying put,¡± Mia hissed back, ¡°probably guarding whatever they¡¯ve found down here. And we need to check all the rooms because what if we miss the one room that has a Stalker in it? How would you feel if one of those came up behind you in the middle of a fight.¡± 41:33 Gideon moved to the final door, keeping an eye on the archway at the end of the corridor. He couldn¡¯t see anything but darkness up ahead, but the mini map showed a large space up ahead which, according to Book, was where they would find the generator, and likely three Stalkers. As he pressed an ear against the final bedroom door, Gideon ignored Red¡¯s continued chatter. It still baffled Gideon how anyone could enter the Great Hunt lottery with no experience at all. Even if Red had come into the experience with nothing, he could have quickly red up before being uploaded into his echo. There were literally hundreds of introductory videos that would give you an Intro 101 on the Artemis System and everything related to the Great Hunt in under an hour. He heard nothing and so gently pushed the door open. It was another bunk room, but something on the floor had caught his eye. It looked like someone had spilled oil on the floor and tracked sticky footprints through the room. As he caught sight of the dead soldier lying in the shadows to the rear of the room, he felt a thrill of urgent excitement and dread. Gideon had less than half a second to react as the drone Stalker lunged from behind the dead soldier and drove its twin claws into his chest. 22. Brawl Gideon felt the blades slide against his armor as he triggered Shadow Step and moved in the blink of an eye through the air to land directly opposite the attacker. He struck hard and fast, driving both talons up into a weak spot at the Stalker¡¯s back. One of the blades hit home with devastating efficiency, while the other went a little wide and scrapped off the chitinous armor. ¡°Shitballs!¡± Red shouted as the Stalker¡¯s own momentum coupled with the additional force of Gideon¡¯s attack drove the alien soldier right into the tank¡¯s body. Red was solidly built, thick with muscle and a little closer to the ground so his center of gravity was lower. This meant that, instead of tumbling backwards, he simply grunted as the Stalker and Gideon both thudded into his side to the accompanying sound of clattering armor. The tank grunted, shoving the enemy backwards as Gideon moved out of the way and ripped his dagger from the Stalker¡¯s back. Too close to get a decent swing in, Red triggered Colossus Stance, locking his boots to the ground and opting for bludgeoning the enemy rather than attempting anything more nuanced. He battered the Stalker with his huge swords, smacking it over and over against the creature¡¯s head as the alien tried unsuccessfully to rake its claws through Red¡¯s body. Gideon triggered Marked for Death then picked his moment, waiting for the Stalker to stagger back before driving in with both talons and using his Thrust ability to jam both blades into the enemy¡¯s back. The Stalker screamed, its voice distinct from the other shrill cry they¡¯d heard coming from the darkness. It stood with arms outstretched, clawed fingers splayed as Gideon drove the daggers further into its body. ¡°Killing blow!¡± Red yelled unnecessarily, drawing back his massive sword and thrusting it forward into a crack that had opened up in the Stalker¡¯s front armor plating. Gideon had barely enough time to duck aside, wrenching his blades free as the oversized Bloodborn Blade slid through the Stalker and out its back. The sword narrowly missed Gideon¡¯s ear as he moved aside. He was about to berate Red for that fact when gunfire from Mia drew his attention. Two more Stalkers were coming out of the shadows at the end of the corridor, both drones, and both moving with terrible speed. With limited options and both the dead Stalker and Red between him and the enemy Gideon triggered Shadow Veil and vanished. He moved as quickly as he cold behind Red, approaching the two oncoming Stalkers from the side and hoping to come up behind one of them to do more damage. With the thirty percent speed reduction this wasn¡¯t made easy, but both Stalkers were advancing quickly allowing Gideon to reposition himself a little faster. Hearing the gunfire, Red shoved the dead Stalker off his sword, spun around and charged toward the enemy. While Gideon was glad to see the brute doing his duty as a tank, he was less impressed by the fact that Red had run right in front of a stream of bullets from Mia, forcing her to immediately stop her attack, cursing at the oaf as she repositioned herself. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Red thundered into the enemy Stalkers, triggering Unbreakable Bastion as he swung his sword like a club once more. The two alien drones attacked in unison, one moving to the left and another to the right. Gideon followed the rightmost enemy, using Stealth Strike to jam his daggers up into the alien soldier¡¯s back, through a gap in the amor that he was now finding much easier to locate. Red seemed to notice the attack and immediately turned his attention to the second Striker. CRITICAL STRIKE! DEATH BLOW! The announcement practically blared in Gideon¡¯s HUD as he slid his talon blades out, realizing that the Stalker he¡¯d attacked was already dead. He moved to assist Red, but the tank was already pummeling his victim against a nearby wall, using the pummel of his oversized sword to beat the Stalker repeatedly in the head and torso. Seeing that the situation was under control, Gideon turned back to the end of the corridor. That was three Stalkers, so either they were done here or¡ª MISSION UPDATE: Clear the Bunker Kill all enemy combatants within the Lunar station bunker. STALKER¡¯S KILLED: 3/3 RECALIBRATING ENEMIES STALKER¡¯S KILLED: 3/10 REWARD: 10 Enhancement Points Each ¡°Shit!¡± Gideon blurted, moving to the side of the doorway as Red finished off the third Stalker. ¡°Shit!¡± Mia said from her place further back in the corridor. Obviously, she¡¯d just read the mission update. Red, on the other hand, was far less concerned. ¡°Yeah boi!¡± he shouted, kicking the dying Stalker with his boot as it slid to the floor. ¡°That¡¯s what you get!¡± Checking her rifle, Mia moved up to Gideon, eyes locked on the dark room ahead as she came up alongside him. ¡°Seven more enemies,¡± she said. He nodded. ¡°Yeah, I saw.¡± Gideon pointed ahead. ¡°This room does a dog leg to the left and then there¡¯s another set of stairs leading to the storage area. That¡¯s where our generator will be.¡± ¡°And the other seven Stalkers, I¡¯m guessing.¡± Gideon nodded. ¡°And probably whatever drew them down here in the first place.¡± ¡°Any ideas?¡± ¡°Not really.¡± 37:17 ¡°You should loot those corpses,¡± Mia said, nodding back the way they¡¯d come. ¡°You might need to dip into your ether stores for the next fight.¡± Gideon nodded, leaving her to watch the corridor ahead as he returned to the dead bodies. There were three ether orbs above the bodies, swirling with soft white light. Once he was close enough he harvested the ether and picked up several items of worth. During the process, he quickly read his latest announcements. ITEMS LOOTED Ether +15 Stalker Hide Scraps +3 Stalker Oil +2 Achievement Awarded: One Shot Wonder! Congratulations! You killed an enemy in one strike by stacking damage and triggering a critical bonus. Just repeat that in every fight and you¡¯ve got a chance of surviving! Leadership +1 Tactical Insight +1 Bladed Weaponry +1 ¡°Anything useful?¡± Red asked, hefting his sword and flicking pieces of alien goop and shattered armor from its surface. ¡°Maybe for later,¡± Gideon said as they moved toward the end of the corridor. ¡°Good for crafting I guess, but we can look at that later.¡± They moved up beside Mia and Gideon prepared to head into the next room. Red held a hand on his shoulder. ¡°All good, bro. I¡¯ll handle this.¡± Gideon turned to face him. ¡°You sure? What was all that shit about not heading into dark holes?¡± He shrugged. ¡°That was before I realized how fucking indestructible I am.¡± ¡°You¡¯re definitely not indestructible,¡± Mia said, shaking her head. ¡°Those were low level drones and¡ª¡± ¡°Yep,¡± Red chirped, walking into the darkness with his sword slung over his shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m pretty much indestructible.¡± 23. Indestructible Indestructible, it turned out had an entirely different meaning when it came to Doinkmaster Supreme, the red-headed tank with a tendency to use his oversized sword as a cudgel rather than a blade. He charged down the stairs and into the chamber beyond with Gideon and Mia trying to keep pace, the latter cursing at Red the whole time. Oblivious to their urges for him to slow down, Red moved into the storage chamber practically at a run, sword held in a double-handed grip as he practically dared the enemy to attack. On being confronted by three drone Stalkers standing in the middle of the room, he triggered Warden¡¯s Roar, shouting a phrase of his choice which was imbued with power, drawing the attention of all the enemies in the large room but one. ¡°Eat a bag of dicks you Stalker pricks!¡± he shouted as a wave of power radiated outwards from his body. The three drones immediately attacked, swamping him with claws striking at his body while Red tried to fend them off largely by smacking them in the head. From behind Mia fired short bursts of her assault rifle, but the gunfire did little to damage the Stalkers given their armor plating. Gideon moved to the side of the group, watching as Red stumbled backwards, blood gushing from a wound on his leg and one arm hanging limply as he tried to fend off the four attackers. He triggered Colossus Stance once again and a shockwave radiated outwards, driving back the Stalkers for half a second before they regrouped and dove toward him once again. Out of the corner of his eye, Gideon saw two Bloodborn Stalkers standing further back in the room, cloaked in darkness and standing sentinel in front of a monstrous third figure that he couldn¡¯t see clearly. Whatever it was, the bruisers were protecting it and Gideon knew instinctively that he was going to have to put that thing down sooner or later. First though he had to dig Red out of a hole. He moved to the closest Stalker, stabbing into the creature¡¯s back with dual talons, and ducking away before the enemy could spin around and retaliate. He used Shadow Veil to move to the other side of the fight, repeating his attack against another Stalker and triggering Stealth Strike to maximize the damage. Red was struggling to hold his own, but the Stalkers had faltered in their attack, with two of their number now badly wounded and their attention divided. Despite his bleeding, Red continued to batter the third Stalker, driving it down to the ground and smashing the hilt of his blade into its chest over and over. The tank¡¯s activity had once again drawn the attention of the two wounded Stalkers, allowing Gideon to use the distraction to use Thrust to finish one of the enemies and quickly move to the third. Before he could strike though a projectile shot past, narrowly missing his neck and leaving a trail of bright green smoke as it thudded into Red¡¯s chest, driving him backwards. Red staggered, losing his grip on the Bloodborn Blade and slipping on the floor to land with a thud, a dark green arrow sticking out of his chest as he coughed and spluttered. He was struggling to breath, thin tendrils of vivid green branched out from the wound on his chest, snaking up his throat as he gasped. Gideon turned, spying a fourth Stalker off to the right, holding a black bow which looked like it was made from the same chitinous substance as the Stalker amor. It was thinner than the other Stalkers and its chitinous armor was laced with green light that glowed at the seams. Its eyes glowed with a sickly emerald luminescence as it pulled back another arrow and prepared to loose. With Red on the verge of death, one wounded Stalker running toward Gideon, and Mia attempting to trigger a healing spell to save the tank, Gideon triggered Shadow Step, moving through space and appearing behind the new threat. Green lit amor shone ahead of him as he plunged the daggers into the archer¡¯s back. That was the plan at least, but it moved too quickly, catching only a glancing blow with Gideon¡¯s blades before swiping its venom-tipped arow toward his throat. He felt ice and fire rip through his neck as he ducked back, narrowly avoiding an attack that would have split his neck apart. Using a little of the strength he¡¯d chosen to allot, he shoved forward with his fists, punching the archer off balance and then slashing the twin talons out and knocking its weapon to the ground. The Stalker still held its arrow and tried to shove it through Gideon¡¯s eye, but he ducked to one side, driving his right blade up into the alien soldier¡¯s armpit where the armor plating was absent. The creature shrieked and Gideon pushed his advantage, driving the blade further up and directing it toward the Stalker¡¯s chest. He then drove the second blade up into the alien¡¯s neck, ending the Stalker¡¯s life in one brutal stab. As the archer fell, Gideon spun around, watching to see whether the two hulking Bloodborn had left their guard positions and attempting to track the last surviving drone. His vision blurred, bright specks of emerald dust floating in the air around him like fireflies as a stab of fiery rage shot through his neck and engulfed his mind. He fell to the floor, knees cracking against the hard concrete as he dropped one of the talon blades and reached up to pull the venom arrow from his neck. It took three fumbling attempts to pull the arrow free, by which time he was seeing double and could no longer stand. Gideon fumbled for the talon blade he had dropped, but was forced to give up as the movement caused the room to spin around him. He felt like he was going to vomit. At the same time the strange green lights swam around him, obscuring his vision. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. ¡°Gideon!¡± He heard Mia call out but her voice was a distant, far off thing. He was dimly aware of the fact that he was lying against the floor, having fallen down at some stage. Gideon fought to push him self up, ignoring the pain and baffling nausea. The room lurched around him as he knelt and tried to force his body to heal itself. He wasn¡¯t under attack and that should mean that the echo was naturally fighting whatever venom was currently coursing through his system, but clearly the venom was working against him. Gideon could feel it like a fire raging through his system, shutting down his muscles and sense one by one. 33:29 Fighting against the urge to give in and slump to the floor, he knelt like a statue, teeth gritted, sweat pouring from his brow as he locked horns with the poison trying to devour him from within. The stalemate was broken a moment later when a thread of shimmering golden light struck his shoulder. The moment it made contact he felt strength and vitality swell through his body, driving back the infection and filling him with power as he stood to his feet. Gideon turned to see Mia standing nearby, one hand extended toward him, a golden stream of healing light still emanating from her hand. Her other hand was pressed against Red¡¯s chest, Patchwork Remedy bringing the tank back from the brink of death. Red drew in breath sharply, sitting up and slapping a hand against his chest at the place where the arrow had been moments earlier. He looked around, momentarily disoriented until he caught sight of Mia next to him. He smiled up at her, accepting her hand and pulling himself to his feet as Gideon walked over to the pair. He was holding the bow and a quiver he had taken from the dead Stalker with the green tinged armor. Everything inside Gideon wanted to keep the bow and finally start on his journey to becoming the rogue he¡¯d always dreamed of being. But there were practical considerations to consider and the fact was, at the moment Mia was basically useless as a damage dealer. Conventional guns didn¡¯t seem to do anything against stalkers whereas, with the bow, she could provide ranged damage while Red and Gideon did the close up work. He smiled, handing the weapon to Mia. ¡°Here, you should have this.¡± She took the bow and quiver, eyes wide as she examined them. ¡°Thanks. Yeah, I¡¯ve trained with a bow so this should do nicely.¡± He returned her smile, but some part of him wished she¡¯d refused the weapon. ¡°That spell back there, the healing spell?¡± he asked. ¡°Where the hell did that come from?¡± She shrugged. ¡°Picked it up when we assigned enhancement points. I still can¡¯t use ether, but at least I got a new spell out of it. Luminous Mend. I¡¯m glad it worked.¡± ¡°Oh, it worked alright. It was incredible.¡± ¡°Ah, yeah,¡± Red broke in, ¡°when you two are finished making kissy kissy we should really deal with that.¡± They turned to face the direction Red was pointing in. The two bulky Bloodborn Stalkers were still standing like statues near the shadowed walled at the far end of the room. Behind them a barely visible figure squirmed and hissed its monstrous body writhing against the wall, one swollen eye regarding the trio and glowing with sickly green light. ¡°What is it?¡± Mia said, pulling an arrow from her new quiver and placing it against the bow. ¡°Some kind of ass monster by the smell of it,¡± Red offered. ¡°It¡¯s an Ether Harvester,¡± Gideon said, twirling the talon blades around in his hands. ¡°It just popped up on my¡ª¡± LEVEL 1 BOSS: ETHER HARVESTER A towering monstrosity of chitin and shadow, the Harvester is a bio-etheric siphon, designed to absorb, store, and redistribute ether to its allies. A vital support unit in the Harrow Collective¡¯s forces, it lumbers across battlefields, draining the very essence of the fallen and fueling its army with unnatural strength. Its hunched, insectoid frame is layered with hardened, obsidian chitin, pulsing with glowing ether veins that swell with stolen energy. PRIMARY ABILITIES: Ether Absorption (Passive): The Harvester passively drains ether from the battlefield, absorbing fallen enemies¡¯ essence into its core. Infusion Surge (Support Ability): Transfers stored ether to nearby allies, enhancing their speed, damage, and resilience. Harvester¡¯s Talons (Offensive Ability): Bladed limbs crackle with excess ether, piercing armor and dealing true damage based on its stored energy. Ether Storm (Ultimate): At max ether capacity, the Harvester releases a catastrophic energy discharge, overloading nearby enemies and allies alike. ¡°¡ªHUD,¡± Gideon finished. ¡°Holy shit!¡± Red blurted. ¡°That one nasty boy!¡± ¡°Why isn¡¯t it attacking?¡± Mia asked. ¡°It could be hurt?¡± Gideon reasoned. ¡°Or maybe it¡¯s just too precious an asset to risk sending against the enemy?¡± Even as he said the words, Gideon dismissed them. He could barely see the creature, but what he could make out in the low light was a vast armored form which seemed to have it back toward them, almost as if it was jealously guarding something. ¡°Ether!¡± he blurted, turning to Mia. ¡°They must have it stored down here somewhere and that thing¡¯s trying to get to it. That¡¯s why it¡¯s been sitting here this whole time with those Bloodborn protecting it.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Red said, ¡°so why don¡¯t we leave it be, find the generator and get the hell out of here. We can come back and kill it some other time.¡± Gideon checked his timer, shaking his head. 29:58 ¡°We¡¯ve still got plenty of time and leaving this thing to steal stores of ether isn¡¯t a good idea. We should kill it now, take it out before it beefs up on ether.¡± ¡°Agreed,¡± Mia said. Red rolled his eyes. ¡°Fine. But if shit goes south, I saw we book it with the generator and leave Big Bertha down here.¡± Gideon grinned. ¡°Only one problem with that, my man.¡± He pointed a dagger toward the Harvester. ¡°Generator just popped up on my mini map and it looks like it¡¯s sitting right under the Harvester, so we¡¯re gonna have to kill Bertha either way.¡± Red rolled his eyes. ¡°Okay then, time for the smash, smash.¡± ¡°Wait,¡± Gideon said, just give me a second to clear away some announcements. Also, maybe this time we should talk strategy. They¡¯re not attacking us yet, so we should actually try and plan out an attack.¡± Red sighed. ¡°I prefer the fuck around and find out approach.¡± ¡°Of course you do,¡± Mia chirped. ¡°You¡¯re clearly studied at the school of Leyroy Jenkins.¡± Gideon chuckled in response as Red looked at both of them in turn, clearly unimpressed and with no idea what they were talking about. Bladed Weaponry +2 Tactical Insight +2 Endurance +2 Stealth +3 Dodge +1 Venom Resistance +1 ¡°Okay,¡± Gideon said, closing out the announcements. ¡°I say we pick a side and strike together. Red, you charge at the Stalker on the right and use that aggro ability to hook the other one. I¡¯ll go for righty while Mia stays back and sees what damage she can do to Big Boy. Sound good?¡± Mia nodded and Red reluctantly agreed. ¡°As long as I get to hit something soon, I¡¯m in.¡± Gideon put a hand on his shoulder, nodding down at the oversized sword in his hand. ¡°You might even want to try stabbing something with it this time.¡± Red shook his head. ¡°Nah. I like the feel of bones breaking. Besides, what¡¯s the point of any of this if we can¡¯t have some fun?¡± 24. Harvester Gideon noticed a moment later that the Harvester had already begun to do its work. Orbs floated above the bodies of the corpse, three were light blue in color while the orb over the bow wielding Stalker¡¯s corpse was green. Before he could harvest the ether, however, the orbs were being pulled across to the massive creature standing behind the two Bloodborn. It turned around, foreclaws scraping on the concrete as its ghastly face came into view, a nightmare in black and emerald with insectile mandibles dripping with luminescent green liquid and rows of chattering teeth inside a crooked maw. It seemed to derive great pleasure from the process as it drew the ether orbs into its body, as though devouring a tasty meal. Its carapace glowed with soft green light as it finished feeding and a moment later strands of etheric power shot out from its outstretched pincers and into the backs of the two Bloodborn. The Harvester screamed, offering up a high-picked screech that Gideon remembered from when the way was first opened up down into the basement. It flexed its arms and legs, spreading them out crab-like as the two bulky Stalkers charged toward Gideon and his companions. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s do it,¡± he said, moving off to the side as Red charged forward shouting obscenities and triggering Warden¡¯s Roar to generate as much aggro as possible. The closest Stalker headed right for Red, but the other one diverted, ignoring the tank¡¯s cry and heading directly toward Gideon as he attempted to slip into the shadows. ¡°Shit!¡± he blurted as the Stalker shoulder charged him, connecting with bone-crunching force and sending Gideon hurtling across the room. He landed with a heavy thud, one dagger flying out of his hands as he rolled several times over. It felt like he¡¯d been hit by a truck. The ether infused Stalker was at least three times stronger than normal and was moving so fast that Gideon would be dead in moments if he didn¡¯t do something fast. Forced to change tack, Mia shot an arrow at the beast. A thread of sickly green light lit the air for a moment as the shaft buried itself in the brute¡¯s shoulder, gliding through the armor and slowing the Stalker a little as it lumbered toward Gideon. The extra time it brough him allowed Gideon to get to his feet and trigger his Shadow Veil ability. The Stalker slowed to a walk, looking left and right in confusion as Gideon followed up with Marked for Death and then Stealth Strike. Standing behind the brute, he thrust the talon blade up into the enemy¡¯s body, pushing past resistance and jamming the dagger up to his wrist as the Stalker spun around and swung out with its balled-up fist. Gideon ducked out of the way, wrenching the blade free and avoiding a bludgeoning strike with the Bloodborn¡¯s oversized blade. The sword clanged against the floor and Gideon noticed that a second arrow shaft was now jutting out of the Stalker¡¯s neck. Threads of bright green webbing spread out from the wound as the venom did its work and the enemy noticeably slowed as it tried to cleave Gideon in two with a savage sideways strike of its sword. ¡°Fuck!¡± Red called out from nearby. ¡°Why won¡¯t this prick die!¡± Gideon couldn¡¯t afford to turn and see what was going on. Finding his dropped dagger on the floor, he bent down to scoop it up and advanced on the wounded Stalker. Just as he was about to strike another thread of ether shot out from the Harvester infusing the Bloodborn with a burst of strength and vitality and drove it forward with terrible speed. Gideon tried to deflect the blow with a sweep of his right dagger but the Stalker¡¯s fist slammed into his chest, cracking armor and bone alike as a sudden thrill of pain filled his body. Stumbling backwards, he steadied himself, managing to stay on his feet despite the crippling blow he¡¯d just taken. Vision blurring once again, Gideon gritted his teeth and took a deep breath as the Stalker approached. Just as the enemy drew back to stab out with his sword, he Shadow Stepped behind the alien soldier, striking with both blades in unison and then ripping out the blades, shifting focus and stabbing a second time. This time the Stalker stumbled to the floor, blood and ichor gushing from the wounds. Gideon ripped his daggers from the creature¡¯s back, turning toward Red to find the other man pinned against the wall, grappling the enemy and quickly losing ground. The Bloodborn had two arrows jutting from its back, but didn¡¯t seem to be affected. ¡°Big Boy!¡± Gideon shouted, running toward Red and pointing over at the Harvester as Mia shifted her aim and firing an arrow at the gruesome enemy. Gideon slipped on blood as he approached the two combatants locked in a death grip. He stumbled forward, ducking low and using his momentum to carry him into the legs of the hulking Bloodborn. Chest still smarting from the earlier punch, he grunted at the impact, but quickly used his position to his advantage, driving his right dagger up into the inner thigh of the enemy and through a section of its body that wasn¡¯t protected by chitinous plating. Blood gushed from the wound and Gideon rolled out of the way as Red slammed his head into the Stalker¡¯s immediately regretting the move as he cursed and staggered back against the wall, blood appearing in a cut above his eyebrow. Slipping and sliding all over the slick floor, Gideon grabbed the Stalker¡¯s leg, using it to haul himself up and then jamming his remaining blade into the creature¡¯s neck. It roared and gurgled, staggering a few steps as Gideon held on and rode the dying brute to the floor. ¡°Gideon!¡± As he hit the floor and rolled, Gideon spun around to see Mia backing away on the other side of the chamber. The Harvester had unfurled its body, rising so that it stood hunched up against the ceiling, outer limbs and chitinous plates peeled back to reveal a terrifying creature of gristle and bone, its hateful eyes locked onto Mia. Gideon scrambled toward her, sliding across the ground as the Stalker he¡¯d just stabbed started to rise. He didn¡¯t look back but the sound of Red cursing in frustration suggested that the tank would take care of the straggler. Getting to his feet and clearing the worst of the bloody flooring, Gideon quickly assessed his options. All of his stealth abilities were on cooldowns and the Harvester was seconds from reaching Mia, despite the trio of arrows she¡¯d shot into its bulging torso. A strange smoke was swirling around the beast¡¯s body, flowing out of its mouth and oozing from its skin as it continued to shriek. A Pair of vicious looking talons twice the size of Gideon¡¯s blades appeared as the Harvester prepared to strike. With no other option and conscious that losing their healer would likely kill them all, Gideon lunged between the pair, one dagger held out in front in a blocking position, his other hand balled up into a fist. He entered the strike zone just as the Harvester slashed out with its talons, driving aside the blade that was poised to cut Mia and half and buying her enough time to get clear. The second blade cut right through Gideon¡¯s torso, pinning him in place as a burst of pain ripped through his abdomen. He cried out as the Harvester pulled his body toward its snapping paw, a thousand black teeth waiting to rip and tear his flesh. If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. Trying to block out the excruciating pain and the stench of the Ether Harvester as he was drawn close, Gideon struck again with his talon, driving it into the beast¡¯s chest and prompting the huge creature to pause momentarily. Gideon pulled the small throwing knife from his inventory with his spare hand and flailed about on the Harvester¡¯s claw, trying to ignore the blood pouring from his gut and find a moment to strike once more. Ether poured from the creature, stinging Gideon¡¯s eyes as pincers extended from the beast¡¯s abdomen. They latched onto Gideon¡¯s body, biting into the flesh of his shoulders and crushing muscle and bone as he cried out in agony. An arrow bounced off the Harvester¡¯s hooded head, deflected by the thick armor and flying harmlessly into the wall behind. A second arrow followed shortly after, but again it failed to penetrate the beast¡¯s hide. A moment later, light flooded into Gideon¡¯s body, and he felt the rejuvenating power of Mia¡¯s healing spellwork repairing the damage he had endured. He tried to kick himself free of the Harvester¡¯s grip with his renewed strength, but the boss had him pinned in place with the crushing pincers and the blade still sticking through his abdomen. The healing caused a strange kind of equilibrium for a few moments, situating Gideon in a limbo between being renewed and broken as healing magic and the devastating injury in his gut warred against one another. Etheric power started to swell around the Harvester as energy crackled in the air and pressure rose to bursting point. Gideon¡¯s head felt like it was going to burst. His vision blurred and he could barely breath as all sound within the chamber suddenly ceased. A split second later a wave of potent energy erupted causing a shockwave of etheric power to radiate outward from the alien creature. Gideon was driven backwards by the force of the blast, sliding back on the blade jutting through his abdomen but still held firm by the pincers at his shoulders. ¡°Mia!¡± Red cried out from somewhere behind. ¡°Shit! Gideon, she¡¯d down. Just hang tight, I¡¯m commin¡¯!¡± The unmistakable sound of a sword beating against the Harvester¡¯s body reached Gideon as he clung on to life. The repeated beatings were accompanied by Red¡¯s ranting and raving. Gideon¡¯s mind wandered and he found himself cursing Red for misusing the sword in such a stupid way. Why couldn¡¯t he just find a gap and slide the damned blade in, instead of trying to batter the monstrous creature to death? A moment later the sound of the Bloodborn Blade smacking against the Harvester¡¯s armored hide ceased. The creature turned its full attention back to Gideon as he fought to stay conscious and remain focused on the job at hand. His body was on fire, his mind was screaming, but he refused to give up. This wasn¡¯t where Gideon Blackthorn¡¯s story was going to end. Gary might have died here in this dark basement, but not Gideon Blackthorn. There were still mighty deeds to be done, epic quests to be completed. He needed the world to know that Gary the burger boy was dead and now the legend of Gideon Blackthorn was about to be told in full. The story wouldn¡¯t end here, couldn¡¯t end here! He coughed, blood running down his chin as the Harvester drew him close once again, opening his ghastly maw as though he intended to bite Gideon¡¯s head clean off. What was he saying? Clearly he was suffering from extreme stress and blood loss. His mind had cracked, and he was unable to face reality. The legend of Gideon Blackthorn? What the fuck was that about? The Harvester¡¯s hot, acrid breath brought tears to Gideon¡¯s eyes, teeth dripping with black goo as the creature raised his body and shoved his head towards its mouth. This was it. This was how his story would end. No. With the last of his strength, Gideon triggered Shadow Step, moving through space and arriving behind the gruesome monster. He was still holding the small throwing knife in one hand, but could barely stand, let alone see the indicator highlighting where he was supposed to strike. He was out of options and had already delayed too long. The Harvester spun around, scything its claws through the air and forcing Gideon to duck down, grimacing in pain as blood still flowed from the wounds on his shoulders and the hole in his gut. A small red triangle glowed in Gideon¡¯s HUD indicating a weak point just below the Harvester¡¯s mouth. Throwing every last ounce of strength and resolve into the maneuver he thrust the small blade toward the Harvester¡¯s body, pouring the entirety of his ether reserves into a simple Thrust and praying his aim was true. Pincers grabbed his body once more, ripping into his sides as the Harvester let out a deafening shriek. It twisted to the side, slamming its bulk against the wall and stabbing its sword-like talons wildly about as though it faced a dozen enemies. One of the blades caught on something behind Gideon and he heard the sound of hissing gas nearby. Still channeling ether into the attack, Gideon felt his body grow stronger, his mind sharper as more and more etheric power flooded through his arm and into the tiny blade. It didn¡¯t make any sense. At last count, he had forty-five ether stored up. That would increase the critical chance and damage of the Thrust ability but given the limited size of the knife and such a small amount of either, it was hardly going to do the kind of damage Gideon was currently witnessing. The Harvester slumped to the ground, still holding Gideon with bone crushing force, its grip only weakening slightly. The power that had been flowing through Gideon¡¯s arm ceased abruptly and he pulled back the blade. It felt ordinary in his hand. Just a small throwing knife with no special qualities whatsoever. Instead of shrieking, the Harvester began to mew, folding in on itself like a bouncy castle with all the air being let out. Gideon fell on top of the creature as it slid toward the floor. Its angry red eyes began to dim and its mewing turned into a deathly wheeze. The pincers that had been crushing his sides moments earlier now fell away and Gideon slid to the floor, stepping back and turning to see Mia and Red lying unconscious nearby. He waited for a moment, wanting to make sure that the Harvester was completely dead before checking on his companions. As the enemy went limp a large, multicolored sphere of ether appeared above it and was immediately drawn into Gideon¡¯s echo. BOSS DEFEATED: ETHER HARVESTER ETHER COLLECTED: + 5000 Harvester Talon +2 MISSION COMPLETE: Clear the Bunker You have successfully eradicated all hostile enemies within the Lunar Station basement. STALKER¡¯S KILLED: 10/10 REWARD: 10 Enhancement Points ** NEW CORE STAT UNLOCKED ** GRIT +1 You have shown an uncommon ability to endure pain and heal yourself in spite of overwhelming odds against you. In recognition of this feat, you have been awarded a new Core Stat against which enhancement points can be allotted. Increased Grit will allow you to endure more pain, self-heal, and recover from injury faster. Endurance +3 Tactical Insight +2 Bladed Weaponry +2 Stealth +1 ¡°Holy Shit!¡± he blurted the implications of what he was reading hitting him. He turned and ran toward Mia, finding that she was already conscious and starting to push herself up into a sitting position. He bent down beside her, checking to see that she was alright. ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± she managed weakly. ¡°Check Red. Make sure he¡¯s okay.¡± Gideon turned and slid over to where Red was lying on the floor. The other man opened his eyes, blinking with a look of confusion as he stared up into Gideon¡¯s face. ¡°Did I win?¡± he asked with a broad smile. ¡°Sort of,¡± Gideon said, grabbing him by the arm and helping him to his feet. ¡°We¡¯re all still here, so I guess we all won.¡± They stood side by side, armor battered and torn as they looked at the Harvester corpse. ¡°Damned thing looks like it¡¯s been deflated,¡± Red offered. ¡°How did you kill it?¡± Mia asked. Gideon started walking toward the dead monster. Careful to sidestep the blood and goop leaking out onto the floor he walked around to a cluster of large glass and metal tubes fixed to the rear wall. He brushed the dust off a label on the closest tube and read the message on its surface out loud. ¡°Emergency ether storage. Property of the Artemis Ministry. Unauthorized use will incur severe penalties.¡± He turned to the others, shaking his head. ¡°I think I know what happened.¡± WARNING: You have utilized Ministry ether without proper authorization. Recently incurred ether debts have not yet been paid in full, so you now owe the Ministry an additional 10,000 ether. TOTAL ETHER DEBT: 10,020 This will be deducted the next time you make a deposit at the nearest ether harvester. ¡°Yep,¡± he confirmed, turning back to the tube and pointing at a break in the glass. ¡°That¡¯s it, all right.¡± ¡°What?¡± Mia pressed. ¡°Tell us what happened?¡± ¡°Well, I used up all of my available ether in a single attack, but the Harvester must have burst this when he slashed around with his talons. I figure somehow the ether got into my body and just kept channeling into the knife.¡± ¡°Which knife?¡± Red asked. Gideon held up the small throwing knife. ¡°This one.¡± ¡°Holy shit? You killed it with that?¡± ¡°I killed it with this and around ten thousand ether.¡± Mia¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Really? That much?¡± ¡°Judging by the ether debt I¡¯ve just racked up, I¡¯d say so. I figure this is why the Harvester was down here in the first place. It was trying to get to the ether stores but couldn¡¯t figure out how to get to them.¡± ¡°Ten thousand?¡± Mia repeated. ¡°How the hell are you going to pay that back?¡± 15:18 ¡°Hopefully they¡¯ve got some kind of easy payment plan.¡± 25. Delivery The emerged from the shadowed interior of the basement with Red and Gideon carrying the portable generator between them. Mia took up the rear, examining her newly acquired bow distractedly. ¡°Human¡¯s comin¡¯ through!¡± Red bellowed as they approached the stairs and climbed towards the mess hall. ¡°Keep your fingers off those triggers boys!¡± It took a few minutes to negotiate their way through the barricade and out into the area beyond, at which point they placed the generator on the floor and received a round of applause for their trouble. Two burly soldiers promptly picked up the generator and carried it off as Book approached, checking his watch. ¡°Five minutes to spare,¡± he said as all three of their HUDs announced the completed mission. MISSION COMPLETE: Pursuit of Power You have successfully recovered the power generator and delivered it to Artemis Ministry personnel. REWARD: 10 Enhancement Points ¡°I have good news,¡± Book continued as the trio followed him through the hallway and back to the room where Maddox and Bullseye were waiting. ¡°The Chief Engineer has worked out what¡¯s blocking your AIs from connecting to the Artemis System. You should soon be able to fully integrate.¡± ¡°Good!¡± Red barked. ¡°I¡¯m tired of getting knocked on my ass.¡± Mia rolled her eyes. ¡°You¡¯re getting knocked on your ass because you¡¯re not using your skills properly. You¡¯re acting like a damage dealer instead of a tank. But even then you¡¯re using your weapons the wrong way.¡± ¡°You¡¯re kidding, right?¡± He replied, in mock offence. ¡°You saw me in there. I crushed!¡± ¡°Got crushed more like,¡± she fired back. ¡°You couldn¡¯t even keep the enemies focused on you the whole time.¡± ¡°Whatever,¡± he said, waving her away. ¡°Let¡¯s just get hooked up to this damned System and then I¡¯ll show you what I can really do. Get some of that ether stank on me and tune it up.¡± That drew grins from Gideon and Mia as they followed Book into the armory, entering the room at the exact moment that laser beams appeared to be shooting out of the turtle¡¯s eyes. A blast of energy shot from the little creature and struck the opposite wall, causing the paint to blister and the concrete to crack under the impact. A moment later the beam of energy stopped and Gideon saw Maddox kneeling behind Bullseye, holding the turtle in one hand while she covered her eyes with sunglasses. ¡°Nice!¡± she said, nodding. ¡°What the actual fuck!¡± Red blurted, prompting Maddox and the turtle to turn and face them. He promptly summoned his sword and held it up defensively. ¡°Don¡¯t point those damned laser eyes at me you little demon!¡± ¡°Fret not, Doinkmaster,¡± Bullseye said with what appeared to be a grin. ¡°Only enemies need fear the eyes of death.¡± He turned away as the others approached, moving over to a small table next to Maddox. ¡°Turns out he¡¯s able to integrate into the Artemis System himself,¡± she said, ¡°which is bat shit crazy if you ask me, but it is what it is.¡± Gideon looked down at the turtle. ¡°So, you¡¯re a sorcerer now?¡± ¡°It seems so,¡± Bullseye agreed. ¡°But you should know that my primary responsibility will always be to serve as your tutor. I will use my powerful sorcery only in as much as it helps me prepare you to excel in your chosen class.¡± Mia squatted down, staring into the turtle¡¯s eyes. ¡°What spells can you do?¡± ¡°At present, my abilities are limited to the destructive beam you just witnessed and a temporary shield capable of protecting me from all harm for a short period of time. I expect to gather more useful spells and abilities as I progress however.¡± Red grunted. ¡°Great, now we¡¯re gonna have bozo Bullseye here shooting lasers at our nads every time we get into a fight.¡± Maddox laughed too loudly and too long at that, shaking her head as she beckoned Red and Mia over. ¡°I need to tune your AI tutor,¡± she said, still grinning. ¡°Once I¡¯ve got you hooked up to the System you can get your nads zapped as much as you like.¡± As the pair walked over Bullseye gave Red the evil eye and the tank returned the turtle¡¯s hard gaze, though seemed to swerve a little away from him. Maddox had them both sit down and began typing away at a digital display above her computer. ¡°I¡¯ve got to head back,¡± Book said, throwing a thumb over his shoulder. ¡°Commander Moynahan says to meet her back at her office as soon as the others are done syncing up with the System.¡± Gideon nodded. ¡°Will do.¡± He walked over to Bullseye and picked the turtle up off the table, giving Red a break from the little creature¡¯s evil gaze. Gideon moved him into the nearby room and started stripping off his battered armor, hoping to get some replacement pieces before venturing off to his next encounter. ¡°You did exceptionally well, Gideon,¡± Bullseye offered. ¡°The mission was a success and you were able to employ some of your new abilities in a live combat scenario.¡± Gideon stripped off the body armor, shaking his head. ¡°Doesn¡¯t feel like it was a success. I mean, we got it done, but it felt like we were just rolling from one disaster to the next.¡± This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°Unsurprising. You are only new at this, and your team hasn¡¯t quite hit their stride. You should still be pleased with the result however. The soldiers here at this base couldn¡¯t have accomplished what you three did. Not without significant casualties and perhaps not at all. You¡¯ve done a great service to these people and the human race itself. Now this base has a chance of surviving the coming onslaught and you can be of even greater service to the ministry. ¡°I guess so. It just felt so clumsy, you know?¡± The turtle nodded, pacing up and down a bench nearby. ¡°In that regard,¡± Bullseye said, ¡°we need to talk about your choice of class and the synergies within the group.