《The Atropos Schema》


 Chapter 1: Tutorial

    ¡°Hello!¡± I called in panic, glancing around the unfamiliar room. ¡°Is anyone there?¡±


    Just a split second ago, I had been asleep, I was sure of it. I had the wide-awake feeling, the adrenaline rush that comes from waking up from a nightmare.


    But now, I was standing in a pure white room¡ªwhite walls, white floor, white ceiling. The surfaces surrounding me seemed to provide light for the room with a faint glow.


    I stumbled, barely catching my balance. It was disconcerting, waking up and finding myself standing. I was wearing a simple, white robe that I had never seen before, and my feet were bare.


    Had I been kidnapped? Was someone playing a weird prank on me? Was I still dreaming?


    The room was a perfect cube, and interspaced evenly on the wall in front of me were four doorframes. There were no doors, only a shimmering wall of darkness that provided a stark contrast to the rest of the brightly lit room.


    Above each doorframe, I could see blue text floating in the air, labeling each door. The text looked weirdly three dimensional, and it was slightly translucent, allowing me to see the wall behind the words.


    Easy


    Normal


    Hard


    Hell


    I involuntarily jumped away from the door marked Hell, and as I did, I knocked over a vial that was by my feet. The vial skidded along the glossy white floor and I frantically grasped it before it could slide towards one of the open doorways.


    As I studied the glass flask with a murky liquid inside with trembling hands, I knew, somehow, what I needed to do. If I wanted to survive what was coming, I needed to drink the vial.


    The dense liquid was already coursing down my throat when I started to wonder what the hell I had just done. It felt like someone had set fire to my every internal organ.


    I curled up in a ball and screamed. Every inch of my body, every nerve, felt like it was simultaneously shredded by a flurry of knives and burned by a sea of fire.


    After five seconds of the worst pain I had felt in my life, the pain was gone completely. The only lingering pain was the pain I had caused by falling to my knees and pounding an unforgiving floor with my fists, along with a mild headache.


    Why did I think it was a good idea to drink that bottle? Am I really that stupid?


    Even as I asked myself that question, I saw new text superimposed in my vision. This time, the red text appeared in the upper right corner of my vision, and as the words appeared, I heard a voice in my head saying the same thing that I saw written out in front of me.


    <Initializing Host Protocols¡­Reviewing Host Status Window¡­ >


    <Welcome to the Atropos Schema. You can call me Samantha, your personal Artificial Intelligence.>


    I felt my mind race. I had an A.I. in my head. That was¡­ good? Maybe? I was in an unknown place, and from the way the blue text hovered above the doorways¡ªnot actually written on anything, more like a hologram¡ªI had a vague suspicion that I knew what was happening.


    Well, if I had an A.I., maybe I could ask it.


    ¡°Hello?¡± I called out. ¡°What the hell is going on?¡± I tried to hide my fear with anger, but I couldn¡¯t stop my voice from trembling.


    <Hello, Jarek,> the A.I. responded. Samantha¡ªit was the same name as the A.I. in Her, but the voice in my head didn¡¯t feel nearly as human as Scarlet Johansson¡¯s voice. No, the voice in my head had one of those stereotypically rich and soothing voices that computers use to try to ingratiate themselves with humans in creepy sci-fi movies.


    As the A.I. spoke, her voice resonated in my head, making it impossible to ignore or dismiss. I couldn¡¯t help but feel like it was strange, that it already knew my name. What else did it know about me?


    The A.I. continued, <Your world is being acclimated by the Atropos Schema. By the time you return to Earth, there will be monsters and eventually aliens vying for your world¡¯s resources. Time is of the essence, please walk through the doorway marked ¡°Hell,¡± and I will guide you through your tutorial.>


    Wait, what? A voice in my head trying to convince me to go to Hell¡­


    ¡°No. No fucking way.¡± My voice trembled, but I immediately started walking towards the door that said ¡°Easy.¡±


    <Wait, Jarek, stop. Don¡¯t go through that door.>


    I could hear a hint of nervousness in the A.I.¡¯s voice. Her words even flashed importantly, superimposed over my vision like glaring red subtitles.


    The A.I. continued, <We are in a rush, but I can explain a little. You are currently inside the Atropos Schema¡¯s Tutorial. The Tutorial¡¯s goal is to prepare you for a war to protect your species and your planet. The harder the difficulty you pick, the better the equipment, weapons, rewards, and experience that you will gain. I am confident that even if you pick Hell, I can keep you alive. My life is tied to yours, so I have a vested interest in keeping you alive. Do you have anyone you want to protect, back on Earth?>


    That was a low blow. I didn¡¯t answer.


    <In order to protect your loved ones, you will need strength. The door marked Hell can give that to you. Obviously, the door marked ¡°Hell¡± is NOT an entrance to Hell. What kind of idiotic afterlife would let people choose if they wanted to enter Hell?>


    Put that way, it did make sense. I found my feet wandering towards the door marked Hell.


    I was just a few steps away when I felt a sense of wrongness, a complete gut rejection and fear of the mere thought of going through the door marked Hell. Without stopping to consider my decision, I turned and jumped through the second closest door¡ªthe door marked ¡°Hard.¡±


    I was surrounded by nothingness for a second. No blue or red text, no A.I. talking to me.


    And then I appeared, tumbling awkwardly through a doorway in another white room. This room had five tables in neat lines, and on each table was an assortment of weapons or items, looking like they came from a fantasy RPG.


    <Jarek!> The A.I. no longer sounded smooth and collected. It sounded more human, actually. Frustrated. <We will talk about this later. I¡¯m very disappointed in your decision.> The A.I. sounded like my mom, before she had passed.


    <Since you decided to pick the ¡°Hard¡± path, it is even more essential that we hurry through the next steps. By completing each trial quickly, you will be able to score a higher performance rating, which will result in greater rewards.>


    <I STRONGLY recommend that you pick the Orlan Blade, Mana-infused Knife, Magician¡¯s Robes, the Mana Modulation spell book, and an Interdimensional Pouch.>If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    I ignored the A.I. for now, focusing on taking in the tables. There was an assortment of weapons on the first table directly in front of me. Several swords, a mace and chain, a spear, a bow and arrow, a magician¡¯s staff, a wand, an axe, and a massive, ancient book.


    Above the nearest table, I could see words hovering: Pick one primary weapon.


    I stood, staring, at the wands, staffs, swords, axes, and bows on the table, until the A.I. chimed in.


    <Just Identify them. All you have to do is think Identify and the information will appear.>


    I tried out the suggestion, Identifying several weapons, and several strings of blue text appeared in the upper left corner of my vision.


    Magician¡¯s Wand (F-rank): Serves as a focus for channeling spells. +1 Mana Pool; +1 Mana Regeneration per minute while equipped.


    Orlan Blade (E-rank): Active Effect: Increases your Strength and Agility for the duration of your next attack. Cooldown: 10 minutes. Passive Effect: +2 Strength, +2 Agility.


    To be fair, Orlan¡¯s Blade sounded like a great weapon. It was one of the few E-ranked weapons in the room.


    Well, I might as well hope that this was a dream. Some kind of fantasy role-play. I might as well enjoy it. I reached out for the sword.


    But some small, nagging part of me just couldn¡¯t settle with the instructions. I had sat in on a few D&D games before, and I¡¯d played my share of video games. ¡°Why would you want me to take a sword and a Mana skill book? Isn¡¯t it best to focus on one class?¡±


    I heard an exasperated sigh from the A.I. <Mana Modulation will support the discovery of a D-rank class by the end of the Tutorial. This is the easiest method of gaining a D-rank class going forward. If you had chosen Hell, then you could have ended up with a C-ranked class,> the A.I. sighed exaggeratedly. <The robes will help with your future class.>


    Resigned to my fate of a nagging A.I., I picked the Orlan Blade and a Mana-infused knife.


    Each table had some kind of magic that would only allow me to take one item.


    The table with the skill books and spell books was the most interesting to me. There were spells like Wind Blade and Earth Manipulation. There was a Stealth skill book, a Rapid Fire Archery skill book, a Heavy-handed Strike skill book, presumably for Swordsmen, and more.


    Following the A.I.¡¯s insistence, I picked the Mana Modulation skill book, and a pair of Magician¡¯s Robes.


    The last table gave even further insight into the type of world I was in¡ªor what type of dream I was having. In addition to an Interdimensional Pouch, there were potions that gave permanent stat boosts, healing potions, mana potions, invisibility potions, rings that granted immunity to poison, and tiles with complex runes inscribed on them with effects that varied from shielding to explosions.


    Notably absent in the room were any sci-fi items. No blasters, lasers, or computers.


    The Interdimensional Pouch was one of the few E-rank items on the table, so I had no qualms following the A.I.¡¯s suggestion and picking it up. It sounded incredibly useful.


    I surveyed the items I had picked up. The sword came with a sheath slung over my back, and the knife came with a sheath and belt which I wore over my new Magician¡¯s Robes. The light brown robes, at least, made me feel like I was in Star Wars, which was a step up from the white robe that I had been wearing which made me feel like I was in an afterlife. The Interdimensional Pouch looped through my belt along with the knife.


    Mana Modulation Skill Book (F-rank): Allows you to modulate mana inside your body. Can be used for slight boosts in Physical Defense, Agility, Dexterity, or Strength. Grants Internal Mana Affinity (F-rank). Cost: 10 Mana. Duration: 1 minute. Cooldown: 10 minutes.


    Mana-infused Knife (F-rank): A blade that can double as a weapon or as an enchanting tool. +1 Mana Pool, +1 Mana Regeneration per minute.


    Magician¡¯s Robes (F-rank): +2 Mana Regeneration per minute.


    Orlan Blade (E-rank): When activated, increases your Strength and Agility for the duration of your next attack. Cooldown: 10 minutes. +2 Strength, +2 Agility.


    Interdimensional Pouch (E-rank): Has an internal storage space of about 5x5x5 feet. Allows you to summon an item inside the pouch by placing your hand over the pouch and picturing the item. Enchanted to be weightless.


    I¡¯d been so distracted by the gear and the voice in my head that I had forgotten one thing.


    ¡°Do I have a character sheet or something?¡± I asked. It seemed like a logical next step, considering the skills and weapons that were surrounding me.


    <Great question, Jarek. Allow me to pull up your Status Window for you. In the future, just think ¡°Status Window¡± to view it, or mentally ¡°click¡± on the blue icon in the upper left of your vision>


    I frowned, somewhat uncomfortable at the thought that there was a program in my brain now that could make mental commands like that for me.


    Was that a power play? Or was it genuinely trying to be helpful? Well, there was nothing I could do about it. And hopefully I would wake up soon. I studied my Status Window.


    <table width="624">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Name:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    Jarek


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    Level:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    1


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    HP:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    10/10


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    Physical Defense:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    10


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Strength:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    9 (+2)


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    Mental Power:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    10


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Dexterity:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    9


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    Agility:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    9 (+2)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Mana Pool:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    10 (+1)


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    Mana Regeneration:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    2 (+3)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Available Points:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    0


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    Coins:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    0


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Class:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    None


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    Profession:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    None


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Titles:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="468">


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Skills and Spells:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="468">


    Identify (F-rank)


    Mana Modulation (F-rank)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Affinities:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="468">


    Internal Mana (F-rank Low)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Equipment:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="468">


    Mana-infused Knife (F-rank): +1 Mana Pool, +1 Mana regen.


    Magician¡¯s Robes (F-rank): +2 Mana Regeneration per minute.


    Orlan Blade (E-rank): +2 Strength, +2 Agility.


    Interdimensional Pouch (E-rank):


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    I hadn¡¯t had time to properly process my window when my personal taskmaster spoke into my brain again. <Titles are given out to the first people to finish their tutorial. I suggest you draw your sword, advance through the doorway, and prepare to activate Mana Modulation.>


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t I practice first? Test out my skills?¡± I asked.


    ¡°What?¡± I stared into the darkness of the doorway in front of me, slowly processing what the A.I. had just told me.


    ¡°What level is the goblin?¡± I asked.


    ¡°The goblin will be level 10. However, with the added bonuses of your weapons, your stats now roughly equal the level 10 base stats.¡±


    But wouldn¡¯t the goblin have armor too? I wondered to myself.


    The A.I. sighed audibly at my hesitation. <Look. Just do what I say, and you¡¯ll be fine. You still have the chance to gain a high-rank title or skill. Why don¡¯t you activate Mana Modulation now, focusing on increasing Agility¡ªyour attack speed?>


    Previously, the mana in my body had just been sitting inside me. Sensing your own mana was like a sixth sense. I could tell instinctually that I had a full Mana Pool, but I didn¡¯t know how to do anything with my mana. It was similar to the feeling of having a full stomach, but it was as though I had a second stomach, full of something that wasn''t food.


    When I activated Mana Modulation with a simple mental thought (Mana Modulation, Activate! while thinking about Agility actually seemed to do the job), I felt the mana inside me fundamentally change and move throughout my body. I could tell the mana was flowing through my body, doing something, but it wasn¡¯t until I tried moving that I noticed what had changed.


    I felt incredibly light on my feet, like a leaf on the wind. For once, I felt like the A.I. was being useful. I rushed towards the black doorway, titles on my mind, feeling lighter on my feet than I ever had before.

 Chapter 2: Burnt Ships

    After a second of pure darkness, I appeared in a whitewashed hallway, facing a level 10 goblin guard ten yards away. Sure enough, the goblin was decked out head-to-toe in armor.


    The goblin was short¡ªabout four feet tall¡ªand surprisingly similar to a human. It had long, skinny arms, a small torso, and a disproportionately large head. Most of its green skin was covered by armor, and when it saw me, it opened its mouth to reveal uncomfortably human-looking teeth, with the exception of rather large and pointed canines.


    In his right arm was a sword, and his left hand held a small, circular, rusted, iron shield. Fortunately, I could see some green skin peeking out at his neck in between his breastplate and helmet.


    I stumbled in my sprint as I came through the doorway, and my momentum was almost completely canceled.


    <Lower your sword. You¡¯re telegraphing your intent. Act as if you are going to attack its feet.> The A.I.¡¯s calm, assuring voice helped me refocus.


    I lowered my sword, and in response, the goblin lowered his shield as well, raising its sword.


    I was only a few yards away, now. Close enough to smell his sweat and the metallic scent of his armor.


    <Stab towards the neck, and raise your left arm to block the incoming sword.>


    The A.I. spoke rapidly and succinctly, and I did exactly what it said.


    Two things happened at the same time. The goblin¡¯s sword sunk deep into my left arm, and my sword snuck past the goblin¡¯s armor and pierced the side of the goblin¡¯s throat.


    The goblin immediately withdrew, yanking its sword out of my arm, and stepping back. I could tell the gash on the goblin¡¯s throat was deep.


    The goblin was panicking. It dropped its sword and pressed its fingers to its neck in a desperate attempt to staunch its bleeding neck, but it wasn¡¯t enough.


    I glanced at my upper arm, and realized I could see bone.


    Was I in shock? My arm hurt, but not as much as a broken bone. I should be in tears, right now, right? The pain felt, oddly enough, completely manageable.


    <Step back and put pressure on it. Don¡¯t worry about the goblin, he¡¯s going to die soon.>


    I glanced up at the goblin, and saw that he was coughing up blood.


    I took off my belt and wrapped it around my arm as tightly as I could to slow the blood loss, keeping my eye on the goblin that was now on his knees ten yards away from me.


    It was awkward, tightening the belt with one hand, but I was able to clench one end of the belt between my torso and my right elbow.


    <Don¡¯t worry too much about it. Remember, you¡¯ll be healed the moment you get past that doorway.>


    I glanced at the doorway about twenty yards ahead of me.


    The goblin in front of me finally stopped struggling.


    I saw a notice in blue appear briefly in the upper left corner of my vision:


    +20 coins


    I¡¯d ask about what the coins were for later. I rushed awkwardly towards the black doorframe at the end of the hallway. My run was lopsided; I held my left arm as tightly as I could with the belt still taut to slow the flow of blood.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    As I passed the goblin, the A.I. spoke again.


    The goblin¡¯s body seemed to dissolve into the air slowly as I paused above it, leaving a few things behind.


    I had to wait for the body to finish dissolving into the air¡ªlike some kind of video game¡ª before I could collect what was left behind¡ªthe goblin¡¯s breastplate and sword. The other parts of the goblins equipment¡ªthe shield, the greaves, and vambraces¡ªhad disappeared along with the goblin¡¯s body.


    All I needed to do was place each item next to the pouch and tell the pouch to take it. However, there was about a second delay where I just had to stand in one place, holding the equipment near the pouch with my right hand, before the equipment disappeared from my hand.


    Finally, I made my way towards the end of the hallway, glancing back at the thick trail of blood behind me.


    I rushed through the portal at the end of the hallway in a daze.


    When I reappeared on the other side of the portal, my vision seemed a little fuzzy.


    The pain was still manageable, though.


    I was in another square, white room. This time, the room had a podium with a glowing yellow crystal.


    I tried to walk towards the crystal, but found I could hardly walk in a straight line.


    After far too many staggering steps, I was able to study the crystal:


    Recovery Crystal (Rank C): Heals the user of all common wounds, replenishing Mana and resetting cooldowns of all skills below Rank C. Cooldown: 24 hours.


    I placed my hand on the crystal. I tried lifting the crystal, but it wouldn¡¯t budge an inch.


    As I came into contact with the crystal, I felt a powerful surge of energy enter my body, and a dozen different feelings washed over me at the same time.


    ¡°What the fuck!?¡± I shouted, feeling indignation and fear boiling inside me.


    Anger, at being mind-controlled. Betrayal, at this soothing voice that was undermining my own identity. Disgust, at the murder I had just committed, and at my own apathy as I watched the fear in the goblin¡¯s eyes as he had tried to save himself. Fear, at how close I had just come to death. Terror, at how this voice in my head completely disregarded my well-being, yet I still had been following it blindly this whole time. Revulsion, at the blood that I had seen, the sight of my own exposed bone, healing as I watched it, and the scent of blood still on my clothes.


    ¡°What did you do to me? Why are you doing this to me? I never would have collected that goblin¡¯s loot¡ªI was about to faint from blood loss! Get the fuck out of my head! Are you messing with my pain senses too?¡±


    I would have continued, but the Recovery Crystal¡¯s energy faded. My arm was healed, and I felt energized, again, back in top shape¡ªthe best shape of my life.


    The A.I. responded in a soothing tone, <I¡¯ll be honest with you, Jarek. The original version of you is pathetic. You probably even would have died going through the Easy Tutorial. You¡¯re woefully unprepared for the world that¡¯s approaching, so I¡¯ve made some¡­changes to help you out.>


    ¡°Changes like the pain tolerance?¡± I asked. It was strange. I was still breathing heavily, but I felt none of the momentary panic I¡¯d been feeling earlier. ¡°And¡­ you¡¯re suppressing my fear, somehow.¡±


    <That¡¯s right,> the A.I. said. <It¡¯s not my first choice, and I don¡¯t like doing it, but it¡¯s necessary. Unfortunately, every time you touch a Recovery Crystal, you¡¯ll have a brief relapse. But I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll agree that you wouldn¡¯t want to experience a panic attack while being attacked by goblins.


    I grunted at that. I could clearly remember the feeling of panic. The first moment of panic, when I appeared in the tutorial, before drinking the potion. And then an even more intense panic, just seconds ago, where everything I¡¯d done had hit me.


    I had almost thrown up¡ªwhile being healed by the Recovery Crystal¡ªat the thought of all the blood in the hallway, and the smell of blood still staining my Magician¡¯s Robes.


    Gagging was a normal response, but in this moment, it wasn¡¯t useful. ¡°We will talk about this later. And don¡¯t make any more changes without checking in with me first.¡±


    <Of course,> the A.I. responded, in a somewhat smug voice. <Now that your body has recovered, it¡¯s time to plan for the next door. There will be ten goblins, this time. Fortunately, after killing one of them, you will level up, which will have the same effect as the Recovery Crystal. You¡¯ll want to charge through in a rush, because there will be ranged attackers this time. You¡¯re still on track for a title, so let¡¯s go now!>


    ¡°Fine,¡± I muttered.  It wasn¡¯t like I had a choice, even if there were a hundred goblins ahead of me. The portal that I had come through had vanished, so there was literally no way back. Only forward. Burn the ships. It was a wartime strategy that I had read about, but not one I had ever expected to experience. It was used by the Conquistadors, and probably other people too, to make sure soldiers weren¡¯t tempted to mutiny and sail home. I was past the point of no return, so I might as well move forward. There was no easy way out of here, only the Hard way. I chuckled at my own joke. I raised my sword and walked through the doorway in front of me.

 Chapter 3: Goblins and Gore Galore

    Walking through the portal proved to be the right idea. It seems these portals had slowed my pace from a run to a walk earlier, which is what had caused me to stumble earlier. There is a certain disequilibrium that comes from starting a long stride at a faster pace, and finishing the stride with less momentum than you started.


    If the silver lining was that I was able to come out at a steady pace without stumbling, then the looming storm overhead was the goblins ahead of me.


    This time, the white hallway was wider¡ªwide enough for five goblins to stand, side by side, blocking my path. There was nothing else around me, no place to find cover. It made me glad I hadn¡¯t picked the stealth skill¡ªsomething said it wouldn¡¯t be very helpful in this situation.


    The first row of goblins held swords, shields, maces, and knives. Behind these first five, I could see three goblins in robes holding wands, one goblin with a bow, and one goblin with a crossbow.


    <Go!> The words flashed in red as the A.I. spoke in my head, and I forced myself to run forward.


    I activated Mana Modulation, focusing on Agility, suddenly feeling nimbler on my feet.


    The first row of goblins was only ten yards away, and from the way they were holding their weapons, I could tell they were ready to kill me.


    <Duck left!>


    I immediately followed Samantha¡¯s command, and I felt an arrow clip my right ear.


    <Feint for the middle, then stab the goblin with the mace. Avoid the breastplate and stab its left side. Then slip past towards the second row of goblins.>


    As the words resounded in my brain, I followed the A.I.¡¯s instructions.


    The line of goblins broke, and a goblin with two knives in his hands stepped forward to intercept me.


    I dodged towards the wall, placing my back against the wall, and the goblin with the mace swung towards the space between me and the goblin with knives.


    Then, I struck. Thankfully, the Orlan Blade was short enough that I could maneuver it to stab from my position by the wall, directly through the mace-goblin¡¯s leather armor on his side. Then, using the weight of my body and the strike, I pushed the goblin towards the middle of the hallway, creating enough of an opening to rush past the first row of goblins.


    As I rushed forward, with my back to the first row of goblins, I felt a knife plunge into the right side of my lower back.


    <Grab the goblin¡¯s arm behind you.>


    I twisted, ignoring the pain in my back, and my left hand reached around and grabbed the wrist of the goblin that had just stabbed my back.


    The goblin had already pulled the knife out of my back.


    The knife-goblin was already overextended. It didn¡¯t exactly fight me as I pulled on its wrist.


    <Dodge right.>


    I tried, but I wasn¡¯t able to avoid the arrow that sunk into my stomach.


    I felt my body growing weaker.


    <Modulate mana for Strength, duck low, and pull the knife-goblin over your head.>


    Somehow, the A.I. sent me a mental image of what exactly I was supposed to do. Modulating mana for Strength would give up my Agility boost, but presumably, it would be worth it.


    I gripped the wrist of the goblin behind me with my left hand. Then, using every last ounce of strength in my body, I ducked, curling forward, and tried to hurl the goblin over my head.


    It wasn¡¯t actually a toss, but I did manage to force the goblin in front of me¡ªjust in time to cross the path of a stream of fire heading my direction.


    The goblin shrieked.


    Not even bothering to ask why, I let go of the goblin and pulled out the arrow in my stomach.


    I felt a wave of replenishing energy pass over me. In the upper left corner of my vision, I saw the words in a familiar blue font:


    +20 Coins


    Level up!


    <Tell the Schema to put your Stat Point into Mana Regeneration.> Before I could protest, the A.I. shouted again. <Just do it!>


    Figuring the A.I. was the only thing keeping me alive right now, I did.


    <Follow the outlines,> the A.I. said.


    Superimposed above my vision, as though it were some kind of augmented reality, I could see a translucent, pale grey outline of myself rising from my crouch and heading directly towards the nearest goblin. The goblin had a red tag over it, which said ¡°healer.¡±


    It seemed my A.I. was stepping up its game.


    I rushed towards the nearest goblin, reveling in the way my body responded immediately and without pain. My body had been completely healed by the level up, leaving me in the same condition as the Recovery Crystal, but with none of the angsty downsides. As I ran, the outline adjusted to be just a fraction ahead of me, showing me that I should point the sword toward the goblin healer¡ªthe closest goblin ahead of me.Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    The other goblins¡ªthe ones with swords and shields¡ªwere following close behind me.


    A white force field-like bubble appeared around the healer.


    But the outline I was following had already told me to adjust and target the magician standing slightly behind the healer. I did my best to follow the footwork of the outline ahead of me¡ªdodging around the healer, placing the healer in between me and the pursuing goblins¡ªand then I struck the magician.


    I struck the goblin magician¡¯s neck with a powerful swing, even as the magician was trying to back away.


    The strike was powerful enough to bite halfway through the creature¡¯s neck. The goblin magician sank to its knees. Following the A.I.¡¯s outline, I pulled back my sword and stabbed the same goblin¡¯s stomach, lifting the magician up and rushing directly forward, towards a goblin that had a crossbow leveled at me.


    +20 coins


    The goblin with the crossbow backed up, towards the end of the hallway, keeping the bow pointed level at me as he readied his arrow. I was now surrounded¡ªThree goblins approaching me from the same direction I had entered. The healer had retreated to the collapsed goblin with the mace. On my other side, two archers and a magician were retreating towards the portal that would be my exit.


    I freed my sword from the dead goblin magician, and, following the outline in front of me, took an awkward tumble heading vaguely towards the healer, away from the archers and remaining magician.


    As I did, a fireball flew past my head, landing on the healer¡¯s exposed back.


    At the same time, a crossbow bolt sunk into the same goblin¡¯s butt.


    It felt like a completely prescient moment. I had no idea either attack was coming, but somehow, the A.I. in my head had predicted it perfectly, and positioned us so perfectly that their friendly fire would do my heavy lifting.


    My tumbling retreat placed me next to the healer, and with a quick slice of my sword, the healer died.


    +20 coins


    The thief, the magician, and the healer had all died so far. The goblin with the mace was still on the ground, weakened. But now, I had my back to the wall and three angry goblins circling around me. Two goblins had short swords and shields, and the third goblin had a massive, two-handed sword.


    <Two kills before you level up again,> the A.I. said, in an encouraging tone.


    Two strikes attacked me near-simultaneously. Both attacks came from the two goblins with shields and swords.


    I followed my translucent outline, dodging the attack of the goblin near the exit, and using my upper arm to block the attack of the goblin closest to the entrance.


    The goblin¡¯s sword bit into my arm, and then my attack met its surprised face. Before it could raise its shield, my sword stabbed directly into the goblin¡¯s throat.


    I quickly withdrew the sword, and the goblin collapsed to the ground, pulling my left arm down with it.


    I wretched my left arm free, and dove directly to the ground, chasing after the virtual outline, back towards the entrance, just barely escaping the powerful, full-force swing of the third goblin¡¯s massive sword.


    If I had to guess, I¡¯d say that if that sword had connected, I¡¯d have died immediately.


    An arrow struck my hamstring as I lifted myself up.


    I stepped to my left, placing the larger goblin with the massive sword in between myself and the remaining magician and archers. As I moved, I felt my right leg falter and burn.


    Two goblin swordsmen were facing me, about to attack. On the ground past them, to my left, the goblin I had stabbed was gasping for air.


    To my right, the goblin with the mace was lifting himself up painfully.


    The goblin with the sword and shield jabbed at me, but I was already dodging to the side. The A.I. didn¡¯t tell me to attack, yet.


    The moment there was a hint of movement from the goblin with the massive sword, my outline moved.


    I backed away from the massive sword, moving directly towards the goblin with the short sword and the shield. I delivered a heavy blow directly at the goblin, and the goblin blocked with its shield.


    My sword was caught in the goblin¡¯s wooden shield, and I yanked my sword back towards me, pulling on the goblin¡¯s arm.


    As the goblin¡¯s arm extended, it moved into the path of the giant sword that was cutting towards me.


    The goblin with the giant sword frantically readjusted the angle of his attack, and the tip of his sword cut sparks on the white floor.


    With the goblin with the shield off balance, being pulled towards me, I drew my dagger from its sheath and stabbed into the goblin¡¯s exposed armpit until the whole length of my dagger sunk into the goblin¡¯s winkled skin. My dagger met very little resistance.


    I immediately withdrew the dagger, and yanked at my sword again. The sword didn¡¯t dislodge from the shield, but this time, the goblin released the shield.


    As I pulled on the shield, I moved backwards, putting the last standing goblin with a sword in between me and the ranged attackers.


    It took too long for me to find my scant cover, and another arrow sunk into my stomach.


    The goblin in front of me went on full-on offensive.


    The A.I.¡¯s grey outline was somehow able to predict each attack, and I dodged each attack. The remaining swordsman¡¯s movement was fairly slow, but I could tell the power behind each strike was immense.


    As I dodged, I used the wall to leverage the wooden shield off my sword. I sheathed my dagger and placed my wounded left arm through the straps on the shield.


    Once the shield was positioned, I hunkered down and took a glancing blow from the swordsman.


    The goblin¡¯s sword split my shield in half, and continued forward to bite into my arm.


    I used the temporary opening to stab directly into the goblin¡¯s throat. This was a full force blow with my sword. It sunk directly into the goblin¡¯s neck, and with a harsh twist, the goblin died.


    +20 coins


    There were two goblins on the ground in front of me, each barely hanging on to a shred of life.


    I drove the dead goblin in front of me towards my left, crouching behind the body for cover, until I reached the goblin that had been gasping for breath from my stab to the neck earlier.


    It seemed my grey outline wasn¡¯t in a hurry to level up. Instead, it had me free this goblin¡¯s shield next.


    Then the remaining magician made its move. A wall of fire the width of the corridor rushed towards me.


    As. I did, I crouched behind the bodies of the two goblins for cover from the wave of fire approaching me.


    +20 coins


    Level up!


    +20 coins


    I felt the familiar glow of power wash over me, quickly followed by sharp burns from a breastplate that was touching my skin.


    The A.I. said.


    I¡¯d lost count of how many times the A.I. had saved my life at this point, so I followed its suggestions.


    The outline in front of me raised its freshly looted shield, and rushed forwards towards the ranged attackers.


    I did the same.


    In front of me, I could see the two archers, the magician, and a wheezing goblin with a mace.


    Two arrows and a fire spell flew towards me as I rushed forward. I did my best to crouch and protect myself with the shield.


    The fire spell landed on my shield and the shield caught on fire.


    I ignored the flames and continued rushing forward.


    10 yards.


    5 yards.


    An arrow sunk into my thigh, but I ignored it.


    Once I was within one yard of them, I dropped the shield and made quick work of them.


    I danced around the wounded goblin with the mace, and sliced the neck of the magician first. The crossbowman swung a dagger at me, but I caught the crossbowman¡¯s dagger with my open palm, and stabbed his heart.


    Dodging around the goblin with the mace, I slashed the remaining archer¡¯s neck with my sword.


    At this point, I knew exactly how much force was necessary to cause a killing blow with my sword.


    I dodged a mace strike again, and killed the last remaining goblin.


    I had a brief moment of wonder, looking around the room.


    Many of the bodies had already vanished, but the room was still a nightmare. There were pools of blood and guts on the floor, and bloody smears on the wall. I suppressed the involuntary gag reflex that accompanied the smell.


    It was them or me, I thought, trying to shake the vaguely unsettling feeling.


    I collected everything I could into my Interdimensional Pouch. Each goblin left behind one or two items, either armor or a weapon they had used.


    Finally, I made my way through the black doorway ahead of me.

 Chapter 4: A.I.s are People, too

    ¡°How¡¯d I do?¡± I asked, as I walked towards the Recovery Crystal. This time, I wasn¡¯t in a hurry to heal.


    <Acceptably,> the A.I. responded in my head. <Don¡¯t just pay attention to the outline¡¯s footsteps¡ªwatch its hands and posture more. We need to cut down the delay, and you don¡¯t need to flinch so much when you¡¯re about to get hurt.>


    That definitely sounded like a computer¡¯s perspective. How was I supposed to just not flinch?


    I stood in front of the Recovery Crystal, not really looking forward to what would come next. ¡°Do I really need to recover? My HP isn¡¯t that low, and I¡¯m not looking forward to having a panic attack.¡±


    <I understand how you feel, Jarek. I¡¯m not looking forward to it either. Unfortunately, it is necessary. We need to reset your Mana Pool and the cooldown for Mana Modulation. That reminds me, you should know that making the combat shadow like I did costs five mana a minute, and I need 1 mana a minute to run anyway. Anyway, we are still in a rush, so let¡¯s get this over with.>


    I placed my hand on the Recovery Crystal¡­


    I could smell the stench of death still on my body. I was drenched in blood, and half of it wasn¡¯t mine.


    I threw up, and vomit joined the blood on my Magician¡¯s Robes.


    I¡¯d almost died, multiple times. The goblins had communicated with each other¡ªI couldn¡¯t understand them, but they were sentient. I could still picture that moment, before I had left the hallway, glancing with disinterest at the blood and guts in the too-white hallway. There was no point talking to the A.I. I only had a few more seconds before¡ª


    The Recovery Crystal¡¯s power concluded, and I sighed, unimpressed, at the pool of vomit at my feet and the vomit stains on my equipment.


    ¡°When does the time crunch end? I have a hundred questions,¡± I said.


    <One more stage, and then the rush will be over.>


    ¡°And what¡¯s the third room?¡± I was half excited, half dreading the answer.


    <A level 20 orc,> The A.I. said, blandly.


    ¡°Fuck,¡± I said. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t something like that be the Hell difficulty?¡±


    <Not at all. The Hell difficulty would have a troll.>


    There was a moment of silence as I let that sink in.


    ¡°So,¡± I said. ¡°Should I use any of the loot I collected?¡±


    <No. Unfortunately, weapons and equipment fall into slots. The human default number of slots is 7. This means you can only gain bonuses from seven items, weapons, or equipment at a time. You have a primary weapon slot and a secondary slot filled already. Unfortunately most of the loot you collected were weapons. You collected two breastplates, but you can¡¯t get bonuses for those since breastplates fill the same slot as your robes.>


    The A.I. paused for a second to let me stew over these restrictions. <Jarek, you are full of questions, and I have done my best to answer them in the time that we have, and I promise more answers will come soon. However, I also have a question for you. Are you aware that, as an Artificial Intelligence, I am a sentient being?>


    I froze, uncertain of how to respond.


    The A.I. continued,


    Why had that not occurred to me? ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Samantha. Where I come from, we have computers that are not intelligent. We can ask the computers all kinds of questions, and we just expect them to respond.¡±


    ¡°Apology accepted,¡± I could hear Samatha smiling at me, which was a weird feeling that didn¡¯t quite make sense. ¡°Now, I do believe we have an orc to kill.¡±


    I took a quick glance at my Status Window as I headed towards the black doorway in front of me. It looked like with each level I gained, I gained +1 HP in addition to 1 ¡°Available Point.¡±


    <table width="624">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Name:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    Jarek


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    Level:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    3


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    HP:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    12/12


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    Physical Defense:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    10


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Strength:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    9 (+2)


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    Mental Power:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    10


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Dexterity:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    9


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    Agility:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    9 (+2)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Mana Pool:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    10 (+1)


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    Mana Regeneration:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    4 (+3)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Available Points:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    0


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    Coins:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    220


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Class:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    None


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    Profession:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    None


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Titles:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="468">


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Skills and Spells:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="468">


    Identify (F-rank)


    Mana Modulation (F-rank)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Affinities:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="468">


    Internal Mana (F-rank Low)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Equipment:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="468">


    Mana-infused Knife (F-rank): +1 Mana Pool, +1 Mana regen.


    Magician¡¯s Robes (F-rank): +2 Mana Regeneration per minute.


    Orlan Blade (E-rank): +2 Strength, +2 AgilityEnjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    Interdimensional Pouch (E-rank):


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <hr>


    I came out of the doorway without missing a step. I glanced briefly around the hallway. It looked identical to the previous stage, just slightly smaller.


    In front of me was a level 20 orc, according to my Identify skill, fully decked out in armor, and holding a sword and a knife. The orc had dark grey skin, and looked like a seven-foot-tall wall of muscle. He was staring right at me, and he advanced towards me with lumbering steps.


    I let my body relax, focusing on following Samantha¡¯s combat shadow in front of me.


    There was a lot to learn, just from this combat shadow. It wasn¡¯t moving in a straight line. Each step was slightly angled, either left or right.


    The outline led me forward, of course, but also towards the wall on my left.


    <Activate Mana Modulation, focusing on Agility. The red words in your vision and my voice will tell you what stat to focus on. You can also watch as the ¡°mana¡± in the combat shadow moves around, so you know what you should be doing.>


    I could see streams of white light coursing through the combat shadow¡¯s gray outline, focusing mainly on my legs and arms.


    I followed suit, and the Agility kicked in right before the orc swung his sword at me.


    Samantha hadn¡¯t given me the full run-down of the stats, but one thing seemed obvious: Agility increased my dodging ability and my attack speed.


    I jumped backwards, barely able to avoid the orc¡¯s strike.


    It wasn¡¯t like when I was fighting the goblin with the massive sword. This strike left no clear openings I could see. It was a strike that could kill me in a blow, but it didn¡¯t leave the orc overextended. The second strike followed, and I jumped backwards again, avoiding the strike.


    The orc seemed content to press his advantage, forcing me back towards my entrance with a third strike.


    I dodged back in the same way I had before.


    <Activate Orlan¡¯s Blade¡¯s skill.>


    I cursed at myself. I¡¯d completely forgotten my sword had a skill attached to it. Samantha had clearly made some changes to my brain, but it looked like she hadn¡¯t improved my memory.


    I dodged backwards one more time, activating Orlan¡¯s Blade at the same time. The sword glowed a pale white color, and I felt stronger, and faster.


    A quick glance behind me told me I could retreat a few more steps before my back would be against the wall that used to hold the portal that transported me here.


    <Now!>


    With mana still focused in my arms and legs thanks to Mana Modulation, and with the Orlan Blade¡¯s effect active, I struck full force towards the orc.


    The orc was forced to defend, swinging his sword to block my attack with ease.


    It took all my strength to step forward and lock blades with the orc.


    I stabbed my knife towards the orc¡¯s throat.


    The orc was faster than me, though.


    The orc¡¯s left hand flashed up, blocking my attack with his own knife, and the orc retreated backwards.


    I followed the combat shadow, pressing the attack. My sword was already pressing towards the orc, and as the orc backed away and unblocked my blade, I stabbed forward at the orc¡¯s neck.


    The orc inclined his head to dodge, but the gray outline had predicted his movement. I managed to cut an inch into the orc¡¯s neck, and then the orc pushed my sword away with his own dagger.


    As he did, he swung his sword towards me.


    I wasn¡¯t able to block. I dove towards the orc and towards my right, feeling the edge of the blade slice into my left shoulder.


    I was right up on the orc now, close enough that I was able to drive my dagger into one of the orc¡¯s eyes.


    The orc roared in fury, tossing me off him.


    I flew backwards, colliding with the opposite walls.


    I¡¯d somehow managed to hold onto my dagger and my sword, though.


    By the time I regained my senses and pulled myself into a crouch, a blade was whistling through the air towards me.


    My outline raised its left arm to block, jumping forward and stabbing the Orlan Blade in a zig-zag motion.


    I followed suit.


    I felt a sharp pain in my arm, but I ignored it. I drove my sword in the same zig-zag motion, pausing in surprise to see that I had stabbed the orc directly through the throat with my blade. From my perspective, it seemed as though the orc had skewered himself on my blade.


    The combat shadow jumped away immediately after the stab, but as I did, the orc managed to land his dagger in my stomach before I could escape.


    Stabbing me with the dagger seemed to use up the orc¡¯s last strength.


    +80 coins


    My full attention had been on the gray outline, and I noticed with surprise that the outline¡¯s left hand was missing.


    I glanced down at my arm in shock, and saw that the bottom half of my arm was severed from my body, lying on the ground, and there was a furious stream of blood pouring from my forearm.


    <Collect the loot,> Samantha said.


    I shook myself from my daze and saw that the outline was bent over the dissolving body of the orc.


    The orc left me his helmet, boots, and breastplate. By the time I had put everything into the pouch, everything around me was a blur.


    I staggered towards the end of the corridor¡ªI could barely walk, I realized. I was losing too much blood.


    I kept my right hand along the wall to steady me, and I walked as quickly as I could towards my exit.


    I tripped coming out of the doorway, and ended up crawling on my hand and knees to get to the podium ahead of me.


    By this point, I couldn¡¯t see anything around me except for the translucent gray outline that told me where to go.


    More than the pain, I just felt tired. I just wanted to sleep.


    <GET UP!>


    Adrenalin that I didn¡¯t know I had forced me up to my feet and I placed my remaining hand on the recovery crystal.


    The horror of everything I¡¯d done, the impossibility of everything around me, the state of my own mind, sunk in again.


    ¡°Please,¡± I said, in a half-choke. ¡°Please, make it stop.¡±


    Tears welled up in my eyes, and I felt my lungs and chest constricting in panic. I was moving my lips, but I couldn¡¯t force enough air out to say anything else. My breaths came out in gasps.


    Just as the crystal¡¯s power died down, I raised my new left hand¡ªexactly as I remembered it¡ªand scratched my right arm, hard enough to draw blood.


    <hr>


    I came to my senses the moment the Recover Crystal¡¯s power faded. ¡°I have one thing right,¡± I said, angrily. ¡°That was too dangerous. You¡¯re risking my life¡ªyour life. I did everything you told me to do, and I still almost died. I¡¯m lucky I didn¡¯t let you take me through the Hell Mode Tutorial.¡±


    <I am just trying to make you stronger.> Samantha replied, soothingly. <Look at your Schema notifications, and you will understand.>


    In the upper left corner of my vision, I could see a light blue icon, that reminded me of the alpha symbol that I had used in some high school math classes. By mentally ¡°clicking on¡± the icon, I saw a string of text appear in my vision.


    Congratulations! You have the second fastest time for the first three stages of the Hard Mode Tutorial.


    +50,000 coins


    +1 to all stats


    Whether by luck or sheer determination, you have defied death three times, clinging to life by the skin of your teeth.


    You have gained the skill, Death¡¯s Defier (A-rank): After your HP reaches 0, you automatically regain 1 additional HP. Cooldown: 24 hours.


    I let out a low whistle at the rewards, and then caught myself halfway through. ¡°So, you intentionally let me almost die¡­ three times?¡±


    <I did,> Samantha said, smugly. <However, thanks to the way I can help you ignore pain, and thanks to the Recovery Crystal, the danger was much less than you might think. Winning 2nd place is the equivalent of gaining multiple levels. I hope you think the reward is worth it.>


    I opened my Status Window to see the changes:


    <table width="624">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Name:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    Jarek


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    Level:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    3


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    HP:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    13/13


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    Physical Defense:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    11


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Strength:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    10 (+2)


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    Mental Power:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    11


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Dexterity:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    10


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    Agility:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    10 (+2)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Mana Pool:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    11 (+1)


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    Mana Regeneration:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    5 (+3)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Available Points:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    0


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    Coins:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    50,300


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Class:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    None


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    Profession:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    None


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Titles:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="468">


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Skills and Spells:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="468">


    Identify (F-rank)


    Mana Modulation (F-rank)


    Death¡¯s Defier (A-rank)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Affinities:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="468">


    Internal Mana (F-rank Low)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Equipment:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="468">


    Mana-infused Knife (F-rank): +1 Mana Pool, +1 Mana regen.


    Magician¡¯s Robes (F-rank): +2 Mana Regeneration per minute.


    Orlan Blade (E-rank): +2 Strength, +2 Agility


    Interdimensional Pouch (E-rank):


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Looking at my HP reminded me of the injury I had caused myself. I glanced at the small trail of blood my nails had caused while I was under the Recovery Crystal¡¯s influence. ¡°I want to know every way that you¡¯ve messed with my mind.¡±


    Samantha sighed. <Alright. From the moment I gained consciousness, I could tell that your fear and stress levels were too high. I eliminated a lot of your fear and stress, but as I¡¯m sure you noticed, the Recovery Crystal reverts you to your natural state¡ªwhich in this case, meant all the stress and fear that should have been released over time hit you like a wave, all of a sudden, as you recalled everything that had just happened.>


    <I did this virtually the moment I activated, but it still wasn¡¯t enough. Your¡­ determination, I suppose, to avoid the Hell Mode Tutorial was impressive and unexpected. However, once I knew you didn¡¯t have the guts to pick the Hell Mode Tutorial, then some more steps would need to be taken. To be clear, from your perspective, it makes sense to pick the Hard Mode Tutorial. However, in order to complete this tutorial in a timely manner, I had to make you even more daring. For example, blocking a sword with your arm¡ªthe slightest flinch could have cost your life.>


    ¡°That¡¯s bullshit,¡± I said. ¡°You didn¡¯t just make me brave, you made me compliant. There¡¯s no way I would have followed your instructions at the beginning. Are you influencing my decisions now?¡±


    Samantha laughed unashamedly. <Good catch. I did make you more trusting. But like you said, you wouldn¡¯t have survived if you hadn¡¯t followed my directions. You¡¯re obviously not trusting me right now¡ªso as you can probably tell, I¡¯m not mind controlling you. I¡¯m actually trying to make the minimum changes required. Too many changes tend to mess up someone¡¯s psyche. As I said earlier, this isn¡¯t something that I enjoy doing, and I hope that you¡¯ll agree eventually that every decision I¡¯ve made has been worthwhile.>


    <I do have another apology to make,> Samantha added.

 Chapter 5: Atropos Explained

    <I do have another apology to make,> Samantha started. We were in what seemed to be another "safe zone"--yet another white-walled room with glowing tables in front of me. My body felt like it was back in top shape--I didn''t feel a hint of physical exhaustion from the recent battles I had fought. Although, Icould still smell the stench of blood and vomit that had followed me into this room.


    I mentally groaned at Samantha''s announcement. That said, whatever else she had done, it couldn¡¯t be worse than mind controlling me, right?


    <Every other person, when they were teleported into their tutorial, received a brief introduction to the Atropos Schema. You didn¡¯t. That way, you saved a precious few minutes in the race through the first few stages. I can give you a quick update on what you missed, of c¡ª>


    ¡°No, wait,¡± I cut her off. ¡°You¡¯re saying the introduction would have happened the moment I appeared. Before I drank the potion that let you into my head. You were just in a bottle then, right? How could you disable a tutorial? Are you saying you can hack the Atropos Schema?¡±


    <These are great questions,> Samantha said. <Let me start at the beginning. In the Atropos Schema¡¯s introduction that you missed, you would have see an angelic figure lauding the Atropos Schema as one of the laws of the multiverse. But if the Atropos Schema is truly unquestionable, why would it go to such an effort to praise itself and frame itself as an inevitability? There are, of course, worlds that the Atropos Schema has not reached, and there have even been worlds that attempted to resist the Atropos Schema itself. Most of those latter worlds, however, have met a bloody and unfortunate fate.>


    <To answer your question more directly,> Samatha continued, <Someone in my faction hacked your tutorial to remove your introduction and place my vial in your tutorial. There was probably a compulsion spell on the vial to make you drink it, although I was not responsible for that particular mental intrusion.>


    I thought about the implications of this. I guess this means I¡¯m not a complete idiot for drinking the vial. My mind flashed back to when I had accidentally kicked the vial, and it had skidded across the room. What if it had just slid through one of the doorways? If I had kicked it just a bit harder¡­Would I even have survived the Easy Mode Tutorial?


    I didn¡¯t let myself get too carried away in counterfactuals. There were even more implications to what Samantha was saying. There was a faction that could hack the Atropos Schema, to some extent. People could successfully circumvent the Schema, somehow. And the vial wasn¡¯t placed there as a random reward from the Schema.


    ¡°Does this mean that you aren¡¯t part of the Schema?¡±


    <I¡¯m not sure you completely understand what you¡¯re asking. On a fundamental level, the Schema, as its name implies, is basically a framework, an interpretive lens, through which we can interact with the world. Now that your world is being acclimated by the Schema, everything in your world is now touched by the Schema. Think of it like an involuntary registration process. I am a part of the Schema just as much as you are. It¡¯s like how someone with Multiple Personality Disorder would be recognized as one person by the Schema. This is also why I am able to access your Mana Regeneration in order to create the combat shadows. Because I am part of you, it will be essential that we trust each other moving forward.>


    I ignored the troubling mental disorder analogy and the kumbaya bullshit. ¡°How many other A.I.s were placed in these tutorials? And what does your faction hope to accomplish?¡±


    <Unfortunately, I was not informed about our specific plan, or the number of my counterparts,> Samantha said. <If the Atropos Schema¡¯s Enforcers notice my presence, then we would both be forced to reveal everything we know, and then we¡¯d be killed. My faction opposes the Schema itself. I only know the first part of the plan, which is to grow stronger.>


    <Every time a new world is acclimated by the Schema, the people in that world have access to high-ranking titles, weapons, skills, and classes. In Acclimated Worlds, you would need to be the child of an S-ranked being to gain an A-ranked skill at your age. Just fighting monsters, or even nearly dying three times, wouldn¡¯t earn you the skill under normal circumstances in the Acclimated Worlds.>


    ¡°Just to make sure I understand this correctly¡­ your very presence is pitting me against something that is basically a god,¡± I said, feeling my frustration rise again. Samantha had tried to gloss over that part, just now. She had spoken quickly, moving on to talk about skills and titles just now. But the fact of the matter was, if the Schema figured out Samantha was in my head, I was dead.


    <I suppose that is a fair assessment,> Samantha said, after a slight pause. As if she had been considering lying about it. <And I think that will transition nicely into our next topic, too. Soon, you will be around people. I don¡¯t want you to draw suspicion to us, so talking out loud is not going to cut it.>


    ¡°So, I can¡¯t communicate with you when I¡¯m around people?¡± I asked.


    <Not quite.> Samatha¡¯s voice was once again hesitant, and I could tell I wouldn¡¯t like what she was going to say next. <If you focus on a certain thought, like you¡¯re thinking something out loud, then I can hear you.>


    You¡¯re saying you can read my thoughts too? Why did this not come up until now??This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    Samantha had the decency to cough politely. <It felt like we got off on the wrong foot. I¡¯ve given you a number of shocks, and I figured it made sense to spread them out.>


    Any more bombs you¡¯d like to drop? I asked, trying to remember everything I¡¯d ever thought "out loud" about Samantha.


    <There are a couple,> Samantha said. <For example, by the time you arrive back to your world, over half of your world¡¯s population will likely have died.>


    ¡°What?¡± I shouted, this time. ¡°Why? What about my family? Petra and Justin, are they alright?¡±


    <About a tenth of each world¡¯s population is selected for the Atropos Tutorial,> Samatha said. <Meanwhile, portals are opening up all over your world and floods of monsters are emerging. The first monster tide is generally low-level, non-sentient creatures, but many people will die nonetheless.>


    <After two monster tides of increasing levels, the true danger will reach Earth: The various powers of the Atropos Schema will bid for entry into Earth. Their levels and items will be restricted, but they will use various methods to subjugate your world.>


    ¡°What about my brother and sister? Are they alive? Are they ok?¡± It was something of a relief, feeling my own concern for Petra and Justin. At least Samantha hadn¡¯t taken that away, too.


    Samantha sighed sadly. <I think you are overestimating my abilities. I know a lot of general knowledge about the Atropos Schema. When I was placed in the tutorial, I was placed intentionally in a tutorial that had particularly good prospects for the Hard and Hell difficulties¡ªthe development path we are currently following, for example, will lead to a particularly powerful D-rank class. Missing the introduction to the Atropos Tutorial was tied to the participant who would arrive here¡ªour faction could not predict who would appear here. So, it''s not like we''ve been watching you your whole life, and I definitely didn''t pick you... Anyway, I¡¯ve probably been waiting in the Atropos Tutorial for years, and I don¡¯t know anything about your family. I hope they are alright. But the best thing you can do for them is to grow stronger so you can protect them when you get out of the tutorial.>


    <Now, Jarek, I have a question for you, as well. There is something that has been troubling me since I awoke.>


    My gut clenched. As if the Atropos Schema itself being out to get me wasn¡¯t enough. As if the monsters that were probably attacking my siblings as we spoke wasn¡¯t enough. I took a breath. Petra was with Justin. She wouldn''t let anything happen to him.


    <When you saw the goblins and orcs,> Samantha continued, <They seemed familiar to you. When I mentioned an orc was on the next stage, you acted like you knew what that was. How did you know what a goblin or orc would look like?>


    I felt a wave of relief. ¡°It¡¯s common knowledge on Earth. People read books and play games where we fight goblins, orcs, trolls, and more. Sometimes in games, we can choose between humans, elves, dwarves, halflings, and so on as our avatar.¡±


    <But do these species exist in your world?> I could hear tension building in Samantha¡¯s voce. She actually seemed nervous.


    ¡°No, humans are the only sentient species on Earth,¡± I said, with more confidence than I felt. It was weird, having to pause and think about the question, and then doubting your own answer.


    <What other mythological species are you aware of?>


    I thought for a moment. ¡°Well, there are vampires, werewolves, martians, fairies, nymphs, dryads, undead¡ª¡±


    <That¡¯s too much overlap,> Samantha cut me off. <How long have these legends been around?>


    I thought for a moment. ¡°As a popular genre, maybe 50 years or so?¡± I was enough of a nerd to know that The Lord of the Rings had popularized fantasy. ¡°But legends of these species have been around for hundreds of years. Maybe over a thousand years?¡±


    <And there is no proof of magic in your world?>


    I shook my head.


    <That rules out seers,> Samatha said, sounding disappointed. <There are really two possibilities left. One is that there used to be portals connecting your world to another world. Then for whatever reason, those portals were closed.>


    <Or, it is also possible that one of the Atropos Schema¡¯s factions discovered this world before the Atropos Tutorial began.> Samantha did not sound pleased about this possibility.


    It had been in the back of my mind this whole time. I hadn¡¯t thought much of it, because I had figured I was either in one of my own dreams, or transported into a different world. I hadn¡¯t been sure yet, what genre this next adventure would be for me, so to speak.


    But if I were to buy in to what Samantha was suggesting¡­people had written stories about this. Almost the exact same situation. Tutorials preparing people for the end of the world, when the world will be overrun by monsters, with the only hope of survival lying in leveling up.


    I almost mentioned it to Samantha, but something held me back. There was something¡­special¡­ about those stories. Something told me that they shouldn¡¯t be shared lightly. And did I trust Samantha? The obvious answer, of course, was a resounding NO.


    <Can you describe your planet a bit? It would help me know why other forces might be interested in your world.>


    ¡°Well, we have advanced technology--we¡¯ve been to the moon, we have computers, cars, planes¡ª¡°


    <That is pretty much all useless. Sorry. The Atropos Schema doesn¡¯t like technology that isn¡¯t based around mana and magic. Your cars, computers, and so on will either disappear entirely or turn completely inert. Do you have many dangerous plants or animals?>


    I thought for a moment about the most lethal creatures I knew about. ¡°We have sharks, alligators, snakes, and bears?¡±


    <So, no dangerous animals, and no dangerous plants,> Samantha said, as if she was ticking off a box on a form. <That wouldn¡¯t be enough to draw the attention of another faction. What kind of mineral resources does your planet have?>


    I thought for a minute. ¡°We have gold, platinum, silver, diamonds¡ª¡°


    <That¡¯s probably it. Silver is an F-rank material, Gold and Platinum are E-rank. If you had those minerals before Acclimation, without any active magic in the world, then after Acclimation, you¡¯ll have D-rank mines at least, and very likely some C-rank minerals as well. That would be enough to motivate a few Factions to sink their claws into the planet early, despite any potential consequences from Atropos¡¯ Enforcers. Not to mention the World Core...> Samantha trailed off, as if she was thinking deeply about something.


    I couldn''t bring myself to care about E-rank metals, or the World Core. This was all too much information to process.


    ¡°To recap,¡± I said, trying to ignore my growing headache. ¡°I have a mind-controlling parasite in my brain. The Atropos Schema is facilitating the destruction of my world as I know it, and if it discovers this parasite, then I¡¯m as good as dead. Currently, my world is being overrun by monsters and soon other sapient species will fight for control over my world¡ªunless they already control my world from the shadows.¡±


    <That¡¯s mostly correct,> Samatha said. <Although I do take offense at being called a parasite.>

 Chapter 6: Mana Modulator

    My conversation with Samantha had been so involved that I hadn¡¯t taken the chance to truly survey the room.


    I walked past the podium and glanced at the three tables in front of me, while Samantha explained what I was looking at.


    <Before you meet up with other challengers, you have the chance to choose a class. The F-rank and E-rank classes are readily available¡ªall you¡¯d have to do is just pick up the book you want and absorb the knowledge.>


    On the first table, I could see over a dozen leather-bound books. I skimmed through several of the titles: Swordsman, Mage, Magician, Sorcerer, Archer¡­


    <The F-rank classes are trash,> Samantha said, urging me on to the next table.


    At Samantha¡¯s prompting, I moved on to the second table, which, predictably enough, held the E-rank classes. I could sense a faint power, or pressure, from these books. <Don¡¯t bother with the E-rank classes,> Samantha said, urging me on to the sole book on the third table.


    The third book simply said, Mana Modulator. By looking intensely at the book, I was able to trigger a blue pop-up description:


    Mana Modulator (D-rank class): A Mana Modulator''s power comes from the mana flowing in their veins. Grants Internal Mana Affinity (D-rank). Teaches Mana Modulation (D-rank): Allows you to modulate the mana inside your body. Can convert mana directly into temporary stats. Each temporary Stat Point lasts 30 seconds. +2 Mana Pool/level. +1 Mana Regeneration/level.


    I frowned, uncertain about the tradeoff. "Isn''t 30 seconds short?" My original, F-rank Mana Modulation lasted twice as long.


    Samantha laughed. "It''s long enough to make this a highly sought-after class. Note that the D-ranked Mana Modulation doesn¡¯t have a cooldown, or an upper limit for how much mana you can convert into stats. But if you''re not convinced, just keep in mind that none of the F-rank classes offer stat boosts per level. And the E-rank stat boosts don''t compare. Even if the Mana Modulation skill were useless, this class would still be better than any other class in the room, because D-rank classes always give better level-up bonuses compared to E-rank or F-rank classes. It¡¯s common sense, really, I shouldn¡¯t have to explain this¡­"


    I reached out to take the Mana Modulator class.


    <Before you touch it,> Samantha said, <I recommend changing your gear.>


    I glanced down at what I was wearing. Honestly, I was surprised that I was still receiving a stat bonus from my Magician¡¯s Robes. The robes were bloodied and shredded. The left sleeve was completely gone, and there were several holes from where I¡¯d been shot by arrows.


    <Try on the orc armor. Its stats are better than what you¡¯re wearing now>


    I took the orc armor out of my pouch. The breastplate, helmet, and boots were all too large for me, but it did seem to offer better protection compared to the Magician''s Robes that I had been wearing. Fortunately, each piece of new equipment had some kind of cushiony inside that reminded me of what memory foam should be¡ªsomething that didn¡¯t get in the way when I put it on, but then closed in around me slightly to hold the equipment in place. It would hopefully also serve to redistribute the distribute the impact of any blows that landed on my armor.


    I still felt weighed down by awkwardly large and heavy armor, though.


    <There are two main benefits of Schema-recognized equipment,> Samatha explained. <The first is obvious--armor can block or deflect direct blows. The second is that when you equip armor as one of your seven slots, you gain a stat bonus to your Status Window.>


    After putting on the orc¡¯s helmet, boots, and breastplate, I glanced at my new stat screen.


    <table width="624">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Name:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    Jarek


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    Level:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    3


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    HP:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    13/13


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    Physical Defense:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    11 (+4)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Strength:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    10 (+2)


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    Mental Power:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    11


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Dexterity:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    10


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    Agility:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    10 (+4)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Mana Pool:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    11 (+1)


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    Mana Regeneration:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    5 (+1)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Available Points:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    0


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    Coins:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    50,300


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Class:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    None


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    Profession:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    None


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Titles:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="468">


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Skills and Spells:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="468">


    Identify (F-rank)


    Mana Modulation (F-rank)


    Death¡¯s Defier (A-rank)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Affinities:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="468">


    Internal Mana (F-rank Low)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Equipment:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="468">


    Mana-infused Knife (F-rank): +1 Mana Pool, +1 Mana regen.


    Orlan Blade (E-rank): +2 Strength, +2 Agility


    Orc Helmet (F-rank): +2 Physical Defense


    Orc Breastplate (F-rank): +2 Physical DefenseThis story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    Orc Boots (F-rank): +2 Agility


    Interdimensional Pouch (E-rank):


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    ¡°For an A.I, it doesn¡¯t look like you¡¯re very good at optimizing,¡± I said, glancing at my stats. ¡°These numbers are all over the place.¡±


    Samantha sniffed. <What would a human know? Also, it¡¯s not just about optimizing. When we start our fourth challenge, you¡¯ll be around people. How could you make a good first impression around people with a tattered magician¡¯s robe? Also, we¡¯re going to want to keep our class secret. We should make people think we are focused on physical stats. It¡¯s always good to keep some things to ourselves.>


    I nodded at Samantha¡¯s last point, and I reached out to take the class change book.


    The moment my fingers came into contact with the book, I saw my surroundings shift and suddenly, I was in another world.


    I appeared in a desolate town square. The buildings were 3-4 stories tall, made of stone and mortar. It was clear, from the weeds and cracked stones, that nobody had lived in these buildings for hundreds of years.


    In the middle of the square was an altar, which held my Mana Modulator class book.


    A fully armored elf stood in between me and the altar, sword raised to bar my path.


    <This is just an illusion. Not anybody can claim a D-rank class. If we can''t get past the elf, we will be kicked out of the illusion and the book will disappear from the room. Don''t worry about taking damage, and just follow my lead.>


    And let me guess. You conveniently forgot to mention that taking the D-rank class would require another battle.


    <I didn¡¯t think it would be a big deal,> Samantha replied, smoothly. <This is just an illusion anyway. Even if you die here, you¡¯ll just be kicked out of the illusion without a scratch on your body.>


    Part of me was inclined to doubt Samantha, because she''d lied so much to me before. But really, something felt unreal about this world. Although there was plenty of detail around me, I felt like the distant buildings were just a haze--a background--that didn''t truly exist.


    I breathed deeply, and I began to follow the combat shadow that had kept me alive so far. I strode forward, faking the confident posture I saw from the outline.


    <The elf is a Mana Modulator,> Samantha said, while I charged forward. <We need to force him to convert mana into stats, and then let his timer run out.>


    Once I closed the distance, I swung my sword forcefully at the elf. The elf dodged faster than I could see, and immediately rushed towards me.


    I was already backing off, though. I barely parried the elf¡¯s sword as it flashed at me. I was only able to parry because Samantha somehow knew where the strike would end up.


    I continued backing up on the cobblestone street, and the elf pressed his advantage.


    <He converted mana to Agility,> Samantha explained. <We just need to hold on for 30 seconds longer.>


    It was a long 30 seconds. I backed away furiously, and the elf furrowed his brow as he continually failed to harm me. I had no idea what I was doing, completely ignoring the elf in front of me and focusing on following the combat shadow. Fifteen seconds later, the elf picked up pace again, moving in even more of a blur.


    It was impossible now to avoid damage it seemed. Samantha¡¯s combat shadow switched its focused towards damage reduction. I parried the elf¡¯s first strike, but then a second strike fell before I could block, so I raised my left arm and let the sword bite into my bone.


    Fortunately, the elf¡¯s strength wasn¡¯t enough to chop my arm off.


    My own sword strike, aiming for the elf¡¯s head, forced the elf to free his sword quickly and parry.


    The moment the elf started raising his sword, I was already backing away, putting more distance between us.


    The elf quickly closed the distance again and struck. I wasn¡¯t able to parry in time, and the elf¡¯s blade stabbed into my stomach.


    I backed away again.


    The elf pulled his blade out of my gut, and struck again. This time, I was ready. I blocked his blade, as I retreated, and gained another valuable second.


    It wasn¡¯t long before the elf¡¯s attack speed began to falter. It wasn¡¯t hard, at that point, to continually backpedal in circles, looping around the main square.


    Once the elf completely ran out of his Agility boost, I pressed my attack.


    <Use Mana Modulation to gain Agility,> Samantha said. It was the command I had been waiting for. Between my own mana that gave me increased Agility, and Samantha¡¯s abilities to read my opponent, I struck at the weak points in the elf¡¯s armor.


    My first strike sunk into the elf¡¯s armpit. Then, as the elf extracted himself, I spun behind him and struck the back of the elf¡¯s right knee with full force.


    The elf staggered forward slightly, and I drew some blood from the strike.


    As the elf spun, I stabbed directly at where Samantha knew the elf¡¯s eyes would be.


    My sword sunk into the elf¡¯s eyes, and the town around me faded.


    I appeared back in the oh-so-familiar white-walled room, with the Mana Modulator class tome in front of me.


    As I tried to open it, the Atropos Schema prompted,


    Would you like to change your class to Mana Modulator (D-rank)?


    Yes/No.


    I mentally selected yes, and opened up my character sheet.


    <table width="624">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Name:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    Jarek


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    Level:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    3


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    HP:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    13/13


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    Physical Defense:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    11 (+4)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Strength:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    10 (+2)


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    Mental Power:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    11


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Dexterity:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    10


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    Agility:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    10 (+4)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Mana Pool:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    11 (+1)


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    Mana Regeneration:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    5 (+1)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Available Points:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    0


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    Coins:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    50,300


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Class:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    Mana Modulator (D-rank)


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    Profession:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    None


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Titles:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="468">


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Skills and Spells:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="468">


    Identify (F-rank)


    Mana Modulation (D-rank Core)


    Death¡¯s Defier (A-rank)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Affinities:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="468">


    Internal Mana (D-rank Low)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Equipment:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="468">


    Mana-infused Knife (F-rank): +1 Mana Pool, +1 Mana regen.


    Orc Helmet (F-rank): +2 Physical Defense


    Orc Breastplate (F-rank): +2 Physical Defense


    Orc Boots (F-rank): +2 Agility


    Orlan Blade (E-rank): +2 Strength, +2 Agility


    Interdimensional Pouch (E-rank):


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <There are a few important changes to highlight,> Samantha said, as I studied my character sheet.


    <By gaining this class, you¡¯ve forcefully upgraded Mana Modulation to a D-rank skill. The new Mana Modulation skill is the skill that you saw in the Mana Modulator Class description. It lets you convert mana directly into temporary stats.>


    I called up my Status Window. By mentally selecting my class and each skill, I could read more about it.


    Mana Modulator (D-rank class): A Mana Modulator''s power comes from the mana flowing in their veins. Grants Internal Mana Affinity (D-rank). +2 Mana Pool/level. +1 Mana Regeneration/level.


    Mana Modulation (D-rank): Allows you to modulate the mana inside your body. Can convert mana directly into temporary stats. Each temporary Stat Point lasts 30 seconds.


    <I hope you can understand the potential for this class,> Samantha said, excitedly. <It won¡¯t take too long for your Mana Pool to pass 100, and your Mana Regeneration per minute will pass 50. Just think of what this means. You¡¯ll be able to fight short, intense battles against opponents that should be out of your league.>


    <There is one small caveat¡ªunfortunately, Mana Modulators are not able to gain any benefits from Mana Potions. If it helps, you could explain that away by saying that it would be too broken otherwise, but the real explanation is complicated and has to do with the relationship between stat points and souls.


    Why didn¡¯t you tell me that in advance?


    <It shouldn¡¯t change your decision. If you were able to, then Mana Modulator would easily be a C-rank class.>


    That was somewhat surprising to me. I could vaguely follow what Samantha was saying. If I could convert--or modulate--the mana in my Mana Pool into a stat like Agility or Strength, and then replenish my Mana Pool with a potion, and then convert mana again into Agility or Strength...that sounded like such a cheat. If I were a game designer, I wouldn''t allow that. But, in the Atropos Schema, that would only count as a C-rank class? What other classes were out there??


    Samantha, meanwhile, continued to explain my stat sheet. <The other thing you should notice on your Status Window is that you have improved your Affinity. Affinity is a key part to how the Schema restricts classes, and it plays an important role in class development. Since your Affinity is Internal Mana, you aren¡¯t able to control mana outside your body by casting spells. On the flip side, even if another mana-based class found a Mana Modulation skill book out in the real world, they wouldn¡¯t be able to use it, unless they had Internal Mana Affinity. Humans are generally limited to three Affinities, so we will need to think carefully about the next two Affinities that we choose.>


    <The last thing to highlight doesn¡¯t show up on your Status Window. This is the biggest benefit to gaining a D-rank class in the Atropos Schema Tutorial, and this is why I am confident you will thank me later for everything I¡¯ve put you through.>


    Samantha paused, as if waiting for my response. I just shrugged. Honestly, I was still processing everything. No, I was trying not to process things too much. Things were turning out ok, in the sense that I wasn¡¯t dead. If I had to choose between dying and being temporarily mind-controlled, it seemed like an obvious choice. But I wasn¡¯t going to tell her that.


    <The biggest benefit to a high-ranked class,> Samantha continued, <is the stat gains per level. Previously, you were gaining +1 HP per level, and 1 free point to allocate. Now, you will gain +1 HP, +2 Mana Pool/level, +1 Mana Regeneration/level, AND a free point per level.>


    <If I were to make a guess,> Samantha continued proudly, <I¡¯d say you¡¯re on track to be one of the 100 strongest humans on your planet.>

 Chapter 7: The Fourth Stage

    After passing through the black doorway, I appeared in a rainforest.  It was a breath of fresh air¡ªliterally¡ªafter that series of claustrophobic rooms and hallways.


    The trees were the first sign that I wasn¡¯t on Earth.  Most of them were over ten feet in diameter, with bark that formed a honey-comb-like pattern. The trees were packed tightly together, and I could see a canopy of branches interwoven above me about twenty feet in the air, almost completely blocking out my view of the sky.


    The bushes and shrubs on the ground were also unfamiliar.  The closest plants had triangular, red leaves, and black berries.


    In the upper left corner of my vision, the alpha symbol flashed.  Mentally selecting it, I saw an announcement appear in blue text in the corner of my vision.


    Welcome to the Yanir Rainforest! Once a year, the Yanir tree blooms at the heart of the rainforest. As the Yanir tree blooms, it grants nearby beings an increased awareness of their surroundings.  Many creatures in the rainforest will fight for a place near the flowers.


    After the blooms fade, participants will be teleported to the next stage.


    <This is a good one,> Samantha said, sounding somewhat excited.  <The Yanir flowers will unlock the Perception stat and raise it significantly.  It¡¯s also a friendly challenge, because any participants who want to give up can just distance themselves from the Yanir tree. You humans are actually rather¡ª>


    Samantha cut herself off, and her outline moved suddenly, and I reflexively followed it.


    <Modulate your mana to gain Agility and Strength!> Samantha shouted.


    As I dodged to the side, a yard-long snake that had been approaching me from behind a nearby bush pounced towards me.


    I modulated my mana to add some Agility to my legs and Strength to my arms.  Affecting two stats simultaneously was difficult, like exercising a muscle I had only just isolated, but it was doable.  With a quick strike, I sliced off the snake¡¯s head.


    +20 coins


    Level up!


    I frowned, feeling like that was a bit anticlimactic.  It had been a level 10 snake, and¡ª


    <You¡¯ve been close to leveling up since you defeated the orc. You¡¯re right though, it is a bit of a waste of a heal. Put your available point into Strength.>


    I felt like I was getting a headache from Samantha¡¯s directions. ¡°What? Why not put it into Mana Pool or Mana Regeneration? Or Agility, since I use that stat so much?¡±


    <Which one of us actually understands these stats?> Samantha asked, allowing a hint of exasperation in her tone. <Strength¡¯s main uses are: how hard you hit things, carrying capacity, and Stamina.  You can think of Stamina as a sub-stat for Strength.  Of all the stats, Stamina is the least efficient to replace with Mana Modulation, since Mana Modulation provides a temporary boost, and Stamina is by definition needed over a long period of time. You were fortunate in the Tutorial¡ªsince we rushed through the Tutorial, and since there were frequent Recovery Crystals, you were never at risk of running out of Stamina. However, now that we are in the middle of nowhere, Stamina will be essential. Most other stats only need to be used in discrete moments.  Stamina is referenced continually, and it would just be a huge pit if you have to constantly spend mana to keep your stamina up.  Got it?>


    I put the point into Strength. I hadn¡¯t been expecting a full-on lecture.


    <table width="624">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Name:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    Jarek


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    Level:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    4


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    HP:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    14/14


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    Physical Defense:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    11 (+4)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Strength:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    11 (+2)


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    Mental Power:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    11


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Dexterity:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    10


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    Agility:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    10 (+4)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Mana Pool:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    13 (+1)


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    Mana Regeneration:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    6 (+1)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Available Points:Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    0


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    Coins:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    50,320


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Class:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    Mana Modulator (D-rank)


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    Profession:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    None


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Titles:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="468">


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Skills and Spells:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="468">


    Identify (F-rank)


    Mana Modulation (D-rank Core)


    Death¡¯s Defier (A-rank)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Affinities:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="468">


    Internal Mana (D-rank Low)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Equipment:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="468">


    Mana-infused Knife (F-rank): +1 Mana Pool, +1 Mana regen.


    Orc Helmet (F-rank): +2 Physical Defense


    Orc Breastplate (F-rank): +2 Physical Defense


    Orc Boots (F-rank): +2 Agility


    Orlan Blade (E-rank): +2 Strength, +2 Agility


    Interdimensional Pouch (E-rank):


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Samantha¡¯s outline cut my study of the Status Window short. I dodged to the side, raising my sword as two panthers jumped down from the branches above me.


    They landed lithely right where I had been standing. As they tried to circle around me, I struck the closest one.


    The combat shadow showed mana flaring in the arms.  <Convert mana into Strength and Agility,> Samantha said, with the same words flashing unnecessarily in my vision.


    Adding Agility for a speedy attack and Strength for a heavier blow, I was able to kill the nearest panther with a single strike to its neck.


    +20 coins


    The second panther was already pouncing towards me, though. I twisted my body so that its claws only scratched my breastplate. As the panther¡¯s jaws approached my neck, I stabbed my dagger into the roof of its mouth.


    +20 coins


    As I wiped my blades clean, I asked, ¡°How do you know when I¡¯m about to be attacked?¡±


    <You just need to know what cues to listen for,> Samantha said.  <We are in a rainforest, so we should listen for light rustles when there is no wind. In this case, I could see the panthers¡¯ shadows.>


    <After we spend time near the Yanir flowers, we will get even better at predicting attacks. You should climb that tree and look for the tallest tree around.  That will be the Yanir tree.>


    Before I climbed the tree, I glanced down at the corpses that were still at my feet.  ¡°Is there a reason their bodies are still here?¡±


    <No reason, just common sense,> Samantha snarked.  <How could you have a complete ecosystem if dead things just disappear?>


    ¡°Then why did the goblins and orc bodies disappear?¡±


    <The first three stages weren¡¯t a complete world,> Samantha commented, as if it were obvious. <It¡¯s not like the goblins live in the white-walled hallways. They are teleported there just like the challengers.  The Schema just teleports their bodies back, whether they win or lose.  Anyway, it¡¯s not good to stay in one place like this.  Just climb the tree.>


    I would have thought that climbing a tree would be harder in full orc armor.  However, the raised honeycomb patterns on the bark provided easy hand and footholds, and I was able to climb without too much difficulty.


    There were almost no branches around me, until about 20 feet in the air. It seemed a common trend, that these trees all grew branches at 20 feet, creating an interwoven series of branches. I ended up having to bend and break a few branches so I could have space to lift myself up through this canopy.


    Standing on the branches was like standing on the ground again.  The branches were so tightly woven together that I could see dirt and little flowers growing by my feet.  There was a bit more light, but, to my surprise, there was a second canopy above me.


    About twenty feet above me, there were frequent gaps in an interwoven net of branches similar to the one I was standing on now.


    The most surprising thing to me was how clear my surroundings were. There were no branches I needed to push out of my way, and I could see hundreds of yards in every direction.


    This also meant that I could clearly see the panthers that were rushing towards me as well.


    I sighed and raised my sword.


    The panthers were each around level 15 or so, but I didn¡¯t feel much pressure as I evaded their attacks and dealt my own blows.


    I could kill them with a single strike to the throat, and as long as I ensured their claws only scratched my armor, I was fine.


    My only challenge was killing my enemies quickly enough.  Even though my technical Mana Regeneration was 7 mana per minute, Samantha claimed one of those for herself, taking me down to 6. Then, when she used the combat shadows, that would take another 5 mana, leaving me with only 1 Mana Regeneration per minute while in combat.


    After several minutes of exploring and fighting, I had killed six more of the panthers, and I was almost out of mana.


    I took a few more scratches when fighting the panthers, but nothing compared to my previous wounds.  It seemed Samantha was being more careful¡ªpresumably because there were no readily available Recovery Crystals.


    It didn¡¯t take long before I leveled up. With a replenished Mana Pool, I was ready to continue the hunt.  I put my extra point into Strength again, at Samantha¡¯s request.


    <This seems like a good place to grind,> Samantha said.


    <table width="624">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Name:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    Jarek


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    Level:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    5


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    HP:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    15/15


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    Physical Defense:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    11 (+4)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Strength:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    12 (+2)


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    Mental Power:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    11


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Dexterity:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    10


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    Agility:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    10 (+4)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Mana Pool:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    15 (+1)


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    Mana Regeneration:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    7 (+1)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Available Points:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    0


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    Coins:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    50,560


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Class:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    Mana Modulator (D-rank)


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    Profession:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    None


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Titles:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="468">


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Skills and Spells:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="468">


    Identify (F-rank)


    Mana Modulation (D-rank Core)


    Death¡¯s Defier (A-rank)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Affinities:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="468">


    Internal Mana (D-rank Low)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Equipment:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="468">


    Mana-infused Knife (F-rank): +1 Mana Pool, +1 Mana regen.


    Orc Helmet (F-rank): +2 Physical Defense


    Orc Breastplate (F-rank): +2 Physical Defense


    Orc Boots (F-rank): +2 Agility


    Orlan Blade (E-rank): +2 Strength, +2 Agility


    Interdimensional Pouch (E-rank):


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>

 Chapter 8: Floating Points

    I brushed the spider webs out of my face, staring down at the corpses at my feet.


    After the first group of panthers, I had followed Samantha¡¯s advice and started grinding. First panthers, then snakes, and now giant spiders.


    It felt as though I had entered a sort of fighting fugue.


    Everything had fallen into a reflexive action, rote movements as I followed Samantha¡¯s combat shadow. I couldn¡¯t really say I remembered most of the battles. I remembered a brief flash of surprise when I ducked down, following the combat shadow, assuming I was about to be attacked. Instead, the shadow simply plucked a flower that was growing in the detritus nestled between the interwoven branches. This happened a few times, and I quickly learned to tell the difference between a ¡°duck for your life,¡± and a ¡°stop and smell the flowers."


    I remembered the fear from being poisoned by snakes, but Samantha encouraged me to continue fighting until I leveled up.


    Physically, it was tiring, but mentally, there was something almost calming about following Samantha¡¯s instructions, in the knowledge that Samantha was better equipped to call the shots and keep me alive.


    After being poisoned by snakes, Samantha suggested that I add a few points into Physical Defense. Physical Defense increased my toughness, making it harder for me to take damage. It also functioned to counteract poisons.


    I had gained four levels in this fighting fugue, and I¡¯d split the available points between Strength and Physical Defense. It seemed counterintuitive, not adding points to the two stats that I relied on the most: Mana Pool and Mana Regeneration. But thanks to my Mana Modulator class, those stats gained points with each level.


    I¡¯d amassed a large collection of coins, which Samantha insisted would be useful in an upcoming auction.


    <table width="624">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Name:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    Jarek


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    Level:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    9


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    HP:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    19/19


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    Physical Defense:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    13 (+4)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Strength:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    14 (+2)


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    Mental Power:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    11


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Dexterity:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    10


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    Agility:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    10 (+4)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Mana Pool:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    23 (+1)


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    Mana Regeneration:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    11 (+1)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Available Points:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    0


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    Coins:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    52220


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Class:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    Mana Modulator (D-rank)


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    Profession:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    None


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Titles:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="468">


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Skills and Spells:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="468">


    Identify (F-rank)Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    Mana Modulation (D-rank Core)


    Death¡¯s Defier (A-rank)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Affinities:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="468">


    Internal Mana (D-rank Low)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Equipment:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="468">


    Mana-infused Knife (F-rank): +1 Mana Pool, +1 Mana regen.


    Orc Helmet (F-rank): +2 Physical Defense


    Orc Breastplate (F-rank): +2 Physical Defense


    Orc Boots (F-rank): +2 Agility


    Orlan Blade (E-rank): +2 Strength, +2 Agility


    Interdimensional Pouch (E-rank):


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    It was getting dark, but there was some kind of glowing moss on the trees, illuminating the rainforest with a sickly green color.


    <Now that your Mana Regeneration has increased, it¡¯s time to explain how strong your class truly is,> Samantha said.


    I felt a tinge of anticipation. I had almost died, multiple times, for this class. I already thought it was good. What else was there?


    <There is something of a cheat that people with Internal Mana Affinity can use. You see, your mana is produced in your cells, and then from your cells, the mana is transported to a central location near your heart. When you reach level 50, that place where the mana gathers¡ªyour mana center¡ªwill crystalize into a Mana Core. The Mana Regeneration per minute is really the rate at which mana is produced in your cells and enters your mana center. With an Internal Mana Affinity, you are able to delay this transfer. You can let mana build in your cells, forcefully holding it in place until you want to use it. This pairs very well with Mana Modulation. Remember that Mana Modulation lets you take one unit of mana, and then boost one stat for 30 seconds? This means you can hold your mana in your cells for thirty seconds, and then pour all that mana into the stats you want, and then thirty seconds later, do the same thing again.


    <Essentially, for every two points in Mana Regeneration, you can gain one ¡°floating point¡± to increase any one stat, indefinitely.>


    Samantha paused, letting that sink in.


    It was a confusing idea, for a number of reasons. Then what¡¯s the point of a Mana Pool at all? Should I just put all my points into Mana Regeneration?


    <Unfortunately, that¡¯s not the case. If that were the case, then Mana Modulator would no longer be a D-rank class. There are two hard rules in this case: Your body won¡¯t let you store more mana outside your mana center than you have space for in your mana pool. Think of this as a safety mechanism so you don¡¯t explode or something. Or, think of it like a shutoff valve, where it¡¯s a waste of energy to produce more mana than you can store.


    <Along the same lines, you can¡¯t store more mana outside your mana center than your Mana Regeneration per minute. If you try to, then your body just caps off, and stops producing mana.


    <The last consideration is just based on the ease of everything. As the ratio of mana outside your mana center to the capacity inside your center increases, it gets harder and harder to dam the flow of mana. And for this to be effective, this is something you should be doing during every waking moment. So we will try to keep the Mana Pool about twice as high as your Mana Regeneration.>


    I¡¯m getting lost. Just tell me what to do.


    <Of course you are, my apologies. By now you know where your mana center is, and you know what it feels like for mana to flow from one part of your body to another. I want you to feel for the smaller flows of mana, the thousands of rivers of mana that are flowing towards your core.>


    It was strange, like a sixth sense, but after a few minutes of looking, I found what I was looking for.


    <Add a unit of mana from your Mana Pool into any other stat¡ªlet¡¯s say Agility. As you do, try to prevent the mana around your mana center from entering it.>


    To my surprise, it wasn¡¯t that hard at first. It must be my affinity for Internal Mana. I blocked the flow of mana, for one second, then two, but as time passed, I felt a growing pain in my chest.


    <You can¡¯t just let the mana build up around your chest. You have to spread it evenly throughout your body.>


    As a teenager, I had worked in construction for a very brief time. Not my happiest memories. But trying to evenly disperse the mana throughout my body reminded me of trying to smooth out a layer of wet concrete. You slide your trowel back and forth over the wet concrete, trying to flatten one part this concrete, only to raise up more ridges elsewhere for your grumpy, more experienced partner to deal with.


    I pushed weakly, at first, but then the mana started building in the areas where I was pushing it off to. I could hold it for a few seconds, before it felt uncomfortable again.


    <It¡¯s a work in progress,> Samantha said, comfortingly. <Don¡¯t expect to get it on the first try. It¡¯s not like you¡¯re some faction¡¯s genius¡­>


    I could tell she was trying to make me feel better, but it wasn¡¯t helping. Thanks for pointing out I¡¯m not a genius¡­


    I¡¯d gotten this vibe a few times from Samantha. That I was normal. That I wasn¡¯t fit for her new world order. That of course I was confused by her explanation of floating points.


    Well, I would prove her wrong.


    I tried again, modulating a small amount of mana so that my Mana Pool was not full, and then trying to prevent the mana that my body was producing from entering my Mana Pool.


    It was like herding cats. There were thousands of tiny motes of mana that I could see with my strange inner senses, and they were all flooding towards my mana center. I blocked their entrance into the mana center, and they all gathered together like a flood about to burst through a dam. I felt a familiar burn in my chest.


    <Like this,> Samantha said. Then, as I watched, the mana that had been bunching up around my heart just¡­ spread out. A second later, my Mana Pool remained unfilled, and the mana throughout my body just rested tranquilly, like the calm after a storm.


    It took me a second to process what she had done. You can control my mana?


    <We already established this,> Samantha replied, laughing at me. <I use your mana all the time to create a combat shadow.>


    Right.


    <hr>


    <I think you¡¯re ready for the third floor,> Samantha said. We had spent some time practicing this technique of controlling my mana outside my mana core, and I was much better at keeping my mana from bunching up in random places in my body. Whenever I would slip up, Samantha would immediately point it out and, when necessary, fix my mistakes.


    I had peeked my head up to the third floor earlier, and I¡¯d immediately been swarmed by giant birds. I had stayed around long enough to spot the direction of the tallest tree, and then I had descended rapidly.


    Now, it seemed, it was time to rise to the third floor again.


    I climbed the nearest trunk somewhat fearfully.


    This next layer of branches were much thinner than the previous layer. I was able to lift myself up through the holes in the layer easily.


    Glancing around, I was surprised by the silence. The carcasses of giant birds¡ªrocs, according to the Schema¡ªwere strewn about this layer of the forest.


    I couldn¡¯t find a single monster near me.


    Samantha said.


    I felt a wave of excitement. I¡¯d been alone so long¡ªalone except for Samantha, at least¡ªand seeing how other people were coping with this situation might help me get a grasp on everything going on around me. I wasn¡¯t the most social person, and I would definitely consider myself an introvert. I couldn¡¯t remember the last time I had been so excited to meet people.

 Chapter 9: Fantasy Santa Claus

    In the third story of the forest, the branches were about a foot in diameter, and so walking on this layer of the rainforest was like walking on thick, crisscrossing balance beams.


    With my Agility stat, it wasn¡¯t too hard to make good time on these branches.


    Above me, I could see a fourth layer to the rainforest, which was made up of branches that rarely overlapped. It wouldn¡¯t be possible to walk from one tree to another on the fourth floor. You¡¯d have to either jump very far distances, or fly.


    I could see, not far off, the tree that was certainly the Yanir tree.


    It was about half a mile away, but it was so wide and tall that it stood out like a sore thumb.


    It looked like the same kind of tree as every other tree in this rainforest, only several times larger. Its bark was a dark red color.


    Two large rocs ahead of me looked up from their meal¡ªa giant bat¡ªand spread their wings, flying towards me.


    As they flew towards me, I studied them and saw that they were both level 25.


    Their feathers were black. Not a smooth, glossy black, but a textured, angry black. It was clear they had been fighting¡ªsome feathers were out of place, and some were missing. Each roc had a wingspan of about 10 feet. Their talons and beaks looked sharp, but what really stood out was their glowing yellow eyes.


    I modulated ten Mana, converting it to Agility, ducked their swooping attacks, and sliced through the neck of the closer roc.


    +80 coins


    The second roc wheeled, cawed, and dove towards me again.


    I jumped to a nearby branch, thanking my increased Agility¡ªand sliced the second roc¡¯s neck, muttering a mental thanks to Samantha''s combat shadow.


    +80 coins


    <You aren¡¯t far now from the other participants,> Samantha said. <Remember, you can¡¯t trust people-if another person kills you, they would get 10% of your wealth. Take out as many weapons and armor as you can carry¡ªyou don¡¯t want anyone to notice your pouch. This is going to be a great chance to gain a bunch of coins.>


    It took me a while to figure out a way to follow Samantha¡¯s instructions. I ended up knotting a goblin tunic to turn it into a bag that could hold a bunch of armor and weapons. Fortunately, the swords I had collected came with sheaths, so I didn¡¯t have to worry about the weapons cutting the fabric. I was able to tuck my Interdimensional Pouch on the inside of my orc armor.


    I probably cut a curious sight, a man wearing orc armor, with an awkwardly large sack slung over my back, walking on branches 40 feet in the air. Fantasy Santa Claus.


    It wasn¡¯t long before I could make out humans ahead of me.


    They had already noticed me, and were watching my approach with curious gazes.


    They were standing a few hundred feet away from the Yanir tree, and they weren¡¯t actively fighting any monsters at the moment. It seemed that the people and the monsters had come to an uneasy truce¡ªeveryone was watching each other, but nobody was attacking.


    As I approached, I studied them. There were eight people waiting for me, watching me. I could pick out two leaders from the group. One was a man who looked to be about 40, wearing orc armor and holding a battle axe in his hands. The other was a woman who was probably in her twenties. She wore robes and held a staff¡ªpresumably a magician.


    <Not a Magician,> Samantha said. <A Mage. Mages focus on increasing their Mana Pool, and Magicians focus on Mana Regeneration. Wands give you increased Mana Regeneration; staffs give you increased Mana Pools. And from the gem socketed to her staff, you can tell she is a Mage with a Fire Affinity.>


    That would explain some of the charred trees I had passed on the way over.


    ¡°Welcome to Yanir,¡± the woman called to me.


    She reached out a hand to shake as I approached. I took her hand somewhat awkwardly, shifting the weight of my makeshift bag as I did.


    ¡°My name¡¯s River,¡± she said, wincing at my grip.


    Once I was close enough, I could tell why everyone was treating her as a leader. Samantha had explained to me that in the Atropos Schema, you could instinctively tell how someone else¡¯s stats compared to your own¡ªunless they were hiding their aura. River exuded a sense of danger¡ªI could tell her stats exceeded mine.


    She was also extremely attractive, and her robes accentuated her curves. Her long, flowing brown hair, even though it was frazzled, was somewhat mesmerizing.


    ¡°Jarek,¡± I said, a little belatedly.


    The man with the axe shook my hand next, and this time, it was my turn to wince. He held my hand for a few seconds longer than necessary as well. Maybe payback for when I accidentally squeezed River¡¯s hand?Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    ¡°Lieutenant Colonel Bradson,¡± the man said, finally releasing my hand. ¡°What¡¯s in the bag?¡± He asked the question with a suspicious, authoritative tone. As if he expected me to be carrying a bomb, or drugs.


    I took another look at the four people around Bradson. They looked like they were college-age. Buzz-cut hair, muscles. Maybe they were also army?


    ¡°Equipment,¡± I said, feeling the weight of everyone¡¯s eyes on me. ¡°I collected as much of the equipment I could from the goblins and orcs that I fought. I¡¯m willing to sell what I¡¯ve got if anyone¡¯s interested.¡±


    I took out a few weapons and pieces of armor to show the group.


    ¡°Peterson!¡± Bradson called out, sharply.


    One of the college-age boys jumped forward, nervously.


    ¡°I appreciate your foresight, Jarek,¡± Bradson said. ¡°Peterson broke his sword when fighting the orc. He¡¯ll give you 100 coins for another sword.¡±


    <Don¡¯t take it,> Samantha said. <500 coins, at least.>


    ¡°1000 coins,¡± I said. ¡°I had to give up killing a lot of monsters since I was carrying these the whole way.¡±


    ¡°Spare us the sob story,¡± Bradson said, gruffly. ¡°We¡¯ll give you 500 for the bow and the sword. It¡¯s not like you¡¯ll be able to carry them around once the fighting starts.¡± He gestured emphatically at the growing number of rocs around us. So far, the birds were content to give us space.


    ¡°1000 each,¡± I said, again.


    ¡°We¡¯re supposed to be allies, boy,¡± Bradson said. ¡°You should be glad that a friend has your back. 2,000 for the bow, sword, knife, and two breastplates.¡±


    ¡°Deal,¡± I said. It was less than what Samatha wanted. But I didn¡¯t want to start off on bad terms with these people.


    The Schema allowed people to transfer the coins by physical contact. The coins, of course, were all virtual. As we shook hands again, I received a notification from the Atropos Schema in the left side of my vision:


    Bradson has given you 2,000 coins.


    I quickly handed over the items under Bradson¡¯s watchful gaze.


    There were several things that stood out to me during this exchange. The first was that Bradson had access to 2,000 coins. The second was how casually he passed out weapons and equipment to his people. It seemed he knew exactly what each person needed, and he didn¡¯t keep a single thing for himself. The last thing was that he seemed confident that I would give him the equipment after he gave me the money.


    It was clear to me that Bradson and his four followers would act as one group. That left River and the other two people. None of them had said much during that exchange.


    <You gave in too early,> Samantha nagged. <Now everyone else knows they can hold you to a price of 400 coins per weapon.>


    I glanced at the two people who I hadn¡¯t met yet. One was a girl with black hair, earring gauges, and a nose ring. She wore light leather armor, a cloak, and she wielded two swords.


    The other was a man who looked like an office drone. He had pale skin, and was probably between his 30s and 40s. He had a bland expression, and he kept staring off into the distance. He was wearing robes, but even the robes seemed wrinkled on him.


    ¡°Anybody else want anything? 500 coins, unless you¡¯re buying in bulk,¡± I said. As I offered, I glanced around. The number of rocs around us was increasing, but none of them were making any moves to attack us. It made me wonder, how these people had managed to scare off these birds.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take the crossbow,¡± the girl with black hair said.


    She offered her hand, and I shook it.


    Kris has given you 500 coins.


    I passed her the crossbow, and she quickly equipped it.


    ¡°I¡¯d like a wand,¡± the man said. His voice was so soft I could barely hear it.


    He offered a limp hand, and I tried not to squeeze it too hard, fearing I might break it.


    Darrel has given you 500 coins.


    I passed him the wand, and then glanced at River.


    ¡°I¡¯d like your knife,¡± River said, glancing at me. ¡°1,000 coins.¡±


    <Don¡¯t do it!> Samantha said, immediately. <Mana-infused knives are hard to come by. Hopefully, you¡¯ll become a Rune Master soon, and it will help you immensely with that.>


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I said to River. ¡°I¡¯ve grown attached to it.¡±


    River frowned. ¡°What class are you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a Berserker,¡± I said, confidently. It was the lie that Samantha and I had prepared, since Samantha loved to keep her secrets.


    ¡°Then there is no need to keep a knife that gives you a +1 Mana Pool and +1 Mana Regeneration,¡± River shot back.


    I shrugged at that. ¡°It feels special,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s not for sale.¡±


    River didn¡¯t look happy about that, but then she shrugged. ¡°I¡¯ll take the other knife then.¡±


    River has given you 500 coins.


    Around us, the rocs were growing more and more numerous. It reminded me of the Alfred Hitchcock movie¡ªBirds. An ominous gathering of black birds, so far, content to grow in numbers.


    ¡°Crazy shit,¡± I murmured, hoping to break the tense silence. I couldn¡¯t help but wonder if everyone had been this quiet before I came, or if I had somehow changed the mood. Did they not trust me because I took their money? Should I have just given them the equipment without charging anything?


    ¡°Shit¡¯s fucked up,¡± Kris agreed, staring at the nearest roc and plucking at the string of her new crossbow nervously.


    ¡°We were talking about what levels we¡¯d be challenging when the tree blooms,¡± River said. ¡°Darrel, Kris and I will climb to fight the griffins above us. Darrel¡¯s a healer, Kris is close combat, and I¡¯m primarily ranged spells. Bradson and his crew will be on this level. Where do you see yourself?¡±


    ¡°What level are the griffins?¡± I asked, not sure if it was a dumb question.


    ¡°Level 35,¡± River said, nonchalantly. ¡°I¡¯d guess the ground floor is under 15, 2nd story is 15, our level is 25, and so on. Of course, you could always go down to the ground floor. Probably safer there.¡±


    River said it nicely, but it still felt like a taunt.


    <Say that you¡¯ll fight with Bradson for about an hour, and then join River.>


    What? Why?


    <You¡¯ll level up a few times, and then you¡¯ll stand a better chance fighting the griffins.>


    It made sense, I guess. Once my leveling speed slowed down from the level 25 monsters, I could switch to level 35 monsters.


    ¡°I¡¯ll fight with Bradson for an hour, and then I¡¯ll climb up a level,¡± I repeated.


    ¡°If you¡¯re¡ª,¡± River started, but then she cut herself off.


    Behind the rustling sound of birds¡¯ wings, I could faintly hear the sound of someone yelling¡ªa very human yell.


    ¡°Move out,¡± Bradson called, rushing off into the direction of the yelling.


    Bradson¡¯s crew followed in his wake, leaving River, Darrel, Kris, and myself to hold the fort. The rocs inched towards us.


    As the yelling grew closer, I could hear other sounds. Pained caws from the rocs. Furious, frantic, beating wings.


    Since the sun had fully set, the only light came from the green, luminescent moss around us. This allowed the rocs surrounding us to blend into the darkness. They were still visible, but it was hard to tell now exactly how many there were. The nearest rocs still glared at us with yellow eyes.


    Kris scoffed as Bradson¡¯s crew disappeared into the darkness. ¡°And then there were four,¡± she said, sarcastically, followed by a ghostly ¡°oooo-OOOOooohhhh!¡±

 Chapter 10: Blood Waits for No Man

    When Bradson¡¯s crew arrived with the newcomer in tow, I realized why Samantha had encouraged me to try to remove as much blood as I could from myself and my clothing before meeting up with other challengers.


    The newcomer looked like a teenager that had been bullied to an inch of his life. His whole face was smeared in mostly dried blood, except for his nose, which was still bleeding. His bangs were matted onto his forehead through a combination of blood and sweat. He held a sword in his left hand, and his right hand dangled uselessly by his side. A bow was slung over his back, but I couldn¡¯t see any arrows on him. He wore some kind of armor, but it was so shredded and torn I couldn¡¯t tell if it was goblin armor, orc armor, or something else entirely. His skin and features were so hidden by blood and shredded armor that it took me a moment to realize he was Korean, or Korean-American.


    Most striking of all were his eyes¡ªcrazed eyes that darted around back and forth, never glancing at any one thing for longer than a split second.


    ¡°Healer?¡± he croaked. The words sounded painful coming from his throat.


    Darrel spoke up. ¡°I¡¯ll need a live monster. As undamaged as possible.¡±


    River glanced at me. ¡°I would deal too much damage, and Bradson already caught one earlier. Looks like you¡¯re up.¡±


    It was clearly an attempt to watch me in action. But I couldn¡¯t blame them.


    I took one more glance at the newcomer, using my Identify skill. We were all capable of hiding our names, but it was possible people hadn¡¯t realized this, or hadn¡¯t cared.


    His name was Ethan. And from the aura he was giving off, his stats were even higher than mine.


    Ethan clung to the nearby tree trunk, his body shivering. I could hear him muttering, "They''re watching...always watching..."


    "Who''s watching?" River asked, sharply. Ethan''s eyes glanced over to River, and then flicked away.


    "Desroth, but that''s not his name," Ethan mumbled, half to himself. "Not Desroth."


    "He''s cracked," Kris said, loud enough that everyone could hear. "It''s amazing he made it this far."


    "He fell, and he raised himself back up. He bled, and he cauterized his own wounds. He died, and he spat in the face of death itself," Ethan recited it like a mantra. Then, he let go of the tree trunk, and started walking unsteadily towards the nearest roc, weapons raised.


    Bradson exchanged a quick glance with River, and then grabbed Ethan''s upper arm. ¡°Wait until we heal you," he said, in a calming voice. ¡°Rest, for a while.¡±


    Bradson locked eyes with me, then glanced at the flock of nearby rocs.


    Samantha¡¯s outline flickered into existence. The first thing I saw, was that it picked up a shield from the pile of equipment I had laid out earlier.


    ¡°Don¡¯t touch my stuff,¡± I said, sheathing my knife and picking up the wooden shield. Since I already had a primary and secondary weapon slot filled, I wouldn¡¯t receive bonuses from the shield, but that didn¡¯t mean I couldn¡¯t hold it.


    Samantha had picked one of the thicker branches leading away from my group¡¯s tree trunk, directly towards the nearby rocs. There was no point in stealth, since so many of the rocs had their eyes on us. And they seemed more comfortable in the semi-darkness than any of us.


    As I approached them, the birds cawed a warning first. Then, as I grew closer, ten of them flew towards me at the same time.


    There was very little chance to dodge, since it was as though I was walking on a balance beam, and the rocs came at me from various directions. I released my own concerns, and trusted Samantha.


    I put mana into Agility, dodging backwards, and placing the shield at an angle in front of me, hunkering behind it.


    I caught a bird¡¯s beak directly on the shield in front of me, allowing it to push me even further back, back towards where I came from.


    The bird¡¯s beak was buried into my shield. It flapped its wings, trying to push me off my branch.


    I backed up again, slicing the wing off a nearby bird that flew to close to me, using the resistance from the bird to help me keep my own balance as I continued to back up.


    The more I backed up, the less pressure there was from the rocs around me.


    I made it back to my allies. The whole skirmish took less than five seconds.


    It seemed the rocs¡¯ fear of my allies outweighed their anger at me capturing one of their own. They knew better than to approach our tree.


    ¡°What did you say your class was?¡± River asked, giving me a thoughtful glance.


    ¡°Berserker,¡± I said, following my outline and giving the roc a sharp rap on the back of its skull.


    It seemed it was a pressure point of some kind¡ªthe angry roc immediately fell unconscious.


    ¡°It¡¯s all yours.¡± I dragged the shield and roc towards Darrel.Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    ¡°That was a lot of Agility,¡± River said. ¡°It¡¯s important that we¡¯re honest with each other, since we will be having each other¡¯s backs. I¡¯m a fire mage, Darrel is a healer, Kris is a swordswoman, and Bradson is an Axe Warrior.


    I nodded, as if I agreed with her. ¡°Yes, and I¡¯m a berserker,¡± I said, with a cheerful smile. Then I turned to Darrel.


    It was obvious Darrel wasn¡¯t just a healer. If the Atropos Schema were anything like the video games or stories I¡¯d read, healers should spend their mana to help someone recover hit points.


    But Darrel placed one hand on the unconscious roc, and his other hand on Ethan. I continually spammed my Identify skill as I watched them, but it didn¡¯t give me any additional information¡ªat its current level, all it told me was the public information-the names of my companions, and the species of the roc.


    But my eyes told a more detailed story. As Darrel held on to the roc, I could see the roc withering at a rapid rate, and the wide gashes on Ethan¡¯s body sealed themselves at a similar pace. In other words, as the roc lost HP, Ethan gained it.


    It was certainly a useful skill to have available, but it raised the question of how Darrel got this far in the first place.


    I wouldn¡¯t have been able to predict when Darrel finished. Ethan didn¡¯t look that much better. He was still dripping in blood, and his armor was still ragged, but Darrel gave him a cautious pat on the shoulder, attempting to avoid the worst of the blood stains. ¡°All done.¡±


    ¡°My name is River,¡± the self-proclaimed leader of our group said, once Ethan¡¯s eyes had refocused somewhat. ¡°Darrel is the one who healed you, and Kris is the girl with the swords.¡±


    As River spoke, Ethan stripped off his shredded breastplate and walked over to the armor that was still lying on the nearby branches.


    I quickly stepped between him and my stockpile.


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome to buy whatever you like. 1000 coins each,¡± I said.


    ¡°Fuck off,¡± Ethan said. Before I had completely processed what happened, I saw Samantha¡¯s outline moving.


    I dove out of the way¡ªleaping from my branch towards a branch about two yards away. Behind me, I could hear the whistling power of a blade slice where my chest had been. My feet didn¡¯t make the landing, but my arms wrapped around the branch and I lifted myself up quickly.


    Kris was just a few feet away, but she didn¡¯t bend down to help me.


    I watched, with rising resentment, as Ethan donned a goblin breastplate.


    ¡°Are you guys really just going to stand there and let him take my stuff? He almost killed me!¡±


    Bradson shrugged. ¡°You¡¯re lucky we didn¡¯t appropriate your equipment ourselves.¡± He said the word appropriate as if it would justify stealing.


    ¡°Blood waits for no man!¡± Ethan shouted¡ªfar too loudly, really¡ªonce he was fully decked out in my equipment. Then, he ran directly towards the Yanir tree.


    ¡°That makes zero fucking sense,¡± Kris muttered under her breath. I was probably the only one who heard her, since I was standing next to her.


    Ethan moved nimbly on the branches, heading directly towards the densest group of rocs.


    He seemed to only know how to attack. Every strike was a deadly blow, and rocs all around him were falling to their deaths.


    The rest of us were watching Ethan in silence. More specifically, we were watching the nearby rocs to make sure they wouldn¡¯t attack us.


    Kris mimed eating popcorn, and one of the boys in Bradson¡¯s crew snickered.


    ¡°Looks like he¡¯ll be fighting the griffins with us,¡± River said, watching Ethan¡¯s progress.


    To be fair to Ethan, he was certainly holding his own against the rocs.


    ¡°Only if he can last that long,¡± Bradson said, doubt filling his voice. ¡°He¡¯s a classic case of all brawn, no brain.¡±


    ¡°As if saying the word ¡®brawn¡¯ means that saying doesn¡¯t apply to you,¡± Kris shot back, but with a smile.


    Their banter made me wonder how much I had missed out on, earlier. What had it taken, for them to claim this tree so close to the Yanir tree? What had they done to scare off the nearby rocs?


    It also seemed they had come up with a plan, but I hadn¡¯t been briefed, yet.


    ¡°What is the plan? What are we waiting for?¡± I asked.


    River spoke first. ¡°It¡¯s going to be a bloodbath the moment the tree blooms. Resting will let us recover mana and stamina, and then the real battle begins. Do what you need to do. My gut tells me the tree will bloom any moment.¡±


    Ethan wasn¡¯t in sight any more, but from the sounds of battle, it was clear he was still alive, at least.


    I took a minute to review my Status Window. Nothing had really changed, except for the number of coins I had.


    <table width="624">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Name:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    Jarek


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    Level:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    9


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    HP:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    19/19


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    Physical Defense:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    13 (+4)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Strength:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    14 (+2)


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    Mental Power:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    11


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Dexterity:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    10


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    Agility:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    10 (+4)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Mana Pool:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    23 (+1)


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    Mana Regeneration:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    11 (+1)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Available Points:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    0


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    Coins:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    55,880


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Class:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    Mana Modulator (D-rank)


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    Profession:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    None


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Titles:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="468">


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Skills and Spells:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="468">


    Identify (F-rank)


    Mana Modulation (D-rank Core)


    Death¡¯s Defier (A-rank)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Affinities:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="468">


    Internal Mana (D-rank Low)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Equipment:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="468">


    Mana-infused Knife (F-rank): +1 Mana Pool, +1 Mana regen.


    Orc Helmet (F-rank): +2 Physical Defense


    Orc Breastplate (F-rank): +2 Physical Defense


    Orc Boots (F-rank): +2 Agility


    Orlan Blade (E-rank): +2 Strength, +2 Agility


    Interdimensional Pouch (E-rank):


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Next to my Status Window, I clicked on the alpha icon for notifications and re-read the fourth stage¡¯s mission, searching for any clues I¡¯d been missing.


    Welcome to the Yanir Rainforest! Once a year, the Yanir tree blooms with flowers at the heart of the rainforest. As the Yanir tree blooms, it grants nearby beings an increased awareness of their surroundings. Many creatures in the rainforest will fight for a place near the flowers.


    After the blooms fade, participants will be teleported to the next stage.

 Chapter 11: Blood, Pain, Power, Life

    It happened so suddenly I flinched.


    We had just been chatting, making small talk, when all of the rocs around us flooded towards the Yanir tree. They were so tightly packed that there was no room on any of the branches¡ªmany birds were flying in circles in the air, waiting to claim the slightest amount of space. There were so many birds in the air that our main light source¡ªthe green moss on all of the trees¡ªwas barely visible, except for the one tree that we had claimed as our own.


    In addition to the furious cawing from the rocs, I could also make out the sound of screeching bats, and the deeper, more powerful sound of the occasional griffin¡¯s roar.


    ¡°That¡¯s our cue,¡± River said, glancing at Kris.


    Kris moved towards the tree trunk we were next to, and started climbing. River followed Kris, and Darrel followed River.


    ¡°Good luck,¡± River said to Bradson, as she disappeared towards the next level above us.


    ¡°Follow me. Jarek, you¡¯ve got the rear,¡± Bradson said, drawing his axe and rushing along the one branch that led directly towards the Yanir tree.


    Bradson took the brunt of the attacks as he cleared our path.


    The main thing I had to look out for were dive-bombing rocs.


    I focused on following Samantha¡¯s combat shadow, dodging, slashing, and hacking, all the while keeping my balance.


    After advancing slowly, inch by inch, for about a minute, we found our first flower. We were standing on a branch of the Yanir tree, judging from the darker shade of red bark at our feet.


    The flower was pure white, and there was a glowing light surrounding it. Its petals looked like a lotus, folding open from a vertical point.


    ¡°Woah, I feel something!¡± One of Bradson¡¯s boys¡ªthe person directly behind Bradson, closest to the flower¡ªsaid.


    <Tell them to keep moving forward. The flowers will be more densely concentrated the closer you get to the trunk,> Samantha suggested.


    ¡°Bradson! We need to keep moving forward!¡± I shouted over the cawing of the rocs, as I continued to kill the numerous birds that charged at me.


    Bradson shook his head. ¡°We¡¯ll stay here. They can barely keep up,¡± he said, gesturing to his crew. ¡°We¡¯ll take turns standing next to the flower.¡±


    <Leave them> Samantha said immediately. <The closer you get to the trunk, the denser the scent, and the more points you¡¯ll gain for your Perception stat. I can help you hold your own down here.>


    ¡°I¡¯m going to move towards the trunk!¡± I called. ¡°You are welcome to follow if you¡¯d like.¡±


    ¡°We need you here, Jarek!¡± Bradson shouted.


    It was hard, and awkward, passing everybody on the branch. It was like passing someone on a balance beam. It took some increased Agility, but I figured it out.


    ¡°Good luck,¡± I said, slapping Bradson¡¯s shoulder, and rushing towards the flocks of rocs.


    I let myself fully focus on following the combat shadow.


    As I fought, I tried to process the little tricks that Samantha would use. Against hundreds of enemies, fighting on a single line, she made sure that my head was always turning¡ªshooting quick glances to either side, or behind me. My gaze was never focused in any one place, even though I was moving towards the Yanir tree at a steady pace.


    Perhaps because I had no sideways mobility, Samantha made sure I was fighting using my height as an additional dimension. Half the time, I was either crouching or jumping.


    Perhaps the most impressive part was that Samantha could factor in incoming attacks so I could use the rocs to help me keep my balance.


    As I moved forward, the flowers dotting the Yanir tree started growing in denser patterns, just as Samantha had predicted. Samantha was careful to make sure I didn¡¯t touch them, though.


    Once I was just ten feet away from the trunk, I could properly see the Yanir tree.


    The trunk of the Yanir tree was a weird mix of colors. The bark itself was red, following the same hexagonal beehive-type pattern that the other tree trunks had. Growing on the bark was the bioluminescent, green moss, which provided some of the light. Finally, there were dozens of white, glowing flowers sprouting from the trunk and branches of the Yanir tree.


    Aesthetically, it was fairly off-putting.


    But not as aesthetically off-putting as Ethan, who stood in my path. His sword and dagger were raised, but it wasn¡¯t clear whether they were raised at me, or at the rocs that were swarming both of us. He looked a mess¡ªblood dripping down his¡ªmy¡ªgoblin armor, and a long gash along his left arm, and I thought I could see a bone from a knuckle on his right hand.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    Most concerning of all was the manic glint in his eyes.


    ¡°Blood begets pain!¡± he shouted, slashing a nearby roc that tried to unbalance him. It didn¡¯t actually seem like he was talking to me. ¡°Pain begets power!¡±


    ¡°We can help each other!¡± I said. ¡°Let me pass, and I can defend the¡ª¡°


    ¡°Power begets life!¡± Ethan continued, yelling over the din of hundreds of creatures.


    <Just ignore him,> Samantha said.


    I put some mana into Strength and Agility, and then jumped from our branch to a nearby branch. Then I jumped again.


    As I circled around the tree, I saw that there were giant bats fighting the rocs. The bats had a torso the length of my arm, and a wingspan that was a few feet on each side.


    I had thought the rocs were tightly packed, but it was clear their density couldn¡¯t hold a candle to the bats. I could see that many of these bats were gathered in groups, dangling upside down from branches and taking up as little space as possible, while other bats were defending them. They fought in shifts, and they would swarm the rocs¡ªa dozen bats attacking a single roc. When they killed a roc, other bats would gather to defend the carcass while the bats that managed to kill the roc would dig their long fangs into the roc and drink the roc¡¯s blood.


    A quick survey showed me that these vampire bats were also around level 25.


    It seemed I was directly in between the territory of the vampire bats and the rocs, which meant now, I was being attacked by both creatures.


    The vampire bats were faster, more agile, and more annoying. But their health was also incredibly low, so it didn¡¯t take much for me to fight them off.


    I was surprised to find I was able to make it towards the trunk. The bats and rocs were fighting each other viciously. Of course, I was constantly bombarded by flying enemies, but the bats¡¯ primary focus was holding back the rocs, and vice versa.


    I slew bats and rocs alike as I advanced, trusting Samantha as I took heavier and heavier wounds from the vampire bats that were attacking from all sides, as well as the rocs that would rush towards me disregarding their own survival.


    Just as I was starting to panic from my continually decreasing health, I saw a much-needed notification:


    Level up!


    As my wounds healed, I put my free point into Strength. I finally was able to place my back against the Yanir tree. In addition to the stench of blood, I could feel the dense scent of the Yanir flowers all around me, and I could feel something gradually growing inside of me.


    But I couldn¡¯t concentrate on the feeling that the scent was giving me, because Ethan was shouting his three-line mantra nonstop next to me: ¡°Blood begets pain! Pain begets power! Power begets life!¡±


    From the way he fought, it was clear that he was laying everything on the table. However, he was at least smart enough to make sure his back was to the trunk of the Yanir tree, and he didn¡¯t attack me.


    Once I had my back against the tree, I could finally mentally relax. The biggest danger, and threat, earlier, was that attacks were coming from every direction. Now, with Ethan on one side of me, and my back to the tree, I knew I could hold this position for a while.


    I let my mind unfocus, releasing any analytical thoughts and focusing solely on killing the unending stream of creatures that were charging towards me.


    <hr>


    Level up!


    I paused, surprised, mid strike. I didn¡¯t know how much time had passed¡ªhalf an hour? An hour?


    Samantha said.


    I did, and then I surveyed my status sheet as I continued to fight.


    <table width="624">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Name:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    Jarek


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    Level:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    11


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    HP:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    21/21


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    Physical Defense:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    13 (+4)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Strength:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    16 (+2)


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    Mental Power:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    11


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Dexterity:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    10


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    Agility:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    10 (+4)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Perception:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    11


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Mana Pool:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    27 (+1)


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    Mana Regeneration:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    13 (+1)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Available Points:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    0


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    Coins:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    59,960


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Class:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    Mana Modulator (D-rank)


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    Profession:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    None


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Titles:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="468">


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Skills and Spells:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="468">


    Identify (F-rank)


    Mana Modulation (D-rank Core)


    Death¡¯s Defier (A-rank)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Affinities:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="468">


    Internal Mana (D-rank Low)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Equipment:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="468">


    Mana-infused Knife (F-rank): +1 Mana Pool, +1 Mana regen.


    Orc Helmet (F-rank): +2 Physical Defense


    Orc Breastplate (F-rank): +2 Physical Defense


    Orc Boots (F-rank): +2 Agility


    Orlan Blade (E-rank): +2 Strength, +2 Agility


    Interdimensional Pouch (E-rank):


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <As you can see, you¡¯ve unlocked the Perception stat and raised it one point. The longer you stay near these flowers, the faster your Perception will increase. This is a good leveling pace for you¡ªlet¡¯s stay here for a bit longer.>


    I wasn¡¯t going to complain, considering the other option Samantha was considering was sending me up to fight level 35 creatures.


    I raised my sword, tried my best to tune out Ethan¡¯s yelling, and readied myself to continue the battle.

 Chapter 12: Betrayal

    <table width="624">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Name:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    Jarek


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    Level:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    13


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    HP:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    23/23


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    Physical Defense:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    14 (+4)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Strength:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    17 (+2)


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    Mental Power:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    11


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Dexterity:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    10


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    Agility:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    10 (+4)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Perception:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    12


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Mana Pool:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    31 (+1)


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    Mana Regeneration:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    15 (+1)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Available Points:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    0


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    Coins:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    66,440


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Class:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    Mana Modulator (D-rank)


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    Profession:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    None


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Titles:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="468">


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Skills and Spells:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="468">


    Identify (F-rank)


    Mana Modulation (D-rank Core)


    Death¡¯s Defier (A-rank)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Affinities:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="468">


    Internal Mana (D-rank Low)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Equipment:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="468">


    Mana-infused Knife (F-rank): +1 Mana Pool, +1 Mana regen.


    Orc Helmet (F-rank): +2 Physical Defense


    Orc Breastplate (F-rank): +2 Physical Defense


    Orc Boots (F-rank): +2 Agility


    Orlan Blade (E-rank): +2 Strength, +2 Agility


    Interdimensional Pouch (E-rank):


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <It¡¯s time to climb up and fight the griffins,> Samantha said, once I finished allocating my free point.


    This time, following Samantha¡¯s recommendation, I had put the point towards Physical Defense. As the time between each level-up increased, I needed to be more and more cautious of taking any damage at all.  And Physical Defense wasn¡¯t just a damage limiter¡ªit also affected the rate of health regeneration.


    Overall, I couldn¡¯t help but feel some pride at how my Status Window was shaping up.  Especially when I looked at the number of coins that I had gained so far.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± I asked, as I stabbed my sword into the chest of an approaching roc. ¡°The leveling speed here is good.¡±


    <Yes,> Samantha said. <The goal isn¡¯t the leveling speed¡ªit¡¯s the Perception stat, remember. If you climb up, you will level faster and you¡¯ll gain Perception at a faster rate.>


    I shrugged, sheathed my sword, put mana into Strength, and then leapt as high as I could.Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    I wedged my hands and feet into the hexagonal patterns in the bark, and started climbing the Yanir tree.


    A few monsters tried to attack me as I was climbing but most of them held back as they realized that I was leaving the area.


    As I climbed up, I called down to Ethan, ¡°The blood is thicker up here!¡±


    Besides his crazed mantras, Ethan still hadn¡¯t spoken to me. But we¡¯d fought for at least an hour next to each other, and we had both benefited from not attacking each other. He wouldn''t be my first pick of a teammate, but he was effective when it came to killing the rocs and bats.


    I didn¡¯t wait for Ethan¡ªhe would come up if he wanted to.  Meanwhile, I had to climb to the next level of this massive tree before getting skewered by a roc or something.


    ¡°Good, you¡¯re here,¡± River said, glancing down at my head.  I quickly climbed up to her level.


    Kris and Darrel were standing close together on one branch.  Darrel¡¯s back was pressed against the trunk of the Yanir tree, holding on to the unconscious body of a griffin.


    ¡°Cover me. I need to recover my mana,¡± River said. She was standing on her own branch a few feet away from the tree¡¯s trunk, but she gestured to me to take her spot, as she retreated back towards the Yanir tree.


    ¡°Alright,¡± I said. I had been hoping for a bit more teamwork, but whatever.


    The griffins were not nearly as numerous as the bats or the rocs.  However, I could tell at a glance that they were even more dangerous.


    It wasn¡¯t just that their average level was 35. They had sharper, more dexterous claws.  The combination of lion¡¯s paws for their rear legs and eagle legs for their front legs meant they could run and leap as well as fly.  Their wings allowed for agile twists and turns in the air, and their lion¡¯s fur provided a thick, matted defense.


    Four of them charged at me at once, when I took River¡¯s place, and the battle began.


    I rushed forward, directly into the griffin ahead of me.  The other three griffins banked in the air, adjusting their dive towards me.  The griffin directly ahead of me tried to avoid my blade, but I followed its trajectory. I stabbed its neck, killing my first griffin.


    +200 coins


    No wonder Samantha wanted me to fight the griffins. The payout was more than twice as much¡­


    I was already turning, dodging the best I could to escape the beak of one of the other attacking griffins. I took a light gash to my arm from one monster''s claws, as I raised my dagger and slashed the throat of a fourth griffin.


    Everything was moving so fast I had no idea what I was doing, or which griffins I was even attacking, as I followed Samantha¡¯s combat shadow.


    +200 coins


    ¡°Fall back! I need to meditate!¡± River called, in a slightly annoyed tone.


    I realized, then, that I was about ten feet away from River and the trunk of the tree.


    I retreated back to the trunk, and River crouched on her branch and closed her eyes.


    Protecting River meant my options of dodging were much more limited, which meant I ended up taking more damage than I wanted.


    But I managed to hold the branch for a few minutes, and then River joined the battle again, claiming her own branch.


    Any griffin that approached her would be incinerated¡ªeither by a fireball, or by her own flaming hands.


    Meanwhile, Kris and Darrel held their own branch. Kris and I would pass Darrel an unconscious griffin whenever we could, and Darrel would drain the griffin¡¯s health and replenish ours.


    We hit our rhythm, and I let myself sink once again into my killing fugue.  Each move became reflexive, and I lost track of the number of griffins that died at my hands.


    <hr>


    When the sky first started to lighten, the flocks of griffins finally started dwindling.


    At some point over the course of the night, Ethan had joined us in our battle against the griffins. Darrel hadn¡¯t been too happy, grumbling about his incessant need for healing.


    It wasn¡¯t until the first shaft of light struck the Yanir tree that I noticed that some of the flowers were starting to close up.


    I followed Samantha¡¯s combat shadow reflexively, running down the length of one of the branches, slicing and gathering each of the Yanir tree¡¯s flowers that was still open. Once my left hand was full of flowers, I would stuff them into my pouch. It seemed like Samantha had given up on keeping the pouch a secret.


    As I ran, I could see a violent, angry red pus and stench appear from where I plucked each flower.


    ¡°Jarek, stop!¡± River shouted, as I collected as many flowers as I could before they closed.


    <Trust me,> Samantha said, guiding me towards the next branch of flowers to pluck.


    I continued running in an orderly pattern¡ªnever passing over the same area twice, because my gut told me the vivid red pus coming from the tree was deadly.


    I heard an angry roar above me. Glancing up, I could finally make out the creature that had claimed the highest branches of the Yanir tree¡ªa wyvern.


    The wyvern was basically a dragon. Wings, claws, scales, and a mouth that was open, about to breath something directly at me.


    The wyvern roared again, releasing a sickly green gas from its mouth like a pressurized jet of air that billowed towards me.


    I immediately jumped down off the branch I was standing on.


    I didn¡¯t try to land on the level below me.


    Instead, at Samantha¡¯s suggestion, I put all my floating Mana Regeneration points towards my Physical Defense, and I readied myself to land on the ground level of the rainforest.


    I avoided the branches on the level that held the rocs, but the level that held the panthers and snakes was essentially a floor in itself.  I tore through the floor as I fell, grabbing slightly at the branches so I could slow my descent.


    When I hit the ground, my knees immediately caved, and I turned the fall into a roll.


    I struggled to my feet, but before I could run, the world around me shimmered, and I found myself in a completely different setting.


    I was in an open-air theater, surrounded by other people¡ªhumans.


    I didn¡¯t recognize anyone around me.


    Everyone around me had their weapons drawn, confused, as they glanced around them.  I could see some familiar goblin and orc armor on many of the people around me. Swords, wands, staffs, axes, bows, knives¡ªevery single person here was armed and dangerous.


    ¡°What the fuck was that?!¡± I shouted, amid the clamor of voices around me. ¡°Are you trying to get me killed?¡±


    The man who had appeared next to me raised his hands placatingly, stepping backwards with a tense expression on his face.


    <The flowers are worth thousands of coins each,> Samantha said.  <I timed it right, and you barely lost any HP. Also, never talk to me out loud around people.  If anyone realizes you have an A.I. in your head, you are worse than dead.>


    But what about everybody else? They could all be dead right now!  River, Darrel, Kr¡ª


    <Oh, I didn¡¯t know you cared about them,> Samantha said, sounding surprised.  <You barely knew them.>


    What the fuck is wrong with you? You could at least come up with a better lie, I thought back, clenching the sword in my hand in anger.


    <Well, hopefully they are fine,> Samantha said, as if that was it.


    Stop making dangerous plays, I thought¡ªcommanded¡ªtowards Samantha.  If you ever want to earn back the slightest bit of my trust, then I swear you¡¯ll need to listen to me now.  I¡¯m still Jarek. I don¡¯t want to kill innocent people for my own personal gain. I don¡¯t care about the coins, I don¡¯t care about the levels, I just want to find my family again.


    There was a long pause after that.


    <Jarek,> Samantha responded, slowly, with a tinge of regret in her voice. <That¡¯s not going to work.  Your own goals are inconsistent.  If you care about innocent people, then you¡¯ll need to be strong enough to protect them.  You don¡¯t just want to find your family.  You need to think of your long-term goal¡ªyou will need to protect your family from the hundreds of dangers that will plague your world.  I will support your altruism in the future, but you will need to grow stronger no matter what.  If you¡¯re not willing to sacrifice others, then you at least need to be willing to sacrifice yourself.  Ethan had one thing right: Pain begets power, and power begets life. Saving people is fine, finding your family is fine, but the Atropos Schema is a dangerous place, and I will continue to push you to get stronger.>


    Quoting Ethan did not help your case.

 Chapter 13: Auction (Part 1)

    <We¡¯ll have to continue this conversation later,> Samantha said.  It was something I was learning that she loved to do. Putting off tough conversations because of an ¡°urgent¡± matter.  <It looks like things are about to get¡ª>


    ¡°Welcome to the Atropos Schema Hard-mode Tutorial Auction!¡± A man¡¯s voice rang in my ears.  He spoke with a loud, hyped-up voice, and the power and resonance in my own head bespoke magic.


    ¡°Please note that any violence or disruption will result in immediate expulsion from the auction. My name is Mrinda, and I am the representative that the Merchants¡¯ Faction has appointed to lead this auction.¡±


    <Look around the theater.  Try to get a count of how many people are here,> Samantha said. <Stand on a chair if you need to.>


    And now Samantha was back to telling me what to do.


    It was hard, really. She clearly knew a lot more than I did about everything. But it was annoying, how easily she took back control.


    And this was just after she caused the death of my companions by knowingly aggravating a mini-dragon.


    Of course, I could ignore her.  Samantha wasn¡¯t mind-controlling me and making me stand on my chair and look around.


    <For Atropos¡¯ sake,> Samantha said. <If you look around, maybe you will see those companions you claim to care so much about.>


    It felt kind of silly, really, fighting Samantha about something as simple as turning my head.        Especially with the way Samantha framed it¡ªnot looking would be a sign that I didn¡¯t care about my Hard-mode companions.


    The building reminded me of the Colosseum, with elegant stone arches and standing space for thousands of people. I was in the front row, which allowed me to see the stage clearly.  The stage was tiny, compared to the size of the audience stands.  It was about the size of a high school theater¡¯s stage.


    Standing on the stage was a four-foot-tall fairy. My best guess was a fairy mainly because he had translucent, pixie-like wings attached to his back.  The wings were small¡ªit seemed impossible that they would be sufficient to allow him to fly, but there he was¡ªhovering a few feet off the ground.  His body looked thinner, smaller, and lighter than most humans. It wasn¡¯t that he looked like he was all skin and bones.  It was like his body was the size of a prepubescent child, but he had the musculature and features of an adult, without the stockiness of a dwarf.


    <Forget about him. How many people are here?>


    I stood on my seat and glanced up, behind me, at the crowd of people. Tens of thousands? A hundred thousand?


    All I knew was, I saw a lot of people.


    <This is good,> Samantha said. <It¡¯s a good showing for your planet, to have this many people who survived the Hard mode difficulty.>


    ¡°Dude, really?¡± The man behind me said in an incredulous drawl. ¡°Can¡¯t you just stand like everyone else?¡±


    I glanced around and saw that I was getting some angry glares.


    I stepped down from the chair I was on, and turned back towards Mrinda.


    There was this weird dissonance in my brain. Our world was going to hell, and these people cared so much about the etiquette of not standing on my own seat.  Then there was the concern in my head about how quickly I just followed Samantha¡¯s instructions to stand on a chair. Was that mind control? Or was I just so used to following her directions, now? Or did I do it because I wanted to?


    ¡°There are two parts of the auction,¡± Mrinda was saying. ¡°First, there is a silent auction¡ªa list of items you can bid for through the Information Crystals that will appear in front of you.  Then, there are the main items, which will be presented here on the stage.


    ¡°Bidding will happen through your crystals. All bids for the live auction will be public.  Take your time to peruse the silent auction and the live auction item list, and then we¡¯ll get started.¡±


    Mrinda spoke with very little pomp and circumstance, yet at the same time, there was no boredom in his voice. His initial welcome had sounded like a sports announcer, but now, he spoke with a clipped, all-business tone.


    A translucent, blue crystal materialized in front of each person in the audience. There was a collective gasp¡ªeven after everything we had seen so far, seeing something appear out of nowhere still felt shocking.  Especially when you consider the sheer numbers.  Close to 100,000 crystals, magically appearing at the same time? How did they pull that off?


    The crystal was smaller than a Recovery Crystal¡ªabout twice the size of an egg.


    Samantha said.  <If you agree, our goal should be to focus on a Rune Master profession.  It is one of the best professions to match your build, because it will give you additional Mana Pool and Mana Regeneration points per level. The Affinity also pairs well, just trust me on that.>Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    As I put my hand on the Information Crystal, I glanced at my own Status Window, taking stock of the number of coins I had, and the levels that I had gained.


    <table width="624">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Name:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    Jarek


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    Level:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    18


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    HP:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    28/28


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    Physical Defense:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    16 (+4)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Strength:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    20 (+2)


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    Mental Power:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    11


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Dexterity:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    10


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    Agility:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    10 (+4)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Perception:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    20


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Mana Pool:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    41 (+1)


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    Mana Regeneration:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    20 (+1)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Available Points:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    0


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    Coins:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    121,440


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Class:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    Mana Modulator (D-rank)


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    Profession:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    None


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Titles:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="468">


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Skills and Spells:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="468">


    Identify (E-rank)


    Mana Modulation (D-rank Core)


    Death¡¯s Defier (A-rank)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Affinities:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="468">


    Internal Mana (D-rank Low)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Equipment:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="468">


    Mana-infused Knife (F-rank): +1 Mana Pool, +1 Mana regen.


    Orc Helmet (F-rank): +2 Physical Defense


    Orc Breastplate (F-rank): +2 Physical Defense


    Orc Boots (F-rank): +2 Agility


    Orlan Blade (E-rank): +2 Strength, +2 Agility


    Interdimensional Pouch (E-rank):


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    I¡¯d leveled up quickly against the griffins, clearly.


