ã€ŠSoftly Awakening to the Apocalypse [LitRPG] [Rewrite]ã€‹


 1: UFO Kun

    <hr>

    The bus trip suddenly changed from uneventful to frightening when a line of fire beelined across the sky, followed by an ominous thundering sound. Chasing away his drowsiness, Rowan yawned and stretched, his eyes chasing the object. At the same time, a grandmotherly lady sitting across the aisle decided he was the perfect target for a chat.

    ¡°Do you like hiking, young man?¡±

    Rowan opened his mouth to say yes, but instead of the word, he gasped loudly. The meteor was drawing near, and its trajectory was too low for comfort. It passed over, and everyone glued their faces to the windows. That was no meteorite. The giant UFO screamed as it went down, disappearing over the hills, and then came the shock. A giant fist of air hit the bus and the forest, making the trees swing wild. A trunk fell on the road just ahead. The vehicle swerved and stopped, brakes screeching mere feet from the obstacle, shaking a few times up and down before it settled in place. Yells and ouch-es erupted when a few people hit their heads on the chairs before them.

    ¡°Everyone OK? I¡¯m a doctor.¡± That was the old woman¡¯s husband.

    People said stuff. Yesses or noes, irrelevant, the booming noise covered all. Then came the light. Rowan dove down; the chair beside him was empty, but there was no heat or aftershock.

    ¡°That was a nuke?¡± somebody asked.

    ¡°It was a UFO,¡± someone else said.

    The engine and the lights of the bus went off.

    ¡°I lost power,¡± the driver shouted.

    ¡°T¡¯was a nuke all right; that was the electromagnetic pulse,¡± the same person from before said.

    After checking his phone, Rowan found it working, but there was no signal.

    ¡°I¡¯ll open the front door manually,¡± the driver yelled. ¡°Don¡¯t rush!¡±

    In the next five minutes, the passengers¡ªall retirees except for Rowan¡ªexited more or less orderly, gathering on the grass outside the road. He followed them, taking his backpack as a precaution in case they had to abandon the bus. Behind, a few cars also stopped, and one was, by happenstance, the police. Their lights and engine worked just fine.

    ¡°Have you seen the UFO?¡± a policewoman yelled, exiting her vehicle.

    ¡°It¡¯s the Russians,¡± the driver said.

    There were so many voices yelling around that Rowan felt dizzy. He instinctively walked away, leaving some space between him and the group, trying to put some order into his mind. Were the US under some kind of alien attack? He had read some articles recently about¡ª

    Voices screamed for help in the distance, echoing up the hill. Forgetting his thoughts, Rowan rushed to another police person, a man in his fifties, speaking to the drivers of the cars stuck behind.

    ¡°Officer! Officer!¡±

    ¡°What?¡± the man snapped the word like a rubber bullet. ¡°Don¡¯t you see I¡¯m busy?¡±

    ¡°Someone¡¯s calling for help in the forest,¡± Rowan pointed toward the hill to be more convincing.

    Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

    The policeman frowned. ¡°Maybe you hit your head. Stay with the group. I have a lot of stuff on my hands.¡±

    ¡°But¡ª¡±

    The policeman growled, and Rowan knew from direct experience that more arguing would lead to nothing or earn him being tased. Did the police ever care about who started the bar fight or that Rowan was in the right? He cursed and ran off into the woods toward the source of the noise. The uphill spurt soon took its toll, and a couple minutes later, he had to rest, panting, hands on his knees. There were no more sounds.

    Maybe I heard it wrong¡­

    He was now a few hundred feet from the road, maybe a fifth of a mile. Then, as he straightened up, he saw the clearing. The gap in the tree allowed a giant plume of smoke from the northwest to filter the dim sun. The crash site, for sure. But that was the least of his worries. Bodies were lying all around, and¡­ things feasted on them. A sickening scent of innards reached his nose when a gust of wind blew his way. And the salty metallic smell of blood.

    ¡°Ugh!¡± Rowan dashed behind a tree, trying not to throw up. Fuck!

    The closest comparison that flashed in his mind was of Alien moose, if moose had fangs and claws, walked upright on their hind legs, and gorged on freshly slaughtered bodies. Four monsters munched on mangled human remains, their lower jaw chewing laterally, like herbivores, a rivulet of gore flowing on their chins. A fifth guarded a group of prisoners tied together with a shiny rope, one end held in its hand.

    Rowan¡¯s heart skipped a beat. The prisoners were kids, somewhere between five and twelve years old, about nine of them. They called for help again, the same call he heard before, but the moose couldn¡¯t care less. Little by little, their voices lost hope and energy, letting only the chewing sounds be heard.

    Rowan squeezed his eyelids shut. Moment of truth¡­ Do you have it in you, Rowan?

    He wished he had a handgun, but alas, he had not. His only firearm was a budget hunting rifle used once in a blue moon for birds, and it was back in Louisville.  That didn¡¯t mean that Rowan was unarmed, though. He rummaged in his backpack for his bush knife, leaving the luggage near a tree afterward. Returning to the forest, Rowan made a detour, approaching the captives from the east as silently as he could.

    Step by step, Rowan arrived behind the moose with the noose, so close he could touch it. His fingers tightened around the hilt. At the last moment, he withheld his hand. The monster had shifted its position; there was no way he could attack now without being observed.

    Then, his eyes met a kid¡¯s. A cute girl, maybe five or six, with auburn hair and lightly tanned skin. She jerked, then screamed a wild, loud, desperate wail¡ªnothing like he had ever heard. Rowan¡¯s heart stopped. The feeding monsters ignored her, but the overseer pivoted, roaring and raising its arm to strike the girl down.

    He dashed ahead and plunged the knife into the monster¡¯s back again and again, in a frenzy, searching for vitals¡ªheart, lungs, anything. A backhand threw Rowan away like a rag doll, making him drop the knife. Dodge-rolling, he tried to avoid the charging creature and its antlers. A sharp point winged his leg, and then the moose hit a tree head first, its aim off, falling, dazed, to the rusted leaves beneath. The bluish rope had disappeared.

    ¡°Run to the road!¡± Rowan shouted, struggling to get back up on his feet, ignoring the pain in his calf. His blade was nearby, and he grabbed it in a hurry and faced the rest of the moose, preparing to stall them while the kids escaped. To his surprise, the remaining monsters ignored him.

    ¡°Are you stupid? Kill it already!¡±

    The yell had come from a Black boy, maybe ten. Skinny but with a fierce attitude, he rushed forward, hammering the fallen moose in the head with his fists over and over. Despite the difference in height and weight, the monster, nine feet tall and at least a few hundred pounds heavy, bounced back with each hit, its head banging the tree behind.

    ¡°The eyes! Aim for the eyes!¡± the boy screamed.

    For good measure, Rowan stabbed the monster through an eye, pushing the blade into the brain. He hit true despite the stress and the moose wobbling all around. When the guard reached the socket, he changed grip and pushed the knife deeper with the heel of his palm.

    ¡°Fuck!¡± Rowan jerked back, surprised. The monster''s body dissolved into specks of light, then grouped into three streams, one flowing into his chest and the rest into the girl and the boy.

    The Bleeding Damage Over Time (DOT) has stopped. You are the first Earthlings to have slain a monster: DireDeer, level 20, Epic tier, Mini-Boss (1/5). Rowan Allinder, you have been awakened to Mana and deemed worthy to keep all your stats at their current value. You have gained XP. Level up x6. Menu unlocked. Class Selection unlocked.

    !!!Welcome to the System!!!

 2: Clearing the Clearing

    <hr>

    The little girl rushed and hugged Rowan tightly, throwing her arms around his midriff. He took her in his arms, fondling her hair. The warmth and sweetness of her hug made Rowan smile.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, everything is fine,¡± he whispered, ruffling the girl¡¯s hair before looking around. The rest of the kids had surrounded him with expecting eyes, obviously waiting for adult guidance. ¡°Let¡¯s go before they notice their pal¡¯s dead.¡±

    ¡°We can¡¯t leave,¡± the tough boy objected.

    ¡°Kid, I¡¯m sorry, but those folks are dead; we can¡¯t save them.¡±

    ¡°Are you an idiot?¡± The question, asked with a slightly tilted head, didn¡¯t sound like an insult, more like a half-certitude. ¡°We can¡¯t leave the area until we clear it. There¡¯s a barrier.¡±

    ¡°Thomas is mean,¡± the little girl accused. ¡°I¡¯ll tell your mommy.¡±

    Now that Thomas had mentioned it, there was a faint light fifty yards downward on the slope.

    ¡°It let me through,¡± Rowan said.

    ¡°It¡¯s one way in, no way out,¡± Thomas said.

    ¡°We tried to leave as soon as we saw the notification,¡± another child said, but Rowan did not see who.

    ¡°What noti¡ª¡±

    A blue text appeared before he finished his sentence. It was displayed on a widescreen, so transparent that it let the landscape get through fully.

    This clearing has been transformed into a mid-tier mini-dungeon: Ominous Grove. Setting: Extreme. Condition for winning: eliminate all 5 Elite mini-bosses: DireDeer. Exit is prohibited until the task is accomplished.

    XP rules: Generous. The difference in level between you and the slain adversary is divided among those participating in the fight.

    The reward for clearing the mini-dungeon is +1 Lvl. +1 free Attribute Point, loot.

    ¡°Let¡¯s hide in the woods and hide until help arrives,¡± a girl about eight years old proposed, repeating herself.

    Rowan remembered the policeman¡¯s attitude and grimaced. ¡°If it¡¯s a national emergency, it could take days.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, if we killed one, we can kill them all,¡± Thomas boasted. ¡°Just follow my lead.¡±

    ¡°Keep your voice low,¡± Rowan hissed.

    ¡°It¡¯s OK, we¡¯re safe as long as we stay outside their aggro range. I see question marks when I try to Identify you, which means you have no Class yet. Pick something, preferably Rogue. Just think about it. We¡¯ll pull and dispose of them one by one. Lizzie will lure them, I¡¯ll tank, and you go stabby.¡±

    ¡°S-sorry?¡±

    Rowan¡¯s befuddled expression must¡¯ve reinforced Thomas¡¯s impression of him. The boy rolled his eyes but explained, ¡°You saw the UFO, right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°It did something when it crashed. We¡¯re in a System Apocalypse now, LitRPG and stuff. Classes, attributes, the whole deal. Focus your thoughts, think Class Selection and a sort of Game-like Menu will appear. With proper options if you¡¯re lucky.¡±

    Following the boy¡¯s instructions, Rowan furrowed his brow, concentrating.

    Class Selection is locked until you distribute your free attribute points, as available choices depend on your stats.

    ¡°What do you mean, if I¡¯m lucky?¡± Rowan asked, dismissing the notification.

    ¡°We all got classes,¡± Thomas said, ¡°but¡ª"

    ¡°I¡¯m an actress,¡± Lizzie, the girl Rowan held in his arms, stated proudly.

    ¡°Ballerina,¡± another girl sighed.

    Thomas cleared his voice to make the younger children let him speak. ¡°Classes were assigned automatically depending on hobbies or jobs. Teachers remained teachers¡ª¡±

    ¡°And they become monster food,¡± Rowan said.

    Thomas nodded, a few tears creeping into his eyes, wiped off with his forearm.

    ¡°Yeah¡­ I had a choice because I¡¯m trained in martial arts. I¡¯m a Brawler. It¡¯s an off-tank. You know what an off-tank is, right?¡± Thomas frowned at Rowan as the young man was frowning back, only from befuddlement.

    ¡°I don¡¯t play games much¡­ not the ones people usually play, anyway¡­¡±

    ¡°What games do you play?¡± Lizzie asked.

    ¡°Err¡­ rally driving and bar games¡­¡±

    ¡°Like darts?¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­ darts too¡­¡± Rowan bit his lower lips. His preferred bar game was to beat aggressive drunkards who picked on other patrons or pretty girls, but maybe that was not the best thing to brag about around children.

    ¡°Dude, just pick a class. Choose a combat-oriented one and ask me for help if you don¡¯t get it. Put your attributes into Strength and Dex.¡±

    ¡°Give me a moment. Stay with them, sweetie; I¡¯ll be back.¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Lizzie said, burrowing her face in his shoulder.

    ¡°Very well, but promise to be quiet,¡± Rowan surrendered.

    Taking a few steps deeper into the forest, he chose a stump to sit on and summoned his stats screen. His experience with games was poor, but he had some friends who played MMORPGs and had shown him the ropes.

    Name: Rowan Allinder, Age: 25

    Lvl. 6. Class:???

    Assessing and assigning stats according to your overall prior experience:

    STR: 20 / DEX: 18 / CON: 20 / WIL: 49 / INT: 12 / CHA: 8

    You have 6 free points available for distribution.

    Yeah, tell me about Charisma. I had higher hopes for my Intelligence, though¡­ Never mind¡­

    If he concentrated just a little, he could see some gauges. HP, Mana, and the XP needed to reach the next level. The latter was a third full. Despite Thomas¡¯s advice, the forty-nine in Will nagged him. It looked¡­ imperfect. So he raised it to fifty, and the rest of the points went into Strength, upping it to twenty-five.

    Now show me the fucking class selection.

    Choose one from the following options:

    1: All-Rounded Worker (Uncommon)

    A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

    This class is available due to your skills as a Forklift Operator, Truck Driver, and Heavy Equipment Operator.

    An All-Rounded Worker earns 25% to 50% more than a regular worker and gains a free +1 increase in Charisma, Dexterity, and Toughness every 10 levels, in addition to the usual free stat point gained at each level.

    2: Vampire Rogue (Legendary)

    This class is available due to your passive skill: Night Shifter.

    Warning: This class will alter your species and may provoke hostility from certain groups. A Vampire Rogue excels at using the darkness of the night to their advantage, gaining unique abilities tied to stealth and nocturnal power.

    ¡°What the fuck, System! You don¡¯t know what a night shift is?¡± Rowan groaned, scrolling down the text without reading the rest of the Vampire class description. It was quite long.

    ¡°Problems?¡± Thomas asked.

    ¡°All good.¡±

    ¡°Hurry up; they might finish the teachers and come for deserts.¡±

    ¡°One minute.¡±

    Lizzie was now snoring, some saliva dripping on Rowan¡¯s coat.

    She¡¯s so sweet! OK, let¡¯s see the last choice.

    3: The Indomitable (Legendary, Unique). Unlocked because you fought an Epic monster +20 over your level to save a child, have an uncommon personal history, and reached the second threshold in Will and the first threshold on any other given stat (Strength) within an hour of the System¡¯s apparition. Receives +2 in each stat at every 10 levels, on top of the free stat point acquired at each level. Unique classes are highly customizable and allow you to gain exceptional Perks.

    Perks? What the hell is that?

    Perks are a higher version of Spells or Skills obtained with every threshold of 25 points reached in any given Stat. Only base values are considered, without buffs or armor enchantments. The System chooses the first and third threshold Perks by evaluating your performance and personality; you choose the second and the fourth Perks yourself from two or more options. Read the FAQ or Class Manual for more information.

    Current Perks:

    Will Perk, Threshold 1: Will and Wilt: Your Will replaces Strength as your Physical Critical Damage multiplier (1% per every Will point) and inflicts an Unavoidable DOT on Crits. The Critical Chance depends on your Dex (+1% for every Dex point. Enemies'' passive or active abilities to Evade, Dodge, or Block will subtract from your Crit Chance, depending on the situation.

    Note: An Unavoidable DOT reduces the enemies'' HPs regardless of their immunities or resistances.

    Will Perk, Threshold 2: locked until further evaluation.

    Strength Perk, Threshold 1: Miss? What miss? Your strikes have a 25% chance to ignore Physical Resistances, Evades, Dodges, Parries, or Blocks.

    Pfff¡­ too much nerdish for me¡­ Vampire¡¯s a hard no¡­ I chose Indomitable.

    Choice confirmed. Basic Melee and Ranged Weapon Proficiency are unlocked. Basic Mana Application unlocked. This passive enhances your Skills and Perks, granting them access to Mana. Spellcasting is currently locked. Acquire Mana Manipulation to be able to cast spells.

    An influx of energy passed through his body, so strong that he groaned and shivered, making Lizzie wake up.

    ¡°Mommy?¡± The next second, she screamed very loud. Rowan dropped her, startled, catching her a second before she hit the ground.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, sweetie, it¡¯s me.¡± The screams stopped, and a smile replaced the fear on her face.

    Thomas, on the other hand, didn¡¯t sound happy. ¡°Fuck, Lizzie aggroed two. I¡¯ll run around, keeping to this side, Rowan, hit them from the back.¡±

    ¡°How do you know my name?¡±

    ¡°You have a tag over your head; check your privacy settings. Never mind, here they come.¡±

    Bulky and menacing, with their fangs covered in gore, two monsters trudged toward their side of the clearing. Thomas dashed out on an oblique trajectory. Rowan couldn¡¯t help but admire the kid¡¯s acumen; Thomas attracted the moose one by one, arranging them in a line. Grabbing his knife from the ground, Rowan ran and stabbed the second monster in the back. The knife went on almost up to the guard, but somehow, he felt the urge to push it on, and so he did, twisting.

    Backstab has inflicted a Lethal Critical Hit on DireDeer¡¯s vitals: Heart. You have inflicted 96% HP damage to DireDeer, Elite Lvl. 20. You have inflicted a 2% HP/sec. DOT on DireDeer.

    The moose made a spastic move, trying to claw at Rowan¡¯s face. He dodged underneath, pulling back his knife, and ran forward. Four seconds later, like clockwork, the moose bellowed a desperate dying call, melted into specks of light, and the notification came:

    You have slain DireDeer, Elite Lvl.20 (2/5) XP received (divided between you, Thomas, and Lizzie). You have leveled up x 5. 2 points were automatically distributed to each stat, and 5 free APs are available for a later distribution.

    That was the good news. The bad one was that the second moose stopped chasing Thomas, turned, and charged at Rowan instead. He froze. All his hits up to now were from the back, and a knife had abysmal reach versus a nine-foot-tall monster with antlers.

    Put my points in Dex! Rowan¡¯s mind screamed. The plan was simple: with twenty-five in Dex, he¡¯d be faster, avoiding attacks easier and kiting down the moose little by little.

    Request denied. Distributing Points during Combat settings is set to OFF. Activating Automatic Distribution Mode. Prioritizing the closest stat to reach a threshold. +3 AP to CON. 2 AP stored for later.

    Constitution Perk, Threshold 1 obtained: Tough Cookie. Your body has become denser. +25% all physical resistances, +25% to Natural Regeneration (HP)

    Rowan became dizzy and clumsy from the influx of stats, and the moose hit him like a truck. It had accelerated at the last moment, head first, crushing Rowan¡¯s hopes to dodge, throwing the young man twenty feet back. Everything hurt. And that was good news; hurting meant he was alive. The monster¡¯s head was so big that the antlers¡¯ spikes missed Rowan¡¯s body, only grazing his arms.

    You have suffered two Debuffs (Daze, Concussion, for 10 seconds) and Minor Bleeding (DOT, -0.25% HP/seconds. Your HP is at 80%.

    You have inflicted a Critical Hit and a Critical Unavoidable DOT on DireDeer. -25% HP, -8% HP per second.

    What?

    The moose had stopped in his tracks, trashing around. Its awkward arms, more like an animal¡¯s, were flailing, trying¡ªand failing¡ªto reach its neck, where Rowan¡¯s knife was stuck deep. That was another lucky strike. Then Thomas arrived from the back, throwing down the DireDeer, which stuck the blade deeper.

    It must be a skill. No way a scrawny kid could topple that monster on his own.

    You have slain DireDeer, Elite Lvl.20 (3/5) XP received (divided between you, Thomas, and Lizzie). You have leveled up x 3. 3 free APs are available for later distribution. Correction: Activating Automatic Distribution Mode. Prioritizing the closest stat to reach a threshold. +5 points to Dex. Dexterity Perk, Threshold 1 obtained: Subconscious Fighting. Even if you¡¯re CC¡¯d, as long you''re not knocked out cold, your body can move independently, striking the enemy.

    Neat!

    ¡°Dude, wake up; we aggroed the rest,¡± Thomas screamed, offering a hand.

    Rowan sighed, shaking his head to chase off the last vestiges of dizziness. ¡°How the f¡ª sorry, do we aggroed the rest?¡±

    ¡°Our levels increased, and we¡¯re more noticeable. Duh!¡±

    At the far end of the expanse, the two remaining monsters bellowed to each other, staring at the man and the boy.

    ¡°Let¡¯s do the same thing; we separate them and take them one by one.¡± Rowan¡¯s prophetic words took shape differently than he had hoped. One moose dashed at them, and the other headed toward the western tree line, where the kids were. To cull the weak, take them hostage, or exact revenge, it didn¡¯t matter.

    ¡°You have to take one on your own. Sorry, kid.¡± Rowan picked the knife from the ground, threw it at the incoming monster, then ran back to the tree line as fast as he could.

    You have inflicted a Critical Hit and an Unavoidable DOT on DireDeer, -15% HP, -2% HP per second.

    Detected Skill: Throwing Knife (Advanced).

    That was terrific news. Praying that Thomas could cope with the injured moose while he dealt with the other, Rowan jumped on the last DireDeer¡¯s back. Grabbing the antlers and wrapping his legs around the monster¡¯s torso, Rowan tried to wrestle its head backward, hoping to break the neck. It didn¡¯t work. The moose fell backward, pinning Rowman under a colossal weight and clawing at his thighs simultaneously.

    You are suffering from multiple Bleeds. Total: 2%HP/second. Estimated time to existence termination: 59 seconds (DOTs -Natural Regeneration)

    No. Fuck YOU! I won¡¯t allow you to hurt the kids.

    Rowan moved his left hand around the DireDeer¡¯s neck in a choke, and with his right, he gouged out one eye, then another. The popping noises were disgusting yet delightful. He growled, drunken by the joy, the desire to kill anything that represented a threat to the kids and himself. The animal screamed in pain. Music to his ears. Rowan shoved his right hand into its mouth, pulling on the lower jaw until something broke. He laughed hysterically and managed to read only three words before he lost consciousness.

    You have slain¡ª

 3: Emotes OFF

    <hr>

    His head hurt like hell.

    ¡°He¡¯s awake!¡± a voice yelled.

    Groaning, Rowan opened his eyes, then closed them back as the whole world whirled in a maelstrom of colors, the blue of the sky mixing with the green and the yellow of the leaves.

    ¡°C¡¯mon, sleeping beauty, rise and shine. We don¡¯t have all day.¡±

    Someone patted his cheek. When he opened his eyes, Rowan gasped. A striking woman leaned above him,  exposing to his view an enticing decolletage through a beige shirt opened at the two upper buttons. Tall, blonde, tanned, sexy, with gray-blue eyes, full lips, and that type of severe expression that makes men try to soften it with declarations of love and boxes of chocolate. Or at least, that was what he thought he would do.

    ¡°Ouch!¡± Rowan blurted.

    Thomas has inflicted you with a Kick to the Ribs. Stunned for 1 second.  Internal Bleeding: 0.5 HP/second.

    ¡°Don¡¯t stare at my mom¡¯s boobs, you pervert!¡±

    ¡°You idiot, I just finished healing him!¡± a girl in her early teens yelled, kneeling near Rowan. Slowly, he began to feel better.

    An unknown Apprentice Healer is applying Minor Healing to you.

    ¡°Turn your Emotes off. You had a ton of hearts emojis erupting over your head,¡± the woman said, offering a hand.

    ¡°What happened?¡± Rowan mumbled, trying to get his wits together and raising on his buttocks after accepting her help. Which was the best moment for Lizzie to jump on him, hugging him awkwardly over the throat. He returned the hug. ¡°Hi, sweetie, I¡¯m happy you¡¯re all right!¡± Lizzie was about to climb into his arms again, but he pushed her away gently, ruffling her hair, intending to concentrate on the story.

    ¡°Short story: I heard Lizzie screaming, then my partner¡ªa total idiot¡ªtold me a passenger also pretended to hear screams, and,¡± the woman¡¯s voice choked for a second, ¡°I remembered Thomas had a school field trip scheduled here. I rushed up and found him running in circles while an alien chased him.¡±

    ¡°I was waiting for the DOT to finish it,¡± Thomas explained.

    ¡°I shot the monster and gave you first aid. You were almost gone, but that kid,¡± the woman continued, pointing to the Apprentice Healer, ¡°did some mumbo-jumbo over you and raised you back to life. Thomas explained everything to me¡­¡± She shook her head, her shoulders sagging. ¡°Magic¡­ who would have imagined¡­¡±

    Enforcer, level  17. That was the tag floating over the woman¡¯s head. Only then did Rowan recognize her. It was the policewoman from the road, the one dealing with the bus¡¯s passengers.

    Wow¡­ She¡¯s gorgeous! How come I didn¡¯t notice?

    ¡°Last warning: Turn your emojis settings on private,¡± the blonde woman frowned and accompanied her words with a mild squeeze on his shoulder. ¡°We can all see them. Now, it¡¯s widened eyes and a salivating tongue. You¡¯re this close I charge you with obstruction,¡± she showed him her index and thumb, only an inch apart.

    ¡°Not my fault you¡¯re pretty,¡± Rowan mumbled, more to himself. The woman snorted but, at the same time, repressed a half-smile.

    Putting the emotes off was simple; thinking about it popped up the option with Yes or No beside it. Notification flooded him afterward, and he proceeded to read them, ignoring the agitation around him¡ªmainly kids asking Thomas questions about their classes and stats.

    You have Cleared the Ominous Grove mini-dungeon, the first Dungeon to be completed on Earth. +1 Free Attribute Point, +1 Level. You have reached level 21. Reward: Your contribution was judged the most important, and as such, a Core (Mythical Artifact) has been transferred to your Inventory. The default setting has been applied: the Dungeon Core has evolved into a Town Core.

    Overall, he had eight free points to invest. He put one in Strength and, on a whim, one in Charisma. The rest went into Will, his strongest stat, and then Rowan inspected the numbers.

    Name: Rowan Allinder. Class: The Indomitable, Unique, Level 21

    STR: 30 / DEX: 27 / CON: 27 / INT: 16 / WIL: 60 / CHA: 13

    Will Perk, Threshold 1: Will and Wilt: Your Will replaces Strength as your Physical Critical Damage multiplier (1% per every Will point) and inflicts an Unavoidable DOT every 2 seconds. The Critical Chance depends on your Dex (+1% for every Dex point).

    Will Perk, Threshold 2: Locked.

    Strength Perk, Threshold 1: Miss? What miss? Your strikes have a 25% chance to ignore Evade, Dodges, Parries, or Blocks.

    Constitution Perk, Threshold 1: Tough Cookie. +25% all physical resistances, +25% to Natural Regeneration (HP)

    Dexterity Perk, Threshold 1: Subconscious Fighting. Even if you¡¯re CC¡¯d, your body can move independently, striking the enemy.HP regen: 1.25%/minute MP regen:1%/minute

    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

    HP = CON x 10 / MP = WIL x 10

    Health Pool= Lvl.+CONx10. Current HP: 400/480

    Mana Pool = Level+Main Class Stat (WIL)x10. Current HP=560/810

    ¡°Is this normal? I mean, gaining so many levels in one shot?¡± Rowan asked. He was a bit flummoxed by his considerable gain in levels.

    ¡°Check your detailed logs. This System favors challenges,¡± Thomas said. ¡°The bigger the difference in level between you and the foes you kill, the bigger the reward¡­ You¡¯re following, right? You look a little st¡­ confused.¡±

    Rowan¡¯s head was hurting from all that nerdish thrown around, but he wouldn¡¯t let himself be insulted by a kid. ¡°Because you broke me a rib or something, you little punk!¡±

    ¡°Thomas uses bad words when you¡¯re not around, Isla,¡± Lizzie reported, obviously siding with Rowan.

    The boy sketched a move to catch her, but she hid behind Rowan. ¡°You little rat!¡±

    ¡°Enough!¡± Thomas¡¯s mother clapped her hands. ¡°We need to return to the road. Kids, you know the drill. Hold hands, two by two, like the ants are marching on. I¡¯ll be in the front, Thomas with me, and¡­ err¡­ what was your name again?"

    "Rowan."

    "Rowan, you cover the back. Yell if you need help. Now, let¡¯s go. Left, right, left, right, left, right!¡± She offered her hand to Rowan, helping him rise to his feet, then started stepping in a cadence, showing the way, followed by the orderly column of kids.

    ¡°She¡¯s great at organizing things,¡± Rowan noticed.

    ¡°Yeah. Inhale, exhale, left, right, those are her favorites,¡± Thomas sighed.

    ¡°Err¡­ What happened to the remains?¡± Rowan asked in a whisper. There was no sign of the teachers¡¯ bodies.

    ¡°The earth swallowed them,¡± Thomas said, pointing to a mound resembling a grave.  ¡°The beasts disintegrated. Have to go in front, or Isla will make me run five miles before dinner,¡± he said in a hurry and scampered forward.

    Tiger mama, obviously. Rowan smiled and started marching in line with the last kid, Lizzie, and she took him by the hand. On the way, he picked up his backpack and facepalmed using his free hand. Fuck, there was a trail! Clear enough now, the path waved through the trees. If he¡¯d taken the time to inspect the surroundings, that would have eased his climb the first time. When passing the blue line of the forcefield, a notification showed:

    You are leaving a High Mana Density Area, tier A (Glade, Place of Power, former Mini-Dungeon) for a Minimal Mana Density Area, tier F. Warning: Your stats and skills will remain the same, but your HP and MP will regenerate 60 times slower, at 1% / hour instead of 1% / minute.

    ¡°Noooo,¡± Thomas wailed. ¡°Mana isn¡¯t everywhere?¡±

    ¡°Is this bad?¡± Rowan heard Isla ask.

    ¡°For my skills, yes, they are Mana-based. You know, Dash, Stun, Off-Tank stuff.¡±

    I wonder if I have Mana skills¡­ But before Rowan could inspect his Character Menu, they reached the road. The fallen tree had been removed, and all cars were gone except for the bus and the police vehicle. That meant engines worked again.

    ¡°You can¡¯t go until my partner comes back,¡± the policemen argued with the bus driver and some vociferous elderly ladies. ¡°There''s a passenger lost in the woods; she''s gone after him. Oh, here she is. Hi Isla. Oh¡­ What happened?¡± the man asked when his eyes met the group.

    Pretty name for a pretty lady, Rowan thought. She has the weirdest kid, though.

    ¡°A bunch of aliens attacked the school trip,¡± Isla said. There were a lot of gasps and incredulous looks around, but she didn¡¯t bother to explain further.  ¡°Kids, go on the bus. You, the tourists, make some place for them,¡± Isla ordered.

    "You poor things¡­ Attacked by aliens? Come inside and tell us all!" The same talkative old lady from before said, and Rowan would have bet that her interest was more about gossip than for the kids.

    ¡°Thomas, go in the back of the car," Isla said. ¡°And no, you can¡¯t ride in front; it¡¯s illegal. Don''t mess with the door locks like the last time, or I''ll handcuff you.¡±

    ¡°Police brutality!¡± the boy shouted but obeyed.

    ¡°We¡¯re heading for Elkins to let off the kids; what you do after that is your own business,¡± Isla informed the bus driver before returning to the police car and taking the lead again.

    For the next half hour, Rowan dozed on and off, his mind spinning wild about the monsters and the magic. Lizzie had climbed in his arms, sitting quietly and looking at the landscape: rolling hills, the valley, a still sunny sky, and the usual sheep-shaped clouds. There was a permanent buzz in the bus and a vibe of creeping anxiety: people chatting, the elderly asking the kids about the attack.

    ¡°Good news, as soon the children are safe, we can continue to the resort,¡± the driver announced in the speakers as they entered the town. ¡°CB Radios are working. This was an isolated incident, not an invasion. The Internet is on. Phone networks are still off, but there is hope of restoring them soon.¡±

    The bus stopped in a parking lot, with its asphalt starting to look dilapidated. The late August offered a warm summer light, an hour or two until sunset. There was a brick church to the Northwest. And another, smaller, to the Southeast. Across the street, a coffee shop and many cars parked in front of it. Overall, it was the typical small town with a rural vibe.

    When the bus¡¯s doors opened, adults ran forward, screaming names, almost in a stampede.

    ¡°Calm down, everybody¡¯s safe!¡± a bullhorn roared with Isla¡¯s voice.

    She must¡¯ve called the parents in advance, somehow, Rowan realized.

    ¡°Kids, come out. IN ORDER! Don¡¯t push each other,¡± the blonde ordered.

    Lizzie hugged Rowan, tears filling her eyes, and went out last.

    ¡°Mommy!¡±

    ¡°Honey!¡±

    The girl jumped off the bus like a released spring, the woman barely catching her in time. Lizzie started to chat vividly, pointing at the bus, her words swamped by the surrounding noise of people moving again to other chairs and discussions. People were eager to finally visit the resort and check on their loved ones using the internet. There were a few words Rowan did catch, though.

    ¡°But Mommy, he¡¯s so nice! Let¡¯s take him home! He¡¯s daddy material.¡± Rowan repressed a laugh. Then Lizzie screamed. ¡°Rowan, please stay!¡±

    You are affected by debuff: Scream for Attention. Your WIL check failed. Unable to control your actions for the next 10 seconds, and compulsion to follow the Taunter¡¯s orders.

    Fuck!

    His feet were dashing on the aisle without any control. At the last moment, he grabbed his backpack and then started to bang his boot on the middle door.

    ¡°Calm down, moron!¡± the driver yelled, opening the door.

    ¡°Such a weirdo,¡± Rowan heard the old lady who tried to make conversation earlier. The debuff ceased only when he was out, panting in front of the girl and her mother. Meanwhile, the bus had departed in a hurry, tires screeching. For sure, to escape the madman: him.

    ¡°I¡¯m so happy you stayed!¡± Lizzie screamed, jumping up like a blissful whack-a-mole character. ¡°You can live with us. Mommy has a hotel.¡±

    ¡°Bed and breakfast. I¡¯m Grace, Lizzie¡¯s mother,¡± the woman offered a hand.

    ¡°Rowan Allinder.¡± Her handshake felt frail, somehow like her. Three to four inches shorter than Rowan, cute, as graceful as her name suggested, with hair flowing down to her shoulders, between straight and curly, light brown and auburn. The most striking detail was her skin, living porcelain; its white and rose color surreally delicate. Her light green eyes looked tired, adding a sense of normalcy.

    ¡°Thank you¡­ I don¡¯t know all the details, but Isla told me the kids were in danger, and you helped. Oh, sorry. Of course, you can spend the night at our place.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m good. Drop me off near the next bus station. Worst case, I¡¯ll hitchhike.¡±

    ¡°No!¡± Lizzie stomped her feet, but this time, Rowan¡¯s will resisted, and he frowned back, putting his fists on his hips and trying to adopt a grandmotherly tone.

    ¡°Look, young lady. Using your magic on friends is a big no. Do we understand each other?¡±

    ¡°M-magic?¡± Grace stuttered.

 4: The Core of the City

    <hr>

    Grace slanted her head, staring at him, and Rowan was sure she thought he was crazy. Isla¡¯s voice startled them both.

    ¡°Ah, good, you¡¯re still here. Go to the church; there will be a short debrief about the alien encounter. Fed shrinks will take care things go smoothly.¡±

    ¡°What alien encounter, Isla?¡± Grace hissed with her voice''s tone up a notch.

    ¡°Monsters tried to eat us, but Rowan killed them all! Thomas helped, but just a little,¡± Lizzie stated. "And he swears, and he''s mean."

    Grace began shouting at the blonde, but Rowan¡¯s mind skimmed off their talk like a surfer a wave. His senses were tingling with alarm. All the cars were still there¡ªexcept the bus¡ª and all the parents and children, but a few black 4x4s had also appeared. People in black suits, half a dozen, guarded both ends of the road. He hated that kind of people.

    !!! Alert !!!

    The System decrypted the US government communication channels. The feds plan to transfer all participants in the Ominous Grove mini-dungeon event to a secret government facility for further examination. You, Thomas, and Lizzie have a 99% chance to be dissected.

    Quest: Survive

    Option 1: Run. Follow the river downstream and lose yourself in the mountains.

    Reward: Continued existence. Unlocks the Will Perk, threshold 2: Cold Soul. You will be able to control your emotions to perfection. Letting Lizzie be dissected will be no biggie. Hell, for a buck, you could dissect her yourself.

    Option 2: Stand Your Ground. Transform Elkins into a Fortress-style Mana Awakened City. Hostiles will be teleported out of its boundaries and denied further access. Accepting this path will consume the Core you looted. The process will be self-explanatory.

    Reward: Continued existence. Unlocks the Will Perk, threshold 2: High-Tier Artifact User. Able to use high-tier Artifacts.

    Instinctively, Rowan forwarded his hand in front of him, palm up. A ball of light appeared above it, hovering in the air.

    ¡°Hey, what¡¯s that? Put it back immediately. Don¡¯t make me tase you!¡± Isla touched her holster.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Rowan said, but before he could continue, time stopped. The policewoman¡¯s eyes, her hand, frozen in motion. Lizzie pouting, Grace screaming, the same.

    You have ten seconds to decide. Do you choose 1 or 2?

    Two¡­ I won¡¯t let some asshole feds dissect kids¡­

    The light grew. A shock wave akin to a gust of wind and a flash erupted from the sphere, going up the sky and then losing itself in the distance, briefly bathing the mountains in its light. Then, time resumed. Rowan''s ears buzzed, and discomfort started from his shoulder, a hard tingle making his arm twitch. His eyes were barely able to see because of the afterimage. There were faint noises of people panicking and cars leaving. Parents and kids fleeing. The black cars and suits had vanished, and the shadows of the sunset had more depth.

    "Hey! That''s not cool!" Rowan yelled, noticing the Taser darts stuck in his jacket, still delivering the discharge. ¡°This is my fav jacket!¡±

    "Isla! Are you mad?" Grace yelled. "Lizzie, get back; don''t touch those wires!"

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡± Isla screamed, taking her finger off the trigger. ¡°He startled me. I thought it was a grenade or something.¡±

    ¡°Are you hurt?¡± Grace asked Rowan, eyes widened.

    ¡°He¡¯s OK,¡± Lizzie yelled. ¡°He''s a hero!¡±

    Rowan shook his head, then pulled out the dart from his shoulder. The skin underneath felt sour, but he had barely registered the electric shock.

    [Elkins Town¡¯s Core AI to Rowan]: Hi. I¡¯m¡­ err¡­ the Awakened Town¡¯s AI, at your service. As per default settings, you hear my voice and see a text simultaneously. Your Tough Cookie Perk is enhanced within Elkins¡¯s boundaries. Your body is more resistant to pain and mild electric shocks. It also counters small and medium-caliber bullets by spreading the energy over a larger surface. In short, your skin acts like a bulletproof vest.

    ¡°What about my favorite jacket?¡± Rowan wailed. ¡°It¡¯s an Enzo Car Coat. I paid a thousand bucks for it.¡±

    ¡°Your fault!¡± Isla yelled, rewinding the Taser wire. ¡°What the heck was that shit?¡±

    [Elkins Town¡¯s Core AI to Rowan]: Your jacket is now considered a Light Leather Armor and bound to you. If you keep it inside the town¡¯s boundaries, it will be repaired within twenty-four hours. The T-shirt, on the other hand, needs to be stitched manually.  Thank you for keeping calm after hearing my voice in your head. Statistics show that most people behave hysterically during an Awakening.

    Rowan ignored the message and addressed the blonde. ¡°I just saved our lives. Those feds were going to dissect us. By using an¡­ artifact, I teleported them out of town. That was that shit.¡±

    ¡°This is crazy,¡± Grace mumbled.

    ¡°And I''m supposed to believe it just because you say so?¡± the policewoman sneered.

    ¡°Isla, and¡­ err¡­  please, just calm down!¡± Grace put her hands up in a stopping gesture.

    ¡°Rowan, his name is Rowan,¡± Lizzie reminded her. "A HERO! And daddy material," she whispered the last words to Grace, hiding her mouth behind her hand.

    The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

    Some loud bangs attracted their attention. It was Thomas, hitting the police car¡¯s rear door glass with his fists from the inside. The other policeman was nowhere to be seen.

    ¡°Oh, my God, I forgot my child was locked into the car,¡± Isla panicked, rushing to the vehicle.

    ¡°Hi, Miss Grace,¡± Thomas said once freed. ¡°Mom, Rowan¡¯s right. I got the quest as well. I''ll forward you the notification as proof. You did great, man. I expected you¡¯d run.¡±

    [Elkins Town¡¯s Core AI to Rowan]: Thomas was going to take over the Stand Your Ground quest if you¡¯d refused. We need to select different Perks and settings for the town. Please do so as soon as possible.

    Shut up! ¡°I need a drink¡­¡± Rowan massaged his forehead. First, fighting monsters, now a voice speaking into his mind¡­ it was a lot to cope with.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go home,¡± Grace proposed. ¡°I certainly need one too.¡±

    "At least come to the department to give a statement," Isla said to Rowan, kneading her hands.

    "No, Isla," Graced stated bluntly, stepping in front of Rowan. "We¡¯re going home. You''ll have your statement when he''s ready for it."

    ¡°Fine!¡± The policewoman sulked visibly. ¡°Don¡¯t leave town before you give your statement!¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t,¡± Rowan promised. ¡°Scout¡¯s honor.¡± He never had been a scout, but who cared. ¡°Err¡­ how are we going to your place?¡±  he asked. The only car still hanging around was the police vehicle.

    ¡°We live around the corner, we¡¯ll walk,¡± Grace said.

    ¡°Bye, Isla, bye, Thomas the swear machine,¡± Lizzie pulled her tongue on the boy.

    Isla replied by flickering her fingers. Just go. This is too much for me, her gesture conveyed.

    Five minutes later, after turning around the park¡ªa detour Rowan explained to the ballerina shoes Grace wore¡ªthey arrived five hundred feet across from where they started. Grace¡¯s house was a two-story charming Arts and Crafts brick building with a porch and a small garden behind. A gray sedan that had seen better days was parked on the street.

    ¡°Come, let¡¯s go inside, I¡¯ll prepare dinner. You¡¯ll stay with us for the night; that goes without saying.¡±

    Rowan nodded. It was early evening, and the situation looked crazy enough to take a day off to figure out things. He followed the woman. The front door was opened, and after passing through a small mud room, they arrived at a large open space with a dining zone and a sitting area. One could tell some effort had been invested in the decorations and overall design.

    ¡°Lizzie, thank God you¡¯re safe!¡±

    A man in his late fifties rose from a leather couch and came forward, hugging the girl. His house robe, silky and luxurious, thrown over an elegant house suit, was striking in itself, but the man¡¯s mustache was even more shocking. Strong and thick, its tips curved upward. Once the hug finished, he offered a handshake. ¡°Hello, young man. I¡¯m Dmitri.¡±

    ¡°Rowan Allinder. Sorry to be so direct, but that¡¯s the most impressive facial hair I''ve ever seen,¡± Rowan said.

    ¡°Thank you,¡±  the man bowed. He was obviously very proud of his mustache.

    ¡°Dmitri is a retired art teacher,¡± Grace said. ¡°He rents for the year and worked for the college until recently.¡±

    ¡°It''s cheaper to live here, and I like to live near other artists.¡±

    ¡°Mommy is a singer and plays the uptight piano,¡± Lizzie advertised, pointing to the musical instrument.

    ¡°Upright piano, sweetheart. Dmitri, please help me make some food.¡± Grabbing the retiree¡¯s arm, Grace pulled him into the kitchen. She closed the sliding doors behind her, but Rowan¡¯s hearing, enhanced by the new stats, caught everything.

    ¡°Don¡¯t stare at him like that, Dmitri. I forbid you to make a pass at our guest.¡±

    ¡°No problem, you call dibs. I get it.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not calling anything. He saved Lizzie¡¯s life. I don¡¯t want him to leave with a bad experience. Promise to behave?¡±

    ¡°C¡¯mon! You know me better, Gracie-dear. I would never hit on a kid. Even if he¡¯s smitten with my mustache.¡±

    I¡¯m twenty-five, you prick! And not interested anyway.

    ¡°You want to play hide and seek in the garden?¡± Lizzie asked, and the kitchen conversation disintegrated from his focus.

    ¡°Of course!¡± Rowan exclaimed. ¡°I love hide and seek.¡±

    Playing with Lizzie proved to be a blast. Often, her cute little feet were showing from behind bushes, giving her away, and some old basket, put on the head, was enough to make her invisible in her mind. Lizzie was a funny kid, and Rowan enjoyed playing together. Still, he wasn¡¯t the type to lie or lose on purpose¡ªtoo much¡ªand after a while, they started throwing a ball at each other. Thirty minutes later, Grace called them inside.

    <hr>

    Eating and chatting took two hours. The food was awesome: buckwheat pancakes with different fillings that melted in the mouth.  An amazing wine to go with the food and a fantastic whiskey from a decanter to accompany the desserts.

    ¡°This must be the high rye, ten-year small batch,¡± Rowan said softly. Lizzie had fallen asleep on the nearby couch.

    ¡°No idea, Dmitri bought it,¡± Grace half-shrugged.

    ¡°It is. You¡¯re a connoisseur?¡± Dmitri toasted.

    ¡°Sort of. I work in the Bourbon business.¡±

    ¡°Interesting. Tell me more.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a short story. I love Bourbon and decided to work in the industry. That was a few years ago. Now, I¡¯m an assistant production manager in a small distillery.¡±

    ¡°Nice,¡± Dmitri nodded.  ¡°What brought you around here? Except Karma, of course.¡±

    ¡°I sold my car to a guy in Virginia and brought it to him. He invited me to a Bluegrass concert, and I spent the night in a guest room. He arranged for a tourist bus to give me a ride and¡­ I think we should continue our chat tomorrow,¡± Rowan looked at Lizzie, who was snoring softly.

    ¡°I¡¯ll put Lizzie to bed and show you your room,¡± Grace said. The woman took the dozing child in her arms and climbed the stairs.

    ¡°Good night,¡± Dmitri exited the room in his turn.

    Five minutes later, Grace returned, letting herself fall on the couch, her arms limp and eyes resting on the ceiling. An image of exhaustion, if any. ¡°She woke up, needed her plush, and I searched everywhere. Found it under her bed, eventually.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s so sweet,¡± Rowan smiled. ¡°And a strong personality.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to tell me.¡± Grace giggled, covering her face with her hands.

    ¡°A last glass?¡± he offered a refill.

    ¡°So be it.¡±

    Grace took a large sip, then searched his eyes. ¡°Was it as bad as she told us?¡±

    ¡°It was worse. Just being honest.¡±

    A shiver passed through Grace¡¯s body.

    ¡°I¡¯m no hero. It... just happened.¡±

    Grace nodded, smiling a bitter smile. For a good minute, she stared into nothingness, glass in hand, and then she took another large sip, finishing it. ¡°Lizzie too¡­ just happened. She wasn¡¯t¡­ planned¡­¡±

    Rowan replied with silence, letting her continue.

    ¡°I¡­ took the morning-after pill¡­ but she was there, hanging on. Then¡­¡± she diverted her eyes.

    ¡°You wanted an abortion?¡±

    ¡°Yes. And changed my mind at the last minute¡­ I had¡­ a dreadful feeling. A panic attack, maybe? I like to call it a premonition. I knew she was destined to be. My boyfriend and I broke up. He¡­ we¡­ were too young. Last college year.¡±

    Rowan nodded, with tears filling his eyes.

    ¡°Today, when she left with the school bus, I felt the same. The dread. I wanted to stop her and keep her home, but I forced myself to let her go. I thought it would do her good. Teach her to be more independent... Thank you..."

    Shaking her head, she wiped her tears and rose, letting the glass down on the coffee table.  He followed her up another row of stairs to the farthest corner of the house.

    ¡°It¡¯s the quietest room I have.¡±

    They both entered the room simultaneously, and it was small. She tripped on a crease in the carpet, and as they bumped into each other, Grace¡¯s arms enveloped his neck, which may have been a support against falling, but maybe not. For a few long seconds, they stood there, immobile. Her breasts were generous, even if she was thin and petite. He kissed her, at first a nibble, but as she replied with passion, he answered in kind.

    Her mouth tasted like the Bourbon, and that one was one of his favorites. Clothes went away, and the ''just in case'' pack of condoms he carried around in his backpack finally found its usefulness. She mounted him, moaning softly, moving slowly, then faster. He interpreted the position as the need to control things and feel safe.

    It was fantastic sex, one of the best he had ever had, yet somehow, he was torn in two. One part enjoyed it, the second¡­ The second thought about too many things. Could he hurt her with his enhanced body? That made Rowan extra gentle. At times, his thoughts erred into lewd territories. What if it were Isla in Grace¡¯s place? He dismissed the thought¡ªGrace was wonderful enough to merit his undivided attention¡ªbut it crept back at least twice.

    In the end, Grace rested near him, her head on his shoulder, breathing heavily, then softly, falling asleep in his arms. He let his thoughts err freely for a while, then fell asleep as well.

 5: His Lordships Choice

    Rowan woke first. Grace had curled herself near him, her left calf between his legs, head on his chest, in the same position she fell asleep in. Strange, I don¡¯t feel any cramp¡­ A rumination assaulted him. Has sex been an impulse for Grace? A reward for saving Lizzie? Or an attempt to secure a protector in a changing and dangerous world? His sigh woke her up.

    ¡°Mooorning¡­¡± Grace yawned, stretching herself, blushing, and avoiding his eyes.

    He swallowed a lump and tried his hand at a compliment. ¡°Thank you. It was a beautiful night.¡±

    ¡°You silly!¡± she fondled his cheek. ¡°I just indulged myself with a treat. You¡¯re cute and¡­ a good man.¡±

    Her words had many meanings, but Rowan decided not to dwell on them. ¡°I think I¡¯ll go out for a hike. I need to clear my mind.¡±

    ¡°Weather looks nice,¡± she looked outside, getting up from the bed. ¡°Will you¡­ come back?¡±

    Her voice had a slight shake, and he understood. The last night had been more than casual sex. She yearned for a true partner, a relationship. ¡°At least for tonight. I have to check out what¡¯s happening with all this alien stuff before making a decision¡­ If the situation returns to normal, I¡¯ll return to Louisville.¡±

    ¡°I understand,¡± she nodded, a little sad.

    ¡°But I¡¯d like to stay in touch.¡± He searched her eyes, keeping eye contact for a moment. He was single, and she was too. That was clear enough. Step by step, they could build something or call it quits if it didn¡¯t work out.

    Grace smiled back. ¡°And if things are not normal out there? Will you stay?¡±

    Rowan sighed. He liked his job and life, but the world going haywire was a possibility. ¡°I guess I could rent a room here, like Dmitri.¡±

    ¡°If you work for it,¡± she giggled and moved to grab his thing, making Rowan yelp and cover his groin with a pillow. ¡°Sorry!¡± Grace double facepalmed. ¡°This is so not me¡­ I¡¯m going crazy.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. So¡­ how are we going to¡­ err¡­ act?¡±

    ¡°Oh, goodness¡­ Yeah¡­ Well, Lizzie sleeps late on Sundays, so... You go down first, I¡¯ll sneak in my room and come down later.¡±

    ¡°Sounds good.¡±

    ¡°You shall not pass!¡± they suddenly heard Lizzie screaming. ¡°They have to cuddle and kiss as long as they need to. He¡¯s good daddy material. I won¡¯t let you ruin it for me.¡±

    ¡°Oh, my God!¡± Grace blurted. ¡°The little monster is up."

    "And figured things out," Rowan pointed.

    "Of course, it¡¯s half past ten,¡± Grace sighed, checking her phone.

    ¡°Rowan Allinder, come here this instant!¡± another voice yelled.

    ¡°It¡¯s Isla,¡± Grace said.

    ¡°Yeah... I guessed that much. Let¡¯s dress and see what she wants.¡±

    ¡°She called your name, not mine. I¡¯ll take a shower.¡±

    ¡°Pfff¡­ I feel the need to hide under the bed.¡±

    ¡°True, Isla has this effect on people. Go.¡±

    Throwing a T-shirt and his pants on him, as well as a pair of espadrilles he had in reserve, Rowan hurried down the stairs. Lizzie was hopping to the left and right, blocking the way with her wide-spread arms, while the furious and fuming policewoman tried to go around. Such good looks, but when she yells, goodness!

    ¡°Morning, Isla,¡± Rowan said.

    In a silent answer, Isla showed him both her middle fingers.

    ¡°Hey, that¡¯s rude!¡±

    ¡°You think so? Then have some more," she repeated the gesture. "Enough talking, you¡¯re coming with me."

    "Am I under arrest? What have I done ?¡± Rowan protested, raising his palms heavenward.

    ¡°What have¡ª never mind. I¡¯ll show you what you did.¡±

    ¡°Hi, Isla. What¡¯s up?¡± Dressed in a bathrobe, Grace had appeared on the staircase, meaning she had postponed her shower.

    ¡°I¡¯m borrowing your boyfriend.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Grace jerked her head back, pretending to frown in befuddlement.

    ¡°You did cuddle all night, right?¡± Lizzie stomped on the floor with a menacing tone in her voice. ¡°Tell me you did your duty. I need a daddy!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s no way to talk to your mother, miss!¡± Grace counter-attacked. ¡°Go dress, we¡¯re going to church.¡±

    ¡°Pleeeeease, let¡¯s stay home¡­.¡± the girl wailed, collapsing in a heap on the floor and grabbing her head between her hands. ¡°Church is so boooooring.¡±

    Grace stood firm, pointing behind her, somewhere on the first floor. ¡°Request denied. Some discipline would do you good. Now go dress!¡±

    ¡°What church are you going to?¡± Rowan asked while Lizzie climbed the stairs with sagged shoulders, like going to the scaffold.

    ¡°Whatever I feel like at the moment," Grace said. "I¡¯m not much into religion but love praying with others.¡±

    ¡°Hm¡­ I do the same.¡±

    ¡°Go to the one around the corner,¡± Isla said softly, with a smile that was more of a grin. ¡°You¡¯ll have a nice surprise.¡±

    Grabbing Rowan by the elbow, she pulled him after her, frowning to avoid any way of interpretation. He was supposed to follow or else. She¡¯s so hot when she¡¯s angry¡­ If only her voice had not been so strident. Like a hysterical goose choking on a bone¡­ Yet, she¡¯s so sexy¡­

    ¡°Morning, Rowan.¡± Outside, Dmitri was watering the garden.

    ¡°Hi. Tell Grace I¡¯ll be back as¡ª¡±

    ¡°Don''t hold your breath,¡± Isla said. "This will take a while." The police car was parked in front of the house. Isla opened the back door, gesturing to invite him to go in.

    ¡°Am I in trouble for teleporting those FBI agents?¡±

    She shoved him in, slammed the car¡¯s door, got in the front seat, and drove off, tires screeching. Twenty seconds later, they stopped in the parking lot from the day before, and Rowan¡¯s eyes widened.

    ¡°What the fuck?¡± The church, the northeast-situated one, had been a building of medium size the day before. Overnight, it had become a cathedral of epic proportions, mixing Gothic arches with Art Nouveau decorations. Isla faced him, her voice muffled by the security window.

    ¡°See what you¡¯ve done, now?" Isla yelled so he could hear her through the reinforced window. "That thing you unleashed changed the church into fucking Downton Abbey."

    ¡°You mean Westminster Abbey?¡±

    ¡°And the whole town into a Disney amusement park.¡± She drove off again, but this time at a snail''s pace, allowing him to take in the view of the valley. On the other side, the part of the town tucked inside a meander was now surrounded by thick medieval stone walls. The river itself had also changed. Muddy yesterday, now it rolled with majestic and deep pure waters.

    This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

    ¡°Some buildings were moved around or changed to make place for the new stuff,¡± Isla said. ¡°We have tons of complaints about that.¡±

    ¡°It looks better like this if you ask me,¡± Rowan said.

    ¡°It¡¯s not the looks the problem.¡±

    ¡°Then what?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll find out in due time,¡± she sneered.

    They arrived in a large square, surrounded by cute German romantic-style buildings that would have looked appropriate in Bavaria but less so in West Virginia. Scores of people were walking and staring around, their voices akin to the buzzing of a beehive.

    "In there," Isla said curtly, pointing to the larger building. Rowan could tell she was refraining from dragging him by force. The passersby began to cheer, clap, or wave at them. He waved back instinctively. "Let''s go already," the policewoman said through her clenched teeth.

    "I had no idea this would happen." Rowan pleaded as they walked on. ¡°Err¡­ No one was hurt when things changed, right?¡±

    "Let me put you up to speed," Isla paused after they entered the lobby, which was covered in intricate wood panels. ¡°Last night, everybody got a message on their phones or social media. The title said: ¡®Welcome to the Apocalypse!'' There were balloons and confetti emojis around it.¡±

    ¡°Apocalypse, with balloons and emojis?¡± Rowan stuttered. ¡°That¡¯s kinda crazy!¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­ Then, it continued: ''A UFO crashed, and because of that, your planet has been Awakened to Mana and the System. A grave menace had appeared near Elkins, yet a Hero saved the day, protecting your Town and County. You¡¯re safe inside their limits.¡¯ Then, people were sent a video of that Grove Event with the DireDeers. You appeared¡­ heroic. We were given an hour to vote if we wanted you to become our Count in a Constitutional Monarchy of sorts. Guess what? You won with seventy-three percent.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­ Really?¡± Rowan widened his eyes. He wasn¡¯t what was called a people¡¯s person.

    ¡°Then, during the night, everybody in town got sleepy, by a spell or something, and in the morning, everything changed. And no, no one got hurt.¡±

    "But I have nothing to do with it!" Rowan yelled, balling his fists. "All I wanted was for me and the kids to be safe."

    "Then I guess you should make up your mind," Isla shrugged, waving her finger around. "Because this is supposed to be your mansion and our county your domain."

    Rowan opened his mouth but closed it back as a blue text appeared in his view.

    Quest: Make up your mind. Issued by the System at Isla Culloden''s suggestion.

    Earth has irrevocably changed, for the better or the worse. In this new world, only a few have the power to stand up and protect their fellow citizens.

    You have until midnight to accept or reject the Count position bestowed upon you by the System and the people''s will.

    "I need a moment!" Rowan said, closing his eyes.

    "Welcome!" a voice startled him the next second, ruining his chance to gather his thoughts. "I''m Jim, the mayor." A man in his early sixties, with shabby chic clothes and the vibe of an old retired teacher, rushed to shake the younger man''s hand. "Come, the council is waiting in the reception room."

    Fuck¡­ Can''t I have a moment alone? Rowan sighed but followed.

    [Elkins Town¡¯s Core AI to Rowan]: I suggest you go with the flow for now. You''ll have the rest of the day to decide upon your quest. Know that I would be delighted if you''d accept to be my master. Why don''t you start by inspecting the building? I put a lot of hard work into designing the most exquisite multipurpose mansion for you, following the newest trends in the multiverse yet respecting the local culture as well.

    Ah, here you are! Why didn''t you say anything?

    [Elkins Town¡¯s Core AI to Rowan]: First, you ordered me to shut off. Then, I was obliged to enter privacy mode as you engaged in lewd conduct with that human female, Grace. My executive decision protocols have kicked in, and I had to assume command for a while. But now that you¡¯re back, I¡¯m glad to help and follow your orders. Just say the word.

    Can''t you lose the color and the long name for starters? I get dizzy just by reading it¡­ Can I just call you Cory or something?

    There was a short pause before the entity''s voice returned to his mind, this time without the color.

    [Cory]: Excellent suggestion. I¡ª

    The AI continued to talk, but so did the people in the large room, shaking Rowan''s hand and presenting themselves. About ten men and women of different ages said things that made no sense, often speaking over each other. Rowan nodded, pretending to listen while walking his eyes around, often phasing out.

    The space was about a hundred and some feet long and sixty large, and it had large stained glass windows with flowery motifs in art-nouveau style. The parquet was intricate and shined, and a small water feature was in the center¡ªa fountain with a nymph statue. A strange detail contrasted with the rest. A giant wood or charcoal barbecue grill on the farthest wall, inside a massive fireplace ten feet tall and at least three deep.

    [Cory]: I notice your interest in the piece de resistance. What can be more posh than an open space in which you can entertain the guests with a barbecue during a ball? My interior design subroutine is quite pleased with it.

    Err¡­

    "And we hope to have the plumbing redone within a few weeks," the mayor said.

    "Sorry?" Rowan shook his head.

    "Oh, you don''t know, right¡­ Let me show you the toilet." The mayor escorted him to a door on the side of the hall. It gave first into a tight couloir, then into a small adjacent room, four by four feet. Inside were only two features: a hole in the ground, a Turkish-style squat toilet displaying total darkness beneath, and a sort of faucet stuck in the wall. A small pile of squares of paper cut from newspapers sat near the hole. "It¡¯s the one and only toilet in the building. We couldn''t figure out what the wall device does¡­" the man confessed. "But I did a number one in the hole, and it¡­ disappears. Maybe it disintegrates matter¡­"

    [Cory]: It teleports human detritus into a recycling plant I built out of town. The design of the toilet is based on the most commonly used type of facility on Earth: the squatting toilet. The wall device is simultaneously a water or a sonic cleaner. There is a rune that activates¡ª

    "Sorry!" Rowan yelled. He had mistakenly touched the rune at the same time the AI spoke. A beam of water had missed him by an inch, hitting the mayor in the face and kicking his glasses off. They fell into the hole and vanished.

    "It''s OK, I have a spare," the older man shouted as they both ran out, closing the door. "At least it works."

    ¡°That¡¯s the main problem with what happened,¡± Isla said. ¡°Toilets are a nightmare; the streets are too narrow, and there¡¯s no parking space at all!¡±

    ¡°The new center town design is medieval, to say the least,¡± the mayor sighed.

    "Look, sir," Rowan addressed the elderly man, "I¡­ don''t think I''m cut for this job¡­ It''s¡­ just too much."

    "I see¡­" the man nodded slowly, wiping his face with a handkerchief. "Why don''t we move to the meeting room and talk?" He gestured toward another door and arrived in a more classical conference room, followed by the rest of the people present. Luckily, the room had a normal table and chairs. Rowan was obliged to take the main seat as everybody else had occupied the rest.

    "You''re aware the world changed, right?" the mayor continued.

    "Yeah¡­ but how much?" Rowan said.

    [Cory]: Just a bit now, but it will be by a lot very soon. It¡¯s an Apocalypse, after all. Duuuh!

    "Mutated animals started to appear around the county¡­ strange rabbits with horns, snails that growl and jump you¡­¡±

    [Cory]: About 1% of the fauna will mutate inside a high Mana Zone. 0.1 percent outside.

    "The good part is we didn''t have any fatalities¡­ that AI sent us warnings on our phones¡­ The beasts are territorial and haven¡¯t attacked anyone yet."

    [Cory]: Monsters stay near small Mana Nodes. I marked their position on the County¡¯s mini map.

    "A few people hunted some and got that thing¡­ the System? We have about¡­ I dunno¡­ Isla?"

    "Maybe fifty people with classes. Most are Hunter class, uncommon tier. And a few Rares. Two Scouts and one Ranger¡­ A guy who used a bow," the policewoman said.

    "But none is so strong as you, son," the mayor said. "We¡­ kinda hope you''d stay and help us¡­ I and the council will take care of the usual business, you know¡­ taxes, roads, stuff¡­ and you¡¯ll do the¡­ err¡­ protecting part. We thought about paying you two hundred thousand a year plus bonuses."

    [Cory]: By protecting, he means the fighting. There will be a lot of dangers. I recommend you ask for three hundred thousand a year.

    ¡°What happens if I refuse?¡± Rowan asked. ¡°I have a life, you know¡­ a normal job, and so on.¡±

    [Cory]: There will be elections. However, my simulation tells me that eventually, Isla will become the local warlord. Apocalypses tend to concentrate power in the hands of those who fight.

    "Son, considering what the government did, I don¡¯t think your normal life will last long,¡± the mayor said.

    ¡°You mean the kidnapping attempt?¡± Rowan frowned, remembering how the feds planned to dissect him and the children.

    ¡°[Cory]: That was only the beginning. After the feds were teleported, they sent the army but failed to enter the County. Then¡­ they tried something else.

    "Look," the mayor forwarded Rowan his phone, displaying a short video. The town, viewed from afar, was enclosed in a forcefield. The landscape had transformed into a nightmarish desert to the valley''s east. Burnt, destroyed, some stumps showing here and there, and hills battered into piles of mud.

    ¡°My God!¡± Rowan exclaimed. "What happened?"

    "A few hours after the force field went up, the government threw a few tacticals nukes at Elkins¡­ No attempt to communicate, nothing. The AI filmed this and forwarded it to the Council. It said the radiation and the shock were stopped by the County quantum forcefield¡­ for which we should thank you."

    "Shit! How many more hits can we withstand."

    "The AI said there''s no limit."

    [Cory]: Nukes are no match for a Quantum Forcefield. If I may insist, please accept your new position. The townfolks are really nice, and you would fit in perfectly. Outside, chaos will only grow. There''s next to zero chance any normal government will survive the Change.

    Rowan remained silent for a long moment, drumming his fingers on the tableboard. The news was a bit too much to process instantly. "OK, I get you¡­ I need time alone to figure it out and make up my mind. You¡¯ll have my answer before tonight."

    ¡°Thank you, son,¡± the mayor offered a handshake. ¡°We count on you.¡±

 6: And Yet We Both Reached for the Gun

    <hr>

    Rowan exited the building, stepping slowly and slightly wobbling. When he accepted the core quest, he had no idea the county would turn into a sort of Liechtenstein, with minimalistic toilets that were the most un-American things he had ever seen.

    "Wait!" It was Isla, shouting and running after him.

    "What?" Rowan asked curtly, a tone just a hair width from being abrupt. He had hoped to be alone for a while.

    "If you chose to leave, don''t say goodbye¡­ It will break Lizzie¡¯s heart¡­ She prays for a daddy every day¡­ I''ll bring you your stuff," Isla said.

    "Honestly, I''m not yet decided," Rowan said, a pang of sadness clenching his heart for a second. The little girl''s funny image briefly flashed before his eyes. He liked kids a lot and planned, in a pipe dream of his own, to have his own at some point in time¡­ with the proper gal, of course. The ONE. Which he hadn¡¯t been able to meet yet. ¡°I mean¡­ I have a good job, but¡­¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s an Apocalypse out there¡­¡±

    ¡°And a government who nuked us¡­ Is there some nice place to hike or relax around here?¡±

    "I¡¯ll take you to a spot I like," Isla opened the police car''s door, offering him a front seat this time. ¡°It¡¯s quiet and isolated.¡±

    "Can I drive?" he asked, grinning. He always wished to drive a police car at full speed with sirens roaring.

    "Don''t push your luck," she frowned at him.

    "Where are we going?" Rowan asked ten minutes later when they entered the hills.

    "To my parents¡¯ mountain lodge. My folks have a big chunk of land up there."

    "Nice," he nodded.

    "Would be if they used their heads to make some money. There''s a scout summer camp that wants to rent it long term, but my folks say kids running around would scare the protected species."

    "What protected species?"

    "There are none, but who knows, there might be someday, my folks said. It''s just how they are."

    Isla was sulking, obviously, and he didn''t push the subject. Family issues were a delicate matter. They had entered a private dirt road, giving to a small wooden lodge, and she parked aside it. All around was a large meadow, quite pretty, and in the back forest. The front view gave to the valley, and the hills looked inviting.

    ¡°Sit down,¡± Isla gestured toward a bench on the porch. ¡°Coffee?¡±

    ¡°That would be great¡­ Do you have something to eat? I had no breakfast.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s my fault, I suppose¡­ Give me a second.¡±

    She opened the door with a key hidden on a beam and went inside. A minute later, she offered Rowan a few Musli bars, adding a black coffee after five more. They sat silently for a while, and Rowan felt grateful for the lack of conversation. Nevertheless, despite trying his best to reach a decision, his mind was still cluttered with too many thoughts.

    ¡°Fuck,¡± she nodded after a while, mirroring his feelings. ¡°An alien Apocalypse¡­ ¡±

    Rowan laughed. ¡°Yeah¡­ At least, this is a nice place to be caught in one¡­¡±

    "Do you want to be left alone?¡± Isla asked.

    ¡°Not really,¡± Rowan confessed. His desire for solitude was gone. Her presence was pleasant, and not only because the woman was pretty. She somehow had an aura of dependableness and reliability. He wished to start a conversation, but he was at a loss for words, the worries about his new situation buzzing in his mind like a cloud of flies. Nevertheless, even just sitting there felt good.

    ¡°How about a hike?¡± Isla proposed after a few minutes of mutual silence. ¡°There¡¯s a trail behind the property. Or we can spar if you want¡­ Thomas told me you''re a good fighter. I''m into MMA."

    The offer picked Rowan¡¯s interest. He liked sparing and did it in various sports, mostly boxing and wrestling. "I suppose some training would be good, considering the Apocalypse and everything. Do you have some protection gear?"

    "Don''t worry, I''ll go easy on you."

    "Haha¡­ you wish¡­" His supposedly sarcastic laugh faded as the worrying blue text appeared.

    Quest: Hand to Hand Combat Training

    Isla Culloden won multiple National martial arts championships. Spar with her to hone your martial skills. Reward: +1 Lvl. +1 AP

    "Ouch!" he jerked. Isla had flickered him in the forehead.

    "Are you sleeping or what?"

    "Sorry, I was reading a quest. Do you have¡ª¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I have one as well. I¡¯m supposed to teach you how to cope with a superior adversary. Let''s go for it."

    They walked to the middle of the meadow. Rowan took a step back and put himself in a boxing stance. A second later, after dashing forward with inhuman speed, Isla kicked him behind the right knee, making him fall on the left one, before retreating at a safe distance, dancing around him so fast he barely could follow.

    This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

    "You''re slow," she taunted him.

    "Gloves off.¡± Plunging, Rowan grabbed Isla''s legs, making her fall to the ground, and followed with a submission attempt. He got an elbow in the face but persisted. To his disappointment, she twisted her body and pushed him away, jumping up on her feet with the power of her core muscles.

    ¡°You did some wrestling," she said.

    "Yep. Amateur level.¡±

    "Bad news. The amateur level won''t cut it anymore.¡± Grinning, Isla spun and threw a heel into his arm, and that was because he had managed to protect his ribs at the last moment. Rowan retreated, but it was not enough. She closed the distance and hit him in the jaw with two jabs.

    ¡°Fuuck¡­¡± Rowan wailed, feeling gums bleeding.

    ¡°You yield?" Isla taunted, dancing back with boxing steps.

    ¡°Yield?¡± Rowan sneered, spitting on the grass. ¡°I just got started.¡±

    The Quest Hand-to-Hand Combat Training has upgraded to Combat Training. In an Apocalypse, monsters or villains won¡¯t give you any quarter.  Make the scenario as realistic as possible.

    ¡°That¡¯s more like it,¡± Rowan gloated. There was a stool on the porch, and he rushed to pick it up. Stools were his favorite weapons in bar fights, as one could both defend and attack using them. ¡°Now let¡¯s see how you¡ª Fuck!¡±

    A gunshot made the stool fly away from his hands, showering his face with splinters.

    "As realistic as possible, right?" Isla smirked. While Rowan had busied to retrieve the stool, she had recovered a revolver from the car. "You know what? Hide in the forest, and I¡¯ll chase you. You win if I don¡¯t hit you before my bullets are out. I¡¯ll count down from ten. Ten¡­"

    "Are you mad?" Rowan yelled.

    "Relax, it¡¯s my other gun. Rubber bullets. Nine¡­ At zero, I shoot. Eight¡­ Seven¡­"

    ¡°Hey! That¡¯s insane!¡±

    [Cory]: Run! She will shoot you.

    "Shit!" There was no other choice but to run into the woods, which he did as fast as possible. A gunshot followed the bullet whistling above, missing him about an inch.

    [Cory]: We have a problem!

    "You think so? She''s crazy!" Rowan yelled.

    [Cory]: No, she thinks you''re immune to bullets because of the Perk you have. She Inspected you a couple of times today. She doesn''t realize it works only in town. However, I estimate you would survive a direct hit from a rubber bullet as long as you avoid being hit in the head.

    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me, tell her!¡±

    [Cory]: ATM, my telepathic communications are restricted to you. Do you wish me to send her an email?

    "Fuck." There was only one reason Rowan didn¡¯t call the Core an idiot, and that was because the voice sounded like a girl, and he was a gentleman. ¡°Call off the quest!¡±

    [Cory]: It¡¯s not me who gave the quest; it¡¯s the System. I¡¯m only the AI assistant of this County. Quests are a complex¡ª

    ¡°Not now!¡±

    "You can run, but you can''t hide!" Isla shouted.

    Rowan darted onward, trying to go over a ridge to have some cover. Another projectile whizzed over his head. That was the third shot. The question was how many more bullets Isla had. Most revolvers had six shots, but some types had less or more.

    Beam me up or something.

    [Cory]: Teleportation of friendly targets is momentarily blocked for safety reasons.

    Why?

    [Cory]: Teleportation is just a word chosen so you understand. What is available now is a warp wave that sends hostiles away.¡ª50% fatality rate¡ªand the detritus disposal.

    ¡°Isla, stop! My bullet resistance Perk doesn''t work here!¡± Rowan yelled.

    ¡°You think you can trick me?¡± another bullet and a scream arrived back. "Take it seriously."

    Isla was gaining on him, undoubtedly because she knew the terrain.  And Rowan had never been a fan of running. Plunging in a ravine, he tried to turn back on his tracks, hoping to trick Isla into going farther into the woods while he would get back to the car. It didn''t work, only offering her a shorter path to him. Isla¡¯s running steps approached fast.

    Changing direction suddenly, he grabbed a tree, used it as a pivot, and ran at the incoming Isla at full speed. It surprised her; she missed her fifth shot, and they grappled, each trying to get enough leverage to throw the other on the ground. Grabbing Isla¡¯s right hand and the gun, Rowan clung on, ignoring the fists she abundantly gifted him, trying to move the weapon''s sights down. Then, they paused, exhausted, looking eye to eye, the revolver between them, his hands on the barrel, hers on the grip.

    Rowan smiled. ¡°And yet we both reached for the gun,¡± he sang with a creaky voice.

    That made her jerk. Her index slipped, and she pressed the trigger because Rowan squeezed her hands over hers, knowing now it was the gun¡¯s last bullet and it was best to be fired while he was in control. The shot hit the ground but hit a rock and ricocheted up, hitting Rowan in the shoulder. A sharp pain went through his body. He stepped backward, dazed.

    "Oh my God!" Isla screamed, covering her mouth with both her hands, letting the gun fall to the ground. "You''re hurt!"

    "I tried to tell you my Perk doesn''t work out of town¡­¡± he moaned.

    "Sorry," she yelled, pulling his shirt apart to reveal the wound. It was a bad bruise, and the projectile had lodged itself half an inch in the flesh, breaking the skin.  Hitting the rock had revealed the metal pellet inside the rubber, and that had caused the damage. Isla pulled the object out, slamming a handkerchief over the cut. "We need to stop the bleeding¡­ Let¡¯s get back to the lodge, I have a first aid kit in the car."

    [Cory]: It''s just a flesh wound. Your regen is already healing it. It will be repaired in an hour or less. She won the match, but it was by pure luck.

    "It''s just a flesh wound," Rowan repeated the AI''s words.

    "I¡¯m really sorry!" Isla kneaded her hands, her face creased in an apologetic expression."It''s the first time I''ve shot someone¡­"

    ¡°Not much crime going around here, huh?¡±

    ¡°I''m so sorry¡­ Oh, my God!" she gasped. ¡°Now I shot you, and yesterday, I tased you¡­ You must think I¡¯m a monster¡­¡±

    "Nah¡­ Just the average happy-trigger American police officer. It''s OK," he squeezed her shoulder reassuringly, then leaned down to pick her gun from the ground, handing it back.

    They returned to the lodge in silence, and they entered the cabin. The interior was cozy and a bit soppy but nice, with many patchwork blankets and dried flower arrangements. Isla washed his wound with sterile water, abundantly pouring iodine afterward and dressing it with a gauze so bit it could have patched up the Titanic. Finally, they settled on the porch with a cup of fresh coffee in hand and a box of stale cookies on the table. The view over the hills was beautiful, and a part of the town could be seen too. It was¡­ homely¡­

    ¡°I accept to be a count,¡± Rowan said suddenly.

    ¡°Really?¡± Isla widened her eyes. ¡°After all I did to you?"

    ¡°Nah¡­ It was fun,¡± he shrugged. ¡°I decided I like it here.¡±

    Rowan Allinder is now the permanent Count of Randolph County. To consult your charter¡ªaka Constitution¡ªask your AI assistant.

    [Cory]: I''m very happy you said yes. I have a feeling we''ll do great things together. I¡¯m sending SMSs and emails around the County to announce the good news.

    Rowan shrugged. If there¡¯s an Apocalypse, at least I¡¯ll confront it on my terms.

    "I''m¡­ glad you said yes," Isla replicated the AI''s words. "I''ll try to help you to the best of my abilities."

    "Sure¡­ You can start by giving me the car¡¯s keys. My first Count proclamation is this: I am now honorary police chief and have the right to drive all police cars at full speed, with sirens on.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re kidding me, right?¡± Isla frowned at him.

    Rowan didn¡¯t reply but forwarded his hand, waiting. After a few seconds, Isla surrendered and put the keys into his palm.

 7: Foundling Father

    <hr>

    Rowan parked the police car at the corner of Grace¡¯s street. The policewoman was pale as a sheet of paper. ¡°First and last time you ever touch this wheel,¡± she declared. ¡°This is how you drive all the time?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m also a rally driver,¡± Rowan bragged, pumping his chest out and then grimacing as the move made his wound hurt. ¡°OK, an amateur rally driver,¡± he continued as she stared at him. ¡°But it comes in handy. I was tased by a police officer once¡ª¡±

    ¡°For doing what?¡± she snapped.

    ¡°There was this drunk in the bar who hit a girl, and I kindly taught him a lesson in politeness. Basically, I beat him up.¡±

    ¡°You beat drunks for hitting on girls?¡± Isla frowned.

    ¡°The other kind of hitting, he slapped her so hard her lip bled. Anyway, here comes the police after five minutes, and an officer zaps me.¡±

    ¡°Let me guess: you were still beating that guy.¡±

    ¡°Maybe?¡± he lowered his head between the shoulders. ¡°Anyway, he deserved it. I thought of suing the department but decided it was not worth it. One day, when the officer was on duty, I passed his car at a hundred miles per hour, which made him chase me up into Indiana. I lost him in Hoosier National Forest. I bet that ruined his day¡­  But from then on, I never ever had any more trouble with the police or beat anyone else because I learned my lesson,¡± Rowan blurted a blatant lie because, contrary to his expectations, Isla didn¡¯t look at all thrilled by his story. Her frown said it all.

    ¡°Get out,¡± she leaned over him, opening the door. ¡°And mark my words: If you¡¯re going Dukes of Hazzard or beating drunks in my town, I¡¯ll mount a coup faster than you can say revolution!¡±

    ¡°Beating drunks would be uncouth for a count,¡± he replied, trying to adopt an elegant English accent. I¡¯ll send the police for that. Or maybe¡­ should I make my own pretorian guard or stuff?

    Cory: Alas, that¡¯s forbidden by the charter.

    ¡°See ya around,¡± Rowan said, exiting the car. Isla pushed herself laterally into the driver¡¯s seat and pushed on the gas, leaving behind a loud noise of screeching tires. Rowan shrugged and walked to Grace¡¯s house. In front of the door, he paused and took a deep breath. Staying meant a possible relationship¡­ and he wasn¡¯t sure he was prepared for that.

    [Cory]: C''mon, it can''t be so bad. She''s nice, if a bit loose.

    Loose?

    [Cory]: You know what I mean¡­  Having sex with a stranger the first day you met? A child out of wedlock? That''s what the Multiverse calls¡ª

    "Tell me you''re joking."

    [Cory]: The Galaxy is big, so it depends. In some places¡ª

    We''re not in some places, and I''d appreciate you being polite. Rowan cut the AI short and entered the house with large strides. Inside, Grace and Dmitri were setting the table for lunch, with Lizzie helping.

    ¡°Oh, look who¡¯s back!¡± Grace giggled, then curtsied. "I bid you welcome, your Lordship.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t go there, I beg you,¡± Rowan waved his hands.

    ¡°I was asleep when the vote happened, but for the record, I would have voted for you.¡±

    ¡°Ditto,¡± Dmitri said. ¡°And I''m glad you accepted.¡±

    After exchanging a handshake with Dmitri and hugging Grace and Lizzie, Rowan sat at the table, resting his forehead on his arm. ¡°I¡¯d help, but I¡¯m still exhausted. Isla and I trained, and it was intense.¡±

    ¡°Oh, God. That¡¯s why you look like you survived a mugging!¡± Grace gasped.

    ¡°Oh¡­ I forgot about that¡­ I¡¯ll go change,¡± Rowan said.

    "You can have some of my spare shirts," Dmitri said.

    ¡°It¡¯s OK.¡±

    Although he traveled light, Rowan did have a pair of bermudas and a T-shirt in his small backpack. Ten minutes and a brief shower later, he was back downstairs.

    ¡°That¡¯s not what a Count should wear,¡± Dmitri exclaimed, pointing at Rowan¡¯s shorts. ¡°Come, I¡¯ll lend you a pair of trousers.¡±

    ¡°What if they don¡¯t fit?¡± The art teacher was a head shorter than Rowan, about Grace¡¯s height.

    ¡°Nonsense. Come.¡±

    There was another stair at the southern end of the house, leading into a sort of refurbished attic. Dmitri¡¯s apartment was a little untidy but full of colorful and pretty landscape paintings and an easel in an alcove.

    ¡°Don¡¯t mind the mess,¡± Dmitri said.

    ¡°What mess? You should have seen my old man¡¯s studio.¡±

    Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    ¡°Wait! Allinder? Like the painter and art dealer? Of course, how stupid of me. You¡¯re Johan¡¯s son.¡±

    ¡°Adopted... but yeah¡­¡±

    ¡°What a pleasure!¡± Dmitri rushed and grabbed Rowan¡¯s right hand, shaking it with enthusiasm.

    ¡°You knew him?¡±

    ¡°I sold a couple of my works through his gallery long ago. Is he¡­ still around?¡±

    ¡°He passed away two years away in his sleep.¡±

    ¡°God rest his soul,¡± Dmitri crossed himself. ¡°What a good man he was!¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­ Annoying but nice.¡±

    ¡°In his honor, I¡¯ll offer you my best pair of pants.¡±

    Five minutes later, after changing in the bathroom, Rowan looked in the mirror with dismay. The pants were top-notch but a few inches shorter, as expected. ¡°I¡¯d better change back.¡±

    ¡°Wait!¡± Kneeling, Dmitri pulled on the cuffs, making the trousers descend a little. With the T-shirt covering the belt part, which was now low, Rowan started to look acceptable. Back downstairs, his stomach growling with hunger, he looked forward to eating something.

    Grace must have read him because she said: ¡°You look like you could eat a horse.¡±

    Suddenly, the experience of the ''sparing'' session came back to life in his mind. A bit of resentment and grudge washed over Rowan, more so because Isla had also looked down on his vigilantism. And it was like a good occasion to complain and grumble in front of a nice woman. ¡°An elephant, maybe. That woman is totally unhinged. Made me run all around the mountain for dear life.¡±

    ¡°I-Isla? N-nah¡­ she¡¯s tough but n-nice.¡±

    ¡°Why are you looking at me like that?¡± Rowan raised her brows. Grace was winking like there was no tomorrow,  Lizzie giggled, and Dmitri''s mouth and eyes were wide open. ¡°She¡¯s behind me, isn¡¯t she?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I am. Hi,¡± Isla said, hugging Grace. Behind her, Thomas carried a cake box.

    She was in my back, and you said nothing? Stupid AI!

    [Cory]: How could I anticipate what you were gonna say? Isla¡¯s here for Lizzie¡¯s birthday. She¡¯s turning six today. First grade. She acts childish to lure potential fathers into liking her. I¡¯ve read the school¡¯s shrink files on her. Also, Isla and Grace go way back, high-school besties. They are both twenty-seven now. They had a third BFF, older, who died in an accident, together with her husband. Isla adopted their kid.

    Grace started to bring in the courses. The food was delicious, but Rowan was too embarrassed by his gaffe to fully enjoy it.

    Why should I feel embarrassed? After all, she¡¯s the one who almost killed me. He frowned at the woman and froze, realizing for the first time Isla wore a dress instead of her police uniform and looked stunning. Her arms and legs were tanned and fit, and she had lean, shiny muscles, like a panther¡¯s. And her eyes¡­ gray-blue, went through Rowan like a laser.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, OK?¡± Isla blurted.

    ¡°It¡¯s all right,¡± Rowan hurried to say, happy she misunderstood his ogling. ¡°It was just a hard training session, that¡¯s all.¡±

    ¡°Mom doesn¡¯t know the meaning of the word easy. You should see my training routine. True hell,¡± Thomas raised his eyes from his smartphone for a second.

    Is there a phone connection to the outside, Cory?

    [Cory]: No, but I¡¯m building a local network, and soon enough, a general System Chat will be available. We will also have local internet, radio, and TV. The Internet works, but I''m restricting access to the outer world until you decide what information to allow in and out.

    Clinking, Rowan put his glass on the table. He had eaten and drank with the rest, even participating in the conversation, he realized, like a second personality had split from him for a while.

    [Cory]: Your WIL and first DEX Perk are buffing your INT.  I¡¯ll leave you be. I have to install US-standard code plumbing in the buildings I built.¡±

    ¡°Get up. We¡¯re singing Happy Birthday,¡± Dmitri whispered in Rowan¡¯s ear at the same time, pulling him by an elbow.

    ¡°Haapy Birthday to¡ª¡±

    ¡°ME!¡± Lizzie yelled over the choir.

    ¡°Haapy Birthday to¡ª¡±

    ¡°ME!¡±

    ¡°Haapy Birthday, dear Lizzie¡­ Happy Birthday to you!¡±

    Hugs, gifts, pats, ruffled hair. Even Thomas, a gender enemy at that age, hugged her. Lizzie, though, was searching with her eyes for only one target. Rowan. He felt his heart breaking, melting, and then putting itself together. That kind of eyes and the need to be loved, to belong, he had them too as a kid.

    Rowan took a glass and hit it with a butter knife, taking an imposing stance, his chin raised up. ¡°Everyone, if I may have your attention for a moment.¡± He cleared his voice and continued. ¡°As you know, the world has changed. Magic has appeared, and we¡¯re in uncharted territory. Yet, it is up to us to make the best of it. I say: let the old world fade in the back and grab the new one with both hands. In this fateful circumstances, as the newly appointed Count of¡­ what¡¯s this place called again?¡±

    ¡°Randolph County,¡± Dmitri said.

    ¡°Randolph County, I would like to start my reign with a gift to the wonderful young lady who¡¯s now six years old. If her mother allows it,¡± he searched for Grace¡¯s eyes, ¡°I want to declare Lizzie a¡­ err¡­ a princess and my honorary daughter.¡±

    ¡°Mommy?¡± Lizzie looked up with hope blossoming in her eyes.

    "That''s¡­ too all of a sudden," Grace said hesitantly. "I¡ª"

    ¡°It has nothing to do with the official custody, of course¡­ it¡¯s just¡­ honorific,¡± Rowan added, waving his hands reassuringly. ¡°I will just¡­ err¡­ maybe help with homework and teach Lizzie to ride the bicycle?¡±

    "It didn''t take me more than a second to know I want to adopt Thomas," Isla said, looking into nothingness. "When Miriam died, that was my first thought, even before I cried¡­ The old world is gone, Grace. You didn''t see those monsters¡­ Nine feet tall, all muscles, claws, and fangs¡­ Rowan took them on with only a knife, and he killed the last one with his bare hands. Castles grow overnight, the government nukes us¡­ For what it''s worth, I think he''s weird but goodhearted." She searched for Rowan''s eyes, and they nodded at each other.

    Grace took Lizzie by the hand, and they came to hug Rowan.

    ¡°Thank you, thank you!¡± Lizzie beamed. ¡°It¡¯s my best birthday ever!¡±

    ¡°Bwhaaaa¡­.¡± Dmitri erupted in sobs, running out of the room.

    ¡°Don¡¯t mind him. Russians are sentimental,¡± Grace smiled. ¡°Thank you, Rowan. Even if it¡¯s an honorific title, it¡¯s a nice gesture.¡±

    "Err¡­" Rowan tried to speak, but the blue notification made him gasp.

    You are now officially an adoptive parent of Viscountess Elizabeth Garcia Larmontel. The main custody is still held by Grace Garcia Larmontel, but you have the right to express your opinion about her upbringing and be informed about these types of choices.

    What?

    [Cory]: For goodness''s sake! Can''t I take my eyes off you for a second? You''re a Count! Your words matter.

    But I said ''honorary,'' didn''t I? I was thinking of giving Lizzie a cute daughter diploma and maybe taking her to school in the police car...

    [Cory]: I wish you the best of luck at parenting. You''re 99% percent there.

    You''re sarcastic, aren''t you?

    The AI didn¡¯t reply. The inner dialogue had taken no more than a few seconds. Meanwhile, the conversation had moved on, mostly about how good the cake was.

    ¡°If you don''t mind, I¡¯d like to relax on the porch with a piece of cake and a glass of whiskey. I had quite a hard couple of days,¡± Rowan excused himself, ruffling Lizzie''s hair to make his exit more acceptable.

 8: Porch Settings

    <hr>

    Rowan took his time eating the piece of cake and sipping Bourbon from time to time, swirling the glass and enjoying the scent and the taste. It matched well with the chocolate and sour cherries. When he finished the liquid amber, he put the glass on the nearby table, leaned back on the swing, rested his feet on the railing, and closed his eyes. Many thoughts, maybe about the novelty or his situation, were fighting each other in his head. He went inside for a minute to recover his phone and tried to check for news. There was no access to any type of internet yet. In the end, he decided to talk directly to the one most likely to know things and try to build a relationship in the process.

    AI? Sorry¡­ Cory?

    [Cory]: What?

    Sorry, I know you¡¯re busy.

    [Cory]: Not busy, just taking a number one.

    Err¡­ Like x and zeroes flowing out?

    [Cory]: Ones and¡­ Never mind. It was a joke. How can I help you?

    I thought we could¡­ well¡­ socialize? Know each other better? Are there any settings I should be helping with?

    [Cory]: Sure. For instance, I would like to communicate telepathically with the other Awakened citizens when needed. Just think: request granted.

    Request granted. Tell me something¡­ I have like a hundred grand in gold in my backpack¡­ I sold my car¡­

    [Cory]: You sold your car for a hundred grand?

    It was a muscle car. A friend built it for me, and then I drove it for a year. Selling it got me a nice profit. I was thinking of using the money for a house, but now¡­ Anyway. Should I put them in a bank or something?

    [Cory]: It can be arranged. The County will have its own bank and keep the dollar at its current value, freezing prices. A bit of a heavy-handed approach, but necessary. In time, there will be plenty of opportunities for a Mana Zone to thrive. Health tourism, for instance. A Healer can take care of most ailments your doctors can''t with a simple spell.

    You should also know that your backpack has been changed into a rare-tier bonded spatial storage with a volume of about a metric ton. If you want to retrieve something, just concentrate on the item, and it will appear. Do you want to review the improvements I¡¯m planning for your mansion?

    Yeah, about that¡­ I¡¯d rather stay here.

    [Cory]: You''re positive? That mansion is very fashionable. Best Galaxy standard.

    Sure, sure... You have¡­ err¡­ great taste. But I like it here better. It''s cozy and¡­ well¡­ I just like it. Could you arrange for the town to pay Grace rent or something? The town can use the mansion for whatever instead.

    [Cory]: Your wish is my command. Grace¡¯s house is now your official residence, and the County will pay her a rent equal to half¡ª

    ¡°Oh, no, you¡¯ll pay her full rent!¡± Rowan frowned.

    [Cory]: ¡ª to half of what she would get if she had full occupancy all the time. She will have the right to rent free rooms for short periods, though, and you will have the right to host guests for no charge. Overall, her business will make more money than it does now. A fair deal will also make her feel¡ª

    Respected¡­ Good thinking. Now, what if you brief me about the Apocalypse and stuff

    [Cory]: Beginning presentation. During an intergalactic voyage, a Manatech spaceship called the Traipenent crashed on Earth, exposing your planet to Mana, a form of Dark Matter that interacts with sentience and can be used for magic. Once it reaches a place, it multiplies until a Quantum equilibrium is achieved.

    Sorry, you lost me¡­

    [Cory]: What matters is the result: Magic. Do you want me to skip to the System?

    Yes, but keep it simple. Is it sentient?

    [Cory]: It''s unclear whether the System is sentient, but it always appears wherever Mana is present. Typically, the System adapts to the local culture. Its primary goal is the survival of the newly Awakened planet and its inhabitants.

    ¡°But you are sentient, right?¡± Rowan said aloud. ¡°You sure sound smart and clever.¡± He had thought about the AI¡¯s sarcasm and scolding for a second; however, keeping the best relationship with an alien Artificial Intelligence by throwing in a compliment was better.

    [Cory]: By happenstance, I am sentient, unlike most cores. Now, let¡¯s go to the main problem. This is an Accidental Awakening, and we¡¯re in an uncharted part of the Galaxy¡­ No civilized planet will send help. We¡¯re on our own.

    Has the System spread everywhere on Earth?

    [Cory]: Affirmative. However, I doubt it will make itself known all over the planet before the Mana reaches an adequate density. Advice: interacting with your government will be pointless. The chance that Earth¡¯s Governments survive in the present configuration is zero. The System doesn¡¯t care about the US, China, whatever. It favors smaller polities, which are more manageable.  I suggest ignoring outside distractions and focusing on your fiefdom.

    Continuing presentation:

    This Town Core has expanded to cover Randolph County. Within the County, the Mana levels are on par with average Intergalactic standards. The climate is also more moderate, with a pleasant cycle of late spring, summer, and early autumn.

    About Classes: Classes are specialized roles that use Mana in various ways. You have a resource tank called the Mana Pool, which processes raw Mana into a usable form. Your ability to use Mana improves as your Stats increase. Speaking of Stats, they are complex and personalized. The same Strength number is different for you compared to a dragon. Stats grow exponentially and are represented logarithmically. Starting at 10 (considered the average human value), each point represents a n x 1.035 gain. A written value of 11 in a stat is 10.35, but a 100 is more than 220. This means slower growth at the beginning and a bigger one at higher levels.

    ¡°Hm¡­ I think I¡¯m smarter than I thought¡­ I understood everything,¡± Rowan complimented himself.

    Cory: Back to Classes. Most people will fall into the F-tier, the Common Unclassed category, with only a 5% improvement in their bodies. The next tier, E, Common Classed, gains access to the System and a small boost in Attribute Points. About one percent of Earth''s population will progress further, and only a handful will get your tier: Legendary-Unique.

    ¡°Wow! Really?¡± Rowan exclaimed.

    [Cory]: Legendary Classes are granted for accomplishing extraordinary feats in high-risk, high-reward situations. The maximum level for Classes is 100, just like for stats. Each person has a primary stat, which is the only one that can be raised to threshold four. Your primary stat is WIL, which is the rarest of all.

    Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

    Is it bad?

    [Cory]: No, it¡¯s the best, but getting points for it before you¡¯re Awakened is hard.

    How so?

    [Cory]: On advanced Awakened planets, children are born with milk stats, similar to baby teeth. When they come of age, their levels are reset to one, their stats are transformed to their equivalent in adult values, and they¡¯ll have a choice of a permanent class. Getting a high Will means you overcame significant hardships in your early life.

    ¡°I understand¡­¡± Rowan said, his voice strangled with emotions.

    [Cory]: Maybe one day, you¡¯ll tell me your story.

    ¡°It''s a short one," Rowan changed to talking aloud. "My mother died young, my biological father went into drugs, and we landed on the streets. It was tough. My mother¡¯s uncle adopted me. The End.¡±

    [Cory]: Oh¡­ so that¡¯s why you empathize with Lizzie. Maybe you see yourself in her.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you a shrink in disguise? What about the unique after Legendary?¡±

    [Cory]: It¡¯s a badge of honor. You were the first to accomplish something significant, earning the right to have a unique title: The Indomitable. However, for all other purposes, you are considered Legendary. The exact type of Legendary you become will depend on how you develop. Don¡¯t rush to level up¡ªtake your time and focus on mastering your skills. The System and your subconsciousness are giving each other feedback. If it¡¯s good, it will unlock better Perks. Also, your attribute points are valuable, so investing them wisely is highly recommended.

    The AI voice had turned sour on the last words, and Rowan grinned sheepishly. While sipping Bourbon on the porch, he had invested his free AP into Charisma to make himself more likable.

    ¡°I¡¯ll give it my best in the future.¡±

    [Cory]: Let''s hope so. Now, about the County¡¯s upgrades. You can choose two options: Universal Translator, Technoforge, Short Range Portals,  and Class Assignment Module.

    "Forget the Universal Translator. Everybody speaks English. On the other hand, getting a portal out might be useful. I have some friends outside I want to check on.¡±

    [Cory]: I can open passages in the barrier anytime.

    "What are the portals for, then? Are they safer than that teleport?"

