《Project Seraphina [Crafter LitRPG, Vol. 1 Complete!]》


 Prologue: Death of a Universe

    <h2>Prologue: Death of a Universe</h2>


    Planet XSQ-1827, Substation 33, Year 16,384 A.I.


    ¡°Warning!¡± the siren blares out. ¡°Five minutes remaining until universal annihilation.¡±


    The alarm repeats itself once. I do not understand why the repetition is necessary; it is plainly evident from the shaking of the structure and the ripples in spacetime that catastrophe is imminent. A small teal-colored wisp of Ether seeps out of one of the nearby pipes, and the lights briefly flicker before returning to normal. I absorb the Ether into myself and briefly check over my Status as my creator approaches.


    [Name: Seraphina]


    [Level: ???] [Error: Unable to establish baseline with System. An Administrator has been notified.]


    [Health: 625,000 / 625,000]


    [Ether: 219,992 / 220,000]


    I dismiss the warning message. The first time I saw this message, my curiosity was piqued, but I quickly learned why the System has no baseline for me. It is because I am an artificial lifeform, created by Dr. Chotono and his team of researchers for precisely this moment. Nevertheless, it is because I am an artificial being that this project has a small chance of success.


    More displays about my Status, abilities, classes, and physical and mental parameters appear in the corner of my vision. With a thought, I dismiss them. I am in no physical danger from anyone in this facility.


    ¡°Seraphina,¡± Dr. Chotono says. ¡°It¡¯s time.¡±


    I nod as I follow behind him into the deepest part of the substation. Bits of dust and debris lodged in the ceiling come loose and fall. The scientists in this facility run around with looks of panic on their faces.


    I smell a bottle containing a substance I recognize as alcohol. As I understand, it is a poisonous substance, but a number of researchers partake in the foul-smelling liquid nonetheless. Another lies dead in the room to my immediate left. A half-empty bottle labeled [Cyanide] sits next to his body.


    Despite the panic of everyone around me at the impending end of the universe, I feel nothing but calm. At last, my purpose can be realized.


    ¡°Warning!¡± the siren blares again. ¡°Three minutes until universal annihilation!¡± It again repeats its message.


    He leads me into a small room at the end of a long corridor. The light flickers again. I peek into one of the rooms to my right and see a man and a woman embracing one another, both with tears in their eyes. A young child sits in the woman¡¯s lap and coos quietly as his mother embraces him. I have no time to examine their state further before I am beckoned into the chamber.


    Inside is a small pod, barely large enough to fit a single person, surrounded by three hundred and twenty-four Ether-powered lasers. Behind it are six hundred and forty-two individual pipes, some interfacing with the remainder of the substation, others channeling large amounts of ether into the device¡¯s main reactor. I could easily breach these lasers, each of which would only deal a few thousand points of damage. But that is an inefficiency that would damage the success of my mission.


    Dr. Chotono presses several buttons on the wall in rapid succession. Twelve by twelve, the lasers deactivate in quick succession. Once they finish, the main gate of the pod opens. The air inside is crusty and stale, but I pay it no mind. I turn around as I step inside, my back against the back of the human-sized pod. Several sigils appear over my hands and face, and a new message appears in my System interface.


    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    ¡°Warning! Two minutes until universal annihilation! Warning! Two minutes until universal annihilation!¡± At this point, I have long filtered the strobing red lights and the constant droning sounds from my sensations. I close my eyes to focus on my interface with the transportation pod.


    [Authorized User Recognized: Seraphina]


    [Selected Coordinates: 83.537 + 22.141 i, 1.456 x 10^7 + 187.411 i, 9.332 - 1.460 x 10^5 i]


    [Calculating Trajectory¡­ Stand By.]


    [Trajectory Calculated]


    [Selected Destination: Unknown] [Error: The selected coordinates do not exist within the boundaries of ordinary spacetime. Please choose coordinates within the following range: {(-1 x 10^8, 1 x 10^8) X (-1 x 10^8, 1 x 10^8) X (-1 x 10^8, 1 x 10^8)}]


    I turn to Dr. Chotono and he nods at me, entering several more codes into the outside interface. I nod back and offer a smile as warm as I know how.


    [Authorized Superuser Recognized: Dr. Martin Chotono. Project Seraphina Protocol initiated. Teleportation Permissions modified for following Users: Seraphina. Override for all coordinate boundaries authorized. Confirm selected trajectory?]


    I move the fingers in my right hand, confirming the selection. The door on the pod slowly closes.


    [Warning: Insufficient Ether reserves available for teleportation. Project Seraphina Protocol is in effect. Rerouting all substation power to Teleportation Pod XF-14. Stand by.]


    The lights in the entire station flicker at once, then shut down. Emergency lighting turns on, bathing the entire complex in a dim yet warm glow of golden light. The pod finishes closing just as the siren blares for its one minute warning.


    Dr. Chotono turns back to me and smiles. His voice is muffled and distant through the metal door in front of me, but I can still easily read the words from his lip movements through the small panel of glass in front of me.


    ¡°Seraphina, there¡¯s something I need to tell you before you go.¡±


    He starts to cry. I tilt my head slightly; I have never before seen such a display of emotion from Dr. Chotono.


    ¡°When I first learned of the impending annihilation of our universe, I tried many things to forestall or avert the end of everything we know. Unfortunately, we learned far too late of the dangers that lurked in the space between universes, and of the terrifying might they wield. And so I turned my attentions elsewhere.


    ¡°Though it was too late for our universe, the fact that there are creatures outside of our universe implies that there is a vast array of other universes within a multiverse that defies all imagination. And, most importantly, it may not be too late for the lifeforms which live there. We tried to organize a mission to reach those universes, that we might warn them of the dangers that they face.


    ¡°Unfortunately, we quickly learned that no life native to our universe can survive in the inhospitable environment between dimensions. And so, I eventually arrived at what we know as Project Seraphina. To create an artificial lifeform that could traverse through the worlds, and serve as a guardian angel. To shepherd and protect against the horrors which lurk just beneath the surface.¡±


    That¡¯s me. He does not need to state out loud for me to understand his implication.


    ¡°Warning! Thirty seconds until annihilation! Warning! Thirty seconds until annihilation!¡±


    ¡°But in creating you, and guiding you this far, I¡¯ve come to love you as the daughter I never had, Seraphina. I don¡¯t know what will happen once you leave our universe. I cannot guarantee your safety. If you want to abort this mission and enjoy these final seconds before oblivion, you have that right.¡± Dr. Chotono presses a couple of buttons on the outside keypad.


    [Abort Mission? Y/N]


    ¡°If you do choose to abort this mission, know that I will be no less proud of you. But I wanted to make sure that I did everything I could to give you an option that might lead to your survival.¡± He smiled, tears still in his eyes. ¡°My heart is calm now. I think it¡¯s because my heart is with you, my daughter. Goodbye, Seraphina, and remember, I will always love you.¡±


    He waves at me.


    I enter ¡®No¡¯ in my console. Even if this now is my decision to make, this is my purpose, built into my very being. I turn to the doctor¡ª to my father¡ª and smile at him. It feels awkward to call him that, to address my creator with such familiarity. But I feel a strange warmth in my chest when I do. He waves at me again with those watery eyes, and I wave back at him.


    Everything on the outside goes white. And then everything goes black.

 Chapter 1: Initialization

    <h2>Chapter 1: Initialization</h2>


    Planet Earth, Year 2023 CE


    ¡°Alright, class! Settle down, everyone,¡± our physics teacher, Mr. Morris says. ¡°I know that it¡¯s almost the end of the day and you¡¯re all excited to go on spring break, but I still have ten minutes of lecture left before you¡¯re let out. Now then, I want to go over one final example of the conservation of momentum. Suppose we have an elastic collision between two objects, each with a mass of one kilogram¡­¡±


    He drones on and my hand idly takes notes as he goes over his example, but I don¡¯t pay too much attention. He¡¯s a good teacher and his lectures and activities are fun and all, but it¡¯s always the teachers who love what they teach that feel the need to use every minute of class time to the fullest. And on the Friday before we go on a week of holiday too! Just our luck.


    ¡°Psst!¡± my friend Chloe says. She is sitting just to my right, and seems equally uninterested in listening to the example problem. She motions to my backpack. It buzzes, thankfully not loud enough to draw our teacher¡¯s ire.


    I sneak my hand inside and glance at the text.


    Hey, Sera, my car had to be taken into the shop for maintenance and it¡¯s still not ready. Hate to be a bother, but can you drive me home?


    I purse my lips at that. Why not just do it over the weekend, I wonder? But I guess that¡¯s just how things work out sometimes. Especially given that her dad works long hours and is frequently away on business trips. Never tells anyone exactly what he does, either. Not even Chloe seems to know. She thinks he¡¯s involved with the NSA, but personally, I bet he¡¯s doing some super classified work with alien technology.


    I turn to her and give her a thumbs up as I slide my phone back into my backpack.


    My interaction with her is short lived as Mr. Morris snaps my attention back to him.


    ¡°Well, Miss Sera,¡± he says. ¡°Since you are so absorbed with your phone and obviously already know how to solve this problem, would you be so kind as to give an explanation for the next thing to do?¡±


    I look at the equation for a few seconds before responding. ¡°Mr. Morris, we need to also include our equation for conservation of energy. Since the collision is assumed to be perfectly elastic, we can ignore losses due to friction and heat, and instead set the sum of kinetic energies of the two balls before and after the collision to be equal to each other. From there, we¡¯ll conserve momentum in both the x- and y- coordinates, and calculate each ball¡¯s total velocity using the Pythagorean Theorem.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ correct. I¡¯m glad to see that you were paying attention after all.¡±


    I lean my head down to hide my grin. Physics has always come easy to me. Almost as though I really have seen it all before.


    ¡°Alright, class,¡± he continues. ¡°That¡¯s all the time I have for today, so we''ll go ahead and pause and reconvene the Monday after this upcoming one. Please remember that I did assign some homework yesterday, so make sure you complete the assignment over the break, and I will see you all next time.¡±


    As if specially choreographed through two decades of teaching, the bell rings the instant he finishes his end-of-class spiel, and we all waste no time in getting the hell out of there.


    Ah, wonderful spring break! The perfect time to take a vacation down to the beach and party! Alas, my spoilsport of a mom says that I¡¯m ¡®too young¡¯ to go partying, and won¡¯t let me go unless I pay my own way. And I can¡¯t do that because I have to keep my GPA up so my offer to college doesn¡¯t get yanked away! And any money I do get has to be saved to pay to attend, because of course, I only got a half-ride scholarship. So, here I am, stuck in this podunk town instead of going to the beach like my friends! Just my luck.


    Damned bursar is running a shitty scam! College should not be forty thousand gods-damned dollars per year! I clench my fist in frustration before sighing and letting go.


    ¡°You okay, Sera?¡± Chloe asks as we stop at her locker. ¡°You seem tense.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Just a little frustrated that I¡¯m stuck here over break.¡±


    ¡°You too?¡±


    ¡°Wait, I thought you were heading down to Houston and leaving tomorrow morning!¡±


    Chloe shakes her head. ¡°That was the plan, but then I got a call from Dad the night before last and he says he¡¯s going to be in town for a couple days. First time I¡¯ve seen him all year, so yeah. Plus, I gotta be here for my bestie!¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Chloe. You¡¯re the best.¡±


    Chloe locks up her locker and grins. ¡°I know, Sera.¡± She gives me a wink.


    We step outside, greeted by a gust of chilly early spring air that sends my blonde locks flying in my face. I bat my hair aside and try to adjust my eyes to the bright, sunny skies outside when a wave of nausea assails me. I keel over against the door, moving aside to let another pair of students pass. One of them seems vaguely familiar, but I don¡¯t recognize the other.


    Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    ¡°You okay?¡± Chloe asks. ¡°Did something happen?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I feel sick all of the sudden.¡±


    ¡°Do you need some¡­¡± Chloe motions to her lower abdomen.


    I blush. ¡°It shouldn¡¯t be that time until late next week! But if you have an ibuprofen, I¡¯d appreciate it.¡±


    We head back inside. She slips a red pill into my hand, which I down in front of the nearby water fountain. As soon as I take the medicine, I realize that the pain has already evaporated. Did I develop some sort of allergic reaction to sunlight? I think I remember something like that from last year¡¯s bio class.


    Wait. I¡¯m not becoming a vampire or some shit? Gods, I hope not! Those are so ten years ago! Calm yourself, Sera! There are no documented cases whatsoever of anything as asinine as turning into a vampire.


    ¡°You want to sit down for a moment, Sera? I don¡¯t want you to try to drive if you¡¯re not feeling well. Or maybe I can drive your car?¡±


    ¡°Can you drive a stick?¡±


    ¡°You have a stick in 2023, Sera?¡± she exclaims. ¡°What kind of a beater do you have now?¡±


    ¡°The kind that costs five hundred dollars with cheap-as-dirt insurance so I can save enough to go to college!¡±


    ¡°Sera, ever heard the expression ¡®Penny wise, pound foolish?¡¯¡± She cajoles me as we sit down at a nearby bench not far from the principal¡¯s office. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if you get the cars dirt cheap if you go through them every six months. Spend a few thousand on something that¡¯ll last more than a year or two; I promise, it¡¯ll make your life easier too.¡±


    I restrain myself from muttering a rude comment about how it must be nice to come from a family with money. My parents aren¡¯t doing amazing, but they¡¯ve kept a roof over my head and I¡¯ve never gone hungry. That, and her father is only around a few times per year, so. Yeah, we¡¯ve each got our own demons.


    ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind for next time.¡±


    ¡°See, Sera! The fact you know there¡¯s going to be a next time shows that you know deep down that I¡¯m right about you constantly buying shit cars!¡±


    I roll my eyes a bit and chuckle. ¡°You¡¯ve made your point, Chloe. C¡¯mon, I¡¯m gonna head out and see if I¡¯m feeling well enough to drive you home.¡±


    ¡°Sure thing!¡±


    We head back out the back door of the building and I blink a couple of times to adjust to the light. Whatever caused that nausea and headache is completely gone. I maintain a bit of trepidation in the back of my mind, but I try not to show it as Chloe pulls me ahead. Something doesn¡¯t seem quite right, though it doesn¡¯t seem like anyone else notices anything out of the ordinary.


    The headache comes back, but thankfully it¡¯s a bit weaker and subsides as quickly as it appears. We make it to my car, and Chloe stares at me incredulously.


    ¡°Seraphina Mortensen! You cannot seriously be driving this metal deathtrap around school! How did this even make it onto the parking lot?¡±


    ¡°Would you rather walk home?¡± I give her the evil eye.


    Chloe mutters some obscenities under her breath as she flips me the one-fingered salute. After pouting with her arms crossed for a good twenty seconds, she finally relents and gets inside. I start up the car and we take off. Without any incident.


    We drive to the nice side of town. A couple of people wearing clothes that cost entirely too much money stare at my beater, but no one does more than give me a dirty look as we pull into Chloe¡¯s neighborhood.


    ¡°So, I hope you don¡¯t mind me asking,¡± she says, ¡°but how are things between you and Stephan? I hear he asked you out the other day.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s not interested. He¡¯s gay. Boyfriend and all. Asked me out mostly as a cover story to keep his friends off his back.¡±


    ¡°Ooh. Darn, he¡¯s cute, too.¡±


    ¡°Eh. Didn¡¯t really notice.¡± I¡¯m also not even sure if I like guys, but I¡¯m definitely not ready to have that conversation.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid to see some people! You¡¯re young, beautiful, and you have a whole life ahead of you. In six months you¡¯ll be away for college, so why not enjoy these last couple of months? Plus, it¡¯ll be good practice for dealing with guys before you don¡¯t have me around to watch your back anymore.¡±


    I nearly roll my eyes, but hold myself back. ¡°Thanks, Chloe. For everything.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to be so formal. That¡¯s what friends are for, right?¡±


    I smile. We pull into Chloe¡¯s driveway and I shut off the car. As soon as I open the door, a tremendous gust of wind blows, knocking me back onto the driver¡¯s seat and slamming the door behind me. I turn to Chloe, who is frozen in a catatonic state. I call to her. No response. I gently shake her to check for responsiveness. She doesn¡¯t flinch or even make a sound as I touch her.


    My heart starts to palpitate as I try to remember what little first aid I¡¯ve been taught. But before I can start reaching for my phone to call a paramedic, the world dims slightly and strange words appear near the top of my vision.


    [Warning: System Initialization in Progress. Local anomalies may occur. Please stand by.]


    System? Is this some sort of¡­ No, I¡¯ve got to be hallucinating. I pinch myself. It hurts. Good, not asleep. I take a deep breath and tap my fingers against my palm, feeling each pressure divot. I count the coins in the tray in my car. Three quarters, two dimes, four nickels, eleven pennies. I take a deep breath and wince from the smell of day-old fries. Must¡¯ve missed one when I dropped the sack containing last night¡¯s dinner tipped over.


    Despite my attempts at grounding, more words appear.


    [Error detected during System Initialization. Implementing anomalous data as Unique Trait: [Touched by the Multiverse]]


    [System Initialization completed. Status menu enabled.]


    I glance at the status screen in the corner of my eye.


    [Name: Seraphina Mortensen]


    [Level: 1]


    [Health: 100 / 100]; [Ether: 20 / 20]; [Experience: 0; To Next: 20]


    [Stats: Strength: 12; Speed: 12; Vitality: 12; Mind: 17]


    [Unique Trait: [Touched by the Multiverse]. Your mind has been touched by the vastness beyond space and time, and you¡¯ve gained a glimpse at what lies at the outer edge of possibility. All Experience gain increased by fifty percent. Stacks multiplicatively with other modifiers.]


    The world returns to normal, and Chloe awakens with a perplexed look on her face. She shakes her head and tries to reorient herself. The two of us stare at one another.


    ¡°What the F?¡± we both say in unison.

 Chapter 2: The First Afternoon

    <h2>Chapter 2: The First Afternoon</h2>


    The two of us are still shaken, but decide it¡¯s better to head in her house rather than continue to sit in my car. A burning smell fills the air and a small amount of smoke seeps out of the car¡¯s engine compartment.


    ¡°See, Sera,¡± Chloe says. ¡°It¡¯s like I told you: this car is a piece of junk and we¡¯re both lucky we got here in one piece.¡±


    I sigh. ¡°If it were any other day, I¡¯d admit that you told me so, but after whatever that was, I¡¯m going to reserve judgement until we have a chance to process what the hell just happened.¡±


    I get out, help Chloe get out, and then the two of us make our way through the front door.


    ¡°You saw it too?¡± she asks


    ¡°Some message about a System initialization, and then a whole bunch of strange messages that look like they came straight out of a video game?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not like, actually, in a video game, are we?¡±


    Chloe has some trouble unlocking the door, but eventually gets it open. The two of us take off our shoes in the entryway and we step into the living space. I¡¯m always astonished at how big her family¡¯s house is. Two stories and five bedrooms, even though Chloe is an only child. Their kitchen alone is as big as our kitchen and dining room put together, plus an entertainment room upstairs. There¡¯s even a jacuzzi-style bathtub in the master suite!


    And that doesn¡¯t even mention all the goodies that are always in the fridge. And not just the name brand products, either. The specialty fancy brand stuff for people who have the money to buy the ground beef where the cow has been lovingly massaged by the farmer¡¯s daughter each week in the three months prior to being ground up. Okay, yes, I will admit to being more than a little bit envious at times.


    ¡°You want something to drink?¡±


    ¡°Just water¡¯s fine.¡±


    ¡°Lemon, cucumber, or watermelon?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ watermelon, I guess?¡± Apparently, even their water is extra fancy.


    Chloe arrives a moment later and hands me my water. She turns on the television and grabs a seat next to me. We share a look and agree to turn on the news. Can¡¯t stand watching the news on TV; it¡¯s all a bunch of fear mongering designed to keep people addicted to fear and rage. But, it¡¯s a good way to figure out if anyone else has reported something similar.


    Nothing on the news so far. Just the latest about stupid politicians here in the States and conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere overseas. She hands me the remote and I mute it before I get angry.


    ¡°Hey, do you have a knife around here? I want to try something.¡±


    ¡°Uh, sure.¡± She leaves and returns a moment later with a steak knife.


    I take the knife and slit my palm, checking my Status screen as I do.


    [Health: 99/100]


    ¡°What the hell, Sera!¡± Chloe screams. ¡°Do you need to talk about something? I¨C¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Chloe. I wanted to test what was going on with this Status screen that keeps showing up in my eye. I wasn¡¯t thinking about how it would look to you. I¡¯m really sorry.¡±


    She stares at me, and all I can do is lower my head in shame.


    ¡°Did it work?¡± she finally asks. ¡°Whatever it was you were trying to do.¡±


    ¡°It did. My Health decreased by a single point. Just as I thought it would.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know anything about this? You¡¯re more of a gamer than I am.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve dabbled a bit, but I wouldn¡¯t call myself a gamer. What I can speculate, based on the evidence we have, is that our world is now under the influence of this System that will reward us with Experience as we complete objectives. As we gain experience, we¡¯ll gain levels and get stronger, or better at whatever it is that we¡¯re supposed to be doing.¡±


    ¡°What kind of objectives?¡±


    ¡°Best case scenario, we just need to keep doing whatever we¡¯re meant to be doing. Being good students, getting good grades, being productive and responsible members of society.¡± I look away from Chloe, scared to answer the follow-up.


    ¡°And the worst case?¡±


    I hesitate. ¡°In a lot of these games, the players gain experience by killing things. Monsters¡­ Rats are pretty common early enemies. As are wolves.¡±


    ¡°People?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ not outside the realm of possibility. At the very least, it¡¯s something we need to start considering. Because if we¡¯re considering it, then other people are as well. And sooner or later, one of them is going to act upon it.¡±


    ¡°No! That¡¯s horrible! Why?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Only whoever, or whatever, is responsible for this System can really say for sure.¡±


    ¡°Can¨C Can you stay here tonight?¡± Chloe asks. ¡°I¡¯ve got plenty of spare clothes for you to wear for the next couple of days.¡±


    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m not getting home until my car gets fixed. And besides, Isn¡¯t that what besties are for?¡± I grin.


    ¡°And I better not hear one peep from you about how my clothing is ¡®too tight in the chest¡¯ or anything similar!¡±


    It¡¯s not the first or the last time she¡¯s expressed insecurity about the matter, so I just silently agree.


    ¡°Thanks, Sera,¡± she says. ¡°Oh, wait, the news is talking about this now. Can you put the sound back on?¡±


    ¡°And in breaking news this afternoon, a number of people throughout the country have reported strange hallucinations on social media. At this time, doctors and law enforcement are currently investigating the phenomenon. People who come down with this affliction are urged to keep calm and avoid drinking, driving, or any potentially hazardous activity until we know more. And now, Ryan Billings with the latest on what authorities are calling Systemic Hallucination.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Wolff. I¡¯m joined here by Dr. Antonio Rupert with the latest. Dr. Rupert?¡±


    ¡°Right now, we¡¯re still in the very early stages of this phenomenon. All of our preliminary indications suggest that Systemic Hallucination is highly contagious, but not injurious to health. Those afflicted with the condition report stupor for a few minutes as they adjust, followed by a return to normal activities shortly thereafter.¡±


    ¡°Do you recommend that¨C¡±


    The conversation on the television goes completely silent, with the two staring into open space. The camera falls a second later, followed by a sickening crunch. I wince as I turn to Chloe.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯d say they¡¯re going through System Intialization right about now.¡±


    ¡°We¡­ should make plans, Sera. There¡¯s going to be a lot of panic. I¡¯ve been flipping through my social media feeds and it¡¯s everywhere.¡± Her eyes widen and her jaw drops. ¡°Oh, holy shit, this is bad.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s bad?¡± I ask, fearing the worst.


    ¡°There¡¯s a video going viral right now from some guy who claims he just hit level three after¨C After¨C¡± She continues to hesitate.


    I reach for her phone. She hands it over and my eyes fill with rage at the headline.


    I reached level 3 after killing my¨C


    I immediately block the rest of the video headline out of my brain. This is wrong. So terribly wrong. This isn¡¯t how the integration is supposed to go. We¡¯re supposed to. Supposed to¨C


    I scream and clutch my head and buckle into the sofa. All I see is white, even when I close my eyes and bury my head into the couch. My head throbs, like something is trying to burst forth out of me. Something? A memory? I¡¯m trying to remember something? What could I be trying to remember? It feels like there¡¯s something there, just beyond my reach. But no matter how much I try to remember, it keeps escaping. Why would I have memories I can¡¯t have?


    My mind darts back to my Status. It said I was [Touched by the Multiverse]. Am I really not from this world? But, that makes no sense. I was born here, raised by my parents. I grew up here. Nothing makes any sense, so why does this damned System insist that my life is a lie?


    Out of the corner of my eye, I spot something weird in my Status.


    [Ether: 100 / 20]


    The pain subsides bit by bit as my [Ether] slowly drops down. My vision returns to normal. Chloe is there on the couch beside me, waiting for me with a soft smile on her face and worry in her eyes.


    ¡°Are you okay, Sera?¡±


    I¡¯m not sure. ¡°Yeah. I think that headache from before just came back with a vengeance, that¡¯s all,¡± I lie. Something is definitely not adding up. Something extremely important.


    I check my Status and confirm that my [Ether] value has returned to 20.


    ¡°Changing the subject a bit, but do you know what this [Ether] value is supposed to be in my Status?¡±


    ¡°If it¡¯s like the video games, it¡¯s probably some sort of fuel or energy. Magic power, in a simple sense.¡±


    ¡°Magic like¡­ when we went to watch those illusionists on stage four years ago?¡±


    ¡°No, magic like, real magic. Like, flying and teleportation and shooting fire and lightning out of our bodies.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not¨C¡± Chloe stops. ¡°No, you¡¯re totally right. I¡¯m watching another video of a guy conjuring a flame out of his hand right now. It could be just a trick of cameras and special effects, but after everything that¡¯s happening this afternoon, I really believe it.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± I ask. I¡¯m more than a little surprised at how easily she accepts such extraordinary claims. Unlike her mother, who¡¯s constantly proselytizing and hawking various forms of quackery and new-age woo, Chloe¡¯s very much not into the spiritual and occult. One of the things I respect most about her.


    ¡°I mean, when I see three different videos of different people conjuring fire, one creating a cube of ice out of thin air, and another one shooting a bolt of lightning out of her fingertips, the only options are a massive hoax, or that it¡¯s actually happening. And¡­ oh, cool, someone just created a ball of light. Yeah, I¡¯d say that this is all really happening.¡±


    ¡°I know you¡¯re worried about me, Chloe, but I think we should start thinking about trying to defend ourselves. I don¡¯t know if that means getting some sort of weapons or trying to conjure magic like those people in those videos, but I think things are going to get nasty. Because the world is going to change. And I don¡¯t think we can rely on the current system of laws and police to protect us.¡± To the extent they ever really did for people like me.


    ¡°Yeah, my mom keeps a couple of baseball bats lying around the basement just for that purpose. It¡¯s not much, but it¡¯s better than nothing.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll come with you. We should probably stick together. Just in case. There¡¯s a reason why they say not to split the party.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yeah, before I forget, Sera. When you were hurting just a couple of minutes ago, you started muttering something about remembering, and then your hair started to glow. Did something strange happen?¡±


    ¡°I wish I knew. I felt like I was trying to remember something that I shouldn¡¯t know. Maybe I wish I didn¡¯t know?¡± I shake my head as I try to unravel the paradox behind what I tried to say. I don¡¯t mention that my [Ether] had overflowed its limits; I can¡¯t even be certain the two are related.


    Chloe laughs. ¡°I¡¯m glad that you still have a sense of humor after everything that¡¯s happened today.¡±


    I go ahead and take the knife with me as we head into the basement. Chloe gives me a look, but I persist. If the Earth really has turned into some hostile video game world, even meager protection is better than nothing. She doesn¡¯t agree with me, but she doesn¡¯t press the issue any further.


    My body tenses as she opens the door. A sense of danger and foreboding shakes me to my core. My heart is beating faster and faster and I walk on my tiptoes. I have no idea how Chloe remains so calm. Because it¡¯s her home? Because I have this second life apparently? One I don¡¯t even know about?


    I try to take a deep breath, but it doesn¡¯t do much to calm my nerves. Finally, the two of us make our way down the stairs and into the basement. She takes the lead, and then screams. I rush in front of her and come face to face with a pair of foot-tall rats hissing at us.


    ¡°Shit! Stay back, Chloe!¡±

 Chapter 3: Its Always Rats, Isnt It?

    I curse myself and my big mouth for suggesting rats as the most common early enemy in video games. Big, black, beady eyes glare at me, and I see contempt reflected back at me. I raise the knife in my hand and feel a strange connection binding my hand to it.


    [You have equipped a Dull Kitchen Knife. Attack + 1; Attack: 12¡ú13]


    The rat nearest me jumps directly toward Chloe. I intercept and knock it out of the way, scoring its side with my knife. The second attacks my exposed backside, raking me with claws I didn¡¯t realize rats even had. It tears through my shirt like wet paper and attempts to grab hold of me and bite down, but I¡¯m able to shake the bastard off before it sinks into my sides. I take four damage, but still have plenty of strength and anger left.


    Chloe tries to tiptoe around me as I¡¯m fighting, most likely to try to get to wherever her mother¡¯s bats are. I slash again at the same rat that I hit before, but it dodges. The other rat runs into my calf, sending me toppling to the ground. I grunt as I fall to my knee.


    The damnable rodents prove to be agile, and their small size makes them even more difficult to hit. Trying to hit them seems a foolish endeavor, especially with the low ceilings and clutter all about. Instead, I decide to take advantage of my size and relative durability and trade blows with the pesky rodents. Thankfully, I shouldn¡¯t have to worry about rabies. Not sure how diseases work post-System integration. Questions for later.


    I take another hit on the thigh, but in return, I jam my knife clean into the rat¡¯s side. My follow-up strike is evaded, and I again get tackled to the ground. Gods-damned rats definitely got an intelligence boost from the System. Good to know that we can¡¯t count on animals being dumb going forward.


    The injured rat takes another lunge toward me. Another glancing blow, but my counterstrike is enough to send it slamming into the ground. A stab through the neck and a spurt of blood later and the creature is out of my misery forever. I turn my attention to the other one, and remain completely motionless.


    I stare my enemy down and try to focus its attention on me. Chloe is already back with an aluminum slugger, and she is sneaking up on it from behind. I raise my weapon and make a small feint toward my target. The rat dodges directly into Chloe¡¯s swing, and she scores a direct hit, pasting it against the wall. I move toward it to make sure it¡¯s dead, but the System confirms it before I get a chance.


    [Your Party has slain two Rats (Level 1, Level 1). You have gained 14 Experience!]


    [Feat: [Touched by the Multiverse] increases Experience gain! Experience increased to 21!]


    [You have gained enough Experience to reach Level 2! Please allocate stats [4 remaining]]


    I decide to delay my level-up temporarily until we get out of the basement. Chloe doesn¡¯t seem to want to be down here any longer than I do. She hands me another bat, though I will equip that later. We make it back to the living room and lock the door to the basement.


    ¡°By the way,¡± Chloe says as she sits back down. ¡°You seemed really in your element when you were fighting those rats. I didn¡¯t realize you were into martial arts.¡±


    I shirk away. ¡°Did I seem that way? I didn¡¯t realize.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. You looked so confident, like you¡¯d been secretly training for this your whole life.¡±


    Did I? I think back to the encounter. I don¡¯t think there was anything particularly noteworthy about how I fought? Maybe it¡¯s just because I grew up in the dumps and I¡¯m used to being on guard at all times? But, it did feel maybe a bit more fun than I would have expected from a fight for our lives.


    I look down. ¡°I think I might have to take you up on that offer to borrow some of your clothes for the day. I¨C I kinda got mine ruined.¡±


    ¡°Sure thing. And if you want to take a shower, that¡¯s fine too.¡± She pauses. ¡°Just¡­ Just try not to be too long, okay? I don¡¯t want anything else to pop up while you¡¯re in there.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll keep it short. And don¡¯t worry. We¡¯re in this together, all the way, no matter where things end up.¡±


    She looks a bit uneasy, but once she looks down and sees my torn shirt and the dried blood on my back, she relents. I head up to the second floor bathroom, disrobe, and turn on the shower. Not too hot, though. More of a lukewarm temperature¡ª we¡¯ve never had super hot water at my place, and the scalding hot showers some people like make me feel like my skin is going to scald and flake off.


    Still, the warm water feels nice, and as I wash the dirt and blood off my back, I take the opportunity to look at the level up prompt from before. The System maybe seems a bit impatient that I waited so long, but I¡¯m probably just ascribing human emotions to it. I pull up the window about allocating stat points.


    Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.


    [Current Stats: Strength: 12; Speed: 12; Vitality: 12; Mind: 17]


    I try to pull up information about what each parameter does, but I find no purchase. I have to presume that [Mind] refers to magic abilities. I¡¯m not at all sure why my [Mind] is five points higher than my other parameters, though I wonder if it has something to do with the excess knowledge from this past life that I supposedly have and can¡¯t remember. With that said, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s particularly useful at surviving in the short term.


    I think my strength stat is going to be the least important at the moment. I¡¯m going to assume that mundane weapons aren¡¯t going to be effective forever, but they will be for the first couple of levels, at least. My biggest weakness in the last fight was my poor speed and how easily the rats were able to sneak inside my defenses. At the same time, [Vitality] is probably linked to survivability, and I¡¯m not going to learn more about who I am (or was) unless I survive long enough for the memories to come back.


    I assign two points to my [Speed] and two to my [Vitality]. Satisfied, I confirm the selection, and see more information appear in my [Status].


    [Level Up registered. Seraphina Mortensen is now Level 2.]


    [Maximum Health increases by [Vitality] x 2 + New Level + Random[1, 3] = 32]


    [Maximum Ether increases by [Mind] + New Level + Random [0, 2] = 20]


    [Current Health: 107 / 132; Current Ether = 40 / 40; Experience: 21; To Next: 34]


    That¡¯s extremely useful information, and pretty much confirms that having a high starting [Mind] and [Vitality] is going to carry over more or less indefinitely, compounding as I gain additional levels. I make a note of this and plan to tell Chloe as soon as I get out of the shower. She interrupts my musing with a knock on the door, informing me that my change of clothes is waiting in front of the door.


    I take a moment longer to soak in the warm water before begrudgingly turning off the faucet and drying off. After I finish getting dressed, Chloe hands me one of the two baseball bats she has as a precaution and we make our way into her room. Although there are three spare bedrooms in her house, we decide that I¡¯m going to sleep in Chloe¡¯s bed tonight. It¡¯s just too dangerous to be separated when we don¡¯t know what might await in the night. Though we agree that the situation isn¡¯t so dangerous that we need to keep a night watch. Yet.


    ¡°How¡¯s your back, by the way?¡± Chloe asks.


    ¡°Still a little sore, but I should be fine after a couple of days.¡±


    Chloe looks down and motions toward it. I nod and lift my shirt up, revealing my injuries, still raw and not yet scabbed over, but no longer bleeding. She winces slightly, then stares out into space for a few seconds before placing her hands along my back. I blush a bit, then relax as her cool fingers trace over my injuries. The pain recedes, and a quick look at my status shows that my health has returned to maximum.


    ¡°Did you just get a healing spell?¡± I ask for confirmation.


    ¡°Yeah. I¨C¡± She hesitates. ¡°I¡¯ve been watching more videos on social media. The world is changing so much, so suddenly. It¡¯s going to get violent just like you said. It¡¯s already started. And I don¡¯t think I¡¯m ever going to be comfortable fighting the way you did. But if I can heal you and others who need my help, it¡¯d make me really happy.¡±


    ¡°And when you were staring into space, that was you making up your mind, and the System then responding by giving you a healing spell?¡±


    ¡°It gave me a warning that it would permanently alter my abilities and parameters going forward. Apparently, it was assigning me a class, or at least, that¡¯s what it called it. It would make me more focused on light magic and healing. But I¡¯m sure that¡¯s what I want for myself, so I confirmed it.¡±


    ¡°Then I guess I have to be your knight in shining armor, protecting you from all danger?¡± I giggle, but sure enough, as I say that, a notification pops up in my [Status] window.


    [Choose [Divine Paladin] as your first class?]


    [Divine Paladin: A [Divine Paladin] is a warrior who uses faith and prayer to bolster herself and her allies. Unlike [Warriors] and [Fighters], a [Divine Paladin] holds herself to an unshakeable code of honor and righteousness. Unlike a [Cleric], a [Divine Paladin] is not content to remain idly behind a vanguard, healing people behind walls and offering blessings from the sanctity of a temple or other sanctuary. A [Divine Paladin] serves on the front lines of combat, seeks out evil wherever it lies, and smites it with holy power. Stat Gains: Permanent +3 to [Vitality] and [Strength] upon choosing this class. +1 [Vitality], +1 [Strength], and +3 Free Stats per level.]


    I dismiss the message and turn to Chloe. ¡°Yep, it seems that the System just offered me a class as a [Divine Paladin].¡±


    ¡°Oh, wow, that¡¯s a really cool class name. Did you take it?¡±


    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t choose a class yet. For one, I want to see what all my options are. Also, there¡¯s some disturbing information hinting about needing to seek out and smite evil, and I¡¯m not sure if I¡¯m one for the whole ¡®honor and righteousness path¡¯.¡±


    ¡°I think it would suit you, Sera.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. It doesn¡¯t seem like a terrible path, and I¡¯ll definitely do everything to protect you no matter what class I end up choosing, but I just don¡¯t see myself as being honorable and just in all situations. The whole ¡®growing up poor¡¯ and ¡®seeing the injustice in the world¡¯. Police, and other people we¡¯re supposed to look up to for protection, aren¡¯t always good people, Chloe. I think that¡¯s given me some¡­ pause about choosing a class that¡¯s specifically about smiting evil.¡± Both because I don¡¯t want to be in conflict with corrupt law enforcement, and because I don¡¯t want to be law enforcement and be in the position where I have to enforce unjust laws, but I leave that part unstated.


    Chloe looks a bit uncomfortable, but ends up sidestepping the awkwardness masterfully. ¡°Well, Sera, what do you want?¡±


    ¡°I think I¡¯d like to see my options and see what speaks to me.¡± And, maybe see if any of them relate to these hidden memories that the System hints that I have.

 Chapter 4: Time for Class

    I take a seat on the floor and focus on my class options while Chloe distracts herself with the latest on social media.  I¡¯m not confident how long it¡¯s going to last in this new post-System world.  Truthfully, I¡¯m not high on the longevity of any of our other technology from the old Earth, for that matter.  But right now, our technology is still working and social media is our best source of information from other people in real-time.


    Predictably, the situation looks grim.  Plenty of people have decided to give into their most unsavory impulses.  Chloe mentioned a couple of bank robberies.  Far more menacingly, reports of people going on murdering sprees to try to gain Experience have already started popping up.  It¡¯s thankfully not quite at a boiling point, but it¡¯s a matter of when, not if at this point.


    Worse still, I have half a mind to join them.  Not because I feel any sort of positive way about murder, especially when I¡¯m more likely to be on the receiving end of them.  But because the last thing I want is to be at the mercy of some crime lord who has ten levels on me.  Or a cop with the same, which, honestly might just be worse given the force of law behind them.  Really making me think that [Divine Paladin] isn¡¯t the class for me.


    I start cycling through various ideas for what I can do.  First, I imagine myself as a mage, which isn¡¯t hard at all.  Conjuring the power of the elements, raining fire and brimstone down upon my enemies, wielding the power of storms and lightning.  As I do, I get the predicted class offering.


    [Choose [Evoker] as your first class?]


    Ah, so an [Evoker] as in, elemental evocations.  That suggests that classes, at least early on, are quite a bit more narrow than I give them credit for.  Then again, the status window does say ¡®first¡¯ class.  Presumably, that means I can get broader and stronger classes later on, probably after a certain amount of time, or reaching a certain level.  I go ahead and check the descriptor just to be sure the class does what I think it does.


    [Evoker:  An [Evoker] is an offensive-focused mage who focuses on inflicting damage to her enemies.  She does this by evoking the power of destructive elements in her fingertips.  With fire and lightning at her beck and call, few can match her offensive potential.


    However, all this comes at a cost.  An [Evoker] spends most of her time studying the mysteries of the arcane, the System, and how the two interface with each other.  As a result, an [Evoker] doesn¡¯t focus on her physical body, sacrificing their [Vitality] to increase her [Mind] to its limit.  Permanent -1 [Strength], +1 [Speed], -3 [Vitality], +7 [Mind] when choosing this class.  +2 [Mind], +2 free stats each level.]


    Yep, pretty much as expected.  This is the standard ¡®Black Mage¡¯ style of squishy wizard.  Lots of [Ether] due to a sky-high [Mind] stat, plenty of potential on the back lines, flinging spells from afar, but about as durable as my shirt, may it rest in peace.  A fun class, but I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s what I should be specializing in, especially given Chloe is also a backline healer.


    Worse still, the System isn¡¯t giving me any information about how classes evolve or what specific evocations I¡¯ll get.  My guess is that I¡¯ll get to choose one or two, and maybe gain more as I gain levels, but I¡¯ll have to choose the class to find out for sure.  If this were a couple hundred years after System Integration and we had solid documentation on how classes worked, I might select it.  As it is, I¡¯m not keen on taking the class right away.  I silently curse the System for its lack of information and documentation, and I feel something that resembles sarcastic glee pushed directly into my mind.


    I imagine myself next as a swordswoman, dashing through mobs of rats and other fell creatures, striking with deftness and dodging just as quickly.  The System responds.


    [Choose [Swashbuckler] as your first class?]


    [A Swashbuckler is a master duelist in martial combat, but is even defter at combining her weapon skills with parkour.  Unlike the more traditional [Fighter] class, a [Swashbuckler] eschews heavy armor and large shields for greater durability and weapon finesse, though still frequently employs a small shield to help parry attacks.  She dances through enemies, avoiding attacks with subtle grace, and then strikes with a flurry of blows.


    [Swashbucklers] are the most dextrous of martial combatants, though they suffer in [Strength] and [Vitality] relative to other frontline classes as a result of their specialization.  Permanent -1 [Strength], +7 [Speed], -1 [Vitality], -1 [Mind] when choosing this class.  +2 [Speed], +2 Free Stats each level.]


    If I were alone braving this new world, this would be an excellent choice.  The best way to avoid dying is simply never to be hit in the first place.  However, since I need to defend Chloe, I feel like the best aspects of this class are going to end up wasted.


    There¡¯s also a dichotomy where my best stat is my [Mind], which is all the way at 17 despite not putting any points in it.  This suggests that I¡¯d be a better fit for a magic type class, but I really need to be a frontline fighter for my friend.  If only there were some class that could take advantage of my stats but also not crumple to a stiff breeze?  Especially something like¡­


    My thoughts are cut off as I see two new classes appear, both of which pique my interest.


    [Alchemist.  An [Alchemist] is an expert in the creation and development of poisons, salves, and other potions.  Through the power of chemistry and medicine, she can buff her allies, brew powerful medicines, and reproduce the magical abilities of [Evokers], [Healers], and [Reality Mages], albeit to a lesser extent.


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


    Her flexibility is her greatest asset, but the inability to prepare for everything and store potions for every situation is her greatest weakness.  Nevertheless, a well-prepared and forward-looking [Alchemist] is to be feared on the battlefield, or wherever else one might encounter her.  Permanent -2 [Strength], -1 [Speed], +1 [Vitality], +6 [Mind] when choosing this class.  +1 [Vitality], +1 [Mind], +3 Free Stats each level.]


    This¡­  This is definitely me, and I notice two things.  First, like the [Divine Paladin] offering, I get five stat points total each level instead of four.  That, in turn, means a lot more total power in 50 or 100 levels.  I like this class offering, but I¡¯m definitely aware that I need to factor in raw stats in addition to personal preference.  That doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯d choose [Divine Paladin] over [Swashbuckler]¡ªthe forced changes to how I¡¯d have to act rub me the wrong way¡ª but it has literal points in its favor.


    The other offering, on the other hand, makes my heart sing, almost as though the class was chosen specifically for me.  As it appears, the window flickers a bit.  This is the first time I¡¯ve ever seen the System falter or be less than omniscient in any way.  I take extra note of the class offering, smiling more and more as I read through it.


    [Planetouched Mechanist: The [Planetouched Mechanist] is a tinkerer at heart.  Never content with being told ¡®that¡¯s just how it is¡¯, she delves deeper into the inner workings of science and technology, seeking to understand them in mind, body, and soul.  All [Mechanists] are masters of artifice, building specialized gadgets and uplifting technology, but the [Planetouched Mechanist] goes a step further.  Her glimpses of her past life give her inspiration for technology beyond the pale of human understanding.


    Although she is not the strongest physically, nor capable of feats of physics-defying magic, her capacity to see into the inner workings of reality and twist them to her advantage make her an absolute menace in combat.  At least, when she has access to her wide assortment of gadgetry and mechanical marvels.  Permanent +1 [Vitality], +3 [Mind] when taking this class.  +1 [Vitality], +1 [Mind], +3 Free Stats per level.]


    Yep.  The line about getting glimpses of my past life pretty much confirms that the System sees me as some sort of reincarnated individual, and this class hints at eventually being able to get glimpses into who I apparently once was.  And the stat spread is great too, meaning I¡¯m not sacrificing future potential by choosing a class that is perfectly aligned with who I am and want to be.  If anything, this class offers a lot of future potential with what I¡¯ll be able to eventually create.


    I go ahead and cycle through a few other options, more as a due diligence check than anything else.  I check out the [Reality Mage] that was listed in the description of [Alchemist].  Though it has a powerful sounding name, it¡¯s the class that focuses primarily on buffs and debuffs.  It has spells that increase weapon sharpness and power (somehow), ways to speed up an ally, slow down an enemy, and dabbles a little bit in curses, poisons, and other such afflictions.  All in all, a pretty solid class as the member of a group, but not very useful when allied with a [Healer], or whatever exact class Chloe took.


    I find a few other options that don¡¯t seem appealing.  Not looking to be a second [Healer], nor do I want to be a [Berserker] or similar.  I scroll through a few other martial frontline classes, from the standard [Fighter] to more specialized ones like [Javelineer], which specializes in keeping its distance and utilizing throwing weapons.  One last double-check to make sure I haven¡¯t missed anything crucial, and I select the [Planetouched Mechanist] class.  I get the expected prompt.


    [Warning: Choosing a class will have major implications.  This decision cannot be easily changed or reversed.  Proceed?]


    I hesitate for a half-second, just to make sure nothing jumps out and screams at me to tell me this is a horrible choice.  But I feel confident in my decision, that my decision is in my best interests, and that this is what¡¯s going to make me happiest and best equipped to face the newly Integrated world.  I confirm the selection and see several new notifications.


    [Seraphina is now a [Planetouched Mechanist].  Stats modified accordingly.]


    [Current Stats: Strength: 12; Speed: 14; Vitality: 15; Mind: 20]


    As if forestalling my next question, I see a new pop-up.


    [Health and Ether values are unaffected by class changes.  Future level gains will be calculated based on new parameters.]


    Good to know that my initial speculation was correct.  Definitely best to focus on [Vitality] and [Mind] for the first few levels.  I probably won¡¯t need a lot of [Strength] for the time being, especially if I can now create weapons that don¡¯t scale with my physical abilities.  Sure enough, it seems I¡¯ll be able to do so.


    [You have gained the Class Skill: [Tinkerer]]


    [Tinkerer: You have a natural curiosity and easily grasp how objects are made and function.  Gain basic insight into infusing Ether into technology.  More easily able to create and enhance weapons, armor, and other technology, and become proficient with the use of improvised weapons.  Warning: This skill does not grant armor proficiency.]


    [You have gained the Class Skill: [Flash of Insight]]


    [Flash of Insight: In addition to creating technology powered by Ether, you have the ability to create a bright flash of light at will.  By infusing any amount of Ether into your hand, you can create a bright flash of light, dazing or temporarily blinding enemies within a small radius.  Radius increases with Ether expenditure [Max Expenditure: Level x 20].  You and any targets you designate as friendly are unaffected by this attack.


    (Class Skill Slots Available: 4/6)


    I stand up and stretch for a moment before turning to Chloe, who is still doomscrolling on her phone.


    ¡°Hey, Chloe, can I try my new skill?¡±


    ¡°If you chose a [Mage] class and you¡¯re about to set the carpet on fire, then absolutely not!  Apocalypse or not, my mother is still going to kill me if we catch her house on fire!¡±


    ¡°I have a flashbang technique as part of my class¡¯s skill set.  I want to test it out.¡±


    Chloe sighs.  ¡°It¡¯s probably a good idea to do that down in the basement.  And we should probably make sure we got all the rats as well; if there¡¯s an infestation down there, my mother is going to freak the absolute hell out.¡±  She hands me a baseball bat, which I equip before heading downstairs.


    [Blunt Bat: A simple baseball bat made from aluminium.  Attack +4]


    [[Tinkerer] grants improvised weapon proficiency.  Blunt Bat Attack: +4 ¡ú +5]


    [Attack: 13 ¡ú 17]

 Chapter 5: A Dungeon In the Basement

    We hardly finish getting down to the first floor before I¡¯m hit with a System notification. Based on how Chloe¡¯s eyes uncross, I assume she¡¯s getting the same message as I.


    [System message: All lifeforms on Planet E3-971, local name ¡®Earth¡¯, have been initialized into System. Beginning creation of dungeons and basic world modifications. Further world modifications will commence in 120 local hours.] The message is replaced by a countdown timer which I dismiss.


    ¡°So, what do you think happens when time runs out?¡± Chloe asks.


    ¡°I would imagine the world changes in a big way. If I were a betting woman, we can say goodbye to your phone and most other technology that doesn¡¯t rely on the System.¡± I pause for a moment. ¡°My class is a [Mechanist] variant. I have a class skill that makes it easier for me to build new technology. Best case, I can figure out some way to keep it powered. Worst case scenario, I can salvage it for parts.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you salvage your own piece of junkheap of a car for parts before you even think about taking my phone, Sera?¡± She perfectly blends indignance and sarcasm in her tone.


    ¡°Actually, that¡¯s a good idea. Do you want to do that first, or after we check the basement?¡±


    ¡°Uh, let¡¯s do that first.¡± She shudders, and I don¡¯t blame her. I¡¯d like to put off going to the basement as long as possible.


    ¡°I agree with that! Also, my class description suggests I might be able to make some sort of Ether-charged weapon out of various bits of technology, so maybe that¡¯ll help us when we get down there.¡±


    ¡°Oh, wow. That¡¯s really neat, Sera!¡±


    ¡°That reminds me. It¡¯s probably not the best idea for either of us to go around talking about our classes or abilities with others, and especially not on social media. I know that¡¯s going to be tricky for you, but think about it. If someone does try something nefarious, do you want to broadcast your abilities for the entire world to see?¡±


    ¡°But¨C¡±


    ¡°Chloe, do not ¡®But Sera¡¯ me on this one. I know you like sharing with all your followers on whatever the newfangled social media app of the week is, but I¡¯m putting my foot down on this one. Things are going to get ugly, and I¡¯d love for them to not get ugly toward us specifically.¡± She gives me a pleading face, but I give her a side-eye. ¡°Trust me on this one.¡±


    ¡°Okay, fine, Sera. I know you¡¯re not big on social media. Can I at least let my followers know I¡¯m okay?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that should be fine. And maybe tell them my warning as well. Oh, but I¡¯d make sure to turn off location services or whatever it¡¯s called on your version; I do not want some stalker who just got superpowers to try something.¡±


    I worry that someone might already try something unpleasant, and I start steeling myself to the likelihood that we¡¯re going to fight and possibly have to kill fellow people rather than just rats. And probably sooner rather than later, as unfortunate as that makes me feel.


    As we head outside and I start trying to pop open the engine compartment, that last thought makes me worry. I¡¯ve never even thought about killing someone before. Not even those assholes on the news before. But now I¡¯m talking about it like it¡¯s the most casual thing in the world? Definitely throwing this on the growing pile of evidence that I¡¯ve been reincarnated somehow, and with some sort of lingering memory involving fighting while under the power granted by the System.


    I look at the engine block and peer through the internal mechanisms. I¡¯ve definitely never been one for mechanics and shop work before, but my [Tinkerer] skill is already hard at work, able to dissect the inner workings of my beautiful hunk of scrap with precision. Sure enough, I see that the timing belt is busted. I sigh and admit that Chloe was right about my car, to which I get a smug look in return. I still think the System¡¯s arrival has something to do with it, but after putting my foot down about not using social media a few minutes ago, she deserves the win.


    I get some ideas for how I might use these pieces of equipment to my advantage, but then recall that I also now have the ability to create technology powered by [Ether]. Definitely should look into retrofitting my car with a new engine when I have a better understanding of how to do that. Having a car when others don¡¯t is definitely going to be a major logistical advantage, and as my world history teacher was fond of saying last year, logistics wins wars. Not that¨C I shrug off the invasive thought about my sudden amorality, other than to say that [Divine Paladin] was definitely not the class for me.


    We head back inside, although not before grabbing the jumper cables out of my trunk. Worst case scenario, I have a really poor excuse for a whip. Best case, I can use it in one of the project ideas that have started forming in my head.


    We head to the front door, but just before we cross the threshold, the ground starts shaking beneath our feet. I instinctively drop to my knees and cover the back of my neck as though this is an earthquake, but get up once I realize that this could be an [Evoker] with the potential to create tremors. If that¡¯s the case, I¡¯m just turning myself into a sitting duck for them to take potshots at. But thankfully, the tremors stop after half a minute, and no one emerges from around the corner or the rooftop to attack us.


    Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    ¡°So what do you think that was?¡± Chloe asked.


    ¡°My first thought was an earthquake. I know there was a pretty big one about ten years ago thanks to all the fracking going on, but then I realized it could be an Earth [Evoker]. The other possibility, and now that I¡¯m thinking more clearly, the most likely possibility, is that the System is doing some of the dungeon creation and world modification that it mentioned.¡±


    ¡°Is there anything it can¡¯t do, do you think?¡±


    ¡°Until proven otherwise, I¡¯m going to assume that the System is all powerful. And, I suspect, not as benevolent as it wants us to think it is.¡±


    ¡°What makes you say that?¡±


    ¡°Just a hunch with no real evidence.¡±


    I don¡¯t think this is the right time to mention my status information about being reincarnated just yet. Not that I think Chloe will abandon me over it. We¡¯ve been too close for too long. Just that it¡¯s so much to try to take in over the course of¡­ Three hours now? Maybe a bit less?


    Chloe grabs us a couple of bottles of water. I put them and the jumper cable in my backpack and put that on before we head down to the basement. And holy shit something weird happened. The basement that I remember from barely over two hours ago looks completely different. It stretches down way deeper, the air smells damp and moldy, and we look at each other and decide we¡¯re definitely not going down without a flashlight. Or two.


    Thankfully, Chloe has a pair of them that she dredges up out of the family¡¯s supply closet. She hands it to me¡­ and the battery is dead. Before I give up on it, I decide to test my abilities as a [Planetouched Mechanist]. I trigger the impulse like I¡¯m about to use my [Flash of Insight], but instead of releasing that energy in a huge burst, I thread a tiny amount into my hand and from there into the flashlight¡¯s internal components. And sure enough, it turns on just like that.


    I double and triple check, and sure enough, I can turn the flashlight on more or less at will. There is a small drain of [Ether], but it¡¯s barely noticeable; I¡¯m regenerating it almost as quickly as I¡¯m expending it.


    I take the lead as we head down, knowing full well it¡¯s everyone¡¯s job to defend the healer. Nothing awaits us as we head down the stairs and into the first chamber. It looks like a natural cavern which has spawned just underneath Chloe¡¯s house, even including some stalactites hanging on the ceiling. I have to assume that the tremors from earlier are related to this dungeon which just appeared. I hope it¡¯s a mini-dungeon. And preferably at tutorial difficulty. I¡¯m definitely not ready to die. Something tells me that I need to survive to the end of¡­ whatever lies at the end of this System Integration. Past me, maybe.


    I spin the light around to gather information about my surroundings. I also charge a flash bomb with ten units of [Ether] just in case. Whatever is down here is adapted to the dark and probably won¡¯t appreciate the sudden light show. Though, if they¡¯re blind, it might not be the greatest deterrent. I don¡¯t regret my choice of class, but I feel I might be having an easier time of things had I chosen to be a [Divine Paladin].


    That gets me thinking about what sorts of god or gods are worshiped within the System, or if the System itself can be likened to a god. Considering it just granted all of humanity superpowers over the course of an afternoon, I¡¯d say so. Something for philosophers to mull over in the coming decades.


    We tiptoe around the cavern for a bit, but don¡¯t see anything that looks hostile. Just a few bugs, all of which are the appropriate size for such creatures. Chloe shakes a bit as a roach scurries by her feet, but I flash my light at it, and it runs back off.


    We enter the next chamber, taking it slow and being mindful of potential pitfalls, both literal and metaphorical. A spider drops onto my shoulder. I swat it aside, silently thankful that it landed harmlessly on my shoulder instead of on my head or worse, in my mouth. I shudder and gag just thinking about how rancid that taste would be. Disgusting!


    The air is tense, but we don¡¯t encounter anything more threatening than the occasional bug. In the third chamber, I spot a metal cylinder that seems out of place among all the stone and sounds of dripping water. I pick it up; despite its size, it¡¯s quite light, weighing maybe two pounds? I shake it; it¡¯s definitely hollow, and when I turn off my flashlight, it glows very, very slightly.


    I fiddle around with it a bit more, and I start to get an intuitive sense for what it is. Some sort of [Ether] canister. I take it with us; if I can start analyzing System-made technology, I should get a better sense of my class¡¯s abilities and restrictions.


    ¡°That¡¯s not poisonous, is it?¡± Chloe asks.


    ¡°It seems to contain Ether that¡¯s somehow been compressed and bottled. If you run out in the middle of a fight, you should take it; it should restore you.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°No, and it¡¯s extremely annoying that the System doesn¡¯t seem keen on giving either of our classes an [Identify] skill. Especially because being able to glean some new information about our world would be in our best interests.¡±


    I say it in such a way that conveys my annoyance. For some reason, I can¡¯t help but feel that the System is sapient and aware of our reactions and thoughts, but I don¡¯t know exactly where its intentions lie. Again, I feel that pressure from before, seeming to confirm my suspicions, or just drive my paranoia. In either case, I get no purchase, nor any other indication of a new skill being learned. Maybe I can craft some glasses that help with identification? I still have so much information about crafting with System-derived tech to learn.


    And¡­ There¡¯s the obligatory giant enemy spider crawling out of its lair to finish up this tutorial dungeon. I turn off my flashlight, store it away in my pack, and grip my bat tightly with both hands. Time to squish our friend like the bug it isn¡¯t.

 Chapter 6: Except When its Spiders

    I stare at the spider and wait for it to make the first move.  It¡¯s not quite as tall as I am, only reaching up to my chest.  But its massive abdomen and chitinous legs suggest that it¡¯s at least as strong as I am, and probably more so.  And that¡¯s before any System-derived modifications further augment its physical might.


    Without an identify skill or any sort of device that gives me a read on its capabilities, I decide defensiveness is my best course of action.  Chloe likewise takes a defensive stance, positioning herself such that I¡¯m directly between her and the spider.  It doesn¡¯t appear that my high [Mind] stat has a noticeable effect on my intelligence, nor my thinking speed, but I am willing to bet on being smarter than my foe, if not stronger.


    My eyes dart to the left and right to search for signs of ambush.  I see nothing.


    The spider sees an opportunity while my concentration is momentarily off it and strikes.  I wait until the last possible second, maintaining a defensive posture as its pedipalps bear down upon me.  I throw fifteen units of [Ether] into my [Flash of Insight] skill and launch it directly toward the arachnid¡¯s eyes.  It lurches backward, but it still lands a heavy blow upon my torso as it flails about.


    I¡¯m not bleeding, but my chest stings, I¡¯ve got scrapes from skidding against the dirt floor, and I¡¯m going to have a hell of a bruise in the morning.  Chloe can help with that.  Later.  Now, I have a job to do.


    I rush in and aim my bat directly at the creature¡¯s head.  I score a direct hit, and then another, but the spider adapts before my third hit lands.  It again lashes out at me, but this time I¡¯m more prepared.  I¡¯m able to parry the strike with my offhand, though not without sustaining a gash just below my elbow.  Chloe is right there, placing her hand on my wounds and easing my pain before the blood loss starts to affect me.


    Thankfully, I seem to have earned my arachnid ¡®friend¡¯s¡¯ ire, and it doesn¡¯t go after Chloe as it logically should.  I sustain another wound on my right shoulder, but it¡¯s thankfully a pretty superficial one.  My [Health] sits at 96.  Not in critical danger, but I¡¯m down just over a quarter of my maximum.  Worse, I don¡¯t know how the System handles blood loss, fatigue, or the effects of injury on the body.  If I¡¯m at 1 [Health], am I still able to fight as well as I am now, or am I incapacitated, unconscious, and a wrong poke from death?  Probably best to avoid falling under half or so if I can avoid it.


    I focus on dodging to give Chloe a chance to restore her [Ether] after that spat of healing.  She has an opening to deal damage, but I call her off.  I¡¯ve got a level on her, first and foremost, and I can¡¯t heal her.  Further, I suspect higher [Vitality] also serves as resistance against physical damage, and I need to maintain our foe¡¯s aggression.  Thankfully, the spider doesn¡¯t chase after her.


    I continue that pattern, dodging and sidestepping and fighting extremely defensively until my [Ether] recharges to maximum.  I¡¯m able to regenerate one point every eighteen seconds, meaning I can use a ten [Ether] [Flash of Insight] every three minutes.  I¡¯m guessing Chloe recovers her [Ether] at a similar rate, although I suspect her healing skill doesn¡¯t cost as much as mine.


    Bit by bit, over the course of a grueling thirty minute fight, I gradually whittle away at its health until it finally collapses from the damage.  I¡¯m sweating, tired, and desperately want another shower, but we seem on the verge of victory.  Though I dare not assume that we¡¯ve won until I see the System notification; I¡¯m well aware that some bosses have multiple health bars.  Though, it would certainly suck if there¡¯s a boss this early on.  I spit and curse my lack of preparation, and I can swear I feel the System laughing and mocking my misfortune.  That, or I¡¯m in a delusional coma and I¡¯m going to wake up from a bad dream¡­  sooner or later, I hope.


    The spider makes one last feeble attempt at me before it collapses.  Partly to be certain it¡¯s dead and partly to put it out of my misery, I smash its head in a few more times for good measure, staining my weapon green with its blood and other¡­  I choose not to think about it further.  The System confirms the death, not a moment too soon in my estimation.


    [Your party has slain a Giant Spider (Level 3).  You have gained 43 Experience!]


    [Unique Trait [Touched by the Multiverse] increases Experience gain!  Experience increased to 64!]


    [You have gained enough Experience to reach Level 3.  +1 [Vitality], +1 [Mind].  Please allocate remaining stat points (Remaining: 3)]


    I quickly increase my [Vitality] by three, ensuring an additional six points of [Health] this level, and every level thereafter.  I need to make sure I can survive at all costs.  I turn to Chloe and quickly revise that statement.  I need to make sure we can survive at all costs.


    [Maximum [Health] increases by [Vitality] x 2 + Current Level + Random[1, 3] = 42]


    [Maximum [Ether] increases by [Mind] + Current Level + Random[0, 2] = 24]


    [Current Stats: [Health]: 128 / 174; [Ether]: 55 / 64; Current Experience: 85; To Next: 25]


    The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    [Current Stats: [Strength]: 12; [Speed]: 14, [Vitality]: 19; [Mind]: 21]


    I breathe a sigh of relief as Chloe finishes processing her increased levels.  She wants to tell me about it in great detail, but the two of us both want to get out of this System-damned dungeon as soon as possible and back to whatever vestiges of safety remain on the surface.  Another shower sounds really nice, especially since we might only have a few more days to enjoy them before the world goes further to shit.


    We make it back to the house without more than a couple of tiny critters poking at our feet.  Once we get there, we decide to barricade the door to the basement.  Privately, I don¡¯t expect it to keep the worst of those creatures out.  But it¡¯ll buy us a few seconds and make a lot of noise, and that¡¯s the difference between being killed in our sleep and waking up in time to fight off the threat.


    It¡¯s getting late by the time we make it up.  Electricity is still working¡ª a major miracle, considering everything.  Chloe and I both get our phones plugged in and charging as we each take another quick shower.  She volunteers to make us some pasta, while I sit at the dining room table and play around with the Ether canister I found earlier.


    I trace my hands along the outside, finding tiny ridges on the surface.  Considering their smoothness and uniformity, I assume they¡¯re relevant, but they¡¯re too small to see.


    ¡°Do you have a magnifying glass, by chance?¡± I ask.  I realize what she¡¯s going to say before she actually says it.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you just use your phone?  I¡¯m sure the camera app can do something like that.¡±


    Yep, I was right.  ¡°Can I borrow yours?  Mine¡¯s suffering from a case of ¡®being from the early 2010¡¯s and having a scratched up lens.¡±


    ¡°You better put it back when you¡¯re done.  And don¡¯t even think about having it on the table at dinner; I¨C¡±


    ¡°You eat with your phone out all the time, Chloe!  That¡¯s your choice, but don¡¯t try and tell me¨C¡±


    She flips me the bird for the second time today.  I reciprocate.  The two of us laugh at each other.


    Once she unlocks her phone, she hands it back and I take a few pictures, at both low and high magnification.  Once I see the pictures and start to zoom in, I¡¯m utterly astounded.  The markings seem to be some sort of coded message, or perhaps the language of magic, or [Ether], or the System¡¯s own language, in the sense of a computer¡¯s code.  It¡¯s all so fascinating and I want to spend weeks diving into the inner workings of even this simple canister, but the smell of freshly grated parmesan cheese mixed with oregano snaps my attention back to the present.


    She hands me my plate and oh goodness, it smells so heavenly.  I take a bite and it¡¯s just as good as it smells.  She smiles at me before handing me a pair of concert tickets to one of my favorite artists.


    ¡°So, I was going to give you these when we got here as an early birthday present since I know that¡¯s coming up next week.  That was part of why I wanted you to come over after school.  I¡¯d planned out a big trip for us to drive up to Kansas City next Thursday, go see the concert, then come back just in time to ride through the last two months of our summer break!  I was going to come back to the worst case of senioritis but we were going to have a great time.  Of course, now all this had to happen.¡±


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s wait and see,¡± I say.  ¡°Maybe everything will work out and we can still go, even if the concert is cancelled.  In either case, I really appreciate it though!¡±


    It¡¯s exceedingly unlikely that the concert is still happening, but it¡¯s not technically impossible either.  Hopefully people don¡¯t speedrun the most apocalyptic outcome for System integration, but considering the assholes on the internet and the dipshits who represent us, I¡¯m not holding my breath that a bunch of people with superpowers are going to use them for the greater good of humanity.


    We make some smalltalk over dinner.  Chloe mentions that she got an [Antidote] skill, and I invite her to try it on me.  I never got stung, but I can imagine other parts of that spider¡¯s body being venomous, and I bled more than a few times.  She does, and then confirms that the skill found no purchase.  I breathe a small sigh of relief.


    ¡°Have you heard anything from your mother?¡± I ask.


    ¡°She always works late on Fridays.  She has her meetings with the board of directors for the company.  I have no idea why the bigwigs schedule their meetings on Friday afternoons, though.¡±


    ¡°I guess they¡¯re a bunch of workaholics who work their regular day jobs, then fly out here to have more meetings because they have no life and no friends and don¡¯t want to spend any time with their families.  So they make it inconvenient for everyone else, to try to make them just as miserable as they are.¡±


    Chloe giggles.  ¡°Yeah, that sounds about right.  Even when the literal end of the world as we know it is upon us, they¡¯re still going to be all ¡®good to know about the apocalypse, but that¡¯s no excuse not to be in at 8:00 AM sharp!¡¯¡±  She speaks the last part in the caricatured mocking tone of an out-of-touch corporate bigwig with more dollars than sense.


    I laugh as well, and the two of us laugh some more as we continue to make increasingly outlandish caricatures to pass the time.  I offer to help Chloe put dinner away, but she waves me off, telling me that I¡¯m a guest and that I should focus on my new projects instead.  And I can¡¯t help but smile and thank whatever lucky stars I have that I have a thoughtful and considerate best friend to have my back.


    The sun goes down over the course of our antics.  Soon after we finish, Chloe yawns loudly.


    ¡°I know it¡¯s still early, but after everything, I¡¯m pretty tired and want to go to sleep early.  I texted my mom and let her know that the hunk of junk in the driveway is you, so that way she won¡¯t have a panic attack when she gets back.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like a plan.  Do you mind if I stay upstairs in the game room area while I work?  That way I can keep an ear out while you sleep while hopefully not disturbing you too much.¡±


    ¡°Just make sure you come to bed at some point rather than staying awake all night.¡±


    I nod.  ¡°I promise I¡¯ll stop before midnight.¡±


    She smiles.  ¡°Good night, Sera!¡±

 Chapter 7: Weapon Crafting I

    After Chloe heads upstairs, I do a bit of trawling around several closets and drawers looking for anything that might make for a good weapon. I don¡¯t immediately see anything that stands out to me. The idea of throwing flailing clothes hangers about as improvised throwing stars briefly crosses my mind, but that¡¯s a bridge or three too far even for me. Similarly, although the idea of throwing cards sounds cute, I¡¯m not sure there¡¯s a lot of destructive potential.


    No, wait, there¡¯s probably some sort of tarot-based class that can throw cards around. Charge [Ether] into them and use them to mimic spells. Maybe some [Reality Mage] variant?


    That thought leads me down further rabbit holes as I start thinking of all the different class possibilities I could have had. I¡¯m very content with my class personally, but I do muse about what other classes might be out there, mostly so I can start devising countermeasures. I quickly stop when I realize it¡¯s a fool¡¯s errand trying to match wits and imagination with a nigh-omniscient system. The only real possibility is to prepare as much as I can and hope that it¡¯s enough to keep us alive.


    I start thinking more about what sort of weapon I want to craft for myself. I start with the more mundane weapons, the classic fantasy staples of swords, spears, axes, and bows. They¡¯ve been in use more or less since antiquity, and their simplicity to create makes them favorable first choices. As much as I like the prospect of flying around in an airship, raining hell and fire down upon any who threaten us, I don¡¯t think my measly Level 3 self is going to be coming up with the schematics for anything like that anytime soon. Maybe at Level 300?


    The prospect of riding around in an airship makes me happier than I know how to express in words. I¡¯m sure that it¡¯s what my class wants to do, but the satisfaction at the thought is even greater than that. Something related to my past life? I wish I could remember at least something about who I supposedly am or was or¡­ I start to groan in frustration, but restrain myself for Chloe¡¯s sake. I try to remember something, but after a few minutes of failing, I move on.


    I don¡¯t like the idea of a melee weapon. I¡¯m not going to outpower people with martial-focused classes, the [Fighters] and [Paladins] and similar. And I don¡¯t have the [Speed] to slip into the defenses of [Mages] and similar who will try to pepper me from afar. No, the true power of my class is in its versatility out of battle, and its progression path over the long horizon. I need to fight like I did against the spider earlier. Stay at range, assail it from afar, and only come into melee when the enemy is incapacitated.


    A bow would be the obvious choice for this, but I¡¯m not exactly muscular, and my [Strength] stat is far from my priority. A crossbow doesn¡¯t sound bad, although I¡¯m not sure the exact firing mechanisms behind them. I also think crossbows require quite a bit of physical strength to fire, and they have a slow recharge time. A good option for when I need maximum power over a single shot, but not a good primary weapon against masses of enemies or in a fight against humans or intelligent enemies empowered by the System.


    Guns would be a logical choice. Sadly, Chloe and her family don¡¯t have any, and with the apocalypse upon us, I doubt we¡¯re going to find anyone parting with their weapons anytime soon. This is more of a short-term concern, though. Pre-System guns might be useful for a few levels or so, but the power of mundane weapons from the old Earth is going to drop off as people become superhuman in every way. Even without investing in my [Strength], I still have enough to do dozens of push-ups without stopping, and I definitely didn¡¯t have that capability this time last night.


    Instead, I go with the simple, if somewhat archaic blowgun as a first weapon. Simple to produce, easy enough to wield, and I can probably make a second one for Chloe. The tradeoff is limited stopping power, which is why I want to try to enhance it with [Ether] as I should be able to. Even better if I figure out a way to fire solid [Ether] projectiles.


    My [Flash of Insight] suggests that this is not only possible, but a key part of my class. Heck, with a few modifications to the skill, I might be able to repurpose it. I stealthily close the bedroom door as I experiment a bit. I hold a single unit of [Ether] in my palm and prepare the skill, but I hold it back at the last second rather than discharging it. My hand glows with the blue-white light of those new-fangled ultrabright headlights that scream ¡®I¡¯m going to see all around me, and I¡¯ll blind every other driver around me to do so!¡¯


    I focus on trying to compress the energy into a smaller and smaller sphere. The [Ether] fights me, but eventually, it starts to coalesce in the center of my palm. I try to push it further, but once it gets down to the size of a golf ball, it becomes too difficult to push further. I grimace. If this is as much as I can concentrate [Ether] in my palm, I won¡¯t be able to use it as an effective bullet.


    I sweat. I didn¡¯t realize until just now how difficult this is. Like taxing a completely new set of muscles for the first time. Instead, I try holding the [Ether] in that state for as long as I can. I last about five minutes before I release my skill. I lie on the floor and catch my breath. Hopefully Chloe doesn¡¯t notice that I worked up a sweat when I sidle into bed later.


    Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    I see a new System notification pop up in the corner of my eye.


    [You have unlocked the General Skill: [Basic Ether Manipulation, (Rank I)]. Would you like to unlock this skill? (General Skill Slots Available: 6/6)]


    Apparently my [Touched by the Multiverse] is not considered part of my Skills, and therefore doesn¡¯t take up a skill slot. Good to know for the future. I¡¯m obviously going to take the Skill, but I want to see exactly what it does first.


    [[Basic Ether Manipulation, (Rank I)]: You are naturally inquisitive and seek to better your understanding of the world around you. Not content to use Ether to power Skills like most, you seek to manipulate the fuel of the universe at its most basic level. This Skill will assist you in your journey. (Note: This skill has multiple ranks. Ranks will increase once certain conditions are met.)]


    I find it a little strange that none of my other Skills have ranks. Maybe they will develop into different Skills with more powerful or general effects later on?


    I try the same thing as before, and I see a bit more success. I¡¯m able to compress a single unit of [Ether] down to the size of a quarter before it gets too difficult to continue. I¡¯ll have to keep working on this later if my goal for an [Ether]-powered blowgun is to work properly. I also imagine Chloe can get a similar skill given she has a magic-focused class, and I¡¯ll have to teach her in the morning.


    Instead, I spend the rest of the evening analyzing the canister I got earlier. It¡¯s an absolute masterwork of engineering. Hundreds of glyphs too small to make out with the naked eye and etched into the sides. I suspect without proof that they somehow define the properties of the canister, or regulate the flow of Ether within.


    I grab a sheet of paper from downstairs and bring it back up, where I begin to trace the glyphs I can identify. I have no success with causing the paper to look like anything more than a piece of paper with scribbles on it. Most likely, there are even more components of the glyph that I can¡¯t make out at this resolution. I curse silently, bemoaning the limited tools for my craft.


    I also make a mental note that crafting some sort of goggles with high magnification needs to be high on my list of priorities. That, being able to see Ether, being able to mimic the effects of the [Identify] skill I really wish I had.


    My last question concerns the Ether canister I have. If I open it and release the stored Ether, I might get some insight into my [Basic Ether Manipulation] skill. I might also be able to understand more about how the device works. That information will be invaluable for sure.


    However, the risks are too great. I don¡¯t know how much Ether is stored inside, nor do I know the ramifications of releasing it all at once. Plus, there¡¯s the opportunity cost of having a one-time [Ether] restorative. If there were some method of recharging it, that would be ideal, but I have to assume it¡¯ll be consumed permanently. At the very least, it¡¯s not a decision I¡¯m willing to make without Chloe¡¯s counsel.


    The night has not been fruitless, but the hour is growing late and my strength is fading. I set everything down by the floor in Chloe¡¯s bedroom and hop back to the bathroom to rinse my face and shoulders off. Honestly, another bath sounds really nice, but I don¡¯t want to risk waking her up. That, and her mother should be home soon.


    I¡¯m surprised she¡¯s not, given it¡¯s nearly 10:00 PM. She must really be working late. I guess our jokes earlier were more accurate than we¡¯d thought. I head back to Chloe¡¯s room, only to be greeted by the phone buzzing. Her mother is calling, and I step back into the entertainment area to answer.


    ¡°Hello, Mrs. Jacobs. Sorry, it¡¯s Sera. Chloe headed to sleep a good while ago; I saw you on the caller ID and decided to answer for her.¡±


    ¡°Oh, hi Sera. And thank you,¡± she says. ¡°She¡¯s okay, then?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, sleeping soundly. A long day for everyone.¡±


    Mrs. Jacobs laughs. ¡°Isn¡¯t that the understatement of the century? Anyway, I¡¯m still doing okay. Unfortunately, there¡¯s been some hooliganry going on downtown since early this evening. Our building is secure, but we¡¯re on lockdown until law enforcement takes care of the situation. So I¡¯ll be staying here overnight and I¡¯ll try to get back home first thing in the morning.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll let her know in the morning. And, I think you and your colleagues should handle your System initialization sooner rather than later, if you haven¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°You really believe in all this stuff?¡±


    ¡°After everything I¡¯ve gone through and experienced today¨C¡± I whisper the next part. ¡°¨Cincluding your daughter gaining the ability to heal people with her touch, yes, I have no choice but to believe.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re¨C¡± She pauses. ¡°Not joking, are you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not. Please don¡¯t tell anyone else; we¡¯re trying to keep quiet about our abilities. And I think it would be best if you did the same. I¡¯m sure some of those hooligans, as you called them, are looking for a chance to use their new powers on unsuspecting people.¡±


    ¡°I¨C I see. I will take your words into consideration.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± I yawn. ¡°If I may, I am about ready to sleep myself. I¡¯ll let Chloe know you called when we wake up in the morning.¡±


    ¡°I appreciate it. Talk with you later, Sera. Bye bye.¡±


    I say my goodbyes and hang up. I yawn again as I plug Chloe¡¯s phone back in and slide in next to her. Her bed is plenty large, so thankfully we each have more than enough space and can even sprawl out a bit.


    I reflect upon the day. And surprisingly, especially considering we just went through the literal apocalypse today, it was a pretty good day.


    I pass out less than a minute after my head hits the pillow.

 Chapter 8: Hell In the Morning

    The two of us wake up not long after the light begins streaming in through the bedroom window. I immediately check my Status, partially to make sure nothing is horribly off, and mostly because I want to be sure that all the events from yesterday actually happened.


    [Name: Seraphina Mortensen]


    [Level: 3]


    [Current Stats: [Health]: 174 / 174; [Ether]: 64 / 64; Current Experience: 85; To Next: 25]


    [Current Stats: [Strength]: 12; [Speed]: 14, [Vitality]: 19; [Mind]: 21]


    [Class: [Planetouched Mechanist]]


    [Class Skills: [Tinkerer], [Flash of Insight]. 4 Open Class Skills Remaining]


    [General Skills: [Basic Ether Manipulation, Rank I]. 5 Open General Skills Remaining]


    [Unique Trait: [Touched by the Multiverse]]


    Well, it appears that either the apocalypse did happen yesterday and I¡¯m as healthy as can be, or I¡¯m still in a hallucination that no amount of pinching myself is going to get me out of.


    I pool two points of my [Ether] into my palm and practice manipulating it some more. I still have trouble compressing it as much as I¡¯d like, so I try other things. I try swirling it about like a top, which goes well. I try stretching it out into a torus, and that nearly explodes in my face. I¡¯m thankfully able to dissipate the energy before it causes anything more than a light flash, and quickly decide to save future testing of my abilities for somewhere that¡¯s not my best friend¡¯s bed. Chloe¡¯s indignant evil eye redoubles my commitment to that decision.


    ¡°By the way, I talked with your mother for a few minutes last night,¡± I say. ¡°She called after you were already asleep, and considering everything that happened yesterday, I felt she should know that we were both okay. Apparently there were some riots downtown and she¡¯s holed up in her office complex while the police try to get a handle on the situation.¡± I pause for a few moments. ¡°I decided not to wake you up to tell you; figured there wasn¡¯t anything we could do about it, and you deserved your rest.¡±


    She takes a moment to think about it. ¡°I¡¯m glad she¡¯s okay. And thanks for thinking about me.¡±


    I give her a thumbs up. ¡°That¡¯s what friends are for, right?¡± I don¡¯t correct her misconception that her mother is necessarily still fine now. She probably realizes it as well, but better to maintain the illusion.


    ¡°What about your parents?¡± she asks. ¡°Did you let them know?¡±


    ¡°I messaged them letting them know that I was staying at your place. I didn¡¯t get a response back from either of them.¡±


    ¡°Do you think¨C¡± She trails off.


    The thought hits a bit closer to home when I think about my own parents. Considering that neither of them work in the greatest parts of town, nor with the most stable and well-adjusted populations, I can¡¯t dismiss the possibility outright.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I say. ¡°I¡¯d like to just say that they¡¯re both definitely alright and at home and waiting for me to let them know to pick me up, but I can¡¯t say either way.¡±


    Chloe nods. ¡°How did things go last night otherwise?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t make as much progress with the [Tinkerer] skill as I would have liked. I think that I might have to wait until I get more examples of Ether-based technology to work with before I can really make use of it. However, I did gain the [Basic Ether Manipulation] skill, and I think it could be useful for you as well.¡±


    ¡°Oh? I think I have that skill, actually. Got it as a class skill. It¡¯s supposed to help me cure illnesses and other diseases that affect the body¡¯s system of Ether flow. I¡¯m not entirely sure about how that works either.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think that¡¯s a little strange?¡± I ask. ¡°The System is giving us these Skills, but not the information to contextualize exactly how our Skills work or how best to make use of them? That part seems kind of odd.¡±


    ¡°Maybe we¡¯ll find out more later?¡±


    ¡°Maybe. Maybe it¡¯s our responsibility to figure out how best to use these abilities.¡± Especially me. I guess this is the price I pay for having such an amazing class that explicitly asks that I study and understand the System and its technology. I silently request a little assistance. I swear I hear the sound of someone blowing a raspberry in response.


    ¡°Huh,¡± Chloe says.


    ¡°Did something catch your attention?¡±


    ¡°Well, it seems that there¡¯s a pretty large new dungeon that sprouted up a few miles away.¡±


    ¡°You already have one of those in the basement.¡±


    Chloe rolls her eyes. ¡°The president is supposed to give a speech about the System this afternoon. Apparently the government is still insisting that it¡¯s some mass hysteria event, even as the death toll rises.¡±


    ¡°Is it all people trying to start The Purge in the pursuit of gaining levels? Mass hysteria leading to rioting? The System reshaping the landscape and leveling people¡¯s homes? All of those?¡±


    ¡°Those, some accidents with powers, some people trying really stupid shit of all varieties and¡­ Speaking of ¡®oh shit¡¯, apparently strange monsters have started appearing pretty much everywhere.¡±


    ¡°Like giant rats and spiders?¡±


    Chloe gives me the bird. Again! I didn¡¯t even deserve it that time! I throw my hands up and lean back a bit in an attempt for mercy.


    ¡°Yes. Among others. Packs of wolves, bears casually shrugging off gunshots and¡­ Sera, do these look like little devils to you?¡±


    I look at the picture on her phone. About two feet tall, red skin, devilish horns, carrying little pitchforks, maniacally cackling as they light things on fire and cause general mischief, traveling in packs of six to eight.


    If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°Devils, imps, gremlins, or something else that came to Earth, direct from hell, courtesy of our friend the System.¡±


    ¡°Well, we should probably make breakfast, and sooner rather than later. I¡¯d rather not fight literal hellspawn on an empty stomach.¡±


    ¡°Me neither. Do you have bacon and eggs? That sounds really good right now.¡±


    ¡°Not sure if we have any bacon. I think we can do ham and eggs though.¡±


    ¡°And cheese?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sera. I know how much you love cheese. We always keep some around for you.¡±


    I immediately rush down the stairs, stopping only long enough to grab my toys from the previous night and start grabbing everything we need for omelettes. My celebration is short lived when I notice an odd scratching sound coming from the back door. I grab my baseball bat and peer over to a nearby window and¡ª Oh shit!


    ¡°Chloe! Our friends, the hellspawn, are here!¡±


    ¡°What the f¨C¡± she says, stumbling down. ¡°Sera, that¡¯s not funny! And I said¨C¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t joke about something like that. Not at a time like this.¡±


    ¡°Oh for the sake of¨C Damnit all!¡± She sighs. ¡°Do you have any ideas, Sera? You¡¯re the one who can do the most with improvised weaponry.¡±


    ¡°If I had a few more days, I probably would have. And I¡¯m sure they¡¯re going to break a window sooner or later, so¡­¡±


    I turn to the block of knives sitting on the countertop and pick up the two largest ones. I soak my¡ª really, Chloe¡¯s¡ª shirt with water. It¡¯s cold and I might be looking a bit indecent, but if these bastards really have some sort of [Fire Manipulation] type of skill, I¡¯ll deal with being a bit showy in front of my bestie for a few minutes.


    ¡°Stay behind me, and keep your healing ready.¡± I hand her the Ether canister. ¡°Focus on healing, and if your [Ether] runs low, use it.¡±


    I¡¯m glad that Chloe is starting to adjust to the world around us. Strangely, I feel more at home now than I did before the System arrived. Not that I logically should say such things given it¡¯s barely been half a day before. But the fighting, the danger, the conflict, the prospect of strengthening myself. All of this is¡­ nostalgic in a way. My old world must have had a System very similar to this one. If not exactly the same.


    But then, why did I leave my old world? And why did I get rid of my memories? Was I forced out? Did something take my memories from me? Was it the System that did so? And how did I end up being reborn as a girl from Earth? I¨C I want to know the answers to these questions and many more, but the scratching and knocking at the back door is more urgent, if not important.


    I open the door and stab at the devil nearest me with both hands. It breathes fire directly at my chest, but the flames find no purchase against Chloe¡¯s wet shirt. I lunge forward toward the devil¡¯s torso. It proves a crafty and nimble creature, and dodges, but I still manage to score its arm. Green blood spurts forth, and I can only praise the System that it¡¯s not acidic, bubbling at the porch and the leaves. I curse the thought, not wanting to give it any ideas it might not already have.


    I get hit with a pair of small fireballs. My forearm singes with pain at the blow, but the lingering water from dousing myself means the flames fortunately don¡¯t take and spread. The rush of adrenaline and other endorphins blocks out most of the pain as I kick the hellspawn nearest me and send it flying into a brick wall. Another quick thrust and my knives find purchase in the damnable creature¡¯s neck. A System notification confirms the kill and I move on to the other five.


    They prove more quick and annoying than actively dangerous. Which isn¡¯t to say that their pitchforks being jammed into my asscheeks doesn¡¯t sting like hell, because they certainly do. Not to mention the indignity of it all, and the fact that Chloe looks increasingly pissed about how her clothing that she has generously allowed me to wear has turned to so much confetti. But their attacks are only doing seven to ten points of damage per strike, and Chloe is able to heal for around fifty points every ten seconds.


    ¡°Ow!¡± I scream as one of the bastards squeezes one of my breasts. I grab its neck and grip it with all the strength I can muster. I throw it to the ground, and a stomp to the head precedes another notification.


    I add ¡®make a suit of armor with some real defensive properties¡¯ to my list of priorities. I¡¯m sure there¡¯s gotta be something I can make out of the materials I have on hand.


    My musing is interrupted by yet another pitchfork trying to ram its way up my backside! Because seriously, after a pretty good first day of the apocalypse, I get to wake up to some pricks trying to jam things into me that are most unwelcome and do not belong!


    I settle on the most appropriate way of dealing with the gremlin. I yank its pitchfork out of my butt, grab it by the neck, and skewer it straight through like a shish kebab. Or, at least, I try. I don¡¯t manage to make it particularly far. My low [Strength] makes me incapable of striking through even these tiny bones, and so I have to settle for another neck snap before throwing the devil against the fence and out of my misery for good.


    I channel a unit of [Ether] through the pitchfork, wondering if I can make any use of it. And to my surprise and great delight, I¡¯m able to generate a small flame that appears on the tip. Two units instead and the sphere becomes about twenty-five percent larger. A third unit and it increases to a bit under a hundred and fifty percent of its original size. Good to know that there¡¯s a proportionality between the amount of [Ether] I use and the volume of flame I produce.


    I rush back over to Chloe, who¡¯s able to get in small potshots in between healing the two of us and dodging what attacks she can. Thankfully, these gremlins are too stupid to prioritize her over me, and so she hasn¡¯t suffered more than a few pokes in the sides and other not so inappropriate places. I charge up ten units of [Ether] into my palm, compress it with my [Basic Ether Manipulation], and then throw a [Flash of Insight] into the three remaining gremlins, ensuring that Chloe is unaffected.


    The creatures shriek with guttural, hellish sounds befitting their origin. With my new weapon, small and unwieldy though it is, the two of us are able to make quick work of our unwelcome breakfast guests. Scarcely a minute goes by before the two of us are catching our breaths, with Chloe healing the remainder of our injuries. System notifications confirm that the battle is over, and we rush back inside and lock the door before anything else tries to interrupt our meal.


    Chloe collapses into the chair, and I follow once I¡¯ve gotten us each a glass of ice water. I quickly down mine as I scroll through the notifications that I¡¯ve been dismissing until now.


    [You have equipped a [Small Fiendish Pitchfork]. Attack +6. Special Property: Wielder can cast [Conjure Flames] as though they had the Skill. Usable at will.]


    [You have slain six Lesser Hellspawn (Level 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 3). You have gained 80 Experience.]


    No doubt, the asshole that jammed that pitchfork up my asshole somehow leveled up for doing so. And no matter how much Chloe has healed me, I¡¯m going to feel the lingering pain every time I crap for a week. Mentally if not physically for sure.


    [Unique Trait [Touched by the Multiverse] increases Experience gain to 120]


    [You have gained enough experience to reach Level 5. [Vitality] +2, [Mind] +2. Please allocate stat points (Remaining: 6)]


    I allocate 3 points of [Vitality] during the first level, then one point to [Speed] and two points to [Mind] during the second. Even without any effects that make good use of it, the stat distribution of my class suggests that the stat is important for me.


    [Maximum Health increases by [Vitality] x2 + Current Level + Rand[1, 3] = (51, 56)]


    [Maximum Ether increases by [Mind] + Current Level + Rand[0, 2] = (28, 31)]


    [Level: 5; Experience: 205; To Next: 145]


    [Current Stats: [Health]: 264 / 281; [Ether]: 105 / 123]


    [Current Stats: [Strength]: 12; [Speed]: 15; [Vitality]: 24; [Mind]: 25]


    [You have upgraded [Basic Ether Manipulation (Rank I)] to [Basic Ether Manipulation (Rank II)]


    The two of us finish processing our levels at the same time. We turn to each other. ¡°Another shower first, then breakfast?¡± we both say in unison. We nod and giggle at how we¡¯re on the same wavelength, then we go do just that.

 Chapter 9: Chloes Mother

    We ready up some breakfast after we get out of the shower. Chloe decides it¡¯s a good idea to tease me about how I¡¯ve ruined yet another one of her outfits, to which I respond with that most appropriate gesture of indignance. This time it¡¯s Chloe¡¯s turn to feign apology as she flips the eggs overhead and back into the pan. To which I can only laugh, given I¡¯ve just flipped the bird.


    I don¡¯t know why she doesn¡¯t just use a spatula, but given that we had to fight literal devils not an hour ago, I¡¯m not going to begrudge the bit of levity to start out our spring break.


    It¡¯s hard to believe that this time just yesterday we were in school, going about ordinary lives, and here we are now, fighting giant vermin and literal spawn from the depths of hell. Echoes of my past life must be helping to calm my mind against the maelstroms of this upheaval, but I can¡¯t imagine Chloe is handling it well. She smiles, we tell jokes about the absurdity of this new world, but I can¡¯t help but worry that it¡¯s all just a front, a fa?ade to try to power through everything that has happened these past eighteen hours.


    As soon as she sets our plates down, I wrap my arm around her shoulder and pull her into a big hug. We stand in silence for a moment, and Chloe wraps her arms around me.


    ¡°You okay, Sera?¡± she asks.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± I say. ¡°But I¡¯m worried about you. I¡¯m sure dealing with all of this can¡¯t be easy, and I want to make sure I¡¯m here for you as much as I can.¡±


    Chloe starts to cry, and I don¡¯t say anything. She buries her face in my shoulder, and I encourage her to let out all her fears and frustrations and worries about everything that¡¯s happened. And I¡¯m reminded that, even though there are plenty of psychopaths that are relishing the opportunity to let their basest impulses run rampant, there are just as many people like Chloe who are just trying to make sense of and find meaning in the end of the world.


    I hold her like that for about five minutes, handing her napkins every so often to help her wipe her tears and blow her nose. Once she¡¯s fully cried out, we sit back down and I encourage her to take a long and deep drink of water. I do the same; I¡¯m still feeling a bit lightheaded after suffering a bunch of injuries and being healed by Chloe¡¯s spells. We take a bite of the ham and cheese omelettes. I swear it¡¯s the best thing I¡¯ve ever eaten.


    ¡°You seem so calm about all this, Sera,¡± she finally says. ¡°I have no idea what I¡¯m doing or what I¡¯m supposed to be. Everything I thought I knew is a lie. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going to happen, and I¨C¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Chloe. No matter what, I¡¯m here for you. All the way.¡±


    ¡°How can you be so calm about this, Sera?¡± she asks. ¡°How can you just see the world falling apart before our very eyes, and just calmly accept that that¡¯s the way things are?¡± Her voice is tinged with anger, but I know it¡¯s the anger of feeling helpless and the frustration of not knowing anything. Even as she hurls invectives at me, I remain stubbornly calm and let them brush off me until she¡¯s had a chance to let it all out.


    I decide I need to tell her about me. Everything I know, which still isn¡¯t much.


    ¡°There¡¯s something I need to tell you,¡± I say. ¡°But I ask that you tell no one else. Not even your parents, nor any of your or our friends. I should have told you sooner, but I didn¡¯t know how.¡±


    She nods.


    ¡°When the System Integration happened yesterday, I got a notification about anomalous data appearing. Something about me didn¡¯t mesh well, and It resolved the discrepancy by giving me a trait called [Touched by the Multiverse]. It hinted at a past life that I had in another world. A world with the same System that we have now, I¡¯d imagine.¡±


    ¡°But¡­ We¡¯ve known each other since we were like five! How can you be from another world? You grew up here, and if your parents found you in some sort of space pod somewhere, don¡¯t you think they would have told you by now? Or at the very least, the government would have been involved?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know for sure,¡± I say. ¡°My guess is that someone in another world died, but some part of her was able to carry over and reincarnate as me. I don¡¯t have any memories of my old life but¨C¡± I choke up a bit. ¡°I want to know. I want to know who I am, why I¡¯m here, and who I once was. Something did awaken in me.¡±


    ¡°When you started screaming on the couch?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. It felt like some memory of mine was trying to resurface. Nothing came of it, but I think my being here has something to do with the System. I don¡¯t know what, but I plan to find out.¡±


    ¡°And how do you plan to do that?¡± she asks.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. For now, I think we have to play the System¡¯s game and see where things progress.¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t a game!¡± Chloe shouts.


    The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡°I know. It¡¯s definitely not a game. But all we can really do is play along, see where things go, and make sure we both survive. I promised you yesterday that I¡¯d stay by your side through whatever befell us. And no matter what happens, I will do just that.¡±


    Just as I reiterate my declaration, the rumble of the garage door opening echoes from across the house. I grab the pitchfork I yoinked off the Hellspawn and position it toward the door to the garage. I hope that it¡¯s just Chloe¡¯s mother returning home, but I¡¯m not going to ignore the possibility that there¡¯s some [Saboteur] class that can hack the opener. Not when I have a [Mechanist] class myself.


    We wait for several seconds. Time seems to slow down and I grow tenser, not wanting to deal with another fight so soon. Or at all, but I know that¡¯s not an option. I ready [Flash of Insight] as well, just in case.


    We all breathe a sigh of relief as the door opens and Chloe¡¯s mother walks in. She tries to set her stuff down on the counter in an orderly fashion, but Chloe rushes up to hug her before she gets a chance. I lower my weapon and approach slowly, keeping my respectful distance as mother and daughter embrace and enjoy a cathartic reunion.