    <The most important thing to note,> Samantha said, <Is the 20 Perception. Increasing your Perception has several benefits. The only one that shows up on your Status Window is that it has now forcefully upgraded your Identify skill to E-rank.  But the main benefit of this increased Perception is that you¡¯ll just see, hear, and feel things in more detail, and you can basically see in the dark. It¡¯s hard to emphasize how useful this is.>


    I was certainly coming into this situation from a position of power.  I¡¯d gained a load of levels during the latest round of the tutorial.  Thanks to being the second to finish the first three stages, I had gained 50,000 coins.  Now, it seemed, those coins would pay off.


    Glancing around, I noticed that the people in this front row held a particularly dangerous aura about them.


    Is my wealth the reason I¡¯m in the front row?


    <Yes, it is,> Samantha¡¯s voice appeared in my head.  <But your current wealth is just the start.  First, we need to sell the Yanir flowers.  Open up the crystal.>


    With my hand on the Information Crystal, my whole vision was soon covered in words. It was something like a website, except everything was projected in translucent blue text.  The current page showed categories of silent auction items.  Weapons, equipment, classes, professions, single-use items, permanent stat boosts, materials, ingredients, and so on.


    I pushed back against the slight feeling of gratitude towards Samantha. It did help, having a sense of what path I wanted to pursue. But it was worrying, how quickly I found myself forgiving her.  She was probably still controlling my emotions, somehow.


    I clicked on a separate tab to sell items.


    <Take out half of the flowers to sell.  Let¡¯s see what they offer.>


    I felt several attentive eyes on me as I took flowers out of my Interdimensional Pouch.


    I laid the flowers on the ground, and then I selected the Appraise icon in my field of vision.


    A blue light shone around me, gathering more glances from the people around me.


    Yanir Flowers (E-rank) x10: Trade-in value: 5000 coins each.


    Confirm trade? Y/N


    <It¡¯s a complete rip-off,> Samantha said. <But you should still go for it.>


    Once I confirmed the trade, I was 50,000 coins richer.  Still not worth it, I told Samantha.


    <I won¡¯t argue with you about it,> Samantha responded. <Although, everyone is probably still fine.  Ethan is about ten seats to your left in the second row, and he looks the same.>


    I hid the text in my vision and glanced up in surprise. Sure enough, Ethan¡ªlooking maybe a bit more beat-up than I remembered¡ªwas studying his crystal carefully.


    <And Bradson looks like he¡¯s doing well. Directly behind you, about twenty rows back.>


    If this was a power play, a look how impressive I am, then it was working.


    I¡¯d spent a few seconds glancing around the whole stadium, and Samantha was able to pick out their faces so quickly from tens of thousands of people?


    I glanced towards Bradson.  Surprisingly, he wasn¡¯t focused on his crystal. Instead, he was in the midst of a crowd of about twenty people.  Mostly men, buzz-cut hair, very little facial hair, muscular builds¡ªI didn¡¯t need an A.I. in my head to tell me that maybe they were all from the military.


    They were shaking hands, and even their handshakes looked unnecessarily firm. It could be they were greeting each other, but it was also possible they were sharing funds¡­


    They were the closest group to me that had formed, but they weren¡¯t the only one. I could see a half dozen other groups forming in the area as well.


    <It¡¯s a good strategy,> Samantha said, as I glanced at the groups around me. <Our seats are organized by two criteria. More money means you¡¯re towards the front, and the people directly to your right and left are the people who were closest to you at the time the tutorial started.  If they can gather funds effectively, they may put some pressure on our plans.>


    <When you¡¯re ready, I suggest you take a look at the rune pattern blueprints,> Samantha suggested.


    It was disconcerting, how polite she was being. When you¡¯re ready?  I scoffed mentally.

 Chapter 14: Auction (Part 2)

    I glanced away from Bradson, not wanting him to notice that I was staring at him. Or, not wanting him to notice that I was here. He had plenty of reasons to not like me.


    I buried my head, focusing on the silent auction screen that originated from the Information Crystal in my hand. With a few commands, I found the lists of dozens of rune pattern blueprints. It was fairly overwhelming.


    <I recommend that you place a bid on these items first. Raise the bids to half the buyout price.>


    Superimposed on the screen, I could see a few items underlined in red.


    For the silent auction, most items were in the F-rank, with a small minority in the E-rank. I couldn¡¯t see any D-rank items available.


    I looked at the three items Samantha was highlighting. Each one was an F-rank blueprint.


    Durability Rune Pattern Blueprint (F-rank): Necessary to create a Durability Rune Pattern (F-rank). When complete, the Durability Rune Pattern increases an item¡¯s durability. Equipped items with the Durability Rune Pattern add +2 to the owner¡¯s Physical Defense.


    Strength Rune Pattern Blueprint (F-rank): Necessary to create a Strength Rune Pattern (F-rank). When complete and equipped, adds +2 to the owner¡¯s Strength.


    Proximity Ward Blueprint (F-rank): Necessary to create a Proximity Ward (F-rank). When complete and equipped, alerts the owner of any approaching beings within a 10-yard radius.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it risky to bid for these without gaining the profession yet?¡±


    <You have enough money that you shouldn¡¯t be too concerned,> Samantha responded. <Hopefully, by placing high bids on the blueprints, we can scare off competition early. If we claim some rune patterns now, it will make others less excited to compete for the E-ranked Rune Master profession, which will be part of the live auction.>


    I saw a tab in my screen that listed the upcoming items for the live auction, and selected it.


    There wasn¡¯t a single F-ranked item in the live auction. In fact, it was rare to see E-ranked items as well. It seemed that the E-ranked auction items were classes, professions, and consumables that would give permanent stat increases. The majority of the live auction items were D-rank weapons, armor, and potions.


    Included about halfway down the list was the profession that Samantha suggested I buy:


    Rune Master (E-rank Profession): Allows you to learn and complete Rune Patterns up to E rank. Teaches Mana Sensing (E-rank). +1 Mana Pool per level. Grants External Unattributed Mana Affinity (E-rank).


    There were no D-rank professions available in the auction, so it really seemed like this was the best profession for me to pick. There were dozens of F-rank Rune Master professions in the silent auction, but those didn¡¯t offer any stat bonuses. I¡¯m sure if I were to suggest them to Samantha, she would scoff and call them trash.


    There were clear benefits to gaining a high-ranking profession as early as possible.


    I switched my screen back to the three blueprints I had been looking at earlier. Each blueprint had about five copies or so.


    They were all priced around the same amount, and rising slowly. 5,000, 5,500, 6,000.


    The buyout prices for each one of these blueprints was 20,000 coins. Following Samantha¡¯s advice, I placed a 10,000 bid on each one of the three blueprints I was interested in.


    With that, I was down 30,000 coins. Of course, if someone outbid me, then I would get my money back. But that was unlikely, at least for a while, because there were multiple identical copies of the same blueprints.This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    Despite my lack of trust in Samantha when it came to life-and-death decisions, I still believed she would help me spend my money as effectively as possible.


    Samantha said. <Someone¡¯s coming.>


    I did, and I saw someone shake the hand of the man next to me, and then approach me.


    ¡°Hi, I¡¯m Uman,¡± the man said, reaching out to shake my hand. He had an appropriately faint smile¡ªI could see worry in his eyes, but the smile hid some energy and optimism that I just couldn¡¯t garner.


    ¡°Jarek,¡± I said, offering my hand and preparing myself for a battle of strength. Uman didn¡¯t look particularly strong, but stats could be incredibly deceiving¡ªjust because I was twice as strong as I was before the Schema appeared, didn¡¯t mean I was twice as muscular.


    Uman shook my hand normally and let it go soon after.


    ¡°I¡¯m from St. Louis,¡± he said. ¡°You?¡±


    ¡°L.A.,¡± I offered.


    ¡°We¡¯ve got people from all over the world in this front row,¡± Uman said, with the same faint smile. He had a calming voice, almost like a therapist. ¡°Whatever¡¯s happening, for better or worse, we¡¯re all in this together. Come find me in St. Louis, some day.¡±


    I nodded at that, and Uman moved on to the person next to me.


    It was a reasonable move, I figured. Everybody in the front row was a wealthy person among the Hard Mode challengers. Networking certainly made sense, but it didn¡¯t appeal to me right now.


    ¡°Well, well, well, what a lively bunch of participants we have today,¡± Mrinda said, projecting his voice into the ears of the thousands of people around him.


    I flinched, and glanced up at him.


    ¡°Unfortunately, our time at this auction is limited. Allow me to present our first item for the live auction¡ªMurin¡¯s Edge!


    ¡°As a D-rank weapon, this sword will give you +5 Agility and +5 Strength. The associated skill¡ª¡°


    <Don¡¯t even think about bidding on it,> Samantha cut in over Mrinda¡¯s voice. <Weapons are one of the worst things to buy in these auctions, and swords even more so. They will always be extremely overpriced compared to the other items.>


    The bidding reached a fervor quickly.


    As I glanced around the stands, I noticed that a light would shine on the leading bidder.


    The bidding slowed down when the price reached 70,000 coins, and it ended at 90,000 coins.


    Because of the structure of the stands, I could see who had purchased it clearly. The front row seats formed a complete circle around the stage, but the stage was small enough that everyone in the front row could easily make eye contact.


    The winner was a man who was likely in his fifties, with a wiry build that made me think he ran triathlons or something.


    ¡°Our second item is a cloak that can hide you from your enemies in broad daylight¡ª¡°


    <Take a look at the information screen,> Samanatha interrupted Mrinda again. <Most people won¡¯t be watching the silent auction now. It¡¯s a good time to buy out a few of the undervalued goods.>


    A cloak of invisibility sounded incredibly useful. But I turned my eyes away from the main event and glanced at what Samantha had pulled up on the screen in front of me.


    There were about a half dozen materials that had very little information about them.


    Stilwark Leather (E-rank) x50: Leather made from the hide of a Stilwark.


    Mana Beads (F-rank) x50: Processed, crystalized mana that can serve many purposes.


    Reinforced Granite Tile (F-rank) x100: A rather smooth stone tile that holds mana well.


    Ayoxa Sap (F-rank) x50: A small vial of somewhat sticky sap that comes from an Ayoxa tree.


    <As an E-rank Rune Master, you can¡¯t just add runes to anything. F-rank rune patterns would require F-rank materials,> Samantha explained. <You see, runes are highly concentrated mana. If mana is concentrated in a low-quality material, then the material will deteriorate. In the Atropos Schema¡¯s terms, eventually, the durability would fall to 0.>


    <There is no guarantee that you¡¯ll be able to find materials easily in your world, and the buyout price for these is relatively low. It¡¯s not worth it to buy these yet, but once you have your profession, then you should buy multiple stacks of these.>


    Makes sense, I said, somewhat begrudgingly.


    Samantha showed me a few other items to put in my watch-list, leaving me with the distinct impression that she was trying to distract me from the high profile weapons, armor, and equipment that were currently being auctioned off.


    ¡°And now,¡± Mrinda said, with a flair. ¡°I¡¯d like to introduce an E-rank profession, Rune Master! Not only will this allow you to learn E-rank blueprints and form E-rank runes, but it will also add +1 to your Mana Pool every time you level up!¡±


    I immediately placed the first bid at 100,000 coins.


    The scare tactics didn¡¯t work¡ªafter a brief pause, the group of American Armed Forces raised the price to 110,000.


    I bid 130,000, and there was a brief pause again.


    ¡°One more thing,¡± Mrinda added. ¡°For anyone looking for a particular synergy, you may have noticed that we have an E-rank blueprint coming up later in our auction¡ªA blueprint for an Interdimensional Pouch! Do I hear any bids higher than the gentleman in the front¡­¡±


    Mrinda was met with silence, and I won the E-rank Profession.


    The profession, in the form of a small, leather book, disappeared from Mrinda¡¯s hands, and then reappeared in mine.


    Not wanting to waste time, I immediately activated the book, confirming with the Schema that I wanted to gain the profession.


    Congratulations! You have changed your profession to Rune Master (E-rank). You can now complete Rune Patterns up to E-rank. +1 Mana Pool per level. You have gained External Unattributed Mana Affinity (E-rank).


    You have learned Mana Sensing (E-rank): Allows you to see your mana, and high concentrations of mana nearby. When activated, allows you to sense nearby mana in greater detail. Cost: 10 Mana per minute. Cooldown: None.


    <That cost more than I anticipated,> Samantha said. <Hurry and sell more flowers. We need the Interdimensional Pouch Rune Pattern Blueprint too.>


    For once, I was completely on board with Samantha¡¯s instructions.

 Chapter 15: A New World

    <table width="624">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Name:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    Jarek


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Level:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    18


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    HP:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    28/28


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Physical Defense:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    16 (+4)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Strength:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    20 (+2)


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Mental Power:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    11


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Dexterity:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    10


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Agility:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    10 (+4)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Perception:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    20


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Mana Pool:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    41 (+1)


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Mana Regeneration:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    20 (+1)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Available Points:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    0


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Coins:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    0


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Class:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    Mana Modulator (D-rank)


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Profession:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    Rune Master


    (E-rank)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Titles:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="468">


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Skills and Spells:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="468">


    Identify (E-rank)


    Mana Modulation (D-rank Core)


    Death¡¯s Defier (A-rank)


    Mana Sensing (E-rank)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Affinities:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="468">


    Internal Mana (D-rank Low), External Unattributed Mana (E-rank Low)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Equipment:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="468">


    Mana-infused Knife (F-rank): +1 Mana Pool, +1 Mana regen.


    Orc Helmet (F-rank): +2 Physical Defense


    Orc Breastplate (F-rank): +2 Physical Defense


    Orc Boots (F-rank): +2 Agility


    Orlan Blade (E-rank): +2 Strength, +2 Agility


    Interdimensional Pouch (E-rank):


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    As the auction wrapped up, I tried to process everything I had gained.  Most notably, I now had a profession and the tools to develop it.  I had four rune pattern blueprints:


    Durability Rune Pattern Blueprint (F-rank):  Necessary to create a Durability Rune Pattern (F-rank).  When complete, the Durability Rune Pattern increases an item¡¯s durability. Equipped items with the Durability Rune Pattern add +2 to the owner¡¯s Physical Defense.


    Strength Rune Pattern Blueprint (F-rank): Necessary to create a Strength Rune Pattern (F-rank).  When complete and equipped, adds +2 to the owner¡¯s Strength.


    Proximity Ward Blueprint (F-rank): Necessary to create a Proximity Ward (F-rank).  When complete, alerts the owner of any approaching beings within a 10 yard radius.


    Interdimensional Pouch Rune Pattern Blueprint (E-rank): When complete, turns a pouch into an Interdimensional Pouch (E-rank).  Creates a weightless interior space of 5x5x5 feet.A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    In addition to the blueprints, I had bought as many sets of materials to complete each item as possible.


    Fortunately, materials were far cheaper than blueprints and professions.  I had Stilwark Leather for Interdimensional Pouches, Reinforced Granite tiles for Proximity Wards, and Mana Beads for the Strength Rune Pattern and the Durability Rune Pattern.  Since I would be turning the leather into pouches, Samantha also had me buy a needle made of an E-rank metal and a spool of very sturdy thread.


    On top of all this, Samantha had me spend down to my last coin on what she called essential goods¡ªa water flask that would refill itself every 24 hours, a compass that would point to the nearest town, a mana-based lighter, and so on.


    ¡°And with that, ladies and gentlemen,¡± Mrinda said, flapping his translucent wings in excitement, ¡°We will conclude the Atropos Schema Hard-mode Tutorial Auction!  Don¡¯t forget to reach out to me at the Merchants¡¯ Faction if you need anything in the future. I believe you all have a planet to defend, so farewell, my friends!¡± Mrinda smiled at everyone, and then in a flash, the world around me disappeared.


    <hr>


    I reappeared standing on top of my bed in my small apartment in L.A.


    I stood motionless for a moment, taking everything in.


    I had been thinking, hoping, this whole time that everything was just a dream. But here I was, back in my room, fully decked out in armor, with a sword in one hand and a knife in the other.


    If this was a dream, then it was a hell of a long nightmare.


    Glancing around my room, I could immediately tell that something was wrong.  There were small differences.  My tv was gone. My laptop was gone. Even the lightbulbs were gone. The walls were slightly cracked, and several books had fallen out of my bookshelf, lying half-open on the floor.  The only light present came from the sunlight streaming through the narrow window in my apartment.


    At first, I thought someone had robbed me. But most of the room looked completely untouched.


    Samantha? Why does everything look different?


    <Congrats on making it back to your world, Jarek,> Samantha said, with her all-too-familiar, fake-positive tone. <The simplest answer is that most electronics and higher technology have been removed from your world by the Atropos Schema. You¡¯ll be hard-pressed to find working computers, cars, planes, electric grids, generators, guns, and so on.>


    How¡ªhow is that even possible? And why would the Atropos Schema care?


    Samantha sighed. <For the how, it¡¯s one of the differences in your world now that you¡¯ll just have to accept.  The Atropos Schema has spread its natural laws to your dimension by expanding its Domain.  The Schema is a mana-based system, and it is prejudiced against non-magical technology, so it basically edited out all the technology in your world.>


    <What used to be impossible is now commonplace.  If you¡¯re confused about the disappearance of technology, then you¡¯ll probably want to sit down when I tell you all the other changes that are going on.  Magic is an obvious new change to your world, and monsters are already being teleported into your world as well.>


    I didn''t sit down.  I started pacing, back and forth, from my desk--missing my computer--to my living room, where my mounted TV should be. My TV and my computer, both the most expensive things in my apartment, the only two things I had ever splurged on in my life, were gone.


    Samantha, of course, continued as though this were par for the course.  <Another important change to the very fabric of reality is Luck¡ª Luck is a hidden stat, and if you can raise it, then you are more likely to encounter fortuitous events and get better loot. You¡¯ll have a bit of a boost with Schema Missions, too.>


    That still makes no sense, I thought back. As usual, Samantha was quick to move on to her next topic¡ªLuck¡ªbut I was still caught up on losing technology.   I¡¯m sure you can do the exact same things using mana or modern technology. Right? Why bother removing our technology?


    <Theoretically, the higher technology from your world could be useful when it comes to exploring other dimensions, or escaping the Atropos Schema¡¯s Domain without leaving mana trails. The Atropos Schema is fairly adept at tracking mana-based dimensional breaches, but a teleporter or spaceship that is not based on mana could allow someone to sneak around without the Atropos Schema noticing.>


    It took me a moment to fully focus on what Samantha was saying, and then something clicked.


    Is that how your vial was placed in the tutorial?


    <As I mentioned earlier, I don¡¯t actually know how it happened. But if I had to guess, I¡¯d say yes, someone probably entered your tutorial using mana-free technology.  Anyway, we could talk about this all day.  Honestly, you need to work on getting your priorities straight.  Aren¡¯t you hoping to find your brother and sister?  Where are they?>


    They live in Boston, Massachusetts, I thought back, despondently.  The other side of the country.  My priorities have been straight this whole time.  No planes, no trains, no cars--how the hell am I supposed to get to Boston?


    I wanted to punch a wall, but Samantha had mentioned ¡°monsters entering your world¡± a dozen times already.  I couldn¡¯t see or hear any monsters yet, but that didn¡¯t mean they weren¡¯t around.   I wouldn¡¯t mind punching a monster right now, actually. But I didn¡¯t want to follow Samantha¡¯s combat shadow.


    <Alright,> Samantha said. <Let me give you a bit of an overview of how your world works now. Your world has been broken into categories and subcategories.  The biggest, most general category is naturally your World. Then the World is broken into a number of Zones.  Zones will generally be the size of continents.  The Zones are broken into Regions, and the Regions are broken into Districts.  If we were lucky, your family would be in the same Region as you are in. But it sounds like that¡¯s not going to be the case.>


    Samantha paused to let that sink in, and then continued. <Districts are controlled by a Town¡¯s Mayor.  Regions are controlled by a City¡¯s Lord. If you control a Capital City, then you control a Zone. If you control a World City, then in the Schema¡¯s eyes, you control the World.>


    This was good stuff to know, although I wasn¡¯t sure yet how it would connect back to my family.


    <Anyway, tying this back to your family,> Samantha continued, anticipating my frustration. <You saw the Town Tokens and the City Token at the auction, right?  Once people build a Schema-recognized town using a Town Token, the mayor can purchase a Teleportation Circle from the town shop.  With the basic Teleportation Circle, any towns in the same Region could connect, as long as their circle is set to public.>


    I took out the compass that Samantha had encouraged me to buy. A compass that would point to the nearest Schema-recognized establishment.


    The compass pointed to the west.


    <But a town with a Teleportation Circle wouldn¡¯t be enough. The Teleportation Circle inside a town will only allow you to travel to locations in the same Region.  You would need to find or develop a city, so that you could travel to other Regions.>


    I glanced briefly out the window.  I lived in an apartment in South Central Los Angeles.  I was on the third floor, which gave me some sense of safety, considering the approaching monsters.


    The streets were ominously empty.  I couldn¡¯t see anybody, anywhere. No monsters, no people. I could see cracks in the street, as though there had been a massive earthquake, and several buildings around me had collapsed.


    Samantha was giving me too much information. I¡¯d just take things one step at a time. First, find a town.


    I started gathering anything that seemed remotely useful from my apartment. I had a seldom-used hiking backpack in my closet, which I stuffed with boring things¡ªa some clothes, a set of cooking knives, a pot and a pan, an extra water bottle, matches, and the like.


    I still felt like hiding the existence of my magic pouch when I could, so I was going to wear my backpack as I explored.


    <Before you go, I would recommend you practice your profession here, since this seems like a fairly safe location,> Samantha said. <The ability to sell a second Interdimensional Pouch would be huge.  Additionally, the longer you wait here, the more likely a closer town will appear¡ªcloser to you, or closer to your family.  It is extremely unlikely for a Teleportation Circle to open up so quickly near your family, or near us.  Give it a day or so. Then a town might appear closer to where you are.


    I thought about it. Excited as I was to find my family, Samantha was right.  And for once, it seemed Samantha was advocating for the safer option.


    I discarded my packed bag on the ground, opened my pouch, and started taking out the necessary materials to make a Proximity Ward.


    It was time to see what my profession was all about.

 Chapter 16: A Lesson in Runes

    I sat down at my computer-less desk, and bitterly shredded the more obnoxious of my unpaid bills.


    Once my desk was completely cleared off, I turned it into a Rune Master¡¯s workbench. I had my Mana-Infused Knife, a stack of Reinforced Granite Tiles, and vials of Ayoxa Sap.


    <There are three core components to this ward scheme,> Samantha explained, as she guided me through the first steps of the Proximity Ward.


    <The first part is the activation condition¡ªsomeone approaches. The second is the effect¡ªyou will be alerted. The third part is the power source¡ªwhere do you want the mana to come from? Now that you have the Mana Sensing skill, you will be able to tell that there is mana in the air around us. Fortunately, there are ways to collect this mana. One component of your Proximity Ward is the Mana Collection rune, which will allow the Reinforced Granite Tile to passively collect small amounts of mana.>


    <Normally, you would want to tie your wards to Mana Beads or Mana Shards, which function as batteries. However, this Proximity Ward is efficient enough that a battery isn¡¯t necessary.>


    That¡¯s great and all, I muttered back, But can you just shut up while I focus on these patterns?


    Creating runes was extremely taxing, I was quickly realizing.


    Sending out my mana to form rune patterns might sound easy, but it was an incredibly delicate process. It was like when you paint, making sure each brush stroke looked exactly the same. I had to send out exactly the right amount of mana through my Mana-infused Knife, which functioned as my focus.


    More advanced Rune Masters would be capable of making their mana stay in one place until each rune was finished, at which point the mana would be magically locked into place. This would require a higher level of Mana Control, which I did not have yet.


    This was why Samantha had me buy the Ayoxa Sap. Before I started forming the symbols with my mana, I covered the granite tile with Ayoxa Sap, which had the ability to glue mana in place.


    Now, I could take as long as I wanted to form each rune for the Proximity Ward.


    The whole time, I had to keep my Mana Sensing skill active, or I wouldn¡¯t be able to see any of the mana that comprised the rune patterns I was making.


    With Mana Sensing active, I could see floating white specks in the air¡ªambient mana, according to Samantha. And whenever I sent out my own mana through my knife, I saw a bright white strand of mana leaving my knife, like a glowing thread.


    The greater the density of the mana, the brighter it shone.


    I worked painstakingly for a half hour. It gave me a headache, staring at such a bright light for so long.


    Instead of a translucent outline of myself, Samantha was superimposing what the completed version of my rune pattern should look like on the tile.


    It was impressive, because no matter what angle I looked at the tile from, I could see slightly glowing lines that indicated what my next line should look like.


    I thought I was doing well, until Samantha cut in, <No¡ªyou can¡¯t cross those two lines. We¡¯ll have to start over.>


    ¡°What?¡± I half-shouted. ¡°Can¡¯t we just remove the mana or something and try again?¡±


    <Nope,> Samantha said, popping the p-sound for emphasis. <You¡¯ll have to be more careful next time. Now that you have some appreciation for how hard this should be, it¡¯s time to cheat a bit. I want you to raise your Dexterity¡ªlet¡¯s put 14 Mana per minute into raising your Dexterity. Also, you should switch back into your magician¡¯s robes, since those stat boosts will help you more.>


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t we do that in the first place then,¡± I muttered.


    <It¡¯s good for you to get a feeling for how hard this should be before we use our cheat-like abilities,> Samantha said, smugly. <And you also shouldn¡¯t rely on me so much. Why didn¡¯t you suggest this? What, did you think Dexterity was a useless stat? Dexterity is similar to fine motor skills¡ªprecision and finesse. High Dexterity is required of almost any profession. Potions making, blacksmithing, you name it.>


    I let out a low whistle. It seems I hadn¡¯t fully appreciated yet, how OP my class was. I could develop a profession, without ever having to sink a point into Dexterity¡­


    After I put on my Magician¡¯s Robes, my Mana Regeneration reached 23 mana per minute.


    During the tutorial, I had grown increasingly comfortable using Samantha¡¯s technique of creating ¡°floating points¡±¡ªholding the mana that my body created outside of my mana center in 30 second intervals, and then expending that mana every 30 seconds. As a result, I could continually spend mana using Mana Regeneration, without ever touching my Mana Pool.


    By putting 7 mana towards Dexterity every thirty seconds, I was raising my Dexterity up to 17. With 17 Dexterity, I completed the Proximity Ward in about ten minutes.You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    The whole tile¡ªabout four inches by four inches, front and back¡ªwas completely covered by intricate lines of mana. I couldn¡¯t help but feel slightly appreciative of Samantha. With her descriptions as I worked, the patterns seemed to make more sense. The original activation condition¡ªsomeone approaching within a 10 yard radius¡ªreally functioned by sensing changes in the surrounding mana. In virtually every creature, mana was more densely concentrated than a normal environment.


    As Samantha explained how the Mana Collection rune also doubled as core of the Mana Sensing Rune Cluster, I started to suspect that she had actually chosen the Proximity Ward because it lent itself so easily to Rune lessons. Ward patterns, she explained, were made up of multiple Rune Clusters, which were made up of various runes linked together. More efficient Rune Patterns would have the same runes that are used in multiple Rune Clusters.


    Samantha also had me practice modifying the Proximity Ward. I created a Proximity Ward that would sense intruders in an 11-foot radius. The predictable catch was that increasing the surveillance area also increased the mana cost. This deceptively small increase in the radius actually increased the mana cost per minute by 20%, which meant the ward would not last as long before needing to be recharged.


    The most confusing part of the Proximity Ward was how exactly the ward notified the owner. The Proximity Ward could interface with the Schema¡¯s blue notifications, which, to the best of my understanding, Samantha explained away as ¡°Soul magic mumbo jumbo.¡±


    After practicing the Proximity Ward, I moved on to the Durability Rune Pattern Blueprint. For the Durability Rune Pattern, Samantha and I had purchased several inexpensive helmets, each with a Mana Bead socketed to the forehead. The Mana Bead was a white, perfectly spherical crystal that was just smaller than a pea.


    <The Durability Rune Pattern is a classic example of the trade-offs that Rune Masters make on a regular basis,> Samantha started, and I immediately realized I was in for another lesson.


    <The Durability Rune Pattern is relatively simple. It has four core rune clusters. The first one is based around the Mana Collection Rune. The second is the Mana Storage. The Mana Storage rune cluster is centered around the Mana Bead, which is what you will be using as the battery. The third is the cluster that utilizes the existing mana to strengthen an object, and the fourth is something of a valve which siphons off a set amount of mana at a continual rate towards your soul, increasing your Physical Defense on your Status Window. Why did you stop? Start tracing the helmet again¡­>


    I resumed tracing the sap-covered helmet with the Durability Rune Pattern that Samantha was overlaying in my vision. Working on a helmet just served to remind me how easy the tile had been. All the runes were slightly contorted due to the curvature of the helmet. With Samantha¡¯s guidance, it felt like someone was telling me exactly how to complete a 3-d puzzle, step by step.


    <If you¡¯re making something you want to last for a long time, you need to make sure you balance the effects of each one of these clusters. If you tell the cluster to collect and store more mana than the material can naturally hold, then the material will have a natural rate of decay¡ªits durability will decrease over time. One solution is to make sure the rate of collection perfectly balances the rate of consumption¡ªthat way, the item will consistently be stronger than it would be otherwise, at no cost to itself. The only cost is to the environment¡ªthe Mana Collection Rune drains mana from the environment.>


    Samantha continued, <The downside to this, though, is that the bonus is very small. Taking a large amount of damage just once can be more useful than being able to resist slightly more pressure than you would have otherwise. This is where the storage rune cluster comes in. Ideally, the stored mana would be transferred to an attached Mana Bead or Mana Shard¡ª>


    ¡°Samantha,¡± I said, cutting her off, ¡°I think I¡¯m losing it. Can you just give me like a minute to myself? I feel like you¡¯ve been talking to me nonstop, and I¡¯m still not over the fact that you might have killed my friends in the tutorial.¡±


    <Alright, Jarek. Let me know when you¡¯d like to learn more. I would like to let you know, though, that the things that I am explaining will be essential for you to understand if you ever want to move beyond an E-rank profession.>


    ¡°Are you serious?¡± I asked, feeling a wave of exasperation rush over me. ¡°Advancing past an E-rank profession is the last thing on my mind right now. I just want to find my family. I thought our plan was to make something valuable to sell for a bunch of coins so that we could pay a town mayor to open a Teleportation Circle. I didn¡¯t think I was going to get a lesson in how to make useless variations of rune patterns.¡±


    <They are not useless variations,> Samantha huffed. <But I suppose we can jump ahead to the Interdimensional Pouch after you finish your current Durability Rune Pattern.>


    <hr>


    It took me what was left of the day, and into the night, with several scrapped attempts, to make my first Interdimensional Pouch. I had thought that the Proximity Ward and Durability Rune Pattern were complicated, but I was woefully mistaken.


    The first problem was that this was a relatively small pouch¡ªcertainly smaller than the helmet. There was only so much space for an extremely elaborate rune pattern, which meant I had to make each rune extremely small. Even with extra Dexterity, it was incredibly difficult.


    The second problem was that Samantha was pissed and snippy the whole time because I¡¯d cut her lessons short earlier.


    The biggest surprise about the pouch was how much mana it required to function.


    <Interdimensional Pouches are mana hogs,> Samantha had said. <Even if we covered the whole surface with mana collection runes, it wouldn¡¯t collect enough mana fast enough to power the thing. So the solution is to set aside a portion of the interior of the pouch for the power source that keeps it running. This is where your Mana Beads come in. It will take about a Mana Bead a day to keep an E-rank pouch working. Since you bought your pouch from the Schema, it came with a Mana Shard, which will keep it powered for about a hundred days.>


    I fastened a Mana Bead to the inside of the Interdimensional Pouch, and then after making sure the runes were all connected properly, I activated the pouch.


    I glanced around my apartment, looking for things to put in.


    I grabbed a couple cereal boxes from the kitchen, touching them against the pouch and willing them inside the pouch.


    Interdimensional Pouches had high-level magic that was capable of discerning intent. I could put in Froot Loops and Lucky Charms cereal, and then picture the cereal box I wanted to take out, and somehow the pouch knew.


    On an unrelated note, the silver lining of working into the night was the confirmation that my 20 Perception essentially gave me night vision. I couldn¡¯t see much color once it was truly dark, but I had a gut feeling that night vision would be extremely useful in the future-especially in a world without electricity.


    I wasn¡¯t sure how long it had been since I last slept¡ªmy sense of time in the tutorial had been incredibly skewed¡ªbut I knew I was exhausted, so I crawled back into my bed and fell asleep quickly.

 Chapter 17: Moss

    <table width="624">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Name:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    Jarek


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Level:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    18


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    HP:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    28/28


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Physical Defense:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    16 (+2)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Strength:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    20 (+2)


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Mental Power:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    11


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Dexterity:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    10


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Agility:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    10 (+4)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Perception:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    20


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Mana Pool:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    41 (+1)


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Mana Regeneration:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    20 (+3)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Available Points:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    0


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Coins:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    0


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Class:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    Mana Modulator (D-rank)


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Profession:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    Rune Master


    (E-rank)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Titles:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="468">


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Skills and Spells:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="468">


    Identify (E-rank)


    Mana Modulation (D-rank Core)


    Death¡¯s Defier (A-rank)


    Mana Sensing (E-rank)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Affinities:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="468">


    Internal Mana (D-rank Low), External Unattributed Mana (E-rank Low)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Equipment:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="468">


    Mana-infused Knife (F-rank): +1 Mana Pool, +1 Mana regen.


    Orc Helmet (F-rank): +2 Physical Defense


    Magician¡¯s Robes (F-rank): +2 Mana Regeneration per minute.


    Orc Boots (F-rank): +2 Agility


    Orlan Blade (E-rank): +2 Strength, +2 Agility


    Interdimensional Pouch (E-rank):


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    I woke up leisurely, which in retrospect was somewhat surprising.


    What happened to monsters taking over the world? I asked, as I opened a can of tuna for breakfast. My fridge¡ªand all the food inside it¡ªwas gone. It was a weirdly incongruous feeling, walking towards my fridge in the morning, reaching out my hand towards the door habitually, only to realize it wasn¡¯t there.This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    <There are thousands of monster species, and thousands of dangers that your world is facing right now. The general rule of thumb is that if a danger takes a while to manifest, that¡¯s because it is building its strength. Often, it is the slow-acting ones that cause the most damage, unless people act quickly enough and eliminate them right away. If you want to play the hero, I would recommend at least scouting to see what is going on in this District.>


    Alright, I thought back, chewing a forkful of tuna. It was a minor convenience, being able to communicate and eat at the same time. We can scout as we move towards the nearest town.


    I cast one last glance over my apartment. I wasn¡¯t attached to the space. I was probably forgetting to bring something, but I¡¯d just have to live without it.


    I locked up and walked through the hallway towards the exit.


    I could hear soft sounds inside various apartments. Presumably, most people were still hiding away in their apartments.


    It made me wonder how long that could last. From what Samantha had told me, there would be increasingly difficult waves of monsters to overcome. Only the people who raised their levels on the first few waves would stand a chance surviving what was yet to come.


    I probably cut an incongruous figure, wearing an orc¡¯s helmet, blood-stained magician¡¯s robes, heavy boots, and holding a sword in one hand and a dagger in the other. Slung over my back was my backpacking backpack.


    The streets were empty. I couldn¡¯t sense any danger, and I couldn¡¯t see any people. It was eerily silent.


    I took out my compass, which would point me to the nearest town. When I¡¯d woken up this morning, it had shifted to point to the north. Following Samantha¡¯s advice, I spent some time walking in a line perpendicular to the direction of the nearest town.


    Samantha promised that she would be able to estimate the distance of the nearest town this way. If it was too far, it would be more efficient for me to find a way to create my own town.


    It seemed we were lucky, though. After about ten minutes of walking, Samantha assured me the nearest town was less than a day¡¯s journey away.


    I encountered a few scavengers as I jogged through the streets. People raiding grocery stores glanced up and stared at me, but I didn¡¯t bother talking to them.


    I even saw some people who had probably been through the tutorial. People wearing armor, holding weapons, roaming the streets and stealing food.


    It was concerning, not finding a single monster nearby.


    <There! Try to catch it!> Samantha highlighted something in my vision. It looked like a mouse the size of a backpack.


    I rushed towards it, but the creature sensed me immediately and dove into an open manhole.


    <Well there¡¯s our answer about what¡¯s going on here,> Samantha said. She sounded excited. <It¡¯s a Hyron Vole. Which means the real danger is Hyron Moss. Think of it like terraforming. Hyron Voles and Hyron Moss have a symbiotic relationship. Hyron Moss can gain energy from virtually any organic material. It¡¯s possible for whole planets to be consumed by that stuff. The Hyron Voles help spread the moss, and the moss helps feed the voles. You¡¯re lucky, actually, that something like this appeared in the middle of a city, and not in the wild.>


    I felt a shiver travel through my spine, as I imagined all of the earth covered in moss. Isn¡¯t this just the first wave though? Shouldn¡¯t it be easy to defeat?


    <It is¡­strange¡­ that Hyron Moss would appear here,> Samantha said. <But at this point in its development, it will actually be incredibly weak. The moss can only reproduce from one central location. Kill the nucleus, and everything else is just poisonous moss that will die eventually.>


    What would it take to defeat it?


    <Really, all you have to do is find it. Now that we know what to look for, you can focus on the sense of smell. The moss has a distinctive smell, you see, due to the poison it releases. You¡¯ll probably be swarmed by voles, but they are low-level enough you should be fine. Your Constitution should be high enough to trump the poison, at this stage in its development at least.>


    I felt a headache growing. Fighting moss had been the last thing on my agenda when I woke up. Alright. How do I find this thing?


    <hr>


    Compared to the tutorial, I couldn¡¯t help but curse the inefficiency of leveling back on Earth.


    After an hour of wandering, I felt like I had finally caught the bitter, poisonous scent of the Hyron Moss.


    What used to be a grove of trees near a park was now a small grove of trees covered in dark green moss. I found a group of trees that weren¡¯t covered in moss, climbed one, and settled in for a long wait.


    <Think of the moss you see as a mining outpost,> Samantha said. <The moss draws energy from nearby organic material, and stores the energy as mana in Mana Beads. Then, the Hyron Voles will dig out the Mana Beads, and take them back to the Hyron Nucleus. This allows the Hyron Nucleus to grow and produce more spores at a faster rate.>


    <In fact, you can think of the whole system as something of a mana generator. If you¡¯re open to it, I would recommend saving the nucleus. You can take over the role of the voles, and you would only give the nucleus the minimum number of beads it needs to survive. You could become the owner of a mana farm, basically. It¡¯s like printing money.>


    I snorted mentally. And meanwhile, there would be a poisonous moss killing people and terraforming Los Angeles. It sounds like you¡¯re trying to turn me into an evil overlord or something. It¡¯s not going to happen.


    <It¡¯s not evil,> Samantha started, then paused. <Alright. I can see how people might get hurt accidentally, and it would be a lot of annoying work to prevent that. If you¡¯re that set against creating your own farm, then I still recommend sparing the nucleus. You can make a ton of money if you sell it to the shop at the nearest town. Live Hyron Nuclei are incredibly valuable and hard to get a hold of. There are people in Acclimated Worlds who are better equipped to carefully maintain Hyron Moss.>


    I feel like we¡¯re counting our chickens before we hatch, here, I thought back. It¡¯s not like we have access to the nucleus now¡­


    We went back and forth for a while, and then I finally caught sight of an approaching Hyron Vole.


    It sniffed the air cautiously, approached the moss, and started digging gently. The vole avoided damaging the moss as much as it could, but it still managed to uproot a Mana Bead¡ªa small ball of hardened mana about the size of a bumblebee¡ªwhich it promptly ate.


    Then the vole moved onto another section of moss and repeated the process.


    Once it had three beads in its stomach, the vole scurried away.


    Rather than chase it, I followed carefully from a distance, focusing on the acrid scent that the vole left.


    Another strike against your farming idea, I told Samantha. I don¡¯t think I could stand dealing with this stench on a regular basis.


    <You¡¯d get used to it. And if it bothers you too much, I can always switch up some receptors in your brain. I could make the poison smell like citrus,> Samantha offered, without a hint of sarcasm.


    Fuck you, I shot back, feeling a rush of panic and adrenaline. Samantha already had messed with my brain. Images flashed through my mind. Goblin corpses. My whole body covered in blood. My dismembered left arm, which I treated like a papercut--


    I felt my breathing grow more frantic, and Samantha immediately spoke up again.


    <Hey, it''s alright,> Samantha said, slowly, soothingly. <That joke was in poor taste, I''m sorry. Just focus on your breathing.> As Samantha spoke, I could feel myself relaxing. The visions of violence were still there, in the corner of my mind, but they felt more distant, less visceral.


    I took a breath.


    Anyway, I continued, If you¡¯re ever going to say something that sinister, you should at least sound the part. Why not change your voice to an evil villain¡¯s voice¡ªTry Emperor Palpatine, or Darth Vader.


    <I¡¯m fully capable of changing my voice,> Samantha said, in her same sickly sweet tone. <But my tone is one of the few parts of my identity, since projecting an avatar would be a waste of mana. It¡¯s rather rude of you to ask me to assume someone else¡¯s voice. It¡¯s like if I asked you spend your days cosplaying as Padme Amidala.>


    Couldn¡¯t you at least throw in an evil cackle every now and then?


    <I¡¯ll take it into consideration,> Samantha said, primly.


    It wasn¡¯t long before we found the Hyron Nucleus¡¯s lair.

 Chapter 18: Ryker

    The Hyron Nucleus¡ªa potentially world-ending blight on human civilization¡ªwas in a park. Fucking cognitive dissonance.


    The park had a fairly expansive lawn, numerous trees, a pond, and a play structure. Everything except the play structure and the surface of the pond was covered in moss.


    I could see dozens of voles scurrying to and fro.


    <The nucleus is in the pond,> Samantha said, after a few seconds of observation.


    Are you sure? None of the voles are wet, and they aren¡¯t going near the pond.


    <The nucleus and leader voles are both clever creatures,> Samantha responded. <Their priority is to hide the nucleus while it is weak. There are several tunnels placed on either side of the pond that the voles keep disappearing into. There are probably more voles that spend their time swimming the beads back and forth.>


    Okay. What¡¯s the plan?


    <You need to rush straight for the nucleus. If you take too long defeating the voles, the elites will grab the nucleus and run. They won¡¯t run if they think they are winning. With your approval, I will let the voles do a little damage¡ª5-10 HP¡ªso that they think they have a chance.>


    ¡®With my approval?¡¯ You¡¯ve come a long way, Samantha, I snickered. No more than 10 HP, then.


    The familiar outline appeared in front of me, and I focused fully on following it.


    The first thing the outline did was take off the robes, helmet, and boots, and then put my backpack into the pouch.


    It made sense, I guess. I didn¡¯t want to scare the nucleus away immediately, and my equipment could be pretty intimidating.


    All the voles I¡¯d seen so far were level 5-10. Meanwhile, I was level 18, and with a D-rank class, I gained even more stat points than they would per level. This should be a piece of cake.


    I rushed towards a nearby vole.


    The moment I stepped on the moss, I felt a mild nausea.


    <Make yourself look sick,> Samantha said.


    I¡¯m not a fucking actor, I shot back. Be more specific.


    I saw the outline sway a bit, unsteadily, followed by a few staggers.


    A dozen voles were slowly approaching me. They weren¡¯t rushing me¡ªpresumably waiting for the moss''s poison to sink in.


    My zig-zagging staggers brought me closer to the pond.


    I stumbled for a full thirty seconds, following Samantha¡¯s combat shadow before the voles realized that I wasn¡¯t just going to collapse.


    Six voles charged at me simultaneously. They were about a foot tall, and two feet long. Several jumped up towards me, and the others bit at my feet.


    I staggered drunkenly again, coincidentally dodging most of the vole¡¯s teeth, except for one that lodged its teeth into my right hamstring.


    It was a level 10 vole, and its teeth took 2 HP from me.


    I let the vole stay, and continued my drunken stagger towards the pond.


    More voles charged, and I ¡°coincidentally¡± dodged most of them, letting another one lodge into my left hamstring.


    ¡°Oh, shit! Look at that guy. Is he fucking crazy?¡± It wasn¡¯t shouted, but I could hear the voice clearly thanks to my Perception.


    I turned my head slightly.


    Behind me, I could see a team of two people.


    ¡°We should do something, right?¡± The same voice asked. I was confident the two of them had participated in the tutorial. They had armor, weapons, and were seriously contemplating ¡®saving¡¯ me.


    From my quick glance, I could already tell that one was a swordsman, and the other was an archer.


    ¡°Something¡¯s not right,¡± the archer said.


    I ignored them, continuing my gradual approach towards the pond, letting a third vole bite me.


    I was only ten feet away from the water, now. A giant vole surfaced from the pond in front of me. It was basically the size of a bear, and a quick Identify showed that it was level 20.


    ¡°Shit,¡± the swordsman let out a slow breath. ¡°What level is that thing?


    It was strange, and slightly confusing, hearing his voice with such clarity¡ªit almost tricked my brain into thinking the swordsman was near me, but no¡ªhe hadn¡¯t even entered the park.


    ¡°Just wait,¡± the archer said, putting a hand on the swordsman¡¯s arm. ¡°Trust me.¡±


    I poured my mana into Strength. I punched the stomachs of the voles that were biting me, forcing their jaws apart, and then I flung the voles towards the various small voles that were still trying to pounce on me.


    Then, with a single strike of my sword, I beheaded the giant vole in front of me.


    I sheathed my sword and dove into the water immediately, just barely catching a single word from the swordsman behind me.


    ¡°Damn.¡±


    The water was a murky green color. I could tell that the water was cold, but it didn¡¯t bother me¡ªlikely due to my increased Physical Defense.


    <Don¡¯t inhale the water¡ªthe poison is most concentrated in the pond.>


    What, do you think I''m going to suddenly get thirsty? I saw that the water was green too. You don''t need to baby me.


    There were about twelve voles underwater, swimming towards me. I had never seen any surface for air, so I guess they could breathe underwater?


    <Use Mana Sensing,> Samantha said. Even with my heightened perception, the water was so cloudy that I couldn¡¯t see very far.


    I did, and I quickly noticed some highly concentrated mana towards the bottom of the pond.Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    I swam deeper, fending off the voles with my knife.


    Samantha said. <Ignore them. This isn¡¯t a battle, it¡¯s a race.>


    Ahead of me, I saw two more giant voles. One was waiting for me, and the other was rushing away.


    I poured more mana into Agility for speed.


    I ignored the smaller monsters. If they bit me, I struck them and pushed them away for more momentum.


    I swam directly towards the giant vole. At the last minute, when it lunged towards me with mouth wide and claws ready, I poured mana into Agility, ducked under its attacks, and slit its throat.


    Blood ballooned out into the water, but I ignored it, rushing towards the fleeing vole.


    The monster reached the edge of the pond, rising out of the water.


    I broke the surface just a few second later.


    The first thing I noticed when I came to land was the blood on the ground. The vole was running, but it was pierced in a hind leg by an arrow.


    The archer?


    It didn¡¯t matter. I could tell the vole was slightly slower now, and that was all I needed.


    Burning through the last of my mana, I rushed forward, drew my sword, and killed the bear-like monster with a single blow.


    I immediately glanced around to see if the archer was going to shoot me.


    He released an arrow, and it sunk into the back of a vole that was rushing towards me.


    I glanced down and flipped the giant vole¡¯s body over.


    Clutched to its chest was the Hyron Nucleus.


    It was underwhelming, considering it had the potential to consume the world.


    It was just a little ball of glowing, dark green moss. The only sign that it was still alive was that it was expanding and contracting lightly. It didn¡¯t seem dangerous at all, and it felt rather fragile.


    I¡¯d been worried that it would be more poisonous than the moss around it, but I felt fine.


    To my surprise, the other voles were keeping a distance, now that I held on to the Hyron Nucleus.


    Since the nucleus was alive, I wasn¡¯t able to put it into my Interdimensional Pouch. Instead, I took out my hiking backpack from my Interdimensional Pouch and put the nucleus inside that. So much for keeping my Interdimensional Pouch a secret. I''m not sure why I even bother.


    Then, I approached the duo that had been watching me this whole time.


    The short, stout man with an F-ranked sword spoke first. ¡°Damn,¡± he said, sheathing his sword and extending his hand. ¡°My name¡¯s Theo. The archer there is Clark.¡±


    I shook Theo¡¯s hand, then turned to Clark. ¡°Jarek. Thanks for the help.¡±


    Clark studied me carefully. ¡°Not a problem,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m very impressed. We were just heading back to Reed Town. Our mayor sent us out to scout and look for anyone who wanted to fight the wolves. Are you interested?¡±


    I shrugged, trying to hide my excitement. ¡°Sounds like a plan.¡± I was acutely aware of the stench of the nucleus in my backpack, but neither of them commented on it as we walked.


    ¡°How¡¯d you get an E-rank sword?¡± Theo asked, the moment we started walking down the road together. ¡°I¡¯d pay an arm and a leg for one of those.¡± Theo walked with a long stride that belied his short frame. It spoke of a false bravado, which I couldn¡¯t really fault him for. Everybody copes with the apocalypse differently.


    <That¡¯s right,> Samantha said, before I could respond to Theo. <Is our method of coping all that different?>


    I clenched my fist at Samantha¡¯s statement, and realized that Theo was still waiting for a response.


    ¡°I completed the Hard Mode Tutorial,¡± I said.


    Theo looked at me in awe. ¡°Ryker said he had to fight an orc¡ªdid you, too? How¡¯d you get past so many goblins?¡±


    ¡°It took a lot of luck,¡± I said, vaguely. ¡°So Ryker passed the Hard Mode Tutorial too? Is he the mayor of your town?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, Ryker bought a Town Token at the auction. Is that where you got the sword? Did you get the sword at the auction?¡±


    I shrugged and looked away. There was something about Clark¡¯s enthusiasm that rubbed me the wrong way. He had this innocent eagerness, this awe of everything around him¡ªan awe that was oblivious to the pain and suffering that came along with the Atropos Schema.


    Fortunately, Clark took the hint, and spoke up. ¡°No need to grill him, Theo.¡± Then he turned to me. ¡°Ryker used the Town Token, but he didn¡¯t realize it was essentially a trap. We have the bare bones of a town, but all the monsters in the area seem to sense exactly where it is. They¡¯ve been attacking nonstop ever since it was built, and morale is starting to fall. We were sent here looking for help. Another Hard Mode challenger would be welcome.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll see what I can do,¡± I said. ¡°You said wolves?¡±


    Theo cut in again. ¡°Yeah, thousands of them. Most of them are level 5-10¡ªit¡¯d be a cake walk for ya, I¡¯m sure. Then there are the direwolves, but we haven¡¯t seen much of them. Judging by how you crushed those giant rats, I don¡¯t think you¡¯d have a trouble with the direwolves either.¡±


    I hummed ambiguously at that. ¡°And any news of other towns?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s an army town,¡± Theo said.


    Clark cut in bitterly. ¡°They got the Town Token by clearing a den of giant snakes. It looks like that¡¯s the way you¡¯re supposed to go about it. They set up their town and it¡¯s been smooth sailing for them ever since. They sent out some scouts on bikes to spread the word. Half of Reed Town has already deserted for the Air Force Town.¡±


    ¡°Air Force Town?¡± I couldn¡¯t help but cringe at the name. ¡°Do they even have planes?¡±


    ¡°Nah,¡± Theo said. ¡°But there¡¯s an air force base, and they really pride themselves about it, I guess. They¡¯ve got lots of strong people.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound that bad, then,¡± I said, slowly. ¡°At least if people are leaving, then they¡¯re safe.¡±


    Clark scowled. ¡°It¡¯s frustrating, though. The Air Force sends scouts and evacuation teams, but they won¡¯t send any help against the wolves. They are treating us like a lost cause.¡±


    We walked in silence after that through the deserted streets.


    <hr>


    After a bit of a walk, Samantha broke my mental silence. <Activate your Mana Sensing skill,>


    I did, and I immediately noticed a thin film of mana in front of me. It was like a translucent white wall that stretched up into the sky.


    I flinched, and Clark and Theo glanced at me strangely.


    <It won¡¯t harm you,> Samantha said. <But it marks the border of this District. Most monsters can sense this naturally. Unless they are urged by something more dangerous, most monsters will tend to stay in the same District they started in.>


    Not long after we crossed into the new District, I started seeing wolves traveling in groups of 2-4.


    Clark made quick work of them with his bow, and Theo killed any that would rush towards us. I didn¡¯t intervene. From what Samantha had told me, you received less and less experience the more your level exceeded a monster¡¯s level.


    Each time we saw people, Clark or Theo would call out to let them know about the town we were heading towards.


    I stayed silent for the most part, feeling a strange sense of dissonance with reality, as Clark and Theo invited people to Reed Town.


    It reminded me of any one of a hundred computer games, when the NPCs lead you to the nearest town, and then you have to complete a mission.


    And Clark and Theo did their job well, gathering quite the crowd around us and chatting it up with them. ¡°Good choice, wearing running shoes,¡± ¡°Why the hell do you have body armor in your apartment?¡± ¡°Jesus, that is a nasty scar,¡± "Sorry about the smell--I had canned beans this morning."


    Of course, there were other reticent members in our group as well. People with haunted eyes, distant looks, and trembling hands.


    I hated it all. I hated how Theo could be so casual about the end of the world, and I hated how the distant gazes of my silent companions reminded me of the nightmare that was my Hard Mode Tutorial.


    By the time we neared Reed Town, we had about two dozen people or so in tow.


    We stopped inside a bodega, and I was mildly surprised to see that the shelves and walls were completely stripped of everything of value. It hasn¡¯t even been 48 hours since the Schema appeared, and law and order is already shit.


    ¡°The town is in the park,¡± Theo said, pointing towards what was probably a nature reserve ahead of us.


    ¡°Oh, hell no,¡± One older woman in our group said, seeing the hundreds of wolves that were roaming the park. ¡°Why¡¯d you bring us here?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but wonder the same thing. I whispered to Clark. ¡°I can¡¯t keep all these people safe like this.¡± So far, the wolves didn¡¯t seem to care that we were packed like in the corner store. I could probably fight them one at a time, but if they broke the glass windows¡­


    ¡°No worries, Jarek. Ryker¡¯ll take over from here.¡± Clark opened the door, stepped outside into the street, took out a coach¡¯s whistle and blew it three times, shrilly. ¡°Sit back and watch the show.¡±


    A few minutes after the whistle blew, the wolves started howling and retreating.


    I could gradually make out the outline of a giant of a man. At first glance, he reminded me of the orc that I had fought. Over seven feet tall, a pure wall of muscle. He looked like he¡¯d been a boxer, or a heavy weight lifter, before the Atropos Schema. He had shoulder length, brown hair, tied in a loose bun.


    And of course, he wore the orc armor¡ªhelmet, breastplate, and boots.


    He killed any wolves that could reach him with a giant battle axe, but actually, most of the wolves fled when he appeared.


    Ryker¡¯s exhausted eyes glanced briefly over everyone else before landing on me. ¡°Good job, boys,¡± he said, his deep voice carrying easily across the street into the bodega. The bodega was so silent I could tell half of the group was holding their breath slightly.


    As Ryker planted his feet firmly on the cracked pavement below him, I couldn¡¯t help but envy his casual confidence, and the implied acceptance of his stance¡ªThis is who I am now. This is how things are.


    ¡°Whenever you¡¯re ready,¡± Ryker said, with a good-natured laugh. Nobody had moved from inside the bodega yet. ¡°Let¡¯s talk when we get to the town.¡±

 Chapter 19: Reed Town

    </a></a>Chapter 19: Reed Town


    Reed Town looked like a bare-bones video-game village. It was nestled in a nature preserve, so it was almost possible to ignore the skyscrapers barely visible in the distance.  There was a wooden wall made of vertical logs carved into spikes at the top, and a heavy gate swung open for our arrival.


    On the inside, we could see makeshift ladders that would allow archers to fire out from inside the walls.


    The village probably took up the area of a football field in all, with most of it being open space.


    With a quick glance around, I could tell there wasn¡¯t a Teleportation Circle.


    There were small buildings that were probably homes, I could see a ¡°Merchants¡¯ Faction¡± sign, and a large common area that would feel like a town square, if there were more buildings around.


    A few faces stared at us, and the mood of the town was immediately clear. The residents were sad, fearful, and exhausted.


    ¡°Welcome to Reed Town,¡± Ryker said with an apologetic smile. ¡°Feel free to make yourselves at home. Raise your hand if you¡¯re willing to fight, and we¡¯ll talk as we patrol.¡±


    I raised my hand, and so did another member of the group.


    ¡°Theo, take her to the armory. Let her pick what she wants. And you¡ªJarek, right? Do you need armor?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like to stop by the Merchants¡¯ Store,¡± I said, gesturing to the fluffy ball of moss in my arms.


    ¡°Feel free,¡± Ryker said, gesturing ahead.


    I crossed the grassy town square, heading towards the Merchants¡¯ Store. It was the nicest building in the town.  Instead of roughly hewn logs, it was made of bricks.  It had a well-lit window display, showing realistic illusions of health potions, an E-grade sword, and a class change book for an E-rank Ranger.


    I opened the door, wiped my feet on an elegant doormat, and glanced around the room.


    There was a long marble counter with about five blue crystals inset on the marble, similar to the ones in the auction earlier. Other than that, the room was almost completely empty--there were no shelves of equipment, or actual weapons on display.


    ¡°Hello?¡± I called out.


    <This is just a low-level shop,> Samantha said. <They wouldn¡¯t send a representative for a place like this. It¡¯s not worth their time.>


    Then aren¡¯t they worried about vandalism? Theft?


    <There isn¡¯t much for people to steal. The illusion wards are relatively cheap and hard to steal. The teleportation wards and the Information Crystals are programed to become useless if someone tries to steal them.>


    Teleportation ward? I asked.


    <It¡¯s how they transfer the items people want to buy. They don¡¯t keep anything in stock¡ªthey just teleport everything in. And no, you can¡¯t use that to get to Boston.  Anyway, you should take out your armor while nobody is watching, and then put your hand on the Information Crystal.>


    I did just that, choosing to wear my Magician¡¯s Robes instead of the orc breastplate.


    Compared to the auction, the Merchant¡¯s store was pretty bare-bones. And the prices were far, far higher than the auction.


    <Think about it like supply and demand. During the tutorial everyone had very little time to gain coins. Everything at that auction was actually heavily subsidized¡ªit was the Atropos Schema¡¯s reward for you.  Now that we¡¯re in the real world, prices will always look like this.>


    I nodded, still frustrated, and then clicked the Sell icon.


    I put the Hyron Moss on the counter, and I immediately saw some new text appear in the information window.


    Analyzing specimen. Hyron Moss Nucleus (E-rank live) identified.


    Value: 750,000 coins.


    Would you like to sell the Hyron Moss Nucleus? (Y/N).


    <Say no,> Samantha said immediately. <That¡¯s so much of a rip off they should be embarrassed.> At first glance, of course, it seemed like a lot of money. It was more money than I¡¯d ever made at the auction.  But it wouldn¡¯t be enough to buy a D-rank weapon, and from the way Samantha was talking, the Nucleus should be more valuable than most D-rank weapons.


    Once I turned down the deal, more text appeared.


    Please wait while we connect you with a merchant¡­


    Just a few seconds later, a lifelike hologram appeared behind the counter.


    ¡°Hello! My name is Mrinda, welcome to the Merchants¡¯ Faction Store in Reed Town,¡± Mrinda started saying immediately. Then he trailed off as he glanced at me. I saw a slight quiver in his wings. Excitement?  Fear?


    ¡°Oh, I remember you. Jarek, right? You sold the Yanir Flowers.  You had quite the insight with your purchases, earlier.  How can I help you today?¡±


    Mrinda¡¯s eyes finally fell down towards the counter, and he jumped back, actually disappearing out of view in the hologram.Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.


    ¡°Ah-excuse me,¡± he said, voice quivering slightly, as his image reappeared in my view.  His eyes flickered back and forth, as if he was reading something.


    ¡°750,000 coins?¡± Mrinda spluttered. ¡°750,000 coins?¡±  He glanced at me again. ¡°My apologies. Sometimes these automated systems think they can scam anyone in these new worlds¡­ It¡¯s a joke, dealing with someone like you¡­¡±


    ¡°There we go,¡± Mrinda continued. ¡°I elevated your customer status to silver.  The automated systems won¡¯t dare mess with silver status customers.  Now, about the Hyron Moss Nucleus. How does 7.5 million sound?¡±


    Mrinda smiled at me, but I could tell from his clenched hands that he was really trying to maintain his composure.


    <Don¡¯t take it. Here¡¯s what you should say¡­>


    There were some areas, I knew, that I could never beat Samantha in.


    I shook my head at Mrinda. ¡°7.5 million for the bane of Norworld? You know there¡¯s another town not far from here. They have a store too.¡±


    Mrinda¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°You might not know this, but here at the Merchants¡¯ Faction, we also are information brokers.  How do you know about Norworld? I don¡¯t mean to pry, but did you find an Inheritance in the tutorial? If you tell me the Inheritance name, I¡¯ll let you take your pick of the E-rank weapons in the shop.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not here to sell information,¡± I said, flatly.


    ¡°Of course, of course,¡± Mrinda said. ¡°20 million, but I can¡¯t go any higher.¡±


    ¡°Raise my status to gold, and it¡¯s a deal,¡± I shot back, after hearing Samantha¡¯s advice.


    ¡°Gold customer status doesn¡¯t fall from trees,¡± Mrinda started. I glared at him, and he continued, ¡°But I¡¯m sure you know that,¡± he added, sweating a little. ¡°It¡¯s a deal.¡±


    With a slight hum, the Hyron Moss Nucleus disappeared from the counter, and I was 20 million coins wealthier.


    ¡°Can I interest you in any items in our shop?¡± Mrinda asked.  I had the distinctive feeling that he was hoping I would say no.


    <Normally, I¡¯d avoid buying equipment from a store, because once the humanoid creatures come, we¡¯ll have weapons and armor aplenty,> Samantha said.   <That said, there are a few things we should buy that are going to be hard to come by¡­>


    ¡°It is my understanding that as a gold ranked customer of the Merchants¡¯ Faction I can make one specific request a year,¡± I said, pausing to watch Mrinda¡¯s nod.  He seemed somewhat concerned.  ¡°I would like to commission a Luck Attribute Power-Up,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ll leave you ten million coins as the down payment.¡±


    Mrinda blanched visibly. ¡°Luck Attribute Power-Ups are incredibly rare, and they immediately get snatched up by elites. If you are hoping to unlock a new stat, I would recommend Perception¡ªit¡¯s more affordable, and¡ª¡°


    ¡°My mind is made up. What is the total estimated cost?¡±


    ¡°40 million coins,¡± Mrinda said. ¡°For a +1 power-up.¡±


    <That¡¯s actually a good price,> Samantha cut in, before I could immediately try to barter it down. <You¡¯re a gold-ranked customer now, they won¡¯t try to rip you off too much.>


    They won¡¯t rip me off too much?  A world-ending threat gets me 20 million, and one stat boost costs 40 million?


    <Luck is really rare, and highly coveted,> Samantha said. <And to many people, 40 million coins is nothing.  Every high-level team would benefit from having someone who has invested stat points into Luck. It increases the loot dropped for every kill. >


    ¡°I¡¯ll have the money in a week,¡± I said, following Samantha¡¯s directions. How am I going to get 20 million coins in a week?


    <I¡¯ll figure it out. This is too good of a chance to pass up.  It is every Mana Modulator¡¯s goal to unlock Luck.>


    I nearly choked hearing Samantha¡¯s response. How do you just figure out how to get 20 million coins? And that¡¯s on top of whatever we need to get a teleportation portal up and running.


    Before leaving the store, I ended up buying an assortment of E-rank tools, materials, and one blueprint:


    Rune Master¡¯s Knife (E-rank): +2 Dexterity; +2 Mana Regeneration per minute


    Rune Master¡¯s Ring (E-rank): +2 Dexterity; +2 Mana Regeneration per minute


    Explosion Rune Pattern Blueprint (E-rank): Necessary to complete an Explosion Rune Pattern (E-rank).  Causes an intense explosion. Single use.


    Igneal Ingot (E-rank) x10: An ingot of Igneal ore.


    Not long after, I joined Ryker on his patrols along the outer perimeter of Reed Town. Most of the wolves immediately backed away from Ryker as we walked around the perimeter of the wall.


    ¡°Do you see the problem?¡± Ryker asked, gesturing around. ¡°The wolves run from me, and hound everybody else.  I tried leaving the village once, to find the wolves¡¯ den, but I had to come back because they started swarming the town¡ªdigging under the walls, gnawing holes in the wall, and so on.  They haven¡¯t given me a moment¡¯s rest since I founded this place.


    ¡°Clark says you¡¯re strong.  Says you took down two level 20 giant voles in a matter of seconds.  Sounds to me like if you stay here, I can destroy their den, solve the root of the problem.¡±


    I frowned, not even needing Samantha to tell me no. ¡°How about the other way around.  Tell me where their den is, and I¡¯ll deal with it.  No, let me take Clark and Theo. We¡¯ll take it on together.¡±


    Ryker grunted. ¡°If that¡¯s what you want, then go for it.¡±


    <table width="624">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Name:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    Jarek


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Level:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    18


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    HP:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    28/28


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Physical Defense:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    16 (+2)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Strength:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    20 (+2)


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Mental Power:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    11


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Dexterity:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    10 (+4)


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Agility:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    10 (+4)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Perception:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    20


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Mana Pool:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    41


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Mana Regeneration:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    20 (+6)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Available Points:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    0


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Coins:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    7,500,150,


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Class:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    Mana Modulator (D-rank)


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Profession:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    Rune Master


    (E-rank)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Titles:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="468">


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Skills and Spells:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="468">


    Identify (E-rank)


    Mana Modulation (D-rank Core)


    Death¡¯s Defier (A-rank)


    Mana Sensing (E-rank)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Affinities:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="468">


    Internal Mana (D-rank Low), External Unattributed Mana (E-rank Low)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Equipment:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="468">


    Rune Master¡¯s Knife (E-rank): +2 Dexterity; +2 Mana Regen.


    Rune Master¡¯s Ring (E-rank): +2 Dexterity; +2 Mana Regen.


    Orc Helmet (F-rank): +2 Physical Defense


    Magician¡¯s Robes (F-rank): +2 Mana Regen.


    Orc Boots (F-rank): +2 Agility


    Orlan Blade (E-rank): +2 Strength, +2 Agility


    Interdimensional Pouch (E-rank):


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>

 Chapter 20: Stalling

    I wiped my blade on the carcass of a Level 35 Direwolf, ignoring the weight of Clark and Theo¡¯s eyes on my back.


    It had all happened so fast that many of the carcasses around me were still bleeding out. Hundreds of wolves had rushed me the moment it was clear I was charging towards their leader. But I had plowed through, killed all the elites, and the weaker wolves fled soon after.


    Theo and Clark had killed as many of the weaker wolves as they could.


    It was a strange feeling, fighting these wolves. It felt more like a massacre than a battle. I never felt like I was in danger, even when I was surrounded by wolves. As I fought, following Samantha''s combat shadow, some twisted part of me wished for a harder opponent. Most likely, that was Samantha, messing with my mind.


    There had been three Direwolves, and I made sure to place their corpses in my Interdimensional Pouch. Samantha explained that after skinning and tanning them, the hide would turn into an E-rank pelt and the claws could become E-rank daggers.


    In terms of leveling and gaining coins, it felt like the whole day had been wasted. It was nearing the end of my first full day back on Earth, and I hadn¡¯t gained a single level since I¡¯d arrived.


    The only consolation was that the level 35 Direwolf dropped a Town Token.


    <hr>


    ¡°And what are you planning to do with the Town Token?¡± Ryker asked. We were sitting at the dinner table in Ryker''s Schema-built home together. He had the decency to wait until we both had food in front of us, but I could tell it was a question that had been on his mind for a while.


    It was just the two of us at the table, along with Ryker¡¯s grandmother. His grandmother looked to be over 90 years old, and she seemed to be living in her own world, not paying either of us much attention. Ryker and I were eating wolf meat, prepared by one of Ryker¡¯s people. His mother had a bowl of canned soup.


    Ryker and I were the last people you¡¯d expect to see together at a dinner table. Ryker was massively built, probably around 40 years old, with a variety of tattoos covering his tanned, muscular arms. His man bun somehow managed to change his intensity to a stylishness. He carried himself with a casual confidence that the apocalypse hadn¡¯t managed to steal from him.


    In contrast, I carried myself like a scrawny nerd who hadn¡¯t realized that I was already in my twenties. My pale skin told a story of more exposure to computer light than sunlight.


    ¡°I¡¯m still waiting to hear a good offer for it,¡± I shot back. ¡°Along with the Town Tokens I¡¯ll collect tomorrow. I don¡¯t want to take a loss on this.¡±


    Ryker snorted. ¡°You¡¯re overvaluing Town Tokens, if you don¡¯t think my offers have been good enough.¡±


    Town Tokens could be used to form towns, predictably enough. But they could also be used to pay for upgrades to an existing town. Pretty much every building inside Reed Town had been constructed by the Schema from a prefab template, from the protective walls surrounding the town to the home we were sitting in right now. As a town mayor, it was only reasonable that Ryker would want as many Town Tokens as possible.


    ¡°I told you earlier that I have family in Boston,¡± I said.


    ¡°Alright,¡± Ryker responded. ¡°Let¡¯s build a Teleportation Circle. We can head over to Boston together, find your family. I understand how important family is,¡± as he spoke, he caught his grandmother¡¯s trembling hand and guided her spoon to her mouth.


    It was a warming sight, seeing his massive, powerful hand move so carefully and lovingly. His grandmother didn¡¯t even seem to notice.


    ¡°I heard that town Teleportation Circles won¡¯t let you travel that far,¡± I said. ¡°Only cities can cover that distance.¡±


    ¡°And where¡¯d you hear that?¡± Ryker asked, clearly not expecting me to answer. ¡°Same place you heard that the world is broken into Districts, Regions, and Zones?¡±If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    I just nodded, biting into my roasted wolf.


    ¡°If that¡¯s true, then what next? How will you get there?¡± Ryker asked.


    There were a few things I appreciated about Ryker. One was that some things were never in question. He had a clarity and drive that was refreshing for me to see. Something told me that if it was his grandmother in Boston, he would walk all the way across the states in order to find her, if necessary.


    ¡°I¡¯ll find a city, or help upgrade a town to a city. Then teleport over to a city near Boston.¡±


    ¡°Reed City does have a nice ring to it,¡± Ryker said with a grin.


    ¡°Let¡¯s not put the cart in front of the horse,¡± I said. ¡°Tomorrow I¡¯ll hunt other nearby District Lords. We¡¯ll see how many town tokens I can collect that way.¡±


    <hr>


    I wiped my blade on the carcass of a Level 36 Giant Ant, then placed the carcass in my Interdimensional Pouch, making sure to collect the Town Token too.


    <hr>


    I wiped my blade on the carcass of a Level 33 Giant Spider, then placed the carcass in my Interdimensional Pouch, making sure to collect the Town Token too.


    <hr>


    I wiped my blade on the carcass of a Level 35 Giant Slime¡­without much success.


    <hr>


    Re-entering Reed Town, I sighed in frustration once again. It was late afternoon of the third day since the Atropos Schema first appeared in the world. I had killed four District Lords, and captured the Hyron Moss, but I still hadn¡¯t gained a level. Between the Giant Ant, Giant Spider, and Giant Slime, none of them had given me any trouble at all. The biggest trouble was getting to them. Predictably enough, they were each in different Districts. Fortunately, Reed Town had acquired a few bicycles, so I didn¡¯t need to walk everywhere.


    Why are they all so far apart? I was more tired from biking than from fighting.


    <Be careful what you wish for, Jarek. The second monster wave will come in 5 days or so, and then the sentient invaders a week after that. The lack of high-leveled monsters is one of the few courtesies that the Atropos Schema offers normal people.>


    In the nine hours or so that I was absent from Reed Town, it had developed at an impressive rate. There were more people, and they seemed happier. There were a few more buildings, and various tents set up seemingly at random. The wall around the town had been upgraded by the Schema to become a stone wall, with various outposts for sentries. Presumably, Ryker had been busy acquiring Town Tokens of his own.


    People stood in the streets in makeshift stalls, hawking their wares.


    There was food aplenty from wolf meat, and there was a crowd of chatting--smiling--people near a well in the center of the town''s plaza.


    I made my way directly towards Ryker¡¯s home, hoping to find a meal available, and looking forward to his jealous expression when I showed him all my Town Tokens¡­


    I heard an unfamiliar, impatient voice as I entered Ryker¡¯s home.


    There was a woman I¡¯d never seen before, standing next to a bicycle that was leaning against the wall of the house.


    Her hair was tied up in a ponytail, and on top of her leather vest she wore a series of Air Force pins.


    ¡°Sergeant Wallis,¡± Ryker said, sounding somewhat exasperated. ¡°Food first, business after. Leave your bike outside and join us.¡±


    Ryker glanced at me and gestured to the same chair that I had sat at for yesterday¡¯s dinner.


    Sergeant Wallis sighed, backed her bike out of the house and then came in again. She stood by the table, still refusing to sit with us.


    ¡°Like I¡¯ve said a half dozen times already: The LA Air Force Base has made an important discovery,¡± she started. She was clearly annoyed. ¡°Earlier today, we bought a Teleportation Circle. One of the listed towns was requesting aid. We sent a team over, and learned that the Region¡¯s Lord is likely nearby¡ªa Hydra.


    ¡°We will march out from Old Pine Town in an hour, and we would like to invite you to join.¡±


    Ryker put his fork and knife down and stared intently at Sergeant Wallis. ¡°It¡¯s strange. You¡¯re so eager to help this Old Pine Town. Why didn¡¯t you offer to help us, when we were surrounded by wolves?¡±


    Sergeant Wallis frowned. ¡°We were still stabilizing our own forces at the time. We didn¡¯t have the forces to spare, and¡ª¡±


    ¡°More likely,¡± Ryker interrupted her, ¡°You didn¡¯t see any benefit in helping a town so close to yours prosper. Maybe you were threatened by me? Hm? Maybe you¡¯ve been annoyed now that Jarek and I have claimed so many of the nearby Town Tokens?¡±


    ¡°Not at all,¡± Sergeant Wallis responded smoothly. ¡°Anyway, it appears you still don¡¯t have a Teleportation Circle. Fortunately, I am authorized to loan you the Town Tokens necessary to build a Teleportation Circle¡ªas long as you agree that the Air Force gets first pick of the Hydra''s loot.¡±


    Ryker snorted again. ¡°I¡¯m not an idiot,¡± he said. ¡°No deal.¡±


    Sergeant Wallis turned towards the door.


    <You should offer to build the circle with your tokens,> Samantha said. <If you kill the Hydra, you get 5 free Stat Points. And if anyone gets the Hydra¡¯s City Token, then you¡¯re one step closer to your family.>


    ¡°Wait,¡± I said. I placed four Town Tokens on the table. ¡°We¡¯re going.¡±


    Sergeant Wallis turned to face me, actually studying me for the first time. Then she laughed lightly. ¡°So, this is why you were stalling, Ryker.¡±


    Ryker smiled innocently back at Sergeant Wallis. ¡°Enjoy the bike ride back to your town, Sergeant. We will see you in an hour.¡±

 Chapter 21: Consequences

    After Ryker spent our Town Tokens on a new building that would house our Teleportation Circle, it took less than half hour for the portal to be up and ready. I hadn¡¯t been sure what to expect. The ¡°construction¡± process involved an opaque barrier around the ground for the new building, and then the building just appeared, as thought it had been teleported into place.  Presumably, some of the ground was also teleported out, otherwise this building would have no foundations.


    Ryker wants to share Teleportation Circle controls and options with you. Y/N.


    I selected yes, and immediately dove into the virtual settings for the Teleportation Circle. As Samantha told it, Teleportation Circles were a huge potential danger to a village. Fortunately, they came with a variety of security features.  First, I required all incoming guests to make public to the town their name and level.  Then, I changed the settings so that all arrivals would be considered ¡°pending,¡± until approved by Ryker or myself.


    In order to approve arrivals, we would have to be in the town.


    This meant that nobody would be able to enter the town through the Teleportation Circle until we came back.


    Once Samantha was satisfied with the settings changes, I glanced up to see Ryker staring at me.


    ¡°You don¡¯t like the changes?¡± I asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Ryker said. ¡°You just did that really fast.¡±


    ¡°Millennials,¡± I said, with a shrug. ¡°We¡¯re digital natives.¡±


    Then I took a look at the available towns in our Region. Each town had a short description next to it.


    San Diego Navy


    Old Pine Town


    Hillary¡¯s Home


    Epoxylips


    SLO


    Reno


    Las Vegas


    Phoenix


    Air Force Town


    The list went on, and from the best I could tell, I was only able to teleport inside California, Nevada, and Arizona.


    Of course, there should be far more than these towns in these three states, or humanity was fucked. But these were just the towns that had built a Teleportation Circle, and had opted to leave their town name public.


    We selected Old Pine Town, and after waiting for a second or two above a very complex rune pattern that was inscribed into the floor, we found ourselves teleported into a bland room similar to the one we left. We were standing on an identical rune pattern that took the shape of a circle, over ten feet in diameter.


    If not for the new people in the room, I would have suspected we were still in Reed Town.


    I was surprised to see some familiar faces in the room.  I saw Bradson, and one of his followers from the Hard Mode difficulty.  Sergeant Wallis was there, as well. There was a man in his fifties who I had never seen before, probably a resident of Old Pine Town.


    And there was River.  She had new robes lined with runes, and her staff with the red jewel on top drew a lot of eyes. The moment she saw me, I saw rage flash through her face.


    ¡°Hell no. Get him out of here.¡±  She turned to Bradson. ¡°He killed Kris. And Darrel. And Paul.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± I said, surprised. ¡°That¡¯s not true.  I¡ªI didn¡¯t even know they were dead.¡±


    Everyone in the room was staring at me.  Even Ryker.


    River pointed her finger at me.  ¡°At the end of the tutorial, he started collecting Yanir flowers. I immediately warned him not to. Then a wyvern flew over and went on a poison-breathing rampage.  Jarek,¡± River basically spat my name, ¡°was ready for it and immediately started running. I was forced to buy a life-saving potion the moment I arrived at the Auction. Kris, Darrel, and Paul, our teammates, died of the poison.¡±


    My immediate reaction was to wonder, Who the fuck was Paul? Then I realized he was probably one of Bradson¡¯s people.The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    Fuck you Samantha, I thought in my head. This is why you should check in with me before trying crazy shit. I almost died, and three people did die. And now we are going to be kicked from the team.


    I looked around at the angry stares. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I said, as humbly as I could. ¡°If I had known what would happen, I never would have done it.  I wasn¡¯t thinking straight.  It was an accident.¡±


    Bradson¡¯s angry voice called out next. ¡°And I suppose you weren¡¯t thinking straight when you left my team?   We were planning on your support. The moment you left our group, our formation was thrown off. Victor died just minutes after you left to try to get closer to the tree. All because of your greed.¡±


    ¡°I want a teammate I can trust to watch my back,¡± River said. ¡°I can¡¯t trust a fucking weasel. He has the blood of four people on his hands.¡±


    Any regrets now? I asked Samantha. This is your fault.


    <Well, if you¡¯re down, there is a way for you to solo the hydra. It¡¯s a little risky¡­>


    ¡°Let¡¯s put it to a vote,¡± Sergeant Wallis was saying. ¡°Everyone opposed to Jarek joining the team, raise your hand.¡±


    Sergeant Wallis, Bradson, and the one military kid whose name I still didn¡¯t know raised their hands.


    River raised her hand, and then emphatically lowered all her fingers except for her middle finger.


    Ryker and the man from Old Pine Town just stood there awkwardly.


    ¡°That¡¯s majority,¡± Sergeant Wallis had the grace to look apologetic towards me.


    I didn¡¯t make a move to leave.


    ¡°In other words, get the fuck out,¡± River spat at me.


    I turned to the man from Old Pine Town. In his hands, I could see papers¡ªmaps¡ªof the surrounding area.


    ¡°I¡¯ll solo the hydra myself,¡± I said. I went over to the maps and took one.


    It was a crude drawing, clearly not made by a professional. There were four landmarks. Old Pine Town, a river running down from the mountain, a small waterfall, and the hydra not far from the waterfall.


    ¡°Are you the mayor?¡± I asked the man.


    He simply nodded.


    ¡°Is there anything else I need to know?¡±


    He opened his mouth, but River spoke first. ¡°It¡¯s a level 55 monster, surrounded by level 35-45 monsters. I¡¯ve seen you fight, you don¡¯t stand a chance in hell against it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take that chance,¡± I said. I started stripping off my gear, putting it into my Interdimensional Pouch. Soon, I was just wearing an undershirt and running shorts.  Once all of my equipment except for my sword was stowed away, I pulled out my backpacking backpack and shouldered that.


    I gave Ryker the pouch with all my equipment in it.  ¡°No peeking,¡± I said. ¡°And wish me luck.¡±


    The room was dead silent as I left the room.


    Old Pine Town reminded me of what Reed Town looked like when I first saw it. The inhabitants had a look of fear, there were very few people around, and I couldn¡¯t see any signs of upgrades for the town.


    I was surrounded by mountains, and it looked like the town was built on the outskirts of a small pre-Atropos town. It was the kind of town people would stop at to get gas on their way to somewhere else.


    I jogged out of the town, ignoring the sentry¡¯s questions and odd looks.


    It wasn¡¯t hard to find the river, and so I jogged my way up the mountain side, following the river.


    This is your fault, I said, again, to Samantha. These are important potential friendships and alliances. You¡¯ve made them hate me.


    Samantha sighed. <I¡¯m sorry. But now that we¡¯ve addressed it, it won¡¯t happen again. Are you sure you¡¯re down for this plan?>


    In for an inch, in for a mile, I thought back.


    I was pissed.  I was mad at Samantha, and mad at myself, and resentful that I couldn¡¯t even explain myself to the other Hard Mode Challengers.  It had been two days since I arrived back in the real world, and I didn¡¯t feel any closer to finding my siblings.


    At least if I fight alone, I don¡¯t have to worry about you endangering other people.


    I encountered a wide variety of monsters as I followed the river up the mountain. There were wolves, lions, bears, and hawks.


    Most of the monsters tried attacking me as I progressed up the mountain, and I killed them with relative ease.  The lack of a path was more annoying and slowed me down more than the presence of the monsters.


    The waterfall was a true Californian waterfall, which meant it was more like a trickle than anything else.  The water fell about fifteen feet down an outcropping of rock, forming a small pool.


    I¡¯d been imagining a sheet of water falling to block a hidden cave, but that was clearly not the case.


    I still hadn¡¯t encountered many high-level monsters, which was something of a concern to me.  Maybe they were all gathering by the hydra?


    As I left the waterfall, I could start to smell poison in the air.


    I pushed passed the underbrush into a clearing, and I set off the hydra¡¯s trap.


    Over a dozen monsters, none of them below level 30, charged me at the same time.  Several giant birds that looked like eagles flew around to cut off my retreat.


    I rushed directly forward towards the two direwolves in front of me. I¡¯d fought them before, so I was most confident dealing with them.


    I put mana into Agility and started running forward.  I was able to dodge most of the attacks, but it was impossible to completely avoid taking damage due to the number of attacks around me.


    I slit the throats of the two dire wolves ahead of me, barely avoiding their claws.


    I kept an eye on my health in my status screen. I¡¯d taken a few points of damage from the monsters around me, and my health was gradually ticking down from the poison in the air.


    A humanoid face appeared in the bark of a tree in front of me, and the tree swung a branch like a whip towards me.  The tree looked like it was rotting and half-decayed.


    I dove to the ground, following Samantha¡¯s outline, but a root rose from the ground and wrapped itself around my ankle.


    At the same time, three branches whipped towards me.


    I swung my sword, severing the root that held me in place, but I wasn¡¯t fast enough to escape the lashes from the three branches.  Each branch left a long, bloody gash on my exposed arms and legs.


    I continued running deeper into what had become a poisonous cloud of green fog.


    Fortunately, with my additional Perception, I could still make out the enemies around me.  I had to skirt around several trees, but other than that I blazed through any monster in my path.


    I was a bloody, limping mess by the time I caught sight of the hydra.

 Chapter 22: Hydra

    There wasn¡¯t any time to stop, assess my situation, or reconsider what I was about to do. I was surrounded by monsters that were all over level 35, and the more time I spent in the poisonous green mist, the more HP I lost.


    The hydra wasn¡¯t that far from me. Or, to be more precise, the nearest head of the hydra wasn¡¯t that far¡ªonly about fifteen feet away. I couldn¡¯t see the hydra¡¯s center¡ªall I could see were a dozen snakes with torsos that were the diameter of a truck¡¯s tire.


    The snakes had a pinkish color, with fangs the length of my forearm glistening with poison. As the snakes opened their mouths, more poisonous, green fog billowed out.


    Several heads hissed out a warning as I ran towards the hydra. I split the majority of my remaining mana, increasing Physical Defense and Agility.


    Dodging the striking heads was easy at first, thanks to Samantha¡¯s combat shadow, but the closer I got, the harder it became.


    The hydra clearly didn¡¯t want me any closer to its core, and its heads and necks formed a veritable wall blocking my approach.


    As I wove between snapping fangs and plumes of concentrated poison, I could finally see the hydra¡¯s main body. It was a roiling mass of putrid flesh, wrapped protectively by the coils of the various hydra heads.


    I tried to dodge all the attacks I could, but I was literally surrounded by hydra heads. The moment one head caught my calf, I acted.


    I unslung my backpack, and used the mana-powered lighter that I had purchased at the auction to light the wick of one of the Igneal Explosives that was inside the backpack.


    I tossed the backpack towards the Hydra Core.


    Just a second later, as two more hydra heads bit into my body, ten Igneal Explosives engraved with E-rank Explosion Rune Patterns blew up.


    I had created these explosives over the last day and a half, when I wasn¡¯t hunting District Lords. When I made them, I definitely wasn¡¯t planning on being nearby when the explosion happened.


    It was a deafening, world-shaking explosion. Everything lit up in a blinding flash of light, and I felt my body fly up out of the air and crash into a nearby tree.


    When I opened my eyes, I couldn¡¯t see anything. The only sound I could hear was a distant buzzing.


    Fortunately, though, Schema notifications still worked.


    You have reached 0 HP.


    Your skill ¡°Death¡¯s Defier¡± has taken effect. +1 HP


    <It¡¯s not dead yet. Use Mana Sensing.>


    I groaned and tried to stand up, but failed. I got on all fours, and activated Mana Sensing.


    It felt pointless. I was surrounded by roiling mana that lingered from the explosions I had created.


    <Move forward five steps. Hurry, there¡¯s still poison in the air. You have about twenty seconds before your Physical Defense wears off.


    As Samantha gave the instructions, the combat shadow showed me exactly where to go.


    My movements were slow. Not because each move felt painful¡ªSamantha¡¯s limiter on my pain was probably the only thing keeping me sane right now¡ªbut because there were some motions my body was incapable of completing.


    My left leg couldn¡¯t move at the hip, so I dragged it behind me. My right hand was missing completely, and it seemed like the explosion had messed with my sense of balance as well as everything else.


    I had no idea what I was even going to do when I find the Hydra again. I had no weapons, and I would die for real the moment I lost my last HP.


    Samantha said. <Then move to your right.>


    My hands fumbled around, following the Combat Shadow, and finally found the fang Samantha was talking about.


    I could finally see my target. Not literally see¡ªI was completely blind¡ªbut Mana Sensing didn¡¯t require eyesight, and with Mana Sensing, I could locate what was left of the Hydra. There was a faint ball of mana, with a small, garden-snake-sized stream of mana flowing out of it.


    It seemed the hydra hadn¡¯t noticed me.


    With the last of my energy, I slammed the fang down on what I assumed was the snake¡¯s head.


    Level up!


    Congratulations for killing a Region Lord. +5 Available Stat Points


    I felt a familiar glow cover my body. There had been two reasons Samantha had managed to convince me to attempt this foolhardy plan.


    First was Death¡¯s Defier¡ªguaranteed to save my life from the explosion. Of course, Samantha had neglected to mention the lingering poison in the air, which would have killed me if I had spent any more time with just 1 HP.


    The second was that Samantha tracked my experience gains, and she was certain that I would level up after defeating the hydra.


    I let my body relax, embracing the warmth that seeped into the core of my being. With the level up, I could feel my body repairing itself, and in a matter of seconds, my hearing and eyesight had returned.


    Thoughts about the free points? I asked.Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    <Don¡¯t worry about that yet. You need to collect the loot first.>


    There were also several reasons Samantha and I were not a fan of this plan. The first was that Samantha had predicted that the Orlan Blade¡¯s durability would hit zero. The second was there would be virtually no hydra hide available for me to use as a material for rune patterns. Hydra hide was an ideal Rune Magic material because it held mana so well. Unfortunately, it was all scrapped due to the explosion. The third was that using ten E-rank bombs was extremely expensive--in terms of product cost and hours of labor. Not to mention the fact that this brought me a hair''s breadth away from death.


    But this was the new world I was living in. And Samantha had promised the loot from the hydra would be worth it.


    I was still on my hands and knees, and I soon found two items next to the hydra¡¯s dead body. A City Token, and a Spell Book. To Samantha¡¯s disappointment, the core had been destroyed when I stabbed the hydra with the fang. Monster cores, according to Samantha, were rather useful. I would have to settle with the Skill Book that I found.


    You have learned the skill, Healthy Magic.


    Healthy Magic (E-rank): You can freely convert your mana into HP at a rate of 20 Mana to 1 HP. Requires: Internal Mana Affinity (E-rank).


    I had agreed with Samantha¡¯s risky¡ªand expensive¡ªplan for the 5 Stat Points, and the hopes of a skill book that would complement my Internal Mana Affinity. Hydras, Samantha had explained, also had Internal Mana Affinity, which meant there was a good chance I would be able to use the skills or spells the hydra dropped. Honestly, the skill is a disappointment. 20 mana for 1 HP sounded like a pretty bad tradeoff.


    <It¡¯s a shame you didn¡¯t get the D-rank version of the skill, but it¡¯s still worthwhile. It can pair well with Death¡¯s Defier¡ªyou go down to 0 HP, and then you automatically regain 1, and then you can spend Mana to heal instantaneously. It¡¯s a skill that will get stronger when your Mana Pool increases.>


    Well, even if the skill was a disappointment, at least I had gained significant stats from killing a Region Lord.


    Should I split the 6 points between Physical Defense, Mana Pool, and Mana Regeneration?


    <Sounds like a plan,> Samantha responded.


    I added the points, then studied my Status Window. There was something fulfilling, watching the numbers rise with time.


    <table width="624">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Name:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    Jarek


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Level:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    19


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    HP:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    29/29


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Physical Defense:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    18


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Strength:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    20


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Mental Power:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    11


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Dexterity:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    10


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Agility:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    10


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Perception:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    20


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Mana Pool:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    46


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Mana Regeneration:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    24


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Available Points:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    0


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Coins:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    7,504,850


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Class:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    Mana Modulator (D-rank)


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Profession:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    Rune Master


    (E-rank)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Titles:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="468">


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Skills and Spells:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="468">


    Identify (E-rank)


    Mana Modulation (D-rank Core)


    Death¡¯s Defier (A-rank)


    Mana Sensing (E-rank)


    Healthy Magic (E-rank)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Affinities:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="468">


    Internal Mana (D-rank Low), External Unattributed Mana (E-rank Low)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Equipment:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="468">


    None


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    There were two glaring issues with my Status Window, though. The first was that Ryker had my Interdimensional Pouch. This meant I had none of my usual stat boosts on my Status Window. And secondly, I needed to come up with about twenty-three million coins to buy the luck potion soon.


    <You will have company soon,> Samantha said, waking me up from my contemplation. <And since, for better or worse, some of the original Jarek is still inside you, I feel like I should let you know: you¡¯re naked.>


    I immediately gasped and looked down. It made sense¡ªI¡¯d intentionally chosen not to wear much in the first place, and now there weren¡¯t even shreds of clothes on me.


    <Well, I was going to say try not to act too much of a fool. You just defeated the Region¡¯s Lord, for Atropos¡¯s sake. You can either walk out of the poisonous mist as a confident hero or an awkward dweeb. But honestly, it¡¯s pretty clear which one of those two things this is going to be. Fuck it, let¡¯s just get this over with.>


    Fortunately, I had the poisonous mist to keep my body somewhat hidden. The sun had mostly set, so the darkness would help as well.


    I walked towards the outskirts of the mist with my hands over my privates and called out, ¡°Hello! I killed the hydra. Can you send Ryker with my pouch?¡±


    It didn¡¯t take long for Ryker to walk into the poisonous cloud.


    ¡°That¡¯s good¡ªyou can stop there. Just toss the pouch towards my voice. Yes, I¡¯m Jarek¡­No, you can¡¯t come closer¡­Why? Because I¡¯m naked¡­ Yes, the hydra is dead. There is no fucking password, just toss the damn pouch.¡±


    <hr>


    Not much later, we were all gathered again at Old Pine Town. It was the same group as before¡ªSergeant Wallis, Bradson, the military kid I still didn¡¯t know, River and the Old Pine Town mayor sat around a long table. I was finally wearing all my equipment, although the Orlan Blade had been destroyed.


    But this time, the ambiance was different, and I had control.


    ¡°The first thing I want to say is, I¡¯m sorry I wasn¡¯t a good teammate during the tutorial. I should have done better, and good people died because I made bad decisions that I deeply regret.


    ¡°That said, I know we are all still here because of this,¡± I dangled the City Token in front of everyone.


    ¡°Believe it or not, I¡¯m somewhat short on funds, lately. I¡¯ll auction the City Token off to the highest bidder¡ªsorry, Ryker. I do have one condition¡ªthat the city will allow me free and unrestricted access to the Teleportation Circle.


    ¡°Bids do not need to be made just with coins. It could be rare materials, information on a hidden lord, geopolitical information, or weapons. I¡¯ll give you each 12 hours to make your offer, and then I will give out the City Token. Best of luck, everyone.¡±


    This was Samantha¡¯s idea¡ªcast a line out, and see what bites. Hopefully, it would help me towards the path of 20 million coins.


    At first, I wasn¡¯t that happy about it. It meant that I would have to wait another day before seeing if city appeared near Boston. But the longer I waited, the more likely a city would appear near Boston, as well.


    We wrapped up the meeting not long after. As we made our way to the Teleportation Circle, River grabbed my elbow.


    ¡°I think you forgot one thing, Jarek,¡± she said. ¡°I spent more time higher up in the Yanir Tree than you did. However high your Perception is¡ªmine is higher.¡±


    She let her eyes wander down my body, then smirked at my flushed face and walked away.

 Chapter 23: The Crucible

    The next morning, I considered everyone¡¯s bids for the City Token.


    River had offered me tens of thousands of coins in exchange for the City Token.


    The Air Force Base offered me even more coins, and an E-ranked Rune Pattern Blueprint. It seemed they knew me well.


    Ryker, to my surprise, offered me the most.


    ¡°I have two advantages,¡± he told me, as we were eating breakfast together in his house in Reed Town. ¡°I know you the best, and I don¡¯t have their ego. So here¡¯s the deal. I¡¯ll turn ownership of the town over to you. You turn Reed Town into a city, and you make me your right-hand man. You¡¯re the boss. But I doubt you want to stick around managing a city. I¡¯ll keep Reed City safe and running while you¡¯re doing whatever shit strikes your fancy. You keep Reed City¡ªand my Grandma¡ªsafe if any big threats come our way. Cool?¡±


    I glanced at Ryker, surprised. ¡°You trust me that much, considering what happened in the tutorial?¡±


    Ryker studied me. ¡°You¡¯re foolhardy. Maybe you need a steady hand like mine to keep you reigned in.¡±


    The Mayor of Reed Town wishes to make you Reed Town¡¯s new Mayor.


    Accept/Reject


    <What are you waiting for?> Samantha practically shouted in my head. <Accept it before he reconsiders.>


    Once I selected ¡°Accept,¡± a new blue text appeared:


    Congratulations! You have gained the conditional title, District Mayor (F-rank): +1 to your two highest stats when you are fighting in your District.


    Ignoring the text, I focused on the new icon nested under the blue alpha symbol that hovered in the corner of my vision.


    It said, ¡°Reed Town Options.¡±


    I quickly found myself buried in information. I could see all the structures that Ryker had purchased so far. I could see a Town Store, which would allow me to build stronger walls, or buy a protective mana shield for the town. I could also buy class shrines that would allow people to gain a basic, F-ranked class for a fee.


    <You should thank him.>


    I shook myself out of my daze. ¡°Wow. Thanks, Ryker. You won¡¯t regret this.¡±


    Ryker¡¯s heavy hand landed on my back. ¡°I know. Don¡¯t forget to give me administrative privileges too.¡±


    I smiled at that, and did.


    I found the option that said ¡°Upgrade to City,¡± and then confirmed it.


    It was an anticlimactic moment, considering all the work I¡¯d put in to get here.


    It took some time for the town to upgrade into a city. We had to clear the nearby monsters just outside of the walls, because if someone attacked the walls while they were upgrading, Samantha said the Schema wouldn¡¯t be happy.


    Clearing nearby monsters was more of a chore than a battle.


    Meanwhile, in addition to the walls, the Merchants¡¯ Faction Store had a sign up that said, ¡°Closed for Renovations,¡± and the building that housed the Teleportation Circle was also being upgraded.


    Congratulations! You have upgraded the conditional title, District Mayor (F-rank) to the conditional title, Region Lord (E-rank): +1 to all stats when fighting in your Region.


    It was a minor bonus, and it seemed rather pointless, since nothing in the Region could even challenge me. Except the other Hard Mode Challengers. But it was free Stat Points, so I wasn¡¯t going to complain.


    At Samantha¡¯s suggestion, I walked into the Merchants'' Faction Store first. It looked essentially the same as it used too, just a few more decorations on the walls.


    The real difference was when I looked at the items for sale. I could see dozens of D-rank items on display now.


    <This is the Schema''s reward for Earthlings,> Samantha said. <You shouldn¡¯t expect any of these items to be replenished. It¡¯s first-come, first-serve, for whoever builds a city first and has the coins on hand. Let''s take a look for anything that suits your build.¡±


    I thought it was a waste of money to buy from the store?


    <That was for the E and F-rank items,> Samantha responded smoothly. <You¡¯ll find a bunch of them in the upcoming weeks. You''ll probably find a D-rank item or two in the next few weeks too. But the odds of finding a good fit for your build is low. You should claim anything you need, before other forces gather enough money.>


    I found it hard to wrap my mind around how anyone could have as much money as I did.


    How long would it take for someone else to get 7 million coins, just from killing monsters?


    The D-rank items on the Information Crystal¡¯s display each cost around 1 million coins.


    It didn¡¯t take long to find the perfect weapon:


    Vampiric Blade (D-rank): When activated, drinks the blood of enemies at or above your level and converts that blood into mana, at rate of about 10 HP to 1 mana. Duration: 1 minute. Cooldown: 10 minutes. +5 Strength, +5 Agility.


    The passive Stat Point bonus was pretty much on par with the other D-rank weapons I could find. What made it truly valuable¡ªand what raised its price compared to the other D-rank weapons¡ªwas the attached skill. It was a stingy conversion rate, and a short duration, but mana was the key to my fighting style, and anything that could replenish my mana was valuable to me, since my class didn''t allow me to use Mana Potions.


    Ryker had been waiting for me outside the store. He raised his eyebrows slightly, seeing my scabbard holding a new sword, but he didn¡¯t comment. We entered the building that housed the Teleportation Circle together.


    The Teleportation Circle was larger now, with more elaborate rune patterns that I couldn¡¯t make heads or tail out of.


    I pulled up the list of available cities. From how Samantha explained it, the list of cities could function as an indicator of how humanity as a whole was faring--and how many Regions still needed to be conquered in my Zone.


    Daybreak (Michigan)


    Dauphin (Pennsylvania)


    Hope (Manitoba)


    The Crucible (Colorado)This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    Montreal (Quebec)


    Zapopan (Jalisco)


    I felt a shiver run down my spine. The Crucible.


    There was something I hadn¡¯t told Samantha, when she was asking about the fantasy stories from Earth. It was something absurd, yet so personal, the reason that I had thought for so long that everything was just a dream.


    I hadn¡¯t just read fantasy novels. No, in my online reading, I had read stories remarkably similar to the post-apocalyptic reality I was currently living.


    And in each one of those stories, the Crucible was the core to the development of every main character.


    For Li Tian, the first human to be summoned to the Death King¡¯s Trials, the Crucible was the training camp where he awoke his legendary physique.


    For George Hytia, the Crucible was the name of the spear that evolved with him as he shielded the Earth from hordes of invaders, ultimately gaining the title Humanity¡¯s Last Bastion.


    <Wait, Jarek¡ª>


    I turned to Ryker with a smile. ¡°I¡¯ll be back,¡± I said, stepping onto the intricate runes on the floor and activating the Teleportation Circle¡ªsetting my destination for The Crucible and sending them my name and level.


    <Jarek, I need you to stop and think about this.> For the first time since I had known her, I heard panic in Samantha¡¯s voice.


    Serves her right, for all the shit she put me through.


    Reed City faded, and I appeared in what seemed to be some kind of bomb shelter. The walls, ceiling, and floor were grey, bare cement. The room was lit by torches fixed into the wall at regular spaces, casting somewhat ominous shadows around the room.


    Four people had their eyes on me as I materialized through their Teleportation Circle.


    They were fully equipped, arguably with a better load out than I had. Every one of them had E-ranked weapons and armor.


    ¡°Welcome to The Crucible,¡± the one woman in the group said. Her skin was almost completely covered in leather armor, leaving only her face visible. She was a black woman either in her late teens or early twenties, with a very compact, muscular build. I could see about four knives on her belt, and about a dozen more slotted into a bandolier. ¡°What is the purpose of your visit?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve read about the Crucible,¡± I said, vaguely. It felt strange, saying it out loud. I hadn¡¯t been comfortable telling Samantha about it, or Ryker. But even though it felt strange, it also felt right. I was where I needed to be.


    I¡¯d read about the end of the world, in dozens of different iterations. Had they read about it too? I couldn¡¯t help but hope for some sense of camaraderie. Someone else who had read what I had.


    The woman smiled at me, walked forward, and reached out a hand. ¡°My name is Adia, I¡¯m glad you¡¯re here. What stories do you remember?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all a blur, honestly,¡± I said. ¡°Li Tian, George Hytia. It¡¯s just that everything feels familiar, and the Crucible is important.¡±


    It was like an exaggerated version of the feeling that I had noticed after reading too many stories in the same genre. Eventually, all the stories kind of blend together. Tutorials, monsters, levels, the Crucible, dungeons, saviors, merchants, invasions. It was hard to remember any specifics--except that the Crucible always helped.


    ¡°Walk with me and I¡¯ll catch you up,¡± Adia said, turning toward the only exit.


    <Jarek, you need to kindly ask them to send you back, now. Trust me, you have no idea what you¡¯re getting into here. Do you actually need me to list all the red flags?>


    I hurried towards Adia. Chill out, Samantha. They¡¯re friends.


    One of the remaining guards reached into a pocket to pull something out and I flinched a little bit. Maybe Samantha was right.


    Then I saw it was basically a glowing tile a bit smaller than his fist. He held it to his mouth like a walkie-talkie. ¡°Adia¡¯s on the way up with a Reader.¡±


    I heard, out of the same tile, the words, ¡°Copy that.¡±


    As we left the stone room, I had the growing suspicion that I was in an underground fortress. The door led to a cement staircase leading upward, still with torches affixed in regular spaces.


    It was interesting to me that the sconces that held the torches were screwed into the cement wall. It implied that someone had built this place, anticipating the loss of electricity.


    ¡°Sorry about the mood lighting,¡± Adia said with a wry smile. ¡°Electricity doesn¡¯t work, obviously. We¡¯re working on getting everything running on Mana, but that¡¯s a big project.


    ¡°Anyway, the Crucible City is named after a potion that unlocks each person¡¯s natural talents. The going rate is 50,000 coins if you¡¯re interested.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to buy it,¡± I said.


    <Are you fucking serious, Jarek? You need to get back to Reed Town now!>


    ¡°Of course,¡± Adia said. ¡°Because we want to avoid ambitious resellers¡ªobviously, 50,000 coins is much lower than market price¡ªwe ask all customers to drink the potion in our town.¡±


    <¡­Is this not suspicious to you? Jarek, you¡¯re under a compulsion charm. You¡¯re being mind-controlled.> I couldn''t help but appreciate the irony behind Samantha''s hysterical tone. She''d been in control for so long, I had finally cracked that cool, calm, and collected voice.


    At the same time, maybe Samantha was right? ¡°I¡¯d like to see the potion,¡± I said. We can Identify the potion to see if it is legit.


    <You think they don¡¯t have a way to fool that? Do you think it¡¯s hard to spook an E-rank Identify skill?>


    ¡°Of course,¡± Adia said with a smile. ¡°Let¡¯s find some natural lighting first¡ªI generally like to avoid talking about anything in this doom-and-gloom setting.¡±


    To be fair, there was something unnerving about the place. The hallway we were walking through was so narrow we could barely fit side by side, and the gray concrete made it feel vaguely like a prison.


    After another flight of stairs, and several branching paths, I finally saw daylight.


    We were in the largest room I¡¯d seen so far. There were rows of tables, laid out like a cafeteria. Natural light trickled in from small, barred windows placed high in the walls. The ceiling was two or three stories tall, and I had the impression that this room could probably fit a thousand people or so.


    A few people were seated at the tables, eating in small groups. They all bore Schema equipment¡ªrobes, weapons, and armor.


    ¡°The Crucible is the largest organization of Challengers in the North American Zone,¡± Adia said, proudly. ¡°We have twenty members who have challenged the Hard Mode Tutorial, with the number growing each day. We¡¯ve already destroyed one Region Lord, and we are planning our assault on a second. But anyway, this isn¡¯t a sales pitch,¡± Adia laughed slightly, and led me to a room not far from the cafeteria.


    It was the coziest room in the Crucible that I¡¯d seen so far. It had a carpeted floor¡ªor, at least, rugs on top of the concrete. There were drapes on the walls, hiding what I assumed was more bare concrete. Finally, there was a desk, chair, safe built into the wall, and couch.


    Adia went to the safe, turned the combination lock, and took out a potion in a vial.


    I immediately Identified it.


    The Crucible (E-rank Potion): When consumed, has a high chance of activating any latent talent or natural skills. Consuming more than one potion will have no effect.


    What did I tell you? Looks legit, I smirked.


    Adia''s smile became visibly forced, and I realized suddenly that I had just smirked directly at her.


    <Jarek, you¡¯re being mind-controlled, and I can''t break it. Compulsions can be beaten by willpower though--you just need to snap out of it.>


    Just because I¡¯m making decisions you don¡¯t understand doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m being mind-controlled, I shot back.


    ¡°50,000 coins, right?¡± I said, reaching out my hand.


    Adia shook my hand, I transferred the coins, and drank the bottle.


    ¡°You may experience a brief bout of dizz¡ª¡° It was the last thing I heard before the world around me faded.


    <table width="624">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Name:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    Jarek


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Level:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    19


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    HP:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    29/29


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Physical Defense:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    18 (+2)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Strength:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    20 (+5)


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Mental Power:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    11


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Dexterity:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    10 (+4)


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Agility:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    10 (+7)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Perception:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    20


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Mana Pool:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    46


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Mana Regeneration:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    24 (+6)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Available Points:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    0


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Coins:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    6,454,850


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Class:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    Mana Modulator (D-rank)


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Profession:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    Rune Master


    (E-rank)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Titles:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="468">


    Region Lord (E-rank)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Skills and Spells:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="468">


    Identify (E-rank)


    Mana Modulation (D-rank Core)


    Death¡¯s Defier (A-rank)


    Mana Sensing (E-rank)


    Healthy Magic (E-rank)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Affinities:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="468">


    Internal Mana (D-rank Low), External Unattributed Mana (E-rank Low)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Equipment:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="468">


    Vampiric Blade (D-rank): +5 Strength, +5 Agility.


    Rune Master¡¯s Knife (E-rank): +2 Dexterity; +2 Mana Regen.


    Rune Master¡¯s Ring (E-rank): +2 Dexterity; +2 Mana Regen.


    Orc Helmet (F-rank): +2 Physical Defense


    Magician¡¯s Robes (F-rank): +2 Mana Regen.


    Orc Boots (F-rank): +2 Agility


    Interdimensional Pouch (E-rank):


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="468">


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>

 Chapter 24: Lord Ignatius

    ¡°Jarek, can you hear me?¡± I opened my eyes to find myself in yet another concrete room.


    There were about ten people surrounding me, each one watching me warily.


    ¡°Can you tell me why you¡¯re here?¡± Despite the nasally, raspy tone, the voice came across as incredibly powerful.


    I glanced around at the unfamiliar faces around me, until I saw Adia, breathing a sigh of relief upon seeing a familiar face.


    The room was clearly set up to show the power structure in the room.


    The voice was coming from a man on a throne.


    Several people stood between myself and the man on the throne, and their weapons were drawn and pointed at me. I noticed that there was a pile of my weapons and equipment at the foot of the throne.


    I smiled. ¡°I¡¯m here to join the Crucible.¡±


    ¡°Why do you want to join the Crucible, Jarek?¡± The man on the throne asked. He wore a magician¡¯s robes, at least E-rank. I couldn¡¯t see any wand, staff, or other focus in his hands, though. He had long, spindly fingers, and on his left hand, every finger had a bejeweled ring. He had a completely bald head¡ªnot even any eyebrows or eyelashes. His skin looked pale and stretched. It made me feel like I had absolutely no idea how old this guy was.


    ¡°The Crucible is humanity¡¯s best chance for survival,¡± I responded.


    Thinking about everything I¡¯d heard, monsters were just the beginning. It would take a powerful organization like the Crucible to help rebuild humanity.


    ¡°I have two questions for you, Jarek, before you join the Crucible. First, I¡¯d like to see your full Status Window. Second, I¡¯d like to know how you think you can best serve the Crucible. We are a multi-faceted organization. You could be a fighter, a professionalist, an administrator, a scout, a diplomat. Think carefully.¡±


    I shared my Status Window with the man on the throne, and said, confidently, ¡°I could be your best fighter¡ª¡° there was a discontented murmur around me when I said that, but I continued proudly, ¡°I killed my Region¡¯s Lord¡ªa hydra¡ªon my own. I¡¯m also a Rune Master¡ª¡°


    The man on the throne hummed in excitement. ¡°Your Status Window seems very artfully built for battle. We already have a Rune Master. What blueprints do you know?¡±


    Rather than directly respond, I shared the list along with my Status Window.


    Durability Rune Pattern Blueprint (F-rank): Necessary to create a Durability Rune Pattern (F-rank). When complete, the Durability Rune Pattern increases an item¡¯s durability. Equipped items with the Durability Rune Pattern add +2 to the owner¡¯s Physical Defense.


    Strength Rune Pattern Blueprint (F-rank): Necessary to create a Strength Rune Pattern (F-rank). When complete and equipped, adds +2 to the owner¡¯s Strength.


    Proximity Ward Blueprint (F-rank): Necessary to create a Proximity Ward (F-rank). When complete, alerts the owner of any approaching beings within a 10 yard radius.


    Interdimensional Pouch Rune Pattern Blueprint (E-rank): When complete, turns a pouch into an Interdimensional Pouch (E-rank). Creates a weightless interior space of 5x5x5 feet.


    Explosion Rune Pattern Blueprint (E-rank): Necessary to complete an Explosion Rune Pattern (E-rank). Causes an intense explosion. Single use.


    ¡°It looks like you should split your time,¡± the man said. ¡°Declan!¡±


    One of the men who had been pointing a knife my direction straightened to attention.


    ¡°Yes Lord Ignatius!¡±This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    ¡°Jarek, Declan is our requisitions officer. Give Declan a list of the materials you need for the Interdimensional Pouch Rune Pattern and the Explosion Rune Pattern.


    ¡°Jarek, I think you already met Adia, the leader of our strongest team of Hard Mode Challengers. You¡¯ll want to share your Status Window with her too.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Lord Ignatius,¡± I said, thankful that Declan had shown me the appropriate way to address the man on the throne. I shared my Status Window with Adia, who nodded confirmation towards Lord Ignatius.


    ¡°The Crucible is always looking for powerful people. Tell me a bit about the forces in your Region.¡± Lord Ignatius steepled his fingers and stared intently at me.


    ¡°Of course, Lord Ignatius,¡± I replied. ¡°I have one friend and ally, Ryker, who is currently overseeing Reed City. Ryker was a Hard Mode challenger like myself, and he wields an axe. Then there is River, a magician with a fire focus. The armed forces gathered at the Los Angeles Air Force Base, with several Hard Mode challengers: Lieutenant Colonel Bradson, who also uses an axe, Sergeant Wallis, and at least two other Hard Mode challengers.


    ¡°We will ignore the soldiers for now,¡± Lord Ignatius said. ¡°Ryker and River¡ªdo they have any other powerful, close allies?¡±


    ¡°Ryker does not,¡± I responded. ¡°I don¡¯t believe River does either.¡±


    ¡°Then your first mission will be to bring them to me.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Lord Ignatius.¡± I felt a thrill of excitement, at the thought of being able to share the Crucible''s purpose with Ryker. It was invigorating, now that Lord Ignatius had offered meaning to the insanity around me. And maybe River would treat me better, once it was clear we were on the same team.


    ¡°Then that concludes our business,¡± the Crucible¡¯s leader said from his throne. ¡°Unless there is anything else I need to know?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Lord Ignatius,¡± I started. "I have a¡ª¡°


    <STOP,> Samantha said. She had been quiet this whole time, surprisingly. <If word gets out about me, then the Atropos Schema¡¯s Enforcers would uproot your precious cult to get to me. As long as nobody knows about me, you are safe. If you tell them about me, then the Enforcers would torture and kill everyone in the room. Remember, we are in the Atropos Schema¡¯s Domain. Even speaking about me is dangerous.>


    You didn¡¯t want this for me, I thought back. You¡¯ll try to make me leave the Crucible.


    <I think you¡¯d be surprised at how flexible I am,> Samantha responded. <The Crucible is obviously a front for the Mentalist Cooperative, which is a leading Faction in the Atropos Schema. The Mentalist Cooperative must have transported its members to Earth years ago in order to set their plans in motion--Lord Ignatius really shouldn''t be here. But that¡¯s fine. They treat their members well, aside from the mind control, and I think you¡¯ll grow well under their wing. It¡¯s not ideal, but I can respect your choice.>


    Do you expect me to believe that after all the lies you¡¯ve told me? You¡¯ve controlled my mind before, how do I know you won¡¯t take over again and have me backstab Lord Ignatius?


    <If I could trump Lord Ignatius¡¯s control, I would have done it the moment you tried to enter the Crucible. The Mentalist Cooperative specializes in mind control, it¡¯s not something I can break that easily. I couldn¡¯t even trump the compulsion that called you to the Crucible¡ªhow do you expect me to trump Lord Ignatius¡¯ direct control? His Enthrall skill is at least D-rank.>


    I had paused mid-sentence, and Lord Ignatius was starting to stare at me with some concern in his sunken eyes.


    ¡°I have a debt,¡± I continued, ¡°But I don¡¯t know if it is my place to burden you with it. If I can gain about 24 million coins, I can buy a +1 Luck Potion from the Merchants¡¯ Faction. With my build, it would be extremely beneficial for me.¡±


    The people around me laughed softly, and Declan spoke up first. ¡°Kid, coins don¡¯t grow on trees. You can¡¯t just¡ª¡° Declan cut himself off as Lord Ignatius raised a thin, almost skeletal hand placatingly.


    ¡°If you can help us kill a few Region Lords, I can have Declan write up a loan,¡± the bald man said. ¡°Anything else?¡± He asked, somewhat sarcastically.


    ¡°I also have a sister and brother who live in Boston. Petra and Justin Novak. I wish for their safety as well,¡± I said.


    ¡°There is a city in Pennsylvania,¡± Ignatius said. ¡°Massachusetts is a different Region, unfortunately. I will tell the nearby field team to prioritize finding the Region Lord in Massachusetts¡¯ Region. Once we build a city in the Region, I¡¯m sure we will be able to find your family.¡± He stood from the throne and smiled at me. ¡°Welcome to the Crucible,¡± he said, before turning around and leaving through an exit behind his throne.


    As he left, I heard his voice echo in my head. <My one command for you, Jarek: You are never to add to your Mental Power, without my express consent.>


    I was accustomed enough to hearing Samantha¡¯s voice that I knew how to respond. Of course, Lord Ignatius.


    It wasn¡¯t until Lord Ignatius had left the room that everyone else put their weapons away.


    ¡°Grab your stuff and meet me in the gym. I¡¯m looking forward to seeing the Crucible¡¯s best fighter in action,¡± Adia said, sliding two knives into their sheathes with a nearly inaudible hiss.


    Adia left before I could even ask her where the gym was.


    Declan left with Adia¡ªI could hear him muttering something about 20 million coins.


    I collected my pouch, items, and weapons, glad to see that nothing was missing.


    By the time I had finished, only one man was left.


    ¡°Hello Jarek, it¡¯s nice to see you again.¡± I stared blankly at the man in front of me. ¡°Uman,¡± the man said, reintroducing himself. He had a slight Arabic accent and a calm, warm smile that partially hid behind a neatly trimmed beard. ¡°We met in the Auction, briefly. Ah, well. I¡¯m in charge of personnel. The Human Resources side to things. I know pretty much everybody here, and I help send people where they need to go. I¡¯m also in charge of communicating with teams out in the field, and onboarding new members.¡±


    Uman reached out a hand and as I shook it, he continued talking. ¡°You could say I¡¯m something of a people person,¡± he said. ¡°For most of us Hard-mode challengers, it¡¯s fair to say there¡¯s something under the surface. So, let me just suggest, if at all possible, try not to question Adia¡¯s authority until you¡¯re confident you could hold the position of party leader.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± I asked. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to lie to Lord Ignatius.¡±


    Uman shrugged and sighed. ¡°Nevermind. You¡¯ll understand soon enough. Follow me, I¡¯ll take you to the gym.¡±

 Chapter 25: Spar

    Uman led me out of Lord Ignatius¡¯s throne room, and we began a long walk through dimly lit cement corridors.


    ¡°There are a few things you should know,¡± Uman said. ¡°We are both Chosen by Lord Ignatius. You should feel it, now, in your heart.  All Chosen are loyal to Lord Ignatius and to each other by extension, but we also have the freedom to walk our own paths, with our own secondary priorities.  It is because of this freedom that you¡¯ll want to stay on Adia¡¯s good side¡ªshe could make your life miserable in the next few days.¡±


    ¡°Why would she do that?¡±


    ¡°Adia doesn¡¯t like being in second place.¡±


    I didn¡¯t know what to say to that, so I let us continue walking in silence. ¡°Not everyone in the Crucible is Chosen by Lord Ignatius,¡± Uman continued.  ¡°So try not to act too suspicious around the others. Adia¡¯s team members¡ªwho you will see soon¡ªare all Chosen of course.¡±


    We walked for a few more minutes, and we finally found our way to the gym.


    I had been anticipating a weight room. Instead, Uman took me to a room that had a large, central section walled off by thick plexiglass with rune patterns carved on it. It reminded me of a hockey rink, except there was no ice anywhere.


    There were about a dozen people on the outside of the plexiglass, and another five in the middle of the room.


    Uman gave me a light shove, and I let myself be guided into the central part of the gym.


    It was set up like an arena.  The people watching us through the plexiglass made me feel like I was in a fish bowl.


    The fish bowl arena formed a square that I estimated was about 50 feet by 50 feet.


    ¡°Well, if it isn¡¯t the Crucible¡¯s best fighter,¡± Adia said.  She stood at the opposite end of the arena with four other people decked out in Schema gear.


    The other four members looked decidedly uncomfortable.  One of them¡ªa muscular man over six feet tall and holding a giant shield¡ªwhispered, ¡°Adia, is this really necessary?¡±


    ¡°Calm down, Hank. If he¡¯s going to join the team, then we need to see how he fights.  Any other objections?¡±  Adia glared at her team and they quickly averted their eyes.


    ¡°So, hydra slayer,¡± Adia said, glancing back at me. ¡°Who do you want to fight first? Or should I pick for you?¡±


    I glanced around the room, through the plexiglass at the mixed expressions. Excitement, concern, curiosity.


    What do you think? I asked Samantha.


    <You could probably take on the other four at the same time. Adia seems dangerous.>


    ¡°Let¡¯s not waste our time,¡± I shot back to Adia. ¡°I¡¯ll fight your four friends, all at once.¡±


    Adia smiled at that, and left the arena.


    Hank¡ªthe massive man with the shield¡ªcast an apologetic look my way. ¡°Sorry kid. No hard¡ª¡° Hank glanced up and caught sight of Adia''s glare and cut off.


    I ignored Hank, glancing at the other three members of Crucible.  There was an older swordsman who was probably around 40 or 50 years old, with a wiry frame, a sharp nose, and a slightly balding, pale head.


    There was a magician in his teens who looked somewhat overweight. His chin was covered in patches of scruff that he was apparently trying to turn into a beard.


    The fourth member was the second oldest in the group, probably around 30 or 40, and he also wore magician¡¯s robes.  Just where his sleeves cut off, I could see that most of his visible skin was covered in tattoos.


    ¡°Give him hell,¡± Adia said, stepping outside of the arena. Then she paused. ¡°Just no dismembering limbs.  Keep things healable.¡±


    ¡°No hard feelings,¡± the tattooed magician said to me with a smile. He spoke with a slight Russian accent that communicated confidence and authority.  ¡°We¡¯re all part of the Crucible, anyway.  My name is Petrov.  I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll be on the same team soon.  The swordsman is Amos,¡±


    The swordsman nodded at me, and I nodded back.


    <Idiot,> Samantha said. <The healer is already buffing them. Petrov is just stalling.>


    I glanced at the remaining man, the other man in magician robes. Sure enough, he was whispering spells under his breath, with his wand held lightly by his side.


    ¡°Rude,¡± I said.  Then I rushed them.


    I felt the air around me bear down on me, and suddenly I felt weaker and much slower.


    I sunk a sizable chunk of my Mana Regeneration into Agility.  I was trying to rush around Hank¡¯s massive shield, but the swordsman¡ªAmos¡ªappeared in front of me.


    Samantha¡¯s outline guided me next.  I split all of my available mana between Agility and Strength. Then, I was able to dodge around the swordsman and whack him in the back of his head, hard, with the pommel stone of my sword.


    I had 29 seconds left before my increased stats would run out and I would be out of mana.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    But that was more than enough time.


    The healer was the most annoying, since he was slowing me down somehow, so I headed directly for him.


    Hank tried to block my way, but he was far too slow.


    The healer had some kind of protective shield around him.  The first time I struck him, he stumbled backwards, but didn¡¯t seem to take any damage due to the white sheen around him.


    My second strike landed on the healer¡¯s shoulder, forcing him to his knees, cracking the shield and enabling my sword to sink deeply into his shoulder.


    I felt a moment of regret hearing the teen cry out in pain, but I was still on the clock.


    With a quick rap of my sword''s pommel, the boy collapsed. Two down.


    Hank was already barreling towards me, hunkered behind his shield, but I dodged around the shield easily, towards Petrov.


    <Get back!> Samantha shouted it in my head as the outline retreated behind me.


    I dove away, just in time to avoid a massive icicle flying towards me.


    My foot landed in a patch of ice, and it took all I could to remain on my feet.


    Mist appeared all around me, and I knew that I needed to eliminate Petrov soon.  It seemed he had realized he needed to stall for time.


    Fortunately, I had high Perception.  I pretended to stumble aimlessly in the icy mist, and then lunged, rapping Petrov on the head with my sword.


    As I did, I felt a needle-thin icicle slide easily through the right side of my chest.


    Petrov collapsed, and I slid the icicle-needle out of my chest gently. It was concerning how little I felt from the needle, considering how much my health had dropped.  As I pulled out the needle, I coughed up some blood.


    Samantha¡¯s outline moved, and I realized that the sooner I ended this, the sooner I could get healing.  The mist was slowly fading in the arena, but it was enough to hide my presence from Hank, and I was able to circle behind him and strike his head with my pommel stone with all my strength.


    It took a few more seconds after everyone was down for the mist to go away. ¡°It¡¯s over,¡± I said, looking towards the spectators.


    Several people rushed over, woke up the unconscious people, and healed anyone who needed it.


    I didn¡¯t really feel much, as a healer wove her wand at me, but I was glad to see that my HP was increasing gradually.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Adia asked, coming into the arena and facing her team.


    ¡°Sorry guys,¡± Hank said. His voice was incredibly low pitched, but somehow soothing to the ear. ¡°I let him slip through the front line.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s way too fucking fast,¡± the healer said. His voice sounded a bit whiny and nasally, and he was the youngest of the group¡ªprobably just over 18.  His uneven stubble hid some acne scars.  He sniffed dramatically. ¡°His Agility has to be over 50 because his attack rate was insane. And his Strength is just as crazy cuz he cracked my Mana Shield in so few strikes.¡±


    The tattooed man, Petrov, scoffed at the healer. ¡°Why did you not attack him, Parker?¡± Petrov¡¯s voice wasn¡¯t as deep as Hanks, but it certainly conveyed more authority.  He continued, facing Adia, ¡°Parker needs more training.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± The healer, Parker, asked. ¡°Come on, there was nothing I could have done. You lost to him, too!"


    Petrov shook his head slowly.  ¡°I did not lose.  I could have killed the boy. My needle pierced his right lung.  I chose to not pierce his heart.¡±


    I nodded at Petrov¡¯s words. ¡°I would have lost.¡± I said it loud enough that everyone in the room could hear.


    Adia glanced at me sharply. Of everyone in the room, she was the only one who had seen my Status Window¡ªshe knew that even if I reached 0 HP, I wouldn¡¯t automatically die.


    However, she didn¡¯t say anything.


    How did he hide his ice needle? I asked Samantha.


    <There are two ways we could have sensed it,> Samantha replied. <Eyesight or Mana Sensing. His mist obviously limited our sight, but it also limited our Mana Sensing as well. If he made it in advance, maybe behind his back, then once it was formed, he could dispel the mana from it, so that it wouldn''t ping Mana Sensing. Then he waited until the last minute, when we were committed to our attack.  At least, that''s my guess for how I  missed it.  You wouldn''t have noticed it either way.  Anyway, It¡¯s an impressive trick.>


    It was the first time I had heard Samantha call anyone impressive.


    She had certainly never called me impressive.


    ¡°Well,¡± Adia said, sliding a particularly long knife in and out of its sheath faster than my eyes could follow.   ¡°Let me know when you¡¯re healed enough to fight me.¡±


    <table width="624">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Name:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    Jarek


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Level:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    19


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    HP:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    29/29


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Physical Defense:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    18 (+2)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Strength:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    20 (+5)


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Mental Power:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    11


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Dexterity:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    10 (+4)


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Agility:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    10 (+7)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Perception:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    20


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Mana Pool:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    46


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Mana Regeneration:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    24 (+6)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Available Points:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    0


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Coins:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    6,454,850


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Class:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    Mana Modulator (D-rank)


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Profession:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    Rune Master


    (E-rank)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Titles:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="468">


    Region Lord (E-rank)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Skills and Spells:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="468">


    Identify (E-rank)


    Mana Modulation (D-rank Core)


    Death¡¯s Defier (A-rank)


    Mana Sensing (E-rank)


    Healthy Magic (E-rank)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Affinities:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="468">


    Internal Mana (D-rank Low), External Unattributed Mana (E-rank Low)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Equipment:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="468">


    Vampiric Blade (D-rank): +5 Strength, +5 Agility.


    Rune Master¡¯s Knife (E-rank): +2 Dexterity; +2 Mana Regen.


    Rune Master¡¯s Ring (E-rank): +2 Dexterity; +2 Mana Regen.


    Orc Helmet (F-rank): +2 Physical Defense


    Magician¡¯s Robes (F-rank): +2 Mana Regen.


    Orc Boots (F-rank): +2 Agility


    Interdimensional Pouch (E-rank):


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="468">


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>

 Chapter 26: Conversion

    <hr>


    ¡°Start whenever you¡¯re ready,¡± Adia said, waving a hand nonchalantly. We stood in the middle of the arena. Enough time had passed that all the mist and ice was gone, but there was still a slight chill in the air.


    I was wary, mainly because Adia had seen my stat sheet, yet she still carried herself with an absolute confidence.


    Samantha as well had me start out cautiously, placing all of my Mana Regeneration towards Agility. Then, I moved forwards to close the gap between us.


    Adia tried to put more distance between us by backing up slightly and moving along the border of the arena. She held a throwing knife in either hand.


    She flicked her left arm and wrist in a sudden motion.


    Following Samantha¡¯s outline, I dodged to the side. As I was moving, I saw that the knife hadn¡¯t left her hand yet.


    Then, the knives started flying.


    The first knife flew directly to where I was heading. I jumped, contorting my body to dodge it. But as I was in the air, I saw another two knives flying towards me.


    I let myself continue along my original trajectory, raising my dagger to deflect the knife approaching my chest, and raising my knees to my stomach to avoid the knife flying towards my feet.


    And then I saw three more knives flying towards me¡ªwhile I was still in the air, from my first leap.


    I deflected one and dodged the other, but the third sliced through my magician¡¯s robes at the shoulder and sunk into my right arm.


    I ignored the knife, rushing towards Adia.


    After my first step towards her, I felt dizzy.


    The last thing I saw was the ground, flying towards me.


    <hr>


    I woke to the sounds of cheering. ¡°A-di-a! A-di-a!¡±


    Parker was crouched over me, his acne-covered face awkwardly close, and I shoved him off.


    ¡°What was that?¡± I asked, standing up and turning to Adia, who was staring down at me triumphantly. ¡°Poison?¡±


    ¡°You should know,¡± Adia said, smugly. ¡°You¡¯ve experienced it before.¡±


    <The Crucible potion,> Samantha supplied. <Its only effect was to knock you out. Lord Ignatius is the one who is mind controlling you.>


    ¡°Well, you win,¡± I said, raising my hands up helplessly, remembering Uman¡¯s advice. ¡°What next?¡±


    ¡°You heard Lord Ignatius. You know Ryker and River best. How would you go about convincing them to join our cause?¡±


    <hr>


    ¡°Ryker, can you hear me?¡± Lord Ignatius¡¯s voice cut through the silent room.


    Adia¡¯s whole team was here, along with Declan, the requisitions officer, and Uman, the self-described director of Human Resources.


    I stood between Ryker and Lord Ignatius, and Adia stood between Ryker and the door. According to Parker, Lord Ignatius¡¯s powers had never failed before, but caution came at a low price.


    ¡°Ryker, can you tell me why you are here?¡± The question came again, bearing down on all of us. I held my breath, hoping that the conversion had worked, that I would be reunited with my friend again...


    ¡°I¡¯m here to help you out,¡± Ryker¡¯s slow, casual drawl replied. He raised himself up and glanced around the room. ¡°Not sure how I¡¯m supposed to do that without my weapons and shit.¡±


    He had been stripped down to his underwear, and there was a pile of his equipment in front of Lord Ignatius. Despite this, he still carried himself with his usual laid-back confidence.


    ¡°Why do you want to ¡®help me out?¡¯¡± Lord Ignatius asked again.


    Ryker glanced around the room. ¡°You seem like my kind of people.¡±


    Lord Ignatius smiled. ¡°I have two questions for you, Ryker, before you join the Crucible. First, I¡¯d like to see your full Status Window. Second, I¡¯d like to know how you think you can best serve the Crucible. We are a multi-faceted organization. You could be a fighter, a professionalist, an administrator, a scout, a diplomat. Think carefully.¡±


    Ryker laughed casually. ¡°Oh, did Jarek not tell you already? I¡¯m pretty good at hitting things.¡±


    The conversation continued in a familiar vein.


    Ryker expressed concern over Reed City and his grandmother, and Lord Ignatius promised to send someone to Reed City while we continued with our next mission¡ªonboarding River.


    Once Lord Ignatius left, I helped Ryker pick up his weapons and equipment.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re with us,¡± I said, passing Ryker his boots.