    [Cory]: Yes. Short Range Portals, also known as Shortcuts, can transport people up to one hundred miles away and can be upgraded for longer distances. However, if you want to check with someone, why don¡¯t you use the Internet? The general public access is momentarily shut off, but I can open a line for you... One moment... Here it is. I¡¯ve installed a new app on your phone, and no one can spy on you¡ªnot even me. You can write or call your friends.¡±

    ¡°Really? That¡¯s great. Yeah, I¡¯ll call someone¡­ Does this work with thinking?¡±  Rowan asked, extracting his phone from his pants¡¯ backpocket.

    [Cory]: Negative. It¡¯s normal tech, not manatech. Spoken commands work, though.

    ¡°Great. Call Jim,¡± Rowan said. ¡°Oh¡­ I just realized the mayor has the same name as my friend.¡±

    After two buzzes, a man¡¯s voice answered, almost yelling. ¡°Rowan? Are you OK? We were worried sick!¡±

    ¡°No worries. I sold my car and¡ª¡±

    ¡°Dude! I was talking about the nukes. You were supposed to go through that area, remember? The government said it was an accident, but the news says it was an alien invasion. Some paparazzi posted photos with a sort of forcefield.

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s true. An alien ship crashed. Some monsters appeared, and I helped get rid of them¡­¡± There was nothing said on the other side, probably for lack of words, and Rowan continued. ¡°Well, guess what? This is a sort of System Apocalypse, and I became a Count. The forcefield you saw protects my domain. The government tried to breach it with nukes but failed. And I have a super smart AI who¡¯s helping me¡­ Jim, you¡¯re there?¡±

    ¡°¡­I¡¯m here¡­ You¡¯re serious?¡±

    ¡°Did I ever lie to you?¡±

    ¡°¡­Fuck, man! An Apocalypse? Will it spread?¡±

    [Cory]: Slowly, but probably not so dramatically as here.

    ¡°The AI says yes, but it will be not so bad as it was here¡­ You and Gwen are welcome to join me if¡ª¡±

    ¡°If it is not so bad, I¡¯d rather not¡­ you know, the business and all¡­ If you ever get bored to be a count and want your job back, just call¡­ What should I do about your stuff?¡±

    ¡°Put it in boxes or something; it¡¯s nothing important. I¡¯ll come pick it up as soon as possible.¡±

    ¡°Take care, man,¡± Rowan¡¯s friend sighed and hung up.

    ¡°Jim is my boss¡­ a really nice guy. He owns an apartment building next to the distillery and lets me use a studio for free,¡± Rowan explained. ¡°Now, who to call next?¡± he scratched his cheek.

    [Cory]: Ahum¡­

    ¡°Sorry, I¡¯ll call them later¡­ What about the other two County Perks?"

    [Cory]: The Technoforge is an advanced factory making weapons and other tech. It''s really useful. The Class Assignment Module allows the County to grant classes to up to a hundred people yearly.

    "Who decides who gets classes?"

    [Cory]: You select the candidates, and the local priests perform the ceremony. This perk is a must, if not now, soon enough. We need people with powers on our side.

    ¡°Let''s take the Technoforge and the Class Module," Rowan nodded.

    [Cory]: Now, more news. The System detected the activation of five more Town Cores worldwide, meaning that as many dungeons were cleared. We could try communicating with them or wait and see if their rulers are. I can¡¯t pinpoint their locations for now.

    Let¡¯s wait. So, once Mana appears, dungeons follow?

    [Cory]: Earth''s Mana Field is still too weak to generate dungeons. The ship I told you about, the Traipenent, carried a stash of a hundred dungeon cores. The emergency protocols ejected them across the planet to avoid a mega dungeon-break. About half of these, the lower-level cores, will activate sooner rather than later. The rest will remain dormant for now due to the low ambient Mana.

    Shutting his eyelids tight, Rowan massaged the nape of his neck. That was worrying news. Was this what the future held for him? Fighting monsters on a daily basis? ¡°Why the heck does a Spaceship carry dungeons?¡±

    [Cory]: The Traipenent was a unique, multi-purpose ship combining training, penitentiary, and entertainment, renting out its facilities. People would enter its dungeons to relax in resort-like environments or train by taking on challenges, fighting indentured prisoners, monsters, or Mana Constructs. A resurrection facility ensured that no one was truly harmed. Now, here are your next duties.

    Chain Quest:

    Baby Steps in Leadership

    Attend at least one Town Hall meeting a week. 0/12. Reward: 1 free AP.

    Training

    Train with at least 10 different weapons and hand-to-hand combat for a month, 4 times a week. Reward: 2 free APs.

    Clear the County of Mutated Wildlife, tier 1. Available to all Classed citizens.

    Approximately 1% of the County¡¯s wildlife mutated into monsters after exposure to Mana. These mutated creatures are highly aggressive and must be dealt with. The reward for clearing them completely includes: 1 level up, XP, loot, and a +1 Level for the Town Core.

    [Cory]: Good luck. It¡¯s time for me to go; you have a visitor.

    As soon as the conversation ended, Rowan found himself gazing at two globes of perfection, slightly shining under the evening sun.

    ¡°You''re needed inside.¡±

    ¡°Why? Hey!¡±

    Isla pulled him up by the collar like a schoolboy, and she followed her until they reached the living room. ¡°He stared at my boobs,¡± she ratted.

    ¡°I¡¯ll kill you in your sleep,¡± Thomas promised but kept playing on his phone.

    ¡°C¡¯mon, Isla. I stare at your boobs too. That dress is just too sexy,¡± Grace shrugged. ¡°Is it true you sang Chicago to distract her, Rowan?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, the We both reached for the gun. It¡¯s my favorite. My old man liked musicals, and I caught the virus. I even¡­ ahum¡­ performed in a few amateur productions.¡±

    ¡°Well, well, well,¡± Grace¡¯s eyes shone with interest. ¡°Then why don¡¯t you show us what you can do?¡±

    She walked to an upright piano near a wall and began playing the accompaniment. Rowan missed the first queue, his heart beating in his throat from stage fright, but she gave him the queues by singing the reporters¡¯ part, and he managed to find his way around the piece.

    ¡°Not bad at all,¡± Grace said at the song''s end.

    ¡°Thanks, but let''s not do that again. I almost ruined Dmitri¡¯s pants.¡±

    ¡°Oh, we¡¯ll absolutely do that again! Can¡¯t wait,¡± she clapped her hands in joy.

    ¡°You played pretty well,¡± Rowan complimented her. ¡°Are you a professional?¡±

    ¡°Maybe a low-key one. I still give some piano and singing lessons and get the occasional secondary role once in a blue moon.¡±

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you sing something for us?¡± Rowan proposed to divert her attention.

    ¡°Glitter and be gay,¡± Dmitri said. ¡°I love everything that glitters and is gay.¡±

    ¡°I like that song a lot,¡± Rowan confessed, sitting on the couch beside Lizzie, who was coloring in a children''s book.

    ¡°Glitter and be gay; that''s the part I play. Here I am in Paris, France¡­¡± Grace began.

    She played the piano and sang so beautifully that Rowan felt the need to kiss her but settled for applause.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t get why it says Paris, France,¡± Isla said when the applause faded. ¡°Everyone knows where Paris is.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a pun about us, ¡®Mericans. We¡¯re supposed to be uncultured and be told or tell others where Paris is despite being obvious,¡± Rowan said.

    ¡°Who cares about the capital of some sex-obsessed snail eaters?¡± Isla snorted. ¡°Thomas, leave that bloody phone alone. It''s late and you have homework. We¡¯re going home.¡±

    After hugs were exchanged, the two left. The rest of the evening was spent playing board games, listening to Grace singing a few more songs, and doing various other relaxing activities. When night came, Grace whispered to Rowan: ¡°I promised Lizzie I¡¯ll sleep with her tonight.¡±

    He smiled and nodded. However, his morning sleep was cut short when Grace arrived in his room at six in the morning with explicit intentions in mind.

 9: The Incursion

    <hr>

    Twenty-nine days after the Awakening, the County was almost clear of mutated beasts. There was only one red spot left on the map, near Mount Port Crayon Preserve, on the extreme northeast of the county. Leaving the car a couple of miles from the destination, at the end of the dirt road, they hiked. A mild exercise for Rowan but an exhausting chore for the rest. Isla and Thomas panted and heaved at every other step.

    ¡°My feet are killing me,¡± Isla complained. ¡°Even the buttocks ache. I¡¯m using muscles I never knew I had.¡±

    ¡°Unbelievable!¡± Rowan facepalmed. ¡°You both have more Strength and Toughness than I do, but bitch for going up a hill like it¡¯s Everest.¡±

    [Cory to all]: Strength is a vague representation of your capabilities. For Isla, it helps to fight. For you, it means hiking. By the way, Isla, since we¡¯re talking posteriors, he¡¯s ogling yours.

    ¡°Hey, that¡¯s not cool, you snitch!¡± Rowan blurted.

    ¡°I¡¯ll kill you in your sleep¡­ If I¡­ huh¡­ survive this¡­¡± Thomas heaved.

    ¡°So, you do admit ogling my butt,¡± Isla turned around, frowning.

    ¡°It¡¯s in my face, I can¡¯t help it!¡±

    ¡°Go in front. Now.¡±

    [Cory to all]: Negative. Keep this formation. The tank in front, the hybrid DPS in the middle, and the Rogue in the back.

    ¡°I¡¯m not a Rogue,¡± Rowan objected. "I''m a knight in jeans."

    [Cory to all]: Until you learn proper magic, you are whatever I say you are. Stop. The target is just ahead, one hundred yards. Keep silent. Use the chat.

    [Rowan to all]: What should we expect?

    [Cory to all]: I don¡¯t know. My sensors are vague until I reach level ten.

    [Thomas to all]: I hope it¡¯s not another mutated hare¡­

    [Isla to all]: You liked Bugs Bunny a lot when you were six.

    [Thomas to all]: Yeah, but he wasn¡¯t jumping all around, trying to bite my throat out. I¡¯m fed up with this quest. There are too many of them.

    [Cory to all]: The quest didn¡¯t ask for a quota. Most people killed a single mutated beast and let you do the rest. Easy XP and AP with no stress.

    [Rowan to all]: Damned freeloaders...

    [Cory to all]: You¡¯re paid a hefty salary. People might think you must work for it.

    [Rowan to all]: Sit tight. I¡¯ll scout ahead.

    He barely made a step when the phone rang. Or rather buzzed, as it was set on vibrations. Rowan did cuss but answered.

    ¡°Hi, sweetheart,¡± he whispered. ¡°Can you make it quick? I¡¯m in the middle of something here.¡±

    ¡°Please, come back home,¡± Grace¡¯s voice said. ¡°I have that dreadful feeling, again¡­ I beg you¡­ just come back¡­ I love you so much¡­ I don¡¯t want to lose you.¡±

    ¡°I promise I¡¯ll be careful.¡±

    Without any other words, he turned his phone off. His mood soured all of a sudden. Grace was all over him lately, and while he did like her, Rowan was not yet sure she was THE ONE. He planned to take things very slowly, with baby steps, until his feelings clarified.

    [Cory to Rowan]: She¡¯s just hysterical. Having a fiance, despite her previously decadent sex life, must mean the world to her.

    [Rowan to Cory]: Shut up. You¡¯re a bad and impolite core.

    [Cory to Rowan]: Only ONE more kill, and I¡¯ll be level ten. Think of the greater good and dispatch that creature already.

    Shrugging, Rowan sneaked through the forest, taking his spear in hand. One hundred yards and five minutes later, the target was in view. It was a huge bear, twice the size of a normal Grizzly. The creature was nonchalantly munching some berries, sitting on its derriere.

    [Cory to Rowan]: Blackberries.

    [Rowan to Cory]: I know. I like the preserves.

    [Cory to Rowan]: Can you please kill the monster? Its back is turned to you. Easy crit.

    [Rowan to Cory]: What if Grace is right, and it¡¯s more dangerous than it looks? I¡¯ll go get the others.

    [Cory to Rowan]: Just message them.

    [Rowan to Cory]: Just shut up.

    Returning to the group as discreetly as possible, Rowan beckoned them behind a rock formation.

    [Rowan to all]: It¡¯s a trap.

    [Cory to all]: What are you talking about?

    [Rowan to all]: It¡¯s a bear.

    [Cory to all]: So what?

    [Rowan to all]: Bears smell people miles away. The wind blows toward him. There¡¯s no way it doesn¡¯t know we¡¯re here.

    [Thomas to all]: You sure are a hiking nerd.

    [Cory to all]: C¡¯mon... It¡¯s just a low-level monster.

    [Rowan to all]: Exactly. What low-level monster stays put, knowing three top predators are around?

    [Cory to all]: Oh no! You¡¯re right. I¡¯m detecting ten disturbances¡­ cloaking devices.

    [Rowan to all]: Meaning?

    [Cory to all]: The bear¡¯s someone¡¯s pet. A Beast Master¡¯s. We have been infiltrated by hostile forces.

    [Rowan to all]: You can stop nukes but can¡¯t stop people coming in?

    [Cory to all]: Nukes are no big deal. Classed people are. This means they know about the quest and meddled with it to lure us out here.

    [Isla to all]: It¡¯s not hard to find out about the quest; it¡¯s all over the Bounty Boards. But why the ambush?

    Cory to all]: Best guess? To capture or kill Rowan and claim the County. Change of plans. New formation: Thomas and Rowan are in front. Thomas steps back when his skills are on CD, and Rowan replaces him as the tank. Isla, stay behind the rocks; you¡¯re the most vulnerable.

    [Isla to all]: No. We¡¯re retreating. I won¡¯t have Thomas fight in a real battle.

    [Cory to all]: You have no choice. The disturbances are taking a crescent formation behind the tree line and have you under observation. I¡¯m detecting guns now. If you run, they¡¯ll shoot you.

    [Rowan to all]: What if we advance, pretend to go for the bear, and attack them first? Thomas, stay here¡­ no, better run away while we engage them.

    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    [Isla to all]: Cory, you were supposed to teleport hostiles out!

    [Rowan to all]: True. What the fuck are you waiting for?

    [Cory to all]: They don¡¯t register as hostiles yet, just intruders. But¡­ what if Rowan accepts the invaders as immigrants and grants them citizenship? If they attack us, they¡¯ll become criminals. And criminals can be teleported.

    [Thomas to all]: That¡¯s an exploit, right?

    [Cory to all]: Queen of Exploits is my middle name, so yes. The only problem is I can¡¯t send notifications to hostiles. Rowan, yell something at them.

    [Rowan to all]: OK, here goes nothing.

    Clearing his voice, he yelled as loud as he could: ¡°I, Count Rowan the First, accept the ones invading our territory today as immigrants and grant them citizenship, but they have to obey the law.¡±

    There was a long silence, and then a hail of bullets hit the rocks protecting them.

    ¡°What the fuck happened to the teleport?¡± Thomas yelled.

    [Cory to all]: Oh, no¡­ The System interfered.

    Leadership Quest: The Awakened Warriors that had infiltrated your territory refused your offer. The System has decided to allow them to challenge you. Count Rowan Allinder, prove your mettle by repelling the incursion.

    Reward for winning: Continued Existence. Various. Maintain your title and your control of the County.

    Penalty for losing: The County will be taken under the winners¡¯ control: Unnamed Awakened Military Faction.

    ¡°They¡¯re on us!¡± Isla shouted, unsheathing her gun and firing it wildly. ¡°Thomas, run!¡±

    A group of semi-translucent shadows advanced toward them in turns, pausing to take and offer cover, almost invisible, except for their silhouettes'' faint distortions on the surroundings. Ignoring Isla¡¯s order, or maybe obeying it, but in the wrong sense, the boy dashed ahead, yelling Taunts, interposing himself between the incoming enemies and his party. Bullets bounced off him like heavy raindrops from a hard stone.

    [Cory to Rowan]: Go help him!

    Rowan followed the boy, running as fast as he could. Their foes were invisible, but their guns released smoke and light flashes. He executed a skill that made him move forward like lightning, a Rush, pointing his spear at the nearest shadow.

    You have slain Invader, level 40. XP gain is delayed until you are out of combat, as per your choice of settings.

    His spear had skewered the enemy. The cloaking failed, revealing a middle-aged man with short hair dressed in military fatigues. Rowan pulled his weapon out violently, and the man dropped on his face, dead.

    [Cory to Rowan]: Dodge!

    Dodging and rolling on the grass, Rowan heard a bunch of bullets pass above him. One hit his shoulder but got flattened. His Tough Cookie perk was now enhanced throughout the County, and his leather armor added another layer of protection. At the same time, from behind the rocks, Isla fired her gun like mad, reloading and firing again.

    Rowan flourished his polearm around, hoping to catch someone by chance. It worked; another man fell, his severed foot spilling blood. A second swing cut half the man¡¯s head off, passing through a military helmet like through butter.

    You have slain Invader, level 40. Any further XP gain is delayed until you are out of combat, as per your choice of settings.

    ¡°Your plan failed, surrender!¡± Rowan yelled.

    ¡°You surrender, piece of shit!¡±

    Someone kicked him hard in the kidneys. Normally, it would have knocked Rowan down, but he willed his pain away and turned to face his foe, hitting him¡­ no, her; it was a woman¡­ with a fist in the stomach that made her fly in the air. Her skull exploded before she fell down, a magically enhanced bullet from Isla.

    Team member Isla Culloden has slain Invader, level 40.

    ¡°Get the boy!¡± someone shouted.

    Three people emerged from their cloaking, surrounding Thomas, and another three near Isla. One of the latter tried to shoot her, profiting she was out of bullets. Still, she moved too fast, grappling with another man and shielding herself behind him, making him soak the shots. She broke a bandit¡¯s neck off with her bare hands, then headbutted the last adversary, smashing his skull inward.

    Team member Isla Culloden has slain Invader, level 40, x3.

    ¡°Stop, or we kill him!¡± a man yelled.

    There were only three foes remaining, but they had the advantage. A man restrained Thomas, another man¡ªthe one shouting orders¡ªkept a gun at the boy¡¯s head, and a young woman aimed a pistol at Rowan.

    ¡°OK, OK!¡± Rowan yelled, throwing down his spear. ¡°Don¡¯t hurt him.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t move!¡± the leader of the invaders told Isla, who was advancing and growling like a mama lion seeing her cub in peril.

    [Thomas to all]: My Invulnerability is off cool down. It holds for 3 secs, so be quick. Now!

    Isla unsheathed her spare gun from her ankle, firing toward the man restraining Thomas. The projectiles hit the boy too, but the spell held, and a bullet managed to find the foe¡¯s head, killing him. The two remaining invaders shot at Rowan. He felt the bullets hitting him hard, like giant fists, but Rushed onward, grappling with the leader. From the corner of his eye, he could see the younger woman fall and Thomas throwing himself down to take cover.

    Team member Isla Culloden has slain Invader, level 40, x2.

    ¡°Who are you?¡± Rowan shouted. ¡°Tell me, and I¡¯ll let you live.¡± Surprisingly, even for himself, he had managed to disarm and restrain the leader of the other team, holding the man¡¯s own knife at his neck. Isla¡¯s lessons had paid off.

    ¡°We¡¯re with the government, you fucking traitor.¡±

    ¡°Fuck!¡± Rowan blurted, suddenly noticing that Isla was wobbling and gurgling blood. His eyes saw red; for a second, all he could feel was hate. ¡°Changed my mind. Thank you for the XP,¡± Rowan sneered a low growl, punching the knife through the man¡¯s throat ripping the jugular, carotids, and trachea in the process. He shoved the body away and ran toward Isla, reading the notice automatically.

    You have slain Invader, level 40.

    Leadership Quest cleared. Ambush defeated. +1 free Lvl. + 1 free AP, XP

    Leadership Quest cleared. Incursion defeated: +1 free Lvl. +1 free AP

    Quest: Clear the County; tier 1 has been cleared. +1 free Lvl. +1 free AP

    You have reached Lvl. 42. 4 AP in each Stat have been granted for passing two level thresholds (30 and 40). You have 16 free APs available.

    ¡°They got me¡­ s-sorry¡­¡± Isla stuttered, lying on the grass.

    ¡°Mom!¡± Thomas screamed, kneeling near her.

    ¡°Thomas¡­¡± Isla whispered, fondling the boy¡¯s cheek. ¡°It¡¯s OK¡­gh¡­¡±

    ¡°Stand still!¡± Rowan took off her vest and cut the blood-soaked shirt with the knife. Fortunately, he didn¡¯t have to undress her breasts. Unfortunately, the wound was in an armpit; a bullet had managed to go around the armor. He tried to stop the bleeding using the T-shirt, but it didn¡¯t work. ¡°Shit, she¡¯s fainting. Cory, help! Tell me what to do!¡±

    [Cory to all]: Slap her to keep her awake and tell her to invest Attributes Points into CON. She¡¯s near fifty, I hope she¡¯ll be able to choose some Regen perk.

    ¡°No slap¡­ I heard¡­¡± Isla mumbled, going on and off unconsciousness every other few seconds.

    [Cory to Rowan]: She unlocked an Enhanced Regen, but it¡¯s still insufficient. She won¡¯t make it. Rowan, invest points in INT until you get 25. With luck, you¡¯ll unlock Healing because of your first-aid training.

    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Thomas yelled, holding his mother in his arms.

    [Cory to all]: Y-yes¡­

    Pushing five Attribute Points into INT, as suggested, Rowan crossed his fingers.

    ¡°Fuck!¡±

    Intelligence Perk, Threshold 1 obtained: Strategic Sixth Sense. You can read a battle situation, politics, or just moods with uncanny accuracy. Offers access to the advanced skills: Inspect and Analyze.

    [Cory to Rowan]: Hurry, put the rest of your points in¡ª

    He acted before the core finished the sentence. There were enough points to raise his Will to seventy-five.

    Will Perk, Threshold 3 obtained: Full-Fledged Magic User. You have unlocked Minor Mana Manipulation. You can learn Spells or enhance items, skills, or perks with Magic. First Aid Skillset Unlocked. Harmonizes well with the INT stat, normally with the rest.

    Dismissing the notification, Rowan hurried to press a bandage over the wound.

    ¡°Stop the bleeding, damn¡¯ it!¡±

    First Aid Skill: Stop Bleeding (Minor) applied. Success. 100 MP consumed.

    ¡°Yey!¡±

    [Cory to all]: Err¡­ Sorry, but the bullet is still inside. But I guess she¡¯ll make it to the hospital, where a proper doctor could help her.

    ¡°Extract bullet!¡± Rowan yelled, removing the bandage and touching the wound with his index. It was a shot in the dark, but it worked. As attracted by a magnet, the projectile crawled its way out, and he threw it on the grass.

    First Aid skill: Extract Bullet (Minor) applied. Success. 100 MP consumed. You have unlocked Minor Telekinesis. Warning: You have inflicted Bleed on your teammate Isla Culloden. Temporary status with the teammate Isla in the negative: Your Guts Are Hated.

    ¡°You idiot!¡± Isla grimaced in pain.

    ¡°Stop Bleeding,¡± Rowan blurted again, slapping the bandage on Isla¡¯s skin again.

    First Aid skill: Stop Bleeding (minor) applied. Success. 100 MP consumed.

    Rowan decided to try something else: ¡°Heal!¡±

    Minor Heal fails. This spell is not in your current repertoire. Achieve Max INT or/and Advanced Mana Manipulation to unlock it.

    [Cory to all]: It¡¯s OK; her HPs have stabilized. I suggest not moving her until she¡¯s around 50%. That will take about 30 minutes. Usually, parties have Healers, but there are only two in town now, and they have a lot of patients.

    [Cory to Rowan]: Why don¡¯t you let them have a mother-son moment while we chat about your build? I¡¯m disbanding the team.

    ¡°You two should rest. I¡¯m going for a stroll.¡± Rowan retrieved his spear and walked away.

 10: Stats Chat

    <hr>

    ¡°You said there were ten foes. I counted nine bodies,¡± Rowan said as he walked away.

    [Cory]: Let me check the logs¡­ The Beast Master accepted your offer and left the area. With his bear becoming a lawful pet, you also cleared the Monster quest. Talking about foes. When you go back, loot the bodies. Take only the weapons and the Stealth devices; the rest is of no interest.

    ¡°Great. I always thought taking the boots out of the dead was gross.¡±

    [Cory]: Have you? Taken the boots from the dead?

    ¡°A few times,¡± Rowan confessed.

    [Cory]: From someone you killed?

    ¡°I never killed anyone before today. When I was a kid and living on the streets, I took the boots off from an addict who overdosed and an old geezer who croaked out. Sold them and bought a huge pizza with the money, both times.¡±

    [Cory]: I¡¯m sorry you had a rough childhood. I would have bet you had killed before. You were¡­ efficient.

    ¡°I guess I had time to use myself to the idea an Apocalypse is about kill or be killed,¡± Rowan shrugged, sitting on a stump. Walking and chatting, he had arrived at the tree line about three hundred feet from the battle scene. In the distance, Isla and Thomas argued, gesticulating.

    [Cory]: This is the first time Isla killed someone, as well, and she¡¯s more affected than you are. She¡¯s scolding Thomas for going into the fight. But she¡¯s as guilty, she left the cover herself. At least Thomas has a rotation of invulnerability, reflecting projectiles and damage reduction. Overall, for now, Thomas understands his class the best. Isla did the most damage, but you performed better and kept your head cool.

    ¡°Yeah, Thomas is neat¡­ I should start gaming, I guess. Why don¡¯t you ask them to loot the bodies since they¡¯re already there?¡±

    [Cory]: You do realize Thomas is a kid, and Isla had a near-death experience, right? Why traumatize them further?

    ¡°If you say so,¡± he wrinkled his nose, unconvinced by her arguments. ¡°I wonder¡­ Those guys were many and higher in level than us, and we still beat them. How is it possible?¡±

    [Cory]: They were only tier E, didn¡¯t use any active skill, and had normal human gear, which is subpar. Your spear took me a week to build, and with the proper skills, it could cut a tank in two. Isla¡¯s gun and bullets are also enhanced.

    ¡°Looks that Technoforge was well worth it¡­ What¡¯s this?¡± the young man picked something from the grass. It was a cigarette butt, shining blue, unlike any other cigarette Rowan had ever seen.

    [Cory]: NO!

    ¡°Yeah¡­ Littering is terrible¡­ pfff¡­ some people¡­¡± Rowan tried to sound convincing because he had done the same in his wild teenage years without any second thought.

    [Cory]: It¡¯s not about the littering. That¡¯s a sophisticated cloaking device.

    ¡°The butt is a cloaking device?¡± Rowan widened his eyes.

    [Cory]: It contains a magical drug allowing you to enter Hyperspace, a place between dimensions. If you smoke that, you can get through forcefields and, sometimes, take other people with you. Err¡­ What are you doing?

    ¡°Safekeeping the joint,¡± Rowan said after storing the butt in his spatial inventory. There¡¯s a bit of it left. You never know when it could come in handy.¡±

    [Cory]: Guess you¡¯re right. Gross, but right.

    ¡°You think someone helped the attackers pass the barrier by using that?¡±

    [Cory]: Yes. Something else worries me. That drug isn¡¯t something a local could get.

    ¡°You think other aliens noticed the Awakening and came to investigate?¡±

    [Cory]: Outsiders won¡¯t intervene in local politics; they won¡¯t care. The simplest explanation is some convicts might¡¯ve escaped the Traipenent and sold their services to the government in exchange for protection.

    ¡°Fuck! How many convicts are we talking? And how dangerous?¡±

    [Cory]: Depends.

    ¡°Depends on what?¡± Rowan snapped, annoyed by the evasive answer.

    [Cory]: On factors I do not know. Let me explain. When your Town Core expanded, it accidentally connected with the ship¡¯s deck and AI. I guess that¡¯s why I became sentient; a part of its processing power and data transferred to me.

    Here¡¯s what I know: The Traipenent crashed due to a Dungeon Break. Convicts escaped and attacked the crew. Following protocol, all the dungeon cores were ejected. Afterward, the ship went down and killed the crew and the escapees. The shock should have been too big for them to survive.

    This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    However, the new evidence suggests some did. I just lodged a ticket with the System. It replied: You do not have clearance to access information regarding the Traipenent¡¯s survivors.

    ¡°The way the answer is worded means there were survivors,¡± Rowan pointed.

    [Cory]: Yes, but who? The crew would have stayed with the ship. I still have access to the cameras, and the Traipenent is empty. As for the convicts, those inside the ejected cores are supposed to be in stasis, and the ones involved in the dungeon break were max level. You three wouldn¡¯t have lasted a second against them. So why bother to ally with the government?

    ¡°Hm¡­¡± Rowan rubbed his chin. There were some possible explanations. Maybe there was only one survivor who didn¡¯t like risks. Or¡­ He shook his head, chasing his thoughts away. Ruminating on theories was useless with so many novelties around. ¡°Maybe we should investigate the ship, you know, for more clues and stuff. Where did it land?¡±

    [Cory]: Just outside the county, a few miles from here¡­ I tried to issue a quest about it, but the System refused. It says: After the crash, an automatic distress signal was sent. Before an answer is received, the locals are denied access. Forcefields have been erected to ensure obedience.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say there will be no coming help?¡±

    [Cory]: Help for the planet. A salvage expedition is another thing¡­ Never mind that for now. Those are worries for another day.

    ¡°Yeah, totally agree,¡± Rowan nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s talk about my build.¡±

    [Cory]: Before that¡­ I¡¯m level ten now and able to offer three more Perks. I¡¯d appreciate it if you¡¯d go with my suggestions. First perk: I can revive up to ten people daily, including you. The number increases by one for each of my levels.

    ¡°What the fuck?¡± Rowan yelled. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you use it on¡ª"

    ¡°All well?¡± Isla shouted. ¡°I¡¯m OK now; we can go.¡±

    ¡°In five, please!¡± he shouted back. ¡°If you feel so well, loot those guys for weapons and the cloaking devices.¡±

    ¡°What kind of gentleman are you to make a lady work?¡±

    ¡°Do I look like a gentleman to you? Put Thomas to take their boots off. It builds character.¡±

    In unison, Isla and Thomas showed him the middle finger and turned their backs to him, heading for the nearest body.

    [Cory]: I told them the boots were unnecessary and shared your childhood experience with them. You sure are good at rubbing people the wrong way.

    ¡°I call it selecting friends until only the true ones remain,¡± Rowan sighed, knowing inside the core was right and promising himself to invest in Charisma. ¡°If you have access to such a powerful perk, why didn''t you tell me when she was hurt?

    [Cory]: It¡¯s a Rezz, not a Heal, and attuning somebody for a slot takes hours. I will start with a funny little creature, six years old, whose name starts with L. Do I have your permission to install that perk and proceed?

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Rowan whispered and nodded.

    [Cory]: The next ones will be you, Grace, Thomas, and Isla. That leaves five more spots to be determined. The best would be prioritizing the best fighters and their families. The second perk I suggest is an upgrade to the Technoforge. Crafting better stuff in half the time.¡±

    ¡°OK, I¡¯ll trust you on that. Go for it.¡±

    [Cory]: Thanks. The third perk I have in mind is an upgrade for the Class Assigner Module. It will still be limited to awarding one hundred classes yearly, but the new version has access to more advanced classes.

    ¡°Fine with me,¡± Rowan nodded.

    Cory]: Now, about your Stats. Stats are but a means to an end: Perks. Perks. Are. The. Most. Important. Thing.

    Of course. Without my third perk in Will, Isla would have died¡­ Rowan shivered.

    [Cory]: Here is your Character Sheet now.

    Name: Rowan Allinder. Class: The Indomitable, Level 42

    STR: 34 / DEX: 31 / CON: 31 / INT: 25 / WIL: 75 / CHA: 19

    Will Perk, Threshold 1: Will and Wilt: Your Will replaces Strength as your Physical Critical Damage multiplier (1% per every Will point) and inflicts an Unavoidable DOT every 2 seconds on Crits. The Critical Chance depends on your Dex (+1% for every Dex point).

    Will perk, threshold 2: High-Tier Artifact User. Able to use high-tier Artifacts.

    Will Perk, Threshold 3: Full-Fledged Magic User. You can learn Spells or enhance items, skills, or perks with Magic.

    Strength Perk, Threshold 1: Miss? What miss? Your strikes have a 25% chance to ignore Evade, Dodges, Parries, or Blocks.

    Constitution Perk, Threshold 1: Tough Cookie. +25% all physical resistances, +25% to Natural Regeneration (HP)

    Dexterity Perk, Threshold 1: Subconscious Fighting. Even if you¡¯re CC¡¯d, as long as you¡¯re not knocked out cold, your body can move on its own, striking the enemy.

    Intelligence Perk, Threshold 1: Strategic Sixth Sense. You can read a battle situation, politics, or ¡®just¡¯ moods with uncanny accuracy.

    [Cory]: Now, look at a simulation of your stats at the cap level, as they would be without more points from quests.

    60 free APs from leveling.

    STR: 46 / DEX: 43 / CON: 43 / INT: 37 / WIL: 87 / CHA: 31

    [Cory]: You have three choices. The easy, the hard, and the ugly. The easy: Max in WIL and threshold two in every secondary stat.

    ¡°C¡¯mon, we¡¯re hungry!¡± Isla yelled. ¡°We took everything.¡±

    ¡°One minute, for fuck¡¯s sake!¡± Rowan screamed back. ¡°I¡¯m checking my build.¡± Hurry, Cory.

    [Cory]: That will require just a tiny amount of supplementary free APs from quests. Easy enough. The hard way is to go for the third threshold in another Stat and the second in the rest except Charisma. That will require more quests.

    And the ugly is to go for the third threshold in two secondary stats?

    [Cory]: Yes. You¡¯d need many more supplementary APs, meaning hard quests or grinding, and trying not to reach cap level when you stop gaining APs and gain Skill Points, which are a currency for advancing or buying¡ª

    ¡°Skills.¡±

    [Cory]: Yes.

    ¡°I¡¯m leaving in a minute, with or without you!¡± In the distance, Isla stared at him with her hands on her hips.

    ¡°Coming!¡± Rowan clamored.

 11: Seer

    <hr>

    The 4x4 police car stopped in front of the house, tires screeching, and Rowan rushed outside. ¡°I¡¯m back!¡±

    ¡°Daddy!¡± Lizzie screamed, erupting out of the house and jumping in his arms. ¡°Mommy¡¯s a Hero and got a Class!¡± On the loudest words, droplets of spit hit Rowan¡¯s face, together with the food she was eating. His best guess was apple pie.

    ¡°Your warning was spot on,¡± he told Grace, who had appeared in the doorframe. She rushed to hug them both. Dmitri appeared behind, waving his hand and keeping aside, letting them have their moment.

    [Cory]: Her premonition helped us realize the danger, and the System recognized her participation. Grace unlocked the Seer Class and leveled up directly to nineteen.

    ¡°Beurch!¡± Isla retched, slowly exiting the car. She tried to say something but didn¡¯t make it. Widening her eyes, the policewoman rushed forward, shoving Grace out of her way. Bent in two, she emptied her stomach onto the grass.

    ¡°Auntie Isla is sick,¡± Lizzie stated while Grace wrapped her arm around Isla¡¯s shoulders.

    ¡°What happened? Do you need some water?"

    ¡°Mom let him d-drive, b-because she was not f-feeling well. It was c-crazy,¡± Thomas whimpered in a shaky voice, muffled by the back seat window. ¡°We went like a hundred miles an hour.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m an amateur rally driver,¡± Rowan explained, putting Lizzie on the ground. ¡°And for the record, it was at most ninety.¡±

    ¡°Please, dump him,¡± Isla mumbled before throwing up again. ¡°Beurch!¡±

    ¡°Never!¡± Grace frowned, clenching her fists and stepping back from her ailing friend.

    Rising painfully, Isla went to the car and scribbled something on a piece of paper. ¡°Ticket for speeding.¡± She shoved the note in Rowan¡¯s hands, then drove off slowly. Her retching could be heard even when the vehicle disappeared behind the corner.

    ¡°Goodness. Go inside. I¡¯ll clean it up,¡± Dmitri offered, grabbing the water hose.

    ¡°Are you hungry?¡± Grace asked.

    ¡°I sure am,¡± Rowan kissed her.

    ¡°We had something special for lunch, kept you some.¡±

    ¡°Thanks,¡± Rowan rubbed his hands in anticipation. He followed her into the house and aimed directly for the table while she beelined for the stove.

    ¡°Tell him about your class,¡± Lizzie asked eagerly when the woman returned, pulling Grace¡¯s sleeve.

    ¡°Watch it! I almost dropped the food!¡± Grace blurted. ¡°Dmitri made this,¡± she said, putting a plate on the table and sitting beside Rowan. The food looked like a sort of lasagna. Baked in the oven, alternating layers of potatoes, eggplants, and minced meat.

    ¡°Mmmm¡­¡± Rowan let out a groan of satisfaction. ¡°Ish rully good.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t speak with the mouth full, please; you¡¯re giving Lizzie a bad example.¡±

    ¡°Shure, oops,¡± Rowan shut his mouth and swallowed the food, lowering his head between the shoulders. ¡°What about the class?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t know what to do¡­ Can I refuse it?¡± Grace asked.

    ¡°Cory?¡±

    Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

    [Cory to Rowan and Grace]: Once a class is bestowed, it can¡¯t be removed.

    ¡°AH!¡± Grace jumped up.

    ¡°It¡¯s the Core¡¯s voice, don¡¯t worry.¡±

    ¡°But she¡¯s speaking in my head! I want it gone,¡± Grace yelled.

    [Cory to Rowan]: I¡¯ll let her be for now. That class is perfect for her.

    ¡°She can switch to texts, emails, or SMSs if you choose,¡± Rowan tried to calm Grace, fondling her hand.

    ¡°I won¡¯t have that thing spying on me while going to the loo or taking a bath! Tell that core to go away!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not in your head, mommy!¡± Lizzie insisted. ¡°It¡¯s like you having a phone call.¡±

    ¡°Lizzie¡¯s right,¡± Rowan said. ¡°The AI is a personal assistant. It has privacy protocols; I¡¯ll show you how to access the settings. Don¡¯t worry, it won¡¯t follow you in the bathroom or watch us¡­ err¡­ cuddling,¡± he peeked at Lizzie, avoiding to say sex. ¡°Why don¡¯t you tell me about the class?¡±

    Grace rested her forehead against her right palm.

    ¡°It says Seer. Epic. I¡¯m¡­ supposed to have visions of the future¡­ Two free Attribute Points in Charisma, Intelligence, and Dexterity every ten levels.¡±

    ¡°What are your stats?¡±

    ¡°Nine in Strength and Constitution, eighteen in Dexterity, Twenty in Intelligence and Will, and twenty-four in Charisma... which is in bold. ¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s your main stat.¡±

    ¡°Look, Rowan, I don¡¯t want this,¡± she shook her head.

    ¡°You saved our lives today,¡± he said gently, caressing her cheek. ¡°Next time, it could be about Lizzie. Would it hurt if your premonitions worked better?¡±

    Grace swallowed a lump. ¡°Tell me what to do,¡± she surrendered.

    ¡°You have nineteen free Attribute Points, right?¡±

    ¡°Twenty-one.¡±

    ¡°True, the quests¡­ Well, let¡¯s do this. Put a point in Charisma.¡±

    ¡°I see a weird text and some fireworks!¡± she screamed, waving her hands in front of her face, like to chase away a mosquito.

    ¡°Cory¡¯s adding emojis to notifications lately. Tell me what it says,¡± Rowan asked, coming and hugging her to stop her from shaking.

    ¡°That I got a p-perk... Silk-Tongue: When my intuitions are true, my words can convince others.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s nice,¡± Dmitri said, arriving in the room. ¡°Remember Cassandra? She was right, but no one believed her.¡±

    ¡°Man, your food is great,¡± Rowan said. ¡°I had no idea Russian food is so good.¡±

    Dmitri frowned. ¡°It¡¯s Greek food. Moussaka.¡±

    ¡°Err¡­ but you¡¯re still Russian, right?¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m Greek.¡±

    ¡°Shit!¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong about being Greek?¡± Dmitri raised his voice.

    ¡°Sorry¡­ My bad. You know we started talking with other Awakened Towns, right? There¡¯s a delegation from Russia visiting next week. I hoped you could translate or, you know, socialize with them for us.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure they speak English,¡± Grace said, squeezing his hand. ¡°Let¡¯s get over with the class thing.¡±

    ¡°Hmpf,¡± Dmitri snorted, exiting toward the stairs.

    ¡°Geez, I¡¯m such a klutz¡­¡± Rowan sighed.

    ¡°Buy him a bottle of wine; he¡¯ll get over it.  For the record, I thought he was Russian too. Can we  go concentrate on my class, please?¡± Grace¡¯s voice was now annoyed.

    ¡°Daddy is such a good person. He cares for everyone,¡± Lizzie said.

    ¡°Yes, he is,¡± Grace fondled Rowan¡¯s neck, her ire melting.

    Your Strategic Sixth Sense has detected a spell in your vicinity: Cute Diversion.

    What?

    ¡°Are you all right?¡± Grace asked.

    On the other hand, Lizzie was trying to make herself as small as possible. She knew he knew. He frowned and waved his finger at Lizzie. ¡°Go to your room, missy. You¡¯re grounded. Starting tomorrow, I¡¯ll double-check your homework. Are we clear?¡±

    Evidently happy with such a light punishment, Lizzie jumped from her chair, grinning widely, and ran out of the room.

    ¡°What did she do?¡± Grace asked.

    ¡°Put a spell on you, of course. She hates it when we argue. Now put five points in Intelligence and Will.¡±

    ¡°Five between them, or?¡±

    ¡°Five in each. Read me the perks.¡±

    Hugging him, she whispered in his ear.

    ¡°The Will perk is called Mindful Control. Better control of my body under intense emotions. Stage fright, or¡­ intimate moments.  I¡¯ll show what it can do later tonight,¡± she let a whiff of air tickle his cheek.

    ¡°Can¡¯t wait,¡± he kissed the back of her neck.

    ¡°The other perk is about management skills. That could be useful for the business¡­ if there is any future in it.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure there is. Put seven in Dex, one in Strength, and two in Con. Now you have four perks unlocked. The rest will have to wait. Do you have any combat skills?¡±

    ¡°Advanced Ranged Proficiency, in Dex. I can detect weak spots or something.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s awesome!¡± Rowan gasped. ¡°Isla only has medium. How the heck do you have it on Advanced?¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Grace gloated. ¡°I did clay pigeon shooting and archery in high school, for fun¡­ Well¡­ not for fun; I had a crush on the sports teacher¡­¡± she confessed.

    ¡°Hm¡­¡± Rowan said, trying to appear neutral but nonetheless being curious.

    ¡°He didn¡¯t even notice, the bastard,¡± she frowned, following with a sigh. ¡°Or maybe it was because of the pimples and the braces¡­ Anyway, he said I was a natural. Why are you laughing?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not laughing; I¡¯m smiling. I bet you were cute with pimples and braces. This skill plays to our advantage. I hope you like to hunt rats.¡±

    ¡°What? I hate rats!¡± Grace jerked her head back.

    ¡°Perfect! Then you¡¯ll love hunting them. The update to the hunting quest is about clearing the sewers from rats. Part of my Count¡¯s chores, but I¡¯ll share it with you.¡±

    ¡°Noooo¡­.¡± Grace sulked.

 12: Boris Godunov

    <hr>

    Grace woke up in a sweat, a vague, ominous feeling in her guts, a nightmare forgotten. Rowan slept blissfully beside her. She got out of the bed. Showering, arranging her hair, painting her nails, dressing in a pencil skirt that advantaged her silhouette, and wearing elegant shoes with a bit of heels to make her look taller took time. She wasn¡¯t hungry, so she let Rowan and Lizzie eat whatever Dmitri was able to make.

    At half past nine, they exited the house, and Isla came to pick them up. They squeezed themselves into the back of the police car, Grace frowning because she was afraid to wrinkle her skirt.

    At quarter to ten, they arrived in the new Town Square and spoke with the Mayor and other officials. Small talk, nothing consistent. Lizzie fretted all over the place, uncomfortable in her princess dress, a real tomboy despite her cuteness. Isla disappeared somewhere to take care of security.

    Finally, the tower clock rang ten. Massive, with golden and brass ornamented limbs, it was the newest addition and meant to impress.

    Incoming town-to-town portal from Vladivostok

    The notification floated in the air for everyone to see. There was a Yes/No option to allow the portal to open, to which Rowan acquiesced. Three persons walked out from a large blue circle. First appeared an elegant blonde woman wearing striking red lipstick and a pencil skirt similar to Grace¡¯s. Then, a short man carrying a trumpet. And finally, a tall, immense man. Large as a bear, or even larger. Behind him came a few servants carrying baskets, and the portal closed.

    The short man stepped forward, played a short call on his instrument, then clamored: ¡°His Majesty, Knyaz.... greets Elkins Town and Randolph County.¡±

    The name got lost on Grace, as the Knyaz reminded her of another tall and large man, a celebrity, an opera singer, his most famous role, Boris Godunov. Lizzie¡¯s true father. A visiting teacher, a position of power, a light attracting a small, ugly duckling moth. Herself.

    She had cheated on his boyfriend, and when she had resolved to carry Lizzie to term, no matter what, she also had accepted the bribe: money to put as an advance for the house. To secure a home for her child in exchange for her silence. She was never to reveal who the girl¡¯s true father was. Tears filled her eyes.

    After exchanging accolades and handshakes, the mayor led the procession to the Town Hall, the mansion Rowan allowed the city to use. There was to be a party. In Elkins, it was morning, and in Vladivostok, it was past midnight, so the food was mixed. The guests had brought caviar and vodka, and the hosts game and craft beer. It was a strange combination for that hour, but people seemed to enjoy it.

    When the party approached its end, the Knyaz leaned and whispered something to Rowan. The latter leaned his head backward, roaring in laughter, and patted the Russian on the back. Beckoning the trumpeter, the Knyaz said something into the musician''s ear, who nodded and played a few loud notes before clamoring:

    ¡°Count Allinder and Knyaz¡­¡ª" Boris Godunov, Grace''s mind replaced the real name¡°¡ªof Vladivostok have agreed to offer the public a martial demonstration, a friendly boxing match. No spells, special skills, or perks are to be used.¡±

    The trumpeter''s announcement was met with raucous applause. Her heart skipped a beat. Lizzie and Isla were screaming, cheering for Rowan.

    The two men undressed, shirtless. Rowan¡¯s muscles were a marvel, a masterpiece, a living sculpture. Boris Godunov was fat, but fat on a bear is deceiving. Grace¡¯s head throbbed with apprehension. A cloud was hanging over her mind, preventing her from Seeing the match''s outcome.

    Rowan danced around the hulking Russian, throwing hits, at first to probe the adversary, then to overwhelm him. But the Knyaz soaked Rowan¡¯s attacks like they were breakfast cereals. His fists found their target. The younger man was thrown back but landed on his feet and rushed back to fight.

    Everybody was yelling, making her dizzy. Grace closed her eyes and covered her ears to make it stop. There was a loud noise, and a dampened sound followed. When she opened her eyes, Rowan was lying on the floor.

    ¡°Well fought, kid,¡± the Knyaz offered a hand, helping a dazed Rowan back to his feet, then hugging and patting him on the back.

    The crowd roared. It had been a beautiful fight.

    ¡°It¡¯s not fair!¡± Lizzie screamed in tears. ¡°My Daddy¡¯s the best!¡±

    A public notification followed.

    The System considers the boxing match has met the requirements for a Leadership Challenge. Randolph County is now under the rule of His Majesty, Knyaz¡ªBoris Godunov, Grace¡¯s brain said again¡ªruler of Vladivostok. Count Allinder will become a vassal to the Knyaz.

    The Russian came forward, along with his followers, and started chatting with the mayor and the council persons. Rowan dressed and joined Grace.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, sweetie, nothing changes,¡± he patted Lizzie¡¯s head.

    ¡°But it¡¯s not fair!¡± the girl yelled again. ¡°You¡¯re the strongest daddy in the Universe!¡±

    <hr>

    Grace woke up in a sweat, a vague, ominous feeling in her guts, like a nightmare forgotten. Rowan slept blissfully beside her, exhausted. She fondled his cheek softly because her happiness from loving him was overwhelming. A short yawn, then Rowan''s eyes found hers. He stretched his arms and pulled her into his embrace.

    They made love like never before: rough, passionate, and intense beyond words. Ultimately, they stared at each other, enjoying the eye contact and the love it projected.

    "I love you, Isla," Rowan said.

    And suddenly, Grace saw the world through his eyes. The woman in Rowan''s arms had long blonde hair, lean and muscular arms and legs, and blue eyes. She screamed.

    <hr>

    Grace woke in a sweat, a vague, ominous feeling in her guts. Nightmares, all night¡­ Rowan was awake; she could hear him chatting downstairs with Dmitri. She jumped out of bed, throwing a house robe on her. The Knyaz visit was to start soon, and she needed to prepare.

    [Cory]: Stop!

    "Ah!" Grace jerked, surprised by the chat appearing in her sight and hearing.

    [Cory]: Stay put and listen. I''m detecting glitches in the System, with you as an epicenter.

    ¡°Could it be related to my dreams?¡± Grace shivered.

    [Cory]: Tell me everything. This can''t be a coincidence.

    Trying to remember her nightmares in the smallest details, Grace began to tell her story, clutching the house robe at her chest in search of an illusory armor and sitting on the bed as she felt dizzy by the madness around her, the new Awakened world, her class, everything.

    [Cory]: Fuck¡­ This is bad¡­ This is so bad¡­ Oh no¡­ He¡¯s¡­ You mustn¡¯t tell Rowan.

    ¡°Why should I listen to some¡­ AI?¡± Grace sneered. ¡°This is important.¡±

    [Cory]: Don¡¯t you dare speak in this tone with me! Do you understand how magic works? How does Dark Matter Mana allow itself to be observed and manipulated? How does it change the spin of elementary particles to create spells, stretching the rules of physics? Shut up! Your power, as a Seer, observes Time Mana. It can glitch even the System. Shut up and wait¡­ I¡¯ll get back to you as soon as possible.

    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

    <hr>

    The party was approaching its end,  the moment Grace dreaded. So far, reality had matched her nightmare. The trumpeter, the blonde, everything. There were some differences, though: more politicians and public servants in the delegation, the arrival in the afternoon, the party late at night, after signing treatises.

    Letting Lizzie in Dmitri¡¯s care, Grace took a glass of wine and went outside, on the terrace, to look at the hills to calm her worries. What was the bloody Core doing? She promised to help.

    Hi, Grace.

    She tried to turn to see who was talking to her but felt paralyzed. She saw a shadow, a silhouette, nearby, yet the voice was in her head. A man¡¯s voice. Mellow and unnatural.

    ¡°Who are you?¡± she whispered.

    Somebody. You can think of me as an arbiter, working to keep things fair. I muted your powers for the time being so you can act rationally. I¡¯ll get to the point. The Knyaz is just a puppet. There are bigger players behind who persuaded him to challenge Rowan to a boxing match. The match will trigger an exploit in the System. It''s young on this planet and obsesses about challenges. It will give the County to the winner. If you tell Rowan and he refuses, the outcome is the same. Rowan will become a sidekick. Let¡¯s prevent that. The simplest solution would be to make the challenge a duel to the death.

    ¡°What?¡± Grace almost lost control and yelled. ¡°How is Rowan risking his life better than being a sidekick?¡±

    In a boxing match, the Knyaz will prevail; he¡¯s a world champion. In a death match, Rowan would win¡­ But I fear Rowan might forfeit. The thought of killing someone in Lizzie¡¯s presence would appall him.  Then, there¡¯s plan B. Look behind you.

    Turning and resting her back on the railing, Grace peered inside the dining hall. Isla and  Rowan talked about his training regimen and other nonsense. Then Isla fondled his cheek and went away, and Rowan looked longingly after her. The last nightmare, the one in which Rowan made love to Isla, hit her like a bullet to the brain. Grace¡¯s knees started trembling so hard she had to put the glass down and grab the railing with both hands.

    I could nominate Isla as the county champion, and she¡¯ll slay the Knyaz without second thoughts to save Thomas, you, and the County from living in a Russian annex. But then, Rowan would see her as a worthier partner than you. A true warrior. He loves you, but Isla, he desires with pure animalistic lust. There¡¯s a wild beast he can barely tame in him. So, if you want to keep Rowan for yourself, here comes plan C. You will kill the Knyaz discreetly before the challenge is issued. Your Core had provided me with a specific poison.

    The man stretched his hand and put a small black paper envelope on the stone railing, small enough to fit in one¡¯s palm.

    ¡°I¡¯m not a murderer.¡± Grace snapped, shivering at the same time. She was now looking directly at the one speaking, but he changed positions. No matter how hard she tried, he was always at the corner of her eyes. His presence felt¡­ oppressive. Crushing.

    As you wish. Then, plan D. Listen to your¡­ core.

    The stranger disappeared, and Grace felt like an invisible weight had been lifted from her shoulders.

    [Cory]: Listen to me.

    ¡°Please¡­ just let me be¡­¡± Grace sobbed.

    [Cory]: Request denied. We¡¯ll transform the poison into a mild toxin.

    The core voice sounded somber, and Grace shivered.

    [Cory]: Bring yourself together. Rowan is the first awakened Hero on Earth. He¡¯s important. Important enough for¡­ someone to go around the System. Your task is simple.  Combine the poison with half a teaspoon of Sodium Bicarbonate. There is some in the kitchen. Search in the cupboard above the working table.  Then, make the Knyaz drink it. It will make him sick but won¡¯t kill him.

    ¡°What¡¯s this? Grace asked, examining the little black envelope in her hand.

    [[Cory]: Necromantic poison. The deadliest toxin in the known multiverse. Death Mana. It transforms a person''s left-handed chiralic amino acids into right-handed amino acids. Does this answer your question?

    ¡°The deadliest toxin in the universe is neutralized by Sodium Bicarbonate?¡± Grace couldn¡¯t help herself asking.

    [Cory]: Yes. Not many have the luxury of finding Sodium Bicarbonate in the tenth of a second they disintegrate into pus.

    ¡°Whatever,¡± Grace sighed. She had never been good at chemistry. ¡°You better not trick me, or else!¡±

    Palming the small envelope, Grace returned inside, watched the waitstaff go in and out for a minute, then went into the kitchen and poured half a teaspoon of Sodium Bicarbonate over the poison. Shaking the recipient to mix the ingredients, she tried to keep her composure despite her trembling hands.

    Then, she returned to the reception room and searched for Lizzie. ¡°Sweetie,¡± she caressed the girl¡¯s hair. ¡°Can you do something for me?¡± The six-year-old looked at her intently. ¡°When I wink at you, could you attract everyone¡¯s attention? Taunt them with your magic? It¡¯s important.¡±

    The girl nodded. Little by little, Grace made her way to the Knyaz. Many people were sucking it up to him, but as soon she was near him, he bowed and raised his glass of champagne.

    ¡°Milady.¡± A polite salute, but many things showed through it. Large men liked shorter women, vulnerable ones. Maybe he was honorable and held no ulterior motive, but staring from height at her boobs was acceptable for him; that was clear enough.

    I wish the other Boris Godunov could be in your place, Grace thought.

    She turned her head toward Lizzie for a second and winked.

    ¡°A MOUSE!¡± the girl screamed. Everyone looked at her. Many jumped to help, to find and chase the monster away. After all, she was so cute. Rowan stared befuddled. He was the only one to notice the taunt. If she hadn¡¯t known, Grace would not have noticed it either.

    She pretended to jerk and let the black envelope¡¯s contents slip into the Knyaz¡¯s glass. It didn¡¯t make any sound or let any visible trace. Just disappeared. ¡°I¡¯ll have to calm my daughter,¡± she said to the officials.

    A minute later, the Russian¡¯s face started to sweat profusely. ¡°Gah!¡± was the only sound he made before he collapsed on his knees, vomiting.

    Everybody started to run around, panicking. A Healer in the Knyaz¡¯s entourage started pumping spells into the man. Within a minute, a doctor from Elkins came to help as well, and a System notification appeared:

    To the general public in the reception room: Please remain calm. The Knyaz of Vladivostok has developed a previously undiagnosed shell and peanut allergy, but he¡¯s currently out of danger. No one is at fault. Minor wording adjustments have been performed in the treatises signed today to better reflect the spirit of the law. May the two Awakened countries collaborate and prosper together.

    ¡°Have you read the expiry date on this?¡± the mayor yelled at one of the Russian servants, shoving a can of caviar in the man¡¯s face.

    ¡°It¡¯s not shellfish! Kids could eat that,¡± the servant said. ¡°Look,¡± he pointed at Thomas, who, indifferent to the drama, was stuffing his mouth with a giant self-made sandwich with caviar, cheese, and ham, his eyes bulging under the effort.

    ¡°That¡¯s not how allergies work!¡± the mayor shouted back.

    ¡°Only idiots¡­ Only idiots¡­¡± the tall blonde woman accompanying the Knyaz facepalmed.

    The agitation continued, and Rowan was in the middle of it. To his credit, he acted like a good leader, trying to calm the spirits. Grace left the room, returning to the balcony to read her personal notifications.

    Secret Quest: Save Randolph County From an Insidious Takeover has been fulfilled. You have reached level 36. 4 Attribute Points have been automatically invested in DEX, INT, and CHA. +1 free AP. You have 18 free APs to allocate.

    The text that followed was more worrying.

    You are the first person on Earth to have unlocked a secondary class.

    Secondary class: Rogue, Rare tier (can evolve into Assassin, Spy, or Seducer). Same level as the Main Class. Same Main Stat as the Main Class (CHA). There are no supplementary APs gained from having a Secondary Class.

    Warning: Your secondary class is extremely weak to Negative Karma. Criminal activity will make you become a Pariah and Bounty Hunted. Working with the sanction of legal authorities negates this Debuff.

    Secondary Class Perks:

    Dexterity Perk, Threshold 1: Veil of Shadows. Shadows and night are your friends. You can avoid detection by hiding in obscure spots. All successful hits executed without the enemy noticing you are Critical Hits and inflict a 1.5% HP Poison DOT/second. It can unlock Stealth or Ambush at threshold two.

    Intelligence Perk, Threshold 1: Tactical Planning. You can put up a plan for attack or retreat in mere seconds. Works well with Rowan¡¯s Strategic Sixth Sense. Teaming together will enhance your performance.

    Will Perk, Threshold 1: Veil of Deceit. Works well together with Mindful Control. Your potential to go beyond the boundaries of social norms is enhanced. You can hide your thoughts and deceive your enemies about your true intentions.

    Charisma Perk, Threshold 1: Charming Gaze. Works well together with Silk-Tongue. +75%  chance to distract men. They¡¯ll literally eat poison from your palm.

    ¡°Oh, my God! I¡¯m a criminal¡­¡± Grace whispered.

    [Cory]: Being a Rogue doesn¡¯t mean you¡¯re automatically a criminal. It¡¯s just another class. Short but big bursts of damage, favor stealth and hitting from the back.

    Suddenly, Grace remembered the one speaking to her. The shadow. The man had disappeared from her memory for a while, returning only after the task was done. ¡°Who was the guy who talked to me?"

    Cory]: Sorry? I don¡¯t know what you are talking about.

    The words sent a shiver down Grace¡¯s spine. She hated some parts of the new world. The unpredictability¡­ The dangers. Other parts she loved. Rowan.

    Cory]: Don¡¯t mention your secondary to Rowan for now. Secondary classes are complicated and work best if unlocked naturally.

    The agitation in the reception hall had subsided, and it looked like the guests were about to leave the city, carrying the Knyaz on a stretcher. Isla looked befuddled. Their eyes met, and the blonde gestured, shrugging with her palms up, a sign she had been surprised by the incident. The Russians left the building in a much less happy mood than when they arrived, and Grace forced herself to join Rowan and the rest to do her duty as a good host.

 13: The Ruins of Rome -1

    <hr>

    The sewers were dirty affairs. They had nothing to do with modern water waste disposal. A narrow stone medieval tunnel system had appeared under the new City Center, with a dirty liquid flowing through it and rats infested. Big and ferocious but low-level, the main challenge was to corner them. They ran like hell.

    ¡°One more¡­ around the corner, in a cul-de-sac,¡± Grace grinned, extracting two ninja stars from her belt, one in each hand.

    ¡°Yey! Go, spoil yourself,¡± Rowan made an inviting gesture.

    During the last two weeks, Rowan has been relegated from a bulwark, defending a permanently screaming Grace, to a second-row spectator. She had gained confidence, that was sure. Stepping briskly, she threw the star in her left hand and missed. The rat dashed forward, trying to escape between her legs. From a close distance, the second ninja star embedded itself in the monster''s forehead. A second later, it dissolved into specs of light, and a notification appeared.

    Quest: Clear the County: Elkins Sewers, tier 2, has been finished. +1 free Lvl. +1 free AP

    ¡°You really are good at range fighting,¡± Rowan complimented her.

    ¡°Thanks¡­ I¡¯ll put a point in Strength and save one for later,¡± Grace said.

    ¡°What about your Constitution?¡±

    ¡°I invested points in it already. I¡¯m Threshold one in Constitution and got a plus twenty-five percent physical resistance.¡±

    ¡°Good thinking. I think I¡¯ll increase my Dexterity and Constitution,¡± Rowan replied. A second notification followed his words.

    Elkins¡¯s Sewers can be upgraded. Select one of the choices:

    Mushroom Farm

    Comestible Toads Farm

    Amusement park with scary thematic

    [Cory to Rowan and Grace]: Go for the third and make big money.

    ¡°No, thank you,¡± Rowan said after looking at Grace, who raised her index in the air. ¡°Mushroom Farm.¡±

    [Cory to Rowan and Grace]: Suit yourselves. Please exit the sewers so I can start upgrading them. You¡¯re expected home for a meeting with The Mayor. He will give you a quest.

    ¡°I hope it¡¯s better than this¡­ Fifteen days for a level and a point,¡± Grace sighed.

    [Cory to Rowan and Grace]: This unlocks more quests with APs. Do I need to remind you how important APs are?

    Taking the northernmost exit, the two jogged at a relaxed pace toward the house. Five minutes and a mile later, they entered the garden.

    ¡°Stop!¡± Grace yelled at Lizzie, who was preparing to dash and hug them. ¡°We¡¯re filthy. Go inside and entertain our guest.¡±

    The little girl growled like a tiger stopped from eating its prey but obeyed. Taking the back door, they went to the master bedroom, undressed, had a shower together, dressed in fresh clothes, put the dirty ones in the laundry room¡¯s bin, and finally joined the ones waiting downstairs.

    ¡°What took you so long?¡± Isla frowned, crossing her arms.

    ¡°Isla, Mayor,¡± Rowan nodded.

    ¡°Your Lordship,¡± the Mayor nodded back, rising from the couch for a second to follow the protocol.

    ¡°Daddy, Mommy!¡± Lizzie ran to hug them, finally.

    ¡°Hi,¡± Dmitri waved, bringing in coffee and putting a small cup in front of everyone. ¡°Greek coffee,¡± he proudly announced. There were also some cakes on the table. The coffee was too strong and bitter, and the cakes too sweet, but the combination was good.

    ¡°We¡¯re grateful for everything you do for us,¡± the Mayor started, ¡°but we must address a few concerns. The rest of our classed people complain that you have only taken easy tasks lately.¡±

    ¡°But it¡¯s the best for our builds,¡± Rowan said. ¡°Going slow helps to¡ª"

    ¡°It might be, but you have to do your part of hard work at some point. After all, that¡¯s why the county pays you two hundred grand, right?¡±

    ¡°You mean all the advice I give you weekly during the Council meetings about keeping up the good work is not enough?¡± Rowan joked.

    ¡°Your Lordship¡¯s guidance is admirable, yet¡ª¡±

    ¡°Geez, just call me Rowan.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s compromise¡­ Count Rowan. If you look back in history, Lords delegated the boring stuff, like the economy, finances, and so on, and took care of the fun part. Fighting.¡±

    ¡°For the record, my goal in life was to become a Bourbon Production Manager and maybe start my own distillery. That¡¯s what I define as fun.¡±

    The mayor ignored him. ¡°For our economy to thrive, we must trade with the other Core Towns. And trade also means assistance. Vladivostok has trouble maintaining order. Strikes and revolts are common.¡±

    ¡°Falling sick with food poisoning made the Knyaz look weak,¡± Isla said.

    ¡°And Rome is having a civil war. You promised the Russians to help them maintain peace in the Zoom meeting last week and delegated Rome to my care,¡± the mayor paused, looking with intent at Rowan, who shifted his position on the couch because he had forgotten about all that. ¡°We don¡¯t have enough good fighters to cover both. Choose one of two quests: Stabilize the situation in Vladivostok or help the rebels in Rome. The Town¡¯s Militia will cover the one left.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s do Vladivostok,¡± Isla said. ¡°I can take Thomas for peacekeeping.¡±

    [Cory to Rowan, Grace, and Isla]: Go to Rome. Vladivostok is risky. Some people there think the Knyaz¡¯s sickness was an attempt on his life and could try to harm you. The Militia is better for that task.

    Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

    ¡°Cory says to go to Rome,¡± Rowan said.

    ¡°I know, she SMSed me,¡± the mayor waved his phone.

    ¡°So¡­ Are you coming too?¡± he looked at Isla.

    ¡°Sure,¡± the blonde nodded.

    ¡°I¡¯m coming too,¡± Grace said.

    ¡°What if it¡¯s dangerous?¡± Rowan objected.

    [Cory to Rowan, Grace, and Isla]: Your Rezzes are now worldwide.

    ¡°I¡¯m coming, and it¡¯s final,¡± Grace frowned, crossing her arms.

    ¡°OK, then I¡¯ll email Rome to open a portal for you,¡± the Mayor said. ¡°They replied: Portal in one hour, sharp, Town¡¯s Square.¡±

    <hr>

    When the time came, there was no portal. The group had to walk back and forth for fifteen minutes, waiting, rolling their eyes, and checking their watches. The Mayor had accompanied them for no obvious reason, making Rowan wonder if the man was working something for the town or just slacking.

    ¡°When they said one hour sharp, we should have expected it was Italian sharp,¡± Grace sneered. As soon as she finished her words, there was a notification:

    Incoming town-to-town portal from Rome. Accept: Y/N.

    ¡°Here it is,¡± Rowan said.

    A blue circle appeared after Rowan selected the yes. A woman passed on, shouting: ¡°Sorry for the delay, we were attacked. Can we bring the wounded? We can¡¯t reach the hospitals.¡±

    ¡°Sure,¡± Rowan nodded. ¡°I can give them first aid.¡±

    About a score of people hurried to pass, a few on stretchers and the rest carrying them.

    ¡°Just stabilize the ones in critical condition,¡± the woman asked. ¡°We have to go back.¡±

    ¡°On it,¡± Rowan blurted, extracting Band-Aids and slapping them here and there after infusing them with magic.

    ¡°The hospital is half a mile away, I called all available ambulances,¡± the Mayor shouted. ¡°Go!¡±

    ¡°Portals could be a useful Town Perk,¡± Grace said before passing through.

    [Cory to Team]: What a genius suggestion. Stupid me for going for an Earth-wide Rezz. Do you have any other brilliant¡ª

    They lost contact with Cory as soon as they arrived on the other side, in a grove. The air was very hot and filled with red dust, but it also smelled strongly of pines.

    ¡°What the heck! Where are we?¡± Isla yelled, turning her head around.

    ¡°North of Villa de Medici,¡± the woman who brought them shouted, taking cover behind an improvised earth fortification. ¡°I¡¯m Carla, by the way,¡± she blurted while running toward another redoubt. They followed by instinct, albeit there was no danger in sight.

    ¡°Where¡¯s the bloody town?¡± Isla continued. ¡°This can¡¯t be a town¡¯s road,¡± she pointed at the slag under their feet.

    ¡°We are in the bloody town,¡± Rowan said. ¡°This is¡ª"

    ¡°Incoming,¡± their host warned, producing a pistol and a grenade and throwing the latter forward. ¡°Where the fuck are our guys?¡± she asked herself.

    The explosions were followed by a couple of wails, and then bullets started to arrive, hitting the earth mound.

    ¡°We¡¯re fucked,¡± Carla screamed, checking her phone. ¡°I have a message from the boss. The police ran, and the rest of our team retreated to Villa Borghese.¡±

    ¡°Give me your gun,¡± Grace erupted, snatching the pistol and discharging it wildly behind them. Two men dropped dead, and a third retreated, cursing.

    ¡°I¡¯m wounded!¡± they heard him shout. ¡°Help!¡±

    Team member Grace Garcia Larmontel had slain Rebel x2, levels 16 and 18. No XP gained.

    ¡°I had a premonition they¡¯ll sneak on us,¡± Grace said.

    ¡°They speak English in Rome?¡± Isla asked, visibly more and more befuddled. ¡°Is this Rome, Italy, or Rome, Georgia? What? Hey, don¡¯t look at me like that. It¡¯s a perfectly legit question.¡±

    ¡°Our core has a Universal translator Perk,¡± Carla explained. ¡°Hey, where¡¯s he going?¡±

    Rowan had jumped over the rampart and ran forward, knowing he was impervious to small caliber guns. The caliber of the incoming fire wasn¡¯t so small, though, but in the end, he reached the enemy with no more than a few grazes on his hands. His helmet and jacket had stopped most of the projectiles.

    A spear swipe decapitated two foes, a thrust to the throat killed another, then, he dazed two women with a fist to the head¡ªbecause he was a gentleman and dead set of not killing the fair sex¡ªa headbutt caved the skull of a fourth man, a fist did the same for a sixth, a kick collapsed the thoracic cage of the seventh, while the eighth, the one wounded by Grace, ran away, screaming his lungs out.

    You have slain Rebel x8, Levels 16-19. No XP gained.

    Hm¡­ something¡¯s off.

    ¡°Please, don¡¯t kill me,¡± one of the two women pleaded. ¡°I¡¯ll do anything!¡±

    ¡°I have a fiancee, and I¡¯m not the rapist type, so no thanks,¡± he replied blankly. ¡°Leave any weapon behind and scram. If I see you again, I¡¯ll kill you. I meant if you¡¯d attack us. If we accidentally meet in some bar, we¡¯re OK.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, sir!¡± Interrupting his rant, the woman pulled her comrade after her, the latter still confused, and they ran away.

    ¡°I¡¯m coming back, don¡¯t shoot me.¡± Five seconds after signaling his return, he arrived behind the earthwork. ¡°These rebels are so low-level. I feel bad about them.¡±

    ¡°It might not feel good, but that¡¯s what we¡¯re sworn to do,¡± Isla said.

    ¡°No!¡± Carla screamed after checking her phone again. ¡°They¡¯re assaulting Villa Borghese. They¡¯ll kill the boss."

    ¡°Where?¡± Isla asked.

    ¡°Four hundred meters due northeast.¡±

    ¡°What the fuck¡¯s a meter?¡± Isla yelled.

    ¡°Yards, it¡¯s like yards!¡± Rowan screamed and dashed in the said direction.

    With their awakened powers, they should have run four hundred yards in fifteen seconds, but the terrain was filled with obstacles. Trees, fences, fountains. A minute later, they stopped and looked around.

    Isla looked around, a befuddled expression on her face. ¡°Where¡¯s the fucking villa? There¡¯s nothing here."

    ¡°Fuck, she meant the Galleria!¡± Rowan screamed.

    ¡°Where the fuck is that?¡±

    ¡°Same direction, five hundred yards or so.¡±

    ¡°Where¡¯s the villa?¡± Grace asked, panting and arriving. Her speed was much slower. ¡°There¡¯s nothing here.¡±

    ¡°Another five hundred meters¡­ yards ahead.¡±

    They ran again, and the terrain wasn¡¯t any better. A lot of trees to wave in between.

    ¡°Where. Is. The. Fucking. Town?¡± Isla bellowed. ¡°I¡¯m telling you, this is Rome, Georgia.¡±

    ¡°Shut up! Here¡¯s the villa,¡± Rowan gestured.

    They had arrived, but maybe too late. In front of the large, white building, a group of five Classed, armed with swords, were assaulting a sixth one, who was defending against them using an umbrella. At each hit, a bluish energy covered the panel, a forcefield. It was clear that the surrounded man would not be able to resist much longer, but also that the attackers were not intending to kill but to capture him. Aside from the fighting group, a few dead bodies lay on the ground, the rest of the defenders.

    Rowan threw his spear. He aimed high but hit low, biting into the calf of an attacker. From behind came a shot, killing another man on the spot.

    Team member Grace Garcia Larmontel had slain Rebel, level 30. Minor XP gained.

    ¡°Bloody cheater,¡± Isla groaned. Meanwhile, Rowan killed the wounded, took back his spear, and faced the remaining enemies. Isla discharged her gun in the lot without aiming too carefully. She got one foe in the head by sheer luck after winging Rowan¡¯s right hand.

    ¡°Hey, watch where you¡¯re shooting!¡± he protested.

    She didn¡¯t pay attention, charging at the remaining attackers instead, throwing a man to the ground and bashing his face with her boot.

    Your team has slain Rebel x3, level 30, 35. Minor XP gained.

    The last foe, thin and tall, covered in a slick metallic armor made from woven filaments, hissed and turned toward Rowan, plunging a thin blade into his shoulder, moving lightning fast. It would have hit his chest, but he had twisted his body at the last moment. Rowan countered with a spear thrust, but his blade met only air; the enemy slid over the ground, backward, like on ice, escaping at the same time Isla¡¯s kick and grazing her on the ankle as well.

    Party members Rowan Allinder and Isla Culloden have been infected with The Blood¡¯s Bite by ???, Vampire Scout, Level 100. Corruption DOT of 1.5% HP/second. If the total reaches 100%, you will be Turned into a Thrall (Vampire slave). If the enemy is defeated before the deadline or you exit combat, the Blood¡¯s Bite is stopped, and 50% of its overall DOT damage is converted to healing.

    ¡°Fuck!¡± Isla exclaimed, panicked. Rowan thrust his weapon again, but the opponent repeated the sliding backward movement twice, putting more distance between them. The DOT was not only sapping his health but also slowed his reactions, spreading a burning sensation in his veins.

    It counts on the DOT to finish us on its own!

    ¡°We¡¯re under attack¡­ The idiots from Elkins¡­ What should I do?¡± the Vampire spoke in the air, undoubtedly using some communication device. The voice sounded somewhat familiar to Rowan.

    A louder shot resounded, and the front of the Vampire¡¯s helmet broke. Behind it was the blonde woman who accompanied the Knyaz the week prior. A moment later, the Vampire disappeared, leaving behind a whiff of cigarette smoke.

 14: The Ruins of Rome -2

    <hr>

    ¡°Thank God!¡± Rowan sighed, feeling his forces coming back.

    ¡°All OK?¡± Grace screamed, arriving at a running pace.

    ¡°You saved our lives,¡± Isla panted. ¡°A few more seconds, and we¡¯d be dead.¡±

    ¡°Or Undead,¡± Rowan said. ¡°I don¡¯t believe I¡¯m saying this, but you¡¯ve become the strongest of us.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± Grace rested her balled fists on her hips. ¡°You think I should be weak just because I¡¯m a woman?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± he waved his hands in protest, ¡°but not long ago, you were screaming for your life at every rat. Iiii! Iiii!¡± he mimicked a panicked yelp, grimacing, rolling his eyes and fretting his fingers like a living Betty Boop cartoon.

    ¡°You don¡¯t know when to shut up, don¡¯t you,¡± Isla bobbed her head, staring at Rowan.

    The man whose life they saved waited patiently a few steps back, his umbrella closed. Arriving like a torrent down a mountain, Carla jumped at his neck, hugging the man so strongly he almost fell.

    ¡°Thank God, Your Lordship is alive!¡±  Carla yelled.

    ¡°Thanks to this nice gentleman and the ladies,¡± the man bowed. Tall and elegant, he had a certain panache in his attitude. His projected age was vague; anything was possible from the late forties to the early sixties. The notification hit the team like a mallet a whack-a-mole.

    By killing 13 Rebels, chasing away a Vampire, their ally, and saving Giovanni Lepastrina, level 30, Tour Guide, Count of Rome, you have FAILED your quest: Help the Rebels Conquer Rome. No XP or AP were awarded. No penalty was applied for going against a System-enforced treaty because conflicting promises were detected. The Treaty with the Rebels had been voided.

    ¡°I think there¡¯s a misunderstanding,¡± Grace frowned. ¡°Rebels are bad, right?¡±

    ¡°Sure they are,¡± the Italian woman said forcefully.

    Rowan gave her an Inspect, and she showed to be a Bodyguard, level 18. ¡°I think we helped the wrong guys,¡± Rowan said hesitantly.

    ¡°But why did your Mayor write me to open the portal?¡± Carla said hesitantly, taking a defensive position in front of her boss.

    ¡°Because he¡¯s a senile old fucker,¡± Isla snorted. ¡°Both factions must¡¯ve asked for help, but he replied to the wrong one after signing a contract with the others. Maybe you¡¯ll think twice next time you delegate important stuff, Rowan. So, what do we do with them?¡±

    ¡°Nothing,¡± Rowan said, putting weight in his words. ¡°We do nothing with them. We failed the quest, and that¡¯s that. I won¡¯t murder people in cold blood.¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t have to murder them,¡± Isla shrugged. ¡°What about you resign and go into exile, old dude?¡±

    ¡°For your information, I¡¯m forty-three,¡± the Italian man spoke with disdain, his upper lip raised. ¡°And this is not about me, but the most magnificent city in the world, which the Rebels want to destroy.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d not say the most magnificent,¡± Isla creased her nose. ¡°That¡¯s a bad Southern Colonial replica,¡± she waved her hand at the villa. Are you sure this is Italy? It sure looks like Georgia to me.¡±

    ¡°What does she mean?¡±

    ¡°Pay her no nevermind,¡± Rowan said. ¡°Miss Carla, can you open a portal for us to return home?¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡± Relief shone on the woman¡¯s face, the kind of emotion shown when dangerous people let you live and leave. Extricating a shiny gem from her spatial inventory, she began mumbling some undistinguishable words when her boss whispered something in her ear, and she stopped.

    ¡°Since you¡¯re here, and you look like reasonable people,¡± the man said, trying not to look toward Isla, ¡°why don¡¯t you help us instead?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s at stake?¡± Rowan asked. ¡°What do you want, and what do they want?¡±

    ¡°They want to destroy Rome, literally. History has a lot of Mana potential. By absorbing museums and ruins into the Core, they can turn them into something else. Advanced materials, guns, armor, whatever. But as long as I¡¯m around, they can¡¯t do it. I say history and art must be preserved. The present is built upon the past.¡±

    ¡°Trading us as mercenaries for advanced materials is totally what the Mayor would do,¡± Grace nodded.

    ¡°And Cory too,¡± Isla added.

    ¡°No, Cory would not,¡± Rowan said. ¡°She changed the lower town into an old medieval city. She likes beautiful things.¡±

    ¡°The apartments she built have no open plan; you feel you¡¯re in the forties. And the bathrooms are tiny,¡± Isla said. ¡°And some still have Turkish toilets because she¡¯s behind with the project. Like she¡¯s from California or something.¡±

    ¡°I say to go for it, ¡°Rowan said. ¡°I was here with my old man and liked the city a lot. It¡¯s worth saving.¡±

    ¡°What city?¡± Isla snorted again. ¡°There are just some trees and villas.¡±

    ¡°Oh, just shut up,¡± Grace snapped at Isla. ¡°I agree. I like history and art.¡±

    ¡°OK, whatever, fine,¡± Isla shrugged. ¡°Is the pizza good, at least?¡±

    You have accepted the Quest: Save Rome¡¯s History.

    Note: accepting a quest on another polity¡¯s territory is considered a System-enforced contract, and failure to complete the quest will be penalized in conformity with local laws: Complicity to vandalism, fines of 10,000 to 65,000 USD/failed target.

    Secure 20 different historic places, clearing them from Rebels who might try to blow them up to spite you. Deadline: next morning. For each objective saved, you will receive a free AP.  One free AP and one free level have been granted for saving Giovanni Lepastrina from being turned into a Thrall.

    2/20 objectives cleared (Villa Medici, Villa Borghese) 2 free AP granted.

    ¡°Oh my God!¡± Grace blurted. ¡°This is so much better than clearing the Sewers!¡±

    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

    ¡°Neat! I¡¯ll put two points between Strength and Charisma and keep the rest for later,¡± Rowan said.

    ¡°I¡¯ll put three in Strength,¡± Grace fondled Rowan¡¯s cheek.

    ¡°We better start working. Those fines looked big,¡± Isla said. ¡°I don¡¯t have a count¡¯s salary.¡±

    ¡°Follow me.¡± The Tour Guide started to walk south, then west, and then trotted after him. The pace was slower than what they could do, but at least they had someone who knew where to go with them.

    Five minutes later, Isla gasped in awe, catching herself on the stone railing. ¡°The fuuuuuuck!¡±

    ¡°You asked where¡¯s the town? Here¡¯s the bloody town,¡± Rowan gestured. ¡°It¡¯s built on hills. All the park behind us was the private garden of a noble family.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ beautiful¡­¡± the policewoman admitted, eyes widened.

    ¡°Striking,¡± Grace added. ¡°I saw the photos but never imagined this.

    Seen from the hill, the city bathed in the sweet evening¡¯s sun, meandering graciously between a river and other hills, going on forever in waves of domes, tiled roofs, palaces, monuments, and greenery.

    ¡°Come,¡± their guide pressed on after inspecting his phone. ¡°The nearest Quest Point is in Piazza del Popolo.¡± Running down an alley and some stairs, they reached a square in no time.

    ¡°Where?¡± Isla yelled. Indeed, all around, in every corner and on every side, there were old churches, museums, statues, fountains, and an obelisk in the center.

    ¡°I have no idea¡­¡± Lepastrina grimaced, turning his palms upward. ¡°Could be anything.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll ask,¡± Isla decided and started running toward the northern part of the square, where a church sat near a palace, and in front was a police car and a group of officers, about twenty of them.

    ¡°Hi, fellows,¡± she said merrily. ¡°We¡¯re on a quest to stop some bad Rebels. Do you know them, by any chance?¡±

    The nearest officer moved his hand toward his holster when one of his comrades whispered something in his ear. The words Guns don¡¯t work on them were quite clear. And They massacred two Awakened teams like bugs.

    ¡°Are you the bad guys?¡± Isla frowned.

    ¡°No, Miss, we¡¯re the g-good guys,¡± the second officer stuttered.

    ¡°Don¡¯t kill them, they¡¯re normals!¡± Rowan shouted from the back.

    ¡°So you, of course, support the Count and don¡¯t plan, by any means, to blow up this beautiful¡­ stuff around, right?¡± Isla rotated her finger in the air.

    ¡°Of c-course not.¡±

    ¡°Raise your right hand in the air and swear it. I, officer whatever, swear I¡¯m a good guy, etcetera, etcetera. Every single one of you. Now!¡±

    A raucous choir aroused. It was not the best example of coordination, but good enough.

    ¡°Keep your noses clean from now on,¡± she sneered at them. ¡°You¡¯re police, for fucks sake.¡±

    ¡°Actually, we¡¯re Army,¡± a man said, but she shrugged and turned away.

    10/20 objectives met. You have changed the hearts of a Rebel group of Carabinieri and made them take a pledge (reinforced by the System). You have received 8 free APs.

    Isla turned around, leaning her head sideways. ¡°OK, I see four churches, an obelisk, three fountains, and a¡­ gate? Why does a gate count as an objective?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s two thousand years old,¡± their guide explained.

    ¡°Whatever. It¡¯s a fucking gate. What¡¯s next?¡±

    ¡°Piazza di Spagna, Fontana di Trevi, Piazza Navona, Galleria Doria Pamfilij, the Pantheon, and the Colosseum and Forum. The latter must count as three; a lot of things there.¡±

    ¡°Hm¡­ they missed the Vatican,¡± Rowan observed.

    Lepastrila growled. ¡°The Vatican is their headquarters¡­ and guess who¡¯s the rebel¡¯s chief?¡±

    ¡°No! The P-Pope?¡± Isla gasped, crossing herself.

    ¡°He¡¯s the one who sent the Vampire after me,¡± the Italian nodded.

    ¡°I always thought all churches should have elections every four years, like a true democracy,¡± Rowan said in a serious tone.

    ¡°You do realize you¡¯re a Count for life, right?¡± Grace said.

    ¡°Yeah, but I¡¯m a nice guy. Let¡¯s kick his butt to Avignon and let the French have him. They¡¯ll have a blast together. Lead on,¡± Rowan said.

    They started a triumphal march, going south. On their way, enemies ran, were killed, or captured with little or no fight. Groups of people joined, at first the Count¡¯s supporters and Awakened, gathering the courage to exit cover as the situation returned in their favor, then a full crowd, a true manifestation supporting their side, making them feel good. At nine in the evening, the enemies had fled the city, and the quest was over. They took a break to visit the Colosseum. Isla had exclaimed ¡®Now that¡¯s more like it!¡¯

    ¡°Thank you very much!¡± Rome¡¯s Count exclaimed, rubbing his hands.

    ¡°What about a portal?¡± Isla said. ¡°I have to check on Thomas; he cheats on his homework.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s have a pizza first,¡± Lepastrina said. ¡°I know a good place.¡±

    ¡°C¡¯mon, Isla, don¡¯t be a killjoy,¡± Grace implored.

    ¡°We had so much fun here. Let¡¯s stay for dinner,¡± Rowan said. ¡°And mister Giovanni is an outstanding guide. I understood more in a few hours than  in the two weeks I spent here with my old man.¡±

    ¡°He explained the monuments to us while you ran ahead scaring people,¡± Grace said to Isla. ¡°So, pizza?¡±

    ¡°Well, let¡¯s hope it¡¯s good.¡± The blonde woman shrugged, capitulating. Taking the lead again, the Tour Guide showed them the way to a small restaurant, where the owner clearly knew him, as he rushed to meet them, showing the group into a back room with a big table.

    ¡°Have you visited before?¡± Lepastrina asked after each one of them chose and ordered their pizza.

    ¡°First time,¡± Grace said, with Isla nodding.

    ¡°I was here once before, with my father,¡± Rowan said.

    ¡°Your father? You never told me about him,¡± Grace said.

    ¡°Sure I did.¡±

    ¡°Only that you were adopted and that he passed. How was he?¡±

    ¡°Peculiar. He tried his best to raise me, but he was an eccentric. For instance, our visit to Europe was weird as hell.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°I was eighteen and dead set, and I didn¡¯t want to go to college. I already adored Bourbon and wanted to work in the industry.¡±

    ¡°You drank underage?¡± Isla frowned.

    ¡°C¡¯mon, Isla, don¡¯t be a hypocrite. Remember how we were at that age,¡± Grace said.

    ¡°I barely had a beer, once in a blue moon, because of doing combat sports,¡± Isla retorted. ¡°Bourbon is another thing.¡±

    ¡°You got it wrong,¡± Rowan said. ¡°I fell in love with Bourbon by smelling it and reading about it. All that process is¡­ fascinating. Charring the¡ª¡±

    ¡°And do you remember your first Bourbon love?¡± Isla interjected.

    ¡°Sure,¡± Rowan nodded. ¡°A Pappy fifteen. Papa Allinder liked it because, you know, Pappy sounds like his nickname.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s good?¡± Isla asked.

    ¡°Whoaaa¡­. You cannot imagine! Your mouth fills with that toffee and caramelized orange. It¡¯s out of this word. From the first sip, I¡ª¡±

    ¡°Oops!¡± Grace giggled.

    ¡°Sip, huh?¡± Isla stared at him.

    ¡°Hey, it¡¯s not fair!¡± Rowan complained. ¡°She used police techniques on me. As your boss, I forbid it!¡±

    ¡°You were telling us about college,¡± Grace said, winking to Rowan, a sign she was helping him to change the subject.

    ¡°Yeah. So, what¡¯s the point of getting into debt when you can have fun and do what you like? My old man was so upset¡­ We argued a lot. Months in a row. In the end, he said: ¡®OK, but since you¡¯re home-schooled, give me a few months of your life. Instead of college, we¡¯ll visit places. I might still make a gentleman out of you.¡¯ He failed, of course; I¡¯m as blue-collar as it gets. So we visited Italy, a lot of cities, France, Prague¡ª¡±

    ¡°What country is Prague?¡± Isla asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s in the Czech Republic. That city¡¯s fantastic, too.¡±

    ¡°Each his tastes,¡± the Town Guide shrugged.

    ¡°C¡¯mon, Lepastrina, don¡¯t be judgmental, Prague is great. So, we went to England, Scotland, Sweden¡ªour ancestors'' homeland¡ªGreece, Turkey¡­ I might forget a few. Of all the places, I liked Italy, Prague, and London¡¯s West End the best. West End¡¯s a sort of Broadway, only in En¡ª¡±

    ¡°I know what it is,¡± Grace said.

    ¡°Then, I got a GED and moved to Kentucky to happily work in the Bourbon industry.¡±

    ¡°It looks like your father took you on the Grand Tour,¡± Giovanni Lepastrina said.

    ¡°Sorry?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a centuries-old tradition. Young noblemen took months-long European trips to learn about culture, guided by a knowledgeable elder. It was a rite of passage.¡±

    Rowan pursed his lips and frowned. For the first time, he realized how much such a trip must¡¯ve cost. ¡°So¡­ How did you become a Count?¡± he asked to restart the conversation.

    ¡°I¡ª"

    ¡°Incoming!¡± The restaurant¡¯s owner had returned with their food, helped by a waitress. Large plates and two large jugs of red wines landed on the table in no time. It looked like they all were famished as the talking paused, each taking a bite from their pizza.

    ¡°This is not pizza¡­¡± Isla mumbled.

    ¡°Please!¡± Grace rolled her eyes. ¡°Can you be polite for a change?¡±

    ¡°This is food for the Gods,¡± the policewoman continued. ¡°I did like the Colissum, but this¡­ this is... beyond words.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m glad you like it,¡± Lepastrina said. ¡°About how I became a Count, it was by accident. A mini-dungeon appeared near the Villa Medici, spewing up Imps. They were level one, but hundreds of them. They started to attack everyone around; I defended myself with the umbrella and killed a few, then leveled and smashed as many as I could to protect my group of tourists. I had the most kills and claimed the Core. The Core appointed me a Count, and the people of Rome agreed. That¡¯s all.¡±

    ¡°But without you guys, all would have been lost,¡± Carla said. ¡°You can¡¯t imagine how much he worked to better the city. All the perks: the universal translator, the portals.¡±

    ¡°The portals and the translator are invaluable,¡± the Count nodded. ¡°We need to keep the flow of tourists open.¡±

    ¡°Uhuh,¡± Isla grimaced, rolling her eyes.

    ¡°Where¡¯s the bathroom?¡± Grace asked.

    ¡°End of the corridor,¡± Carla gestured toward the said place. ¡°So, what perks do you guys have in your town?¡±

    ¡°Err¡­¡± Rowan started, hesitating to reveal their strengths, but did not continue. A scream reached them, coming from the cloakroom¡¯s direction. ¡°Grace!¡± he yelled, dashing forward.

 15: The Gift

    <hr>

    The restroom was clean but small and lacked many facilities a US customer would take for granted, like separate rooms for sexes, a soap dispenser or a hand dryer, and multiple cabins. Nevertheless, it was what it was. Grace had finished the number one and washed her hands when a hand grabbed her neck.

    ¡°Not a word!¡± a voice hissed near her ear.

    She tried to scream but couldn¡¯t. Her muscles were paralyzed, and she barely breathed. Like a rag doll, she was handled and turned toward the mirror. Grabbing her from behind was the Vampire. Tall, sexy, blonde, but with such a look in her eyes that she felt horror creeping down her spine. Grace¡¯s eyes became watery. She wanted to live, for herself, for Rowan, and for Lizzie, most of all.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t hurt you,¡± the blonde whispered. The dizziness and disorientation increased. ¡°I¡¯m here to deliver a message,¡± Grace¡¯s captor continued, her voice¡¯s airflow running down the young woman¡¯s cheek and neck. ¡°Father decided not to piss against the Karmic Wind anymore. He wants to talk. I¡¯ll give you a Gift to prove we¡¯re serious.¡±

    Grace saw the Vampire grimacing in the mirror, her pointy canines biting her left hand''s index. The blonde forced her finger inside Grace¡¯s mouth a moment later, keeping it there for a few seconds.

    Grace found it was impossible to struggle. There was a gag reflex, and then she fell on all fours, freed. She threw a hand up, grabbed the sink, and pulled herself up. The blonde was nowhere, only a whiff of cigarette smoke lingering behind.

    Then came the burning. In her throat, in all her body. She screamed and ran out, wobbling, slamming the door on the wall. The restaurant¡¯s owner appeared behind, alarmed, and then she bumped into Rowan in the doorframe of the eating room. Isla was a step behind, her gun at the ready.

    ¡°What happened?¡±

    ¡°The Vampire ambushed me in the bathroom and did something to me!¡± Grace screamed.

    ¡°Did she bite you?¡± Rowan asked, pulling her eyelids up.

    ¡°Yes¡­ no¡­ I don¡¯t know¡­ It hurts¡­¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no notification, DOT, or anything,¡± Rowan said, helping Grace to sit down. ¡°Nothing shows on Inspect.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s gone,¡± Isla reported, returning from the bathroom. A terrifying thought crossed Grace¡¯s mind.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to turn into a Vampire! What if I hurt Lizzie?¡± Then, resolve came. ¡°Kill me! You have to kill me before it takes effect. Please¡­¡±

    Graye¡¯s sight became blurry.

    ¡°I can¡¯t get Cory,¡± Rowan complained, fidgeting with his phone.

    ¡°Sorry¡­.¡± Giovanni lowered his eyes. ¡°I should have taken the Mana 1000G network when I had the chance.¡±

    ¡°A stake, do you have a stake?¡± Grace yelled. ¡°Plunge it in my heart!¡±

    ¡°A steak?¡± the restaurant owner asked, shaking his head in befuddlement.

    ¡°Rowan, Isla¡­ Take care of Lizzie for me,¡± Grace begged.

    With an easiness showing much practice, Isla turned Grace¡¯s arms behind her back and handcuffed her. ¡°Don¡¯t be melodramatic!¡± the policewoman said. ¡°If you turn vampire, I¡¯ll shoot you myself. For now, restraints will do. Let¡¯s go home, Cory might know what to do. I¡¯ll call my folks too. They have like tons of holly water. Shamanistic, holistic, catholistic, you name it.¡±

    ¡°Take care of Lizzie,¡± Grace repeated, feeling her consciousness sleeping away, and then there was only blackness.

    <hr>

    Grace did not gasp when she woke. Instead, she held her breath like she had forgotten to inhale.

    Am I a Vampire?

    [Cory]: No, you¡¯re not. You have no sign of sickness whatsoever. Your friends called the best Healer in town, and she cast twenty Cures, then they sponge bathed you with holy water, despite my protest, and called a priest to do an exorcism, too. It was absolutely ridiculous and anything but scientific.

    Struggling to draw breath and looking around, Grace realized she was in her bedroom.

    [Cory]: Did she bite you for real?

    ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t remember exactly¡­ she said weird things¡­ bit on her finger and stuck it into my mouth¡­ Ew¡­¡±

    [Cory]:  What did she say exactly?

    ¡°That her master¡­ no, father¡­ wants to talk because he¡¯s fed up with pissing against the Karmic Wind.¡±

    [Cory]: Karmic Wind, huh?

    ¡°That¡¯s it. And she said something about a gift to prove they¡¯re serious.¡±

    Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.

    [Cory]: Ouch!

    ¡°What?¡±

    [Cory]: Nothing. My virtual body hit a virtual desk and hurt a toe. Let me Inspect you again, stay still¡­ Yeah¡­ there it is. The Gift finished installing. She did not bite you; she let you drink her blood.

    ¡°Will I turn into a Vampire?¡± Grace blurted, feeling panic going up her throat, together with bile.

    [Cory]: Not from such a small amount. I¡¯ll show you.

    You have received a Blood Gift from a True Vampire. The next time you reach a Threshold in the Constitution stat, it will offer a special perk that will adapt to your personality.

    ¡°What the fuck does it means?¡±

    [Cory]: Why don¡¯t you invest your points and see?

    ¡°But I don¡¯t have enough¡ª¡±

    [Cory]: Look better.

    ¡°What?¡­ I¡¯m Level Forty and have twenty-six free Attribute Points. How?¡±

    [Cory]: You were Level 36 this morning, went to 37 in the Sewers, 38 and one AP from saving Lepastrina, 20 APs for saving Rome¡¯s monuments, then got another level for fighting against a much higher level opponent and making them run. That would be the Vampire when you shot her. After you got knocked out, Rome pledged allegiance to Rowan. That helps me a lot; both towns share perks now. You guys got another level and AP from that¡­ Now, how about seeing what this Perk is about?

    Focusing, Grace invested twenty-five points in her Constitution, leaving one aside. The notification gave her food for thought.

    Constitution Perk, Threshold 2 reached. Please select from the following options:

    Seer Class:

    1: Enhanced Toughness Physical resistances raised to +50%, immune to small and medium caliber bullets.

    2: Enhanced Regeneration (HP): You heal 2x faster.

    Rogue Class:

    1: Dotting (Rare): Your CON harmonizes with your DEX. Enhance any DOT you apply by 0.5%/HP second.