¡± Gideon nodded. ¡°Like you said, we¡¯re not really gelling yet. Red is confused about what a tank is. Mia¡¯s healing is great, but she¡¯s got limited defenses, and she¡¯ll get overwhelmed if Red doesn¡¯t do his job, and I¡¯m trying to crowd control with limited abilities and deal damage where I can.¡± ¡°The problem as I see it,¡± the turtle continued, ¡°is that you are attempting to cling to an old ideal of what kind of hunter you wished to be. You are attempting to lead this group, but it is difficult to lead when your primary ability relies on stealth.¡± ¡°You¡¯re saying I need to stay visible longer?¡± ¡°No. I¡¯m saying you need to lead from the front. You said yourself that Red is not a gifted tank. He is chaotic and unbalanced. If he is able to do damage then perhaps you can use those traits, but for now he lacks dependability and clarity of purpose.¡± Gideon felt his heart sink. All those years planning what he¡¯d do if he finally got his shot at the Great Hunt. He¡¯d worked it all out over long years watching the feeds and spending his every idle moment reasoning out exactly how he would play the game once given his chance. It seemed that it was all going up in smoke around him. ¡°All the data from your fight below has been fed to me and I have already analyzed it in intricate detail,¡± Bullseye continued. ¡°It tells a clear tale. Your leadership abilities, your tactical insight, and the way you took charge when it was necessary and did what needed to be done to secure victory. It all points to the fact that you are not a simple rogue, Gideon.¡± He shook his head. ¡°You want me to be a tank, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Nothing so simple,¡± the AI replied. ¡°But consider this new ability you have acquired, Grit. Do you not think such an ability is better suited to a tank than a rogue?¡± ¡°A tank.¡± ¡°Of course. But not only a tank. You are yet to rise in rank, which means it is possible to change classes or adapt your existing class and begin crafting a hybrid. Switching to a tank might be easier, but I would suggest that you build a hybrid class which capitalizes on the abilities and dexterity of a rogue whilst utilizing the most beneficial aspects of a tank. It will not be as easy, but if you can leverage off the strengths of both a rogue and a tank you will become something more powerful than either.¡± ¡°So, how would I go about something like that? Do I need to choose the tank class or pick a different weapon?¡± ¡°You have experience points to spend, correct?¡± Gideon nodded. ¡°Yeah, twenty.¡± ¡°Excellent. I suggest we appoint those points now and I can show you how to choose a hybrid class. As you suggested, utilizing a weapon that could be used by either a tank or rogue will help as far as abilities go, but you should also spread your points into areas that will benefit both too.¡± ¡°And what about Grit?¡± ¡°In truth, I¡¯ve never encountered the skill before, but it seems ideally suited to a hybrid rogue-tank. Let¡¯s have a look shall we?¡± Gideon pulled up his echo details. ECHO PROFILE Name: Gideon Blackthorn Class: Rogue Level: Novice Ether: 5000 Guild: NA Preferred Title: NA CORE ATTRIBUTES Constitution: 2 Strength: 3 Agility: 6 Intelligence: 1 Wisdom: 1 Charisma: 1 Grit: 0 Etheric Aptitude: 0 SECONDARY SKILLS NA ** ACHIVEMENTS NA ¡°There,¡± Bullseye said, ¡°now let¡¯s change that class and see what happens when you add in tank.¡± Gideon did as the AI suggested, mentally clicking the class field and adding in tank. The moment he did so, his class titled changed to Shadowguard. He tried to remove the tank class and add it in again but once more the dual titles were replaced by the term Shadowguard. Cringing and hoping it wouldn¡¯t be lost forever Gideon removed the rogue class and then added it back in. Again, the term Shadowguard read in his class slot. ¡°Intriguing,¡± Bullseye said. ¡°I have witnessed many instances of hunters choosing both the rogue and tank classes, but I have never seen this Shadowguard class before. Perhaps our unique circumstances have required the Artemis System to adapt and engineer something uniquely suited to this challenge? It makes sense given your role as a guardian and protector of your species and your proclivity to utilize rouge abilities.¡± ¡°Okay, so what skills should I be increasing then? I¡¯m guessing that a Shadowguard will need a lot of Constitution and Strength?¡± ¡°Yes and no,¡± the turtle replied. ¡°You have Grit, remember. Along with your already high dexterity, you may be able to use evasion as your primary defense rather than relying on traditional attributes such as high constitution. If the enemy cannot hit you it cannot harm you.¡± ¡°Right,¡± Gideon agreed, ¡°but what about area of effect damage and poison? Wouldn¡¯t Constitution be better against those?¡± ¡°If you didn¡¯t have Grit, absolutely. This attribute will allow you to endure pain, recover more quickly when sustaining damage and even self-heal. Given that fact, I would prioritize Grit over Constitution, at least for the time being until you can judge the full extent of its value.¡± Gideon considered his option. For the first time since his dreams of becoming a world-class rogue had died, he was genuinely excited about the prospect of forging an entirely new class. I he was part tank, he could leverage off his leadership skill. Instead of having to avoid enemies, he could charge headlong toward them, using his stealth abilities to provide mobility on the battlefield and allow him to stack damage. He wouldn¡¯t be able to utilize the primary stealth attack combinations rogues were known for, but he¡¯d seen enough of the Great Hunt to know that those abilities would adapt to his new hybrid class allowing him to utilize at least some aspects of the rogue abilities. With twenty enhancement points to spend, he decided to focus on Grit, Dexterity, Strength, and Constitution. I he was going to be out in the open, he needed to be able to survive but also do damage and Gideon figured that stacking these attributes provided his best chance of doing precisely that. Given how important being able to channel ether into his attacks had proven, he also dropped three points into Etheric Aptitude. ECHO PROFILE Name: Gideon Blackthorn Class: Shadowguard Level: Novice Ether: 5000 Guild: NA Preferred Title: NA CORE SKILLS Constitution: 6 Strength: 8 Agility: 8 Intelligence: 1 Wisdom: 1 Charisma: 1 Grit: 5 Etheric Aptitude: 3 ¡°There we go. Now what weapons should I be using. The daggers seem like they may not be as useful if I¡¯m not using stealth as much.¡± ¡°I would suggest looking at the Harvester talons. They are much larger blades but can be used in tandem to deadly effect. A little practice will allow you to see how your existing skills have adapted to your new class.¡± ¡°Am I gonna have time for that? It sounded like the Commander wanted to see us right away once Mia and Red are hooked up to the System properly.¡± Bullseye grunted. ¡°I would suggest that a little light sparring between the three of you is essential to test whether the integration process has worked as expected.¡± ¡°Really? Or are you just saying that?¡± ¡°It is my professional opinion as your tutor. Besides, it needn¡¯t take long. Just ten minutes or so to allow your new class to settle in a little. If my guess is correct, I surmise that the Elysia AI will have already informed Red that he needs to shift from his tank class to something like a warrior, so he¡¯ll need to test that out also.¡± No sooner had the turtle finished talking than Red leaned through the door, a grin spreading across his lips. ¡°Hey, boss. So, it turns out the chick in my head reckons I shouldn¡¯t have chosen tank after all. Seems like brawler would be way more fun and I can use a club instead of this stupid sword. She says I need to do some sparring to test my new class out. You game?¡± Gideon closed down his echo profile and rolled his shoulders. ¡°Hell yeah.¡± 26. Sparring Red and Gideon moved into a newly cleared space in the mess hall. Maddox, Bullseye, and Mia looked on while the soldiers charged with clearing away the obstacles that still barred access to the lower section of the station watched with interest. Both Red and Gideon were stripped to the waist, reasoning that destroying their armor during the sparring seemed like a waste of resources while their bodies could be healed easily enough. ¡°Maybe keep that healing spell prepped,¡± Gideon said. ¡°Apparently we need to use real weapons for this to work, and it wouldn¡¯t be smart to kill one another trying out some new abilities.¡± Red snorted. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, bro, I¡¯ll go easy on you.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± Gideon replied, ¡°like you did with the Stalkers downstairs?¡± The other man shook his head, still grinning but with a feral look in his eyes. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s on, boss. IT¡¯S ON!¡± He was hefting the Bloodborn sword as a club, and with Maddox¡¯s guidance he¡¯d been able to sheer the edges of the weapon, reducing the curve and making it look more like a novelty baton. The edges were still rough as Maddox had been forced to use crude workshop equipment to get the job done, but Red seemed happy with the results and the Chief Engineer insisted that the System would recognize the weapon as a club and suit his new brawler class. Gideon, by contrast, held the two Harvester talons. They were larger and heavier than the daggers, and Gideon wasn¡¯t actually sure how best to use them. He¡¯d seen plenty of tanks fight before, of course, but the most common fighting setup was a sword and shield combo. Occasionally a paladin style tank would go for a two-handed sword or warhammer, but Gideon couldn¡¯t remember seeing anyone with two swords. He wasn¡¯t about to let Red know how uncomfortable he felt with the larger weapons though. The other man might have been his comrade in arms but that didn¡¯t mean Gideon wasn¡¯t going to try and wipe the floor with him. ¡°Okay,¡± Mia said, ¡°on three.¡± She looked from one to the other as Gideon and Red prepared themselves for the fight. ¡°Three.¡± Gideon quickly checked his spells, thinking to go with Shadow Step on instinct but then rethinking the approach as he remembered that he was supposed to be testing the abilities of his new class and not simply dropping back into rogue combat. He decided to keep it simple, going with either a thrust or swipe and seeing what Red could come up with. ¡°Two.¡± He hefted the bladed, reflecting that he knew how to stab and strike an enemy aiming for vulnerable spots, but not how to generate and maintain aggro let alone fight multiple enemies at once. Perhaps this wouldn¡¯t be an effective test after all? ¡°One.¡± Red moved much faster than Gideon had expected, closing the gap between them by leaping through the air and landing directly in front of Gideon. He slammed his newly fashioned club into the floor and sent a shockwave of force ahead of him that slammed into Gideon and knocked him backwards with crushing force. Gideon staggered, bringing up his swords to block Red¡¯s follow up attack but finding that his movement was slowed as though he was moving through molasses. He brought up his swords just as Red¡¯s club smashed into him with a flurry of repeated slams. One of his swords slipped and was knocked free as Red¡¯s club shattered the bones of Gideon¡¯s left wrist. Desperately trying to hold back the onslaught, Gideon twisted out of the way, but his movements were too slow, and he was forced to use his battered hand to help block the attacks by bracing his remaining sword in a blocking motion. Already reeling with pain and down to one sword, Gideon backed away as the flurry of attacks finally ended. He checked his hotbar and found, frustratingly, that all but one of the ability icons had been replaced by a flashing question mark. The only icon left indicated what looked like a new ability called Dark Rejuvenation. As Red approached, roaring with laughter and clearly looking to end the fight quickly, Gideon triggered the new ability. He felt no immediate change, but as he failed to block one of Red¡¯s attacks and it hit his shoulder, a jolt of healing passed through his body. At the same time, Red recoiled as dark shadows surrounding him for split second. Red attacked again and this time Gideon didn¡¯t block at all. The blow struck him hard in the chest and it hurt like hell, but a moment later the pain had gone and his broken wrist sustained in the earliest moments of the fight was healed. Once more, Red backed away, grimacing as a portion of the pain delivered was sent back at him. Gideon quickly pulled up the spell details for Dark Rejuvenation as he backed away and put some space between them both. DARK REJUVENATION The Shadowguard channels the depths of their Grit, reflecting a portion of the damage they take back at enemies, restoring health based on the amount of damage reflected. For 5 seconds, reflects 50% of all incoming damage to attackers while healing the Shadowguard for 70% of the reflected damage. Now fully restored, Gideon nodded. ¡°Awesome,¡± he muttered as Red attacked once more and he was forced to move into a defensive stance. For a few seconds they both struck and parried, shoving one another back and forth as they struggled to gain an advantage and scope out their new abilities. Red swung his club in a horizontal arc that failed to make contact but still released an acrid red mist that bit Gideon¡¯s throat and burned his eyes making it impossible to see as the brawler then slammed his weapon into his side. Gideon stumbled backwards, pain ripping through his side. Once more he checked his hotbar but no sword spells had showed up and only one more ability was available. Eyes stinging, vision blurred, Gideon triggered the ability as Red came in with another swing of his club. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. DUSK VEIL The Shadowguard dissolves into living shadow, becoming partially intangible and slipping between attacks, making them immune to AoE damage and untargetable for a short time. For 3 seconds, the Shadowguard gains 90% increased evasion and becomes immune to all AoE damage. If the Shadowguard successfully avoids an attack, they gain a 10% movement speed boost for the duration. Red swung and jabbed with his club, but every attack seemed to miss. Making the most of the opportunity, Gideon dropped and rolled, picking up his fallen sword and feeling the speed increase from the Dusk Veil ability He got to his feet and immediately opened up a new ability as it appeared. SHADOW SMITE A shadow-infused ambush strike that stuns and marks the target, forcing them into a duel with the Shadowguard. This technique allows the user to both open the fight and control enemy focus. +80% increased damage when striking an unaware enemy from behind. Applies "Mark of the Abyss" on hit: The target is forced to focus attacks on the Shadowguard for 5 seconds. If the target survives the attack, they suffer "Dazed" (reducing movement speed and accuracy by 30% for 4 sec). Successful kills with Shadow Smite generate a shadow shield, absorbing 10% of max health as damage for 6 seconds. Without being told, Gideon knew exactly how to trigger the ability. As Red turned to face him, he slammed his blades together and sent a sharp percussive burst toward the brawler. Red staggered, blinking in confusion as he tried to focus. Exposed and unable to focus, he was an easy target and Gideon lunged forward, slamming his swords home into Red¡¯s shoulders and driving him back. Red screamed. ¡°Tapping out! Tapping out!¡± Gideon pulled back the swords and blood gushed from the wounds. He realized that, although he¡¯d been aiming for Red¡¯s shoulders in an attempt to deliver non-lethal strikes, the larger weapons had been driven into his chest, causing far more damage. Red fell to the floor as Mia ran over, light shooting from her hands and covering the brawlers body as blood continued to gush from the savage wounds on his chest. ¡°Shit!¡± Gideon breathed. ¡°Dude, I didn¡¯t mean to¡ª¡± ¡°Don¡¯t apologize,¡± Bullseye interrupted, the AI¡¯s voice coming right into Gideon¡¯s head. ¡°You fought well, and he was overconfident. This will serve as a valuable lesson and Mia¡¯s healing will be sufficient to mend his injuries.¡± Gideon shook his head. Bullseye was right, of course. Red was already starting to recover, and he had been overconfident. It still didn¡¯t feel good sticking your friend with two swords like that. Friend. Is that what Red was? And Mia? He supposed they were both his friends. They¡¯d only known each other for a matter of hours, but they¡¯d been through a lot in that time and violence had a way of bonding people. At least, that¡¯s what he¡¯d heard. ¡°Jesus, dude!¡± Red blurted, sitting up with a broad smile on his lips. ¡°You gotta warn a guy before you go popping both lungs like that.¡± Gideon leaned down and offered his hand, helping Red to his feet. The brawler happily accepted the gesture. ¡°I had no choice,¡± Gideon said, ¡°whatever the hell that first combo of spells was, it knocked the shit out of me. I had to do something otherwise I¡¯d be out for the count.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go again,¡± Red barked, grinning from ear to ear. ¡°I got something else I want to try.¡± ¡°You¡¯re on.¡± They backed away from each other as Mia moved out of range and the others gathered in the mess hall watched with interest. Gideon couldn¡¯t be positive, but it looked like some of the soldier were laying bets on the outcome of the fight. He checked his hotbar and found that six abilities were indicated. They each looked like variations on the rogue abilities he¡¯d been using previously except for the Dark Rejuvenation spell which had come from his increased Grit level instead of his new class and weapon choice. ¡°Give me two ticks,¡± Gideon said, holding up a hand as Red stalked back and forth in front of him. ¡°Just need to sort out my HUD.¡± He quickly rearranged the ability icons in a way that would make more sense for a regular fight. SLOT 1: SHADOW CHARGE Instantly teleports up to 30 feet and slams into the ground, dealing 200% weapon damage to all enemies within a 4-meter radius. Generates 80% increased aggro on all enemies hit. Applies a stagger effect, briefly disrupting enemy attacks. Ether Infusion: Increases charge distance by 10 feet per 20-200 ether (level dependent) up to 100 feet total. Increases the impact radius to 6 meters. Shrouds the Shadowguard in an ethereal afterimage, reducing damage taken by 20% for 4 seconds. Enemies hit are marked, making them deal 10% less damage for 6 seconds. Cooldown: 30 seconds. SLOT 2: PHANTOM STEP Instantly teleports behind a chosen enemy within 20 meters. Triggers Stealth Strike with +15% base bonus damage, scaling up to +200% additional damage with Ether infusion. Applies ""Marked by the Abyss"" for 5 seconds: The target is forced to attack the Shadowguard. If the target is already aggroed on the Shadowguard, the Shadowguard gains 30% damage resistance for 4 seconds. Cooldown: 30 seconds SLOT 3: SHADOW SMITE +80% increased damage when striking an unaware enemy from behind. Applies ""Mark of the Abyss"" on hit: The target is forced to focus attacks on the Shadowguard for 5 seconds. If the target survives the attack, they suffer ""Dazed"" (reducing movement speed and accuracy by 30% for 4 sec). Successful kills with Shadow Smite generate a shadow shield, absorbing 10% of max health as damage for 6 seconds. SLOT 4: ABYSSAL PIERCE +10% attack speed when performing this attack. +20% armor penetration against lightly-armored or unarmored foes. SLOT 5: DUSK VEIL For 3 seconds, the Shadowguard gains 90% increased evasion and becomes immune to all AoE damage. If the Shadowguard successfully avoids an attack, they gain a 10% movement speed boost for the duration. SLOT 6: DARK REJUVINATION For 5 seconds, reflects 50% of all incoming damage to attackers while healing the Shadowguard for 70% of the reflected damage. ¡°You ready?¡± Red asked. Gideon nodded. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m good.¡± They both turned to Mia and nodded. ¡°Three,¡± Mia said, starting the count again. ¡°Two.¡± Gideon had already decided on his approach. Guessing that Red would try to overwhelm him again with brute force and a flurry of attacks, he¡¯d start with an interrupt. ¡°One!¡± He triggered Shadow Charge and was hurled through space to land in front of Red, slamming both blades into the ground and sending a wave of power outwards from the impact point. He felt the Harvester talons smash against the floor, but instead of pain reverberating up his arms due to the impact, he felt a thrill of strength and vitality following the move. Red staggered back, whatever attacked he¡¯d been planning interrupted by the charge. Gideon immediately followed up with Phantom Step, shifting behind the brawlers and slashing his twin swords against Red¡¯s back. Two arcs of crimson appeared where he cut through bare flesh and Red stumbled forward, turning groggily, his eyes unable to focus as he stood in front of Gideon, clearly dazed but unable to flee. Gideon held his right sword against Red¡¯s throat and the other man held up a hand in surrender. ¡°I yield, damn it.¡± Mia came over again, healing Red¡¯s injuries as he stood shaking his head. ¡°I got my bell rung that time.¡± ¡°Now you know how it feels,¡± Gideon responded. ¡°I threw an interrupt at you first up so that stopped whatever you were planning.¡± Red nodded. ¡°Skullsplitter. It¡¯s supposed to stun enemies for a couple of seconds. I figured if I could get you with that you¡¯d be done for. I was gonna follow up with Piledriver.¡± ¡°Shit!¡± Gideon blurted. ¡°That sounds horrifying.¡± Red laughed. ¡°Yeah, I was looking forward to that one.¡± ¡°Well, maybe this time, I guess. But I¡¯m not looking forward to it.¡± Mia stepped forward rolling her eyes. ¡°I¡¯d love to keep watching you boys beat the living shit out of each other, but we¡¯ve got a job to do, remember? The Commander wants to see us in her office asap, so if you¡¯ve both got what you needed out of this, I suggest we get moving.¡± Gideon and Red looked at each other, shrugging. ¡°Yeah,¡± Gideon said, ¡°I think I¡¯ve got what I need. Enough that I won¡¯t get my ass handed to me the next time we run into a pack of Stalkers.¡± ¡°Me too,¡± Red agreed. ¡°I¡¯ll just have to try out Piledriver on one of those Stalker bastards.¡± ¡°Good,¡± Mia said, ¡°because Moynohan is about to have an aneurysm!¡± 27. New Mission Gideon, Red, Mia, and Bullseye entered the Commander¡¯s office to find her standing over a holographic display of the lunar base which hovered a few inches off her table. She didn¡¯t look up as they entered, and didn¡¯t even thank them for their work. ¡°Generator¡¯s in place and we¡¯ve beefed up defenses in our most vulnerable locations,¡± she said, motioning to the corners of the main structure. ¡°We¡¯ve pulled back all troops to this structure and everyone is as ready as they can be.¡± She looked up at the trio, eyes hard as flint. ¡°And that¡¯s where the good news ends.¡± She looked to the side and Gideon noticed that Book was standing near the far wall, reading from a data tablet. ¡°The bulk of the enemy strength is heading directly to earth,¡± Book said, ¡°but a small portion of their armada has been diverted here. Only a few ships but there are significantly more troops than we¡¯ve encountered thus far and several heavy units that we¡¯ve not got any intel on.¡± Commander Moynahan pointed to a position on the map which looked to be directly to the north of the base. There were two rectangular blocks positioned above the base with a host of red dots flowing out of the blocks and heading south. Gideon guessed that these were enemy ships, and the red dots represented Collective soldiers. ¡°I can tell you now that there¡¯s no way we can survive this onslaught. There are just too many of them and the heavies we¡¯re seeing here seem to be giving of a huge amount of etheric power. Chances are they¡¯re gonna have explosive ordinances that can take out our gun emplacements and, without those, we¡¯ll be fish in a barrel.¡± She looked up at Gideon. ¡°This base need to survive. We¡¯re feeding vital information back to earth HQ and without it, they¡¯re blind to what¡¯s going on out here. The enemy fleet is also converging on the planet which means, if we can survive, we¡¯ll be effectively behind enemy lines, giving us an opportunity to harass the enemy from the flanks and perhaps even take out a strategic target or two.¡± Moynahan flicked her fingers toward the trio and a new mission popped up on Gideon¡¯s HUD. NEW MISSION: Wrecking Ball Infiltrate the enemy ranks and take out the Heavy infantry units in order to blunt the Collective¡¯s advance. REWARD: 10 Enhancement Points per Heavy Target Additional rewards may be earned by causing significant damage or disruption to the enemy advance. ENEMY HEAVIES KILLED: 0/3 ¡°Shit yeah!¡± Red yelled, turning to Gideon. ¡°Now this is my kind of mission!¡± Moynahan ignored the outburst. ¡°I need you to disrupt the enemy and take out those heavies. I can¡¯t tell you what they are or what it¡¯s going to take to bring them down, but you¡¯re our best shot. Plus, if you can cause enough of disruption, it will buy us more time to prepare.¡± ¡°What about the heavies?¡± Mia asked, turning to Book. ¡°Do we have any idea what they are, what kind of attack or defense capabilities they have?¡± He shook his head. ¡°Nothing concreted. Intelligence suggests that they might be shielded and, as the Commander mentioned, there¡¯s a significant buildup of ether around them, but that¡¯s all we know so far.¡± The Commander grunted. ¡°It seems that he Collective weren¡¯t completely honest when they delivered us their little propaganda package outlining their attack strategies, unit specifications and so on. There was nothing in the data packet about the Harvester you killed and nothing about these big bastards. Stands to reason that there will be a whole lot more they¡¯ve decided to keep from us, so watch your asses out there.¡± Gideon thought about how they¡¯d fared the last time the tried fighting in the moon¡¯s low gravity. ¡°One thing. I wasn¡¯t easy to move around out there last time, not for us at least. The Collective seem to have something that keeps them on the ground and allows them to move much faster than we can.¡± The Commander nodded. ¡°Gravity Tethers. We¡¯ve been working on a way to utilize that technology ourselves and Maddox says we¡¯re close.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what she was working on,¡± Book interjected, ¡°when I introduced you to her.¡± He turned to the Commander. ¡°She says she¡¯s got three working prototypes and she¡¯s fitted them to combat EV suits.¡± ¡°Prototypes?¡± Red asked. ¡°So, they haven¡¯t been tested yet?¡± Moynahan grinned. ¡°You three are going to be our guinea pigs. Even if they¡¯re not a hundred percent effective, they¡¯ll still give you a considerable advantage over traditional EV suits.¡± ¡°Question,¡± Bullseye said, drawing everyone¡¯s attention. ¡°How am I able to assist in this endeavor, given that I doubt they make EV suits that fit someone of my current dimensions?¡± The Commander frowned but Red stepped forward, motioning to Bullseye before she could reply. ¡°He can shoot lasers out his eyes now.¡± Bullseye snorted. ¡°I am capable of far more than that, thank you very much. I have been fully integrated into the Artemis System and, as such, can function as a fully fledge member of this squad.¡± ¡°Good for you,¡± Moynahan grunted. ¡°As long as it doesn¡¯t jeopardize the mission, do whatever the hell you want. But I¡¯m done talking and we¡¯re out of time.¡± She looked up at Gideon. ¡°I¡¯m assigning you as temporary team leader. You¡¯ll each be connected to a comms feed which Book here will monitor and I¡¯ll be available if you need me. If decisions need to be made on the ground, you¡¯ll be the one to make them, understood?¡± Gideon nodded. Moynahan turned to the others. ¡°Any of you got a problem with that?¡± To Gideon¡¯s surprise, both Mia and Red shook their head. The later did raise his hand though. ¡°Just so I¡¯m clear on this,¡± he said. ¡°If Gideon bites it, does that mean I¡¯m in charge.¡± The Commander narrowed her eyes. ¡°If Gideon bites it, leadership will fall to Mia. If she dies or is incapacitated then, I guess the turtle can run the show. If everyone is dead and there¡¯s on one left on the station, you¡¯re in charge.¡± Red seemed to miss the insult, nodding in agreement. ¡°Got it.¡± ¡°Go!¡± the Commander barked. ¡°Maddox has your suits ready and Book here will be able to give you intel on the best approach to make. Good luck and don¡¯t fuck it up!¡± A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. The diminutive communications officer led them out of the room and down through the main chamber of the station. Gideon held Bullseye in one arm as they walked. ¡°Guess you¡¯ll be hitching a ride with me again.¡± ¡°Looks like it,¡± the turtle replied. ¡°Just keep those laser eyes under control while we¡¯re in the EV suit, okay.¡± The turtle huffed out a response that was somewhere between a sigh and a snort. ¡°Unlike you and the rest of your comrades, I am quite well educated when it comes to the nature and function of the Artemis System and the various abilities it bestows. I have been the premiere AI tutor for more than five thousand candidates and have shepherded each of those souls through the process of navigating the hunt. All of those heroes you idolize achieved greatness on my back, young Gideon.¡± Gideon smiled. ¡°Yeah, but you¡¯re not gonna shoot a hole in my suit, right?¡± ¡°No. I will not shoot a hole in the suit.¡± He couldn¡¯t say why, but something about tormenting the little turtle gave Gideon a lot of pleasure. It might have been because it was a way of exacting a petty revenge on the world for his misfortune at having his dream of being a renowned hunter thwarted. Then again, Bullseye had been just as screwed by the events of the invasion as anyone else. In fact, his misery had begun before the invasion had even started. He¡¯d effectively been replaced and had no idea of that fact. ¡°Hey,¡± Gideon went on as they followed Book and the others through the facility, ¡°can you still access all the information from each of the hunter¡¯s you¡¯ve helped? I mean, could you remember how someone like Samson Graves set up his bow? Or could you tell me how to setup my core attributes like Kadovan the Slayer?¡± The turtle shook its head. ¡°Unfortunately, while I was able to assist each of those hunters in their careers, the various choices they made during their progression are private. Well, not private. You could doubtless find all the information you seek back on the Artemis feeds, and I understand that there are a great many internet locations dedicated to just such an enterprise.¡± ¡°Yeah, I get that, but I mean could you tap into their histories. Like, lessons that they picked up, stuff that they wish they had known earlier.¡± ¡°No. But again, that information would be of little use to our current circumstances. None of the hunters on Artemis fought the Collective, Gideon. None of them came face to face with Stalkers or had to fight for the survival of their species. The Great Hunt was little more than a game to those hunters, whereas this is real life.¡± Gideon nodded. Real life. None of it felt real. In Gideon¡¯s experience, real life was about waking up too early, a lukewarm shower followed by finding some clothes that didn¡¯t reek, walking the five miles to work, and then grinding away at a grill for ten hours before heading home to do it all again the next day. As they moved through down into an unfamiliar section of the base, Book led them through a sealed corridor and into a broad room with EV suits and lockers lining one wall and what looked like a transition chamber on the far side. Maddox was sitting on a bench fiddling with the back of a modified EV suit. She smiled as they entered. ¡°Greetings, kids. Ready for your next adventure.¡± Red pointed at the suit she was holding. ¡°Is that thing gonna work?¡± She smiled, handing the suit to him. ¡°For your sake you¡¯d better hope so.¡± She motioned to the other suits hanging nearby.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll all need to get dressed. The fabric is military grade, so it¡¯s pretty tough, but just watch yourself. You could still cut the material and that wouldn¡¯t be a great way to start your next mission.¡± Gideon placed Bullseye on a nearby bench and examined his EV suit. Maddox, or one of her subordinates had written his name on a strip of tape on the front of the suit. It was heavier than he EV suit he¡¯d worn to get from the crashed ship to the station and, as Maddox had said, the fabric on the suit seemed a lot stronger. He doubted it would withstand a direct strike from a Stalker blade or one of those arrows from one of the Stalker archers. ¡°You¡¯re suits are combat grade,¡± Maddox said as they began suiting up. ¡°That means they¡¯ll withstand basic impact damage and will offer protection from shrapnel and the like. They won¡¯t deflect bullets or direct strikes from bladed weaponry, so don¡¯t let the word combat confuse you.¡± She walked over to Red, helping him into the suit by pulling back the shoulders and allowing him to shrug his way into it. ¡°Each of these prototypes has been fitted with modified a Gravity Tether that we ripped out of a group of Stalkers. It¡¯s a mechanism they usually have implanted in their bodies, so I had to rig up an interface so they would work with the suits.¡± She sighed, stepping away from Red. ¡°I won¡¯t lie to you, they¡¯re clunky as hell and this is the first real world field test we¡¯ve been able to do, so expect them to get a little wiggy sooner or later.¡± ¡°What are they actually gonna do though?¡± Red asked. ¡°It basically nullifies the low gravity effect of the moon. You¡¯ll move faster and won¡¯t float up into the air every time you take a step. It will also mean recoil won¡¯t push you backwards and you won¡¯t take ages to hit the ground if you do jump.¡± She smiles, walking around to the back of Red¡¯s suit and tapping the backpack style mechanism. ¡°You¡¯ll get two hours of breathable air and there¡¯s an emergency canister that will give you another ten minutes at a pinch. Your HUDs will show how much oxygen you¡¯ve got left and they¡¯ll also highlight any rips or punctures in your suit.¡± She lifted Red¡¯s hand and pointed to a small canister attached to the underside of the glove. ¡°This is the most important object you have on your possession while you¡¯re out there. Military grade sealant that¡¯s been specially designed for this environment. It¡¯s tied to your suit and there¡¯s one attached to both your left and right gloves. Basically, grab this trigger here and pull and it will squirt out a truly noxious adhesive substance that will patch up any tears or punctures to your suit. It sets quickly, and there¡¯s enough juice in each canister to patch up half a dozen rips.¡± ¡°How long will the repairs last?¡± Mia asked. ¡°Long enough to get you back here in once piece. Honestly, this shit is tougher than the stuff they make the suits out of. Your main problem is going to be flexibility and movement. The more of this stuff you¡¯ve got holding your suit together the less movement you¡¯ll have. It¡¯s like stitching up a torn shirt using welded metal plates.¡± ¡°It won¡¯t affect the Gravity Tether though, will it?¡± Gideon asked. ¡°No. You¡¯ll still be held to the ground. I¡¯ve also embedded the tether on the inside of the suit, so the only way it¡¯s going to be damaged is if someone gets right into your business. If that happens, you¡¯ll have bigger problems than a broken Gravity Tether.¡± She clapped her hands together. ¡°And that¡¯s it. Once your helmets are on, oxygen will start flowing and you¡¯ll be ready to go. Just remember that this suit doesn¡¯t give you an advantage over the enemy, it just puts you on an even standing as far as movement goes. They¡¯ve got natural armor which offers far better protection than what you¡¯re wearing. They¡¯re also likely more used to operating in this kind of environment, so expect them to be better than you.¡± Something like a cough drew their attention. ¡°Aren¡¯t you forgetting something, Gideon?¡± Bullseye said from his position on the nearby bench. Gideon turned to the turtle. ¡°Shit! Sorry, I forgot. This thing is pretty snug though. I¡¯m not sure there¡¯s room in here for you. Maybe it¡¯s best if you stay behind?¡± He wasn¡¯t sure, but it sounded like Bullseye was growling. ¡°No need,¡± Maddox said, wandering over and pulling something out of her pocket. She bent down in front of Bullseye and starting tapping away at a small digital device which was a little larger than a cell phone but smaller than a data pad. A small holographic display hovered above the object and it looked like the thing was hovering above the ground, suspended in midair. ¡°I was thinking about this,¡± Maddox said, squinting in concentration. ¡°You¡¯re almost fully integrated into the System now, so that means you can access any starting abilities associated with your class.¡± ¡°Correct,¡± Bullseye said. ¡°As a sorcerer I will have access to a plethora of abilities, most of which require ether to engage. Some are innate to the sorcerer class however and do not require¡ª¡± ¡°A shield,¡± Maddox interrupted. ¡°That¡¯s what I was thinking. If you could fast track your development a little and get a basic shield, you¡¯d be able to survive out there without having breathable air.¡± She leaned back, nodding to herself. ¡°There you go.¡± The turtle turned its head to one side, blinking slowly. ¡°Curious. It seems you¡¯ve unlocked the Astral Shell ability. That will allow me to stabilize gravity and provide a protective bubble with sufficient oxygen for a period of sixty-seconds.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not all,¡± Maddox said, grining. ¡°Check out the cooldown.¡± Bullseye blinked again. ¡°Oh my. That is¡­impossible.¡± ¡°It was impossible,¡± Maddox corrected, ¡°but you¡¯re not really operating within the rules anymore so we can rig the system a little.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Gideon asked. ¡°There is no cooldown,¡± Bullseye replied. ¡°It should have a five-minute cooldown but it seems that Chief Maddox has found a way to bypass this.¡± ¡°You¡¯re welcome,¡± Maddox said with a bow. ¡°Shit!¡± Red shouted. ¡°Can you do the same thing for me?¡± ¡°No. You are not an AI Tutor that has been re-introduced into the Artemis System because of a rogue virus, so no, I can¡¯t do the same for you. You¡¯ll just have to put up with the superhuman abilities you already have.¡± Book walked up to the doorway leading to the adjoining room and entered a series of numbers into the data pad to the right of the doorway. He turned back around as the door to the airlock opened. ¡°Comms are all ready to go and I¡¯ll be able to guide you where I can. I¡¯ve added a few locations to your HUD maps that might be helpful, but you¡¯ll have to largely operate independently once you¡¯re out of the airlock.¡± Gideon nodded. ¡°Okay, thanks.¡± ¡°Go well,¡± Book said with a serious expression. ¡°And good luck.¡± 28. Wrecking Ball The airlock door opened with an accompanying hiss and Gideon looked left and right. Aside from sporadic gunfire to their right, there was no sign of fighting anywhere in the immediate area and no sign of the enemy. ¡°You should be clear until you reach the ridge,¡± Book said through their inbuilt suit comms. ¡°The enemy forces are just beyond it though and it looks like there are a few forward scouts in the area, so watch yourselves.¡± ¡°Got it,¡± Gideon said, taking the lead with Bullseye floating by his side, Red to his right, and Mia bringing up the rear, her bow already in one hand. ¡°You guys have mini maps now right?¡± Gideon asked. ¡°Yeah,¡± Mia replied. ¡°Yup,¡± Red added. ¡°Should be able to suck up some of that sweet ether too, so don¡¯t get any ideas about hogging that shit.¡± Gideon laughed as he led the group toward the rocky ridge up ahead. It felt strange running at more or less his normal pace and feeling like he was experiencing earth gravity while dust was kicked up and floated eerily behind him and the stary sky loomed above. What felt even more bizarre was the pintsized turtle floating by his legs like a dog trotting along beside him. He checked his mini map as he ran, following a faintly glowing path laid out in his HUD that led up to the ridgeline by the easiest route. The estimate on his display suggested it would take only ten minutes or so to reach the ridge if they continued at their current speed, but Gideon was driven by a palpable sense of urgency as he ran, knowing what was at stake. Something blinked on his mini map and a small red arrow popped up on his HUD indicating something just up ahead near a cluster of rocks. ¡°You seeing that?¡± Gideon asked. ¡°Looks like three of them,¡± Mia said, fanning out to the left as she ran just behind the group. ¡°What are you thinking, scouts?¡± Gideon focused on the red arrow, but it wasn¡¯t showing any details other than the presence of an enemy nearby. ¡°I¡¯d say so. They¡¯re right ahead of us, so we¡¯re gonna need to fight them rather than skirt around.¡± Red snorted. ¡°Why don¡¯t you get Turtle Terry to laser their asses?¡± ¡°Maybe I will!¡± Bullseye chirped back. ¡°And then your nads, as you¡¯re so fond of saying!¡± ¡°Quiet!¡± Gideon barked. ¡°When we reach them, I¡¯ll charge and try to keep their attention. Mia you take out any stragglers or enemies that are out of my reach, Red you concentrate on DPS.¡± ¡°DPS?¡± the brawler asked. ¡°Just hit shit,¡± Gideon confirmed. ¡°Kill as many of them as quickly as you can.¡± ¡°And me?¡± Bullseye asked, looking up from beside Gideon. ¡°Should I defend our flank and watch the perimeter?¡± ¡°Yeah, sounds good,¡± Gideon confirmed. In fact, he had no clue what to do with the little turtle. He¡¯d seen dozens of hunters on Artemis fight with pets, using them to help tank or distract enemies, but none of those pets were bubble enshrouded turtles that could shoot lasers out of their eyes. Gideon had also planned to run solo during his own Great Hunt adventure, so he hadn¡¯t counted on having to deal with a pet. Not that the oddball AI tutor was a pet exactly. Gideon wasn¡¯t altogether sure what he was. ¡°Just remember,¡± he said as they rounded the edge of the crater and three scout Stalkers came into view, ¡°these suits aren¡¯t armor and we¡¯re not invincible.¡± Still thirty feet from the enemy, he triggered Shadow Charge, leaping through the space between them to land on the ground, slamming the edge of his Harvester blades against the rock. The resulting shockwave rolled over the enemy, staggering them and causing two of the Stalkers to shriek in silent pain. They recovered quickly, lunging at Gideon with their clawed hands while a fourth Stalker emerged to their left, firing a venom enhanced arrow at Gideon as he blocked the initial wave of attacks. ¡°I see it!¡± Mia called out, firing her own arrow at the newly emerged Stalker with three shots in rapid succession that staggered the scout and sent it reeling. Red came barreling in from the side, grabbing the closest Stalker and lifting it up into the air before slamming it down into the ground with bone crushing force. Gideon heard the sound of what he assumed was the creature¡¯s neck breaking as Red roared in triumph, finishing off the limp figure with a series of savage club swings as he shouted the words ¡®double tap¡¯. Despite the arrow jutting from his shoulder and the poison he could feel flooding his system, Gideon didn¡¯t feel slowed at all by the attack. The two remaining enemies were fixed on him, swiping with claws that he was barely able to keep at bay. He triggered Phantom Step and appeared behind the pair, slipping each of the blades in his hands into the gap between their central back plates and driving the blades home with a mighty shove. As he wrenched the blades free Red swung his club around, still eager to fight but finding the two Stalkers slumped on the ground, their bodies limp with ichor dripping onto the moon¡¯s surface. ¡°Damn it!¡± he hissed. ¡°I was just getting into it.