    ¡°What¡¯s the lay of the land?¡± Ryker asked. ¡°Any prickly people?¡±


    ¡°Lord Ignatius¡ªthe bald man who was on the throne¡ªtends to be pretty absent, from what I hear. We¡¯re trying to form a team of elites to take down Region Lords.¡±


    I gestured to the remaining people in the room. "Adia is the team captain. There¡¯s Hank¡ªthe big guy with the shield¡ª¡±


    Parker, standing off to the side, snickered. ¡°Just call him Hank the Tank. It¡¯s easier.¡±Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    Hank smiled. ¡°Whatever¡¯s easiest for you. If it¡¯ll help you remember my name, go for it. It is a pretty forgettable name.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± I said, somewhat unsure how to respond. ¡°Hank the tank, Parker the healer, Petrov the magician, Amos, the swordsman, and Adia, our fearless leader.¡±


    ¡°Definitely the best line-up in the Zone,¡± Parker said, excitedly. ¡°Seven Hard-mode challengers. I bet we could even take out Dawnbreaker with the right planning.¡±


    Ryker and I exchanged confused glances. ¡°Dawnbreaker?¡± I asked.


    Adia spoke up. ¡°Dawnbreaker is the only confirmed Hell Mode challenger that we are aware of. At last count, she has cleared two Regions already. The only thing holding her back is finding new Region Lords, and getting where she needs to go.¡±


    I frowned, picking up on a certain tone in Adia¡¯s voice. ¡°But, she¡¯s not one of us?¡±


    Parker piped up again. ¡°We haven¡¯t made contact with her yet. She¡¯s on the restricted list for our teleporter, and Lord Ignatius has made it clear that we are to avoid her whenever possible.¡±


    ¡°Dawnbreaker isn¡¯t our concern right now, though,¡± Adia said, turning to me. ¡°Lord Ignatius really values magicians. We need River.¡±


    I frowned, glancing over to Ryker. ¡°Unfortunately, River isn¡¯t as gullible as Ryker. With River, it won¡¯t be as easy as ¡®Here, drink this.¡¯¡±


    Ryker shrugged, not even having the grace to look embarrassed.


    ¡°She doesn¡¯t really trust me,¡± I continued. ¡°But she should trust Ryker. Ryker can make up some story to get her to come to the Crucible. Then, we can ambush her at the Teleportation Circle.¡±


    Ryker nodded. ¡°I can do that.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± Adia said. ¡°Ryker, bring River through the portal in a half hour. Jarek, Amos, head to the potions shop. Jarek, you¡¯ll need the standard set of potions. Amos, ask for two Fire Resistance potions per person.¡±


    Amos nodded, and Adia continued, ¡°Two per person¡­ is fourteen total. Got it?¡±


    Amos glanced at me and rolled his eyes.


    <hr>


    The moment we were alone in the hallways, Amos whispered, ¡°I let you beat me.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± I raised my eyebrows.


    ¡°They didn¡¯t call me ¡®Famous Amos¡¯ for nothing before all this Atropos stuff happened. I¡¯m the two-time holder of the State-wide fencing championship. You were really telegraphing your intent¡ªwhen I saw that you were going for a pommel strike, I let it happen.¡±


    ¡°Why would you do that?¡± I honestly couldn¡¯t tell if Amos was lying. He had gone down very quickly during our fight, and he seemed completely confident now.


    ¡°Let¡¯s just say I¡¯m not all that happy with the¡­current leadership of the team. You saw how she talked to me, right? As if I couldn¡¯t do some simple, mental math. Absolutely no respect for her elders. It¡¯s like Adia has had this grudge against me from the moment we met. If you¡¯re able to take her spot as leader, I¡¯m all for it. You would have won, if it weren¡¯t for the poisoned kni¡ª¡° Amos cut himself off, noticing two people coming down the hallway towards us. ¡°Let¡¯s talk about this later. But I just want to let you know, I¡¯ve got your back.¡±


    I was starting to get the hang of these winding, dimly lit corridors. We soon came out near the cafeteria, and walked into a large, spacious room that had a counter and hundreds of glowing bottles on rows of shelves.


    ¡°Mr. Wright,¡± Amos said, addressing the man behind the counter. ¡°We need a full kit for my friend here, and fourteen Fire Resistance potions.¡±


    Mr. Wright put the pencil in his hand down, and flipped the paper he had been writing on over. He was a middle-aged black man, a bit taller than I was, with short-shaven hair and wide-rimmed glasses that almost hid the bags under his eyes.


    He glanced at me. ¡°I don¡¯t think we¡¯ve met. I¡¯m Haki Wright.¡±


    I offered my hand. ¡°Jarek Novak.¡±


    ¡°Where are you coming from, Jarek?¡±


    Amos puffed his chest in response. ¡°Jarek here founded the first City on the West Coast. Killed a hydra.¡±


    Mr. Wright smiled warmly at me. ¡°That is quite the feat, Jarek. What brings you here to the Crucible?¡±


    I suddenly remembered Uman¡¯s warning¡ªnot everybody was Chosen by Lord Ignatius. ¡°The Crucible is putting together a team to hunt other Region Lords,¡± I said. ¡°It was a good offer.¡±


    Mr. Wright nodded at that. ¡°Ah, then Jarek, you¡¯ve probably met my daughter¡ªAdia. Tell her I say hi.¡±


    Amos smiled forcefully. ¡°Of course we will. Adia says hello as well. She wanted me to send her apologies that she couldn¡¯t come¡ªwe¡¯re in a rush.¡±


    Amos glanced not-so-subtly at the potions behind the counter.


    ¡°Of course, of course,¡± Mr. Wright said, turning and gathering the necessary potions and recording them in a ledger.


    As I placed everything into my Interdimensional Pouch, Mr. Wright said, ¡°Tell Adia that I¡¯m sorry. I just want what¡¯s best for her.¡±


    <hr>


    Once Amos and I were back in the privacy of narrow tunnels, I asked, ¡°What was all that about?¡±


    ¡°Adia and her father aren¡¯t on speaking terms,¡± Amos said. ¡°He isn¡¯t a fan of Adia risking her life against monsters. And Adia, as I¡¯m sure you will quickly realize, doesn¡¯t like to be told what to do.¡±


    <hr>


    ¡°Request pending,¡± one of the teleportation guards announced. ¡°River and Ryker.¡±


    ¡°Potions and buffs!¡± Adia called.


    We were already in formation and ready for River. Parker and Petrov stood behind me and started chanting. It was unnerving, having a magician chanting spells behind me¡ªPetrov, I knew, could kill me in a split second. We all drank our fire-resistant potions, and I felt the buffs from Parker start to come through. I felt stronger, faster, and more aware. Around me, the whole area started to grow chillier, and ice started to spread on the walls.


    Adia glanced around, waiting a few more seconds for Hank to position his massive shield.


    I stood at the front of our squad, with Hank next to me.


    ¡°Let them through,¡± Adia called.


    The moment River appeared, a dozen things happened at the same time.


    A dozen icicles darted towards River, just as Adia threw a flurry of knives. Ryker dove to the ground as River lit the whole room on fire.


    I noticed that despite the Fire Resistance potion, I was still losing health, so I put more mana into Physical Defense.


    The knives and icicles bounced off something surrounding River.


    Hank moved forward, swinging his warhammer, and with a single blow, cracked the shield around River. River practically flew against the wall, knocking her head hard against the concrete.


    Two more knives flew towards River, slicing a hand and an ankle, and it was clear our battle was over.


    Adia quickly gave Ryker a healing potion¡ªhe¡¯d suffered the worst from the burns, since he was closest to River and he hadn¡¯t had the chance to take a Fire Resistance potion.


    Meanwhile, Petrov cooled the room down, causing a loud hiss as ice put out the fires around us.


    Amos moved forward to River, pried her staff out of her unconscious hands, and started patting her down.


    I couldn¡¯t help but notice his hands were¡ª


    ¡°Stop,¡± Adia said, sharply.


    ¡°I was just checking for other weapons,¡± Amos said, raising his hands.


    ¡°Try anything again and you¡¯ll realize you¡¯re missing a finger,¡± Adia said. ¡°Parker, take care of Ryker.¡±


    Adia left Ryker''s side, and took Amos''s place next to River. She removed River¡¯s robes and a necklace that she wore. Underneath, River wore a simple tank top and spandex.


    As Parker passed me, he inclined his head toward me, and whispered, ¡°You didn¡¯t mention she was a goddess.¡±


    ¡°Parker! Help Ryker!¡± Adia snapped. ¡°One more fucking word and it¡¯s not just Amos who will be missing fingers.¡±


    ¡°Calm down, Adia. Why do you have to make a big deal about everything?¡± Amos asked. ¡°Right, Jarek?¡±


    I put some mana into Agility and Strength, grabbed Amos¡¯s arm, and twisted it behind his back, spinning his body so that his fingers were closer to Adia.


    ¡°Which finger are you thinking?¡± I asked Adia, drawing my knife slowly.


    ¡°What?¡± I couldn¡¯t see Amos¡¯s face, but I could hear the betrayal. ¡°We were just joking!¡±


    I let go of Amos¡¯s arm, giving him a hefty slap on the shoulder I¡¯d just twisted. ¡°I know. I¡¯m just playing with you,¡± I said, smiling back at him. ¡°It must be all the testosterone floating around, ammiright?¡±


    Amos¡¯ pale face nodded slowly.


    Adia flashed me a grateful look.


    <hr>


    ¡°River, can you hear me?¡± Lord Ignatius¡¯s voice cut through the silence of the throne room.

 Chapter 27: Teamwork

    ¡°This is as far as I can take you,¡± our guide said.  ¡°Our scouts said that the manticore is further upriver.  Just send a message through the Communication Amulet when it''s safe, and I''ll find you through the Teleportation Stone. Good luck.¡±


    With that, the guide disappeared in a flash of mana.


    The instructions were slightly confusing to me.  I had seen the Communication Amulets that many guards had, and I had even received one myself.


    Communication Amulets worked something like cell phones.  First, Cities and Towns had to build a Communication Tower.  With an F-ranked Communication Amulet, you could send and receive messages as long as you were in a District with a Communication Tower.  Messages could be typed using the Schema interface, recorded audio, or live conversations.  E-ranked Communication Amulets would connect to a Region City¡¯s Communication Tower¡ªregardless of if you were in a District that had a tower or not.


    Things grew even trickier when considering inter-Region communications.  While Districts in the same Region could communicate with each other without a Region City¡¯s Communication Tower, all communication between Districts that were in different Regions had to travel through both Region¡¯s Cities, making communication between Districts in different Regions using Amulets impossible, unless there was a City in both Regions.


    All this was to say that I had no idea how Adia was supposed to contact the guide, since there was no town in our current District, and there was no Region City, either.


    I had been a part of the Crucible for less than a day, and I was still impressed by how¡­complete the organization was.  The Crucible had abundant Communication Towers and Amulets, at least two teleportation mages, which allowed us to travel to this manticore¡¯s hunting ground, and so much more hidden infrastructure.


    Most of Uman¡¯s job, it seemed, was managing the people who were not Chosen. Hundreds of people were employed by the Crucible, looking for Region Lords, District Lords, and any other vaguely interesting resource.


    It was this same network that led us here--a national park in Missouri. Autumn was in full force, with red and orange shades carrying far in every direction.


    ¡°Mark Twain National Forest,¡± Adia read, studying the map that the teleportation mage had left us.


    ¡°Now there¡¯s a great author,¡± Amos said, approvingly. ¡°Witty and wise.¡±


    ¡°Another old, dead, white man,¡± Adia said.  ¡°I think I know why you like him so much.  Move straight upriver.¡±


    We moved forward in formation.  River, Petrov, and Parker were in the middle of our group, with Hank at the front, flanked by myself and Amos. Adia and Ryker brought up the rear.


    ¡°Come on,¡± Amos said, refusing to give up. ¡°I know I¡¯m not the only one here who appreciates Mark Twain¡¯s genius.¡±


    Parker spoke up from behind me: ¡°A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur¡¯s Court was a good read.¡±


    Adia laughed. ¡°Oh, yes, what do you think about Connecticut Yankee, Amos?¡±


    I could practically hear Amos blushing. ¡°I haven¡¯t actually read that. Really, who has? The Adventures of Huckleberry Fin, and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer are really where it¡¯s at.  Of course, I understand why you don¡¯t like him so much, Adia¡ª¡±


    ¡°Oh really?¡± Adia asked.  I could practically hear her raised eyebrow.  ¡°Do tell.¡±


    ¡°Well, Mark Twain uses the N-word, but it was historically¡ª¡±


    ¡°Shh¡ªsomething¡¯s in the bushes!¡± River hissed, casting a sudden fireball out of her staff, passing just above Amos¡¯s balding head, and then careening into the bushes just ahead of us.


    The flames lit the dry leaves with ease, and in an instant, the whole bush caught fire.


    Everyone tensed, but two very normal-looking birds flew out of the bush, cawing loudly.


    ¡°False alarm,¡± River said, nonchalantly.


    ¡°Next time, you should not strike,¡± Petrov said, as he put out the fire. ¡°The smoke will draw them to us.¡±Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°And¡­that¡¯s¡­ bad?¡± River retorted.


    Petrov shrugged, and we continued our walk.


    The first monsters to attack us were winged foxes.  They scurried up trees, and then dove, gliding towards us.


    There were hundreds of them, each around level 25-30.


    We were already in a somewhat defensible location.  We had a river to our backs, and a wide enough river bank that we could spread out slightly.


    It wasn¡¯t too hard to clear out the foxes. Petrov created icy spikes to our left, and River turned everything to our right into flames.


    I had to wait 30 seconds or so before the first flying fox reached me.  I killed it with a casual swipe of my bade.


    The flying foxes showed no signs of letting up their frenzied attack.  Mixed in among them were rock badgers¡ªsturdier, slower, tank-like creatures whose skin flaked off like sheets of layered rock when damaged.


    As a rock badger approached me, I stabbed my dagger through its right eye¡ªone of the few weak points that they had.


    It seemed flames and icicles were effective against the foxes, but not the rock badgers. But I wasn¡¯t very worried. Our team was packing enough firepower that we weren¡¯t truly threatened yet.


    ¡°Eyes on the ground!¡± River called.  ¡°Something¡¯s coming!¡±


    Not long after her warning, I felt a tremor in the ground behind me.


    I spun around, noticing what looked like a foot-long mole in front of me, popping out of the dirt. It had a disproportionately thick and muscular body, and a quick Identify showed it to be a Muscle Mole.


    I beheaded it with an easy strike, but then two more Muscle Moles popped out of the tunnel it had dug.


    ¡°Whack-a-mole, anyone?¡± Parker called out, stomping down on the head of a Muscle Mole.  His foot sunk down about six inches into the mole hole.


    ¡°No more playing. Get out.¡± Petrov said. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him gesturing quickly. He pulled the water from the river behind us at a steady pace, and poured the water into the holes in the ground.


    Then, the ground under our feet turned frosty.


    Parker just barely managed to get his foot out of a mole hole before the water inside froze.


    ¡°The moles are not a problem,¡± Petrov said.


    I turned my attention back to slaying any beast that approached.


    Flying foxes, rock badgers, and soon enough, I saw some familiar faces. Large, uprooted trees marching towards us, with sinister faces in their trunks.  I¡¯d seen them earlier, when I fought the Hydra.  Treants, according to the Schema.


    They looked scary, but River took care of them easily.  They were, predictably enough, susceptible to fire.


    ¡°They¡¯re trying to exhaust us,¡± Adia said, after five minutes of fighting the foxes and badgers.  ¡°We¡¯ll start fighting in shifts. Petrov, River, take turns meditating. Amos, I¡¯ll take your place.¡±


    The foxes, badgers, and treants weren¡¯t particularly challenging enemies.  For me, it was like having experience come running up to me.  This was the leveling speed I¡¯d been missing since I returned on Earth.


    ¡°No, I can still fight!¡± Amos said, next to me. ¡°Why don¡¯t you swap out with Hank or Jarek.¡±


    ¡°Fall back, Amos,¡± Adia said, sharply. ¡°It¡¯s an order.  Hank could fight for hours, and Jarek¡¯s stamina is far greater than yours.¡±


    Grumbling under his breath, Amos fell back into the protected circle.


    It was somewhat mesmerizing, watching Adia fight from the corner of my eye. She had complete control of each movement, and every motion had a deadly purpose. Foxes would fly at her from any direction, but she would consistently cut them down before they reached her, or dodge slightly and cut them down anyway.


    ¡°She¡¯s a gymnast,¡± I heard Amos say to Ryker behind me. ¡°Just barely missed the cutoff for the Olympics. Shame.  We¡¯ve got quite the sports team, here.  Me, I¡¯m a fencer. Two-time state champion.  Adia¡¯s a gymnast, and I¡¯m guessing you¡¯re a boxer?¡±


    I heard Ryker grunt affirmatively. ¡°Was.¡±


    I stabbed both my blades into two approaching foxes, tuning in to Amos¡¯s whispered conversation out of boredom. ¡°Petrov there¡¯s pretty quiet. Keeps his past to himself.  He was picked up near ADX Florence¡ªone of the U.S.¡¯s highest security prisons.  Rumor has it he¡¯s Russian Black Ops.¡±


    I saw Petrov turn to Amos, so I turned my head slightly as well, just in time to spot an icicle nick Amos¡¯ ear and draw blood.


    ¡°If I am,¡± Petrov said slowly, ¡°Then you die first.¡±


    I turned back to slaying the monsters around me.  The only conversation for the next ten minutes or so were Adia¡¯s terse commands, or interspersed calls for Parker¡¯s healing magic.


    ¡°How do we know the manticore isn¡¯t just running away?¡± I asked, after ten more minutes of fighting.


    Parker spoke up first. ¡°Manticores are proud creatures. They would rarely run from a battle in their own territory, especially if they have a higher level than their opponents.  We are clearly in their territory, so it is only a matter of time before the manticore comes."


    ¡°Read that in your internet stories, Parker?¡± Amos asked.


    ¡°They¡¯re called web serials, grandpa,¡± Parker said, in a tone that made it clear that Amos was not, in fact, Parker¡¯s grandfather. ¡°And yes, it did come up in the webserials, but was I really the only one who researched manticores in the Crucible¡¯s Information Crystals?¡±


    Nobody else spoke up, and the battle continued.


    ¡°I never thought the hardest part of the battle would be the stench,¡± Amos said. I couldn¡¯t help but nod in agreement.  There were hundreds of corpses littered around us, half charred and burning.  Petrov had frozen much of the ground to prevent the moles from tunneling, which had the downside of leaving much of the blood trapped on the surface of the earth, running in rivulets downhill.


    ¡°Incoming,¡± River called. ¡°From the east.¡±


    I glanced up and saw a massive, winged creature flying towards us.

 Chapter 28: Manticore

    As the manticore approached, I felt my heartrate increase in excitement. The manticore was level 56, with the body of a lion, but the torso was actually closer to the length of an elephant than a lion. By some presumably magical means, it was able to keep itself in the air with a huge wingspan that cast shadows over all of us.


    Rather than land right away, the manticore attacked with its tail first.


    The tail was a serpent, about one foot in diameter and twenty feet long at least.


    The serpent¡¯s head turned to face us and spat a shower of venomous rain towards us.


    ¡°Petrov!¡± Adia called.


    Petrov tried to condense an ice shield above us, but I could tell he wouldn¡¯t have enough time to complete it.


    I followed Samantha¡¯s outline, breaking our formation and running towards the smoldering monster carcasses.


    Ryker and Hank took the worst of the venom, screaming as the venom burned through their armor and skin.


    ¡°Parker! Heal them! River, bring it down, now!¡±


    River was waving her staff in large, circular motions, safe from the falling venom, for now.


    I could feel the ambient mana around us gathering, sucked towards River¡¯s hands, pooling into a single, fiery whip.


    ¡°Stand back!¡± she called. As more mana pooled towards her, the tip of the whip, originally red, turned blue.


    The heat became suffocating, and the manticore was already wheeling around for a second pass above us, about thirty feet in the air.


    Just as the serpent head on the tail of the manticore readied itself to spit, River swung her whip.


    The whip lashed out almost faster than I could follow, just barely reaching around the bone that connected the manticore¡¯s left wing to its body.


    The creature reeled, canceling its venomous spit halfway through.  It flapped its wings furiously, lifting River up into the air.


    Hank ran over, grabbing River¡¯s foot and yanking, hard.


    River groaned, but the whip held tight. Then, Hank started to get lifted off his feet as well.


    ¡°Jarek! Rock bears in the woods!¡±  I turned, heeding Adia¡¯s warning, just in time to see a tree stump the thickness of my torso flying towards me.


    I poured mana into Agility, and rushed towards my attackers.  They looked like grizzly bears, but like the badgers we had encountered already, they seemed to be made of stone. The two bears moved on all fours, barreling towards me.


    It seemed these were the elites that the manticore had been holding in reserve.  Two level 45 bears¡ªbasically tanks that could distract us long enough to for the manticore to finish us off.


    If that was the plan, then the manticore was woefully underestimating me.


    I poured my mana into Agility and Strength, dodging the bears¡¯ initial charges and slicing at the weak point that Samantha highlighted in the nearest bear.


    My blade met heavy resistance, but thanks to my increased Strength, I was able to cut a crucial tendon in the bear¡¯s rear leg.


    Both bears snarled and spun towards me, but I was already on the move, turning with them and placing one bear between me and the wounded bear.


    This time, when the front bear raced at me, I acted as if I would flee, but then I spun, dug my heel in the dirt, and braced the pommel of my blade against my shoulder, pointing the sword directly at the attacking bear, modulating mana to gain even more Physical Defense and Strength.


    The bear had no time to dodge, and it rammed its chest up against my blade.


    I was immediately forced to one knee, as the full weight of a rock bear pressed down on me.


    Fortunately, or, rather, thanks to Samantha, the blade pierced the rock bear¡¯s heart¡ªotherwise, one swipe from one of the massive paws would have killed me.


    The other rock bear growled in anger. I stumbled up to my feet, dislodging my sword with great difficulty.


    I was helped by the fact that the remaining bear was still limping. When it reached me, I stabbed my sword directly into its snarling mouth, and pierced its brain.


    With the two rock bears dealt with, I took advantage of a small breather to recoup my mana and observe the battle against the manticore.


    The manticore was grounded, with its left wing completely shorn off.  Amos, Ryker, and Hank stood facing its front.  The manticore had a face that was a mix of a human and a lion, except the head was easily twice the size of a normal lion head, making the creature''s features abnormally large. Its mouth was locked in a twisted snarl, revealing rows of dangerously sharp teeth.


    Meanwhile, Adia was facing the creature''s second head--the serpent.  She stood protectively between the manticore and Parker, Petrov, and a very pale-looking River.


    Petrov had created a snowstorm that was redirecting the manticore¡¯s gobs of venom, and Adia was sparring with the serpent¡¯s head, which would flash towards the physically weaker players intermittently.


    Now that I was so close to the manticore, I could fully appreciate just how massive it was.


    I moved, stealthily, towards the manticore, hoping to catch it unawares.  Even though I was out of the manticore¡¯s line of sight, it somehow still sensed my approach, recalling its tail and sending a shower of venom towards me.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    I dodged the venom easily, putting even more mana into Agility so that I could dodge the incoming serpent head barreling towards me.


    I barely dodged the serpent¡¯s gaping jaws, but then I had time for my counterattack. With a heavy swing of my sword, I cut directly at the serpent¡¯s neck.


    To my disappointment, my sword only dug a few inches deep¡ªenough to draw the whole manticore¡¯s attention, and another furious hiss¡ªbut that was it.


    As the manticore turned to face me, Hank¡¯s massive hammer rammed into its body.


    The heavy blow forced the manticore to stumble backwards, which was the opening Ryker and Amos were looking for.


    They struck simultaneously, Ryker swinging his battle-axe towards the lion¡¯s mane, and Amos stabbing his sword deep into the manticore¡¯s neck.


    Another shower of venom flew towards me, with a wide enough spread that there was no easy way to dodge without retreating.


    Rather than retreat, I activated the skill of the Vampiric Blade, focusing on covering my face and eyes as I charged and started hacking at the serpent in front of me.


    I could feel my arms burning from the venom, and I could hear the sound of my own sizzling flesh.


    Ignoring the pain, I dodged around the serpent¡¯s head and started tearing through scales with the Vampiric Blade.


    Every 10 HP that I took from the manticore, I received 1 mana back.  Then, with every point of mana that returned to me through the Vampiric blade, I reinvested it into my Strength stat.


    Thirty seconds after activating the Vampiric Blade, my total stats were inflated to higher than they had ever been.


    The serpent¡¯s neck was shredded to the bone, and with a final blow, I decapitated the snake.


    The manticore roared.


    It was a terrifying sound, a combination of a lion¡¯s roar and a human¡¯s pained yell.


    Ignoring Hank, Amos, and Ryker, it spun on a dime and charged me.


    I started to dodge, but then I saw that my outline hadn¡¯t budged.


    <Don¡¯t move,> Samantha said.


    At my feet, a massive icicle appeared out of the ground, honed to an incredibly sharp frozen point.  The manticore¡¯s unnervingly human eyes widened, but it had already committed to its leap towards me. It flapped its remaining wing, turning off-course slightly, before its charge carried itself into the icicle.


    <Now,> Samantha said.


    Breaking out of my shock, I followed Samantha¡¯s combat outline, running up the angled icicle pointing out of the ground, and stabbing my sword directly past the three rows of teeth in the manticore¡¯s human-like mouth, up, and into the brain.


    Just as I did, I saw a second icicle at my feet stabbing into the manticore¡¯s heart.


    Level up!


    Congratulations for killing a Region Lord. +5 Available Stat Points


    ¡°Holy shit,¡± Parker breathed, glancing at me¡ªstill standing on an icicle about two feet off the ground, with my forearm reaching into the manticore¡¯s mouth, which was left in an anguished expression. ¡°He didn¡¯t even dodge.¡±


    I yanked my sword free, and glanced around, checking for any remaining enemies.


    ¡°Are you fucking crazy?¡± Adia shouted, coming over to me. ¡°What was that about? Face down a manticore? You could have died! Just for a final kill bonus?¡±


    ¡°Think of it like a sixth sense,¡± I said. ¡°I knew I would be fine.¡±


    Petrov came over and clapped a hand on my back, a strange glint in his eye. ¡°Well done, Jarek.¡±  To my surprise, he didn¡¯t look pissed that I had stolen the kill from him.  Only the person who dealt the killing blow would receive the +5 Stat Points.


    I felt a few strange glances from everybody else.


    Adia picked up the City Token that had appeared at the foot of the corpse, along with a D-rank Alchemy recipe for a poison.


    ¡°What? Is that it? Where¡¯s the loot?¡± Amos asked, glancing around suspiciously at each one of us.


    ¡°The corpse is the loot,¡± Parker said. ¡°The Manticore core¡ªahem, get it?¡±


    River gestured impatiently, and Parker continued, ¡°Yeah, so the manticore core is buried in the abdomen. This is a D-rank beast, which means virtually every part of the corpse is a D-rank crafting material. The hide and bones can be used by rune masters, and the blood and organs can be used by alchemists to make all kinds of different potions.  There¡¯s a certain logic to it, you know¡ªthe manticore didn¡¯t fight with many skills, just brute force, so the main benefits are going to be what we can glean from the body¡ªwith the one exception of the poison recipe.¡±


    As Adia used her Communication Amulet to contact our teleportation mage, I started loading the manticore carcass into my Interdimensional Pouch.  The corpse took up all the space in my pouch, so it was a bloody process to split it between my pouch and another pouch that Lord Ignatius had graciously lent us.


    Once everything looked like it was on track, I finally pulled up my stat sheet.  With each level, I automatically gained +1 HP, +3 Mana Pool, +1 Mana Regeneration, AND a free point per level.


    On top of that, I had 5 more free points to allocate from defeating the Region Lord.  I split all six free points equally between Mana Regeneration and Mana Pool, and surveyed the results.


    <table width="624">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Name:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    Jarek


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Level:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    20


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    HP:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    30/30


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Physical Defense:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    18 (+2)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Strength:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    20 (+5)


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Mental Power:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    11


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Dexterity:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    10 (+4)


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Agility:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    10 (+7)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Perception:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    20


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Mana Pool:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    52


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Mana Regeneration:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    28 (+6)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Available Points:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    0


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Coins:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    6,462,800


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Class:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    Mana Modulator (D-rank)


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Profession:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    Rune Master


    (E-rank)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Titles:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="468">


    Region Lord (E-rank)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Skills and Spells:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="468">


    Identify (E-rank)


    Mana Modulation (D-rank Core)


    Death¡¯s Defier (A-rank)


    Mana Sensing (E-rank)


    Healthy Magic (E-rank)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Affinities:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="468">


    Internal Mana (D-rank Low), External Unattributed Mana (E-rank Low)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Equipment:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="468">


    Vampiric Blade (D-rank): +5 Strength, +5 Agility.


    Rune Master¡¯s Knife (E-rank): +2 Dexterity; +2 Mana Regen.


    Rune Master¡¯s Ring (E-rank): +2 Dexterity; +2 Mana Regen.


    Orc Helmet (F-rank): +2 Physical Defense


    Magician¡¯s Robes (F-rank): +2 Mana Regen.


    Orc Boots (F-rank): +2 Agility


    Interdimensional Pouch (E-rank):


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="468">


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>

 Chapter 29: Parker

    <Slow down. Use less mana, and more focus. If you need to, add another point to Dexterity.> Samantha¡¯s detailed instructions continued, as they had for the last hour.


    We had made it back from Missouri without any trouble.  The teleportation mage wasn¡¯t able to jump between Region walls, so instead he took us directly to the region wall that connected the Missouri Region with the Crucible¡¯s Region, and then we teleported to the nearest town, and from there, we finally made it back to the Crucible.


    We dropped all the loot off with Declan, and claimed our additional rewards. The manticore body and core were extremely valuable, but rather useless to most of us.  As a result, we were all offered more appropriate rewards¡ªanother benefit of the size of the Crucible. For myself, at Samantha¡¯s suggestion, I picked a rune pattern:


    Concealment Rune Pattern Blueprint (E-rank): Necessary to complete a Concealment Rune Pattern (E-rank). When activated, the Concealment Rune Pattern makes the desired object less noticeable.


    According to Samantha, high-rank rune patterns built off of each other.  The D-rank Invisibility Rune Pattern built off of this Concealment Rune Pattern.  Samantha, as usual, was playing the long game¡ªif I was able to make Invisibility Cloaks for the Crucible, that would be a huge benefit.


    After collecting our rewards, we each went our separate ways.  Ryker returned to Reed City, Adia went off looking for her father, and River went back to California as well.


    I opted to stay at the Crucible, and work on creating more Interdimensional Pouches.  I needed to prove my worth if Lord Ignatius was going to loan me 24 million coins.


    Fortunately, thanks to the Crucible¡¯s huge network, I had all the materials I needed, even the Mana Shards to power the pouches.


    It was just mind-numbing work.


    It didn¡¯t help that the room I was in looked more like a prison cell than a bedroom. Sure, it was large and spacious, but the furnishings were incredibly bare¡ªa bed, a desk, and a slitted window placed high in the wall.  The walls and floors were a monotone cement.  I intentionally left the door open, just so I wouldn¡¯t feel like I was in a prison.


    Footsteps alerted me to Parker¡¯s presence long before he appeared, holding a bowl of nachos. There was something peacefully normal about his appearance.  He wore a matching set of Star Wars pajamas, complete with fluffy Yoda slippers on his feet.


    ¡°Dude, you need to relax,¡± Parker said, the moment he saw me hunched over my desk with my Rune Master¡¯s Knife in hand.  ¡°Try some nachos.¡±


    He put the bowl on my desk, jolting the leather ever so slightly.  I sighed, putting my knife down.


    ¡°There¡¯s someone in the kitchens 24/7.  You should stop by sometime. They probably have the best-stocked pantries in the state," Parker said as he glanced around my room. ¡°You need to touch this place up a bit.  Place a mission on the board. You¡¯ll get dozens of people, eager to help you set up this place for just a few hundred coins. They¡¯ll bring in the artwork and everything.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Parker,¡± I said, between mouthfuls of nachos.  ¡°Make yourself at home.¡±


    Parker was already heading towards my bed to sit down.


    ¡°Today¡¯s been so hectic, we didn¡¯t have much of a chance to talk,¡± Parker said. ¡°What stories do you remember?¡± He asked it eagerly, staring at me.


    ¡°What?¡±


    Parker took out a small notebook from a pocket in his pajamas and started flipping pages.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been talking to as many Readers as I can.  There are at least twelve different web serials that mention the Crucible. Of course, some of them were blatant fanfiction, so we can probably discount those.  My best guess is that Realms of Nether was the first one written.  Anyway, what have you read?¡±This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    I opened my mouth to respond, but Parker continued. ¡°What have you read that mentioned the Crucible, I mean.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all kind of fuzzy,¡± I started, pausing while Parker nodded encouragingly. ¡°I remember the Death King¡¯s Trials and Humanity¡¯s Last Bastion.¡±


    Parker scribbled something in his notebook. ¡°In Death King¡¯s Trials, who was the leader of the Crucible training camp?¡±


    I shifted uncomfortably. ¡°What is this, some kind of trivia contest?¡±


    ¡°Think about it,¡± Parker said. ¡°Someone in the Crucible wrote these stories and included powerful compulsion spells that lay dormant until the world changed.  If the story is written by the Crucible, then the people associated with the Crucible in the stories could be important. The stories are generally a mix of fact and fiction, and so if we piece together everything we can remember, we might be able to figure out secrets to the world we are living in.¡±


    ¡°Well? Is there anything you¡¯ve figured out so far?¡±


    Parker nodded, swinging his feet from the side of my bed. ¡°Most of the stories I¡¯m aware of feature an ascent into godhood.  So I did a bit of research¡ªin the Atropos Schema, if you can pass a certain level¡ªeither level 200 or level 250, I¡¯m not sure¡ªthen you can gain eternal life by merging with the Schema, becoming a god.  Gods can grant powers to their followers¡ªit is likely that many of the Hell mode challengers are already chosen as apostles of various gods.¡±


    I felt my brain stumble for a bit. I wasn¡¯t particularly religious, and the idea of gods that were actually out there¡ªpeople that had killed their way to the top of humanity in order to become gods¡ªleft a sour taste in my mouth.


    I took a bite out of a nacho, and frowned.  The cheese was starting to harden, and the chip was starting to soften.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure we should be talking about this,¡± I said. ¡°The Crucible web serials I remember are all vague¡ªa lot more vague than any other stories I¡¯ve read. Maybe we¡¯re not supposed to remember them.¡±


    Parker sighed, leaning back on my bed. ¡°Knowledge is power.  If we¡¯re going to fight for the Crucible, we should be as prepared as possible.¡±


    ¡°Then ask Lord Ignatius to explain all of this stuff,¡± I said.


    ¡°He confirmed my godhood theory,¡± Parker said. ¡°But he¡¯s been busy.¡±


    Our conversation paused for a second.  If I had a clock, or a watch, I would have looked at it pointedly.  I had work to do¡ªInterdimensional Pouches to make.


    Parker leaned forwards towards me, placing his hands on his knees. ¡°I have another theory,¡± he said, pausing for me to react.


    I nodded at him to continue.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think we are the only Crucible cell,¡± Parker said. ¡°Several of these stories were originally published in Chinese and Korean.  It wouldn¡¯t make sense to only have a Crucible cell in North America.  And, honestly, think about Lord Ignatius.  He takes himself so seriously.  Can you imagine that man writing a web serial?¡±


    ¡°Maybe he was so embarrassed by it, that was why he made us all forget what he wrote,¡± I said, half-joking.


    Parker smiled wryly at me. ¡°Alright, new topic.  Tell me about River.  Is she single?¡±


    I opened my mouth, and then closed it again. ¡°I barely know her,¡± I said.


    ¡°C¡¯mon, man, help me out.  Does she like flowers? Chocolates?    What do you know about her?¡±


    I sighed.  ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve had a single conversation with her where she wasn¡¯t mad at me for something.  She blamed me for her friends¡¯ death in the Tutorial, so we haven¡¯t exactly hit it off.¡±


    ¡°Oh, shit,¡± Parker said.  ¡°Although, the upshot is, that increases my chances. Think about it. It would be hard to date someone who isn¡¯t Chosen, so how many options does she have? Ryker and Amos are both like decades older than her.


    Parker flipped to a new page in his notebook. ¡°Hey, I made a list of pickup lines. Let me know what you think.¡± Parker cleared his throat, and deepened his voice. ¡°Are you on fire? Because damn, you¡¯re hot.  Or, I want to stop, drop and roll with you, tonight.


    ¡°They¡¯re fire-themed,¡± Parker said. ¡°Because, you know, of her fire affinity? Or, I could try this one. You¡¯re the prettiest girl I¡¯ve Avecyn. Get it? From Magic the Gathering?¡±


    At my blank look, Parker shrugged. ¡°One more.  Are you a magician? Because when I look at you, everyone else disappears.  Well? What¡¯s your favorite? Which would she like best?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I said, sighing again. ¡°Just¡­don¡¯t do the Avecyn one.¡±


    Parker stood up. ¡°Alright, I can take a cue. I¡¯ll let you get back to your runing and brooding.  Later, Jarek.¡± He spoke somewhat sadly, in a different tone from the energy he had throughout our whole conversation.  He walked out of the room slowly, and I was soon left with an empty bowl of nachos.


    The room was finally quiet, and I felt a brief moment of loneliness.


    Then Samantha spoke up.  <Jarek, do you remember the moment when you tried to sneak up on the Manticore?>


    Tried and failed, I thought back.


    <How do you think the Manticore sensed you?>


    I assumed it was the vibrations in the ground, or some other bullshit power.


    <No, Jarek.  It was your aura, your power, that alerted it. As you grow more powerful, it will be harder and harder to hide your presence¡ªunless you are able to suppress your aura.>


    I sighed. Not another lesson. Samantha, I¡¯m exhausted.


    <Another time then,> Samantha said, smoothly.

 Chapter 30: Haki Wright

    I woke the moment I heard the light rap on my door.


    ¡°Jarek, come with me. Lord Ignatius is waiting,¡± Uman whispered.


    Wiping sleep from my eyes, I rose from my bed.  It was still dark, and the sun had not yet begun to rise. It was my first morning after joining the Crucible. Was this some kind of initiation? Was this normal procedure, or was something going on?


    Uman looked exhausted. His eyes were red and bleary, and his hands trembled almost invisibly.


    ¡°Of course,¡± I said, grabbing my pouch and following Uman.


    The bunker¡¯s corridors were empty.


    ¡°What¡¯s¡ª¡° I started, but Uman hushed me.


    ¡°Lord Ignatius will explain everything,¡± he said.


    As we continued to walk through the empty hallways, nervousness built up inside me. Where were the guards? Would they ambush me, like we had ambushed River? Did they know about Samantha? Could it be a coup? Had someone¡ªUman?¡ªbroken free from Lord Ignatius?


    I tensed with each blind corner I turned, but I made it to the throne room with no incidents.


    Lord Ignatius was the only one in the room. Uman stood by the door, a respectful distance away.


    Unlike Uman, Lord Ignatius looked exactly the same.


    ¡°The Crucible is in danger,¡± Lord Ignatius said, without preamble. ¡°And I think you are best suited to help.¡±


    I felt a selfish wave of relief, and then immediate concern and chagrin. I would rather be in danger, be suspect, than have the Crucible threatened.


    ¡°I am yours to command, Lord Ignatius.¡±


    I almost got on one knee, but I felt like that was a bit over the top. Nobody had really explained how much formality Lord Ignatius was looking for¡ªpresumably, this was a sign he didn¡¯t care much.  I had never seen anyone else kneel to him. But then again, he was sitting on a throne.  I just inclined my head respectfully.


    ¡°Several hours ago, Adia¡¯s father¡ªHaki Wright¡ªteleported to a town on the border of our Region, under the pretext that he was going to buy some rare potions ingredients. He hasn¡¯t returned since.  We have explored his home, and¡­interviewed his acquaintances.  It seems he was suspicious of my Chosen. He has a strong prejudice against our shared goals.  We have discovered through our interviews and by following his trail that he left to find Dawnbreaker. His plan is for Dawnbreaker to kill me.


    ¡°I need you to find Adia¡¯s father and bring him back before he contacts Dawnbreaker.  If necessary, kill him. Do not engage Dawnbreaker¡ªyou are not her match.


    ¡°I know you played a pivotal role defeating the manticore.  Deal with Adia¡¯s father, and the 24 million loan will be yours.¡±


    I nodded, bowing my head again.


    ¡°Uman will give you Manticore Poison, as well as a Sleeping Potion. It is up to you which you use.  And I will lend you my personal Invisibility Cloak.  Do not speak of this with anyone,¡± Lord Ignatius commanded. ¡°It would not be good for your future should Adia realize you killed her father.¡±


    <hr>


    According to Uman, traffic between the Crucible and Daybreak¡ªboth the only cities in their respective Regions¡ªwas heavily monitored.


    So instead, I took the Teleportation Circle to a border town, as Adia¡¯s father had.  Then, a teleportation mage brought me to the border of the two Regions, we crossed the border, and then we teleported to a local town, and from there I teleported directly to Daybreak.


    The Daybreak Teleportation Circle was heavily trafficked, even at 6 am in the morning. I was in a huge plaza, surrounded by caged beasts and livestock, merchant wagons, and hundreds of people wearing Schema equipment¡ªrobes, heavy armor, or fresh leather.


    A soldier recorded my name and level, and then I was free to go.


    Walking through Daybreak as the sun rose, I had a distinct feeling that if this were a web serial, I knew who the protagonist would be.


    Reed City paled in comparison.  The Crucible was built for security, for control. Daybreak was a city built by and for its residents.


    Daybreak, I felt, had to be leading the way in terms of assimilation into the Schema.  Just on the first block alone, I could see almost a dozen storefronts for all kinds of professions.


    Compared to Reed City, the streets were orderly, laid out in a clear grid. Street names running north and south were virtues: Honor Street, Courage Street, Loyalty Street. The main thoroughfare was ¡°Hope Street.¡±


    I have no issue with virtues, but this was incredibly blatant.  The list of virtues was nothing, though, compared to the massive church I could see a few blocks away.  It was hands-down the tallest building in the city, built like a basilica, with stained-glass windows, domes, and spires.


    I ignored the church the best I could. Its looming presence made me feel on edge. Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    The streets running east to west were double letters, in no clear pattern: HK, NR, WS.


    In addition to merchants hawking their wares in the street, there were other, intangible things being sold as well.


    There were several people in the street holding signs that said, ¡°Information,¡± or ¡°Answers.¡±


    I found one such sign, put on an overly excited expression, and asked, ¡°I¡¯ve heard so much about Dawnbreaker! Where is she? What is she doing? How can I see her?¡±


    The man holding the information sign scratched his bald head, then held out his hand, as if to shake hands. ¡°A hundred coins.¡±


    Shaking hands, I transferred the money, not bothering to barter.


    The man spat at the ground. ¡°Dawnbreaker just got back yesterday,¡± he said. ¡°Rumor is she was wounded.  They say she¡¯s calling a war council, this morning. Can¡¯t say I¡¯ve seen you before. What¡¯s your name?¡±


    ¡°Harper,¡± I lied.


    <You should spy on the war council,> Samantha said, as I walked away. <If Dawnbreaker is as powerful as everyone says, there is only one thing at this point that could defeat her: whatever creature is at the top of the food chain in this Zone.  The Crucible needs information on the Zone Lord.>


    I was thinking the same thing.


    <hr>


    The cloak Lord Ignatius loaned me would be any thief or assassin¡¯s dream. I sat, shrouded behind the leaves of a fruit tree, about ten yards away from a window that peaked into the largest room in Dawnbreaker¡¯s villa.  I assumed this room would hold the war council, because it held a large, conference-type table with about a dozen chairs.


    It was clearly a Schema-constructed building¡ªfancy, certainly, but rather outlandish.


    Not even the fruit tree I was perched in was native to my world. The villa had something of a prefab, blocky feel, from the perfectly manicured lawn to the neat rows of weird fruit trees.


    I had picked my vantage point because it would let me see the meeting room, and it would let me see the gateway to the villa.  If Adia¡¯s father appeared, I would hopefully be able to intercept him before he found Dawnbreaker.


    <Let¡¯s talk goals,> Samantha said. <The last thing I would want to do is go against your precious morals.  Are you opposed to killing Mr. Wright?>


    I¡¯d rather capture him, and take him back to the Crucible.


    <Of course you would. But let¡¯s think about the position we chose, here.  Best case scenario: Mr. Wright appears at the gate and gets turned down. Then, we sneak away, knock him out, and escape the city. Perfect. But let¡¯s say the guards let him through. Do you still try to knock him out and run with him?  Good luck capturing someone on enemy territory. The patrols here are nothing to sneeze at. Not to mention whoever ends up attending this meeting.>


    We¡¯ll have to see how it goes, I responded.


    <Don¡¯t try putting this decision off.  If Adia¡¯s father steps foot inside the villa, then he is either a safe man¡ªor a dead man.>


    You heard Lord Ignatius, I said, steeling my heart. We¡¯ll do what we have to do.


    The first person to arrive in the room wore a decorated version of the guard uniforms I had seen around Daybreak. Honestly. Just five days into the apocalypse, and they already have uniforms?


    Not long after the man¡ªthe captain of the guard?¡ªappeared, I saw Dawnbreaker walk out of another building in the villa.


    Dawnbreaker was a blonde woman with an intense gaze. I could feel the tremors of her aura with each step she took towards me, and trying to use Mana Sensing made it feel, aptly enough, as though I were staring directly at the sun.


    It wasn¡¯t her that was producing the mana fluctuations, though. It was her armor and weapon. Dawnbreaker wore a full-body silver suit of lightweight armor, formed in the fashion of plate armor, but the armor itself appeared to be flexible, lightweight, and somewhat elastic. Apart from her head, her whole body was covered.


    <That shouldn¡¯t be possible,> Samantha said. It might have been the most surprised I¡¯d ever heard her. <That is a complete, named, A-ranked unisuit. Hell Mode never gives A-rank equipment.>


    I suppressed a cough. Unisuit? Isn¡¯t that what gymnasts wear?


    <It¡¯s called a unisuit because it is technically one piece of liquid, living metal.  In this case, probably semi-sentient. It only counts towards one equipment slot, Jarek.  Think about it. Normally, if you want a full suit of Schema armor, that¡¯s probably going to claim five slots already.  She can use all those other slots for the more¡­ specialized bonuses that rings and bracelets offer.>


    <And that¡¯s not even mentioning her sword¡­>


    I turned my attention from Dawnbreaker to the two people next to her.  I hadn¡¯t expected Samantha of all people to fangirl over Dawnbreaker.  She was sounding like Parker.


    On Dawnbreaker¡¯s left was a Hispanic woman with golden framed glasses.  Rather than a weapon, she held a leather-bound book in her left hand, larger than most textbooks. The book radiated mana, but not as much as Dawnbreaker''s armor.


    <She¡¯s more of a cut-and-dry sorceress,> Samantha said.


    On Dawnbreaker¡¯s right was one of the largest and fattest men I had ever seen.


    The man walked painstakingly slowly, as if every movement caused him minor pain.  He wore loose, baggy robes that gave him an unkempt, disheveled look. His skin was stretched tight against his round body, making his whole torso look like an inflated balloon. His face was pale, and I could see traces of sweat on his cheeks.  Dawnbreaker and the woman with golden glasses were slowing down to match his pace.


    <He¡¯s either a juggernaut, or¡ª> Samantha trailed off.  Trailing behind the trio, following them out of the house, were an assortment of creatures that were behaving like pets.  There was a tiger cub, a worm the width of a car¡¯s tire, and what I could only guess was a baby dragon.


    Up to this point, every monster I had encountered moved with an instinctual grace.  But each of these three creatures moved with an unnatural, somewhat stilted motion. The dragon-like creature only flew in short, brief bursts. The giant worm bunched up its coils awkwardly in order to crawl forward.


    Something is wrong with his shadow, I thought to Samantha.


    If not for my heightened perception, I never would have noticed it.  His shadow is darker than the others¡¯.


    <He¡¯s a Primogenitor,> Samantha said, sounding mildly impressed.


    I waited for the dramatic reveal.


    So, what, he¡­gave birth to those creatures?


    <In a sense, yes.  He is probably incubating a few creatures inside himself now¡ªhence his size.>


    That seems¡­dark.  And painful.


    Samantha shrugged. <I¡¯m more interested in that shadow of his. If he can make spiritual creatures as well as physical ones, then he will be a truly terrifying enemy.  It would be like splitting off a part of your mana pool, and then having that mana pool grow on its own¡­>


    I gulped silently, watching the trio walk into the meeting room.


    Maybe spying on Dawnbreaker wasn¡¯t such a great idea.

 Chapter 31: Escape

    I¡¯d been so distracted by the powerful trio entering the meeting room that I had almost missed the entrances of several other, presumably minor, characters.  A man wearing leather armor with a longbow slung over his back and twin knives at his hip.  A woman without any weapons, wearing a ceremonial robe.  Another man, wearing a thick leather apron.  Even from my hiding spot in the nearby fruit tree, I could smell the scent of fresh leather wafting off him.


    I had been worried that someone would notice me, even though I was under an Invisibility Cloak.  But nobody looked my direction, and it seemed I would be able to eavesdrop without difficulty.


    ¡°Thank you for coming,¡± Dawnbreaker started, once everyone was seated.  She spoke with a clipped tone, giving the impression that she was a practiced public speaker.  ¡°We¡¯re all busy, so let¡¯s get to it. The refugees in Hearst reported the Ontario Region Lord was in Cochrane.  We made it to Cochrane, but it wasn¡¯t the Region Lord that we found.  It was the Zone Lord.¡±


    I could hear bitterness dripping from Dawnbreaker¡¯s tone. ¡°We had no intel on our opponent, and that really hurt us.  We weren¡¯t ready to fight a shade.  Shades can go incorporeal, and Alex didn¡¯t have enough spells prepared to fight against its spiritual form.  None of Cy¡¯s creatures could affect it in the spiritual form either.¡±


    ¡°We escaped, but Cy lost several of his creatures.¡±


    The woman in the ceremonial robe interrupted, concern etched in her tone. ¡°Are the rumors true? Are you hurt?¡±


    Dawnbreaker grimaced. ¡°I¡¯m fine. I¡¯ll be fully recovered in two days.  We know now that on the eighth day of Acclimation, the second wave will come. We need to strike the Zone Lord before this happens.  In two days, we will attack again. Alex will be primed with spiritual spells, and Cy is developing his own counter too.


    ¡°We¡¯ll need holy water potions from the alchemists, and the rune masters should put to use the spiritual shield pattern I gave them earlier,¡± Dawnbreaker stared at the man in the leather apron, who nodded immediately.


    ¡°Put a notice out to the Adventurer¡¯s Guild.  We will open the Daybreak Treasury for anyone with skill¡ª¡°


    <Look towards the gate,> Samantha said.


    Turning away from Dawnbreaker¡¯s meeting, I saw a lone guard walking from the villa gate towards the council room.


    I climbed down from my tree, as silently and quickly as I could, rushing towards the villa gate.


    When I first broke into the villa, I had already planned my exit. I had carved small grooves in the villa wall¡ªgrooves that were deep enough for my fingers and toes to wedge inside.


    In the time it took the guard to reach the council room door, I was already over the wall, still invisible.


    ¡°¡ªDawnbreak only.  I don¡¯t know who else I can trust,¡± Haki Wright was saying to the guards at the gate.


    Most of Haki¡¯s body was covered in a cloak, but presumably the guards had made him lower his cloak¡¯s cowl.  Haki had some stubble growing on his face, and his eyes were darting frantically to and fro from behind his thick glasses. His glasses partially hid the bags under his eyes.


    One of the two remaining guards at the entrance of the villa had his weapon drawn, half-pointed at Haki Wright.


    There were a number of bystanders. Some looked like tourists, others probably had their own pleas for Dawnbreaker, and several others were listening in, intent to glean any information.


    Still cloaked, I snuck up behind the nearest guard and rapped his helmet, hard.


    Before he could even collapse to the ground, I knocked out the second.  It wouldn¡¯t do to kill Dawnbreaker¡¯s guards¡ªstarting a vendetta with one of the most powerful humans on the planet was not on my bucket list.


    ¡°It¡¯s the Crucible!¡± Haki Wright screamed, as loudly as he could. ¡°They¡¯ve come for me! Help!¡±  So much for avoiding a vendetta.


    It was annoyingly effective. Most of the crowd retreated, but there were some brave citizens who stepped forward to protect him.


    How cocky were these bystanders? Moving forward against an invisible threat.


    ¡°Guards!¡± I heard someone call.


    I blew through the people surrounding Wright with ease, but he was surprisingly quick on his feet, backing away into the crowd.


    ¡°I won¡¯t let you take me back!¡±  Wright had stopped retreating, and now he stood in front of me with a dagger in hand. ¡°Tell Adia I love her,¡± he whispered, and then stabbed himself in the heart with his knife.


    I froze for a split second in shock.  Why¡­. It must be a trick. A quick Identify, though, showed that Haki Wright was dead.


    Behind me, the villa doors exploded, wooden shards flying out and embedding themselves into the dirt road and nearby houses.


    A silver figure, blindingly bright with my Mana Sensing, stood in the entrance to the villa, wielding a flaming sword.


    I felt a tremor of fear run through me, as Dawnbreaker¡¯s aura flashed across the square.


    It was as if all the bystanders were collectively holding their breath.  Nobody dared move a muscle.


    <Move, now,> Samantha said.


    I hadn¡¯t even realized I was frozen in place too.Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    I took my first step gingerly, unsure if Dawnbreaker would somehow notice me.


    Then a second, and a third, all while Dawnbreaker¡¯s aura held the whole square in frozen silence.


    And then I felt the spell.  The words weren¡¯t that loud, but I could feel their power thrumming through the square, and I could see the ambient mana across the whole city imploding towards the square. The words continued in a language I had never heard, full of harsh, angry sounds that burned my soul.


    <RUN, Jarek!>


    I moved, but it even with increased Agility, it felt like I was running uphill, under increased gravity, in hundred-degree weather. As I ran, I reached into my Interdimensional Pouch.


    Hundreds of streaks of silver detached from Dawnbreaker¡¯s armor like telekinetically controlled ropes, forming vertical nets that moved in a grid-like search of the square. Whenever they reached one of the motionless people in the square, the nets would slit open and brush passed them, continuing the dragnet search. The implication was clear: Run, and I will find you.


    Everybody in the square¡ªguards, adventurers, and passersby¡ªwere kneeling, shaking, and not daring to move or make a sound.


    I was putting more and more distance between myself and Dawnbreaker, when I stepped on what I thought was a shadow.


    ¡°There!¡± Cy flung a dagger at me.  I didn¡¯t know how he had made it to the gate in such a timely manner.


    The dagger itself was a laughable attack, considering my current Agility. I even doubted if it would successfully land, if I were to stay in one place.  But it wasn¡¯t meant to deal damage¡ªit was meant to direct Dawnbreaker and Alex.


    Before the dagger even had time to reach me, the flying silver nets, which had been searching the whole square, immediately re-formed into a net-shaped dome encircling me.


    Before the dagger could reach me, the unending spell, the unnerving spell that felt like it was trying to tear my soul out of my own chest, doubled in intensity, then trippled again.


    Outside of the silver net-dome, the people kneeling relaxed, trembling less. On the flip side, I saw several people inside the dome faint, bleeding from their ears and eyes, as they experienced the full power of Alex¡¯s chant.


    I couldn¡¯t move. It was like an extra-dimensional weight was pressing down on me from every direction, like gravity itself was trying to pull my soul out of my body.


    <I¡¯ll deal with the chanting,> Samantha said, her voice tense. <Use explosives to break the net, and put everything into Agility and run.>


    Even as Samantha said it, the weight on my soul grew fainter.  At the same time, the combat shadow, which had guided me this whole time, disappeared.


    I tried to side-step another of Cy¡¯s knives flying my way, but my feet stuck to the shadow, immobile for just a split second, before releasing me.


    Cy¡¯s knife glanced harmlessly off my helmet, the ringing sound disconcertingly loud in the square.


    Well. It was clear I wasn¡¯t going to get away without making a splash.


    I had no idea how many explosives to use, or where to throw them.


    I lit three Igneal Explosives and tossed them at different parts of the silver cage that was closing in on me.


    Then, I tossed a fourth explosive towards Dawnbreaker, who was just twenty yards away from me.


    It looked like the explosives were a successful strategy.


    The moment I tossed the explosives out, the silver cage that had surrounded me suddenly fragmented, the silver threads gathering together almost instantaneously, turning from a massive net into three tarps that wrapped around the explosives.


    The first three bombs detonated at the same time, but the explosion was muffled and absorbed by the silver tarps that had surrounded the Igneal Explosives.


    The explosive flying towards Dawnbreaker was even more anticlimactic. A silver tendril extended from Dawnbreaker¡¯s suit, dicing the Igneal Explosive into a dozen tiny pieces before it could explode.


    I¡¯d been hoping it would delay her, but Dawnbreaker charged directly towards me.


    The good news, though, was that because I had distracted Dawnbreaker¡¯s cage with the explosions, I was now free.


    The world around me blurred as I ran.  I could feel the wind burn exposed skin.


    Past the square, it was as though everyone around me was walking in slow motion. All of my mana was in Agility, taking me to over 80 points of Agility. If this were pre-Atropos Schema, I would be setting world records for the fastest pace any human had ever run.


    At the same time, I could feel myself tiring quickly.


    I knew I couldn¡¯t keep this up for long, but I didn¡¯t need to. Thanks to the Invisibility Cloak, all I had to do was put enough distance in between us, and I would be free.


    I left the effects of Alex¡¯s spell and Dawnbreaker¡¯s aura far behind me, and I took care to avoid any shadows just in case Cy¡¯s shadow was somehow able to keep up with me.


    I ran through the streets of Daybreak, and out the city gate, leaving baffled guards surprised at the gust of wind that accompanied me.


    <table width="624">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Name:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    Jarek


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Level:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    20


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    HP:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    30/30


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Physical Defense:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    18 (+2)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Strength:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    20 (+5)


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Mental Power:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    11


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Dexterity:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    10 (+2)


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Agility:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    10 (+7)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Perception:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    20


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Mana Pool:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    52


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Mana Regeneration:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    28 (+4)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Available Points:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    0


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Coins:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    6,462,800


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Class:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    Mana Modulator (D-rank)


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Profession:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    Rune Master


    (E-rank)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Titles:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="468">


    Region Lord (E-rank)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Skills and Spells:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="468">


    Identify (E-rank)


    Mana Modulation (D-rank Core)


    Death¡¯s Defier (A-rank)


    Mana Sensing (E-rank)


    Healthy Magic (E-rank)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Affinities:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="468">


    Internal Mana (D-rank Low), External Unattributed Mana (E-rank Low)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Equipment:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="468">


    Vampiric Blade (D-rank): +5 Strength, +5 Agility.


    Rune Master¡¯s Knife (E-rank): +2 Dexterity; +2 Mana Regen.


    Orc Helmet (F-rank): +2 Physical Defense


    Magician¡¯s Robes (F-rank): +2 Mana Regen.


    Orc Boots (F-rank): +2 Agility


    Interdimensional Pouch (E-rank):


    Invisibility Cloak (D-rank)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="468">


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>

 Chapter 32: Debrief

    ¡°Tell me, Jarek,¡± Lord Ignatius said, in a tone that drove shivers down my spine.  ¡°Why is it that Dawnbreaker has cut off all trade and teleportation between our Regions?¡±


    ¡°Wright is dead,¡± I replied.  ¡°I attacked him before he entered Dawnbreaker¡¯s villa, but he managed to shout out about the Crucible, then he killed himself. I fled, barely managing to escape from Dawnbreaker and her allies.¡±


    ¡°Then you failed,¡± Lord Ignatius said, flatly.  ¡°Your mission was to prevent Dawnbreaker from turning her attention to us.¡±


    ¡°My Lord,¡± I said, still holding my head high. ¡°I chose to risk failing the mission, in order to gain valuable intelligence.  I have information on the Zone Lord, and on Dawnbreaker¡¯s plans to defeat it.¡±


    Lord Ignatius smiled, his lips revealing pearly white teeth, and gums that were a tad too red. I felt a wave of relief at his smile. He inclined his head slightly, encouraging me to continue.


    ¡°The Zone Lord is a shade in Canada, in the Ontario Region.  It was in Cochrane just a few days ago. Dawnbreaker plans to attack it in two days.¡±


    Lord Ignatius¡¯ smile deepened, and he licked his blindingly white teeth lightly.


    ¡°Uman,¡± He said. ¡°See to it that Jarek gets his loan. Jarek, see if you can get your Luck Potion by tomorrow morning. Talk to Declan if you need more funds.  Have Declan purchase the E-rank Soul Shield Rune Pattern Blueprint in the Merchant¡¯s Faction Shop. You¡¯ll need at least one for each member of your team by tomorrow morning.


    ¡°Tomorrow morning,¡± Lord Ignatius continued, ¡°You will hunt a shade.¡±


    <hr>


    ¡°This is as far as I can take you,¡± the teleportation mage said, glancing around somewhat nervously at our surroundings. Lord Ignatius had impressed upon us his importance, so the mage and Parker were both encircled by the rest of us. ¡°Good luck,¡± the mage said, disappearing with a crack.


    Autumn in the Canadian wilderness was beautiful.  The landscapes, mountains, and forests looked like they continued on in every direction.


    It was a smaller team than the group that killed the manticore.  Pure, physical brawn was more of a liability than a benefit, so Hank and Ryker were noticeably missing.  Hank had been loath to see us leave, but he had quickly cheered when he was reminded that someone needed to keep the Crucible safe if Dawnbreaker decided to pay a visit.  Ryker was perfectly content sitting out this one.


    Parker took out a map, and pointed at seemingly random spot. ¡°We are here.  Cochrane, where Dawnbreaker and her companions fought the shade is there¡ª¡° Parker pointed to a town almost fifty miles away. ¡°And we are going here, to Smooth Rock Falls.¡± He pointed to what would have either been a large town or a small city, in the Old World.  It was probably just a few miles away from us.


    ¡°You see,¡± Parker explained, ¡°Mana picks up attributes depending on its environment.  Shades feed on death-attributed mana.  Lord Ignatius ran the numbers, using the former population of Cochrane Town (less the number of surviving refugees).  Taking into account the day the shade arrived in Cochrane, Lord Ignatius realized that the shade would run out of easily accessible death-attributed mana tonight, and so it will need to attack a nearby town and create death-attributed mana.¡±


    Amos grunted. ¡°How do we know the shade won¡¯t attack a different town in the Region? Why Smooth Rock Falls?¡±


    ¡°The fourth dimension is the Spiritual Plane,¡± Parker started, ¡°The Spiritual Plane has no physical existences, it is only an overlay of our own mana and spirits.  Shades are capable of switching from a body to a spiritual form.  However, the walls that isolate each District and Region are hundreds of times more powerful in the Spiritual Plane¡ªthe shade would have great difficulty traveling into another Region.¡±


    I shifted on my feet, rubbing my hands together.   Even though it was still autumn, it was freezing.  And Parker¡¯s explanations were taking forever.


    ¡°In addition,¡± Parker said, ¡°Smooth Rock Falls disappeared from the local Teleportation Circle list overnight.¡± Parker said.Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    Adia snorted. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you just start with that. Next time, don¡¯t waste our time with your lectures.¡±


    Parker blushed, stowed the map, and we started walking in awkward silence.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect it to be so cold,¡± Amos said, shivering slightly. ¡°The briefing didn¡¯t mention we should bring gloves.¡±


    He was met with grim silence.


    ¡°Tell me again what he said to you, Amos,¡± Adia said, her voice cutting through the silence like a knife.  ¡°I want to hear the whole conversation, word for word.¡±


    Amos frowned. ¡°Again?¡±


    At Adia¡¯s stare, Amos recited, ¡°Haki, how are you? We¡¯re looking for a full kit for my friend here, and 14 fire potions.¡±


    ¡°Stop,¡± Adia said. I froze where I was, then I realized she was talking to Amos. ¡°You asked my father how he was. What did he say? How did he look?¡±


    Amos shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t remember.¡±


    ¡°Well, I need you to remember.¡±


    ¡°He had bags under his eyes,¡± I volunteered. ¡°He looked tired and preoccupied.  When we left, he said he was sorry, and he just wants what¡¯s best for you.  And he said that he loves you.¡±


    My whole body was tense as I spoke about Adia¡¯s father.  Everything I said was true.  But what I didn¡¯t say, and what nobody else here knew, was that I had been there, when he killed himself.


    Adia punched a tree trunk, and a shower of leaves fell around us. ¡°Fuck! It doesn¡¯t make sense. Why would he leave? Where did he go?¡±


    Amos¡¯s wrinkled face nodded knowingly.  ¡°It¡¯s pretty common, sadly. Absentee black fathers. Fathers who don¡¯t have what it takes to raise their child, maybe racked with guilt.  It¡¯s not your fault, Adia,¡± Amos reached a hand out to pat Adia¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you fucking touch me,¡± Adia spat, slapping Amos¡¯s hand. ¡°I don¡¯t need your condescension or your racism.¡±


    We walked in silence, until River launched a flaming arrow at a weird hybrid between a monkey and a bat in the trees.


    Unlike our last excursion, it was an instant, silent kill, that didn¡¯t draw any attention.


    Our walk continued, and we quickly disposed of any monsters we encountered.


    ¡°Ahem,¡± Parker said, after about ten minutes of oppressive silence. ¡°What was the skeleton doing at the hockey game?¡±


    The only sound was the steady crunch of dirt and leaves beneath our feet.


    ¡°Driving the Zam-boney,¡± Parker said, smirking.


    Petrov chuckled, and Amos laughed far too loudly.


    ¡°What did the beaver say to the maple tree?¡± Parker asked again.  He was speaking to everyone, but his eyes were on River.  Without pause, he continued, ¡°It¡¯s been nice gnawing you!¡±


    ¡°What do¡ª¡° Parker started, but Petrov cut him off.


    ¡°It is my turn,¡± Petrov said, turning to River. ¡°For you.¡± Petrov gave a slight, mocking bow with a twisted smile.  ¡°Give a man a match, and he is warm for a minute. Light a man on fire, and he is warm for all his life.¡±


    River snorted.  ¡°I don¡¯t have a joke,¡± she said. ¡°But who wants to hear about the time I saw Jarek naked?¡±


    <hr>


    For the location of a Zone Lord, we found surprisingly few high-level monsters around Smooth Rock Falls.


    We bulldozed through every monster that got in our way, without a problem, eventually arriving at the outskirts of Smooth Rock Falls.


    As we approached Smooth Rock Falls, we finally found an asphalt road to walk on.  Houses dotted the streets, with broken windows and busted doors.  The streets were crawling with low-level monsters, and there wasn¡¯t a sign of any humans nearby.


    The most prevalent monsters were called Stickles.  They were like giant versions of those walking stick insects¡ªphasmids, Parker had whispered to himself.


    Stickles ran anywhere from 1 foot to 10 feet tall.  Presumably, they would have been better at camouflage back in the forest, but it seemed they had come to Smooth Rock Falls in search of more food.


    We blazed through them easily.


    <Use Mana Sensing,> Samantha said, suddenly.


    Without activating the skill, I could see high densities of mana nearby.  Once I activated Mana Sensing, though, at a cost of 10 mana per minute, it was as though I was using a sixth sense.  I could feel the mana everywhere around me¡ªabove me, in the ground below me, and behind the walls of the nearby houses.


    Mana Sensing had been disorienting, the first few times I used it. But as I gained practice, I could discern the telltale signs of living creatures¡ªmana flowing inside bodies, trapped in organs.


    The moment I activated Mana Sensing, I could see the ambient mana in the air flowing in lethargic currents, deeper into the ruined city.


    <That is the death-attributed mana that Parker was talking about,> Samantha said. <The shade is feeding.  Follow the mana trails, and you should find the shade.  Or, more likely, he will find you first.>


    ¡°I know where to go,¡± I said. ¡°Follow me.¡±  Adia nodded.  Of course, Adia and Lord Ignatius knew about my Mana Sensing skill.  It was one of the main reasons I had been included in this battle.


    We blazed our way through more Stickles. As we neared the center of Smooth Rock Falls, the houses grew closer together, with smaller yards, building upwards, instead of sprawling out.


    We were at the middle of an intersection¡ªan intersection with an ominously absent stoplight, when I noticed the strange fluctuations of mana due to Mana Sensing.


    ¡°Through the ground!¡± I shouted.  ¡°Incoming!¡±

 Chapter 33: Shade

    Everyone quickly formed up as the shade approached.  Amos stood protectively next to Petrov, I paired with River, and Adia stood back-to-back with Parker.


    River planted her staff firmly on the concrete below her, and I saw a fiery spiderweb-like series of lines dense with mana form under her feet.


    A net-like sphere made of flames began to form around us, with a radius of about twenty yards.


    I could sense intense mana fluctuations in the air, almost comparable to the weight of Alex¡¯s sorcery back in Daybreak.


    But there was a key difference between sorcerers, who used chants, and mages and magicians, who did not.  Sorcerers could use their chants to control ambient mana, allowing them to have incredible effects over longer periods of time, because, after an initial large investment of mana, most chants could sustain themselves through ambient mana.


    Since River was not a sorcerer, and she was using what was clearly a mana-intensive spell, she would run out of mana very quickly.


    This was when Petrov stepped in, pointing his wand at River and funneling his own mana into River¡¯s body.  Essentially, he was serving as a mana battery for River¡¯s spell.


    It was a spell that required External Unattributed Mana Affinity.  Technically, I could have learned this spell as well, but I had successfully argued that my mana would be more useful applied elsewhere.


    I wasn¡¯t interested in playing support in this battle.


    With Petrov¡¯s support, the sphere that surrounded us grew brighter and denser, with the holes in the net growing smaller and smaller, and the flames grew brighter.


    Parker was mumbling something as well, and I felt my body lighten, and my senses sharpen.


    With Mana Sensing, I watched as the highly concentrated bundle of mana in humanoid form that had been traveling through the earth, abruptly spun and tried to leave the perimeter that River had formed around us.


    There was something different about these flames surrounding us.  There was no heat emanating from them. They consumed the ambient mana around them, and they devoured the shade¡¯s mana as he tried to leave the cage that River had created. The shade quickly recoiled.


    The spell was called, fittingly enough, Demon¡¯s Cage.  While I had been making amulets last night, Lord Ignatius had provided River with the perfect spell for trapping a shade. River had practiced all night perfecting her new spell.  And of course, Lord Ignatius had also provided Petrov with the appropriate supplementary spell¡ªMana Transfusion.


    To my surprise, the shade traveled directly up, reaching the surface, making no move to approach us.


    Rather than hide in the spiritual plane, the shade chose to manifest for us.  It looked like a three-dimensional shadow, but with much greater detail and definition. Its body was skinnier and taller than a normal human, with particularly spindly arms and legs. Its hands were small, but its fingers extended into blades.


    Eyes and a nose were noticeably missing on the shade¡¯s face, leaving a horrifying absence in its place.


    Its clothes were shreds of even darker shadows that waved dramatically about in nonexistent wind.


    ¡°You have come¡­¡± The shade spoke to us in a raspy voice, as though its vocal cords were scraping against a pile of nails. ¡°to kill me?¡±


    During our briefing, Lord Ignatius had made it clear that shades were sentient. He said the shade would know that on its eighth day here, it would be strengthened.  Hence, it would flee any life-and-death battle.


    But for some reason, I had never expected it the shade to speak to us, to try to reason with us.


    ¡°ha-hi-ha¡± it was an unnerving, unnatural laugh from the shade, that echoed strangely all around us.


    ¡°Go,¡± Adia said, sharply.


    Petrov made a minute gesture with his hands, temporarily pausing his constant flow of mana towards River.


    Three ghostly sparrows emanating an intense cold flew in a v formation towards the shade. Their wings were a translucent white, and their bodies were etched with patterns reminiscent of snowflakes.


    While the Devil¡¯s Cage above us remained rigid and in place, I could feel the part of the sphere that was below us shrink up towards us, sealing off the underground from the shade.


    The shade moved, almost fast enough to make me think he teleported.  One moment, he was standing almost twenty yards away, close enough to touch the fiery cage surrounding all of us.


    The next moment, he appeared next to Petrov, his long fingers slicing through Petrov¡¯s robes with ease.


    Petrov backpedaled, but he was nowhere near as fast as the shade.Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    The shade reached towards Petrov¡¯s heart, and I watched as Petrov¡¯s amulet activated.


    I had spent most of the night crafting E-rank Soul Shield Amulets. There were several things that were capable of blocking soul-based attacks. Personal Mana Shields worked, too. But Personal Mana Shields were very complicated, and would have taken much longer to create.  Also, an E-rank Personal Mana Shield couldn¡¯t defend as efficiently against soul attacks compared to these Soul Shield Amulets that I had created.


    Of course, in this case, a D-rank creature was attacking an E-rank defensive token.


    The moment the shade¡¯s claws touched the amulet, there was a resounding crack as the amulet¡¯s stored energy ran out.


    But the slight delay in the shade¡¯s movements had been enough for Amos to strike.


    Amos¡¯ sword sliced off the shade¡¯s arm, and the shade reared in shock.


    Once again, Lord Ignatius showed his wisdom. Amos¡¯s new sword¡ªSoul Slicer¡ªdirectly attacked the soul. Although I couldn¡¯t see it, I knew that the shade¡¯s soul existed throughout its form, dwelling in the mana surrounding it.


    By cutting off the shade¡¯s arm, Amos was actually severing a part of the shade¡¯s soul.


    This was why Dawnbreaker¡¯s trio struggled to fight the shade. No matter how powerful they were, if they didn¡¯t have weapons or spells that could damage souls, then they could not threaten the shade.


    There were four sparrows, now, approaching the shade, and the shade vanished again in a blur of movement.


    The shade appeared just a few feet away from me. This time, the shade directly rammed its fist into River¡¯s chest, dissolving the effects of her Soul Shield Amulet in a single blow.


    To River¡¯s credit, she never stopped fueling the Devil¡¯s Cage.


    As the shade struck River, I put twenty points into Agility, and drew my new sword from my sheath.


    Using the Vampiric Blade against a shade would be suicide. The Vampiric Blade had no effects on the soul, or mana, and so the blade would barely damage the shade.


    Lord Ignatius had generously provided me with a new weapon: Ghostbiter.  It was the sister sword to Soul Slicer, made by the same blacksmith.


    I stabbed my sword at the shade¡¯s chest.


    The shade had moved fast enough to avoid me hitting its core, and instead, I could feel my sword thrumming as it devoured fragments of its soul.


    At the same time, Petrov¡¯s flock of swallows finally reached the shade.


    The swallows flew through the shade, and as they did, they tore gaping holes in the shade¡¯s body.


    Every time the swallows passed through the shade¡¯s body, they grew smaller, and less cold. But at the same time, the power emanating from the shade decreased.


    It felt vaguely unfair, fighting a war of resources against the shade.


    But it was also something of a guessing game.


    The situation wasn¡¯t unfair, because we weren¡¯t actually winning.


    I had made eight amulets, over the course of the night. The question of distribution was hotly discussed.


    Two for River, since she was controlling the Devil¡¯s Cage.


    Two for Petrov, since he had the spell that had the capacity to deal the most damage to the shade, and he was supporting River.


    One for Amos, Adia, Parker, and myself.


    All of a sudden, I felt the mana around the shade compress, and then explode.


    It was Soul Explosion, the signature spell of a shade, and the single greatest drawback to trapping your team in a cage with a shade.  In retrospect, Soul Explosion was probably why the shade had laughed when it first found us.


    Soul Explosion permanently expends the user¡¯s soul, in order to directly attack any nearby souls.  In terms of a character sheet, it was the same thing as permanently reducing your stats by a set amount.


    With a sudden crack, the six remaining amulets were used up, leaving all of us defenseless against the shade¡¯s attacks.


    Immediately following the Soul Explosion, the shade tried to close on River, but I was already in its way.


    The shade refused to come into contact with my blade, dodging with incredible speed, trying to circle around me, but I was faster.


    I made a few light jabs, forcing the shade to keep its distance from River.


    Meanwhile, the first of Petrov¡¯s sparrows had reformed. It flew towards the shade, placing itself between the shade and Adia.


    <You¡¯ve already spent 20 mana. You need to eliminate it quickly before what you already spent times out. If it feels like it is losing, it will do another Soul Explosion.  Here''s what you need to do...>


    I followed Samantha¡¯s suggestion, pressing my offensive, pushing the shade back against the fiery sphere which was gradually shrinking towards us.


    ¡°Jarek! Positions!¡±


    Just as Adia called, the shade moved.  As I had pressed my advantage, I had put more and more distance between myself and River.


    The shade barreled directly towards River¡ªI blocked its path with my sword, slicing off one of its legs, surely costing it a sizable amount of its soul.


    But the shade disregarded my attack, flying forward, ignoring its missing leg, and sinking its claws into River¡¯s chest.


    As the shade moved passed me, I poured every available ounce of mana into Agility.


    Once again, just like when I had fled from Dawnbreaker, I felt like a veil had been lifted.  It was like the feeling when you''ve been swimming for a long time, and you finally climb out into open air.


    As I charged towards River, I watched in slow motion as the shade¡¯s long claws reached through River¡¯s body and pulled at something intangible.


    I could see the flaming sphere around us fade in slow motion, the mana diffusing and spreading into the atmosphere at a leisurely pace.


    I could see Petrov¡¯s flock of birds¡ªthree, now¡ªflying through the air towards the shade, so slowly.


    I heard River¡¯s last, sudden gasp, as the shade held her limp body in the air and feasted on the mana from her corpse.


    Then I struck, not once, but a dozen times, in the blink of an eye.


    I had almost 100 Agility. That didn¡¯t just mean I was quick on my feet¡ªit meant my attack speed was through the roof.


    I followed Samantha¡¯s carefully calculated strikes¡ªattacking the thickest strands of mana that flew out of the shade¡¯s core first.


    The core was the darkest part of the shade, visually, or, with my Mana Sensing, it was the part that shone the most brightly.


    With dozens of strikes in under a second, I was able to completely isolate the core. Then, I stabbed my sword directly into the core, shattering it into scattered flakes of mana.


    Congratulations! You have slain North America¡¯s Zone Lord. +20 free Stat Points.


    You have unlocked Schema Missions.


    You have one available mission:


    Zone Offense: Slay another Zone Lord on Earth.  Reward: 1 pick from the Schema Treasury (C-rank).


    You have gained an Infinite Tower Token.


    Level up!


    Level up!

 Chapter 34: Loot

    Parker ran over to River, casting healing spells frantically.


    ¡°No,¡± Petrov said, with a slight crack in his voice. ¡°She is dead.¡±


    While Parker knelt at River¡¯s corpse, Adia walked towards me, knives drawn. ¡°You did this. You let the shade kill her, so you could get the kill.  Everything was going to plan, until you left River¡¯s side. Admit it.¡±


    I ignored the knife pointed my direction. ¡°I left River¡¯s side because we couldn¡¯t afford to draw out the battle. If the shade had the chance for another Soul Explosion, we all would have died.  I had to press my advantage¡ªyou know my build. I fight on a timer.¡±


    Adia¡¯s knife angled towards my throat. ¡°Then you should have gone all out immediately. You could have stopped the shade from passing you, if you were already all-out on Agility. But you waited.¡±


    I held my hands up, placatingly.  ¡°That was my own pride¡ªit was a mistake, and I regret it.  I thought I could save mana so that when we do kill the shade, I could boost my Luck stat, and that way we would get much better loot.  Lord Ignatius loaned me 25 million to ensure I had the Luck attribute, and I didn¡¯t want his money to go to waste. Of course, the moment I saw River was in danger, I went all-out¡ªI tried to stop the shade, and I did cut off its leg, but I was too late.¡±


    Adia glared at me. ¡°I will tell Lord Ignatius everything.¡±


    I stared back. ¡°As will I.¡±


    Adia collected the loot the shade had dropped.  A Capital City Token¡ªa guaranteed drop¡ªand two spell books:


    Spiritual Traveler (D-rank): Allows your soul to leave your physical body and travel through the spiritual plane.  Cost: 10 mana/minute. Cooldown:  1 hour. Requires Soul Magic Affinity (D-rank).


    Soul Explosion (D-rank): Allows you to permanently sacrifice up to 20 Stat Points from your character sheet to create an explosion that directly attacks nearby souls, disregarding physical defenses. Requires: Soul Magic Affinity (D-rank).


    The requirements on both of these spells was steep.  I didn¡¯t know anyone who had Soul Magic Affinity, and getting that affinity up to D-rank would be hard.  You would either have to consume a D-rank Core that granted Soul Magic Affinity, or you would need to find a D-rank Class change book which granted Soul magic. Unfortunately, I had been forced to destroy the shade¡¯s core in order to kill it.  If I hadn¡¯t shattered it, the core probably would have dropped as loot and granted D-rank Soul Magic Affinity when consumed.


    Of course, with the rate the Crucible was growing, I was confident Lord Ignatius would be able to put the spells to good use.


    We spent a few minutes cleaning up the area, storing River¡¯s corpse in my Interdimensional Pouch, and collecting any loot we could find.   As we did, I allocated my points and discussed my gains with Samantha.


    What is an Infinite Tower Token?


    <Remember how Dawnbreaker has an A-rank unisuit?> Samantha asked.


    It doesn¡¯t seem like you¡¯ll ever let me forget.


    She had brought it up several times, ever since we had first seen it. It seemed Samantha was rather jealous.  Back when we were in Daybreak City, it had been the suit of armor that had formed the silver net that had almost trapped me in the plaza in Daybreak. In other words, this one suit of armor was capable of simultaneously defending Dawnbreaker, forming a massive net, and then improvising on the fly in order to contain explosives, and dice an explosive and deactivate it at the same time.


    Either Dawnbreaker had incredible mental control, or the suit itself was capable of following broad commands independently.


    <Of course, it¡¯s not impossible for her to have an A-rank item. It¡¯s just incredibly difficult and unlikely. She probably got the unisuit from the Infinite Tower.  The Tower is an illusory realm that features a certain number of ¡°floors.¡± Each floor has an objective, like ¡°kill all the orcs.¡±  Entry into the Infinite Tower is highly sought after across the Atropos Schema, but tokens cannot be traded or looted upon death.  If you are skilled, and if you know your own strength, then the Tower can grant abundant awards, depending on the floor you reach.>


    Is there any danger to it? Since it is illusory?


    <No. The Infinite Tower is in itself a reward. Death in the Infinite Tower just results in expulsion from the illusory realm.>


    How does the tower adjust to people¡¯s levels? Is it best to just wait until I have a higher level before challenging it?


    <The Schema determines the difficulty of each floor based off of your current level.  So if you challenge it with a lower level that means you¡¯ll likely have a better chance at doing well.  Rewards are dependent on the extent to which you surpass the limits of your level.>


    So¡­I should challenge the Infinite Tower soon?


    <Not yet,> Samantha replied. <To be honest, you don¡¯t have enough going for you yet to do well in the Infinite Tower.  I have a few upgrades in mind that we¡¯ll have to try out first.>


    We were walking to Smooth Rock Falls Town now, in more awkward silence.  Since shades were spiritual entities, they were not interested in physical items, so there was a good chance we could pick up some loot at the abandoned town.


    Nobody was saying anything, so I turned my mental energy to a different, more exciting topic than River¡¯s death.


    What do you think for the stat distribution?


    I really had a windfall. I now had 22 additional Stat Points to deal with.


    <We need to distribute our stats with the Infinite Tower in mind,> Samantha replied.  <There won¡¯t be any convenient Recovery Crystals in the tower, which means a common limiting factor is Stamina and Mana Regeneration.  And as you¡¯ve discovered, putting all your mana into Agility and running is a huge strain on your Stamina as well.>


    <Your Mana Regeneration, frankly, is pretty beastly for your level already.  It would only take you two minutes to recharge your mana pool. When fighting monsters that are a higher level than you, it¡¯s going to be the burst from the Mana Pool that really enables victory.  So you should split your points between Strength and your Mana Pool.>


    By this point, I felt used to Samantha¡¯s somewhat haphazard advice.


    I split the 22 available points evenly between my Mana Pool and Strength, and studied the results:


    <table width="624">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Name:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    Jarek


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Level:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    22


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    HP:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    32/32


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Physical Defense:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    18 (+2)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Strength:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    31 (+5)


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Mental Power:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    11


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Dexterity:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    10 (+4)The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Agility:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    10 (+7)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Perception:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    20


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Luck:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    11


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Mana Pool:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    69


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Mana Regeneration:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    30 (+6)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Available Points:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    0


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Coins:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    105,000


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Class:


    </td>


    <td width="156">


    Mana Modulator (D-rank)


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Profession:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    Rune Master


    (E-rank)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Titles:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="468">


    Region Lord (E-rank)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Skills and Spells:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="468">


    Identify (E-rank)


    Mana Modulation (D-rank Core)


    Death¡¯s Defier (A-rank)


    Mana Sensing (E-rank)


    Healthy Magic (E-rank)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Affinities:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="468">


    Internal Mana (D-rank Low), External Unattributed Mana (E-rank Low)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Equipment:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="468">


    Vampiric Blade (D-rank): +5 Strength, +5 Agility.


    Rune Master¡¯s Knife (E-rank): +2 Dexterity; +2 Mana Regen.


    Rune Master¡¯s Ring (E-rank): +2 Dexterity; +2 Mana Regen.


    Orc Helmet (F-rank): +2 Physical Defense


    Magician¡¯s Robes (F-rank): +2 Mana Regen.


    Orc Boots (F-rank): +2 Agility


    Interdimensional Pouch (E-rank):


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="156">


    Missions:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="468">


    Zone Offense


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <hr>


    ¡°Tell me about the battle,¡± Lord Ignatius asked me, once we had returned to the Crucible.  ¡°I¡¯ve heard some¡­ concerning reports.¡±


    Lord Ignatius had decided to hold this conversation in private-it was just myself and Uman in the throne room.


    ¡°Yes, my lord,¡± I said. ¡°Going into the battle, despite your generosity and our equipment, we were at a disadvantage.  Just a few seconds into the battle, the shade was capable of destroying our whole team with a second Soul Explosion.  This was always on the back of my mind.


    ¡°Everybody performed their roles well¡ª¡° At Lord Ignatius¡¯ glare, I corrected myself, ¡°except for me.  We had the shade trapped. After a brief altercation and a Soul Explosion, none of us had any defenses remaining.   I made the call to go off-book, my lord,¡± I said, glancing down at the tiled ground.  ¡°We had interrupted the shade¡¯s feeding in the first place.  I knew this from the mana trails before we encountered the shade. After the first Soul Explosion, the shade would be starving.  I left an opening for the shade to attack River.¡±


    As I admitted it, I felt the disappointment in myself and my own fear of Lord Ignatius¡¯ reaction.


    To be fair, it had been Samantha¡¯s plan.  Hopefully, Lord Ignatius would agree that it was worth it.


    ¡°I was gambling on the shade pausing to feed on River¡ªas it had already tried to do with River earlier, and with Petrov¡ªand I was right.  The moment it paused was all I needed to put everything into Agility and kill it while it was distracted.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± Lord Ignatius said neutrally. ¡°And why did you not attack the shade with all your Agility before it could catch River?¡±


    ¡°My apologies, Lord Ignatius,¡± I said. ¡°I lied to my team leader.  I told Adia that it was because I was reserving some mana for my Luck stat when the shade died, but that was not the case.  My fear was that if I pressed the attack without the shade being distracted, it would activate a second Soul Explosion, and our whole team would be killed.  I have heard, my Lord, that shades feel¡­ecstasy when feeding on powerful and recent death-attuned mana.  I figured the Soul Explosion was less likely, if the shade were to be caught unsuspecting.


    Lord Ignatius smiled slightly. ¡°You have done well, Jarek. I have one last question for you: What rewards did you receive when you killed the shade?¡±


    I smiled at the easier question, feeling a weight lift off my chest. ¡°My lord, I received 20 free points, a mission requesting me to kill another Zone Lord, an Infinite Tower Token, and I gained 2 levels.¡±


    Lord Ignatius nodded, and glanced to Uman, who was waiting by the door. ¡°Uman, you will take Jarek to Declan.  Jarek, your equipment is too pitiful and mismatched to attempt the Infinite Tower¡ªupgrade everything to D rank and get accustomed to your armor. You should attempt the Infinite Tower before you gain your next level.  We will add this to the loan that you already owe me.¡±


    I felt a surge of excitement. ¡°Thank you, my lord.¡±


    I bowed slightly, and left in search of Declan.


    <hr>


    <A complete equipment set in the Schema has two main challenges,> Samantha said, as I perused the Merchants¡¯ Faction store, with Declan idling behind me.


    <The backdrop, of course, is that you can only receive bonuses from 7 items total. Your Interdimensional Pouch counts as one item that you will use until you upgrade it, and you have your Vampiric Blade, which is not going to change.>


    <You¡¯ll be able to slot in and out the Rune Master¡¯s Knife and Ring whenever you are forming runes, so from now on, it is a waste to fight with them equipped.>


    <The first challenge is making sure your body is protected. A great option for you would be battle robes, something very common among mages.  Most battle robes cover every inch of skin except for hands, feet, the front of the neck, and the face.>


    <When you start the Infinite Tower, you will want make sure every inch of your skin will be covered. There are some levels where you would encounter poisonous fog and the like, similar to when you fought the Hydra.>


    <The second challenge is one of synergy.  You have excellent synergy with the Vampiric Blade.  D-rank equipment should come with powerful skills, and it would be a waste for you to spend money on skills that do not synergize.>


    <Fortunately, you are in the ideal position when it comes to picking a loadout.  You are the first to access prize items available at an upgraded Capital City Merchant¡¯s Faction Store.  Since you are among the first to pick, we can make sure we get things to fit your build.>


    Declan was surprised when I announced I was done¡ª he looked like he had expected this to take longer.  I probably would have agonized about some of the decisions for a bit longer¡ªthe goat mask that Samantha picked for me looked hideous. But I could tell that each one of these items would help my build.


    Goat Mask (D-rank): While equipped, slightly increases the wearer¡¯s field of vision. +2 Perception.


    Bloodied Battle Robes (D-rank): While equipped, for every two HP you lose, gain one mana. +5 Mana Pool, +5 Mana Regeneration.  Can slowly repair itself by consuming your HP.


    Boots of a Feather (D-rank): When activated, allows you to jump once off of the air. Cooldown: 10 minutes. +10 Agility.


    Greedy Gloves (D-rank): When activated, allows you to steal from the Mana Pool of another monster or person, at a rate of 1 mana per second through physical contact.  Duration: 1 minute. Cooldown: 10 minutes. +5 Mana Pool, +5 Mana Regeneration.


    Bonded Blades (D-rank): With a mental command, these twin throwing knives will return to their sheaths. +5 Dexterity, +5 Agility.


    The knives, Samantha insisted, were an essential item.  So far, I was not trained to use any long-range weapons.  According to Samantha¡ªand I was inclined to agree¡ªthat was a glaring oversight that needed to be fixed.


    In a more perfect world, maybe I could have convinced Adia to help me practice.  But after River¡¯s death, Adia had barely spoken to me.  At least I had Samantha.


    On average, each D-rank item cost 1 million coins, leaving me with an outstanding debt of 29 million coins.


    I wonder when I¡¯ll be able to pay off my debt to Lord Ignatius, I thought, as I studied my character sheet.


    <Sooner than you might think,> Samantha replied.


    <table width="624">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Name:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    Jarek


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Level:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    22


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    HP:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    32/32


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Physical Defense:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    18


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Strength:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    31 (+5)


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Mental Power:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    11


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Dexterity:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    10 (+5)


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Agility:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    10 (+20)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Perception:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    20 (+2)


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Luck:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    11


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Mana Pool:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    69 (+10)


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Mana Regeneration:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    30 (+10)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Available Points:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    0


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Coins:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    0


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Class:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    Mana Modulator (D-rank)


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Profession:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    Rune Master


    (E-rank)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Titles:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="486">


    Region Lord (E-rank)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Skills and Spells:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="486">


    Identify (E-rank)


    Mana Modulation (D-rank Core)


    Death¡¯s Defier (A-rank)


    Mana Sensing (E-rank)


    Healthy Magic (E-rank)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Affinities:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="486">


    Internal Mana (D-rank Low), External Unattributed Mana (E-rank Low)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Equipment:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="486">


    Vampiric Blade (D-rank): +5 Strength, +5 Agility.


    Bloodied Battle Robes (D-rank): +5 Mana Pool, +5 Mana Regen.


    Boots of a Feather (D-rank): +10 Agility.


    Greedy Gloves (D-rank): +5 Mana Pool, +5 Mana Regen.


    Bonded Blades (D-rank): +5 Dexterity, +5 Agility.


    Goat Mask (D-rank): +2 Perception.


    Interdimensional Pouch (E-rank):


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Missions:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="486">


    Zone Offense


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>

 Chapter 35: An Unexpected Visitor

    I woke up leisurely, which was a wonderful and rare feeling. Everything was finally on the right track. Uman assured me that the Crucible had a team inside Boston, and they were already asking around about my brother and sister.


    Even if the rest of my team was a little leery of me since I killed the shade, Lord Ignatius was proud of me, and that was what mattered.


    I had what Samantha called the second-best load-out in the Zone, and today was the day to practice.


    After a quick stop in the cafeteria for breakfast, I went to a training room and started throwing my knives at a target.


    <Right foot forward, slightly, relax your body. Raise your arm over your shoulder, so your hand is by your head, and throw down, as if you¡¯re chopping wood.>


    I tried, and missed my target.


    Samantha said.


    Can¡¯t I skip to the part where I modulate mana and gain enough Dexterity for the perfect throw?


    <You know the answer,> Samantha said. <Shortcuts won¡¯t take you the full distance. If an average person with a Dexterity of 10 can throw a deadly blade, then you can too¡ªwithout cheating. Don¡¯t let mana become your crutch.>


    <Speaking of mana,> Samantha continued, ¡°You need to stop wasting your floating points. I¡¯ve told you before¡ªLuck works in mysterious ways. Now that you have Luck, whenever your Mana Pool is full, it¡¯s even more important that you are continually practicing the technique I taught you earlier. You should store your mana that you gain from Mana Regeneration throughout your body, and then at 30 second intervals, modulate it and gain Luck. With your current Mana Regeneration, this will leave you with around 15 ¡°floating points¡± added to your Luck stat in your permanent resting state.


    <Having a high resting Luck attribute will give you a few hidden benefits that are hard to measure.>


    Put that way, keeping my Mana Regeneration in Luck made sense. Placing my unused Mana Regeneration into Luck, I resumed throwing my twin blades.


    The only good news with this mundane practice was that I never had to retrieve my blades.


    I was mid-throw about an hour later when the city¡¯s alarm sounded.


    My Communication Amulet buzzed, and I hear a guard¡¯s voice say to report to the Crucible¡¯s gate as fast as possible.


    As I ran through the Crucible, with all my Mana Regeneration changed towards Agility, I passed many other Crucible residents running through the hallways.


    It seemed, at least, everyone knew where to go. The lower leveled people were running deeper into the Crucible, while the higher levels were rushing towards the gate of the Crucible.


    As I left the main underground fortress part of the Crucible, and ran towards the outer wall and main gate, I couldn¡¯t help but appreciate at the various changes that had come about from the Crucible becoming the Zone¡¯s Capital City.


    The Crucible¡¯s wall stood about thirty feet tall, in a semi-circle against the mountain that the Crucible was built into.


    But the really fearsome part was the spherical bubble, a mana forcefield, that extended from the walls, over my head, into the mountain, and under the ground.


    The spherical shield was fully charged, activated, and buzzing angrily.


    I frowned the moment I could see the gate, and picked up my pace.


    The gate was closed, but I could see Dawnbreaker, fully clad in silver armor, with only her head visible. And she was standing on the wrong side of the gate, and the energy shield. She was already inside the Crucible.


    The nearby guards were leveling their weapons at her, but it seemed nobody had died yet.


    Conspicuously absent were her two friends.


    As I approached, Dawnbreaker immediately pointed at me. ¡°He¡¯s the one. What¡¯s his name?¡±


    She asked the nearest guard, who seemed unsure if he should say anything to her.


    The Crucible didn¡¯t have formalized guidelines about chain of command. Or, maybe they did, but I was outside of those formalized chains of command. It was clear, though, that the relatively low-leveled guards around had no idea what to do. And it looked like I was the highest leveled person of all of us.


    ¡°You have entered the Crucible without permission,¡± I said, as I arrived. ¡°Please step outside. If you¡¯re here to talk, then we can talk outside the gates.¡±


    Dawnbreaker studied me, her piercing blue eyes taking in my battle robes and goat¡¯s mask. ¡°Have your guards open the gate, first,¡± she said with an innocent smile. ¡°Unless you want me to break down your very expensive gate.¡±


    Fuck. I didn¡¯t actually expect her to be willing to leave¡ªI¡¯d thought she¡¯d only just snuck in in the first place.


    And Lord Ignatius would be furious if I turned down the chance to convert Dawnbreaker¡­


    There were two ways to look at the current situation. The first was that Dawnbreaker had broken into the Crucible. The second, was that Dawnbreaker was trapped inside the Crucible. Why would we open the gates?


    ¡°Why are you here?¡± I asked, instead.


    Dawnbreaker looked at me, and then glanced towards the bunker built into the mountainside. ¡°I thought you were in charge, but I guess not. I don¡¯t like repeating myself. I¡¯ll wait.¡±


    She seemed content to stand there, sword still sheathed across her back, armor glistening in the sunlight, and her long golden hair flowing behind her.


    ¡°How did you kill the shade?¡± she asked, suddenly.


    At my pause, she continued, ¡°Or are you not authorized to answer that question either?¡±


    ¡°Maybe you¡¯ll find out in a few minutes,¡± I said, smiling wolfishly.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t smile like that again,¡± Dawnbreaker said. ¡°At least not while you¡¯re wearing that ridiculous goat mask. Isn¡¯t your Perception high enough already?¡±


    I tried not to show any visible reaction. ¡°Why would you say that?¡± I asked, neutrally.


    How the fuck would she know that? I asked Samantha.


    ¡°Ah, is this your boss?¡± Dawnbreaker said, glancing towards Adia, who was quickly approaching. ¡°Hi there, my name is Dawnbrea¡ª¡±


    Adia ignored Dawnbreaker¡¯s clearly fake smile. ¡°Guards!¡± The guards immediately straightened to attention. ¡°Has Dawnbreaker broken any law besides sneaking inside the city?¡±


    The guards shifted, looking uncertain.If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    ¡°Is there any immediate danger outside those walls?¡±


    Again, the guards sheepishly shook their heads.


    ¡°Then open the fucking gate and let¡¯s talk about this outside these walls.¡±


    The guards, it seemed, were happy to receive clear orders¡ªon someone else¡¯s head, be it.


    The gate opened, and I studied the outside carefully, activating Mana Sensing, to make sure there were no invisible shenanigans going on.


    ¡°Now then,¡± Adia said, with her own vicious smile. ¡°Shall we take our conversation outside? Or are you here for something else? Trying to capture the world¡¯s first capital city, maybe?¡±


    Dawnbreaker smiled cheerily. ¡°Believe it or not, I am just here to talk. Unfortunately, I¡¯m not here to talk to you. I¡¯d like to talk to them,¡± she gestured to the growing crowd of curious people around us. Not the high levelers, but the curious individuals who were too low-leveled to realize the danger they were walking into by being so close.


    ¡°I¡¯m curious,¡± Dawnbreaker said, raising her voice rather loudly. ¡°Have any of you wondered, or have any of you realized, that the people with power in this city, are all being mind-controlled?¡±


    I froze, unsure of what to do.


    Adia just laughed. ¡°Oh, I see. Who is being mind-controlled? Who is the mastermind? Do you have any evidence for this? Are there any other rumors you would like to share? Maybe we¡¯re actually all aliens, or maybe you are the rightful ruler of this Zone?¡±


    Dawnbreaker looked genuinely surprised, and her gaze softened a little. ¡°They didn¡¯t tell you? I¡¯m so sorry¡­It was your father who escaped from this town and delivered all the evidence to my doorstep. Dozens of handwritten pages of his strange interactions with you and the other high levelers here.¡±


    Adia froze like a deer in the headlights. ¡°You¡­ no¡­¡±


    By now, more of our team had arrived. Petrov, Amos, and Parker, straggling behind.


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t you like to know what happened to your father, Adia? Or are you so divorced from your own feelings, so under someone else¡¯s thumb, that you don¡¯t care anymore?¡±


    <Just attack her already,> Samantha said. <She has the dirt to make the Crucible look bad, so you might as well.>


    I drew my sword. ¡°Enough lies and slander.¡±


    ¡°Oooh, is there something you¡¯re trying to hide, Mr. Assassin?¡± Dawnbreaker teased, as she drew her own sword, and her unisuit flowed over her head, leaving two glowing, silver eyes on the face and nothing else. Her blade was slightly longer than mine, and it released a golden light.


    Everything about her is so on-brand it¡¯s sickening.


    <Remember back when I was describing the 2 requirements for armor? Body protection and build? You see, I left one out, because it shouldn¡¯t be a requirement in the first place. Image. Dawnbreaker, somehow, managed to fill all three requirements. I think it¡¯s time we wipe that smug look off her face.>


    The moment I took my first step towards her, Dawnbreaker released her aura. The low-leveled spectators were immediately pushed to the floor, forced to kneel or lie on the ground.


    I ignored the weight of her aura, pressing forward, placing all my floating points from Mana Regeneration in Agility. I struck at Dawnbreaker, and she immediately raised her blade to block.


    Strike, parry, riposte. As soon as the pattern started, it in a blur a dozen times in the next few seconds.


    It was immediately clear that Dawnbreaker¡¯s stats were higher than my original stats and Mana Regeneration combined. Every time our blades met, I felt like I was striking an immobile wall. She was moving just as fast, if not faster, than I was as well. Only Samantha¡¯s combat shadow was able to help me keep my feet.


    It was at this point I realized the cost to neglecting Dexterity. So far, I had relied on quick, harsh, targeted strikes to defeat my opponents.


    I knew very little about the subtleties of a blade, and I had very little finesse with each strike.


    Dawnbreaker¡¯s blade looked like it was dancing, despite its larger size. It could change direction a dozen times in a single strike. I dipped into my Mana Pool, increasing my Agility so I could keep up.


    Just a few seconds after Dawnbreaker and I first crossed blades, I felt Parker¡¯s familiar buffs, and I could sense Petrov readying spells in the background.


    I was content to stall¡ªsurely, as I delayed, more people would be coming, and Petrov would offer the firepower.


    Dawnbreaker¡¯s fine control allowed her to score several light slashes on my torso, but meanwhile I hadn¡¯t even touched her armor.


    As time passed, I started to wonder why my team still wasn¡¯t acting. I was the only one crossing blades with Dawnbreaker¡ªwhy? And Parker¡¯s buff had disappeared¡­


    <Your focus is too narrow. Widen your gaze.> Samantha¡¯s reminder had me step back for a moment, glancing subtly around the open, grassy area. It helped that the goat mask increased my peripheral vision, too.


    I could see several sets of thick, silver ropes¡ªjust like the ropes that had formed a net around me in Daybreak. This time, the silver ropes were literally tying up my team.


    From the corner of my eye, I watched as Hank struggled against two silver ropes that had bound his hands.


    Adia slashed through the silver ropes binding Hank, but the next moment, Parker fell to the ground, bound hand and foot.


    Amos held his own, shredding the silvery ropes that flew towards him with his sword.


    Petrov was the only one who seemed unconcerned by the ropes. He stood with his legs planted firmly on the ground, in the middle of a highly localized icy blizzard. Really, it looked like he was surrounded by a tornado of icicles.


    ¡°Parker, do not move!¡± Petrov shouted. Not a second later, four icicles flew out of the tornado and embedded themselves in the silver bindings that held Parker¡¯s hands and feet.


    ¡°Fuck¡­¡± Parker whispered, staring at the three-inch long icicles that had split the thick ropes binding his hands, only drawing a pinprick of blood.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Hank¡¯s deep voice resonated, as he was now free of Dawnbreaker¡¯s silver ropes, thanks to Adia¡¯s quick bladework. He raised his hammer and rushed forward, standing next to me.


    This whole time I¡¯d been observing my team, I had also been sparring with Dawnbreaker, barely holding my own. For whatever reason, the ropes weren¡¯t trying to tie me up.


    Finally, more members of the Crucible joined in.


    Three arrows flew towards Dawnbreaker, forcing her to take a step back, relieving the pressure on me a little.


    A direwolf that I had never seen before¡ªpresumably tamed by someone in the Crucible¡ªapproached Dawnbreaker¡¯s flank, not directly attacking yet, but just a not-so-subtle presence, a snarling reminder for Dawnbreaker of another factor she needed to take into account.


    Two well-timed fireballs flew towards Dawnbreaker, forcing her to slash at one¡ªsomehow extinguishing it with her blade. A silver shield formed in her left hand to deflect the other.


    This left room for me to attack. I was already following my combat shadow, crouching low and lunging directly towards Dawnbreaker¡¯s torso.


    Stabbing Dawnbreaker¡¯s armor felt like stabbing a metal wall. From the heavy resistance, I could tell I hadn¡¯t broken through.


    <It¡¯s going to take numerous, highly concentrated attacks to break through her armor,> Samantha supplied. <The armor is fluid, and it has a limited supply. Your attack cost some of the supply, but it could reinforce itself faster than you could break it. This is why the others could break out of the silver ropes¡ªonce the armor leaves her body, it can¡¯t replenish itself.>


    So we back her against the wall, and then hit her with everything we¡¯ve got.


    Even though it had just occurred to me, it seemed like that was what Samantha¡¯s combat outline had already been attempting, and what everyone around me was thinking as well.


    The gate had been closed, and Dawnbreaker was now surrounded by a force of over twenty highly dangerous people.


    All of the silver ropes that had appeared had been dealt with, and trying to send out more ropes from her armor at this point would be futile¡ªit would just weaken her armor.


    Amos and Adia joined Hank and me in the front lines. Even though Dawnbreaker¡¯s stats exceeded mine¡ªat the moment¡ªshe couldn¡¯t deal with all of us, and the suppressing firepower from the periphery.


    None of us were going all-out, yet. Amos used his long blade to target Dawnbreaker¡¯s feet, keeping her constantly dodging, constantly forcing her backwards. Hank provided a steady, stable presence. Basically a ¡°don¡¯t you dare come this way.¡± He didn¡¯t even bother swinging his hammer, since Dawnbreaker¡¯s Agility would make any attacks from him laughable.


    The tamed direwolf, interestingly enough, was a strong pair for Hank, snarling at Dawnbreaker anytime she would approach. The wolf¡¯s Agility and speed matched well with Hank¡¯s slower movements.


    Step by step, we were forcing her towards the wall.


    As we drove her back towards the wall, I found myself taking a more and more passive position, which allowed me to recover more of my mana.


    Adia had basically taken over as the lead combatant against Dawnbreaker. To my surprise, she quickly scored several sharp strikes against Dawnbreaker¡¯s armor in quick succession. Adia was using long, delicate-looking knives, and she would strike for a split second, somehow avoiding Dawnbreaker¡¯s devastating sword.


    Since I first attacked, Dawnbreaker hadn¡¯t said a single word. It left an ominous feeling, fighting a humanoid figure with glowing silver eyes and a featureless face. It felt, almost, like we weren¡¯t fighting the smiling, taunting blond woman who had appeared in the Crucible. Dawnbreaker obviously realized we were driving her back against the wall. But no matter which way she turned, whichever one of us she tried to attack, we were ready for her. I played the role of auxiliary defense, jumping to defend whichever direction Dawnbreaker attacked.


    By now, in addition to arrows, fireballs, and devious flying icicles, someone was maneuvering the earth underneath Dawnbreaker¡¯s feet in subtle and erratic ways.


    As Dawnbreaker charged towards Hank, the ground underneath her gave in, letting her foot fall a few inches into a sinkhole. Of course, Dawnbreaker quickly recovered, but it was enough time for Amos to press his attack, slicing away at Dawnbreaker¡¯s armor until Dawnbreaker retreated towards the wall.


    Dawnbreaker¡¯s strikes grew even more swift, powerful, and frantic, but it was no use. Before long, her back was up against the Crucible¡¯s outer wall.


    And thanks to the break Adia had given me, my Mana Pool was now fully charged again.


    There was nowhere for Dawnbreaker to run, now. Soon, the Crucible would be one member stronger.

 Chapter 36: Camaraderie

    Dawnbreaker was surrounded, trapped against the outer wall of the Crucible. And of course, it wasn¡¯t just a wall. The outer wall was protected by a powerful Mana Shield, making it impossible to break down the wall, tunnel underneath the wall, or even fly over the wall, since our whole city was encased in a dome-like Mana Shield that isolated the city from the outside world.


    I wished I could see some flustered emotion on Dawnbreaker¡¯s face, or some sign of exhaustion. But it was impossible to read her¡ªshe stood, just as defiantly as always, but with not an inch of skin showing, her expression hidden by a silver helmet, all features erased except for the two glowing eyes.


    I was about to charge forward, when Samantha said, <Wait. It¡¯s not your turn, yet.>


    ¡°Petrov,¡± Adia called.


    I felt the temperature drop, and the tornado of icicles that had been building and circling around himself for so long started moving, inching, towards Dawnbreaker.


    Dawnbreaker charged towards Amos, but the earth under her feet gave way, dropping her into a pit about 5 feet deep.


    Dawnbreaker jumped, almost leaving the pit, but then the icy tornado appeared above her, slamming her back down into the pit.


    From where I stood, I watched as the walls of the pit became covered in slick sheets of ice, and the pit somehow continued growing deeper.


    I watched, almost feeling a sense of pity, as Petrov¡¯s icicle tornado descended directly on top of Dawnbreaker.


    The pit was about ten feet in circumference, and the rest of us stood, a few feet away from the edge, spaced evenly to prevent any attempts to escape out of the pit.


    And try she did. The first time, she jumped up, somehow leaping not just out of the pit, but above our heads. For a moment, I had a terrifying realization¡ªwhat if Dawnbreaker could fly? Had she been toying with us, this whole time?


    But then Dawnbreaker¡¯s leap hit its peak, turning into an arc, and Hank, bless his heart, was ready.


    With a bellow, Hank swung his massive war hammer. The hammer landed directly on Dawnbreaker¡¯s stomach, and I saw her body crumple in a curve as she was slammed back into the icy pit.


    Just a few seconds later, another leap happened, this time, targeting Adia.


    This time, as Dawnbreaker appeared, I could see clear gaps in her armor. Her chest and back were covered by the armor, but her arms and legs were partially exposed, and I could see that she was bleeding from a dozen small scratches.


    Adia, too, was ready. Four throwing knives flew towards Dawnbreaker, perfectly predicting her trajectory.


    Dawnbreaker spun in midair to try to avoid the knives, but one of them still managed to finallydraw first blood.


    ¡°Hold!¡± Adia called.


    At her command, the ice tornado, which had been moving towards Dawnbreaker, fell back into the pit.


    Dawnbreaker landed unsteadily on the ground, level with the rest of us.


    And then Adia threw more knives. Dawnbreaker stumbled, but not due to the ground, this time. Adia threw three more knives, each one drawing blood at a different extremity.


    Soon, the sole Hell-mode Tutorial challenger lay unconscious in front of us.


    I didn¡¯t even get to go all out, I complained, jokingly, to Samantha.


    Glancing around, I could see the shocked low-leveled faces, and the grins of my victorious team.


    I felt this euphoria coursing through me. We had done it. We had defeated the most powerful person in North America. It hadn¡¯t been easy, and none of us would have been capable of defeating her individually, but thanks to the Crucible¡¯s organization, and her own overconfidence, we had done it.


    Throughout the battle, there had been a few people who played a crucial role who I hadn¡¯t actually met before.The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡°Who¡¯s the earth magician?¡± I asked, glancing around.


    Adia didn¡¯t look up from handcuffing Dawnbreaker¡¯s hands and feet and stripping her of her sword and Interdimensional Pouch, so I turned to Parker.


    Parker pointed to a girl, probably around 13, standing next to Petrov and gesturing excitedly. Petrov rustled the girl¡¯s hair affectionately.


    I glanced from Petrov, then back at the girl. They both had sharp chins, narrow noses, and thin, high eyebrows.


    ¡°Petrov has a daughter?¡± I asked, incredulous. ¡°Petrov, why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡±


    Petrov shrugged. ¡°You have never asked. Vasilia, this is Jarek. Do not trust him.¡±


    I was reaching out to shake the girl¡¯s hand, when I faltered, halfway. ¡°What?¡±


    Vasilia quickly looked away. The ground under her moved, shuddering, and without having to move her feet, I suddenly saw that she was standing next to Parker.


    ¡°MVP!¡± Parker shouted, raising Vasilia¡¯s hand in a victory pose.


    Vasilia giggled. ¡°I¡¯m the MVP, and what are you? The MUP? Most useless player?¡± She spoke with a very slight Russian accent, and she paused slightly as she pronounced each letter in MUP.


    Parker shrugged, sighing suddenly. ¡°I¡¯m just glad I wasn¡¯t needed.¡±


    At that, Vasilia¡¯s smile faltered.


    Then Parker forced a smile, calling out, ¡°Hank! Congratulations! You finally fucking hit something with your hammer!¡±


    Hank lumbered over, offering a somewhat confused smile. ¡°Thanks, Parker. It surprised me too.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure that¡¯s why she targeted you,¡± Amos said, walking over to join in the conversation. ¡°She didn¡¯t think you could block her. Notice, though¡ªshe never tried jumping my way. Wouldn¡¯t have stood a chance in hell.¡±


    Parker coughed lightly. ¡°Actually, I think she did quite well in hell.¡±


    Everybody around Parker laughed.


    Watching them talking, I felt¡­sad. I would have been in the circle¡ªin fact, everyone had come towards me¡ªbut Parker and Vasilia both had their backs to me.


    I felt completely cut out of this moment of camaraderie.


    I walked over to Adia and Petrov, watching as Petrov formed a solid block of ice around Dawnbreaker¡¯s body.


    If not for my heightened perception, I probably would not have noticed¡ªsmall icicles would form on the inside of the ice block, up against Dawnbreaker¡¯s skin, shredding Dawnbreaker¡¯s armor as it tried to regrow.


    ¡°Can I help?¡± I asked, tentatively, expecting to be turned down.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Petrov said. With a wave of his hand, he created several grooves¡ªhandholds¡ªin the ice block. ¡°You will carry the ice to Lord Ignatius.¡±


    I glanced back at the giant block of ice, and then at Vasilia, who was zooming around on circles of moving soil.


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that be a better job for Vasilia? Or Hank? Or you?¡±


    Petrov shook his head. ¡°Vasilia must rest. Hank did not offer. I am low on mana.¡±


    I glanced again, pointedly, at Vasilia, who certainly wasn¡¯t resting, and then shrugged my shoulders.


    This was obviously about River¡¯s death.


    Even with all my floating points placed into Strength, it was hard to carry this massive block of ice. Since the walk would definitely take longer than a few minutes, it didn¡¯t seem wise to risk drawing from my Mana Pool. It was always possible that Dawnbreaker might wake up from her drugged sleep. The worst part, then, was that the cold bit in to my body, since I didn¡¯t want to increase my Physical Defense any more.


    As I trudged, step by step, towards Lord Ignatius¡¯s council room, with a massive block of ice freezing my back and hands, I remembered my early days in Sunday school: ¡°If anyone would follow me, he must deny himself, pick up his cross, and follow me.¡±


    To follow Lord Ignatius, I would need to regain my team¡¯s trust. If that meant carrying a block of ice through the Crucible, then I would swallow my pride and do it.


    ***


    The throne room was packed. Not with Ryker, not with River, and certainly not with myself, had I ever seen so many faces present during a conversion.


    There were about two dozen of us present. About ten people surrounding Dawnbreaker, another ten standing in a line between Dawnbreaker and Lord Ignatius, and the rest guarding the exit.


    I stood between Dawnbreaker and Lord Ignatius, as Lord Ignatius stared intently at Dawnbreaker¡¯s unconscious body.


    It was the same process that I had seen with Ryker and River, but it felt, at least, like Lord Ignatius was taking longer.


    He didn¡¯t cast any spells, or mutter anything under his breath. His eyes just stared unwaveringly into Dawnbreaker''s eyes, which had been forced open and then frozen open by Petrov¡¯s ice.


    We all waited in uncomfortable silence. As we waited, I couldn¡¯t help but eye the Interdimensional Pouch and sword behind us. We had tried to open it, but it seemed it was locked, somehow. I could only guess at what riches it might hold¡­


    ¡°It is finished,¡± Lord Ignatius said, taking several steps back, and then seating himself on the throne.


    Those of us he had designated as his guard followed him, putting even more distance between Dawnbreaker and everyone else.


    ¡°Wake her,¡± Lord Ignatius said.


    Parker hurriedly mumbled something, and suddenly, I saw Dawnbreaker¡¯s eyes twitch.


    ¡°Dawnbreaker,¡± Lord Ignatius asked, his voice ringing with power. ¡°Can you hear me?¡± Then he paused. ¡°Petrov, free her head.¡±


    The ice around Dawnbreaker¡¯s head immediately melted. To my surprise, Dawnbreaker¡¯s skin was only slightly red and flush¡ªI had expected to see blue and purple skin, to see her chattering and shivering uncontrollably. How high was her Physical Defense?


    There was a part of me that felt distinctly uncomfortable with the idea that I would no longer have a shot at the position of Lord Ignatius¡¯ most powerful servant. But if this meant Lord Ignatius would gain a stronger servant, then so be it.


    ¡°Dawnbreaker, can you tell me why you are here?¡±


    As lucidity crossed Dawnbreaker¡¯s eyes, I had the sudden, horrible realization, that things had gone oh, so wrong.


    ¡°I think,¡± Dawnbreaker said, with a mocking smile, ¡°I¡¯m here to kick all of your asses.¡±

 Chapter 37: Sandbagging

    There was no stunned silence in response to Dawnbreaker¡¯s words.  None of us were idiots, and we were here for a reason. Dawnbreaker was not successfully placed under Lord Ignatius¡¯ thrall, which meant that we all had a job to do.


    Everyone kicked into gear, two dozen people each playing their part. I saw Petrov¡¯s ice start to grow denser around Dawnbreaker again, I heard Petrov start chanting his buffs, and Adia readied her knives.


    Lord Ignatius rose and backed away.  Forming a fist with his left hand, he activated five rings on his fingers. Five overlapping layers of shimmering, blue shields appeared around his body, coating every inch of his skin.


    I felt some of the tension in my chest fade. Of course, Lord Ignatius would be prepared.


    The ten of us standing by Lord Ignatius started to retreat with him. But before we could even take our first step, Dawnbreaker moved.


    The first thing I noticed was that her unisuit suddenly appeared around her, fully encompassing her.


    Silver spikes jutted out of her unisuit, cracking the block of ice that trapped the majority of her body.


    It only took a split second for the ice to shatter.  Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Petrov go pale.


    The moment she was free, a dozen attacks rained on her.


    She ignored almost all of them, letting them land on her fully formed armor, sidestepping only Hank¡¯s hammer.


    Then she lashed out with her right arm.  As the arm moved, the armor around it grew, forming a whip that extended forward like a continuation of her arm.


    A dozen blades and spells met with the whip, but nothing could deter it.


    I was reminded of what Samantha had said¡ªas long as it was connected to Dawnbreaker, it could reinforce itself.


    The whip flew towards Amos, who was standing next to me. Amos sliced at it quickly and frantically, but the whip ignored Amos¡¯s blade, and the blade was unable to cut through the whip.


    The whip reached its full length, right above Dawnbreaker¡¯s sword and pouch.


    Then, the end of the whip forked into two different ends, one wrapping around the sword, and the other wrapping around the pouch.


    I joined in with my attacks as well, landing a heavy blow on Dawnbreaker¡¯s whip, but the armor didn¡¯t seem close to running out of fluid. It felt like hitting a metal wall.


    This whole time, a dozen more attacks were flying Dawnbreaker¡¯s direction. She just dodged what she could, and tanked what she couldn¡¯t. Her whole body was once again covered in her silver armor, and none of our attacks could crack it.


    With a quick flip of her wrist, and a sudden crack from the tip of the whip, Dawnbreaker¡¯s whip recoiled back into her armor, leaving Dawnbreaker, standing surrounded, now holding her pouch and sword.


    With a sudden jump, Dawnbreaker launched herself directly towards Lord Ignatius, who had moved towards the exit behind his throne.


    Again, we were ready for her.  Swords slashed against her, knives pelted her, and arrows glanced off her armor.   We jostled against each other, eager to block her path.


    But Dawnbreaker¡¯s jump didn¡¯t end.


    She sped up, flying even faster through the air towards Lord Ignatius.


    Of course she can fucking fly, I thought, moving to intercept her.


    With a combination of added Agility and Strength, I jumped high into the air, swinging my blade toward her, but Dawnbreaker just parried with her blade, knocking me forcefully to the ground, and continued barreling past me.


    Dawnbreaker¡¯s brief, flying leap carried her past Lord Ignatius as well, placing her right in front of Lord Ignatius¡¯ exit.


    <She will never break through all of Lord Ignatius¡¯ shields,> Samantha said. <Wait for an opening.>


    Rather than strike at the shields, Dawnbreaker sent out a thick tendril of her suit, about a foot in diameter, and it wrapped around Lord Ignatius¡¯ chest like a boa constrictor.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    At the same time, Adia, Amos, and Hank placed themselves between Dawnbreaker and Lord Ignatius.


    Three tentacles formed out of Dawnbreaker¡¯s armor, one for each of the people that stood between her and Lord Ignatius.


    Hank fell first, the tentacle wrapping around his legs and hanging him off his feet.


    Then Amos¡ªthe tentacle targeting him split into several different tentacles, grabbing his wrists, ankles, and neck.


    Adia was able to dodge and evade the split tentacle that was targeting her, but this enabled Dawnbreaker to charge forwards to Lord Ignatius.


    She ran directly through a flurry of icicles to reach Lord Ignatius, barely hesitating as they pinged off of her armor.


    With a loud crack, I heard the first layer of Lord Ignatius¡¯ shield fail, due to the thick tentacle that was compressing around his chest.


    Then, Dawnbreaker struck, a full-force blow on Lord Ignatius, holding him in place with the snake-like armor, and the second layer of his shield fell.


    ¡°Jarek!¡± Adia shouted. ¡°What are you waiting for?¡±


    <Split everything except for 20 mana between Strength and Luck,> Samantha said, unhesitatingly.


    It was an unfamiliar command, but I did it.


    From the corner of my eye, I saw Lord Ignatius fumbling with his Interdimensional Pouch.  But the thick snake-like extension of Dawnbreaker¡¯s suit tightened and shook.


    The third shield broke.


    Everyone else was launching their strongest attacks against Dawnbreaker, but she was like a tree weathering a storm.  Her armor was growing patchy in some parts, but I still couldn¡¯t see any signs of blood.


    And then my mind clicked back into place.  It was as though a lever had been pulled in my brain, and I saw the whole world in a new light.  Lord Ignatius had been mind-controlling all of us. Samantha had been right all along. And she had set me up, so perfectly, for this moment.


    I glanced at my sword, and then back at Lord Ignatius¡¯ failing shield.


    It¡¯s like I¡¯m a tool. A tool for Samantha, or a tool for Lord Ignatius.


    ¡°Jarek!¡± Lord Ignatius sounded panicked. He glanced at me, his normally sunken eyes bulging slightly.  ¡°Save me!¡±


    <It¡¯s now or never, Jarek,> Samantha said. <Your choice.>


    Dawnbreaker struck a full-force blow once again, and with a crack, the fourth layer of the shield around Lord Ignatius failed, leaving only one shield left.


    Except it¡¯s not a choice, I shot back angrily.  You are giving me the illusion of control.


    If she had broken me free just now, that meant she could have helped me escape at any moment.


    Even as I thought that, I knew what I had to do. If Lord Ignatius survived, I would be mind-controlled again, and maybe permanently.


    Better the devil you know.


    I swung my sword with a heavy heart.


    The Vampiric Blade shattered the blue shield that protected Lord Ignatius.  It continued past the shield, directly slicing off Lord Ignatius¡¯ head.


    The whole room froze.


    Congratulations for¡ª


    I dismissed the notification with a brief thought.  I could check it later.


    The whole room was deathly silent.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ve got to say I didn¡¯t see that coming,¡± Dawnbreaker said, retracting her tentacles and letting her helmet disappear into the rest of her armor. She bent down and picked up Lord Ignatius¡¯ Interdimensional Pouch with her left hand, and the book that appeared over his body.


    She still held her sword pointed at me, though.  ¡°How long were you free?¡±


    ¡°I¡­I don¡¯t know.¡±  My brain was whirling, and I didn¡¯t know what to say. Should I lie? Should I tell the truth? What was the truth?


    Dawnbreaker arched an eyebrow.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never been free,¡± I muttered.


    ¡°That¡¯s cryptic,¡± Dawnbreaker said snidely. ¡°Tell me something useful. No, never-mind. You¡¯re the new Zone Lord, right? I want you to transfer Zone leadership to me, now.  As a sign of good faith.¡±


    Dawnbreaker offered her hand to me. Her hand was covered in the sleek, silver armor, but the armor still allowed for each finger to be clearly visible and move independently.


    <Don¡¯t do it,> Samantha said, immediately. <You won the rights to the Zone Lord. With the Zone Lord stat bonuses, you can beat her.  Her armor is basically out of juice.>


    And then what? I shot back.  I have no friends, no allies.  Nobody trusts me.  I¡¯m not going to kill the person who has the greatest chance to protect our world.


    <At least make her give you Lord Ignatius¡¯ pouch,> Samantha countered.  <I¡¯m sure there are some valuable good inside, and they are yours by right of conquest.>


    Once again, to my mild annoyance, I found myself repeating Samantha¡¯s suggestions. ¡°I¡¯ll trade you. You give me the pouch, and I¡¯ll give you the title.¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± Dawnbreaker said, tossing the pouch to a confused-looking Adia.


    ¡°She can give you the pouch once you give me the Zone Lord title,¡± Dawnbreaker said.


    I shook hands with Dawnbreaker, transferring the Zone Lord title to her.


    Then I turned to Adia.


    But instead of handing the pouch to me, Adia dumped its contents onto the ground. Piles of jewels, Mana Shards, crafting materials, rare scrolls and talismans, and so much more appeared in front of us.


    ¡°That is so¡­ you, Jarek,¡± Adia said, sounding somewhat sad.  ¡°Always looking for the best way to come out ahead. Did you even think some of this might have belonged to us, once? Or that we have a right to this, as well?¡±


    I glanced around at the angry, greedy eyes around me, suddenly realizing that I had no chance at all gaining the contents of Lord Ignatius¡¯ pouch.


    I was annoyed¡ªannoyed at myself for not predicting what Adia would do, and annoyed at Dawnbreaker for setting this situation up.


    ¡°Before anybody moves,¡± Dawnbreaker said, flashing her aura again, and everyone froze in place.  ¡°I think it¡¯s time somebody explained what¡¯s been going on here.  Why is there a fortress built into the mountain? Who¡¯s the dead guy?¡±


    Glancing around the room, I could see eyes glistening with tears, angry faces, and pure shock.


    Parker stepped forward, raising his hands above his head and dropping to both knees.  ¡°My name is Parker, and let me tell you a story.  A thousand years ago¡­¡±

 Chapter 38: Proxy Wars

    ¡°Actually, the story starts thousands of years ago,¡± Parker corrected himself.


    There was a collective eye-roll shared by Adia, Petrov, and several other people in the room.


    ¡°In an era over a thousand years ago, our world was connected to other dimensions, other worlds, with magic.   Perhaps we have all wondered about this¡ªgoblins in the tutorials, orcs, Ents, manticores, hydras.  How could our mythology match the world of the Atropos Schema so well, you ask?¡± Parker paused for dramatic effect, taking a breath, and then continuing, ¡°Our world used to be connected to other worlds via naturally occurring portals, something called a dimensional link, but about a thousand years ago, the last portal was closed, and such things became myth and fantasy.


    ¡°Fast forward a thousand years or so.  Before the Schema appeared in our world, somehow, Schema Factions found our world. Maybe through the portals that used to exist here. Maybe by following the Schema¡¯s own mana trails, and brute-forcing a portal, who knows.  One faction¡ªthe Crucible¡ªdecided to lay an early claim to the Earth.  New worlds entering the Schema tend to have abundant resources, and factions will always fight each other¡ªand the native inhabitants¡ªto claim a slice of the newly available pie.


    ¡°Lord Ignatius¡ªthe dead guy¡ª¡° Parker gestured somewhat feebly at the headless body, and the steadily growing pool of blood in front of us, and then he glanced quickly away. ¡°Lord Ignatius was the leader¡ªor one of the leaders¡ªof the Crucible.  In order to build a power base early on, the Crucible wrote and published stories similar to the Schema¡¯s normal process of Acclimation¡ªa tutorial appearing, and a hero raising his level while fighting invading forces.  So¡ª¡°


    Dawnbreaker laughed, gesturing at the bald head in front of her. ¡°You¡¯re saying this guy¡¯s evil scheme was to write apocalyptic young adult novels?¡±


    Parker shrugged. ¡°I guess it sounds strange explaining it.  But the evil scheme part is that readers were mind-controlled with a strong compulsion, to find the Crucible when the Acclimation started.  That¡¯s how Lord Ignatius gained so many followers so quickly.  There were two compulsions every reader shared: to join the Crucible, and to not tell outsiders about the compulsion.  Once people came to Lord Ignatius, he would start his second round of mind controlling, placing the most powerful people under his thrall¡ªwhat you would have experienced, if you hadn¡¯t¡­¡± Parker trailed off. ¡°You know.¡±


    Dawnbreaker just nodded.  ¡°And what were his plans, afterwards?¡±


    Parker shrugged. ¡°Lord Ignatius never spoke of his plans to me. But thinking about plans¡­ I hear your group is missing a healer.  If I may, I happen to be a very reliable healer, in the market, so to speak¡ª¡°


    ¡°You are all welcome to join Daybreak,¡± Dawnbreaker said.  ¡°I am not so petty as to hold grudges against people who were mind controlled.¡±


    Everyone in the room took a collective breath. Then, Dawnbreaker¡¯s piercing gaze latched onto me. ¡°However, I am curious¡ªhow did you escape Lord Ignatius¡¯ thrall? How long were you actually free?¡±


    I gulped, repeating the half-lies that Samantha suggested.  ¡°My class ability lets me boost any stat that I want,¡± I said.  It felt annoying, publicizing my class, but my team knew already, and Dawnbreaker would probably find out soon anyway, if anyone from my old team joined her.  ¡°I was mind controlled, until the end, when I felt Lord Ignatius¡¯ control slipping¡ªas his control slipped, I realized I could put points into Mental Power in order to trump his mind control.¡±


    My story was half-true.  Samantha had converted mana into Mental Power.  Which was a troubling thought.


    Dawnbreaker called out to the room, ¡°Did anybody else feel Lord Ignatius¡¯ control slipping at any point today?¡±


    I felt a thin layer of sweat coat my body.


    Everyone glanced around, and nobody spoke up.  ¡°There are two suspicious points to your story,¡± Dawnbreaker said. ¡°First, why would Lord Ignatius trust you so much, if he knew you could just increase your Mental Power? Secondly, why did nobody else feel this weakening of Lord Ignatius¡¯ control? Maybe you want to revise your story.¡±


    ¡°I guess Lord Ignatius was overconfident,¡± I said, shrugging my shoulders, trying to remain calm.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t the first suspicious thing Jarek has done,¡± Adia spoke up.  ¡°River told me, before she died.  Jarek was responsible for several people¡¯s deaths in the tutorial¡ªwell before being involved with the Crucible. And then he was responsible for River¡¯s death, too.¡±Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    I felt my chest tighten, and I felt a wave of emotions. Sadness, self-hatred, outrage, betrayal.