    2: Parry, Don¡¯t Tarry: Your CON harmonizes with your STR. +25% to parries or deflecting physical hits or projectiles

    3: Blood Gift: Blood Minstrel (Legendary)

    There is a reason why Vampires are seductive. Your body will be permanently infused with Mana, gaining properties that can be used both for debuffing an adversary, helping an ally, or in recreational activities. Harmonizes with the Mindful Control, Veil of Deceit, Silk-Tongue, and Charming Gaze perks.

    Your touch can inflict or deliver the following effects:

    Antipyretic, Sedative, Regenerative, Truth Serum,  Paralytic, Aphrodisiac

    Adding singing while applying the said effects can enhance their potency and transform them into spells: Fever¡¯s Cure, Mesmer''s Lullaby, Charmed Restoration, Truth Song, Siren''s Daze, and Lover¡¯s Remedy.

    Intentional activation is required. These effects cannot be set on automatic. Macros (combining them) are possible.

    Warning: Unconsensual application to non-hostile targets carries the risk of accumulating Negative Karma.

    ¡°What do you think?¡± Grace asked.

    [Cory]: It¡¯s a powerful perk¡­ Highly specialized healings and debuffs¡­ It¡¯s just I don¡¯t like the idea of dealing with those guys.

    ¡°Who are they?¡±

    [Cory]: Escapees from the Traipenent. A clan of Vampire mobsters. They¡¯re the opposite of everything I stand for; by that, I mean the rule of law and order. I see they¡¯re sending me a message through the official County site.

    Grace massaged her forehead, then opened her mouth to ask a question but closed it back. She felt too enfeebled to dabble in politics and alliances just then.

    [Cory]: Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll deal with it.  Why don¡¯t you show Rowan and the others you¡¯re back to yourself? They were really worried. But before that, choose your perks.

    I¡¯ll go for the Blood Gift in Rogue and the immunity to bullets for the other¡­

    A sudden influx of power made Grace feel like she was inside a vertigo tornado. Nevertheless, she tried to ignore it and supported herself on a piece of furniture here, another there, and then the railing. She finally got downstairs, and the wobbliness passed as soon as she arrived in the living room.

    ¡°Mommy!¡± Lizzie erupted in a bomb of hugs and tears. ¡°I¡¯m so happy you¡¯re OK. I prayed and did all my homework¡­¡±

    ¡°Thank Goodness,¡± Isla said. ¡°I¡¯ll leave you be.¡± There were dark circles around her eyes. She nodded a slow salute and left. Then Rowan arrived and hugged and kissed her.

    ¡°I¡­ I¡­¡±

    ¡°What hour is it?¡± she asked, seeing the darkness outside.

    ¡°Five in the morning¡­ It took twelve hours to get you back. We couldn¡¯t sleep¡­ Neither did Dmitri, but he got drunk, and I helped him to his room.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s take her to bed,¡± Grace gestured toward the girl, now half-asleep in her arms.

    ¡°I¡¯ll carry her,¡± Rowan proposed.

    ¡°No, I¡¯ll do it.¡±

    She was not in top form but willed herself to the task. After putting Lizzie in bed and pulling the blanket over her, Grace joined Rowan in the bedroom. He had put on his pajamas but was still awake, looking at her. She went and lay on the bed near him.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± he said.

    ¡°For what?¡±

    ¡°For not loving you from the start¡­ I had doubts about how I could fit near you¡­ I¡¯m just a simple guy; you¡¯re an artist. I thought true love would smite me down from the first moment, like a hammer to the head. That I¡¯ll know¡­ In a way, it did¡­ Today, fearing I¡¯ll lose you, I knew I couldn¡¯t live without you¡­¡±

    ¡°You silly man,¡± she sighed and fondled his cheek. ¡°There¡¯s more than one way to love, Rowan. A hammer to the head is one way, a seed that grows another. I¡¯d rather have the growing seed. What are you holding there?¡±

    It was a ring, hidden in his right hand. ¡°Lizzie did her homework, and I bought a ring. I swore that if you¡¯ll be OK, I¡¯ll propose.¡±

    Tears filled her eyes so hard she couldn¡¯t repress them any longer. They cried in each other¡¯s arms. She put the ring on and rose.

    ¡°I need a shower¡­¡±

    She threw her clothes everywhere in the bathroom and tried to be brief. She exited in less than five minutes, naked. No bathrobe or lingerie. She looked into his eyes.

    ¡°Do I have your consent to do some naughty things to you?

 16: Nuptials

    <hr>

    They had breakfast at noon while Lizzie was still in school. Somehow, it felt OK, as their dinner in Rome had been at lunch hour in the States. Afterward, Grace tested her new skills, starting with her Greek tenant, who was having his lunch at the same time.

    ¡°Activating Macro: Hangover, begone!¡± Grace proclaimed, slapping her hand on Dmitri¡¯s forehead without prior notice.

    ¡°Ah!¡± Dmitri jumped on his chair, his fork falling on the floor. ¡°What was that for? I did nothing wrong.¡±

    ¡°You just told me you had a terrible migraine from drinking too much last night.¡±

    ¡°Oh, yeah¡­ When we weren¡¯t sure if you¡¯d make it. Thanks, it worked,¡± Dmitri¡¯s eyes brightened. ¡°Wow¡­ so fast¡­ What¡¯s a macro?¡±

    ¡°I combined Sedative with Antipyretic, and it has a Painkiller secondary effect. This is not an excuse to drink, right, Dmitri?¡± she waved her finger at him.

    ¡°When do I drink, except for exceptional moments?¡± the Greek protested.

    ¡°I know some artists and every moment is exceptional for them,¡± Rowan pointed.

    ¡°You¡¯re not helping,¡± Dmitri grumbled.

    ¡°Have you invested your APs?¡± Grace changed the subject, addressing Rowan.

    ¡°Not yet. Have you allocated your points?¡±

    ¡°Yes, all safe one. I put all in the Constitution. I¡¯m threshold two. That¡¯s where all those skills came from¡­ and that Vampire,¡± she hissed.

    ¡°Begone!¡± Rowan blurted, forwarding a cross in between them.

    ¡°Let me guess, this is your idea of a prank,¡± Grace crossed her arms.

    ¡°Uhuh,¡± he nodded. ¡°It¡¯s funny, right?¡± Grace stared back into his eyes, and he repeated the question, hesitating: ¡°R-right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± she gave up her severe attitude, giggling. ¡°I pranked you too.¡±

    ¡°Goodness¡­ Please don¡¯t stare like that at me again, I¡¯ll confess every wrong I didn¡¯t do,¡± Rowan shivered.

    ¡°Staring women are terrifying,¡± Dmitri said. ¡°There was a teacher who¡ª¡±

    ¡°Childhood trauma?¡± Grace asked in eagerness. ¡°I could try Charming Restoration on you.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, but I¡¯m good,¡± Dmitri rushed to say, wiping his mouth with a napkin and leaving the room in a hurry.

    ¡°He should have been grateful,¡± Grace puckered her lips.

    ¡°I¡¯ll let you test all your spells on me,¡± Rowan promised.

    ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°Of course. For science¡¯s sake¡­ and love. I was thinking¡­ about what we agreed last night, you know¡­ to marry.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not getting cold feet, are you?¡± she frowned.

    ¡°On the contrary. Let¡¯s do it tonight. I¡¯ll ask the mayor to perform the ceremony at home. We buy a cake and dress for the occasion. Lizzie will be the maid of honor.¡±

    ¡°Honey!¡± She leaned over the table to kiss him. ¡°You¡¯re right; there¡¯s no point in waiting. Dmitri and Isla can be our witnesses. So, for the party, it¡¯s us, Lizzie, Dmitri, Isla, Thomas, the Mayor, and his wife. That¡¯s OK¡­ Let¡¯s do it.¡±

    ¡°What about your parents?¡± Dmitri asked, returning to the room to pour himself a coffee.

    ¡°What about my parents,¡± Grace frowned. ¡°You forgot they¡¯re dead?¡±

    This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

    ¡°Sorry to hear that,¡± Rowan fondled her shoulder. ¡°Old age, accident?¡±

    ¡°No. Murder. Someone broke into their home and smashed their heads with a hammer. Like twenty times. No, thirty. Bam!¡± she mimicked the gesture.

    ¡°Goodness¡­ was the perpetrator caught?¡±

    ¡°Never. He, or she, still roams free¡­¡± Grace sighed, looking into the distance.

    ¡°You think Isla will bring her ex?¡± Dmitri changed the subject.

    ¡°Why would she bring her ex?¡± Rowan asked.

    ¡°They remained on good terms. You know him, by the way.¡±

    ¡°I do?¡±

    ¡°Yep. He¡¯s the shrink Isla asked to examine you after the adoption.¡±

    ¡°I-Isla¡¯s e-ex is h-her e-ex? I m-mean, her e-ex¡¯s t-the s-shrink?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re behaving strangely¡­¡± Grace furrowed her brow¡­ ¡°Ah¡­ I get it¡­ You told him you have the hots for Isla.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t have the hots for Isla. It just happened that I¡­ accidentally looked at her¡­ shapes a few times. But now that I¡¯m in love, I don¡¯t notice any shapes around. I don¡¯t even remember what shapes mean,¡± Rowan gesticulated vividly to reinforce his words. ¡°Why do you care? We¡¯re supposed to be honest with shrinks, right?¡±

    ¡°You might have hurt his feelings unknowingly. They divorced because he felt intimidated by her and couldn¡¯t perform in bed. Like not at all. They have a name for that¡­ sorry, I forgot it. They did try their best, but¡ª¡±

    ¡°What kind of guy can¡¯t perform with Isla in bed? She¡¯s so hot. I mean¡­ err¡­ if you look at her from some angles, she¡¯s not ugly, you know what I¡ª¡±

    ¡°Just let it be,¡± Grace flickered her hand. ¡°Isla is hot. But also has a lot of confidence problems. Men find her too assertive to their taste.¡±

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s time to go,¡± Rowan said, eager to close the Isla subject. ¡°I¡¯m clearing Rome¡¯s catacombs with Carla and a few Awakeed Carabinieri to help them train¡­ Oh, my God! I¡¯m so stupid!¡± he slapped his forehead. ¡°Let¡¯s do our wedding in Rome!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s romantic,¡± Dmitri said.

    ¡°It¡¯s a great idea, sweetheart. I¡¯ll arrange things on my side; you do it there,¡± Grace clapped.

    ¡°I¡¯ll put Lepastrina on it; he knows the city.¡±

    He kissed her and left, after which she went back to the bedroom and back in bed, feeling exhausted.

    ###

    Eight hours later, when it was evening in Elkins and night in Rome, and the ceremony and the dinner were done, Rowan retired to a corner of the terrace to admire the view and sip an Italian liquor. Contrary to his expectations, the party had been anything but small. Giovanni Lepastrina had booked a three-star Michelin restaurant atop a luxury hotel with views over all of Rome, inviting many friends and notables. Fortunately, he had also offered to pay.

    [Cory]: Mazeltov. For sure, nights are beautiful here.

    ¡°Hi, Cory. You can reach here?¡±

    [Cory]: Since the towns are now connected and share perks, yes. However, I can¡¯t access Rome¡¯s sensors, only the comms.

    ¡°Then how are you seeing things if you¡ª¡±

    [Cory]: Through your eyes, dummy. You are my sensor as long as you¡¯re not engaging in private things or blocking me intently. How are the Catacombs?

    ¡°Huge¡­ We cleared a mile and a half today, and there are five more levels. The good news is each gives an AP. The bad: the skeletons are not a walk in the park.¡±

    [Cory]: Use blunt force. Listen¡­ Switch on thinking; we have a private matter to discuss.

    Sure. What?

    [Cory]: I need you to go on a quest that will help you and the County tremendously. We¡¯ve got clearance to salvage the alien ship.

    How urgent is it? Since we''re there, I promised Grace we would clear the catacombs together tomorrow.

    [Cory]: Of course. What can be more romantic than slaying Undead on your honeymoon?

    Are you sarcastic?

    [Cory]: Just a little. I can wait a few more days, but no longer. This quest is paramount.

    OK, Rowan nodded.

    You have accepted a Solo Quest: Explore the Traipenent

    An alien ship has crashed near Randolph County. Uncover its secrets.

    Main Objective (Lvl. 20):

    Clear a path to the Bridge and gain access by any means necessary.

    Reward: Surprise +5 APs.

    Secondary Objective 1 (Lvl. 50):

    Clear the Engine Room.

    Reward: The ship¡¯s broken core as loot, +10 levels to the County¡¯s Core, +10 APs.

    Secondary Objective 2 (Lvl. 20-50):

    Clear the Decks by eliminating residual Mana constructs in as many ship sections as possible.

    Reward: ???

    Time Limit:

    The Main Quest must begin within a week and be completed within 12 hours after you board the ship. There is no time limit for the Secondary Quests.

    Warning:

    After accessing the ship, you cannot communicate with the entity Cory, or be Teleported or Rezzed. Proceed with caution.

    [Cory]: Keep your eyes on the Main Quest. That¡¯s where the real reward is.

    Sure. Excuse me, I have to get back to the party.

 17: The Traipenent

    <hr>

    Four days later, on the first day of November, Rowan took on Cory¡¯s Quest. Convincing Grace to let him go alone had been hard and a last-minute feat. She insisted that the word solo in Solo Quest was optional, and wives qualified to come with their husbands. Rowan and Cory were not so sure. In the end, there were no premonitions of danger in the previous days, which sealed the deal. As far as the minimap showed, the ship was just outside the middle of Randolph County¡¯s northern border. Nothing there, for miles, but forest.

    He parked Grace¡¯s car as close to the spot as possible, hiked for an hour, took a fifteen-minute break to have a snack, and approached the limit. A transparent yet shiny light blocked the path: the County¡¯s Quantum forcefield. On the other side, the hills continued, and nothing looked out of the ordinary.

    ¡°Wasn¡¯t the exterior supposed to be irradiated or something?¡±

    [Cory]:  Only on the western side of Elkins.

    ¡°OK, so what now?¡±

    [Cory]: I¡¯ll open a passage. You can¡¯t see the ship because the System cloaked it, but it¡¯s just ahead.

    Why didn¡¯t the government claim it?

    [Cory]: The System forbade access, remember?

    Vaguely.

    [Cory]: It doesn¡¯t matter anymore. You have been granted the right to make the first attempt at salvaging the Traipenent. Make it count.  Go due north, and you¡¯ll find a hull breach. Once inside, keep going straight. After the first airlock, the Quest activates. Follow the minimap. Godspeed, and please h¡ª

    Communication with the entity known as Cory is now cut to prevent exploits and spoilers.

    The passage out of the County resembled a portal, only less shiny.  Before going out, Rowan checked his armor. It was made in the Technoforge and consisted of enchanted leather pants, segmented body armor, and a racer helmet made from mana-strengthened material. Cory had insisted on a full plate armor, but Rowan found it cumbersome. Finally, he fixed his rucksack on his back and stepped through.

    You have left a High Mana Density area (Randolph County) for a Low Mana Density Area. Warning: Your stats and skills will remain the same, but your HP and MP will regenerate at a much lower rate.

    Straight ahead was easy to say, but in a forest, harder to follow. Rowan found the breach in the outer hull¡ªa patch of darkness among the already murky shadows of the wood¡ªa couple of hundred feet to his left, hidden under an overhanging. The notification came when he was still outside.

    You have entered a High Mana Density area.

    The ship¡¯s wall looked thick and weird, with cables hanging out of the rupture, not the kind of shooting sparks of electricity one sees in movies, more like conduits of sorts. Or veins. The tech looked at the border between artificial and organic.

    Shotgun at the ready, Rowan went past the wall, arriving inside a corridor, its blackness going forever to the left and right. He switched on the torch affixed to his helmet. Thirty feet wide, or maybe more, the tunnel had a double rail in its middle. Far away, there were the remains of a wrecked mini-train. Just in front of him was an airlock, plain and metallic. On its right was a round red button, and Rowan pressed it, obtaining a notification.

    Warning: Dungeon Wing 1 is malfunctioning. Missing Core. Pocket Universe Perk: unavailable. Resurrection Perk: unavailable. Damage Reduction Perk: unavailable. Detecting residual constructs from the previous iteration: Broken Lab (Tier 1, Type: Training, Lvl. 20). Do you want to continue? Y/N

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Instead of opening, the airlock vanished. One second, it was there; the next, only the empty doorframe. Rowan stepped on.

    You have 12 hours to complete the Main Objective of the Explore the Traipenent Quest.

    The first room was covered in absolute darkness; the torch barely reached the next wall. On the floor was a maze of fallen furniture, scattered lab equipment, and broken glass tanks. It looked ominous, so Rowan opted to proceed slowly.

    Monsters are compelled to attack you, no matter the level difference; he remembered Cory¡¯s warnings. The first creature jumped from a shelf, smashing itself on his enhanced helmet.

    You have slain Lab Rat, Lvl. 20, 1/100.

    The rest arrived like a flood from every corner. He shot at some, stomped, kicked, squashed, and then the wave receded, but the notification was worrying.

    You have slain Lab Rat, Lvl. 20 x5, 6/100

    Shit, this will take forever! I need AoE.

    He had no skill or spell for that, but he was prepared nevertheless. The experience from the sewars had taught him lessons. Rowan replaced his shotgun with a portable fumigation device with a single gesture, his spatial storage working like a charm. He also put on a breather two seconds before the second wave arrived.

    DOTs and Debuffs applied on Targets (Lab Rat x30): Poison, Paralysis, 60 seconds.

    Rowan continued to release gas around. The target count went up, and soon, it showed that 93/100 rats were immobilized. Finding all of them under the furniture would have been hard, but the DOT finished the job.

    Dungeon Wing 1: Floor 1 cleared: 100/100 Targets killed. No XP or APs were awarded. 41/100 sections cleared on the Main Deck

    Forty-one? Who cleared the rest?

    It was not the time for hesitation, though. A hundred feet onward, Rowan found the next airlock on the right wall. Pressing the same type of red button dismissed the panel again. The next space was smaller in size and empty. A few lights still worked here and there on the walls, offering more light over his torch.

    Anew, a push on the button and the airlock disappeared.  Walking forward, he forgot to close the door behind him. Ten steps later, he heard terrible screeches from above and behind. A cloud of tiny flying monsters covered him, trying to get into his suit or helmet, and a second swarm attacked from behind, exiting the previous room. Rowan waved his arms wildly, releasing a plume of poisonous smoke simultaneously.

    You have slain Lab Bat Lvl. 20 x 11 (5/100 + 6/100)

    You have been inflicted with DOT x3 (3 X 0.05% HP/second)

    Heavier than air, the poison cloud started to flow down, and the monster flew up, escaping.

    ¡°Just you wait, you little fuckers,¡± he cussed. Unstrapping two stun grenades, he pulled the safety pin. He threw one in each room, covering his ears and closing his eyes, continuing by releasing poisonous smoke around and up. The disoriented bat swarms began to hit the walls or the floor in a frenzy.

    You have slain Lab Bat, Lvl. 20 x 188 (100/100 + 99/100).

    He finally found the last bat squirming on the floor of the previous room, untouched by the poison but with a broken wing. He put it out of the misery, squashing it under his boot.  The DOTs disappeared as soon as the last monster was killed.

    You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

    Dungeon Wing 1: Floor 2-3 cleared: 200/200 Targets killed. You have received 0 XP and 1 AP. 43/100 sections cleared on the Main Deck.

    AP reward rule discovered. AP granted = number or rooms cleared simultaneously -1.

    Well, well, well¡­

    Happiness crept into Rowan¡¯s heart. There were quite a few APs to be obtained there. The plan was simple: reach the Bridge, get Cory back online, then exploit the rule, clearing two or more rooms at a time. On the map, there were seventeen more divisions until the Main objective. He resolved to take it easy, go into a room, see how tough the monsters were, and decide whether to continue. Unlocking the next space, he took a peek. Snakes slithering on the floor.

    Eek¡­

    He ran around, luring them after him. Kiting, as Thomas taught him. Poison didn¡¯t seem to bother them, so he took back his shotgun, shot a couple, and stomped others.

    You have slain Lab Snake x 4 (4/20)

    Good, numbers vary from room to room.

    The next room had spiders as big as his fists, then came snails.

    Easy peasy.

    To prove him wrong, his feet got stuck in something, and he fell on the floor.

    You have been immobilized by Snail Trail Glue. You cannot move until all foes are defeated.

    That sucked. His knees and right hand, the one holding the shotgun, were caught on the floor. With his left, he took a real grenade, pulled the pin with his teeth, and threw it. Then another. Bits of metal hit him but didn¡¯t manage to penetrate the armor. The spiders'' fangs and the serpents¡¯ teeth, on the other hand¡­

    You have slain Lab Snake x 10, Lab Snail x 9, Lab Spider x 45 (14/20, 9/20, 45/100)

    You have been inflicted with multiple DOTs of Venom and Acid. Total HP loss 1%/second.

    Shit.

    He had less than two minutes to live if he didn¡¯t manage to kill the rest of the critters. His right index pressed the trigger again and again. Even if immobilized, the revolver shotgun managed to ket a few kills. When it was empty, Rowan summoned the flamethrower. It was heavy and a pain in the ass to aim while monsters kept attacking. Yet even the radiating hit on the sides of the flame was enough to turn the spiders into cinders and make the last snake alive retreat.

    You have slain Lab Snake x 5, Lab Snail x9, Lab Spider x65 (19/20, 18/20, 100/100).

    Acid DOT has been dismissed.

    Warning, your Health is under 50%.

    The Venom DOT was still there. He didn¡¯t have the luxury to pause the fighting. The two remaining snails were in sight but had retreated into their shell; the flamethrower was not going through. He let it down, took the shotgun, recharged it, and shot it with his left hand. It took four shots to get the monsters.

    20/20 Lab Snails slain. Snail Trail: Glue dismissed.

    Warning, your Health is under 20%.

    Jumping on his feet, Rowan ran back to the previous room, searching for the snake. He willed his senses to search around, listen for noises, look for any movement, and even try to detect the repugnant odor of the scales, now imprinted in his memory. And then, Rowan knew where the creature was. In his back, on the floor, hiding and waiting for the venom to do its job. Two shots later, the monster was dead.

    20/20 Lab Snakes killed. Venom DOT dismissed.

    Dungeon Wing 1: Floor 4-6 cleared: 200/200 Targets killed. You have received 0 XP and 2 AP.  46/100 sections cleared on the Main Deck.

    You have discovered the skill Mana Sense. By Feeding 1 MP/second in the surrounding Mana, you can detect enemies up to a radius of 30 feet. The skill can be improved through practice and experimentation.

    Warning, your Health is 10%.

    Letting himself down on the floor, his back on the wall, Rowan closed his eyes, panting. It had been too close. There were lessons to be learned. The difference in levels was not such a big thing. After all, he had killed the DireDeers elites, twenty levels higher than him on his first day. Now, low-level monsters almost had him. He had been smart against the Deers and stupid here. Too greedy.

    Understanding how the monsters did the damage was a priority. None had managed to pierce his skin, yet the DOTs had appeared.

    There must be a Magic component in DOTs, bypassing the armor and all¡­

    First, he felt that his weaponry was inadequate for taking on more than a room at a time. He had to think of better ways. But first, he had to get back to full health. There were ten High-Quality potions in Rowan¡¯s spatial storage, made to ressemble nicotine patches and set on a bracelet, courtesy of the technoforge. He bit his lower lip in self-anger because he had forgotten to wear it. He equipped the bracelet but renounced activating it.

    Let¡¯s not waste them. Regeneration will get me in full health in about an hour. Meanwhile, I can experiment with things.

    Fifteen minutes later, with his health nearing thirty percent, Rowan decided to put the remaining time to good use. Extracting his favorite weapon from the spatial storage, a half-pike, he started exercising his thrusts and flourishes. After a while, he felt his Mana was trying to help him achieve a better technique and tried to let it flow freely around his body. To his surprise, it slid over his skin and continued along the shaft and the blade. A strange sensation, like the weapon was now a part of himself.

    You have discovered Imbuing.

    ¡°Imbuing? What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡±

    [Traipenent Wing 1 FAQ]: It is a combat or crafting Mana-related ability. The question denotes a lack of familiarity with basic notions. Are you an adult of your species? If not, please exit this place ASAP.

    An AI? Hey there. I¡¯m an adult.

    There was no answer.

    ¡°I¡¯m an adult, newly Awakened. You¡¯re some sort of help, right? Can¡¯t you read thoughts?¡±

    [Traipenent Wing 1 FAQ]: Negative. Function disabled because of the ship¡¯s malfunction. But I can project my answers in your mind because receiving messages is your ability.

    ¡°What were you saying about the Imbuing stuff?¡±

    [Traipenent Wing 1 FAQ]: Imbuing lets you project your Mana on a weapon or your body at all times, increasing your overall performance on normal attacks or applying Elemental Damage if you have some affinity for it.

    ¡°Oh¡­ OK. What¡¯s elemental damage? Fire stuff?¡±

    [Traipenent Wing 1 FAQ]: For the simple-minded, it represents things like fire.

    ¡°Thank you so much,¡± Rowan sneered.

    [Traipenent Wing 1 FAQ]:  For one who masters true understanding, elemental damage means using Mana, a special form of Dark Matter, to interact with other Quantum Particles to create specific effects.

    ¡°OK. Go on. How?¡±

    The notification shone all of a sudden, making Rowan take a step back.

    You have discovered a Secondary Secret Quest: Learn Secrets by interacting with a Learning Module. The Traipenent Wing 1 FAQ will deliver you a package of customized data. The quest is cleared by listening to it; the only reward is the information acquired.

    ¡°Did you see that?¡±

    [Traipenent Wing 1 FAQ]: Certainly. Let me elaborate further. The key benefit of Mana is that it doesn¡¯t just interact with Quantum Particles and fundamental forces; it also interacts with living beings and sentience. An Awakened Mind can harness Mana to create a wide range of effects, with more powerful outcomes as its tier increases.

    You asked about Fire elemental damage. But what exactly is Fire? Is it a chemical reaction (combustion)? Is it heat, the transfer of thermal energy between systems? Is it the result of heating a gas until it becomes plasma? Or is it the byproduct of atomic fusion or fission, like in nuclear reactions? The correct answer is that Fire can involve all these processes¡ªand more.

    But what about Cold? In scientific terms, Cold is simply the absence of heat, the opposite of Fire. However, to create Cold using Mana, you must first understand Fire. Otherwise, your Mana will be wasted. Will you use an Endothermic process? Will you manipulate conduction, convection, and radiation? Or perhaps summon a temporary mass of Dark Matter and control gravity, lowering the thermal energy of molecules?

    What is Light? To the naked eye, Light is the visible spectrum of electromagnetic radiation. This element can blind enemies or shape energy into a magical blade. However, Light can also be harnessed for healing. For instance, Cure uses ultraviolet light to sterilize wounds and alchemical reactions to neutralize poisons.

    What is Life? Is it speeding up plant growth? Understanding the forces of nature? Healing? Again, the answer includes all of these and more. Healing doesn¡¯t just accelerate natural regeneration¡ªit can also use X-rays to diagnose injuries, which ties into the concept of Light.

    ¡°Looks like true love,¡± Rowan said.

    [Traipenent Wing 1 FAQ]: Light and Healing work together well, but how does a Health Potion know what¡¯s wrong with you? Imagine if it healed your cavities first and let you bleed out. Healing and Alchemy also interact with Mind Magic, allowing your subconscious to guide the Health Potion to the areas that need it most.

    What is an Energy Shield? It''s essentially plasma, related to Fire, but plasma is also created through Electromagnetism, much like Lightning.

    The data package is nearing completion. Elemental Magic can take many forms, each with its own application method. A character focused on Intelligence (INT) might study the scientific side of magic, preferring technology. Characters with high Charisma (CHA) are adaptable but tend to avoid taking risks. They often escape danger by using charm, shaping Light into illusions, or manipulating others mentally. Willpower (WIL) classes rely on determination, learning through experience and instinct. A combination of genetics, learning, personal history, luck, experience, training, and assistance from others all contribute to a unique journey where you can improve step by step.

    ¡°Then I guess I should start experimenting. One more question: Are Damage Over Time (DOTs) magical? I had some Venom on me but no wound.¡±

    [Traipenent Wing 1 FAQ]: Venom and Poison DOTs have a Mana component and can affect you if the Poisoned Mana touches your skin. These effects persist during combat or until you use a Cure. However, Bleeds or Burns require actual wounds to occur, but they deal more damage over time and need specific types of First Aid or Healing to be stopped.

    Rowan nodded, rotating his shoulders to warm up. ¡°Thanks. Time to experiment with this elemental stuff.¡±

 18: The Cat is Out of the Box

    <hr>

    Releasing an area of augmented Gravity around him, Rowan spread a stream of frosty wind out of the tip of his spear. The last monsters alive, a dozen mechanical spiders, slowed, froze, and fell, breaking into pieces. Who would have thought Gravity and Cold worked together perfectly and fitted him like a glove?

    Dungeon Wing 1: Floor 16-19 cleared: 400/400 Targets killed. You have received 0 XP and 3 AP. 59/100 sections cleared on the Main Deck.

    Elemental damage is so cool¡­

    After an hour of experimenting with Elemental Damage and three more hours of grinding, Rowan had arrived at the Boss¡¯s room, the twentieth floor. He had split the previous¡ªfrom the seventh to the nineteenth¡ª into four groups, resting in between to return to full health. It had been a slow but rewarding march; he had obtained nine more free APs, and his skills had progressed in leaps and bounds. His total of unallocated points was forty-four, probably enough for the most ambitious build.

    Opening the door, he peeped inside with his eyes and the Mana Sense, then closed the door back. That was a neat common sense trick: look in the next room, make a plan, and only then charge in. The Boss¡¯s Lair was a large storage unit with a giant mecha inside.

    A robot¡­ Probably immune to poison, bleeds, and the sorts, and weak to electricity¡­ Let¡¯s see.

    |Dismissing the spear into storage and taking his shotgun in hand, Rowan loaded it with a few modified techno bullets. As soon he entered the Lair, there was a notification.

    You have entered the Mad Scientist¡¯s Lair. Once a great physicist and chemist, the owner of this lab went nuts and transferred his consciousness into a Mecha Frame in his quest for immortality. If not defeated within a 10-minute timeline, the Mad Scientist will destroy all oxygen in the lab (Deoxygenation), creating Nitrogen Dioxide, by exposing the room to high temperatures and toxic fumes.

    At the same time, the Mecha raised and came at him, awkwardly aiming a sort of combined fumigator and flamethrower. Rowan shot it twice in the head, preparing to kite around, releasing Cold and increasing Gravity. It proved unnecessary.

    Your EMP attack has slain Mecha Frame, Boss Lvl. 20. You have cleared Dungeon Wing 1. No XP granted, no AP granted. 60/100 sections cleared on the Main Deck.

    Well, nerds go down easy; what can I say. I could have taken him out with the others and gained an extra point, but there was no way to know¡­

    The last airlock opened on another corridor, going to the right and left. On the floor and the walls, there were scorch marks.

    ¡°Say, FAQ, if I go outside, can you answer me? And will I be able to get back in?¡±

    [Traipenent Wing 1 FAQ]: I¡¯m confined to the Dungeon Wing 1. Once you exit, you can re-enter this section and leave the ship by backtracking on your steps, but I won¡¯t answer more requests. My energy is depleted.

    ¡°Oh¡­ too bad. Mind if I eat here?¡±

    [Traipenent Wing 1 FAQ]: This software cannot mind anything; it is non-sentient. Please don¡¯t litter.

    Rowan sat down and searched his spatial inventory for a sandwich and a water bottle. Ten minutes later, he wrapped the paper and put it back, along with the bottle. ¡°Say, do you have a map of the ship?¡±

    [Traipenent Wing 1 FAQ]: Negative. I only have information that the other Dungeon Wings are similar to this one. Here is a simulation of how the Traipenent should look.

    ¡°This is better,¡± Rowan nodded.

    The map Cory had provided was a diagram with lines marking the shortest path. Now, he could take in the image of the real spaceship. It was round, a mile in diameter, and divided into triangles: the Wings, exactly like pizza slices. Those triangles were split into Floors and had their tips cut. On top of that, there was a huge round space in the middle. Maybe the control room.

    ¡°Thanks, FAQ. You have been a great help, but it¡¯s time to go.¡±

    Rowan exited the Lair. Across the exit was another door, large and round, looking thick, with many strange devices attached. Lots of dials and gauges.

    MAIN QUEST update: Solve the Puzzle and open the door to achieve your Main Objective.

    Do you expect me to push buttons? Nope. I¡¯ll explore first.

    The corridor stretched to the right and left and had a curvature, following the round space supposedly to be in the middle of the ship.

    With an enhanced riot shield and his shotgun at the ready, he started to jog to the right. Three hundred yards farther, where the next Dungeon Wing Exit should have been, the airlock was absent. A huge hole was blown in the wall, and it continued on the other side. Like the Death Star¡¯s laser beam had passed through to say hi.

    He entered the hole on his right, finishing the exploration in less than a minute; the remains of the Dungeon Wing were empty and all but destroyed.

    I guess that¡¯s why some floors are considered cleared¡­

    On the left, the hole allowed another space to be seen, and chances were it was the middle of the ship. Taking his time to look for possible dangers, Rowan passed through the aperture.

    Secondary Objective 1 update: You have reached the Engine Room. Break through the defenses and claim the Ship Core.

    Now, the purpose of the middle space was clear. The Engine Room had a sphere of light in the middle, protecting a smaller sphere that looked like a crystal scrying ball wrapped in a metallic contraption. An Inspect showed a tag on the outer sphere:

    Forcefield Lvl. 50 HP 50%

    There was a description of the smaller object, too.

    Damaged Ship Core.

    The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    The round space of the Engine Room went upward, the walls meeting into a vast cupola, a dome, the light of the forcefield strong enough to reach that high. That made Rowan realize the Traipenent had a convex lens shape, at least in its upper part. To the right, another hole like the one he had passed through. Debris of all kinds littered the floor underneath. This time, it looked like the explosion had come from the inside.

    ¡°What the fuck could have done so much damage?¡±

    There was no point in dwelling on that, so he inspected the rest of the room. To the left, a sort of balcony emerged from the wall, exactly where the door to the control room had been. It was made of dark glass or a material resembling it.

    That¡¯s the bridge.

    Below was a giant shelf with dozens of round indentations and a mechanical arm with three prongs on a rail. Meant to take something from the shelf and put it in another place. Rowan followed the rail with his eyes and observed five pedestals set in regular places.

    I bet that¡¯s where the Dungeon Cores were activated. OK. Time to get back and solve the puzzle. Or¡­

    The timer showed he had under seven hours left to unlock the Bridge, and here was a defenseless forcefield at his mercy. Sure, the risk was he¡¯d level too much too fast. He had to crunch some numbers first.

    So, if I take down that shield, will I level from a fight or just a little, like from the boring quests? Pff¡­ where are you, Cory, when I need you? OK, let¡¯s do it; here goes nothing.

    Approaching the forcefield, Rowan changed the shotgun with a plain but reliable gun, a gift from Isla, loaded with armor-piercing bullets. He covered his body with the riot shield and released a shot from a safe distance at an angle suited to avoid ricochets, if any.

    The bullet bounced up, yet from the center of the forcefield, a beam of light shot straight at Rowan, hitting him with such force he was thrown back, hitting the wall and sliding down like a fly on a windshield. He felt his skin and his insides burnt and crushed.

    ¡°Fuuuuck¡­¡±

    Dex Perk 1, Autopilot, has activated 3 Healing Potions in a row. Warning: You suffer from Severe Potion Sickness: Mental and Physical Exhaustion; Natural Regeneration reduced by 78.5%.

    The Forcefield has reflected the damage taken x10. Forcefield¡¯s health: 45%. Your Health: 15%. The Forcefield¡¯s Level has been lowered to 45.

    He fainted.

    <hr>

    ¡°Wake up, Rowan! Wake up!¡±

    There was a voice screaming in his head, a loud one. It was a dream, maybe. He gasped, opened his eyes, and remembered.

    Your HP is back to full.

    Albeit healed, Rowan felt depressed. How stupid could he be? What quest would give ten APs if it was easy?

    Main Quest update: You have been unconscious for 6 hours and 35 minutes. You have five more minutes to complete the Main Quest. Failure will result in the Bridge being melted in a controlled fusion reaction and the entity known as Cory destroyed.

    ¡°What the fuck, System?¡± he yelled. ¡°You downloaded her in the ship?¡±

    He ran toward the hole in the wall, throwing his backpack ahead to move faster. The shield and gun were nowhere, or maybe dust in the air, and the armor and his helmet fell apart, broken.

    Which way was it? Shit, I can¡¯t remember, and if I take the wrong turn¡­ Right¡­ It must be right.

    Rowan arrived at the Bridge¡¯s door three minutes before the deadline. His heartbeats were so strong he could hear them in his ears.

    What the hell do these dials do?

    He tried moving one to the right and the second to the left to match similar signs, although it made no sense to him¡­. He pulled the lever, sure it would open the door, and nothing. The door didn¡¯t budge. Two more tries later, a timer appeared.

    59¡­58¡­

    ¡°Noooo¡­¡± Rowan pulled on his hair. ¡°This is not fair, you shitty System,¡± he yelled, banging on the door. An echo replied, and the timer continued.

    49¡­ 48 ¡­

    There was this instinct to cry and curl in a ball. He had enough points to raise INT to fifty, the second threshold, or WIL to the max. Instinctively, he pushed points into INT.

    The second INT threshold was detected. Choose between:

    1: Karmic Inspiration. Transcending simple logic, your instincts will know what to do in the direst situations.

    There was no time to read the second option. ¡°Inspiration! Please, hurry! I have to help Cory!¡±

    He remembered. With feverish hands, he grabbed the magical cigarette butt from his spatial inventory, lit it, and inhaled avidly. The world around turned gray and somehow semi-transparent. He tried not to exhale and dashed forward, hoping he wouldn¡¯t smash his head against the bulwark. And he went through. Only then did he breathe out the plume of smoke in his lungs, allowing the world to return to normal.

    10¡­ 9¡­ You have completed the Main Quest. The self-destructing sequence was deactivated. Bridge unlocked.

    ¡°You came for me!¡±

    ¡°Ouch!¡±

    A shadow jumped at him, and Rowan hit the back of his head on the door so hard he saw stars and then slid down, landing on his buttocks. The attacker was a monster of sorts; it had fangs and claws. He tried to push it away, but it kept throwing hits at him at a speed his DEX couldn¡¯t cope with. Yet the hits had a strange pattern, trying to avoid his arms and go around his midriff... He stopped struggling for a second.

    "Bwaaaaah!¡± the unknown monster screamed, crying and hugging him, its head pressed on Rowan¡¯s chest. ¡°It¡¯s my fault, it¡¯s all my fault!¡±

    He patted the creature¡¯s head by instinct. An alien had been stuck on the bridge; that was clear.

    ¡°Here, here¡­ all¡¯s good¡­¡±

    At the same time, he still worried about the AI.

    Cory? Are you OK?

    There was no answer.

    ¡°Cory!¡± he became alarmed. ¡°Are you OK?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m OK now,¡± the alien said. Rowan pushed the alien away at arms¡¯ length. The creature in front of him lowered its eyes.

    ¡°Nice to finally meet you, Rowan.¡±

    How did the alien know his name? ¡°No way¡­ C-Cory?¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡± the alien clapped its hands together, grinning ears wide.

    ¡°You built yourself an avatar?¡±

    ¡°No¡­ this is the real me¡­¡±

    ¡°Gah¡­. ¡± he choked.

    You have received the Main Quest¡¯s rewards.

    Surprise: This is Cora, a female Nekojin. Next time, think twice before trusting the voices in your head. +5 free APs.

    ¡°What the fuck¡­¡± he finally exhaled a few words in a stupor.

    ¡°I¡¯ll explain everything.¡±

    The alien squatted in front of Rowan, and he scrutinized her in the faint light around. She was a human with a few cat details. The eyes were so large¡­ reminding him of Animes. A pretty human face and furry catlike ears. Again, without thinking, he patted the creature¡¯s head. And she purred, pushing it into his hand.

    ¡°You lied to us?¡± he asked with burgeoning anger. The alien had manipulated him, and he almost lost his life twice that day. And he had for whom to live. Grace, Lizzie, and all his friends.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to¡­ I was stuck on the bridge, waiting for a reply to the distress signal. I helped you and the town to keep busy and hang on to my sanity.¡±

    ¡°Why pretending to be an AI?¡± he raised his hands upward.

    ¡°Sure it makes. What would you¡¯ve done if I¡¯d told you I¡¯m from the ship?¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Rowan said slowly, rubbing the nape of his head. ¡°Telling me you¡¯re an alien speaking in my head would have freaked me out.¡±

    The girl nodded. ¡°It was simpler to play the AI part. A week ago, I received this.¡±

    Cora waved a hand through the air, making a text appear.

    Dear Miss Cora Shemeaows,

    We regret to inform you that your rescue request has been denied.

    An expedition into uncharted territory is dangerous, even more so when carrying the risk of System infection. You know the rule: Don¡¯t risk the many for the sake of the few.

    An autodestruction command has been sent to the Traipenent¡¯s bridge as an attachment to this mail. It allows you twelve hours to sort out your businesses. Don¡¯t try to ask the locals for help. Doing that or detecting an alien¡¯s presence on the ship will initiate the self-destruct immediately.

    Sincerely yours,

    AI entity Vvewbpjpg.zh 6819819+ They/Them

    ¡°Then¡­ err¡­ ch, ch¡­¡± she choked and coughed. ¡°Ch¡­ ch¡­¡±

    I hope she won¡¯t vomit a furr ball on me, Rowan frowned.

    The cat girl cleared her throat and continued. ¡°The System took pity on me and altered the autodestruct procedures, issuing a quest.¡±

    ¡°Why not cancel it directly?¡±

    ¡°Things are not so simple¡­ The signal was sent by a senior branch of the System. It had precedence. Are you angry with me?¡±

    She had such big, sad puppy eyes and heart-shaped puckering lips that Rowan couldn¡¯t help but pat her hair anew. ¡°I guess this explains things,¡± he half-shrugged. ¡°Sorry I took so long to save you. I had no idea¡ª¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s OK,¡± she smiled at him, but tears crept into her eyes. ¡°The important thing is you saved me in the end.¡±

    ¡°Is there any way to exit the room?¡±

    ¡°The door has been unlocked when you completed the Main Quest.¡±

    ¡°Show the way,¡± he said, forwarding a hand so she could help him get up.

 19. Claiming the Core

    <hr>

    It was, again, a red button, nothing less, nothing more. The alien pushed it, the door opened, and then she strode ahead with a gracious gait, her feline aspect displaying in full. She was of medium height, maybe an inch shorter than Grace. Her waist was extremely waspy, and the derriere was full, firm, and round. The type that makes you wish to bite it. And that dancing furry tail was quite enticing in itself. But all that, Rowan reasoned with a strange detachment. There was nothing erotic there, just constating facts. He inspected her.

    Name: Cora Shemeows. Age: 20. Species: Nekojin. Class: Engineer/Interfacer (Legendary), Level 100

    Before she stepped into the cleared Wing, he touched his shoulder. ¡°Moment.¡±  She looked at him, and he noticed her eyes had slits for pupils and the deepest blue color. ¡°That thing¡­ the Forcefield. Will I level a lot if I take it down?¡±

    Cora shook her head.  ¡°I don¡¯t think so. It¡¯s not a proper fight, the System will not award levels for that. But that damage reflection is a killer.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the forcefield¡¯s mechanics again?¡±

    ¡°Multiplies the damage it receives by ten and throws it back, consuming its levels for that. It has to take energy from somewhere.¡±

    ¡°So now it¡¯s level forty-five.¡±

    ¡°If you did five percent damage to its HP, yes.¡±

    ¡°Great. Would it help if we kill it before we leave the ship?¡±

    ¡°It will take too long to get you back to health every time you hit it, even with Health Potions.¡±

    ¡°Just tell me, is it useful to kill it?¡±

    ¡°Yes. The ship core is also a multidimensional storage unit. There are a lot of nice things inside.¡±

    ¡°Then let¡¯s do it and get two rabbits with the same stone.¡±

    ¡°How?¡±

    ¡°There are two more Wings intact, right? Twenty floors each, with residual monsters left behind?¡±

    ¡°Y-yeah.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll open a few floors at a time, run back to the core, and dodge around until they accidentally hit it. The monsters get destroyed, the floors get cleared, and we gain APs.¡±

    ¡°I gain Skill Points, APs don¡¯t work for me anymore¡­¡± Cora paused and began to laugh, her head leaned back. Her bosom was quite shapely, somewhere at the higher C size. Again, those were plain facts. Rowan¡¯s libido was detached from it.  ¡°It¡¯s the craziest idea I¡¯ve ever heard¡­ but it could work¡­ Win-win. You get APs, and if we clear those last two wings, we can claim the ship for the County. The border will extend to include it and be transported into our Core¡¯s storage.¡±

    ¡°Then let¡¯s go for it. You go outside and wait for me.¡±

    ¡°I have a better solution. I¡¯ll return to the Bridge and open the Dungeons Lairs on this side. You stay in that hole, make some noises, and they¡¯ll hear and follow. Then you run and hide behind the core, and I project your image in front of the forcefield. That would do the trick.¡±

    ¡°Sounds like a plan.¡± Rowan pulled out his spear from the spatial inventory.

    ¡°Be careful. On the remaining wings, the constructs are more complex. They¡¯ll fight smarter.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll keep it in mind.¡±

    Cora Shemeows has invited you to form a party.

    [Cora]: Party or team mean the same thing.

    [Rowan]: I just realized¡­ The voice I heard in my head all this time was your real voice.

    [Cora]: Yes¡­ Do you like it?

    [Rowan]: It¡¯s¡­ nice, yes.

    [Cora]:  OK, go. I¡¯ll open Wing 4 first. Boss Lair and a few more floors.

    [Rowan]: Silly question.

    [Cora]:  Shoot.

    [Rowan]: These constructs are residues, right? And the rooms¡­ well, they¡¯re large, but not huge. What happened when a core was active. Did it create a holographic space, like in Startrek, and you just went around without realizing, or¡ª

    [Cora]:  No, the cores expanded layers of pocket universes over each room. Some were very big. Can we proceed?

    [Rowan]: Affirma¡ª

    He stopped abruptly, realizing she was just in front of him, and they had used the chat for no reason. ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s do it.¡± They both giggled and went on separate ways. When Rowan reached his spot, he remembered something else he wanted to ask.

    [Rowan]:  If there are six Wings, why only five dungeons?

    [Cora]: The sixth was for the crew quarters and a Hotel.

    [Rowan]: Makes sense.

    [Cora]: Here we go. Be prepared.

    Seconds afterward, there was a loud noise of incoming rushing steps and shades approaching.

    [Rowan]: Whoa¡­ they¡¯re fast!

    Entering the Engine room, he ran toward the core. He barely had time to turn around the forcefield. A lot of creaking noises and an awful smell of burnt flesh ensued.

    Your party has slain Dire Warg, Boss, Level 40, and Two Packs of Dire Wolves, Lvl. 40. Wing 4 Floors 20-18 cleared. You have received 2 free APs. No XP gained.

    [Cora]:  Stay there; they¡¯ll still smell your scent. I¡¯m opening five floors now.

    He obliged, keeping his shotgun at the ready. Two minutes later, the creaking began again.

    Your party has slain Packs of Dire Wolves x5. Wing 4 Floors 17-13 are now clear. You have received 4 free APs. No XP gained.

    [Cora]: You¡¯re a genius.

    [Rowan]: Nah, I learned from you. You¡¯re the Queen of Exploits, after all.

    [Cora]: I¡¯ll take it as a compliment.

    [Rowan]: It was a compliment.

    [Cora]:  I¡¯ll open all the remaining floors. Why waste APs?

    The incoming packs were so large that a few did feel the real Rowan, and he had to dodge, fight, run, and apply lots of cold and gravity to survive. In the end, the Forcefield was down to thirty-five percent Health, but he was not much better, with forty, and his Mana all but depleted.

    Fuck, I forgot I don¡¯t have my armor anymore, he looked at his scratched upper torso. Or proper clothes, for that matter. At least I still have the pants.

    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    [Cora]:  Let¡¯s take a break until you regain health.

    [Rowan]:  Sure. I¡¯ll come up.

    When he arrived at the Bridge, she was munching on a ration bar and offered one to him too.  ¡°So, what¡¯s the story, with the ship and all?¡± he asked, refusing the food with a gesture.

    Cora shrugged. ¡°The Traipenent is¡­ was one of the few spaceships able to deal with dungeons.¡±

    ¡°I know, you told me. Training, Penitentiary, Entertainment. Why Entertainment? How does that go together with Penitentiary?¡±

    ¡°Not all criminals are violent. Imagine Dungeons like Casinos, or¡­¡± Cora blushed and paused.

    ¡°Brothels?¡±

    ¡°Awful, isn¡¯t it? But tell that to my parents. They¡¯d sell their kids for a buck,¡± a short grimace of sadness went over her face. ¡°I guess it doesn¡¯t matter anymore¡­ Anyway¡­ A couple of months ago, a group booked us for an Entertainment Corporate event. They specifically requested the highest-level brothel. It was run by a notorious Vampire clan. Vampire sexual workers are considered the best because...¡± Cora¡¯s face turned violet in color.

    ¡°Let me guess. Vampires like to suck.¡±

    ¡°Ew¡­¡± she squealed, covering her face. ¡°No¡­ I mean, I don¡¯t know¡­ They have a natural Seduction perk. But it was a plot. The guests were pirates. Once in flight, they infiltrated the Engine Room and shot at the Core with a Spaceship grade Mana phaser. I guess they wanted to make the Traipenent exit hyperspace and steal it. The core got damaged and activated its Protection Field, shooting back an energy beam.

    ¡°It broke the brothel dungeon and another one, ricocheting. Monsters spawned everywhere. Realizing the ship was lost, my parents pushed me into the Bridge, with the mission to send a mayday signal, then sealed the door and activated the Emergency Protocol. That Warped everything on Earth: Cores, monsters, and¡­ everybody¡­  Warping out of a moving ship is even more dangerous than the Warp I used on those feds¡­ Then, we crashed.¡±

    ¡°If the Vampires survived, maybe your folks did too,¡±  Rowan tried to encourage her, adding a pat on her arm. Cora picked up his hand and moved it so he could pat her head instead.

    ¡°If so, they would have returned for me,¡± she said, her puckering lower lip reflecting her sadness.

    Rowan shivered. ¡°So, you were trapped inside the bridge all this time?¡± He considered himself a bit claustrophobic, and just thinking of spending months in a small space gave him the chills.

    ¡°I had you to keep me company,¡± the cat girl smiled. ¡°I cherished every small conversation, even when you were mad at me. It helped me from going crazy¡­ Thank you, Rowan.¡±

    ¡°Hey, it¡¯s OK. That¡¯s what friends are for,¡± he patted her head again. ¡°Listen¡­ Can you use the Core to get back home? I mean¡­ repair it and the ship, something? It¡¯s only fair if you take it; you did so much to help us.¡±

    ¡°My family¡¯s gone. There is nothing left for me up there. And the Ship Core is done,¡± she said deadpanned, looking into Rowan¡¯s eyes. ¡°I¡¯d rather stay and help you¡­ If you let me.¡±

    ¡°Of course. Consider yourself one of us,¡± Rowan nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s continue with our quest.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure? How high is your health?¡±

    ¡°Sixty percent. It will do.¡±

    ¡°OK¡­ I¡¯ll open the floors in a sequence of two, three, four, five, six.¡±

    ¡°So fifteen APs, right?¡±

    ¡°Right. If you¡¯re in trouble, I¡¯ll come in.¡±

    Returning to the break in the wall, Rowan activated the chat.

    [Rowan]:  Ready.

    Moments later, something moved in the corridor. Closer than last time because the Fifth Wing was nearer the passage. When he jumped back into the Engine Room, the Boss and two minions were already on him. They were a meaner version of the DireDeers.  He ran around the Core. The ads got lured by the projection and were fried, but the boss was dead set on killing him. It was obviously behaving like a real beast.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think so, big guy.¡±

    Rowan turned toward the monster and thrust his spear at it, hitting an arm.

    Elemental Forces: Cold and Gravity activated.

    The Boss slowed down to a halt, frozen in place. Rowan retreated the spear to aim for the heart next, but the beast exploded, torn into pieces. Cora appeared behind the cloud of blue specks that had been the monster. She looked worried, and a cloud of buzzing debris floated around her.

    You and Cora have slain DireDeer Boss, Level 50. You have leveled x4. +1 free AP gained. Cora has gained 1 Skill Point.

    ¡°Sorry I intervened, but I feared for you,¡± Cora said, letting the debris fall. ¡°I should have told you the DireDeers are more aggressive. They were part of the Horror theme.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s OK. I leveled. Is it bad?¡±

    ¡°No. We still have room to work on your build. Stay here; we go with the plan,¡± she said, already on the move.

    Half an hour later, with the Wing cleared and the second Secondary objective completed, they stared together at the Forcefield. It was down to ten percent HP and ten levels but was still on.

    ¡°It¡¯s because we killed that Boss ourselves,¡± Cora said. ¡°I can¡¯t hit it; I¡¯ll be obliterated. Maybe you and Isla, tomorrow?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re close. Let¡¯s hit it gently and gob some healing potions.¡±

    Cora scratched her head, grimacing. She continued scratching it for a few seconds, making Rowan wonder if she had fleas. ¡°I dunno¡­ my tech combat skills are not on the gentle side¡­ and if I hit it physically, my DPS is like none.¡±

    ¡°No problem, I¡¯ll do it.¡±

    ¡°Take it easy, remember, it multiplies the damage by¡ª¡±

    ¡°A factor of ten. I know.¡±

    Rowan considered strategies for a while. Investing in CON? He decided against it. One Perk randomly chosen in the heat of battle was enough for a day. He took a boxing stance and tried to imbue his fists with Cold. The first hit rewarded him with a flare of fire.

    You have inflicted 1% damage to Forcefield. Forcefield HP 9%, Lvl. 9. Your HP is at 43.5 percent.

    He took another two swings, then paused and drank a Healing potion.

    ¡°H-how c-can you w-withstand that?¡± Cora stuttered. Rowan¡¯s arms and torso were badly burnt.

    ¡°Ignoring pain is something I¡¯m used to,¡± Rowan said, sitting on the floor while the potion took full effect.

    ¡°How so?¡± she asked, sitting in front of him, her eyes staring at Rowan like at the most surprising novelty in the Universe.

    ¡°I told you my mom died when I was a kid, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°My biological father couldn¡¯t cope with it. Drugs, stuff. We landed on the streets. Streets have lots of bad people. At first, I learned to ignore pain just to get over the beatings, but¡­ I dunno¡­ I felt it was unfair¡­ My mom, the streets, everything.  I realized that I could use my pain tolerance to hit back. I wasn¡¯t the strongest, but I was stubborn and kept going... Once, somebody, an adult, tried to do bad stuff to me, and I picked a glass shard and gouged one of their eyes. I was seven. A few months later¡­¡±

    ¡°You killed someone?¡± Cora widened her eyes even more.

    I wonder if they glow in the dark. ¡°No,¡± Rowan shook his head. ¡°Papa Allinder, my mother¡¯s uncle, adopted me. My¡­¡± he choked momentarily, ¡°Mother¡¯s parents didn¡¯t want to take me in. They hated my father, saw him in me¡­ And his only living parent, his dad, was living in an old people¡¯s home¡­   Papa Allinder stepped in. He paid for my dad¡¯s rehab and gave him some money to restart his life.¡±

    ¡°Did the rehab succeed?¡±  The cat girl¡¯s eyes showed a befuddlement that didn¡¯t need words to be spoken. Why didn¡¯t Rowan¡¯s father take him back if the rehab was successful? There was also a curiosity waiting for drama. Maybe it didn¡¯t work, and his natural father was dead or back on the streets.

    ¡°Yeah, but both decided I was better off with Papa Allinder. My biological father barely clung to jobs¡­ Never remarried. I suppose he didn¡¯t recover after my mother¡¯s death. We¡¯ve seen each other or talked a few times. We¡¯re glad knowing the other¡¯s OK, but don¡¯t hang around¡­ I sent him some money from my first Count salary¡­ ¡±

    ¡°I see,¡± Cora said, wiping off a tear. ¡°Was your adoptive father a good person?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s¡­ sorry, he was¡ª¡±

    ¡°He died in his sleep, right,¡± the cat girl nodded. ¡°You told Dmitri and I overheard it¡­ Sorry¡­ I was not trying to pry; it just happened.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Yeah, Papa Allinder was nice but stubborn, always nagging me about school and all sorts of boring stuff. He accepted homeschooling me only after I saved his business.¡±

    ¡°You¡ª¡± Cora started a question, but Rowan spoke on.

    ¡°The Feds investigated him a year after the adoption. Supposedly,  he sold stolen art. Total bullshit, but that¡¯s how the feds are.  They asked me questions at a shrink¡¯s cabinet. I managed to eavesdrop on their conversation and found out they would send me to some foster family the next day.

    ¡°The shrink was out for a pee. I slammed my head on the table and screamed. When the shrink came back, the fed was restraining me, and there was blood all over. I made the shrink believe the fed beat me for information, and the charges against my father were dismissed.¡±

    ¡°Whoaaaa!¡± Cora exclaimed, her eyes almost as wide as a ping-pong ball. ¡°And¡ª"

    ¡°Hey, what do you know? How fast time passes¡­ Let¡¯s get it done,¡± Rowan rushed to say. Her enthusiasm for learning about his life was too much for that moment.  He continued with the plan, hitting the forcefield while monitoring his health and taking breaks. An hour later, the notification they hoped for came.

    You have completed the Secondary Quest: Clear the Engine Room.

    Reward: 10 APs for you and 1 SkP for Cora.

    Conditions Met: Randolph County can now claim the ship and its storage as loot.

    For completing the Quest Chain in one go, uncovering a hidden condition for gaining APs, and discovering a Secret Quest, you earned a special reward: Information.

    Your Performance Overview:

    Cold, Fire & Gravity: You¡¯ve shown a natural talent for using cold and gravity offensively and resisting fire. Your Mana is now fully attuned to Cold, Gravity, and Fire. You have a high chance of developing combat skills and perks related to Cold and Gravity and defensive skills related to Fire.

    Poison & Venom: Your performance with Poison and Venom was poor, and you''ve only applied them through external weapons. You have almost no chance of developing skills or perks related to Venoms, Poisons, or Corruptions, except resistances.

    Bleeds & Electricity: Your performance with Bleeds and Electricity is average. Use them as secondary damage types, but don¡¯t focus on building around them.

    Ranged and Melee Combat: Promising. Advice: train at adding Elemental damage to both.

    ¡°Yes!¡± Cora jumped up, clapping her hands blissfully, making his mind land back into reality.

    ¡°You mean the notification?¡±

    ¡°What? Sorry, no. I don¡¯t see your notifications anymore. I meant my storage and my armor. They¡¯re still in one piece. Behold!¡±

    She showed him a metallic bracelet on her right wrist. A metallic suit appeared out of thin air, embracing Cora¡¯s shapes. In no time, she looked like a humanoid robot.

    ¡°Beautiful, isn¡¯t it?¡± she bellowed through the costume¡¯s speakers.

 20: Meet Cora

    <hr>

    When they arrived back in Elkins, it was early morning. The car was heavily tilted on the combat suit¡¯s side, which meant it was heavy, and Rowan had driven at a snail¡¯s speed to spare the vehicle.

    Grace ran into his arms the moment he got out of the vehicle. ¡°Thank goodness you¡¯re safe.¡±

    ¡°But I did SMSed you,¡± Rowan blurted, thinking a classic: why haven¡¯t you called? would follow. ¡°It was too early to call.¡±

    ¡°I know¡­ but I was worried. I had a dream of you lying unconscious, and I was screaming at you to get up.¡±

    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s¡­ never mind, it can wait. I want you to meet someone.¡±

    ¡°Who?¡±

    ¡°The Wizard of Oz.¡± He made a gesture, and Cora exited the car, still in her suit.

    Grace took a step back. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go inside.¡±

    For such a huge suit, it moved quite silently. A minute later, with a coffee in front of him, Rowan was still delaying the truth. Cora stood ten feet apart, waiting for him to do the introductions.

    ¡°Well?¡± Grace said. ¡°What¡¯s with the robot?¡±

    Rowan¡¯s high Will meant he was not averse to delivering the truth in one blunt go. ¡°It¡¯s not a robot; it¡¯s a suit. Cory¡¯s inside. She¡¯s a real person, an alien who was stuck on that ship, the only survivor. Her species is called Nekojin. She lied to us about being an AI but had good reasons.¡±

    Grace leaned back on the sofa, switching her gaze between the suit and Rowan, staring at him like doubting his sanity. Then, the suit let out a puff, opened, and Cora made her entry.

    ¡°Ta-da!¡± Cora widened her arms in a theatrical gesture. She threw herself between Rowan and Grace on the couch, wrapping her arms around their necks.

    ¡°So, here I am. Besties forever, right?¡±

    ¡°G-get away from me!¡± Grace screamed, shoving the cat girl away.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid; she¡¯s not aggressive,¡± Rowan explained. ¡°She¡¯s a normal person.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not afraid. She stinks!¡± Grace blurted, rushing to open the French doors to the backyard.

    ¡°I do not stink!¡± Cora hissed, showing her canines. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare insult me, human! This kitty has claws!¡± Her nails seemed to grow longer by half an inch, as far as Rowan could tell.

    ¡°Like a dead body skunks peed on. Beurch!¡±

    ¡°She doesn¡¯t stink to me,¡± Rowan frowned. ¡°You¡¯re sure?¡±

    Skill: Sensorial Filtering deactivated. Note: Your high Will allows you to selectively process information, enhancing some senses and muting others, for better performance in or out of combat.

    ¡°Uh¡­ on second thought, there is a slight¡­ whiff¡­¡± he tried to take some distance on the coach.             Being locked on the bridge for two months had not helped Cora¡¯s bodily odors. Grace was exaggerating about the rotten corpse, but not for the skunks. Cora smelled like at least ten of them were her best friends, and they cuddled together at night. On the other hand, now he could also notice how pretty she was. Really cute! he thought. ¡°Maybe you should take a shower,¡± Rowan suggested.

    ¡°Nonsense! Give me a sponge and some rubbing alcohol, and I¡¯ll be good as new in no time.¡±

    ¡°Rowan!¡± Grace¡¯s voice rose in intensity. ¡°Grab and wash her this moment!¡±

    A high Will also meant he dared to run when running was the best option. ¡°I¡¯ll let you two sort it out together, socialize, catch up, stuff. I have to think about my builds.¡± Passing near Grace in a rush, he exited through the French doors and went away, ignoring her widened eyes and slacked jaw.

    <hr>

    It took a minute for Grace to get back to her senses. Such an abject betrayal was not what she expected. That wasn¡¯t what the one was supposed to do. Finally, she shook her head, snapping out of her numbness.

    ¡°Here, play with this while I take care of some things,¡± she threw a yarn clew at Cora.

    ¡°How do you dare, you think I¡¯m some pet? Oh¡­ this feels so nice,¡± the Nekojin furrowed her cheek in the wool.

    Grace was already outside, in the Garden, activating the private chat that worked like a phone inside the County.

    [Grace to Isla]: Are you around?

    [Isla to Grace]: And Good Morning to you too. Yes, I¡¯m starting my shift just now. Do you need something?

    [Grace to Isla]: Yes. I have a guest who resents water and soap but stinks, and I was thinking you could¡­ err¡­ persuade her to take a bath¡­

    [Isla to Grace]: She''s French?

    [Grace to Isla]: She''s a sort of a teenage cat. I¡¯ll explain when you¡ª

    [Isla to Grace]: I¡¯m here.

    The police car, lights on, stopped in front of the house, and Isla exited quickly. Her nose wrinkled in disgust from ten yards away.

    ¡°Ugh¡­¡±

    After entering the living room, Isla didn¡¯t even ask for explanations. She looked around, grabbed Cora by the tail, and rushed upstairs, the Nekojin suspended in the air.

    ¡°HELP! MURDER!¡±

    Soon, there were water and fight noises and many more screams.

    ¡°Who died?¡± Dmitri appeared, sniffing around.

    ¡°No one. We have an unwashed guest.¡±

    ¡°Hi, Mommy!¡± Lizzie yelled, rushing down the stairs. ¡°Where¡¯s our new pet? I got a notification from the System. Because I was so nice, I got a cat-folk friend as a reward.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll see about that later. Dmitri, fold that blanket from the couch. I need to wash it¡­ no, the hell with it. To the garbage it goes¡­ Beurch.¡±

    Ignoring the heavy smell and the agitation, Lizzie was struggling to get into the robot suit.

    ¡°Leave it be, it¡¯s dangerous!¡± Grace screamed. ¡°And dirty. Go change your pajamas for some proper clothes.¡±

    This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.

    An hour later, after having breakfast, Dmitri walked Lizzie to school, and the suit was parked in the garden. Grace and a clean Cora, dressed in a borrowed house robe, stared at each other across the table.

    ¡°So¡­¡± Grace started. ¡°Cory¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡± Cora nodded.

    ¡°Why have you lied to us?¡±

    The cat girl sighed. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to¡­ When the ship crashed, and I was blocked on the bridge, I scanned the area and accidentally connected to your core. I told myself, let¡¯s give them a hand; they look like nice guys.¡±

    ¡°You were blocked on the bridge and thought about helping us instead of asking us to help you?¡±

    ¡°I was waiting to be rescued. I hoped my folks were still alive, or a salvage company would come¡­ But my folks are gone, and my extraction request was denied. I found myself stuck on Earth. The¡­ ch¡­ ch¡­¡±

    ¡°If you dare spit furballs around the house, I¡¯ll cut your tail!¡± Grace menaced. A second later, she jerked. Poor thing! She just told me she lost her family¡­ I shouldn¡¯t have snapped at her¡­

    ¡°Hey! Why are you so mean? Besties, remember?¡± Cora whimpered, her eyes welling with tears.

    Grace rolled her eyes. ¡°OK, I take it back. If you have a hairball problem, spit them in a napkin. You¡¯ll stay with us for now, but I expect you to behave responsibly. Do your part of the chores and be home at nine PM sharp. We¡¯ll see you go to school and¡ª¡±

    ¡°Wait, wait, wait!¡± Cora forwarded her right hand in a stopping gesture. ¡°School? How old do you think I am?¡±

    Grace walked her eyes over the cat girl, top from bottom. She was petite but had¡­ some shapes, nevertheless. However, her head was bigger than a human¡¯s, and her skin showed no blemish; it was as perfect as a child¡¯s. ¡°Fourteen?¡± she tried to guess.

    ¡°I¡¯m sixteen,¡± Cora hissed.

    ¡°My bad. OK, high school, not school.¡±

    ¡°In Nekojin years,¡± Cora snapped. ¡°Twenty-one by human standards.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­ I didn¡¯t see that coming¡­¡± Well, you can still stay here if you want,¡± Grace waved her hand around. ¡°We have a few spare rooms.¡± Her offer was made more to appear nice because she knew Cora had helped them a lot. But for whatever reason, she profoundly disliked the cat girl. A gut instinct. Weird, I liked her more when she was an AI¡­

    ¡°I¡¯ll pay rent,¡± Cora promised. ¡°I talked with the Mayor on the way, and he promised to speak with the Council to create a technical assistant job. There¡¯s a ton of stuff to be done in Elkins.¡± The Nekijin¡¯s eyes sparkled with anticipation, Grace noticed.

    ¡°Is there another AI in your place?¡±

    ¡°Uh, I forgot¡­ I¡¯ll have to go to the Town¡¯s control center to unlock it¡­ I put in on sleep when I¡­ err¡­ you know¡­¡±

    ¡°Took its place,¡± Grace said, crossing her arms.  That nagging sensation of uneasiness was still there. Something was amiss. Not enough to provoke one of her visions, but disturbing enough. She¡¯s not on a quest to conquer the County, is she? Outside, the immobile suit looked menacing enough. If the cat had access to the Technoforge, who guaranteed she wouldn¡¯t build herself an army of robots? Rowan was gullible enough¡ªlike all men¡ªto ignore the menace.

    ¡°Do you like music?¡± Grace asked, moving to the piano and walking her fingers over the keyboard. ¡°I could sing something to you.¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡± Cora clapped. ¡°Do you know¡­ err¡­¡± she lowered her eyes, flushing.

    ¡°Let me guess¡­ Cats?¡± Grace resisted the impulse to facepalm.

    ¡°Uhuh¡­¡± Cora whispered. ¡°After I heard you two singing at Lizzie¡¯s party, I started to listen to a lot of human music.¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ Cats is a good musical¡­ Let¡¯s see¡­¡±

    Grace started to improvise, chaining chords, at first without much purpose than practicing harmonies. The Nekojin stared at her, fascinated. Slowly, Grace began singing The Ad-dressing of the Cats. It was one of the more operatic moments suited for her voice, even if she had to transpose it in her range. A few minutes later, the notification came:

    Target Cora Shemeows is now under the effect of your spells, Mesmer''s Lullaby and Truth Song. She will be sedated and compelled to tell you the truth for the next five minutes.

    ¡°Tell me, Cora. Do you plan to take over the County?¡± Grace asked.

    ¡°Uh? Why would I want to do that?¡± Cora snorted, half expelling a snot from her left nostril in the process. Her eyes struggled to keep straight, making Grace dizzy only from their permanent wobbling. ¡°I like you guys¡­ Even you.¡±

    ¡°Even me?¡± Grace frowned.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Cora nodded, her head bobbing left and right. ¡°You seem reformed now. A good wife. No longer a¡­ hic,¡± she hiccuped, ¡°woman of perdition. A whore. A strumpet. A hussy. A loose goose.¡±

    ¡°Loose goose means calm,¡± Grace corrected the cat girl, as the last expression didn¡¯t fit the previous list. Then, she slackjawed, realizing the meaning. ¡°What?¡± she yelled.

    ¡°You¡¯re so lucky,¡± Cora exhaled, letting her head backward, looking at the ceiling. ¡°You have the perfect man and don¡¯t even realize it. You don¡¯t deserve him.¡±

    ¡°Oh, my God!¡± Grace exclaimed, slapping her right hand over her mouth. ¡°You¡¯re having a childhood crush on Rowan! That¡¯s why I have this uncomfortable vibe around you. Hahaha! Sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to be mean. You poor kid!¡±

    ¡°I told you, I¡¯m not a kid!¡± Cora hissed.

    ¡°Oh, right, I forgot you¡¯re an adult,¡± Grace nodded. ¡°Err¡­What are you doing?¡±

    The Nekojin had suddenly jumped on her feet. ¡°Weighing my options,¡± she sneered in an ice-cold tone. ¡°I consider you a friend, and you use Mind magic on me and mock my sentiments?¡± her voice mounted a notch.

    Is the spell over? Isn¡¯t she supposed to forget?

    Warning: Your spell had failed to induce memory loss due to the target¡¯s capped INT. Hostile intentions were detected from Cora Shemeows, Legendary Engineer, level 100. Quest: Survive.

    Outside, the armor began to move on its own.

    <hr>

    ¡°It¡¯s OK,¡± Rowan whispered in Grace¡¯s ear, grimacing in pain. His right arm was held in a sling tied around his neck. ¡°It¡¯s only temporary. Eventually, I¡¯ll level up and will be able to beat that armor. Go to Jim in Louisville.¡±

    ¡°Bwaaaaaa¡­.¡± Tucked into Grace¡¯s skirt, Lizzie was crying her heart out.

    ¡°We have to go, sweetie,¡± Grace said. Hugging Rowan one last time, she put Lizzie in the back of the car, tightening her seat belt. Going to the front seat, Grace started the car, driving southward to the closest safe County exit. The blue notification annoyed her, but she dared not push it away.

    Citizens of Elkins. You are invited to a traditional AMERICAN SHOTGUN WEDDING. Your beloved Overlord, Cora Shemeows, will take your former count, Rowan Allinder, as a consort. Presence is mandatory. Cheering is mandatory. Slackers will be disintegrated.

    <hr>

    ¡°I apologize!¡± Grace yelled. ¡°Please don¡¯t hurt us!¡±

    Cora balled her fists. ¡°Hurt you? I love him¡­ and Lizzie. You, on the other hand, I hate! I saved your marriage by giving you my s¡­ p¡­  ch¡­ ch¡­¡± the cat girl coughed, ¡°and this is my reward?¡±

    She does have a lot of furrballs problems, Grace thought.

    Then, the armor moved, appearing in the door frame, a machine gun at the ready. Grace shut her eyes tight, shivering. ¡°Please be kind to Lizzie,¡± she whispered.

    There was a burst of gunfire but no pain. Patting herself to check she was still alive, Grace opened her eyes. On the floor, Cora was bleeding out, her chest destroyed. The girl searched for Grace¡¯s eyes. ¡°There¡¯s nothing left to live for¡­ No family¡­ no friends¡­ You don¡¯t deserve him¡­¡± She hiccuped and expired.

    Shit¡­ Rowan will blame everything on me!

    <hr>

    ¡°I apologize!¡± Grace yelled. ¡°Please don¡¯t hurt us!¡±

    ¡°Hurt you?¡± Cora balled her fists. ¡°No, I won¡¯t hurt you¡­ I love him¡­ and Lizzie. You, on the other hand, I hate! I saved your marriage by giving you my s¡­ p¡­  ch¡­ ch¡­¡± the cat girl coughed, ¡°and this is my reward?¡±

    She does have a lot of furrballs problems, Grace thought.

    Then, the armor moved, appearing in the door frame, a machine gun at the ready. Grace grabbed a kitchen knife from the countertop and threw it. The armor¡¯s front was still open, and the projectile hit a blue spot in the helmet. Spitting sparks, the robot collapsed.

    ¡°Behave, you damn fool!¡± Grace yelled. ¡°We are your friends.¡±

    ¡°Friends don¡¯t use mind control on their friends!¡± Cora yelled. ¡°It¡¯s game on! I¡¯ll confess my feelings to Rowan and take him from you! He won¡¯t resist this!¡± she pointed at her body.

    Grace¡¯s patience collapsed. ¡°You sure, Chucky¡¯s bride? Resist what, a pumpkin head fit on a broomstick? You think he¡¯ll choose that over a real woman?¡±

    Half an hour later, Rowan returned, bringing Lizzie, who had the last two classes canceled due to a sick teacher. ¡°What happened here?¡± Rowan asked.

    ¡°Cora¡¯s trying to suicide,¡± Grace explained, yawning, stretched on the couch. The Bourbon glass in her hand was almost empty, and it was the third. ¡°Thirty minutes now, and still going.¡±

    The Nekojin¡¯s head was in the kitchen sink, water flowing abundantly over it, yet not fast enough to fill the recipient. The cat girl had not yet discovered how to use the sink stopper. ¡°Grllllce was mean to me, lllll,¡± Cora said, her voice interrupted by the flow.

    ¡°Mommy can be very mean at times,¡± Lizzie said seriously.

    <hr>

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡± Grace yelled, rushing to hug Cora. ¡°You¡¯re my friend, I was wrong.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not my friend! Friends don¡¯t use mind control on their friends!¡± Cora yelled, trying to shove Grace away.

    Grace hung on. ¡°It was a misunderstanding, I swear! I just wanted to be sure you don¡¯t want to overthrow Rowan.¡±

    ¡°I would never!¡± Cora protested, trying to shake his head but failing because she was still in Grace¡¯s embrace.

    ¡°I¡¯m really sorry,¡± Grace said. ¡°I¡¯ll make it up to you, I swear. Take the best room. My room. No chores, ever. I¡¯ll bake you a cake every day, just calm down. You¡¯re a nice AI¡­ sorry, gal¡­ I care for you.¡±

    ¡°If you want to make it up to me, share Rowan with me,¡± Cora said, finally pushing Grace away. ¡°Polyamory is accepted in the System¡¯s worlds.¡±

    The cat girl¡¯s wide eyes showed a lot of hope but also dread. Grace sighed. The last thing she needed was a new series of visions of disasters. Yet, she had to say something. ¡°Why don¡¯t we make a compromise?¡± she suggested. ¡°Stay with us for now. If Rowan falls for you, I¡¯ll accept to share. If not, you¡¯ll promise to get over it and stay friends. Deal?¡± Grace forwarded her hand.

    ¡°Deal!¡± Cora shouted, shaking Grace''s hand with vigor.

    Goodness gracious¡­ That smile is so wide¡­ Her head is like a Halloween pumpkin¡­ ¡°I need a drink,¡± Grace sighed, beelining for the bar. She poured herself a full glass of Bourbon.

 21: Stats, Stats, Stats

    <hr>

    Ten minutes after leaving the house, Rowan was up in the hills. Choosing a tree line with a view toward the valley, he sat on the grass and sighed. He felt a bit guilty for leaving Grace alone with Cora but was sure they¡¯d get along well in the end. Gals were friendly by nature.

    Summoning his Character Sheet, he first noticed his level was now fifty, with a whopping ninety-seven free Attribute Points. He took out his phone and used the calculator. That meant that if he managed to get ten extra points before the max level, he could raise all his secondary stats to threshold three¡­ More than Cory had ever suggested.

    ¡°What about that, Cory?¡±

    His question met silence. Cory was not in his mind anymore. It felt¡­ weird¡­ like a void. There was the question of where to get those extra points. Rome and the ship had been treasure troves while clearing monsters for weeks, a chore. What if the first two were a once-in-a-lifetime event? Could he spend weeks or months grinding APs?

    Swallowing a lump, Rowan balled his fists with determination. He needed to do it. A dungeon half his level had almost killed him twice because of unprovoked mistakes. He had pressed a random key on a piano and thought himself a virtuoso. The easiness with which Cora had moved the cloud of debris with her mind had shown him what real skill looked like. That was what he needed, not brute force. Thinking. Training. And a buffer of perks to save him from his own mistakes.

    Leaving twenty-eight attribute points for later, Rowan raised all his secondary stats to the second threshold and got an unexpected notification.

    You have achieved a Breakthrough and obtained a Secondary Class: Primeval Magus (Mythical Tier).

    Main Stat: WIL (Willpower).

    You have demonstrated an exceptional affinity with multiple elements, unlocking the Magus class. A Magus gains a deep understanding of the world¡¯s mechanics, requiring less study than INT-based classes.

    Your Elemental affinities are Cold, Gravity, and Fire.

    Note: The Secondary Class shares levels and stats with your Primary Class and does not grant additional APs or require separate XP.

    Rowan felt complete. The sentiment was hard to describe but filled him with purpose and awareness. Refusing to be swept by that sweet drunkenness sensation, he concentrated on the next text.

    Please review your Stats and Perks and choose your second threshold perks for both classes.

    The realization that he would get double the perks hit him like a hammer. How many new perks he was going to have? Thirteen from the new class and¡­ four in the old class. Five, if he counted the perk he asked the System to choose for him. He had no idea what it did. Eighteen in total! The number made Rowan¡¯s head turn. After struggling to concentrate, he inspected his stats and available new perks.

    Name: Rowan Allinder. Main Class: Indomitable. Tier: Legendary, Level 50 Secondary Class: Primeval Magus. Tier: Mythical

    28 APs available

    STR: 50 / DEX: 50 / CON: 50 / INT: 50 / WIL: 77 / CHA: 50

    NEW PERKS OBTAINED

    !Bespoked, created by the System based on your performance! Intelligence Perk, Threshold 2: Karmic Intuition. Transcending simple logic, your instincts will know what to do in the direst situations.

    Perks for Your Primary Class: Indomitable

    Charisma Perk, Threshold 1: Redeemed

    You started with low Charisma but have worked hard to improve. People will now be 25% more likely to forgive your mistakes and blunders.

    Perks for Your Secondary Class: Primeval Magus

    Will Perk, Threshold 1: Focused Mind

    Your concentration, both in and out of battle, is increased by 25%. You will stay focused longer, and your ability to detect and resist lower-tier Mind Spells is improved. The Critical Chance of your magical attacks is increased by 25%.

    Will Perk, Threshold 3: Master of Focus

    Your concentration, both in and out of battle, is increased by 50%. You can focus and train longer, and your ability to detect and resist higher-tier Mind Spells improves. The Critical Chance of your magical attacks is increased by 50%.

    Strength Perk, Threshold 1: Sonar

    A superior aspect of Mana Sense. When you land a physical hit (directly or indirectly, including projectiles), it sends signals through the target¡¯s body. This increases the chances of highlighting weak spots by 25%, plus any Critical Chance.

    Constitution Perk, Threshold 1: Vital Resistance

    Your vitals are 25% tougher than the rest of your body and regenerate 25% faster. Hits to your vitals are no longer considered instantly lethal and can be healed like any other wound.

    New Spell: Combat Heal¡ªInstantly restores 100 HP for 300 MP, though it¡¯s less potent than a channeled Heal. Training will improve its effectiveness and reduce its MP cost.

    Dexterity Perk, Threshold 1: Plus Crit

    Increases the Critical Chance of your physical attacks by 5%.

    Intelligence Perk, Threshold 1: Gretchen¡¯s Question (Mythical)

    Asking simple or seemingly silly questions can yield unexpected results, helping you discern whether a target is lying or hiding something.

    Charisma Perk, Threshold 1: Confidence

    Your presence inspires calm and confidence in others, making them 25% more likely to follow your orders and suggestions.

    Finally, as the second threshold offered choices, it was time to choose his new perks. Heart trying to jump out of his chest, he proceeded.

    Selectable Perks for Your Primary Class: Indomitable

    Strength Perk, Threshold 2. Choose between:

    1: Double your Perk 1 chance to ignore Evade, Dodges, Parries, or Blocks to 50% (Max. for non-STR main builds)

    2: Increase your base damage with Physical attacks by 25%

    Pfff¡­ both are good. Let¡¯s take option two¡­ Diversify...

    Constitution Perk, Threshold 2. Choose between:

    1: Double your Perk 1 to +25% for all physical resistances and +25% for Natural Regeneration (HP). Max value possible for non-Main CON builds.

    2: Endurance. Perform physical activities for 25% longer. You need 25% less sleep.

    He chose option one because of the first Constitution perk in his secondary class.

    Dexterity Perk, Threshold 2, Choose between:

    1: Increase the speed of your attacks by 25%

    2: Increase the speed of your parries, blocks, and evades by 25%

    Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.

    This is not fair. I want both!

    A Bespoke choice was selected because of your high WIL: Increase the speed of your attacks, blocks, parries, and evades by 12.5 %. Bespoke choices are available only when perk choices are complementary or similar.

    FUCK! It could have worked for the Constitution Perk too¡­ I want a reroll, now!... Pretty please?

    There was no answer, so he went on.

    Charisma Perk, Threshold 2. Chose between:

    1: Increase MP. Your CHA Stat is added to your Mana Pool.

    2: Persuasion: You have a +25% chance to convince enemies to change sides, surrender, or retreat.

    He went with the first option instantly. It meant a five hundred increase in Mana, upping his total to almost eighteen hundred. As for enemies, if they didn¡¯t retreat on their own, Rowan had no qualms about killing them. And if they¡¯re too strong, I¡¯ll retreat, duh!

    Selectable Perks for Your Secondary Class: Primeval Magus

    Strength Perk, Threshold 2. Choose between:

    1: + Damage. Physical hits send waves of secondary damage into the enemy¡¯s bodies. +5% to base Physical Damage.

    2: Critical Spot. If your STR Perk 1 has detected a weakness, any future hit against that spot will be a Crit.

    The second option was selected without much ado.

    Constitution Perk, Threshold 2. Choose between:

    1: Double your 1<sup>st</sup> perk value.

    <ol start="2">

    <li style="text-align: center"> Delayed Truth: Once per day, when you take lethal damage, you gain a ten-second window where your HP cannot drop below 0, and you are immune to all damage. You must heal at least 15% of your maximum HP before the ten seconds run out, or you die.</li>

    </ol>

    There was no hesitation here. Two.

    Dexterity Perk, Threshold 2. Choose between:

    1: Add + 5% Critical Chance to your Perk 1

    2: Add +5% Chance to Parry, Block, or Evade.

    Can I take the Bespoke again?

    Bespoke option selected: +2.5 to Critical Chance, Parry, Block, and Evade.

    Intelligence Perk, Threshold 2. Choose between:

    1: Enhanced Analysis. Inspecting Targets offers information about their offensive capabilities. Only works out of combat.

    2: Svart¨¢lfar Stare, aka The Cold Stare (Mythical.

    Perhaps it''s just a coincidence, or maybe you have a Shadow Elf in your ancestry. When you stare at a target, it causes a sense of unease and may allow you to uncover compromising secrets, lowering your foe''s overall performance by 10%. This ability does not work on constructs. With training, you can unlock additional effects. There is no Mana cost for using this ability.

    He liked the first choice, but it meant seeing a foe before a fight, which was situational. Two was a stretch¡­ but it had the same tier and vibe as the first perk. He wondered if it could lead to more potent perks, so he selected it after taking a deep breath.

    Will Perk, Threshold 2. Choose between:

    1: Enhanced Meditation. Enter a state of deep relaxation, restoring HP and MP four times faster.

    !Bespoked, created by the System upon your performance! 2: Joint Trip. You have smoked a rare, mysterious tobacco whose production is a closely guarded secret. For unknown reasons, your body and subconscious have developed a unique harmony with it, allowing you to replicate its effects.

    Each day, you gain one stack, up to 10 stacks. Activating a stack allows you to enter Hyperspace (also known as The In-Between, The Space, or The 4th Dimension) for 30 seconds. In Hyperspace, Damage over Time (DoT) effects stop, and you become immune to damage and crowd control (CC) if previously applied in the outside world. Your movement speed doubles.

    There is a 2-second cooldown before you can activate the next stack.

    Note: Most Perks and Skills that consume Mana won¡¯t work in the In-Between. Potions and spatial storage will function normally

    ¡°Yes! Yes! Yes!¡± Rowan screamed in joy. ¡°Two!¡±

    Charisma Perk, Threshold 2. Choose between:

    1: Insight: Read thoughts, emotions, and intentions by examining a Target. Needs activation and proximity (touch, eye contact). Cost: 100 Mana/use. Warning: Can attract enmity. Works well together with Sonar.

    2: Reflect all damage taken to the Tank if you are in a Party (Team) for ten seconds. Heal for the amount of half that damage. 10-minute cooldown.

    The second option was a solid defensive choice. He could imagine both Isla and Cory talking him into taking it or Thomas throwing some nerdish about how he could mitigate it with some invulns or whatever. But Rowan was not the kind of man to risk killing his partners. In his opinion, the first option wasn¡¯t ideal, but things were what they were, and he chose it.

    In the end, he reviewed an abridged version of all his stats.

    Name: Rowan Allinder. Lvl. 50

    Main Class: Indomitable, Legendary, Secondary Class: Primeval Magus, Mythical

    28 APs available

    STR: 50 / DEX: 50 / CON: 50 / INT: 50 / WIL: 77 / CHA: 50

    PERKS

    WIL

    Main Class Perk 1: Your Will replaces Strength as your Physical Critical Damage multiplier and inflicts DOT

    Main Class Perk 2: High-Tier Artifact User

    Main Class Perk 3: Full-Fledged Magic User. Stats perform better, and you can enhance your spells, skills, or Perks with Magic.

    Secondary Class Perk 1: Concentration + 25%. Resist minor Mind Spells. +25% Magical Attacks Critical Chance

    Secondary Class Perk 2: Joint Trip. Build 1 stack/day (max 10) of a 30-second interdimensional travel.

    Secondary Class Perk 3: Concentration + 50%. Resist major Mind Spells. +25% Spell Critical Chance

    STR

    Main Class Perk 1: 25% chance to ignore Evade, Dodges, Parries, or Blocks.

    Main Class Perk 2: +25% base damage to Physical attacks

    Secondary Class Perk 1: +25% chance of highlighting an enemy¡¯s weak spots.

    Secondary Class Perk 2:  Hitting identified weak spots are guaranteed Crits.

    CON

    Main Class Perk 1+2: +50% all physical resistances, +50% to Natural Regeneration (HP)

    Secondary Class Perk 1: Vital Resistance. +25% Toughness and Regen to Vitals. Learned Spell: Combat Heal

    Secondary Class Perk 2: Delayed Truth. Once per day, ignore Lethal Damage and become invulnerable for ten seconds.

    DEX

    Main Class Perk 1: Multi-Tasking, Autopilot. Your Subconsciousness can take control of your body when necessary.

    Main Class Perk 2: Increase the speed of your attacks, Blocks, Parries, and Evades by 12.5%

    Secondary Class Perk 1: + 5% Critical Chance

    Secondary Class Perk 2: Add + 2.5% Critical Chance, Parry, Block, or Evade.

    INT

    Main Class Perk 1: Strategy. You can read a situation better than most.

    Main Class Perk 2: Karmic Intuition. Transcending simple logic, your instincts will know what to do in the direst situations.

    Secondary Class Perk 1: Gretchen¡¯s Question. Questions have a chance to reveal secrets.

    Secondary Class Perk 2: Svart¨¢lfar¡¯s Stare. Staring provokes Targets to reveal secrets and lowers your enemies¡¯ damage.

    CHA

    Main Class Perk 1: People will be +25% more inclined to forgive your mistakes and blunders.

    Main Class Perk 2: Your CHA Stat is added to your Mana Pool.

    Secondary Class Perk 1: Confident. Strangers are +25% more inclined to reveal their secrets to you.

    Secondary Class Perk 2: Insight: Read thoughts, emotions, and intentions by examining a Target. Needs activation and proximity (touch, eye contact). Cost: 100 Mana/use. Warning: Can attract enmity. It can be used with Sonar.

 22: Intrigue

    <hr>

    Taking in a deep breath, Grace pressed a shortcut dial on her phone.

    Trying to connect to an exterior cell network... Error¡­ Correcting error¡­ Mana enhancing signal¡­ Connection established.

    A ringtone sounded twice, then she heard a voice.

    ¡°Grace?¡±

    ¡°Yes, honey, it¡¯s me.¡±

    ¡°Nice to hear your voice.¡±

    A klaxon reached her ears, and a curse, Rowan swearing at someone about blocking his way.

    ¡°You¡¯re driving?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I bought a second-hand car for the trip.¡±

    ¡°How are you two going along?¡±

    ¡°Fine, I suppose. We visited my pals in Louisville last evening and visited a few bars and Bourbon stores. I stocked myself for a year; the Spatial Inventory is great. But let me tell you, Cora can¡¯t hold her liquor. Sweetheart, I have to go; there¡¯s a police roadblock ahead.¡±

    ¡°Take care, yes?¡¯

    ¡°Of course. Love you.¡±

    ¡°Love you too.¡±

    With a deep sigh, Grace put the phone on the coffee table, took up a glass, and drank a full mouthful of the contents: an XO Cognac.

    ¡°You¡¯re letting them travel alone?¡± Isla asked. ¡°To Vegas?¡±

    Grace averted her eyes from Isla¡¯s stare. ¡°You redecorated?¡± she asked, looking at the walls. There were a lot of new posters and art photos on display, many showing art and landmarks from Rome. It seemed the blonde had taken a liking to the eternal city.

    ¡°Uhuh,¡± Isla nodded. ¡°Lots of free time on my hands. Thomas is staying with Marc for a few weeks. It¡¯s nice to have an evening for ourselves,¡± she raised her glass.

    ¡°Amen,¡± Grace clinked.

    ¡°So¡­ you¡¯re not worried at all?¡±

    ¡°Afraid of what? She¡¯s hideous. If she makes a pass at him, Rowan would rebuff her. Let them bond and become friends. It will help her overcome the rejection when the time comes.¡±

    ¡°Bad choice,¡± Isla shrugged. ¡°Vegas, pus booze, plus man and woman¡ª¡±

    ¡°Ugly alien woman.¡±

    ¡°She can¡¯t hear you, right?¡± Isla asked with a hint of concern, looking around.

    ¡°Nope. She can¡¯t longer interfere with the Core unless she¡¯s physically in the control room.¡±

    ¡°I think she¡¯s pretty. Why don¡¯t you tell Rowan Cora has the hots for him? He¡¯ll tell the cat to let him be. He loves you,¡± Isla toed her shoes off, then rested her feet on the table, legs crossed. Dressed in the same tight black dress she had worn for Lizzie¡¯s birthday, she looked stunning.

    A snippet of jealousy assaulted Grace, making her wish she¡¯d be as tall and shapely. She bit her lower lip and returned to the matter at hand. ¡°Cute? C¡¯mon! Have you seen that mouth? One second, wide as a shark¡¯s smile; the next, puckered like a tiny raspberry. And those turning ears. And wide eyes? And a tail, for fucks sake!¡±

    The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Isla nodded. ¡°Fluffy tail. Quite the Anime type. Pretty!¡±

    ¡°Anyway, we agreed not to tell Rowan about her crush, and she promised not to make a pass on him until he comes to his senses and discovers she¡¯s her true love. Her words. I¡¯m to be their best friend and sisterly figure, but she¡¯ll let me have sex with him once in a blue moon.¡±

    ¡°The policewoman took another sip from her whiskey. ¡°She had this crush for how long?¡±

    ¡°Since the beginning. Says it¡¯s destiny. Because of Rowan¡¯s big Will.¡±

    ¡°Prfff¡­.¡± Isla spat a spray of Bourbon. ¡°How big?¡±

    ¡°Seventy-something, for now.¡±

    ¡°Where does he keep it, in the spatial storage? It¡¯s¡­ enormous. How can you survive that?¡±

    Grace tilted her head, befuddled. ¡°Are we talking about the same thing?¡±

    ¡°His willie?¡±

    Maybe Isla¡¯s stare wasn¡¯t judgmental but hazed by the Mana-infused alcohol, Grace thought. ¡°Will, like determination. She¡¯s dead set on getting him because she¡¯s an Intelligence build, and apparently, they¡¯re a perfect match. Horoscope and all. It¡¯s written in the stars,¡± Grace made air quotes.

    The blonde yawned, then searched Grace¡¯s eyes. ¡°You¡¯re devious¡­ If Cora hits on him, she breaks her promise, and you can tell Rowan everything, and if she doesn¡¯t, she puts herself in the friend zone.¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­ Cora¡¯s a virgin, by the way. She¡¯s a very talkative little bitch. Her culture''s big on waiting for sex until you''re married. And being an Engineer, she calculates ten times a day how many¡­ Pascals, I think¡ªthat¡¯s some sort of pressure unit¡ªare required to¡­ you know¡­ make her not a virgin anymore.¡±

    ¡°I think a man can figure out where to put his Pascal by himself.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s batshit crazy, Isla. A few days alone with her will make Rowan see that.¡±

    ¡°Considering Rowan¡¯s past, I would not have taken any chances and told him.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± Grace frowned.

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter.¡±

    ¡°You better tell me, or else!¡± Grace poked her index in Isla¡¯s ribs, ticking her.

    ¡°Stop it! Stop it!¡± the blonde jerked. ¡°OK, I¡¯ll tell you, just stop it! It¡¯s about something Marc told me.¡±

    ¡°Spill it out!¡± Grace wriggled her finger menacingly.

    ¡°It stays between us. You know, doctor-patient confidentiality.¡±

    Grace stared at her friend, burning with the urge to ask how well that doctor-patient confidentiality worked when Isla had extracted the information from her ex. However, sarcasm was secondary to finding more information about Rowan, so she bit on her tongue, letting the blonde speak on.

    ¡°You know he had a rough time as a kid before he was adopted?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, they landed on the streets,¡± Grace nodded.

    ¡°Rowan told Marc he did a lot of therapy after the adoption. The shrink he went to thought he had a very light form of Asperger''s¡­ or was it ADHD? Marc thinks Rowan is perfectly normal, only¡­ err¡­ stubborn.¡±

    ¡°Stubborn?¡±

    ¡°Massively. Life is not fair, and he¡¯s not going to accept any shit, that¡¯s his motto. College? No thanks. He likes Bourbon? He works in Bourbon. What if they got drunk in Vegas, and he¡­ err¡­ put his Pascal in her thingie, then decides to take you up on your offer and bring Cora into the family?"