¡± The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Gideon smirked as he looked around and saw Mia finishing off the enemy archer and stealing the soldier¡¯s remaining arrows. ¡°You got to use your piledriver,¡± he said. ¡°Nearly broke that thing¡¯s head off.¡± Red laughed. ¡°Hell yeah I did.¡± Three blueish orbs appeared above the dead figures and were absorbed by Gideon, Red, and Mia. From where he was standing, it looked to Gideon as though Mia took one of the orbs and Red took three. ITEMS LOOTED Ether + 5 Stalker Oil + 1 Stalker Hide Scraps + 1 ¡°What the hell?¡± Red blurted. ¡°How come I only got five ether?¡± Mia walked over, dropping her pilfered arrows into her quiver. ¡°You¡¯re in a party, genius. Everything we loot gets divided between us.¡± Gideon could see him doing the math and pre-empted the question he knew was coming. He motioned to Bullseye. ¡°Everything gets split four ways while we¡¯re in the party.¡± Red turned to the turtle. ¡°Four ways? That little turd gets five ether? He didn¡¯t even do anything?¡± ¡°I was guarding the rear!¡± Bullseye protested. ¡°You were sitting in a bubble doing jack shit!¡± Red shot back. ¡°Enough!¡± Gideon barked. ¡°We need to get to that ridge. We can figure out the loot later on. If you need more ether or other stuff I¡¯ll share from what I¡¯ve got. Just focus on what we need to do here, okay!¡± Mia walked up, ripping the arrow out of his shoulder and quickly sealing up the puncture in the suit with the sealant. ¡°Thanks,¡± he offered. ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. Your natural healing should take care of the venom.¡± ¡°Yeah, I figured. Honestly, it wasn¡¯t nearly as bad this time.¡± Bullseye floated toward them. ¡°That¡¯s because you¡¯ve increased your baseline attributes since you last encountered the envenomed arrows. Grit will also make a big difference.¡± Once the puncture was sealed, Gideon moved off toward the ridge with Mia running up beside him and the other two following behind. A rocky path led up the side of the ridge and Gideon found the climbing easy enough, even with the Gravity Teather on. ¡°You did great back there, by the way,¡± he said to Mia. ¡°With that archer I mean.¡± ¡°Thanks,¡± she replied, looking down at the ground. ¡°Picked up a couple of new abilities and that was the first chance I¡¯ve had to try out the rapid fire spell.¡± ¡°Well, it worked great,¡± Gideon confirmed. Red moaned. ¡°Jesus you two, get a room! We can all hear you, you know!¡± Gideon felt his cheeks flush a little and, judging by the way Mia was looking away from him, he guessed she was a little embarrassed too. The fact was he was undeniably attracted to her, but he hadn¡¯t even been flirting. They made their way up to the top of the ridge and Gideon bent down, crouching low as he made his way toward the lip of the ridge. The view below stretched out before him, showing a wide expanse with three ship standing in the distance and a vast host of enemies moving out from the ships toward the lunar base. ¡°Holy shit biscuits!¡± Red blurted. ¡°Must be a thousand Stalkers down there!¡± ¡°Approximately,¡± Book confirmed. ¡°Remember though, you¡¯re mission isn¡¯t to take out the Stalkers, it¡¯s the heavy hitter¡¯s we¡¯re interested in. We¡¯ve got gun emplacements and base defenses to take care of the scout units and Bloodborn.¡± Gideon looked out over the landscape below. It looked like one of the ships was taking off, and a second had its engines running. ¡°Looks like they¡¯re dropping the troops and bugging out,¡± he said. ¡°They¡¯re troop carriers from what we can tell,¡± Book responded. ¡°Heavy armor but light on weapons.¡± Gideon scanned the area below and spied a knot of Bloodborn Stalkers milling about a huge figure that was lumbering out of one of the troop carriers. ¡°Got eyes on one of the big boys,¡± he said. ¡°Looks about ten times the size of a Bloodborn and its kind of crab like, I guess.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Book replied, ¡°I¡¯m getting an image now. We¡¯re picking it up through your echo¡¯s visual connection to the System. There is a record in the data we received of something like this after all. Just sending it to your HUD now.¡± HARROW STRIDER Large, quadrupedal creatures with armored carapaces and elongated skulls housing pressurized ether sacs. They vomit compressed ether orbs that detonate on impact, unleashing shockwaves of raw energy across battlefields. Harrow Striders prove equally as devastating whether attacking infantry units or structures and are often used in the early stages of a siege to break through enemy lines or breach defensive structures. Attacks: Ether Bombardment: Lobs high-density ether blobs that explode into area-wide blasts. Siege Spear ¨C Fires massive, armor-piercing chitinous projectiles coated in ether that burrow into defensive structures and explode after a short delay, causing structural collapse and reducing durability of barriers and bunkers. Corrosive Bile: Sprays a stream of acidic ether-laced bile, melting armor and weakening defenses. ¡°Looks like they have solid defensive capabilities too,¡± Book went on, ¡°so you¡¯re going to need to get in close to take it out.¡± Gideon nodded. ¡°Okay, but what if we can¡¯t break through its armor. I mean, that thing is a tank, basically. Maybe we should have brought an explosive with us?¡± ¡°You have,¡± Book said. ¡°Hasn¡¯t Bullseye told you yet?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t had the chance,¡± the turtle replied, drawing everyone¡¯s gaze toward him. ¡°What haven¡¯t you told me?¡± Gideon pressed. ¡°It¡¯s hardly relevant,¡± Bullseye insisted. ¡°Just another ability I was able to acquire.¡± ¡°Here,¡± Book said, ¡°I¡¯ll share the details.¡± ¡°Wait!¡± the turtle blurted. SHELL SHOCK BLITZ The turtle is launched like a living cannonball, spinning rapidly as it slams into an enemy structure or armored target. Upon impact, it unleashes a shockwave explosion, dealing massive area damage and staggering enemies within range. The force of the blast propels the turtle backward, allowing for a rapid reposition or a follow-up attack. Effects: Heavy Impact Damage to structures and tanks. Shockwave Stun causes nearby enemies to stagger for 2 seconds. Ricochet Effect sends the turtle bouncing back toward its original position. Can be ether-infused to increase explosion radius and knockback force. Cooldown: 30 Seconds. Gideon turned to Bullseye. ¡°Why the hell wouldn¡¯t you tell me about that?¡± The turtle scowled up at him. ¡°Because I don¡¯t particularly relish the idea of being tossed around like a baseball, Gideon. And because I knew the moment the spell appeared that you would all be jumping out of your skin to try it.¡± ¡°Shit yeah!¡± Red confirmed. ¡°I get first go!¡± Gideon ignored the other man. ¡°Is it going to hurt you?¡± he asked. ¡°No,¡± Book interjected. ¡°Maddox confirmed that the spell won¡¯t hurt Bullseye. In fact, there¡¯s a chance he can even pick up ether using the attack.¡± Gideon turned back to the turtle. ¡°There you go. What are you worried about then?¡± Bullseye glowered. ¡°And how would you like to be thrown into battle like a grenade?!¡± Gideon shrugged. ¡°If it gets the job done and I¡¯m not hurt, go for it.¡± Red beamed. ¡°I get first throw with Gideon too!¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Gideon said, bringing the focus back to the army marching below. ¡°Let¡¯s just get as close as we can to Big Boy and see if we can take him out with what we have. If it turns out we need more firepower then we¡¯ll turn to you, okay Bullseye?¡± ¡°If you must,¡± he agreed. ¡°Good. Then let¡¯s get moving. I think if we can make it to those rocks there we¡¯ll have a good shot of hitting Big Boy from the side without having to kill our way through a billion enemies first.¡± He turned to the others. ¡°Agreed?¡± They nodded. ¡°After you, boss,¡± Red confirmed, hefting his mace with a wicked grin. ¡°Let¡¯s hit some shit!¡± 29. The Gauntlet As they ran down the steep embankment, Gideon was beginning to regret the Gravity Tether in his suit. He was moving too fast and the danger of tripping and falling head first was very real. He had to assume the others were having similar issues, but no one said a word as they ran down into the softly powdered ground below. It came as an incredible relief when the ground evened out in front of him, and he steadied himself as they moved from the ridge to the distant stack of rocks from which they would launch their attack. It wasn¡¯t a plan without risk. Even running in the clear like this, off to the right side of the Stalker host, they were visible to the enemy. At any moment the vast army could branch off and head in their direction and the only thing going for Gideon and his crew was the fact that the lunar station was clearly the primary objective of the enemy advance. That might change of course if they managed to put down one of the Harrow Striders. The enemy might decide that it was worth a quick detour to take care of Gideon and the others. But that was a future concern. All that mattered now was reaching the rocky outcrop without being seen. As they ran, Gideon could see the others in his mini map, represented as small green dots accompanying the green cross that represented Gideon himself. They were keeping pace, even Bullseye, somehow propelling himself in his constantly rejuvenating bubble. They were fifty yards from the rocky formation when the first shot was fired. It hit the ground a few yards ahead of Gideon and sent up a puff of dust as a small crater appeared where the projectile had hit. He darted to the left, pointing up at the rock formation as something flashed bright green and then a moment later another projectile hit the ground just beside Gideon, close enough that he felt rock chips fly up and hit his suit. ¡°At least one shooter up high!¡± he shouted zigzagging as he continued to lead the group forward. ¡°Need to take it out before¡ª¡± He grunted, ducking to the side and nearly falling on his face as another projectile hit the ground, followed by a second shot. ¡°Two enemies,¡± Mia said, sighting the rock formation with her bow and squinting as she slowed to a jog. ¡°I can¡¯t reach them from here and it looks like they¡¯re using some kind of firearm.¡± She dropped the bow and started sprinting forward again as Gideon turned to Red. ¡°You got a sprint?¡± Red shook his head. ¡°Got a jump that can get me ten feet or so ahead, but I don¡¯t know if it will get me up there.¡± Gideon zagged once more, narrowly avoiding another shot. ¡°Okay, well follow me up as soon as you can!¡± Judging the space between his crew and the two Stalkers firing at them from above, Gideon made sure he was within fifty feet before triggering the first of his two charge skills. He used Shadow Charge to launch himself thirty feet through the air, drawing his Harvester blades and slamming them into the ground before immediately triggering Phantom Step and targeting one of the enemies he could see firing their weapon above. It was a gamble and there was every chance he¡¯d either overshoot or slam into the side of the rocky formation. The spell drove him through space and his vision shifted, showing the back of a Viper as it fired its weapon. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Gideon immediately triggered Abyssal Pierce, driving both blades through the glowing green gap between the Stalker¡¯s armor. The thrust ended the enemies life within moments and it shrieked in pain, inky black hands outstretched as Gideon hefted the body up and turned it toward the second Viper as it fired its weapon. A ball of green light burst into the first Stalker¡¯s chest, blowing apart the chitinous armor and sending chunks of flesh flying as Red suddenly appeared, teetering on the edge of the rock formation and blinking in surprise as he slammed his massive club down against the Viper¡¯s head, using the momentum to keep from falling over the edge and then moving in to deliver a second thrust of his club that shattered the Viper¡¯s faceplate to the accompanying sight of blood spraying onto the gray rock. He spun around, grinning widely as he hefted his club. Gideon dropped the dead Stalker and two green spheres appeared and were immediately looted along with several other items. ITEMS LOOTED Ether + 2 Viper Rifle [Type A] + 1 Stalker Oil + 1 Red looked up at Gideon. ¡°Did you just get one of those sweet rifles?¡± ¡°Yeah, but there¡¯s no time to look at it now. Just keep it in your inventory and we can work all that shit out later on.¡± Achievement Awarded: Double Jump Termination! Congratulations! You¡¯ve successfully use two charge or jump abilities in rapid succession and followed up with a one shot kill. Reward: 1 Enhancement Point Speed +1 Leadership + 1 Gideon dismissed the achievement announcement and moved to the edge of the rocks. Down below he saw Mia and Bullseye approaching the rocks and scanning the area ahead. To the right was a steep path that led all the way to ground level. He gently shoved Red in the arm and pointed to the path. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s get back to the others.¡± They half walked, half fell to the ground, mercifully avoiding any damage to their suits. Red couldn¡¯t resist throwing a thumb over his shoulder. ¡°Just picked up a couple of sweet rifles!¡± Mia rolled her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m happy for you.¡± Gideon moved to the corner of the rock formation, staring out at the hordes of enemies passing by. He could clearly see the Strider moving through the ranks to the rear of the army. While the smaller infantry units had run ahead along with Vipers sporting rifles like the one he and Red had looted, a group of Bloodborn remained, standing in front of the slow-moving Strider like a protective guard. ¡°Okay,¡± Gideon said, ducking back behind the rock. ¡°Looks like we¡¯ve got a clear path to Big Boy but I count at least five Bloodborn there. We¡¯ll need to draw them away so we can get in close to the target.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you just blink through?¡± Red asked. ¡°Like you did up top.¡± ¡°I can, but that will leave you all to handle a large pack of Bloodborn without a tank and I¡¯ll be facing that thing on my own. I¡¯m pretty sure it¡¯ll take all of us to take the Strider down.¡± ¡°So,¡± Mia said, ¡°we take out the guards first, then hit Big Boy.¡± Gideon nodded. ¡°Yeah, I think that¡¯s our best approach. But we need to steer clear of whatever damage the Harrow Strider can do. Maybe if we run around its back and try to keep the Bloodborn in close?¡± ¡°Bad idea,¡± Bullseye barked. ¡°The Strider can emit Corrosive Bile and cause significant damage to anyone up close. I suggest we keep our distance.¡± ¡°Okay, but what if it starts shooting at us? That thing¡¯s basically a tank, so one shot could kill us.¡± ¡°I would suggest avoiding enemy fire,¡± Bullseye advised. Gideon, Red, and Mia all turned to face the turtle somewhat baffled by his response. ¡°Seriously dude?¡± Red hissed. ¡°That¡¯s your big advice? Don¡¯t get hit?¡± ¡°I think you¡¯ll find it is sound advice,¡± the turtle protested. ¡°It¡¯s not advice at all!¡± Red shot back. ¡°You might as well tell us not to die!¡± ¡°That would also be advisable.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Gideon said, intervening, ¡°I say we wait until the Strider is level with us here and then we head out. I¡¯m gonna charge into the Bloodborn and get them locked onto me. I¡¯ll try to kite them around Big Boy and avoid getting hit.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll help where I can from range,¡± Mia said, ¡°and have heals on standby just in case.¡± ¡°I too shall stay at range,¡± Bullseye confirmed. ¡°Perhaps I can assist Mia in taking out enemies from a distance.¡± Gideon nodded. ¡°Fine. But stay close enough so that we can use your cannonball ability if we need it. We might need something like that to crack open Big Boy¡¯s shell.¡± He quickly checked his cooldowns, noting that all his abilities were charged and ready. ¡°Okay kids, here we go!¡± 30. Big Boy Gideon ran as fast as he could manage, eyes locked on the ring of Bloodborn up ahead. They were coming at the enemy from the right and just behind, so he was hoping that he¡¯d be able to get to within charging distance before they noticed the attack. That hope was quickly dashed when every single one of the Stalker brutes turned to face Gideon, hefting their oversized swords and massive shields in preparation. Gideon noticed the difference only as he drew closer. These Bloodborn seemed a little bigger and chunkier than the others they¡¯d encountered, and they hefted large onyx-colored shields rather than balled up fists. ¡°You see the shields?¡± he asked, between breath. ¡°Yeah,¡± Red replied. ¡°Guess we¡¯ll just have to hit harder.¡± ¡°Might make it difficult for the arrows to get through,¡± Mia said, but I¡¯ll see what I can do.¡± The good news was that the Bloodborn brutes didn¡¯t seem to have any ranged weaponry and were content to stay where they were, forming a protective ring around the Strider. The bad news was that the Strider itself had turned to face the group and, judging by the swell of green light around its two gun-like appendages beneath the creature¡¯s massive head, they were just about to be fired upon. ¡°Shit! Split up!¡± Gideon said, shifting his direction and moving off to the left as Red broke off to the right. Mia and Bullseye did likewise, following behind the other two as brilliant green light exploded from the Strider¡¯s front guns, sending two orbs of emerald power fizzing toward Gideon and his crew. One of the etherically-charged explosives hit the ground just to Gideon¡¯s left, sending up shards of broken rock and shaking the rock beneath him, causing him to stumble as he continued running toward the enemy. The second round hit the space between Red and Bullseye, landing just behind the AI tutor. The resulting shockwave drove the shielded turtle into the sky and Bullseye cried out in a panic as he soared overhead, much to Red¡¯s confusion. The brawler looked up at the turtle flying directly toward the enemy and a smirk appeared on his lips. There was no time for commentary as the Strider fired a second round of explosive projectiles. They were still at least a hundred feet from the enemy cluster, but Gideon decided to even the odds a little and close the gap with what he hoped was a clever move. He channeled ether into his Shadow Charge and noted a holographic arrow stretching out on the ground ahead of him showing the maximum distance of the charge and how much ether it would cost. It was so far ahead that he couldn¡¯t see clearly where he was going to land, but fortunately the mini map showed the end point of the charge. Dialing up the ability until he was sure he could get right into the middle of the pack, he triggered Shadow Charged just as another orb of explosive ether landed ahead of him. Shadows swirled around Gideon as he emerged directly beneath the Strider and slammed his Harvester blades into the ground. The resulting shockwave drew the attention of all nine Bloodborn Stalkers as well as the Strider itself, temporarily halting its gunfire. The stalkers turned to Gideon, slamming their wall shields into the ground and locking their curved blades into place beside each shield as they strode toward him. The Strider spun around, its massive head twisting, armored legs raised as it tried to find Gideon. He triggered Phantom Step, moving through space to appear behind one of the Bloodborn brutes and driving his blade home. The Stalker¡¯s armor seemed heavier than the other units Gideon had encountered, but the same vulnerabilities could be found between the armor plates and his blades drove home, sending a spray of blood onto the ground as he wrenched them free and moved to the next enemy. The Bloodborn moved much faster than he¡¯d expected, spinning in place and locking their shields into the ground once more as they drove their blades forward. One of the wickedly sharp swords came to within an inch of Gideon¡¯s head as he ducked aside and raked the edge of his blades against one of the shields. He ducked and rolled out of the way of their attacks, keeping enough distance between himself and the edges of the enemy blades as he waited for his charge and Phantom Step abilities to recharge. The brute he had knifed in the back was still alive, but it had slowed significantly and blood continued to pour from the wounds on its back. As he jumped back out of the way of a flurry of strikes from one of the Bloodborn, something caught Gideon¡¯s eye. He looked up to see the absurd view of a small turtle encased in a protective bubble thud against the huger armored head of the Strider and then bounce off, flying through space as the AI screamed in their coms channel. Something sharp stabbed through Gideon¡¯s suit, tearing through the meat of his left arm as he pulled back and deflected the strike with his other sword. He triggered Dusk Veil, moving in beyond the blade and jamming his sword up into the gap between the Stalker¡¯s helmet and chest plate. The blade drove deep as Abyssal Pierce did its work and the Bloodborn¡¯s head was split apart by the impact. Gideon twisted out of the way as two of the other brutes lunged forward and tried to skewer him with their blades. He stumbled backwards, reaching for the sealant on his right glove and quickly repairing the cut in his suit as he scrambled back crab style. Before the brutes could drive home their attack, Red came barreling into view, smashing his club into the helmet of the first and using his momentum to shove them out of the way. As he got to his feet Gideon noticed the wounded Bloodborn approaching. An arrow appeared, thudding soundlessly into the side of its head as if appearing by magic. The brute stumbled, reaching up with his sword hand to fumble with the arrow as vivid green spiderwebs of light began to work their way across its eyeless face and down to its neck. Gideon left the dying Bloodborn, wondering why the other five Stalkers hadn¡¯t attacked. They were still watching him, still standing with shields pressed against the ground, but it seemed that they refused to move more than a few feet away from the Strider they were clearly protecting. The giant beast itself was having difficulty locating Gideon and the others and so had given up on trying and started to lumber toward the lunar station once more. Gideon was about to charge at the guards again when a cloud of noxious gas burst from the underside of the huge creature, filling the area with an acidic vapor that immediately began eating away at his EV suit. ¡°Damn it!¡± he shouted, triggering his charge ability to burst out of the corrosive cloud. ¡°Red! Get the hell out of there, that shit will dissolve your suit!¡± The brawler had battered one of the Bloodborn senseless and was working on the second enemy, unaware that his suit was beginning to dissolve. ¡°RED!¡± Gideon shouted. The other man turned around, holding his club in one hand and the insensible enemy in the other. He caught sight of the sizzling fabric on the right arm of his EV suit and immediately dropped the enemy, running out of the cloud as he started choaking. ¡°I¡¯ve got him!¡± Mia said, charging ahead and firing a burst of healing at the brawler as he slumped to the ground. Gideon turned back to the enemy Strider, still walking toward the lunar base and having apparently forgotten about Gideon and his crew entirely. He needed to stop Big Boy before it got too far ahead of them and risked bringing in more of the Stalkers to defend. He needed an attack which was forceful enough to get the Strider¡¯s attention and keep it locked on him. Scanning the area, he saw what he was looking for and began running. He¡¯d never been a big one for sport of any kind, but then again, Gideon hadn¡¯t had an echo body before. With his heightened reflexes and added strength he bolted towards the falling object, images of remembered touch down scenes playing through his head as he held out his hands and reached for the falling turtle. Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. Stumbling forward, Gideon caught Bullseye but had to keep running to stop from falling head first into the rock. He inscribed a wide arc as he ran around in front of the huge Strider, shushing Bullseye as the turtle continued to scream. ¡°You need to trigger that bomb ability!¡± he said, shaking Bullseye in an attempt to get him to focus. ¡°Shock Blast, or whatever?¡± ¡°Shell Shock Blitz?¡± Bullseye offered meekly. ¡°Yeah, charge it the moment I throw you and give this bastard everything you¡¯ve got. We need to stop it from moving and try to split apart some of that armor.¡± ¡°But¡­there has to be another¡ª¡± ¡°There¡¯s no other way, Bullseye. You¡¯re just gonna have to man up and do this. Either way I¡¯m throwing you at that thing so unless you want to get eaten, trigger the damned ability.¡± The turtle was still stuttering a reply when Gideon pulled back his arm and launched it at the Strider with everything he had. A scream followed as Bullseye shot like a bullet towards the massive Strider which was currently charging its weapons and looked as though it was about to open fire again. Gideon started running, checking the timers on his abilities and hoping that the crazy idea he was about to try wouldn¡¯t end badly. ¡°Red?! Are you up?¡± he asked, moving into a sprint. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m fine. Damned poison tastes like balls but Mia patched me up.¡± ¡°You think you two can take care of the body guard, keep them busy for a while at least?¡± ¡°Sure,¡± Red confirmed. ¡°Where the hell are you gonna be?¡± Gideon had no time to reply. Bullseye hit the Strider and the resulting burst of explosive power sent a shockwave out from the impact point that was forceful enough to knock the Bloodborn to their knees. As it hit Gideon he jumped and triggered Shadow Charge, pumping enough ether into the spell to drive him into what he hoped was a split in the Strider¡¯s thick armor. He shifted through space, bypassing the shockwave and the brilliant blue conflagration of etheric fire that had engulfed the Strider at the moment of impact. He also missed hitting the still screaming turtle currently flying back toward the ground like a pinball in a machine. Gideon slammed into the head of the strider, his EV suit slapping against the hard, chitinous armor soundlessly. The impact was enough to drive the breath from his lungs and it sent a stab of pain through his body as knees, right wrist, and hip cracked against the solid armor. Miraculously, he was held in place by his left sword which he¡¯d managed to thrust into the gaping wound Bullseye¡¯s attack had left. Gripping armor plating with his right hand, Gideon waited for his breathing to return to normal and the shock of the impact to lessen enough for him to act. The experience was like a brain freeze from eating icecream too quickly, only instead of being localized to his head, he felt it in his entire body. The sound of Bullseye still screaming brought him back to his senses and he realized that he¡¯d lost his other sword. Wanting to capitalize on the moment, he pulled a Stalker talon from his inventory and jammed it into the pink, fleshy wound to his left, pressing his boots against the lip of the lower armor plate and shuffling over a little before wrenching out the longer sword with his right hand and holding onto the dagger with his left. Feeling a little more stable but all too aware that the Strider¡¯s head was bobbing up and down as it lumbered along, Gideon triggered Marked for Death against the huge beast and prepared to strike. He used Abyssal Pierce over and over, stabbing and thrusting with his right hand, while holding on for dear life with his left. Blood poured from the wound as chunks of flesh sloughed away. Gideon¡¯s visor was splattered with gore as the attack became more like mining into flesh rather than actually fighting an enemy. He pushed into the hole he¡¯d opened up, jamming the talon dagger in his left hand into the side of the wound to steady himself before continue to hack and thrust at the ragged tunnel ahead of him. Distantly, he was aware that Bullseye¡¯s screaming had stopped and been replaced by grunting from Red as the brawler battered the Bloodborn Stalkers below. ¡°How you doing Gid?¡± Mia asked. ¡°Good!¡± Gideon blurted. ¡°Just trying to get through this thing¡¯s brain.¡± Red laughed. ¡°Sounds like you¡¯re beating your pud, bro! How about turning down the sound a little?¡± Muscles straining, blood and gore clogging his view, Gideon ignored the comment, cursing as he continued to drive a path into the Strider¡¯s head. It felt like he was wading through thick mud, hacking and slashing away at the beast¡¯s flesh, his boots sinking down with each new step. He pulled the dagger from the side of the wound and used both blades to hack away at the flesh, gritting his teeth and grunting with effort. It was more of a necessity at this point than simply a way of killing the Strider. The flesh had closed in around him, threatening to smother Gideon if he didn¡¯t keep cutting his way deeper and deeper. ¡°That was most unpleasant!¡± Bullseye said, his voice distorted as the signal coming through Gideon¡¯s suit began to falter. ¡°I¡¯m telling you now, Gideon, I won¡¯t be doing that again any time soon!¡± Gideon burst out laughing. He was too exhausted to do anything else and his muscles were strained to breaking point. The fact that he was listening to a turtle complain about being used as a bomb was absurd enough if it wasn¡¯t for the fact that Gideon himself was burrowing like a worm into the head of a giant alien. ¡°Shut your trap!¡± Red blurted. ¡°And do something useful with those damned laser eyes!¡± ¡°I beg your pardon!¡± Bullseye retorted. Gideon stopped carving. He sagged against his arm, breathing heavily, unable to go on. He was surrounded by almost complete darkness, with the only light being the smallest opening a few yards behind which opened out into the moon floor. That opening was rapidly closing and he could feel the surrounding flesh pressing against his body, a gruesome, smothering embrace that would be his tomb if he didn¡¯t keep going. ¡°You still with us, Gid?¡± Mia said, her voice patchy but clear enough to jolt Gideon out of his exhaustion. ¡°Yeah. Just cutting my way through. This thing is massive. I don¡¯t know how long it¡¯s gonna take me to get through.¡± ¡°Well,¡± Red interjected, ¡°you¡¯d better hurry because it¡¯s gonna be close enough to start shooting at the base if you don¡¯t bring it down soon.¡± Gideon grunted, hefting his weapons and preparing to start again. NEW ABILITY UNLOCKED BLADE FLURRY The Shadowwarden unleashes a relentless storm of dual-blade strikes, moving at blinding speed to carve through enemies in rapid succession. Each hit shreds armor, siphons ether, and applies a stacking bleed effect, making foes weaker with every strike. Effects: 10 rapid slashes in 2 seconds, dealing heavy burst damage. Each strike ignores 10% of enemy armor, scaling up to 100%. Bleeding Wounds: Inflicts stacking bleed damage over 5 seconds. Ether Siphon: 20% of damage harvests ether from the enemy. Ether infusion: Adds shadow clones that repeat the slashes for extra devastation. ¡°Holy shit!¡± Gideon breathed. ¡°What?¡± Mia asked. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Nothing. Just picked up a new spell, that¡¯s all. Could help me get through this a little quicker.¡± ¡°A new damned spell?¡± Red complained. ¡°Damn son, but you¡¯re one lucky bastard.¡± Gideon pushed back against the fleshy walls pressing in around him and triggered Blade Flurry. He felt a thrill of energy as his Harvester blade and Stalker talon whipped through the air, carving a path ahead with blinding speed. Blood sprayed and chunks of Strider meat fell to the left and right as he cut a path through the creature¡¯s head at speed. Two seconds blurred by and he noted a blue number increasing to the top left of his screen, likely indicating how much ether he was absorbing through the attack. When the ability ended, he¡¯d carve a path at least three times as far as he¡¯d managed previously, deeper into the Strider¡¯s skull. Ether Harvested + 100 Renewed by the new ability, Gideon struck again, and this time his longer blade cut through the flesh and into what seemed to be an empty space beyond. He sliced through more of the pink meat and kicked his way through to a hollow chamber with a strange, luminescent soup swilling at the bottom and a large, brain like organ suspended by a stalk at the center of the organic chamber. A red arrow flashed in his HUD pointing at the brain with a message showing beneath it. PSIONIC CORTEX A dense, pulsating organ housed deep within the Strider¡¯s chitinous skull, encased in layers of black, resin-like plating that protect it from direct damage. Unlike a traditional brain, this heart serves as both a command hub and a psionic relay, allowing the Stalker to coordinate attacks, adapt strategies mid-battle, and issue orders to lesser infantry units within its psychic range. At the center of the cortex is a writhing mass of bio-etheric tendrils, constantly shifting and pulsing as they channel raw ether energy. The Psionic Cortex is equipped with defense mechanisms capable of fending off direct attacks of both a physical and psionic nature. Gideon read the message staring at the dark mass at the center of the chamber. ¡°Bullseye? Are you still connected with me? Can you see this?¡± ¡°I can,¡± the AI replied, ¡°however I am unable to reach you directly and have had to tap into your echo. There is some kind of interference blocking your communications signal.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard of psychic damage, but what¡¯s this psionic stuff about? They don¡¯t have that on Artemis do they?¡± ¡°I presume it¡¯s of a similar kind to¡ª¡± Something black and snake-like lashed out from the core, latching onto Gideon¡¯s body and wrenching him forward so roughly that he dropped the Harvester blade and only just managed to hold onto the talon. Thinking quickly, he tried to drop the falling Harvester sword into his inventory, thinking to salvage the moment, but the blade simply fell into the vivid green soup below with a resounding splash as Gideon was slammed against the side of the Core. He grunted as thin tendrils extended from the he and bit into his suit, slamming against his skull and latching onto his head. He felt the sting of the tendrils connect and then¡­ 31. The Harrow He was standing on a vast sphere, its surface pitted with marks but without a single crater or depression, as though millions of meteors had attempted to leave their mark but had managed only to scratch the surface of the massive orb. It was dark, its surface almost metallic but also reflective like water. It extended in all directions but a visible dip at the end gave it the feel of a sphere. Gideon turned around, confirming that he was alone in the strange place. Stars and strange planets loomed above and, though the small planetoid had no atmosphere, he could breathe without a problem. There was something else in the area above the sphere, a ring of asteroids floating above the planet. No, not asteroids, something else. He squinted, making out strange, monstrous figures floating in the vast ring. They looked like they were statues, or perhaps creatures that had been frozen and set adrift to float forever around the dark planetoid in a lazy orbit. Amid the moving menagerie of gruesome figures, he saw sprawling watery beasts with vast tentacles, wolf-like creatures with bared fangs, demons with curved horns and hateful expressions. One of the larger beasts boasted a massive single eye resting in its rocky brow, and vast claws outstretched to the left and right of a lizard¡¯s body expanded to gigantic proportions. The one-eyed monster¡¯s visual orb shifted and Gideon felt his heart skip a beat. They weren¡¯t frozen up there after all. Not completely at least. As the giant lizard passed and more of the monstrous forms moved overhead, he saw that more of them were staring at him. They were clearly unable to move, but they were just as clearly still alive at some level. ¡°What is this bizarre place?¡± For the second time, Gideon¡¯s heart tried to eat itself. He looked left and right, realizing with a start that it was Bullseye¡¯s voice coming from inside his head. You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. ¡°Shit! You scared the crap out of me!¡± Gideon blurted. ¡°How the hell are you even hear?¡± ¡°It seems that the psionic field created by the Strider allowed us to connect on a mental level.¡± ¡°But it doesn¡¯t hurt when you talk to me?¡± ¡°Perhaps because I am not actually here with you. Not completely. I am still here on the moon, still fighting these wretched Stalkers. Whereas you appear to be¡­elsewhere.¡± Gideon nodded, turning around to consider his surroundings once more. He was about to ask Bullseye where the AI thought they were when he caught sight of a figure up ahead, thirty feet away and standing perfectly still. It was tall, dressed in a black robe with a cowl that hid its face. Gideon walked toward the figure and a pair of glowing crimson eyes were revealed, nestled beneath the figure¡¯s hood. ¡°Greetings, soulless,¡± the figure said, its voice sounding like a dozen different whispers. ¡°Who are you?¡± Gideon asked, reaching for his dagger and finding that his inventory was no longer available. His HUD had vanished too along with the EV suit. ¡°We are the Harrow,¡± the figure responded. ¡°We speak for the Collective.¡± As it spoke, two other figures emerged from behind the first and positioned themselves just behind the first to the left and right. They both had yellow eyes and seemed a little shorter than the first hooded figure but stood as still as statues as the whispered voices continued. ¡°You are the first of your kind to seek audience with the Harrow. Do you speak for your people?¡± Gideon shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about? Where am I? What is this place.¡± ¡°A realm of meeting. A place outside of time and circumstance where matters of import may be discussed at length.¡± All three figures raised their hands, pointing a finger at Gideon. ¡°Do you speak for your people, soulless.¡± ¡°No. I don¡¯t speak for anyone. I¡¯m¡­a soldier, I guess.¡± The three figures dropped their hands, nodding in unison. ¡°A soldier. A soulless who does not speak for his people. The first. The least?¡± It seemed like they weren¡¯t talking to Gideon any longer but discussing it among themselves. ¡°He will die,¡± the trio said, stepping backwards. ¡°He will not be remembered.¡± ¡°Like hell!¡± Gideon said, running toward the cloaked figures, hands balled up into fists. They didn¡¯t flinch as he drew near, throwing a punch into the face of the red eyed figure. And then. 32. Push On Gideon blinked, coming back to the organic cavity inside the Strider¡¯s head, still held in place by a chord of black fibrous rope connected to the cortex and wrapped around his waist. There were rips in his EV suit and a rotting stench filled his nostrils and brought tears to his eyes as he gasped for air. The two tendrils that had latched onto his head retracted, revealing puncture wounds in the top of his helmet that he wasn¡¯t sure the sealing foam would be able to patch up. That wasn¡¯t the worst of his problems though. Both Harvester blades were gone, and the surface of the Psionic Cortex was rock hard and covered with dark resin. ¡°Gideon?¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m here!¡± he spat, barely able to breathe. ¡°Need to kill this thing! Need to¡­¡± He could barely think let alone talk. Bullseye said something in reply, but the words were garbled and unintelligible. Unable to see and sensing the life flowing out of his body, Gideon summoned twin stalker talons and prepared to do something utterly stupid. Gideon slammed the blades together and triggered Shadow Smite, sending a shockwave outwards that tore through the inky black cord holding him against the cortex and thrusting him backwards. As he fell he used Phantom Step to reappear behind the Psionic Core, thrusting both daggers into the rock-hard surface and channeling as much ether as he could manage into Abyssal Strike. Sparks flew as the talons bit into the surface of the core, driving through the impossibly hard armor and into something softer within. The talons seemed to shimmer and shift, growing translucent for a moment and reflecting reality as they drove into the Psionic Cortex. Gideon used all his strength to hold himself aloft, even though his wrists and arms were throbbing and threatened to buckle at any moment. The only thing that stopped him from falling into the swirling pool of acidic goop down below was the fact that Phantom Step had drawn him to a position where he was slightly higher on the edge of the cortex rather than horizontal where his own Gravity Tether would have pulled his full weight against the daggers. He poured more and more ether into the attack, spending the precious substance and pressing his blades further forward until the surface of the cortex cracked and a shimmering orb of etheric light was revealed within. The entire chamber shook, and Gideon flailed about, clinking to the talons as the Striker let out a strange keening sound followed by a heavy boom. Ether seeped from the Strider¡¯s cortex as the beast stumbled forward, and the chamber shook once more as the giant creature slammed against the ground. Gideon felt an influx of power like nothing else he¡¯d experienced thus far. He recognized the feel of ether being harvested, but this felt so much more profound, almost like he was getting a contact high being this close to the source of so much potent etheric power. The chamber was filled with vivid emerald light as the ball of ether within the cortex dissipated, flowing into Gideon¡¯s body. ITEMS LOOTED Royal Ether + 200 Ether + 1500 Harrow Core + 1 Harvester Blade [recovered] +1 Strider Resin + 5 He pulled himself up on top of the spent cortex, stored the talons in his inventory and started sealing up the holes and tears in his suit with sealant. To Gideon¡¯s relief the sealant seemed perfectly capable of repairing holes in his helmet as well as the suit. The natural healing factor in his echo had also taken care of the various bruises and cuts he¡¯d sustained, and he was able to breath easily again now that the stench of the chamber had been locked out. He brought up an image of the Harrow Core on his HUD and examined it for a few moments. It was a small metal disc which looked like a tiny flying saucer but with webs of blue light spreading out all across its surface. Gideon made a note to explore that object further and as Bullseye about it when he wasn¡¯t clinging on for dear life to a dead alien¡¯s cortex. ¡°Gideon?!¡± It was Mia¡¯s voice. ¡°Gideon, are you still in there?!¡± He smiled, laying back against the top of the sphere. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m here. Just give me a minute to figure out how the hell to get out of here.¡± ¡°Holy shit!¡± Red shouted. ¡°You did it. You actually did it.¡± MISSION UPDATE: Wrecking Ball Infiltrate the enemy ranks and take out the Striders in order to blunt the Collective¡¯s advance. REWARD: 10 Enhancement Points per Heavy Target ENEMY HEAVIES KILLED: 1/3 Endurance +2 Leadership +2 Dodge +1 Tactical Insight +2 Gideon sighed. ¡°What is it?¡± Mia asked. ¡°I just realized we have to kill two more of these bastards.¡± ¡°Well, if it helps, we¡¯ve just located the others. Red and I managed to take out the rest of the Bloodborn, but I can see the other two Striders off to the northeast.¡± ¡°How far away?¡± Gideon asked, getting to his feet. ¡°Half a mile, maybe less.¡± ¡°Got it. I¡¯ll be out as soon as I can manage it.¡± It turned out as soon as he could manage it was roughly two minutes later after having carved his way through a wall of flesh and using Phantom Step to appear outside the hulking corpse. His EV suit was covered in gore and Mia had to help patch up some of the tears and punctures in the back of the suit that he couldn¡¯t reach. Red looked a little worse for wear as well, but Mia seemed completely unharmed and her suit was unblemished. Meanwhile, Bullseye hovered nearby, wearing a confused expression. ¡°What was that place, Gideon?