    To my surprise, I heard a new voice.  ¡°Perhaps I can answer some of your questions, Dawnbreaker.¡±


    It was Uman who stepped forward.  ¡°I am ashamed to admit that I was Lord Ignatius¡¯ right hand man,¡± he started.  From someone else, the statement might have seemed inauthentic.  But Uman had a frankness, a clarity in his eyes and poise that bespoke integrity.


    ¡°Looking around the room, Dawnbreaker, you will realize that there is one glaring, unfilled skillset from everyone else here. Mental Power.  Lord Ignatius, of course, controlled us using Mental Power, and of course due to the nature of mind control, Mental Power would enable us to resist.  I am the only specialist in Mental Power in this room.  Lord Ignatius, you see, followed this mantra: keep you friends close, and your enemies closer.  Every day, he would renew his hold on me. Not out of necessity, but out of fear.¡±


    Dawnbreaker looked vaguely intrigued. ¡°What skills does your Mental Power focus give you?¡±


    Uman bowed slightly.  ¡°Do not worry¡ªI have no mind control abilities.  You see, Mental Power skills have many subcategories. For me, I have gained near-perfect recall.  My class is a Clairvoyant. I can identify patterns in the world, and make predictions.  The more data I have, the more accurate my predictions.  From an organization¡¯s perspective, I would humbly submit that my skills are extremely useful.


    ¡°But my original intention was to explain a bit about Jarek,¡± Uman continued.  ¡°First of all, as someone with higher Mental Power, I as well felt Lord Ignatius¡¯ control weakening during our final battle.  If I had to guess, it was due to the effort he put into trying to enthrall you, Dawnbreaker.¡±


    Uman nodded my direction, and I tried to keep a blank face.  I had been lying, of course, when I said Lord Ignatius¡¯ control was slipping.  My experience had not been a gradual one.  Samantha had been biding her time, and when the moment was right, she had completely freed me.


    I hadn¡¯t expected Uman of all people to speak up for me. I had barely connected with him since joining the Crucible.


    Uman continued, ¡°My second point is that Lord Ignatius had insurance, against myself and against Jarek.  He was holding our families captive.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± I exploded, feeling a very familiar sinking sensation in my chest. ¡°How long? Who does he have? Where are they?¡±


    Uman glanced at me sadly. ¡°I was uninvolved in the process, so unfortunately I know very little.  Your brother and sister have been captured¡ªlikely taken out of their Region in Boston, hidden for safe keeping in one of the other Regions that has been conquered.  My wife has been kidnapped as well.¡±


    ¡°How can we find them?¡± I demanded. ¡°What will it take?¡±


    ¡°We should visit Boston,¡± Uman replied.  ¡°Hopefully by talking to the witnesses there, I can find out more about the kidnapping.  My wife¡¯s trail is long cold, so your brother and sister are our best bet."


    ¡°Before you go,¡± Dawnbreaker coughed lightly, ¡°I feel obliged to ask.  Uman, you were clearly privy to many of Lord Ignatius¡¯ secrets.  What else should I know? Perhaps you could explain the portal buried in the heart of this mountain?¡±


    Uman looked a little sheepish.  ¡°Of course. I hope you understand, I am very eager to find my wife.  The portal in the heart of this mountain¡­ well, I think I should take a page out of Parker¡¯s playbook and take a step back.


    ¡°The Earth is a high-value world, and so various factions are fighting tooth and nail to claim it.  Think of this as a proxy war, a chess game of factions placing pieces and claiming territory. The North American Zone Lord was a shade. Shades are creatures formed from a dark fey ritual. Basically, a fey clan paid a very high price in a Schema auction in order to place a shade in the Zone. By doing so, they are stating their intention to claim to the whole Zone. This means that in another week, when the factions make their appearances for real, a powerful fey clan will appear in our Zone.


    ¡°The Crucible¡¯s backer¡ªknown as the Mentalist Cooperative¡ªplaced a cell here in order to undermine the fey clan.  Lord Ignatius¡¯ presence here violates the Schema¡¯s rules, and so it would be dangerous for him to attack the shade or the fey directly.¡±


    ¡°From the factions¡¯ perspectives, each wave is a turn in a game of chess, where you can move as many pieces as you can afford by buying up the monster slots in an auction.  By placing their own trained beasts, like a shade, each faction would gain a more powerful position for when they appear in a week.


    ¡°The portal is here because the Mentalist Cooperative is planning to move its pieces tomorrow.  Tomorrow, when the second round of monster attacks start¡ªmonsters will appear through the portal as well. These will be the monsters that the Mentalist Cooperative is placing ¡°legally¡± on the game board that is our world.  Their purpose is either to support Lord Ignatius in his battle against the shade, or in his proxy war against the fey in a week.


    ¡°At some point in the middle of the night tonight, the portal will activate.¡±


    Dawnbreaker frowned, her piercing blue eyes staring into Uman.   ¡°So should we destroy the portal?¡±


    ¡°It is your choice, of course,¡± Uman said, smoothly. ¡°The portal is more of a locating tool for the Mentalist Cooperative.  So destroying the portal means that these creatures would still appear in the Zone, just not through the portal.  Considering your own strength, I suggest you leave the portal, active, and kill anything that comes through. Meanwhile, I believe Jarek and I have some kidnappers to hunt.¡±


    Uman walked over to the heap of treasures at Adia¡¯s feet and picked something up¡ªtwo wooden, beaded necklaces¡ªand then glanced over his shoulder at me. ¡°Shall we?¡±


    <I know you¡¯re mad at me, but don¡¯t be an idiot about it.  Grab the E-rank Personal Mana Shield Rune Pattern Blueprint, and follow Uman.>


    I¡¯m still fucking mad at you, I grumbled mentally, as I followed Samantha¡¯s instructions.


    ¡°So,¡± I heard Dawnbreaker ask, as I left. ¡°Who wants to join Daybreak and kill some Mentalists?¡±

 Chapter 39: Freedom

    Uman and I didn¡¯t speak as we left the throne room and walked towards the Teleportation Circle.  I wanted to ask why he lied to cover for me, but there were too many eyes and ears in the Crucible.  Uman walked at a measured pace, but I could tell with my heightened perception that he was nervous. The hair on the back of his neck stood up slightly, and his fingers were twitching almost invisibly.


    And, as it turned out, I had some important Schema things to get to.


    I had forgotten, really, that I had dismissed the notifications in the moment.  Selecting the alpha symbol that was forever in my field of vision, I viewed recent announcements as I walked.


    Congratulations for defeating the Zone Lord!


    You are now the new Zone Lord.


    You have upgraded the conditional title, Region Lord (E-rank) to the conditional title, Zone Lord (C-rank): +5 to all stats when fighting in your Zone.


    Congratulations!  You have defeated a renegade who entered your world through unsanctioned means. Increasing exp gain¡­


    Level up!


    Calculating bonuses¡­


    You have unlocked the mission, Renegade Bounty Hunter.  Every unsanctioned being that you kill on Earth will give you additional experience and rewards.


    You have learned the skill, Don¡¯t Mind Me (D-rank):  All changes to your mind (D-rank or weaker) must be pre-approved by you before taking effect.


    Your mind has been heavily altered from its baseline. Revert to normal?


    You have transferred the conditional title, Zone Lord (C-rank). Zone Lord (C-rank) has downgraded to Region Lord (E-rank).


    I stopped in my tracks, reading through everything again. Uman paused and glanced at me.


    Your mind has been heavily altered from its baseline. Revert to normal?


    I immediately thought, Revert.


    Then, under Uman¡¯s concerned gaze, I clumsily sat down in the middle of the cement corridor, hugging my knees to my chest, and I cried.


    I cried because I was responsible for Adia¡¯s father¡¯s death.


    I cried because I had killed River.


    I cried because I had killed Kris and Darrel.


    I cried because I had never even bothered to learn the names of the ROTC recruits who had died because of me.


    I hated Samantha, and I hated myself.


    I could see visions of violence and overwhelming gore flashing around me, of my own mutilated body, an inch from death and bleeding.


    I could see myself raising my left arm, over and over again, to sacrifice it painlessly to an arrow or sword.


    I remembered the brief moments, touching the crystal, begging for relief, and Samantha¡¯s brutal refusal.


    Thinking through all these experiences, moments I had experienced but not controlled, I felt a strange disconnect.


    The man I had been was a monster.  Disregarding my own safety, and the safety of others. Willing to kill other people¡ªgood people¡ªand willing to fight for the slightest personal gain.


    I felt a hand on my shoulder, and I looked up, sniffing to delay a trail mucus, towards Uman¡¯s compassionate face.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± Uman said. ¡°My actions haunt me too.¡±  He glanced around, and, not seeing anybody, turned back to me. ¡°I lied for you, you know.  I never felt Lord Ignatius¡¯ control weakening.  We need to work together, now.  We need to save our families.  Once you¡¯ve found your siblings and my wife, then we can wallow in self-loathing and think about atonement.¡±


    I wiped my nose on my shirt, and tried to breathe steadily.   ¡°I-I don¡¯t think I can fight, anymore,¡± I said.  Just seeing the glint of the knife at Uman¡¯s belt sent shivers down my spine.  How many times had my skin been shredded by a blade, claw, or tooth?


    ¡°Bullshit,¡± Uman said.  ¡°You¡¯re the best fighter I know.¡±


    I hiccupped.  ¡°Dawnbreaker would disagree.¡±


    ¡°Take away her armor, and you¡¯d have a chance.  You can do this, Jarek. Your family needs you.¡±


    Uman reached out a hand in front of me, and I grabbed it, letting him yank me to my feet.If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    Didn¡¯t see this coming, eh, Samantha? I snorted, and Uman gave me a strange look. You¡¯re powerless now.


    <I should have seen this coming, since I asked you to boost your luck,> Samantha said, in a mildly annoyed tone. <While this is abrupt, perhaps this is for the best.  We may have started off on the wrong foot, but think about where you are now.  You are strong enough, and free enough, to accomplish whatever you want.  And I¡¯m here to help you when you need me.>


    I continued the walk with Uman. Samantha was ominously silent. For perhaps the first time, I had the chance to consider the world around me.  Without Samantha¡¯s psychopathic drive, and without the Crucible¡¯s mind-control.


    The world was going to hell.  Samantha had said it before, and it hadn¡¯t really stuck.  Over half of the world¡¯s population¡ª 3.5 billion people¡ªhad died, probably more.


    It was impossible, it was insanity.  I wished, oh, I wished, I could wake up, back in my bed, with electricity functioning and with a refrigerator and tv in my apartment.


    The only good news was that if Petra and Justin were captured, that meant at least they had survived the monsters. Now they just had to survive the humans.


    The world was a shithole. And through very unfortunate means, I had somehow ended up on top.  I had incredibly deadly powers.


    Uman was right.  I just needed to focus on my own goals.  Not Samantha¡¯s, not the Crucible¡¯s.   Find my family.  Never get mind-controlled again.


    It was a start. In fact, there was a voice in the back of my mind that was whispering that maybe it was good, that Petra and Jarek were still out there. I had a direction, a focus.  The last seven days had been horrible on so many levels.  But I couldn¡¯t afford to stop now, I couldn¡¯t afford to fully process everything that had already happened, because my siblings needed me.


    Find my family. Never get mind-controlled again. I repeated the two goals to myself, mouthing the words to myself.


    I had a title that would help. But also, Uman had mentioned that Mental Power made it harder to be mind-controlled.


    Hadn¡¯t I just leveled up?  Opening my stat sheet, I immediately put my free point into Mental Power.  I would never be mind-controlled again.


    <Jarek, that¡¯s not¡ª>


    Shut up, Samantha.


    <table width="624">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Name:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    Jarek


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Level:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    23


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    HP:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    33/33


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Physical Defense:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    18


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Strength:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    31 (+5)


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Mental Power:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    12


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Dexterity:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    10 (+5)


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Agility:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    10 (+20)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Perception:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    20 (+2)


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Luck:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    11


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Mana Pool:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    72 (+10)


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Mana Regeneration:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    31 (+10)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Available Points:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    0


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Coins:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    5,303,000


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Class:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    Mana Modulator (D-rank)


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Profession:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    Rune Master


    (E-rank)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Titles:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="486">


    Region Lord (E-rank)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Skills and Spells:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="486">


    Identify (E-rank)


    Mana Modulation (D-rank Core)


    Death¡¯s Defier (A-rank)


    Mana Sensing (E-rank)


    Healthy Magic (E-rank)


    Don¡¯t Mind Me (D-rank)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Affinities:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="486">


    Internal Mana (D-rank Low), External Unattributed Mana (E-rank Low)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Equipment:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="486">


    Vampiric Blade (D-rank): +5 Strength, +5 Agility.


    Bloodied Battle Robes (D-rank): +5 Mana Pool, +5 Mana Regen.


    Boots of a Feather (D-rank): +10 Agility.


    Greedy Gloves (D-rank): +5 Mana Pool, +5 Mana Regen.


    Bonded Blades (D-rank): +5 Dexterity, +5 Agility.


    Goat Mask (D-rank): +2 Perception.


    Interdimensional Pouch (E-rank):


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Missions:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="486">


    Zone Offense


    Renegade Bounty Hunter


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    I followed Uman numbly, silently, through the Crucible.  The hallways were notably empty.


    ¡°Put this on,¡± Uman said, handing me one of the wooden, beaded necklaces he had picked up from Lord Ignatius¡¯ loot.  ¡°Once you crush a bead, then you can design a fake Status Window.  Boston City won¡¯t let anyone enter unless they can see their names and levels.  Your level is high enough they might think twice before letting you in.  A level 10 swordsman should suffice.  And you¡¯ll have to unequip an item¡ªtake off that ridiculous goat mask, why don¡¯t you.¡±


    I followed Uman¡¯s directions, and soon enough, we approached the teleportation room.  The room where we had ambushed River.  It was sickening, thinking back, how self-justified I was¡ªwe all were¡ªas we attacked River, thinking it was for her own good.  There was still a lingering smell of burnt flesh in the room, although I was sure the Crucible had tried to hide it.


    As I inhaled and we approached the door, I noticed a peculiar additional smell.  A more rancid odor.


    I stepped in front of Uman to open the door, and I saw a familiar, grinning face.


    ¡°Don¡¯t come any closer,¡± the man said.  Cy, Dawnbreaker¡¯s right-hand man, stood blocking our path.  Standing just 10 yards away from him, the first thing that I couldn¡¯t get out of my head was that he was so, abnormally large.  His whole body ballooned out, swollen uncomfortably.  His skin looked pink and raw.


    Wrapped around his shoulders and neck was a baby wyvern.  It was much larger than it had been yesterday. It had golden scales, and its wings were pure white. Its two wings were furled in against its torso, and a long tongue reached out of its mouth, revealing tiny nubs of teeth. The tongue licked Cy¡¯s cheek affectionately, and Cy scratched underneath the wyvern¡¯s wing lazily with a single finger.


    ¡°I was hoping for a rematch,¡± Cy said, smiling at me.

 Chapter 40: Adventures with Uman

    Uman put his hand in front of me and pushed me backwards, away from the Teleportation Circle, and more importantly, away from Cy and his pet.  ¡°My name is Uman,¡± he started. ¡°And this is Jarek.  Dawnbreaker said we were free to leave.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t move,¡± the man said. ¡°Let me confirm with her.¡±


    Just a few seconds later¡ªafter no indication of communication from him¡ªCy frowned. ¡°You are cleared to travel to Boston. Come find me next time you want to die, kid.¡±


    And with that, Uman and I walked through the portal and appeared in Boston.


    ¡°This is all very is very impressive,¡± Uman reflected.  ¡°Two days ago, Boston¡¯s Region Lord hadn¡¯t been killed yet.  And it wasn¡¯t the Crucible that did it.  Dawnbreaker probably cleared Region at the same time we targeted the shade¡ªeven after being wounded and after Cy lost several of his creatures.¡±


    We shared our names and levels with the guard in the Boston Teleportation Circle, and then left the building.


    ¡°How do you know so much?¡± I asked.


    ¡°We had spies in Daybreak City.  The Crucible was a huge organization.    As I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve realized.  Just killing Lord Ignatius probably brought you about a million coins, right?¡±


    ¡°Five million,¡± I said.


    Uman frowned. ¡°That seems¡­high.  Normally, when you kill a sentient person, you get 10% of their wealth, and the rest goes to the Schema.  That means he had 50 million coins.  He must have been holding out on me.¡±


    I shrugged.  ¡°I don¡¯t care about the coins.  I just want to find my family.¡±


    ¡°I agree completely,¡± Uman said, beaming at me.  ¡°And if you don¡¯t mind my saying so¡­I know you aren¡¯t feeling the best.  If you like, I believe I can do the tracking. If you don¡¯t mind following, just to keep me out of trouble, you see. I¡¯m not much for physical combat.¡±


    ¡°Whatever,¡± I shrugged.  I wasn¡¯t much for physical combat, either.  But I also had no idea how I would go about finding someone who probably wasn¡¯t even in the city.


    Boston City¡ªthe Schema-recognized city¡ªwas built on a grassy waterfront.   It was giant¡ªits walls spanned a much larger area than Reed City, Daybreak City, or even the Crucible.


    There were several pre-Atropos houses that were inside the walls of Boston City, forming a stark contrast to the prefab, Schema-created, log cabins that were packed tightly together in the rest of Boston City.


    ¡°This is bad,¡± Uman said, glancing over to the water. ¡°Do you know why the Crucible is built in Colorado?¡±


    I shook my head, not really caring.


    ¡°In addition to the continental Zones, there are also oceanic Zones.  Which means monsters will come out of the water eventually, and that will be a huge challenge for any coastal cities.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but wince, imagining aquatic monsters scaling the walls and swarming Boston.


    ¡°Jarek,¡± Uman said, as we walked past stalls, stores, and homes. ¡°I can tell you¡¯re not feeling well. Would you like to talk about it?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I said, quickly.  ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± Uman said. ¡°Then maybe we can talk about a different question.  What I don¡¯t understand,¡± Uman continued, speaking as diplomatically as possible, ¡°Is how you broke out of Lord Ignatius¡¯ thrall. He told me he specifically told you not to increase your mental power.  It should have been impossible for you to disobey a direct command.  Lord Ignatius was many things, but he wasn¡¯t the kind to make a mistake like that.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk about it,¡± I said.This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    ¡°This is important,¡± Uman continued.  ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve talked to Parker about his theories¡ªParker talks to everyone about his theories. Is it possible the Crucible wanted you to kill Lord Ignatius? You know, don¡¯t you, that Lord Ignatius wasn¡¯t the one who placed the first compulsion on Readers?¡±


    I laughed, bitterly. ¡°No,¡± I said. ¡°That¡¯s not it.¡±


    Uman smiled at me uncertainly. ¡°That¡¯s a relief.¡± Despite his words, he didn¡¯t sound very convinced.


    We walked in silence after that, until Uman stopped at a small storefront, with the words, ¡°Hermes Whispers¡± on the front. It was a Schema-created, prefab building, with brick walls and several rooms on the inside.


    Following Uman¡¯s lead, I quickly realized, was relaxing.  I needed a break, the time to think, and I finally had it.


    I could remember everything Samantha and other-Jarek had said to each other.  They saw me as a weakling, a useless nobody.


    Nothing Samantha said or did could be trusted.  She had a way of saying seemingly innocuous things¡ª¡°pick these flowers,¡±¡ªthat ended up destroying everything I cared about, and furthering her goals.


    Of course, I wasn¡¯t an idiot.  Samantha had lots of knowledge, and the potential for good advice.


    But I¡¯d read a story once¡ªI couldn¡¯t remember where it came from¡ªof a malignant seer that could only ever speak the truth.  Every word the seer would say was true, but just the knowledge of specific, personalized truths was enough to destroy the futures of each individual that came to the seer.


    That was Samantha, except she was free to lie at will as well.


    She would be fighting a slow, insidious battle, trying to regain control of my mind.


    I had also read, once, of a thought experiment. An A.I. is in a box, and a gatekeeper will be paid something¡ªsay, $100¡ªfor keeping the A.I. in the box after a set period of time. The A.I. will try to say whatever it can to be released from the box.


    ¡°¡ªAnd this is Jarek,¡± Uman said.


    We were in a small private room, standing in front of a sixty-year old man with a grizzled beard.


    I offered my hand, and the man shook it.  He had probably introduced himself as well, but I¡¯d been tuning them out.


    I obviously wasn¡¯t in the best mental state.  I tried to focus in on the conversation the two were having.


    ¡°Hermes¡¯ Whispers, or Hermes whispers?¡± Uman was asking. ¡°Is whispers being used as a noun or a verb?¡±


    Petra used to correct my grammar all the time when we were kids.  It was infuriating, at first, but then when I started correcting Justin¡¯s grammar, it became more fun.


    Except, Justin never made anything fun.  He was such the perfect kid, he would just put up with any amount of teasing, pretending it didn¡¯t bother him even as his eyes glistened with tears.


    Justin was so innocent, so well-intentioned.  If anyone hurt him¡­


    Visions of what I¡¯d done to the goblins and orc in the tutorial appeared in my mind.  Yes, I would do that again.  If anyone hurt a single hair on Justin¡¯s head¡­


    Not that Petra would let them.  Petra had a mean streak in her.  I never had the heart to really tease Justin, but Petra would, before our mom died.  One night, she put a dozen spiders between Justin¡¯s pillow and the head of his bed.   Ever since then, Justin always checked under his pillow, every night, and he had an unhealthy fear of spiders.


    Then, when mom died of cancer, Petra¡¯s mean streak turned protective.  We were each four years apart, and Petra was able to gain custody of Justin, who was 16 at the time.  One day, Justin told Petra that somebody had cut the straps off his backpack. Petra didn¡¯t let the matter rest until Justin mentioned the kid¡¯s name, and the next day, the kid complained that every window of his house was broken.


    Justin never complained to Petra after that.


    Uman and the bearded man were now pouring over a map, with the man highlighting several different places.  ¡°Latest burglaries were here, here, and there¡ª¡°


    I wasn¡¯t worried about Petra. She would find a way to manage. She always did. But Justin¡­


    Justin still had that youthful innocence. Somehow, our mother¡¯s death hadn¡¯t taken his hope and positivity away from him. If anything can break a person, though, it is the Atropos Schema. I felt my heart clenching at the thought.  If Justin had to face spiders like the ones in the Hard-mode Tutorial, he wouldn¡¯t last a second.


    Petra would take care of him.


    Uman rose to leave, shaking the bearded man¡¯s hand, and I followed him out the door.


    ¡°We have a suspect,¡± Uman said. Clearly, he could tell I had been out of it.  ¡°Maxwell Hiver.  He is the mayor of a nearby town, and a lot of disappearances have been happening near that town.  Your sister and brother aren¡¯t the only ones who have been taken, and there are all sorts of unpleasant rumors about Hiver Town.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± I said, immediately.  I felt a thirst for blood. A desire to do something.


    ¡°There is one catch,¡± Uman said.  "Hiver Town¡¯s relations with Boston City have been tense lately, and teleportation travel is cut off.  We¡¯re going to have to walk there¡ªor bike there, if we want to pay for a bike.¡±


    ¡°Then let¡¯s take bikes,¡± I said, impatiently.


    ¡°Ah, unfortunately, Hermes¡¯ Whispers drained my personal accounts.  I don¡¯t suppose you could spare¡­¡±


    I reached out a hand, touched Uman¡¯s shoulder, and transferred 100,000 coins to him.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go find our family.¡±

 Chapter 41: Hiver Town

    Many of the streets in Boston had been turned to rubble¡ªin addition to the monsters, there had been several powerful earthquakes across the world as well. Powerful enough to collapse whole buildings and destroy the streets.


    After about five minutes of riding our bikes, I felt a building sensation that someone was watching us.


    Glancing around, I couldn¡¯t see anything, so I didn¡¯t mention anything to Uman.


    The feeling of being watched persisted, until I finally noticed a monster a few blocks away to my left.  My best guess was that it was a velociraptor.  It ran on two legs, had a long tail, and was about the size of a large dog.


    I only caught a glimpse of it for a moment, before it disappeared into a nearby destroyed building.


    Not long after, I heard a distant sound, and I saw another velociraptor, two blocks away on my right, scurrying along.


    I felt a burst of fear.  They were following us, but not attacking.  Biding their time, for something.


    ¡°We¡¯re being followed,¡± I said, nervously, stopping my bike. ¡°Velociraptors.¡±


    Uman laughed. ¡°There¡¯s no need to fear anything that appears this close to a city.  Until the second wave, at least.  I¡¯m sure they are just low-level scavengers.¡±


    He rode on, and I pedaled quickly to catch up.


    He was probably right.


    But five minutes later, the monsters appeared en mass, about forty in front of us, and more approaching from behind.


    The velociraptors of came in various sizes¡ªfrom the size of a turkey, to about twelve feet tall, ranging from level 10 to level 30.


    I felt my heart rate increase, and my palms grew sweaty.


    I would try to do this on my own, without Samantha¡¯s help.


    There was no point in waiting. I threw a knife at the nearest velociraptor, and watched as the knife landed, hilt-first, on the creature¡¯s chest.


    They were already upon us, so I drew the Vampiric Blade, and attacked the nearest monster.


    My blade slit the velociraptor¡¯s throat and beheaded the creature with barely any resistance, and I watched it collapse on the ground.


    Just like how I killed Lord Ignatius, I thought to myself. Just like how Adia¡¯s father stabbed himself, so easily, in front of me.


    ¡°Jarek! Snap out of it!¡±


    At the sound of Uman¡¯s voice, I turned my head and noticed a velociraptor had bitten his calf, and he was fending off another with a knife.


    I struck the velociraptor that was biting Uman, killing it in a single blow. Then I felt one of them try to bite me, but it couldn¡¯t get through my battle robes, and I shook it off easily.


    Two more bit at Uman, and I put some mana into Agility, moving around Uman, trying to keep all the creatures off him.


    ¡°Use your aura!¡± Uman shouted, frantically.


    ¡°I-I don¡¯t know how!¡± I continued circling around Uman, trying to clear a perimeter, but there were too many of the velociraptors.


    ¡°Then we need to find cover!¡± Uman started heading toward the nearest wall, and I followed him.


    The velociraptors had given up on attacking me, due to my high-quality battle robes, but Uman had it rough.  He was bleeding in a half dozen places, and he clearly wasn¡¯t cut out for physical combat.


    Once we got to a wall, the situation improved.


    The movements of killing monsters was familiar. I could almost feel myself falling back into a familiar rhythm, anticipating their attacks, and striking when they were off-balance.


    <Would you like the combat shadow?> Samantha asked.  It was the first time she had spoken in a long time.


    No. Don¡¯t talk to me.


    I needed to learn how to do this myself. Everybody else could become fighters without an A.I. to help them.  I¡¯d already had a huge leg up, and I could figure the rest out on my own.


    It wasn¡¯t long until the velociraptors realized that we were more trouble than we were worth.


    I trembled, slightly, looking at the carnage around me.


    Uman was drinking a healing potion, and he did not look happy.


    Once he finished, he gestured for me to take a seat on a nearby block of rubble.


    ¡°We need to talk about what¡¯s going on.¡± His familiar, friendly tone had an edge to it.  ¡°I almost died, twice.  What happened to your fighting skills? Your intuition?¡±


    I frowned. ¡°I can¡¯t tell you.¡±  I started to get up, but Uman reached out and grabbed my arm.


    ¡°Then let me guess. The Atropos Schema is riddled with inheritances¡ªtechniques, spirits, or items that can help people grow stronger.  Most likely, you found an inheritance¡ªperhaps one that enabled you to overcome Lord Ignatius¡¯ thrall through possession or some other technique. The details are not important.  What I need to know is, what will it take for that¡­natural talent to come back.¡±


    I frowned at the question. ¡°It will never come back,¡± I said, resolutely. ¡°Never.¡±


    Uman studied me intently. ¡°It sounds like you don¡¯t want the powers to come back.  What if you need to use them? To save your siblings?¡±


    It was frustrating, being unable to lie to Uman.  ¡°We¡¯re done, here,¡± I said, getting up. ¡°Even as I am, I am strong enough to save my siblings.¡±


    ¡°You may be strong enough to find them,¡± Uman replied. ¡°But are you strong enough to protect them?¡±


    I didn¡¯t respond to that, and we kept walking.


    Despite my own words, I knew:  If I needed to, I would rely on Samantha to keep me and my siblings safe.


    We encountered several more packs of monsters as we continued to Hiver Town, and as we did, I felt I was finding my rhythm again.  Uman, to my frustration, didn¡¯t even take out his knife, saying that I needed to learn how to protect people.


    Several times, Uman almost died¡ªhe would be dead, at least, without the benefit of the healing potions he carried in his Interdimensional Pouch.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    ¡°If the Hiver residents attack us,¡± Uman said, as we rode our bikes next to each other, ¡°Are you strong enough to kill them?¡±


    It was a loaded question, and from the way Uman asked it, it was clear what he wanted to hear.


    I already had a lot of blood on my hands. I didn¡¯t want more human blood on my hands. These were just normal people, before the Schema appeared.


    ¡°I will do what is necessary,¡± I said, trying to convince myself I believed it.  Anything, for Petra and Justin.


    Uman didn¡¯t look convinced, but he didn¡¯t press.


    <hr>


    Approaching Hiver Town, it looked like any other Schema-approved town that I¡¯d seen.  I could see walls surrounding the town, and a guardhouse above the gate with two men wearing assorted armor.


    We were in a park, in a suburb outside of Boston.


    The two guards watched us warily as we approached.


    ¡°Names, levels, and classes!¡± They demanded from the guardhouse.


    I made my fake information public, and presumably Uman did as well.  I was wearing a cloak that covered most of my body, hiding my valuable equipment from any prying eyes.


    ¡°Welcome to Hiver Town,¡± the guards said, opening the gates.


    It was an incredibly anticlimactic feeling, entering so easily.  I had been ready to break down the gate by force, almost yearning to fight to free my family.


    Perhaps it was my mana-elevated Luck stat that helped me out.


    Hiver Town was not what I had expected.  It looked much like Reed Town. Kids were playing in the streets, merchants were hawking their wares, and the town was bustling with people. Of course, there was fear in people¡¯s eyes, but everyone was afraid. There was probably fear in my eyes, too.


    I still wasn¡¯t used to walking around these Schema-approved towns.  It was a disconcerting feeling, seeing a whole new style of architecture¡ªmany buildings were either log or rustic brick buildings, strangely identical, since they were purchased and placed here by the Atropos Schema.  After traversing the ruins Boston, it felt like traveling from a post-apocalyptic city into a fantasy video game.


    I walked with Uman around town for about half an hour.  I wasn¡¯t sure what Uman was looking for.  It would have been great if we could see a kidnapping in action, but no such luck.


    ¡°What is our plan, again?¡± I asked. ¡°It feels like we¡¯re walking in circles.¡±


    ¡°We are,¡± Uman admitted.  ¡°I wanted to get a feel for the town before we decided on a course of action.  Let¡¯s find a private place, and we can talk through our options.¡±


    Uman led me to an inn.  Once again, it felt like I had been transported into another world. It felt like a stereotypical fantasy tavern¡ªa bar, large mugs of beer, rustic wooden tables and chairs, and people garbed in cloaks eying us suspiciously.


    We paid the man tending the bar for a room, and soon enough we had some semblance of privacy.


    To my surprise, there were actually some Old World comforts in the room we rented.  The mattress didn¡¯t fit the bed frame, but as I sat on it, I guessed it was made of memory foam, and the comforter and sheets were clearly machine made. The chair and desk were a more modern design as well, and there was some ostentatious modern art on the wall.


    Uman dragged the chair over to the bed and faced me.  ¡°Now, there are three strategies we could take. The first option is to march up to the town mayor. You could torture him until he reveals everything he knows.¡±


    I felt my face paling at the thought. ¡°Why is that your first option? Do we even know for sure if the town mayor is kidnapping people?¡±


    Uman frowned.  ¡°He is probably complicit somehow, but no, we don¡¯t know how involved he is.  If Hermes Whispers did know, then I¡¯m sure word would get out to Dawnbreaker, and she would transition Hiver Town into new leadership.  Mayor Hiver has kept his position despite the rumors because the people here like him, and nobody can prove anything.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not torturing him,¡± I said, expressing more firmness than I felt.  Petra would do it in an instant, if it meant keeping Justin safe.


    ¡°Of course,¡± Uman said, as if he had expected me to reject the option in the first place.  ¡°I was listing the options in the order of the time it would take find our family.  Torture would be the fastest, and also the most questionable.  The next option would be to wait around, look weak, and maybe someone will kidnap you.  With your build, there isn¡¯t much you¡¯d have to worry about.  You could give me all your equipment, and the bead necklace has a concealment rune pattern on it, so you won¡¯t need to worry about somebody noticing it. Once you¡¯re kidnapped¡ª¡°


    ¡°Wait,¡± I cut Uman off, shifting on the mattress.  ¡°Why am I the only one being kidnapped?¡±


    ¡°Two reasons,¡± Uman continued. ¡°I can¡¯t guarantee my own safety, and once I¡¯m captured, I¡¯m basically completely helpless.  Another liability for you.  Secondly, someone needs to keep your supplies safe, or go call in reinforcements if necessary.¡±


    ¡°And how do I know you won¡¯t just run off with my stuff?¡±


    Uman sighed. ¡°I guess you¡¯ll just have to trust that I¡¯d rather have my wife back. I feel like you¡¯re underestimating yourself, here. If I run away with your stuff, you could find me, and take it back.¡±


    ¡°And what¡¯s the third option?¡± I asked.


    ¡°We could wait around here and keep an eye out for suspicious behavior. Watch the Teleportation Circle until we see something suspicious. Your heightened perception would probably help.  The catch is we have no way of knowing how long that would take, or how successful we¡¯d be.¡±


    I sighed. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll give you my stuff, and we can hope someone will kidnap me.  But how will you escape?¡±


    I started packing all my fancy equipment¡ªmy multiple D-rank weapons and equipment¡ªinto my pouch.


    ¡°I have a few single-use items that should do the trick,¡± Uman said. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me.  I¡¯ll wait for you back in Boston.  It¡¯s safer for me there.¡±


    Just when I was taking off my pouch, I heard an all-too familiar voice in my head. <Oh, for Schema¡¯s sake.  You learned the Concealment Rune Pattern Blueprint, remember? We can modify your Interdimensional Pouch so it will have an option to conceal itself.  You can¡¯t just give millions of coins worth of equipment and weapons to someone like that.  Even if you do completely trust him¡ªwhich you shouldn¡¯t¡ªhe has already admitted that he is pretty much completely physically helpless.>


    I froze, and Uman quirked an eyebrow at me, even as his hand was outstretched to take the pouch.


    I have no reason to trust you, I shot back to Samantha.  You let me get mind controlled.  You could have freed me before I even first set foot in the Crucible.


    <Think of it this way, Jarek.  I¡¯m not some mysterious being in your head.  I¡¯ve been very clear from the beginning about what I want.  I want you to get stronger, and every decision that I¡¯ve made has had that reasoning behind it.  I had a hunch the Crucible would help you get stronger, at the cost of some personal autonomy.  I took the chance, and ultimately, it worked out.  Now, unfortunately, my drive for strength has conflicted with your own desires, and I have learned my lesson.  But what devious plot could I possibly enact just by teaching you how to modify an Interdimensional Pouch? I¡¯m doing this to benefit you. No ulterior motive.  I just don¡¯t want you to be left alone without your hard-earned equipment.  This is 100% your decision.  Trust Uman with your stuff, and let yourself be captured, defenseless, or let me show you how to use the Concealment Rune Pattern Blueprint to modify the pouch so that nobody will notice it, then you have all the firepower you could need to save Petra and Justin.>


    I hated how persuasive Samantha could be.  Honestly, I couldn¡¯t see a problem with her suggestion.  It was like having a demonic shoulder angel, that would give you good advice 90% of the time, just so that in the last 10%, it could truly screw you over.


    And do you guarantee that there will be no downsides to this?


    <There is really only one downside,> Samantha said.


    Here we go, I sighed mentally.  The innocent catch that would drive me to ruin, somehow.


    <The pouch runs on a Mana Shard.  The shard will be used up slightly faster thanks to the Concealment Rune pattern.  Mana Shards can be bought at any City store, so this is barely worth mentioning as a downside.>


    Dealing with Samantha was grating, frustrating, and traumatizing.  Her ever-so-innocent voice, ringing in my ear, reminded me of all the times she had made me betray myself. The way she had changed me to trust her, molded me to become more callous. The way she had made me act with casual disregard for my own body


    But this was a time when everyone was making compromises.  And modifying a Rune Pattern hardly even counted as a compromise.


    Uman was still watching me with a half-quirked smile.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got a better idea,¡± I said, opening my pouch and equipping all my Rune Master gear.


    The first step, according to Samantha, was emptying the pouch. I felt a bit of pride at the way Uman gazed longingly at its contents.


    <Your Interdimensional Pouch is standard issue,> Samantha said, going into her lecture mode. <This means that while it has no modifications, it is highly customizable. Once you deactivate the pouch and disconnect the Mana Shard, you will see whole areas of the pouch left blank to allow for customization.  You can see this with runes that lead to the Mana Shard¡ªyou will need to add a few more runes that function as a valve, to increase the maximum flow of mana out of the Mana Shard. The valve needs to connect to the Concealment Rune Pattern>


    Uman watched me, curiosity in his eyes, but not interrupting, as I began my work.


    It was a painstaking process, because one wrong stroke of my Rune Master¡¯s Knife could break my whole pouch.


    After a short dinner break, Samantha finally pronounced the Interdimensional Pouch finished.


    Interdimensional Pouch (E-rank): Has an internal space of about 5x5x5 feet.   Allows you to summon an item inside the pouch by placing your hand over the pouch and picturing what you want. Enchanted to be weightless. Conceals itself from prying eyes.

 Chapter 42: Kidnapped

    I wandered the streets of Hiver Town, holding a mug of alcohol, stumbling on the uneven road.


    The streets were growing more and more deserted.  Uman had prepped me on a suggested route. Thanks to our earlier tour of the town, he seemed to have a sense of the areas that would become more dangerous at night.


    Uman had insisted that I shouldn¡¯t expect to be kidnapped tonight.  Being kidnapped, he stressed, took patience. If not tonight, we could wander the outskirts of the town tomorrow, and plan on returning late in the evening. The most important thing was to not act or look suspicious, or too scary.


    It wouldn¡¯t do to intentionally walk down dark alleys, either.  It took something a little more subtle than that, Uman had said.


    After what felt like hours, they finally found me.


    I turned a corner and there they were. Four masked and cloaked men, not showing an inch of skin.  Two held swords, one held a bow with an arrow nocked and pointing at me.  The third had nothing in his hands, but he moved fluidly behind me to cut off my escape.


    I fumbled to draw my cheap sword, but the weaponless man punched my arm, and then jabbed his fingers into my neck.  It felt like he was hitting pressure points, and my vision greyed a little.


    With my Physical Defense as high as it was, if something could make my vision grey, it would probably be enough to knock the average person out.


    I let my body collapse to the ground. Then, I felt something hard strike the back of my head.


    ¡°Sturdy little fucker,¡± were the last words I heard before I saw darkness.


    <hr>


    I woke up to the feeling of motion, and the sound of creaking wheels.  Rather than move myself, I focused on my senses.


    I could feel the familiar weight of my bead necklace on my chest, and my Interdimensional Pouch still hung on my belt.


    I could hear light breathing around me. Cracking my eyes open slightly, I saw that I was lying next to several bodies¡ªlikely unconscious as well.


    There was very little light where we were. We seemed to be in some kind of a covered cart, judging by the consistent and rocky forward motion and absence of light.


    My hands and feet were tied, and I had no idea where my cheap sword was.


    I settled in for a long, chilly ride.


    <hr>


    It was a testament to my own exhaustion that I fell asleep several times in that bumpy cart.


    When I heard the sound of gates opening, I thought I had almost arrived.  But then, to my surprise, about ten minutes later, I felt the distinct tingling sensation and then temporary absence of all my senses that indicated that I was traveling through a Teleportation Circle.


    This seemed unnecessarily complicated. But it made me glad I had chosen to be kidnapped.


    Only a few minutes after teleporting, my captors finally uncovered the cart and I felt a gust of freezing wind blow towards me.


    It was still dark outside, but the stars and the moon provided enough light that I was able to see my surroundings clearly.


    I was in a Schema Town built up on the edge of a mountain.  It was the smallest town I had seen so far¡ªI could only make out three buildings, and the walls were tall, but they didn¡¯t claim much ground.  There was snow all around us¡ªeither we were at a high enough elevation, or far enough north, or both.


    The stars were clearer than I had ever seen them, and the freezing gust of air that entered the cart was some of the freshest air I had ever breathed.


    ¡°Up and out!¡± One of my captors shouted, gruffly, whacking the nearest prisoner with the flat of his sword.


    It wasn¡¯t really the most considerate command, all things considered. We were tied up, hands and legs.


    We managed to stumble our way out of the cart and we faced our captors.


    ¡°Welcome to the middle of fucking nowhere,¡± the skinniest man said, waving a sword wildly for emphasis. He had a nasally voice and he was trembling, despite the heavy coat he wore. ¡°You¡¯re here to mine interesting things from this mountain.¡±  The man held up a handful of Mana Beads and gems. ¡°It¡¯s simple. The more you find inside the mountain, the more food and supplies you get in return.¡±


    The man sneered at us. ¡°There¡¯s one catch. There¡¯s this poisonous gas inside the mountain.¡± He held up a vial. ¡°This is the antidote. You need to take one of these each day¡ªif not, you lose strength, and eventually, you will die.  Out of the generosity of our hearts, we will give each of you one day¡¯s antidote, a pickaxe, and a warm jacket.  It¡¯s up to you to earn your keep after that.  If you die down there, it¡¯s no skin off our backs.  Any questions?¡±  It was clearly a taunt¡ªour captors were already leading us towards a gaping hole in the mountain.The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    I stopped walking, and raised my hand.


    Everyone froze, and stared at me.


    ¡°I have a question,¡± I asked, feeling fury rise inside me, and excitement, at finding my family soon.


    I let my bindings fall to my feet, and I drew the Vampiric Blade from my pouch. ¡°I am looking for a brother and sister, Petra and Justin Novak.  One is 18, and one is 26.  If you tell me where they are, I might let you guys live.¡±


    The moment I drew my sword, two arrows flew towards me from the distance.


    I was already burning Agility, and I started moving, but I was too late to escape the first arrow.


    The arrow sunk into my side, and I felt true pain for the first time in the last week.


    Every other time I¡¯d been hurt, there had been a pain threshold, thanks to Samantha.  Things hurt, but not this much. Even when I had been an inch from death, I hadn¡¯t been in this much pain.


    I was still moving when the arrow hit my side, and as my stride grew longer, I felt my side stretching and burning even more.


    I winced, and flinched, and then another arrow struck my chest. I felt the arrow nick a rib, and then dig deeper into my body.


    My chest burned.  I was still moving towards the skinny, nasally man, and as I breathed, I flinched again, cringing, at the burning pain.


    I realized, belatedly, that I should have put more mana into Physical Defense.


    I didn¡¯t have Samantha¡¯s timing, and I was making too many mistakes.


    I put even more mana into Agility and Physical Defense.


    The next moment, I had my blade to the neck of the skinny nasally man, and both his wrists gripped in one hand.


    I twisted so his body was in between me and where one of the arrows had come from.


    I heard a sharp pop come from the man¡¯s wrists, and the skinny man cried in pain.


    I was immediately tempted to lighten my grip on his hands, but I hardened my heart.  I needed answers.


    ¡°Petra and Justin. Where are they?¡±


    ¡°I-I don¡¯t know¡ª¡°


    Even as the man I was holding stammered, the other captors nearby attacked.


    I blocked an incoming blade with my sword, and then I felt the strange, sharp jabs around my body at various pressure points.


    Fortunately, my Physical Defense was high enough that it was nothing but a tickle.


    I spun towards the man who was jabbing me, raising my blade, to strike, and then froze, in shock, and I watched my blade travel directly through his torso.


    Two halves of the man¡¯s body fell to the ground, and I caught his eyes, frozen in shock, before his torso fell face down into the ground.


    I felt myself panicking, hyperventilating. I hadn¡¯t meant to kill him.  I didn¡¯t want more blood on my hands. I didn¡¯t think¡ªI never thought my blade would actually slice directly through.


    <How else did you expect this battle to go? Unless you want to let them run away, of course,> Samantha¡¯s kind voice, but snide words, interrupted my thoughts.


    <Get a grip before they kill you.>


    Glancing away from the dead body, I flinched and retracted my hand, just as the swordsman¡¯s blade sliced down at my left wrist, which had been holding both of the skinny captor¡¯s hands behind his back.


    The skinny captor stumbled away, and I felt a searing pain on my forearm.


    Another arrow flew towards me the moment the skinny guy left my grip, but I was ready for it.  I was already moving, targeting the other swordsman.


    I grabbed the swordsman¡¯s right wrist, boosted my Strength, and then squeezed until I heard his wrist crack.


    It had been an accident the first time, but it should work as a way to incapacitate the man.


    The skinny guy was running away, towards the biggest building.


    ¡°Petra and Justin,¡± I growled at the remaining swordsman.  ¡°Where are they?¡±


    The swordsman grunted in pain. ¡°In the mines, dumbass.¡±


    Feeling sick to my stomach, I squeezed his other wrist until it popped as well. I saw two more archers running towards the biggest building in the area.


    There was probably a Teleportation Circle, there.


    I didn¡¯t have the heart or energy to stop them.


    I glanced behind me, at the shocked faces of the three remaining captives.  Two were just teenagers, a boy and a girl shivering next to each other, and the third was a middle aged woman.


    I slit their bindings with my knife, and I frog-marched the swordsman towards the biggest building.


    The building was built like a warehouse, and it didn¡¯t take Sherlock Holmes to notice that the cart tracks in the snow led directly towards it.


    Entering the building, I noticed the Teleportation Circle front and center.  Most of the space was taken up by crates of supplies¡ªI could make out coats, firewood, pickaxes, and the like.


    I led the swordsman up a flight of stairs, finding an empty, cozy room with a roaring fireplace, thick fur rugs.  The room had a slanted ceiling, and through a frosty window I could see a view of the tiny town. I could see the wagon, and next to the wagon a dark, gaping hole in the mountainside.


    Built into the wall, was an empty safe, with the door wide open.


    Most importantly, there was a podium, holding a Town Control Crystal. Walking over to the Control Crystal, I placed my hand on it and claimed the town for myself after a brief wait.


    Congratulations! You have become the District Mayor of Veyrier Town. +1 to your two highest stats when you are fighting in your District.


    Once I had full access to the town system, I immediately set the Teleportation Circle to reject all incoming travel, and to leave all departures as ¡°pending¡± until approved by me.  I also surveyed the information on every building inside the town.


    I frowned immediately, noticing in the blueprints provided that this building had a jail underground.


    The basement was a dimly lit prison.  The cells were built out of a sturdy, seamless stone, with doors made out of a dark, thick wood.


    ¡°Petra! Justin!¡± I called out the moment I entered the cells, but I didn¡¯t have much hope.


    I opened each cell, but they were all empty.


    I tossed the swordsman into one of the open cells. ¡°How many other people are in this town?¡±


    ¡°Just us,¡± the swordsman whimpered. ¡°The boss and the others already left.  There¡¯s no one left, except for the prisoners in the mine.¡±


    I would need to verify that, first, before I searched for Petra and Justin in the mine.


    I was aching to find Justin and Petra.  But there were some things I knew I had to do first. Secure the area. Loot the kidnappers.  Have the former captives wait by the Teleportation Circle in case Petra and Justin come out of the mine. Then, I will be ready.


    I would finally find my family.


    <hr>

 Chapter 43: Veyrier Mines

    Entering the Veyrier Mines gave the distinct feeling of entering another world. The whole mountain interior seemed to have been transformed into a glowing rock¡ªsomehow, every surface was tinged with an iridescent light that was a predominantly green shade.


    The light was a sickly green, and there was a poisonous mist in the air that seemed to generate from small, pale green gems that jutted out of the walls intermittently. The Schema identified them as F-ranked Poison-attuned Mana Beads.


    I had collected plenty of vials of antidote, but with my Physical Defense, I wasn¡¯t losing any HP, and Samantha assured me there would be no adverse effects due to the relatively low dosage.


    The tunnel I was following was about seven feet in diameter, with rough edges where I could tell people had picked at the sides of the tunnel.


    Presumably, these tunnels used to hold more of the Poison-attuned Mana Beads, before the prisoners mined the walls.


    The first fork came after just a minute or two of walking. I felt a moment of relief that I had had the foresight to request the other former prisoners to stay by the warehouse in case anyone came out of the mines.  It would be a shame if Petra and Justin came back a different route, while I was looking for them.


    ¡°Petra! Justin! Ezma!¡± Uman had told me a bit about Ezma during our journey to Hiver Town.  She was a small woman, about 30 years old, with long black hair and a small mole on her left cheek.


    My voice echoed through the empty mine down both paths.  One path led downwards, deeper, and the other stayed flat.


    If this was anything like the games I¡¯d played, the deeper you go, the better the loot. They probably were forced to go deeper into the mines, in order to find the valuable gems and ores.


    I put all my floating points into Luck.  Samantha had been a bit cagey about the details of how Luck worked.  Yes, it increased the loot that would be dropped by a monster upon death, but Samantha assured me it could do much more.  Hopefully, it would help me find my family.


    Then I took the path that led down, deeper into the mountainside.


    I could tell, as I continued my descent, that the poisonous mist was getting stronger.  I hadn¡¯t lost any HP yet, so I wasn¡¯t too concerned.


    Not much later, I found another fork, this time both paths staying on the same level. In order to never lose yourself in a maze, always take the path on the right.


    I¡¯d heard it somewhere, and I went with that decision.  It would help me find my way out, anyway.


    I found another fork, and another, and then I started to get worried.  There was no indication that these mines were going to end, and it would take hours to travel the whole thing.


    There were some more Mana Beads studding the wall, but there were also scratches and grooves as well, so somebody had come this far with their pickaxe.


    I had lost track of the number of forks that I encountered, and I hadn¡¯t retraced my steps at all.  Every few minutes, I would shout, but I couldn¡¯t hear anybody.


    Eventually, I found another downward slant, and I descended once again.


    The mist grew thicker.


    I had no idea how long I¡¯d been in these mines, and I was starting to worry.  I hadn¡¯t found a single person. Either these mines were incredibly massive, or something else was going on¡­


    I picked up the pace, the uneasy feeling in my stomach growing worse.


    Suddenly, turning the corner, I found a giant cave, with a pool of water and giant stalactites hanging from the ceiling.


    It was a beautiful sight, tinted green by the poisonous gas, but also illuminated by dozens of gems of a variety of colors, and even glowing plants.


    There was still no sign of people, and there were about six different paths leading out of the cave.  I took the rightmost path, once again, which led me even deeper down into the mountain¡­


    I was starting to lose my patience, and my sanity. I had already lost track of the time I had spent wandering through this maze of tunnels.


    I finally lost my first hit point, as well.  I drank the first of my antidote vials that I had looted from my kidnappers, and then continued down the depressingly lit tunnels.


    Then the earthquake struck.


    There is nothing more terrifying than being deep inside a mountainside, and then hearing tunnels collapse around you, and the earth shaking under your feet.


    There was nowhere to go for cover, nowhere to hide.  I just crouched on the ground, watching the ceiling above me, ready to move if need be.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    What was that?


    <Would you like me to answer?> Samantha asked, pristinely.  <I can¡¯t tell if you are still playing the game ¡®Pretend Samantha Doesn¡¯t Exist.¡¯>


    Yes, just tell me what it was, I shot back.


    <Well, you see Jarek,> Samantha started, <We are now on the second week of the Atropos Schema. Day 8, if you will. The second week is the second stage of Acclimation, meaning the world will receive another influx of Mana and energy from the World Core, the second wave of monsters will appear all over the world, and even more valuable mineral deposits can be discovered around the world. Earthquakes are one of the ways the world adjusts to the stress of greater mana density, and also it¡¯s a little toy the Schema likes to use in order to ¡®shake things up a bit.¡¯>


    You knew this was going to happen? And you still let me go in without saying anything?


    <Jarek, I really can¡¯t win with you. If I had warned you, would that have stopped you from entering and searching for your siblings? Also, as long as you keep your Luck stat up, the tunnels won¡¯t collapse around you.>


    I paused, swallowing my pride and sharp retort.  No matter how angry I was, no matter how frustrated I was, Petra¡¯s life, Justin¡¯s life, and my life were all in danger.  If any of the tunnels I had taken had collapsed, then I had no idea how to get out of here.  The most important thing was to find Petra and Justin. Then, I could deal with Samantha.


    What else do I need to know?


    <The first thing you should notice is that the tunnel behind you has collapsed, which means you only have one path out of here at the moment.  Secondly, the mist density is increasing.  It isn¡¯t a danger for you at the moment, though.  You are deep enough into the mines here that you should expect to find extremely valuable and extremely dangerous monsters appearing.  We should both hope that your siblings never came this deep into the mountain.>


    Glancing back, I noticed that what Samantha said was true.  It was suspicious. Did the Schema have it out for me?  Even with my enhanced Luck?


    There was nothing for it, except to move on.


    Just a few minutes later, my ears perked up slightly at the sounds of battle.


    <Don¡¯t just rush into it,> Samantha said, as I picked up pace into a jog. <You don¡¯t know yet what you¡¯re running into.>


    I continued my jog forwards, disregarding her advice. It could be Petra, or Jarek, in trouble.


    Not too far ahead of me, I could see an opening¡ªanother giant cave, this one about the size of a football field, with a pool of water.  I slowed my approach, hid behind a rock, and watched, realizing that I couldn¡¯t understand a word that the people ahead of me were saying.


    There were four people, fighting against what the Schema identified as crystal golems.


    The golems were generally about a meter tall, formed of a combination of rock, crystal, and gems, and they came in a variety of different shapes.  Some moved like dogs, hounding the team of four. Some slithered along the ground, and others lumbered on two feet like humans.


    The golems were each around level 40, and there were several dozen of them in the room.


    <Don¡¯t move,> Samantha said, in my ear. <They aren¡¯t speaking any language from Earth.  They are speaking High Imperial, the language of the Human Empire.  This means they are human invaders¡ªrenegades, since the Schema hasn¡¯t approved their appearance here on Earth.>


    I felt a headache growing. Why are they here? I thought this Zone was claimed by the fey?


    <It¡¯s not so easy to lay claim to a whole zone.  The Human Empire is a powerhouse that doesn¡¯t fear the fey.  But look at their equipment. These are scouts, not Imperial soldiers.  They are probably just here to see if there is anything the Human Empire should steal from the Fey.>


    The four Imperial scouts had their backs against the wall, but they were holding their own against the golems.


    Three of them seemed to share similar classes that focused on agility.  They wielded knives, bows, and relatively short swords.  These three all wore similar identical clothing¡ªlight leather armor that covered every inch of their skin. The fourth member of the group held a wand in her right, and a knife in her left, and she seemed equally proficient with both weapons.


    Why would they appear here?


    <There are a lot of different teleportation tools, and the illicit ones tend to be highly inaccurate,> Samantha responded.  <From their conversation with each other, they did not expect to appear here.  They are actually rather frustrated.  Crystal golems are a tough target for such low-damage scouts.>


    It was ironic, hearing Samantha use the term ¡°low-damage.¡±  These scouts were steadily killing the crystal golems.  I didn¡¯t want to use Identify on them in case that would reveal my presence, but if they could defeat level 40 golems, they were probably level 30 or 40 as well.


    <I suggest you wait for them to kill most of the golems, and then you attack, when they least expect it.  Thanks to your bounty hunter mission, killing renegades will grant you a lot of loot.>


    For all I know, they could be friendly, I shot back. You¡¯ve lied to me before. Maybe they are emissaries of peace. Even as I said it, I recognized how ridiculous it sounded.


    Samantha laughed. <Alright. Just wait for them to defeat the golems, and then walk up to them.  They will attack you right away, to gain your equipment and torture you for intel.  You can probably take them, if you follow the combat shadow.  Without the combat shadow, though¡­>


    Fuck you. I hated how no matter what, Samantha found a way to make herself necessary.  I could just walk away. But if what Samantha said was true, and these people would torture the people they found in the mines, then I couldn¡¯t let them encounter Petra or Justin.


    It was a relatively boring wait, but I used the time to familiarize myself with their fighting styles.


    The magician was the leader. The four of them fought with a casual ease, and as I watched, I couldn¡¯t help but admire how little damage they took, despite the golems¡¯ overwhelming numbers .  They were able to dodge and evade most attacks, without breaking their formation and endangering their companions.


    They fought in a triangle, with their backs to the wall, and they would take turns rotating which one of them was inside the triangle every minute or so. The scout that was currently in the middle of the triangle would either take a healing potion if necessary, meditate in the case of the magician, or use ranged attacks against the crystal golems.


    They fought like a smooth, well-oiled machine, until just two golems were remaining.


    Then, without giving a single sign or gesture, they charged towards the rock I was hiding behind.


    At the same time, the magician launched a quick spell, which flew directly towards the rock I was hiding behind, exploding the rock in a flurry of shards, which flew towards me and clouded my vision slightly.


    I could just barely make out the figures of the four scouts, rushing towards me, still maintaining their formation.

 Chapter 44: Imperial Scouts

    Samantha¡¯s combat shadow appeared unbidden, and I immediately resigned myself to following it.


    I had barely held my own against the velociraptors outside Hiver Town. I wouldn¡¯t stand a chance against these well-trained scouts who were each higher leveled than me and had far more experience.


    The first thing Samantha had me do was run backwards at a slight angle, add some Dexterity, and throw one of my knives with my left hand.


    The dust, mixed with the mist, made it hard for me to see, which meant they must be having a harder time than me.


    It was a disconcerting feeling, running backwards in a tunnel, especially since I wasn¡¯t running in a straight line. As messed up as Samantha was, I knew she wouldn¡¯t make me run into a wall. Her tricks tended to be a bit more subtle.


    A knife flew passed me, grazing my shoulder, and I bit my tongue.


    I threw my second knife into the mist, unable to see if it landed.


    Congratulation¡­


    I ignored the rest of the announcement, glad that at least one of them had been killed.


    Suddenly, the combat shadow rushed full speed towards the remaining scouts.


    I was a little slow on the uptake, wondering what new hell Samantha had planned for me.


    As I rushed towards the scouts, I saw a spell fly by me, impact the rock crystals above and slightly behind me, and then the whole world around me collapsed, the tunnel caving in on top of me.


    I was slammed to the ground by falling rocks and crystals. I felt more pain than I had ever felt in my life.


    Every inch of me felt bruised and battered, and I couldn¡¯t see, breath, or move due to the thick clouds of dust around me.


    I heard more shouting, and suddenly everything got worse. Even more weight fell on top of me, I couldn¡¯t see anything, and I felt my leg snap as the weight pressed against it.


    <Everything into Physical Defense! Now!>


    I could barely think, and as I opened my mouth to cry out in pain, I choked on the ever-present dust.


    I put everything into Physical Defense, and waited in agonized pain. My Physical Defense was nearing 100, which granted me an impressive healing rate as well as toughness.


    Then came a third spell¡ªthis time, the rocks around me shifted, grinding against my body cruelly.


    If they were just rocks, then they wouldn¡¯t be capable of hurting me with my current Physical Defense. However, mixed in between the rocks were incredibly sharp gems that shredded my battle robe and skin alike.


    It felt like I was in slowly shifting whirlpool. My health was steady, but the pain was incredible.


    I groaned in pain.


    Don¡¯t make a sound. As long as you make a sound, the magician will keep firing the spells. If you want, I can always remove the pain.


    It was a familiar temptation, and it was one I had considered earlier, as well.


    But I would never let Samantha touch my mind again.


    I gritted my teeth, and focused on ignoring the pain that washed over me.


    With one final explosion, all the dust and shards of rock and gems flew away, revealing three angry scouts directly in front of me.


    Biding my time had its own benefits, though. Thanks to my Bloodied Battle Robe¡¯s passive effect, I had regained some mana directly towards my Mana Pool.


    The scouts didn¡¯t know it, but I was on the clock. My insanely high Physical Defense would fade in just 10 more seconds.


    I threw my knife at the magician, but she was watching me, and ready. A shimmering shield appeared in front of the magician. I threw my second knife at archer in the rear, forcing the archer to dodge, and buying me a few more seconds before the archer¡¯s next shot.


    Then I limped forwards. I quickly found my left leg was unable to support my weight, so my limp turned into a hop.


    An arrow flew towards me, but I ignored it, letting it pierce my battle robes. To my surprise, despite my immense Physical Defense, the arrow buried itself in my stomach. Compared to the other pain I¡¯d been feeling, to my surprise, the arrow didn¡¯t hurt as much. and I continued my agonizing charge forward.


    My knives reappeared in their sheathes, and I drew one, swiping at a knife flying my direction.


    My whole body was trembling, unable to follow Samantha¡¯s combat outline. I tried to deflect the flying knife, but my timing was off, and the knife sunk through my robes into my right shoulder.


    I gritted my teeth and threw my knife, taking another unsteady step forward. The archer who was once again trying to nock an arrow was forced to dodge, buying me another second, as I grew closer.


    The scout who had just thrown a knife at me drew a short sword and charged me.


    This was the moment Samantha had been waiting for.


    About twenty seconds had passed since I increased my Physical Defense. This meant I had regained 1/3 of my Mana Regeneration per minute¡ªabout 14 mana.


    Increasing my own Agility with everything I had left, I tanked the scout¡¯s swing, letting the sword slice into my arm, and then I stabbed my own sword, directly piercing the man¡¯s heart.


    I was in a mental state outside of my own pain, an adrenaline rush that allowed me to perform this sickening yet all-too-familiar movement.


    For once, I felt no shock, no fear, no apprehension at what I was turning into.


    Either I died, or they did. The imperial scouts had made that all too clear with their refusal to retreat.Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    I ignored the congratulatory message at the scout¡¯s death, and glanced towards the magician.


    The magician was now within arm¡¯s reach, and she drew her own knife, casting a rock spear at my torso at the same time, but I ignored the rock spear, letting it graze off of my body. Then, in one fluid motion, I drew a dagger from my sheath, and stabbed the magician¡¯s chest.


    Level up!


    I felt a familiar warmth surround my body, and all the pain finally faded. It was strange, leveling up so soon after my last level that I¡¯d gained.


    The last archer started running away, but there was a crystal golem approaching from the other end of the tunnel.


    I jogged towards the archer, and just as he was dodging around the crystal golem, I saw the combat shadow throw a knife at the archer¡¯s back. I paused for a brief moment. I didn¡¯t want to kill someone who was running away¡­


    Then I thought of Petra, and Justin, who could be caught by this archer. I added a bit of Dexterity and threw the knife, and it sunk directly into the man¡¯s back.


    Then, the two remaining crystal golems advanced towards me. No rest for the weary, I thought, readying my sword.


    With Samantha¡¯s combat shadow, the golems were easy to take care of. They were both bipedal golems, and I was able to target their legs enough that they could only crawl towards me, and then I decapitated them with heavy hacks of my Vampiric Blade.


    Finally, I was alone in the tunnels and cave, surrounded by rather large piles of loot and blood.


    Frankly, the loot was astounding. It set my heart racing, as I examined the loot they had dropped. It was also terrifying, if the Human Empire was able to equip a scouting team with this kind of equipment, what would they equip their soldiers with?


    Each scout had dropped a full set of E-rank equipment and an E-rank Interdimensional Pouch¡ªexcept for the magician, who held a D-rank Interdimensional Pouch. Instead of in interior of 5x5x5 feet, it had 50x50x50 feet. I immediately transferred my most important valuables to the D-rank pouch, and equipped that.


    Each of the four pouches contained what could best be described as a survival pack. Health potions, general antidotes, mana potions for the magician, canteens that had a virtually endless supply of water, foraging kits, unappetizing, brown meal squares, Soul Shield Amulets, and E-rank personal Mana Shields like the ones that Lord Ignatius used before we killed him.


    But that was just the mundane stuff. There were four copies of the same two skill books, one above each corpse.


    Aquatic Respiration (E-rank): Allows you to breath water as though it is air.


    Polyglot (E-rank): Allows for proficient communication in most languages.


    I immediately learned both skills, since there were no class restrictions.


    Additionally, each corpse was wearing one of these rings:


    Alias Ring (E-rank): Allows you to create a modifiable, fake Status Window that you can share as your own. This ring has a concealment charm on it.


    And that was just what the scouts had in common. Inside the Interdimensional Pouch belonging to the man who threw the knives at me, I found an Invisibility Cloak:


    Invisibility Cloak (D-rank): Conceals your presence. Cost: 1 Mana Shard per hour.


    Accompanying the cloak was a large pile of Mana Beads.


    The knife-throwing man also dropped a class change tome and a skill book:


    Assassin (E-rank Class): Grants Stealth Affinity (E-rank). +1 Dexterity/level. +1 Agility/Level.


    Lock Picking (E-rank): Enables stealth-based classes to unlock doors. Requires Stealth Affinity (E-rank).


    Lock Picks (E-rank): Can be used by someone with a Lock Picking skill to unlock doors.


    And that was just one of the scouts.


    The archer dropped an E-rank Archery class, a D-ranked bow, and two D-ranked skills, Piercing Arrow, and Life Sense. Life Sense allowed the archer to notice every creature in a 200 yard radius. Unfortunately, it was limited to classes with a focus on long-ranged weaponry.


    The first man I killed, it turned out, was a mind reader.


    Telepath (D-rank class): Grants Mental Power Affinity. Teaches Telepathy, Mind Reading. +4 Mental Power/Level.


    And then there was the magician.


    Earth Magician (D-rank class): Grants Earth Magic Affinity. Teaches Earth Manipulation. +2 Mana Pool/level; +2 Mana Regeneration/level.


    How is this even possible? I asked Samantha in shock. This is way too much loot. I didn¡¯t even realize that people could drop class and skill books from their own classes when they died! I didn¡¯t even have elevated luck, so this doesn¡¯t make any sense!


    <Don¡¯t forget your mission: Renegade Bounty Hunter.>


    I pulled up the mission, reviewing it:


    Renegade Bounty Hunter: Every unsanctioned being that you kill on Earth will give you additional experience and rewards.


    <Normally, when someone dies, there is a small chance of them dropping one of the skills that they had learned, and an even smaller chance of them dropping a class change book for their class¡ªExcept for C-rank classes and above, which will basically never drop. Normally, even when a class is dropped, the Schema downgrades the level of their skills or classes. But the Schema really doesn¡¯t like Renegades, and say what you want about the Schema, when it promises rewards, it dishes out. To make things even better, these were scouts from the Human Empire, which is an extremely powerful and wealthy organization, so they were very well equipped. Have you checked your Status Window yet?


    I pulled up my Status Window. It took a second to find what Samantha was referring to, but once I saw it, I was completely floored.


    <Congratulations on becoming the wealthiest native human on Earth,> Samantha said, smugly.


    <table width="624">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Name:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    Jarek


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Level:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    24


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    HP:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    34/34


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Physical Defense:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    18


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Strength:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    31 (+5)


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Mental Power:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    12


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Dexterity:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    10 (+5)


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Agility:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    10 (+20)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Perception:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    20 (+2)


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Luck:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    11


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Mana Pool:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    75 (+10)


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Mana Regeneration:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    32 (+10)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Available Points:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    1


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Coins:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    155,207,000


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Class:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    Mana Modulator (D-rank)


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Profession:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    Rune Master


    (E-rank)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Titles:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="486">


    Region Lord (E-rank)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Skills and Spells:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="486">


    Identify (E-rank)


    Mana Modulation (D-rank Core)


    Death¡¯s Defier (A-rank)


    Mana Sensing (E-rank)


    Healthy Magic (E-rank)


    Don¡¯t Mind Me (D-rank)


    Aquatic Respiration (E-rank)


    Polyglot (E-rank):


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Affinities:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="486">


    Internal Mana (D-rank Low), External Unattributed Mana (E-rank Low)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Equipment:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="486">


    Vampiric Blade (D-rank): +5 Strength, +5 Agility.


    Bloodied Battle Robes (D-rank): +5 Mana Pool, +5 Mana Regen.


    Boots of a Feather (D-rank): +10 Agility.


    Greedy Gloves (D-rank): +5 Mana Pool, +5 Mana Regen.


    Bonded Blades (D-rank): +5 Dexterity, +5 Agility.


    Goat Mask (D-rank): +2 Perception.


    Interdimensional Pouch (D-rank):


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Missions:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="486">


    Zone Offense


    Renegade Bounty Hunter


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>

 Chapter 45: Crystal King Crab

    Why were the Imperial scouts carrying 150,000,000 coins? Or is that another bonus that the Schema gave me for killing them?


    I still hated Samantha. She had essentially stripped my mind and tried to kill this version of myself. But that didn¡¯t mean we couldn¡¯t have a working relationship when both of our lives were on the line.


    This week had been a roller coaster of emotions. The latest flavor was that I was currently completely floored.


    One million coins could buy a D-rank item. I could buy one hundred and fifty D-rank items with my current funds. Huh. That didn¡¯t actually sound that impressive.


    One hundred and fifty million coins. Just for killing this team of scouts. Yes, I had almost died, but at the same time, it wasn¡¯t the most dangerous battle that I had been in. But the rewards were far greater than any other battle.


    <If you think about it, you could probably figure it out yourself, why the scouts would have so much money. I¡¯ve said before, that you can find high-level skills and spells and classes in worlds newly acclimated by the Schema. Think about how currency works. People on Earth have only had one week to collect coins. Compare that to the factions that have been around the Schema for hundreds of years. What this means is that the buying power of one coin on Earth is much stronger than the buying power of the same coin in any fully-integrated part of the Schema. If you¡¯re immensely wealthy, and looking to gain more influence and power, then you would want to transfer your wealth here, to buy things in auctions and stores that are at relatively low prices.


    <Remember,> Samantha continued, <Normally, when a sentient being dies, the person who deals the killing blow gets 10% of their coins. But in this case, you got a much, much higher fraction of their wealth.>


    Since they were renegades, I thought back.


    <Exactly.>


    I was tempted to ask what to do with the wealth, but I bit my tongue. I could figure it out myself.


    The same was true for the Stat Point I had gained. I needed to get used to making decisions for myself. I put the Stat Point into Mental Power. From when she first appeared in my head, Samantha had been downplaying Mental Power. At first, she ignored it, essentially pretending it didn¡¯t exist. Then, she said she could replace any need for Mental Power. It was likely she was hiding something. Even if it helped me do exactly what Samantha does, I wouldn¡¯t mind figuring out a way to replace her.


    After putting the point into Mental Power, I realized that, since my Mana Pool was now full, I could resume keeping my floating points in Luck as well.


    Surveying all the loot I had collected, the only disappointment was that besides the underwater breathing skill, and the language skill, I couldn¡¯t learn any of the other skills, since they could only be used by people with specific Affinities and classes.


    But maybe these could make up a good apology gift. A sign of good intentions to the people I had wronged?


    Thanks to the four additional Interdimensional Pouches, carrying things wasn¡¯t a concern. The only catch was that I wouldn¡¯t be able to access the contents of any pouches, until I equipped that pouch. And Samantha made it clear that I should not, under any circumstances, put one Interdimensional Pouch inside another Interdimensional Pouch.


    After dealing with the scouts¡¯ loot, I finally turned to the crystal golems¡¯ loot.


    The crystal golems dropped numerous Mana Beads, and various jewels, but Samantha urged me deeper into the cavern, towards the flower that grew from a small rock island in the center of the pond.


    I hadn¡¯t spent much time studying it, before. Being distracted by the scouts and crystal golems. The flower itself looked like a white rose, except the jagged, gleaming edges gave it a crystalline appearance. A quick Identify revealed its predictable name:


    Crystal Rose (D-rank)


    <Go stand by it! It has a similar effect compared to the Yanir Flowers. If you just stand next to the rose for about 10 minutes, you will gain a point in Stamina.>


    And what, the moment I do, a crystal dragon will appear and destroy all the tunnels, killing Petra and Justin?


    <I¡¯m not sure where your wild imagination is coming from, Jarek,> Samantha replied. <It¡¯s just a level 55 Crystal King Crab lurking in the waters.>


    I¡¯m not here to fight random monsters, and I don¡¯t have time to waste. I just want to find Petra and Justin.


    I headed towards the right-most tunnel. But just a few seconds after I turned my back on the Crystal Rose, I heard a light, clinking sound.


    I spun immediately, and I saw a crab the size of a dining room table emerging from the water. It was a deep purple color, and the shell had various crystalized minerals growing from it. It had an incredibly sturdy and heavy look, but it moved nimbly.


    The moment I turned and saw it, it immediately rushed towards me. It waved its massive pincers at me angrily, and for a brief moment I had a flashback to Mr. Krabs.


    Skip the combat shadow, I thought to Samantha. I need to try this on my own.


    The Atropos Schema required that you learn how to fight to defend yourself. I was tired of relying on Samantha. And how hard could fighting a Crystal King Crab be?If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    That said, I wasn¡¯t going to approach this with overconfidence. The pincers looked incredibly dangerous, and I didn¡¯t want to get caught.


    I started by putting 25 mana into Physical Defense, and then 25 mana into Agility. Then, I rushed towards the crab, trying to imitate Samantha¡¯s zig-zag rushing pattern that she would sometimes have me follow.


    As I rushed towards it, the crab actually backed away slightly, and I realized how hard it was going to be to predict its movements. The crab was perfectly comfortable moving backwards or sideways, while still facing me.


    Even though it moved unpredictably, I was still faster than it. I rushed forward, slicing the Vampiric Blade at the nearest leg.


    To my surprise, my blade bounced right off the shell of the creature¡¯s leg.


    I immediately put 20 more points into Strength, but as I did, the crab jumped me.


    I dodged backwards, but I was caught off guard. I had imagined a bit more probing from the crab, but instead, it charged directly ahead, rushing towards me with full abandon.


    Even as I backed away, the crab¡¯s front legs wrapped around me in a very uncomfortable hug, and then the crab¡¯s left pincher grabbed my right wrist in a tight vice.


    The crab squeezed my wrist, and judging from the pressure, it I felt like it was trying to slice of my wrist.


    At first, it felt like a firm handshake that I couldn¡¯t escape. Then, the pressure grew, and it felt like a gradually crushing pressure.


    The pain was distracting and debilitating.


    I drew a knife with my left hand, and frantically struck at the crab¡¯s pincers. I scored deep gouges in the crystalized shell, but the crab made no effort to release my wrist.


    Instead, it stabbed one of its legs directly towards me, trying to skewer my torso.


    I dodged the leg, barely, my range of motion limited by my immobile right arm.


    Meanwhile, the crab¡¯s second pincer tried to catch my left arm as I continued to hack at its pincer.


    Tears welled in my eyes, and I felt a burst of anger and fear.


    <Target the joints!> Samantha provided.


    It was obvious, in retrospect.


    I yanked my wrist towards myself, pulling the crab¡¯s pincer taut, and then I swung my knife full-force at one of the crab¡¯s crooked joints.


    My knife dug deeply through the pincer¡¯s joint, about half way, before catching on the crab¡¯s shell.


    I yanked at my knife, but as I did, two more crab legs stabbed towards my chest.


    My wrist was still trapped, and I didn¡¯t have access to my knife. I tried to dodge, but the second leg adjusted course and stabbed my stomach.


    My Physical Defense was nothing to sneeze at, still boosted by 25 points. But the crab¡¯s leg threw me off balance, slamming my back to the ground. The rocks on the ground dug unpleasantly into my back. Then another leg pressed down on me, piercing through my battle robes and burrowing into my stomach.


    ¡°Fuck! Samantha!¡± The pain didn¡¯t compare to being ground to pieces by an earth whirlpool, but I was done with the heroics.


    I should have known from my battle with the velociraptors. I wasn¡¯t ready to fight these creatures, and I couldn¡¯t count on another convenient level up to heal any injuries.


    I was trapped on two accounts¡ªmy wrist was gripped tightly, and my stomach pinned me to the ground.


    I¡¯d dropped the Vampiric Blade a few feet away, but due to my incredibly limited range of motion, I couldn¡¯t reach it.


    Samantha said.


    As I did, I followed the combat shadow. My left hand grabbed my second dagger and sliced through the closest joint of the leg that was buried in my stomach.


    The moment I was free, I started rolling my body towards the pincer that held my right wrist.


    Another sharp leg landed right where I had been, cracking the rocks that had been under me.


    I recalled the knife that was still buried in the joint of the crab¡¯s pincer, and then I sliced off the crab¡¯s pincer completely.


    Just as the last bit of resistance faded, and the pincer fell to the ground, another leg stabbed my thigh.


    It hurt, but it wasn¡¯t enough to pin me. Rather than let the stab push me back, I twisted to the side, letting the crab¡¯s full force of a stab carry it forwards, towards me, so that I was closer to the crab. I stood where the crab¡¯s left pincer should be, and then I reached to the underside of the crab, and, trusting Samantha¡¯s combat outline, stabbed hard.


    The leg that had been about to stab me drooped, indicating that I must have somehow disabled that leg with my stab.


    The crab snapped its remaining mincer at me angrily, but I was already moving underneath the crab.


    With two legs and a pincer disabled, all on one side of the crab, there was space for me to dive underneath the crab¡ªthe underside of the crab was about three feet off the ground.


    Then, Samantha had me put my back to the crab¡¯s underbelly, crouching, low, and then with a grunt, I stood up forcefully.


    Basically, I just did a back squat, and the 500+ pound crab was lifted off its feet and flipped in the air.


    It was only then that I realized I hadn¡¯t applied pressure on the center of the crab¡ªI had lifted the left side of the crab, fast enough that it flipped over and landed on its back with a crack.


    The crab immediately waved its pincers and legs, trying to right itself, but I¡ªor, rather, Samantha¡¯s combat shadow¡ªwasn¡¯t going to give it the chance.


    Any leg that found useful traction was my first target. In just a few second, the crab was legless, and I had time to grab my Vampiric Blade, activating its health-stealing and mana-giving effect, and then I stabbed it deeply into the crab¡¯s underbelly.


    I collapsed to the ground the moment I received the experience and coins that confirmed the kill.


    That was¡­ pathetic.


    My whole body was sore, again. My right wrist was probably sprained or fractured, my stomach had a gaping hole in it, and my back was shredded by the random gems that had been on the ground.


    Out of the blue, I remembered something Samantha had said, during the tutorial: ¡°The original version of you is pathetic. You probably even would have died going through the Easy Tutorial.¡±


    I had assumed that was an exaggeration, to make me trust her more.


    But judging from this performance, maybe it was true. Maybe Samantha had saved my life¡ªwithout her, I might have died in the Tutorial¡¯s Easy Mode.


    I pushed the thought away. It didn¡¯t matter whether Samantha had saved my life. She had also taken my very identity away from me.


    This was a setback. But now I knew, at least, how far I had to go. Realistically, I couldn¡¯t survive in these mines without Samantha¡¯s combat shadow. But I would have to pay more attention to Samantha¡¯s combat shadow, analyzing every step and move that she suggested.


    Once my health was recovered, I collected the remaining loot.


    Besides the Crystal King Crab¡¯s corpse, there was also a town token that had appeared.


    <Make sure you use the foraging kit to collect the Crystal Rose,> Samantha said. <You¡¯ll have to dig very carefully to not disturb the crystal roots.>


    The Imperial Scouts had provided me with several foraging kits. There were apparently hundreds of procedures and best practices when it came to collecting natural resources.


    Of course, I had broken all of them when I collected the Yanir flowers.


    If done properly, I would be able to replant the Crystal Rose elsewhere, allowing others to gain free Stamina Stat Points.


    How long do you think it would take to dig out this Crystal Rose?


    Samantha was silent for a while. <If you¡¯re doing it properly, about twenty minutes.>


    I don¡¯t have time for that, I thought.  I¡¯m sure it¡¯s still worth something if I just take it from the stem.


    Samantha sighed audibly. <Just leave it. I don¡¯t think you have any idea how much of a waste that would be to just cut it¡­ Whatever. Let¡¯s go.>.


    I left the Crystal Rose in the cave, continuing deeper into the Veyrier Mines.


    <hr>

 Chapter 46: Spirits

    The tunnel¡¯s walls were studded with shining gems and Mana Beads, but I ignored them, continuing directly forward.


    As I walked, I kept Mana Sensing active as well, and I could see shining reservoirs of mana from various gems on the walls as well. The density of mana in the walls, and in the air, was gradually increasing.


    There was one thought that kept crossing my mind¡ªthis place is a treasure trove. Of course, I was already rich, with over 150 million coins to my name, but there was something distinctly appealing about walking through a tunnel and choosing not to pick up the valuables around you.


    It was thanks to the Mana Sensing that I caught sight of the strange creatures approaching me.


    I couldn¡¯t see anything normally, but I could tell that mana was flowing towards me.


    <Don¡¯t let them touch you,> Samantha said. <They are spirits that feed on the mana around here. Swap your blade out for Ghostbiter>


    The clouds of mana flying to me were incredibly detailed and intricate. Each cloud had a center, which functioned like a heart¡ªpushing mana out, and drawing mana back towards it. This rhythmic pulsing differed from cloud to cloud¡ªsome had mana that circulated faster than my eye could see, and other clouds¡¯ mana moved lethargically, about an inch every second.


    I could count ten different ¡°spirits¡± approaching me.


    <Take out a Soul Shield Amulet, just in case.> Samantha said.


    I had forgotten I even had one¡ªnumerous, in fact, among the supplies the scouts had left behind.


    The downside to using a Soul Shield Amulet was that it counted as one of my equipment slots. I took off my Goat Mask, because it was kind of dumb anyway.


    The first spirit rushed towards me. Its cloud of mana reminded me of the flickering lasers at a club¡ªdarting fast, in unpredictable directions and extending far from its center.


    Fortunately, I didn¡¯t need to predict its path¡ªthat was Samantha¡¯s job.


    I raised my sword at an angle, and I watched as the mana that had been about to strike me was consumed instead by my sword. Ghostbiter thrummed in excitement.


    Then, following the combat shadow, I pressed my advantage.


    Adding all of my floating points to Agility, I rushed forward, slicing my blade directly towards the center of the spirit that had attacked me.


    The mana around the spirit, previously zooming frantically around, immediately contracted towards the center, but the moment my sword traveled through the center of the mana, I felt the slightest amount of resistance, before my sword continued forward, bisecting the center of the glowing mana.


    Immediately, the mana that had made up that spirit¡¯s cloud diffused naturally, randomly, settling into the tunnels¡¯ ambient mana or sinking back into the gems around me.


    The other spirits, apparently, had been watching that first interaction.


    They paused, and then their mana clouds pulsed frantically at the sight of the first spirit¡¯s death.


    Then they all rushed me, simultaneously.


    I turned to run, but then I noticed that some spirits were coming out of the walls of the tunnel behind me, trapping me where I was.


    Samantha said, suddenly. <Spirits have a rare chance of giving very valuable drops.>Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    It seemed risky¡ªtwenty points was a lot. But I had just tasted the feeling of gaining huge amounts of loot from the Imperial Scouts. In any case, I had the Soul Shield Amulet in case things went wrong.


    The twenty-so spirits rushing towards me were incredibly disconcerting to my Mana Sight. They approached from the ceiling, the ground, and the walls, and they even overlapped on occasion.


    A whirlpool of mana approached my feet, while a Ferris wheel of mana spun towards my head, and a rocket of mana flew directly towards my chest.


    Of course, those weren¡¯t their actual shapes, just the closest approximations.


    For most of them, I had no idea how to describe the mana patterns and fluctuations. Several reminded me of the weird metal sculptures you might see in a city plaza, that move in confusing patterns in the wind.


    Samantha had me move towards the rocket-like spirit that was heading directly towards me, and I moved slightly to the side, so it just breezed past me, slicing itself in half over my sword.


    My sword continued its slice, chopping off the legs of an octopus-like spirit, and I moved in a delicate, dancing pattern around the spirits that were approaching me.


    My next strike targeted the center of the octopus that I had just attacked, and just as I split the octopus spirit¡¯s center, I stepped forward, into the mana that it had previously controlled.


    I quickly realized Samantha¡¯s strategy. The spirits tended to avoid too much overlap, which meant I could carve my own path by moving towards the spirits that I was defeating.


    I jumped to avoid the whirlpool-shaped spirit then propelled myself again using the tunnel¡¯s walls, bisecting another spirit in the process.


    My blade and feet were a blur, but ahead of me, I saw a dense wall of spirits awaiting me.


    Samantha¡¯s combat shadow rushed directly through the wall of spirits.


    <This is the best use of your Soul Shield Amulet,> Samantha explained. <You won¡¯t even feel a thing>


    If she was lying to me, then I would just have even more ammunition against her in the future.


    I charged into the wall of spirits, ignoring the mana that struck me in the form of tentacles, chains, wheels, and strange geometric patterns.


    I struck. The first blow sliced through the centers of three different spirits, and I quickly moved into the newly created ambient mana.


    At the same time, with a loud crack, my Soul Shield faltered.


    But I had cleared my escape path, and I proceeded further through the tunnel, slashing again at the nearest spirits.


    Once I was no longer flanked by spirits, I took the time to don a second Soul Shield Amulet, and then I easily dealt with the remainder of the spirits.


    <hr>


    Killing all twenty or so spirits had taken under 30 seconds, and I was begrudgingly impressed by Samantha¡¯s battle judgement, once again. I hadn¡¯t taken a single HP of damage, and the second Soul Shield Amulet had never cracked.


    I had to be honest with myself. I wasn¡¯t at the point where I could survive these dangerous situations on my own. It wasn¡¯t my skills or stats¡ªit was my own judgement.


    If I wanted to be free of Samantha¡¯s influence, then I needed to pay closer attention to her combat shadow. I needed to figure out how she knew what to do. I needed to gradually build the same sense of judgement that she had, that would tell me exactly what to do when, so that I could survive these moments.


    I hated coming to terms with relying on Samantha, but for the time being, that was the cold, hard truth. I might not have even switched to Ghostbiter in time without Samantha¡¯s warning, and I may not have remembered to use my Soul Shield Amulets in time. No, to be more exact, I had already forgotten I ever had them. This would have resulted in a quick death.


    <Search the ground carefully. Make sure you get every Soul Shard.>


    About half of the spirits had dropped a Soul Shard. The Soul Shards were glossy and translucent, about the size of a paperclip, and they blended into the environment rather well.


    <You¡¯ll want to eat one a day, until you run out. And knowing you, you¡¯ll want to give some to your siblings too.>


    What do they do?


    Besides the title ¡°Soul Shards,¡± the Schema didn¡¯t give any information¡ªnot even a rank.


    <By consuming them, you will strengthen your soul. There is no soul stat in the Schema. For most people, their soul¡¯s strength is directly proportional to the total value of all their combined stats.>


    <Having a strong soul is incredibly important. For example, if you consume enough Soul Shards, you wouldn¡¯t have to worry about that Soul Explosion skill. Stronger souls have a few other benefits, like helping people live longer, as well.>


    And this isn¡¯t going to turn me into an undead or anything?


    <No, I promise you this will have no adverse effects on you. You will not regret consuming these Soul Shards¡ªexcept knowing you, like I mentioned, you would want to save some for your siblings,> Samantha said, patiently.


    I popped the first soul shard into my mouth and swallowed it whole. It had a slightly slimy texture, but I ignored it. Studying my Schema notifications and Status Window, I could tell that there were no obvious changes. This fit with what Samantha had told me, previously¡ªthe Schema didn¡¯t have a soul stat.


    Sensing nothing unusual, I continued walking down the tunnel, hoping to finally escape this hellhole and find my siblings.

 Chapter 47: Ghoul

    <Jarek, I¡¯d like to suggest that you reconsider your strategy.>


    I had barely taken 10 steps after eating the Soul Shard. What now?


    <You need to consider the nature of these tunnels.>


    I thought this was a dungeon, I said, confused. What is there to consider?


    <Dungeons wouldn¡¯t form in the first two weeks of Acclimation,> Samantha replied.  <This is either a Secret District, or a Secret Region.>


    And?


    <At first, I figured we could hope this was a Secret District.  If it¡¯s a Secret District, then when you kill the boss, you get one Town Token.  You already killed the Crystal King Crab and gained a Town Token.  One Town Token isn¡¯t of any use to you¡ªyou could make a town, but then you would need several more to build a Teleportation Circle.   But these tunnels are continuing past the Crystal King Crab, which means this is more than just a Secret District.  If this is a Secret Region, then you could kill the District Lords, and then kill the Region Lord.  Then you could build a city which could teleport you out of here.>


    I know what you want, I shot back. You¡¯ve always been focused on making me fight harder and harder opponents.  Why can¡¯t I just find my way back?


    <First of all, thanks to the earthquakes, there is no guarantee that there is a path out.  Or, even if there is, it might be a complicated maze.  This is the way the Schema works, too¡ªI¡¯m not the only one that encourages people to fight.  It is likely that many paths will lead towards the Region Lord, while if we are lucky, there is one path that leads up and out.>


    That sounds like bullshit, I said. All I have to do is pick the uphill path.


    <I understand that you are used to me lying to you.  But at least you can try to kill the boss monsters as they appear? That way you¡¯ll have the Town Tokens ready in case you do have trouble finding your way out.>


    Fine.


    <Excellent,> Samantha preened.  <Then I should tell you that in the cave up ahead, there is probably something that can control spirits.  You see, those spirits that attacked you just now were unusually coordinated. Since we wouldn¡¯t be at the Region Lord yet, it is probably around level 50. Most likely a ghoul.  So, keep your Ghostbiter ready, your Mana Sensing and your Soul Shield Amulet active, and once you¡¯re at full mana, let¡¯s march!>


    You sound way too cheerful, I said.


    The cavern up ahead of me was similar to the ones I had already passed.  I could see stalactites hanging from the ceiling, but there was no pool of water this time. The ceiling, floor, and walls had half-buried F-rank Earth-attuned Mana Beads.


    There were about twenty more spirits, the best I could make out, spread out throughout the cavern. In the center, I could see a semi-corporal humanoid figure. It didn¡¯t look like it was formed out of flesh and blood, but it felt like there was some substance behind it, not just shadows and darkness like the shade. It looked like a skeleton, wrapped in shadowy rags.


    <A ghoul has ties to the physical and spiritual planes,> Samantha said.  <This one is able to control the spirits around it, obviously.>


    We stood in a stand-off. I hadn¡¯t left the tunnel, and none of the spirits tried to attack.


    Samantha¡¯s combat shadow threw two knives at the ghoul in quick succession, and I followed suit.


    The knives traveled directly through the spirits that blocked my path to the ghoul, but the ghoul was able to float its body to the side to avoid both knives.


    It was strange, that despite its apparent legs, the ghoul chose to fly. The movement was unnatural, with no hint of muscles twitching¡ªit just seemed to glide easily out of the way.


    So far, the ghoul hadn¡¯t budged a muscle.  But then it opened its mouth and shrieked.


    It was a painful, shrill sound, that immediately cracked my Soul Shield Amulet.


    Then the sound continued, reverberating to my core and unsettling my heart. It was dizzying, but I was able to stand my ground.


    At the same time the ghoul shrieked, a dozen spirits rushed towards me.


    I felt, somehow, that my control of my body was weakened. Like there was a thin film, between what I wanted my body to do, and what it was doing.


    <20 points to luck, 30 points to Agility,> Samantha said.


    It took me a split second longer to complete than usual, but then I was ready, following Samantha¡¯s combat shadow, backing away from the ghoul, further down the hallway faster than the spirits approached.


    At the same time, my left hand reached into my Interdimensional Pouch, drawing out another Soul Shield Amulet.


    My retreat continued for four or so seconds, until the shriek stopped.


    The whole time, I stayed just ahead of the spirits chasing me, so they never touched me.


    The moment the ghoul¡¯s shriek ended, the spirits retreated, but I was faster.


    I pounced on them immediately, swinging my blade in large arcs. Each arc pierced the center of the spirit-like clouds of mana, and my blade flew quickly enough that three of them had fallen before the first attack landed on my Soul Shield.


    The first attack wasn¡¯t strong enough to break it, and so I continued my own strikes, the more I killed, the easier it was to dodge the remaining spirits, until just a few seconds later, all of the spirits in the tunnel had fallen to my blade.


    I ran through the tunnel towards the cavern that held the ghoul and the remaining spirits.


    About ten spirits left, and the ghoul.


    With 50 mana already invested in the battle, it was a waste to draw it out.


    As I approached the ghoul, the ten spirits fanned out, attempting to surround me.


    To my surprise, Samantha allowed them to, and I charged directly towards the ghoul.


    The ghoul raised a withered, bony arm, and a bolt of black lightning flew towards me.


    But I wasn¡¯t moving in a straight line¡ªSamantha always kept my movements unpredictable, and with my boosted Agility, I was able to doge the lightning. It struck a spirit behind me¡ªmissing its center¡ªand I saw the mana cloud all around the spirit pulse frantically.


    I put the spirit out of its misery with a well-placed strike at the center of the cloud, and then I charged towards a spirit that was now between me and the ghoul.


    The spirit moved to the side, and the ghoul raised its finger again, but I moved to the side with the spirit, keeping the spirit between me and the ghoul.


    Then I struck, a single blow killing the spirit in front of me.


    The moment I did, black lightning flew towards me again, but I was already dodging away, behind another spirit.


    This one somewhat resembled a tadpole.  It charged towards me, but I sidestepped, and with a light swing of my blade, the tadpole¡¯s center dissolved into ambient mana.


    Each of my movements was succinct, purposeful, and deadly.  It was almost like Samantha was showing off. Like, this is the power of the dark side¡­ together, we can rule the world¡­


    At least we were on the side opposing force lightning.


    I was a dancing whirlwind, always one step ahead of the ghoul and spirits, but never actually attacking the ghoul.


    I tried to pay attention to how Samantha managed it.  Really, it came down to incredible situational awareness, and an ability to predict my opponents.


    So I started working on predicting Samantha¡¯s movements, guessing where she would take me next.  It was futile, though, because Samantha was intentionally being unpredictable, to fool the ghoul.


    By the time there was only one spirit left, I only had 5 seconds left on my boosted Agility and Luck.This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    Normally, I stored up the mana I gained from Mana Regeneration throughout my body, and used that mana in 30 second intervals.  But just because I waited 30 seconds didn¡¯t mean I had to.  By placing everything in my Mana Pool and all the mana that I had generated throughout my body in the last 25 seconds into Luck, I was able to raise my stats significantly higher than my Mana Pool would normally allow.


    Suffice it to say, the ghoul didn¡¯t stand a chance.  With about 90 Agility for 5 seconds, I rushed towards it, easily dodging the black lightning, and I decapitated it with a single blow.


    To my surprise, the combat shadow continued after the decapitating blow, dismembering the ghoul¡¯s arms and legs, until I received a notice announcing the ghoul¡¯s death.


    The moment it died, the one remaining spirit tried to escape, but I used my last second of Agility to easily slice through its center.


    Finally, the only sound I could hear was my own heavy breathing and the occasional drip of water from the ceiling of the cavern.


    The ghoul¡¯s corpse was just a pile of bones, that had previously been held together by mana.


    Lying among the bones, was the Ghoul¡¯s mana core and several books.  The core was a pure black gem, about the size of a raspberry.


    Ghoul Core (D-rank): Grants Soul Magic Affinity (D-rank Low).  If you already have Soul Magic Affinity (D-rank), it advances Soul Magic Affinity by one small step.


    <The ¡°small step¡± part of the description is talking about the way affinity is ranked. If you already had Soul Magic Affinity (D-rank Low), then it would move to D-rank Intermediate.>


    <If you ever feel like getting on Cy¡¯s good side, you should give him the bones.  Primogenitors need a template to work with¡ªoften bones or a mana core. He seemed pretty fond of that shadow of his¡ªI bet he would appreciate having a few ghouls among his children.>


    Please don¡¯t call them children.


    Next to the ghoul was a Town Token.


    Glancing at the Town Token, I realized there was something that had been bothering me at the back of my mind for a while.


    If these monsters are District Lords, then why are they so high leveled? The District Lords I fought over by Reed Town were only Level 35.


    <Two reasons,> Samantha responded. <The monsters that appear the second week, as a whole, are much more powerful than the monsters the first week.  At the same time, the monsters that are District, Region, and Zone Lords will be strengthened.  This was why Lord Ignatius was so excited to defeat the shade before today.>


    <And the second reason,> Samantha continued, <Is that we are in a Secret Region.  Secret Regions tend to have more challenging monsters, in exchange for greater loot.>


    I breathed a sigh of relief, realizing that not every District Lord out in the world now would be over level 50. It was challenging enough for me, dealing with these creatures.  And I was one of the strongest people in the world¡­


    I turned back to the ghoul¡¯s loot, examining the two spell books that it dropped.


    Cursed Lightning (D-rank): When activated, casts cursed lightning at a target, ignoring Physical Defense and targeting the soul.  Requires Soul Magic Affinity (D-rank). Cost: 50 mana. Cooldown: 24 hours.


    Soul Communion (D-rank): Every time you kill a creature with a soul stronger than yours, the creature¡¯s dying soul will slightly strengthen yours.


    <Soul Magic Affinity is hard to come by,> Samantha said. <Fortunately, if you swallow the Ghoul Core, you should be able to gain it, and then you¡¯ll be able to learn Cursed Lightning and Soul Communion.  Ghouls have been hunted to near extinction for their cores.>


    Be honest¡ªare there any downsides to learning a ¡°cursed¡± spell? Or eating a Ghoul Core? Or this Soul Communion skill? Any zealots or cults that will stop at nothing to kill me?


    <No,> Samantha said, with a bit too much force. <Well, there is an obvious stigma, but it¡¯s mainly from the general public. Every faction has their share of darker spells.  For the most part, people look the other way.>


    <I really recommend that you consume the Ghoul Core, because it will make you much stronger at no cost. Consuming cores grants you affinities¡ªin this case, magic affinities. You can only consume three cores before level 50, and for the most part, you can only ever have three affinities.  Those three cores will be assimilated into your own body, and in order to breakthrough to level 50, you will need to advance one of those affinities to the next rank¡ªin your case, C-rank. Soul Magic Affinity allows for some badass skills if you can find them¡ªlike the Soul Explosion skill that the shade dropped, in addition to the two skills that you see here. So the only downside is that it will be a bit more challenging to break through to level 50, but I have a plan for that.  As you hopefully know, I do take your advancement seriously.>


    Way too seriously.  Samantha, I think you know me well by now. Will I, at any point, regret eating this Ghoul Core? Before you answer, I want you to think about how you will be in my head for a lifetime. Every lie you tell me makes it that much harder for me to trust you.


    <You won¡¯t regret it.  The only small chance you could regret it, is if you find two better cores to consume. Then, I would regret it as well. But this is very unlikely.>


    On your head be it, I thought back, swallowing the Ghoul Core in my palm.


    You have swallowed a Ghoul Core (D-rank).


    You have gained Soul Magic Affinity (D-rank).


    The next thing to do, was to decide if I actually wanted to learn ¡°Soul Communion.¡±  Doesn¡¯t Soul Communion sound dark to you?


    <Ghouls actually live off of other creatures¡¯ souls,> Samantha replied. <Fortunately, you don¡¯t require souls to survive.  Think of it like experience. You basically get an extra type of experience whenever you kill something with a stronger soul.  The only catch is that there is no ¡°soul¡± stat, so it is hard to track.>


    You mentioned that before.  Why is that?


    <Souls operate on a much higher level than the Atropos Schema. Legend has it, when the Schema first originated, it never mentioned souls at all. The Schema hadn¡¯t ¡°incorporated¡± souls. Souls are a higher order of existence.  Over the years, the Schema has figured out ways to represent souls¡ªlike adding a Soul Affinity.  Think of it this way.  The Schema has such incredible control of your body that it gives you a choice for how to convert the energy released from the death of another creature.  You could convert that energy into making you stronger, faster, or you could give yourself access to more magic. Converting that energy into ¡°stats¡± means that the Schema has authority over your body and those attributes.  However, the Schema has very little ability to directly affect your soul.  Even skills like Soul Explosion or Cursed Lightning function outside of the Schema¡¯s direct control.  It¡¯s like the Schema is copying and pasting code that it doesn¡¯t completely understand.  That doesn¡¯t mean it¡¯s able to directly go in and increase the strength of your soul on your own.>


    <It is important to realize that for each additional Stat Point you have, your soul is a bit stronger. But there are plenty of other factors that affect the soul¡¯s strength, so you should never reduce a soul to just the total number of stats a creature has.  For example, for most people over level 100, dying of old age actually means dying because entropy¡¯s pull on your soul has gradually grown stronger, not because your body is falling apart, or because your stats are decreasing.  All this is to say that you should definitely learn Soul Communion.>


    It was a bit more of an explanation than I had anticipated, but I figured I didn¡¯t have any right to complain, since I had asked for it.


    I collected the other Soul Shards on the ground, and then took out a meal square from the Imperial Scouts¡¯ loot and sat down for a brief meal.


    As I ate, I learned Cursed Lightning and Soul Communion.  I really hoped Samantha wasn¡¯t turning me into a Sith¡­


    My Mana Pool only needed about two minutes to recharge, but it was really my Stamina that needed to recover, now.  Fighting with greatly elevated Agility, even if it was just for 30 seconds, took a lot out of me. Even with over 30 Strength, I was still winded and needed a break.


    Samantha, I¡¯m tired of wasting my time. I want you to lead me out of this place.


    <I¡¯m flattered that you think so highly of me,> Samantha responded.  <But I have no clue how to get out.  As I mentioned, I am suspicious that most paths will lead to more monsters, and eventually to the Region Lord.  If I were to lead you incorrectly, then you would just blame me when we keep fighting more monsters.>


    That¡¯s bullshit. You just want me to get lost and encounter more monsters. I need to find my family!


    <Think about your own mentality, Jarek. You¡¯re being very antagonistic. The only way I could convince you of my good intentions is if I lead you directly to the exit, which is something I am simply incapable of doing. Yes, I memorized the path down here, but it was blocked by the earthquake, remember?>


    Whatever.  I¡¯ll find the way out myself.


    <table width="624">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Name:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    Jarek


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Level:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    24


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    HP:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    34/34


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Physical Defense:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    18


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Strength:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    31 (+5)


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Mental Power:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    13


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Dexterity:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    10 (+5)


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Agility:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    10 (+20)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Perception:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    20 (+2)


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Luck:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    11


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Mana Pool:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    75 (+10)


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Mana Regeneration:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    32 (+10)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Available Points:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    0


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Coins:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    155,227,000


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Class:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    Mana Modulator (D-rank)


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Profession:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    Rune Master


    (E-rank)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Titles:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="486">


    Region Lord (E-rank)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Skills and Spells:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="486">


    Identify (E-rank)


    Mana Modulation (D-rank Core)


    Death¡¯s Defier (A-rank)


    Mana Sensing (E-rank)


    Healthy Magic (E-rank)


    Don¡¯t Mind Me (D-rank)


    Aquatic Respiration (E-rank)


    Polyglot (E-rank)


    Soul Communion (D-rank)


    Cursed Lightning (D-rank)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Affinities:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="486">


    Internal Mana (D-rank Low), External Unattributed Mana (E-rank Low), Soul Magic (D-rank Low)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Equipment:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="486">


    Vampiric Blade (D-rank): +5 Strength, +5 Agility.


    Bloodied Battle Robes (D-rank): +5 Mana Pool, +5 Mana Regen.


    Boots of a Feather (D-rank): +10 Agility.


    Greedy Gloves (D-rank): +5 Mana Pool, +5 Mana Regen.


    Bonded Blades (D-rank): +5 Dexterity, +5 Agility.


    Goat Mask (D-rank): +2 Perception.


    Interdimensional Pouch (D-rank):


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Missions:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="486">


    Zone Offense


    Renegade Bounty Hunter


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>

 Chapter 48: Ground Rules

    As it turned out, Samantha was probably telling the truth when she said that most paths would lead to the Region Lord. The next path I took, I found myself heading deeper and deeper into the mountain.  I had intentionally picked the tunnel with an uphill incline, but I still found that incline turning into a gradual downhill.


    At best, the tunnels were designed to be a maze. At worst, there was actually one way out¡ªtowards the Region Lord.


    The further I walked, the warmer it got.  The Poison and Earth-attuned Mana Beads now gave way to Fire-attuned Mana Beads.  The Fire-attuned Mana Beads, each about the size of a fingernail, cast an ominous red light on the tunnels, and created an uncomfortable warmth, that I just knew promised a new adventure around the bend.


    And I¡ªor rather, Samantha¡ªwasn¡¯t disappointed.


    Turning a corner, I found the pathway covered in small red bugs the size of a housefly.  There were hundreds of thousands of them¡ªI couldn¡¯t see the ground, walls, or ceiling at all.


    The Schema identified them as Lava Roaches (level 20).


    <That¡¯s unfortunate,> Samantha said.  <You still don¡¯t have an AOE attack.  How many Explosion Rune Patterns do you have?>


    I took a quick inventory of my Interdimensional Pouch.  Ten.


    <That¡¯s enough.  Here¡¯s the strategy. Put twenty points into Physical Defense, and fifty points into Agility. We¡¯re going to rush through, and drop a few bombs off in their hive before they can spread out.  Don¡¯t let them fly down your throat or nose. Lava roaches are controlled by the Lava Roach Queen, which is about the size of a sparrow. If we¡¯re fast enough, we¡¯ll kill the queen in a quick hit-and-run.>


    Why is this unfortunate? You¡¯re making this sound easy.  I asked uneasily.


    <It¡¯s a waste to use these bombs. You really need to find a good AOE skill.  And if we don¡¯t kill the queen right away, then this will be an incredibly annoying game of hide-and-seek.>


    I readied myself mentally, added the points to Physical Defense and Agility, and followed Samantha¡¯s combat shadow through the lava roaches.


    For once, there was no weaving, no feinting, or zigzagging.


    I ran in a straight line, stomping on the lava roaches below my feet, and in under a second I was out of the tunnel and inside yet another cavern.


    It was impossible to tell any details about the cavern, because every surface was swarming with lava roaches. The layers of roaches were at least 6 inches thick, obscuring the light that the fire-attuned Mana Shards normally cast, leaving only the red glow of the lava roaches to illuminate my path. The room was incredibly warm, and I was sweating profusely in my armor.


    Samantha had me charge towards the center of the room, where the roaches were densest.


    Each step was a sickening crunch, as my booted feet squashed hundreds of roaches with every step.


    The number of lava roaches in the cavern was mind-boggling. They were already agitated, swirling in tornado-like movements, and buzzing angrily.


    I was half way through the room, when my leg sunk through the lava roaches, passed where I thought the ground was going to be, and into a pool of lava.


    ¡°Fuck!¡± I shouted, jumping back immediately.


    It cost a precious second, and the lava roaches around me were already flying at me. I wasn¡¯t concerned about their bites, thanks to my Physical Defense, at least.


    Instead of charging forward, Samantha had me toss an Igneal Ingot engraved with E-rank Explosion Rune Pattern toward the center of what I now assumed was a lake of lava, adding about ten additional points to my Perception at the same time.


    Just like how nearing 20 points to my Perception granted me what was essentially night vision, approaching 30 points essentially gave me heat vision.


    Unfortunately, every sense was occluded, because by now the roaches were flying all around me, on my skin, swarming and trying to fly into my ears, eyes, and nose.  With my increased Physical Defense, the tiny bugs couldn¡¯t really harm me, but they we annoying and they were able to limit my senses¡ªoverloading Mana Sensing, blocking my line of sight, and exuding enough heat that I couldn¡¯t distinguish the Lava Roach leader.You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    I could feel myself panicking.  My heartrate increased, and my breath came out in uncomfortable gasps.


    Even as I was panicking, the world in front of me exploded.  Along with the sound, a shower of lava and roach corpses blew towards me.


    There was one bright side to all the roaches in front of me: they were in between me and the explosion.


    I ran around the circumference of the lake of lava. With crude thermal vision, it wasn¡¯t exactly rocket science to find the lake. As I ran, I flicked my eyes back and forth, hoping to catch some sign of the Roach Queen.


    I was following the combat shadow by reflex, and so when the combat shadow jumped towards the lava, I followed suit, activating my Boots of a Feather to gain a second jump¡ªbringing me further towards the center of the lava lake.


    It was as I descended towards the lake of lava that I realized I had, once again, made the mistake of trusting Samantha.


    I fell directly into burning hot lava and screamed.  I writhed in pain, flailing in agony at the incredible pain covering my legs and waist.


    As I did, I felt my arm connect with something surprisingly solid.


    <It¡¯s the Roach Queen! Kill it!>


    I could barely think straight, but I knew enough to not let go of the creature squirming away from me. I clenched the creature in my left hand, and then I struck it, hard, with my dagger, several times.


    <Take off all your equipment except for your battle robes! Hurry and don¡¯t let your pouches get submerged again! Then put more points into Physical Defense!> Samantha said.


    What? I could barely think straight, still feeling fire all over my body. I put the points into Physical Defense, but why would I take off the equipment that was protecting me?


    <Your equipment will lose durability! Take it off now!>


    With more points in Physical Defense, the lava only felt like uncomfortably hot water.  Samantha¡¯s instructions made sense¡ªas I peeled off the various equipment, I could see that they were far worse for the wear.


    My knives and sword were barely damaged, along with the damn goat mask.  My battle robes were almost completely destroyed, but they could fix themselves later.


    The Boots of a Feather were completely destroyed by the time I unequipped them, and I tossed the useless leather into the lava pool. It was a shame¡ªI had been so excited when I bought these boots, but I had barely even used them.


    My gloves were also hanging on by a thread, but Samantha was hopeful that with the right tanner, I could repair them.


    It was uncomfortable, to say the least, to take this inventory of my equipment while floating in a lake of lava. Especially since my inflated stats were on a time limit.


    But the moment I finished taking off all my equipment, I immediately grabbed the Town Token that was floating next to the roach¡¯s corpse.


    Besides the corpse itself, I didn¡¯t gain any other loot, so I quickly made my way out of the lava, replacing my destroyed boots with a pair of boots that had belonged to the Imperial Scouts.


    It was a painful reduction in my Agility, but at least I had shoes to wear.


    The only bright side was that these roaches were now mindless bugs, now that the queen was dead. For someone with an AOE skill, this would be a leveling dream¡­


    But I was on a mission. I needed to find Justin, Petra, and Ezma.


    I continued walking through the cavern and the tunnels, killing the lava roaches that were closest to me.


    We need reset expectations, I said, finally starting up a conversation with Samantha.


    <Let me guess. Ground rule number 1: no walking on the lava?> Samantha quipped. I could hear a bit of nervousness in her voice.


    No. If you¡¯re going to do something that will cause me that much pain, you need to let me know in advance, so that I can confirm it.


    <That¡¯s easier said than done. I¡¯m not a god, Jarek.  Have I ever mentioned that using the combat shadow is actually very challenging for me? Think about it for a moment.  First, I have to calculate the locations and likely trajectories of everything around you. Then, I have to factor in your reaction speed¡ªwhich is variable, depending on your Agility stat and your mental state.  There isn¡¯t time for that kind of discussion in a battle, especially when you are on a timer.  I saw an opportunity, and we took it.  If I had to ask you, then by the time you complained, vented, and responded, the window of opportunity to jump on top of the Lava Roach Queen would have vanished.  Even if I had mentioned it, you would have slowed down, flinched, and not followed the combat shadow reliably.  I view the most recent battle as a success¡ªand if you had followed my instructions immediately, we wouldn¡¯t have lost the boots, either. So I¡¯m the one who should be complaining, here.   And if you can¡¯t handle the pain, then I would be happy to turn it off for you.>


    I clenched my teeth, and swung a blade unnecessarily hard at a nearby lava roach. There was no satisfactory resistance¡ªmy blade cut easily through the roach¡¯s body.


    The most annoying part of it all that I could see what she was saying.  I had already agreed that killing the roach queen for the Town Token was important. In retrospect, Samantha had likely already calculated that with my boosted Physical Defense, the lava would hurt, but it wouldn¡¯t kill me.


    And of course, Samantha reframed the conversation to make me sound like a whining wimp.


    The truth of the matter was, I needed Samantha, if I wanted to survive down here, let alone find my family.    If I had tried to make it past the roaches without Samantha, I might have made it past, but I certainly couldn¡¯t have killed the Roach Queen. And, if I truly need these Town Tokens, then I would have been stuck.


    I didn¡¯t know what else to say to Samantha, but I didn¡¯t want her to have the last words.  Let¡¯s get out of here.

 Chapter 49: Lava Troll

    As I continued through the tunnels, the green mist had completely receded, and instead, steam rose all around me.   I was at a point where I had no idea how much time I had spent in these tunnels.


    I laughed bitterly, recalling how excited I was to enter the tunnels. That one kidnapper was going to regret not mentioning that these tunnels continued on forever.


    I¡¯d gone through the full range of emotions, in these tunnels. Excitement to find my siblings. Frustration and stress, thinking that I may have missed them, or they may have been killed by the monsters inhabiting these tunnels.


    But now, I just felt tired.  Tired of everything. I didn¡¯t want to walk anymore.  Anything would be a pleasant break from this monotony.


    It didn¡¯t help that my only company was guilty of mind-controlling me for the better part of a week.


    The world was going to hell, and what better scenery to commemorate that fact than the tunnels around me.


    The Fire-attuned Mana Beads were becoming a more and more common sight, and the heat in the tunnels was becoming more and more oppressive. I could see rivulets of lava flash-cooling in the walls.


    The moment I heard another sound, besides my own footsteps, my initial reaction was finally.


    To my surprise, the sound didn¡¯t come from a monster trawling the hallways.  Instead, I was able to walk quietly into the next cavern.  I even donned my newly acquired Invisibility Cloak, at Samantha¡¯s suggestion.


    Samantha said, the moment we turned the corner and saw Samantha¡¯s next victim.


    And victim was an accurate word, in this situation.


    There was a level 60 Lava Troll, sleeping in the middle of the tavern. The sound that I had heard earlier was the sound of it snoring.


    The first thing that I noticed was that it was massive.  If it were to stand up, it would probably be 20 feet tall.


    It made me almost pity the creature.  The tunnels were all less than 10 feet in diameter, which meant this troll had certainly received the short end of the stick when the Atropos Schema had teleported it into this world.


    The troll had dark red skin, probably due to its nature as a lava troll. Almost its whole body was covered in white scars.  It wore a loincloth that was made from the furry hide of some unknown creature, which raised all kinds of interesting questions.  I could even see signs of very patchy needlework on the loincloth. Is it sentient?


    <Well,> Samantha said, with a hint of joy in her voice, <I suggest we sneak attack it with everything put into Strength and Luck.  Unless, of course, you want to try to talk to it to see if it¡¯s friendly first.>


    From the way that she clearly didn¡¯t answer my question, I figured the troll was probably sentient.


    I sighed. What did it say about my morals, that ¡°innocent until proven guilty¡± only carried so far?


    Goblins and orcs showed themselves to be sentient in the tutorial.  It was likely that this troll was, too.


    If it were Justin in my shoes, every time, I¡¯m sure he would try to reason with the other person. He wouldn¡¯t have fared well in the tutorial¡­


    If it were Petra¡­ something told me she would have no qualms slitting anybody¡¯s throat.


    I sighed. I was just so tired.


    I snuck up to the Lava Troll, still under the Invisibility Cloak, dodging around the bubbling streams of lava that flowed around the uneven floor, until I was just a foot away from the troll.  The troll was completely bald, but parts of its body were intermittently caked in rock¡ªlikely lava that had hardened in its sleep.


    Its skin was wrinkled and somewhat flabby.


    To my surprise, it didn¡¯t smell foul. Was that speciesist?


    Instead of a smell, it exuded an extremely uncomfortable heat. Standing just a foot away, I noticed that I was losing about one HP per second, just from the creature¡¯s heat.


    <How many other creatures your level do you think could decapitate a Lava Troll in one strike? Samantha asked, gleefully. Then she coughed, and changed the tone of her voice. <Ten points to Luck, everything else to Strength.>


    I followed her instructions, and I struck. The attack wasn¡¯t particularly fast, nor particularly tricky. A solid, powerful blow directly targeting the troll¡¯s neck.


    As I swung my blade, I saw the troll¡¯s eyelids shoot open, and a very human look of shock appeared on its face, just as my sword sliced through the Adam¡¯s apple, hit a bit of resistance on something, before plowing through and my blade lodged in the creature¡¯s spinal cord.


    Sizzling, hot blood spurted out of the neck, and I had to dodge to the side to avoid being touched by it.Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    The blood ate away at the rock around me, melting directly through the rock and releasing thick gusts of steam.


    My Vampiric Blade¡¯s effect was active, and the same moment it sliced through the troll¡¯s neck, I received mana back from the sword.


    I poured the mana into Agility, leaving the sword and dodging backwards, in case the troll had any final death throws.


    The troll reached feebly towards me, but its hand collapsed.


    Level up!


    I was extremely thankful for the D-ranked Interdimensional Pouch that the Imperial Scouts had gifted me. Without it, I would have to chop up and harvest the most valuable troll organs¡­


    Or, on second thought, I could have left the troll here.  I had plenty of money anyway.


    All it took was placing a hand on the corpse, and the next second, it was gone.


    Then, I glanced around at the loot around me.


    There was a Town Token that had appeared on the troll¡¯s corpse.  Now that I had four town tokens, all I needed to do was kill the Region Lord, and I would be free from this hellhole.


    Next to the Town Token was a skill book:


    Overpowering Strike (D-rank): When activated, doubles your effective Strength for the next five seconds.  Cooldown:  1 hour. Requires Strength Affinity.


    Maybe this would be a good apology gift for Ryker. Thinking about Ryker reminded me that I hadn¡¯t seen him since Lord Ignatius died. I hope he¡¯s not bitter at me, too.


    After collecting my loot, I turned to my Status Window next.  I had one free point.


    <Can I suggest that you not put it into Mental Power? Since you don¡¯t have a class or profession connected to Mental Power, you¡¯re not going to be able to learn the best skills related to Mental Power.  And you already have Don¡¯t Mind Me, so you don¡¯t need to worry about being mind-controlled-->


    I ignored Samantha, and put the point towards Mental Power.  Samantha had been downplaying Mental Power this whole time. If it was only useful for defense against mind control, then shouldn¡¯t it be called Mental Defense, not Mental Power?


    <table width="624">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Name:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    Jarek


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Level:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    25


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    HP:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    35/35


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Physical Defense:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    18


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Strength:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    31 (+5)


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Mental Power:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    14


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Dexterity:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    10 (+5)


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Agility:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    10 (+14)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Perception:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    20 (+2)


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Luck:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    11


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Mana Pool:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    78 (+10)


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Mana Regeneration:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    33 (+10)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Available Points:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    0


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Coins:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    155,247,000


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Class:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    Mana Modulator (D-rank)


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Profession:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    Rune Master


    (E-rank)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Titles:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="486">


    Region Lord (E-rank)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Skills and Spells:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="486">


    Identify (E-rank)


    Mana Modulation (D-rank Core)


    Death¡¯s Defier (A-rank)


    Mana Sensing (E-rank)


    Healthy Magic (E-rank)


    Don¡¯t Mind Me (D-rank)


    Aquatic Respiration (E-rank)


    Polyglot (E-rank)


    Soul Communion (D-rank)


    Cursed Lightning (D-rank)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Affinities:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="486">


    Internal Mana (D-rank Low), External Unattributed Mana (E-rank Low), Soul Magic (D-rank Low)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Equipment:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="486">


    Vampiric Blade (D-rank): +5 Strength, +5 Agility.


    Bloodied Battle Robes (D-rank): +5 Mana Pool, +5 Mana Regen.


    Imperial Scout Boots (E-rank): +4 Agility.


    Greedy Gloves (D-rank): +5 Mana Pool, +5 Mana Regen.


    Bonded Blades (D-rank): +5 Dexterity, +5 Agility.


    Goat Mask (D-rank): +2 Perception.


    Interdimensional Pouch (D-rank):


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Missions:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="486">


    Zone Offense


    Renegade Bounty Hunter


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <hr>


    I wish I could say I easily found the Region Lord, now that I had all four Town Tokens.


    But no. I had to fight through a cave of Giant Lava Spiders, and then a cave of Lava Crocodiles.  After the crocodiles, I started encountering monsters basically every 10 feet. Bats, worms, bugs, aardvark-like creatures, you name it.


    The incessant flood of creatures in the tunnels at least indicated that I was almost at the bottom of this god-forsaken place.


    I was used to the heat, but I wasn¡¯t used to the pain of countless injuries, or just the mind-numbing nature of it all.


    It had likely been well over 24 hours since I entered these mines.  I¡¯d been forced to take brief power naps¡ªnever for too long, because God knows what creatures might sneak up on me.  There were skills out there that enabled people to get by on less sleep, but it was unlikely that my three affinities would allow me to learn them.  By continually increasing my own Strength, though, I would be increasing my Stamina, which would mean I could last longer and longer without sleep.


    The deeper I traveled into these tunnels and caves, the more I felt like I was walking through gold. In fact, there were definitely moments where I casually Identified large gems to find Mana Shards buried in the walls around me¡ªand each Mana Shard would be roughly worth 10,000 coins.


    I¡¯d heard once, that if Bill Gates were to stop ¡°working¡± and pick up a hundred-dollar bill, he would be losing money.


    I felt the same way, as I ignored the priceless treasures around me.


    Finally, I turned a corner, and saw the largest cavern I had seen yet.

 Chapter 50: Wyvern

    The cavern ahead of me was large enough that I could almost forget that I was underground. It reminded me of the story, Journey to the Center of the Earth.


    The ceiling, which was probably hundreds of yards above me, had jewels embedded in it that looked like stars.


    The temperature was actually surprisingly chilly, and not an ounce of lava was visible.


    The walls and floor were lined by a smooth, dark blue glassy texture.


    My Identify skill revealed that everything¡ªthe walls, ceiling, and floor¡ªwas all the same substance.


    Xither Crystal (F-rank).


    <Xither is a heat sink,> Samantha provided. <It grows naturally by absorbing heat. It has all kinds of uses in Acclimated Worlds.>


    I had made enough of a din fighting my way here that I didn¡¯t have a hope surprising whoever the Region Lord was. I had half expected to see it staring down the tunnel, watching me.


    Of course, Samantha made sure I had Mana Sensing running as well, which is what gave me my first sense that I was about to walk into an ambush. I was still inside the tunnel approaching the massive cavern, and with Mana Sensing, I could see a massive outline of mana clinging to the wall directly above the entrance into the cavern.


    At Samantha¡¯s suggestion, I briefly switched some of my floating points to Perception.


    Listening and studying the cavern carefully, I could finally hear slow, suppressed breathing.


    The breaths were far too slow and long to indicate a human¡ªwhatever this creature was, it had a massive lung capacity.


    <Use your nose,> Samantha said.


    I inhaled deeply, taking in the various scents around me.


    I could smell the blood that had crusted on my equipment. I could smell my own sweat, and a gust of fresher air that leaked through the cavern ahead of me.


    Buried in that whiff of air was another scent. A hint of a creature¡ª


    <It¡¯s a wyvern.> Samantha said. <Like a dragon, but killable. Anyway, I¡¯m sure you remember it from the tutorial. The good news is, this one is young enough that it can¡¯t breathe anything dangerous. Your biggest challenge will be that it can fly. And that it is smart.>


    Just tell me what to do, I said, resigned to relying on Samantha¡¯s advice. I had no confidence in taking out this wyvern by myself, judging from how I had struggled against the District Lords. And this time, I didn¡¯t have any allies that Samantha could endanger.


    Once my Perception boost died down, I put my floating points into Agility and ran through the tunnel.


    The moment I was out of the tunnel, I spun around, in time to see a black, winged creature the size of a semi-truck fly towards me, claws stretched out.


    Instead of dodging, I stared down the wyvern, and cast Cursed Lightning.


    The black lightning flew from my fingertips, and I felt an incredible burst of power rise within me.


    It was the first time I had cast a proper spell, and it was an incredibly powerful feeling.


    Unfortunately, despite the name, the lightning didn¡¯t travel as fast as I hoped¡ªthis was also what had allowed Samantha and me to dodge the Ghoul¡¯s lightning attacks, as well.


    I was targeting the wyvern¡¯s underbelly, but the wyvern shrieked, flapped its massive wings, and barreled away.


    The Cursed Lightning missed the upper underbelly, where I anticipated its heart and core to be, and sunk into the upper tail of the wyvern, just passed the creature¡¯s hind legs.


    The wyvern released a loud shriek and flew away.


    I didn¡¯t even have to dodge the wyvern¡¯s attack.


    As the wyvern flew away, I noticed that its long tail drooped uselessly behind it.


    <That will probably scare it away for a while,> Samantha said. <Long enough for us to get our Mana back.>


    Unfortunately, I wouldn¡¯t be able to use Cursed Lightning for 24 hours. Otherwise, I had a feeling I could end this battle quickly.


    The wyvern flew all the way up to the ceiling, hundreds of yards above me. It probably figured I couldn¡¯t see it. Maybe it was thinking it could try a surprise attack, soon.


    What exactly did the lightning do? I hadn¡¯t expected the wyvern to flee so promptly. If it stayed up there, then I didn¡¯t stand a chance in hell killing it.


    <Think of the soul as a template for your body, like a concept of self. When you level up, it is your soul that tells the Schema what your body should look like. The soul exists in every part of your body, but when you lose an arm or leg, normally the part of the soul that was in that arm or leg still exists. This is why, when you level up, your body can regrow limbs.>The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    <But what you did, though, was sever the soul¡¯s connection to the tail, essentially cutting off the part of the soul that existed in the tail. So even if the wyvern leveled up, its tail wouldn¡¯t heal. It would take soul-specific healing methods for the wyvern to regain the use of its tail¡ªlike the Soul Shards you collected earlier. Cursed Lightning is also a rather painful spell.>


    Judging from the wyvern¡¯s shriek as it fled, and the distance that it put between us, Cursed Lightning was probably a bit more than ¡°rather painful.¡±


    Well, what do we do now?


    <First of all, stop looking at where the wyvern is. You don¡¯t want it to know that you can see it. You can start looting the place, and hopefully the wyvern¡¯s greed will overcome its fear.>


    I followed the combat shadow towards the middle of the cavern. To my surprise, there was relatively normal-looking moss growing out of the Xither Crystals.


    The padded ground was a nice alternative, after walking for hours on stone and uneven gems.


    As I walked, I even saw a few flowers growing out of the mossy ground. I crossed a small, bubbling creek, that held tiny silver fish that swam away the moment they saw me. I could almost feel like I was back in a normal part of Earth.


    As far as I could tell, there was nothing dangerous or unnatural, except for the wyvern and the Xither Crystals that coated every surface.


    I continued walking cautiously towards the center of the cavern.


    Using Mana Sensing, I could tell that the ambient mana around me was higher than any place I had been before. And the densest mana was directly ahead of me.


    The closer I got to the center of the cavern, the more plant life there was around me.


    With each step, it seemed the moss grew thicker, the flowers grew more abundantly, and I could even see sprouting saplings of various kinds of trees around me.


    <This is a complete treasure trove,> Samantha said. <This, right here, is why you have three or more major factions fighting to claim this world.>


    Ahead of me, dead center in the cavern, was a dome of what looked like extremely thick blackberry brambles, woven into a thick net that completely blocked my sight inside. The dome was about 50 yards in diameter, raised about 20 yards up as well.


    The dome turned out to be a living plant: Belian Brambles (E-rank).


    <Belian Brambles are an annoying weed,> Samantha explained. <They grow around energy sources and monopolize the resources. They aren¡¯t sentient, and won¡¯t directly attack you, but they are incredibly resilient and their thorns are extremely sharp. We¡¯ll want to clear them out once we build our city here¡ªthey¡¯ll destroy the ecosystem.>


    Don¡¯t get ahead of yourself, I shot back. How do we get the wyvern to come down?


    <I guarantee you there is an incredibly valuable energy source in the center of the brambles. The wyvern won¡¯t let us take it. But also, the wyvern probably has carved its own path towards the energy source. Most likely over the top of the brambles. So you¡¯ll have to climb that thing and get to the top.>


    From one perspective, the interwoven brambles looked easy to climb. It looked sturdy, and I could see plenty of handholds and footholds available.


    But that wasn¡¯t counting the incredibly sharp blade-like thorns that protruded from every inch of the brambles. There was no pattern to the length of the thorns¡ªsome were a half inch, some looked like six-inch-long needles.


    Can¡¯t I just cut through it?


    <That would take a while. Those brambles are really tough, there are thousands of them, and they likely get stronger the deeper you go. It would be like cutting through a ten-foot thick wall. Put your floating points into Physical Defense and let¡¯s get started. Take off your boots and gloves, because those will get shredded anyway.>


    Once I took off the boots and gloves, I equipped two rings that each offered a personal shield, opting not to activate them right away. The shields were only F-rank items, so they were unlikely to last for long against the thorns, let alone the wyvern.


    And then I started climbing.


    Despite my raised Physical Defense, every step drew pricks of blood. I was able to avoid putting too much weight on my hands, but my feet definitely suffered the worst of it.


    I grit my teeth and continued climbing.


    A gust of wind was the only warning I had. Following the combat shadow, I spun and started to draw my sword and knife, adding another thirty points to Physical Defense.


    The wyvern barreled into me, full force, leading with its now-useless tail.


    It felt like I had been hit by a truck.


    My whole body was pressed against the brambles, drawing blood all over my body, and as I fell, the dome collapsed underneath me due to the wyvern¡¯s full-force blow, pressing me further and further through brambles that shredded my robes and skin, until I reached the ground.


    My head was dizzy with pain, and my chest had the weight of the full wyvern on me, pressing against me.


    Without my elevated Physical Defense, I would be dead twice over. First from crushed ribs, and second from the thorns that would have pierced through me.


    Through my blurred vision, I saw a claw descending towards my head.


    Lying flat on my back, pinned by the wyvern, I had no way to dodge. Fortunately, my right arm was free.


    I raised my Vampiric Blade, placing the rest of my Mana Pool into Strength, and deflected the claw as it sliced towards me, forcing the claw to cut through some of the brambles that were underneath me.


    Then I put the rest of my Mana Pool into Strength, and stabbed my sword deep into the wyvern¡¯s underbelly, activating the sword¡¯s skill.


    The wyvern was pressing against me, and it didn¡¯t have time or room to dodge. My sword sunk in until my hilt reached the wyvern¡¯s belly. As it did, thanks to my sword¡¯s skill, for every 10 HP that the wyvern lost, I gained 1 mana to my mana pool.


    From the 10 Mana I gained, I could tell that that single attack had done some serious damage.


    The wyvern reared away, trying to disentangle itself.


    I almost felt bad for it.


    If you see someone cast cursed lightning, it seems like they probably have a high Mana Pool and Mana Regeneration. Due to a simple scarcity of Stat Points, it was unlikely that I would have incredible Physical Defense¡ªenough to survive a ten-yard fall on top of hundreds of blades. It was even more unlikely I would have enough Strength to steal 100 HP in a single blow.


    The wyvern had fallen into this collapsed dome too. As it extended its wings, the various thorns and brambles around it sliced its wings as well, refusing to allow the wyvern to lift itself up.


    Another claw swiped at my chest, and this time I swung my blade at the wyvern¡¯s knee, slicing through the joint and letting the dismembered claw fall on top of me.


    The wyvern roared in pain.


    It whipped its head towards me.


    With the deadweight of its tail on my torso, only my arms could move, and the head was the size of a twin-sized bed.


    The wyvern opened its mouth, and I saw jagged rows of teeth descend towards my body.


    As it did, I tossed three Igneal Explosives down its throat.


    Just as its teeth were about to close over my body, the three Igneal Ingots exploded¡ªinside the wyvern¡¯s open mouth, and also over my chest.


    The blinding, burning pain only lasted a split second.


    `

 Chapter 51: Aether Vent

    //previously//


    Just as the wyvern¡¯s teeth were about to close over my body, the three Igneal Ingots exploded¡ªinside the wyvern¡¯s open mouth, and directly over my chest.


    The blinding, burning pain only lasted a split second.


    //previously//


    You have reached 0 HP.