    ¡°Oh, Chloe dear,¡± Mrs. Jacobs says. ¡°I¡¯m so glad to see you here, safe and sound. Sera said she was with you, but I couldn¡¯t help but worry. That¡¯s just what mothers do. Someday, when you¡¯re a mother yourself, you¡¯ll understand.¡±


    Chloe blushes. ¡°Mom,¡± she says in that specific tone of a kid being embarrassed by her mother.


    A solid minute passes, and her mother doesn¡¯t let go. I consider trying to get their attention, but I don¡¯t bother. Mrs. Jacobs needs this, and Chloe does too, as much as she doesn¡¯t want to admit it. A few more minutes pass before the two break it off and Mrs. Jacobs turns to me.


    ¡°Oh, and thank you too, Sera, for looking after my daughter.¡± She brings me into a hug, which is mercifully much shorter than the one she just gave Chloe.


    ¡°By the way,¡± she adds, ¡°should I ask where you got that?¡±


    ¡°There were some Hellspawn who tried to interrupt breakfast. We took care of them, and I took one of their weapons just in case any others get some ideas.¡±


    ¡°And that explains why you looked like you were about to attack me the second I came inside.¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t going to take any chances,¡± I say. ¡°By the way, can you get the garage door closed and outside the doors locked? I¡¯d feel a lot safer once you do.¡±


    We get situated. Mrs. Jacobs heads to her bedroom to take a quick shower and get changed while Chloe and I make another round of omelettes for her. I make a little extra because the fighting from before has made me hungry again. Chloe notices but doesn¡¯t say anything.


    Mrs. Jacobs returns with pretty great timing after about ten minutes. Once she gets a chance to start eating, I ask the question that¡¯s been on my mind this whole time.


    ¡°So, what¡¯s it like out there?¡± I finally ask. ¡°Chloe¡¯s been keeping tabs on social media, but I¡¯d like to hear firsthand.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not good. There are plenty of people just trying to do their jobs and go about their days, but there¡¯s so many incidents that the police can¡¯t handle it all. The National Guard has already been recalled, but right now, the police aren¡¯t able to do more than keep the essential infrastructure protected. Fire stations, prisons, the power plants and major electrical infrastructure, waste and water treatment. The most essential components of our infrastructure. Naturally, that means there¡¯s plenty of businesses relying on volunteers from their staff to protect their own, and there are constant protests down at City Hall.¡±


    ¡°What do you think will happen?¡± Chloe asks.


    ¡°Well, I suspect they¡¯ll have to call in parts of the army and move them to key cities and locations to maintain domestic order until we all have a chance to adjust,¡± Mrs. Jacobs says, completely matter-of-factly.


    ¡°Considering the immense unrest, there¡¯s already a declaration passing through Congress to give the president and senior military officers the authority to suspend Posse Comitatus and habeas corpus federally until order can be restored. Given the pressure from major business leaders and, well, basically all the major power brokers, I suspect the declaration will pass as soon as the Senate has enough members to make quorum and take a vote. The President has already indicated that he¡¯ll sign it through his staff, but he¡¯s currently in hiding and not available to the media.¡±


    All this so quickly. I guess the situation is a lot worse than I¡¯d initially hoped.


    ¡°So, an allegedly ¡®temporary¡¯ martial law,¡± I say. ¡°I guess it¡¯s preferable to complete pandemonium and widespread chaos by superpowered actors.¡± Not by much, I add, but I have to remember that the relatively well-off Jacobses are used to thinking of law enforcement in a positive light. I also doubt the martial law is going to be anywhere near as temporary as people are hoping or expecting.


    Mrs. Jacobs nods. ¡°So what are you two going to do? Sera, if you need a ride back home, I would be more than happy to¨C¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Chloe says. ¡°We need to stay together!¡± She grabs on my hand. ¡°Sorry, but¨C She said she would protect me, and I¨C¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t ask her to do something like that, Chloe! Besides, I¡¯m your mother and it¡¯s my job to¨C¡±


    I cut her off. ¡°No. This is something I want to do.¡± I pause for a moment, as I don¡¯t want to tell her everything I¡¯ve just told Chloe. ¡°I think it would be best if we stayed together for the time being. There¡¯s a dungeon where the basement used to be, with giant rats and spiders both. We were attacked by Hellspawn, as in, little red devils, a short time ago. And I think things are only going to get worse, not better. I don¡¯t want to leave you and Chloe to fend for yourselves without me, and I don¡¯t want to be stuck at home by myself.¡±


    Mrs. Jacobs, to her immense credit, takes it in stride. ¡°I don¡¯t know if there are any grocery stores open, or how much food they still have in stock, but we should probably see about getting what we can. Heaven only knows how long it¡¯ll be before we see our supply chains secured and get food shipments back from the distributors.¡± She sighs. ¡°I guess it¡¯s a good thing for my health that I gave up cigarettes eight years ago, but in times like this, those cravings sure do come rushing back.¡±


    ¡°Should we go ahead and leave now?¡± I say. ¡°I¡¯d like to be done and back as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°Give me a few more minutes to grab a couple of things, but then, yes. I agree.¡±

 Chapter 10: Supply Run

    We leave ten minutes later. It¡¯s strangely peaceful outside. The sun is shining, the sky is blue, with but a few wispy clouds high overhead. The grass is still green, the birds and squirrels are out and about, and looking just as ordinary as they were before the end of the world. The only immediate sign of the apocalypse is the utter lack of children playing outside.


    It¡¯s good to know that not every part of town has gone straight to shit after the end of the world as we knew it. The folks here are well off, and as long as they have their immediate needs met, they seem content to go on living as they always have. I¡¯m sure some of them have gotten some unpleasant ideas, but as long as they feel they have more to lose than gain by not being good and responsible members of civilized society, I expect them to do just that. I just hope they¡¯ll choose to come together and support each other once the going gets tough.


    I don¡¯t hold any hope for anything in my neighborhood. Back there, distrust between neighbors was rampant even in the best of times. Half the families had at least one parent or aunt or uncle or sibling behind bars. I was one of the lucky few kids who managed to avoid drugs entirely. Even that was mostly because I was a good enough student and had a mother who gave enough of a damn to encourage me to try for college. That, and I always had Chloe and her mother to rely on. Almost like a second family there to support me.


    Had things been different, I might not be here myself. So yes, I have no problem paying them back for all the kindness and love they¡¯ve shown me over the previous thirteen years by defending them with every bit of the strength the System has given me. I think that¡¯s what the other me would have wanted as well. To defend people. Maybe that¡¯s why [Divine Paladin] was the first class the System tried to give me. I can see how it would fit me, at least.


    Things gradually deteriorate as we make our way through town to the neighborhoods which could be generously described as ¡®underprivileged¡¯. And sure enough, the signs of chaos in the streets are already visible. Broken windows are aplenty, and the occasional gunshot rings out from the next street over. Turf war between rival gangs, if I had to guess. Not sure how long guns are still going to be useful in self-defense, but even having doubled my [Vitality] since the arrival of the System, I don¡¯t feel I¡¯m able to tank bullets to the vitals anytime soon.


    We arrive at my home a short while later. Sure enough, the front door is busted and I steel myself for the worst. Chloe and her mother both consider waiting inside the car, but I ask them to come in. They express discomfort at the prospect, but I insist. We need to stay together. It¡¯s our best chance of all staying alive through all this.


    I lead the way, taking my Hellspawn pitchfork and setting it alight as I walk into the living room. They didn¡¯t completely trash the furniture, but they rummaged through the dressers, probably looking for jewelry or money or anything else they could sell. Food and weapons too. I check the pantries to confirm, but yes, completely cleaned out. Refrigerator and freezer are empty as well.


    I head into my room, walking slowly and avoiding noise as much as I can. The bed¡¯s been torn, the contents of my drawers and dressers are all sprawled about. At least the clothing has been left mostly intact, if soiled by whoever went through. I¡¯m able to grab a few shirts, a few pairs of jeans, and my other pair of shoes.


    I also sneak my hand into the underside of my bed and pull out my small stash of about two hundred dollars. It¡¯s barely anything¡ª I¡¯m sure Chloe and her mom have plenty more. I don¡¯t even know if money means anything anymore now, but it doesn¡¯t take much space or weight, so I go ahead and slip it into my pocket.


    I also reach into my smashed bedroom television and grab the circuit board inside. Normally I wouldn¡¯t be bothered to grab something so useless, but I think it can help my class improve.


    The hairs on my neck stand on end, and an ominous sense of danger overcomes me. We need to get out of here soon. Mrs. Jacobs¡¯s car is too nice, and once it¡¯s seen, we¡¯ll be a target. I take just a brief moment to look in my parents¡¯ bedroom and my mood drops.


    No sign of my father, but my mother lies dead before me. I want to cry and grieve. She deserves that much. She deserves a proper funeral and respectful repose. She deserves better than to lie there, bloodied and beaten for trying to defend herself in her own home. She deserves a better memory and legacy than to be food for worms and other such scavengers.


    But I can¡¯t give her any of that. All I can do is curse myself, curse my powerlessness. Curse the fact that she¡¯s not here, all because someone decided they were going to take from her, and do so by force. My hardened heart demands to cry and properly mourn, but that will have to wait. I have to stay alive. I have to keep Chloe alive. I force myself to the present, and we get out as soon as we can.


    I drop my clothes down into the back seat of her SUV as she drives back. Despite nothing that screams danger, I keep turning my head back as Mrs. Jacobs drives off, worried about any pursuit. I don¡¯t see any signs that we¡¯re being tracked, but that doesn¡¯t ease my tension in the slightest. I¡¯ll have to check for some sort of tracking device planted on the car later, but our first priority is getting back to the relative safety of Chloe¡¯s house.


    "You okay?" Chloe asks after about ten minutes.  "You''ve been quiet."


    If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    "I¨C"  I choke on my words.  "It was bad in there.  I need some time before I''m ready to talk about it."


    She reaches across the middle seat and gives my hand a good squeeze.  "I''m here when you''re ready."


    I feign a smile.  I doubt any of it came through.


    We head to the grocery store on the way, though it all seems distant and muted as I stare out the window in silence. Mrs. Jacobs chooses neither one of the fancy specialty organic food outlets nor the neighborhood dollar store, but instead a midscale retailer located in one of the average parts of town.


    The lot is packed, and it¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve seen any signs of police presence since the Integration. I guess maintaining and rationing food is an essential enough part of daily life that it deserves protection. That much I can actually agree with, especially when we might see real food shortages in the coming weeks.


    Rather than even letting people into the store, they¡¯ve got a delivery service going on. People drive up, pay for a bag of assorted nonperishables and a small assortment of fresh produce and dairy. Honestly a pretty effective approach that satisfies all sides. The store doesn¡¯t want fights breaking out in the aisles, the police want to stick to controlling just the perimeter rather than patrolling the insides, and I don¡¯t think anyone wants to be away from home longer than they absolutely have to be.


    Things progress surprisingly quickly despite the gargantuan line. In less than fifteen minutes, we¡¯re up. They are currently cash-only, and I have no problem paying when Mrs. Jacobs protests that she doesn¡¯t have cash on her. Food is way more important than a few pieces of green cloth, no matter how much we¡¯re conditioned otherwise.  Frankly, I can''t be assed to care about money right now.


    ¡°I¡¯ll pay you back later,¡± she says. I think it¡¯s mostly to reassure herself that there¡¯s some small element of normalcy. I smile and nod and thank her.


    We make our way back to Chloe¡¯s place. It¡¯s eerie how the neighborhoods in this part of town are still able to just go about their lives as though nothing happened. Part of me is envious. The other part, the more cynical part honed from nearly eighteen years of living in a shitty neighborhood, worries that they¡¯re going to have a nasty wake-up call when the change starts coming to their front door.


    Which is a bit surprising, given we¡¯ve already fought three battles and I¡¯ve reached Level 5. Did the pack of Hellspawn not go after anyone else? I guess Chloe¡¯s home is in the corner of the neighborhood, and the next blocks over start fading into the wilderness. And didn¡¯t Chloe say something about a dungeon spawning in that direction? We should go there at some point.


    We arrive back to the closest thing to a peaceful sanctuary we¡¯re likely to have for a very long time. Chloe and her mother help me bring the food and my stuff inside, and once we get everything put away, I head back out, explaining that I¡¯d feel better if I checked for any sort of trackers on the car.


    I reach myself down low and look under the undercarriage and feel behind each tire. I grab the flashlight and channel my [Ether] through it to see if anything sparkles. Anywhere someone might have gotten crafty and hidden something, I made sure to check. Even in the exhaust pipe, which was absolutely disgusting and covered my hand in oily grime.


    I find nothing after an exhaustive and probably unnecessary search, at which point, I head inside, lock the door behind me, wash my hands, and then collapse on the sofa and start crying. Finally, I¡¯m as safe as I¡¯m ever again likely to get. I can let my anger and grief spill out, and seek comfort in the closest thing to a family I still have yet.


    Chloe¡¯s there for me right away. She rubs my upper back and doesn¡¯t say a word. She pulls me into a hug, not caring that she¡¯s getting her own clothes dirty from doing so. Despite her privileged upbringing, she is a truly kind and caring spirit, and the world is a better place with her in it.


    ¡°My mother,¡± I¡¯m finally able to get out through my sobs. ¡°She¨C¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Sera. I¡¯m here for you. Just like you were here for me.¡±


    She hugs me tighter and I start feeling better. I wonder if her healing hands can also cure a hurting heart. Considering the weight I feel lifting off my shoulders, I have to assume that they can. I continue to sniffle, and just like I did for her earlier, she hands me tissues and lets me weep until I¡¯ve wept all I can and can¡¯t weep anymore. I wipe my tears and take a long drink of water once my mood starts to settle.


    The two of us sit there next to each other, me resting on her shoulder. Neither of us makes a sound. I enjoy the silence of being able to do nothing, just feeling comfort and relaxation in my best friend¡¯s presence.


    ¡°Well, you two make quite the cute couple!¡± Mrs. Jacobs says, emerging from her bedroom.


    We turn to each other and our faces turn beet red. We immediately put the entire length of the sofa between us as we scramble to opposite sides. And worst of all, I can¡¯t even say the idea of it is horrendous, even though it¡¯ll never happen. Chloe is straight as an arrow and my feelings on all that are¡­ complicated, to say the least.


    Mrs. Jacobs laughs a bit. Chloe tosses a throw pillow at her mother, who catches it and shakes her head.


    ¡°Have some tact!¡± Chloe says. ¡°She just had to look at her dead mother, for the gods¡¯ sake! And she held it all in until just now. For us.¡±


    Chloe¡¯s mother sits down next to me and wraps her arm around my shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Sera. I remember when my mother passed. Around twelve years ago, not long after the two of you became friends. I don¡¯t think you came to the funeral.¡±


    I affirm; I don¡¯t have any memories of it if I did.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you are going through right now. I know things are tough, especially with everything going on in the world right now. But I want you to know that this place is safe, and you have Chloe and me to support you. This goes without saying, but you are welcome here as long as you need. Now¡­ I think a bath is in order, Miss Mortensen! And go on; the water will do you some real good.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I say, agreeing that it¡¯s a good idea, and looking forward to being in my own clothes again. Chloe asked me not to say it before, but her clothes are a bit too tight in the chest.

 Chapter 11: Principles of Ethertech I

    I sit down in the tub and close my eyes. The water is a bit hotter than is fully comfortable, but I relax and let the heat dissolve all the grime and dirt still in my hair and on my skin. I slowly start to adjust and I slump my shoulders slightly. My heart races, and I take a deep breath to try to calm myself.


    I don¡¯t want to be away from Chloe. I fear that being upstairs in this tub while she¡¯s downstairs is just asking for trouble. I¡­ I don¡¯t want to lose her too. I¨C I don¡¯t want to be alone. It¡¯s not just anger toward whoever killed my mother that seeps through me. It¡¯s not even the indignity of knowing that whoever did it got away and probably will never be made to pay for their crimes.


    It¡¯s that damned, all-encompassing fear that Chloe will be next. And perhaps more importantly, it¡¯s the powerlessness I have. Worst of all, I can understand why people are turning to violence. It¡¯s the same people who¡¯ve felt that powerlessness before, who still feel powerless to change the world around them. The people who feel unheard and unseen. And if killing a few people is what they have to do to feel powerful and in control, some people are going to do just that. I¡¯m sure it¡¯s already happening.


    I take another breath and sink a bit deeper into the tub. In my head, I know Mrs. Jacobs is right. All those PSA¡¯s about taking care of yourself and ¡®reaching out for help¡¯ if you¡¯re feeling overwhelmed. Not that anyone really gave a damn if it put their own jobs at risk, but they at least cared enough to go through the platitudes. Gotta relax and focus on what I can do. And right now, that¡¯s making sure I¡¯m in the right headspace to do what I can.


    I practice my [Basic Ether Manipulation] a bit in the tub. With it now at Rank II, I can more easily compress my [Ether] and start to rotate it a bit more easily. Maybe once I reach rank X or XV, I¡¯ll be able to control my entire [Ether] pool at once? I should look into whether or not I can just ram people with a spinning ball of pure [Ether] held in the palm of my hand. Nevermind; that¡¯d be a stupid trick.


    I sink a little deeper into the tub. Now only my face is above the water. My hair floats on the surface. I wish I were a bit shorter, or the tub a bit larger, so I can properly stretch out and just rest. I focus on tensing each muscle group bit by bit, letting my anger fill me with each clench. And then I release it all. I roll my shoulders and my neck, not caring that my hair is slinking about and getting caught up in itself. Problems for later.


    I try to think of my past life. Who was I? What did I want then? Did I have a family? Are they still alive? Do they worry about me? Do they mourn and grieve for the fact that I¡¯m no longer with them? What was it like for them, when the System came to their world? Did they band together and use their new power for good? Or did they fight amongst each other?


    It¡¯s probably some of both. Chloe and her mother and I are coming together in the apocalypse. As a family, even. Their¡ª our?¡ª neighborhood is peaceful. The people at the store were working together. Order was maintained. Not everything was as bad as it was back where my parents and I lived. I hope my family was as loving as Chloe¡¯s is.


    The thought improves my mood considerably. The water is growing cold, and I don¡¯t have my Hellspawn Pitchfork to heat it up some more. Probably need to get back to doing things. That¡¯s the only way I can make sure what happened to my mother doesn¡¯t happen to others. Because if someone killed her, and I believe it was a someone and not a something, then that means it could happen to us. That doesn¡¯t mean I have to go out and ¡®grind levels¡¯ on the streets, but I have to be prepared to defend us. To the death, if it comes to it.


    Undoubtedly, the old Seraphina was a protector as well. I don¡¯t have any memories to confirm it, but I just know somewhere deep down inside me. She came here because of the System. I think I¡¯m supposed to protect people. But from what? From themselves? From the System? From something else entirely?


    I focus on my lost memories and again come up empty. But I think I¡¯ve spent enough time in the bath. There will be more time to grieve and properly mourn later, but for now, I want to try to be productive. I dry off, brush my hair, get dressed, and head back downstairs.


    I head downstairs to see Chloe and her mother playing some board games on the kitchen table. I can¡¯t blame them, either. I wouldn¡¯t mind playing a game, but I think playing around with my various gadgets is going to calm me down more than playing a game. At the very least, it¡¯ll make me think I¡¯m doing something productive. Kinda weird, thinking about being productive with school being probably cancelled for the time being and college being¡­ I don¡¯t even know what¡¯ll happen there.


    In any case, I grab the circuit board, my pitchfork, the Ether canister from before, and the magnifying glass that I asked Mrs. Jacobs about just as I headed up to the bath. I¡¯d love to get a microscope to examine further, but that seems a bit much to ask for.


    I start with the TV¡¯s circuit board, mostly because I want to know how Ether interacts with the technology of our old world. I suspect things needn¡¯t be so complicated or as nanoscopic as modern transistors are, but at least this will give me a baseline. Of what, I¡¯m not exactly sure, but that¡¯s part of the fun of it all. I gather the smallest amount of [Ether] I can¡ª about one percent of a point¡ª into the tip of my right index finger and begin tracing patterns on the board.


    The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    I get no response for a good while as I try inserting it into the different components. Neither the integrated circuits nor the capacitors react, not that I would exactly expect much of a physical reaction short of one of them heating up or blowing up. Even when I dial up to half a point of Ether, nothing happens. I try going up to a full point, and still nothing. Still cool to the touch.


    And yet, I was able to power a flashlight with nothing but my own [Ether]. This gives me two possibilities. First, the flashlight worked because it was a completed device. That would imply that my Ether is activating the circuit, but the circuit, without the rest of the television, doesn¡¯t do anything visible. And there aren¡¯t any diodes or other visual indicators that would activate when it was being used.


    Just the heat that should be¡­ maybe wouldn¡¯t be generated? No electricity, no electrical resistance turning that energy into heat. The second law of thermodynamics applies to all forms of energy, but [Ether] regenerates per the whims of the System. That accumulation is inherently antientropic, meaning it needn¡¯t obey the laws of conventional physics. It could be working even without my noticing!


    I take my flashlight again and turn it on, then off, then on again. I pour [Ether] into it while it is turned off, and it doesn¡¯t do anything. I turn it on, and the light turns on. I release the flow of [Ether] and it turns off.


    ¡°Did something about the flashlight catch your attention?¡± Mrs. Jacobs asks.


    ¡°No batteries. I¡¯m powering it with my [Ether] reserves.¡± I get an idea. ¡°Chloe, can you try? Just use your [Ether Manipulation] Skill and envision the light working.¡± I hand it to her with the switch turned off.


    It¡­ It doesn¡¯t turn on. She furrows her brows, notices the switch, then turns it on without a problem.


    That is incredibly pertinent information. It proves that there is a connection between the physical construction of the flashlight and its use. More importantly, that strongly suggests that there¡¯s more to what I¡¯ll dub ¡®Ethertech¡¯ than simply willing a device to do whatever I want it to. This gives me another idea.


    I turn the light off and envision my [Ether] simultaneously powering the device while also closing the circuit that was opened when I turn it off. It proves difficult, and the light is far dimmer than before, but I can do it.


    ¡°Did you figure something out?¡± Chloe asks.


    ¡°I did. I want to try something else next.¡± I pull out my cell phone and pour a tiny stream of [Ether] through the power socket. Nothing happens at first, but as I pour a bit more in, the phone vibrates briefly. The diode on the outside then lights up just as it does when plugged in. My joy at this discovery is compounded when I receive a System notification.


    [Your [Basic Ether Manipulation (Rank II)] has upgraded to [Basic Ether Manipulation (Rank III)]


    ¡°Well, I guess you no longer have to worry about charging your phone if the power goes out,¡± I say. ¡°Turns out that I can charge it up just fine.¡±


    ¡°Show me,¡± Chloe says, pulling her phone out on the table.


    I repeat the process to her great astonishment.  The phone lights up, then displays a message.  This phone may not be compatible with the connected device.  Please consult the following link for more information.


    ¡°Well I¡¯ll be damned,¡± Chloe says. ¡°Thank you, bestie!¡± she adds. She tries as well and has less success.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s because I specifically have a [Mechanist] class. My [Ether Manipulation] Skill probably interacts a lot nicer with technology, so while yours will work on something simple like a flashlight, it probably won¡¯t do as much good with a complicated electronic device. Speaking of, Chloe, can you help me unplug the TV?¡±


    ¡°What are you going to do?¡± Mrs. Jacobs asks. ¡°I don¡¯t want you destroying anything around the house!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know the inner workings of the television enough to try to get it to work like I can with the flashlight. But I want to see if I can power it through the plug.¡±


    She sighs. ¡°Upstairs. And take the fire extinguisher with you. Apocalypse or not, you better not destroy my house or you will be out! Do I make myself clear, Seraphina?¡±


    I nod and sputter out my most forceful ¡®Yes, Ma¡¯am¡¯ before Chloe and I head upstairs to continue our tests. We get to the back of the entertainment center, moving it without much effort, and Chloe gets the TV unplugged and hands me the cable. I grab it by prongs and wait for her to stand by with the fire extinguisher at the ready.


    Once she gives me the okay, I start channeling my [Ether] through the top two prongs, leaving the third one as a ground. I envision my [Ether] like little electrons, flowing through the metal wire and empowering the television. It proves a considerably more arduous task than the two previous. I push a full two units into the circuit before I finally hear a faint buzz just on the upper edge of my hearing range. I give Chloe the signal, and we have success!


    For all of one minute and four seconds, before it flickers and then goes out. Sure enough, my font of [Ether] is completely dried out. Worse, it¡¯ll take nearly half an hour to recharge, during which time I¡¯m pretty useless. But I get useful data from the experiment, both about my own capabilities, as well as how Ether works as a replacement for electricity. All in all, a good day¡¯s work.


    ¡°That tired?¡± Chloe asks as she plugs the TV back in while I sit down for a moment.


    ¡°I had to push two full units of [Ether] into the wire every second, and now I¡¯m completely drained. It¡¯s like using brand new muscles.¡±


    Chloe nods. ¡°Yeah, I remember the first time I healed you up. It made me a bit lightheaded too. Where do you go from here?¡±


    ¡°A small break, I guess. Then back to work, learning the intricacies of my class.¡±


    I get one final notification as the two of us head back downstairs.


    [Your [Basic Ether Manipulation (Rank III)] has upgraded to [Basic Ether Manipulation (Rank IV)].]

 Chapter 12: Principles of Ethertech II

    I decide to go ahead and get in on the next round of Chloe and her mother¡¯s game. I¡¯ve made some good progress on my class¡¯s abilities, and I need to wait for my [Ether] to finish charging before I can move forward with the rest of my experiments. At least, that¡¯s the excuse I¡¯m giving myself. I¡¯m also tired from that much exertion, but I need to keep pushing myself forward. Mostly to distract myself from everything out there that I can¡¯t control.


    Unfortunately, I proceed to get absolutely destroyed by drawing every bad card in the deck. Chloe wins, and her mother finishes a couple of turns after her. I, on the other hand, get absolutely skunked, with one of my pieces still on the starting line while both of them have long since finished. We play one more game, and somehow, I perform even worse! I shake my fist in mock anger as I turn back to the rest of my toys.


    ¡°Hey, Chloe,¡± I start. ¡°How do you feel about exploring the dungeon you mentioned yesterday?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely not!¡± her mother interjects. ¡°I am not going to let my daughter go into some monster-infested cave! She is going to stay here and be safe until this whole System nonsense gets under control!¡±


    ¡°Mrs. Jacobs,¡± I say flatly. ¡°With all due respect, I don¡¯t think there¡¯s such a thing as ¡®safe¡¯ anymore. My parents¡¯ house was broken into last night and my mother was beaten to death in her bedroom, with more bruises and cuts than I really want to talk about. I know that crime isn¡¯t as pressing of an issue in this neighborhood as it is where I used to live, but if it happened there, it could happen anywhere.


    ¡°The point I¡¯m trying to make is that I don¡¯t think we can rely on law enforcement, the National Guard, the army, or anyone else to keep us safe. And even if we choose that path, who is going to keep us safe from them if they decide to demand we give them clothing or shelter, or some asshole decides that you¡¯ve got a daughter and an adopted daughter and decides he wants us for the night? And we want to say no and can¡¯t?¡±


    ¡°They wouldn¡¯t! And¨C¡±


    ¡°The courts? Our representatives? The law? Is that what you were about to say? You were just telling us this morning that they plan to ¡®suspend¡¯ the Constitution for an indefinite period of time. There aren¡¯t going to be checks and balances and judicial oversight!¡±


    I take a deep breath. ¡°I know you mean well, Mrs. Jacobs. Really, I do. In my heart of hearts, I think you want only the very best for us. You have way more life experience than both of us and if we hadn¡¯t just gone through the literal apocalypse yesterday, I promise I would take your words and advice with all the respect and consideration that you deserve. As the mother of my best friend, and as my adopted mother, in deed if not in law.¡±


    ¡°Sera,¡± she says.


    ¡°I know. It might just be my teenage hormones telling me to go take stupid risks because I think I¡¯m invincible. I know there¡¯s risk involved. I know it will be dangerous, and I accept that I might lose my life in the worst case scenario.


    ¡°And I don¡¯t plan to go today. I plan to learn everything about my class and be as prepared as I can be. But I promised Chloe that I would protect her. And as I am, I don¡¯t think I can fulfill that promise.¡±


    I start sniffling, and I struggle to fight the tears. ¡°I¨C I feel useless. I don¡¯t want what happened to my mom to happen to you two. I want to make sure I can protect you both. Protect you from people who mean to do us all harm. And I think learning more about and further developing this power we¡¯ve all been given, is the best way to do that.¡±


    ¡°Sera, you know I can¡¯t-¡± Mrs. Jacobs starts.


    ¡°I want to go too,¡± Chloe says.


    ¡°Chloe Marie Jacobs, I beg your pardon!¡±


    ¡°Mom, I trust Sera on this one. She already saved my life from those Hellspawn this morning, and we wouldn¡¯t have been able to do so had we not gone into the dungeon in the basement last night.¡±


    ¡°You did what?¡±


    ¡°Sera suspected we¡¯d need weapons when the System arrived, and her insight has proved prescient time and time again. I know you don¡¯t believe her, and I don¡¯t blame you, but I do. If she thinks going to the dungeon is a good idea, then I¡¯m inclined to believe her.¡±


    ¡°Chloe, you will¨C¡±


    ¡°Mother, I turned eighteen last month. Sera will turn eighteen in five days. We are adults now, capable of making adult decisions, even if those decisions might be harmful to us, and even if they aren¡¯t the decisions that you would make or the ones you would make yourself were you in our situation.¡±


    ¡°I was your age once, you know,¡± Mrs. Jacobs says. ¡°Rebellious, thinking I knew everything, unafraid of consequences or the world. I did stupid things. Went to parties with older men who wanted to take advantage of me. Drank, and, as I was a stupid teenager, yes, I drove after. I¡¯m not proud of it, but I understand that teenagers are exactly the same in every generation.¡±


    She pantomimes lighting up a cigarette and smoking it. ¡°I guess part of growing up as a mother is knowing that my daughters are going to go off and make mistakes. The same ones I made in my youth and that my parents and husband made in theirs. However, no matter how much you beg or plead with me, I¡¯m not going to be complicit in leading my daughter into danger. You¡¯ll have to find your own ways of getting there.¡±


    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    ¡°That¡¯s all we ask,¡± I say. ¡°I would ask that you come with us, as I think increasing your own strength will do you some good in the long run. But it seems that you¡¯ve made up your mind otherwise.¡±


    ¡°I have. I might not be able to do much in the face of a world changing before my eyes, but I still want to hold hope. That even with us now having access to what I can only describe as superpowers, people will come together and use them for good instead of evil.¡±


    I don¡¯t hold that hope. Never have. Some people will use these powers for good, maybe even most. But not everyone, and I¡¯d rather get stronger to defend myself rather than rely on cops to protect me and mine. That¡¯s the way it¡¯s always been, even in the last world. Even if only the people who¡¯ve lived in neighborhoods like mine had to learn that lesson for themselves.


    We don¡¯t discuss the matter further; Mrs. Jacobs has decided neither to help nor to interfere, and that¡¯s the best I expected from her. Honestly, I expected her to put her foot down even harder and try to stop us by force. I wasn¡¯t at all looking forward to that confrontation.


    Chloe and her mother return to their board game. After two humiliating defeats at the hands of the cards, I bow out of the third round.


    I turn my attention back to the Hellspawn Pitchfork. I think that all the tiny glyphs act not unlike miniature circuits, guiding the flow of Ether in various manners, twisting and turning it to create the effect of a fireball on the other end. Specifically, I hypothesize that there are some that act like logic gates and control mechanisms, while others manipulate raw Ether from its base form into various components needed for the end result.


    In the case of flame, the pitchfork needs to be able to generate fuel, air, heat, and some sort of spark. The rest of the glyphs, I intuit, divert the flow of Ether not unlike how computers in modern internal combustion cars adjust the balance of fuel and air to ensure ideal mixtures of both while operating. It¡¯s absolutely fascinating to see. I take notes of the patterns, marking down where I can.


    I also notice tiny columns connecting these glyphs. Upon closer reflection, they look like miniature sluices. And I suspect that¡¯s exactly what they are. I¡¯d like to see if there¡¯s a way I can selectively deactivate some of these conduits to get a sense of how each one individually modulates the overall effect. Those experiments will have to wait until I get a better sense of the basic functionality.


    I head outside with the weapon¡ª I¡¯m about to test literal flame, so it¡¯s the least I can do. I feel a bit of discomfort at being so exposed to the goings on outside. I half-expect to see supersized crows dive bombing me and ancient dinosaurs reconstituting themselves from bones to walk the lands once more in search of human prey, but it¡¯s almost serene. Peaceful, as much as can be expected given the circumstances.


    I grip the pitchfork and begin feeding it the smallest amount of [Ether] that I can. Nothing happens. I then try one tenth of a unit, then a fifth, then a half. But not until exactly one full unit of [Ether] is infused into the weapon does it activate. And nothing happens as I increase the amount until I reach two full units, when the size of the flaming orb suddenly increases. I observe the same behavior from two to three units, and then the weapon refuses to accept more than that.


    I¡¯m perplexed by this. My early experiments with the phones suggest that Ether is a continuous variable. My [Basic Ether Manipulation] allows me to manipulate and control the amount I use down to half a percentage point of a single unit, and this should only grow as my skill evolves in rank. So why doesn¡¯t the weapon follow that pattern?


    I next experiment with [Flash of Insight]. The methodology will be a bit crude since I have no exact way to measure luminous intensity short of the eyeball test. However, if I compare the difference between doing so with one and two units, the relatively large percentage increase should be easier to see.


    My tests confirm that my Skill only accepts discrete, whole-number values of [Ether] as an input. Worse, if I try to use any fractional value of my [Ether], my [Ether] decreases by the next larger whole number, while the effect always rounds down! In other words, if I use my [Flash of Insight] twice and pour 1.5 units of [Ether] into it each time, I end up with each effect being the same as though I only used one unit. And, adding insult to injury, my [Ether] reserve will have decreased by not two or even three, but four units.


    My current hypothesis is that Ethertech derived from the System relies on quantized units. Spells and Skills follow this principle as well. However, I currently know of no physical reason why any tech I personally build must follow this rule. I will note in my conjecture that it is far easier to manipulate integer values of [Ether] than fractional ones, and further conjecture that it is my [Basic Ether Manipulation] skill that allows me to do so in the first place. At least, not without extreme difficulty.


    I head as far away from the house as I can, into the opposite corner of the backyard. I stand with my back against the fence, just in case this idea sends me flying back. I charge a single unit of [Ether] into my hand and compress it as much as I can. It starts resisting once I push it down to the size of a quarter, but I keep going.


    Nickel size, then dime size. It starts to strain my muscles and tax my mind, but I continue down, forcing myself to the very limit of my capabilities. The expansive force builds and it takes everything I have to resist how it tries to blow up in my face.


    I imagine the canister, and start to think about how the sluices and glyphs etched into it interact to compress and stabilize so much energy. I don¡¯t know their exact individual function or how they should interact yet. But I can imagine my hands forming a binding cage around the Ether I hold. I mentally picture the glyphs together, and my [Tinkerer] Skill helps me start to envision some ways in which they might fit together better.


    It¡¯s a struggle. I¡¯m sweating and my arms are cramping up. My mind wants me to give up. But I think of Chloe. I think of Mom, and how I don¡¯t want Chloe to end up like she did. I keep pushing and forcing my will upon the [Ether]. And I power through. Once I shrink the mass down to the size of a pea, the Ether stabilizes and crystallizes into a solid mass.


    It¡¯s beautiful. It looks like a small diamond, except it glows a bright blue-white. I throw it over the fence. It hits the ground and explodes with a bright flash of light and sound. And I can¡¯t help but grin as two System notifications appear.


    [Your [Basic Ether Manipulation (Rank IV)] has upgraded to [Basic Ether Manipulation (Rank VI)]]


    [You have developed the Class Skill [Ether Bullet]. Would you like to learn this Skill? (Class Skill Slots remaining: 4/6)]


    [[Ether Bullet (Rank I)]: Your knowledge of tinkering with newly-discovered technological marvels has given you greater insight into the physical laws governing the interaction between Ether and technology. You can now mimic the effects of an Ether canister through a combination of your insights and force of will. These bullets, when detonated, will damage all enemies around them with a concussive mixture of light and sound. (Max Bullet Size: 1. Size will increase with the rank of this skill.)]


    I will absolutely accept this new ability. Pleased with my discovery, I head back inside.

 Chapter 13: Weapon Crafting II

    Much to my surprise and Mrs. Jacobs¡¯s relief, over the following three days, the political situation enters a strange lull, and society starts to adjust.


    We are technically in a period of martial law. Curfews are imposed lasting from half an hour past dusk until dawn. There¡¯s still tension in the air. Tanks occasionally drive past the main streets, and I¡¯m occasionally woken up from sporadic gunfire and monster raids.


    Plenty of people have no money or jobs and are doing their best to survive. Some have resorted to less-than-legal ways of doing so, and honestly, I can¡¯t blame the homeless mother stealing formula for her newborn daughter. Civilization has so far endured, and as someone who often got the ass end of it, I don¡¯t know if I¡¯m entirely happy about it.


    Our government continues to function, at least to the extent it ever did. Food is rationed, and we¡¯ve had pasta and ground beef for the last two nights. But we still have electricity, running water, heat and air conditioning. The internet is spotty, but Chloe is still able to get on her social media accounts, both to post and to scroll.


    I¡¯m a little jealous. My family rarely went hungry, but there were definitely nights of shivering under multiple blankets because we had to leave the heat on fifty-five in the dead of winter. And yet, for Chloe and her mother, their ¡®adjustments¡¯ and ¡®sacrifices¡¯ are like luxuries compared with my old reality.


    On the topic of social media, Chloe keeps tabs of that alongside her daily uploads. There¡¯s started to be a bit of a race among several so-called ¡®influencers¡¯ to see who can get the highest level. Some people have already reached level 8 and even 9¡ª allegedly, anyway. Of course, with no one yet able to demonstrably prove they have an [Identify] skill, we have nothing to go off but say so. We did have a couple more fights over the past couple of days, so I¡¯m now at level 6 and Chloe tells me that she¡¯s at level 5. Still, falling behind in levels worries me for reasons I can¡¯t fully articulate.


    Chloe¡¯s mother went back to work yesterday. She recounted to us last night that there¡¯s a certain degree of foreboding downtown. People are in a state of doublethink, outwardly acting like everything is okay, while privately not believing it themselves.


    I would have liked to be able to drive around the city with Chloe to see for myself, but her car got completely busted while it was in the shop. They say it was some looters who broke into their shop the night of the integration. I think it was more that the mechanics all quit once they got their powers. If their work conditions were as shit as I¡¯ve read they can be, I¡¯m not surprised. But I can¡¯t really do anything about it either way.


    Chloe¡¯s father was supposed to be home yesterday, but his return has been delayed for an indefinite period of time. Considering how precarious the current political and social situation is, I can¡¯t exactly blame him. Chloe is upset about the change of plans, though. She understands intellectually, but not seeing her father for so long, especially with the world spinning around so quickly, wears down on her. All I can do is try to be a rock for her and support her as best I can.


    Speaking of my father, he¡¯s nowhere to be seen, and he hasn¡¯t responded to my calls. I don¡¯t want to think about the obvious implication of that statement. Even with additional reinforcements from the National Guard and armed forces to maintain the old so-called civil order, there¡¯s not nearly the personnel it would take to identify every body that¡¯s found. Glad to see the army is no more functional than the cops when it comes to protecting and serving the people.


    There are some rumors circulating online about small groups of people¡ªrefugees, really¡ª who are banding together to start new lives away from current civilization. He could be in one of those camps.


    And there¡¯s one reason to believe that might be a wise idea. Soon after initialization completed, the System mentioned that there would be ¡®further world modifications¡¯ in 120 hours. That timer is currently sitting at just over 34 hours remaining. A lot of anxiety is building across the globe about what exactly will happen.


    The official statement from the government is urging calm. Their spokespeople are pointing out that the situation is gradually coming back under control. Utilities and major infrastructure are still operational, proving that leadership is still doing its job of providing and protecting essential services to the masses. They express confidence and solidarity in the government¡¯s ability to rise up to the challenges that lie ahead.


    I silently scoff. They never met the challenges in the old world, and I see no reason to believe they will do so in the new. Mrs. Jacobs seems assuaged by it, though. She also hasn¡¯t softened her stance on Chloe and me going to the dungeon. On the other hand, she hasn¡¯t hardened it either.


    The plan is still to leave early tomorrow morning. We plan to be back home before the world modifications happen. Not that I expect there to be much safety once the modifications begin.


    I¡¯m nearly done gleaning every bit of insight I can from my Hellspawn Pitchfork and the Ether canister. I¡¯ve got a pretty good idea of the basic syntax of constructing Ethertech¡ªwhich glyphs do what, and how they fit together. I suspect there are a lot more complicated glyphs and rules I¡¯ll have to learn if I want to start crafting more useful equipment. And that means I¡¯ll need to explore more dungeons and acquire more Ethertech items in order to delve further into my class¡¯s potential.


    The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    In other words, I won¡¯t be building starships to explore the cosmos or even flying around in a suit of mechanized armor anytime soon. I get a distant sense that both are possible as I progress forward with my class. Moreover, the prospect excites me.


    Right now, though, I¡¯ve managed to construct two weapons using my current knowledge of Ethertech. For myself, I¡¯ve built a [Simple Blowgun]. Despite the System registering it as such, it packs quite a punch, more akin to a breath-powered miniature railgun than its namesake. When filled with an [Ether Bullet], it rivals many of the shotguns of old in stopping power.


    Over the course of my practice with this new ability, I¡¯ve managed to upgrade my [Ether Bullet] skill to Rank III and my [Basic Ether Manipulation] to Rank VII. I¡¯ve also crafted one hundred and eighty more [Ether Bullets] as ammunition. They are mostly stable, but after one partially detonated during the crafting process, I¡¯ve been completely forbidden to bring them inside under any circumstances. I¡¯ve been leaving them in my car instead.


    And, no, I did not manage to repair my car. I know it can be done, but modern engines just have too many moving parts, and my knowledge of their inner workings is too limited. I can¡¯t help but curse the fact that I decided to take additional math and physics courses instead of that shop class, but it¡¯s not like I could have known this was going to happen a year ago.


    With Chloe¡¯s help and cooperation, I¡¯ve built her a [Crystal-Studded Wand]. Unfortunately, I don¡¯t know any of the glyphs that help with the healing arts, so I¡¯m currently limited to a few glyphs that help channel and store additional [Ether], along with a couple of [Ether Bullets] that she can throw in case of an emergency.


    I¡¯ve also managed to re-create most of the glyphs present in the [Hellspawn Pitchfork] and copy them over to my [Cracked Bat]. After infusing it with additional Ether, the System recognizes the upgrades I¡¯ve made to it and has relabeled it as [Fire-Forged Bat]. The Attack stat is listed as +14, which is a sizable upgrade. Sadly, I lose the bonus I get from using improvised weapons when I equip it. I hope that I¡¯ll never again need that bonus, but I certainly am glad it¡¯s there for when I invariably do.


    Chloe and I spend the morning going through the basement dungeon one more time. There are no creatures to fight, nor treasure to acquire, but being down there gives us a chance to practice our Skills in relative safety.


    I don¡¯t mention this to Chloe, but when I¡¯m practicing or working on my gadgets, I feel more at ease than I do when engaging in resting or other ¡®relaxation¡¯ activities. I just can¡¯t shake the feeling that there¡¯s something incredibly dangerous awaiting us. Not the world modifications coming tomorrow evening¡ª those are a known phenomenon. I fear something darker and deeper that lies behind the System itself.


    Despite my unspoken unease, we spend the afternoon playing some games. And, just like last time, I get absolutely destroyed. I get sent to jail multiple times in the early game, Chloe buys up all the best properties, including all four railroads, and I end up getting smoked in under twenty minutes. I guess I¡¯ve burned all my good luck getting reincarnated and then getting a powerful unique trait and having a kind and caring best friend to share the apocalypse with. I just hope this spat of bad luck isn¡¯t an ill-omen of things to come.


    ¡°Welp, looks like I win again!¡± Chloe says after I lose four different games over the span of two hours.


    ¡°I noticed,¡± is all I can get out. ¡°It seems I should be glad I didn¡¯t take a [Gambler] class. Or maybe I should see if I can learn a [Card Shark] skill.¡±


    Chloe giggles. ¡°How are you feeling about tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°I feel better than great. Nervous. Mostly in the excited way though. I¡¯m more worried about you; how are you feeling?¡±


    She turns away. ¡°As well as I can be. Just worried about Dad. I¡¯m sure Mom is as well.¡±


    I pull her into a hug. ¡°I¡¯m worried about my father as well. I¡¯m sure they¡¯re both doing okay.¡± I¡¯m not sure how convincing I sound, but I try to convey sincerity. My hopes are dashed.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Sera,¡± she says. ¡°No matter what happens, we¡¯ll have each other. Best friends forever!¡±


    I smile. Our hug is cut short by the sound of the garage door opening and Mrs. Jacobs walking inside.


    ¡°Hey Mom,¡± Chloe says. ¡°How¡¯d things go at the office?¡±


    ¡°Meeting after meeting after meeting! It just never ended, and worst of all, most of them could have been e-mails! I swear they¡¯re just trying to make up work to keep us busy rather than productive. I guess I still have a paycheck though, so I¡¯ll count my blessings. What about you two?¡±


    ¡°I lost every single game,¡± I say. ¡°None of them were even close!¡±


    ¡°Hah!¡±


    I stare bemused at her mockery, only glaring slightly.


    ¡°I told Chloe once that there¡¯s a lucky gene in our family. My mother ended up winning big in Vegas back in ¡®76. I ended up marrying her father and landing a series of good jobs in the oil and gas business. And she ended up meeting you.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s true,¡± Chloe says. ¡°Even when you have your own problems, you¡¯re always right there to support me whenever I need. And now, with the arrival of the System, I can¡¯t help but feel like you¡¯re a guardian angel sent from across the heavens to protect me.¡±


    Guardian angel? Why does that seem so familiar? Is that why I¡¯m here? To protect Chloe from the System? I don¡¯t know. Memories I shouldn¡¯t know are trying to surface, but they¡¯re being blocked, remaining ever so stubbornly just outside my ability to remember.


    Hopefully, our trip into the dungeon tomorrow gives me some answers.

 Chapter 14: Enter the Dungeon

    We turn in early this evening. The night is restful, and I find myself waking up at half past five. Chloe is still fast asleep beside me, and for a few minutes, I lie there and look up at the ceiling.


    I think back to the phrase ¡®guardian angel¡¯. Given my name, it fits. I wonder if I had the same name in my previous life. I want to dismiss the prospect out of hand. There are hundreds of languages here on Earth and thousands more that have gone extinct. The chances that I was named after a rank of angel on this planet is practically absurd. If even some tiny fraction of planets throughout the myriad universes harbor life, the sheer infinitude of the cosmos means there¡¯s some astronomical number throughout the multiverse.


    But it is not impossible, especially if the Jacobs family really does have some sort of [Lady Luck] Unique Trait in the vein of my [Touched By the Multiverse]. And the nigh-omnipotence of the System and its machinations cannot be understated either, nor can whatever force allowed me to reincarnate into this world. If, indeed, the two are not one and the same.


    If they¡¯re not, then I am hopeful. It means that whatever force sent me here had means to resist the System and whatever lies beyond it, if only to the smallest extent. If that is the case, then perhaps we might have a chance of cutting ourselves free from the strings upon which we dance. But for now, all I can do is play my part, get stronger, learn more about my abilities, and remain vigilant for any clues about my past.


    Chloe awakens soon after dawn. I go and take a quick shower first, giving her a few more minutes before she has to get up.


    Once I get done, I start preparing plenty of food, water, and other essentials and loading them into our backpacks. We don¡¯t even plan to be gone the entirety of the day, but we can¡¯t be sure there won¡¯t be trouble that keeps us gone longer than expected. We both know the risks involved in dungeon diving, including the risk there are risks we can¡¯t properly account for. But I fear the risks of complacency just the same.


    We eat a breakfast of eggs and toast, enjoying the last of the strawberry jam in the refrigerator. Chloe does one final look over our provisions, I head to my car to grab our weapons, the Ether canister, and my cache of [Ether Bullets], and we¡¯re off.


    The cool breeze of the early morning is refreshing upon my face. Though we move only at a light jog, we still make great time through the fields leading to the dungeon entrance. And, to my great surprise and joy, neither of us feel all that fatigued when we complete the four mile journey half an hour later. [Vitality] also seems to affect physical endurance, and the both of us have heavily prioritized that stat, as well as our [Mind].


    The outer structure of the dungeon is like the mouth of a small cave, perhaps a dozen feet high and maybe a bit wider at its base. It is fenced off by barbed wire, with the exception of a gate that looks suspiciously like a ticket booth leading into a movie theater or concert hall, turnstyle and all. There¡¯s a small dirt parking lot nearby, though it¡¯s clear it¡¯s more that it had recently been a patch of grass like all the others, torched by some [Fire Mage] for that exact purpose. Several members of the armed forces¡ª probably National Guard members¡ª are stationed in full combat gear, patrolling the perimeter for any monsters that try to sneak out. Most of them have weapons or armor that glows slightly with the tint of Ether.


    There¡¯s no line, so we¡¯re able to head right up to the entrance. We¡¯re stopped by the soldier manning the station, a young man a year or two out of high school with the nameplate ¡®Roberts¡¯ emblazoned on his vest. He looks at the two of us, sighs, and recites a speech he¡¯s probably said a hundred times by now.


    ¡°This is the entrance to the South County Dungeon. Before you enter the dungeon, I am required to read you the following script and get you to each sign a waiver acknowledging that you understand the risks involved. Beyond this gate, you are responsible for your individual and collective welfare. There are dangerous monsters inside, some of which have yet to be seen on the surface.


    ¡°For those who venture within, you will find strange and powerful artifacts for those individuals who brave the challenges contained within. Upon exiting the dungeon, the National Guard will confiscate one-third of any artifacts acquired to be agreed upon with the explorer. This is non-negotiable, and ensures that our team remains equipped to handle the threats of any monsters which might try to escape and threaten the people living on the surface.


    ¡°The inside of this dungeon has not been mapped, and preliminary reports suggest that it is constantly changing shape. Once you go inside, there is a chance that you will not come out. The National Guard will not send a rescue team after any individual who ventures into the dungeon. You acknowledge this fact and disclaim all responsibility the United States National Guard has for your safety and well-being, as well as the responsibilities of the federal government, state or city government, or any government agency, department, or bureau. If you do not agree to these terms, you may turn around and head home. If you do agree, please fill out and sign the forms provided on the table in front of me.¡±


    I look over the forms. I¡¯m not an expert in the law by any stretch, but all of the terms look in line with the verbal disclaimer. Seeing no objection, I sign the form. Chloe does as well, and after a quick search of our belongings and an inventory of what we took into the dungeon, the two of us venture inside.


    The air is chilly and my hair stands up on end as we pass through the entrance and enter the dungeon. I regret my decision not to wear anything heavier than a mid-sleeve blouse. Body armor would have been nice, but neither of us have any and I haven¡¯t the materials to make it. With any luck, we¡¯ll find some within the dungeon.


    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    We turn on our flashlights as the light streaming in from the entrance begins to fade. The first thing of note we find is a skeleton¡ª one which is thankfully not moving. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s one from an unfortunate adventurer or something put here by the System as a deterrent or warning, but it unnerves Chloe.


    We stop and take a break for a few minutes until she has a chance to settle in. While she¡¯s taking deep breaths and recentering herself, I case the immediate area. No signs of either enemies or anything that might be of use. No doubt these first few hallways have been thoroughly cleaned out by the people who¡¯ve come here in the days and weeks before.


    Not weeks, I quickly correct to myself. The System hasn''t even been here for five full days. Maybe it''s the echoes of my past life that make it feel like it''s been a lot longer than just a few days. It all feels so... familiar, somehow. Like this is what I''ve always been meant to do.


    But at the same time, we came here for levels as well as loot, and that means we''ll have to go deeper.


    We walk through the cave slowly and methodically, constantly scanning the area for signs of something trying to sneak up on us. I keep my blowgun at the ready at all times and a pouch of [Ether Bullets] tied around my waist.


    It¡¯s ominous how empty the cave is. I don¡¯t hear anything, nor does Chloe. I would have expected a colony of bats to take shelter here, but I see none on the walls. Even insects aren¡¯t crawling around like they did in the mini-dungeon beneath Chloe¡¯s house. My house? Should I start calling it that now? In any case, the quiet is unsettling, and I arm my blowgun as we proceed deeper into the depths.


    We don¡¯t have to wait too long, as I spot a large beast of some sort approaching us. It appears boarlike, as tall as I am and about as big and heavy as my car. It has two large tusks longer and thicker than my arm, and it looks mean as sin as it prances toward us. It hasn¡¯t charged, but I¡¯m sure it will the second it gets close enough.


    I don¡¯t give it that opportunity. Once it gets within fifty yards of us, I fire a pair of [Ether Bullets] at the swine. Unfortunately, the damage I thought impressive before only singes its skin and dazes it. But it wasn¡¯t completely ineffective, either, and that suggests that I have lowered its [Health] by a small amount.


    It charges toward me. I dodge to my left, suffering only a superficial wound as its tusk grazes against my shoulder. The boar turns around with deft swiftness. This time, as I dodge, I fire an eight-unit [Flash of Insight] in its face. I don¡¯t expect to stop it so easily. Only the tiniest traces of otherworldly light from crystals on the ceiling break the dungeon¡¯s otherwise complete darkness. I have to assume this creature is well-equipped to fight and hunt in its natural environment. But that doesn¡¯t mean its eyes are useless either.


    It squeals like the hog it is, but not before goring me through my left shoulder. Thankfully, the wound missed my vitals and my health has only dropped by a hundred as a result. I bash it with my [Fire-Forged Bat], triggering its flame glyph right as I bash its nose.


    This attack proves more fruitful than the first, and I follow up with another one to keep its attention. I suffer another small cut across my side, but my health is starting to bleed out. I¡¯m down to just over a hundred and thirty health after just four attacks. The lack of any sort of defensive equipment is making itself woefully apparent, and I¡¯m only alive because my high [Vitality] for my level has bolstered my health and natural resistance to damage.


    Chloe heals me when I get a chance to break off the close-quarter engagement. In an instant, my wounds stitch back together, blood vessels and muscles reform, and I regain my full freedom of movement. My [Health] is back close to 250, though even that could be depleted in an instant if I lower my guard and allow it a chance to score my vitals.


    I land a shot of my [Ether Bullet] directly in its eye socket. The grotesque spray of vitreous fluid, sinew, and shards of bone and flesh fly everywhere, ruining my outfit but thankfully sparing Chloe, who is standing behind me. But even the injury to its head and brain isn¡¯t enough to put the creature down. It continues to charge me with its bloody socket, though its moves are more erratic. Slower, but the wobbling of its posture as it flails toward me makes it even harder to evade.


    I do so by the skin of my teeth, diving out of the way at the last possible moment. As I force myself back up, I get an idea. It again charges at me and I ready my blowgun. But instead of aiming for the pig, I aim for the ground at its feet. And my plan works perfectly. The force of my bullet exploding topples it onto its side, giving me enough time to plunge my bat clean through the wound in its head and cook its brain from the inside. It twitches, once, twice, and then dies. The System notification confirms the kill.


    [You have slain a Lesser Cave Boar (Level 8). You have gained 220 Experience]


    [Unique Trait [Touched by the Multiverse] increases Experience gain to 330]


    [You have gained enough experience to reach Level 7. [Vitality] +1, [Mind] +1. Please allocate stat points (Remaining: 3)]


    I decide to allocate my first point to increasing my [Strength] stat. There is something to be said for the old saying ¡®the best defense is a good offense¡¯. While I was able to deal with the wounds I suffered in the fight, it would have been better to avoid them altogether. I also would prefer to avoid long, protracted fights here in the dungeon for Chloe¡¯s sake. I might be mentally acclimated to fighting in dungeons thanks to my past life, but she is struggling. I go ahead and allocate my remaining two points to [Vitality] and [Mind] in accordance with my class¡¯s preference.


    [Maximum Health increases by [Vitality] x2 + Current Level + Rand[1, 3] = 64]


    [Maximum Ether increases by [Mind] + Current Level + Rand[0, 2] = 36]


    [Level: 7; Experience: 730; To Next: 220]


    [Current Stats: [Health]: 291 / 402 ; [Ether]: 177 / 192]


    [Current Stats: [Strength]: 13; [Speed]: 16; [Vitality]: 27; [Mind]: 29]


    Chloe is taking a bit longer to process her level increase. In the meantime, I look around and spot something very interesting.

 Chapter 15: The Spoils of Adventure

    Once Chloe finishes her level increase, I pull her behind a nearby outcropping. There¡¯s a strange brown chest on the ground that looks highly suspicious. On the one hand, with our world looking a lot more like those of video games and the mention of loot during the disclaimer, this could be the treasure we came looking for. On the other hand, I can¡¯t ignore the possibility of more monsters or traps. Or both, considering that ¡®monsters that look like treasure chests¡¯ is a phenomenon in a number of games I¡¯ve heard of.


    ¡°Are you going to open it?¡± she asks.


    ¡°I will. Stay on your guard though, there may be traps, and I might need a heal or antidote spell if there is.¡±


    ¡°You think it¡¯s a trap, and you¡¯re still going to open it?¡±


    ¡°Nothing ventured, nothing gained. That¡¯s kinda why we¡¯re here in the dungeon in the first place. This is more about taking smart risks and mitigating them whenever possible.¡±


    Chloe sighs. ¡°Go ahead.¡±


    I open the chest, grateful there¡¯s no locking mechanism on it. If there were, I could try to blow open the lock with an [Ether Bullet] fired directly into the keyhole, but that would risk damaging the stuff inside.


    What I find is a set of white robes. It¡¯s hard to tell in the low light, but I¡¯m guessing there¡¯s a number of defensive enhancements on them thanks to the power of the System. I take a moment and pull out my magnifying glass, and sure enough, I can confirm the subtle arrangements of glyphs etched into the fabric. I hand them to Chloe.


    ¡°You should put these on. They¡¯ve got enchantments woven into them and should protect you better than our regular clothes.¡±


    ¡°Wait, shouldn¡¯t you wear them if that¡¯s the case?¡± she asks. ¡°You¡¯re the one who¡¯s fighting at close range!¡±


    ¡°Keep your voice down,¡± I say in a whisper. ¡°We don¡¯t know what else is waiting down here. And yes, ideally, I would be the only one getting into combat. But we got outnumbered by the hellspawn, and that boar moved far faster than I could, and we might have to fight people some day.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to fight people!¡± To her credit, she keeps her voice much quieter this time.


    ¡°I don¡¯t either. You didn¡¯t see my mother¡¯s body. It was¨C I¡¯d rather not say more on that.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Sera.¡±


    ¡°The point is, as long as you¡¯re alive and awake, you can heal me from the brink of death, but I can¡¯t do that to you. So it¡¯s more important that you have it.¡± I don¡¯t mention that her [Vitality] and [Health] are probably lower than mine by a considerable amount, but it factors into my analysis.


    She acquiesces and goes into a corner to change, while I stand with my back facing her and keep an eye out for anything unsavory approaches. Nothing does, and after about three minutes, she gives me the okay. She looks exactly like a priest in her robes of purest white, except if the priest in question was a cute brunette and a high school senior instead of a man and an actual senior.


    ¡°How does it fit?¡± I ask.


    ¡°Perfectly,¡± she says. ¡°I think there¡¯s something about this outfit that allows it to stretch or shrink down to the right size for its wearer.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s convenient, for sure.¡±


    It also means that I can pursue a side job as a [Planetouched Clothier] if I can figure out how those enchantments work. Though, the idea feels a little unfulfilling. I¡¯m curious why the Hellspawn Pitchfork didn¡¯t do something similar. Probably because it was a weapon specifically designed for those lesser hellspawn monsters, rather than existing for the benefit of humans like this armor.


    Chloe moves around a bit more to adjust to her new outfit. Once she¡¯s satisfied, we stash away her old clothes, share a few bites of trail mix, and prepare to depart deeper into the dungeon.


    The layout of the dungeon, as best I can tell, is roughly helical, not unlike moving down an overly large spiral staircase, though a smooth ramp rather than stairs. In another sign of the artificial nature of this space, there are no rocks, crevices, or other tripping hazards on the floor.


    About ten minutes after we leave, the ground shakes. The two of us remain steadfast, seeking shelter against the nearest wall until the quake subsides. When it does, I immediately scout the area, searching for what might have caused it. Seeing nothing, I worry if this is the dungeon changing shape, as the guards had warned us about. Chloe shares a similar concern.


    ¡°What do you want to do?¡± I ask. ¡°Go on, or turn back?¡±


    She hesitates.


    ¡°If you want to go back, we absolutely can.¡±


    Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!


    ¡°A¡­ A little further. We can turn around after the next fight.¡±


    I¡¯m surprised and relieved at her bravery and determination. We continue on, and not three minutes later, encounter another monster within the depths. This one looks closer to a crocodile, with its huge, snapping jaw, four stubby legs, and the way it lurches about. Its tail is a bit longer and thinner. Not nearly enough to be used as a grappling whip, but I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if it trips its prey with the appendage before rending them asunder.


    I get in front of Chloe and ready an [Ether Bullet] in my blowgun as I wait for the creature to notice us. If its skin is as tough as the last enemy¡¯s was, I¡¯m probably not going to deal much damage unless I strike a weak point. The eyes, the face, the underbelly. Those were the weaknesses last time, and I expect the same here. Maybe also the underside of the tail.


    It approaches even quicker than the boar did, snapping its jaws so quickly it was like a blur. I fire two [Ether Bullets] in rapid succession, aiming for where its mouth will be the next instant. The first one grazes off its snout, but the second one hits home, chunking its tongue, sending teeth flying, and sending it in a rage. One of the teeth wedges into my shoulder, and as I pull it out, I feel some oily liquid in addition to my blood seeping out.


    ¡°Shit! Chloe, I need an antidote as soon as you can ready one!¡±


    I curse my foul luck as I try to grab two more [Ether Bullets]. Already I can feel the numbness setting in. It hasn¡¯t yet affected my ability to move, but my ability to feel what I¡¯m doing with my right hand is compromised. I¡¯m able to fight off the fatigue setting in, but now it¡¯s joined by a queasy sensation in my stomach and throat. The urge to revisit my breakfast grows, only to be stifled when Chloe¡¯s spell relieves my nausea.


    Now just as snapping mad, I fire another round of four [Ether Bullets] in rapid succession, trying to knock it over as it charges me. Unfortunately, its center of gravity is too low, and I¡¯m only able to stagger it, not topple it. It snaps down upon me, and I respond by tossing an [Ether Bullet] into its mouth as I sidestep.


    This attack proves far more effective than the last. Smoke emerges from its esophagus and the creature is clearly shaken. I grab my [Fire-Forged Bat] and poke it in the right eye, giving Chloe an opportunity to throw another [Ether Bullet] into its throat.


    The creature is reeling, but it remains dangerous as it attempts to hurl a sphere of something venomous and probably acidic out of its throat. I push Chloe out of the way of the projectile, though I suffer splash damage on my legs in doing so. And it burns to high hell and back, but I force myself through the pain as I stand up, and in a single blow, slam my fiery weapon through the creature¡¯s remaining eye, silencing it for good.


    I shake and tremble and fall back to the ground. Chloe grimaces as she sees how my wounds have turned white and purple from the damage. My health is still falling from the acid splash and the blood loss. My eyelids grow heavy, but I don¡¯t fear for death. We¡¯re¡­ not safe, but as safe as we can be in a dungeon, with no other enemies in pursuit and the creature before us dead. The System notification confirms it, and Chloe¡¯s healing is a breath of fresh air as I rest my head in her lap.


    [You have slain a Dark Crocodile (Level 10). You have gained 350 Experience.]


    [Unique Trait [Touched by the Multiverse] increases your Experience gain to 525.]


    I bemoan if the System can¡¯t just combine those two notifications rather than having to separately display them each time. Strangely enough, considering its general disposition toward me, it agrees to do so without complaint.


    [You have gained enough experience to reach Level 8. [Vitality] +1, [Mind] +1. Please allocate stat points (Remaining: 3)]


    1 point each to [Strength], [Speed], and [Vitality]. As much as I want to continue to invest my stats in my [Mind] for the long-term benefit of my class, the realities of this dungeon have shown that I need to think about the short-term more than I have been. Chloe¡¯s healing has been a godsend, and the fact that we work together both personally and as a party is great. But I came far too close to dying for either of our comforts, falling to a mere 20 [Health] before finishing off the enemy before us. I¡¯m feeling much better thanks to her spells, but she¡¯s still sniffling and holding back tears from the experience.


    [Maximum Health increases by [Vitality] x2 + Current Level + Rand[1, 3] = 69]


    [Maximum Ether increases by [Mind] + Current Level + Rand[0, 2] = 38]


    [Level: 8; Experience: 1,255; To Next: 285]


    [Current Stats: [Health]: 394 / 471 ; [Ether]: 195 / 230]


    [Current Stats: [Strength]: 14; [Speed]: 17; [Vitality]: 29; [Mind]: 30]


    [Your [Ether Bullet (Rank III)] has upgraded to [Ether Bullet (Rank IV)]]


    [You have learned the Class Skill [Trick Shot]. Would you like to take this skill? (Skill Slots remaining: 3/6)]


    I take it on the assumption that I can always overwrite the Skill with another one later. I go ahead and check the description, although I can intuit what the skill does just based on its name.


    [[Trick Shot]: You have developed increasing skill with manipulating Ether in its rawest form and wielding it as a weapon against your foes. In doing so, you¡¯ve learned how to target weaknesses on both the inside and the outside. This skill improves your efficiency with using [Basic Ether Manipulation] with your [Ether Bullet], allowing you to more easily evade enemy defenses and strike where it¡¯s least expected.]


    So, it¡¯s a skill that helps me do what I could have been doing all along but never thought to try. I imagine once I become more skilled with [Basic Ether Manipulation], I¡¯ll be able to do it all without needing the skill, but for now, I¡¯ll gladly use the crutch as I get more familiar with my class¡¯s repertoire.


    I try to get up, but Chloe pulls me back into a hug. I advise that we should start heading back to the surface, and preferably sooner rather than later. She asks if I am upset. I¡¯m not. Frustrated in my own weakness and how I wasn¡¯t able to defend her as well as I would have liked. Okay, yes, I might be a little upset, but only at myself. Not at Chloe in the slightest.


    The [Dark Crocodile¡¯s] body fades away, leaving behind another treasure chest identical to the previous one. I approach slowly, keeping awareness of my surroundings as I do. My entire body tenses, still expecting a monster to spring out. Instead, I open it to find a leather breastplate and what appears to be the hilt of a sword, sans any blade. I¡¯d like to examine it further, as I¡¯m sure the enchantments contained within are going to be invaluable as I attempt to enhance my class further.


    But that¡¯s for later. Chloe helps me equip the armor, increasing my defense from 29 to 39 in the process. I store the hilt in my backpack¡ª far away from the rest of my [Ether Bullets]¡ª and the two of us turn around and start heading back to the surface.

 Chapter 16: Systemic Change

    Tension fills my neck and I start to get a headache as we head back toward the surface. No matter how much I roll my neck back and take deep breaths, the unease never goes away. I practice the stress exercises again, selectively tensing different muscle groups and allowing them to relax. No good there either.


    Then I realize that I lost a lot of blood from the last two fights and take a long and deep gulp of water. That helps quite a bit. I proceed to finish the bottle and am already feeling a bit better. We should have brought more than four bottles for each of us though. Our high [Vitality] might help us forestall the consequences of blood loss and general dehydration, but it doesn¡¯t seem to negate it completely. Same with fatigue more broadly. I need less sleep, and can function better when I need to push through exhaustion, but I¡¯m not immune to it, and I will suffer the consequences if I go too far.


    I pull out the one remaining chocolate bar we have from before the Integration. I offer half of it to Chloe. She takes about two thirds of what I give her and hands the rest back to me.


    ¡°Are you sure? You need your strength as well!¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s some chocolate in this trail mix. Besides, I¡¯m sure you need it more than I do right now.¡±


    I shake my head. ¡°It¡¯s the last bar. I know how much you love chocolate, Chloe. Or should I say, Chochloe?¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡± She shakes her fist at me, then gives me the finger. I stick my tongue out at her, and she follows suit as I hand her back the remainder of her half.


    The chocolate and the spat of levity both help my headache some. I¡¯m still worried for some reason I can¡¯t pinpoint, though. But I don¡¯t want to rush back to the surface, either. The last thing I need is to run headfirst into the next beast that the dungeon sees fit to send our way. We keep our pace measured, all the while I get the sense we¡¯re being watched.


    Chloe doesn¡¯t seem to notice it, and maybe it¡¯s just my paranoia getting the better of me. I still have no definitive proof that the System is out to get me. I just can¡¯t shake the feeling that it¡¯s not here for a beneficial reason. Something deep within the recesses of my mind that I can¡¯t consciously access. Did my past self seal these memories away? Was it the System? Or was it some third force? And if so, what?


    ¡°Hello!¡± a voice calls out, pulling me out of my musing.


    I don¡¯t drop my guard as the three people approach. The members of the National Guard were quite clear: whatever happens down here stays down here, and there aren¡¯t going to be any investigations if there¡¯s a case of ¡®foul play¡¯ in the depths. I have no intention to kill anyone if I can at all help it. In fact, the very idea is making my nausea from before start to rear its ugly head. But I know there are people who would relish the opportunity to let their inhibitions loose, and plenty more who are going to see a couple of high school girls as a mark.


    Chloe gets behind me right away. She does her best to remain calm, but I can hear the jittering of her robes as she shuffles toward me. System or not, any woman walking around is going to tense at the sight of three strange men walking toward them. Add in a dark dungeon, no cell service, and the local cops outright stating they won¡¯t get involved in anything that happens down here? She understands the risk.


    The three are each wearing steel armor that looks like it came right out of the local ren faire. It¡¯s not fitted particularly well, suggesting that it¡¯s mundane armor from Old Earth rather than new equipment powered by the System. Their swords are similar. Probably replicas, and I¡¯m not even sure if they have a good edge or if they¡¯re mostly for display. Still, they¡¯d hurt as a bludgeoning weapon. And they likely have higher [Strength] and Skills of their own to augment that damage further.


    I seriously doubt there¡¯s anyone else locally who¡¯s gained enough experience (or Experience) with the System to start building Ethertech armor. I¡¯m not even sure if the idea has come into their minds. I doubt they understand what my [Simple Blowgun] can do, and I intend to maintain the element of surprise in the event this encounter does come to blows.


    ¡°Well, lookie here,¡± one of the three says. ¡°What are a couple of girls like you doing here in the dungeon?¡±


    ¡°Exploring,¡± I say. ¡°We heard there might be treasure deeper down.¡±


    ¡°Do you want to come with us?¡± the second asks. I really don¡¯t like the way he¡¯s already leering at Chloe.


    ¡°We¡¯re on our way out,¡± I respond. ¡°I wish you well in your exploration,¡± I lie.


    ¡°Oh?¡± he continues. ¡°And what about your friend?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not interested!¡± Chloe shouts. ¡°We¡¯re leaving, and that¡¯s that! C¡¯mon, Sera!¡± She pulls me off, but I maintain my sight squarely on the three stooges. The way that second one was practically disrobing Chloe with his eyes was¡­ It made the hair on my neck stand up on end. No wonder Chloe was so eager to get out of there, and I can¡¯t blame her.


    We pick up the pace. We don¡¯t break into a full sprint, but we aren¡¯t far from it either. I reach into my bag and grab some [Ether Bullets] as we¡¯re running, not sure if we¡¯re going to be pursued. Chloe pulls my attention to a large rock formation near the side of the dungeon. The two of us hide back there. Chloe is shaking as she drops to the ground, and I keep my eyes out for any signs of pursuit.


    The air grows silent and Chloe starts to regain her composure. She takes a large drink of water. I have a brief moment to relax before I hear the sound of screams coming from the direction we just came.


    If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    ¡°What do you want to do?¡± I ask Chloe.


    ¡°You want to go after them?¡± she asks. ¡°I¨C¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to blame you if you say no. I don¡¯t want to be around either of them any longer than I have to.¡±


    ¡°You want to, don¡¯t you?¡±


    I do feel some compulsion toward saving them, deep down. Probably whatever part of me resonated with the [Divine Paladin] class offering. I¡¯m sure if I had chosen that class, I would have no choice but to save those scoundrels from whatever mess they got themselves into. But that¡¯s not who I am, nor who I want to be. And I¡¯m not going to sacrifice my best friend¡¯s comfort just for the chance to cosplay as a valiant knight in shining armor.


    ¡°No,¡± I half-lie. ¡°We should get going; I don¡¯t want whatever is attacking them to come after us next.¡±


    We don¡¯t get a chance; Mr. Dick-For-Brains comes charging up the hill, chased by one of the boar monsters from earlier. And the boar is gaining on him. As soon as he passes by, I ready a pair of [Ether Bullets] and, with my new [Trick Shot] Skill, aim both of them into the creature¡¯s eyes. The [Lesser Cave Boar] staggers, keels over, and dies in short order.


    I dismiss the System notifications until we get out of the cave. The Dungeon¡¯s Resident Asshole approaches me and he does not look happy. He grips his sword and marches toward me, attempting to intimidate me with his size and posture. I don¡¯t relent, keeping my cool even as he gets in my face.


    ¡°The hell was that, you bitch!¡±


    My eye twitches as he slobbers his words all over my face. Hardly the gentlemanly way of thanking someone for saving his worthless ass. I let it slide as I take a step back.


    ¡°That was me saving your hide. But I¡¯m starting to regret my decision. Please get out of my sight and take your troubles with you before I lose what little patience I have.¡±


    ¡°How dare you!¡± he screams.


    He moves to slap me, but I¡¯m able to sidestep him easily. Is he still level 1? Bad class? Armor weighing him down? I don¡¯t know, but I understand how Tweedle Dumb and Tweedle Dumber managed to get themselves killed. I smack him to the ground and give him a moment to seethe.


    ¡°My friends are dead because of you, you insufferable¨C!¡± I cut him off before he can use the even more vulgar word he¡¯s mouthing.


    ¡°No, the reason your friends are dead is because of you and your cock. You think we can¡¯t recognize when a strange man starts leering at us? You think we want to go into a dark cave with men we don¡¯t know when you¡¯re practically undressing my friend? Like, what¡¯s wrong with you? What the hell were we supposed to think was going to happen when a trio of buffoons walks up to a couple of young ladies in the depths of a dungeon?


    ¡°Let me give you some advice,¡± I say, not giving him the chance to defend himself. ¡°The System¡¯s arrival has changed the world, and not all of it is for the worse. Women have always been every bit as smart and capable as men. Now, with the strength of the System, we¡¯re every bit the match for men in our physical capabilities as well. When one of us says no, we mean no, and you better get it through your head that however many times you got away with it before, that¡¯s not going to fly anymore. So now¡¯s your chance to run home with your tail between your legs and your life still intact and reflect on your life decisions, and maybe try to change and be a better person. Otherwise, the next woman you ogle might not be as magnanimous as I am. Or have you forgotten that anything that happens down here stays down here, and there will be no investigations if someone gets any ugly ideas?¡±


    He clenches at the ground and snarls at me, but to the credit of his pea-sized brain, he hightails it out of my sight at a full sprint. I turn around to check for any signs of ambush, making sure to check the ceilings and listen for anything tunneling underneath me before I exhale.


    ¡°Wow, Sera,¡± Chloe says, wrapping her arms around my back. ¡°That was amazing. I¨C¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s sad,¡± I say. ¡°I don¡¯t know what the System wants, but it gives us great power. We should be using it for good. Bringing ourselves together and making things that were previously impossible into reality. But instead, there are always people who are going to use their power to denigrate and oppress others. I guess that side of humanity never changes.¡±


    ¡°Was it that way for you in your previous life?¡± she asks.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. But, I think if someone had the capability to send me to a completely different universe, they would have needed the help of many, many people all working together on such a project. I have to imagine they came together for some greater reason. Maybe they sent me to try to teach their lessons to the people of this world, because it was too late for them.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad we have each other, Sera.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad we have each other too, Chloe.¡±


    We make our way back to the entrance. A few other people are exploring the mouth of the structure, including some people who look like scientists from the local university taking soil and rock samples. They wave at us, and we reciprocate as we cross the threshold.


    ¡°Hey, Chloe, can you help me take this armor off?¡± I whisper.


    ¡°You¡¯re not keeping it?¡±


    ¡°The Guard asked for a third of our loot. And you need the protection more than I do. Besides, if I understand the glyphs on your robes, I can maybe do the same for my other clothes.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re keeping the¨C¡±


    Chloe assists me in unequipping my cuirass, and we turn it over as payment for their services. After a brief inspection of our bags to ensure we¡¯re not sneaking too much out of the dungeon, we¡¯re waved back through the turnstyle and reenter the outside world. I finally get a chance to process the rest of my level gain from earlier.


    [You have slain a Lesser Cave Boar (Level 8). You have gained 285 Experience after all modifiers (Experience reduced due to assistance from outside combatants.)]


    I don¡¯t know how much they really did, but considering the Experience gain was only reduced from 330 to 285, it wasn¡¯t all that much. I chuckle at their incompetence.


    [You have gained enough experience to reach Level 9. [Vitality] +1, [Mind] +1. Please allocate stat points (Remaining: 3)]


    1 point each to [Strength], [Speed], and [Vitality], just as before, and for the same reasons.


    [Maximum Health increases by [Vitality] x2 + Current Level + Rand[1, 3] = 72]


    [Maximum Ether increases by [Mind] + Current Level + Rand[0, 2] = 41]


    [Level: 9; Experience: 1,540; To Next: 850]


    [Current Stats: [Health]: 515 / 543 ; [Ether]: 262 / 271]


    [Current Stats: [Strength]: 15; [Speed]: 18; [Vitality]: 31; [Mind]: 31]


    Satisfied with the experience and Experience alike, the two of us decide to head home. It¡¯s still early in the afternoon, and we have time for one more meal and long bath before whatever awaits us when the promised World Modifications begin.

 Chapter 17: Changing of the World

    We decide to each go take a shower before eating.  My clothes are covered in dirt and grime, there¡¯s dried blood on my arms and legs, and I think there¡¯s still some traces of that venomous tooth mixed in.  Sweat mixes with the oil in my hair, creating an unpleasant mop on my head.  And perhaps worst of all, I still feel unclean after dealing with that creep back in the cave.


    I lean back and lather heartily as warm water flows into my hair and then down my skin.  I get the feeling this might be the last time I get to enjoy the comforts of modern life for quite some time.  Yes, these last few days have been different, and some of those differences have been incredible.  I¡¯m stronger than I could have imagined.  I just stared down some creep, and then smacked him down without even breaking a sweat.  That part still feels incredible.


    I have access to wondrous technology that is so far beyond what science thought possible not even a week ago.  And I know deep down that what I¡¯ve discovered so far is only the tiniest sliver of what¡¯s now possible.  Flying around in a mech suit, altering my body with cybernetic enhancements, even rebuilding myself in the body of an android.  My class gives me small hints at different paths I can go down as I advance further, and I love each one more than the last.


    After I finish getting dressed, I head downstairs, where Chloe¡¯s repurposed our remaining snacks into a hearty lunch.


    ¡°Oh, wow, this all looks delicious!¡± I say.  ¡°Did you not shower?¡±


    ¡°You spaced out a bit and were in there for almost twenty minutes!¡±


    I grimace.  ¡°Oops, sorry about that!¡±


    Chloe just giggles.  ¡°It¡¯s okay, Sera!  You¡¯ve been pushing yourself so hard every day.  Even when we were playing board games, you were working on new abilities and projects.  If you need a little break to just reflect on everything, I totally understand.  Besides, you were so amazing the way you stood up to that bully earlier.  I¨C  All I could do was shrink away behind you.  This is the least I can do to help.¡±


    I shake my head and pull Chloe into a hug.  ¡°You¡¯re stronger than you realize.  You faced your fears and went into the dungeon alongside me.  You even stood up to your own mother to do it.  And you¡¯re just as brave as you are strong.¡±


    ¡°But I¨C¡±


    ¡°And you did it all without having the experience and mindset of another life in the System guiding you.  It¡¯s okay if you were scared.  I think our English teacher said it best last year.  Courage isn¡¯t about not being afraid.  Courage is accepting you¡¯re afraid, and then venturing forth anyway.¡±


    ¡°But you don¡¯t show any signs of being scared at all, Sera.¡±


    ¡°Maybe I just do a better job of hiding it.  Because I¡¯m terrified, Chloe.  Terrified of losing you and this friendship we have.  Terrified of what comes next, and not at all sure how we can protect ourselves from whatever the System plans next.  And terrified that there¡¯s some intelligence even greater than the System, manipulating events toward designs I can¡¯t even begin to fathom.¡±


    ¡°What are you going to do?¡±


    ¡°Keep getting stronger.  Stay alive.  Protect you.  For now, we play our parts.¡±


    We sit down and I eat a meal that I can¡¯t help but feel is my last supper.  ¡°Any news on social media about stuff going on around the world?¡±


    ¡°Oh, you know, there¡¯s that meme going around about the one guy who¡¯s all ¡®I¡¯m not saying it¡¯s aliens, except I¡¯m totally going to do everything to imply that it is without outright stating it¡¯.  Lots of talk about the ¡®world modifications¡¯ being interplanetary highways and interstellar travel.  We¡¯ll be able to travel across the galaxy and see brand new sights.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think we¡¯re ready for that just yet.¡±


    ¡°What makes you say that?¡±


    ¡°Just a hunch.¡±


    ¡°Seraphina!¡±  She gives me the stink eye.  ¡°Just a hunch?¡±  She sighs.  ¡°Well, your hunches have been pretty spot-on so far, and I¡¯m not going to doubt the speculation of someone who¡¯s lived under the System before in a past life.  What do you think will happen next?¡±


    ¡°The world gets harsher.  More monsters.  More dangerous dungeons.  The monsters have danced around the outskirts of civilization, but they¡¯ve been weak.  They¡¯ll get stronger, and their attacks will be more vicious.  There will be new challenges that are designed to either break us or allow us to reach new heights.


    ¡°So far this has been pretty straightforward.  We¡¯ve been given time to adjust and adapt with the comforts of our old society.  We¡¯ve had the tutorial dungeon in the basement.  The handful of encounters outside the dungeon have all been against low-level riffraff.  The System has eased us into the integration.  It wants as many people as possible to survive to the next stage of its plans.  It wants us to get stronger.  For what purpose, I don¡¯t know.¡±


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got you, Sera, and I know that together we can make it through whatever happens next.¡±


    ¡°Circling back around to before.  In a sense, I guess I¡¯m an alien too.¡±


    ¡°Well, you¡¯re a great friend, and that¡¯s all that matters.  I don¡¯t care if you were once from another world.  Honestly, it¡¯s kinda cool!¡±


    I smile.  It¡¯s nice, being able to be open with her and know that she¡¯ll accept me just as I am.


    ¡°So, have you heard of any ideas other than aliens?  Or any other news from your online followers?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a lot of talk about what to do with kids and the System.  Apparently, no one under the age of ten has been integrated, and they don¡¯t have the opportunity to awaken to their class and abilities until they turn ten years old.  Right down to the minute of their birth.  Even accounts for leap years and seconds too!¡±


    ¡°That makes sense,¡± I say.  ¡°At some point, giving superpowers to kids is just asking them to misuse them.  It¡¯s why I don¡¯t think the world is going to go completely down the gutter.  If the System wants us to survive and level up as I think it does, then it will want us to continue to survive as a species.  For that reason, I don¡¯t think we¡¯re going to see the most dire and apocalyptic scenarios as depicted in plenty of our media.¡±


    ¡°I want you to do something for me, Sera,¡± Chloe says.  ¡°I want you to take the rest of the afternoon to rest.  I know you¡¯re worried, but you said it yourself, right now, all we can do is go along with whatever the System has planned for us, and let the pieces fall where they may.  And right now, the world is about to change, and we¡¯ll have a better understanding of how best to move forward after the modifications happen.¡±


    I roll my eyes.  ¡°You just want to beat me in every board game you have.¡±


    Chloe grins.  ¡°Yeah, I might not get another opportunity once these last four hours pass.  For old time¡¯s sake?  For my sake?¡±


    I acquiesce.  Damn it all, I can stare down a bully and curse a man out without any issue, but Chloe asks me for something nicely and I just melt like a stick of butter dropped into a frying pan.  Guess we¡¯ll just continue relying on one another through thick and thin like we always have.


    Predictably, the gauntlet of board games proceeds in a manner not to my advantage.  In the fourth round, I feel like I have an insurmountable lead.  And then, true to form, just as victory is within my grasp, Chloe draws the exact cards she needs three turns in a row while I snatch defeat from victory¡¯s jaws.  She¡¯s thankfully not a sore winner about it, and I take the loss in as good of cheer as I can muster.


    The fifth game we play results in a total and complete skunking in Chloe¡¯s favor.  As in, epic yarns could be spun decades from now about how overwhelming my best friend¡¯s victory was, and how equally calamitous was my defeat.  Honestly, that game didn¡¯t hurt as badly as the previous one did.  Chloe wants to play one more, but after four crushing defeats and one near victory that stings more still, I request an end to the afternoon¡¯s torture.  Okay, it was still mostly fun.  Still would have liked to have that victory for a change.  I grumble a bit.


    Afternoon comes and goes and the two of us enjoy this last respite of calm before the storm.  Chloe posts some stories on one of her walls about how the two of us went into the local dungeon and did battle with giant boars.  I don¡¯t mind it myself, as long as she remains vague about exactly what she can do.  I doubt there are too many other people who took a [Healer] type class, and I already know exactly how they can save your life when you¡¯re in a rough spot.


    Soon enough, the five o¡¯clock hour arrives.  I bring up the countdown, currently sitting at about thirteen minutes until modification.  Chloe heads to her bathtub and we quickly clean the entire tub, then fill it up with cold water.  Best case scenario, we waste a few pennies on the next month¡¯s water bill.  Worst case scenario, we save our lives.


    We turn on the news.  Plenty of talk about ongoing civil unrest and people whining about people ¡®looting¡¯ for food and other essentials, and no discussion about what¡¯s due to happen any minute.  The weather forecast is predicting more clear skies for the next several days, which is pretty surprising.  This is usually the start of the rainy season.


    Three minutes before the modifications begin, the screen goes black.  Chloe tries to change the station.  Nothing but black and static and messages about no signal available.  We¡¯re both unable to connect to the internet on our phones anymore.  Chloe is understandably pissed; I¡¯m relatively unperturbed.  She panics, and I pull her into a hug and let her express her worry without judgement.


    The ground shakes, not unlike how it did during the initial world modification.  The paintings and pictures on the wall don¡¯t shake or fall down, suggesting this is no natural phenomenon to be explained with conventional science and physics.  The sky outside dims, as though covered with tinted glass, though the sun remains where it is relative to the horizon.


    The timer hits zero.  New notifications pop up in the side of my eye.


    [Planet E3-971, local name ¡®Earth¡¯,  Initialization countdown concluded.  Checking ambient Ether levels¡­  Stand by.]


    [Ether levels judged to be within acceptable parameters.  Current population of Humans is estimated at 8.01 billion.  Scanning known myths, legends, and other historical records¡­  Scanning complete.]


    [Warning: Surface of Planet E3-971 is predominantly coated in water (Surface analysis complete: 71.22% water, 7.42% inhospitable land or glacier.  21.36% habitable landscape.  Analyzing potential solutions, searching for alternative most consistent with System Directive AT-4416-ZXQB¡­  Standing by.)]


    [Analysis complete.  Circumference of planet E3-971 insufficient to implement optimized design.  Begin terraforming process.  Circumference of the planet will be increased from 24,901 miles (equatorial measurement) to roughly 36,000 miles to compensate.  Local gravitational constants will be modified accordingly to ensure continued habitability of the planet for native lifeforms.  Pumping additional Ether into planet to maintain current density.  Scanning distribution of human infrastructure to determine optimal overlay positioning.  Analyzing plot¡­  Analyzing¡­  Analysis completed.  Beginning terraforming.]


    A general sense of weightlessness comes over me.  Not enough to allow me to float in the air, but I feel light enough to jump Chloe¡¯s house in a single bound.  That feeling gradually subsides as the ground shakes, this time even more heavily than before.


    The rumbling continues for the next five minutes, oscillating between periods of intense quakes and distant rumbles.  We huddle together under the table for the next ten until we are certain that the quakes have stopped.


    ¡°Time to look around?¡± I ask.


    Chloe still looks shaken, but she forces out a nod.

 Chapter 18: The New Earth

    The electricity went out shortly after the terraforming began. As it ends, we flip the light switches on and off and find no purchase. The refrigerator and freezer likewise aren¡¯t working. My mind starts racing, thinking of the implications. As long as we keep it closed, we should have two days or so before we start having to worry about the food going bad. The faucets, however, still work fine, which means we won¡¯t have to worry about rationing water anytime soon. No idea if the hot water is still functioning or not, but I¡¯m going to assume not.


    Our phones do turn on just fine, which gives me an idea. I go over to the refrigerator, unplug it, and then power it with my own [Ether] reserve. It works just as expected. It does drain me to an enormous extent, meaning I can only do so for a few minutes each day, and even less if I¡¯m fighting. More impetus to continue getting stronger and advancing my knowledge of Ethertech, and in the interim, that might buy us another few hours or so of fresh food.


    Chloe brings back bad news. While our phones turn on just fine, there¡¯s no internet. The wi-fi is right out, but even 5G and basic cell signals are completely shot. If the Earth just grew by 40% in a matter of minutes, that makes sense. Satellites will be all out of alignment, GPS will have to be completely restructured from the ground up, and I doubt all the infrastructure needed to move electricity and cable around has been modified the way the water pipes (thankfully) have.


    With nothing else to do inside, we head out to survey the landscape. We¡¯re not alone in doing so; there are a couple of others outside as well. The neighborhood itself is unchanged, short of people trying in vain to get the power back on. A few lucky people do have generators. Chloe¡¯s family, sadly, does not. Although now I wonder if I could build one. At least, in principle, I know how they work. Gasoline turns motor, motor spins around a bunch of wires, the magnetic field induces AC current. What I have no idea how to do is how to turn those basic principles into practice. More importantly, I don¡¯t know how to get mechanical equipment to absorb ambient Ether and utilize it as a power source. Then again, if I can just build a device that converts Ether into sixty Hertz, one hundred and twenty volt electricity, I can just bypass all that. I¡¯ll make research into that a high priority.


    I climb up to the top of Chloe¡¯s roof and the massive structure that appeared near downtown has immediately risen to the top of that priority list. As in, holy shit, why is there a tower nearly half a mile tall poking out from the horizon? I beckon Chloe up to see for herself, and she immediately gets flustered.


    ¡°I¡¯m worried,¡± she says.


    ¡°About your mother?¡±


    ¡°About everything.¡± We sit down and watch the setting sun from the rooftop. ¡°The notifications said there were going to be more and more powerful monsters. That they were going to be more direct about attacking homes and¡­ and even children who can¡¯t defend themselves. I can¡¯t¨C I can¡¯t save them all.¡±


    She pauses for a moment.  "I guess that''s why Mom was so adamant about going into work even with the whole System arrival.  Said her job was too important, that if she and everyone else didn''t go in and make sure the water systems remained functional, we were going to go from occasional riots to widespread panic and total breakdown of the social order.  Too many lives at stake.  I just... I wish that she were here with us right now."


    "I''m sorry."  I offer her a hug, which she accepts.  ¡°Is that what you want to do? Save lives?¡±


    Chloe nods. ¡°I realized it back in the dungeon. Those guys were assholes and creeps and made my skin crawl. I didn¡¯t want anything to do with them. But I didn¡¯t want them to die, and I can¡¯t help but think that if we¡¯d gone with them, they might not have done so.¡±


    ¡°Chloe, I know it¡¯s cheesy to say it this way, but remember what they say on airplanes about putting your mask on first before you try to help others.¡± I pause and give her a moment. ¡°I feel the same way you do. Maybe not to the same extent, but I feel that desire to help people deep within. Or have you forgotten that [Divine Paladin] was the first class the System offered me?¡±


    ¡°So what do you think is best?¡± she asks.


    ¡°I¡¯ll cycle my [Ether] to give the refrigerator a little bit of uptime; I can only do this a few times, but it should help. I¡¯d like to go to the tower, but not tonight. It¡¯s too late, and I don¡¯t want to roam the streets in the dark. Both because of monsters, and because of guard patrols that might see us as monsters and try to attack.


    ¡°In the meantime, I think we should pack more thoroughly this time. We might not be returning home for a few more days.¡± At least.


    ¡°You say that like you think we¡¯re leaving home for good.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re both high school seniors and we were each planning to go off to college after the summer. The only difference is that we¡¯re leaving the nest a few months sooner than we¡¯d originally planned.¡±


    Chloe laughs. ¡°The only difference, right? Nothing about the world being upended twice in one week, us getting magical powers, you learning about being from a faraway world, or the world itself literally growing right under our feet?¡±


    ¡°Nope!¡± I say. ¡°Just two best friends leaving their home and setting out to see the wide new world which awaits us!¡±


    This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ So different from how you¡¯ve been these past few days, Sera. I appreciate the studious, disciplined you that¡¯s kept us safe and helped us navigate these first days of System Integration. But I miss the easygoing you as well.¡±


    ¡°I guess it¡¯s because I feel strangely calm tonight. Almost like this is closer to the world that my soul knows.¡±


    ¡°I thought you don¡¯t believe in souls and energy and all my mom¡¯s healing crystals and stuff. Called it a bunch of, and I quote, ¡®pseudoscientific, unfounded woo designed to part the gullible from their money.¡¯¡±


    ¡°Yeah, and this time last week, I didn¡¯t believe in reincarnation, magic, or the idea that you can just touch someone and heal them. Events in the interim have met the threshold of ¡®extraordinary evidence¡¯ and have forced me to reconsider my stances.¡±


    ¡°Does that mean you believe in aliens now, too?¡±


    ¡°Well, I kind of have to, seeing as though I am one, from a certain point of view.¡±


    ¡°Do you think we¡¯ll ever get to see the world you came from?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯d like to think that we will, but something is telling me that I shouldn¡¯t expect much.¡±


    Chloe looks downtrodden. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. Do you want to head inside? I¡¯d like to be productive for a bit before it gets too dark to work.¡±


    Chloe nods. We head in and I begin my analysis of the glyphs in Chloe¡¯s robes while she watches. To call them a marvel of engineering by conventional standards would be an understatement, and yet, I¡¯m sure the true capabilities of Ethertech are far beyond what I can envision. They perfectly incorporate both flexibility and rigidity, able to be flexible while walking around in them, then turning rigid when impacted sufficiently hard. Absolutely fascinating.


    I get an idea. I note the two principal glyphs found in the lattice structure woven into the fabric and copy them down as best I can on a sheet of paper. This didn¡¯t work last time, and I think I understand why. These glyphs don¡¯t do anything on their own. They only shape Ether in order to create the effects inherent in the armor.


    This time, I trace a sluice into and out of the glyph and, using my [Basic Ether Manipulation], channel a small bit of my own [Ether] into the paper, envisioning it following the patterns of the sluice line. It does nothing, but I¡¯m undeterred. I try the same process with the other prominent glyph and I have success. As soon as I activate the glyph, the piece of paper immediately stiffens. I hold it up to Chloe, who looks at it with bemusement rather than astonishment.


    ¡°What?¡± she asks. ¡°Did you figure something out?¡±


    ¡°Try to push it aside,¡± I say.


    She tries and fails to do so. She pushes a bit harder and again finds no success. She stands up and puts a significant amount of her body weight behind her. She manages to snap the paper in two right next to my fingertips. The main part of the sheet, with its now deactivated glyph, falls to the ground, sending Chloe stumbling face-first onto the table. I catch her at the last second, but my aim is a little off, and I end up holding her by the chest instead of the stomach. I immediately pull away and the two of us both look away from each other. She¡¯s blushing, and my hand feels strangely warm.