¡± he asked. Gideon shrugged. ¡°I was hoping you¡¯d be able to tell me.¡± ¡°I have no idea. I¡¯m as new to this Harrow business as you are.¡± ¡°What place?¡± Red asked. Gideon waved away the question. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you later.¡± He turned back to Bullseye. ¡°What¡¯s this Royal Ether stuff about, and the Strider Core?¡± ¡°Again, I don¡¯t know. They must be specific to the Collective and this particular species, the Stalkers. It will take a little time for the Artemis System to adapt to the new information and provide a viable explanation.¡± ¡°Gideon?¡± Book broke in. ¡°Gideon are you there?¡± ¡°Yeah, we¡¯re here. What¡¯s up.¡± ¡°Just looking for an update. The coms have been patchy. I¡¯ve been trying to catch you for the past few minutes.¡± ¡°Yeah, the Strider¡¯s have some kind of psionic field or something which screws with communications.¡± ¡°Striders? Was that one of the beasts that just died?¡± ¡°Yeah, we killed one and now we¡¯re heading off to take out the other two.¡± ¡°Great. Keep me updated will you.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Mia stepped back and examined Gideon¡¯s suit with a frown. ¡°You look like a mess, but it should hold together for a little while longer.¡± Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. Gideon pointed northeast. ¡°Okay, where did you say the next two were?¡± ¡°Here,¡± Mia said, setting off on a run, ¡°I¡¯ll show you.¡± They moved behind enemy lines, past the Strider corpse toward a distant mass of soldiers and two large black figures in the distance. While they ran, Bullseye spoke, but his voice entered Gideon¡¯s mind directly and he found that he could speak back purely by thought. Bullseye: That dark world you were taken to, those figures; it seems that you were conversing with leaders of the Collective. Gideon: How the hell are you speaking right into my mind like this?¡± Bullseye: I presume it is an after effect of the psionic field that creature was projecting. Perhaps our existing bond was kickstarted again during the fight? Gideon: Well, maybe give me some warning before you just start speaking directly into my mind like this. Bullseye: Very well, but what of the dark planet and those figures? Gideon: How the hell should I know. We¡¯ll talk about it once we¡¯ve finished the mission. Also, just so you know, I¡¯m throwing you at the next Strider right away this time. Bullseye: What? No! I protest, you can¡¯t¡ª Gideon scooped up the turtle as he ran, aiming at the closest Strider and launching Bullseye toward the enemy as the AI screamed in protest. Red roared with laughter as the shielded turtle flew overhead. ¡°Trigger the bomb!¡± Gideon called through the coms, realizing that the turtle might not remember in time. The resulting explosion confirmed that the message had gotten through. As before, it sent a potent shockwave outwards that disorientated and knocked back several of the Bloodborn standing around beneath the nearest Strider. Bullseye bounced back from the explosion, as Gideon and the others continued. ¡°Same as before?¡± Red asked. ¡°Yeah, I think so,¡± Gideon confirmed, waiting for the dust to settle so he could see a clear entry point into the body of the Strider. ¡°But this time I¡¯m not planning on hacking my way through.¡± As he said this, Gideon swerved to the right, heading in a path to intersect where Bullseye was about to land. Mia stopped, pulling out arrows and firing the charged projectiles at the heavily armored guards who were getting back to their feet and forming a protective ring around the Strider. Red charged straight toward the group, massive club in one hand. Gideon slowed a little, matching the turtle¡¯s speed and catching Bullseye as he came into range. Gideon: Gonna need those laser eyes of yours bud. Need you to make a hole in the side of the Strider big enough for us to get through. Bullseye: I will try, but there is a great deal going on down here. Gideon: Just focus on making that hole and I¡¯ll take care of the rest of it. Still running, he gently dropped Bullseye to the ground, like rolling a bowling ball. The moment the turtle was out of his grasp, Gideon triggered Shadow Charge, aiming right for the center of the knot of enemies Red was heading towards. The spill triggered and Gideon was thrown forward, slamming his blades into the ground and driving back the nine or so Bloodborn. He was glad to see that the ability worked even with mismatched blades, seeing as he had only one of the longer Harvester swords left and had to use the talon dagger in his left hand. He immediately used Blade Flurry to trigger a two-second burst of furious strikes and slashes. Even with the mismatched weapons the attack was devastatingly effective. While most of the strikes hit armor or the face of the thick wall shields held by the defenders, Gideon found that he could control the flow of the blade attack, steering it like pushing a surfboard through the water from behind. There were also vulnerabilities that his class naturally pinpointed, weak points in armor that he focused on throughout the attack. In this way he was able to kill two of the Bloodborn defenders by simply overwhelming them with blade strikes and pressing his attack at vulnerable points. The attack also had a bonus effect of increasing aggro among the other defenders so that when he ducked out of range of a series of retaliatory attacks, none of the Bloodborn noticed Red crashing in from the side, slamming the end of his club into the face of a Stalker like a jousting knight. Chitinous armor shattered as Red smashed through the Stalker¡¯s head. He immediately followed up with a Piledriver, picking up one of the other defenders before they knew what was going on and driving the brute into the ground like the proverbial sack of potatoes. At the same time, arrows began to appear, knocking the defenders off balance as Mia struck them with the venomous projectiles. Each target that was hit seemed to move slower and their attacks were significantly dulled. The arrows also did damage over time, draining the enemy of their strength and vitality. Gideon used Red¡¯s interruption to move away from the knot of defenders, kiting them a short distance as Mia and Red continued their attacks. He saw a burst of laser light shoot from Bullseye¡¯s tiny form and hit the side of the Strider¡¯s head, boring a hole into the existing wound and leaving a charred corridor which Gideon hoped would be large enough for him to get into. Gideon: Okay, you can stop shooting now! Bullseye: Very well. Gideon: I¡¯m gonna grab you again and take you with me, okay? Bullseye: Take me where exactly?¡± Gideon could tell by the AI¡¯s tone of voice the Bullseye suspected the truth. Gideon: Has your bomb ability cooled down yet? Bullseye: Five seconds remaining. Gideon: Good. Hold on. He stashed his weapons and grabbed Bullseye up off the ground, still running to keep ahead of the mob of Bloodborn who were only now turning away from Gideon to face Red and Mia. Gideon focused on the wound in the side of the Strider, waiting for the beast to turn so that he¡¯d have a clear path forward. The moment the opening came he triggered his charge ability, blinking through the space between and appearing in the gaping wound with Bullseye still under one arm. The ground was charred and sticky, and the edges of the wound were already beginning to close as the Strider¡¯s tremendous bulk pressed down against the opening. Gideon: I¡¯m gonna throw you in there and then I want you to trigger the bomb! Bullseye: What? No, you can¡¯t be serious. Gideon: It¡¯s the quickest way to end this. Bullseye: I am not a weapon to be thrown about willy nilly. Gideon: You kind of are, actually. We both are. Bullseye: Only in a¡ª Gideon: Just do it! Unless you want to be swallowed up by this damned thing. He threw the turtle toward the furthest end of the fleshy corridor realizing only as he released the AI that he¡¯d already used his charge to get up here and the resulting explosion he was about to be caught up in would likely tear him limb from limb. ¡°Shit!¡± He turned, triggering Dusk Veil just as Bullseye¡¯s Shell Shock Blitz ability triggered and the Strider¡¯s head was engulfed in a ball of explosive etheric power. Even with the huge evasion increase, Gideon was still knocked backwards as the explosion pulped the interior of the Strider¡¯s skull and sent him hurtling out of the side of the beast¡¯s head like a bullet out of a gun barrel. As he flew through the air, Gideon was only vaguely aware of the turtle hurtling past him a foot or so away a moment before he hit the ground and started tumbling end over end. It felt like he¡¯d been thrown into a clothes drier which had been turned to heavy spin. His bones cracked and muscles strained as he eventually came to a stop, air once more leaking from his suit given the fresh cuts he¡¯d endured and a combination of Grit and his own echo¡¯s healing abilities preventing him from passing out altogether. He turned around, looking back to see the Strider corpse slumb to the ground, crushing the two remaining Bloodborn fighting beneath it as Red just managed to jump clear at the last second. MISSION UPDATE: Wrecking Ball Infiltrate the enemy ranks and take out the Striders in order to blunt the Collective¡¯s advance. REWARD: 10 Enhancement Points per Heavy Target ENEMY HEAVIES KILLED: 2/3 ITEMS LOOTED Royal Ether + 200 Ether + 1700 Harrow Core + 1 Strider Resin + 3 Bloodborn Sentinel Sheild +1 Endurance +1 Tactical Insight +1 Leadership +1 Pushing himself to his feet, Gideon limped over to Mia and, once more, she started patching up his EV suit. ¡°At this point you¡¯re more sealant than suit,¡± she joked, grabbing his hand so that she could use some of his own sealant to finish the job. ¡°Yeah, and you haven¡¯t even taken a scratch yet.¡± She shrugged. ¡°Benefits of fighting from range.¡± She turned to look at the final Strider standing off in the distance surrounded by soldiers of all kinds. ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s gonne be any guarantee this time though. The last Strider¡¯s right in the thick of it.¡± Once she¡¯d finished patching him up, she turned her attention to Red. He¡¯d taken a few blows to the back and sides and had a huge gash in his suit on the right leg. Gideon looked out at the final Strider as Bullseye came hovering over. ¡°Must be a thousand Stalkers around that last one,¡± Gideon mused. ¡°We¡¯ll need to clear a path through.¡± ¡°I presume you are unable to jump as you did before?¡± Gideon shook his head. ¡°Shadow Charge has a max range, even if I dial up the ether. It wouldn¡¯t get me half way towards the Stalker and I¡¯d be standing right in the middle of an army of enemy soldiers.¡± Red walked up, squinting as he looked over the battlefield. ¡°Could we sneak around back?¡± Gideon shook his head. ¡°The Strider is right in the middle of the main charge and Big Boy¡¯s moved too far ahead.¡± As they watched, the group saw fire begin peppering the front ranks of the enemy army from the lunar station. Large guns placed behind concrete barricades shot explosive shells and large caliber rounds into the throng of black armored aliens as the Stalkers returned fire with their rifles. An exchange of conventional fire and glowing green bursts shot from left to right as the Strider charged up its main weapons and fired a volley of etherically charged orbs at the base. While Gideon and the others watched the green orbs exploded against a dome shield that covered the lunar station, sending energy rippling outward along the glossy, transparent surface of the ward. ¡°Gideon?!¡± Book called out. ¡°What¡¯s your progress?¡± He sounded desperate and Gideon thought he could hear Commander Moynahan in the backround as he spoke, shouting something. ¡°Just killed the second Stalker,¡± Gideon replied. ¡°But the third one is surrounded. We need some way of clearing a path through.¡± While he spoke, the Strider fired another volley of the etherically charged projectiles. It hit the base shield once more but this time one of the gun emplacements directly outside the building was also struck. Concrete and metal were torn apart as the lethal blast did its work. ¡°We felt that one!¡± Book shouted. ¡°Need you to take down that Strider. NOW!¡± The huge alien tank fired again, this time shooting a pair of smaller guns in addition to the larger ones extending from its front. The resulting explosions caused Book to cut out. ¡°How are we gonna do this?¡± Mia asked. ¡°There¡¯s too many,¡± Red argued. ¡°Even if we don¡¯t die it will take us too long to get to the damned thing. And look up top there.¡± He pointed to what looked like sniper units clinging to the head of the Strider. They were fixed in place, guns trained on the lunar base as they picked off enemies one by one. ¡°We¡¯re gonna have to fight our way through a pile of enemies and avoid getting picked off by the damned snipers.¡± Gideon smiled, an idea formulating in his mind as he bent down and picked up Bullseye. ¡°What is it?¡± Mia asked. Gideon turned to her, still grinning. ¡°Bullseye, that bubble of yours, would it keep you alive if I stashed you in my inventory for a few minutes?¡± The turtle blinked, looking as disturbed as it was possible for a turtle to look. Before he had a chance to respond, Gideon slipped the bubbled turtle into his inventory, waiting a few seconds, and then drew him out again. ¡°Well?¡± he asked. Bullseye was still blinking. ¡°Bullseye?!¡± Gideon barked. ¡°Can you survive in there?¡± ¡°Yes! Perhaps. Though it may be¡ª¡± ¡°Good enough,¡± Gideon said, dropping the turtle back into his inventory as he checked his ether stores. He turned to Mia. ¡°I¡¯m gonna try and stealth my way to that thing and then drop the bomb.¡± She turned to face the Strider. ¡°You¡¯ll need to get past hundreds of Stalkers and avoid the snipers.¡± Gideon nodded. ¡°Here¡¯s hoping I don¡¯t run out of ether then.¡± He turned and ran, triggering Shadow Veil and vanishing from sight. 33. The Longest Stealth He¡¯d seen it done a few times before, a long stealth run used by a hunter to get up close to an enemy. The longest he remembered was when Argent Killer climbed up the side of a mountain past a brood of troll-like creatures common to the mountainous regions of Artemis. The hunter had used a series of prolonged, ether-charged bursts of stealth to work his way from place to place, moving in thirty second stints up the mountain and waiting for his stealth ability to recharge while hiding behind rocky formations or ice shards. It had been one of the tensest and most exciting runs in the entire season and Gideon, when he¡¯d been Gary, had watched the whole run while sitting on the edge of his seat. Now that he was here, living that same kind of reality, he found the experience even more thrilling. Fighting enemies from range and melting monsters before they had the chance to close the gap was one of the thrills Gideon had looked forward to while he was planning his time on Artemis. Flipping burgers, sweating his ass off, Gary had imagined the sensation of luring enemies from a distance and then peppering them with eviscerating attacks from a legendary bow. He¡¯d always considered stealth simply as a means of maxing out critical chance and damage for the initial strike or getting out of trouble if an enemy got close. With that kind of fighting style, running a stealth gauntlet like this wasn¡¯t typically on the cards. As he approached the edge of the enemy army, fully cloaked and channeling ether to increase his speed and decrease detectability even further, Gideon¡¯s heart galloped. That feeling intensified as he slipped into the enemy ranks and began weaving his way through the Stalkers. Thankfully, while they maintained a loose formation, there was enough space between them to allow Gideon to pass through undetected, provided he was careful and chose his path wisely. Concentration was key and his entire body had to move in sync to ensure he didn¡¯t accidentally knock the blade or rifle of a nearby Stalker or run himself into a corner and slam into one of the Bloodborn bruisers. It was intensely physical work, but there was a heavy cognitive load to the task as well, given that he had to manage the flow of ether, track his trajectory, and stay aware of both enemy and friendly fire as he weaved his way toward the Striker. That made it more than a little off putting when Bullseye decided to raise his objection. Bullseye: This is intolerable! I have never in my life been so insulted! To be shoved into the metaphorical equivalent of your pocket like this! Gideon: Not now! Bullseye: I am the original Artemis AI tutor, the first and greatest of my kind. The progenitor, if you will. To be stuffed into your inventory like this is insulting beyond words. Gideon: NOT NOW!¡± The gap ahead of Gideon closed as one of the lumbering Bloodborn suddenly quickened its step. He had to pause his momentum, timing the opening perfectly and slipping around the side of the brute, before sprinting off again so as to avoid being collected by the row of Stalkers coming up behind. While channeling ether into the stealth spell Gideon¡¯s speed was only reduced by 10%, but that reduction still had an impact, particularly as he slipped between narrow gaps with swords jutting out from behind and the armored forms of Stalkers ahead. He had to shift between rapid sprints, slow walks, crouching, jumping, and even a dive and roll at one point just to avoid the stealth being broken. A quick look upward showed that he was close enough to the Strider to charge toward it, but that presented its own problems. First, he¡¯d have to break his stealth to trigger the ability. Second, there was no existing wound in the smooth carapace armor of the Strider to head towards, so the charge would send him slapping into the side of the beast¡¯s head if he didn¡¯t find a better way to do it. Somehow, he needed to blow a hole in the Strider¡¯s armor, charge in close enough to throw Bullseye into the wound, then get away without being torn to shreds and all while surrounded by a marching host of alien soldiers currently engaged in battle with the lunar base defenders. It was a logistical nightmare and Gideon knew that shit was bound to go wrong as soon as he acted. Bullseye: Underneath. Gideon: What? Bullseye: Head underneath the beast. You¡¯ll be hidden, at least temporarily and the beast could have a soft spot at its belly. Gideon narrowly avoided being impaled on a curved blade as he twisted to the side and kept moving, all the while watching his dwindling ether reserves. Gideon: I don¡¯t think that thing even has a belly! Bullseye: You know what I mean. Head for its undercarriage and you may find a weakness there to exploit. Aside from the turtle¡¯s rather disturbing use of the word undercarriage, Gideon had no way of knowing whether Bullseye¡¯s supposition was right. Maybe there would be thinner armor plating underneath the Strider, but maybe not. Then there was also the fact that Gideon would have to jump the ten feet or so to reach the beast¡¯s belly in the first place. Bullseye: It will give you time to think at least. If you suddenly appear on the creature¡¯s head, you will be a target for every sniper and Stalker within sight. This way you have a chance to plan and act. Out of time and very nearly out of ether, Gideon triggered Shadow Charge aiming for the shadowed area beneath the Strider. He shifted through space, suddenly appearing underneath the vast creature. Gideon looked left and right, but it seemed that none of the surrounding enemies had noticed him. He looked up at the underside of the Strider, noting that the smaller armored plates on its underbelly seemed just as thick and unforgiving as on its outer body. ¡°Shit!¡± he blurted. ¡°What is it?¡± Mia asked. You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. ¡°Trying to find a way in but it¡¯s just as heavily armored down below as¡­wait.¡± He squinted, drawing Bullseye out of his inventory and pointing the turtle up toward a strange dark circular mass at the center of the Strider¡¯s underside. ¡°What do you think that is?¡± Looking somewhat discombobulated, Bullseye looked up at where Gideon was pointing. ¡°A cloaca, or some similar orifice,¡± the turtle said. ¡°Gross!¡± Red offered. ¡°It¡¯s an opening,¡± Gideon said, drawing back and preparing to launch Bullseye up into the dark orifice. ¡°You can¡¯t be serious?!¡± the turtle pleaded. ¡°It¡¯s our easiest way in. Just fire your laser eyes, make a bigger hole and then I¡¯ll toss you in.¡± ¡°Super gross!¡± Red added. ¡°You are not going to toss me into this creature¡¯s anus!¡± Bullseye insisted. ¡°Why the hell does it matter?¡± Gideon countered. ¡°You¡¯re an AI, a computerized intelligence. Who cares if you get shoved up an alien¡¯s sphincter? Besides, you¡¯re in a bubble anyway!¡± ¡°It¡¯s humiliating!¡± Bullseye insisted. ¡°Get over it!¡± Gideon thrust the turtle up above his head, pointing Bullseye like a gun toward the orifice. ¡°Quicker you get this done, the quicker it¡¯ll be over,¡± he said, noticing that several nearby Stalkers seemed to have spotted them and were heading toward him to investigate. ¡°Come on, Bullseye!¡± Thankfully, the turtle obeyed, firing twin bursts of violent red power out of its eyes and into the circular opening above. The Strider responded immediately, shrieking in a piercing voice that felt like someone was driving a railway spike through Gideon¡¯s ears. He dropped Bullseye, crouching down and slapping hands over his ears before realizing how ineffective that was considering he was wearing a helmet. Thankfully the screeching ended after a moment. The cloaca opened, spewing a flood of green liquid out onto the pair as Gideon scooped up Bullseye and ran out of the splash zone. The noxious green liquid fizzed and bubbled as it hit the ground, sending splashes of acidic goop in all directions while a fog of deadly gas erupted from its underside. Gideon was immediately swamped, and more Stalkers outside had noticed him and were making their way toward him even as the gas and acid burned through his EV suit. With no other option, he slipped Bullseye into his inventory, pulled out his long and short blades and then triggered Phantom Step, hoping it would be enough to draw him up into the inner tube of the Strider¡¯s rectum. Gideon held his breath as the spell shifted him through space. He plunged the dagger and sword into the wall of the opening, trying not to gag as he used the blades to climb his way up further into the interior of the passage. ¡°Dude!¡± Red blurted. ¡°Did you just climb up its anus?!¡± Gideon ignored him, using all of his strength to climb further up into the creature¡¯s body. The area up ahead started to swell and contract a moment before a flood of acrid green acid poured through the tube, sweeping past Gideon and tearing at his suit as it passed by. He could smell an ungodly stench as holes began to appear in his suit and forced himself to keep climbing. Gideon: Get ready to bomb! Before Bullseye could reply, Gideon pulled him from his inventory, while clinging to the wall of the Strider¡¯s intestine with one hand on his Stalker talon. He shoved the turtle as far up into the space above as he could manage, wedging Bullseye in place before looking down to confirm that the beast¡¯s movement had taken them past the worst of the acid and gas below. Gideon could see the surface of the moon below, as well as a knot of heavily armored Bloodborn. Gideon: Do it! He let himself drop, ripping the dagger out of the thick flesh and slipping out of the orifice so that he fell like a stone onto the waiting blades of the Stalkers. As he fell, he triggered Dusk Veil, pumping up his evasion to maximum and managing to avoid all but one of the swords as he fell into the enemy. A moment later the Strider shuddered, and a muffled boom rocked the area. Gideon rolled away from the Bloodborn, drawing sword and dagger and preparing to fight as Bullseye shot out of the Strider¡¯s cloaca and bounced off one of the puzzled Stalkers before careening off in the opposite direction. A thrum of power rolled out from the Strider as it teetered on its many joined limbs. Gideon picked a direction and ran, using the confusion of the moment to dart past the knot of Bloodborn as a wave of pressure passed by and all of the alien soldiers gathered around the giant Strider fell to their knees and clutched their heads, screaming in silence. ¡°Did you do it?¡± Red asked ¡°I think so!¡± Gideon said slowing his pace as he came to the outer edge of the crippling wave being sent out by the dying Strider. ¡°I think it¡¯s gonna drop at any moment.¡± Stalkers from outside the hundred foot radius surrounding the Strider turned in confusion as the beast slumped to the ground, crushing the Bloodborn huddled beneath it. What must have been two hundred or more Stalkers who had been clutching their heads suddenly dropped, falling lifeless at the same moment the Strider fell. A rush of etheric power flowed into Gideon¡¯s body as he stood with blades in hand, surrounded by what was still a vast enemy host, momentarily stunned by what had just happened. MISSION COMPLETE: Wrecking Ball Infiltrate the enemy ranks and take out the Striders in order to blunt the Collective¡¯s advance. ENEMY HEAVIES KILLED: 3/3 Enhancement Points +30 Additional Bonus Enhancement +20 Stealth +5 Endurance +3 Leadership +2 Tactical Insight +2 ITEMS LOOTED Royal Ether + 300 Ether + 2000 Harrow Core + 1 Strider Resin + 2 Stalker Talons +5 Stalker Hide Scraps +10 Stalker Oil +5 ¡°Frigging jackpot!¡± Red called out through the suit coms. Gideon grinned, but that moment of joy was quickly overshot by the fact that he was losing available air from holes in his suit and facing a thousand odd Stalkers that were rapidly recovering from shock, and which were now focused on Gideon himself as the object of their combined rage. Gideon: Bullseye? Where are you? Bullseye: To your west. Turn around. Gideon turned to see the little turtle moving as fast as he could manage toward him, followed by a pair of Stalkers with claws splayed while two more figures fired projectile weapons at the AI. It might have been comical if it wasn¡¯t for the fact that the enemies now behind Gideon had begun to attack and the pair were about to get crushed between the two forces. He ran, heading directly toward Bullseye while he checked his ether levels and the cooldown on his stealth. Because of the Strider and the number of Stalkers that had been killed when it died, Gideon¡¯s ether levels had stayed more or less the same. ¡°Red and Mia, head back to base, back the way we came!¡± he shouted, struggling to breathe let alone shout given the lack of breathable air in his suit. ¡°What about you?¡± Mia asked. ¡°I¡¯m coming, just need to pick up Bullseye.¡± As he said this he intercepted the turtle, bending down and picking him up, fumbling Bullseye in his hands a couple of times before finally latching onto him. He dropped the turtle into his inventory and immediately triggered Shadow Veil, darting to the side and narrowly avoiding the raking claws of the closest Stalker as he channeled ether into the spell and headed off toward Mia and Red. The green dots on his mini map confirmed that they¡¯d backed away from the army and Gideon quickly headed through the thick crowd of enemy soldiers and made it clear of the pack, running as fast as he could manage toward the rock cluster they¡¯d approached from and the base entrance beyond. He wheezed for breath, focusing on the rock formation directly ahead as his vision began to blur. If he could just reach those rocks, he could stop for a moment and patch up the holes in his EV suit. Gideon was weaving left and right, not intentionally but because his head was swimming and his vision was blurred. The rocks loomed closer but his view was beginning to darken. He could barely breath, let alone cry out for help. His footsteps became erratic as he stumbled forward, reaching for the rocks while he continued to drive ether into the stealth spell. He just had to put one foot in front of the other, just had to¡­ 34. Take a Beat Gideon opened his eyes. The sight of gray rock passing beneath him suggested movement, but his legs weren¡¯t moving. He was also not the right side up. After a moment of confusion he realized that he was laying over someone¡¯s back, jostled up and down as he was carried across the moon¡¯s surface. The distance of his face from the ground and the hard bone and muscle slamming into his abdomen suggested that Red was doing the carrying. That fact was confirmed as he caught sight of Mia running just behind, her eyes wide as she scanned the area ahead with what looked like one of the alien rifles in her hand. ¡°He¡¯s awake!¡± she said, moving up close as Red slowed his pace and then hefted Gideon onto the ground. He stood shakily and Red held a hand on his shoulder to keep him steady. ¡°You okay, boss?¡± the broad-shouldered brawler asked. Gideon nodded. ¡°Yeah. Just a little shaky that¡¯s all.¡± ¡°Can you walk?¡± Mia said, moving in close. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll be fine,¡± Gideon replied, walking half a pace before Red yanked him back by the shoulder. ¡°Not so fast, boss. We need to walk together.¡± He pointed down to a small tube which was running from his suit to Gideons. It looked like a whole had been cut in each and the tube had been locked off with sealant. Red nodded to Mia. ¡°Homegirl rigged up this setup, so we¡¯re both breathing the same air.¡± Gideon waited for Red to catch up. ¡°That would explain the smell,¡± he said with a grin. ¡°Hey?¡± Red barked. ¡°I¡¯m keepin¡¯ you alive, bro.¡± ¡°Yeah, sorry. Thanks. It smells great. Not at all like a thousand armpits.¡± They kept moving towards the airlock where they¡¯d exited the base. Mercifully there were no enemies nearby as they seemed engaged at the front of the base. ¡°Book messaged while you were out,¡± Mia explained. ¡°He said they should be able to take out the rest of the enemy soldiers now that we¡¯ve taken out the Striders.¡± Gideon nodded, suddenly remembering that Bullseye was still stashed in his inventory. He whipped out the turtle and dropped it onto the ground ahead of him. ¡°Sorry, Bullseye.¡± ¡°Never mind,¡± the AI responded. ¡°In truth, I am growing used to confinement within your inventory. Existing in such a compressed state is somewhat calming, almost meditative.¡± Red grinned. ¡°Maybe you should stick him back in there then? He could just stay there forever.¡± ¡°Maybe,¡± Bullseye countered, ¡°from this point on suggestions could be offered from beings with a mental capacity larger than a pea?¡± They reached the airlock and found Book waiting for them on the other side, sweating as though he¡¯d run to meet them there with Maddox sitting calmly at his side eating an apple. After passing through the airlock and heading into the station, Gideon and the others climbed out of their EV suits. Gideon¡¯s and Red¡¯s were little more than rags held together with sealant, whereas Mia¡¯s barely had a scratch. Maddox stared down at the scorched, ripped, sealant blotted rags sitting on the floor in front of Gideon. ¡°How¡¯d you find the prototype?¡± she asked, voice heavy with sarcasm. He shrugged. ¡°Honestly, it was a little snug in the crotch.¡± Maddox snorted. ¡°Well, at least one of you isn¡¯t a bumbling idiot,¡± she said, walking over to the suit Mia had carefully folded and placed on a nearby bench. ¡°Teacher¡¯s pet,¡± Red snorted. ¡°Well, firstly,¡± Book interjected, ¡°the Commander would like to thank you all for your efforts. The fighting is still continuing of course, but thanks to you we¡¯ve broken the back of the enemy, and we should have the battlefield fully cleared within the hour.¡± Red gave an elaborate bow. ¡°You¡¯re welcome.¡± ¡°Yes, well, she wants to see you to talk about your next mission, but the Commander will be busy for the next few hours, so you¡¯ve got until 21:00 to do as you wish. I¡¯ve also assigned you temporary sleeping quarters down in the basement which you¡¯re welcome to use during this time.¡± You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. He tapped a button on his data pad. ¡°You¡¯re in room Alpha-Two-North.¡± He hugged the data pad to his shirt, nodding. ¡°Thank you all again. Your efforts are most appreciated.¡± ¡°Again,¡± Red said, ¡°you¡¯re welcome. Now where the hell do we get food?¡± Somewhat confused by the request, Book blinked. ¡°Oh, yes, of course. The mess hall has been out of service since the attack, but I believe it will be back up and running within the hour.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t bother with food,¡± Maddox said, motioning for the group to follow as she walked down the hall. ¡°We need to sort out your gear first, then you can stuff your mouths as much as you want.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with our gear?¡± Red asked. She turned to face him. ¡°Seriously? Are you dense?¡± Maddox turned towards Mia. ¡°Is he dense?¡± ¡°A little. But it¡¯s mainly because he¡¯s never seen the Great Hunt. He lost a bet and had to buy a ticket to pay his debt, and the lucky bastard actually won. So, assume he doesn¡¯t know anything about the Artemis System, echoes, any of it.¡± The Chief Technician nodded. ¡°Right. Well, dense boy, you need to upgrade your gear because you¡¯re gonna be facing more and more powerful enemies and worse odds. If you don¡¯t upgrade you fall behind. It¡¯s the basic economy of the Hunt and it applies just as much here as it does on Artemis. Every chance you get, you¡¯re gonna want to improve your gear.¡± She walked off, still talking with Red while Gideon and the others followed behind. ¡°I should go,¡± Book offered, pointing off in the other direction. ¡°Yeah,¡± Gideon said. ¡°Thanks for your help with everything.¡± Book nodded. ¡°I didn¡¯t really do anything. You guys are the heroes here. But you¡¯re welcome, and if there¡¯s anything else I can do to help you, just let me know.¡± Gideon extended an arm and shook the other man¡¯s hand. They parted ways and Gideon caught up with Mia. ¡°That was good,¡± she said with a wry smile. ¡°What?¡± ¡°How you handled Book just now. It¡¯s something Red and I probably wouldn¡¯t think of, but it¡¯s important. Keeping morale up, making people feel valued. Leadership stuff.¡± Gideon snorted. ¡°Leadership isn¡¯t really my thing. Just figured it was the decent thing to do. Need to keep the little guy on side because we¡¯re probably gonna need him a hell of a lot more in the future.¡± She shook her head, leaning in so that her shoulder brushed against his, and sent a thrill of excitement up his spine. ¡°That¡¯s called leadership, you bozo. And whatever you did or didn¡¯t do before you got here and got into that body, I can tell you now that you¡¯re a leader.¡± He smiled, unsure how to respond and a little embarrassed by the flush of excitement he felt as she brushed against him. ¡°You thought about what you¡¯re gonna craft?¡± he said, eager to change the topic. She shrugged. ¡°I was originally gonna stick with the bow, but honestly I could do some real damage with this rifle. Individual shots don¡¯t do as much damage but it¡¯s much easier to fire and the ammo is only limited by my ether reserves. Seeing as we¡¯re in the middle of a war and we don¡¯t have to worry about the Artemis tithe, I figure that won¡¯t be a problem.¡± ¡°Oh, snap. I forgot about that. You¡¯re right, we get to keep all of our ether.¡± Mia nudged him once more. ¡°Not you. You¡¯ve got that ether debt remember. What¡¯s it up to now?¡± He looked it up through the menu in his HUD. ¡°Just over ten thousand, but I¡¯ve got eight and a half thousand ether stored up already, so I could probably pay it off after another couple of kills. If they even want it.¡± ¡°They probably won¡¯t at the moment,¡± Mia suggested, ¡°given the war and all. But guaranteed, the second things settle down they¡¯ll be calling in all their debts. Hell, they¡¯ll probably figure out a way to bring the tithe back as well and start taxing our damned ether.¡± Gideon wanted to disagree, but the fact was she was absolutely right. The Artemis Ministry might have instituted and governed the lottery and Great Hunt, but the fact was they were a private corporation interested in one thing. Ether. It powered life on earth, replacing conventional energy sources and serving as the most useful resource on the planet. Cars used it, so did trains, aircraft, spacecraft, but it was also used in medical equipment, emergency generators and even the big screen projectors where Hunt broadcasts were shown throughout major cities across the world. There were a million uses for ether and, up until now, it had been an unlimited source of power because the Hunt had continued uninterrupted since its inception and the tithe skimmed from hunters was more than sufficient to meet the need. It also allowed the Artemis Ministry to hold the reins of power and rise to become the dominant financial and political entity on the planet. ¡°Shit. I need to pay off that damned debt.¡± ¡°Hell yeah, you do,¡± Mia agreed. WARNING: You have harvested a new form of ether ¨C Royal Ether - without proper Ministry approval. As such you are in violation of Article 34.5b of the Ether Dispensation Act and will be punished accordingly. Gideon stopped walking. He broadcast the message so that Mia could see it. Recently incurred ether debts have not yet been paid in full, so you now owe the Ministry a total of 50,020 ether. Given the substantial nature of this amount a Ministry official will be dispensed to meet with you and discuss a range of easy payment options. If you are unable to pay your ether debt, you will be discharged from Artemis and ordered to pay the cash equivalent of 50,020 ether depending on market levels at the time of the payment. ¡°Well,¡± Mia said, ¡°that¡¯s disturbing. You think the System was listening to us?¡± He turned to face her, eyes wide. ¡°I think so. I think the damned System is out to get me. From the very first moment I opened my eyes I¡¯ve been racking up a debt.¡± ¡°It¡¯s understandable.¡± They both turned to see Bullseye who was walking slowly behind them. Gideon realized he hadn¡¯t even noticed the little turtle. ¡°The System doesn¡¯t know how to handle all of the new information it¡¯s receiving. It will do its best to interpret the new data and translate it into a language which makes sense, but when it comes to the emergency actions you¡¯ve had to undertake and innovations like this Royal Ether, it will slap an ether debt against you because that¡¯s the only way it can make sense of what is going on.¡± Gideon nodded. ¡°How the hell is the System gonna figure out what to do with shit like Royal Ether then if it doesn¡¯t know what it is?¡± ¡°Time and data,¡± Bullseye responded. ¡°That is all it will take. The System is profoundly gifted at assimilation and with a little time and a little more data to work with, it will be able to incorporate any new factor into its schema.¡± ¡°Hey!¡± Maddox said, poking her head out of a nearby doorway. ¡°You wanna pick up the pace a little? We don¡¯t have a lot of time.¡± ¡°Yeah, come on you doinks!¡± Red called out from inside the room. ¡°We gotta pimp our shit!¡± 35. Upgrades ¡°Screw your ministry debt,¡± Maddox said as Gideon and the others walked around the large chamber that served as her workroom. ¡°They¡¯re never gonna collect at a time of war and if you do as well as you¡¯re doing, they¡¯ll probably give you a special dispensation or something. Or you could die!¡± ¡°Thanks,¡± Gideon said, walking over to a nearby work bench and inspecting the various dints and scratches in the metal table. ¡°Makes me feel a hell of a lot better.¡± ¡°Look,¡± Maddox went on, ¡°the fact is, all bets are off right now. We¡¯ve been invaded by an alien species that outmatches us in every possible way. The chances of our species surviving is miniscule so the Ministry collecting on your ether debt is the last thing you should be worrying about right now. Survive the next year, drive back these aliens, and then maybe you can start thinking about the debt.¡± Gideon grunted. ¡°By then it will be up in the millions the way I¡¯m going.¡± ¡°Regardless,¡± Maddox said, ¡°we¡¯ve got a couple of hours, and the Commander has asked me to assist you with augmenting your gear as much as possible. You¡¯re still in a party together, so I¡¯ll access your inventories and make a complete assessment first. Then, we can start dividing up items according to what builds and augments are going to be most advantageous.¡± ¡°How will it work?¡± Mia asked. ¡°On Artemis we¡¯d need a workstation to start building gear, but how are the items we¡¯ve found going to integrate with the stuff in the real world?¡± ¡°Excellent question,¡± Maddox said, walking over to a larger workbench which stuck out from behind a huge machine which looked like something of an industrial nature.¡± ¡°I¡¯d like you to meet Biff. Biff Logan. In laymen¡¯s terms, it¡¯s a workstation calibrator. It¡¯s what we use to test and troubleshoot problems with any new workstations that we¡¯re shipping over to Artemis. But it also functions as a workstation in its own right. So, we can use it to augment your gear.¡± Gideon walked over to the machine. Its surface was battered and scratched but he sensed the air pressure rise a little as he drew close. When he reached out his hand, his fingers tingled as they moved to within a few inches of the machine. ¡°Your echoes can sense etheric power,¡± Maddox said, pointing to the machine. ¡°Feels a little like an increase in pressure. Won¡¯t do you much good in a fight but it will help you locate sources of ether out there in the wild if you get stuck without it and need to harvest some.¡± She slapped her hands together. ¡°Now, if you haven¡¯t already thought about it, now¡¯s the time to think about weapons and armor. Given that we¡¯re limited with what we can work with on the armor front, we¡¯ll start with weapons. Each of you needs to think about your current abilities and where you want to go with your class. Then, we can go through some weapons options with you based on the raw materials we¡¯ve got to hand.¡± Maddox tapped on her wrist watch and a small holographic display opened up above it. She started tapping at the screen and a larger display appeared beside the workshop repair machine. It listed all of the combined items the group had in their inventory. ¡°I¡¯ll see what I can do with this,¡± she went on, beginning to group the materials on the screen. ¡°In the meantime, you should assign any enhancement points you¡¯ve got spare.¡± Gideon and Mia walked over to a pair of swivel stools and sat down. Red was already looking through his Core Attributes, assigning new points seemingly without a thought. ¡°Wait!¡± Mia said, standing and rushing over to him. ¡°Don¡¯t just go dropping points all over the place. You need to think about this more carefully.¡± He shrugged. ¡°I figured I¡¯d just max out Strength and Constitution.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll need agility as well, now that you¡¯re moving away from a pure tank class.¡± Gideon left them to their discussion focusing on his own stats as he picked up Bullseye and put him on the table next to him. ¡°You have some decisions to make,¡± Bullseye said. ¡°Yeah. I guess Strength, Constitution, Dex, and Grit, right?¡± The turtle nodded. ¡°For the most part, yes, but you must think long term. You are more than simply a tank, more than a damage dealer. You are a leader, Gideon.¡± Gideon rolled his eyes. ¡°Man, I¡¯m getting sick of people saying that.¡± ¡°They¡¯re saying it because it¡¯s true. Commander Moynahan recognized the fact immediately on seeing you, as did Booker. Mia and Red have both fallen into line behind you.¡± Gideon sighed. ¡°Okay, so if I¡¯m gonna lead, then I¡¯m gonna crush it. How do I do that?¡± ¡°Consider adding a little Charisma. It will assist in persuasion and increase your leadership potential¡± ¡°Charisma, really? I always figured that was a nothing stat unless you wanna be a trade hunter or a sorcerer.¡± Bullseye nodded. ¡°Trust me, Gideon. It may not be noticeable right away, but a little enhancement to your Charisma will go a long way. You never know when a situation might arise where you have to lead others, beyond your companions, or where you need to persuade an enemy to perform some action or other. Charisma combined with a high leadership skill level can go a long way toward smoothing your path in the future.