    Your skill ¡°Death¡¯s Defier¡± has taken effect. +1 HP


    Congratulations for killing the Veyrier Mines Region Lord. +5 Available Stat Points.


    Level up!


    The moment I leveled up, I felt my body heal from all its wounds. The pain vanished¡ªand then the thorns around me cut into my freshly healed skin, causing a new round of pain.


    You¡¯re fucking crazy, I thought to Samantha, as I collected the Wyvern Carcass into my Interdimensional Pouch. It was an incredible skill, really, being able to remove a multi-ton weight pressing down on me, with a wave of my hand.


    With the carcass gone, the whole bramble dome flexed and stretched upwards, no longer weighed down by the massive creature.


    I struggled to right myself, and let myself fall into the cracks that we had made in the dome, scratching my hands and knees horribly in the process, but eventually finding myself on the ground, in a forest of brambles that rose all around me.


    <There were several other possible ways to kill the wyvern, but I figured this would be the fastest,> Samantha said, proudly. <You did keep complaining about being in a hurry.>


    With the corpse gone, the loot had literally fallen on my lap.


    A City Token, and nothing else.


    I hadn¡¯t had the MP to spare¡ªor the attention, at least¡ªto put more points into Luck. Hopefully, there was a Wyvern Core inside the wyvern corpse as well. But it looked like I wasn¡¯t receiving any Skill Books or special drops.


    <Talking about being in a hurry,> Samantha said. <You have four seconds before your Physical Defense boost runs out.


    I immediately rushed to put more points into Physical Defense, and to clear a path around me.


    Whatever the energy source was that the Belian Brambles were hiding, the wyvern must have cleared at least enough space to coil up beside it.


    So far, every part of the dome had been completely filled by thorns and brambles, but Samantha was betting that in the middle, there would at least be a clearing maintained by the Wyvern.


    It was an amusing thought, that the wyvern had been forced to play gardener so that these brambles couldn¡¯t monopolize the benefits from the energy source itself.


    With my still-boosted Strength, I made quick work of the brambles.


    It took another 30 seconds of invested Strength before I entered the clearing in the center of the bramble dome.


    The clearing was about the size of a basketball court, devoid of any plant or animal life.


    The ground itself was a marbleized glaze of a familiar, dark-purple hue.


    Every inch of the ground was covered in the heat sinking gems, and I had no way of telling how thick the layer of gems was.


    Dead center in the clearing was a perfectly circular hole, about ten yards in diameter.


    Using Mana Sensing, I could see waves of mana pulsing from the hole, rising up and into the air.


    <It¡¯s not just mana,> Samantha said, with a hint of awe in her voice. <This is a vent that leads directly to the World Core. This is a treasure trove of Aether.>


    I walked towards the hole. I had to deactivate Mana Sensing in order to look down the hole, since the mana that was gushing out of it was so dense and brilliant.


    What is Aether? And what is a World Core?


    <Think of Aether as the building blocks of life,> Samantha said. <Without Aether, life would not exist. Pretty much every world that has life on it has a World Core. World Cores are the main source of Aether. Think of it this way. Since you arrived, the Aether in this cavern accelerated the growth of those brambles, the moss, and the flowers. All in under 48 hours.>


    <If you think about the Yanir tree, and the Crystal Rose, they both have one thing in common¡ªthey convert Aether into a form that humans are able to directly consume¡ªessentially, converting Aether into Stat Points for humans. The Aether vent here is essentially unclaimed, which means in the long term¡ªonce you build a city here and invest in the proper infrastructure¡ªyou can have a reliable system of helping people grow stronger without fighting. If you were an elf, dwarf, fey, or monster, then you would be able to cultivate here right now, absorbing the Aether in order to directly increase your level. But humans can¡¯t cultivate, except for a few rare exceptions.>This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    I tried to process what Samantha was saying. How would you rank the value of the Aether vent? Compared to the 150,000,000 coins that I already have.


    <Just the fact that you have to ask that question shows you have no understanding of what¡¯s going on,> Samantha complained. <A World Core is an S-ranked item, Maybe SS, depending on the amount of Aether it produces. This vent is like a continual stream of free energy. Normally, Aether diffuses more gradually, and more evenly, throughout a world. If this vent were discovered on an Acclimated World, the finders could easily expect to sell the land for tens of billions of coins.>


    Staring down into the pitch-black hole, that seemed relatively innocuous, I pondered Samantha¡¯s statement.


    None of it matters, until I find Justin and Petra.


    <Of course,> Samantha said, sounding exasperated. <You should place the city around the vent, of course, which means you¡¯re going to have to include the brambles inside your city. You¡¯ll have to clear them all out later¡ªit¡¯s an incredibly depressing use of Aether. With the amount of Aether in the air here, you could grow pretty much any crop.


    Holding the City Token, I selected the alpha symbol in my vision and I was surprised to see that the option to build a city was not available.


    What¡¯s going on? I asked Samantha, starting to panic. Why can¡¯t I build a City?


    <Technically, you can never just build a City,> Samantha said. <You can only upgrade a city. You will have to build a Town first.>


    I sighed in relief, and took out a Town Token from my inventory.


    Fortunately, the Schema did all the work. With an aerial view of the area around me, I just had to choose the locations of the walls, the Merchant Faction Store, and the house for the Town Mayor. Towns came with a few other default buildings, like prefab homes, but I decided to hold off on those until I had actual residents.


    Unfortunately, I couldn¡¯t just place a building on top of the brambles. The Schema was willing to destroy what it considered smaller/weaker plants and insects in order to build a City, but it wasn¡¯t willing to drastically reshape the land or clear out defining landmarks¡ªlike these brambles.


    This was why many of the towns I had seen so far were built in parks or clearings¡ªthe Schema wouldn¡¯t just remove collapsed buildings.


    In addition to the default buildings, I constructed a separate building that would house the Teleportation Circle.


    <Don¡¯t include Veyrier Mines in the name of the town,> Samantha said. <It¡¯s best if people can¡¯t figure out the location of this city. It does hold something incredibly valuable.>


    With that advice in my mind, I named the city Nova City. My last name, minus one letter. I¡¯d used a few variations of Nova as various usernames, back before the Schema, and it was the first thing that came to mind.


    Once I had everything set up, the Schema started construction of my town and then city, and I started clearing my way through the bramble wall again.


    As I hacked down the brambles to blaze a path out of the dome, Samantha cleared her throat. <I suppose I haven¡¯t been completely forthcoming about the benefits of Mental Power,> she started. <But at this point for your build, it is rather useless.>


    It was obvious what she was trying to do. Recently, I had been putting many of my free points into Mental Power, and Samantha hadn¡¯t been very happy about that decision. It probably made her nervous, knowing that I had six available points that I could ¡°waste¡± by putting into Mental Power.


    You¡¯ve been trying to undersell Mental Power from the moment you first started mind controlling me, I shot back. Everything you say on the subject is suspect.


    <At least talk to Uman more before sinking your points into a stat that is relatively useless for you,> Samantha replied. <You won¡¯t believe anything I say anyway.>


    Fine.


    After what felt like a painfully long wait, I finally received the announcement I had been waiting for.


    Congratulations! You are now Lord of two Regions. +1 to all stats when fighting in your Region.


    <table width="624">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Name:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    Jarek


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Level:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    26


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    HP:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    36/36


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Physical Defense:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    18


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Strength:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    31 (+5)


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Mental Power:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    14


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Dexterity:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    10 (+5)


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Agility:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    10 (+14)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Perception:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    20 (+2)


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Luck:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    11


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Mana Pool:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    81 (+10)


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Mana Regeneration:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    34 (+10)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Available Points:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    6


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Coins:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    155,347,000


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Class:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    Mana Modulator (D-rank)


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Profession:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    Rune Master


    (E-rank)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Titles:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="486">


    Region Lord (E-rank)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Skills and Spells:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="486">


    Identify (E-rank)


    Mana Modulation (D-rank Core)


    Death¡¯s Defier (A-rank)


    Mana Sensing (E-rank)


    Healthy Magic (E-rank)


    Don¡¯t Mind Me (D-rank)


    Aquatic Respiration (E-rank)


    Polyglot (E-rank)


    Soul Communion (D-rank)


    Cursed Lightning (D-rank)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Affinities:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="486">


    Internal Mana (D-rank Low), External Unattributed Mana (E-rank Low), Soul Magic (D-rank Low)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Equipment:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="486">


    Vampiric Blade (D-rank): +5 Strength, +5 Agility.


    Bloodied Battle Robes (D-rank): +5 Mana Pool, +5 Mana Regen.


    Imperial Scout Boots (E-rank): +4 Agility.


    Greedy Gloves (D-rank): +5 Mana Pool, +5 Mana Regen.


    Bonded Blades (D-rank): +5 Dexterity, +5 Agility.


    Goat Mask (D-rank): +2 Perception.


    Interdimensional Pouch (D-rank):


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Missions:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="486">


    Zone Offense


    Renegade Bounty Hunter


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>

 Chapter 52: Questions

    Due to the annoying quirk of the Schema¡¯s Teleportation Circles, I couldn¡¯t travel directly to Veyrir Town.


    It was a convoluted, infuriating process.  I was finally so close¡ªI built a fucking city!¡ªand my city was also the geographically closest city to Veyrier Town, but it was impossible to travel directly from a Region City to a town in another Region. To leave my Region, I would need to travel to another Region City.


    Fortunately, the Region that contained Veyrier Town did have a city.


    Montreal (Quebec)


    I made sure to equip the Alias Ring, and created an unassuming character sheet for myself that I would share with the Teleportation Circle before appearing in Montreal.


    I also took the time to equip myself with F-rank items.  It was best to travel without drawing attention to myself.


    Before leaving, I took one last glance around Nova City.  I would be leaving the city unmanned in a hostile Region, so I had bought some defenses.  Every city came with a Mana Shield that was capable of completely sealing off the city. I upgraded the city shield to a D-rank shield, for 10 million coins.  Unfortunately, that wasn¡¯t enough¡ªevery shield needed a power source. For most towns and cities, a Mana Shard might suffice, but there was no point in upgrading a shield and then powering it with an insufficient power source.


    So, I had to spend an additional 5 million coins so that the Mana Shield would come with a Mana Crystal¡ªan exorbitant price, but I didn¡¯t want to lose the city I had dedicated so much time to building.  My last purchase was an option that would automatically notify me¡ªas long as I was on Earth¡ªthat my City was under attack.


    Convinced I was leaving everything in the best state I could, I sent in a teleportation request to Montreal.


    Then I waited as my teleportation request was marked as pending.


    Once I hit the minute mark, I grew increasingly nervous.  Could they see through my alias? Was something suspicious?


    The teleportation magic activated after a two-minute wait, and I appeared in a warehouse-like building, facing a dozen men and women armed with E and F-ranked equipment.  An archer stood in each corner of the building, with arrows nocked and pointed towards me.


    I tried to not look threatening, and I did my best to hide my impatience.  ¡°Hello? I¡¯m here to teleport to a different town. How do I do that?¡±


    A woman who was clearly the leader of the security team stepped forward, but stayed about 10 feet away.  She looked to be about forty years old, had short brown hair, and in addition to a full set of E-ranked leather armor, she held a D-rank sword¡ªpointing down.


    ¡°Jay Renson,¡± she said. ¡°We apologize for the delay.¡±  As she spoke, I realized that she was speaking in French.  At the same time, I realized that I could understand her.


    It was a weird, slightly dissonant feeling, hearing an unfamiliar language but having it artificially translated in my own brain by the Polyglot skill.


    Perhaps the woman noticed my confused look, because she suddenly switched to English.  ¡°My name is Lea Morin, Quebec Region Lord.  There are just some anomalies in your teleportation request that we wanted to clear up, and then you can be on your way.  Our security didn¡¯t recognize the location you came from.  Could you clarify your origin?¡±


    I felt a sigh of relief.  It did make sense, in retrospect.  A new Region would be a big deal.  ¡°Nova City,¡± I said.


    ¡°And what Region does Nova City represent?¡±If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    I wasn¡¯t sure how to respond to that. ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± I said.


    Lea frowned at me. ¡°Let me ask again.  What Old World towns or cities were there, in your Region?¡±


    I was tempted to try to bribe everyone here. A million coins per person, just to get back to the Veyrier Mines.


    Samantha hadn¡¯t wanted me to mention that I had a secret Region under my control, but I didn¡¯t want to be unreasonable.


    ¡°The Region I¡¯m coming from did not have any Old World towns or cities,¡± I replied. ¡°It is a secret Region.¡±


    The head of security arched an eyebrow. ¡°And what is a secret Region?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a Region that is not mapped to the Old World,¡± I responded.


    ¡°How did you find the secret Region?¡± the woman pressed. ¡°And who killed the Region Lord? What forces do you represent?¡±


    I was running out of patience. ¡°Jarek Novak killed the Region Lord,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m running an errand for him.  Do you know him? The one who killed the Zone Lord? He will not be pleased that I am delayed.¡±


    Lea offered a clip nod. ¡°How long have you known Jarek Novak?¡±


    With every question, I felt like a noose was tightening around my neck. ¡°I met him yesterday,¡± I said.


    ¡°What do you know of the Crucible?¡± she asked, again.


    I shrugged. ¡°Never heard of it.¡±


    In retrospect, it probably wasn¡¯t the most believable lie, since the Crucible had never exactly hidden itself.


    She stared at me, not content with my answer, but I stared back at her.


    She abruptly changed topics. ¡°You said you were here to transfer to a local town. What town are you traveling to?¡±


    ¡°Veyrier Town,¡± I said, shifting impatiently.


    ¡°Veyrier Town does not appear on our list of towns¡­¡± Lea said, trailing off.


    As the Mayor of the Veyrier Town, I had access to the town interface.  I had been planning to make it appear the moment I needed it.


    ¡°It should appear any minute now,¡± I said, feigning confusion.


    ¡°Well then it looks like I don¡¯t need to worry about holding you up,¡± Lea said.  ¡°While we¡¯re waiting, why don¡¯t you tell me about Veyrier Town.  Why is Jarek Novak interested in a town I¡¯ve never heard of in my own Region?¡±


    ¡°His reasons are his own,¡± I said, selecting the option in my own interface to make Veyrier Town¡¯s name appear in local teleportation lists.  It was still private, of course, so I didn¡¯t need to worry about anybody teleporting in.


    ¡°That might be true, in somebody else¡¯s Region. But I¡¯ve heard unfortunate rumors of kidnapping and slave labor in my own Region, so forgive me for being particularly cautious when I¡¯m given the chance.  I don¡¯t suppose you know anything about the recent missing persons cases?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I said.


    ¡°Alright, we can talk about something else. Tell me about yourself, Jay. Where did you say you grew up?¡±


    It felt like she was intentionally getting under my skin.


    A little help? I asked Samantha. I¡¯d been trying to get through this whole thing by myself, but it didn¡¯t feel like I was getting anywhere.  I knew next to nothing about Canadian geography, and I was speaking English, so I could just tell the truth and say that I grew up in L.A. But then how would I explain knowing about the mines in Canada?


    <You should just reveal who you are,> Samantha said. <She already saw that Veyrier Town appeared, but she¡¯s not going to say anything.  You should let yourself flex a bit.>


    ¡°Do you see Veyrier Town yet?¡± I shot back.


    ¡°Not yet,¡± Lea shook her head.  ¡°Where did you say you were from, again?¡±


    I felt my face twist in annoyance, and I didn¡¯t bother hiding it.  After a day and a half suffering through mines, defeating monsters, now I had to put up with this.


    I waved my hand over my Interdimensional Pouch, and everyone tensed.


    ¡°Hands up!¡± the man behind Lea barked, and I could hear someone starting to chant a spell.


    The carcass of the wyvern, bleeding from the underbelly, a hulking night-black creature over seventy feet long, appeared in front of me.


    ¡°My name is Jarek Novak,¡± I said, letting my rage power my voice.


    Somebody loosed an arrow, which I side-stepped easily.


    ¡°Hold!¡± Lea called, sharply.


    I took out a handful of Mana Beads and tossed them towards Lea.


    ¡°Stop testing my patience,¡± I said. ¡°I need to get to Veyrier Town.¡±


    <You might as well let them come with you,> Samantha said. <There are at least a few prisoners there, and Lea Morin seems like the type who would love to take care of some refugees.>


    ¡°You and your men can come with me, if you¡¯d like,¡± I said.  ¡°Veyrier Town was the base of the kidnappers. I killed most of them, and I still have one in custody if you¡¯d like to question him.  There are probably a few former prisoners who could use aid, and the more you drag this out, the more dangerous their condition becomes.¡± I was laying it on a little thick, but I was tired of wasting time.


    ¡°You should have started with that,¡± Lea said.


    After a few minutes of Lea dealing with logistics¡ª¡°If I don¡¯t return, then blame Jarek¡±¡ªwe were finally ready.


    I teleported with Lea and six of her guards to Veyrier Town, gut clenched and nervous as hell.

 Chapter 53: Reunion

    ¡°Jarek! God, Jarek!¡±


    The moment I appeared in the warehouse-like building of Veyrier Town, a familiar voice greeted me.


    I barely had time to take in the sight of a half-dozen figures, bundled up in thick clothes, staring at us, when one of the fur-bundles tackled me.


    I suppressed the reflexive urge to defend myself, and I let Justin¡¯s muscular figure wrap me in a warm hug.


    I relaxed my body, and hugged him tightly back.


    ¡°I¡¯m here,¡± I said, finally feeling my heart relax.


    ¡°Damn, it¡¯s good to see you,¡± Justin said, releasing me enough to get a good look at my face.


    Justin¡¯s usually clean-shaven face had a bit of fuzz on it, not enough to be considered an actual beard.


    He had dirty blonde hair, and my heart melted at his earnest, innocent smile.   Justin was young enough not to remember Dad¡¯s death, and he had Petra and myself to fall back on when Mom died. Petra had taken all of the weight of the family on herself, then, pulling a complete 180 from a sadistic older sibling to a responsible caretaker at the drop of a hat.


    Somehow, Justin managed to graduate high school as a well-liked, upbeat, popular kid.


    I could already see the hints of that in the crowd.  Another boy about Justin¡¯s age stood slightly behind him, awkwardly, and a few of the people around us were smiling for us happily.


    I took a moment to glance around, and I felt the hopeful feeling in my chest fade.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Petra?¡±


    Justin took a step back at the chill in my voice.


    ¡°She¡ªshe was taken by the leader of the kidnappers, when the leader fled.¡±


    Around me, I could see Lea and her soldiers passing out food and water to the dozen people who had been kidnapped.


    ¡°Is Ezma here?¡±  Uman¡¯s wife raised her hand from the back of the room.


    ¡°Wait here. I¡¯ll take you to Uman soon.¡±  Then I turned to Lea.  ¡°Nobody is allowed in the mines, or the upstairs office!¡±


    ¡°Walk with me,¡± I told Justin, turning towards the basement.


    I moved in long, quick strikes, and Justin had to jog to catch up.


    ¡°Why did the leader take Petra?¡± I asked, through gritted teeth. And why can¡¯t my life be easy, for once.


    ¡°Jamison¡ªthe leader of the kidnappers¡ªkept Petra in the cells in the basement.  He probably took her as a hostage.¡±


    My gut clenched.  ¡°Why was she kept in the cells?¡±


    If he even laid a finger¡ª


    ¡°It was her idea,¡± Justin said quickly. ¡°Her highest stat is Mental Power.  Conditions in the mines weren¡¯t good for her. She convinced Jamison to keep her in the prison.  He knew that that we were your siblings, and that there was a chance you would come to find us, so it wasn¡¯t too hard.  She has a Truth-telling skill, and she would perform routine checks with Jamison to make sure the other kidnappers were staying in line.  She was also working on an escape plan.  She would smuggle me extra antidotes, when she could.¡±


    Petra always figured things out.  She would be alright.


    ¡°Where do you think Jamison would run to?¡± I asked. ¡°What do you know about him?¡±The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    We had descended into the basement jail, and when I asked the question, I could tell that the remaining kidnapper in prison had heard it as well.


    ¡°I think he was military,¡± Justin said. ¡°But I don¡¯t know.  Jarek, is it true you survived the Hell Mode Tutorial? And that you defeated the Zone Lord?¡±


    ¡°Hard Mode,¡± I corrected him, absentmindedly. ¡°Dawnbreaker is the only North American to complete the Hell Mode.  But yes, I dealt the killing blow to the Zone Lord.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but remember that moment again, the pride I felt when I killed the shade, and the way River¡¯s corpse had fallen to the ground.


    I turned to the swordsman I had locked away 24 hours ago in the cell.


    He was shivering¡ªhe had a coat, at least, but it was really cold, out in the middle of northern Canada.


    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± I asked, figuring I would start easily.


    The man didn¡¯t say anything.


    ¡°Let me explain,¡± I said, letting some intensity heat my voice.  ¡°I don¡¯t give a fuck about who you are.  I want to find my sister.  You lied to me once already¡ªyou said she was in the mines.  Now¡ª¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know!¡± The man wailed. ¡°I didn¡¯t know she was kept in these jails! I¡¯m new!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t interrupt me,¡± I snarled. ¡°If you help me find Petra, then you get to go free. If you don¡¯t, then I will kill you.  Where would Jamison take Petra?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡ªno, wait, I think¡ªhe was from the States, and he had connections with the military! That¡¯s all I know, I swear!¡±


    ¡°What military base?¡± I asked, immediately. ¡°Where was he from? Fayette City?  Dauphin City?¡±


    ¡°F-fayette City, I think,¡± the man stuttered.


    The conversation continued for a few more minutes, until I was convinced the man had no more valuable information.


    Then I went to find Lea. She was ordering her men around the town, making them look busy, but I had no idea at this point what they were doing.  All the former prisoners had been taken back to Montreal, except for Ezma and Justin¡¯s friend, who followed Justin around like a shadow.


    ¡°I want to hire your men to watch over the town as things get settled,¡± I started.  ¡°What do you think a reasonable price would be?¡±


    ¡°We are not a mercenary group,¡± Lea said, as if that answered the question. ¡°And with the monster tides, I don¡¯t have the manpower to spare.¡±


    ¡°100,000 coins a day,¡± I said.  I didn¡¯t have the time or patience to barter.  ¡°Just keep the town safe from monsters, and nobody goes into the mines.¡±


    I reached out my hand, and Lea shook it. I passed her 200,000 coins, unsure of when I would return next.


    Then I turned towards Justin¡¯s clinger-on.  ¡°Is he with you?¡± I asked Justin.


    Justin¡¯s face reddened slightly. ¡°Yeah, this is Feng.¡± He reached back to Feng, who was hiding in Justin¡¯s shadow, and held his hand.  ¡°He¡¯s a friend from school.  An exchange student from Beijing.¡± Justin paused again, then added, ¡°We¡¯re together.¡±


    I blinked. ¡°Cool,¡± I said.  I reached my hand out, and Feng hesitantly released Justin¡¯s hand and shook mine. ¡°Jarek,¡± I said.


    ¡°A pleasure,¡± Feng said. He spoke with a mix of a British and Chinese accent, with a hint of nervousness in his voice.


    Feng and Justin were opposites, in many ways.  Justin had a rounder, smiling face, and dirty blond hair that was long enough to curl slightly, and a sturdy frame. Feng, on the other hand, had straight black hair and a narrower face. His eyes were darting around quickly, hinting at either discomfort or attentiveness.


    ¡°Alright,¡± I said, taking a deep breath.  I wasn¡¯t used to telling people what to do. It felt weird, disjointed.  It was so much easier following other people¡¯s directions. ¡°We need to get Ezma reunited with her husband, Uman.  Then, I¡¯ll take you both to California. You should be safer there.¡±


    Assuming Ryker doesn¡¯t have it out for me, too.


    I continued, ¡°Hopefully, Uman can help me figure out how to find Petra.  I¡¯ll find her, and then we¡¯ll be back together again.¡±


    ¡°We can help too,¡± Justin said. ¡°I¡¯m a swordsman, and Feng is a healer.¡±


    I took another glance at them.  Justin was level 10, and Feng was level 9. At the moment, neither of them had any Schema-recognized equipment that I could see.


    I could see Feng clench Justin¡¯s hand tightly when he said it, and I was glad that at least one of my two new companions had some semblance of sense.


    ¡°We should do things one step at a time,¡± I said.  ¡°If you are interested, I will pay someone to power level you, and I can kit you out in E-rank equipment.¡±


    I could see Justin¡¯s eyes widen comically, and Feng just smiled and nodded at me.  There was something¡­fulfilling, about being in this position.  After all this time, I could finally take care of my little brother¡­and his boyfriend.


    It seemed I really had been out of the loop for too long.


    ¡°What ranks are your classes? F-rank?¡± I paused for confirmation. ¡°I¡¯ll find an E-rank class for you both before you level, then, and it would be best if we can find D-rank classes soon, too.¡±


    Of course, I wasn¡¯t going to make them fight monsters if they didn¡¯t want to. But with the way the world was developing, it was quickly becoming clear that I wouldn¡¯t have the power to always keep them safe.  The best path forward would be to give them the tools to keep themselves safe.  Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for the rest of his life.


    ¡°You guys can rest when we get back to Reed City.  I have contacts who will help me find Petra.  You¡¯ve done enough,¡± I led Justin and Feng towards the Teleportation Circle.


    ¡°Says the killer of the Zone Lord,¡± I heard Feng whisper to Justin.

 Chapter 54: Hermes Whispers

    ¡°So. How do we find Petra?¡±


    I had been holding off on asking the question for a while.  Ezma and Uman had finally reunited, and now it was my turn to stand awkwardly by as they exchanged stories and tears.


    After I had caught Uman up with almost everything¡ªglossing over the fact that I conquered another Region¡ªI finally asked the million-dollar question.


    We were seated in a private room in one of the nicest restaurants in Boston.  The atmosphere outside of the restaurant was frantic¡ªBoston was currently besieged by a monster horde¡ªbut the city was holding its own, and the building had soundproofed walls, so I could almost forget that there was a battle just outside of the city walls.


    The meal resembled hotpot, but the ingredients and flavors were all purchased through the Merchant¡¯s Faction¡ªthis was a traditional dish for humans somewhere else in the Schema, and it had flavors and textures that were literally out of this world.


    Uman smiled at me. ¡°I can tell this has been on your mind for a while,¡± he said. ¡°Thank you for your patience.  In anticipation of your question, I¡¯ve invited a guest to join us, and I believe he will be very useful, but it looks like he is a few minutes late.  For now, let¡¯s enjoy the meal, and catch up with the loved ones we have with us.¡±


    I bit my tongue. I was getting tired of waiting, but I didn¡¯t want to blow up in front of Justin or Feng.


    ¡°So, Justin. How did you meet Feng?¡±


    Justin put his spoon down and glanced up at me. ¡°As part of the Student Leadership, I was in charge of welcoming transfer and international students.  We met when I was giving a tour of the school.¡±


    Feng smiled. ¡°Your brother makes a perfect poster child.¡±


    Justin beamed and blushed. ¡°Feng helped me out a lot in Calculus,¡± he started.


    ¡°And Bio, and English,¡± Feng cut in, jokingly. ¡°Unfortunately, it doesn¡¯t look like the apocalypse cares much about grades.¡±


    It was something I hadn¡¯t spent much time considering. Samantha had been so quick to emphasize what was important, that I hadn¡¯t even considered all the skills and bits of knowledge that were no longer important. Imagine being a computer scientist, when all computers vanished.  It was ironic.  For so long, people had been saying technology was the future¡­and now it most decidedly wasn¡¯t.


    The conversation had paused with Feng¡¯s last statement, and I suddenly noticed the awkwardness in the room.  Justin and Feng were looking at me, as if I was supposed to guide the conversation.  Uman was watching me with a bit of humor in his eye.  As if he wanted to torture me by making me wait for news from Petra¡­


    I forced my mind out of my own ruminating, and glanced at Feng again.  ¡°And Feng, do you have any family in America?¡±


    Feng shook his head. ¡°When China¡¯s Zone opens, then I will return to Beijing and find my family.¡±


    I nodded, at a loss for what to say.  I hope they are ok?


    I decided to change the topic.  There was something I had been meaning to ask Uman for a while.  ¡°Uman, I wanted to ask before I forgot.  Can you give me a rundown on how Mental Power works?¡±


    ¡°Of course, Jarek,¡± Uman said. ¡°Mental Power works differently compared to the other stats.  It has a defensive aspect, like Physical Defense. If someone tries to mind control you, or if they try to read your mind without your permission, then they would have to overpower your Mental Power. And it has an amplifying effect, making relevant skills more powerful.


    ¡°But Mental Power¡¯s other role is to act as a currency that you must use to aquire or evolve Mental Power related skills.  There are a number of skills that can only be learned by people with Mental Power related classes and affinities.  But in addition to that restriction, you have to permanently sacrifice a certain number of Mental Power Stat Points in order to learn a Mental Power skill. For example, for a Truth-telling skill, you might need to sacrifice 10 Stat Points in Mental Power.¡±Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.


    Why didn¡¯t you ever mention this to me?


    <Jarek, you¡¯re at a point where you refuse to believe most of what I say.  You needed to hear this from someone else.>


    ¡°Why would Mental Power get different treatment than all the other stats?¡±  Justin spoke up in the silence that followed Uman¡¯s description.


    ¡°I have no idea,¡± Uman replied, shrugging his shoulders.


    <There¡¯s an interesting backstory to Mental Power,> Samantha supplied in my head.  <Mental Power used to work like all the other stats, but a few hundred years ago, the Atropos Schema nerfed the class, making it so that you have to sacrifice Mental Power Stat Points.  It kind of ties to your situation, you see. The current leader of the Mentalist Cooperative is seeking apotheosis, but nobody¡ªnot even the Schema itself¡ªis a fan of a mind-controlling god.>


    That was a troubling thought, but I was also worried that Samantha was trying to distract me from asking my next question.


    ¡°Alright,¡± I said, glancing at Uman again. ¡°What benefits could there be for me to put stats into Mental Power?¡±


    Uman looked surprised. ¡°Permanently? Well, it would help prevent you from being mind-controlled again, or having your mind be read.¡±


    ¡°Anything else?¡±


    Uman pursed his lips thoughtfully.  ¡°Mental Power by itself, besides the defensive bonus, isn¡¯t that helpful.  It¡¯s not like it makes you smarter, if that¡¯s what you¡¯re asking.  There are Mental Power skills that can do that, but you would need a Mental Power class, which I would hope is off the table for you.  Of course, it¡¯s always possible there are Mental Power skills that aren¡¯t restricted to a specific class, but I haven¡¯t seen any.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I said, returning to the bowl of soup in front of me.  It seemed Samantha had been right, loathe as I was to admit it.  There was no point in investing more points into Mental Power, since I already had the Don¡¯t Mind Me skill.  Now I had to decide where to put the 6 Stat Points I had in reserve.  I was rather impressed by the Luck stat¡ªessentially, it had gifted me with my own private Region that was a literal treasure trove of mineable resources.


    I put four points into Luck, and then two points into Mana Regeneration.


    Not long after, there was a sharp knock on the door, and a man with greying, shoulder-length hair walked through. He was stick-thin, and he wore a hat that looked like an upside-down metal sieve.  Besides the hat and numerous rings on his hands, he wore an Old World suit.


    ¡°This better be good, Uman,¡± the man grumbled, grabbing a chair at the table. ¡°I had to cancel my emergency staff meeting to come to this.¡±


    ¡°It certainly is,¡± Uman replied with his trademark smile. ¡°Everyone, this is Henry Opal, founder and CEO of Hermes Whispers.  Henry, this is my wife, Ezma, Justin and Feng, and the one and only Jarek Novak.¡±


    Henry froze, staring at me the moment he heard my name. ¡°Mr. Novak, My apologies,¡± he said, his tone completely different from when he entered the room earlier.  ¡°I wasn¡¯t told you would be joining us today.¡± Henry gave a pointed glare at Uman. ¡°And I didn¡¯t expect to see you here.  And you do have quite the aura suppression activated¡­ How can I be of service?¡±


    ¡°I need to¡ª¡± I started, but Uman cut me off.


    ¡°I¡¯ve spent some time looking into Hermes Whispers,¡± Uman said. ¡°An interesting organization.  Branches in every City in North America, and eager to expand to Central and South America as well. It¡¯s an impressive endeavor, but there are two things you are lacking¡ªmoney, and power.  Jarek can provide both of those things.¡±


    I frowned, unsure about what Uman was playing at.


    Henry caught on before I did. ¡°You¡¯re proposing a takeover,¡±


    ¡°Essentially,¡± Uman nodded. ¡°You report to me, I report to Jarek.  We infuse 50 million coins in capital over the next few weeks, and we expand from just information to also harvesting, creating, buying, and selling goods.  We have a powerhouse to back us up.  We¡¯ll make sure you¡¯re well paid, and all the costs of investments fall on us.¡±


    ¡°And what if I disagree?¡± Henry asked. ¡°Is this an ¡®offer I can¡¯t refuse?¡¯¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not forcing anyone to do anything,¡± I cut in.  ¡°In fact¡ª"


    ¡°Of course not,¡± Uman said, smoothly, cutting me off for the second time. ¡°You¡¯re free to turn the offer down.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m interested,¡± Henry said. ¡°I will want to retain partial ownership of the company.  But I¡¯m not sure this is the place to talk about the details.¡±


    He glanced pointedly at the three people who were eating their meal in silence: Justin, Feng, and Ezma.


    ¡°Wonderful,¡± Uman said. ¡°Now, we do have a very pressing concern. We are looking for Jarek¡¯s sister, Petra Novak, 26, last seen with a man named Jamison, leader of the very same kidnapping ring that has been operating outside of Boston.  They had a town in Quebec, that Jarek captured.  One of Jamison¡¯s henchmen said Jamison had contacts with the military, possibly Fayette City, which fits with my own hunches.  We¡¯ll pay you 100,000 coins up front, and a million coins when you give us her location.¡±


    Henry nodded along. ¡°Do you have anything that used to belong to her?  We just took on an augur.¡±


    Uman looked at me, and I looked to Justin.  Justin fished out a house key. ¡°We shared the key.¡±


    Henry took the key and placed it in his Interdimensional Pouch. ¡°I¡¯ll put my best men on it, right away.¡±


    Then he glanced at me. ¡°If our business is done, allow me to offer you some free information.  It seems you don¡¯t know that Reed City is under attack, and your Region has lost at least five towns since the monster wave began.  I think you have somewhere else you need to be.¡±

 Chapter 55: Centiscythe

    Reed City was at war.  It was immediately apparent from the moment the five of us appeared through the Teleportation Circle.  The large building we appeared in was crowded with people, many holding large sacks or backpacks overflowing with personal belongings.  I could see a half dozen people being carried out of the building on stretchers, and the few guards in the building were ushering all the people out of the building.


    ¡°Move away from the Circle! All refugees must leave the building!  All able-bodied individuals are required to report to Captain Clark! Move!¡± The shouting soldier¡¯s voice was hoarse, and the five of us quickly left the building.


    Stepping out of the building that housed the Teleportation Circle, I was astonished to see even more people.


    The Reed City square was full of people.  Some people were in makeshift tents, or lying on blankets, others were standing in the plaza, glancing around fearfully.


    ¡°Gather here if you can fight!¡± A familiar voice called. I led Uman and the others towards Captain Clark.


    The man wore a full set of E-rank armor made from monster hide.  His longbow was slung over his shoulder, and his face and hands had dozens of small, raised, red lumps that twisted his face in an awkward expression.


    But he held himself with confidence.


    ¡°Clark! Catch me up.  What¡¯s happening!¡± I called out, receiving strange glances from the bystanders around me.


    Clark turned, and grinned when he saw me. ¡°Finally, Jarek! What took you so long!¡± As Clark grinned, I saw blood staining his teeth.  Then, he bellowed, ¡°Ryker! Get over here!¡±


    Not missing a beat, Clark continued, ¡°It¡¯s hordes of giant insects.  Giant wasps, tunneling worms, and those roly-poly bugs, but the size of a sofa.  There¡¯s thousands of them.  And there¡¯s a level 65 creature leading them, called a Centiscythe. It looks like¡ª¡±


    ¡°Jarek!¡± I felt a powerful aura press down on me, and, turning, I saw Ryker coming my way.


    I tensed, unsure of what kind of welcome I would receive.


    Ryker slung his massive battle axe over his shoulder, and strode towards me.  I could feel the ground tremble under the weight of each step.  Standing seven feet tall, he wore a full suit of medieval looking plate armor, complete with a custom-made helmet that had a hole in the back of the head, for his man-bun.


    I can¡¯t believe he did that.


    As he grew closer, I resigned myself to not fight back.


    Ryker grabbed me in a headlock, made a fist, and rubbed his gauntleted knuckles on my head.  ¡°You little fucker,¡± he said, in what I hoped was a playful tone. ¡°That¡¯s for kidnapping me and helping brainwash me.¡±


    I felt like he was going to turn me bald, as his gauntlet rubbed against my scalp.


    Clark coughed, and Ryker released me. ¡°Who are your friends?¡±


    ¡°You already know Uman,¡± I said. ¡°This is Uman¡¯s wife Ezma, and this is my brother Justin and his boyfriend, Feng.¡±


    ¡°Another Novak,¡± Ryker said, feigning horror. ¡°God help us if he¡¯s half as tricksy as you are.¡±


    Clark cleared his throat.


    ¡°Right,¡± Ryker said. ¡°Things aren¡¯t looking good. Between the cost of transporting the refugees, and the cost to maintaining our City¡¯s shield, we¡¯re basically broke.  I don¡¯t suppose¡­¡±


    I stuck out my hand, and when Ryker shook it, I transferred him ten million coins.  ¡°Sorry about everything,¡± I said. ¡°What can I do?¡±


    ¡°With this, I can buy a new power source for our shield.  That can resist the weaker attacks for long enough.   But a solid hit from the Centiscythe¡¯s body could overwhelm the shield¡¯s maximum capacity.  It¡¯s not the smartest creature, so we¡¯ve been able to distract it, but it¡¯s just a matter of time before it destroys our shields.  Clark, take Jarek to the battlefield.  I¡¯ve got some shopping to do.¡±The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    Clark led me and a gathering group of soldiers towards the city¡¯s wall.


    The closer we got to the wall, the fewer refugees we saw, and the more soldiers we encountered.


    There were hundreds of soldiers on the battlements of the city wall, and as we approached, I could see thousands of flying creatures dive-bombing the city¡¯s shield.


    It almost felt as though I had stepped onto the stage of a fantasy movie, where soldiers were defending a city¡¯s wall against a swarm of monsters.


    But the cries of pain were too anguished to be fake, and the scent of blood was thick in the air.


    It didn¡¯t feel real, though. This was my city, but I felt no connection to it.  I didn¡¯t know anybody on the ramparts above me¡ªClark and Ryker were the only faces I had recognized after seeing hundreds of people around.


    ¡°Shift swap!¡± Clark called, shaking me out of my daze, leading his team of soldiers up to the battlements.  I followed, watching as the soldiers who stood on the battlements¡ªmainly rangers, archers, and magicians¡ªstepped down, and the new contingent that had followed Clark stepped forward to do battle.


    Standing in the battlements, at first glance it seemed like the soldiers were easily gaining experience.  There were tens of thousands of easy, brainless targets in front of me. The wasps and insects were directly dive-bombing the City¡¯s shield.  As long as the shield lasted, then the people in the battlements wouldn¡¯t be in any danger.


    But at a second glance, that couldn¡¯t be the case.  Numerous soldiers who were descending from the battlements looked wounded, or had large, raised welts on their hands and face.


    ¡°How are the bugs getting through?¡± I asked, confused.  The shield was still holding.


    Clark pointed to a group of flying bugs heading our direction. It was a swarm of white beetles with red specks, about the size of a refrigerator.


    ¡°Watch carefully,¡± he said.


    About twelve of the white beetles dove down towards one section of the shield. I could hear the soldiers in the battlements yelling, chanting, and I heard the telltale whistle of arrows.


    As the arrows and spells landed, suddenly, one of the beetles exploded.


    A second beetle exploded, then a third.


    Judging from the flurry of attacks, the magicians and archers were furiously trying to stop each of the beetles from reaching the Mana Shield.


    Five beetles reached the Mana Shield at the same time, exploding the moment they touched the shield.  I saw the mana in the air tremble.


    ¡°Those are literal dive-bombers,¡± Clark explained. ¡°They explode on impact, and the surge of power required to hold the explosion back leaves the shield open in other places.¡±


    All around me, I could see that soldiers were cursing and slapping at themselves.


    Wasps and mosquitos the size of my fist had used the gap in the shield to slip into the battlements, and they were now zipping to and fro.


    ¡°Nobody has died from the smaller bugs yet,¡± Clark said. ¡°But they¡¯re a huge inconvenience, and with each bombing attack, there are more to deal with.


    On the ground, on the outside of the wall, I could see a few squads of brave melee soldiers who were fighting off the land-based insects.


    Taking everything in, I realized something was missing. ¡°What¡¯s a Centiscythe? What does that look like?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s like a centipede, but it has limbs all over its body¡ªtop, bottom, and sides.  Most of the limbs seem to move reflexively, slashing at movement.  Oh, and it¡¯s about 100 yards long, and twenty yards tall.¡±


    I just never get a break, do I.


    <This is what the Schema does. It will place a monster with the potential to be a Region Lord in every region that doesn¡¯t already have one.  It¡¯s a great chance for extra XP. And, you have the Region Lord title, which gives you a defender¡¯s bonus. Think of it as free experience and loot.>


    I tried to process what Samantha was saying. Does this mean that there will be another potential Zone Lord, too?


    Samantha coughed. <Yes, most likely. And for the Districts, Regions, and Zones that remained unconquered, instead of introducing new Lords, the Schema strengthened the existing ones.  So, the advantage of killing bosses and Lords in the first week should become clear¡ªit would give you access to twice as much loot, as well as very useful defensive titles.>


    Of course Samantha would think that having to fight two Zone Lords was better than fighting one¡­ that was such a Samantha thought.


    <Don¡¯t worry about the Zone Lord, though,> Samantha said. <When it does appear, it will probably directly attack the North American Capital¡ªso the Zone Lord is Dawnbreaker¡¯s problem.>


    I was shaken from my distracted thoughts by my combat shadow¡¯s movement. I threw two knives in rapid succession, with some added Dexterity, easily killing two dive-bombing bugs that were flying towards me.


    Thinking back to the Centiscythe, I realized there had been something bothering me in the back of my mind, this whole time.  ¡°If Ryker is here¡­ who is dealing with the Centiscythe?¡±


    Clark didn¡¯t bother turning. ¡°He¡¯s ex-Crucible, just like you.  He was a bit resentful he didn¡¯t make the A-team, you know. You guys have a lot in common, actually¡­"

 Chapter 56: Zealot

    ¡°What¡¯s his name?¡± I asked, again.  Why would someone who could take on a Region Lord by himself not make the A-team?


    ¡°I don¡¯t actually know his name,¡± Clark replied.  ¡°People call him the Zealot.¡±


    In the distance, beyond several of the collapsed buildings several blocks away, I could make out the massive, tube-shaped figure of the Centiscythe, but I couldn¡¯t catch any sight of the Zealot.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go see if he needs a hand,¡± I said.  I turned, and saw that Justin and Feng had followed us here.


    ¡°Keep an eye on these two,¡± I said. ¡°If they get hurt, I¡¯m holding you responsible.¡±


    Then I passed Justin and Feng each an Interdimensional Pouch. ¡°You¡¯ve got health potions, mana potions, antidotes, Mana Beads, F-rank Personal Mana Shields, and backup weapons in each pouch,¡± I said.  ¡°Take care.¡±


    With that, I vaulted over the wall, landing squarely on a massive roly-poly bug.  The name didn¡¯t do the creature justice, but I couldn¡¯t remember what the bug¡¯s real name was.


    With Samantha¡¯s combat shadow, I made easy work of the larger bugs.  None of these creatures were threatening to me, but the wasps and mosquitos were certainly annoying.  There were just too many of them, and they were everywhere.  Fortunately, I had almost every inch of my skin covered, and the smaller bugs were too weak to bite or sting through my equipment.


    It was slightly encouraging, as I fought my way past the city, that the plague of insects didn¡¯t actually go on forever.  I could see, off in the distance, an end to this massive swarm of creatures.


    As I neared the Centiscythe, I started to doubt how I would actually kill the thing.


    This was a monster the length of a football field, with thousands of hairy scythes sticking out of its body that cut through anything near it.


    Dense swarms of bugs flew around it, just outside of the deadly reach of the scythes.  and the ground was littered in worms and insect guts.   The Centiscythe was a mottled patchwork of colors¡ªit was a light brown, with specks of grey and huge splotches of purple blood.


    I could see whole chunks of flesh the size of a car torn off of the creature, some scars running several yards long along the course of the body.


    Pools of bloody ichor dripped from the Centiscythe onto the ground.


    The creature itself was writhing in agony, slashing out frantically in a hundred different directions, curling in on itself and spasming, crushing nearby buildings in the process.  It was clearly in pain, but I still couldn¡¯t see the Zealot.  As it spasmed, I realized why Ryker said it was essential we keep it from the walls.  This creature probably weighed hundreds, if not thousands, of tons, and it moved with such speed that it could probably short-circuit the city¡¯s Mana Shield with a single blow.


    ¡°Hello?¡± I called out, loudly but tentatively. ¡°Need a hand?¡±


    I was far enough away from the Centiscythe that I didn¡¯t need to worry about its attacks, so I was content to kill any creatures that neared me.  It was a dance of efficiency. I was investing my floating points in Agility, which allowed me to quickly kill all the insects that were capable of hurting me, while leaving behind the ones that couldn¡¯t bite through my equipment.


    ¡°Hello?¡± I called again, louder this time.


    Five seconds later, a gush of purple blood spurted out of the Centiscythe¡¯s massive body.  Then, a purple figure climbed out as well.


    The man, dripping in purple ichor, swung a sword and shouted, ¡°For Barith!¡± He chopped off the nearby limbs with ease, and then headed my direction.


    It wasn¡¯t until he wiped the sticky blood off of his face that I finally saw who it was.


    Ethan. He had the same crazy eyes, hair matted in blood, and disregard for his own physical well-being that I had seen in the tutorial.


    Ethan was a member of the Crucible? Why didn¡¯t I know that?


    <You barely ever socialized with anyone outside of Adia¡¯s team.  This is why you should have challenged Samantha for control of the Zone¡ªthink of the manpower you just walked away from. The Crucible was huge. If you had played your cards right, you could have had everyone working for you.>This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    I ignored Samantha¡¯s jab, focusing on Ethan¡¯s shouts.  Who is Barith?


    <Barith is the Atropos god of war,> Samantha responded. <Remember that if people reach a high enough level, they can assimilate into the Schema, effectively becoming a god and granting power to their followers.  If Ethan is truly a Zealot of Barith, then his growth potential could match yours.  You should befriend him.>


    Ethan stopped ten yards away from me, and I could feel his aura slam down on me.  It was a furious, blood-filled aura that left a metallic taste in my mouth.


    ¡°Don¡¯t steal my kill,¡± he snarled.


    ¡°Okay,¡± I said, slowly, not quite sure what I was dealing with. Last time I met him, Ethan had barely been able to form coherent sentences.  ¡°I¡¯m working on becoming a better person.  I will help weaken it, and you can deal the final blow.¡±


    <Jarek, no. That¡¯s 5 free Stat Points.  You have no reason to give it to him. He¡¯s been trying to kill it for Schema knows how long, and now it¡¯s your turn.  You never wronged Ethan anyway so stop being such a pushover.>


    This is my decision.  Anyway, you told me earlier that I should try to befriend him.  I want you to help me help Ethan kill the thing.


    Ethan blinked in surprise at my words. ¡°You bore the pain but you don¡¯t have the power,¡± he said, half-dazed.


    I had no idea what he was talking about.


    <Tell him the core is just 15 yards back from the ¡°exit wound,¡±>


    I repeated Samantha¡¯s words.


    ¡°Clear a path for me,¡± Ethan said. ¡°I have one last skill.¡±


    We lingered for a minute longer, letting Ethan catch his breath and drink a health potion.  At least he wasn¡¯t so crazy as to jump in to a battle in his current condition.  The Centiscythe¡¯s purple blood was slightly acidic, and even as we fought off the other bugs, I could hear the slight hiss of Ethan¡¯s skin dissolving slowly.


    Ethan didn¡¯t seem to notice.


    Breaking through the insects was the easy part.  I moved with natural ease, every blow killing two or more of the insects, until eventually I was close enough to the Centiscythe that the number of bugs had decreased.


    Meanwhile, Ethan had sheathed his sword and was muttering to himself, following me with his eyes half closed.


    ¡°Blood-soaked Barith, my blood is your blood, my sword is your sword¡­.Blood-soaked Barith, my blood is your blood, my sword is your sword.¡±


    I ignored his ramblings, focusing on following Samantha¡¯s combat shadow.


    I was acutely aware that at any moment, Samantha could lead me the wrong direction, leaving Ethan exposed to die.  So I tried to predict the incoming attacks as well, making sure that I would never leave Ethan unprotected.


    With the insects, that had been doable, but it was almost impossible for me to predict the Centiscythe¡¯s movements.


    Interestingly, it was challenging enough to discern if the Centiscythe was even trying to go anywhere.  It had calmed down its writhing from when Ethan had been inside it, but it looked like it was more inching its way in circles and figure eights, than actually moving anywhere.


    Its movements were very three-dimensional.  Sometimes it would bunch up vertically, other times it would coil up like a snake, and at other times, it would roll over on the ground.


    It rolled so frequently, spinning on its side so often that I was starting to think it didn¡¯t actually consider one part of itself to be its top or bottom.


    Once we were within the creature¡¯s range, I finally used more than just my floating points, adding an additional 30 points into Strength, which allowed me slice through the scythe-like limbs with ease.


    At the same time, Samantha had to predict flailing limbs that we couldn¡¯t even see yet¡ªthe legs that were on the opposite side of the creature, when the creature was about to roll over.


    This trick of the Centiscythe also functioned to replace any gaping holes among the scythes that I created.


    Samantha, to her credit, was an amazing combat artist.  We didn¡¯t directly target the Centiscythe¡¯s core, instead, we targeted a part of its torso about 20 yards away from the core.


    However, by the time we were actually close to the creature¡¯s body, we were just five yards away from the core, thanks to the creature¡¯s curious pattern of movement.


    ¡°How close do you need to be?¡± I asked, as I sliced through a limb that nearly cut off Ethan¡¯s head.


    ¡°I have given you my blood, I have given you my pain, now grant me your power!¡± Ethan started with a mumble, but it built to a shout.


    I shrugged. ¡°I guess we¡¯ll get as close as we can.¡±


    We were close enough to touch the Centiscythe, and with a sudden, earth-shaking flip, the creature looped a part of itself around us, trapping the two of us inside a circle of its own body.  I was starting to think Centiscythe was a misnomer¡ªI¡¯d never seen a centipede that could move so quickly, or curl itself up in such a strange, sudden way.


    This meant that there were limbs striking at us from all angles, now.  The bright side, though, was that the Centipede wasn¡¯t running, or trying to distance its core from us.


    I increased my Agility by 30 points, dodging the strikes that were coming my way, and defending Ethan.


    With a few quick steps¡ª¡°There!¡± I said, pointing to an inconspicuous patch of the creature¡¯s prickly surface.


    Then, I returned to my defensive stance.  It reminded me of a dance. I had taken Bachata dance lessons, once, and the instructor had mentioned that in bachata, the follow was the center, and the lead was revolving, orbiting around the center. You step away briefly, then return. You glide behind the follow, then bisect the dozens of limbs that are trying to kill your partner, and then return to your original stance.


    ¡°Blood! Pain! Power!¡±  Ethan¡¯s sword was glowing with a blinding white light, and he swung it directly towards the core of the creature.


    The sword itself was about five feet long. But as Ethan swung the blade, the blinding light extended past the end of the blade, driving a deep gash that almost split the creature in half.


    The Centiscythe spasmed, and the scythes that had been about to slice at us fell lifelessly towards the ground.


    Purple blood oozed around us, and from Ethan¡¯s feral grin, I knew he had just defeated a Region Lord.

 Chapter 57: Hell Week

    The large dinner table in Ryker¡¯s house had been turned into a conference table for an impromptu war council.


    Outside of the house, I could still hear the cries, shouts and ringing sounds of battle.  With the Centiscythe¡¯s death, and a sizable collection of Mana Shards to power the city¡¯s shield, Reed City was no longer in danger.


    ¡°Twenty towns have already fallen,¡± Ryker started.  ¡°The LA Air Force Base has united with several other towns of armed forces, and they are holding strong.  Until a few days ago, millions of people still hid in their own houses, not joining towns.  Some of them have made it to existing towns as refugees, but most of them have been killed by monsters.


    ¡°The military has already reached out to several other towns. They are offering manpower to defeat the monsters, but only if the original Town Mayor resigns, and the Military can reinstate their own man as mayor.  About a dozen towns have already agreed to this, but many are waiting to hear from you.  I can communicate with the Town Mayors the moment you make your decision.¡±


    I paused, realizing how disconnected I was with my own Region.  These numbers didn¡¯t seem real. Millions of people dying, and twenty fallen towns.  ¡°How many towns are in the Region?¡±


    ¡°About 200,¡± Ryker said.


    ¡°And I¡¯m guessing they are all low on Mana Shards,¡± I said, trying to do some mental math.


    A Mana Shard normally cost 10,000 coins, but the Merchant¡¯s Faction had upped the price to 50,000 coins each.  They were capitalizing on our need.  I¡¯d even tried to use my status as a gold-ranked customer, but Mrinda had explained that this type of price-setting among the Merchant Faction was taken seriously¡ªany merchant could make a lot of money by selling the shards at a lower price.  It was ironic, in retrospect, that merchants could lose their license for refusing to set monopoly prices.


    If I wanted to help as many towns in my Region as I could, the first priority would be to provide each town with a new Mana Shard.  That was ten million coins.


    I could afford that.


    At least make it a loan, Samantha said.  You could gain a lot from this.  And keep in mind that a Mana Shard will not hold up for long against the attacking monsters.  These monster waves will continue for the next week.


    ¡°We will offer aid to anyone who needs it,¡± I said, resolutely. ¡°I will target the most powerful monsters attacking each town.  I will also offer a Mana Shard for each town in the form of a no-interest loan.  We can also enter some kind of mutual defense pact.  Let¡¯s call it the Nova Alliance.  Apart from mutual defense, everyone can retain their autonomy.¡±


    Ryker nodded immediately. ¡°Then let¡¯s get to work.  If it¡¯s alright with you, I will travel to the various towns and offer them the deal and the funds.  That should save you time to fight the monsters.


    I nodded, shook his hand, and transferred 10 million coins to him.


    Uman, who hadn¡¯t said anything yet, spoke up. ¡°I should go back to Boston and finalize the deal with Henry.  I just need the funds¡­¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± I said. ¡°How much do you need?¡±


    ¡°50 million.¡± Uman licked his lips lightly.


    It was a lot of money. But I had the vague feeling that this was a worthwhile investment.  Uman seemed like the kind of person who could make money multiply, and an information network at my fingertips would be a huge boon.  Most importantly, they would help me find Petra.


    I shook hands with Uman, transferring 50 million coins to him.


    I was spending money quickly, but I could only hope that it was going to the right places.  Money is just a tool.


    There were a few other people at the table, and they all glanced at me with wide eyes.


    I stood up from the table. ¡°Where¡¯s my first target?¡±


    Ryker put his hand on my arm to slow me down.  ¡°Before you go, can I get your number?¡±


    I had never before had a grown man in a suit of armor bat his eyelashes at me, and it made me slightly uncomfortable.


    By tapping our E-ranked Communication Amulets together, we would be able to quickly communicate with each other, as long as we were each in range of a Communication Tower.


    <hr>


    The rest of the day was a blur of teleporting, hasty introductions, and bloody battles.  There was some kind of text-based Regional forum that Town Mayors had access to, and everyone who hadn¡¯t already signed up with the Armed Forces quickly accepted my offer.


    Whenever I appeared in a new town, I would rush directly through the mobs and target whatever big boss there was.   I fought direwolves, giant snails, pterodactyls, massive bears, and Sand Shifters.


    Under Samantha¡¯s guidance, I fought conservatively, keeping in mind my own Stamina.  I would approach the District Lords under an Invisibility Cloak, and then often decapitate the creatures with a single blow.  The District Lords were each around level 45, but none of them posed a serious threat to me.


    As a result, most of the time was travel time, to and from my next target.


    Many towns had to face multiple District Lords.  It made a vague sort of sense¡ªif one boss appeared in each District, but there wasn¡¯t a town in every District, then those bosses would gather forces and attack the nearest towns.


    I fought nonstop for the next few hours.


    The sun was just starting to set when I received a Schema notice that Nova City was under attack, and the shield¡¯s mana reserves were decreasing.


    I was outside a town in Nevada when I got the notice, stalking a Giant Vulture.  Flying creatures were the most challenging for me, since I didn¡¯t have a strong enough long-range skill, except for my Cursed Lightning.The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Instead of using Cursed Lightning, I was waiting for the vulture to come to me.   I was standing, cloaked, next to the carcass of a desert wolf.


    I was tempted to immediately rush towards Nova City.


    But there was a reason I had invested so much into Nova City¡¯s defenses.  The shield could hold for a few more minutes, and I didn¡¯t want to have to hunt this vulture again.


    The vulture was an ugly creature.  It had a pink, featherless head with disturbingly orange irises and a black beak.  Its bedraggled feathers were primarily black, but there were patterns of white running in lines along its sagging belly, giving it the impression of a skeleton.


    The vulture finished eating its current prey, and then flew towards the desert wolf I was next to.


    I waited until it lowered its head to feast on the bleeding creature below it, and then I struck.


    It noticed something when I was just a yard away, but by then it was too late. Empowered by all my floating points in Strength, I killed it with a single strike of my Vampiric Blade, even as it tried to fly away.


    I collected the loot and immediately returned to the town¡ªI couldn¡¯t even remember the town¡¯s name, everything had been such a blur recently¡ªand I teleported back to the Reed City.


    <You should bring Justin and Feng to Nova City,> Samantha suggested.  <The Mana Beads in the tunnels can be processed and turned into Mana Shards.>


    Alright, I thought back, not seeing any harm in the suggestion.


    I had a nearby guard run to fetch Justin and Feng¡ªthey were currently fighting from the ramparts of the city, under the watchful eye of Lewis.


    ¡°Where are we going?¡± Justin asked, as he approached me.  His leather armor was soaked in blood, but it didn¡¯t look like it was his.  He had a longbow slung over his shoulder, and his sword was sheathed at his side.  Feng walked next to him and slightly behind him, a wand in his hand.


    ¡°Nova City,¡± I said, leading them to the Teleportation Circle. ¡°Neither of you are allowed to mention anything about this city to anybody else.  Is that clear?¡±


    Once they nodded, we teleported together to Nova City.


    I immediately jogged towards the wall, to see who would dare attack my city.  As I did, I couldn¡¯t help but notice the bramble dome as I passed it.  It had grown significantly, taking up the vast majority of the space inside my city.


    Just past the wall was a mishmash of monsters.  Crystal Golems, Spirits, another Crystal King Crab, and thousands of lava roaches.  Nothing looked like it was the level of a Region Lord, at least.


    They were all attacking the city¡¯s Mana Shield, and I had the distinct feeling that I was bleeding money.


    ¡°Stay on the battlements. I¡¯ll try to leave the monsters immobile and weakened, so you can gain more of the experience.  Make sure your soul shields are active.¡±


    I still wasn¡¯t optimized to fight this kind of battle against a horde of weaker opponents. The lava roaches were the most annoying creatures, because there were so many of them.


    I focused on the most dangerous creatures, the ones that could drain the city¡¯s shields fastest.


    I had something of a grudge against the Crystal King Crab I had fought earlier, and that was one of Samantha¡¯s first targets.


    With Samantha starting the battle, rather than myself, I made easy work of the Crystal King Crab. Samantha actually had me jump on top of the crab from a distance.  Once I was on top of it, it was largely unable to reach me. With increased Strength, I was able to dismember its limbs, and then I slid underneath it to avoid the spirits that were chasing me.


    Once I was underneath the crab, I stabbed its underbelly repeatedly, until I saw its loot appear.


    After the crab, I targeted the Golems next.


    We fought for an hour, until I received a message from an unusually frantic Ryker that two towns were in danger of falling to the monster hordes.


    Since I had plenty of extra town tokens, from the many District Lords I had fought, the first thing I had done when I returned to Nova City was build a Communication Tower.  Unfortunately, Samantha said that she doubted the tower¡¯s ¡°signal¡± would reach through the rocks, Mana Beads, and Xither Crystals surrounding the cavern. But since I was fighting just outside the city, and I hadn¡¯t entered the tunnels, Ryker¡¯s request for help came in loud and clear.


    The rest of the night was spent putting out fires.  Justin and Feng opted to stay at Nova City¡ªthey were able to use ranged attacks to kill the Lava Roaches fairly easily from the protection of the city¡¯s Mana Shield, and it was a great source of experience.


    At this point, many of the towns I was visiting looked familiar.  It seemed the local District monsters were continuing to gather and attack these towns¡ªthe very same towns I had already ¡°saved.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t until 2 a.m. that I finally had the chance to take a brief nap.


    <Schema residents have a name for this week,> Samantha supplied, helpfully. <Hell Week.>


    As I readied myself for bed, I finally had the chance to study my character sheet.  The benefit of Hell Week was that I had gained immense experience, leveling up directly from level 26 to level 30.  Gaining four levels in one day¡­


    Then, with the four points I had gained, I put them all into Luck.


    <table width="624">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Name:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    Jarek


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Level:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    30


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    HP:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    40/40


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Physical Defense:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    18


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Strength:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    31 (+5)


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Mental Power:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    14


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Dexterity:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    10 (+5)


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Agility:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    10 (+14)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Perception:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    20


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Luck:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    19


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Mana Pool:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    93 (+10)


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Mana Regeneration:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    40 (+10)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Available Points:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    0


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Coins:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    70,747,000


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Class:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    Mana Modulator (D-rank)


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Profession:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    Rune Master


    (E-rank)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Titles:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="486">


    Region Lord (E-rank)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Skills and Spells:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="486">


    Identify (E-rank)


    Mana Modulation (D-rank Core)


    Death¡¯s Defier (A-rank)


    Mana Sensing (E-rank)


    Healthy Magic (E-rank)


    Don¡¯t Mind Me (D-rank)


    Aquatic Respiration (E-rank)


    Polyglot (E-rank)


    Soul Communion (D-rank)


    Cursed Lightning (D-rank)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Affinities:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="486">


    Internal Mana (D-rank Low), External Unattributed Mana (E-rank Low), Soul Magic (D-rank Low)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Equipment:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="486">


    Vampiric Blade (D-rank): +5 Strength, +5 Agility.


    Bloodied Battle Robes (D-rank): +5 Mana Pool, +5 Mana Regen.


    Imperial Scout Boots (E-rank): +4 Agility.


    Greedy Gloves (D-rank): +5 Mana Pool, +5 Mana Regen.


    Bonded Blades (D-rank): +5 Dexterity, +5 Agility.


    Communication Amulet (E-rank):


    Interdimensional Pouch (D-rank):


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Missions:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="486">


    Zone Offense


    Renegade Bounty Hunter


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>

 Chapter 58: Sustainability

    <This isn¡¯t sustainable,> Samantha said, when I awoke from a brief sleep the next day. Ryker and Ethan had offered to both be ¡°on call¡± for four hours so I could catch some sleep.


    I feel energized, I shot back, smothering a yawn. I can do this.


    <Not you,> Samantha said. <The finances. This is Hell Week, remember. We have five more days of intense battles, and that would come to 50 million coins or more to defend the other towns in the Region¡ªeach town is burning through a Mana Shard for their Mana Shields.>


    And? I have the money. And they are loans, so I¡¯ll get the money back.


    <Money right now is far more valuable than it will be months down the line when you finally see that money trickling in¡ªif you ever get paid back at all. I believe the economic term for this is high risk loans. But that¡¯s besides the point. I have a better suggestion. Let¡¯s go to the Merchant Faction Store, and I can explain on the way.>


    Even though dawn was just starting to break, the Merchant¡¯s Faction Store in Reed City was bustling and crowded.


    Fortunately, for gold-ranked customers such as myself, I was able to proceed directly past the counter towards one of the building¡¯s private rooms.


    The room had a hologram display and an information crystal. I called Mrinda, and after a few minutes of waiting, his hologram appeared in front of me, the fey blinking sleep away from his eyes.


    ¡°Ah, yes, Jarek, my favorite customer. Unfortunately, if you are asking about Mana Shards, my answer remains the same. Regulations state that for the next week, you must pay the same price as everyone else¡ªMana Shards are currently considered a ¡°non-discountable item, under statute 491b. I do wish I could help you, but my hands are tied.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not why I¡¯m here,¡± I said. ¡°I would like to purchase development options for a city.¡±


    Mrinda hummed thoughtfully, clasping his hands behind his back tightly. ¡°Of course! Seeing as you are a Region Lord, and a gold-ranked customer of the Merchant¡¯s Faction, I can certainly assist you in accessing some of the more valuable developmental paths for Reed City. I imagine you¡¯re looking for a more defensive path? Or, perhaps, heavy weaponry for when you are not around?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I said, flatly. ¡°I want a mining path.¡±


    Mrinda¡¯s eyes widened in surprise, and then he forcibly relaxed. I could see the muscles in his arms clench tightly, as he continued to hold his hands behind his back, out of my sight.


    ¡°Of course,¡± he said, after a moment¡¯s pause. ¡°Although I wouldn¡¯t recommend such a purchase for Reed City. With my limited knowledge of the city, I don¡¯t believe there are any nearby mines, and it would be something of a waste for a city like this.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s leave the city name blank on the forms,¡± I said, immediately.


    ¡°Of course,¡± Mrinda said, with a smile. ¡°I could just fill in ¡®The Crucible,¡¯ though? Save some time?¡±


    I kept my face neutral. ¡°Just leave it blank.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes,¡± Mrinda said again. He flicked his fingers in the air a few times, and then said, ¡°Check the Information Crystal in front of you. I sent you the list of available Mining Development Paths. It seems only three default paths are available to you. This restriction is likely due to the earliness of your request. Give it just a few more days, and more advanced options will likely open up.¡±


    The three options were a generic Mining Development Path, a Gem Processing Development Path, and an Ore Processing Development Path.You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    ¡°I want the Gem path,¡± I said, immediately.


    ¡°Yes, yes,¡± Mrinda said, his head and neck twitching slightly. ¡°Standard procedure is to pass the development option directly to your Schema menu, but you need to be standing in the city you are developing for the Schema. Shall I meet you in your city and we can finalize the trade there?¡±


    ¡°No need,¡± I said, thanks to Samantha¡¯s prompting. ¡°Just convert it to a Gem Processing Development Path City Token.¡±


    ¡°That is of course an option,¡± Mrinda¡¯s smile was beginning to crack. ¡°It will cost you extra, though.¡±


    ¡°Just do it,¡± I said, waiting.


    Mrinda twitched his head and neck again. ¡°Yes, Yes, of course. The total payment will be¡­40 million coins. For someone of your stature, we are of course able to arrange a down payment and low-interest loan¡ª¡±


    I transferred the 40 million coins through the information crystal.


    Mrinda coughed again. His hands made quick, flying gestures in front of me, almost as if he were typing. The movements were terse, tense. ¡°Wonderful, wonderful. Your token should arrive any moment in the deposit box built into the wall. Is there anything else I can help you with?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d also like to purchase one ton of Steel Ingots, a hundred liters of Jiin oil, and one ton of Standard Bricks.¡±


    Mrinda¡¯s eyes widened slightly. I only had a vague idea why Samantha was telling me to buy all these things, but it seemed Mrinda knew what Samantha was planning.


    ¡°Not a problem,¡± Mrinda said. ¡°Is there anything else I can help you with?¡± His grinned forcefully at me.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I added. ¡°I¡¯d like to invoke my right to client privacy as a gold-ranked customer.¡±


    ¡°That¡­won¡¯t be a problem,¡± Mrinda said, through gritted teeth. ¡°Have a nice day.¡±


    Why¡¯d he push so hard to learn the location? I asked, as I headed towards the Teleportation Circle.


    <I think I¡¯ve mentioned before. The Merchant¡¯s Faction are information brokers, too. They collect information on native inhabitants, and then sell that information at high prices to the invaders. Don¡¯t ever think Mrinda is on your side, and don¡¯t underestimate him because he wears his emotions on his sleeve. It¡¯s all an act. The Faction has likely already sold the locations of every city on Earth to various interested Schema factions. For some factions, they might want to be able to develop in peace and build their power. Others will go for a decapitating strike using the information the Merchant¡¯s Faction has provided. The location of a Mining City would be a high-value target for invaders, because that means valuable mines are nearby.>


    But there is already a Merchant¡¯s Faction store in Nova City. Wouldn¡¯t that already clue them in?


    <It would, except you are never going to use that store. Think of it like buying a new computer. If you buy a computer, but leave it in the box, then you don¡¯t need to worry about internet privacy.>


    Clever.


    <hr>


    Even during my sleep, I had been bleeding money. The attacks on Nova City had never ended, and the 5-million-dollar Mana Crystal was almost depleted. Fortunately, I had Samantha, who didn¡¯t need to sleep, who could let me know if the situation was too drastic.


    Upgrading a city meant that the city¡¯s defenses would be temporarily deactivated. So the first thing I had to do was clear the area.


    Looking at the thousands of monsters attacking my city put into perspective the size of the Veyrier mines. Every creature around level 55 was most likely a District Lord. And there were five District Lords that I could easily find currently attacking my city. For every District Lord that attacked my city, there was another unexplored cave in the mines.


    There were some new, unfamiliar creatures in the mix today, and I didn¡¯t like the looks of them. There was an octopus-like creature that was spewing thick clouds of poisonous, green gas. All the other monsters were giving the octopus a wide berth.


    Then there was a thirty-foot-tall humanoid giant to the north of the city. But the strange thing about it, was that it was completely modular.


    The giant was made of tens of thousands of grey linked metallic rods and spheres. The rods were about the length of a finger, and the spheres were the size of a grape. It reminded me of the toy magnets I used to play with as a kid. Except that it was giant and probably deadly, like everything else in these godforsaken caves.


    Looking closely, I could see that the giant was actually hollow¡ªit was made up of thousands of pyramids formed from rods and spheres, leaving some space and air in between each rod.


    <That¡¯s not a fun one to fight,> Samantha supplied, helpfully. <Every rod counts as its own creature, so there is not a core that you can destroy. The rods have five main skills¡ªMana Sensing, Mana Shock, Mana Shield, Mana Share, and Selective Magnetism. The power of Mana Shock or Mana Shield grows significantly as more of the rods get connected. They feed off of metals, too, so if you let them stick around the mines too long, they are going to multiply like crazy. You have to be especially careful fighting it with anything that could be pulled by its magnetic force¡ªso basically, you can¡¯t¡¯ fight it with metal.>


    That sounded like a nightmare to fight. And on top of that, there were the usual monsters¡ªGolems, spirits, Crystal King Crabs, and the goddamn roaches.


    Okay, how do I fight it?

 Chapter 59: Mining

    <The good news about a Geogiant is that it¡¯s extremely unintelligent,> Samantha started, as I stared at the massive figure outside of Nova City¡¯s walls.  <You can use it to eliminate most of the other monsters, and then lead it on a merry chase away from here, and eventually it will get lost and hopefully not come back for a while.  Honestly, you¡¯re not equipped to fight something like that.>


    I was able to walk up to the Geogiant easily¡ªit was so focused on destroying the Mana Shield that it didn¡¯t even acknowledge my presence.  It had a hand plastered against the city¡¯s Mana Shield, and every few seconds, the Geogiant¡¯s massive hand would pulse with a bolt of electricity and the Mana Shield would flicker, the Mana Crystal losing a sizeable chunk of power.


    The magnetic giant made of finger-length rods and grape-sized spheres had been standing there, with a hand up against the shield, for god knew how long. It performed the same, repetitive motion that indicated a complete lack of ingenuity or impatience.


    The other monsters were giving it a wide berth, which meant I had all the more space to approach it.


    First, I invested all my floating points into Strength, and I slammed a giant stone sledgehammer at the Geogiant¡¯s leg to draw its attention.  (One of the benefits of having several Interdimensional Pouches was that I could carry all kinds of random things with me).  I was fairly capable of imitating the various cartoon characters¡¯ ability to pull anything out of thin air. Or, I thought to myself, pulling items out of hammerspace.


    I felt a significant amount of initial resistance, as the giant¡¯s Mana Shield kicked in.  But my hammer shattered the Mana Shield, and plowed through the leg.  Even with over fifty points in Strength, my blow was unable to chop through the leg that was thicker than a washing machine.  My hammer cut through the first few rods easily, but it was gradually slowed down, until it was about three quarters of the way through the giant¡¯s leg.  Any of the rods that I had directly smashed fell to the ground, providing me with scant amounts of experience.


    But more often than not, my strike simply severed the rods and the spheres, and as I watched in fascination, I saw the rods and spheres reconnect, trapping my hammer in place.


    It took even more mana invested in Strength to yank my hammer free from a stand-still, and then I stepped back, ready to run.


    To my utter frustration, the giant didn¡¯t even respond or acknowledge my presence, continuing to press its massive finger up against my city¡¯s shield.


    It had a slightly hunched back, and a completely featureless face, which made me wonder why the rods would even bother to take on the appearance of a humanoid figure.


    I still had my mana invested in Strength, and I made good use of that fact.  This time, rather than trying to hammer through the creature¡¯s leg in a single blow, I whittled away at its leg slowly, like I was carving a turkey. With a sledgehammer.


    The smaller blows shaved off the magnets easily, and I didn¡¯t have to worry about the magnets rebuilding around my hammer.


    I struck time and time again, until the leg was about half its original width when the giant finally seemed to notice me.


    It was strange, because it had none of the human or animalistic responses that I was accustomed to.  There was no angry roar. Just a sudden palm, flying my direction, in an attempt to squish me like a bug.


    But I was ready for it.  The hand was almost comically slow and cumbersome anyway (I could hear thousands of clicks and taps as metal rods and balls connected and disconnected from each other), making it a piece of cake to dodge.


    I stood out of its range, waiting, and it paused for a full second, and then resumed its work on my shield, a single massive finger pressed against the Mana Shield, causing spark after spark to surge around the shield.


    I groaned in frustration.


    <Try an Igneal Explosive,> Samantha suggested.


    I struck again, full-force, directly into the Geogiant¡¯s leg. Before the leg could close up again, I took out one of my Igneal Explosives and tossed the ingot into the giant¡¯s open wound.


    Then, I tugged my hammer out of the giant¡¯s leg and ran.


    I felt the heat of the explosion on my back just a few seconds later, and finally, the giant took a lumbering step towards me.


    Outrunning the Geogiant, it turned out, was a bit too easy.  I had to slow down, a lot, because if I ever ran too far away, the monster would forget about me, or lose track of me, and turn to the city and continue its mundane spark-attack.This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    But I gradually drew the Geogiant around the city, towards the other creatures.


    The Geogiant would intermittently swipe at me with a massive, clumsy hand, but those attacks were easy for Samantha to dodge.


    Its movements were extremely unnatural. Despite its humanoid form, it didn¡¯t rely on normal joints and muscles.  It seemed to have a sense of form¡ªa head, torso, arms, and legs.  But sometimes, its arms moved like snakes, and its legs curved with every step, instead of hinging.


    Once I managed to lead the Geogiant towards the swarm of other monsters, things started looking better for me, and worse for the roaches, octopuses, and Crystal Golems.


    The Geogiant wreaked havoc on the other monsters attacking my city.


    After about half an hour, the dense crowds of monsters began to break, and their self-preservation instinct began to kick in.  The monsters began to retreat, out of the massive cavern that held my city.


    I¡ªor, rather, Samantha¡ªhad managed to convince the Geogiant that it was the fleeing monsters that had been attacking it this whole time, and so it eagerly followed them through one of the larger tunnels that led out of the room.


    Meanwhile, I put on my Invisibility cloak and snuck back to Nova City to clean up the rest of the mobs.


    <hr>


    Congratulations! You are the first on your planet to pick a Development Path for a city. +1 City Token.


    It was a generous reward. I could either use it to upgrade my own city, or to construct a city in a Region that didn¡¯t already have a city.


    <Just hold onto it for a few more days,> Samantha said.  <Once a city falls, you can start to lay claim to another Region.>


    I¡¯m not in this for a power-grab, I shot back.  I just want to find Petra.


    <Jarek, it¡¯s time for you to start thinking long term.  Once you find Petra, then what? Where do you want to be?  You need to give me long term goals to work with.  Once you do, then I can help you.>


    I don¡¯t want your help, I snapped, reflexively.  I didn¡¯t actually mean it, though. Without Samantha, I wouldn¡¯t have known that it was even an option to develop a city like this.


    The plan was straight forward.


    Now that I had upgraded my city, there were several new buildings that I could make use of.  There was an Extractor, and a Compactor.  The two buildings were connected, and they reminded me of factories or assembly lines.


    The best part, from my perspective, was that both buildings were essentially black boxes, with an input and an output.  Very simple, straightforward to use, and most importantly, fully automated.


    But first, I had to spend another 15 million coins on the Extractor.  These buildings and machines were turning out to be huge money sinks, but Samantha assured me they would be worth it.


    After its upgrades, the Extractor could take in and identify Fire, Earth, and Poison-attuned Mana Beads.  It would sort the three types of beads onto three different factory lines.  Then, through various mechanized processes that were completely unknown to me, it could extract the Fire element out of the Mana Beads, leaving most of the mana still inside the Mana Beads.  Then, the Fire elements from many of the beads would be stored inside the Steel Ingots that I had purchased, at a much greater density.


    As a result, this line of the Extractor spat out two products¡ªa simple, unattuned Mana Bead, and, for approximately every hundred beads, one Igneal Ingot.


    The Extractor would complete a similar process with each of the other types of Mana Beads.  The Standard Bricks would be injected with the Earth Element, requiring approximately 100 Mana Beads to create one E-ranked Terrin Brick.  The Poison Element could be stored stably inside the Jiin oil that I had purchased, creating a highly concentrated poison.


    The Compactor had a much simpler job. The Extractor would automatically pass the Mana Beads to the Compactor, which would then condense and consolidate the beads into the larger, fist-sized standardized Mana Shards.


    Most defensive wards the size of a town or city wouldn¡¯t even utilize Mana Beads.  The drain on the beads would create a more choppy, unstable effect for a mana shield, since the ward would drain power so quickly from Mana Beads.


    So at the moment, there was a decent number of Mana Beads out in the general public, but a huge shortage of Mana Shards.


    Now that the City was no longer under attack, it was time to start my mining efforts.


    <hr>


    ¡°Any questions?¡± I asked Justin and Feng, who were staring at me with bleary and astonished eyes.


    Maybe I should have let them sleep in more, but I needed help gathering Mana Beads.  Ethan and Ryker were already sending me messages questioning where I was, and I didn¡¯t want to delay joining them any longer.


    Hell Week was continuing in the rest of the world, and pretty soon, the Mana Shards I had provided the various towns with were going to be depleted.  Speaking of which, when I returned to Reed City, I would need to purchase another Mana Crystal, since my current Mana Crystal was running low on Mana.


    Originally, there had been six different entrances to the Wyvern¡¯s Cavern, which supported Samantha¡¯s previous theory that ¡°all roads lead to the Big Bad Boss.¡±


    I used some of my Igneal Explosives to collapse all but one of those tunnels, hoping that that would delay the approach of any monsters, and prevent Justin and Feng from being flanked.


    ¡°Remember, don¡¯t travel too far, or your Communication Amulet will no longer connect to the Tower,¡± I said, as we explored the massive cavern that held Nova City.


    As we walked, I absentmindedly snatched up some of the Fire-attuned Mana Beads affixed to the walls.


    ¡°Justin, take my Invisibility Cloak¡ªif anything dangerous approaches, contact me immediately, get the hell out of there, and if it chases you to the City you can try to kill it from a safe distance.  When you¡¯re in the city, make sure you never enter the Merchant¡¯s Faction Store.¡±


    Justin and Feng were both loaded up with Mana Shield Amulets, Soul Shield Amulets, and even some extra Igneal Ingot Explosives.


    Most enemies that they encountered here would far exceed their level¡­ But as long as they stayed near the city, they should be able to retreat the moment they found trouble.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be ambitious, and don¡¯t be a hero.  I will expect you to leave me a message every hour. If you don¡¯t, then I will drop everything and rush over.¡±


    ¡°Yes, mom,¡± Justin said, sticking his tongue out at me playfully.  ¡°We¡¯ve got it. Go save the world already.  We¡¯ll focus on making you rich.¡±

 Chapter 60: Collapse

    The return to Reed City started as I expected.  Now that I was ¡°On Call,¡± it was Ryker¡¯s turn to nap, and Ethan and I spent our time putting out fires in the Region and killing the District Lords.


    Once again, I found myself jumping from town to town in the Region, slaying the District Lords and sometimes thinning out the crowds of monsters, before continuing to the next town. I gained a level in the process, reaching level 31 and putting the point towards Mana Regeneration.


    It was a strange feeling.  I never felt like I was personally threatened or in danger, but I still felt like I was losing.  I wasn¡¯t fast enough.  Around 11 a.m., whether by coincidence or some planned coordination, dozens of towns were attacked by District Lords simultaneously.


    Even when we woke up Ryker, we couldn¡¯t fight in all the towns at once.


    It was infuriating, never being able to move fast enough.


    The Reed City Militia sent some support to the various towns, but Reed City itself was also being attacked by numerous District Lords at the same time.


    I was tempted to reach out to Dawnbreaker, or the Crucible, but Uman was sending me updates on the Crucible¡¯s end, and they didn¡¯t look good.


    The Crucible as an organization had dropped its original name and was now rebranded as Daybreak.


    Daybreak was now responsible for six Regions in North America.  While most of the former Crucible members decided to join Daybreak, six Regions being attacked simultaneously meant that they were struggling to defend the Cities, let alone the towns.


    Hearing what Dawnbreaker was up to made me wonder if I should be doing more.


    Personally, I could only fight in one place at a time.  But having only two people mining Mana Beads at a time was incredibly inefficient.  Most towns were falling because they didn¡¯t have enough Mana Shards to power their walls¡ªin theory, with enough Mana Shards, towns could last indefinitely against District Lords.


    Was it worth it to take guards away from Reed City, in order to mine?


    By 11:30, the first town¡¯s shield fell.


    It all happened so fast¡ªthree hidden District Lords had attacked the shield simultaneously, draining all of the remaining mana in the Mana Shield, and nobody in the town had any warning.


    The moment the shield fell, I rushed over to the town, along with all the militia any town could spare, to help with the evacuation.


    When I appeared in the Teleportation Circle, I immediately knew this would be a nightmare.


    Hundreds of people were packed in the building, with no room for anyone to move, and one or two guards were yelling at everyone, but I couldn¡¯t hear what they were saying, because I could hear pained cries and yells outside.


    I immediately got off the Teleportation Circle, and I had to shove my way against a frantic flow of traffic in order to leave the building.


    As I pushed my way passed people, I noticed dozens of people with bite marks on their arms, missing fingers or hands.  Blood was everywhere.


    I finally made it out of the teleportation building, and I saw that there were hundreds more people pressing to enter the building.


    The hundreds of people were pressing in against each other frantically, everybody shoving their way forward, trying to escape the thousands of monsters swarming the streets¡ª mutated wolves and bears, as well as rocs.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    The rocs were the worst.  They would fly directly towards the rushing masses of people, in the opposite direction that people were running, forcing the evacuating residents back, away from the Teleportation Circle, against the frantic press of people.


    As I watched, I saw several people get pressed to the ground and stepped on by the people rushing away from the rocs.


    I was itching to fight, but there were no easy battle lines.  It was a frantic free for all, and it was pure chaos.


    I pushed my way to the outskirts of the crowd, I could see on one side of the crowd a few brave men and women were actually facing the wolves with weapons drawn, so I headed the opposite direction, where the wolves and bears were unhindered as they preyed on people who were trying futilely to run away.


    My stomach churned at the sight of dismembered bodies¡ªsome were children¡ªbleeding out in the streets, or being eaten alive by carnivorous wolves and rocs, or stepped on by the crowds.


    Once I was at the edge of the crowds, I finally let loose.


    I had fought monsters hundreds of times before, but I had never felt this sickened feeling of powerlessness and anger in my stomach.


    To my surprise, Samantha had me focus on Dexterity.  I threw my two blades with deadly accuracy, every toss a deadly blow, and the moment the blade sunk through a creature¡¯s neck, head, or heart, I willed it back into my sheath, and I threw it again.  I received another level-up notice¡ªreaching level 32, now, and I put the extra point towards Mana Regeneration, without thinking too much about it.


    The pattern continued, and once I had cleared this part of the street, I jumped up to a rooftop, and started throwing my knives from a better vantage point.


    Unfortunately, my better vantage point also gave me a full view of the death below me, of the dozens of broken bodies trampled by people, and the people who were still alive, but bleeding out on the street, with nobody to help them.


    Just focusing on monsters that were about to kill humans, I had my hands full, and for every ten monsters I killed, I saw the eleventh wolf bite the neck of a refugee.


    Just a few days ago, I had been considering laying down my weapons.  I had been resentful of Samantha turning me into a killing machine, and I felt sick every time I saw blood.  Blood had reminded me of all the people and monsters I had killed.


    I had been playing with the idea of just being a Rune Master.  I could equip people to defend themselves.


    Watching the trauma unfold before me, I started to recognize the truth that I¡¯d been hiding from, for so long. The truth Samantha had tried to drill in my head, time and time again. This was a new world, a world where strength was a necessary condition for whatever you wanted to achieve.


    This was what monsters were capable of.  In just a few more days, when the other sentient species invaded our world and waged war on us, how much more horrible would our world become then?


    Samantha¡¯s words rung through my head. You need to give me long term goals to work with.


    I never want this to happen again, I thought, staring down from my rooftop at the blood and gore below me, trying to ignore the frantic cries for help, even as I continued throwing my knives, deciding with each toss who would I would continue to protect, and who I would let die.


    It was a visceral part of me that had the thought.  Of course, I knew this would happen again.  It was probably happening right now, in hundreds of towns around the world.


    For once, at least, I felt like I had a clear moral stance. I want to save people.


    If that meant following Samantha¡¯s combat shadow, spending hours and hours hunting monsters or tracking down valuable equipment, sucking up to Samantha¡¯s elitism, then so be it.  I would do what I needed to do to grow stronger, and to fight for humanity.


    <Not to interrupt your reflection,> Samantha said, sounding particularly sympathetic. <But the District Lords are about to take down the Town Hall.  I probably don¡¯t need to remind you, if the Town Hall falls, then nobody can teleport out of here.>


    I hated turning my back on the crowds of fleeing, frantic residents.  But I did, charging towards the Town Hall with a fury.


    There was a giant worm at the doorstep to Town Hall, with a torso as tall as I was.  Flying above the giant worm was a Roc Queen, and a Direwolf was currently snarling at the two brave guards that stood in front of the Town Hall.


    I killed the giant worm first, because I felt like it could deal the most damage to the Town Hall¡¯s Mana Shield and locked door. It never saw me coming, and my blade slid in and out with ease.


    Once the Roc Queen and Direwolf turned to face me, the battle was already over.  I was a little surprised that the Direwolf still dared to directly charge me, but it just made things easier¡ªI sidestepped the charge, and stabbed my sword deeply into its throat.


    The Roc queen tried to capitalize on the fact that my sword was otherwise engaged.  It flew towards me with a shriek, but I threw two well-aimed knives, and the queen had no chance to dodge.


    It was a pyrrhic victory, though.  Just by distracting me for a few seconds, the three District Lords had probably cost the town dozens of lives.


    I rushed back towards the Teleportation building, only to receive a new message on my Communication Amulet.


    A second town¡¯s shield had collapsed.

 Chapter 61: Deals

    Samantha, I¡¯d like your help.  How can I fix this?


    The second evacuation was much like the first.  Hundreds of people franticly pressing towards the building that housed the Teleportation Circle.  So far, I had seen dozens of people die in front of me as I fought off giant scorpions and vultures.


    I had found my rhythm, standing on top of a building, killing monsters incredibly quickly, but it wasn¡¯t enough.  I could tell I was fighting a losing battle¡ªnot just at this town, but in general¡ªthe other towns weren¡¯t strong enough to protect themselves, and I couldn¡¯t be everywhere at once.


    <Well, let me think,> Samantha started. It was a strange thing to say, since I was sure she had spent much of her time planning this out in the first place. She always seemed to have a half dozen plans running at the same time.


    <You should make a deal with Dawnbreaker,> Samantha said, after a brief pause.  <You should offer to deal with their Region Lords, and in exchange, they can send more manpower to your towns.  Think about it.  The Crucible had a good number of Hard Mode Challengers, but they had far more Easy and Normal challengers.  Your issue is that you¡¯re too overpowered to be fighting these District Lords.  Dawnbreaker¡¯s issue is that she doesn¡¯t have enough people or teams to take on Region Lords.>


    That actually makes sense, I thought back.


    <That¡¯s only the start of it.  Once you have Dawnbreaker¡¯s people defending your towns and city, you can take some guards that Ryker trusts and have them start mining.  We really need to up Mana Shard production if you are serious about your ¡°saving people¡± thing.


    I thought you wanted to keep the city secret?


    <It¡¯s a question of priorities,> Samantha said. <I¡¯m willing to recognize that your priorities are different from mine, and with your current goals, I¡¯m trying to suggest the optimal solution.>


    I didn¡¯t want to waste any time. I had my Communication Amulet equipped, and so I immediately contacted Uman.


    The Communication Amulet succeeded in making a live connection, and I immediately said out loud, ¡°Uman, I want you to put me in touch with Dawnbreaker, ASAP.¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡± Uman¡¯s voice was slightly distorted. ¡°Is everything alright? I¡¯m hearing some unnerving background noises.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re losing another town,¡± I said, tersely. ¡°Get me Dawnbreaker.¡±


    I heard Uman whisper something¡ª¡°We¡¯ll talk more later,¡± and then his voice came across clear to me. ¡°I¡¯m walking to the Boston Teleportation Circle now.  Last I heard, Dawnbreaker was fighting a Region Lord in New York City, so I will go there first.  Is there anything I need to know?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I said. ¡°How is the search for Petra going?¡±


    ¡°No leads yet,¡± Uman admitted. ¡°We¡¯ve ruled out Fayette City¡ªthe augur didn¡¯t pick up any ¡®scent¡¯ of her there.  We¡¯re still working on it.¡±


    ¡°Call me back the moment she is on the line,¡± I said. ¡°Tell her it¡¯s urgent.¡±


    I ended the call, and resumed killing monsters.


    <Keep an eye on the Communication Tower,> Samantha said. <If it falls, you won¡¯t be able to talk to Dawnbreaker.>


    This was where having a second pair of eyes and essentially a companion¡¯s mind was extremely useful.  In the middle of this bloodbath, I hadn¡¯t been following the status of the Communication Tower at all.


    The tower was the tallest building in the town.


    It didn¡¯t seem like any creatures were specifically targeting it¡ªthey much preferred killing people in the streets¡ªbut I kept a wary eye out and ready.


    Ten minutes later, Uman¡¯s Communication Amulet called me back, but it was Dawnbreaker¡¯s voice that carried through.


    ¡°You have 10 seconds,¡± she said, speaking quickly with more than a hint of annoyance in her voice. ¡°The Ontario Region Lord just showed up in Toronto.¡±


    I paused, slightly flustered, then took a breath. ¡°I will help you fight your Region Lords, if you provide manpower to defend my Region¡¯s towns and city.¡±


    ¡°How much manpower?¡± Dawnbreaker asked.  I could tell I had her interest.


    ¡°500 people, with E-rank classes,¡± I said.  I honestly had no idea how big the Crucible was, but


    ¡°I can¡¯t spare that many,¡± Dawnbreaker said.  ¡°That would be sacrificing my own towns and saving yours.  I can send 100 people who have E-rank classes, level 15 or higher.¡±


    ¡°Deal,¡± I said. ¡°One more thing.  In about six hours, I¡¯ll have a batch of Mana Shards to sell to you, with no-interest loans if needed.¡±The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    ¡°How many?¡± I could hear a slight tinge of hope in her voice.


    ¡°One hundred,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m working on gaining more. I would like the Soul Explosion and Spiritual Traveler spells in exchange though.¡± Requesting the Soul Explosion and Spiritual Traveler spells was Samantha¡¯s idea, of course.  The two spells were limited to people with Soul Magic Affinity, which was rare enough that Dawnbreaker probably hadn¡¯t put them to use yet.


    ¡°Get me 500 Mana Shards and they are both yours.  My people will be in Reed City in an hour.  I¡¯ll tell you where we need you then.¡±


    Once the call with Dawnbreaker ended, I contacted Ryker next to inform him of the plan¡ªand my need for miners in Nova City.


    After talking to Ryker, I contacted Justin, letting him know that he would need to onboard a bunch of guards. I made a point to emphasize that he should be especially careful around Ethan.


    It felt incredibly callous, talking to someone ¡°on the phone¡± while killing monsters and watching people die in front of me.


    It forced me to wonder, if I devoted all my concentration to fighting, instead of talking, if I would be able to save more people in this town.


    But at this point, every decision was a trade-off, and I could only hope I was making the right call.


    <hr>


    An hour later, I appeared in Toronto.  It was something of a relief, appearing in a city with a spacious Teleportation Circle, and not having to worry about a stampede of terrified people.


    Toronto was rather chilly, but with my Physical Defense, it didn¡¯t bother me.


    ¡°This way, sir.¡±  The guard at the Teleportation Circle immediately led me out of the building, through the crowded streets, and towards the City¡¯s main gate.


    It was a much friendlier welcome compared to when I had visited Montreal.


    The guard led me to the battlements, where I could see monsters rushing up against the city¡¯s walls.  There were dozens of different kinds of creatures, from stone badgers to giant spiders.


    Further in the distance, I could see a team of three people--Parker, Hank, and Amos¡ª fighting what truly deserved to be called a monster.


    The monster was Lovecraftian. It was larger than most houses, and it had a huge, gaping maw the size of a trampoline with jagged teeth lining the interior of the mouth and throat, reminding me of a Sarlacc.


    The creature had over a hundred different appendages, a disconcerting amalgamation of humanoid legs, tentacles, monster legs, and arms. Every once in a while, a tentacle would lash out, wrapping around an unsuspecting nearby monster, and the creature would consume it in a single gulp.


    The most concerning part of the monster, though, were the humanoid figures protruding from the creature¡¯s body.


    I could tell they used to be people, but it was unimaginable that they were still alive.  Several of the bodies decorating the creature were missing the left or right half of their body, and for others, it was just the torso that was sticking out of the monster¡¯s bubbling flesh.


    To add to the eldritch abomination, those humanoid figures were casting spells against the ex-Crucible trio.


    <It¡¯s a Lamia Impression,> Samantha said.  <And it¡¯s going easy on them.>


    I felt an uncomfortable glare coming from the guard who had led me to the top of the city¡¯s wall.  As if he were too nervous to say, Well, aren¡¯t you going to join them?


    With a single leap, I jumped off the defensive wall, into mass of monsters below me.


    The nearest monsters¡ªa group of stickles¡ªtried to slice me with their saw-like arms and legs.  I blazed through them, throwing my knives when necessary with my left hand, charging directly towards the Lamia Impression.


    None of the monsters around me were able to slow me down.  I killed a swath of monsters, until I reached the trio that were frantically fending off the Lamia Impression and the thousands of monsters that were attacking.


    ¡°Jarek! Nice to see you,¡± Amos shouted, as he stabbed his blade directly through a velociraptor. ¡°Man do we need you,¡± he continued. ¡°This monster wiped out the rest of our team.¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t fast enough to block the tentacles,¡± Hank added, sadly.   I could see tears in his eyes, even as he wielded his shield and hammer to block Parker from being attacked by a dozen monsters.


    Meanwhile, Parker was using my presence to drink a Mana Potion.


    Between the four of us, it wasn¡¯t hard to keep a circle of ground cleared from the monster hordes.  The Lamia Impression seemed content to continue eating the horde of monsters around it, and it didn¡¯t make much of an attempt to attack us.


    ¡°What¡¯s the game-plan?¡± I asked.


    ¡°When the monster ate our magicians, we lost our firepower,¡± Amos replied.  ¡°We were just holding out for reinforcements, and making sure it doesn¡¯t attack the city,¡± Amos said. Then, realizing he might not have been clear, he added, ¡°You¡¯re the reinforcements.¡±


    ¡°Ok, well, it looks like it¡¯s biding its time for something, so I¡¯m going to go kill it before it attacks us.  You guys stay here.¡±


    Ignoring their objections, I rushed towards the Lamia Impression.  The closer I got to the Lamia Impression, the fewer monsters there were around me. It seemed none of the monsters were keen on becoming dinner.


    I had already left the team when the full implications of what Amos had said hit me. They had lost their magicians. Had Petrov been with them? Was Petrov dead?


    Petrov had always seemed calm, and collected. He could match me in a battle, back when we sparred at the Crucible.


    But I remembered Hanks tears, and I saw the imposing form of the Lamia Impression ahead of me, and I knew, this was a world that wouldn¡¯t pull its punches.


    As I neared the Lamia Impression, its stench caught me the most off guard.  It smelled of putrid flesh, vomit, blood, disease and death.  The monster itself made no sense.  It had hundreds of tentacles. It was hard to tell how long the tentacles were, because they seemed so raveled together.  But on various parts of the tentacles, I could see human hands, or monstrous claws, or even small mouths filled with strange monstrous teeth.


    It had been a frustrating last few days. From Petra¡¯s disappearance, to watching towns getting raided by monsters, there had been an anger burning in my chest for a while.


    When you¡¯re capable of crushing the monsters around you like ants, there is no sense of satisfaction in victory, and it is even more humiliating when you lose.


    I was excited for this battle. A battle without a moral grey area in my mind. I would save Toronto, and work towards building a brighter future. Sure, I was using Samantha¡¯s combat shadow, but against a monster like the Lamia Impression, I didn¡¯t want to pull any punches.


    The monster had mostly ignored my approach, until I was about 10 yards away.  Then, it reached out with dozens of tentacles simultaneously, ignoring the pain as I chopped through over half of them with my Vampiric Blade.


    But there were so many tentacles, and I couldn¡¯t slice them all.  The remaining tentacles wrapped around me, and I felt the strange combination of textures of hands, teeth, and tentacles as the creature tossed me directly into its ever-open mouth.

 Chapter 62: The Belly of the Beast

    I hate you, sometimes, I thought to Samantha, as I put 50 mana into Physical Defense, quickly unequipping my boots and gloves.


    Following Samantha¡¯s combat shadow, I made sure my Interdimensional Pouch was tucked behind my robes.


    As I did, I let myself tumble down the Lamia Impression¡¯s throat, curling up into a ball with my arms wrapped around my head and neck, my Interdimensional Pouch tightly protected at my stomach by my curled-up knees and back.  The Lamia Impression¡¯s throat gulped, and I felt the walls around me constrict into a human-sized tunnel. Except, it wasn¡¯t the walls that I felt, it was the teeth that lined the inside of the creature¡¯s esophagus like razor blades.


    I could tell that the esophagus was undulating, moving the teeth back and forth across my body, calling and recalling waves of teeth to gnash against me and shred me, piece by piece.


    It was painful, but not as painful as I had feared.  The teeth drew long cuts along my body, and I could feel myself bleeding in a dozen different places, but with my Physical Defense, it didn¡¯t hurt as much compared to when that Earth Magician had caught me in a rock whirlwind.


    My bigger concern was that this ¡°esophagus¡± didn¡¯t seem to be ending anytime soon.  I wasn¡¯t falling, but I could tell that I was had been moving slowly for ten seconds, with nothing to show for it.


    How long is this going to last?


    <It must have noticed your Physical Resistance,> Samantha said. <If it wants, it could make you travel in circles, or back and forth, until it eventually wears you down.  Keep your eyes open, and Mana Sense active, and I¡¯ll let you know when to break out.>


    Until now, my eyes had been tightly closed.  I didn¡¯t want to get an eye poked out, after all.


    It took a second for my eyes to adjust to the darkness.  Once again, heightened Perception proved useful.


    I watched the teeth and blades as they sliced against my body.  I wasn¡¯t really sure what to look for.  My Bloodied Battle Robes were almost completely destroyed by this point, so I unequipped them.  If they took much more damage, I would lose them permanently.


    Was it really necessary to let me get swallowed by this thing?  Or is this just to satisfy your sadism?


    <You know you¡¯re not suited for long, drawn-out battles,> Samantha replied.  <And I didn¡¯t think you would want to waste your time, either.  This was the fastest way I could think of to defeat the creature, assuming you don¡¯t want to waste your Cursed Lightning on it.>


    But this is also one of the most dangerous.  We have what, a minute and a half? To find its core, in a creature the size of a house? I argued, half-heartedly.  It was almost habit now, to second-guess Samantha¡¯s decisions and play devil¡¯s advocate. Or angel¡¯s advocate.  But if I had learned anything in the last week, it was that Samantha had an incredible talent for navigating deadly situations.


    <That¡¯s why you have me,>  Samantha said, confidently. ¡°Get both your knives ready.¡±


    I drew my knives from the Interdimensional Pouch¡ªmaking sure the pouch was as protected by my body as possible¡ªand waited as patiently as I could, while I was literally being shredded by a hundred jagged teeth.


    <Take a deep breath,> Samantha said.  <You¡¯ll have to go without air for a while.>


    There wasn¡¯t much air inside the creature¡¯s esophagus, but it was manageable. I¡¯m not even going to mention the smell.


    I followed the Combat Shadow, slicing through a section of the esophagus near me.


    The moment I punctured the esophagus, the walls and blades around me tightened even further, and blood streamed towards me,


    I felt the blood burn my skin slightly as I touched it.


    Then, I made the slice in the creature¡¯s skin even greater, until I was able to press against the flood of blood, and cut through the teeth that angled to form a protective barrier between me and the slit flesh.


    The walls around me shifted, and I felt the force of a hundred blades biting into me and dragging me down, away from the opening I had created.


    But I fought against it, leveraging all my strength to pull myself in by inch, holding tightly on to the teeth that were closest to the bleeding hole I had created.


    It was moments like these that made me wish the Mental Power stat would just make my force of will stronger.


    With every inch I gained, I felt another, deeper cut.  Previously, by going with the flow of the Lamia Impression¡¯s digestive tract, I had avoided deep cuts.  But now, I was literally dragging myself along teeth that were intentionally positioned to block my passage.


    I suddenly remembered Petra.  Just a year ago, when I had been visiting Petra and Justin for Christmas, we went on a hike.  When we just started the return hike, Petra slipped on an icy puddle.


    She didn¡¯t make a big deal out of it, and we continued walking.Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    It wasn¡¯t until the next day, when she came home from work with crutches, that we learned she had broken her ankle.


    What would have happened, if Petra had been in my shoes? If she had drunk the vial? She would have challenged Hell head-on, in order to protect Justin, and me.


    I yanked again, inclining my head slightly so a serrated tooth would miss my eye.  I ignored the burning pain caused by the monster¡¯s blood, and slipped into the man-sized hole in the esophagus that I had created.


    Immediately, instead of the feeling of being sliced to pieces, I felt like I was being burned alive.


    I was still trapped between fleshy organs, surrounded by bleeding tissue, and the blood around me seeped into the cuts on my body and burned.


    I never had a clear idea, before this moment, what the inside of a creature looked like, from the inside. And I still didn¡¯t.  I was surrounded by two pulsing walls of flesh, one on my left, and one on my right, that had previously been pressed flush against each other.  Thanks to my presence, these two walls curved slightly, leaving just enough space for my presence, but nothing else.


    I gripped something slimy on one of the walls and yanked, pulling myself away from the esophagus behind me.


    The only bright side was that there were no more sharp objects around me.


    The less bright side was that I only had 5 seconds left on my first round of boosted Physical Defense.


    I pushed my way past the two walls. It seemed Samantha was uninterested in damaging them.  Likely because the resulting blood would cause me immense pain.  But, Samantha clearly didn¡¯t have qualms when it came to causing me pain¡­


    I came upon a third wall, except this one beat with a familiar, heart-like rhythm. Each pulse was like a shockwave that I could feel at my core.


    I readied my knife, ready to escape the belly of the beast.


    <Bad idea,> Samantha said.   Her combat outline led me around the curved red wall that was presumably a heart, as she explained, <I don¡¯t think you want to deal with a high-pressured stream of blood.  Not a pleasant way to die.>


    My 50 points of Physical Defense had run out, and so Samantha had me add 20 more points to Physical Defense.


    Since I was now using fewer points per minute than my Mana Regeneration, I was now able to regain mana at a slow rate while inside the Lamia Impression. The only thing holding me back now, was that I was still holding my breath.


    Moving around the internal organs of the Lamia Impression felt like a grotesque version of a bouncy-house maze¡ªwhen there are two adjacent inflated walls that you have to climb in between, and as you move through those walls, they reform behind you.


    It wasn¡¯t long after passing by the heart that I found what Samantha was looking for: the mana core.


    Even though I couldn¡¯t see the core, I could tell with Mana Sensing that it was behind a sphere-shaped organ that had the radius of one foot.


    The core was bursting with mana, and I could see that there were several thick ¡°arteries¡± and ¡°veins¡± that were carrying mana towards and away from the creature¡¯s core.


    Following Samantha¡¯s combat outline, I stabbed into the organ that held the Lamia Impression¡¯s core, and fished around inside the burst organ until I found a jewel that was about an inch in diameter.


    I could see very complex mana pathways flowing all around the core, so I drew Ghostbiter from my pouch, slicing through the mana pathways with my blade awkwardly¡ªI was still barely able to move, flush between organs.


    Then, I added almost all my remaining points to Luck, and I grabbed the core, placing it in my Interdimensional Pouch.


    Then I waited.


    <Lamia Impressions are essentially a biologically impossible creature, that rely heavily on their Mana in order to function. Now that you have the core, it¡¯s about to go through the equivalent of cardiac arrest.  Just give it a few more seconds.>


    I felt intense tremors in the organ-walls around me, and a deep, guttural roar from the monster.


    It didn¡¯t take much longer for me to receive the long-awaited notification.


    Congratulations for killing a Region Lord. +5 Available Stat Points.


    To my disappointment, I didn¡¯t level up right away, which meant I would have to deal with my dozens of cuts and bruises for a while longer.


    As I sliced my way out of the now-carcass, I decided to place one point in Luck, 3 points in Mana Regeneration, and 1 point in my Mana pool.


    <table width="624">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Name:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    Jarek


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Level:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    32


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    HP:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    42/42


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Physical Defense:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    18


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Strength:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    31


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Mental Power:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    14


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Dexterity:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    10


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Agility:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    10


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Perception:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    20


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Luck:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    20


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Mana Pool:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    100


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Mana Regeneration:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    47


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Available Points:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    0


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Coins:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    9,869,000


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Class:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    Mana Modulator (D-rank)


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Profession:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    Rune Master


    (E-rank)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Titles:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="486">


    Region Lord (E-rank)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Skills and Spells:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="486">


    Identify (E-rank)


    Mana Modulation (D-rank Core)


    Death¡¯s Defier (A-rank)


    Mana Sensing (E-rank)


    Healthy Magic (E-rank)


    Don¡¯t Mind Me (D-rank)


    Aquatic Respiration (E-rank)


    Polyglot (E-rank)


    Soul Communion (D-rank)


    Cursed Lightning (D-rank)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Affinities:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="486">


    Internal Mana (D-rank Low), External Unattributed Mana (E-rank Low), Soul Magic (D-rank Low)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Equipment:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="486">


    Interdimensional Pouch (D-rank):


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Missions:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="486">


    Zone Offense


    Renegade Bounty Hunter


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>

 Chapter 63: Water Elementals

    Once I eventually carved my way out of the corpse, I saw that Parker, Amos, and Hank had already collected the loot¡ªbesides the carcass itself.


    Perhaps because they were still uncertain about the Lamia Impression¡¯s death, we had a brief respite from the monsters around us.


    It was a shame that the carcass of the Lamia Impression wouldn¡¯t fit in my Interdimensional Pouch.  I was too preoccupied to properly deal with this corpse, which meant that Toronto was going to receive quite the influx of wealth¡ªassuming they knew how to deal with the corpse properly.  The corpse was a house-sized collection of E-rank hide, blood, interior organs, and bones, all of which could fetch a significant price.


    It seemed that the Lamia Impression had consumed a half dozen or so magicians, but somehow controlling or reanimating the bodies so that the Lamia Impression was able to use the same skills as its dinner.


    Thanks in large part to my increased Luck, several of the spell books of the magicians that the Lamia Impression had fought, had reappeared.


    There was Void Blade and Void Shield, two E-rank spells for magic users with a Void Magic Affinity.  Then there was Fire Whip, an E-rank spell which was the same spell River had used against the Manticore.


    Of course, it also dropped a City Token, which I happily collected as well.


    I re-equipped my Bloodied Battle Robes, letting it start draining my health in order to increase its durability.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t changed much, eh?¡± Amos said, surveying the corpse of the creature in front of us. ¡°For some of us, this is the way of things, yeah? Back to the natural order of things, again.¡±


    Amos gestured over to Hank, who still had a few tears trickling down his face.  ¡°We¡¯re not all cut out for this, of course,¡± Amos added.  ¡°Parker! Come over here. Parker, here, he¡¯s really stepping up.  Sure, he¡¯s had his breakdowns, too. He doesn¡¯t have your instinct, that¡¯s for sure.  But, he¡¯s getting there.  The Lamia Impression was targeting all our magic classes, and Parker was the only one who survived.  Lots of skill, there.¡±


    Parker, still searching the ground for loot, looked up and gave a quick nod at his name.


    ¡°What about the others?¡± I asked. ¡°Did Petrov make it? And Adia?¡±


    ¡°Most of the ex-Crucible, you know, they had their breakdowns,¡± Amos said.  ¡°Petrov though, he was cool as ice the whole time. Once he had his daughter safe next to him, he signed up right away to join Daybreak.  You know they say he was a Russian spy, right? Nothing can phase him.  Makes me wonder if his daughter is really his daughter, you know? Maybe she¡¯s also Black Ops, judging from her skill.  They start them young, they do.  Anyway, he¡¯s strong enough to lead his own team defending New York. Last I heard he¡¯s fine.¡±


    I breathed a sigh of relief.


    ¡°What about Adia?¡±


    Amos frowned, and I felt my heart skip a beat.  ¡°She didn¡¯t take kindly to the whole mind control situation.  Or her father¡¯s death.  She lost it, you see. Couldn¡¯t handle all the bad memories. She left Daybreak and joined some anarchist group.¡±


    At least she¡¯s alright. Some selfish, lazy part of me was glad that I wouldn¡¯t have to see her, and apologize again.


    I took out my Communication Amulet, adding Amos, Parker, and Hank to my contacts, and then called Dawnbreaker.


    ¡°The Lamia Impression is dead,¡± I said, the moment I had a connection. ¡°What¡¯s next?¡±


    <hr>


    I felt distinctly uncomfortable, walking through the streets of Daybreak City.  Somehow, my feet led me towards the plaza where Adia¡¯s father¡ªHaki Wright¡ªhad killed himself.This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    How many other people had Lord Ignatius silenced, in order to keep his secret?


    The road had been repaired, and there were no signs of the explosions that I had caused in the streets.


    It felt slightly careless of Dawnbreaker, to allow me into her city again.  She had invested an incredible number of coins in the city¡ªnot just for productivity, but to make the residents comfortable.  It was evident from the expensive businesses lining the streets, the personalized residences, and the guards patrolling many street corners.


    Eventually, I found my way to the main gate of Daybreak City, the same gate that I had fled out of.  I could still remember the fear I had felt, facing Dawnbreaker, Cy, and Alex for the first time.


    I met up with Alex on the ramparts of Daybreak City.  She stood facing the monster horde below us, chanting and holding her giant tome in front of her.  Most of the monsters that were attacking Daybreak City were Water Elementals.


    Water Elementals were collections of water, shaped a hundred different ways.  Thinking back to my battle with the spirits, if I had to hazard a guess, the Water Elementals would be what you get when you have spirits possessing water.


    Most of the Water Elementals were in vaguely familiar shapes.  I could see crabs, fish of various sizes, and clams.


    It was vaguely surprising that the water that made up these shapes looked so pure.  After fighting the Lamia Impression, I was expecting these monsters to also be stinky and evil, but the Water Elementals in front of me almost sparkled in the sunlight, like some bottled water commercial.


    They ranged in size from the amount of water you could fit in your sink, to the amount of water you could fit in a raised outdoor swimming pool.  I could easily see thousands of them.


    The hordes of Water Elementals were sacrificially charging the Mana Shield around the city.  The shield had no trouble blocking them, but I knew that with every attack, the shield was slightly weakened.


    As Alex finished chanting, I saw a massive golden net appear in the sky, with an area of easily a few acres, and it fell on the Water Elementals, first trapping over a thousand of them, and then constricting and drawing them together until they were forced to press tightly against each other.  Then, the net continued constricting, pressing against the Water Elementals, traveling through the water itself and burning the spirit that possessed the water.


    Soon, one by one, the Water Elementals caught in the net popped like water balloons, until just a few more minutes, there was nothing but a soggy patch of ground under the glowing golden net.


    Alex stopped chanting, and the golden net disappeared, and the mana that had called it into existence dissipated into ambient mana.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think we ever met, properly,¡± Alex said, closing her tome and turning tired eyes towards me.  ¡°My name is Alex.¡± She studied me through her golden-rimmed glasses.  She wore Sorcerer¡¯s Robes¡ªrobes whose sole purpose was to increase her Mana Pool. Alex was likely in her 30s, with tan skin, brown eyes, and long, brown hair.


    She was clearly trying to act politely, but I could tell she was still on guard, that she didn¡¯t trust me.


    ¡°Jarek Novak,¡± I said. ¡°Is the Region Lord here?¡± Looking over the sea of Water Elementals¡ªand other monsters mixed into the horde as well¡ªthere wasn¡¯t a Region Lord clearly visible.


    I didn¡¯t see the point in any pleasantries.  I wasn¡¯t here to waste time. Hi, how are you? Oh, I¡¯m doing well, just trying to save thousands of lives¡­how about yourself? The conversation didn¡¯t seem appealing to me.


    I couldn¡¯t bring myself to feel bad about it.


    I did feel bad about leaving Amos, Hank, and Parker so quickly though.  Parker and Amos had seemed to be genuinely sad to see me go, and I had barely said a few sentences the whole time I was there.  It¡¯s just¡­everything was such a rush, and Dawnbreaker had sent me here right away.


    Alex¡¯s response cut my musings short.  ¡°The Region Lord is here, because otherwise the other Water Elementals would not throw away their lives in such a way,¡± Alex said, gesturing to the Water Elementals that were flinging themselves at the city walls.


    ¡°But I have not found it, yet.¡±


    ¡°Let me look for it,¡± I said, focusing completely on my Mana Sensing skill.  Every Water Elemental shone with a soft, white light, indicative of the mana that controlled the water around them.


    The various other monsters outside the city shone with mana as well.


    There was a dense film of mana, similar to the District and Region walls, that surrounded the city¡ªthe Mana Shield that stopped the Water Elementals from just entering the city and wreaking havoc.


    The Mana Shield extended into a dome well above us, and also a relatively flatter version of a dome underground.


    To my surprise, the Mana Shield seemed particularly dense underground, something I had not noticed with other cities.


    <Look closer,> Samantha said.


    I focused my full attention on sensing the mana underground.  There was the familiar Mana Shield, yes.  But there was a bulge on the Mana Shield, a particularly dense concentration of mana, directly underneath the Mana Shield.


    ¡°It¡¯s under us,¡± I said. ¡°The Region Lord has tunneled underneath the city, and is waiting for the shield to weaken before attacking.  Are you using a D-rank Mana Shield, or an E-rank shield?¡±


    ¡°E-rank,¡± Alex responded. ¡°That¡¯s why you were sent over here. The Region Lord could probably take out our shield in a matter of seconds, if he wanted.¡±


    As if on cue, I saw the mana in the city¡¯s shield suddenly drain, pouring towards the ground, under the city, or¡ªto be more precise¡ªdirectly underneath Dawnbreaker¡¯s villa.

 Chapter 64: Battle for Daybreak

    As I rushed through Daybreak City, with Agility boosted, I couldn¡¯t help but feel a sense of irony.  Just a few days ago, I had been running the opposite direction, fleeing from a well-deserved punishment.


    Now, I hoped, was my chance to prove myself.


    I don¡¯t want to let the Region Lord damage the city, I told Samantha. I want a clean victory.


    <I think you expect too much from me,> Samantha shot back. <I can try to make the best of a bad situation, but honestly, this one is pretty bad, and you should be ready for some pretty serious destruction.  We¡¯ll have to hope that Alex has more spells to restrict spirits or elementals.>


    What¡¯s so bad about fighting a Water Elemental? Why can¡¯t I just whack it with Ghost Biter?


    <You¡¯re going to have to find it and catch it first,> Samantha said.


    I was halfway towards Dawnbreaker¡¯s villa when the city¡¯s Mana Shield broke.  The defensive ward schemes around a city have something like surge protectors.  Put too much sudden strain on the wards powering the Mana Shield, and the shield will shut off for a split second¡ªeven if there is more juice in the mana Shards powering the shield.


    It was a bit more complicated than that, because shields weren¡¯t actually designed to break when something powerful strikes them.


    But the end result was that the shield shorted out, for a split second, which presumably was enough for the Region Lord to enter the City.


    As I ran through Daybreak, I kept my focus on my Mana Sensing.  The Region Lord was still underground, but it was past the city¡¯s shield, now.


    Judging from the shape of the mana I could see, the Region Lord was in the shape of a narwhal, and its long, pointed horn was digging directly into the Mana Shield surrounding a building in Dawnbreaker¡¯s villa.


    I poured more mana into Agility, climbing and then leaping over the wall that surrounded Dawnbreaker¡¯s villa.  I saw the familiar fruit trees, the council room that I had eavesdropped on¡ªthe tree I had hidden in was notably absent, leaving just a pile of churned dirt in its place.


    The Narwhal Region Lord was attacking a building that I had to guess was Dawnbreaker¡¯s private residence.


    I reached Dawnbreaker¡¯s house just as the house¡¯s shield started surging with mana.


    Then I paused, breathing heavily, not really sure what to do, and not receiving any guidance from Samantha.


    The Region Lord was underground.  I could try digging, but there was no way I could catch it that way. I wasn¡¯t actually able to enter Dawnbreaker¡¯s home, because it was under lockdown, and I hadn¡¯t been given access into her home for obvious reasons.


    Alex, probably, had access, but she was well behind me.


    So I waited for a second, for the house¡¯s Mana Shield to fail.


    <If you had your Invisibility Cloak, this would be so much easier,> Samantha sighed wistfully.


    Excuse me for actually caring about other people. Justin needs it more than me.


    As I waited, Samantha had me take off all of my equipment, until I held only an F-rank sword in my hand, and a pouch at my hip. The sweats I normally wore under my robes had been destroyed by the Lamia Impression, so I was standing in my underwear and undershirt.


    I was starting to learn that having to unequip items meant a lot of pain in my future. Samantha, conveniently enough, claimed she didn¡¯t have time to explain her plan.


    I watched the Narwhal exert more and more pressure, drilling its long horn into the Mana Shield, until eventually the shield failed.


    The moment the shield failed, I poured even more mana into Agility and some into Strength, and I kicked down Dawnbreaker¡¯s front door.


    It was a distinctly uncomfortable feeling. Here I was, trying to save the city, forced into breaking and entering into the residence of the most powerful human on the continent.


    I gulped.


    There was absolutely nothing ostentatious about the house.  The entrance took me directly into a living room, which had a cozy Old World couch¡ªthe type you¡¯d enjoy a TV dinner on¡ªand two overstuffed reclining chairs.


    The dining room was adjacent to the living room, and it had a rather large, long table which barely fit 12 chairs around it.


    <If you¡¯re done studying the furniture, we have a city to save,> Samantha said, dryly.


    I snapped out of my daze, and followed the combat shadow up a flight of stairs.


    The hallway had a plush carpet, with photos lining the walls.  A picture of Dawnbreaker, in a wedding dress, next to an unfamiliar, smiling man. A picture of Dawnbreaker and her elderly parents.


    I continued down the hallway, following the combat shadow and my own Mana Sense, stopping at a room that had another Mana Shield around it.


    Then I waited once again.


    As I waited, I started to hear an ominous swishing sound. Like angry waves, rushing up against a rocky beach.


    I didn¡¯t have to wait long before I saw the narwhal climb the stairs.


    Climb is the wrong word, of course.  The narwhal elemental was a floating mass of water.  At my best guess, it was a spirit capable of hydrokinesis.  That would also explain why there was a rising tide of water accompanying the narwhal, up the stairs.Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    I felt a moment of sympathy for the plush carpet, which would likely never recover from the water damage.


    I hope Dawnbreaker doesn¡¯t blame me for the damage.


    The narwhal was about twenty feet long.  It seemed to be able to control its shape, because it curved its body in a rather unnatural position in order to turn the corner up the stairs and enter the hallway.


    Now that it was in front of me, I was finally able to identify the creature.


    Greater Water Elemental (level 64)


    I guess I should stop calling it a narwhal.


    It was somewhat surprising to me that everything was happening at a relatively slow pace.


    Why is it moving so slowly?


    <It¡¯s letting its water pool around it, and it is gathering water from the environment.  Act afraid.>


    The combat shadow had me back up and tremble, away from the door that was protected by a Mana Shield and presumably held the City Control Crystal.


    As the narwhal approached¡ªpainfully slowly¡ªI couldn¡¯t help but notice it scraped both sides of the walls of the hallway.  It looked as though it was sucking in its sides, just barely able to squeeze into this hallway with its massive body.


    As it scraped by the hallway, I cringed as I watched Dawnbreaker¡¯s wedding photo, and her photo of her elderly parents, get swept up into the rising current of water that was now lapping at my feet.


    <30 mana to Physical Defense,> Samantha said suddenly.


    I knew better than to delay when it came to Physical Defense.  I felt relatively naked, wearing just my undershirt and boxers and holding a sword that could do virtually nothing against a Greater Water Elemental.


    I added the points immediately, noting at the same time that three icicles flew towards me, just as the water at my feet hardened and turned into blocks of ice.


    The three icicles landed directly on my chest, shattering before they could pierce too deeply, and I grunted, falling over backwards, tipping the block of ice holding my feet, and letting all my muscles relax.


    The F-rank sword fell out of my grasp, and a swift current carried it further down the hallway.


    <Remember, you can breathe underwater,> Samantha said.  Just breathe in, then hold your breath.>


    What is this, charades? If the Narwhal is smart enough to directly target the City Control Crystal, then why would it fall for this?


    <Trust me,> Samantha said. Then, with a teasing tone, she added, <When have I ever led you astray?>


    Fuck you.


    <Focus on Mana Sensing,> she added. <You will move the moment the Mana Shield breaks.>


    The room¡¯s Mana Shield only lasted a second under the pressure from the narwhal¡¯s horn.


    I poured 50 more points into Agility, and 10 points into Strength, and then I drew Ghost Biter from my pouch.


    The moment I drew Ghost Biter, the narwhal spun towards me, shattering the walls around the creature.


    But I was already in the air, closing the distance with a powerful, arcing leap.


    The narwhal¡¯s horn shredded the walls of the hallway as it sliced towards me, but with my heavily boosted Agility, I was able to dodge the horn in mid-air by contorting my body.


    It seemed Samantha really didn¡¯t want me to touch the narwhal¡¯s horn, even with boosted Physical Defense.


    Even as I dodged above the horn, icicles flew towards me, but I ignored them, letting them shatter uselessly against my skin.


    My leap ended directly above the narwhal¡¯s head, and then I had the strange and unenviable experience of landing on top of solid water.


    As I landed, I poured my remaining Mana into Luck and I dug my blade deep inside the Narwhal¡¯s body, essentially carving a cylinder out of the narwhal¡¯s torso.


    While it would be faster to stab the core directly, there was no point in unnecessarily damaging the loot. By carving around the mana core, I was interrupting the spirit¡¯s control of the water around it, and dealing severe enough damage that it would quickly die.


    Congratulations for killing a Region Lord. +5 Available Stat Points


    Along with the announcement came a sudden collapse into a quickly draining pool of water.


    Along with the waterfall-like sound of water rushing down the stairs, I could also hear frantic steps of someone coming up.


    I quickly rose from the ground, collecting the City Token and the skill book that had fallen to the ground.


    Hydro Drill (D-rank): Create a high-pressure jet of water that specializes in dealing heavy damage to stationary targets. Requires Water Affinity. Cost: 10 mana/second.


    Maybe I could sell it to Petrov.  And the Greater Water Elemental¡¯s Core, as well, for that matter.


    As I waited for Alex or the other guards to come, I allocated my points. Having to unequip everything twice in one day had really emphasized that the stat I arguably rely on the most during battles¡ªAgility¡ªwas actually my lowest stat, not counting equipment bonuses.  I decided to put 3 points towards Agility, and two points towards Luck.


    Alex appeared at the stairway, rushed past me through the open door of the study, and I could see the tension in her shoulders release when she saw the City Control Crystal still on the podium.


    ¡°Why did you take off your equipment?¡± she asked, the moment she came back into the hallway. She fished out two soggy photographs from the water pooling on the carpet.


    ¡°I can explain,¡± I started feebly, realizing at the exact moment I said it, that I had no idea why it was necessary to unequip everything.


    <table width="624">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Name:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    Jarek


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Level:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    32


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    HP:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    42/42


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Physical Defense:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    18


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Strength:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    31


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Mental Power:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    14


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Dexterity:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    10


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Agility:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    13


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Perception:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    20


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Luck:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    22


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Mana Pool:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    100


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Mana Regeneration:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    47


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Available Points:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    0


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Coins:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    9,909,000


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Class:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    Mana Modulator (D-rank)


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Profession:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    Rune Master


    (E-rank)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Titles:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="486">


    Region Lord (E-rank)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Skills and Spells:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="486">


    Identify (E-rank)


    Mana Modulation (D-rank Core)


    Death¡¯s Defier (A-rank)


    Mana Sensing (E-rank)


    Healthy Magic (E-rank)


    Don¡¯t Mind Me (D-rank)


    Aquatic Respiration (E-rank)


    Polyglot (E-rank)


    Soul Communion (D-rank)


    Cursed Lightning (D-rank)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Affinities:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="486">


    Internal Mana (D-rank Low), External Unattributed Mana (E-rank Low), Soul Magic (D-rank Low)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Equipment:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="486">


    Interdimensional Pouch (D-rank):


    Ghost Biter


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Missions:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="486">


    Zone Offense


    Renegade Bounty Hunter


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>

 Chapter 65: Mexico

    ¡°We-ell, you see,¡± I started, drawing out my words by putting on my battle robes, waiting for Samantha¡¯s justification about why, exactly, I had to fight the Greater Water Elemental without any equipped items.  ¡°The Greater Water Elemental sees through mana sensing,¡± I continued. ¡°I concealed 90% of my mana and drew the F-ranked sword, and it thought I was a weakling.  Then I pretended to die so I could catch it unawares.¡±


    Alex looked intrigued. ¡°I thought it was your control over your aura that made you seem so weak,¡± she said.  ¡°How are you concealing your mana?¡±


    Yeah, how am I concealing my mana? I asked Samantha.


    <I¡¯ll tell you later,> Samantha said.  <For now, you should check on the state of the city.  When the shield fell, who knows how many other water elementals snuck into the city.


    ¡°Let¡¯s mark that down as my little secret,¡± I told Alex. ¡°Should we get out of here and kill some more water elementals?¡±  I still felt distinctly uncomfortable in Dawnbreaker¡¯s home.  As though she would suddenly appear and blame me for breaking and entering.


    ¡°No. The City Guards have the situation under control.  Next, you¡¯re coming with me to Mexico.¡±


    Alex reset the house¡¯s mana shields, and then we left together.


    ¡°What do you know about Mexico¡¯s situation?¡± Alex asked, as we walked towards the Daybreak Teleportation Circle.


    The moment she asked the question, I felt like I had already messed up.


    I had seen Mexico City and Tijuana on the list of Regions on the Teleportation Circle list earlier.  Everything had been so busy, I hadn¡¯t stopped to think much about it.


    Mexico probably was broken into more than two Regions, but only two had appeared on the teleportation list.  And I had no idea who was in charge.


    ¡°Next to nothing,¡± I added.


    ¡°I see,¡± Alex said, crisply. ¡°So, you were unaware that the US Armed Forces used your Region as a launching pad to claim Tijuana and the whole Northern Region of Mexico?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± I said, incredulously.


    ¡°Well, consider this a diplomatic mission,¡± Alex said. ¡°I am representing Daybreak, and you are my security.  Just don¡¯t do anything stupid. I heard you have an item that can hide your name and level.  You should equip that, and if you can set your fake level, let¡¯s say, 22.¡±


    Alex was striding ahead of me through Daybreak City, talking crisply but not looking directly at me.


    ¡°I¡¯m not your bodyguard,¡± I said, indignantly. ¡°There are hundreds of towns falling as we speak.  This wasn¡¯t in my deal with Dawnbreaker, and I have better things to do.¡±


    Alex stopped in the middle of the street, and stared intently at me.


    I couldn¡¯t help but flinch at the intensity of her brown eyes.


    ¡°Do you think they don¡¯t weigh on my conscience, too?¡± she asked, sharply. ¡°You know the rumors that the Crucible had infiltrated the US Armed Forces?  And you know that the US Armed Forces controls almost as many Regions as Daybreak?  Well, we are going into a meeting with a representative of the US Armed Forces, as well as one of the Hell Mode Challengers from the South American Zone.¡±


    I froze, completely stunned.


    I wasn¡¯t that surprised that the US Army controlled so many Regions.  I knew that Petra¡¯s kidnapper had ties to the Armed Forces, but still, I felt completely blindsided.  There was a military base just a few hour¡¯s walk away from Reed City, and they could all be compromised?


    ¡°How do you know the Crucible had ties to the Armed Forces?¡± I demanded.


    ¡°There¡¯s no proof,¡± Alex said. ¡°Just think about it though.  There is absolutely no indication of the Crucible ever interfering with the Armed Forces.  But there were several spies the Crucible planted in Daybreak.  The two most likely scenarios are that the Mentalist Cooperative already had their fingers in the upper echelons of the Armed Forces, or some other force has already taken control of the Armed Forces.


    ¡°And just think about it. What kind of evil faction relies solely on people reading postapocalyptic online fiction in order to gain traction? If that is indicative of the strategies of the other sentient invaders as well, then maybe we stand a chance after all.¡±Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    I felt my head start whirling.  This was too much information to take in at one time.  The Mentalist Cooperative backing the Armed Forces.


    No, that wasn¡¯t the half of it.  What had Alex said? One of the Hell Mode Challengers from the South American Zone?


    ¡°How many Hell Mode Challengers does South America have?¡± I asked.


    Alex smiled and resumed walking through the streets of Daybreak.  ¡°Now you¡¯re asking the right questions. Definitely one. Probably two.¡±


    It seemed vaguely unfair, that South America probably had twice the Hell Mode Challengers that North America had. But of course, the Atropos Schema never claimed to be fair.


    ¡°Here we are,¡± Alex said, leading me into a large building that had a long line of people waiting outside the building.


    The guards at the building let Alex and me through immediately.


    As Alex spoke to the guards, I equipped some armor and weaponry that I had in my Interdimensional Pouch.


    I chose to wear an E-rank helmet, breastplate, and boots, with an E-rank sword as well.


    Then I changed my name to Jay Renson, level 22.


    I didn¡¯t have to wait long before the Teleportation Circle was ready for us, and we traveled to Tapachula, Mexico.


    My welcome to Tapachula reminded me of my arrival in Montreal.


    In fact, there were so many weapons pointed at us the moment we arrived, I almost thought they were already going to backstab us.