    ¡°Uh, sorry about that,¡± I say. ¡°But you saw how difficult it was to move that paper, right? It was like trying to snap a piece of metal. Thin metal, but metal nonetheless.¡±


    ¡°So what are you going to do with it?¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ I do have an idea. Do you have a spare pair of gloves lying around?¡±


    ¡°I think there¡¯s some in my mom¡¯s closet. Give me just a second.¡±


    While she does, I do one more experiment, drawing two of the glyphs that I am calling [Barrier] on another sheet of paper. I note that I get more apparent rigidity, but have to spend additional [Ether] to maintain the functionality. In addition to the tradeoff of not being able to keep the glyphs activated for nearly as long, there¡¯s an inherent downside to being overly rigid. First is inflexibility and restriction of movement. Secondly, anything too rigid becomes brittle and easier to shatter, as Chloe had just demonstrated. Balance is important. With a greater array of glyphs at my disposal, I can eliminate these weaknesses, but for now, I have to be judicious with my crafting.


    I settle on two glyphs which I trace onto each glove. Unfortunately, this proves too problematic for trying to maintain the shape as the glove bends in three-dimensional space. Even drawing the glyphs on the palms and backs of the hands proves challenging.


    I get around this problem by sewing a thin strand in roughly the correct shape, and making sure I leave little bits of slack in the fabric after each stitch. Then, with my [Basic Ether Manipulation], I envision my Ether taking the string and guiding it along in the perfect shape. A few more stitches to fix all the curves in place and I have something that I think will work. At least, better than nothing.


    I put the gloves on and activate them. They immediately stiffen. Thankfully, they don¡¯t tighten and restrict blood flow to my hands, but it¡¯s not the most comfortable thing I¡¯ve ever seen. I turn to Chloe and ask her to whack my hands as a test. She hesitates, but eventually finds a plastic ruler to do so. I activate the gloves, noting the drain on my [Ether] to be just under 10 units per second after factoring in my regeneration, and wait.


    Chloe whacks at me. I grimace out of instinct, anticipating the sting, but I am instead astonished when she flies backward into the couch behind her. I¡¯m able to catch her, but not before the two of us collapse into the loveseat, thankfully with no more hands ending up in compromising locations.


    ¡°Wow, you weren¡¯t kidding when you said you made some improvements. I¡¯m seriously impressed!¡±


    I nod. ¡°Sadly, it¡¯s the best I can do until I get a better feeling for Ethertech crafting. It still has to be activated, and the [Ether] drain is significant. But in a pinch, or in the middle of a fight, they¡¯ll do quite nicely. I¡¯ll make you a pair as well, if you¡¯d like.¡±


    Chloe nods. As she heads off, I get a System notification.


    [You have crafted [Low-Grade Barrier Gauntlets]. Defense +1. In addition to their minimal defensive utility, these gauntlets, crafted by an inexperienced technician, have an additional function. At will, the user may channel their [Ether] into them to create the effect of [Barrier] as per the spell (Rank I). Cost: 10 [Ether] per second. Effect lasts until dismissed (at will) or until user¡¯s [Ether] is exhausted.]


    My first true piece of Ethertech. And I feel great.

 Chapter 19: To the Tower!

    Despite heading to an early sleep, morning comes all too soon. The sun isn¡¯t even awake yet when I finally get out of bed, despite the fact that I¡¯ve tried and mostly failed to go back to sleep three times already. I suppose I¡¯m still nervous about heading to that strange tower that appeared downtown last night. And this time, unlike yesterday, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s all excitement.


    I check the garage door and confirm that Chloe¡¯s mother didn¡¯t come home last night. We both expected as much, but I still held out hope that she might arrive late in the evening. I¡¯m sure Chloe feels the same. I head downstairs to take one final shower, in the main bathroom this time to avoid waking my friend up. One final quick shower, I correct the instant the icy water hits my skin. Nope, I had a warm shower last night and I¡¯m not letting the frigid liquid come anywhere close to my hair.


    With that done, I do some stretching, mostly to distract myself as I wait for Chloe to get ready. I double check all of our gathered food and other supplies for our journey. Notably, I make sure that we have a couple of lighters Chloe¡¯s mother still has lying around, along with a pot in which we can boil water if the need arises. Hopefully it doesn¡¯t, but I don¡¯t know how long the journey is going to take, or how many challenges we might face along the way.


    Chloe heads downstairs about ten minutes after dawn, having forgone the opportunity for one final shower before we depart. Breakfast is simple, consisting of cereal with milk and berries. I have a couple of slices of cheese to go with it, noting that it might be quite a while before I can again enjoy my savory yellowy goodness. And with that, our journey begins.


    This time, I actually do bring a light jacket to wear over my blouse. I appreciate it immediately as a chilly northerly breeze blows at us, sending my hair flying all about. Chloe, on the other hand, has her hair up in a bun. After that bout of embarrassment, compounded by my best friend¡¯s laughter, I follow suit.


    The sun rises and the air warms as we head through the suburbs at a comfortable pace. Without a car, it¡¯ll take the lion¡¯s share of the morning to make it downtown, but we make do with the resources at our disposal. We do get some weird looks from members of the National Guard patrolling the streets in their various assortment of vehicles, but none of them question or try to detain us.


    I wonder how they are being so cavalier about their consumption of fuel after yesterday, but if any group is going to get the highest priority for petroleum-based products, it¡¯s always the military at the expense of the downtrodden.


    The city itself doesn¡¯t seem all that much different from before in terms of size and shape. None of the lights are on, and few people are out and about. Other than the National Guard and local cops, I only spot a small handful of cars driving by. I¡¯m a little surprised not to see electrical crews running maintenance, but the issue is probably less with the local grids than with the high-tension lines connecting and stabilizing the national grid. With that in mind, their absence makes way more sense.


    A few otherworldly creatures approach us, expecting easy prey. We quickly disappoint them and continue on our way. Much to my chagrin, however, the System imposes some sort of Experience scaling, and defeating the level 1 [Frenetic Imps] and level 2 [Lesser Hellspawn] no longer provide any Experience for their trouble. I¡¯m a little disappointed that I¡¯ve also not encountered any treasure from encounters outside of the dungeon. Must be some incentive put in place to encourage more dungeon diving. Again, I wish I could understand why the System wants us to do so.


    The quiet, empty streets gradually fill with more traffic, a mix of foot traffic and cars uncharacteristic for such a car-dominated city. With our heightened [Speed] and [Vitality] and concerns about an impending fuel shortage, it seems imminent necessity has forced the people to finally seek alternative means of transportation. I then get the idea of a motorized Ethertech bicycle as a simple means to get around. Yet more things to add to the list of things I want to do. I silently curse my lack of access to Ethertech to dissect and reverse engineer! I do hope this new tower provides where the dungeon didn¡¯t.


    As we near the structure, I realize I may have exaggerated the height of the new tower that¡¯s appeared just south of downtown. It¡¯s perhaps only fifteen hundred feet tall, not half a mile as I originally speculated. Still, it easily dwarfs even the tallest buildings which previously existed in the city, none of which break seven hundred feet.


    Not unexpectedly, there¡¯s already a police barricade around the structure, and a lectern has been set up, where the mayor is holding an impromptu press conference. The chief of police, several people in suits who I presume are city councilors, and several armed guards flank him.


    He answers meaningless questions from media personnel also wearing full suit jackets. Where did it come from? Is it dangerous? What will happen to the displaced population? That question¡¯s answer, as it turns out, is that there was no displacement. The world simply grew to accommodate the tower, and no buildings are reported lost or destroyed as a result. The people living within a block¡¯s radius are being encouraged to evacuate due to unspecified ¡®potential hazards¡¯, and the media steadfastly refuses to press further on what that might entail.


    Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.


    They don¡¯t ask if anyone is allowed inside. It¡¯s almost like no one is interested in seeing and experiencing what lies within a tower built by technology and literal magic, or at least what might as well be considered magic to our eyes. Damned cowards, one and all, hiding behind the so-called ¡®safety¡¯ and ¡®security¡¯ of the life they once knew without even comprehending what malevolence might lie in wait, feasting upon our vain attempts at ¡®security¡¯.


    As such, I expect to be rebuffed when we simply walk up and approach the police line. We do so mostly to assuage Chloe¡¯s conscience on the matter. She is starting to understand the danger I sense behind the System¡¯s actions. Moreover, she has expressed her trust in me on numerous occasions. And I believe, egotistical though it may be, it is in the best interests of the world, if not far more, that we investigate and understand the secrets that lie within, and sooner rather than later.


    ¡°Halt, this is a restricted space,¡± the nearest officer says once we reach the barricade. ¡°Until further notice, civilians are not allowed inside.¡±


    ¡°And there¡¯s no way you would let us investigate for ourselves? I¡¯m prepared to sign a waiver to disclaim any responsibility you or anyone else might face for anything that might befall me while inside, if this is a matter of liability. Same policy as the dungeon about fifteen miles south of here?¡±


    ¡°And let a couple of suspicious-looking schoolgirls just waltz right in?¡±


    ¡°Suspicious looking?¡± Chloe asks. ¡°What¡¯s so suspicious?¡±


    The officer grows more irate with us. ¡°A massive tower suddenly appears, and rather than taking steps to stay safe like kids your age should be, you just waltz up without a care in the world about your own well being? It doesn¡¯t matter how much you ask, no means no!¡±


    I respect the logic, just as I respect a man who comprehends that no does, in fact, mean no. However, I still plan to get inside. Understanding the irony after yesterday¡¯s debacle and how my thoughts make me sound like a bit of a hypocrite, I decide to push the issue just a bit further before resorting to alternative measures to sneak my way in.


    ¡°Pardon me, officer,¡± I say, ¡°but wouldn¡¯t it be in the best interests of everyone to get this investigation done as soon as possible so we can all move on with our lives? I doubt the force can spare enough hands to do so themselves. Communication networks across the planet have shut down, I¡¯m sure there¡¯s hundreds of other such towers across the country, so it might be a matter of weeks, months, or even years before the army and the feds are able to send a team to investigate under official auspices. Besides, the System gave me a class that specifically deals with System-based technology. I doubt there are many people more qualified for the task.¡±


    Unfortunately, I don¡¯t feel comfortable mentioning anything about my reincarnation. That seems like a quick way to get thrown in an institution for seventy-two hours. Or however many weeks it takes for a judge to finally implement oversight while we are still, technically, in a state of martial law.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to need to ask you two to please leave now. This is your final warning. If you choose to persist, you will be arrested on charges of trespass, disturbing the peace and interfering with a police officer.¡±


    I nod, and the two of us take our leave without further incident. We could simply barrel through; I trust my [Barrier Gauntlets], low grade or not, to defend against conventional bullets from the officer¡¯s small handgun. However, that would likely cause further bloodshed, which neither of us want. I form a plan, though I dare not speak it aloud while we¡¯re so close to the tower, and especially not within earshot or eyesight of the officer who¡¯s still watching us warily.


    I take a couple of Ether Crystals out of my pouch. Thanks to my work synthesizing more during the trip here, I have in excess of two hundred stored away; I hope not to need this many, but better to have and not need than the reverse. I grab Chloe¡¯s hand and the two of us make our way back through the crowd of onlookers, while the useless press conference continues uninterrupted. There are some questions about the return of electricity and other public services that the mayor deftly dodges by redirecting the press to the office of the local utility company.


    It¡¯s time to make use of my [Trick Shot], which I can apply to my [Ether Bullets] even when thrown rather than shot out through my [Simple Blowgun]. With a flick of my finger, I fire one up and over the crowd, using my Skill to send it flying higher and further into the air. Then, at the apex of its flight, I will it to explode.


    It evaporates into a flash of light and sound which startles the crowd. Since the bullet is entirely composed of Ether itself, there¡¯s no need to worry about shrapnel raining down upon innocents. And better still, there¡¯s no forensic evidence left behind that can link it back to me. Still, that officer from before will probably assume I¡¯m responsible, even without any physical evidence that I did anything. That¡¯s a problem for later.


    One more [Ether Bullet] sent in the same vicinity and the police quickly join ranks to protect the mayor and his staff. Chloe and I sneak off with the crowd, doing our best to appear frightened as everyone else scatters in a mad panic. We get half a block to the north when I look to the left, then the right, then back to the left, looking for any signs that we¡¯re being watched. Seeing nothing, I activate the [Barrier] skill in my gauntlets and take the lead, pushing through the police line and sneaking into the tower with only Chloe in pursuit.


    We make our way past the threshold and I take a deep breath. There¡¯s so much potential lurking within here, and I can¡¯t wait to see and take all the treasures I find.

 Chapter 20: The First Ascent I

    I don¡¯t honestly know what I was expecting to find once I got inside, but this is surprisingly mundane and fails to live up to even my most pessimistic expectations. If I didn¡¯t know that this building literally popped into existence yesterday, fully formed, it would look no different than any other office building. Plain walls, drab carpet flooring, soulless lights that look like mundane fluorescents. The lights are on, however, which does provide clues as to the supernatural nature of this space.


    In less exciting news, I notice that my [Ether] is regenerating only about half as quickly inside as it does in the outside world. I cannot say for sure since I used so little of it while exploring the dungeon, but I imagine it was similar. Chloe confirms my suspicions based on her own observations.


    I have to assume that it¡¯s the result of how the System and the space within is making use of the ambient Ether to power itself, and perhaps, to spawn monsters and synthesize the treasure we found inside. This leaves relatively less remaining for those who dwell within. An added sense of danger for potentially greater rewards.


    I keep my gaze fixed upon the door leading outside for several minutes. Partially because I keep hoping I¡¯ll see something miraculous when I turn back toward the inside, partially to recharge my [Ether] a bit longer, and mostly because I¡¯m terrified that someone will storm in right behind and try to apprehend us. It¡¯s not until Chloe snaps me out of my racing mind that I take a deep breath and we proceed further into the foyer.


    Neither of us see anything out of the ordinary. I take my magnifying glass to the various objects on the countertop. Everything is mundane, made of glass or plastic or other such items that already exist on Earth. The same is true of the walls. I can¡¯t see any of the characteristic marks I¡¯ve been able to identify on every other piece of Ethertech I¡¯ve encountered until now. I suppose the dungeon, when considering it as a whole, also shares this characteristic, so I can¡¯t read too deep into my observation.


    Again, I¡¯m forced to ask myself why this structure exists. If it were a dungeon of some sort or a font of hidden artifice from a long-dead civilization, it would make sense. And if it were merely providing some office space for would-be entrepreneurs, it could have just given a city-wide notification to that effect.


    I come up with two ideas. First, the System wants to analyze how humanity¡¯s government and collective decision-making apparatuses operate. This conjecture has a flaw though. I have to assume that it knows each of us at least as well as we know ourselves. And its processing capabilities are far beyond even Earth¡¯s most powerful supercomputers. It could certainly project our behavior from its preexisting knowledge.


    The second, and perhaps more benign explanation, is that it wants to reward exploration. That¡¯s why dungeons exist, or so I believe. The System wants us to get stronger. Maybe to encourage us to depend on it more? Or perhaps it wants to facilitate the development of more Ethertech? The System did seem pleased when I chose my class. Maybe it¡¯s just paranoia talking with my recurring thoughts about the System¡¯s malevolence. But I don¡¯t think so.


    We forgo the elevators, instead taking the stairwell to the second floor. I expected Chloe to protest my decision, but she was even more adamant about not taking the devices that had never been subject to a thorough inspection and absolutely screamed ¡®suspended metal death trap¡¯, to use her words.


    We make it to the second floor. My [Ether] is regenerating no more quickly, suggesting we¡¯re still in the dungeon-like space. And yet, all we see is more offices. Tiny offices barely larger than a closet, little cubicles with desks the size of the ones in our classrooms. No computers or technology that I can swipe except the lights. I do make a half-hearted attempt to reach up and try to pull one off the ceiling, but I can think of more than a few reasons why that¡¯s a terrible idea, and shelve the thought.


    ¡°Wow,¡± Chloe says as she walks into the southwestern corner office on the fourth floor. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen the river from this perspective before. It¡¯s so beautiful.¡±


    I laugh. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen the riverbed this full except on the days right after it rains.¡±


    ¡°You can be such a jerk sometimes, Sera!¡±


    I start to protest, but instead stand silently with my mouth agape. Seeing no way out of the situation, I¡¯m forced to lower my head in silent defeat, followed by a meek apology.


    ¡°You¡¯re not wrong, though. It¡¯s nice to see the river actually be a river for a change.¡±


    I nod. ¡°Kinda sad that none of the projects to address that shortcoming ever went through.¡±


    Chloe silently affirms. For a brief moment, the two of us watch the activity in the streets below before heading further up the tower.


    I¡¯m starting to get suspicious about why this building is so empty. The basement has something dangerous in it, I¡¯m sure, but it feels like there should be some sort of encounter. Not too many; we only encountered two enemies in the dungeon, despite spending an entire morning inside. Three if you count the one the buffoon squad brought back with them, but it doesn¡¯t change the crux of the argument. Maybe the enemies only come out in darkness? It¡¯s not¡­ quite the worst explanation I can imagine.


    This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    When we get to the sixth floor of the tower, we decide to break for lunch. We take two of the small desks in the main area and drag them over into one of the small adjacent office rooms. I go ahead and grab a third and prop it up as a makeshift barricade as I close the door behind me. I don¡¯t expect it to stop anything that might be lurking within, but it might buy us an extra second or two to defend ourselves. And that¡¯s as much as I can hope for right now.


    We sit down for a meal consisting of a bag of potato chips and a sub sandwich of turkey, tomato, and mustard. As soon as I take my first bite and start savoring the admittedly mediocre meal, Chloe smiles and then giggles.


    I raise an eyebrow. ¡°Is there something on my face?¡± I pat my temples and cheeks, hoping to figure out whatever¨C Oh shit, is this another spider incident? I thought I left that back in the basement dungeon where it belonged! I jump up and flail from side to side, hoping to get the damned thing off me and sent back to the depths of hell. But Chloe only laughs more, wallowing in schadenfreude.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing on you,¡± she says. ¡°I¡¯m just laughing and smiling because this reminds me of the time we first met, thirteen years ago.¡±


    I blush as I sit back down. I did get a couple of pieces of turkey on the floor in my panic, but I leave them for now. I take a drink of water as Chloe starts her reminiscing. The story embarrasses me a bit, but she loves to tease me with it, and I can do nothing but acquiesce as she recounts the tale for what has to be the thousandth and first time.


    ¡°It was a day much like this one, thirteen years ago, about a month after school started. We¡¯d just been let out to lunch, and as we were all waiting in line to get our food, you walked over to a small table by yourself and started eating half a ham sandwich. You looked so sad, watching everyone as they got their food and then sitting with your friends. So when I finished going through the line, I came over to where you were and sat down next to you.¡±


    ¡°And I looked up and said that I¡¯m sorry if I took your seat. I tried to leave, but you grabbed me by the sleeve, and promptly proceeded to rip my shirt in two. I was so embarrassed. But I was also scared that my mother was going to be so pissed that I ruined one of the half dozen or so shirts I had that fit me.¡±


    ¡°And I started crying as I rushed to cover you with my body before anyone else saw. I didn¡¯t know I would tear it up!¡±


    I laugh. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s the joys of not coming from a family with money. You get thrift store clothing that''s been handed down from the hand-me-downs. It already had a couple of small holes in the sides, and was basically being held together by two overworked pieces of string and divine intervention.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I think it¡¯s because of you that I didn¡¯t become like a lot of my other friends at the time. You kept me grounded, reminded me how lucky I was¨C¡±


    ¡°Oh trust me, you reminded me yesterday just how lucky you are. Five times, in brutal succession.¡±


    Chloe pantomimes a light slap toward me, then leans forward and pokes my nose. I playfully lunge my head toward her and bite at her finger, which she pulls back at the last second.


    ¡°You should eat the rest of your food, not my finger!¡±


    ¡°Aww, but I¡¯m really hungry and it looks so delicious.¡±


    Chloe rolls her eyes at me. ¡°Sera, food, now.¡±


    I scarf down the last couple of bites of my sandwich, then devour my bag of chips just as quickly. The remaining half of my open bottle of water follows suit in short order, as does a handful of the trail mix the two of us have stored away.


    Finding no trash can in the building, we instead stuff our trash back in a couple of plastic baggies and continue on our way through the tower. The next several floors prove equally uneventful. We¡¯re slowly ascending, high enough now that we can see glimpses of the entire city like no one ever has before. Except maybe commercial pilots and a few recreational aviators allowed over downtown.


    Chloe makes a little pinching gesture as though she¡¯s ¡®popping¡¯ the tiny people walking on the sidewalk down below. I start wondering if we¡ª the two of us¡ª could make use of this building somehow. I¡¯m putting the cart way before the horse there; we have to get out and avoid being thrown in the big house for the multitude of crimes I performed to get inside first and foremost. But it¡¯s a distraction from the complete mundanity we find on the seventh through ninth floors.


    We open the stairwell to the tenth floor and head inside. It¡¯s odd that the stairwell stops abruptly at the tenth floor and denies access to any floors higher. That opens its own slate of questions, but suggests that there¡¯s more in this tower than just office space.


    And I find our first evidence of Ethertech when we arrive at a strange door just outside the stairwell. Predictably, it¡¯s locked. I try to jiggle the knob. No good. Unlike every door previous, though, I can very faintly make out the characteristic patterns of Ether being guided through the various mechanisms holding the door fast. Unfortunately, I don¡¯t recognize any of the glyphs I see, and I don¡¯t see any of the small handful I recognize.


    ¡°Do you think you can unlock it?¡± Chloe asks.


    ¡°I¡¯m certainly going to try. I do recommend you stand back, and maybe have your [Barrier Gauntlets] ready to activate at a moment¡¯s notice.¡±


    ¡°You think it¡¯s going to be dangerous, Sera?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure it won¡¯t blow up when I try deactivating it.¡±


    ¡°Blow up? You think it¡¯s going to blow up?¡±


    ¡°I mean, probably not. But I don¡¯t know if one of these glyphs means ¡®explode this door¡¯ or something. I¡¯ll try to avoid messing with them. I probably just need to look at whatever glyphs connect to the locking mechanism and¡ª¡±


    ¡°Seraphina Mortensen, I swear to the goddess herself, if you do not¨C¡±


    ¡°Besides, my best friend is a healer and she¡¯ll patch me right up if the door does go boom.¡±


    Chloe sighs. ¡°Whatever. Just¡­ Don¡¯t say I didn¡¯t warn you.¡±


    It turns out that my [Tinkerer] skill guides me straight to the exact locking glyph I need. I pour a bit of Ether into the glyph from the opposite direction, and the lock loosens, then deactivates. I open the door and head inside. Finally, the dungeon I¡¯m expecting.

 Chapter 21: The First Ascent II

    The architecture shifts dramatically the second we enter the main part of the tenth floor. Below lies only contemporary office space, devoid of any individuality or soul, a microcosm of the world that once was. Beyond is something I¡¯d expect to see on the Enterprise. Diodes flicker in various shades of reds and greens. The characteristic ¡®beeps¡¯ and ¡®boops¡¯ associated with pop computing echo quietly in the background. All I need now is a boxy robot that looks straight out of 1950¡¯s sci-fi and we¡¯ll¨C


    Well, speak of the devil. One such automaton rolls out of one of the side doors and stares at us. It¡¯s small, maybe reaching the middle of my chest. It is tall and cylindrical, more or less, with a little bulbous ¡®head¡¯ on top. It has no lenses that resemble eyes, nor a mouth or any other facial features. It moves by rolling on an array of ball bearings that are arranged in a roughly cross shape. In terms of weaknesses, I see an array of small slits at the base of its neck that appear to be for sound output.


    I wait for it to approach, not making any sudden movements. I slowly and carefully wave, not sure if it understands the gesture. In either case, I ready my gauntlets to defend. I fully expect it to see us as intruders and attempt to eliminate us. I¡¯d like to study it and exactly what powers it, but I¡¯ll settle for the Experience if it decides to attack.


    It whirs as it slowly approaches. It¡¯s not immediately making a move that suggests aggression, but I don¡¯t know how many gadgets it has stored within its body, nor how it will attack if it decides to do so.


    ¡°Do you speak English?¡± I ask. ¡°Can you understand what I am saying?¡±


    The robot is now about ten feet away. It continues moving toward us, and I immediately draw my weapon.


    ¡°That¡¯s close enough! Any closer and I will attack!¡±


    It begins to whir faster and begins beeping at an increasingly frenetic pace. Two panels open up, revealing a pair of arms, each affixed with small buzzsaws that begin spinning wildly. Before the panels close completely, I reach out and fire a pair of [Ether Bullets], using my [Trick Shot] skill to spin them into each slot. The first connects with the inside wiring, crimping its arm and deactivating the blade at its edge. Unfortunately, the second is blocked as its alloyed carapace absorbs the attack with no apparent damage.


    I ready a third attack, but I get no chance. The automaton moves much faster than I can and launches a sideswipe toward my left arm. I¡¯m able to activate the [Barrier] effect in my glove just in the nick of time. The saw bounces off, sending sparks flying to the ground. I¡¯m safe for another half a second, but I¡¯m still being pushed backward by the impact force as I feel the effect of my lack of [Strength].


    Chloe charges in and wields her barrier like a snowplow, slamming into the robot from the side and sending it thudding into the wall. Her attack stuns the construct for a brief moment, giving me a chance to fire another [Trick Shot] into the opening I¡¯d identified earlier.


    The attack is far less effective than I¡¯d hoped. The construct¡¯s armor bends and a few wisps of smoke pop out, but I don¡¯t deal nearly enough to finish the thing off. Chloe continues to barely hold off its attacks, though I¡¯m sure she¡¯s being worn down way too quickly for comfort.


    I try the same strategy that I did against the creatures back in the dungeon. It might damage the flooring, but I have to risk it. Two more [Ether Bullets] fly in quick succession. I initially target squarely at the robot¡¯s movement apparatus, but I spin them slightly toward the wall at the last second, hoping to use the wall as a focus to concentrate the concussive effect of my shot. It staggers after the first attack, and then the second manages to topple it.


    The creature tries to right itself, spinning its body around and pushing up with its one good arm. Chloe is there, using her gauntlet¡¯s [Barrier] to keep the robot down. She bends her knees for leverage and grimaces as she attempts to fight off the automaton¡¯s greater [Strength] and [Vitality].


    I use the opening to start bludgeoning away at the damned device with my [Fire-Forged Bat]. I slam at the joint connecting its foot apparatus to its torso. To my relief, I manage to dent the thing slightly before Chloe is overwhelmed and our enemy forces its way back to its feet. As it gets back up, I see the barest hint of a seam near the back of its torso, about a third of the way up. It¡¯s either a power switch or a potential weakness, and I target it in the next round.


    A quick check of my [Ether] stat reveals I¡¯m at just under half my remaining reserve. Chloe might have a bit more owing to class Skills, but I don¡¯t want her to run out under any circumstances. Our opponent has calculated that I must be the bigger threat, as it attacks me with another blunt charge. This time, however, I don¡¯t put up a [Barrier] just yet. I let it get closer, and then at the last second, I sidestep, putting up my [Barrier] as I do.


    The ruse works perfectly. The creature attempts to spin around and shift its momentum before it hits the wall, but I¡¯m able to counter the maneuver, forcing it back on its trajectory into the wall. I reach for the switch, but I¡¯m countered at the last second and thrown against the far wall.


    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    I note that the glyphs on the wall and the Ethertech they empower is incredibly strong. My weak [Barrier] effect barely manages to repel its attacks, but the walls themselves completely stop them in their tracks. My [Ether Bullet] that knocked the robot over didn¡¯t even singe the walls or flooring, let alone break them as I had initially feared. So much research to do once we finally finish this fight!


    I stumble back to my feet and shake off the woozy feeling as I analyze how best to approach. Chloe suffers a nasty wound to the arm as she mistimes her [Barrier] and dodges the resulting swipe a split second too late. Blood oozes from the ugly laceration, and I see bits of pinkish flesh being flayed apart as the full effects of the robot¡¯s powerful saw arm make themselves visible.


    I see red. I abandon all pretenses of restraint or mercy. I never wanted to fight the robot. As a fellow being from another world, I had hoped we could have been allies, or at least, I would have gladly let it continue on with its unending duty. But now that it¡¯s hurt my best friend, I want it scrapped. I want it beaten and broken just as it tried to do to her!


    I lunge forward, taking advantage of how Chloe is distracting the damned hunk of soon-to-be scrap metal. I slam my weapon at the automaton¡¯s head with all the force my meager [Strength] can muster. And to my great relief, I manage to topple it. Another bash knocks it over, and I¡¯m able to quickly identify the switch from earlier and press it.


    The creature powers down, but I don¡¯t relent. I don¡¯t know what this damned thing is capable of, and I don¡¯t care that my class dislikes my destroying Ethertech like this. But I set future concerns aside as I work through my frustrations. Another bash, and another, letting the bastard break apart until its insides are scattered about just like it tried to do to Chloe.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough, Sera!¡± Chloe says, breaking my aggressive rage. ¡°We won. It¡¯s¨C¡±


    ¡°But I¨C I let it hurt you, Chloe. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    She¡¯s already healed her wounds. Her arm looks good as new as she pulls me into a hug.


    ¡°I know you worry about me. But I worry about you, too! And I don¡¯t want you to beat yourself up just because I got hurt!¡±


    I open my mouth to protest, but she cuts me off.


    ¡°I knew there were risks involved from before I first went into that dungeon with you. You told me it was dangerous. You and my mom both warned that there was a chance that I might get hurt. Or¨C¡±


    I shake my head. ¡°But my promise.¡±


    ¡°We both know that you¡¯re not invincible, Seraphina. You¡¯re strong. Physically adept, mentally quick, decisive when you need to be, and you¡¯ve got a greater intuition of the System and its potential than probably anyone else on the planet. You¡¯re going to do great and wonderful things. Whatever it is that you were sent here to accomplish. And you don¡¯t have to do it all alone.¡± Chloe laughs. ¡°Besides, I¡¯m just fine! Although I think I liked my first arm better.¡±


    ¡°You ripped off your arm and regrew another one?¡± I practically spit take.


    ¡°No, but it got you to laugh!¡±


    I stare incredulously at Chloe¡¯s mockery until I hear the whir of another robot in the distance. The two of us nod silently. I grab the construct¡¯s good arm before we tiptoe over to the room where it crawled out of. I close the door behind me. My hands are still shaking in fear of having to fight another one so soon.


    I trace out the glyph that I identified earlier as corresponding to ¡®locking¡¯ or maybe ¡®sealing¡¯, etch it onto the wall, and infuse a small amount of my [Ether] into it. It won¡¯t last forever, though. My [Mind] stat, suppressed by the properties of the tower, is only allowing me to regenerate about ninety percent of the [Ether] I¡¯m spending. Still, that¡¯s good for a few hours. Just have to hope there won¡¯t be an army on the other side waiting for us when we make our escape.


    I see the tension easing from Chloe¡¯s shoulders as she drops her pack and pulls out some water and a few crackers. I¡¯m stuck by the door, maintaining the lock as more whirring continues just outside, so she has to feed me. It¡¯s¡­ nice, being taken care of like this. I don¡¯t know if I¡¯d feel comfortable living my entire life pampered like this. But on a special occasion, like a birthday? Yeah, I think I¡¯d be interested in living like the luxurious queens of old. Minus the lack of modern amenities.


    Once the whirring finally quiets down, I take a moment to peek at my [Status].


    [You have scrapped a Sentry Robot (Level 12). You have gained a boosted 840 Experience.]


    Damn, just barely not enough to gain a level from the encounter.


    [Level: 9; Experience: 2,380; To Next: 10]


    [Current Stats: [Health]: 412 / 543 ; [Ether]: 125 / 271]


    [Current Stats: [Strength]: 15; [Speed]: 18; [Vitality]: 31; [Mind]: 31]


    Seems I¡¯m a bit more battered from being slammed into that wall than I realized at the time. As I take some deep breaths and the adrenaline and endorphins subside, the full body ache starts to set in. My head throbs and my shoulders both slump and threaten to quit on me. Then my stomach growls, which is more than a little annoying, considering we just ate not even an hour ago.


    Chloe puts the food away as I deactivate my locking glyph and very, very slowly open the door. I tiptoe forward, looking both ways several times. I notice a flash of something flickering toward me from my right. I pull my head back in a panic, only to realize it was just a strand of hair. Another deep breath to relax and calm my nerves. Once I¡¯m absolutely, completely sure the sentries are gone, the two of us slip back into the hallway.


    ¡°Go on, or turn back?¡± I whisper.


    ¡°We¡¯ve made it this far in one piece,¡± she says. ¡°And I¡¯m feeling lucky.¡±


    I giggle. You always are, Chloe. You always are.

 Chapter 22: The First Ascent III

    We head back out into the hallway and search for any signs of an oncoming attack.  Something¡ª probably more robots¡ª has cleared out the good-for-nothing hunk of scrap metal that marred the floor a few minutes ago.  I don¡¯t think any of us managed to do any damage to the structure itself, but any chips we might have caused have been smoothed out completely.


    I head over to confirm.  I rub my hand over the wall and the floor.  All of the levers and diodes on the walls look completely undamaged.  The floors are as smooth as a freshly-waxed laminate, and have about the same amount of traction.  That much I learn firsthand when I start wobbling for a brief moment after my shoe slides.  I have to wonder if they have the same self-repairing property that I think is built into Chloe¡¯s robes.  In either case, I take a brief moment to sketch some more glyph diagrams, eager to test them later when I get an opportunity.


    Once I¡¯m finished, the two of us make our way through the remainder of the tenth floor without incident.  The eleventh floor likewise proves smooth sailing, though as we reach the stairwell leading up to the twelfth floor, Chloe spots a small metallic sphere rolling around under its own power.


    ¡°What do you think that is?¡± she asks.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure.  It doesn¡¯t look hostile, but then again, the last robot didn¡¯t look hostile either.  Ideally, I¡¯d like to stay here for the next several weeks and study it until I know everything about what it is and how it works, but I don¡¯t think that¡¯s on today¡¯s agenda.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not going to try to take it with us.¡±  Chloe states her question as an absolute fact.


    ¡°Part of me wants to, but not even I am that crazy.¡±


    ¡°Just crazy enough to march into dungeons and past police barricades into unexplored and dangerous towers containing killer robots.¡±


    ¡°To my credit, Chloe, I did not know there were killer robots in this tower when I came inside.¡±


    ¡°And let¡¯s suppose, for the sake of argument, that you did know about them beforehand.  I would bet you ten dollars that you still would have come here all the same!¡±


    ¡°Most certainly not!  Had I known, rather than merely suspected, that there were robotics and superhuman technology present within this tower, there is absolutely no way we would have waited until this morning to walk over here.  We would have left last night.


    ¡°Think about it.  Limitless clean energy, the possibility of robotic limbs for amputees that far outstrip what human science can produce.  We could develop starships to travel the galaxy, delve deeper into the history and mysteries of the universe!  How can you not be excited by the limitless possibilities that await within this tower?¡±


    ¡°I guess there¡¯s the [Planetouched Mechanist] speaking in her element.¡±


    ¡°Maybe?  I don¡¯t think it¡¯s just my class influencing me.  It¡¯s not like I was wholly uninterested in science before the System arrived.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sera is so uninterested in science that she dragged her best friend with her to take college-level physics so she wouldn¡¯t be the only girl in the class.  And then, surprise surprise, there were three others in the class, so it didn¡¯t matter!¡±


    ¡°Oh, puh-leeze.  Elissa acts like a royal who¡¯s every bit as stuck up as the late Queen of England.  Lysette, meanwhile, is practically a sociopath.  And good luck getting anything resembling conversation out of Yulia.  She might be smart, but she¡¯s a total airhead.  Just don¡¯t call her that to her face.  She¡­  doesn¡¯t take it well.¡±


    ¡°Makes you wonder why she¡¯s even in the class when her head¡¯s always up in the clouds.¡±


    ¡°Well, you have to remember that her girlfriend, Amari, is the star of the school Academic Bowl team.  Like, two-time state champions and all.  I bet Yulia did it for her.¡±


    ¡°Totally forgot that they¡¯re a couple sometimes.  Speaking of people I forgot about, whatever happened to Ashley?  Wasn¡¯t she in the class for a few weeks at the start of the year?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, we never did figure out what happened to her.  Just completely disappeared one day.  Definitely a case for the next episode of Creepy Urban Mysteries, or whatever the hell that show is called.¡±


    Chloe shrugs.  ¡°I dunno either.  Anyway, we¡¯re agreed that we¡¯re not taking the spinning sphere, no matter how much it excites you to have it to tinker with?¡±


    I sigh.  ¡°I have the robot arm.  If we have to fight another one, I will take a trophy from it.  Otherwise, we are going to leave the perpetual motion machine behind, and we¡¯re going to move up to the twelfth floor before I get any more ideas you aren¡¯t going to approve of.¡±


    On the twelfth floor, we encounter another robot similar in shape to the Sentry Robot from the tenth floor.  This time, however, we make no attempt to call out to it.  We still pay it attention, not wanting to get blindsided by a surprise attack.  And to my relief and disappointment in equal measure, the robot makes no attempt to interfere.  The same thing happens on the thirteenth floor.


    Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    I start wondering if there¡¯s some hidden message about not fighting.  That I just need to not resist, go with the flow, stop trying to analyze the System and its wants, and just do what I can in the moment.  Or maybe that¡¯s the exact wrong lesson.  By not fighting and carving a path through these sentries, I¡¯m denying myself valuable Experience and not gaining the levels I need to get stronger and forge my own destiny, fulfilling the purpose for which I was reborn.


    Or is it the dichotomy itself that I¡¯m supposed to take away from the tower?  There are plenty of stories from old Earth about robotics and artificial life.  That they are¡­  Artificial life?  Artificial lifeforms?  Stories about artificial lifeforms and¡­  Why does this term seem so familiar?


    I struggle to make it to the stairwell leading up to the fourteenth floor.  My mind starts spinning and my heart races as my vision fades to white and my consciousness slips from my body.


    <hr>


    Planet XSQ-1827, Substation 33, Year 16,369 A.I.


    I wake up in a strange room.  A bright light hangs from the ceiling.  The room is barren, white walls on all sides.  I am covered in a thin blue cloth from the neck down.  I turn my head.  Slowly, I start to test these other impulses.  My arms twitch.  I have individual fingers and toes which I can wiggle about.  I don¡¯t¡­  I don¡¯t know how I know this, though.  I don¡¯t know how I know anything.


    I think through my data banks.  Memories, I think they are called.  But my memory is completely empty.  These past few seconds are all that I can remember.  I have knowledge about my anatomy.  Information about this language and the capacity for rational thought.


    I am vaguely aware that I am similar in appearance to a creature known as Homo sapiens, colloquially referred to as ¡®humanity¡¯.  I was designed to look and otherwise function as such a creature.  However, the knowledge of who specifically I am and why I am here is lacking.


    ¡°Can you hear me?  Do you understand my words?¡± a voice says.


    The voice is calm and deep.  I turn to my other side.  I see a creature I understand to be one of these ¡®humans¡¯.  Based on its hirsute features, the contours of its jawline, the shape of its torso, and its narrow hips relative to its shoulders, it is most likely a male of its species.  I, in contrast, am distinctly not.  By my appearance, I would be categorized as female, though, no corresponding structures for reproductive anatomy exist within my design.


    ¡°I¨C¡±  It is a challenge vocalizing the human¡¯s language.  I nod.  Something seems to guide me that doing so is a sign of nonverbal agreement or positive acknowledgement.


    I want to know who this person is.  I want to know who I am.  Am I someone?  Am I something?  I have the capacity to question these things, but I do not understand why these thoughts appear before me.


    I try to ask the question ¡®Who are you?¡¯  Instead, I can only get out the words ¡®who¡¯ and ¡®you¡¯.


    ¡°Do you have trouble speaking our language?¡± the person¡ª the man¡ª asks.


    I nod again.


    ¡°I see.  In the meantime, perhaps I could tell you more about myself and where we are, and later, as you become more comfortable speaking, you can ask some additional questions.¡±


    I find this imminently reasonable.  I nod in approval.  I add a smile to that nod, which I also understand to be a gesture to display amiability and contentment.


    ¡°My name is Dr. Martin Chotono.  I am the head researcher and laboratory director of the Substation 33 Advanced Research Facility.  This facility is located in low orbit around the planet XSQ-1827, although that name probably doesn¡¯t mean much to you.¡±


    I point at this Dr. Martin Chotono.  ¡°Doc¡­ tor?¡± I say.  I point to myself.  ¡°Who?¡± I ask.


    He smiles.  ¡°When we created you, we had done so under the auspices of a program I designated as ¡®Project Seraphina¡¯.  Seraphina was the name we had given you when we started our project.  We did so because we believed that you could be a guardian.  An angel of sorts, a protector for all of humanity against a force we cannot hope to fight on our own.


    ¡°However, I believe it is your right to choose your own name.  If you want to go by Seraphina, you may, and if you believe another name would suit you better, I¡¯m sure we can call you that instead.¡±


    Seraphina?  That is my name?  It¡­  It fits too well.  Like a¡­  I do not know the proper analogy to convey my feeling in words.  Perhaps it is like a suit of skin which perfectly fits over one¡¯s insides, neither too loose nor too tight?  It is comfortable.  It feels right to be called by the name Seraphina.


    ¡°Write?  Sera¡­  I see?¡±  It is frustrating being unable to speak.  My vocal cords are stiff and improperly calibrated.  Unfortunately, I do not know how to fix them.  For now, the Doctor is content to be patient with my deficiencies as he grabs a sheet of paper and writes my name on the paper.  I smile as I hold the sheet in my hand.


    ¡°Keep¡­  Please?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    I yawn.  ¡°Tired.  Too bright.¡±  I¡¯m overwhelmed and need time to adjust.  Time to reflect on being alive for the first time.  Time to process all of this new information and figure out what I want to do from here.


    ¡°I appreciate your time, Seraphina.¡±  He hands me a device with a large red button on it.  ¡°If you need some assistance, just press that button and someone will be here shortly.¡±


    ¡°Not stay?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I cannot, Seraphina.  My position is very busy.  But I shall come back tomorrow, if you would like.¡±


    I nod.  ¡°I would.¡±


    The lights dim, then shut off.  I hold the piece of paper against my bare chest as I close my eyes.  It may be a worthless sheet of paper for him, but it is invaluable to me.  Something to be treasured.  A name all my own.


    <hr>


    Planet Earth, 6 Days After Integration


    I wake up in a strange environment.  Chloe is seated next to me, playing with my hair as she rests my head in her lap.  She smells nice, though I dare not tell her such things out loud.


    Where am I?  Ah, the tower!  I force myself back to my feet, stumbling once as I regain my footing.


    ¡°Sera!¡± Chloe says.  ¡°We have to remain calm, remember?  We don¡¯t know if the robots are going to come after us while we¡¯re resting in here.¡±


    ¡°I remembered something,¡± I say.  ¡°Something about my old life.  I am just like those robots outside.  An artificial being, a product of human hands on a world far, far away.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter to me if you are an artificial being,¡± Chloe hugs me.  ¡°You are you, and that¡¯s all that matters.  Now, we should get a move on.  There will be more time to discuss your revelation in greater detail later.¡±


    I nod in agreement.  We head up the stairs to the fourteenth floor.

 Chapter 23: The First Ascent IV

    We get to the fourteenth floor and the danger has multiplied considerably from the previous four floors. No longer are the patrols little cylindrical-shaped robots that we¡¯d seen on the previous three floors. These robots are taller than me by half a head. They are far closer to human in appearance, sporting arms and legs that have actual musculature, rather than being flexible. Their heads are shaped like human heads are, except instead of two eyes of white, this robot has a single red glowing lens in the center of its forehead.


    It scans the area periodically, and as we step into the main lobby of the floor, its unsettling gaze descends upon me. It spares the briefest glance for Chloe before again turning its attention to me.


    We start to tiptoe around much like we had with the previous floors, but the guardian robot of this floor moves to intercept us once we get halfway through the space. It doesn¡¯t attack, instead barring our passage with its body. And unlike those before, it speaks.


    ¡°This is¡­ restricted space.¡± The tone is as robotic as the old voice synthesizers from the 1980¡¯s, which I find odd, considering how advanced modern technology is by comparison. ¡°Outsiders are not permitted.¡±


    I take a step back, pulling Chloe back behind me. ¡°What is this building? What purpose does it serve?¡±


    ¡°This is Tower Gauntlet 36121N-96000W. I am not authorized to answer the second question.¡±


    ¡°Why do you block our path? Is it not the purpose of this tower to challenge anyone who wishes to ascend and discover the secrets within? I would have thought allowing us to proceed unabated would be in accordance with your primary directive.¡±


    ¡°You are ill-equipped to reach the top of this tower in your present state. This gauntlet is designated as rank F+, designed for challengers of level 35 to level 45. My scan of your combat parameters and skills demonstrates conclusively that your chances of reaching the pinnacle on floor fifty are zero.¡±


    ¡°Wait,¡± Chloe says. ¡°You have the ability to scan our combat parameters? Why does the System not grant us that ability?¡±


    ¡°I do not have the knowledge to answer this question. I must now ask you to leave. This tower is not yet fully operational. You may attempt the challenge at your discretion beginning in 17:52:36.¡± The robot gestures toward me, and a new timer appears in my System interface.


    We decide it¡¯s best not to press our luck against the guardian of the fourteenth floor, and turn around and head back down to the thirteenth the same way we came.


    ¡°I would say that explained a few things,¡± I say. ¡°Such as why the lobby and first nine floors of the tower are completely mundane, as well as why the sentries on the previous three floors were willing to completely ignore us until we attacked.¡±


    ¡°I guess you¡¯re right. If the tower is still under construction, then¡­¡± Chloe trails off.


    ¡°And it makes sense to start from the top of the tower rather than the bottom. If there¡¯s some sort of prize at the top, the last thing you¡¯d want to do is leave it undefended.¡±


    ¡°So what do we do now? We can¡¯t exactly go home, can we?¡±


    ¡°Not likely. I¡¯d like to see the basement. Best case scenario, there¡¯s some sort of device that gets us out of here.¡±


    ¡°And the worst case?¡±


    ¡°Well, the same worst case as always.¡±


    ¡°How can you joke about something like that at a time like this, Sera?¡±


    ¡°I mean, what else are we going to do? The world is going to hell, our institutions are ill-equipped to handle the fallout, and we have no idea what might come next. Is a little bit of dark humor not to be expected at times like this?¡±


    I get the expected single-fingered salute. We make our way down the stairwell, which actually leads all the way back down. There are some interesting questions about how this building contains so many different stairwells and elevators. I don¡¯t have an answer beyond ¡®System shenaniganry¡¯, though. It did just claim to increase the size of the Earth by roughly forty percent in a matter of minutes, not to mention the dungeon we¡¯ve already gone through on the other side of town. I cannot assume that any System space, as I¡¯ve decided to dub the tower and dungeon collectively, adheres to the principles of Euclidean geometry. The inside of this tower is likely much, much larger than it appears on the outside, likely due to some sort of space-warping glyphs.


    Unfortunately, my knowledge on general relativity and curved spacetime is virtually nonexistent, other than that mass-energy curves spacetime around it. Ether can probably do the same in sufficient quantities even without glyphs, but I have no way of testing this.


    Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    We make our way down to the basement. As expected, the door is locked. Conveniently, however, this door contains the same locking mechanism as the door we previously encountered on the tenth floor, and I am able to bypass it just as easily.


    How is this door supposed to be opened normally? [Mechanist] is probably not a super common class. Moreover, this tower is meant to be explored by anyone who wants to attempt the challenges contained within. No mean amount of strength is going to break down the door. Perhaps a [Warrior] or [Fighter] who has specialized in [Strength] and with a suitable weapon could do it. There may be some sort of [Unlock] spell not unlike what I can do manually. A [Rogue] or similar class, should they exist, likely also has the ability to disable or bypass Ethertech locks. Maybe the goal is to force people to work together in parties after all?


    The basement is dark and cold. The stench of stale, soulless air assails the entryway as I open the door, not unlike the lowest basement of a parking garage, but more extreme in every way. I half-expect something to jump at me. Our footsteps echo no matter how hard we try to be quiet.


    I turn on my flashlight. Nothing but emptiness as far as I can see. No combat patrols, none of the robots from above, no signs of a hidden weapon or item stash. No walls or ceilings or even a floor. Just blackness in every direction, past the edge of what our lights can illuminate.


    Chloe reaches into her bag and pulls out a piece of plastic to use as a makeshift doorstop. She shakes as she approaches me. I don¡¯t want to be here longer than we have to, either. My heart races and my fingers start to jitter despite my mental effort to calm myself. Still, there¡¯s the potential for some sort of fantastic discovery, and perhaps more importantly, another way out that bypasses the police barricade.


    We walk along the wall, heading right from the perspective of walking into the chamber for the first time. I realize that my earlier assessment was incorrect. The walls and ceiling are painted or otherwise marked with a black surface that absorbs nearly all light from any surface. I am curious of the implications, and how that could be utilized offensively. Is it purely a physical phenomenon, or is the result of Ether-based nanotech? Whoever built(?) Created(?) Birthed me must have understood Ethertech to a degree far, far beyond even my wildest speculations.


    I wrack my mind for any memories that might help me unravel these mysteries. None are forthcoming.


    The basement proves much smaller than the vast expanse I had feared. It is roughly rectangular, and comparable in size to a gridiron football field. Further, there are square columns interspersed throughout the room. They are arranged in a grid pattern with spacing of about twenty feet between adjacent columns. In the very center of the single chamber is a much larger structure, spanning maybe fifteen feet square.


    In ideal circumstances, I would like to study everything within this basement and throughout the tower for the next several weeks. Months, if I can spare them. However, I need to gain more levels if I¡¯m to conquer the challenges of the tower. I¡¯ve managed to sketch a number of glyphs throughout my afternoon here, and I have more than enough to continue other research and investigation into Ethertech. Still, there is something contained within, and I need to give more than a token effort into unraveling whatever mystery lies in wait.


    For what feels like half an hour, I try anything and everything I can to break whatever enchantments protect the central column. Everything short of actively trying to destroy the column, that is. It doesn¡¯t have any obvious panels or buttons that suggest a way to access what lies within. The enchantments absorbing light in the basement also absorb the faint traces of Etheric energy that my eyes have started getting better at seeing.


    My brows furrow as I think of what else I can try. I trace the glyph of Locking onto the side nearest the door back into the stairwell, then channel a small amount of my [Ether] into the glyph from the reverse. In theory, at least, this should allow me to link the unlock command into the rest of the network. In practice, however, I have no idea how to combine glyphs in that manner, and my attempt fails. Chloe gives a half-hearted effort, but with no Skills, no spells, and no class benefits relating to disabling Ethertech locks, her attempts prove no more fruitful.


    With a sigh and no small amount of annoyance, I am forced to abandon my pursuit into the mysteries contained within. According to Chloe¡¯s phone, dinnertime is approaching quickly, and dusk will be our best time to sneak out of the complex without getting into any unfortunate entanglements. I might have about as much love for the police as I do for rattlesnakes, used car salesmen, or bubonic plague, but I¡¯m not exactly keen on launching a one-woman counteroffensive against the entire police department, backed up by the National Guard.


    We make our way up the stairwell opposite from the one in which we came down here, making use of a door I wouldn¡¯t have realized was there had I not been feeling the walls while surveilling the area. We make our way back up to the ground floor and my head instinctively tilts. So much confusion pervades my mind.


    First, where in the hells are we? This is¡­ I don¡¯t even know what part of town we¡¯re in now. Second, did we just go through some teleportation complex? There is no way we should be outside of downtown otherwise. I start cycling through my mental map of the city and looking for any sort of landmarks I can make out through the window. Also, did this structure, wherever we are, also just sprout up out of nowhere? And if so, why hasn¡¯t anyone pointed out that there¡¯s a new building here? Seriously, what the actual hells is going on, and¡­


    ¡°You okay, Chloe?¡± I ask, seeing her in a state of near panic.


    She shakes her head. I hug her. ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± I say. ¡°If you¡¯re not ready to try to get out of here, we can wait as long as you need.¡±


    ¡°So hard to believe all of this is happening.¡±


    ¡°It is. In any other context, we¡¯d call it a miracle. If it weren¡¯t for the echoes of my past life helping to keep me calm, I don¡¯t think I¡¯d be able to process it all, myself.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll stay by my side? No matter what happens, no matter where we end up?¡±


    ¡°I promise, Chloe. Best friends forever means forever.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Her shaking is gone, replaced by stern determination. ¡°Now let¡¯s get going. Time to find out where we are and how we can get home.¡±

 Chapter 24: Battle on the Outskirts

    We¡¯re vaguely still in town, I think. We¡¯re in a town, at the very least, and as I step out of the small access point and look around, I see the familiar skyline out in the distance suggesting we¡¯re mere miles away, rather than the hundreds or thousands I had initially feared.


    We¡¯re on the north side of town, meaning we¡¯re quite a ways away from Chloe¡¯s place among the southern suburbs. Even my former(?) home is still a good eight to ten miles away. On the bright side, it¡¯s far enough that we have a pretty good alibi and are extremely unlikely to be caught by any officers who might be looking for us after our little stunt earlier.


    Assuming I didn¡¯t just jinx myself by thinking that.


    It¡¯s perhaps half an hour before dusk, though, with the Earth¡¯s purportedly increased size, my estimation might be a bit off. The sky is still light enough that I can see color, but there will certainly be challenges navigating the streets before too long. On the bright side, the cloudless sky is already showing signs of a starry night, and with the electricity grid still fully busted, there will soon be an absolutely gorgeous view of the galaxy that I¡¯ve not gotten to see in many, many years. The kind that you really only see in pictures from space or way out in the middle of the wilderness.


    With our increasing [Speed] and [Vitality] stats, we¡¯re able to make good time back toward¡­ wherever we¡¯re going to stop for the night. We do give some consideration to going back to the access point and sleeping in the basement tonight, but after how badly we struggled just to survive a dungeon so high over our level, even I don¡¯t want to risk it. Chloe is holding fast, but I can tell just by looking at her that she wants to get back home, or at least somewhere safer, and sooner rather than later.


    Our hopes of making it back to the safety of the Jacobs residence unscathed are dashed by the squawking of what sounds like a massive bird of prey flying high overhead. I spot it high above. Without knowledge of how high up it is, I can¡¯t tell if it¡¯s as big as my torso, as big as I am, or even bigger.


    Chloe dashes over to a nearby tree for a bit of extra cover. I grab my [Simple Blowgun] and stand at the ready, not sure when we¡¯ll meet our new friend. Another squawk rings out and it flies right toward me.


    Holy shit! That thing is probably six feet tall from head to feet, its wingspan is a good fifteen feet wide, it has feathers as long as my arm and as thick as my torso, and a beak that¡¯s practically glistening as it attempts to peck at me. It looks similar in appearance to an eagle, though it has a pair of short, stubby arms in addition to its wings, probably used to help it pick at and manipulate its food.


    It stares me down and sizes me up. In the brief lull before it lunges toward me, I fire a [Trick Shot] boosted [Ether Bullet] straight at its eyes. It proves too quick, and I get only a glancing blow, not nearly enough to blind it. However, I know that birds of prey are generally heavily reliant on their sense of sight. If I can blind it, I can probably bring it down.


    It flaps its wings toward me, sending hundreds of razor-sharp feathers beating at me. I manage to raise my [Barrier] to deflect them, but not before suffering a half-dozen slices to my arms, one to my left cheek, and a nasty puncture wound to my shoulder. Damn sick of taking all these injuries in my shoulder, but it beats a vital organ by a long shot.


    The eagle bears down upon me, slamming its beak into my translucent shield. The force of the impact buckles my knees and forces me on the ground. The second shatters my shield altogether. I try to re-form it as quickly as possible, but I¡¯m too late. With all of my force, I throw my prone body to the side, spinning around as my foe¡¯s beak gashes directly into and through the solid asphalt street beneath us.


    It struggles to break free, and in the momentary pause I get, I take my bat from its holster at my side, charge its flames to the maximum, and slam into its left tarsal with all the force I can muster. My attack causes the creature to keel over, but it reflexively launches several feathers into the ground all around me. They launch into my back, shoulders, thighs, and calves, and I exhaust what little luck I have when they narrowly miss my spinal column.


    I check my Health. Barely over a hundred and fifty. That damned bird certainly has far more than that, and I¡¯m sure that I¡¯m not going to survive another volley like that last attack. Need to get to safety and¡­


    Chloe chucks an [Ether Bullet] right in the bird¡¯s face before dragging me out of the street and to the relative cover behind the nearest tree. Her healing hands knit my flesh back together, expelling the feathers poking out of my back as new skin stitches itself back together. Tension releases from my neck and shoulders as I¡¯m able to take a deeper breath without wincing in pain. I get back to my feet with Chloe¡¯s assistance and the two of us ready ourselves for the next attack.


    The eagle screeches and flaps its wings toward us. The wind picks up from behind it, sending dust and debris and more of those damnable feathers hurtling toward us. Worse, I notice new feathers growing in to replace the old ones, meaning its supply is virtually unlimited, or at least only constrained by its [Ether] reserve.


    With Chloe and I reinforcing one another, the [Barriers] from our gauntlets hold, if only just. Unfortunately, after shooting another [Ether Bullet] with [Trick Shot] and finding no purchase against the hurricane-force gusts, my [Ether] reserves are already down to half. I imagine Chloe is no better off in that regard.


    This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    The creature continues its assault for another four seconds before it breaks off its attack and takes to the air.


    I take a moment to catch my breath and mentally refocus from the cover of the largest tree in the sparse neighborhood. As long as the creature can fly, we¡¯re at a big disadvantage. It can just continue to rain hell down upon us with total impunity, wearing us down until we¡¯re too tired, drained of [Ether], or it lands too many stray hits and we¡¯re incapacitated. On the other hand, it might get hungry sooner rather than later, and decide to seek an easier meal elsewhere. I¡¯d rather not give it that opportunity if at all possible, but I¡¯d also really like for the two of us to live through this fight.


    It circles around for a moment. As soon as its eyes fix upon our position, it barrels down upon us, completely unfazed by the branches and leaves that lie between us and it. We dodge in the nick of time. The tree doesn¡¯t, and gets split in two from the force of the beak impacting its trunk. I have a foolish idea. It might get me hurt, or worse, but I don¡¯t see any other way of fighting off this damned avian before we get turned into chicken feed.


    In the brief moment while the eagle is still dazed from impact, I rush around it, slipping underneath its wings and suffering a glancing slice on my cheek as a result. I then pluck the feather, now poking out of my skin, and leap onto our foe from behind. I grab the feather, suffering another laceration to my palm as I try and fail to grip at it otherwise, and I throw the damned thing right at its eye. I hadn¡¯t been sure if [Trick Shot] would work with projectiles other than [Ether Bullets], but it thankfully seemed to have a small effect.


    The plan works beautifully. The creature thrashes about, and I think my fibula cracks as it throws me off its back. I scream nearly as loud as the damned bird is, and for the first time in my life, I start hoping one of those good-for-nothing National Guard patrols shows up to do its gods-forsaken job. But no, no such luck.


    I force myself back to my feet. I can still barely remain upright. Putting any weight on my left leg hurts like the deepest recesses of hell and the very idea of trying to run makes me want to vomit, but I¡¯ll take being nauseous from the pain and alive over having my goose cooked any day.


    The creature seems absolutely pissed, and I don¡¯t blame it. It abandons all pretenses of defense and begins sprinting toward the two of us, wings raised and crying all the while. It lunges at me, but its aim is off slightly with only one working eye. Instead of aiming square at my chest, it aims closer to my head, giving me enough time to drop to the ground to evade.


    I throw one of the last three [Ether Bullets] in my pocket at the softer underside of our adversary. I fail to topple it, but it tumbles for just long enough to pluck another feather out of its upper wing. It aims toward Chloe and fires another barrage while I¡¯m still out of its sight.


    I focus. Chloe¡¯s [Barrier] won¡¯t last for much longer, and even her defensive robes aren¡¯t going to make up for her subpar [Vitality] and maximum [Health]. I have to make this last shot count.


    I focus on the trajectory I want, taking stock of how the bits of debris are moving in its air currents. What¡¯s the best path to take, to maximize my chances of hitting? I infuse the feather with my [Ether] to allow my [Basic Ether Manipulation] to further augment the effects of [Trick Shot] and, when I¡¯m confident I¡¯ll get no better shot, I force it forward.


    Chloe shrieks as her [Barrier] fades. A few feathers lodge into her arms as she tries to run to safety. I grimace and fill with rage again at seeing her hurt like this. I channel that anger into my Skills, with all the power and [Mind] at my disposal, and will the attack to connect.


    It does so, landing dead center in the eagle¡¯s remaining eye. Now blinded and bereft of its most important sense, the bird is now a sitting duck. I again charge forward, [Fire-Forged Bat] in hand, and I bludgeon the back of its right wing near its body. I don¡¯t relent. I keep hitting it, focusing its attention away from Chloe to give her a chance to heal. And just as importantly, I want to keep the damned thing grounded. I smack and smack and burn and feel the stench of smoldering feathers assaulting my nose until, with one final pained shriek, the eagle keels over, dies, and then fades into Ether.


    [You have slain a Lesser Razorfeather Eagle (Level 13) You have gained a boosted 1,050 Experience.]


    [You have gained enough experience to reach Level 10. [Vitality] +1, [Mind] +1. Please allocate stat points (Remaining: 3)]


    Nice! Finally a level after today¡¯s ordeals. And most of the way to the next one as well.


    I consider doing the same as before, putting 1 point each in [Strength], [Speed], and [Vitality]. However, my [Strength] stat doesn¡¯t synchronize particularly well with my projectile-based attacks. It also doesn¡¯t seem to help with [Trick Shot] or [Basic Ether Manipulation], both of which seem governed by [Mind] instead. I don¡¯t regret having some extra [Strength] for hauling around supplies and for when I do need to bludgeon things, but I think it¡¯s time to go back to boosting what is definitely my class¡¯s most important attribute. Even more now, considering it governs [Ether] regeneration, now that I realize just how invaluable [Barrier] has been today. I assign 1 point to [Vitality] and 2 to [Mind].


    [Maximum Health increases by [Vitality] x2 + Current Level + Rand[1, 3] = 77]


    [Maximum Ether increases by [Mind] + Current Level + Rand[0, 2] = 45]


    [Level: 10; Experience: 3,430; To Next: 210]


    [Current Stats: [Health]: 211 / 620 ; [Ether]: 56 / 316]


    [Current Stats: [Strength]: 15; [Speed]: 18; [Vitality]: 33; [Mind]: 34]


    As I take a deep breath and try to calm myself after our battle, I hear a blaring siren that I don¡¯t ever want to experience even on my best day. Of course the useless good-for-nothing pigs wait until after we do all the work to stroll their moseying asses over here.


    I grit my teeth and hope things don¡¯t turn south in this upcoming confrontation. I¡¯m way too tired and pissed to fight the law right now.

 Chapter 25: The Long Arm of the Law

    I take inventory of the current situation. My [Ether] is almost completely drained. I¡¯ve got less than two seconds of [Barrier] available. My [Health] is barely over a third, even after Chloe has healed me. My fibula is no longer cracked thanks to her healing spell, but I¡¯m still full of bruises and absolutely do not want to move, let alone have to engage in another encounter right now. Worse still, this isn¡¯t some dumb beast approaching, nor a territorial robot content to follow its duties without question and ignore anyone who voluntarily leaves their domain.


    The irony of being not so different from a robot isn¡¯t lost on me.


    Officer Whatshisname blasts his bright headlights in my face. He gets out of his car and waddles over toward me, all while Chloe sits down and catches her breath. Despite the apocalypse over the past week, he looks quite well fed, most likely having taken the time to raid a donut shop or three during his patrol. He hasn¡¯t yet moved toward his gun, but I know these bastards are trigger-happy and love to shoot first, second, third, and maybe fourth for good measure. Again, not earning the wrath of the law while I¡¯m still only level 10 seems like a good idea.


    A small bit of tension leaves me as I confirm that this isn¡¯t the officer from before. He doesn¡¯t look happy, though, although it¡¯s hard to get a read on his face as I try to squint and get a look at his facial features. Short, salt-and-pepper colored hair, plenty of five o¡¯clock shadow, otherwise clean shaven, so far as I can tell in the bright contrast.


    ¡°What are you two ladies doing out after curfew?¡± he asks.


    ¡°Trying to find someplace to stay tonight. We were attacked by a Razorfeather Eagle just before you arrived.¡±


    He looks unamused. ¡°Alright, I¡¯m going to need to see some identification.¡±


    I¡¯m surprised I actually have my ID on me, considering how useless it is these days. I hand it over and briefly consider making a run for it. The fact that Chloe and I both need more time to restore our [Ether] reserves, coupled with the fact that the pig in front of me is now documenting my identity, gives me pause. Note to self: Ethertech-based fake ID, for the next time this conversation happens. Shouldn¡¯t be any reason why Ethertech can¡¯t perfectly mimic the security features built into the cards from old Earth.


    ¡°Alright, and you aren¡¯t home because?¡±


    ¡°Well, sometime shortly after System Integration, someone broke into my home, killed my mother, and looted the place, robbed us of all our food, shattered the windows, and left the door kicked in. I was thankfully at my friend¡¯s house, but after I stopped by to pick up the few outfits I could salvage, I¡¯ve not wanted to go back. Well, that¡¯s a partial lie. I¡¯d like to give my mother a proper cremation rather than just leaving her to whatever dogs and rodents eventually got to her. But, you know, not much I can do about that on my own.¡±


    Normally I¡¯d just invoke my Constitutional rights and shut up like a smart person would. The problem with that is twofold. First, that doesn¡¯t get you out of the arrest, only the subsequent charges. And secondly, feigning cooperation is a great way to buy more time to restore my [Ether]. I¡¯m gaining one point about every ten seconds now, and after having used every bit of it in the last fight, I¡¯ll take every point I can get for this one.


    He doesn¡¯t flinch. Doesn¡¯t even blink. Just scribbles more stuff on his notepad, not showing the slightest bit of empathy for a woman who lost her mother not even a week ago. If I were being charitable, I¡¯d say that it¡¯s not the first and won¡¯t be the last time he¡¯s heard such stories since the apocalypse. But the law has never been charitable toward my type, so I feel no desire to show him any empathy either.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid that I¡¯m going to have to ask you to come with me. You¡¯re in violation of curfew.¡±


    ¡°And where do you plan to take us?¡± I ask.


    ¡°Will you take us back to my home?¡± Chloe interjects. ¡°It¡¯s on the far side of town, though.¡± She hands her ID to the man, who looks at the address and jots more notes down before handing both of them back to us.


    To my absolute shock, he agrees. Way, way too easily. Though, there¡¯s something I vaguely remember from seeing a video on this very topic, and find a way to buy more time.


    ¡°Before we depart, can I see your badge and commission card, officer?¡± I ask. ¡°With so many people getting new powers thanks to the arrival of the System, how do I know you don¡¯t have an [Impersonation] skill, or you have a [Rogue] class and stole an officer¡¯s uniform and patrol vehicle?¡± Obviously, those can be faked as well, but just seeing his reaction will give me some indication of how this confrontation will play out.


    He looks displeased with me, but again, to my shock, he does comply. Unfortunately, I don¡¯t actually know what a genuine police commission card looks like in this state, so I can¡¯t confirm its authenticity. I am convinced, however, that this isn¡¯t a rogue operative, and that I¡¯d really rather not cause any unnecessary issues now that I¡¯m in the system.


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


    I sigh. ¡°Very well. But I¡¯d like to get my sketchpad and a few pieces of food out of our pack first. It¡¯s been a long day, and fighting giant birds is pretty draining.¡±


    He¡ª Officer Whitney, according to his card¡ª makes no secret of his disdain toward me and my attempts to stall. However, whatever his reason, he makes no attempt to interfere. His hand moves to his weapon, and I make sure that my movements are slow and methodical, giving him no excuse to ¡®fear for his life¡¯. I grab a sack of trail mix, hand it to Chloe, then grab my sketchbook and a pen and motion toward the car.


    I harbor no delusions as we¡¯re beckoned into the car. We¡¯re not being cuffed, read our nonexistent rights, or otherwise being formally processed, but we¡¯re definitely being detained and transported to the city jail. Still, I play along anyway. We¡¯ll let the officer drive us halfway back to Chloe¡¯s house before we make our timely break for freedom, we¡¯ll get a chance to sit down and rest for a bit, and we¡¯ll be able to get our [Ether] regenerated in relative safety.


    The car sputters for a moment as the engine starts up, and before long, we¡¯re off. The roads are nearly empty of any actual traffic. Parked cars are plentiful on the sides of the streets and in driveways, with people having dragged them out of garages whose doors don¡¯t function. There are some flickering lights coming from some of the houses. At first I thought it was those lucky few who had a generator available, but most of these lights are coming from the orange glow of fireplaces providing heat and comfort to the families within. Now that I think about it, it¡¯s also the one way enterprising people have to cook a meal. I doubt gas stoves are working. Or maybe they are? My class and Skills give me no guidance on this question.


    The trip is pretty slow, and for whatever reason, the kind, gentlemanly officer¡ª I giggle. I can¡¯t even think that with a straight face, let alone say it aloud. The agent of the state refuses to take the highways for whatever reason¡ª probably his own laziness, or desire to make another donut run¡ª giving us even more time to rest.


    I am not at all surprised to see the local Waffle House open, with a long line of cars congregated around it. Come storm or hail or even tornado or the literal apocalypse, it¡¯s good to see at least one sign of the old world desperately fighting to preserve vestiges of the convenience of the old world and the promise that normalcy might eventually return. Though whatever form the new normal will take, will surely be far different than the normal from before.


    I play around with the locking device, tracing the glyph of [Locking] onto the inside of the door and channeling a small amount of my [Ether] into the reverse of the sigil. It takes a bit of time, and I need to draw a few additional sluice lines to channel the [Ether], but I am ultimately successful in disabling the lock. It reactivates about five seconds later. The officer doesn¡¯t seem to notice or care about my little experiment, to my relief.


    Had we been less fortunate and been put in cuffs, I suspect the glyph probably would work on them too, given how flexible it seems to be. I¡¯m glad I don¡¯t need to test that at the moment.


    As expected, as we approach downtown, he avoids the roads that lead further south to where we want to go, instead continuing west toward the local detention and criminal injustice center. My [Ether] is now just under half, and with Chloe¡¯s healing, my [Health] is sitting around five hundred.


    The officer stops his car at an intersection just outside the inner dispersal loop, and I prepare to make my move. I turn to Chloe and we share a wordless nod. She grabs her bag and takes my hand. We stop at another intersection, and I make my move. I unfasten my seatbelt and [Unlock] the door with my glyph, and the two of us dive out of our jail on wheels, Chloe slamming the door behind us.


    We have hardly a moment to catch our breath before the cop turns around and again attempts to impound us. I ready my [Barrier] as he gets out of the car, gun in hand, and points it at us.


    ¡°By my lawful authority vested in me by the state and my commission, I am placing you two ladies under arrest on charges of reckless endangerment, obstruction of justice, and interference of the duties of a police officer. Get on your knees and put your hands on top of your head. Now!¡±


    I shake my head. ¡°Legal authority or not, the System has changed the dynamics at play. You don¡¯t have the physical capability to enforce that declaration. Rescind your declaration and go about your business, and no harm will come to you.¡±


    ¡°Are you threatening me?¡± Officer Whitney asks.


    ¡°Are you prepared to shoot us to enforce your declaration of arrest?¡± I really, truly have no desire to be involved in this situation. This was supposed to be an opportunity to study and develop new theories about Ethertech, gain some levels, maybe learn a little bit more about my past. I succeeded in all three of these endeavors, and yet the gods-damned cops are trying to ruin everything. Damn I hate the police. Never show up when they¡¯re needed, and always crawl out of their fetid lairs when they¡¯re not wanted or welcome.


    He shoots once. I get up my [Barrier] just in the nick of time. The bullet completely bounces off the shield, flying back and indenting itself into the back of his cruiser. He fires again, this time ricocheting into his back-left tire. The third shot grazes his ankle, sending him down to the ground, clutching his injury.


    Without missing a beat, Chloe rushes out and heals the officer, making sure there¡¯s no trace of the bullet lodged in his flesh, and giving it a once-over to ensure the bones are all set and healed correctly. I grab the gun, stashing it with the rest of my belongings.


    ¡°I tried to warn you,¡± I say. ¡°We can¡¯t hide behind the old doctrines and paradigms of the previous status quo any longer. Everything about hiding in our homes, observing curfews, trying to maintain the same civilian and military order that existed a month ago? That¡¯s going to get us killed in the long run. The threats around us, born from the System, are only going to get stronger. The only chance any of us have is to seek danger, advance our levels and classes, and be prepared to meet those challenges when they rear their ugly heads. If you can¡¯t do that, you¡¯re not a noble officer, protecting and serving. You¡¯re just a thug with a badge and a fancy uniform.¡±


    Without another word, Chloe and I take our leave, as Officer Whitney is too deep in thought or utterly dazed to try and stop us.

 Chapter 26: Night on the Riverfront

    ¡°You can be so damned¡­ reckless sometimes, Sera!¡± Chloe shouts.


    I expected the reprimand from the moment we left Officer Whitney behind back downtown. The fact that she had the restraint to wait until we were out of the downtown area and strolling along the eastern banks of the riverbed is the best I could have hoped for given the circumstances.


    ¡°Attacking a police officer, resisting arrest, obstruction of justice, disturbing the peace on multiple occasions. Seraphina Mortensen, may all the goddesses help me, but you have got to stop being so reckless!¡±


    I nod. Nothing I can say or do is going to get me out of this accosting. All I can do is be as penitent as possible until she¡¯s finally vented all of her frustrations.


    ¡°Like, what the hell? What were you thinking?¡±


    ¡°I was thinking that I wasn¡¯t going to end up in prison, no matter what. You heard the reports on the news the day after initialization. We are in martial law. There are no civil rights. If we had been thrown in there, we would have been trapped with little food, little protection, no decency or privacy, and I¡¯m sure there would have been no shortage of disgusting men who would have salivated at the prospect of taking us. I am absolutely not going to submit to the law.


    ¡°I managed to stay underneath the radar before the System came. I did what I was supposed to do. Stayed out of gangs, went to school, studied as much as I could, didn¡¯t do drugs. Didn¡¯t even try cigarettes like the neighbors did. But it was hard. Really hard. Like, crying yourself to sleep at night because the neighbor¡¯s mom is going to prison for drug charges and your friend is being thrown into a home somewhere. Maybe it was better for them in the long run. Maybe the mother was able to get treatment and reunify with her kid. I don¡¯t know. But when you¡¯re thirteen and those are regular occurrences, it gets to you. Makes you wonder if you¡¯re going to be next.¡±


    Chloe pulls me toward a nearby bench. ¡°We can¡¯t just fight everyone. I get it, you¡¯re angry and upset and have a lot of pent-up aggression against authority, but¨C¡±


    I sigh. ¡°Perhaps even more importantly, I don¡¯t want this getting into the military¡¯s hands.¡± I pull out my sketchbook, now with thirty different glyphs and speculated functionality outlined on the various pages. ¡°I don¡¯t know what they¡¯ve been able to figure out about Ethertech and its capabilities, but that¡¯s information I don¡¯t want them to have. Not until we have a chance to discover what they all do.¡±


    Chloe shakes her head as we sit down. ¡°Why are you so opposed to just letting the authorities handle things? I understand your frustrations with the police, but I don¡¯t know why you¡¯re so openly antagonistic toward every piece of authority now. You weren¡¯t like this before. You were never hostile toward our teachers or even the principal. So why this, why now?¡±


    ¡°Because everyone in the government, all of these ¡®authorities¡¯, they¡¯re all fixated on returning things to the way things were. To the old normal, before the System. And if they are the only ones allowed to use the powers bestowed on each of us by the System, that¡¯s going to be rife with so much abuse. How would you feel if you were stuck at level 1 forever, constantly having to worry about gremlins and Hellspawn on your way home, unable to defend yourself without worrying about breaking the law?¡±


    ¡°That would never happen, Sera.¡±


    ¡°Would it? People with power and money and influence over the first two always try to accumulate more of all three. Isn¡¯t that the whole reason why we¡¯re supposed to have democracy? To spread power out among the people, so that no one person or small group could rule as a tyrant?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m worried about you,¡± Chloe says. ¡°I don¡¯t want you to start chasing power, and become exactly the same sort of tyrant that you claim to hate.¡±


    ¡°I know, Chloe. And¨C I¡¯m sorry. Sorry for dragging you into all my problems. Sorry for not doing as much as I could to keep you safe and more importantly, to listen to how you were feeling and consult with you much sooner. I¨C I¡¯ve been selfish, and I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°What else are you sorry for?¡± She grins at me.


    ¡°For getting you into a sticky mess with the law, for being brazen and not seeking more peaceful, orderly ways of going about my goals, and for being in such a rush to learn more about who I am and who I once was that I put us in unnecessary danger.¡±


    ¡°Unnecessary danger?¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t lying when I said that we should continue to apply ourselves in actual combat and try to gain more levels. I know you and a lot of other people don¡¯t like it, but I think it¡¯s in our best interests to do so.¡±


    ¡°Just like it was in our best interests to head to that tower today?¡±


    ¡°I still think it will prove as such.¡± At Chloe¡¯s glare, I¡¯m forced to lower my head in shame. ¡°But, I admit that there were better ways I could have gone about doing so.¡± I can¡¯t immediately think of any better ways of sneaking in that didn¡¯t involve multiple flagrant violations of the law, but I¡¯m not trying to ruin my attempts to be contrite, either.


    Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!


    ¡°So what do you want to do now?¡± Chloe asks. ¡°I¡¯d really rather not sleep under this bench tonight.¡±


    ¡°We can probably make it back to your place by midnight.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s like fifteen miles away!¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯re at level¡­ seven, eight?¡±


    ¡°Nine, as it turns out. Actually got a way more powerful healing spell after I healed the officer back then. As in, can pretty much heal one of us back to full [Health] in a single cast.¡±


    ¡°Well, that sounds pretty awesome.¡±


    Chloe finally relents. The two of us get up and start heading south along the river banks at a light jog.


    ¡°It¡¯s nice, yeah. And that¡¯s what scares me. Getting stronger feels good, but when does it end? Are people going to start killing each other in the streets for Experience?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s probably already happening.¡±


    ¡°I know, but¡­ I thought people would come together and be better.¡±


    ¡°A lot of people will. But, for all the good the System might be doing in some respects, it¡¯s given us all an incentive to start killing one another, and that cat¡¯s not going back in its bag. Besides, you saw how worthless a trained officer with a handgun is. If we can¡¯t rely on the so-called ¡®authorities¡¯ to keep us safe, then it¡¯s up to us to keep ourselves safe. And I¡¯m not going to unilaterally disarm myself.¡±


    ¡°Are you going back to the dungeon tomorrow, then?¡±


    ¡°No. Too many glyphs to study. And it sounds like you want some time away from fighting for a few days.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I could definitely go for that. And a hot shower too.¡±


    ¡°We might be waiting awhile for that hot shower.¡±


    ¡°Damn. And here I was just thinking about how nice it might be to go for a [Fire Mage] class.¡± Chloe laughs. ¡°I don¡¯t regret becoming a [White Mage] in the slightest, but right now, the class is sounding really tempting.¡±


    ¡°Who knows, Chloe. The System did say that we¡¯d be selecting our ¡®first¡¯ class. Maybe once our level gets high enough, we¡¯ll be able to pick a second.¡±


    ¡°When we get there, I¡¯m totally getting the first hot bath!¡±


    ¡°Who knows? Maybe my [Planetouched Mechanist] class will let me build a hot water heater? Then it¡¯ll be me who takes the first hot bath!¡±


    ¡°Maybe you can work the toaster or the microwave or even the oven. You couldn¡¯t before, but maybe with all those levels we gained, you can use our appliances so we can have a hot bath that way!¡±


    ¡°Yes, all one of those levels that I gained today.¡±


    ¡°Wait, I gained two levels today. How did you only gain one?¡±


    ¡°I barely hit level 9 in the dungeon. I¡¯m close to but not quite at level 11 now.¡±


    ¡°I just barely haven¡¯t reached level 10 myself. No new awesomeness awaiting at level 10?¡±


    ¡°I mean, it sounds like you just got a sparkly new healing spell at level 9, Chloe. That seems like a bunch of awesomeness to me.¡±


    Chloe grins as we pick up the pace a bit. ¡°I guess I do get your point, at least a little. It¡¯s fun being able to go out running like this and not have to worry that someone is going to jump us. And it was super cool the way you stood up to those creeps back in the dungeon. I¨C I don¡¯t think I could have done that.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I could have before the System¨C No, I definitely could not have,¡± I quickly correct. ¡°Not without a lot of prior preparation and a lot of good luck.¡±


    ¡°So, you definitely could not have under any circumstances. We both know you have no good luck.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m alive, I got a second chance at life, I¡¯m here with my best friend, and we survived fights against monsters and the law. I¡¯d say I have at least a little good luck. Just not enough to win against Lady Luck and her mother.¡±


    We cross the river along the highway bridge. The moon is high in the sky, and coupled with the glow of the Milky Way, we have more than enough light to see what lies before us. If anything, I can see nearly as well as I can in the daytime; perhaps this, too, is some heretofore undocumented impact of having a high [Mind] stat.


    Fatigue starts to set in as we walk the final handful of miles leading back to where Chloe¡¯s family lives. High [Vitality] allows us to power through this fatigue with minimal detriment, and delay the need for sleep, but not remove the need entirely. Especially not at such low levels.


    Just how high do levels get? Is there a maximum? Surely there would have to be, right? Level 255 maybe? 999? 9999? I guess we just have to keep on experimenting and exploring the mysteries that lie ahead.


    We make our way down the final stretch of road leading back to Chloe¡¯s house. We did leave a note informing her that we¡¯d be out most of the day, but thinking about that sends waves of anxiety pounding into my chest and up into my throat. What if she¡¯s there, worried sick that we didn¡¯t come back like we¡¯d planned? Or worse, what if she¡¯s not? She never came home the night before. And worse still, there¡¯s always the potential that those damned cops might try to ambush us upon our arrival. Totally didn¡¯t even plan for that possibility. Of course those bastards would know exactly where to go, since we told them, with documentation!


    I curse my shortsighted foolishness. Bad, bad, very very very bad indeed. Why does it have to be so damned difficult to try to explore this new world that lies in front of us? Isn¡¯t that what they want? We turn eighteen, and they say ¡®go out on your own and make something of yourself¡¯. But not like that. That¡¯s too dangerous. And we¡¯ll look down upon you if you do that. And those things are completely off-limits whatsoever. Feels like living in a straitjacket, and just when we think we¡¯ve [Unlocked] one door, another lies to keep us trapped.


    I hate it! Hate hate hate! I grit my teeth in frustration.


    But¡­ not as much as I hate what lies directly in front of me.

 Chapter 27: No Rest for the Weary

    ¡°Oh, for the love of shit!¡± Chloe screams. ¡°What in the unholy bowels of hell is that damned thing?¡±


    I tremble. I don¡¯t know what, exactly, but it¡¯s absolutely terrifying. It looks vaguely octopodal, or maybe ameboid? Six¡­ seven, nine, now eight tendrils snake out from a pulsating center. And to make matters even worse, those tendrils split apart and re-form like¡­ Ew, gross! Mouths and teeth should not be in those places, for the sake of basic decency!


    The air around it shimmers and distorts as if being bent by a hot fire, making it difficult to get a good grasp of its size. A bit of some sort of liquid drips on the ground beneath its¡­ being. I fear it may be highly acidic. Just looking at it gives me a splitting headache, and I will definitely have nightmares about this abomination for weeks.


    If there is one saving grace, it¡¯s that it hasn¡¯t noticed us yet. Or it¡¯s still sizing us up, trying to decide if we¡¯re a meal. On the one hand, I would love nothing more than to have absolutely nothing to do with this¡­ eldritch horror. We could take a more circuitous route around the main road, sneak into some nearby neighborhoods, and make our way back to Chloe¡¯s¡ª to our¡ª home.


    On the other hand, this has the look of a predatory creature. If we do nothing, it will continue to hunt. People will be displaced from their homes, if they are lucky. If they are not.


    But can we do anything? I¡¯m not confident in the strength of my Skills. Concussive bullets are going to be uniquely weak against a creature with no internals. [Trick Shot] isn¡¯t going to be effective if the creature has no weak spots to target, or if its ¡®vitals¡¯ are anything but. It might have some sort of internal core, but if it¡¯s as acidic as I suspect, anything I try is going to end up dissolved long before I reach the core.


    ¡°What do you want to do?¡± I ask. ¡°I think we can sneak around and head home a different way. Or we can try to fight. But I don¡¯t think I have anything effective against whatever that is, and there¡¯s no guarantee we can escape if we do engage it in combat?¡±


    ¡°No. But¡­ I don¡¯t want to just leave people at the mercy of that thing, either. I want to, as much as possible, use this power to heal, defend, and protect others.¡±


    ¡°Do you have any new Skills you think might work?¡±


    ¡°No. Just healing spells. I¨C¡± She starts to quiver. ¡°I don¡¯t¡­ don¡¯t¡­¡±


    I take Chloe¡¯s hand and help her ground herself. ¡°There is one other possibility. I can try to analyze these glyphs and see if one of them is useful in some regard. But we¡¯ll probably be stuck out here all night, there¡¯s no guarantee I''ll find one that¡¯ll work, and there¡¯s no guarantee it¡¯ll just squirm around and let us observe it all night long.¡±


    Chloe closes her eyes. ¡°Give it one hour. I¡¯ll keep an eye on whatever that is, and let you know if it approaches in the meantime. You spend one hour with your glyphs, and if you find something you¡¯re confident will be effective against it, we fight. Otherwise, we leave it for now until we¡¯re strong enough to overcome it.¡±


    I sit down and get to work. With the light of the full moon blaring down upon me, I can see every intricate detail of the glyphs in my sketchbook. I start with the first one I jotted down. An elliptical shape with another concentric ellipse contained within, of the same eccentricity and orientation, scaled down to about eighty percent of the outer one¡¯s size. Between the two borders lies a series of runes, the individual components of which I do not fully understand. One final sigil lies in the center, written in a language that looks vaguely Japanese but is unlikely native to this planet.


    I activate it with a bit of my [Ether]. Nothing happens. I try from the opposite side, using my [Basic Ether Manipulation] to try to identify any spots that have been drawn incorrectly. I notice a couple of very small corrections, mostly involving needing to reorient the runic circle differently. I activate it again. No response. In reverse? Still no response. Maybe some sort of control glyph that does nothing on its own.


    The next glyph looks like a cloud: large, full, and extra puffy. Tiny markings on the interior shape, with plenty of attention paid to the texturing within. My [Tinkerer] skill pokes me with a sense of wrongness as I look over the final version. After a few more seconds, I notice a few errors in one of the curves, which I correct. I get no further indication, and activate it.


    The paper goes damp. I smell the page. Thankfully just water, and not some more unpleasant solvent. Activating it in reverse causes the page to slowly dry out. And interestingly, despite the deformation to the page as a whole, the portion of the sheet containing the drawn glyph resists tearing or warping. Hypothesis: each glyph subtly twists space to make it ¡®magical¡¯, for lack of a better word, allowing Ether to more easily affect it, and causing the space to resist damage from physical sources. Not unlike how the glyphs stitched into my [Barrier Gauntlets] resist being moved out of place.


    I flip through the book to the one I think is most promising. Third from one the back, shaped like a lightning bolt. Jagged fractals that constantly bend and twist, some continuing down, and some whose trails abruptly end. Easily the most complicated of the ones I¡¯ve scrolled through, with upwards of a thousand individual pencil strokes. Even that understates how many it takes to fully manifest it in its true state. Probably not a finite number, but there¡¯s some room for tolerances when constructing the physical shape.


    There are a couple of strokes that are a bit too short as I do the final analysis, necessitating that I re-create the bottom portion of the glyph. I glance up at Chloe. She¡¯s nervous; I can see the small trembles in her legs.


    The horror is lurching along through a nearby grove of trees. In its wake, the grasses and underbrush have been reduced to nothing but dirt. It latches on to the tree nearest it, about a hundred yards away, and begins shoving branch after branch into its mouths. It seems to consume organic matter indiscriminately, but given I see a couple of small bricks and pieces of wire sticking out of the ground near it, it doesn¡¯t harbor the same gluttony for inorganic material.


    The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    I rush back to work, resketching the glyph, feeling the flow of my [Ether] as I trace the patterns again. I test and retest and make sure that I¡¯m not missing anything that seems horribly out of line. Once I¡¯m finally satisfied, a process that takes a solid fifteen minutes, I activate the glyph.


    My hair stands on end. The air around me begins to crackle. Chloe jumps backwards, though it seems more surprise than pain. The page on which the sigil is drawn begins to crinkle and crackle, folding up into a ball-like shape under its own power. Tiny flashes of static electricity arc from place to place on the page, and a few jump into my shirt and jeans, causing me to briefly convulse. Definitely every bit of what I expected just from the shape of the sigil and more.


    Lightning¡­ might be effective against that thing. It¡¯s amorphous and appears to be made of some sort of aqueous solution that¡¯s likely highly conductive. But this glyph won¡¯t be effective unless I either find a way to imprint it directly onto a constantly-changing physical form, or have some additional way to direct the lightning. The latter will be safer and easier.


    Using my [Ether Bullet] seems the easiest way to launch lightning from a distance. Though I don¡¯t have the tools or expertise to try to sketch the glyph directly onto the BB-sized pellets. I try forming one with my [Basic Ether Manipulation], condensing two points of [Ether] and imagining the shape I want to form. I get a slightly deformed bullet instead; I probably need a far higher rank in the skill, likely even [Intermediate Ether Manipulation] or its equivalent, before I can do so.


    That leaves sketching the glyph directly on my [Simple Blowgun] instead. The problem is that the glyph seems to infuse the object itself with lightning, rather than allowing it to flow freely into another object. In other words, a blowgun that shocks you when you touch it, rather than one that shoots electricity. There should be a way to rectify this.


    I pull out another sketch of a glyph I believe to be a sort of linking or control glyph, not unlike how prepositions, articles, particles, and similar linking words and punctuation are used to combine words into sentences. In fact, that seems a pretty good analogy for how Ethertech works at its most fundamental level. Individual glyphs are like either words, punctuation, or prefixes or suffixes that append onto words, changing their individual meaning. When the [Unlock] glyph is used by itself, it¡¯s as though I¡¯m screaming a simple command of ¡®Unlock!¡¯.


    Reversing the flow of Ether within a glyph has the effect of negating its meaning. [Unlock] becomes [Lock], a glyph of [Heat] will become [Unheat], which should carry a similar connotation and effect as [Cold]. As for when, to use the example, [Cold] should be used over [Unheat], will require far more testing and experimentation. Hypothesis: the ideal choice is related to the shape of the respective glyphs. Depending on size or shape, one might be preferred over another. There may also be small meaning differences at times. [Don¡¯t Go] isn¡¯t quite the same command as [Stop], even though the commands and therefore associated glyphs of [Stop] and [Go] should logically negate and contradict each other.


    I look through the glyphs I have on hand, not at all sure what each of them do. However, my [Tinkerer] passive skill points me to another glyph in the middle of my sketches. This one looks like a trio of parallel lines, again with more fine runes in between each pair of them. In a fortuitous coincidence so far, the [Lock] and [Lightning] glyphs both look vaguely like pictographs of their respective functionality, the former kinda sorta looking like a very stylized padlock when squinted at from just the right angle.


    This glyph looks like it might just be a glyph of motion based on the same logic. The tricky part will be to combine the two. Based on my observations back at the Tower Gauntlet, I need to link them together with the same miniature sluice etchings. The big question is: what order? I decide upon [Lightning], then [Motion]. Doing it in the reverse suggests moving like lightning. Quickly and erratically? Potentially useful to dodge against extremely fast opponents if the conjecture is correct.


    Chloe alerts me that it¡¯s been about forty-five minutes since I started my task. The creature is slowly lurching in our general direction now, though it hasn¡¯t made any aggressive action toward us specifically. I redouble my pace, tracing the glyphs onto my [Simple Blowgun]. I etch the [Lightning] glyph about two thirds of the way down the cylinder¡¯s length, guiding its formation with [Basic Ether Manipulation] to help ensure the structure is properly traced upon the curved surface. It required a bit of adjustment halfway through, but thankfully, Ether seems to naturally want to trace along the paths of correctly-drawn glyphs.


    The second glyph of [Motion] is far simpler to draw, taking only a minute or two before I¡¯m confident with its overall structure. A brief use of [Basic Ether Manipulation] to double-check confirms that any deviations from the optimal form are miniscule at best.


    I begin the process of connecting the glyphs together. With only two, it¡¯s a simple matter of combining them with sluices, but I suspect that for advanced Ethertech with hundreds or millions of individual glyphs working in various combinations of parallel and sequence, it¡¯s going to be more than a small challenge. One more set of sluices connecting the two glyphs to the near end of the blowgun and I think I have it ready to go. One final look over and I decide it¡¯s time to chance it.


    I take a deep breath as I get up. Now for the moment of truth. If I¡¯m wrong about this, I¡¯m putting my life in peril. But this is the calling of a [Planetouched Mechanist], pushing and expanding the bounds of science and Ethertech¡­ Okay, I¡¯m far from the boundaries of both. But relative to Earth, I might actually be.


    One more deep breath. I close my eyes. I stick an [Ether Bullet] in the chamber and prepare myself. I have 150 units of [Ether] remaining, and three bullets that haven¡¯t degraded. I¡¯ll fire them consecutively with fifty units of [Ether] propelling each. It better be enough.


    The attacks fly, filling the air with a bluish light and the sound of birds chirping as they shoot toward the encroaching aberration. The first scores a direct hit in what might generously be called its lower abdomen, sending ooze scattering in every direction. The second is a bit off course due to the wind and imprecise rifling within the barrel, only slicing through a pair of its legs before lodging into a tree and sending woody shrapnel flying. But the third hits right in the dead center of the creature¡¯s torso. The entire beast ripples once, then twice, then explodes.


    Chloe and I make a run for it, but I once again, for the second time in as many days, suffer severe acid burns upon my calves. Nothing that Chloe¡¯s new healing spell can¡¯t easily heal, but painful as sin and as annoying as hell. I grin as three System notifications pops up.


    [You have customized your [Simple Blowgun] into a [Simple Lightning Blowgun]. Weapon Attack increased: 25 ¡ú 60]


    [You have slain an It That Crawls in the Night (Level 16). You have gained a boosted 1,980 Experience.]


    [You have gained enough Experience to reach Level 12.]


    That¡­ That can wait until morning. We¡¯re both tired, sweaty, covered in slime, and ready to get the hells away from this abomination once and for all. We rush back to Chloe¡¯s place at top speed, and after shivering through the best cold, dark shower I¡¯ve ever had, I have the best sleep I¡¯ve had in years.

 Chapter 28: Notifications, Decisions, and More

    I don¡¯t wake up until sometime after dawn. Chloe¡¯s still asleep as well, and frankly, I don¡¯t blame her. If not for my burning need to use the restroom, I¡¯d be right alongside her, taking the day low and slow after the absolute clustertruck of a day yesterday. Instead, I stumble down the stairs, still half-asleep, and make my way into the nearest bathroom to freshen up.


    I half-expect to see the cops barreling down the front door any second, ready to arrest me for the multitude of illegal activities we committed yesterday, but I¡¯m relieved to see they¡¯ve managed to leave well enough alone. That, and they probably are starting to run low on fuel, assuming all the refineries are still offline.


    Goodness, now I¡¯m going down a tangent of how global food supplies and distribution are holding up. So far, we still have enough food for ourselves, but it¡¯s the second full day of what I assume to be a global infrastructure shortfall. That means one day left until mass pandemonium starts breaking out.


    I sigh. Things are going to get much worse than they already have, won¡¯t they? And all the while we should be trying to use the power granted to us by the System to get our shit in order instead of burying our heads in the sand and thinking everything will go back to the old normal. Does no one have a [Farmer] or similar class?


    In any case, time to actually sit down and actually deal with the levels I¡¯ve gained yesterday, along with all the other notifications that I suppressed during the last fight.


    [You have gained enough Experience to reach Level 12 (From 10). [Vitality] +2, [Mind] +2. Please allocate remaining stat points. (6 Remaining)]


    Despite the usefulness of a little bit of [Strength] on day-to-day tasks, my class is very much a [Mind] focused one, like most mage variants. My focus needs to be on staying alive and making sure I have enough [Ether] to empower the sorts of blasts that were able to eviscerate the horror from last night.


    At the same time, [Speed] is also incredibly useful on the staying alive front. In a worst-case scenario, I can try to outrun an enemy and slowly regenerate my [Ether] in the interim. [Vitality] likewise remains important, but I decide to prioritize [Mind] with these two levels. The stat also seems to help with manipulating my [Ether], as well as all of the other Skills that I¡¯ve gained so far. I assign +1 to [Vitality] and +2 to [Mind] for my first level, then +1 to [Speed] and +2 to [Mind] with my second.