¡± Gideon opened up his profile and began assigning points. ECHO PROFILE Name: Gideon Blackthorn Class: Shadowguard Level: Initiate Ether: 8750 Royal Ether: 600 Guild: NA Preferred Title: NA CORE SKILLS Constitution: 17 Strength: 17 Agility: 17 Intelligence: 1 Wisdom: 1 Charisma: 9 Grit: 15 Etheric Aptitude: 7 Gideon locked in the upgrades. He felt a little sick adding nine full points to Charisma but he trusted Bullseye. The AI might be an outdated version of the tutor, but the fact was Bullseye had enabled Gideon to adapt more quickly to the Artemis System and he¡¯d kept him alive during the first few hours after the crash landing. True, the little turtle wasn¡¯t the bravest individual, especially now that he inhabited his own body and was stitched into the System himself, but his advice had been sound so far and Gideon knew he¡¯d be a fool to ignore the AI. Still. Charisma? ¡°A balanced spread,¡± Bullseye confirmed with a nod as he considered Gideon¡¯s choices. ¡°Yeah, the thing is,¡± Gideon replied, ¡°I never figured I¡¯d go balanced. I was always thinking I¡¯d max out agility and just crush from a distance. You know, boost crit chance and damage to insane levels and ramp up the evasion so that nothing can hit you if it gets close.¡± ¡°A viable ploy,¡± Bullseye said, ¡°if you were on Artemis competing in the Great Hunt. But this is not Artemis and you are not a ranger. You are a Shadowguard, and a leader, and as such balance will serve you far better. It will allow you to change tack when needed whilst leaning on your strengths. It will provide flexibility which is a valuable asset in times of war.¡± Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. ¡°What about you?¡± Gideon asked. ¡°You¡¯re hooked up to the System now, so where are you putting your points?¡± ¡°It is curious, but I don¡¯t appear to possess the same Core Attributes as you and the others do. Mine relate more to by ability as an effective tutor. It appears that the System has identified my function properly and assigned relevant attributes according to that fact.¡± A box appeared in Gideon¡¯s HUD showing the attributes Bullseye was talking about. TUTOR PROFILE Name: Bullseye Class: AI Tutor Level: 1 Ether: 4100 Guild: NA Preferred Title: NA CORE ATTRIBUTES Communication: 6 Adaptation: 6 Knowledge: 6 Tactics: 6 Optimization: 6 Etheric Aptitude: 5 ¡°Like you, I have spread my points evenly as each of these aspects seems vital in preparing you for the dangers ahead.¡± Gideon examined the stats, frowning. ¡°So, improving these will make you better at helping me?¡± ¡°Precisely. The more adept I become in this tutor class, the better I will be able to serve you as both an ally and a tutor. While they don¡¯t directly link to the abilities I have acquired, I can also continue to assist in that regard as well.¡± Gideon nodded as the stats disappeared. He wondered what actual difference he¡¯d notice as the little turtle increased in these attributes. He could see the logic in it, of course, but it might have been more useful if Bullseye developed as a range fighter or continued to adapt his explosive capabilities. ¡°It seems,¡± the turtle went on, ¡°that my level increases will also function differently to the usual. I will simply increase when you do, which is a good thing because you are just sixteen enhancement points away from your first level up.¡± Gideon nodded. Sixteen points wasn¡¯t much in the grand scheme of things. If he could pick up another couple of missions quickly, he¡¯d be able to level up fast. ¡°It seems that I will be able to add new abilities when we both level up.¡± ¡°What kinds of abilities? Like, the bomb thing?¡± ¡°Perhaps, yes. There are other possibilities though. When the time comes, I suggest we pool our knowledge and determine what the best course is for both of us.¡± Maddox clapped her hands and gathered their attention. The workstation machine behind her rumbled to life as she stepped in front of it. ¡°Okay, folks, I¡¯ve had a good look at what you¡¯ve gathered and it seems like there¡¯s some good shit here. The System has had time to catalogue most of it and adapt to these new materials and items. Now, before we start, here¡¯s the rundown on crafting.¡± She turned to face Red. ¡°For those of us who don¡¯t know our heads from our assholes.¡± He offered her a salute as she continued. ¡°Crafting takes ether. More ether the higher your level and the more complicated the build. It doesn¡¯t take much time because the system itself in combination with your echo will do the heavy lifting. But you need to think carefully about what you want to build and make sure you¡¯ve got enough ether in reserve before you start building.¡± She turned to Red, who had his hand up. ¡°Yes, genius?¡± He lowered his hand. ¡°Do we know how much ether an upgrade will cost beforehand, or are we just guessing and it¡¯s a role of the dice?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll know exactly how much ether is required because the System will tell you. But let¡¯s say you¡¯re building a new kind of rifle with a long-range scope. The rifle will have an ether cost, but so will the scope. If you don¡¯t take both of those into account then you¡¯ll either end up with a nice gun with no scope or a beautiful scope with no gun. Count the full cost. Also, if you spend all your ether in the workshop you¡¯re not gonna have anything when you head into battle, so any abilities that depend on ether won¡¯t work. It''s pretty basic, I know, but you¡¯d be surprised how many hunters fail at this.¡± She brought up a display in front of the group which showed icons that represented the various items in their collective inventories. ¡°Now, as far as I can see, there are three main resources that can be used for building new weapons or adapting existing ones. First though, let me say that adapting an existing weapon is a hell of a lot cheaper and more efficient, so I¡¯d suggest doing that rather than starting from scratch.¡± The items on the display shifted and a description appeared beside each. Stalker Hide Scraps: Used to change physical parameters of a weapon or armor, increasing quality, strength, resistances, etc. Stalker Oil: A lubricant or fuel source to improve weapon efficiency, reduce armor weight, etc. Strider Resin: A binding agent, fuel source, or attribute modifier for weapons and armor. ¡°You can combine these items with mundane materials like metal and wood to build a weapon or armor from scratch, but like I said, that will be hugely expensive and not recommended. Your best bet is to find an existing weapon and modify that. You¡¯ll get much more out of the materials that way.¡± She closed down the display. ¡°One more thing before you bring out your wish lists. Every act of creation or modification will produce an item or augment with one of the following quality levels.¡± A list of quality signifiers appeared on the display. Gray: Common [50-70% chance] Green: Uncommon [20-30% chance] Blue: Rare [5-15% chance] Purple: Epic [1-5% chance] Gold: Legendary [0.1-1% chance] Onyx: Mythic [0.001-0.01% chance] ¡°These percentages are only indicative and they haven¡¯t been adjusted to real world conditions considering our current circumstances, but they¡¯ll give you some idea of how likely it is to get one of the higher rarity levels. Each time you craft there¡¯s a chance you can increase in rarity, but fortunately the System maintains your previous item rarity, so you¡¯ll never go backwards.¡± Once more, Red raised his hand. Maddox nodded in his direction. ¡°What does a better rarity give me?¡± ¡°Better stats on your weapon and armor. If you¡¯ve got a sword which does twenty-percent additional bleed damage and you craft and upgrade which shifts it from common to rare, that might increase the bleed damage to fifty percent. At the highest levels you can even get unique items with one of a kind, or extremely rare and specific attributes.¡± She waved a hand in front of her. ¡°Don¡¯t even think about that though. There¡¯s no way in hell any of you are going to be lucky enough to build anything at rare or above at this stage. Once you level up you¡¯ll be able to start stacking luck and that should help a great deal with crafting.¡± ¡°So, it¡¯s gonna work the same as the Hunt?¡± Gideon said. ¡°You only start getting luck from Initiate level onwards.¡± ¡°Correct,¡± Maddox said, nodding. ¡°At each level up, new skills will be unlocked and you¡¯ll be able to start adding to those. Now, that¡¯s the basics, so let¡¯s get to your wish lists! We¡¯re gonna focus on one primary weapon each. That can be a two-handed weapon, or two single handed weapons. Sword and shield, it¡¯s up to you.¡± She pointed a finger at Mia. ¡°Go!¡± ¡°Ah, a rifle. But something that can include some of the venom attributes of the bow.¡± Maddox nodded, moving the finger to Red. He grinned. ¡°I was thinking of adding spikes to my club. Something to make it easier to hit dudes in the head.¡± Maddox rolled her eyes. ¡°We¡¯ll add the hit dudes in the head better modifier then.¡± She pointed at Gideon. ¡°Talon claws, or something like Wolverine.¡± That drew a few puzzled looks. ¡°I keep dropping my swords or getting into situations where I need to grab onto something but also hold a weapon. I figure with the claws I can make sure I always have blades ready and they won¡¯t go slipping out of my hands when I get covered in blood.¡± ¡°Wolverine!¡± Red said with a nod. ¡°I like it dude!¡± Maddox turned to Bullseye. ¡°And what about you my AI colleague?¡± ¡°Lubricant!¡± Red blurted, barely able to keep the word in. ¡°Seeing as he¡¯s the team¡¯s designated butt bomb, he needs something to make it easier to get into hard-to-reach places.¡± Madox frowned, confused. Bullseye turned to face Red, scowling. ¡°You are a fool!¡± ¡°Hey man, I¡¯m just being practical. If we¡¯re gonna keep killing monsters like Big Boy by going through the back door, you should craft something that¡¯s gonna make it easier. Maybe a drill so you can dig your way in deep before you go boom boom?¡± Maddox looked from one to the other as the two spoke, still baffled by what they were saying. Red tried to explain. ¡°They had to go in the back door to kill that last Strider. Stuck a bomb up Big Boy¡¯s blow hole.¡± He pointed to Bullseye. ¡°And there¡¯s your bomb.¡± Red¡¯s eyes grew wide. ¡°Hey, we should rename you Bumseye!¡± he barked, laughing before he¡¯d even finished the joke. The turtle looked like his head was about to explode, but Maddox intervened before he spoke. ¡°You idiot,¡± she spat, ¡°that wasn¡¯t it¡¯s anus, it was its mouth.¡± They all looked at Maddox. ¡°But,¡± Red blurted, ¡°it already had a mouth out front.¡± She nodded, rolling her eyes as though attempting to explain compound interest to a gerbil. ¡°They have two mouths. The one on its head is for attacking and communications. The one below is how it devours its prey and feeds.¡± She turned back to Bullseye. ¡°Now, what do you plan on crafting?¡± ¡°A speed augment,¡± Bullseye replied. ¡°I will need to keep pace with Gideon and I cannot do that easily in this body. If I am able to increase my speed, that will not be an issue.¡± Maddox nodded. ¡°Okay, got it. Well, I think we can accommodate all of those. Let¡¯s get to work!¡± She spent the next few minutes dividing resources up between the trio and advising on the most efficient way to use those resources in crafting their respective weapons. Gideon was already intimately familiar with the crafting mechanic and the interface used by the Artemis System to modify and build weapons and armor. He¡¯d expected to be using common crafting items found on Artemis however, bones and organs derived from the monstrous beasts that inhabited the distant planet. The crafting workstation opened up a familiar enough interface which showed the basic materials required for the build and the amount of ether needed to perform it. Gideon watched Mia modify one of the Stalker rifles, using resin, scraps, and oil along with some metal rods and other components Maddox supplied. The result was a long-range rifle with several abilities which included single-target critical damage, burst damage, venom, and explosive burst. Once it was done, she¡¯d exhausted almost all of her ether but held the weapon with a look of satisfaction. It had a longer barrel than the Stalker rifle and shimmered with pearlescent light. There was also a long scope on top and several metallic canisters positioned on either side. ¡°Sweet!¡± Red offered, moving up and rubbing the side of the barrel. ¡°You pimped the shit out of that rifle.¡± She smiled, opening up the stats of the weapon and displaying them to the group. WIDOWFANG RIFLE (UNCOMMON) A precision-crafted, chitinous firearm forged from an augmented Stalker rifle, designed to channel raw ether into devastating rounds. Ammo Conversions: Venomstrike Rounds ¨C Inflicts corrosive venom damage over time, weakening targets'' defenses (-15% resistance for 10 sec). Voidpiercer Shots ¨C Converts ether into high-velocity sniper rounds that ignore 30% armor and deal bonus headshot damage. Shatterburst Payload ¨C Explosive rounds that detonate on impact, causing AoE splash damage and staggering enemies. Phantom Barrage ¨C Rapid ether pulses that strike in quick succession, dealing burst damage to a single target. ¡°Nice!¡± Gideon said with a smile. ¡°Real nice!¡± Mia grinned. ¡°Should give me plenty of options in a fight.¡± ¡°Me next!¡± Red shouted, practically jumping on the spot. Maddox shook her head, pointing to Gideon. ¡°Let the grown ups go first and then we¡¯ll get to you. Their weapons are going to be more intricate to augment, so we need to get those sorted before working on your whacking stick.¡± Red frowned in mock offence. ¡°Whacking stick?¡± Maddox nodded. ¡°Just wait your turn, junior. I¡¯ll get to you in a minute.¡± ¡°Junior?!¡± 36. Sigil Next, it was Gideon¡¯s turn. He took the Stalker talons, Harvester blade, raw ingredients and a set of combat gloves which Maddox supplied and got to work. As he¡¯d seen thousands of times before on the feeds, the assembly process was remarkably intuitive. He simply allotted relevant amounts of each material into the virtual hopper located at the center of the screen, and the workstation did the rest. Trying to game the system a little, he poured more ether into the task than was strictly required, based on an old thread he¡¯d found years earlier which suggested that, at early levels of the Hunt, it was possible to cheese the System and boost luck levels by overwhelming the build with ether. He tried to access some of the Royal Ether he¡¯d acquired and push that into the augment, but he couldn¡¯t use the substance. He poured three times the ether into the crafting process, knowing that, if he was wrong, the weapon he would end up with would have been three times as costly for no additional benefit. Light shimmered around the gloves as the workstation completed the build and, moments later, the gloves had transformed into two diamond-shaped, onyx-colored gems each about the size of his thumb. ¡°What the hell are they?¡± Red asked, leaning over to get a better look. ¡°Augment sigils,¡± Mia said. ¡°I¡¯ve seen them a few times before. They¡¯re not common, but wardens and druids sometimes use them. Paladins too, I think.¡± Gideon picked up one of the gems and examined it. The flattened diamond glinted with reflected light. ¡°You put them somewhere on your body and they burn a tattoo into the skin,¡± Gideon said. ¡°It¡¯s for weapons that bond with your echo so you can summon them as though they¡¯re part of your body rather than something you hold onto.¡± He turned to Bullseye who was sitting on a nearby table that Maddox had pulled closer so that the little turtle could get a better look at the action. ¡°I figured these would just be gloves or something that straps to my wrists.¡± Bullseye nodded. ¡°Obviously, the System determined that an augment sigil was the most effective means of providing you with the weapon you are seeking.¡± Gideon turned the diamond-shaped disc over in his fingers. ¡°But this is actually gonna change my echo, right? I mean, that¡¯s the point with augment sigils. Instead of changing a weapon, they actually change the echo. That¡¯s how druids can shape shift.¡± The turtle nodded. ¡°As I say, obviously the System thought that this was the most effective way to give you what you need.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the big deal?¡± Red asked, leaning in close and squinting at the black diamond. ¡°Just stick it on and let¡¯s see what it does.¡± ¡°The big deal,¡± Mia said, frowning, ¡°is that you¡¯re not supposed to have access to augment sigils until much higher levels. They¡¯re also typically limited to certain classes. I¡¯ve never heard of a rogue or a tank using them. They actually change the way your echo works.¡± Maddox grunted. ¡°Like Bullseye said, the System thinks this is best, so this is what you get.¡± Gideon took a breath and pressed the diamond disc against the inside of his left wrist. It glowed with soft blue light as he picked up the second disc and placed it on the inside of his right wrist. The moment they were both in place he felt a rush of power followed by a burning sensation in both arms. He grunted in pain, gritting his teeth as the diamonds burned themselves into his flesh, snaking out and transforming into tattooed sigil marks that looked like a stylized blade with a diamond symbol at the base. VOIDFANG TALONS (Rare) These single-bladed weapons are reforged with an infusion of Harrow Wraith essence, amplifying their connection to shadow energy. The talons now hum with an eerie resonance, allowing their wielder to strike from impossible angles and phase between attacks. Abilities: Blade Flurry ¨C Attacks leave a lingering wound that deals bleed damage over time. Echo Strike ¨C Each successful hit has a 30% chance (up from 20%) to trigger a phantom afterstrike for 60% damage (up from 50%). Veil Piercer ¨C Can bypass 35% of an enemy¡¯s armor (up from 25%) if striking from stealth. Rift Step ¨C Upon landing a critical hit, the wielder instantly blinks 5 feet in a chosen direction, allowing for repositioning or an immediate follow-up attack. ¡°What the fuck dude?!¡± Red barked. ¡°You got a rare?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Mia said, frowning as she read the details of the weapons. ¡°How did you manage that?¡± He shrugged. ¡°Went with a hunch. I read that if you overdo the ether when you¡¯re crafting at early levels you can sometimes boost your chances of increasing rarity. It¡¯s a risk though. I just spent basically all of my ether on this one weapon. If it came back common, it would have been a waste.¡± Mia nodded. ¡°I didn¡¯t have enough ether to begin with to even try that.¡± ¡°Okay, whatever,¡± Red blurted. ¡°Now me!¡± ¡°Not yet,¡± Mia said. ¡°I want to see his weapon first.¡± Red sniggered but the others ignored him. ¡°Here goes,¡± Gideon said, triggering the blades with a single thought. A single dark talon shot out from each hand, jutting from the top of his wrist and extending approximately two feet ahead. The blades resembled Stalker talons. They were midnight black, glossy, and curved slightly at the ends as they came to a sharp point. Each was an inch thick at the heaviest point and they felt incredibly strong and light. Whisps of shadow snaked up from each blade and Gideon could feel the etheric potential within each weapon. He grinned as he turned to Mia. ¡°Pretty cool, huh?¡± She nodded. ¡°Does it hurt? When they shoot out like that?¡± Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Gideon shook his head, withdrawing the talons and then drawing them out again. ¡°Doesn¡¯t hurt a bit.¡± ¡°Okay, okay!¡± Red said excitedly, running to pick up a nearby piece of wood. He lobbed it gently into the air and Gideon sliced through the wooden plank with both blades, neatly cutting through and leaving scorch marks where the talons had passed through the wood. Red was practically jumping as he picked up a length of steel and repeated the exercise. Once more Gideon¡¯s blades sliced through the steel like the proverbial hot knife through butter. Red reached for another piece of metal but Maddox intervened, shaking her head. ¡°That¡¯s enough fun for now kids. We¡¯ve still got two more augments to do, and the clock is ticking.¡± She motioned to Gideon. ¡°Besides, cutting wood and steel isn¡¯t a fair test. A block of wood can¡¯t fight back, and it doesn¡¯t have any of the natural resistances and abilities that your enemies will have. You need to test those weapons in the field to see what they can really do.¡± Gideon withdrew his talons as Maddox turned back to Red. ¡°Okay, genius, lets get to your club.¡± Red moved over to the workstation and got to work. Maddox helped him assemble the relevant components and perform the necessary arguments to transform his club. When it was done, Red hefted something that looked more like a Warhammer than a club. It boasted a thick head of onyx black, with a wicked point at one end and a blunt clubbing surface at the other. The maul also boasted studs running up and down its length.¡± ¡°It¡¯s beautiful,¡± he said, spinning it around. ¡°Feels great in the hands too.¡± ¡°It will generate significantly more force,¡± Maddox explained, ¡°and you can either use the head to pulverize and enemy or cut through armor with the spike. The extra weight at the head will give it more momentum but it will take a little more effort to swing.¡± She showed him how to project the weapon¡¯s stats and they all watched as the information showed up on a display screen in the center of the room. BLOODSPIRE MAUL (Uncommon) A repurposed Bloodborn Blade, reforged into a brutal, maul that delivers crushing force with one end of the hammer¡¯s head while retaining its bloodletting properties with the spiked section of the head. Base Damage Type: Blunt + Bleed Special Effects: Hemorrhaging Strikes ¨C Critical hits inflict a stacking bleed effect, dealing damage over time for 5 seconds. Bonecrusher Impact ¨C 25% chance on hit to stagger an enemy, reducing their movement speed for 3 seconds. Sanguine Shockwave (Ether-Activated) ¨C Slamming the ground releases a blood-tinged shockwave, staggering enemies in a small radius and applying weakened status (-10% defense for 6 seconds). Maddox grinned. ¡°That¡¯s one hell of an impressive conk you¡¯ve got there, champ.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t encourage him,¡± Mia said. ¡°Otherwise we¡¯ll never hear the end of his impressive conk.¡± A round of laughter ensued as Red tried out his augmented weapon. Maddox helped Bullseye up onto the workbench and together they started thinking through potential augments. Gideon joined the pair. ¡°Melee weapons are no use,¡± the AI said as he and Maddox ran through options. ¡°Even range weapons are beyond me unless they can be augmented to my body.¡± ¡°What about a tattoo?¡± Gideon asked, showing the newly acquired ink on his right wrist. ¡°You could get something on your shell?¡± ¡°Perhaps,¡± Bullseye agreed. ¡°How did you get the laser eyes?¡± Gideon asked. ¡°Without a tattoo I mean? They¡¯re part of you aren¡¯t they?¡± Maddox shook her head. ¡°They¡¯re a spell, part of a sorcerer class which was originally what we were going for. Seems the System has other ideas though. It¡¯s recognized Bullseye as an AI tutor and adapted his setup accordingly.¡± ¡°I still have the Laser Snap spell,¡± Bullseye said, ¡°as well as the others I have picked up, but I¡¯m not sure that any more sorcery spells will be coming my way in the future.¡± ¡°Wait,¡± Maddox said, running a hand through her hair, ¡°you¡¯re a tutor, right?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°So, you¡¯ll be able to gain spells and abilities that align with that goal. That¡¯s how the System works, it matches new skills and spells to your class.¡± The turtle nodded, though clearly had no idea what the Chief Technician was leading to. ¡°Think about it,¡± Maddox continued as Mia and Red walked over and joined the group. ¡°Speed, strength, agility, tankiness. All those traits will help you survive and protect Gideon. They¡¯re all beneficial because you can only be a tutor if both you and Gideon are still alive.¡± ¡°Correct,¡± Bullseye said. ¡°But by that logic, any spell or ability could potentially be useful as they can all serve to preserve my life or Gideons.¡± ¡°Yeah, but if you take that logic a little further it leads to pet mechanics. Pets are always close to their masters, their skills complement the hunter, help them survive either through crowd control or tanking or damage.¡± ¡°I still don¡¯t follow,¡± Bullseye said. ¡°Pokemon!¡± Gideon blurted, drawing all eyes in his direction. ¡°Exactly!¡± Maddox said, clapping her hands together. Gideon turned to Bullseye. ¡°Spells that enlarge the size of a pet for a temporary timeframe, increasing their physical properties, speed, strength, all that stuff. Hunters with smaller pets can use them to temporarily buff different pets for different fights. That¡¯s where you get hunters that have like a dozen different pets at all times. They keep them in little cages around their belts or carry them in a backpack. Because they¡¯re so small they don¡¯t weigh that much and they can max them out with the Pokemon spell when they need them to fight.¡± Bullseye rolled his eyes. ¡°You¡¯re referring to the Colossus spell class, not this Pokemon business. I am familiar with these kinds of spells, of course, but what makes you think that they would be suitable for a tutor?¡± Maddox shrugged. ¡°Basic protection of your hunter. Surely the System would interpret a spell like that to be necessary?¡± ¡°Again though, the same argument could be made for almost any spell or ability. I fail to see why the System would allow such a thing given my new class restrictions.¡± ¡°Well,¡± Maddox said with a broad grin, ¡°it just did.¡± She pointed to the workstation where a holographic display over the top of the bench was showing an augment sigil with the required ingredients to forge the item. Bullseye squinted as he looked up at the display. ¡°Curious,¡± he said, blinking. ¡°I sense another four or five options that are now available to me, but you¡¯re right. This is by far the most beneficial augment.¡± ¡°So, you¡¯re gonna do it then?¡± Gideon asked. ¡°Yes. Yes, I think I shall.¡± ¡°Wait, wait, wait,¡± Red cautioned, holding up a hand. ¡°This new spell or whatever is gonna make Butt Plug Bill here bigger?¡± He couldn¡¯t be sure, but Gideon thought he spied a grin on the turtle¡¯s face as he turned to Red. ¡°Much bigger,¡± Bullseye hissed. ¡°Stronger too, and faster.¡± Red nodded, backing away a little as he considered the implications of that fact. Bullseye turned back to Maddox. ¡°Okay then, you may proceed.¡± It took a few minutes for Maddox to assemble the required items, after which a single diamond augment sigil disc was produced which she placed on the top of Bullseye¡¯s shell, close to his head. As with Gideon, the augment changed into a tattooed sigil showing the symbol of a turtle in profile growing larger. ¡°Here it is,¡± Maddox said, bringing up the spell specs. JUGGERNAUT Effect: The turtle expands to the size of a large attack dog for up to 2 minutes, reinforcing its shell and limbs with dense ether-forged plating. It becomes an unstoppable force, shrugging off damage and dealing powerful counterattacks. Size Increase: Grows 3 to 6x larger for 120 seconds Speed Increase: 300 to 500% increase in speed Buffs: Hardened Shell: Reduces incoming damage by 40% Tectonic Bite: Bites apply Armor Shred, reducing enemy defense by 15% per hit (stacks up to 3 times) Shell Shockwave: Every 20 seconds, the turtle slams the ground, sending out a shockwave that staggers enemies in a small radius Cooldown: 180 seconds ¡°Try it out,¡± Mia said. With Gideon¡¯s help, Bullseye made it to the center of the room and triggered the ability. The air pressure in the room shifted momentarily as the turtle quadrupled in size. Not only was Bullseye bigger, but his shell glistened with a black armor coating that reminded Gideon of the Strider¡¯s head. There were also arrow shaped barbs at the front of Bullseye¡¯s shell and a horn had grown from the top of his head. The turtle¡¯s jaw was bigger, and the tip of his nose was a sharp beak that looked like it could carve through solid concrete. ¡°Stupendous!¡± Bullseye said, his voice a loud, growling baritone. A knock at the door drew their attention and they turned to see Book standing in the doorway, eyes wide as he stared in at the shoulder-high turtle in the middle of the room. ¡°Ah, there has been a development. Commander Moynahan has asked to meet with you immediately.¡± Bullseye shrunk back to his usual size, trotting over to Gideon and holding up one claw. ¡°If you¡¯d be so kind, Gideon,¡± he said, waiting to be picked up. Gideon held him in the palm of one hand as they prepared to leave. He turned back to Maddox as he reached the door. ¡°Thanks for all your help, Chief.¡± She nodded, grinning. ¡°My pleasure. Give ¡®em hell.¡± 37. Harrow Lord Gideon walked into the Commander¡¯s office feeling a good deal more confident than he felt the first time. He and his crew had not only cleared the basement, recovered the spare generator and provided the base with a means of defending itself, they¡¯d actually gone out to fight against the enemy. They¡¯d taken out three giants and turned the tide of battle. Then there were the weapon¡¯s upgrades, the new skills they¡¯d acquired and the fact that Gideon himself was close to leveling up and moving to Initiate status. This may not have been the Great Hunt, but he and his team were kicking ass and that felt damned good. ¡°We have a problem,¡± Moynahan said, facing the table with a holographic map of the region laid out on it. Gideon frowned. ¡°I thought we just solved your problem?¡± She looked up at him, eyes narrowed. ¡°You solved a problem. One of many, I¡¯m afraid. We¡¯re low on supplies, repairs need to be made to most of the station, and there¡¯s flooding in the southwest bunker if you can believe it. Oh, and this.¡± She waved her hands over the holographic display and a figure emerged at the center of the screen. It looked roughly humanoid in shape, but instead of being covered in black, chitinous armor like the rest of the Stalkers, this figure looked like it was clothed in smoke and ash. Dark crimson eyes peered out from beneath a hood, in a way that reminded Gideon of the figure he had met on the strange, black planetoid. He pointed at the figure. ¡°I¡¯ve seen him before!¡± The Commander¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°What?¡± He turned to Bullseye, lifting the turtle in his hand. ¡°Gideon is correct, Commander,¡± Bullseye said turning to look at the holographic representation of the figure. ¡°When we fought the first Strider, we encountered some kind of psionic field at its cortex. The creature latched onto Gideon and transported us both to another realm. It may have just been our consciousnesses, but we were standing on a dark sphere facing a creature that looked similar to this being, though without so much smoke.¡± Moynahan nodded. ¡°And did it speak to you, this creature?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Gideon replied. ¡°It asked me if I spoke for humankind. Said I was the first one it had made contact with.¡± ¡°What did you say?¡± Mia asked. He shrugged. ¡°I said no. I¡¯m not an ambassador or anything. I told it the truth. I¡¯m a soldier. I mean, I wasn¡¯t but I am now.¡± ¡°Its response was less than comforting,¡± Bullseye added. ¡°It advised that Gideon would die, though it did not seem to be a threat. More a simple statement of fact.¡± The Commander nodded slowly, biting her lower lip as she stared down at the figure. Well, it turns out this guy is some kind of leader with the Harrow and he¡¯s taking a liking to this base and this rock. We¡¯ve almost completely eliminated the enemy soldiers, but he arrived a few minutes ago on a single ship. He''s standing within range of our weapons but no matter what we throw at him, nothing hits. It¡¯s like he¡¯s a ghost.¡± If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. She tapped a button on her data pad and an audio message began to play, the voice a dry rasp that made the hair on the back of Gideon¡¯s neck stand on end. Hear me now, Soulless! You have plundered our sowing fields without consequence while our backs were turned and there were other matters to attend to. But now the Harrow have returned from the long war to find our harvests being plundered by a lesser species we do not recognize. We have traveled across the stars, fresh from war, blood still thrumming in our ears, to tend to this matter and crush the Soulless pest as a warning to other lesser species that might seek to do likewise. Seven hours hence, I will strike against this meager settlement as the first sign of that which will befall the rest of your kind. ¡°That was about twenty minutes ago,¡± Moynahan said, ¡°and he hasn¡¯t said a word or moved an inch since. We can¡¯t hurt him, and he doesn¡¯t seem to have brought any more troops with him.¡± ¡°What of his warning?¡± Bullseye asked. ¡°Do you think there is genuine cause for alarm.¡± The Commander nodded. ¡°Considering this bastard¡¯s credentials, I¡¯d say we are well past alarm. The Collective were kind enough to send us a little of his resume.¡± Behold The Ashen Harrow the world ender, slayer of High Warden Althis, the ether-clad champion of Eltarnis Prime. Who defeated The Dread Colossus in single combat and slaughtered Archsage Veylin master of forbidden wards and summoner of vast armies. The Ashen Harrow, who broke the backs of the The Var¡¯kai Brood and brought their leaders to heel beneath the Collective¡¯s banner, who deconstructed The Sylith Order and claimed¡­ ¡°It goes on like that for quite a while,¡± Moynahan explained. ¡°It¡¯s all meaningless to us, of course, but I figure the intention is to make us cower in response.¡± She flicked through more information, coming to a different section of text. ¡°They even included a list of his fighting skills, and I believe the seven-hour timeframe is intended to give us time to prepare. Apparently there are seven Harrow Lords in the Collective so they push the number seven wherever they can.¡± THE ASHEN HARROW Core Weapons: A pair of molten blades that contain a sharpened core of Black Ether and which drain vitality and ether with every successful strike. Special Abilities: Cinderstrike: Slams the ground, sending molten ether through cracks in the earth, igniting everything in its wake. Ashen Veil: Shrouds itself in thick, burning smoke, reducing visibility and suffocating enemies caught within while significantly reducing any damage taken by The Ashen Harrow. Eruption Surge: Unleashes a massive explosion within a large area surrounding The Ashen Harrow, doing fire and earth damage to any enemies caught within its reach. ¡°So, there it is,¡± the Commander concluded. ¡°We can take care of any Stalker stragglers and, with a little time, we¡¯ll be able to repair this station and get everything back into working order. Maddox is even working on bolstering out defenses with technology we¡¯ve acquired from the enemy so far.¡± She nodded toward Gideon. ¡°But the fact is, this guy is something new and something we¡¯re not capable of taking out. So, your new mission is to kill the bastard by any means possible. We¡¯ll give you all the help we can spare, but ultimately this is going to be down to you.¡± NEW MISSION: Kill The Ashen Harrow Kill this Lord of the Collective by any means possible and protect the Lunar Station and every soul within it from certain annihilation. REWARD: 10 Enhancement Points Gideon nodded. ¡°Do we have any more intel on this guy? Anything where we can actually see him fight?¡± The Commander shook her head. ¡°I¡¯ve got the techs working on getting as much as we can. We¡¯ll send it to your HUDs if we find anything worthwhile. In the meantime, I¡¯d suggest trying to get some shut eye and a little food in the next few hours. You¡¯ll need to be back out there facing off against this bastard in around four and a half hours.¡± She turned to Red. ¡°Mess hall is open, and I¡¯ve instructed them to give you whatever you want.¡± The brawler slapped his belly. ¡°Now that¡¯s the first good news I¡¯ve heard all day!¡± 38. No Sleep After a hot meal in the mess hall, the group moved to one of the sleeping quarters which had been assigned to them. Red took the top right bunk, while Mia and Gideon lay down opposite one another on the lower bunks furthest from the door. Having nibbled on a little lettuce and some bugs the chef was able to find in the back of the kitchen, Bullseye went with Maddox to assist her in building two new EV suits for the group. Within two minutes of lying down, Red was already asleep, the rhythmic sound of snoring filling the sleeping chambers as Gideon stared up at the bunk above him. He knew already that there was no way he was going to be able to sleep with everything that was going on and the wet rumble coming from Red confirmed that fact. ¡°This is weird, huh?¡± Mia said. ¡°Yeah, super weird. No chance I¡¯m gonna sleep.¡± ¡°Yeah, me neither. Hey, do you mind if I ask what you did before this? It¡¯s okay if you don¡¯t wanna answer.¡± Gideon smiled. It was something of a no no to mention someone¡¯s previous life while on Artemis. It wasn¡¯t strictly forbidden or anything, but the Ministry dissuaded hunters from discussing anything from their former life because they wanted to keep the viewing as entertaining as possible and, in their minds, that meant maintaining the game¡¯s facade. ¡°Burger boy,¡± Gideon said. ¡°I was a minimum wage burger flipper working my ass off in a dive called The Burger Bin.¡± ¡°Wow, really?¡± Mia turned toward him. ¡°That¡¯s incredible.¡± ¡°Why?¡± She shrugged. ¡°I dunno, I just never figured you for a burger boy that¡¯s all.¡± He turned to face her, frowning. ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°Because¡­you¡¯re you. Always so confident and ready to rush into danger. I can¡¯t picture you standing behind a grill all day. Maybe owning a burger joint, or a few of them, but not flipping burgers yourself.¡± He nodded, unsure as to whether he should take that as a complement or an insult. ¡°I never really had an option. Some shit happened back when I was younger, and it meant I had to get out of my home town and¡­ Well, I ended up at The Burger Bin and basically bet everything I had on the chance of winning the lottery.¡± ¡°Yeah, I know how that goes.¡± Gideon smiled. ¡°How about you then? My guess is ex-military gamer girl!¡± She laughed at that. ¡°Not even close. I guess you¡¯re right about the gamer girl part, but I¡¯ve never been in the military. I mean, we both are now, I guess, but not in my old life.¡± ¡°What was it then? Teacher? High finance?¡± She shook her head, the smile slipping from her lips. ¡°Hospitals. One after the other, then back home when they realized there was nothing more they could do. The lottery was my way out.¡± ¡°Shit.¡± ¡°I have a rare genetic condition. Basically, my immune system hates my body and will attack it any chance it gets. The Hunt was a chance to leave all of that behind, the chance for a second life. I knew that once Artemis was over I¡¯d have a few years, maybe months, before it was over.¡± ¡°Shit!¡± Gideon felt the sting of her words like a knife to the gut. It put his own crappy circumstances back in the burger joint into perspective. He¡¯d hated his old life and considered himself one of the unluckiest bastards on the planet, but at least he¡¯d been healthy, or not sick. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± he offered, unsure of exactly the right words to say. ¡°That sucks.¡± She shrugged, smiling. ¡°It is what it is. I came to terms with it a long time ago. I was never gonna have a normal life. I wasn¡¯t going to be able to settle down and have kids, work a normal job, and do any of the normal shit people do. Life was hard but I¡¯d likely only get to my early forties anyway.¡± Mia turned onto her back, staring up at the bunk bed above her. ¡°Doesn¡¯t mean I didn¡¯t enjoy life where I could. My parents were great. Super supportive and they did everything they could to make my life better. My dad paid for the lottery ticket. I also had friends, online of course, but they were great. I had to stay in the house or hospital pretty much all the time, but we made the best of it.¡± Gideon resisted the temptation to say shit again. ¡°So, winning the lottery must have been life changing for you?¡± She turned to him again. ¡°It was for both of us, by the sounds of it.¡± ¡°Yeah, I just mean, because of your situation¡­¡± ¡°It was amazing. I was so happy when I found out I¡¯d won that I almost fell out of the bed. We had a quick impromptu party and then my parents drove me to the closest Ministry center. It was sad, of course, felt like we were saying goodbye for good¡­¡± Gideon waited for her to continue, but it sounded like she was giggling. No, not giggling, sobbing. He moved out of his bunk and over to her side of the room, sitting down beside her bed, unsure of exactly how to comfort her. As he drew close, she turned to him, pulling him into a tight embrace and sobbing against his shoulder. They stayed like that for some time, Gideon holding her awkwardly, Mia weeping. He wasn¡¯t sure what to say, or what to do and part of him was ashamed of the fact that he felt thrilled at being so close to her. The feel of her body against his was intoxicating and even though they didn¡¯t really know each other at all, he felt a strange kind of connection with her. If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. They were both displaced souls thrust into bodies that weren¡¯t their own and driven into war by blind circumstance. That connected them in a powerful way and Gideon couldn¡¯t deny the attraction they had to one another. Gideon had left his family behind years ago, out of necessity but also because he had never really fit in. The fact that they might be terrified right now because of the impending invasion hadn¡¯t even occurred to him, but Mia was clearly far more aware of what her parents were going through. ¡°I need to find them,¡± she muttered. ¡°I need to make sure they¡¯re alright.¡± He nodded. ¡°We¡¯ll figure out a way to find them. Once we get back to earth.¡± ¡°How? We¡¯re soldiers now. We have to go wherever the Ministry sends us and they¡¯re not gonna let us find our parents.¡± Gideon pushed her back gently. She brushed the tears from her eyes, staring down at his chest. He shook his head. ¡°Then we force them to help. Fact is, they need us. The other hunters haven¡¯t left Artemis yet or they¡¯ve been shot down by the enemy. That means we¡¯re it. We¡¯re the only echoes in operation over here and the Ministry needs us.¡± He motioned to the door. ¡°You¡¯ve seen what we did here. This base would have already been destroyed by now if we hadn¡¯t shown up.¡± She looked at him, nodding as he went on. ¡°Now they need us to take down this Ashen Harrow bozo. So, we agree to do it if they guarantee that they find your family and take them somewhere safe.¡± ¡°You think that would work?¡± ¡°Of course it would,¡± he said with a smile. ¡°It costs them very little and we¡¯re putting our lives on the line here. Plus, like I said, they need us. So, before we head out, we talk with Moynahan and tell her that she needs to send word to the Ministry back home and get your people somewhere safe. Also, they need to arrange coms so you can talk to your folks.¡± She smiled, reaching out to caress the side of his face, eyes still watery. ¡°Okay, that sounds good.¡± They stared at each other for a moment. Gideon felt the overwhelming urge to lean in and kiss her, but this wasn¡¯t the time and it sure as hell wasn¡¯t the place. In less than six hours they were going to be fighting an enemy he had no idea how to defeat, an enemy that would likely kill them all. Mia leaned in and pecked him tenderly on the cheek. She smiled and leaned back on the bed. ¡°We should try to get some sleep, or at least rest,¡± she suggested. ¡°Yeah, good idea,¡± he agreed, moving back to his side of the room and slipping into the lower bunk. ¡°Thanks, Gideon,¡± Mia said. ¡°I¡¯m sorry about that¡­ I just got overwhelmed, that¡¯s all.