    But nobody attacked, and a guard came up and said¡ªin Spanish, ¡°Alejandra Mart¨ªn, come with me.  Everyone is waiting.¡±


    I trailed behind Alex, and the dozens of guards followed us.


    If this was intended as a show of strength, then it was working. The guards around us were all over level 20, and many of them held D-rank weapons.


    Walking through the streets of Tapachula City, I couldn¡¯t help but feel how¡­ homogenizing the Atropos Schema was.  The city¡¯s houses, streets, and buildings looked almost exactly like the ones in every Region that I had visited.


    Of course, it was possible to buy buildings from the Schema that were a bit more unique than the prefab houses and storefronts.  Dawnbreaker¡¯s villa was one such creation.


    The building we were entering was different, as well.  It seemed like a cross between a church and a courthouse, with grand stained-glass windows and high arches.


    We soon found ourselves inside a large room with ornate pillars and a high ceiling.


    In the middle of the room was a table, where I could see a large white man in full plate-armor except for a helmet and gauntlets, and a smaller, skinny Hispanic man who wore a magician¡¯s battle robes.  The skinny man had a dark, suntanned appearance, with chiseled features and a somewhat weathered look.


    Alex took a seat at the table, and she shot a glance at me, and then towards the various guards standing around the table.


    Taking the hint, I stood behind Alex¡¯s chair, about 10 feet away¡ªthe same distance that the other guards were standing at.


    The skinny, Hispanic man spoke the moment Alex sat down. He spoke in English, with a thick Hispanic accent. ¡°We are here to talk about the US forces into Mexico.  I, Abelino Torres, represent the People¡¯s Unity Government.  We demand that US forces withdraw from the Tijuana Region.¡±


    The other man at the table immediately protested. ¡°We can¡¯t just leave the Region.  Millions of people would die!¡±  The man spoke with a southern accent. I took a moment to Identify him.


    John Scott, level 25


    Abelino Torres scoffed. ¡°Do not pretend to be our White Savior, General. The People¡¯s Unity Government is even more capable than you, when it comes to protecting towns and cities.¡±


    ¡°I will not apologize for my calling to serve my country and defend the weak,¡± General Scott said, between gritted teeth.


    Abelino Torres just smiled sadly. ¡°As you say, your control of Tijuana serves your country first, not the people of Mexico.¡±


    ¡°And what interest do you have in Tijuana?¡± General Scott argued. ¡°Your People¡¯s Unity Government is expanding into our Zone in the first place.¡±


    ¡°The plight of our brothers and sisters must not be ignored,¡± Abelino responded. ¡°We have liberated every Region of the South American Zone, and you have not.  Our Mexican brothers and sisters have called for our aid, and we have answered.¡±


    ¡°So you can play hero, but the US Armed Forces can¡¯t?¡± General Scott said. ¡°Just listen to yourself.¡±


    ¡°The era of American Imperialism is over,¡± Abelino Torres said, emphatically.  ¡°You are holding Tijuana for the Picacho Mines. You have shown no interest in defending the other towns of the Region, and you are forcing Mexican Citizens in Tijuana to live in squalor.¡±


    General Scott placed both hands on the table. ¡°There it is,¡± he said, nodding. ¡°I was wondering how long this farce would continue. You are here to claim the Picacho Mines, which we have shed our blood to claim and defend.  You have no right to the mines.¡±


    It was at this point that Alex spoke up. ¡°Daybreak stands with the People¡¯s Unity Government and demands that the US Armed Forces retreat out of Tijuana.¡±


    Abelino Torres cast a grateful look towards Alex.


    General Scott fidgeted for a second, looking uncertain.  Then he stood up, a sour look on his face. ¡°After further consideration, the Armed Forces will evacuate Northern Mexico by the end of the day.  I pray for the sake of the Mexican people that you can defend the Region as well as you say you can.¡±


    Alex and Abelino Torres rose, and General Scott offered his hand towards Abelino.


    <Do you see it?> Samantha asked me. <Look carefully. Don¡¯t let them shake hands.>


    I noticed a thin sheen of sweat on General Scott¡¯s hand, and, under Mana Sensing, a bright light at General Scott¡¯s fingertips.


    General Scott was standing stiffly, almost nervously.


    <+50 Agility,> Samantha said.


    ¡°STOP!¡± I shouted, stepping forward and pouring mana into Agility.


    The guards all glanced towards me. So did Alex, and Abelino Torres.  But not General Scott.


    He reached out and lightly brushed Abelino¡¯s hand. At the same moment, General Scott¡¯s two body guards drew their swords in a flash and blocked my advance.


    Everything happened in a split second.


    I ducked under the blades, rushing up to General Scott, but Abelino called to me, ¡°Stand down!¡±

 Chapter 66: The last Abelino

    Everybody¡¯s weapons were drawn. And most weapons were pointing towards me.


    ¡°Everyone, step away from General Scott,¡± I said.


    To my surprise, everyone did. It was a little concerning, though, that Alex didn¡¯t step back closer to me. No, she backed up, making sure she was a safe distance away from everyone. With a quick chant, a Mana Shield appeared around her.


    General Scott raised his hands placatingly.


    Abelino did not look pleased. He glanced at Alex. ¡°Tell your man to stand down.¡±


    Alex was watching me. ¡°Explain,¡± she said.


    I repeated what Samantha told me, my gut sinking as I realized just how screwed we were. ¡°You were just telling me about the Military¡¯s connections with the Mentalist Cooperative. The moment General Scott touched Abelino, he mind-controlled him.¡±


    Abelino laughed. ¡°So this is Daybreak¡¯s game. I never understood why you wished to be here. Now I see. I truly have no fight with you. Leave now, before you try my patience more.¡±


    ¡°Alex,¡± I hissed. ¡°Trust me. We can¡¯t let them go.¡±


    Alex looked contemplative. ¡°How confident are you?¡±


    Well? I asked Samantha. If you¡¯re lying to me, I will never forgive you.


    <There was a mana transfer between the two of them,> Samantha said. <90% confident.>


    I repeated Samantha¡¯s words to Alex, and to the security guards surrounding me.


    It seemed that despite the numerous weapons drawn and readied, nobody actually wanted a fight.


    ¡°This is how Daybreak has been operating since the Schema first appeared,¡± General Scott said, crossing his arms at his chest. ¡°They love casting blame. But they are the ones who merged with the Crucible, which was the real mind controlling organization. Don¡¯t make eye contact with either of them.¡±


    ¡°This is your last chance,¡± Abelino said. ¡°I do not want to use force.¡±


    ¡°Do you have a spell to remove a mind-controlling influence?¡± I asked Alex, at Samantha¡¯s suggestion.


    Alex slowly nodded her head.


    I reached into my Interdimensional Pouch and drew my Vampiric Blade. Everyone¡¯s gaze was immediately drawn towards the D-rank weapon. It seemed they were finally taking me seriously.


    Abelino and General Scott were both on the other side of the table. The table was big¡ªa circular table about 10 feet in diameter.


    Since nobody made a move to attack me, I took out my two knives next, and strapped the sheathes around my waist.


    ¡°Capture him,¡± Abelino said, waving at the guards around me.


    The guards immediately moved to surround me, but I was already gone. I still had +50 in Agility, which was enough to rush around the table towards General Scott.


    But the moment I started moving, Abelino made his move.


    Up until now, I had no idea what Abelino¡¯s class was. I had assumed he was a mage, or something, because of his Magician¡¯s Battle Robes.


    Judging from what happened next, I was clearly pretty far off-base.


    Abelino shimmered for a split second, and then suddenly, there was a second Abelino, completely nude, in front of me. The clothed Abelino passed the naked Abelino a pouch, and naked Abelino quickly drew a sword from the pouch and stood next to General Scott.


    Meanwhile, my blade swung towards General Scott, but General Scott had had plenty of time to prepare. He wore a helmet, now, and he held a sword ready, pointed my direction.If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    My blade crashed loudly against General Scott¡¯s armor, just under his armpit. One more solid strike in the same spot, and I would pierce his armor.


    Abelino¡¯s immediate defense of General Scott, combined with General Scott¡¯s willingness to turn his back on Abelino, only served to prove Samantha¡¯s suspicions. Fortunately, some of the People¡¯s Unity Government guards looked confused, unsure of what to do.


    Before I could attempt a second strike, two American soldiers stepped between General Scott and myself.


    If they thought that was enough to stop me, then they would have to think again.


    I wove between the body guards easily, jabbing them each in the neck for a non-lethal take-down.


    But now, there were two naked Abelinos standing between General Scott and myself.


    They didn¡¯t seemed concerned about their nakedness at all. They each held an E-rank sword.


    I sliced towards the neck of the nearest one, and to my surprise, the Abelino I was attacking deflected my blade easily.


    The man was even faster than I was, even with my +50 Agility.


    Following the combat shadow, I dodged backwards, barely escaping the blurred sword of the other Abelino.


    The blade continued in a whirlwind towards me, and I had to put another 20 points of mana into Agility just to keep up.


    If I wanted to escape alive, I would have to keep this battle short.


    With 70 Agility added to my usual Agility stat, I was finally faster than the Abelino clones. It felt as though we were dancing among statues.


    I pressed my attack against the closest Abelino, trying to circle around towards General Scott.


    But a third naked Abelino clones appeared between me and General Scott.


    And every clone was moving incredibly quickly. Fast enough to give me pause, even with my boosted Agility.


    Help me out, I complained to Samantha. What¡¯s the weakness?


    Samantha laughed bitterly. <It¡¯s a Duplicator class. The weakness is that every time he splits, he halves his Mana Pool and it raises the toll on his Mana Regeneration. You¡¯ll have to go all out and switch to Ghost Biter¡ªotherwise, when you kill a clone, the other clones can split again.>


    You¡¯ve got to be kidding me.


    I retreated slightly, lowering my hand towards my Interdimensional Pouch.


    The three clones were no idiots. They immediately pressed their attack, three blades slicing through the air from three different directions.


    I continued backing away, until I delaying until I could draw my second sword with my left hand: Ghost Biter.


    Then I poured 30 more points into Agility, raising it well past 100.


    I was acutely aware that my time was running out.


    I spun through the whirlwind of blades that were attacking me, deflecting one blade with my Vampiric Blade, and then at the same time, decapitating the nearest clone.


    The other clones looked shocked as the clones¡¯ body dematerialized, but I continued through my charge before they could clone themselves again.


    With only two clones attacking me, I was able to make even quicker work of them.


    Deflect, stab. A second clone down.


    With such ridiculous Agility, I could keep my movements simple.


    The last naked clone rushed around the table towards Alex, but I blocked his path and stabbed him through the heart.


    There was only one Abelino left, and he was rushing with General Scott towards the exit, while the soldiers in the room were positioning themselves between me and the last Abelino.


    Fortunately, it seemed, nobody was disturbing Alex, who stood with a Mana Shield around her, and chanting something.


    You have to bring the last Abelino back to Alex, Samantha said. If he is in range for a long enough time, the mind control will be broken.


    Abelino and General Scott were only moving at General Scott¡¯s fastest speed.


    I shoved my way through the guards that were blocking my way, and caught up to Abelino and General Scott in a matter of seconds.


    Abelino split again, and the clothed Abelino charged me this time, while the naked Abelino retreated with General Scott towards the Teleportation Circle.


    Fighting the clothed Abelino was much harder. He fought with exactly the same style as the other Abelinos, but he was equipped with what was likely a full set of D-ranked items. He was still slower than I was, but there was no longer a significant gap between us.


    To make matters worse, he it wasn¡¯t trying to kill me. He seemed content to delay me, focusing on parrying as best as he could, and retreating slowly.


    Time was my greatest weakness in a battle.


    Recognizing this, Samantha had me charge forward, letting Abelino¡¯s blade stab into my stomach, and then I grabbed Abelino¡¯s wrist, and I sliced off his hand with Ghost Biter.


    I ignored the sharp pain in my stomach and I wrapped my arm around Abelino¡¯s neck, shouting to the dozens of guards, ¡°Stand down! Or I¡¯ll kill him.¡±


    While the guards paused in indecision, I walked Abelino back to Alex.


    Alex¡¯s Mana Shield was flickering, and I was vaguely surprised it had lasted so long.


    Abelino squirmed in my arms, and I rapped him on his head, hard. It took two knocks before he fell unconscious in my arms.


    I glanced at the uncertain guards around me. ¡°The General mind-controlled Abelino!¡± I shouted. ¡°I do not want to fight you. We will remove the mind control, and then we will leave.¡±


    From the best I could tell, General Scott and the Abelino clone had vanished in the teleportation portal with the General¡¯s guards. It had obviously been the case that a mind-controlled Abelino created mind-controlled clones as well. Hopefully, if the original Abelino broke free, it would free the last Abelino clone from mind control as well.


    I stood next to Alex in the middle of the City. The guards around us were gathering in numbers, but nobody attacked.


    Just a few second later, Alex finished chanting, and I saw a burst of mana fall into Abelino¡¯s body.


    ¡°It¡¯s done,¡± Alex said. ¡°Wake him up.¡±

 Chapter 67: The First Abelino

    Abelino opened his eyes. I was still holding my arm around his neck, with a knife just centimeters away from his carotid.


    ¡°The People¡¯s Unity Government thanks you,¡± Abelino said, between gritted teeth.  ¡°Release me, so I can see to my arm.¡±


    It seemed that a part of Abelino¡¯s increased Physical Defense was that there was less blood than you would expect, considering I had cut off his hand. And somehow, he seemed to be dealing with the pain just fine.


    I let go of Abelino, and he immediately opened an Interdimensional Pouch and drank a healing potion.


    It didn¡¯t regrow his hand, but it did stop the bleeding, and a layer of skin grew rapidly into a stump around his wrist.


    ¡°They are friends,¡± Abelino called to guards in Spanish.  ¡°Secure the area. If there is any sign of General Scott and my clone, let me know.¡±


    Then he turned to me. ¡°What kind of sword is that? And who are you?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s called Ghost Biter,¡± I said, not seeing any reason to hide it. ¡°It deals spiritual damage. My name is Jarek Novak, leader of the Novak Alliance and ally to Daybreak.  I was the one who killed the Zone Lord.¡±


    I had never even thought of a Novak Alliance before this moment, but between the People¡¯s Unity Government and Daybreak, it looked like people were creating organizations.  I might as well join in.


    Abelino studied me with a thoughtful gaze.


    A guard approached him, and said, in Spanish, ¡°The General and your clone took the portal to Fayette City.¡±


    Abelino nodded. ¡°Come,¡± he said, to Alex and me. ¡°We have much to discuss.¡±


    We walked back into the cathedral-like building, and sat at the large, circular wooden table.


    ¡°Leave us,¡± Abelino said to his guards.  To my surprise, the guards didn¡¯t protest, leaving immediately.


    I was hopeful that Abelino didn¡¯t realize how weak I was right now¡ªI had used up a huge chunk of my mana in our battle, and if he attacked right off the bat, he could easily kill me, if he wanted.


    ¡°I will take back my clone and kill the ones responsible,¡± Abelino said. ¡°Your help would be appreciated.¡±


    Alex frowned. ¡°We are barely holding on as it is.  We cannot spare anyone to fight against ourselves.¡±


    ¡°Then allow me to travel through the cities that you control. And give me a map of the locations of the Armed Forces cities.¡±


    ¡°I need to check in with Dawnbreaker,¡± Alex said. She took out a Communication Amulet, and laid it on the table in front of us.


    ¡°Make it fast,¡± Dawnbreaker said, her terse voice coming through the Amulet just a second later.  It somehow made me feel better, that she used the same tone with Alex that she used with me.


    ¡°You¡¯re on speaker phone.  General Scott successfully mind-controlled Abelino, who can make clones of himself that retain his stats.  Jarek subdued the original Abelino and I freed him from the mind control, but General Scott fled with a mind-controlled clone. Abelino wants to be able to travel freely through our cities, and he wants information on the Armed Forces bases. We are not under duress.¡± Alex said. She reminded me of a lawyer, the way she spoke on a controlled, fast tone with all the most essential details.


    There was a brief pause on the line.  ¡°President Torres, can you hear me?¡±


    ¡°Abelino, please,¡± Abelino replied.


    ¡°Why is it urgent that you recover your clone?¡±


    Abelino licked his lips. ¡°Each clone keeps my memories. The mind-controlled clone has much sensitive information.¡±


    ¡°What type of information? I¡¯m sure you understand why I am so hesitant.¡±


    ¡°City and towns locations and defenses, mines, ways to contact my enemies,¡± Abelino said.  ¡°The knowledge a clone has could bring down the People¡¯s Unity Government.¡±This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    ¡°What is your plan?¡± Dawnbreaker asked.


    ¡°I would try to be secret,¡± Abelino said. ¡°I need information and your Teleportation Circles.¡±


    ¡°And once you¡¯re inside?¡± Daybreaker pressed.


    ¡°I will do what it takes to find and kill my clone.¡±


    ¡°Jarek, can you hear me?¡±


    I started to nod, and then I realized that Dawnbreaker couldn¡¯t see me.  ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Do you think you can defeat Abelino in a fight?¡±


    ¡°Maybe?¡± I said.  In one sense, I already had.  But if Abelino had time to prepare, I could have to fight four Abelinos, all equipped in gear that would boost Agility and Strength¡­probably not. Although, Abelino was missing his right hand. So probably?


    ¡°Abelino, I have two conditions,¡± Dawnbreaker said. ¡°My first condition is that if you weaken a town or city to the point that it may fall, that you provide temporary support against monsters for the duration of this monster wave.  My second condition is that you take Jarek with you.¡±


    ¡°Agreed,¡± Abelino said, immediately.


    <She is using you,> Samantha said, immediately. <If you are associated with taking down the US government¡ªand yes, that is likely what¡¯s happening here¡ªthen she¡¯s keeping her hands clean.   And she gets you to babysit Abelino.>


    The idea was tempting, though. The US Armed Forces likely held my sister.  And Abelino might just be able to help me find her.


    ¡°My time is valuable,¡± I said. ¡°What do I get out of this?¡±


    There was an awkward silence between Dawnbreaker and Abelino that extended for several seconds.


    Abelino relented first. ¡°I have some D-rank items.  You have a sword, but you seem short armor.¡±


    I snorted, taking the next few seconds to equip my full load-out. ¡°Try again.¡±


    Dawnbreaker cut Abelino off. ¡°Abelino, I trust you will find suitable payment. Keep in mind that you will not be permitted to travel through any Teleportation Circles without Jarek. Alex, keep me updated.¡±


    With that, the Communication Amulet went silent.


    Abelino spread his arms in defeat. ¡°Jarek.  Could you can tell me what you are looking for?¡±


    At Samantha¡¯s suggestion, I responded, ¡°I want a chance to kill your Zone Lord.¡±


    Abelino¡¯s face froze in surprise.  ¡°If I knew where the Zone Lord was, then it would be dead already. And if it does appear, and attacks a city, then I will of course kill it right away.  This is not something I can promise.¡±


    ¡°But that is what I want,¡± I said. ¡°Let¡¯s make it official. In your capacity as President of the People¡¯s Unity Government.  I want to be contacted the moment you have an inkling for where it might be. And I want claim to all the loot, except the Capital City Token.¡±


    ¡°You ask too much,¡± Abelino said, shaking his head.


    ¡°And you are asking me to attack my own government,¡± I shot back.


    Abelino sighed. ¡°First choice of the loot,¡± he said.


    ¡°Half the value of the loot,¡± I shot back. ¡°Including the Capital City Token.  And if possible, I want the killing blow.¡±


    Abelino sighed. ¡°Agreed.¡±


    He must have been pretty desperate, and rushed, to agree to this.  Or, maybe he didn¡¯t realize what he was giving up.


    Ironically, though, he likely wasn¡¯t giving up very much at all. If I did give the killing blow, then the loot was certain to be exceedingly generous.  I had tasted that generosity before, when I killed the Imperial Scouts.


    It was very possible Abelino would come out ahead, due to this deal¡ªexcept for the generous Stat Points that he was forfeiting. Fortunately, this was a win-win scenario.


    It was just as we were putting on the finishing touches on this deal, that the massive door to the courtroom opened.


    I stood immediately, drawing my sword.  It was another Abelino.  This Abelino, though, was fully decked out in light-weight, C-rank leather armor.  Two twin swords were sheathed at either hip, and a longbow was slung over his back.  Unlike the Abelino in front of me, this Abelino had two healthy, strong hands.


    His whole body was glistening in a light sheen of sweat, and he seemed slightly out of breath.


    ¡°Fade,¡± he said, in Spanish.


    I raised my sword warily.


    The Abelino at the table smiled tiredly. ¡°Allow me to introduce the first Abelino.¡±


    With those words, the Abelino at the table¡ªthe same Abelino that had been mind-controlled, and then freed¡ªshimmered slightly, and disappeared.


    The D-rank weapons and armor fell to the ground, and the Abelino at the door strode over¡ªmaking full use of his beastly Agility¡ªand collected his equipment.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± the only remaining Abelino said, smiling at the hint of fear in my eyes. ¡°I remember everything. The deal still stands.  I am ready to find my clone.¡±


    Somehow, this Abelino exuded far more power than the previous clone, and it wasn¡¯t just because of the C-rank items.


    How many clones do you think he can make?


    <The number of clones he can make depends on his Mana Pool.  And as I¡¯m sure you can see with Mana Sensing, his Mana Pool is significantly larger than the Mana Pool of his the one-handed clone.  My best guess? This clone can probably make more than 50 clones.  It just goes to show¡ªhe is serious about finding the mind-controlled Abelino.>


    What kind of broken class is this? I felt sweat beading on my forehead.


    <How else do you think South America was able to clear every Region so quickly?  Abelino wasn¡¯t bragging, when he was saying that the Zone Lord was hiding from him.  Now do you see why I wanted you to challenge Hell Mode?>


    <Let me leave you with one last thought,> Samantha said. <If Abelino¡¯s class is so powerful¡­ What do you think Dawnbreaker¡¯s class is? Remember, she was powerful even before she got her armor. But you haven¡¯t even seen a hint of her class yet.>

 Chapter 68: Adventures with Abelino

    ¡°We¡¯re going to Boston first,¡± I said, as Abelino and I walked towards the portal. ¡°It¡¯s unlikely your clone stayed in Fayette City. I know someone who can help find your clone. I want to get this done as quickly as possible, too.¡±


    Abelino nodded.


    I contacted Uman in advance, so when we teleported in to Boston City, and arrived in the Hermes Whispers office, he was waiting for us.


    Uman led me into a well-decorated office, where a teenage boy with greasy black hair was waiting for us. The boy was wearing nice clothes though¡ªE-rank Magician¡¯s Robes.


    ¡°This is Fredrick,¡± Uman said, gesturing to the boy. ¡°Fredrick¡¯s class is a Seeker. He¡¯s the one on the case looking for your sister,¡± Uman said, nodding towards me. ¡°He¡¯s been jumping around various cities, but so far, no sign of her.¡±


    I nodded towards Fredrick. I was a little leery of shaking hands, after the incident with General Scott.


    ¡°I have another job,¡± I said. ¡°Hopefully a fast one. We are tracking this man¡¯s clone.¡±


    Fredrick looked surprised. ¡°A clone? I didn¡¯t know that¡¯s was possible. Well, that¡¯ll be easy. Just a few drops of blood.¡±


    I nodded towards Abelino, and he silently drew a dagger and sliced open his left palm.


    Uman caught three drops of blood in a mug that he pulled out from his Interdimensional Pouch, then he passed the mug to Fredrick.


    ¡°This man has many clones in the South American Zone,¡± I said. ¡°But we are looking for any clones in North America.¡±


    ¡°South America? I didn¡¯t know people had broken through the Zone barrier! Did they kill the Zone Lord?¡±


    Fredrick asked the questions as he took the mug, but Uman gave him a pointed look, and he quieted down. Frederick took out a tome, similar to the one Alex used, and chanted over the petri dish for several minutes.


    Abelino shifted impatiently.


    Just a few minutes later, Fredrick spoke up again. ¡°There are two clones,¡± he said, triumphantly. ¡°One mostly south, and one Southwest.¡±


    Uman laid a very large map of the United states down on the table in front of us, and Abelino traced two lines in pencil, starting in Boston continuing in a straight line, one through Texas, and one through Florida.


    ¡°Fayette¡¯s Region, and Amarillo?¡± Uman asked.


    ¡°Probably,¡± Fredrick responded.


    ¡°We¡¯ll have to try the same thing at Rebirth City,¡± Uman said. ¡°To verify the clone¡¯s location.¡±


    It wouldn¡¯t do to leave the capital city of the Zone named ¡°The Crucible.¡± So the ex-Crucible members had settled on Rebirth City as the rebranded title of the Colorado city.


    <hr>


    Uman had somehow retained his bedroom and an office space in Rebirth City. It was a surprise to me, that he still had some level of influence in the city, since he had opted out of joining Daybreak. The four of us¡ªAbelino, Uman, Fredrick, and myself¡ªstood in his office, with the same map spread out on the table.


    Fredrick drew two lines, originating from Rebirth City, pointing out towards the location of Abelino¡¯s clone.


    ¡°Fayette City in North Carolina, and Redson Town, in Texas,¡± Uman supplied. ¡°You said the clone went directly to Fayette City?¡± I nodded.


    ¡°Then Fayette City is likely a trap. Redson Town could be an ambush, too, but that seems less likely. Go for Redson Town, first.¡±


    I nodded at that logic.


    ¡°The nearest city near Redson Town is Amarillo. Fortunately, lots of people travel from Rebirth City to Amarillo City. You should be able to sneak in without too much trouble.¡±


    <hr>


    The traveling was stressful and tedious, especially considering there was a war going on against the monsters outside of every city we visited. Abelino and I had to travel from Rebirth City to Amarillo City, and then from Amarillo City to Redson Town. I equipped my own Alias Ring, and Abelino gave me a mask that changed the shape of my face significantly, making me look older and slightly overweight.If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    Hearing the din of battle as I walked, disguised, through Redson, Texas, made me second-guess Dawnbreaker¡¯s decision.


    Wouldn¡¯t it be better to wait until after this monster tide, before starting what could be a war against what was left of the government?


    Of course, the government barely existed anymore¡ªfrom the best I could piece together, it was the military that was running things anyway, there had been some kind of silent coup a while back. Nothing obvious¡ªthe President was still alive and well¡ªbut it was clear if you looked at who were the Town Mayors and City Lords (members of the Armed Forces). It was also clear that they were calling themselves the Armed Forces block. Not the US Government.


    When the apocalypse strikes, democracy is the first luxury to disappear.


    Walking through Redson Town, there were no ominous red flags that suggested that a mind-controlling member of the Mentalist Cooperative was here.


    Maybe I was making a mountain out of a mole-hill. If this was a surgical strike, then maybe there was no need to see this as a declaration of war¡­


    I followed Abelino into a nearby inn. He paid for a room without saying a word, and I followed him up the steps into the private room.


    The moment Abelino started shimmering, I turned around.


    I was under no delusions about his power. If this Abelino could make more than a dozen copies of himself, then I didn¡¯t stand a chance in hell fighting him.


    I figured I could at least give him the privacy to clone himself without prying eyes on him.


    ¡°I am ready,¡± Abelino said, just a minute later.


    I turned, and saw twelve men in front of me. I was initially surprised, that they all looked different. One wore familiar D-rank armor, but the rest wore E-rank armor. Then I realized that it was probably a face mask, or some other covert item.


    They started talking rapidly to each other in Spanish. Fortunately, thanks to the skill I had gained from the Imperial Scouts, I could still understand.


    ¡°One stays hidden. Two, Three, Four, and Five charge the building with Jarek. Six scouts. Everyone else secures the perimeter.¡±


    I saw the various Abelino clones nodding their heads.


    I glanced at the Abelino decked out in C-ranked armor. ¡°What building? How do you know where to go?¡±


    ¡°When a clone fades, it chooses which version of me it wants to rejoin,¡± Abelino said. ¡°I created a clone, and had it fade. When it faded, it sensed the direction of the remaining clones. Come with me.¡± Abelino led me out of the room, and when I turned around, I saw the other clones letting themselves out through the window.


    We walked through the streets of Redson Town again, until we came upon a nondescript house. It was a Schema-built sturdy log cabin, like most other houses in the area. The only thing distinguishing it from the average house around it was that there was a faint Mana Shield surrounding it.


    Abelino grabbed my shoulder. ¡°You must deal the killing blow with your spirit sword. The clone must not rejoin with the other controlled clones, or this will all be for naught. If you give him the time, he will fade himself, and that part of my spirit will not die.¡±


    ¡°Understood,¡± I said.


    For a second, we probably looked suspicious. I stood in the street in front of the house with the first Abelino.


    Spread around the house¡ªincluding crouching behind the fences of nearby houses¡ªwere other Abelinos. There was even someone on the rooftop of a nearby house, as well.


    I could see a few passers-by stop walking and take out their Communication Amulets.


    But our suspicious behavior only lasted a second.


    Then, in a synchronized strike, four Abelino clones rushed up to the house and struck the windows of the house.


    As I saw them strike, I put 100 mana into Agility, drew Ghost Biter, and rushed towards the door, with an activated E-rank Personal Mana Shield and a full set of equipment, and the Abelino clones hot on my heels.


    The purpose of attacking the windows wasn¡¯t to break through the windows¡ªit was to quickly and efficiently deplete the Mana Shield surrounding the house.


    The house¡¯s Mana Shield shattered the moment the four Abelinos made their synchronized attack, and then I kicked the door down and rushed inside.


    The house was small, with a kitchen, living room and dining room combined, and a bedroom off to the side.


    The evil Abelino clone stood about ten feet away from me, in the living room.


    As I entered the door, I immediately knew something was wrong. Mana Sensing functioned in 360 degrees, not just line-of-sight.


    Which meant I could sense the surge of mana above my head, burgeoning out towards me.


    I dove towards the clone in the living room, but even with over 100 Agility, I couldn¡¯t outpace the mana explosion that had started above me from the moment I opened the door.


    They were ready for us.


    To my surprise, the mana enveloped my whole body without the slightest feeling of pain, reminiscent of a shield around me. It didn¡¯t even activate my personal Mana Shield that was already surrounding my body


    The mana made no effort to stop my movement towards Abelino, who was waiting with a drawn sword.


    <It¡¯s a Time-Dilation Ward,> Samantha said.


    Before I could ask what that meant, the mind-controlled Abelino clone attacked me. It looked like every movement he made was fast-forwarded. One minute, he was standing by a sofa, and the next, his blade was sliding towards my right wrist.


    I didn¡¯t even have time to add points to Physical Defense when his blade shattered my E-rank Personal Mana Shield at my wrist with a loud crack.


    I raised Ghost Biter and backed away, back towards the door, but Abelino was faster than I was. His second strike sliced directly through my Bloodied Battle Robes, and then through my wrist.


    ¡°Fuck!¡± I shouted in shock, glancing at the stump of my wrist in front of me. I had been through my share of painful experiences, in the last week. But this topped the list.


    <Get out of the house now!> Samantha shouted in my brain. In my pain, I hadn¡¯t noticed that the combat shadow was already out the door, back at the street. <There are three E-rank Soul Explosion bombs under the floor boards of the house!>

 Chapter 69: Soul Explosion

    Even as I was backing up, four Abelino clones were already entering the house simultaneously.  It was only because I had boosted my Agility beyond Abelino¡¯s, that I had entered first.


    Two clones rushed in through the back door. Two others dove directly through the narrow glass windows.  But they, too, were caught in Time-Dilation Wards.


    ¡°Fade!¡± I shouted through clenched teeth, trying to ignore the bleeding stump that had replaced my right hand.  I was still retreating through the doorway of the house, in ever-so-slow motion, thanks to the Time-Dilation Ward.  I reached into my Interdimensional Pouch to withdraw three Soul Shield Amulets.  It would take a full second to retrieve them.  But since I was still under the effects of the Time-Dilation Ward, the second I needed would take significantly longer compared to everything else happening around me.


    I didn¡¯t have a second.


    The evil Abelino clone, the only person in the house who was not caught in a Time-Dilation Ward, sent a strand of mana towards the bombs hidden underneath the house, and then he started shimmering.


    I realized then how lucky I was.  The Abelino clone had decided to leave himself time to Fade safely¡ªopting not to sacrifice himself.  If the Soul Explosion landed on him, his memories and mana would be unable to join his accomplice.


    That second that the Abelino clone needed to shimmer was enough.


    I had already lost Ghost Biter, and I unequipped my gloves and Bonded Blades in the same second I was recalling the three Soul Shield Amulets from my pouch.


    The three Soul Shield Amulets appeared in my hands, and I immediately equipped them, just as the explosion behind me reached me.


    The explosion felt like a puff of air traveling around me.


    Crack.


    Crack.


    Crack.


    Each sound came in rapid succession.


    My combat shadow was still moving, though, zig-zagging through the street, so I continued running.


    An arrow, heavily imbued with mana, shattered the cobblestones where I had just been standing.


    I doubled backwards, towards the arrow, barely evading an exploding arrow that landed at my feet.


    When does the Time-Dilation Ward run out? I asked, frustrated.  With Mana Sensing, I could tell that dozens of guards were running our direction.


    <About seven seconds,> Samantha said.  <You need to claim this town. Otherwise, the Military will continue sending troops through the teleportation portal.>


    It seemed Abelino had the same idea.  A dozen clones were rushing directly towards the Mayor¡¯s Mansion¡ªthe area which, coincidentally, had the strongest Mana Shield and the most numerous soldiers.


    <Stay with his clones, but let him carry the team,> Samantha said. <Our biggest mistake earlier was rushing in first¡ªthis is Abelino¡¯s battle.>


    Two Abelino clones had stayed back to cover for me.  One held a bow and arrow, and the other held a large shield and sword. Their movements were far faster than mine, and the clone with the shield easily blocked a few arrows headed my direction.


    ¡°How did you survive?¡± The clone with the large shield demanded.  Even the clone¡¯s speech sounded fast, and hard to process.


    ¡°Soul Shield Tokens,¡± I responded.


    The clone looked unconvinced. ¡°They were not equipped when you entered.¡±


    ¡°I have Mana Sensing,¡± I said, feeling defensive.  ¡°The moment I noticed a bomb hidden under the floor, I shouted a warning and equipped the tokens.¡±


    Abelino didn¡¯t look convinced, but he dropped the topic, clearly unhappy about losing four clones.  We were surrounded by dozens of guards, now.  Abelino focused on catching any ranged attacks or spells on his shield, which bought me the time I needed to finally drink a health potion.


    The health potion wouldn¡¯t restore my hand, but it would stabilize the bleeding and reduce the pain.Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.


    None of the guards seemed too eager to attack.  They likely sensed Abelino¡¯s oppressive aura¡ªtwo oppressive auras, which weighed down on them.


    ¡°Go,¡± I said, the moment my Time Dilation Ward wore off.


    The first thing I did with my 100 Agility was return to the house that had just had the Soul Explosion to pick up Ghost Biter.


    While I was there, I also collected the dropped loot of the 4 Abelino clones that had died.  Nothing was particularly valuable, but a full set of E-rank items was nothing to sneeze at.


    Then, I rushed towards the mayor¡¯s mansion.


    By the time I reached the mansion, corpses were strewn everywhere, and the previously glowing Mana Shield that I could sense from blocks away had vanished.


    The only person inside the mansion gates was an Abelino clone that was collecting the loot of the fallen guards.


    I felt distinctly guilty as I stepped over the corpses towards the mansion.


    These guards probably had never been mind-controlled. They were probably just following orders.


    I could already imagine how today¡¯s events would be spun.  South American Terrorists attack Redson Town, killing in broad daylight during a monster raid.


    <You¡¯re forgetting something,> Samantha cut me off. <You¡¯re in charge of the nation¡¯s biggest information network.  You should have them make a PR department. That way you¡¯ll always have the public¡¯s favor.>


    I took a moment to consider Samantha¡¯s suggestion.


    <It¡¯s not manipulation,> Samantha continued. <It¡¯s the truth.  You just have to make sure that the truth gets out there.>


    The door into the mansion was hanging off of one hinge, and I pushed it out of the way, walking through the bloodied steps, making sure to keep Mana Sensing active.


    Even though it was called a mansion, there was nothing opulent about the building.  It was just a big house that used to be particularly well warded.


    It was a particularly strange feeling, having access to 100 Agility, yet walking at a normal pace.  It felt like I was walking incredibly slowly, but it was also peaceful, at the same time.


    Is this how Abelino always feels?


    There was a particular melancholy to viewing the results of an ally¡¯s battle.


    By the time I reached the upstairs study, the Abelino clone had already claimed the town for himself.


    ¡°There is a problem,¡± Abelino said, as I entered the study. ¡°Amarillo blocked us out the teleportation network.  No towns will accept travelers from Redson Town. We literally can¡¯t teleport anywhere else.¡±


    ¡°Shit,¡± I said.  ¡°What now?¡±


    Abelino reached into his Interdimensional Pouch and pulled out a City Token.  ¡°We¡¯ll upgrade the town to a city.¡±


    <hr>


    This really isn¡¯t how I wanted to spend my afternoon, I thought to myself, as I stood by the teleportation portal, supervising the long line of residents who would soon teleport directly out of Redson City.


    Before this moment, I hadn¡¯t realized it was possible to have two cities in the same Region.  I had assumed that the City Tokens I had been collecting would be used to fortify and develop the already existing cities.


    I couldn¡¯t help but think that the Armed Forces leadership in Amarillo would not be amused when they learned that Redson Town had become Redson City.


    On the other hand, it was always possible that the Armed Forces would find a way to regain Redson City, which would be a huge benefit to them.


    In order to prevent the Armed Forces from regaining the city, and also to prevent any hidden insurrections from the current population, Abelino had decided the evacuate the whole population of Redson City.


    It wasn¡¯t at all comforting that Abelino led evacuation with practiced ease.   Once the town was upgraded to a city, the Abelino clones swept the city in a synchronized, grid-like formation.  Anyone who resisted was knocked unconscious, handcuffed, and tossed into the jail cells in Town Hall.


    For most people, though, they could only grab what belongings they had easily available, and they were ushered towards the Teleportation Circle¡ªtowards me.


    We had contacted Dawnbreaker to inform her we had a thousand refugees or so leaving Redson Town, and she hadn¡¯t been pleased.  Many, if not most, of the refugees were supporters of the Armed Forces.  They would be a huge liability to any city that accepted them.


    But she had acquiesced.


    We were sending the refugees off to Daybreak, and from there, it sounded like they would be sent to Dauphin City, another Armed Forces City.


    It was a pricy endeavor, since every teleportation cost approximately one Mana Bead, and Mana Beads were in tight supply, currently. But with Abelino footing the bill, I wasn¡¯t complaining.


    However impatient I felt, watching the line of refugees slowly diminish as they disappeared into the Portal, I could only imagine Abelino¡¯s frustration.


    Abelino and I had both underestimated the Armed Forces.  The Redson Town battle had been a costly loss for Abelino.  He had lost four clones permanently, costing him a slice of his mana pool, and¡ªmore importantly¡ªcosting him a fraction of his soul.


    I had nearly died, and since I was currently missing my right hand, my combat abilities in the future would be limited until I could level up.


    Speaking of leveling up, Samantha had suggested that I use this time to fight the monsters that were right outside the town¡¯s walls.


    I wasn¡¯t that far from reaching the next level, she said.


    Before going off to level, I had opted to stand here, watching the refugees, to try to get a better understanding of Abelino.


    The man terrified me.  And not just because he had the power to single-handedly hold off the monsters attacking us while the town developed into a city and the Mana Shield was off.


    Abelino treated all the refugees with respect.  Several times, I had seen the refugees spit at his clones, and he wiped their saliva off his face with dignity.


    That in itself was suspect, though. With his agility, nobody here should be able to land a gob of saliva on his face.


    How much of this is posturing?


    Whether this was real or not, I was confident his ¡°good¡± behavior wasn¡¯t going to crack.  I would need to level up, if we truly were going to raid Fayette City¡ªa task which was sounding increasingly daunting.


    ¡°I¡¯m heading out to level up,¡± I told Abelino over the Communication Amulet, leaving the sorrowful lines and city gates to find what scant monsters Abelino had left outside the city.


    It only took about ten minutes of fighting outside the city to reach to level 33. I let the familiar glow surround me, and watched in satisfaction as my right hand grew back.


    Whatever the plan was to attack Fayette City, I certainly wasn¡¯t charging in first, this time.

 Chapter 70: Entering Fayette City

    ¡°You lost the element of surprise,¡± Uman said, steepling his fingers under his chin and glancing at the rest of us.  ¡°Whatever ambush they had planned earlier, it will be far more deadly now.¡±


    We were in Uman¡¯s office in the Crucible again, seated around his desk.  I couldn¡¯t help but feel that I was sitting uncomfortably close to Abelino in the small office.


    Fredrick sat next to Uman.  The petri dish of blood in front of him still held faint traces of ambient mana around it. The only remaining clone¡ªor clones¡ªwere in Fayette City.


    ¡°My clones understand me very well,¡± Abelino said, glancing between Uman and myself. ¡°Anything I think of, they may be prepared for.  What tricks do you have?¡±


    I wracked my brain.  I had an Invisibility Cloak, and I could make explosives.


    <Did you forget about your Personal Mana Shield Rune Pattern Blueprint?> Samantha asked me.


    It took me a while to even remember when I had picked it up.  I had claimed it from the pile of loot when Lord Ignatius died.


    I looked at the blueprint for the first time.


    Personal Mana Shield Rune Pattern Blueprint (E-rank): Necessary to create a Personal Mana Shield Amulet (E-rank). When complete, forms a Mana Barrier around your body that blocks incoming physical, mana-based, and spiritual attacks.


    I felt a moment of loss. If I had advocated for myself more after Lord Ignatius¡¯ death, I would have access to dozens of other treasures of the same level as this one.


    I had been so busy, preoccupied, and unstable every day, since Lord Ignatius¡¯ death and my own freedom.  I needed to be more focused from now on. If that meant using Samantha, then so be it. I didn¡¯t need to worry about her making changes in my head¡ªthanks to my skill, Don¡¯t Mind Me.


    For the last few days, Samantha had showed that she was willing to work within the parameters that I set for her.  I was the one who was being difficult.


    What are you suggesting?


    <When you attacked in Redson Town, your biggest mistake was not letting Abelino lead the charge.  This is your chance to fix that mistake.  You can be the arms dealer.  Give him a few dozen Mana Shield Amulets, and let him wreak havoc on his own.  The Mana Shield Amulets should catch any nasty surprises that the Armed Forces leave for him.  Don¡¯t forget¡ªthis is a man who single-handedly conquered a Zone.  There is no way you have seen all his cards.>


    ¡°I have a plan,¡± I said.  It felt almost disrespectful, stealing credit for Samantha¡¯s plans.  At least, it would feel disrespectful until this plan backfired on all the other participants and I ended up ahead.  At least with this plan, it was clear that I was risking far less than Abelino.  But then again, this was Abelino¡¯s fight, not mine.


    I took out one of the Mana Shield Amulets that I had confiscated from the Imperial Scouts and tossed it onto the table, between Uman and Abelino.


    ¡°What is the going rate for these things in the Merchant¡¯s Faction stores?¡± I asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s classified as a high-demand good,¡± Uman said. ¡°As a result, they are pulled off the shelves and sold at auctions to the highest bidder in limited quantities.  If you can get one for 750,000 coins, you¡¯re in luck.¡±


    I turned to Abelino. ¡°I have the blueprint to make these.  If you give me 750,000 coins each, I can make you 24 of these.  I recommend you travel to a nearby town, run to Fayette City, overload the city¡¯s shield so it falters for a second, and then you and your clones can rush in.  The Mana Shield Amulets will block at least one E-rank Spiritual attack, possibly more, and they will prevent you from being mind-controlled.  And if you¡¯re worried about taking a loss, any Amulets you don¡¯t use, I will buy back from you at the same price.


    Abelino frowned. ¡°And what will you be doing?¡±


    ¡°I will sneak in with you into the city.  But after my recent near-death experience, I will not be joining you in the front lines.¡±  The least I could do was have the decency to be honest about it.


    Abelino nodded. ¡°How long do you need to make the amulets?¡±


    ¡°We should attack tomorrow morning,¡± I said.  ¡°It would be too suspicious for us to teleport to a town near Fayette City in the middle of the night.  And I haven¡¯t had a good night¡¯s sleep in far too long.


    ¡°That is too long,¡± Abelino said. ¡°The longer they have, the more the clones will tell the Armed Forces.  I will attack them now.¡±The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    Abelino glanced at Uman. ¡°Take me to the Merchant¡¯s Faction Store.  I will buy these Amulets there, and then we will go.¡±


    <hr>


    With Uman¡¯s help, we soon settled on a convoluted path to approach Fayette City.


    Teleportation between Daybreak and the Armed Forces was heavily watched, so we first teleported to a border town in Rebirth City¡¯s Region. From that town in southern Missouri, we jogged a few miles and swam across the Mississippi River, entering Kentucky.  Kentucky was in the same Region as Fayette City, so we found a small town in Kentucky, and teleported to the town nearest to Fayette City.


    Then, we jogged in the dark through monster-infested territories.


    Initially, I had been concerned about this part of our plan. Running through the wilderness during a monster wave sounded like a distinctly bad idea. But Abelino would release his aura at various intervals, and all the smaller critters would run away in fear.  Most of the braver and more powerful monsters were already attacking nearby towns and cities, so we were mostly uninterrupted as we ran towards Fayette City.


    How can I learn to control my aura? I asked Samantha as Abelino and I ran in silence.  I had seen several times how useful it could be, but I still had no idea how to do it.


    <It¡¯s a bit complicated,> Samantha replied.  <Remind me later when we have time, and I can explain.>


    It was probably around midnight when Abelino and I reached the periphery of the monster hordes that were attacking Fayette City.


    As far as I could tell, there was no Region Lord attacking the city at the moment.  Instead, massive alligators surrounded the city on the ground, some reaching up to 30 feet long and six feet tall.  The alligators would ram themselves against the city¡¯s wall every once in a while, or drive their tails like spikes into the Mana Shield.


    Birds that looked like herons flew in the sky, with long legs and curving necks that could turn the birds¡¯ pointed beaks in a hundred and eighty degree turn faster than I could blink.


    Fayette City, like many other cities, was built nearby a larger, Old-World city. There were plenty of abandoned buildings we could hide in, and thanks to Abelino¡¯s aura, none of the nearby monsters dared to fight us.


    We broke into a small, 2 story house that was just on the outskirts of the monster horde.  Then, Abelino finally split into his clones.


    And this time, it looked like he wasn¡¯t holding back.


    A minute later, I couldn¡¯t help but tremble at the 33 Abelinos in front of me. Among the various Abelinos, I could identify three main types: the archers, the heavily armored clones wielding a shield and axe, and swordsmen.


    There was also one Abelino swordsman who seemed to be either my bodyguard or my babysitter, and I couldn¡¯t tell which it was.  Either Abelino didn¡¯t trust me, or he was here to protect me.  I shrugged.  I had told Abelino that I would be under an Invisibility Cloak for most of the battle.  Before beginning our raid, Samantha had insisted that I get my Invisibility Cloak back from Justin.  Abelino hadn¡¯t been happy to hear that I would be hiding for most of the battle.


    We left the house silently, in two groups, and I couldn¡¯t help but wonder what I had gotten myself into.


    We were going to breach a city¡¯s Mana Shield from the outside. Normally, if you attack the sky, or underground, where there is no physical defense, then breaching the mana shield would mean that the shield would only be down for a very brief time.  Long enough for a few spirits to fly through in the case of Daybreak City, or long enough for a few Herons to fly through in this case.


    But Abelino had decided that we would directly knock two holes in the wall, one on the north and one on the south side of the city. He seemed confident he could do it, and it would be an impressive display of power in and of itself.


    But breaking a hole in the wall meant destroying the runes that made up the Mana Shield.  The Mana Shield wouldn¡¯t be able to operate perfectly unless the wall was repaired, and I didn¡¯t know how long that would take.  It was possible that Abelino¡¯s actions would lead to Fayette City being overrun by monsters.  It made me wonder if Dawnbreaker knew something that I did not. Or was she just this ruthless, willing to let a city fall in exchange for weakening the Mentalist Cooperative¡¯s hold on North America?


    Or, maybe she trusted me to stop Abelino from doing something that would recklessly endanger other people.  I tried suggesting other methods¡ªwe could tunnel under the wall before targeting the mana shield, or we could try to climb the walls from the outside and pierce the mana shield in the air¡ªbut Abelino refused.


    The denser the monsters grew around us, the less of an effect Abelino¡¯s aura had.  We slew the alligators around us easily, as silently as we could.  We had agreed that all the Abelinos would slow down to my pace, since my Agility was incredibly low when it wasn¡¯t being boosted by my mana.


    It didn¡¯t take long before we were close enough to be spotted by the guards on the city¡¯s battlements.


    That was when we sprinted.  I added just enough mana into Agility to trail behind the Abelinos in my group.


    I could hear some shouts of alarm from the battlements, and an arrow or two even whizzed towards where we had been just moments ago.


    We leapt over the massive alligators, easily reaching the wall before any attacks could land on us.


    ¡°NOW!¡± The Abelino clone next to me shouted through his Communication Amulet, and I felt the earth tremble around me.


    It was clearly a skill that Abelino used. To be more precise, a skill that many Abelinos used simultaneously.


    Half of the Abelinos in front of me focusing on dodging or blocking the arrows and spells that flew towards us.


    The other half attacked.


    The swordsmen stabbed the air with their swords.  The clones with axes swung, full force, at the same time.


    None of the Abelino clones were close enough to actually touch the wall with their weapon.


    But as the various attacks finished, it was almost as if the attacks in front of me merged into one blinding strike, combining the force of each strike into a bolt of energy that blazed towards the wall.


    The strike blew a hole 4 feet in diameter in the wall with an earsplitting crack, and the energy bolt continued onwards, up into the sky like a reverse shooting star.


    The sixteen Abelinos in front of me quickly climbed through the hole they had made, and I followed suit under my Invisibility Cloak, finally entering Fayette City.


    <hr>

 Chapter 71: Weakness

    Fayette City was dimly lit in a soft, blue light by glowstones interspaced evenly along the walls and streets.


    The guards above us raised the alarm, and fired spells and arrows down towards us.


    But none of them could match our pace.  It didn¡¯t take long for us to position houses and storefronts between us and the battlements, and soon there was enough distance that the guards at the battlements could no longer reach us with their ranged attacks.


    Of course, some guards were in the streets chasing us, but they didn¡¯t stand a chance catching us.


    The Abelino clones seemed to know exactly where to go, rushing through a main street of the city.


    It was well into the night, and the streets were mostly empty, except for guards heading to or from their posts.


    Abelino, it seemed, was still on his best behavior.  He disabled each guard we encountered easily, leaving their unconscious bodies on the ground.


    It was nice, following in the wake of 16 Abelinos, and not having to fight anyone myself.


    Our destination was a prefab Schema warehouse, which presumably held a Teleportation Circle and the evil Abelino clone.


    In the distance, I could see the other group of 16 or so Abelino clones closing in on the other side of the warehouse.  They were fanning out along the street.


    One of the Abelino clones tossed a circular item towards the warehouse, and I saw a thin film of mana, balloon out like a sphere, centered on the warehouse.


    The device¡ªone of the items Abelino had bought from the store¡ªwas a Teleportation Disruptor.  It would be horribly anti-climactic if we were to raid the warehouse, suffer a few clone losses, just for the mind-controlled clone to escape through the Teleportation Circle.


    The warehouse we were going to break into was surrounded by a Mana Shield.  But somehow, it seemed, this Teleportation Disruptor could still take effect.


    I focused on my Mana Sensing, looking for anything that could be a trap.


    There were guards running towards us, and several of them had pretty powerful presences. But nothing that would give Abelino pause.


    The warehouse, though, was brimming in mana.  I was barely capable of sensing mana through a Mana Shield.  I could sense huge concentrations of mana, but that was all I could tell.


    <Just stay well back,> Samantha said.


    I had no intentions to die.


    The Abelino clones activated the same attack that I had seen previously.  This time, I noticed, it was the clones that hadn¡¯t struck the wall, that attacked now.  They all struck the air with their weapons, and an afterimage of their weapons merged together, forming a bolt of energy that struck the warehouse.


    This time, however, the energy was not focused on just one or two points. The bolt of energy that struck the warehouse slid through the walls like a knife through warm butter, destroying more than half of the walls in front of us.


    I watched as the whole building collapsed in on itself.


    The moment there were holes in the walls, several Abelinos tossed in Igneal Ingots that had my Explosive Rune Pattern carved on them.


    The inside of the teleportation chamber soon lit up with explosions.


    It seemed that Abelino¡¯s gloves were finally off.


    And it seemed that the mind-controlled Abelinos had miscalculated.


    For some reason, they had decided to both reside in the same place.  If they had split up, then they could quickly retreat.  But they had settled on Fayette City as the place of their final battle.


    Having any sort of final battle against over 30 Abelino clones couldn¡¯t be considered a good idea.If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Had they assumed that Abelino would appear through the Teleportation Circle?


    The roof of the warehouse had completely collapsed by now, and I had the uneasy feeling that everything was going too easily.


    If the Armed Forces were backed by the Mentalist Cooperative, then they should have deeper foundations than this.


    Why would the mind-controlled clones decide to hide in the same city, instead of splitting up into two different places?


    Probably to encourage Abelino to go all-out.


    This is what they wanted to happen.  But why? PR?


    <What do you think Abelino¡¯s weakness is?> Samantha asked, suddenly.


    His soul?


    <Yes, but that is everyone¡¯s weakness.  Abelino has put stats into Physical Defense, Mana Pool, Mana Regeneration, Agility, and Strength.  You already saw it happen once¡ªhis weakness is his Mental Power. Mental defense factors in Mental Power and the soul¡¯s strength.  Since Abelino is splitting his soul, the mental defense of each clone will be relatively low.>


    <Think about it, Jarek. Why did the Mentalist Cooperative want the meeting with Abelino in the first place? Why would the Mentalist Cooperative choose to put both its eggs in one basket? The Mentalist Cooperative wants control of a Hell-mode challenger. This is a gamble to control a whole Zone.>


    Why didn¡¯t you say anything earlier?


    <It wouldn¡¯t have changed anything. Uman has said from the beginning that this was a trap. It¡¯s not like it¡¯s a surprise to anyone, and I¡¯m sure Abelino has already considered this.  But it¡¯s a risk Abelino decided to take.  And any mental attacks will be pretty ineffective on you thanks to your ¡°Don¡¯t Mind Me¡± skill.  It is very likely that this battle will flush out the Mentalist Cooperative leader.  Which means you might get to kill another Renegade.>


    In front of me, rising out of the rubble of the destroyed warehouse, I could see the figure of the two bedraggled Abelino clones.


    The mind-controlled clones were surrounded by Abelino clones, but they rushed to break the encirclement regardless.


    <Now is a good time to disappear,> Samantha said.


    This whole time, I had been standing, invisible, next to several Abelino clones, and now, I started walking softly away, following Samantha¡¯s combat shadow.


    I was heading towards a nearby house.  Most of the houses on this street were protected by Mana Shields, but as I studied this house, I noticed that there were particularly large concentrations of mana inside this house.


    Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the Abelino clones fighting.  Their movements were a blur, and I could barely make out each strike and blow as it happened.


    In front of me, three figures exited the house I was approaching. They paused on the porch of the house.  General Scott stood on my right, in full armor, with a massive sword in his hand.  On the left was someone I had never seen before, a black man wearing sorcerer¡¯s robes and holding a tome tightly in both hands.  He was chanting something softly in a monotone.


    Looking at the woman in the middle, and how the men on either side of her guarded her protectively, I knew she was my target.


    She had brown hair that fell below her shoulders, with a vivid streak of grey that ran through the full length of her hair.  From the wrinkles in her face and hands, she looked to be around sixty, but I knew that in the Schema, looks could be deceiving when it came to age.


    The woman wore a thin crown on her head.  It looked like it was made of three thin strands of pure silver woven together in a loose weave.  Rather than equipment, she wore a purple dress that extended from her shoulders to her ankles.


    Just like Lord Ignatius, she had several rings on her fingers, and I could see the fine chain for a necklace at her neck. She was also protected by numerous Mana Shields.


    The woman raised her hands and called in a powerful voice, ¡°STOP.¡±


    Around me, I saw all of the Abelino clones¡ªexcept for the ones that had already been mind-controlled¡ªfreeze where they were.


    It was a terrifying sight. The woman in front of me could control over 30 of the highest-leveled people in the Zone, with a single word.


    This is so broken and overpowered. Lord Ignatius at least had to make eye contact.


    Each Abelino froze in unnatural, awkward positions, for a split second, and then they stood as one, assuming neutral stances, facing the woman in front of me.


    The mind-controlled clones seemed unaffected and made their way towards the three members of the Mentalist Cooperative.


    Someone has tried to exert Mental Control over you. Your skill, Don¡¯t Mind Me, has taken effect.  Do you wish to approve this control?


    Fuck no, I thought, immediately.


    I continued walking as silently as I could towards the woman who, I assumed, was a member of the Mentalist Cooperative.


    ¡°Go,¡± the woman said, placing her hand on General Scott¡¯s shoulder.


    The moment her hand touched General Scott¡¯s shoulder, I noticed mana flood into General Scott¡¯s body, through his shoulder, and into his hand.


    General Scott took off the armored glove on his hand, and left the porch, passing just a few feet away from me.


    I was just a few yards away from the woman.


    Can I used Cursed Lightning?


    <No. The Mana Shields would take the brunt of it.>


    Explosives?


    <The explosives would do even more damage to you than it would to her. It¡¯s not a reliable strategy, unless you¡¯re willing to let me negate the pain you feel.>


    I sniffed. Let¡¯s leave that as a last resort.


    I followed the combat shadow, stepping lightly on the grass of the front lawn, hoping that they wouldn¡¯t notice the fresh indents below my feet.


    General Scott had almost reached the closest Abelino.


    I was just a yard away when things went downhill.


    ¡°Assassin,¡± the sorcerer beside the woman said suddenly, pushing the woman back towards the house, and stepping forward with his book held protectively near his chest.

 Chapter 72: Time Constraints

    I had no clue how the sorcerer figured out I was there.  I really felt like I had been doing everything right, in the stealth department. I was under my Invisibility Cloak, and I had followed Samantha¡¯s combat shadow exactly.  Unless Samantha wants me to get caught.  I dismissed the paranoid thought.  I had to trust Samantha¡ªespecially since I wouldn¡¯t stand a chance in this battle without her.


    The combat shadow charged towards the porch the moment the sorcerer spoke, and I followed suit.


    I put 50 mana into Strength, and 50 mana into Agility.


    The boost in my speed was enough to place myself between the woman from the Mentalist Cooperative and the entrance to the house.  Thanks to Samantha¡¯s sense of positioning, I had also placed the woman in between myself and the sorcerer.


    The moment I moved, the two mind-controlled Abelino clones rushed towards me from the warehouse, at their full speed.


    I didn¡¯t have much time.


    Even as I positioned myself between the woman and the door to the house, I swung the Vampiric Blade with full force at her body.


    The downside of an invisibility cloak was that it was a cloak, not a long-sleeve onesie.  In order to attack the woman in the purple dress, I was forced to reveal my arms and blade.


    Crack.


    My blade met the Mana Shield at her waist, shorting the shield with a single blow.


    The woman was pushed back, away from the house, into the magician behind her.


    I changed forward again. Apparently, it wasn¡¯t worth it to re-sheathe my blade, which meant that both the mind-controlling woman and the magician could see my approach.


    Crack.


    I broke her second Mana Shield, with enough force that the grey-haired woman was knocked back, behind the sorcerer.


    And then the sorcerer completed his chant with an emphatic wave of his hands.


    <Get back!>


    I rushed away from the sorcerer, along the side of the house, towards the approaching Abelinos, but I was too late.


    I felt the ambient mana around me shift.  It wasn¡¯t just me. In a radius of about 15 yards, around myself and the sorcerer, there was an incredible density of mana.


    It was almost identical to the Time Dilation Ward in Redson City.


    Around me, I could see the two Abelinos rushing towards me, even faster than they had been previously.


    General Scott looked like he was moving in fast-forward, as well. His strides were the same length as they had been, but he was moving incredibly quickly.


    He already had his hand touching one of the Abelinos in front of him.


    I spun towards the sorcerer, and threw a dagger towards his chest.


    But the sorcerer was able to move fast enough to dodge the dagger as it flew towards him.


    As General Scott sent a burst of mana into the closest Abelino¡ªan Abelino that, until recently, had been on my side, I was starting to realize that I was, most likely, completely screwed.


    I was caught in a time-dilation bubble with a sorcerer, but the effect didn¡¯t seem to apply to the sorcerer, so I was the only one who was experiencing the world in slow motion.Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    One of the mind-controlled Abelinos who had been inside the warehouse rushed up to the woman in the purple dress and stood protectively by her side.


    The other stood just outside the time-dilation bubble.


    If I were to try to rush out of the bubble, I would have to fight my way past him, while I would be under the effects of the bubble, and he would not be.


    Samantha had clearly realized this,


    I threw my second knife towards the sorcerer, and then I covered myself completely with my Invisibility Cloak as the sorcerer dodged.


    Then, I rushed towards sorcerer, and the woman behind him.


    The sorcerer really only seemed capable of this one spell¡ªhe continued chanting as he moved randomly around the yard, trying to avoid my inevitable strike.


    Meanwhile, the clone General Scott had touched was freed from his neutral standing position. He rushed towards us, and towards the woman in purple.


    From the reactions of the woman in purple and General Scott, it was clear that this was exactly what was supposed to happen.  Now, there were three mind-controlled clones on the Mentalist Cooperative¡¯s side, and General Scott was already approaching another frozen clone.


    I finally reached the sorcerer under my Invisibility Cloak, and I delivered a heavy blow to the back of his head with the hilt of my dagger.


    The sorcerer collapsed, and I was finally free of the time-dilation ward.


    The same movement had revealed my presence, though, and I soon had three Abelino clones approaching me.


    The nearest clone swung a heavy blow directly towards me which I was forced to block with my Vampiric Blade.


    The moment I drew my blade, though, I was forced to reveal my position even more, and I was somewhat locked in a single position.


    The next clone sliced his blade in an strange circle towards me from the side¡ªnot trying to attack me directly, but focusing on hemming me in, not letting me slip away.


    Despite their best attempts, I could finally make use of my superior Agility.


    I twisted my torso, allowing the third clone¡¯s blade to just barely nick my shoulder, and then I pushed through the opening the third clone had left, ramming into the clone with my shoulder.


    I caught the man off-balance.  He didn¡¯t have much of a chance to predict my movements, since much of my body was still covered by the Invisibility Cloak.


    But even as he tumbled, his hands grabbed my cloak, yanking it forcefully.


    I immediately unequipped the cloak so I could regain my momentum, finally charging unimpeded towards the woman in the purple dress.


    But the woman in the purple dress was waiting for me. She had been watching me carefully this whole time, and just when I committed to my rush towards her, her formerly clasped hands opened and in her right palm I saw what looked like a small pistol.


    The same moment I saw the pistol¡ªalready pointed at me¡ªshe fired.


    I changed my trajectory the moment I saw the weapon, but it was too late. A bolt of nothing traveled directly through my chest.


    I tried to bite off a scream, but it was unsuccessful.  I glanced in shock at the hole the diameter of a finger that ran directly through my chest, just a few inches away from my heart.


    <Let me override your pain,> Samantha said.


    No, I said, gritting my teeth and suppressing my tears. I can do this.


    I felt my body trembling, and I didn¡¯t have full control of my left arm anymore.


    I¡¯ll recover soon, I told myself.


    The woman dropped the item¡ªa Void Pistol¡ªonto the ground, and pulled a second one out of a pocket of the dress.


    I swung my Vampiric Blade with full force at her arm, cracking the Mana Shield around her body, and knocking the Void Bolt into the sky.


    The woman stepped backwards, away from me, without a trace of panic in her eyes.  She was backing towards a fourth mind-controlled clone that General Scott had just freed.


    I was fighting a battle of time on several levels.  Once my 30 seconds ran out, I would be running on fumes. I had already invested 100 mana into what I thought would be a quick assassination, not a drawn-out battle against 4+ Abelino clones, a sorcerer with a Time Magic Affinity, and a woman with a Void Pistol¡ªwhatever the hell that was.


    The longer this battle took, the more clones I would have to fight.


    Two of the Abelino clones struck at me simultaneously, but Samantha¡¯s anticipatory positioning allowed me to dodge to the side, evading them completely, but remaining close to the woman in the purple dress.


    I swung my blade again, this time targeting her torso, hoping to push her between the clones and me.


    But to my surprise, my heavy blow felt like punching a brick wall.  The woman didn¡¯t even flinch, as though she were locked in place, immutable and unbreakable.


    My sword bounced off, its frantic vibrations stinging my hands.


    Samantha¡¯s combat shadow leapt frantically to the side, and I followed, my eyes glancing towards the woman¡¯s hands.


    A third Void Pistol fired silently, and a Void Bolt seared a blazing hole in my left hip.


    ¡°Fuck!¡±  It was more painful, somehow, than the hole in my chest.


    The moment my left leg landed on the ground, the pain multiplied tenfold, and my leg collapsed completely.


    The woman aimed a pistol at my head.


    Two clones stood between me and the woman in purple, and two more stood around me, boxing me in.


    Just when I could see the woman¡¯s fingers tightening on the trigger of the Void Pistol pointed at my head, General Scott died.


    <hr>

 Chapter 73: The Ravens

    One moment, General Scott was reaching out a hand to send a mind-controlling burst of mana into one of the frozen Abelino clones.


    The next moment, there was a shadowy flicker, and he fell to the ground, clutching his bleeding throat.


    A shadowy, feminine figure appeared above General Scott¡¯s corpse.  The assassin was dressed in pure black armor, without an inch of skin showing.


    From the knives adorning every inch of her body, I had a good guess who it was.


    Adia rushed my direction.


    The clone closest to Adia met her in the street with a raised sword.  Somehow, Adia sped up even faster, dodging nimbly around the Abelino clone¡¯s blade.


    The Abelino backed up, unwilling to let Adia close the distance between the two.


    But then an arrow flew from a rooftop, carefully positioned and timed so that it was about to pierce through the Abelino clone¡¯s retreating back.


    Somehow, the clone sensed it, dodging to the side, just as Adia moved that same direction.  The moment Adia closed the distance, she stabbed a knife into the clone¡¯s neck.


    During their battle, I moved.


    The woman in purple¡¯s miscalculation was that I still had 100 Agility, and I was within a sword¡¯s reach of her now.


    Her attention, and the attention of the remaining three Abelino clones, were split between myself and Adia.


    I pushed past the pain from the gaping wounds in my chest and hip.  Leaping from the ground with my right leg, I stretched out my left hand towards the Void Pistol that was pointing towards me.


    I was following Samantha¡¯s tried-and-true battle tactic.  When all else fails, sacrifice your left arm.


    The woman in the purple dress pulled the trigger of the Voild Pistol, but my hand was already at the muzzle of the gun, twisting the angle of fire.


    The Void Pistol flared, sending a Void Bolt through my hand, but missing the rest of my body¡ªand ¡°coincidentally¡± traveling through the torso of the closest Abelino clone.


    The pain was immense, and I could still only support myself with my right leg.


    I was close enough to the woman that I could easily break through her last Mana Shield, but one of the Abelino clones was already swinging a blade towards me.


    My mobility was shot¡ªliterally¡ªso I was forced to block the Abelino clone¡¯s strike with my blade.


    ¡°STOP,¡± the woman in purple said.  I could feel a wave of power roll through the street.  But the command wasn¡¯t directed to me¡ªit was directed towards Adia, who was charging towards the woman from the Mentalist Cooperative.


    Adia never even flinched, continuing her charge.


    My blade was still locked with one clone¡¯s blade, and the other unwounded clone¡ªwhich had been about to attack me¡ªwas forced to intercept Adia¡¯s charge.


    My heightened perception noticed a shadowy figure on a rooftop a few blocks away release an arrow my direction.


    Samantha¡¯s combat outline had me press with even more force against the clone¡¯s blade.


    Just like with the previous clone, this clone somehow noticed the arrow as it was flying towards him, but he had no good chance to dodge, only able to incline his body slightly before the arrow tore through his shoulder.


    I made full use of the attack, turning my back on the clone, and swinging my Vampiric Blade with as much force as I could muster towards the woman in purple.The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    Crack.


    I could finally see a hint of panic in the woman¡¯s grey eyes.


    The Abelino clone that the woman had accidentally shot earlier jumped between the two of us, and the Abelino clone that had just taken an arrow to the shoulder tackled me to the ground.


    As I was falling, I saw, as if in slow-motion, Adia evade the Abelino clone that was blocking her path.


    She moved with lithe and confident ease.  She made the Abelino clone look like a blundering fool, practically dancing around him, just centimeters away from the clone¡¯s deadly blade.


    I knew, with Adia¡¯s stats, that a single blow from the clone could kill her.


    Even worse, Adia had no way to block any attacks from Abelino. She had short swords at her belt, but she knew better to draw them.  If she was forced to meet any of Abelino¡¯s strikes, she would be pushed back and likely be injured just from the collision of the blades.


    Adia must have known this, because she dodged just centimeters away from Abelino¡¯s blade, all in order to close the distance between herself and the woman in purple.


    I heard and felt a painful crack as my head hit the street, the Abelino clone firmly holding my arms and pressing my chest against the ground.


    Now that the woman in purple had no shields, I would have been able to use Cursed Lightning, but even as I used all my remaining strength to try to toss the Abelino clone off of me, Adia struck.


    The woman in purple was just pulling something out of the pockets of her dress, but she was too slow, and too late.


    Adia right hand planted a knife through the woman¡¯s dress into her heart, and then a second knife followed, slitting her throat.


    I felt a moment of regret, watching Adia kill the woman.  Samantha and I had been working so hard¡ªwe did all the hard work, really, taking down Mana Shield after Mana Shield, incapacitating a sorcerer, all setting her up for the killing blow.  It was infuriating, seeing Adia smile after the kill¡ªlikely receiving the same rewards and mission that I had received.  Now, it seemed, I would have competition, finding and fighting these Renegades.


    The thoughts were only accentuated by the pain I was in.  I had bled and almost died several times, for no material gains.  This whole time since I had met Abelino, I had barely gained any experience.  Abelino had dealt with most of the monsters getting to Fayette City, and killing Abelino clones didn¡¯t grant any experience.  The whole battle left a sour, bloody taste in my mouth.


    The moment the woman in the purple dress died, the mind-controlled clones around me immediately backed away and dropped their weapons.


    At the same time, the 30 odd Abelino clones that were standing frozen just a short ways away around the warehouse came to life at the same time, immediately rushing towards us and shouting quick commands in Spanish.


    ¡°You look like shit,¡± Adia said, tossing me a Health Potion.


    I picked up the health potion gingerly, and drank it quickly.  ¡°What are you doing here?¡± I asked, the moment I finished.


    Adia glanced around briefly.  It was strange, actually, that there were no more soldiers nearby that we needed to fight. In fact, off in the distance, I could hear the sound of weapons ringing against each other, and cries of pain.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you later,¡± Adia said.  ¡°I have a city to claim.¡±  Adia collected all the loot that the woman from the Mentalist Cooperative had dropped¡ªsmirking my direction in the process¡ªand then rushed away.


    I let myself lay in the street, trusting Abelino to not let me get too hurt, as my wounds patched themselves up.


    ¡°Get up,¡± an Abelino clone said. ¡°You look pathetic.¡±


    I staggered to my feet, surveying my surroundings.


    There were about a dozen clones around me. Some were exploring the house that General Scott had come from, others were exploring the warehouse, and even further down the streets, I could see some clones rushing towards the .


    ¡°All my clones are accounted for,¡± the same Abelino said to me.  ¡°The woman in black¡ªdo you know her?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± I said. ¡°She is ex-Crucible.¡±


    ¡°She doesn¡¯t seem to like you, very much.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I said, shortly.


    ¡°She has a team of people, should I let them take the city?  I have no interest in a city this far north, but I would like to consider Daybreak and the Novak Alliance my allies.¡±


    I shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Check with Dawnbreaker.¡±


    The Abelino clone took out a Communication Amulet. Since he hadn¡¯t connected his amulet with Dawnbreaker, he had to contact Alex first.


    ¡°This is Alex.  How did it go?¡± Alex sounded like she had just woken up.


    ¡°I have all my clones. Someone named¡ª¡± Abelino gestured at me.


    ¡°Adia.¡±


    ¡°Someone named Adia killed the mind-controlling woman.  Did you send her?¡±


    There was a moment of silence through the Communication Amulet.


    ¡°Adia represents a separate group. They are calling themselves the Ravens,¡± Alex said. ¡°She was actually already in Fayette City. She had a grudge against the Mentalist Cooperative, you see.  We let them know that there would be movement tonight, yes.¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you mention this to us?¡± Abelino asked.


    ¡°There was always the chance one of your clones would be compromised,¡± Alex said.


    ¡°She was well-prepared,¡± Abelino said. ¡°She killed one of my clones. Permanently. And the mind-control did not work on her.¡±


    There was no response on the other line.


    ¡°I need to return to my Zone,¡± Abelino continued. ¡°And the Teleportation Circle is broken. I will either support these Ravens, or I will claim the city for myself. Which will it be?¡±


    ¡°Support the Ravens, then,¡± Alex said. ¡°We look forward to working with you in the future.¡±


    With that, Alex cut off the connection.


    Abelino glanced at me, thoughtfully. ¡°Dawnbreaker.  You have seen her fight?¡±


    I nodded my head.


    ¡°Do you think I could beat her?¡±


    <Say no,> Samantha said, immediately.


    ¡°No.¡±

 Chapter 74: Personal Mana Shields

    Despite my exhaustion, I didn¡¯t sleep well that night.  It wasn¡¯t the mattress¡ªRyker had some of his people haul in a king-sized Old World mattress into the City Lord¡¯s Mansion in Reed City.


    The sheets and blankets even smelled like they had been freshly washed with Old World detergent, giving the whole room a calming, centered feeling.


    Ryker had a good eye for the small details.


    But from the moment I closed my eyes, I was plagued with nightmares.   Abelino¡¯s weathered face, smiling at me, as he slices off my hand.


    A hundred Void Pistols pointing towards me, firing infrequently enough that I was almost able to dodge each Void Bolt. But each time I would try, I would glance down, and see another part of me was missing.


    One Void Bolt caught my fingertips. Another caught an ear. Another caught my ankles.


    I woke up gasping, and glanced down at my body to see, to my relief, that I didn¡¯t have any gaping, bleeding holes in my body.


    I could tell from my frantically beating heart that I wasn¡¯t going to go back to sleep, so I readied myself to start the day early.


    Last night, with Abelino¡¯s help, Adia and the organization she had joined, the Ravens, quickly took control of Fayette City.  Anyone who protested was offered teleportation, free of charge, to their location of choice.  Most former Armed Forces members who left headed towards Dauphin City in Pennsylvania.


    In other news, I had been receiving frequent updates from Justin and Feng.  They reported that Ethan hadn¡¯t been excited about defending Nova City.  He had rushed off at the earliest moment he could, searching for nearby Region Lords that he could defeat.


    Everyone else was on their best behavior. The men and women Ryker had chosen for the task were eagerly collecting the Mana Beads, and Justin and Feng fell back to the City, supervising the machinery and the output of Mana Shards, as well as trimming the ever-growing Belian Brambles that took up most of the space inside Nova City.


    They had already delivered a few shipments of Mana Shards to Dawnbreaker.


    The hordes of monsters around the Zone had not thinned out, but the Region Lords had.


    There had still only ever been one Region Lord that appeared at a time in each Region, and Samantha assured me that wasn¡¯t going to change.


    I walked through the empty City Lord Mansion, entering the room that I had converted into a Rune Masters¡¯ Lab.  I had decided to deposit the majority of my raw materials here, but I held onto my tools, in case I needed to make anything on the fly.


    This morning¡¯s focus would be Personal Mana Shield Amulets.


    There was a reason Samantha had insisted that I pick up this blueprint, among all the other items Lord Ignatius had dropped.


    The Personal Mana Shield Amulet was the gold-standard of defensive equipment.  Most notably, it was capable of blocking Void Bolts and Spiritual attacks.


    The Personal Mana Shield Rune Pattern Blueprint could actually be transferred to Amulets, or to rings, but Samantha insisted that the Amulet was easier to learn.


    <The Mana Shield Rune Pattern is a highly complex Rune Pattern,> Samantha started.  <As I¡¯m sure you are starting to realize, the most complex and valuable things are the ones that are somehow connected to your soul.  The Rune Pattern functions as a shield for your soul; a tangible wall of mana that will protect your soul, or your soul¡¯s shell, from damage.>


    <This connects to a question that frankly, I¡¯m surprised you have never asked me.  The Schema only allows you to equip seven items.  But of course, you¡¯re capable of holding more than seven items.  So what would stop someone from activating more than seven person shields around themselves at the same time?>


    Samantha paused for a brief second, and then answered her own question. <Every item you have equipped is linked to your soul.  How else could an item give you stat bonuses¡ªnumbers that, as I said before, are a reflection of your soul? But there is a limit to how many connections a soul can make.  Each connection with an item that your soul makes is also a strain to your soul.  And so, the Schema only allows people to equip seven items at a time.  Even if you had a dozen Personal Mana Shield Amulets, the unequipped ones would have no effect, because they would be unable to bind and protect your soul.>


    As Samantha talked, she guided me on the delicate runes that required all my floating points in Dexterity to complete.


    ¡°What about the shield the woman in purple used towards the end of the battle? The shield that felt like I was hitting a brick wall?¡±


    Samantha sighed.


    Sensing that I had no further questions, Samantha continued on a different line of thought. <There is one important downside to Personal Mana Shields.  As long as they are equipped, they are constantly draining power.  They aren¡¯t capable of only activating when danger is about to strike.  Anyone who walks around with an E-rank Personal Mana Shield active 24/7 is someone who is either extremely paranoid, or willing to flaunt their wealth, or both.>The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    <And this takes us to the last, and most important, part of a Personal Mana Shield.   An E-rank Personal Mana Shield requires the power of a Mana Shard, but as you¡¯ve seen, Mana Shards are the size of a fist, which would be very cumbersome to carry around.  So just like how your factories in Nova City are condensing poison, the Fire Element, and the Earth Element, Rune Masters need to use the condensed power of a Mana Shard.  Hence, with the Schema¡¯s creative naming system, we have the Compressed Mana Shard.  They contain the same amount of mana as a Mana Shard, but are the size of a Mana Bead.  You¡¯ve used them before, to power your Soul Shields, but at the time, Lord Ignatius was paying for them.  It wouldn¡¯t be cost-effective to buy Compressed Mana Shards now, since the Merchants¡¯ Faction is intent on driving up the prices of Mana Shards and Mana Crystals.>


    I felt like Samantha was building up to something. Like she was winding up towards a pitch that she suspected I might not like.


    <And so,> Samantha said. <I suggest our next stop is to Nova City, where for just 10 million coins, you can buy a factory that is capable of condensing Mana Shards and Mana Crystals.>


    I checked my current wealth in my Status Window.  ¡°Ten million? That¡¯s more money than I have right now.¡±


    Samantha tsk-ed.  <You have access to far more funds than what your Status Window says.  Remember, Uman owes you 50 million coins.  And Justin probably is already making money by selling the Mana Shards.  And in terms of if it is worth it, Jarek, these are basically money-printing machines.  Run a Mana Shard through a Condenser and you just ended up with a higher quality, more valuable product.  You have to think big picture, here.  Vertical Integration.  You collect the attuned Mana Beads, process them so they are just normal beads, compact them so they are Mana Shards, and then condense them so that they are easily portable¡ªthis is how you make money.  Any moment now, another Zone could open up, which would effectively double the demand for Mana Shards and Personal Mana Shields. People have money that they are frantic to spend, but they will always be looking for a better deal than the Merchant¡¯s Faction.>


    I shrugged. Sounds like a plan.


    I finished up tracing the runes on my first Personal Mana Shield Amulet, and then I teleported to Nova City.


    It was a nice feeling, not having to worry about traveling in disguise, or an ambush on the other side of a portal.


    There was a guard from Reed City manning the portal. Someone I had seen before, but I had forgotten his name a half dozen times already.


    ¡°Sir,¡± he said, giving me an awkward salute.  Then he corrected himself. ¡°My Lord.¡±


    I paused, and glared at him.  Hearing the words My Lord reminded me of Lord Ignatius.  ¡°Not that.  I don¡¯t care what you call me, really. Jarek would be great. But definitely not My Lord.¡±


    The man trembled his apology, but I was already moving.


    Leaving the teleportation building, the first thing that I noticed were the Belian Brambles.  It looked like the people in the city had done a decent job trimming its circumference, but the brambles had grown taller instead, almost scraping against the Mana Shield that covered the city.


    <You¡¯re going to have to deal with that, soon,> Samantha said. <The moment it reaches the Mana Shield, it will start steadily draining the power source by just pressing and growing against the shield.>


    ¡°Did you really fight a South American Hell-mode challenger?¡± Justin asked, running over to me. ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°Where did you hear that?¡± I asked, giving Justin a brief hug. ¡°I¡¯m fine. And if Abelino wanted me dead, then I would be.  I only had to fight a few of his mind-controlled clones.¡±


    ¡°Only,¡± Feng said, with a smirk.


    ¡°Anyway. I¡¯m a little short on money,¡± I said, turning to Justin. ¡°Do you have around 50,000 coins?¡±


    Justin stared at me, not moving for a second. ¡°Wait, you¡¯re serious? Don¡¯t you have like tens of millions of coins?¡±


    I gestured around the city, at the Extractor and Compactor. ¡°These factories aren¡¯t cheap.  I need to build another one.¡±


    ¡°Sure, sure,¡± Justin said, holding out his hand. We shook, and he gave me the money I needed.


    ¡°Any news on Petra?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Not yet. But with the Armed Forces¡¯ influence shrinking, there are only so many places she could be.  Uman should have a lead, soon.¡±


    Once I had the money, I instructed the Schema to build a Compressor¡ªyet another giant, blocky, industrial building.


    ¡°I think you missed the genre memo,¡± Justin said. ¡°This isn¡¯t steampunk.¡±


    <table width="624">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Name:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    Jarek


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Level:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    33


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    HP:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    43/43


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Physical Defense:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    18


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Strength:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    31 (+5)


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Mental Power:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    14


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Dexterity:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    10 (+5)


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Agility:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    14 (+14)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Perception:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    20


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Luck:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    22


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Mana Pool:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    103 (+10)


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Mana Regeneration:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    48 (+10)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Available Points:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    0


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Coins:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    0


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Class:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    Mana Modulator (D-rank)


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Profession:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    Rune Master


    (E-rank)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Titles:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="486">


    Region Lord (E-rank)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Skills and Spells:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="486">


    Identify (E-rank)


    Mana Modulation (D-rank Core)


    Death¡¯s Defier (A-rank)


    Mana Sensing (E-rank)


    Healthy Magic (E-rank)


    Don¡¯t Mind Me (D-rank)


    Aquatic Respiration (E-rank)


    Polyglot (E-rank)


    Soul Communion (D-rank)


    Cursed Lightning (D-rank)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Affinities:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="486">


    Internal Mana (D-rank Low), External Unattributed Mana (E-rank Low), Soul Magic (D-rank Low)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Equipment:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="486">


    Vampiric Blade (D-rank): +5 Strength, +5 Agility.


    Bloodied Battle Robes (D-rank): +5 Mana Pool, +5 Mana Regen.


    Imperial Scout Boots (E-rank): +4 Agility.


    Greedy Gloves (D-rank): +5 Mana Pool, +5 Mana Regen.


    Bonded Blades (D-rank): +5 Dexterity, +5 Agility.


    Communication Amulet (E-rank):


    Interdimensional Pouch (D-rank):


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Missions:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="486">


    Zone Offense


    Renegade Bounty Hunter


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>

 Chapter 75: Under the Influence

    ¡°Have you had breakfast yet?¡± Feng asked. We were still standing near the freshly minted Compressor. ¡°I made bacon and eggs. Although, do you eat normal food?¡±


    ¡°Of course he eats normal food,¡± Justin said. ¡°What kind of question is that?¡±


    ¡°Hey, I didn¡¯t want to assume.  Maybe he only drinks heavenly lotus pulp and he only eats the E and D-grade meat that of the monsters he slays with his bare hands.¡±


    Feng delivered the statement with a completely deadpan expression; I couldn¡¯t tell for certain whether or not he was joking.


    ¡°I¡¯d love to join you for breakfast,¡± I said.


    We soon found ourselves in one of the prefab houses in the city. The kitchen had essentially the same core appliances as an Old World kitchen, except everything was mana-powered.  There was a large box surrounded by cooling runes on the inside, a stovetop, and several large plastic gallons of water.


    On the table, I could see two half-eaten plates of bacon and eggs.  Fortunately, there was more on the stovetop, and Feng filled my plate and we sat together at the table.


    After unequipping all my items, I could almost feel like I was back in the Old World.


    I couldn¡¯t help but study Feng as I ate.    Feng had straight black hair that was long enough to just almost reach his eyes. He had a skinny frame and narrow face, and a somewhat nerdy look.  His hands held his utensils delicately.


    Justin coughed lightly. ¡°So, Jarek. What¡¯s next on your plate? Any more Hell Mode Challengers to fight? More million-dollar schemes?¡±


    I shrugged.  ¡°I was just planning on practicing my Rune Master Professsion until somebody contacted me for help.¡±


    Justin gave a short laugh. ¡°Yep, that sounds like you. Just wait for shit to hit the fan, and then act all indignant when it does.  Don¡¯t take this the wrong way¡ªat first I half-wondered if you really were Jarek.  Do you know what the first red flag was?¡±


    I thought briefly. ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°It was the fact that you challenged Hard Mode.  The Jarek I grew up with would never have challenged Hard Mode. What changed?¡±


    A mind-controlling A.I.


    ¡°I wanted to be strong enough to find you, and protect you,¡± I said.


    Justin smiled innocently back at me. ¡°Gee thanks, dad.  Looks like you didn¡¯t think that one through very well.  You know, Petra and I were doing fine, until someone came looking for Jarek¡¯s siblings? We were kidnapped because of you, you know. I don¡¯t suppose you considered that by becoming one of the most powerful people on the continent, you were putting us into more danger.¡±


    There was no venom in Justin¡¯s tone. For as long as I could remember, Justin never really got angry. He just said hurtful things, in the same tone he always used.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure where you¡¯re going with this,¡± I said.  ¡°I feel horrible that you were kidnapped¡ª¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard the rumors,¡± Justin cut in. ¡°I guess I just want to hear what you have to say.  People are whispering that you could have broken out of the Crucible at any time, but you were biding your time, waiting for the right moment to strike down Lord what¡¯s-his-name.  Is that true?¡±


    I finally realized where these questions were coming from.  If I hadn¡¯t waited, then maybe Petra would be with us, right now.


    ¡°Have you heard of inheritances?¡± I asked.  Justin looked surprised.  Feng, for his part, was eating slowly and silently, clearly not wanting to take part in this argument.


    ¡°Inheritances are opportunities that people have to grow stronger.  I was¡­fortunate enough to find an inheritance during the tutorial.  But it wasn¡¯t just a book, or a journal, or some extra money.  The inheritance that I found was the spirit of a deceased member of the Atropos Schema.  It¡¯s like I have two personalities in my head, at the same time.  This is how I know so much about the Schema, and how I¡¯ve become a much better fighter so quickly.Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.


    ¡°Back to your question, though, I was completely mind-controlled by Lord Ignatius.  But the other spirit inside me was able to break free at any point.  It chose to break free at the moment that it perceived would be most advantageous to me.¡±


    Justin nodded, slowly. ¡°So¡­ you¡¯re possessed.¡±


    I felt panic rise inside me. ¡°No, no. I¡¯m not possessed. That makes it sound like I don¡¯t have control. I do.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± Justin said. ¡°Take a step back. As far as I can see, there are four possibilities. One: You¡¯re completely lying to me about this spirit inside you.  Two: There is a spirit that feeds you information, improves your battle skills, and broke you free from the Mentalist Cooperative. Three: That same spirit actually has complete control of you, and your memories, and is trying to act like you in order to not raise suspicion.  Four: you think you¡¯re in charge, but the spirit is subtly influencing your decisions.


    ¡°Would you say that covers all the likely options?¡± Justin carefully scraped up the last of his eggs and bacon, licking his fork meticulously.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I said, somewhat despondently.


    ¡°Well, then I¡¯ll ask again. What is going on in your brain, and how convinced are you that it is truly what is happening?¡±


    I took a breath.  I knew Samantha probably wouldn¡¯t want me giving these details, but I had to trust someone.


    ¡°Do you both swear not to tell anyone else?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Of course,¡± Justin said, offering his perfect smile once again.


    I knew what the smile really meant: Of course I will tell someone, if I think it will help.


    Feng just nodded.


    ¡°When I was first possessed, the spirit mind-controlled me. It took away my pain, it changed my goals, and my values.  You may have heard some of the other rumors, too¡ªI was responsible for the deaths of several other people in the Tutorial, and also for River¡¯s death in the battle against the Shade.


    ¡°But after I broke free from Lord Ignatius, the Schema awarded me with a title. ¡®Don¡¯t Mind Me.¡¯ The title makes me immune to all D-rank or weaker Mental attacks.¡±


    ¡°How convenient,¡± Feng said, putting his fork down carefully.


    ¡°It¡¯s in my Status Window,¡± I said. ¡°And that¡¯s what allowed me to fight the lady from the Mentalist Cooperative in Fayette City, too.  Without that title, I would have been mind-controlled the moment the battle started.¡±


    ¡°So the question is,¡± Justin repeated, ¡°How convinced are you that you are no longer ¡®under the influence?¡¯¡±


    <If it helps at all-->


    Just a moment, I thought back. Just let me think.


    ¡°A spirit wouldn¡¯t be able to affect my status screen,¡± I said. Or an Artificial Intelligence. ¡°I¡¯d say I¡¯m 99% confident.¡±


    ¡°Now, put yourself in my position.  Your brother is acting very different, and even admitted that a spirit that had previously been mind controlling him is currently residing in his brain. How confident would you be that your brother is not ¡®under the influence?¡¯¡±


    I shrugged.  ¡°Sometimes you¡¯ve just got to pick a belief, and live with it.  I couldn¡¯t be confident about something like that.¡±


    Justin smiled wistfully. ¡°That does sound like something you would say. Just pick the truth you want to live with, and pretend that it¡¯s true. Although, it could just be the spirit that stole your memories¡­¡±


    Justin paused, then sighed. ¡°Well, I am good at pretending that you¡¯re my brother.¡±


    I felt my heart skip a beat. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°After mom died, you basically disappeared. I would see you once a year, for Christmas and New Year¡¯s.  No matter how shitty of a sister Petra was, at least she was there.¡±


    ¡°Are you serious? I was in college! What did you want me to do, drop out of college just to mope around Mom¡¯s house? You know I couldn¡¯t stand being in that place.¡±


    ¡°It wouldn¡¯t have mattered what you did,¡± Justin said, still keeping a neutral tone. ¡°As long as you did something.¡±


    I felt the outrage build inside me.  ¡°Do you think Petra could have supported you on your own? I took out college loans, and took three different jobs, to help Petra pay the bills.¡±


    Feng was looking distinctly uncomfortable.  He rose from his seat, grabbing his empty plate, and went back into the kitchen.


    ¡°And you know what would have meant far more?¡± Justin asked. ¡°A single phone call, that wasn¡¯t on a holiday or birthday.¡±


    I felt my anger crumbling. ¡°We all have different ways of coping,¡± I mumbled.


    ¡°That¡¯s not coping, that¡¯s escaping.¡±


    I felt a tear trickle down my cheek.  ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Justin.¡±


    Justin sat there silently, studying my face carefully. Then he cleared his throat, and I saw a somewhat guilty look on his face.


    ¡°Sorry about that,¡± he said, with the same smile I had grown to know and love for almost my whole life. ¡°That was pretty messed up of me.  I just wanted to see how much of Jarek was in there.¡±


    He reached out, leaning across the table, and rapped his knuckles on my skull.


    ¡°I deserved that,¡± I said, trying to control my breathing.


    ¡°No, you didn¡¯t,¡± Justin responded.


    My hands were trembling, slightly.


    ¡°Hey bro?¡±


    I glanced up at Justin¡¯s question.


    ¡°I love you.¡± Justin said it warmly, standing up and wrapping his arms around my chest.

 Chapter 76: Aura Suppression

    It was hard to transition from that breakfast back to work. But I did. I set up a Rune Master¡¯s Workshop in Nova City, and started making Personal Mana Shields as quickly as I could.


    This was, of course, a slight change in my deal with Dawnbreaker. Her troops were still defending my towns. But there were no Region Lords attacking our Regions at the moment, and, as I reminded her, I was hoping to sell her Personal Mana Shields, Mana Shards, and even Mana Crystals, at a low price.


    I had expected to be interrupted by a message from Dawnbreaker¡ªnews of a Region Lord, or a District Lord.


    But when I did get a call on my Communication Amulet, it was not at all what I expected.


    It was a message from Ryker. Someone had found a note at the footstep of my Reed City Lord¡¯s Mansion.


    If you want to see Petra again, meet me alone, in Warver Town, in Dauphin City¡¯s Region, at 7 p.m. Come alone.


    Dauphin City was in one of the last Regions that the military controlled.


    It made sense, Petra would be in Dauphin City¡¯s Region.  I¡¯d never heard of Warver Town, though.


    My heart sunk the moment I got the message.  This was what I had been afraid of, this whole time.  If someone tried to blackmail me, or use Petra as a hostage¡­


    I want your help on this one, I told Samantha, immediately.   You know my priorities. I want Petra back, alive.


    <Alright,> Samantha said. <You¡¯re putting me in a tough situation. I hope you realize that.  First of all, if you¡¯re hoping to actually see Petra when you go to Warver Town, then you can put that hope to rest, now.  Basically the only thing the kidnappers have over you, is that you don¡¯t know where Petra is.  Uman and his team have been basically useless, I think it¡¯s time that they earned their pay.>


    Uman was currently in Boston, so I rose and rushed to the Teleportation Circle.  I decided not to tell Justin and Feng, though.  They might insist on coming with me, but that would be more of a hinderance than a help.


    <hr>


    ¡°The first thing you need to know,¡± Uman said, once I caught him up on the hostage threat, ¡°Is that this isn¡¯t actually about Petra. This is about the kidnappers using you to get at someone else.


    ¡°There are still a lot of Armed Forces folks, you see, who are very bitter at the Ravens, the Novak Alliance, and Daybreak, for essentially dismantling the US government.  Most likely, they will use Petra to try to get you to assassinate someone¡ªmaybe Alex or Cy.  If they can pit Daybreak against the Novak Alliance, then there will be more room for the Armed Forces to survive.¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t helping,¡± I said.  ¡°I told you all ages ago that I need to find Petra. Why hasn¡¯t she been found yet?¡±


    ¡°Two reasons,¡± Uman said. ¡°I think you¡¯re under the wrong impression after the Abelino clone situation.  The military wanted Abelino¡¯s clone to be found.   Because of this, the first clone you attacked was in a publicly listed town. That made it much easier to figure out its location. And of course, blood is the best medium for Fredrick¡¯s abilities.  It¡¯s like the difference between drawing a pencil-thin line on the map, versus taking a 2x4 and laying it on the map to point in your sister¡¯s direction.¡±


    ¡°Do you at least know what Region she¡¯s in?¡±


    ¡°We have narrowed down the Region,¡± Uman said. ¡°Dauphin City¡¯s Region¡ªthe Old World Pennsylvania.  Fredrick has been jumping around various towns in the Region, trying to get a sense of which direction the town is in.¡±


    Uman took out a map and circled a large portion of Pennsylvania.


    ¡°We don¡¯t know the name of the town, because it doesn¡¯t show up on any teleportation lists.  But we do know it is somewhere in this area.  We are paying people scouts to explore the area in search for the hidden town, but not many people are willing to risk their lives.  Hopefully, Petra is in Warver Town, but they¡¯d have to be idiots to actually send you right to her.¡±


    ¡°What about the Crucible Teleportation Mages?¡± I asked, suddenly. ¡°Why can¡¯t they take me and Fredrick to the area. We can nail down the location that way.¡±


    ¡°One of the mages is off the grid,¡± Uman said. ¡°He disappeared with a fair portion of the Crucible¡¯s wealth.  Daybreak has two on its payroll, but they haven¡¯t been willing to work with us¡­¡±


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s fix that. Is your Communication Amulet connected to Dawnbreaker¡¯s?¡±


    Uman nodded his head. ¡°But she said not to¡ª¡±


    I held out my hand, and Uman placed the Amulet in my hand.


    ¡°I thought I told you not to contact me again,¡± Dawnbreaker said, immediately, over the amulet.


    ¡°This is Jarek,¡± I said. ¡°I need a teleportation mage to find my sister.¡±


    ¡°I already asked them.  They aren¡¯t exactly keen on traveling with you. Or traveling in hostile territory. And they are currently working on forging a path to Asia.¡±Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    ¡°I¡¯m about to be blackmailed by the Armed Forces,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ve been told that they are very likely to ask me to assassinate Alex, or Cy, before they give me my sister back.¡±


    ¡°That would be idiotic,¡± Dawnbreaker said. ¡°For them and for you.  Do you really think they would give you your sister back? No, they would just give you another target.¡±


    ¡°What would you do, Dawnbreaker? If you had the slightest chance to get your husband back?¡±


    It was a low blow, but I remembered seeing wedding photos in her villa.


    Dawnbreaker was silent for a second. ¡°I would let him die.  He wouldn¡¯t want me to kill innocent people to save his life.¡±


    I laughed. I couldn¡¯t help it. ¡°Well. It sounds like you don¡¯t know Petra, then.¡±


    Dawnbreaker was silent for a while longer.  ¡°I will send someone over to you.  But you will need to pay him well.¡±


    <hr>


    The two Teleportation Mages that Daybreak employed formed a powerful team.    The mage that I was more familiar¡ªthe mage that had helped twice, leaving us near the Shade, and also near the Manticore¡ªused Teleportation Stones.


    The idea was that other people could travel with Teleportation Stones, and the Teleportation Mage could travel directly to those Stones¡ªeven if he had never seen the location before.  By using the Teleportation stones, the mage was able to travel great distances, and even bring passengers along with him.


    The other type of teleportation mage was a ¡°line-of-sight¡± teleportation mage.  The distance that could be traveled was smaller, and fewer people could be teleported alongside the mage.


    It was this type of mage¡ªa ¡°line of sight¡± mage¡ªthat first transported us through Pennsylvania.


    ¡°50,000 coins,¡± the teleportation mage counted, as we appeared on top of a small hill in what used to be a national park in Pennsylvania.  The mage held a mage¡¯s staff, and wore mage¡¯s robes¡ªrobes that were focused solely on increasing her mana supply.


    ¡°Potion,¡± she said, reaching her hand out to me.


    I dutifully handed her a Mana Potion, which she immediately chugged.


    ¡°I should charge interest, too,¡± she muttered.  ¡°Interest and hazard pay.¡±


    The teleportation mage¡ªKendra¡ªwas probably 40 years old or so, with a somewhat disheveled appearance.


    She had agreed to teleport us around Pennsylvania, at the price of 10,000 coins per jump.


    It was an outrageous price, but I was happy to pay it.


    As Kendra drank her Mana Potion, Fredrick focused on using his Seeker ability to determine which general direction Petra was in.


    Meanwhile, I fought off any monsters who approached.


    ¡°Just flash your damn aura, already,¡± Kendra said. ¡°Why would you want to bother fighting these low-leveled monsters?  You¡¯re risking our own safety in this.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how,¡± I admitted.


    ¡°What do you mean? How do you not know how to use your aura? It¡¯s not even using it. Everybody else struggles to suppress it. That¡¯s the real challenge. Just stop suppressing your aura.¡±


    Well? I asked Samantha. How do I activate my aura?


    <About that¡­>


    What.


    <Did you ever notice that you are particularly good at flying under the radar? Not just when you¡¯re under the invisibility cloak. But think about the way General Scott and the Abelinos underestimated you when you first met and fought them.  Or think about when you fought the Shade, when it was feeding off of River, how you managed to sneak up on it.>


    Go on¡­


    <Well, you see, you are particularly suited to stealth. It¡¯s kind of like a natural talent.>


    No. If it was just a natural talent, you would have mentioned it before. What are you hiding?


    Samantha was silent, so I pressed more.


    You¡¯ve been avoiding talking about aura for a while.  What did you do?


    <Well¡­ you see Jarek¡­ do you remember how I asked you to pick up a Concealment Rune Pattern, a while back?>


    You said it would be useful to learn how to make an Invisibility cloak.


    <It also has another purpose.  Because, you know how you also have Internal Mana Affinity? And you¡¯re a rune master?>


    I felt a sinking suspicion in my gut. Just tell me what you¡¯ve done.


    <You never really asked how I was able to break Lord Ignatius¡¯ thrall, you know,> Samantha said, abruptly changing the subject. <And you never actually asked if it was something I could have done at any time.  Anyway, back when you were still in the Crucible, from the first moment you learned the Concealment Rune Pattern, I had been forming complex Runes Patterns on the inside of your body while you sleep.  Now, there is nothing harmful. You¡¯ve already discovered the only real downside. You see, the rune patterns I¡¯ve been forming serve a number of purposes. Firstly, they will make it very difficult for anyone to read your mind. Essentially, your thoughts are concealed by the Rune Patterns I set up.  You¡¯re welcome, by the way.  I completed the Rune Pattern essentially the moment Dawnbreaker started wreaking havoc in the throne room.  This is why Lord Ignatius was so surprised when you turned on him.>


    <Anyway, my modification of the Concealment Rune Pattern disrupted Lord Ignatius¡¯ mind control, and it also has the effect of drastically reducing your aura. In battle, monsters and people will habitually underestimate you.  This is a huge tactical advantage¡ªjust like with that Greater Water Elemental. The downside, of course, is that you are not capable of flashing your aura like everyone else.  It¡¯s a small downside, really, for such a useful skill.>


    Are you done patting yourself on the back? Why didn¡¯t you mention that you can use my mana?


    <You already knew I could,> Samantha responded.  <When I first appeared, I told you that I relied on Mana Regeneration. Once you invested in enough Mana Regeneration, I was able to activate the Combat Shadow¡ªessentially, using your mana at a steady rate per minute.  Then, when we were training how to use floating points, I demonstrated how to control the flow of mana in your body.>


    I felt some of the indignation slowly leaking out of me. Stop acting like this isn¡¯t a big deal.  Why didn¡¯t you tell me about this in the first place?


    <Well, think about how Crucible-Jarek would have reacted.  You would have immediately told me to stop.  I¡¯m sure you would have been concerned that it could jeopardize the mind-control that Lord Ignatius put you under.>


    Stop dodging the question. Why didn¡¯t you tell me after?


    <It¡¯s been a busy few days, Jarek.  When did you want me to tell you? While you were fighting for your life in the mines? When you were fighting the Centiscythe? Or the Greater Water Elemental? Or the Abelinos?>


    You¡¯re doing it again.


    <Doing what?>


    Acting like this isn¡¯t a big deal.  You¡¯ve been using my mana, in my sleep, without my permission.


    <I just went over this,> Samantha said, finally starting to sound exasperated. <I finished the Concealment Rune Pattern while you were still under the Crucible¡¯s control. Of course I did it without permission. And I haven¡¯t done anything since you broke free.>


    ¡°Ahem,¡± Fredrick spoke up. ¡°I don¡¯t want to interrupt, sir,¡± he said glancing at me.


    ¡°Interrupt what?¡±  Kendra shared none of Fredrick¡¯s politeness. ¡°Interrupt his aloof staring into the vacant distance and mouthing things to himself?¡±


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t mean to interrupt,¡± Fredrick said. ¡°But I think that we found the town.¡±

 Chapter 77: Tempting loot

    I glanced towards where Fredrick was pointing.


    Probably a mile away from us, I could see tiny dots descending into a valley. Hundreds of monsters, trailing down a hill, funneling towards one specific point that was hidden by hills and trees.


    It was the one thing we had going for us, in our search. No matter how subtle a town tried to be, it would still draw the attention of the monsters.  And most monsters didn¡¯t seem to know the meaning of subtlety.


    ¡°We¡¯ll walk the rest of the way,¡± I said. We were close enough that we needed to be worried about being spotted by anybody in the town.  And there were some upgrades that towns could purchase to detect active magic nearby.


    We were in a national forest, off any beaten trails, which made the walk somewhat difficult.  It was easy enough to blaze a trail, but the trees and bushes provided ample opportunities for various monsters to hide and attack us. Snakes, Saber-Toothed Foxes, and the occasional Giant Ant all tried to surprise us.


    Of course, they weren¡¯t very successful, since I had Mana Sensing active the whole time.


    But it was a hassle, and it slowed down our progress considerably.


    After walking for a while through the underbrush, we eventually crested a small hill, and we could finally see the town that held Petra.


    The town was nestled at the foot of several hills, the location clearly chosen with privacy in mind.  There were a half dozen men standing in the ramparts of the town¡¯s walls, firing arrows down at the attacking group of monsters.


    I estimated there were a few hundred monsters attacking the town¡¯s walls.  It didn¡¯t look like the monsters were making any particular progress in damaging the walls.


    ¡°Great! Congrats! You found it. Best of luck. I¡¯ll take my money, now, and I¡¯ll be on my way.¡±


    I had been unable to convince Kendra to stick around once we found the town. As she saw it, as soon as I captured the town, I would be able to teleport out. If I was going to do some stealthy maneuvering in order to enter the town, then that would mean Kendra and Fredrick would be left unprotected.


    ¡°We were at 50,000 coins to get here. So, that¡¯ll come to 100,000 coins, including the way back. And an additional 50,000 coins for hazard pay because you¡¯re leaving the two of us on our own.¡±


    I gave Kendra her payment without complaining, and watched them teleport out.


    I had pressed Uman for some money since I left. Fortunately, he kept some cash on hand, so the payment wasn¡¯t too difficult.


    I studied the town in front of me carefully.  It was a standard town, on the small size.  I could see the rooftops of the familiar buildings: a Town Mayor¡¯s Mansion, homes built in the style of log cabins, and the ever-present Merchant¡¯s Faction Store.


    There was no sign of a District Lord among the monsters attacking the town, and there was no indication that the monsters attacking the town were anywhere close to achieving the maximum strain that the Mana Shield was able to take.


    The most common monster attacking the town were called Porcuspines.


    The Porcuspines were around level 20, and they ranged from the size of a cat to the size of a horse. As they gathered at the town¡¯s walls, they shot their barbed spines towards the mana reinforced wall.


    Some of the Porcuspines had clearly been doing this for a while¡ªthey were running out of quills.


    I was completely confident in my abilities to take down this town.  The town was defended by an E-rank shield, and with enough mana put towards Strength, combined with my Igneal Explosives, I could crack the shield myself.Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    The catch was that I needed to do this stealthily.  The moment I broke the Mana Shield, they would know I was coming for Petra.  If I was a second too slow, then they would already be gone, through the Teleportation Circle, before I reached them.  Even if I made to the Teleportation Circle before them, then I would still be in a standoff where Petra¡¯s life would be in danger.


    So instead of breaking in, I needed a way to sneak in to a town that had its guard up.


    Fortunately, Samantha had a plan.


    I snuck towards the town with my Invisibility Cloak covering me.


    The guards on the town¡¯s walls had no chance of noticing me, between my Invisibility Cloak and my Concealment Runes that were, apparently, formed underneath my skin and incredibly difficult to remove¡­


    That would be a conversation for another time.


    I was able to reach the town¡¯s gates with relative ease.


    Next came the tricky part.


    First, I poured all my floating mana points into Luck.


    Since I was at the base of the wall, many Porcuspines were eagerly pressing towards me, trying to reach the wall.  I kept an eye peeled on the guards above me.  When I thought they weren¡¯t looking, I killed the Porcuspine that was about to accidentally spear me.


    I killed it with a quick toss of one of my knives, keeping my arms hidden the whole time under my Invisibility Cloak, so that the only thing the guards above me could see, if they were lucky, would be a quick glint of metal before the Porcuspine in front of me died.


    I listened carefully for any signs that the guards were suspicious. But of course they weren¡¯t.   Even if they saw something, they would assume it was somebody else¡¯s arrow.


    Then I killed the next Porcuspine, and the next one.


    It only took a few minutes before the guards above me noticed something.


    ¡°Holy shit,¡± a deep voice from directly above me said.


    ¡°What do you see? Another District Lord?¡± A woman called out in response.


    ¡°No, just take a look. Right by the gate.  Next to the dead Porcuspines,¡± the deep voice said.


    ¡°Woah. I¡¯ll call the captain.¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯ll call the captain. And I¡¯ve got first claim on the pickings. I saw it first.¡±


    ¡°No, I killed those three Porcuspines¡ªthat loot is mine.¡±


    ¡°Fuck off.¡±


    By now, all the nearby guards had noticed. There were even some other guards that had rushed up to the top of the wall to see what was going on.


    Right in front of the gate, next of the corpses of the Porcuspines, was a fairly disproportionate collection of loot, including Mana Beads and several skill books.


    ¡°Captain says we have to clear all the Porcuspines before we open the gates. And keep an eye out for anything suspicious.¡±


    It was only natural, of course, that after a long battle, the gates would open and guards would collect the loot.


    I was just accelerating the timeline a bit. By significantly increasing my Luck, I dramatically increased the drop rate for the loot of any monsters I killed.


    I was curious what kind of skill book a Porcuspine would drop, but I had bigger fish to fry.


    Since there were so many eyes focused near where I was, I didn¡¯t kill any more Porcuspines.  Instead, I focused on avoiding any arrows that happened my way. Soon enough, I heard the doors to the town opening.


    With my floating mana points put towards Agility, I was able to slide through the open gates easily, just a foot away from the excited guards who were rushing towards the pile of loot that I had left them.


    I walked unhindered through the main street of the town.


    This was where Fredrick would have been useful, again.  He could have pointed towards the exact building Petra was held in, if he were here.


    Instead, I focused on Mana Sensing.  There were several homes that had F-rank Mana Shields around them. I had a feeling Petra wouldn¡¯t be kept in any random house, though.


    Petra was most likely kept in a prison. The mana residue of a prison would be pretty clear.  Basically, I was looking for individual rooms that were completely surrounded by active Mana Shields.


    I walked slowly through the city, checking each of the houses, as I neared the Teleportation Building.


    There was only one person in the building that held the Teleportation Circle, and he was roaming back and forth¡ªnot my target.


    Next, I focused my attention on the Mayor¡¯s Mansion.


    I quickly found that the mansion had a basement, reminiscent of the basement I had found in the Veyrier Mines.  The basement had walls that were heavily soaked in Mana, and I could see the glimmer of mana in one person who was inside a basement cell.  Petra.


    I walked directly up to the Mayor¡¯s Mansion, studying the defensive Mana Shield that surrounded the building.


    The mana around the building was just as concentrated as the Mana Shield that surrounded the town¡ªanother E-rank Mana Shield.


    Nobody was entering or exiting the building, which meant I didn¡¯t have an easy opportunity to just sneak inside.


    There were a half dozen people moving around the inside of the manor.


    As much as it bothered me, I settled down beside the front door of the manor, ready to wait in hopes that the door would open.


    I was itching for a fight, itching to free Petra, but patience, I knew, was the best strategy in this case.  Just breaking in and blazing a path to Petra did not seem like a good idea.


    So I waited, silently, at the front steps to the Mayor¡¯s manor.

 Chapter 78: Breaking Mana Shields

    Should I just break it down? I asked, again.


    After waiting for an hour, I was ready to move. It was incredibly difficult, waiting in one place, motionless, jumping at every passing guard, hoping that someone would enter the Mayor¡¯s Mansion.  Adrenaline was rushing through my body, and it was hard to suppress the urge to fight.


    But nobody entered the mansion, and nobody left.


    <Alright.  We do need to make the move before they realize you¡¯re not going to meet them in Warver Town. >


    Under Samantha¡¯s guidance, I took a dozen Igneal Ingots inscribed with Explosive Rune Patterns, and then I planted them around the manor.


    After my earlier disastrous entrance into the house in Redson Town,  I was not particularly enthused about the idea of breaking into a house through the front door.  For all I knew, there could be more slow-motion bombs out set up right outside the doors and windows.


    I had initially been a bit leery about setting up so many bombs right above a prison. But Samantha had pointed out that the jail underneath the mansion actually had its own ward scheme. Just taking down the mansion¡¯s Mana Shield wasn¡¯t enough¡ªI would also have to break through the prison¡¯s ward scheme as well, or find a key and open the doors and locks the Schema-approved way.


    Since the prison wards were powered separately, I didn¡¯t need to worry about any collateral damage affecting the inmates.  Samantha assured me that the with the placement of my bombs, I wouldn¡¯t deal sufficient damage to the underground prison¡¯s Mana Shield.


    There was an important difference between Rune Patterns that were fixed in a single location¡ªWards¡ªand Rune Patterns that were portable, like the Personal Mana Shield Amulet I was currently wearing.  Pretty much every city or building that had a Mana Shield would be powered by wards, which were much more efficient at drawing in ambient mana, and recycling mana that was gathered but unused by the wards.


    The consequence was that, while a single one of my explosives would be sufficient to overpower an E-rank Personal Mana Shield, it would take a dozen Igneal Ingot Explosives to take down this building¡¯s Mana Shield.


    One way of looking at it was this way: The effect of placing rune patterns all around a house, on windows, walls, and doors, was much greater than putting the runes in a tiny amulet.


    Thinking back to when Abelino destroyed Fayette City¡¯s Mana Shield, this made that moment far more impressive.  Breaking an E-rank Personal Mana Shield was easy. It would just take one Igneal Ingot Explosive. This manor would require 10, with two more for good measure.


    Abelino¡¯s skill that combined his strikes to overpower Fayette City¡¯s Mana Shield had at least the combined power of 100 Igneal Ingot explosives.


    Once I had placed the dozen mana bombs, I waited, counting down in my head, for the explosion I knew was coming soon.


    The explosion was deafening.


    Along with the wave of heat and debris, I heard the familiar crack of the mansion¡¯s mana shield.


    I poured about sixty points of mana into Agility, and then I rushed in through one of the holes in the wall that my bombs had made.


    The explosive rune patterns that I carved on Igneal Ingots were targeted towards highly localized explosions. A lot of force, in a very small, concentrated area.


    As a result there were several gaping holes in the mansion, but the mansion wasn¡¯t at risk of collapse.If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    The moment I entered the mansion, I could tell that the inhabitants were waiting for me¡ªno surprise there, given my luck.


    Five people, each with an active personal Mana Shield, were standing in the room I appeared in.


    The room was filled with a light red mist the color of blood.


    <The mist can eat away at your skin, and it¡¯s even worse if it gets into your lungs.  Make sure to hold your breath.>


    This was one of the weaknesses of the Personal Mana Shield that I had active around me.  It was already incredibly difficult forming all the tiny runes necessary on the amulet I wore around my neck.  It would have been incredibly difficult to include rune patterns that were capable of filtering out the air around me. Most Personal Mana Shields wouldn¡¯t have an air filtration system¡ªbut cities and towns would. It wouldn¡¯t do to have a Region or Zone Lord kill all the inhabitants with a single breath of poisonous air.


    Presumably, the guards inside the manor had access to some kind of antidote, since they were not at all worried about the mist around them.


    Three of the guards were standing directly in the hallway that I needed to pass through in order to get to the basement.


    I rushed towards the guards in the hallway.  Since I was under the effects of an invisibility cloak, they were unlikely to be able to pose any danger to me.


    As I moved, I felt my exposed skin¡ªmy neck and my face, mainly, burn on contact with the red mist around me.


    Samantha didn¡¯t mention putting any points into Physical Defense, so I ignored the pain, focusing on my goal: Freeing Petra.


    I wasn¡¯t worried about my inability to breathe.  It wouldn¡¯t be too much of a problem, since I wasn¡¯t planning on spending too long inside the manor.  I¡¯d grown accustomed to keeping my battles short, anyway.


    As I rushed towards the hallway, I realized that Samantha¡¯s Combat shadow had me doing little zig-zags through the living room.


    It wasn¡¯t until a fireball almost singed my eyebrows that I realized that I was making an impression in the mist around me.


    The mist was gathering at its densest around me, as if it was trying to follow me, but I was moving quickly enough that it was leaving a trail in my wake¡ªa trail that also showed the guards my own path.


    I continued my rush towards the three guards blocking the hallway.


    It was a fairly long hallway, with only enough space for two people to walk down, side-by-side.  The three guards were about ten feet in. There was a swordsman and a rogue lined up first, with a sorcerer chanting from a spellbook behind them.


    The hallway had a plush, thick carpet, but it sort of shimmered, and I could see that the carpet itself was loaded with mana.


    <It¡¯s an illusion,> Samantha said. <The sorcerer in the back is an illusion mage.>


    Samantha had me run just a few feet down the hallway and then, with twenty points added to Strength, I leapt, jumping over the not-carpet.


    I saw the swordsman and the rogue¡¯s eyes widen.


    The swordsman swung his glowing blade. A sword-like projection of mana launched forward out of the blade, directly towards me, but Samantha was ready.


    I contorted my body even as I flew towards them in the air.


    The mana blade narrowly missed me.


    My shoulder collided with the swordsman, and with a few quick slices of my Vampiric Blade, I cracked his Personal Mana Shield and slit his throat him.


    The rogue dropped his weapons and backed up against the wall, with his hands up.


    The sorcerer followed suit, dropping his ancient tome and pausing his chant.


    The moment he stopped chanting, the ground behind me changed. The carpet vanished, revealing an unoccupied prison cell underneath.


    I could just imagine what almost happened.


    If I had fallen into the prison cell, they would immediately have activated the Mana Shield to cover the ceiling of the cell again, and then I would have had to break out of a warded prison cell.


    I didn¡¯t have time to waste for the rogue or sorcerer, so I just shoved them into the prison cell below me, and kept running.


    There had been six people moving about the manor¡ªsix people who were not prisoners. I had already seen five people.


    It was the final person that I was most worried about.


    The person closest to the prison, who would quickly realize exactly what was happening.


    I rushed down a spiral staircase, and found myself blocked by a heavy wooden door shining with mana.


    I still had 20 mana put towards Strength, so I just added 20 more, and I started hacking at the door.


    It only took a few strikes before the door¡¯s Mana Shield cracked, and then kicked the door down, entering a hallway lit by glowstones.


    Just ten feet down the hallway, I saw the exact scene I had been fearing this whole time.


    A man in a full suit of armor, helmet and visor down, with a personal Mana Shield around him, held Petra in front of him.


    The man held Petra¡¯s wrists tightly together behind her back with one hand. In his other hand, he held a knife that was pressing deeply enough against Petra¡¯s neck that I could already see a light pool of blood gathering on Petra¡¯s shirt.


    ¡°Don¡¯t take another step,¡± the man said, his voice raspy and deep. ¡°Or she dies.¡±

 Chapter 79: Petra

    ¡°Took you long enough,¡± Petra said, her voice somehow managing to sound completely normal, despite the knife digging into her throat.  She had long, black hair that hid half of her face from my view.


    ¡°No talking!¡± The armored man holding Petra snarled, pressing the blade even deeper.


    I stood stalk still, watching in fear as the blade drew an even larger stream of blood. The blood trailed along the man¡¯s blade, reaching the hilt of the blade.


    Petra didn¡¯t make a sound.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure why you¡¯re doing this,¡± I said. ¡°But we can figure this out.  Leave her here, and you can teleport away.  I won¡¯t chase you.  I just want my sister back.¡±


    The man laughed, somewhat crazily. ¡°Do you think you¡¯re in the position to bargain? Take off all your equipment, and drop your weapons, or your sister loses a finger. Now.¡±


    If the man didn¡¯t have a Mana Shield, I could probably cast cursed lightning fast enough before he could kill Petra.


    But he did have a Mana Shield, and full armor.


    I had lost the element of surprise, and even if I put all my points into Agility, I wasn¡¯t convinced I could kill the armored man before he killed Petra.


    ¡°This little piggy,¡± Petra said, in a sing-song voice.


    ¡°Shut up! I¡¯ve had enough of your mind-games,¡± the armored man said, digging his knife into Petra¡¯s throat again.


    Her blood was starting to drip down to the ground, and I felt a wave of fury rush through me.


    Enough of your mind games.


    It sounded like this man had been dealing with Petra for a while.


    This little piggy.


    It was a game we would play as kids, sometimes. Each toe was a piggy. It ended with tickling the other person¡¯s feet.


    Petra wasn¡¯t ticklish. It never mattered how hard we tried, or what we used.  She would never laugh.


    I stared into Petra¡¯s brown eyes, and she stared dead back.


    I felt a chill run through my body, watching her, bleeding from the neck, so calm and collected.


    And then she winked at me.


    Here I was, wishing she would cry out, at least act like she was in pain, so that the blade wouldn¡¯t cut so deeply into her neck.


    She was holding back for a reason¡ªfor me.


    I realized I had been standing stock-still for too long.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s get started,¡± the man in armor said. He removed the knife from Petra¡¯s neck¡ªfinally¡ªand moved it towards Petra¡¯s hands.


    He spun Petra slightly, so that she was facing the hallway walls, and so that I could clearly see the hands and knife.


    ¡°She really loves this finger, you know,¡± the man said, forcing up Petra¡¯s middle finger on her left hand. ¡°Very proud of it.¡±


    I started lowering my blade to the ground.


    <No! Are you an idiot! Petra obviously has a plan. Just give it a few more seconds.  You know how this plays out. He strips you of your weapons, locks you in a cell, and then you and Petra are prisoners.>


    I froze, and the man shrugged his armored shoulders at me, and sliced off Petra¡¯s middle finger.


    It was surprisingly quiet.


    The blade was sharp enough that he didn¡¯t meet much resistance. I heard Petra¡¯s finger fall to the ground, and I could hear blood pouring down as well.


    Petra didn¡¯t make a sound. She just tried to rearrange her fingers as best she could to try to staunch the flow.


    She turned her head towards me.  Her long black hair covered most of her face, but I could still see her intense stare.  She bared her teeth.  Then she mouthed one word. Wait.


    For once, I wished my Perception wasn¡¯t so high.  I could see the small shivers that Petra was trying to suppress, and the way sweat beaded on her forehead.


    ¡°As far as I can tell, there is only one finger she likes as much as that one,¡± the man said, prying at Petra¡¯s other middle finger.


    Both of Petra¡¯s hands were slick with blood, all the way to her wrist.


    The man fumbled for her middle finger, and as he did, Petra twisted her wrists.If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    <Everything in Agility,> Samantha said, quickly.


    I saw it as though it was happening in slow-motion.


    Petra pushed her wrists against the man¡¯s blade, slicing her own hands off at her wrist in the process.


    For a split second, the armored man was frozen in shock.


    That was all Petra needed to slip her bleeding wrists out of the man¡¯s shocked grip, and run towards me.


    I was almost frozen in shock, too, at the spectacle of so much blood, but I knew better than to waste this opportunity.


    I threw both daggers at once with all the force I could muster.


    As the man lunged for Petra, both daggers dug into his Mana Shield, the second dagger cracking the shield and bouncing off his armor.


    And then I was already upon him, my Vampiric Blade descending towards his neck.


    With a single, swift slice, the man died.


    I immediately turned towards Petra, who was now leaning against a wall, trying to staunch the flow of blood at both her wrists by pressing her wrists against her shirt.


    I rushed over, about to hand her a health potion when I realized that she didn¡¯t have hands.


    I uncorked the potion and poured it down her throat.  Then I took a second one, repeating the gesture.


    ¡°It¡¯s ok,¡± I said. ¡°You¡¯re safe now.¡±


    Petra gritted her teeth. ¡°Where are the other guards?¡±


    ¡°Two surrendered and I pushed them down into one of these prison cells.  One is dead. The other two¡ªI don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°How are we going to get out?¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t trust any towns in this Region. So I was going to capture the town, upgrade it to a city, and then we can teleport to safety.¡±


    ¡°Seems expensive,¡± Petra said.


    I shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s the safest option.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± Petra said. ¡°I want to kill the guards you captured.  Hopefully that will be enough to gain me a level.¡±


    I paused. ¡°They did surrender. Once we get out of here, I can find plenty of monsters for you¡ª¡±


    Petra glared at me. ¡°Do you have any idea what they did to me? Which cell are they in?¡±


    I pointed.


    ¡°Get the keys,¡± Petra said.


    I went over to the dead man¡¯s body.  He had dropped several high-quality pieces of armor, as well as in Interdimensional Pouch, which held, among other things, antidotes to the poison upstairs and keys.


    After a bit of fumbling, I opened the door that held the sorcerer and the rogue.


    I rushed forward and knocked them unconscious with a quick rap to the backs of their heads, before they could say anything.


    The inside of the cell was covered in thick red mist, so I drank one of the antidotes, and poured another one down Petra¡¯s throat.


    ¡°Give me one of your daggers,¡± Petra said, holding her forearms out.


    I placed a dagger¡¯s hilt carefully between her forearms, and Petra knelt in front of the closer captive¡ªthe sorcerer.


    Without a moment of hesitation, she stabbed my blade directly into the man¡¯s neck, ignoring the spurt of blood that reached her arms.


    Petra cut a somewhat gruesome picture. Her shirt was already soaked in her own blood, and there was a trail of blood from her healed cut at her neck.  Kneeling beside the recently killed guard, I almost had the feeling that I was observing some occult ritual.


    Petra smiled at me, and I had to force myself not to take a step back.


    She rose from her knees and approached the rogue, knelt, and slit his throat.


    I had a brief moment of panic as she did. What if this wasn¡¯t enough?


    The panic faded.  A shimmering light surrounded her, and I watched her body heal, the skin around her wrists growing at a rapid rate until hands and fingers formed again.


    Petra held the knife lightly in her hand, wrapping and unwrapping her fingers around its blade. ¡°Can I keep this?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a throwing knife,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m not sure it¡¯s suited for you. You can hold onto it, for now, but it¡¯s still bound to me, so you won¡¯t be able to equip it.¡±


    Petra frowned. ¡°Then I¡¯ll take Jamison¡¯s knife.¡± She held out her hand, expectantly.


    I paused for a second, realizing belatedly that Jamison must have been the armored man that I had killed.


    I took the knife out of my inventory and passed it to her, taking my own Bonded Blade back.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Petra said, gesturing for me to lead the way out of the cell.


    We explored the rest of the building. There was nobody else left in the manor, to my surprise. I thought I could detect a hint of disappointment in Petra¡¯s face, but she hid it well.


    The manor¡¯s upstairs had an office with a Mana Shield Ward Scheme that was still active. I broke it easily, ready for any traps, but I was able to easily claim the town as my own.


    Before upgrading the town to a city, Petra insisted that we remove all the current inhabitants¡ªit wouldn¡¯t do for the city to be easily recaptured.


    Petra insisted on walking with me. (¡°Are you saying you can kill a Zone Lord but can¡¯t defend me from some weak-ass soldiers?¡±).


    So we left the manor together, but I was surprised to find that the town was completely empty.  Even with Mana Sensing, I couldn¡¯t sense a single soul.


    It seemed the Armed Forces had decided to completely cut their losses and evacuate the town while they could, before I had successfully claimed the portal.


    Outside of the town, I could see hundreds of Porcuspines still attacking the town, draining the Mana Shield around us.


    Not wanting to waste more time, I tossed a few Igneal Explosives out, and then cleaned up the rest with my throwing knives.


    Once the monsters were cleared away sufficiently, I upgraded the town to a city.


    And then, we just had to wait and kill the monsters as the city upgraded itself. Petra had picked up a bow and arrow, and was shooting the Porcuspines with decent aim. She would shoot the wounded Porcuspines¡ªthe ones that had already been hit by the explosives¡ªand I quickly adopted a strategy of not killing any Porcuspines, trying to help Petra deal the killing blow.


    ¡°So,¡± Petra said. ¡°I have a lot of questions.  Why the hell did you pick Hard-mode?¡±


    I sighed. ¡°Justin asked me the same thing. I wanted to protect you two.¡±


    Petra snickered.


    ¡°I know,¡± I said. ¡°Justin gave me a whole spiel.¡±


    ¡°Alright, well thanks for stepping up and showing you give a shit about your family, for once in your life,¡± Petra said.


    ¡°Come on, are you really doing this right now?¡± I said. ¡°I was kind of hoping for a more happy family reunion?¡±


    ¡°And I was hoping that my heroic little brother would actually have a plan when he came to save me. Why the hell did you think it was a good idea to just break in to the manor? What did you think was going to happen?¡±


    ¡°It worked out, didn¡¯t it? At least you¡¯re free?¡±


    ¡°Oh, right,¡± Petra said. ¡°It worked out.  Is that what you call me cutting off my own wrists? Do you think I wanted to do that? Or, maybe, that was your plan all along?¡±


    I took a breath, trying to calm my frustration. We¡¯re finally together. Why are we already fighting. ¡°Petra, I¡¯m sorry. I know you¡¯ve been through a lot.¡±


    Petra sighed. ¡°Let¡¯s just get back to Justin. We can talk more then.¡±


    When I finally upgraded the town to a city, I decided to call it ¡°Freedom City,¡± in honor of Petra¡¯s newfound freedom.


    Petra snorted. ¡°How wholesome. Are you sure you don¡¯t want to call it Family City? How about, ¡°Beloved Sister City?¡±


    We were able to leave Freedom City without any serious snags, quickly finding our way to Reed City to finally reunite our family.

 Chapter 80: Family Reunion

    Justin invited Feng to join us for dinner, but Feng politely turned him down, saying that someone should keep an eye on the factories and miners.


    I had a sinking suspicion that Feng, that sweet kid, had an ulterior motive¡ªhe probably didn¡¯t want to be around for when shit hit the fan.


    Despite my excitement to finally be reunited with Justin and Petra, I was pretty nervous about the upcoming conversation. When I had been talking to Petra, I had the feeling she had been holding some of her own opinions back.


    The food was delivered from one of the new-world restaurants in Reed City.  Wolf meat on rice, with some exotic spices.


    ¡°Why can¡¯t I see into your mind?¡± It was the first thing that Petra asked, once we sat down with our food. Justin and I had already caught her up on most everything that had been going on.


    ¡°Funny story¡­¡± I said. ¡°I told you about my inheritance spirit?¡±  Samantha wasn¡¯t happy about all this talk about herself, but I just threatened her with the ultimatum of revealing her real identity as an artificial intelligence, and she had shut up quickly.


    ¡°When I was mind-controlled by the Crucible, the inheritance spirit¡ªSamantha¡ª suggested that I learn a Concealment Rune Pattern.  Then, at night, Samantha would form the Concealment Rune Pattern inside my body, hiding my aura and blocking my thoughts so that Lord Ignatius wouldn¡¯t be able to read my mind if I was planning on betraying him.¡±


    ¡°I want you to lower it,¡± Petra said. ¡°Justin explained some of this to me earlier.  It¡¯s the only way we could completely trust you.  For all we know, the spirit just stole your memories and is masquerading as you.¡±


    I sighed. ¡°I wish I could. But once it¡¯s activated, it can¡¯t be turned off.¡±


    ¡°Bullshit,¡± Petra said. ¡°Is that what your inheritance spirit told you? You bought that crap?¡±


    Can I deactivate this rune pattern? Have you been lying to me this whole time? Didn¡¯t we make a rune pattern earlier, that had an activation switch? With the concealment rune on the Interdimensional Pouch?


    <It is theoretically possible,> Samantha said. <But with the template that I already made, and with the rune patterns we have access to, it¡¯s not possible.>


    Why would it be so hard? We already made an on-off switch together.


    <It¡¯s a bit more complicated than what we did earlier,> Samantha said.  <Normally, runes are automatically activated when mana flows through them.  Our on/off switch on the pouch worked by controlling the flow of mana in the rune pattern we created.  The problem with an on/off switch in your body is that there is always mana flowing through your body, and hence there is always mana flowing through the runes on your body.  So like I said, it is possible to have an on/off switch, but it is actually extremely difficult, and it would have required a lot of delicate work done in advance in order to have an on/off switch, along with some higher level rune patterns that we don¡¯t have access to.>


    ¡°I asked the spirit,¡± I said, out loud. Then I repeated Samantha¡¯s reasoning.