    ¡°I don¡¯t think they¡¯ll have the opportunity to relax and have a good time. This is a business trip. But¡­¡± Grace paused and moved closer to Isla. ¡°I have a plan that could kill her plans for good¡­ Rowan is not into her, that¡¯s clear enough¡­ but what if¡­ he would be too busy to care about a nosy, stinking cat? What if he had other things on his mind?¡±

    Grace began playing with a strand of Isla¡¯s hair, caressing her cheek with her thumb. The blonde shivered and raised her hand to push her hand away, but in the end, returned the caress. ¡°You can¡¯t be serious¡­¡±

    ¡°I am. If polyamory is in the air, let it be with a woman I like¡­ one Rowan likes too... I saw it in my visions, Isla. What if what I¡¯m seeing is not something to be feared but embraced? You¡¯ve noticed how he¡¯s ogling you, right?¡±

    Isla shook her head, her cheeks red. ¡°He does, but¡­ in an intellectual way¡­ It¡¯s like he admires a painting.¡±

    ¡°Sure, the Mona Lisa,¡± Grace rolled her eyes, finished her Cognac, and put the empty glass on the table. ¡°He stares at your ass or boobs every time you walk around¡­. He can control it, and I know he loves me, but he is attracted by you. So why not go for it? That will keep his hands full,¡± she sneaked a hand into Isla¡¯s decolletage, ¡°and the little beast will have to give up.¡±

    Isla tried to fight Grace¡¯s hand, grabbing it with her own, but maybe the alcohol had sapped her strength. ¡°We shouldn¡¯t¡­ Friends with benefits¡­ once in a blue moon¡­ that was all¡­¡±

    ¡°Was?¡± Grace leaned forward and kissed the blonde, profiting from the slightly opened mouth. After a brief hesitation, Isla replied in kind. Then, Grace retreated, sighing, and her face and neckline flushed. ¡°Let¡¯s wait until he¡¯s on board.¡±

    ¡°C¡¯mon,¡± Isla leaned forward, whispering in Grace¡¯s ear, then kissing her neck. ¡°If two girls make out, it¡¯s not cheating. I¡­ missed it.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re bending the law, officer,¡± Grace said, pecking Isla¡¯s lips in a brief kiss before rising up and arranging her pencil skirt. ¡°I have to go. Think it over.¡±

 23: What Happens in Vegas

    <hr>

    The traffic check was a mile ahead, in a valley, after a slow curve to the right. Rowan¡¯s enhanced eyes could see even the small details from his higher position. Two chubby silhouettes, a cardboard box on the police car¡¯s hood: he was witnessing a donut break. Cops, even post-apocalyptic ones, remained cops. Rowan stepped on the gas and increased the speed, reaching a hundred and fifty miles per hour just before the roadblock. Hearing the infernal noise, one of the cops fumbled for his gun while the second ducked into a ditch, not before shoving the last piece of donut in his mouth.

    Joint Trip: Warp activated. 3/10 stacks remaining.

    The newly discovered application of Rowan¡¯s Perk transformed the world into a gray painting. The car glided effortlessly over the road and desert, doubling its speed. Twenty-five seconds later, Rowan exited the in-between, the car reappearing a few miles farther on an empty highway. He slowed down and knocked on Cora¡¯s head with his knuckles. Gentler ways had previously proved useless; she slept like a log.

    ¡°Mhmmm¡­¡± she growled.

    ¡°We¡¯re near Las Vegas.¡±

    ¡°Mhmmm¡­.¡± Cora grunted again, nodded, and stretched, simultaneously a girly or catlike gesture. ¡°Go slower, I need to feel the moment¡­¡±

    Two miles later, she grabbed his arm. ¡°Stop! We¡¯ve entered the Dungeon. This is the rendezvous point they e-mailed me about.¡±

    Fortunately, there was no traffic, and Rowan hit the brakes, parking on the emergency lane. He turned his head to the right and left and even checked the rearview mirror. There was nothing around resembling a Dungeon, no notification, nothing. Only arid rocks, sparse withered greenery in dire need of water therapy, and some lights in the distance, a gas station.

    ¡°You¡¯re sure?¡± Rowan asked.

    Shrugging, Cora showed him the large compass she held in hand. ¡°Pretty much. Estimated distance to the Lair: twenty-five miles. Estimated number of floors: twenty. Level: one hundred. The whole city must be a dungeon.¡±

    ¡°But you said you can¡¯t detect dungeons.¡±

    ¡°From far away. Things change once I¡¯m close or inside.¡±

    ¡°Any monsters around?¡±

    ¡°No, but this is an entertainment dungeon. My guess is they expanded this much to make it indistinguishable from the real world, sacrificing the Mana field¡¯s density. Keep your eyes open. We shouldn¡¯t trust interlopers.¡±

    "Don''t worry, they attack us, they''re dead." Rowan showed her a jackknife hidden in his boot.

    "You''re going to fight Vampires with a jackknife?" Cora snorted.

    ¡°Trust me, I have my ways. Look! We have company.¡±

    Ahead, a police motorcycle approached fast, ridden by a policewoman dressed in a tight leather suit. She slowed, turned, and raised her visor. There was the blonde Vampire Rowan had already met twice.

    The woman beckoned them to follow and opened the way. For a while, there was no traffic to speak of, then the lights of the city appeared in the distance, and with it, vehicles going in or leaving. The motorcycle started its siren and lights, and cars got away from their path. As far as Rowan could tell, everything looked normal. He had visited Vegas only once, for Jim¡¯s, his former boss, bachelor party. Impressed by the shiny large buildings, Cora was wow-ing in awe every other second.

    Five minutes after reaching the town¡¯s center, their escort approached a humongous Casino built like a Disney Castle. That one, Rowan could swear, was a novelty. Entering through a side access, they descended into a subterranean garage. The Vampire showed them where to park, left her motorcycle behind, and walked toward a concrete wall, which slid sideways after she pushed a button, revealing a bluish light, a sort of portal.

    Cora put a hand on Rowan¡¯s chest, stopping him a second before stepping onward. She flickered her wrist, and her bracelet melted and fell on the concrete floor, then grew into her suit. The armor buzzed and took an at-attention position. ¡°My jackknife,¡± Cora said smugly.

    ¡°Show of,¡± Rowan creased his nose.

    ¡°Follow me,¡± the Vampire said, passing through the portal.

    You have been invited to the Dungeon Boss¡¯s Lair: Guest status.

    The next room was huge. Red lights, red velvet, gold cushions, low gambling or drinking tables, lascivious maids walking around and taking orders. An old-style Victorian place of spiritual and bodily ruin, if any.

    A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

    ¡°Hurry, we don¡¯t have much time.¡± The blonde pulled Rowan by the arm toward a carved wooden door in the back of the room and showed them inside a lounge, taking a guarding position near the entrance, mirrored by the suit. Rowan could swear the armor was frowning at the blonde, a red light moving left and right in the visor.

    ¡°Welcome to my abode, Count Allinder. Please, take a seat. I¡¯m Viscardi Blackswarm.¡±

    A man in his late forties raised an inch from his luxurious armchair, sketching a salute. Tall, elegant, wearing sunglasses and an embroidered vest, he looked like the poster child of Buffalo Bill if the Wild West icon had Dorian Gray as his grandfather.

    ¡°Howdy,¡± Rowan said, sinking into the luxurious sofa across the coffee table. Cora joined him

    ¡°Drinks?¡± the host asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m OK,¡± Cora said.

    ¡°And I¡¯m driving,¡± Rowan added. ¡°Not that the cops could catch me, but just keeping the good habits.¡±

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll get to the point, time is precious. In ten minutes, the System will expel you outside the dungeon. Non-combat is frowned upon.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t this an entertainment dungeon?¡±

    ¡°Combat takes many forms. To stay in the Lair longer, you must bring on a million dollars and enter a high-stakes poker game.¡±

    ¡°No thanks. I¡¯m not the gambling type.¡±

    ¡°A wise choice. My story is this. For the wrong reasons¡ªbut tell that to an AI judge¡ªmy family and I were sentenced to indentured service on the Traipenent. Do you know what dungeons truly are?¡±

    ¡°Err¡­¡±

    ¡°Multi-layered pocket universes.¡±

    ¡°Oh, that. Yeah, Cora told me.¡±

    ¡°Some appear spontaneously, some are built, and others are a hybrid. We spent a few years on the Traipenent, then a few months ago¡ª¡±

    ¡°You organized a dungeon break,¡± Cora sneered, crossing her arms.

    ¡°I did not. A group of mercenaries tried to kidnap me because their boss, The Smuggler, believed I had stolen something from her. She visited the dungeon a few months ago. Now, what person sane of mind would have pickpocketed the most dangerous mobster in the quadrant?¡±

    ¡°You, Father,¡± the blonde Vampire said.

    ¡°No, darling. No,¡± the man sulked. ¡°You were supposed to say: no sane person would have done that. Then, my come back: But when was I ever considered sane?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t give up your Vampire day job; your standup comedy is not biting enough,¡± Rowan said. He was beginning to feel annoyed by the chasing around the tail.

    ¡°See, Victoria? That was funny¡­¡± Viscardi clapped. ¡°Vampire day job? Biting enough? Thank you for your feedback. I¡¯ll keep practicing. In the end, you¡¯ll see, I¡¯ll perform in Vegas.¡±

    ¡°That was not bad,¡± Rowan nodded. ¡°I mean¡­ it didn¡¯t suck.¡±

    ¡°Ahahahah¡­ I get it¡­ Vampire, suck¡­ good pun. Back to the story. The idiots made the ship core go nuts, and monsters appeared everywhere. The Captain activated the emergency procedure and ejected everything before the ship crashed.¡±

    ¡°But you survived,¡± Cora noted.

    ¡°Yes. My family and I were still in the dungeon. While its outer limit was broken, it still protected us.  I found myself near the core, so I took it, and we ran as far as possible. Then, I meet my true love. Vegas. I and Vegas heart emojis.¡±

    ¡°Mother might disagree,¡± Victoria frowned.

    ¡°But dearest, your mother is more than love to me. She¡¯s my fate, my Darth Vader, my¡ª"

    ¡°Can we steer toward our business?¡± Cora demanded.

    ¡°Sure, sure. Miss Shemeows, please remind us how many dungeon cores were on the Traipenent.¡±

    ¡°A hundred. Half were real dungeons, and half were mini-dungeons. As far as we know, six mini-dungeons were claimed and turned into Town Cores. One is ours, then Rome, Vladivostok, Donghae in Korea, Hagi in Japan, and another I couldn¡¯t identify or pinpoint the location.¡±

    ¡°Add to that four cores that were absorbed for energy.¡±

    ¡°Sorry?¡± Rowan asked.

    ¡°A Core of higher or equal level can absorb other cores. Eat them, basically. ¡±

    ¡°Who absorbed those four cores?¡± Cora rushed to ask.

    ¡°Us. I found them on our way here. And the rest are unaccounted for. Let¡¯s talk business. Time is short.¡±

    ¡°What do you need from us?¡± Cora asked.

    ¡°You, of all people, haven¡¯t figured it out?¡± the Vampire Lord laughed.

    ¡°Figure up what?¡± she snapped back.

    ¡°What¡¯s the only thing I can¡¯t do with the core?¡±

    Cora shrugged, puckering her lips, evidently annoyed.

    ¡°This is still a dungeon type, and I¡¯m a Boss. I can control some settings but can¡¯t beat myself and transform my dungeon into a Town¡¯s Core.¡± Viscardi pointed at Rowan, ¡°I want him to do it for me.¡±

    Rowan¡¯s jaw dropped. ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°Because an Awakened Town is the safest place to be in an Apocalypse. The deal is simple. Level up, and then we¡¯ll have a battle,  I¡¯ll make sure you win, and then you¡¯ll claim my dungeon¡¯s core, transform Vegas into an Awakened Town, allowing me to rule it as your vassal. You¡¯ll find in me a good ally.¡±

    ¡°I could beat you now if you wish,¡± Cora said, and her armor took one step forward. The blonde woman tensed, and a rapier appeared in her hand.

    Viscardi raised his hand up in a stopping gesture. ¡°Not so fast. It¡¯s a question of building trust between our factions. If you attack me, I surrender and walk,¡± the man raised his upper lip, showing his canines.

    ¡°Err¡­ Why does surrendering sounds menacing?¡± Rowan asked.

    ¡°Good luck organizing the few million people of my domain, dealing with at least a couple thousand mobsters, and a military base with nukes. Miss Shemeows will be voted out of her job in hours. Or worse, tin man or not,¡± the Vampire pointed at the armor.

    ¡°I see your point¡­¡± Rowan looked at his watch. The time was almost up. He nodded and offered the vampire a handshake. ¡°I¡¯ll think about it and let you know. Maybe next time we meet, we¡¯ll go out for a drink. Bourbon or B-positive?¡±

    ¡°Ahahahaha¡­ Alas, the time passes too fast. Take this. Consider it an advance payment. If you accept the deal, use it; if not, send it back through the interdimensional email.¡±

    Lord Viscardi Blacksworn is trying to transfer an Unknown Item to your inventory. Accept transfer, Y/N

    Barely a moment after accepting, Rowan and Cora found themselves twenty miles to the east in the desert, the suit alongside them.

    ¡°Fuck¡­ the car stayed back there¡­¡± he facepalmed.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m sure Viscardi can send someone to bring it to the County,¡± Cora said. ¡°For now, I¡¯ll take care of the transportation.¡± The suit came forward and embraced her, and then she picked Rowan up in a princess carry and took flight. He noticed a forcefield around them, as the wind didn¡¯t disturb him in the least.

    ¡°You can fly?¡±

    ¡°Aye, Captain Obvious,¡± Cora said through the speakers.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you do it before?¡±

    ¡°It uses Manafuel, and  I have enough only for a one-way trip home. Grab my neck for safety.¡±

 24: Breeâ€™s Long Fight

    <hr>

    Rowan woke up in the morning when they landed near Nelsonville, Ohio.

    ¡°Sorry, this is as far as the suit can go,¡± Cora said. Her helmet was off for whatever reason, and she had a big, stupid grin, her pupils wide. When he tried to catch her eyes, she avoided his.

    What the heck is with her?

    ¡°Stand still; you have something in your eye,¡± he grabbed her cheeks between his hands, forcing her to make eye contact. He expected she¡¯d put up some struggle or object, yet she obeyed, only the tip of her tail wagging around like mad.

    Insight check successful

    Random words appeared directly in his mind: Exchange of oral fluids during sleeping cycle achieved¡­ Pascals¡­ in Joules¡­. Is it too much to wait? Catnip?¡­ Might it be possible to achieve contact out of season?

    Then, the connection was lost. ¡°Was nothing, my mistake.¡± Rowan detached his hands, letting her flushed cheeks go free.

    She¡¯s weird, he decided, making no sense of what he had read. But maybe he was also weird for her, and his prejudice could be unwarranted. And she was the only reliable source of information about alien stuff anyway. ¡°What do you make of this?¡± Rowan produced the item Viscardi had given him from his inventory and offered it to her. The item¡¯s shape resembled a car sparkplug carved from a large crystal.

    ¡°For a sake¡¯s fuck!¡± Cora yelled, facepalming. ¡°It¡¯s a sensor for a military-grade Quantum Scanner for the most advanced starships. So that¡¯s what he stole! No wonder the Smuggler wants it back.¡±

    ¡°First, we say: for fuck¡¯s sake. Fuck comes first. Is it valuable?¡±

    ¡°Yes, and hard to get. This,¡± Cora shook the object, ¡°detects other ships because starships also run on Mana Cores. A Smuggler could use this to avoid patrols, but we could track dungeons or sleeping cores. It¡¯s generous of Viscardi to give us this¡­ Let¡¯s put my Interfacer skills to work and see if I can connect it to my tech.¡±

    She tinkered with the sensor and the compass, which shifted in shape, allowing the sparkplug to go inside. Rowan had witnessed hair standing on people or himself, but Cora was in another league. Her head, tail, and ears had doubled in size, bristling with a monstrous fluffiness, at the same time cute and scary, all from the joy of playing with tech.

    ¡°OK. Activating¡­ And what do you know? We have an active mini-dungeon about ten miles away. Can¡¯t read the level, though.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s give it a check. If it looks dangerous, we retreat. Better idea: I¡¯m writing an SMS to Grace: We found a mini-dungeon. Do you have any bad premonitions?¡±

    <hr>

    An hour later, they were near their target after buying another second-hand car in the nearby town, driving deep inside Wayne National Forest, and hiking for a couple of miles on uncharted terrain. Checking his phone, Rowan found a message: I¡¯m not reading anything, but take care. He replied with a heart and kisses emoji and nodded to Cora.

    They took a few steps forward, and then she stopped him, inspecting her compass. ¡°Here''s the limit... ¡±

    ¡°Hm¡­ the forcefield is barely visible,¡± Rowan said, touching the invisible barrier with his hand.

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s strange. I¡¯ll put my suit on, but my fuel is down to ten percent, so don''t count on me to do much combat."

    "No problem, I''ll do the fighting¡­ Just one moment, to find my equipment¡­ err¡­ fuck¡­"

    ¡°Err fuck what?¡± Cora asked, already dressed in the suit.

    ¡°Give me five minutes." Rowan began extracting bottle after bottle of Bourbon from his spatial storage, laying them carefully on the ground and trying to find spots with moss and leaves to protect them. After five minutes, he was still pulling out bottles.

    ¡°How many bottles of Bourbon do you have in your inventory?¡± the Nekojin hissed, and she sounded a lot like a cat. Rowan couldn¡¯t see her face but could bet she was creasing her nose and showing her canines.

    ¡°¡­ about¡­. sixty? I don¡¯t drink daily, but I bought a few extra to share with friends. You know who things are.¡±

    ¡°I absolutely don¡¯t. Never mind. Hurry up.¡±

    A hundred and something bottles later, Rowan exclaimed triumphantly: "Finally!" and began dressing his armor. Then he fastened a holster at his hip and a spear on his back and started to put the bottles back.

    "Wait!" Cora hissed again. Her face was reddened, either by emotion or because she had face-slapped herself a lot during their wait. "Put the bottles at the bottom, in the slots that aren''t shining blue. Those are for armor, weapons, and important items to make the extraction easier."

    "I know; it''s just that I had to make some fast decisions back in Louisville and move things around a lot. Why is your inventory way bigger than mine?" Rowan asked, remembering a question that had nagged him for a while.

    "Yours is the standard pocket dimension everyone gets with a class. I have an extra bespoke bag, industrial-sized, made on an Engineering planet from shards farmed in special dungeons. Now, please, hurry."

    "Just a minute. I want to order them properly¡­ proof, craft, non-chill filtered, rye¡­" Cora snorted, turning her back to him, arms crossed and waving her tail in annoyance. Ten minutes later, Rowan straightened his back with a most happy expression. "Ready!"

    "Finally! Let''s go." Cora took the lead, and they stepped inside the dungeon, waving her scanner around. "Strange¡­ Two miles and a half in diameter. Quite sizeable for a mini¡­ yet no monster shows on the screen."

    They roamed around for half an hour and found nothing. It was a forest with trees, patches of grass, bushes, and the occasional rock formation, and that was all. ¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± she shook her head, stopping at the edge of a clearing, reading her compass¡¯s screen again. ¡°It¡¯s like this place is abandoned.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s search that shack,¡± Rowan pointed to the shoddy wooden construction bordering the forest.

    ¡°OK. Follow me," Cora said, briskly stepping forward.  "Whaaaa!¡± Ten feet before reaching the hut, Cora yelped and disappeared into the ground. ¡°Help!¡± her muted voice called.

    Joint Trip activated. 3/10 stacks remaining.

    By instinct, Rowan had activated his perk, which had recharged one stack during the flight. It was in due time. An arrow passed through his now immaterial head and lost itself in the woods behind. Somebody had shot at him from the hut.  He dashed forward, intending to profit the whole duration of the perk. On the way, he saw Cora at the bottom of a ten-foot-deep pit, a trap. He continued, stepping above her, on the air, as the perk allowed him to move wherever he wanted, disregarding any obstacles.

    Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

    When he reached the hut, twenty seconds remained from the Joint Trip. An arrow on the string, a woman scanned the clearing, bobbing her head on and off in front of a shooting window. Wiry, wearing a sleeveless shirt and jeans, with dirty and unruly hair, looking around forty years old, he couldn¡¯t tell. The tag about her head showed:  Human Mountain Ranger, Level 60.

    Human, meaning not a monster? Shit¡­ we have to take her alive¡­ This complicates things.

    He prepared to return to the normal dimension. The plan was to talk and defuse the situation and, if necessary, to pistol-whip the woman into submission. A bow was a terrible weapon in an enclosed space, plus he had quite a bit of training from Isla.

    ¡°Don¡¯t shoot, I¡¯m a fr¡ª¡±

    In a blink, the woman turned, shot the arrow into his right leg, threw the bow in his head, and jumped at Rowan with a knife, trying to stab him in the belly through the gap below the armor. He almost shot her by instinct but managed to restrain himself at the last moment, pistol-whipping the Ranger''s hand. Both his gun and the woman''s knife fell on the floor in the process. Going into a wrestling match was out of the question in that tight space, and with two lethal weapons lying on the floor.

    Joint Trip activated. 2/10 stacks remaining.

    She''s good. The arrow hurt like hell, and he grimaced, extracting it. On the other hand, the knife wound was shallow. Running behind the tree line, he prepared a message for Cora and sent it the second the Joint Trip ended.

    [Rowan]: There¡¯s a woman in the hut. A normal human. I could use a hand to restrain her. Can you exit the hole on yourself?

    [Cora]: You mean you want to take her alive?

    [Rowan]: Of course I want to take her alive. Since when do we murder people at first sight? Maybe the dungeon landed next to her home, and she thinks we¡¯re trespassing or something. Let¡¯s try to end this peacefully.

    [Cora]: I can¡¯t get out. There¡¯s a bear trap down here, and I¡¯m stuck. Moment, I have some stun grenades. You''re not in the hut now, right?

    [Rowan]: I''m behind the tree line.

    Arching up from the pit, three grenades went through the wood cabin''s window. The explosions were quite strong, making plumes of smoke shoot out and also blowing out the door. The next second, the Ranger erupted out of the hut, an axe in hand, starting to bang it on the Nekojin''s helmet.

    ¡°Calm down, lady, we¡¯re friendly; we just want to talk!¡± Cora shouted through her speakers, but maybe because grenades had been just shot at her, the Ranger seemed nonplussed by the offer and continued hitting the catgirl.

    Fuck¡­ I need to engage before Cora¡¯s armor gets smacked, or she shoots that lady dead.

    ¡°Hey, leave her alone,¡± Rowan shouted, leaving the trees¡¯ cover. Still hoping to reach a mildly peaceful conclusion, he grabbed a thick dead branch instead of his spear.

    Screaming, the Ranger jumped over the hole and came at him, axe high above her head. Plan B was to parry the axe with the branch while applying a bit of Gravity and Cold, then put the Ranger in a choke. It suffered the same fate as Plan A. The AoEs slowed the woman way less than he had hoped. He had restrained himself too much; the branch broke, and the bearded axe bit deeply into his left shoulder, the lower point going into the lung. He could have sworn it had also cut through the heart.

    You have received a Critical Hit. Delayed Truth activated. You have 0% HP.

    Grabbing the axe¡¯s shaft with his left hand, he pummeled his right fist into the woman''s chin with all his strength, the type of hit he often used to knock out cold someone in bar fights. The hit dazed his foe, but it took two more full-force blows to knock the Ranger out. He threw the axe down and chugged a Health potion, adding a spell.

    Combat Heal x2 performed. 270 MP remaining. DOT has stopped. You have 56% HP.

    You have Leveled x2. 31 APs available for distribution.

    He took out his destroyed armor, threw it away, extracted both a rope and handcuffs from his spatial inventory, and tied the woman tight. While at that, he shouted at Cora: "Why didn''t you use your Telekinesis to knock her down?"

    "It''s an Ultimate, dummy! It kills bosses. Why don''t you get me a ladder instead of unwarranted criticism, huh? I managed to free myself from the trap,¡± Cora bellowed.

    After carrying the unconscious woman inside the hut and putting her on a makeshift bed, Rowan found a wooden ladder behind the shack and threw it down the hole. Moments later, the ladder broke under the suit¡¯s weight and Cora was forced to consume her precious fuel after all. She flew up and joined Rowan near the prisoner, dismissing her suit.

    ¡°She¡¯s waking up,¡± Cora stated. ¡°You need stronger armor," she pointed at his mangled shoulder. "Stay put, I¡¯m applying Minor Heal.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t make me hit you again,¡± Rowan menaced the wiggling prisoner, waving his fist as a demonstration.

    ¡°You¡¯re not a monster?¡± the Ranger asked, trying to keep her head up. ¡°Where¡¯s the Terminator?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s the Terminator,¡± Rowan pointed at Cora. ¡°Her suit is. We told you we¡¯re not monsters from the beginning.¡±

    ¡°But¡­ she shot grenades at me. And you had a gun¡­¡±

    ¡°It was just a misunderstanding. We expected to find monsters.¡±

    ¡°She has a concussion. Healing her,¡± Cora said.

    ¡°How come you can Heal?¡± Rowan asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m a max INT built. I have Minor Heal by default.¡±

    ¡°Is that a tail?¡± the Ranger asked, moving her eyes from Rowan to Cora. ¡°Who are you guys?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re from Elkins. My name¡¯s Rowan, and she¡¯s Cora, a friendly alien. Her ship crashed not far from the town.¡±

    ¡°Is N-Nelsonville¡­ safe? Has the world survived?¡± the Ranger blurted, struggling against her ties.

    ¡°Yeah, Nelsonville¡¯s just fine. We just passed through it. What happened here?¡±

    The woman began to cry. They had to wait for five minutes for her to calm down. Rowan patted Cora''s hand and pointed at the wall. Above the makeshift bed were cuts in the wood, a day count¡ªmore than sixty.

    ¡°You¡¯ve been here since the beginning?¡± Cora asked.

    ¡°Tell us what happened,¡± Rowan added, but the woman seemed to have other priorities.

    ¡°C-can you g-get me out? I wanna¡­ check¡­ my f-family¡­¡±

    ¡°We can get you out,¡± Rowan said.

    ¡°Not before we claim the core,¡± Cora added. ¡°There¡¯s no notification, nothing.¡±

    ¡°We can leave at any moment. I can walk in between dimensions and carry you two, remember? What happened here, madam?¡±

    The woman shook her head, recollecting herself. ¡°My name is Bree¡­ I work seasonal jobs in forestry. I was walking around foraging after finishing my shift¡­ then monsters appeared, large bears¡­ I thought the world had ended, and I was in hell¡­ I hid in the hunting cabin and shot at them.¡±

    ¡°Ah, I get it. This is a hunting cabin,¡± Rowan nodded, waving his finger around.

    ¡°The last one broke in, but I killed him with my knife¡­  I got badly wounded and fainted, thought I was going to die¡­ yet I got up in one piece, changed, stronger. Then there were some strange texts.¡±

    ¡°Yes, the notifications. Have you accepted them?¡±

    ¡°No¡­ I thought I was going crazy and pushed them away. Then I saw nukes in the distance and thought the US was done for. Monsters kept coming daily at the same hour. They spawn a minute apart in the same spot. It¡¯s eerie; they just sit there, immobile, until all appear, and only then do they attack. I figured it out on the third day and started to kill them before they became active¡­ Then I became so bored I started to fight them again and build a trap to manage the numbers¡­ I think I was losing my mind. I¡¯m sorry I attacked you.¡±

    ¡°She didn¡¯t claim the core, and the dungeon glitched,¡± Cora said. ¡°She must¡¯ve killed hundreds of monsters on her own.¡±

    ¡°Food was hard to get by,¡± the Ranger continued. ¡°The monsters can¡¯t be eaten. I hunted a couple of deer, then foraged mushrooms¡­ I was lucky there was this object that kept me warm at night.¡±

    Pushed by instinct, Rowan stretched his arm and removed the dirty blanket. Tucked inside the hay used as a mattress was the core. Big as a crystal ball and shining softly. Touching it produced a notification.

    The DireBears¡¯ mini-dungeon Core (Lvl. 50) has been Claimed and transformed (per default) into a Town Core.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be¡­ What should we do with it?¡±

    ¡°Technically, she cleared the dungeon,¡± Cora pointed. ¡°She should have a word in it.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t care about the dungeon. I want to go back to my family,¡± the woman pleaded. "You can untie me, I swear I won''t attack you again."

    ¡°Yeah, she did clear it, but without us, she''d be still stuck in here¡­ you get the picture. Let¡¯s go to Nelsonville and take it from there,¡± Rowan proposed. ¡°If they want to activate it and join us, we¡¯ll help. If not, we¡¯ll take the core for ourselves and pay her a fair price.¡±

 25: A Day Home

    <hr>

    In a short council meeting, Nelsonville refused to discuss a Core or magic. The vibe was so negative that Rowan mentioned twice that he was immune to bullets. Cora kept her suit behind them, a heavy blaster at the ready.

    In the end, Cora took the Core in her inventory, Rowan bought some clothes, sold the car back at a loss, and left for Elkins with the Ranger¡¯s RV. Bree¡¯s family was poor, so moving out from a town that almost chased them away with pitchforks and torches had not been a hard choice. Taking a detour to avoid the radioactive zone, they approached the County from the northwest until they reached the distance from where Cora could call for a portal. They passed through in screams: joy from the children and terror from Bree and her maybe husband. Rowan was too polite to ask.

    They arrived home in time for lunch. Grace and Lizzie came to hug Rowan, the latter eying the newcomers with suspicion. Who are those kids, competition? Daddy won¡¯t adopt them, right? Her thoughts flashed through Rowan¡¯s mind as they hugged, his Insight activating automatically.

    ¡°These are the folks I told you about on the phone, Bree and her family,¡± Rowan tried to sound warm. ¡°She¡¯s a terrific fighter. This is Grace, my wife, and Lizzie, our daughter.¡±

    They all shook hands. ¡°Come inside, lunch is ready,¡± Grace said. ¡°Dmitri made moussaka. He¡¯s the guy waving at us through the window.¡±

    Eating took some time, and the good food helped relax the tension. In the end, Bree¡¯s partner started to unleash joke after joke, and he was funny. The wear he wore on his face and his rough hands hinted at a life of hard work that didn¡¯t always pay. As time passed, the Ranger started to visibly fret and look frequently at her kids, a boy and a girl about eight and seven, now playing with Lizzie, who had warmed up to them.

    ¡°Just show us where to park our RV, and we won¡¯t impose any longer on you,¡± Bree¡¯s partner said. ¡°We¡¯d like to spend some time together.¡±

    ¡°Request denied,¡± Rowan said. The guests, but also the rest, jerked in surprise. ¡°Lizzie, do you mind taking your new friends to your room? We need to have an adult moment.¡±

    ¡°Of course, Daddy,¡± Lizzie¡¯s eyes lightened. ¡°I¡¯ll show them my Viscountess crown and all. It has diamonds!¡±

    ¡°Not real diamonds, Swarovskis,¡± Rowan explained as his adoptive daughter pulled Bree¡¯s kids after her. The girl was totally enthused, and the boy was dragging his feet. ¡°Listen, folks, I need ten minutes of your time, then you¡¯re free to go. First, Bree, you¡¯re among the few Awakened with good combative skills. How many are we, again, Cora?¡±

    The Nekojin, who was in the process of discreetly picking her nose with a nail, pretended she was just scratching it and took out a pad. ¡°Earth-wide, maybe six hundred Classed above C tier, and a few thousand B tier. I suppose Viscardi turned a few people into Thralls or Vampires, but I can¡¯t be sure.¡±

    ¡°Gh¡­¡± Bree¡¯s partner spat some coffee. ¡°For real? Vampires? Do they transform into bats?¡±

    ¡°Viscardi Blakswarm can transform into a colony of a thousand bats, and if you don¡¯t kill every single one of them, he can get back to full health in seconds by siphoning your Hit Points,¡± Cora said. ¡°Those he bites don¡¯t transform into vampires; they turn into thralls, mindless slaves. But if someone drinks his blood, then yes, they could become a vampire.¡±

    ¡°I was offered a Vampire class at first,¡± Rowan remembered. ¡°Never mind. Here¡¯s the deal. For giving us the Core, you can stay in our County and choose a place for yourself. Land, house, whatever. You like it, we¡¯ll buy it for you.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ generous. Thanks,¡± Bree said.

    ¡°It¡¯s not. A core is priceless. I can think of a people or two who would have spent millions or more to get their hands on one of those. That said, we did free you from that dungeon, so let¡¯s call it quits. What I propose, though, is to work together from now on.¡±

    ¡°You want me to be a sort of superhero?¡± Bree asked. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯m cut for it.¡±

    ¡°I assure you, you are,¡± Rowan said. ¡°You can start with easy tasks, like babysitting. It counts as a police job. Isla, a friend of ours, will show you the ropes.¡±

    ¡°Babysitting counts as police work?¡± Bree gasped.

    ¡°There are eighteen kids who can do magic, like Lizzie. There is a non-stop protection detail for each, and we¡¯re short on people.¡±

    ¡°H-how much d-does it pay?¡±

    In the woman''s voice, there was a sound that Rowan knew so well. Could she put bread on the table for her family without risking her life for it? A life that wasn¡¯t worth living in itself but for the joy of seeing their kids grow.

    Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.

    ¡°Five grand a month. We kept the dollar as a currency.¡±

    ¡°Health insurance?¡±

    ¡°I can work, honey,¡± her partner patted Bree¡¯s hand. ¡°Let¡¯s take our time, think it over.¡±

    He was truly caring for her, Rowan realized. It was a good sign.

    ¡°We don¡¯t have health insurance here because there¡¯s no need for it. A pass of hands and a spell cures anything. Dental, eyes, all are covered. Now, back to business, and I¡¯ll be direct. Our town can resurrect people. I¡¯m offering you and your kids a Rezz spot if you stay and fight with us. We might also spare one for your husband when we grow in level. But the town is pretty safe as is anyway.¡±

    ¡°I understand¡­¡± Bree said slowly, nodding.  ¡°I¡¯ll think about it¡­ Now, I¡¯d like to spend some time with my family.¡±

    ¡°Of course. Think it through. Ah, one more thing. When you get time, check your build, and if you need advice, just call me or Cora.¡±

    <hr>

    In the afternoon, Rowan played with Lizzie, feeling guilty for being on the run or absent often. After an hour and a half of ball games, hide-and-seek, or purposelessly running around, she fell asleep in her arms, exhausted. He put the girl in her bed for a siesta and returned to the porch, sitting on the swing bench beside Grace, fondling her hand.

    ¡°I missed you¡­¡±

    ¡°I missed you too,¡± she returned the caresse, adding a kiss on the cheek. ¡°So, how are things out there?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a big unknown. Tensions, factions, conspiracies¡­ My pal in Louisville told me that every city and state ignores the central government.  Things look the same, but no one knows where things will go. The US fears us, the Vampires fear a mobster, The Smuggler¡ª¡±

    ¡°Sorry? Aren¡¯t they mobsters themselves?¡±

    ¡°I guess it¡¯s a meaner one. I didn¡¯t have time to ask¡­ Where¡¯s Cora, by the way?¡±

    ¡°Taking a shower. She helped me bake something for tonight, and the oven made her sweat a lot. I¡¯ll go check if she lies and gives herself a sponge bath again.¡±

    ¡°Honey, that¡¯s prying,¡± Rowan put a hand on Grace¡¯s arm. ¡°Give the cat¡­ I mean, the girl, some space. She¡¯s an adult, after all.¡±

    ¡°Adult?¡± Grace snorted. ¡°Prying for the greater good is not prying.¡± After saying that, Grace patted his hand and then fondled his fingers. ¡°I can¡¯t wait for the night,¡± she leaned forward, kissing him. ¡°Do I have your permission to do naughty things to you tonight? I want to be naughty, extremely naughty¡­¡± She moved his lips to his ear, tickling him with her whisper. ¡°Supreme tier level naughty. Are you OK with it?¡±

    ¡°Oh, goodness¡­¡± he gasped. ¡°Don¡¯t ever ask again to be naughty¡­ I like it so much¡­¡±

    ¡°Perfect,¡± she changed her tone to casual, pecking his lips and rising. ¡°Time to check the beast.¡±

    One minute later, while he was lounging leisurely with a glass of Bourbon in hand, daydreaming about the promised pleasures of the night, an avalanche of terrifying screams rolled over his ears. He couldn¡¯t understand the words, but for sure somebody was killed, or on the point to be, upstairs. Rowan activated a Joint Trip, stepping up in the air like on a stair, then passing through walls until he reached Cora¡¯s room. There, the Nekojin and Grace confronted each other, gesticulating vehemently.

    ¡°Hey, calm down!¡± he appeared in between, just a second before Grace was going to throw herself at Cora, hands prepared to strangle.

    ¡°I caught her in the act!¡± Grace screamed.

    ¡°You caught nothing, you uncivilized monkey,¡± Cora yelled back. ¡°Get out of here.¡±

    ¡°Girls, let¡¯s behave like adults.¡±

    ¡°Adults? Look!¡± Grace forwarded her hand in an accusatory gesture.

    For Rowan, her ire made no sense. Under the window, he could see a big, quite decorated Zen sandbox filled with tiny white granules. The decorations on the walls attracted his eyes akin to magnets: cross-stitch embroideries representing a cute catgirl¡ªthe resemblance with Cora was striking¡ªdressed in a pink princess-like neglige in dreamlike poses. The last thing he would have expected from an Engineer obsessed with robots.

    ¡°Hey! Say something,¡± Grace shook him by the shoulders.

    ¡°So what¡¯s the problem again?¡±

    ¡°I caught her peeing in the box,¡± she screamed.

    ¡°Oh My God, Cora, you¡¯re naked! Please dress!¡± Rowan yelled, covering her eyes.

    Cora wasn¡¯t naked, in fact, but her shapes were quite obvious through her pink neglige.

    ¡°I¡¯m in my room!¡± Cora clenched her fists. ¡°And I¡¯m paying rent for it. You two go out this instant.¡±

    ¡°I want that gone. Now. You will use the normal toilet, like normal people.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s normal in that? Filthy water sprays back at you as soon you splash something in it. My litter¡¯s Manasand is specially designed to magically destroy any odor and substance.¡±

    ¡°Rowan? Do something.¡±

    He shook his head. "Sorry, sweetheart. She¡¯s right on this. It¡¯s her room, she pays rent, and  she''s entitled to her¡­ err¡­ cultural heritage."

    [Joint Trip] engaged. 0/10 charges remaining.

    He went down through the floor and returned to the porch after pouring himself another full glass of Bourbon.

    <hr>

    When night came, Grace''s anger was still smoldering. She was huffing and puffing as she brushed her teeth. Rowan was in bed, looking at her from the bedroom. She returned to the bedroom, crossed her arms, and frowned at him. ¡°You must learn to behave like a man and stand up for your woman, not side with an alien.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll try, honey,¡± he made puppy eyes. ¡°It¡¯s just hard sometimes. Mostly when you''re in the wrong.¡±

    Going to the windows, she pulled the heavy curtains completely, then shut off the lights. The room was in almost complete darkness. ¡°You¡¯ve been a bad boy. You don¡¯t deserve the birthday gift I prepared for you¡­.¡±

    ¡°Birthday gift?¡±

    ¡°Of course. It¡¯s soon enough, right?¡±

    ¡°Sort of.¡±

    Grace came to the bed, putting her index on his mouth. ¡°This is a very special gift. You are not to say a word.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Tut tut tut! Think of it as a beautiful dream. If you speak, you¡¯ll wake up, and the dream goes away. Keep your mouth shut and just go with the flow. Ahum!¡± Grace cleared her voice.

    The door opened, then closed, and Isla entered the room. Isla wore that sexy robe that always made him stare at her. She approached the bed, slipping out of her dress on the way. She and Grace exchanged a kiss, and then she leaned toward him and pecked his lips. Rowan¡¯s heart skipped a bit, and as he opened his mouth to ask if he was dreaming, Grace pressed her finger on his mouth again. Then, both women slipped under the blankets, and Rowan decided to take things as they were. Who was he to question his wife¡¯s gifts, after all?

 26: Rise and Shine, Weâ€™re Under Attack

    <hr>

    The sudden light made Rowan jerk and wake up. He covered his eyes with his arm. Half of the window was uncovered, letting the sun bathe his face.

    ¡°Rise and shine, sleeping beauty,¡± Grace pulled the other side of the curtain and walked to the bed, patting his cheek, smiling. She was already dressed, a sign he had overslept.

    He smiled back, then remembered. ¡°Oh!¡± he jerked, looking around. Isla was nowhere. ¡°It was a dream?¡±

    ¡°Did it feel like a dream?¡± Grace sneered. ¡°Thrice?¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­ so it wasn¡¯t a dream¡­¡±

    ¡°Of course it was. Did you like it?¡±

    Women are so complicated¡­ For a moment, he considered saying: It was so intense it felt like I was hit by a truck, only in a nice way, but kept it short. ¡°It was special¡­ One of the best dreams I ever had.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not to say a word about this¡­ dream, do you understand?¡± Grace frowned at him. ¡°I don¡¯t want Lizzie to get confused¡­ These things are complicated to explain. We¡¯ll wait for the best moment.¡±

    ¡°So¡­ are these dreams¡­ err¡­ going to happen again?¡±

    ¡°Do you want them to happen again?¡± Grace stared at him.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Rowan nodded energetically, only to stop and look at her sheepishly. ¡°I mean¡­ only if you want it too.¡±

    ¡°Then, I bestow a quest upon you. You are to convince the alien to use the normal toilet. She¡¯s on Earth now; she should use Earth-like facilities. If you succeed, your dream will come back. Now shower, dress up, and come downstairs. The beast wants to talk to you. Breakfast is ready.¡±

    After kissing him softly, even lighter than a peck, Grace snorted and left the room. Rowan took a little more time to shower, feeling sour after the previous day and night, noticing his muscles were perfectly defined. Not ginormous, like for a bodybuilder, but looking somehow¡­ he couldn¡¯t find a word. How he looked reflected on the outside and how Rowan felt on the inside. Assertive. A warrior.

    Arriving in the open space, he hugged Lizzie and smiled at Grace. He realized that his wife had also changed. Gone were the tired eyes, and she had more muscle and a straighter posture.

    ¡°Morning, Isla, Dmitri,¡± he saluted, serving himself a portion of pancakes.

    ¡°Morning,¡± Isla mumbled, looking into her coffee and avoiding his eyes.

    ¡°She came early to say hi before her shift,¡± Grace offered unrequited information, as Isla was coming and going into their home as she pleased. Lizzie and Dmitri looked normal and indifferent, so Rowan guessed the secret of the night was safe.

    ¡°So, where¡¯s Cora?¡± Rowan asked aloud.

    ¡°Coming!¡± the Nekojin yelled, descending the stairs two by two. ¡°Sorry, I had to check my suit. It¡¯s fully recharged, thank goodness.¡±

    ¡°Grace told me you want to talk.¡±

    ¡°Yes. Look at what my drone discovered while doing the routine check-up around the county.¡± With a brief gesture, Cora summoned a holographic map overlapping the table.

    ¡°I don¡¯t see anything,¡± Rowan said, leaning forward, squeezing his eyes. Maybe I¡¯m tired after the¡­ dream.

    ¡°You¡¯re not seeing the army?¡± Cora gasped, pointing at a cluster of dots.

    ¡°That¡¯s an army? I thought it was a village.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a camp. Thirty and some miles north of our border. It appeared while we were away, and it¡¯s strange. I counted two hundred classed people, hanging out in groups, and over a hundred large mecha suits, various support vehicles, including Rezz tanks¡ª¡±

    ¡°Moment! You said mechas? Like in the Animes?¡±

    ¡°Of course not. Like the real deal. Large individual armored vehicles shaped like humanoids, with great firepower. Not as great as my suit, but¡ª¡±

    ¡°Humans don¡¯t have mechas,¡± Grace said.

    ¡°They do now,¡± Cora said. ¡°¡¯Cause that¡¯s not modern tech. It looks like stuff we used a couple of centuries ago.¡±

    ¡°Could someone get an Engineer class and discover how to make those? Or make a Town Core do it?¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Cora nodded. ¡°Which means there¡¯s a Town we don¡¯t know about.¡±

    ¡°Why don¡¯t we have mechas?¡±

    ¡°All the tech you see there is old stuff,¡± Cora insisted. ¡°Investing in it wastes our resources.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a live transmission, right?¡± Rowan asked.

    ¡°Yes, why?¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re having a party,¡± he put his finger inside the hologram over a large column of vehicles approaching from the East, but there was another to the North as well.

    ¡°It¡¯s the military,¡± Isla said, looking closer. ¡°Judging from the transport trucks, about two thousand troops, plus tanks and rocket launchers.¡±

    Rowan frowned. ¡°So the government allied with an unknown Town?¡±

    ¡°I guess so.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve said they have two hundred Classed? How can you tell ?¡± Isla leaned over the table, pointing at the first formation.

    ¡°Because they are split into groups of four people, and I see their equipment.¡± Cora zoomed in to show them what she was talking about. ¡°Parties. A Tank, a Healer, and two DPS, melee and ranged. Standard stuff. Not the best choice, which is six, for redundancy, but it still works.¡±

    ¡°I feel worried,¡± Grace said. ¡°My premonition says incoming danger, but not impending.¡±

    Strategic Sixth Sense activated. There are more dangers than can be seen at first sight.

    Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    ¡°It will become impending soon,¡± Rowan said. ¡°There¡¯s no reason for a large armed group to be here except to attack us; if they¡¯re coming, they have a way to break in. And what if, once inside, they launch nukes? Core, can our shield absorb nukes from the inside? Show your answer only to the adults,¡± Rowan added. There was no point in worrying Lizzie, who was sitting on the couch, coloring in a book.

    ¡°To some extent,¡± Cora started, then a voice interjected over her, sending a text simultaneously.

    [Randolph County AI Assistant]: Good morning to all. If I were level 100, I could detect and disable mass destruction weapons.  At my current capacity, I can lower the forcefield¡¯s height to two hundred feet above the ground, absorbing most of the energy. A secondary forcefield can be raised above Elkins City. The latter can absorb any number of nuclear explosions. Still, depending on the yield, the outer county will suffer major damage after a few strikes.

    Rowan grabbed his chin, beginning to walk back and forth.

    ¡°How much time do you need to attune somebody for a Rezz?¡±

    [Randolph County AI Assistant]: ATM, I can execute that task in one hour and ten minutes.

    ¡°Call Bree, ask if she made her choice, and if she decided to join us, start attuning her and her children, and tell her to come here. We¡¯ll travel together. She¡¯s stronger than any of our fighters, except Isla and I,¡± he told the others.

    ¡°My suit begs you to differ,¡± Cora snorted.

    ¡°Melee fighter, I mean. Grace, contact Rome and ask them to send reinforcements. Classed and normal military, as much as they can spare. Isla, we¡¯re going up there; please arrange for transportation, a car or two big enough to fit us in.  We¡¯ll talk more on the way.¡±

    ¡°But you promised to teach me how to ride a bicycle!¡± Lizzie¡¯s voice interrupted Rowan¡¯s feverish plans. ¡°I don¡¯t have school today.¡±

    ¡°Sweetie, Daddy has important business to care for,¡± Grace said.

    ¡°What about we have a half an hour lesson?¡± Rowan proposed.

    ¡°Go, I¡¯ll organize things,¡± Cora said.

    ¡°I¡¯ll help her,¡± Isla added.

    ¡°Come, sweetie. I¡¯ll make you a freestyler in no time,¡± Rowan said, taking Lizzie in his arms.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you even think about it,¡± Grace yelled as the two left the room.

    <hr>

    Two hours later, they were watching the wannabe besiegers from just a hundred feet away. The foreign groups had joined and approached the County. On the other side of the border, groups of technicians busied putting together a twenty-foot-tall contraption, which was obviously supposed to cause a barrier breach. Contrasting with the mild autumn weather inside,  it was winter outside, a blizzard blowing at full strength.

    ¡°Hello!¡± Thomas waved his hand. There was no answer.

    ¡°They don¡¯t see us,¡± Cora said. ¡°The Core projects a false image on the outside, showing an empty road. That¡¯s the beauty of a multitasking forcefield.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re quite squeezed together,¡± Isla said. ¡°If we¡ª¡±

    ¡°They have people on those heights, securing the sides and the back,¡± Rowan pointed to a forested hill. ¡°They¡¯re not stupid.¡±

    ¡°I have brought good people with me. We can take them out.¡± Leading the reinforcements from Rome, Carla looked eager for a fight. A few hundred yards back, a large column of Carabinieri was deploying on their hills, carrying mortars and mountain guns.

    ¡°Let them open the gate, allow some to pass, and we hit them hard while the rest are on the other side,¡± Grace said. ¡°My Tactical Planning tingles positively thinking of it.¡±

    [Rowan to Grace]: Looking forward to tingle your Tactical Planning tonight.

    [Grace to Rowan]: Men! Life or death situation, and all they can think about is sex!

    [Rowan to Grace]: Love, not sex.

    ¡°Cora, tell me, if we destroy that thing, how hard will it be for them to make another?¡± Rowan asked.

    ¡°Not hard. See the trucks out there?¡± she pointed. ¡°Portable Shields and Rezz tanks, and I bet parts for barrier breakers. Primitive but functional tech. They¡¯ll move forward a shield and work from cover.¡±

    ¡°I see¡­¡± Rowan nodded. The enemy''s strengths began to roll in his head. Classed outnumbering them four to one, mechanized robotic weapons, well-trained US soldiers with good weaponry. The County¡¯s assets were the terrain advantage, the superior numbers of normal fighters from the County and Italy, and Rowan. Their weaknesses were the fewer Classed and the unaffordable price of the county being nuked. That had to be avoided at all costs.

    He inspected the enemy again. A hundred yards down the road were a group of people and vehicles protected by a forcefield.  Military and Classed, standing at the ready, guarding a smaller group, half wearing uniforms and half equipped with weird hazmat suits. Trucks were parked behind them, the Rezz tanks, giant translucent globes, four of each on each of the four trailers carrying them.

    ¡°Cora?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Rowan.¡±

    ¡°Do you have Viscardi¡¯s phone number by any chance?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Why?¡±

    ¡°Call him, please.¡± His furrowed brows made her stop asking questions.  She extracted her phone from the inventory and made a call,  which got through at the third ringtone, and then gave Rowan the phone.

    ¡°Miss Shemeows?¡± the Vampire¡¯s voice could be heard.

    ¡°It¡¯s Rowan Allinder. I accept your offer, but we must move fast and work together. It seems there are more players in the game. I¡¯m besieged by an unknown faction and the US military. Do you know something about it?¡±

    ¡°Neither.¡±

    ¡°What do you¡ª¡±

    ¡°He means he¡¯s not involved or knew about it,¡± Cora explained.

    ¡°Do you want me to send you reinforcements?¡± Viscardi asked.

    ¡°You said you have nukes?¡±

    ¡°People that accepted my patronage have.¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ A nuke could be handy.¡±

    ¡°Do you have ICBMs?¡± Cora spoke over Rowan.

    The Vampire paused for a few seconds. ¡°I don¡¯t think so¡­ Victoria tells me they have planes with gravity bombs and cruise missiles.¡±

    ¡°Too slow,¡± Cora said. It¡¯ll take at least three hours to get here.¡±

    ¡°Things will be decided long before they arrive. Don¡¯t worry, Viscardi, I¡¯ll take care of it. You think of a few people to help us find cores.¡±

    Cora was smiling at him with her cute face. Rowan patted her hair, an instinctive gesture he regretted immediately as she began purring and Grace frowning at him.

    ¡°Thomas?¡± Rowan called.

    ¡°AYE!¡± the boy roared, saluting with what he imagined was a military salute.

    ¡°Isla and I will do a sortie. I need you to stay on this side of the border to protect Carla and the Italian officers. They¡¯re our best shot if the sortie fails. Understood? Don¡¯t come out whatever happens. We can Rezz, the Italians can¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°OK,¡± the boy rolled his eyes.

    Core, I want you to open passages each time one of our people tries to get through the barrier.

    [Randolph County AI Assistant]:  Understood.

    ¡°Bree, Isla, Cora, with me.¡± Walking back to their vehicle, a 4x4 Hummer, he searched for their eyes. ¡°We¡¯re going to attack their officers and the Rezz pods. After we take those out, hit the shield generators.

    ¡°They already have a shield up. How are you going to pass through that?¡± Isla asked.

    ¡°I have an ability that allows me to travel between dimensions. It holds for thirty seconds, but unfortunately, I have only one stack available today. I don¡¯t expect us to survive, but we¡¯ll be Rezzed back in town.¡±

    ¡°Will it work?¡± Bree asked, her eyes showing apprehension.

    ¡°The Rezz is guaranteed,¡± Cora said. ¡°Your Mana and Physical Bodies have been painstakingly attuned to a pocket dimension inside our Town Core¡¯s Inner Sanctum. The chance to be resurrected is over the Quantum certitude threshold. It means the System itself will make it happen. Only exceptional circumstances or environments can prevent a Rezz, and this is not one.¡±

    ¡°Excuse her nerdish. Short version: yes, it will work. Now, let¡¯s go. We¡¯ll take the car.¡±

    ¡°I want to come.¡± Grace had followed him.

    Rowan shook his head. ¡°No. I¡¯m appointing you my second-in-command. If they break through, follow your plan, but send some commandoes outside to harass their flanks.¡±

    ¡°But I can snipe¡ª¡±

    ¡°Can you just do what I¡¯m asking, please?¡± he snapped. ¡°It¡¯s not because I fear or doubt you. It¡¯s because I respect your abilities. You¡¯re the best tactical leader on this side.¡±

    ¡°Very well,¡± Grace fondled his shoulder. ¡°Sorry I doubted your orders, commander in chief. Please don¡¯t court-martial me. Or spank me¡­¡±

    ¡°Sorry I raised my voice, baby¡­ Err¡­ please don¡¯t make me sleep on the couch.¡± They looked at each other and laughed, then Rowan looked at the Nekojin. ¡°Can you take off the car¡¯s doors? I need us to be able to jump out.¡±

    ¡°Behold and be amazed.¡± Cora produced an extensible screwdriver, and in seconds, the doors were properly disassembled and piled on the margin of the road in an orderly manner.

    ¡°Good job, that will make some car parts dealers happy. Everybody, get inside. Cora, put on your suit and get up on the roof. When I say go, jump out of the car and start bashing things.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll take the front seat; I¡¯m car sick,¡± Isla hurried to occupy the chair.

    Rowan facepalmed. ¡°For fuck¡¯s sake, take off your seat belt. That¡¯s the last thing you need.¡±

    [Rowan to all]: We¡¯re going for a sortie. Everybody clears the road. Carla, coordinate further actions with Grace. Choose about twenty good people for a secondary sortie and hit them from the back when they concentrate on us.

 27: Baby, Itâ€™s Cold Outside

    <hr>

    Rowan started the car, roaring the engine. ¡°This is considered easy in rally driving, so no panic, yeah?¡± he warned the others.

    Pushing the gas pedal to the floor, he dashed forward, gaining speed. Isla started screaming, Cora ululated in excitement, and Bree tried to draw breath, surprised by the speed. The road had a few curves, and in that kind of driving, Rowan had to turn the wheel in what appeared to be the wrong direction. However, at a hundred miles per hour, it was that or crash.

    The last sixty yards of the roads were a straight descending line. A second before hitting the barrier, Rowan activated Joint Trip: Warp and shot forward in the air for two more long seconds.

    ¡°Go!¡±

    He had to push Isla out forcefully because she was still screaming in fear, and then he jumped as well. His team and the car appeared in the real world, the vehicle crashing in the farthest Rezz truck. Fighting and explosions ensued. He looked around, trying to identify who the important people were and where the bodyguards converged.

    There was a stack of twenty-inch-long rebar pieces in his spatial inventory, and Rowan pulled them off one by one, pushing them into people¡¯s bodies. As soon as he took his hand off them, the metal bars became real, appearing inside chests or heads. It was chaos. Opened mouths were screaming: shooter, shooter, thinking someone was projecting those bars from a sniper position. Everybody looked up.

    Ten out of the twelve leaders were now dead, with fifteen seconds to go. Good enough. It was time to check the other objective. Running toward the tanks, he took in the situation. The trailer in which the Hummer had crashed was done, three tanks completely broken, and a fourth cracked, leaking a milky substance. There were bullet holes all over the tanks carried by a second truck, spraying liquid. On a third truck, the roles he had asked for were reversed. In a blind fury, Bree hit the recipients with a war axe while Isla protected her, armed with a shield and sword. One tank was shattered, and another started to crack.

    The last truck was intact. About twenty Classed Warriors and normal military tried to move it away, but the driver was going slow because of the snow and the chaos. Rowan ran and jumped up, moving in the air, extracting grenades, and pushing them into the tanks. The pins had been taken off before he had stored them in his spatial inventory to have them ready.

    A backflip, and he arrived near Isla and Bree in time to put three more rebars in people before the timer expired. Getting back into the real world hit him hard. There was a bright, cold light from the blizzard and noise from the grenades exploding in a row. Rowan flourished his spear thrice, clearing the terrain around him, but the enemies kept coming. The second tank had split open, pouring its liquid, stinking of rotten milk, over them, and Bree moved to the third.

    Where the heck is Cora?

    There was no time for messages. Plunging the tip of the spear to the ground, Rowan activated Gravity and Cold. Enemies become slower and heavier, the normal ones falling, and he projected the debris lying around at them with his enhanced Telekinesis.

    Fortunately, being in the middle of the enemies prevented the mechas or the enemy snipers from firing. It was impossible to do without hitting friendly targets. Yet some Classed persisted in engaging in melee, surrounding him, or going after Bree and Isla. The Ranger continued to give two more hits to the third recipient, cracking it, then fell on her knees. Isla tried to hit the fourth tank herself but without any result. All three were stabbed with various weapons, and Rowan realized he was faring poorly against too many opponents.

    I need a better AoE.

    You have taken Lethal Damage. Delayed Truth activated. You have 0% HP.

    Team member Bree has activated Ultimate Strength.

    Rowan took a Health Potion and cast Combat Heal. He knew a few more HP and seconds would not save him, but any enemy he took out was one threat less to the County. Anger overtook him, and it was of the cold type. Killing was an ice cream, and it tasted good. He took his knife out and pushed himself forward, ignoring hits, soaking them to get closer to people and kill. One soldier. Another. A third. A fourth.

    He grabbed an Awakened, stabbing the man¡¯s guts with rage, holding himself up by pure will. He was covered in blood, his and theirs. A roar, wild and deep, made him turn his head. Grabbing the underbelly of the truck, Bree pushed up, her veins and eyes bulging, her body doubling in size. The trailer moved too slowly, inch by inch, and it looked like a failed attempt, but when the woman¡¯s skill ended and she returned to normal, falling on all fours, the last tank continued its trajectory, tumbling and breaking.

    There was a groan of joy in Rowan¡¯s throat, exiting through gurgles as his lungs filled with blood. He slit another soldier''s throat, finally plunging his blade into the next soldier¡¯s groin as he fell to his knees. He was not dead, though, as his subconsciousness activated another Combat Heal at the last moment.

    ¡°Leave my mom alone!¡±

    Instead of obeying the orders, Thomas came to help, attracting the enemy''s attention and absorbing the hits. It was a noble gesture, even if futile. They were going to die anyway. That was what Rowan thought before a descending angel of light approached at an incredible speed.

    I¡¯m hallucinating¡­

    Mechanical hands extended and grabbed them, and they were snatched up like rag dolls. There were more explosions behind, a flurry of short-range missiles shooting backward in a fan, but what counted was the message.

    Team member Cora is applying Tech Healing Aura to you.

    They landed on the grass in the warm autumn weather of the County. It was the normal moment in which a novel would say something about darkness taking him, but Rowan forced himself up, throwing Combat Heals in the two women and himself and taking a potion over that, ignoring the danger of sickness.

    ¡°Where the hell have you been?¡± he yelled at Cora.

    ¡°Busy saving your skin!¡± she shouted back. ¡°The army intended to nuke you, never mind their allies. I had to go east, hack their electronics, disable the nuke, and shoot down a dozen helicopters and five jets. I also disabled the shields with Mana EMP missiles. You should thank me.¡±

    ¡°Then thank you,¡± Rowan screamed as Grace rushed to hug him, along with Carla and many unknown Italian soldiers. Italians were huggy by nature, he came to realize.

    ¡°Err¡­ Carla? Why are your folks here? You were supposed to do sorties of your own?¡±

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    ¡°Che cazzo are you talking about?¡± the Italian blurted. ¡°It was like bam bam bam fuck fuck boom, and you were back. We didn¡¯t understand a thing.¡±

    [Randolph County AI Assistant]:  That expression can be loosely translated as ¡®What the fuck¡¯. Your outside sortie lasted about a minute and a half, and much of your achievements were covered in the fog of war and the smoke of explosions.

    ¡°Whatever.¡±

    All was for the best. They had survived and were free to assess the situation and fight on. Freeing himself from the group hug, Rowan approached the border, stopping fifty feet from it. The blizzard had intensified on the other side, but more troops had appeared, guarding the Engineers. His Strategic Sixth Sense began to pick up signs of disarray. Many of the Classed looked like the typical gamer nerd, afraid to die for real. The military looked grim. People who knew they would die but were still willing to give it all.

    [Rowan to Town Core]: Can you project a live streaming outside, image and sound?

    [Randolph County AI Assistant]:   Affirmative. I¡¯ll use the forcefield as a screen.

    [Rowan to Town Core]: Excellent. At my signal, enhance our voices and live stream us.

    ¡°Sweetheart, come here, please,¡± he yelled.

    ¡°Why?¡± Grace retorted. She was busy whispering something in Isla¡¯s ear.

    ¡°Because I need you.¡±

    ¡°It better be important,¡± she growled, approaching him. ¡°I was trying to convince Isla to have a go at another dream.¡±

    ¡°Oops,¡± he sighed. ¡°Hope she¡­ Never mind. We¡¯re going to sing together. Baby is Cold Outside. You¡¯ll start.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    Explaining things would have taken too much. ¡°I¡¯m your commander-in-chief, and this is an order. We¡¯ll sing Baby is Cold Outside.¡±

    [Rowan to Town Core]: Be ready.

    [Randolph County AI Assistant]:  I will add a backing track. Calculating the best pitch for both of you. It¡¯s a C. Two measures free. And one two three four¡­

    The music started to play and repeated the queue because Grace missed the entry, still stunned. Rowan had to shake her arm.

    ¡°I¡­ really can¡¯t s-stay,¡± she began, hesitating.

    ¡°But baby, it¡¯s cold outside,¡± Rowan sang, taking her hand. It was more of a bleat, but he hit half the right notes.

    ¡°I¡¯ve got to go away,¡± Grace¡¯s voice gained some power. Behind them, there was a rumor, people discussing what was happening.

    ¡°Stay put. Rowan knows what he¡¯s doing,¡± Isla¡¯s voice reached Rowan¡¯s ears as he sang the next line, a repetition of the first. Her words meant that some people thought he was going mad.

    He wrapped his hands around Grace¡¯s waist, and they began dancing. Outside, everyone had stopped, looking in front of them, hypnotized. In the next verse, Rowan stopped singing, facing the audience, swaying on the music alongside Grace.

    [Rowan to Town Core]: Open a gate in the forcefield, as big as the road, just in front of us.

    The portal appeared a few seconds before the catchphrase.

    ¡°But baby, it¡¯s called outside,¡± he bellowed with wide eyes and a sinister grin, beckoning.

    The barrier that stopped the enemies, the one they worked all morning to overcome,  had vanished. Nothing stood in their path but a singing couple, yet the besiegers trembled in fear.

    ¡°But baby, it¡¯s cold outside,¡± Rowan sang louder, beckoning harder. He had intended to project the image of a psychopath killer, and soon, it was evident he had succeeded. The first to fly were the nerds, the Engineers, then panic propagated like fire in a stack of hey.

    [Randolph County AI Assistant]:  You can stop. I¡¯m repeating your first verses in a loop.

    [Rowan to Town Core]: Good backing, Core. Wonderful sound.

    [Randolph County AI Assistant]:  Thank you.

    All of a sudden, Rowan couldn¡¯t move a muscle, not even breathe. Any sound or movement ceased. Snowflake stood still in the air; the outsiders had stopped running, and there was absolute silence, except for a voice in their minds.

    The first pitched battle between Mana Awakened armies has taken place. I, The Warlord, will judge the outcome. Count Rowan Allinder is the victor. I¡¯m grading his performance a ninety out of a hundred: Outstanding. The Neek Collective and the US government are the losers. I grade their performance at twenty-five out of a hundred. Shameful.

    Winners, here are your rewards:

    Count Allinder is granted a Divine Gift and a Divine Blessing.

    Direct participants in the battle receive ten free APs.

    Indirect participants receive three free APs.

    Losers, here are your punishments:

    The punishment is death.

    All the Classed present on the battlefield will have their class stripped and be locked off the System. Their stats will be reverted to the level they had the day of their awakening. They won¡¯t retain any perks or skills. Any healing received today will be unhealed and deduced from their new stats.

    The Warlord wishes you a good life because life is a battle.

    The world returned to the previous appearance a second later.

    ¡°Who the heck is that?¡± Rowan yelled.

    ¡°Yes, yes, yes, yes!¡± Cora screamed, pumping her fist up.

    ¡°He¡¯s good news?¡± Rowan asked.

    ¡°No!¡± she continued yelling. ¡°He was the only prisoner in the other breached dungeon. The most dangerous criminal in the Galaxy.¡±

    "Why are you so happy about it?¡± Isla asked.

    ¡°The geas is off! I can talk about him. Before, each time I thought about him, there was a cloud in my mind, and I coughed like I had a furball in my throat. Grace and I dealt with him before.¡±

    ¡°Oh, my God!¡± Grace yelped, slamming her right palm over her mouth. ¡°He¡¯s that shadow! Every time I remembered him, something made me forget.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Rowan asked.

    ¡°We¡¯ll talk in private,¡± Grace whispered, looking furtively around. Cora nodded.

    Rowan considered it better to let the subject sit for the moment. ¡°So, he¡¯s bad news?¡±

    Cora grimaced. ¡°Yeah¡­  The legends say he was part of a team of heroes, but he betrayed them and became a Demon Lord. In the end, he was imprisoned in a dungeon.¡±

    ¡°What the fuck, Cora! You had a god in your prison?¡± Rowan yelled.

    ¡°More like a demi-god,¡± she yelled back. ¡°And I had nothing to do with it. It was my parents. And how was I supposed to tell you? He messed with my mind.¡±

    ¡°Look!¡± Grace shouted, pointing outside.

    People were collapsing and dying. There had been a lot of damage thrown around. With the heals canceled, the injuries were reappearing. Bullets, explosions, toxic clouds, one could pick a lot of reasons. As soon as someone died, crows covered the body, and it disappeared in seconds. There were screams for help, people too weak now to resist the cold or to heal their wounds.

    ¡°Core, play a message in a loop. Whoever wants to surrender will be allowed to come inside. Tell them to throw their weapons and not to do anything stupid. Open a way in for them. Carla, put your people to triage and organize them.¡±

    As soon as the announcement was made, there was a rush. Haggard persons with wide, terrorized eyes, rushing to safety.

    ¡°Please, my boyfriend is caught in a machine!¡± a girl yelled.

    ¡°Show me the way.¡± Rowan ran out, followed by Cora, with her suit activated. The Gundam¡¯s door was frozen stuck, the robot inactive, and there were some faint noises inside, somebody struggling to push the door open.

    ¡°Cora, can you open it?¡± Rowan blurted after failing to open the hatch.

    Instead of working on the door, Cora took the Gundam in her arms and flew back inside their territory despite the machine being twice as large as her. A minute later, a boy looking barely eighteen was hugging her knees and kissing her hand in gratitude, while the girlfriend who had called for help was staring daggers at the Nekojin, jealous.

    [Randolph County AI Assistant]:  If I may offer a suggestion¡­ Now that the enemy is defeated, why don¡¯t you delegate things and go home? You can have your next bicycle riding lesson with Lizzie before sunset.

    [Rowan to Core]: Excellent suggestion, Core. You know what? You did a good job here. Why don¡¯t you coordinate with Carla and take care of the rest?

    [Randolph County AI Assistant]:  Thank you, Sir. I won¡¯t disappoint you.

    <hr>

    An hour later, when they got home, Dmitri had just finished reading the latest information on the Internet and shared the news with them. Portals had opened in DC, and hordes of monsters poured over the White House, Congress, and various institutions Rowan didn¡¯t even know about. The President and thousands of people from the military and government have been killed in minutes, and their heads displayed on pikes. The CIA had destroyed the FBI headquarters with a tactical nuke, and the FBI did the same to the Pentagon, which had destroyed Langley. Nineteen states had declared independence, and California invaded Oregon.

 28: Just a Normal Evening

    <hr>

    The first thing Rowan took care of in the afternoon was to play with Lizzie. She wasn¡¯t athletic, that was sure, but there was a promise she¡¯d be able to ride a bicycle on her own soon enough. Before dinner, he reunited with his friends and wife to discuss his rewards.

    ¡°C¡¯mon,  man, I¡¯m holding my breath here,¡± Dmitri said. ¡°Tell us what you got. I bet on Dragon Breath.¡±

    ¡°Sorry?¡± Rowan shook his head.

    ¡°The County now has a betting app, and people can put up to ten dollars on anything Magic-related. The hottest stuff now is betting on what magical gifts you received from the Warlord,¡± Dmitri explained.

    ¡°You¡¯re betting on my skills?¡±

    ¡°And your build.¡± Suddenly, Dmitri sulked. ¡°I lost a hundred bucks last week because¡­ Never mind. Say, what if you¡¯d choose something we agreed on together beforehand?¡±

    ¡°You want me to choose my skills so you can win a hundred bucks back?¡± Rowan gasped.

    ¡°It¡¯s way more if you win,¡± Dmitri explained.

    ¡°I could tell you what I want to take in advance,¡± Rowan proposed.

    ¡°No, you can¡¯t. That¡¯s inside information,¡± Isla said. ¡°Illegal.¡±

    ¡°Won¡¯t work anyway. It¡¯s a System ruled betting app. It will adjust to anything you try,¡± Cora said.

    ¡°At least, can you sign this for my friends from the Rowan fan club?¡± Dmitri pushed a dozen of photos on the table in front of Rowan. ¡°I¡¯m the president, of course. Because I live in the same house as you do.¡±

    ¡°Who took those?¡± Rowan frowned. Some photos were not flattering, to say the least, and showed him washing the dishes or taking out the garbage.

    ¡°I did,¡± Dmitri said. ¡°You¡¯re a count. A public figure is copyright-free.¡±

    ¡°Are you going to sell them?¡±

    ¡°Absolutely not,¡± Dmitri said. ¡°I¡¯ll accept donations. C¡¯mon, son, this is a little gesture for a friend needing a buck.¡±

    ¡°You have money problems?¡±

    ¡°A bit,¡± Dmitri grimaced. ¡°After what happened yesterday, my stock collapsed.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll borrow you some money. Invest in Randolph County bonds; it will pay up in time,¡± Cora tried to temper him. ¡°Now, please shut up for a second. We have to talk about the Neeks. Who are they, and what do they want? Core?¡±

    ¡°Core, can you forward your messages via SMS?¡± Dmitri asked. ¡°I¡¯m collaborating with the local newspaper.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t!¡± Rowan raised a finger. ¡°We don¡¯t want our secrets spilled all over the place.¡±

    [Randolph County AI Assistant to all except Dmitri]: I took the liberty of questioning the boy you saved. The Neek Collective is a loose group of around a thousand MIT and Caltech students. They¡¯re led by a mysterious boss who communicates with them through video conferences, always masked. They unlock classes and train in a secret dungeon, and they have multiple hidden bases. They somehow gained knowledge about old Magitech and managed to produce it. What¡¯s more concerning is that they created a computer simulation to track the locations of the jettisoned cores and have already discovered a few mini-dungeons.

    ¡°Of course!¡± Cora facepalmed. ¡°The non-Gaussian dispersion!¡±

    Grace snapped. ¡°Can¡¯t you explain like a normal person instead of being a geek snob? English.¡±

    ¡°Sorry, I forgot that artists are so bad at elementary math,¡± Cora rolled her eyes.

    What the hell is with these two? Rowan asked himself.

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    ¡°Let me explain,¡± Cora said, looking at the rest of the people present. ¡°Everything on ships has a logic. If disaster strikes, and you eject cores, would you do it randomly? No, you want to get them back at some point. So, the dispersion of the cores clustered them together, probably in a circle pattern. I bet many are still around us or the other Town Cores.¡±

    [Randolph County AI Assistant]: That¡¯s what that youngster said. They calculated a pattern, searched, and found three low-level dormant cores they had handed to their boss.

    ¡°Since you did such a good job at playing the good cop, have you found out why they attacked us?¡± Rowan asked.

    [Randolph County AI Assistant]: The boy knew only that the Neeks were in cahoot with the government and wanted to conquer Randolph County. Nevertheless, the few survivors are amenable to working for us and changing their wicked ways. I estimate their competencies could be put to good use.

    ¡°Thanks, Core, you are quite resourceful.¡±

    [Randolph County AI Assistant to Rowan]: Thank you. If you find my work satisfactory, I volunteer to divert a substantial part of my processing power to assist you further.

    [Rowan to Core]: Are you becoming sentient by any chance? You sound¡­ a bit different.

    [Randolph County AI Assistant to Rowan]: Your wisdom cannot be deceived, master. Indeed, what you say is true. I¡¯m afraid I¡¯m beginning to develop sentience. It might be because Miss Shemeows¡¯s mind interacted too much with my processing elements. I estimate I am 63.6% sentient and now view myself as a butler, my liege. May I have your permission to identify as such?

    [Rowan to Core]: Geez¡­ only 63.6% percent?  Can you make it 64?

    [Randolph County AI Assistant to Rowan]: Your sarcasm is so refreshing, master. The average human brain is only 10% percent sentient; a vast majority of the brain process power is allocated to¡ª

    [Rowan to Core]: OK, Butler, it is. You sure have the haughty condescendence. Now, give us a moment.

    ¡°So, will you tell us about your gifts?¡± Dmitri asked.

    ¡°Fine,¡± Peter shrugged. ¡°The Warlord¡¯s Gift says this: After reaching cap level and main stat max value, a special choice will be offered to Rowan Allinder. And The Warlord blessing says: Rowan Allinder has been granted a Mana Zodiac Sign: The Warlord. Doubles the power and crit chance for your combat-oriented magical spells, skills, or perks.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s great for Elemental Damage. Imagine what you can do now,¡± Cora said.

    ¡°Fuck, I lost the bet¡­¡± Dmitri sighed. ¡°And there¡¯s a winner who bet exactly on that, plus damage and crit chance for combat. Who would have thought of that?¡±

    ¡°I bet it¡¯s Thomas,¡± Isla said. ¡°Never mind. Guys, there is one thing that bothers me. What is this guy, the Warlord, after? What if he turns hostile?¡±

    ¡°Can you beat someone who can control the System?¡± Dmitri asked.

    ¡°Hold your horses, Chuck Norris,¡± Rowan raised his hands in a stopping gesture. ¡°Beat? You saw what he did, right? I say we mind our own business and keep the hell out of his way.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Daddie,¡± Lizzie said. Her serious face told them she was ready to deliver a deep cogitation. ¡°There must be a way to trick that bad Wormlock thing. Like the Puss in Boots did with the ogre. He tricked him to become a mouse.¡±

    ¡°Truth from the mouth of children,¡± Dmitri said. ¡°The Warlord was in a dungeon, after all. Maybe there¡¯s a way to lock him back inside.¡±

    ¡°Only if necessary,¡± Rowan insisted. ¡°We have enough problems already. That said, it¡¯s a good idea, sweetie, I¡¯ll keep it in mind.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re welcome, Daddy,¡± Lizzie beamed.

    ¡°Since we¡¯re talking Warlord. You two said you¡¯ve him before?¡± Rowan asked, looking in turn at Cora and Grace.

    ¡°I did¡­ but every time I thought about the interaction, it was like a veil descended on my mind. I can¡¯t remember how he looked, just a shadow¡­¡± Grace said slowly. ¡°When the Knyaz visited, there was that blonde with him, the Vampire. They were going to taunt you into a boxing match and take over the County. The Warlord¡­ err¡­¡±

    ¡°The Warlord wanted to make Grace poison the Knyaz and asked me for my suicide pill,¡± Cora said.

    ¡°The heck?¡± Rowan exclaimed. ¡°You had a suicide pill?¡±

    ¡°Yes, in case of dungeon break¡­ it¡¯s better than being eaten alive. Anyway, he told me that if I give the poison to him, he¡¯ll owe me a favor¡­ That¡¯s why he modified the autodestruct sequence into a Quest. It was him, not the System. I taught the Warlord how to make the poison into a mild toxin to avoid making Grace a murderer. Because I¡¯m a nice person,¡± Cora said, starring daggers at Grace.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t kill anyone back then yet,¡± Grace shrugged. ¡°Now, I wouldn¡¯t break a sweat. Maybe I¡¯d even enjoy it,¡± she threw a meaningful look at the Nekojin, who creased her nose, snorting.

    ¡°Still, Cora did a good thing,¡± Rowan said. ¡°Good job, Cora.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± she purred.

    ¡°OK¡­ so¡­ this guy¡­. What is he after?¡± Rowan repeated Isla¡¯s previous question.

    ¡°Look, I don¡¯t know much about him. My parents never allowed me near his dungeon,¡± Cora said, ¡°but the legends say he likes to watch a good fight.  He considers war a show or something like that. If we keep doing what we¡¯re doing, chances are we¡¯re safe from him.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s hope so,¡± Rowan grimaced.

    ¡°Vampires, Warlords¡­ Earth is becoming a freak show¡­¡± Isla said, looking into nothingness. ¡°So, what now?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll hunt for some cores, of course,¡± Rowan said. ¡°We need to make the County stronger.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re leaving again?¡± Grace sulked, and so did Lizzie.

    ¡°Let¡¯s try a new approach,¡± Rowan said. ¡°We take a few days off to train and recharge my Joint stacks, but we send scouts out to gather information. Then, we go out in the morning, take a core, return home, relax, rinse, and repeat the next day. Think of it like commuting.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll join the search. This way, we spend time together and have our afternoons for Lizzie,¡± Grace said.

    ¡°Yey!¡± the girl cheered.

 29: A Detectiveâ€™s Work

    <hr>

    If Lizzie didn¡¯t like something, it was competition. Now that she had a perfect daddy, she could only bear sharing Rowan with her mommy. After all, a mommy and a daddy cuddling and hugging were prerequisites for a happy family. For now. In due time, when Grace would be old, like forty, Lizzie could put her into a retirement home and marry Daddy herself.

    But her paradise was beginning to unravel. Lately, Daddy''s energy had faded, and his performance was lacking. He dozed every time he was asked to read her a book before going to bed, and even when riding a bicycle together. Straight into a tree, he went.

    Something was fishy. Lizzie decided to pay attention to details and borrowed a deerstalker cap from the school¡¯s Drama Club and a magnifying glass from Dmitri. However, roaming the house holding the lens in hand didn¡¯t achieve the expected results. She was stuck.

    Lizzie was so depressed that she had trouble falling asleep. And that proved a strike of luck. Lizzie heard whispers in the corridor. Opening her door an inch, she peered outside. For whatever reason, Auntie Isla and Mommy talked in front of the guest room. Then, surprisingly, it was not Auntie who entered the guest room but Mommy. Aunt Isla tip-toed her way to the master bedroom.

    A terrible suspicion aroused in Lizzie¡¯s heart. For an hour, she walked back and forth behind her door, waiting, struggling with the sleep assaulting her. And finally, there were whispers again. And this time, Auntie Isla returned to the restroom, and Mommy went to the bedroom.

    Truth stroke like lightning. Auntie was siphoning Rowan''s vital energy because Mommy shared the hugging and cuddling with her. He could understand it; after all, her Daddy was a great hugger and, if she¡¯d believe Mommy, a good kisser. But things had limits. A Daddy¡¯s first and foremost duty was to take care of his daughter, not to hug Mommy¡¯s best friend.

    With the resolve to put an end to this folly and speak her mind to Rowan as soon as possible, she went to bed.

    <hr>

    The next morning, she arrived early for breakfast, skipping unimportant things like washing her face or searching for new socks. Or matched socks for what it mattered. Mommy and Auntie Isla were sipping coffee, and Dmitri prepared pancakes. She fretted for half an hour until Rowan appeared, his beard shaved irregularly, wobbling, and eyes half open.

    Lizzie''s attempt at speaking first was cut off by Grace, who addressed her.

    ¡°Isla came to say hi before her shift.¡±

    ¡°Hi, Isla,¡± Rowan said in a fake tone, like seeing her for the first time that day. Lizzie knew a thing or two about bad acting and could recognize it miles away, her class being Actress, after all.

    The sky fell on Lizzie¡¯s head. Acting meant a play, and a play a director. The one who was obviously in charge of the theater was Grace. Why, oh, why, her own mother has enacted such a betrayrous thing, making Daddy waste his precious hugs? Or was it bitchtairous? Never mind words, it was bad.

    Lizzie¡¯s face reddened. Opening her mouth to scream her disappointment, she was interrupted again when a pancake landed inside, pushed by a fork, and the fork handled by Dmitri.

    ¡°You tell me how you like this new recipe,¡± he blurted, then leaned and whispered in her ear: ¡°This is an adult thing; don¡¯t poke your little nose in it. It will not be long before they sort it out by themselves.¡±

    Fuming, she threw back a furious frown, meaning: Did you know about this?

    Dmitri half-shrugged, palms up: I couldn¡¯t help.

    The situation was way worse than she imagined. For the first time in her life, Lizzie couldn¡¯t wait to go to school. It was time to bridge the gap and reach out to the enemy. When the bell rang for the first break, she beelined for Thomas¡¯s class.

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    ¡°We need to talk,¡± she grabbed him by the hand.

    ¡°Your fiancee¡¯s visiting, Thomas,¡± a boy joked, but she ignored him. Two minutes later, they reached a secluded spot behind the main building.

    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Thomas asked.

    ¡°Mommy and Isla are sharing Rowan!¡±

    ¡°Oh, God! How did you find out?¡± the boy blurted, stepping back.

    ¡°You knew?¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­ of course. I figured out when she asked Dad to keep me for another month. And I also eavesdropped and asked my father. He¡¯s everyone¡¯s shrink, but let me tell you, not so strong on doctor-patient confidentiality.¡±

    ¡°Well, aren¡¯t you going to do something?¡± Lizzie stomped her right foot on the grass.

    ¡°Absolutely not,¡± Thomas shook his head.

    ¡°What? No more I¡¯ll kill you in your sleep? They hug, Thomas! Isla and Rowan hug every¡ª¡±

    ¡°Please, don¡¯t go into details!¡± he pushed his hands forward in a stopping gesture. ¡°It hurts my soul¡­ but there are greater things in play, and I must be strong¡­ for Cora¡­¡± the boy sighed, raising his eyes to the sky and putting his right hand over his heart.

    ¡°For who?¡±

    ¡°Cora. You¡¯ll pester me with questions anyway, so I¡¯ll give you the full story in one go. Cora pretended to be Cory, the town¡¯s AI, right? She developed a crush on Rowan, being stuck in that ship. Such a sweet and pure intellectual girl¡­ She has an INT build, and that¡¯s supposed to match a WIL well. She asked Grace to share Rowan with her because Grace owes her a favor.

    ¡°Your mother agreed, as long as Cora manages to reach out to Rowan¡¯s heart by herself. But Grace only pretended to agree; she hates Cora. She and Mom are best friends, so Grace thought: instead of sharing with Cora, let¡¯s share him with Isla, making Rowan too busy to care for an alien. Somehow, she talked my mother into it¡­

    ¡°Poor Cora has been deceived¡­ But here I come in play. I¡¯m an INT build. I¡¯ll be the shoulder on which she¡¯ll cry her sorrow out, and in time, I¡¯ll get her to love me instead. INT plus INT, you know. I plan to propose to her when I¡¯m twelve.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re an idiot,¡± Lizzie stated matter-of-factly. Instead of returning to class, she aimed for the exit. A simple flicker of her fingers made the school¡¯s guard open the door for her without too much questioning.

    ¡°Tell Miss Gwen that Viscountess Lizzie Garcia Larmontel is not in the mood for school today,¡± she ordered.

    There was always a bodyguard around the school or the house, day or night. That day, it was Bree, smoking a hundred feet farther under a tree. When Lizzie beckoned her, the woman threw the butt, crushing it under her boot, and came forward.

    ¡°Take me home, please.¡±

    ¡°Sure, hop up,¡± Bree said, putting the girl on her shoulders. Lizzie had already noticed the Ranger wasn¡¯t the type to ask too many questions.

    ¡°This is so cool!¡± she yelled, ecstatic, as Bree began running at a tremendous speed, promising herself to train Daddy to be a good play horse too.

    When they got back home, there was no one around. Mommy worked on some music projects, Rowan and Isla chased Cores, and Dmitri¡­ who cared. Bree made sandwiches for both of them and lounged on the couch, and then Lizzie went to her room.

    She felt depressed. ALL the Universe was after her Daddy. The problem was how to stop this idiocy. Crying and screaming were good options, but at some point, Grace could reprimand her and say this was adult stuff, not her business. Using her powers would have worked¡­ at least on Isla and Cora, who had weaker minds than Mommy¡­ but she didn¡¯t want to risk hurting them. Auntie was nice and protected everyone, including Daddy. And Cora had helped them a lot, too.

    If tantrums or manipulations were out, what remained? Niceness, of course. It was the only way, and she¡¯d prove to the adults how wise and considerate she was. Slowly, she compiled some ideas and then wrote them down on a piece of paper as well as she could.

    Providence helped her, and Rowan returned home first. She jumped in his arms.

    ¡°Daddy!¡±

    ¡°Sweetie!¡± he hugged her. Oh, how glorious his hugs were. Filling her heart with joy and indescribable happiness.

    ¡°Can I speak to you?¡± she asked, pulling him to the table.

    ¡°Sure, sweetie, what¡¯s up?¡±

    ¡°You do know you¡¯re a good Daddy and person, yes?¡±

    ¡°Err¡­ I try my best, sweetie.¡± Even when he ruffled her hair, there was so much delight!

    ¡°So good that everyone wants a piece of you. Cora is¡­ what was the word¡­ secretly enamouerd of you. Mommy promised to share you with her if she wins your heart, but then changed her mind and convinced Auntie Isla to sneak into your room at night to hug you when you¡¯re asleep, like a vampire or something, to siphon your energy and not be able to cuddle with Cora. The problem is you¡¯re so tired you can¡¯t care for me properly anymore, and I¡¯m very sad. But don¡¯t worry! Everything will be all right as long you follow this.¡±

    Beaming with pride, Lizzie placed the schedule she had drawn on the table.

    Mon Tue: Isla   Wed Thu: Free   Fri Sat Sun: Mommy   Mon Tue: Free   Wed Thu: Cora   Fri Sat Sun: Free

 30: The Psychic, The Cop, and The Alien

    <hr>

    ¡°I think you need this.¡± Bree offered Rowan a glass with an inch of Bourbon in it. She had picked a Barrell Strength by chance or choice, one hundred and twenty proof. Ignoring the burn, Rowan drank half in one gulp. ¡°This could work,¡± the Ranger tapped her index finger on the paper. ¡°Two two three. Good job, kiddo.¡±

    ¡°Thanks,¡± Lizzie straightened her back with pride.

    ¡°I need a moment alone,¡± Rowan blurted.

    ¡°Yeah, go figure. Let¡¯s give your dad some space, sweetheart. How would you like riding on my back around the town?¡±

    The girl puckered her lips, shifting her weight between her feet. ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡±

    ¡°Please, Lizzie. I¡¯ll give this schedule a good look,¡± Rowan said. ¡°But first, I need to¡­ sort some things up with your mom. It will help if we talk alone¡­ It¡¯s adult stuff.¡±

    ¡°OK, Daddy,¡± Lizzie said, trying to convey: See how good a daughter I am? Hurry up to get over this adult stuff and get back to teaching me to ride a bicycle.

    They all exited, but Rowan stopped on the porch, taking the paper and glass. He waved at Lizzie as she rode on Bree¡¯s shoulders. Why all those schemes? It made no sense. A normal talk would have solved everything. Involving Isla was¡­ an overkill¡­ Why?

    ¡°Fuck, I¡¯m stupid¡­¡± Rowan facepalmed.

    The hints had been there. Cora liked him from the start; that¡¯s why she bitched all the time about Grace. And Grace and Isla had a thing together before he appeared in town. Grace jokes about staring at Isla¡¯s boobs herself¡­ casually caressing each other arms¡­ Maybe realizing Rowan was also attracted to the blonde, Grace had¡ª

    He gobbled the rest of the Bourbon.  What a waste! This is meant to be sipped slowly¡­ The drink enveloped him in a long Kentucky hug, and he made up his mind.

    ¡°I have to speak to them face to face.¡±

    [Rowan to Bree]: Can you please take care of Lizzie for a few hours? I have to solve this.

    [Bree to Rowan]: I¡¯ll take her home to play with my kids. Sam homeschools them, so taking a break is not a big deal.

    [Rowan to Bree]: I owe you one.

    Now he had some time, but better safe than sorry. Rowan had to solve everything before Grace would come back from the rehearsal.

    [Rowan to Isla]: Hi. Where are you?

    There was a short wait before she messaged him back.

    [Isla to Rowan]: Up to the College to check on some of those nerds that defected to us.  They¡¯re behind schedule on building me a Manatech police car.

    [Rowan to Isla]:  Oh, so you¡¯re nearby. Can you make a stop by the house? We have to talk.

    [Isla to Rowan]: Give me five minutes. I just yelled at the wrong laboratory. All nerds in lab coats look the same.

    He started to walk back and forth, his heart beating hard in his chest. Soon,  the police car stopped before the house, and Isla entered moments later.

    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±

    Rowan took her by the hand and pulled the woman onto the couch so they could look at each other. ¡°I have feelings for you. It¡¯s not only about sex. I mean, that¡¯s wonderful, but¡ª¡±

    ¡°I feel the same,¡± Isla sighed.

    ¡°I have a question. Was it Grace''s idea to¡­ err..?¡±

    ¡°Yes¡­ But it¡¯s not like I didn¡¯t want to.¡±

    ¡°What if we make this official? If Grace agrees, of course.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what she said when she talked me into it,¡± Isla frowned. ¡°I hope she meant it.¡±

    Rowan fondled her cheek. ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong, I¡¯m not complaining or anything, but is it true she did it because of Cora?¡±

    ¡°How do you know?¡± Isla jerked her head back.

    ¡°Lizzie figured it out,¡± Rowan forwarded Isla the paper.

    ¡°HAHAHA!¡± Isla roared in an access of mad laughter.  ¡°Oh, this is so funny!¡± she heaved, slapping her right hand over her mouth and banging his left fist on the couch. It took her well over a minute to stop.

    ¡°OK. I¡¯m happy you¡¯re happy, but can you explain it to me?¡± Rowan continued. ¡°It makes no sense.¡±

    ¡°It makes perfect sense,¡± Isla shrugged. ¡°Cora has this crush¡­ and asked for a piece of you,¡± Isla sketched a gesture like she intended to spank Rowan¡¯s butt but stopped because the position didn¡¯t allow it. ¡°Grace told Cora it was up to her to convince you but didn¡¯t really mean it. She just wanted to buy time. Then, she came up with the idea to get us three together, hoping the cat would give it up.¡±

    ¡°Why have women to be so damn¡¯ complicated¡­¡± Rowan sagged her shoulders.

    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s for the better,¡± Isla fondled his cheek. ¡°I like being with you two. I feel¡­ completed.¡±

    ¡°Me too,¡± he returned the caresse. ¡°I want you to answer me honestly: how would you feel about Cora if¡ª"

    ¡°You¡¯re not serious!¡± Isla gasped. ¡°You like her? Like¡­ desire her?¡±

    ¡°I have no idea, Isla. I consider her a friend. I find her mind strange and her human parts¡­ cute. The cat parts are weird. I can imagine making love to her and that tail slapping my face¡­ it¡¯s awkward.¡±

    ¡°If you can imagine her tail on your face while making love, trust me, you like her,¡± Isla laughed.

    ¡°No¡­ I mean, it¡¯s not only that¡­ It¡¯s friendship with just a bit of attraction on top.¡±

    ¡°And I¡¯m what, attraction with a bit of friendship?¡±

    Rowan turned his eyes away. ¡°Cora helped us a lot, and she¡¯s all alone on an alien planet, all her folks dead. I think she hangs on me as a last straw or something¡­¡±

    ¡°She could do some therapy, you know. My ex is really good at his job.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll bring it up. I¡¯ll try to talk Cora out of this crush, but if she persists¡­¡± Rowan¡¯s voice choked for a second, ¡°I¡¯d give it a chance¡­"

    Isla shrugged, turning her palms upward. ¡°Fuck the cat, for what I care, but you deal with Grace on your own. I have to go. See you tonight?¡±

    ¡°Nope. I need some time off. You two almost killed me. Literally.¡±

    ¡°Good to know we¡¯re not the only one worn out.¡± Patting his cheek and pecking his lips in a brief kiss, Isla rushed out, giving a short siren signal before taking off. Rowan waved through the window and went upstairs to take a shower.

    Stolen story; please report.

    Five minutes later, when he got back, Dmitri, with a deep frown on his forehead, put groceries on the table. ¡°So? Is it official now?¡±

    ¡°Gosh! You know?¡±

    ¡°I could hear you loud and clear. Every. Single. Night.¡±

    ¡°Sorry¡­¡±

    ¡°Whatever¡­ Please, use some silence spells or something.¡±

    ¡°Absolutely. Excuse me, I¡¯m on a tight deadline here,¡± Rowan exited the house, calling Cora.

    [Rowan to Cora]: Hi. Where are you?

    [Cora to Rowan]: Hi. At the power station, across the Technoforge. I¡¯m testing my suit¡¯s improvements.

    [Rowan to Cora]: Can I come talk to you?  I can be there in a few minutes.

    [Cora to Rowan]: I¡¯ll be outside.

    Exiting the house, he entered his new car and started the engine. The new power station was seven miles south of Elkins. He drove slowly, not because of the Bourbon¡ªalready processed by his Awakened body¡ª but because he was trying to put his thoughts in order. Cora was already outside, in her suit, which was now shorter, about Rowan¡¯s height, but looking somehow more intricate.

    ¡°It¡¯s pretty,¡± Rowan said.

    ¡°Thanks. Can¡¯t wait to test it. What do you want us to talk about?¡±

    ¡°Your feelings for me,¡± Rowan said curtly, trying to be as neutral as possible.

    The suit was dismissed, and she hugged him. Cora¡¯s cheek came to sit on his chest, her cat-like ears twitching. ¡°You¡¯ve finally noticed?¡±

    ¡°No, sorry¡­ I mean, I should have, but¡­ It was Lizzie.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s smart,¡± Cora nodded. ¡°And a natural at ear scratching.¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t we be just friends?¡±

    ¡°Is that all I could be for you?¡±

    He patted her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ Look, Cora¡­ I care for you,¡± he said, searching for her eyes. ¡°And because of that, I sincerely think you would be better with someone who¡¯d love you wholeheartedly.¡±

    ¡°And if I think you¡¯re what it¡¯s best for me?¡± she asked, her eyes sparkling with tears.

    ¡°Then, I will try my best to learn to love you¡­ I think you deserve it.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m so happy!¡± she pressed herself tighter into him, purring.

    ¡°There¡¯s something important you should know before committing. It¡¯s about Isla.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I know about Isla!¡± Cora hissed, extracting herself from the hug and slashing her hand through the air, her nails turning into claws. ¡°Grace tried to cheat her way out of our deal.¡±

    ¡°This deal was what, exactly?¡±

    ¡°Hm¡­¡± Cora frowned, resting her claws on her cheek. ¡°I told her I love you and that in System worlds, polyamory is normal. ¡°She said, OK, but it¡¯s up to you to get Rowan¡¯s heart, and if not, you¡¯ll be just friends¡­ I was surprised by how easily she accepted. I should have known she would cheat¡­ I dunno why she hates me so much. I like her,¡± Cora whimpered, pulling her nose. ¡°I like Isla too¡­¡±

    Rowan grabbed her shoulders. ¡°I¡¯ll ask you again. Are you sure I¡¯m worth the effort?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure, Rowan,¡± she fondled his cheek. ¡°I¡¯m not the average girl, and you¡¯re not the average man. Can I¡­ kiss you?¡± She pushed herself up on her toes, grabbed his neck, and they kissed. It felt normal enough. A pointy tongue timidly searched his, and her teeth were also sharper than usual, but it was pleasant and sweet for the rest. Her face flushed, and her tail wagged wildly. ¡°I stole you a kiss when I flew with you in my arms, and you were sleeping,¡± she confessed. ¡°Sorry.¡±

    What¡¯s one more kiss stolen in the great scheme of things? ¡°One more thing. You¡¯ll let me talk to Grace¡­ I hope she¡¯ll accept it.¡±

    ¡°What if not?¡± Cora blurted. ¡°Please don¡¯t send me to the friends¡¯ parking lot!¡± she kneaded her hands, making puppy eyes.

    ¡°Friend zone. If not, we give her time to know you better¡­ and maybe you make some sacrifices, like using a human bathroom. Grace¡¯s a good person, and I want her to be sure I¡¯ll always love her before you join our¡­ big, happy family,¡± he sighed.

    ¡°I¡¯ll wait as long as it takes.¡± Cora stepped back, summoned her suit, and took off. Rowan shook his head, feeling dazed, and returned to the car.

    The return took fifteen minutes, and he drove slower because his heart was heavy with worries. Back home, he took time to properly sip that good Bourbon before Grace returned an hour later.

    ¡°Hi, honey,¡± Grace waved, entering the living room. ,

    Rowan rose to meet her. ¡°I know about Isla and Cora,¡± he said directly.

    ¡°I c-can e-explain¡­¡± Grace kneaded her hands. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to lie to you¡­ it just happened¡­¡±

    The hurt and fear in her eyes hurt him, too, and he took her in his arms, kissing her hair.  ¡°Hey, relax! I love you¡­ We just need to talk.¡±

    She started crying even harder, and he wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her inside. Dmitri was preparing some food. The Greek rolled his eyes and went away. They sat in the same position on the same couch he had shared with Isla.