¡± Red snorted, shifting positions as his snoring was momentarily interrupted. A second later the rumbling continued, drawing laughter from Gideon and Mia. ¡°He really is a moron,¡± Mia said. ¡°Yeah, but he¡¯s probably a thousand times happier than we are. Dude¡¯s sleeping like a baby.¡± ¡°A very noisy baby.¡± They lay in silence for a time until Gideon turned to see that Mia had drifted off to sleep. He crept out of the bunk and headed out of the room unsure of what he planned to do but knowing that sleep definitely wasn¡¯t going to happen. He needed to hit something, to go for a run or spar with someone for a few hours. There was too much pent-up energy inside, and he couldn¡¯t stop his mind from returning to the Harrow Lord standing outside the lunar base, waiting for the countdown to end. Gideon: Hey, you there? Bullseye: Of course, where else would I be? Gideon: Do we know any more about this Ashen Harrow guy? Bullseye: Not yet. It has barely been an hour since you retired to the sleeping quarters. Gideon: Yeah, well there¡¯s no way I¡¯m gonna be able to sleep, so I figure I should do something useful with my time. Do they have a firing range down here somewhere, or a gym or something? Bullseye: Perhaps there is a more beneficial way for you to spend your time, Gideon. Come to the Chief Technician¡¯s workshop. A few minutes later Gideon walked into the workshop and saw Maddox leaning over some kind of small mechanical device wearing a pair of magnifying glasses that expanded her eyeballs to comical proportions. Bullseye was standing on a nearby stool watching with interest as the Chief Technician gently pressed two small metal objects against the interior of the device. ¡°Ah, Gideon,¡± Bullseye said. ¡°Come and take a look at what our ingenious Chief Technician has built. It is truly remarkable.¡± Gideon walked over, leaning down to get a better look at the object. Maddox took off her glasses and wiped her wrist across her forehead. ¡°Ready to be a guinea pig one more time, champ?¡± The small device she¡¯d been working on was about half the size of Gideon¡¯s hand, diamond shaped and with various symbols etched into its surface in silver. There were strips of meat and goop sitting in a small metal bowl next to the object with something that looked like an eye cut in half in the middle of the dish. ¡°What the hell is that thing?¡± Gideon asked. ¡°And why does it look like you¡¯ve been doing surgery in here?¡± ¡°In a way, I have,¡± Maddox said. ¡°We¡¯ve dissected a bunch of Stalkers and discovered something in their biology, an organ with non-organic components that allows them to adapt to hostile environments.¡± She picked up a strip of meet with a pair of tweezers. ¡°See, it turns out these boys breathe air, just like we do. They¡¯ve got an inbuilt mechanism that adjusts their biology to the environment. I don¡¯t pretend to understand how the damned thing works, but that doesn¡¯t mean I can¡¯t rig it up so that it will work for you.¡± Gideon nodded. ¡°So, you¡¯re trying to give us something that will help us survive longer outside?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve bound the Gravity Tether and this regulator together and fixed it to an augment sigil shell.¡± She tapped the top of the metallic diamond. ¡°In layman¡¯s terms, I¡¯ve done some super complicated shit, integrated alien biology and technology with the Artemis System and come up with an augment sigil which should allow you and your fellow echoes to walk around outside this base without having to worry about gravity or the fact that there¡¯s no breathable air.¡± She smiled. ¡°I¡¯ve performed a miracle and now you get to test the damned thing so I can confirm it works and then get started on building two more of them.¡± Gideon looked down at the small device. ¡°Okay, so you just need me to use this, then pop outside and check that it works?¡± Maddox shook her head. ¡°I need a proper test, under combat conditions. No point taking a leisurely stroll outside when you¡¯re gonna be going head-to-head with Lord Sauron in a couple of hours.¡± She opened up the display above her watch and tapped at the screen with her index finger. ¡°Commander Moynahan has been good enough to supply us with a suitable real world test scenario. Apparently there are a couple of Stalkers causing us some issues out to the north. They¡¯re sniping our people when we try to get close and Moynahan wants them taken out.¡± NEW MISSION: Clear the Nest A group of Stalker soldiers is holding out in a nearby rock formation. Eradicate all enemy Stalkers and return to base. ENEMIES KILLED: 0/3 REWARD: 5 Enhancement Points ¡°Okay,¡± Gideon said, eager to get started. ¡°Let¡¯s do it.¡± Maddox lifted up the augment sigil and handed it to Gideon. ¡°I¡¯d suggest sticking it on your chest. It would work on your arm or shoulder, but if you get one of your limbs cut off, it will stop functioning, so it¡¯s probably best to stick it somewhere near your heart.¡± Gideon blinked. She¡¯d mentioned dismemberment so casually that it took him by surprise. The device itself was heavier than he¡¯d anticipated, but when he lifted his shirt and pressed it against the center of his chest, it did as the other sigils had done, losing its physical cohesion and transforming into a tattoo. There was a slight sting as the mark was burned into his flesh, but it lasted for only a moment. He turned to Bullseye and Maddox. ¡°What does it look like?¡± ¡°Some kind of bird,¡± Maddox replied. ¡°A hawk or eagle, by the looks of it,¡± Bullseye added. ¡°Quite majestic in a simplistic way. The bird¡¯s wings are outstretched as though it has just taken flight.¡± Gideon nodded, eager to be out of the station and testing out the new sigil. ¡°You coming with me?¡± he asked Bullseye. ¡°Only in the sense that I will be communicating with you from here. There is a great deal of complicated calculation which is required to create these devices, and we cannot afford to wait for the results of this little test. So, I will need to stay here and assist the Chief Technician with the work.¡± ¡°But you¡¯re still gonna be able to talk to me the whole time.¡± ¡°Indeed I am. Unlike you and your kind, Gideon, I am capable of undertaking several tasks simultaneously without either task being negatively impacted.¡± Gideon smiled, nodding. ¡°Okay then, let¡¯s do this.¡± 39. Nest It was more than a little jarring walking out of the airlock dressed only in standard armor. Gideon was tempted to hold his breath, but Maddox insisted that he should act normally and let the sigil do its work. Thankfully, the moment he stepped out into the unforgiving, non-atmosphere of the lunar surface his breathing remained the same, as did the temperature of his body and the pull of gravity. ¡°All good so far,¡± he radioed back. ¡°Feels normal, so I¡¯m gonna try running.¡± ¡°Good,¡± Bullseye replied. ¡°I would suggest stressing your body if possible. That way we can truly test the capabilities of the sigil and ensure that it functions under high stress conditions.¡± ¡°Yeah, right, and what the hell do I do if it stops working and I¡¯m a mile away with no way to breathe and gravity all screwed up?¡± ¡°You float your way back to the base as quickly as you are able,¡± Bullseye suggested. ¡°Your echo body should be able to sustain several minutes in a hostile environment, particularly now that you have assigned a good number of enhancement points into your Grit attribute. If you increase it to a high enough level, it may even be possible for you to survive out there without the sigil.¡± ¡°Okay, great,¡± Gideon offered. He suddenly had a thought. ¡°How are you guys even hearing me in there? How am I hearing my own voice for that matter? This is space, I shouldn¡¯t be able to hear anything.¡± ¡°We are communicating by means of your echo and the environment sigil you wear. Though technically your mouth makes no sound, the sigil and echo are able to translate into audible sound. It will be the same with Mia and Red once they have acquired their own sigils.¡± ¡°Right. Okay, I suppose I should get to it then.¡± Gideon started running. He didn¡¯t want to think too much about that little word may. He may be able to survive in the coldness of space. His newly acquired sigil may pack in at an inconvenient moment and land him in a pile of hurt. May just wasn¡¯t helping. ¡°Okay, running is fine,¡± he said, checking his mini map and finding the cluster of red dots up and to the right a little. ¡°Heading for the nest now.¡± ¡°Very good,¡± Bullseye replied. While he ran, Gideon caught sight of a much larger red dot situated in the lower right corner of his mini map. The figure was surrounded by a red circle that throbbed with crimson light, no doubt indicating the strength of the enemy. He¡¯d seen the same thing thousands of times while watching hunters track down particularly large prey. It was known as the Boss Ring, or the Death Halo, depending on who you asked. The size and redness of the halo indicated how strong the enemy was as will as giving an indication to the hunter as to how close they could get before they were in range of the enemy¡¯s offensive abilities. Given the size and swell of the ring around The Ashen Harrow, Gideon guessed he could probably get within fifty feet or so before he was in danger of being hit by direct spells and abilities the figure possessed. That didn¡¯t mean that the enemy wouldn¡¯t see him coming and rapidly close the gap, of course. It was just a simple way of indicating to hunters when there were boss level monsters around. Clearly the System had adapted that same mechanic to work with the Harrow Collective. As he drew closer to the nest, Gideon saw a sprawling mass of rocks spread out ahead of him. There were dozens of them, standing like forgotten sentinels each three or four times his height like the jagged teeth of some long dead giant. A large, flat rock sat at the center of the group, flattened at the top to form a hundred-foot table with at least five enemies milling around at its center. The moment he closed in on the rock formation the mission updated. MISSION UPDATE: Clear the Nest ENEMIES KILLED: 0/6 REWARD: 6 Enhancement Points ¡°Bullshit!¡± he hissed. ¡°What? What is it?¡± Bullseye said. ¡°Just got a mission update. There are three more Stalkers up there and the System is only going to give me a single enhancement point for killing the extras.¡± ¡°That is fairly standard, Gideon. Surely you¡¯ve witnessed the same thing many times while watching the Hunt?¡± ¡°Yeah, but I guess I figured seeing as this was for the survival of the species and all, the System would cut me a little slack.¡± ¡°The System is the System, Gideon. It does as it wishes, and we must work within its strictures. Be thankful that you are able to access it at all.¡± Gideon slowed his running, squinting at the figures as he approached the large flat rock at the center of the formation. The enemies above were blocked by the lip of the rock as he approached, so he couldn¡¯t get a good look at them. His mini map didn¡¯t offer any elucidation on the subject either, showing them as ordinary enemies with no further information. He drew near to the vast rock and began circling around it, looking for a way up. For the most part the rock rose up vertically from the surrounding area, but he caught sight of a sloped section a short distance ahead which looked like it would provide easier access. Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! Gideon moved slowly around to the ramp, keeping low as he climbed to the top of the flat rock. Of the six Stalkers gathered around in a circle at the center of the rock, three looked like ordinary scouts, two looked like defender Bloodborns and one was a Viper, standing with a bow in its hand as they all stared down into the center of their circle. ¡°What the hell are they looking at,¡± Gideon wondered. ¡°A fallen comrade perhaps? Or some object of value.¡± ¡°What kind of valuable object would be out here in the middle of nowhere. It¡¯s the moon for God¡¯s sake; there¡¯s nothing here apart from the transit station.¡± ¡°Perhaps. You will simply need to draw closer and investigate. Though I would suggest dealing with the enemy first.¡± ¡°Thanks, Bullseye. Great advice.¡± ¡°You are most welcome,¡± the AI replied, completely missing the sarcasm in Gideon¡¯s voice even though he¡¯d laid it on thick. ¡°It is my duty after all to prepare you for any obstacle you may face. Sage advice is merely one way in which I aim to fulfil that duty.¡± Gideon bit back a snide response and looked over his available abilities, making a plan of attack. Seeing as there were no fellow soldiers to protect and no one to pull aggro away from, he went with stealth, triggering Shadow Veil and channeling a little ether into it to allow him to close the distance before the stealth broke. He picked the Viper first, keen to get rid of the only enemy with venom in their arsenal, but as he moved in closer the hairs on his neck and arms stood on end and he was forced to change tack. He turned to the right, heading to a section of space that seemed completely wrong. Although Gideon had only encountered the sensation once before, he knew exactly what this was. A Phantom Stalker, one of the bladed rogue types that had pounced on him and the others when they first made it inside the station. He had no idea why this group would have so many different types of Stalkers together in one place. It was almost as if they were a squad, a special unit sent here for a specific purpose. He moved to what he hoped was the rear of the Phantom, but just before he could strike a single, long blade shot out of the air directly ahead of him, missing his face by an inch as he ducked to the left, summoned his Voidfang Talons and swiped out at the invisible attacker. MISSION UPDATE: Clear the Nest ENEMIES KILLED: 0/7 REWARD: 7 Enhancement Points Gideon ignored the update driving forward with Abyssal Pierce with his talons and scoring a jab to the abdomen of the enemy Phantom. The soldier¡¯s stealth broke and it hissed in pain, slashing out with its samurai style blade as Gideon moved around behind the figure, narrowly missing an arrow from the Viper which whizzed past his head and flew off into the distance. He jammed both talons up into the back of the Phantom, feeling the creature go rigid as he dealt the death blow. Another arrow flew past, while a third thudded into the Phantom¡¯s chest, causing it to begin convulsing as the venom ate its way through the creature¡¯s body. Guess they¡¯re not here to rescue one of their own, he thought as he dropped the dying Phantom and triggered Shadow Charge. Aiming directly for the Viper, Gideon moved through the intervening space in a split second and appeared in front of the bow wielding enemy. He slammed both talons into the ground and the resulting shockwave drove the Viper backwards, giving him the perfect opening to thrust forward and jam his blades into the enemy¡¯s chest. The talons slipped past armor almost as if they were sentient beings trained to find the weak points of Gideon¡¯s enemies. He ripped out the blades, spinning around just as two of the scouts raked their claws at him. They seemed to move far too slow, their attacks becoming predictable as he triggered Phantom Step and appeared behind the pair, simultaneously driving his blades into their backs before lunging at the scout on the right and finishing it with a jab up into the neck. Blood gushed out, bubbles of dark, oily liquid that floated eerily as he darted toward the second wounded scout and parried their attack before slamming his right talon up through its chest plating. The scout died just as quickly as the first. Something was wrong here. It was too easy, too quick. It hadn¡¯t been more than twenty hours ago that he¡¯d faced an ordinary scout and almost been killed by the soldier. He turned just as the remaining three Stalkers approached; two Bloodborn with tower shields and long curve blades, and the last scout. It was only as he triggered Shadow Smite and stunned the closest Bloodborn that he realized he was not the same person who had stumbled out of the crashed ship when he first awoke. He''d gained Grit, a host of new abilities and spells, and he was just a few missions away from leveling up. That was why he felt faster and stronger than these enemies, why it felt like they were moving in slow motion. Focusing on the enemy forced to attack him because of Mark of the Abyss, Gideon used the Bloodborn as an obstacle to hold back the other two enemies. He dodged a strike from the huge curve sword, then ducked around behind the figure and stabbed the scout through the shoulder, before pulling himself around and jamming his second talon up into the Stalker¡¯s neck beneath the head and back armor. Gideon found that having the talons attached to his wrists made it much easier to maneuver himself around. He could slam a talon into an enemy soldier and then grabble the figure with his hand, using that grip to shove or pull as necessary. It was also impossible to get his weapons stuck between armor plating or anything that might threaten to disarm him. The moment that happened, he simply willed the talons away and they retracted into his arm, allowing him to reposition before calling them out again. For the most part the talons acted as a pair, shooting out when he needed to fight and receding when he wanted to pull back. It was possible, however, to summon them one at a time and Gideon knew instinctively that with enough practice he¡¯d be able to manipulate the two blades independently. With the scout dead and one of the Bloodborn defenders so fixated on him that he was basically a mindless zombie, Gideon used Blade Flurry to overwhelm the second Bloodborn, driving the soldier back and cutting its armor to pieces before ending the strike with a simple duel thrust through the enemy¡¯s chest. He turned to the final Stalker, still obsessively lumbering toward him, and ducked around behind the enemy without even having to use stealth. It took a few seconds to end the soldier after which Gideon looked around the rock plateau, checking for other enemies. There were no other enemies nearby, but his mini map did show something directly ahead of him. MISSION COMPLTED: Clear the Nest You have successfully killed a protective Stalker squad. ENEMIES KILLED: 7/7 REWARD: 7 Enhancement Points ITEMS LOOTED Ether +80 Stalker Hide Scraps +4 Stalker Oil +3 Viper Bow +1 Tactical Insight +1 Bladed Weaponry +1 Stealth Sense +1 ¡°Protective squad?¡± he said. ¡°It seems so,¡± Bullseye replied. ¡°Perhaps you should see what it was they were protecting.¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m going to check it out now.¡± Gideon walked over to the space the Stalkers had been gathered around. There was a hole in the rock, a dark gap that seemed to stretch down into the stone below. The hole itself was only a foot or so wide, too small for any of the Stalkers to get into. He wondered whether they¡¯d dropped something down the hole as he leaned over and looked inside. It was dark inside the whole, but it wasn¡¯t empty. There was something down there, something orb-like and glassy. He narrowed his eyes to try and focus on whatever was down there. Was it a crystal ball of some sort or an ether sphere? While he stood hunched over, squinting into he hole, the eye staring back at him blinked. 40. Blue Gideon stumbled backwards, almost falling over. ¡°What is it?¡± Bullseye asked. ¡°Dunno. A big eye.¡± He stepped forward again, finding that the big eye had shifted and now two eyes were looking up at him. ¡°It¡¯s some kind of creature.¡± ¡°Creature? I was unaware that this moon harbored any native forms of life.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t be native. Maybe the Stalkers brought it here? Or it was in the ship we crashed on. Maybe one of the crew brought it back from Artemis?¡± ¡°Retrieving animals of any kind from Artemis is strictly forbidden. Besides, the fauna on that world do not survive when they are taken out of range of the crystals that feature across the planet¡¯s surface. I suggest your first guess is accurate. The Stalkers must have brought this creature with them, therefore I would suggest caution in dealing with it.¡± Something moved down in the hole and a thin blue hand reached up and touched the rocky surface. ¡°Oh, shit! It¡¯s moving.¡± ¡°Be careful, Gideon. It could be a living bomb or perhaps some fearsome warrior.¡± The creature that emerged from the hole stood only a few feet high, was covered in short blue fur, and boasted bulbous eyes, pointed, fluffy ears, and a long tail that split at the rear and forked into two separate ends. A small mouth sat beneath the two round holes that served as nostrils and its thin body seemed to radiate a faint glow of ether. ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a weapon,¡± Gideon said. ¡°I don¡¯t know what it is, but the little guy is cute as hell and he¡¯s just standing here looking at me.¡± ¡°He?¡± ¡°Looks like it¡¯s a he, but it could be a she, or something else. Doesn¡¯t look like he¡¯s gonna attack though.¡± ¡°What is the beast doing?¡± ¡°Just standing there looking at me with its head to the side. Kind of looks like a dog that doesn¡¯t understand what I¡¯m saying.¡± Giddeon bent down to his knees, trying to make himself as unthreatening as possible. ¡°Hey there little guy. You speak English?¡± It was a stupid question, but he didn¡¯t know what else to say. The little creature didn¡¯t say anything, but it stepped closer, reaching out one little hand toward Gideon. He reached out his own hand and energy sparked between his fingers and the creatures. While he was squatting there he watched as his entire store of ether was drained in an instant. The creature started to glow with bright blue light. It lasted a few moments before he returned to his usual color. ¡°Wow. Okay, that was weird.¡± ¡°What is it? Did the beast attack?¡± ¡°No it just¡­¡± Still holding its hand an inch from Gideon¡¯s, the little creature moved forward a few steps and power once more sparked between them. This time ether poured from the alien creature into Gideon¡¯s body, increasing to thirty thousand units in a second flat before the exchange was completed. ¡°Holy Shit!¡± Gideon blurted. ¡°This little guy¡¯s an ether machine. Works like an ether bank or something. Hell, maybe he generates the stuff?¡± WARNING: You have just received ether from a non-recognized source which exists outside of the Artemis System¡¯s records. As such you have violated Ministry statutes. Your ether debt has increased to 100,000 units and must be paid immediately or you will be expelled from the Great Hunt and imprisoned for the remainder of your life. ¡°Intriguing,¡± Bullseye said. ¡°It seems the ether you received from this mysterious creature is not the same as that which you harvested from the Stalkers.¡± ¡°Okay, so what do I do with this little guy? Do I try and bring him back with me?¡± ¡°Chief Maddox concurs. Bring the creature back to the station and we will meet you at the airlock.¡± ¡°Got it,¡± Giddeon replied, turning his attention back to the strange etherically charged creature. ¡°Okay, little man, you wanna come with me?¡± The creature said nothing, staring up at Gideon with large blue eyes, the corners of its mouth tilted up a little as though it were smiling. It seemed perfectly content, but Gideon had no way of knowing if it could understand anything he was saying or whether this peaceful facial expression meant something completely different. He pointed off toward the station. ¡°Gotta go that way,¡± he said, miming walking with his fingers. ¡°I need you to come with me. You¡¯ll be safe. I won¡¯t let those Stalkers hurt you.¡± The creature looked up at him blankly, still wearing that almost smile but showing no signs of either agreement or refusal. Gideon took a few steps and found, to his surprise, that the little creature followed after, staying a few paces behind him. He continued, moving towards the ramp that had led up to the surface of the large flat rock and the creature likewise followed. A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. ¡°Okay,¡± Gideon said. ¡°That¡¯ll work.¡± He didn¡¯t want to risk running and outpacing his new companion, so he had to walk slowly back towards the station, turning around every few seconds to check that the alien creature was following him. ¡°You got a name, little guy?¡± Gideon asked, not expecting a reply. He turned back to see the curious creature padding along on the surface of the moon, his footsteps barely raising puffs of dust as he shuffled along. The creature reminded Gideon a little of a meercat, the way it held itself, as though it wasn¡¯t supposed to be standing on two legs but was doing it anyway. Where this creature differed from meercats was in its bulbous blue eyes, the vivid blue fur and the twin tails. Considering those differences, Gideon supposed it looked nothing like a meercat, but there was still something about the way it held itself whenever he turned back to check that it was following. Perhaps it was the somewhat baffled look in its eyes, or the way it held its arms down by its side like a child waiting in line to get into class. ¡°I¡¯m gonna call you Blue,¡± he offered as they slowly moved their way back to the transit station. ¡°Why blue?¡± Bullseye asked. ¡°Because it¡¯s covered in blue fur, and it¡¯s got big blue eyes.¡± ¡°Not the most sophisticated name, but it will serve I suppose.¡± ¡°Well, maybe if you can figure out how to communicate with it we can find out its real name. Until then, I¡¯m calling him blue.¡± ¡°And you¡¯re still convinced it is a male of its species.¡± ¡°No. I just¡­ I guess it makes it easier to think of him as a little guy. Not sure why.¡± ¡°Familiarity would be my guess,¡± Bullseye suggested. ¡°You see a young male creature because you most easily identify with that given that you are yourself male. If Mia had discovered the creature, perhaps she would have considered it female.¡± ¡°Yeah, okay Freud, whatever. We¡¯re about five minutes out, I guess. I don¡¯t wanna move to quick because¡­¡± Gideon felt that familiar sensation again, the shift in pressure, the tingling on the back of his neck. ¡°Hang on. I think¡­¡± Two shapes emerged out of nothing, firing arrows that shot at speed toward Gideon as he ran back towards Blue. An arrow thudded into the back of his shoulder and a burst of blinding pain shot through his arm. As he reached Blue, the little creature shifted forward at impossible speed, jumping five feet backwards and out of reach as he tried to scoop the creature up into his arms. ¡°Shit!¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Bullseye asked. ¡°Nothing, I¡¯ll tell you when we get back.¡± The two Phantoms appeared again, firing a pair of arrows which narrowly missed Gideon as he rolled out of the way and tried again to reach Blue. Once more the little creature moved too fast and managed to stay at least a few feet out of reach. Gideon spun around, ripping the arrow from his shoulder and wincing in pain as the two Phantoms appeared once more. He triggered Phantom Step and Dark Rejuvenation at the same time, slipping through the intervening space to appear behind one of the Stalkers and driving his twin talons up into the creature¡¯s back. It screamed a silent scream as he withdrew the blades and jammed them back at the base of the alien¡¯s neck, finishing the enemy just as the second Phantom appeared, lashing out with a thin blade that narrowly missed Gideon and drove deep into the other Stalker¡¯s chest. Gideon pushed both bodies away slamming his talons together and sending out a percussive blast that stunned the sword wielding Phantom. He then used the time to charge in and drive his talons home, lifting the Phantom off the ground and then slamming it down hard as blood sprayed from the wounds in rivers of individual droplets. Both Phantoms were dead, and Gideon looked around, leaning on his stealth sense to determine if any others were nearby. The area felt clear and, as he turned back to look for Blue, he found the little creature standing meercat-like a short distance away, still wearing that strange, contented expression. Two balls of purple ether appeared above the dead bodies, but instead of being drawn into Gideon¡¯s echo, the orbs moved quickly toward Blue and vanished on making contact with the creature. Gideon frowned, somewhat perturbed at the fact, and making a mental note not to take Blue out on any future missions unless he wanted the little bastard to gobble up all the ether. ITEMS LOOTED Phantom Blade +1 Stalker Oil +2 Stalker Hide Scraps +2 Stealth Sense +1 Dodge +1 Leadership +1 Diplomacy +1 Before moving off again, Gideon examined the Phantom blade, calling the weapon into his hands and looking it over. So far he¡¯d encountered a few different varieties of Phantoms and it seemed that, unlike the other Stalker classes, their weapons were unique, or at least tailored to some degree. The blade he held was long and thin, but thicker at the base than a samurai sword. It also had strange markings scratched into the hilt and lower sections of the blade, and while most of the other Stalker weapons were chitinous black, this had a faint bluish tinge to it and boasted a single strip of sky blue running from its tip to the hilt of the weapon. PHANTOM BLADE +10% stealth to the wielder +5% crit chance +10 Harrow honor gain ¡°Honor gain?¡± Gideon mused. ¡°Bullseye, you seeing this?¡± ¡°Yes. I would suggest that honor is a currency the Stalkers use internally to foster high performance. Perhaps it is part of a reward system or simply a means of differentiating more capable soldiers from lesser?¡± Gideon nodded, dropping the sword into his inventory and turning to confirm how far they were from the station. As he was looking over at the lunar base, Gideon felt something soft in his hand. Moving slowly so as not to spook the little guy, he turned to see Blue standing by his side. The alien creature was staring straight ahead at the lunar station but stood with its hand in Gideon¡¯s like a child preparing to cross the road with its father¡¯s guidance. It was a profoundly strange moment, but Gideon went with it, walking off toward the station with Blue by his side. ¡°Good news is the sigil worked,¡± he said. ¡°Excellent,¡± Bullseye confirmed. ¡°I have passed the news on to Chief Maddox. We are already half way through completing the second sigil and should have the third done in more than enough time for your confrontation with the Harrow Lord.¡± Gideon considered that. With all the excitement of testing out the environment sigil, killing off a bunch of Stalkers and finding Blue, he¡¯d forgotten about the looming fight that was rapidly approaching. He checked his mini map, noting that the Ashen Harrow was standing exactly where it had been when he¡¯d left the station. The figure was still ringed by a crimson death halo, menacing even from a distance and when seen in the mini map. Gideon noted that he hadn¡¯t picked up either of the Phantoms on the map. He wondered whether the same thing held true for him when he was moving with stealth. Did the Stalkers have some kind of mini map situation? And, if so, was he invisible to that technology while he was cloaked? Given the lengthy run he¡¯d successfully completed getting to the final Strider, he guessed the answer to that question was yes. As he approached the airlock, Gideon caught sight of Maddox and Bullseye on the other side of the window in the chamber door. He walked into the airlock with Blue still by his side and still holding his hand like a child. The little creature seemed undaunted as they walked into the station together. It still held Gideon¡¯s hand and wore the same faint smile as Maddox and Bullseye considered the little creature. There were also three guards with guns standing in the room, eyeing Blue with a mix of suspicion and curiosity. ¡°What on earth did you do?¡± Gideon turned to see Mia standing in the doorway, looking a little sleepy and grinning as she stared at his new companion. ¡°Found a friend,¡± he offered with a smile. 41. Data In the hours that followed, Gideon explained his encounter to Mia and then gave the shortened version of the story to Red when he woke up and stumbled into the mess hall groggily. The little creature itself was undergoing a series of tests with Maddox and Bullseye as they tried to figure out what it was and why the Stalkers had brought it with them to the moon¡¯s surface. ¡°We need to focus on the guy standing outside,¡± Gideon said as Red worked his way through a second plate of eggs and bacon. ¡°This is gonna be different to what we faced before and I¡¯ve got a feeling we¡¯re gonna be significantly outmatched, so we¡¯ll need a clear strategy going into the fight.¡± Mia nodded. ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about that. This whole guy¡¯s thing is fire, right? So, maybe we should be attacking with some kind of frost or water attack?¡± ¡°Dowse him with a hose?¡± Red suggested, chuckling as he shoveled egg into his mouth. ¡°I¡¯ve only really got venom and explosive attacks in my arsenal,¡± Mia went on, ignoring the comment. ¡°But if I could work out a way to construct frost projectiles, maybe that would be better.¡± ¡°Maybe,¡± Gideon agreed, ¡°but we¡¯re assuming that this all works the same as it does on Artemis and that might not be the case. Just because he¡¯s a fire guy doesn¡¯t mean that he¡¯s gonna have a weakness to frost. There¡¯s also no guarantee that he¡¯s resistant to fire. He could take just as much damage from an explosive shot as any other enemy.¡± Mia slammed her hand against the table. ¡°Damn it. We need more data. How can they expect us to fight this bastard if we don¡¯t know enough about what we¡¯re facing?¡± ¡°Exactly,¡± Gideon said, ¡°we don¡¯t have data. So, I say getting as much information as we can as quickly as possible should be our main priority. The second we¡¯re in range we need to start hitting this guy with different kinds of damage.¡± ¡°So, stick with venom for a few seconds and see how that does before changing to explosive rounds?¡± ¡°Yeah, exactly. Once we¡¯ve tried everything we have available, then we start with combinations, like venom and fire, or a mix of melee and ranged damage.¡± Mia nodded. ¡°Okay, but we¡¯re pretty limited though, right? No frost damage, no lightning damage, just venom, conventional physical damage, and explosive or fire. I mean, we can infuse attacks with ether to modify the damage a little, but it still doesn¡¯t give us a wide range of different attacks to try.¡± She threw a thumb in Red¡¯s direction. ¡°And this guy¡¯s only play is to hit stuff hard.¡± ¡°Hey!¡± Red objected. ¡°I hit stuff exceptionally hard!¡± A figure moved near the doorway and one of the station soldiers came walking over holding Bullseye in his hands. Without a word the soldier deposited the turtle on the table, at which point Bullseye immediately began speaking. ¡°I have been listening in on your conversation and concur that gathering data within the opening seconds of the fight will be paramount to victory. I will be able to perform a rapid analysis and alert you to the most effective damage types and combinations.¡± He looked over at Red. ¡°In addition to his hitting stuff hard, it should be noted that Red can also employ earth damage with his attacks as well as a bleed effect which may prove beneficial.¡± ¡°Can I?¡± Red asked. ¡°Your Rupture Slam ability generates earthen AOE damage, and Bloodmist Crash causes a bleed effect which can also spread to additional enemies.¡± ¡°Sweet,¡± Red chirped, sticking a slice of bacon into his mouth and chewing noisily. ¡°So,¡± Bullseye went on, ¡°that gives us physical damage, bleed and earth damage, venom, explosive and fire damage.¡± He turned toward Gideon. ¡°And something else.¡± Gideon frowned. ¡°I¡¯m guessing my attacks are physical damage as well, right? I mean it¡¯s blade damage.¡± The little turtle shook its head. ¡°Ordinarily that would be the case. It should be the case in fact, but my analysis of your recent outing has revealed that your attacks do not register as purely physical in nature.¡± ¡°Okay, what kind of damage is it then?¡± ¡°Whenever you utilize a stealth skill whilst attacking, your talons demonstrate an etheric signature that we haven¡¯t been able to identify. There is no record of it within the Artemis archives and we can¡¯t match it with anything the Harrow Collective has sent us.¡± Gideon turned to Mia then back to Bullseye. ¡°So, what the hell does that mean?¡± ¡°It means that you are utilizing a type of damage dealing capacity we have not witnessed before. You are doing something new. It might be because of the way you failed to adequately merge with your echo in the beginning or the fact that I was forced to extricate myself from your mind in those formative moments. Perhaps it was because yours was the first echo to actively combat the Stalkers and begin absorbing their ether.¡± The turtle moved over to Red¡¯s plate, sniffing the food before Red pulled the plate closer to his chest, hunching over it protectively. ¡°The fact is,¡± Bullseye went on, ¡°we have no idea why your attacks are reading differently nor why we can¡¯t yet identify the nature of the damage you are dealing.¡± Gideon pointed to Red. ¡°What about when we fought? Was I using the same kind of damage then?¡± ¡°You were, but there is also a good deal of physical damage in your fighting. I initially thought that the strange etheric signature I was picking up had more to do with our unique situation and the fact that our integration into the Artemis System was still working through several kinks.¡± ¡°Right,¡± Gideon said, ¡°well, I guess that gives us another source of damage to try out.¡± ¡°Mystery meat,¡± Red offered. ¡°That¡¯s what we should call it.¡± Mia rolled her eyes. ¡°You¡¯re an idiot.¡± ¡°I¡¯m serious!¡± Red protested. ¡°Think about it, we know it does damage but we don¡¯t know what¡¯s in it. Just like a hot dog. You know it¡¯s good. You know it works, but you¡¯ve got no idea what it¡¯s made of. Mystery Meat. Or I guess we could go with Wiener Power?¡± Gideon snorted with laughter. ¡°No way we¡¯re going with Wiener Power.¡± ¡°Right,¡± Red confirmed. ¡°So, we¡¯ll just call it Gideon¡¯s Mystery Meat attack.¡± Mia groaned. ¡°That doesn¡¯t make it sound any better, Red.¡± Keen to move on from the topic and conscious that they were rapidly approaching their deadline, Gideon turned to Bullseye. ¡°What else can you tell us about the guy we¡¯re going up against?¡± ¡°Not much. According to the information we¡¯ve already received he has three primary abilities. Cinderstrike, Ashen Veil, and Eruption Surge. Of course, these are simply terms that the System has applied to his abilities. Cinderstrike and Eruption Surge will both do AOE damage whereas the Veil acts as a protective measure. We presume that¡¯s what he¡¯s using at the moment to make himself impervious to attack.¡± Gideon frowned. ¡°But he¡¯s been using that for hours.¡± ¡°Precisely. The ability gives him a formidable advantage, but it will most likely be broken when he chooses to attack.¡± ¡°What if it isn¡¯t broken?¡± Mia asked. ¡°What if one of this guy¡¯s abilities is just that he can ignore damage altogether? How do we beat that?¡± ¡°Unfortunately, I have no answers for you,¡± Bullseye offered. ¡°Not with regards to how The Ashen Harrow might be defeated at least. But I do have orders directly from Commander Moynahan that concern each of you.¡± They all leaned forward as he continued. ¡°If we are unable to defeat the enemy and there is an opportunity to withdraw from the fight, we are ordered to do so.¡± If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. A map showed up on Gideon¡¯s HUD, showing an area near the lunar station where the Stalker army had attacked, and they¡¯d taken out the three Striders. A green box blinked to the top left of the map. ¡°That¡¯s the alien ship,¡± Gideon said. ¡°Correct,¡± Bullseye confirmed. ¡°In the event that we are unable to defeat The Ashen Harrow, we have been instructed to retreat to that craft and exit the moon¡¯s surface. We are to head to earth where we will rendezvous with Ministry command and aid in the defense of the planet.¡± Gideon shook his head. ¡°And leave everyone in this base to die?¡± ¡°Yes. If it comes to that. Understand, Gideon, that this option is only to be taken when it becomes clear that there is no path to victory. It is vital that the three of you survive this encounter. Earth cannot afford to lose you, especially this early in the fight.¡± Red grunted, holding a fork up like he intended to stab someone with it. ¡°Feels like running away to me.¡± The turtle turned to face him. ¡°Yes. That¡¯s exactly what it is. Our orders are to run away if it becomes clear that we cannot defeat the enemy.¡± SIDE MISSION: Flee to Earth If victory is not attainable against The Ashen Harrow you are to board the alien troop carrier and fly it to earth. SURVIVING ECHOES: 3/3 REWARD: 10 Enhancement Points Each ¡°Well, that¡¯s a little depressing,¡± Gideon said with a sigh. ¡°It¡¯s a reality of war,¡± Bullseye said. ¡°Not every fight will end in victory, and you must be prepared to take bold action for the good of the larger war effort. It may not feel courageous or heroic, but obeying commands such as this is paramount to eventual success in this campaign.¡± An uncomfortable silence settled over the group as they considered Bullseye¡¯s words. He¡¯d spoken the truth, of course, but none of them wanted to face the reality that they might very well be heading into a situation that they couldn¡¯t win, a situation that would demand retreat and ultimately mean the death of a thousand or so Ministry personnel and the destruction of a key asset in the fight against the Collective. ¡°Something else of note,¡± Bullseye continued. ¡°It seems that the System has uncovered the nature of the Harrow Cores you collected from the Striders you defeated. They are similar in function to the augment sigils we use to modify the body with special skills and abilities. When applied to a suitable Stalker host, the core will imbue said host with a variety of physical and neurological augmentations required for their given role within the Collective. In the case of the Striders the Harrow Core gifts them the capacity to access and utilize psionic abilities.¡± Gideon nodded. ¡°Can we use them? For a weapon, or to augment ourselves?¡± ¡°Perhaps, with time, we will understand more, but at this stage it seems that the cores are hardwired to function with Stalkers. Once environmental sigils for your team are complete, Maddox will be devoting more time and energy to uncovering further uses for the cores. They have been returned to your inventory in the meantime however. Given that retreat may be necessary.¡± ¡°And what about Blue?¡± Gideon asked. ¡°The alien is with Maddox and seems quite content to remain there. It has demonstrated no aggressive tendencies, but the Commander has ordered a guard to remain with the entity as a precaution. As you have already determined, the creature seems to ingest and exude ether, though we are yet to understand the exact nature of this function and why the Stalker brought the creature here in the first place. The current theory is that it is a kind of living ether reserve, a battery, if you will, that the Stalkers draw upon while they are engaged in military action.¡± Red leaned back in his chair, punctuating an end to the conversation with a loud burp. He smiled, slapping his stomach contentedly. ¡°That hit the spot. Eggs and bakey!¡± Mia waved a hand in front of her face, pushing back her chair and standing. ¡°Oh God, I can smell your insides.¡± ¡°Enjoy,¡± Red offered with a broad grin. There were still many unanswered questions, but the clock on Gideon¡¯s HUD confirmed that it was time to get moving. He felt a mixture of excitement and trepidation as he stood and walked with the others toward Maddox¡¯s workshop, Bullseye held under one arm. Gideon: This could be bad. This fight I mean. Bullseye: Correct. We do not have a reliable measure of how strong this enemy will be and even with all your team has accomplished thus far, we are unprepared for such a powerful foe. Gideon: I thought you were supposed to be my tutor? Doesn¡¯t that mean you should be encouraging me? Bullseye: There is no benefit in deception, Gideon. I will be brutally honest wherever possible because anything less may put you in grave danger. Gideon: Great. Thanks for being honest I guess. They entered the workshop where Maddox handed Mia and Red their environmental sigils. Blue watched them as the sigils were attached, waddling over to stand next to Gideon and hold his hand as they both watched. Mia grinned as she caught sight of the little creature. ¡°That¡¯s adorable,¡± she cooed. ¡°You look like you¡¯re taking him to his first day at school.