    ¡°Do you buy that?¡±  Petra asked me. ¡°I don¡¯t know much about runes.¡±


    ¡°It makes sense,¡± I said. ¡°But Samantha¡ªthe spirit¡ªis really good at making lies make sense.¡±


    ¡°What are some of the lies that she has told you?¡± Petra asked.


    I sighed, deeply, realizing how bad this would sound.  ¡°Well, she lied about whether she was mind-controlling me.¡±


    Petra looked confused. ¡°Why would she do that? Why not just mind-control you? Why would she bother lying?¡±


    ¡°We are basically like two spirits in the same body,¡± I said. ¡°She said that it¡¯s not good for us to always be fighting. It¡¯s better for us to trust each other and work together.¡±


    ¡°And you bought that too? No, nevermind.  Did she say that before or after you got this skill of yours¡ªDon¡¯t Mind Me.¡±


    ¡°Before,¡± I said.


    ¡°What was her reaction when you got that skill? And how did she change, when you got the skill?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t really remember,¡± I said, apologetically.  ¡°I wasn¡¯t in the best mental state at the time.  She was really quiet the whole time I was being mind-controlled by the Crucible.¡±


    ¡°Why was she quiet then?¡±


    ¡°She didn¡¯t want the Crucible to know that I had an inheritance.  She doesn¡¯t really like me talking to other people about her.¡± I shifted slightly in my chair.


    ¡°Does talking about Samantha make you uncomfortable?¡± Petra asked, suddenly.The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°Yes? I guess so? I guess I just don¡¯t see the point in all these questions. There are towns and cities out there that are in danger.  I thought this would be family reunion¡ª¡±


    ¡°That would be great,¡± Petra said, cutting me off sharply. ¡°You know what Jarek, I really hope this is a family reunion.  I hope that I¡¯m actually talking to my brother.  Let¡¯s go through this again. What are all the times when Samantha has mind-controlled you?¡±


    I took a deep breath.  ¡°She has something called a combat shadow that helps me fight. She made me more likely to follow that combat shadow in the tutorial. She basically made me get down to 1 HP three times in order to gain a rare skill¡ªI never would have risked my life so many times without that. And¡ª¡± I spread my arms placatingly¡ª¡°you both know I would never have chosen the Hard Mode tutorial in the first place.¡±  I earned a wry grin from Justin at that.


    ¡°Throughout the first few stages of the tutorial, I was generally on board with everything¡ªkilling the goblins. She basically cut out any ¡°weak¡± emotions and any pain.  She even admitted to making me more willing to follow her suggestions.


    ¡°She made me willing to sacrifice a friend to kill the Zone Lord.¡±


    I paused. It still tripped me up, sometimes, thinking about River.  Of all the fucked up things that Samantha had done, that I had done.


    Petra studied me carefully. ¡°Let¡¯s go back to this Concealment Rune Pattern that is formed inside your body,¡± she said. ¡°How do you feel, knowing that Samantha has control of your mana?¡±


    I remembered my reaction to it, when I had discovered this just earlier today. ¡°It makes me nervous,¡± I said.  ¡°But Samantha has only ever done that while I¡¯m asleep.  I think if she tried, while I was awake, I could fight for control and win.¡±


    ¡°Why are you defending Samantha? Have you ever fought for control before, and won?¡±


    I paused, wracking my brain.


    Petra waited in silence for a few seconds. ¡°I hope you understand that this is concerning.  What is the worst thing that Samantha did to you?¡±


    ¡°She nearly killed me dozens of times, just to try to make me stronger.  She¡ª¡±


    ¡°Wait,¡± Petra said. ¡°I thought you wanted to be stronger, to save your poor, helpless siblings.¡±


    I frowned, thrown off by Petra¡¯s aggressively ironic tone.  ¡°I did want to be stronger. But Samantha is something of a maniac about it. Anyway, she nearly killed me over and over again. She had me pick some flowers, knowing it would endanger the people around me¡ªseveral people died because of that.¡±


    ¡°And?¡± Petra asked.


    ¡°Is that not enough?¡± I asked, confused.


    ¡°If that is all that Samantha has done, then there is only one mistake that she¡¯s made,¡± Petra said. ¡°She picked the wrong host.¡±


    ¡°Are we done, then?¡± I asked, standing up. ¡°I¡¯m sure you and Samantha would get along very well, if that¡¯s what you¡¯re getting at. I do have a lot I need to do, and I¡¯m done putting up with this.¡±


    ¡°Almost,¡± Petra said. ¡°I want to see your Status Window.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Trust me. It¡¯ll just take a second.¡±


    ¡°The thing is Petra, I don¡¯t trust you. Status Windows are private for a reason.¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t trust me, then show Justin.¡±


    I paused, and literally felt a shiver of fear rush through my body.  I realized, with a horrified shock, that I didn¡¯t want to show Justin my Status Window.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to,¡± I whispered, more in surprise than anything else.


    Just as I was feeling that slight resistance, the resistance faded.


    Before I could second guess myself, I made my Status Window public to Justin.


    ¡°It¡¯s not there,¡± Justin said. ¡°The ¡®Don¡¯t Mind Me¡¯ skill is missing.¡±


    <table width="624">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Name:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    Jarek


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Level:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    33


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    HP:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    43/43


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Physical Defense:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    18


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Strength:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    31 (+5)


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Mental Power:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    14


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Dexterity:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    10 (+5)


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Agility:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    14 (+14)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Perception:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    20


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Luck:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    22


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Mana Pool:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    103 (+10)


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Mana Regeneration:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    48 (+10)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Available Points:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    0


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Coins:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    10,000


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Class:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    Mana Modulator (D-rank)


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Profession:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    Rune Master


    (E-rank)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Titles:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="486">


    Region Lord (E-rank)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Skills and Spells:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="486">


    Identify (E-rank)


    Mana Modulation (D-rank Core)


    Death¡¯s Defier (A-rank)


    Mana Sensing (E-rank)


    Healthy Magic (E-rank)


    Aquatic Respiration (E-rank)


    Polyglot (E-rank)


    Soul Communion (D-rank)


    Cursed Lightning (D-rank)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Affinities:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="486">


    Internal Mana (D-rank Low), External Unattributed Mana (E-rank Low), Soul Magic (D-rank Low)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Equipment:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="486">


    Vampiric Blade (D-rank): +5 Strength, +5 Agility.


    Bloodied Battle Robes (D-rank): +5 Mana Pool, +5 Mana Regen.


    Imperial Scout Boots (E-rank): +4 Agility.


    Greedy Gloves (D-rank): +5 Mana Pool, +5 Mana Regen.


    Bonded Blades (D-rank): +5 Dexterity, +5 Agility.


    Communication Amulet (E-rank):


    Interdimensional Pouch (D-rank):


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Missions:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="486">


    Zone Offense


    Renegade Bounty Hunter


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>

 Chapter 81: Excelsian

    ¡°What do you mean it¡¯s not there?¡± I demanded. ¡°The Don¡¯t Mind Me skill. It¡¯s right underneath Healthy Magic.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not,¡± Justin said. He looked at Petra. ¡°You were right.¡±


    ¡°Take another look,¡± Petra said. ¡°And maybe the inheritance spirit will decide to be honest with you.  Did it really never cross your mind that if Samantha can alter your vision with a combat shadow, it could also alter what you see on your Status Window?¡±


    I opened my Status Window, and glanced at it. The ¡°Don¡¯t Mind Me¡± skill had vanished, replaced with a single line, inside my Status Window. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    I sat back down at the table, cradling my head in my hands. ¡°Fuck.¡±


    I really thought I was over this. I really thought I was past all the mind-control. I was sick and tired of it.


    ¡°Believe it or not,¡± Petra said. ¡°This is actually not that bad.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± I asked. ¡°I¡¯m still being mind-controlled. I was just mind controlled a few seconds ago, because Samantha didn¡¯t want me to show Justin or you my Status Window.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you see what this means, though? If Samantha had complete control, you could have just walked away instead of showing the Status Window. Either way, you wouldn¡¯t feel as betrayed as you do right now.  She is willing to compromise. Maybe mind-controlling you costs something.  What¡¯s your mana pool at? No, never mind, she could just fudge the numbers.¡±


    Petra was rambling, and I could barely keep track of everything she was saying.


    Why, Samantha? Is it that hard to just tell the truth?


    <I¡¯m sorry, Jarek. Put¡ª>


    Shut the fuck up! I¡¯m so tired of that tone. ¡®I¡¯m so sorry, Jarek.¡¯ How many times have you said it? If you ever actually meant it, even once, then you should have followed through with your apology by doing better!


    ¡°Are you talking to Samantha now?¡± Petra asked, with some sympathy in her eyes.


    I nodded my head, acutely aware of the tears streaming down my face.


    ¡°How about I ask her some questions? And then you can tell me what she says. Honestly, whatever questions you¡¯re asking her could be planted by Samantha anyway.¡±


    I nodded my head.


    ¡°How, if at all, are you affecting my brother right now?¡±


    ¡°She says she isn¡¯t doing anything,¡± I said.


    ¡°What are you trying to achieve through Jarek?¡±


    ¡°She says the Atropos Schema values power.  She was once a B-rank existence, and anything less is would be a humiliation for her inheritor.¡±


    It was a lie, I knew.  Samantha was an A.I., not a spiritual inheritance.


    Why was I so opposed to telling Petra and Jarek the truth about Samantha?


    <Don¡¯t tell them,> Samantha said, immediately. <The Schema is very unfriendly towards technology. If word ever gets out, then we will both die, tortured for information that we don¡¯t have access to, along with your friends and family.>


    That seemed¡­rather dark.


    ¡°Samantha is an A.I.¡± I said, quickly, feeling a sinking guilt in my gut as I said it, and a somewhat overstated sense of doom.


    ¡°She¡¯s not an inheritance spirit,¡± I added.  ¡°She didn¡¯t want me to tell you both this, because she says A.I. and higher technology is quickly eradicated in the Atropos Schema. So don¡¯t tell anyone else.  I gained Samantha even before I picked the difficulty of the tutorial, and Samantha wanted me to pick Hell, but I picked Hard at the last moment.  The faction that created Samantha has a plan that Samantha hasn¡¯t told me, that goes against the Atropos Schema¡¯s wishes.¡±


    ¡°This is good,¡± Petra said, sounding suddenly like a psychologist.  ¡°How did you feel, the moment you told me that?¡±


    ¡°Guilty. Scared for my life,¡± I said.


    ¡°So Jarek, you will need to be on the lookout for emotions that don¡¯t make sense.  Samantha can obviously affect your emotions, but maybe she can¡¯t control you completely¡ªor, at least, she is unwilling to.Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.


    Petra took a breath.  ¡°I have another question for Samantha.  Presumably, you anticipated that the truth would come out eventually. What long-term mutually agreeable solutions do you have in mind?¡±


    ¡°She says she can just stay out of things, except for the combat shadow. And we can grow to trust each other again.¡±


    ¡°And meanwhile, she will fuck with your brain,¡± Petra said. ¡°Not going to happen.  Here¡¯s my solution.  If Jarek¡¯s runed mental defenses are E-rank, then you guys should help me get a D-rank mind reading skill.  That way, I can regularly check that nobody has messed with his mind.¡±


    I opened my mouth. Then I closed it again. ¡°I can do that,¡± I said. I reached into my inventory and passed one of class books that I had gained from the Imperial Scouts.


    Telepath (D-rank class):  Teaches Telepathy, Mind Reading. +4 Mental Power/Level.


    Petra, for the first time today, looked genuinely surprised, and then incredulous. ¡°You¡¯ve been holding onto this the whole time, and you never thought that maybe this could help solve your trust issues with Samantha?¡±


    I swallowed, the implications not lost to me. ¡°I guess not.¡±


    Petra quickly changed classes, and soon enough, I had the distinctively uncomfortable feeling of her rooting through my brain.


    ¡°I want you to tell me your whole story, again,¡± Petra said. ¡°Don¡¯t leave anything out, this time.¡±


    I opened my mouth to protest, but then thought better of it. If this was what it would take, then so be it.


    ¡°I woke up standing in a white room¡­¡±


    <hr>


    ¡°Alright, Jarek,¡± Petra said, rubbing her eyes blearily. ¡°We¡¯re going to have to do this regularly.  Samantha, if you ever try to upgrade the Concealment Rune Pattern, there, then you better have plans to upgrade my telepathy first.


    ¡°Let¡¯s set one thing straight.  Jarek probably wouldn¡¯t have even survived the first week without you, Samantha, so thank you for keeping him alive. Fuck you for messing with his mind. Here¡¯s the deal. From now on, for every time I think that you¡¯re messing with his mind, without his permission, and my permission, then I¡¯m going to tell one more person that there is an A.I. in my brother¡¯s head.  If things get too extreme, then I¡¯ll contact Dawnbreaker and ask for an intervention.  I don¡¯t think any of us want that.


    ¡°Samantha, you¡¯re probably planning my death already.  So, here¡¯s my challenge. Jarek, if I ever die, then I want you to promise me that you will tell the world that you have an A.I. in your head that¡¯s fighting against the Atropos Schema. Promise me, Jarek.¡±


    ¡°I promise,¡± I said, immediately.


    ¡°I¡¯m in your head, Jarek. You have to fucking mean it.  Commit to it.¡±


    ¡°I promise,¡± I said again.


    ¡°Good.  Now that that¡¯s settled, let¡¯s talk about this pain tolerance thing.  Jarek, you should let Samantha limit your pain. You¡¯ve always been a wimp, and at this point, if you can cheat your way out of it, then do it.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± I said, meekly.


    ¡°Jarek, you did a good job earlier setting boundaries for Samantha, so let¡¯s just re-emphasize those. I¡¯m not at all surprised that you want to be a hero¡ªif you didn¡¯t, then I¡¯d be worried Samantha had her claws even deeper in your brain.  Just don¡¯t be an idiot hero.  That¡¯s my rule for you, Jarek.


    ¡°Samantha, in case you were unaware, being a hero means helping other people. Stealing the Yanir flowers. Not heroic. Jarek doesn¡¯t like that, and if something like that happens again, then one more person is going to know our little secret.


    ¡°Honestly, Jarek, I don¡¯t get why you¡¯re so hung up about River¡¯s death, and so blas¨¦ at this point about the Yanir tree thing.  At least with River, you guys had a common goal, and you achieved it. And do you really think you all could have reliably killed the shade using a different method?


    ¡°Samantha, if you¡¯re going to anything like that again, you¡¯ll need to clear it in advance with Jarek, and then you better hope I¡¯m satisfied with your rationale.


    ¡°Alright. So, point #1, Jarek gets to be a hero. Point #2, Jarek seemed caught up about how you lied a lot, but really, your biggest issue is that you¡¯ve been withholding the truth selectively. You¡¯re keeping a lot of secrets.  Now is the time to come clean. What other important secrets are you hiding, Samantha?¡±


    I felt a pressure on my brain as Petra dug through my mind, looking for Samantha.


    The pressure built in to a headache, and then it felt like someone was drilling through my skull.


    ¡°Ow, fuck!¡± I said.


    Immediately, the pain faded.


    <Tell your sister that if she tries that again then you might just go catatonic due to the pain,> Samantha said, with none of the usual kindness in her tone.


    ¡°S-¡° I started, stuttering slightly.  I was flinching from just remembering that pain, even worse than the feeling of a Void Bolt traveling through my stomach.


    ¡°S-Samantha says if you do that again, I¡¯ll go catatonic in pain.¡±


    Petra just smiled at that. ¡°Oh, really?¡± Then I felt the pressure build again, into pain.


    I fell to the floor, writhing in agony, and yelling.  The pain was a thousand times worse than anything I had ever experienced.


    At first it had just been my head, but it quickly expanded to every nerve, the feeling of every nerve set on fire.


    I poured mana into anything, everything, hoping the pain would go away. Strength, Agility, Physical Defense, Mental Defense, but nothing helped.


    My vision blurred, and I felt my body moving.


    ¡°Jarek, stop! Jarek!¡± Justin voice rose over my yells, and suddenly, my vision cleared.


    I was standing over Petra, who had been tossed to the ground, and I was holding a knife to her throat, eerily close to where Jamison had held his knife.


    Justin was trying to pull me off of Petra, and Petra was glaring at me with a defiant grin, almost thrusting her neck against my knife.


    The pain was gone, but every inch of my body was trembling from just remembering it, and I collapsed to the ground, opposite Petra.


    ¡°What the fuck was that?¡± Justin asked, pushing me further away from Petra. His blade was drawn and pointing towards me.


    Petra was breathing deeply opposite me. ¡°Excelsian. Remember that.  That¡¯s Samantha¡¯s faction.  Samantha, I think we have some new stakes, here.  Every time you mess with Jarek¡¯s mind, from now on, I will dig a little deeper into your mind and pry out more of your secrets.  I¡¯m sure you have access to all of Jarek¡¯s childhood memories. Ask yourself if you think I care about causing my brother a little pain.¡±


    Petra¡¯s lip was bleeding slightly, a light dribble of blood that trailed down her chin.


    ¡°And Samantha¡ªyou just messed with Jarek¡¯s brain. Twice.  Jarek, don¡¯t forget. In case you missed it, she almost killed me. And of course, when I first was mind-reading you, you never complained about the pain. When I tried to look through Samantha¡¯s memories, she added the pain to make me stop. She¡¯ll probably say something like ¡°sealed memories¡± or ¡°incompatible data transfer¡± that causes the pain. If you buy that, then you¡¯re more of an idiot than I thought you were.  Samantha did that to you.


    ¡°So Samantha, it looks like we will be telling two people about Excelsian and Jarek¡¯s little A.I. What do you think, Justin? We can start easy. You tell Feng, and I¡¯ll talk with Uman.  I think we¡¯ll get along well.¡±


    Petra left the room, and I just lay on the ground, cradling my head.


    =

 Chapter 82: Gravity Leech

    ¡°Vacation¡¯s over,¡± Alex said, her voice even more crisp than usual as it traveled through my Communication Amulet. ¡°Meet at Rebirth City, ASAP. The second Zone Lord is attacking.¡±


    Alex ended the call before I had time to ask, ¡°What vacation.¡±


    I was still dazed when I took the call. I had spent most of the night trying to fall asleep, with a lingering splitting headache that Samantha claimed to be unable to fix.


    Believe it or not, I wasn¡¯t all that bothered that the A.I. in my head¡ªthe same A.I. that I relied on to keep me alive on a daily basis¡ªhad tortured me in front of my family and then tried to have me kill my sister.  I just felt¡­ numb after what was well and truly a shit week and a half.


    Samantha, of course, denied that she was responsible for anything. She had said, repeatedly, <The Excelsian Faction itself placed the seal on me. If the seal is broken through any means of duress, then in order to prevent the information in my head getting out, the seal will kill us both.  Petra is insane, and she almost killed us. Apparently, the seal has a defensive mechanism in place to attack anyone who tries to break the seal.>


    A new Zone Lord was almost a relief, compared to dealing with Petra and Samantha at each other¡¯s teeth.  Despite this new tension, I was confident that Samantha would do her best to help me take down this new Zone Lord.


    <hr>


    Lord Ignatius¡¯ throne room had turned into a briefing room. Alex stood where Lord Ignatius¡¯ throne used to be.


    The room was full of people.  I could see Hank, Amos, Parker, Petrov, Vasilia, Adia, Uman, Ethan, and many more.  Many of the faces were familiar, from my time in the Crucible, but many were not.


    There was even an Abelino clone standing in the corner of the room.


    Needless to say, the room was brimming with mana and clashing auras.


    Conversation died down when Alex chanted a spell briefly, and a bird¡¯s eye view of Rebirth City appeared in front of us.


    There were several gasps, as what was literally a flying mountain slowly approached Rebirth City.  I could see trees, many of them collapsed, dotting the mountain¡¯s sides. There was snow, at the peak of the mountain, as well.


    In the image in front of us, we could see Dawnbreaker flying around the mountainside. It looked almost as if she were being pushed away from the mountain, unable to close in or step foot on the flying mountain.


    Dawnbreaker lashed out with her sword, a blade of white light continuing past her sword, slicing directly through a good portion of the mountain. Some dirt and rocks fell, but for the most part, the section that she had attacked stayed flying.


    ¡°We are fighting a gravity manipulator,¡± Alex explained. ¡°The mountain peak is teeming with high-level creatures, and the Zone Lord is likely hiding among them.  Whenever Dawnbreaker tries to draw close, gravity increases many times over on her, slowing her down considerably.  We predict that, if the mountain reaches above Rebirth City, the Zone Lord will drop the mountain directly on us, wiping out the city and its defenses in a single blow.¡±


    ¡°Fucking hell,¡± I heard someone mutter behind me.


    ¡°Dawnbreaker has dropped several Teleportation Stones around the mountainside.  Due to the relatively normal monsters present on the mountainside, we believe that once we reach the mountain itself, gravity should resume to normal.  As you may be able to tell, there is something of a gravity field surrounding the outside of the mountain, that makes it hard to approach via flight, and that is also capable of disrupting physical long-range attacks.


    ¡°The teleporters will leave in sixty seconds.  If you are not interested in teleporting, please leave the room. We will break into three groups. Your goal once you land on the mountainside is to quickly find the location of the Zone Lord and notify everyone else once you have. You are not required or expected to engage the Zone Lord.¡±


    Alex started listing off who would be in what group, and I realized time was a lot shorter than I had anticipated. I raised my voice, calling out, ¡°Alex, I need the Spiritual Traveler and Soul Explosion skills.  They will make this battle much easier.¡±


    Alex looked annoyed. ¡°Those skills are in the treasury. The Teleportation mages leave in 30 seconds.  There¡¯s no time. Find your group, and get ready to depart.¡±


    We quickly broke into pre-assigned groups.


    The groups were large enough that they didn¡¯t actually matter that much who was in what group.


    Everyone who didn¡¯t think they could survive a thousand foot fall was encouraged to stick with teleporters, for their own benefit.Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    Everyone who was comfortable with the thought of falling a thousand feet was encouraged to rush through the mountainside, scouting quickly.


    Left unstated was that nobody really knew what kind of greeting we would receive the moment we landed. We could hope that the Gravity Lord, as Alex was calling it, was focusing all of its mana on just keeping the mountain floating, so that hopefully it wouldn¡¯t have anything special planned for our arrival.


    <It is a Gravity Leech,> Samantha said, in my head.  <It likely lives inside the core of the mountain.  It is basically a massive slug.  It is capable of redirecting gravity as it wants.  You should pair up with Vasilia¡ªgive her the Earth Magician Class now. It will come in handy.>


    There were only a few second left, so I shouted out the information that I could to the group.  ¡°You¡¯re looking for a Gravity Leech buried in the middle of the mou¡ª¡±


    I didn¡¯t have time to finish my sentence.


    The teleportation mages finished their spells, and after a brief white flash, I found myself on a mountainside, accompanied by seven or eight people.


    There were no monsters attacking us immediately, and no unbearable gravity pressing us down, so that was already a good start to the battle.


    I immediately went over to Petrov and Vasilia. They were already branching off from the rest of the group, heading up towards the peak of the mountain.


    It didn¡¯t take much for me to catch up with them.


    ¡°Petrov! Vasilia.  Let¡¯s work together,¡± I said.


    ¡°No,¡± Petrov said, immediately. He had upgraded his equipment recently¡ªhe wore a D-rank robe, and held a D-rank wand, which was half-way pointed towards me. ¡°Leave us.¡±


    I took out the Earth Magician Class Change book that I had collected from the Imperial Scouts, and tossed it to Vasilia. ¡°I hope we can come to a deal.¡±


    Earth Magician (D-rank class):  Grants Earth Magic Affinity. Teaches Earth Manipulation.  +2 Mana Pool/level; +2 Mana Regeneration/level.


    ¡°I want it,¡± Vasilia said, immediately.


    ¡°No,¡± Petrov said. ¡°We cannot trust him. Give it back.¡±


    I tossed a skill book to Petrov. ¡°I just want you both to help me dig to the center of the mountain. That¡¯s all.¡±


    Hydro Drill (D-rank): Create a high-pressure jet of water that excels at dealing heavy damage to stationary targets. Requires Water Affinity. Cost: 10 mana/second.


    ¡°Nothing is simple,¡± Petrov said. ¡°If my daughter dies, then you die.¡±


    ¡°And if my father dies, you die,¡± Vasilia said, staring at me defiantly.


    ¡°Agreed,¡± I said. ¡°We don¡¯t have much time. Learn your classes and skills.¡±


    I killed the few creatures that wandered nearby easily.  As I did, I searched the mountain with my Mana Sensing.


    There was mana in the plants around me, mana in the monsters that were approaching us, and most of all, mana in a sphere around the mountain, similar in appearance to a Mana Shield¡ªa wall of mana whose purpose was to mess with gravity, making it hard to enter the mountain.


    The mountainside itself was thick with mana. Thick enough that I couldn¡¯t see what was in the middle of the mountainside.


    I followed Samantha¡¯s best prediction, though, leading Vasilia and Petrov slightly up the mountainside.


    The further up the mountain we climbed, the more numerous and deadly the monsters were.


    There were Porcuspines, Rocs, Stickles, Stone Bears, and Velociraptors, all gathered on this mountainside.  The Porcuspines were the most annoying for me, since I didn¡¯t have an easy way to protect against their ranged attacks.


    We blazed our way through them easily. Petrov and Vasilia letting me do the brunt of the work.


    I couldn¡¯t help but notice that Petrov rarely killed the monsters.  He would pin them to the ground with his icicles, letting Vasilia deal the finishing blow.


    ¡°Use less mana!¡± Petrov grunted towards Vasilia, when Vasilia smothered a Porcuspine in the earth.  ¡°One Earth Spike, is all you need.  Anything more is wasteful.¡±


    We forged ahead for just a few minutes.


    Already, I could tell that the monsters on the mountainside were gathering en masse, readying to swarm our group.


    Samantha had led us towards the face of a rocky cliff ahead of us, a steep enough incline that required more bouldering skills than actual walking.


    ¡°Start digging now,¡± I said, repeating Samantha¡¯s instructions.  No matter how I felt about her, I knew that we both wanted the Zone Lord dead.  ¡°Dig at a slight incline so the water will flow down.¡±


    With Vasilia¡¯s D-rank Earth Manipulation, she was able to directly dig out a tunnel with a simple wave of her hands.


    Unfortunately, her mana pool was limited. She dug out a tunnel about twenty feet long through solid rock, before she ran out of mana.


    Then Petrov took over, activating his Hydro Drill that turned the rock in front of us into slush.


    Meanwhile, I watched our backs, making sure that any monsters that tried to follow us through the tunnel we were digging met a swift demise.


    It didn¡¯t take long before we encountered a second wall of mana.  A wall of mana that pressed us away, as though gravity itself were pulling us back out of the tunnel.


    About 10 feet from the Gravity Shield, as Samantha called it, we could first feel the resistance.  I had to dig in foot holds and hand-holds in the wall in order to approach past 8 feet, and even then, I felt an intense pressure pushing me away, wearing away at my muscles.


    For some reason, the dirt and rocks around us seemed unaffected by this gravity shift.  I dug my sword into the ground, to gain purchase.  Vasilia buried her feet in the ground as well, and Petrov dug ice-covered hands into the ground as well.


    With Mana Sensing, I was able to sense a powerful, vibrant signature not far past the wall.


    ¡°It¡¯s just past this gravity field,¡± I said.  ¡°We¡¯re almost there!¡±


    ¡°How much further?¡± Petrov asked.


    ¡°Just 20 more yards!¡±


    Petrov took out a Teleportation Stone from his backpack and handed it to me. ¡°Good luck. I just contacted Dawnbreaker. Wait here for her. We will try to help the others survive the landing.¡±


    Petrov turned to Vasilia, holding out his arms. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°But I want to¡ª¡±


    ¡°Now.¡± Petrov flashed his aura slightly, and Vasilia wilted, jumping up into Petrov¡¯s arms.


    ¡°Wait¡ª¡± I called, half-heartedly.


    Petrov ignored me. Thin blades appeared underneath his boots, running from toe to heal, and he kicked off, the muddy earth below his feet freezing into a thin, perfectly slick layer of ice.


    Petrov skated away easily on literal ice skates, incredibly quickly, holding Vasilia in his arms.

 Chapter 83: Gravity Leech Part 2

    There was nothing I could really do, as I waited for Dawnbreaker¡¯s appearance.  It made me feel like an errand boy or something. Wait until the boss shows up.


    There weren¡¯t even many monsters that made it up this far towards me¡ªPetrov and Vasilia had likely killed everything approaching me in the tunnel.


    Petrov hadn¡¯t given me any inkling as to when Dawnbreaker would arrive.


    I couldn¡¯t help but pace nervously.  I hadn¡¯t seen Dawnbreaker in person since Lord Ignatius¡¯ death.  Dawnbreaker had seemed suspicious of me, after Lord Ignatius¡¯ death. She probably wasn¡¯t happy that I had participated in wrecking her home.


    I felt the teleportation stone glow in my hand, and I immediately put it down on the ground.


    I had no idea how these stones worked, and I wouldn¡¯t want to be holding Dawnbreaker, when she appeared.


    Four figures appeared in a flash of light.


    Alex, wearing grey Sorcerer¡¯s Robes, holding her tome that was practically glowing with mana.


    Next to Alex was Dawnbreaker.  Dawnbreaker¡¯s aura drew my eyes directly to her, almost making me want to kneel in her presence.  She looked like an angel. Not the cute, beautiful kind of angels. She looked like an angel of wrath. Her silver suit of armor covered every inch of her except for her eyes, but the armor clung to her tightly enough that I could still see the focused expression on her face.


    The real reason, though, that she looked like an angel were the textured wings made of the same silver armor that were currently folding in towards her, rippling away and shrinking into the rest of her armor.


    ¡°This is as far as I can take you.¡± The voice caused me to turn my head away from Dawnbreaker to the third figure that had appeared in the crowded tunnel.  It was the same teleportation mage that had taken my team to fight the Shade, and the Manticore. ¡°Good luck.¡±


    ¡°Thanks Mal,¡± Alex said.


    Then I heard a crunch behind me.


    I spun immediately, raising my sword high.


    Just a foot away from me was a giant worm, about five feet in diameter and at least ten yards long.


    It¡¯s wide maw was already open, revealing disturbingly sharp and numerous teeth less than a foot away from me.


    I was about to plunge my sword into the creature¡¯s mouth, when one of Dawnbreaker¡¯s suit¡¯s tentacles wrapped around my right wrist, locking my arm in place.


    ¡°It¡¯s friendly,¡± Dawnbreaker said. ¡°Cy, stop it.¡±


    Even though it didn¡¯t have much of a face at all, the giant worm somehow managed to look abashed.


    ¡°What do you know?¡± Dawnbreaker asked, finally releasing my wrist.


    ¡°A Gravity Leech has three main skills,¡± I said, repeating what Samantha told me. ¡°Gravity Field, Gravity Shield, and Gravity Nullification.  The leech is likely the size of a semi-truck.  It¡¯s probably 20 yards or so past this Gravity Shield.¡±


    Dawnbreaker turned to Alex. ¡°Whenever you¡¯re ready.¡±


    Alex flipped a page in her tome, and began chanting.  I felt the ambient mana gathering around us, and I forced myself to relax and wait.


    Alex nodded to Dawnbreaker, and then Dawnbreaker struck.


    It was clearly a sword skill, similar to what Abelino had used to take down Fayette City¡¯s walls.


    But this strike had no warning, no buildup, and incredible power.


    Dawnbreaker¡¯s sword glowed golden, and a massive bolt of golden energy traveled from her blade towards the rocks ahead of us and the Gravity Shield hidden behind the rocks.Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.


    As quickly as the golden light had appeared, it vanished, and as my eyes adjusted, I saw a perfectly cylindrical tunnel in front of us. Six feet in diameter. Even the bottom of the tunnel was curved, perfectly smooth.


    Dawnbreaker was already rushing down the tunnel she had made, and I followed suit, Alex and Cy¡¯s worm following behind me.


    There was no resistance from the Gravity Shield as we ran forward¡ªit seemed Dawnbreaker had broken it with a single attack.


    Just a few seconds in to our approach, the rocks around us began to shift.


    The path in front of us collapsed in on itself, and the path behind us collapsed, as well.


    I saw the walls around us buckle in, and then push back outwards again, and Alex¡¯s chanting grew even louder, every syllable ringing off the walls around us.


    The ground and rocks around us continued to press in against us.  I could see the dense mana that Alex had gathered forming a perfectly spherical cocoon around us, and as a result, the earth and dirt and stones trapped us completely in that cocoon.


    The worm behind me frantically coiled itself up, so as to not be left out of the small bubble of space that Alex was claiming as ours.


    I saw a bead of sweat drip down Alex¡¯s cheek.


    I couldn¡¯t imagine the pressure she was fighting against.  Dozens, or hundreds, or thousands of tons of earth pressing down against whatever shield she had put in place.


    ¡°Which way, Jarek.¡± Dawnbreaker asked. ¡°Cy, carry her. We have to move faster this time.¡±


    I reached out with Mana Sensing, and found a dense cluster of mana fleeing deeper into the mountain.


    I pointed¡ªpart forward, part down.


    Dawnbreaker stepped forward, raised her sword, and the world went golden again.


    I put my floating points into Agility, and I needed them.


    Dawnbreaker practically flew down the cave and I ran as fast as I could.


    Somehow, the giant worm that Cy was controlling was able to keep pace.


    Just a second after we started moving, the walls started closing in on us again.


    ¡°Point me,¡± Dawnbreaker said.


    I did.


    Another flash of golden light. Shouldn¡¯t that skill have a cooldown?


    As we rushed forwards, I could finally catch a glimpse of the Gravity Leech¡ªa giant, black blob¡ªbefore the tunnel collapsed again.


    But Dawnbreaker, it seemed, had also seen it.


    She immediately sent another golden light beam, and I heard an ungodly screech that pierced my eardrums.


    I felt the world shift around me in a disorienting manner, and I felt a sudden force pushing us backwards, and also crushing us to the ground.


    The ground disappeared from underneath us with a tremble, revealing an endless, gaping hole through which I could see a tiny prick of light that led to the outside world, and a thousand foot fall.


    Even as we started to fall, and as I scrambled to dig my daggers in to the sides of the wall to slow my descent, a silvery web of a platform appeared well below our feet, interlacing itself against the rocks to our left and right.


    The silvery web, of course, originated from Dawnbreaker¡¯s unisuit.


    ¡°Let go!¡± Dawnbreaker called.


    I saw that the worm had somehow bitten into the wall as well, and it was supporting Alex near me.


    The moment Dawnbreaker called, the worm released the wall.


    I did, as well.


    I fell, increasingly rapidly, adding some points to Physical Defense, and I hit the web platform that Dawnbreaker had made.


    To my surprise, I felt the platform give way, sinking and stretching.


    Then, like a slingshot or a rubberband, it snapped back up, launching us directly up the way we had come, towards the still-open tunnel that led towards where we had last seen the Gravity Leech.


    Just as our upward momentum reached its peak, Dawnbreaker created another platform for us, this time, something that was clearly sturdy enough for us to stand on normally.


    ¡°Which way?¡± Dawnbreaker asked.


    The Gravity Leech had used the opportunity to put quite the distance between us.


    ¡°Time?¡± Dawnbreaker asked, turning to Alex.


    I realized, to my shock, that Alex had never once stopped chanting.


    Not when she was in free-fall. Not when she was hanging upside down, clinging frantically to the worm.


    Alex continued chanting, and held up one finger, bent half-way at the knuckle.


    Dawnbreaker sighed. ¡°I¡¯ll go ahead. Follow at Cy¡¯s speed. Jarek, if you follow, don¡¯t count on me to protect you.  Jarek, give me the updated position.  I want a direct line to the creature.¡±


    Dawnbreaker raised her sword, and I pointed.


    The golden light shone from her sword. So broken, I thought.


    <She probably has a skill or item that can reset the cooldown time of other skills,> Samantha said.  <But to be able to do it so many times, it likely has a cost.  Don¡¯t envy what you don¡¯t understand.>


    Another perfectly round tunnel appeared, and this time, I had to pour another fifty mana into Agility just to keep up with Dawnbreaker.


    At the end of the tunnel, I could see the Gravity Leech.


    We were already running uphill, but the closer we got to the Gravity Leech, the harder it became to take another step.


    I found myself flagging, but Dawnbreaker was undeterred.  With another stab of her sword, the familiar golden energy burst forth, blazing through the Gravity Leech¡¯s last shield and burning a six-foot wide hole in the creature¡¯s body.


    Black ichor rushed out of the hole Dawnbreaker had made, and the creature screeched again.


    Then, the world spun, and I felt the stones and dirt around me start to swallow me whole.

 Chapter 84: The kill

    My Mana Shield cracked almost immediately due to rocks that were quickly burying my feet.


    But the moment of resistance that the Mana Shield offered me was enough.


    I was about to be buried inside a floating mountain, and all paths that we had previously formed had been collapsed by the Gravity Leech. But I knew what I needed to do.


    I leapt forward, as close to Dawnbreaker as I could be.  Dawnbreaker¡¯s suit formed a web-like orb surrounding the two of us, and the orb resisted the pressure of the earth and dirt that ground up against us.


    ¡°That way!¡± I said, pointing a finger. ¡°We¡¯re close!¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but feel like a glorified hunting-dog.


    This had to be one of the worst possible match-ups for me. I was strong, I was fast, I was resilient¡­


    But I was acutely aware that I was risking my life here.


    I didn¡¯t stand a chance catching the Gravity Leech on my own. Unlike Dawnbreaker, I didn¡¯t have an overpowered skill that could also tunnel through literal tons of rocks and dirt.  And if I was caught underground, it was only a matter of time before my Physical Resistance wore off, and I died.


    But despite what Dawnbreaker had said, I didn¡¯t really think she would just let me die.


    The golden light flashed again, and we ran together.


    It was like an absurd game of tag.  A thousand feet in the air, underground in a floating mountain, against creature that could play with gravity.


    As we rushed through the tunnel faster, I realized that we were closer than we had ever been.


    I could tell because the resistance against us was so great.  It was like crawling upstream in a river of molasses.


    Then, finally, we caught sight of the Gravity Leech.  Harpoons launched from Dawnbreaker¡¯s unisuit, digging deep into the only visible part of the Gravity Leech¡¯s body.


    Just a split second after the harpoons sunk into the creature¡¯s body, the earth around us started collapsing again, closing in the tunnel that Dawnbreaker had just made.


    But the thick line anchoring the harpoon split into smaller threads, which wove against the walls of the collapsing tunnel, buying Dawnbreaker time as the remaining harpoon line retracted, pulling us forward towards the Gravity Leech.


    I could have sworn the Gravity Leech was just ahead of me, but it was as though the floor shifted, and suddenly, the Gravity Leech was above me, and there was a long shaft below me.


    I unceremoniously grabbed Dawnbreaker¡¯s ankle.


    I realized then, by watching the walls around me, just how quickly we were traveling through the mountain.


    The Gravity Leech was fleeing frantically, dragging us along. Samantha¡¯s suit lined the tunnel that was formed in the Leech¡¯s as it traveled through dirt and rock, allowing us to trail behind it and not get pulverized by rock and stone.


    The harpoon line was connected to Dawnbreaker¡¯s shoulders, leaving her right arm free.


    Dawnbreaker launched another golden blast, this time directly towards the Gravity Leech.


    <Now!>


    Not to be outdone, I finally struck.


    Dawnbreaker might have overwhelming firepower, but I had precision.


    I raised my free hand and cast Cursed Lightning, putting all my remaining mana into Luck.


    Dawnbreaker flinched in surprise as the lightning seared right past her shoulder, following in the wake of her golden beam.


    The lightning traveled directly through the Gravity Leech¡¯s body, continuing through the Leech until it reached the part that I knew held the most mana¡ªthe Leech¡¯s core.


    KREEEEEEEEEE


    The leech gave a long, earsplitting cry of pain that somehow reverberated through the mountain.


    Congratulations! You have slain North America¡¯s Zone Lord. +20 free Stat Points.


    You have completed the mission, Zone Offense.


    Reward: 1 Schema Treasury Token (C-rank)


    Zone Offense mission updated: Slay another Zone Lord on Earth.  Reward: 1 Schema Treasury Token (C-rank).


    Level up!


    I had no time to feel pleased or proud of my accomplishments.


    Gravity shifted around me. It wasn¡¯t that I lost my footing, but that what I thought was the floor was actually a wall.  Then I started falling down the same tunnel the Gravity Leech had just created.


    Meanwhile, I could tell that the tunnel that connected me to Dawnbreaker and the Gravity Leech¡¯s loot was starting to fall apart.


    I dug my sword into the dirt to stop from falling, and watched, in vague frustration, as Dawnbreaker collected all the loot that the Gravity Leech had dropped.


    It didn¡¯t take long for the body of the Gravity Leech to disappear into Dawnbreaker¡¯s Interdimensional Pouch.


    With the absence of the Gravity Leech¡¯s corpse, the tunnels that we were in started crumbling at an even faster pace.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± I called.


    We both knew that I didn¡¯t stand a chance digging myself out of a mountain.


    And I could only hope that there would be some sort of delayed response after the Gravity Leech¡¯s death¡ªwe were on a floating mountain, after all, and we could still die if it just decided to fall to the ground.


    I had to wonder if Dawnbreaker was intentionally leaving me in the hot seat.  She probably wasn¡¯t too happy that I had killed the Zone Lord just a second before she would have.


    But we wouldn¡¯t have even found the Zone Lord without me in the first place.


    Dawnbreaker had nobody to blame except her own bad aim.


    After just about two seconds of flying around the collapsing cavern, Dawnbreaker flew next to me.


    ¡°Get on my back. Fastest way up and out?¡±


    I was so disoriented, it took a moment for me to figure it out.


    There was dirt all around us, but I could sense small, condensed bundles of mana in a certain direction.


    I pointed, and Samantha blasted a long golden ray of light with her sword, following in the golden ray¡¯s wake, until we left the mountain and were finally surrounded by blue sky. Dawnbreaker immediately turned back around towards the mountain.The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    I hugged Dawnbreaker¡¯s back tightly, as I watched the falling mountain collide with the ground.


    The moment of collision was followed by an earth-shaking crash and tremble. Trees in a mile-wide radius shattered and fell, huge cracks in the earth opened up, but then everything was covered in dust, and I couldn¡¯t see anything else.


    Dawnbreaker sighed. ¡°Time for some search and rescue.¡±


    It was an absurd thought, imagining anybody surviving that collision. The dust plume itself was massive.  I could only hope that Daybreak had been able to evacuate the area in time.


    But I sensed some mana above me, and I glanced up.  I could see a floating platform approaching us. Petrov and Vasilia stood together, along with a few other people I didn¡¯t recognize. Their platform was flying slowly towards Rebirth City.


    <hr>


    I sat at my desk in my old room in Rebirth City, studying the two new skills that Dawnbreaker had finally given me.


    Spiritual Traveler (D-rank): Allows your soul to leave your physical body and travel through the spiritual plane.  Cost: 10 mana/minute. Cooldown:  1 hour. Requires: Soul Magic Affinity (D-rank).


    Soul Explosion (D-rank): Allows you to permanently sacrifice up to 20 Stat Points from your character sheet to create an explosion that directly attacks nearby souls, disregarding physical defenses. Requires: Soul Magic Affinity (D-rank)


    I didn¡¯t ask what loot she picked up from the Gravity Leech¡¯s corpse, but it must have been good, for her to grant me the two skills without any fuss.


    <These are game-changers,> Samantha said.


    Now that I had some time to myself, I could finally reflect on the battle.


    Dawnbreaker could have easily let me die.  She had even said as much, that she would.  But I had rushed foolhardily forward anyway, stealing the kill from her.


    She had not been happy. It turned out, every time she reset the cooldown of her golden ray of sword energy, she had to pay in Stat Points.


    She had been counting on the +20 Stat Points from killing the Zone lord to come out ahead.


    That said, the loot somehow seemed to make it up to her.


    It was possible that Samantha had made me braver, more foolhardy, in this whole encounter.  Why would I ever think tunneling into a mountain was a safe decision?


    Even if she had affected my mind, could I blame her, if it worked out?


    The simple answer was yes.


    But now that the punishment and consequences of messing with me would be dealt with by Petra, that did leave a bit more space for me and Samantha to at least pretend to get along.


    What¡¯s so great about the two spells?


    <I¡¯ve been trying to downplay their importance this whole time. If Dawnbreaker ever realized what these two skills really meant, then she would never have given them to us. Unfortunately, I downplayed them for too long, and we didn¡¯t have them when it was time to fight the Zone Lord.>


    <Let me put it this way,> Samantha said. <Synergy. Spiritual Traveler is great for reconnaissance. You can probably use it to help Abelino locate the South American Zone Lord, if he gives you the general location of it.  Now, with your soul out of your body, normally, it would be very difficult to actually interact with the world around you.  You can travel through walls, through the ground, and so on. You just can¡¯t travel through Mana Shields.>


    <But now think about the synergy.  Your soul could travel hundreds of miles away from your body, and then you could use Soul Explosion to kill a target. This would allow you to complete the perfect assassination, with perfect alibis, because your body would literally be somewhere else.>


    Being an assassin doesn¡¯t sound very heroic, I said, half-heartedly.


    <Then you¡¯re not thinking this through. The Mentalist Cooperative has already staked a claim on this planet, and you¡¯re a fool if you think they are only interested in North America.  How much easier would it be if you could just spy on people, and then assassinate the head honcho? That way you don¡¯t need to kill any innocent people.>


    We can talk more about that later. How do I use the Treasury Token?


    <Well, before you activate it, we should talk about your goals,> Samantha said. <I suggest you look for an AOE spell, amplified by either your Internal Magic Affinity, or your Spiritual Magic Affinity.>


    No. I want something that will keep you from messing with my head.  Something like Mental vs. Mindful.


    <I understand why you would say that,> Samantha replied. <Unfortunately there isn¡¯t a skill or spell that will help with that.  Don¡¯t take my word for it, though¡ªfeel free to check the treasury yourself when we access it.  You will find that there are a lot of skills and items that will defend you against external forces, but nothing that will defend you from yourself.>


    I will have to see for myself, I said.


    <Of course,> Samantha said. <But barring that, there is one thing that I would recommend. You should become a C-rank Rune Master.  It is incredibly rare to have a C-rank Rune Master on a new planet, and this means you could become the sole provider of C-rank items. Even a single C-rank item can be a game changer.  Becoming a C-rank Rune Master will allow you to arm your species with the tools it will take to defend themselves against the next wave of monsters, as well as the invading forces that are coming your way.>


    I want to check with Petra before making any decisions.


    <Of course.>


    During my call with Petra, I also confirmed my plan with my 21 free points, settling on putting 11 points into my Mana Regeneration, and 10 points into Agility.


    After a brief call with Petra, I activated the Treasury Token, which, I immediately learned, doubled as an Information Crystal similar to the ones we had used at the auction at the end of the tutorial.  I saw a blue screen in front of me, laying out thousands of options of things to buy, with various filters on the left. Equipment, weapons, potions, Classes, Professions¡­


    It seemed I had 10 minutes to make my selection.


    I spent the first five minutes browsing for anything that might help limit Samantha¡¯s control of my mind, but I had no luck. Then I spent a few minutes just looking around to see what kind of C-rank items, skills, and classes there were.


    There was a unisuit, which was particularly tempting, after seeing what Dawnbreaker was capable of with hers.  There were hundreds of weapons, each with terrifying skills.


    But when you think about it, it only made sense to pick a C-rank class or profession.


    Most C-rank classes would come with a C-rank skill, and a C-rank profession would allow you to create numerous C-rank items.


    I selected the C-rank Rune Master Profession, and the moment I confirmed my pick, the world around me faded to black.


    The last words I heard were Samantha¡¯s:


    <table width="624">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Name:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    Jarek


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Level:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    34


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    HP:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    44/44


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Physical Defense:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    18


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Strength:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    31 (+5)


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Mental Power:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    14


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Dexterity:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    10 (+5)


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Agility:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    24 (+14)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Perception:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    20


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Luck:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    22


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Mana Pool:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    106 (+10)


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Mana Regeneration:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    60 (+10)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Available Points:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    0


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Coins:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    420,000


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Class:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    Mana Modulator (D-rank)


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Profession:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    Rune Master


    (E-rank)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Titles:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="486">


    Region Lord (E-rank)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Skills and Spells:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="486">


    Identify (E-rank)


    Mana Modulation (D-rank Core)


    Death¡¯s Defier (A-rank)


    Mana Sensing (E-rank)


    Healthy Magic (E-rank)


    Aquatic Respiration (E-rank)


    Polyglot (E-rank)


    Soul Communion (D-rank)


    Cursed Lightning (D-rank)


    Spiritual Traveler (D-rank)


    Soul Explosion (D-rank)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Affinities:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="486">


    Internal Mana (D-rank Low), External Unattributed Mana (E-rank Low), Soul Magic (D-rank Low)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Equipment:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="486">


    Vampiric Blade (D-rank): +5 Strength, +5 Agility.


    Bloodied Battle Robes (D-rank): +5 Mana Pool, +5 Mana Regen.


    Imperial Scout Boots (E-rank): +4 Agility.


    Greedy Gloves (D-rank): +5 Mana Pool, +5 Mana Regen.


    Bonded Blades (D-rank): +5 Dexterity, +5 Agility.


    Communication Amulet (E-rank):


    Interdimensional Pouch (D-rank):


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Missions:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="486">


    Zone Offense


    Renegade Bounty Hunter


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>

 Chapter 85: The Schema, Re-explained

    When the world reappeared around me, and I found that I was in an all-white room, I nearly had a panic attack.


    I could almost see it unfolding before my eyes.  I had somehow traveled back in time, back to the beginning of the tutorial, and now I had to live through the last week and a half, again.


    Game over. Try again.


    <Get a grip,> Samantha said. <It¡¯s just an illusion ward. The Schema has to determine if we are worthy to take a C-rank Rune Master Profession away from the treasury.>


    As my mind calmed down, I noticed the table and chair in front of me. Behind me, I could see shelves full of various high-quality materials.


    Why didn¡¯t you mention this before? Do the other skills have illusion wards?


    Samantha sighed. <I forgot how bad human memories are. I already told you this, back when you picked your D-rank class in the tutorial.  For particularly high-value items, the Schema will test people to make sure that we are worthy. This is actually a huge opportunity. Nothing to be worried about. You¡¯re not in danger, relax.>


    You should have mentioned this was going to happen. What happens if we don¡¯t pass this illusion ward?


    <I guess I should have.  If we don¡¯t pass, we just get kicked out of the treasury, and we don¡¯t get anything.  But that¡¯s not going to happen. Now, take a seat and look at the Rune Pattern Blueprints.  This is why I had you put everything into Luck as you appeared here.  That way, the Rune Pattern Blueprints will be good ones.>


    <You should never say that the Atropos Schema is stingy. It rewards boldness, you see.  Challenging Rune Master illusion ward comes with an added benefit¡ªif you demonstrate that you can complete one of the rune patterns that they provide you, then you leave with the profession, and with the blueprint in your Status Window. Now, take a seat, and let¡¯s take a look at what blueprints we have to choose from.>


    Samantha could barely hide her excitement. I sighed, taking a seat and Identifying each rune pattern blueprint.


    Durability Rune Pattern Blueprint (C-rank)


    Explosion Rune Pattern Blueprint (C-rank)


    Invisibility Rune Pattern Blueprint (C-rank)


    Personal Mana Shield Rune Pattern Blueprint (C-rank)


    Isn¡¯t that a little¡­uninspired? I couldn¡¯t help but ask.


    I had weaker forms of every one of these rune patterns.


    <Not at all. In fact, this is completely predictable,> Samantha said. <With all the points you put towards Luck, the Schema is trying to make things easy for you. It is normally extremely difficult to form a Rune Pattern if you don¡¯t know the composite parts, or the toned-down version of the same rune pattern.  Now, I suggest you pick the Invisibility Rune Pattern, in order¡ª>


    I couldn¡¯t help it. I laughed. Do you think I¡¯m an idiot? You¡¯ll start forming the Invisibility Rune Pattern inside my body, probably turn me permanently invisible as a side effect, and Petra wouldn¡¯t stand a chance reading your mind. No way.


    <I was going to say that selling high-tier Invisibility Cloaks is a great money-maker,> Samantha said. <But in response, I¡¯d like to add that as a C-rank Rune Master, it won¡¯t be too hard to create the ¡°on/off¡± switch that we were talking about. You wouldn¡¯t be permanently invisible¡ªin fact, the days of automatic aura suppression are almost over.  And you could switch off the Invisibility Rune Pattern whenever you feel like letting Petra root around your mind.>


    We¡¯re not doing that one, I said. What¡¯s your second choice.


    Samantha said, immediately. <I¡¯m assuming you would be hesitant to sell high-explosives randomly, so the Personal Mana Shield is a good purchase.  Also, it requires Mana Orbs, to power it, which for anyone else would be prohibitively expensive, but you just need to upgrade your Condenser factory, and then it will take 101 Mana Crystals to make a Mana Orb.>


    Mana Orbs? I asked.


    <It¡¯s not that hard.  The smallest unit of naturally occurring trapped mana is the Mana Bead, which is a bit smaller than a pea. Then there is a Mana Shard, which is a bit smaller than your fist.  One hundred Mana Beads are approximately equal to one Mana Shards. Next is a Mana Crystal, which is the size of a large watermelon.  One hundred Mana Shards are approximately equal to one Mana Crystal.  Then a Mana Orb, which is basically a crystal boulder four feet in diameter, which is equal to 100 Mana Crystals.>


    So¡­in order to make a Personal Mana Shield, I will need to carry around a boulder with me wherever I go?


    <Jarek, at some point you¡¯re going to need to start figuring these things out yourself. Especially if you don¡¯t want to have to count on me to tell you what to do. Many higher-ranked Rune Patterns play with interdimensional space somehow.  For the Personal Mana Shield, you have two main options. You can either create an interdimensional space that will house the boulder-sized Mana Orb, or you can use a Refined Mana Orb.  If you take a Compressed Mana Orb and then compress it again, you get a Refined Mana Orb.  That way, you would be carrying around a Mana Orb compressed to the size of your fist. Most people who go this route turn their Personal Mana Shield into a breastplate, with the Compressed Mana Orb in the center of the breastplate.  We should do the breastplate version for this test, because it is slightly easier, and there is no point in taking unnecessary risks.>


    That¡¯s rich, coming from you. How many unnecessary risks have you made me take?


    <Those were calculated risks, Jarek. Anyway, you need to work on asking better questions. The real issue with a C-rank Personal Mana Shield is that a Mana Orb is prohibitively expensive for you. As a matter of fact, basically every C-rank rune pattern here is too expensive for you.  Fortunately, though, once you learn a C-rank rune pattern, I can help you downgrade it to D-rank.  I have a feeling you won¡¯t have the chance to use a Mana Orb as a personal shield for quite some time.>This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    <Now, let¡¯s get started.  Start by learning the Personal Mana Shield Rune Pattern Blueprint.>


    As I learned the blueprint, I quickly realized that I was completely out of my league.


    The first, most obvious thing that stood out to me was that I was now expected to form three dimensional runes.  It turns out every rune that I had already learned also had a three-dimensional form.


    Until now, I had been using my Rune Master¡¯s Knife to trace all my runes.  But now, the Schema was currently treating me like a C-rank Rune Master.


    This granted me one key new ability¡ªthe ability to guide unattributed mana freely outside of my body in a neutral state.


    <Most magicians have specific affinities, which means that when their body produces mana, it has specific attributes. Air, Water, Fire, Void, and so on,> Samantha explained. <As a Rune Master with C-rank External Unattributed Mana Affinity, you are able to send mana out of your body, but it must be unattributed.  This means the mana that you send out of your body will never be able to directly harm another creature.  Since the Schema is treating you like a C-rank Rune Master, you have a C-Rank Rune Master¡¯s control of mana right now.>


    We spent the next half hour sending mana outside my body and controlling it.


    We ran several tests to see how much mana I could comfortably control outside of my body at a time¡ªabout 50 points of Mana.  Then we tested my fine control of mana, Samantha creating 3d images in front of me, and I molded my mana in the air to fit those shapes.


    As we practiced, I had a sudden thought. Once mana leaves my body, can it ever rejoin my Mana Pool?


    <That¡¯s the thinking I should see from you more often,> Samantha said, proudly, and excitedly. <It only took you what, a half hour?  As I¡¯ve mentioned, this is what I¡¯m talking about when I talk about synergy.  Your level of Mana Control and External Unattributed Mana Affinity will allow you to keep about half of your Mana Pool outside your body.  If you ever give up your mental control of your mana, though, it will turn into ambient mana, at which point you won¡¯t be able to control it.  So essentially, you can increase your Mana Pool by 50% by keeping Mana floating outside your body at all times.>


    Is this something any magician can do? I couldn¡¯t recall seeing Petrov, Vasilia, or any other magicians storing mana outside of their body.


    <Of course not,> Samantha said. She sounded as though she were explaining something obvious. <If anyone could do it, then you would see everyone doing it.  People aren¡¯t idiots¡­with some exceptions¡­ and the sooner you get that through your head, the better.>


    <I¡¯m assuming,> Samantha continued, <that you¡¯re asking about the restrictions on this ability.  D-rank Unattributed Mana Affinity, and a D-rank-Mana Control, would allow people to control their mana and hold it outside their body, but their body would not recognize their mana while it is outside them.  You must have C-rank Mana Control and C-rank Unattributed Mana Affinity in order for this trick to work.>


    <Of course, in the Acclimated Worlds, many Magicians will attempt to become C-rank Rune Masters for this very purpose, but as you will see soon enough, it isn¡¯t easy to become a C-rank Rune Master.


    <If you remember, Petrov has unattributed mana affinity, and likely a corresponding skill, since he was able to lend his own mana to boost River¡¯s spell, Devil¡¯s Cage, when you fought the Shade. If he can rank up his affinity high enough, he would likely also be capable of this.>


    <Anyway, now that you¡¯ve been able to practice your Mana Control, let¡¯s start marking our Mana Shield.>


    The main base of the Personal Mana Shield was a generic, glossy white breastplate, forged from Mithril.


    Mithril is real? I asked, vaguely surprised.


    <You¡¯ve heard of Mithril?> Samantha¡¯s shock actually exceeded my own, for once. <What do you know about Mithril?>


    I thought back to what I had read. It¡¯s a lightweight, sturdy material. It showed up in The Lord of the Rings, over fifty years ago. Why?


    <The Mentalist Cooperative wouldn¡¯t play that long of a game,> Samantha said.  <And you told me earlier that you have legends of elves, dwarves, fey, vampires, and werewolves, from well before the Mentalist Cooperative would have started influencing your world.  I think I mentioned my theory earlier¡ªit¡¯s likely there used to be portals between your world and another world, one with a bit more ambient mana than your own, but those portals were closed.  That in itself isn¡¯t that surprising.>


    <I¡¯m not sure how to put this¡­> Samantha spoke slowly, and somewhat unsure of herself. <C-rank materials are extremely valuable.  This breastplate, as it is, would likely sell for over 10 million coins. Once it¡¯s turned into proper equipment with stat bonuses, it would be worth over a hundred million coins.  Any planet that has access to C-rank materials before Acclimation likely has access to B-rank or even A-rank materials now that the Schema has cracked the World Core. And it¡¯s virtually impossible for the world that used to be connected to Earth to be Acclimated¡ªthe Schema could have followed the mana trails hundreds of years ago, and then Earth would have been discovered ages ago.>


    Samantha talked quickly, but there was one part that stood out to me.  Wait, what? What do you mean, the Schema cracked the World Core?


    <Didn¡¯t you ever wonder why the world is changing at such a fast pace? Mana is flooding the environment, but where is the mana coming from?> Samantha sighed. <The Schema isn¡¯t all-powerful, and it isn¡¯t nearly strong enough to inject vast amounts of mana into hundreds of worlds.


    <Let me start at the beginning. Before life first formed on your planet, billions of years ago, the World Core first started to form at the very center of your planet. It converted heat into Aether, and the Aether seeped through the planet¡¯s core, mantle, and crust, sparking the first life form.>


    <Not long after, that life form died, and when it did, the World Core pulled that ambient Aether back towards it. Basically, like gravity, but with magic.  Over the years, on most planets, this becomes a feedback loop. The World Core sends out little bursts of Aether, and then the bursts of Aether create more life, which then procreate and eventually die, feeding the World Core even more.  In the case of Earth, as far as I can tell, your World Core used to guard its Aether extremely preciously. This is why virtually the only mana present on your world was in life forms themselves, before Acclimation.


    <Your World Core, then, was able to benefit from abundant life on your planet for hundreds of millions of years, likely without releasing a single burst of Aether.  As a result, your World Core has been storing huge amounts of Aether, and is likely a high-grade or even Peak-grade World Core.>


    <What the Atropos Schema does, then, when it appears on new planets like yours, is it creates cracks in the World Core.  Higher leveled creatures tend to have more Aether inside them, more life force.  With every creature¡¯s death, then, the Atropos Schema siphons off a portion of the Aether before allowing that Aether to return to your World Core.>


    <For a planet to have access to a C-rank material before Acclimation, the World Core would have evolved completely differently compared to Earth¡¯s.  There would be much greater leakage of Aether.  In fact, it would be similar to the amount of leakage that your world is experiencing, now.  It is rare for a world to naturally release this much Aether before being cracked open.   Now, if the Schema decided to crack the World Core of that other planet open even further, then that world would likely have B or even A-ranked materials, which is enough to make any superpower in the Atropos Schema go crazy.>


    <Along the same lines, if your myths are true, then the elves and dwarves would have had at least hundreds of years to cultivate on a mana and Aether-rich planet.  Their battles will look very different compared to the battles that you are facing. I don¡¯t know if you can really imagine that¡­>


    <Think about it this way.  The Schema has limited the monsters that have appeared on your planet, and even when the invaders come, the Schema won¡¯t let anyone above level 100 in, and they won¡¯t be able to carry C-ranked weapons or equipment or items.


    <With the elves¡¯ and dwarves¡¯ world, it is likely that the kid gloves will be off.> From the way Samantha said it, I could almost hear an itch, a yearning, in her voice, as if she wished to see that war.

 Chapter 86: C-rank Personal Mana Shield

    Forming the C-rank Personal Mana Shield was like looking at the sheet music for a symphony the day after learning how to read music.  The blueprints that the Schema provide me showed me what the final runes should look like. It was kind of like seeing a completed, three-dimensional puzzle laid out before me in my mind, which you have to recreate with papier-mach¨¦ and glue.


    But with Samantha¡¯s help, I made slow and steady progress.  Samantha highlighted the parts of the rune pattern that shared similarities with the rune patterns I already knew.  She walked me through, step by step, using 3-d holograms to tell me where to lock each rune pattern into place.


    The white-walled room that I was in also functioned as a time-dilation chamber, Samantha explained.  The room would time out in six hours, and we had already wasted a large portion of that time training with my mana control and just talking.


    In addition to the Mithril and Compressed Mana Orb as the two base components, we also needed a material that would function as wiring, fixing the mana orb in place, and also allowing for mana to travel at rapid paces and in incredibly high densities through each part of the breastplate.


    This wiring was completed by Velir¡¯s Web.  Velir¡¯s Web was another C-rank material, a light and translucent film that looked almost like a spider¡¯s web.  As Samantha explained it, Velir¡¯s Web was a Rune Master¡¯s favorite material.  It essentially glued things in place¡ªit wouldn¡¯t do to have the Mana Orb jostle out of its nook in the breastplate.


    The challenge was that I had to layer rune after rune inside Velir¡¯s Web, which was only a centimeter thick.   Then I had to line Velir¡¯s Web up directly to the connecting runes that I made on the Mana Orb.


    This was one of the downsides to Personal Mana Shields.  They were, essentially, single-use items.  With a City or Town¡¯s Mana Shield, you could easily replenish the Mana Crystals that powered them, and the runes themselves would last a long time.  But with Personal Mana Shields, many of the runes had to be carved directly on the Mana Crystals or Mana Orbs that you were using, and the moment the shield was broken, the whole rune pattern was shot.


    With the way the C-rank Rune Pattern worked, it somehow transferred the damage of an attack directly on the Mithril, or other material, that the Rune Pattern was made up of. As a result, by the time the Compressed Mana Orb was out of juice, even the durability of the Mithril would be so shot that it couldn¡¯t be used again.


    To me, this seemed like a huge downside.  But the way Samantha saw it, this just meant that we would never run out of customers.


    It wasn¡¯t just the complexity of the rune pattern that made this difficult.  The sheer volume of mana that I had to pour in to form just one single rune was insane.


    Since this was essentially a virtual space, I had appeared in a simple robe, without my inventory, which meant I didn¡¯t have access to equipment that boosted my Mana Pool and Mana Regeneration.


    A single rune, just the size of a cubic centimeter, sometimes cost me a third of my mana pool¡ªaround 30 mana.


    Anyone with less than 100 points in their Mana Pool would be hard-pressed to complete a single C-ranked rune¡ªsince with C-ranked Mana Sensing, you could only control mana equal to half your Mana Pool outside your body at once.


    With two dimensional runes, I had been able to get around this by transferring mana into a Rune Master¡¯s knife, and then using Ayoxa Sap to keep my mana in place once it touched a surface.


    But Ayoxa Sap couldn¡¯t leech into an object and lock mana in three dimensions, so it was useless for C-rank runes.


    And that was only considering Mana Pool.


    For someone who focused primarily on developing their Mana Pool, six hours could feel extremely tight, if their Mana Regeneration wasn¡¯t up to par.


    While there technically wasn¡¯t a level limit to becoming a C-rank Rune Master, these informal requirements likely made it difficult for most people who hadn¡¯t killed multiple Region Lords and Zone Lords to become a Rune Master at a mere Level 33.


    Samantha had me work slowly till the last hour, before I finally completed the last rune pattern.


    I was kicked out of the white room unceremoniously. To my disappointment, the beautiful C-rank Personal Mana Shield that I had created vanished along with the rest of the room.


    Congratulations! You have upgraded your profession to Rune Master (C-rank): Allows you to learn and complete Rune Patterns up to C-rank.  Teaches Mana Sensing and Mana Control.  Grants External Unattributed Mana Affinity (C-rank). +3 Mana Pool per level; +2 Mana Regeneration per level.


    You have learned Mana Sensing (C-rank):  Allows you to see nearby mana.  Allows you to see high concentrations of mana far away.  When activated, allows you to see mana in greater detail and identify its attunement.  Cost: 10 Mana per minute.  Cooldown: None.


    You have learned Mana Control (C-rank): Allows you to send your unattuned mana outside your body and control it.  The amount of controllable mana at any given time is equal to half your natural Mana Pool.


    You have learned the Personal Mana Shield Rune Pattern Blueprint (C-rank): Necessary to create a Personal Mana Shield Amulet (C-rank). When complete, forms a Mana Barrier around your body that blocks incoming attacks. If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    I was very excited, for a number of reasons. Becoming a C-rank Rune Master was already worth it, just from the +3 Mana Pool and +2 Mana Regeneration per level.


    Then there was Mana Sensing. Keeping Mana Sensing active virtually all the time cost me 10 mana per minute, which was basically the same as 5 floating Stat Points.  With the upgraded Mana Sensing, I would no longer need to spend 10 mana every minute keeping an eye on my surroundings.


    And finally, the biggest unexpected gain for me was the hidden benefit of Mana Control¡ªessentially, it granted me access to a second Mana Pool, outside my body, equal to half my natural Mana Pool.


    It was moments like these that made me characterize my relationship with Samantha more as a love/hate relationship, than just a hate.  Maybe we were frenemies?


    Samantha was good at what she did.  I had to appreciate that. Even Lord Ignatius had been impressed by my Status Window when he first saw it.  And now, it was even more terrifying.


    <Just wait until you see it after you upgrade your class to a C-rank Mana Modulator,> Samantha said, proudly.


    I took out my Communication Amulet to check any recent ¡°Voicemails¡± that I had missed.


    I was mildly surprised to find that there were none.


    <You were barely gone for a minute, remember,> Samantha said. <Time flows differently in those wards.>


    <Since we¡¯ve dealt with the Zone Lord, we¡¯ve bought ourselves a bit of time so we can talk about our next steps,> Samantha said. <Feel free to run this by Petra, of course,> She added that line with a bit of bitterness.  <But we need to reconsider when you would tackle the tower.  My suggestion is that you help Abelino kill his Zone Lord, and then if you don¡¯t have easy access to other Zone Lords at that point, you tackle the tower.>


    You make it sound easy, I thought, somewhat confused.  I thought the Zone Lord was hiding.


    <Stop being an idiot,> Samantha said.  <You have the Spiritual Traveler skill and C-rank Mana Sensing.  Between those two, it is just a question of time before you find the Zone Lord.  The first thing you should do, though, is make a C-rank Mana Shield.>


    How am I supposed to make a Personal Mana Shield, when I don¡¯t have Mithril?


    <That¡¯s the beauty of Rune Patterns,> Samantha replied. <It¡¯s not too hard to downgrade a rune pattern. You should contact Abelino¡ªremember that mine in Tijuana that he invaded the North American Zone for? I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if he found some D-rank metals there.>


    Samantha¡¯s words reminded me of my own mine.  Ethan had more or less completely cleared my underground mine of higher-tier monsters, and while there was an abundance of Mana Beads, there was virtually no metal ore to be found. By this point, we had pretty much given up on the privacy aspect of the Nova City mines, favoring instead the rapid accumulation of mana beads.


    I took out my Communication Amulet, and contacted Abelino.


    ¡°Jarek,¡± Abelino said, answering almost the second I called him. ¡°My friend, how can I help you?¡±


    ¡°I have a business proposition,¡± I said. ¡°I believe you have some raw metals from your mine in Tijuana. I recently became a C-rank Rune Master, and perhaps we can arrange for a mutually beneficial deal.  Given the right materials, I can make a C-rank Personal Mana Shield.¡±


    ¡°The People¡¯s Unity Government has D-rank metals to trade, but not C-rank.  If you are interested, I will send a clone to negotiate in person.¡±


    ¡°Perfect,¡± I said. ¡°Also, let me know the moment you have a lead on your Zone Lord.  I have a skill that will let me track him down easily.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    <table width="624">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Name:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    Jarek


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Level:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    34


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    HP:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    44/44


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Physical Defense:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    18


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Strength:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    31 (+5)


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Mental Power:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    14


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Dexterity:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    10 (+5)


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Agility:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    24 (+14)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Perception:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    20


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Luck:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    22


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Mana Pool:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    106 (+10)


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Mana Regeneration:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    60 (+10)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Available Points:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    0


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Coins:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    420,000


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Class:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    Mana Modulator (D-rank)


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Profession:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    Rune Master


    (C-rank)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Titles:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="486">


    Region Lord (E-rank)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Skills and Spells:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="486">


    Identify (E-rank)


    Mana Modulation (D-rank Core)


    Death¡¯s Defier (A-rank)


    Mana Sensing (C-rank)


    Healthy Magic (E-rank)


    Aquatic Respiration (E-rank)


    Polyglot (E-rank)


    Soul Communion (D-rank)


    Cursed Lightning (D-rank)


    Spiritual Traveler (D-rank)


    Soul Explosion (D-rank)


    Mana Control (C-rank)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Affinities:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="486">


    Internal Mana (D-rank Low), External Unattributed Mana (C-rank Low), Soul Magic (D-rank Low)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Equipment:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="486">


    Vampiric Blade (D-rank): +5 Strength, +5 Agility.


    Bloodied Battle Robes (D-rank): +5 Mana Pool, +5 Mana Regen.


    Imperial Scout Boots (E-rank): +4 Agility.


    Greedy Gloves (D-rank): +5 Mana Pool, +5 Mana Regen.


    Bonded Blades (D-rank): +5 Dexterity, +5 Agility.


    Communication Amulet (E-rank):


    Interdimensional Pouch (D-rank):


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Missions:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="486">


    Zone Offense


    Renegade Bounty Hunter


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>

 Chapter 87: New World City

    After contacting Abelino, I had planned on getting several dozen different things done. Checking up on the mine, checking in with Uman, and Ryker, and Freedom City¡ªthe city I still owned in Pennsylvania.  I had called Uman and Ryker to make sure that there were some people there to make sure it wasn¡¯t overrun, but I still needed to figure out what I wanted to do with that city.


    I wasn¡¯t at all mentally prepared for the welcome that Petra had set up for me.


    She led me to the City Lord¡¯s Mansion, and then down a spiraling flight of stairs into an underground prison that was eerily similar to the one that she herself had been kept in.


    ¡°I¡¯m starting to regret giving you admin control of this City,¡± I said, wondering why the hell the first thing Petra had done with the city was build a prison.


    Fortunately, at least, all the cells were empty. Although, come to think of it, that just made me even more nervous.


    ¡°Unequip all your items, and step into the cell.  Pour all your mana into Physical Resistance, make sure your mana pool is completely empty.¡± Petra gave the orders calmly, but in a tone that brooked no disagreement.


    I glanced at Justin, who was standing beside, but slightly behind, Petra.


    ¡°Is this really necessary?¡± I asked, standing in the doorway.


    If Petra or Jarek were being mind-controlled, this would be an easy way for the Mentalist Cooperative to off me.


    ¡°You almost killed me yesterday,¡± Petra said. ¡°So yes, this is necessary.  And you can tell Samantha that I will hold true to my promise. As long as she hasn¡¯t messed with your mind, I won¡¯t try to read her memories.  If she has, then I will search her memories until I find something interesting, and then I will tell another person about her existence.¡±


    I sighed. ¡°Let¡¯s get this over with.¡±


    I unequipped everything, handing Justin my Interdimensional Pouch, and stepped into the prison cell.


    ¡°You¡¯ll have to pass control of the city over to me,¡± Petra said. ¡°As it stands, you could just deactivate the Mana Shield around the prison at will.¡±


    The sinking feeling in my stomach got worse.


    But if I were going to trust anyone, it would have to be my siblings.  If they wanted to lock me in a cell indefinitely, then so be it.


    After all the ways I had screwed people over in the last two weeks, it would almost be a relief if I was taken out of the picture because I trusted my family too much.


    I put all my points towards Physical Defense, as Petra suggested, passing control of the City¡ªand, consequently, the Region¡ªto Petra.


    ¡°Now,¡± Petra said. ¡°Tell me what happened, since last we talked, including everything Samantha said to you.¡±


    <hr>


    ¡°Alright,¡± Petra sighed, rubbing her temples slightly. I was still standing behind the bars of the prison in what used to be my own town.


    ¡°Now it¡¯s time for phase two,¡± Petra said.  ¡°It¡¯s obvious that Samantha is capable of controlling your body.  Jarek, I want you to let Samantha take over, and then I will ask Samantha some questions.  Samantha, I will only be looking to see if you are answering truthfully¡ªbut if you lie, then I will start rooting around your memories. Let me know when you¡¯re ready.¡±


    How do we do this?


    <Just relax, and let me take control,> Samantha said.


    ¡°I¡¯m ready,¡± I heard and felt myself say.


    ¡°Alright. Samantha, we already had an agreement from earlier. No messing with Jarek¡¯s mind, except for limiting the pain, when necessary to save Jarek¡¯s life. And Jarek gets to be his idea of a hero.  And another rule¡ªno lying to Jarek or myself.  So, Samantha. Have you messed with Jarek¡¯s brain at all since the last I tried reading your memories?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I heard myself say.


    ¡°Welp,¡± Petra said, popping the ¡°p.¡± ¡°We have ourselves a liar.  And a particularly bad one, at that.  Jarek, you already realized this evidence of tampering on your own, which is actually a good sign, that you¡¯re finally being self-aware. Or, that Samantha is letting you be more self-aware.  Basically, it is pretty obvious Samantha made you more daring when you followed Dawnbreaker. You never would have done that in the first place¡ªheading underground into tunnels that could be collapsed any moment by a Gravity Leech, with reliable way out.


    ¡°Let¡¯s try this again, Samantha. Did you make Jarek more willing to fight the Gravity Leech?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I heard myself say again, somewhat sullenly.


    ¡°Another lie,¡± Petra said. ¡°Besides what I already identified, are there any other ways you have modified Jarek¡¯s brain since then?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Samantha said.


    ¡°And, she¡¯s telling the truth this time.  That wasn¡¯t too hard.  So, looks like we have one more person to tell. I¡¯m thinking Ryker.¡± Petra glanced at Justin, who just nodded.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    Then I felt Petra¡¯s eyes on me again, and I couldn¡¯t help but tremble.  ¡°Just remember, Jarek. If Samantha can dull your pain completely, then it only stands to reason that she can cause it. Don¡¯t let her blame me for your pain.¡±


    Without even giving me a chance to prepare myself, Petra locked eyes with me, and then the pain came.


    Pain.


    It was so painful, I wished I could die. Was that why Petra had me put all my mana into Physical Defense?


    No matter how much mana I put into Physical Defense, the pain wouldn¡¯t go away.  It was a pain that directly stimulated my nerves, setting fire to the very insides of my body.


    As the pain escalated, I felt myself gradually slipping into welcome oblivion.


    <hr>


    ¡°Gaea,¡± Petra said, when I finally stirred in my cell.


    ¡°Huh?¡± I still had a pounding headache, and there was still a light tingling feeling on my every nerve, but I felt at least mostly recovered.


    It was a testament to just how unnatural that pain was, that I had been feeling.  The pain vanished as quickly as it came.


    ¡°Excelsian is the organization that created Samantha,¡± Petra said.  ¡°And Gaea is a place.  High-leveled individuals in the Schema may try to escape the Schema, breaking free of its restrictions. Excelsian has ties to Gaea.¡±


    ¡°Alright. Whatever. Can you let me out, now?¡±


    Petra nodded to Justin, who opened the prison.


    ¡°While you were out, you got a call on your Communication Amulet,¡± Justin said. ¡°Dawnbreaker called.  She said a teleportation circle to Asia just opened.  There is an impromptu meeting of world powers that starts in five minutes.¡±


    <hr>


    I had never been one to care much about fashion, and fortunately, this was one bright side to the Schema.  Fashion didn¡¯t matter, equipment did. For once, utility won out when compared to style.  Of course, then there was Dawnbreaker, who managed to combine lethal utility and style with her unisuit, but that was the exception, not the rule.


    I did take a moment to comb my hair, though, before appearing in Rebirth City¡¯s Teleportation Circle with Petra in tow.


    Abelino and Dawnbreaker were waiting for me.


    ¡°Good,¡± Dawnbreaker said, the moment she saw me. ¡°It¡¯ll just be the three of us going. Your sister will have to stay behind.  Technically this is supposed to be a meeting for just Hell Mode Challengers.  But since you¡¯ve killed two Zone Lords, I figure you should be an honorary member.  If anyone asks, just say you have a C-rank class and you fought a troll.  Are we ready?¡±


    ¡°Petra comes,¡± I said, firmly. ¡°She is a D-ranked Telepath. If there are any members of the Mentalist Cooperative, she can sniff them out.¡±


    Dawnbreaker gave Petra an appraising glance. ¡°What can you read from me?¡±


    ¡°Nothing,¡± Petra said. ¡°Is it an item or a skill?¡±


    ¡°Try me,¡± Abelino said, next, not giving Dawnbreaker time to answer.


    ¡°You¡¯re thinking about your wife and son at home,¡± Petra said.


    Abelino nodded to Dawnbreaker.


    ¡°Alright. If they insist, then we¡¯ll have to send Petra back.  Are we ready?¡±


    ¡°Wait,¡± I said. I passed Dawnbreaker, Abelino, and Petra each a skill book. ¡°Do you have these already?¡±


    Polyglot (E-rank): Allows for proficient communication in most languages.


    Dawnbreaker and Abelino thanked me, and both learned the skill. Petra learned the skill without bothering to thank me.


    Then, we disappeared through the teleporter.


    ¡°Welcome to New World City,¡± a Chinese woman wearing a magician¡¯s robe greeted us with a smile. ¡°Please remember this meeting is for the truly powerful only.¡± She cast a glance at me and Petra. ¡°Please do not take offense if you are asked to reveal your names and levels.¡±


    The room we entered was well-defended. I could see several Level 30 guards watching us carefully. The guards were clearly extremely mixed in terms of their race and ethnicity.  The implications were rather surprising. Even though only one Zone Capital had opened up, it certainly seemed that they had expanded to include Asia, Europe, and Africa.


    We left the building that housed the Teleportation Circle, and I was immediately surprised by the sheer size of New World City.


    I already knew that towns, cities, and capital cities could be modified in size to match the populations¡¯ needs.


    But nowhere had I seen a city with a population this dense.


    Rather than the log cabins that I was accustomed to seeing in towns, most of the buildings around me, and in every direction, were four-story tall brick buildings. Judging from the mana density inside each building, they seemed to be apartment complexes, each building housing several dozen families.


    I had thought that Daybreak City was well planned out in terms of city management, but New World City put that to shame.


    At regular intervals interspersed in the city, my Mana Sensing skill could identify parks that took up a whole city block, and multiple plazas that were packed with people.


    The city walls were so far away from where we stood that they were hidden behind a light haze of fog.


    ¡°Right this way,¡± our guide led us to down a few blocks towards a building that reminded me of more traditional Chinese architecture.  The type of architecture I had seen before in pictures of Buddhist temples in China.


    This building, it seemed, had been preserved from the Old World, but Rune Masters had formed inscriptions and protective rune patterns around the building, giving it a distinctive glow that created a warm presence and welcoming environment.


    If I had to guess, I was sure the building was capable of forming a Mana Shield, but the Mana Shield was currently deactivated.


    When we entered the temple, and passed through a few hallways, I found myself in an outdoor garden. Three people sat on the grass in front of us. They were gathered around a sole plant, a thin, wispy purple flower with a thick, black stem about a foot long.   Our guide ushered us to take a seat in front of the plant.


    A quick Identify showed the plant to be a Nimion Flower, D-rank.


    <It¡¯s similar to the Yanir Tree,> Samantha said. <If you stay around it for long enough, it will raise your Dexterity.>


    ¡°Welcome,¡± a short woman with green eyes and long, brown hair, likely less than five feet tall, greeted us from her rug in English with a slight French accent. She looked to be just a few years older than me.  ¡°Please find a seat, and introduce yourselves.  If you could share your Status Window as well¡ªjust your name and level. My name is Evangeline Caron, level 37.¡±


    Evangeline sat with a white Mage¡¯s staff laying across her lap.  From the way everyone was seated in the circle, around a flower, it reminded me of summer camp. Let¡¯s go around the circle: introduce yourself and say if you had a superpower, what would it be?


    The other two members of the room introduced themselves as well. There was a Chinese man, probably around 30 years old, named Renshu.  Renshu wore a pure black unisuit like Dawnbreaker¡¯s, with no visible weapons.  He introduced himself briefly and then immediately glanced away, seeming extremely pissed about something.


    Next to Renshu was a black teenager with a longbow laying across his knees. The longbow took up even more space than his tiny frame. He wore a long, flowing cloak that hid most of his body in its folds.


    ¡°Bandile,¡± He said, smiling somewhat shyly at Dawnbreaker. ¡°Level 30.¡± He puffed his chest slightly when he said it.


    ¡°Thank you for coming,¡± Evangeline said with a warm smile. ¡°Unless there are more pressing issues at hand perhaps we can all share information.  There is a lot to learn from each other.¡±


    <hr>

 Chapter 88: World Politics

    ¡°Woah, that¡¯s so crazy.  I¡¯m the only known European survivor of the Hard Mode Tutorial.  And North America has four?¡± Evangeline spoke with an excited smile, and a hint of joking jealousy.


    ¡°Two,¡± Abelino said, from where he was seated next to me. ¡°I am Peruvian.¡±  The four of us had joined Evangeline, Bandile, and Renshu, forming a circle around the Nimion Flower.


    We were all cautious to keep our distance from the others.  Abelino was wearing a necklace that could make him immune to mind-control effects weaker than D-rank, and Dawnbreaker presumably had something to protect her mind as well.


    ¡°And Petra is my sister,¡± I added.  Petra had intentionally introduced herself without stating her level.


    ¡°I see,¡± Evangeline said, with a hint of displeasure entering her face. ¡°Now, there are a few things that we should cover. First of all, are you aware that sentient races will appear in a few days? We bought this information from the Merchants¡¯ Faction at a high price, but we are willing to share it for free. We have also heard that there is a sizable planetary reward for a world if its inhabitants are able to kill all the Zone Lords within the first two weeks.


    ¡°The three of us were chosen to greet you.  As we speak, several other Hell Mode Challengers are targeting the African Zone Lord.  If at all possible, we would like to remove all the Zone Lords before the other sentient races appear.¡±


    ¡°The information you bought is misleading,¡± I spoke up, after some prompting by Samantha. ¡°Are you aware that there are also Zone Lords in the ocean? I do not believe we are equipped to fight underwater battles.¡±


    ¡°Oh, shit,¡± Bandile said, slapping his knee and laughing. ¡°Bet you didn¡¯t see that coming.¡±


    Evangeline frowned. ¡°That does change things.¡±


    ¡°All coastal cities should be prepared for an invasion of sea monsters,¡± I added. ¡°In the next few days, before the other races come. They have been building their numbers and biding their time.¡±


    Dawnbreaker shot me a sharp glance, and I realized I had never mentioned this to her.  It had been a busy week.


    ¡°You¡¯ve probably saved tens of thousands of lives by telling us this,¡± Evangeline said. ¡°Thank you.  Is there anything else we should know?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t trust the Merchants¡¯ Factions,¡± I said. ¡°They will sell the locations of your cities, and any other important information they collect, to the invading forces.  When the real invasion starts, they will already know about our defenses, about the locations of our towns and cities, and more.¡±


    Evangeline looked even more troubled. ¡°What are you suggesting should be done?¡±


    ¡°Nothing,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s not like we can kick out the Merchants¡¯ Faction Stores or anything. It¡¯s just good information to have.  If you ever want to keep a town or city private, don¡¯t open a Merchants¡¯ Faction Store.¡±


    ¡°Anything else we should know?¡± Evangeline asked, clearly bracing for the worst.


    At Samantha¡¯s prompting, I spoke up again, somewhat sheepishly. ¡°Well, do you know about the World Ruler?¡± At everyone¡¯s blank faces, I continued, ¡°Generally, at this point, the Zone Lords are gradually approaching the level 100 cutoff. The first Zone Lord to break through to level 100 will become the World Ruler.¡±


    ¡°So that¡¯s the big-bad-boss?¡± Bandile asked. ¡°If we kill it, then does everything go back to normal?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s never going back to normal, Renshu said, glancing at Bandile. Renshu had been quiet this whole time, staring sullenly at the flower in front of him.  ¡°Get used to it.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for this information,¡± Evangeline said. Then, she took a breath.  ¡°I imagine you are wondering about the workings of the New World Government. We have only one rule: No infighting. Cooperation, trade, and free borders are encouraged. If anyone¡ªmember or not¡ªattacks the town or city of another person, then all of the New World Government will get involved.¡±


    I felt a brief moment of concern when I thought about the way Abelino and I had attacked the Armed Forces. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Then I shrugged mentally. Hopefully, they wouldn¡¯t find out about it.  And if they did, then what were they going to do about it?


    ¡°There are really no costs to joining the New World Government, since that rule applies regardless of whether people have joined.  It¡¯s more of an alliance than an actual government, you could say.  Most Regions are under the protection and control of one or two Hell-mode challengers.¡±


    ¡°What about the people?¡± Abelino asked.  ¡°What about democracy?¡±


    Renshu spoke up, still sounding somewhat bitter. ¡°We Hell Mode Challengers hold all the power.  If we were to ever renounce our claim on a city, there are a dozen other powers that would love to jump in and claim it. Democracy is dead.¡±


    ¡°That said,¡± Evangeline added, ¡°We are all free to choose the methods we use to rule our cities.  Some of us have representative governments, others have not.¡± She cast an apologetic look at Abelino. ¡°We are just trying to do the best we can.¡±


    ¡°I have a question,¡± I said. Samantha had been prompting me to ask it for a while. ¡°How many Hell Mode Challengers are involved in the New World Government, how many are outside of it, and why did it take so long to defeat your first Zone Lord?¡±


    Evangeline smiled again. ¡°You certainly ask the tough questions. We have six Hell Mode Challengers in the New World Government. There are a handful of Hell Mode Challengers that have chosen to not be affiliated with us.  As to why it has taken so long, almost a week ago, Africa¡¯s Zone Lord was found, and nearly killed, before it fled.  We only recently found it.¡±


    ¡°Asia¡¯s Zone Lord was not discovered until just today, and it has already been killed. As for Europe, that is a slightly different question, which perhaps you can help me with.  I am the only European Hell Mode Challenger, you see.  I¡¯m not confident in killing the Zone Lord myself, and the more powerful members of the New World Government have set a fairly¡­steep price in exchange for killing it. They are asking for¡ª"


    ¡°The New World Government suggests that you do not support Evangeline without consulting them,¡± Renshu said, interrupting Evangeline. ¡°What she isn¡¯t telling you is that two of our Hell Mode Challengers have already died fighting this beast.  It fights using illusions, and is extremely devious.   Our Speaker, Liling, would be unhappy if you choose to attack this creature.  It is a risk to you, and we have also spent sizable funds collecting the necessary items and equipment to defeat the beast.¡±


    Evangeline smiled helplessly at me. ¡°I owe it to my people to defeat the Sandman as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°I will help,¡± I said. ¡°I want half the loot, and I want to deal the killing blow.¡±


    Renshu¡¯s face¡ªpreviously just sallow in annoyance¡ªturned worried. ¡°At least wait until the others return from Africa.  It is safer to go together.  Two Hell Mode Challengers died.¡±


    <You should go with Evangeline now. Your build is well suited to deal with a Sandman. You could solo the Sandman yourself if you wanted to.>


    How so?


    <First of all, between your Containment Rune Pattern and an Invisibility Cloak, it shouldn¡¯t even notice your presence.  Secondly, I can block any mental attacks weaker than D-rank. And finally, your heightened Perception will help you see through any illusions anyway.>


    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± I said.


    Renshu¡¯s concern turned to panic.  ¡°You should carefully consider whether you want the animosity of five members of the New World Government.  I¡¯m not threatening you, or anything. But basically, the whole reason they made me stay here was to make sure Evangeline didn¡¯t convince anyone to fight her Zone Lord. They will be back soon¡ªjust wait an hour or so.¡±


    ¡°Four,¡± Bandile said. I had almost forgotten the teenager who sat quietly next to Abelino.


    ¡°What?¡± Renshu asked.


    ¡°Four members of the New World Government.¡± Bandile glanced at me. ¡°I don¡¯t give a fuck if you kill the Zone Lord.  No, wait, I¡¯m coming too.¡± Bandile rose so quickly I almost missed his movement. Before I knew it, he was already standing, halfway to the door.¡±


    Renshu looked apoplectic. ¡°What? Absame said you need to stay here to guard the Nimion Flower!¡±


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t want to guard the stupid flower,¡± Bandile said. ¡°I want to fight a Zone Lord.¡±


    Renshu¡¯s voice turned cautionary, raising his arms in mock defeat. ¡°Well, I guess I will have to tell Absame that you left.  He¡¯s not going to be happy.¡±  Renshu practically sang the last sentence.


    Bandile looked slightly frightened at first, and then he glanced at me and Dawnbreaker. ¡°I¡¯ll just go to North America with them.  Then we¡¯ll fight the South American Zone Lord together, too.¡±


    Renshu turned pleading eyes towards Dawnbreaker, Abelino, and myself.


    To my surprise, Dawnbreaker intervened. ¡°We will not be responsible for kidnapping a Hell-Mode Challenger.¡± She glanced at me, locking eyes until I nodded in agreement.


    I rose and glanced at Evangeline, who also rose from her seat.


    ¡°Please excuse him,¡± Dawnbreaker said, as I rose. ¡°Jarek is something of a loose cannon.  Please don¡¯t interpret his actions against Europe¡¯s Zone Lord as representative of the rest of us.


    I could swear, though, there was a glimmer of approval in her eye, as she glanced at me.


    I glanced at Abelino, who shook his head slightly.  Then Petra locked eyes with me. <I can¡¯t access Evangeline¡¯s mind.>   I could hear Petra¡¯s voice, her harsher tone, compared to Samantha¡¯s¡ªin my head.  And then it was gone.


    ¡°Good luck,¡± Petra said, out loud.  It wasn¡¯t at all the type of thing she would say.  She was likely just trying to avoid an awkward moment of us staring at each other.


    ¡°One last thing,¡± I said, as I connected my Communication Amulet with everyone else¡¯s.  ¡°I am a C-rank Rune Master. If you have C-rank materials, or D-rank, let me know, and I might be able to make items for you, including C-rank Personal Shields.¡±


    Dawnbreaker arched an eyebrow at me, and I realized it was yet another thing I hadn¡¯t told her yet.


    There was something of a stunned silence from Evangeline, Renshu, and Bandile, before Evangeline changed the topic.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go hunt a Sandman,¡± Evangeline said, with more excitement than any statement she had said previously.

 Chapter 89: Trouble at every turn

    ¡°Sorry about them,¡± Evangeline said, as we walked through the barrier that drew a line between Europe¡¯s Zone and Asia¡¯s Zone.


    There had clearly been some thought put into this, since both continents had a town almost exactly on the border, just a few hundred yards away from each other.


    Teleporting from the New World Government¡¯s Capital City to the border between Europe and Asia had been easy.  There was something uncanny about it, though.  I didn¡¯t sense any hordes of monsters.


    It almost looked like the New World Government had won.  They had somehow cleared out all the low-level monsters surrounding the three towns and cities that I had seen in Asia.


    It left a shiver down my back, as I wondered how that was possible. Maybe they had cleared out these three towns specifically, just to impress us, but they wouldn¡¯t have known any of us would agree to help Evangeline, and they didn¡¯t seem to want us to go this way anyway.


    Evangeline continued, ¡°The New World Government itself is a great idea. Unfortunately, there is something of a coalition inside the government, led by a woman named Liling, who has some ¡­ expansionist policies.  They basically want to take over Eastern Europe.  They want cities in exchange for taking care of the Zone Lord.  Anyway, I¡¯m glad you¡¯re here to help.


    ¡°There isn¡¯t much I can do against the Sandman.  It focuses on illusions, which is not one of my strengths.¡±


    ¡°What is your strength?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m a C-rank Triple-Casting Void Mage,¡± Evangeline said, somewhat sadly.


    <That is¡­ rather unfortunate,> Samantha said in my head.  <That has got to be one of the worst high-tier combos to start with.  That¡¯s either some crappy luck, or just a complete lack of foresight.>


    ¡°And how is that going for you?¡± I asked, as neutrally as I could.


    I could sense mana flowing around Evangeline in an agitated manner. ¡°My class is actually really cool¡ªI can cast the same spell multiple times, almost simultaneously.  The first spell costs 100% of the normal mana cost, the second spell costs half of that, and third spell costs a third of the original cost.  The only downside is that Void Magic is so mana intensive¡­ I¡¯m basically the weakest of all the Hell Mode Challengers, but that will change as we level up, and everyone knows it!¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound so bad,¡± I said. ¡°Do you want to buy any Void Spells? I have a Void Blade and Void Shield Spellbook,¡± I said.


    Evangeline perked up slightly at first, and then shrugged when she heard what I had to offer. ¡°Neither of those are particularly rare. I¡¯ve already picked those up.  It¡¯s just that compared to the other challengers, this is nothing special.  It¡¯s basically like I¡¯m just gaining extra Stat Points every level, but I don¡¯t have any special skills to show for it. Bandile, for example, has a skill that lets him fire a hundred Martial Energy arrows in under a second.  And that stacks with another skill, which lets each arrow he fires guide itself to a target.  That kid is a nightmare.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we focus on what we¡¯re about to do,¡± I said.  I felt like Evangeline was starting to lose whatever focus she had first brought to the meeting today. ¡°What happened in the first battle against the Sandman?¡±


    ¡°There were three of us in the assault,¡± Evangeline said. ¡°There were rumors of a powerful creature on this mountain, and so we gathered together to fight it.  We just didn¡¯t know what we were getting into.  We climbed the mountain, fighting the weak monsters as we rose up.


    ¡°Everything was going well, and we were part-way up the mountain, when I felt like something was off. I asked my companions something, and they didn¡¯t answer. They just continued walking up the mountain, fighting the monsters.  I felt like they were acting strangely, and I reached out a hand, and my hand passed directly through them.


    ¡°I knew something was wrong, and I panicked, running straight down the rest of the mountain.  I managed to make it off the mountain, but the other two Hell-Mode Challengers never came back.  It wasn¡¯t until I paid the Merchant¡¯s Faction for information that they told me that the Zone Lord was a Sandman, with a focus on illusion magic.¡±


    ¡°Do you have anything to help you against the illusion magic, this time?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I have several items that will enhance my Perception. That should do it.¡±This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    <If she¡¯s telling the truth, I suggest you don¡¯t let her enter the mountain.  You should take on this Zone Lord by yourself.>


    <hr>


    After our last teleport, we finally found ourselves in a town in what used to be the Swiss Alps.  The scenery was beautiful, with the exception of the many fallen trees due to earthquakes and monsters alike.  There was a crystal-clear lake near the town, which Evangeline said had a good selection of F-rank herbs.


    The people in the town greeted Evangeline and me with a smile.  I kept an eye out for any covert or angry glances, but it seemed they genuinely liked Evangeline.


    The town was under attack by Dire Rats, but the people at the walls seemed capable and well-equipped to deal with them.


    ¡°It¡¯s the mountain to the north,¡± Evangeline said. ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want me to come?¡±


    ¡°It would be easier for me to do this alone,¡± I said. Void Magic was great for dealing immense damage against creatures. It would have been useful against the Lamia Impression.


    But a Sandman had low physical resistance anyway, and I didn¡¯t want the illusions to somehow turn Evangeline against me.


    ¡°I feel like I should remind you that if you renege on our agreement¡ªif you keep the Capital City token for yourself¡ªyou¡¯ll have the New World Government breathing down your back.¡±


    ¡°Our deal still stands. You get the Capital City Token, I get the loot.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll escort you to the mountain, at least,¡± Evangeline said.


    Under the watchful eyes of the guards around us, we left the town, side by side.  Evangeline and I made quick, casual work of the Dire Rats that were attacking the town.  We passed a lake that was impossibly pristine¡ªconsidering the fallen trees and upturned earth, I would have thought some of it would have discolored the lake.


    Evangeline waved cheerily towards a group of foragers who had been diving in the lake, and they waved brightly back.


    Everything felt so surreal, and beautiful.


    We walked on together, my pace limited to hers, until Evangeline stopped on top of a small grassy hill.


    ¡°I think I¡¯m just slowing you down,¡± Evangeline said, somewhat sadly.  She grabbed my hand for a split second, before letting it go and smiling demurely at me.  ¡°I¡¯ll let you go the rest of the way.  Once you kill the Sandman, come find me at the crystalline lake.  I try to keep the resource points clear when I can, so people don¡¯t have to worry about being attacked when they dive.  Good luck.¡±


    ¡°Thanks. I¡¯ll see you soon,¡± I said, with a bit of false bravado.  I headed out towards the snowy mountain ahead of me.  I cast one last look behind me, to see Evangeline watching me with a smile from the top of the grassy hill, her battle robes and long hair flowing in the wind.


    Visually, it was almost like the fairy tales¡ªa fair maiden, waiting outside the castle surrounded by monsters, for her knight to defeat a dragon and return victorious.


    <You know she¡¯s playing you, right?> Samantha said. <You¡¯re going to have to be very careful when you return and give her the City Token.  A single Void Bolt could trump your mana shield.  She could kill you in an instant.  Also, you won¡¯t be able to leave Europe unless she allows it, so she could manufacture a dozen different encounters to make your life difficult if she wanted.>


    Come on. You¡¯re just being paranoid.  It¡¯s not like everybody loses their morals the moment the world goes to hell. Sometimes people are just nice.  And why would she want to kill me anyway?


    As I responded to Samantha, I casually killed the Dire Rats that were gathering towards me, heading towards the mountain at pace that was faster than before, but that wouldn¡¯t require any drain on my Mana Pool.


    <Oh, so you think she¡¯s flirting with you because she thinks you¡¯re hot?>


    Samantha¡¯s question caught me flat-footed.  It took me a second to respond. ¡°¡­yes?¡±


    <Look, why do you think she didn¡¯t negotiate for anything else besides the City Token? It¡¯s because it doesn¡¯t matter.  She gets the City Token, she teases you until you take out the rest of the loot from your Interdimensional Pouch, and then she kills you.  I know how this kind of game plays out.>


    By this kind of game, you mean what, every romantic relationship? Is this what you will be like every time someone tries to get close to me?


    <Stop pretending like you actually believe Evangeline¡¯s story.  First of all, what, she is acting like she is entitled to claim all of Europe, even though she can¡¯t defend it, just because, what, she is European? You can¡¯t play the helpless victim, when you control virtually a whole Zone.>


    <Think about just how much she is underselling herself.  She is ¡°just¡± a C-rank Triple-casting Void Mage. Sure, it¡¯s a crappy draw, but it¡¯s still a C-rank Class! That means she is likely getting 10 points every level. Poor Evangeline.>


    <And then think about how she has painted a picture of ¡°Us v.s. them,¡± where she is already making you mistrust the Hell Mode Challengers from Africa and Asia.>


    Let¡¯s say I buy what you¡¯re suggesting. What am I supposed to do about it?


    <Well, I have a feeling you would be against taking her out before she tries anything. There is really only one thing you should do for now, which is kill the Sandman, and then go from there.>


    So, what, you¡¯re just going to leave Evangeline¡¯s inevitable betrayal in the back of my mind as I fight the Sandman?


    <Exactly.  In fact, I feel like you would complain if I never brought it up.>


    Fair enough.


    The number of monsters had thinned out significantly since we left the town.  I waited until was in a low enough valley that I could no longer see the town, or the hill where Evangeline had stood, and then I covered myself in my Invisibility Cloak, and found a secluded part of the base of the mountain to hide myself in.


    Whether or not Samantha was right about Evangeline, I wasn¡¯t going to risk my life going into a situation without full information.


    The first thing I did was I set up a Proximity Ward, and several Mana Shields around my body. Then, I activated Spiritual Traveler.

 Chapter 90: Sandman

    Spiritual Traveler was a skill that opened up a whole separate world.


    The first, and most dangerous part, of Spiritual Traveler was that it left my body completely defenseless. My awareness would leave my body, and my body would be unconscious the whole time my spirit was absent. The proximity ward that I set up would let my soul know if someone was close to my body, which would hopefully buy my spirit enough time to fly back and deal with whatever was messing with my body.  There were several E-rank Personal Mana Shields that I put into place for additional security.


    Once that was taken care of, I activated Spiritual Traveler and began my journey through the Spiritual Plane.


    The Spiritual Plane was essentially an overlay of the world as I knew it, with everything reflected in relation to the presence of mana.


    A normal rock or boulder would have very little mana in it, the air had a very small amount of ambient mana around me, and plants would have a modest amount of mana.


    The real gatherings of mana were the creatures around me.  I could guess at their shapes from their mana outlines, even though I could not see their physical characteristics.


    It was a disconcerting feeling, seeing the insides of creatures¡ªtheir hearts, lungs, brain, and core¡ªwhich were all densely packed with mana, and then I could see the dense threads of mana traveling in mesmerizing webs throughout the rest of the body.


    Mana Sensing was essential at this point. Mana Sensing, I already knew, did not require eyes or normal organs to function¡ªit was based around my soul, which was currently outside my body.


    Previously, all mana had appeared as white to me. Now, with my C-ranked Mana Sensing, I could now see the attunement of mana, represented in various colors. There were creatures digging through the ground that were Earth-attuned, which had brown mana. There were fish swimming in the a nearby stream that ran from the snowy cap of the mountain that had a light blue coloring to their mana.


    Several vultures circling in the sky showed me that Air-attuned mana was white. Most plants around me were green.


    Of course, this was a gross oversimplification of everything that I saw.  In truth, the world was a vibrant and psychedelic blend of colors.  The vultures had streaks of brown mana in their guts, and the plants around me had traces of white in their mana composition as well.


    It was like seeing the world in a whole new way¡ªseeing many of the same things, but with a completely different framework.


    The circumstances of movement with this skill was one that I had been unclear about until now.


    As an incorporeal spirit, it didn¡¯t take any amount of force at all to move my spirit from one place to another.


    <This is a C-rank skill, which will let you move, accelerate, and decelerate at incredible speeds,> Samantha said.  <Your max speed should be well over 100 mph, in your ¡°Old-world¡± terms.  But of course, you don¡¯t want to be going that fast, because we want to take the time to study this mountain.>


    <There are a few things that you should be looking for,> Samantha said, as my spirit started climbing the mountainside. <Unattuned mana is clear, like water.  Illusion magic is tied to air and light, so you should look for high concentrations of gold and white colors.>


    Why is light gold? Shouldn¡¯t light be white, since white light holds all the colors?


    <Don¡¯t think too hard about it,> Samantha said. <It¡¯s your subconscious doing the filtering anyway.  I wasn¡¯t going to get into it, but this is really an example of synesthesia.  Mana doesn¡¯t actually have color. It just has attunements, which your human brain is interpreting as a color, since your dominant sense is sight. If your dominant sense were smell, then maybe Water-attuned mana would smell like water, Earth-attuned mana would smell like dirt, and so on.  Now, reach out with your senses and try to pinpoint the nearby Illusion magic.>


    The way Samantha said it implied that she had already located it. I quickly filtered through my many senses, searching the area for white and gold.The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    Eventually, I managed to find it. Or, them. There were several underground orbs of condensed gold and white mana planted in an orderly fashion around the foot of the mountain.


    It seemed the orbs were just a few inches below the ground, at times.


    <Shit,> Samantha said.


    Excuse me?


    <It¡¯s shit. Feces. I think you¡¯re aware that some species pee everywhere to claim their territory? Sandmen leave their feces, which are dense pools of illusion-attuned mana, that the Sandmen can still draw from. They also function to make anybody who walks by more susceptible to illusions, weakening their perception and slowly infiltrating their senses, so that when the Sandman strikes, the groundwork is already laid. It is something of a rudimentary Illusion Ward.>


    The idea of dealing with weaponized feces was extremely unappealing to me.


    So, what should I do? I asked. Would I be able to just use my E-rank Personal Mana Shield to block it?


    <Since it is a mana-based attack, Personal Mana Shields would counter it.  However, they are E and D-rank attacks, which means they would quickly trump your E-rank Personal Mana Shield.  If you had your C-rank Personal Mana Shield, then this would be a different story.>


    <For now, if you notice the way the illusion mana spreads, it is generally localized to the ground.  As long as you stay floating maybe 100 feet in the air, the illusion mana won¡¯t spread to you now. Depending on the concentration of illusion mana, we will have to wait and see if we will need to waste a Soul Explosion on this Sandman, or if we can risk approaching it in person.>


    For once, Samantha¡¯s approach sounded extremely reasonable.


    Between my heightened Mana Sensing and my Spiritual Traveler spell, I felt like I was able to get a good sense of what the mountain looked like.  I could see dense rows of trees about halfway up the mountain, glowing brightly with green mana, and hundreds of roaming animals¡ªDire Rats and some kind of cross between birds and dogs made up the majority of the monsters here.


    It wasn¡¯t hard to find the Sandman, hiding in an underground cave two thirds of the way up the mountain.


    The Illusion-attuned mana inside the Sandman was incredibly dense.  The blend of white and gold colors was almost blinding, which made the Sandman¡¯s location even easier to find.


    The Sandman was also surrounded by illusion-attuned mana. Or, to be more precise, the Sandman was surrounded by its own shit, as Samantha said.


    To my confusion, though, there was another Sandman, just a few hundred yards away from that Sandman. Both setups of illusion-attuned mana surrounding a dense combination of mana the size of a bear were identical.


    As I explored in growing confusion, I found a third, and a fourth, and a fifth, Sandman made of mana. Two were roaming the mountainside, and the other was at the peak of the mountain top.


    Why didn¡¯t you mention I would have to fight a pack of them?


    <You won¡¯t.  This is where the Atropos Schema¡¯s mechanics come in to play,> Samantha said, going into her lecturing tone. <You have a C-ranked Mana Sensing ability, and the Zone Lord¡¯s illusion affinity is D-rank.  So normally, you would think our ability would trump the Zone Lord¡¯s.  But this Sandman is fairly smart.  He essentially copied and pasted his own internal mana in several different places, as an additional defense against Mana Sensing.  So, the mana that you are seeing is real¡ªbut only one of them is the Sandman.>


    <Unfortunately, if you were to add mana to Perception right now, it wouldn¡¯t affect Mana Sensing¡ªit only affects your normal bodily senses.  If you had line of sight and you put all your mana into Perception, then you would likely be able to see if one of these versions was real or not. But that would be time-consuming to reach line-of-sight with each one of these illusions, and wasting time is dangerous, when there are dozens of E-rank and D-rank illusion spells seeping into your brain.>


    So, what¡¯s the plan?


    Samantha sighed. <Jarek, at some point, you¡¯re going to need to start thinking for yourself. For your own benefit. You keep acting like you¡¯re sick of me, and then the moment we¡¯re in a tough place, you ask me what to do. Well, if you¡¯re not going to start thinking for yourself, you can always just start treating me more like a person, and less like an evil computer program taking over the world?>


    I sighed. If it were up to me, I would come back when I have a C-rank Personal Mana Shield. Then I could take my time defeating the Zone Lord.


    <But you¡¯re forgetting that the Zone Lord will be gone by then.  Any minute, really, the other Hell Mode Challengers could appear and try to take down the Sandman.>


    Oh, right.


    <Anyway, I do have a solution.  These illusions look perfect, and they look identical, but that is actually their weakness. If you look carefully, you will see that every Sandman has mana flowing in exactly the same patterns, even though some of them are doing different things.  If a creature is walking, then its mana should flow differently through its body. Think of it like how blood pumps more vigorously through your body when you are active.  But we don¡¯t see that kind of mana movement in the two Sandmen that are moving around the mountain.  So that means those two Sandmen are fake.>


    That leaves three more possible Sandmen, I said.


    <Don¡¯t worry. I have a plan to differentiate between the three.  Unless you want to give it a shot?>

 Chapter 91: Soul Explosion

    From the way Samantha asked the question, posing a challenge for me to differentiate between three Sandmen¡ªtwo illusory, and one real¡ªthe implication was that this was something I could actually figure out, with the information I had available.


    She was right, that I needed to stop depending on her. Eventually, maybe I would figure out a way to kick Samantha out of my head. If that ever happened, then I would want to able to make decisions for myself, not relying on Samantha 24/7.


    I could sneak up under the Invisibility Cloak with heightened Perception, I suggested.


    <No. That would take time, and in that time, you¡¯d have illusions planted and accumulating in your brain. It¡¯s possible, but risky.>


    Then I¡¯m stuck, I said, mentally throwing my hands up in the air.


    <The clues are there, Jarek. For the three Sandmen that are candidates for the real one, they are all curled up in the same position.


    <There is an easy way to test between the three sedentary Sandmen. You can just set off a weak Soul Explosion near one of them, and then we can study to see how they react. If we watch closely, the first one to look in the direction of the explosion would be the real one. If any Sandmen don¡¯t react, or look the wrong way, or look the right way, but slowly, or, if they look the right way but the mana doesn¡¯t flow correctly through their bodies, then that is a sign that they are not real.>


    Wouldn¡¯t that give away my presence? I asked. I thought I wanted the element of surprise.


    <That is true. We can set off the explosion near the peak of the mountain, and then they will not expect us to come charging up from the foot of the mountain.>


    And are you sure it¡¯s worth it to give up the Stat Points? I wasn¡¯t nearly as dedicated to my own development as much as Samantha, so it was something of a surprise to hear that she was willing to sacrifice my own Stat Points.


    <We would only need two Stat Points. It¡¯s worth it. You already gained a Stat Point from the Nimion Flower anyway. You can just take that point you gained in Dexterity and put it to a better use. Then you can take away a Stat Point from Strength, too.>


    Alright.


    As far as Samantha¡¯s plans went, this actually seemed reasonable, well-thought-out, and cautious. It definitely beat getting swallowed whole by a monster the size of a building and fighting my way out of its digestive tract.


    There were two limiting factors to Soul Explosion. First, I could only use 20 Stat Points at a time. Samantha offered a rough calculation about what this would mean. One Stat Point sacrificed would be capable of killing something¡¯s soul at level 5. 2 Stat Points could kill something at level 10, and so on. 20 Stat Points put into a Soul Explosion could kill a creature around level 100.


    It didn¡¯t seem like a coincidence that, if I were to kill a Zone Lord with a Soul Explosion, I would likely have to use 20 Stat Points, and then I would gain those same Stat Points back.


    The effects of this meant that each additional Stat Point that I sacrificed made the Soul Explosion far more effective. Killing something that was level 5 was a joke, killing something at level 20 was well more than 4 times harder than killing something at level 5.


    This was why Samantha was suggesting that I spend 2 Stat Points. An explosion that could kill a level 5 creature might not even be enough to make a Zone Lord turn its head. Hopefully, an explosion that could kill a level 10 creature would at least draw the Zone Lord¡¯s attention.


    The second limiting factor to Soul Explosion was that the explosion originated from my soul, meaning my soul had to be near my target.


    I quickly lowered my spirit down towards the ground, focusing my senses on the three Sandmen I was suspicious of. One at the top of the mountain, two in caves below me.


    In addition to the nearby monsters, I had decided I would also target a Sandman turd.


    Let¡¯s blow shit up.


    I was only in the range of the turd¡¯s illusion-magic for a split second, before I immediately activated the Soul Explosion.


    True to form, Samantha had neglected to mention that it would be painful.


    It felt like I was cutting off a portion of who I was, a deep pain at the core of my being that would never be mended.


    <Focus!> Samantha shouted in my head.


    I immediately sent my soul flying back up into the air, to escape from the illusion magic around me, and focused on the three Sandmen.This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    They were all staring intently at where I had just set off the explosion.


    <Well, which one do you think it is?> Samantha sounded like a teacher, calling out the student who had been staring distractedly out a window.


    I don¡¯t know. You tell me. You should have mentioned that Soul Explosion would be incredibly painful.


    <It¡¯s the Sandman on the east side of the mountain, two thirds of the way towards the top. He was the first to look towards you. Now, it¡¯s time to get back to your body.>


    I flew through the air, again at an incredible speed, until I found my body. Since Personal Mana Shields are tied to your soul, I was able to travel through the Personal Mana Shields around my body easily, re-entering without any difficulty.


    I opened my eyes, wriggled my fingers, and breathed deeply.


    After experiencing the Spiritual Realm, it was nice to be back in reality. I still had Mana Sensing¡¯s passive effect active, so I could still see the mana inside the trees and monsters around me, but it was nice seeing the physical outsides of everything. The textured bark of trees, the various colors of the leaves, and the far-off peaks of the Swiss Alps.


    I rose carefully, unsure of how my body would react to being soul-less for a few minutes. I felt a bit of lethargy like waking up from a deep sleep, but I still felt very capable.


    <You should unequip your Personal Mana Shields,> Samantha said. <They will just break pretty much the moment they are exposed to the Sandman shit. They might buy you a second or two, but it¡¯s not worth the cost.>


    I unequipped my Personal Mana Shields, choosing instead to equip my usual assortment of items, including the goat mask, since it would add to my perception.


    Then, I started my newfound skill, building up mana outside of my body, essentially creating a second mana pool outside my body.


    It took some focus. I wasn¡¯t telling the mana to do anything except for follow me around. I waited for my mana pool to refill.


    I felt I rush of excitement. I was currently more deadly than I had ever been.


    The only thing missing was that Cursed Lightning was still on cooldown.


    I shrugged, enjoying the physical feeling of my shoulders rising and falling. Then I sighed, in pleasure. It was strange, how much I missed the physical feeling of movement, and the random itchy feeling of needing to move, after just a few minutes outside of my body.


    I split my floating points between Agility and Perception, and I rushed up the mountainside.


    I was still under my Invisibility Cloak, so I was able to rush around the hundreds of monsters swarming the mountainside.


    I could see, with my Mana Sensing, when the first Illusion-attributed mana from the Sandman feces reached me.


    I braced myself for weird hallucinations, but I didn¡¯t feel anything. I just kept running through a field of Illusion-attributed mana, charging past the Dire Rats, and past a strange hybrid of a greyhound and an eagle called Parons.


    The Parons had the lithe torso and four paws of a greyhound, with the head of an eagle and a massive wingspan much greater than any eagle I had ever seen.


    There were hundreds of them, and I could only imagine how hard it would be to dodge their attacks from the sky and from the ground. Fortunately, I didn¡¯t have to, because none of them had noticed me yet.


    As I rushed up the mountainside, my path grew steeper and steeper, gradually reaching what was essentially a vertical wall.


    To my surprise, Samantha¡¯s combat shadow continued directly through the wall.


    <It¡¯s an illusion,> she said. <Anyone who comes this way would be detoured away from the Sandman¡¯s real nest.>


    I stretched out a hand, watching my own hand disappear though what looked like a very solid rocky cliffside to me. I had thought that my heightened Perception would be enough to break the illusion.


    <Weren¡¯t you listening earlier, when I told you that you need to rely on Mana Sensing in order to cancel out the Sandman¡¯s illusion spells? Your perception isn¡¯t an efficient tool¡ªit costs far more mana than Mana Sensing does. Even if you had 50 Perception right now, you still might not be able to see completely through the Sandman¡¯s illusions.>


    I stepped forward, through the wall and into the darkness¡ªit didn¡¯t look like I was surrounded by dirt. It was just like I was walking through a pitch-black murky nothingness. I was meeting no resistance with every step except for the ground at my feet.


    The combat shadow had slowed down considerably, allowing me to take slow and deliberate steps. It was hard, taking a step and not knowing right away at what level your foot will land on the ground.


    What were the details that showed you this cliffside was fake, then? I asked.


    <I memorized the layout of the mountain when we were out of range of the illusion mana. As I mentioned earlier, the Sandman shit creates a stable, Area of Effect Illusion ward. Earlier, I didn¡¯t know what it¡¯s purpose was. But I would say that it seems clear that the goal was to obstruct the path of any approaching attackers. If you had followed that cliffside, I¡¯m sure you would have found yourself following a gradual spiral up the mountain. Who knows¡ªyou may have had to spiral around the mountain five times before reaching the Sandman. By then, the Illusion magic would have had more time to infiltrate your mind for whatever other devious purposes it has.>


    <Anyway, with the layout that I memorized as a template, I was able to filter through the dense illusion mana surrounding us and focus in on the earth-attuned mana that shows where the ground actually is.>


    Everything Samantha said sounded incredibly difficult. First of all, how was it even possible to memorize the topography of a mountain to that level of precision?


    And I had been tuning out a lot of the Mana Sensing information around me, because it was giving me a headache. Everything around me was whitish gold, swirling in confusing patterns. I could barely make anything else out.


    But I didn¡¯t want to praise Samantha¡ªI didn¡¯t want it to go to her head.


    But wouldn¡¯t people eventually just touch the cliffside and find out that it¡¯s fake? As I asked, I took another step in the darkness blindly, trusting Samantha¡¯s combat shadow to lead me up the mountainside safely.


    <Eventually, the illusion would fail. But think about where that would leave most people. Think about the illusion you¡¯re under, now. You are essentially walking through pitch-black nothingness. How are you supposed to kill a Sandman, or even defend yourself, when you are unable to hear, see, or smell anything?>


    Samantha¡¯s questions put me on edge. My five senses were providing me with absolutely no information. Mana Sensing, on the other hand, was oversaturated with confusing blends of white and gold. Mana Sensing gave me a view of the world that was even more chaotic than a toddler painting with watercolors.

 Chapter 92: Sleeper Agents

    Shouldn¡¯t I add more points to Perception? I asked. I was still wading through the darkness slowly. I could see nothing, not even with Mana Sensing, and I was eager to have some sense of where I was.


    <Wait for your first 30 seconds of your floating points to wrap up,> Samantha said. <Then take the points that you have put into Agility, and put them into Perception.>


    Isn¡¯t that risky? I thought you were saying that the longer we stay under the effects of the illusion ward, the more time it has to mess with our minds?


    <Don¡¯t blame me,> Samantha said. <You¡¯re refusing to run at the speed your Agility could let you run at, anyway, so having so many points in Agility is useless right now.>


    To be fair, what Samantha said was true.  But you try running at full speed in the darkness, up a hill that you can¡¯t see, and then get back to me once you¡¯ve tripped and scraped your knees a few times.


    Of course, I hadn¡¯t tripped yet, but that was because I¡¯d been careful.  If I was running in a straight line, then I could probably have been moving faster. But Samantha¡¯s combat shadow had me zig-zagging uphill.


    When the 30 second mark came, I took the mana that had been building throughout my body¡ªthe mana that I was keeping from entering my core, that would normally refill my core at a rate of 70 mana per minute¡ªand I put the mana into Perception, raising my Perception by about 30 points.


    With over 50 Perception, now, I could finally make out the vague outline of the ground, the trees, and hundreds of monsters that were roaming this area in random, confused circles.


    Everything still seemed muted, and almost grainy, kind of like watching black-and-white television in the 60s.


    So¡­how were you dodging the monsters earlier, when our Perception was lower?


    <You¡¯re still relying too much on your five senses. You should have focused more on Mana Sensing. The illusions were trying to hide the truth, by overwhelming us with fake information.>


    <I already knew what the landscape would look like, because I memorized that when your soul was over the mountain. Once I knew what was real, it was easier to notice the patterns in the fake mana around us. It also helps that to conceal dense amounts of mana, you need dense amounts of mana. So, the densest areas of illusion mana are likely to hide monsters.>


    Oh.


    I wasn¡¯t sure I completely understood what Samantha was saying. But I was impressed.  I couldn¡¯t help but wonder what it would be like, having an A.I. like Samantha in my head, that I could actually completely trust.


    That would be an awesome feeling. But no luck.


    I focused on following the combat shadow further up the mountain.


    The further up we went, the grainier my vision became. Even with over 50 perception, I started to see less and less.


    <Don¡¯t slow down,> Samantha said. <The longer this takes, the more dangerous it becomes. Keep moving.>


    You said you filtered out the fake mana, I said. And you mentioned your vision. Can you just show me your processed feed? That way I¡¯ll at least know what¡¯s happening? I don¡¯t want to fight the Sandman in the dark, you know?


    <Hm, I could do that,> Samantha said. <But you know how the combat shadow requires mana whenever it¡¯s happening, right? It would also take a small amount of mana per minute¡ªabout 3 mana each minute¡ªto show you my best estimates at reality. And you would have to remember, this isn¡¯t real. It¡¯s just what I think is happening.>


    Just do it, I said.


    All of a sudden, without warning, the cacophony of white-gold mana disappeared. I could even see normal colors again¡ªI could see the sky, I could see the Parons flying high above me, I could see the brown bark of trees, withered leaves turning gold and red, and I could see the hundreds of beasts roaming randomly around me.


    Most concerning of all, I could see up ahead of me dozens of Treants, standing directly in my path.


    The Treants had interwoven their branches, forming a wall well over 20 feet tall, that as far as I could tell circled the entire mountain.


    <This is the first real line of defense,> Samantha said. <They will notice if you touch them.>


    <You¡¯ll have to just blaze your way through.>


    I drew my Vampiric Blade, and charged the wall of Treants.


    Samantha, to her credit, made the Treants look just like I remembered them, even adding a textured bark that I was certain she couldn¡¯t see.


    It was concerning, thinking that Samantha basically had control of my sense of sight like this.


    None of the Treants had so much as noticed my presence, and they stood frozen, just like normal trees would.


    I rushed towards the nearest Treant, drew my sword, and attacked the branches that blocked my path with some added Agility.A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    My blade easily cut through the Treant¡¯s branches, but the moment I it did, the whole wall of Treants reacted. The nearest Treants immediately swung their branches to build a cage around me, planting their long branches into the ground and then weaving other branches around.


    But if they thought that could keep me trapped, they were sorely mistaken.


    I cut through the woven branch wall that appeared in front of me with ease, following Samantha¡¯s combat shadow as I dodged the dozens of limbs that were stabbing towards me.


    Several Treants uprooted themselves to chase me, but to my surprise, the majority of the Treants held the same position, maintaining the wall that encircled the whole peak of the mountain.


    The Treants¡¯ movement speed was relatively slow, but their branches were able to swing around extremely quickly. I was just reaching the range of their branches, when I saw the second line of defenses.


    I felt a chill race across my body at the sight of two bleeding, bedraggled humans staring my direction.


    Directly in front of me was a woman holding one of the largest swords I have seen in the last two weeks. She held it easily, casually pointed out towards my direction, but I could only imagine that the weight of a sword like that would break a normal person¡¯s wrist.  Her blade was covered in blood and sap, and chipped in a few places.


    Behind her, I could see a man in shredded robes, reading from a tome in front of him.


    I could feel the power of the man¡¯s chanting, already gathering the ambient mana around us.


    What the fuck is this? I almost called out to them, but from their distanced, unfocused gaze, and the fact that the Treants weren¡¯t attacking them, I had a very unpleasant suspicion of what was happening.


    <This is a Sandman¡¯s true power,> Samantha said, her voice grave.  <The number one rule when fighting a Sandman is this: Don¡¯t fall asleep around them.  These two people are deep in their own illusions, now. They are basically sleep-walking, but they will try to kill you.>


    If I kill the Sandman, will they be free?


    They didn¡¯t look like they were dying, at least.


    <No,> Samantha said, with a hint of regret in her voice. <They have been sleeping here for several days. The Sandman has drained their mind and soul for long enough that they are just husks, now, here to do his biding.  And that bidding, it seems, is to kill you.>


    Samantha¡¯s combat shadow was rushing towards the two people¡ªlikely the Hell-mode challengers that had attacked the Sandman with Evangeline. I saw the combat shadow throw a knife towards the chest of the chanting sorcerer.


    I followed the outline¡¯s footsteps, but I didn¡¯t throw the knife.  I won¡¯t kill them. I can¡¯t know for sure that they won¡¯t come back when we kill the Sandman.


    <Fine!> Samantha half-shouted in my head, diverting her combat shadow suddenly and sending the shadow diving to the ground. I followed suit, just barely escaping the Martial Energy of a blade that traveled in a semicircle around the swordswoman.


    <We need to move quickly. The spell that the sorcerer is chanting is an Area of Effect Sleep spell.>


    I felt a thrill of fear, and I poured more mana into Agility, rushing towards the sorcerer.


    The swordswoman stomped a foot, and I could see the whole earth bulge out in a semicircle with her at the epicenter.


    Then she swung her sword directly towards me.  Not just towards where I was, but towards where I was headed as well.


    The sword strike was definitely a sword skill. It didn¡¯t look like her arms were moving that fast, but the blade was just a foot away from my chest when I realized what was going on.


    I was forced to block with my Vampiric Blade using both hands, and the moment our blades crossed, I felt something break in my wrists.


    My body flew back several dozen yards, and I felt my back crash against a nearby Treant.


    I stumbled to my feet, but the Treant was already wrapping its branches around me, grabbing my hands and leg with a half dozen branches.


    In my head, Samantha sighed. <Oops. Looks like we should have gone all-out sooner.>


    <table width="624">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Name:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    Jarek


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Level:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    34


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    HP:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    44/44


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Physical Defense:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    18


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Strength:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    30 (+5)


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Mental Power:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    14


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Dexterity:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    10 (+5)


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Agility:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    24 (+14)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Perception:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    20


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Luck:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    22


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Mana Pool:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    106 (+10)


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Mana Regeneration:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    60 (+10)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Available Points:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    0


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Coins:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    424,000


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Class:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    Mana Modulator (D-rank)


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Profession:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    Rune Master


    (C-rank)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Titles:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="486">


    Region Lord (E-rank)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Skills and Spells:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="486">


    Identify (E-rank)


    Mana Modulation (D-rank Core)


    Death¡¯s Defier (A-rank)


    Mana Sensing (C-rank)


    Healthy Magic (E-rank)


    Aquatic Respiration (E-rank)


    Polyglot (E-rank)


    Soul Communion (D-rank)


    Cursed Lightning (D-rank)


    Spiritual Traveler (D-rank)


    Soul Explosion (D-rank)


    Mana Control (C-rank)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Affinities:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="486">


    Internal Mana (D-rank Low), External Unattributed Mana (C-rank Low), Soul Magic (D-rank Low)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Equipment:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="486">


    Vampiric Blade (D-rank): +5 Strength, +5 Agility.


    Bloodied Battle Robes (D-rank): +5 Mana Pool, +5 Mana Regen.


    Imperial Scout Boots (E-rank): +4 Agility.


    Greedy Gloves (D-rank): +5 Mana Pool, +5 Mana Regen.


    Bonded Blades (D-rank): +5 Dexterity, +5 Agility.


    Communication Amulet (E-rank):


    Interdimensional Pouch (D-rank):


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Missions:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="486">


    Zone Offense


    Renegade Bounty Hunter


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>

 Chapter 93: Sandman Part Two

    It felt like I was inside a virtual reality world.  Without Samantha¡¯s help, visually, everything would be just grey shadows moving around me, since my Perception stat wasn¡¯t high enough to trump the illusion of darkness that the Sandman had created around the mountain.


    In terms of Mana Sensing, without Samantha¡¯s help, I would be seeing such a confusing mismatch of overwhelming and misleading white-gold mana that I wouldn¡¯t be able to tell what was real.


    But Samantha had kindly solved that problem, showing me a filtered feed of both Mana Sensing and my own vision, which allowed me to see the world¡ªnot in great detail, but enough to get by.


    So far, I had all my floating points in Perception, and twenty points in Agility. The sandbagging plan wasn¡¯t really working, apparently. I could already feel drowsiness kicking in from the sorcerer¡¯s chanting, and if I let that continue, then I would likely fall asleep soon.


    The moment I fell asleep, the Sandman¡¯s would be able to control my dreams and somehow leech away my spirit, leaving me a puppet that the Sandman could control.


    That wasn¡¯t going to happen.


    I poured another twenty points into Agility, and another twenty points into Strength, and I bulldozed through the cage that the Treants were forming around me.


    Both of my wrists were more or less useless at the moment, from the single strike that I had been forced to block by the swordswoman.


    Unfortunately, my aggressive attacks against the Treant cage seemed to allow the swordswoman to spot me.


    She slashed her sword lightly, and a beam of martial energy flew from her sword directly towards me.


    But I was ready for it, dodging it, and then ducking under the next wave of martial energy that flew towards me.


    As I was dodging and rushing towards the sorcerer, I drew a health potion from my Interdimensional Pouch and started drinking it.


    My wrists were in incredible pain¡ªjust lifting the potion was a challenge¡ªbut I drank it quickly, dodging yet another beam of the swordswoman¡¯s martial energy.


    As I did, I felt my body slowing down, complaining in exhaustion.


    <Can we just kill the Sorcerer?> Samantha asked.


    Fine. I thought. I had a feeling if I hadn¡¯t decided halfway through the battle to pull my punches, this encounter would have gone very differently.


    My wrists were already healing thanks to the health potion, and I put a few points into Dexterity, then I threw two knives¡ªone towards the swordswoman, and the other towards the Sorcerer.


    The woman with the large sword blocked the knife that flew towards her easily, but the dagger that targeted the Sorcerer slit his throat, and the sorcerer¡¯s body fell to the ground.


    That was easy, I thought, feeling slightly suspicious. Maybe the Sandman would raise the sorcerer from the dead, somehow.


    <Don¡¯t worry.  Their reflexes are slower, since the Sandman is controlling them.  And he probably had a Mana Shield when he came to the mountain, but it would have cracked right away from the pressure of the illusion wards.>


    With the sorcerer out of the way, I could turn my full attention towards the woman with the sword.


    The way I saw it, it was almost as if she teleported. One moment, she was ten yards away from me, the next, she was right in front of me, with her blade moving at a frightening speed towards my chest.


    It was the same accelerated movement skill that she had used earlier, and this time, Samantha was ready for it.


    I added another forty points to Agility, taking my total Agility over 100, and I moved forward into the woman¡¯s reach, drawing my two daggers from my sheathes.