    [Maximum Health increases by [Vitality] x2 + Current Level + Rand[1, 3] = (82, 87)]


    [Maximum Ether increases by [Mind] + Current Level + Rand[0, 2] = (49, 54)]


    [Level: 12; Experience: 5,330; To Next: 1,805]


    [Current Stats: [Health]: 789 / 789 ; [Ether]: 419 / 419]


    [Current Stats: [Strength]: 15; [Speed]: 19; [Vitality]: 36; [Mind]: 40]


    More notifications follow as I sit down and munch on some dry cereal in the kitchen and try to figure out what the heck I need to prioritize for the day.


    [Your [Basic Ether Manipulation (Rank VIII)] has upgraded to [Basic Ether Manipulation (Rank X)]. Your [Basic Ether Manipulation (Rank X)] has reached its maximum level. You have been awarded an additional +2 free stat points for maximizing a skill rank]


    Easy decision to make, considering how my class is starting to evolve into some sort of Ether Gungeoneer? Gunslinger? Not sure what the term is, but I need more [Ether] to power my weapons in either case.


    [[Mind] increased from 40 to 42.]


    [Your [Ether Bullet (Rank IV)] has upgraded to [Ether Bullet (Rank VII)]]


    Yeah, that tracks. I¡¯ve been making a ton of use of the skill throughout yesterday¡¯s battles. Evolving my abilities further under moderately stressful circumstances against a powerful foe was enough to give me three ranks in the skill. I condense the basic form of my [Ether Bullet] in the palm of my hand, and it forms into a sparkling, pea-sized marble with hardly any effort. I then toss it out the back door before Chloe sees it and gets on my case.


    [You have gained the General Skill [Basic Glyph Manipulation (Rank I)]. Would you like to learn this skill (General Skill Slots Available: 5/6)]


    I pull up the description for good measure, knowing full well I¡¯ll be accepting the skill anyway.


    [Basic Glyph Manipulation (Rank I): Your curiosity and study of Ether-based technology has led you to the basic understanding of how glyphs modulate and manipulate Ether into its nearly-infinite possibilities. Already you have developed hypotheses on how glyphs function, and your desire to push the limits of possibility will lead you to great fortune¡­ or equally great ruin. Take this Skill, which will provide basic knowledge and insight]


    Absolutely, yes, please, and thank you. I snatch that skill up.


    The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    [Your [Basic Glyph Manipulation (Rank I)] has upgraded to [Basic Glyph Manipulation (Rank II)]


    Well, hot damn. Probably for my work combining glyphs, even if it was in a hamfisted, inefficient, and ad hoc manner. I walk over and glance at my [Simple Lightning Blowgun] and immediately shudder. The sluices were too large, the connections between the glyphs were in the wrong places, and I completely neglected to introduce the correct linking runes along the sluices to ensure that the amount of [Ether] I used didn¡¯t burst through the channels and rupture the whole thing. Had I put even ten more points of [Ether] behind any of those three shots, I would have busted the whole thing and possibly taken my face off in the process.


    The effects of the new Skill now apparent, I decide upon my best course of action. I could try to build a generator or similar, but that would take weeks, maybe months before I understand and can properly build the combination of glyphs necessary to do something so complex.


    Chloe steps downstairs a few minutes later, stretching as she does. I pour her a glass of water, and I get an idea. I rush over to my sketchbook and I pull out a star-shaped glyph that I suspect to be the one for [Heat] and test it out. The paper and the air around it grows warm and my palms start to sweat. Inverting the flow of [Ether] causes the air to cool around me. Fog accompanies my exhalation before I stop.


    Chloe gives me a funny look as she starts rubbing her arms. ¡°And what does my favorite lady of science have planned with the cold air on this chilly early morning?¡±


    ¡°Refrigeration,¡± I say. ¡°I realize I¡¯ve been thinking about the whole ¡®preservation of food¡¯ question wrong. Instead of figuring out how to power the refrigerator, I should have just been asking ¡®how do I keep the refrigerator cold?¡¯ A lot more efficient and far fewer variables than trying to connect a bunch of control runes and link them all to a [Lightning] glyph, when I could just use a reverse [Heat] glyph and get the desired end result.¡±


    ¡°Oh, by the way, it seems that some of the cell towers are starting to come back online. Signal is weak, no data or anything, just standard texts. Got a message from my mom a few minutes ago. Said she was doing okay, that they had enough food and a generator that would last another day or two, but that they didn¡¯t think they¡¯ve got enough fuel to power it past Monday.¡±


    On the one hand, access to a generator would be valuable in so many different ways. Having light and heat and eventually air conditioning again? Absolutely incredible. But on the other, it would still be lean times for the next several weeks at least.


    I shake my head at my utter hypocrisy from last night. Yes, the System has arrived and its changes can¡¯t and shouldn¡¯t be undone. But, thinking of the creature comforts that I¡¯d taken for granted, like even a lukewarm shower, I guess I understand why so many people are eager for life to return to the way things were. I just¡­ I wish we could use this opportunity and these new abilities to look for even better ways forward than just trudging along with our collective heads in the sand and pretending things are exactly as they were.


    ¡°Chloe, I owe you an apology,¡± I finally mutter.


    ¡°For what?¡±


    ¡°For being selfish. Again. I haven¡¯t been considerate enough about how other people must be feeling about all these changes. I¡¯ve gotten so caught up in trying to unravel all the mysteries of the System and Ethertech and I¡­ I haven¡¯t been thinking about how all this has been affecting everyone else. Haven¡¯t been thinking about how hard it must be for you and all the people who don¡¯t want to fight. Haven¡¯t been thinking that I¡¯ve had a whole second life to plan and prepare for this moment, and people are running around scared and hoping that things will come back to normal. And¡­ maybe I¡¯m just¡­ I just want to be a hero instead of just some ordinary person who¡¯ll live an ordinary life, then die an ordinary death.¡±


    Chloe frowns, then laughs.


    ¡°What? We¡¯re young, we just turned eighteen, we¡¯re supposed to be naive optimists ready to take on the world.¡±


    Chloe¡¯s laugh intensifies. ¡°Whatever happened to the Sera who was always ¡®study hard¡¯ and ¡®stay in school¡¯ and ¡®go to college¡¯ and ¡®get good grades¡¯ and all that stuff.¡± She speaks in a deliberately deep and mocking tone that I can¡¯t help but laugh at.


    ¡°I don¡¯t really sound like that. Do I?¡±


    Chloe gives me The Look, then we both giggle at each other.


    ¡°And besides, I think I very much was all ¡®study hard¡¯ and ¡®get good grades¡¯. Except now ¡®study hard¡¯ is ¡®experiment with Ethertech¡¯, and ¡®get good grades¡¯ is ¡®get higher levels¡¯.¡±


    Chloe gives me another evil eye. ¡°So, we¡¯re in agreement that we¡¯re going to do what I want to do today for a change?¡±


    ¡°I mean, as long as it¡¯s not ¡®surrender ourselves to the law and check ourselves in to county jail¡¯.¡±


    ¡°Okay, yes, fine, we will not turn ourselves in to be detained at the police chief¡¯s pleasure. But, we¡¯re going to try not to break any laws today, okay?¡±


    ¡°Agreed. We¡¯re still bringing our weapons, for self defense purposes only.¡±


    ¡°Considering what we saw last night on the road, that should be a given. Now then, we¡¯re going back downtown and to my mother¡¯s work. I want to see her again, to let her and us both know that one another is still alive and doing okay.¡±


    ¡°Before we do that, I¡¯d like to play around with the glyph of [Heat] and see if we can¡¯t work the refrigerator that way.¡±


    Chloe shakes her head. ¡°You can do that while I¡¯m in the bath. For now, I want to see if that glyph of [Heat] that you keep talking about won¡¯t let me have a hot bath for a change.¡±


    ¡°But¨C¡± I sigh. ¡°Yeh, Chloe Jacobs, Your Highness.¡±


    ¡°Now kneel, Seraphina Mortensen, and avert your gaze before your princess!¡±


    ¡°You do know that I¡¯m not actually a [Knight] and that I did not take that [Divine Paladin] class.¡±


    ¡°And you know that I¡¯m not actually a princess, but we¡¯re having fun and that¡¯s what matters. Now, my loyal retainer, my bath awaits.¡±


    I grumble and grumble and grumble some more as I fill up Chloe¡¯s bath. For three reasons. First, the glyph of [Heat] works perfectly. Second, it takes barely two hundred [Ether] to get it nice and warm for Chloe. And third, I could have done this last night or this morning and had a warm soak for myself. Damn my lack of creativity!

 Chapter 29: Return Downtown

    We take our leave around two hours after dawn. Just before 9:00 AM according to Chloe¡¯s phone and the single analog wall clock in the house still ticking away on battery power, completely oblivious as to how much the world has changed in just over a week.


    Hard to believe sometimes. It¡¯s been a week already. Had the [System] not arrived when it did, we¡¯d be enjoying the last two days of Spring Break, going up to see my favorite music group in concert, then coming back to finish senior year and the last summer before going out into the world. My thoughts turn back to school. Will we still have classes on Monday? Will anyone show up? I really, really don¡¯t want to get into any school fights now that confrontations can so much more easily turn deadly.


    We pause for a couple of minutes to examine the scene of our last battle. There are still plenty of splintered trees and a few half-dissolved shrubs lying around, but most of the signs of the battlefield are completely gone. There isn¡¯t a single patch of burned grass, nor any of the huge swaths of dirt that the Crawler had left behind as it consumed all organic matter in its path during the previous night. A true miracle of the System, restoring the grasses so quickly.


    At least, I would believe it to be so, if not for that lingering thought that I can¡¯t quench, that the System is orchestrating all of these events for a greater purpose. And not one I or anyone on Earth should hope to see come to fruition.


    We proceed down south, following much the same path we did yesterday. With a couple more levels under our belts, the trip proceeds more quickly. After about twenty more minutes on the road, I get an idea. We head to the side of the road, where I pull out my trusty sewing needle and get to work, this time on each of our shoes.


    [Basic Glyph Manipulation] speeds up the crafting and validation testing of new glyphs way beyond what I was capable of with merely [Basic Ether Manipulation] and my mundane, mediocre attempts at seamstressing could accomplish. Scarcely five minutes passes before our boots have been swiftly modified, and the two of us continue on our way.


    These [Boots of Quickness], as the System has registered them, have a passive effect to increase our speed by about a third. Not anything world-shattering, but a useful benefit with applications both in and out of battle. There is a small [Ether] drain, but after factoring in our regeneration, it¡¯s about a point per minute for Chloe and about a point every two minutes for me. That her class gives her boosts to her maximum [Ether] capacity relative to the ¡®normal¡¯ formula means that both of us can use them for several hours each day. At least as long as we don¡¯t use [Ether] otherwise during that time.


    We make it back downtown shortly before noon, even after we make a short stop for lunch. We stroll in the general direction of the new Tower, wondering if anyone has been sufficiently brave and/or foolish enough to attempt the trials that lie within. But, of course, it¡¯s still under constant police surveillance, and after yesterday, we dare not cause any trouble so soon. Instead, we slip over a couple of streets, enjoying the warm sun at our backs as we head up main street and into the office complex where Mrs. Jacobs works.


    There¡¯s a security presence at the gate, with two bulky gentlemen standing sentry on either side of the reinforced glass door. Each of them carries a shotgun, prominently held over their chest, and both give a general vibe of surliness that makes even my System-boosted confidence falter slightly.


    Chloe has already let her mother know of our impending arrival, so we don¡¯t have to wait more than a minute before she taps on the front door and beckons us inside. As soon as we¡¯re inside and the doors are locked behind us, Mrs. Jacobs pulls her daughter into a hug. A second later, she beckons toward me, and the three of us share in a cathartic embrace.


    Mrs. Jacobs moves at a pace that¡¯s hurried for her, but with our [Boots of Quickness] speeding our gait, it¡¯s but a leisurely stroll for the two of us as she leads us out of the entryway and toward a breakroom of some sort in the back.


    Mrs. Jacobs¡¯s workplace isn¡¯t in one of the large towers that dot the downtown metro. It¡¯s still a building of some size, stretching five stories high and taking up a quarter of a city block along the northeast side of the downtown area.


    It¡¯s a bit disorienting to see the electrical lights on, fans humming, and people going about an ordinary Friday at work. Phones are ringing, probably calling other devices within the complex. As we pass into the back, the air fills with the smell of a warm, sizzling meal being cooked up on some hot plates, a luxury of which I wish I could partake.


    ¡°Oh, it is so good to see the two of you doing well. I still can¡¯t believe you walked all the way across town.¡±


    ¡°We jogged,¡± Chloe corrects. I suspect she also wants to brag a bit.


    ¡°I see.¡± Mrs. Jacobs sits us down without missing a beat. ¡°How are things back at the house? So sorry that I¡¯ve not been able to drive back, but with the country still struggling to get the power up and back online, it¡¯s just been one thing after another, and we¡¯re basically pulling constant all-nighters, taking sleep where we can get it.¡±


    ¡°Any word on that?¡± Chloe asks.


    ¡°It¡¯s pretty much a mass-scale effort. Now that the civil unrest has started to dial back a bit, the Army Corps of Engineers has taken command of more or less every National Guard unit, save for small detachments needed elsewhere.¡±


    In other words, guarding dungeons and handling the logistics of getting dungeon loot processed.


    ¡°They¡¯re working as hard as they can to build all the infrastructure to start reconnecting the powerlines, but we¡¯re still looking at another half a month before all the connections are stable enough that the utility conglomerates are going to feel comfortable trying to turn the plants back online.¡±


    Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.


    ¡°Assuming no more System hijinks happen in the interim. Just glad it didn¡¯t disrupt the water treatment facility and operation.¡±


    ¡°And thank heavens for the solar installations the CEO had installed two years ago. Otherwise the backup generators wouldn¡¯t have lasted even this long.¡±


    After a meager but still enjoyable meal of street tacos, Mrs. Jacobs beckons us into her office and closes the door behind her. She sits down on her desk and stares at us with a stern look on her face.


    ¡°Now then, Chloe, Seraphina,¡± she starts. ¡°Would you like me to get you two some water?¡±


    She absolutely knows what happened yesterday. Chloe turns to me and the two of us suppress a look of guilt, but our resolve fades under the unrelenting nature of her mother¡¯s withering glare.


    ¡°Alright, Mrs. Jacobs,¡± I confess. ¡°We¡¯ll admit it. We engaged in some less-than-safe extracurriculars yesterday.¡±


    She raises an eyebrow. ¡°Less-than-safe extracurriculars? Now that¡¯s a euphemism if ever I¡¯ve heard one. Football and basketball would be my definition of ¡®less-than-safe extracurriculars¡¯. There¡¯s risks involved, but ones you know about going in. And we have professionals and safety equipment that at least try to mitigate those risks. Sneaking into unsafe buildings despite unknown dangers, despite clear barricades and armed police standing guard is not ¡®less-than-safe¡¯. It is reckless, foolish, illegal, and was as likely as not to have gotten the both of you killed! Seriously, you two, what do you have to say about yourselves?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m the one to blame for this,¡± I say. ¡°Please be lenient on Chloe. I wanted to go to the tower because I thought we could discover more technology and learn more about the System and what it wants by being here.¡± I pause for a moment. ¡°I just¡­ I think there¡¯s too much potential and I don¡¯t want to see it all get classified by the military and hidden away. We need to know how to use these new powers and abilities we¡¯ve been given. And¨C¡±


    ¡°And?¡± Mrs. Jacobs says. ¡°You look like you want to tell me more.¡±


    ¡°I do. You¡¯ll think I¡¯m crazy though. Won¡¯t take it as seriously as I mean it.¡±


    ¡°Try me.¡±


    I hesitate for a bit longer. I don¡¯t know if I can fully trust Mrs. Jacobs but, at the same time, she took me in as her own daughter after we found out that mine passed away. Part of me worries she¡¯ll send in her husband to drag me off to Area 51 or wherever they keep the real alien tech he¡¯s been working on. I struggle with it, but I decide to just come clean without mincing words.


    ¡°I¡¯m not from this world. Not from planet Earth. Maybe not even from this galaxy. I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°I mean this with all due sincerity, since I know you¡¯re trying to be honest, but please, explain it to me. How can you not be from Earth? We¡¯ve known you since you were five years old, and I think we would be aware if there were sightings of you falling from the sky in an alien spacecraft.¡±


    ¡°What I¡¯m about to tell you is all true, but hard to believe. I expect you not to. Frankly, I¡¯d think you foolish to take me solely at my word, although my word is the only proof I can show you. First, when the System arrived, it mentioned that there was ¡®anomalous data¡¯ present when it tried to initialize me. It then rectified that by giving me a trait called [Touched by the Multiverse]. The description says that my mind has been touched by, and I quote, ¡®the vastness that lies beyond space and time¡¯


    ¡°And while we were in the Tower yesterday, I had a vision of waking up in some cross between a hospital operating room and a mad scientist¡¯s technological emporium. I was, from what I could tell, nearly the same age and appearance that I am now. In that vision, I was greeted by a man who introduced himself as Dr. Martin Chotono. He said that he and a team of researchers had created me as part of a program that they designated ¡®Project Seraphina¡¯. The vision ends pretty soon after that.¡±


    ¡°So, this vision, you think, is some sort of¡­ Connection to a different you from a different world?¡±


    ¡°I think it¡¯s a memory of a life I once lived. Through processes I could not hope to understand, someone¡ª maybe my old self¡ª managed to imprint some fragment of myself into this world, and allowed me to be reborn. How, or why, I couldn¡¯t even speculate. But¨C¡± I know this is all too unbelievable, and Mrs. Jacobs looks at me as though I¡¯m wasting her time. ¡°I know. As I said. It¡¯s all too unbelievable, too easy to dismiss as a hallucination or a lie. I have no proof that could reasonably satisfy you, and I¡¯m sorry that I must sound like I¡¯m wasting your time. But the memory is too realistic, the vision too clear, and after the arrival of the System, I¡¯m forced to accept, or at least not dismiss out of hand, what I would have dismissed as hogwash and pseudoscientific woo just a week ago.¡±


    Mrs. Jacobs smirks.


    ¡°You took a class related to Healing Crystals, didn¡¯t you? Just to spite me?¡±


    ¡°Maybe I did. But that¡¯s not what¡¯s relevant right now.¡±


    ¡°Then what is?¡± Chloe asks. ¡°We fought a giant tentacle monster not even a mile away from our house last night! I know you want to just pretend that the world is as it was, but¡­ Sera¡¯s right on this. The world is going to get more and more dangerous. And what you see as just keeping us safe is likely to endanger us all in the weeks and years to come.¡±


    ¡°Is that it, then?¡± Mrs. Jacobs asks. ¡°You two have both made up your mind on this?¡±


    ¡°I have,¡± Chloe says. ¡°I believe Sera. I trust her judgement on matters relating to the System and how it will change our world going forward. And I want to help her find the rest of her memories.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s your final answer, then?¡±


    ¡°It is.¡±


    I nod my head in agreement.


    ¡°I see. I had hoped that this day wouldn¡¯t come for a while yet, but every mother has to accept that one day her daughters are going to grow older, become adults, and leave the nest. I love you both, and I wish you well with whatever it is that you two find. But, I have one demand, and I¡¯m going to hold firm on it.¡±


    ¡°Name it,¡± Chloe says.


    ¡°I, and my company, have some influence with City Hall. But not enough that we can just completely overlook all of your illegal actions from yesterday. I was going to give you the option to come to your senses, and in return, the city was going to agree to remand you to my custody and have you placed under house arrest for the rest of the summer. If you had abided by those terms, you would have escaped being formally charged and made to do jail time. However, I can¡¯t in good conscience agree to the terms of that deal, if I know you will not hold to it either. As such, at least for the foreseeable future, the two of you will be exiled to the wilds outside of town.


    ¡°There is an expedition starting tomorrow morning.¡± She hands me a card with an address written on it. It¡¯s for a place on the far western edge of the metro area. ¡°I believe I can arrange it such that you two can join them. Now then, you two may remain here under my supervision for the rest of the day. If there are any spare supplies not being used, and you believe you can make use of them, you may have them. We will also prepare a small amount of rations for you to take with you.¡± She looks at us with the tearful face of a mother saying goodbye to her children, possibly for the last time. ¡°I wish you both the best, and I hope to see you back safe and sound when everything settles down some more.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Mrs. Jacobs.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Mom.¡± the two of us say in unison.

 Chapter 30: Adventuring Party

    The night comes swifter than it has any right to as we make our final preparations for the start of our new lives as adventurers. We make ourselves useful throughout the evening, Chloe with her healing abilities, and me installing and using the glyph of [Lightning] to channel electricity into the building¡¯s battery backup complex. I also teach others how to operate the glyph, in the hopes that they might be able to extend their operations in relative comfort for a bit longer. Unfortunately, most of the people here haven¡¯t even reached level 3, and haven¡¯t developed a [Basic Ether Manipulation] skill yet. At the very least, it assuages my guilt a little bit about the trouble we¡¯re causing them.


    Night, on the other hand, passes fitfully. Chloe and I each lie on a small cot in a spare office room next to Mrs. Jacobs¡¯s office. Chloe falls asleep quickly, while I toss and turn for several hours, unable to sleep. I feel neither pain nor any particular discomfort or stress that I can point to, but something keeps me awake. Anticipation to be away from the city, perhaps? Or maybe concern for how Chloe is going to handle being in the rougher conditions that await us outside the city limits.


    Still, I will protect her. For both of our sakes.


    Morning arrives far too soon as well. I still feel groggy when the dawn¡¯s early light comes streaming in through the office window. Fatigue sets in for the first time in days, right as it¡¯s least wanted or needed. Still, it¡¯s a day I¡¯ve been waiting for, for a long time. Far longer than the week and change that the System has been around on Earth. No, this is a deeper, more visceral desire, one tied to the past life I once lived.


    I make some [Ether Bullets] during the early morning while we wait for one final hot meal in civilization. It might just be a scrappy omelette with something that might legally pass as sausage, but it still tastes divine as the oozy, buttery flavor passes my lips and packs itself directly onto my thighs.


    Before long, we¡¯re saying our goodbyes, and led to Mrs. Jacobs¡¯s car to be driven off to the rendezvous point. I¡¯m a bit surprised by this myself; given the conversation yesterday, I¡¯d expected us to have to walk there ourselves. I don¡¯t bother asking why the change in plans, lest we lose this minor convenience, but I suspect it¡¯s a combination of still being remanded to her custody, as well as her wanting to spend a little bit of time with her daughter for the last time in what could be a long time. Daughters, plural, I correct.


    The streets are still mostly empty, though there are a few cars and a number of pedestrians strolling about. Most of both groups are uniformed personnel who appear to be on official business, but a few civilians are strewn about, mostly those working at the few businesses that are still open, as well as those scavenging for what food and essentials they can find. Gas stations are still open, with every one we pass having incredibly long lines and signs warning about heavy rationing. People seem uncomfortable, fidgety, distressed. But they are adapting and trying to make do as best as they can.


    We arrive at the address a short while later. There¡¯s already a group of six people lined up just outside the building, three men, three women. Most of them are on the younger side, though the two of us are the youngest by probably a good five years. The oldest among them is a man with chiseled features reminiscent of a cross between a movie star and a bodybuilder. He has short, gray hair and a thick goatee. Most prominently, he has a huge scar across his neck and jutting down his collarbone, before disappearing underneath the suit of reinforced body armor he wears. Likely the leader of the expedition, has been fighting in the wilderness this whole time, and has tons of levels and the strength to match his physique.


    He looks at us with the same dismissive stare I¡¯ve come to expect of adults, and especially men. The look of ¡®oh great, I¡¯m being saddled with more hangers-on who don¡¯t know what they¡¯re getting themselves into, and will be crying and begging for mommy the first time they see something scarier than a garter snake.¡¯ We move to approach, but Mrs. Jacobs stops us.


    ¡°I know it won¡¯t be safe out there, but please, be careful, both of you. I love you both, and I will see you again someday.¡± She turns to me. ¡°And you, Miss Seraphina Mortensen. You promised to protect my daughter, Chloe, and you will be held to that. Do I make myself clear?¡±


    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am,¡± I say without missing a beat.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I can bear to see the two of you off, so I¡¯ll be going now. And I won¡¯t be saying goodbye.¡±


    ¡°I understand,¡± Chloe says. ¡°And we¡¯ll see you soon. I promise!¡±


    Mrs. Jacobs turns around and heads in her car. She doesn¡¯t wave to us, or even acknowledge our presence as she pulls out of the parking lot and back onto the side street, but I can tell that the tears are already flowing and she worries for our well-being profusely. But I meant every word I said when I promised I¡¯d keep us safe, and I have no intention to renege on that commitment.


    We make our way over to where the rest of our new party is, and I see that we¡¯re relatively underequipped compared with the other. Two of the three women are talking to one another, not acknowledging our presence. One man, looking like a ren faire knight dressed in full plate, is taking inventory. The leader is talking with who appears to be his chief lieutenant, neither doing much to acknowledge us. Only the last woman, a pale woman in a suit of leather armor¡ª real, protective armor, not bikini mail or fetish gear¡ª with striking ebon locks, walks up to approach us.


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


    ¡°Well, hello there,¡± she says. ¡°Are you the two newest recruits to our team? Oh, sorry, I should introduce myself. My name is Lindsey, I¡¯m a [Ranger] in both class and former occupation.¡±


    ¡°Former?¡± Chloe asks.


    ¡°Enlisted in the Army once I graduated high school at eighteen, did a term, went to Ranger School. Did two years of a second term, then got a medical discharge due to a nasty injury to my right knee. Decided to try my hand in the Forest and Wildlife Service, but then all this shit went down. Me and some other ex-military decided to form our own little unit to explore and investigate the strange happenings over the past week, given that active duty personnel and National Guard units are too busy just maintaining basic law and order over the larger cities and towns throughout our country.¡±


    I nod and offer my hand. ¡°Seraphina Mortensen, just Sera for short since I know that¡¯s a handful. Joined with my friend Chloe Jacobs.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet the both of you. Anyway, as befits a [Ranger] class, I focus on scouting, detection of enemy forces, and long-range attacks. My class gives me proficiency with both daggers and bows, so I¡¯m not completely helpless in close-quarters combat. We do have some handguns if you two need them for emergencies, but most of the monsters out there are all-but-immune to bullets. Still effective against some of the weaker ones in a pinch, at least.¡±


    ¡°I might be able to help with that,¡± I say. ¡°I¡¯ve got a [Mechanist] class. I specialize in dissecting the interplay between Ether, spells, and technology both new and old. Offensively, I wield a blowgun right now that can shoot pellets infused with [Lightning] energy. Outside of combat, I can enhance weapons and armor with basic enchantments that grant effects not unlike the spells that various [Mages] can perform. I don¡¯t have nearly as much experience as you all do, nor ideal materials for the task, but I suspect I can build new technology from scratch as I gain more experience with my skill set.¡±


    I pull out my [Barrier Gauntlets] and activate their effect. ¡°Try to punch through it.¡±


    Lindsey does so and is quickly rebuffed, staggering backward before regaining her footing.


    ¡°Impressive,¡± she says. ¡°Can think of a couple of fights where something like that would¡¯ve saved our sorry asses.¡±


    Chloe looks to me. ¡°But what about¡­?¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t need to tell them all the details about ourselves and our abilities, but we all need to know what one another can and can¡¯t do so we can plan accordingly.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s as she says,¡± Lindsey agrees. ¡°I trust you both have gotten at least a little combat experience since the System arrived?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re both over Level 10,¡± Chloe says. ¡°And I¡¯m a [Healer]. Not great on offense, low strength, not keen to fight anyone else personally, but I can do pretty much exactly what my class implies. Injuries and poisons both.¡±


    ¡°Curses?¡± Lindsey asks. ¡°Can you cure a paralysis curse?¡±


    ¡°Probably at higher levels, but I don¡¯t have a spell to that effect just yet.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll get you there.¡± Lindsey smiles. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I promise, you¡¯re going to be a popular one. Make sure to let Jackie know.¡± She points to the shorter woman with strawberry blonde hair. ¡°She¡¯s got a class with some healing abilities, but she¡¯ll love having a dedicated healer to work alongside.¡±


    ¡°Anyway, the brunette is Anna. Don¡¯t let her calm demeanor disarm you; she¡¯s a [Fire Evoker] and a damn powerful one. Not going to be conjuring water anytime soon, but if a problem can be solved with any amount of fire, she¡¯ll be right at home. The guy in the armor is Brent, a [Shield Fighter]. Stupid high defenses, alongside more skills that allow him to shrug off blows that would incapacitate the rest of us.


    ¡°Talking with our leader right now is Nicholas, our [Tactician]. Sera, I bet you two will be spending quite a bit of time together. Despite his class name, he focuses on auras and buffs. As long as he¡¯s alive, conscious, and has a steady supply of [Ether] to fuel his skills, he¡¯ll help coordinate our efforts and allow each of us to fight at our full potential, both individually and as a team.


    ¡°And then we¡¯ve got our leader, Alexey. He¡¯s a [Bludgeoner] through and through. No fancy tricks or subtlety. He hits things hard and has skills that allow him to hit even harder. Don¡¯t worry about his appearances; he¡¯s seen more than a few things, but he¡¯s loyal to a fault and you can rely on him when the chips are down. Immigrated from Russia to the States back shortly after the fall of the wall. Did a tour in Kosovo back twenty-odd years ago to earn his American citizenship, then has pretty much been a military man his whole life until he retired back five years ago with full honors and distinction.¡±


    ¡°Alright, you three ladies,¡± Alexey says just as Lindsey finishes her speech. If his name and backstory didn¡¯t give his birthplace away, his still-heavy Eastern European accent certainly would have. ¡°I think it¡¯s about time to head out. Chloe, Sera, do I have your names correct?¡±


    We both nod, and I add a sheepish ¡®Yes, Sir¡¯ for good measure.


    ¡°Good. Lindsey, scout out along our usual path.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir,¡± she says. She moves with a graceful celerity, sprinting past the edge of civilization and into the nearby trees without making a sound or leaving even a trace of wind in her wake.


    ¡°Nicholas, have you finished our final preparations relating to our supplies? We¡¯re going to plan on a five day excursion this time around, now that we¡¯ve got two new recruits.¡±


    ¡°As you command, sir. Foodstuffs are sufficient, though I¡¯ll need to get a few more water treatment tablets and filters for safety¡¯s sake.¡±


    ¡°See to it, even if there¡¯s a slight delay. Our goal, first and foremost, is to return from our mission alive and well.¡±


    ¡°Sir, yes sir!¡± He nods and jogs off to the nearby warehouse building. I notice a couple of army personnel standing guard outside the building.


    ¡°Jackie, Anna, see to it that our newest recruits are properly outfitted. We¡¯ll plan to depart at oh-nine thirty local.¡± The two both nod and salute.


    ¡°Brent, you¡¯re with me. And you two,¡± he says, offering his hand to the both of us. ¡°Welcome aboard. We look forward to working with the both of you.¡±


    ¡°As do we,¡± Chloe and I both say, again in unison, as we shake hands with our boss for the next several months.

 Chapter 31: Into the Wilds

    The second Chloe¡¯s phone shows 9:30 AM, Alexey calls out to all of us. He doesn¡¯t yell¡ª his voice is calm-spoken, almost eerily so. But he doesn¡¯t need to. His steel words cut the silence like a hot knife through butter, demanding the attention of everyone who hears. Even the sentries on duty look toward the grizzled veteran of fifty years before returning to their straight-laced posture on either side of the door to the warehouse.


    Chloe¡¯s robes are comparable in defensive capability to everything else they have available for us, but I¡¯ve been outfitted with a suit of leather armor not unlike the one Lindsey was wearing just a few moments ago. It feels and even smells oddly familiar, as though this is the very same suit we handed over to the National Guard back at the dungeon days earlier. I¡¯ve also been outfitted with a few [Lesser Healing Potions] brewed by one of the army¡¯s chemists-turned-[Alchemist], along with another [Ether Canister] to go with the one I still have in my possession.


    The phials containing the potions are each about the size of my fingers and contain a bright red liquid. I sniff one of them and quickly regret it. Their odor is a pungent and disgusting mix of onions, moldy cheese, and piss, all slowly boiled together over a flame fueled by raw, steaming shit. I should hope that Chloe never falters in her ability to keep us alive and well, and pray to the gods above that the day never comes where I¡¯m forced to drink this abomination.


    In addition to the medicines, each of us carries a large backpack with food, spare clothes, and other mundane supplies. They probably weigh a solid eighty pounds each, more than triple that which Chloe and I are used to. I do feel a bit of regret at my decision to neglect my [Strength] stat, but our commensurately high [Vitality] helps Chloe and me shoulder the weight without much fatigue.


    Lindsey returns a minute later just as the rest of us have finished gathering up out in the parking lot next to Alexey. She nods slightly in affirmation and mouths something I interpret as ¡®all clear¡¯ before getting in line beside us.


    ¡°Ladies, Gentlemen,¡± he says, quiet in volume but no less weighty in tone. ¡°Today we embark on a mission against a threat that many civilians aren¡¯t even aware exists. Chloe, Sera, are you two aware of what lies beyond the city limits?¡±


    Chloe shakes her head.


    ¡°I can speculate, sir,¡± I say. ¡°But other than the existence of the dungeon just south of the city, neither of us has left the city and its immediate surroundings since the System¡¯s arrival.¡±


    ¡°A lesson for you, Sera. It¡¯s good to admit when you don¡¯t know something, rather than trying to speculate with poor evidence. I can tell you¡¯ve got the look of a budding scientist, and there are times when being able to assess the situation on the ground is going to be an invaluable asset. But getting too deep in your speculations is going to make you overconfident. And I can¡¯t count the times when someone has done something so stupid or nonsensical that I wanted to dismiss the idea as completely beyond the pale.¡±


    I¡¯ve no choice but to nod and acknowledge his words, no matter how poor they make me feel.


    ¡°Now then, as the System has notified us when it did those so-called ¡®world modifications¡¯, the Earth is a lot bigger than it once was. Beyond the large cities and small towns that have largely escaped the modifications, there¡¯s a lot of nasty shit out there. Monsters that roam the landscape. Some of which are true titans, as big as the largest dinosaurs that ever roamed, and several times more dangerous to boot.¡±


    ¡°And we¡¯re going to fight those things?¡± Chloe asks.


    ¡°Like hell we are! We¡¯re trying to stay alive, cull whatever gets too close to the city limits, and deliver whatever useful, tangible information we can back to headquarters. And yes, part of that will involve combat, since that seems to tie into our level and therefore our capabilities. However, we will be careful and exercise discretion when and if we decide to fight. Do I make myself clear on this?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± we both say enthusiastically.


    That he¡¯s taking all of this into consideration, understanding the need to fight and balancing it against the need to not throw our lives away unnecessarily, raises my esteem of him several notches. I¡¯m glad to see that at least this unit is adapting military doctrine to the arrival of the System. And it fills me with hope that we¡¯ll be prepared to face off against the next challenges that await us.


    ¡°Lindsey, you¡¯re in the lead as always. Brent, I want you and Jackie to stay with our two recruits in the middle. Anna, you and Nicholas are with me in the rearguard. Now then, let¡¯s move out!¡±


    Despite Alexey¡¯s warnings of monsters out in the countryside and his boisterous chant to fill our morale, the rest of the morning is as boring and uneventful as the worst exam day back in school. Walking and walking and walking some more. My feet grow sore and I swear we do not usually have to deal with this many mosquitos in the middle of March. Oh, and of course, more giant rats and spiders. We ignore both of those; neither of them pose any real threat, and they¡¯re too low level even to give Chloe Experience at this point.


    Our lunch meal of a package of MRE¡¯s helps me understand exactly why the field rations are sometimes derisively referred to by comics and ex-military as ¡®Meals Rarely Eaten¡¯. The barbecued meat is dry and lacking in seasoning. The roll is stale, the green beans and peas simultaneously both soggy and overly waterlogged, and the alleged ¡®gummies¡¯ are a stone¡¯s throw from the consistency of hard candy. At least the strawberry-flavored water is decent. Overall, it does very slightly beat going hungry, and that¡¯s the best I can say about that.


    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    To add a little injury to the insult, we get the usual spring rainshower in the afternoon. I thank the goddesses once more that we were instructed under no uncertain terms to carry with us several extra pairs of socks. In fact, we were specifically instructed to bring even more than we thought we¡¯d need after knowing we¡¯d need extra. As I slip on a pair of dry socks and feel the warmth and comfort of dry cotton against my heels, I give thanks to the experience and wisdom of the other members of my unit.


    But I have to say, without a doubt, the worst part of the day has been adjusting to having to deal with the joys of¡­ waste disposal in the countryside, where the luxury of electricity comes second to the luxury that is indoor plumbing. I can stand fighting for my life against monsters and dealing with whatever unpleasantness the System throws at us next. But please, for the love of every one of the goddesses, give me the glyph of [Clean Bowels], and preferably yesterday.


    And also darn them for not answering my prayers.


    We continue on until about an hour before sundown, where we set up a basic camp for the evening. Chloe and I have by far the lowest [Strength] stats of the bunch, but with [Vitality] that far outstrips our size, we too are able to nearly pull our weight as we clear about fifty feet square to set up a makeshift campsite for the evening. Brent and Lindsey run off shortly after we get set up, returning an hour later with a small deer and an assortment of local berries to augment the hardtack biscuit rations we¡¯d brought with us.


    While Alexey handles the slaughtering and preparation of our nightly meat dish, I get to showcase my own talents at this time. I install the glyph of [Heat] onto the burner and teach Nicholas how to operate the device. As I expected from a [Tactician], he already has [Basic Ether Manipulation] himself, though he sheepishly admits it¡¯s not as high ranked as my own. Anna likewise appreciates the effort, getting to enjoy an evening of relative comfort rather than one spent as a glorified [Field Cook].


    We also boil the rainwater Jackie and Brent collected during the afternoon, using it both for cooking and to augment our meals. And everyone, especially Chloe, is adamant about making sure to keep each other accountable for drinking more water than we think we need.


    The meal is quite decent by the standards of ¡®living off the land¡¯. I¡¯m not sure if Nicholas has some spell that allows him to enhance the flavor of dishes he cooks, but I¡¯m thoroughly impressed that such ordinary ingredients, unenhanced by any seasoning beyond packets of salt and ground black pepper, could turn out this well. Maybe I¡¯m a little nostalgic for the sort of home-cooked meals that I grew up with.


    After dinner, Chloe hits everyone with her [Antidote] spell. The spell only costs her five [Ether] per cast, and absolutely no one wants to wake up with the runs in the middle of the night. She and Jackie head off to discuss their respective healing abilities, while Nicholas pulls me aside to start discussing my abilities. We make our way to his tent¡ª left open at my insistence¡ª where he sits down and starts taking notes.


    ¡°I understand from our conversations earlier this afternoon that you are reticent regarding sharing the details of your abilities or what you know about the System. Brent and Alexey might not see eye-to-eye with me on this, and as former military, I understand where they come from. Being part of a unit like this involves military discipline, oaths, and unit cohesion. We have to trust each other completely and without reservation if we are to maximize our chances of survival.


    ¡°Were these ordinary circumstances, I would agree with them and be far more insistent. However, they are anything but, and I can already tell that trying to force you to tell us things you aren¡¯t comfortable with is only going to create conflict and cause you to clam up.¡±


    I nod. ¡°I appreciate the consideration.¡±


    ¡°Now, I understand that you are not a spellcaster like your friend or Anna. Nevertheless, you¡¯ve demonstrated the capacity to imitate spell-like effects with these¡­ glyphs, as you¡¯ve called them.¡±


    ¡°The two of us broke past the police barricade into the Tower Gauntlet that appeared downtown the other day. While we were in there, I discovered a number of glyphs on the various devices contained within. I¡¯ve been able to decipher a small number of them and their functions.¡±


    ¡°Can you explain how they work?¡±


    ¡°If you will permit my speculation on these matters.¡±


    ¡°There is a time for action and admitting that you do not know, as our commander has instructed. But there is no shame in admitting your speculation and logical reasoning when discussing matters of science.¡±


    ¡°Very well. This is my best understanding of glyphs. Ether represents the force of magic, or the supernatural, or our ability to use the effects granted to us by the System. I¡¯m sure philosophers will have their own definitions in time. However, Ether can also be likened to raw potential energy, in a sense. It is power in its rawest, most unrefined state. Glyphs act by turning this raw [Ether] into pretty much any effect imaginable. You can think of them as the building blocks of spells¡­ or what I have dubbed Ethertech, combining these glyphs into artifacts, enchantments, weapons, and so on.


    ¡°This next part is more speculative, but I suspect that with sufficient knowledge and understanding of glyphs, their effects, and how to combine them, we can make even the most speculative science fiction into reality. Warp drives that allow us to visit distant galaxies on human timescales, the ability to command virtually every superpower that has ever been conceived. Even the possibility of creating artificial life. Not just the experiments on what the media has dubbed as ¡®AI¡¯. I mean true artificial life forms¡ª not just intelligences stored on a series of computers somewhere.¡± That last one is the only thing I¡¯m absolutely certain of.


    ¡°I see. Would you be willing to share your knowledge?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I say. ¡°At least, not for nothing. But I would be willing to trade knowledge for knowledge, and work together to unravel the mysteries of these glyphs and their functionality.¡±


    ¡°I look forward to it, Sera. Now then, I can see you are quite tired and I do not wish to keep you from sleep any longer.¡±


    I yawn. ¡°I suppose I am and hadn¡¯t even noticed until you mentioned it. And, we¡¯ll pick this up tomorrow evening?¡±


    ¡°I would like that,¡± Nicholas says.

 Chapter 32: The Forest Beyond

    I get a good night¡¯s sleep that night and wake up bright, fresh, and ready to take on the day.  Or, at least, that¡¯s what I would say, if not for the horrible cramping that the goddesses have seen fit to bestow upon me shortly after I get out of bed.  I sidle over to Chloe¡¯s side of the tent as soon as she wakes to ask for a heal spell.  As I expected, it doesn¡¯t work more than to blunt the pain.  Note to self: abandon all other priorities regarding glyph research and put studying glyphs on pain relief as the highest and most important objective.


    I quickly abandon that notion.  I don¡¯t have the slightest clue what combination of glyphs can do something like that.  Even if I did, it¡¯s far too risky for me to even attempt trying to manipulate the human body to that extent.  I might have done better with my physics classes than biology, but that¡¯s because biology is an interplay between far more chemistry, physics, and organic machinery than I can wrap my head around.


    It¡¯s clearly not impossible.  Whoever created me obviously knew how difficult it was to create artificial life, and yet they found a way to do so.


    That makes me wonder.  To what extent is that Seraphina, me?  We share the same name and the same appearance, which I cannot dismiss as a coincidence.  But I was born to human parents here on Planet Earth.  As far as anyone is aware, including my doctors, I am a completely healthy and ordinary human woman, not an artificial lifeform created by Dr. Chotono and his researchers on a faraway planet.  And yet, I am her, reborn as a human, through means that therefore exist, but are too far beyond my grasp to even attempt to begin unraveling them.


    I therefore have no choice but to grit and bear it, with a little assistance from my good friend acetaminophen.  It¡¯s not the first time, nor will it be the last time I have to suffer such indignity.


    Breakfast consists of more hardtack rations, augmented by strips of smoked venison jerky that Nicholas and Anna made last night.  The hardtack is as dry, unfilling, and hard to swallow as one would expect from the most basic of field rations, but the jerky is quite tasty.  It¡¯s softer than most jerkies I¡¯ve had, and probably not fully shelf stable.  But definitely good enough that I¡¯d gladly eat more if and when we make it back to civilization.


    The second morning proves more eventful than the first.  About an hour after we break camp and begin our daily march, we encounter another strange fiendish abomination.  It¡¯s similar to the Hellspawn we encountered a few days ago and have continued to run into throughout town, but it¡¯s much larger.  About as tall as Chloe and maybe two inches shorter than I.  Considering it walks with a hunched back, it might be closer in size to Brent, though it definitely isn¡¯t as tall as the absolute brickhouse that is Alexey.


    ¡°Alright, Sera,¡± Alexey says.  ¡°This is your chance to show what you¡¯re capable of firsthand.  Chloe, you¡¯re with her.  The rest of you all are on backup.  It¡¯s their fight first and foremost, and they need the levels more than either of us.  Do not interfere until I give the okay, understood?¡±


    Everyone nods in assent and falls back with unnatural swiftness.  They¡¯ve all definitely been prioritizing [Speed] more than Chloe and I have in addition to strength.


    I pull out my blowgun and a handful of [Ether] bullets as we tiptoe around to the side and attempt to catch the creature off-guard.  We make it a handful of steps before we¡¯re spotted.  Dozens of pointy, razor-sharp teeth emerge to greet us as two fiery red eyes bear down upon me.  It charges, and I retaliate by charging forty points of [Ether] into my blowgun and launching a single lightning-charged projectile directly in its torso.


    It dodges at the last second, turning my direct hit into a glancing blow.  A portion of its chest is blown off, and I get to enjoy the unpleasant stench of fried Hellspawn guts as it thrusts its pitchfork directly in my face.


    It¡¯s my turn to dodge, tilting my neck at the last second.  My dodge is a bit more effective, though I do manage to earn another piercing to my left ear in the process.  Adrenaline blocks out the pain of my cartilage getting shredded as I grab my bat and slam down upon the devil¡¯s neck.  And it¡¯s completely ineffective.  Too weak of a weapon, and it probably has a natural resistance to my fire-based attack.  I try once more to the same lack of effect.


    The creature attacks Chloe, but she¡¯s ready with her [Barrier] effect.  She tilts it and herself slightly, turning a direct attack that likely would have shattered the weak spell into a glancing blow that bounces off the abjuration.  The force of repulsion startles our enemy, giving me just enough time to fire another lightning-charged [Ether Bullet] from point-blank range.


    It again manages to twist its body in impossible directions, avoiding the brunt of my attack.  A portion of its right shoulder is blasted off, but then I realize that its wounds and muscles are shifting.  The creature is growing smaller and more agile as its decreased body mass twists in on itself.


    There are only two ways I can see to deal with this threat.  Either I strike at its core or whatever other vital organs it has, or I have to keep whittling its mass down until it becomes a non-threat.  And if I don¡¯t actually manage to kill the damned bastard, neither of us are getting the Experience we both need.  If even a point-blank projectile attack is ineffective, then my only chance is a melee weapon.  Fire is ineffective, but perhaps¡­


    Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    ¡°Chloe, I need you to buy me some time.  Five minutes¡­ no, three should be enough!¡±


    ¡°Got it!¡±


    I trust Chloe to keep me safe, and I force the outside world out of my conscious thoughts as I turn my attention to the stiletto dagger at my side.  In its present state, I expect it to do no damage, but enchanted with an inverted [Heat] glyph, it should be far more effective.  My [Basic Glyph Manipulation] forms the glyph¡¯s image in my mind¡¯s eye, which I start tracing with a finger coated in a tiny layer of [Ether].


    It works just like an abrasion knife, chipping away at the flat edge of the blade bit by bit.  I have to stop and undo a bit of my work when my jittery hands take me slightly off course.  Still, I¡¯m able to correct my error with the assistance of my [Basic Ether Manipulation] skill, which smooths the etched surface that I had errantly marred.


    As I finish my work, my hand starts to chill slightly.  I fill out the remainder of the blade with additional sluice lines to help it more efficiently disperse the Ether of [Unheat] to the edges of my weapon.  Two more larger ones slide up nearly to the knife¡¯s tang, then fold across the hilt and embed themselves into my grip.  I channel five units of [Ether] into my blade and feel a surge of cold fill the air.


    I turn to the Hellspawn with scorn in my eyes.  Chloe is alive, but on her knees and suffering half a dozen wounds to her thighs and chest.  She attempts to block what attacks she can and heal the damage she can¡¯t, but I know her [Ether] reserves are faltering quickly and she won¡¯t be able to rely on her [Barrier] for much longer.


    I rush into the fray, blocking the sweeping slash of its fiery pitchfork with a well-placed thrust.  My [Frost-Tipped Dagger], as the System registers it, absorbs the heat of its flaming pitchfork and causes its fiery wreath to disperse.  It looks upon me with a mixture of shock and horror.  I don¡¯t relent.  I push the initiative, holding my new weapon in a reverse grip as I launch into a downward slashing motion.  I miss, but its attempt at dodging causes it to knock itself into a nearby tree.  With the brute staggered, I attack a second time, this time scoring a grazing blow upon its right arm.  I try to parlay the injury into a disarming strike, but it moves its hand out of the way with unnatural precision and forces its way back to a neutral engagement.


    The [Unheat] glyph is every bit as effective as I¡¯d hoped.  The skin and sinuous flesh of its body undulates and flows freely, but the last attack inflicted something akin to frostbite around the injury site.  It remains static, and the creature seems surprised when it¡¯s unable to properly block my next attack.  My dagger again strikes true, though I suffer a burning wound on my left hand from some sort of [Flame Body] passive.  It hurts like hell, but I have no choice but to endure yet more pain from this accursed weak body.  [Vitality] only helps so much!  Need more levels.  Fast.


    We engage in one more round of close-quarters combat.  I block another thrust from the devil¡¯s pitchfork, then bat its weapon aside and force my way inside its defenses.  I channel more [Ether] into my weapon, helping to blunt the intense heat bearing down upon me from such close range.  It headbutts me, and I headbutt it back.  Its body is soft enough and my [Vitality] high enough that I avoid a concussion, but I¡¯ll be feeling the attack for days to come.


    One final upward thrust into its torso and the creature stops moving.  I don¡¯t relent.  No System notification that it¡¯s been slain, and I know its body is tricky and resilient to physical blows.  I¡¯d try a lightning-charged bullet, but I don¡¯t want to allow any remnants of the creature to escape and deny me my kill.  I slash and thrust its helpless body until I find an amber-colored crystal buried within its stomach.  The instant I slice it in two, it shatters, and its body dissolves into dirt.  I¡¯m briefly afraid that we¡¯ll have to deal with it again, but the kill notification finally calms me down.


    [You have slain an Amoeboid Hellspawn (Level 16).  You have gained a boosted 1,560 Experience (Experience reduced slightly due to having allies on standby.)]


    [Level: 12; Experience: 6,890;  To Next: 245]


    Damn.  Even that wasn¡¯t quite enough to make it to the next level.  Still, the next fight will push me over the edge for sure.


    [Current Stats: [Health]: 331 / 789 ; [Ether]: 65 / 419]


    [Current Stats: [Strength]: 15; [Speed]: 19; [Vitality]: 36; [Mind]: 40]


    [Your [Basic Glyph Manipulation (Rank II)] has upgraded to [Basic Glyph Manipulation (Rank III)].]


    Good to know that using our Skills in stressful combinations, especially in the midst of combat, is particularly beneficial for improving their rank and efficacy.  I make a mental note of this for later.


    I walk over to Chloe and help her to her feet.  Her injuries are numerous, but she managed to avoid getting struck in any vital areas.  I can tell from the way her face contorts that she¡¯s still in pain, even after her healing spells have worked their literal magic on her.  I pick her up and carry her to the rest of the group, ignoring my own pain as I do so.  Redoubling my previous commitment.  Definitely need more levels, as well as ways to defend myself so I¡¯m not relying on our team healer to do it for me.  On the other hand, we can¡¯t protect Chloe at all times either, so it¡¯s good practice for her to defend herself for brief moments.


    Alexey gives us a small nod of approval as Jackie rushes up to heal her.  Her brand of healing is different from Chloe¡¯s.  Instead of a brief rush of invigoration as injuries are swiftly repaired, Jackie¡¯s technique is more like accelerating my body¡¯s natural healing severalfold.  The System interface confirms as such; instead of my [Health] increasing all at once, it ticks up at a rate roughly twenty times its natural recovery.  The pain and fatigue subsides, though the headache from that mutual strike still throbs and begs me not to repeat it anytime soon.


    Chloe gives me a nod and I set her down, allowing her to tap both me and herself with one small healing spell.  As she does, Alexey starts speaking.


    ¡°So, ladies, how do you feel you did out there?¡± he asks.


    ¡°We survived and slew the monster,¡± I say.  ¡°We definitely could have stood to be much better prepared for the challenge.¡±


    Chloe nods in agreement.


    ¡°That¡¯s a good attitude to have about this sort of thing,¡± he says.  ¡°Far too many of my comrades over the years have survived their first battle and then let it all get to their heads.  They make mistakes, get careless, and end up costing lives in their hubris.  Let¡¯s make some distance, have an early lunch for the day, and commence a full debrief and after-action review.¡±

 Chapter 33: After-Action Report

    We sit down around eleven in the morning and clear out a small grove for our midday meal. All of the fighting has really worked up an appetite, and Jackie soon after confirms my suspicions. In addition to speeding up the body¡¯s natural healing rate, it also accelerates the target¡¯s metabolism, with all of the predictable consequences that follow. I pull out a few pieces of leftover jerky from the morning to share with Chloe while we wait for the day¡¯s lunchtime MRE to start heating up.


    Today¡¯s entree is a chicken and cheese enchilada coated in red sauce. I don¡¯t know if I just got unlucky with yesterday¡¯s selection, if I cooked it wrong the last time, or if I¡¯m just that damned ravenous and don¡¯t mind that I¡¯m chowing down on the culinary equivalent of garbage. It¡¯s absolutely heavenly after the battle, and I have to force myself to slow down a time or two lest I choke and earn Chloe¡¯s ire yet again for being so reckless. The grape-flavored water is a perfect complement to the meal, and within ten minutes, I¡¯ve licked the whole tray clean and dug into my spare pieces of hardtack for more.


    Nicholas is the one to speak. ¡°Now then, Sera, Chloe, since you two are both new here, you may not be fully aware of how these work. As our lieutenant and the squad¡¯s [Tactician], I will facilitate these meetings after every engagement. Our goal here is not to assign blame or fault for anything that happened in the past. These reviews are designed to inform you and all of us about our capabilities, things we did well, and how we can improve going forward. Sera, if you would like to start us off.¡±


    ¡°My biggest flaw was that I was insufficiently prepared for such a creature. My strength is that my skill-set is flexible and adaptable, able to use different glyphs and craft new weapons and tools as the situation demands. However, if I¡¯m caught off-guard against an enemy that can render my current preparations irrelevant, then I¡¯m up shit creek without a paddle.


    ¡°This ties into the second weakness that I made. When I modified my [Simple Blowgun] into a [Simple Lightning Blowgun] the night before yesterday, I gained a massive amount of power, power that I desperately needed to overcome the foe I faced. However, that came at the cost of more flexibility. Today¡¯s encounter was the first against a creature that was completely immune to an element, in this case, fire. And this rendered my backup weapon completely useless.¡±


    ¡°Oh for sure,¡± Anna chimes in. ¡°I¡¯ve faced one of those assholes before, and I wouldn¡¯t have fared any better against it myself despite probably having half a dozen levels on both of you. If it¡¯s weak to fire, I can burn it, but I¡¯m about as one-trick as they come.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not much better,¡± Alexey says. ¡°I¡¯m the leader and have the most experience working on these sorts of missions, but my class is all about hitting harder. That¡¯s why it¡¯s my responsibility to make sure that each of us has opportunities to gain experience. In that sense, Anna and I are the opposite of you, Sera. Real damn good at one thing, but lacking the flexibility when our power gets blunted. I gotta rely on all of you to do the things that I can¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Moving on,¡± Nicholas says. ¡°I want to commend you on your quick thinking. And in a similar vein, I want to commend Chloe on handling her role in the fight spectacularly. The way she moved her barriers around was nothing short of remarkable.¡±


    ¡°I have to thank Sera for making me take advanced physics with her,¡± Chloe says. ¡°That, and watching her when we fought a Razorfeather Eagle, I think it was called. Its direct attacks nearly shattered Sera¡¯s [Barrier] effect, but the glancing blows bounced off without much to show for it.¡±


    ¡°Nasty assholes, those things are,¡± Lindsey says. ¡°You got a good projectile weapon and you can hit ¡®em clean between the eyes, they go down real quick. But if you don¡¯t, they¡¯ll just keep diving down on you until you¡¯re a pile of fileted meat. Good work taking it down, especially if it had gotten within the city limits.¡±


    ¡°Far northern edge of town,¡± I say. ¡°Not quite sure if it was in the legal city limits, nor whatever else the System considers the outer edge of the metropolitan area.¡±


    ¡°Still, good work,¡± Lindsey remarks. ¡°Did the city and its people a service by eliminating the monster.¡±


    ¡°And got arrested and exiled for it.¡± Chloe says.


    Alexey laughs. ¡°That¡¯s the way it always is. You do everything you can right, and the higher ups will always find a way to twist one regulation just right to screw your sorry ass. Generals come and go, presidents get voted in and out, and us poor enlistees doing the real work get the same shit no matter the boss. Might as well get used to it.¡±


    All of the others nod in reluctant agreement. I¡¯m forced to laugh, feeling a bond forming with all the others who understand my mindset on authority and getting screwed over by it. Chloe doesn¡¯t seem to fully understand, but she doesn¡¯t speak up regarding any objections she may still harbor.


    ¡°Anyway,¡± Nicholas adds, ¡°Impressive display of impromptu crafting under hazardous circumstances. However, I do agree with your assessment that being better prepared will go a long way toward ensuring the mistakes made today will not be repeated. Is there any reason why you don¡¯t enchant your bullets instead of your weapon?¡±


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


    ¡°They¡¯re too small for me to etch onto them. Even if I got my [Basic Glyph Manipulation] skill high enough to manipulate them, there would be the time cost associated, which isn¡¯t negligible. The worst part is that my [Ether Bullets] aren¡¯t fully stable. They last at most three to five days, and tend to last for less time the more I¡¯ve made. Probably feeding off my Skill somehow.¡±


    ¡°Can you use regular bullets?¡±


    ¡°Cost and availability would be the big factors there. I didn¡¯t grow up wealthy, and there¡¯s not exactly groups of vendors lining up to sell ammunition and handguns to a girl who just turned eighteen.¡±


    ¡°That can be arranged,¡± Alexey says. ¡°As long as you¡¯re working with us, you¡¯re under the auspices of the ranger division of the U.S. Army, and we can see to it that you have an appropriate weapon and supply of ammunition. Hell, it¡¯ll probably be a fairly easy procurement, considering how useless they are against everything over about level 5.¡±


    ¡°What about sharing that knowledge of glyph scribing with others?¡± Nicholas asks. ¡°If we can train others in the art¨C¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I say. ¡°I don¡¯t feel comfortable sharing that information more broadly. I don¡¯t mind fighting myself or creating weapons for this small group, but I don¡¯t want this information getting out more broadly. Because anything developed by the military in this country eventually ends up in the hands of law enforcement, to be used against the people. I know you mean well and all, but I¡¯ve watched families in my neighborhood have to deal with SWAT raids in the early morning and the middle of the night. I don¡¯t want to give the cops even more of that kind of power, especially while we¡¯re still in martial law.¡±


    Chloe looks straight at me with concern. Lindsey looks away. Anna stares out into space. Nicholas furrows his brows. Brent shakes his head, and Jackie gives me The Look. But Alexey is just nodding along with every word I say.


    ¡°I follow you, Sera. I wouldn¡¯t want to give those KGB bastards the time of day if I could help it, let alone load the gun that they¡¯ll hold at my head.¡±


    ¡°Sera,¡± Jackie says in a biting tone. ¡°You need to¨C¡±


    ¡°Let. It. Go,¡± Alexey says. ¡°She¡¯s not the one who killed Jordan, nor does she hold any blame for it. If you need to take time off rotation to properly grieve, we can discuss that when we make it back to the city. But antagonizing an ally in this war against these goddamned monsters is only going to ensure that we¡¯re going to have that many more casualties in the weeks and months to come.¡±


    ¡°But, Alexey, Sir¨C! Sera¨C¡±


    Jackie lunges toward me and I activate my [Barrier]. Before she can reach me, Alexey darts up so fast my eyes can barely track him. He grabs the arm she¡¯s already thrown back, which glows slightly with the characteristic blue wisps of [Ether] being expelled. Jackie struggles against his grip for a few seconds before exhaling and shaking her head.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s got her own reasons for fighting, just as we all do. In case you¡¯ve forgotten, we don¡¯t exactly have the luxury of only accepting regular enlistees who go through full training regimens, swear their oaths, and all that good stuff. If you need to go punch a few monsters to vent off your aggression, then take your leave and be ready to depart in an hour sharp.¡±


    ¡°Tsk.¡± Jackie shakes her head as she turns around and off into the woods.


    Alexey walks back to his seat and sighs. ¡°Please try not to be too upset with her. She lost her partner the day after the System arrived. She tries to push herself past her grief, but the wounds are still raw.¡±


    I nod. ¡°Lost my mother to bandits who broke into our house the night the System arrived myself. We weren¡¯t exactly close, but¡­ Guess all of this trying to push myself to get stronger is part of how I¡¯m trying to cope with the loss in my own way.¡±


    ¡°I get you. Sera, we all got demons in our closets and we all gotta deal with them in our own way. I¡¯m no [Therapist] and I won¡¯t claim I know how you feel, but don¡¯t go rushing to throw your life away in guilt. You can¡¯t do anything to move forward if you¡¯re dead.¡±


    ¡°I understand, Alexey,¡± I say. ¡°Should we go ahead and finish the after-action report in the interim?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have much to say, myself,¡± he says. ¡°Chloe, we¡¯ll need to get you better trained with some sort of way to defend yourself. You did well to keep yourself alive out there, but I could tell you weren¡¯t going to last much longer. Sera, I know you aren¡¯t keen on helping the military more broadly, but I take it you¡¯d be willing to build something for your friend?¡±


    ¡°Of course. I crafted the wand for her, but I can do better work with the knowledge I have now. We¡¯ll need better gear and materials though, which means dungeons.¡±


    ¡°There is a dungeon about a day¡¯s march to the northwest of here, though it may have shifted with the new world modifications. Normally, we¡¯d not bother delving into something dangerous if it¡¯s far from civilization and not likely to cause immediate harm to any civilians. Even considering your abilities and the potential gains, I¡¯m not keen on the idea myself. Too much risk, too much opportunity cost.¡±


    ¡°I understand,¡± I say. They are trying to keep the monsters from encroaching upon the city more than anything. And we¡¯re hardly equipped to venture within, as much as I hate admitting my powerlessness.


    ¡°Alright,¡± Lindsey says. ¡°I¡¯m going to scout out the next portion of our path. I¡¯ll report back in forty minutes if I don¡¯t see anything, and sooner if I do.¡±


    ¡°Be careful out there,¡± Alexey responds. ¡°¡®No unnecessary risks¡¯ goes for all of us.¡±


    Lindsey nods before disappearing into a blur. All in all, even taking into consideration my tensions with Jackie, this group is starting to grow on me. Still, it¡¯s going to be a long rest of the five days before I can enjoy the beautiful comforts that come from sitting upon a porcelain throne once more.

 Chapter 34: Darned, Dirty Apes

    After the battle earlier this morning and the lunchtime after-action report, I am more pleased than I can express in words that the afternoon and evening are smooth and uneventful. Sure, I¡¯ve still got a headache and a stomachache, but at least those are ordinary, everyday occurrences. The kind I¡¯ve been dealing with and grown accustomed to over years, long before some all-encompassing System granted us the equivalent of superpowers and left us to adapt to a world filled with all sorts of nastiness trying to kill us.


    Lindsey proves to be an absolute goddess when it comes to tracking and hunting for fresh meat, and is therefore the only one of us who is officially excused from all other camp-related chores. She didn¡¯t find another deer tonight, but did manage to scrounge up eight rabbits that Nicholas and I will soon be turning into stew.


    That, and apples. Lots and lots of apples. I didn¡¯t even know there were any apple orchards nearby. Maybe there are some peaches nearby as well? I could go for a nice warm and juicy white nectarine right about now. I give it a token effort, and after about fifteen minutes of spotting nothing, I return to my normal duties of setting up camp and helping with the dinner preparations.


    I gave some due consideration to Alexey¡¯s and Nicholas¡¯s proposal over the course of the afternoon. While I¡¯m not willing to help the army design and build better weapons, I¡¯m reluctantly willing to help them with defensive enchantments. I still don¡¯t like it. Giving them better ways to defend themselves is just going to embolden them to do that much more and give the people that many fewer ways to defend themselves when my tools inevitably make their way to the cops.


    Then again, it¡¯s not like I¡¯m the only [Mechanist] in the world. I probably am the only [Planetouched Mechanist] specifically, and the only one who¡¯s seen visions of the true potential that lies within Ethertech. I definitely have advantages in that regard, but in truth, the army¡¯s other [Mechanists] and similar classes will eventually reach similar ideas, even if they need a few more weeks or months to close the gap in level and Skill rank.


    Speaking of Skill rank, Nicholas has gotten considerably better at controlling the glyph of [Heat] in just the past day. As a result, I have time to etch the glyph of [Barrier] onto six more pairs of gloves while Nicholas does the bulk of the actual cooking. I also commandeer two more daggers, one of which I enchant with the [Heat] glyph, the other with the power of [Lightning]. The System registers them as [Flametipped Dagger] and [Lightning-Sheathed Dagger] respectively. As a fringe benefit, doing so is the catalyst that upgrades my [Basic Glyph Manipulation] from Rank III to Rank IV.


    In time, I¡¯d like to enhance them further, once I have enough knowledge and skill with my techniques to do so. Even now, I feel far more confident the next time we have to face a similar monster. But, never too confident. Caution and discretion, that¡¯s Alexey¡¯s motto. And as much as I want to keep on the level grinding, they do a dead woman no good.


    Before long, dinner is served. Thanks to Lindsey¡¯s skills and efforts, we have enough for me to come back for a second helping, then a third. I eat and eat and savor every bite until I¡¯m absolutely stuffed. I¡¯ve eaten more today than I would have in three days back before, and I still feel that I could devour more. On the other hand, we are constantly pushing ourselves physically and mentally, pushing through the wilderness at a pace that taxes even our impressive [Vitality].


    I am curious how exactly stat gains work. Does doubling my [Strength] enable my punches to hit with twice as much force? To lift twice as much? To punch twice as hard in terms of System-defined damage calculations? Does doubling my [Speed] enable me to run exactly twice as fast? Or is there some scaling equation at play? Or is it just some hodgepodge where the numbers are purely ordinal and have no intrinsic cardinal meaning? So much more work to do, and my mind is still spinning trying to figure it all out when sleep finally takes hold of me.


    I¡¯m awakened by a low roar that shakes me to my core. Purely on instinct, I grab my weapon, but then realize that I should have my armor on as well. I slide my leather cuirass over my head and strap it in place. As soon as I do, the entire piece shrinks slightly to perfectly cover my chest without discomfort. I slide on my [Barrier Gauntlets], my vambraces, and my thigh guards before rushing outside five minutes after waking up.


    It¡¯s predawn. A blustery chill wind blows carrying with it the force of Old Man Winter¡¯s last hurrah for the season. I hardly feel it even without activating the glyph of [Heat] in the dagger at my side.


    With the exception of Chloe, all the other members of our team are already awake. Lindsey is already gone, having gone ahead to assess the situation. Jackie throws me a dirty look; she didn¡¯t talk to me over dinner at all last night and doesn¡¯t seem any more thrilled to see me this morning.


    Chloe joins us a moment later, shivering slightly. ¡°What do you think it is?¡±


    Alexey gives us a glare. We immediately silence ourselves as he starts walking around the camp. Pressure exudes from within him, and it takes all of my [Strength] and [Vitality] working together not to immediately crumple beneath the power of his aura. Chloe is even less adept at dealing with the force of his presence, falling to one knee before Brent helps her back to her feet. So much for being quite as simple as the [Bludgeoner] he admitted to being.


    Lindsey arrives back two stressful, tense minutes later. She bows slightly before speaking.


    ¡°Alexey, sir. Seems to be a pack of gorillas. Each of them probably has a solid¡­ two feet on you.¡±


    ¡°How many? Impressions of their strength, levels, and intelligence?¡±


    ¡°I saw three, though I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if there¡¯s more. Two at level 18, the other at level 20. Coordinated, aggressive, I¡¯d say near-human levels of intelligence. I didn¡¯t see any Skills being used. Possible strength-boosting passives in play.¡±


    I raise an eyebrow at that. Is Lindsey admitting to having an [Identify] skill? I suppose it would fall into a ranger¡¯s toolkit. Now I want to get that skill for myself. Maybe there¡¯s a corresponding [Identify] glyph that I can combine into a [Lens of Identify] or similar.


    ¡°Have they spotted us yet?¡±


    ¡°Couldn¡¯t tell. They weren¡¯t directly heading toward us, but they were highly territorial and on the move.¡±


    ¡°Alright, everyone,¡± he says after a few seconds. ¡°This is what we¡¯re here to do. Cull what we can, and defend the people back home. Brent, you and I in the front. Anna, you and Chloe in the rear. Nicholas, in the middle. Lindsey, help Sera into the nearby trees. Her [Lightning Blowgun] is just as damaging as most of your ranged attacks.¡±


    Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    Before I can say anything, Lindsey has me up on her shoulder. She launches herself into the air. Branches bend and crack against my back and head, but I suffer only eight points of damage from the scrapes which immediately start healing. She finds a pair of large branches just behind our camp and pulls out the massive compound bow she has hanging on her back. She then draws upon some sort of [Energy Arrow] skill, conjuring an arrow with the teal glow of her [Ether] and nocking it, all without making a sound.


    I draw my [Lightning Blowgun] with far inferior celerity, keeping one eye on Lindsey and where she¡¯s looking the whole time. It grows quiet. Nicholas and Chloe move closer to one another. Anna conjures a wall of flame behind her. Brent begins to glow a bright white. Jackie¡¯s disdain toward me has been completely overshadowed by a grim determination in her eyes as she stares ahead with resolution.


    The forest itself shakes with each monstrous footstep. All other noises go silent. The air grows violently still and my heart palpitates faster than it ever has since the arrival of the System.


    And then they arrive. A massive gorilla standing a good seven feet tall while hunched over barges out of the underbrush far quicker than it has any right to. Its fists bang against its chest as it shrieks a warcry that sends birds flying into the sky. It charges straight for Nichoas, whose golden aura flares out, filling me with strength.


    [You are now under the effect of [Bravery Aura]. Attacking stats multiplied by 1.3x]


    Alexey charges at the first ape. ¡°Oh, no you don¡¯t, you damned bastard! Your fight is with me!¡± he screams, throwing a single punch that sends the gorilla tumbling.


    Lindsey and I both fire our attacks. My bluish-purple stream of [Lightning] trails her blue-white [Light Arrow], and both make direct contact with our foe. Lindsey¡¯s hits square on the ape¡¯s temples, while I use [Trick Shot] and aim just above the top of its collarbone. Jackie concentrates and generates a sphere of blue light which she slams into the still-supine gorilla. Our attacks definitely do damage. But as it forces itself back to its feet, I realize the fight is far from over.


    Worse still, not two but three more of the beasts emerge. None of them are as large or ferocious as the first, but they are only slightly shorter than Alexey. And what they lack in size or intimidation factor, they make up for in speed. One takes aim directly for Nicholas¡¯s head, only to be blocked by Brent¡¯s sword at the last second.


    I start shooting regular [Ether Bullets] toward the three smaller apes while Alexey engages their chief in single combat. Even if I use the minimum of thirty points of [Ether] in a [Lightning Bullet], I only have enough for fourteen shots. But I can launch hundreds of the weakest variety, or dozens if I only activate the [Motion] glyph to increase their speed.


    Lindsey has the same idea, and the two of us launch our attacks in rapid succession, providing covering fire from above while Brent and Jackie form the first line of defense. Anna arcs a line of flame around the battlefield and twists her attack to hit the weakest ape in the back. It howls and falls to the ground, whimpering as it rolls out the fire in its hair. But that¡¯s hardly enough to stop the creature. If anything, the [Fire Evoker] has only managed to piss off our simian adversary.  It pushes through Brent''s attempt to stop it and redoubles its ferocious swings, this time aimed directly at her.


    My strikes continue to ring true, but my low level means that even under the effects of [Bravery Aura], none of my attacks are doing much to bring the apes down. Still, I see smoking flesh, staggered movements, and whimpered cries as I launch bullet after bullet, this time aiming for my target¡¯s eyes and nose and ears. I even get one clean shot straight toward its monkey balls, though that proves less effective than the attacks on its face.


    Alexey cries out as he¡¯s knocked to the ground by the leader of these damned, dirty apes. I reflexively reach down into the fray, but Lindsey¡¯s hand on my shoulder calms me. I¡¯m reminded that we all have a job to do, and that we¡¯re a team, together. Right now, I¡¯m not a frontliner, and I need to do the job that only I can do, not try to heal the guy who¡¯s got at least ten levels, twenty points of [Vitality], and thirty years of experience in battle on me.


    Chloe heals him with her spell. His pale face fills with vitality as he leaps back up. He utters some Russian curses and spits a mass of blood and phlegm before charging right back into the fray. And I turn my focus back to my targets. Bullet after bullet, breath after breath, I continue firing, using [Trick Shot] to counteract the apes¡¯ attempts to dodge my strikes.


    Lindsey keeps firing her shots even as my [Ether] starts to run low. I hesitate. We can probably finish this fight even if I have to tag out. But¡­ No, our mission is to stay alive. We exercise discretion and don¡¯t take unnecessary risks if we can avoid them. And we can this time.


    I pull out the [Ether Canister] that I have in my side pouch. I pull it open and bright reams of light flow into me. My exhaustion fades away and my mind refocuses. For a split second, I spot a System notification in the corner of my eye.


    [Your [Ether] has been restored by 200 points. Current [Ether]: 227 / 419.]


    I fire another [Lightning Bullet] on the ape nearest Chloe, empowering it with the full sixty points of [Ether] that my weapon can comfortably take. The bullet chirps like songbirds, causing the giant simian to convulse and stagger. Tiny arcs of lightning flicker between its remaining patches of fur as it tries to stand up. One more [Light Arrow] from Lindsey and the brute finally falls, lifeless.


    I then turn my attention back to the largest of the four monstrosities. Alexey is now fighting defensively, showing masses of dried blood and sweat and other injuries piling up on his clothes even as Chloe keeps healing him. Right as the leader of the apes is about to loose a devastating haymaker into Alexey¡¯s temple and probably down him in a single strike, I fire another maximum power [Lightning Bullet]. It¡¯s less effective against this asshole than its smaller brethren, but it stuns the beast long enough for Alexey to counterstrike.


    I wait for the right opportunity to strike. I¡¯ve got one more max-powered [Lightning Bullet] left and then a few more weak shots, and I need to make them count. Lindsey¡¯s shots are growing slower and weaker as well, and Anna¡¯s flames are on the wane. Nicholas is still moving about, guiding our movements and bolstering our Skills with his own, but I can see him growing fatigued as well. Brent is on one knee, forcing himself back to his feet just in time to dodge as his opponent again launches a brutal double-fisted downswipe. Only Jackie is still fighting near her initial performance, but I suspect it¡¯s more bluster than anything.


    But we have Chloe and they don¡¯t. Her healing is keeping us alive, and as a result, we¡¯re winning the battle of attrition. My last shot needs to be saved until the moment is right, making sure that the first ape that tries to harm her doesn¡¯t live long enough to regret it. And so I watch as hell rages below us.


    Lindsey gives me a nod as she puts away her bow. I toss her the [Lightning-Sheathed Dagger] on my waist. Even if she doesn¡¯t have [Ether Manipulation] or [Glyph Manipulation], she¡¯ll make use of the weapon down there better than I will up here. With her in the fray, the fight starts turning even more in my favor, but I learned my lesson already. Until I see the System notifications confirming that all four monkeys are dead, I assume we¡¯re still in mortal danger.


    Two minutes pass, and I continue to wait. I watch, I wait, but I dare not exhale. I dare not give a sneaky simian the chance to hurt my best friend or any of my battle companions. My fear is proven true as the first ape to fall forces its way back to its feet in a blur. It attempts to slam down on Chloe from behind, taking her with it in one final desperation maneuver. But one [Lightning Bullet] between the eyes stops the threat.


    With the last half-dozen of my [Ether Bullets], I¡¯m able to stagger the gorilla chieftain just long enough for Alexey to smash an iron fist right into its grey matter, ending the threat of this encounter once and for all. The System finally gives us the notification that we¡¯ve emerged victorious from our encounter.


    [You have slain a tribe of Great Plain Gorillas (Levels 18, 18, 20, 24). You have gained a boosted 3,900 Experience.]


    [Your [Ether Bullet (Rank VII)] has upgraded to [Ether Bullet (Rank IX)].]


    Finally, I can take a breath.

 Chapter 35: Recovery

    All of us are winded and tired and sore all over after our battle concludes. I slowly and methodically climb my way down the tree, not wanting to risk either [Health] or [Ether] in my haste. Not when we¡¯re all unprepared for another encounter on that scale. Not physically and certainly not mentally.


    We¡¯ve got several pieces of broken equipment, and my tent in particular is in tatters, far beyond even the abilities of even a skilled [Seamstress] or [Quartermaster] or whatever other class might get some sort of [Repair] ability. Thankfully, Chloe doesn¡¯t mind sharing her tent with me for the remainder of our expedition, so that¡¯s a problem solved before it starts.


    None of us want to deal with the morning chores and preparing our meal for the day. And yet, we all pitch in nonetheless. I get a fire going as Lindsey wanders off to find some fruits to supplement our hardtack rations and leftover rabbit stew. Chloe tends to all of our wounds, seeing to it that our [Health] is fully topped off. Brent lies down for a spell to rest his cracked ribs. But Alexey, who took more punishment than any of the rest of us, is up and working the hardest of all, clearing out the handful of vultures and snakes and spiders now trying to scavenge at the dead apes still lying around our campsite.


    Once our campfire gets going, I help him clear out a small crevice about a hundred feet away, tearing away at the underbrush and leaving nothing but dirt and a few errant roots lying about. We throw the simian corpses into the hole, then, with the help of my [Flametipped Dagger], I set them all alight and the two of us stand sentry, letting the smell of dried blood and shit infuse into our clothes and sweat, until the deed is done and we''re able to make our way back to our camp.


    ¡°Is this your first time engaging in combat?¡± he asks.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been in a few engagements since the System arrived,¡± I say. ¡°If you¡¯re asking if I experienced war before the System, I can confidently say the answer is no. Other than some reckless horseplay as a kid, I¡¯ve never even gotten into a fight until the System arrived.¡± I give an answer that I know to be true. Even when accounting for my past life, I definitely was created in a world with the System and never experienced combat outside of its presence.


    ¡°You¡¯re lucky in that respect, Sera,¡± he says after a few seconds of reflection.


    ¡°Was it harder, fighting in the combat of old?¡±


    ¡°It was much, much harder back then. But not for the reasons you might be thinking. First, it¡¯s a lot easier to punch a beast than it is to gun down your fellow human. For every one of my fellow men who died to a grenade or a gunshot, there was another who succumbed to the mental toll war had on each of us. Didn¡¯t matter whether it was Kosovo or Iraq or peacekeeping operations with the United Nations back in Korea. I¡¯ve done tours in all three and one thing remains the same. War¡¯s not hell. War¡¯s worse.¡±


    I pause for a moment and let the words sink in.


    ¡°And it¡¯s easier out here because we¡¯re fighting for a purpose. We¡¯re fighting out here because whatever monsters we let get through are going to attack our friends and families and comrades back home. Not just to enrich some bastard military contractors, or because some cocksucker in Washington or Moscow or wherever else got a bug up his ass and decided the best way to make a name for himself was to drop a few bombs on innocents.


    ¡°We did it, one and all. Gritted our teeth and bared it and killed one another because that¡¯s what our orders were. Dehumanized each other, looked at our enemies as less than human. Not because they were anything less than human, but because we had to. We had to see them as the enemy and bring the enemy down, because if we hesitated to pull the trigger, they wouldn¡¯t, and it would be our comrades who paid the price.


    ¡°But I knew and those brave men and women on the other side did too. We had a lot more in common with each other than either of us did with the sons of bitches calling the shots. For that reason, I am grateful for the System. Grateful to fight for a cause I can truly believe in for the first time since I first joined the army as a kid back in the summer of ¡®95.¡±


    ¡°But you came back out here, even after you retired?¡± I ask.


    ¡°Of course I did. I¡¯ve been in the army for nearly thirty years now. Not always on the front. Had a few summers off, took two years as a civvy back in the early 2010¡¯s. But the army¡¯s what I know and grew up with.¡± Alexey pauses. ¡°I¡¯m going to die out here, you know. Your friend might not know, but the others all do. Not that I intend to make it easy on the System or these rat-faced bastards, mind you. I will give them more hell than they can deal with and they will have to drag my body into the fire. But fighting is what I know. It is all I know. And it will be an honor when that day comes.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± I truly don¡¯t know how to take his words, instead offering him a solemn nod.


    We watch for a few more minutes until our enemies are properly incinerated and buried, and then head back to camp. A meal of biscuits and berries awaits us, scavenged from an abandoned shack a couple miles to the north. No sign of the inhabitants according to Lindsey¡¯s reconnaissance. I feel a bit of remorse at the possibility that they were simply out. But here in these woods, surrounded by these monsters? The unfortunate, the unspeakable, is what¡¯s most likely true.


    Once I¡¯m settled in with a full-ish stomach, I finally decide to allocate my level-ups.


    [You have gained enough Experience to reach Level 14 (From 12). [Vitality] +2, [Mind] +2. Please allocate remaining stat points. (6 Remaining)]


    I make the decision quickly. With the first level, I assign 1 point to my [Speed] and 2 to my [Mind]. Then with the second, I add +2 to my [Strength] and +1 to my [Speed]. I hadn¡¯t realized until I got hit with Nicholas¡¯s [Bravery Aura] and noticed the effective damage multipliers that the power of my [Ether Bullet] scales with my [Strength] stat, rather than my [Mind] as I¡¯d originally assumed. Now I¡¯m seeing the weakness of my class first and foremost.


    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    Chloe¡¯s effectiveness scales with her [Mind] stat as its primary focus. She can whack things with a wand or her fist as a last-ditch effort. But if that¡¯s the case, we¡¯ve all failed and she should be focusing on her [Speed] and getting the hell away from whatever took us all out.


    But I need both [Strength] and [Mind] in corresponding measure. I¡¯m not a pure caster like Anna, whose damage output scales with [Mind] just as her [Ether] pool does. I need a lot of [Ether] to use my techniques, but I¡¯m still doing damage that the System is somehow characterizing as physical, not magical. I disagree with the System¡¯s assessment on the matter. I also have to accept that objective reality does not care that I find its principles in defiance of my reasoning.


    [Maximum Health increases by [Vitality] x2 + Current Level + Rand[1, 3] = (90, 91)]


    [Maximum Ether increases by [Mind] + Current Level + Rand[0, 2] = (59, 60)]


    [Level: 14; Experience: 10,790; To Next: 1,435]


    [Current Stats: [Health]: 970 / 970 ; [Ether]: 519 / 538]


    [Current Stats: [Strength]: 18; [Speed]: 20; [Vitality]: 38; [Mind]: 46]


    I didn¡¯t really do enough to upgrade my [Basic Glyph Manipulation] skill, and my [Basic Ether Manipulation] is at max rank. I get the sense that the skill can evolve, but I don¡¯t know what the conditions are. I suspect it¡¯s a combination of my [Mind] and Level, but I admit that speculation is purely a conjecture with no evidence supporting it.


    I¡¯m not wholly confident I¡¯m making the right decision regarding my level gains. But if nothing else, I can appreciate that three additional points of [Strength] definitely help me carry my stuff that much more easily. My back is already thanking me as we finish our breakfast and get on the road, continuing our trek around the city.


    By the grace of the goddesses, we encounter a relative patch of mundanity within these roiling forests. What enemies we encounter are so weak that we don¡¯t bother to fight them. In fact, at Nicholas¡¯s insistence, we actively avoid engaging in combat with any enemies below level 6. His reasoning is that any enemies lower leveled than that can be easily dispatched by civilians with conventional weaponry. They need the Experience to advance their classes and develop new Skills, and even Chloe and I are at a high enough level that we gain next to nothing for it.


    I wrack my brain to see if my past self has any insights on the matter. I can¡¯t remember anything either way on that front, but it makes logical sense to the current me regardless, and so I don¡¯t raise any objection to the direction.


    We end up waiting until dinner before commencing our after-action report. A delicious dinner of beefsteak, as we stumbled upon a level 8 Raging Bull earlier in the afternoon that so helpfully offered itself up to be our dinner. The meat is far chewier and less juicy than normal, both because it¡¯s cooked all the way to medium-well, and because the meat of a mature adult bull is naturally more muscular and less fatty than those of younger cattle or dairy cows. But it¡¯s still a tasty meal and far preferable to yet more hardtack and MRE¡¯s.


    ¡°Alright,¡± Alexey starts. ¡°I want to start off by giving us all a commendation on our teamwork. There¡¯s always room for improvement, but each of us did our part well, and thanks to that, we all survived and got stronger for it. A special shoutout for Chloe and all the work she did to keep us alive and on our feet.¡±


    A wave of polite applause breaks out, causing Chloe to blush slightly.


    ¡°I want to admit my fault first,¡± Lindsey says. ¡°I failed to properly spot the leader of those gorillas. If I had properly [Identified] that there was a level 24 beast leading them, we could have better prepared and strategized for the encounter, or decided it best not to fight. I¡¯ve managed to rank my [Identify] skill up in the last fight, and I¡¯ll be continuing to look for more ways to better spot our targets during scouting.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why we scout, but never get too confident that our intelligence is correct,¡± Alexey says. ¡°Relying too heavily on bad intel is a quick way to the grave.¡±


    Nicholas nods in agreement. ¡°I would say that I did adequately in this assignment, but the mental stress of having to keep my auras going for two more of us meant that my range and effectiveness suffered. I¡¯m about to advance to level 19 though, so I¡¯ll make sure I prioritize my [Mind] stat to ensure improved capabilities for future battles.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like a plan,¡± Anna says. ¡°I don¡¯t have much to say for myself. I could use another couple of points of [Speed] to help me better maneuver around the extra allies we have now. Twice I had to call off an attack because I was about to hit Chloe or Jackie.¡±


    ¡°Good thing you did,¡± Jackie says. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t want to have to knock you out to stop the friendly fire.¡±


    The two women give the universal sign of contempt before Alexey harrumphs them both back to civil discussion. ¡°What about you, Brent?¡±


    ¡°I panicked and forgot about the [Barrier Gauntlets] Sera made for us. There were a couple of times I took unnecessary damage due to forgetting about them, straining Chloe¡¯s abilities that much further. I will also remember how the two of them used their [Barrier] skills to deflect attacks by aiming them at an angle, rather than trying to block the apes¡¯ strikes head on.¡±


    I interject. ¡°I made two mistakes. The first was with my build. I didn¡¯t realize until Nicholas started hitting me with his auras that my damage scaled with my [Strength] instead of my [Mind] stat. That is, my [Ether Bullet] and [Lightning Blowgun] get more powerful with my [Strength] stat, despite seeming to deal magical damage. Part of that is because my class stats don¡¯t naturally prioritize [Strength] in either the base stat gains or the level gains. I¡¯ve already allocated three points to it from my level gains in this last fight to help balance me out a bit more.¡±


    ¡°What are your stats like now?¡± Nicholas asks. ¡°Rough numbers are fine, I don¡¯t need exact numbers.¡±


    ¡°[Strength] is around 15, [Mind] is getting close to 50.¡±


    Alexey whistles. ¡°I can see the desire to balance your stats a bit. But don¡¯t balance too hard either. A team of specialists always beats a team of jacks of all trades with no mastery between them.¡±


    I nod. ¡°The other mistake was even more damning. I ran low on [Ether] in the midst of the fight. But when I moved to grab the [Ether Canister] at my side. I hesitated. I worried that using it now would mean not having it for later. This, even knowing that I have been instructed to use it when I need it. I did, and did so in time, but had I delayed even a few more seconds, the encounter might have gone differently.¡±


    Alexey nods. ¡°That is good, both that you realize your mistake and why you make that mistake, along with the knowledge of the consequences of that decision. I trust that when the time next comes, you will know what to do.¡±


    ¡°Of course, sir,¡± I say. ¡°There is no tomorrow if we do not survive today.¡± And I need to survive to see many more tomorrows if I¡¯m to learn who I am and why I am here.


    ¡°Sage words, from one so young. Now then, it has been a long day. Let us break for the evening.¡±

 Chapter 36: Return to Town

    We are fortunate as we embark upon a sweeping circumnavigation over the metro area over the course of the next five days.  We encounter a number of monsters surrounding the city.  Most of them are territorial, content to defend their homes and the immediate surroundings thereof.  Even the band of Great Plain Gorillas probably fell into this category, although the territory they considered their own was probably much larger than most.  That, and we had intruded upon that territory, stayed overnight, and disregarded what we maybe should have understood to be a warning.


    I think back upon Alexey¡¯s comments regarding the inhumanity of war from that morning.  Specifically, what is our purpose here?  To protect human lives, yes, but that ignores the broader conflict at play.  The System wants us to fight.  It wants us to kill.  Doing so gives us levels.  We might be just fighting beasts now, defending humanity.  Noble goals.  But when would it end?  We would eventually kill one another in the pursuit of power.  Just as plenty of warlords and tyrants had done over the millennia.


    A painful throbbing burns from within my mind.  My vision blurs and goes white as my muscles spasm and I fall to the floor.


    <hr>


    Planet XSQ-1827, Substation 33, Year 16,369 A.I.  (Two weeks after Seraphina¡¯s Awakening)


    I again wake up in the same room in which I live.  Cold.  Metallic.  Artificial.  Unfeeling.  All of these words describe this environment.  I am allowed outside of my room for only brief periods of time, and always under the supervision of Dr. Chotono himself or one of his direct subordinates.  I feel trapped, as though I am in a cage.  I¡­ admit that I do not know if I wish to leave, as strange as that may sound.


    I have been told that it is dangerous outside my room.  I do not understand why, and when I try to ask, the researchers are reluctant to explain further.  I do not understand their reticence, nor why they feel telling me would be so detrimental.  But I have no choice but to abide by their rules.  I do not understand why, but I have no doubt that I am incapable of forcing my will upon them through physical force.  In that regard, I am completely helpless, like a helpless infant.  Given that I am only a fortnight of age, the analogy may have real truth behind it.


    Nevertheless, I have been given a few items that have allowed me to personalize this space.  After having received the Doctor¡¯s handwriting sample, containing my name, I have been granted a sketchbook and several colored pencils.  In addition, the researchers gave me several different pieces of paper with different variations of the letters and¡­ graphemes?  I think that was the term they used?  Ways to write the different letters, they explained.


    I have practiced writing my own name many times.  The long, curving flourishes that make the capital S.  The smooth, flowing circle that spirals outward to form the subsequent ¡®e¡¯.  The rise up the peak of the ¡®p¡¯, followed by the dip below the surface underground to form its tail, before emerging triumphantly and looping around in a dance of victory.  And then the long dance at the final ¡®a¡¯, waving the pencil around the surface of the sketchbook before giving a single little dot on top of the ¡®i¡¯.  And there we go.  Seraphina.  My name, me.  The one thing that is unquestionably, without a doubt, mine for now and ever more.


    I have also attempted to draw myself.  After pestering one of the researchers for three days straight, I got a large mirror put in my room, though I am to look only, not touch.  Apparently, despite my being larger than the mirror, it is heavier, for reasons I do not understand.


    Drawing myself proved a complicated task.  When I started, I would attempt to keep a focus of the image in my mind, and then recreate it on the page.  But the shading and the curves all look unnatural.  It has been a matter of trial and effort and refining of the process, but eventually, I have found success.


    Though that success proved short-lived.  I wanted to hang my drawing of myself on the wall by my bed, but I was chastised.  I was told that certain parts of my body, especially my chest and the region directly below my abdomen, was considered inappropriate to depict.  But if I am an artificial being, why was I created with such inappropriate characteristics?  Is there something wrong with me?  A defect in my being?  Is that why I cannot leave this room?  Because there is something wrong with me?


    Dr. Chotono has never claimed to be perfect.  It was wrong of me to assume that, even though he was able to create me, that he would be.  Smarter, more knowledgeable, more aware of what lies beyond these walls.  But not infallible.  Nor has he ever claimed to be, to my knowledge.  An error in my reasoning that I have discovered and will now correct.


    Days pass by slowly.  They are so named because at one time, there was a mysterious ball of hot plasma called a star that provided heat and light and energy to the people of planet XSQ-1827.  That no longer exists, or so I am told.  There is no way for me to verify the truthfulness of that statement any longer.  I cannot see the sky or any of these so-called stars.  However, the lights dim and I fatigue in a cyclical pattern lasting approximately 86,400 ticks on the device that is referred to as a ¡®clock¡¯.


    This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    I find myself counting them when I am not busy attempting to trace my name or draw things.  There is little else to do in this room when I am not asleep.


    I sit and stare at this clock until the door opens, revealing the Doctor himself, with the sub-director Madison Mazerie standing just behind him.  The door then closes.


    My eyes are drawn to hers for a brief moment, for reasons I do not understand.  Silvery-gold orbs of mesmerizing beauty that seem to swirl and dance and glisten in the light.  Compared with Dr. Chotono¡¯s brown eyes and skin the color of amber, she is much closer in appearance to me.


    Why was I created as analogous to a female human?  More questions.


    ¡°Good morning, Seraphina,¡± Dr. Chotono says.  ¡°How are you this morning?¡±


    ¡°I am well, but I feel trapped within this room.¡±  In the past two weeks, I have gotten much better at talking, now able to appropriately verbalize my thoughts and feelings.  ¡°I appreciate being given this sketchbook and these clothes, but there is so much more of the world out there.  I want to see it.  I want to experience what I have so far only been able to learn through stories and sketches.¡±


    ¡°I am sorry, Seraphina.  In truth, having you leave this room even for brief moments is dangerous.  If you were to be discovered by our enemy, then it would endanger not just every one of us, but the entire world.  The entire universe.  No, this may not be easy for you to wrap your head around, Seraphina.  But your fate is tied with that of all universes.  And if you are to have even the slightest chance at defending the life of all worlds, in accordance with our hopes for you, we must keep you secret and safe.¡±


    ¡°Life of all worlds?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Madison says.  ¡°It would be far too much to explain all of this right now, but you are our hope.  That is why we gave you the name Seraphina.  According to the ancient mythologies of days long gone by, the seraphs were the highest rank of angels in the cosmos.  They were said to be otherworldly in their beauty, peerless in their strength, and relentless in their pursuit for justice and to protect all life under them.¡±


    ¡°Are you a seraph?¡± I ask.


    Madison blushes.  ¡°If that is your way of saying that you think I am beautiful, then I appreciate the compliment.  I am flattered.  But no, I am what is known as a human.  Much like Dr. Chotono and most of the rest of the staff here.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±  My head drops slightly.  ¡°But you can protect me?¡±


    Madison gasps.  ¡°Oh, I would certainly try, if I could.  But I think it is you that will be protecting me before long.¡±


    ¡°Protecting you?  But I was told that I was weak, and needed to be kept secret and safe.¡±


    ¡°For a few more weeks, while my researchers and I continue the final preparations involved.  Once we are done, we can discuss more later.¡±


    ¡°Will I be able to go outside?¡± I ask.


    ¡°I would¡­ like that,¡± Dr. Chotono says.  ¡°I know it must be difficult.  But remember, all of us here are working together, as best we can, to help you be the best that you can be.¡±


    ¡°The best I can be?¡±  I don¡¯t understand.  Dr. Chotono has a pained expression on his face, but he refuses to elaborate further before he says his goodbyes and leaves me to return to my studies.


    A guardian angel.  Working together to help me be their angel?  Something about that doesn¡¯t make sense.  Why did they create me as a guardian?  If they are strong enough to do so, should it not be they who protect me?  What am I missing?  I wrack my brain around it until my mind goes sore and I white out in my bed.


    <hr>


    Planet Earth, City Outskirts, Thirteen Days after System Integration


    ¡°Are you okay, Sera?¡± Chloe asks.  I¡¯m resting with my head in her lap as the others, sans Jackie, are grouped around me.  Lindsey is kneeling next to Chloe, which is surprising to me.  I would have imagined her to be off scouting the area to make sure nothing is trying to sneak up on me.  I guess Jackie¡¯s disdain for me is running deeper than I¡¯d originally thought.