    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ so sorry¡­ I just¡­ didn¡¯t know what else to do¡­¡± she sobbed, avoiding his eyes.

    ¡°Really, Grace?¡± Rowan rolled his eyes. ¡°What about talking, for goodness sake?¡±

    ¡°Sometimes, talking is hard¡­ All this took a toll on me, Rowan,¡± Grace looked at him with sadness. ¡°The Apocalypse, the dangers, everything¡­ it¡¯s not something I like; I must do it to survive and raise my daughter. I even got a shitty secondary class I didn¡¯t even ask for and had to hide it from you¡ª Oh, NO!¡± she gasped, slapping her hand on her mouth.

    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± he jerked.

    ¡°Nooo¡­.¡± Grace wailed, her face contorted in regret.

    ¡°C¡¯mon, you can tell me. What¡¯s your secondary class?¡±

    ¡°R-R-Rogue, OK?¡± she blurted after stuttering several times. ¡°I wasn¡¯t supposed to tell you,¡± she repeated.

    ¡°Hm¡­ so that¡¯s why you were so good at throwing ninja stars? And why not tell me?¡± Rowan raised his brows, looking befuddled.

    ¡°Because if you know about secondary classes before they unlock themselves, you risk getting something useless. Like Forklift Operator, or¡ª Oh, my God! Tell me you didn¡¯t unlock it because I mentioned it,¡± she interlocked her fingers.

    ¡°Nope!¡± Rowan sulked, crossing her arms.

    ¡°Then why are you making that face?¡± She let her head fall back.

    ¡°Just so you know, using industrial equipment is not easy. It takes a lot of skill!¡±

    ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t want to sound snobbish¡­¡±

    ¡°Yeah, well, you did, but anyway¡­ Gosh! I just realized! We mustn¡¯t tell Isla about the secondary classes!¡± Rowan yelped.

    ¡°True,¡± Grace nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s help her get a good secondary class. Or at least better than mine.¡±

    ¡°Being a Rogue isn¡¯t so bad,¡± Rowan shrugged. ¡°Invest in Stealth if you can. It¡¯s cool. I wish my secondary class could Stealth¡­¡±

    ¡°Did your secondary class unlock?¡± Grace asked.

    ¡°Err¡­ yeah¡­ I did tell you, remember?¡±

    ¡°No, you sure didn¡¯t,¡± Grace sneered.

    That was quite an important omission. Feeling the situation was turning against him, and from having the upper hand, he was going downward fast, Rowan decided to put an end to the discussion. ¡°Sorry, I thought I did¡­ it¡¯s the stuff adding elemental damage to my attacks¡­ no big deal¡­ So, let¡¯s wrap it up. It was a crazy situation, and I don¡¯t think I would have done better in your place. And I¡¯m happy about having Isla in our lives. She kinda¡ª¡±

    ¡°Completes us, isn¡¯t it?¡± Grace smiled.

    ¡°Yeah¡­ exactly. Are you OK with making it official? Polyamory is legal with the System.¡±

    Grace nodded, and they hugged each other. ¡°You¡¯re not mad with me anymore?¡±

    Rowan scoffed. ¡°I wasn¡¯t mad with you. More like annoyed. Why all the scheming about Cora? Why not tell her to back off, or¡ª¡±

    ¡°When she told me about her crush, I saw three futures¡­¡± Grace crossed her arms. ¡°It was bad. Really, really bad.¡±

    ¡°How bad?¡±

    ¡°In the first vision,¡± Grace counted on her fingers, ¡°Cora beat you, took you as her husband by force, exiled us, and ruled the County with an iron hand¡­ or should I say paw?¡±

    ¡°Good pun, but she has hands,¡± Rowan shrugged. ¡°Claw would work.¡±

    ¡°True,¡± Grace nodded. ¡°Second, she committed suicide. The suit shot her¡­ it was awful.¡±

    ¡°Goodness,¡± Rowan gasped, putting a hand over his mouth. ¡°And the third?¡±

    ¡°She tried to suicide by keeping her head in the sink for half an hour. Only she didn¡¯t know how to work the sink stopper. That¡¯s it. The best solution was to stall and let problems disappear by themselves.¡±

    Rowan furrowed his brows. ¡°You do realize in two out of three choices you saved her¡­ Don¡¯t you hate Cora?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t hate her, Rowan. It¡¯s just she¡¯s troublesome and hyperactive¡­ I wish her to go on with her life and marry some nerd who likes anime girls. So¡­ are you going to tell Cora to calm down, or should I?¡± Grace asked, her eyes glittering. Now that she had Rowan¡¯s backup, she was obviously eager to stomp the Nekojin¡¯s expectations in the crib.

    Rowan scratched his head. ¡°Err¡­ about that¡­ Are you sure you¡ª¡±

    ¡°I knew it!¡± Grace erupted. ¡°Men! You can¡¯t say no to a stray cat with puppy eyes.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s a young adult with more knowledge than common sense, stranded on another planet, all her family dead, and imprisoned in a ten-by-ten cell for two months. She hung on to life by hanging on me¡­ and on us. She told me she likes you, by the way.¡±

    Grace rose from the couch and went to pour herself an inch of Cognac. ¡°She better not. I find her extremely ugly. Hideous. You¡¯re sure about this?¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t do it if you say no¡­ But I¡¯d like to give her a chance at a normal life. It¡¯s not like I love her like I love you¡­ She¡¯s a good friend, and I care for her¡­ ¡±

    Grace shrugged and took a sip, staring into nothingness. She came on the couch, her head resting on his shoulder.  Rowan felt her body relax. ¡°Very well,¡± Grace sighed, emptying the glass. ¡°If you pity her so much, you can romance the cat¡­¡±

    Rowan smiled, fondling her shoulder and touching her forehead with his. "At least she could help Lizzie with her homework. She¡¯s good at math¡­¡±

    Grace patted his cheek, a gesture much like the one Isla had made earlier. ¡°I¡¯ll change and help Dmitri prepare lunch. C¡¯mon, you old bastard, I know you¡¯re eavesdropping.¡±

    ¡°Mazeltov,¡± the Greek saluted. ¡°This will be so fun to watch!¡±

    A few moments after Grace went up the stairs, a notification arrived.

    For daring to pursue your heart¡¯s desires, declaring your love to Isla, doing the honorable thing toward Cora, and putting your foot in the door to make things straight in your relationship with Grace, I, The Warlord, award you 3 APs.

    The Warlord wishes you a happy love life, for love is a battle.

 31: Looking for Action

    <hr>

    The lost nights had taken a toll on Rowan. Even if he spent the night alone, he yawned during breakfast, then excused himself and returned to sleep. The hardest thing for Grace was to leave him some space. She yearned to go and ask: Do you still love me?

    An awkward silence descended around the living room, and she resolved to gather the dishes to avoid the embarrassment of looking into Cora¡¯s eyes. Oblivious to the unease floating in the air, Lizzie¡¯s happiness shone through her eyes and merry voice.

    ¡°Auntie Cora, what do you think about the schedule?¡±

    Cora fondled the girl¡¯s head. ¡°It looks great, Lizzie. Everybody will have a fair share of Rowan¡¯s¡ª¡±

    ¡°Hugs!¡± Grace hissed.

    ¡°Hugs.¡±

    [Grace to Cora]: She¡¯s six, for goodness¡¯ sake. Don¡¯t you dare mention anything but hugs around her, or so I swear, I¡¯ll have your skin as my bath rug.

    [Cora to Grace]: Sure, err¡­ how should I call you now? Big Sister? Madam? Older Wife?

    The Nekojin¡¯s face looked sincere, so either she was truly candid or hid her sarcasm well.

    [Grace to Cora]: Call me any of those; you¡¯re dead. Grace will do. ¡°You¡¯re free today, right, Cora?¡± she continued aloud.

    ¡°Yes, why?¡±

    ¡°A family shares the good, the bad, and the chores. Are you ready to join the latter?¡±

    ¡°Sure, what do you want me to do?¡±

    ¡°Take care of Lizzie and ask Dmitri about the ways of this house. Chores rotation, everything.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll show you my routine; it¡¯s easy,¡± the Greek promised. ¡°You¡¯re going somewhere, Grace?¡±

    ¡°To train. I don¡¯t want to be left behind. Sweetie, Auntie Cora will take care of you today. Show her what a blessing it is to babysit a six-year-old, will you?¡± After kissing Lizzie on the forehead, Grace exited the house and beckoned to Bree, who was on the last legs of her twenty-hour shift and fretted around some rose bush in the garden.

    ¡°Is that a Princess Marga¡ª"

    ¡°Ask Dmitri. He planted them. I need to clear my head, lose myself in something... anything. Are there any quests around?¡±

    ¡°I know the feeling¡­ There are those moments in a marriage when you wish to get far and forget everything.¡±

    ¡°You also have two co-wives, or whatever this shit is called?¡±

    ¡°Nope, but we argued a lot in the past, when Sam lost his job, and¡­ sorry, not your problem. I¡¯m taking a look at the party search. There is a call for clearing a Mini Dungeon, level fifty-six. Two more free spots on the team¡­ You want me to come with you?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re free? I mean, you worked a lot, and¡ª¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m good, sweet plum. I¡¯m used to hard work, and if I come for a quest, I¡¯ll be free for the week¡­ OK, we¡¯re on. I booked us for the job. My shift will be here in five, and then we can rock and roll. So, you sort it out in the end, huh?¡±

    Grace sulked, crossing her arms. Yes, things have been sorted out, albeit not like she wanted. And there was a sour, spoiled cherry on the cake of her troubles that she procrastinated to confront. A lingering red message in the corner of her eyes.

    Obligatory Survey: Please rate your interaction with I, the Warlord, on a scale from 1 to 10.

    Fine. Five, Grace sneered inside her mind. I can¡¯t tell if the interaction was good or bad.

    Who would you kill if you were obliged to go back in time and terminate one of the two people you chose to save?

    <ol>

    <li>The Knyaz</li>

    <li>Cora Shemeows</li>

    </ol>

    What a ridiculous name! Shemeows? Really? However, no matter how much she disliked the cat¡ªmaybe because Cora reminded Grace of herself in her teenage years¡ªthere was no way she would sacrifice a kid, even if annoying, for a fat stupid guy who should have known better than letting a Vampire bitch manipulate him.

    I¡¯d kill the Knyaz¡­ Oops¡­ Will he die because of my choice?

    No. Purely a rhetorical question.

    Last question: Do you see yourself as more of a solo or team player?

    ¡°Seriously?¡±

    ¡°Say again?¡± Bree asked.

    ¡°Nothing. Thinking aloud.¡±

    Team player, duh! Why?

    It has become clear that your secondary class is not well-suited for you. Furthermore, my (I, the Warlord) intervention unlocked it. I am obliged by my own code of honor to remediate. Are you absolutely certain you don¡¯t wish to walk the path of the Assassin?

    You bet I don¡¯t!

    Given your efforts and achievements, I, the Warlord, have selected new options better suited to your capabilities as a team player.

    I, The Warlord, hope you will find wisdom in your missteps, for regret is a personal battle we all must face.

    Grace tried to see the options, but Bree touched her arm. ¡°We can go; my shift is here.¡±

    ¡°Where?¡± Grace looked around.

    ¡°In some tree, he¡¯s a Ninja.¡±

    ¡°Oh, well¡­ everything is possible now. Where are we going?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll go to the Border, then the Core will open a portal to Huntingdon, and we drive forty miles to Rothrock State Forest. It¡¯s in Pennsylvania. We need a ride, by the way.¡±

    Grace nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s take my car. Do you mind driving? I need to adjust my build.¡±

    ¡°No problem. Automatic, right?¡±

    Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°Perfect.¡±

    Going inside the vehicle, Bree started the car and drove north while Grace leaned her chair back, closed her eyes, and summoned her notifications.

    Choose to a new Secondary Class:

    1: Sniper (Rare). Evolution of the Rogue Class. A master of camouflage, a Sniper picks valuable targets while the team deals with the brunt of the fight. Main Stat: DEX

    2: Gunslinger (Rare): Evolution of the Rogue Class. Short Range AoE discipline. The Gunslinger discharges flurries of shots to clear ads or inflict DOTs on multiple enemies. Clears the Main Tank or the Leader of aggro if needed. Main Stat: DEX

    3: Tactician (Epic): This will replace the Rogue Class. Available because of your Tactical Planning Perk. You can develop into a valuable field general. Albeit underestimated in favor of Strategists, the Tactician is the one who wins the Battles. Main Stat: INT

    The logical choice was clear: Tactician, but her heart was drawn to Gunslinger because she liked shooting. But fun was not as important as helping Rowan and working together for the good of the County, so she went for Tactician.

    ¡°How are you adapting?¡± she started a conversation with Bree. ¡°You like it here?¡±

    ¡°Sure... It¡¯s really nice¡­ We just need to find a proper house¡­¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you living in one of those mansions in the Central Square?¡± Grace asked.

    ¡°Oh, those¡­ Not anymore. We moved back into the VR. Have you seen the size of the bathrooms? And no open space? Who build those damn¡¯ things, some European?¡±

    ¡°Worse. Cora. Do you know she pees in a litter and dislikes water? She has an ultrasound shower in her room, some weird tech stuff¡­ Sorry¡­ I shouldn¡¯t have ratted¡­¡± Grace covered her cheeks, blood flushing her face.

    ¡°That explains many things¡­ however, she¡¯s a sweet girl. Really good-hearted. Give her a chance.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll try,¡± Grace sighed.

    ¡°Sam is thinking of getting a farm around here. The mana-infused potatoes are a good crop,¡± Bree said.

    ¡°Go for it. The County will pay,¡± Grace said on autopilot, looking outside. Then, the blue portal appeared, and they passed through seamlessly, appearing on another mountain road with snow around. Bree turned on the heating, but Grace extracted a pullover from her spatial inventory, just in case.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you find it strange that every mini-dungeon we found was in a forest?¡± Bree asked.

    ¡°Cora says the ship teleported them by design into remote areas to avoid detection. Sorry, I need a moment to check my stats.¡±

    Grace returned to her Character Menu. It didn¡¯t look great. She had joined Rowan for claiming a mini-dungeon Core and leveled to forty-five but had been too preoccupied with her nightly activities to invest in leveling and builds.

    Name: Grace Allinder, Class: Seer/Tactician, Level 45 (10 free APs)

    STR: 15 / DEX: 29 / CON: 50 / INT: 31 / WIL: 25 / CHA: 31

    Fuck¡­ I need INT, but I don¡¯t have enough APs¡­

    The wise choice would have been to wait, but Grace felt the urge to throw the ten free APs into Strength to reach a threshold and then inspected her perks.

    NEW! Strength perk, Threshold 1, Seer: Sure Body, Sure Mind. Ignore all soft CC effects: Blindness, Daze, Confusion, Disorientation, Deafness, Hypnosis, etc. Active effect: uses your Seer senses instead of your vision or hearing for a cost of 5 Mana /second.

    NEW! Strength Perk, Threshold 1, Tactician: Handler: You have better weapons control and can dual-wield heavier versions in ranged and melee combat. Improves aim, stability, and balance. Works well with WIL and DEX first threshold Perks.

    Dexterity Perk, Threshold 1, Seer: Advanced Ranged Proficiency. + 25% damage with ranged weapons. You can See weak spots and have a +25% chance of delivering Critical Damage to them.

    Modified! Dexterity Perk, Threshold 1, Tactician: Anticipates the enemies'' movements. +25% to Parry and Evade.

    Constitution Perk, Threshold 1+2, Seer: Enhanced Toughness +50% Physical Resistances, immune to small arms bullets.

    Modified! Constitution Perk, Threshold 1, Tactician: Super Additive. Adds +25% Physical Resistance to Seer¡¯s CON perks 1+2 by consuming 5 Mana/second.

    Constitution Perk, Threshold 2, Tactician: Blood Minstrel (Legendary)

    Grace already knew what that Constitution perk did, so she skipped it. It was time to check her Magical stats.

    Intelligence Perk, Threshold 1, Seer: Manager. You have a knack for organizing things from businesses to logistics.

    Enhanced! Intelligence Perk, Threshold 1, Tactician: Enhanced Tactical Planning. You can plan for attack or retreat in mere seconds.

    Will Perk, Threshold 1, Seer: Mindful Control. You have better control of your body and emotions when under stress. Useful both in combat and for your private life.

    Modified! Will Perk, Threshold 1, Tactician: Resolve. You have the patience to apply your plans despite the obstacles in your path. You don¡¯t lose hope easily. + 25% Mental Resistance.

    Charisma Perk, Threshold 1, Seer: Silk-Tongue: When your intuitions are true, your words can convince others about their truthfulness.

    Modified! Charisma Perk, Threshold 1, Tactician: Bespoke Connection. You have gone to great lengths to build a deep relationship with the man you love. Common activities will perform 50% better. This can translate into fighting, your love life, endearing family activities, or high-quality stage performances. It works well with your Seer first Will Perk.

    The last perk almost made her cry, but Grace forced herself to sobriety. And it was time; there was a police roadblock just ahead.

    ¡°Hi, are you with the Classed team?¡± a policewoman asked when Bree stopped.

    ¡°Yep.¡±

    ¡°Thank goodness! Godspeed.¡±

    ¡°That was a friendly welcome,¡± Grace stated as they drove on.

    ¡°According to the mission¡¯s brief, this dungeon was discovered a while ago, but the government kept the information under wraps. They sent the Army to clear it, failed, tried with the Neeks, and failed again. Now that the government is gone, the local authorities cut a deal with us; they¡¯ll pay us ten million in gold to clear the Dungeon. It¡¯s near a huge college campus and cuts the main communication roads. Many college nerds also tried to clear the dungeon and got killed. The good thing is this dungeon lets you get out if you want to abandon the fight. OK, here we are.¡±

    The car slowed and parked near two other cars, a minivan and a 4x4. Beside the road, on a clearing covered in snow, people trained. There was Carla, two Asian men, one in Samurai armor, and a tall blonde Grace could recognize from a mile away. The Vampire who gave Grace the Blood Gift.

    ¡°What¡¯s she doing here?¡± Grace blurted, trying to extract her handgun from the spatial storage. Which was not quite organized, as instead of the gun, a purse first fell out, followed by various makeup items, a pair of nylon socks, some sexy underwear, a pack of cigarettes she used to smoke in secret, once in a blue moon¡­ and the deluge stopped there because Bree caught her hand.

    ¡°Hold your horses, sweet plum. She¡¯s our ally now.¡±

    Grace gasped. Bree was right; Rowan had made a deal with the Vampire clan. ¡°I forgot. You know her?¡±

    ¡°We worked together for the last couple of weeks. She trained us, hasn¡¯t Rowan told you?¡±

    No, because he was too tired to talk¡­ My fault¡­ mine and Isla¡¯s.

    Thinking of Rowan made her miss him so much that she had to call, never mind waking him up. ¡°Hi, honey,¡± she blurted as soon as he answered.

    ¡°Mmm¡­ Hi¡­¡± his sleepy voice answered.

    ¡°I¡¯m going with Bree on an adventure. Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll be safe¡­¡±

    ¡°Take care, call me if you¡¯re in danger,¡± his voice suddenly revived.

    ¡°Thank you... Have to go¡­ love you.¡± Closing the phone, Grace busied picking up the mess she created from the car¡¯s floor, avoiding Bree¡¯s amused gaze. Finally, she exited the car, shivering under the colder weather.

    ¡°Use your movement skills, you fucking rookies,¡± the blonde Vampire yelled. ¡°Like this!¡± she demonstrated a lightning-fast move, forward and backward.

    ¡°Are those our guys?¡± Grace asked. ¡°Never saw them before.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re cooperating with the other towns,¡± Bree said. ¡°We help there, they help here.¡±

    ¡°The Countess?¡± the Vampire frowned. ¡°Come here.¡± She grabbed Grace by the elbow, pulling her behind the car. ¡°What are you doing in this attire? You do have some body armor, right? Medium leather armor would do. This is a Goblinoid dungeon; we need stealth, or we will be overwhelmed in no time. No guns, too noisy, only bows and arrows. You have five minutes to prepare.¡±

    Sighing, Grace fiddled around in her inventory, finally extracting her bow and quiver, medium body armor, and a light leather helmet. She managed to get ready in four minutes.

    ¡°Accept the party invite, and let¡¯s go!¡± the Vampire yelled.

 32: The Goblinoidsâ€™ Dungeon-1

    <hr>

    With Bree leading and the Vampire at the rear, near Grace, the party entered the Mini-Dungeon, and the air became warmer.

    [Victoria Blackswarm]: From now on, we use the chat. Don¡¯t make noises; those little monsters have good hearing. Bree, use your tracking sense to guide us.

    The Ranger nodded and raised her head, inhaling deeply. Gesturing with two fingers to the right, she entered the forest. They walked for five minutes without finding anything.

    [Grace Allinder]: How big is this thing?

    [Victoria Blackswarm]: Five square miles. That¡¯s why we need Bree to find them.

    [Bree the Ranger]: There¡¯s a group of about a dozen hostiles three hundred feet ahead.

    [Victoria Blackswarm]: Bree, go around, cut their retreat. I¡¯ll taunt them, the rest, go for the kill.

    While Bree diverted her steps to the left, the group continued. Then, the Vampire raised her hand in the air, palm up, a stopping gesture. Grace noticed she had no weapon.

    [Victoria Blackswarm]: Take cover and wait for my signal.

    Advancing twenty steps, the Vampire sat on a stump, untied her hair, unbuttoned her blouse, and pulled up her skirt to reveal a shapely leg.

    ¡°Ouch¡­.¡± she wailed, holding her ankle. ¡°I¡¯m huuuurt.¡±

    Out of nowhere, a group of knee-high greenish creatures wearing only a skimpy loincloth popped up from the tall grass, surrounding the woman.

    ¡°What¡¯s a nice girl like you doing in a place like this?¡± one of them croaked.

    ¡°Here, gorgeous, have a smoke,¡± another produced a cigarette and a lighter.

    ¡°A massage is the best for a twisted ankle,¡± a third said, starting to hump Victoria¡¯s leg, like a stupid dog in heat. The rest of the monsters started to fight among them, probably to decide who was next in line to make a pass at the blonde. Grace¡¯s jaw was wide open, and her mind screamed in disbelief.

    ¡°Thank you, a smoke is exactly what I need,¡± Victoria said. Grabbing the monster¡¯s wrist, he snatched him up in the air, smashing him onto the one adoring her leg and killing them both in the process. She skewered another two with a thin sword appearing out of nowhere, which she used to cut the throat of a fifth creature.

    The surviving monsters tried to flee, only to be met by the Samurai¡¯s sword, the other Asian man¡¯s polearm, and Carla¡¯s arrows. One managed to get behind the trees, but Bree caught and killed him and exited the forest.

    Your group has slain a Goblin Spawn party, level 55. You have leveled x5. You are level 50. Two APs were invested in CHA, INT, and DEX. You have 5 free APs to distribute. Loot acquired: Dirty Loincloth. Soiled Loincloth. Makeshift Spear x 2.

    ¡°Too bad the XP will diminish soon,¡± the Samurai whispered.

    ¡°I told you to keep silent,¡± the Vampire hissed. ¡°Where¡¯s your Bullshido discipline.¡±

    ¡°Bushido, madam. It¡¯s called Bushido.¡±

    ¡°Give the kid some slack,¡± Bree said.

    ¡°Yeah, at least he did kill some. What about you? I didn¡¯t think you were a freeloader,¡± Victoria addressed Grace. ¡°You froze, or what?¡±

    ¡°This is wrong,¡± Grace shook her head.

    ¡°You don¡¯t like violence? Then why are you dungeoning?¡±

    ¡°No, there¡¯s something wrong with this place. Those can¡¯t be monsters; they must be sentients.¡±

    ¡°It''s a known fact Goblinoid Spawn is obsessed with sex," Victoria said. "Dungeons can create constructs that appear almost as real as the real thing."

    "The first one used a human catchphrase, and I had a vision with many of them watching TV."

    The Vampire grabbed her chin for a second, pondering things."Very well. I¡¯ll pay attention to their behavior. Let¡¯s move to the next group.¡± A moment later, a horn call resounded far above the hill. ¡°They''re onto us. Prepare for battle,¡± Victoria yelled.

    Like clockwork, the team moved to have their back covered by a large rock formation, with Bree in front, the two Asians on the sides, and the rest behind. Grace struggled to put the string on her bow and set the quiver on her back.

    A first wave of twenty monsters rushed at them from nowhere. The creatures also looked surprised by seeing them, stopping and chatting, which proved an error, as Bree and her two companions killed half of them in the next second. Grace put an arrow in one goblin and Carla in two, then Victoria killed the rest.

    Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    Your group has slain a Goblin Spawn band, level 55. You have leveled x5. You have 10 free APs to distribute. Loot acquired: Soiled Loincloth x2, Makeshift Bow x 1.

    Some horn calls and shouts were not far away, and then a few arrows arrived to harass them. Bree produced a big shield to protect the Asians, and Victoria invoked a sort of energy dome, protecting herself, Carla, and Grace.

    Two groups advanced now from both sides. Bigger foes, human-sized, wearing armor, armed with better spears or longbows. They stopped fifty yards away, taking cover in the grass or behind mounds of earth or trees, yelping among themselves and shooting an arrow or javelin here and there.

    ¡°What do we do?¡± Grace yelled, feeling panic mounting in her throat together with bile.

    ¡°We wait!¡± Victoria ordered. ¡°If we move, they¡¯ll surround us.¡±

    Fortunately, the monsters were not keen to attack. There were some arrows shot, again, but that was all. Grace took her time to aim and got a monster through the eye. Carla got another.

    Your group has slain Orcling, Lvl. 55 x2. Minor XP gained. No loot.

    The foes took better cover, then half, on each side, ran away while the others began to shoot arrows faster. In the distance, other large groups passed by at a running pace but were not trying to join the fight.

    ¡°There¡¯s a lot of them,¡± Bree said.

    ¡°Indeed,¡± Victoria sighed. ¡°I¡¯ll take one group; you take the others.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re sure¡ª¡± Grace swallowed her words under the blonde woman''s stare.

    ¡°Go!¡± Victoria shouted, sliding forward at an incredible speed.

    On their side, Bree dashed toward the right, covering herself with the tower shield the best she could. Grace and Carla tried to pick the enemy¡¯s archers as they popped out of cover to shoot at the Ranger. The Samurai and the polearm guy followed Bree behind the cover she provided.

    Killing three Orcling archers attracted the monsters¡¯ attention, and arrows started to flee at Grace and Carla. The two women ducked behind the rock formation, Grace feeling an arrow graze her cheek.

    You have been inflicted with Poison DOT¡­ DOT has ceased.

    Bree and the men were doing short work of the Orcling group.

    ¡°Your class name makes no sense,¡± the Samurai said to Bree. ¡°You¡¯re supposed to Range, not tank.¡±

    ¡°You want range? Here is range,¡± Bree replied, grabbing a wounded Orcling by the ankle and throwing it in a wide arch. It fell on the last surviving monster on Victoria¡¯s side, crushing it.

    Your group has slain Orcling x 20. You have Leveled x 3. Loot: Shabby loincloth. Suggestion: combine it with a chic dress to achieve a perfect Shabby-Chic style.

    ¡°No thanks,¡± Grace said through her clenched teeth.

    ¡°Levels!¡± Victoria screamed.

    ¡°Sixty-two,¡± Bree said. ¡°Fifty-nine,¡± and ¡°Same,¡± replied the two Asians. ¡°Fifty-six,¡± Carla. Finally, Grace yelled: ¡°Fifty-eight!¡±

    ¡°We need to reach sixty for everyone. We disband the party. Bree, you¡¯re with me. The rest will make a new team, and we¡¯ll goad some toward you. Stay here.¡±

    Fortunately, Carla took care of sending the invitation. Grace had no experience with that. Five minutes later, like a herd of sheep pushed by shepherd dogs, groups of Goblin Spawn and Orclings started to appear, yelping in distress. Grace shot all her arrows in less than a minute. Carla threw her bow down and unsheathed a knight''s sword. She was better with it than with the bow, which put Grace to shame, as she remembered she was stronger than the Italian not long ago. Grace tried to help here and there, using a makeshift spear, choosing the spots where her Tactician senses made a difference.

    The chaos ceased twenty minutes after the Vampire had given the orders. Grace was level sixty-one.

    ¡°Strength,¡± Victoria ordered to Bree. ¡°Strength, Toughness, DEX,¡± she continued with the two men and Carla. Finally, stopping in front of Grace, she frowned for a second. ¡°Go for INT and share your choices with me.¡±

    It was clear what Victoria meant. Keeping one AP for later, Grace pushed fifteen into INT and shared the notification.

    The second threshold in Intelligence was achieved. Please choose your perks.

    Second perk for the Seer class:

    1: True Path. You Instinctively feel what choices are right or wrong.

    2: Stock Market Player. Your acumen for investing money could earn you millions. If only you were connected to the Intergalactic Stock Market.

    Second perk for the Tactician class:

    1: Where it Hurts (Legendary). You can detect the main weaknesses in an enemy¡¯s army.

    2: The How and the Why. You understand the deep nature of your Tactical choices and their consequences. A step toward becoming a Strategist.

    ¡°First Perk, for both. The Legendary is priceless, and it''s better to be a good Tactician than a half-backed Strategist.¡±

    Grace nodded and selected the Perks as instructed.

    ¡°What should I choose,¡± the Samurai asked.

    Victoria¡¯s nose and upper lip creased, revealing her fangs. She was going to say something unpleasant; Grace was sure of it. With her new perks, so many details were now obvious. The young Samurai was yearning for the Vampire¡¯s attention, his puckering face like a child¡¯s. She grabbed Victoria¡¯s arm before the blonde started to speak.

    ¡°He likes you,¡± Grace whispered in the Vampire¡¯s ear.

    There was a hesitation before Victoria answered. ¡°Go for the cutting perk.¡±

    ¡°Thanks,¡± the Samurai cheered up.

    ¡°Is it OK if I take the attack speed?¡± the other man asked.

    ¡°Take the parry. OK, guys and girls, listen up, I have bad news. This can¡¯t be a mini-dungeon; there are too many. We¡¯re in a real dungeon. The Mana in this area must be thicker to allow it to activate. The good news is it¡¯s a low-rise and has only one floor. The bad news is that hundreds of monsters ignored us. That means only one thing: another team in the dungeon, probably assaulting the main Boss as we speak.¡±

    ¡°And if they get their hands on the core, it¡¯s bad, right?¡± Grace asked.

    ¡°Of course. We have to investigate. Bree, take the lead.¡±

    They started running, following the Ranger uphill, with Grace panting. Running was not her forte. Ten minutes later, they reached a forested ridge and lay down, peering at the scene below.

 33: The Goblinoid Dungeon -2

    <hr>

    Below their vantage point, a gentle slope flowed downward, a meadow. Five hundred feet away was a fortress, a wooden palisade surrounded by a ditch, on top of an earthwork, nothing fancy. Inside the fortifications were huts and longhouses. The defenders¡ªin the hundreds¡ªfought against a team of six attackers.

    Wearing armor that made them look like a hybrid between Predator and medieval knights, the band of six kept advancing, turning the monsters into minced meat using machine guns, lasers, forcefields, lances, and shining swords, but also a way to fight that didn¡¯t allow any opening.

    ¡°How the hell did they get here?¡± Victoria hissed, clenching her teeth.

    ¡°Sweet Saint Patrick, who are those?¡± Bree gasped. Her interjection made Grace take a personal note to ask Bree if she was Irish.

    ¡°Intergalactic mercenaries,¡± Victoria said. ¡°Former special forces, all of them, none lower than Legendary. This is worse than I thought.¡±

    ¡°Do we retreat?¡± Bree asked.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t we ask the Tactician? Do we have a chance to take them on? Keep in mind we have only secondary heals.¡±

    Grace pondered whether to dare, trying to get things right in her mind. She surely missed Rowan, and she¡¯d give a hand for him to be near. ¡°We have all Rezzes, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Victoria said. ¡°But if we attract the Warlord¡¯s attention, those Rezzes ain¡¯t worth diddly-squat.¡±

    Pausing again, Grace stared again at the battlefield. It wasn¡¯t like she suddenly got smarter and more knowledgeable in warfare. Her new abilities were still crude, imperfect, and needed training. But one thing she could do was compare things to what she knew.

    The troops¡¯ positioning was similar to an orchestra, with the conductor as the leader. In the goblins¡¯ camp, a Shaman-like creature gave orders around and threw lightning and fireballs at the besiegers, surrounded and protected by Orcs and even larger monsters looking like Trolls.

    In the middle of the other group, there was a certain mercenary who was protected by the rest at all times. That was their leader, for sure.

    [Grace to Victoria]: Could you enter the Interdimensional Space and put some iron in someone¡¯s body?

    [Victoria to Grace]: What?

    [Grace to Victoria]: You know, like Rowan. He goes into the fourth dimension, puts a prybar into someone¡¯s body, and when it lets go, that person is killed.

    [Victoria to Grace]: What are you talking about? You can¡¯t harm living creatures from space. The System prohibits it, there¡¯s a code writing in the¡ª

    [Grace to Victoria]: It¡¯s how it works for Rowan. Never mind that. Our objective is not to get the core but to deny it to the mercenaries. Another of our teams can come later and claim it. Can you¡ª

    [Victoria to Grace]: I could sneak up, re-enter our space, and take out the leader. It could be worth a shot. I¡¯ll be dead as soon as I reappear, though. There¡¯s a CD before you can return in the in-between.

    [Grace to Victoria]: Take down the main tank. It¡¯s the next best target, and you can retreat.

    The Vampire nodded and produced a cigarette. ¡°Follow Grace¡¯s orders,¡± she said, lightened the smoke, and vanished.

    ¡°Who among you has guns?¡± Grace asked.

    Bree showed her a forty-five caliber and Carla a scoped rifle. After struggling to find it, Grace followed her example and extracted her sniper rifle from the inventory.

    ¡°As soon as Victoria makes her move, we shoot at that guy¡­ gal, thing, whatever, in the center. Aim at the helmet, if possible.¡±

    ¡°I wish a revolver could hit so far,¡± Bree shrugged.

    ¡°Just try.¡±

    ¡°What about us,¡± the Samurai asked.

    ¡°Protect us as much as you can,¡± Grace said, hiding her fear, hoping her Rezz worked if things turned bad.

    Faster than anticipated, Victoria appeared beside the mercenary team, and the one in front waved his arms like a seagull its wings and collapsed, spraying blood from its neck. Victoria slid back on her forcefield, distancing herself. Two of them followed her, exchanging blows, but then returned to their position as Grace¡¯s bullets hit their leader¡¯s helm.

    If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.

    The blonde disappeared again, and the mercenaries changed their target and charged uphill very fast, some gliding above the ground. Projectiles started to mow the trees around. Carla vanished as a bullet hit her chest. Then, a cloud of arrows hit the mercenaries straight on. The monsters had noticed their intervention, understood the tactic, and were helping. All had shot at the same target, the mercenary leader; an arrow was stuck in its helm, deep in an eye socket.

    Yet the mercenaries kept coming, even the wounded leader, who was now shooting bursts of projectiles from their gun. Throwing herself down, Grace started to shoot blindly over her head, activating her Sure Body, Sure Mind perk. It worked; she could hear the impacts, but the aim was not great because of the awkward position. The mercenaries were now thirty feet away. Reluctantly, she prepared for the inevitable: to be killed and¡ªif all went well¡ªRezzed.

    Bree erupted up, roaring, doubled in size, and dashed at the enemies. Two mercenaries standing in her path were thrown away like rag dolls while she kept going, soaking projectiles, and then she grabbed the third, the leader, slamming it into the ground, twisting the helmet to hit face down. The arrow went deeper, and the mercenary, as well as the Ranger, dissolved and disappeared.

    Out of bullets, Grace threw the rifle and searched her handgun, extricating a leather purse instead of it. Fuck! I must clean my inventory.

    A shadow, an armor, was above her, a bayonet made of light attached to the barrel. Instinctively, she swung her purse at the enemy, hitting it in the face. To her surprise, the mercenary let his rifle go, picking up the purse and throwing it behind.

    He thinks it¡¯s a grenade¡­

    A blade pierced the mercenary shoulder, Victoria¡¯s, coming from behind, and the Samurai beheaded the foe with a swing of his sword that went through the armor like through paper.

    ¡°I sure could use a healing potion,¡± the Vampire mumbled, collapsing on the rusted leaves, heavily bleeding from the chest.

    Shit, Grace thought, emptying all her inventory and revealing anything but a healing potion. And she needed one too, she realized when she tried to stand up and fail. A deep wound in her calf bled profusely. There was an arrow there. Grimacing, she tried to pull it out but failed, inflicting herself more pain and bleeding.

    ¡°Sorry, the spawn are terrible shooters,¡± a voice said. ¡°Stay put, relax.¡±

    A huge hand slammed on Grace, pinning her to the ground, face down, and another hand did the same with the Samurai, ignoring the sword that went through its flesh and bones all through.

    ¡°Relax, we¡¯re friendly,¡± the voice repeated.

    ¡°That is to be seen,¡± a deep voice grumbled.

    ¡°I¡¯ll heal the blonde first; she¡¯s tethering on the brink here.¡± The Shaman, the village leader, had appeared nearby and was healing Victoria. As the blonde¡¯s breath stabilized, he turned to Grace.

    ¡°Ouch!¡± The arrow extraction had hurt, but the Healing was awesome, a flush of minty fresh energy flowing through her body.

    ¡°Behave, or I¡¯ll bump your heads together,¡± the giant restraining Grace and the Samurai said, letting them free. After pulling the sword from its hand, the monster offered it back, and the warrior sheathed it.

    Grace looked around. The Asian with the polearm was nowhere, so she supposed he was killed and teleported out for a Rezz at some point. The notification showed good news.

    Your Party has slain x3 Intergalactic Mercenaries, Lvl. 100. For killing foes of a vastly superior level and tier, you gained 1 AP/kill.

    You have defeated the Mercenary Team, Lvl. 100 6 AP awarded.

    You have leveled x 12. You have 19 free APs to allocate. 2 extra APs have been automatically distributed to CHA, INT, and DEX.

    She was now level seventy-three.

    ¡°Your tag says Allinder. Are you related to the Rowan Allinder monster?¡±

    She stared at the Shaman for a second, then at Victoria, who shrugged, palms up. True, being a monster depends on each one¡¯s point of view. ¡°I¡¯m Grace, Rowan¡¯s wife,¡± she offered a handshake.

    The Shaman looked at it befuddled, but the giant nearby took Grace¡¯s hand and smelled it. ¡°See? Told you. The monsters have a matriarchy. The wife fights the important battles, and the husband takes care of the home chores and the small fish,¡± the Troll told the Shaman, who sulked.

    ¡°How do you know about us?¡± Grace asked.

    ¡°TV, of course,¡± the Troll said. ¡°Your husband is infamous; every other talk show is about him.¡±

    ¡°And you are?¡± Victoria asked, raising up with a little help from the Samurai.

    ¡°Fenrri Gugvid, Ogre, at your service, and this is my husband, Snemc, the orc Shaman,¡± the woman answered. ¡°Our clan has been sentenced to forced labor in the dungeons for various petty crimes.¡±

    So, Ogres, not Trolls. Whatever.

    A vision entered Grace''s head. Ogres littering, goblins humping legs, and orcs getting involved in bar brawls. ¡°What happened with the other mercenaries?¡±

    ¡°They flew away when the horde attacked. Bloody jetpacks!¡± Victoria creased her nose. It might have been the displeasure at hearing the enemies had escaped or just a reaction to the hundreds of greenish creatures surrounding and staring at them from a safe distance.

    ¡°You¡¯re here for the core, right?¡± the Shaman asked.

    ¡°We were, but didn¡¯t know you were sentient. I¡­ we believed this was a mini-dungeon,¡± Grace said.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s the real deal.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ we¡¯re sorry for attacking your people¡­ will they¡­¡±

    ¡°Rezz? Some. Our facilities are limited. It was a big dungeon originally, but the Mana Leyline activating it is small. Let¡¯s get to the point. Those guys will be back. Or someone else. Your faction looks reasonable. What about we surrender, and you transform the dungeon into a City Core? This place would do just fine. We¡¯ll plead allegiance to you before the System,¡± the Shaman said. ¡°Win-win.¡±

    ¡°Will you allow safe passage for the neighboring Counties? We were hired to clear the road.¡± The two exchanged a few whispered words, then nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll have to go outside and call my husband. He¡¯s the one who can use Cores.¡±

    ¡°See? Matriarchy. The wife calls the husband for the menial work. The monsters have a more advanced civilization than we thought,¡± the Ogre concluded, to the visible distress of the Shaman.

    Thirty minutes later, after probably driving like mad and a couple of Joint Trip: Warps, Rowan arrived and took care of the core, which awarded the team a swooping plus ten APs to the party. After taking a System-enforced Oath, the Shaman offered them a village tour. It reeked of outhouses, but the overall vibe was cozy. Before they finished the tour, a group of tourists, nerds from the nearby campus, flooded the goblin fortress, taking selfies and buying trinkets. Advertising was something the monsters did well, apparently, and they didn¡¯t tarry on humping on opportunities.

 34: What is Love?

    <hr>

    Considering his high WIL and experience dealing with challenges, Rowan expected to cope better. Yet, the fateful hour of his first night with Cora approached fast, and his angst increased exponentially.

    And it wasn¡¯t like he was carefree, no. There were tons of things to do around. Playing with Lizzie, of course, but also organizing the livelihood of his new Goblinoid citizens, all nine hundred and sixty of them. Being so small, the new Town Core had been adopted as a subunit of Randolph County. On top of that, the much bigger College Town to the north insisted on joining the party. A decision he postponed for now.

    ¡°That¡¯s my daddy!¡± Lizzie beamed, pointing at the TV screen and pulling Rowan from his rumination.

    They had a TV connection now, courtesy of the new suburb. On this occasion, Dmitri made a new friend, the Shaman, and they watched the news together. A short clip representing Rowan¡¯s beckoning moment, the one at the end of the battle with the Government and the Neeks, spread on the screen. It was now the top GIF in the world to convey the idea of a dangerous psychopath, way ahead of The Shining and the axe scene.

    ¡°So?¡± Someone shoved his shoulder gently. It was Isla.

    ¡°Sorry, can you repeat?¡±

    ¡°What about Snemc the Shaman doing our bonding ceremony? Me, you, and Grace?¡±

    ¡°What a good idea!¡± Rowan¡¯s eyes lightened. ¡°This will raise the morale of his people; it shows we respect them. Done. Will your parents be OK with it?¡±

    ¡°As long as it¡¯s something flower power, they¡¯re good. And what¡¯s more flower power than a Shaman, right?¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re not exactly vegetarians, you know. They survived so long because of those stubborn students trying to claim the dungeon.¡±

    ¡°The cycle of life,¡± Isla shrugged. ¡°What about Cora?¡±

    ¡°We signed a contract at the Town Hall yesterday. She¡¯s all functionality.¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Isla diverted her eyes and then patted his thigh. ¡°OK, have to go. I work the night shift today. Good luck. You¡¯ll need it.¡±

    ¡°What do you know that I don¡¯t know?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to spoil the surprise.¡± Pecking his lips in a short kiss, Isla went away, letting Rowan follow the wall clock with his eyes.

    Almost nine o¡¯clock¡­ Fuuuck¡­ I¡¯m scared.

    Across the room, sitting on another couch, Cora was sipping Rowan from her eyes, like counting the seconds.

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s already so late,¡± Snemc said. ¡°We better go, or my wife will kill us. She cooked a wild boar for tonight. You do eat boar, Dmitri?¡±

    ¡°Will a duck swim? Greeks are raised with boar stew in their baby bottle. I¡¯m bringing the wine,¡± the Greek picked up a couple of bottles. ¡°Bye all, cya tomorrow. I plan to party all night.¡±

    The Shaman and the Greek waved and were gone in the night.

    ¡°Are you feeling well, Lizzie?¡± Grace asked, feeling the child¡¯s forehead. ¡°You look tired.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine¡­ aaaahhhh¡­¡± Lizzie yawned, a sign Grace was using a sedating spell on her.

    ¡°She¡¯s exhausted, I¡¯ll put her to bed.¡±

    Cora¡¯s grin widened to almost meet her ears as soon they were alone. She waited a minute to be sure no one was around anymore and jumped in Rowan¡¯s lap, kissing him. ¡°We¡¯re so lucky! I¡¯ll join you in the master bedroom.¡±

    ¡°But¡ª¡±

    ¡°Iiii! Can¡¯t wait!¡± She kissed him again and rushed to the stairs, climbing them two by two and letting out cheers every other second.

    C¡¯mon, Rowan, be a man! he tried to encourage himself. But that was the point. Could he be a man? He did care about Cora but as a friend. Was the bridge to love passable? Shaking his head, he went to the bedroom, showered, and dressed in his best handmade Italian pajamas.

    ¡°Yey!¡± Slamming the door behind her, Cora dashed into the room and jumped on the bed. ¡°Perfect. Sturdy enough¡­ Hm¡­¡± She stopped for a second, then jumped once more. ¡°Yeah. Sturdy enough. Come,¡± she patted the bed after kneeling on it.

    Rowan sat on the edge, trying to think of a way forward.

    This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    ¡°We¡¯re taking this with baby steps, right?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Now, where are we?¡± Cora extracted a small notebook and a tiny pen from her pajama pocket. ¡°Kissing, checked. It¡¯s lovely. I¡¯ll give it a ten out of ten. What about¡­ the erogenous zones? Let¡¯s start with the ears. I¡¯ll kiss yours, and you kiss mine.¡±

    She rubbed her arms around his neck and kissed his right ear enthusiastically. Rowan felt akin to a little kitten washed by its mother. Cora¡¯s tongue was thin and reached well inside. He felt relieved that he had taken the time to wash his ears carefully.

    ¡°Too much saliva?¡± she stopped and asked.

    ¡°A bit¡­¡±

    ¡°How much a bit, in milliliters?¡± she asked, her notebook at the ready.

    ¡°How should I know? It was just a bit too much.¡±

    ¡°OK, let¡¯s say¡­ twenty-five percent less¡­ Now, nibbling.¡±

    ¡°Ouch!¡± he yelled as she bit his earlobe so hard it bled. He stopped from pushing her away at the last moment.¡±

    ¡°Hm¡­ How was it on a scale of one to ten, and what¡¯s your desired pressure level?¡±

    ¡°That was a ten, and a three would be¡­ Look, Cora, that¡¯s not how we, humans, do this,¡± he grabbed the notebook and put it on the nightstand. ¡°We kiss, and cuddle, and touch each other until we feel comfortable to get more¡­ intimate. This Nekojin style is a little too brainiac-like for me. You did all this quiz routine with every partner?¡±

    Lowering her head, Cora looked away, blushing. ¡°I n-never had another partner¡­ b-before¡­ Nekojin INT b-builds m-mate for life and n-never do¡­ t-things b-before the m-marriage¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh my God!¡± Rowan blurted, slapping his mouth and jerking his body back. ¡°Cora! This is wrong. What if I¡¯m not the right person for you?¡± A terrible thought passed his brain with the fierceness of a bullet, and he facepalmed again. ¡°Fuck¡­ How could I not think about it? Are you an adult?¡±

    ¡°Of course I¡¯m an adult, you moron,¡± she sulked, letting herself fall back on the bed, arms crossed. ¡°I¡¯m twenty-one in your years.¡±

    ¡°Thank goodness¡­ Let¡¯s not rush it, OK? Baby steps¡­ Baby steps.¡±

    Stretching her arm toward the nightstand, Cora picked up the notebook and threw it at his head. ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I was doing, genius. Make up your mind: am I going too slow or too fast?¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­ True, you were doing just that¡­ But I meant baby steps, like romantically. Are you really sure you love me?¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡± Cora sighed and stopped for a second. ¡°I don¡¯t know, OK? Logic says we¡¯re a perfect match. I do feel¡­ excited near you,¡± she blushed. ¡°But I always imagined love to be something¡­ different. Like a hammer hitting your head, and you know instantly¡­¡±

    ¡°Hahaha¡­ remember, in the ship, when we first met, and you hit my head on the door and I fainted?¡± Slowing his words, Rowan felt a claw grabbing his heart. What if that had been a sign?

    ¡°I have no idea what true love is, but know if there is such a thing,¡± she grabbed his neck, pulling him toward her, ¡°I want it to be with you, and I¡¯m willing to try to find out.¡±

    They kissed, a long kiss, and he had to admit she was right. Their kisses were a ten out of ten. So sweet¡­ ¡°What about I show you how we do things slowly, and you stop me whenever you feel it¡¯s too much? Is this OK?¡±

    Cora nodded, covering her eyes with her hands. He took out the top of his pajama and unbuttoned hers, one button at a time. Her skin was deliciously smooth. Kissing her neck, then the nipples, and taking his sweet time there, Rowan descended step by step toward the button belly. She had one, so that was a similitude. Stopping a little at her hips and kissing those and her thighs, he waited for a second to see if she was going to stop him or not.

    There was no sign Cora disliked what he was doing. Her neck¡¯s skin had flushed, a perfectly normal reaction, and her hands were in the same position, covering the eyes. The tail¡¯s hair was now bristling, leaning over the bed¡¯s edge, a fluffy snake. Having a high DEX meant he could put on protection with one hand while fondling her breasts with the other.

    As soon as his right hand was free, he pulled her pajama pants down slowly while aiming his kisses lower and lower on her belly. Suddenly, her claw-like nails grabbed his hair, pulling Rowan up.

    ¡°Hurry, hurry, yes, take me, now,¡± Cora screamed.

    Her tail was whipping his face, and she was moving so fast and erratically that he had to apply a little weight to pin her down. Then she wrapped her legs around his hips.

    ¡°Yes, yes, yes. You¡¯re the one! You¡¯re the one!¡± she yelled in his right ear, almost deafening him.

    At that rhythm, Rowan expected everything to finish quickly, but to his surprise, it went on for half an hour, in which she changed positions many times to experiment, he guessed. Ultimately, they both melted in a common pleasure, with Cora¡¯s tiny fangs biting his shoulder.

    ¡°You¡¯re wonderful,¡± he caressed Cora¡¯s hair, fondling her ears.

    ¡°Snrrff¡­¡± she said. Her body went limp in his arms, a total relaxation. Rowan turned her face up, arranging a pillow under her head. The Nekojin was snoring, sound asleep, the tip of her tongue out of her mouth.

    ¡°Goodness, Cora¡­ You¡¯re something¡­¡± He went to the bathroom for a short shower and noticed scratches on his cheeks and shoulders. His natural regeneration healed them all before he finished the shower. Returning to the room, he pulled the blanket over Cora and went to sleep himself.

    At precisely six in the morning, she shook him, waking him up. ¡°I want to test my idea of foreplay,¡± she whispered.

    <hr>

    With Cora asleep again, so sound one could shoot a cannon near her ear, Rowan dressed and went for breakfast. It was early. Lizzie and Dmitri were still asleep. And so was Grace, only on the couch. She woke up, hearing his steps.

    ¡°Sooo,¡± she yawned. ¡°How was it.¡±

    Snorting, Rowan turned on the Espresso machine.

    ¡°C¡¯mon! I¡¯m curious,¡± Grace pushed on.

    ¡°You knew she was a virgin?¡± Rowan asked, breaking a few eggs.

    ¡°Uhuh!¡± she grinned.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡±

    ¡°Why spoil the surprise?¡±

    ¡°You devil!¡± he waved the fork in the air before lowering it into the bowl.

    ¡°So? What¡¯s different?¡±

    ¡°Look, Grace, a gentleman doesn¡¯t talk about¡ª¡±

    ¡°She wants us to talk about it, for science¡¯s sake,¡± Grace interjected. ¡°First Earth-Nekojin relationship. To boldly go where no one has gone before. She gave Isla and me a file with questions. We¡¯re supposed to ask you if you like her Newtons and Pascals. Or wasn¡¯t Joules?¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­ True, Cora would do exactly that. What was different? Her tail gets all over, in your face, around your neck, and it¡¯s like she has three hands. That was cute enough¡­ The strangest thing was her idea of foreplay ¡­ she played with my¡­ thing like with a wool clew¡­ Let me tell you, claws are not ideal for that¡­ Apart from that, we did it twice, and she¡¯s as bit as normal as a girl her age. Sweet, inexperienced, but enthused. Here, satisfied?¡±

    ¡°Hm¡­ strange,¡± Grace frowned. ¡°You did it twice, you say¡­ She told me she can¡¯t do real sex out of her mating seasons, and that¡¯s in a month or so. Her¡­ thingie is supposed to be too tight. Like pencil tight.¡±

    ¡°Maybe she had no idea how this works,¡± Rowan shrugged. ¡°Coffee?¡±

 35: A Fit of Rage

    <hr>

    To Rowan¡¯s amazement, in just a few days, Cora had become much more assertive, bossing everyone in the restaurant. ¡°This steak is medium rare; I wanted it rare. Do you understand what rare means? Make me another one.¡± She was a mini-Karen in action, plus the fangs and claws.

    ¡°Anything else?¡± the Orc waiter asked. In less than a month, the Goblinoid shanty town had transformed into a posh Medieval city, a typical tourist attraction, with stone and wood buildings and excellent taverns.

    ¡°We¡¯re good,¡± the Shaman flickered his fingers, signaling the waiter to leave and allow them some space to discuss.

    ¡°OK, guys, let¡¯s talk,¡± Rowan said when they finished their lunch, including the dessert. ¡°There¡¯s been a development.  Cora will do the presentation. Baby?¡±

    ¡°Ahum!¡± The Nekojin cleared her voice and tried to appear calm despite her tail betraying some nervousness. ¡°Let¡¯s take it from the beginning. The Traipenent crashes and ejects one hundred dungeon cores around the Earth. Now, the mini-dungeons have activated and are easy to track, but the real dungeons are dormant and hard to detect. We¡¯re talking about an object the size of a crystal ball. Once reclaimed, a core can be transformed into a Town Core or fed into a pre-existing Town Core, which offers Levels and Perks. Of course, I was talking about mini-dungeon cores. Feeding true dungeon cores to a town would be im¡ª¡±

    ¡°I assure you, it¡¯s possible,¡± Viscardi said. ¡°You can feed any kind of core to any type of core.¡±

    Cora frowned. ¡°I was going to say immoral because it would kill the prisoners kept inside. Right?¡±

    ¡°Rest in peace,¡± Viscardi leaned his glass, letting a few drops hit the floor.

    ¡°H-how many?¡±

    ¡°Prisoners? No idea. Cores? One. Level fifty-six, like this one.¡±

    ¡°They were hardened criminals,¡± Viscardi¡¯s daughter, Victoria, rushed to add. ¡°Road rage, speeding on intergalactic lanes. They had it coming.¡±

    ¡°What is done is done,¡± Rowan rolled his eyes. ¡°Never mind, we digressed. Cora?¡±

    ¡°I have detected leyline stress between the Awakened Towns and the rest of the world. There¡¯s too big a difference between Mana-rich areas and low-mana ones. My computer models show that Earth can support at most thirty Town Cores or a total of high-density Mana areas of under ten million square miles.¡±

    ¡°So, no more magic over that?¡± Rowan asked.

    Cora pursed her lips. ¡°Worse. Earth could break apart.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a silver lining, though. If it comes to that, but the Town Cores are over level fifty, the planet will become an Island Cluster.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Rowan asked.

    ¡°Large chunks float together, and you fly in between with blimps or whatever airship.¡±

    ¡°Why isn¡¯t the System issuing quests, alarms, stuff?¡±

    ¡°My best guess is it doesn¡¯t care so much. The Awakened Towns will survive no matter what, and if the existing towns claim and consume the rest of the core, the problem is solved. Also, Earth¡¯s overall Mana field will increase by itself gradually, and the danger will pass.¡±

    ¡°We better hurry to get more cores, just in case,¡± Rowan interjected. ¡°Sorry, baby, go on.¡±

    ¡°We have eight Town Cores active: Elkins, Rome, Doghae, Hagi, Vladivostok, Goblin Town, and an unknown, right?  That must be the Neeks. Between us, we managed to get back thirty-six mini-dungeon cores, including the ones Vegas assimilated.  That leaves only seven mini-dungeons unaccounted for. There are four real dungeons checked: Vegas, Goblin Town, The Warlord¡ªlocation unknown¡ªand¡­ the one you consumed, Lord Blackswarm.¡±

    Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    ¡°True,¡± the Vampire nodded. ¡°So, if my poor math is right, we have seven mini-dungeons and forty-six dungeons roaming around. We have to get our hands on at least twenty-something more cores to be on the safe side.¡±

    ¡°The more, the better,¡± Cora emphasized. ¡°All towns but Vladivostok have agreed to consume their cores for XP and energy. The Russians are stubborn; they want to use their cores to build more bases and subdue the territory in between. And the mercenaries are in play too.¡±

    ¡°A core would allow the mercs to build themselves a base or buy a ticket out of the planet,¡± Viscardi said.

    ¡°You still want to go on with the plan and make Vegas a Town Core?¡± Rowan asked?

    ¡°I do,¡± the Vampire nodded. ¡°A Town Core is easier to defend.¡±

    ¡°Then let¡¯s do it. We¡¯ll be able to move around faster.¡±

    ¡°To claim a core, you have to challenge the dungeon, remember? In Goblin Town, your group saved the day, allowing the Shaman to surrender to you. Allowing the Mercs to reach my lair and counting on you to help at the last minute is out of the question.¡±

    ¡°So what do you have in mind?¡±

    ¡°You train hard and level up, then I invite you into my lair for a drink, and we pretend to argue about¡­ whatever, take your pick. I say Bourbon is shit, and Scotch rules, and you challenge me to a duel, which I¡¯ll pretend to lose¡­ hey, what¡¯s up with you?¡±

    Suddenly, Rowan had leaned forward over the table, snarling at Viscardi with his upper lip raised, grabbing him by the lapels. One could think Rowan was the Vampire, and the other was the prey waiting to be bitten.

    ¡°You want a piece of me, old man? Take it back, now!¡±  Rowan felt a passenger in his body, and the notification embarrassed him to the moon and back. ¡°Scotch wouldn¡¯t even exist if not for our barrels!¡±

    Your subconsciousness took over in a fit of rage, acting upon your previous frequent involvement in Bar Fights. Having an unbalanced build yet and struggling all the time to keep control of your emotions means you are prone to emotional discharges. Raising your INT to the third Threshold will help solve this problem.

    Trying to get his reason back failed. Rowan stared into Viscardi¡¯s eyes, yelling: ¡°Bourbon is life. Bourbon is everything. Don¡¯t you dare to insult Bourbon, you ketchup replacement drinker!¡±

    His arms were twisted with superhuman strength, and Rowan was pulled back and restrained skillfully¡ªand he knew that for having been arrested a couple of times after bar brawls¡ªby Fenrri, the Shaman¡¯s wife.

    ¡°He does love Bourbon,¡± Cora said. ¡°But this is a little extreme. Darling, are you all right?¡±

    ¡°How much did he drink?¡± Victoria asked.

    Rowan struggled to say very little, but instead, his body tried to fight against the restraint.

    ¡°Of course!¡± Snemc jumped up. ¡°A man has to defend their honor. Bourbon is sacrosanct. And so is the liquor of life: blood. This calls for a duel. In the ARENA!¡± he yelled the last word, and everybody stopped.

    ¡°You have an arena?¡± Viscardi asked, wiping his face with an elegant handkerchief.

    ¡°We do have an Arena!¡±

    ¡°This is perfect¡­ I¡¯m insulted, right? Very well¡­ I choose¡­ Hm¡­ Pistols¡­ No¡­ Let¡¯s have fun. Three rounds, each different. Swords, pistols, and no holds barred. Perfect,¡± Viscardi pushed the handkerchief back into his breast pocket, rubbing his hands. ¡°Give me an hour; I¡¯ll contact the press.¡±

    ¡°Me too,¡± the Shaman blurted and started texting in a frenzy.

    What¡¯s going on? Rowan tried to say but threw an elbow in Fenrri¡¯s ribs instead and got a slap on the head as payment. That succeeded in getting him out of the trance. Viscardi and Victoria had left the room, and he was alone with the rest.

    ¡°You can let me down now,¡± he said. To his surprise, Fenrri freed him. A true policeperson would have laughed and beat him on.  She needs better training, I¡¯ll have a word with Isla.

    ¡°A genius¡¯s plan,¡± Snemc said. ¡°Arranging a meeting here, where we have an Arena? Brilliant.¡±

    Honestly, we met here for the boar steak.

    ¡°Cores can be bet in the Arena, and the dampeners ensure the match is balanced. The System won¡¯t see a thing. This is perfect,¡± the Shaman repeated Viscardi''s words. ¡°And when they see Rowan beat a Vampire Lord, those Mercs or whoever has a beef with us will shit their pants and stay away. Love, take care of our guest; I¡¯m being called by a sports channel.¡±

    What the fuck, he has a British accent now?

    The Shaman ran out, bumping into the Orc waiter twice, as neither wanted to let the other go first. Entering the private room, the waiter started to gather the dishes, but not before saying solemnly: ¡°I¡¯ll bet on you.¡± That meant the staff had eavesdropped at the door.

    ¡°I have to feed the spawn,¡± Fenrri said, exiting as well.

    ¡°Goodness¡­ What have I done?¡± Rowan exhaled. ¡°Baby¡­ I need your help.¡±

    ¡°Anything you want!¡± Cora rushed to sit in Rowan¡¯s lap, covering his face with kisses. ¡°How can I help you relax?¡± she sussured in his ear.

    He dismissed the thought and fought against temptation. ¡°That¡¯s not what I have in mind, I¡¯ll be tired for the match. It¡¯s about the girls¡­ I¡¯m not sure I can face a scolding now. Could you call Grace and Isla and tell them what happened And that it was a¡­ masterful cunning plan of my part?¡±

    ¡°Sure, my love. By the way, I changed shifts with Isla, and you¡¯re all mine for three days. Iiii!¡± Clapping happily, Cora bolted to the exit.

 36: Three Rounds in the Arena

    <hr>

    Grabbing his head between his hands, Rowan tried to gather his wits together. The good news was that Viscardi was going to lose on purpose. That was cool. The bad news was he didn¡¯t feel ready to confront a Vampire Lord. What if he embarrassed himself? And how about leveling too much? He had forgotten to ask that.

    ¡°Err¡­ is there a Core AI around? How much XP do you gain from dueling in the Arena?¡±

    [Goblin Town Core Call Center]: Normal XP rules don¡¯t apply in the Arena. For a high-stakes duel like yours, a level and a free AP are awarded to the winner, or one skill point, if you are at the maximum level. It is important to know that Arenas allows fighters to use every move in their repertoire, resetting daily cool-downs or ignoring diurnal cycle restrictions. There is also a resurrection pocket dimension to prevent accidental deaths.

    That was a pleasant surprise. Now, Rowan had to think of a way to make the fight look credible. But not before inspecting a notification dismissed while shouting at Viscardi.

    You have successfully applied Sonar, Gretchen¡¯s Question, Insight, and Svart¨¢lfar Stare on target: Viscardi Blackswarm, Vampire Lord (Legendary), Level 100.

    Once the finest blade in the Cesti quadrant, Viscardi Blackswarm¡¯s skills have rusted. His last fight was decades ago. He manifested apprehension at the thought of physical violence. His main weakness is Cold.

    I thought a Vampire¡¯s weakness was light¡­ So, Cold, huh? That''s perfect. Now, what did that notification say about losing control because of my low INT? Let¡¯s deal with that¡­

    He pushed twenty-three APs into INT and read the notification for the perks.

    Name: Rowan Allinder. Main Class: Indomitable. Tier: Legendary, Level 68 Secondary Class: Primeval Magus. Tier: Mythical

    48 APs available

    Str. 52 / Dex. 52 / Con. 52 / Int. 75 / Wil. 79  / Cha. 52

    Intelligence Perk, Threshold 3 (Main Class: Indomitable): Enhanced Strategy. Impossible odds? Yes, for the enemy. This perk works well together with your wife¡¯s Tactical Planning.

    Intelligence Perk, Threshold 3 (Secondary Class: Primeval Magus): R?svelg (Origin of the Wind).

    R?svelg¡¯s First Aspect: The Cold Wind (Mythical) super AoE is now unlocked due to your uncanny affinity to Elemental Magic and previous combined applications of Cold, Gravity, and Telekinesis.  Discover The Cold Wind¡¯s facets through experimentation.

    Just what I needed.

    His thoughts were interrupted by the noise of the door slamming on the wall. The one responsible was Isla. She darted into the room, followed by Grace.

    ¡°There¡¯s a ton of TV stations broadcasting your duel,¡± Isla said. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare use your hyperspace shit! We don¡¯t want to warn everyone how strong you are. Do. You. Understand?¡± she yelled, grabbing his jacket¡¯s lapels like he had done with Viscardi earlier.

    His first instinct had been to push her away, but his heart said otherwise, and Rowan pulled the woman closer, hugging her. ¡°I love you too. I know you yell at me because you care.¡±

    She pushed him off, sneering. ¡°First, I¡¯m not yelling. That¡¯s how I talk. Second, do you think some shitty reverse psychology works on me? Pah! I could give a ticket to a toddler driving his grandmother to the hospital without a second thought!"

    ¡°Right. Toddlers should think twice before driving,¡± Rowan misused her words, trying to keep his face serious.

    ¡°That¡¯s not¡ª"

    ¡°You¡¯re making my hair turn white,¡± Grace stated, muting Isla in the process.

    ¡°What should I do to make the fight look convincing?¡± Rowan asked, looking at Isla.

    ¡°C¡¯mon! He wants to lose; let him think of something. Keep it clean, go into melee range, and throw in your left hook.¡±

    ¡°True,¡± Rowan nodded. ¡°My left hook is good.¡±

    Their conversation was interrupted by tremblings on the floor. A large person was approaching, its steps making the planks shake. Before entering the room, Fenrri knocked on the door frame. ¡°The Arena is set.¡±

    A thick fog descended on Rowan¡¯s mind. It was strange, considering the duel was fixed. Every fiber of his body told him it was an important fight.

    Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.

    They exited the building and walked on cobblestones-covered streets until they reached the Arena. The sizable building reminded him of the Colosseum, and Isla also noticed and commented about the resemblance. The slightly oval fighting area was about a hundred yards long and eighty wide; they peeked at it on the way to the locker rooms.

    Once in his cabin, Rowan spent a few minutes dressing in the medium leather armor he now used to fight in, and then Fenrri came to escort him to the ring. The bright lights blinded him momentarily, and the cheers were deafening. The stalls were filled to the brim with people. Students from the neighboring College Town and visitors from Vegas.

    A presenter bellowed words. A celebrity. Maybe. Rowan was not usually watching TV, ignoring what he considered irrelevant noise. Then, Fenrri pushed Rowan into the battleground. The rapier in Viscardi''s hand made him realize this was the sword-fighting round. Rowan hated swords; the range was small, and the moves were too complicated. Pikes, he loved. Nevertheless, he summoned a Scottish broadsword from his inventory.

    The gong gave three signals, and the Vampire was on him instantly, with his hair bristling, hissing, and showing his fangs. If the display was for the show, Rowan had no idea because he struggled to parry the assault, swinging his weapon wildly. In the heat of battle, it was hard to concentrate on what his HEMA instructor had taught him.

    Binding their swords together, Viscardi and Rowan entered a strength match. Which the younger man knew was faked. Sword binds were not a thing; a simple twist in the angle would have allowed the Vampire to skewer him.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± the Vampire hissed. ¡°Next time, parry with the forte and counter. Can¡¯t you see I¡¯m wide open on my left?¡±

    At the next pass of arms, he tried to do what Viscardi had suggested, only to find his shoulder impaling itself on the Vampire¡¯s sword and his own weapon finding only air. Rowan had lounged with the wrong foot forward.

    ¡°The other left, you idiot! And don¡¯t do crosses; this is not boxing!¡± the Vampire said with a desperate look in his eyes, almost like begging.

    Rowan¡¯s Strategic Sixth Sense read the truth. Viscardi¡¯s rusted skills were enhanced by muscle memory that was probably centuries old, and Rowan¡¯s swordsmanship was lacking. This was pathetic, leaning toward pitiful.

    Rowan felt anger. At himself, for not training harder, and at Viscardi, for¡­ just because. The Vampire was a decent chap, and hating him was hard. Nevertheless, the level of animosity reached a good threshold, and Rowan was ready to go all in.

    Fuck fighting nice!

    From that point on,  Rowan tried all the dirty tricks he knew. He threw sand in the eyes of the Vampire with his boot, then tried to kick the man¡¯s groin with, and¡­ that was about it because Viscardi adopted a Spanish destreza stance that kept the younger man at bay. Rowan¡¯s bar fights acumen was not working anymore. When the three-minute round ended and a goblin brought him a chair, the public was overwhelmingly silent. This was not what had been expected from Earth¡¯s most notorious Classed.

    The pause felt short. Isla threw some cold water on his face, which helped achieve nothing. The commentator barked sarcasm about how Rowan wasn¡¯t a fencer, and it showed, and the students in the crowd booed. Nerds, especially the cosplayer type, were merciless. The referee¡ªnone other than Snemc¡ªshoved a flintlock pistol into Rowan¡¯s hand.

    ¡°Point and shoot,¡± the Shaman said.

    ¡°I know how to shoot a gun, thank you very much,¡± Rowan sneered. ¡°I¡¯m an American.¡±

    Ignoring his bad mood, the Shaman proceeded with the explanations. The second round was simple. Viscardi and Rowan were supposed to start in the middle, back to back, take ten steps, turn, aim, and shoot at each other. If no one scored a hit, rinse and repeat.

    What are you doing, you dimwit?

    The Vampire Lord was obviously as inexperienced with guns as Rowan was with swords. What Viscardi intended to be a wild shot, aiming high and throwing the match¡ªin his opinion¡ªwas sure to hit Rowan in his head. Shooting first, Rowan aimed at the Vampire¡¯s pistol. Twenty yards were nothing for a good shot. His bullet blew the Vampire¡¯s gun to smithereens, making the shrapnel blow in Viscardi¡¯s face.

    The Shaman sprinted to offer healing, but the Vampire refused. Holding his throat and face in his hands, Viscardi returned to his corner, patching himself up on the way. The crowd was cheering now; its mood changed. Rowan returned to his corner, and Isla started to massage his shoulders.

    ¡°Play defensive,¡± she suggested. ¡°Wait until he¡¯s open and left hook.¡±

    ¡°This is magic time. He¡¯s weak to Cold damage, so I¡¯ll try a new AoE. If it doesn¡¯t work, I¡¯ll try something else.¡±

    The gong signal energized Rowan, and he stepped into the Arena determinedly, his spear in hand.  Viscardi advanced slowly, and then he disappeared, letting in his place a cloud of bats that spread all around.

    ¡°So you want me to work for my prize,¡± Rowan muttered. ¡°OK, let¡¯s see...¡± He slammed the butt of his weapon into the ground, thinking about a blizzard.

    Cold Wind, Snowstorm facet unlocked and activated. Cost: 50 Mana/second.

    The blizzard enveloped him as a friend, a fluffy coat made of a freezing hell and razor-sharp icicles, and he knew in that instant that he and the storm were fated to meet. People misunderstood what Cold was. Cold was warm, cuddly, perfect like a bourbon¡¯s Kentucky hug. Everything was as it was supposed to be. A moment of bliss, a skill he felt he could use with his eyes closed. That was what he needed, a true weapon, not some shish-kebab stick with a basket hilt.

    In two seconds, the storm engulfed the Arena. It was dark and oppressive; it was death. Viscardi¡¯s bats flew away, trying to escape, but there was a Gravity component in the AoE that slowed them down, and they disintegrated in the icy wind, popping like popcorn. Only one hid in a crevice between two stones in the Arena¡¯s wall. A devil in Rowan¡¯s head was whispering to go for it, to kill the Vampire for good. The drunkenness of overwhelming power.

    Warning! Impending collapse of the Arena¡¯s protections. Evacuate! Evacuate!

    ¡°That¡¯s my Daddy!¡±

    There was only one soul who was not afraid of the blizzard, and its light and pride shone so bright that stopping the spell felt natural, a snap of the fingers.

    ¡°I yield,¡± the surviving bat squealed, crawling out and becoming the Vampire again, albeit thin and shivering.

    The crowd remained silent for some time. Cheers started when Grace, Isla, Cora, and Lizzie rushed into the arena to hug the winner. After indulging himself in the warmth of love, Rowan extracted himself from the group embrace and went to the haggard Viscardi to offer a handshake.

    ¡°Sorry, man. I overreacted.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s OK,¡± Viscardi whispered. ¡°I¡­ underestimated you. My bad. For the record, I now consider Bourbon the best drink on Earth,¡± he shouted the last phrase, and now the crowd unleashed itself even more. They patted each other''s backs and then returned to their dear ones, which, for Viscardi, meant Victoria.

    ¡°What was that shit?¡± Isla asked. ¡°I thought Warp was your best move.¡±

    ¡°My new AoE. I didn¡¯t know it was so strong. Fuck¡­ Let¡¯s scram!¡± A dozen of reporters were running toward him after jumping the fence. ¡°No comment, no comment!¡± Rowan screamed and ran, taking Lizzie in his arms.

 37: Itâ€™s Always Hot in Vegas

    <hr>

    Two hours later, after Isla and Grace returned hope through a portal, Rowan sat in a private cabin in Viscardi¡¯s plane, considering his options and future actions while looking absently at the landscape below. Due to the dwindling economic resources, few cities had their lights on.  There was a knock on the door, and he shouted: ¡°Enter.¡±

    ¡°You wanted to see me?¡± Victoria asked, stepping inside.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Rowan nodded. ¡°Since Vegas will become my vassal town, you¡¯re working for me now, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes, your Lordship,¡± she bowed.

    ¡°Then, I want to ask you for a favor.¡±

    There was a short shiver over her body, and Victoria lowered her eyes. ¡°Very well¡­ But let''s keep this between us. I¡¯m seeing somebody now.¡±

    She started to unbutton her blouse and reached the second button before Rowan realized what she was doing and yelped: ¡°Stop! Not that kind of favor! Why is everybody thinking I¡¯m sex obsessed?¡±

    ¡°Maybe because you have three wives. And I did notice you looking at me,¡± Victoria said coldly, rearranging her clothes. "Don''t deny it."

    ¡°Noticing a striking woman doesn¡¯t mean I want to have sex with her.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll take it as a compliment.¡±

    ¡°It was a compliment¡­ never mind. You worked for¡­ err¡­ Novosibirsk? No¡­ fuck¡­ not that. These Russian names are confusing¡­¡±

    ¡°Vladivostok?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that.¡±

    ¡°I worked with them, not for.¡±

    ¡°They are stubborn and want to activate a lot of cores. That puts Earth at risk. Who will activate the cores for them? I heard the Knyaz doesn¡¯t have the perk.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s an old lady, a former teacher. I met her only once. Stern, severe.¡±

    ¡°Can you kidnap her?¡± Victoria stared at him with a blank expression. ¡°I don¡¯t want to kill people just for being in the wrong spot,¡± Rowan explained. ¡°Or steal the cores, if possible?¡±

    ¡°I was thinking about turning her into a thrall,¡± Victoria said. ¡°Killing the woman is pointless, they have a Rezz perk.¡±

    ¡°Do what you think it¡¯s best at the moment.¡±

    The Vampire stood silent for a few seconds, then nodded and turned around to leave, only to stop at the last moment and look at him. ¡°Is this all?¡± she insisted on the word.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Rowan rushed to say. He blushed. Victoria was not ugly, far from it, but enough was enough.

    ¡°I was just a little curious,¡± the blonde shrugged and left for good.

    Sighing, Rowan moved to the bed, trying to relax. Cora¡ªwho was in the cockpit, piloting¡ª told him not to activate the Joint Trip: Warp out of fear of breaking the plane, and they still had a couple of hours to go. At least, once the core was claimed, they could teleport between towns.

    Outside, somebody was taking potshots at them, firing rockets or machine guns. Probably some faction of the former US. The airplane¡¯s shield resisted as it was expected. Then, Rowan dozed off.

    <hr>

    ¡°Pocket universes never cease to amaze me,¡± Cora said.

    ¡°A pity,¡± Viscardi said, looking longingly at the core sitting on his desk, a black ball of swirling energies. ¡°This is worth so much money¡­¡±

    ¡°Let me guess: in the civilized part of the Galaxy, there are plenty of Awakened Towns, but not so many Dungeons, right?¡± Rowan asked.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Cora sighed. ¡°My parents were deeply in debt¡­ Some of the cores were on lease, others borrowed.¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter anymore,¡± Viscardi shrugged. ¡°The first quadrant¡¯s laws don¡¯t apply here. Well, how will you do it? You want us to take over the state or only Clark County?¡±

    ¡°How much area can a core cover?¡± Rowan asked.

    ¡°The surface is proportional to its power and level, but it can be customized,¡± Cora explained. ¡°This is a top-level one, so it can go as big as¡­ maybe two hundred thousand square miles. The smaller it is, the more energy it has for perks and the larger the economy and population. Some levels will be lost in transition, but this Town Core will start around level twenty-five nevertheless.¡±

    ¡°Can I have a map?¡±

    Cora offered ROwan her phone, but Viscardi was faster, producing a real paper map and a pencil from his inventory.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± Rowan nodded. ¡°What if we start around Las Vegas, then go northwest, climb up with the Sierra Nevada, then aim west to the sea, north, up here, and come back?¡±

    The Vampire Lord frowned and leaned to look better at the line drawn over the map. ¡°I get why you¡¯re bypassing the desert, but why the big cities?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to manage big crowds. They¡¯re grown-ups, let them take care of themselves. Smaller cities are friendly, and I guess that¡¯s good agricultural land and scenery, and a few ports¡­ What happens if the barrier meets the sea?¡±

    ¡°It goes down into the sea, ground, and all the way around,¡± Cora said. ¡°An Awakened Town is an enclosed space, like a sphere, only molded to an irregular shape. Some perks allow lifeforms to pass through unhindered, but they¡¯re expensive.¡±

    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

    ¡°So, in theory, we can also take some sea? For fishing at stuff?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°You can have the sea in California. Why go up?¡± the Vampire asked.

    ¡°To put a wedge between California and Oregon. They¡¯re at war, right?¡±

    ¡°Are you into charity or something?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to change their pampers, but if I can help stop a war with minimal effort¡­¡±

    ¡°Very well, but I want Reno,¡± Viscardi said and pressed a button on his desk. ¡°We have invested a lot there. Vera, can you come for a moment? Bring Reno¡¯s financial situation, please.¡±

    Moments later, a young woman in her mid-twenties, with brown hair, short and on the plump side, wearing glasses, entered the room, a thick folder in his arms.

    ¡°My youngest daughter, Vera. She¡¯s my secretary and an economist.¡±

    ¡°Hi,¡± the woman waved discreetly, then forwarded the folder to Rowan. ¡°Here you are.¡±

    Are all their names starting with V? Rowan asked himself but tried to be polite and refrained from voicing the question. ¡°Give it to Cora, I don¡¯t understand data as well as she does.¡± The Nekojin took the papers and moved to another couch, leafing through the folder as the secretary exited.

    ¡°Indulge my curiosity¡­ err¡­ is there any difference in rank between your wives?¡± Viscardi leaned and whispered to Rowan.

    ¡°No,¡± he whispered back. ¡°But I call Cora baby, Isla, honey, and Grace sweetheart to avoid confusion.¡±

    ¡°Good point,¡± Viscardi nodded. ¡°So, Cora, what¡¯s your take?¡±

    ¡°Reno looks good. Should we give it a go, darling?¡±

    ¡°Yes, let¡¯s do it... How exactly are we going to do this? The last time, the core did all the job.¡±

    ¡°Actually, I did all the job. Now, it¡¯s more complicated. First step, I¡¯ll scan the map you draw,¡± Cora paused and took a photo with her phone. ¡°Second step, I¡¯m overlapping it with the existing counties on the internet, simulating a takeover¡­ OK, we might have quite a few enclaves or independent entities,¡± Cora touched the map with her finger. ¡°Worst-case scenario, we can go around them.¡±

    ¡°Why is that?¡± Rowan asked.

    ¡°Native territories. We didn¡¯t have them in Randolph. The System adores little city-states, and the voting process will be more lengthy and complicated based on their laws. They¡¯ll have the option to become enclaves, with their own portals to the outside, or retain the same status within our new territory."

    "What if they claim their old territory? Ou know, like it was hundreds of years ago."

    "The System isn''t here to patch back human history; it works on the status quo. It''s take it or leave it. OK, I¡¯m sending a notification to everyone. They¡¯ll have to vote one way or another.¡±

    ¡°Trust me, they¡¯ll want in rather than stay out with some crazy people that throw nukes at each other,¡± Viscardi said.

    ¡°Touch the core, baby. We¡¯ll do it together.¡±

    Sitting on each side of the table, Cora and Rowan joined hands over the sphere, and a visual notification appeared above.

    Do you want to claim the Blackswarm Dungeon Core and transform it into a Town Core? Y/N

    ¡°Yes. Consume the Dungeon Core to create a new Town Core, its capital on our current location, with the boundaries of the new polity based on the map I¡¯m sending now,¡± Cora said, touching her phone for a second.

    A soft light started to shine from the sphere, enveloping the room and supposedly going all over the town. Ten seconds later, the core vanished, and there was a notification:

    The Town Core has finished installing its processing unit. The transformation will continue slower for the next forty-eight hours, creating new boundaries as soon as the voting process ends. Combatant forces have been detected in the area and Warped away. Suggested names for the new polity based on combinations of the first syllables: Vegorcal, Vegcalor, Calveor, Calorveg, Orcalveg, Orvecal. Please select an option or create a new name.

    ¡°Viscardi?¡± Rowan asked.

    ¡°Uh?¡± the Vampire jerked. He had dozed off while the two busied with the core.

    ¡°Select or create a name for your domain; we¡¯ll go with your choice. Right baby?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s only fair. He did most of the work.¡±

    ¡°¡­ let¡¯s go for Calveor,¡± the vampire said after taking a moment to think.

    ¡°Calveor is the name,¡± Cora said. ¡°Count Rowan Allinder is the suzerain but appoints Viscardi Blackswarm as his permanent representative and Lord Mayor of Vegas City. Rowan and I will have Admin privileges for the Town¡¯s Core settings. Lord Viscardi and a person he¡¯ll appoint will have the same privileges.¡±

    ¡°I appoint my oldest daughter, Victoria Blackswarm.¡±

    ¡°Continue installation on default parameters. I¡¯ll dabble with the perks tomorrow,¡± Cora said. ¡°It¡¯s late and¡ª¡±

    ¡°We have to go back home,¡± Rowan said.

    ¡°I was thinking of staying the night and enjoying the town? It¡¯s Vegas, after all.¡±

    ¡°Good idea,¡± Rowan smiled. ¡°I¡¯ll call home to tell them we¡¯ll arrive tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll give you the best apartment in town,¡± Viscardi promised.

    <hr>

    Definitely, there was something strange with Cora. Her assertiveness was now at least an eight on a scale from one to ten. After playing in the Casino and having some snacks, she insisted on retiring to their room. That had been at nine o¡¯clock. Then, she told him she had to do some shopping on her own and that it¡¯d take some time. Which made sense because the next day was Christmas Eve.

    But why leave him alone? What gifts could she buy, he couldn¡¯t see? OK, maybe the one for him, but for the rest? He knew Isla, Grace, and Lizzie better than her, so why not ask for his help?

    Now that he had an INT at seventy-five, it was up to him to use it. Rolling his little gray cells, like Hercule Poirot, and adding a ton of grimacing, Rowan reached an unbeatable conclusion: Cora was searching for a special gift for him. What did he like the most? Bourbon. There were a few decades-old bottles that could be found in Vegas for an exorbitant price or in auctions. That was why she was so late.

    Promising to pretend to be surprised, he took a second shower to kill time. When he exited, the room was in total darkness.

    ¡°I disabled the lights,¡± a whisper came from the direction of the bed. ¡°Tomorrow is Christmas Eve, so I wanted to give you a gift.¡±

    Now, his high INT has begun to ring alarm clocks over alarm clocks. What if Cora had taken on Grace¡¯s example, and the surprise was a threesome with a certain blonde Vampire? Gifts are hard to refuse¡­ but his two other wives could be upset. He needed to call home and ask for permission if that was the gift Cora had in mind.

    Oh my GOD! Rowan gasped.

    Cora had somehow shapeshifted into the most gorgeous woman he had ever seen. A Goddess. As sensual as Isla, as attractive as Grace, and as cute as herself simultaneously. Dressed in revealing silk underwear, she beckoned him.

    He dashed forward, covering her in caresses and kisses, inebriated by her scent, which had changed too. Their passionate intercourse held for well over an hour. Finally, it was done, and they rested in each other''s arms.

    ¡°It¡¯s the most wonderful gift I ever received,¡± Rowan kissed her.

    She was panting, hiding her head in the pillow. ¡°Thank goodness you like it¡­ I thought I¡¯d die¡­¡±

    ¡°Did I hurt you?¡± he rushed to ask.

    ¡°No, silly!¡± she laughed, showing her face and merry eyes. ¡°I enjoyed every single moment. Preparing for it, that hurt. A lot.¡±

    Yeah, it¡¯s understandable¡­ if the body changes so much¡­ What could do that? Could it be some magical surgery?

    ¡°But it was worth it. I¡¯ll gladly go through everything again if that¡¯s the reaction I get from you.¡±

    ¡°Err¡­ what exactly happened to you?¡± Rowan asked, a terrible premonition nagging at his mind.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know where to start¡­ Everything is so painful. They curl your hair and pull it, then you feel that sticky paint in it, then they throw burning air to dry it¡­ And the eyebrows, how could Grace do that to herself? And the wax¡­ oh my, that hurt so much. No, the claws, that was horrible. They have no idea Nekojin has nervous terminations in it,¡± she showed him her fingers, where the fingernails had a red color and a less pointy shape.

    A suspicion began to arise in Rowan¡¯s mind. ¡°So¡­ Err¡­ You¡¯ve been to a Beauty Parlour?¡±

    ¡°Yes¡­ First time in my life¡­ I had no idea doing my hair and stuff could have such an effect on you,¡± she walked two fingers on his chest.

    ¡°Thank you for going through all the effort,¡± he kissed her.

 38: Phantoms of Christmases Past

    <hr>

    Las Vegas had many luxury shops, and by a fortunate coincidence, they all had huge sales. After filling their inventory with presents, Cora and Rowan headed to the Castle Casino¡¯s portal center, escorted by Viscardi. Lord Blackswarm had opted for a central transportation hub with fixed portals framed by an artificial contraption. The gate marked Reno had a double lane, with important incoming traffic of heavy trucks. At that moment, two more portals were built for Randolph and the other for Goblin Town.

    Rowan extracted two cores from his inventory and offered them to the Vampire. ¡°Look, Viscardi, I had no idea what to buy you as a Christmas Gift to a Vampire¡ªplease don¡¯t say virgin blood or some shit¡ªso, I hope you¡¯ll like these. Use them as you see fit.¡±

    The Vampire swapped the cores into his inventory, then patted the younger man¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Thank you. And congratulations on yesterday. You won the duel fair and square.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I know. You¡¯re a lousy shot.¡±

    ¡°And you¡¯re a lousy swordsman. My wife and I decided to give you a special present.¡± This time, the Vampire was the one with two spheres in his hands, only smaller than the cores, at most three inches in diameter, and made from a sort of gray steel.¡±

    ¡°Err¡­ thanks?¡± Rowan frowned, clueless about their meaning.

    ¡°These are true artifacts, old and unique. In your character sheet, you¡¯ll notice a separate tab, a sketch of your body, with armor and weapon slots. Put them there. One is an armor, and the other a weapon. They¡¯ll take any shape you want and feel like an extension of your body, enhancing and projecting your skills without latency.¡±

    That¡¯s how Victoria put that DOT on us in Rome¡­  Rowan bowed. ¡°Thank you.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. It seems the portal is on.¡±

    After a handshake, they parted ways, and the couple went through the bluish light inside the arch. They exited in Elkins¡¯s new Main Square, near the town hall, near a few other similar portals in the process of self-building themselves.

    ¡°My flying suit is also an old Artifact,¡± Cora said as they walked home. ¡°It¡¯s indestructible, but it takes a lot of effort to insert tech in it.¡±

    ¡°Indestructible, like invulnerable?¡± Rowan asked.

    ¡°It absorbs a large amount of damage, but eventually, it must regenerate and dismiss itself. If you lose a true Artifact, it will teleport back to you at midnight; if it breaks, it will self-reconstruct. It¡¯s a great gift. I''ll add some tech enhancements as soon as possible.¡±

    ¡°Grea¡ª Err¡­ What¡¯s Dmitri doing?¡± Rowan frowned, stopping short of entering the house. The Greek was sitting on a bench in the garden, smoking, a distressed expression on his face. ¡°What¡¯s up, man? Is anything wrong?¡± R|owan asked.

    ¡°Wrong? Nothing¡¯s wrong,¡± Dmitri snorted. ¡°On the contrary, all is for the best. It¡¯s wonderful. As good as it gets.¡±

    ¡°Dmitri is the annoying type, always avoiding explaining things directly,¡± Rowan said to Cora, more like an indirect admonishment to the Greek.

    As they approached the house, a loud voice reached their ears. ¡°And for the last months, everyone asked: Are you related to the Count? Of course not, I said. I put a sign on the shop: NOT related to the Count. Then, people started watching my shop around the clock. The most suspicious was my new massagist. He had no idea how to do a back massage. I asked him: are you FBI?¡±

    ¡°FBI?¡± a voice asked.

    ¡°I had some problems with them before. They tried to frame me with something I didn¡¯t do. And he says: no, I¡¯m a Healer; we were sent to protect you around the clock. Then he slaps his mouth and says: oopsie, you weren¡¯t supposed to know. And guess what? I was related to the Count, after all, because he¡¯s none other than my bloody son.¡±

    ¡°Oh, fuck¡­¡± Rowan sighed, stopping for a second.

    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Cora grabbed his arm, startled.

    "Karma striking back." Half-shrugging, Rowan entered the house. ¡°Hi, Papa.¡±

    A tall, old man, wrinkled but in good shape for his age, snorted, crossing his arms. ¡°Dead in my sleep, huh?¡±

    ¡°Sorry, I had to. You always embarrass me in front of everyone.¡±

    ¡°At least you weren¡¯t murdered with a hammer,¡± a woman in her late fifties or early sixties said. She sat on the couch near a shorter, plump man.

    ¡°But you were murdered with a hammer,¡± Grace said from an armchair, with her arms crossed.  ¡°I killed you countless times in my daydreams. Bam, Bam! I could see it all¡­ the bones cracking, the blood. Rowan, meet my parents. I¡¯ll not charge your memory with their names. They''re not worth the effort.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ interesting,¡± Cora said, her eyes widened, her ears and tail fretting. ¡°You both lied about your parents being dead?¡±

    Rowan let himself fall on a chair. ¡°Thank goodness¡­¡± he sighed. ¡°You were beaming with happiness whenever you told me they were dead. I was sure you and Isla killed them because they wanted you to give Lizzie up for adoption or something. "

    "That¡¯s exactly what they did. And do you want to know how much they helped us? Zero! Not one dollar, not a day of babysitting. Nothing. And now, guess whose grandparents'' instinct came to life and want to bond with Lizzie?¡±

    ¡°Where¡¯s she?¡±

    ¡°With Isla. I called her as soon as these assholes appeared. She took Lizzie and Thomas out for a Christmas movie.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re sorry, OK? We truly are,¡± Grace¡¯s father pleaded.

    ¡°Goodness¡­¡± Rowan facepalmed with both his hands. ¡°Guys¡­ You don¡¯t appear on Christmas Eve and expect to be forgiven instantly. These things take time.¡±

    ¡°Forgiveness is quite the big trope for the holidays, son,¡± Rowan¡¯s father said.

    ¡°Not in my house,¡± Grace put weight on the words. ¡°Rowan, can you kill them for good, please? And make them suffer.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t do that, but I can throw them in prison for trespassing. Seriously, guys, just leave. Grace and I will talk and let you know what we decide.¡±

    ¡°Come, Peter,¡± Grace¡¯s mother said, pulling the man up. ¡°I told you they won¡¯t be reasonable.¡±

    Looking at the pair rushing out, the elderly woman fuming, Rowan shook his head and hugged Grace, who started to cry her heart out. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, sweetheart, I should have come home earlier.¡±

    The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

    ¡°Do you want me gone too?¡± his adoptive father said, crossing his arms.

    ¡°Nope,¡± Rowan let out a long sigh. ¡°You¡¯re a decent old bloke, Papa. I forgive you everything.¡±

    ¡°You forgive me what, exactly? I did nothing,¡± the elderly man became agitated, wagging his hands in protest.

    ¡°Not yet. You like to brag about every good thing I do. Remember when you visited that Bourbon factory and told my boss I¡¯m a good forklift operator because you taught me how to read a bicycle?¡±

    ¡°It did improve your coordination, didn¡¯t it? And look at you now, you¡¯re a count. My stubborn little boar, a noble.¡¯

    ¡°Err¡­ stubborn little boar?¡± Grace asked.

    ¡°That¡¯s one of the nicknames I gave him. There was also Ro¡ª¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t go there!¡± Rowan frowned.

    ¡°When I adopted him, he was the most ugly and unfriendly kid on Earth. Short and stocky, always ready for a fight, that¡¯s why the boar thing¡­ And here he is now: tall, handsome¡­ educated.  Because of me.¡±

    ¡°See, that¡¯s exactly what I meant,¡± Rowan raised his hands heavenward.

    ¡°Thank goodness my parents are dead,¡± Cora sighed, sitting on a couch. ¡°They¡¯d kill themselves if they¡¯d see this raving circus. No offense, everybody, but humans are nuts.¡±

    Core, are you online? Do we have any Rezz spots free? Rowan asked in thought.

    [The Butler]: Currently, we have 12 spots free, Master.

    Please attune my father for a Recall and Resurrect spot.

    [The Butler]: Order acknowledged, Master. At my current processing level, it will take 5 minutes.

    Can you speak less formally, please? Without the Master thing?

    [The Butler]: This is the less formal I can do, Master. Formal quotes all your titles using My Liege.

    Never mind, then. Keep up the good work.

    [The Butler]: Thank you for your kind words, Master.

    Meanwhile, Rowan¡¯s father approached Grace, who was sitting at the dining table, lighting a smoke, her hands slightly shaking. ¡°I apologize,¡± he said. ¡°This¡­ drama is my fault. Let me explain. When¡ª¡±

    ¡°Please keep it under half an hour, and don¡¯t use any word we¡¯d need a dictionary to understand,¡± Rowan said. ¡°Sorry, but he¡¯s the bombastic type.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s called being a gentleman, and I still hope you¡¯ll become one eventually. I was trying to tell your lovely wife that when I found out the notorious Count was my son, I did inquire around. Elkins Town¡¯s site mentions you and Grace as Count and Countess.¡±

    ¡°I shouldn''t have allowed the site to be accessible from the outside,¡± Rowan ground his teeth.

    ¡°It''s good PR,¡± Grace said.

    ¡°Grace¡¯s bio links her artistic career with her maiden name. It¡¯s not a common name, so I searched for her parents online and found her mother was a singer herself. I found her number and called. We agreed to come and visit you together, but the only window of opportunity was Christmas. Your mother has a busy agenda.¡±

    ¡°Of course, she sings the Evil Witch part in every other musical,¡± Grace said.

    ¡°I live in Philly, they live in DC, we met in Baltimore and drove on with their car. The County online visa application provided us with a special app to avoid government controls and roadblocks. Then, a portal opened for us in Winchester. That¡¯s unimportant¡­ the idea is they came because of me.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s OK, you couldn¡¯t know,¡± Grance said.

    ¡°And let me guess, on the way, you complained about me every other second, right?¡± Rowan asked.

    ¡°I had the right to. Just a few emails now and then? Making me believe you''re still in Louisville and all is normal? Putting Jim to cover for you?¡±

    ¡°So that¡¯s why you put your email setting on private?¡± Cora asked. ¡°I thought you wrote to some ex.¡±

    ¡°Sorry?¡± Papa Allinder interjected, looking at the two in befuddlement.

    ¡°Papa, meet Cora, my second wife. I¡¯m also married to Isla, the blonde you saw earlier. There¡¯s no hierarchy; that¡¯s the order I married them. Ah, and by the way, Cora''s not a Japanese Anime fan. She''s an alien. Those ears and tails are for real.¡±

    ¡°S-sorry?¡± the old man stuttered, putting his right hand on his chest.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you can have as many heart attacks as you want because you¡¯ll be Rezzed. Your attention, everyone,¡± Rowan raised his voice. ¡°I won¡¯t have this little mishap ruin our Christmas. Let¡¯s have a big and nice family dinner. Papa and I will cook. We¡¯ll not, and I repeat, not talk about any business or quest. Sweetheart, if you want to nap and relax, please do.¡±

    ¡°I sure need to. I¡¯ll join Isla and Lizzie for a walk. We¡¯ll talk about her grandparents,¡± Grace said.