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Red said, ¡°except it¡¯s an alien so that little bastard¡¯s probably a thousand years old.¡± It took a few moments for Gideon to extricate himself from the alien at which point the group moved to the airlock where they were met by Book and Commander Moynahan. ¡°You¡¯ve got about twenty minutes left on the clock,¡± the Commander said. ¡°Plenty of time to get around to the front of the station and face this bozo.¡± She looked them up and down, tight lipped. ¡°I¡¯m not exaggerating when I tell you that the fate of a thousand souls is in your hands. If you fail at this, we all die.¡± Moynahan looked straight at Gideon. ¡°But you need to know that the most important aspect of this fight is that you survive. We¡¯re significantly outmatched in this fight and you three are the only echoes we currently have engaged in combat. That makes you the most precious commodity on this base. So, when I tell you to get off this rock the moment it looks like the fight can¡¯t be won, I¡¯m being deadly serious. Do you understand?¡± Her eyes were locked on Gideons as he nodded. The truth was, he didn¡¯t feel confident at all that he¡¯d make the right decision if it came to it. He didn¡¯t even know what the right decision was. Follow orders and abandon the base and everyone in it or keep fighting a losing battle and risk losing everything. Hopefully he wouldn¡¯t have to make that decision. Commander Moynahan moved from person to person, shaking their hands firmly and nodding to each. Book stood behind her, head bowed as though in prayer. ¡°Alright, get out there and give this guy hell,¡± Moynahan barked. ¡°We¡¯re all counting on you.¡± Gideon led the squad out into the barren surface of the moon. Mia and Red took a few moments to adjust to the fact that they no longer needed an EV suit or Gravity Tether but they quickly adapted. Gideon was holding Bullseye with one hand, leading the group towards the front of the base where The Ashen Harrow was waiting. ¡°As soon as we figure out the most effective kind of damage to deal against this guy, we pile it on,¡± Gideon said. ¡°If that turns out to be poison then it will be on you to keep the damage going Mia while we keep him away from you.¡± She nodded. ¡°And if it¡¯s earth then Red will need to keep triggering his AOE attack. Got it.¡± Red frowned as they rounded the corner of the base, and the enemy came into view. ¡°What if none of the damage works?¡± ¡°Something will work,¡± Gideon said with much more confidence than he was feeling. ¡°We¡¯re just trying to find out if this guy has a special weakness, something we can exploit to do more damage faster. If he doesn¡¯t have weaknesses then we¡¯ll just need to keep hitting him until he¡¯s dead.¡± ¡°One more thing,¡± Bullseye said. ¡°To date, most of the enemies you have faced have used limited AOE attacks against you. A poison cloud is about the worst of it, but from what we know of The Ashen Harrow, he will produce considerably more AOE damage, so movement will be key in this fight.¡± Red raised a hand while he was walking. Gideon turned to him with a smile. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Red shrugged. ¡°Just one thing. What the hell is AOE and how to I stop it?¡± Gideon and Mia chuckled. ¡°Area of effect damage,¡± Mia explained. ¡°It means the ground is gonna be on fire, or there will be a cloud of ash, or something like that. Like Bullseye said, it will be like the poison cloud but with different types of damage. The longer you stay in it the more damage is dealt, so you¡¯ll need to keep moving to get out of the danger zones quickly.¡± ¡°Basically,¡± Gideon said, ¡°don¡¯t stay still. Keep moving from place to place and if you sense that something is coming, try to get your ass out of the way before it hits.¡± Red nodded. ¡°Keep moving. Got it.¡± They walked out in front of the base and the enemy came into view. He was standing where they had seen him hours earlier, wreathed in smoke, standing a foot or so taller than Gideon. As they approached the enemy Gideon kept one eye on the mini map on his HUD. They were already well within the figure¡¯s AOE damage zone if the System had correctly estimated it. That wasn¡¯t what made Gideon feel most nervous though. The fact was, they knew next to nothing about this enemy aside from a few painfully brief ability descriptions which didn¡¯t really convey the strength or scope of any of the attacks. That left Gideon with a bunch of questions. Would this guy have bladed weapons, guns, or was he just going to fight with sorcery. Did he only use AOE attacks or would there be single target strikes to deal with as well. Was he a summoner, did he have damaging DOTs or debuffs that could drain Gideon and his companions, reduce their resistances or deal direct damage? Too many questions and the only way to find the answers was to fight and quickly adapt to whatever they experienced. It was a dangerous method at the best of times. On Artemis, they would have the benefit of dozens of years of history where the fighting patterns, defenses, and abilities of every major enemy were catalogued and easily researchable. Here, they had a life and death struggle with an enemy of unknown power and only one chance to get it right. They walked to within twenty yards of the enemy and Gideon felt the now familiar buzz of etheric power emanating from the Harrow Lord. The figure stood motionless, red eyes staring unblinking at the group as they spread out in front of him. Mia move back and to the left, her rifle already out and ready to fire. Red moved to the right, staying close to Gideon and holding his maul in one hand as he grinned like a lunatic, obviously hoping that The Ashen Harrow might be intimidated by his moronic display. Gideon placed Bullseye down on the ground at his feet. Gideon: You gonna be good down here? Bullseye: Yes. That will be fine. Gideon noticed that the little turtle was missing its bubble. Gideon: How are you still breathing out here?¡± Bullseye: Maddox was good enough to build a fourth sigil for me. She modeled it on yours, so it was a little faster to construct. Gideon noticed a second tattoo just behind the first one on Bullseye¡¯s shell. He turned back to the enemy, waiting to see who would make the first move and checking his spell options. ¡°Greetings, soulless,¡± the Harrow Lord said, voice deep and resonant. ¡°I am pleased it is you I will contend with before destroying this settlement. Our meeting was brief, but instructive.¡± ¡°It was you then?¡± Gideon replied. ¡°Back on that black planet.¡± The figure nodded, its head moving almost imperceptibly. ¡°Indeed. You drew our attention because you were the first. You also seem to possess something of the Null, so we thought it wise to converse with you. But you were unwilling to treat with us, and you seem unaware of your gift.¡± ¡°Null? What is that? What does that mean.¡± The smoke surrounding the Harrow Lord lessened and he seemed to become more real, more solid. Slowly, he raised his hands to either side and blades slid out from his sleeves glinting with molten fire that dripped from their edges like poison. ¡°It matters not, for you will soon be dead and your story will be at an end.¡± Gideon was about to reply when the stone beneath his feet erupted with fire. 42. Preliminaries Gideon stumbled backwards, his skin scorched by the sudden eruption of fire and stone. Hot coals battered his body as he started to run and triggered Shadow Charge in order to clear the area and get to safety. He emerged just outside the radius of the attack and turned to see a ring of fire and jagged rock surrounding The Ashen Harrow. The figure stood with arms still outstretched, twin molten blades extended out to either side and dripping liquid fire. A quick glance to the left confirmed that Mia had managed to stay clear of the worst of the damage, but Red had been caught right in the middle of it along with Gideon. The brawler had also opted to charge straight toward the enemy rather than away from danger. ¡°Shit!¡± Gideon blurted, watching as Red charged toward the enemy, his armor on fire. Bullseye: What is he doing?! Gideon: I don¡¯t know! Etherically charged shots flew toward the enemy but he deflected each with deft swings of his swords and Mia was forced to pull up as Red charged into her line of sight. She cursed, running around in a wide arc to reposition herself and hopefully get a clear shot at the enemy without taking out Red. Having the brawler in close limited her options though and explosive rounds were out of the question now. Red also wasn¡¯t likely to last long against those swords considering that most of his abilities were offensive in nature and he didn¡¯t have the greatest sense of self-preservation or situational awareness. Gideon: We need to get in there! Bullseye: What about the plan? Gideon: The plan is screwed, he¡¯s gonna die if we don¡¯t do something. Gideon was already running. He¡¯d seen Bullseye out of the corner of his eye and could make out each of his allies as green dots on the mini map. The ball of shimmering light around the turtle indicated that Bullseye¡¯s protective abilities had shielded him from the worst of the AOE damage, but as he ran towards the enemy he triggered his new Juggernaut spell and grew to five times his usual side as he charged at the Harrow Lord. Gideon triggered Phantom Step, pouring ether into the spell to enlarge its reach and appearing behind the figure just before the Harrow Lord plunged both daggers into Red¡¯s unprotected chest. The brawler had been knocked back by a deflecting strike and was reeling as Gideon¡¯s ability disrupted the enemy attack. He tried to leverage off the momentum of the moment, thrusting both talons up into the Harrow Lord¡¯s body, but the figure vanished into smoke, moving through space in the blink of an eye to come up beside Gideon and thrust both blades toward his back. Gideon moved quickly, bringing both of his talons down and deflecting the stabbing thrusts of The Ashen Harrow¡¯s blades, but catching the edge of one of the molten swords in the ribs as he defended himself. Searing pain ripped through is side as he stumbled backwards and a spray of blood flew off in an arc from the enemy¡¯s sword. Gritting his teeth, Gideon quickly recovered, lunging forward with his left talon. The blow was deflected easily and the Harrow Lord followed up with an elbow to the face that cracked Gideon¡¯s nose and sent a burst of blinding pain through his skull before one of the burning blades drove toward his heart. The blade cut into the flesh of his chest but scraped along the side rather than digging deep as the Harrow Lord was driven aside by Bullseye¡¯s charge. The giant turtle gored into the enemy alien, digging his horn into the figure¡¯s back as the Harrow Lord tried to fend the armored brute off with strikes of his swords. Pain racked Gideon¡¯s body from both the cut in his chest and in his side. He turned to see that Red was similarly wounded, already carrying a savage wound on his left arm where the flesh hung open in a jagged tear. He held the maul in his right hand and grunted as he raised the weapon and pointed it at the enemy. ¡°Homeboy¡¯s about to get a hammer up his ass!¡± Gideon turned to see a rapid flurry of gunfire hit the Harrow Lord as he struggled to extricate himself from the giant turtle. A moment later he turned to smoke and reappeared directly in front of Red, thrusting both blades through the brawler¡¯s stomach before he had a chance to defend himself. ¡°NO!¡± Gideon shouted on instinct, lunging forward and triggering Blade Flurry in an attempt to drive back the Harrow Lord. His talons were a blur of black death, glinting in the starlight as they struck at the Harrow Lord again and again. The enemy deflected most of the attacks but now and then Gideon felt the blades cut into flesh, sending gouts of molten fire rather than blood bubbling out into space. Too furious to do anything other than attack, Gideon pressed his advantage, using Dark Rejuvenation as his Flurry attack came to an end. The Harrow Lord struck back immediately, swiping and thrusting his molten swords with more speed and skill than Gideon had ever witnessed even in all his years of watching The Great Hunt. If it wasn¡¯t for the spell he¡¯d just triggered, Gideon knew he¡¯d already be dead. ¡°Red need heals!¡± he shouted, trying desperately to hold back the Harrow Lord¡¯s attack as his wounds were restored but fresh injuries sprang up all over his body. ¡°I¡¯ve got him!¡± Mia called back. ¡°On my way too!¡± Bullseye shouted. This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. Twin beams of blistering crimson light shot into the side of the Harrow Lord¡¯s body, driving him of balance just as he was about to land a killing blow against Gideon. The laser burst forced the enemy to blink out of existence again, reappearing beside the enlarged turtle where he hacked and slashed at Bullseye¡¯s shell. Gideon spun around to see Red running up, his wounds healed as Mia repositioned herself and began firing venom rounds at the Harrow Lord. The sickly emerald bullets shot like tracer rounds thudding into the enemy¡¯s body and sending up threads of green mist as they connected. The Harrow Lord visibly stumbled backwards, temporarily pulling back from his fight with Bullseye before slamming the ground with both blades and sending vast cracks of molten rock snaking outward from where he stood. Bullseye was sent hurtling up, spinning end over end with fire licking at his enlarged form. Gideon dove to one side in an effort to avoid a huge line of erupting rock and Red did likewise, narrowly avoiding the burst. ¡°Venom!¡± Mia shouted. ¡°That hurt him! I¡¯ll get as much damage in as I can manage, but someone¡¯s gonna have to keep him away from me.¡± ¡°On it!¡± Gideon said, already running toward the enemy and checking his available spells. He was no match for the Harrow Lord in skill, but if the venom was doing damage, all he had to do was keep the enemy occupied and survive long enough for the others to deal damage. While he was still a good distance away, Gideon triggered Shadow Charge, coming up in front of the Harrow Lord and slamming his talons into the ground. Instead of the cloaked figure, he was met by a thick cloud of ash which obscured everything in the area. Gideon coughed, looking around for some sign of the enemy as the ash bit his throat and burned his nostrils. ¡°I can¡¯t see him, where¡¯d he go?!¡± ¡°Can¡¯t see either,¡± Mia said. ¡°There¡¯s just a massive cloud of ash everywhere.¡± ¡°Just start swinging,¡± Red offered unhelpfully. ¡°Maybe you¡¯ll hit something.¡± Gideon blinked, trying to see through the murk and unable to breathe. The ash was doing something to his body, burning it from the inside, making him slower and causing his vision to blur. He needed to get clear, but he wasn¡¯t thinking straight. ¡°Get out of there!¡± Mia yelled. ¡°I concur,¡± Bullseye said. ¡°Your vitals are dropping rapidly, Gideon. You must MOVE!¡± Gideon turned and started running. At least, that¡¯s what he intended. In actual fact, the best he could manage was a stumbling shuffle, little better than a crawl. His talons had retracted and he felt the cool rock in his hands as he crawled along the moon¡¯s surface. He coughed and spluttered, eyes burning, throat and lungs on fire. His hands were shaking and it felt like his skin was on fire. ¡°You need to get out!¡± Mia pressed. There was a spell he could use, wasn¡¯t there? Something to move from one place to another quickly. He should ask Gonzo about it. He was a greasy bastard but he knew everything there was to know about the Burger Bin. No. That was wrong. Gary wasn¡¯t at the Burger Bin. This wasn¡¯t some kitchen fire, and he wasn¡¯t crawling along the oil slick surface of a burger dive. ¡°Gideon!¡± Who¡¯s voice was that. Was it his mother? Jini? Some part of his mind flashed back to the present and Gideon triggered Phantom Step without even knowing what it was. He shot through space, spat out of the ashen cloud and tumbling onto the stone. His lungs still burned and it was difficult to see, but clarity began to return as he stood shakily to his feet, checking the mini map on his HUD to confirm that Red had made it out. The ash cloud vanished as quickly as it had appeared. A single figure stood at the center of the area looking exactly as he had when they¡¯d first laid eyes on him. Gideon knew instinctively that the Harrow Lord had fully healed from any wounds he¡¯d taken. The figure still held his molten swords, but they were held up across his chest almost casually. ¡°Why do you not use the Null, Soulless?¡± The Ashen Harrow asked. ¡°Why do you fight without your most fearsome weapon?¡± Gideon shook his head, clearing his thoughts. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about. What is the Null?¡± The other figure walked closer, moving across the moon¡¯s surface with his smoky cloak making it seem as though he hovered rather than walked. From behind, Gideon saw Bullseye walk up beside Mia and return to his usual size. Red was off to the left, keeping his distance for once as he hefted the maul. ¡°Curious,¡± the Harrow Lord continued. ¡°You wield the Null and yet know nothing of it. How is this possible?¡± Gideon shrugged. ¡°Just lucky I guess. Maybe if you tell me what the hell the Null actually is, I could give you a better answer.¡± The enemy kept walking toward him, speaking in a tone that was almost friendly. ¡°It is the ender of life, the void, the anti-ether, the devouring storm that will inevitably consume all that is and all that will be.¡± Red snorted. ¡°Super helpful, bro.¡± Gideon ignored the brawler. ¡°And I can use it, this universe ending force?¡± The Harrow Lord nodded. ¡°I have witnessed it myself. When you slayed the Strider who connected us to one another. It must have recognized your gift and thought that you would seek an audience with I and my companions. But clearly that was not the case.¡± ¡°How do I use it then?¡± Gideon pressed. ¡°This Null. How do I fight with it?¡± Something like laughter rumbled from the other figure as he came to a stop ten feet from where Gideon stood. ¡°Why would I instruct and enemy on the means of my defeat, Soulless? Honor is one thing, but handing one¡¯s weapon to an enemy is quite another. No, I will not speak of the Null again and you will die as I prophesied.¡± Gideon triggered Dusk Veil the moment the Harrow Lord said those final words. That act saved his life as the enemy threw his molten swords out like throwing stars, sending them flying end over end so quickly that they appeared to be discs of molten edged flames. The twirling blades narrowly missed Gideon as he dodged to the left and ran toward the Harrow Lord. A stream of bullets hit the enemy from behind as Mia opened fire and Gideon summoned his talons and triggered Abyssal Pierce just as the spinning sword blades returned to The Ashen Harrow¡¯s outstretched hands. One blade cut into Gideon¡¯s shoulder as he thrust forward, but the wound was worth the price buying him the space he needed to drive his right talon into the Harrow Lord¡¯s body. The blade cut deep, causing molten blood to flow down the talon and onto Gideon¡¯s wrist. He cried out in pain as the Harrow Lord¡¯s blood burned his flesh, causing it to bubble and come up in welts. He tried to pull back, retracting the talon but the enemy¡¯s hand shot out and grabbed his wrist, holding it firm and pulling him in close as the blood flowed. ¡°Thus is the price for your theft, little one,¡± the figure said. ¡°Your kind will perish for their pride, their impudence.¡± Glowing green bullets continued to pepper the Harrow Lord¡¯s body, but he seemed unaffected by the damage they were doing. Up this close, Gideon could see the faint outline of the figure¡¯s face, a grim mask of dark bone, blazing red eyes hidden beneath a jutting brow. He triggered Dusk Veil and felt the instant release of agony as he melded into the shadows and escaped the Harrow Lord¡¯s grip, darting out of range just as Red came thundering in with his maul. The brawler swung the hammer, but The Ashen Lord deflected the swing with a two-handed defense. ¡°Enough!¡± the figure shouted, raising his hands into the air, smoke curling violently around his fingers. ¡°Tend to me, Council of Elders and consider my deeds. I offer this sign as a marker of victory!¡± He thrust his hands down and the ground cracked out from where he stood, fracturing in a wave of shattered rock that rippled outwards. The stone floor for fifty feet shuddered and shook, like a localized quake and then Gideon and his crew were falling, tumbling down with the rock into the depths below. 43. Null Strike When the dust settled, Gideon and the others were standing in a crater, fifty feet wide and thirty feet deep. The ground below was a knotted landscape of jagged rock and molten lava, webbing out from the Harrow Lord and making it difficult to move more than a few feet in any direction. ¡°Everyone okay?!¡± Gideon called out. ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Mia replied. ¡°I survived the fall,¡± Bullseye confirmed. Red grunted. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m here too, but where is¡ª¡± Gideon saw the brawler nearby just as the Harrow Lord appeared, blades a flash of crimson and yellow as they cut into the meat of his right shoulder and Red tried desperately to defend himself. He struck out with the sharp end of his maul, but the enemy had turned to smoke and vanished. Mia yelped as the figure appeared in front of her, one blade slicing through the air and cutting a gash out of her throat, sending her to the ground, blood spraying. She fell to the ground, golden light swelling around her hand as she pressed it to the wound. The Harrow Lord then appeared in front of Gideon, slashing out in a flurry of strikes which he barely managed to defend against before vanishing again in a cloud of smoke and reappearing next to Red. This time the brawler was ready, shifting his stance and using the haft of his maul to block the first strike from the enemy, but failing to stop the second and third that cut the meat of his legs and send him crumpling to the ground. ¡°He¡¯s too fast!¡± Red blurted as a stream of healing shot toward him from Mia on the opposite side of the crater. That beam of healing was cut short before the job was done as the Harrow Lord appeared again in front of her, this time driving a blade through her gut before vanishing and appearing in front of Gideon. Keen to end this display, Gideon triggered Shadow Smite, slamming both talons together and sending out a stunning percussive blast that hit the enemy head on as he appeared. That blast should have stunned the Harrow Lord and forced him to stay in place, compelled to attack Gideon. But instead, the figure drove a molten blade into Gideon¡¯s shoulder, seeming to deliberately miss vital organs before vanishing again. As Bullseye triggered his laser eye ability in an attempt to cut down the enemy, Gideon realized two things. First, his usual aggro generating abilities weren¡¯t going to work against the Harrow Lord. Second, the enemy was playing with them. At first he¡¯d thought he was imagining things, but Gideon couldn¡¯t mistake what he¡¯d seen as the enemy drove its blade into his shoulder. A thin crimson line had crooked up at the ends, forming a smile on the Harrow Lord¡¯s gruesome face. Despite the apparent finality of his words, The Ashen Harrow was toying with them, zipping from foe to foe as though this was some kind of practice session. He delivered wounds that were severer enough to keep each member of the team down, but not enough to kill them outright. Then it struck Gideon. This wasn¡¯t play he was witnessing but a deliberate method. The way that the ground had been broken up with lava and rock keeping each member of Gideon¡¯s team separated. The regular wounds, causing blood to flow but without killing any of the team. It was a ceremony, some kind of Harrow Collective rite that the Harrow Lord was performing. Even as that idea solidified, Gideon noted the way the Harrow Lord struck Bullseye, picking the turtle up and hurtling it off to the right so that it was equidistant from Mia and Red. The cuts delivered to his companions were also designed to keep them incapacitated, to hold them in place. Gideon had to move. He had to disrupt this ceremony before it was too late. But there was something else. A pattern he was beginning to recognize. Like he¡¯d done with the first Phantom he¡¯d encountered, Gideon could see a method to the apparently random movements of the enemy and, if he moved out of place, that pattern would likely change. ¡°What do we do?!¡± Mia cried out, healing yet another wound on her right arm. ¡°I can¡¯t keep this up much longer!¡± ¡°Ditto!¡± Red agreed, blocking a series of attacks before being hamstrung and crying out in pain as a result. Gideon could see it now, as clear as day. He needed a ranged weapon and quickly sorted through his inventory to pull out the Viper bow, not even bothering to defend against the Harrow Lord¡¯s attack as he drove a blade through Gideon¡¯s side. The pain was excruciating but Gideon bit down against the agony, raising the bow and aiming directly for Mia¡¯s head. She was standing thirty feet away, but Gideon was confident he could make the shot, confident it would hit home and give him the advantage he would need. ¡°Gid?!¡± she called out in confusion. ¡°What are you¡ª¡± He fired the bow, storing the weapon the moment the arrow left the string and triggering Phantom Step to reach Mia as the arrow struck. The timing was impossibly close, but before the arrowhead drove itself into Mia¡¯s forehead the Harrow Lord appeared, facing away from the attack as it drove through the smoky fabric of his cloak and into the base of his skull. The Harrow Lord grunted, staggering backwards just as Gideon appeared behind him, one talon pressed against the figure¡¯s throat, the other driving into his side with all the force and ether Gideon could channel. He wasn¡¯t even sure which spell he triggered as he poured etheric power into the thrust, jamming his right talon deep into the Harrow Lords side and pushing it up to where he hoped the figure¡¯s heart was. Gideon had no reason to believe that this creature had similar biology to humans. Just because it looked humanoid didn¡¯t mean there were any similarities between species at the biological level, but he had nothing else to go on. ¡°There!¡± the Harrow Lord said, stumbling forward with Gideon at his back. ¡°There you have it!¡± He fell to his knees, smoke and molten blood leaking from the wound in his side as Gideon pressed his attack. ¡°So, you can command the Null after all?¡± Gideon strained, his muscles tense as he held the Harrow Lord in check, forcing him down to his knees, the talon at the enemy¡¯s neck now pressing into The Ashen Harrow¡¯s throat. He puzzled over the figure¡¯s words, confused but determined to end the foe as quickly as possible. ¡°Perhaps our seers speak truth,¡± the Harrow Lord gurgled. ¡°Perhaps you will signal an end to the Collective after all, Soulless.¡± Gideon saw it then, as he gripped the enemy and felt the strength slowly drain from the figure¡¯s body. He was leaning over the Harrow Lord, staring down at his chest and the molten blood pouring down from the wound in his neck. The talon, Gideon¡¯s talon wasn¡¯t just black as midnight, it had shifted to something else, something impossible. It wasn¡¯t just dark, it wasn¡¯t just a solid object covered in dark coloring, it was¡­an absence. The blade wasn¡¯t there, and yet it clearly was. It cut into the Harrow Lord¡¯s ashen flesh pressing past the figure¡¯s natural defenses and cutting with an impossible edge, a Null edge. Gideon couldn¡¯t explain what he was seeing. The blade was there and not there at the same time. It was like the absence of a blade. Not simply an invisible weapon, but a non-weapon, the impossible negation of reality that cut through the real. The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. He remembered, at that moment, his strike against the first Strider¡¯s Psionic Cortex. His borrowed Stalker talons had done the same thing back then as well. This was the Null power the Harrow Lord had spoken about. Pain cascaded up his arms, burning the flesh as smoke rose from the wounds at the Harrow Lord¡¯s chest and side. It should have been excruciating but Gideon was too transfixed by the mesmerizing view of his left talon, an impossible blade that should not exist. He slumped to the ground as the enemy figure fell to his knees, seeming to diminish as molten blood flowed out onto the broken rock. ¡°What was this thing?¡± Gideon asked, his voice barely above a whisper. ¡°Why wound us like this without killing us?¡± Blood bubbled put of the Harrow Lord¡¯s mouth as he spoke, his voice still rich and clear despite his grievous injuries. ¡°It is a blessing, a sign to pave the way for conquest. It is always thus. The first great victory is offered up in tribute.¡± ¡°Well, it looks like your tribute is royally screwed.¡± A deep rumble of laughter spilled from the Harrow Lord¡¯s mouth as he slumped lower his body starting to become insubstantial to the point where Gideon was having trouble keeping hold of the figure. ¡°A sacrifice is all that is required, once the forms have been observed. It matters not whose blood is spilled provided that blood is potent.¡± He coughed, his body now little more than a wilted torso in the ragged remains of the dark cloak. Even the Harrow Lord¡¯s eyes had begun to dim, shifting to a dull ruby glow. ¡°I had thought to offer your own blood, the blood of the first Soulless to make contact with our kind. But my own blood will suffice.¡± Gideon shook his head. ¡°I wasn¡¯t the first to make contact. You¡¯d already killed dozens of us by the time I turned up. Hundreds!¡± ¡°Cattle for the slaughter. Lesser incarnations of your species, not those with ether forged bodies.¡± ¡°Echoes?¡± Gideon breathed. ¡°I was the first person in an echo.¡± The pain in Gideon¡¯s arms began to quickly subside as a golden light shone around him. He looked up to see Mia standing beside him along with Red holding Bullseye. Gideon slid back his talons and moved back, letting the Harrow Lord¡¯s remains fall against the ground. There was very little left of the creature other than a small mound of hardened larva and a few scraps of cloth, the remnants of his robe. A swell of crimson light filled the crater, accompanied by the emergence of a series of alien looking symbols that floated in the air above the rock. ¡°What the shit is this now?¡± Red asked as they backed away. The crimson symbols rose higher, enlarging and twisting slowly as they ascended to the lip of the crater. Once there, they burst apart, exploding like fireworks while Gideon and his crew watched from below. A blood red pattern emerged from the stone all around them, bleeding up from beneath the moon¡¯s surface to form a strange collection of symbols. Gideon imagined what those symbols might look like from a bird¡¯s eye view but struggled to make sense of them. ¡°Guess The Ashen Harrow got what he was after in the end,¡± Gideon mused. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Mia asked. ¡°Some kind of ceremony or offering. Sounds like it¡¯s something they do whenever they start a war.¡± She nodded. ¡°Well, better him than us I guess.¡± Still holding Bullseye, Red stepped forward and kicked the Harrow Lord¡¯s remains so hard the ashen pile disintegrated. He stood over the dead lord for a moment before thrusting both arms in the air triumphantly, Bullseye still held in one hand. ¡°Nut punch!¡± Gideon snorted with laughter. ¡°In what possible way is that a nut punch? There¡¯s nothing left of him.¡± ¡°Still counts!¡± Red insisted. ¡°Put me down you brute!¡± Bullseye barked. Red obliged, lowering the little turtle and handing him to Gideon. ¡°So, we did it?!¡± Mia said half questioning. ¡°Guess so,¡± Gideon replied. ¡°We did indeed!¡± Bullseye said triumphantly. ¡°A tremendous accomplishment and one that we should truly celebrate.¡± MISSION COMPLETED: Kill The Ashen Harrow You have successfully killed the Harrow Lord and protected the Lunar Station and every soul within it from certain annihilation. In doing so, you have also defended a vital strategic asset from the Collective invasion force and given humanity a fighting chance of survival. REWARD: 10 Enhancement Points MISSION WITHDRAWN: Flee to Earth ITEMS LOOTED Harrow Lord Core +1 Royal Ether +200 Ether +4000 Endurance +3 Tactical Insight +5 Leadership +3 Diplomacy +1 Gideon stood for a moment, staring at the Harrow Lord core. Unlike the other Harrow Cores he¡¯d collected from the Striders, this was roughly twice the size and there were bright crimson cracks on the surface of the metal disc as though there was molten larva inside trying to burst out. The disc also gave off a faint etheric energy that made his fingers tingle. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Mia asked, leaning in close. ¡°It¡¯s a core. No idea what it does. There was one inside each of the Striders too, but this one looks different. I guess because it belonged to The Ashen Harrow.¡± ¡°Just Ash now,¡± red quipped, clearly thrilled with his gag while the others frowned in response. Mia turned to Bullseye. ¡°Do you know what this thing is?¡± The little turtle shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m still waiting for the System to finish its analysis. It may be a power source or perhaps the biomechanical equivalent of a heart, or some kind of genealogical marker. Give it time and the System will find the answer.¡± Gideon nodded, slipping the core back into his inventory. He looked up at the edge of the crater. His body had completely healed from the encounter with the Harrow Lord but the truth was he was mentally exhausted, tired beyond words, and for some reason, starving hungry. ¡°Any ideas how we get out of here?¡± He asked. ¡°Can¡¯t you just shadow jump us up there?¡± Red asked. Gideon was about to answer in the negative when he realized that he didn¡¯t actually know the answer to the question. He¡¯d carried Bullseye from place to place during a jump but hadn¡¯t tried moving anyone else. He¡¯d never seen another hunter use a blink or charge ability to carry another individual, but then again he¡¯d never heard of the Shadowguard class before either. ¡°Will that work?¡± he asked the turtle. ¡°Seeing as this isn¡¯t Artemis?¡± ¡°Perhaps. I¡¯d suggest trying it with the brawler. Worst case scenario he won¡¯t survive the trip, and you won¡¯t have to put up with the brute¡¯s snoring any longer.¡± Red laughed, then turned to Bullseye. ¡°Wait. What?¡± Gideon moved too fast for Red to object, grabbing him by the arm and triggering Shadow Charge as he looked up at the lip of the crater. They moved through space, appearing a foot or so in front of the edge of the drop and Red promptly lurched forward and dry wretched. ¡°Guess it does work,¡± Gideon said with a grin. Achievement Awarded: Taxi Cab! Congratulations! You just transported an ally more than twenty feet using a blink ability! Just remember, blinking with impaired judgement is a bad idea, particularly when you¡¯re carrying a passenger. Don¡¯t blink and drive! He turned back and used Phantom Step to blink down next to Mia, leaving Bullseye and Red up top as he appeared beside her. ¡°Okay,¡± she said with a smile, moving in close to him. ¡°I¡¯m ready.¡± He smiled. ¡°Gonna need a minute. Well, twenty seconds or so. Need to recharge.¡± She nodded and he became aware that they were very close to each other, almost hugging. ¡°I can¡¯t believe we won,¡± Gideon offered. ¡°You won,¡± she said, moving even closer and putting a hand around his arm. ¡°The rest of us were just here.¡± He moved to protest, but she continued speaking. ¡°I heard what he said to you, just before he died. All that stuff about you being the first of your species to communicate with the Collective. He meant the echoes didn¡¯t he?¡± ¡°Yeah. I guess to the Collective we¡¯re technically a different species. We¡¯re based on humans but our bodies are integrated into the System, able to absorb and use ether and we can add new skills and abilities, all that stuff.¡± She nodded, still holding his arm. ¡°It¡¯s crazy when you think about it like that, isn¡¯t it. I mean, we¡¯re a new species. Given that we¡¯re at war as well, we may never go back to our old bodies. This is who we are now.¡± He grinned. ¡°Finger¡¯s crossed.¡± Mia looked up and he caught himself. Had he been looking at her chest. He hadn¡¯t, had he? Shit! His cheeks reddened as he checked the cooldown on his Shadow Charge ability. Still twelve seconds to burn and she¡¯d just caught him staring at her chest like a greasy little teenage perv. ¡°Gideon?!¡± The familiar voice that came into his head offered a merciful relief from his embarrassment. ¡°Book?¡± ¡°We¡¯re showing that he¡¯s dead, The Ashen Harrow. Is it true?¡± Gideon smiled, nodding. ¡°Yeah. He¡¯s dead. We¡¯re just heading back now.¡± He overheard Book turn to relay his words to someone nearby and the resulting cheer proceeded Book¡¯s response. ¡°Wow. I mean, well done Gideon. Well done to all of you. Commander Moynahan wants to see you when you get back, but you take your time.¡± ¡°Okay, got it.¡± ¡°And thank you, Gideon. From all of us here. We all owe you.¡± He turned back to Mia, tapping a finger against his ear. ¡°Just Book. He must have figured out a way to talk directly into my head.¡± She nodded, smiling. ¡°Yeah I figured.¡± He looked down at her, struck one again by her perfect green eyes, the sharp edges of her eyebrows, the curve of her cheeks. She was still smiling, like she¡¯d just heard the most delicious joke. ¡°What is it?¡± Gideon asked. She leaned in close, whispering in his ear, her breath tickling. ¡°I saw you staring at my chest.¡± He felt a flush of embarrassment run up his spine and began frantically searching for some excuse, some way to back pedal. But she held him close and kept speaking. ¡°I didn¡¯t say I cared.¡± She leaned back, slipping and arm around his and waiting patiently. ¡°Ready when you are,¡± she chirped with a wry smile. Gideon¡¯s cheeks were on fire. He blinked them both to the top of the crater studiously avoiding her eyes as Red made a kissy kissy gesture with his lips and they began walking back to the lunar station. 44. To Earth They were greeted by applause and cheering as they moved through the airlock and into the base. Book, and Moynahan were waiting for them, all wearing a smile except the Commander. The cheers devolved into pats on the back and handshakes as they made their way through the gathered crowd. The station staff were elated, some were even crying as they shook Gideon¡¯s hand and offered their thanks. It was a profoundly strange moment on the back of many such moments since he¡¯d first awoken on the moon what felt like years earlier. ¡°Come with me,¡± Moynahan said as they drew near. She spun around and walked to a nearby hallway, without a backward glance. ¡°I guess we¡¯re following her,¡± Mia suggested. ¡°Guess so,¡± Gideon agreed. He turned back to see Red standing with his arms held up smiling and stirring up the crowd. ¡°Doinkmaster Supreme!¡± he said, trying to get the surrounding people to start chanting the absurd name. Despite his attempts they ended up chanting the name Red over and over again and he eventually relented, joining in and jamming a fist in the air in time to the shouting. Gideon motioned for him to follow and eventually the brawler got the message, though it was clear that he could have stayed basking in the adulation of the station staff for hours if they let him. They made their way into the Commander¡¯s office and Book shut the door behind them. Moynahan wore her usual grim expression as she spoke. ¡°Firstly, well done on killing that thing. There¡¯s still a lot we don¡¯t understand about the Collective and their invasion plans but putting that bastard in the ground has brought us precious time and allowed us to get some better defenses in place so we can hopefully keep this place running.¡± ¡°Hopefully?¡± Gideon asked. The Commander nodded. ¡°We¡¯re outnumbered by a ridiculous factor. If the Collective decides they really want this place there¡¯s not much we can do to stop them.¡± Red screwed up his face. ¡°I thought we just saved your asses though?¡± ¡°You did. Until the next wave of enemies drops on our heads. Like I said, you¡¯ve brought us time and that¡¯s incredibly important. There¡¯s also a chance now that the enemy will consider this base too costly to take, considering how little strategic value it would be to their efforts. So, they might not come back.¡± Gideon nodded. ¡°But they could just wipe this place out if they wanted to?¡± ¡°Exactly,¡± Moynahan said grimly. ¡°Fact is, that little display out there when The Ashen Harrow died was some kind of ritual the Collective likes to do when they start a campaign. To us this might seem like a victory, but to the Collective all that matters was that their ritual was performed. Could be that this whole skirmish was just some kind of blood price for that ritual. From what we¡¯re learning the Collective does this kind of thing.¡± ¡°So,¡± Mia said, ¡°it was all for nothing then?¡± The Commander shook her head. ¡°Not for nothing. As I said, you¡¯ve given us time and perhaps the Collective will reconsider sending a larger force seeing as this base offers no real strategic value to them. It¡¯s incredibly valuable to us but doesn¡¯t give them anything they need.¡± ¡°And what news of earth?¡± Bullseye said. ¡°Has the enemy sent ground forces as yet?¡± Moynahan nodded. ¡°They have. They landed in three separate locations just after you killed that Ashen bastard. I think they were waiting for the ritual to be completed before they hit.¡± ¡°Where abouts?¡± Mia asked. ¡°Silicon Valley, Washington D.C., and New Artemis.¡± Gideon frowned. ¡°New Artemis? Isn¡¯t that¡ª¡± ¡°Australia,¡± the Commander said. ¡°Used to be a city named Brisbane but the Ministry snaffled it up and renamed it ten years ago as part of some deal with the local government. Apparently the locals get free power and water for life and in exchange all they had to do was give up a whole city to the Ministry.¡± She tapped a button on the side of her table and a holographic map showed a top-down view of a city straddling a winding river. ¡°This is New Artemis,¡± she said, pointing to several blocks that were colored light blue, ¡°and these are Ministry assets in the area.¡± ¡°So,¡± Gideon said, looking down at the map, ¡°basically the whole city is Ministry assets?¡± ¡°Correct. It¡¯s the main Ministry hub on the planet and it¡¯s where the Ministry does most of their research and development. This is also where they house their largest echo manufacturing facility here on earth.¡± She pointed to a southern section of the map, an area that looked almost like an island except that it was connected to the large land mass to the southeast. ¡°This is where you¡¯ll be heading next. Fighting has already started here and here, but the Ministry has been able to hold them off for now. The whole city is a secure location so they have the best possible defenses and a sizable army stationed in the region. But here¡¯s the problem.¡± She zoomed in on one particular building in the middle of the island area. ¡°Right now, the Ministry is trying to assemble several squads of echoes to join the fight. Based on the work you¡¯ve done up here, they¡¯ve decided that assembling small groups of echoes will be the most effective way to fight back, rather than trying to put together an entire battalion. Considering how effective you¡¯ve been at fighting the Collective, I think it¡¯s a sound strategy, but the problem is, they¡¯re not set up for that kind of thing.¡± Book nodded. ¡°There¡¯s a prohibition against using echoes on earth which was established when the Ministry first began sending ether back from Artemis in large quantities. Governments of the world were resistant to the idea of the Ministry controlling what are effectively super soldiers, so they mandated that Echoes could only be used off world and on Artemis.