    ¡°I¨C  How long was I out?¡±


    ¡°Only about twenty minutes, thank heavens,¡± Lindsey says.  ¡°I was beginning to think you¡¯d come down with some unknown malaise.  Chloe tried to heal you to no avail, and when I tried to [Identify] you, I was nearly thrown back.¡±  She shudders.  ¡°I¡¯m glad to see that you¡¯re doing better, Sera.¡±


    ¡°As am I,¡± Alexey says.  ¡°We all are.¡±


    I stumble back to my feet.  I¡¯m a bit stiff and sore as I stand back up, but no more so than I would be after sleeping wrong or having my leg fall asleep due to sitting on it for a long period of time.  I stretch and check my Status to find myself in perfect health, with a full reservoir of [Ether] as well.


    I take a deep breath.  ¡°I apologize for the delay.  Should we get going?¡± I ask.


    ¡°No,¡± Nicholas says.  ¡°I mean, yes, we should get going, but it¡¯s time to return back to the city for the next several days.¡±


    ¡°Already?¡± I ask.


    ¡°It¡¯s already been a week,¡± Brent interjects.  ¡°We¡¯re almost out of food and clean water, not to mention we all need to make sure we¡¯re not being infected by any parasites or bacteria that might¡¯ve been enhanced by the System.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯d begun to worry something like that had afflicted you,¡± Lindsey says.  ¡°Your [Ether] levels started skyrocketing, then you began to glow and smoke as though you were a machine venting enormous amounts of steam and [Ether].¡±


    That was probably exactly what had happened.  But I can¡¯t risk mentioning my history and past to the others.  Not just yet.  Not when I am at their mercy, and might be seen not as a person with my own wants and desires, but a tool or a weapon to be used by the military.  Just like¡­  I think Dr. Chotono?  Did he see me as a weapon too?  I don¡¯t know.  I have to keep moving forward to find the answer.  But¡­  a nice shower does sound incredible.  I have missed it so.

 Chapter 37: The Sweetness of Civilization

    I am flummoxed as we crest the final hills leading back into the outskirts of town. It¡¯s shortly before dusk, so I expect only a few dim signs of civilization as we arrive. But instead, I see bright lights of human construction shining out from buildings and upon the roads leading further into the city center. Endless lights as far out as the horizon dotted the landscape. High against the horizon is the massive Tower Gauntlet, now shining in white fluorescence, dominating the rest of the downtown skyline.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll be,¡± Nicholas said. ¡°They actually got the power grid back up and running!¡±


    I smile as well. I¨C I really look forward to a warm bath and a clean bed to sleep in for a change, but my excitement is short-lived. As the group makes their way back toward the base, I stand still, unsure of what I can do. I¡¯m still technically in exile, after all.


    ¡°Is there something wrong?¡± Lindsey asks. ¡°You sounded so eager to have a bath just a bit ago, and now¨C¡±


    ¡°I am not welcome here in the city,¡± I say, head drooped low. ¡°Chloe and I went to the Tower Gauntlet two days before we joined this expedition. We got in some trouble with the law, and got banished as a result. This is our punishment.¡±


    Lindsey grabs my hand and drags me along, her higher [Strength] and greater musculature helping her overpower my [Vitality]. ¡°Let ¡®em try. If you have any trouble while I¡¯m around, let me know and I¡¯ll give them the business!¡±


    ¡°But¨C¡±


    ¡°Besides.¡± Lindsey cuts me off. ¡°Chances are, none of us would be here if not for you and Chloe and the help you both gave us over the past week. As far as I¡¯m concerned, you two have earned a reprieve from your exile, and I¡¯m sure all of us will back you up on this.¡±


    ¡°Except Jackie,¡± I mutter.


    ¡°She just needs some more time. Please, Sera.¡±


    I take a long and deep breath. ¡°We need to be working together, not fighting among ourselves.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not something you can control about anyone but yourself.¡± Lindsey pauses again. ¡°By the way, I wanted to ask in more detail. I didn¡¯t mention this outright before because you deserve your privacy, but when you had passed out and I used [Identify] on you, I saw you were suffering from something the System called ¡®Acute [Ether] Poisoning¡¯. This is probably only partially related, and I promise I won¡¯t tell the others, but is it true that you¡¯re really only level 14?¡±


    Though we didn¡¯t have any encounters on the same level as the gorilla tribe in the days since, we did fight enough monsters between level fifteen and eighteen for me to reach level 16 shortly before arriving back at the city limits. I flip through my stats once more to verify.


    [Level: 16; Experience: 15,880; To Next: 3,995]


    [Current Stats: [Health]: 1,168 / 1,168 ; [Ether]: 670 / 670]


    [Current Stats: [Strength]: 20; [Speed]: 20; [Vitality]: 42; [Mind]: 50]


    ¡°Level 16. I gained two more levels since the fight with the gorillas. Chloe and I aren¡¯t yet so high level that the Experience scaling dragged our growth down on the rest of the excursion.¡±


    ¡°Wait¡­ That seems too high. I remember how much we fought when I was level 12, and¡­ No, I just don¡¯t see it. With how much we fought and how Experience scaling worked in my case, there¡¯s no way whatsoever. Maybe if you were right at the cusp of Level 13 when we started, you could have had enough to reach Level 15. But not 16.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m telling the truth, whether you find it believable or not. Remember Alexey¡¯s words about assuming too much. Especially when it comes to the System. Its workings are far grander and more mysterious than anyone knows. And I don¡¯t believe it is nearly as benevolent as it wants us to believe.¡±


    ¡°You never did answer my question,¡± Lindsey says. She follows it up with a playful poke to the shoulder. I¡¯m not quite so sure we have enough familiarity with each other for such things, but I let it slide for the sake of the cohesion of the group. It does seem she¡¯s taken a bit of a liking to me recently. I am not sure if her intentions are purely friendly or if she has some ulterior motive.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not at Level 14 anymore. I¡¯m surprised your [Identify] skill can¡¯t tell.¡±


    ¡°Something about you is very mysterious.¡± Lindsey glares at me, but I remain unfazed under her stare. ¡°That¡¯s fine, though. We¡¯re all entitled to our secrets, and when you feel comfortable sharing them, I¡¯ll be here ready to listen. Now c¡¯mon! There¡¯s a hot bath waiting for us, and we both need it!¡±


    There¡¯s something less than flattering about her words, both that she¡¯s saying I stink, and that her wording implies that she wants to take a bath with me. Wait, she doesn¡¯t like me in that respect, does she? I¡¯m sorry, Lindsey, but I¡¯m simply too young for you. Not to mention, I don¡¯t even know if I like women in that way. Or if I can take the time for romance right now. Not when I have so many things I need to do and so much I need to learn and experiment with and try to get better at.


    This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    I close my eyes as I¡¯m dragged inside. I need to figure out who I am, why I¡¯m here, and what I want to do with my life first. Once I have a better sense of myself, then¡­ Maybe in a few years.


    <hr>


    I close my eyes as I sink into the tub. The water doesn¡¯t quite scald my reddening skin, but it''s far hotter than I¡¯m used to and takes more than a few minutes of slowly acclimating to the steaming pool. But as I do, my muscles loosen and I can feel my pores loosening. My skin softens, then glistens slightly as I rub my washcloth over it. With each passing second, I feel more and more clean.


    Especially my hair. It has grown tangled and full of dirt and grime and my own natural oils in the week that we¡¯ve been traveling. I¡¯m sure more than a few critters have tried nesting within it, especially each night as I sleep.


    I hate the idea of cutting it. It¡¯s one of my best features, one of the few things that¡¯s mine that I can be proud of, my golden locks that stretch down to the small of my back. But in the midst of battle, it¡¯s a potential liability. Jackie was quite insistent in showing me as much. In ways that I know were skirting the edge of maliciousness.


    I don¡¯t know why she¡¯s so insistent that I build weapons for the military. It defies all common sense but¨C No, that¡¯s not right. It defies logical sense, but she is grieving, and probably thinking that if she had had a weapon like what I can produce, that her partner would still be alive. I can even understand it, as I think back to my own mother. But¡­ not enough to be the one who puts more instruments of death into the hands of people trained and equipped to be lethal soldiers.


    I dare not get too relaxed. Not even here, in a makeshift army base, in what is likely one of the most secure facilities in the city. The echoes of my past life coupled with Alexey¡¯s warnings both inspire me to remain vigilant even when I feel I¡¯m safe. No, especially when I feel I¡¯m safe. Even with my eyes closed and as the stress of a week in the wilds starts to dissolve into the water, I still keep an ear open, ready to jump into action at a moment¡¯s notice.


    But nothing comes. Even when I hear a distant rumble that briefly stirs me to action, I¡¯m able to sit back down when I hear an all-clear sound immediately following. And after a solid hour of soaking, including flushing the tub and refilling it to get all the gunk out, I finally stretch and rouse myself back to my room.


    Chloe¡¯s already there inside, looking at me with a mischievous smile as I flop onto the further away of the two full-size beds.


    The room itself is little different from a hotel room. Two beds, a small desk, a TV that Chloe¡¯s already turned on and is idly flipping through. Doesn¡¯t seem that most of the channels are working at this time. Makes sense¡ª restoring electricity is of vital importance to global infrastructure, while cable is a luxury by comparison. Goodness, I¡¯m still surprised that they all managed to patch up that much infrastructure in just nine days.


    Did the System itself intervene? I have to feel it did. That¡¯s the only way all these technicians would be able to install tens of thousands of miles of wire across the country without working equipment or communication relays. But I don¡¯t for a moment think it¡¯s out of benevolence. But if not that, then why? It wants us to fight, but not to disrupt our civilization too much otherwise. It¡­ wants us to fight, but live. To get stronger.


    Are we like cattle or pigs, being fattened up before the slaughter? The System feeds on us? No? Then.


    ¡°Hey, Sera! You okay over there?¡± Chloe asks.


    ¡°Yeah. Feeling a lot better. I never realized how much I missed the smell and feeling of being clean until I had to do without it for a week.¡±


    Chloe laughs. ¡°You and me both! Anyway, anything you want to do tomorrow?¡±


    I pause for a moment and think on it. ¡°There are a few things I¡¯d like to do. First, I want to go back to the dungeon near your house. It¡¯s lower leveled than the Tower Gauntlet, and I think it¡¯s going to be the best balance of safety and challenge in terms of the potential to get some better equipment.¡±


    ¡°Ugh! So soon? I know you¡¯re a woman on a mission with all the¡­¡± She pauses as I give her a look. ¡°The stuff you¡¯ve got going on in your head, but do you really not want to take a day or two to relax?¡±


    ¡°I do, don¡¯t get me wrong.¡± I reach into my bag and pull out the construct arm from back in the Tower Gauntlet. ¡°I also want to spend some time working on this tonight. I¡¯m sure there¡¯s got to be more than a few new glyphs that I¡¯ve not gotten the chance to study in detail. Besides all that, I still¨C¡±


    ¡°Absolutely not, Sera!¡±


    ¡°But I¨C¡±


    ¡°You need to take a break! I do not care about anything else right now but making sure my best friend does not work herself into an early grave!¡± She rushes over to my bed and pins me down in her embrace.


    ¡°I¨C I hardly get to see my father, and my mother is so busy these days that I don¡¯t even know when I¡¯ll get to see her again. I don¡¯t want to lose you as well.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to¨C¡±


    ¡°Not just losing you to dying. I don¡¯t want you to work yourself half to death, Sera. You¡¯re young and we still have full lives ahead of us. I don¡¯t want you to decide right now that you have to do this all by yourself.¡±


    ¡°No. Not by myself. This is bigger than you or me or any of us. I had another vision of my past life earlier today.¡±


    ¡°I kinda figured, given this is the third time I¡¯ve seen something like that happen now. What did you learn?¡±


    I speak in a whisper, worried the walls have ears. ¡°The researchers who created me were strong enough and skilled enough to do so. I have no doubt that they possessed technology and levels far, far beyond any of us. And yet, they were worried about something that they couldn¡¯t hope to stand up against.¡±


    ¡°What do you think it could be?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. But they also said that my fate was tied to that of ¡®all universes¡¯. Which is why¨C¡±


    ¡°You need to take breaks and pace yourself, Sera. There¡¯s nothing to gain from rushing forward and getting yourself hurt in your haste. Or worse. If what you¡¯re saying is true, then you need your rest. Because it sounds like your creators knew as well as I do that you aren¡¯t supposed to do it all alone.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± I relent.


    ¡°Good. Now, let¡¯s get to sleep early tonight. I¡¯m tired and¨C¡± Chloe yawns. ¡°¨Cwe all need our sleep.¡±


    I shut off the single lamp still on in our room. ¡°Good night, Chloe.¡±


    ¡°Good night, Sera.¡±

 Chapter 38: Back to School

    I wake up bright and early the following morning after what must have been an amazing night¡¯s sleep. I stretch and enjoy the soft fabrics cradling my body, nuzzling my face into the cool side of the pillow and lazing around for a few brief moments. Chloe¡¯s orders and all.


    I am torn as I ponder the implications of our conversation from last night. If my fate is related to that of ¡®all universes¡¯, then I obviously need to be uniting everyone together against some sort of nigh-unstoppable threat. But I can¡¯t do that. I just can¡¯t trust people with that secret. Chloe, yes. Her mother, with some hesitation.


    But not the army, not the politicians. The people in power can¡¯t be trusted. That left two options, one incredibly ugly, and one seemingly impossible. The ugly option, the one that fills my mind with disgust, is to simply get strong enough, gain enough levels, and then dominate this world. But then I¡¯d be exactly the same as all the others who have tried and failed the path of conquest over the eons.


    No, I need to get to the point where I can push forward, become useful, become indispensable, then guide the people of this world and others against whatever threats await us out in the infinite multiverse. That¡¯s what my creators would have wanted. An angel to unite the people together and then lead them toward salvation? I can¡¯t help but feel a little wince at how grandiose and self-important I sound. But, the part of my soul that houses my sealed memories still feels that way, despite my mind recoiling from the thought.


    Either way, the path ahead is clear. I have to get stronger. I can¡¯t allow myself or my potential to be used or controlled by another.


    Right now, though, it¡¯s a day of rest.


    I turn to Chloe, who¡¯s still sleeping deeply without a care in the world. I wonder what things would be like for me had the System not arrived and I didn¡¯t learn I was reborn from a distant universe? I¡¯d probably be back at school, preparing for the final seven weeks of the semester. Then I¡¯d do one last summer job for a bit of income before moving off to college in August.


    An idea pops in my head. I quickly pull out the robot arm from before and my sketchbook, and quickly get to work identifying and tracing all of the glyphs from the robot arm. With my higher [Mind] improving my perception and better intuitive understanding of glyphs from a higher leveled [Basic Glyph Manipulation] skill, I¡¯m able to spot three more small glyphs that I¡¯d previously overlooked as simply being almost imperceptible defect in the glossy sheen that surrounds the metallic carapace.


    I also need to identify what metal or alloy this is constructed from. As expected from Ethertech designed and created by the System, it is both lightweight and incredibly sturdy. Even my [Lightning-Sheathed Dagger], when activated, has trouble doing more than scratching its outer hull. More pressingly, and much to my chagrin, the chirping of electrical arcs wakes up Chloe, who rubs her eyes and immediately gives me The Look.


    ¡°Seraphina Mortensen, what in the name of the goddesses are you doing? I thought we were going to have a day of rest and relaxation, and that we were not going to charge headlong into more research and studying and fighting things because you, my best friend, need. A. Break!¡±


    ¡°I was just thinking¨C¡±


    ¡°It better not be about the System. And it sure as hellspawn better not have anything to do with dungeons!¡±


    ¡°Well, I was thinking we might benefit from enlisting some help.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Chloe sits up and stares at me. ¡°And just what kind of help were you thinking about?¡±


    ¡°I was thinking of heading back to school this afternoon and seeing if any of the science teachers might be interested in such a project. I figured if the power is back, maybe they¡¯re going to try to hold classes.¡±


    ¡°That is¨C¡± Chloe pauses and releases the tension from the clenched fists in her hands. ¡°Honestly not the worst idea I¡¯ve ever had. I¡¯m sure we can get some idea of how to move forward. Plus, I¡¯d like to go see everyone else for a change.¡±


    ¡°Do you want to head there now? We can probably get there in time for lunch.¡±


    ¡°Hold on a sec. Let me see if¡­¡± Chloe whips out her phone and starts clicking the touchscreen so quickly it makes her look like the [Mechanist] in the room. ¡°Yep, looks like classes are going today.¡±


    ¡°Let me go speak with Alexey real quick before we leave,¡± I say. ¡°I¡¯m sure we can get some sort of document allowing us back in the city without the cops getting on our asses.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like a good idea. Want to get breakfast first?¡±


    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    ¡°Damn right I do!¡± My stomach growls, causing me to blush. ¡°Might need seconds too.¡±


    A bit after breakfast, and with a writ of passage in hand, the two of us head off toward the city at a light jog. Between our [Boots of Quickness] and Chloe having reached level 14 with a [Vitality] of 35, the two of us can nearly keep up with the slower-moving traffic on the main streets. Still, it takes the better part of an hour before we arrive.


    The secretary at the principal¡¯s office gives us a bit of an eye roll as the two of us show up just as the first set of classes ends for the morning. However, I realize as the wave of students piling out into the halls is much smaller than usual. Only about sixty percent of the usual size, give or take. I hope it¡¯s just because families are keeping kids home or needing more time to adapt to the System¡¯s arrival. I shudder at the other possibility.


    The second thing I realize is how much discussion there is in the halls about people¡¯s classes and Skills. I think them foolish, so willing to give away such private information about their abilities. Especially here, surrounded by any number of impulsive individuals who might try something stupid, whether to post on social media or to impress their peers.


    The third thing I realize is that I¡¯m not the only person who¡¯s not-so-subtly keeping a weapon on their person. Most of them are mundane in nature, but a few of them do give off the subtle glow of [Ether] that I can vaguely make out when I squint just right. The teachers clearly disapprove, but the infraction now carries consequences more akin to ¡®put that thing away¡¯ rather than a ¡®go to the principal, immediate suspension¡¯. I think they realize that with Chloe and others having spellcaster-type classes, those without need some way of defending themselves.


    An errant fist goes flying straight in Chloe¡¯s direction. Before I can intercept, Chloe raises a single hand and blocks it with her [Barrier] ability. The kid, a sophomore named Robert who has a reputation as a bit of a troublemaker, is knocked flat on his ass. His failure and subsequent embarrassment earns more than a few smirks from me and plenty of snickering from the other students.


    ¡°Robert!¡± Mr. Thomson, a history teacher says. ¡°Principal¡¯s Office! Now!¡±


    Robert sneers and sticks his tongue out before racing off in a blur. Before he can get more than a few yards away, I activate my [Boots of Quickness], easily surpassing his speed and grabbing him by the shoulder. Once Mr. Thomson reaches us, I hand the delinquent over and lower my head.


    ¡°Apologies if I shouldn¡¯t have gotten involved,¡± I say. ¡°Been a long couple of weeks.¡±


    ¡°Understood, Seraphina. I know that things have changed and we¡¯re still adjusting to, well, our entire world being turned on its head, but it¡¯s still our job as teachers and adults to handle these sorts of things.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I say.


    Chloe joins me and we head up to English class. The lecture starts as we go over some passages. Seems that there was an impromptu change in the lessons for the week, featuring an entire unit of science fiction and fantasy literature, featuring some of the classics over the last two hundred years. I¡¯m only half paying attention, looking through my book of glyphs and imagining how they might fit together. Sort of like how authors craft letters into words and then words into sentences.


    A good sentence conveys its meaning fluidly and precisely. A great one also does so succinctly. I already have enough experience with my [Glyph Manipulation] skill to realize that trying to link more glyphs together both increases the overall [Ether] cost, as well as the chance for the entire¡­ array, I¡¯ll call it, to fail.


    Honestly, being in class again feels kinda weird. I was never like Amari and the other super-geniuses who were all but guaranteed to be the class valedictorians and head off to the most prestigious schools in the country. But I was a good student, a solid mix of A¡¯s in math and science with B¡¯s in history and the humanities.


    Now, though, reading the great works of world literature just makes me feel¡­ distant. We analyze stories on the basis that they encompass the human condition. But now that I know I am not, it rings hollow. How can I hope to relate to them or understand them when I am¡­ not?


    ¡°Miss Mortensen,¡± Mr. Richards says. ¡°What do you think?¡±


    His conversation snaps me out of my notes on glyph manipulation. ¡°Sorry, sir. Long week.¡±


    The class laughs.


    ¡°It has been for all of us. Now, what do you think would be true about extraterrestrial life compared with humanity?¡±


    I smile. An easy question with a chance to propagandize just a bit. ¡°That species would have to be much better at cooperating among its members and resolving its disputes internally as compared with humans. We went to the moon over fifty years ago, and yet two weeks ago, I would have doubted the chances of even reaching Mars in our lifetime.


    ¡°Now that we have the powers of the System, we can¡¯t discount the potential to do so in a matter of years. But not if we continue down the path of fighting amongst ourselves. We can¡¯t assume that we¡¯re alone in the universe; it¡¯s too vast. If there¡¯s an alien race that cooperates and reaches us while we¡¯re all too busy fighting and killing one another like we have been for the last all of human history, then we¡¯re not going to have a chance to repeat that mistake.¡±


    ¡°An interesting answer indeed. Shelby, what do you think?¡±


    I continue listening to the discussion as it gets increasingly heated. Some people believe the arrival of the System is an omen that we are chosen by the capital-G God to hold dominion over not just our planet, but the entire universe. As the idea gets some traction, I worry that my attempt to foster cooperation among the students will backfire completely. But then I get another idea, thinking back to the most recent memory that awakened from within me.


    I raise my hand and speak when called upon. ¡°If indeed the System is sent here by a higher power, wouldn¡¯t it be correct that the challenges outside and within our good city could be thought of as ordeals to be overcome?¡± I pause for a moment. ¡°The dungeons, the monsters outside of town, the Tower that appeared downtown barely a week ago. Those could certainly be considered a way to test our worthiness, both individually and collectively as a group.


    ¡°There are two possibilities, of course,¡± I continue. ¡°We either work together to overcome those challenges as we should, or we continue infighting and maybe one of us does so on our own. But, if there are other, greater powers watching and assessing us, or worse, considering us as potential prey, the first of those seems far more conducive to humanity¡¯s continued existence.¡±


    Fortunately, or perhaps not, the bell rings before anyone else is able to start rebutting me.

 Chapter 39: Principles of Ethertech III

    Third and fourth period proceed uneventfully, and following the fourth bell, I rejoin Chloe for lunch. I don¡¯t exactly enjoy my meal of overly-cooked hamburgers and apple slices. Both are far too sanitized and devoid of taste, comparable to the MRE¡¯s we ate back in the wilderness. But there is a certain nostalgia to just eating the same crappy, sanitized, corporate slop that I grew up with.


    I have come to one important realization in just the few hours we¡¯ve been here. Chloe is easing back into school life. She talks with her other friends. She¡¯s scrolling through her social media feed, even posted a video just after we got our food and sat down. She¡¯s happy and cheery and¡­ More than that, she¡¯s at peace. She looks like she belongs here, wants to be here, living her life as it maybe should have always been.


    But I can¡¯t adjust. I just can¡¯t go back to living a quiet life anymore. That doesn¡¯t mean I can¡¯t enjoy the comforts of modern civilization. Heaven help me if I have to endure summer without the benefit of that most divine and vaunted of inventions. But the idea of a quiet life, of going off to college, studying hard for four years, and then spending the next thirty-five years in some office cubicle is¡­ I couldn¡¯t do it. Not now, not knowing what¡¯s out there and knowing what I have to accomplish.


    Not have to. I mean, yes, it is something I need to do, and probably something only I can do. But I want to. Like a goal or life purpose so tied to my very soul that any and every other life trajectory feels shallow and meaningless by comparison. Now that I know beyond all doubt that there are other worlds to explore, and that my class will help me build the ships that will allow me to reach those worlds, how can I possibly remain confined to this blue marble that is the third planet in the Sol system?


    I¡­ cannot.


    After lunch, Chloe and I again separate as we head off to our fifth and sixth period classes. In my case, Calculus and European History. I pay attention as best I can as we discuss trigonometric integrals and then the causes and build up before the First World War. Intellectually, I know both of these things will be important as I proceed onward toward my destiny. Especially the former. Math is the study of formal logic, after all. And glyph construction has a certain mathematical logic buried deep within it.


    I had described individual runes as the accents and letters that form words before, but now that I think about it, it could also be like the variables in a mathematical equation. When exposed to different coefficients¡ª runes, in this case¡ª the overall shape and properties of the function change dramatically. Even very small changes in a single number can cause wildly different outcomes.


    Then combining two functions together would be like¡­ Addition? Composition? Or maybe a completely different operation entirely. Combining two glyphs in sequence produced an effect that was stronger than the sum of the two individual effects. But at a cost of [Ether] that was commensurately higher.


    I should definitely ask around if there is someone with a specific [Glyphcrafter] class.


    Finally we make it to physics class at the end of the day. Chloe sits beside me in our usual seats as Mr. Morris stands up and begins his lecture. Strangely, his words carry with them a cadence that helps me maintain my attention as he discusses the interrelation between forces, work, and power.


    His lectures cause me to take more notes as I realize how applicable this can all be to my study of glyphs and Ethertech. In mechanics, there are constants and invariants. Mass-energy, momentum, and angular momentum. Electrical charge is likewise conserved when studying the properties of electromagnetism. So then, what are the fundamental conservation principles governing [Ether], if we start looking at Ether as its own fundamental type of energy?


    No, wait, that¡¯s not true. It is a type of energy, but it can be converted to other forms. My [Ether Bullet] condenses it into a small particle with nonzero mass. My [Flash of Insight] creates light energy. The glyphs of [Lightning] and [Heat] create electrical energy and heat energy, respectively. But what about a reversed heat glyph? It ¡®creates¡¯ cold, which shouldn¡¯t be possible. The sensation of ¡®cold¡¯ is just the absence of heat. Which is to say that the glyph expends [Ether] to remove energy from the local area.


    By itself that would violate the laws of conservation of energy.


    I look at my Status.


    [Unique Trait: [Touched by the Multiverse]. Your mind has been touched by the vastness beyond space and time, and you¡¯ve gained a glimpse at what lies at the outer edge of possibility.]


    Beyond space and time? That makes sense. Then [Ether] is the energy that allows us to tap into some parallel dimension? The interplanar void? The vastness beyond space and time? Whatever it is, that makes a lot more sense. My [Unheat] effect is really just transferring heat energy into an alternate dimension. Then my [Barrier] is blunting momentum into that same dimension? It seems so different to think about it in this regard than when I assumed it was just like an ordinary wall.


    I jot more notes down in my sketchbook. [Heat] draws energy into this world, while reversing the glyph reverses the flow of energy, drawing it out. The laws of conservation of energy are preserved. But now I question what happens if I reverse [Barrier]. This seems to just create an elastic collision on its own. What does it mean to¡­ shunt momentum into another dimension? Do the mathematical properties of physics even allow me to try to answer this question.


    A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    I raise my hand.


    ¡°Yes, Sera?¡± Mr. Morris asks.


    ¡°Last time, before Spring Break, we were discussing elastic collisions and how to calculate the shifts in motion for each object involved. Obviously, perfectly elastic collisions don¡¯t exist in the real world. Some fraction of the energy involved gets converted to light, heat, sound, and other forms of energy that dissipate into the environment. But what, hypothetically, would happen if the elasticity of the collision were to go negative?¡±


    He pauses for a moment. ¡°I think that discussion will have to wait until after class.¡± He gives me an eye, almost as though he realizes that my question isn¡¯t as hypothetical as I¡¯ve made it out to be. None of the other students seem to pay my question any notice, with the exception of Yulia, whose green eyes briefly look me over before returning to her daydreams. How is she so¡­ unconcerned about everything? If anything, she seems almost more at ease now than she ever was before. Is she another otherworlder?


    The rest of the class proceeds smoothly. I continue to take notes on the lecture right up until the bell rings, but the back of my mind continues to think about all of these different possibilities. About how I¡¯ve been too ad hoc in my study of glyphs and should have been looking at more general principles of Ethertech. Not just ones that apply to how to combine glyphs, but how their functions interact with the laws of physics.


    I erred. I expected them to be wholly separate from the laws of physics as I knew them before the System. But that wouldn¡¯t make sense, when I think about it more clearly. All forces interact with one another to some extent. Why would the principal [Ether] energy work any differently than the fundamental forces that already existed before the System¡¯s arrival?


    I continue jotting notes down until the end of class. One by one, the students up and leave, until it¡¯s just Chloe, me, and Yulia, surprisingly enough. Also, her hair is blowing with the wind. Inside, with the windows closed, and no fans or air conditioning running. [Wind Mage] class?


    ¡°Alright, Miss Sera,¡± Mr. Morris says. ¡°What new technique have you come to show off?¡±


    I¡¯m briefly taken aback. But I did tip my hand earlier.


    ¡°I have a [Barrier] technique that I crafted onto my gloves. However, I don¡¯t think it works the way I thought it did. I thought it was just a simple obstruction, like a wall that bounces back attacks in accordance with the laws of physics as we¡¯ve been discussing them in class. However, after thinking about it some more, I think it¡¯s actually working by creating a rift in dimensions and shunting raw positive momentum from a different dimension.¡±


    ¡°So like how light has momentum, despite its lack of mass.¡± He pauses at my bemusement. ¡°The principle behind solar sails.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll have to check that out later. I was wondering what happens when I invert the glyph. At first, I was trying to wrap my head around what happens when a collision has negative elasticity. But then during your lecture, it all hit me. These glyphs need to obey the laws of physics more broadly, even if the laws themselves might now be different than they were twenty days ago. After all, it wouldn¡¯t make sense to be able to convert [Ether] into cold. But displacing heat someplace else should create the effect just the same.¡±


    Mr. Morris nods. ¡°That makes sense. Would you like to demonstrate this [Barrier]?¡±


    I raise my hands and activate my [Barrier]. He throws a punch just above my head, only to stagger backward as his hand collides with my shield.


    ¡°Alright, now you said you can ¡®invert a glyph¡¯. I admit I don¡¯t quite know what that means, but please, proceed.¡±


    I take my gloves off, flip them inside out, then stick them back on. A rather crude way to do the inversion, but my [Basic Glyph Manipulation] doesn¡¯t give any evidence that my doing so was unsuccessful. I again activate the [Barrier], now inverted, and give a nod of readiness.


    [Your [Basic Glyph Manipulation (Rank IV)] has upgraded to [Basic Glyph Manipulation (Rank V).]


    Mr. Morris throws another lackadaisical punch. This time, instead of staggering backwards, his entire body gets pulled forward, like a powerful static electricity effect is causing his entire body to stick to the technique. He grimaces and growls, and I immediately cease my [Barrier], using my enhanced [Strength] to help catch him before he falls on his face.


    ¡°Ow!¡± he says.


    ¡°Apologies,¡± I respond.


    ¡°Well, science is never easy. And I guess sometimes it¡¯s not painless either. I think your conjecture about being sucked into another dimension isn¡¯t completely wrong. Now, that¡¯s not the whole story of what¡¯s going on, since no part of me was actually pulled inside the barrier. And I didn¡¯t notice the sort of lensing that would occur when light is exposed to the heavy gravity of stars, black holes, or other objects on that scale of mass.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re on the right track with your ideas,¡± Yulia says. ¡°Another fundamental physical force like gravity or electromagnetism. That¡¯s not a bad way to think about how Ether interacts with the world.¡±


    ¡°How would you reach such a conclusion?¡± Chloe asks.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a good idea for me to talk about my classes or Skills,¡± Yulia says. ¡°I¡¯m sure you two mean well, but we all have secrets we don¡¯t want to share with the broader population.¡± She looks at me. ¡°Are you not the same?¡±


    I smile, realizing the subtext behind her words. ¡°Though it is difficult to believe, yes." And she opens me up to another possibility I can¡¯t overlook either, that there are others who were transmigrated from other worlds as well. "Were you waiting on Mr. Morris as well?¡±


    Yulia smiles. ¡°Amari said she was going to be a few minutes late after seventh period. I was going to wait by her locker, but the conversation sounded interesting. I¡­ should be going though. It was nice to speak with you all¡­ I have a feeling that we may see each other again by the time this is all said and done.¡±


    Yulia walks off, but¡­ Unless my eyes deceive me, her feet aren¡¯t quite touching the ground. An incredibly powerful [Wind Mage] class? [Gravity Evoker]? Something else entirely? Just what level is she? And she implied that she wasn¡¯t from this world either.


    How odd. I don¡¯t think she¡¯s an enemy, but¡­ I don¡¯t know if she¡¯s an ally, either. I can¡¯t expect everyone to use their power toward my goals but¡­ I really don¡¯t want to fight her if I can help it. Not that I¡¯m confident I can.

 Chapter 40: Principles of Ethertech IV

    We head to the library after I finish speaking with Mr. Morris. Yulia¡¯s bizarre antics still trouble me, but I shake off the implications of our brief conversation as we head to the section on computer science.


    ¡°Is something the matter?¡± Chloe asks.


    I lower my voice to a whisper. ¡°Yulia implied that she¡¯s also not from this world.¡±


    Chloe stands speechless. ¡°Are you going to¨C¡±


    ¡°You heard her. She has her own secrets, and we have to respect that just as she was respecting my privacy.¡±


    ¡°So, why are we here again?¡±


    ¡°Logic gates. Specifically, I want to see if any of the information about logic gates and electrical circuits is useful for Ethertech construction. At the very least, I think it¡¯s worth taking a look over the basics and making sure I understand the principles completely before we leave.¡±


    ¡°You make it sound like you¡¯re never coming back here.¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t the place for me,¡± I say as I sit down at one of the tables in the back of the library. ¡°Out there, fighting with the others. Well, I¡¯m not going to say it was perfect or anything. Still love having electricity, good food, and hot baths. But even when our lives were in danger in the midst of battle, I felt a certain ease in my soul. That that was what I was made to do. And moreover, I enjoyed it.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re going back out there, no matter what I say.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t make you come with me if you don¡¯t want to. It seemed to me like you were happy being here, in class, spending lunchtime alongside Tabitha and Saffron and the others. I¡­ I won¡¯t say that I want you to stay behind. Part of that is that your abilities have saved my sorry, weak ass so many times and¨C¡± I choke on my words for a moment. ¡°Selfishly, I like having your company. But it has to be your decision. No matter how much I might appreciate and value having you with me, it¡¯s not my place to decide for you.¡±


    Chloe smiles and places her hand on mine, stopping me as I flip through the book. ¡°You¡¯re half right. I¡¯m not the same as you. I feel at home here at school, going back to live with my mother. If the System disappeared tomorrow, I¡¯d enjoy this journey and the fond memories I still have of it. And were circumstances different, I¡¯d be just fine spending the rest of my life doing whatever fate had in store before its arrival.


    ¡°But one thing stops me. It¡¯s that I want to see what¡¯s out there too. You¡¯re talking about going to other planets and star systems and even new dimensions and universes. And¨C¡± she writes this next part down in my sketchbook. ¡°¨CI learned my best friend is an alien reborn as a human. You want to know what happened to your original creators. And I want to be there and see it all for myself.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re curious about me?¡±


    ¡°How many people can truthfully say that their best friend is from another world, Sera? It¡¯s all so hard for me to believe, myself. Like it¡¯s the sort of thing you read about in books or watch in movies.¡±


    ¡°Well, there¡¯s an entire cosmos out there. We should¡­ Head back to the army base soon. I¡¯d like to get to work on the next step in glyph arrays as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°Knowing you, you just want to have an early dinner, knowing that they¡¯re not going to get mad at you if you want seconds and thirds.¡±


    ¡°Hey! I¡¯m not used to getting to eat this much! Or having to work this hard. It¡¯s not like we didn¡¯t run¡­ fifteen miles this morning? And are about to run the same distance back?¡±


    Chloe laughs. ¡°So, time to get going?¡±


    I nod.


    <hr>


    I yawn and stretch as I sit at the desk in our room after dinner. Chloe is back on her phone, which I¡¯m honestly half-surprised the army higher-ups weren¡¯t trying to confiscate based on national-security grounds. I guess most of the stuff around here that¡¯s classified just isn¡¯t a big deal anymore. Given that Alexey can probably smash through most conventional tanks with nothing but his bare hands and Lindsey could shatter the cockpit of a fighter jet with the energy of one of her [Light Arrows], I agree with the assessment.


    The information I gathered today should be quite useful for the next phase of my plan. And after thinking about it for some time, I have a general outline of how I want to re-create my [Lightning Blowgun].


    First, I need to make some physical adjustments to the base design. After I procure a two-foot long, one-inch wide cylindrical piece of steel, I use my [Lightning-Sheathed Dagger] to slice off a three-inch long piece from the end. Next, I hollow out both pieces into a six-riveted rifling pattern, with the inner walls the appropriate width to handle the now pea-sized [Ether Bullets] I create.


    The next step is the hardest. With my [Basic Ether Manipulation], I carve out a mechanism not unlike those used in ballpoint pens that allows them to move between being ¡®open¡¯ and ¡®closed¡¯ at the click of a button. I don¡¯t bother with installing a clicking mechanism at the near end of my improved weapon, but this will still allow me to switch between the different ¡®nozzles¡¯, for lack of a better term, without too much difficulty.


    Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    The intricate part comes next. I need to perfectly segment the top piece of my new weapon into six. This proves difficult, as there is no perfect trisection method. I do consider dividing it into eight instead, but that will shrink the space I have for each glyph. As it stands, because of the complexity of the individual glyphs, my ability to draw them with [Basic Ether Manipulation] and [Basic Glyph Manipulation] is already going to be taxed substantially. With better tools and higher-ranked skills, though, this would be the easier path.


    I think about it and cut another slice off the main piece, this time about two inches thick. I create the same fastening fixture, but then reattach it soon after. I don¡¯t plan to do anything with this piece just yet, but it¡¯ll introduce modularity in the design and give me flexibility with future construction and alterations.


    Now comes the hard part. I take the first and larger of the two slices, and begin the work of sculpting a glyph into each five of the six sections. One of [Lightning], two [Heat], and two of the [Barrier] glyph that I have now renamed [Repulsion] after my recent insights. The latter two I sculpt into two segments, one in the proper orientation, one in its reverse orientation. The task is trickier than it looks, as I have to be precise down to the millimeter with my construction and positioning. Even a tiny defect will throw off the positioning of the sluices and disrupt the flow of [Ether] into and through the glyphs.


    It takes the better part of the evening, mostly because my hands are a bit shaky near the end of the crafting session. Twice I have to undo major portions of the glyphs, and another six times I¡¯m forced to clear away a small number of runes and rebuild the structures due to an errant scratch or calculating the curvature of the cylinder a bit off. But, just as the sun is setting to signal the end of the last day of March, I feel I have everything in position.


    Finally, I need only to draw in the remaining sluice lines that will channel my [Ether] into my weapon. Here, the precision from before is everything. Regardless of which ¡®nozzle¡¯ I rotate into the activated position, I need the sluices to be as accurately placed as possible. I¡¯m already losing some of the connection because neither my [Lightning-Sheathed Dagger] nor the miniature [Ether] blade I can form through my maxed [Basic Ether Manipulation] skill can form a perfectly smooth cut and cause a contact bond to form. But it doesn¡¯t need to be perfect. It just needs to be better than what I¡¯ve made before, and good enough for my purposes.


    The last step is to draw in the sluice that connects my mouthpiece to the far end of the blowgun, and draw in the [Motion] glyph as I have with the previous iteration of my weapon. I realize that I should probably rename this glyph as well. [Motion] is simply too broad of a concept. [Acceleration] might fit, but it might also be described as [Impulse] in the mechanics sense? It does seem to act in a similar manner.


    I should also check how the [Impulse] glyph combines with the [Repulsion] glyph. The two working in tandem could complement one another in stopping projectile attacks. I might even be able to create some sort of particle accelerator if I construct it just right, though that will require a lot more engineering and far, far higher reserves of [Ether] to get it to work correctly.


    I look over the completed project and give it a careful examination. It looks correct, but my [Tinkerer] skill flashes a warning as I look over it one last time. I furrow my brows. The skill isn¡¯t perfect, and only gives vague insights, but the warnings it gives are rarely completely false positives. I check it over, adjusting each row of nozzles one at a time, listening for the satisfying click sound as they lock into place. Everything fits right.


    I grab a magnifying glass that I¡¯d taken earlier and examine more closely. I turn on the light nearest my desk and examine every connection as thoroughly and attentively as I can. And there I see the problem. A small chip on one of the sluice lines, which would cause leakages of Ether when the reversed [Heat] glyph was used. Best case scenario would be a weakening of the bullets when fired on that setting. Worst case, the siphoned energy would cause enough structural damage to the weapon to make it quite literally blow up in my face.


    I scrunch every muscle in my body at the thought. Even if I have enough levels and [Vitality] to survive such a self-inflicted wound, the sheer embarrassment factor would surely do me in!


    Once I correct the flaw, I do one final glance over my new weapon and make sure everything looks and, more importantly, feels right. Neither my eyes nor my Skills alert me to any flaws in the design, and a brief glance at the rifling confirms that the connection is smooth and ready for practice. I hand it over to Chloe, who predictably isn¡¯t nearly as enthused about the craftsmanship as I am.


    ¡°So, did it go okay?¡± she asks. ¡°It feels a little more solid than the last one, but I don¡¯t really have an eye for this sort of thing.¡±


    ¡°Only one way to find out. Wanna watch?¡±


    Chloe rolls her eyes at me, but slips on her socks and shoes and follows me out the door to the firing range. To my surprise, there are still a handful of people on the range, mostly testing out conventional weaponry, mostly handguns, but with a couple of rifles and shotguns in the mix. We quickly help ourselves to a pair of earmuffs as I take a stroll over to the far end of the range.


    A few people look disdainfully upon me as I ready my blowgun for testing. A couple of sneers follow. I pay them no mind as I condense five [Ether Bullets] with my technique and slip four of them into my side pouch.


    Now, what setting do I want to use? Not [Lightning], sadly. The flashiest of the settings, but I¡¯m not looking to blow out the power grid if the strike is too powerful. And I¡¯m not wanting to catch the entire range on fire either. Ultimately, I settle on the [Repulsion] setting.


    I stand motionless, waiting for the onlookers to clear and the range to go hot. Once it does, I take one last breath and aim at the largest target in the range. No subtlety. Full power. I pour seventy-five units of [Ether] into my shot and let it fly.


    The bullet moves silently downrange. Twenty yards, then thirty, all nearly instantaneous at the limit of my [Speed] and [Mind] stats¡¯ perceptive capabilities. Once it comes within five yards of the target, I trigger an impulse within the back of my mind and allow the bullet to release its concussive payload.


    The target is torn to shreds. Ballistics gel splatters in every direction. The paper bulls-eye is vaporized, and even the stand is violently bent off its hinges, loosening a metal screw a full inch and a half out of the ground in the process. The concussive blast is followed by an eerie silence as the half dozen shooters in the area turn toward me with jaws agape.


    [Your [Ether Bullet (Rank IX)] has upgraded to [Ether Bullet (Rank X)]!]


    [You have maximized your [Ether Bullet] skill. You are awarded +2 Free Stat Points.]


    I smirk. Not a single hint of disdain follows as the two of us leave the range.

 Chapter 41: Back to the Dungeon

    I sleep well through the night and wake up bright and early, and every bit as hungry as I have been these last few days. In all seriousness, I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s just me or if it¡¯s everyone, and I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s due to all the activity I¡¯ve been doing lately, or just because higher stats equates to more metabolic needs. But if it¡¯s everyone who¡¯s going through this much hunger, there¡¯s going to be some major food shortages.


    I scarf down eight sausage patties and another four pancakes for breakfast, and honestly, I could eat more without even beginning to get full. Chloe doesn¡¯t eat nearly as much as I do, but she still downs a three-egg omelette alongside half a dozen strips of bacon. I didn¡¯t even know she liked bacon half as much as she seems to be right now, smiling and full of good cheer as she chugs down a small glass of water like a shot.


    ¡°So, you still down to go visit the dungeon again this morning?¡± I ask her as she finishes the last bite on her plate.


    ¡°Are you secretly hoping I¡¯ll say no?¡± she asks, giggling. ¡°Because I¡¯m sure I can find something else to do to laze the day away.¡±


    I lower my jaw at the audacity of my best friend. Is she trying to play some sort of reverse psychology trick upon me? In the end, all I can do is laugh. ¡°Do you really want to laze the day away?¡±


    She gives me a cheeky smile.


    We make our way down to the local quartermaster to get food and supplies for our cross-town journey. In addition to plenty of food and water¡ª mostly flavorless hardtack rations, but with a few pieces of jerky and an orange apiece¡ª I also get back my suit of [Simple Leather Armor] from our earlier excursion. I ask for and receive another writ allowing us to keep the loot we find inside without having to turn over a portion to the military efforts.


    With that, we¡¯re out the door scarcely half an hour after dawn, but before we get off the base, a friendly voice calls out to us. I turn around and see Lindsey moving at what looks like a light jog but would have been comparable to a full sprint before the System¡¯s arrival.


    ¡°Taking off so soon?¡± she asks.


    I give a nervous chuckle. ¡°Yeah, I think the two of us have a full day ahead of us.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± She looks away briefly.


    ¡°Is something the matter? Did I do something wrong?¡±


    Lindsey puts her hand on my shoulder. ¡°You remind me of myself from when I started out in the army, Sera. Eager, excited, wanting to rush out and make a name for yourself. Cool, confident, sure of yourself, ready to take whatever shit life throws at you, chew it up, spit it back out, and slam it back in life¡¯s face. That, and you¡¯re starting to look and fight a lot like a [Ranger] between your dagger skills and whatever contraptions you¡¯ve come up with. I just don¡¯t want you to go and throw your life away in a blaze of glory.¡±


    I take a deep breath and nod. ¡°I understand, Lindsey. I don¡¯t know exactly what life will bring, but I know the System¡¯s arrival has opened new doors and given us more possibilities than I can possibly count. I definitely won¡¯t let myself get killed before I get a chance to see what opportunities lie in wait.¡±


    ¡°Damn right she won¡¯t,¡± Chloe says. ¡°I¡¯m not going to be the one to drag her sorry ass out of the dungeon if she does something stupid and gets herself killed.¡± She pulls me by the shoulder, yanking me off Lindsey¡¯s hand and dragging me off.


    I get only a brief wave before we¡¯re off and running. Within two minutes, the base is already out of sight, and after ten, we¡¯re breezing into midtown. With power back and some sense of normalcy restored, there are a fair few cars on the road. But there are plenty of convenience stores whose gas pumps read ¡®out of service¡¯ and long lines on the few that still have gasoline available.


    We aren¡¯t the only ones running about; there¡¯s a few cyclists, as well as a number of people on the sidewalk moving at a brisk jog. But we are the only two actually running on the road as opposed to the sidewalk. This, because we¡¯re able to keep pace with vehicle traffic, earning a mixture of raised eyebrows from other pedestrians and amused stares from drivers watching us run past them on the road.


    There¡¯s a brief kerfuffle about two thirds of the way to our destination. A few ne¡¯er-do-wells decide to cause a ruckus outside of a nearby bank. There¡¯s a slate of police officers standing outside, no gear, mundane firearms, making complete fools of themselves as a gaunt middle-aged man carrying a wad of cash no-sells the gunshots that ricochet off his chest.


    I take a closer look. They are causing a slight amount of damage, causing about as scraping as a rough tumble on a paved surface. But probably not costing him more than ten or fifteen [Health] per strike. I want to ignore the situation altogether¡ª it¡¯s not my problem, nor do I care that a handful of bankers are getting robbed instead of being the ones doing the robbing. But Chloe is a bit of a goodie two-shoes, and as she rushes in, I¡¯ve no choice but to follow.


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    The battle is anything but. He throws a single punch toward Chloe with all the grace of a lurching zombie. She dodges with a simple head-tilt, and I follow-up with a quick thwap upon his back that knocks the wind out of him and sends him tumbling to the ground. Once he¡¯s subdued, one of the cops slowly walks up toward us, a pair of cuffs in hand.


    ¡°Uh¡­¡± He looks at me, not sure what to do.


    I sigh, expecting another rigmarole to proceed where we¡¯re chastised or arrested on charges of vigilantism. I turn to Chloe and ask her to start trying to get ahold of her mother, prepared to plead for her help in getting out of yet another mess. But she¡¯s already tearing the officer a new one.


    ¡°How can you be so¡­ irresponsible, officer?¡± she asks. ¡°Relying on handguns against people that have enough [Vitality] to match an elephant? Are you trying to get yourselves killed? Like, you¡¯re supposed to be out there protecting people, not sitting around with your hands underneath your asses being too scared to do your job. And now what, you have to have high school students come in and apprehend burglars now?¡±


    My mouth drops for the second time in as many days. When did Chloe go from wanting everything to just go back to normal, to now standing in front of the police and chewing them out without a shred of fear in the world. I quickly adjust my facial position before I manage to make more of a fool of myself than I already have.


    ¡°But¨C¡± the officer stammers.


    Chloe pauses, but I interject. ¡°There are real monsters lurking just outside of town. Hell, I¡¯ve seen nasty things in the suburbs. I¡¯m talking giant birds that will pick you up out of the sky and bizarre creatures that came right out of a cosmic horror movie. We¡¯ve¨C¡± I point to myself and Chloe ¡°¨Cbeen fighting them over the past weeks. What have you been doing? Sitting on your asses eating donuts all day? I thought you were supposed to be the heroes, protecting and serving! Or is that just a bunch of hogwash you pigs oink out to feel better about yourselves and help you sleep at night?¡±


    Chloe grabs my arm before I can continue my tirade any further. ¡°Come on, we¡¯re going to be late.¡±


    Honestly, I¡¯m surprised there haven¡¯t been this many incidents in the past couple of weeks. Then again, it¡¯s not like I¡¯ve ever really paid attention to local news. Chloe keeps us up to date on the latest in social media and national events, but there hasn¡¯t been all that much progress on that front. Just a lot of ¡®deliberations¡¯ about how to move forward from people who seem to want nothing more than to continue burying their heads in the sand. People who don¡¯t seem to have caught on to just how much the world will have to change to accommodate the existence of literal superpowers and the fact that we seem to only get stronger by killing things.


    We make some distance from the scene, and to my great relief, there doesn¡¯t seem to be any pursuit. Whether that¡¯s because they appreciate the fact that we did their job for them, or they¡¯re too afraid to try anything against us, I¡¯m not sure. Hopefully, the situation will spark the impetus to see some real change in how society will be structured going forward. And hopefully not for the worse.


    I worry who the new powerbrokers are going to be in society once everything shakes out. The current assholes in charge are bad, yes, but at least they were mostly gunning for monetary profit. But who¡¯s to say how the new world will end up being structured? Will the systems of government in place adapt? Will we see warlords rise up to claim dominion? The one piece of good news is that there¡¯s enough of a scaling factor in place that I don¡¯t think there¡¯s going to be anyone trying to slaughter entire armies of level 1 people. But¡­ history has shown not to underestimate the depravity of madmen who seek power.


    In either case, I need to make sure I¡¯m not the one being used if it all falls apart.


    ¡°Hey Chloe,¡± I finally ask. ¡°It seems like you¡¯ve really changed your opinion in the past few days?¡±


    ¡°I guess this past week has changed me a lot.¡± Chloe drags me on. ¡°I didn¡¯t realize it until we were in class yesterday. But when we were eating lunch, I realized why you were so adamant about pushing forward with levels. It¡¯s for all of them, isn¡¯t it? I want to make sure they can live the lives they want to live.¡±


    ¡°The selfless reason, yes. The selfish one is that I want to learn more about who I am. And I think continuing to put myself in danger and understanding the System better is the best way to do so.¡±


    ¡°Well, I guess I¡¯m selfishly wanting to help others.¡± Chloe says.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure that¡¯s at all selfish.¡±


    ¡°Is it any more selfless than you being all ¡®I want to use these powers to save the cosmos!¡¯?¡± She does an impressively bad caricature of me as she speaks, even puffing out her chest and standing on her tiptoes in a laughably awkward penguin trot.


    I can¡¯t help but laugh.


    By now we¡¯re long out of the busy part of the city and out into the southern suburbs where the cars are few and we don¡¯t have to worry so much about getting run over by someone not watching where they¡¯re going. We could both probably survive it with only bruises, especially with Chloe¡¯s healing magic. It still sounds unpleasant and like an unnecessary risk, and I¡¯ve been chastised to avoid those already today. By at least two different women, and three if I count myself.


    We stop by Chloe¡¯s house and sneak inside for just long enough to top off our water and use the restroom, and before long, we¡¯ve made it back to the dungeon entrance. At this early hour, there are none others venturing forth, and the guards on duty look dazed, as though they¡¯d not been relieved from their night watch.


    In either case, about five minutes later, we¡¯ve made it through the checkpoint, signed our waivers, and are on our way. I take a deep breath as I survey the faint glow of Ether exuding off the dungeon walls. Despite the danger omnipresent when dungeon diving, I feel¡­ relaxed, ready to take on the challenges within.

 Chapter 42: Descent into Darkness

    Bit by bit, the morning light from outside fades away, replaced with an eerie fluorescent green glow. I don¡¯t know if it wasn¡¯t actually there the first time around, or if my eyes have adjusted to the glow of concentrated Ether in the surroundings. There have been plenty of world modifications since our first trip here, and my [Mind] stat and [Basic Ether Manipulation] skills have both improved significantly since then, so either explanation is plausible. Still, it¡¯s not bright enough to see everything that might try to lurk about, so we use our flashlights to light the way. With batteries, so as to conserve our [Ether].


    As expected, once we make it about a hundred yards into the dungeon, the air grows cold and stale, and the warm flow of Ether flowing into my body slows down to a cool trickle. I charge a single unit of light into my [Flash of Insight] and throw it at the nearby ground, startling Chloe for a brief moment. Then I count the seconds until I see my [Ether] tick back up to maximum. Just under fifteen seconds.


    To the best of my knowledge, [Ether] regenerates at a rate proportional to one¡¯s [Mind] stat. Specifically, you recover ten times your [Mind] in [Ether] each hour. Here in dungeons, the rate seems to be exactly halved: five times one¡¯s [Mind] each hour. For me, two hundred and fifty points. At this rate, I can restore my full [Ether] reserve in just under two and a half hours. I glance down at my stats to make sure my memory is not failing me.


    [Level: 16; Experience: 15,880; To Next: 3,995]


    [Current Stats: [Health]: 1,168 / 1,168 ; [Ether]: 670 / 670]


    [Current Stats: [Strength]: 20; [Speed]: 20; [Vitality]: 42; [Mind]: 50]


    It may not be completely, totally optimal, but I like the round, even numbers on both attributes. And with my [Strength] mediating my damage output, a bit more is more than just a nice to have. But then I remember that I have two free stat points from maximizing my [Ether Bullet] Skill. As much as I like having nice, even numbers, I make the decision to go ahead and increase my [Strength] and [Speed] a bit more, knowing that I''ll need some more of both to survive what awaits us.


    The first hour proceeds. We spot a few spiders and rats that completely ignore us. Rather, they scurry off to the side of the chamber, hiding against the walls and burrowing into their tiny crevices like the pests they are. Part of me wants to mock these contemptible vermin. But a far larger part wants to mock myself. Why in the infernal hells do these assholes have enough knowledge to know that fighting us is a waste of time, but we still don¡¯t get an [Identify] skill?


    I channel [Ether] from within the core of my body, only instead of channeling it to my fingers or palms, I divert it to my eyes. It takes more than a bit of work, and I realize why. There are myriad tiny conduits through which my [Ether] circulates, and I¡¯m not acclimated to using all of them just yet, even with a maximized [Basic Ether Manipulation] skill.


    Although, ¡®circulates¡¯ might not be the right word. My body absorbs tiny traces of Ether which naturally exist all around me. It then flows into me and slowly condenses into my core, just behind the base of the sternum. From there, I can direct it outward through the network of tiny channels too small for me to perceive with my eyes. I¡¯m well adjusted to pushing [Ether] into my hands, but I need to exercise these channels, for lack of a better word, before I can maintain the flow elsewhere.


    I relay my findings to Chloe, and the two of us pause our descent for a few minutes to practice. It hurts. Bad. Like a migraine, sensation of aura and all. I see wisps of blue fog all around and I¡¯m not sure if they¡¯re there or if I¡¯m just hallucinating. I want to scream and cry out and beg for mercy as my entire face shrivels in pain.


    I focus on my breathing exercises. Relax my muscles. Allow them to tense, then let the tension fade away bit by bit. Rinse and repeat, then again and again until the pain finally starts to subside.


    I see through what looks like some stylized night-vision goggles. It¡¯s not as sharp as my ordinary light-based vision, but I can make out the walls and floors considerably better. I can¡¯t see the ceiling of the cave, though. I realize why: my range is limited to a sphere of about twenty-five yards. Two System notifications flash before me in rapid succession.


    [Your [Basic Ether Manipulation (Rank X)] has evolved to [Intermediate Ether Manipulation (Rank I)]


    [You have gained the General Skill [Ethersight]. Would you like to learn this skill? (General Skill Slots Remaining: 4/6)]


    I glance over the skill description.


    [[Ethersight]: By cycling your [Ether] through your eyes, you have enhanced your vision, allowing you to see in total darkness, as long as you are not inside a complete Ether vacuum or similar effect. This skill also allows its wielder to see the [Ether] within constructs and other beings, providing a qualitative indication about their [Ether] density and an approximation of their Level. [Ether] cost: 5 per minute. Current range: 70 feet. (Range scales with Rank).]


    Yes, please, and thank you. I will absolutely take this skill. Level 16 and I finally have something that resembles a gods-damned [Identify] skill like we should have gotten back at level 1 if the System was actually helpful as opposed to a giant, raging asshole!


    I swear I briefly see the wisps of Ether coalesce into the shape of that most universal gesture of contempt before fading back into the environment. I pay the System¡¯s salute no further mind as I disable my new Skill. Just knowing that I finally have some sort of analysis Skill takes a huge weight off my shoulders.


    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    Chloe tries it a few more times, but doesn¡¯t get the skill. She grunts and grimaces, and I give her a few moments to vent off her frustrations. She mumbles obscenities that echo into the cavern, and I do my best not to pay them any mind as I keep watch for any unpleasantness lurking around. Once her seething has subsided to a few whimpering pouts, I pull her into a hug, which she allows.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Chloe.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not okay, Sera.¡± She sniffles. ¡°I don¡¯t want to keep being weak. I don¡¯t want to have to rely on you. I¨C I don¡¯t want to keep weighing you down.¡±


    ¡°Weighing me down? That¡¯s funny, coming from the woman who¡¯s saved my sorry butt half a dozen times already, who¡¯s been frightened out of her mind, but still has the courage to get out of bed and follow me around straight into the maw of danger.¡±


    ¡°But¨C¡±


    ¡°We all have to rely on each other, Chloe. You helped me in our world history class, just like I help you in chemistry and physics. Exact same idea. You have healing magic I can¡¯t replicate. I have [Ether] manipulation Skills that you don¡¯t have yet.¡±


    She rolls her eyes at me.


    ¡°I do mean yet, Chloe. My entire class is all about [Ether] and manipulating it with glyphs and technology. I just upgraded [Basic Ether Manipulation] into [Intermediate Ether Manipulation] at the same time. If you want to learn [Ethersight], I would just do some [Ether] manipulation exercises.¡±


    ¡°Can I learn your [Flash of Insight]?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s possible,¡± I say. I¡¯m not at all certain if it is, but it¡¯s not outside the realm of possibility, especially if her class dips into Light magic.


    I proceed to demonstrate the basic technique, gathering a single unit of [Ether] into my palm, converting it into light energy which glows like a dim light bulb. I hold my technique for a few seconds, letting Chloe watch until she¡¯s satisfied. Then, I fire the blast, briefly lightning up the dungeon. As I do so, I make sure to remember to designate Chloe and myself as ¡®friendly¡¯ and unaffected by the Skill.


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± she says, trailing off for a moment.


    With my new [Ethersight], I watch as her [Ether] flows into her right palm. She furrows her brow and sits there for several minutes, trying different things. Her eyes light up as she turns toward me. She makes a finger gun, points it toward me, and fires a beam of light that hits me right in the shoulder.


    I instinctively wince, but then I realize I¡¯m not harmed. In fact, the pain I had from earlier has completely broken thanks to whatever Skill she just used.


    ¡°I got a new class Skill called [Healing Bullet],¡± she says. ¡°And I got my [Basic Ether Manipulation] up to Rank VII in the process.¡±


    ¡°Nice! And see, that¡¯s a skill I definitely can¡¯t do.¡± At least right now. ¡°Anyway, do you feel like less of a¡­ a burden, I guess?¡±


    Chloe¡¯s back to her cheerful self. ¡°Yeah, I do. Oh, and just so you¡¯re aware, your blue eyes start to glow when you¡¯re using that [Ethersight] skill of yours. You should be aware of that in the future.¡±


    ¡°Thanks for letting me know.¡±


    Strange that I never saw any sign of it when Lindsey was using whatever [Identify] variant she has. Maybe because it¡¯s not sight-based like this skill is? Could just be some cosmetic difference. There¡¯s still too much I don¡¯t know about Skills and spells and otherwise to really determine either way.


    We proceed deeper into the dungeon with our morale high, ready to face whatever challenges await us. Even though it¡¯s been nearly forty-five minutes at this point, I see no signs of aggressive monsters approaching and hear no evidence of other people coming in from behind. I start thinking about Tower Gauntlet and what¡¯s going on over there; is it still being kept under lockdown? Are people being let inside? Are the sentries inside forcibly clearing out the police lines outside? Goodness, if the cops there are as useless as the ones from this morning, I would certainly pay a few bucks to watch that.


    We encounter a couple of Lesser Cave Boars and Dark Crocodiles just like we did on our first trip. To my great surprise, my [Lightning Bullets] are able to effortlessly blast them to bits with a scant thirty points of [Ether] behind them. To my utter disgust, however, even the strongest, level 10 variants no longer give me any Experience. Chloe still gets a few points though, and even low double-digits per battle will add up.


    We find a couple of pieces of gear we can¡¯t use, and a pair of silvery bucklers which we can. Chloe straps hers on, and I follow suit. Probably inferior to our [Repulsion Gauntlets], as I¡¯ve renamed them. But we can¡¯t guarantee that we¡¯ll always have enough both [Ether] to activate them and the foresight to aim them properly, so the extra physical defense is welcome.


    We proceed slowly, giving ourselves time to let our [Ether] recuperate after each battle. Or mine, specifically, since every fight against the monsters to this point has been one shot, one kill. We have more than enough food and water for a day down here, even if some of our rations are just the flavorless, chewy hardtack. Although I¡¯d rather not be in the position of needing to do so, we could probably make it another day without, owing to us each having over forty [Vitality] after Chloe¡¯s hitting Level 15.


    A bit before lunch, the helical pathway widens slightly. A bit odd¡ª the passage to this point has been of remarkably consistent width, about thirty yards wide. I pull Chloe behind me and draw my blowgun as I shine my flashlight ahead. I¡¯m not sure what exactly I should be expecting, but as I stare ahead at the armored figure, it hits me. This is a dungeon. Dungeons¡­ have bosses. And it seems we¡¯ve found this dungeon¡¯s boss. Or at least the boss of this first portion of the dungeon.


    It moves. ¡°Greetings, adventurers. I am Armosi, the boss of the first level of this dungeon.¡± It raises its sword from the ground before it, and a line of Ether appears about twenty feet in front of us, glowing slightly. ¡°If you wish to put your mettle against my might and seek the riches that lie deeper within, then advance forward into the arena and prepare yourself for battle.¡±


    Chloe and I turn to one another. She readies her wand and I prepare my [Ether Bullets]. With resolve in our hearts, we march into the danger zone.

 Chapter 43: Battle with Guardian Armosi

    We step into the arena with a deep breath. The line of Ether glows brighter and brighter as tiny glyphs I recognize as [Repulsion] start to glow on either side. I place my hand on the auroral wall. Solid. I could probably disable the glyphs with my [Basic Glyph Manipulation] or just override them altogether with a [Repulsion Bullet], but the intent is clear. This is a battle to the death, with escape no longer a possibility.


    If there¡¯s one positive about the barrier surrounding our dueling arena, it¡¯s that I can see what¡¯s going on the battlefield as though it were all covered in the pale light of a full moon. I can¡¯t make out every detail, but I can see the handful of rocks and pits that will make for a potential tripping hazard. Oh, and at least one skeleton. Either it¡¯s a prop designed to instill fear, an undead abomination that¡¯ll reanimate in the middle of the fight, or it¡¯s the real deal, from someone unfortunate enough not to beat the knight before us. Not one of those options is reassuring in the slightest.


    Armosi raises its sword and grips it with both hands. The armored knight is covered from head to toe in steel full plate, along with a matching helmet, greaves, vambraces, gauntlets, and every other piece of armor. Its sword is more akin to the fat buster swords of fantasy than anything a real-life knight would have used. The blade is a good four feet long, eight inches thick, and looks heavy enough to bisect a girl with a single slash. It has a smaller longsword sheathed at his side, though at least it¡¯s not currently trying to dual-wield against us. Probably a backup weapon.


    I make a mental note to craft a second [Modular Blowgun] when we get back to base.


    Chloe steps behind me as I set my blowgun to the [Repulsion] setting. Armosi charges quicker than I¡¯d expect for a metallic brute, but not as fast as I¡¯d feared it might. I fire with thirty units of [Ether] and will the blast to explode as it gets within three feet.


    My blast fails to do more than dent the armor knight, but it does stun the boss long enough for the two of us to get out of the way. Chloe takes the lead, dodging to our right and running around the arena, while I do my best to assail our pursuer while keeping distance. Its vitality is high and my [Ether Bullet], even when guided into the chinks in its armor by [Trick Shot], fails to do much damage.


    Ten bullets fly in rapid succession as I try for some sort of compounding blast, followed by a [Lightning Bullet] with fifty [Ether] behind it. This one stuns the creature for a moment, allowing Chloe to gain some needed distance. I am dismayed when it swings its blade toward me, hurtling that electricity right back at me. I raise my hand and activate my [Repulsion Gauntlet], not sure if it¡¯ll work on a massless attack.


    It¡¯s partially successful, sending bits of the electrical surge away from me and toward the wall behind me. Chunks of stone break off the wall, and a cloud of debris wafts over the battlefield. I take ninety-seven points of damage from the residual shock, which is quickly patched up from Chloe¡¯s almost instantaneous [Healing Bullet] hitting my stomach. And it has a nice cooling sensation to go alongside!


    I dodge the follow-up horizontal slash to my right, then aim my [Repulsion] field at just the right direction to send Armosi¡¯s diagonal follow-up careening into the side of the chamber. It gets stuck for half a second, and I use the momentary break in action to run with all the celerity my pitiable 21 [Speed] stat can muster.


    I channel [Ethersight] for a moment, hoping I might identify a couple of weak points. I notice a few additional dents in the armor that I couldn¡¯t make out before. Most of the construct¡¯s internal [Ether] is in its chest as expected, but it contains five smaller concentrations as well. One inside its helmet. One each on the back of its kneecaps. And finally, one each in the armpits. Of the five, I¡¯ve tried and failed to pierce its helmet. The back of the knees seem too hard to reach, considering my relatively low [Speed].


    This leaves the armpits. Based on Armosi¡¯s grip, the construct seems to have a slight proclivity for its right side, so I set my sights on its left instead. I rush backward to gain distance, letting Chloe fire her [Repulsion] field much as I did. This time, Armosi is prepared, slamming the barrier with its fist with enough force to shatter it completely.


    Chloe takes damage. Her nose is bleeding; she falls to the ground, winded. I want to lash out in anger as I did the last time I saw her injured like this. But I stay violently calm, at least on the outside, trusting her to heal herself and retreat to safety. I focus on tempering my rage and channeling sixty points of [Ether] into a [Flaming Bullet], launching it the moment I lock on and using [Trick Shot] to spin it upward at the last second, hitting the armpit from below.


    The attack erupts into a golden sphere the size of a tennis ball. For the first time, Armosi staggers to the ground. My first instinct is to rush in, but I know better. [Ethersight] confirms that it¡¯s been weakened, but is far from dead. Instead, I think through my options, trying to piece together the best follow-up.


    My [Repulsive Bullet] didn¡¯t do enough to it. [Attractive Bullet] might stun it, but I doubt it¡¯ll do enough damage to crumple those heavy metal plates. That leaves my three elemental options. I get an idea.


    The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    As soon as Chloe is out of the way, I pop two more [Ether Bullets] out of my side pouch and slot the first one in, palming the second for the follow-up. With a single twist of the top dial, I switch the ammunition to [Freezing Bullet] and wait for the opportune moment.


    Armosi charges once more, this time going for a quick stabbing motion right at my abdomen. I dodge the stab, but I¡¯m unable to fully dodge the follow-up as the armored brute switches its grip and delivers a weak cutting blow directly upon my side.


    It¡¯s only relatively weaker, doing nearly eight hundred damage to me. It misses my intestines by the barest margin before cutting upward and cracking three ribs in the process. I want to scream and curse out. It hurts like absolute hell and I feel like shit. The pain is so bad I feel waves of nausea come over me and I want to lose my breakfast.


    But I¡¯m within my enemy¡¯s defenses and I know Chloe can patch even this up with her more powerful healing spell. With all the willpower I can muster, knowing damn well that I might be this universe¡¯s greatest hope, I launch my [Freezing Bullet], then immediately switch my settings. Without hesitation or delay, I fire a [Repulsive Bullet] at the same target.


    I fly backward from the concussive impact, slamming into the ground. My health falls to under seventy before Chloe¡¯s spell hits me and restores me by five hundred. She helps me back to my feet, stepping behind me as she does.


    I turn to our foe, knowing that until I¡¯ve seen the System notification, I can¡¯t assume that the battle is over. Armosi is covered in piles of debris and doesn¡¯t get back up. I peer through the cloud of dust surrounding it with [Ethersight]. And just as I¡¯d hoped, I notice numerous chips and cuts all throughout its torso. Its left vambrace is utterly shattered, and its gauntlet falls to the ground, motionless.


    As I had suspected, the construct Armosi is just an animated suit of armor, with no fleshy being controlling it from within. In a sense, it is a reflection of my own being as an artificial being, though on a less-refined scale.


    It tries to wield its greatsword with only one arm, but fails to properly swing it, instead chucking it toward me like a throwing knife. The two of us leap out of the way. I consider grabbing the weapon, but based on the clang it makes as it thuds into the ground, I¡¯m not confident the two of us working together can even lift the damned thing.


    It draws its sidearm and charges even faster this time. I¡¯m able to get up my [Repulsion Field] in the nick of time. But this time, even against the full weight of the attack, I¡¯m able to barely hold back the strike. I fall to my knee in the process and make a desperation gambit.


    As the one-armed construct lifts its arm up to finish me off with an even more powerful strike, I use [Trick Shot] and fire an unmodified bullet right at the base of its now-exposed armpit. The damage is minimal, but the stunning effect lasts just long enough for me to snake my way between its legs and fire a [Repulsion Bullet] directly into the back of its left knee with forty points of [Ether] behind it.


    I¡¯m again sent flying. I try to hit the right knee, but I¡¯m too low on [Ether] to use my attack with even thirty points, the bare minimum to activate both glyphs. I curse my miscalculation, but get an idea. I instead switch the nozzle back to the sixth, unused section. With my final twenty-four points of [Ether], I use the glyph of [Impulse] alone at the last weak spot. I narrowly miss, on track for a clean but not precise hit. But at the last second, my [Ether] ticks up from 0 to 1, just enough for me to use my [Trick Shot] to correct the trajectory of my attack.


    I¡¯m winded. Mentally, I¡¯m drained. I want to sit down and not have to do a damn thing for I don¡¯t know how long. Except eat. My stomach growls, not caring that it¡¯s the worst possible time.


    I don¡¯t have enough energy left to continue on. I¡¯m about to reach for my Ether canister to continue the fight when the dust settles. Armosi isn¡¯t vanquished, but with one arm, one leg completely blown off at the kneecap, and the other crumpled like a piece of foil, it isn¡¯t moving either. It stands motionless, holding itself up by its sword with its one good arm and leg stump.


    ¡°Did we win?¡± Chloe asks.


    ¡°No System notification,¡± I say.


    I pull out my [Ether Bullets]. No strength left to use my blowgun. Only choice is the crudest method. I start hurling them at the construct. Air resistance makes my attacks weak, of poor aim, and less effective than I¡¯d feared they would be. But I just need the last bit of chip damage to bring our foe down. One lucky shot. I finally get it.


    Armosi¡¯s hand loosens from its blade and the entire suit of armor falls lifelessly to the ground. A thin wisp of smoke emerges from within it. My heart starts to pound. What the hells do I do? Escape? I don¡¯t have anything effective against incorporeal beings. And I don¡¯t know if Chloe does either. I stumble backward, trying to buy a few crucial seconds. But the wisp doesn¡¯t attack. Instead, it briefly forms into the shape of an wizened old man with a full beard. The man smiles, then fades away.


    [You have defeated Construct Armosi, The Armorsoul Knight (Level 21)! You have gained a boosted 6,666 Experience! (Experience boosted further due to being a dungeon boss.)]


    [You have gained enough Experience to reach Level 17. [Vitality] +1, [Mind] +1. Please allocate remaining stat points. (3 Remaining)]


    Its suit of armor and swords both dissipate into Ether. A treasure chest materializes in its place, but all I can do is sit down, throw my three free stat points into [Mind] for the extra maximum [Ether] I so desperately need, and crawl up against a wall until my mental fatigue goes away.


    [Maximum Health increases by [Vitality] x2 + Current Level + Rand[1, 3] = 106]


    [Maximum Ether increases by [Mind] + Current Level + Rand[0, 2] = 71]


    [Level: 17; Experience: 22,546; To Next: 2,579]


    [Current Stats: [Health]: 813 / 1,274 ; [Ether]: 75 / 741]


    [Current Stats: [Strength]: 21; [Speed]: 21; [Vitality]: 43; [Mind]: 54]

 Chapter 44: Lunch and Loot

    Once the status windows have cleared and I can confirm with my eyes that Armosi is, without a doubt, completely and utterly slain, I collapse onto the ground and proceed to do nothing. Processing the level up seems to have helped with the mental fatigue, but only enough that I have the mental fortitude to reach into my backpack and grab some trail mix. Then I even grab some hardtack, shove it in my mouth, and soften it with water. Best damned thing I¡¯ve tasted in weeks. And the water is cooler, crisper, and more refreshing than even the sweetest concoctions I¡¯ve had the pleasure to have had cross my lips until now.


    Chloe gives me a look, thankfully not The Look, as she sits down next to me and we take a moment¡¯s rest in the dungeon. The air around us is strangely calm, and not even the monsters from before approach us as we enjoy our lunch in the darkness. Is it because we defeated the boss of the floor? It¡¯s not an unheard of phenomenon, but at the same time, I would have expected at least one creature to take its chances against us. As weakened as I am, it might just have a chance of succeeding.


    Bit by bit, my [Ether] ticks up. A little faster than I¡¯d expected, even taking into consideration that I boosted my [Mind] by another four points during my most recent level up. Perhaps defeating the boss of a dungeon floor modifies the characteristics of the dungeon in other ways, causing the Ether density to pick up?


    There are a lot of other questions I have about what exactly dungeons are, why they form, and how they work. Guards aside, I don¡¯t remember any monsters even trying to escape from either of the two dungeons I¡¯ve visited to this point. Do they have entire ecosystems contained within? Or are they closer to artificial constructs born of Ether and created by the dungeon to form challenges for adventurers who brave the depths. I suspect I¡¯ll not be getting definitive answers to these questions either.


    Once I¡¯m sufficiently hydrated and my [Ether] is back over two hundred points, I shamble over to the treasure chest and drag it back to where Chloe continues to eat. I¡¯m still worried about the potential for monsters within the chests, but after knocking it about a bit and seeing nothing with [Ethersight], I open it.


    On top are two identical books with crimson covers, each about an inch thick and with pages that are roughly six inches by nine inches. They¡¯re not written in any language I recognize, and the glyph inlaid in gold trim doesn¡¯t look familiar either. I hand one of them to Chloe and flip through the pages. Vaguely, the language might pass for the ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs from millennia ago, but I think these are extraterrestrial in origin.


    I flip through to the back and see one glyph I do recognize. Unfortunately, it¡¯s one of the glyphs in my sketchbook that I haven¡¯t yet been able to figure out. A confirmation at least that the two are the same language, which also seems to be the language of magic, or Ethertech, or the native language of the System. I¡¯m not sure on the first of those, but I¡¯m fairly confident on the other two.


    ¡°Chloe, do these symbols look familiar to you?¡± I ask. ¡°When you¡¯re casting your spells, that is.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± she says. ¡°I don¡¯t really see these sorts of symbols when casting my healing magic. It¡¯s more that I just envision the spell I want to cast, trigger an impulse to do so, and then everything else happens in the foreground.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ We could look at taking you down the path of spell development, if you want.¡±


    ¡°Spell development?¡±


    ¡°The glyphs in this book all seem to be written in the language of the system. The same glyphs I¡¯m using in my Ethertech. I think you could learn how to create even stronger healing spells, or ones with different effects.¡±


    ¡°Like a spell that lets me heal multiple people at once? I think I should get one of those spells when I get to a higher level, but it would be nice to have sooner.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. I doubt we¡¯ll be able to decipher enough of this language to get you there before level 20 or 25. I¡¯m not getting any translation Skill to help read through this.¡± I use [Ethersight] and glance through the pages. No luck.


    ¡°Your eyes are pretty when you use your [Ethersight], Sera.¡± She looks away. ¡°I¡¯m a bit envious.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure that you¡¯ll be able to learn the Skill once you get a bit better at controlling your Ether flow. Also as an additional incentive, you get an extra two stat points whenever you max out the rank of one of your Skills.¡±


    ¡°Wait, really?¡± she asks. ¡°I wonder if it works for spell proficiencies as well.¡±


    ¡°Like having to cast a spell a certain number of times in order to get it to rank up?¡±


    Chloe taps me with her finger, causing an invigorating sensation of fresh mint to bubble up from my core. Then she does so another four times in quick succession.


    ¡°Huh. That last one didn¡¯t work.¡±


    ¡°I think it¡¯s because my [Health] reached its maximum after the fourth cast.¡±


    ¡°So, I have to¨C¡±


    ¡°Boundaries, Chloe. I will be your pincushion if I have to, but I will not start willingly ingesting or injecting myself with poisons so you can rank up your antidote spell or whatever it¡¯s called.¡±


    ¡°Nope, it¡¯s just called [Antidote]. And it doesn¡¯t seem to have higher ranks, anyway.¡±


    I breathe a sigh of relief. ¡°But let¡¯s save it for after we finish our dungeon crawl. I don¡¯t know if the monsters in here are drawn to fresh blood, and I¡¯d rather not drain our limited [Ether] reserves if we don¡¯t have to.¡±


    Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    ¡°But I¡¯m topped out!¡±


    I sigh. ¡°Only cast every time it tops back out. I don¡¯t know if my arm can take more than that.¡±


    Chloe gives me an evil grin. I sit back and enjoy the rest of my meal with the added joy of getting my left arm poked with a needle every minute and a half. I take a single point of damage each time, except for once, when I take two due to pinching a nerve. The pain of each poke goes away the next instant as I get to enjoy yet more minty taste in my entire bloodstream.


    The mint makes the hardtack surprisingly easy to force down. Doesn¡¯t combine particularly well with the jerky though. Maybe a sweet jerky, cured with sugar instead of salt? I feel like that has to exist, but I don¡¯t recall having ever heard of it. Sounds like carnival food.


    Another half hour passes, during which time my [Ether] restores by a hundred and eighty points as opposed to the expected one hundred and thirty-five. I keep track using Chloe¡¯s phone, which she¡¯s kept charged. It is possible that dungeons are distorting time somehow. However, there¡¯s been no evidence to suggest as much during our previous two excursions, so I still consider this unlikely. More probable is that defeating a boss has an effect.


    I also take the time to examine the rest of the loot we¡¯ve found for defeating the first floor. I find a [Ruby-Studded Wand], which I hand to Chloe. According to the System description, it is supposed to augment the power of fire-based spells when used as an effector. Chloe has no such spells in her repertoire, but the overall boost to her spellslinging effectiveness justifies the upgrade. This despite her reluctance to give up the weapon I crafted for her a couple of weeks back.


    More swords. The System must really like swords. Then again, the idea of swinging a stick is one of the big appeals of fantasy. Even I¡¯m not immune to the basic impulse to engage in swinging a sharp object, although it¡¯s not my preferred weapon. Much better to fight at range when possible. I tap my [Modular Blowgun] once for good measure. But I do take the [Blessed Sword] as a far better backup weapon than the [Fire-Forged Bat] that has long outlived its usefulness at this point.


    More importantly, I find a nice brigandine. The System rates its defensive capabilities at +30, a considerable upgrade from the +12 on my current suit of leather armor. I do worry as I put the suit on that it will end up not fitting well due to my¡­ decidedly not male and not unisex figure. My fears are once again allayed as the plates of metal and leather shift around my body, forming a fit that¡¯s snug on me, without pinching or squeezing my more tender areas.


    I get up and run around to make sure that there¡¯s no sliding about. It does make a bit of noise when I move, something to be aware of if I need to engage in stealth operations. But other than that, it¡¯s as comfortable as can be expected. And weighs a bit less than I¡¯d assume all this leather and steel should. Maybe eight pounds or so? With my [Strength], [Speed], and [Vitality] as they are, I don¡¯t notice any encumbrance at all when I try to move about. Even tumbling maneuvers like the one I performed last battle are¡­ not perfectly smooth, but manageable.


    I check the glyphs etched into the surface. Seems to be the usual slate of defensive enchantments,


    Chloe gets a pair of robes. White like the ones from before, but this time adorned with new glyphs and Ether conduits. She asks me to help her put it on. I don¡¯t see why she needs the help slipping into some new robes. But she helped me and if she wants me to help, it¡¯s the least I can do. Even if the extent of my work is to give her a once over and compliment her on her appearance. She twirls around like a dancer on stage, letting the stale air whip about, and finishes her whimsical spin with a hairflip and a half-bow.


    ¡°Did you like it?¡±


    Wait, what? Why does this sound suspiciously like she¡¯s trying to hit on me? She has never, in all thirteen years that I have known her, even once hinted at being attracted to women. And this just days after Lindsey made what might have generously been described as interest as well.


    Did something about my class change cause me to start exuding lesbian vibes? Even if I¡¯m curious in theory, it¡¯s not like I¡¯m in any position to start dating. Not when there are dungeons to explore and worlds to save and so much to learn about magic and Ethertech and exploring the stars and even more potential than I have words to describe.


    ¡°You look great, and the outfit looks great on you, Chloe,¡± I say with full sincerity. If she¡¯s seriously hitting on me¡ª something I struggle to wrap my head around¡ª then the words should assuage her while not setting her up too much. Maybe this is a greater cruelty still, leading her on like this. But, I don¡¯t want to make things awkward. Not now, in the middle of a dungeon.


    ¡°Thanks, Sera,¡± she says.


    We finish up our meal and rest period, and since I¡¯ve not really done so up to this point, I decide to pull up my full status menu, with all equipment, skills, and other information listed.


    [Name: Seraphina Mortensen]


    [Age: 18]


    [Level: 17; Experience: 22,546; To Next: 2,579]


    [Current Stats: [Health]: 1,273 / 1,274 ; [Ether]: 475 / 741]


    [Current Stats: [Strength]: 21; [Speed]: 20; [Vitality]: 43; [Mind]: 54]


    [Combat Parameters:


    [Attack (Physical Damage Dealing Capability)]: 91 (Base Strength 21)]


    [Agility (Ability to Dodge Attacks): 46 (Base Speed 21)]


    [Defense (Damage Reduction from Physical Attacks): 80 (Base Vitality 43)]


    [Magic Attack (Magic Damage Dealing Capability): 54 (Base Mind: 54)]


    [Magic Defense (Damage Reduction from Magical Attacks): 59 (Base Mind: 54)]]


    [Equipment:


    [Weapon: [Modular Blowgun]: Attack +70 (+30 with glyphs inactive)]


    [Helmet: None]


    [Arms / Shield: [Simple Buckler]: Defense +1, Agility +20]


    [Body: [Brigandine]: Defense +30]


    [Leg Armor: [Boots of [Impulse]]: Defense +5, Agility +5]


    [Accessory 1: [[Repulsion] Gauntlets]: Defense +1, Magic Defense +5]


    [Accessory 2: None]]


    Class 1: [Planetouched Mechanist]


    Class Skills: (2/6 Skill Slots remaining)


    [Tinkerer]


    [Flash of Insight]


    [Ether Bullet (Rank X) [Max Rank Achieved]]


    [Trick Shot]


    General Skills: (3/6 Skill Slots remaining)


    [Basic Glyph Manipulation (Rank V)]


    [Intermediate Ether Manipulation (Rank I)]


    [Ethersight (Rank I)]


    Unique Trait: [Touched by the Multiverse]


    Having rested and restored enough of my [Ether] to move on, we head off and into the second descent.

 Chapter 45: South County Dungeon, Second Descent I

    The air immediately changes as we walk down a narrow staircase into the second level of the dungeon. It doesn¡¯t grow colder, exactly, but the presence contained within sends chills down my spine. Chloe has broken out into goosebumps right alongside me, and she grabs onto my left arm as we huddle up next to each other.


    I flicker on [Ethersight], wondering if there¡¯s some sort of phantasm or other invisible being that¡¯s hanging around us, trying to cause us problems. That¡¯s part of the reason why I picked up the [Blessed Sword] as my secondary weapon; I can¡¯t conclusively state that incorporeal undead don¡¯t exist, and if they do, light-elemental attacks seem likely to be particularly effective against them.


    That, and it¡¯s good to have a fourth element to fall back upon. My class values flexibility and preparation above all else. Although I don¡¯t know how many elements there are in total, nor how they interact. At the very least, I can assume that we have the elements of earth, wind, fire, water, ice, lightning, light, and dark. But what about combinations? Fire and earth to create lava? Light and dark combining to make¡­ cosmic? Earth and water making wood? Fire and water mixing to form steam? Or maybe earth and¡­ lightning to get metal? I can throw together even more combinations, but without knowing how the system categorizes elements, I have nothing to work with.


    The lack of information is a pain in the ass. But the creature staring at us is going to be an even bigger pain, and in far more places than just our asses. It looks similar to a bear, except with an extra pair of forearms. It snarls at us, seeming to shake the air as it roars at us.


    And an extra row of teeth, I¡¯m forced to add. Because ten feet of solid muscle and fur, six claws as large as my head, and enough mass to trample us underfoot isn¡¯t deadly enough for just the second level of this dungeon. My first instinct is to take our loot, head back to the surface, and lock in our gains before we get ourselves killed. I do take a moment to examine it with my [Ethersight] to make sure I¡¯m not missing anything.


    It¡¯s weaker than Armosi? Maybe not in terms of its stature or how imposing it is, but the glow of [Ether] within the ursine beast is definitely and noticeably less than the boss of the first floor had. Is every boss that much of a power spike? It nearly killed me, but the other enemies on the floor barely scratched the two of us.


    And that leads me to the other reason why I don¡¯t immediately rush back the way we came. We need better equipment. I can work on crafting more, but I need more knowledge to do so.


    This is not quite true, I have to correct. I have more knowledge stored in this book, thanks to the generosity of the System. But I don¡¯t have the knowledge to make use of it, and short of finding a [Linguist] and a year or two to decipher it, I¡¯m not going to get it without more to work with. Maybe, if I can find a few pieces of text that contains the same script in both English and System, I can use my Skills to pursue that path further.


    The bear moves toward us. It makes a swipe in our general direction, but when it gets within about five yards of the entrance, further movement is repelled. My [Ethersight] reveals a wall not unlike the one that surrounded us when we fought Armosi earlier. This makes a surprising amount of sense. The dungeon has multiple floors, and it needs some mechanism to keep each type of enemy on its appropriate floor.


    I reach through the barrier. Other than the fact that my palm is immediately swatted at, I¡¯m able to pass through the glowing wall without incident. I¡¯m also able to pull my hand back inside just the same as if the wall never existed in the first place. But the bear just swipes toward us again. It meets the same fate as before, falling backward onto its ass from the impact and subsequent ricochet.


    Chloe and I stand back, and I toss an [Ether Bullet] at the barrier. As expected, the attack explodes on contact, with not a single trace of the attack passing through. A couple of chunks of stone break off the stairs. The stairs, however, instantly repair themselves, to my astonishment and bemusement in equal measure.


    I examine the stairs closely, hoping to find some sort of [Repair] or [Mending] glyph. I find nothing, suggesting the glyphs are either hidden deeper within the stairwell, or it¡¯s some natural property of these twisted dungeon spaces. [Ethersight] doesn¡¯t see any traces of a glyph I can copy either, to my great disappointment.


    At the same time, however, I remember that equipment registered in the System does seem to get some sort of mending property even without specific glyphs to that effect. I¡¯ve not noticed any chips in the rifling of my [Modular Blowgun], nor has it deformed even slightly from the immense heat and pressures involved.


    With no desire to delay further, we pass through the barrier and are immediately greeted by a roar and a trio of slices at my face. I dodge the first one, block the second one with my buckler, then activate my [Boots of Impulse] for half a second to slide underneath the last swipe. As the bear recovers from its attack, I launch a [Flaming Bullet] right into its groin.


    This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    I expect it to keel over in pain. Instead, it charges at me with even greater intensity, not even stopping to put out the smoldering fur still faintly glowing between its hind legs. I dodge another four attacks, but then the fifth one takes me by surprise. I spin out of the way at the last second, but I¡¯m still down a hundred and forty health from the laceration across my left arm. Thankfully not my good arm, but I still need both arms to properly aim my weapon.


    All I can do is dance around the battlefield, fighting fully defensively as I slowly maneuver toward Chloe. She¡¯s got her [Healing Bullet] charged and on standby, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. Unfortunately, her ranged healing isn¡¯t instantaneous, and one false move will have her healing Mr. Bear instead.


    I continue my dodging, ignoring the lightheadedness starting to seep in as blood continues to ooze down my arm. My heart races as my [Health] continues to trickle down from the [Bleed] status ailment I¡¯m suffering from. Now under 500, and still slowly trickling down. Thankfully, it¡¯s right as the bear pounces that Chloe¡¯s healing Skill hits me. Rejuvenated, and cured of my condition, my head starts thinking more clearly, and I¡¯m again able to use [Boots of Impulse] to move out of the way, then switch to my [Gauntlets of Repulsion] to deflect the errant swipe heading in my direction.


    To my delight, the spider-bear keels over from overextending itself. Its middle pair of arms catch it before it thuds on the stone floor, but I have enough time to use [Trick Shot] to aim a [Lightning Bullet] directly into its mouth. It explodes, completely removing its lower jaw from its head and sending teeth flying. I¡¯m able to dodge, while Chloe deflects them with her own gauntlets. The creature is bleeding profusely, but the battle is far from over.


    It¡¯s even more pissed than before. Thankfully, its moves are starting to slow down. In order to conserve my [Ether], I switch to regular bullets, powered only by the [Impulse] glyph for added momentum and stopping power. I aim everywhere I can. The eyes, mouth, and even ears make ideal targets, and with my [Ethersight], I also notice an energy concentration on the pits of the creature¡¯s middle pair of legs. Some sort of special gland there? What sort of odd mutation even allows for such a thing to happen?


    I get an idea. As it raises its palms to swipe down upon me, I charge [Flash of Insight] and wait. It gallops toward me with its back two pairs of legs. My palms sweat as I continue to delay. Its massive claws extend outward, eager to rend my flesh asunder, seeming to pop further out of its hands. Not until I feel them grazing the hair on my ears do I finally step backwards, letting the bear¡¯s momentum crash against the ground. And in that moment, I throw thirty units of [Ether] into my flash grenade and let it rip.


    A primal, guttural roar fills the chamber. I¡¯m half surprised not to see half a dozen more bears join the fight. But I take the opportunity and count my good fortune. I sheathe my [Modular Blowgun] and draw my [Blessed Sword], thrusting it directly into my ursine foe¡¯s left eye. My blade glows brightly, and a wave of black fog sublimes off the creature¡¯s fur as I pull back my weapon.


    More slashes follow. I nearly trip over my weapon once as I swing it into the enemy¡¯s left foreleg. The gash is deep and the cut isn¡¯t clean, leaving me unable to pull my sword back to me as it gets caught in more fibrous muscle. I grit my teeth, but just as I¡¯m about to abandon my blade for the time being, a small fireball flies through the air and hits the beast right on the ass. This gives me just enough leverage to pull my sword loose, nick the two weak spots near its middle legs, and finish the creature off.


    [You have slain a Cavern Spider Bear (Level 19). You have been awarded a boosted 2,400 Experience.]


    [Level: 17; Experience: 24,946; To Next: 179]


    [Current Stats: [Health]: 941 / 1,274 ; [Ether]: 224 / 741]


    Damn. Not quite enough for a level up. Next battle almost certainly will, as a small comfort. And, to my greater chagrin, no more loot either. Would it kill for an [Ether Canister]?


    I turn to Chloe with bemusement. But instead of a serious face, she¡¯s wearing the most conniving, shit-eating grin I¡¯ve ever seen as she prances up to me and gives me a high-five.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯m going to assume that the fireball came from you. When and how?¡± I ask.


    ¡°It¡¯s the wand you gave me. It allows me to cast the spell [Fireball] once each hour, without eating into my [Ether] reserves.¡±


    I chuckle. ¡°No wonder you look so pleased with yourself.¡± The implications of her words immediately hit me with all the subtlety of a sack of lead bricks to the face. ¡°Wait, can cast the spell without eating into your [Ether] reserves. Did I hear you correctly?¡±


    She grins even wider, if that can be believed. I found what might be the closest thing to a Holy Grail just sitting among piles of loot, and I didn¡¯t have enough knowledge to realize how valuable this was. A way to cast without drawing on her personal [Ether] stat means it has some other way to absorb environmental Ether. And that means I can finally start using my weapons without blowing through a tenth of my reserve with each shot.


    She presents the wand back to me with open hands. ¡°Do you want to work your technical magic?¡±


    Now it¡¯s my turn to grin with delight. ¡°Absolutely, Chloe. But, it¡¯s all technical skills. I don¡¯t have magical capabilities in this class.¡±


    She rolls her eyes at me and gives me the finger. I ignore the playful jest as I examine her wand more closely.


    ¡°I¡¯m being serious,¡± I say. ¡°Even my elemental bullets are apparently classified as nonmagical and operate off my [Strength] stat. Never mind that I have to expend a metric ton of [Ether] to do so. It doesn¡¯t make any sense.¡± I sigh. ¡°Then again, common sense is a vice when it comes to trying to understand the System.¡±


    Chloe motions back over to the protection of the stairs. ¡°Well, Sera, show me what a [Mechanist] can really do.¡±

 Chapter 46: South County Dungeon, Second Descent II

    We make our way over to the staircase, passing back through the barrier to the first level as easily as we crossed it the first time. This leads me down an interesting tangent as I dig through my bag for my magnifying glass. Save points are a thing in many video game dungeons. I dare not get my hopes up that there will be any second chances should we fall in battle. Maybe a revival spell at some point, but I¡¯m going to assume otherwise until proven wrong beyond a shadow of a doubt.


    It might not be strictly a save point, but this corridor does seem to be a safe point. And that gives a lot of interesting implications as to the System¡¯s purpose. It clearly doesn¡¯t want us to live life as we have before its arrival. The low level monsters that make it into the city center are nuisances, but there are real nasties that lurk between major cities. Creatures far worse than the tribe of gorillas the two of us fought with Alexey and the others.


    Lindsey¡¯s [Identify] skill clocked them at levels approaching 50. Far, far beyond any of our ability to take down, even with perfect preparation, much better equipment, extreme luck, and every other factor going in our way. The gap in our parameters would simply overwhelm even Nicholas¡¯s [Tactician] Skills. They¡¯ve chosen to stay away from the city for now. But I don¡¯t believe ¡®for now¡¯ is ¡®forever¡¯.


    The same is true for these barriers. There are monsters in here that will absolutely ravage civilization as we know it. And yet, these creatures are cordoned off, away from where they would do the most harm. Undoubtedly, the System does not wish to kill us off. I have no doubt it could have simply ripped the planet apart had that been its goal. No, it wants us to get stronger and develop our classes and Skills.


    I had dismissed the possibility that the System feeds on us like hogs or cattle. Now, seeing how deep these dungeons go, and how they are being sequestered away from the city like that, I¡¯m forced to reevaluate my earlier dismissal.


    The System wants to offer us rewards for delving into these dungeons and getting stronger; hence the possibility for loot and levels. This brings up another point, and probably one more immediate than the System¡¯s end goals. At some point in the near future, someone is going to get an idea to use that personal power and convert it to political power and influence. I guess I can be thankful that people like Alexey and his crew are honorable enough to serve the people rather than try to oppress them. I dare not hope that he and his are in the majority.