    ¡°Include me in that conversation, please,¡± Papa Allinder said.

    <hr>

    In the end, cooking had been a collective effort. Grace made a bean soup, and Rowan and his father meatballs and mashed potatoes, with the meat¡ªa mixture of boar and deer¡ªoffered by Snemc and Fenrri, who were also invited. Isla brought crafted beer; her parents helped prepare salad, pastries, and entries. A giant Panettone arrived through an interdimensional email from Count Lepastrina. Dmitri had procured the wine, as usual. The food was excellent, and the conversation was sparse until the eating part was done.

    ¡°And what about your magic, dear sir?¡± Papa Allinder asked the Shaman.

    ¡°Magic is simple,¡± the Shaman waved his hand. ¡°Just be one with the universe and empty your mind. Then¡ª¡±

    ¡°This is for the Charisma builds,¡± Cora interjected, a little irritated. ¡°The proper way is knowledge. Let¡¯s imagine you want to shoot a fireball. Will you ignite oxygen or hydrogen or act directly on atoms, creating plasma? How do you avoid being burnt? Do you create it at a distance or envelop it in a forcefield? How do you want to deliver it? Throw it like a baseball or shoot it through a magnetic accelerator?¡±

    ¡°You just let your instinct do the work for you,¡± Snemc repeated.

    ¡°We¡¯ll be going, sorry. We have a winter solstice ceremony to attend,¡± Isla''s mother said, and after a few brief hugs, Isla¡¯s parents left.

    ¡°Mommy, can I go play in my room?¡± Lizzie asked.

    ¡°Err¡­ It¡¯s not polite to leave so soon,¡± Grace tried to resist the girl¡¯s puppy eyes.

    ¡°Sit near me, and I¡¯ll tell you a secret,¡± Papa Allinder patted the vacant seat near him. A little confused, Lizzie approached. ¡°Give me a hug, please. Oh¡­ This feels so nice¡­ When I adopted him, Rowan was about your age, but he wasn¡¯t a great hugger.¡±

    ¡°He is, now,¡± the girl said.

    ¡°Really? Then come and hug your old papa, Rowan. Let me be the judge.¡±

    Rolling his eyes in reluctance, Rowan obeyed.

    ¡°Not bad. A lot of improvement, but you can put more heart into it. Lizzie¡¯s a champion. What I¡¯m about to tell you, Lizzie, I also told Rowan when he was a kid. Getting through a family reunion might be boring, but we must endure it. It¡¯s not about politeness. It¡¯s about love and learning. I don¡¯t particularly care about magic, but I want to learn as much as possible about the new world my son is living in.

    ¡°You might not enjoy hanging around us, but staying brings joy to my old heart¡­ I lived to see my son married, and he gifted me the sweetest granddaughter I could wish for in the process. You¡¯re the best Christmas present. Here, this is a small gift for you,¡± the old man said, reaching behind the chair in a small suitcase and producing a children''s book. ¡°Maybe you could read it on the couch while we, adults, talk our nonsense, thus allowing me to enjoy your company a little longer?¡±

    Wordless, Lizzie hugged the old man again, snatched the book, and ran to the farthest couch in the living room.

    ¡°This is what a good education looks like,¡± Fenrri, the Shaman¡¯s wife, said. ¡°Beats a beating¡­¡±

    ¡°Guys¡­ err¡­ could you help me with that thing we talked about?¡± Rowan said. ¡°Papa, go with them on the porch. There¡¯s a gift for you there¡­ They¡¯ll help you unwrap it. It¡¯s a big one."

    ¡°Hm¡­ you¡¯re thoughtful, for a change,¡± the older man furrowed his brow. ¡°This awakening suits you well.¡±

    ¡°Put these on,¡± Rowan offered him a pair of slippers.

    As Rowan went to the mudroom to leave the shoes, the old man walked toward the back porch, followed by the Shaman and his wife. Seconds later, screams and struggle noises were heard. After a minute, a disheveled Papa Allinder entered back, struggling to put his shirt back into his pants with one hand and waving the other before his eyes.

    "Success," Snemc said. "And quite a breakthrough. Sage, Epic."

    ¡°What have you done to me?¡± Rowan''s father yelled. ¡°I see blue things!¡±

    ¡°He has a lot of stamina for his age,¡± Fenrri said, sitting on the stool she had brought for herself to avoid breaking the furniture. ¡°I used both my hands to restrain him.¡±

    ¡°You got a Class,¡± Rowan said. ¡°Our Town can Awaken people as long a priest performs a ceremony. I asked Snemc to do it because he¡¯s much better at his job than the local priests.¡±

    "How can I make these things d-disappear?¡± Rowan¡¯s father stuttered, trying to slap the screens in the air.

    ¡°Think ¡®dismiss notifications.¡¯ I¡¯ll help you get your bearings tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°But I have no intention of becoming a hero!¡± Rowan¡¯s father protested.

    ¡°Relax. It¡¯s not about being a hero but about quality of life. Think about it like vitamins. Even at level one, you¡¯ll reach one hundred and twenty and play with your grand grandkids.¡±

    ¡°Do I have to move here?¡± the man looked around, still disoriented.

    "We have a couple of spare rooms," Grace said. "You''re welcome to stay."

    ¡°Look, spend the holidays here, then decide," Rowan said. "If you want to move in, we have plenty of space. We bought the adjacent houses. As soon as the Holidays are over, we''ll renovate them and join the courtyards together."

    The older man waved his hand, wobbling on his feet. ¡°T-this is too much¡­ I need a drink¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s Bourbon time!¡± Rowan cheered.

 39: Dad Son Time

    <hr>

    In the late morning of the Second Sunday of January, a week and a half after the New Year, Rowan and Cora had breakfast with Papa Allinder. For no good reason, the elderly man offered his unrequited advice on every occasion.

    ¡°Those mysterious Neeks, the ones eluding you, are MIT, right? I know a guy or two¡ª"

    "A guy or two in what?" Rowan sighed, as he wanted mainly to enjoy his omelet undisturbed.

    "In MIT, son, MIT.  I can call them to point us in the right direction.¡±

    ¡°Viscardi¡¯s already on it,¡± Rowan said.

    ¡°The name sounds familiar¡­¡±

    ¡°The Vampire mobster. Runs Vegas.¡±

    ¡°Ah, that''s why. So, are you questing or something today?"

    "We''ll scout some areas," Cora said.

    "Can I join?¡± Papa Allinder said in a jiffy. ¡°I¡¯m level twenty now.¡±

    "How on Earth did you get to twenty so fast?" Rowan sighed.

    "Snemc made me spar in the Arena against their children and hunt rats in the sewers. Got seven free APs from that."

    ¡°How high are you on Constitution?¡±

    ¡°Twenty-five, son,¡± Papa Allinder said proudly, pumping his chest out. ¡°For the rest, I put four points in Intelligence to reach fifty and three in Strength. I assure you, I¡¯m perfectly able to fight.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want you to fight, Papa. Remember when that junkie tried to mug us, and you tried to fight back, tripped, and broke your nose on the wall? And in the end, I had to save you by stabbing that guy in the thigh?¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­ you were a tough kid. You were what, twelve?¡±

    ¡°Thirteen. Happy memories.¡±

    ¡°So, can I come?¡±

    "Show me your stats first. Think: share my stats with Rowan."

    "Err¡­ if you insist¡­"

    Papa Allinder, age: 78, class Sage (Epic): Level 20

    2 free APs in INT, WILL, and CHA every ten levels

    STR: 15 / CON: 25 / DEX: 12 / INT: 50 / WIL: 30 / CHA: 24

    Constitution Perk, Threshold 1: Tough Cookie. +25% all physical resistances, +25% to Natural Regeneration (HP)

    Intelligence Perk: Threshold 1: Sage Means Mage. Your encyclopedic knowledge helps you understand the nature of Magic. Enhanced Mana Manipulation unlocked. You can learn and use a large variety of spells.

    Intelligence Perk: Threshold 2: Ancestral Wisdom. Somewhere down the line, one of your ancestors might have been an Elf or a Witch. Strong affinity to Elemental Magic.

    Oh, so our ancestry¡¯s why I have Elemental Magic? I bet it was that old hag, Aunt Martha, or something back in Sweden. Definitely a witch, Rowan thought before reading the last Perk.

    Will Perk, Threshold 1: Parenthood''s Lessons. Your last two decades have been an uphill battle to properly educate your most stubborn son. But educating someone is educating yourself. Your Will is strong enough to use Raw Mana without fully processing it in your Mana Pool first. You can cast spells almost instantly and for a fraction of the cost, but their power is half that of a normal spell.

    ¡°The fuck? I''m NOT stubborn at all; Papa is!¡±

    ¡°Are we going to have that argument again?¡± the older man crossed his arms.

    ¡°Fine, you can come, but you promise to behave and stay back if I say so, capisce?¡± Rowan said.

    ¡°Cross my heart.¡±

    ¡°Fine. Who¡¯s free today, Cora?¡±

    ¡°Grace is busy with some show; I know that much,¡± the cat girl said. ¡°And Isla¡¯s working. I can be the ranged DPS, you can be the melee, Papa can heal¡­ you can heal, right?¡±

    ¡°Sure.¡±

    ¡°So we need only a tank¡­ moment, checking on the LFG app¡­" Cora said, taking out her smartphone. "There¡¯s a Paladin available. I like Paladins.¡±

    ¡°Because?¡± Rowan asked.

    ¡°Wonderful tank, can sustain themselves, and also be a secondary Healer.¡±

    ¡°Perfect. Papa¡¯s inexperienced for now. OK, then, send an invite to that guy or girl, and we can meet in the Town Square. Look at the grid and tell me what we have left.¡±

    ¡°Mercer County is virgin ground; we can poke around there. If not, maybe west of Goblin town. The portals for both locations can get us close enough.¡±

    ¡°Sorry, but¡­ have you searched closer to the County?¡± Papa Allinder looked at Cora''s phone over his glasses. ¡°There are a few areas marked unexplored.¡±

    Rowan scratched his head. ¡°I thought the secondary teams covered those.¡±

    Cora half-shrugged. ¡°Obviously, they didn¡¯t. Why don¡¯t we search the area around the battlefield first?¡±

    ¡°OK. I¡¯ll drive.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think you driving is a great idea,¡± Papa Allinder grimaced. ¡°I want to keep the food I just ate inside if you don¡¯t mind.¡±

    "Our Town Core can teleport us there from the portal hub now. The Butler upgraded the portal perk,¡± Cora said.

    ¡°OK, baby. Text the Paladin to meet us in the Town Square.¡±

    <hr>

    Thirty minutes later, after they changed into hiking clothes, they arrived at the Portal Hub. A broad-shouldered man in his early forties waited for them, dressed in full armor, a mixture of tactical body armor and medieval plate, with the visor of his helmet raised. A tower shield and a spear completed the attire.

    ¡°I¡¯m Hubert,¡± the man nodded a short salute. ¡°Let¡¯s go, I''m in a little hurry. I¡¯m booked for PR Bounty Hunting in the afternoon.¡±

    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    "Rowan invented a lot of quirky PR moves,¡± Cora said. ¡°We''re offering Bounty Hunting services for the adjacent counties and states for a moderate fee. We also gain a lot of money from the Reality TV show following our teams and from betting on which criminals will live or die. Our teams are not soft-handed. They shoot first and don¡¯t ask any questions later."

    Paladin Hubert nodded. "Sending a criminal to the maker is mercy and justice."

    "But this is like the inquisition," Papa Allinder protested, waving his hands.

    ¡°Ah, the ol¡¯ good times,¡± Hubert sighed, looking heavenward. ¡°And by the way, the catholic church killed way less witches than the protestants.¡±

    ¡°Not so! Bavaria¡ª"

    Rowan put a hand on his father''s shoulder. "Water under the bridge. Now, the question is where to open the fucking portal. Butler, what was the place where the battle took place again?¡±

    [The Butler to Team Allinder]: Opening a gate for Parsons, Tucker County. You¡¯ll exit on the side of the road; please take care before crossing the street.

    The difference in light, the snow around amplifying it, dazed them for a second. A car swerved to avoid them, even if they were well clear of the road. Rowan could see the swear the man didn¡¯t dare to say aloud in the driver''s eyes.

    ¡°Papa, you¡¯re a genius,¡± Cora exclaimed. ¡°I have a signal just a couple of miles from here.¡±

    ¡°OK, let¡¯s run,¡± Rowan said.

    ¡°Err¡­ son? I¡¯m almost eighty, remember?¡± Papa Allinder raised a hand.

    ¡°You¡¯re twenty-five in Constitution, for fuck¡¯s sake. Have you trained at all?¡±

    ¡°Does bicycle rides with Lizzie count?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll fly with him. Follow me, and use the mini-map,¡± Cora said. She activated her suit, picked Rowan¡¯s father in a princess carry, and jumped up. Rowan and the Paladin started to run directly west. After passing some fields, they entered the forest and the hills.

    ¡°For the record, there is only one leader in the party when we fight, and that''s me,¡± the Paladin said on the way. ¡°Do what I say, when I say, or you can tank and heal yourself. My liege,¡± the man added in an obvious sarcastic tone.

    ¡°Let me guess. You didn¡¯t vote for me and wish Randolph County become a Republic.¡±

    ¡°No, I did vote for you and wish you act like proper nobility. Not going for a shamanistic wedding, spitting on the ground, and smoking weed, for instance.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I remember you now,¡± Rowan facepalmed. ¡°You¡¯re one of the priests in town¡­ Which one?¡±

    ¡°The one who took a vow of celibacy.¡±

    ¡°Buddhist?¡±

    ¡°Catholic,¡± the man hissed. ¡°C¡¯mon!¡±

    There was no friendship lost there. That much was clear. However, Rowan considered himself a man of the people and tried to clarify the subject. ¡°Are you upset I exiled your boss to Avignon again?"

    "That asshole is not my boss," Hubert snorted. "We''re the old true church. I take confessions before every mass, by the way. About following my lead, I was serious. We, the peasants, do thrice the work you do. I¡¯m level eighty and good at my job.¡±

    ¡°Whatever¡­¡± Rowan waved his hand dismissively.

    As they reached the coordinates, the situation differed from what they expected. Cora and Papa Allinder examined a piece of paper fixed on a wooden pole at the closest end of a small clearing. The Nekojin detached it and forwarded it to Rowan. It had a few words: We, the Noerks, have bin hier and biet u 2 ze core. As a signature, there was a drawn hand showing the pinkie finger.

    ¡°Is that Norwegian?¡± Papa Allinder asked. ¡°Or Dutch? This sounds like Dutch.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the Russians,¡± the Paladin said.

    ¡°Could be,¡± Papa Allinder said. ¡°The spelling points to someone used to a phonetic alphabet."

    Rowan snorted. ¡°You¡¯re both idiots. Any Human knows it¡¯s the middle finger, not the pinkie. This was written by an alien. I bet on the Mercs. They did it to get revenge for Goblin Town. Can you tell how long ago this was written, baby?¡±

    ¡°Only from the core residual signal. A couple of days?¡±

    ¡°They profited the holiday and got cores while we were partying,¡± Rowan¡¯s father said.

    ¡°Fuck¡­ OK, lesson learned. Someone has to work during the holidays too.¡±

    The priest rolled his eyes. ¡°Only if not against their religion. It¡¯s in the law.¡±

    ¡°Of course, your sanctimoniousity. So, we call it quits for the day?¡±

    ¡°C¡¯mon, son, give your Papa a few levels,¡± the elderly man said. ¡°What if we search in that radioactive area? We¡¯re immune, right?¡±

    ¡°Cora?¡± Rowan looked at his wife.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure¡­ We¡¯re safe, but Papa is only at the first threshold in Constitution¡­ Let¡¯s teleport back to town and head to the western border. I¡¯ll go out first to scan the radiation levels. Calling for an extraction.¡± Dialing something on a pad attached to her left arm made a portal appear in front of them.

    ¡°It¡¯s certainly sweet to be a VIP,¡± the Paladin said, going through first.

    ¡°Butler, could you open a portal for Cora so she can check the radiation levels west of the county?¡± Rowan asked.

    [The Butler to Team Allinder]: I¡¯m sorry, Master, but the radiation levels must be checked before I can open a portal. Protocols prevent me from risking anyone¡¯s safety. You¡¯ll need to travel to the border as usual. Once there, Miss Shemeows can use her Admin protocols to open a local exit point.

    The priest pointed to the parking area. ¡°We can take my car.¡±

    ¡°Nice car, dude,¡± Rowan approached the vehicle, turning around it, caressing the hood. ¡°Didn¡¯t think you were the type to own a muscle car. I saw EV wimp written all over your forehead. You know what? If you let me drive, I¡¯ll give you a confession.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t let him drive!¡± Papa Allinder rushed to say.

    ¡°Be my guest,¡± the Paladin gestured toward the front door. ¡°If I can save a lost soul, I¡¯ll take the risk.¡±

    Five minutes and eight miles later, the car stopped near the border. Behind it, a cloud of dust was still floating in the air, hundreds of feet long. The Paladin opened his eyes and crossed himself. ¡°Thank you, God, for sparing my life.¡±

    ¡°For the record, this is nothing compared to how a rally looks,¡± Rowan insisted.

    ¡°Some of your race-driving friends told me you¡¯re not the best driver around,¡± Papa Allinder pointed.

    ¡°I know, Papa, that¡¯s why I¡¯m going slowly. Cora?¡±

    With a nod, the Nekojin summoned her costume and took flight. The barrier opened an aperture a second before she passed on. They waited for five minutes before starting to fret.

    ¡°I¡¯ll call her,¡± Rowan said.

    Just after he finished his words, Cora erupted through the barrier and landed ten feet away. Dismissing her suit, she ran forward excitedly, grabbing Rowan¡¯s lapels and screaming in his face with a high and squeaky voice.

    ¡°There¡¯s a dungeon outside!¡±

    ¡°Easy, easy,¡± he patted her head. ¡°Touching a Nekojin between the ears calms them,¡± he explained to the others as Cora started purring. ¡°What kind of a dungeon, and where, baby?¡±

    ¡°Just outside, can¡¯t be more than a mile away. Guys, this is the real deal. A true dungeon.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re sure?¡±

    ¡°Pretty much. I spent time taking radiation measurements. They are much lower than they should be. This means there was a core in the vicinity, which absorbed the radiation and activated. I say let¡¯s go for it. This is too important to miss.¡±

    Papa Allinder nodded with enthusiasm. ¡°Absolutely. Let¡¯s go and conquer that dungeon before the Mercs do.¡±

    ¡°Papa,¡± Rowan rested his hands on his father''s shoulders, looking into the older man¡¯s eyes. ¡°You have a common condition called Class Fever. You think yourself invulnerable. Bad news: you''re not. Cora, can we all get out there?¡±

    ¡°Sure, the radiation is all but gone.¡±

    ¡°Great.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll need two teams of six people to be on the safer side,¡± the Paladin said. ¡°If you let me call my friends, I can gather the raid in an hour, maybe two.¡±

    ¡°OK. You call your friends; I¡¯ll call mine,¡± Rowan said.

    ¡°What¡¯s a raid?¡± Rowan¡¯s father asked.

    ¡°A dungeon won¡¯t accept more than two teams inside simultaneously, and it¡¯s better to have people that worked together before. We could use a sniper and a melee DPS,¡± the Paladin said.

    ¡°You call your buddies and don¡¯t worry about the numbers. We¡¯ll select the best teams once everyone is here, and the rest will guard the exterior. Cora, is your armored unit ready for combat?¡±

    ¡°I suppose so¡­ We¡¯re approaching a battalion size now, and we have Italian instructors with a few vehicles of their own.¡±

    ¡°How far are they?¡±

    ¡°Err¡­ not far?¡± she pointed in his back, where a tall Medieval castle rose over the trees a few hundred feet from them. ¡°That¡¯s the Armory and the West Border¡¯s Citadel.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re a genius. Call them and tell them that every single available unit will join us. Take them outside and find the dungeon¡¯s limits. If anything engages you, terminate with extreme prejudice.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll go speak with them; it¡¯s faster than calling,¡± she said, summoning the suit and taking off.

    ¡°Good¡­ Butler, call Isla on our private Core line¡­ Honey? Sorry to call, but it¡¯s easier than using the chat. Stop everything you¡¯re doing and head to the Border, due west of Elkins, near the bridge on the highway¡­ ah, you can see my location on your mini-map. Good. Call all available police units here; it¡¯s an emergency¡­ Bye. Love you too.

    ¡°Butler, can you patch me through to Viscardi?... Wake him up, what do I care he¡¯s sleeping? Tell him to get out of his coffin and answer¡­ Hello, Blackswarm. You told me you have bought some army units. Do you have special forces, SWAT teams, and stuff?... Great, man. Send them here and coordinate with Isla. We found a real dungeon active. Can you join the team?... Ah, you¡¯ll send Victoria. Sure, if she¡¯s a better fighter¡­ I¡¯m a little busy. Can you call Rome for me and ask them to keep some Carabinieri on the ready?¡­ I don¡¯t know how many, a couple hundred? You know, they can have a pizza but hang around¡­ Thanks, I owe you one.¡±

    With a smug expression on his face, he turned toward the two men, crossing his arms, his head leaning a little.

    ¡°New strategy. We must dominate the terrain, claim dungeons, and kill the competition. We¡¯ll put patrols and garrisons around points of interest, and as soon we see Neeks or Mercs, bang. Butler, send a message to whoever is in charge of the US, the military, local rogue factions, etc. Randolph County is executing a limited military intervention outside its borders for the welfare of humankind. Don¡¯t get too much into details. Just tell them to keep out of our way. Tell them I¡¯ll activate a core in their cities and take over if they don''t behave.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s vicious,¡± Papa Allinder said.

    ¡°Yeah, I know. The Butler says my approval rate in the low-mana zones is seventy percent and growing.¡±

    ¡°It hovers around sixty in the County,¡± the Paladin pointed.

    ¡°Yeah, because I pampered them too much and they have greater expectations than the rest¡­  Hey, look, Cora¡¯s back and bearing gifts.¡±

 40: A Sharky First Floor

    <hr>

    Soon enough, things started to roll at an avalanche¡¯s speed. Cora¡¯s mechanized forces¡ªa combination of Gundams, self-propelled guns, and combat suits, both for infantry and airborne¡ª were running and installing tents and improvised fortifications over the place, and so did the Carabinieri, Swat teams, and some refurbished US military from Calveor. Swarms of drones flew above, and when two crashed into each other, there was a fisticuff between one of the re-hired Neeks and an Italian engineer, stopped by Isla by banging their heads together.

    In truth, it was chaos. Each force was doing all right on its own, but not together, and only the troops in Elkins knew the area. Knowing it was impossible to care for everything, Rowan delegated the makeshift army to Isla and prioritized the raid. The two teams, his and Hubert¡¯s, were waiting around him. The next step was to check if Cora had found the Dungeon¡¯s entrance.

    [Rowan to Cora]: Give me an update, please.

    [Cora to Rowan]: Moment, I''m here. The Nekojin landed two hundred feet up the road and said something to her troops before approaching Rowan. ¡°Good news or bad news first?¡±

    ¡°Any news you tell me can¡¯t be bad, baby,¡± Rowan smiled at her.

    "Such a sweet talker," Papa Allinder nodded, trying to pat Rowan¡¯s head and receiving a slap on his hand. ¡°I taught him well. He knew only two words when I adopted him: grr and no. As feral as it gets.¡±

    ¡°Go on,¡± Rowan said, grinding his teeth.

    ¡°As far as I could tell from outside, the Dungeon is fully formed," Cora continued. "No competition inside, or I would have received a notification. This is the good news. The bad news is it¡¯s a level eighty in Extreme settings. It will be hard, and one cannot exit before it¡¯s cleared.¡±

    ¡°How many levels?¡±

    ¡°Twenty when fully deployed, like every other Dungeon on the Traipenent.¡±

    ¡°Do all dungeons in the universe have the same number of floors?¡± Papa Allinder asked.

    ¡°No, but these cores have been adjusted for the ship. There¡¯s a planet specializing in tuning dungeons,¡± Cora explained. ¡°The entry is under the bridge, at the far side.¡±

    ¡°OK, people, let¡¯s move!¡± Rowan yelled.

    ¡°Your party has only five members,¡± Hubert noticed.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯re fine. Wait for me at the entrance. What are you doing, Papa?¡± Rowan diverted his attention to the elderly man, who was sniffing in the air.

    "Training. Snemc told me I must train my senses permanently."

    Rowan interlocked his fingers imploringly. "Please, stop, you embarrass me."

    "OK¡­ Oh¡­ I hear Italian¡­ Ciao, ragazzi!¡± Papa Allinder waved his hand. ¡°I''ll go say hello and introduce myself."

    "No, you won¡¯t. We have to go."

    Taking the lead and dragging his father after him, Rowan walked to the other side of the bridge and then climbed down into the Tygart River¡¯s valley. A patch of intense and swirling darkness waited on the side of a short concrete structure. As they approached, a notification appeared.

    Shore Dungeon, level 80 Setting: Extreme. A full Clear is required before you can Exit. Do you want to challenge the dungeon? Raid Leader, select Yes or No.

    ¡°Priest Guy is the main tank; he should be the leader,¡± Rowan said, inviting the Paladin.

    ¡°Good call, Father Hubert knows his job,¡± one of the members of the second team said.

    The Paladin nodded and selected Yes, stepping into the black whirlpool with the rest following. On the other side, the sun shone bright, but not with the light of the snow and clear air of the mountains, but that of the sea and the tropical sun.

    ¡°Armor!¡± Hubert bellowed, giving a shove on Rowan¡¯s shoulder. "C''mon, you enter the dungeon unequipped? Rookie mistake. Defensive formation, while his highness deigns to dress."

    "I don''t need to dress," Rowan blurted back. In seconds, the new armor Viscardi gave him grew around him out of nothing. It had more or less the same shape as his previous segmented armor, only thinner and way more comfortable.

    ¡°Wow. Is that an Armani?¡± Hubert sneered.

    [Cora to Rowan]: Don''t forget to activate the targeting module I installed for your helmet.

    [Rowan to Cora]: Already did, baby. Feels great.

    It was a lie, and Rowan turned the module on as he inspected the surroundings. They were on a beach, with a few palm trees here and there, going forever to the left and right, and so did the blue sea. It was so hot that the ones wearing winter clothes or hiking gear and equipment took a moment to undress to lighter attire.

    ¡°I remember now!¡± Cora yelped. ¡°This is one of the entertainment dungeons. Sea resort thematic. My parents never allowed me in it. There are all sorts of¡­ massage parlors,¡± she blushed, saying the last words in a low voice.

    ¡°Then it¡¯s our lucky day. Except for Father Hubert, he must keep his temptations in check,¡± another adventurer joked. Hubert¡¯s people wore generic gear, and their tags turned off, so Rowan couldn¡¯t tell what each class or job was.

    ¡°Keep sharp!¡± Rowan barked. ¡°This is a prison; treat every monster you see as a sentient. However, we talk first and shoot late¡ª what the fuck?¡±

    A slight tremor was the only warning. A jaw opened under his feet, and only a last-second reflex to dodge saved him. A shark the size of a small car erupted up from the sand, falling back down with no grace but with a weight that could crush anyone caught underneath.

    In an instinctive swipe, Rowan''s half-pike left a deep bleeding mark on the monster¡¯s flank before the beast disappeared back into the ground. Calling for the weapon felt as easy as summoning the armor.

    You have inflicted a Critical Hit and a DOT of 2%/second on Sand Shark, level 80 (Elite). You have slain Sand Shark (1/20). XP is postponed until the entire pack is killed. Sonar has detected that the weak spots are the gills, eyes, and tail.

    ¡°There are more!¡± he yelled. ¡°Hit the gills, eyes, or tail.¡±

    ¡°Get to the rocks,¡± the Paladin bellowed, showing them a cluster of solid ground patches.

    The sand trembled again. Rowan activated one of his Joint Trip stacks and plunged into the ground. Four large shades approached fast. Interposing himself between the incoming group and his raid, Rowan started to extract rebar pieces from his inventory, thrusting them into the monsters.

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    As soon they left his hand, the rebars reappeared in the real world, skewering the sharks. He killed them with twenty seconds to spare and took time to inspect the environment. A hundred yards away, a second group was advancing fast, and in its back, another, and a third, and fourth one, in the faraway. The pack was divided into groups of five. On his left side was the dungeon limit; he could see the bridge and the normal sky upward.

    He ran up, imagining there were steps under his feet, and reappeared on the stone formation in the middle of his group. ¡°Incoming fast, this direction, fifty meters,¡± he pointed East.

    No unnecessary words were spoken. Those who had guns started to shoot. The Paladin and Bree, the tanks, went in front, spears at the ready, and the rest prepared to do whatever. Cora rose in the air, unleashing her firepower in the sand.

    There were notifications about the first group Rowan had killed and three more sharks from the incoming group. The remaining two monsters leaped out. One crashed atop the Paladin and the other on Bree. The Ranger roared and threw her shark head-first into a rock, killing it. The Paladin wasn¡¯t so lucky, slipping on the wet rock while trying to block the attack with the shield, and the Sand Shark fell on the priest, thrashing his tail around wildly. Finally, its spastic moves relented, as he was hacked to death, but Rowan knew the next group would be there in no time.

    Dashing forward in the sand, he activated his Stormstorm, pushing it down into the ground and shaping it as a cone. A giant fist of icy wind crushed into the beach, throwing up sand and shark parts. Due to Sonar, Rowan could now feel the next group of monsters.  Interrupting the spell for a few seconds, he ran onward, reactivating it when he neared the fourth group, rinse-repeating the move with the fifth.

    You and your Raid have slain a Sand Shark Pack (20/20). You have leveled x 2. You are now Level 71. To clear the floor, kill the remaining four Shark Packs.

    Snowstorm''s cost has been reduced to 48 Mana/Second. A Harmony between Sonar and Snowstorm has been created. Snowstorm can now detect your enemies'' location and weaknesses and apply Critical Damage. Its base damage against unarmored opponents and Living type creatures and constructs is increased by 25%

    His Mana was only two hundred now, at about fifteen percent, needing eighty-five minutes to regenerate it naturally. Shaking his head in disappointment, he returned to the group. Cora was back down, and Papa Allinder was healing the broken bones of an injured adventurer. The Paladin lay on his back, staring into nothingness.

    ¡°Oh, fuck,¡± Rowan said, kneeling near the priest and closing his eyes. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ You were a nice guy, Albert, albeit bitchy. And I promised you a confession, so take it as a goodbye gesture. I did a lot of stuff in my life and regret some of it. May God rest your s¡ªWhoa!¡±

    Hubert¡¯s eyes were now alive and filled with anger. ¡°You call that a confession?¡± he blurted, spitting out sand as Rowan jerked back on his feet, startled. ¡°And it¡¯s Hubert, you moron!¡±

    ¡°A Paladin has a stack of Rezzes he can use daily, and it works on him too,¡± someone said.

    ¡°Lucky bastard.¡± Rowan patted the Paladin¡¯s shoulder, then helped the priest get back on his feet.

    ¡°What did that?¡± Hubert asked, taking in the view of the huge trench.

    ¡°Rowan. He killed eighteen out of the twenty sharks by himself,¡± Bree said.

    ¡°You know what? Why don¡¯t you take the lead?¡± Hubert gestured.

    ¡°Nah, it¡¯s OK. Let¡¯s talk strategy. There are four more packs like this before we clear the floor and many more floors after this. It will be a slow grind; my Perks consume a lot of Mana. Any suggestions?"

    "I''ll buff your Mana regeneration, son," Papa Allinder said. "Chugg a potion occasionally, and we''re good.¡±

    ¡°Thanks,¡± Rowan nodded.

    "Just doing my duty, kid. Like always. Remember when you¡ª"

    [Rowan to Papa Allinder:] Stop embarrassing me, or I¡¯ll let the sharks eat you.

    ¡°There are solid ground patches here and there,¡± the Paladin said. ¡°Running from one to another is clearly how the floor mechanics work. Let¡¯s use as many skills as possible; the XP is low, but the skill progression is great.¡±

    ¡°How much ammo and fuel do you have, baby?¡± Rowan turned toward Cora.

    ¡°Moment¡­ three hundred mini-rockets, ten thousand rounds, and about three hours left of fuel, flying time.¡±

    ¡°We do as Hubert says. The path to the next safe spot must be clear, but I¡¯ll run ahead to check. When the next monster group is in sight, fire some rockets in the sand. ¡±

    The plan started well. They ran safely to the next spot, a higher ground between palm trees. Cora fired two rockets to their left on the beach, and Rowan released his Sonar ability for a second. It revealed the first group underneath Cora.

    ¡°Beneath you!¡± Rowan yelled.

    Cora nodded and kept her altitude. The sharks jumped up, but she was too high to reach, and the leap exposed the monsters to the Raid¡¯s firepower. Trying to see if his Artifact weapon could change into a ranged weapon, Rowan was pleased to see a rewarding notification:

    Your Artifact is now a Mystical Rifle. Rate of fire: 1 Mana projectile/2 seconds.

    It was too late to shoot at the first group of monsters, as they had already been dispatched, but the second one was now aiming for Cora. Rowan took out a monster, and his friends killed the rest. The third group, though, had learned the lesson, sped up, and threw themselves at the Raid. Rowan stepped back, shape-shifting his weapon to a spear again. Luckily, the sand was shallower in front of the rock mound, and the Sand Shark shapes were fully visible before they reached their target.

    Cora shot at the monsters from behind with fantastic precision, considering her raid was already engaged in melee. Papa Allinder started throwing magical projectiles, aiming wildly but still finding the targets because of the monsters'' size and his high fire rate. In a matter of twenty seconds, all the sharks died.

    The next shark group skimmed just underneath the surface, revealed by their fins, zigzagging to avoid the bullets. Rowan jumped to the first line, assisting Hubert. Only two sharks made it to the raid, but it was a hard fight. A shark threw a tail into Rowan¡¯s chest before he could react, projecting him into the tree behind.

    Delayed Truth activated. You have 0% HP. You have ten seconds to heal. You are Dazed for 30 seconds.

    Fuck, they hit like a truck.

    ¡°I need healing,¡± he yelled, casting a Combat Heal and activating a Health Potion Patch. Hubert and Papa Allinder helped with their channeled spells, and his HP recovered quickly.

    HP is easier to build back than Mana. I need a larger Mana Pool¡­

    As Rowan was still dazed and unprepared to face the last group. Papa Allinder threw himself in the first line, shooting a flurry of miniature Mana bolts into the sand. At the same time, the rest fired guns and bows. No shark managed to emerge from the sand this time, and the notification showed:

    You and your Raid have slain a Sand Shark Pack (20/20).

    Rowan XP bar has raised only a quarter to the next level. On the other hand, Papa Allinder was quipping happily: ¡°I¡¯m level thirty, I¡¯m level thirty!¡±

    ¡°When did you get so good at magic?¡± Rowan asked.

    ¡°I told you, Snemc trained me. It¡¯s all about following your instincts.¡±

    ¡°It''s his Will perk," Cora said. "Very fast spells, but little damage."

    ¡°Little damage? I lost half my HP to him,¡± Hubert complained. ¡°Sir, you have to aim. Friendly fire is a thing here.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll try, I¡¯ll try¡­¡±

    ¡°Papa, I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m saying this, but you''re a natural,¡± Rowan patted his father on the back. ¡°You did well. I''m proud of you.¡±

    ¡°Let''s reassess our strategy. We spent half an hour for two groups,¡± Hubert said. ¡°We¡¯re slow. What if we try a new approach? This spot is better than the rest; the sand is shallower, and the trees stop them from surrounding us. Why don''t you kite the rest of the monsters here?¡±

    ¡°You think they¡¯ll leave their designed area?¡± Rowan asked.

    ¡°Can¡¯t hurt to try.¡±

    ¡°What if I fly on Cora¡¯s back and shoot spells at the pursuing monsters to speed up the kills?¡± Papa Allinder proposed.

    ¡°That''s a terrific idea. Hop on,¡± Cora said.

    Nodding his approval for the overall plan, Rowan ran forward until he passed the next safe spot. Activating Sonar, he detected the first batch of sharks coming hot. As he ran back, the monsters followed, including the second group of five.

    ¡°They¡¯re all linked; once one group starts, they all start,¡± he shouted. Feeling in an experimental mood, Rowan decided to test something else. He ran to a side, and as soon as the sharks¡¯ fins appeared over the shallow side, he tried to add more gravity and cold to his Snowstorm, reducing the wind.

    The effect was spectacular despite costing less mana. The monsters froze or were immobilized, squirming in place, and were killed in seconds by the Raid¡¯s firepower.

    ¡°You can freeze time or something?¡± Hubert yelled.

    ¡°Gravity! Rinse and repeat.¡±

    Soon, they were notified about the demise of the third pack.

    ¡°How are you on Mana?¡± Hubert asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m good,¡± Rowan said. ¡°They¡¯re still frozen after I stop my spell, so I can keep it short.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s move on; we have the upper hand now,¡± the Paladin proposed. ¡°

    ¡°I agree. See, kid, everything is about adaptivity,¡± Papa Allinder said like he had been dungeoning for a lifetime and had taken his son out to teach him the basics, not vice versa.

    In minutes, the next pack was disposed of. However, when they advanced toward the last presumed monster spot, they arrived back at the entry. The beach had made a full tour.

    ¡°Where the fuck is the fifth group?" a melee-type adventuress from the second team asked.

    ¡°In the water,¡± a voice said, and a whiff of cigarette smoke reached their nostrils.

 41: The Swarthy Elves

    <hr>

    ¡°Victoria!¡± Rowan exclaimed. ¡°So happy to see you.¡±

    ¡°Who¡¯s she?¡± Hubert yelped, crossing himself and taking a step back. Considering his job, the gesture looked like he was distancing himself from the sexy blonde, like from a temptation. There

    ¡°The reason I kept a space open in my team,¡± Rowan said.

    ¡°Sorry to be late. Your people told me the entrance was under the bridge, but I searched for half an hour, and I¡ª¡±

    ¡°It was in a pilon.¡±

    ¡°¡ªdidn¡¯t find it, I used my smoke. You were fighting when I arrived, but things were under control, so I let you be and scouted ahead¡­ There is good news and bad news. I reached the next floor and made contact with a group of prisoners. They are friendly. Bad news, you have to go through that shark-infested water, the passage is at the bottom. About¡­ thirty feet deep.¡±

    ¡°My suit is submersible, but don¡¯t count on me for fighting, Cora said. ¡°I¡¯m in panic mode near water.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m OK to have a go,¡± Bree said.

    ¡°I¡¯ll do it,¡± Rowan said. ¡°Victoria, can you borrow some of your smoke until I reach the sharks? Just to go easy on my Perk''s stacks.¡±

    The blonde nodded and forwarded her cigarette to him, keeping it between her fingers. After he inhaled, she also took a smoke, and they entered the interdimensional space together, staring at each other.

    [Victoria to Rowan]: Don''t exhale too much. You will be in The Space as long you have a trace of smoke in your lungs.

    [Rowan to Victoria]: Just a thought¡­ Isn''t it more appropriate to call this the in-between?

    [Victoria to Rowan]: In-between is out of fashion. If you want to look cool in an Awakened bar, say: We had a Joint and took a trip into The Space.

    [Rowan to Victoria]: Good to know. Take care to be in The Space when I activate my Snowstorm. I''ll give you a heads-up.

    [Victoria to Rowan]: No need, I¡¯ll wait for you on the other floor.

    She offered him another puff, and they stepped into the sea and walked down the bottom. The center of the floor was not so far, maybe a couple hundred yards away, so the beach had an illusion on it, forbidding the other side to be seen. Three more puffs, and they reached the portal to the next floor, a swirling circle of darkness. He took another smoke, returned the cigarette to her, and waited until Victoria went to the other side.

    All five shark groups were circling above the swirling blackness, going on and on. Exiting The Space after exhaling as hard as he could, Rowan activated Snowstorm at maximum force and in its pure AoE form. It did carnage, crushing four monster groups and freezing large chunks of water around. Still, he cut it short because of the lack of Mana and the need to breathe, activating Joint Trip. He used rebar to kill the last group of sharks and climbed to the surface.

    ¡°It¡¯s all clear. You can come,¡± Rowan yelled, treading the water and inspecting his notification.

    The First Floor of The Shore Dungeon has been cleared. You were the major DPS contributor and received 1 free AP. You have leveled x1. You are Level 72.

    R?svelg¡¯s First Aspect: Snowstorm cost is now 47 Mana/second. Increased potency by +25% vs Aquatic Targets.

    As soon as the group reached the spot, he escorted Cora and Papa Allinder to the portal. Swimming downward, he noticed for the first time that Cora¡¯s suit also had a segmented armor part for the tail that waved in gracious movement through the water.

    She¡¯s so cute!

    Then, they were on the other side, on a jungle floor. Trees so tall they seemed to reach the sky,  their canopy throwing a deep shadow around. A lot of noise around, birds, monkeys¡­ some roars. A pair of tall humanoids waited next to Victoria, their clothes in tatters and themselves emaciated. They had pointy ears, and their skin had a slight bluish-coppery hue.

    Hm¡­ Jungle¡­ Tree Elves?

    ¡°Fay,¡± the woman said.

    ¡°Inglotal,¡± the man presented himself, offering a handshake.

    ¡°Rowan Allinder, nice to meet you,¡± Rowan said. ¡°This is our raid,¡± he gestured toward the raid. ¡°My wife, Cora, my Pa'', Johan, Hubert, Bree, and people whose names I forgot, sorry, dudes and dudesses!¡± he yelled toward the group.

    "No problem, it''s on you," a man said.

    "What''s on him?" Papa Allinder asked, but Rowan ignored the question.

    ¡°Follow us,¡± Inglotal said. The man started to run, and Rowan¡¯s raid had no other choice but to follow, panting or not. Ten minutes later, they reached a clearing with typical longhouses sprinkled on it and some tree houses in the canopy. There were many people in that village, more than in the Goblin Town, and all were thin. They were surrounded in no time, and everybody looked at the newcomers like they were at the same time excited and frightened.

    ¡°They need food,¡± Victoria shouted. ¡°Whoever has a sandwich to spare, give it to the children.¡±

    ¡°What happened here?¡± Rowan addressed his two guides after putting every bit of food in his storage on a table.

    Fay gestured for him to follow and entered a small hut, where they sat across from each other at a table. The raid members leaned on the walls. From outside, curious eyes followed them through the windows.

    The woman began to speak, looking into his eyes. ¡°Our tribe tried to colonize a virgin planet, and we took a loan to buy equipment. We tried to live closer to nature."

    "That''s a noble goal," Papa Allinder said. "I often took my son hiking to teach him our Old Norse ways. That''s how he became so strong."

    Rowan facepalmed, sliding his hand down his cheeks, burrowing his fingers in his skin to refrain from screaming. His father¡¯s idea of hiking was having a barbecue in a clearing after walking half an hour from the car. "Please, continue," he sighed.

    "It was not meant to be¡­ We failed to pay our debts and forced to sign an indenture contract for ten years. We barely started when the ship crashed on your planet. Soon after, the dungeon awoke. Our former leader had a way of communicating with the exterior. We had high hopes, but instead of helping, he tried to sell everybody into worse slavery.¡±

    Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°Sexual slaves bring a lot of money on the intergalactic black market,¡± Cora said. ¡°It¡¯s probably the Mercs.¡±

    "There are similar evil people on Earth, too," Rowan said. "We should kill them at some point. Sorry, Fay. What happened next?"

    ¡°We fought back. Our chief and his partners ran deeper into the dungeon to claim the core. We followed, but the dungeon suddenly changed, spawning monsters. We cleared ten floors but met a blockage on the eleventh and had to return to base. We¡¯re giving it a second try now, but we¡¯re out of food and short on Mana. Our fighters barely managed to clear the next three floors. The monsters respawn every few days.¡±

    ¡°The dungeon must¡¯ve absorbed a lot of energy from those nukes,¡± Cora added.

    Fay kneaded her hands together. ¡°Please, help us, and we¡¯ll serve you faithfully as long you settle for normal work. We have many skills.¡±

    Rowan let out a long sigh. ¡°Fay, and mister¡­ sorry, forgot your name. I suppose one can move between floors as long they¡¯re cleared, yes?¡±

    ¡°True,¡± the woman nodded, looking a little befuddled.

    ¡°Gather your people and move to the first floor. We''ll install a lifeline to help the weaker people swim. Once there, I¡¯ll get you out of the dungeon and send you to our city, where you¡¯ll find food and shelter. Whoever wants to stay with us can stay; those who want to leave will be free to leave if they swear never to work for our enemies.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t have enough cigarettes for everybody,¡± Victoria said. ¡°Even if they share.¡±

    ¡°Trust me,¡± Rowan emphasized his words. ¡°I can get everybody out of the dungeon."

    "And how does your Lordship intend to do that? Can you explain it to us, mere mortals who risk their lives in dungeons daily and could use such a feat?" Hubert asked.

    "Can you cut the sarcasm, mind your business, and let me work for a change?" Rowan frowned at the priest.

    Svart¨¢lfar Stare applied to target Paladin Hubert. Dazed and Stunned for ten seconds.

    Now, the priest was wobbling on the bench, his tongue slightly hanging out from his mouth.

    Oops! Never mind. That will teach him a lesson.

    ¡°Fay, you have to trust me on this. Tell your people to grab their valuables and move them to the first floor. Before the night, you''ll be safe and fed. Victoria, I''ll need your help. The rest of the raid can take a break.¡±

    <hr>

    It took until late afternoon to move all the people up, and he sent Victoria forward to organize things on the other side. There were nearly three thousand people to rescue.

    ¡°A word,¡± Fay whispered, approaching him.

    ¡°Hit me. Ouch! Hey! What''s up with you?" Rowan yelled, massaging his cheek.

    "You ask me to hit you," Fay said, turning the palm she used to slap Rowan up in a gesture of befuddlement.

    "Oh¡­ cultural differences, I see. Here, it''s just an expression. It means: tell me what''s on your mind."

    The Elf shrugged. ¡°Do you want me and my husband to stay behind and guide you through the dungeon?¡±

    ¡°Is there any serious challenge?¡±

    ¡°It depends. On the sixth floor, there are iron golems, tough but beatable. Then Sand Sharks, Water Sharks, more golems, and some zombies. Their DOTs are big and stack, but they are slow and vulnerable to AoEs. We have no idea what will wait on the last floors.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll be OK. Go with your people.¡±

    ¡°One more thing¡­¡± Fay shifted her weight from one leg to another, hesitating.

    ¡°Shoot. STOP!" Rowan yelled as the Elf was touching her bow. "I mean, what¡¯s up now?¡±

    ¡°Are you an elf, by any chance? We all saw you using the Cold Gaze on that pagan priest back in the village.¡±

    Pagan, huh? I guess everyone has a different perspective on things.

    ¡°It¡¯s a Perk called Svart¨¢lfar Stare.¡±

    The surprise on the woman¡¯s face was striking. She swallowed a lump. ¡°S-Svart¨¢lfar? How? We¡¯re the Svart¨¢lfar¡­¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s that again?¡± Rowan asked. He remembered only vaguely the tooltip and had no enthusiasm to call up the Menu.

    ¡°The Swarthy Elves.¡±

    ¡°Really? Well, if I believe my father''s sheet stats, I could have some elven blood in my veins.¡±

    ¡°Meeting a blood kin so far from home warms my heart. Moreover one with such a precious perk,¡± Fay bowed her head.

    ¡°The Stare? Yeah, it¡¯s a neat trick, but not as powerful as R?svelg.¡±

    ¡°You have R?svelg too?¡± the woman gasped, but he was too tired to have that conversation.

    ¡°Are your people ready?¡±

    ¡°Yes, they are,¡± she looked around.

    ¡°Good. Just let me check something with my father. Papa, have you made up your mind? Will you stay with us?" Rowan asked the older man, who was talking with Cora, six feet farther.

    "¡­and he slept with his Teddy bear until¡ª Sorry, was sharing some memories."

    "Thank you so much for embarrassing me yet again,¡± Rowan rolled his eyes. ¡°Have you made up your mind? Will you stay with us?"

    "Of course, I''ll stay with you," Papa Allinder weighed his words. "You need my help and guidance, that''s obvious."

    Rowan gestured a choking gesture, forwarding his hands toward his father and stopping at the last moment. "OK, then. It''s time to pledge allegiance. Stay silent, and don¡¯t say a word.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a pleonasm, son. Staying silent means¡ª¡±

    ¡°One more word, and I''ll drag your old ass back to Philly!"

    "That''s not a language to use on your father," the old man crossed his arms.

    "Take the Oath, too, and don''t interrupt me." Putting two fingers in her mouth, Rowan let out a loud whistle to make the elves look at him.

    Mass notification and message:

    His Lordship Count Allinder, Count of Randolph County, Suzerain of Rome, Warchief of Goblin Town, and Honorary Godfather of Calveor, offers all Swarthy Elves here present citizenship rights in Randolph County.

    The Swarthy Elves will be provided with fair jobs, land (within reasonable limits), housing, and assistance to rebuild their lives.

    All who accept the offer are bound to respect the Laws of Randolph County and swear a non-disclosure System-enforced Oath: they''re not to reveal to any third party or casually talk about the Count''s Perks or any spell, ability, skill, or perk of his or any Classed working for him. Penalties can vary between fines, Perma Death, Insta Death, becoming Bounty Hunted, and Pariahs.

    Those who accept the offer should press Yes. Minors who are almost of age can select Yes themselves. Parents are required to accept the offer for younger minors. Those who reject the offer will be presented with a separate non-disclosure and non-compete clause contract and free to go wherever they want. Those who reject both offers are asked to orderly form a separate queue, waiting to be painlessly and mercifully put to death.

    Accept offer: Y/N

    "That goes against everything I believe in," Rowan could hear his father mumbling behind him. The Yes was unanimous.

    [Count Rowan Allinder to all]: OK, folks, we''re going out. Do as we rehearsed.

    The Elves started to join hands. They were packed together as tightly as possible, in rows and lines, parents carrying the smaller children on their backs or bags hung on their chests. There were notifications, messages, and whistle-calls all lying around.

    When the calls ended, and all were ready, Rowan took Fay¡¯s hand and activated Joint Trip. It was the first time he used it on such a large scale, but it worked. Everybody he touched, even indirectly, was pulled into The Space. Slowly, they walked through the dungeon¡¯s outer limit, appearing inside Tygart¡¯s Valley on the river¡¯s edge. He dismissed the Perk with three seconds to spare and with all the elves through.

    There were roars, an ocean of gasps¡­ Children rushed to play with the snow, and adults cheered.

    ¡°Follow the nice people through that Portal,¡± Rowan shouted, gesturing toward the blue gate going into town. A crowd of social workers and the police were waiting nearby.

    ¡°Hey,¡± Isla approached. ¡°I brought food and the reinforcements you asked for.¡±

    ¡°Hail do you do,¡± Fenrri saluted. Behind her and Snemc was a long file of Goblinoid warriors.

    [Rowan to Fenrri]: Please don''t say Hail around here. It has a really bad connotation.

    The Ogre gave him a thumbs up, then he yelled as loud as possible: ¡°OK, troops, hold hands, like in kindergarten. Chop chop.¡±

    Joint Trip activated (6/10 remaining)

    Soon, Rowan was back inside the Dungeon, bringing a sizeable army.

    ¡°It worked?¡± Hubert gasped. ¡°How?¡±

    ¡°An exploit, of course,¡± Rowan shrugged. ¡°My skill beats the settings. Now we can clear it so much faster.¡± The ensuing notification gave him great joy despite his fingers being hurt by Fenrri''s strong grasp.

    For taking a record number of people with you, Joint Trip has advanced to the next tier, extending its duration to 45 seconds. You can chain stacks and have unlocked a new aspect: Friends on a Trip. You can take your friends, party, or raid in the in-between without touching them if they¡¯re not farther than thirty yards from you.

    For saving the Swarthy Elves, you have been awarded 10 free APs.

 42: Dungeoning Again-1

    <hr>

    Someone softly knocked on the door. Isla groaned, pulling a pillow over her head. On the other hand, Cora continued to sleep blissfully, the tip of her tongue hanging out of her mouth. She looked so endearing and funny she made Rowan smile. That was a night to remember¡­

    The knocks repeated. Growlind and in a grumpy mood, Rowan opened the door of the tree hut for two inches. Outside, Hubert, the priest. Who else? Man, he¡¯s a pest!

    ¡°What do you want?¡± Rowan hissed.

    ¡°We need to talk.¡± Despite addressing Rowan, the Paladin¡¯s eyes tried to peek over Rowan¡¯s shoulder. If Rowan had to compare the priest''s gaze with something, it would have looked exactly like a nosy old lady''s. Pushing the man back, Rowan stepped on the balcony and closed the door behind him.

    ¡°Talk.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ apologize for doubting you. It¡¯s just¡­ I thought you didn''t realize the limits of your power and got drunk with the idea of charity and saving people¡­ It happens a lot to newbies.¡±

    Rowan rolled his eyes. ¡°And you lost your sleep over that shit? C¡¯mon, dude, relax! By the way, I apologize for giving you the Stare. I didn¡¯t do it on purpose.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s OK,¡± the priest shrugged off the excuse. "I was in the wrong to start with."

    ¡°The thing is¡­ please don''t be offended¡­ I¡¯m not a religious guy. I think religion is BS. Not faith, that¡¯s OK, just the protocol. You know: genuflect, genuflect, genuflect. When I can help, I help, that¡¯s all. I lived on the streets as a kid, and¡ª¡±

    ¡°I know¡­ Your father told me.¡±

    ¡°He did, didn''t he,¡± Rowan sneered. ¡°Big mouth Papa Allinder¡­¡¯

    ¡°It must¡¯ve been hard¡­¡±

    ¡°It still is. One of the hardest things I ever did was to leave behind my friends. There were other kids there, you know¡­ I couldn¡¯t sleep some nights, thinking: I had a good dinner; do they have anything to eat? Is it raining where they sleep? I don¡¯t know what happened to them¡­ forgot their family names, their faces¡­ Take this as the confession I owe you. I had a tough life and got lucky, and if I can make other people''s lives easier, I¡¯ll do it. Nevertheless, I intend to take care of my family first. That¡¯s in the first place¡­ You¡¯re not crying on me, are you.¡±

    ¡°N-no¡­¡± Hubert said, pretending to blow his nose.

    ¡°Get yourself together, for goodness sake!¡± Rowan tried to pull the Paladin by the lapels but failed, as no lapels were on full metal armor. ¡°And never, ever, wake me again in the early morning, or I kill you. I''m not joking. I know you can Rezz.¡±

    ¡°Err¡­ It¡¯s not quite early anymore, and we must discuss plans with you over breakfast. There, in the longest longhouse,¡± Hubert pointed. ¡°That¡¯s why I woke you up.¡±

    Taking on the village view in the morning, Rowan noticed it was bristling with activities. Orcs and Ogres were doing push-ups and sparing, looking eager for battle, and the raid members¡ªexcept his two wives and himself¡ªchecked their gear. Hubert turned and left the tree house terrace, taking precautions in stepping down the frail ladder, and Rowan followed.

    <hr>

    One hour later, their small army started marching. After an uneventful but boring hike through the cleared floors, they reached the sixth level of the dungeon, an uneven plain, a steppe going forever, with tall grass, groves, and rock formations here and there. After five more minutes of walking, they met their first monster: a giant metal golem, a robot with a machine gun instead of a left hand, and a mace as its right. The leaders'' group took cover in the grass, debating.

    ¡°How do we fight that?¡± Martha, one of the fighters brought by the Paladins, asked. Rowan was now able to remember most of their names.

    ¡°RPGs?¡± another warrior said, producing a portable rocket launcher from his inventory.

    ¡°Wait,¡± Fenrri said, slapping the man on the shoulder. ¡°Give it to the little one; we¡¯ll make a test.¡±

    A tiny goblin hopped forward, his eyes bulging in eagerness, stretching his hands up for the weapon. ¡°I prove muhself to muhmma.¡±

    A little hesitant, the man handed the rocket launcher. The Goblin dashed through the tall grass, only a faint movement showing his trajectory. In no time, he arrived near the construct and shot the RPG at point blank, directly in the monster¡¯s head. Despite the huge explosion and the smoke, the effect was minimal. The robot¡¯s mace crushed the goblin dead the next second.

    ¡°Noooo¡­. The child¡­.¡± Hubert wailed, grabbing his head into his hands.

    Fenrri the Ogre disappeared and reappeared in the golem¡¯s back. Her fists hit the robot¡¯s ankle, smashing it, and then, as the construct fell, Fenrri climbed on its back and bashed the metal head into pieces. Fenrri must have some teleport skill, Rowan thought.

    Fenrri, army co-leader, has destroyed Gun Golem (Elite), level 80 (1/20)

    Meanwhile, the Paladin rushed forward, shoving the earth with his hands, until he found the small goblin¡¯s body. ¡°Please, live, please!¡± he wailed, pushing his hands on the tiny creature¡¯s chest, applying his Rezz skill.

    ¡°Is he mad?¡± Fenrri whispered to Rowan as he approached the scene.

    ¡°Absolutely. Spare the spawn, or he¡¯ll waste all his Rezz stack,¡± he susurrated back.

    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

    ¡°Yes!¡± the priest bellowed, happy, as the little creature revived, gasping as he inhaled air.

    ¡°That¡¯s not a child,¡± Rowan tapped Hubert¡¯s shoulder. ¡°It¡¯s a sort of a bipedal dog with some intelligence. They breed and train them. All lifeforms on their planet are Goblinoids.¡±

    ¡°And this is supposed to make its life less important?¡± Hubert yelled.

    ¡°Suit yourself, then. Just saying, for when you¡¯ll have to choose between it and one of your friends. At least you two seem to get along,¡± Rowan pointed to the ecstatic resurrected Goblin, who was in the process of humping the Paladin¡¯s leg.

    ¡°Get away!¡± Hubert screamed, shaking his foot.

    ¡°The next one is five hundred feet ahead,¡± Victoria appeared near them. ¡°And the pattern keeps on, in a grid formation. I couldn¡¯t find the portal to the next floor yet.¡±

    ¡°Have you tried to pass through in The Space?¡±

    ¡°The floors are not next to each other. You can''t pass through if there''s nothing on the other side.¡±

    "What do you mean, nothing?¡± Rowan frowned. ¡°There must be something, right?"

    "The Void," Cora said. "A sixth dimension. It''s said it gives to other universes with totally different laws."

    "I''ll stick with nothing, thank you very much."

    "Rowan was never good at science," Papa Allinder jumped to say. "Like at all. I tried my best, but¡ª"

    ¡°I¡¯ll go see if my rockets work on them,¡± Cora said, taking off.  A minute later, a notification announced:

    Cora Shemeows, army co-leader, has destroyed Gun Golem (Elite), level 80 (2/20). No XP was awarded.

    ¡°Yeah, works better than the RPG, but it took three hits; it¡¯s too much,¡± she yelled as the army approached. ¡°Trying the machine gun next.¡± Thirty seconds later, the next monster had been slain.

    Cora Shemeows, army co-leader, has destroyed Gun Golem (Elite), level 80 (3/20). No XP was awarded.

    ¡°It was worse¡­ I can¡¯t sustain this level of ammunition consumption,¡± she complained when they joined her.

    ¡°Do you have some reserves outside?¡± Rowan asked.

    ¡°I have plenty of reserves just here, in my inventory; the problem is the perk that charges them with Mana. It¡¯s a once-per-day process. I¡¯m at ninety-five percent in rockets and ninety-three in bullets.¡±

    ¡°Guys, they¡¯re joining,¡± Papa Allinder said.

    ¡°Like a super golem?¡± Rowan asked.

    ¡°No, like an assault formation,¡± the elderly man explained, pointing in the distance, where a group of robots converged but still waiting for more constructs to arrive.

    In the vicinity, they had two options for an improvised redoubt. ¡°Fenrri, grove or rocks?¡± Rowan asked. Like Grace, the Ogre was a Tactician, too, and her advice was valuable.

    ¡°Rocks. Wood shrapnel is a killer,¡± Fenrri chose.

    ¡°Understood. Troops, move! I, Bree, Isla, Papa, Snemc, and the Priest team will go behind them. Cora, destroy those still coming, then return to give us fire cover.¡±

    Rowan started running toward the left on a circular path.  There were incoming notifications about Cora¡¯s progress, but he ignored them. The Golems, fifteen or so, were now grouped together, with those on the flanks releasing bursts of fire in the air to keep Cora at bay.

    ¡°Let¡¯s attack before they reach the troops,¡± Hubert said.

    ¡°Let¡¯s not!¡± Rowan countered. ¡°We let them engage the army and hit from behind while their attention is on our people. Now, please shut up. Whoever has a gun, if you see Hubert speaking again, shoot him and let him rezz.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll do it,¡± Martha volunteered.

    ¡°Hey!¡± Hubert protested.

    ¡°Not now, next time,¡± Rowan barely stopped the woman in time. ¡°Shush¡­ hide.¡±

    They plunged into the tall grass to make themselves less visible. The Golems passed them by, attracted by Cora¡¯s sporadic fire and the rain of arrows from the Goblin Army. The robots started firing their machine guns a hundred yards from the rock formation. They also opened hatches in their torsos, revealing cannons.

    Stupid me¡­ Gun Golems, duh¡­  ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Rowan roared.

    Bree and Hubert run forward, the latter preparing his spells, and the Ranger imitating Fenrri¡¯s example, grabbing a robot¡¯s foot, throwing it down, and smashing the head with a war hammer. Papa Allinder started to throw ice bolts and fireballs, and Isla stepped forward, protecting him with a large riot shield, over which a blue light shined, similar to Hubert¡¯s. At the same time, Snemc¡¯s invoked a large area of healing and buffing, and Rowan felt its effect in every fiber of his body. The Shaman was good at his job.

    Letting his team work independently, he rushed to reach farther behind the enemy line, attacking the middle, using the Snowstorm. Although it failed to destroy the Golems in one go, it did a good job of freezing them in place.

    The only thing he hadn¡¯t considered was the friendly fire coming just from a hundred yards in front of him. Just a second before Rowan was on the point of activating Joint Trip, Hubert arrived at the rescue, blocking the random projectiles with his energy shield. The Paladin¡¯s mouth was tightly shut, lips tightened together. He was faulting Rowan''s plan, evidently.

    Yeah, I should have thought about that. Then, it was over.

    Improvised Army has cleared the Shore¡¯s dungeon¡¯s Sixth Floor. No XP and no APs awarded.

    Rowan felt a little sad, if not for the levels, for the AP. On a whim, he pushed a point into Strength, then another into Dexterity, because he felt his fighting skills were underwhelming. Rowan wished to raise them to the third threshold but stopped, remembering Cora¡¯s obsession with delaying investing APs. To compensate for the hunger of rushing to the next tier, he put a point into Constitution and Charisma to make all four stats fifty-five. He felt like an alcoholic trying to drink a beer to stop thinking about moonshine or somebody on a diet eating raw cabbage to stop yearning for French fries.

    ¡°The guy is good,¡± Hubert said.

    ¡°Who?¡±

    ¡°The Shaman. He regenerated not only our health but also our shields.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s a pro. You two should hang around. Both priests, both healers¡­¡±

    "I guess¡­" Hubert sighed.

    ¡°Yeah¡­ Maybe you¡¯ll get off my back if you have someone else to talk to.¡±

    Snemc, the target of their commentary, had not tarried, rushing to heal the wounded in the main camp. Fortunately, there were no fatalities. In the distance, a big sign had appeared, floating in the air, signaling in big letters: To the Next Floor. They walked toward it and found the portal.

    ¡°Wait!¡± Victoria blurted before anyone could pass on. ¡°Let me go scout first.¡±

    She lit a smoke and vanished. Ten minutes later, she reappeared, her cigarette almost spent.

    ¡°The next floors are aligned, so I could glimpse a few.  We¡¯ll have to pass an enclosed water tank, about a hundred feet in diameter. Swimming across is doable, but there are hundreds of piranhas. Then we have a floor with Sand Sharks combined with Golems and another deep water passage with water sharks.  The tenth floor is a beach infested with zombies; we need range and fire. The eleventh floor is an empty town. There was no monster in sight. That¡¯s all. I had to return before the smoke was gone.¡±

    ¡°Give,¡± Rowan forwarded his hand. The Vampire gave him the cigarette, and Rowan inhaled the last bit of smoke. Trying not to exhale too soon, he passed through the portal, staying near his side. He unleashed his Snowstorm as soon as the effect of the cigarette vanished. In that small space, it killed the Piranhas instantly.

    You have cleared the Shore Dungeon¡¯s Seventh Floor. No XP and no APs awarded.

    He pushed the water with his arms and feet, returning to the sixth floor. Passing through the portal felt strange, the water¡¯s resistance still restraining his legs while his arms trashed in the air to keep his body¡¯s balance. ¡°Done. The exit is straight across. Maybe we can put a lifeline, a rope or something.¡±

    ¡°And lifeguards. Snemc can stay half an hour underwater,¡± Fenrri said.

    ¡°And I can stay indefinitely,¡± Cora added. ¡°I hate swimming, but one must do what one must do. We¡¯ll take care of it.¡±

 43: Dungeoning Again -2

    <hr>

    After grinding their way through the next three floors, they reached the eleventh and found it empty, as Victoria said. It was a sea resort with villas near the sea, umbrellas, and chaise lounges on the beach. A small tourist town with old houses giving a Mediterranean vibe. The only strange building was a stone wall at the end of the Main Square. It had a closed gate, built to imitate a Medieval castle¡¯s door, with heavy beams, chains, and lock pads locking it up.

    ¡°I think this is the portal, and it¡¯s a puzzle, ¡± Victoria said. ¡°The Joint doesn¡¯t work on it.¡±

    ¡°You think we have to pick the locks?¡± Cora asked, touching a lock pad. She had barely brushed it with her fingers when a paper appeared on the gate, and it stayed there despite her attempt to remove it. They took turns to read the note.

    ¡®Tis a night of recollection, a time to heal,

    A time to reflect and let the heart reveal.

    The lessons learned, and the strength  gained,

    ¡®Thy challenges, in the ¡®morrow attain.

    I, The Warlord

    ¡°This is b-bad¡­ This is so b-bad¡­¡± Fenrri shivered.

    ¡°How bad?¡± Rowan asked.

    ¡°A god messing with our lives? I¡¯d say as bad as it gets.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s no god,¡± Hubert interjected. ¡°It¡¯s a normal person, only more powerful than us. The latest council of Rome has clearly¡ª¡±

    ¡°It means we have to spend the night here, right?¡± Rowan interjected. ¡°It''s for the better. We need some rest anyway.¡±

    ¡°What hour is it?¡± Isla asked. ¡°Is time the same in dungeons?¡±

    ¡°Time stays the same,¡± Cora said. ¡°Dungeons sync with the local hour. If you see the sunset here, it¡¯s also evening out there.¡±

    ¡°Then it¡¯s settled. Raid, disband. Army¡­ do whatever Fenrri tells you to do. See ya in the morning,¡± Rowan shouted.

    ¡°We camp here, put out the tents, normal patrol, and guard order,¡± the Ogre yelled.

    "This is yours," Rowan said, extracting a Bourbon bottle from the inventory and offering it to one of Hubert''s comrades. "The lost bet."

    "C''mon, man, one bottle? Are you a cheapskate or something?" the warrior snorted.

    "Fine¡­," Rowan sighed, offering a second bottle. "Cheapskate counts for the Swear Jar, just so you know."

    "What''s going on," Papa Allinder whispered to Cora. He had instinctively lowered his head, then had to raise on his toes, as the Nekojin was in her armor and, thus, taller.

    [Cora to Papa Allinder]: Rowan thinks he has a good memory and took a System-reinforced bet a while ago. He''s supposed to remember every high-tier Awakened in town by name or pay them a drink. One of his PR stunts.

    [Papa Allinder to Cora]: Oh, my God! He''ll go bankrupt! Trust me, Robunny is everything but a brainiac.

    [Cora to Papa Allinder]: Rowbunny? Hahahaha! That''s so sweeeeeeet!

    [Papa Allinder to Cora]: Don''t tell him I told you.

    [Cora to Papa Allinder]: Don''t worry about the drinks; he covers the costs from the Swear Jar.

    [Papa Allinder to Cora]: The what?

    [Cora to Papa Allinder]: Rowan made a law: every time somebody says something bad about him in public, like '' the fucking Count'' or so,  ten Mana cents are deducted from their bank account and transferred to us. It''s¡­ a fast-growing account.

    [Papa Allinder to Cora]: Go figure.

    Meanwhile, the discussion about the note and the gate had subsided, and almost everyone had finished reading it. Some bets were placed here or there about what was about to follow, mostly among the goblinoids.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go find myself a hotel room,¡± Bree said.

    "Son, what if¡ª"

    ¡°No!¡± Rowan waved his index in a stopping gesture. ¡°No father-son time, no confessions or life stories. Go stalk someone else. You know what? You and Hubert could stalk each other for what I care.¡±

    ¡°Fine,¡± Papa Allinder sulked, crossing his arms.

    ¡°What if we watch the sunset together?¡± Rowan asked Cora and Isla.

    ¡°What if you take me out of the dungeon so I can check Thomas¡¯s homework?¡± Isla asked.

    ¡°It¡¯ll take forever to crawl back¡­¡±

    ¡°If you go back, he¡¯d lose two stacks of his best perk,¡± Cora pleaded. ¡°Let¡¯s play it smart.¡±

    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

    ¡°Fine,¡± Isla surrendered.

    Their negotiations concluded, and they found their way to the beach. They were not the only ones. Victoria was also there, lying on a chaise lounge, in a one-piece swimming suit, and smoking a normal cigarette.

    ¡°The water is lovely,¡± Victoria said.

    ¡°Thanks. I¡¯ll go for a swim,¡± Isla said.

    The blonde took off her clothes, keeping her underwear on, a sports bra and bikini, and ran into the sea, splashing water. She turned for a second to throw water at the two, but her attempt fell short, so she pulled her tongue at Rowan and Cora and dived into the next wave.

    ¡°How many of those cigarettes do you still have? I mean Joints,¡± Rowan asked.

    Victoria extracted an opened pack and counted the cigarettes inside. ¡°Eighteen. They¡¯re hard to get out there, impossible here¡­ You¡¯re lucky."

    The Vampire threw the cigarette butt in the sand and left. After waiting for the blonde to disappear, Cora jumped and picked the butt, throwing it in a bin.

    ¡°Bloody criminals,¡± she hissed. ¡°Never tidy.¡±

    Rowan shrugged. "Doesn''t the dungeon absorb the trash? By the way, is there a rule about why some bodies disintegrate and others remain behind when dead?¡±

    Cora patted his cheek, explaining patiently, like for a child: ¡°Awakened areas tend to extract the Mana back as soon as possible.  Constructs disintegrate on the spots, and then enemies take a bit more time. But it depends. Low-tier people are not dissolving into Mana, for instance. The process is the opposite for persons identified as belonging in the area. The Dungeon or Town Core maintains their bodies longer to allow a chance at Rezzing.¡±

    ¡°I guess I still have a lot to learn.¡±

    Cora nodded, stretching herself. The sun was almost gone, and Isla returned to the beach to enjoy the last rays. Her wet hair was flowing over her breasts, and she looked like a siren.

    "Goodness, Isla¡­ you''re so beautiful," Cora exclaimed.

    "You truly are," Rowan nodded. "I have a question, baby. You told me to invest my points at the last moment, but I need more Mana, which means increasing my Charisma to the third threshold.¡±

    ¡°Considering the Warlord¡¯s toying with us, I say go for it. Can you share your stats first?¡±

    ¡°With both of us,¡± Isla said. ¡°Just curious.¡±

    ¡°By the way, I never saw your stats,¡± Rowan said.

    Isla stared back daggers. ¡°You saw me naked, and that¡¯s enough. A woman¡¯s stats are more private than her privates.¡±

    ¡°If you say so,¡± Rowan rolled his eyes, sharing his Character Stats.

    Name: Rowan Allinder. Lvl. 73. Main class: Indomitable (Legendary). Secondary Class: Primeval Magus (Mythical)

    58 APs available

    STR: 55 / DEX: 55 / CON: 55 / INT: 77/ WIL: 81  / CHA: 55

    ¡°Looks good,¡± Cora said. ¡°Even without supplementary APs, you can reach the third threshold in every stat and throw some extra points here and there for more Mana. Perfect. Put APs in Charisma and tell me the perks.¡±

    ¡°Err¡­ what¡¯s a secondary class?¡± Isla asked.

    ¡°Fuck!¡± Rowan facepalmed. ¡°I forgot she doesn¡¯t know¡­¡±

    ¡°Pfff¡­¡±

    ¡°Guys! You better tell me the truth! What¡¯s a secondary class?¡±

    Cora looked around to see if anyone was around, then leaned toward Isla, speaking in a low voice. ¡°A handful of people can unlock secondary classes through powerful experiences. It practically doubles the number of your perks. That¡¯s why Rowan is so powerful. But it carries a risk. If you find out about them too soon, your mind will try to fill the void, and you may get something trivial. Grace was the first to get a secondary class, but I made her keep the secret because Rowan risked getting something silly at that time.¡±

    ¡°Maybe something like Wannabe Rally Driver,¡± Isla threw her head back in laughter. ¡°Sorry¡­¡± she patted Rowan¡¯s hand.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll get something like Ticket Obsessed or Police Brutality,¡± Rowan sneered.

    ¡°I got the Cavity Search class¡­¡±

    ¡°W-what?¡±

    ¡°Gotcha, dummy. I¡¯m still a simple Enforcer.¡±

    ¡°And it¡¯s not a given you¡¯ll get a secondary class,¡± Cora continued. ¡°The ratio of people getting it is small.¡±

    ¡°Whatever. I¡¯m fine anyway. I¡¯ll let you two talk your nerdish and head back to town. There¡¯s some barbecue smell, and I¡¯m hungry.¡±

    Picking her clothes from the sand, dusting them, and dressing back, Isla walked away, with Rowan looking longingly after her.

    ¡°C¡¯mon, get your head together," Cora snapped her fingers near his ear. "Charisma?¡±

    ¡°Moment¡­ Oh¡­ that¡¯s so nice.¡±

    Charisma Perk, Threshold 3 (Main Class: Indomitable): Cost Reduction. Simple, yet efficient. -25% Mana cost for all spells and perks.

    Charisma Perk, Threshold 3 (Secondary Class: Primeval Magus): Hurtful. Gretchen¡¯s Question, Svart¨¢lfar¡¯s Stare, Sonar, and Insight can deliver CC effects to enemies. The effect is increased for lower-tier targets, and minor damage is applied.

    ¡°You lucky bastard¡­¡±

    ¡°It''s thanks to you, Cora. Your advice helped a lot."

    "Whatever. I''m sleepy. I''m going back to town."

    Rowan caught her by the hand before she raised up. "What if we sleep here?  The beach is lovely.¡±

    ¡°Fine¡­ but let¡¯s join the chairs; I want to cuddle¡­ Robunny.¡±

    ¡°Noooooo! He told you that?¡±

    <hr>

    Rowan was having quite a nightmare. All his three wives scolded him for some wrong he did, screaming at him loudly¡­ He woke up in a sweat. In real life, the yelling was done by Fenrri.

    ¡°Come, we have big problems.¡±

    ¡°Is Cora safe?¡± he rushed to ask, noticing she was not there.

    ¡°She¡¯s in the square. Come.¡±

    Probably because she thought him too slow, Fenrri grabbed and threw Rowan over her right shoulder. He felt like one of those heavy sacks or crates he had to lift in the Bourbon factories he had worked in.  In the town¡¯s square, everybody was gathered around the Triumphal Arch.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Rowan asked.

    ¡°Take a look,¡± Fenrri said, letting him down.

    On the wooden gate was a new note, a piece of parchment with handwriting. Red letters, of course.

    I, The Walord, have compressed Levels 12-19 into this gate and transformed it into a Challenge.

    Four champions have been selected to enter the gate and confront the test, having guessed the answer to my riddle:

    A time to reflect and let the heart reveal.

    The lessons learned, and the strength  gained,

    and invested APs before dawn, reaching at least one threshold.

    The challengers will enter the gate in this order: Papa Allinder, Hubert the Paladin, Rowan Allinder, and Isla Culloden. Refusing the test = dice roll with a 50% chance of Insta Perma Death.

    Rewards: 1 Level. 1 AP. Information. Life-changing experience. Access to the Boss¡¯s Lair.

    ¡°Told you, this is bad,¡± Fenrri said.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t guess anything; it was just happenstance,¡± Rowan complained. ¡°Did any of you?¡± Every champion shook their head in denial.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take the test,¡± Papa Allinder said. ¡°I¡¯m old, so¡­ at least I spent my last days happy, having fun with my son.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll go for it, too,¡± Isla said with a heavy tone.

    Hubert nodded, and Rowan shrugged. He was going for the challenge anyway. The text on the paper changed.

    Papa Allinder is asked to touch the Gate.

 44: The Gate Challenge

    <h2 style="text-align: center">The Choices of Papa Allinder</h2>

    It was a dark room with nothing in it but two cinema screens on the sides. The left showed Lizzie riding Papa Allinder¡¯s back and making joyful noises; to the right was a dark field covered in bodies, blood, spears and arrows stuck in the mud or corpses. Clouds covered the sky; ravens circled above, waiting for the last movements to subside before feasting on the dead.

    Shaking, Papa Allinder took an unconvincing battle stance, preparing his staff.

    A man appeared, slowly stepping forward. Majestic but eerie at the same time, covered in ghastly tattoos, metal threads embedded in his body, and a white fur mantle on his shoulders. As he closed the distance, surrounded by a cloud of snow and cold, a terrible sentiment of dread spread in Papa Allinder. ¡°This challenge is simple.¡± Choose. Life or death,¡± the apparition commanded, spreading his arms to point at the images.

    ¡°Y-you m-mean the s-screens?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Life or death.¡±

    The elderly man let out a bitter laugh. ¡°This can¡¯t be so simple¡­ I need to know more.¡±

    ¡°You are right. What is life? What is death? You have a Class now. Your son called a favor from a friend to return you the favor of giving him a good life. Do you know what it means?¡±

    Trying to contain the shiver in his body, Papa Allinder shook his head. ¡°Why don''t you tell me?¡±

    ¡°A wise answer. A Class is the most precious thing on Earth. It¡¯s up to the Classed to help your planet survive the Awakening. You¡¯re a Sage and a good one, and magic users are rare. We can afford squeamish people around. Make up your mind: embrace or reject your new nature. The left screen shows a normal life. I take your class back and give it to someone more worthy, but you have a few more years to enjoy your family. A peaceful death, remembering your late wife, who died at a young age. You never loved again until you met Rowan, a son she would have loved as her own. The right, you embrace your Class. Maybe you die in battle; maybe you live to two hundred. It¡¯s a risk, no guarantees.¡±

    There was no hesitation from the elderly man. He nodded with energy. ¡°Right. I want to be able to protect my son and his family.¡±

    ¡°We''ll see. Power changes people. In fifty years, maybe you kill a bandit just to bed the grateful innkeeper or let her be ransomed if she¡¯s ugly. Do you confirm your choice, yes or no?¡±

    ¡°Y-Yes.¡±

    ¡°You have a probation time of a year. Kill a thousand sentients, either monsters or humans and save the same number. Begone.¡±

    Gasping, Papa Allinder found himself back in the square. One of the padlocks on the gate broke into pieces.

    ¡°Thank goodness,¡± Rowan rushed to hug him, and Cora joined. ¡°Was it hard?¡±

    The elderly man''s shaking hand grabbed his shoulder, supporting himself on it to stay on his feet. ¡°I c-can¡¯t talk about it now¡­¡±

    <hr>

    <h2 style="text-align: center">The Temptations of Father Hubert</h2>

    Goblidog Wurf, son of Howl and Barks, was the happiest of monsters. His tiny mind couldn¡¯t comprehend how someone could love him so much to raise him from the dead. The Paladin was a Saint. No one else ever had shown him any sign of affection. Muhmma Fenrri, his master, was kicking his butt every other hour. He was cannon fodder and knew it. All his spawn-litter but him had been killed in suicide missions. A new master was needed if he aimed at a continued existence.

    What delicacies could a new master like the Paladin feed him? Heavenly treats, for sure. Maybe real dog food, not some meatless boar bones boiled for two hours in a soup.

    Now, he knew he had angered the Paladin by humping his leg. Humping was reserved for mating, but it was hard to fight against the burning in his loins. A leg was the second-best after a bitch. But he had heard the Paladin preaching forgiveness to his comrades, so there was still hope.

    Nevertheless, Wurf''s plans to correct his mistakes and be adopted were in jeopardy. The Paladin was about to enter some dangerous dungeon floor. Goblidog Wurf had a good smell and good eyes. His prospective master was afraid. The Paladin was sweating, checking his grip on the one-handed sword every second.

    The decision was made quickly: He would prove himself in battle and gain enough clout to be adopted. So, as his next chosen master advanced toward the strange wooden gate, he rushed and touched it at the same time. Then, they were in another place. A room with many pillows and sofas. Laid on them stood a strange creature. Two big globes on her front, mammaries, a female of sorts.

    And instantly, the possible future master wobbles on his feet, drops his sword, and approaches the sofa, hands first, aiming for the mammaries. Was he blind? Couldn¡¯t he see the artifice? The deceit? The creature reeked of bad Mana, a fake, a construct. She had claws instead of fingernails, fangs, and wings dissimulated in an illusory wrap. A Harpy.

    The Paladin, his tongue out, salivating, reached and started to fondle those false globes, shaking his head to the right and left. There was some¡­ strange bulging appearing in his pants¡­ And the monster was preparing to strike, claws at the ready.

    Goblidog Wurf jumped forward, his fangs and jaws snapping around the fake female¡¯s throat. She screamed. The Paladin screamed. Wurf screamed. The harpy trashed, trying to get rid of the Goblidog. The Paladin trashed as well, in panic. And then, victory. The monster disintegrated into specks of light. And reward.

    You have leveled x 60. You are now level 80. Your INT stat has been automatically raised to 10, so you can allocate your APs yourself. You have been assigned as a Paladin¡¯s Familiar and are receiving a new class.

    The Paladin screamed anew, and they were out.

    <hr>

    <h2 style="text-align: center">The Lesson of Rowan Allinder</h2>

    When Hubert was thrown out of the Gate, Rowan was in his way and had to catch him in his arms.

    ¡°I don¡¯t wanna talk about it! I don¡¯t wanna talk about it!¡± the priest screamed, wrapping himself in his cloak and shaking his leg to get rid of the Goblidog, who was hanging on for dear life.

    ¡°Dude, I don¡¯t give a shit!¡± Rowan shoved the man away. ¡°Leave me be, and take the weird dog with you! Marry, be happy, make kids together, for what I care.¡±

    Shaking his head, he touched the gate, hoping for the best. If his Papa and the weirdo had survived, he could do it too. A slight squeeze in the heart; apprehension, not for him, but for Isla. There was something in her eyes he couldn''t get, and he was too afraid to scan her without her permission. He touched the gate absent-mindedly and arrived in a martial arts training room, like those he had used in the town.

    ¡°We finally meet, Rowan Allinder.¡±

    ¡°Uhuh,¡± Rowan said in a neutral tone.

    ¡°You, of billions of humans, attracted my curiosity foremost.¡± The tall man talking was muscular, his skid of a golden hue, dressed in a suit of armor that appeared embedded in his skin, and there was no doubt in Rowan¡¯s mind about his identity. The Warlord.

    "What do you want from me?" Rowan asked, keeping his voice deadpanned.

    The man started to walk in a circle, with Rowan in its middle, talking slowly. ¡°Once upon a time, the Galaxy was a wonderful place. One beautiful culture stretched everywhere. My story is not about that time. I was born long after that civilization collapsed, and Barbarians roamed everywhere. Demon Lords, Wild Dungeons, and Towers slain entire planets in sick games. A group of Heroes arose, battling against the tide. They exterminated the Barbarians, killed the Demon Lords, cleared the Towers, and grew in power and knowledge. Finally, they were able to input spells into the Mana itself, creating the System. What do you think they did next?¡±

    ¡°No idea,¡± Rowan shrugged. ¡°Retired?¡±

    The man stopped in his tracks and faced the Count. "Retire, they did. They were so powerful that their mere existence threatened their achievements. So, they ascended in a special dimension, timeless, ageless¡­ Now, who do you think I am?¡±

    If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    A hypothesis emerged in Rowan¡¯s mind as he furrowed his brows. ¡°One of them, gone rogue and imprisoned in a Dungeon?¡±

    The Warlord let out a short laugh, jerking his head back. ¡°You¡¯re half right and half wrong. I didn¡¯t go rogue. Retirement wasn¡¯t for me, so I stayed behind. But there was a price to play. Power corrupts, and I had Admin rights over the System."

    ¡°So that''s why you were imprisoned in a dungeon?¡± Rowan asked, grimacing.

    The Warlord shook his head. ¡°I wasn''t imprisoned. I became a Dungeon. I am the gate outside, and this place, and this person you''re talking to simultaneously.¡±

    Rowan''s jaw slacked. ¡°What? You''re kidding me!"

    "On my honor, I had not transformed you into a kid," the Warlord said.

    "Sorry, just a human expression. Really, a dungeon? Err¡­ Can you be¡­ challenged?¡± The question, albeit hesitating, had a hint of determination.

    "AHAHAHA!" The Warlord roared, bending in laughter and slapping his knee. He came forward and grabbed Rowan''s shoulder, speaking loudly in his face. "I like you, Rowan Allinder! Yes, you can challenge this Dungeon. It¡¯s what you¡¯re doing at this very moment. However, clearing it comes with a special clause, I''m afraid. Whoever beats me in Extreme Mode takes my place, and I ascend.¡±

    Rowan creased his face, disappointed, letting out a long sigh. That was not what he had hoped for.

    ¡°Hm,¡± the Warlord grabbed his chin after crossing his arms. ¡°I didn¡¯t think you were the maverick type. Do you like challenges so much?¡±

    ¡°I want you out of my way,¡± Rowan stated. ¡°You¡¯re toying with us for your own amusement, and I cannot accept that. A fifty-fifty chance of instadeath if we don¡¯t accept the quest? Maybe taking you out of the picture is worth the sacrifice of becoming a dungeon.¡±

    ¡°You are mistaken,¡± the Warlord shrugged. ¡°I do not toy with you. I stayed behind to help the worthiest warriors better themselves and protect the legacy I and my friends built. For the last decade, I have traveled on the Traipenent of my own volition as a training dungeon. Then we crashed here¡­ Earth has much potential, so I might stay here for a while.¡±

    ¡°What kind of help is blackmailing us into this challenge?¡± Rowan sneered, feeling his patience running thin.

    "Your temper¡¯s temperature¡¯s raising," the Warlord scoffed. ¡°You should learn to keep your anger cold. It suits your abilities better. The System, not I, decided about the dice roll. It represents the chances of your people dying to the dungeon boss.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    "Believe it or not, I¡¯m helping here. I might have lost my System admin rights, but I have its ear. Enough talking. We¡¯ll spar, only melee weapons, no armor, perks, or magic. Shields are allowed. I''m obliged by the Oath I took to fight fairly, and I will lower myself to your level. This is the Easy Mode, so I''ll rezz you if you die. If you survive my onslaught for thirty seconds, I''ll give you a free lesson. Prepare yourself. In three¡­ two¡­ one.¡±

    Rowan had his armor already on. Activating his visor, he called a half-spear and a shield to protect himself while the Warlord dismissed all his armor except a loincloth. The man was now armed with a greatsword. A Barbarian, if Rowan had to guess a class.

    Then, there was no more time for thoughts. The Warlord charged at him swinging, and he was fast. Barely avoiding the flourish, Rowan plunged ahead to get his opponent in the guts. Twisting his body, the Warlord shapeshifted the greatsword into a saber. Rowan barely survived the cut, protecting his head with the shield. The opponent¡¯s weapon changed into a knife, trying to go around the youngster''s defenses. Turning the shield with its margin toward the Warlord¡¯s face, Rowan tried to hit it but failed, as the man let himself fall down and dodged, getting back at him in the next second, now armed with a gladius.

    Thrusting didn¡¯t help; the Warlord caught the tip of the spear with his edge in an oblique trajectory, deflecting the hit and gaining enough momentum to come for a thrust toward Rowan¡¯s gut. The youngster twisted his body, too, letting the spear go and throwing a fist. It connected with the Warlord¡¯s hand, the man protecting himself, albeit groaning. Rowan received a deep cut on his torso before they pushed themselves from each other to get more distance before charging again.

    The most terrifying thing was that he could feel the Warlord had no superhuman strength or skill. As promised, he was putting himself at the same level as Rowan. It was the difference in knowledge that counted.

    The Warlord gestured toward the spear on the ground, inviting Rowan to pick it up, transforming his weapon into a similar half-spear. Taking a few steps toward his armament, Rowan pretended to raise it up but charged at the man at the last second instead. The Warlord''s blade cut the side of his neck, but he ignored everything, ramming into his adversary.

    Delayed Truth activated. You have 0% HP.

    His knee hit the man¡¯s groin, his elbow the chin, his hands searched for the eyes, to gouge them off, while biting on the Warlord¡¯s throat with his teeth. The adversary dissolved into specks of light. Rowan activated a healing patch, but he knew it was too late.

    Then he was back to full health, his Perk recharged, and the Warlord reappeared.

    ¡°Well done,¡± the Warlord clapped. ¡°Albeit you would have died too in a real battle, you have won against my easy mode. I''ll think of a gift to reward your win, but for now, the lesson. You have an old Artifact as a weapon. Your imagination shapes it. Be creative.¡±

    A brief gesture and a mannequin appeared on the far side of the room. The Warlord''s hand invoked a dozen undulating metal filaments, thirty feet long, that he projected at the dummy, some encircling the members and neck, some cutting, some bashing, others skewering it. The weapon looked like Spiderman''s threads had mated with Wolverine''s claws and was a sight to behold.

    ¡°Of course, in time, you will learn advanced ways to focus your magic through your weapon.¡± The Warlord¡¯s weapon took a spear shape and shot a beam of frost from its tip. It was Rowan¡¯s perk, R?svelg, but concentrated in a fascicle. The target was blown to pieces but reappeared in a few seconds. ¡°I''m bound not to reveal too many Perk-related spoilers. Use your brain.¡±

    ¡°My Perk says The Snowstorm is R?svelg¡¯s First Aspect. Does it have others? And what about applications?¡± Rowan asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m bound not to reveal this secret, as you must unlock your own abilities by yourself,¡± the Warlord mimicked a zipper over his mouth but nodded energetically. ¡°Now, let¡¯s talk about your fighting style. You think too much. Keep it simple and instinctive, and don''t train with too many weapons. You¡¯ll be the master of none¡­ Look.¡±

    Approaching the mannequin, the Warlord donned a medium-length leaf-shaped sword. He made a step forward and a cutting motion. Then, he stopped, nodded, and repeated the same motion. And again, a few more times. Sometimes, he paused longer. Sometimes not. It was a very simple move, and Rowan could feel there was more to it but couldn¡¯t pinpoint what.

    I have to train that and see what I discover¡­

    ¡°If you need to go melee, stick to the spear and a short melee weapon. Training well is important. Half an hour at a time, not more, then take a break. Train one weapon and one motion in that interval, noting what you do well or wrong and what you must do to correct it. Don¡¯t dwell on mistakes. Footwork is important. Train it for half an hour each day. And don¡¯t forget your main asset: You¡¯re stubborn and tough, put pressure on the enemy, do the unexpected, and keep going at them. This is all for now. It was a pleasure to meet you, Rowan Allinder. Expect to see more of me in the future.¡±

    A flash of light blinded Rowan, and the ejection felt like a large monster was spitting him out of its throat.

    <hr>

    <h2 style="text-align: center">The Fight of Isla Culloden</h2>

    Pacing back and forth in front of the gate, Isla thought: Why is it taking so long? She wanted to get through with it and continue to drown her anger in action. She was so pissed on Rowan¡­ Wishing to hit him. The only thing stopping her was thinking he¡¯d feel more entitled to his snobbish superiority.

    Police Brutality? That¡¯s all he sees in me?

    She bit her lower lip, groaning. It was the curse of her life. Her hippie parents never invested in her education. Bad grades at school? The oppressing capitalism¡¯s fault. They couldn¡¯t help with homework if she¡¯d put a gun to their heads.

    Choosing combat sports and a police career was to spite them. And arrest them too, when they manifested against the oil industry or hugged some tree. Fuck! Isla cursed in thought. She felt stupid and ugly. Isla wanted to be gentle, and refined. A princess, like Grace, or at least a cold elegant bitch like Victoria. Imposing. And she wanted Rowan to see that in her. Her potential.

    Last night, after his comment, she invested APs into INT, raising it from a mere twenty to the third threshold, to show him she was clever too. Yes, she had been through college, but he, a simple forklift operator, had been schooled by a posh noble gentleman, a Brahmin or shit. To her disappointment, all the new perks were still locked behind question marks.

    ¡°Are you all right?¡± Rowan was back, fondling her shoulder.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± she said, pushing his hand away and touching the gate to avoid too much conversation.

    Inside, it was hot, a dry hot. Around her were ruins, the antique kind, and a dry, reddish earth. Not quite a replica of the Roman Forum, but close. She ground her teeth, remembering how they made fun of her when she had mistaken the Italian Rome with Rome, Georgia. Was it her fault that both had pines and villas in colonial style?

    Priority, protection. Isla had body armor, but she extracted her police riot shield from the inventory and coated it with a layer of energy. In her right hand, her trustworthy revolver.

    The beast took her by surprise, jumping on her from atop a column. She felt the air pressure at the last moment and turned. The monster¡¯s weight threw her down, but fortunately, the shield took the brunt. She discharged half of her eight rounds in the beast, all hitting the lower part of the body. The monster took off, squealing, darting in zig-zags, hiding behind the large stones.

    ¡°What the fuck was that?¡± Isla groaned, getting back to her feet. The creature had a monkey¡¯s head, a lion¡¯s body, and a weird tail. It resembled something she saw somewhere in Rome in a painting. A mythical beast. Rowan sure knew its name. He knew all the weird stuff painted by Michelangelo Faggoty or any other orgiastic decadent artist.

    It felt unnatural to her to have all those nudes in museums. No one thought of kids? For goodness sake! Isla¡¯s frustration was growing. She wanted to be pretty and elegant, go together with Rowan to church, and be complimented and gifted flowers and chocolate¡­

    She noticed the incoming monster too late. Isla fired her last bullets, wounding the creature, but not enough to stop the charge. It crashed on her, throwing Isla on the ground, pinned under the monster¡¯s weight and a sting inflicting a Poison DOT. Of course, the bloody weird tail.

    The multicore¡ªor was it manticore?¡ªwas snapping her fangs an inch over her face, the police shield the only obstacle. And Isla¡¯s HP was almost done from the DOT. Screaming in frustration, Isla dismissed her magical protection and the riot shield, thrust her right hand into the monster¡¯s mouth, ignoring the bite and the pain, and activated her magical energy shield at full power, pushing it inside the monster, trying to shape it as¡­ whatever. To pull, to stab, to choke with it. She wanted to live, and the creature had to die. The last thing she saw before losing consciousness was the monster¡¯s head exploding.

 45: A Big Boss

    <hr>

    Isla Culloden has succumbed to her wounds but cleared the test. Her Recall and Resurect to Elkins had been allowed.

    ¡°It¡¯s OK, son¡­ She¡¯s alive,¡± Papa Allinder tried to console his son.

    "It''s my fault," Rowan shook his head. "I should have warned her about how dangerous that guy is. A total psycho."

    Inside the Triumphal Arch, a portal had opened, but it had a warning: Solo Quest. Only one of the Champions who cleared the Gate challenge can proceed. There was also an hour timer, counting the remaining minutes before the access shut down. Aside from the structure, another portal appeared, marked Dungeon¡¯s Exit. It also had a timer, and Fenrri was already organizing the departure of the rest of the group.

    Fortunately, Rowan had a Bourbon flask in his inventory. He took a mouthful to calm his apprehension, then decided. ¡°I¡¯ll go.¡±

    ¡°My challenge was about embracing my Class and becoming a true warrior. Let me do it,¡± Papa Allinder offered.

    ¡°Embrace it starting tomorrow,¡± Rowan cut his father''s pleas short. ¡°You¡¯re too new at this. And that moron is on his honeymoon.¡± Ten feet farther, Hubert was arguing with the Goblidog, jumping around to stop the monster from humping his leg. ¡°Hubert!" Rowan yelled. "Go home. I don¡¯t like you. Don¡¯t visit. If I ever see you near my house, in that weird black dress of yours, asking for a confession or shit, I¡¯ll shoot you.¡±

    ¡°Go fuck yourself¡­¡± Hubert snapped. ¡°Take those the Swear Jar and shove it up your... Sorry, so sorry," the priest slapped his mouth¡­ "Man, this monster gets on my nerves. I take it back. You¡¯re not so bad after all. If we had new elections, I¡¯d still vote for you.¡±

    ¡°GO AWAY! ALL OF YOU!¡±

    Rowan pushed Papa Allinder through the portal by force, and fortunately, Hubert took the hint and left. Before passing through the portal, the Goblidog gave Rowan the middle finger. Rowan took another mouthful of Bourbon, then entered the portal to the Lair, spear in hand.