¡± A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. ¡°Correct,¡± Moynahan continued. ¡°They are permitted to do limited testing of echoes here as well as manufacture, but that¡¯s it. Until now, of course. Given the current state of emergency, the Ministry has decided to breach the prohibition and ask for forgiveness later. They¡¯re using these test and production facilities to assemble at least another twenty squads of echoes, and it seems the Collective is aware of that fact.¡± ¡°What do you need us to do?¡± Gideon asked. ¡°Once you get your asses down there, keep the enemy busy and protect that facility at any cost. Drive back the enemy for as long as you can, so that the brainiacs can spit out a bunch more echoes to help in the fight. That¡¯s your primary mission.¡± NEW MISSION: Buying Time Assist Artemis Ministry forces in holding back the Collective so that new echo soldiers can be activated. REWARD: 50 Enhancement Points ¡°Now,¡± the Commander continued, ¡°to the matter of how the hell you¡¯re going to get home. Truth is all of our transports are out of action and the one we did have that was still operational got shot to hell in the enemy strike. So, I¡¯ve got Maddox working on a way to use the Collective troop carrier.¡± Red was practically beaming. ¡°We¡¯re gonna use an alien ship?!¡± ¡°Hopefully. It¡¯s our only way to get you back to earth at the moment but that¡¯s only if Maddox can figure out how to translate the ship¡¯s controls in time. I¡¯ve got a skeleton crew working on one of our vessels, but the truth is it will take at least three days before its up and running so the troop carrier is our best bet.¡± ¡°I¡¯d like to offer my assistance,¡± Bullseye said. ¡°I don¡¯t require sleep, and I would rather my efforts are put towards something beneficial anyway.¡± Moynahan nodded. ¡°Good. I¡¯m sure Maddox will appreciated it.¡± She whistled sharply and a young soldier opened the door to her office. The Commander pointed at the turtle. ¡°Take him to Maddox. He¡¯s gonna help with the ship.¡± The young man nodded and jogged into the room taking Bullseye from Gideon and running off. Moynahan clapped her hands together as though the matter was settled. ¡°Maddox will have the ship ready to leave in fifteen hours,¡± Moynahan said. ¡°So, I¡¯d suggest you get some rest.¡± She caught sight of Book and frowned over at the man, waving for him to speak. ¡°We¡¯re putting together a little celebration dinner for you before you leave, as a thank you for all your efforts. It¡¯ll be in the mess hall at 6am.¡± He tapped his digital tablet. ¡°I¡¯ve sent a reminder to your HUDs.¡± ¡°Good,¡± the Commander broke in. ¡°No, go and get some rest, enjoy the dinner, and I¡¯ll see you in the airlock when you depart.¡± She sat, tapping at the display on the surface of her desk as Book and the others began to make their way out of the room. Gideon considered saying something, but he honestly had no idea what to say. Moynahan didn¡¯t strike him as the most sentimental individual and the fact was, she¡¯d done nothing since they¡¯d arrived but give them orders. He¡¯d also only known this woman for the past day and owed her nothing. The Commander looked up from her display. ¡°Something else, Specialist Gideon?¡± He shrugged. ¡°Just wanted to say thanks, I guess.¡± She smirked, leaning back in her chair. ¡°What for? You saved our asses and did all of this yourself. If you want to thank someone, thank Maddox. She¡¯s the one that kept you alive long enough to make a difference out there.¡± Moynahan returned to her work. ¡°Dismissed,¡± she offered flatly. Gideon walked from her office and joined the others.They left Moynahan¡¯s office and walked out into the platform beneath. Spontaneous applause erupted as the group followed Book down towards the mess hall. Once again, Red raised a hand in the air and tried to get them chanting. The people sitting at computer terminals were less willing to do so, but they still smiled and nodded in appreciation as the group passed by, offering applause and a few cheers here and there. Mia sidled up to Gideon as they continued through the station. ¡°You think you¡¯re gonna be able to sleep?¡± He shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m dead tired, but I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°May I suggest,¡± Bullseye interrupted, ¡°that you both spend your enhancement points before heading to sleep. Gideon, you are about to increase in level for the first time and new potential skills will be unlocked.¡± Mia turned to him. ¡°Shit! You¡¯re already at the next level?¡± Gideon stopped walking. ¡°Yeah. Damn it, I completely forgot.¡± He brought up his profile. ¡°Gonna do it right now.¡± She leaned in close as he broadcast his stats. ECHO PROFILE Name: Gideon Blackthorn Class: Shadowguard Level: Initiate Ether: 24550 Royal Ether: 800 Guild: NA Preferred Title: NA CORE ATTRIBUTES Constitution: 17 Strength: 17 Agility: 17 Intelligence: 1 Wisdom: 1 Charisma: 9 Grit: 15 Etheric Aptitude: 7 ¡°What are you thinking?¡± Mia asked, her voice tickling his ear. Thinking I¡¯m gonna have a hell of a time getting to sleep, he thought, heart racing as he felt her breath on the side of his neck. ¡°I figure I¡¯ll stay balanced. Keep pushing Constitution, Strength, and Agility, then spread the rest over Charisma, Grit, and Etheric Aptitude.¡± She pointed at the intelligence stat. ¡°Poor boy. No intelligence.¡± ¡°Not no intelligence. Just very little.¡± She patted his arm. ¡°Never mind. We can¡¯t all be strong and smart.¡± He rolled his eyes. ¡°We both know that¡¯s not what intelligence is.¡± Giving him a condescending look, Mia nodded. ¡°That sounds like something someone with super low intelligence would say.¡± Laughing, Gideon locked in his points and reviewed his profile.¡± CORE ATTRIBUTES Constitution: 20 Strength: 20 Agility: 20 Intelligence: 1 Wisdom: 1 Charisma: 10 Grit: 19 Etheric Aptitude: 10 CLASS LEVEL INCREASE! NEW LEVEL: INITIATE SKILLS UNLOCKED: Luck Null ¡°Oh, Null?¡± Mia said. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Gideon frowned. ¡°I dunno. Never saw it on Artemis before. Luck is pretty standard, but not Null.¡± He looked down at Bullseye. ¡°You seen it before?¡± The little turtle shook his head. ¡°No. It is obviously a product of our current situation. The System is adapting to both the Collective as an enemy and the war in which we currently fight. You can expect a few changes and additions like this.¡± ¡°Shit!¡± Gideon blurted. ¡°The Ashen Harrow spoke about this Null shit. The anti-life or whatever. You think this new skill could be related to that?¡± ¡°Perhaps. You are employing a unique class so it makes sense that there might be unique skills accompanying it. And, as I said, the System is doing its best to adapt to the circumstances we find ourselves in.¡± Gideon nodded. ¡°Okay, well I guess we¡¯ll find out.¡± ¡°Oi!¡± They turned to see Red standing at the end of the corridor with Book by his side. ¡°Stop canoodling!¡± Red shouted far too loud. ¡°You can do that when we get to the sleeping quarters.¡± That brought a round of muffled laughter from station staff nearby as Gideon and Mia started walking again. They caught up to the others and walked together to the sleeping quarters. Book kept walking pointing them in the direction of the bathrooms. ¡°Gents to the left, ladies to the right,¡± he said. ¡°I ordered some fresh clothes for you all and there are towels and soap by the showers.¡± Gideon nodded, checking his HUD clock. ¡°Food in twenty minutes?¡± he asked. ¡°Yeah,¡± Book replied with a smile. ¡°I understand if you¡¯re too tired to eat though.¡± Red snorted. ¡°No chance. I could eat a damned horse.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll be there,¡± Gideon said. ¡°Great! Well, I¡¯ll see you soon.¡± Red left right away, practically sprinting toward the showers and stripping out of his clothes as he ran. Gideon and Mia walked side by side together. ¡°I¡¯m finding it hard to settle down,¡± she said, rubbing a hand through her hair. ¡°My mind is going a million miles an hour.¡± ¡°Yeah, mine too,¡± he said truthfully, his heart thudding as her hand brushed his. Cold shower! I need a cold shower! ¡°I¡¯ll see you in a bit,¡± Mia said, walking off as Gideon headed towards the men¡¯s side of the bathroom. Definitely a cold shower. 45. Celebration Freshly showered, dressed, and hungry, the trio entered the mess hall to the accompanying sound of cheers and applause. That went on for a little while until Book emerged from the crowd and walked up to the group, still holding his data tablet and smiling broadly. ¡°We¡¯ve got a table set up for you over here,¡± he said pointing to a small table and chairs at the front of the room. ¡°Feels like we¡¯re superstars,¡± Red suggested, raising a hand and acknowledging several of the more attractive women looking in his direction. ¡°You are superstars,¡± Book confirmed, ¡°and not just here.¡± As they sat down at the table, he turned on his data pad and showed it to the group. ¡°The Ministry decided to open up the feeds and start broadcasting your fight. They waited until you won, of course, but now this is being shown all across the world.¡± Gideon leaned over and watched the familiar feed screen as it showed first person perspective views of their fight against the Harrow Lord. Judging by the distance from the action, the current feed must have been from Mia¡¯s perspective. A moment later the screen shifted to Red as he charged toward the enemy amid a burst of flame and ash. Unlike the regular feeds there was no corporate advertising along the bottom. Instead, the Artemis Ministry were running recruitment ads for their armed services with slogans like ¡®Join the Fight Today¡¯ written beneath the action. ¡°So, they¡¯re using us for propaganda,¡± Gideon mused. Book nodded. ¡°In essence, yes. They¡¯re hoping that getting an early victory like this might drive up recruitment and help bolster the defense effort back home. The Ministry is even trying to get access to your first few fights so they can show those as well.¡± ¡°They can do that?¡± Mia asked. ¡°Just tap into our echoes and show anything we¡¯re experiencing?¡± ¡°They can. It¡¯s part of the standard echo agreement which you signed before entering your new bodies. Of course, there¡¯s a privacy block in place for anything personal. They have complete broadcasting rights over any fighting, but they won¡¯t show anything of a personal nature or strategic details that might give the enemy an advantage. The footage will also be significantly edited before it¡¯s shown to the public to make sure that nothing of a sensitive nature is revealed.¡± He tapped the screen, showing a different perspective from a long way off. ¡°We¡¯ve only got a few working cameras on the base at the moment, so the Ministry was limited with what it could use. Hence leaning on the first person perspective for the most part. Once you get down to earth though, they¡¯ll have drone cameras, street cams and millions of other ways to capture your movements. They¡¯ll also be able to use that surveillance network to give you a heads up on enemy troop movements and the like.¡± ¡°Curious,¡± Bullseye said, stretching his neck forward to get a clearer look at the screen while he sat in Gideon¡¯s hand. ¡°I note that the feeds seem to favor my companions but there is no footage I can see from my own perspective.¡± Red snorted with laughter. ¡°That¡¯s because no one wants to see the Harrow Lord¡¯s ancles, dude. Your perspective is gonna give everyone a headache.¡± The turtle turned toward red. ¡°I was transformed into a significantly larger size for a good portion of the fight, I¡¯ll have you know, Doinkmaster Supreme!¡± ¡°Oh, shit!¡± Red said, turning to Book. ¡°Is that the name they¡¯re using for me? I lost a bet. Need to make sure that any time I¡¯m mentioned they use my full name.¡± The Communications Officer shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Currently, it looks as though they are referring to you all as the Lunar League.¡± Red screwed up his nose. ¡°Jesus, really? What kind of bullshit is that?¡± ¡°Ministry propaganda,¡± Gideon replied. ¡°They will have had a whole team working on that shit for hours.¡± ¡°Alliteration,¡± said Mia. ¡°Makes it easier to remember and for some reason humans give things more credence if alliteration is involved. They use it in advertising all the time. Coca-Cola. Best Buy. Krispy Kreme.¡± ¡°Lunar League,¡± Red muttered, shaking his head. ¡°Sounds like a really terrible indie band.¡± ¡°They know your names as well,¡± Book added. ¡°But it does look as though they¡¯ve favored Red rather than Doinkmaster.¡± He turned the data pad toward the other man, showing a stat summary which displayed a three-dimensional rendered drawing of Red holding his Bloodspire Maul. Limited details of his various strengths and abilities showed up alongside his portrait and a stream of love hearts and smiley face emojis ran down the side of the feed as an announcer ran through various details of what was being displayed. Mia shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s just like the Hunt, but this is real life. It feels somehow wrong.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Gideon agreed, ¡°especially if shit starts to go bad.¡± ¡°They won¡¯t show it if you die,¡± Book said. ¡°They¡¯ll only show victories and, if necessary, they¡¯ll just keep showing old footage for as long as needed.¡± ¡°Oh, good,¡± Gideon replied. ¡°We¡¯re dead and gone and they keep dragging out our old victories to keep people motivated.¡± ¡°Exactly. I know it¡¯s not the easiest thing to think about, but I just want you to be clear about this. You¡¯re not just soldiers now, you¡¯re icons, heroes. You might even do more good to the overall fight against the Collective as symbols than you do when you fight. It¡¯s an important part of any war effort and the Ministry is short on options, so they¡¯re going to use everything they get from you.¡± Red stood holding up his hand. Gideon shook his head. ¡°For the hundredth time, dude, you don¡¯t need to raise your hand every time you¡¯ve got a question.¡± Red grinned. ¡°Yeah, I know, but it really shits you when I do it. So, these privacy filters, are they gonna kick in when I¡¯m eating or having a shower or making sweet, sweet sexy times?¡± ¡°They will only function whilst you are in the field actively involved in combat,¡± Book replied, ¡°or if you are called upon to address the public directly, answer questions the Ministry supplies, or attend press conferences and that sort of thing.¡± Book turned off the data pad. ¡°Now, you should eat. I¡¯ve asked chef to bring you all the food at once so you can eat as quickly as you like and head off to bed. I¡¯m conscious that you¡¯ve still got a long way to go before you get back home and you¡¯re probably very tired.¡± Gideon nodded. ¡°Thanks Book. We appreciate it.¡± The next hour passed with food and conversation. Red quickly moved away, gravitating toward a group of young women at a nearby table and regaling them with tales of his prowess He even pulled the maul out of his inventory and started showing it off. The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Gideon and Mia ate together, but it rapidly became apparent that their budding relationship was something of a talking point among the lunar station crew. Catching sight of furtive glances and whispered words, Mia frowned. ¡°You wanna get out of here?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Gideon agreed. ¡°Feels like we¡¯re being watched way too closely.¡± ¡°Guess that¡¯s something we¡¯re gonna have to get used to now?¡± ¡°Guess so.¡± They left the celebration and retreated to their sleeping quarters. Driven by passion, they quickly abandoned all pretense of taking it slowly and jumped each other the moment they reached the room. Gideon jammed a chair against the door, hoping that Red wouldn¡¯t join them any time soon anyway. Time blurred as they lost themselves in the moment, thrilling in each other¡¯s bodies and the sheer joy of intimacy and passion. By the time Red finally sauntered into the room, thoroughly inebriated despite the superior abilities of his echo body, Mia and Gideon were both asleep, lying in each other¡¯s arms and sharing a bunk they barely managed to fit into. Gideon woke as the brawler entered the room and broke wind as he tried to launch himself onto one of the top bunks and ended up hitting his head against the ceiling. Red swore, farted a second time and eventually caterpillared his way into the bed before promptly falling asleep and snoring up a storm. Still glowing from the time he¡¯d spent with Mia, Gideon closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep. Darkness surrounded him and he felt the bed shift a little, sinking down to the floor. He opened his eyes but was met by pure darkness rather than the interior of the lunar sleeping quarters. Gideon was also aware that he wasn¡¯t lying down any more, but was standing, his bare feet on cold stone. The area resolved around him, bringing into focus the dull black sphere he had witnessed when he¡¯d merged with the Strider¡¯s cortex. He looked up and saw the ring of captured monsters floating above their hateful stares leering down at him. ¡°What the hell?¡± he asked, his voice sounding muffled. Figures began to emerge from the stone, rising up as indistinct forms that slowly became more vivid. There was a dozen or more, all surrounding Gideon, alien creatures of different kinds, some with armored bodies and horns stretching from their heads, others with tentacles or dark, matted fur. One of the creatures looked like a Stalker, but its dark plat armor was lined with gold trimming and its teeth were vivid white. Gideon looked from one to the other. He tried to summon his talons but as with his previous experience in this place, his weapons were unavailable. ¡°I¡¯m guessing you¡¯re the Collective then,¡± he said. ¡°Or some kind of ruling council or whatever?¡± One of the figures moved forward, her lithe form surrounded by dark mist. She was tall, clothed in a dark blue dress that shimmered with gold trimming and various strange symbols sewn into the fabric. Twin horns stretched from her forehead and twisted to the left and right, and her skin was light blue, her lips and eyebrows punctuated with a darker shade. Golden chains hung from her neck and around her horns, with glinting gems positioned at even intervals along their length. A dark blue hood covered the back of her head, its surface etched with golden symbols that echoed those on her dress. Her hips swayed seductively as she moved toward Gideon, her hands held at her waist, every movement slow and deliberate as though perfectly choreographed. She stared at him with light blue eyes that never blinked, an aura of mist surrounding her as though she had just emerged from a hot bath into frigid air. ¡°You are correct, Soulless. We speak for the Collective. We rule a thousand worlds and direct the affairs of the Harrow.¡± Gideon nodded. ¡°I figured. So, what¡¯s this then? You¡¯re reaching me while I¡¯m dreaming?¡± ¡°We seek to understand you, Soulless. We wish to better know our enemy but those we have slain thus far offer no answers. We have broken with tradition and seek now to converse with you while you still live in the hope of learning what we can.¡± ¡°So, you can figure out how to kill us more easily? Forget it. I¡¯m not saying shit.¡± She shook her head slowly, as though moving underwater. ¡°Not all of you will die, Soulless. You have already proven yourself worthy of inclusion within the Collective. In besting The Ashen Harrow you have won a place for your kind. Thus, once the lesson has been taught and your people have been punished for their crimes, some of you will be selected to take your place among us. It is for this reason that we wish to better understand you.¡± Gideon stopped short of replying right away. They wanted him to join the Collective? Or rather, wanted whoever survived. But did that mean they wanted echoes or humans? Did they even know what Gideon actually was, how his consciousness had been transferred to this body? ¡°I don¡¯t get it,¡± Gideon said. ¡°Why bother fighting us. If you want us to join your Collective, why not just meet with our leaders and make a deal?¡± She smiled, but the gesture never reached her eyes. ¡°There must be recompence, Soulless. Your kind have plundered our etheric fields, that sacrilege must be answered with war.¡± Gideon wondered whether he should have pumped more points into his Charisma after all. It was crazy that this had landed in his lap. What the hell did a burger boy know about interstellar diplomacy. Come on Star Trek, don¡¯t fail me now! ¡°You¡¯re going to spend a lot of resources going to war,¡± he reasoned. ¡°You¡¯ll loose people and, if I remember correctly, you¡¯ve just come from waging a war somewhere else. Wouldn¡¯t it be easier to just ask my people to pay back what they took? Maybe there¡¯s a way we can make it up to you over time without both sides losing a lot of resources with this war.¡± She shook her head. ¡°The Collective do not offer diplomacy to those who have proven themselves untrustworthy, Soulless. You breached our boundaries and failed to heed our demands to cease. You plundered our hunting grounds in full knowledge of your crimes.¡± ¡°Wait. We knew? You mean, when our ships first came to Artemis you told us to leave?¡± ¡°A delegation was sent to advise your kind of the Collective¡¯s claim on the planet you call Artemis. When you ships refused to leave orbit, we send the force that remained to protect our hunting grounds against you.¡± She paused, taking a slow breath before continuing. ¡°The next time your people came, they brought weapons of profound destructive power. They fought and overwhelmed our forces and then began harvesting ether with abandon.¡± Gideon¡¯s heart skipped a beat. He swallowed. This all rang terribly true. It was exactly the kind of thing the Ministry would do. It was the kind of thing just about any country with sufficient military might would do. This was humanity to a tea. Find something you want and kill whatever gets in your way. Then claim it as your own and act offended when the rightful owners fight back. Then again, he had no way of knowing whether this alien figure was telling the truth or not. She could have been lying outright or twisting the facts to suit her own narrative. Just because humanity had a track record of stomping all over native inhabitants when it suited their purposes didn¡¯t mean that was what had happened here. ¡°There must be another way,¡± Gideon urged. ¡°Not everyone on earth knows about this stuff. It wasn¡¯t put to a vote or anything like that, so you can¡¯t just slaughter everyone when they had no knowledge of what was going on.¡± She smiled, and this time he could see more emotion in her blue eyes. It wasn¡¯t joy or even anger he saw, but sorrow, maybe even pity. ¡°The Collective lives by strict principles, Soulless. A blood price must be paid for your people¡¯s actions. Whether it was simply a few who acted unilaterally or every soul within your realm knowingly breached our territory, the result is the same.¡± ¡°So that¡¯s it then?¡± Gideon said. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter what I say, you¡¯re going to do this anyway? War is inevitable.¡± She nodded. ¡°Okay then,¡± he went on. ¡°What¡¯s the point of talking with me? What are you going to learn by just asking me questions that I don¡¯t have the answers to? I don¡¯t make the rules down on earth. Hell, I didn¡¯t even know that we apparently breached some border of yours. Like everyone else on earth I thought Artemis was an empty planet when we arrived.¡± She stepped back a few paces, joining the silent figures gathered around him. ¡°We have already learned much,¡± she said, her expression shifting to a neutral visage. ¡°There will be other occasions to study your kind, but we thank you for your efforts thus far. We will study what we have gleaned from you, Soulless. With luck you will survive a little longer, but I fear this is perhaps the last time we will meet one another.¡± Gideon nodded, struggling to think of something else to say, some way to influence the Collective and steer them away from invasion. Reasoning with them hadn¡¯t worked, so he tried something different. ¡°We¡¯ll make you pay for it, you know. We might not have your technology, and you might outnumber us, but we¡¯ll never surrender, and we¡¯ll make you pay for every inch of ground you take.¡± ¡°That is precisely why the Collective will seek to add you to our ranks once the price has been paid, Soulless. We expect you to fight and we are willing to pay any price to ensure that all is made right.¡± Gideon nodded. ¡°I don¡¯t think you understand what you¡¯re getting yourself into here.¡± ¡°Oh, but we do. And that is why we intend to strike swiftly and with purpose. Even now, we are among you, Soulless!¡± 46. Gideon woke with a start to find Mia screaming at him. He blinked, looking around the room. He was lying in his bunk and Mia was getting dressed, shaking his shoulder and shouting something he couldn¡¯t understand. ¡°¡­hundreds of them!¡± ¡°What?¡± he asked, the words sounded woolen in his ears. ¡°Stalkers!¡± she barked. ¡°They¡¯re inside the station. Come on! Get up!¡± He pushed himself up and out of the bunk, following her out of the room as she pulled the rifle from her inventory and started firing. The moment they left the sleeping chamber they were assaulted by Stalker drones and Bloodborn warriors. There were dozens of them lining the halls, blades bared, looking for enemies to fight. ¡°Shit!¡± Gideon shouted, summoning his talons and lunging into the fight, with a slash at the throat of the closest Stalker. Gunfire echoed through the halls and pinged off walls as station personnel fought back against the invasion. Gideon saw dead bodies lying on the floor and blood splattered against the walls as he ended two drones with savage strikes to their vital organs. He and Mia worked their way toward the stairs leading up to the mess hall, firing and slashing their way through the throng. There were too many enemies to do anything other than simply hack and slash with brutal force while Mia used rapid bursts of fire to drive back the enemy and target weak points in their armor. ¡°How the hell did they get in here?!¡± Gideon shouted. ¡°No idea,¡± Mia replied. ¡°It all started a few seconds ago. Book sent an alarm to our HUDs and then we heard them outside.¡± As he slid a talon into the neck joint of a nearby Bloodborn, Gideon saw the flashing red notification on his HUD. A thought suddenly occurred to him. ¡°Where¡¯s red?!¡± An answer came in the form of the brawler¡¯s maul thudding into the side of a nearby Stalker¡¯s head, shattering the armor plating and sending blood and ichor splattering across a wall behind him. Red was roaring in a frenzy, clubbing enemies left and right without any sense of strategy and kicking with his boots as he cut a path of destruction back to Mia and Gideon. His face covered in blood, Red threw a thumb over his shoulder. ¡°They¡¯re all over the place. Even in the main control room.¡± Gideon drove a talon through the chest of a nearby Stalker and looked in the direction the other man was pointing. They needed to reach Moynahan and find out what was going on, but there must have been hundreds if not thousands of enemy combatants between them and the Commander¡¯s office. ¡°Come on!¡± he shouted, triggering Shadow Smite and driving back the enemy as he started running for the stairs. Mia and Red followed as Gideon use Blade Flurry and Shadow Charge to bully a path through the ranks of Stalkers clogging the halls. He struck left and right, driving forward and using every part of his body as a weapon. There was no tact or strategy here, he simply battered everything ahead of him, using his claws to swipe and skewer any Stalker foolish enough to get too close. Keeping her gun on burst fire, Mia peppered the enemy, driving them back while Red used his maul to deadly effect at the rear, leaving a trail of blood and gore behind them as they cut a path through the station. Gideon saw more and more dead Ministry soldiers as he pushed a path through the Stalkers. Some had been cut apart while they were attempting to flee, others looked like they¡¯d fought to their dying breath. One thing was clear, they were no match for the Stalkers. There were just too many of them and the surprise attack had caught the station off guard. It was up to Gideon and his crew to cut down the enemy, but it seemed like every time he killed a Stalker, two more took their place. Even with his enhanced physique, Gideon¡¯s muscles strained with the effort as he hacked and slashed, jabbed and punched his way forward. He realized, as he slashed and stabbed at the enemy, that he¡¯d neglected to get dressed. He was wearing boxers, and nothing else. No shirt, no trousers, no boots. If time had permitted, he might have felt embarrassed by that fact, but the need to survive and push ahead to the control room was too great. Gideon continued to fight, blood and ichor spraying over his naked torso and making his arms slick. That made it harder for the enemy to grapple him, but the stench of the Stalker blood was also nauseating, and it made his eyes tear up. He ignored the discomfort, his enhanced echo thrilling in the sudden surge of adrenaline and other chemical stimulants designed to prep the body for battle. Despite the damage he was doing to the enemy, they were too slow. He could charge ahead, of course, but that would leave Red and Mia behind, and he wasn¡¯t about to do that. Gideon: Bullseye?! We¡¯re under attack! Bullseye: I see that. I am with Maddox at the enemy spacecraft. We just received a message from Commander Moynahan. She wants you to divert your path and come here immediately. We are to launch the moment you arrive. Gideon: What about this place? These people will die! Bullseye: It was a direct order, Gideon. She seemed adamant. Gideon thrust his right talon into the face of an oncoming Stalker, shattering the chitinous armor and driving deep into the creature¡¯s skull. Blood and ichor ran down his arms as a message popped up in his HUD, set to auto play with a digital waveform rising and falling in response to Commander Moynahan¡¯s voice. ¡°Specialist Gideon, this is Moynahan. We¡¯re overrun. I don¡¯t know where these bastards came from, but there are too many for us to hold off. This station will fall in a matter of minutes and there¡¯s nothing we can do to stop it!¡± Gideon stopped moving, trying to process what he was hearing. ¡°Your orders are to get to the Collective troop carrier and get of Lunar asap. Take Mia and Red with you and get to earth. That¡¯s a direct order and I expect you to follow it, so don¡¯t go trying to be a hero. Earth needs you and we¡¯re done here. I¡¯ve triggered the station self destruct, so you¡¯ve got five minutes to get to the ship and get your assess off this rock.¡± A timer appeared on the top left hand side of his HUD, counting down. 4:49 ¡°Give ¡®em hell, Specialist Gideon!¡± The message cut off as Gideon turned to face the others. Mia and Red were standing with shocked expressions. The brawler still managed to slam the haft of his maul into the face of and oncoming enemy while Mia fired her rifle to keep the surrounding Stalkers at bay. ¡°You heard?¡± Gideon asked. They both nodded. ¡°What are we gonna do?¡± Mia asked. Gideon clenched his teeth. Running like this felt like an utter betrayal. Everything they¡¯d fought for so far was meaningless, just postponing the inevitable. All these people would die, were dying, and there was nothing they could do to stop it. ¡°We head to the airlock and get to the ship,¡± he said flatly. NEW MISSION: Flee Lunar Reach the Collective troop carrier and launch the ship before the lunar station self destructs. REWARD: 10 Enhancement Points The moment that decision was made, Gideon was determined to follow it through. He set to work, slashing through enemies as he checked his mini map and locked in the fastest path to the airlock. Bullseye: You¡¯re on your way then? Gideon: Yeah. But it¡¯s gonna take a minute. The halls are packed with Stalkers and the airlock is all the way across the other side of the station. This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. Bullseye: Why not just make your own exit? The station is set to self destruct anyway and you can breathe in space, so simply break through one of the walls. They spilled out into the mess hall where fifty or more Stalkers charged toward them. Gideon looked at the walls, searching for the easiest way outside. There were several octagonal windows with plexiglass embedded in the walls but the bolts that held them in place looked ridiculously strong. ¡°Red!¡± he shouted, motioning toward the wall. ¡°I need you to try and bash a hole through that window or rip it off.¡± Red frowned in confusion. ¡°We need to get outside,¡± Gideon explained, ¡°but it¡¯s gonna take too long to get to the airlock, so this is our best bet. Use that big ass hammer of yours and open up a hole.¡± The brawler grinned, hefting his bloody maul and charging toward the door. ¡°Little help!¡± Mia called out as the throng of enemy Stalkers closed in. Gideon turned to face the enemy, triggering Shadow Charge and driving them back enough to give Mia some space to reposition. He swept his talons out in a wide arc, playing for time rather than simply attempting to kill every Stalker he came in contact with. Behind him the sound of Red¡¯s hammer thudding against the wall rose above the clarmor of fighting. Gideon could feel each rhythmic thud in his chest as Red grunted and cursed with each strike. ¡°Use the ether!¡± Gideon suggested, kicking back a nearby Stalker and then using Blade Flurry to cut through three drones one after the other. Gideon was aware that they were looting more and more ether and items with each enemy killed. It was all happening so quickly that he barely registered the updates. Balls of blue and red either appeared and were sucked away every few seconds and Gideon channeled some of that etheric power to lend his attacks greater force. Mia must have been doing the same thing because her burst fire was suddenly three times more effective and glowed with golden light as the gun tore through the enemy ranks. They both fell into a strangely hypnotic rhythm, killing Stalkers, harvesting ether, and using that ether to enhance their attacks again. There was a loud crack behind them followed by a string of cursing from Red before he turned around, hefting his maul triumphantly. Air was being sucked out of the mess hall and drawn through the hexagonal hole the brawler had opened up in the wall. ¡°Got it!¡± Red shouted. ¡°Okay! You first, Mia,¡± Gideon ordered, stepping forward and sweeping his talons out to drive back the enemies closest to her. Mia stashed her rifle and ran for the opening, diving with cat-like grace through the hexagonal hole and out into the space beyond. ¡°Now you!¡± Gideon said, moving up beside Red. ¡°I¡¯ll blink through once you¡¯re out!¡± Red was a little less graceful in his departure and his bulkier frame made it harder for him to squeeze through the gap. After a few moments, another string of curses, and repeated grunting, he eventually pulled himself through the gap and out to the other side. Gideon immediately turned, triggered Phantom Step, and appeared outside the building standing next to Mia and Red. He checked his mini map as a glut of Stalkers slammed against the hole in the station wall and started climbing out. ¡°This way!¡± he said, setting off at a run towards the distant spaceship. 4:02 Gideon: We¡¯re out of the station. Heading to you now! Bullseye: Excellent. With luck we¡¯ll be ready to lift off by the time you get here. Gideon: What? The ship isn¡¯t ready? Bullseye: Chief Maddox is still contending with the controls. The machine seems to be sentient, and it resists our attempts to break its coding. I am attempting to reason with the creature but thus far I have been unsuccessful. ¡°Shit!¡± Gideon hissed. ¡°What is it?¡± Mia asked. ¡°They¡¯re not ready to lift off yet. Still trying to sort out the controls.¡± He looked back the way they¡¯d come and saw a stream of Stalkers making their way out of the station building and snaking their way toward the group like a line of ants. ¡°We might have to turn and fight to keep these Stalkers away from the ship,¡± Gideon suggested. ¡°We¡¯ll wait until we¡¯re within range and make a decision.¡± ¡°Got it,¡± Mia said. ¡°Yup!¡± Red replied. 3:32 Gideon checked the mini map to confirm that they were heading in a straight line towards the vessel. While he was estimating how long it was going to take to get there a group of red dots appeared between his position and the ship. ¡°What the hell?¡± He turned to Mia. ¡°You seeing this?¡± She nodded. ¡°They came out of nowhere.¡± On the ridge ahead a line of dark figures appeared ahead of the group. They looked like ordinary Bloodborn Stalkers, except instead of wall shields or balled up fists, they held oversized swords in each hand and moved much quicker than the other Bloodborn they¡¯d encountered so far. ¡°Must be some kind of uber-Stalker?¡± Red reasoned, pulling his maul from his inventory as he ran beside Gideon. ¡°We¡¯re still a fair distance from the ship,¡± Gideon said, ¡°so we can¡¯t afford to get bogged down. We need to push through the line and just keep going. If we reach the ship and Maddox hasn¡¯t figured out how to launch it yet, we¡¯ll turn back and take out anyone following us.¡± Gideon shifted to the right, positioning himself so that he¡¯d hit the incoming group of beefed up Bloodborn right at the center point. The plan was to trigger a charge, drive them back and make a hole that Red and Mia could slip through then sprint for the finish line. When they came to within thirty feet of the enemy, Gideon charged forward, shifting through the space between them to come thudding against a brick wall that sent him crashing to the ground with his head ringing and his vision blurred. He hit the ground hard, fumbling for purchase as he got to his feet and saw a knot of Bloodborn standing in a line together, shimmering power surrounding them in a wall of bristling energy. Before he had a chance to shout a warning, Red came charging at the enemy, maul held over his head and shouting bloody murder at the top of his lungs. He hit the wall of energy and was sent hurling backwards, arms and legs flailing, maul flying end over end through the air before he crashed onto the ground behind Gideon. Mia was more circumspect. She slowed to a walk and fired three explosive rounds at the advancing line of enemies. The resulting explosions slowed the Stalkers but didn¡¯t seem to damage them. NEW ENEMY VARIANT BLOODBORN BULLWARK Hulking, with deep crimson chitin plating, each blade-arm serrated for maximum carnage. Their backs are ridged with pulsating ether veins that glow when their defensive phalanx is triggered. Aegis of the Bloodborn: When two or more Legionnaire Bulwarks stand within five meters of each other, a semi-transparent ether barrier forms between them, reducing incoming damage by 90% and deflecting weaker projectiles entirely. Sundering Blades: Powerful, sweeping strikes that shred armor and increase damage taken by the enemy for 5 seconds. Relentless Charge: Surges forward with both blades extended, skewering enemies and knocking them backwards. ¡°Okay then,¡± Gideon said, turning to look at the enemies coming up at the rear. ¡°You take care of them, Mia, and let me see if I can punch a hole through. Red, the second they¡¯re on me, push through and keep the path clear for Mia. Both of you head to the ship and I¡¯ll catch up.¡± The others nodded as Gideon summoned his talons and triggered Phantom Step, channeling ether into the ability as he vanished and reappeared behind the enemy. True to the System¡¯s description of the aliens, their backs were ridged and glowed with crimson light. Phantom Step had temporarily disrupted their shielding, so Gideon triggered Blade Flurry cutting into the back of the nearest enemy with brutal efficiency. The other Bloodborn turned on him as he finished off the first enemy and quickly triggered a combination of Abyssal Strike and Dusk Veil. The black aliens turned gray as his vision was heightened, with vulnerable points highlighted in bright red and the bulk of their attacks deflected by his heightened evasion. Gideon used that to his advantage stabbing his talons with deadly accuracy and shifting from enemy to enemy in an effort to keep their focus squarely fixed on him. He caught side of Red and Mia running past and pulled back from his advance for a moment, kiting the enemies around so that their backs were facing his companions. A flurry of sword strikes drove him sidewards as the Bloodborn soldiers counterattacked. He deflected what he could, triggering Dark Rejuvenation to bounce some of the damage the enemy was doing back at them while recovering from any wounds he was taking. From the corner of his eye, Gideon caught sight of a pack of Stalkers coming up from the rear, about to sandwich him in the middle as the etheric shielding around the Bloodborn Bullwarks came to life again. Gideon grinned. ¡°See ya!¡± He triggered Shadow Charge, pumping ether into the move to boost it to maximum range and blinking forward to within twenty feet of Red and Mia. The ship was clearly visible up ahead and, by the blue glow of the large thrusters to the rear of the ship, it looked like Maddox might have fixed their launching problem. 1:45 Gideon: Where are you at with the launch? Bullseye: Almost there! I¡¯ve been able to convince the ship that remaining on the surface of the moon isn¡¯t advisable. It agrees with the sentiment but refuses to leave while there are Stalkers still engaged in active combat on the moon¡¯s surface. Gideon: What? Bullseye: It is a troop carrier. It is programed to ferry Collective soldiers from place to place and it refuses to leave until its transport bays are filled with Stalkers or there are none left on this moon. Gideon: Shit! We can¡¯t kill them all Bullseye. There are just too many. You¡¯re gonna have to convince the damned ship to take off without them. Bullseye: Something I am endeavoring to do, but it refuses to listen to reason. The ship that came into view was much larger than Gideon remembered from what he¡¯d seen at a distance. It looked large enough to carry a couple hundred troops and a small group of Striders, with dull metallic plating and a roughly sandal-like shape without the hole at the top. A thin amber light shone from the center of the craft running right around its midpoint with similar amber lines around the front viewing screen and several round portholes on the side of the vessel. A doorway with a ramp leading to the interior of the craft was visible to the rear section. It looked large enough for a tank to head through and a soft amber light glowed from the interior. Gideon: Okay, we¡¯re here. Bullseye: I¡¯m still wrestling with this ship, Gideon. We may need a little more time. You¡¯ll have to keep the enemy at bay. 0:48 Gideon: Yeah, you¡¯re seeing the timer right? Whole base is gonna blow in under a minute! Bullseye: I am aware of that fact! You¡¯ll need to give us at least thirty more seconds. Maddox is attempting to bypass the ship¡¯s defensive protocols, but she needs a little more time. Gideon turned to face the enemy. Half a dozen Bloodborn Bullwarks were running alongside thirty or so Stalkers, but it wasn¡¯t those enemies that gave Gideon pause. A short distance behind the vanguard thousands of Stalkers were charging toward them, an army almost as big as the one that had assaulted the base. 0:39 ¡°What¡¯s the plan here, boss?¡± Red asked. Gideon stepped forward. ¡°We fight like hell for thirty seconds and then run for the ship. You and Mia go first and I¡¯ll follow, just like before.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll be cutting it fine,¡± Mia said, sighting down her rifle scope and firing off an explosive round that took one of the incoming Stalkers in the head with terminal results. ¡°Down to the wire!¡± Gideon said, blinking ahead to meet the enemy vanguard and slamming his talons into the ground.