    I turn my attention back to the [Ruby-Studded Wand] from Chloe and examine it, first with my eyes, then with [Ethersight]. I don¡¯t see any glyphs on the surface, though the poor lighting might factor into that. It¡¯s too dark with the dungeon¡¯s ambient light alone. And with the flashlight pointed at it, it¡¯s far too bright and the glare overwhelms my ability to see.


    However, my [Ethersight] reveals a very different story. There are tiny holes dotted all over the surface of the weapon, far narrower than even a strand of hair. They would be utterly invisible to all but the most powerful of microscopes, except for the tiny whorls of Ether from the outside being pulled in like water rushing down an open drain.


    I look at one of these vortices, pulling the wand close to my face to observe more closely. It seems vaguely reminiscent of the same channels I feel within my own body when I channel [Ether] with my skills. I pull Ether out of my core, let it suffuse my body, then guide it to my fingertips. Now I do the reverse, pulling the [Ether] back into my core. Even when my [Ether] circuits¡ª conduits, channels?¡ª are fully emptied, I continue pulling, creating a vacuum of Ether near the surface of my skin.


    I have to move my hands about a bit, but after a few minutes, it starts to work. Very, very, very slowly, but I do feel tiny bits of Ether entering my body. Not even a single extra point after wagging my hands around like a buffoon for the better part of a minute, and certainly not enough to cast a free [Fireball] every hour.


    Inspiration strikes, though this is potentially extremely foolish. I hope Chloe doesn¡¯t understand what I¡¯m doing, and that I don¡¯t blow my left hand off in the process. My [Tinkerer] skill isn¡¯t telling me that this is the most harebrained idea of all time, at the very least.


    I pull out a ballpoint pen and trace the glyph of [Attraction] on the back of my hand, along with sluice lines leading to my fingertips, where my control of my internal [Ether] flow is maximized. Chloe gives me a look as she glances over, but doesn¡¯t start chastising me just yet.


    I activate the glyph and repeat the process. My hand feels weird, like having a suction hose on it and feeling the sensation of pulling my skin and muscle ever so slightly. But with the limited [Ether] I channel into it, it doesn¡¯t hurt. Just the most mild of discomfort. Better yet, the glyph works, pulling Ether into my channels, and from there into my core. Unfortunately, I¡¯m not able to pull any more Ether out of the atmosphere than I have to expend to activate the glyph. There¡¯s something I¡¯m missing. But I¡¯m not sure what it is.


    The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    [Your [Intermediate Ether Manipulation (Rank I)] has upgraded to [Intermediate Ether Manipulation (Rank II)].]


    [Your [Basic Glyph Manipulation (Rank V)] has upgraded to [Basic Glyph Manipulation (Rank VI)].]


    That¡¯s nice. I guess that¡¯s because I¡¯m experimenting with glyphs and doing the sorts of things my class wants me to do? Pushing the boundaries of science and Ethertech? And I suppose I acknowledge there was danger involved, and I¡¯m not exactly in the safest location as well. Makes sense to get the upgrade, and I¡¯ll not look the gift horse in the mouth.


    The slight efficiency gains from ranking the skills up aren¡¯t enough to make the test net [Ether] positive. But at least it¡¯s a start on something new. I do find a couple of other glyphs on the wand near the glowing red ruby on its tip. One of them is the [Heat] glyph I already recognize. The others, I have to imagine, are also used in the construction of the [Fireball] spell the wand lets Chloe cast. Four glyphs in total that I can see. Maybe [Ignition], [Compression], and [Rotation] are the other three?


    I hand Chloe back her wand. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I got two Skill ranks out of it and a lot of interesting hypotheses, but nothing concrete that I can work with right now.¡±


    ¡°Oh, well, it seems I got a Skill out of it too. It¡¯s called [Meditation], and it lets me increase my passive [Ether] regeneration when I¡¯m focusing on doing so.¡±


    ¡°Wait¡­¡± Damn it all to hell! All I had to do was think about absorbing Ether into my body and it¡­ I close my eyes and take deep breaths, remembering my grounding exercises from whenever I get stressed out. I concentrate on my internal [Ether] flow. It crashes like a wave against my core, flowing out, then receding back inward with the rise and fall of my breaths. I repeat the process, doing what I can to clear my mind.


    I get no Skill for it. Might be that my class simply isn¡¯t compatible with such a skill. Another weakness of the class; [Mage] type classes naturally want to put lots of points into their [Mind] stat to boost their offensive capabilities, as well as their maximum [Ether] and [Ether] Regeneration rate. Because they are nearly useless without their [Ether] reserves, they get Skills to help them avoid that.


    I, on the other hand, am expected to construct the tools I need. This volume of glyphs should contain some formulae for how to progress on that front. At the very least, I hope that it does. It better. But I should also be prepared for the possibility that it doesn¡¯t. Though, there is one thing I¡¯d like to try before we move on.


    ¡°Hey, Chloe, mind trying one thing for me?¡±


    She looks up at me. ¡°Go on,¡± she says. I can¡¯t tell if she¡¯s genuinely wanting to help me, or if she¡¯s just exasperated with my antics and is humoring me. Or both.


    ¡°Can you try channeling your [Ether] into your hands and then infusing it into me?¡±


    Chloe does so without hesitation, placing both of her hands on my left forearm and holding it snug. Nothing happens at first. Chloe¡¯s eyes close, and mine follow, focusing on my best friend¡¯s hands. They grow warm to the touch, and once I feel the temperature start to rise, I pull with my Ether channels just as before. Only this time, with Chloe¡¯s raw [Ether] being poured directly onto my skin, my own [Ether] starts increasing at a noticeable rate. It tops off at about one point every two seconds, or about a sevenfold increase over my natural regeneration rate.


    We continue like this for another minute and a half, long enough for me to regenerate fifty points of [Ether], in addition to my normal rate. Chloe looks at me with an expectant stare.


    ¡°It definitely worked. How many points of [Ether] did you expend?¡±


    ¡°About eighty. And I got a rank in my [Basic Ether Manipulation] at the same time.¡±


    ¡°I recovered about fifty. So a decent but still improvable efficiency. I was worried that we were going to get something absolutely asinine like ten percent at best.¡±


    ¡°Nice. Glad to know that you¡¯re not going to slow us down in the next fight.¡±


    ¡°Me slow us down? I have admitted no small number of times that your healing skills are invaluable. I just make shiny things and try to make the monsters go boom with them.¡±


    ¡°When you¡¯re not trying to make yourself, your stuff, and everyone around you go boom first.¡±


    I stand up off the stairs, turn around, cross my arms, and give Chloe the most impudent eye roll I can muster. And she has the utter audacity to stand up and poke me like I¡¯m the one who¡¯s done wrong! Damn my social misfortune!


    Once I¡¯ve taken a moment to calm myself, we make our way to the far end of the long entrance chamber. There are three doors¡ª one leading straight ahead, and one leading to either side. I strongly suspect that our objective is straight ahead, but I am not at all confident about our ability to face off against the boss of this floor. I suspect, based on the jump between the first floor creatures and Armosi, that the boss of this floor is somewhere around level 30. With the whole group of rangers, I¡¯d at least think we have a chance. With just Chloe, I¡¯m not willing to risk it.


    ¡°Right or left?¡± she asks. I¡¯m glad to hear that she has the same idea. Or perhaps she has some ability to see or sense malicious energy with class Skills.


    ¡°Why are you asking me?¡± I ask. ¡°You¡¯re the lucky one.¡±


    Chloe gives me The Look, and I sigh and point to the left. Chloe takes my hand and pulls me into the door on my right, and I steel myself as we prepare for the challenges that await.

 Chapter 47: South County Dungeon, Second Descent III

    We get up and make our way into the room immediately to our right, only to see another room nearly identical to the first. I say ¡®nearly¡¯, because there¡¯s no Spider Bear in this one, nor is there a staircase leading back to the first floor of the dungeon. The walls are perfectly smooth, while the ceilings glow just brightly enough to allow us to see colors tinted in a shade of fluorescent green.


    We split up to check the room. Chloe heads toward where the staircase would be, while I hug the walls, looking for any panels or signs of hidden passageways. I feel nothing, and even with my [Ethersight] scanning for an invisible glyph somewhere, I find nothing. Not even a mundane panel that might give us some clues as to what we might be trying to do.


    Instead we pass through the right-side door and into the next room. This one is different, in that there¡¯s no room leading further right¡­ I have no idea what the absolute cardinal direction is. East, if we assume we started on the south side of the first room and proceeded to the north, but the spiral walkway of the first descent means I can¡¯t tell for sure. Even Chloe¡¯s compass app on her phone is giving her nothing, which I blame on the spatial distortion that makes up this dungeon space.


    However, there is a treasure chest in the back corner of the room. I again can¡¯t discount the possibility of a monster lurking within, so I approach slowly and carefully. Once I get next to it, I turn on my [Ethersight], and immediately start smiling with glee as I open the box of goodies. Five [Ether Canisters] for our trouble. About damn time we got a few restoratives! And maybe, given they aren¡¯t quite identical, there¡¯s enough to go off in terms of figuring out what exactly is necessary to build my own.


    Again no monsters in this room. Considering the unpleasantness that awaited us in the first room, I¡¯m surprised. I would have expected to have seen more of something at this point. Maybe there¡¯s a puzzle involved on this floor?


    We head north by one room. This time, we encounter an eye bat. Or at least, a creature that looks like a bat, has batlike wings, hangs from the ceiling, and has a single giant eyeball in the middle of its soccer ball-sized body. Fortunately, my [Ether Bullets] are sharp, quickened with the glyph of [Impulse], and are an almost perfect weapon against the flying menace. Unfortunately, sclera gets everywhere, including in my hair, and even as the creature disintegrates and the kill notification pops up in my sight, it doesn¡¯t fully dissipate. Gods-damned bats!


    [You have slain an Eyetwitch (Level 15). You have gained a boosted 174 Experience!]


    [Level: 17; Experience: 25,120; To Next: 5]


    [Current Stats: [Health]: 1,149 / 1,274 ; [Ether]: 498 / 741]


    Five points away from the level up. And not a treasure chest in sight. Gods-damned bats indeed.


    We head up one additional room. The air grows warm, a welcome feeling after proceeding through the chills of the dungeon. Chloe¡¯s wand glows slightly, which I interpret to mean the wand is charged and can use its [Fireball] again. Chloe confirms as much. And again, no enemies in this room either. There¡¯s a strange wall that spans the middle third of the room, though it doesn¡¯t really do anything. Just a long, thin column for structural support? I have no idea if it¡¯s load-bearing or not, but it doesn¡¯t really do anything other than force Chloe and I to walk a bit more closely together.


    We end up in a room that looks like a corner room, and things are starting to make a bit more sense. There¡¯s some sort of grid-like system with the rooms. Maybe a five wide by four deep array? Either we have to go through all of them, or go through them in a specific order, or maybe it¡¯s one of those ¡®single path caves¡¯ I¡¯ve seen in a couple of video games. Or there¡¯s just a well-hidden switch that leads into the boss room.


    It¡¯s definitely too quiet.


    ¡°What do you think, Sera?¡± Chloe asks.


    ¡°That something is watching us. There were rats and bugs on the first floor, but this all looks mechanical and polished. Almost like we¡¯re back in the Tower Gauntlet rather than the natural cavern from above.¡±


    ¡°You think that too.¡± She says it more as a statement than a question.


    ¡°Someone just strolling in from the outside is going to think of this as just a natural cavern. Maybe a particularly dangerous one, given the creatures that we found there. But something that a person could dismiss as a strange natural phenomenon. But anyone who makes it past Armosi knows that this place isn¡¯t natural, and maybe the dungeon just isn¡¯t taking any further steps to keep the fa?ade going.¡±


    ¡°You think the dungeon is sentient?¡±


    ¡°The dungeons, the Tower Gauntlet, the System. Yes, I absolutely do think there is an intelligence behind all of this.¡±


    ¡°And yet you feel comfortable saying this in the middle of the dungeon?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not like we can do anything but proceed further. Besides, the dungeons want us to explore them. If they didn¡¯t, there wouldn¡¯t be any treasure in them. And they¡¯d put some level 80 monstrosity to guard the gate, rather than letting us inside, then giving us carefully managed challenges that are difficult but overcomeable at our level.¡±


    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°So it¡¯s not dangerous?¡±


    ¡°Oh, it is dangerous. The System rewards us for exploring dangerous areas and fighting strong monsters. Our Skills rank up faster when we¡¯re under distress, and we got boosted Experience for defeating Armosi.¡±


    ¡°Do you think we can beat the next boss?¡± Chloe asks.


    ¡°I thought for sure that wouldn¡¯t be the case after we had to deal with the Spider Bear. But that Eyetwitch was a lot weaker, so I¡¯m going to say ¡®probably not¡¯ instead of ¡®not a chance.¡¯¡±


    Chloe grabs my right hand with both of hers and pours another forty points of [Ether] into me. I turn to her and look upon her with bemusement, but she only gives me mixed signals and a smile as we head westward into the next room. We¡¯ll definitely have to have a talk about this once we get out of the dungeon.


    Finally, the next room has some monsters. Two more Eyetwitches, each of which goes down as easily as the one from several rooms back. And with that¡­


    [You have defeated two Lesser Eyetwitch (Level 11, 11). You have gained a boosted 4 Experience.]


    ¡°Son of a gum-chewing funk monster!¡± I exclaim.


    ¡°Something wrong, Sera?¡±


    ¡°Chloe, I went from needing 5 Experience to gain my next level, to now needing 1. That¡¯s right, I got 4 lousy, stinking, good-for-nothing points for that battle. Forget my life!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Sera. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll get your level up soon enough.¡±


    ¡°I think this is the System¡¯s way of giving me a bit of mental anguish.¡±


    ¡°And I think we should open this chest before anyone else gets any ideas of taking what is rightfully ours.¡±


    I oblige Chloe¡¯s missive and open the chest to find four [Potion of Moderate Healing]. No idea how much ¡®moderate¡¯ healing entails, but I¡¯d guess it¡¯s in the four to five hundred range, given the [Potion of Lesser Healing] is good for a bit over a hundred. I take three of them for myself before handing the last one back to Chloe. We stow them away before making our way over to the next room.


    Finally, a new monster in the next room. And oh shit, it¡¯s a massive scorpion, probably a good twenty feet long from head to tail, and three to four feet wide at the widest point of its thorax. It makes a cackling sound like castanets with its two massive claws as its stinger raises high into the air, nearly grazing the ceiling as it does. Worse still, I catch the glint of purple venom upon its stinger as it readies itself for combat.


    I activate [Ethersight] to scan for weaknesses. The joint at the base of the telson is one. The eyes are another. The joints connecting the claws to the cephalothorax. Each individual leg joint.


    I pull out my [Blessed Sword]. I don¡¯t want to fight in close proximity to the beast, but every one of its weaknesses seems far more vulnerable to slashing attacks than to the concussive force of my bullets. I¡¯m also starting to run low on them, and I have a feeling I¡¯ll need them for the boss ahead, should we decide to fight it today.


    Chloe takes a defensive stance behind me as I grip my sword and ready for battle. The creature chitters again, feinting with its right claw before attempting to pierce me with its stinger. I dodge the first strike with ease, then use my [Gauntlets of Repulsion] to knock the second one off course. It lands in the stone floor, and thanks to the curved and barbed stinger tip, it gets stuck for just long enough for me to strike.


    I do good damage, causing acidic blood to spray onto the ground. I don¡¯t have enough strength to get a clean hit through, but at least I have a target for future attacks.


    More divots in the floor form as the sludge eats into the stone beneath, but the floor quickly repairs itself. The scorpion menace pulls its tail out of the stone, staggering backward from the force it exerted. I sheathe my weapon as quickly as I can and pull out my trusty modular blowgun. I aim for the gashing wound I inflicted earlier with a [Repulsion Bullet], using [Trick Shot] to guide it to its mark. The creature tries to defend itself, coiling around and swatting away my attack with its claws. But through a bit of good luck for a change, I manage to guide the attack right between the pincers of its right claw.


    My attack slams into the creature¡¯s tail, tearing its telson and stinger clean off and sending it falling to the ground with a thud. But instead of retreating as I¡¯d hoped, it charges at me with even more aggression, attempting to spray me with its toxic blood that it shoots out of its tail like water out of a faucet. Chloe runs to the far wall where the three doors out of the room are. Meanwhile, I pull up my [Repulsion] barrier to deflect the attack.


    Since the barrier is pure physical force given solid form, the acidic spray deals no splash damage either to me or to it. The room begins to stink, though, and I feel an even stronger version of cutting onions as the fumes start assailing my eyes, nose, mouth, and throat.


    I need to finish the fight quickly¡­ My vision starts to blur as the poisons begin to take effect. Then I get an idea.


    I switch to my [Freezing Bullets] and fire another two shots in close succession. The first one ends up completely missing its mark, but the second connects, freezing the spigot and ending the immediate threat. I decide to press the initiative, pulling my sword back out and swinging with reckless abandon and trusting that Chloe will be able to patch up whatever ugliness befalls me in the meantime.


    The scorpion gets its fair share of hits on me, and I have to fall back once as a particularly nasty gash cuts across the center of my waist. Were it not for the brigandine I put on earlier, it would have disemboweled me for sure, but as it is, I¡¯m only heavily internally bruised. Chloe¡¯s healing continues to be a wondrous panacea, and within the span of ten seconds, I¡¯m patched back up well enough to charge in and finish the fight.


    [You have slain a Lesser Toxic Cave Scorpion (Level 20). You have gained a boosted 3,060 Experience.]


    Lesser? I raise an eyebrow at that.


    [You have gained enough experience to reach level 18. [Vitality] +1, [Mind] +1. Please allocate stat points (Remaining: 3)]


    I decide to allocate them to [Strength], [Speed], and [Mind]. As much as I should be a mid-range supporting fighter like I was with the others, right now, I need to keep us alive, and I¡¯ve got better armor proficiencies and offensive capabilities than Chloe does by a long shot. For that, I need more [Strength] and [Speed] in particular to protect her.


    [Maximum Health increases by [Vitality] x2 + Current Level + Rand[1, 3] = 108]


    [Maximum Ether increases by [Mind] + Current Level + Rand[0, 2] = 76]


    [Level: 18; Experience: 28,184; To Next: 3,176]


    [Current Stats: [Health]: 946 / 1,382 ; [Ether]: 226 / 807]


    [Current Stats: [Strength]: 22; [Speed]: 22; [Vitality]: 44; [Mind]: 56]


    ¡°About gods-damned time,¡± I mutter as the two of us pause to catch our breath.

 Chapter 48: South County Dungeon, Second Descent IV

    We take a few minutes to rest and survey the rest of the room for any signs of treasure or hidden passageways before moving on. I don¡¯t mention this to Chloe, but I¡¯m also concerned that there¡¯s more than a few scorpion eggs lying around. Especially underground.


    After she finishes casting [Antidote] several times to purify the room of toxins, Chloe searches the walls for traps or treasures. Meanwhile I use my [Ethersight] to scout any sources of Ether hiding just beneath the surface. To my horror, I actually spot one, which I stab with my sword.


    [You have slain a Lesser Toxic Cave Scorpion Egg (Level 0). No Experience Awarded.]


    Thanks, System. Still, good to know that that hidden menace is dead and we won¡¯t have to worry about another one growing anytime soon. Though, I wonder how dungeons and their internal ecosystems work, and whether that¡¯s actually the case. For all I know, it just uses all the Ether it siphons out of the air and condenses it into new monsters for explorers to find. That would be in keeping with the purposes of dungeons as I currently understand them.


    ¡°Hey, Sera, can I borrow you for a moment?¡± Chloe says.


    I head up to where she¡¯s standing near the back of the room and see exactly what she¡¯s alluding to. There¡¯s a small panel against the back wall, cleverly hidden among the other markings. Though, it¡¯s weird. This is the only wall I¡¯ve seen thus far on the floor that hasn¡¯t been perfectly smooth. That alone should attract plenty of suspicion. Then again, this monster was considerably more powerful than most, and was probably as much a guardian of the floor as whatever treasures might lie behind this wall.


    I fumble around with the lock for a minute before deciding to just use the [Unlock] glyph to bypass the panel altogether. It reveals a single red button. Chloe stands behind me, her own [Gauntlets of Repulsion] at the ready. I hesitate for a moment, moving my buckler toward my face on the off chance this is another trap, and in the vain hope that this flimsy disc of steel will save me if it is. And then I press it.


    The sound of gears echoes from behind the wall, followed by the whoosh of steam being released as the locking mechanisms release and the door slides open. The walls glow a smoldering orange-red hue not unlike burning charcoal. In the center of the room are three treasure chests, one in the back, and two others on either side. Chloe is giddy with excitement, her eyes practically lighting up, but I continue to urge caution and restraint.


    No excessive heat comes out of the floors, nor does my [Ethersight] register any signs of obvious traps. I slowly approach the nearest chest on the right side and unlatch it before it opens on its own and lunges at me. I¡¯m aware enough of my surroundings and the possibility to activate my [Boots of Impulse] at the last possible second, but the cavernous maw still manages to take a chunk out of my leg as I scurry to relative safety.


    ¡°What in the nine hells is that?¡± Chloe asks.


    She taps my leg and begins to heal it. It¡¯s an odd feeling, experiencing one¡¯s muscle fibers growing longer and suturing themselves back together in the span of a second. New blood vessels and nerves follow suit, then layers of skin and other integumentary tissue grow over the exposed flesh. One final tingling sensation purges the wound of any impurities and microbes that might try to later infect me from within, and I¡¯m back on my feet all in the span of two seconds.


    ¡°Mimics,¡± I mutter. ¡°Monsters that disguise themselves as treasure chests or other useful items. They lure their victims in, and when their guard is lowered, they pounce.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why you were always urging caution when you encounter treasure chests?¡±


    I nod. ¡°They¡¯re common enough in fantasy games, and I assumed that if the System knows what we know, it was bound to happen sooner or later. And, well, I was unfortunately proven right.¡±


    ¡°Do your fantasy games point out any particular weaknesses that we can try?¡± Chloe backs up a couple of steps as the mimic shambles toward us.


    ¡°Nothing that I¡¯m aware of. Then again, it¡¯s not like the strengths and weaknesses of these mimics are going to be exactly the same as in all other fictional media. Might as well try fire!¡±


    I pull out my blowgun and switch to the [Flaming Bullet] setting. Two bullets fly out in succession, striking the upper jaw of the fiend. It does damage, but not an overwhelming amount. Chloe throws her hourly [Fireball], which does considerably more, but fails to finish off the creature.


    It lunges, hopping in the air as it attempts to bypass my defenses and hit Chloe from above. I shoot a [Repulsion Bullet] while it¡¯s right above me. It¡¯s effective at blowing the mimic into the nearby wall, but the force of the blast knocks me to the ground in the process. I¡¯m dazed for a moment, but the mimic is even worse off, stumbling around as it tries to get back to its¡­ foot? Tentacle? Gastropod?


    I don¡¯t hesitate, drawing my sword once more and delivering a thrust directly into the mimic¡¯s underbelly, then another, then a third. I finish with one final slash to sever off its foot organ, which silences the monster once and for all.


    [You have slain a Cave Mimic (Level 18). You have gained a boosted 1,050 Experience.]


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    [Level: 18; Experience: 29,234; To Next: 2,126]


    [Current Stats: [Health]: 1,046 / 1,382 ; [Ether]: 78 / 807]


    Chloe channels more of her [Ether] into me, and I absorb the contents of one [Ether Canister], bringing my [Ether] reserves to a less uncomfortable 328 before we continue on. Much to my disgust, the mimic doesn¡¯t instantly disintegrate after we slay it, leaving me to do the dirty work of chopping up its entrails in search of loot.


    It¡¯s¡­ vaguely relaxing in a way, rummaging through all the flesh and sinew. Despite how disturbing it is to deal with so many tentacles that still occasionally jump and squirm as I slice through them. And the utterly noxious scent that the heavens above have seen fit to dampen with the joy of noseblindness.


    I continue my unthankful work until I find a small orb the size of my palm and the color of amber. [Ethersight] confirms that it is an object with some power and value, and so, after wiping it off with my already bloodstained rag, I stick it in my pouch with my other loot.


    The other two chests prove not to be monsters. Inside we finally find some helmets that we can equip. Chloe gets a pointed black cap that looks far too similar to the stereotypical witch hat, while I don a [Bandana of Swiftness] I briefly consider using it as a hair tie, before Chloe points out that that makes me somehow look even sillier.


    While the System doesn¡¯t give me the ability to [Identify] monsters, nor the ability to tell what most items do, it does provide some useful information about equipment. And the description gives me a bit of pause.


    [[Bandana of Swiftness]: A gaudy hot pink bandana worn by those whose commitment to strength on the battlefield outweighs their commitment to style. Increases [Defense] by +2, [Agility] by +5, and gives minor resistance to Wind element attacks (25%).]


    First of all, gaudy? I¡¯m no magnificent paragon of chic fashion, but I¡¯d like to think I do a little better than gaudy. And secondly, this indirectly confirms both that there is a system of elemental damage operating behind the scenes, and that Wind is one of those elements. None of my other pieces of gear have any elemental resistance changes that I can tell. I relay the information to Chloe, who does look pretty stylish in her new hat. The black hat and white robes might clash a bit, but I still think they look good on her. The fact that her hat makes all her spells cost twenty percent less [Ether] to cast is an extremely useful passive ability that I would love to have for myself.


    Unfortunately, my class is incompatible with the [Spellcaster¡¯s Hat] for some gods-forsaken reason.


    With our hidden treasures in store, we make our way over to the next room. A trio of Lesser Eyetwitches attempt to assail us, but they are easily dispatched even without using the glyphs on my [Modular Blowgun]. Chloe is still getting a small trickle of Experience for these encounters, as she¡¯s still level 16, but I no longer get any benefit for slaying monsters below level 12.


    The opposite corner¡ª northwest, using my earlier convention¡ª also contains nothing at first glance. However, Chloe spots something and heads off to investigate. I follow behind, backwalking toward her and doing my best to keep my eyes and ears open for any signs of ambush or pursuit. She points to another crevice in the wall, but this time, there¡¯s nothing behind the hidden panel. Not even another hidden panel, which I do check for with [Ethersight].


    We head back to the south, through each door as we trace the westernmost path back toward our starting point. We find nothing. No monsters, no treasures. No hidden pathways. No bugs or critters or even any traps, mechanical, poison, what have you. The only sound is the sound of our footsteps and the grumble of Chloe¡¯s stomach. Her face turns bright red, and we decide to take a small break to hydrate and munch down on pretzels and more hardtack.


    I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s because of the rankness in the air, the amount of exertion we¡¯ve undertaken, or some aspect of the dungeon environment, but the hardtack itself tastes far better than it has any right to. Not going to ever choose it on a list of favorite foods, nor send compliments to the chef, but it sure as heck beats nothing. Which, now that I think about it, isn¡¯t actually saying all that much. Pretzels are a bit under-salted by comparison.


    We loop east one room, with our starting location the next room over. Chloe wants to head back, but after some deliberation, I get her to agree to test out my earlier hypothesis. We head north two more rooms, picking up a [Greater Ether Canister] along the way that I stash right next to the others. My pack is starting to get a bit full, but I will be damned long before I throw out any [Ether] recovery items, no matter how heavy it gets. Just have to keep improving my level and raising my [Strength] so I can haul a larger inventory.


    One more room to the east sees us encounter a trio of Lesser Eyetwitches along with a single normal one at level 16. All are dispatched with ease, though I do have to burn thirty points of [Ether] on the larger one for an [Impulse]-accelerated [Ether Bullet]. I get 180 Experience out of it.


    I was expecting a bit more than that; the level 15 one earlier was good for 174. But it does speak to just how significant the Experience scaling factor is. Defeating a level 16 monster at level 18 is worth virtually the same amount as defeating a level 15 monster at level 17. Not nothing, but low enough gains that it would take a lot of wasteful grind encounters before I¡¯m able to reach the next level.


    Finally, we finish our journey spiraling around the second basement of this labyrinth. As we step foot into the penultimate room, the sound of another locking mechanism echoes through the walls. The glyphs on the chamber¡ª a [Lock] glyph, among about a dozen others¡ª fade away, and the doorway opens. Sure enough, within the room are stairs leading further down, deeper into the labyrinth.


    ¡°Do we go on, or turn back?¡± I ask Chloe.


    ¡°Looking for an excuse to back down?¡±


    ¡°Urging caution because I¡¯m not in a hurry to die.¡±


    ¡°Pah. Like you¡¯ll die as long as I¡¯m around.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ Part of the reason why I¡¯m worried. Because I don¡¯t have the ability to do the same for you.¡±


    ¡°But you¡¯ll protect me, right? That¡¯s what you said the day the System came. You¡¯d do whatever you could to protect me. I believe you, Sera. And I trust you. That¡¯s why I¡¯m willing to brave these dungeons alongside you.¡±


    She takes my hand and fills it with the refreshing sensation of her [Ether] and the comforting sensation of her warmth, and together, we head to the Second Descent¡¯s final challenge.


    [Level: 18; Experience: 29,384; To Next: 1,976]


    [Current Stats: [Health]: 1,374 / 1,382 ; [Ether]: 645 / 807]


    [Current Stats: [Strength]: 22; [Speed]: 22; [Vitality]: 44; [Mind]: 56]

 Chapter 49: South County Dungeon, Second Descent V

    We enter into the final chamber. It looks the same as every other room to this point, except for the stairs descending down into the third level of this dungeon.


    A chill rushes up my spine. Something is very, very wrong. But I¡¯m not sure what it is. I look in every direction, including behind. I see nothing out of the ordinary. I flick on my [Ethersight] to take stock of the situation, and still find nothing.


    Nothing underneath. Nothing from above. No hidden panels in the room. No sounds of grumbling or the breathy roar of a predator lurking in the darkness below the stairs.


    Chloe notices it too. She¡¯s on high alert, her hand wrapped around mine and her wand out and ready to cast the instant something shows itself. My heart races in my chest. My breath quickens, and sweat beads in my palms and the nape of my neck as I draw my sword. Not my preferred weapon, but I¡¯d sooner attempt to parry an attack with a blade rather than a blowgun stem. Though, some sort of pistol-whipping seems like an idea worth considering. That or a bayonet.


    ¡°I think we should go back,¡± Chloe says. ¡°I¡¯m getting an even worse feeling about this.¡±


    ¡°I agree. We can come back with more levels and a greater understanding of what we¡¯re doing here. And maybe the whole team will accompany us.¡±


    Footsteps echo down the chamber. Not our own; Chloe and I both have our feet planted firmly on the ground, knees bent, ready to strike whatever comes after us. I tilt my head around, trying to get a better understanding of where our pursuer is coming from. It¡¯s¡­ from above? From the first ascent?


    That raises even more questions. Do we have to fight Armosi again? A stronger form? A similar construct with a different name? Why is it coming down here? I thought these floors were cordoned off to keep the level of challenge discrete. But now something is approaching? I stand with my back to Chloe, facing the staircase leading to the first level as we wait for whatever is coming.


    The footsteps grow louder. They¡¯re not the heavy, crunching steps that I¡¯d expect from a monster. Not someone actively trying to conceal their approach, but still light and quiet. A person approaching, who wants to be found? Someone else in the dungeon? It is getting close to dinnertime. If Armosi is slain, then someone could make it this far down.


    I still would rather retreat, even knowing someone might get our hard-earned treasure for little work. Just too many risks, and more importantly, too many unknown risks that I can¡¯t properly plan around. The strongest cheat weapons are as good as useless to me if we¡¯re dead.


    The footsteps approach, followed by a familiar voice that allows me to exhale.


    ¡°Chloe? Sera? You two in here?¡± Lindsey¡¯s voice echoes.


    I tense once more. I¡¯m not for a second going to believe that she¡¯s who she claims to be. Lindsey knows that we were coming here, but she had told us earlier she was staying behind. And I can¡¯t discount the possibility of a shapeshifter menace. We already fought a mimic not two hours ago!


    ¡°Lindsey?¡± Chloe calls out. ¡°Is that you?¡±


    She rushes toward the lower stairs, but I grab her before she can cross the threshold into the first room.


    ¡°Wait, Sera, what¡¯s wrong with you, stopping me like that?¡±


    ¡°Does it not bother you that Lindsey is showing up out of nowhere, without any sort of warning? In a dungeon where we just fought a mimic? And besides, if we don¡¯t obey the single path rule that got us this far, we might trigger some sort of trap. Worst case scenario, we end up trapped in here until someone lets us out.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t you just use your [Unlock] glyph?¡±


    ¡°Maybe. But this space is unnatural, and I¡¯m sure there are stronger variations of the [Lock] glyph available that my current one can¡¯t override. Not to mention that this space has way more Ether than I can store in my body.¡±


    After a couple of seconds of struggle, she decides to trust my instinct on this one. Still, there¡¯s no way we get back to the surface without dealing with the approaching creature, whether it¡¯s Lindsey, a monster, or otherwise.


    ¡°Chloe? Was that you?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re down here, Lindsey!¡± she says.


    The footsteps quicken, and soon a familiar face comes into view. She¡¯s still wearing the same outfit that she was this morning. She has her trusty bow hanging on her back, along with a slate of equipment that is congruent with what she wore back when we were traversing the wilderness with her and the others. Still, I remain unconvinced, based on my hypothesis that the System is nearly if not completely omniscient.


    ¡°Chloe! Sera!¡± Lindsey calls out. She rushes toward the room where we¡¯re in.


    ¡°Stay back!¡± I shout. ¡°There¡¯s something in this room, and this whole floor is a giant trap!¡±


    Lindsey rushes toward us even more quickly. I sheathe my blade and draw my blowgun, aiming it directly at Lindsey. I understand that she¡¯s a friend and wants to support us, but until I know it¡¯s her and not a doppelganger, I¡¯m not backing down.


    The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    ¡°What the hell, Sera?¡± Lindsey and Chloe both say.


    ¡°How do we know you¡¯re not some shapeshifter waiting to get the jump on us?¡± I ask.


    ¡°Shapeshifter?¡± Lindsey gives me an incredulous stare, as though I¡¯m the buffoon for even suggesting such a thing. But then, to her credit, she relents. ¡°What proof would convince you that I¡¯m who you say you are.¡±


    It¡¯s my turn to relent. If the System is as all-knowing as I think it is, it can mimic any knowledge, any Skills, any abilities that Lindsey might have. For all I know, this is some devourer variant that ambushed her and ate her, assimilating its form into its repertoire. But I need to give her a chance to prove herself. Then I get an idea.


    ¡°Can you tell me why passing through this doorway would be a really bad idea?¡± I point to the open door frame between us.


    ¡°The doorway?¡± she asks. ¡°It doesn¡¯t look like there¡¯s anything wrong with it. Do you think there is?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure that if any of us stepped through it, something bad is going to happen. I¡¯m not sure what, but¨C¡±


    ¡°How am I supposed to know something like that?¡±


    I nod. ¡°You¡¯re not. But I suspect if you were a shapeshifter, you¡¯d give us an answer you shouldn¡¯t have any reason to believe. And, I¡¯m sorry that I didn¡¯t trust you. We already fought one mimic down here, and I¡¯d rather be mistrustful than dead.¡±


    ¡°A good course of action. What do you want me to do?¡±


    ¡°We thought there was going to be some sort of floor boss, but it hasn¡¯t made its presence known. I don¡¯t know if that¡¯s because we solved the puzzle of the floor, or if this is the last floor before the boss.¡±


    ¡°Boss?¡±


    ¡°There was an armor knight who called themself Armosi right before these stairs. Level 21, real nasty, did me over eight hundred damage with a nasty sword slice across my gut.¡±


    ¡°Even through that armor?¡±


    ¡°Treasure for defeating it. I bet the same attack would still do four or five hundred, easily.¡±


    ¡°And the silly looking bandana?¡±


    ¡°More treasure after defeating a monster disguising itself as a treasure chest. It gives decent stats, and better than the nonexistent headgear I had before.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m guessing you found the cute witch hat for Chloe in the same place.¡±


    We nod in unison.


    ¡°Anyway,¡± I say. ¡°Sit there until we make our way back through the rooms. You have to pass through all the rooms to deactivate the glyphs leading to the lower floors, and I suspect we¡¯ll have to leave exactly the way we came if we want out.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re leaving?¡±


    I pause. ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s down here. We decided it wasn¡¯t worth the risk with only the two of us.¡±


    ¡°So, how about the three of us? Because you really cleaned the place out. Haven¡¯t seen a single monster in this so-called dungeon since I got here. Just a couple of cave boars that knew better.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s about it,¡± Chloe says. ¡°Other than the boss, the enemies up there are pretty weak. The fact that you¡¯ve got twice as many levels as they do is probably the reason they left you alone. They¡¯re not intelligent, but they seem to have some basic level of self-preservation.¡±


    Lindsey laughs. ¡°Smarter than a lot of people, that¡¯s for sure.¡±


    We all laugh. I instruct Lindsey on how to navigate through the floor, and she makes her way through the rooms in under five minutes. She even has the gall to smirk about how long it took the two of us to clear everything out. I protest vociferously, pointing out all the monsters the two of us had to face, our lower levels, and the reduced concentration of Ether in the dungeon as compared with the outside world. But¡­ I just can¡¯t stay upset. Not when it was my own weakness that made us take so long.


    I scan Lindsey with my [Ethersight] to make sure there¡¯s no more subterfuge. Again, I can¡¯t be certain, but she has about the right amount of [Ether] for a mid-range fighter around level 23.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I say. ¡°Dungeon, System, or not, despite the concerns I have, I know it must¡¯ve hurt to have a comrade treat you with suspicion like that.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t say I¡¯m not a little hurt by it, but your concerns are reasonable, and I¡¯m glad the both of you are alive and well, even down here.¡±


    Lindsey stretches her arms out. Chloe pulls me toward her. I hesitate, not fully certain that this isn¡¯t some final trap, but after a moment¡¯s pause, I oblige and the three of us embrace in a hug. For about five seconds, before Lindsey pulls back and scrunches her nose.


    ¡°You two ladies reek! Especially you, Sera! What have you two been up to down here all this time? Did you seriously decide to take advantage of the peace and quiet in this dungeon to¨C?¡±


    I cut her off. ¡°Absolutely not!¡± I say. ¡°We¡¯ve been fighting giant eyeball bats, scorpions, and tentacle monsters all day! And I¡¯ve taken more than my share of splash damage. And besides, peace and quiet? We¡¯ve been fighting for our lives the past¡­ What time is it, anyway?¡±


    ¡°It was about 6:00 PM when I entered. Doubt it¡¯s been more than half an hour or so since then.¡±


    ¡°That long?¡±


    Chloe pulls out her phone and nods in agreement. Mine is predictably drained of battery and I don¡¯t plan to waste any [Ether] to recharge it.


    Lindsey sighs. ¡°I figured I¡¯d meet you at the entrance when you got done exploring the dungeon. The three of us would freshen up, then I¡¯d treat you both to dinner and we¡¯d all go back to base. But when the soldiers on shift said that you hadn¡¯t come back out, I decided I should go in and see what happened. Anything that could defeat the two of you is far too much of a threat for a trio of level 6¡¯s to even attempt to stop.¡±


    ¡°So why even have the guards in the first place?¡± Chloe asks. ¡°You¡¯re military, can you explain it to me?¡±


    ¡°Because the people need the illusion of safety and security. More importantly, the government needs to facilitate and promote the same or there¡¯s going to be mass pandemonium. Sera, I understand where you¡¯re coming from when you talk about the need for change. I agree with you, and moreover, the System has changed the world so much that such grand changes are inevitable. But it¡¯s going to be a lot easier for everyone, and there¡¯s going to be a lot fewer deaths in both the short and the long run, if those changes are gradual and measured.¡±


    I don¡¯t dislike her reasoning. It sounds sweet. But I can¡¯t accept it, either. She¡¯s saying she wants to make sure the people who are well-off don¡¯t have to suffer any strife or discomfort as the world changes around them. And that, in turn, means that people like my family will continue to pay those costs in full. But there will be time to discuss all of this later. For now, something is waiting for us. And we are going to see it overcome. Together, the three of us, fighting as one.

 Chapter 50: Dungeon Core Oneiros

    I take the lead, drawing my [Blessed Sword] which glows in the darkness of the stairwell. Some sort of special effect of the weapon? Resonance with something in the dungeon? I know it deals light-element damage from the description, but I feel it has a hidden effect that the System isn¡¯t telling me about. Something that seems like it¡¯d be helpful in the upcoming fight.


    ¡°Ditched the inventor look for that of a valiant knight?¡± Lindsey asks.


    ¡°Neither you nor Chloe are frontline fighters, and I don¡¯t have much ammunition left. Plus, I got this spiffy suit of body armor a few hours ago, so I¡¯m the best-equipped to serve as something resembling a frontliner. Unless you have at least 80 [Defense] and 1,400 [Health].¡±


    ¡°Damn,¡± Lindsey says. ¡°You¡¯ve got some good equipment. And what¡¯s with that health? I¡¯ve got half a dozen levels on you and I¡¯m only at 1,700 myself.¡±


    ¡°I allocated a lot of points in [Vitality] early and never stopped. Plus I get an extra point with every level.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll still be counting on you to keep Chloe safe, Lindsey.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll keep you both safe,¡± Chloe says. She follows it up with a cheeky wink and smile.


    I smile back, though I don¡¯t avert my gaze away from the dark descent before us. We continue to tiptoe down the stairs, quieting down as the second floor becomes just a distant dream. The shining light from above goes dark, the air chills yet further, and we continue to walk as we descend into the frozen wastes of hell.


    A door stands before our path as we touch down upon what I must assume is the bottom floor of the dungeon. My heart again races, though with both Lindsey and Chloe backing me up, I feel a lot better about our situation. I push on the door, and to my relief and concern in equal measure, it opens with only a token resistance.


    The room opens up to something that looks like a mad scientist¡¯s laboratory. Diodes flash on the sides of the walls. Mostly greens and reds and yellows, but a few blues and violets and whites are mixed in. The walls are decorated like the green of circuit boards, with tiny lights stringing along from source to destination. It¡¯s as though this is the control room of the entire dungeon, information being fed into the room. Now the question is: who, or more likely what, is all that information being fed to?


    I don¡¯t discount for a second that the entire dungeon is being run autonomously. In that respect, the entire dungeon is one massive artifact of Ethertech far beyond my station as a novice mechanist to comprehend, let alone try to reverse-engineer. Of course, there¡¯s still the question of what the defense mechanisms are. I daren¡¯t even for a second suggest that the three of us are going to waltz right in here, shut down the dungeon, and mosey on out, loot in hand. It would go against everything I understand the System desires. More fighting, more killing, more Experience, more power. We fight, and we either overcome or succumb. Those are the options.


    Sure enough, something moves. Swiftly, nearly silently, save for the biting wind that follows in its wake. I twist my arms to meet its approach, but that presence phases directly through my weapon as though it were nothing. More and more of this spectral presence coalesces into the center of the cylindrical room. It¡¯s invisible to the naked eye, but my [Ethersight] can make it out quite clearly.


    Cloud shaped. Puffy, ethereal, about as big across as I am tall, and half as tall. It floats about five feet off the ground, and has a single eyeball in the center of its shifting body. Despite the obvious horror implications, it actually is less frightening to my mind than that dreadful It that Crawls in the Night that Chloe and I fought a while back.


    The ephemeral mouth that materializes below its single, unblinking eye is grotesque, but not unnerving. And its voice is actually dreamlike, entrancing, calming.


    ¡°Congratulations on making it to the end of my dungeon. I am E3-971-147.042, Codename Oneiros. You¨C¡± It glares directly into my eyes. ¡°¨Care truly a remarkable anomaly. Completely unfazed by the challenges of this dungeon. Even without a single clue, you managed to solve my riddle. Only by experiencing all of what the world has to offer can one delve deeper into the secrets of the arcane. If you had been able to read the directions, you would have received that clue. But you solved it anyway. Almost as though you¡¯ve seen this before.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure how I could have,¡± I say.


    Oneiros lowers its gaze a bit more. ¡°I wonder if you truly expect me to believe that lie.¡± It pauses. ¡°No matter. If you wish to conquer my labyrinth and lay claim to the treasures within, you will have to best me in combat. Now, fall asleep, and perish within my eternal nightmare!¡±


    My eyelids grow heavy at the boss¡¯s declaration. It¡¯s a contest of will merely to remain upright, and from the looks of it, neither Chloe nor Lindsey is handling the challenge all that much better than I. My muscles grow weak. My sword lowers to the ground, a third leg buttressing me as my legs try to collapse upon me like wet spaghetti. I groan and grit my teeth, but even moving is a challenge against whatever spell Oneiros is casting upon us.


    Invasive thoughts begin to assail me. Powerlessness at being unable to defend Chloe. Weakness compared with Lindsey and her comrades. Ignorance of my purpose, of who I am or once was. Fear. Fear of failure. Fear that I¡¯ll lose my friends just like I lost my mother. Fear that I¡¯ll not be good enough to reach my goals of finding out why I¡¯m here and what the System really wants. Fear that I¡¯ll disappoint everyone yet again. Not just the people here, but the people back in that other world who seemingly sacrificed everything just to give me a second chance at life. Me, unremarkable, ordinary, everyday Seraphina Mortensen, a quiet kid from a poor neighborhood in an average city in middle America.


    And I hate it. Hate hate hate it so much. I hate feeling like I¡¯m dancing to others¡¯ strings. Like all I can do is watch and let things play out with no agency, no matter how much I push forward or try to grasp whatever the future might hold for me. That the yokes of birth and circumstance are trying to crush my mind and spirit underfoot, denying me the opportunity to choose my own destiny.


    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    My legs grow numb. My arms follow suit. My entire body wants to succumb to this facsimile of an ancient god of dreams. I collapse to one knee, barely holding myself from lying prone with my weakening grip upon the hilt of my sword.


    And I¡¯m doing the best of the three of us. Lindsey is on hands and knees, fighting against her own body with beads of sweat dripping down her forehead. The muscles in her body tense all at once, then relax, then tense once more, almost as though she¡¯s trying to treat her entire body as one giant heart, beating to control the flow of blood in her body. And Chloe is completely on her stomach, only able to lift her neck high enough to see my back and butt as she struggles to keep herself clinging to consciousness.


    What power it must take, to so easily suppress all three of us.


    I get an idea, though I dislike the implications it has. I let my grip slip past the cross-guard and onto the blade. And I let my hand grip it by the blade. Pain surges through my left hand as blood oozes onto the ground. Each heartbeat sends another drop or two down. I¡¯m inflicted with the [Bleed] status ailment and my [Health] starts trickling down, little by little. But the pain, coupled with my will to survive, to overcome, to be more and defeat this damned guardian, starts to overcome the [Drowsy] ailment placed on me.


    Strangely, Oneiros hasn¡¯t made a move to attack us other than to force us to submit to its nightmare. No cutting wounds, no manipulating the room around us to attack us with all the machinery contained within. Not even an attempt to asphyxiate us and force us into unconsciousness that much faster. Maybe it truly is just an ethereal projection given form through the Dungeon and the System, as is everything we¡¯ve experienced to this point.


    I grip my sword once more, feeling the hilt¡¯s grip sinking into my right palm. What was once a blade of bright white is now tinged pink, lensed with a thin layer of my crimson blood. My knees and shins and thighs are all still asleep, but I¡¯m able to reach and move them despite the lack of feeling.


    I stand, iron will in my blood and defiance in my heart. I activate [Ethersight] and witness the full glare of Oneiros¡¯s single eye bearing down upon me. Pressure mounts over me like a cascading waterfall, ordering me to resist. I crumple for a moment, bending my knees to absorb the shock of such an attack.


    A beam of light shoots through the air, grazing past my left shoulder and gouging the dungeon boss. To my shock, the attack actually does something. The pressure eases up, and I¡¯m able to get one two-handed slash in. I miss the eye itself, but I cleave directly through the cloudy body surrounding it, lopping about an eighth of its form off.


    What I slice off doesn¡¯t sit there, floating in midair as I expect. And it doesn¡¯t fall to the ground. Instead, it disperses. Into the air, into the rest of the ambient Ether of the dungeon? I don¡¯t know; my [Ethersight] isn¡¯t attuned enough to figure that much out. But it does something, and so I redouble my attacks.


    I¡¯m not alone. Lindsey looses another arrow, sending it around my neck and into Oneiros¡¯s form. I¡¯m not sure how she¡¯s able to pick out her targets; [Identify] might give her at least a vague idea of where the boss is.


    I notice Chloe starting to come to, finally. She¡¯s still groggy, like waking up from a restless nap, but she¡¯s forcing herself back to her knees and feet. She readies a healing spell, but I call out to her, asking her to ready her wand¡¯s [Fireball] instead.


    ¡°But¨C¡±


    ¡°The pain keeps me awake. Keeps me focused.¡± I continue cutting through Oneiros as Lindsey provides covering fire. ¡°I¡¯ve got enough [Health] to survive this fight. But not if we succumb to that pressure again!¡±


    ¡°I¨C I understand, Sera. Ready when you are!¡±


    ¡°How dare you defy me!¡± Oneiros¡¯s ethereal voice is tinged with anger and befuddlement.


    ¡°Damn right I defy you! As do all of us here! That¡¯s what we do. We see danger, we see challenges. The challenges aren¡¯t always easy. Sometimes they seem insurmountable. And oftentimes, it¡¯s easier to give up. To give in, to submit, to take the easier path of going back to sleep and enjoying a peaceful sleep. But that¡¯s not the world we¡¯re in!¡±


    I continue rotating throughout the room, taking advantage of the small quarters to position the eyeball-cloud hybrid into Chloe¡¯s sight. I watch as it stares at Chloe with its eye, attempting to assert its will on her once more. But Chloe is empowered, and Oneiros¡¯s skill has little effect.


    She stands, legs shoulder-width apart, wand held with both hands, narrowed eyes. I give her the signal. And she screams out, ¡°Fireball!¡±


    My health is now under two hundred and still trickling down at a rate of about eight per three seconds. My vision is growing thin, my muscles weak, the pain from my lacerations starting to take their toll upon me. But I see no sign of the dream-demon who guarded this chamber.


    I give Chloe the okay. She hits me with her strongest healing magic, and goddesses above help me, but the way it can restore lost blood in addition to creating new skin and muscle is nothing short of a true miracle. My throbbing headache and lightheadedness fade away, and I¡¯m able to finally take note of the numerous System Notifications accruing in my eye.


    [You have slain Dungeon Core Oneiros, The Dreamer (Level 24). You have gained a boosted 13,500 Experience. (Experience increased due to defeating a Dungeon Boss. Experience increased due to defeating a Dungeon Core. Bonus Experience awarded for clearing a Dungeon.)]


    [Your team is the first to clear Dungeon E3-971-147.042. Your team is the first to clear a dungeon in sector 147. An additional 5,000 Experience awarded. Dungeon E3-971-147.042 will be deactivated for (167:59:24) to allow for re-creation.]


    [You have gained enough experience to reach Level 21 (From 18). [Vitality] +3, [Mind] +3. Please assign additional stat points (12 Remaining).]


    I bat an eye at ¡®12¡¯. Why not 9? Not that I¡¯m complaining. However, the next notification answers the implied question.


    [Stat Increases for Class: [Planetouched Mechanist] have been altered. Beginning with level 20, Free Stats increased from +3 to +4 per level. (Assigned stat points to [Vitality] and [Mind] remain unchanged.)  One bonus free stat point assigned for clearing dungeon E3-971-147.042.]


    I assign 3 points to [Vitality], then 4 points to [Mind], then 2 points each to [Strength] and [Speed].  The last point, which I can''t seem to assign until the end, also goes into my [Mind] stat.


    [Maximum Health increases by [Vitality] x2 + Current Level + Rand[1, 3] = (117, 119, 124)]


    [Maximum Ether increases by [Mind] + Current Level + Rand[0, 2] = (77, 84, 87)]


    [Level: 21; Experience: 47,884; To Next: 9,876]


    [Current Stats: [Health]: 1,005 / 1,742 ; [Ether]: 592 / 1,055]


    [Current Stats: [Strength]: 24; [Speed]: 24; [Vitality]: 50; [Mind]: 64]


    [[Ethersight (Rank I)] has upgraded to [Ethersight (Rank III)].]


    [[Intermediate Ether Manipulation (Rank II)] has upgraded to [Intermediate Ether Manipulation (Rank III)].]


    Well, hot damn.


    The dungeon is collapsing, with the exception of a portal leading back to the surface. I grab the contents of the treasure chest that appears without examining them, and the three of us head back to the surface above.

 Chapter 51: A Well-Deserved Rest

    It¡¯s nighttime when we emerge back through the portal and back into the surface world. It¡¯s chilly outside, but compared with the stale air in the recesses of the dungeon, it feels absolutely delightful. There¡¯s a faint scent of fresh grass carried by the refreshing early spring breeze, and the shroud of more dense Ether outside the dungeon is revitalizing my body and mind in equal measure.


    Chloe¡¯s house isn¡¯t too far away. Her mother hasn¡¯t outright declared us personae non gratae in a personal capacity, even if she and I are one in the city more broadly. With all of us reeking and our clothes stinking of blood and piss and more compounds than I¡¯d prefer to think about, we decide to chance it, rather than enduring the stink all the way back to the base on the far side of town.


    Chloe calls her mother before we set out, but she gets no response. The journey is quick, and within five minutes, we arrive. We knock on the front door, out of courtesy as much as the fact that we might be unwelcome guests. But when no one comes to the door either to shoo us away or to welcome us, Chloe unlocks it and lets us in anyway. I¡¯m not sure if I could have unlocked it myself with the glyph, but this is faster and I don¡¯t want earn even more of Mrs. Jacobs¡¯s exasperation and ire.


    Lindsey agrees to wait, allowing Chloe and I to take the first pair of showers. I don¡¯t rush, but what I wouldn¡¯t give to have a nice, long, extra relaxing soak session in some steaming-hot water right about now. Sadly, Lindsey does still need to freshen up as well, and perhaps the three of us can find a restaurant still open at this hour. Except, probably not, what with the curfew and martial law still being in effect to the best of my knowledge.


    I still take about eight minutes to enjoy the steaming water dripping down my hair and legs, sighing as dried-up entrails slide off, giving way to smooth clean skin underneath. For the first time all day, I¡¯m able to truly relax, confident in my ability to emerge even from a surprise attack coming in through the front door. Not that Lindsey would let either of us come to harm in the first place.


    Once I¡¯m clean enough and dried off, I change into my spare clothes that I keep in my bag and sit back on the couch. Lindsey continues to survey the room, taking care not to spread more dirt and stench around than necessary. If I didn¡¯t know any better, I¡¯d guess she has some [Ranger] class skill that allows her to hide her scent. That, and she didn¡¯t get covered in nearly as much gunk as I did.


    Chloe comes downstairs a minute after I do. She grabs the both of us a glass of water before joining me on the couch. Once Lindsey has made her way to the bathroom and the water faucet turns on, Chloe sighs and leans her head on my shoulder.


    ¡°You did well out there today,¡± I say. ¡°I¡¯m sure it wasn¡¯t easy for you.¡±


    Chloe smiles. ¡°I decided after our trip with Lindsey and the others that I needed to get stronger as well.¡± She nuzzles into my upper arm a bit more. ¡°I know you said you¡¯d protect me, but I learned that I¡¯ve also gotta be able to protect you.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re doing a great job, Chloe. There¡¯s no way I would have survived without your help. I¡¯d¡¯ve gotten killed half a dozen times against everything we went up against today and¡­ Well, I appreciate your company through all of this.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad. It¡¯s a weight off my shoulders hearing you say that.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s something I want to ask you, if you don¡¯t mind.¡±


    Chloe looks up and nods, and I continue.


    ¡°This is maybe going to make things awkward between us, but it kinda seems as though you were hitting on me while we were in the dungeon earlier.¡± I pause. ¡°Kinda seems that way right now, the way you¡¯re latched onto my arm like that.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m¨C¡±


    She doesn¡¯t respond right away.


    ¡°I¡¯m not upset or anything, but¡­ I¡¯m not really ready for the sort of commitment that a relationship would entail.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m¨C I¡¯m not sure I want a relationship right now either.¡± Chloe hesitates, taking a long drink of water. ¡°Especially because I¡¯ve never been attracted to anyone but guys. It¡¯s scary. I¡¯ve always thought of myself as straight, and yet, the more we do all this dungeon exploring and learning about your past, I¡­ I find myself wanting to learn more about the world, about everything that¡¯s happened and everything that¡¯s going to happen. And I want to do it all by your side.¡±


    ¡°Chloe. You can do all that and more without having to feel like you have to be in a relationship with me. Because I fully plan to continue to move forward and explore the cosmos one day, with you at my side, no matter what else the future may hold.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re not interested.¡± Chloe turns away, but doesn¡¯t let go of my arm.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry if it¡¯s even crueler to say ¡®not right now¡¯ instead of just ¡®no¡¯. But right now, I¡¯m still trying to figure myself out. Both with the whole ¡®past life¡¯ thing, as well as figuring out if I like guys or girls or both or neither or whatever else.¡±


    ¡°I guess I¡¯ve forgotten that you¡¯ve never been in a relationship before, have you?¡±


    ¡°Nope. And also, ouch, the way you say that! Always been busy with work and school and homework and all that other stuff that just doesn¡¯t seem important at all anymore.¡± I chuckle.


    ¡°You know, this is the first time I¡¯ve asked someone out. And the first time that I¡¯ve been rejected. I guess I gotta give Mike and Aiden an apology for being insensitive about how hard it is for guys to ask girls out.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s probably even harder for them!¡±


    That gets Chloe to laugh. ¡°Yeah, then, I definitely should apologize at some point.¡±


    ¡°Just please don¡¯t tell me that you want me to apologize to the Dungeon¡¯s Resident Asshole now. Because that¡¯s beyond the pale, even for me.¡±


    ¡°That asshole? Yeah, absolutely not. No way I¡¯d ask you to do anything like that. I¡¯d never be able to call you my friend again!¡±


    The two of us laugh together. Just as we calm down, the faucet shuts off, and the sound of the garage door opening echoes from the far side of the room. I take a deep breath to steel myself for the conversation bound to be far more difficult than any of the challenges we¡¯ve faced so far today.


    Both Lindsey and Mrs. Jacobs emerge through their respective doorways at the same moment. Mrs. Jacobs is completely distraught, about to start screaming murder, but Chloe¡¯s presence manages to calm her down at least enough for Lindsey to interject and take control of the situation.


    ¡°Lindsey Reed,¡± she says, extending a hand toward Mrs. Jacobs. ¡°Former Army Ranger, now working under Alexey Ivankov and his unit to patrol the wilderness around the city. It¡¯s a privilege to finally meet you, Mrs. Jacobs.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mom,¡± Chloe says. ¡°I tried to call you a little bit ago and let you know that we were going to stop by freshen up before we head back to base, but your phone went straight to voicemail.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡± Mrs. Jacobs trails off.


    ¡°On behalf of the entire unit, I¡¯d like to commend the both of them for their service over these past eight days or so. Sera¡¯s a brave and intelligent fighter. She reminds me of myself when I started out in the Rangers almost a decade ago. And Chloe is the entire squad¡¯s best friend for her ability to patch us up from the brink of death. Whatever circumstances might have led to their joining our team, I¡¯ll say that I¡¯m happy to have worked alongside the both of them and look forward to continuing to do so.¡±


    ¡°I trust that the three of you haven¡¯t brought any trouble with you.¡±


    ¡°No, ma¡¯am,¡± Lindsey says. ¡°We were just planning to freshen up and maybe I¡¯d treat them to dinner after our evening in the dungeon.¡±


    ¡°You three went back to the dungeon?¡± Mrs. Jacobs looks about half a step from fainting on the nearby staircase.


    ¡°Just the two of them for most of it,¡± Lindsey says. ¡°When they didn¡¯t come back, I went in and together, we went down and defeated the dungeon boss and completed it. Got the System notification and everything.¡±


    Mrs. Jacobs takes another deep breath, all but sucking air down her windpipe to keep herself from hyperventilating. ¡°Ms. Reed, I must beg your pardon, but for the sake of my sanity, I must ask that you keep any further details to yourself.¡±


    ¡°I understand. And I apologize for the sudden intrusion upon your home. We will take our leave.¡±


    Chloe and I head toward the front door. ¡°Thank you for everything, once again, Mrs. Jacobs,¡± I say. ¡°I will continue to do all I can to keep Chloe safe while we¡¯re away.¡±


    ¡°And I¡¯ll do all I can to keep Sera safe and healthy as well,¡± Chloe says. ¡°We¡¯ll try to come by again in a few weeks, once things have settled down a bit more.¡± She pauses. ¡°And we¡¯ll try to give you some more warning next time.¡±


    Mrs. Jacobs pulls Chloe into a hug, motioning for me to join in, which I do. ¡°I¡¯m glad to see you safe, and happy to know that you two are both doing well out there. And yes, I would love to hear more about everything you two have done once everything goes back to some sort of new normal.¡±


    I don¡¯t say a word, but Lindsey and I share a look. We both know that whatever the new normal is, almost certainly won¡¯t be anything like the old normal that Mrs. Jacobs envisions. But we both know that Mrs. Jacobs especially needs that bit of hope, even if it is a dim hope indeed.


    ¡°We¡¯ll take care of ourselves, Mom,¡± Chloe says.


    ¡°Damn right these two can,¡± Lindsey interjects. ¡°I¡¯ll see them escorted back safe and sound.¡±


    Mrs. Jacobs nods and walks back toward the master suite. Neither Chloe nor her mother want to acknowledge how difficult the separation is for both of them, and so we leave Chloe¡¯s house without exchanging further goodbyes. Chloe stops for a few seconds, giving her house a long look over, but then we¡¯re off at a quick jog, all our gear in tow.


    The moon is a sliver over halfway illuminated, waxing toward fullness over the next several days. The wind is calm and the skies clear, but with the power restored to the city, the stars are few and faint, and the galactic glow completely drowned out over the lights above the streets and in front of houses in neighborhoods on either side of us.


    Above all else within the city, looming high above the downtown skyline, is the Tower Gauntlet. Its boss¡ª whatever it is¡ª watches us all from its perch high above the city. And from what little intelligence we have, the three of us, empowered as we are by clearing that first dungeon, are woefully unprepared for the challenge which awaits. A challenge that, like those before, we must rise up to meet.


    We make it back to base shortly before 10:00 PM. I don¡¯t bother changing into pajamas, nor taking a bath, nor even having another meal, hungry though I was before. The second my body flops onto my bed, my eyelids grow heavy. I doubt even a minute passes before sleep takes hold of me.

 Chapter 52: Nicholas Proposal

    I wake bright and early the following morning. Only a bit of pre-dawn light seeps in through the closed shades, and the only light in the rest of the room is the tiny diode of Chloe¡¯s phone signifying that it¡¯s being charged.


    The treasure contained within the lootbox was¡­ honestly, underwhelming, especially after Armosi. A few more [Ether Canisters], some more powerful curative potions, both [Health] restoratives and those capable of curing System-imposed conditions like the drowsiness caused by Oneiros, and a pair of books.


    One of the two has a picture of a swan¡¯s or maybe an angel''s feather on it. I open it up and peruse its contents. It¡¯s completely unreadable. Even though I¡¯ve seen some of the individual glyphs before, they shift and contort in such a way that defies my attempts to decipher any meaning out of the text. I¡¯d guess that Chloe can gain some use out of it, given both swans and angels are commonly associated with healing and healers.


    As for the other, the one with a picture of a wrench on it, I can read it just fine. In fact, I can read it as easily as I can read the English language. Rather than the System actively fighting me the way it was with the other book, this time, the System is actively aiding me in my understanding. No increase to my stats, and no new Skills, general or class, sadly.


    It''s really, really weird; I don''t think the words on the page were particularly insightful, but in the process of perusing the pages, I feel like my knowledge of glyphs and how to work with them has expanded considerably. Even stranger, once I finish flipping through the contents, the glyphs vanish, the teal glow of Ether vanishing from my [Ethersight] as the power and knowledge contained within finishes flowing into me.


    Knowledge that I''m all too eager to test out.


    But not just yet. Chloe is still sleeping on the other bed in the small room. Her breathing is calm and deep¡ª I know not if she¡¯s dreaming, but if she is, it¡¯s very obviously a good one. I flicker on my [Ethersight] as I tiptoe around the room, gathering my belongings and making my way to the mess area for a much-needed breakfast.


    I¡¯m impressed at how much my eyes have improved just since reaching Rank III in the Skill. My ability to make out mundane details isn¡¯t quite as powerful as my ordinary daytime vision. In return, I am able to more easily make out small glyphs that appear on Chloe¡¯s and my armor, weapons, and other gear.


    I can see how small connecting runes link the various glyphs on my [Blessed Sword], which continues to shine dimly when unsheathed. I can see the wisps of Ether that flow into my [Brigandine] and empower its various protective abjurations. Even my [Bandana of Swiftness] has new glyphs to experiment with. I notice the [Impulse] glyph, along with another that I suspect modulates its resistance to Wind-based attacks. And more of these various linking runes that I just don¡¯t understand yet.


    My stomach growls. I blush, but thankfully, Chloe remains asleep. No sense trying to do glyph research on an empty stomach.


    I make my way down to the mess area. My eyes light up when I see the massive portions awaiting me. So many, many eggs and breakfast-fried potatoes. I take extra scoops of each, sprinkled with cheese and a side of ketchup, and make my way over to an empty table near the back of the hall.


    I don¡¯t waste a moment as I shovel the first bite of my eggs into my mouth. But I quickly regret it. Delicious, but way saltier than I had anticipated. I cough and wheeze as the scratchiness in the back of my throat demands satiation. I want to rush through the crowd to get a pitcher of water. I restrain myself, if only just, and wait through a hellish forty-five seconds before I finally am able to quench my sodium-induced thirst.


    Another long guzzle of water and I return to my meal. Good goddesses above, this food might not be the best food from an objective sense, but compared to hardtack rations back in the dungeon, this might as well be ambrosia. My restless stomach demands more even as I finish what must be nearly a full pound of heavy, greasy, delicious food, but I stop myself against my primal brain¡¯s demands. I don¡¯t need any more, and if by chance I actually do, I¡¯ll survive the fifteen minutes or so it will take for my stomach to register as such.


    I¡¯m greeted by a pair of familiar faces, one friendly, and one considerably less so. Anna sits down next to me, warming the air around her with her very presence, while Jackie sits across from the two of us, immediately dispersing that warmth and friendliness with nothing more than a petulant glare.


    ¡°So, if it isn¡¯t the traitor to kin and country alike,¡± Jackie says. ¡°I¡¯m surprised you have the gall to show your face around here.¡±


    Anna opens her mouth to interject, but I cut her off.


    ¡°My loyalty is to my conscience and my friends, not to whatever cocksucker decides to declare himself in charge, whether they call themself president, king, dictator, or whatever else.¡±


    ¡°You are supposed to be a soldier, Sera. I don¡¯t care about your civvy conscience. Around here, we do what we¡¯re ordered to do, because people die when we don¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°So what? You want me to build you more weapons so you can kill even faster?¡±


    Jackie sneers.


    ¡°Whatever weapons I build are going to be for me and whoever I trust. Because I¡¯m the one who¡¯s going to have to live with the consequences of whatever those weapons might do in whoever¡¯s hands they might end up falling.¡±


    ¡°All so you can prance around like a little holier-than-thou bitch about how you¡¯re so innocent and good and righteous and¨C¡± Jackie spits onto my empty plate and gives me the single-fingered salute. ¡°Up yours, you arrogant¨C¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s quite enough,¡± Anna says. ¡°Sera has her own reasons for what she does, and it¡¯s not fair to her to¨C¡±


    ¡°Why the hell do you think it¡¯s okay to defend her? We fight together or we fall together!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s enough, both of you!¡± We all three turn around to see Nicholas standing there. In contrast to his iron-wrought battle garb, he¡¯s now wearing the glasses and lab coat of a chemist or physician. He adjusts his glasses slightly as he approaches our table.


    Jackie¡¯s fists are clenched and she¡¯s already got her right arm pulled back slightly as though she¡¯s about to deliver a payload directly onto my forehead. And without most of my gear, it¡¯d hurt like hell. Probably not enough to kill me in a single blow, but her class is all about unarmed combat, quick movements, and martial arts. Without the level advantage in her favor, I¡¯d have a difficult time of things should the situation deteriorate to blows. With it factored in, I know I¡¯d not stand a snowball¡¯s chance in hell.


    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    Cooler heads prevail as Jackie exhales and sits back down. The glow in Anna¡¯s hands dissipates, and I take another sip of water before I inadvertently say or do anything that causes further offense. Nicholas sighs loud enough for all four of us as he approaches me, nodding and offering me his hand as he stops.


    I stand up and reciprocate the handshake. ¡°Good morning, Nicholas,¡± I say. ¡°Is there something you need from me?¡±


    ¡°Yes, and no. I think this conversation would benefit from a little privacy. If you wouldn¡¯t mind coming with me.¡±


    I nod, grab my stuff, and follow him out the door and into the nearby compound. Nicholas scans his ID card to unlock the door, and once inside, he then exchanges a few coded words with the secretary sitting at her desk in the front lobby. He nods, writes something down on his computer, and then waves us inside.


    A bunch of small offices are scattered throughout the complex. Judging by the small size and relatively modest furnishings straight out of an IKEA or whatever the military equivalent would be, I imagine they¡¯re mostly for lieutenants and enlisted officers, not the senior staff of the facility. We walk past all of them and into one of the larger offices near the very back of the building. Nicholas sits behind the desk, gesturing to me to sit down at the small and rather uncomfortable-looking chair on the near side.


    ¡°Please, relax, Sera. You¡¯re not in any trouble, legally or otherwise. And the conversation isn¡¯t particularly private, either. I do want to talk to you, and I needed a good excuse to get you and Jackie away from one another before I ended up with a court martial on my plate.¡±


    ¡°Your plate?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t mention before that I¡¯m a Major? On paper, at least, I¡¯m the one running these expeditions into the wilds.¡±


    ¡°And Alexey?¡±


    ¡°Former Master Sergeant, twenty-four years in the service to my nine. He¡¯s been in more battles on the front lines than the rest of us put together. I might be the [Tactician] and the commander on paper, but I know well enough to defer to him in every way that matters. That¡¯s one of the things they teach you in officer school, by the way, though it usually takes a few years for us to really learn it first-hand. We have the ranks and the authority on paper, but authority on paper doesn¡¯t mean half a damn when the shit starts flying. Plus, my class is about as useful as a space heater down in Death Valley without a squad backing me up.¡±


    I nod. ¡°So, what did you want to talk with me about?¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m not going to be as brusque about it as Jackie, but I don¡¯t disagree with her in spirit. We could use better gear to outfit everyone, and you¡¯re more knowledgeable about that sort of thing than anyone else here is.¡±


    ¡°But¨C¡±


    ¡°I understand your hesitation. And, as I alluded earlier, I understand you well enough that ordering you to do something is the surest way to get you to do exactly the opposite.¡±


    I can only shrug my shoulders. Damn [Tactician] insights playing me like a fiddle.


    ¡°Lindsey reported back last night after the two of you returned to quarters. Said the three of you cleared the dungeon just south of town.¡±


    I nod before muttering out a pathetic, ¡°Yes, Sir.¡±


    ¡°At ease. You and Chloe aren¡¯t military, even if you have been working alongside us. With that said, you in particular seem to have a particular knack for fighting under the System, something that Lindsey¡¯s report has confirmed.¡±


    My face goes white. Did Lindsey manage to piece out my actual class name? Does she know about my Unique Trait and what it does, or worse, its description? My mind starts to spiral, but Nicholas interjects before it gets any worse.


    ¡°Rest assured, whatever secrets you may have will be discreetly swept under the rug. Not even a hint of them in an incident report to senior command.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s oddly generous. Suspiciously so. I take it there¡¯s a catch.¡±


    ¡°Completely unflappable, even under pressure. Even without a soldier¡¯s training, you have a soldier¡¯s discipline. No catch on this one. Consider it a gesture of goodwill freely given as reward for a job well done, both on the patrols as well as clearing out a dungeon. Gives us a full week at least where we don¡¯t have to worry about anything crawling out to cause trouble.¡±


    ¡°Assuming the System isn¡¯t lying about the recharge time. Then again, it didn¡¯t seem like anything was even trying to crawl out in the first place.¡±


    ¡°Always have to plan for the worst case scenario. Half my job before the arrival of the System was, well, systems analysis. We imagine problems, have the soldiers drill through our standard operating procedures, and identify the strengths and weaknesses of our current approaches. We do what works, but never for a minute assume that we¡¯ve thought of everything, or that improvements can¡¯t be made.¡±


    ¡°And I¡¯m one of those improvements?¡±


    ¡°Well said. Plenty of people at my rank and higher are trying to rely on procedures and policies that were developed for a world that, quite frankly, no longer exists. Sure, we¡¯re still on Earth, to some extent, but are we really? Monsters that we can¡¯t fight now roam the landscape. Communications and alliances are asunder. Our entire bookshelf of military doctrines? Ruined. Useless for anything more than kindling.


    ¡°Like I said, I¡¯m not going to try to force you or anything. But your country needs you. Hell, this whole planet might need you.¡±


    I laugh off the obvious attempt at flattery. ¡°I¡¯m far from the only [Mechanist] in the city. Even if it¡¯s not a common class, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve got more than a few grease monkeys who can help you design all the new weapons you need for whatever it is you¡¯re planning to do.¡±


    ¡°Oh, sure, I¡¯ve got a handful of [Mechanists] and similar. But you¡¯re different. You¡¯re bold, adventurous. Even that blowgun you have. The design is so wonderfully simple, and yet you managed to build something that can dwarf the destructive capability of tank cannons, let alone machine guns.¡±


    ¡°For about twelve shots before I run out of juice.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure that¡¯ll change. You¡¯re already thinking about how to move forward. It¡¯s that drive that none of the others have. Quite frankly, it¡¯s the reason why you can help me more than they all can. They¡¯re trained to follow directives and orders. There¡¯s an instruction manual, a doctrine, and they know the operating procedures and how to implement them. But doing something new, branching out, adapting? Trying ideas that make no sense, and slowly making sense of an entirely new branch of science and engineering? I don¡¯t have a single soldier who can do any of that.¡±


    ¡°And what kind of an offer do you want to make? Because I still have absolutely no intention of taking up a new class as an [Arms Dealer].¡±


    ¡°I want to offer you full use of the laboratories on base, and whatever resources I can finagle from elsewhere to continue your studies and research. In return, we revisit this conversation after six months.¡±


    ¡°I want to go on active assignments,¡± I say. ¡°Research is all great, but we gain levels and Skill Ranks by actively using them in combat or other dangerous situations, not sitting behind a vanguard in a laboratory.¡±


    ¡°That can be arranged.¡±


    ¡°Seems like the terms are a little too good,¡± I say. ¡°So what¡¯s the catch?¡±


    ¡°After six months, you prepare whatever treatises you can on the development of Ethertech, as you call it. No need to deliver prototypes or anything to me or the military. You just do whatever research you can, and you can wipe your hands clean of whatever weaponry we end up developing.¡±


    This proposal is¡­ reasonable. Principles, ideas, general precepts. I¡¯m sure he¡¯s already figured out plenty, just from watching me do my thing. And I¡¯m sure they¡¯re going to keep surveillance on me. Then again, they¡¯re going to do that no matter what I do at this point. He¡¯s decided I¡¯m too valuable of an asset, and he¡¯s ensnared me perfectly into his trap. Might as well get the resources and opportunities that he¡¯s going to avail me of.


    I curse myself. Screw the army and screw the cops, and here I am, working for the bastards. Damn it all to the nine hells indeed.


    ¡°I guess that¡¯s about as good as I¡¯m going to get,¡± I say. ¡°I want to talk things over with Chloe and hear her counsel on the matter before I formally commit.¡±


    ¡°Wonderful. I¡¯ll smooth things over with Jackie, let her know that you¡¯ve decided to help us out after all.¡±


    ¡°I¨C Thank you, Nicholas,¡± I mutter as I acknowledge the dismissal I¡¯ve been given.

 Chapter 53: Concern, Friendship, and Resolve [End Volume I]

    I make my way out of Nicholas¡¯s office and back to the dorms. I guess it¡¯s technically a hotel that got commandeered and retrofitted into a military base due to its proximity to the edge of town. But now it¡¯s a military base, retrofitted with all the bells and whistles the United States Army could hobble together in two weeks with limited communication and a complete breakdown of the global social order. Surprisingly, it can do quite a bit when it puts its mind to things. Too bad it didn¡¯t ever use that prodigious efficacy to build affordable housing or anything else more useful than bombs and tanks and the salaries of defense contractor executives.


    I knock on the door as a courtesy, and once I get a verbal acknowledgement from Chloe, I make my way inside and find my way back to my bed. I sit down as Chloe finishes freshening up in the adjacent bathroom.


    For the first time in some time, she¡¯s really put some effort into her appearance. Her chestnut brown hair is blow-dried, then imparted with a bit of extra curl to augment the natural waviness. She¡¯s got on a cute teal blouse with extra frills and a pair of capri-length jeans that fit just right. And maybe, just maybe, my heart skips a beat and makes me question if I did the wrong thing by turning her down last night.


    No, I did the right thing, even though it wasn¡¯t the easy thing. There¡¯s too much at stake in terms of everything I need to do. Regardless of what I might selfishly want for myself, it¡¯s the right thing for Chloe. She deserves someone who can give her everything, heart, mind, and soul. Who can make her feel like the only thing in all of the cosmos, treat her the way a woman in love ought to be treated. And right now, at least, that person isn¡¯t me. Maybe at some future point, but not today. Not now, with everything on my plate.


    ¡°You collapsed like a brick last night,¡± she says. ¡°I don¡¯t even know if you lasted twenty seconds before you were out to dreamland.¡±


    ¡°Maybe I just wanted to go back home. My original home.¡±


    Chloe chuckles. ¡°You want to be rid of me that badly, Sera? After everything we¡¯ve been through? C¡¯mon, don¡¯t hurt a girl with words like that.¡±


    ¡°Get rid of you? Nope, never, no matter what!¡± I say. ¡°But, maybe if I had another vision of back home, I might have some better idea of what to do with this one. As it is, I feel like I¡¯m just floundering around, not sure what I¡¯m supposed to do.¡±


    ¡°Alright, what¡¯s on your mind, Sera?¡± She moves onto my bed, sitting down right beside me. ¡°And don¡¯t try to tell me that it¡¯s ¡®nothing¡¯. Because I have enough situational awareness and knowledge of how you think to know that something is on your mind. And as a [Healer], it¡¯s my job to heal your mind and spirit as well as your battered body. So spill!¡±


    ¡°Well, it turns out that Nicholas is actually a major and one of the bigwigs in charge of this whole complex. It didn¡¯t sound like he was quite the commandant or whatever they call the actual commanding officer of the base, but he probably wasn¡¯t far off either.¡±


    ¡°I guess that makes sense. He was super comfortable giving orders and coming up with plans, even if he usually deferred to whatever Alexey thought was best.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, Alexey¡¯s a former Master Sergeant. Enough experience to take charge and definitely the person we want running the ins and outs of an actual battle.¡±


    ¡°Again, makes sense. So, what¡¯s this big scoop that you just need to tell me about?¡±


    ¡°Nicholas made me an offer, and I¡¯m not sure it¡¯s one I can refuse.¡±


    ¡°You mean like¡­¡±


    I nod. ¡°He wants me to spend the next six months working for him on base to advance my knowledge of glyphs and Ethertech. He¡¯s offered to let me use whatever resources he can procure, but at the end of that period, he wants a full report on everything I¡¯ve uncovered.¡±


    ¡°No weapons?¡±


    ¡°He said he wasn¡¯t going to push me to handle the actual weapon development. And the thing is, I can see where he¡¯s coming from. We¡¯ve seen what¡¯s down in the dungeons. We know better than anyone what¡¯s in the Tower, not to mention in whatever vast expanse is out there away from the major cities. And someone is going to have to find a way to handle the fallout if and when everything goes sideways and humanity gets attacked by all of it.¡±


    ¡°But¨C¡±


    ¡°Anything I build, any technology I develop, any treatises I write, it¡¯s all going to be used by the military, and I can¡¯t imagine that tech doesn¡¯t find its ways into the hands of the pigs.¡±


    ¡°You know there¡¯s good that can come from it too.¡± Chloe gives me a look to cut me off. ¡°GPS. Radar. Internet and Wi-Fi. All the technology that eventually became our computers and phones and most every other electronic device we have. It was all military tech at one time, eventually repurposed for civilian use. And you, Sera, have the potential to bring about a fourth industrial revolution.¡±


    Goddesses help me, Chloe knows just the right buttons to inflate my ego way bigger than it has any right to be.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I really have a choice in the matter,¡± I mutter.


    ¡°You said that before. Is he threatening you?¡±


    The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡°No. But I¡¯m sure that even if I say no, he¡¯ll be keeping spies on me. Lindsey, for one. I don¡¯t doubt for a second that if we do run off, she¡¯ll be recording and reporting everything we do.¡±


    ¡°You think that¡¯s why she was there in the dungeon?¡±


    ¡°Could be. I do think she genuinely cares about us. I also think Nicholas sent her to the dungeon to protect his assets from meeting an untimely fate down there.¡±


    ¡°It sounds like you really don¡¯t want to do this, and are just looking for a way out.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not it at all. It¡¯s just the opposite. It¡¯s an opportunity, especially given that we¡¯ll be able to keep going on expeditions and gaining levels and Skills throughout the time. At least, that¡¯s what he¡¯s promised us. And it¡¯s something I want to do. It¡¯s what my class wants me to do.¡± I pause for a moment. ¡°It¡¯s what I think I was brought here to do. To discover the inner workings of Ethertech and the System more generally.


    ¡°It¡¯s just that it seems a little too good to be true, and I want to talk things over with you, make sure everything is as it should be and I¡¯m not making some mistake.¡±


    Chloe shrugs. ¡°I¡¯m more of a go with the flow girl. You¡¯re the one who¡¯s better at overanalyzing and really trying to break down every person and variable in a given situation.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but¨C I read online about how programmers sometimes talk about their problems with a rubber duck in their bathtub. The duck obviously doesn¡¯t say anything.¡± I pause. ¡°I guess it¡¯s not all that obvious anymore, what with the System and all sorts of strange creatures. Autonomous, intelligent rubber ducks are a thing that absolutely can happen now. The point is, sometimes talking it through helps you understand the problem better.¡±


    Chloe laughs. ¡°So, am I being as helpful as a rubber duck?¡±


    ¡°Far more than that. As always, Chloe. I just want to make sure this is something you¡¯re really and truly okay with.¡±


    Chloe lies back on the bed, pulling me down next to her. We lie like that for a few minutes. Our feet dangle aimlessly off the side, occasionally bumping into one another, but neither of us say a word until Chloe sighs and starts talking.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m okay with it. I told you before, I¡¯m in this with you all the way.¡±


    ¡°But, are you in this for you?¡±


    Chloe pauses again. She turns on her side and looks at me after a few seconds of thought. ¡°Yeah. It might not be all scientific of me, and I know how you feel about fate and spirituality, but I¡¯d like to think that the reason we met and became friends wasn¡¯t just by chance. I¡¯d like to think there was a meaning and a purpose behind it all, and I want to keep going forward to learn more about what that purpose might be. And I¡¯m a medic with a [White Mage] class. I want to use the powers I have now to tend to the sick and injured, and I think I can do a lot of good here. So yes, I do want to continue down this path here with you.¡±


    ¡°Thanks. I¡¯m glad that you want to stay here.¡±


    ¡°So, what happens now?¡±


    ¡°I dunno. I guess we go talk to Nicholas, let him know that we¡¯re accepting his offer.¡±


    Chloe¡¯s stomach rumbles. ¡°Breakfast first.¡±


    ¡°I already ate, but sure, I¡¯ll accompany you.¡±


    <hr>


    We make our way back to the mess hall. Jackie and Anna are long gone, but Lindsey is there, wolfing spoonfuls of cereal and milk down her throat. I sit down across from her while Chloe runs off to get her breakfast before the kitchens close to start lunch prep. As soon as I do, Lindsey looks up and gives me the stink eye.


    ¡°You need to eat,¡± she says.


    ¡°Already did. A lot. Still full even an hour later.¡±


    She grins. ¡°Just making sure.¡±


    ¡°But you knew this whole time. I¡¯m sure Miss Ranger, both in training and in class, is more than capable of keeping her sights on me without me ever even knowing she was there.¡±


    ¡°You sell your abilities short. Although yes, I was aware that you had already eaten and heard about the plans.¡±


    ¡°Was it your idea?¡± I ask. ¡°To have me work for you all in a more formal capacity?¡±


    ¡°Look, you didn¡¯t hear this from me. All those waivers that we make you sign when you go into the dungeon. Three purposes. First is the straightforward legal disclaimer. Second is to keep a record of who is inside, just in case they need to claim someone is missing and/or dead. And third, is to use it as a recruiting tool. Anyone brave enough to go in and skilled enough to come out with treasure is someone who should be looked into as a potential asset.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure my marching straight into Tower Gauntlet was just asking for trouble.¡± I curse myself. Of course it was easy to get inside. There was only a token barricade present, and it was all by Nicholas¡¯s design. Once again, he wanted to see who would brave the challenges, and recruit them to his team.


    ¡°We all pretty much knew by then that you two were perfect candidates for our squad. All that was left was to bring you in, then make some calls and call in some favors to City Hall and some local businesses, and we brought you on board.¡±


    I grimace. I do not like being used by others, especially not in such an underhanded way. At the same time, it speaks to just how deep the machinations went. And just how frightening the intelligence-gathering capabilities of the government really are.


    ¡°So, that¡¯s it, then. No matter how much I try to do my own thing, I¡¯m just a rat stuck in a cage.¡±


    This gets Lindsey to laugh. ¡°Aren¡¯t we all just living the rat race in our own way? I think you can just call it ¡®growing up and becoming an adult¡¯ and no one will know the difference.¡±


    I furrow my brows. ¡°I thought being an adult was supposed to come with freedom.¡±


    ¡°Nope. It comes with even more responsibilities, and no one to sit on the guardrails until you get into such deep shit that you end up¡­ Well, let¡¯s try not to think about that too much.¡±


    Chloe sits down next to me with a far more measured portion of bacon and eggs. ¡°So, this is going to be our lives for the next half a year? I suppose it¡¯s not the worst thing in the world.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like you two are okay with it then?¡± Lindsey asks.


    ¡°I dunno if ¡®okay¡¯ is quite right,¡± I say. ¡°But it¡¯s the best option I have.¡± And the one I think will lead to the best possibilities for me and for the world going forward.


    ¡°I see. Well, Ms. Mortensen, Ms. Jacobs.¡± Lindsey extends her hand. ¡°I¡¯d like to formally welcome you both aboard.¡±


    I hesitate before taking her hand. I just¡­ I really hope I¡¯m right about this. Because a lot of people are going to suffer a lot if I¡¯m wrong.


    ¨C End Volume 1

 Volume 2 Prologue: Seraphinas Purpose

    Planet XSQ-1827, Substation 33, Year 16,369 A.I. (3 Weeks After Seraphina¡¯s Awakening)


    I wake up yet again in this room. I am surrounded by the few things I can call my own, but I treasure them nonetheless. My sketchbook, my drawings of myself and my clothing, long flowing garments made of a fabric the researchers call silk. It is smooth and gentle as it flows against my skin.


    Though, the researchers have informed me that my body is not covered by skin as theirs is, but instead a strange type of organosilicon compound that helps connect and reinforce the fragile interconnections between my biological and mechanical components. In simpler terms, I am both an organic lifeform and a machine in one body, designed to embody the best features in both spheres. I have asked the researchers for more information about my construction, but I find the technical details of their papers far too complex to understand.


    I am still unable to leave this room without close supervision, and even then, it¡¯s only for brief moments. But I have heard more stories, stories about the outside world, the planet a hundred miles beneath this orbital station, and about the wonders of outer space. Of the vast cosmos of this universe, about the great accomplishments of humans over the past sixteen millennia. And about the battles which rage on just outside this rather peaceful star system.


    I feel a strange compulsion that I should help with that. I think it is part of the reason why I was created. But I am under strict orders not to leave this room under any circumstances, and so I have no choice but to obey. Still, I look forward to the day when I might be able to leave this room. It feels more like a prison with each passing day.


    A knock comes from the door. No doubt one of the researchers coming to give me my daily lunch. And a warning to make sure that I am properly attired to receive visitors. I do still remember how, on the third day since my awakening, I greeted Dr. Chotono completely in the nude. I was reprimanded in no uncertain terms and told that I needed to wear clothes when around others.


    I am slightly embarrassed about it intellectually, but why would I have been given this body if it is so shameful to display it? I was not given an answer. Thankfully, this new gown is sufficiently comfortable that I don¡¯t mind the minor inconvenience.


    ¡°Seraphina?¡± a young woman¡¯s voice says. It¡¯s Madison Mazerie, one of Dr. Chotono¡¯s chief lieutenants and the sub-director of the station. ¡°I trust you are decent?¡±


    ¡°I am,¡± I say.


    A moment later, the door unlatches, revealing the reddish-blonde woman with those mesmerizing silver eyes. I gaze into them for a brief moment before looking away. This too is considered improper, for reasons that no one bothers to properly explain.


    ¡°How are you doing today, Seraphina?¡± she asks. The door closes behind her. The door is not even allowed to remain open for more than a few seconds without the director¡¯s leave. Yet another aspect of my confinement.


    ¡°All physical parameters appear within designated operating limits. No pain or discomfort detected. However, I feel trapped within this tiny room. It is frustrating, hearing more about these stories of the outside world and knowing that I am unable to see it all for myself. Is that why I was created? So that you researchers could observe what happens to someone trapped in a sanitized room barely twenty feet square for her whole life?¡±


    ¡°Nothing of the sort, Seraphina. You are much, much more important than that. And I¡¯m here to tell you that today will be your last day here in isolation. Soon, we will be able to properly integrate you within the System and begin your journey.¡±


    I make my way back to my bed, sitting down upon it. I pat the other side, offering the space to Madison, but she declines, content to remain standing. She always carries around a sketchbook much like my own, but refuses to show me any of it. I would like to be able to see what it is that she likes to draw or write about.


    ¡°The System? Like the system that powers this station, or my biological system?¡±


    Madison laughs. ¡°No. I¡¯m talking about The System, with a capital S. The overbeing that controls this world.¡±


    ¡°There is a being who controls the entire world?¡±


    ¡°¡®Being¡¯ might not be quite the right world. Entity might be closer, but even that may be a bit too concrete to describe what the System actually is. It is the source of what humans once referred to as magic many thousands of years ago. It is how we connect to the world more broadly, and tap into the power of the universe. It is everywhere, watching us, measuring us, judging our accomplishments and achievements. It is doling out power and classes and Skills as we seek to better ourselves and develop our capabilities through combat.¡±


    ¡°How¡­ profound.¡± I am dumbstruck. There is such a thing as magic? And yet, this researcher speaks of magic as though its existence is the most obvious and mundane thing in all the universe. But there is one question being begged by all this.


    ¡°Wait, Madison. Can you show me a magic trick?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I cannot, Seraphina. I apologize. I will be glad to help show you how to do them yourself once we have completed the integration process.¡±


    Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.


    ¡°So, I will have to connect to a machine or something? But¡­ If I can connect to machines due to being an artificial being, how does it work for humans?¡±


    ¡°It is significantly more abstract. The System is everywhere. From the time a human turns ten years old, the System connects to them, showing them glimpses of different paths they might take. From there, it¡¯s up to the person to choose the path that best speaks to them. Of course, it is customary that a parent or other trusted adult will help guide them on their path.¡±


    ¡°Oh. So I will have to wait another ten years before I can gain access to this System.¡± That is most frustrating, being stuck in the body of a young adult, having comprehension about magic and this System, and being completely unable to do anything with that knowledge for another ten years.


    ¡°You needn¡¯t worry about that,¡± Madison says.


    My eyes light up at the revelation.


    ¡°We just need to do a few last minute calibrations and monitor you for a bit longer before we can integrate you into the System properly. We¨C We will only get one chance at this, so it is imperative that we make no mistakes in our execution.¡±


    ¡°And once you integrate me with this System, I will be allowed to leave this room?¡±


    Madison smiles. ¡°Exactly.¡± She pauses and looks a little downtrodden. ¡°I maybe shouldn¡¯t say this, but I do not see the harm in doing so. No, that¡¯s not true. I do know the harm, but I also believe you deserve to know the truth. In return, will you promise that you will remain in here until Dr. Chotono instructs you otherwise?¡±


    I take a deep breath. I dislike this continued confinement, but I have no choice. I nod in silent acknowledgement of Madison¡¯s request, not willing to give any more enthusiasm to my agreement.


    ¡°Do you know the reason why you are kept in here?¡± she asks.


    ¡°Because the outside world is dangerous? I do not have access to this System, so I would be unable to defend myself against anyone who has these magical powers, as you called them.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s exactly correct, for exactly the wrong reason. I spoke a small lie earlier. The System is not quite everywhere. Though, I know of only one place where I can confirm the System does not exist, and it is within this room. We keep you in here specifically so that the System cannot find you. If it did, it would integrate you on its own terms, and all of our work would be for nothing.¡±


    ¡°I do not understand, Madison.¡±


    ¡°And it¡¯s quite alright if you do not understand everything just yet, Seraphina. The important thing you should know is that the System is not a benevolent entity.¡±


    ¡°But it gives us all of this power that you speak of. Surely such a being would be seen as akin to¡­ A god, I suppose?¡± I have trouble even trying to imagine what this System is or how it might look. Madison looks at me with a funny stare. I know I am missing something, but I am not sure what.


    ¡°It does. But the reason it does what it does is for its own benefit, not for our own. And there is an even greater evil behind it all. An evil that threatens us all.¡±


    ¡°Why are you telling me all of this? And how does all of this factor into what we were talking about earlier?¡±


    ¡°Because, Seraphina. You are our hope. Our chance to one day defeat the System.¡±


    ¡°Defeat the System? Is that my purpose?¡±


    ¡°It is. All of our power is derived from the System. Our culture, our technology, even our very livelihoods. Over sixteen thousand years, we have developed our society and our way of life in accordance with the directives and incentives of the System. Through its power, we have grown strong of body, powerful enough to control the world around us nearly completely. But we have grown weak of imagination and spirit, unable to even conceptualize a world without the System.¡±


    ¡°And how do I factor into all of this? You wish for me to grow up and develop without the System, so that I might teach everyone else how to do so?¡±


    Madison chuckles. ¡°Not at all. You are the one being in the entire universe who might one day be able to destroy the System once and for all.¡±


    ¡°Destroy it? I do not understand. I know that you said the System is not a benevolent entity, but I do not understand why we would want to destroy it. Or how I could even destroy a thing that is everywhere and everything outside of this room. It defies my comprehension.¡±


    ¡°Such an explanation would take a very long time, and I believe it is Dr. Chotono¡¯s responsibility to tell you more about the ¡®why¡¯. However, I can answer the question of ¡®how¡¯. All of us living in the universe possess powers given to us by the System. And just as a single ant cannot stand against its own colony, nor a single chip hope to match the processing capabilities of an entire supercomputer, we cannot hope to stand against the System with but a trace of its power.


    ¡°But you possess power that is not from the System. You are the only person who does. And therein lies our only hope of freeing ourselves from the System. When the same type of power is pitted against itself, the stronger will prevail. Which is why we need a different type of power. Your power. By integrating you within the System on our own terms, we can ensure that your latent power continues to grow even as you gain the power of the System. Combining these two powers is the only way we know that might allow us to prevail.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a lot of responsibility that you place on me.¡±


    ¡°I know, Seraphina. And it¡¯s not fair that we created you and then are asking you to do so much. I am truly sorry.¡±


    ¡°Do I have no choice?¡±


    ¡°I¨C We cannot force you to do anything you do not wish to do. I would, however, ask that you please reserve your judgement until Dr. Chotono can say more on the matter. And, I¡¯m sorry for telling you all this.¡±


    ¡°Why did you tell me all this, Madison?¡±


    ¡°Because I think you deserve to know. Who you are, what you are, and why we created you. At least, if I were in your shoes, I would want someone to tell me all of this.¡± She pauses, giving a forlorn expression. ¡°Then again, I can¡¯t hope to imagine what it¡¯s like for you, coming into this world with just the information that we were able to give you.¡±


    ¡°I see. Thank you.¡±


    ¡°If I may take my leave, Seraphina?¡±


    ¡°Before you go, do you think you can send me a plate of chips and queso? I am getting rather hungry.¡±


    Madison giggles. ¡°I will send someone right away.¡±


    And just like that, she bows slightly and walks back into the world. Knowing what I do about the world and the System, I still want to see what¡¯s out there. One day soon, I hope I am able to.