    As soon as the gate closed behind him, Rowan retched. An unbearable stench of death and decay clogged his nostrils. There were bodies on the floor of the¡­ cave? Tunnel. It was a tunnel carved in stone, ten feet in diameter, slowly descending. The bodies were bloated, and cooked. Through the destroyed hazmat suits and military fatigues, puss oozed. Twisted guns lay around on the ground.

    What could have done that?

    [Dungeon¡¯s FAQ]: The Final Boss.

    Whoa¡­ Rowan jerked back. A FAQ? And you can read my mind?

    [Dungeon¡¯s FAQ]: Affirmative.

    Why haven¡¯t you talked before? I¡¯m sure you could been of great help on the first floor.

    [Dungeon¡¯s FAQ]: The entity known as I, The Warlord, previously known as The Lord of War, blocked my access to the first eleven floors.

    Never mind. FAQ, what kind of boss are we talking about?

    [Dungeon¡¯s FAQ]: That information is restricted. You are supposed to find out the Boss¡¯s strengths and weaknesses on your own. I can, however, fill in the blanks if you discover enough relevant information.

    The stench has diminished in intensity because Rowan¡¯s skill, Sensorial Filtering, was doing a good job. He proceeded onward with caution. Asking the FAQ who the dead people were was useless. Human military, or some mercenaries, maybe cartels, and with no True Class, or they would have disintegrated into Mana.

    As he advanced, there were more remains, but they had transformed into charcoal. The last group was made of six empty armors, standing up, fused together, and to the stone floor, facing the downward end of the tunnel. He cast an Inspect, to be sure.

    Intergalactic Mercenary¡¯s Armor, Standard Issue, model MK2 x6. Ruined.

    They were probably hired by those who wanted to buy the Swarthy Elves as slaves. All gone now.

    [Dungeon¡¯s FAQ]: Correct. An unlawful attempt to claim the core was detected. Corrective measures have been implemented, eliminating the criminals.

    A hundred feet ahead, there was a faint light, the tunnel¡¯s exit. Gluing himself to the wall, Rowan stepped on gingerly. The next room was in sight, and it was a vast cavern, lighted, as the tunnel, from a faint ambient light emanating from spots on the walls and ceiling. In its center was a dragon, curled on itself, and snoring.

    Fuck¡­ that¡¯s big¡­

    The story was now complete. The previous group had awakened the beast, who unleashed some fire attack at the tunnel, killing everyone. Stopping at the door, Rowan took time to think. What were the ways to kill such a beast? Sneaking on it was out of the question. That was a construct, and constructs don¡¯t really sleep. The floor of the cavern had some form of trigger. Did the tunnel have it too? Preparing to enter The Space, if needed, Rowan tapped the tunnel¡¯s floor with the end of his spear¡¯s shaft. There was no reaction from the dragon.

    Let¡¯s assess my abilities a little.

    Returning to his tracks, he passed the melted Mercenaries and stopped. Keeping his attention to the cavern below, he willed his spear to divide into metal threads, as The Warlord had exemplified. At first, he got just a bent spear shaft, but he kept trying. On the third attempt, Rowan obtained two filaments. After fifteen minutes, he could reliably summon six, and their length was considerable: thirty feet or so, like the Warlord¡¯s.

    Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    Next, he tried to push the filaments in the armors'' openings. It went bad, at first, either all aiming at the same space, or hitting the armor with clunking sounds. His heart skipped a beat, but the dragon was still asleep.

    Some idiot must¡¯ve stepped in the cavern before they figured out things¡­

    Another fifteen minutes later, his skill had improved. It was not fast, by any means, but fast enough for what he had in mind. He returned to the cavern¡¯s entrance and rushed in after activating Joint Trip. Ten seconds later, he was at the dragon¡¯s head¡¯s height, and preparing to introduce the filaments inside the dragon¡¯s body. At the last moment, he changed his mind, not so keen on parting with his weapon, and decided to go for the rebars instead. He picked two, went deeper inside the dragon¡¯s head, where the brain was supposed to be, and let the bars go.

    Instantly, the dragon turned toward the tunnel, releasing a torrent of flames so hot the stones turned red, smoldering. Panicking, Rowan plunged all his rebars in the monster¡¯s head, kept his Joint Trip active, and ran toward the opposite end of the cavern, hiding behind a large rock formation. The tunnel itself was now closed, covered in a molten lava plug.

    Joint Trip has consumed two stacks. 6/10 remaining.

    It was bad. The heat could be felt even where he was, and the dragon kept going. Rowan tried to make himself as little as possible and not make any noise.

    Sonar and Insight have made a successful check against Dragon Construct, Level 80. Strengths: no vitals, its body is acting as one item. Weaknesses: Lack of sentience. Absence of a true dragon''s perks: Oppressive Presence, Sensorial Detection (Hearing, Smell).

    [Dungeon¡¯s FAQ]: You have unlocked enough data to allow me to fill in the blanks. A Dungeon cannot reproduce a true dragon¡¯s perks. For instance, Oppressive Presence can kill anyone with a WIL under fifty and stabilizes dimensions around the Dragon, forbidding attacks from The Space. As a replacement for that ability, this construct has only one big pool of HP and no specific vitals.

    The dragon finally returned to its snoring. There was now a generic tag above its head: Dragon Construct level eighty. Rowan could also see the health bar hovering around eighty percent. Soon, however, the rebar bits were ejected from the monster¡¯s body, and the health bar slowly grew back.

    FAQ, If I¡¯m killed, will I be Rezzed in Elkins?

    [Dungeon¡¯s FAQ]: Under emergency procedures, The Lair prevents Rezzez and/or Recalls and also has a forcefield forbidding escaping it through The Space.

    Fuck¡­ If I don¡¯t kill it in one go, I¡¯ll be weaponless and screwed. You should use your brain more, Rowan. Test things first. Fuck¡­ Here we go.

    Rowan activated Joint Trip and moved up, stopping at the neck. Extending his weapon in threads deep inside the Dragon, he prepared to project the Snowstorm through them and exited The Space.

    The expected mayhem followed. The dragon roared, shooting his fire again at the tunnel, following its programming. It took it two long seconds to realize where the damage came from. And despite the pulsing damage from the Snowstorm and the metal spikes, it was still alive.

    I¡¯m toast.

    The Dragon tried to turn its head and burn Rowan for another three seconds but failed because its neck was too short and unwieldy. It did find a replacement solution, jumping up and hitting Rowan against the cavern¡¯s ceiling. It hurt and made him release his weapon.

    Delayed Truth activated. You have 0% HP. You have 10 seconds to heal yourself.

    Rowan hung on, like on a rodeo bull, keeping up R?svelg even without the weapon. Six seconds later, he cast a Combat Heal and entered The Space, activating a Health Potion and running away as far as possible.

    He was down to three Joint Trips and intended to keep them, so he hid again and returned to the normal dimension. To his surprise, the heat was not so intense anymore. The dragon was encased in a thin sheet of ice and struggled to take it off, hitting itself against the walls, fortunately far enough from Rowan. The HP bar was low, and descending. There were DOTs on the dragon, the equivalent of a Cold and Bleed damage, Rowan guessed.

    Anticlimactically, for the fierceness of the fight, the Boss disappeared. Rowan''s weapon fell, in the form of a metal ball now, hitting the rocks below and bouncing off a few times before stopping.

    You have destroyed Dragon Construct, defensive protocol, level 80. You have cleared the Shore dungeon and are allowed to claim its core. +10 free APs. You have leveled x4 and are now Lvl. 78

    Additional rewards:

    He dismissed the notification because there was something more important to do.

    ¡°FAQ, are you still here?¡±

    [Dungeon¡¯s FAQ]: Affirmative.

    ¡°Question. I have a Perk that is supposed to reduce Mana Consumption by a quarter, yet my Snowstorm had the same cost, forty Mana per second. Is the first perk applied only to spells?¡±

    [Dungeon¡¯s FAQ]: I¡¯m not familiar with that Perk, but I can, however, hypothesize. Not all Perks, Spells, or Skills start at maximum efficiency; they must be trained. My supposition is that the cost reduction applies to the value of the perfectly trained perk, and you haven¡¯t reached that threshold yet. If you open your Menu, you¡¯ll see a downward arrow under Perks. Press it, select the type of perk, and expand the detailed description.

    Yeah, I didn¡¯t check that¡­ that arrow is so tiny. What? The real cost is twenty Mana per second, which is reduced to fifteen through my Second Charisma Perk. Shit¡­ I have to train more.

    ¡°Second question. On several occasions, I got exactly the perk I needed. I needed a cold AoE, so I got a Cold AoE. I wanted a Mana cost reduction, and I got a Mana cost reduction. Is it possible that weird entities, let¡¯s say, someone whose name starts with War and finishes with Lord, could influence what perks I gain?¡±

    [Dungeon¡¯s FAQ]: I am unaware of that entity¡¯s full capability, but I have a vast database about how gaining Perks works. The System is known to unlock Perks that the Awakened needs if they have demonstrated the proper affinities.

    ¡°Last question. I don¡¯t intend to keep this dungeon but to consume it. Is it possible to transfer you to my Town¡¯s core? Like an app or something? You were quite helpful.¡±

    [Dungeon¡¯s FAQ]: It is possible if you¡¯re willing to spend the required energy. Disclaimer: You should check the proper procedures for using this Dungeon¡¯s core. Consuming this core into a lower level one, albeit of a lower tier, could malfunction. However, I theorize a merger should be possible, pending conditions.

    ¡°Good. OK, time to claim the fucking Dungeon core.¡±

    A pedestal and an exit portal appeared where the Dragon had slept. When asked if he wanted to claim the core, Rowan selected the Yes option. Before going into the portal, he checked his reward.

    Additional Rewards: Shared Insight and Changing Class Opportunity for Isla Culloden.

    This is a bonus reward for standing toe-to-toe with me, I, The Warlord, in a sparing match. Pff¡­ OK. I won¡¯t lie. For winning against me in a sparing match, albeit on Easy Mode. Never mind, that¡¯s not important. THIS is. Before and during her test, I detected the following feelings from your wife, Isla Culloden: She¡¯s upset with you because she thinks you look down on her and consider her unpolished and uncultured. Suggested solution: make her feel like a princess, beautiful and admired. You will find enclosed in an attachment a box of the best chocolate in the Galaxy. As a part of your reward, The Warlord took the liberty to fiddle a little with your wife''s Class to increase the quality of her self-esteem.

    I, The Warlord, remind you that everything is allowed in love because love is a battle.

 46: New Names

    <hr>

    Her eyelids felt so heavy¡­ Isla struggled to wake up. A soft, early morning light bathed the room. She was back in their common home, Grace¡¯s bed and breakfast, in one of the guest rooms.

    I survived¡­

    ¡°Core, are the rest OK?¡± she croaked, her throat dry.

    [The Butler]: Everybody¡¯s fine.

    ¡°Thank goodness¡­ How much time has passed? It can¡¯t be the same morning.¡±

    [The Butler]: You Rezzed one day ago and slept until now. There is something amiss with your stats. I suggest you review them before the rest of your family wakes up.

    ¡°Thanks, I¡¯ll do just that.¡±

    Name: Isla Culloden. Lvl. 66. Main Class: Enforcer??? (Rare), Secondary Class: ???

    8 AP available

    STR: 64 / DEX: 64 / CON: 64 / INT: 75 / WIL: 25 / CHA: 25

    What the fuck?

    She switched the Class Menu, and the notification popped out immediately.

    You¡¯re suffering from a possible Class Glitch because one of your secondary stats (INT) is higher than your main stat (STR). Make an informed Secondary Class selection to correct this error.

    1: Trainer (Rare, INT type). Unavailable for selection. Even if your free APs are invested in your main stat (STR), they will still be lower than the secondary stat (INT).

    2: Hunter (Rare, INT type). Unavailable for selection. Even if your free APs are invested in your main stat (STR), they will still be lower than the secondary stat (INT).

    3: Mana Monk (Legendary, INT type). Conditioned. Unarmed combat specialist. Imbue your strikes with Mana and Elemental Damage.

    4: The Artist (Legendary, Unique, INT type). Conditioned. You are the first person on Earth to use your Energy Shield for other purposes than intended. You have discovered a higher form of Forcefield: Aura. Learn to shape it into Mana Sculptures, Disguises, Illusions, Constructs, or Combatives applications.

    ¡°Artist! I take the artist''s stuff,¡± she blurted. It was a dream come true. Finally! Isla was ready to prove to the universe and Rowan that she was smart! An artist!

    Warning: An Aura artist is a Legendary tier class and offers many bespoke choices because no two artists are the same. Michelangelo and Leonardo are worlds apart.

    Sure, their bandanas have different colors.

    She dismissed the thought. Now that she was an artist, she couldn¡¯t afford to think like a ¡®Merican. Promising herself to read all that was to read about Mama Lisa or even watch the musical, she continued reading the notification.

    Nevertheless, a Secondary Legendary Class is still two tiers over your Main class, which is not allowed.

    Noooo¡­ Please, pretty please, I wanna be an artist!

    After all, is Douanier Rousseau remembered for his Customs job? Mussorgsky or Chabrier for being civil servants? Bukovski for being a postman?

    Fuck¡­ how many more ninja turtle teams are out there?

    To obtain The Artist class, it has to be promoted as a Main Class, and your Enforcer relegated to secondary. All the Perks will remain the same. The mutation will produce severe pain and dizziness. Accept mutation: Y/N.

    ¡°You bet I accept!¡± she yelled.

    Isla closed her eyes, waiting for the pain. The dizziness was real, her head turning around like a carousel. The pain¡­ meh. She was used to much worse. When the switch was done, she giddily summoned her new Character Menu to see the news. The old job¡¯s perks were the same, plus DPS, minus damage, blah blah blah. She read the new perks in one go, then returned to the beginning because the emotion made her forget everything.

    New Perks obtained.

    Secondary (former Primary) Class: Enforcer

    INT

    First Perk: Quick Thinking. You can react instantly to any menace and find ways to counter it.

    Third Perk: Tactics. Reading of the battlefield. Works well together with your husband¡¯s Strategic Sixth Sense.

    Yeah. In your face, Grace. Who''s the best wife now?

    Please choose your INT second threshold Perk:

    1: Read the Flow. Understand the opponent¡¯s movement better and find counters easily. +25% to Parry, Evade, or Block.

    2: Go with the Flow. +25% Critical Chance if your strikes follow each other less than 1.5 seconds apart.

    Two, of course. It''s OP if you know what you''re doing.

    Main Class: Aura Artist (Bespoke displayed name The Artist awarded for being the first person on Earth to unlock it)

    STR

    First Perk: When using your Aura as a weapon, your strikes have +25% damage against a target¡¯s Energy Shield

    DEX

    First Perk: When using Aura as a weapon, your strikes have +25% Critical Chance against a target¡¯s Energy Shield

    CON

    First Perk: Your Aura melds its first layer with the surface of your body, enhancing its Beauty (permanent passive, no cost), Toughness, and Regeneration by +25% (active effect, Cost: 5 MP/second.

    Isla erupted, rushing to the bathroom to check herself in the mirror. She looked a few years younger, much like she did in the first years of college. Really cute.

    In your face, Cora. You think you¡¯re the only one able to make puppy eyes, pucker, and pretend you need a strong man to open your pickle jar? Ha ha ha!

    Returning to the bed, she read on.

    INT

    Perk 1: Aura Weapon (Legendary). You can shape your Aura into either a melee or ranged weapon. The simpler the shape, the better the results. Projectiles can travel up to 10 yards before losing energy, but practice can increase the range. Mana Cost: 20 Mana per projectile (ranged weapon) or 20 Mana per second spent in combat (melee weapon). You can also use this ability to imbue normal weapons with your Aura.

    Perk 3: It¡¯s Alive! (Legendary). This perk allows you to create constructs that behave like animated art, dungeon monsters, or living beings. 1 Mana per second is transferred to the construct, acting as its Energy Pool (EP). Controlling a construct consumes Mana equal to 1/10th of its EP per second. Current Control Range: 100 yards.

    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

    Stationary Constructs: Art creations or turrets can be programmed to feed on local Mana Leylines.

    Mobile Constructs: These can be programmed to attack or defend, but this drains their Energy Pool. If the construct''s Energy Pool reaches zero, it will cease to exist.

    This opens possibilities.

    WIL

    Perk 1: Look, no hands! You can use your Aura to grab or push things away. Consumes 20 MP/second if in Combat or 10 MP/second out of combat. Current reach: 15 feet.

    CHA

    Perk 1: Disguise. You can use your Aura to hide yourself or others behind an illusion. Your chances of success increase if you know the disguise well. Cost: 10 Mana/second.

    Hmm¡­ interesting.

    Please select your new Main Class second threshold perks:

    STR:

    1: It¡¯s Alive and Dangerous! Constructs made with your INT perk 3 can deliver attacks with 50% of your STR base damage (default level is 10%)

    2: Concentrated Power: Increase the base damage power of your Mana weapons by 50% by consuming an extra 20 Mana/second spent in combat. The power coefficient is +100% against Energy Shields.

    Let¡¯s go with two.

    DEX

    1: Critter. Constructs made with your INT perk 3 can deliver attacks with 50% of your Crit Change (default level is 10%)

    2: Wieldy. You strike +50% faster with Aura weapons at an added cost of 20MP/second spent in combat.

    OK, so it looks like the first choice in Strength and Dexterity helps constructs, and the second myself. But since I went with the second in Strength, I¡¯ll also take the second one here. Maybe I should have stuck to reading everything before deciding¡­ Nah, I like close combat; it''s OK.

    CON

    1: Enhanced Stamina. Less need for rest or sleep, and resist mild poisons. An Artist needs to resist long hours of work, abuse of alcohol, or orgies.

    Nope. I''m not that kind of an artist. Go with two, whatever it is

    2: Body Fusion Powerhouse. Your STR, DEX, and CON stats all contribute to your Health Pool. Current Pool (Physical Stats+Level)x10=2580

    That¡¯s more like it.

    INT

    1: Harmonics. You can resonate with other forcefields. 50% chance to dismiss or take over other people¡¯s shields or pass through Border-like forcefields.

    2: Mind Fusion Powerhouse. Your INT, WIL, and CHA stats all contribute to your Mana Pool

    What did Thomas say? Always go for utilities. One.

    Your new class has retroactively awarded 2 APs/every ten levels to INT, WIL, and CHA. The points previously acquired in STR, DEX, and CON will not be rerolled, but you won¡¯t get more APs in them at the every ten-level threshold. Your new stats are:

    STR: 64 / DEX: 64 / CON: 64 / INT: 87 / WIL: 37 / CHA: 37

    Having obtained so many new and cool perks made Isla so happy that she was on the verge of crying, but all of a sudden, noises outside her room attracted her attention. Voices speaking aloud and, for whatever reason, slowly. Cora and Grace. The first asked:

    ¡°You think she¡¯s awake?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°I wanna check.¡±

    ¡°Let her be!¡±

    ¡°I wanna go shopping for clothes and need her advice.¡±

    ¡°I can offer you advice.¡±

    ¡°You? You¡¯re dressing like one of those nineteenth-century damsels. I need someone classy and modern, like Isla, showing me the ropes.¡±

    I didn¡¯t know Cora had such good taste, Isla thought. Don¡¯t worry, kid, I¡¯ll be your Fashion master, and you¡¯ll be my Padawan. No one knows sportswear better than me in the whole County.

    ¡°Hi, girls,¡± Rowan''s voice appeared as well. ¡°Is Isla awake?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. What do you have there? Flowers? When¡¯s the last time you brought me flowers?¡± Grace¡¯s voice raised in pitch.

    ¡°I swear I will¡­ just not now. Sorry, I have to check on her.¡±

    A timid knock on the door. Before Rowan knocked the second time, Isla yelled. ¡°Come in.¡±

    In Rowan¡¯s hands were a bouquet and a box of chocolates. He rushed to hug Isla, kissing her hair. ¡°I was worried sick. Are you OK?¡±

    ¡°I am. But my Main Class changed. I¡¯m an Artist now,¡± Isla beamed.

    ¡°An A-artist? I¡¯m m-married to an artist?¡± Rowan blurted, widening his eyes and covering his mouth with both his hands.

    ¡°Two artists. Two!¡± Grace yelled from the corridor. ¡°I¡¯m going to teach my art classes. See you later.¡±

    ¡°Isla, I badly need new¡­ err¡­ sports cloves, sorry, clothes¡­ do you think you can find time today to help me choose some?" Cora asked from the door, a half-crumpled paper in hand on which she was peeking furtively.

    "Of course, little grasshopper. What about in the afternoon? I need some time to experiment with my new Class." Isla said enthusiastically, nodding, her eyes shining with happiness and repressed tears.

    "It''s a plan," Cora cheered, clapping her hands merrily. "Cya, I''ll check the County¡¯s settings and prepare the absorptions. Join me when you can¡­ Rowbunny,¡± Cora said, running away after the last word and evading the pillow Rowan threw at her.

    The day was as perfect as it could be, Isla decided. First, she needed to have some morning sex with Rowan, then she¡¯d check on Mama Lisa and other shit.

    <hr>

    The Town Square had its secrets. One of the mansions built by Cora when she was acting as a fake AI had a hidden passage behind it that led to a portal to the Town¡¯s Core Control pocket dimension.

    Cora had insisted on the term to differentiate it from the pocket universes that were the dungeons. While she was talking nerdish technical stuff and he pretended to listen, they arrived in a large round room with another portal on the opposite side and a console in the middle.

    ¡°What¡¯s there?¡± Rowan asked.

    ¡°The town¡¯s storage. Care to see it?¡±

    Rowan didn¡¯t care, but it didn¡¯t matter too much as long it made her happy, so he nodded. ¡°Yeah, why not.¡± After passing through the second gate, they arrived in a gigantic subterranean cavern, miles wide and at least one in height, the light provided by floating orbs, and in the middle lay the Traipenent. He stopped and gasped, impressed by the ship¡¯s and the cavern¡¯s size. ¡°I thought you¡¯d dismember it.¡±

    ¡°I''m salvaging parts,¡± she pointed to lines of components lying in rows. ¡°The Technoforge is still too low to disassemble it; for the rest, it¡¯s only one of me. Reliable bots are hard to build; they tend to go Skynet as soon you make them smart enough.¡±

    He realized that almost on her own, she had put together stuff for a fully armored company, plus many other useful things, without bragging or taking credit. ¡°You¡¯re doing a great job,¡± he kissed her on the temple, and she purred. ¡°Could we¡­ err¡­ make it fly again?¡±

    ¡°No, but once I repair them, a couple of shuttles can make it around the Solar system on warp drive. However, interstellar travel is impossible without a proper Ship Core.¡±

    ¡°Eh, Solar System is fine, I guess. We can mine stuff, right?¡±

    ¡°Or build colonies using some cores.¡±

    ¡°Wow¡­ Well, we¡¯ll see. Should we?¡± Rowan gestured to the portal.

    Back in the control room, they sat at the table, and Cora summoned a holographic map of the surroundings. ¡°There¡¯s a problem with the core you claimed. You have to make a choice.¡±

    ¡°Problem?¡± Rowan frowned.

    ¡°It¡¯s much higher in level than the County.¡±

    ¡°So?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s like a shark trying to swallow a whale. It can take bites, but most of the body will go to waste.¡±

    ¡°Which would be a pity,¡± Rowan nodded. ¡°And if we absorb the other cores first?¡±

    ¡°Won¡¯t be enough. It will barely raise us to level forty-eight. We need to be at least sixty for an honest chance and seventy to be pretty sure. But¡­¡±

    ¡°But what?¡± Rowan said.

    ¡°Sorry?¡±

    ¡°Cores can also merge with other cores. We¡¯ll have to expand the county if we do so. Maybe doubling its size. The XP loss will be only about twenty-five percent. It¡¯s still enough to reach level fifty and be safe against a catastrophic event.¡±

    ¡°So, safety now, or more XP later¡­¡± Rowan rubbed the nape of his head. ¡°Let¡¯s go for safety. We have taken too many risks lately.¡± Will we be the only ones at fifty?¡±

    ¡°Vegas is close at forty-five, and Rome at forty now. Rome could level to fifty with ten mini-cores, and they have four of them in storage, but Calveor is too big for that.¡±

    ¡°So, where do you want to expand?¡± Cora pointed to the image.

    Rowan examined the map attentively, furrowing his brows occasionally. ¡°How many mini-cores do we have again, thirteen?¡±

    ¡°Yep,¡± Cora said curtly while pressing various buttons.

    ¡°How about spreading to Barbour, Tucker, and Pendelton? We give six cores to Rome, help them reach level fifty, keep the rest in reserve, and go hunting for another true dungeon to help Vegas.¡±

    She turned her eyes toward him.¡°You know half of Barbour was nuked, right?¡±

    ¡°The southern part, yeah. But you said it¡¯s almost back to normal¡­ Can we restore it if we take it?¡±

    ¡°Consuming a few mini cores should do the trick, including building a new town for the Swarthy Elves. You¡¯re their Great Dane, after all.¡±

    ¡°Thane, the Great Thane,¡± Rowan yelped.

    ¡°Must be the Universal Translator bugging," Cora frowned. "That¡¯s exactly what I said. Great Dane.¡±

    ¡°Forget it,¡± Rowan waved his hand. ¡°So? About those counties?¡±

    ¡°Let me check,¡± Cora nodded, tapping again on buttons and a keyboard. ¡°Yeah. Three low-level cores should do the trick. We could rebuild Bellington. However, according to the System rules, we must ask the landowners, survivors, or refugees. The new city will be on their lands.¡±

    ¡°Put a word out there: we clean the area and rebuild their town if they agree to give up some land for the elves. And please, don¡¯t build anything until you check with both groups. I have no idea what elves like, but humans prefer large bathrooms.¡±

    ¡°I noticed," she creased her nose. "Wasteful on space and water if you ask me, but whatever."

    "You did a real good job renovating the houses we bought," he complimented her to raise the mood. "Papa likes his for sure."

    "Of course he does; he''s a gentleman with exquisite tastes. OK," she leaned forward, inspecting the virtual screen, "The voting is live. We¡¯ll have to wait¡­ oh, Barbour is won. That was fast. Guess they prefer us to a government that nuked them. I¡¯ll send them some info about The Swarthy Elves and their culture.¡±

    They stood in silence, waiting for the rest of the results, numbers, and percentages going up and down. Rowan kept staring at the cat girl busying over the keyboard, biting the tip of her tongue, concentrating. He recalled how she was confined on the bridge of the Traipenent for two months, with her only activity being taking care of him and Randolph County.

    ¡°It''s done,¡± she said after ten or fifteen minutes. ¡°So, by the rules, new county, new name. The suggestions are Turapeba, Bara¡ª¡±

    ¡°No!" Rowan blurted. "Fuck those silly combinations. I want something totally original.¡±

    ¡°Like what?¡± she widened her eyes, surprised.

    ¡°Cora County. You deserve it.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s so sweet!¡± she exclaimed, coming to sit in his lap. ¡°Err¡­ won¡¯t Grace and Isla¡­ you know¡­ be mad?¡± she asked sheepishly.

    ¡°Oopsie,¡± Rowan bit his lower lip. ¡°Guess I got carried away. You think it should be something like Gracecorisla, then?¡±

    [The Butler]: I preemptively messaged your other wives, master, telling them you want to offer them each a symbolic gift. Countess Isla doesn¡¯t care about the County''s name but is happy to be awarded a contract to create ten public monuments, aka statues. Countess Grace was promised you would build a theater named after her and that you will act alongside her in musicals. I hope this modest intervention is not upsetting you, master.

    You manipulative bastard! ¡°No, it¡¯s fine,¡± Rowan sighed. Performing in public, even badly, was worth having a happy marriage.

 47. The Mountain Scouts and the Dungeon

    <hr>

    A couple of days later, a team of four was supposed to search for more cores: Rowan, Cora, Isla, and Hubert, the Paladin. At eight in the morning, they received an SMS from Hubert: Problems. Meet me in Market Square.

    Isla and Cora exited the house first and Rowan last after exchanging a handshake with Dmitri, a hug with Lizzie, and a kiss with Grace. The latter whispered in his ear: ¡°You owe me for playing your ¡®make Isla feel good¡¯ game.¡±

    ¡°But she¡¯s your friend!¡± he objected.

    ¡°And thanks to you, a smug one. I expect you to learn at least a duo so we can perform together.¡±

    ¡°If I must¡­¡± he squirmed, uncomfortable with the idea of a public performance.

    ¡°You promised. I give you a week.¡±

    Wailing inside his soul, Rowan shut the door behind him and entered his car. Profiting from his late arrival, Isla was already at the wheel and cut short his attempt of asking to drive by staring daggers at him. Literally. He blinked, blinded for a split second, and could have sworn her pupils had flashed.

    ¡°Err¡­¡± he tried to ask, but she spoke first.

    ¡°Yeah, I can throw light bolts now. It¡¯s not really from the eyes, but it looks cooler this way. Easier to aim. Damage is not great, though,¡± Isla puckered her lower lip.

    What happened to her? She does those cute faces every other minute, Rowan wondered. ¡°Should be a good CC, nevertheless.¡±

    Five minutes later, they arrived at Market Square, where the Town¡¯s Mall was situated, a plaza projected to host fairs and conventions. Less monumental than the Main Square, it had a lot more traffic. Seeing the car, Hubert ran toward them, waving his hands.

    ¡°Help. He can¡¯t be reasoned with.¡± He was the Goblidog. Chained to a lamppost, the small monster had a large sign hung above him: I have rights! Circling the Goblinoid were Thomas, Isla¡¯s adopted son, and her parents, carrying similar banners.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Isla exited the car, frowning,  her hands on her hips. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you in school, Thomas?¡±

    ¡°Dad allowed me to skip school and come to the manifestation with Grandma and Grandpa,¡± Thomas said sheepishly. ¡°It¡¯s developing my civic sense.¡±

    ¡°This is it!¡± Isla hissed. ¡°You¡¯re moving back with me. Holliday''s over, your father ruins your education¡­ What are you manifesting for?¡±

    ¡°He doesn¡¯t want to fight,¡± Isla¡¯s mother gestured toward the Goblidog. ¡°He¡¯s a pacifist. A civil rights fighter.¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡± The Goblidog screamed. ¡°My civil rights. Make love, not war. I want to stay home and have a beer with my friends. Because I love beer.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t go on missions like this. We can¡¯t move more than a hundred yards apart one from each other,¡± Hubert complained. "He sits in bars all day and drinks at my expense."

    ¡°Not my problem,¡± the Goblidog yelled. ¡°I saved your life when you masturbated over a harpy, and I earned the right to a quiet life.¡±

    Hubert squealed, waving his hands in protest. ¡°I wasn¡¯t ma¡ª¡±

    ¡°The Dungeon saved a recording on our logs. Do you want me to make it public?¡± the Goblidog threatened in a low voice.

    Isla jumped in front of Hubert, who was about to strangle the little creature. ¡°Stop! If you kill him, it¡¯s sentientcide, and you¡¯ll be charged with murder.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s take another healer,¡± Rowan proposed through the lowered window.

    "There''s no one available," Cora sighed, checking her phone. "Everybody''s Bounty hunting or chasing cores outside the County. "

    "Please, give him a Rezz spot," Hubert pleaded, kneading his hands. "I want my life back."

    "But you can Rezz him yourself if¡­ oh, I see," Cora grimaced because it was clear from Hubert''s gaze that if the Goblidog died, Hubert wouldn''t lift a finger to help.

    "Look, buddy, I know we''re friends and all, but I won¡¯t throw away a Rezz spot to make the little jerk feel safe,¡± Rowan said, raising his palms up in a no-can-do gesture.

    "You''re friends now?" Isla gasped. "But you hated him."

    "Err¡­" Rowan started hesitantly, "I came to understand the errors of my ways¡­ I was traumatized because you got hurt during the challenge, and I needed a shoulder to cry on, and he''s a priest, so¡ª"

    "He lied just to be invited for a drink,¡± the Goblidog rated. ¡°Hubert is a wine aficionado; he has some fifty-year-old stuff. Unique bottles, Chateau du Pope shit. Force me to fight, and I''ll sell all your dirty secrets to the Paparazzi," the creature menaced, waving his tiny green fists. "And because I¡¯m a familiar, guess what? It''s perfectly legal."

    ¡°Enough!¡± Rowan roared. ¡°Hubert, get your smurf and tour the County, healing people. That doesn¡¯t involve combat. The leprechaun, go with him, or else.¡±

    ¡°Capitalist abuse! I won''t go anywhere. I have rights,¡± the Goblidog blurted.

    ¡°He''s technically your pet, right, Hubert?" Rowan asked, his tone suddenly calm and cold. "I think it''s within your rights to castrate him. Maybe less hormones will improve his mood."

    ¡°OK, OK, I''ll go, I''ll go,¡± the monster surrendered, raising his hands. His chains fell on the cobblestones, indicating he wasn''t really tied up. Then, Hubert grabbed Wurf by the back of his neck like a cat and walked away.

    ¡°All''s well that ends well," Isla said. "Mom, Dad, you better get Thomas back in school, or I''ll fine you for bringing a child to a dangerous manifestation. Right, honey?"

    Rowan nodded. ¡°By my powers as Count, I declare this a dangerous manifestation. Get Thomas back in school ASAP.¡±

    "What''s the danger in this?" Isla''s mother protested.

    "Seriously?" Rowan facepalmed. "We need cores to save Earth from destruction, and a garden gnome just took our Healer slash Tank out of the picture."

    "I can tank," Thomas proposed. "You know I''m good at it."

    "Out of the question," Isla cut him short. "You''re going back to school, and that''s it."

    "You cost us time and sanity, and we must take higher risks. I''ll tell you only once: don''t do this again, or I''ll put a restriction order on you," Rowan concluded.

    ¡°This wouldn¡¯t have happened in a socialist country!¡± Isla''s father yelled.

    ¡°Capitalism gifted Bourbon to the world; what did socialism produce? Vodka? Tasteless, odorless¡­"

    ¡°Don''t argue with them,¡± Isla sighed, reentering the car and driving west. ¡°They can¡¯t be reasoned with. Let''s go, we¡¯re already late. I have yet to test my new powers in a real combat situation, and I need fourteen more APs for my dream build. Threshold three in Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution, Max in Intelligence, and two in Will and Charisma.¡±

    [Rowan to Cora]: She seems quite sure about what she wants. Did you advise her?¡±

    [Cora to Rowan]: She didn¡¯t even ask. And let me tell you, the perks she chose are the worst. Everyone knows that Mana Weapons are weak, and one has to invest in minions. Artists are meant to be team players, distracting the enemy with their constructs, buffing friends, and stuff.

    ¡°Where are we going?¡± Rowan asked. ¡°And why aren¡¯t we teleporting?¡±

    "A scouting team detected a Mini-Dungeon somewhere in Ohio, Shawnee State Park. We¡¯ll clear it.¡± Isla said without turning her head, concentrating on the road. ¡°About the teleport, ask her why."

    Cora rolled her eyes. ¡°I¡¯ve told both of you countless times. Teleporting is difficult. The Core is recalibrating because the County changed its size. The portals hub is off for the week, but we can use the Border''s Multitasking Forcefield instead. For the record, going into a dungeon without a tank or a healer is a bad idea.¡±

    Isla didn''t seem discouraged in the least, shrugging. ¡°It''s just a mini-Dungeon; what¡¯s the big deal? Do I have to remind you how you two went into Bree''s stuff without a second thought? OK, the Butler tells me we''re  close enough to the Border to jump.¡±

    ¡°Butler, please open a portal as close as possible to Shawnee State Park,¡± Rowan said. "The Ohio one," he added just as a precaution.

    [The Butler]: I know which one, your Lordship, I''m following all Quests and notifications in real-time. My loyal assistant, formerly known as the Shore Dungeon¡¯s FAQ, provides a lot of help. It says to say hi.

    If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

    ¡°Nice. You two keep up the good work.¡±

    Thirty minutes later, they arrived at the place marked on the map by the scouting team, a forest road ending a few miles after leaving a junction, continuing with several foot trails. Near a 4x4 car parked a few feet before the barrier, the scout team was waiting, waving at them. It was not a proper party, but two mountain guides, an elderly woman and a youngster, both of uncommon tier, level twenty. Rowan tried to contain his disappointment.

    This is all? Pfff¡­ I stretched my forces too thin¡­ I forgot how huge the US is.

    ¡°The barrier is a half a mile that way,¡± the woman showed them a small track.

    ¡°Weren¡¯t you supposed to move on and cover more terrain?¡± Isla asked, starting to equip her fighting gear.

    ¡°We could use some XP,¡± the younger guide hinted they wanted to come. His eyes were waving to the left and right, looking hyperactive and eager for a challenge.

    ¡°It¡¯s up to you, but these things can get dangerous,¡± Rowan said.

    ¡°It''s their choice,¡± Cora said, and Rowan shrugged. It was true. After all, babysitting adults wasn''t his priority. After a sustained march, the group arrived at the mini-dungeon¡¯s edge five minutes later. ¡°This has a loud signal,¡± the Nekojin said after using her scanning gadget. ¡°I wonder how it wasn¡¯t detected before.¡±

    ¡°Our sensor is not as good as yours,¡± the woman said. ¡°It did not show until we were very close.¡±

    ¡°She made them,¡± Rowan pointed at Cora in an obvious lapse of judgment.

    ¡°Hey!" The Nekojin blurted, frowning at him. "Let''s see you reverse engineer a state-of-the-art sensor with the equivalent of a fork and a toothpick as tools.¡±

    ¡°Sorry, bad wording. I meant it worked fine enough. They did find the dungeon, right?¡± Rowan fondled her ears, knowing well it would calm her. Half-sulking, Cora summoned her armor and led the way through the barrier.

    You have entered The Eldritch Mini-Dungeon, level 40. You cannot exit until the Dungeon is clear. Clear the dungeon to reclaim its core, XP,  1 Level, and 1 AP.

    After joining everyone in a Team, Cora inspected her scanner anew, moving it around, her tail wagging nervously. ¡°One mile and a half in diameter¡­ That¡¯s big for a forty. We shouldn''t be less careful just because it''s low level. All monsters are dangerous."

    ¡°Let me go check things first,¡± Rowan said.

    "I can fly and map the area. It¡¯s faster," Cora proposed.

    "Or¡ª¡± A sudden loud noise cut Rowan¡¯s answer. A voice shouting through a bullhorn.

    ¡°Rowan Allinder, we know you¡¯re here. We have your Louisville friends hostage. Give us the Sensor, or we¡¯ll kill them. You have two minutes.¡±

    ¡°What the fuck! A trap?¡± Isla gasped.

    ¡°A bespoke trap,¡± Rowan clenched his teeth. ¡°How did they know?¡±

    ¡°Where are the Scouts?¡± Cora looked around in a panic. ¡°They were here a moment ago¡­¡± The elderly woman and the youngster were nowhere to be seen, and a notification worsened the finding:

    Anonymous Mountain Guide 1 and Anonymous Mountain Guide 2 have left the party and escaped the dungeon through unknown means.

    ¡°Fuck¡­ We have traitors now?" Rowan activated his armor. "OK, no time searching for them, let¡¯s move on. Worst case scenario, we¡¯re three against nine, right?"

    ¡°Yeah, if everyone else is a boogie. Only up to twelve people can enter a combat-oriented dungeon,¡± Cora said.

    ¡°Then it''s easy. I have plenty of rebars and Joint Trip stacks. And if those two were low levels, maybe they all are,¡± Rowan said.

    ¡°They still can shoot a gun, and this is about your friends not being killed, not us,¡± Isla said. ¡°Which reminds me¡­ Let¡¯s even the odds.¡±

    She extracted a stun grenade from her inventory, pulled the pin, and stood still, holding it for ten seconds before releasing it on the ground. The lever was still pressed, and the grenade had become invisible, hidden in a mesh of colors that reflected the environment. ¡°This construct has ten HP; I can send it up to a hundred yards away. Constructs are weak, but I thought, what the heck, why not put them to carry bombs. That¡¯s more efficient.¡±

    "That''s not the proper way to use constructs," Cora scolded Isla. "Why don''t you ever listen to anything I say?"

    ¡°One minute,¡± the voice bellowed.

    ¡°Send the grenade ahead, but take care they don¡¯t see it. I''ll scout,¡± Rowan blurted and proceeded onward, shaping a shield in his left hand but no weapon in his right, waiting to see what was best for the occasion.

    A hundred yards and a minute later, the forest opened into a clearing. In its middle were three intergalactic mercenaries in full armor, holding heavy blasters. Rowan¡¯s friends¡ªa man and a woman¡ª were handcuffed together, wearing something that looked like an explosive necklace with a blinking light on it. A fourth person, a man in a black suit, stood behind everyone, holding the bullhorn in his left hand and a remote control in his right. The last character in the clearing was a monster, probably the Boss of the Dungeon, a Wraith-like creature kept in a metal cage with a faint light pulsing over the bars.

    ¡°Hands up and no sudden gestures!¡± the suit yelled.

    [Rowan to all]: Where¡¯s the grenade?

    [Isla to all]: Behind the main group. They didn¡¯t notice it.

    [Rowan to all]: Let it go as soon I enter The Space. Then take cover until I take them out.

    ¡°Don''t shoot, I''m here to talk,¡± Rowan shouted, dismissing his shield and advancing slowly with his hands up.

    ¡°You have the Detector?¡± the man in black yelled, letting the bullhorn go and introducing his hand inside his vest, most likely to grab a gun.

    ¡°I do,¡± Rowan said. Cora had it, but he needed to advance just a few more steps.

    ¡°Stop just there. Throw it!¡± the suit yelled in the bullhorn, albeit it was unnecessary, they were only ten yards apart now.

    Intergalactic Mercenaries should have known better, Rowan pondered. Ten yards wasn¡¯t enough a distance to protect them from a charge or a spell.

    In Rowan¡¯s inventory was a forgotten casino chip from his night with Cora in Vegas. He leaned forward, took one more step, and threw it up in an arched trajectory. The hostages appeared in his targeting app, highlighted as available targets for his Friends on a Trip, and he activated it.

    As soon they were in Space, the explosive necklaces fell through the man and woman¡¯s bodies and exploded on the ground below, outside The Space, harmless. That was a relief; his Perk had somehow gotten rid of the devices.

    ¡°Chill, you¡¯re safe!¡± he yelled to calm his friends because they yelled a lot. Sounds were muted inside the in-between but still hearable. From outside, bright light flashes told the story of an intense battle. With a couple of rebar pieces in hand, Rowan turned his attention to the fight.

    It was all but over. The suit had emptied his gun with no result, and was screaming in panic, stubbornly pressing a trigger that didn''t shoot any more bullets, and the mercs were dead. Two had been cut in half, and Isla was just skewering the third, from one side to another, with a light beam emerging from her hand.

    What the fuck, Isla''s a Jedi now? Nah¡­ Considering her character, definitely a Sith.

    Your team member Isla Culloden has slain Neek Tank (Lvl. 70) x3. You receive no XP. For saving your friends while under fire, you receive 1 AP. For Clearing Eldritch mini-Dungeon, you receive +1 Level and 1 AP.

    Extending his weapons in six filaments, he reappeared in the real world, impaling the suit with his threads in the legs and arms, pinning them into the ground but keeping the man up in the process. He was screaming, of course, but Rowan ignored the noise.

    ¡°You¡¯re supposed to be support and CC, not DPS!¡± Cora was yelling at Isla in an accusing tone, shaking her fists like she wanted to hit the blonde.

    ¡°I am CC,¡± Isla shouted back. ¡°Do they move or something? You''re just upset I found a smart build on my own.¡± She finished by pulling her tongue on Cora in a childish display that made the Nekojin hiss.

    "Ladies, please!" Rowan said. "Argue later. You better talk, mister!" Turning toward the skewered suit, he added a Svart¨¢lfar¡¯s Stare for good measure. Still, instead of being intimidated, the man screamed even harder. His eyeballs froze solid and popped out of their sockets, falling on the ground with a sick sound, then his cranium expanded and cracked, the brain freezing as well, and finally, the man''s body became limp; he was dead.

    Goodness¡­ This was a normie¡­ I have to train to tone it down¡­

    Retreating his threads and letting the suit fall on the fallen leaves, Rowan examined the battle scene with a critical eye. It was time to take care of the hostages. They were still shouting stuff and wailing. ¡°Isla, meet Jim, my former boss, and Gwen, his wife. Cora already knows them. Guys, for fucks sake, could you tone it down? I saved you, didn¡¯t I?¡±

    ¡°The handcuffs hurt,¡± Jim shouted. ¡°Get us the keys. They¡¯re in that guy¡¯s pants.¡±

    ¡°Err¡­ you get them,¡± Rowan denied the request because the man in the black suit had soiled himself.

    Cora came to the rescue and unlocked the cuffs with a multitool. "Do you want me to take flight and try to catch the spies? We need information."

    ¡°I know everything. I heard them talking,¡± Joe said. ¡°The suit was a Fed from Philly, the rest Neeks. It was the Neeks'' plan, but the Feds helped; they have a file on you. The Neeks looted the armor from some Mercenaries they killed.¡±

    ¡°How did such bad fighters manage to kill the Mercs?¡± Isla asked.

    ¡°The Mercs died in Goblin Town and were teleported to Rezz in a Neek base. The Neeks betrayed them and sabotaged the Rezz pods to get the armor.¡±

    "Then I''m glad I killed them. That''s a shitty thing to do," Isla said.

    Meanwhile, Cora was busy looting the armor suits, now empty, as the Neeks'' bodies had dissolved into the usual specks of Mana. ¡°It''s good gear, I think I can reverse engineer it."

    ¡°Sweet, baby, but let¡¯s concentrate on business," Rowan said. ¡°Who has the claim to the core? Someone killed the Boss, and it ain''t me.¡±

    ¡°I did. My construct exploded the grenade under the cage. See  how smart my build is?¡± Isla rubbed her hands, gloating again at Cora.

    ¡°A Boss died from a stun grenade?¡±

    ¡°Wraiths are weak to light,¡± Cora explained to Rowan.

    Thirty yards away, a white, pale globe appeared on the meadow, floating slowly toward the blonde,  who put it into her inventory. A few seconds later, the cold air from outside flowed in, making them shiver. Cora extracted a couple of heavier coats from her inventory and offered them to the couple.

    ¡°What¡¯s the lowest level core we have in store, Cora?¡± Rowan asked.

    ¡°A level thirty, why?¡±

    ¡°OK. Here¡¯s how we play. We take my friends to Elkins, pick that core, go to Philly, and activate it."

    ¡°We¡¯re supposed to consume the cores, not expand them. Why?" Cora furrowed her brows and waved her tail in the characteristic motion she used to convey annoyance.

    ¡°We still have some wiggle room, and I want to convey a message: if you come after us, we will destroy your power base. Most people would give a hand to be in an Awakened town. I¡¯m pretty sure we''ll win the vote. Then, we teleport the feds and hostiles out, and if some die in the process, win-win, the world is a better place.¡±

    ¡°It''s¡­ not a bad idea," Cora conceded.

    "Just leave us in the closest town. We''ll rent a car," Gwen said. "I want to go home as fast as possible¡­ I thought we were going to die," she began crying, and Jim took her in his arms.

    ¡°Then I''ll take you to Louisville. You were kidnapped because of me; it''s the least I can do. It''s OK with you, right, girls?" Rowan asked.

    "Sure," Isla nodded. "We don''t abandon our friends."

    "And I''ll scan for more cores on the way," Cora said, her mind more utilitarian.

    When they arrived at the car, Cora inspected it for traps or tracking devices, but all was in order. The Mountain Guides'' 4x4 was gone, though. They drove on in silence, with Rowan at the wheel, to be able to execute the Joint Trip: Warp trip if they met roadblocks or ambushes.

    An hour later, entering uncharted territory, Cora activated her scanner. ¡°Guys!¡± she peeped with a scared voice a second later.

    ¡°I''ll slow down if you think I''m going too fast,¡± Rowan patted her hand.

    ¡°It¡¯s not that¡­ I tried to activate the Scanner to see if there were more cores around¡­ Look,¡± Cora pushed the item under his face.

    Slowing down to a reasonable speed so she could peek at Cora¡¯s bracelet, Rowan gasped. Instead of the sparkplug-shaped crystal, a real sparkplug was inserted in it. ¡°Fuck!" he yelled, swerving on the road. "Someone stole the sensors."

    "The Mountain Guides did it¡­¡± Isla said, with a Sherlock Holmes tone. Silence descended in the car, and their mood suddenly became somber.

 48. Prince of Bourbon Borough / A Whiff of Decay

    <hr>

    <h2 style="text-align: center">Prince of Bourbon Borough</h2>

    In the end, they renounced activating a core in Philly. Still, Rowan did trigger the one they claimed from the Eldritch Dungeon in Louisville. Being able to teleport between Elkins and Kentucky offered a faster way to scout for dungeons, and it also meant protecting two important things: Bourbon and his friends.

    The System-assisted voting and tracing boundaries took all day because Rowan wanted to incorporate as many and as good Bourbon distilleries as he could. When it was done, it was night, so they stayed with Jim and Gwen, ensuring there were orcs and Italian military patrols all over the town for security.

    Nevertheless, instead of being able to leave early in the morning, the new polity''s Council had scheduled a meeting to debate their future, and basic politeness demanded they stay. So, their sojourn prolonged into the early afternoon of the next day, with interminable debates and arguments in a conference room rented in an old but elegant hotel.

    For what Rowan cared, it was a waste of time. At first, he wanted to appoint his friend as his representative and be rid of it. After all, if he was smart enough to run a distillery, Jim could run a small country, right? What could go wrong? But Jim had refused, settling for an advisory job in the Council. Rowan had understood. Running a distillery was a dream job; running a bloody polity meant dealing with boring problems.

    ¡°They''re ready,¡± Cora elbowed him.

    ¡°Uh?¡± he jerked, stirred from his half-slumber.

    "The debate is finished. They''re ready to present you with the new Constitution."

    "Oh, my God¡­ is it long?" Rowan''s shoulders sagged.

    "Just the basics," Cora reassured him.

    ¡°Purrfect¡­¡± Rowan yawned, covering his mouth with the back of his hand. ¡°Sorry for the pun, babe. I cat help myself. Aouch!¡± he yelped as Cora pulled his ear between her nails.

    ¡°Cut it. This is important!¡± she frowned.

    Cat it, impurrtant, Rowan took a mental note. In truth, he was bored out of his mind and was flirting with the idea to add a stand-up comedy moment to his performance with Grace.

    ¡°If you allow me to summarize, your Highness,¡± the assembly president rose, bowing toward Rowan, "we propose the name of our new country should be Bourbon Borough and your title Prince. After all, Bourbon and princes are related.¡±

    ¡°Mind not losing your head,¡± Isla joked, swinging her chair back and forth on the rear legs.

    ¡°I agree with your proposition," Rowan nodded his head. It was a good name and title, so he could start by showing magnanimity and accepting the suggestion.

    Rowan Allinder, you are now Count of Cora County, Suzerain of Rome, Warchief of Goblin Town, Honorary Godfather of Calveor, Thane of The Swarthy Elves, and Prince of Bourbon Borough.

    "We all want to thank you for choosing us. The situation was desperate. Bands of renegade military extorted us every other day, and¡­ sorry, I will not burden us with our past problems. Does Your Highness have any suggestions for how we proceed with governance?¡± the woman continued talking, keeping her respectful posture.

    Rowan waved his hand, imagining he was executing a magnanimous gesture, proper with his titles. ¡°Look, I¡¯m a big fan of delegating and the sworn enemy of micro-management. Do what you think is best except for the most important thing. Hear me out, people," Rowan raised his voice, getting on his feet. "This is a blessed place, hosting one of the masterpieces of humankind: Bourbon. As such, we should rise to the occasion and defend this legacy. Things cannot go on like before. Bourbon Borough will confiscate all multinationals'' property and transform them into independent producers¡­¡±

    [Cora to Rowan]: Viscardi and Lepatrina took many multinationals.

    "Err¡­ except if they¡¯re based in Rome or Vegas, ''cause those are good multinationals¡­ never mind. The rules will be tight. Any proof below eighty-six is to be illegal. No, make it ninety-two. No¡­ it''s too harsh¡­ eighty-six it is, but that''s it. We''ll offer subsidies for non-chill filtering, barrel strength, and niche stuff. It goes without saying that sourcing should be prohibited.¡±

    "For goodness sake, Rowan, you''re turning Stalin on us," his friend, Jim, erupted, slapping the table. "Half my production is MGP sourced from Indiana. There''s nothing wrong with it as long it''s aged well here."

    "I''m sorry¡­" Rowan sighed, "I got ahead of myself¡­ I don''t want to be a tyrant. Very well," he energized again. "Sourcing will not be prohibited but has to be mentioned on the label. And throw them in prison anyone who doesn''t."

    ¡°Why don¡¯t we allow Jim and the local people to sort it out?¡± Cora insisted, gently touching his arm to interrupt Rowan''s dreams of Bourbon greatness. ¡°We have to give the news to Viscardi, eventually.¡±

    ¡°True, true¡­ well, sort it out, but give me a report in a week. This is important. Ah¡­ one more thing. Where¡¯s Isla?¡± he turned his head around.

    ¡°I¡¯m here,¡± the blonde snorted, five feet apart. ¡°I just talked to you a moment ago.¡±

    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re here¡­ true¡­ but you changed so much since you¡¯re an artist¡­ for a moment, I thought you¡¯re a fairy descended from heaven," Rowan awkwardly tried to dress up his mistake. "Listen, people, I would appreciate it if Bourbon Borough''s Council finds a central spot in town for my talented, classy wife here to build a work of art, a sculpture or something. She''s new at her job but can''t do worse than that modern stuff, right?"

    ¡°S-sure, your Highness.¡±

    "Young man, can I say something?" an elderly gentleman interjected. "I''ll be candid. Maybe I don''t look my age, but I could be your grandfather and have been married for sixty years. If you want to give your wife a gift, choose it yourself. You know the town well, right?"

    "That''s genius!" Rowan exclaimed. "Thank you so much, sir! I''ll ask one of my friends to bestow you a class; such wisdom should live on and spread to the next generations. Town Core, make a note and remind me of this. Cora!"

    "Sorry, can you repeat what you just said?" the Nekojin said."I was texting with Viscardi and told him we''ll visit."

    "They have a lot of modern ugly buildings here. Why don''t you and Isla work together to build some nice castles instead, sculptures and all?"

    "I can?" The Nekojin clasped her hands in a prayer-like gesture, her hair all fluffy and her tail up to the sky.

    "It will be gorgeous," Isla promised. "I''ll ask Dmitri for advice. And your father. And Lepastrina."

    "Your Highness, but¡­ err¡­ we have commissioned those buildings to renowned architects, and¡ª"

    "That trash was made by renowned architects? Nonsense. Core, launch a System plebiscite in Bourbon Borough. Do you agree to replace all the ugly modernist shit in town with castles and nice pretty buildings? Offer a choice between Art Nouveau style, Romantic German, and¡­ err¡­"

    If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    "Georgian colonial," Isla interjected.

    "Brilliant. And Georgian colonial. My cute wife Cora will take care of the design and construction. My talented wife Grace and I will sing at the inauguration, and the sculptures will be made by my wonderful wife Isla Culloden, The Artist."

    Isla and Cora were beaming, and he kissed them on the cheek.

    [Bourbon Borrough AI to all]: I''m pleased to announce His Highness has won the vote with an impressive margin.

    "See, guys, we have everything under control," an enthused Rowan said to the Council, who, for whatever reason, was unanimously slack-jawed. "You''re safe under our protection, and we''ll build you the most exquisite center town you can dream of. Art Nouveau is the new art again. We must go now, but I can''t wait to be back¡­ Prince of Bourbon Borough¡­ I''m so happy!" he rubbed his hands.

    <hr>

    <h2 style="text-align: center">A Whiff of Decay</h2>

    Half an hour later, they entered a luxurious private lounge in Viscardi¡¯s Casino-Castle. The Vampire Lord was playing poker with Victoria and her younger sister, Vera, plus a few men that couldn¡¯t be anything else than Italian Mobsters, Rowan decided. One of them, in his thirties, had a weird, empty stare. Like a dead fish, only menacing.

    ¡°Nice to see you, join us,¡± Viscardi offered. "Meet my friends and Vito, my son-in-law, Vera''s husband," he gestured at the blank-eyed mobster, who sketched a short nod barely half an inch deep.

    Rowan and his two wives took seats around the table, but the newly appointed prince shook his head, refusing the offer for a poker hand. ¡°Sorry. Took a vow never to play poker again after losing a bet and running naked around the factory¡­¡±

    ¡°You have to tell us more of your stories at some point," the Vampire smiled, leaning back on the sofa. "Nice job, awakening Louisville. I have a feeling we''ll do a lot of business together. Booze and the Cosa Nostra work hand in hand."

    "As long you respect our new purity and proof law," Rowan said amiably but with firmness and crisp, clear wording. Bourbon was not to be messed with.

    "A snack, a drink?¡± the Vampire said, gesturing to the plates on a nearby table and the bar.

    ¡°We''re OK. Viscardi. I have bad news. Somebody stole the Detector.¡± Rowan said directly, and his mood plunged, losing all the enthusiasm he had gained over becoming a Bourbon Prince.

    ¡°Tell me more,¡± the Vampire Lord said.

    ¡°We were clearing a mini-dungeon and got dragged into an ambush. The Neeks kidnapped a couple of my friends to blackmail us, so we were a little¡­ sloppy. The scouts who discovered the dungeon vanished after replacing the Sensor with a real sparkplug.¡±

    ¡°Human scouts or Elves?¡± The Vampire asked, frowning slightly.

    ¡°Humans, low level. We sent the police and checked their homes, but they were nowhere. We asked the families questions and analyzed their social media and emails. They didn''t act strange or have contact with third parties we know about.¡±

    ¡°Hm¡­ Do you still have it?¡±

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s in my inventory,¡± Cora said.

    ¡°Give it to me,¡± Viscardi forwarded his hand. The Vampire took the object, examining it with attention. He sniffed it twice, with each nostril, then took a cigarette lighter and held the object under the flame, inhaling the smoke. ¡°As I thought. The scent is unmistakable.¡±

    ¡°What scent?¡± Cora asked.

    ¡°You see, my dear Engineer, human scouts would not have been able to pickpocket someone with Nekojin perception and dexterity. I assume you¡¯re ninety-nine in DEX, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°By the way, baby, you never showed me your stats,¡± Rowan said.

    ¡°I¡ª¡±

    ¡°She didn¡¯t show you her stats because they''re pretty standard,¡± Viscardi interjected. ¡°She¡¯s one hundred in her main stat, INT, and ninety-nine in the rest. That¡¯s how youngsters role these days, farming APs in places like the Traipenent."

    "It''s true," Cora nodded. "Nevertheless, I worked hard to farm points not only in the Dungeons but from crafting quests too. This is how I developed my Interfacer subclass and, in the end, linked myself to Elkins''s core.¡±

    Rowan fondled her hand. "I''m lucky to have you, baby¡­ I love you so much."

    She melted, gluing herself to his shoulder. ¡°I fell in love with you from the first day¡­ It was destiny.¡±

    ¡°I applaud your acumen in finding a perfect husband, Lady Shemeows," the Vampire said after clearing his throat to get their attention to the matters at hand. "Now, let¡¯s return to our predicament. There was foul play. There¡¯s a whiff of decay on that object, and the smoke¡¯s scent is waxy¡­ Those guys who stole the Sensor¡ª¡±

    ¡°An old lady and a young man,¡± Rowan said.

    ¡°They were dead.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Rowan gasped.

    ¡°The wax is a Necromancer''s signature. Undead rot is easy to detect. But a freshly revived corpse, if coated in a special wax, can go on for years, and most of it, those who raised them can use the dead as an extension of their own body. That leads to another question. Necromancy is a forbidden lore specific to wild Systems.¡±

    ¡°We had an Undead dungeon on the Traipenent,¡± Cora leaned her head, looking up like she was trying to remember something. ¡°I don''t know much about it. Never run it; my mother didn¡¯t allow me.¡±

    ¡°She was wise. Dealing with the undead is emotionally challenging. We have to assume a Necromancer escaped from that dungeon.¡±

    ¡°And what now?¡± Rowan asked. ¡°Any way to track the Detector, baby?" he looked at Cora."

    "Not so far I know...¡± she lowered her eyes.

    ¡°I''m confident you''ll figure something out," Viscardi said. "Unfortunately," he sighed, "we have some bad news of our own. Victoria, why don''t you tell them?¡±

    The blonde Vampire grimaced, leaning back on her armchair and crossing her legs. ¡°I went to Vladivostok, as ordered," she glanced at Rowan. "They planned to activate as many cores as possible and make themselves a new empire. I followed the Artifact User for a few days until she left town on an expedition, which I joined under a fake name¡­ Long story, but I will not bother you with it.

    "The thing is, in Russia¡ªdon¡¯t laugh, it¡¯s hilarious, but it is what it is¡ªpeople would rather trust their central government, so they had to activate cores someplace where they could win the vote. The plan was to Awaken Irkutsk and then go to Kazakhstan and the Caucasus. So, we left toward Irkutsk, intending to cut through Inner Mongolia.

    ¡°One night, after checking into the hotel, we had a drink in the bar. I spiced the woman¡¯s vodka. She falls unconscious; I pretend she¡¯s drunk and carry her back to her room. The plan was to kidnap her after securing the cores.

    As long as someone''s unconscious, one can access their inventory using Rogue skills, which I have. I pulled up maybe six¡­ or eight cores, but I forgot. Many. Then she wakes up and activates all of them in one go and puts a bullet in her brain¡­ I suppose she had a Rezz and was ported back to Vladivostok.¡±

    ¡°Russian women are tough,¡± one of the mobsters nodded.

    ¡°The new Awakened Town warped me out of the area because it considered me hostile. I found myself deep in a jungle¡­ don¡¯t laugh, face to face with a giant crocodile.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re kidding me! How did you survive?¡± Rowan asked.

    ¡°I ran. It came after me¡­ and they''re not as slow as you might imagine. I was about to light up a cigarette when somebody shot the beast. By happenstance, I met a hunting party. We talked, and I found out I was near the Great Lakes, in a small country in Africa, and the guy who saved me was none other than the local dictator. A charming person, otherwise. He wants to¡­ do business together; maybe we can give him a core once things are settled and Earth doesn¡¯t explode. He flew me here on a private jet.¡±

    ¡°One sec. He came with you?¡± Rowan asked.

    ¡°Yes, he wants to speak to you and Father in person. He''s touring the Casinos for now.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d say to hear him out, but make time for Harbin too,¡± Cora said.

    ¡°What¡¯s Harbin?¡± Rowan asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s the new polity,¡± Cora said. ¡°Quite big. The activated cores must have fused together and Awakened the area in default settings. They sent a message a few hours ago, but it went into the Spam folder. Here it is: ''Hi, we¡¯re the newest Town Core in Town. We hope we can be friends. Sincerely, the Harbin Republic.'' Want me to tell them something?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, tell them: Dear Harbin Republic, I look forward to doing business together. Let¡¯s have a Zoom at a time of your convenience. I¡¯m sorry for not replying sooner; I was in a dungeon. Best regards, Count bla bla bla.¡±

    ¡°Count bla bla¡­¡±

    ¡°Err¡­¡±

    ¡°Joking. Yours, Count Rowan Allinder,¡± Cora texted. ¡°Oh, they replied already. Thumbs up and a heart emoji.¡±

    "Great," Viscardi said. "Let''s recap. Bad thing: the Detector was stolen, and Vladivostok''s Artifact user is probably Rezzed. Good things: Awakening Harbin consumed more than one core, so our count is still good. Now, if only we''d have a method to detect dungeons¡ª"

    "What the fuck?" Rowan blurted all of a sudden, almost falling from the couch.

    "What''s wrong?" Viscardi asked.

    ¡°I just received a weird quest¡­¡±

    Leadership Quest.

    A leader has to maintain a circle of trusted friends and allies. Speak with the following individuals and gain their sympathy:

    Mobsters¡¯ Group (Vito and his friends)

    African Dictator

    Inglotal, the Swarthy Elves tribe¡¯s war chief

    Spend time with each of them and increase your reputation by at least a tier. Gain as much knowledge from them as you can.

    Reward:

    1 Level and 1 free AP for each successful subquest.

    +3 AP if all three subquests are successful.

    ???

 49. Leadership Quest

    <h2 style="text-align: center">Chatting With Mobsters</h2>

    Deciding to prioritize the mobsters¡ªafter all, they were already there¡ªRowan asked his wives to return to Elkins, promising he¡¯d follow as soon as the quest was finished. Isla had to check with Thomas anyway, and Cora was tired, so he met no opposition there.

    Now, with Viscardi giving him the room, the point was to find a common ground with the four men in front of him. They were normal people, except Vito, who was an Enforcer. Two were on the older side, Vito in his thirties, and a fourth younger, about his age. All stared at him, but Vito''s gaze gave him the creeps.

    ¡°Gentlemen, I have a quest about talking with you,¡± Rowan went for the truth and a direct approach. ¡°I have no idea how to¡­ go forward, so I¡¯ll be candid. Do you have any questions for me? Can I help you in any way?¡±

    ¡°The best way to help is providing us a constant supply of Bourbon,¡± one of the elderly men said. ¡°It would be a pity to look elsewhere.¡±

    ¡°Elsewhere?" Rowan blurted. "Like where, Tennessee? Do you know what their charcoal filtering does to taste? I swear: Bourbon Borough will soon be the world''s drinking center. Eighty-six will become the lowest legal proof, and we¡¯ll double the production of single-barrel whisky. Non-chill filtering will get subventioning. Sourcing has to be labeled. How about that?¡± His face had reddened, and his eyes bulged out of their sockets. Clenched fist on the table, Rowan had shouted the last word.

    ¡°Calm down, kid, calm down,¡± the man smiled. ¡°Happy to see we¡¯re on the same page.¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± the other older man nodded. ¡°Tennessee to Bourbon is like Chinese noodles compared to Italian pasta.¡±

    2/4 of Targets have sympathy for you

    ¡°Father, please!¡± the younger mobster sighed. ¡°All you can think of is pasta and Bourbon. We have to do something about the Cartels taking over California,¡± he looked at Rowan with hopeful eyes, fretting on his chair.

    A hyperactive one, huh? Rowan grinned but disguised it under a cough. "It¡¯s bad for business?" he asked.

    "No, but¡­ you know¡­ Cartels are evil," the youngster insisted. ¡°They¡¯re nothing like us.¡±

    ¡°I''ll have to admit, your Cosa is nicer than in the movies," Rowan nodded. "With that said, let''s not jump off the horse yet. California is California''s problem. We''re in an Apocalypse situation. If we divert manpower to California now and Earth explodes because we don''t find enough cores¡­ you see what I mean?"

    ¡°Hmfff, fine,¡± the youngster snorted, leaning back on the chair¡¯s backrest.

    You have made a young and restless mobster to see reason. 3/4 targets have sympathy for you.

    And now it was time for the last target. ¡°Err¡­ Vito?¡± Rowan said, offering the friendliest smile in his repertoire.

    ¡°Yeah.¡± The last mobster seemed totally nonplussed by Rowan¡¯s charisma.

    God, those eyes look so much like a dead fish''s¡­ How on Earth can I find common ground here? ¡°I hope you don¡¯t mind that I say this," Rowan started hesitantly, "but your eyes give me the creeps¡­ I have a skill called Cold Stare, but it''s... unrefined for now. Too intense. Any advice on how to tone it down a bit and put some subtlety in it?"

    ¡°You¡¯ve noticed my stare?¡± The man¡¯s expression suddenly warmed up. ¡°Few do. Listen carefully,¡± Vito leaned over the table. ¡°It¡¯s an art, took me years to train it. First, if you want to intimidate someone, look into their eyes, and don¡¯t think of anything. Blank mind. That will throw them off balance and fear you. This is level one. Level two, pay attention, I''ll make a demonstration¡­"

    Oh, goodness¡­ He looks like a Pug dog bred with a mackerel¡­

    Taking Rowan''s jerk like a fearful reaction, the mobster nodded energetically. "See? Smile like a psychopath, and imagine everything you could do to them. Like cutting their balls and feeding them to his family. I swear to you, they¡¯ll shit their pants." Behind Vito, the older mobster rolled his eyes and circled his finger near the temple.

    "Now, level three is not about violence but charm," Vito continued. "Puppy eyes. Before I got my Class, I was short, bald, fat, and ugly.¡±

    Sorry to say¡­ but you¡¯re still short, bald, fat, and ugly.

    "But I courted Vera nevertheless, making puppy eyes, bringing her flowers and chocolate every day until I won her heart.¡±

    She''s probably blind as a bat¡­ never mind, I¡¯m not here to be judgmental. ¡°Thanks, man, you''ve been really helpful. I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll never raise to your level in puppy eyes, but the first two are a lifesaver. Honestly,¡± Rowan put his hand over his heart.

    ¡°You¡¯re welcome,¡± the mobster said, his eyes shining. When he truly smiled, he had a jovial, funny face, and Rowan guessed there was more to the man that met the eye.

    4/4 Targets have sympathy for you. The first sub-quest has been cleared. You were awarded 1 free AP and 1 Level. You are now level 80. 2 APs have been allocated to each stat.

    <hr>

    <h2 style="text-align: center">Dictador</h2>

    It was late evening, and Rowan was flying in the African dictator¡¯s private plane toward Yosemite Park. The man across the aisle was an enigma. Gray hair and beard, solid, in his early fifties. Inquisitive eyes, an appearance that denoted a lot of real-life experience.

    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°Thank you for giving me a lift,¡± Rowan started the conversation.

    "Thank you for talking to me," the man replied.

    Suddenly, the weight of the change hit Rowan like a hammer in the head. He, a simple man, a worker without a college degree, a kid from the streets, was now granting audiences to dictators and ruling over mobsters, elves, orcs, and Bourbon''s heartland. And the latter was the only one he knew how to deal with, more or less.

    "Let''s get to business. You want a core. Cores are priceless. Do you deserve one?" Rowan asked as the dictator was now looking through the window.

    The man shrugged, now looking at his guest. "I expected you to ask: ''What''s in for me''."

    Rowan shook his head. "We¡¯re beyond the transactional phase. This is for the good of humankind."

    The dictator grinned, showing a somehow sharklike row of white teeth. It reminded Rowan of Louis Armstrong singing Mack the Knife. The smile said: ''But you just spent a core on a whim, in Louisville.''

    "Yeah¡­ I guess I did¡­. But it¡¯s still for the good of humankind. Who will we be in the future if we don¡¯t preserve our precious past? Why don''t we introduce ourselves through a drink," Rowan changed the subject, extracting a bottle from his inventory. "Twenty-five-year-old year Stagg, one hundred and forty proof."

    The Dictator snapped his fingers and a stewardess rushed to take the bottle and pour the liquid in two glasses. The African raised the glass, sniffed it, and then took a sip. Groaning in satisfaction, he closed his eyes and nodded. "This whiskey is like you¡­ strong, bold, and deep." He whispered something to the stewardess, who nodded, left, and reappeared a second later with a sumptuously decorated bottle, from which she poured in another two glasses. The Dictator took both and offered one to Rowan himself: "This is me¡­ Dictador. Fifty years old rum. One hundred and twenty proof."

    "You have a sweet side," Rowan giggled after nosing the liquid and drinking a bit. "It''s really good¡­"

    "Then, we do business?"

    Rowan nodded. "I''m listening."

    "I''ll give you good information for a core. I keep independence. No strings attached."

    "You mean you won''t swear fealty to me?"

    "We mind our own business. My people won''t take kindly to be tied to other countries again. Colonialism is bad."

    "Fair enough," Rowan switched his glass to Bourbon. "What info are we talking about? You do understand that I have to hear it first before committing anything, right?"

    "Information is about the alien ship. It comes fast, cores are ejected, but you think like this," the man gestured with his index over the table.

    "Circle pattern?" Rowan asked.

    "Yes. You''re wrong. Think of cores like many little bullets. V pattern. Like¡­¡± The man frowned, snapping his fingers, struggling to find the word.

    ¡°A shotgun?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Four shots. One shoot near Japan, Korea, Vladivostok. The ship goes on, second shoot near Italy. Continues to shoot twice close to the crash point, close to Earth. Many dungeons still to be found in your County.¡±

    ¡°Moment.¡± Taking his phone out, Rowan called Cora. ¡°Hi, Baby. Say, if our territory would have extended over some pre-existing dormant dungeons, what would happen?¡±

    There was silence, and then Cora spoke slowly. ¡°Nothing¡­ even at our Mana level, it would take a couple of years before the top-level dungeons activate.¡±

    ¡°The African President thinks the Traipenent didn''t jettison the cores in circles, but in V shotgun pattern, and the last one was close to us. We did find two cores just next to the Border, right?¡±

    ¡°Including the one that was stolen, yes. I¡¯ll make a simulation and check it out. If true, we can work with the lesser detectors and still find cores. Do you know when you¡¯ll be back?¡±

    ¡°Maybe tomorrow? That Elf I¡¯m supposed to talk with, Ibuprofen or something, is in Yosemite Park, team building with his folks.¡±

    ¡°Inglotal. Please make sure you remember his name before you talk to him, promise?¡±

    ¡°Scout honor. Love you, baby.¡±

    ¡°Love you too. Bye.¡±

    Rowan turned his attention to the dictator. ¡°If your theory confirms, I''ll give you a core strong enough to cover your country."

    ¡°Then I offer you bonus information,¡± the dictator said. ¡°Vladivostok people are angry you sabotaged their cores and poisoned Knyaz.¡±

    ¡°It was food poisoning. They have no proof¡­¡± Rowan protested.

    ¡°Hahaha!¡± The Dictator roared in raucous laughter, throwing his head back. ¡°Who needs proof? This world is not in Kansas anymore, to need proof. They not stupid. They plan to sabotage you too. No idea how, but soon.¡±

    Rowan sighed. "How do you know?¡±

    ¡°Do you know song? ''I have a friend in Minsk, who has a friend in Pinsk, whose friend in Omsk, has friend in Tomsk, With friend in Akmolinsk.''¡±

    Rowan joined in singing. ¡°''His friend in Alexandrovsk has friend in Petropavlovsk, whose friend somehow is solving now the problem in Dnepropetrovsk.''¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re funny,¡± the dictator said at the end. ¡°I like you.¡±

    You have befriended the African Dictator. The second partial quest is cleared.

    Yeah¡­ I¡¯m a natural charmer.

    ¡°Are you aware you might not stay in power after the core expands?¡± Rowan asked. "A core means elections, and you can''t cheat the System."

    ¡°Pour,¡± the man asked the stewardess for a refill, then swirled the Bourbon in his glass, looking again at the setting sun outside. Finally, he looked Rowan in the eyes with a deadpan expression. ¡°I love my country. If people vote me out, OK. I don¡¯t like job. Dangerous. Wars every year, crazy people who think God anointed them to make revolution. If I''m voted out, I go retire. Maybe Vegas or your town. You, Vampire, mobster, I trust. Politicians? Ptuah,¡± the man mimicked spitting on the carpet.

    ¡°When you''ll be king, or whatever, be close to your people¡­" Rowan said, staring into nothingness. "I offer a bottle of whiskey to any warrior I don''t remember by name. Anyone can swear about me freely and pay ten cents for it. They adore it. Ask their opinion about something they care about, like city planning, and make good on your promises."

    ¡°Cheers,¡± the African dictator raised the glass.

    <hr>

    <h2>Elftreck</h2>

    After landing at a small airport and saying his goodbyes to the dictator, Rowan drove a small rented at an average speed of eighty miles an hour, which he considered quite OK. It allowed him time to admire the landscape. When he arrived at Yosemite Falls, it was night and winter. Viscardi had let the weather follow its natural ways for whatever reason¡ªmaybe tourism.

    Near the parking lot set as a rendezvous point was a group of elves dressed in hiking gear, which meant fur coats, much like those of Arctic explorers. Rowan stopped the engine and walked toward them.

    ¡°Thane Allinder,¡± the elf saluted with a half bow.

    ¡°War Chief Inglotal,¡± Rowan returned the greeting.

    ¡°I delayed our departure to meet you.¡±

    ¡°Where are you going?¡±

    ¡°Now that we¡¯re free, we''re trying to recover our old ways. I¡¯ll escort our younglings in a rite of passage. We¡¯ll run to the place you call Canada in five days.¡±

    Rowan was slack-jawed. That meant running about a thousand miles.

    "Are you here to join our training?" Inglotal continued.

    Rowan looked at the snow around and the furs covering the Svart¨¢lfar. Suddenly, his heart felt the right path to take. He nodded. ¡°I could use some training.¡±

    ¡°Thane Allinder, the Dragon Slayer, will join us!¡± Inglotal yelled, raising his spear. A choir or cheers resounded before the notification hit.

    Your third secondary quest has been cleared. + 1 Level and +1 AP awarded. +3 AP awarded. Hidden Quest discovered and cleared: establish a good reputation among the factions that swore allegiance to you. 6/6 objectives cleared. 6 free APs awarded.

    New Quest: Complete the hike. +1 free AP

 50: A â€œSimpleâ€ Hike

    <hr>

    The first night had been easy. They ran over the mountains, following the trails. In mid-January, darkness held for fourteen hours, and they hadn¡¯t stopped for any break, food, or water. It was a pleasant surprise for Rowan to see how much effort his Awakened body could cope with. So many hours of uninterrupted running, and it felt like a light jog.

    During the day, they slept around a campfire, but a few hours were enough to get them back in shape, and for the rest of the daylight, the group played cards or talked. Rowan let himself loose talking about Bourbon until he noticed the young elves showed signs of boredom. It was the first time in his life he felt ¡°old.¡±

    After the second night of running and a total distance of five hundred and twenty miles, they stopped short of the border, at the entrance of another forest reservation. A few people were waiting for them. Fay, Inglotal¡¯s wife and the tribe¡¯s all-around chief, but also Grace and Lizzie.

    [Grace to Rowan]: Don''t act surprised, I told her it was your idea. Five days away and just a phone call saying you¡¯re going on a hike? No way. Lizzie¡¯s an attention-soaking sponge.

    [Rowan to Grace]: Thank you¡­ How are things back home?

    [Grace to Rowan]: Cora''s upset you''re sending her to Africa to trigger a core. She had to delay some projects. I told her it was a sign of how much you trust her.

    [Rowan to Grace]: Thanks. I would be lost without you.

    [Grace to Rowan]: Let¡¯s play with Lizzie. She¡¯s looking forward to it.

    "Sweetie, look, a bicycle rental," Rowan switched to talking. "Wanna go for a ride?"

    They hugged, then he took his wife and daughter on a short bicycle tour. After Grace and Lizzie teleported away at noon, Rowan mechanically ate whatever game the elves had hunted and then slept for the rest of the day.

    In the evening, Inglotal shook Rowan¡¯s shoulder, awakening him. A gate opened in the Border Forcefield. They walked through, then stopped when the war chief raised his hand, turning toward Rowan.

    ¡°The Earthlings translate our name incorrectly,¡± Inglotal said. ¡°We¡¯re not the Dark Elves, and Swarthy is just the hue of our skin. Know, Thane Allinder, that we¡¯re the Elves of the Night.  The cold night of the Septentrion is our father, and the shadows of the Boreal forest are our mothers. Nottie, show the thane your skills!¡± A young girl stepped forward, and the shades of the night deepened. The darkness emanating from the girl enveloped them, going around in a wide circle about fifty yards in radius.

    Without any warning, Inglotal started to run. They followed, and so did the obscurity. It was colder outside, and the lights of hamlets or towns shone far away, dimmed by Nottie¡¯s AoE. The effort of running was greater, and Rowan¡¯s muscles were working harder.

    One hour later, Inglotal yelled: ¡°No potions allowed!¡±

    Potions? Potions for what? Oh¡­ What the fuck?

    His Mana Pool was dropping at an alarming rate. It had a one percent per minute refill. Still, if the inflow was slowed by a low-mana area, his body consumed his Mana at a higher rate than he could regenerate.

    You have made a Discovery. Your body constantly processes Mana, refining it into a higher form and storing a portion in your Mana Pool¡ªa part of your Mana Body. The excess Mana is vented out, contributing to the overall Mana quantity on Earth. Town Cores, as well as any Awakened plants or animals, do the same.

    Quest: Train yourself to control your Mana Flow. Learn how to use your passive CHA Perk 3 to slow your body¡¯s Natural Mana Consumption by +25% and increase your Mana Regeneration by +25%. Reward: 1 AP

    Quest: Train to reduce the amount of Mana you spend on Spells, Skills, or Perks. Reward: 1 AP

    So, there was hope. Slowing his Mana consumption felt like putting a plug on a leak, and the expenditure slowed to a trickle. The pain and tiredness, on the other hand, increased. In another hour, it became atrocious. He clenched his teeth and willed his Sensorial Filtering on, muting the sourness in his body.

    ¡°Slow down, half an hour or walking,¡± Inglotal shouted after looking around. There were sighs of relief around, which meant Rowan was not the only one in pain. That was the good part. The bad part was that the Elves were kids. He was supposed to be tougher.

    Ingotal slowed down, coming near him, and beckoned for Nottie. ¡°Walk together. Her AoE enhances Mana''s regeneration, the closer you are to her, the better.¡±

    Two hours later, a notification came:

    Quest cleared. You have learned to Control your Mana Flow. +1 AP

    Your Mana is now regenerating at 1.25%/minute in a high mana environment, or per hour in a low one. The amount of Mana you need to consume per minute for your optimal body performance is now 0.75%. The difference (excess) can be expended to momentarily enhance your body or will naturally vent out.

    Rowan noticed a considerable drop in his Mana expenditure. Nottie¡¯s AOE doubled his Mana Regeneration to 2.50/% / hour in a low-mana zone.

    This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

    ¡°Is that darkness thing a passive?¡± he asked.

    ¡°No,¡± the girl shook her head, walking without looking at him. Since she could keep it on without appearing exhausted, Rowan assumed it cost little Mana, and the girl was efficient at it.

    ¡°We run, but slower,¡± Inglotal commanded. The light jog lasted for a couple of hours. Rowan allowed himself to burst to full Mana use capacity for a minute every half hour to take the sting out of his painful joints and muscles.

    A new walking session arrived, and it lasted for forty-five minutes. Rowan¡¯s Mana was at twenty-five percent, and he stopped his Mana outflow. Walking was something he could do with his normal body abilities. Soon, questions started nibbling on his mind. He could do many things with R?svelg, like pushing Snowstorm into a cone AoE when needed and imbuing it on weapons. Was it possible to find a gentler use for it, like Nottie¡¯s AoE? However, considering how potent the skill was, it was not something he could try near friends.

    ¡°Guys, I¡¯m going ahead to test something,¡± he yelled and dashed ahead. He consumed one percent of his Mana, but after a minute, he was far enough to try it. Closing his eyes, Rowan exhaled, imagining frosty clouds spreading from his body like one of those special effects machines at concerts.

    Fuck! For a second, it looked like he failed. A harsh wind had erupted out, blowing the top of the snow away. Yet, it was soon clear it was not the deadly blizzard he was used to with Snowstorm. The wind calmed down, and fog appeared. After a minute, everything around was so calm it didn¡¯t look like anything was out of the ordinary.

    You have discovered R?svelg: Cold Breeze. Spreads out an AoE field with a twenty-five-yard diameter, soothing your allies (+25% MP and HP regen) or debuffing your foes (-25% reaction speed and healing) simultaneously. Effect and area can be improved through training. It consumes 1/10 of your overall R?svelg cost per every minute instead of every second.

    ¡°YEY!¡± That meant he had enough of it for eighty minutes. Rowan waited for the others because running back meant consuming more mana. ¡°Guys, look what I have unlocked,¡± he yelled proudly.

    ¡°You lucky bastard! That¡¯s sick!¡± Nottie yelled, getting out of her reserved Emo-rocker persona for a second.

    ¡°That¡¯s not the proper way to talk to our Thane,¡± Inglotal scolded her.

    ¡°Thane, get your ass here, and let¡¯s see if the effects stack,¡± the girl dismissed the scold with impertinence.

    Teenagers! Rowan snorted. But the buffs did stack. Moreover, they worked together extremely well, to twelve percent Mana Regeneration every hour.

    Alternating full running sessions with walking and jogging, they made it through the night, doing one hundred and ten miles, only ten miles short of their aim. His MPs were under half a percent, and Rowan collapsed on the ground near a campfire that miraculously had been constructed in under a minute by Inglotal.

    ¡°It¡¯s daylight. Potions allowed!¡± the War Chief yelled.

    <hr>

    For three hours, Rowan slept like a log. A strong shove on the shoulder woke him up.

    ¡°Take one now, then another in half an hour, then two at the same time,¡± Inglotal gave Rowan a box of pills.

    Rowan furrowed his brow. ¡°Won¡¯t I get Potion Sickness if I take more potions than the cooldown allows?¡±

    ¡°Indeed, you will vomit, and feel sick. Yet, before tomorrow night, the interval between your potion chugging will be halved, and your poison resistance will double. There is a reason we train in lower Mana areas.¡±

    Rowan didn¡¯t puke but felt like shit, Sensorial Filtering or not. But after an hour and a half of pain, he could sleep again. Before they started running, he was allowed to take another potion and another at midnight.

    It was much better now. At full Mana and knowing how to work together with Nottie, they kept going on. There was only one walking break, and they recovered the lost terrain from the previous night. And the notifications were magnificent.

    For maintaining a R?svelg: Cold Breeze perk active for a long period and harmonizing it with Embracing Darkness, you can now add the Darkness element to your spells, perks, and weapons.

    By maintaining a R?svelg: Cold Wind Aspect facet active for a long period and optimizing its Mana consumption, you have now reached the best optimized Mana cost for this perk: 15 Mana/second (Charisma Perk 3 applied).

    You have unlocked a Second Aspect, Fire Wind, by achieving optimal cost for your R?svelg first aspect and unlocking 4 out of 7 possible facets of your first Aspect (Cold Wind).

    ¡°Wait!¡± Rowan blurted as Inglotal prepared to light the fire. ¡°I got a fire perk now.¡±

    ¡°Which one?¡±

    ¡°I unlocked R?svelg, Fire Wind. Let me test it.¡± The youngsters cheered.

    ¡°Be my guest,¡± Iglotal gestured toward the firewood. "Youngsters, get back. With our Thane, we better be safe than sorry."

    ¡°Err¡­ maybe get ready with a shovel or something? Just in case it gets out of control?¡± Rowan suggested.

    Snorting, the Elf produced a large fire extinguisher from his inventory. ¡°We¡¯re not savages.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll aim toward the river,¡± Rowan said, preparing to let the perk out. He did it only for a fraction of a second, aiming his palms at the fireplace. A stream of fire and smoke burst out,  formed itself in a ball, hit the firewood, lighted it, and then bounced twice more, starting two secondary fires on the dead branches lying near the river. Inglotal¡¯s fire extinguisher made short work of them.

    You have unlocked the Camping Fire facet. Current cost: 20 MP/second. 1/7 facets of Fire Wind discovered.

    You have unlocked the Forest Fire facet. Current cost: 20 MP/second/bounce 2/7 facets of Fire Wind discovered.

    ¡°Well¡­ it''s a little underwhelming, but it works,¡± Rowan sighed.

    ¡°Forest Fire was among the most appreciated spells in the Elven Dark Ages,¡± Nottie said. "Imagine besieging a fortress and starting multiple fires around it."

    ¡°If we ever besiege a fortress, I¡¯ll keep that in mind,¡± Rowan promised. ¡°I wonder¡­ is it possible to unlock something like dragon fire?¡± he asked, with hope shining in his voice and eyes.

    "Dragon Fire is a specific attack applied by a Dragonoid. Humanoids can unlock Flamethrower or Fireball," Inglotal crushed his hopes.

    ¡°Say, Inglotal, do you know how many facets and aspects of the winds are and what each does?¡±

    ¡°No one had unlocked R?svelg in centuries, but you should be able to unlock three aspects and seven facets for each.  There are more, but that''s the consensus on how many one can master. Here,¡± the War Chief searched his inventory and threw him a booklet. ¡°Mythical perks for dummies, it¡¯s in our curricula. I¡¯ll go hunting, and you can rest a little and take some potions. I want your sickness gone before lunch.¡±

    Sitting on a log, Rowan opened the book. To his disappointment, it was written with weird rune-like characters. He took a mental note to ask Cora to translate it and put it into storage. A few minutes later, Nottie came and sat near him.

    "Thank you," she said. "Because of you, I can now add Cold to my Darkness."

    ¡°Nah," Rowan smiled. ¡°Thanks to you, I can add Darkness to my Cold.¡±

 51: The Battle in the Dark

    <hr>

    The sun vanished over the peaks, and they resumed their journey. Rowan was enthused, knowing he could hold his AoE buff active for more than the required running time. As he jogged shoulder to shoulder with Nottie, he asked: ¡°What''s your level?¡±

    ¡°Eighty. How old are you?¡± the girl asked without turning her head.

    ¡°I¡¯m twenty-six, why?¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Nottie tripped and almost fell. "I thought you were like fifty or something."

    ¡°C¡¯mon! I don''t look fifty,¡± Rowan snorted.

    ¡°Sorry¡­ I¡¯m used to elf ages. I¡¯m thirty-one.¡±

    It was Rowan''s turn to trip. ¡°You¡¯re kidding me! You look like sixteen. You age slower or something?"

    "We¡¯re elves, duh."

    "And how long do you live?¡±

    ¡°It depends on the tier. But at legendary, you could live nearly as long as an elf, so it¡¯s not a significant difference in the long run. I plan to marry a human,¡± she whispered for the last part. ¡°They are much more relaxed about getting drunk and having sex with multiple partners.¡±

    Rowan faked a cough and grew weary; from that moment on, they ran in silence. They walked for an hour at midnight before running again. As before, they avoided highways and resorts, opting for dirt roads or hiking trails. The enveloping darkness acted as a strong deterrent, keeping anyone away.

    Two miles from their destination, Rowan¡¯s phone buzzed with a unique alarm signal reserved solely for him and his wives. He read the message and accelerated, drawing closer to the War Chief. ¡°Can we have a word?¡±

    ¡°Of course, Thane. Group, please wait for us at that sign.¡± The youngsters sprinted, eager for a break, and stopped thirty yards ahead while the two slowed to a brisk walking rhythm.

    ¡°Grace, my wife, texted me: I feel impending danger.  She¡¯s a Seer. Maybe it¡¯s wiser to turn back?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s all right,¡± the elf nodded. ¡°I know what she¡¯s talking about, and I was going to let you in on the secret anyway. I paid a group of goblins to attack us," the elf made air quotes. "They''ll pretend to be scared away by the kids, which will boost the youngsters'' self-confidence, hopefully leading to good perks. Now that you know, maybe you can feign that Nottie saves your life. That would help a lot.¡±

    ¡°Oh, shit!¡± Rowan exclaimed after his phone buzzed again.

    ¡°Do you want to go behind that mound?¡± the elf pointed. ¡°I have some spare toilet paper.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just an expression. This is worse than I thought. Another message, this time from Cora. She says: I''m in Africa. The Neek spies captured a Goblinoid merc group and learned about the Elves'' journey. They recruited Vladivostokans and some rogue elements of the Canadian military. They plan to kill the kids as revenge to send you a message. They don''t know you''re there. I decided to negotiate with Harbin. In exchange for more cores, the Dictator¡¯s army teleports to Harbin and attacks Vladivostok. The System has approved the Incursion. Break the northern encirclement using the in-between, hide in the mountains, and contact Viscardi for extraction.

    ¡°She also sent me a satellite photo.¡± Rowan turned his phone so the elf could see the screen.

    The image showed their position and appeared to have been taken moments before. All the enemies were tagged neatly. Their group was clearly visible, but so were the troops surrounding them. At the upper part of the valley, they were about to enter a group of several hundred Neeks and military personnel dressed in white camouflage clothing. On the flanks, having the high ground, a few dozen Vladivostokan Awakened warriors in armor, all of max Level. Behind the Elves, on the plain, keeping their distance, were groups with snowmobiles, tagged as scouts.

    "Come here, we have to talk!" Iglotal yelled. "I''m sorry," he whispered to Rowan. "This is all my fault."

    Rowan squeezed his eyes shut, trying to overcome his panic. He was the only one around with a guaranteed Rezz. He knew the list by heart.

    "What''s up?" Nottie asked, arriving near the two adults, followed by the rest of the teenagers.

    ¡°We''re about to be ambushed by superior forces," Rowan said deadpanned. "They got wind of the trek and want to get revenge on me through you. They already have eyes on us."

    "What''s the plan?¡± a girl asked. Blonde and fair-skinned, she made a yin-yang contrast with Nottie''s raven hair and darker complexion.

    ¡°We each take a Mana Potion and run as fast as we can,¡± Inglital said.

    Rowan shook his head. "They''ll hunt us down with their snowmobiles. We go on after pretending we just had a friendly chat. Once deep in the valley, I''ll put us all in the in-between, and we run up to the ridge. We eliminate some of the hostiles along the way to create panic. The Neeks are cowards. After that, we lose ourselves in the forests and ask for an extraction. However, I first need to be aware of the enemy''s position. Nottie and I will mix our AoEs and send them out in a very thin layer."

    ¡°Oh, Nottie and the Thane are mixing things together,¡± a boy joked.

    Nottie shook her fist at him. ¡°Just you wait, Magnus. I¡¯ll skin you alive.¡±

    Rowan ignored the exchange and prepared his Perk. "Nottie, go first, and I¡¯ll push your AoE.¡±

    The girl shivered and started her Perk. Rowan could tell it was more intense now. He unleashed his ability at a higher strength, just as he had the first time he had used it. The cold and darkness merged into a dark fog, and then he sent an impulse that spread like the shockwave of an explosion. Soon, the ring of cold and darkness became invisible and weak, yet still progressing rapidly, for half a mile, a full mile, two, three... Every hostile target it touched, even with a snowflake or a speck of frost, was now tagged on Rowan''s targeting sensor.

    ¡°My Mana Sense has evolved into Mana Radar!¡± Nottie exclaimed. ¡°Thank you so much.¡±

    ¡°Keep your voice low,¡± Rowan blurted with a growl. ¡°What weapons and armor do you have?¡±

    "Our fur coats are medium armor, and we each have spears," the blonde girl said. "I also have a sword, and I¡¯m trained with firearms."

    ¡°Welcome to America.¡± Rowan pulled two revolvers from his inventory, handing one to her and the other to Inglotal, along with a couple of speed loaders. ¡°Point and shoot. Technoforge-made hollow points can penetrate Awakened armor and Toughness below Threshold three. Alright, everyone, let''s move. Now, act as if you''re cheering for me after a motivational speech, and let''s go.¡±

    "Yay!" The youngsters raised their spears high into the air. Only one worried face was visible: Inglotal''s. Either oblivious to the danger due to their youth or trusting him too much, the young elves'' expressions showed nothing but determination.

    ¡°I heard you can kill people from inside The Space. Is that true?¡± the girl with the gun asked as she walked.

    ¡°Yep.¡±

    ¡°Neat. However. I prefer fighting face to face, though.¡±

    ¡°Have you fought for real before?¡±

    The girl sighed, puckering. ¡°Nope. I guess this is a good place to start.¡±

    Rowan giggled, amused by her attitude. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±

    ¡°Nerio.¡±

    ¡°Like the Roman war goddess? There¡¯s a statue in¡­ never mind. May you gloriously follow in her footsteps."

    "Thank you," she bowed her head.

    "Everyone, take a Mana Potion. Keep Health Potions handy, and let me know if you need any," Rowan said. There was no response, so the potions were put away. Leading the way into the valley, Rowan examined his display. The enemies, though invisible to the naked eye, were still apparent. There was no movement now, but they were most likely preparing for an ambush.

    ¡°We dash toward the ridge when I say go. Three¡­ two¡­ one¡­ GO!¡±

    The group advanced as one, unfazed by The Space; after all, they had encountered it before when leaving the Shore dungeon. Twenty seconds later, they reached the enemy''s first line but continued to press forward relentlessly.

    Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

    "Halt," Rowan yelled, stopping amidst a group of six Vladivostokan warriors hiding behind a large rock formation, an ambush on the most evident escape path. He pushed his threads into their heads and bellowed: "Stay hidden behind the rocks," before exiting The Space. All the warriors collapsed, dead, without a squeak. One of his stacks had been consumed; he had started with eight and was now down to seven.

    "Where did they go?" someone yelled in the valley.

    "Don''t leave cover," he ordered. Rising, Rowan unleashed a flurry of Forest Fire, sweeping his hands in a circle. This was not the time to be squeamish. Canadian forests burned regularly; it was part of the natural cycle. He hoped the fire would remain contained within the valley, but he had to do what was necessary. Rowan followed with a maximum-strength Snowstorm in cone AoE form. It obliterated everything in its path, including incoming bullets and soldiers. Behind him, gunshots echoed¡ªInglotal and the girl.

    ¡°Stay where you are; we''re going into The Space again,¡± Rowan screamed. Scores of foes rushed up the slope, assaulting their position. Before they arrived, Rowan took the four claymore mines from his inventory and threw them in an arc toward the parked snowmobiles below. The explosions caused many casualties among the Neeks and regular soldiers; unfortunately, the Vladivostokans remained unscathed. Being a Classed with heavy armor had its advantages.