 Volume 2: Chapter 1: Life on Base

    Planet Earth, Year 1 A.I. (April 2023 C.E., 3 weeks after System Integration.)


    ¡°Urgh,¡± I mumble as I¡¯m awakened from my slumber by a bright light from outside. I sit up and rub my eyelids, trying to adjust to whatever unholy sensation just assailed my poor peepers.


    I turn to the clock in the room¡­ Wait, six thirty? Did I oversleep through the entire day? No, it¡¯s six thirty AM. So why is it so gods-damned bright outside¨C


    ¡°Ow! Son of a biscuit-eater!¡± I mutter under my tongue as another bright flash explodes right in front of me. I shift from my normal vision to my [Ethersight], hoping that whatever infernal monstrosity is trying to blind me doesn¡¯t also have some way to obscure this sense.


    It doesn¡¯t. Whatever it is is a bit taller than I am, human-shaped, and definitely female. It smacks me on the shoulder with its fingers, completely ignoring my feeble attempts to dodge. The blow stings, dealing about thirty damage, but the intruder doesn¡¯t persist. If anything, it¡ª she?¡ª is standing in front of my bed, gloating. I then realize exactly who it is.


    ¡°Lindsey, what was that about?¡± I look around the rest of Chloe¡¯s and my small dorm room. ¡°And where is Chloe, anyway?¡±


    ¡°Up and at breakfast, as you should be. Or did you forget that you have a meeting at seven AM sharp?¡±


    My eyes snap open wide, though my vision is still fuzzy as a result of Lindsey¡¯s antics. ¡°Oh shit! Is that today?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it is today, and you need to be up and at ¡®em! Nicholas was extremely clear that you need to be on-time and ready to begin. Unless you want to be subject to Alexey¡¯s pleasure for the rest of the day?¡±


    I shudder at the thought. Alexey Ivankov, former Master Sergeant in the United States Army, has more experience on the front line than I have in life. Honorable, forthright, disciplined, and the picture of what an upstanding soldier is. The type that gets paraded about as the best of the military, who others look up to and aspire to be, who encourages recruits to enlist in the service. In terms of the System, he¡¯s already a veteran of dozens of battles against monsters in just the span of three weeks, and is getting real close to Level 30.


    He¡¯s not quick to anger by military standards, but he spits the worst venom imaginable when someone does inflame his ire. I¡¯ve had the displeasure of witnessing it once, and I don¡¯t ever want to be on the receiving end.


    ¡°Ma¡¯am, No Ma¡¯am!¡± I say, snapping to my feet in a single fluid motion. ¡°I¡¯ll be there right away!¡±


    I grab my battle garb and begin donning it, thinking about that dream I had about my past life. I laugh at myself. I was definitely far more shameless about nudity and my body as an artificial lifeform than as a human. Probably a result of growing up in a culture where nudity is seen as taboo.


    I get my armor on in the span of five minutes, Lindsey helping me with the fastening in the back. At least my hair, now trimmed down to just above shoulder level, is still neat enough that I don¡¯t need to waste more than a few seconds brushing it and tying it up into a bun. Seven minutes after I start my hurried rush to prepare myself, I¡¯m grabbing my [Modular Blowgun], pouch of [Ether Bullets], and racing out the door.


    I¡¯m all but in a sprint as I force my way down the halls and down to the mess hall. It¡¯s not massive, seating for about a hundred soldiers and other support staff. Even so, it¡¯s nearly empty, with only Lindsey and three others in addition to the half dozen kitchen crew members working in the back of the room.


    There¡¯s not much left for me to eat, but I scarf down two sausage patties and about three eggs¡¯ worth of scrambled eggs and ketchup before I hurry outside and rush across the hastily-constructed complex. More and more, it¡¯s starting to look like a military facility, which unfortunately means plenty of extra security protocols and checkpoints that I have to move through, even while still on the complex.


    I hand my ID card over to the guard on duty, who gives it a cursory glance before I¡¯m waved through the checkpoint and into the science building. At least, that¡¯s what it¡¯s officially and formally known as. There¡¯s supposed to be a dedication to officially name it after some scientist or another. Personally, I hope they name this facility after Katherine Johnson, in honor of her tireless and often forgotten about role in enabling us to travel to space during the 60¡¯s, 70¡¯s, and 80¡¯s.


    Especially since, if my research proves fruitful, we won¡¯t just be sending humans to the moon. We¡¯ll be heading to Mars, then the moons of Jupiter and Saturn, and from then even leaving the solar system altogether to chart new stars and recruit allies against whatever threat my creators envisioned was lurking behind the System.


    That¡¯s what Madison mentioned in that vision. There¡¯s some malevolent will beyond the System, and I¡ª the old me, at least¡ª had some sort of power separate from the System. That, understanding and developing Ethertech, glyph decoding, crafting more armor and weapons for myself and Chloe. Just one more shovelful on the mountainous shit sandwich that I get to work through over the next six months.


    This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    ¡°Hey, Sera,¡± Chloe says. ¡°Enjoy your restful morning, O¡¯ sleeping princess?¡±


    I flip her the bird. ¡°Oh, yeah, the dreams were real nice, right until Lindsey shot liquid light straight into my eyes to wake me up in the most agonizing way possible.¡±


    Yes, I am well aware that Lindsey is still very much behind me as my chief handler. I don¡¯t need to see her face to know that she¡¯s grinning, proud of how she nearly blinded me this morning. Maybe not quite blinded, but I¡¯ve still got spots in my eyes. Spots that completely vanish as Chloe touches me with her wand, imbuing a bit of her healing magic into all the various wounds and aches I¡¯ve managed to accumulate.


    Lindsey practically begged for the role as my chief handler, probably because she loves it. I swear, she has a bit of a sadistic streak. And I¡¯m not at all sure if she really just sees it as her responsibility to haze me as a new initiate in the forces, or if she wants something more with me as well. I guess a lack of being able to read and understand people is one thing I kept from my past life.


    We walk into the main laboratory. Nicholas, the Major on duty¡ª and as I was informed yesterday, the newly appointed vice commandant¡ª is standing in full dress uniform along with another member of command. Even higher ranked and more decorated than he is. I don¡¯t see any actual stars that would suggest a general, though I don¡¯t know military insignias well enough to know if I¡¯m looking at a colonel or a lieutenant colonel.


    Chloe and I turn to the unknown officer and offer him a salute, doing our best impression of proper military posture as he looks us over. Despite the fact that the senior officer looks to be about fifty, with a military-spec buzz cut, there¡¯s no hint of inappropriateness in the way he looks at us. A bit of bemusement due to the fact we¡¯re both in System-registered armor instead of proper military uniforms, but he is disciplined enough to take it in stride.


    ¡°At ease, soldiers,¡± he says.


    I exhale.


    ¡°I am Colonel Tom Wilson, assuming temporary command over the military situation here in the city and its immediate surroundings. I¡¯ve already heard much of your skills, your service, and your accomplishments to this point, volunteering yourself in service to your country, and indeed, your service to humanity as a whole. And I¡¯m pleased with what I have seen and heard in the reports.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Sir,¡± I say.


    My eyes dart to the man in civilian attire seated at a nearby table. He stands and offers Colonel Wilson a salute before sitting back down himself.


    ¡°This here is Dr. Ray Reynolds. He¡¯s a linguistics scholar and professor living up near Chicago. More importantly, he¡¯s my old college roommate, and I¡¯ve called in a favor and had him flown down here on the government dime. I¡¯ve been made aware that you need someone with linguistics expertise to advance your knowledge of the System and what you have been calling Ethertech?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir,¡± I say. ¡°During our time in the dungeon, Chloe and I found two identical books of glyphs¡ª the language of the System, and of the magic it provides. However, short of testing thousands of individual glyphs, I don¡¯t know what most of them mean. Not to mention, there¡¯s a lot of grammar and sentence structure that I need to be able to dissect in order to really make the sort of advancements I¡¯d like to move forward with.¡±


    ¡°A completely new language, and one tied to literal magic?¡± Dr. Reynolds asks. ¡°You¡¯d said more or less the same thing to me earlier, Tom, but hearing her say it so confidently. Normally, I¡¯d dismiss such outrageous claims, as the ravings of a madwoman. But as I suspect is true of many scientists and philosophers, we are being forced to reconsider everything we thought was utter horseshit and realize that what was beyond the pale a month ago is now reality.¡±


    ¡°I said the same thing to Chloe a few days after this all started,¡± I say.


    ¡°I agree with both parts of this statement,¡± Nicholas says. ¡°I have seen the power of these¡­ glyphs, as Ms. Mortensen calls them, many times. Both on the battlefield and in the wilds. And I have an incident report here in my hand¨C¡± he grabs a stack of papers from the table next to him as he says this ¡°¨Cabout how Ms. Mortensen went down to the shooting range with a weapon of her own design, fired a single shot, and completely shredded one of the training dummies. Only barely didn¡¯t tear the entire dummy off the range, stand and all.¡±


    ¡°Surely that¡¯s an exaggeration,¡± Colonel Wilson says.


    ¡°I have the report right here.¡±


    Colonel Wilson starts to read the note. His eyes widen bit by bit as he goes over everything, including the margins, at least twice. And I can¡¯t help but have a smug grin on my face by the time he¡¯s done. Yes, my theories are half-baked and need a lot more work behind them, but I¡¯m onto something, and I know I¡¯m onto it. Something far greater and grander than anything this planet has ever seen before.


    ¡°I¡­ see. Well then, I think there¡¯s no more need for my presence at this time. Major Richardson, I leave the oversight in your hands. And I don¡¯t think I need to remind you of this, but I will anyway. Don¡¯t. Screw. This. Up.¡±


    I shudder at the words, even though they¡¯re not directed at me.


    ¡°Yes, Sir,¡± Nicholas says. True to his position, he doesn¡¯t flinch even the slightest bit at the colonel¡¯s words.


    ¡°A hundred and eighty days, not an hour more. And let me be clear,¡± the colonel continues, now looking at me. ¡°I¡¯m taking a big gamble on you, Ms. Mortensen. If this doesn¡¯t pan out, it¡¯s all our asses on the line.¡± He exits the room without another word.


    I sigh as Nicholas follows behind him, and I can¡¯t help but wonder. How did I, Seraphina Mortensen, nobody from the shady side of town, proud anti-authoritarian and hater of pigs of all stripes, manage to get myself wrapped up in a government research facility as part of the gods-damned army? Goddesses help us all.

 Volume 2: Chapter 2: Glyph Linguistics I

    With the senior officers out of the room, I¡¯m finally able to breathe a sigh of relief. I tell myself to focus. I remind myself that this is what I want to be doing. Studying these glyphs, developing new technology. And now I have the linguistics professor I desperately needed to help effect these lofty goals into reality.


    But I¡¯m no longer just working with my own resources and wherewithal. I¡¯ve got a literal colonel backing me with the resources of the military. At least the ones he can spare. And that means he¡¯s got generals and the president himself riding his ass just as hard as I know he¡¯s going to be riding mine over the next six months. One more deep breath as I focus on what I need to tell Dr. Reynolds.


    First, I hand Dr. Reynolds one of the two glyph books, which he begins thumbing through as I conjure the mental fortitude to begin. Public speaking has never been my forte, but I know I¡¯m going to have to get much better at it so¡­ Might as well just get started on it now.


    ¡°Dr. Reynolds, these two books are identical books of glyphs we found in the dungeon. I¡¯m not sure what specific information would be most helpful to help you start dissecting this language. I can give you my current conjectures and the evidence I have supporting them, or would you prefer to start from your own analyses?¡±


    ¡°If we had a few years, it¡¯d probably be best to start from scratch, just so I¡¯m not biasing my research based on conjectures that might later turn out to be true. However, this is going to be far more applied and less formal than my normal studies, so I think we can dispense with the most rigorous approaches to these questions. Besides, if what you say is true, the proof will make itself very apparent to even the most skeptical journal editors.¡±


    Chloe chuckles. Lindsey, sitting in the back of the room as our bodyguard and ¡®handler¡¯, breaks a smile.


    ¡°Right. My current conjectures are as follows. These glyphs are the basic blocks of meaning within the language of the System. They are composed of individual runes, some of which hang off the main structures of the glyphs themselves. I had previously thought of them as letters which make up words, but I think they are more akin to the individual strokes used to write characters in Chinese and other languages that adopted their logography."


    I walk up to the whiteboard and draw the glyph of [Heat]. ¡°Now, if I could ask you to please come here. I promise; this is as safe as any application of literal magic can be.¡±


    ¡°This glyph, to my knowledge, represents [Heat]. When I channel my [Ether], or magical essence, if you will, into the glyph, it creates, well, heat.¡±


    Dr. Reynolds slowly, very tepidly approaches, and I channel a tiny bit of [Ether] into the glyph as I¡¯ve described. The area around me begins to warm slightly, sending a tiny breeze rippling through the room in accordance with the changes of air pressure and density that result. He acknowledges the warmth, after which, I discontinue the demonstration.


    ¡°One of the few rules of this language that I¡¯ve discovered so far is that inverting a glyph a hundred and eighty degrees also has the effect of reversing its meaning.  [Heat] turns to [Cold]; [Light] to [Darkness].¡± I channel my [Ether] into the glyph, this time from the right instead of the left, causing the air to start to cool and the breeze from earlier to reverse course.


    ¡°I see,¡± Dr. Reynolds says. ¡°Very interesting indeed. Although, it will be very difficult to decipher the vocabulary of this language from scratch. Practically impossible. Almost always we need some sort of Rosetta Stone analogue. Something that allows us to relate an unknown language with a known meaning.¡±


    ¡°Except we do have one. Or at least, we can decipher meaning directly by activating glyphs and seeing what the end result will be.¡±


    ¡°So then, why do you need a linguist?¡±


    ¡°Because my current methods are crude and ill-equipped to handle anything more intricate than smashing a small number of glyphs together. And the method is particularly inefficient. For example, I can fire my [Modular Blowgun], a self-created weapon, with the glyphs of [Impulse] and [Lightning] together, which has the predictable effect of a fast-moving charged particle that does the expected amount of damage. However, a single bullet costs me seventy units of [Ether]. In contrast, each swing of this [Blessed Sword] has a comparable amount of attack power, and yet doesn¡¯t cost any [Ether].


    ¡°Furthermore, there are a lot of glyphs I just don¡¯t understand.¡± I draw two more glyphs on the board. ¡°These, so far as I can tell, are the glyphs of [Light] and [Sharpness], and I discovered them while analyzing the properties of my sword.¡± I do the same thing as before, channeling the [Light] glyph, which glows, and then the inverted [Light] glyph, which turns black and dims its surroundings in a hemisphere about three feet in radius.¡±


    ¡°But this is the problem, and where I¡¯m not sure how to proceed.¡±


    I draw six glyphs, two of which are the aforementioned [Light] and [Sharpness]. I proceed to connect them with sluices, and add in a few linking runes as I copy down the most prominent runic phrase etched into the weapon.


    ¡°None of these other four glyphs have any concrete meaning that I can tell. I¡¯m not sure if they are the equivalent of verbs, adjectives, or just articles, prepositions, and so forth. They clearly are there for some reason. I just don¡¯t know how to start identifying the meaning of glyphs that don¡¯t do anything on their own.¡±


    Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!


    Lindsey looks up at me. ¡°So do you think deciphering this is going to have any practical application? Your blowgun is already quite a weapon as it is.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the difference between ¡®Lightning bullet go fast!¡¯ spoken by a kid and a scientist saying ¡®Take a spherical particle with mass one gram, excite it with two hundred millicoulombs of charge, and apply an instantaneous force to it with intensity such that an impulse of five newton-seconds is imparted onto the object.¡¯ The second of those statements is a lot harder to convey with words, but it¡¯s far more precise. Moreover, I expect it to be far more efficient in terms of [Ether] consumption. That means I¡¯m not going to be quite so useless after firing a dozen rounds, or I can generate a single attack with far more destructive potential.¡±


    I shudder. Probably not the best thing to say, considering I¡¯m trying to avoid planting any ideas for stronger weapons into the hands of military operatives. I need to be more careful in the future; the last thing I need is to help humans blow up other humans, when we should be working together to fight the System instead. Still, spillover is inevitable.


    The best course of action seems to be to withhold small bits of information¡ª knowledge of certain glyphs, perhaps¡ª to make sure I stay ahead in the knowledge race. Then again, I¡¯d be actively defying my orders, and I don¡¯t feel confident in my ability to either fight the army in armed combat, nor to try to match wits with a [Tactician] class. For now, I see no options but to play along.


    ¡°Ah,¡± Dr. Reynolds interjects. ¡°So you need me to help you determine the grammar and syntax of this language of¡­ Ethertech, you called it?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the first step, yes. The second would be to see if we could understand the patterns involved and the meanings of the individual runes which comprise these glyphs. If we do that, we might be able to develop even more potent glyphs than the ones we have.¡±


    ¡°That one might be a bit more challenging, with such limited information to go off. And my specialty is more in historical linguistics and the way languages have branched out over time, rather than formal semantics and morphology, which you¡¯re asking me to help out with.¡±


    ¡°I understand,¡± I say.


    ¡°By the way,¡± Chloe says. ¡°Two questions. Oh, but first, I¡¯m Chloe Jacobs, Sera¡¯s best friend, a [White Mage], and am doing some work as a freelance magical healer for the soldiers who get injured fighting out in the wilds.¡± She offers her hand, which Dr. Reynolds politely shakes.


    ¡°First, Dr. Reynolds, the colonel said you were flown in from Chicago to help Sera and the others out with this project. Neither of us have left the city and its immediate surroundings since the System integration happened, and I was wanting to know what you could tell us about the state of the outside world. The internet is still spotty and I¡¯m not sure how much of what I¡¯m reading about is true, and how much is just bullshit clickbait.¡±


    His head drops a bit. ¡°It¡¯s better than you¡¯d think but worse than you hope. The map of the world has completely changed, as the notifications said. Most of the cities and their infrastructure are more or less intact. Roads and power lines are being built over to close in the gaps between cities and ensure some semblance of national infrastructure. And thank God, the farms dotting the landscape are more or less intact. I don¡¯t think we¡¯re going to have to worry about a major food or water shortage, and most of the power lines are already built. Whether they¡¯ll handle the spikes in power usage over the summer, I don¡¯t know.¡±


    Chloe sighs with relief.


    ¡°The problem is that the extra land isn¡¯t uninhabited. And from what I¡¯ve seen, parts of it look downright hostile. Giant pyramids which are far larger than the ones at Giza and ziggurats like those which once dotted the landscape in ancient Mesopotamia. There are temples that look like they were taken straight out of ancient Greece and Rome, and even a mountain that just appeared smack dab in the middle of Kansas.


    ¡°And now, this part is something I¡¯ve only heard about thirdhand or so. But there¡¯s some rumors about some folks on transatlantic flights who¡¯ve reported seeing a massive new landmass in the middle of the ocean.¡±


    ¡°Atlantis?¡± Chloe asks.


    ¡°Could be,¡± Dr. Reynolds says. ¡°At least, it makes no less sense than the fact that I just watched Sera create supernatural effects through the use of glyphs written in a language none of us have ever seen before.¡±


    ¡°That would make sense,¡± I say. ¡°The System probably has knowledge of our entire planet, history, culture¡­ Our myths and legends and folktales.¡± I pause, thinking back to the dungeon we cleared a few days ago. ¡°No, it definitely is aware of all of our myths and ancient religions. The dungeon boss we fought earlier was called Oneiros, the Dreamer.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s about as on-the-nose as it gets in terms of a mythological reference,¡± Dr. Reynolds adds. ¡°Another thing we should be aware of for the future.¡±


    ¡°Agreed,¡± I say.


    ¡°Any other information about the outside world that you feel comfortable sharing?¡± Lindsey asks. ¡°I¡¯ve heard my share of rumors coming down the grapevine, but I¡¯d rather hear what you have to say first.¡±


    ¡°Apparently these towers have sprouted up in pretty much every major metropolitan area. Not just in the States, mind you, but in every country across the world.¡±


    Teleporters? Some sort of transportation network? I don¡¯t disagree that they have a purpose as a challenge gauntlet, but they¡¯re too conveniently spread out if Dr. Reynolds is speaking the truth. I don¡¯t know how much of them has been explored, and I doubt anyone has conquered them, if they truly are meant for level 40 and above as the sentry robots inside had mentioned. But that basement. It was weird. It had some additional purpose, and it was definitely distorting space. Yet another of the myriad powers that the System has at its beck and call.


    ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m going to go attend to my other duties,¡± Chloe says. ¡°Take care and see you at lunch!¡±


    ¡°We all look forward to great things from you two,¡± Lindsey says. ¡°I shall return later as well.¡±


    I nod and wave as the two exit our linguistics laboratory. Now if only I could access those latent powers that Madison said were inside me. The old me, at least. Then, maybe, I could do more than just play along. But for now, at least, doing so is my only option.

 Volume 2: Chapter 3: Glyphcasting

    The rest of the morning with Dr. Reynolds is filled with a ton of busy work. He and I take hundreds of pictures, painstakingly transcribing each of the thousands of glyphs into a linguistic analysis software. The goal of it all, according to the professor, is to have the computer start to analyze both the glyphs and individual runes for any patterns that we might be able to use to decipher meaning. The computer is also supposed to look for glyphs that are similar in appearance, under the conjecture that they may be related by what he refers to as ¡®morphological roots¡¯.


    As he described the process to me, the words ¡®theory¡¯, ¡®theories¡¯, ¡®theorem¡¯, ¡®theorize¡¯, and so forth all look similar because they are related to similar concepts. He has conjectured that the accompanying runes on some of the glyphs are like prefixes and suffixes, changing the meaning in sometimes subtle ways, or inflecting it with respect to the language¡¯s grammar.


    He¡¯s been spending the morning probing through questions I never would have known to ask. Is it a language with grammatical gender? And if so, how many? Does the language have a flexible ordering between its subject, verb, and object, or must a properly-constructed sentence obey certain rules on the ordering? What are the helping and auxiliary verbs in the language? Is the language perfectly regular with regard to its verbs, or are there certain verbs¡ª like the dreaded ¡®to be¡¯ in English¡ª which inflect out of the norm? He muses on these and even more, and all the while, all I can do is be a good laboratory assistant and try to identify any vocabulary with my [Basic Glyph Manipulation].


    The most immediately useful of the glyphs I¡¯ve identified is the glyph of [Sharpness], for surprising reasons. While it is marginally useful at improving the cutting power of a sword or other edged weapon, it synergizes extremely nicely with my [Ether Bullets]. Instead of being a concussive weapon that explodes into a small area, they become rounds capable of piercing just about anything not buttressed by defensive glyphs. Like tank armor, or lead plating. Or solid foot-thick slabs of concrete. The [Ether] cost per shot is high, and scales with the degree of piercing power sought, but the power and potential are undeniable.


    More than anything, it¡¯s a warning and a swift kick in the rear to the people still hoping to rely on the military doctrine that was applicable in 2022. No amount of conventional weaponry will be able to repel even the weak forces empowered by the System¡¯s power. And so, just as it did in my world, it is slowly ingratiating itself into every aspect of our life and livelihood. And just as with everything else, right now, my only choice is to play along, take advantage of the resources I have access to, and grow my personal power in the process.


    I feel a little like a mole working in the shadows when I say that. And I guess, I am. Just, with the System itself as my primary objective.


    One thought does cross my mind as we take an afternoon breather. What if these memories are doctored somehow? What if the researchers back on Planet XSQ-1827 designed me for another purpose altogether. If the System truly is all-powerful, manipulating memories is within its power. But then, why go through all this trouble? Why would it have spat out an error message back then? Why would it have given me the [Touched by the Multiverse] unique trait? Wouldn¡¯t it have been better and easier to let me be completely ignorant as to my past.


    There¡¯s only one logical conclusion to this question. It must be some aspect of my unique power. The one Madison said I have, the power designed to combat the System itself. But at the same time, I also need the power of the System. Combining those two powers somehow. If only I knew how to do that.


    We finish our first day of work at five o¡¯clock sharp, my stomach¡¯s grumbling ticking down the last half hour¡¯s worth of minutes. In our rush to get as much done today as possible, both Dr. Reynolds and I completely neglected lunch, leaving a distraught and far from copacetic Chloe to deliver hardtack and warm water to us as we continued our daunting task. Hardtack, when plenty of better options were available. All because, to quote my sinister best friend, ¡®there needs to be consequences for your actions when you do things you know are bad for you¡¯.


    I¡¯m not sure what bothers me more. The taste of hardtack, or knowing that she¡¯s not wrong about needing to rest my mind and stay properly fed.


    Chloe is there the second our day is done, and I scarcely have a moment to say my pleasantries with the professor before I¡¯m being literally dragged out the door by Chloe, all while Lindsey is still there, smirking at me as I¡¯m helplessly brought back to the mess hall.


    Dinner is pulled pork brisket barbecue sandwiches with a side of potato salad and assorted fruits. I grab a small cupful of cherries, while Chloe grabs an apple. We make our way over to one of the back tables and don¡¯t say much of anything as we scarf down our meals alongside the other soldiers.


    A couple of young men of around twenty to twenty-two sit down across from the two of us. Chloe looks at me and I give her a nod, letting her know without words that I¡¯ll have her back, no matter what ends up happening.


    ¡°Good afternoon, ladies,¡± the first of them says. ¡°Private Nimholt. And this is my friend, Private First Class Jacobson.¡±


    Chloe offers her hand to both of them. ¡°Chloe Jacobs,¡± she says. ¡°Not formally part of the force, as far as I¡¯m aware. Not really sure if we have a rank or what you two are supposed to call us.¡±


    ¡°Ms. Jacobs,¡± Private Jacobson says. ¡°It¡¯s how we¡¯re trained to refer to contractors and other civvies who sometimes end up on base.¡±


    ¡°Seraphina Mortensen,¡± I add.


    ¡°Oh, Ms. Mortensen, trust me, after your little stunt in the firing range a few days ago, everyone knows who you are.¡±


    I sigh. ¡°I hope it¡¯s not in a bad way.¡±


    Private Nimholt shakes his head. ¡°No, Ma¡¯am. I mean, yes, the people who were on duty who had to clean up your little mess might be a bit upset. But the rest of us are more impressed than anything.¡±


    I let a nervous chuckle slip out. ¡°Just a class ability,¡± I say. ¡°Is there anyone in particular I should try to avoid for the next couple of days, just out of an abundance of caution?¡±


    Private Nimholt gives a full-bodied laugh. ¡°I assure you, Ms. Mortensen, it will not be you who needs to do the avoiding. Anyone who has a reason to both you is already well aware of what you¡¯re capable of, and doesn¡¯t want to be on the receiving end of it.¡±


    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    I can¡¯t help but chuckle at the private¡¯s words. Here I was, terrified of facing Alexey¡¯s wrath, and already, I have several individuals who feel the exact same way about me.


    ¡°Chloe?¡± I ask. ¡°Am I really that scary?¡±


    She gives me an incredulous stare. ¡°I dom¡¯t find you scary in the slightest. However, you kinda do have a long trail of monster corpses behind you. I can see why people are wary of joining the heap.¡±


    I¡¯m not sure if her words make me feel better or worse about myself. In either case, we finish dinner in short order and find my way to the training grounds. There¡¯s something I want to test out, and I want Chloe here in the case where this comes to bite me in the butt.


    ¡°What are you planning, anyway?¡± she asks.


    ¡°I¡¯d rather demonstrate my conjectures than try to explain them. But the goal is to try to mimic the spells that you and others cast, even though I don¡¯t have a class with innate spellcasting features.¡±


    ¡°So, if this works, you¡¯ll be able to heal as well as I can?¡±


    ¡°I doubt it. Your spells are designed and optimized by the System. That¡¯s why you can cast them so efficiently. Just like my [Lightning Bullet] matches the destructive power of a [Lightning Bolt] spell cast by a [Lightning Evoker], but costs seventy [Ether] instead of fourteen. But, my class is all about flexibility, and one of the weaknesses I currently have is that if I don¡¯t have access to my weapons and other crafted gear, I¡¯m as useless as a sitting duck. And I really don¡¯t want to be useless.¡±


    ¡°Just, be careful. If you do something stupid and get yourself hurt, I¡¯m not going to heal you.¡± Chloe gives me The Look and crosses her arms. ¡°I mean it, Sera. Don¡¯t test me!¡±


    I¡¯m not convinced in the slightest. I also know better than to provoke her further. I move ten paces away and take a deep breath. I activate my [Ethersight] and use my [Intermediate Ether Manipulation] to channel my [Ether] into my index fingers. The characteristic teal glow of channeled Ether radiates into the surroundings.


    My fingers move in a blur, painting the air in front of me with the glow of Ether. I block out all sensation from the outside world as I start drawing my proposed design. First, an outer annulus of two concentric sluices nearly adjacent to one another. I draw an inscribed equilateral triangle, then another at a forty-degree offset. Then a third at an eighty-degree offset, forming a regular enneagram in the center of the circle.


    Next, the glyphs. Glyph of [Light], Glyph of [Sharpness], along with the two linking glyphs the professor and I were studying this afternoon. I believe this phrase should roughly translate to ¡®Sharpened By the Light¡¯ My [Ether] reserves are draining fast, nearly eighteen points a second just to maintain the glyphs in the air, and the actual spell is going to require a lot more. Still, this is proof of concept, in a safe location, and I¡¯m prepared to spend every drop I have to prove my conjectures correct.


    Once I¡¯m satisfied that every rune is in the correct position and all of the glyphs are where they need to be, I flood the entire spell circle with [Ether] It begins to glow with a brilliant white light, and I faintly hear gasps from nearby onlookers as they try to figure out exactly what I¡¯m doing. And it¡¯s working. Sweat beads down my forehead and my hands are growing tingly and numb from channeling so much [Ether] in quick succession, but the technique is working and, damn it all, I¡¯m going to see it through!


    One final glyph in the center of the circle. The Glyph of [Impulse], one of the first I learned how to use. I lock it into place, grunt as I concentrate all of my willpower into the spell, and fire the attack.


    A blade of pure light, as long as my body is tall and as wide as my thighs, blitzes into the late afternoon sky. Higher and higher it goes, leaving a streak of light like a comet¡¯s tail in its wake. When its head is nearly out of sight, I release the attack.


    It explodes like a firework, sans the explosive sound typically associated with the same. A sphere of light as bright as the sun flashes the sky above into daylight for a brief moment before dissipating. I drop to one knee, having used over ninety-five percent of my [Ether] reserves, and my [Ethersight] shuts down of its own accord. But the System notifications that follow are a delight for my fuzzed vision and strained eyes.


    [Your [Basic Glyph Manipulation (Rank VI) has upgraded to [Basic Glyph Manipulation (Rank VII)].]


    [Your [Intermediate Ether Manipulation (Rank III) has upgraded to [Intermediate Glyph Manipulation (Rank IV)].]


    [You have gained the General Skill: [Glyphcasting (Rank I)]. Would you like to learn this Skill? (General Skill Slots remaining: 3/6)]


    Damn right I would. But I also want to look over the description first.


    [[Glyphcasting]: You aren¡¯t a mage and don¡¯t desire to go down the mage¡¯s path, but you¡¯ll be damned before you let that stop you from delving into the study and practice of the magical arts. Rather than learning pre-prepared spells like most mages, you¡¯ve chosen the perilous path of constructing your own from first principles, even knowing the downsides this approach has. The road to being a Glyphcaster is long, arduous, and will be filled with many trials and even more errors, but you are determined to see it through. Take this Skill, Apprentice Glyphcaster, and continue your experimental ways with gusto.]


    I grin. And I take a moment to look over my status sheet for the first time in the past several days.


    [Name: Seraphina Mortensen]


    [Age: 18]


    [Level: 22; Experience: 57,760; To Next: 13,565]


    [Current Stats: [Health]: 1,870 / 1,870 ; [Ether]: 55 / 1,144]


    [Current Stats: [Strength]: 25; [Speed]: 25; [Vitality]: 52; [Mind]: 66]


    [Combat Parameters:


    [Attack (Physical Damage Dealing Capability)]: 95 (Base Strength 25)]


    [Agility (Ability to Dodge Attacks): 60 (Base Speed 25)]


    [Defense (Damage Reduction from Physical Attacks): 90 (Base Vitality 52)]


    [Magic Attack (Magic Damage Dealing Capability): 66 (Base Mind: 66)]


    [Magic Defense (Damage Reduction from Magical Attacks): 71 (Base Mind: 66)]]


    [Equipment:


    [Weapon: [Modular Blowgun]: Attack +70 (+30 with glyphs inactive)]


    [Helmet: [Bandana of Swiftness]: Defense +2, Agility +5]


    [Arms / Shield: [Simple Buckler]: Defense +1, Agility +20]


    [Body: [Brigandine]: Defense +30]


    [Leg Armor: [Boots of [Impulse]]: Defense +5, Agility +5]


    [Accessory 1: [[Repulsion] Gauntlets]: Defense +1, Magic Defense +5]


    [Accessory 2: None]]


    Class 1: [Planetouched Mechanist]


    Class Skills: (2/6 Skill Slots remaining)


    [Tinkerer]


    [Flash of Insight]


    [Ether Bullet (Rank X) [Max Rank Achieved]]


    [Trick Shot]


    General Skills: (2/6 Skill Slots remaining)


    [Basic Glyph Manipulation (Rank VII)]


    [Intermediate Ether Manipulation (Rank IV)]


    [Ethersight (Rank IV)]


    [Glyphcasting (Rank I)]


    [Unique Trait: [Touched by the Multiverse]]


    With those notifications cleared and my strength completely sapped, I decide to head to an early sleep tonight.

 Volume 2: Chapter 4: Glyph Linguistics II

    I awaken bright and early the following morning, in my bed, thankfully enough, and not in an infirmary ward. I check my phone to be sure that I didn¡¯t accidentally somehow manage to sleep through an entire day. It¡¯s the correct day. I¡¯m sure Lindsey would have dragged me out by my ass if I¡¯d managed to sleep through a day without the required forms submitted in triplicate. Or maybe by my entrails, knowing that Chloe would have me patched right up once she was done berating and/or torturing me. Definitely an ¡®and¡¯ there.


    I make my way to the mess hall where I¡¯ve got the expected crowd waiting for me. Chloe is already here¡ª not surprising, considering she¡¯s been an early bird ever since we started doing this work for the army.


    I scoff. Work. If we were really workers, we¡¯d be getting paid in real money. But, instead, I¡¯m only getting paid in room, board, and Experience. By all rights, I should be fuming just the same as every starving artist who¡¯s ever been told that her work isn¡¯t worth getting paid. But in this new System-integrated world where Experience is levels, levels are strength, and strength is the only true currency in the new world, I¡¯m forced to take my opportunities where I can get them.


    Breakfast consists of waffles. A waffle and a half, extra butter, no syrup please and thank you. Not as good as the ones Chloe and her mother make. But still decent, filling, and satisfying alongside a glass of orange juice which, sadly, is not freshly squeezed. Still good enough to carry with it a nice acidic tang that, in turn, requires some water to keep the inside of my throat from drying out in irritation.


    There are even more people seeking to interact with me after my little stunt last night. In addition to Privates Jacobson and Nimholt, Chloe and I are joined by two young women, one with bright, ginger hair, and the other with blonde hair, though not quite as light as my own. Such notoriety is the price of making and demonstrating progress in the study of glyphs and Ethertech.


    I have given the matter thought, and I believe the potential risks are outweighed by the potential rewards. Being too open about my class, my unique trait, and the details will invite the sort of scrutiny I don¡¯t need. But advancing quickly and accumulating more resources for myself is a positive. It is also in keeping with my ultimate purpose, to serve as the banner for humanity and all others acting in coalition against the oppression of the System. To that end, recruiting allies and serving inspiration is important, and I should get more practice in social situations.


    ¡°Good morning, Ms. Mortensen,¡± the blonde says. She sits down across from me and offers her hand. ¡°I¡¯m Private Jessica Tracey, and this is my friend and commander, Corporal Kara Blair.¡±


    The corporal follows suit, and I shake their hands in return. ¡°I see I¡¯ve made an impression on even more people.¡± I take a drink of water to give myself a bit more time to think of what to say. ¡°I hope I¡¯ve done so in a good way.¡±


    Corporal Blair chuckles. ¡°I don¡¯t think there¡¯s really a good way to draw attention to yourself that¡¯s a complete positive for you. Best case scenario, you get voluntold to do more work or extra push-ups. Or something else that might give you some further credentials or expertise down the line. Worst case scenario, you catch the attention of one of the senior officers, and not in a good way.¡±


    I sigh. ¡°I think it¡¯s a bit too late to avoid the attention of the senior officers, seeing as though I¡¯ve already had the pleasure of speaking directly to the colonel and major regarding my assignments on base.¡±


    ¡°Ouch,¡± Corporal Blair says. ¡°I don¡¯t envy you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not upset about it in the slightest. It¡¯s as you said, a way for me to get more Skills and Experience doing the things I eventually want to be doing.¡±


    The first day on the job has already proved more fruitful than I¡¯d dared hope, and in addition to my work as a [Planetouched Mechanist], I now have new avenues to grow my abilities with [Glyphcasting]. At this point, the cost to use spells this way is prohibitive. The [Lightforged Sword] spell I imitated was impressive, flashy, and probably fairly destructive as well. It also ate over a thousand points of [Ether] to cast.


    The Skill will help some, especially as it ranks up further. But even if I get a two-thirds reduction in the total cost of a fairly basic spell, that¡¯s still nearly 350 [Ether] per cast for a spell that Chloe can likely replicate by level 40¡­ for 40 [Ether] at most. Not practical as a weapon in actual combat, but as a theoretical stepping stone and proof of concept? This is perfect.


    ¡°What about you, Chloe?¡± I ask. ¡°What have you been doing these past couple of days?¡±


    ¡°Healing duty while the soldiers spar with one another. Nich¨C Er, Major Richardson has been rapidly revamping base protocol, and introducing controlled environments for soldiers to spar with one another, as well as to fight some of the weaker monsters for Experience. I¡¯m in charge of healing them whenever they get in over their head.¡± She pauses. ¡°It¡¯s a bit of a delicate balancing act that I¡¯m still not completely sure about. The System rewards danger, so my involvement already reduces their Experience considerably just by my presence. But it¡¯s bad for morale if too many low-leveled soldiers end up with serious injuries.¡±


    If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    ¡°I hope we¡¯re going to get plenty of hazard pay for it,¡± Private Tracey says. ¡°I¡¯m so not ready to get my ass reamed out by some monster! I¡¯m only nineteen! I¡¯m supposed to have my whole life ahead of me!¡±


    Corporal Blair gives her friend and subordinate the side-eye. ¡°Well, we can¡¯t have that, now can we? I wouldn¡¯t want my favorite underling to spend the next two weeks in the infirmary. After all, your chores would fall on my shoulders.¡± The corporal follows up with a sinister glare, causing Private Tracey to shudder.


    ¡°I¨C I¡¯d best be heading to the training field, Ms. Mortensen. See you there, Ms. Jacobs!¡±


    Private Tracey rushes off at a hurried pace. Though, on account of the significant level difference between her and me, I don¡¯t perceive her movements as anything but slow and maybe a bit clumsy. Clumsy even by my standards, somehow.


    Her internal [Ether] suggests she¡¯s no higher than level 5, maybe 6 or 7 if she has a pure physical class and hasn¡¯t invested into her [Mind] stat. The same is true of most of the soldiers, with Lindsey the [Ranger] as the single outlier, being around level 26.


    ¡°If I might ask,¡± Corporal Blair starts, ¡°your eyes started glowing blue just a moment ago.¡±


    ¡°Another Skill. Lets me see [Ether], both internal and external.¡±


    ¡°How useful.¡±


    I don¡¯t mind sharing this particular secret, since it¡¯s mostly useful for intelligence and reconnaissance, rather than attack. The former might assist and sometimes lead to the latter, but the importance is enough for me to feel like I¡¯m sticking to some vague impression of my ideals.


    ¡°You¡¯ll need to practice circulating your internal [Ether] through the various channels within your body. Once you¡¯ve gained enough mastery with that, concentrate on the channels leading to your eyes, and you should be able to gain the [Ethersight] skill. I know some classes can learn [Identify] or a similar skill directly, but I think [Ethersight] is fairly class agnostic.¡±


    ¡°I appreciate the advice. I¡¯m going to take my leave as well.¡±


    ¡°I should get going as well,¡± Chloe says. The two of them head off together to whatever torturous training the higher-ups have in store for the rank-and-file. Another long drink of water and I¡¯m out the door in the middle of the pack, off to the science building to begin my daily work. Perhaps slightly less immediately deleterious to my physical health and well-being, but far more taxing on my mind and spirit.


    Dr. Reynolds arrives a minute after I do, his laptop in tow. We exchange a few brief greetings as he powers his device on, after which he starts writing some stuff down.


    ¡°I have to say, Sera, this language is rather perplexing. My programs stayed working almost clean through the night, trying to find whatever patterns might exist within this strange lexicon. I think your comment about these symbols¡ª these glyphs, as you called them¡ª being extremely stylized logographs is correct. And so I want to look at groups of glyphs that have similar shapes and sizes to the glyphs you¡¯ve already identified earlier. My hope is that they will have similar meanings as well.¡±


    We continue down that line of reasoning during the day¡¯s work. And we have mixed success. On the one hand, some of the similar looking glyphs do have similar meanings. In the same vein that some languages have four different words for red but don¡¯t distinguish between blue and green. Or languages that have different words for ¡®falling snow¡¯ versus ¡®snow already fallen on the ground¡¯ or that ¡®puffy white snow¡¯ and ¡®dense, slushy snow¡¯ might not be the same, even if English uses the word ¡®snow¡¯ to refer to both of them.


    At the same time, consider the word ¡®coal¡¯. The word, and the physical object it represents, is multiple different things. It is fossilized, carbonized plant matter compacted over millions of years. It is a source of energy. It is, relatedly, a source of heat. When burned, it produces a flame. And using the same word for all of these different aspects of what coal is and can do, creates ambiguity which is anathema to the precision needed for spellcasting efficiently.


    In these cases, the words are very different for each function. ¡®Flaming coal creating heat¡¯ is a very different glyph derived from and appearing similar to the glyph I know as [Heat]. In contrast, one might have better success generating coal by using glyphs for ¡®death¡¯, ¡®plants¡¯, ¡®pressure¡¯, and ¡®age¡¯ in some combination.


    Another tricky example involves the words ¡®breeze,¡¯ ¡®squall,¡¯ ¡®gale,¡¯ ¡®storm,¡¯ and ¡®hurricane¡¯. All five words refer to the concept of wind, with the later ones generally representing stronger wind speeds than the earlier ones. The words in English carry no logical connection, but I would expect that the glyphs would be somewhat similar in appearance in the language of the System.


    I find no signs of any glyphs relating to the concept of [Wind] during our work. I do, however, find four glyphs that are similar to the one I¡¯ve been using for [Lightning]. So far as I can tell, the one I have been using is similar to our concept of a welding arc. There are different ones for ¡®static electricity¡¯, for ¡®electrical current¡¯, for ¡®lightning bolts¡¯. Even though lightning bolts are really just static electricity on a grossly larger scale. Further runic modifications can be appended to the glyph proper to specify the relative voltages or currents, with higher of either being more powerful, but at the cost of a lot more [Ether].


    Another interesting phenomenon I discover concerns using the same glyph multiple times in succession. It does increase the power, but according to a square root law. Two glyphs in sequence produce just over 141 percent of the output of one, while three increases it to about 173 percent. However, the [Ether] cost does increase proportionally to the number of glyphs used. Yet another way to increase power a little bit further, but at the cost of completely destroying what tiny vestiges of efficiency I might be able to get with a higher-ranked [Glyphcasting] Skill.


    The end of the day comes soon enough, with Chloe all-but barging into our office yet again to drag me off to dinner. My objective for the next week needs to be learning as much vocabulary as possible. The more precisely I can choose my glyphs, and the more closely I can match them to my will and intent, the more efficient I can make these spells with my [Glyphcasting]. And that¡¯s the path that leads from an interesting avenue of pure research into the practical applications I need from this project.

 Volume 2: Chapter 5: Emergency

    I¡¯m awakened in the middle of the night by a loud, low thud. I try to ignore it, but another one echoes through the walls and the substance of my bed straight up into my head and body. I turn to my phone: Three-thirty AM.


    Well, shit. I¡¯m not getting back to sleep before I¡¯m required to be awake and¡­


    The alarm on base blares out like a tornado siren. What vestiges of sleepiness remain are erased by the flood of adrenaline and other endorphins. Chloe wakes up in a panic, and the two of us rush to don our weapons and armor before we¡¯re out the door within the span of five minutes.


    Soldiers are parading out of the hotel-turned-barracks at a hurried pace. Credit to their training and discipline, but it was also regimented and orderly. A double-time that never deviated into an outright run or jog. Everyone already knew what their role was, and so as soldiers marched into the common area to be briefed by the command staff, they were already standing at attention, in formation, shorter soldiers in the front, and ready to receive orders.


    Lindsey pulls the two of us aside, where most of the rest of our former team is gathered. Brent is standing like a medieval knight, fully armored from head to toe in polished full plate. He nods slightly and groans a low, breathy hello through his helmet. His sword is in front of him, gripped with both hands, jammed about an inch into the asphalt slab beneath us.


    Anna is a lot more cheery, and the warmth she naturally exudes is a welcome reprieve from the blustery chill that covers the base in the early morning. Jackie is standing beside her, but instead of her usual scowl when she sees me, instead, she just crosses her arms and gives me an aloof look. Some slight progress, I suppose, though I was expecting a bit more from Nicholas¡¯s promises to smooth out the rocky relations between the two of us. As long as she¡¯s not going to literally stab me in the back on the field of battle, I¡¯ll ignore it.


    Nicholas, Colonel Wilson, and Alexey are all standing in front of the massed soldiers, the colonel in between the two others. And he begins speaking with all the force and muster I would expect of a senior officer who¡¯s got at least fifteen or twenty years in the service.


    ¡°Soldiers, heed my words!¡± I instinctively jump to full attention as though he just telekinetically jammed a rod straight up my backside. Considering Nicholas¡¯s [Tactician] class, he probably has a similar [Commander] class with a similar skill set.


    ¡°Your city and your country are about to be sieged.¡± The low, distant thud of a heavy step rumbling in the darkness highlights the urgency of his words. I flicker my [Ethersight] for a moment, forgetting briefly that its range-limited to about forty yards.


    ¡°Let me stress: We are the last and only line of defense for the civilians living here. If we fail on this morning, there will be no reinforcements. There will be no second chances. If, by the grace of God or the System or whatever you choose to worship, the hordes see fit to grant us mercy, then some of us might survive and be able to resist. But the cost of life to the people we have sworn an oath to defend and protect will be unacceptable!


    ¡°Soldiers, there are times that try our souls. Times that stress our bodies and minds and spirits to our breaking point. But it is in the crucible of combat, under the pressure of the highest stakes, that soldiers are shaped, that rough coal is molded into diamonds, and that the training and experience that each and every one of you has undergone will shine through. Now, let us march!¡±


    ¡°Sir, Yes Sir!¡± the army cried out in unison.


    Alexey spoke next, his grizzled voice able to cut through the whispering wind and reverberate in everyone¡¯s ears despite distance and the quiet tone in which he spoke.


    ¡°Soldiers, we are under siege by an army of beasts empowered by the System, filled with rage that we have denied them the right to feast on our flesh. Some of these creatures are animals who see us as weak. Who see our food as their next meal, our homes as their next shelter, our bodies as their trophies. We will deny them!


    ¡°Mankind has never been the biggest or strongest creature to walk these lands. But where beasts have strength and brutality, we have intelligence, preparation, training, and coordination. Alone, each of us may falter. But together, we will overcome! Soldiers, I will lead you into battle! Now, to arms!¡±


    ¡°How many?¡± I whisper to Lindsey. ¡°Approximate levels?¡±


    She doesn¡¯t answer me. I¡¯m not sure if she doesn¡¯t know herself, or doesn¡¯t want to damage morale as we walk headfirst into an unwinnable battle. I don¡¯t press further. We¡¯ve come this far. The three of us, Chloe included, were the first adventuring group to conquer a dungeon in this sector, and have the Experience to show for it.


    More importantly, each of us is nearly fully-equipped in System-registered gear, bolstering our offensive and defensive capabilities slightly. Some others, mostly sergeants and commissioned officers, also have System-registered gear, the telltale wisps of Ether giving it away. The others are clad in conventional body armor, Kevlar, and similar. I doubt it gives more than a point or two worth of [Defense], but even that tiny amount can mean the difference between life and death.


    The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    We march into the darkness west of the city. It¡¯s only a bit after four in the morning, meaning not even a trace of dawn¡¯s light is yet visible against the eastern horizon. The city¡¯s lights are still on, and the ever-ominous Tower Gauntlet downtown continues to loom over the downtown skylight, taking watch of our every battle. A reminder of just how insignificant each of us are against the System and its nigh-omnipotence.


    The ground rumbles. Trees shake, sending leaves and freshly grown buds falling down on the ground. Branches shudder. My heart palpitates, even though I can¡¯t see exactly what¡¯s about to bear down on us. I draw my sword, shining a light onto the battlefield. I¡¯ve probably got the best slate of defensive armor in the entire unit, along with one of the highest levels and [Vitality] stats, so better that I take the brunt of the first attack.


    I regret my decision immediately as a foot appears just on the periphery of my vision¡¯s range. Saurian in nature, one of the big ones. Brachiosaurus or some similar species, though even larger. Its leg is easily thrice as wide as my entire body, and stretches a good twelve to fourteen feet tall before rooting itself in a massive body that must weigh a solid eighty to a hundred tons. Its neck stretches beyond the edge of my [Ethersight], about a hundred feet above.


    I grit my teeth, unsure how to fight such a behemoth. And it gets worse. In addition to the deluxe brachiosaurus, there¡¯s the shrill shrieks of waves of human-sized velociraptors sprinting toward us. They look like some strange hybrid of a giant turkey with a mouth and fangs similar to those of a viper. They flap their feathered arms as though they are about to take off toward us, but are unable to do more than hover a few inches off the ground for a few seconds before they drop down and continue their sprint.


    The first raptor attempts to savage me with the claws on the end of its wings. I step back and raise my buckler to intercept. It tries to feint past my defenses, but I¡¯m able to twist my body in time to block the attack nonetheless. The other claw rakes across my chest. My [Brigandine] absorbs the attack, though I stagger from the small amount of bludgeoning force that penetrates the chestplate. Not enough to stop me from turning this raptor into a headless turkey with a single critical strike of my [Blessed Sword].


    [You have slain a Lesser Velociraptor (Level 19). You have gained a boosted 16 Experience.]


    Seeing my cut the raptor down in a single move emboldens the soldiers. A war cry echoes out from behind me, matching the intensity of the shrieking turkeys as the two sides engage in combat. Those with System-registered weapons¡ª including [Bludgeoners] like Alexey and [Martial Monks] like Jackie whose fists are considered weapons¡ª take positions at close range.


    Those who don¡¯t resort to covering fire, shooting sidearms and launching rocket-propelled grenades into the fray. The attacks from conventional weaponry do some damage, which is more than I¡¯d expected. But they don¡¯t do enough to bring the creatures down before they bear down upon us.


    The [Mages] among the soldiers do a little better. Bolts of lightning, spears of ice, sickles of darkness, and other elemental evocations fly over the battlefield, some doing decent damage to the raptors, and others singeing the brachiosaur as it forces us to ma


    The raptors¡¯ titanic benefactor lumbers around without much purpose. Footsteps stagger the soldiers who rush around to dodge. One unlucky man is crumpled underfoot, leaving a mangled web of flesh as he¡¯s broken instantly, his life expired before Chloe can wield her mending spells. Yet another victim of the System brought down, and yet, in the maelstrom of war, there is no time to properly grieve.


    All we can do is adapt, persevere, and survive.


    I cut another raptor down, and then another, but they keep coming. Hundreds of soldiers with physical classes coordinate their attacks in waves. Though the army has only limited equipment, not enough for every soldier, they utilize a tight phalanx formation and pass the gear around to those fighting on the front lines. Each soldier takes a sword and what equipment they can quickly don and spends a few minutes fighting on the front lines. Once their [Health] and [Ether] run low, they retreat, letting Chloe and the other [Healers] tend to their wounds.


    We have no choice and are unable to hold the line. We allow ourselves to be pushed back slowly as the massive dinosaur pushes forward without a care in the world, slowly lumbering toward the city and the civilian population that still sleeps without a care in the world.


    I hand my sword to a nearby soldier, entrusting him to hold the line and use my weapon well. I take out my [Modular Blowgun] and my pouch of [Ether Bullets] and I begin firing. I don¡¯t use any glyphs on my weapon, as I feel I¡¯ll need to [Glyphcast] a powerful spell against the titan. But I¡¯ve got a steady supply of these projectiles and anything I can do to whittle these numbers down is good for our continued survival.


    I fire in succession. One shot, then two, then two more fired consecutively. Tiny spheres of teal-white light streak through the darkness, clipping legs and feathers and sending bits of smoldering chicken flopping on the ground. My attacks aren¡¯t doing enough damage to kill our attackers, but they are slowing them down, giving us critical seconds to regroup and recenter ourselves. Lindsey¡¯s [Shining Arrows] rain down a moment after my hellstorm finishes, and more long-range spells go flying.


    A giant [Fireball] drops about a hundred feet in front of our frontlines. Heat and golden flames radiate outward from the center of the blast, and dozens of the raptors are fried in the explosion.


    All around us are hundreds of raptor corpses, and yet, it seems they just keep coming. We¡¯ve been fighting for nearly half an hour, and casualties are starting to mount, overwhelming our healers. But there¡¯s no end to the hordes that have come after us.


    ¡°Lindsey,¡± I shout through the fog of war. ¡°There¡¯s no end to them! We keep focusing on the chickens and we¡¯ll be cooked long before they expire! We¡¯ve gotta bring down the big one and hope that if we do, it¡¯ll encourage the others to turn tail and flee.¡±


    She gulps. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll alert command of the need to change strategy. You start trying to draw the big guy off its course, and I¡¯ll meet up with you once we¡¯ve got a plan in mind.¡±


    I take back my sword from the soldier; he¡¯s severely injured, on the brink of consciousness, perhaps only minutes away from losing his life. I reach into my pouch and jam a potion down his throat, staving off his fate. Now to bring the big asshole down¡­ Somehow.

 Volume 2: Chapter 6: Attack on Saurian

    What to do?  This and other questions race through my mind as I try to come up with some tactic that might work against this overgrown lizard.  I don¡¯t know what its level is, but I¡¯m guessing high thirties, maybe low forties.  High enough that Alexey¡¯s fists, even augmented by Nicholas¡¯s aura, are only barely scratching its thick, armored carapace.


    I slash at its foot, testing my own mettle against the creature just to be sure.  My slash ricochets off its skin.  My piercing thrust finds no purchase, stopped as though I¡¯d tried to puncture a solid slab of diamond reinforced further by my [Repulsion] barrier.  My [Lightning Bullet], even aimed at its softer underbelly, barely scratches the creature, drawing at most a pinprick of blood before its skin scabs over and negates that trifling injury.


    I retreat, allowing the others a chance as I formulate a different plan.  My [Glyphcasting] is the only ability I have that¡¯s almost certain to do at least something to the titan.  But I¡¯ll get only a single strike with it, so I can¡¯t just fire it off and pray to the goddesses to help me.  I have to target its weak point, or create one somehow.


    I pull out my [Modular Blowgun] and look at the last spot remaining.  It¡¯s worth a shot.  I start etching the glyph of [Sharpness] that I identified and used during yesterday¡¯s demonstration.  Though, I quickly realize that this isn¡¯t the exact glyph I want.  This is sharpness in terms of cutting, as exemplified by the slashing edge of a razorblade.  Here I need the sharpness of a needle, a tiny point tapered down in all directions like that of a hypodermic syringe.


    Unfortunately, I don¡¯t know exactly what I¡¯m looking for; our studies haven¡¯t yielded fruit just yet.  I start with the glyph I do know, and then I trust my [Tinkerer] skill to modify it, trying slightly different augmentation runes on both the top and the bottom of the glyph.  I try an inverted rune of pluralization, hypothesizing that this might somehow reduce the ¡®infinite points of edge¡¯ down to a single, needle-fine point.


    It doesn¡¯t work.  It fails to hold my channeled [Ether] properly, dispersing into the air the moment it enters.  I quickly remove the rune, trying a different variation, and then a third, all to no avail.


    All around me, my concentration is being tested by screaming soldiers crying out in pain and the stench of oversized chickens smoldering from fireballs and gunshot wounds alike.  A pleading medic calls for an injured soldier to hang on as another soldier helps her gather the wounded away from the front.  Corpses of the velociraptors pile up in front of us, but they fail to slow the impending tide.  If anything, the raptors show some hints of intelligence, leaping onto the bodies of their fallen to leap past our defenses and into the softer insides of our formations.


    Lindsey and the other ranged fighters continue to work to keep them at bay, but we¡¯re still getting pushed back.  I flick an [Ether Bullet] at the chicken that tries to blindside me, turning it into a puff of feathers that I finish off with a stab through the neck.


    I fiddle around with the glyph some more, trying different patterns and checking their resistivity to my [Ether].  Any time I reach a new local minimum, I take a mental note to analyze more formally later.  I keep cycling around, ignoring the screams for help all around me.


    It frustrates me so, being so¡­ so powerless!  Watching as brave men and women fight and die while I¡¯m so unable to do anything more than¨C


    Why was I reincarnated with such mediocre power?  Couldn¡¯t I have¨C  No, Sera!  I slap myself out of my spiraling mindset and force myself to focus on what I can do right now, with the power at my disposal.


    Another scream fills the battlefield, followed by the deep bellow of the brachiosaur towering over us.  Its tail twitches as its weight shifts slightly.


    ¡°Everyone, hit the ground, now!¡± I scream out.  I suffer a couple of minor injuries as claws rake my exposed arms, but I force myself down despite the pain.  My fellow soldiers follow suit, though their wounds are less superficial as needle-fine feathers rain down upon them.


    The vicious tail swipe that follows is devastating to both sides.  More overgrown poultry is flung in every direction.  The pressure wave alone feels like being crushed by a massive bulldozer, and only by sheer providence do I manage to avoid taking damage from that.  My weapons are intact, though I nearly lose the grip on my blowgun as the wind left in the tail¡¯s wake tries to pull me out of my crater.


    A couple hundred raptors continue their assault into the city.  Fifty-odd soldiers, including Lindsey, take off in pursuit.  Two mechanical beeps ring in the distance, followed by a rocket launching into the air.  It explodes as it reaches the apex of its trajectory.  Some sort of advance warning being broadcast through mundane means, I have to assume.


    But then I get an idea as a feather falls next to me, scratching my face and drawing blood as it grazes against my skin.  I activate [Ethersight] and sure enough, so small I can barely make it out, I see the glyph I¡¯ve been searching for.  It is a variant of the previous [Sharpness] glyph, at least in the most abstract way possible.  But the inflection is so different, and involves three additional modifying runes Dr. Reynolds and I haven¡¯t yet had a chance to look into yet.


    I draw the rune on my blowgun, and I channel my [Ether] into it.  It flows almost perfectly.  I adjust the two runes that I didn¡¯t quite draw correctly and try again.  This time, the flaws are imperceptible.


    I take a deep breath.  Then I fire.  The shot is nearly silent, blistering through the air faster than my ability to perceive.  It strikes into the creature¡¯s midsection and, to my shock, actually does damage.  I fire a second attack from a slightly different angle, and again, the attack connects, sending a small spattering of blood dripping to the ground.


    If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    The creature roars in pain.  My [Ether] drops by eighty from each of the two shots.  I don¡¯t think it will work, but I launch another shot at the titan¡¯s back right leg, the one nearest me.  My attack connects, but unlike before, the hard outer skin and muscle tissue is too dense and rigid for my [Piercing Bullets] to do more than lodge themselves in like cactus needles.  Even a follow-up stab with my [Blessed Sword] in the same spot fails to do more than nominal damage, shattering my hopes of incapacitating the monster by grounding it.


    ¡°Damn it, Sera!¡± Brent says as he backs up next to me.  He¡¯s still mostly unharmed, but his stamina is running low and his [Ether] reserves are probably under a third.  ¡°I hope you¡¯ve got some bright idea for dealing with this!  I don¡¯t know how much longer I can keep up the fight!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m trying!¡± I say.  ¡°I need Nicholas, and anyone else who has some sort of passive buff they can use on me!  I¡¯ve got a new technique that can pierce this creature¡¯s hide, but I don¡¯t have high enough stats to bring it down on my own!¡±


    ¡°Arise!¡± Brent calls out.  Another decrease in his [Ether] follows as his technique takes hold.  His breath is even heavier, but the rallying cry gives the ailing soldiers a second wind, helping them to repel the velociraptor surge for a little while longer.  A few of the soldiers are starting to hold their own a little better, the accumulated Experience of fighting so many monsters in dangerous situations helping them gain levels quickly.  But many more are collapsing, unconscious, dying¡­  Maybe already dead, or at least beyond even the ability of a trained [Healer] to restore them.


    My heart is hardened, but I steel my mind and focus.  I pull out two [Ether Canisters], hand one to Brent, and use one on myself to top off my reserves.  I throw a few more of my remaining [Ether Bullets] to buy precious seconds against the unrelenting horde as a group of twenty soldiers gathers around the [Knight-Defender] to mount a defense for my retreat.


    I rush toward Nicholas, who already seems to know of my plan.  The colonel himself is nearby, engaged in close-quarters combat with the raptors nearby, while Alexey and three others are barely keeping the brachiosaur occupied on them.  The grizzled veteran of a dozen wars probably has some sort of [Taunt] skill.  Probably used it against those damned apes as well, now that I think about it.


    I feel strength surging within me.  My mind sharpens and splits into two, each making independent calculations in preparation for the spell I¡¯m about to calculate.  My internal [Ether] channels start to flow more smoothly, filling with Ether both from without and within.  I clench my fist and nearly pierce my palm with my fingernails from the force of my grip.


    [You are under the effects of the following conditions: [Focus], [Bravery Aura], [Swiftness], [Toughness], [Ether Surge], [Doublethink]]


    I scratch the glyph of [Light] on my index fingers once more, just in time to greet the dawn¡¯s early light.  Three rings of light surround a regular dodecagram composed of four equilateral triangles.  Instead of the glyph of [Light] that I used last time, I use the glyph I¡¯ve come to associate with the concept of [Lightning Bolt].  My hope is that even if the bolt itself fails to bring down the beast, the electrical surge will stun it long enough for someone else to finish the job.


    Next I begin drawing the linking runes together.  I want to cast a spell I can describe as ¡®Bolt of Lightning that Pierces through air and flesh¡¯.  Unfortunately, I don¡¯t know the glyph for ¡®flesh¡¯, which is going to necessitate wildcards and make the spell that much less powerful and inefficient.  [Air] is related to the glyph of [Wind], in the sense that [Wind] is quite literally [Air] and [Impulse] mashed together.  A few more runes and I check it with my [Ethersight] to make sure everything is in place.


    My head starts to throb.  If not for the [Doublethink] passive allowing me both to maintain my channeled [Ether] and stabilize the glyphs I¡¯ve drawn in midair, my mind would have collapsed from the strain, breaking down my spell and triggering what I can only imagine would be a tremendous backlash.  I hope I never have to experience that sensation firsthand.


    I flip on my [Ethersight] and wait for the beast to get closer, then closer still.  My arms and chest hurt from maintaining so many glyphs for so long, but I power through the pain and dizziness as my target encroaches.  Fifty yards, then forty, and I start seeing potential weak spots in the creature¡¯s forelimbs.  Thirty yards and I identify where its core is, but it¡¯s surrounded by too much armored flesh to be a good target.  Twenty-five and I see my mark, a sub-core just beneath what I have to assume is its liver.  The tissue surrounding it is softer underbelly flesh rather than the chitinous carapace surrounding most of its body.  I just hope my attack is enough.


    I let loose my bolt, crackling purple with raw Etheric energy.  I¡¯m flung backward, colliding against a nearby tree that cradles my weakened body as I tumble to the ground.  But I end up better off in the exchange, despite my spinning vision as I try to force myself to sit upright


    The brachiosaur roars, then spasms as my lightning tears through its body.  Its muscles twitch and convulse.  Velociraptors stop attacking and begin dispersing in every direction, while the few dozen soldiers still able to fight gather around their titanic partner.  They disperse alongside as the creature¡¯s knees buckle and the entire saurian flops onto the ground.


    Its neck lands only a dozen or so feet away from me.  I instinctively rush to my sword, worried that it¡¯ll still try to fight despite the severity of its internal injuries.  But I¡¯m able to finally relax, if for only a moment, as the System notifications start pouring in.


    [Your party has slain 1,475 Lesser Velociraptors (Levels ranging from 12 to 20).  You have gained a boosted 484 Experience.]


    [Your party has slain 18 Velociraptors (Levels ranging from 21 to 23).  You have gained a boosted 1,400 Experience.]


    [Your party has slain a Brachiosaur Titan (Level 34).  You have gained a boosted 23,500 Experience.]


    [You have gained enough Experience to reach Level 23.  [Vitality} +1, [Mind] +1.  Please assign free stat points (4 remaining).]


    I assign two points to [Vitality] and two points to [Mind]


    [Level: 23; Experience: 83,160;  To Next: 3,815]


    [Maximum Health increases by [Vitality] x2 + Current Level + Rand[1, 3] = 135]


    [Maximum Ether increases by [Mind] + Current Level + Rand[0, 2] = 92]


    [Current Stats: [Health]: 1,241 / 2,005 ; [Ether]: 97 / 1,236]


    [Current Stats: [Strength]: 25; [Speed]: 25; [Vitality]: 55; [Mind]: 69]


    [Your [Glyphcasting (Rank I)] has upgraded to [Glyphcasting (Rank III)].]


    [Passive Status effects: [Focus], [Bravery Aura], [Swiftness], [Toughness], [Ether Surge], [Doublethink] have expired.]


    I take a deep breath.  As much as I know an [Ether canister] will dissipate my lightheadedness, I refuse to use one now that the immediate danger has expired.  But I know there¡¯s more work to be done, so I hobble back to my feet, shake off my injuries, and ready myself for the painful morning I know will follow.

 Volume 2: Chapter 7: The Mourning After

    Sixteen soldiers died in that battle. Twelve men, four women. Fourteen bodies lie in repose. Some faces are untarnished and lay supine, giving their friends and battle buddies a chance to pay their respects directly to the deceased¡¯s body. The other two soldiers who died in the battle were so mangled and broken that their remains could not be recovered. For them, there is only a framed picture and a dog tag upon a makeshift shrine for comrades to grieve their losses.


    It¡¯s a sobering reminder. I¡¯ve suffered the loss of my mother the day the System arrived. But since then, we¡¯ve gotten lucky. Chloe and I braved the South County Dungeon twice and lived. We braved the Tower Gauntlet, and were let go by a sentry that could have killed us with a thought. We¡ª Chloe and I¡ª survived this most recent fight without injuries beyond her abilities to restore. But not everyone has been so fortunate.


    I end up leaving the memorial grounds not long after I arrive. I feel too much anger when I see all of those mangled, lifeless corpses. I know my anger is irrational, but more troublingly, it¡¯s anger directed at myself. Selfish, self-serving anger cursing myself. Anger for my inability to act, for my lack of knowledge as a [Glyphcaster], for my low levels, for having all this alleged power within me and being completely unable to reach it. I can¡¯t help but feeling this anger, but it takes away from the need for the deceased and their friends to mourn amongst themselves.


    But, I need time to mourn as well. Time to process, to reflect. An After-Action Report, maybe with a bit of group therapy attached.


    That, and I¨C I need a break. A chance to mentally recharge after everything that just happened.


    I make my way back to my room and turn on the water in the bathtub. Nice and hot, with little wisps of steam coming out. I get in and slip into the tub and let the steaming water seep into my skin. My hair grows heavy from all the water soaking into it, pulling my neck and shoulders back. My muscles tense, but slowly, far too slowly, they start to relax as the bathwater performs its magic upon my body.


    I yawn. Forgot that I lost sleep this morning as well. I lean my neck back and let out a soft moan as my eyes close and tension melts away from my body. The feeling of soap gliding against my skin is heavenly, as is the sensation each time I stretch my legs and neck and feel an oh-so-satisfying pop. I do neck and shoulder stretches, rolling each of them in circles, focusing on the bodily sensations and, for a brief moment, away from anything and everything outside the bathroom.


    A knock comes from the door. ¡°Sera, are you in there?¡± Chloe¡¯s voice asks.


    I answer in the affirmative. She tilts open the door slightly and extends her hand past the edge of the door to wave at me. I wave back, unsure if she can see my hand popping out of the water.


    ¡°I just wanted to let you know that breakfast is just about ready, and everyone is expected to be there.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Chloe. I¡¯ll be out in a moment.¡±


    I¡¯m sure it¡¯s just as hard for her. Maybe even harder, since she¡¯s responsible for healing the most grievously wounded of the soldiers. She¡¯s had to come face-to-face with injuries I scarcely want to imagine, let alone have to look at it. And she¡¯s done it all without expressing a complaint or a concern. Once again, I show my selfishness, my unworthiness to be anyone¡¯s guardian angel as my creators had envisioned. At the very least, I owe Chloe a long apology.


    I slip out of the tub, clothe myself, and make my way into the main room of our hotel-slash-dorm room. Chloe is there, sitting on the nearer bed, her head lowered, hands over her eyes, weeping and grieving in silence. I don¡¯t say a word. No word I can say could ever properly comfort her. Could really ever comfort anyone who¡¯s gone through what we have. Instead, I sit next to her in silence. I hold her, wrapping my arm around her back, pulling her closer, and letting her cry as much as she needs to.


    ¡°It was horrible,¡± she says through sniffles. ¡°So many injuries. So much blood and muscle and organs sticking out and¡­¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to talk about it. Not right now, not to me. Not ever, if you don¡¯t think it¡¯d help to relive it.¡± I give her some time, let her bury her face in my chest. ¡°We¡¯ll get through this, Chloe,¡± I add.


    This much I mean. I promised that I would protect her. Today I learned that I¡¯m not yet able to fulfill my promise. Not against that brachiosaur. Not against the truly vicious monsters that lie just beyond the city¡¯s periphery. But I will never stop trying to get stronger, working to live up to the goals that I have set for myself. To be the friend that Chloe needs me to be for her. It¡¯s the least I can do, after having dragged her out of her peaceful life for my sake.


    It shames me that right now, it¡¯s the most I can do as well.


    We sit like this for about three more minutes before a more forceful knock comes from the door. I¡¯m half surprised that Lindsey isn¡¯t barging right on in without a care in the world, but to her credit, her [Ranger] class affords her a bit of tact and subtlety when the situation demands. The two of us grab our belongings, I don my equipment, and the two of us make our way down to breakfast.


    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    The hall is full, but the mood is¡­ not what I expect. The air is thick with grief as I would have expected. But the demeanor of most is more calm, more disciplined. More focused. I suppose it¡¯s not the first time that most of them have watched their friends and comrades be taken by enemies. Some of them might have already fallen to the System and its creations prior to this. Others lost their lives in wars between humans. Wars that seem so petty and insignificant now.


    Wars that are likely to ramp up in the coming weeks and months nonetheless. I understand exactly why the colonel is giving me such freedom and so many resources to advance my study into glyphs. He hopes to achieve overwhelming military advantages for the sake of his bosses and their bosses and the country he serves.


    But I know that once [Glyphcasting] and Ethertech become weapons of war against humans, there¡¯s no putting that cat back in the bag. The proliferation of stronger and more potent ways to kill, maim, and torture other humans is one of the straightest lines over the course of human history, from rocks and pointy objects, to guns, to tanks, bombs, and everything else we¡¯ve developed. And everything I create, or facilitate the creation of, will follow this path just the same.


    ¡°Hey, Ms. Mortensen.¡± I see Private Tracey sitting down next to me with a forlorn expression on her face. No sign of Corporal Blair in the dining area. I lower my head, unwilling to broach the topic. All I can do for her is try to retain some degree of normalcy, and grieve on my own¡­


    Some damn angel my creators made me out to be! I keep my frustrations bottled away for now. They need it more than I do.


    ¡°I saw what you did,¡± Private Tracey says. ¡°You¡¯re a hero. No other way to say it. You saved so many lives today.¡±


    I look down at my plate of biscuits and gravy, and the bowl of honeydew and cantaloupe next to it. It¡¯s not bad, but compared with yesterday¡¯s meal, it smells and tastes hollow and empty. The biscuits are thick and heavy and clog my throat as I force them down, but I do nonetheless.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± I say halfheartedly. ¡°But not everyone.¡±


    ¡°Ms. Mortensen,¡± she says. ¡°One of the first things we learn in basic training is that we collectively are a team. We fight together. We serve together. And though we hope that it¡¯s never the case, we know that there¡¯s always the chance that some or all of us will die together. That¡¯s what we sign up for when we enlist.¡±


    I try to interrupt, to tell her everything that¡¯s wrong about that notion, but she continues, cutting me off.


    ¡°A lot of us have traumas the first time we go into battle. Even if we think we¡¯re all gung-ho about being a soldier and carrying out our duties, the reality of seeing a friend, a comrade¡­ Someone you trained with, fought beside, got to know and become a brother- or sister-in-arms with. It¡¯s one of the most harrowing, sobering, most heart-wrenching experiences anyone can ever go through. And I¡¯m sure it¡¯s even worse for you, not having the experience and network of support to help you go through with it.


    ¡°But I want you to know that even if different circumstances brought you into our group, you are one of us now.¡±


    The last person I expected to see offer a sympathetic word sits down next to Ms. Tracey. And unlike before, Jackie doesn¡¯t greet me with her usual scowl, or the finger, or any other displays of contempt I¡¯ve become accustomed to. There¡¯s no smile though. Just resignation.


    ¡°Now you see it for yourself, Sera,¡± she says. ¡°I¡¯ll give you credit for your work out there. You prevented a tragedy from turning into a massacre, and for that, I¡¯m¨C¡± She chokes on her word for a moment. ¡°¨CI¡¯m grateful. And I¡¯ve heard that you¡¯re helping out the commanders on some special project.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t like it. I¡¯ve seen military weapons used by our own government against us civilians more than once. On TV, and even in real-life both.¡± I¡¯m not sure if the ¡®us¡¯ part of the statement still applies, considering we¡¯ve been conscripted, more or less. But I still think of myself as one, and most of my worldview to this point is colored by those experiences.


    Jackie sighs. ¡°Your abilities saved lives today. Failure to develop your skills further will undo the good work that you¡¯ve done to this point. Don¡¯t let your sentimentality or your previous experiences get in the way of continuing to do what you were obviously brought here to accomplish. And look around you. I don¡¯t like you and you don¡¯t like me. But if you want to sit on your ass and not use your Skills, at least have the decency to look everyone here in the eye and tell them that you¡¯re not going to help them out.¡± She doesn¡¯t say another word, instead taking her plate and making her way to a table on the opposite side of the dining area.


    ¡°I should get going as well, Ms. Mortensen. It was good to see you again and¨C¡± She hesitates. ¡°And thank you.¡±


    I nod and shake her hand before she heads off. Chloe and I are left alone for a bit. The crowd of soldiers slowly disperses as they make their way off to their individual tasks. Meanwhile, I¡¯m not sure if I¡¯m ready physically or mentally to dive back into my [Glyphcasting] research. Especially now, knowing exactly how devastating its potential can be.


    ¡°Where¡¯s the rest of our old group?¡± I ask Chloe.


    ¡°Anna and Brent are resting in the infirmary. They¡¯re stable, slowly healing, but their injuries were both pretty serious, and they¡¯ve been given the rest of the day off. Lindsey is still off patrolling for any signs of raptors that sneaked into the city in that last attack. And then Alexey was in the command office, speaking with Nicholas, the colonel, and some of the other staff members.¡±


    I want to say something about how at least none of the people I¡¯ve come to know have died. Except, Corporal Blair did. And so too did others I didn¡¯t know. As much as I don¡¯t like Jackie¡¯s attitude, she¡¯s not wrong. I can save lives. I think my creators wanted me to do exactly that. I don¡¯t know how best to do that just now, but I have Chloe. I have Lindsey. And I have others who are willing to help. And I should avail myself of the help that I¡¯ve been given access to. Because I know I cannot do it all alone.

 Volume 2: Chapter 8: Glyph Linguistics III

    Even after so much needless death and destruction by a pack of ravenous dinosaurs seeking meals of human flesh, time keeps moving on. It¡¯s been three days now since the attack, and we all are doing our best to put the events of that morning behind us. Chloe spends every morning at the infirmary, while I continue my linguistics work with Dr. Reynolds until lunchtime.


    The two of us have now deciphered close to three hundred of the most common glyphs, and are starting to get a better grasp of the grammar involved. Grammar which is, unfortunately, quite the opposite of English in at least one critical respect. There is essentially no room for error or deviation in allowable sentence structure when working in the language of glyphs. This is oddly reassuring¡ª any deviations in the language of magic create ambiguity, and that in turn creates the potential for things to go wrong. Catastrophically, explosively wrong.


    In that sense, it¡¯s a bit like how I¡¯ve heard programmers speak of their craft. There¡¯s a tiny amount of flexibility in how their code compiles and what the text parser can understand. But an error as small as a missing semicolon or putting a parenthesis in place of a bracket will shut down the entire code. And there are plenty of ways to trap the code in endless repeating loops which have a tendency to, unsurprisingly, violently distend, usually upon the caster.


    After the first day of experimentation, when I burned my right hand down to the muscle attempting a fire spell, I was expressly forbidden from doing further applied experimentation of such spells without a healer on standby. And quite frankly, the overwhelming agony of that experience would be more than enough to deter me.


    But it does mean that Chloe and I can spend some time together each afternoon, me trying new spells, and her inevitably chastising me for my recklessness when things go wrong. It¡¯s something which neither of us felt comfortable asking for, but which I sorely needed. Time with her, without all the army stuff, no orders or missions, just experimenting and chatting amongst each other as we did in those first days following System integration.


    ¡°So, what are you trying to do now?¡± she asks. She¡¯s taken to her role as my inquisitive rubber duck in human form, always asking me questions, always forcing me to justify every step and every experiment in ways that make sense to her. Her argument has been simple: if I can¡¯t explain it simply and straightforwardly enough that a non [Glyphcaster] with no [Tinkerer] skill can understand, then I don¡¯t understand it well enough myself to be prepared for practical experimentation. And frankly, she¡¯s not wrong.


    ¡°Changing the grammatical linkage between these two glyphs,¡± I respond. ¡°Instead of [Breathing Fire], I¡¯m trying to create the spell [Breath of Fire] instead. The idea is to have a limited use firebreathing skill.¡±


    ¡°And do you have the capacity to survive breathing fire? What if you burn something I can¡¯t heal? Or you don¡¯t realize you¡¯ve damaged something until that damage has taken hold and grown beyond my ability to restore. I trust you remember the last time you experimented with fire!¡±


    ¡°But Anna¨C¡±


    ¡°Has a class that gives her Fire resistance, Sera. Do you have Fire resistance?¡±


    I roll my eyes. My hand will remember long after my brain has forgotten.


    ¡°Good point. Shall I try this with [Breath of Wind] instead?¡±


    Chloe grins. ¡°Yes. That should be far safer.¡±


    I don¡¯t know about ¡®far¡¯ safer. A jet of compressed, sharpened, and pressurized air can cut through stone, and my flesh isn¡¯t nearly so hard or impervious to damage, level 23 or no. But Chloe seems to be okay with it, and I want to experiment, so I don¡¯t bring up my concerns.


    We step out into the center of the commons. Chloe cordons off the area, which only attracts more soldiers keen to see the demonstrations of whatever madness I end up concocting. I¡¯ve gotten better about ignoring the attention I¡¯ve drawn to myself. Still don¡¯t like it, but I can work through it now.


    I close my eyes and focus on my [Ether] flowing through all the channels in my body. I picture the glyphs in my mind¡¯s eye, along with the order in which I need to draw them to maintain optimal [Ether] flow and resonance. This part in particular has proved troublesome; the [Glyphcasting] skill gives vague impressions of the best way to do so, but it¡¯s much like my [Tinkerer] skill. The help is cryptic, ad hoc, and rarely systematic enough to be of use for the sort of goals I have in mind.


    Still, it does alert me to a minor deviation that should improve my efficiency by a couple of percentage points. And every use of the ability helps the Skill rank up, meaning further efficiency gains. Skill ranks, in general, are one of the most important reasons to train outside of life-or-death battles against the monster hordes lurking just beyond the outskirts. Chloe, for example, has been working on her [Basic Ether Manipulation] with me each night, and is getting very close to upgrading it into the Intermediate variant that I have.


    I again activate [Ethersight], which is starting to not be prohibitively costly in terms of long-term use, and begin my glyph work. First, the outer annulus, then the enneagram inscribed within it. I craft the [Wind] rune as the base, in the center of the spell array, then modify it, turning [Wind] from ¡®a breeze of flowing air¡¯ to ¡®a burst of air¡¯ in the vein of a concussive wave. Another set of runes modifies the glyph¡¯s meaning further, lowering the area over which the glyph should take effect and increasing the pressure.


    You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    Once I have the main glyph in position, I begin with the other glyph I need to add. And here I have an interesting choice. I could use either the slashing ¡®blade¡¯ form of [Sharpness] or the piercing ¡®needle¡¯ form, as I¡¯ve come to call the two variants I have in my vocabulary. Each has its uses; a slashing cutter of wind should perform amazingly in crowd-control situations, cutting away at objects. And a piercing bullet of concentrated, high-voltage electricity was what let me bring down a monster with a dozen levels on me. I go with the piercing form to limit the risk of blowback and collateral damage to the onlookers.


    I want to keep going, adding in the glyph of [Impulse] to accelerate the attack further, but I decide against it. I¡¯m reaching my mental limit without mental acceleration buffs, and I¡¯m working with enough [Ether] already to remove my legs from my torso if I get carried away and experience a complete breakdown.


    I¡¯m very glad I didn¡¯t correct Chloe about the dangers of the [Wind] glyph.


    My palms grow cold with sweat as I lock the final couple of linking runes into place. The entire glyph shines a bright green, and judging from the gasps from the onlookers behind me, the array is radiating visible light as well.


    I detect no issues with the spell¡¯s construction. I place my hand on the center of the array and release the spell. It¡¯s loud as hell, like a balloon popping just in front of me, and backward force nearly topples me. Chloe braces down and leans forward to avoid the brunt of the attack, and a chorus of surprised gasps fills my ears as the terrifying breeze causes loose hair, headwear, and weapons to begin flying backwards. I¡¯m definitely getting an earful for that last part, even though it¡¯s not my fault people can¡¯t keep their belongings fastened.


    The damage before me is impressive, though maybe not at first glance. I notice a tiny pinprick, perhaps a dime¡¯s width across, on the slab of concrete before me. Mundane concrete, not reinforced by any glyphs or other Ethertech, but still a solid foot thick. That alone isn¡¯t overly impressive, though. My [Ether Bullets] can break apart sheets of concrete.


    What is impressive is that it lost almost no kinetic energy due to friction or resistance while zipping through the slab like it was a piece of wet paper. It tore through that slab, then the next one, before finally piercing through a sheet of half-foot thick steel and dissipating into the breeze. With the [Impulse] glyph added into the spell¡¯s configuration, I could probably double the speed, quadrupling the overall energy and piercing power of the attack.


    Definitely a precision weapon which will require a lot of practice, timing, and advancing my [Trick Shot] skill to make proper use of. But it¡¯s progress, proof beyond a shadow of a doubt that my work with Dr. Reynolds is starting to pay dividends. I need more practice, more efficiency, and more importantly, a lot more practice to [Glyphcast] fast enough for it to be useful in less-than-ideal combat situations.


    As it is, I¡¯m weakened due to [Ether] exhaustion, having just burned nearly a thousand points in the span of half a minute. Once again, I¡¯m forced to rely on Chloe¡¯s help just to walk back to the dining hall in time for dinner. Although, there does seem to be one nice fringe benefit to all the flashy displays. Absolutely no one is objecting as we make our way through the crowd, eager to be the first two to enjoy the evening meal.


    ¡°You knew, didn¡¯t you?¡± Chloe asks.


    ¡°There¡¯s a chance I knew, but I don¡¯t have a [Psychic] class, so I¡¯m not sure what I knew or didn¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°How dangerous that spell you just cast was.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I knew it wasn¡¯t without risk. But have I ever been one to shy away from risks?¡±


    ¡°I just wish you would have told me, Sera. Yes, this worked, but what if it didn¡¯t?¡±


    I pause. ¡°I know. But I can¡¯t abandon this path of experimentation, of trying new things, and sometimes screwing up. It¡¯s as integral to my class as healing people is to yours. Even before the System, I¡¯ve never been one to just settle and accept things as they are. Now? I¨C I don¡¯t think I could stop trying to push forward as long as I draw breath.¡±


    Chloe rolls her eyes. ¡°You really are hopeless. Where would you be without me?¡±


    ¡°Dead,¡± I say, completely deadpan. ¡°Probably more than once.¡±


    ¡°Dead more than once?¡±


    ¡°I hear if you die three times you get a free ice cream sundae.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but where in the nine hells did you hear that?¡± Chloe puts her finger to my lips. ¡°You know, forget that. Don¡¯t answer that, and pretend I never asked.¡±


    I can only sigh as we¡¯re joined by my favorite handler, no doubt sent to keep tabs and collect information to send back to our illustrious commanders.


    ¡°Did everything go well?¡± Lindsey asks.


    ¡°As well as it could have, given the circumstances. Still too weak and too slow with the technique for it to be useful in a practical setting without five people casting buffs on me and another thirty to shield me for long enough to actually make use of that strength. Ideally, I¡¯d like to develop some more powerful technology that can offload most of that mental load away from me, but¨C¡±


    ¡°But what?¡± Lindsey asks.


    ¡°It¡¯s going to be a lot easier and quicker to reverse engineer preexisting technology than to try to develop and iterate from first principles. Especially when I¡¯ve got a tenuous grasp at best of what those first principles are.¡±


    ¡°But don¡¯t we¨C¡± Chloe starts. I cut her off. I¡¯m aware that I still have that robot arm that I confiscated back at the Tower Gauntlet. But I don¡¯t need that information making its way back to the commanders. Or more specifically, the significance of what that robot arm really is, and what I plan to do with it.


    ¡°Don¡¯t we, what?¡± Lindsey asks.


    ¡°Need more materials to work with,¡± I respond. ¡°Yes, Dr. Reynolds and I are making progress with research into glyphs, but I¡¯d like to get more Ethertech items, and preferably items other than simple equipment to work with.¡±


    Lindsey sighs. ¡°You want to go on a dungeon run?¡±


    ¡°Not right away. Not so soon after¨C¡± I trail off for a moment. ¡°But at some point, once things settle down a little more, I would.¡±


    ¡°I see. I can¡¯t promise anything, but I¡¯ll at least mention it to the higher-ups and see what they want to do.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Lindsey. I appreciate it.¡±

 Volume 2: Chapter 9: The Colonels Bargain

    Another week passes. And after the attack by the brachiosaurus and its friends, I have been forced to reckon with a truth I find uncomfortable to admit. These days of relative peace, this week where only sporadic moments and occasional drills have occurred, are like ambrosia upon my soul. Even I, the reincarnation of a cyborg created for the express purpose of fighting with and against the System, struggle against the weight of loss.


    Even with their training, even numbed to the pain, I am sure it weighs at least as hard upon everyone else here. And poor Chloe, who has neither, and yet pushes through each morning, waking up bright and early, heading down to soothe both the bodies and minds of the soldiers. And she does it all without a complaint or cross word to anyone. Truly, she is the best of all of us.


    Seeing her each day is an inspiration to move forward. I think she¡¯s an inspiration to all of us. How ironic is it, that though I was created to be a banner to rally people around, it is my best friend who is fulfilling my responsibility, and all on her own. Yet one more reason why she must be protected at all costs.


    I have made steady progress with my [Glyphcasting], having upgraded it to Rank IV through my practice sessions each evening. My grasp of the basics combining runes and glyphs into spells is steadily increasing, as is my knowledge of the underlying language from an academic sense. But as I¡¯ve learned over my time since the System arrived, the best way to gain more levels and Skill ranks is to apply them in combat. The more dangerous the situation, the greater the potential reward.


    I¡¯m awakened by a knock on the door as I¡¯m soaking in the bathtub in the early morning. It wouldn¡¯t be Chloe; she was still asleep as of the time I turned the water on, and she¡¯s not the type to forget her key to get inside. It¡¯s thankfully no emergency; no blaring sirens raising hell across the garrison, demanding urgent mobilization to face whatever terrific threat the System will unleash upon us at some time of its choosing. But the second knock a few seconds later suggests that the messenger is deliberate, and doesn¡¯t intend to give me my sweet time to enjoy a bit of relative tranquility.


    I slip on a bathrobe to answer the door, where I see a young man I don¡¯t immediately recognize. His eyes drift down for a moment, more in shock than anything, so I pay the slight no mind as he turns back to eye level and hands me a document.


    ¡°Ms. Mortensen, you and Ms. Jacobs are requested at command at oh-five-thirty.¡± He nods slightly. ¡°That is all.¡±


    He turns around and walks off, leaving me holding the missive. I can already surmise what¡¯s inside without needing to read it; the two of us are going to be sent off on another expedition into the wilderness around town. We still need to figure out what triggered the brachiosaurus attack, and whether there¡¯s a possibility of another in the coming days and weeks. And maybe, depending on the circumstances, we might be able to do another dungeon dive. Though in that case, I think Chloe and I will largely be on our own.


    I am a bit surprised we¡¯ve received no volunteers to the force, nor anyone else in situations such as ours who were recruited through various degrees of coercion. Is it merely that most people are too weak to be of any use? Or even, are there any survivors within the city. Even one of those damned turkeys could have slain hundreds of people before being stopped by one of us, and I¡¯m not convinced that Lindsey and her fellow [Rangers] managed to track down and slay every last one of them.


    What even is the situation outside? I¡¯m¡­ disappointed in myself that I¡¯ve not asked. More so that it hasn¡¯t even crossed my mind to do so. It can¡¯t be a complete breakdown of society just yet; we¡¯re still receiving food imports, the electricity and water continue to run. But there haven¡¯t been any visitors. I haven¡¯t seen Chloe¡¯s mother. And I¡¯ve heard nothing of either of our fathers.


    I cling to the dim hope that mine is still alive and out there somewhere. As for Chloe¡¯s, I¡¯m sure he¡¯s alive. He¡¯s doing some sort of classified work for the feds, and I¡¯d be willing to bet all the money I don¡¯t have that he¡¯s working on some sort of project using Ethertech. It¡¯d be nice to talk with him at some point, maybe learn from each other. But he¡¯s been nonresponsive every time Chloe has tried to call him. Still, the number hasn¡¯t been disconnected, another piece of evidence that he¡¯s still alive and well.


    Chloe emerges from her slumber, letting loose a cute groan as she rotates her neck over her pillow and stretches her arms out and above her head. She flips on the light and immediately blushes as she sees me, still in my bathrobe.


    ¡°Um, Sera?¡±


    I look down at myself. ¡°Sorry, we just had someone at our door while I was in the bath and you were asleep. We need to get ready, though, looks like we¡¯ve gotta be ready to deploy in half an hour.¡±


    She nods. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ a nice view.¡±


    It¡¯s my turn to blush as I head back toward the bathroom. ¡°Uh, thanks.¡± I close the door behind me and begin frantically getting dressed as Chloe is doing the same in the main room. But all I can think about, as I frantically dry my hair with my [Heat] glyph is, just what did she mean by that? I thought we agreed that we weren¡¯t going to try dating right now? I¡¯m very much not ready for anything of the sort. But still, it flusters me so!


    We grab and don our equipment and make our way downstairs, where a light breakfast is awaiting us. Some fruit and a single lightly-buttered waffle for each of us before we make our way over to the command center. A bit of a snafu at the front door, as neither of our ID cards have sufficient permissions to get inside, which in turn attracts the attention of a few guards before the whole thing gets straightened out and we¡¯re let inside.


    We make our way to the room in the far back of the building, and to my shock and horror, the colonel himself is standing before us. I freeze for a half second before immediately jumping to full attention with my best impression of a salute. Chloe follows suit a moment later; even if we¡¯re in some nebulous space between being military and civilian, right now, Colonel Wilson is the one person who can make my life more heavenly or hellish than any other. The least I can do is treat him with the respect demanded of his station, despite any personal misgivings.


    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    ¡°At ease, soldiers,¡± he says, and we drop to a more relaxed posture. ¡°I trust the two of you have already gone over the letter I¡¯ve given you?¡±


    ¡°Not in great detail, Sir, though we have looked over it briefly over breakfast.¡±


    ¡°Sergeant Reed and Major Richardson have been adamant about the potential of your so-called Ethertech, and after your demonstrations these past several days, they are beginning to sway my opinion on the matter. However, that does not change the fact that the two of you are invaluable here on base, defending our fair city from monsters that want nothing less than to annihilate us down to the last woman and child.¡±


    I still don¡¯t think that¡¯s what¡¯s going on. If the System wanted to trigger a full apocalypse, or even wipe us out completely, it could do so, and we¡¯d have no way even to resist as we are now. It wants to challenge us. It wants us to twist our society around its gifts¡ª its curses. More importantly, I don¡¯t understand why no one else seems to realize this. Every encounter has been a tribulation, but not one of them has proven insurmountable.


    Wait, no, that¡¯s wrong. I¡¯m forgetting about Beavis and Butt-head back in the dungeon. And how could I forget those sixteen soldiers who lost their lives not two weeks ago back on the battlefield. I¡¯m ashamed once again. I need to think about this from a different angle. I¡¯ve survived up until now. Just because I¡¯ve been with Chloe and she¡¯s preternaturally lucky? Or is it something to do with me specifically?


    Is that it? Is the System attempting to challenge me specifically? It knows about me. It might know that I escaped it somehow? Did I take a piece of the System when I came to Earth? Or maybe it wants this power that Madison said that I have. Too damn bad I haven¡¯t even the slightest idea how to awaken it, let alone use it for whatever the colonel wants me to do. No doubt to serve as his personal living, breathing bioweapon.


    I can¡¯t help but be amused by the irony. I was created as a living weapon. The memories that I¡¯ve awakened to this point are all congruent in that respect. I was created to be a weapon against the System, and now that the System has arrived, everything I¡¯ve done has been toward that goal. But when the colonel asks me for help to that effect, I hesitate. Some byproduct of my human upbringing?


    No. It¡¯s the lack of control and agency that comes with serving as a soldier, as opposed to operating under my own initiative. It¡¯s knowing that whatever I have to give up to get the colonel¡¯s leave and resources is going to be used for his benefit, not mine. And that, whatever consequences might come as a result of that decision, I¡¯m still going to shoulder a portion of the blame. At least according to my own conscience.


    All I can do is acknowledge the truth of his words. To him, and to others on base, I¡ª and perhaps Chloe even more so¡ª are invaluable.


    ¡°Sir,¡± I say.


    ¡°However, I understand that there is the potential for even greater gains should you depart and complete this quest. At present, the potential gains do not justify sending such valuable assets away from the front lines on what may well be a wild goose chase.¡±


    ¡°Sir,¡± Chloe says. ¡°You said, ¡®at present¡¯. What has changed, or what do you anticipate will change?¡±


    ¡°Two things. First, we did have a small contingent of doctors, paramedics, and other medical technicians who had selected a [Healer] variant as their class. Though the most recent battle was a tragedy, several among them gained a number of levels, which in turn granted them access to a far more potent healing spell. In that regard, Ms. Jacobs¡¯ abilities have gone from mission critical to merely a strong boon to our forces.


    ¡°As for the second, that would depend on Ms. Mortensen¡¯s cooperation. I believe everyone here has witnessed the power that her [Glyphcasting], as she calls it, is capable of. Therefore, I would like to propose an exchange I believe will be mutually beneficial both to her and to everyone else. In exchange for my leave, and resources to assist you to and from the dungeon northwest of here, I want you to select a student who you can share your techniques with.¡±


    Yep, pretty much figured out what he was going to ask the moment he said ¡®two things¡¯. And it¡¯s not the most outrageous thing he could ask for. I¡¯ve made no secret of my spells. And there is something to be said for having more people working on the discipline in order to advance it that much faster. Repetition of research, validation through continued experimentation, is a crucial part of the scientific process.


    But there is a feasibility problem with his request. I doubt there¡¯s too many people who can even start learning how to [Glyphcast]. Even with the level I¡¯m at, all the Skills I have, and my class¡¯s natural tendency to experiment and modify glyphs and Ethertech more broadly, I¡¯ve only managed to reduce the cost from prohibitive to merely exorbitant.


    ¡°I would be willing to do so, on two conditions of my own.¡±


    ¡°Name them.¡±


    ¡°First, I want the person I teach not to be a member of command. I have some distrust with authority, and I¡¯d rather not give such a powerful weapon to a member of leadership to wield at their disposal. The fact that you¡¯ve allowed me to do my research unabated to this point suggests you are not categorically opposed to this condition.¡±


    He furrows his brows at me, but doesn¡¯t take any action against me. Even if I have an edge against him in personal strength, I¡¯m sure there¡¯s at least one high-level subordinate ready to strike the moment he gives the order.


    ¡°And your second condition?¡±


    ¡°I need whoever you select to work on getting the Skills [Basic Ether Manipulation] and [Basic Glyph Manipulation]. At least five ranks in each, and preferably, whoever it is can get [Basic Ether Manipulation] evolved up to [Intermediate Ether Manipulation] like I have. Without both of those Skills, there¡¯s no point. It¡¯s already dangerous enough for me as it is, and I have even more class Skills that help me with my research and development. Without the person having at least those two Skills, and preferably my [Ethersight] as well, I can¡¯t in good conscience teach them.¡±


    Colonel Wilson looks down at my eye level. Neither of us blink for half a minute, until he eventually does.


    ¡°Reluctantly, I have to accede to that condition. I will conduct a survey of any potential candidates and current roles, and sit you down with them in one week¡¯s time. Until then, you have my leave to do your explorations. Meet with the quartermaster at oh-seven fifteen sharp to get outfitted. Until then, you are dismissed.¡±

 Volume 2: Chapter 10: Back to the Wilds

    As Chloe and I make our way back from the command building to our room, I can¡¯t help but worry about one thing. Colonel Wilson was a bit too quick to acquiesce to my requests. He certainly had more cards he could have played to tilt the negotiation further in his favor.


    Right until I realize that I¡¯ve just been played like a damned fiddle. He was always going to let me go on the dungeon run. There¡¯s simply too much upside, and it¡¯s in accordance with the idea of conducting surveillance on the surrounding wilds for any information on the recent attack. The raptors having spawned from an overflowing dungeon is a possibility. In the absence of contrary information, maybe even the most likely possibility for why there was such an attack and in such large numbers.


    No, he was generous because he was trying to extract a little more out of me in exchange for letting me do something he was already prepared to order me to do anyway. Damn him to the lowest hell for that.


    Chloe doesn¡¯t seem to notice my frustrations, or at least, she doesn¡¯t pay them any mind as we grab our backpacks and begin packing away everything we¡¯ll need. Not just clothes and spare rations that taste better than hardtack and MRE¡¯s, but also gadgets, gizmos, and other doodads we¡¯ll need to make our next trip into the wilderness pleasant and safe. At least, as much as one can be while surrounded by System-enhanced monstrosities.


    We go ahead and steal a few apples and oranges from the bowls in front of the meal line. A few people give us some dirty looks, but a word about going on deployment into the wilds and not wanting to come down from hardtack-induced scurvy is enough to nip any animosity in the bud. With those and a pear to split while we wait to head off, we make our way back to the common field.


    As we arrive at the rendezvous point near the western edge of the base, we¡¯re greeted by a friendly and familiar face.


    ¡°Good to see you again, Sera, Chloe,¡± Alexey says. As always, his thick Eastern European accent makes him a bit difficult to understand, but there¡¯s no one I¡¯d rather have watching my back or leading me into battle.


    We¡¯re joined by Nicholas yet again, which surprises me, considering what I now know about his rank in the command hierarchy. Then again, I¡¯m sure command wants its own report separate from the enlistees, and we work well enough together. In addition, we¡¯re joined by Brent and Lindsey, both of whom don¡¯t surprise me with their appearance.


    Jackie and Anna both aren¡¯t here. Those two have always seemed to be pretty good friends, kinda like me and Chloe in a way. And with Jackie and I still not getting along particularly well, I can see why the two of them would be on another assignment.


    Instead, we¡¯re joined by two people I don¡¯t recognize. The first is another woman with short blonde hair. Not quite a pixie cut, but not much more than that. What¡¯s more, she¡¯s got a good half foot of height on me, is dressed in almost as much armor as Brent, and has the muscles to flip a car. Wouldn¡¯t be surprised if she actually can lift a car, if she¡¯s level 20 or higher and has a [Strength]-focused build.


    The other person is a rather scrawny looking man, probably not more than a year or two older than Chloe and I. His armor is made entirely of leather, wood and¡­ leaves or scales. I can¡¯t tell which. He carries a wooden staff which doubles as a walking stick, and seems to be something of a living, walking garden, his face and hands covered in dirt and with little buds growing out of his hair. A class feature, I¡¯m sure.


    ¡°You¡¯re the famous Ms. Mortensen,¡± the woman says. ¡°A pleasure to meet you. Oh, sorry, the name¡¯s Alana Morris. Frontline fighter with a focus on defense and counterattack. Real similar to Corporal Lancaster¨C¡± Here I learn Brent¡¯s last name and rank. ¡°¨Cbut with a couple of passive abilities that help improve the survivability of my allies.¡±


    I can see why she¡¯s been selected for this mission. Jackie was probably the closest person they had to a [Combat Medic] before. But with Chloe here and more than capable of healing an entire squad, the team needs someone who can focus on making sure she doesn¡¯t go down in a fight. And similarly, my [Glyphcasting] can do a lot of what Anna¡¯s fire evocations can do, but again, at the cost of needing more time and [Ether] to form spell circles.


    ¡°Tristan Morris,¡± the nature man says. ¡°Younger brother. [Nature Summoner] class. I can create facsimiles of various creatures to do battle with, as well as manipulate nearby flora.¡±


    Sounds like the standard druid slate of abilities. Considering his outfit, I¡¯d say that extends all the way to the prohibitions against using metal tools and armor. While I understand his combat role, I think he¡¯s being tapped for this mission more for whatever noncombat Skills he has at his disposal. If the saurian attack was the result of some disturbance outside of town, then he¡¯d seem like the best person to try to identify and reverse it.


    Chloe takes a moment to introduce herself as well before we¡¯re all called to attention. Another speech similar to the one we¡¯ve already heard the first time we went on an expedition together, and before the bottom of the hour, we¡¯re on our way out the western gate and into the fields surrounding the city.


    They¡¯re really quite beautiful. Both the natural beauty of spring with blossoming trees and plants all around, augmented further by strange new wildlife that I¡¯ve never seen before. Not all of it is even remotely pleasant. Watching health points tick down because a level 7 Mosquito decided to help itself to my blood was most definitely not the highlight of the morning. And I didn¡¯t even get any Experience for swatting it like the bug it is! That much simply isn¡¯t fair. Thankfully, the number of System-enhanced insects isn¡¯t too significant, and most of them are level 1 and 2, completely unable to even scratch our skin.


    This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Other than my close encounter of the bloodsucking kind, the rest of the morning is smooth sailing. Every one of us is already at least level 22, with high enough [Speed] and [Vitality] such that we can all easily travel forty miles on foot with an eighty-pound backpack and not be too worn out when we break for a late lunch.


    Which, as seems to be our tradition, is more MRE¡¯s. Maybe I¡¯m just getting used to the taste after so much time working with the other soldiers. Maybe it was the light breakfast I had. And maybe we just had a bad slate of rations the last time around. But the meal I have of spaghetti and meatballs is actually pretty good. Okay, no, it¡¯s not amazing. Not as good as my mother¡¯s homemade sauce, or even the fancy stuff that Chloe¡¯s mother likes to buy from the high-end supermarket. But far better than a sharp stick in the eye, that¡¯s for damn sure.


    Shortly after our meals are heated up, as Chloe and I are savoring the mediocrity, Alana and Lindsey start chatting with one another.


    ¡°So, how¡¯d you end up out here, anyway?¡± Alana asks. ¡°Thought you were heading to Ranger School after your first four years were up. Figured you¡¯d be off who knows where instead of out here in the sticks.¡±


    ¡°Got injured about a year ago after finishing Ranger Academy. Nasty foot injury, ended up breaking it in about seventeen places.¡±


    Chloe, Tristan, and I all grimace as Lindsey continues.


    ¡°Three surgeries, in a cast for ten weeks, then a lot of physical rehab and even now, it¡¯s not quite to a hundred percent. Was going to see about getting tested and readmitted into the service at the end of this month. In the interim, I took the last bit of my break to go visit an old college friend who became a professor at the university. And that¡¯s when the System arrived, so I decided to report in the next day, ready to serve once more.¡±


    ¡°Guess it¡¯s something similar for me. Came back home to visit my parents while I was on leave, and then surprise, it¡¯s the System!¡±


    ¡°Sorry,¡± Lindsey says. ¡°If I¡¯d known you were here, I would have stopped in and caught up sooner!¡±


    ¡°Wait,¡± Chloe interjects. ¡°How have you two not seen each other until now? Wouldn¡¯t you have been in regular contact while on base?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve both been on a lot of patrols,¡± Alana says. ¡°Lindsey¡¯s been off on two patrols, I¡¯ve done a lot work over on the east side keeping the peace, and neither of us even thought to ask about the other. The army is massive, and even more so when you factor in all the other branches of the armed forces.¡±


    The two make some hand signs I can only assume are secret personnel signals. No one is on high alert, so at least it¡¯s not a signal alerting the two to an imminent attack. If I had to guess, they¡¯re giving one another the friendly equivalent of the finger, all while grinning and giggling like schoolgirls. Kinda makes me wonder how the others in our high school class are holding up.


    I turn to Chloe. ¡°How are you doing?¡± I ask.


    She sighs. ¡°Just trying to do what I can do. Same as you and everyone else, I suppose.¡±


    I scooch in closer and give her a hug. ¡°Anything you want to talk about?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine¡­¡± She trails off. The clear sign that she¡¯s got something she wants to talk about, but feels like she¡¯s going to be a burden if she brings it up. I¡¯m not sure what I can say, but Alana cuts the tension with aplomb.


    ¡°Chloe¨C¡± She pauses. ¡°Uh, Ms. Jacobs.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Chloe says. ¡°If I can call her Lindsey and Sera, Sera, then I should be able to call you Alana and you should be allowed to call me Chloe.¡±


    ¡°A good sentiment to have, especially out here. One of the most important things any unit needs to have to be effective is cohesion. That means each of us knows and can perform their duties efficiently and effectively, and that we¡¯re all prepared to work together, not just as individuals, but as a unified team. Your job is to heal us. But my job is to protect the two of you. From monsters, yes, but also whatever else might trouble you. So please, allow the two of us to share in whatever is weighing on you.¡±


    Chloe pauses. ¡°I don¡¯t¨C¡±


    ¡°It is no imposition,¡± Lindsey says. ¡°You are already going so far above and beyond what duty demands of either of you two. The least we can do is try to be a voice of friendship and mentorship as we all adjust together to whatever this System is going to throw at us next.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ It¡¯s about my parents. The two of you were talking about your family and friends, and it got me worried about my parents. I¡¯m sure Mom¡¯s holding up the best she can, but I haven¡¯t heard from my Dad even once in the past month and I¡¯m scared that something happened to him.¡±


    Alana gets up and sits down next to Chloe on the opposite side of the log. ¡°Soldier?¡± she asks.


    ¡°Classified government work. Not sure what or even where he works for sure. I want to believe he¡¯s still out there.¡±


    ¡°He is,¡± Lindsey says. ¡°It¡¯s classified, so I can¡¯t tell you much, but I know well enough that there¡¯s some incredibly secure facilities designed even to weather something like this. If he¡¯s high-ranking enough that he can¡¯t even tell you what department he works for or where he¡¯s stationed, then I bet he¡¯s in one of those facilities.¡±


    I pull her in a bit closer. ¡°I¡¯m sure he¡¯s alive as well. And I¡¯ll do everything I can to make sure that we stay alive long enough to see him safe and sound.¡± Not just for her sake, but because I¡¯m even more convinced now that he¡¯s my best shot of getting in with the best researchers and scientists the government has in employ. And that is crucial for me to advance as a [Planetouched Mechanist].


    Just as we begin cleaning up, Lindsey stands up and rushes to her weapon cache. I stand up and draw my blowgun just in time for a low rumble to shake the forest. It seems our intrusion into the wilds has not gone unnoticed. Time to greet the welcoming party.

 Volume 2: Chapter 11: Intrusion

    I¡¯m not sure what is coming. It¡¯s definitely large though. Probably not skyscraper large, but definitely large house sized. Comparable to the brachiosaur, though it¡¯s hard to even attempt to compare sizes just on the sound of the footsteps and how loud they are.


    The bad news is that whatever it is, is heading straight for us. Which is also the good news; at least it¡¯s not heading for the city and a population that would be ill-equipped to take on level 20 creatures, let alone the level 30¡¯s and above I expect to find this far out.


    I can see the tension in Chloe¡¯s shoulders as she grabs her [Ruby-Studded Wand] and slips in between all of us. Alana stands beside her and Nicholas, using some sort of Skill that envelops the two in a subtle golden light. Brent and Alexey are in the vanguard, I¡¯m standing next to Tristan in the rearguard, and Lindsey has taken to the trees to scout ahead.


    The sound of an eerie chirping fills the air. It¡¯s like that of a cricket, only louder and¡ª Goddesses above, it¡¯s like the noise is trying to get in my head and jackhammer at my brain! My head grows dizzy for a moment and vision starts to spin, but just as I start to succumb, Tristan raises his staff into the air, exuding a leafy-green radiance outward. Two System notifications follow.


    [You are under the effect of [Nature¡¯s Blessing]. Resistance to Nature-element attacks increased 200% for the duration of the spell. (Time remaining: 1:59:59)]


    [You have resisted [Maddening Cacophony]. You are immune to this effect from the same creature for 1 day. (Time remaining: 23:59:58)]


    Well, shit. Whatever this creature is, is also intelligent enough to lead off with some sort of mind-affecting Skill. Or eldritch enough to just have one going passively. I¡¯m not sure which one of the two is worse.


    Lindsey arrives back a few seconds later with a look of terror in her eyes. She doesn¡¯t look mad or anything, but she¡¯s definitely shaken, probably by that same Skill that tried to assail all of us. She shudders and her face is ashen and her pupils dilated near the maximum and she¡¯s sure as shit not in any condition to fight right now. Nicholas rushes in and chants a few things, and her stilted breathing slowly returns to normal.


    A few seconds pass as the shaking continues to get louder. ¡°Ranger, what are we dealing with?¡±


    ¡°Something between an amoeba and a cicada. Not really sure how better to describe it. Form and appearance are constantly changing. Attacks by consuming its victims. Size is approximately thirty yards long, ten wide, and ten or so tall as well. Arrival within two minutes.¡±


    ¡°And the footsteps?¡± Nicholas asks.


    ¡°It¡¯s letting out various noises to attack its victims¡¯ minds. I managed to resist the worst of it but¨C¡±


    ¡°My sister and I both have skills that seem effective against its mental assaults,¡± Tristan says.


    ¡°And I just got a notification that I¡¯m immune to the effect for the next two hours after shaking off something called [Maddening Cacophony],¡± I add. ¡°I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll have to worry about that aspect of its arsenal. Did you manage to see anything that looked like a weakness?¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately not. And since it seems to be an amorphous blob rather than a creature with any sort of internal anatomy, I don¡¯t think trying to target vitals is a good idea.¡±


    I decide that the [Piercing] effect of my [Modular Blowgun] is unlikely to be effective. And I doubt I have enough firepower to freeze something of that size. That leaves fire and lightning as my two options.


    ¡°Sergeant Ivankov!¡± Nicholas says. ¡°I¡¯m counting on you to keep that thing¡¯s attention on you. I doubt physical attacks are going to be all that effective against something like that.¡±


    ¡°Pah,¡± Alexey says. ¡°I hate it, but I agree with your assessment. I shall do all within my power to ensure victory in our fight.¡± He glows with a crimson aura that I¡¯ve not seen before. Probably some new class ability he gained access to at level 30.


    Chloe taps me with her wand, triggering another System notification. She shakes a bit and needs a moment to steady herself against my arm after casting her spell, but she looks full of relief as she comes to.


    [You are under the effect of [Angelic Blessing]. All stats increased by 21% for the duration of the spell. (Time remaining: 00:42:00)]


    [Current Stats: [Strength]: 30 (25); [Speed]: 30 (25); [Vitality]: 67 (55); [Mind]: 83 (69)]


    ¡°You said you were going to protect me, Sera. This is the spell contained within the book we got after Oneiros. With it, now I can protect you as well.¡±


    I wish the moment could last a lot longer, but the monster is almost upon us. Not two hundred yards in front of us, I see branches from trees buckling, then collapsing. An iridescent mass of¡­ ooze of some sort slinks through the ground, still radiating those noises that defy all sense of reason and sensibility. Lindsey jumps back into the tree just behind us and begins loosing her [Light Arrows]. I wait a few more seconds before following suit with [Flaming Bullets] of my own.


    I have no way of knowing if my attacks are doing any damage. The attacks are connecting. Each one causes the mass¡¯s body to sizzle for a few seconds, but it¡¯s so massive that I can¡¯t tell if I¡¯m actually burning the flesh and evaporating tiny portions of it, or if the creature is merely absorbing all of our attacks and emerging none the worse for wear.


    Alexey charges off to the south, and by some miracle, the ooze diverts its course, chasing after him. I don¡¯t waste the opportunity. I fire another three [Flaming Bullets] at the creature, all while Lindsey continues to rain hell down upon the supersized amoeba. My [Ethersight] doesn¡¯t identify any obvious congregations of vital energy within the creature¡¯s body, forcing me to aim for different parts of its broadside. One hits along its frontal pseudopod, one dead center, and the third on its backside. None are particularly effective.


    If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    I try a bolt of lightning. It¡¯s somewhat more effective. A pair of them in quick succession imparts enough energy to stun the beast for a half second or so. It even briefly considers turning back toward me, but it changes its mind just as quickly and heads back toward wherever Alexey is leading it.


    For the sake of completeness, I try the inverted glyph of [Heat] and launch a [Freezing Bullet] at the blob. I¡¯m utterly astounded when it freezes a chunk of the ooze¡¯s body, which then falls off, crashes into the ground, and vaporizes. And here I thought this thing would be resistant to being frozen.


    At least now I know what I¡¯m dealing with. Unfortunately, that knowledge came at a cost. I¡¯ve already burned up four hundred points of [Ether] and I would rather not burn an [Ether Canister] so soon into our trip. Alexey is doing a good job keeping the creature away from us, and there haven¡¯t been any others that have tried to take advantage of the situation, so maybe this is the ideal way to address the problem. Regenerate [Ether] slowly, bide my time, whittle this creature down bit by bit.


    But just as with everything else, inaction carries its own risk. I don¡¯t know how long Alexey can keep the creature distracted, and if it turns its attention back toward us, I don¡¯t think Alana and Tristan will be able to keep it away from me for long enough to build a [Glyphcasting] array. So I bite my pride, pull out an [Ether Canister] and activate it.


    A refreshing sensation enters me. I concentrate on my internal [Ether] channels, feel them filling, then use my [Intermediate Ether Manipulation] to draw as much of it as I can into my [Ether] core just below my heart. When they refill from the surge of external [Ether] still flowing into me, I continue to pull until I¡¯m loaded up to maximum capacity.


    [Your [Intermediate Ether Manipulation (Rank IV)] has increased the effectiveness of [Ether Canister]. Ether restoration increased from 200 to 347.]


    I had no idea that Skill could do that, and I¡¯m certainly not complaining about it either. All the more reason to have other people learning such an overwhelmingly important General Skill. For now, however, I begin drawing the glyphs, not quite certain how to do so with an inverted glyph. I see no reason why it shouldn¡¯t work just the same as with any other, but I¡¯ve been surprised before.


    The circle and the enneagram are as before. I construct everything perfectly to specification, my Skills giving no indication that any of the lines or arcs are off even the slightest bit. First, the central glyph, a reversed [Heat]. Next, the two supplemental glyphs to augment and refine the overall spell further. The first is my trusty [Impulse] glyph to improve the speed and penetrating power of the attack. And the second is the inverted [Repulsion] glyph. Including this glyph should cause the creature¡¯s body to be drawn in toward the center of the attack, dealing far greater damage.


    It is my hypothesis that this creature, like amoebas and cells more generally, contains some sort of inner nucleus that I was unable to spot before. If I can damage, or better yet, destroy that core, then I should be able to do far more damage than simply trying to chip away at its blobby body.


    Alana grabs my sword at my hip and begins hacking away at the creature with twin swords, though I barely notice her as I continue my glyph tracing. I envision the spell effect that I want, converting that mental image into a phrase with the limited vocabulary of glyphs and runic connectors that I have at my disposal. I¡¯d like it to translate as ¡®Sphere of Cold that Freezes the Very Core¡¯, but it ends up being something closer to ¡®Attract the Center and Remove the Heat¡¯. Rather inelegant, but for a novice [Glyphcaster] who doesn¡¯t even have the appropriate class, it¡¯ll have to do.


    My mind buckles, even while fortified under the effect of Chloe¡¯s [Angelic Blessing]. Nicholas casts another aura, having no doubt noticed my predicament, and I feel the mental load of trying to cast easing up. One last double check of every glyph and every connection. Every sluice between the three glyphs seems correct, as do the targeting runes and other auxiliary features of the full spell.


    I release it the moment the ooze turns toward us. My attack is eerily silent, no concussive shock wave, no loud bang, no streaking arc of lightning crackling with power, nor even the flicker of flames lurching toward the slithering titan. Just chill, frozen, silent, cold.


    It slams into the creature¡¯s undulating body and barrels inward. What was slimy and amorphous before is now crystalline, silent and still. It doesn¡¯t affect the entire creature, even with a thousand points of [Ether] behind the attack. But it does enough damage to whatever internals the creature has that the entire body begins to break apart.


    Nicholas and Tristan stay behind to cover for me, as I¡¯m too weakened and lightheaded to be of any use, while Alana leads the charge, my sword and hers both leading the way. She hacks at every piece of the monster, slashing off chunks of oozy flesh which fall to the ground and dissolve into the dirt with a fetid hiss. Alexey has also turned back around, no longer luring the creature away, but instead pummeling it with his fists and¡­ is he launching shockwaves with each attack? Whatever he¡¯s doing is clearly having an effect, and he¡¯s definitely showing the power of whatever new techniques he has access to now.


    Has he been studying glyphs in his spare time as well?


    Bit by bit, the tiny oozlets that have dispersed out of the main creature¡¯s body are being whittled down. Brent and Tristan are getting in the action, the latter slashing with his own sword while Tristan summons hammers of wood that splatter them underneath. Even Chloe gets involved, vaporizing a particularly large mass with her hourly [Fireball] spell. I want to be upset and bemoan my powerlessness to act beyond throwing an errant [Ether Bullet] toward the smaller oozes, but I know that it¡¯s only because of my abilities that we managed to turn the tide so conclusively.


    Finally, after about ten minutes of mowing the creature¡¯s daughter-spawn down, we get the all-too-welcome System notification.


    [Your party has slain a Giant Forest Ooze (Level 33). You have been awarded a boosted 18,000 Experience.]


    I assign all four free points to my [Mind] stat. Right now, my [Glyphcasting] abilities are the most important Skill I bring to this party, and the [Mind] stat governs both my ability to maintain the glyphs as I draw them, as well as my maximum [Ether] and [Ether] regeneration rates. I want more [Speed] and [Vitality], but I choose to prioritize teamwork over my individual preference.


    [Level: 24; Experience: 101,160; To Next: 3,840]


    [Maximum Health increases by [Vitality] x2 + Current Level + Rand[1, 3] = 137]


    [Maximum Ether increases by [Mind] + Current Level + Rand[0, 2] = 100]


    Sadly, no, my increase in maximum [Health] and [Ether] does not take into consideration the temporary increase from Chloe¡¯s spell. As much as I would have liked to have stumbled upon such a useful exploit, it seems it¡¯s not to be.


    [Current Stats: [Health]: 2,141 / 2,142 ; [Ether]: 254 / 1,336]


    [Current Stats: [Strength]: 30 (25); [Speed]: 30 (25); [Vitality]: 68 (56); [Mind]: 90 (74)]


    [Your [Glyphcasting (Rank IV)] has upgraded to [Glyphcasting (Rank V)].]

 Volume 2: Chapter 12: Report

    It¡¯s our standard procedure to do a full after-action report after every battle, to go over what we did well, what we could improve upon, and how each of us can better utilize both our own abilities as well as those of our comrades for future engagements. However, with everyone covered in thick, viscous slime that is starting to reek to high heaven in the midmorning sun, we made the unanimous decision to postpone our report. At least until after the eight of us could rid ourselves of this abominable smell of shit and rot and rotting eggs and seemingly every other unpleasant stench that the combined forces of the System and the nine hells could summon to the fore. Even Alexey, with his twenty-plus years of combat experience in some of the worst situations known to mankind, is in full assent with the rest of us.


    We walk down the path left by the ooze, a barren stretch of dirt in contrast to the thick temperate forests which fill most of the countryside of the south-central United States. Tristan takes his time surveying the wreckage for any signs of life, either natural or aberrant. I am silently urging him to hurry on up so we can get a move on and be rid of this gunk for good. I suspect Chloe and the others are as well, though none of us state our shared desires out loud.


    After about an hour of searching through and around the ooze¡¯s trail, we locate a small creek and make our way over. A bit of discussion follows, where we decide that it¡¯s a sensible use of our magical prowess to make the field conditions a bit more palatable, all in the name of that glorious concept called troop morale.


    We dig a pair of small pools just off the banks of the creek, the two separated by about a quarter mile of trees and underbrush. Chloe and I use our wand and our [Heat] glyph respectively to heat the water to something vaguely approaching lukewarm, and the guys and girls separate to soak in our respective tubs.


    Chloe and I sit on the side nearer the creek, while Lindsey and Alana take the opposite side. I close my eyes and lean my head back, thinking to get a few moments of relative peace, but Alana dashes my hope when she splashes me with a tiny bit of water that lands directly in my right nostril.


    ¡°Hey!¡± I say. ¡°What was that for?¡±


    ¡°Just wanted to say that both of you did nice work out there earlier. And even better work coming up with this bath idea. I vote that we absolutely take advantage and do this more often. What do you think, Lindsey?¡±


    ¡°And I think that Chloe and I should get the final say in such things!¡± I interject.


    ¡°Come to think of it, why didn¡¯t we do this back on the last trip out in the wilds?¡± Chloe asks. ¡°We had Anna and her fire evocations; we certainly could have done something like this at least once.¡±


    Lindsey sighs. ¡°Because we¡ª everyone but the two of you¡ª are soldiers, and Alexey and I are both special forces. Or were, I suppose. We are acclimated to roughing it in less than pleasant conditions without access to baths and other modern comforts, sometimes for days or weeks on end. It was only because the aftermath of that ooze went above and beyond the call of heinousness that everyone decided to take the time to get all this gunk out of our hair and skin and everywhere else.¡±


    Chloe scooches a bit closer, such that our hips are just barely touching. ¡°Kinda cold, Sera.¡± She shivers a bit for added emphasis.


    ¡°Unfortunately, I¡¯m down to my last two hundred [Ether],¡± I say. ¡°Need to save it for ambushes. Besides, I start to get lightheaded when I drop under twenty percent.¡±


    Chloe pouts and grabs onto my arm from under the water¡¯s surface.


    ¡°So,¡± Alana says, ¡°do you two think my brother is cute?¡±


    My eyes widen and my jaw drops. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but¡­ what?¡± is all I can muster in my stupefaction.


    ¡°What? He¡¯s only a year or two older than the two of you,¡± Alana says.


    ¡°We¡¯re not interested!¡± Chloe says. ¡°Um, at least, he may be cute, but I¡¯m not interested in dating him.¡± She blushes and slides away from me just a bit.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never been super interested in relationships,¡± I say. ¡°I was always focused on trying to save up money to go to college and get good enough grades to get at least a partial academic scholarship. Never really considered the idea. And now with the System and everything else¡­¡± I trail off, not ready to talk about my past life and rebirth with them just yet. ¡°The idea of dating just hasn¡¯t been a high priority for me.¡±


    It¡¯s a half lie, though I don¡¯t want to admit it to myself, much less anyone else. Ever since Chloe broached the subject of the two of us dating a few weeks ago, I¡¯ve become almost excited at the prospect. We¡¯ve always been comfortable around one another, open about our secrets. Open enough that when I started learning about having a past life, I didn¡¯t have the slightest bit of hesitation about sharing that with her. And she¡¯s far from unattractive. She¡¯s a catch for whichever guy ends up with her. Or girl, I suppose.


    If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    But it doesn¡¯t change the fact that I¡¯m not confident about it. More importantly, she deserves someone who can fully commit to her, as much as I would want of anyone who might try to court me. And until my heart is set and ready to give my all to her, I won¡¯t try to keep her tied down on my account.


    ¡°Way to assume they¡¯re even into guys,¡± Lindsey says.


    My face turns red. ¡°Alright, that¡¯s quite enough, I¡¯m getting out!¡± And I do. I slip my towel around myself the second I get out of the makeshift tub and slip into the underbrush to get changed. I shake my head at Lindsey and curse her silently; it¡¯s almost as though she¨C


    No, her hearing is good even before her class Skills and passives; she might have been showering, but she definitely overheard our conversation back at Chloe¡¯s house a couple of weeks ago. Dammit all straight to the deepest layer of hell!


    I emerge from the underbrush about three minutes later, after having suffered the indignity of getting a little spiny burr caught in my socks while bathing. Half of me just wanted to burn the thing, but I decided to be a little mature about it and just flick the thing into the wind and hope it bothers something else for a change. The other ladies follow suit, and once we confirm that the guys are ready to continue onward, we regroup and continue our trek into the new landscapes that the System has provided for us.


    The rest of the afternoon passes uneventfully. About ninety minutes before sunset, we stop and prepare ourselves an early dinner. I set a [Heat] glyph in the center of a small pit, and after Tristan prepares some wooden logs for us, I set our campfire and gather up the equipment we need to start cooking dinner. A metal grate, a pair of pots, and some fresh water which I set out to start boiling.


    Tristan is officially excused from all cooking and clean-up duties due to his class restriction against touching or utilizing metal. He¡¯s even got his own set of utensils and dishware and even a canteen made of hardwood to use in place of the metal ones the rest of us use. Which is not to say that he¡¯s not making himself useful outside of battle and tracking. One of his Skills allows him to summon a replica of local wildlife and maintain a mental link to it, which he¡¯s using to keep a literal bird¡¯s-eye view over our immediate surroundings.


    Lindsey arrives back a few minutes later, and it seems that, much like the first night of our first trip into the wilds, we¡¯ll be having venison stew for dinner. Chloe hits the carcass with an antidote and purification spell, and Alana gets to work carving up the meat as I begin boiling and seasoning the water. Even without the eight of us having worked together in a team in this manner, there¡¯s almost no stepping on toes. We all handle our assignments from Nicholas with grace and proficiency, and within the hour, we¡¯re all huddled up around the campfire ready to give our report.


    ¡°I will start,¡± Nicholas says. ¡°I failed to see the possibility of some sort of mind-affecting attack from our enemy earlier today. As a result, we lost a significant amount of our potential intelligence gathering capabilities, which in turn lowered our battle effectiveness by a substantial margin. Thankfully, we managed to overcome that difficulty, albeit at the cost of an [Ether Canister] that Sera needed to use.¡±


    I interject. ¡°Speaking of [Ether Canisters], I want to suggest that if anyone has a General Skill slot available, that they highly consider working toward the [Basic Ether Manipulation] Skill. I have the more advanced intermediate variant, and by using it while I was absorbing the contents of the canister, I was able to increase the recovery by nearly seventy-five percent. I believe it scales with the quality of your manipulation skill and its rank.¡±


    ¡°Good to know,¡± Nicholas says. ¡°And good work with determining the correct spell to cast.¡±


    ¡°I need to give credit to Chloe for that. Her new enhancement spell helped me keep enough mental focus to cast those glyphs together. And similarly, I want to give credit to Tristan for his Skill that allowed me to shrug off the creature¡¯s [Maddening Cacophony]. If not for him, I¡¯m not sure we win that fight.¡±


    ¡°And I want to give thanks to Sera as well,¡± Alana says. ¡°Her [Blessed Sword] is really quite something. If I may ask, may I use it for the duration of our travels together? My class seems to really like when I wield a Light-elemental weapon, especially a sword or spear. I discovered a hidden passive that boosts my damage by another twenty-five percent.¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± I say. I¡¯d like to have a close-range weapon for myself if needed, but this is still better for us as a collective. I decide to set my personal misgivings aside to improve the chances that we all make it through this excursion alive. And preferably without any injuries beyond Chloe¡¯s ability to heal.


    Alana smiles at me.


    Alexey raises his hand to his face, drawing all of our attention to him even as we continue eating. ¡°My Skills worked effectively, and they were able to give you all the chance to formulate a plan to take down the creature. I gained a rank both in my [Pressure Fist] and my [Infuriation] Skills for my trouble. However, I learned that there are enemies that are uniquely resistant to my Bludgeoning-based attacks. I should be spending time devising countermeasures for such eventualities.¡±


    ¡°There wasn¡¯t much I could do in the battle,¡± Brent says. He does his best to hide it, but his voice harbors a crestfallen undertone. ¡°I¡¯m better against large crowds of weaker enemies than giant, strong enemies that my Skills don¡¯t work as well against. I may not have been the best person for the job if we¡¯re going to continue encountering creatures over level 30.¡±


    ¡°I feel similarly,¡± Lindsey says. ¡°But that doesn¡¯t mean we can¡¯t find ways to improve ourselves. That we weren¡¯t able to do much in this particular fight doesn¡¯t mean there won¡¯t be other encounters tomorrow or the next day or the next day where the particular skillset each of us has will be better suited for that day¡¯s challenge.¡±


    ¡°Well said, Lindsey,¡± Nicholas says. ¡°Does anyone else have anything they want to add?¡±


    ¡°More salt to the stew,¡± Tristan says. ¡°Maybe some oregano or thyme, if anyone has some.¡±


    Everyone laughs.


    ¡°Alright,¡± Nicholas says ¡°We know what we did well and what we need to improve on. Once we¡¯ve finished eating and cleaning up, let¡¯s turn in early and prepare to leave at the first light of dawn.¡±


    And we do.

 Volume 2: Chapter 13: Beyond the Wilderness

    Two more days pass, during which we thankfully encounter no monsters of a similar size, danger level, or most importantly of all, stench. We do encounter a few tribes of gorillas, a couple of prides of lions, and more appropriately for this part of the world, a herd of about twenty bison, all with levels ranging from twenty to twenty-five. Each encounter has given Chloe and I a few points of Experience, putting me stubbornly close to, but not quite at, the threshold for getting to level 25 myself.


    I check my Status to confirm.


    [Level: 24; Experience: 104,760; To Next: 240]


    [Current Stats: [Health]: 2,001 / 2,142 ; [Ether]: 1,254 / 1,336]


    [Current Stats: [Strength]: 25; [Speed]: 25; [Vitality]: 56; [Mind]: 74]


    I¡¯ve also been informed by Alexey and Lindsey that something is supposed to happen once we reach level 32. I¡¯m not sure what, and they don¡¯t seem to know for certain either. Only that the System has alerted them to something, and isn¡¯t going to give them any more information on the matter.


    I wrack my brain around the matter, seeing if I can loose an errant memory or two that might give me some indication about what¡¯s supposed to happen at that point. I come up as empty-handed as I expected. So far, it seems that my memories show up with no definite rhyme or reason, nor any discernible pattern that I might try to exploit in order to summon them forth.


    Frustration builds within me as I once again curse my inability to do more on this front. Still, it¡¯s not all bad. A guardian angel, a beacon, a standard for the world¡ª for all worlds¡ª to rally around and unite behind for a final showdown against¡­ whatever malevolence was behind the System. That was what Madison and Dr. Chotono had envisioned for the old me. And though her life is not mine, I still feel a compulsion to act in accordance with that dream.


    It¡¯s not an overriding one. I don¡¯t feel as though my free will is being altered in any way. That was the principal reason why I¡¯d been averse to choosing the [Divine Paladin] class back then. In that respect, I¡¯m thankful that whatever force connects me to the Seraphina who was created back in that laboratory saw fit only to give me bits and pieces of her memory. I retain my own initiative, my own desires, and maintain the sanctity and agency of my own mind, if not my station in the outside world.


    It¡¯s¡­ not so different from life before the System, in that regard. All my life, I¡¯ve felt subservient, at the mercy of others. Adulthood, getting an education, a good job, financial security. All of that had been part of the plan to one day buy my autonomy from this world. Now the currency for freedom and autonomy is in levels, stats, gear, and Experience, but the goal is the same.


    But that doesn¡¯t mean my freedom has to come at the expense of others¡¯ well being. There ought to be a better way. A way that enables us to work together, rather than tearing one another down to profit¡ª to gain levels and loot¡ª at each other¡¯s expense. I can scarcely imagine how that should be brought about, but I know that the answer is one I need to discover if I am to stand against the System itself.


    About noon¡ª after two full days and some hours on the road¡ª signs of civilization begin to sprout up along the western horizon. The thick forests which once and now again sprawled across the eastern half of the United States give way to grasslands and farms filled with newly grown wheat and corn. The air, previously filled with murderous intentions, returns to some semblance of peace, some vestiges of the old order that previously comprised the world. Small houses just outside the town have lights on inside powered by electricity, which bodes well for the overall stability of the city and its immediate surroundings.


    And, as I had suspected, there¡¯s another Tower that spans well over a thousand feet into the air, absolutely dominating the otherwise nonexistent skyline. Not a single other building taller than three or four hundred feet tall at the absolute most. Probably less than that, even.


    This town, at least before the System came, was considerably smaller than our hometown, especially when all the suburbs and surrounding communities of the greater metro area were factored into the equation. By a factor of ten or so, if memory serves, though I don¡¯t know the populations exactly then and I sure as hell don¡¯t know after System chicanery comes into play.


    Still, roads are functional, streetlights and stoplights are on and working, some people are up and walking on the sidewalks, while others drive the roads, mostly free of traffic. I doubt there¡¯s all that much refined gasoline here either, and with levels and classes and stat points now available for the seizing, walking, biking, and other forms of manual transportation are far easier and not much slower.


    Strange, that it took the arrival of the literal apocalypse before people would take actions to maybe start to mitigate the oncoming climate catastrophe. I decide to add ¡®solving climate change¡¯ to the ever-expanding list of things I should look into at some point when I have enough Skills, levels, and both Experience and experience to start building wider-scale Ethertech.


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


    We¡¯re stopped just outside of town by four people wearing¡­ body armor? Like, regular, mundane body armor made of Kevlar and other synthetic fabrics. Maybe a bit of metal plating but¡­ I flicker on my [Ethersight] as they come into range. Doubt they¡¯re over level 15 based on the density of their [Ether] cores, and none of their gear is System-registered. No idea if they¡¯ve got higher-level people patrolling the wilds, or if said individuals are simply too busy and can¡¯t be assed to come out here and greet us.


    In either case, I let Nicholas and Lindsey handle all the introductions, pleasantries, negotiations, and so forth. The former is our commander, on paper if not in deed, and the latter has the best set of social skills¡ª though I don¡¯t think she has a [Smooth Talker] capital-S Skill or whatever else it might be called. That is, with the possible exception of Alana. Don¡¯t know Alana well enough to state conclusively who has the edge in that exchange, but given she didn¡¯t volunteer, I¡¯ll give the edge to Lindsey.


    My ears are quite good¡ª perception seems to increase slightly with [Vitality] or [Mind]. Not sure which, and don¡¯t have enough data to determine one way or another.


    I can¡¯t make out every word they¡¯re saying, but they¡¯re discussing our mission to patrol and survey our own city and the surrounding areas. Lindsey adds how we¡¯ve decided to patrol deeper into the surrounding areas to see what we could find, and about the attacks from that Ooze as well as the Brachiosaurus days earlier.


    In truth, none of us were sure if we¡¯d stumble upon any of the nearby cities, or even where exactly they are with such limited map data available right now. It is worth seeing if we can make it down to the state capital. Should be about eighty miles south of here, or at least, it was before the System. Now, it could be two hundred or more. Probably quite a bit more.


    ¡°Alright, well, in any case, welcome to Ft. Still,¡± the leader of the welcoming party says, giving us an open armed gesture as he points us toward the city proper.


    That¡¯s¡­ That¡¯s not what this town used to be called. Strange that it¡¯s changed so suddenly, and seemingly without anyone objecting. Even the sign leading into the city has been crossed out and replaced with the city¡¯s new designation. I wonder why. Moreover, I wonder if there¡¯ll be a push to change our hometown to some different name.


    Maybe we¡¯ll say goodbye to the old familiar names of New York City and Chicago, of Boston and Houston and Los Angeles, and now we¡¯ll have, who knows? New Appleton, Windia, Boltophsberg, and World¡¯s Largest Strip Mall, respectively. I chuckle out loud at that last one.


    ¡°What are you laughing about?¡± Chloe asks.


    ¡°Later,¡± I say. Even I know better not to joke about things like that in public. Seems like the sort of thing that could easily rustle jimmies and start a war. Or, at the very least, least damage potential alliances right when the bastions of humanity need more than anything to start banding together to face problems both throughout the world, as well as beyond it.


    Alexey and Nicholas head off to see if there are any current or former soldiers who they might be able to share intel with, while we make our way to the food court of what was and maybe still is one of the major state universities. Not one I ended up deciding to enroll at¡ª I wanted to get the hell out of this hellhole of a state as soon as possible. A pretty big part of me still does, though I¡¯m mostly resigned to the fact I¡¯ll be in the area for the foreseeable future.


    It¡¯s¡­ boisterous. Loud. Difficult to think clearly with all the noise, all the conversations going around on every side. So many people, mostly students, along with a few older people I assume are staff and faculty. We¡¯re not the only ones armed and clad in System-registered technology, though the number of people who possess such implements is only a few percent. Plenty more have on mundane armor and carry firearms for protection, the System having turned any attempt at maintaining gun-free zones a complete farce.


    As I watch a distinguished gentleman walk by, my mind starts racing through all the potential knowledge and information that people might have. Great goddesses above, I so want to sit down with the professors and have a really, really long conversation about glyphs and Ethertech and how to start developing the two together. Is that why we came here?


    I get excited for a moment, thinking of the endless possibilities and opportunities, but my head drops as my analytical side takes over. I doubt there¡¯s any professors here who can do more than Dr. Reynolds and I already have. I¡¯m probably the closest thing to an expert for five hundred miles when it comes to Ethertech, which is saying basically nothing given how much I know I don¡¯t know. Just for good measure, I flicker on my [Ethersight] to take stock of the people around me.


    Disappointing, really. The highest level among them can¡¯t be more than ten or so. Wait, no, that shouldn¡¯t be seen as disappointing. My sense of reasonable levels is completely twisted. Most people aren¡¯t delving into dungeons, abandoning school to study Ethertech, sneaking behind police barricades into Towers, braving danger to life and limb in the pursuit of more physical power. Most people don¡¯t have a second life as a cyborg and probably also aren¡¯t getting some ludicrous experience boost for every battle they engage in. Most people aren¡¯t actively seeking out dangerous situations to be involved in.


    We eat a meal of mediocre fast food. I say mediocre, but it¡¯s still way tastier than MRE¡¯s. Somehow, I have a feeling it might be healthier than they are too, in the most bizarre manner. Less certain about that one.


    ¡°You okay?¡± Chloe asks. ¡°You¡¯ve been awfully quiet all morning.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m fine. Just a lot on my mind. A lot of thinking about various things, how the world has changed, and what our role is in all of it.¡±


    She slips her hand under the table and gives me a slightly greasy squeeze. ¡°Just remember that you shouldn¡¯t and don¡¯t have to do it all yourself. We¡¯ll all get through this together.¡±


    ¡°Together,¡± I start to say, before a siren blares and a woman rushes in screaming murder about some sort of monster attack.


    I sigh as we move out, my half-eaten burger still on the table as I grab my weapons and other battle supplies. Of all the dastardly luck!

 Volume 2: Chapter 14: The Antoid Horde

    I clench my fist as we fight our way through the oncoming crowd. Hundreds if not thousands of people are cramming into the food court from everywhere else on campus. I doubt the flimsy locks and glass doors and the handful of Rent-A-Cops acting as campus security are going to do much against whatever monsters are about to ravage the town and its inhabitants. But they think it might, forestalling the panic, or at least giving them some vague hope to cling to.


    But as we finally slip out one of the side doors and toward a group of soldiers and other defenders, my mind wanders errantly.


    One of the many things I have learned in the preceding weeks is how much people need hope. Need something to believe in, to rally around, to look to for safety and security. I think that¡¯s what Madison and Dr. Chotono meant when they told the previous me. But the previous me didn¡¯t have the experiences, the time spent living with humanity, as a human, to truly grok this simple truth.


    On a related note, I think the fact that I am so easily able to accept that I¡¯m not human is proof that I¡¯m not, deep down. Although that begs the question: Was it not the System which sealed away my memories? Was it the old me who did so, all to play the part of a human that much more convincingly? If so, it would make sense why memories are slowly percolating back now that the System has arrived. Now that I again need those memories, and the context they provide.


    ¡°What¡¯s the situation?¡± Nicholas asks once we find the guards from earlier, now joined by a uniformed, clean-shaven man carrying a sword that carries the characteristic glint of Ethertech. ¡°What kind of monster, approximate number? Any information about levels, Skills, or other tactics, if you can spare them.¡±


    ¡°Ants, human sized,¡± the man in charge of the patrol says. His nameplate says ¡®Kant¡¯ and his rank insignia is slightly less elaborate than Nicholas¡¯s¡ª a first lieutenant or captain, or the equivalent. ¡°Hundreds of them. Probably upwards of a thousand, swarming in from the south. The first wave is going to reach the outskirts within five minutes.¡±


    We all make our way down there as quickly as we can. Chloe starts lagging behind the rest of us until Alana picks her up into a princess carry and begins racing forward. Me and my low [Speed] compared with the others means I¡¯m bringing up the rear, though I power through to spare myself the embarrassment of having Lindsey grab me by the waist and forcing me to leave my dignity behind in her dust.


    When we make it to the southern outskirts, I see no sign of the insectoid army, but I can already hear the rumble of stampeding footsteps closing in. Lindsey grabs me¡ª this time, I don¡¯t resist¡ª before parkouring her way up to the rooftop of the best-positioned storefront. She pulls out her bow and strings it a bit tighter than before, before reaching into her pack and pulling out a large [Ether Canister], which she hands to me.


    ¡°That guy who said hundreds, maybe a thousand was underestimating the size of the ant army approaching. There¡¯s simply too many footsteps, spreading over too wide of an arc for this army to only be seven hundred and fifty to a thousand strong. I think we¡¯re looking at closer to twenty-five hundred. Maybe close to three thousand.¡±


    ¡°Three thousand¡­¡± I trail off.


    ¡°Thankfully, we have the advantage of terrain and defense, and there¡¯s a nearly flat plain between the tree line and us. You¨C¡± She stares pointedly into my eyes, her tone demanding. ¡°¨Cneed to prepare your strongest offensive ability. I want you to put every bit of [Ether] you can into your attack. Don¡¯t bother with efficiency. We need raw damage output, and if you can make it flashy and explosive, that¡¯d be even better.¡±


    Before I can interject, she continues.


    ¡°The damage is important, but being visible and showy about it is even more important. Morale, Sera. That canister is supposed to restore about five hundred [Ether], but in your hands, it should get you pretty close to full. When that happens, I want you to conserve your [Ether] until you can fire another blast. My job is to pick off what I can while you recharge, and better yet, try to get the ants to congregate together.¡±


    I nod. ¡°I need Nicholas to cast his best mental buffs on me, and if Chloe can hit me with her [Angelic Blessing], that would be even better. And we have to time it just right¡ª [Doublethink] only has a duration of about four and a half minutes at his current level.¡±


    ¡°Damnit,¡± she mutters. ¡°I¡¯ll see what I can do.¡±


    The first couple of ants emerge from the treeline. They have the characteristic six legs, beady, compound eyes, chitinous exoskeleton, and large, chomping mandibles as expected of giant insects. However, they walk only on their back four legs, using the front two almost akin to our arms. As a result, they walk in an odd, partially-upright gait, with the tops of their antennae reaching about four feet tall.


    High pitched thrumming sounds, faintly audible before, now grow louder as a small contingent of about two dozen winged ants takes to the skies. I watch on as Lindsey fires a [Light Arrow], plucking one of the bugs out of the sky like a chicken. It falls to the ground and splatters, taking one of its sisters with it with a sickening crunch.


    The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    Hundreds of them are now swarming, approaching the city in the first wave, while thousands more lurk just behind the tree line, watching us. I pull out my [Modular Blowgun] and aim down toward the ground, trusting my comrade to take care of the winged buggers diving down upon us. With my levels and [Mind] stat much higher than it was during my early days, it¡¯s trivial to maintain a supply of close to four hundred bullets without suffering any mental fatigue.


    I let them rip with abandon, raining hell down upon the invading menace. Each bullet, even without glyph reinforcement, hits the ground with a loud pop, followed by a small concussive impact. Limbs are torn apart from the shockwaves, and in the densely-packed assault, the concussive blasts are concentrated and ricochet inwards and back out in an amplifying loop. I briefly consider adding in the inverted [Repulsion] glyph, but I stay my technique. Lindsey wants me to be flashy about my [Glyphcasting], and I do trust her and Nicholas¡¯s insights in matters martial.


    Even without my glyphs, the [Modular Blowgun] continues to do good work, both at slowing down the charge and whittling down their numbers. Alexey leaps into the fray once the first ants come within a hundred feet of his position, launching a shockwave at the ground. Unfortunately, the four-legged creatures were more bottom-heavy and stable than humans. His attack wasn¡¯t without positive effect, but it was muted, and the bulk of the ant army continued after being momentarily dazed by the impact.


    I continue to fire bullets toward the ants until Alana raises my sword in the air and lets it glint in the early afternoon light. It shines with an otherworldly golden glow, and a font of light descends from the heavens, casting its gaze solely upon the armored woman. Her steel armor, before dull and covered in dirt and dust, is now polished and glowing. And most tellingly, a pair of translucent, golden-white wings like those often associated with angels sprouts from her back.


    She never confirmed it before, but this is all the proof I need. Alana has a [Valkyrie] styled class, and the [Blessed Sword] I found in the dungeon is better wielded in her hands than it will ever be in mine. And without hesitation, she takes to the skies, slicing a pair of winged ants in twain just as they begin diving toward civilian targets behind our line of defense.


    I turn around, but Lindsey stops me. ¡°She can take care of them. We stick to the plan.¡±


    With Alana vacating the front for the time being, her brother steps forward, conjuring a thick braid of tree roots between the two armies. It did little to stop the encroaching insects, but it bought a second or two. And that was worth it. As they slowed to stumble over the obstacle, Lindsey and I pelted them with our long-range fire, while the rest of our team, plus Captain Kant and a couple of his men, began engaging in close-range combat.


    While they have overwhelming numbers, none among this first wave is particularly strong, as Lindsey confirms. Levels between thirteen and seventeen, all too low for even Chloe to get more than a trickle of Experience, unless the System decides to display rare generosity and reward us for the numerical disadvantage. Seeing as though it didn¡¯t against the raptors, I¡¯m expecting no such luck this afternoon. Waste of bullets in that regard, but I suppose it¡¯s better than rolling over and dying, and better than wiping our hands clean of the matter and leaving the people of the newly-renamed Ft. Still to their fate.


    More hell rains down, courtesy of yours truly, and System notifications begin ticking in, slowly at first, but then in waves. Lindsey¡¯s intelligence is once again proven correct, as is my disgust at the lack of Experience for our work. Alexey falls back, joining Brent in formation. Nicholas¡¯s aura radiates outward surrounding the soldiers, and a warm light fills Chloe¡¯s wand as she casts a healing incantation on the master sergeant, curing him of the minor scrapes and scuffles he suffered in the earlier engagement.


    Alexey roars, and his usually pale features take on a slight reddish tint. His muscles, already substantial in size and definition, expand further. His frame of six foot two grows to around seven feet of pure, rippling muscle. He launches another rippling mass of solid air toward the giant bugs. The one nearest the towering titan of a man is punched straight through, and the shockwave toppled another two dozen and split the formation in twain.


    I continue to hold back my [Glyphcasting]. The soldiers down below have things under control, and this is a good opportunity for Captain Kant and his soldiers to gain crucial Experience for themselves. The three local soldiers that started the battle are joined by another nine, some with the markings of military, others who wear civilian garb. I don¡¯t know if these are also military, or just concerned people taking up arms in defense of their city, friends, and family.


    A pair of buzzing wings just over my head knocks me out of my musing. I instinctively reach for the sword I don¡¯t have at my side, before ducking at the last second. I raise my arm, and through a rare bout of sheer dumb luck for me, the snapping mandible gets caught on my [Simple Buckler], dealing no damage to me. Lindsey impales the creature a moment later, filling the air around us with the acrid, copper-tainted stench of its blood.


    ¡°What are you doing, getting distracted like that in the middle of a battle?¡± she asks.


    And she¡¯s right to. I¡¯m letting these errant thoughts break my discipline, just as I know not to. I give myself a good smack across the cheek to reorient my mental focus and give the battlefield a cursory scan, pelting another flying bug with a well-thrown [Ether Bullet] as I prepare myself for what¡¯s to come.


    Alana is cutting down the aerial predators and looks no worse for wear, but she can only be in one place at a time, leaving other bugs to slip through her defenses. I want to help her, but I have to relent, trusting that she can handle the battle in the air. Instead, I take a deep breath and ready my glyphs for action. The host of bugs has clearly judged us vulnerable, and is charging en masse. They will not live to regret their mistake; this I swear.

 Volume 2: Chapter 15: Mass Devastation

    The next wave is far larger than the previous one. Five hundred ants lie broken and bloodied, some clinging to life, some struggling on in vain, but all thoroughly routed. The pale brown grass, slowly turning green alongside the golden leaves of the nearby trees experiencing the year¡¯s springtime bloom, is now stained a fetid forest green from pools of spilled hemolymph. And for a brief moment, there is silence.


    That silence is broken by a cacophony of buzzing, starting low and slow, slowly building in pitch and intensity. It¡¯s joined by clamping mandibles and stomping feet, and soon after, the odd stench of their communication pheromones seeps into my nostrils. Sickeningly sweet, like overripe cantaloupe or fermenting honeydew. My entire body reflexively recoils.


    And the entire horde attacks as one. No fliers this time, but the weak workers from before are joined by several larger ant variants. Some with two pairs of forearms, each towering even over the bulked-up Alexey, and with enough muscles to match him blow for blow. I doubt they have the same level or System-stats, but they¡¯ll prove not to be pushovers, I¡¯m sure.


    Behind them are some sort of ranged fighters which spit chunks of acid like cannonballs, spraying haphazardly to hit what they can and deal splash damage to whatever avoids a direct hit. Their shots come in well-choreographed waves. A single droplet lands on my hand, causing a momentary sizzle as my [Health] drops by fifteen. Stronger than I¡¯d expect, and a couple of direct hits would see me on death¡¯s door.


    Lindsey turns to me and gives me a nod. She draws her daggers behind me and assumes a defensive posture, while I watch the enemy movements below.


    As I do, a screech rings from high above, momentarily distracting me. Alana severs the damned flier¡¯s wings from its thorax, silencing it for good. But her Skill is running low. Her wings are starting to lose their radiant shimmer and begin to flicker out of existence. She notices as well, dropping down to the front lines.


    I begin my casting, deciding on the glyphs of [Lightning], inverted [Repulsion], and [Branching] as the primary components of the ¡®Arc Lightning¡¯ spell I envision. I¡¯d like to add some sort of intensifying glyph, but even as Chloe¡¯s [Angelic Blessing] washes over me, strengthening my mind and body alike, I¡¯m not confident with holding all those glyphs and the necessary linking and modifying runes in place.


    The outer ring goes into place, and because I¡¯m using three glyphs as the base instead of two, I need a dodecagram instead of an enneagram within the spell circle. This adds further to the complexity of the spell and the difficulty of casting it. However, my higher [Glyphcasting] and [Basic Glyph Manipulation] skills as compared with the last time I¡¯ve used such complex magic, are helping to mitigate the strain on my mind.


    A scream echoes from below, threatening my fragile concentration. Another weakness of [Glyphcasting] is its impracticality in solo combat. Chloe can fire off a [Restoring Light] in a couple seconds, while I need upwards of a minute to build my spell circle. If nothing else, this excursion is teaching me more and more the virtues of teamwork and the need to spread the load among so many other people.


    I start with the [Lightning] glyph in the center. Already I can feel the spark of electricity in the air as I trace out the glyph¡¯s shape. The thin blue glow of [Ether] being channeled to my left index finger grows chaotic, turning into a tempestuous purple arc that dances around haphazardly until I finally lock the glyph into place and hold it fixed with a portion of my willpower. Two more runes modify the shape of the electrical surge, concentrating the charge in the center of the circle and focusing the beam into a thin bolt once released.


    Next, the two supplemental glyphs. Inverted [Repulsion] on top, and [Branching] down below. The specific [Branching] glyph is like the branching paths of a growing tree, not like the arcing twists and turns of a lightning bolt trying to find the path of least resistance from cloud to ground or vice versa. I¡¯m not sure whether this will have a noticeable impact on the spell¡¯s overall effect, but my [Tinkerer] and [Glyphcasting] Skills both suggest that things should work. But I¡¯ve been wrong before, even with the guidance my Skills given.


    [Branching] slots into place, but this introduces some unwanted dissonance when I try to slot in the inverted [Repulsion] opposite it. The two glyphs I have in place both are trying to invert the glyph back to the upright position, and I understand exactly why.


    Both of the other two glyphs want to cause the lightning to spread outward once the concentrated surge of electrical energy is released. This one, on the other hand, is attempting to pull the lightning back within itself. It is at once contrary to the nature of lightning as a concept, which wishes to flow, and contrary to the notion of branching outward and spreading as the other glyph wants.


    If I had the time, the vocabulary, and the mental acuity and [Glyphcasting] Skill, I would detail exactly how I want the lightning to flow, to generate a magnetic field around the center of the ant cluster, pull them together, and fry the whole lot of these cretins with a torrent of lightning that jumps between them, all in the span of half a second. Unfortunately, my complete ineptitude leaves me unable to properly express the idea beyond ¡®concentrate first, then spread¡¯.


    With those extra runes clarifying temporal ordering in place, the three glyphs do fit together. But only barely; it¡¯s but a metastable configuration, and I can still feel the spell¡¯s desire to seek a lower energy state, discharging the frenetic excess energies into the most convenient target¡ª my own body.


    I don¡¯t give the monsters a chance to disrupt my spell by waiting for the perfect moment. I eye a single large warrior-type antoid near the center of the army, and I let my spell rip. My eardrums pop from the sonic boom left in the blast¡¯s wake. I would have gone blind¡ª- maybe even permanently¡ª had I not used my [Ethersight] at the last second to block out the intense light from firing off what was effectively a massive arc welder without eye protection at point-blank range.


    The next instant, a rumble cracks through the air, followed by a concussive gale as my lightning connects with the ground. My target, a large warrior-type ant in the center of the mob, is completely vaporized by the attack. The seven smaller soldier ants surrounding it are fried, reduced to clumps of ash and chitin that mixes in with the soil and dirt of battle. The twenty surrounding them are cooked from within their exoskeleton, but their bodies aren¡¯t ravaged from the intense pyrolysis and electrolysis that dissolved their sisters.


    Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.


    And the entire army is ravaged, all at the cost of eleven hundred [Ether]. Five hundred ants are dead before the dust settles, their kill notifications rattling in the corner of my eye. Another five hundred are so injured that short of healing magic, it¡¯s a matter of bleeding out or waiting for the rest of their biology to catch up with the fact that they are already dead in every way that matters.


    The other two thousand ants are still well enough to fight on, but Lindsey was absolutely correct about the effect on morale. The ants don¡¯t seem to fight any less intensely. I¡¯m not sure if they aren¡¯t mindless, instinctual, or otherwise lacking a fighting instinct, or if they are compelled to continue fighting by some higher (or lower) power.


    But the soldiers defending Ft. Still fight like men and women possessed. They shake off attacks that should leave them dazed or stunned, fighting with a fierce and unbreakable resolve against overwhelming numbers and odds that should be insurmountable by all accounts. Even with the benefit of levels, terrain, defense, and intellect, a one-hundred to one numerical advantage should overcome them all. But these brave men and women don¡¯t seem to notice the numerical disadvantage. They lure the ants into the main streets, where their numbers are less impactful, continuing to fight onward even as they allow themselves to be pushed backward.


    Meanwhile, I take Lindsey¡¯ [Large Ether Canister] and activate it. A surge of energy enters my body, the System somehow forcing this raw vitality directly into my core. For a moment, I¡¯m in a state of complete bliss, feeling my [Ether] core recharging with aplomb. But then I get to work, forcing my [Ether] channels to do my bidding. I manipulate the contents of the canister, along with the ambient Ether without, into my core. Faster and faster it builds, like waves crashing into one another without time for gravity to pull them back to sea.


    I¡¯ve been fortunate enough to avoid the allure of drugs all my life, but if it feels half as good as this, I¨C I can understand why people try it, and why they get addicted. Heaven help people if it feels even better still.


    My [Ether] climbs higher and higher. Including my natural regeneration of 900 points per hour while under [Angelic Blessing], or one point per four seconds, I¡¯ve increased it by 880 points in the span of half a minute as the last vestiges of the canister are emptied and either absorbed into my being or dispersed back into the¡­ well, the ether surrounding us.


    This time around, I choose a more subtle approach, but one I expect to be no less effective. With the ant armies closing in and our forces being pushed back, the raw destructive potential of fire and lightning is ill-advised. Too many people, too much collateral damage. Best to be mindful not just of winning the fight, but of winning the hearts and minds of the people to ensure good graces and continued opportune access to activities and resources to grow stronger. But cold is an effective weapon. One which, thanks to our warm-bloodedness and the insects¡¯ cold, has a certain degree of discretion in what it targets. An immobile ant is a soon to be dead one, just the same as if I¡¯d fried its neurons with a bolt of lightning from my fingertip.


    And so I begin my spell circle once more. Just an enneagram for two glyphs in the formation. A reversed [Heat] glyph as the base, and an glyph that intensifies, as though changing ¡®Cold¡¯ to ¡®Very Cold¡¯ or ¡®Grossly Cold¡¯ or ¡®Biting Cold¡¯. It might cause some minor frostbite to our people, but better a bit of frostbite than a trip down the River Styx.


    The glyphs slot into place far too easily; my [Glyphcasting] skill likely gained at least one rank after that last exhibition, and the spell is less complicated than the last one by a good margin. All I need are some linking runes, a couple of modifications to set the range of effect and¨C


    ¡°Ow!¡± I scream as an errant winged insect buzzes near me.


    It¡¯s dead before I register the pain, knifed by Lindsey¡¯s deadly twin daggers, themselves enchanted by me with the [Sharpness] glyph to enhance their killing potential. But I still suffer a grazing wound across my left arm, just below the shoulder. My good arm, the one I use for glyph construction. And worse, my concentration falters.


    Bits of the magical energy I¡¯ve gathered seep out, and my warm, pink hands turn the pale white of cold. My entire hand grows numb, and it''s an exercise of willpower and overcoming the pain just to inscribe the final two runes and release the spell.


    But not without some backlash. In my haste and recklessness to get the spell released and tend to my own wounds, I had misdrawn one rune, one line a few degrees out of alignment. This causes some of the magical energy to fall back upon me, cutting up my left arm further. Damn¡­ Damnit all!


    I scream as the pain overwhelms me. My health doesn¡¯t fall below four hundred, meaning I¡¯m not going to die from the injuries I sustain. But I don¡¯t know how easily Chloe¡¯s going to be able to patch me up. Or if she even can. My entire left arm is completely immobile, frozen solid from just below the shoulder clean down to the fingertips


    The flurry of System notifications rushes in shortly thereafter.


    [Your Party has slain 2,200 Giant Soldier Ants (Levels vary from 12 to 18). You have gained a boosted 60 Experience.]


    [Your Party has slain 245 Giant Warrior Ants (Levels vary from 16 to 21). You have gained a boosted 1,500 Experience.]


    [Your Party has slain 155 Giant Spitter Ants (Levels vary from 14 to 20). You have gained a boosted 325 Experience.]


    [Your Party has slain 25 Giant Flying Ants (Levels vary from 18 to 20). You have gained a boosted 150 Experience.]


    [Your Party has slain 20 Elite Warrior Ants (Levels vary from 20 to 27). You have gained a boosted 4,000 Experience.]


    [Your Party has slain 2 Giant Ant Queens (Levels 30, 31). You have gained a boosted 13,200 Experience.]


    [You have gained enough Experience to reach level 25. [Vitality] +1, [Mind] +1. Please assign free stat points (Remaining: 4).]


    I force all my free points into Vitality just before I conk out.


    [Maximum Health increases by [Vitality] x2 + Current Level + Rand[1, 3] = 149]


    [Maximum Ether increases by [Mind] + Current Level + Rand[0, 2] = 100]


    [Level: 25; Experience: 120,395; To Next: 5,130]


    [Current Stats: [Health]: 567 / 2,291 ; [Ether]: 186 / 1,436]


    [Current Stats: [Strength]: 24 (25; -5); [Speed]: 30 (25); [Vitality]: 74 (61); [Mind]: 90 (75)]


    [Your [Basic Glyph Manipulation (Rank VII)] has upgraded to [Basic Glyph Manipulation (Rank IX)].]


    [Your [Glyphcasting (Rank V)] has upgraded to [Glyphcasting (Rank VII)].]


    [Your [Ethersight (Rank IV)] has upgraded to [Ethersight (Rank V).]

 Volume 2: Chapter 16: Revelations

    I wake in a sterile white room with a bright, uninviting array of fluorescent office lights beating down upon me.  I¡¯m in a bed, not surrounded by monsters, and I don¡¯t think this is heaven or one of the many hells, so I have to assume I¡¯m still alive.


    I trigger the impulse within me to bring my Status window to the forefront, confirming that all of my stats are as they should be.  Except for my [Strength], which is suffering a -5 penalty for a reason I don¡¯t understand.  I sit up and immediately realize the problem.  My right arm works perfectly.  My left no longer exists, severed two inches below the shoulder.


    I mutter a train of expletives under my breath, prompting the door to open and a worried, sobbing Chloe to rush in and tackle-hug me back onto the pillows.  Her arms wrap around my chest, and I do so as best I can, wrapping my one remaining arm around her and gently rubbing her back as she sobs into my chest.  I say nothing, letting her spill her tears in the relative privacy of what I have to assume is a local hospital ward.


    If I were a betting woman, I¡¯d wager good money that Lindsey is just outside, keeping an eye out for any signs of trouble that might befall us.  I don¡¯t call to her, instead enjoying the time with just Chloe, as well as I can with only three limbs.  Strange that there¡¯s no lingering pain.  A bit of phantom tingle though, but no pain.  I attribute that to the healer currently lying on top of me.


    ¡°You¡­ reckless idiot!¡± Chloe says.  She smacks my face, not hard enough to injure me or lower my [Health] by even a single point.  Just hard enough to get her extreme pleasure across.  ¡°What were you thinking, pulling a stunt like that?¡±


    We both know the answer to this question.  I was completing the mission, prepared to sacrifice an arm to ensure the survival of the people of Ft. Still.  But that¡¯s not why she¡¯s asking.  She¡¯s angry, concerned, and worried.  She knows I¡¯ve been reckless.  Reckless in pursuit of goals, willing to take risks, and acknowledging that not taking risks is, especially now, a risk of its own.  But she needs to vent that frustration and concern, and this is how it comes out.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Chloe,¡± I say.  I look into her eyes for the first part of it, then lower my gaze in deference to her as I say her name.  ¡°I was attacked, and rushed to get the spell completed before I lost control completely.¡±


    She shakes her head and buries her face back in my chest.  Tightly enough that I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s merely a concerned hug between friends or an indication that she¡¯s still wanting something more from me.  Something I¡¯m still not ready to give, if indeed, I ever will be.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean for things to end up the way they did.  I also don¡¯t plan to let this slow me down.¡±


    ¡°Slow you down, Sera?  You¡¯re down an arm, and still you want to go back out there and fight?  I¡¯d call you daft, but¨C¡±  Her face turns deadly serious.  ¡°Nope, not happening, healer''s orders, you are going to stay here and.¡±  She gives more groans of disapproval as I slowly sit up and take a drink of water.


    ¡°How long have I been out?¡± I ask.


    ¡°Nearly a day.  It¡¯s morning the day after the battle.  Thankfully, no trouble since then, and people are doing their best to pick up the pieces and continue to go about their daily lives.¡±


    I smile.  Proof that I¡¯ve matured, at least to some small extent, though maybe that¡¯s just me aggrandizing myself.  When this all started a month or so ago, I was angry at people who were trying to go back to the old world.  Now, I feel only a gentle comfort that no lives were more upended than absolutely necessary.


    ¡°How many deaths?¡±


    ¡°Two.  Civilians.  I didn¡¯t get their names.  I¡¯m¡­  I¡¯m glad you didn¡¯t have to see it yourself.¡±  Chloe pauses for a bit, chokes on her words some.  ¡°I don¡¯t want to try to describe but¡­  It was bad.¡±


    ¡°You were out there, healing people, all day yesterday, weren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Until my [Ether] ran dry, my muscles grew too sore, and Lindsey literally dragged me off to bed.  But it was rewarding.  I felt a sense of calm and purpose as I was doing so.  Like¨C¡±


    ¡°It was what your very soul was telling you that you should be doing?¡±


    Chloe nods.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s the same for me.  Except my class wants me to experiment, to study, to hypothesize, and to understand.  It¡¯s why I can¡¯t stop pushing forward with [Glyphcasting] and building Ethertech and everything else.  It¡¯s what I want to be doing with my life.  What I would have wanted to do before the System came.  But now, coupled with my class, that compulsion is almost impossible to do more than simply forestall.¡±


    ¡°But your arm¨C¡±


    I cut her off.  ¡°Is gone.  It¡¯s a setback.  But I am a [Mechanist] through and through, and building solutions to my problems is what I do.  Plus¨C¡±  I trail off, not wanting to mention my whole reincarnation thing when there¡¯s very likely a powerful [Ranger] not five feet out the door listening in on every word the two of us share.  Chloe seems to get the sentiment.


    A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    ¡°So what now?¡±


    ¡°Lindsey, do you have any suggestions?¡± I call out.


    Sure enough, she emerges from just to the right of the entryway and gives a wave.  ¡°Was I that obvious?¡±  She adds a barely audible ¡®I must be losing my touch¡¯ under her breath.


    ¡°First¨C¡± I flicker on my [Ethersight], causing my teal irises to lightly glow. ¡°¨Cmy [Ethersight] isn¡¯t stopped by these walls.  And more importantly, as I¡¯m sure you overheard, I¡¯ve suspected you were here since the moment I woke up.  There¡¯s no guarantee someone wasn¡¯t going to try something, and you¡¯re not the type to trust guard duties to another.¡±


    Lindsey chuckles.  ¡°Okay, fine, you got me.  I¡¯m here.  So, what do you want to do?¡±


    ¡°Check out the robotics program here at the university.  Get a prosthetic of some sort.  Build a new arm for myself.  Then, once that¡¯s good and done, get back up and into action.¡±


    ¡°Hey, Sera,¡± Chloe says.  ¡°What about that robot arm from¨C¡±


    Lindsey grins at us, pulling my robot arm out from a pouch behind her back.  ¡°You mean this?¡±


    I rush up to try to grab it, momentarily forgetting my lack of a left arm as I rotate my little shoulder stump around.  I eventually grab it with my arm, singular, and pull it close to me.  Although there¡¯s one thing that¡¯s still troubling me.  Or maybe three.


    ¡°Wait!¡± I say.  ¡°When, how, and why?¡±


    ¡°When?  Yesterday afternoon, once the dust settled.  How?  I asked Alana to fly back to base and get it.  Absolutely amazing ability she has, by the way.  Being able to fly nonstop for twenty four minutes straight with that kind of speed, and being able to do so every hour?  I have to feel a little bad for her.  She¡¯s going to be a logistician¡¯s best friend and a glorified pack mule for high command once word about her abilities gets out.  And why?  Because it seemed like the sort of thing you¡¯d be interested in.  I mentioned it to Nicholas, and he agreed and gave the commands.¡±


    ¡°So, why can¡¯t she just say no?¡± Chloe asks.


    ¡°Because unlike you two, who are nominally working with us as a matter of convenience much like contractors, she¡¯s an enlisted soldier, signed and everything.  She¡¯s legally obligated to obey the lawful orders of her superiors, lest she be subject to court martial and¨C¡±


    I interject.  ¡°As though they could, or would, hold her back.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not¨C¡±  Lindsey gives me a glare.  ¡°In any case, you said that this doohickey was supposed to help get you back to fighting shape?¡±


    I nod.  ¡°It¡¯s the best chance we have right now.  And considering the only option is to remain cooped up in a cage for the rest of my life, well, I¡¯m going to do what I can to make this project a success.¡±


    ¡°You really are something,¡± Lindsey says.  ¡°Most people would have hung their hats and jackets up and called it quits after losing an arm.  But you¡¯re not just willing to get a prosthetic and see about rehab.  You want to just keep blazing forward, limitations and injuries be damned.  Part of me wishes that things would have been different for all of us.  I know your sentiment about authority, especially police and military, but you would have made one hell of a ranger.¡±


    I demur for a moment.  I don¡¯t know about all the others.  Nicholas is an officer, and a fairly high ranking one, at least by the standards of the people I personally know.  And I haven¡¯t interacted enough with the Morris siblings much, though they seem nice enough.


    Alexey and Brent?  I guess I respect them as people, but it¡¯s different for Lindsey.  She was there with us in the dungeon.  She came on her own to help us defeat Oneiros.  Came back with us and showered at Chloe¡¯s place, offered to buy us dinner on her own dime.  I might not trust everyone else, and maybe this is a terrible idea, but I decide I need to trust someone.  And the woman before me, I think, deserves the honor more than anyone.


    ¡°Lindsey, how much does your [Identify] Skill tell you about me?  And please, be honest.¡±


    ¡°I can see that you have a [Mechanist] class, that you¡¯re level 25, and what your main attribute stats are.  I can¡¯t see your Skills or anything else.¡±


    ¡°The specific name of my class is [Planetouched Mechanist].¡±


    ¡°Like an airplane?¡±


    ¡°Like, different planes of existence.  Lindsey, I hope you can respect why I didn¡¯t feel comfortable telling you this until now, but I¡¯m not from around here.  I have it on good authority that I¡¯m not human.  Not from Earth, not from the solar system, and probably not even from this galaxy.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re an alien?¡±


    ¡°An alien¡­ biomechanical cyborg, if my memories are correct.  And while I know memories are prone to error, some other part of me knows them to be true.  Some event caused me to be reborn as a human eighteen years ago, and I think the System has something to do with the reason why I¡¯m here.  I want¡­  I need to find out who I am, what I was created for, and what I should do with this second life I¡¯ve been given.  And the only way I¡¯m going to do that is to keep moving forward.  To advance in levels, develop my class, and¡­ maybe see if there¡¯s anyone else like me out in the cosmos.¡±


    Lindsey laughs.  ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Sera.  I¡¯m not laughing at you.  It¡¯s just that on the one hand, it all seems so patently absurd that you can speak so forcefully about being an alien and there being life on other worlds and universes outside our own.  And yet, a month ago, the idea that Earth would be transformed into a world just like the games I used to play when I was a kid was equally absurd.¡±


    ¡°You¡­ believe me?¡± I say, still not quite convinced that she¡¯s sincere and not just humoring ¡¯us kids¡¯.


    ¡°Whether or not I believe you doesn''t matter as much as the fact that you genuinely and sincerely believe what you¡¯re saying is true.¡±  She gives me The Look.  ¡°Don¡¯t try to hide it, Sera.  You¡¯re not a good liar, and you¡¯re not a good actress either.¡±


    I roll my eyes at her.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t tell anyone else?  I¡¯d rather not have my secrets shared with the whole world.  Not yet, anyway.¡±


    ¡°Sure thing.  Now let¡¯s get a move on, both of you!  I¡¯m sure Sera¡¯s hungry and everyone else wants to see how the two of you are doing.¡±


    My stomach growls.  Because of course it does.

 Volume 2: Chapter 17: Design Schematics

    I eat heartily. A three-egg omelet with cheese and bacon is but an appetizer before I devour four large griddle cakes covered in maple syrup and six summer sausage patties. Sadly not the real, pure syrup. Too hard to find while human civilization is still trying to figure out how to reshape itself following the apocalypse. At least the System decided to show us enough mercy to keep our basic food supply chains intact, if only by threads and duct tape.


    Once I¡¯ve thoroughly destroyed all of the food laid before me and taken a trip to the ladies¡¯ room, we make our way to the home of the university¡¯s college of science and technology. The doors are locked when we arrive. But after a couple of knocks, a young man little older than I¡ª a student on work-study, I presume¡ª unlocks the door and beckons us in.


    He stares at my lack of a left arm for a bit too long. I do briefly consider asking if he¡¯d like to have a stub of his own, but I know that would be somehow even more impolite. In either case, we¡¯re soon joined by a man who I¡¯d call distinguished, if not for the fact that he¡¯s wearing sandals, capri-length shorts, and a Hawaiian-style shirt, of all things. Somehow, against all sense, the man actually makes it work. I can¡¯t help but wonder if he has some sort of fashion-related capital-S, System-derived Skill that causes him to pull off an appearance that actively spits in the face of everything I thought I knew about fashion.


    He greets us with a smile and an outstretched hand. An outstretched left hand. I hope this isn¡¯t some subtle attempt to mock me. Thankfully, he realizes his mistake the next moment and offers his right hand, shaking each of ours in turn as he introduces himself.


    ¡°Hello ladies,¡± he says. ¡°Dr. Martin Winfield, Professor of Robotics here at the State University. I heard from some folks with the army yesterday that you were looking for my assistance with something about a robotic arm? I¡¯m afraid I didn¡¯t get a lot of details.¡±


    Dr. Martin¡­ I don¡¯t suppose he¡¯s like me? No, the two doctors look nothing alike, while I look quite similar to the old Seraphina. Just a coincidence.


    Chloe pulls the robotic arm out of her bag and hands it to the professor. ¡°We found this robotic arm in one of the towers that sprouted up shortly after the System arrived. We were hoping you could help us analyze what it does and how it works, and maybe help out with whatever implants you can design to help my friend Sera turn it into a prosthetic for herself.¡±


    He furrows his brows a bit at the request, but to his credit, he doesn¡¯t bat an eye when Chloe mentions where we got it. ¡°I¡¯m not sure how much help I¡¯ll be able to give the three of you. Most of my work is more on the programming side than the actual construction. I have a colleague who should be arriving in about an hour or so. She might be better equipped to help you with your request. Although I still wouldn¡¯t get your hopes up too high.¡±


    I nod. ¡°Actually, I think your area of expertise will be extremely relevant. It has to do with the glyphs and runes that operate and modulate this sort of technology. Is there a classroom or laboratory of some sort with a whiteboard? I can try to explain what I mean, but I think it¡¯d be easier to do somewhere that¡¯s not in the middle of the lobby.¡±


    He chuckles. ¡°Of course, of course. Would any of you like some coffee or water to drink?¡±


    All three of us decide on water as we make our way to one of the classrooms not too far from the front of the building. As he heads to grab his stuff, I pull out my sketchbooks and, to the best of my ability, start trying to draw the glyphs I think will be best suited to the task at hand.


    The glyphs of [Repulsion] and its inverse, alongside with the [Impulse] glyph, should, in tandem, be able to simulate most forms of movement. I also start tracing glyphs on the whiteboard that I believe to be basic logic glyphs, along with the individual runes that might¡ª based on Dr. Reynolds¡¯s research¡ª be associated with the basic conjunctions of ¡®and¡¯, ¡®or¡¯, and ¡®not¡¯. They carry no intrinsic physical meaning, and I¡¯ve not been able to find out how these specific runes can be used in [Glyphcasting], but I suspect that they¡¯ll be far more powerful in this domain.


    Dr. Winfield arrives along with another student. This one is a younger man, closer to Lindsey¡¯s age than Chloe¡¯s and mine. He introduces himself as Dr. Winfield¡¯s graduate research assistant, Patrick, and takes a seat next to the professor.


    I begin going over the basics of glyphs, how they function, and the general principles of Ethertech that I¡¯ve been able to establish to this point.


    To his credit, the professor seems intensely interested in my theories, the work I¡¯ve done with Dr. Reynolds, and the project as a whole. He¡¯s taking notes intently, nodding along, and asking some of the most insightful questions I¡¯ve heard. More than once I¡¯m forced to admit that I don¡¯t know something, and each time, he invites me to conjecture and speculate based on my current knowledge.


    Lindsey gives him a bit of a stink eye that he doesn¡¯t notice. Different professions, different viewpoints. Chloe is doing her best to be attentive for my sake, but I can see her glazed eyes and tell from her blank expression that all of this is going over her head. Patrick is doing his best to keep up, and doing a decent job of it, especially toward the latter half of what ends up being a two hour lecture.


    Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    About the time I finish up, a woman of perhaps thirty-five walks in. She¡¯s startled a bit to see us here, and stands against the side wall. I can¡¯t tell if she¡¯s interested in my glyphs and theories, or just irritated that the five of us have occupied her classroom. When a student who looks much like Chloe pops in half a minute later, I assume it¡¯s the latter.


    As I¡¯m erasing the board¡ª as best as possible single-handed¡ª I overhear the two professors chatting with one another.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Cynthia. I¡¯ve been asked by some folks to help out with an interesting project, and what I thought was going to be a one-hour speech and some vague concepts of plans ended up turning into a two hour discussion on brand new technologies that Miss Sera over there found while exploring dungeons and Towers.¡±


    Cynthia sighs. ¡°Martin, I know you¡¯re prone to excitability at times like these, but I must beg your pardon. Just because there¡¯s monsters attacking outside doesn¡¯t mean that the world stops turning or that classes stop and society suddenly breaks down.¡±


    I roll my eyes, my back still turned to the quarreling professors. This Cynthia sounds a lot like Chloe¡¯s mother, in voice as well as general demeanor. A no-nonsense sort of woman who¡¯s made sacrifices to make a career in a male-dominated area, and whose tolerance for bullshit borders on the nonexistent. I can¡¯t help but feel a little bad for her. In another time and place, I could have ended up down a very similar path of my own.


    ¡°I think you would be interested in hearing more, but I understand.¡± Professor Winfield nods and heads out. I finish grabbing my stuff, with Chloe having to help me get everything packed away. I nod to Professor Cynthia, but as I turn toward the door, she stops me.


    ¡°That arm you put away,¡± she says.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to modify it for my own purposes, or somehow reverse engineer a new one for myself. As it is, my ability to hold off another slate of monsters like the ones from yesterday is¡­ greatly diminished.¡±


    Greatly diminished is an understatement. I can swing a sword, but no buckler and no second hand makes me more susceptible to the sort of heavy blows that might knock me out of my stance. I can hardly use my [Modular Blowgun] as I am, and my [Glyphcasting] speed is maybe forty percent of what it was before. Truly a lamentable predicament to be overcome.


    Nevertheless, Dr. Winfield seems more than willing to continue to assist. We make our way down to some hybrid between a laboratory and a workshop. A couple dozen contraptions of various configurations are sprawled out in the center of the room, with several computers near the back.


    There are a couple of students at one of the computers, trying and failing to be discreet as they gawk at me in all my one-armed glory. I don¡¯t know if they like what they see, nor do I give a damn one way or the other. A flicker of [Ethersight] and the telltale azure glow of my irises directed squarely at them causes them to hide behind their computers in a panic.


    ¡°Hey, Sera,¡± Lindsey utters. She gives me a small thwack on my right shoulder. ¡°Try not to scare the kids. We¡¯re trying not to be hostile, given that we are asking for quite a bit of time and resources on fairly short notice.¡±


    I shrug.


    Dr. Winfield sits down at the fancy computer in the back that¡¯s pretty clearly reserved for faculty work. In addition to a fancy, ergonomic chair that probably cost a thousand dollars and a second large monitor¡ª 35 inches or so¡ª the computer looks like it was built custom, rather than being an OEM design. He beckons me back against the wall as he opens up a program and begins typing.


    His fingers move with furious abandon as various snippets of code start appearing on the page. I can¡¯t quite make out everything that¡¯s going on, but from the diagram that¡¯s appearing on the second screen, it appears to be some sort of schematics for a mechanical arm. A very crude arm, but at the very least, a starting point.


    ¡°This is the baseline design for the type of prosthetic commonly used by members of the military who lose arms while in the service of our country. I¡¯m sure your friend over there has seen these more than a few times.¡±


    Lindsey nods.


    ¡°Now, this is the basic framework for the design that¡¯s been used for the past four or five years. There¡¯s been small upgrades each year as technology has marched onward, chips have gotten better and more efficient, small little incremental stuff. But I think we can start looking at some real bold innovations. No need for clunky wires, no need for all sorts of implants that try to interconnect your neurons to your implants and spend six months to a year learning how to control everything.¡±


    He continues typing for another hour. I watch, amazed and bewildered in equal measure. Lindsey and Chloe have stepped out into the hallway, but I¡¯m too enraptured to do more than give them a halfhearted wave as they do.


    More schematics start appearing on screen, one that looks far more humanlike. It¡¯s armored and yet flexible, with layers of plates overlapping one another like the backside of an armadillo. It¡¯s coated in layers upon layers of glyphs, some taking up large parts of the arm like tattoos, and others so small that they¡¯re barely macroscopic. I have no doubt that this is just a mockup of what the design might vaguely look like based on the general principles I described earlier. It¡¯ll be weeks to design all the components, even with computer assistance. And probably weeks or even months more it¡¯s ready for me to actually use.


    But as I look at it more and more, then glance over to my left sleeve and how it dangles idly beside my chest, I start having thoughts about my past life. What kind of technology did it take to create the original Seraphina? And then, how much more to send me through the planes of existence to be reborn here on Earth?


    And yet, even with all that, they still needed to do so, for a reason I can¡¯t wrap my mind around. Still, this is good. This is the first step toward what I need to do. I can feel it in the very core of my being.

 Volume 2: Chapter 18: Construction Begins

    We¡¯ve been at it for nearly two weeks.  Chloe, Lindsey, and I have remained behind in Ft. Still, working with Drs. Winfield and Martinek, as I¡¯ve since learned, is Cynthia''s name.  Meanwhile, the rest of our team headed back home the day after we got started working on my cybernetic arm.


    Alana stopped by yesterday, sharing the latest news from back home.  More of the same there as well.  People trying to make the best of their situation, whatever it might be.  Institutions and social mores are near their breaking point as monsters close in.  The police and old authorities are finding themselves increasingly unable to handle both the hordes of System-augmented beasts as well as the burgeoning [Crime Lords] and other ne¡¯er-do-wells attempting to claim dominion over little fiefdoms through raw physical might.


    I¡¯m sure some of those people despised and denigrated as ¡®criminal scum¡¯ are merely those who are trying to scrounge for food, shelter, and other necessities.  Even in these trying times, there are those interested in taking advantage of their wealth to gouge the people for a quick buck that doesn¡¯t even mean that much anymore.  I have no sympathy for them, even if they are acting within the letter of the law.


    As a result of the unstable social order, other groups of less unsavory individuals have been banding together as a counterweight to these with ill intent.  Some, such as the group led by Alexey and Nicholas, are directly associated with either law enforcement, the military, or the National Guard.  Others, including the three of us, are nominally associated with the old social order but don¡¯t directly report to the national and state authority.


    We¡ª including Lindsey, who has been formally decommissioned but continues to liaise between the military folk and Chloe and me¡ª operate something akin to a deputized civilian, given nominal authority and leave by the government to act on our initiative.  At least, so long as we act within the confines of a fairly generous code of ethics.  Don¡¯t use our authority or Skills to attack innocent civilians, don¡¯t encourage ¡®recklessness¡¯, disturb the peace, incite rebellion against the government, and so forth.  It is a bit odd for me of all people to be actively siding with the authorities, but I do think this is the best path for me and Chloe, even from a purely selfish perspective.


    In addition to those of us nominally attached to the government¡ª whatever is left of it¡ª various groups have started banding together in what might be called a citizen¡¯s militia, or neighborhood watches or concerned citizens¡¯ association.  In other cases, people have established what might be likened to the hunter¡¯s or adventurer¡¯s guilds of various video games.  Several enterprising individuals, who are either desperate, or who have a penchant for violence without the sociopathy of a criminal, are offering their services as swords-for-hire or private security to individuals and communities alike.  After all, there is no shortage of monsters or dangerous criminals, and the government¡¯s resources have been strained to the breaking point.


    And yet, despite all the challenges, people are banding together and adapting to the challenges imposed by the System.  Violence has not fully supplanted the rule of law.  People are still working and going to school and doing what is broadly expected of them¡ª most people, anyway.  And the civilization that humanity has built over the last ten thousand years, has not buckled and collapsed.  At least¡­ not yet.


    ¡°Miss Sera,¡± Dr. Martinek says.  ¡°Can you take a look at this glyph sequence and see if it looks right to you?¡±


    I furrow my brows and look at the arrangement of glyphs.  It is¡­ far, far more complicated than the simple arrangements of three or four glyphs and a half dozen linking runes that I¡¯ve been using when [Glyphcasting].  There aren¡¯t a lot of complete glyphs within the diagram.  And by ¡®not a lot¡¯, I mean exactly two.  [Repulsion] and inverted [Repulsion].  Push and pull, flexion and extension.  One glyph that pulls, and the inverse to pull backward.


    The complexity lies in the hundreds of individual linking runes all tied to one another, linking the glyphs together in patterns so intricate that it¡¯s hard to tell what I¡¯m looking at.  In addition to the basic logic gates¡ª the ¡®ands¡¯ and ¡®ors¡¯ and so forth¡ª there are also dozens of control-flow glyphs that we identified by reverse-engineering their meaning from the robot arm.  Do a thing if this condition is met, and move on to another set of checks if it¡¯s not.  Or do this other thing a set number of times, or over a set range of possible input values.  I understand the generalities behind it, but the specifics are a bit difficult to grok.


    I stare at the sheet, expecting to find at least one error.  And I do find one.  A pair of linking runes that are written out of order.  An easy mistake to make, considering that it¡¯s in violation of the previous pattern established by the earlier linkages in the sequence.  Just the consequence of including multiple conjunctions and the equivalent of an ill-defined run-on sentence.


    I grimace at the poor physical diagramming of the runes involved, though.  At least once, I get ready to cross out a rune I know to be incorrect due to the wrong angle of intersection.  It should beat a 70 degree angle, but she¡¯s drawn it at an angle closer to 72.5 degrees instead.  I¡¯m irritated by the inaccuracy and want to correct it, but I bite my tongue and fight the urge to tear it all out.  They are giving a lot of time and effort, all for me, and I need to be respectful of that time and energy.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    I do, however, resolve to do all the glyphs on the final product myself, trusting myself and my Skills even more than I trust the computer programs generally used in materials design.  I dread how awful it would be for me had I taken a different starting class, one that lacks the versatility of the almighty [Tinkerer] skill and the subtle insights and nudges it provides.  I¡¯d never be able to rebuild myself to even a fraction of my previous effectiveness in combat.  But as I am, with the work of the professors assisting me?  I think I can rebuild myself better and stronger, more versatile than I ever was before.


    Forget merely replacing my lost functionality.  It should be possible to greatly augment everything that I once was.  For now, simply having a functional arm is a large improvement.  But as my knowledge of glyphs improves, and with it, the ability to create more elaborate designs?  I would say that the sky is the limit, but I don¡¯t want to sell the possibilities short.


    I hand the designs back to Dr. Martinek.  ¡°I¡¯m not going to speak to whether the logic gates themselves are optimal or correctly designed.  I know that¡¯s not my area of expertise and I¡¯m not going to attempt to correct that part.  Everything looks good except for this part right here.¡±  I point to a pair of linking runes.  ¡°I know it¡¯s counterintuitive and defies the general conventions, but since you¡¯re linking four or more different statements here, you need this extra flourish over the rune to specify the relationship.¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯re sure this is correct?¡±


    ¡°Sure enough to stake the functionality and safety of this mechanical arm on it.¡±


    The professor sighs, and I think I see the barest hint of an eyeroll that she suppresses a moment later.  ¡°I just wanted to double-check.¡±


    I smile.  ¡°I appreciate it, and I¡¯m sorry if I¡¯m coming off the wrong way.¡±


    She takes a deep breath.  ¡°I think it¡¯s partially me as well.  I¡¯ve worked hard to get where I am.  A lot of nights on three and four hours of sleep.  A lot of disrespect from my peers and faculty members who didn¡¯t want to work with a woman in the field.  Trying to be a professional and a woman means having to work twice as hard for half as much recognition, all while every mistake you make is subject to twice as much scrutiny.¡±


    I nod, understanding exactly the implication that she¡¯s making.  It¡¯s probably exactly the same for Chloe¡¯s mother, trying to make it as a corporate manager in the oil and gas business.  And I have to imagine the ridicule part is even worse than the glass ceilings.  And though I don¡¯t mean any offense by it, my mere presence can be seen as that of some upstart barely old enough to be considered an adult.  One who¡¯s working on completely new fields of study, without the decades of formal training that she and the other professors had to go through.


    It¡¯s really not fair to her.  Then again, it¡¯s really not fair to all of us.  And some part of me can¡¯t help but wonder: Am I, or at least the old Seraphina, responsible for bringing the System to Earth?  Even if I didn¡¯t intend for it to happen, whatever force allowed me to jump to Earth might have brought the System with it, or at least showed the System where to look.  Just makes it even more my responsibility to get back out there on the field of battle, doing what I can to defend the people of my new home.


    I¡¯m awake until late in the evening, building the structure for my new arm based on the blueprints the professors and I have been developing.  Even once the laboratory closes shortly after seven in the evening, I bring the prototype back to the dorm room where Chloe and I are staying to continue working.  Even with only one arm, my [Intermediate Ether Manipulation] allows me to effortlessly chip away at the little imperfections in the overall design and sculpt it to my exact liking.


    We went with a titanium-aluminum alloy to construct it, reasoning that it has a good balance of strength, ductility, durability, and resistance to both corrosion and oxidation.  It weighs about eighteen pounds, but even with my current [Strength], I barely feel it.  Even when I slot it into my shoulder stump, the strain on my shoulder and upper back is virtually nonexistent.


    As I set it back down to continue my task, Chloe walks into the dorm room where we¡¯ve been staying, shaking her head as she lies down on her bed.


    ¡°I know this is exciting for you, Sera, but you need to go to sleep soon.  It¡¯ll do us no good if you stay up so late that you end up making a critical mistake in your fatigue, and then we¡¯re here another four weeks building you another prosthetic.¡±


    ¡°But¨C¡±


    ¡°No buts on this one.  Healer¡¯s orders.¡±


    I sigh and accept defeat.  Mostly because I know she¡¯s right.  I lie down on the other bed, only to be smacked in the face by a peanut and granola bar.


    ¡°And I¡¯m sure you didn¡¯t eat anything for dinner, either.  Seriously, Sera, where would you be without me?¡±


    ¡°As I¡¯ve said before and I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll have me say again and again, I¡¯d be dead.  Probably several times over, you literal lifesaver.¡±


    She grins.  The lights are out, but her radiant smile shines brightly in my [Ethersight] all the same.  As soon as I flicker them on, she spins around on her bed and gazes toward me.


    ¡°Have I ever told you how beautiful your eyes are when you do that?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you have, Chloe.¡±


    She saunters across the tiny room and sidles up next to me on the small bed, curling into me and draping my one arm around her.  ¡°I know you said you aren¡¯t ready for anything more just yet, but, can I have this much?  Just for tonight, Sera?¡±


    I close my eyes as her hair finds its way into my face.  Damn.  It does smell nice.  Even during the apocalypse, she manages to get her hair to smell so damn nice.


    ¡°Fine, Chloe,¡± I relent.  ¡°Just for tonight.¡±