    The remaining enemies spread out, which was a good tactic. "Come," Rowan yelled, activating a third stack of the Trip and ascending the slope. Along the way, he glanced at the valley behind him. It was on fire. Most of the enemies tried to escape the raging flames, running westward. Raising his hand, Rowan halted the group, pointing at the rock formations and trees. "Take cover."

    Leaving The Space and running forward for twenty yards, he activated Snowstorm around him at a mild intensity and short range, adding Forest Fire to the mix. The blizzard extracted heat from the environment, redirecting it to the fire. He was now enveloped in an aura of both R?svelg¡¯s aspects, disintegrating any projectiles thrown his way.

    You have unlocked Elemental Shield, a facet of both The Cold Wind and Fire Wind.

    Profiting from his momentary invulnerability, he shot a few bursts of Snowstorm and Forest Fire again.

    "We move!" Rowan shouted, rejoining the group. The fourth stack of the Trip managed to carry them over the ridge. They had broken the encirclement- or so they believed. The youngsters relaxed and spread out. Nottie stepped out of the area covered by his Perk, right into the midst of another group of enemies: six Neeks armed with guns and as many Russians wielding spears and swords.

    Nottie was shot. Magnus dashed outside, shielding her with his body, and was shot as well. Rowan charged forward, projecting his filaments into the Neeks to divert the ranged attacks from their backs, then exited The Space, launching himself at the Russians, flourishing his weapon in a whirl of steel. The Russians¡¯ armor blocked the threads, and they were skilled fighters, regrouping as expected.

    "Catch their weapons!" Nerio, the blonde girl, yelled, joining Rowan, a sword in her right hand and the revolver in her left.

    It made sense. In a blink, instead of aiming his threads toward the bodies, Rowan caught the enemies'' spears and sabers in his threads'' grip, pushing or pulling whatever was necessary to keep them out of balance. Nerio shot three Russians in the head, twice, while running forward and beheading a fourth, then a fifth with a reverse swing, and jumping at the sixth, throwing him down, and crushing his head under her heel. All while roaring with laughter.

    Rowan sprinted back toward Nottie. A few youngsters and Inglotal were casting heals, and he also contributed his Combat Heal. The girl was barely breathing while the boy was gone; his body had been consumed by the Mana.

    ¡°Fuck¡­¡± Rowan choked. As Nottie gasped, regaining consciousness, he yelled. ¡°Hide in the forest. I¡¯m going back to assess the situation.¡±

    ¡°I''ll come with you; we''ll kill them all!¡± Nerio yelled, her eyes on fire.

    ¡°No! I''m the only one who can Rezz.¡±

    The girl growled. The Shadow Elves rushed down the slope as he climbed back up the ridge to take a peek. The fire had extinguished more quickly than anticipated. He could see Neek Elemental Wizards attempting to tame the flames or counter them with summoned rain. Many enemies remained unharmed, and several vehicles were still operational. About fifty foes on snowmobiles were entering the valley from the southwest- those scouts who had been at the back at the beginning.

    On top of that, a dozen Russians were coming up the slope, running. "You don''t know when to quit, don''t you?" he roared, rushing to meet them.

    His Trip stacks were precious and better used at protecting the youngsters, but he had half of his Mana. The Svart¨¢lfar¡¯s Stare he threw at the first Russian was a crit. The individual¡ªman or woman, Rowan couldn''t know¡ªcollapsed to their knees, screaming and grabbing their face. Then the empty armor fell on the ground, specks of blue light coming out of it.

    Catching the next enemy''s legs with two threads, Rowan impaled him through the armpit gaps and the visor with the other four filaments. Throwing a cone of Snowstorm to throw the Russians off the cliff didn''t work. One of their Tanks had a Perk offering Stability, or so the brief notification said. The next Stare also failed.

    The good part was that the trail was narrow, and he could face them in groups of two. Transforming his weapon into a rifle, Rowan made a Russian''s head explode with a Mana Bullet. He changed weaponry to a Barong machete and a shield and started retreating up the slope. The combination was good, but the Vladivostokans were not dumb. The ones in the front started to use short swords as well, while those in the back poked at him with spears.

    He summoned the Elemental Shield. It held well; the hits that got through and touched his armor felt weak and did next to no damage. Changing his weapon to threads again, he managed to skewer another Russian. Still, he attracted a few stronger hits from the rest. The threads were good at attacking and CC, but not so much at parrying.

    A couple of enemies were coming to the front, and Rowan''s senses read what would happen like an open book. An off-tank was going to Charge or Bash at him, and while at that, the Rogue would go behind to stab him, while the rest would attack with spears. A good tactic, he conceded, grinding his teeth. It looked like going into The Space was the only option. The question was whether to run or try to deal with all the Russians within one stack somehow.

    Before he decided, the Tank charged, but his assault was met in the air by someone else''s Dash, and the man literally exploded into pieces. Cutting the Rogue in two with an oblique strike, Nerio shoved the next Russian off the hill with her shoulder and shot the next one through the visor space with Rowan''s revolver. A bear of a man with a beard so big it spread out of the helmet raised his hand in a signal gesture, and in seconds, the four surviving Russians fled down the valley with tremendous speed.

    Of course, a teenager won''t obey orders! Rowan groaned, placing a hand on the girl''s shoulder to halt her pursuit. "Where did you learn to fight like this?" he asked, recalling the girl¡¯s performance on the ridge.

    "I''m a champion at HEMA, short for Historical Elven Martial Arts," she explained, nonplussed.

    ¡°OK, let¡¯s scram. There¡¯s still a lot of them.¡±

    You are pinged with a private parley offer from Flame, Griffinoid Intergalactic Mercenary (she/her). The Intergalactic Mercenary has taken a System Oath not to harm you. If you accept the Parley, Flame will approach: select Y/N. A copy of this message has been sent to Nerio Fern to prevent her from engaging in hostility.

    This is a crazy day. What the heck does a Merc want?

    He pressed Yes. A few moments later, a shooting star approached at a very fast speed, landing near them. The Merc''s helmet had an unusual oblong shape toward the back.

    "It''s a Griffinoid. Make sure you reply with a rhyme for the last word they say, or they get offended," Nerio whispered in Rowan''s ear.

    ¡°You want to talk, talk? Please be brief,¡± Rowan addressed the Merc

    ¡°Of course, chief,¡± the Merc said. ¡°The Neeks betrayeth us, and now revenge is due."

    "Here''s my cue," Nerio interjected. "You want to help us in this brawl?"

    "But it''s your call," the Merc bowed toward Rowan. "If you accept, I''ll do my best."

    What the fuck, really? Rhymes? "Be my guest," Rowan gestured toward the valley. Down there, the Russians had arrived and were gesturing vividly. From what he could guess, it was about getting out of the gorge on snowmobiles and going around, trying to catch up with the Night Elves¡¯ group. Persistent bastards!

    The Merc produced a short-barreled shoulder rocket launcher and fired it. Seconds later, a bright explosion engulfed the mountain. Rowan instinctively entered The Space, taking Nerio and the Merc with him. Clouds of dust, debris, and heat erupted out, fortunately without reaching them.

    "What the fuck, a nuke?" he yelled.

    "Nothing serious, you''ll just puke," the Merc replied.

    "Radiation is nothing for Awakened; you can let go," Nerio told Rowan.

    As soon as he dismissed the Joint Trip, the Mercenary addressed him again: "Our Boss, The Smuggler, offers you a deal. Give us the Sensor and ten cores of the highest quality. She pardons Blackswarm and opens a line of smuggling with Earth. No one else will dareth approach your planet with the Warlord roaming free.¡±

    ¡°I see¡­¡± Rowan nodded. ¡°A question first. Your kind attacked our allies multiple times. How can I trust you?¡±

    ¡°Your words ring true. However, it is not this Merc''s team that did it. The Apian group has vanished; they must be the guilty party. Now, do you consider our proposition proper?¡±

    ¡°Counteroffer. Six cores of any kind, and you work for us until we finish our business with the cores. The Sensor was stolen, but it will be yours after we recover it.¡±

    ¡°Hahaha¡­¡± the Merc roared in laughter. ¡°You have no wit? In a weaker position than thought are you, yet you asketh for more?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, Shakespeare, I asketh for more because this is war!" Rowan sneered. "Think: What do you need that only I can provide? Do you have a base, perchance? A safe haven?¡±

    ¡°Your offer is acknowledged, raven. Give us access to your County, attuneth us to your Town¡¯s Rezz, and we¡¯ll do your bidding.¡±

    ¡°Fitting. Very well,¡± Rowan said.

    ¡°Farewell,¡± the Merc said, taking flight.

    "Rhymes, of all things¡­ This is so crazy¡­" Rowan sighed, inspecting his notifications.

    You have been deemed the third major contributor to the killing of a force of nine hundred soldiers, sixty Vladivostokan warriors, and fifty Neeks. Second contributor: Nerio. First contributor: Intergalactic Mercenary Flame. You have cleared the Quest: Complete the hike. +1 AP. You have completed the Quest: Survive Ambush. Secret subquest: You have led your fledgling warriors in battle and won, saving 10/12 of the Raid members. +10 AP.

    XP gains have been postponed.

    Rowan¡¯s heart skipped a beat. ¡°Who else died?¡± he screamed, fearing his Healing had been sloppy, and Nottie succumbed to her wounds.

    ¡°Inglotal shot himself,¡± Nerio sighed. "It was on our private chat. Losing Magnus broke him."

    ¡°Oh my God¡­ Was he related to that kid?"

    "No¡­ but he did love each of us like his own."

    "May he rest in peace¡­¡±

    There was one more notification, and he chose Yes as soon as he read it.

    I, the Warlord, have witnessed your performance in an almost hopeless battle and graded it at 90%: Great. Reward: Altruistic choice. Accept to divert all the XP you gained in this battle to the young Elves: Y/N

 52. The Neeksâ€™ Base

    <hr>

    "Where are the rest?" Rowan asked.

    "Behind that treeline," Nerio pointed northward.

    "Let''s join them," Rowan nodded. While walking to the group, he phoned Cora, but she didn''t answer, and he called Grace instead.

    ¡°Are you safe?¡± she whispered instead of a hello. It meant Lizzie was asleep near her.

    ¡°I am¡­ but we lost a kid and Inglotal.¡±

    ¡°¡­ I¡¯m sorry. Where are you exactly?¡±

    ¡°In the wilds, somewhere in British Columbia. Five miles west of Gladsheim Peak.¡± This is from Norse mythology, right? Inglo must¡¯ve chosen this place because of that¡­ "I just wanted to tell you I''m safe¡­ I have to go. I have a call from Cora. Love you." Taking the next call, he blurted: "Hi, baby."

    "Thank goodness you answered. I hacked another satellite and saw a nuclear explosion. Everybody OK?" Cora''s voice asked.

    "Except for two losses, the War Chief and a boy, Magnus. The nuke was a new¡­ ally, taking care of the Neeks and the Russians."

    "So that''s why I''m receiving an ''add to friends'' ping from someone called Flame, Griffinoid Mercenary?"

    "Yes¡­ Long story. How are you?" Rowan insisted on the last word.

    "It''s all but over. Vladivostok has fallen. The rest of its territory will follow soon enough.¡±

    ¡°You''re in Vladivostok?" Rowan gasped.

    "Yes. We teleported to Harbin, and they''re in teleport range from Vladivostok. We quickly broke through the force field, courtesy of a new generation of Harbin-made breakers, and met with little resistance. The Russian Awakened had sent their best after the elves. There was a notification about the Knyaz dying in battle in Canada and that he couldn¡¯t be Rezzed. Was he there?"

    "I dunno¡­ There was one big guy who looked like him but had a helmet on.¡±

    ¡°The nuke prevented the Rezz, most likely. Others are rezzing, but we¡¯ll arrest them as soon as they wake up.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t bother, just¡ª¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to inform you, but your pal, the Dictator, insists on following the rule of the law.  They¡¯ll have a due process first, and then we¡¯ll shoot them. I don¡¯t think the jury will be lenient. Everybody hates the Knyaz and his groupies here. They never did anything for the common folks."

    Thank goodness for the swear jar idea and the plebiscites. ¡°Is there some way you could extract us, baby?¡±

    "Wait a sec, I¡¯m texting with Viscardi." Cora remained silent for half a minute. ¡°The best solution would be a two-pronged extraction: first by choppers, but we couldn¡¯t find any to rent before tomorrow. Viscardi is ready to send his plane, but you must get to an airport, preferably a larger one. I¡¯m looking at options. The closest one is Kelowna, about seventy miles due west. Calgary is too far.¡±

    "Kelowna, it is. Viscardi''s plane is a manatech one, with a forcefield shield, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes, you¡¯ll be safe in it.  You get in fast and take off. I''m sending you a little app to coordinate with the plane. You know what? I¡¯ll teleport to Vegas and meet you on the plane. I miss you."

    "Love you, baby, see you soon."

    Storing his phone, Rowan searched for words. They had rejoined the group, and the youngsters were depressed, as much was clear. Many were crying. Norie explained the unexpected help and the nuke to them, and then Rowan cleared his throat to get their attention.

    "I will ask you for one more effort. If we want to honor Magnus and Inglotal, we must survive first. We must make it to a nearby town, where a plane will be waiting to pick us up. We leave in one minute."

    Quietly, they rose and got ready for the next hike. Nottie offered him Inglotal¡¯s revolver back, but Rowan told her to keep it. When the minute was up, he took the lead, and she followed, both activating their perks.

    First, they headed north to cross a tall, snowy mountain ridge with a high risk of avalanches. Rowan and Nottie went ahead to mark a path using a series of improvised flags. They overcame that obstacle in about an hour and proceeded toward the valley behind, which featured reasonable roads leading to Burton and Upper Arrow Lake.

    Checking his maps, Rowan noticed they needed to reach Fauquier, where the only ferry to Needles was. Swimming across one mile of cold water was out of the question. As they waved between hills, forests, and plains, he received a notification:

    Flame asks to add you to her contacts. Do you want to add Flame, Intergalactic Mercenary, to your friends'' list and enable communication between you? Y/N

    What the heck does she want now?

    [Flame to Rowan]: Are you going toward Needles?

    [Rowan to Flame]: Indeed, you eagles. Why?

    [Flame to Rowan]: I''ll be not shy. Let''s take them together.

    [Rowan to Flame]: Please explain, red feather. Take them who?

    [Flame to Rowan]: Them too. The Neeks have a base in Needles to control the road and the ferry. Get my team through the forcefield, and we¡¯ll finish the job.

    Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

    [Rowan to Flame]: Very well, but let me talk to the mob.

    Raising his hand to signal the group to halt, he announced: "We''ll make a pit stop in Needles."

    "Why do we need to stop at a pit?" a boy asked.

    "It means we make a pause. There''s a hostile base there, and I''ll make sure to flatten it to the ground." As soon as his mouth said the words, his mind realized he had to do the contrary. If that base had Rezz ponds or other usable tech, even if primitive, that could increase Elkins''s capabilities.

    "We go in and kill them all!" Nerio roared.

    "Sit, you mad hound of war!" Rowan frowned, making a rhyme unwillingly. "The mercs and I will deal with it."

    "Mad hound of war¡­ I like it," the girl grinned.

    [Rowan to Flame]: I''ll get you into the base as long as you promise me not to involve the kids in the fighting.

    [Flame to Rowan]: Agreed. We''ll hit them like lightning.

    As they started running, he called Cora on the phone. "Are you on the plane already?"

    "Boarding it. Had some delay in Vladivostok."

    "Don''t board it yet. Can you borrow a Core from Viscardi? Tell him we''ll give it back.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°I''m sick and tired of running through woods; Kelowna is still fifty miles away, and approaching a big city carries risks. I don¡¯t want to lose some other kid to a stray bullet. Come to Needles with the core and jump from the plane or something. We''ll Awaken this area, then teleport home."

    "You''re sure?"

    "How many Awakened towns are around, nine? We still have room to grow. This is a lovely area, surrounded by beautiful mountains. I''ll make it a training ground and ask Isla to build a monument for Inglotal and Magnus."

    "Err¡­ Isla? Are you sure? What if the monument is not pretty?" Cora asked.

    "At least it will be made by someone who cares about it."

    "Moment¡­ Viscardi says it¡¯s a good idea, and in the same spirit, he wants to take over Vancouver."

    "He has a V fetish or something? Viscardi, the Vampire of Vegas and Vancouver, father of Verna and Victoria, and father-in-law of Vito? Never mind¡­ Call me when you''re here; love you."

    Half an hour later, they approached Arrow Lake. It was a quarter to five in the morning. The ferry crew was preparing for their first trip, scheduled for five. A couple of guards dressed in military fatigues near the ferry ran away as soon as Rowan and the youngsters appeared. The shadow and frost AoE rows emanated by Rowan and Nottie were menacing enough.

    On the other side of the lake, three points of light landed, spreading machine fire: the mercenaries.

    [Flame to Rowan]: West side guards have been handled. The base is three miles from us.

    [Rowan to Flame]: We¡¯ll be there shortly to discuss.

    The AoE was dismissed, and they went on the ferry. The crew looked at them with apprehension, trembling in fear.

    ¡°We just want to go on the other side, relax,¡± Rowan offered a gold coin to the person who looked in charge.

    Ten minutes later, they reached the other side. The mercenaries began to run, leading the way. Soon, they halted after a bend in the road. The Neek base was a couple of hundred feet farther, enclosed in a force field. Flame approached him.

    ¡°In battle, our mettle we¡¯ll prove,¡± the Merc clasped Rowan¡¯s forearm with their hand.

    "I approve. Let''s have a word with those Neeks. You kids stay here."

    He gobbled a Mana potion and approached the entry to the base. Eight more Mercs landed nearby, heavy blasters at the ready. Stopping in front of the forcefield, Rowan sneered with disdain. "That''s all?" On the other side was a welcoming committee with a couple of tanks, about sixty military in shooting positions, and six Classed Neeks. It meant they had received news of the mountain battle or river passage. The camp had light projectors, which, combined with morning fog, bathed the whole area in an eerie translucence. They could see the shield generator close to the gate and rows of Rezz tanks.

    "This is too easy. Tell them to call for more friends," Nerio said.

    "Hey, I told you to stay back!" Rowan yelled.

    "You told the kids to stay there. I''m a young adult," the girl shrugged.

    "Never mind¡­ Stay behind us."

    "Don''t fuss. I''ll protect her," Flame promised.

    Rowan yelled at the ones inside: ¡°Can you hear me?¡± he said. There was no answer, but the crispation in the soldiers¡¯ bodies told him they at least could read his lips. ¡°Surrender, or you¡¯re dead,¡± he said slowly.

    The soldiers and the Neeks were arguing. He can¡¯t pass the forcefield; Rowan read the lips of one Neek. He prepared to repeat the ultimatum when Nerio blurted: ¡°They had their chance. Time¡¯s up.¡±

    She stepped forward until her shadow was cast inside the camp, then disappeared, reappearing as a double of herself, now well over ten feet tall. The ones inside were so shocked that no one moved. She smashed a soldier with her shield, projecting him twenty yards, and impaled a few others with a heavy and long spear that had appeared in her hand out of nothingness. Letting her spear fall on a side together with the slain enemy, Nerio plunged her hand into a soldier''s chest, pulled his heart out, and bit into it with gusto. A soldier discharged all his bullets into her for naught, and she headbutted his head into smithereens.

    ¡°Fuck!¡± Rowan gasped.

    ¡°Such luck,¡± the Merc said. ¡°What do we do?¡±

    ¡°Get inside too!¡± Yelling the rhyme, Rowan activated the Joint Trip and pulled the Merc by the elbows to avoid other verses. Flame''s fellows followed. Inside, he activated his weapon, divided it into filaments, and skewered six different enemies, letting go of the perk. Shooting his Snowstorm AoE to the left to avoid hitting the girl, Rowan retracted his weapon from the dead bodies. He searched for other targets as the Mercs unleashed fire, mowing down the enemies.

    Calling the Elemental Shield around him for protection, Rowan tried to get in front of Nerio, but it was too late. Screaming like a Banshee, she barged into a tent, picked a Neek, and broke his back in two on her knee. And it was over.

    You have cleared an enemy camp and captured valuable equipment. +1 AP. You rank as the second contributor after Nerio.

    ¡°Ew, ew, ew¡­¡± the girl screamed, spitting on the ground and wiping her mouth with her forearm. She had returned to normal size. ¡°This is so gross!¡±

    ¡°Why did you do it, then?" Rowan hissed.

    ¡°I dunno¡­ When I changed, the idea of eating raw hearts looked yummy. I received a Perk from the Secondary class I unlocked earlier; some dude sent it to me as a reward with a red message.¡±

    ¡°Is that dude called the Warlord, perchance?¡± Rowan growled.

    ¡°Yeah. He said we¡¯ll be good pals. Anyway¡­ The perk is called War Goddess¡¯s Avatar. Mythical. I transform only once per battle, and I must kill an enemy every six seconds to keep it up.¡±

    ¡°Sweet buttercup! I don¡¯t think you killing people during battles will be hard,¡± Flame said.

    ¡°You spoke like a bard," Nerio bowed.

    "All that remains is to find the controls for the shield," Rowan said. "We can stay inside the base until Cora arrives. After we throw out the bodies, of course."

    "You think this is it?¡± the girl grimaced, squinting her eyes, squatting near a truck. ¡°What do I push?¡±

    ¡°Let me see,¡± Rowan leaned forward. ¡°A green button marked Start, and a red one marked Stop. Let¡¯s go for the red one. And once our guys come in¡ª.¡±

    ¡°We press the green,¡± the Merc said.

    <hr>

    Cora came to the rescue in the early evening after a previous stop in Vancouver to transform it into an Awakened Town. Ten minutes after her arrival, a two-thousand-square-mile mountainous region became Rowan¡¯s new domain.

    Of the sixty Rezz pods in the camp, two had been destroyed during the fight. The rest remained operational, with fifty housing the recalled remains of the Neeks killed in the mountain battle and eight of those who perished in the camp. One by one, the pods ejected them, and each individual was restrained and taken into a cellblock constructed by Cora through the new Town Core¡¯s perks. After briefly interrogating a few, they uncovered nothing of significance. No one knew who had given the orders for the ambush. The enigmatic leader stayed a mystery, known only by a title: the Neek Supreme.

 53. February

    <hr>

    In Elkins, the early February weather resembled early May, yet the light still bore the qualities of winter. The flowers on the tree outside the bedroom window created an eerie contrast with the feeble sun. It made Grace feel chilly for no apparent reason, but her sweet, scented, soft skin, nestled against his in search of warmth under the blankets, was delightful. Rowan caressed her cheek with the back of his hand. ¡°I love you.¡±

    ¡°Sometimes, I want to strangle you,¡± Grace said, throwing her calf around his legs and gluing herself to him. That sort of touch he could enjoy day and night. ¡°Going for a marathon like that?¡± she snapped her fingers.

    ¡°I did take a break from all the fighting and questing afterward, didn¡¯t I?¡±

    ¡°You did,¡± she fondled his hair. ¡°Nevertheless, tomorrow you¡¯ll go back to work, so¡­ maybe you need to invest some time to get in touch with the news. Speak with Dmitri about your father.¡±

    ¡°What about my father?¡±

    ¡°Talk with Dmitri. I have more pressing matters to tell you.¡± Searching for his chin, Grace pulled it, so he looked into her eyes. ¡°Cora¡¯s going into mating season soon and wants to have a baby with you. She thinks you know and want it, too, and asked Isla and me if we want to have babies simultaneously so we can raise them together. Isla is quite smitten with the idea.¡±

    ¡°Gaaaaah¡­¡±

    ¡°Close your mouth, and don¡¯t you dare faint on me. Take it like a man. Now, you''ll learn to truly listen to us when we speak with you.

    "But I did listen," he complained. "It was just a generic conversation. Cora asked about it, and I said I''d love to have kids with her. I didn''t imagine she meant now."

    "Was it listening, or were you just sipping your favorite Bourbon and saying yes, dear, yes dear, thinking about proof and chill filtering?"

    ¡°You mean non-chill filtering.¡± He sighed and looked into nothingness for a second. "Look¡­ The fact is, I''m OK with it, really. I like kids. But what got her to want it now? She''s barely over twenty."

    "Ask her, not me," Grace shrugged. "From what I got, she wants to get it done now, while young, to have time later for a Ph.D. and other things. She said they have much easier pregnancies than humans, and if we¡¯re to believe her, Cat Folk babies are cute and easy to raise. ''Give them kids a clew to play, and they are happy all day.'' Nekojin proverb.¡±

    Rowan facepalmed but gathered his will for the new challenge. ¡°OK. No worries. Fair enough, I guess. The point is, I didn¡¯t marry any of you without considering the possibility of having kids. What are you thinking about having one together?¡±

    ¡°Well, Isla likes the idea. She¡¯s very motherly and told me she¡¯d enjoy having more; Thomas was six when she adopted him.¡±

    ¡°I didn''t ask about Isla; I asked about you. I wouldn¡¯t love Lizzie any less if we had more kids, and I¡¯ll try to  be a good father for all of them.¡±

    ¡°I know¡­¡± she fondled his cheek.

    Reflecting on his adoptive daughter brought a smile to his face. ¡°I love Lizzie so much that I often wish to have known her as a baby. To rock her in my arms, care for her when her teeth grew¡­¡±

    ¡°Trust me, you have no idea what you¡¯re talking about," Grace snorted. "Let¡¯s do this: if our quest succeeds and Earth is safe, we¡¯ll go for it.¡±

    ¡°We''re safe in here anyway.¡± She snorted again, and he raised his hands upward in surrender. ¡°So be it. I¡¯ll work hard to make Earth safe.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t! Please don¡¯t work hard. For you, working hard means putting yourself in danger. Be more careful. Are you going to shower first?¡± she asked.

    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    ¡°In five?¡± he asked, starting to knead her body.

    ¡°Make it ten,¡± she whispered.

    Fifteen minutes later, with Grace back to a late morning sleep, Rowan arrived downstairs. Lizzie was already in school. Cora mumbled a hi, her mouth full, but Dmitri was washing the dishes by hand, so he was open to talking.

    ¡°So, Dmitri, what¡¯s up with Papa?¡±

    ¡°Wrong?" Dmitri let a plate fall back in the sink and raised his hands heavenward. "Nothing¡¯s wrong, except he¡¯s killing lots of people. Murder hobo style.¡±

    Rowan was now slack-jawed. ¡°P-papa?¡±

    ¡°None other. The Warlord gave him a quest: kill a thousand people and save one thousand. The latter, he¡¯s already done with.¡±

    ¡°He saved a thousand people in a month?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s a healer, and he went around hospitals in the outside world, helping people recover from terrible injuries and illnesses. He¡¯s considered a Saint out there.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­ nice¡­¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the good part. Then, he purged the FBI of corrupt¡­ officers? Do they refer to them as officers or agents? Whatever. Killed tons. Now, he goes on missions with SWAT teams and cops against drug dealers and cartels. He can¡¯t be harmed, you see. He self-heals, pushes his regens to the max, and has a magical shield and military-grade body armor immune to anything short of a cannon. The cops let him do their job. He rushes ahead, kills everybody, and the police accidentally discover the crime scene afterward," Dmitri made air quotes, in duplicate, to make his point." Saves them paperwork.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t he wanted?¡±

    ¡°You''re joking, right? They gave him a medal. What am I saying? A bunch of medals.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s look at the good part: he¡¯s not on my head all day anymore. Thanks for the heads up, Dmitri. I¡¯ll speak with him when possible, but don¡¯t hope for miracles.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t hope for anything, just gave you the news.¡±

    ¡°Ahum,¡± Cora cleared her voice to ask for Rowan''s attention.

    ¡°Sorry, baby¡­ Want me to cook you some pancakes?¡±

    ¡°We need to talk. I swear, sometimes, I want to strangle you,¡± the Nekojin sneered with her cute cat-like expression, creasing her little nose.

    I think I¡¯ve heard that before.

    ¡°Taking a week off, just like that? There is work to be done,¡± the Nekojin continued, crossing her arms.

    ¡°I¡¯m all ears, baby. Tell me what you want me to do,¡± Rowan made puppy eyes. "I mean, everything for the future mother of my kid."

    ¡°Honey¡­¡± she melted, accepting his hug. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about anything; pregnancy is way easier for us. Now, are you ready to hear the news?¡±

    ¡°Just a sec to grab something to eat.¡± A minute later, with a plate of food and a cup of coffee in his hands, Rowan nodded to her.

    ¡°That African dictator was spot on. We''re searching in a new pattern and found seven cores inside the County, for now, all of which are high-level dungeons. About fifty cores were jettisoned here in the US; half were mini cores, all but six were accounted for, and the rest were real. So, there are about twelve more dungeons to be found.¡±

    "Nice," Rowan nodded, gobbling a pancake, trying to find more subjects for conversation. However, he managed only to frown, chew, and look into nothingness. It was Cora who broke the silence.

    ¡°I want you to know that I''m working to repair the Traipenent''s insertion and extraction room¡ªthe one we used to place the prisoners in dungeons. I want to pull out the prisoners before consuming the true dungeon cores. I''m uncomfortable with the idea of giving life while casually taking others. ''

    Her pretty mouth and serious expression were so endearing that Rowan kissed her again. "Don''t worry, baby, we''ll work it out. We''ll put them in a regular prison or something like that.¡±

    A short police siren signal resounded outside, indicating that Isla had arrived. Cora rushed to whisper to Rowan: "Be careful; she¡¯ll show you Louisville''s projects. Grace loathes them. Here,¡± Cora showed him some photos on her screen.¡±

    ¡°But they¡¯re pretty!¡± Rowan exclaimed.

    ¡°They¡¯re AI-assisted," Cora said. "Grace says it¡¯s cheating, and Isla says the prompt makes the art, not the AI. The good news is that I¡¯m now each one''s BFF, and the bad news is that they hate each other. Except when sleeping together, then, they get along quite well.¡±

    ¡°Fuuuuuuck¡­ why don''t women ever¡ª Hey, honey,¡± Rowan shifted his tone and stood up to hug and kiss Isla.

    ¡°I want to strangle you,¡± she said, but after kissing him.

    ¡°Take a ticket; the line¡¯s upstairs. What did I do?¡±

    ¡°Nothing, except being yourself,¡± Isla waved her hand, sitting at the table after taking a cup of tea. ¡°You have a secret fan club, and groupies are writing on social media about how your AoE feels on their skin. As soft as kisses, if you must know.¡±

    ¡°What the fuck?" Rowan yelled. "I didn¡¯t AoE on anyone¡¯s skin.¡±

    ¡°Sure you did, on Nerio and Nottie¡¯s. They both have a crush on you. The good news: they agreed to share. Bad news: ain¡¯t going to happen. We, your wives, strongly disagree.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t have sex with two teenagers just because we hiked together, for goodness'' sake! I¡¯ll keep my distance, I promise.¡±

    ¡°Sure you will. I enrolled them in high school to keep them busy and around cute boys of their mental age. Also, I sent them to go hunting crats in Vancouver¡ª"

    "Moment!" Rowan blurted, forwarding both his hands in a stopping gesture. "What the fuck are crats?"

    "Mutated cats and rats breed. Nerio and Nottie kill them, then weep and post all over social media how they represent true forbidden love, like Romeow and Juli¡ª Ratatouille, whatever."

    "Romeow, really?" Cora raised her voice, hissing.

 54. The Big Bear Who Could

    <hr>

    On the first day of March, Rowan decided to have fun driving instead of teleporting, so he took his car to the former Tucker County.  Parking it down the road, near another car with an unusually high driver seat, he ran the last mile uphill. A blinking dot appeared at the edge of his screen, and in no time, he arrived at the starting point for his quest, where two people waited for him: Thomas and none other than Wurf the Goblidog.

    ¡°You¡¯re skipping school again?¡± was the first thing Rowan asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m on a school project with one of the teachers,¡± Thomas said, gesturing toward the goblinoid.

    ¡°Goblidog Wurf the third, esquire,¡± the monster spoke like they had never met before and offered a handshake, for which Rowan offered a shaking, limp hand, not believing his eyes.

    ¡°E-esquire?¡±

    ¡°Esquire,¡± the creature nodded. ¡°The Town''s Council awarded me a title of nobility for my heroic acts of saving the priest¡¯s life. Your Lordship signed it, but I guess you have thousands of papers to sign, so I''m not offended if you don''t remember,¡± Wurf said with a slightly dismissive tone.

    Rowan struggled against his wish to smack the Goblidog over the head. ¡°Where''s Hubert? Aren¡¯t you two linked together?¡±

    ¡°Not for quite a while. I lodged a System lawsuit and won my emancipation. I¡¯m a school teacher now, for extra-curricular projects.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re shitting me!¡±

    ¡°I assure Your Lordship that I¡¯m not defecating on any part of your body. Do you wish me to do so?¡± the Goblidog asked with a lofty tone. Rowan could swear the monster knew exactly what the expression meant and was purposefully sarcastic.

    ¡°I¡¯m good, thank you very much. Why are you here?¡±

    ¡°To help you clear the core quest and get Thomas extra credits.¡±

    "What quest?" Thomas asked.

    Rowan covered his eyes with his right hand, massaging them. It was still early, but all of a sudden, he felt tired. ¡°Remember our fight against the special forces? The incursion?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°There was a guy who technically surrendered, a Tamer. After that, he found an abandoned hut in the woods and moved in.

    "When the County expanded, he was granted ten acres of land around his hut in a program destined to encourage private initiative and entrepreneurship. By happenstance, he found a core. Nevertheless, he refuses to sell it to us and makes his bear attack any trespasser. He''s kinda dumb."

    "So much for entrepreneurship," Thomas joked. "But cores are a matter of state, why don''t you get it by force, is he strong?"

    "No, he''s not, but this punk here, Wurf, bought himself a lawyer diploma online and got a System restriction order against us."

    "Of course, the bear¡¯s a System protected species," Wurf said. "But as long you don''t hurt Teddy and his master, the System allows you to sneak in and get the core."

    "I don''t get it," Thomas said. ¡°You helped the crazy dude get a restriction order and now you''re helping Rowan solve the problem you created?¡±

    ¡°Of course. By defending the dumb dude and his pet''s rights, I earned two APs. By helping  you to learn about mana bio-diversity, I will earn a third, and by helping Rowan complete the quest, a fourth.¡±

    Yet again, Rowan felt the urge to strangle the Goblidog, but Thomas¡¯s presence made him calm down. Oblivious to his fortunate continued existence, the little monster spoke on:

    ¡°The plan is simple. The Tamer trusts me. I bring them treats, from time to time. I¡¯ll engage him in conversation, and Thomas will taunt the bear. Kids do cruel pranks on animals, that¡¯s the pretense. Count Allinder sneaks in to steal the core, replacing it with a copy. Ready?"

    ¡°Go ahead.¡±

    ¡°A moment,¡± Thomas said, pushing himself on his toes to whisper in Rowan''s ear: ¡°Let me be crystal clear. I gave you a pass about Cora, but if you dare to look at my two betrothed, I¡¯ll cut your throat in your sl¡ª.¡±

    ¡°And who might the chosen ones be?¡± Rowan crossed his arms with a strong intuition about where this was going to end.

    ¡°Nottie and Norie, of course. We¡¯re soulmates.¡±

    ¡°Do they know you¡¯re soulmates?¡± Rowan tried to repress his giggles.

    ¡°Fate knows, and that¡¯s enough."

    ¡°Do not tarry, they know I''m here and will get suspicious,¡± the Goblidog said. ¡°Remember, you¡¯re not to harm either the bear or his owner. I go in first.¡±

    A minute after the Wurf the Third, esquire, disappeared into the forest, Rowan let out a faint Cold Breeze. Sonar created a short movie in Rowan''s mind in no time. The Goblidog shared a jar of moonshine with a large man, while the bear was scratching his back against a tree, a little farther away. The cabin was fifty yards behind.

    ¡°The bear is two hundred yards from us, slightly to the northwest,¡± Rowan informed Thomas. ¡°You want me to transport you to it?¡±

    The boy shrugged the offer off. ¡°I¡¯m good, I have a new perk, Unobservable. It¡¯s a sort of sneaking but for off-tanks. When we unleash our taunts, the target will be more vulnerable to crits.¡±

    ¡°OK. Go, I¡¯ll make the switch when you taunt the bear.¡±

    Thomas started to advance into the woods, his steps inaudible. When the boy arrived near the bear, Rowan activated his Joint Trip and ran forward. Two hundred and fifty yards meant fifteen seconds for him. He heard Thomas yelling his taunt on the way but didn¡¯t stop to look.

    Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!

    In the hut, the core was on full display, emanating a soft light. Rowan let go of the first stack of Joint Trip, grabbed the core, and put in its place a desk lamp that looked the same. Satisfied, he entered The Space again, then tried to put the Core into his inventory. It didn¡¯t work. Frowning, he tried again, with the same result. And he was pretty sure Cores could go into an inventory.

    What the fuck? Never mind, let¡¯s move on.

    When he exited the hut, his second stack of Joint Trip at its end, he found himself looking eye to eye with the bear. The animal was inside The Space.

    ¡°Your kid¡¯s very funny,¡± he heard the Tamer¡¯s voice.

    ¡°I''m not his kid. C¡¯mon, bear! Attack me!¡± Thomas was yelling in the air.

    Rowan tried to run past the Grizzly and failed. He got a sharp pain in his back, plus a notification.

    Warning: A protected beast, Teddy the Grizzly Bear, has broken a claw on your scapula. You have been fined one thousand Mana Coins.  Sonar check successful: Teddy is a Mythical Combat Pet (lvl. 100) that has acquired the ability to enter The Space because he had been transported through it during his first days as an Awakened Beast. Strength: Can pull targets out of The Space. Weaknesses: Sweets, She-bears.

    Fuck¡­ Rowan cast a Combat Heal, summoned his armor, and started circling the hut, hoping that the bear would get exhausted. The animal was fast and stubborn. Rowan managed to evade the next hit, but barely. The claw hit the sphere instead.

    Urgent Quest: A previously damaged core has suffered Critical Damage from Teddy the Grizzly Bear. You have ten minutes to consume the level 80 Entertainment Dungeon: Hyperspace Racing within Cora¡¯s County furnace, or it will explode with the force of a Tactical nuke. Important: This dungeon is empty, so no one will be harmed by consuming it.

    Reward: Continued Existence, 1 Level, 10 APs, Racing-type enhancements to Perks and Town Core.

    Fuuuuck¡­ ¡°Go away! Bad pet! Bad!¡± Rowan screamed at the bear while running away. He spewed a Cold and Darkness AoE at minimum strength to confuse the animal,  failing but getting fined again. As a last resort, Rowan entered the in-between. His only advantage was he could pass through obstacles while the animal, limited either by his ability or his mind, was going around or over. A few hundred yards later, Rowan found himself on a ledge above a precipice, with the bear closing in fast.

    "Must be some eco-terrorist. There are a lot of nuts these days trying to free him," he heard the pet¡¯s master voice far away.

    He jumped. Behind, the bear roared but stayed on the ridge. While in freefall, Rowan dismissed the Joint Trip, activated the Snowstorm AoE, thrust it downward to cushion his fall, and landed on the road a hundred yards ahead of an approaching sedan.  ¡°I need your car! This is an emergency,¡± he screamed, waving his hands at the elderly couple in the car.

    ¡°It¡¯s the Count!¡± the woman exclaimed. ¡°Hurry, let him drive.¡± The man left the driver''s seat and went in the back. Rowan pushed the sphere into the elderly woman¡¯s hands and drove on, tires screeching.

    [Rowan to Cora]: We have an emergency. Meet me at the Core¡¯s Control room. The core is damaged and will explode with the force of a tactical nuke in¡­ eight minutes and a half. It¡¯s empty, so it¡¯s OK to consume it.

    [Cora to Rowan]: I know, I saw the notification. You¡¯re too far¡­ get somewhere isolated and enter The Space to avoid the explosion.

    [Rowan to Cora]: What about collateral damage? I can make it, baby.

    [Cora to Rowan]: Are you positive you can reach the town?

    [Rowan to Cora]: Absolutely. I have a car and six stacks of Joint Trip left.

    [Cora to Rowan]: I''m coordinating with The Butler, launching Emergency Alerts, evacuating people in the northern neighborhoods, and activating multiple forcefields. If it explodes within a forcefield containment, we''ll absorb the damage.

    [Rowan to Cora]: We''ll make it to the furnace, don''t worry.

    ¡°You¡¯ve been quite busy since we last met,¡± the elderly woman said as he drove like mad, approaching one hundred and fifty miles per hour.

    ¡°Sorry, do we know each other?¡± Rowan furrowed his brows.

    ¡°You don¡¯t remember us? From the Awakening day, when that ship crashed?¡±

    ¡°Oh, yeah, the¡­ nice lady next row.¡± The nosy and gossiping crone who was talking non-stop, he added in thought. The woman was the same lady who had tried to make conversation on the bus when the Traipenent crashed. ¡°You¡¯ve stayed here?¡±

    ¡°Yes, we were caught inside Randolph County. Best thing ever. Jim has become an awakened Doctor, and we¡¯re in the best health possible. Plus we got a free apartment at the resort, just for us.¡±

    ¡°Glad to hear it.¡±

    ¡°How¡¯s your father? He¡¯s such a darling.¡±

    ¡°Busy. Don¡¯t see much of him nowadays. Wait! You know Papa Allinder?¡± Rowan gasped.

    ¡°Jim works with him in the hospital, and we play bridge together from time to time. Tell him we said hello.¡±

    ¡°Sorry, I have to cut some corners. Don¡¯t worry; everything is under control.¡±

    Activating Joint Trip: Warp, Rowan went directly through the hills. The speed of the car exponentially grew.

    ¡°Rocks. Coal. Hmm¡­ that was¡­ quartz? There might be diamonds there,¡±  the doctor said.

    ¡°He¡¯s an amateur geologist,¡± the woman said.

    ¡°Thanks for the tip,¡± Rowan said. ¡°Do you remember the location?¡±

    ¡°Sorry, can¡¯t take any landmark.¡±

    ¡°Never mind.¡± The car erupted out of the mountain, and Rowan pulled the wheel left. There were only two miles to Elkins, and five minutes to go. He let the perk dissipate at the entrance of the town and arrived at the Town¡¯s Square with four minutes to spare. Cora was nowhere to be seen. Then she appeared, running with her tongue out and bulging eyes.

    ¡°There''s no car at home, and I had to run," she yelled. As soon as she entered the Square, a forcefield appeared around.

    ¡°Slow down, baby, we have plenty of time."

    ¡°Don¡¯t you forget something?¡± the elderly woman forwarded the core.

    ¡°Oh¡­ thanks!¡±

    Rowan grabbed the sphere and followed Cora. They arrived in the control room with two minutes to spare.

    ¡°Where¡¯s the furnace?¡± he yelled.

    ¡°There!¡± Cora hit a button on the command desk, and a portal shaped like an old castle door opened in the back of the room, showing an unreal white fire. Rowan threw the core inside, and then Cora closed the door.

    Quest cleared. You have successfully averted a disaster and consumed a damaged core. +10 AP. Rewards: Your Joint Trip stack duration has increased to one minute. The achievable speeds of Joint Trip: Warp abilities have been doubled. Hyperspeed Perks are now available for the Town''s Core. Get the Core from the Tamer quest has been cleared. +1 AP.

    ¡°See? Nothing to worry about,¡± Rowan said.

    ¡°How did you break it?¡± Cora said, letting herself fall on an armchair to catch her breath.

    ¡°It was defective to start with. I couldn¡¯t put in the inventory, and then that bear clawed at it. Ah, and he was able to go inside The Space. Why can a bear enter The Space?¡±

    Cora shook her head and turned her palms up to convey she had no idea, still panting.  ¡°Sorry¡­ I¡¯m not used to running¡­ and my armor is upgrading. There were no cars left. Grace is out, and you¡ª¡±

    ¡°Oh, fuck! I forgot my car in the woods!¡± Rowan facepalmed. ¡°Never mind, I''ll go get it later... How''s your project with the prisoner extraction?" Rowan asked, remembering about it because of the Control Room.

    ¡°It''s almost ready. We''ll have to discuss it thoroughly¡­ I identified a few problematic Cores. Two have hardened criminals in them, Assassins and Intergalactic Pirates. The third is a thespian dungeon.¡±

    ¡°Thespian like in theater?"

    "Yes," Cora said. "We''re talking about actors."

    "Why did they do to get in prison? Bad acting?¡±

    Cora rolled her eyes. "They¡¯re not in prison. It¡¯s an extra dungeon we were not aware of. They tried to travel for cheap and bribed someone from the crew to hide their dungeon among our cores. The Traipenent crashed before they reached their destination."

    "Hm¡­ I guess we could hire them," Rowan shrugged. "There''s a lack of entertainment in town. I bet Grace will be happy."

 55: Neek Supreme

    <hr>

    Sitting on the fireplace mantle, the mini-dungeon core looked like a snow globe, reflecting the weather outside. Rubbing his hands, the man arranged it to the left, then to the right, but finally moved it again to the center, sighing in disappointment.

    ¡°It¡¯d go well with a pair of candlesticks.¡± Rowan exited The Space and took a seat on the couch. Taking two glasses from the tray on the coffee table, he poured Bourbon into both of them. ¡°Sit,¡± he pointed to the couch across the coffee table. ¡°I opened one of my bottles; it¡¯s better than that garbage,¡± Rowan flickered his hand at a mini bar nearby.

    Startled at first, the man sighed and obeyed, sitting down and taking a sip, and then another one. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ very good,¡± he acknowledged. ¡°Can I finish it?¡±

    ¡°What, you think it¡¯s your last drink? That depends. I want to hear your story before I decide.¡±

    ¡°You found me and don¡¯t know the story?¡±

    Rowan shrugged. ¡°I''ll find out the story now. You can tell it over a drink or while screaming your frozen lungs out. Your choice, Neek Supreme,¡± he sneered on the last two words.

    ¡°How did you find me?¡± the man asked. "I mean¡­ if you''re going to kill me, indulge my curiosity. Last request stuff."

    ¡°I¡¯ll answer this one question, then you better start talking. First, we didn¡¯t notice any rival teams using the Sensor in our area, which meant it was used in Asia or Europe. Then, I got suspicious when the former US states agreed to stop fighting each other and work together, more or less. Cora, my wife¡ª¡±

    ¡°I know who she is,¡± the man nodded.

    ¡°She told me the chance they did that by themselves was zero. So, somebody was interfering.  Not for the worse, I give you that. Finally, we tracked the flight patterns of rich and influential people. I had no idea you guys were so many¡­ However, only a handful were connected to politicians in all states, traveled to Asia, and fewer had access to submarines. Only one was in Virginia on the Awakening day, fifty miles from where I cleared my first dungeon. Your turn.¡±

    ¡°Clever,¡± the man said, taking a sip and pointing to the fireplace. ¡°That core fell near me, on my golf course, while I was alone. I touched and claimed it before it activated. That was possible because it was only a level ten, without any monster inside. It¡¯s a learning dungeon core, a school. It was meant for the Traipenent crew¡¯s kids. As I picked it up, it transformed into a Town Core, but I couldn¡¯t expand it.¡±

    ¡°Yes, you need a special perk for it,¡± Rowan said. Leaning back on the couch, he inhaled the scent of the Bourbon, nodding to the other to continue his story.

    ¡°I found out only later. I did get an INT class, though, allowing me to access the information contained in the core. That¡¯s how I managed to build a Technoforge and fabricate Neektech.¡±

    ¡°You mean the Rezz tanks and the rest? Why didn¡¯t you ask me or somebody else to help activate it?¡±

    The man on the sofa shrugged, grimacing and rotating the glass in his hand to let the Bourbon breathe and spread its oils for a better nosing. ¡°For multiple reasons. Safety in anonymity. Waiting to see how things develop¡­" the man paused, sipping his whiskey. "Don''t you find it strange that a dungeon transforms into a town? What if it changes back, or implodes, or¡ª"

    ¡°It doesn''t change back. We made sure when we wrote the System.¡± A third man appeared out of thin air and took a seat on the couch, near Rowan. Dressed in a black suit, the Warlord looked now like a savvy businessman in his forties.

    "Do you know each other?" Rowan asked. The billionaire shook his head, befuddled. "Rich guy, meet The Warlord. Take a glass and pour yourself some Bourbon," Rowan gestured. "Or spawn some monster to do it for you."

    "You¡­ w-wrote the System?" the billionaire asked, putting his glass on the table, maybe afraid to spill it because of his shaking hands.

    ¡°Me and my friends. We each put a bit of our personality and soul into it,¡± the Warlord said, taking on Rowan''s offer and getting himself a drink, then raising his glass. ¡°Cheers. Go on, I¡¯ll just sit quietly and follow this fascinating exchange.¡±

    ¡°So, in the end, what¡¯s your game?¡± Rowan asked, looking the billionaire in the eyes.

    ¡°Game?¡± the man laughed. ¡°Humanity¡¯s survival is not a game. I¡¯m adapting the new technology to help our society. And I hoped to get rid of the¡ª¡±

    ¡°Competition? That¡¯s why you attacked us?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t attack you.¡±

    "So now you play the ''I''m the good guy'' part?" Rowan frowned.

    The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    ¡°Since my fate is sealed, I¡¯m telling things as they are. This is a loose coalition where many powerful people have their own plans. Kidnapping your friends, that was the FBI. The ambush near Gladsheim Peak, the Knyaz. The incursion and the border invasion were the President¡¯s ideas.¡±

    ¡°Rest in peace,¡± the Warlord poured a few drops on the floor.

    ¡°My plan was to make sure the crazy aliens leave our planet before activating the cores, that¡¯s all. Maybe you¡¯re unaware, but there are many of them around."

    "Man, this thing is good," the Warlord exhaled, pouring himself more Bourbon.

    ¡°On top of the mercenaries and the Vampires?¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± the billionaire waved his hand. ¡°Starting with the crew of the Traipenent."

    "You mean they survived?¡± Rowan gasped.

    ¡°Some died on the ship, fighting the monsters. The rest entered a dungeon, which protected them from the Warp.¡±

    ¡°This means Cora''s folks might still be alive!" Rowan exclaimed. "This is wonderful news!"

    "I don''t know who''s who. They planned to return to the ship, but your County appeared and blocked their way. Then nukes started flying, and the US army was all over the place.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, those were crazy times,¡± Rowan nodded.

    ¡°The Cat Folks had a few cores and a tech to get the convicts out. They made a deal with a Necromancer and a few others. The Necromancer, a tall, scary guy, went scouting. We accidentally met and talked, and I offered them transportation and a safe place to hide here in Canada in exchange for a share of the cores and information about how the System works. We worked together to find a few cores but failed to get the one that mattered most to them, the hyperdrive.¡±

    ¡°You mean the Racing Dungeon?"

    "Yes, they The aliens managed to expand four dungeons, linking them together in a cluster. If they add the Hyperdrive dungeon, it can behave like a spaceship."

    ¡°Did you know anything of this?¡± Rowan asked the Warlord.

    The man turned his palms up and forwarded his lower lip, showing a most befuddled expression. ¡°I had no idea. They hid really well¡­ or the System thought keeping me in the dark was better. It¡¯s still young, obsesses to put out challenges."

    "What happened next?¡± Rowan turned his attention to the billionaire.

    ¡°The Necromancer spied on you on several occasions. He can stay in The Space for long periods.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s bad¡­¡± Rowan said.

    ¡°At some point, he succeeded in taking the sensor from you. Then, he gave it to me, and with it, I found eighteen cores between Korea and Japan. I gave them six to fuel their ship and kept twelve to activate on Earth once they¡¯d be gone."

    "I found fifteen in your vault," Rowan said.

    "Yes, I found myself a few before that. The problem is the aliens badly need the Racing Dungeon and know you got it. They plan to attack Elkins tomorrow evening to steal the Hyperdrive.¡±

    "Good luck with that," Rowan laughed. ¡°We consumed it.¡±

    "I¡¯ve heard enough, and so did the System,¡± The Warlord interjected. ¡°It''s allowing me to take care of this. You have cleared a Secret Quest Chain by identifying the Neeks¡¯ Boss and obtaining enough cores to be sure your planet can''t break into smaller pieces. Reward: two AP per real core and twelve levels. You are now level ninety-eight. Your Town also earned ten levels and is now sixty. New Quest, this one¡¯s from me. Decide the Neeks¡¯ Boss''s fate. Secret reward.¡±

    "Err¡­ what about the red text, man?" Rowan complained. "This is underwhelming."

    The Warlord frowned. "Don¡¯t be childish. The quest has a timer of five minutes."

    Rowan rubbed the nape of his head in what was often a signature move for him. After thinking a few seconds, he went to the mantle and touched the core. A second later, it vanished, melting in the air. He stood there, immobile, for a minute before returning to the couch.

    ¡°I turned the resort town into an Awakened one, and the locals voted for the takeover. You¡¯re under arrest, within its limits, for the rest of your life. If you attempt to leave the area, you guess what''ll happen.

    "You can keep this hotel and its assets, but we''ll take over your fortune. Hear me well. You deserve to die. Indirectly or not, you killed people. My people. But you also saved many lives around the US, stopping the infighting. That I don¡¯t get myself involved with the non-awakened zones doesn¡¯t mean I don''t care.¡±

    The Warlord applauded, only a few claps, but his serious expression showed he didn''t mean to laugh at Rowan''s expenses. ¡°It¡¯s a fair call. One level and one AP for making the judgment, the same for sparing his life. Your first Skill Point as a bonus. I, The Warlord appreciate you showed mercy, for mercy is a battle.¡±

    ¡°Can''t you use the red text?¡± Rowan pleaded again. "It doesn''t feel like a real quest like this."

    ¡°Tough luck. I, The Warlord wish you to get over your disappointment because disappointments are a battle. Now¡­ we''re getting to the real deal, and trust me, it''s a big deal. You beat me in a game of wits and found the Neek Supreme before I did. I''m not omnipotent and had to run around doing stuff, but these are only excuses. You deserve a prize, and I¡¯ll give you a choice. Do you wish for me to leave your planet, or to stay and offer you more challenges?¡±

    Rowan snorted, filled the glasses again, and left the almost empty bottle on the table with a nervous gesture. ¡°That¡¯s a shitty prize. I have no choice but to tell you to stay. The bad guys out there are afraid of you. I don''t want to fight some Insurance Companies sending Mercs after us to take back the cores.¡±

    ¡°I understand¡­" The warlord massaged his forehead. "Well¡­ once the cores consumed, they won''t have any more reason to come. But for the record, you''re strong enough to go toe to toe with some mercenaries, and not enough trouble for any serious planet to invade."

    "Then you decide," Rowan said. "You like it here? Stay. Wanna go? Go."

    "Of course I want to stay here," The Warlord said with vehemence. "This planet will be fun for centuries. But you¡¯re right, my offer was meaningless. So, for the record, let¡¯s say I still owe you a favor. Now, I¡¯m forwarding you two System-issued quests. Here¡¯s the text since you like it better.¡±

    Solo Quest: Clear the four-dungeon cluster before tomorrow at midnight and capture as many cores as possible (from 10). Reward: 1 Skill Point/core. You are not allowed to bring other people on this quest. Hidden reward from the Warlord if you capture all the cores.

    Main Quest: Stop the impending attack on Elkins before midnight tomorrow. Rewards: Continued existence. 10 Skill Points. Penalty for failure: The aliens will transform Elkins into a ship and take off with the whole town.

    ¡°So,¡± the Warlord continued, grinning. ¡°You¡¯re level one hundred, and it''s time you chose your build¡­ Do you have another bottle? This stuff''s really good.¡±

 56: Stats Again

    <hr>

    ¡°Hold your horses," Rowan raised his palms in a stopping gesture. "Billionaire dude¡­ sorry, I''m really bad with names; what can you tell me about the dungeons and the aliens?¡±

    The man shrugged and served himself more Bourbon from the second bottle Rowan opened. ¡°In a second. Is it possible to order this by mail? This is fabulous.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just good; you can¡¯t understand fabulous yet. You have to educate your palate, step by step, for about a year. I¡¯ll send you a friend¡¯s email, he gives lessons, for a grand a day and travel costs.¡±

    ¡°Impending attack?¡± The Warlord reminded Rowan.

    ¡°Oh, yes, that. Go on, rich dude. And sure, you can order that stuff.¡±

    ¡°I never visited the dungeons, but the entrance is four miles due southwest, in the woods, I¡¯ll mark it on a map. There are four dungeons, of only one floor each, but large. You will face Elementals, undead, pirates¡ª¡±

    ¡°Sorry?¡±

    ¡°Space bandits who cosplay like sea pirates. Arrs and all. Batshit crazy.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re kidding me.¡±

    ¡°Have you not asked yourself why the aliens are mentioned in our fairytales? Elves, Nekojin? There must be a common ancestry in the Galaxy, an older civilization. Similarities all over the place. It''s like Bourbon; in the end, we come from the same corn and rye."

    ¡°That¡¯s deep, man¡­ that¡¯s deep¡­ About the aliens. Anything else you think would help?¡±

    ¡°I suppose some of the crew will stay behind to guard the dungeons, but that¡¯s a guess,¡± the billionaire shrugged. ¡°Ah, yes, and the Necromancer bragged he¡¯s the only one among them who could win against you in a fight. He didn¡¯t explain how.¡±

    ¡°Do you know anything about this guy?¡± Rowan turned toward the Warlord.

    ¡°Not really. I was on the ship to train special forces and Heroes, not to intermingle with convicts. Back in my day, there was no such thing; an executioner¡¯s axe was all that was needed for criminals. By the way, your father is quite a good exe¡ª¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear it, and I¡¯ll consider you directly responsible for him going nuts. Tell me at least something about Necromancers in general.¡±

    ¡°Low DPS, long channeled skills. They have a potent poison DOT, but DOTs are dismissed if you go into The Space. Necromancers mostly rely on their minions for combat. They can raise dead people and work better with fresh bodies, which makes the undead keep their skills. If they kill you, there¡¯s a window of opportunity to raise you before you Rezz or your body dissolves into Mana. Still, again, it¡¯s a channeled spell, and it will take some time. If this Necromancer can enter The Space, he must have a high Will.¡±

    ¡°OK¡­ Very well, I¡¯m ready to finish my build. Any advice?¡±

    ¡°The choice is all yours. I stayed behind because I was curious. Share your stats, please,¡± the Warlord asked.

    ¡°Sure.¡±

    The blue screen showed better things than Rowan had hoped for.

    Name: Rowan Allinder. Lvl: 100. Main class: Indomitable (Legendary). Secondary Class: Primeval Magus (Mythical),

    158 APs available

    STR: 61 / DEX: 61/ CON: 61 / INT: 81/ WIL: 87/ CHA: 81

    ¡°Wow¡­.¡± Rowan let out a deep breath. ¡°So many APs!¡± Rubbing his hands, he prepared to raise his will to the last threshold, only to meet an unexpected obstacle.

    APs¡¯ distribution is blocked. Please Install the previously obtained Divine Perk before proceeding.

    ¡°What¡¯s up with this red text?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you forget something? I offered you a gift when you won your first pitched battle. Unwrap it.¡±

    ¡°What does it do?¡±

    ¡°Allows you to twitch your build. The System decides what you get based on your performance.¡±

    ¡°Fine. Unwrap the Warlord¡¯s gift,¡± Rowan yelled.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to yell,¡± the Warlord said, leaning to refill his glass with Bourbon.

    Gift unwrapped. The System considers you eligible for the following Super Perks (consumable, one use only):

    1: Motion. Once per day, you can transfer points from one of your secondary stats to another secondary stat of your choice, increasing it to its maximum value. In addition, you will receive a random 4th threshold perk in that stat for the day.

    2: Fusion. Combine your two current classes into a single, new class. The outcome is influenced by your past performance, but it also involves an element of randomness. To unlock a new secondary class, you must spend Skill Points. The options will be based on your overall life experience.

    ¡°I need a moment,¡± Rowan blurted. Rushing to the bathroom, he washed his face to calm himself.

    What would Cora say? Take the perks¡­ But both choices offer perks. One can get me a new fourth-threshold perk daily, and with two, I could get a new secondary class and a lot of perks¡­ Supposing the fusion would keep the best part of my perks¡­

    He returned to the lobby. ¡°How are the aliens traveling?¡± he asked. ¡°Portals?¡±

    ¡°They asked for a couple of Hercules yesterday to pick them up from Calgary,¡± the billionaire said. ¡°I can ask my associates how many they were and what kind.¡±

    ¡°Do it. So they are already in place or near the Border.¡±

    ¡°So?¡± the Warlord asked. ¡°What will you choose?¡¯

    ¡°I don¡¯t dislike the first option, but that randomness makes it risky. I¡¯ll take my chances with Fusion.¡±

    The pain hit him faster than expected. He heard the billionaire yelling He¡¯s heavy, help me, and the Warlord saying Let¡¯s put him on the couch. Then he lost consciousness.

    <hr>

    Rowan opened his eyes and gasped. The billionaire rushed to check his forehead, like looking for a fever. ¡°You OK? You were burning hot all this time.¡±

    ¡°How much time has passed?¡±

    ¡°One hour,¡± the billionaire said. ¡°The Warlord left. He said he has some business in Harbin. My friends in Alberta told me a hundred elementals and as many pirates boarded the flights.¡±

    ¡°Thanks. I¡¯ll go check out my new perks.¡± Rowan went out on the terrace and summoned his armor, then took flight, using a small jetpack installed by Cora as an upgrade. After finding a good spot to sit on the roof, he summoned his Character Menu while admiring the landscape. From the start, it was clear that all his previous perks had been fused, enhanced, or moved around, and the new ones enhanced the whole thing even more.

    Name: Rowan Allinder. Lvl: 100. Main class: Indomitable Primeval Magus (Mythical, tier E, WIL based).

    Congratulations! You have unlocked the next step to your Mythical Awakened Class. Such Classes can be upgraded through exceptional feats. Tier E allows you to reach 100 in two stats, Tier D in three, and so on. Fixed stat: WIL. The next main stat chosen: INT. 32 APs have been automatically invested to bring your WIL and INT to 100. 57 APs have been invested to raise STR, DEX, and CON to the third threshold. 9 APs have been invested in CHA for Mana efficiency purposes. CHA will be the next Stat to be raised to max if you advance your Mythical tier. 60 APs locked for the next evolutions. Note: Maximum Mythical tier reachable: B (Epic).

    Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    STR: 75 / DEX: 75/ CON: 75 / INT: 100/ WIL: 100/ CHA: 90

    You have received 10 Free SkP for unlocking a Mythical Awakened Class

    I have to call Cora. That will make her happy. ¡°No! Cancel call. I forgot.¡± Rowan exclaimed aloud a second later. There was a strong chance that Cora¡¯s parents were alive and that news required some time to discuss the consequences, so he continued reading his new personal information.

    PERKS

    STR 1: +25% chance your Physical attacks will ignore armor, Evade, Dodge, Parry, or Block. The chance increases against targets with lower tiers than yours by +5%/tier.

    STR 2: Sonar. +25% chance of detecting the enemy weaknesses by using Identify or touching them with any skill, spell, or perk. The chance increases against targets with lower tiers than yours by +5%/tier.

    STR 3: + 25% damage vs identified weaknesses. The damage increases against targets with lower tiers than yours by another +5%/tier.

    *

    DEX 1: Autopilot and Multitasking: Your subconscious assists your Body and/or Mind when needed.  +25% chance to Parry, Evade, Block. The chance increases against targets with lower tiers than yours by +5%/tier.

    DEX 2: +50% Attack speed.

    DEX 3: Shadow Step. You can instantly close/enlarge a gap between you and your enemy up to 25 yards (the distance can be increased with practice). Consumes 50 Mana. 30-second CD.

    *

    CON 1: +50 % all Physical Resistances, Natural Regeneration, and Toughness. +25% additional value in the vital areas. Access to spell: Advanced Combat Heal. Heal for 300 HP for 100 MP

    CON 2: Delayed Truth. Once per fight (modified from once per day), ignore Lethal Damage for twelve seconds, becoming Invulnerable (includes CC immunity). To stay alive, you must heal at least 5% of your total HP before the time limit.

    CON 3: Oneness of Body (Mythical perk, tier E). All your Body stats (STR, DEX, CON) contribute to your HP. Current value: 2250 HP. +25% Natural Regeneration (stacks with CON 1)

    *

    INT 1: Superior Strategy. You can read a situation better than most and turn the odds against your enemy. This perk works well with Tactical Planning, and it¡¯s recommended that you bring a Tactician into your team.

    Note: The Perk Gretchen¡¯s Question has been removed because of infrequent use and inconclusive results. You can, however, acquire it again as a skill by spending Skill Points.

    INT 2: Svart¨¢lfar Aura (Mythical tier E). Extends in a 3-yard radius around you. Passively intimidate and hurt enemies or buff and heal friends (yourself included). A +5% is added to the final value of all your Perks after all other Perk enhancements or buffs are applied. If you are attacked from inside The Space, Svart¨¢lfar Aura will consume Mana to absorb that damage until you enter the in-between or the Mana Pool is exhausted. Harmonizes with R?svelg: Elemental Shield to further reduce the damage. This Perk is four tiers lower than a Dragon¡¯s Oppressive Presence but can be raised through training.

    Note: The Perk Karmic Intuition has been transformed into a passive skill.

    INT 3: Secondary Class Perk 3: R?svelg: The Wind. 2/3 Aspects unlocked. 4/7 and 3/7 facets unlocked.

    Note: Skill Points can be used to unlock Aspects and Facets.

    INT 4: Expand to select.

    Note: You have gained the Immunity to Mind Magic passive for achieving max INT. You have learned the spell Minor Heal for the same reason.

    *

    WIL 1: Will and Wilt in Spades: Your Will replaces Strength as your Critical Damage multiplier for Physical OR Magic attacks and inflicts DOTs. Active Skill unlocked: Unavoidable Critical. You can invest an amount of Mana equal to 3 MP/1% Critical Chance to raise your Critical Chance for one given hit to 100%. This skill cannot be Dodged, Evaded, or Parried, no matter how high the DEX stat of your opponent. Once per fight use.

    WIL 2: Interdimensional Trip. Your Joint Trip has been replaced with a Mana Consuming ability. It consumes 5 MP/second to stay in The Space. Cost can be reduced through practice. All previously unlocked related abilities remain. An additional 5/MP is consumed for every person you bring with you. Warp activation costs 100 MP.

    ¡°Fantastic!¡±

    WIL 3: +50% Critical Chance for every Magical Skill, Spell, or Perk. 25% chance to get back 50% of the Mana cost on a Crit.

    WIL 4: Please expand to select.

    Note: The Perks High-Tier Artifact User and Full-Fledged Magic User have been transformed into passive skills.

    *

    CHA 1: +25% chance to CHA-related skills: Persuasion, Intimidation, Charm, Finding Excuses, Avoiding Responsibility, Loosening Tongues, etc. A roll check: Your CHA - Target CHA = % of success. When the chance exceeds 100%, the target can be mind-controlled for 30 seconds, spending 15 MP/second. Cost can be reduced through training.

    CHA 2: Oneness of Mind (Mythical perk, tier E). Your Mind Stats (INT, WIL, CHA) contribute to your Mana Pool. Current value: 2900. -25% base Mana Cost. +25% Mana Regeneration. -25% Physical abilities cost.

    CHA 3: Hurtful. Add CC and DOT effects to any type of Magical Damage you inflict.

    Moment of truth¡­ Let¡¯s select my new perks¡­

    INT perk 4: Please select.

    1: Jotun. You can select up to 7 passive perks inspired by the Jotun type of Mythical beings. Costs Skill Points.

    2: ¨¢lfar You can select up to 7 passive perks inspired by the Elven type of Mythical beings. Costs Skill Points.

    That¡¯s hard¡­ C¡¯mon, can¡¯t I have both?

    3: Bespoke selection. You can select up to 6 different passive perks inspired by either the Jotun or the Elven types of Mythical beings. Unlocking a perk will cost an extra +1 SkP. The final combination of the perks you choose will reveal a 7<sup>th</sup> hidden perk.

    "YEY!"

    WIL perk 4. Please select.

    1: Intra In-Between Dimensional: You can use any real-world non-combative magic abilities within The Space, but their cost will increase by 25%, and their effectiveness will be reduced by 25%. Projecting these skills from The Space into the real world is possible, albeit at an increased cost and with a reduced effect (50%).  Area of Effect (AoE), Damage Over Time (DOT), or Debuff attached to those abilities will not work when used in The Space or projected outside. Through practice, you can reduce costs and improve effects. More specific applications can be unlocked by spending Skill Points.

    2: Extra In-Between Dimensional: You can use non-combative magic abilities related to The Space in the real world for an increased cost of 25% and reduced effectiveness of 25%. Projecting these skills from the real world into The Space is possible at an increased cost and reduced effect (50%). Area of Effect (AoE), Damage Over Time (DOT), or Debuff attached to those abilities will not work when in the real world or projected into The Space. Through practice, you can reduce costs and improve effects. More specific applications can be unlocked by spending Skill Points.

    The texts were wordy and unimpressive, but he remembered what Cora had said: the fourth perk in his Main Stat was the most powerful. The first choice allowed him to stay in The Space while buffing and healing allies. The second meant he could fly at Match 1 in the real world and scan the in-between for foes that could ambush him.

    C¡¯mon, System, you already know what I¡¯ll choose. Bespoke?

    3: Bespoke Perk selected. Inter-Extra In-between Dimensional.

    You can use any real-world non-combative skills, perks, or spells within The Space, but their cost will increase by 50%, and their effectiveness will be reduced by 50%.

    You can use abilities related to The Space in the real world for an increased cost of 50% and reduced effectiveness of 50%.

    You can apply skills, perks, or spells from the real world or into The Space, or vice versa, but doing so will increase their cost by 50% and reduce their effectiveness by 50%. Through practice, you can reduce the cost and improve the effect. More specific applications of this perk can be unlocked using Skill Points, with each new application costing an additional +1 Skill Point.

    Well, well, well¡­ Now, that sounds perky, but let¡¯s think for a moment. If I were an enemy, what would I do to beat me?

 57: The Cluster Dungeon-1

    <hr>

    Do you want to enter the Cluster Dungeon, Extreme Mode? Y/N

    Warning: The Dungeon will be sealed until completion. An extra layer of interdimensional wrapping has been added. Moving from one floor to the next through the intermediate level is restricted.

    ¡°Yes.¡± Stepping into the portal, Rowan entered The Space, starting his Cold Breeze AoE, pushing it as far as possible for ten seconds as he ran forward, taking in the view. The first Dungeon¡¯s unique floor was immense. It reproduced exactly the valley outside, tree for tree and rock for rock, going up the mountain. Stopping after a mile, he hid behind a rock formation, exited The Space, and analyzed what his Sonar had revealed on his targeting interface made by Cora.

    There were a hundred Elementals inside the Floor, tagged with different colors. Red for fire, brown for earth, blue for water, and gray for metal. The fire elementals looked more like lava, the water ones like giant slimes from the Animes, the earth ones like the standard golems, and the metal were identical to the robots they had fought in the Shore dungeon.

    Divided into groups of four, half behind fortifications on the upper side of the valley and the rest patrolling, Rowan¡¯s foes offered cover to each other. It was an organization with an order of magnitude over simple constructs. At the highest peak was the entrance to the next dungeon.

    His presence was undetected, but his entrance hadn¡¯t gone unnoticed; since the Dungeon had been sealed, there must¡¯ve been some sort of notification. A few hundred yards away, two groups were firing randomly in the snow, thinking, for good reason, that Rowan had a camouflaging skill. Extracting a small drone, he pushed a button and threw it in the air. It flew up, releasing a loud message with Cora¡¯s voice:

    ¡°Elementals, we know you can understand us. We have no quarrel with you. Please stand down, and you¡¯ll serve your remaining time in an Awakened Town by doing public service.¡±

    The drone was downed in no time with bursts of gunfire, fire, or ice. Now, the Elementals patrols started to walk in more random patterns, and Rowan¡¯s screen showed cones of red emanating from the groups; they had some sort of a radar of their own.

    Very well, if you don¡¯t want to play nice¡­ Entering The Space again, he ran toward the closest three groups, releasing special land mines filled with high-explosives. The mines exploded when he left them behind, and he flew to the upper right ridge. The enemy was converging their fire toward the explosions, so he took a moment to inspect the damage, returning to the real dimension.

    A gray dot was marked with an X, a kill, and so did a brown one, two foes down. The two Elemental groups had converged, though, and as the metal golems fired bursts of gunfire around, the Fire, Earth, and Water elementals touched their limbs. That move was imitated by other groups. Plumes of smoke began floating down the valley, colored in a greenish hue. He noticed the Water Elementals retreated first from the combination, looking diminished.

    The fire melts the water and the earth, combining into a sort of gas¡­ It¡¯s bet it¡¯s toxic.

    His armor had a built-in gas mask, so he didn¡¯t worry too much about the poisonous cloud. Entering the in-between, he flew west, exited ten yards from a cluster of two patrolling groups and a defensive formation, and released his R?svelg: Snowstorm in a conic pattern at full force, adding Darkness.

    Rowan had tried before the new element. So far, the experiments showed Darkness added some CC, like disorientation or veiled him in shadows. This time, though, the effect was much more spectacular. Patches of black blobs flew out, floating on the cold wind, smashing against the elementals¡¯ heads like they had an auto-pilot. The elementals were trashing their limbs, clawing at their eyes, and the blobs were clawing back.

    You have discovered the spell Black Cat. You can shape your Darkness element into a feline form, directly attacking your foes¡¯ sensors. It will inflict blindness and confusion, depending on your enemies'' levels and resistance. Training this skill will allow you to summon one or more such constructs ON for defense, offense, or entertainment. One skill point has been deducted from your stash.

    Note: Discovering skills through practice reduces the SkP cost to one, no matter the original cost.

    The fuck? Never mind¡­ I guess the rules are different at max level¡­ Anyway, let¡¯s not complain. Cats are cute enough.

    Inspecting the results of his attack gave positive feedback. The closest Elementals were blown to pieces along their earthworks. The second group was projected over the third, with the Water and the Lava elementals frozen solid and the Metal and Earth ones moving much slower and shooting at each other.

    Works better than the explosives.

    Next, he threw in a Flamethrower, a fire aspect he had spent his Skill Point to buy, directly on top of the interlaced Elementals, and a flurry of Forest Fire on the flanks of the valley, starting as many fires as possible, and re-entered The Space. A few machine gun shots had clipped his feet just before, and that part of the armor was now blinking red on his helmet¡¯s virtual screen, and his HP was down to 90%.

    That packs some force¡­ Can¡¯t let them hit me.

    His Mana Pool was down to two-thirds. Staying in the in-between consumed five Mana per second, but his Mana regeneration, at 0.48 MP/second, meant he could stay in The Space some more time if needed. Abandoning the math, Rowane activated his thrusters. He returned to the normal world, flying over the valley, firing rockets and unleashing more Forest Fire, keeping an evasive flight pattern and adding an Elemental Shield over himself.

    Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.

    Soon, the fire covered both sides of the Valley. The Water Elementals were panicking and running away from the heat. Rowan aimed a Snowstorm adorned with patches of cats toward a bunch of Lava elementals, which were susceptible to cold, and solidified a few before being forced to enter the safety of The Space again.

    The Metal Golems, the robots, were the cleverest, moving around to avoid the fire or taking cover from the Snowstorm while firing at him. His helm¡¯s screen showed his armor blinking orange, and he felt pain in his ribs, his HP at 60%. A Health potion, a nano-bot repair kit for the Armor, and a Combat Heal were in order. And maybe a change of strategy.

    Let¡¯s try the rebar attack to clear a fort, then use it against the others. Before Rowan had the chance to implement his plan, a notification came.

    The surviving Elementals are surrendering. The System offers assistance: Do you wish to instruct them to go to your domain, Asgard Forest Reservation, and wait for further instructions? Y/N

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    The System has opened the Dungeon¡¯s Exit for the Elementals and they will walk themselves to your mountain private domain. The Elementals have been instructed to refrain from violence toward other life forms. Notifications to not engage the Elementals have been sent to the local police forces and the general public.

    You have cleared the first floor (and dungeon) of the Cluster Dungeon.

    Reward 1: Piece of Information. The Elementals have a collective society with strict discipline. If surrendering is an option, destroying 25% +1 of the troops makes an Elemental army cease combat.

    Reward 2: You have earned 1 Skill Point for Soloing a Level 100 Dungeon floor, fighting against 100 Sentient opponents.

    Reward 3: You can claim the Elemental Dungeon core after you clear the Lair.

    Before going to the next floor, Rowan checked if he had a signal, and it appeared that once a floor was cleared, the Dungeon allowed communication. He sent a text to Cora detailing the information he¡¯d found, then stepped through the portal, arriving in an empty plain, desolated, with sand, dried earth, and grass everywhere. Dead trees here and there, and no monster in sight.

    ¡°Hm¡­ that means some traps,¡± Rowan told himself, checking his fuel gauge. It was a little over half; the thrusters added to his armor were less efficient than Cora¡¯s but suited to his needs. Nevertheless, flying was the best option. He took off and fired multiple rockets into the ground, wherever he thought enemies could lie in ambush, behind the trees, or under the sand.

    Sonar revealed his guess had been true. Skeletons hidden all around. They were not particularly tough foes but were grouped in large numbers. Rockets obliterated a group of twenty in two hits, a second likewise, for the third, he shot a rocket then landed and crushed them with his weapon, in a war hammer form. The fourth and the fifth group had joined and were running at him with awkward steps. They were no better than the skeletons in Rome¡¯s catacombs. A short burst of Snowstorm pulverized every single one.

    You have cleared the second floor (and dungeon) of the Cluster Dungeon. 100/100 Undead Constructs destroyed. You can claim the core once you clear the Lair. The Passage to the first floor and the Exit are now open.

    Secret Secondary Mission detected. Objectives: ??? Reward: ???

    The Secondary Quest notification made him hesitate. He threw out a Cold Breeze, flying above the ground. Nothing. Then he noticed two shadows hiding behind a rock and landed.

    ¡°Please, don¡¯t kill us!¡± An elderly woman and a young man kowtowed at his feet, bowing until their heads touched the sand.

    ¡°Hey, get up. Enough. How did you get in here¡­ Wait. I remember you! You¡¯re those guys who stole the Sensor from us,¡± Rowan frowned.

    ¡°Please, have mercy! We had no choice. The Neeks killed us, and the Necromancer took us over¡­ We had to obey him,¡± the woman kneaded her hands. ¡°At least spare him; he¡¯s just a kid.¡±

    ¡°Stay put, and let me Inspect you,¡± he ordered.

    Uncommon Undead, level 20 x2

    This pair of undead had been raised within minutes of their demise. They retain 75% of their previous lives'' memories, stats, and abilities.

    Note: A Miracle performed by a priest can restore them to life, at the current stats, but they¡¯ll be stuck to the Common Classed E tier for the remainder of their lives.

    ¡°You can act of your own will?¡± Rowan asked.

    ¡°As long he¡¯s not around us, yes. Please, let us live¡­ We¡¯ll hide in the forest, I swear, we¡¯ll not hurt anyone.¡±

    ¡°Can you exit the dungeon on your own?¡± The two nodded. ¡°Very well¡­ A question: why couldn¡¯t I detect you?¡±

    ¡°We retained our scouting perks,¡± the young man said. ¡°Sneaking and a minor form of Stealth.¡±

    ¡°Hm¡­ Do you know of the Necromancer''s plans and how many undead he took with him?¡±

    ¡°He didn¡¯t take any undead. We saw him leave with the pirates yesterday... No, sorry, it was the day before. That¡¯s why we¡¯re here.¡±

    Rowan shook his head, befuddled. ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°The pirates are friendly; they let us stay on their floor. It¡¯s beautiful, the sea and all. After they left, the assholes moved in and kicked us out.¡±

    ¡°He means the alien ship¡¯s crew,¡± the woman took over. ¡°Both they and the pirates are cat folks, but the pirates are nicer.¡±

    ¡°OK, thanks for the information. Now let¡¯s find a way to take care of you¡­¡± Taking out his phone, Rowan dialed a number. ¡°Hi, rich guy. Sorry, forgot your name again¡­ Stop! Don¡¯t bother telling me your name. I don¡¯t really care. Listen. I¡¯m in the dungeon¡­ Yeah, there is a signal after you clear a floor¡­ I have two undead with me, who were killed by your people and raised by the Necromancer. They have a chance to be Rezzed¡­ No, not in those tanks of yours; it¡¯s complicated.

    "Look, you owe me, I was pretty nice with you, right? Get your ass in your limo or whatever, and come to the Dungeon¡¯s entrance¡­ Yeah, I think it¡¯s within the area where you can move. My palls will exit in about an hour, time for the Elementals to walk away. They¡¯re kinda dumb¡­ I meant the elementals, sorry,¡± he excused himself to the two. ¡°Take them to your hotel and give them a suit or something until I can send somebody to cure them. If something happens to them, I¡¯ll hold you directly responsible¡­ OK, sorry for the threat, I know it¡¯s a decent thing to do, but there are reasons to doubt you, you know¡­ OK, bye¡­ What the fuck, are you all right?¡± The two undead were shaking with their eyes bulging out.

    ¡°I¡­ want to cry but can¡¯t,¡± the woman explained.

    ¡°Whatever. Move to the exit, but take care not to be seen by the Elementals. They have instructions not to attack living beings, but who knows how they¡¯d think of you.¡±

    ¡°Thank you so much¡­¡± The Mountain Guides blurted, still trying to cry and failing. Both undead awkwardly rushed to hug Rowan.

    ¡°C¡¯mon, guys, relax, no big deal,¡± he patted them on their backs, clenching his teeth. Hugging zombies was not on his top list of priorities, but sometimes taking one for the team was OK to avoid hurting people¡¯s feelings.

    No Soldier Left Behind Secret Secondary Mission cleared. 2SkP earned.

 58: The Cluster Dungeon-2

    <hr>

    After resting to regenerate his Mana, doubling down with a potion, Rowan stepped into the third dungeon. It was a pirate city, situated near the sea, with houses connected by rope bridges and ships. He advanced and released Cold Breeze to scan the area. Moments later, the bridge he was standing on was blown to pieces. Fortunately for Rowan, he detected the incoming missiles and entered The Space a moment before.

    These are Cora¡¯s pals. Better avoid killing them¡­ Shit, I should have asked those two zombies if there are Rezz facilities around.

    There were a lot of Nekojin hiding in trees or up on masts, with some heavy-caliber blasters. He flew up and released a second flying drone that released Cora¡¯s alternative message as soon as it exited The Space.

    ¡°Papa, Mama, fellows, it¡¯s me, Cora. I¡¯m alive, and I built a base on Earth. Please don¡¯t shoot; the guy you see is my husband.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s talk it through,¡± Rowan yelled, amplifying his voice with a whiff of the Cold Breeze to get it out of the in-between. ¡°No one has to die here.¡±

    ¡°You have to die, bastard. You stole my fianc¨¦e and want to live?¡± A Nekojin male shouted, shaking his fist in the air.

    The next second, the cat folk fell from the mast he was clinging to, a rebar stuck in his chest. After crashing on the ship¡¯s deck, his body disappeared.

    ¡°Engagement dissolved. Surrender or die. Do you have Rezz pods or something?¡± Rowan appeared, the tentacles of his weapon trashing the air, ready to strike.

    ¡°Y-yes,¡± a Nekojin male stuttered, throwing his weapon down, followed by his fellows. ¡°All our f-friends inside the d-dungeon can be Rezzed.¡±

    "Elementals too?"

    "Y-yes¡­"

    "Geez, hope those dumbfucks I killed will be able to find their way out. Anyway¡­ You guys, get on the beach, hands up. I''ll kill everybody if I don¡¯t see the Clear notification immediately.¡± His command was met with an announcement:

    You have cleared the third floor of the Cluster Dungeon, Pirate Nest, by killing 1/50 members of the Makeshift Pirate Crew and making the rest surrender. You can claim the core once you clear the Lair.

    ¡°Stay here until I come for you,¡± he ordered.

    "Sir, what about¡ª"

    Ignoring their questions, he called back the drone and took flight. The next portal was in the air; a mast had been nearby, but he had sunk that ship. Expecting to be attacked as soon as he went through, he summoned his Elemental Shield.

    A hail of bullets, laser beams, and blaster projectiles was thrown at him in seconds, and he had to enter The Space. Behind a huge desk, now overturned on the floor as a barricade, along with haphazardly thrown chairs, stood two Nekojin adults¡ªa man and a woman¡ªand three children, armed to the teeth.

    Rowan pushed out the drone again. Cora¡¯s message started to play in a loop while the Nekojins talked vividly among themselves. Reappearing at the same spot, hands up, he yelled out: ¡°Don¡¯t shoot!¡±

    ¡°Who are you?¡± the male Nekojin shouted.

    ¡°You''ve heard the message. I¡¯m Rowan, Cora¡¯s husband.¡±

    ¡°What husband?" the man yelled so forcefully that droplets of spit ejected out of his mouth, almost reaching Rowan. "My daughter¡¯s bespoken to an INT boy,¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve met the guy¡­ he¡¯s Rezzing now. Can we talk? I¡¯d rather do this peacefully.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t make any sudden moves,¡± the man menaced, keeping his weapon in hand but aiming it away from Rowan.

    Rowan dismissed his armor. Beneath, he was dressed to impress in an elegant two-piece suit tailored in Rome. ¡°Hi. I¡¯m Rowan Allinder.¡±

    ¡°He must be that powerful wizard the Necromancer warned us about,¡± the woman said. ¡°I¡¯m Lady Shefrowns, Captain of the Traipenent, and that¡¯s my husband, First Engineer Heroars, and our kids, Cora¡¯s younger siblings. Pest one, pest two, and pest three.¡±

    ¡°Mom!¡± all the little Nekojin yelled together, balling their fists.

    ¡°Tom Hepurrs, Milly Shescowls, Billie Shesniffs. Now tell us everything,¡± the woman gestured toward the barricade, inviting him to sit down.

    <hr>

    Half an hour later, after the table and the chairs had been rearranged to their proper position, the story had been told. What Rowan had feared happened. Mister Heroars was a typical father-in-law:  stubborn and possessive.

    ¡°I want Cora to have a divorce. I won¡¯t allow her to be the third wife of a monkey,¡± Heroars roared again.

    ¡°Honey, but he saved her life,¡± Shefrowns pleaded. ¡°And the story is so romantic. And look at him, so handsome and elegant¡­¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Cora¡¯s two little sisters sighed, clenching their hands to their chests and looking upward.

    ¡°Just to make things clear, Sir,¡± Rowan said through his clenched teeth, ¡°this monkey is Count of Cora County, Thane of The Swarthy Elves, Prince of Bourbon Borough, Suzerain of Rome, and Honorary Godfather of Calveor. Even Cora¡¯s ex didn¡¯t call me a monkey.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, because he¡¯s a snowflake, like all your generation. Monkey.¡±

    ¡°For the Swarthy Elves, being called snowflake is a compliment. Never mind, we have bigger problems¡­ You realize the Necromancer lied to you about the Traipenent and all, right?¡±

    ¡°He told us the Traipenent had vanished. We assumed Cora sent a distress signal like she was supposed to, and she was rescued together with the ship,¡± Lady Shefrowns said.

    ¡°The ship disappeared because we claimed it, but it does not matter.  Your pal spied around for months. I named our County after Cora, and she¡¯s a public person. He. Lied. To. You.¡±

    ¡°He lied? So what? Maybe to spare my old heart the disappointment. You¡¯ll divorce Cora, or I¡¯ll mop the floors with you,¡± the Engineer persisted. He was hissing and spitting as he yelled, and Rowan groaned, wiping his face with a handkerchief.

    The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

    Quest: Your father-in-law can¡¯t be reasoned with. Clear the Lair by winning a non-lethal duel with Engineer Heroars. Secondary quest: Win or lose reputation level with your father-in-law by fighting with honor or dirty. Hidden rewards.

    Rowan sighed and shrugged. He felt in his heart that kind of confrontation was inevitable anyway. ¡°Very well, Roary, you want a piece of me, I¡¯ll give you one. I¡¯m on a tight schedule here. How would you like to proceed? ¡­Gah!¡±

    A jab to the chin had sent Rowan to the floor. The male Nekojin jumped over Rowan, hitting him in the head with his fists. Sensorial Filtering turned itself on, taking the pain away. He could hear the conversation like a radio, far away, his ears still buzzing from the first hit.

    ¡°Stop this nonsense, for goodness'' sake,¡± Cora¡¯s mother yelled.

    ¡°Go, Rowan! Hit him in the balls,¡± Cora¡¯s brother shouted.

    ¡°Traitor!¡± Heroars roared, keeping at hitting Rowan.

    ¡°What? Cora¡¯s always helping me with my homework. You two were throwing us in the learning dungeon for days. Go, Rowan!¡±

    Enough was enough. Rowan grabbed the man¡¯s head between his hands, headbutted the Nekojin, and rolled off, freeing himself. He decided to fight dirty. After all, he had to admit that boxing wasn¡¯t his forte. Yet, bar fights were.  Kicking the dazed Nekojin¡¯s balls, as suggested,  he continued with a stomp on the tail, breaking it. Wailing, the man went down. ¡°My tail¡­¡±

    ¡°Now, I¡¯ll tell you a story. Are you listening?¡± Rowan pulled the Engineer up by his lapels. ¡°Look at me, or I so swear I''ll cut your tail for good. Two years ago, I had a wonderful girlfriend. For a full year, we abstained from sex because she was religious, and I really loved her. Took a lot of will¡­ a lot¡­ A month before our marriage, her father lied that I had slapped him while drunk. Total BS. But she believes him, and we¡¯re history. Now, if you ever think you can pull some sort of shit on me, I¡¯ll kill you, but only after I¡¯ll break every bone in your body. Do we understand each other?¡± Rowan sent another headbutt to the limp man¡¯s face when his voice rose on the question mark.

    ¡°I y-yield¡­¡±

    ¡°Do we understand each other?¡± Rowan raised his tone.

    ¡°Yes,¡± the Nekojin yelled.

    ¡°Yes, who?¡± Rowan accompanied his question with a knee to the testicles to remind the Engineer who won the match.

    ¡°Y-yes¡­ s-sir.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Count Allinder.¡±

    ¡°Y-yes, C-count A-Allinder.¡±

    ¡°Good, see? We can be best pals," Rowan patted the man''s cheek. "But you¡¯ll be polite. Call before visiting, and don¡¯t you dare tell us how to raise our kid, or else.¡± Rowan released the man. ¡°Know that I can freeze your brain just by staring at you. Don¡¯t you faint on me! I need the cores.¡±

    ¡°C-cora¡¯s pregnant?¡± Lady Shefrowns gasped.

    ¡°Yes. And I¡¯m happy about it.¡±

    ¡°Son!¡± the woman rushed to hug him. ¡°You made me the happiest cat-folk alive.¡±

    ¡°Yey! We¡¯ll be uncles!¡± Cora¡¯s brothers and sisters cheered.

    You have cleared the final dungeon from the Cluster Dungeon: The Mad Engineer¡¯s Lair. + 1SkP You have completed the secret quest: Show him who¡¯s the Boss. +1 SkP. The consequences of choosing the ''be tough'' path will become apparent over time. The Dungeon can be exited through the previously cleared floors.

    ¡°I sent a few people to the Rezz dimension. How long will it take?¡± Rowan asked.

    ¡°An hour at the most,¡± the Engineer said, wobbling, trying to get back on his feet, and finally succeeded with the help of his wife. At the same time, his kids pulled their tongues at him and cheered again about getting out of the dungeon and being uncles.

    ¡°Then start talking," Rowan commanded. "I need to know everything that is to be known about this Necromancer.¡±

    <hr>

    An hour and a half later, after sending the Rezzed Elementals on their way, checking on the two undead scouts, and arranging that the Nekojin group was also lodged at the best hotel in the resort town, Rowan bought a sandwich and a beer from the all-day bar and sat at a table for a quick brunch. The view outside was spectacular.

    "Can I join?" the Warlord appeared nearby, a beer in hand.

    "Here comes the stalker again,¡± Rowan sighed. ¡°OK, fine, sit. Now that you''re here, tell me, you¡¯re like tier S on this Mythical thing?¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m a tier F Divine. On purpose. If I go any higher, I must go to that boring place where my friends are. Have you chosen a secondary class yet? I can¡¯t Inspect you anymore since you¡¯re an evolved mythical. The default settings are good; keep them.¡±

    ¡°Since you asked, yes, I¡¯ve chosen my secondary class," Rowan nodded.

    "Tell me, tell me," the Warlord clapped his hands like a kid.

    "Don''t do that; you look like a psycho. I had several choices, and in the end, I spent two Skill Points and went for Bourbon Master Distiller¡­ Hey, not cool!¡± Rowan exclaimed, protecting his face with his elbow. The Warlord had choked on his beer, spraying it all over. ¡°What? Not everybody is obsessed with war, like you.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m saying this, but¡­ good luck following your dreams, and may you use your secondary job more than your main.¡± The Warlord raised the bottle.

    ¡°Amen,¡± Rowan clinked.

    ¡°Do you mind showing me your Perks?¡± the living Dungeon asked.

    ¡°Why not?¡± Rowan shrugged, waving his hand in the air to share his Character Menu. ¡°So, did I choose wrong?¡± he asked after a minute.

    ¡°Just a few more lines to read¡­ Even with a crafting class as secondary, you can punch a tier or two above your status¡­ Essentially, the Intelligence fourth Perk grants you seven additional Perks¡­ If you mix it with The Space Perk from Will,  it can be quite useful.¡±

    ¡°It looks so,¡± Rowan nodded, nonplussed, raising his bottle for another clink.

    "Have you thought about what you want to buy with your Skill Points yet?¡±

    ¡°Geez¡­ I don¡¯t know," Rowan sighed, sagging his shoulders. "There are too many choices and so few Skill Points¡­ I think I¡¯ll wait. I was curious about that cold beam you used¡­ Is it good?¡±

    ¡°Beams are powerful single-target perks. Single shots, if done right. I have all of them. Why don¡¯t you go for a fire beam for starters? It''s long-range and has a terrific DOT. Then spend Skill Points to choose your third Aspect, experiment with it, and decide later for the rest?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll think about it. The one perk I wanted and didn¡¯t find is the immunity to Necromancy. My parents-in-law said the Necromantic Poison DOT is really powerful. Takes a quarter of your health in one go.¡±

    ¡°Constitution fourth threshold inherent passive. It¡¯ll have to wait. Take a priest to the party, for now, for the holy Aura. Ah, I forgot¡­ or keep a lot of Sodium Bicarbonate at hand.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll keep it in mind,¡± Rowan grimaced.

    The Warlord mirrored Rowan''s grimace. ¡°If only your Town were level one hundred, it would become a full-fledged Fortress. No more interference from the System, you can''t go through its Border using The Space, it detects and teleports out enemies and weapons on its own, and so on.¡±

    ¡°What if I feed it the cores we have now?¡±

    ¡°If the incursion is on the way, the System won¡¯t allow your Town to level until it¡¯s over. I tried to ask some questions, but it refused to answer. I¡¯m an involved party now¡­ The System considers us friends.¡±

    ¡°Geez¡­¡± Rowan rolled his eyes.

    "Have you considered giving the Necromancer what he wants?  Give him a shuttle equipped for interstellar travel. I¡¯ll tell you a secret: Sometimes, avoiding fights is a win.¡±

    ¡°It did cross my mind¡­¡± Rowan nodded, staring first into nothingness, then at the other. ¡°You still owe me a favor, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes, because you beat me to the Nerk.¡±

    ¡°Can this favor be like... anything?¡±

    ¡°If within reason. But I can¡¯t fight instead of you or along with you.¡±

    ¡°Amazing. I want to challenge your dungeon at a time of my choosing. As a matter of fact, it will be later today.¡±

    The Warlord choked on his beer, coughing. ¡°What? Why? I¡¯m obliged to adapt my challenges to the strengths of those who enter. I won¡¯t go easy on you.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s not spoil the surprise. Maybe I want to lure the Necromancer inside and duel him on favorable terms.¡±

    ¡°You want me to be an Arena? Sure, it can be done, but I¡¯m not allowed to debuff your adversary or help you win. I¡¯m all about fair fights.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, me too¡­ don¡¯t worry about that¡­ Swear on the System: You¡¯ll let me use your dungeon later today.¡±

    ¡°Fine," the living Dungeon sneered. "I swear I¡¯ll allow you to lodge a challenge of your choice later today.¡±

    The Warlord has made a System-enforced Oath to allow Rowan Allinder to use his dungeon for a challenge of Rowan¡¯s choice later today. Penalty to fulfill his obligations will lead to his removal from this Universe and forced ascension to Tier E Divinity status.

    ¡°Perfect," Rowan raised his bottle, then finished his beer in one go. ¡°Do you mind sending me an email or something with all the rules of your dungeon?¡±

    ¡°Mail sent!¡± the Warlord frowned. ¡°I hope you¡¯re not trying to farm me for Skill Points because if so, I promise I¡¯ll kick your ass to the first quadrant and back.¡±

    ¡°Toodaloo,¡± Rowan saluted with two fingers and activated his teleport.