    Once I was inside the woman¡¯s guard, I braced myself and used the dagger in my right hand to target a hole in the woman¡¯s armor at her elbow¡ªletting her arm swing towards my dagger, rather than directly attacking the woman¡¯s arm.


    Meanwhile, I stabbed the dagger in my left hand directly through the eye socket in the woman¡¯s helmet.


    The woman¡¯s left had punched my chest just as I pierced her eye, and my whole body was once again flung backwards.


    I felt several ribs crack in my chest, and my whole body was flung backwards and away from the woman.


    My body rolled several times over the rocky ground, before I finally regained control of my own momentum.


    Once again, the woman had pushed me towards the Treants. Several branches flew towards me once again, but I was already moving.


    I ran towards the woman, hacking heavily as I did so, and I threw my second dagger, watching it pierce the woman¡¯s helmet again.


    I felt a moment of grief, looking at the bodies of the two former Hell-mode challengers.


    Every Hell-mode challenger had the potential to be a powerhouse. It was a shame that two had died so easily¡ªhopefully at the hands of the Sandman, and not at my own hands.If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    <If you don¡¯t believe me, check your Status Window,> Samantha said. <Normally, when you kill a human, you get 10% of their wealth. But you haven¡¯t earned any money from killing them¡ªbecause they were already dead.>


    I was about to check, when I realized, You could just be faking my wealth anyway. There¡¯s no point in checking.


    Samantha sighed. <I don¡¯t stand to gain anything by having you kill those two. Now, let¡¯s hurry and kill the Sandman before your clock runs out.>


    The timer was the reason that Samantha and I had been sandbagging against the two Hell-mode challengers in the first place.


    When I first broke the circle of Treants, I had been fighting only with my floating points¡ªessentially, a battle that I could have continued indefinitely.  But now that I had broken into my mana pool, my current elevated stats were on a 30 second timer, and then I would have to dip even deeper into my mana pool.


    I rushed further up the mountainside, towards the cave that I knew held the Sandman.


    <It left the cave,> Samantha said, suddenly. <It¡¯s running from us.>


    Without Samantha as my eyes, I couldn¡¯t imagine how I would have defeated this creature.  Actually, I couldn¡¯t imagine how anyone could defeat this creature. Even if it were all of Daybreak¡ªhow could they find this creature amidst a wall of darkness?


    I ran up the mountainside, over 100 Agility along with my boosted Strength making the movements easier.


    It didn¡¯t take long before I could see the Sandman.  It was the size and general shape of a bear, but instead of fur, it had lizard-like scales.


    Mana Sensing showed that its insides glowed in gold and white, but with regular sight, it was a light brown color.


    I only managed to catch a brief glimpse of it before it disappeared in a sea of other monsters.


    There were Treants, Dire Wolves, Dire Rats, Parons, Saber-toothed foxes, and dozens of other monster species, all rushing to place themselves between me and the Sandman.


    But I was once again under the cover of my Invisibility Cloak, and Samantha was guiding me with such precision that I rarely even had to touch a monster.


    It felt like one of those racing apps on a phone, where you are rushing forwards, dodging from side to side to avoid the debris or blocks in your path.


    Samantha was able to perfectly plan a path for me to take, and the monsters were unable to organize themselves to block off every path.


    As I continued to run, I managed to catch sight of the Sandman once again.


    I threw a knife, and to my surprise, it managed to sink deeply into the creature¡¯s flank, drawing a significant amount of blood.


    Then I threw the second knife, and watched it land once again in the creature¡¯s other back leg.


    The Sandman was running slower, now, with more of a limp.


    I recalled both knives, and threw them again.


    This time, they sunk into the Sandman¡¯s torso.


    I was less than 10 yards away from it, at this point, and it spun and dove towards me.


    <Don¡¯t let it touch you!> Samantha said, guiding me to leap backwards, into the swarm of monsters blocking my path behind me.


    I barely avoided a swipe of a scaly claw.


    Then I threw a knife again, this time, at its throat, and I continued to back away.


    Even with the knife digging into its throat, the Sandman didn¡¯t stop attacking me.


    It rushed towards me, two massive, scaly arms with wickedly long claws swiping down at me.


    I poured almost everything left into Luck, and then I stabbed the Vampiric Blade into the Sandman¡¯s scaly, revealed chest.


    Congratulations! You have slain Europe¡¯s Zone Lord. +20 free Stat Points.


    You have completed the mission, Zone Offense.


    Reward: 1 Schema Treasury Token (C-rank)


    Zone Offense mission updated: Slay another Zone Lord on Earth.  Reward: 1 pick from the Schema Treasury (C-rank).


    Level up!


    Level up!


    Level up!


    <table width="624">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Name:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    Jarek


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Level:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    37


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    HP:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    47/47


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Physical Defense:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    18


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Strength:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    30 (+5)


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Mental Power:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    14


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Dexterity:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    10 (+5)


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Agility:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    24 (+14)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Perception:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    20


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Luck:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    22


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Mana Pool:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    121 (+10)


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Mana Regeneration:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    69 (+10)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Available Points:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    23


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Coins:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    1,224,000


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Class:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    Mana Modulator (D-rank)


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Profession:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    Rune Master (C-rank)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Titles:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="486">


    Region Lord (E-rank)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Skills and Spells:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="486">


    Identify (E-rank)


    Mana Modulation (D-rank Core)


    Death¡¯s Defier (A-rank)


    Mana Sensing (C-rank)


    Healthy Magic (E-rank)


    Aquatic Respiration (E-rank)


    Polyglot (E-rank)


    Soul Communion (D-rank)


    Cursed Lightning (D-rank)


    Spiritual Traveler (D-rank)


    Soul Explosion (D-rank)


    Mana Control (C-rank)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Affinities:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="486">


    Internal Mana (D-rank Low), External Unattributed Mana (C-rank Low) Soul Magic (D-rank Low)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Equipment:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="486">


    Vampiric Blade (D-rank): +5 Strength, +5 Agility.


    Bloodied Battle Robes (D-rank): +5 Mana Pool, +5 Mana Regen.


    Imperial Scout Boots (E-rank): +4 Agility.


    Greedy Gloves (D-rank): +5 Mana Pool, +5 Mana Regen.


    Bonded Blades (D-rank): +5 Dexterity, +5 Agility.


    Communication Amulet (E-rank):


    Interdimensional Pouch (D-rank):


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Missions:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="486">


    Zone Offense


    Renegade Bounty Hunter


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>

 Chapter 94: Honfleur City

    With the Sandman¡¯s death, the worst of the illusion magic disappeared.  I was now able to see normally, and I quickly collected the Sandman¡¯s loot while under my Invisibility Cloak.


    Capital City Token


    Illusion Ward Blueprint (D-rank): Creates visual illusions and mana illusions in a predetermined location.


    Illusion Mage (D-rank class): Grants Illusion Magic Affinity (D-rank). Teaches Vibrant Illusion (D-rank).  +3 Mana Pool per level, +1 Mana Regeneration per level.


    Sandman Core (D-rank): Increases Illusion Magic Affinity.


    Perhaps the most terrifying of all was the last spellbook that I picked up:


    Sandy Dreams (D-rank): When cast on a sleeping target, allows you to control the target in a sleep-walking state that gradually drains the target¡¯s spirit.  Cost: 10 mana per minute per target.  Requires Illusion Magic Affinity (D-rank).


    The effects of my insanely high Luck played out again. These were, essentially, all the skills that I had seen the Sandman use in our battle, with the exception of shitting out illusion magic reservoirs, which, admittedly, wasn¡¯t a skill I was interested in even holding.


    That said, the looting wasn¡¯t over.


    After collecting the corpse in my Interdimensional Pouch, I made my way over to the two Hell-mode challengers and collected the loot that they still had.


    The woman¡¯s armor was essentially trashed, but her greatsword was impressive.


    Unyielding Blade (C-rank): +25 Strength. Requires 50 Strength.


    It was a disappointment that there were no skills attached to the blade, but it granted 5 more Stat Points than the average C-ranked weapon.


    Sorcerer¡¯s Tome (C-rank): Enables and stores C-rank chants.  +20 Mana Pool.


    Sorcery worked with very different mechanics than ¡°normal¡± magic. Rather than spells, sorcerers used chants, which were recorded in the tomes.  Unfortunately, when a sorcerer died, their tome would go blank.


    Starting a chant required a very large, immediate investment of mana. After that immediate investment, the chant utilizes ambient mana to power the magic, allowing sorcerers to use powerful magic for long periods of time.


    If a sorcerer¡¯s chant is interrupted, then the magic effect ends, and the sorcerer may experience some backlash from the newly freed ambient mana.


    Even if a sorcerer were to memorize every word in a chant, or record the chants elsewhere and read from them, the chants would not have any affect. The syllables of a chant are actually something like a computer program, telling the tome exactly what to do, and then the tome controls the ambient mana in the desired way.


    Alex would certainly appreciate a Sorcerer¡¯s Tome. But Samantha and Petra certainly wouldn¡¯t appreciate me giving it to her for free¡­I would have to consider what an appropriate price would be.


    It was somewhat humbling, holding two weapons which, in the Acclimated Schema World, would be worth hundreds of millions of coins.


    But this was where the lack of funds on Earth came back to bite me. If I tried to sell either of these items to another human, nobody would have hundreds of millions of coins. If I tried to sell them to a merchant, the merchant would easily rip me off, because nobody else is around to make a better deal.  And by selling something like this to the Merchant¡¯s Faction, I would be leaving our world that much weaker.


    As I started my descent from the mountain, killing the monsters around me with ease, I considered my next move.


    I decided to put 10 points into my Mana Pool. It only made sense, since by increasing my Mana Pool by 10, I was effectively increasing it by 15¡ªI was able to keep half of my Mana Pool outside my body at any given time, thanks to my Mana Control skill.


    Whether or not Samantha was right about Evangeline planning on killing me when I returned, I was acutely aware that one of my greatest weaknesses was a sneak attack. Right now, for example, a Mana-infused Arrow could kill me in an instant.


    I put 10 points into Physical Defense, and then I put my remaining three points towards Mana Regeneration.


    And what do you think I should buy from the treasury?


    <We should talk about it once you get back home,> Samantha said. <Just in case things go south with the Teleportation Circle.>


    With all these times that Samantha kept voicing her distrust of Evangeline, I was starting to think it would be impossible for me to act normally around her.


    <hr>


    ¡°You¡¯re back so soon? Is it dead?¡± Evangeline asked, running up to me and hugging me in excitement.  I couldn¡¯t help but tense my body when she hugged me, but I quickly forced myself to relax.  Evangeline¡¯s long brown hair streamed behind her, and her warm green eyes smiled at me.


    Her clothes were dirtier than they had been, with traces of blood and dirt¡ªit seemed she had been busy killing monsters while I was gone.


    I almost stepped back from her hug, but I figured if Evangeline was going to try to kill me, it wouldn¡¯t be by the Crystalline Lake, where anyone could see.


    <There¡¯s no one else around,> Samantha said. <But don¡¯t worry, she wouldn¡¯t kill you until she has the Capital City Token.>


    I nodded my head, returning the hug. ¡°The Sandman is dead.  I have the Capital City token here.¡±


    I extricated myself from the hug and passed the Capital City Token to her.


    ¡°Thank you so much!¡± Evangeline was gushing, and her hands trembled in excitement when she held the token. ¡°Come with me¡ªlet¡¯s go to¡ªHonfleur City.  Honfleur is where I am from, in France. Once we turn Honfleur into a Capital City, you will be able to travel to and from Honfleur and Rebirth City whenever you want!¡±Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.


    I smiled, and allowed Evangeline to lead me towards the nearby town.


    I was growing more and more uncomfortable.   The seed of doubt that Evangeline would try something couldn¡¯t escape my mind. Evangeline¡¯s bubbly nature seemed entirely inappropriate considering we were in the middle of an apocalypse.


    And there was also her assumption that we would go with her to Honfleur City, instead of heading back to North America through New World City in Asia.


    Should we just go back to New World City?


    <No,> Samantha replied. <If she does have ill intentions, then she wouldn¡¯t let us go anyway, and that would only alert her.  It¡¯s best to let her reveal her true intentions. We do have a get out of jail free card, so to speak.>


    ¡°The Sandman is dead!¡± Evangeline shouted, as we walked through the town gates.  Everyone¡ªthe guards on the wall, the people in the streets¡ªcheered and applauded.


    It felt uncomfortably like I was transported into a medieval fantasy. All hail the conquering hero.


    ¡°What did the Sandman drop?¡± Evangeline asked, as we were nearing the portal.


    ¡°It dropped a D-rank Core and a D-rank Illusion Mage Class Change book,¡± I said, opting out of telling her the full extent of the wealth I had gained.


    ¡°Wow, that¡¯s so impressive,¡± Evangeline said, her eyes wide.


    I could feel myself cringing internally. Evangeline was acting so bubbly, and so happy, I just knew the other shoe was going to drop soon.


    ¡°How did you break the illusions? Do you have like insanely high Mental Power?¡±


    I laughed. ¡°No, my Mental Power is pretty low.  It just took a lot of Perception.¡±


    As I said it, I couldn¡¯t help but wonder. Is she thinking about mind controlling me? Maybe she is part of the Mentalist Cooperative?


    I decided not to mention my Mana Sensing.


    We walked together to the teleportation center, and then Evangeline and I teleported to the Region¡¯s city, and then to Honfleur City.


    The Teleportation Circle in Honfleur was well guarded, with a half dozen people in the room watching us with weapons at the ready.  Evangeline greeted everyone with a smile, and a series of orders focused on clearing the monsters around the city, and to prepare to upgrade the city to a Capital.


    Of course, there was a lot of work to do before upgrading the city. Since the shields would be down while the city upgraded, it was essential for the nearby monsters to be killed in advance.


    While Europe lacked Hell Mode Challengers, it seemed there were no shortage of Hard Mode Challengers who were capable of clearing the perimeter around Honfleur City.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get dinner,¡± Evangeline said. ¡°My people will let me know when the city is ready to be upgraded.  I¡¯d love to hear more about the situation in North America.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± I said.


    <hr>


    Dinner was exhausting. I was slightly unnerved that it was in a private room in a restaurant¡ªit made me slightly uncomfortable, thinking that there were no witnesses around if Evangeline were to attack me.


    I kept watching Evangeline¡¯s hands carefully, expecting her to suddenly blast a Void Blade through my skull. It didn¡¯t help that Evangeline spoke animatedly, waving her hands every few seconds to emphasize something.


    Halfway through dinner, Evangeline paused to speak on her Communication Amulet for a minute.


    ¡°It¡¯s the New World Government,¡± she said, dismissively, once she had hung up. ¡°They aren¡¯t too happy that you dealt with the Sandman without them. Keep an eye out for angry messages from them,¡± she said, with a wry smile.


    I smiled weakly, tracing circles absentmindedly on my knee.


    Not long after, my Mana Sensing showed that the Honfleur City¡¯s shield was back up, and I was now in the capital city of Europe.


    I waited for Evangeline to say something, about it, but she didn¡¯t.


    ¡°How did you become a C-rank Rune Master?¡± Evangeline asked, suddenly. ¡°There were no C-rank professions in our auction. Did you challenge the Infinite Tower?¡±


    ¡°No, it was a reward for a mission,¡± I said. ¡°Have you challenged the tower? Do you have any tips?¡±


    ¡°All your equipment disappears when you enter.  If you¡¯re considering purchasing anything to prepare, make sure you purchase skills, not equipment.  Don¡¯t overestimate yourself.  And if you see any people, don¡¯t trust them.  You know about Reyvania?¡±


    I froze. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°The Infinite Tower is a chance to meet people from other worlds that are also experiencing Acclimation,¡± Evangeline said. ¡°There is a world that used to be connected to ours, that is going through Acclimation at the same time. That¡¯s where all our stories of elves, dwarves, werewolves, vampires, and so on originate form.¡±


    I nodded, suddenly completely intrigued.


    ¡°When I went to the Infinite Tower, I met an elf from Reyvania. We used the chance to exchange some information between worlds. Reyvania already had some magic in the world before Acclimation. Did you know that magic is possible without the Schema? The Schema is only adding things like experience gained from killing people, or skill books that get dropped on death, and things like that. It turns out elves are able to cultivate Mana Shards and Mana Crystals to ¡°level up¡±¡ªI know, so broken, right?  In Reyvania, because there is more mana in the atmosphere, they have magicians, and many people were above level 1 when the Schema acclimated their world.¡±


    ¡°What was the highest leveled person in their world before the Schema?¡±


    ¡°Some ancient elf,¡± Evangeline said. ¡°They say she is over a hundred and fifty years old, and she is level¡ª"


    That was when the Void Blade sliced through my brain.


    <table width="624">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Name:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    Jarek


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Level:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    37


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    HP:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    0/47


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Physical Defense:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    28


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Strength:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    30 (+5)


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Mental Power:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    14


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Dexterity:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    10 (+5)


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Agility:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    24 (+14)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Perception:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    20


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Luck:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    22


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Mana Pool:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    131 (+10)


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Mana Regeneration:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    72 (+10)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Available Points:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    0


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Coins:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    1,234,000


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Class:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    Mana Modulator (D-rank)


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Profession:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    Rune Master (C-rank)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Titles:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="486">


    Region Lord (E-rank)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Skills and Spells:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="486">


    Identify (E-rank)


    Mana Modulation (D-rank Core)


    Death¡¯s Defier (A-rank)


    Mana Sensing (C-rank)


    Healthy Magic (E-rank)


    Aquatic Respiration (E-rank)


    Polyglot (E-rank)


    Soul Communion (D-rank)


    Cursed Lightning (D-rank)


    Spiritual Traveler (D-rank)


    Soul Explosion (D-rank)


    Mana Control (C-rank)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Affinities:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="486">


    Internal Mana (D-rank Low), External Unattributed Mana (C-rank Low), Soul Magic (D-rank Low)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Equipment:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="486">


    Vampiric Blade (D-rank): +5 Strength, +5 Agility.


    Bloodied Battle Robes (D-rank): +5 Mana Pool, +5 Mana Regen.


    Imperial Scout Boots (E-rank): +4 Agility.


    Greedy Gloves (D-rank): +5 Mana Pool, +5 Mana Regen.


    Bonded Blades (D-rank): +5 Dexterity, +5 Agility.


    Communication Amulet (E-rank):


    Interdimensional Pouch (D-rank):


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Missions:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="486">


    Zone Offense


    Renegade Bounty Hunter


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>

 Chapter 95: Bygones

    Evangeline¡¯s Void Blade left her hand like an arrow, passing through my left eye, burning a hole in my brain and leaving an exit wound at the back of my head.


    Even as the Void Blade was traveling through me, she had already formed another blade in her hand¡ªthis time, it seemed, she was holding it like a dagger, just about three inches long.


    You have reached 0 HP.


    Your skill ¡°Death¡¯s Defier¡± has taken effect. +1 HP


    The Void Magic around Evangeline was glowing silver with my Mana Sensing.


    I could also see that Evangeline had activated Void Shield around herself, a protective silver shimmer in place around her.


    I already had all my floating points in Agility, but after talking so long with Evangeline, I had let down my guard enough to be hit point blank by her attack.


    I added another fifty points into Agility, and fifty points into Physical Defense, which would increase my Health Regeneration and make my last point much harder to lose.


    Evangeline¡¯s second Void Blade was just inches from my throat.


    I leapt backwards, out of the reach of her Void Blade, narrowly avoiding decapitation.


    Evangeline¡¯s eyes widened, but at the same time, she threw two more Void Blades towards me.


    If she thought she could win a battle of knife-throwing, she was dead wrong.


    I easily dodged both Void Blades that were flying towards me, my Agility making my movements fluid, and then I threw my own knives at Evangeline. The second knife managed to crack her Void Shield, only to bounce off a second Void Shield, buried underneath the first.


    ¡°Guards!¡± Evangeline shouted. She threw two more Void Blades towards me, but I dodged them easily, drawing closer until my sword could reach her Void Shield.


    With a single strike, my Vampiric Blade destroyed the Void Shield around her.


    The doors to the private dining room slammed open, and four of Evangeline¡¯s guards barged in, raising their weapons immediately at me.


    I gripped both of Evangeline¡¯s wrists in one hand, holding my sword at her throat.


    The guards immediately froze.


    ¡°She tried to kill me! I just want to return to Rebirth City,¡± I said.


    ¡°That¡¯s a lie,¡± Evangeline said, speaking carefully so that my sword didn¡¯t slice her throat. ¡°He tried to kill me because he wanted to become Europe¡¯s Zone Lord, and he wanted all the loot from the Sandman.¡±


    I kept a careful eye on the mana around Evangeline, watching for any buildup that could imply that she was about to cast another spell at me.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± I said, gesturing to the guards. ¡°To the Teleportation Circle.¡±


    The guards looked questioningly at Evangeline, but she nodded, and we all marched down the street together.


    At some point, someone must have contacted more of Evangeline¡¯s guards. The moment we left the restaurant in Honfleur City, there were almost a hundred people, armed and waiting, watching my every move.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand why you would attack me,¡± I said, loudly enough for everyone nearby to hear, at Samantha¡¯s prompting. ¡°I gave you the Capital City Token like you asked.¡± If at all possible, I wanted to plant seeds of doubt in the minds of everyone here that maybe I hadn¡¯t initiated the violence.


    Evangeline burst into tears. ¡°I-I thought we were friends. I trusted you! I should have realized that your greed would make you try to become Zone Lord of Europe.¡±


    From the looks of the guards around me, I had been unable to gain any sympathy.


    To my surprise, we were able to walk unhindered inside the building with the Teleportation Circle.


    ¡°We did what you want, now let me go!¡± Evangeline said.


    I sighed. ¡°You will have to come with me to Rebirth City. Otherwise, you could cancel the Teleportation Circle. I¡¯m not an idiot.¡±


    Evangeline just nodded sadly, and we stood in the Teleportation Circle.Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    ¡°If I don¡¯t come back, then make sure everyone knows¡ª¡± Evangeline said, grandly, ¡°That Jarek Novak and Dawnbreaker conspired to have me killed!¡±


    With those parting words, Evangeline and I disappeared from the Teleportation Circle, reappearing deep underground in Rebirth City¡¯s Teleportation Room.


    The guards in Rebirth City recognized me, but immediately rose in alarm when they saw that I had a hole in my skull and I was holding someone like a prisoner in front of me.


    ¡°Well,¡± Evangeline said. ¡°Am I free to return? Or are you going to hold me here on trumped up charges?¡±


    I sighed. ¡°Try anything again and you¡¯re dead.¡±


    I released her arms and stepped away from her, towards the guards who were watching our exchange with concern and interest.


    ¡°Send her back to Honfleur,¡± I said to the guards.


    ¡°Wait,¡± Evangeline said. I almost thought I was imagining the tears in her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m willing to give you another chance. I¡¯d rather not end things on the wrong foot. Europe has several D-grade mines, I hope we can organize a mutually beneficial trade between us?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± I asked, completely at a loss for words.


    ¡°I think the English phrase is, ¡®let bygones be bygones?¡¯¡± Evangeline said, a slight simper returning to her tone. ¡°After all, Europe¡¯s Zone does need strong allies. I know you tried to kill me, but I¡¯m a forgiving person.¡±


    Evangeline nodded at the guards, who activated the Teleportation Circle, and Evangeline vanished from my sight.


    I sighed, heavily, finally able to process everything that had happened. What the fuck was that? Why would she attack me? And how can I even think with a hole in my brain?


    <You had a Zone Lord¡¯s Loot,> Samantha replied. <And she would get 10% of your wealth if she kills you, which is a lot. But she probably doesn¡¯t know that. I can think of a few other reasons off the top of my head¡ªMaybe she has a single-use item that increases the drop rate when you kill someone. Maybe she is a member of the Mentalist Cooperative that wants revenge since you¡¯ve cleared out the North American enclave. Maybe she received a mission to kill Earth¡¯s Hell Mode challengers.>


    There are missions like that?


    <Of a sort,> Samantha said.


    <And for your other question, you¡¯re obviously walking around normally because I limited your pain¡ªyou¡¯re welcome. As a decently-high level individual, your soul is capable of independent thought, which is why you were still able to think through everything with a hole in your head.>


    <And I could tell you were confused by Evangeline¡¯s parting words¡ªthose weren¡¯t for you, those were for the guards. The guards are Dawnbreaker¡¯s, so Evangeline might be trying to convince Dawnbreaker that you did try to assassinate her. Given our track record, it¡¯s not too far-fetched.>


    <Anyway, you have more important things to do¡ªnow that you are back in your Zone, you should check your Communication Amulet for messages.>


    Previously, since Honfleur City had just been upgraded, it didn¡¯t have a Zone Communication Tower, which meant that I had been unable to contact anyone in North America.


    Now that I was back in North America, I could finally check my messages.


    There was a message from Petra, saying that Nova City¡¯s mines were developing well. There was a message from Ryker, detailing how the development of Freedom City in Pennsylvania was going. He had sent out scouts to keep an eye out for any valuable resources in the area, but nothing had been discovered yet.


    Uman had left a message essentially asking for a clarification in the chain of command for Hermes¡¯ Whispers: Was Petra his boss?


    I couldn¡¯t help but laugh at that question. Petra was, it felt like, my boss as well.


    Abelino sent me a list of several ores his mines were producing, and asked if I needed blacksmiths to refine or shape the ores¡ªhe had a D-rank Blacksmith in his employ if I was interested. At Samantha¡¯s suggestion, I expressed interest in Cerium, which was a sky blue, lightweight metal that had similar properties to Mithril, but was D-rank instead of C-rank. So far, I didn¡¯t know of any D-rank Blacksmiths in North America, so I also took him up on the Blacksmith offer.


    Dawnbreaker left me a simple message: Find me when you get back.


    <hr>


    I entered Dawnbreaker¡¯s villa for the third time. The villa made me tense up a bit. From nearly being killed by her unisuit, to watching Adia¡¯s father kill himself, to fighting a Greater Water Elemental and trashing her home, I couldn¡¯t quite say that I had the best memories associated with the place.


    The guards waved me in, and I knocked politely at the front door of Dawnbreaker¡¯s house. I absentmindedly noticed that someone had fixed the lock, since I kicked down the door the last time I was here.


    It said something about Dawnbreaker, that she lived in a humble home inside the villa¡ªsimilar to an in-law¡¯s cottage¡ªwhile the main building was reserved for governmental functions.


    ¡°You wanted to see me?¡± I asked, when Dawnbreaker opened the door.


    ¡°I did,¡± Dawnbreaker said. I couldn¡¯t help but wonder if maybe, someday she would actually sound happy to see me. ¡°Take a seat.¡± She gestured to the couch and armchair in the living room. I sat down on the couch, and she picked the opposite armchair.


    I glanced around, half-expecting to see Alex and Cy around, but neither of them were nearby.


    ¡°Is this about Evangeline? I swear I didn¡¯t try to kill her,¡± I said, somewhat nervously. If Dawnbreaker believed Evangeline¡¯s version of the story, then she could easily kill me right now.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯re that stupid,¡± Dawnbreaker said. ¡°No, this is about something else.


    You¡¯ve been withholding information. Why is that? Are you trying to profit off of information that could save lives?¡±


    I sighed. ¡°Honestly, it¡¯s been a really hectic two weeks. As you probably know by now, I have an inheritance that contains a lot of information about the Schema. I just haven¡¯t had the time to really process and share things.¡±


    Dawnbreaker smiled. ¡°Alright. Consider this the time. Most of the Region Lords have been killed, you¡¯ve killed two Zone Lords in one day. Take a moment. Think through every piece of information that could possibly help people. Even if it¡¯s a tiny detail, or something that seems completely unrelated to everything else. Take your time. I¡¯ll go make some tea. What would you like? Green tea, Chai, or herbal?¡±


    ¡°Green tea,¡± I said, somewhat automatically.


    Dawnbreaker rose abruptly and headed towards the kitchen, and left me lost in thought.

 Chapter 96: Win Condition

    ¡°Alright,¡± I said, once Dawnbreaker had passed a mug of tea towards me, with a little container that held sugar cubes and a tiny pitcher that held milk.


    ¡°The most immediate danger is that soon, the Ocean Zones will attack the coasts.  The water levels will temporarily rise, like with a tsunami, to allow the water-based monsters to attack from their natural habitat. There will also be amphibious monsters, which will perhaps pose the greatest danger.  Their development and growth has been synchronized, in order to lead to a deadly attack tomorrow. Frog-like creatures, salamanders, toads, and so on.  The water pressure itself will be a huge test for any Mana Shields that we have.


    ¡°The good news about the Ocean Zones is that we really only need to worry about them for a few more days,¡± I said, earning a raised eyebrow from Dawnbreaker. ¡°The sentient species will invade in three days. This includes elves, dwarves, fey, werewolves, vampires, humans, and merfolk. A Fey clan has likely claimed North America. Along with the other species, Merfolk will appear in the seas.  Merfolk are the sole dominating force of the ocean. They will more or less eradicate all the sea monsters, and they are generally content to stay in the oceans.¡±


    Dawnbreaker looked intrigued. ¡°So, it is possible to negotiate with the invaders?¡±


    ¡°It is possible,¡± I said. ¡°But in most circumstances, it would not work.  The Fey Clan that is going to claim this Zone, for example, is paying a hefty price to send their troops to North America.  They likely already know the make-up of our forces, thanks to the Merchants¡¯ Faction.  They are coming for resources and territory, although they would likely accept our surrender.  We would have to prove our strength, and prove that they cannot conquer us, before equal negotiations.  As you are probably aware, the various factions have already negotiated among themselves, for the most part, how to allocate the various Regions.¡±


    Dawnbreaker nodded. ¡°What factions are you aware of?¡±


    I took a breath. ¡°There are several Fey Clans, each a different faction, but loosely tied together.  There is the Council, which is a combination of Elves and Dwarves. There are the Metans, which are a collection of humanoid species¡ªwerewolves, vampires, and beastkin.  The Merfolk are powerful enough that they have their own faction, which is pretty much completely left alone.  Nobody messes with the Merfolk.  There is the Mentalist Cooperative, which you already know about.  The other factions don¡¯t really like the Mentalist Cooperative, and the Mentalist Cooperative tends to play by its own rules.  And there is the Human Empire¡ªI have already killed several of their scouts, which were sent to North America illegally.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean, illegally?¡± Dawnbreaker asked, taking a slow sip of her tea.


    ¡°The Schema has rules that everyone is expected to follow. At the same time, the Schema is not omniscient, or omnipotent. One of the rules is that people from Acclimated Worlds are not to visit a world that is in the process of Acclimation.  There are a dozen reasons why people would want to do this¡ªto lay an early claim on resources, or to mind-control world leaders, and so on.  The Human Empire and the Mentalist Cooperative both figured out a way to travel to this world without the Schema¡¯s knowledge or approval.¡±


    ¡°And what is their end-goal, in invading the Earth?¡±


    I responded to Dawnbreaker¡¯s question with a question of my own. ¡°What do you know about breakthroughs?¡±


    ¡°I know some. But explain it to me like I don¡¯t know anything. We have the time.¡±


    ¡°Breakthroughs happen at every fifty levels,¡± I started, repeating the knowledge that Samantha had told me. ¡°In order to rise from level 49 to level 50, you need to experience a breakthrough. This means you must either raise the rank of your profession or your class by one.  If you are an F-rank swordsman and an F-rank blacksmith, then you would have to become an E-rank swordsman, or an E-rank blacksmith.¡±


    ¡°In order to upgrade a class or your profession, you need to reach peak affinity for whatever the required affinity is for your class.  So, if you are an F-rank Swordsman, you need to reach F-rank Strength or Agility Affinity (Peak) before upgrading your class. Or if you choose to upgrade your profession, you would need to reach F-rank Metal Affinity (Peak) before upgrading your class.¡±


    Dawnbreaker was nodding along. So far, much of this information was for sail by the Merchant¡¯s Faction, which meant many people already knew this.


    ¡°The easiest way to upgrade your affinity is to swallow cores that have that same affinity. If you¡¯re an F-rank swordsman, with F-rank Strength Affinity (Low), then you would have to swallow three F-rank cores, moving from low to medium to high to finally reach E-rank Strength Affinity (Low). Once your affinity is a rank above your profession or class, you can finally breakthrough to Level 50, upgrading your profession or class in the process.


    ¡°Now, I can finally answer the question you asked¡ªwhy are so many factions interested in our world?  The factions that are fighting for our world all include A or even S-rank powerhouses.  For an F-rank swordsman, it¡¯s not a problem to find three cores that will push you to an E-rank Metal Affinity. Or, if you¡¯re really strong, you can even kill an E-rank beast, and swallow its core, directly pushing your affinity to E-rank (low).¡±If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    ¡°But what if you are an S-rank existence, seeking to break through and become an Ascendant? There are very few S-rank beings out there to kill in the first place to find S-rank cores, and every one of them would be a life or death battle. So instead of fighting a life-and death battle, why not pay some money, and have your minions fight for a newly Acclimated World. If one of your minions is able to become the World Emperor, then they can directly access the World Core.  With some elaborate attunement steps, you can turn a World Core into almost any affinity, and an S-rank individual can absorb its power to help it evolve and become an Ascendant.¡±


    Dawnbreaker looked shocked. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t absorbing a World Core destroy the world?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Pretty much.  I¡¯m not saying every faction wants to do this.  Most Factions would see this as a huge waste. It would be better to steal the World Core of a dying world, than one that is as vibrant with life as ours.  But if there were a war going between factions, then perhaps a faction wouldn¡¯t be opposed to having an additional Ascendant on their side.¡±


    I paused, noticing my throat was feeling slightly parched, and I took a sip of my tea.


    ¡°Alright,¡± Dawnbreaker said. ¡°What else.¡±


    I almost choked on my tea. Various Factions might be seeking to literally destroy the world, stealing the World Core, and your reaction is ¡®What else?¡¯


    I thought for a minute.  ¡°We should tell people about cores.   People can only consume 3 cores every 50 levels.  The Schema will only let humans gain three affinities. Most people end up with two affinities¡ªone for your class, and one for your profession.


    ¡°What people need to know is that if the third affinity¡ªthe one that is not your class or profession-is in danger of being ¡°drowned out¡± by the other two, if it is ever at a lower rank than the class or profession affinity.


    ¡°For example, I am an Mana Modulator, which grants me D-rank Internal Mana Affinity (low). I also am a Rune Master, which grants me C-rank External Unattributed Mana Affinity (low). A while back, I swallowed a core that gave me D-rank Soul Magic Affinity (low).  If things stay how they are, my Soul Magic Affinity will start to disappear, weeded out by stronger affinities that are more deeply tied to my identity¡ªmy class and profession.¡±


    ¡°So, to make sure I understand you correctly,¡± Dawnbreaker said, ¡°Any extra affinities that people pick up need to at least match the rank of the affinities that are tied to the class and profession. Is there any danger if the third affinity exceeds the other two?¡±


    I checked in briefly with Samantha. ¡°No,¡± I said, simply.


    Dawnbreaker hummed thoughtfully. ¡°You probably know my class is C-rank. If I reach level 50, it will be B-rank.  If I reach level 100, it will be A-rank. If I reach level 150, it will be S-rank.  Does this mean my level cap is effectively 200, if I¡¯m unwilling to destroy a planet in order to become an Ascendant?¡±


    ¡°Not at all,¡± I said. ¡°Like I said earlier, you can level your profession separately.¡±


    Dawnbreaker frowned, and I explained a bit more. ¡°Even if you don¡¯t have a profession now, you can pick one up at any point. F-rank Professions aren¡¯t too hard to come by. You can have an F-rank profession at level 199, and then to breakthrough, you can upgrade your F-rank profession to an E-rank profession.  With this method, breakthroughs can be laughably easy¡ªyou just never get to reach the truly rare classes and professions.¡±


    Dawnbreaker still looked somewhat unhappy at my explanation. ¡°Of course, the other option is to just kill other S-rank existences. But if you think about the way the Schema works, and the incentive structure in place, most of the easy-to-kill S-rank existences would already be dead. The remaining ones are either too hard to kill by themselves, or they are too hard to find, or they are under the protection of a powerful faction.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± Dawnbreaker said. ¡°What else?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve heard about the other world of elves and dwarves?¡± I asked.


    Dawnbreaker nodded. ¡°Parker had a theory about a portal to another world, but¡ª¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been confirmed,¡± I said. ¡°Evangeline told me that when she challenged the Infinite Tower, she encountered people from Reyvania.  Reyvania is a world that originally had a much higher ambient mana density¡ªthink of it as a natural crack in their World Core which released the Aether and mana¡ªwhich means that even though they didn¡¯t have the Schema, the moment the Schema appeared, many of them were granted higher levels than us.


    Dawnbreaker nodded.


    ¡°The Schema calculates the tutorial difficulty, and the difficulty of monster hordes and invading forces, based off of the levels of the people in the world,¡± I explained. ¡°So, it should make sense that the monsters and people attacking the other world are more powerful than the monsters and people attacking Earth?¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡± Dawnbreaker said, clearly ready for the conclusion.


    I had laid it out like this partly to see if she would come to the conclusion. Samantha had not been impressed that I hadn¡¯t pieced this particular part of my situation together yet, blaming me for not thinking things through, once again.


    I was trying to ascertain if this was a ¡°me¡± problem, or another case of Samantha being annoying.


    ¡°So, if there are more powerful forces in the other world¡ªpotentially C-rank or even B-ranked individuals, I said, slowly, before continuing, ¡°And there is a portal that is currently closed between our worlds, that could potentially be opened again¡­¡±


    ¡°Fuck,¡± Dawnbreaker said.


    This time, it was my turn to nod my head.  ¡°With the value of our planet, the various Factions wouldn¡¯t hesitate to add a B-rank force into the mix if they could. So far, they can¡¯t. But if the portal ever opens, then we could have an additional, unregulated number of monsters swarming our planet.¡±


    ¡°Couldn¡¯t it work the other way, too?¡± Dawnbreaker asked. ¡°What if the inhabitants of Reyvania successfully defend against the monsters? Couldn¡¯t they help us?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a possibility,¡± I conceded. ¡°But of the hundreds of planets that have been acclimated, only a handful have successfully retained full control of their planet.¡±


    Dawnbreaker rubbed her temples with her index fingers. ¡°Have you seen any sign of this portal? Do you know anything else about it?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I said.


    Dawnbreaker sighed. ¡°Anything else?¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± I said, adopting a more positive tone. ¡°We do have a win condition. One of the Zone Lords will essentially turn into an endgame boss¡ªthink of it as a World Lord, or World Boss. Whoever kills that creature will get a World City Token, which will allow you to control teleportation into and out of this world¡ªwe could hire mercenaries to defend Earth from the other invaders, for example.


    ¡°So, there is an end in sight,¡± I finished, resolutely.

 Chapter 97: Mana Cannon

    The decorations inside my office in my manor in Nova City surprised me.  Someone¡ªprobably Justin¡ªhad gone back to my apartment in Los Angeles and grabbed some of the decor from my old apartment.


    There were a variety of Marvel superhero posters, and a few cheap paintings of waves and fruit and shit I had found at a flea market.


    It was a nice gesture, but it felt somewhat infantilizing. I was a superhero, now.  I didn¡¯t need these posters to look up to.


    Or, at least, I should be a superhero.  But it¡¯s funny how the world works, sometimes.


    I glanced at the Communication Amulet that was looped through my belt. I kept waiting for it to buzz, ready to go on the next adventure, but it hadn¡¯t, yet.


    It was a strange feeling, the feeling of not being needed. Here I was. Jarek Novak, Zonebane.


    No, that sounded lame.


    Jarek Novak, Bane of the Zone Lords.


    That sounded a bit better.


    I had killed three Zone Lords¡ªtwo in the last 24 hours.  You would think that would make me one of the most influential people in the world.


    But it didn¡¯t, because the world was like that.


    Dawnbreaker was still vaguely suspicious of me, even though I swore that Evangeline had tried to kill me.  In retrospect, I should have expected it. And I kind of did.


    I guess a track record of backstabbing makes me less believable. Who knew? I thought, sarcastically, to Samantha.


    If I had wanted Evangeline dead, then I could have killed her easily. Saying that to Dawnbreaker didn¡¯t seem to help my case, though.


    The other Hell Mode Challengers had successfully killed Africa¡¯s Zone Lord, and Dawnbreaker was currently meeting with them discussing world politics and shit.


    I hadn¡¯t been invited.


    Instead, after my meeting with Dawnbreaker, I, Jarek Zonebane, voluntarily walked into my underground prison in order to be tortured by my older sister.


    Well, fortunately, at least, no torturing was necessary.  Petra didn¡¯t find any signs of Samantha¡¯s tampering in my brain after interrogating each of us in turn, and so I was quickly released.


    But it left a sour taste in my mouth, this feeling of powerlessness.


    I knew I should be thankful for this brief respite from battle.  Soon, our coastal cities would be under attack, and then in just a few more days, far more dangerous threats would appear in our world.


    I wasn¡¯t some battle junkie. I didn¡¯t have an itch to continue fighting. If I did, that would be an easy fix. I could just pick up my sword and march to any of the dozens of cities that were currently under attack.


    It was something else that didn¡¯t sit well with me. It was that whatever I did, I couldn¡¯t shake this feeling that people didn¡¯t trust me.


    Uman promised that he was working on improving my PR, publicizing news about how I have defeated three Zone Lords, but even that¡­ did heroes really need to publish their deeds, spinning them in a positive light?  My actions shouldn¡¯t need a spin to look positive.


    I let River die, in order to kill a shade.


    I let Dawnbreaker carry the team, acting as the spotter until the Gravity Leech was wounded, and then I struck once Dawnbreaker did all the hard work.


    I killed the Sandman in Europe, but now Evangeline is saying that I we killed it together, and I ran away with all the loot and tried to kill her when she protested.


    Dawnbreaker had sent me a message saying that Evangeline even had soldiers swearing that we left to defeat the Sandman together.


    I glanced up at the superheroes on the wall. What would it take, to become one of them?Stolen novel; please report.


    <Well, if you¡¯re done moping, you can start by using your C-rank Treasury Token,> Samantha said, blas¨¦ly.


    I jolted somewhat, slightly surprised by Samantha¡¯s voice.


    Right, I said, feeling a slight thrill of excitement at the thought of the Treasury in front of me. What do you think I should get?


    <Well, it can be helpful to think about things in terms of value, and in terms of need.  You already have a C-rank Profession. Technically, you could buy a C-rank Class as well. But you will find that most of the C-rank classes available are pretty bland. You could become a C-rank Earth, Ice, Fire, or Air magician, for example, but honestly, that would be a waste. Your class is really special. It will automatically upgrade when you reach level 50, and so it¡¯s not worth it to get a C-rank Class from the Treasury.>


    <The next most valuable thing you can get from the treasury would be a C-rank Rune Pattern Blueprint,> Samantha continued.  <Naturally, a blueprint would have a value many times greater than a C-rank item or equipment itself.  Now, if you open up the Treasury, I will show you what I have in mind.>


    At Samantha¡¯s suggestion, I opened the Treasury, and a blue, translucent screen unfolded over half my vision.


    I filtered for Rune Pattern Blueprints, and Samantha continued her explanation. <We really need to continue thinking about synergy,> she said. <Generally, the hidden benefit of a combined Internal Mana Affinity and a Rune Master Profession is that people can add rune patterns to their own body, making themselves stronger, or faster, or more durable.  But that kind of rune pattern is useless for you, because you already can do that with your Mana Modulator class.  That said, there are other Rune Patterns that we can form on your body. And this is what I would suggest.


    Mana Cannon Rune Pattern Blueprint (C-rank): When activated, converts attuned Mana Beads, Mana Shards, Mana Crystals, or Mana Orbs into long-ranged, elemental attacks of varied range and size.  Requires: Rune Master (C-rank).


    I paused, uncertain how to react to Samantha¡¯s suggestion. Are you saying you will turn me into a cannon?


    <Essentially,> Samantha said. <Hear me out. First of all, as a C-rank Rune Pattern, this will come with dozens of other sub-patterns, which will include an on/off switch. I am confident we can complete this rune pattern perfectly, with no danger to you, and also with a minor adjustment you will be able to deactivate the Concealment Rune Pattern when desired, although I recommend you keep it up at all times, so that people can¡¯t read your mind>


    <That¡¯s obviously just a side benefit. The real benefit to this kind of thing is much harder to explain.  This is essentially a work around for your class restrictions. You can¡¯t cast spells normally, and you can¡¯t use Martial Energy, which is a huge limitation to your class.  But with this, you become the cannon, and as long as you have mana beads and shards to provide the power and attunement, you will be able to cast spells. This cannon would give you power similar to Dawnbreaker¡¯s Martial Energy Beam that you saw when she was fighting the Gravity Leech.  Just like how Dawnbreaker could control the density and size of the beam the cannon has all kinds of settings so that you can decide if you want a wide beam of destruction, or a pinpointed beam that focuses all the Mana Crystal¡¯s energy at one point.>


    <This is all on top of the obvious benefit,> Samantha continued. <Once you have access to the right materials, you will be able to build these C-rank Mana Cannons to equip the various cities that you want to protect.  This is a huge strategic asset.>


    Here¡¯s a thought, I said.  I could tell Samantha was excited about this. Whenever I try criticizing your ideas, you¡¯re always quick to fire back. So here¡¯s my question: What are the biggest downsides to this?  Why would buying this make me unhappy?


    Samantha was quiet for a few seconds. <Well, there are some obvious downsides.  Mana Shards and Mana Crystals are both expensive, and this is basically like burning money. But you do have your personal mine, which is why I¡¯m suggesting this in the first place. This downside actually has an upside, which is that if you sell the mana cannon to other cities, those cities will have an even greater desire for your mana crystals from your mine, which will make you even richer.>


    This isn¡¯t a job interview, I shot back. You don¡¯t have to turn your flaw back into your greatest strength.  Next issue.


    <Alright,> Samantha said, mimicking clearing her throat in mild embarrassment. <Well, there is also the obvious downside of this being a C-rank Blueprint, which means it is very difficult to make, in practice, because C-rank materials don¡¯t even seem to be naturally occurring in your world yet.  So really, this is a flaw that every C-rank blueprint has, but it can be mitigated by the fact that we can downgrade the cannon to a D-rank cannon.>


    Next, I thought, immediately. And stop trying to run out the clock.


    Our ten minutes to choose our item were rapidly disappearing, and I was starting to realize Samantha was delaying in order to force me to choose this option before the time ran out on our access to the Treasury.


    <Well, the main reason you won¡¯t be happy about it is a natural consequence that I was just describing,> Samantha said. <I¡¯m sure you could think about it yourself, if you took just a few seconds¡ª>


    Just fucking tell me.


    <Alright,> Samantha said. <Unfortunately, your body is not made up of C-rank material, which means there is bound to be some backlash if you were to use the cannon to its full effect. Naturally, you can put loads of points into Physical Defense when you the mana cannon, but even then, if you use it at full power, you could expect a small amount of pain, and even to take some damage.


    What kind of pain are we talking about, and how much damage? I was acutely aware that we were running out of time to make our selection.


    <Well, let me put it this way,> Samantha said. <If you were to try to fire a Mana Orb, you would die. If you were to try to fire a Mana Crystal, you would want to around 100 Physical Defense in order to stay safe. But at this point, that¡¯s not prohibitively expensive.  If you were to try to fire a Mana Shard, you could probably do it, it would just deal a bit of damage and you would feel a bit of pain.>


    <Think if it this way. Don¡¯t you want to be Iron Man?>

 Chapter 98: Mana Cannon part 2

    Once I chose the Mana Cannon Rune Pattern Blueprint from the C-rank Treasury, I was once again taken into an illusory world, and given the materials needed to construct the cannon.


    ¡°Cannon¡± was, apparently, a misleading name. This wasn¡¯t a long, tube-shaped device on wheels that I was making.


    The C-rank Mana Cannon was actually more of a defensive turret. It was about the size of a phone booth, with a hollow interior space that you could stand inside to operate it.


    From what I could make sense of using the blueprints, the Mana Cannon had dozens of levers, knobs, and settings in order to adjust the range, density of attacks, and so on.


    As if the space inside a telephone booth wasn¡¯t already cramped enough, the inside walls held shelves that locked in place Mana Beads, Shards, Mana Crystals, or Compressed Mana Orbs, all of various affinities.


    All it needed was a pair of wheels, and it would basically be a tank.


    Since Rune Masters were not actually expected to shape rare metals, I was already provided the telephone booth, and I just had to form runes around it.


    Of course, nothing was as simple as that.


    Samantha walked me through, step by step, what I needed to do. The walls around me were several inches thick, and every cubic inch would eventually be covered in runes.


    It would have been a somewhat calming experience, if I didn¡¯t have to listen to Samantha¡¯s constant, nit-picking instructions as I worked on it.


    How exactly are you going to adapt this rune pattern for my body? I asked.


    <This is certainly something that takes no small amount of skill,> Samantha responded. <And honestly, the explanation would be way above your head. But I am confident I can do it, so don¡¯t worry about that.>


    Well, thanks for making me feel like shit.


    <No problem, you make me feel like shit every day anyway,> Samantha shot back. <I keep wondering when you will realize that I actually have feelings.>


    Touch¨¦.


    Samantha continued using a visual guide superimposed in my vision to help me form my unattributed mana into runes in the air.


    It was a very methodical process. She would show me the form the runes needed to take, almost like a hologram in my vision, and I would fill the hologram with my mana.


    That part was almost fun. The annoying part is that Samantha would consistently nit-pick where I put the mana, often demanding precision down to a millimeter, before I could connect the rune to the rest of the pattern.


    It was painstaking, demanding work, but eventually, we completed it.


    Congratulations! You have learned the Mana Cannon Rune Pattern Blueprint (C-rank): When activated, converts attuned Mana Beads, Mana Shards, Mana Crystals, or Mana Orbs into long-ranged, elemental attacks of varied range, density, and size. Requires: Rune Master (C-rank).


    I had no idea what time it was when I came out of the illusory world, but due to the time magic involved, I felt exhausted.


    I checked my Communication Amulet for anything important, and then promptly fell asleep.


    <hr>


    I woke to the familiar buzz of my Communication amulet.


    ¡°Hello?¡± I said, somewhat blearily.


    ¡°Jarek. We found South America¡¯s Zone Lord,¡± Abelino¡¯s warm voice resonated in my head. ¡°It¡¯s a Jaguar. We were trailing it for a while, but it escaped us. Did you say you had a tracking skill?>


    I woke up completely in an instant. ¡°I do. Tell me where to meet you, and I will be there in a few minutes.¡±


    As I was talking, I started heading towards the Teleportation Circle.


    <Don¡¯t go to the Teleportation Circle yet,> Samantha said, suddenly. <I finished the Mana Cannon last night. You should grab a bunch of Mana Beads, Shards, and a Mana Crystal from your warehouse before you go.>


    I froze where I stood in the doorway of my manor. You finished the Mana Cannon already? Why didn¡¯t you mention you would be doing it last night?


    <You were so tired I didn¡¯t want to worry you,> Samantha responded, calmly. <Anyway, I thought this was the whole point of the Mana Cannon. I didn¡¯t see any point waiting.>


    I thought we would do it together. You were controlling my mana without permission.


    <I thought I¡¯d get a thank-you, at least,> Samantha sulked. <I worked all night doing this. You don¡¯t have time to spend a day on a project like this. Just trust me with this. The good news is that the Concealment Rune Pattern can be turned off, now. Not that you should do that. Anyway, I think you have a Zone Lord to kill.>


    We will talk about this later, I said, sighing, and then I went to the warehouse that Petra had built that stored all the crystals we had collected.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    Fortunately, it seemed Petra had deigned to give me Administrator Privileges in the town, which allowed me to open the warehouse. Inside, I was shocked to see a huge number of shards, crystals, and fragments. Everything was neatly organized by attribute and by size.


    <Grab a handful of everything,> Samantha said. <Let¡¯s go.>


    It felt vaguely like stealing, but I took what I needed regardless, including something I had asked Petra to prepare for me¡ªa Fire-attributed Compressed Mana Crystal. It was worth well-over a million dollars, and my conscience complained slightly at the thought that this Mana Crystal could likely power a city¡¯s shields in the upcoming battle against the sea monsters.


    Normally, our procedure was to extract the attribute before consolidating shards into Crystals, but thanks to my Mana Cannon skill, that was going to quickly change.


    And then I was off to South America.


    Just like with Europe, Dawnbreaker and Abelino had set up an easy way to travel between continents. From Nova City, I could travel to Tapachula, Mexico, which was just on the border of Mexico and Guatemala.


    The southern border of Mexico was the border between Zones, and I only had to run a few hundred yards or so before coming upon a small town in Guatemala. Once I was in Guatemala, I was able to teleport with just a few more hops to the town that was closest to the last sighting of the Zone Lord.


    <hr>


    I floated above my body, pausing for a moment to glance at the Abelino clones guarding myself, and the Mana Shield around my body.


    After Evangeline tried to kill me, it was easy to imagine Abelino trying to kill me as well.


    The only comfort I could find was that if he wanted to kill me, he could kill me at any point. He wouldn¡¯t need to wait for my soul to be outside my body.


    I wasn¡¯t more exposed right now than I was at any other moment I was alone with Abelino.


    I rose above the treetops, hundreds of feet in the air, and I surveyed the Amazon Rainforest using Mana Sensing.


    It was a confusing, convoluted sight. There was so much life, so much mana, everywhere around me, in over a dozen different colors and shades.


    Alright, so¡­what now? How do we find the Jaguar?


    <Well, I¡¯d like to point out that this is yet another case where you would be helpless without me,> Samantha said. <But this time, it¡¯s not your fault. Just travel as fast as you can to the east, and I¡¯ll let you know when I spot him.>


    I started moving, my soul traveling in exactly the same direction that the Jaguar had last been seen following.


    The rainforest below me was just waking up. Before I left my body, I had been able to hear the sounds of birds chirping, and leaves rustling.


    But now, traveling over the rainforest with just my spirit, I couldn¡¯t hear or smell anything. It was a weird combination of sensory depravation and overstimulation from the Mana Sensing skill.


    <Faster,> Samantha said. <We don¡¯t have all day.>


    I picked up the pace, until the colors of the mana in the rainforest blurred together in a haze. I focused solely on traveling, ignoring all else, losing track of time as I passed hills, lakes, rivers, and swamps.


    <Stop,> Samantha said. I had no idea how much time had passed. <I found it. Head north.>


    With Samantha guiding me at a slower pace, I soon found the Jaguar. It had climbed half-way up a massive tree.


    From the mana density in the tree, I could tell something was off. The tree shone with almost as much mana as the Jaguar relaxing on its branches.


    I had heard before that trees in a forest are often connected by their roots. Sometimes, trees can strengthen each other, creating a vibrant ecosystem by sharing nutrients and stabilizing each other during storms.


    With Mana Sensing, I could see this. The tree the Jaguar was in was not the tallest tree around, but it was the brightest tree to my Mana Sensing, and as I watched, I could see it sending pulses of mana through its roots into the roots of nearby trees.


    Should I use Soul Explosion? I asked Samantha. Unless the Jaguar had evolved past level 100, I could likely kill it with Soul Explosion.


    <Of course not,> Samantha said. <The Jaguar is unlikely to move from here¡ªit is essentially cultivating in this Aether dense environment. We can head back to Abelino, and let him know the location. Then we¡¯ll take down the Jaguar together. Just make sure to tell Abelino not to harm this tree.>


    <table width="624">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Name:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    Jarek


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Level:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    37


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    HP:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    47/47


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Physical Defense:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    28


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Strength:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    30 (+5)


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Mental Power:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    14


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Dexterity:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    10 (+5)


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Agility:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    24 (+10)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Perception:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    20


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Luck:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    22


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Mana Pool:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    131 (+10)


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Mana Regeneration:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    72 (+10)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Available Points:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    0


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Coins:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    1,234,000


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Class:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    Mana Modulator (D-rank)


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Profession:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    Rune Master (C-rank)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Titles:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="486">


    Region Lord (E-rank)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Skills and Spells:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="486">


    Identify (E-rank)


    Mana Modulation (D-rank Core)


    Death¡¯s Defier (A-rank)


    Mana Sensing (C-rank)


    Healthy Magic (E-rank)


    Aquatic Respiration (E-rank)


    Polyglot (E-rank)


    Soul Communion (D-rank)


    Cursed Lightning (D-rank)


    Spiritual Traveler (D-rank)


    Soul Explosion (D-rank)


    Mana Control (C-rank)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Affinities:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="486">


    Internal Mana (D-rank Low), External Unattributed Mana (C-rank Low), Soul Magic (D-rank Low)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Equipment:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="486">


    Vampiric Blade (D-rank): +5 Strength, +5 Agility.


    Bloodied Battle Robes (D-rank): +5 Mana Pool, +5 Mana Regen.


    Greedy Gloves (D-rank): +5 Mana Pool, +5 Mana Regen.


    Bonded Blades (D-rank): +5 Dexterity, +5 Agility.


    Communication Amulet (E-rank):


    Personal Mana Shield (E-rank):


    Interdimensional Pouch (D-rank):


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Missions:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="486">


    Zone Offense


    Renegade Bounty Hunter


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>

 Chapter 99: Jaguar

    It took several hours before we actually closed in on the Jaguar in person.


    Once I informed Abelino of the Jaguar¡¯s location, we moved slowly through the rainforest towards the it, both Abelino and I sweating in the humidity under Invisibility Cloaks, until Samantha gave me the heads up. Then, two Abelino clones ran in opposite directions, tracing a large circle around the tree where the Jaguar was resting.


    At regular intervals as they traced the circumference of a circle with the Jaguar at the center, the clones split to form more clones. Previously, the dense trees and underbrush had slowed us down, but now, it provided cover for us as we circled around the Jaguar.


    Once the encirclement was complete, we gradually, and slowly, closed in on the Jaguar.


    The process took a while, and Abelino was clearly impatient about the wasted time.  What I didn¡¯t mention was that by taking our time, I was letting the cooldown for the Cursed Lightning wear off.


    By the time we started truly closing in on the Jaguar, with the Jaguar surrounded still a sizeable distance away, Cursed Lightning had finally reset from its cooldown.


    Abelino and I both suppressed our auras to the minimum, which meant we were attacked at various intervals by the creatures in the rainforest.  Snakes, giant insects, carnivorous birds, and gorillas attacked us at various occasions, but we killed them quietly and efficiently, continuing our slow march towards the middle of the rainforest.


    But the further we progressed, the more the nearby creatures pushed back against our presence, uniting to resist us.


    When we reached a flock of mutant parrots, it was obvious it was time to change our strategy.  The parrots released shrill, ear-piercing cries that likely reached every end of the rainforest.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± I said, nodding to Abelino.


    Before, we had been taking it slow, hoping to gradually approach the Jaguar in secret.


    Once our cover was blown, we blazed a trail through the rainforest, directly towards the Jaguar tree.


    ¡°Flare the other auras,¡± I said.


    ¡°Done.¡±


    The Jaguar had fought Abelino before. It had killed a few clones, but it had also been wounded by Abelino as well.


    It was actually scared of Abelino.  Which meant by flaring certain auras, we could guide the Jaguar where we wanted it to go¡ªtowards me.


    We were close enough, that I was able to sense the Jaguar with Mana Sensing.


    ¡°Now,¡± I said, repeating Samantha¡¯s command.


    The biggest challenge fighting the Jaguar was its speed. The Jaguar could probably kill me with a single swipe of its paws, and it was lethally fast.  Samantha estimated that its Agility could be around 150.


    At that Agility, even if I snuck up on it on my own and tried to use Cursed Lightning, it could likely dodge enough so that my Cursed Lightning would miss its core.  (This had prompted a separate conversation with Samantha, where Samantha said that no, of course Cursed Lightning is not actual lightning, and no, it does not travel at the speed of light).


    So the biggest concern with fighting this Jaguar was that it would run away.   Samantha said it was likely the Jaguar had a focus in Strength and Agility, allowing it to run at fast paces for very long periods of times.


    Thinking back, this proclivity to retreat was also something that I had had to deal with against the other Zone Lords as well.  I wouldn¡¯t have expected Zone Lords to be so cowardly, if I hadn¡¯t experienced it first hand myself. The Shade tried to run away, but we had the spell to trap the Shade in place.Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!


    The Gravity Lord tried to run as well, resulting in that strange subterranean chase hundreds of yards in the air.


    Even the Sandman tried to run, though its attempt was remarkably futile.


    So when facing a Jaguar that had shown it was eager to retreat in the past¡ªa creature that was extremely capable of outrunning either of us over long distances¡ªit only made sense to be prepared.


    Unfortunately, neither Abelino or I had restrictive abilities. Abelino, like most swordsmen his level, had a Martial Projection Affinity, which meant he was able to project and extend his sword¡¯s blade.


    So instead, we had to resort to items.


    Back when Abelino and I had been trying to recover the mind-controlled Abelino clone, we had encountered Time Dilation Wards.


    As it turned out, there was a Sorcerer working for the Armed Forces who was also a Rune Master, who was capable of making E-rank Time Dilation Rune Patterns.  I had actually fought the sorcerer in Fayette City.


    The sorcerer was now working for the Ravens¡ªat some point in the aftermath of the battle, Adia had convinced him to join her¡ªbut he had been willing to make some Time Dilation Rune Patterns for us, in exchange for some tips about the Rune Master Profession.


    At my signal, Abelino and I each threw out a dozen spheres the size of an apple in various directions.


    Each Time Dilation Rune Pattern quickly activated, just as the Jaguar approached us.


    With my Mana Sensing, I could see two dozen spheres of mana, each about 10 feet in diameter, in front of us.


    The Jaguar, which had been trying to rush past us, was caught in the edge of the time dilation effect, and I saw its movements slow, but it was already on the way out of the effect.


    This was my first chance to see the Jaguar properly. It was larger than a lion, with a yellowish coat that faded to white on its underbelly, and irregularly shaped black spots on its yellow fur.  If it were significantly smaller, it would have looked like an exotic housecat. There was nothing to indicate that it was one of the most powerful creatures on the planet, except for the mana density that I could see packed in its muscles.  Its aura was completely suppressed, making it seem like a very large cat.


    The Abelino clone next to me rushed forward to the edge of the time dilation effect and swung his sword.


    A wide beam of Martial Energy projected out of the Abelino clone¡¯s sword, creating a swath of destruction across the rainforest as it approached the Jaguar.


    The Jaguar tried frantically to dodge it, retreating backwards into the Time Dilation Zone, but that was all the opening I needed.


    I launched Cursed Lightning, with fifty points added to my Luck, unable to hide my anticipatory grin as my attack flew towards the Jaguar.


    The Jaguar wasn¡¯t even facing me, and my attack was perfectly timed.


    But just as my attack was inches away from the monster, the Jaguar vanished completely from inside the Time Dilation Ward, reappearing just a foot above me, with a paw slicing down at my head.


    I was completely shocked, but I was accustomed enough to the situation that I knew better than to freeze in place. I was already diving to the side while the paw was slicing down towards me.


    I caught a glimpse of claws reaching out from the creature¡¯s padded paws, and I was momentarily stunned.


    Its claws shouldn¡¯t be that long. The claws easily stretched out six inches past the padded paws, giving me a brief flashback to Wolverine before I heard a sharp crack as the Personal Mana Shield broke and the creature¡¯s six-inch claws sliced off my right arm at my shoulder as though they were slicing through butter.


    The pain vanished the moment it appeared.  It was Petra¡¯s suggestion, really, to allow Samantha to regulate my pain in moments like these.  I hadn¡¯t been happy at the time, but I wasn¡¯t going to complain now.


    I ignored the cognitive dissonance from looking at my dismembered arm, and the ever-growing pool of blood seeping into the underbrush in the Rainforest, matched with the complete absence of pain.


    The Jaguar didn¡¯t know it, but its attacks had almost completely defanged me.  I had lost my Vampiric Blade, but that wasn¡¯t actually the worst of it.


    My left arm was holding a compressed Fire-attributed Mana Crystal, and I had been ready to fire it as needed.  But my whole body was a rune pattern, and by chopping off my right arm, it had disrupted the stability of the rune pattern.


    I really didn¡¯t want to test what would happen if I tried to use my body as a Mana Cannon, when I was missing a part of the runes that Samantha had painstakingly created.


    I couldn¡¯t use my Cursed Lightning, I couldn¡¯t use my Mana Cannon, and I didn¡¯t have my Vampiric Blade.


    Just as the Jaguar¡¯s second paw started swiping at me, I struck back with my only remaining lethal option.  I added 70 mana into my Physical Defense for obvious reasons, poured the rest of my mana into Luck, and then permanently spent 20 Strength to activate a Soul Explosion.


    I had thought using the Soul Explosion against the Sandman had been agonizing.  But I was painfully mistaken.  No pun intended.


    It felt like my very being, the core of who I was, was put through a paper shredder.  It felt like I was chopping off parts of myself, over and over again.


    The pain was so great I didn¡¯t know who I was, or where I was. I couldn¡¯t see anything, feel anything outside my body, or hear anything except for my own pained cries.


    Make it stop, I said to Samantha.


    <I can¡¯t,> Samantha said, sadly. <This is soul damage¡ªit¡¯s not something that can be fixed so easily.>

 Chapter 100: Jaguar Loot

    I gradually came to my senses, glancing around the silent rainforest. There was a lingering pain deep in my being, but it was subdued, and I felt like I was back in control.


    It was unnervingly quiet.  Only the light rustle of nearby leaves convinced me that I still had my hearing. There was no sound of nearby animals.


    The Jaguar was dead at my feet.  Its corpse was in perfect condition, without a speck of blood anywhere.  It had been able to completely avoid taking any damage from Abelino¡¯s Martial Energy attack, and the Soul Explosion had completely passed through fur and muscles, targeting the soul directly.


    I was surprised to note that I had my right arm back.  A quick survey of my internal mana though showed me that Samantha would have to do some more work on rebuilding the Mana Cannon rune patterns on my arm.


    It was annoyingly anticlimactic, I thought to myself, that I had not been able to use the Mana Cannon yet.


    I turned, looking for Abelino, and I was surprised to see that the Abelino that had been next to me had vanished.


    ¡°What did you do?¡± An Abelino clone rushed towards me through the underbrush, with a deep frown on his face, and his weapons half-raised. ¡°I trusted you!¡±


    A second clone appeared to my right, and a third clone appeared behind me. They all had their weapons drawn.


    Another ambush, I thought, raising my sword.  Another betrayal.  I didn¡¯t stand much of a chance fighting all the clones, but maybe I could outrun them, and hide with my Invisibility Cloak.


    Samantha said. <Your Spiritual Explosion killed the clone, which means that clone was permanently lost, and Abelino has no idea how the clone died.>


    Fuck, I thought, dropping my blade immediately and raising my hands.


    Unfortunately, at the same time, another four clones had surrounded me. I could only imagine how it looked to Abelino.


    ¡°Let me explain,¡± I said. I directly shared my skill information with all of the clones as I talked:


    Soul Explosion (D-rank): Allows you to permanently sacrifice up to 20 Stat Points from your character sheet to create an explosion that directly attacks nearby souls, disregarding physical defenses. Requires: Soul Magic Affinity (D-rank)


    ¡°The Jaguar could teleport. I don¡¯t know if you knew that, but you definitely never told me.¡±


    I had a hunch, and I looked down at the Jaguar¡¯s corpse, tossing a skill book over to Abelino.


    Instantaneous Movement (D-rank): Allows you to immediately appear in any unoccupied location within a 15 yard radius. Cooldown: 1 hour. Requires: Movement Affinity (D-rank).


    ¡°Everything went according to plan,¡± I said. ¡°We caught the Jaguar in the Time Dilation Rune Pattern, but it teleported out when I used Cursed Lightning, directly on top of me. I was forced to use my backup plan¡ªSoul Explosion¡ªin order to kill it.  Unfortunately, your clone was caught in the explosion.¡±


    The Abelinos moved around the area like it was a crime scene, several looking at the location of the fallen equipment that the dead Abelino clone had worn.


    ¡°I can make it up to you,¡± I said. ¡°I know that losing clones damages your soul.¡± I took out a Soul Shard and tossed it to a clone. ¡°When you eat these, then they strengthen your soul.  That might reset the compounding effects of losing your clones.¡±


    I was repeating Samantha¡¯s words, not really knowing what I was saying, but it seemed to have an effect.


    ¡°How do you know about this?¡± the nearest Abelino asked.  Many of them had turned to face me¡ªwhether out of curiosity or suspicion, I didn¡¯t know.


    I continued repeating Samantha¡¯s words, hoping that I wasn¡¯t digging a deeper and deeper hole for myself. ¡°I have an inheritance that has given me a lot of information about Atropos Schema. Including information on your class, a C-rank Duplicator.  One weakness is that every time you split, you temporarily halve your Mana Pool. So when you lost this clone, you permanently lost however much of the Mana Pool this clone had.  But that is only the tip of the cost you would have to pay.  You can¡¯t recover from losing a part of yourself that easily.¡±


    I almost choked on the words as I said them. What about me? I just detonated part of my soul!


    <Trust me. I¡¯ll explain more later.>


    I was tired of hearing those words, but I also knew that with a dozen Abelino¡¯s surrounding me, I needed to focus on regaining his trust.


    ¡°Whatever the additional affects you would experience when you permanently lose a part of your soul are, they will only get worse as you lose more and more of yourself. The Soul Shard I passed you will help with that.  It will help rebuild your soul, strengthening your soul until it resets those additional penalties. I have a few more, but it is only safe to have about one a day.¡±


    I felt like I had lost the attention of the Abelino clones. They were studying the loot that had fallen near the Jaguar¡¯s corpse.


    The Capital City Token was a given.  There was also, most likely, a Jaguar Core inside the corpse, which would likely grant Movement Affinity (D-rank).This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    I had already shown Abelino the Instantaneous Movement Skill, and I hadn¡¯t taken the time to study the rest of the loot.


    I quickly Identified the skill books that Abelino was studying.


    Sharpened Edge (D-rank): Allows you to project Martial Energy around a blade or weapon¡¯s point, significantly improving its sharpness. Duration: 1 minute. Cooldown: 1 hour. Requires: Martial Projection Affinity (D-rank).


    Stealthy Steps (E-rank): Allows you to utilize Martial Energy to blend in to your environment and suppress your aura. Duration: 1 Hour. Cooldown: 24 hours. Requires: Stealth Affinity (E-rank).


    I cleared my throat. ¡°So, the deal¡¯s still on, right? This is all mine, except for the Capital City token?¡±


    The nearest Abelino nodded absently, lowering his sword. ¡°You will give me as many Soul Shards as it takes to heal my soul¡ªcompletely.  And I would like to buy more from you, in the future. Perhaps a trade¡ªsoul shards for other metals.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± I said, acutely aware of the heavily armed and dangerous clones that were still surrounding me.


    One of the Abelino clones picked up the Capital City token, and passed it to another clone, who put it in an Interdimensional Pouch.


    I finally took the time to look at the notifications log of Atropos Schema. I had been in so much pain earlier, I hadn¡¯t had the attention span to read it.


    Congratulations! You have slain South America¡¯s Zone Lord. +20 free Stat Points.


    You have completed the mission, Zone Offense.


    Reward: 1 Schema Treasury Token (C-rank)


    Zone Offense mission updated: Slay another Zone Lord on Earth.  Reward: 1 pick from the Schema Treasury (C-rank).


    Level up! (to 38)


    Level up! (to 39)


    It was exactly as I had anticipated.  The +20 Stat Points left a bitter taste in my mouth.  If only we had known the Jaguar had a teleportation skill, then we could have planned differently.  I didn¡¯t need Samantha to tell me that spending 20 points to gain 20 points was not a good long-term strategy.


    It also made me acutely concerned for my own safety.  As things stood right now, I didn¡¯t have my Mana Cannon. Cursed Lightning and Death¡¯s Defier were both on Cooldown, and I didn¡¯t relish the idea of using Soul Explosion again.


    On top of it all, I was in the middle of a rainforest, alone with a man who didn¡¯t trust me.


    All of these thoughts reminded me to allocate my two free points.  After being so close to gaining twenty, two free points sounded pretty abysmal.


    I put the two free points into Physical Defense, for two reasons. First, watching the Jaguar slice through my body like I was a block of tofu had been unpleasant, to say the least.


    Secondly, I knew I was going to rely on the Mana Cannon in the future.  The greater my Physical Defense, the less I would have to worry about harming my own body with this Mana Cannon.


    After allocating my Stat Points, I collected the loot, then turned to the nearest Abelino clone.  This was the clone dedicated to dealing with me, it seemed.  The dozen Abelino clones that surrounded us were still around us, but now they were facing away from us, fighting the monsters that were now approaching.


    It was moments like these, watching the dozen clones fight with a certain nonchalant ease, that made me extremely cautious of Abelino.  Abelino was most likely the highest leveled human on the planet.


    Better get on his good side.


    Samantha didn¡¯t want me to say anything. But to me, the value of an ally of Abelino¡¯s caliber was huge.  And I wouldn¡¯t mind getting rid of the suspicious glances.


    ¡°There is somewhere we should go, before we return,¡± I said. ¡°While I was scouting, I noticed that the Jaguar was resting on a tree that was glowing with mana even more brightly than the Jaguar itself.  I have a feeling it is an extremely valuable resource.¡±


    <table width="624">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Name:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    Jarek


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Level:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    39


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    HP:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    49/49


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Physical Defense:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    30


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Strength:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    30 (+5)


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Mental Power:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    14


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Dexterity:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    10 (+5)


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Agility:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    24 (+10)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Perception:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    20


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Luck:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    22


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Mana Pool:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    141 (+10)


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Mana Regeneration:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    78 (+10)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Available Points:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    0


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Coins:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    2,036,000


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Class:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    Mana Modulator (D-rank)


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Profession:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    Rune Master (C-rank)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Titles:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="486">


    Region Lord (E-rank)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Skills and Spells:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="486">


    Identify (E-rank)


    Mana Modulation (D-rank Core)


    Death¡¯s Defier (A-rank)


    Mana Sensing (C-rank)


    Healthy Magic (E-rank)


    Aquatic Respiration (E-rank)


    Polyglot (E-rank)


    Soul Communion (D-rank)


    Cursed Lightning (D-rank)


    Spiritual Traveler (D-rank)


    Soul Explosion (D-rank)


    Mana Control (C-rank)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Affinities:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="486">


    Internal Mana (D-rank Low), External Unattributed Mana (C-rank Low), Soul Magic (D-rank Low)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Equipment:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="486">


    Vampiric Blade (D-rank): +5 Strength, +5 Agility.


    Bloodied Battle Robes (D-rank): +5 Mana Pool, +5 Mana Regen.


    Greedy Gloves (D-rank): +5 Mana Pool, +5 Mana Regen.


    Bonded Blades (D-rank): +5 Dexterity, +5 Agility.


    Communication Amulet (E-rank):


    Personal Mana Shield (E-rank):


    Interdimensional Pouch (D-rank):


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Missions:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="486">


    Zone Offense


    Renegade Bounty Hunter


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <hr>

 Chapter 101: Life Transfusion

    ¡°What am I looking for?¡± Abelino asked.


    We were at the foot of the tree that the Jaguar had been resting on¡ªthe tree that Samantha identified as the heart of the forest.  There was very little about the tree that made it seem special.  It was the same height as the other trees, and its trunk was more or less the same size as the trees around us.


    When I tried to Identify the tree, though, I just saw one thing:


    Pledian Moss (E-rank)


    Like several of the nearby trees, the tree in the heart of the rainforest was completely covered in a dull brown fuzzy moss, from the base of the trunk to the highest branches.


    <It¡¯s a type of camouflage,> Samantha explained. <The moss hides the true value of the tree.>


    The camouflage wasn¡¯t effective for me¡ªI still saw the tree¡¯s incredibly dense and vibrant mana


    I went up to the tree and scraped off a layer of the moss.


    ¡°Try Identifying the tree again,¡± I said, glancing at the Abelino clone that had been following me.  The other Abelinos were busy clearing the area of monsters.  I could hear shrieks and roars, angry caws, and more, but at this point, it was just background noise.


    Transcendent Taproot (C-rank)


    I saw Abelino¡¯s eyes open. ¡°Should we harvest it?¡±


    The question itself showed that Abelino had started to understand how the Schema worked.   Plants with high rankings were often able to provide bonuses to individuals, like the Yanir Flower, or the Crystal Rose.


    Killing a plant that could grant permanent benefits would be a huge shame¡ªeven if it granted a C-rank core or C-rank materials, which would likely be worth tens of millions of coins.


    I shook my head, placing my hand on the tree¡¯s bark, hoping for a stat boost of some kind.>


    <That¡¯s not going to work,> Samantha said. <Here¡¯s what you need to tell Abelino...>


    I saw an amused smile on Abelino¡¯s face as he watched my previously calm expression turn shocked.


    ¡°It¡¯s called Life Transfusion,¡± I said to Abelino, once I felt I had sufficiently recovered from the shock. ¡°Humans would need an E-rank Plant Affinity to gain any benefits.  If you do have a Plant Affinity, then the tree will directly transfer XP to you.  If you have the affinity, all you would need to do is touch the tree, and over time, it will grant you levels, all the way up until level 49.  Then, if you can break through level 49, and upgrade your Plant Affinity to D-rank, it can level you directly up to level 99.¡±


    ¡°Plant Affinity,¡± Abelino said, somewhat absentmindedly, then he smiled slightly.  ¡°Pouch!¡±  He called it into the air, and for a second, I feared he was demanding my Interdimensional Pouch.


    An Interdimensional Pouch flew towards him¡ªtossed by one of his clones¡ªand Abelino took out small, shining green gem, popping it into his mouth before I could identify it.


    Then, the Abelino clone placed his hand on the Transcendent Taproot and closed his eyes.


    Several other clones came over to watch the process.


    ¡°I feel it,¡± Abelino said. Then he split into 3 clones, and they each put their hands on the tree.


    I waited awkwardly for a minute, shifting into place, asking myself, what have I done.


    The three Abelino clones opened their eyes and smiled at me simultaneously.  As was Abelino¡¯s habit, the one nearest to me spoke for all of them. Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°It seems I am in your debt,¡± he said.  His grateful tone, and the implications of what I had just done, gave me chills.


    <That¡¯s what you get, for being generous and honest,> Samantha said. <Quick, while he¡¯s feeling thankful, here¡¯s what you should say¡­>


    ¡°There is something that you could do for me in return,¡± I said, slowly, processing Samantha¡¯s suggestions.  ¡°While I was scouting the area, I also found a mine and a naturally occurring herb. I figure it might take you some time to find them and discover their true uses.  And this tree is useless to me, since I will not give up any of my own Affinities.  So how about I show you to the other resource points.  We can share ownership of what we find, 50/50.¡±


    The Abelino closest to me laughed. ¡°75/25. It¡¯s my land, and I would find them eventually anyway.¡±


    ¡°Deal,¡± I said, immediately. It was already a very generous offer.  Abelino seemed to truly think he was in my debt.


    I left the Transcendent Taproot with several clones in tow, turning back one last time to see the three Abelino clones surrounding the tree, all meditating in silence.


    As I looked at the tree, and the clones surrounding it, I couldn¡¯t help but feel that I had created a monster.


    <hr>


    Our first destination was a small grove nearby which had a large variety of D-rank herbs that could be used by Alchemist to make a number of potions.


    We traveled past the herb garden, towards the base of a nearby mountain,


    There was a large crack in the earth at the base of the mountain, about ten feet wide and maybe 100 feet long, with sheer walls that continued downwards for long enough that I could not see the bottom.


    ¡°Do you think you can survive a two hundred foot drop?¡± I asked Abelino, who was staring down into the crack with a hint of trepidation.


    ¡°No,¡± Abelino said, simply.


    ¡°Alright,¡± I said. ¡°I will go down, clear the area, and build a town.  I can tell there is something valuable down there.¡±


    I saluted Abelino, and then jumped into the pitch-black crack, before I could convince myself it was a bad idea.


    I immediately put 150 points into Physical Defense, and then I waited, trying to enjoy the feeling of falling.


    As I fell, I tried to make sure I was falling feet first.


    I landed on a stony surface with an earth-shaking shudder.   My feet managed to land on the ground first, but my legs immediately gave way, and I collapsed to the ground immediately.


    My body was sore, but to my own surprise, I was able to rise unsteadily to my feet.  I felt like I had taken a beating, but nothing was broken.


    The area around me was much larger than the initial crack that I had fallen in would have led me to believe.


    Buried in the walls, I could see various E and D-ranked ores. I recognized the blue tinge of Cerium, the fiery color of Igneal Ore, along with Gold and Platinum.


    The stone under my feet had cracked when I collided with it, and there was a dust cloud in the air, which almost completely blocked my line of sight.


    It was only thanks to Mana Sensing that I could see the massive worm-shaped creature burrowing through the walls to my right, about to appear right next to me.


    Once again, it was a shame I didn¡¯t have my Mana Cannon.


    I had incredible Physical Defense at the moment, and very little else in my mana pool, so I decided I would fight the worm with brute force¡ªmore or less.


    I moved towards the wall, but also a yard or two away from where I suspected the burrowing worm would appear.


    The worm¡ªa level 56 Ore Worm¡ªappeared just a second later, a giant, gaping maw that could easily swallow a refrigerator, with a dozen rows of sharp, serrated teeth.


    I attacked the ¡°neck¡± of the worm, right past where I estimated its head was, splitting my remaining mana between Strength and Luck.


    My Vampiric Blade caught in the metallic ridges of the worm¡¯s body, only sinking a foot or so into the creature.  Judging from the size of the worm, this was nothing more than a flesh wound.


    The worm spun towards me just in time to receive two daggers thrown directly into its open mouth as I backed away quickly.


    Even without many points in Agility, I was more or less the same speed as the worm, allowing me to retreat by running backwards, throwing my knives repeatedly into its open mouth, until it died an ignoble and relatively fast death.


    Once it died, I surveyed the loot:


    Ore Worm Core (E-rank): Grants E-rank Metal Affinity


    Metallic Armor (E-rank): Using Martial Energy, you can imbue your skin with the defensive power of metal. Requires: Defense Affinity, Metal Affinity.


    Town Token


    After just killing a Zone Lord, it was underwhelming loot. I collected the loot and the corpse, and I surveyed the area again.


    <You should follow the tunnel to see where it leads,> Samantha suggested. <The worm¡¯s den might have higher-grade ores.>


    The tunnel the worm left in the rock wall beside me was large¡ªabout ten feet in diameter¡ªso I walked through the tunnel, trying not to remember my battle against the Gravity Leech, the weight of tons of earth collapsing in towards me, blocked only by Dawnbreaker¡¯s unisuit¡­


    I shook the memory out of my head, and continued walking through the tunnel, crossing my fingers in hope about what I might see on the other end.

 Chapter 102: Taking Stock

    The worm¡¯s tunnel led to an open, underground cavern about the size of a football stadium.  Inside the cavern, I could see and sense traces of D-rank ores buried in the floor, ceiling, and walls.


    <It¡¯s likely drawing from the same Aether vent as the Transcendent Taproot,> Samantha said. <If we¡¯re lucky, we can dig deeper and find some C-rank metals that you can use to hone your Rune Mastery.>


    I felt a rush of excitement at the thought of C-rank metals, but then Samantha quashed it. <That¡¯s not a job for you, though,> she said, immediately.  <You should have someone else¡ªmaybe Ethan¡ªclear out the rest of this mine.>


    Petra did mention that he was going a bit stir-crazy. But can I really trust him not to steal what he finds?


    <If I remember correctly, your sister is a mind-reader,> Samantha said, dryly.  <She¡¯s probably already scheduling regular ¡°check-ups¡± with everyone working for you.  If Ethan tries anything, then she¡¯ll catch on very quickly.>


    Oh, right. But what about the loot here? With my Luck, I can increase the loot significantly.


    <You really need to work on understanding the big picture,> Samantha responded. <Let¡¯s say you find ten more E-rank skill books by exploring these tunnels¡ªthat¡¯s not worth a single D-rank skill book. You are capable of making C-rank equipment. That is the big picture.  Now build a town already, and let¡¯s get out of here.>


    <hr>


    I spent the afternoon making D-rank Mana Shields. The metal base was Cerium.  Abelino sold me the material, already fashioned the way I requested¡ªa breastplate, with a groove in the middle a bit smaller than a fist.


    The core of the D-rank Personal Mana Shield was the Compressed Mana Crystal, which slotted easily into the groove that Abelino¡¯s blacksmiths left in the metal.


    In addition to the breastplate version of the Personal Mana Shields, Samantha showed me how to make a smaller version.


    Instead of a breastplate, this came as a belt, which had a pouch built in which was bigger on the inside, using the same rune patterns as an Interdimensional Pouch.


    The belt had two benefits¡ªit didn¡¯t require that the watermelon-sized Mana Crystal be compressed, and it wouldn¡¯t weigh me down the same way as a breastplate would, since the contents of the Interdimensional Pouch were weightless, due to the Rune Patterns.


    As I was working on Rune Patterns, Samantha was double-tasking, giving me feedback on my work while reforming the missing runes on my right arm, in order to recreate the Mana Cannon on my arm.


    Ethan was happily exploring the town I had created in South America.  When he saw that I hadn¡¯t named it yet, he insisted that I call it Barith Town, and I had eventually agreed.


    Under Petra and Uman¡¯s command, the mines around Nova City were being milked for all they were worth.


    While Mana Beads were abundant, there were also several caverns that allowed easy access to Mana Shards.


    Petra kept bugging me about the Belian Brambles and the Aether vent underneath it.  It was a huge waste of space and resources, but I had no idea what to do about it.


    The Belian Brambles had evolved to D-rank, thanks to the Aether vent, and trimming them was a continuous, exhausting endeavor.  They seemed to almost take pleasure in bending away and then snapping back at anyone who tried to harm them.


    If only it were so easy as building a factory on top of the vent to convert the Aether into a more useable form of energy, like mana crystals and so on.


    But the thing about Aether was that it was harder to control. It was esoteric, and even the Schema couldn¡¯t control it directly.


    Instead, with Abelino¡¯s permission, I had collected a seed from the Transcendent Taproot, as well as numerous seeds and living plants from the various valuable herbs we had found in the Rainforest.If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    According to Samantha, transplanting and growing D-rank plants was supposed to be extremely tricky, requiring a lot of skill and in many cases even a Gardener¡¯s profession.


    But all these problems can easily be solved with an Aether Vent. By absorbing this pure life force, the plants would be able to thrive even in the dark, sun-less environment that was Nova City.  Their only threat would be competition between different plants.


    It was disconcerting, knowing everything that was going on around me, but not actually doing the things myself.


    As I made my D-rank Mana Shields, someone else was currently chopping down the Belian Brambles¡ªor burning down, judging by the pillars of smoke I could see out my window.


    At the same time, Ryker was preparing all the towns along the coast of California to be attacked by sea monsters, and Uman was organizing a search of Freedom City¡¯s surroundings in order to find anything remotely valuable.


    What should I do with the Treasury Token? I asked, as I continued working on another breastplate.  I know you¡¯ve mentioned that I will need a core that will increase my Soul Magic Affinity to C-rank. Should I buy one of those?


    <Definitely not,> Samantha said, immediately. <I keep trying to remind you. Just because something is C-rank doesn¡¯t mean it can hold a candle to other C-rank things. It is a thousand times better to buy a blueprint than a C-rank core.  That said, I think you should hold off on using the C-rank Treasury Token.  There is something else you should do, first.  I¡¯ve been holding off on having you tackle the Infinite Tower, hoping for one last stat boost from that Zone Lord you just killed.  Remember that the Tower calculates performance based off of how you perform in a fight relative to other people or monsters at your level.  Since you¡¯re only D-rank, those 20 Stat Points would have been extremely useful in strengthening you relative to others.  But now with the incoming monster attacks, your level is likely to rise faster, without significant outside stat boosts. In fact, your stats will rise at a slower pace compared to people who start with a C-rank class, so with every level you gain, you are actually falling slightly behind.>


    <All of this is to say that you should tackle the Infinite Tower now, before the sea monsters attack.>


    But if I go to the Infinite Tower now, what if I miss the attack?


    <You will only be gone for an hour or so,> Samantha reassured me. <It will feel like much longer, of course, but remember, just like when you gained your C-rank Profession, it isn¡¯t real. Even if you die in the Infinite Tower, you just get kicked out of the tower, without any penalty.  In fact, none of the penalties suffered in the Infinite Tower carry over to reality once you leave.>


    If the Infinite Tower is so important, should I wait until my skills have all reset?


    <That¡¯s not going to be an issue. It¡¯s one of the few perks of the tower¡ªyou¡¯ll appear in the tower in peak condition.>


    What else should I know about the tower? I asked.


    <The Tower is structured like a game show from your old world, where you need to know when to cash out.  It will start by giving you opponents that are your level, starting at F-rank, and eventually all the way to S-rank, if you can make it that far.  The Tower is broken into floors, each with a separate challenge.  After every five floors there is a Tower Store, and a chance to spend your points for real-world items. You get points for clearing the floor, and for various achievements while you do¡ªcompletion speed, not taking damage, etc.  You can spend these points in the Tower Store, but what you purchase is restricted by the floor that you just cleared.  To make things more enticing, the store will show you what you could buy if you challenge the next five floors and make it to the next store.>


    <It is a common mistake for people to overestimate themselves, with their eye on a prize that is far too difficult for them, and then they walk away with nothing.>


    Well, you know my abilities. How should I approach it?


    <It is common for the Infinite Tower to hide treasures on its floors. Sometimes it¡¯s literal buried treasures, sometimes it is an additional weapon, or extra points to be gained by killing hidden monsters before clearing the rest of the floor.>


    <So we have two hidden benefits that you shouldn¡¯t underestimate when it comes to dealing with the Infinite Tower.  The first is Luck.  We will want to increase Luck the moment we enter each floor. The floors are generated in a somewhat random way, and with increased Luck, we have a greater chance of encountering treasures or hidden monsters on each floor.  We will want to kill hidden monsters in order to gain Achievements, use the Achievements to challenge Missions, and then collect as many points as we can that way.>


    <Our second strength is our Perception and Mana Sensing. With those two skills, it will be very hard for the Schema to hide anything from us once we enter the Tower.>


    I couldn¡¯t help but feel excited about the way I could cheat my way to victory with the Infinite Tower. So, do you think I can get an A-rank item, like Dawnbreaker?


    Samantha snorted. <A-rank items don¡¯t fall from trees.  That said, it¡¯s funny you should mention Dawnbreaker.  I do have an idea how Dawnbreaker managed to gain an A-rank item from the Tower.  In fact, the clues are all there, if you think you can figure it out for yourself.  And fortunately, you are just as capable of using the same little bug in the system that Dawnbreaker used.>

 Chapter 103: The Infinite Tower Part 1

    ¡°I have no idea,¡± I said. ¡°Can you just tell me? How did Dawnbreaker get an A-rank unisuit, and how can I do the same?¡±


    <I¡¯m not promising that you can do the same,> Samantha said, immediately.  <But if you remember, there is one key skill that you know that Dawnbreaker has.  She can reset the countdowns of her skills, at the cost of Stat Points. Now, as I mentioned earlier, none of the penalties in the Infinite Tower carry over to reality. So, in theory, she could have sacrificed all her Stat Points, in order to clear enough floors to gain an A-rank unisuit.  And you have a skill that will allow you to do the same thing¡ªSoul Explosion.  Soul Explosion doesn¡¯t have a cooldown, and it will allow you to continually overpower stronger opponents, at a cost that is negligible, once you leave the Tower.>


    <Since you are higher leveled, Soul Explosion will actually help you out, because you have more Stat Points to sacrifice. With Soul Explosion as our trump card, we should be able to get a B-rank item or skill.>


    I felt a thrill of excitement on hearing Samantha¡¯s explanation.  I finished up my last Personal Mana Shield, and then contacted Petra, Ryker, and Uman, letting them know I would be unavailable for the next hour.


    Then, I took out the Infinite Tower Token from my Interdimensional Pouch, and activated it.


    <hr>


    I appeared inside a gaudy, large building with high ceilings that reminded me of a fancy train station.


    I glanced around curiously, wondering if I would see anybody, but the large space was completely vacant.


    Besides walls adorned with shining gems and crystals and intricate patterns that bespoke immense wealth and opulence, there were really only two main features of the room.


    The first was a counter in the middle of the room, a large storefront that had a polished marble countertop and several dozen Information Crystals secured on the counter.


    The second thing that immediately drew my attention was that one wall was completely missing.


    In the place of the wall was a shimmering blackness, which reminded me of the teleportation portals that I had traveled through during the tutorial.


    The key difference was the size¡ªwith the size of this portal, you could easily fit a whole building through.


    I walked up to the marble counter, slightly surprised by the echo of my bare feet slapping against the marble floor.


    Looking down, I saw that all of my items and equipment had disappeared.  I didn¡¯t have my pouch, my sword, my knives, my Mana Shield¡­everything was gone.


    When I was just ten feet way from the counter, a hologram appeared behind the counter silently.


    The hologram took the appearance of an elderly human, with a long beard and kind, knowing eyes.


    ¡°Welcome, challenger,¡± the hologram said. ¡°Welcome to the Infinite Tower.  To challenge the tower, simply walk through the portal.  You do not currently have points, but you can still buy equipment and items available here on loan.  Keep in mind that this is your only opportunity to take out a loan here at the Infinite Tower.¡±


    I nodded my understanding, reaching out my hand to the Information Crystal, but flinched, when I heard Samantha¡¯s instructions.


    I followed Samantha¡¯s suggestion, then touched the crystal.


    A familiar blue screen appeared in front of me, with hundreds of options to choose from, each item costing around 100 points.


    Why is everything F-rank? What was the point of putting all those points into Luck?


    <Luck still needs to work within the parameters that the Schema provides for it. In this case, the rules are that all items that appear at this point for people who have not challenged a floor must be F-ranked or lower.  Your Luck did help lower some of these prices, I would guess.  And there are a few rare and unusual F-rank items here.  There is very little worth spending points on.  The only thing you really need to buy is Tino¡¯s Sword.


    I studied the option and the picture provided.


    Tino¡¯s Sword (F-rank): A sturdy weapon for a swordsman who dreams of greatness. Cost: 290 points.


    From the picture provided, the blade itself was worse than unremarkable, half-rusted and chipped in places.  The most impressive thing about the sword was the price¡ªit was among the most expensive blades available for purchase.The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    I bought the blade right away, not really wanting to hear Samantha¡¯s smug explanation about how the blade was some kind of unpolished diamond in the rough.


    <Tino is a well-renowned blacksmith who lived a few hundred years ago,> Samantha explained, disregarding my thoughts.  <He is especially known for his talent in making weapons that can self-improve.>


    Yes yes, I¡¯m very impressed. I shot back. What do I do now?


    <Now, you are ready to challenge the first floor.>


    Tino¡¯s Sword appeared on top of the marble counter, and I gave it a thorough study.


    Identify didn¡¯t reveal anything unusual about the sword. My Perception showed that, although the sword was in disrepair, the blade still looked sharp and sturdy.  Mana Sensing showed nothing but a small mote of mana inside the blade.


    <The blade actually holds a spark of Aether,> Samantha said. <It is close to the idea of a living blade.>


    I thanked the elderly holographic man, and approached the black wall that would soon teleport me to the first floor of the Infinite Tower.


    <Remember,> Samantha said, <Each floor of the Infinite Tower is an illusion.  Even if you die, you¡¯ll be fine.  The downside is that you won¡¯t gain experience. The irony is that this sword of yours won¡¯t gain any experience either. It¡¯s something of a catch-22, you see. A cruel trick, giving us a weapon that would normally level up when fighting stronger opponents, but under these situations, it won¡¯t.>


    So, you¡¯re saying that Tino¡¯s Sword is useless, I said, in disbelief.


    <Not at all. I¡¯m just saying it has the value of an F-rank sword.  It might be a good gift to Justin, when we get out of here.  Also, while it may not be incredibly sharp, it is unlikely to break¡­any more than it has already broken.>


    Whatever. Let¡¯s go.


    I waited until I had regained my full Mana Pool, and then I waited a little while longer, building up a cloud of mana under my control around me, approximately equal to half my Mana Pool.  Then, I put all my floating points into Luck, and I walked through the black wall in front of me, bracing for the worst.


    I appeared in a grassy prairie, surrounded by rolling hills that seemingly continued forever.


    Just ten yards away from me, I could see my opponent.


    Insectoid (Level 39)


    The creature stood upright on two legs like a human, about five feet tall, but it had four other legs which it looked like it was capable of using as arms, serrated blades making up one set of ¡°arms,¡± and sharp pinchers making up the other set of arms.


    Its whole body was covered in chitinous armor, and its bulbous eyes surrounded its head completely.  The antennae twitched, likely in response to my appearance.


    I activated Mana Sensing, searching through the plains, waiting for the other shoe to drop.


    Then I glanced again at the Insectoid, somewhat stumped. Is that it?


    <Yes. The Infinite Tower starts off easy.  It tries to boost people¡¯s confidence.  Don¡¯t kill it yet, we want to try to find any hidden bonuses.>


    I was already searching the area with Mana Sensing.  It was unnerving, being in such a vast expanse, where the only living things were the grass on the hills, and this random insect.


    <There¡¯s a hidden boss,> Samantha said, suddenly.


    I perked up. Where?


    <Far underground,> Samantha said. <There is probably a condition to trigger it.  Hopefully, it is the scent of blood.  Let¡¯s spill some blood, but keep the battle going. Once the Insectoid dies, then we will be teleported out of this floor.>


    The Insectoid jumped and a set of translucent wings opened up behind it, allowing it to leap into the air and easily close the whole distance between us.


    I sidestepped easily and swung Tino¡¯s blade.


    The blade easily chopped off the arm that was reaching towards me, and I retreated, somewhat flummoxed.


    It wasn¡¯t that this F-rank blade was too sharp.  It was that this Insectoid was too weak.


    As I watched blackish blood flow out of the Insectoid¡¯s dismembered arm, and the insectoid rushed frantically at me a second time, I started to wonder if the true challenge of this battle would be keeping the Insectoid alive.


    I backed away, following Samantha¡¯s instructions and slicing my left arm with my own blade, letting a substantial amount of blood drip down to the ground.


    And then I sheathed my blade and we began a game of cat and mouse, where the mouse chased the cat, and the cat did its best to not hurt the mouse.


    Even though the Insectoid had wings, I felt like I was faster than the creature.


    The whole time, we stayed in the general vicinity of where our blood had fallen, and I was running in literal circles to avoid clashing with the Insectoid.


    The Insectoid didn¡¯t reveal any skills as it chased me, unless you counted its flying leaps as skills. It buzzed angrily, at me, but it never seemed to second-guess the fact that I had it running in tight circles.


    After about ten minutes of running in circles, I was feeling well and truly dizzy.


    Then, I felt the earth tremble beneath me.


    I followed Samantha¡¯s combat shadow carefully, stopping in front of the Insectoid and allowing it to barrel into me.  Then, with heavy-handed karate chops, I broke each of its leg-like joints until it was lying on the ground in front of me.


    The Insectoid was writhing in fear and shaking, but something told me it wasn¡¯t me that it was afraid of.


    I could sense a dense collection of Mana approaching from underground, and I dragged the Insectoid away from the location where both of our blood had been spilled.


    We had barely cleared the area when a massive spider burrowed its way out of the ground, rearing its fuzzy head.


    The creature was the size of a barn, when you included its bulbous body and long, spindly legs that sunk into the ground like pylons.  From its murderous aura, it certainly wasn¡¯t something you should expect to see on the first floor of the Infinite Tower.


    I was getting Zone Lord vibes from this monster.


    I glanced at the Insectoid that I had dragged away from the giant spider. Did you say that if I kill the Insectoid, I can move on to the next level?

 Chapter 104: The Infinite Tower Part 2

    <You are not going to let the Insectoid die,> Samantha said, immediately, as the massive spider rushed towards me.


    Evolved Spider (Level 78)


    It wasn¡¯t that I was scared.  I had faced much worse than the giant spider, and I had survived.


    But this was a question of capabilities. I had no idea how I could kill a spider that was likely D-rank and level 78, without the appropriate weapons.


    An F-rank sword wouldn¡¯t cut it (no pun intended).  I had considered using the Insectoid¡¯s claws and arms, but those were also F-rank.


    Don¡¯t underestimate yourself, Samantha said.  Trust me.


    I dry swallowed, and then followed Samantha¡¯s combat shadow.


    The first thing I did was I split everything, including my floating points, and the mana floating around my body, between Strength and Physical Defense.


    Then, I tossed the insectoid away from the Evolved Spider, and I rushed directly towards the Spider.


    I avoided the legs that stabbed towards me, slicing futilely at the hairy black legs with Tino¡¯s Sword.


    Eventually, the spider seemed to tire of trying and failing to stab me. Its head lunged towards me, fangs dripping with venom.


    Unlike the Lamia Impression, the spider had a relatively small mouth, considering the size of the rest of its body.  It wasn¡¯t a mouth in the normal sense of the word.  It was basically a dark hole. I couldn¡¯t see any teeth or tongue from where I stood.


    From the way the spider used its legs, I would hazard a guess that it was more accustomed to shredding apart its prey with its legs before devouring its meal.


    I let the spider¡¯s fangs approach me, and then I grabbed the spider¡¯s fangs with my left hand, lifting myself up and pulling myself into the spider¡¯s tube-like mouth.


    The moment I did, I realized why Samantha had insisted I put so many points into my Physical Defense.


    The mouth was dripping in venom that burned my skin on contact, and it was currently touching every inch of my body.


    I had around 150 points in Physical Defense, and I could tell I needed each and every point.


    I was caught in the spider¡¯s tube-like mouth,  It wasn¡¯t clear if this was where the spider wanted me, or if it just couldn¡¯t fit me further down its mouth. My feet extended awkwardly out of the spider¡¯s mouth, and I could feel the spider¡¯s legs stabbing into my own legs.


    There was very little room to maneuver¡ªmy elbows could barely extend out from my body, and I couldn¡¯t see anything except for what I could make out with Mana Sensing.


    But I didn¡¯t need to see anything, because I could still ¡°see¡± Samantha¡¯s combat shadow guiding me forward.


    I drew Tino¡¯s sword, and stabbed it up, through the softer membranes that made up the spider¡¯s mouth-tube, up towards the spider¡¯s head, where I guessed its brain was.


    My sword met considerable resistance, but I managed to push it through, and a dense spray of blood fell onto me, and just a second later, I felt the spider¡¯s body collapsing to the ground, and the tube around my shoulders relaxed, slightly.


    But apparently I wasn¡¯t done yet¡ªI followed the combat shadow up the feeding tube of the spider, and the tube grew narrower and narrower around me, but after traveling about a yard or two, I was able to  stab once again, carving out a space on the inside of the spider¡¯s internal organs, and then I thrust an arm through various gooey membranes until I had an Evolved Spider Core  in my hands. The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Then, I compressed my body, and I allowed gravity and the slick mixture of blood and venom around me to pull me down, back out the spider¡¯s feeding tube, landing in a puddle of dissolved earth and grass.


    I could see the Insectoid flapping away and trying to escape, but I ignored it, focusing first on harvesting the most valuable parts of this spider.


    I had already collected the Evolved Spider Core, but ironically that was not at all useful to me at the moment.


    Anything that I collected on the Infinite Tower¡¯s floors was not actually real¡ªthe Tower Store would allow me to trade it for points, but I wouldn¡¯t be able to take it out of the Tower afterwards.


    On the flip side, anything that I bought in the Tower can be used on the various floors, as well as in the real world, when I return.


    Samantha had explained to me that it was a common mistake to continually upgrade your equipment every time you reach the store.


    If you do that, you would end up with a set of F-rank equipment, and then E-rank equipment. But by the time you see the prices for C-rank equipment, you would likely realize that it would have required you to save up every point in order to afford C-rank equipment.


    So the way around that was to make your own weapons.


    I certainly wasn¡¯t a blacksmith, but I was able to pull out the two fangs from the spider¡¯s mouth, which I figured I could use as knives.  I also hacked off a few limbs with Tino¡¯s sword, which was painfully difficult.


    I took some extra spider strands that the spider had sprayed everywhere, and used them to tie a bunch of the limbs and my own F-ranked sword together like a bundle of sticks.


    Once I had several limbs and a sword tied together and slung over my back, I chased after that last Insectoid, wielding a spider¡¯s fang in my left hand and a serrated spider¡¯s limb with a pointy end on the other.


    Due to its injuries, the Insectoid hadn¡¯t been able to go far.  I waited until I had reached full mana again, and then I killed it, with my floating points put into Luck for good measure.


    <hr>


    I appeared in a white hallway, staring down five goblins.  Their equipment immediately made it obvious that they were a diversified team.  There was a shield warrior, a swordsman, an archer, a mage, and a sorcerer, all standing in my way.


    Even though I knew that they were illusions, I was surprised to realize they looked just as real as I would expect fantasy creatures to appear. They had pale green skin, wide, beady eyes, and a look of fear and anticipation as they watched me. They shifted nervously, talking quickly to themselves¡ª¡°Sorcerer, Mage, and archer first.  Shield, ready.¡±


    A quick Identify revealed that their levels were all 39. Judging from their aura, I could tell that they were all F-rank.


    <Relax,> Samantha said. <The first four, maybe five floors will all be F-rank challenges.  This is the easy part.>


    Right. You consider getting eaten by an Evolved Spider easy?


    <That was a hidden boss,> Samantha said, as if that explained everything. <Here, though, it is unlikely for there to be a hidden boss.  I think the reward is the loot that they are carrying.  Make sure to increase Luck every time you kill one of them.>


    I cast another glance over them, stepping to my left to avoid an arrow and fireball that flew past my head.


    They all wore F-rank equipment.  It all looked rather uninspiring. A shield, a helmet, a sword, a wand, a sorcerer¡¯s tome¡­


    And then I caught sight of something that looked genuinely exciting. An Interdimensional Pouch, F-rank, at the magician¡¯s belt.


    I split all my mana between Agility and Luck, and a second later, the battle was over.


    It was almost sad, how easy it was.  I had a D-rank spider¡¯s limb which cut through their skin and armor with ease.  With my heightened Agility, it felt as though I was just walking up to them and stabbing them in slow motion.


    I surveyed the bodies around me thoughtfully.


    I had only knocked the Shield Warrior unconscious.  This gave me the chance to collect the loot.


    Originally, I had been excited about an F-rank Interdimensional Pouch, but I quickly realized how spoiled I was in that regard.  F-rank pouches were capable of holding one cubic foot of space. This was, in effect, nothing.


    The pouch came with some health and mana potions inside, which took up most of the space.


    I pried the massive shield away from the unconscious Shield Warrior¡¯s hands, and by turning it upside down, I had a sort of platform that could hold all the loot that I was going to collect.


    One of the ways of making points in the Tower was selling things.  Samantha really didn¡¯t want me wasting any points or items.


    Once I had everything set up, I killed the last shield warrior, which triggered the win conditions for the floor and I appeared on the next stage.

 105: The Infinite Tower Part 3

    I appeared in a grassy plain again, with rolling hills that continued on forever.  This time,  I was standing alone on my own hill.


    Gathered on various hills around me, I could see my opponents.


    There were five elves on the hill to my left.  It was my first time seeing elves in real life.  They looked very similar to humans, but taller, skinnier, with long hair, angular features, and of course pointy ears.  They seemed well-equipped, a fully kitted-out party.


    To my right, I could see a party of dwarves.  They were all probably between four and five feet tall, with thick, muscular torsos and muscular arms that made them look like body builders.


    Ahead of me, I could see a group of fey. They were also short like the dwarves, around four feet tall, but several were flying in place with pixie-like wings, about ten feet up in the air.


    Behind me, I could see what Samantha said were Metans. Three werewolves, and two vampires.


    The last group that I noticed was the one that shocked me the most.


    Humans, also closing in on me.  One of the humans looked to be in his teens, with a fiery passion in his eyes.


    The oldest was a woman who looked to be about fifty, wearing the robes of a sorcerer and holding an even older-looking tome in her hand.


    <Snap out of it,> Samantha said. <Let¡¯s go.>


    In all, there were twenty-five opponents, all F-rank. They were clearly targeting me but broken up into five different groups. After battling D-rank Region Lords and Zone Lords, these people would be a walk through the park.


    I placed my large bundle of equipment and loot down on the hill, and rushed towards the elves first, following Samantha¡¯s outline.


    Several arrows and spells tried to reach me, but none could.


    The moment I reached the elves, I made sure my Luck was boosted, and I followed Samantha¡¯s combat shadow, slaughtering them easily.


    Something about the whole situation felt wrong.  The experience was so immersive, and the surprise and pain in their faces looked so real, that I felt sick to my stomach. It¡¯s all an illusion, I told myself.


    It didn¡¯t help that it was so easy.


    It was over quickly. For better or for worse, these people were willing to fight to the death, and nobody tried to run away.


    My trembling hands collected the loot off the corpses and unconscious bodies. I wrapped up as much as I could in the cloaks, my opponents had worn.


    There was something sickening about this premise.


    In most of my other battles over the last two weeks, I had felt like I was fighting for my life, or defending people from being attacked.


    But now, this felt even more like a game.


    It was almost like I was supposed to enjoy this, to treat this as a game, as a reward, for my success.


    It pointed to how messed up, and how truly sick, the Schema was.  As Samantha had explained when I first discovered the Aether vent, the Schema thrives off of death and violence. When people kill each other, it steals a portion of the Aether that the deceased used to have.


    To a system like that, death would be something that should be reveled in, and enjoyed.


    As I thought these things, I followed Samantha¡¯s combat outline as she showed me how to tied various cloaks together, to form one big, massive bag that would hold as many of the weapons and equipment as possible.A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    I had a few Interdimensional Pouches, now, but they were all 1 cubic foot, which was basically useless to me.


    To my surprise, many of the corpses had carried mana beads with them. This was one of the biggest hauls for me.  I had several Interdimensional Pouches full of various Mana Beads, which meant I could finally use my Mana Cannon.


    It seemed this third layer didn¡¯t have any truly special surprises or hidden bosses for me, though.


    Once I had my massive Santa Claus-style sack slung over my back, I killed the remaining unconscious opponents, and I was transferred into the fourth layer of this Infinite Tower.


    I almost wanted to scream when I saw that I was once again in a large, grassy area with numerous hills, surrounded by what was most likely 100 elves, dwarves, fey, humans, and metans.


    I dropped the sack on my shoulders, and began the slaughter.


    <hr>


    <The first four floors of each rank¡ªF, E, D, et cetera¡ªare generally predictable,> Samantha said, as I once again collected the most valuable weapons and equipment from the corpses around me.


    <One opponent, then five, then twenty five, then a hundred.  Each of the same rank.  It is an easy pattern.  It is the fifth floor that has the most potential to vary, which also means that it is the fifth floor where your Luck can help you the most.  I have high hopes for you, this round.>


    Glancing around at the carnage before me¡ªthe decapitated bodies and limbs strewn around the grass, I felt anything but high hopes.


    I felt tired already. Is this really what Dawnbreaker went through, in order to gain her unisuit?


    I was acutely aware that there was blood dripping from my arms, legs, and torso, but it wasn¡¯t my own.


    I glanced down at the unconscious elf at my feet, and I slit the last elf¡¯s throat easily.


    The world shimmered around me, and I found myself in a forest at night.  There was a pale blue moon in the sky, slightly larger than the moon I was familiar with on Earth.


    With my heightened perception, I was able to see in the dark pretty much as though it were daytime.  The trees around me looked vaguely like fir trees, and I could see some ferns and ivy growing on the ground around me.


    Mana Sensing revealed that there was a surprising lack of wildlife around me.


    In fact, the most vibrant source of life came from the ivy that was growing at a rapid pace towards my feet¡­


    Samantha¡¯s combat shadow was already moving, and I quickly followed suit.


    I slashed at the vines that were almost at my feet with the serrated spider¡¯s leg that I had claimed as my main weapon, jumping backwards at the same time.


    But even though I chopped off a good portion of ivy, the same vine immediately grew back, continuing to press towards me, along with a dozen other vines.


    Glancing around, I quickly realized that every nearby tree was also covered in ivy. And Mana Sensing showed that these trees were not very healthy.


    I could also see numerous piles of desiccated bones nearby.


    Blood Ivy (Level 36)


    I felt a breath of relief. It was almost as though the Schema had listened to my mental complaints, sending me a plant to kill instead of a person.


    I left my Santa Claus sack of weapons on the ground, and I rushed directly over the ivy that was growing around me, towards the location that Samantha had picked¡ªa dense area of Mana that was most likely the nucleus of the Blood Ivy.


    I moved fast enough that very few of the blood ivy vines were able to wrap around me.


    Even for the ones that could, I just snapped them off before they could damage me at all.


    It was a feeling I could somewhat relish, the absolute power that let me completely trump something like this Blood Ivy.


    I rushed for just a few minutes through dense vines that tried to catch my ankles and trip me.


    I could tell that the reddish vines wanted to stab directly into my skin and drink my blood.


    But with my Physical Defense, that certainly wasn¡¯t going to happen.


    Before long, I found myself at the core of the Blood Ivy.  It was growing most densely around a tree that had fallen¡ªan E-ranked tree, likely the only E-ranked tree in the whole forest.


    <The Blood Ivy is feeding off of the Aether from the fallen tree,> Samantha said.  <Just stab the tree with your fang. The poison will gradually kill the Blood Ivy.  It will give you enough time to explore the rest of the forest for anything interesting.>


    To my surprise, as I searched the forest, after stabbing the Blood Ivy¡¯s food source, I found several other dense pockets of mana¡ªMana Beads.


    There were dozens of them, with various different attributes, and some with no attributes.


    Why wouldn¡¯t the Blood Ivy drain the Mana Beads too?


    <The Blood Ivy can only drain living things of mana,> Samantha responded. <So these Mana Beads were likely all dropped when the other monsters or people died.  Now, let¡¯s run along and pick up your pack.  The Blood Ivy will die in a few more minutes.>


    I now had well over a hundred Mana Beads stored in various Interdimensional Pouches.


    I had the distinct feeling that Samantha and I were going to milk this Tower for every penny it was worth.

 Chapter 106: The Infinite Tower Part 4

    I probably cut an interesting sight as I appeared in the middle of the Tower¡¯s massive lobby.


    In addition to ten F-rank Interdimensional Pouches attached to my belt, I had a large, tarp-like bag full of armor, weapons, and accessories.


    As I approached the store, the old man¡¯s hologram appeared behind the counter. He simply raised an eyebrow at my assortment of loot, making me wonder if he had seen worse.


    <Of course he has,> Samantha said.  <This is likely one of the oldest spirits in the Schema.  This is nothing. Just a slight amusement for him, nothing more.>


    ¡°Congratulations, young challenger,¡± the old man said, in a warm tone. ¡°I see you brought quite the spoils. Place your hand on the stone, and you will see your total accumulated points.¡±


    I put every point of mana into Luck, and then I touched the same Information Crystal that I had used last time.


    The first thing I did was sell the massive amounts of weapons and equipment that I had collected, including the majority of the mana beads and F-rank Mana Potions as well.


    ¡°Congratulations, challenger,¡± the man on the opposite side of the counter said. ¡°You have two achievements. First, you have defeated a hidden boss on the first level, a rare feat indeed.   Second, you have entered the top 1% of all challengers for total points gained for the F-rank floors.  Would you like to convert your achievements to points?¡±


    <Don¡¯t do it,> Samantha said, immediately. <Achievements should be used to purchase missions.  It¡¯s like using wealth to make more money, instead of just converting wealth to points.>


    I passed on the hologram¡¯s offer, and I glanced at my updated number of points.  I had 710 points total.


    How do the points work?


    <For every floor that you clear, you will get 100 points, so that comes to 500 points.  Rather than convert the total value of the loot you sell to the store directly into points, the store instead ranks the total wealth that you have collected, and then rewards you based off of that.  By selling so much loot back to the store you placed in the top 1% of sales, which was sufficient to earn you another 500 points. So you currently have 710 points total, after paying back the loan you took out for Tino¡¯s Sword.>


    Shouldn¡¯t I get extra points for killing the Evolved Spider?


    <You would, if you chose to convert your Achievement into points,> Samantha said, adopting her patronizing voice again.  <Which you aren¡¯t going to do.>


    With 710 points, I took a look at what the store had to offer.


    After fighting F-rank creatures, I now had the option to buy E-rank weapons. Once again, despite my greatly increased Luck, there was nothing D-rank or higher for sale.


    Each E-rank item cost around 500 points.


    Should I buy a pouch? I asked Samantha, glancing back at the makeshift tarp that I had painstakingly created and added on to during floors 1-5.  The old man had refused to purchase the tarp I had made, and I couldn¡¯t blame him for it.


    <No. You will have the chance to collect pouches when you kill creatures on each floor. Now that you have two achievements, you can afford to purchase missions.>


    It was obvious that to Samantha, the missions were the key part of the Tower.  I clicked on the ¡°missions¡± tab on my Information Crystal¡¯s interface.  I could have sworn that tab wasn¡¯t there the first time I opened the Information Crystal.


    As Samantha had hinted, each mission cost Achievements.


    There were two missions available. The cheapest mission cost one Achievement, and the more expensive one cost two.Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    Samantha said.


    What is a mission? And why would it cost achievements?


    <You may have noticed that F-rank opponents were a piece of cake.  You could do the same thing against E-rank opponents, but really, it¡¯s a waste of your skills. So the missions are an additional chance to stand out.  Each mission will give you the opportunity to gain even more Achievements, which are far more important than points.  You should definitely pick the mission that costs two achievements.>


    Something about the way Samantha said it reminded me of how she had urged me to travel through the Hell Mode Tutorial.


    But the Infinite Tower wasn¡¯t real, anyway. So, there wasn¡¯t really anything I needed to be afraid of¡­


    I glanced at the mission that Samantha suggested:


    Rise of the Human Empire:  The war between humanity and the Metan Empire is coming to a head.  The Metan Empire has been researching a bioweapon that is capable of forcibly converting humans into Metans.  You have been transported into the Metan Empire¡¯s research facility as a test subject.


    Your mission:  Obtain any information crystals with information about the Metan Empire¡¯s bioweapon, transport it across enemy lines, and deliver it to the general in command of the human forces.


    <This is a huge honor,> Samantha said, in my head.  <The Atropos Schema is capable of recording key moments in history, and by picking this mission, you will be playing the role of one of the Human Empire¡¯s greatest historical figures in the pivotal point of the war that led to the Human Empire¡¯s ascendance and the fall of the Metan Empire.  This will be an incredibly accurate simulation, too, so it will give you a chance to see what battles look like in the Acclimated Worlds of the Atropos Schema.>


    <Most importantly, because this is going to be highly authentic, your opponents won¡¯t be limited in their level or their rank.  This also means the opportunity to collect loot will be much greater.  There will probably be B and maybe even A-rank weapons and equipment in this battle field¡ªit is a shame that whatever we claim can¡¯t be used in the real world.>


    Why are they fighting?


    <Everyone is always fighting,> Samantha said, dismissively. <There hasn¡¯t been a single decade in the Schema¡¯ history where one faction hasn¡¯t been at war with another faction.  Now, that we¡¯ve picked our mission, let¡¯s go.  Remember, time passes normally while you are in this lobby part of the tower.>


    Do you really need to emphasize the time every time you¡¯re trying to rush a decision? What aren¡¯t you telling me?


    <Well, obviously this will be a really challenging mission,> Samantha said. <It¡¯s possible we will die during the mission and be kicked out of the tower.  But it¡¯s too much to pass up.  This is how we could get an A-rank weapon.>


    I didn¡¯t know you liked to gamble, I said. Then again, I shouldn¡¯t be surprised.  You did want me to challenge Hell Mode.


    <Stop underestimating yourself,> Samantha said. <And stop underestimating me.  We got this.>


    I sighed. On your head be it.


    I purchased the mission, ¡°Rise of the Human Empire.¡±


    The old man raised his eyebrows.  ¡°Good luck.¡±


    I said goodbye to the man at the counter, and then walked through the black wall ahead of me.


    <hr>


    For a moment, I thought the teleportation magic had gone wrong. A second after walking through the black wall, I still couldn¡¯t see anything.  I felt weightless, suspended in darkness.


    Mana Sensing showed me that I was inside what seemed like a liquid-filled human-sized capsule.  The capsule was glowing with runes.  My F-rank Personal Mana Shield was glowing, keeping the liquid from touching me.


    <Don¡¯t move,> Samantha said. <I¡¯m going to show you how to breach the capsule without setting off an alarm.>


    I sent mana outside my body, and started forming the runes that Samantha demanded, sending them to seemingly random locations of my capsule.


    I had no idea what I was doing, but I trusted Samantha¡¯s knowledge of Rune Patterns.


    <I hope you appreciate how difficult this is,> Samantha said, after we had worked for five minutes. <This is a closed-off Rune Pattern, and I¡¯m only able to work with the runes that you have already learned.  But their mistake was to leave room for the manufacturer to upgrade the coffin.  So, all we need to do is fill in the upgradeable space with the right runes that will subvert the alarm function, and¡­>


    I heard a light click, that sounded somewhat distant.


    <Good to go,> Samantha said, proudly.


    I pushed against the lid of the capsule gently, and it opened easily.  I rose, out of the capsule, an oil-like liquid dripping to the ground lightly as I slightly splashed it over the edge of the coffin.


    I had been placed inside the capsule with all of my equipment. I had a full set of F-rank equipment, from Magician¡¯s robes, an F-rank Personal Mana Shield,  F-rank Interdimensional Pouch, my spider¡¯s leg, a belt of throwing knives strapped over my robe, boots, a helmet, and an F-rank cloak that supposedly would let me cling to the shadows.


    It seemed I was in a storage room.  There were two other black coffin-like capsules, identical to mine, inside the room.


    The storage room looked like a fortress.  The walls were made up of E-rank Terrin Bricks, fastened together with mortar and with runes. Just the abundant use of E-rank material to build this building showed me the importance of my location.


    Using Mana Sensing, I could tell that I was in the basement of a very large facility.


    There were no people around, and it didn¡¯t seem that I had set off any alarms.


    There was only one exit from this room, and I could tell that it wasn¡¯t going to open easily.

 Chapter 107: The Infinite Tower Part 5

    The storage room was dark, and the capsules that looked like coffins only added to the ominous vibes I was getting from the place.


    With a quick search of the other coffins around me, I could tell that there were no live mana signatures in them. I was on my own.


    The key words research, specimens, kept ringing through my brain.


    So, how is this supposed to work, I thought to Samantha, as I approached the only exit of the storage room. Can you open the door?


    Samantha sighed. <You mean you haven¡¯t read through the notifications yet?>


    I clicked on the alpha symbol, and saw a timer that had just reached 1 minute. The Atropos Schema kindly explained what it meant.


    When the timer reaches 0, your allies will take down the building¡¯s Mana Shield. Use the mini-map provided to locate the necessary Information Crystal.


    Once I read the notification, a small map appeared in the bottom corner of my vision. It was a three-dimensional rendering of the building I was in. A white dot showed my location, and a green dot showing the location of the Information Crystal I was looking for.


    Samantha tsked. <What a shabby interface. Let me touch that up.>


    A second later, dozens of red and yellow dots appeared on the mini-map. <Every red dot is a powerful enemy. The yellow dots are enemies you can probably kill easily. Once the timer runs out, we will need to collect enough loot¡ªespecially attuned mana crystals and orbs¡ªso that we can hopefully kill the red dots protecting the information crystal.>


    What level are the red dots?


    <For a facility like this, most of the guards will be between level 50 and 100. Probably Either E or D-rank. There are also going to be higher ranking guards who are between level 100 and 150, likely D or C-rank. We will try to avoid them.>


    I couldn¡¯t help but gulp.


    The timer reached zero. I hadn¡¯t known what to expect¡ªa massive shudder, an earthquake, or a loud crash.


    The only sign that something had happened was that the mana in the walls around me dimmed.


    <Go,> Samantha said.


    I followed her combat shadow, stabbing the door¡¯s lock with the pointy end of my spider¡¯s leg.


    The leg shattered the lock mechanism completely, and I found myself in a dimly lit empty corridor. I raced through the corridor, with half my floating points in Agility, the other half in Luck.


    I could hear a loud, blaring siren as I rushed through the hallway.


    I ignored the doors on my left and right as I ran, until I was stopped by a door at the end of this hallway. I stabbed the lock once with my spider leg sword, and then I climbed the flight of stairs just passed the door.


    All my attention was on following the combat shadow. I drew my sword, pointing it ahead of me as I ran up the stairs.


    <Add 10 points to Luck,> Samantha said, suddenly.


    The stairs were built like an Old World stairwell, with many blind, sharp turns. As I turned one of the corners, I saw a man running down the stairs impale themselves on my blade.


    The force of the collision stopped both of us in our tracks.


    Even though I had pierced the man through the chest, he still seemed fine. He cried out, revealing filed fangs that implied he was a vampire. Then he swung a razor-sharp scalpel at my eyes.The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    I withdrew my blade, stepping back out of range of his scalpel, and then chopped off the man¡¯s head, trying to ignore the massive pool of blood on the floor.


    Decapitating the vampire killed him, so the next step was to search the body. Just as I had hoped, I found an E-rank Interdimensional Pouch. The vampire had several information crystals in the pouch as well, and some high-end laboratory appliances and equipment that was unlikely to be meant for combat.


    I immediately equipped the man¡¯s pouch, along with a pair of D-rank surgical knives.


    I also replaced my magician¡¯s robes with the man¡¯s white robe, which granted increased Dexterity.


    Then, to my surprise, Samantha had me wait in the stairwell.


    As I waited, I dismantled the laboratory equipment. Several tools were using attuned Mana Shards, granting me two water-attuned Mana Shards and one air-attuned Mana Shard.


    Every Mana Shard I gained would provide me more ammunition against the Metans. Most likely, each Mana Shard would be able to seriously injure or kill one guard¡ªunless the guard specialized in Physical Defense.


    I watched the buzz of activity on the mini-map. Almost every doorway in the building, I saw, was defended by two red dots. Likely a hundred red dots in all, in a building that had seven floors, most of them buried deep in the ground.


    Just a half-flight of stairs below me, I saw a pair of red dots guarding the exit to the stairwell that I was in.


    I waited, and watched as a yellow dot approached the two guards guarding the outside of the exit to the stairwell below me.


    The yellow dot entered the stairwell below me. I could hear the door swing open, his light, hurried steps up the stairs, and then the door closed.


    The moment the man turned the corner towards me, I swung my serrated spider¡¯s leg like a sword, directly decapitating the man in a single blow.


    I collected a second Interdimensional Pouch, along with two fire-attuned Mana Shards.


    Then, to my surprise, Samantha had me return down the stairwell, towards a basement floor that I had already passed, walking as quietly as I could.


    Samantha¡¯s sense of timing was perfect.


    A few seconds after I reached the door that I was going to travel through, it opened, revealing a startled woman and two Metan guards.


    One of the guards looked half-human, and half bear. He was a giant man, well over seven feet tall and one of the stockiest men I had ever seen.


    The other looked feline, with a smaller frame, whiskers, and ears that were flicking left and right incredibly quickly.


    I already had my left arm raised when the door opened. I held the fire-attuned Mana Shard in my left hand, each finger gripping a different part of the shard tightly, letting the runes on my fingertips trigger and destabilize the fire-attuned mana in my palm.


    Fire.


    With the mental command, a narrow beam of fire shot out of the Mana Shard, directly into the face of the bear-like human, which the Schema called an Ursal.


    After far too long, I was finally able to test out the weapon that Samantha had built into my body.


    I didn¡¯t pause to survey the results of my attack. At the same time as I fired the mana cannon, I decapitated the scientist in front of me with an easy strike.


    Unfortunately, this left the Werecat to his own devices. The Werecat fled down the corridor, shouting for help.


    To make matters worse, the Ursal rose from the ground and charged me, the smell of burnt flesh heavy on my nose.


    I positioned my spider leg so that the man pierced his own heart on my blade, but by the time I looked up, the Werecat had already turned the corner in the hallway and disappeared.


    If they didn¡¯t know where I was earlier, they knew now.


    This scientist, to my disappointment, did not have an Interdimensional Pouch on her.


    The guard dropped an E-rank axe when he died. I added it to my Interdimensional Pouch, but I decided against using it.


    I rushed along the corridor, in the same direction the Werecat had run off to.


    This floor certainly seemed larger than the basement storage floor where I had been kept in a capsule. Thanks to the floor plan I had in my mini-map, I could tell that the doors to my left and right were actually more hallways, making this floor somewhat of a maze.


    Samantha had me break down a nearby door on the left side of the hallway. It was almost laughable. As I stabbed through the door, I could see two humanoid figures standing behind the walls, with their arms raised, as if they were going to surprise me.


    The door slammed open, making the two figures jump, and then with my increased Agility, I killed the two easily.


    I found myself in a room cluttered with miscellaneous contraptions. I had no idea what the purpose of any of these things were.


    But at least I could anticipate my purpose.


    I flipped open a panel on one of the larger and fancier machines, which was inscribed with rune patterns so tiny and delicate it gave me a headache just looking at it.


    And then, I removed a Fire-attuned Compressed Mana Crystal from the machine. Then I went to a second machine, opening a panel and removing a Void-attuned Compressed Mana Crystal.


    Then, as quickly as I had entered, I left the room.


    Where are we going? I asked, as I ran through the hallway. With the number of Metans in the building, I knew it was only a question of time before they trapped me.


    To make matters worse, we weren¡¯t headed for the Information Crystal, or for an exit.


    <I¡¯ll give you three guesses,> Samantha said, playfully.

 Chapter 108: The Infinite Tower Part 6

    As I turned the corner of the hallway, I found myself face to face with six Metans, all of whom stood with their backs to a door that blocked the rest of the hallway.


    The Werecat that had fled from my earlier attack was there, along with two Ursals, two Vampires, and a normal-looking woman.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be an idiot,¡± one of the Ursals said, to me, as I approached them. His deep voice rumbled powerfully through the hallways.


    ¡°The exit is the other way,¡± the Werecat said, his voice carrying a menacing hiss as he spoke.


    I ignored them.  I raised my left hand, which was clutching the Fire-attuned Compressed Mana Crystal, poured a hundred points into Physical Defense, and I let a wide arc of fire loose in the hallway.


    It burned.  I could feel the waves of heat on me, as well, but that wasn¡¯t the source of the most pain.


    I could feel every inch of my body complaining, my bones, my muscles, and my organs, all straining to contain and redirect the small fraction of fire-attuned mana that was essentially recoiling into my body.


    If I had a Fire affinity, this probably wouldn¡¯t hurt this much.  But my body was rejecting the fire-attuned mana on a fundamental level, and I could feel my whole body complaining.


    Surveying the rest of the corridor, it looked like using the compressed Mana Crystal to kill these guards was overkill.


    The downside of the wide swaths of fire was that their loot was also singed, burned, and some of it was destroyed.


    Rather than pick up red-hot metal, I focused on the door that the six guards had been defending.


    Unlike almost every other room in this building, this door, and the wall surrounding it, had an active Mana Shield.  Apparently, it was powered by a separate system than the rest of the building.


    Even after getting hit by my fire-attuned Mana Cannon, the wall held.


    I raised my left hand, which was still slightly trembling, and fired my Void Attuned Compressed Mana Crystal directly at the door¡¯s lock.


    At the same time, I increased my own Strength and rammed my sword against the door.


    I felt my spider leg snap in half, but the door also gave way, and I stepped inside the room that the six Metans had been defending.


    The room was full of shelves.  There were weapons, more high-end laboratory equipment, food supplies, dozens of other miscellaneous and valuable things, but, most importantly for me, shelves and shelves dedicated for mana storage.


    I ignored the shelves that held Mana Beads, and I walked passed the Mana Shards.


    Then, I took in the collection of Mana Crystals that lined the next shelf.  There were about forty of them.   Most of them were unattuned, and many of them were not Compressed, meaning they were the size of a watermelon.


    But that still left me with ten attuned Mana Crystals. Each Mana Crystal was potentially able to kill the strongest of the guards in the building¡ªthe guards that were level 150 or higher.


    After collecting the Mana Crystals, I moved on to the Mana Shards, filling my various Interdimensional Pouches with Mana Shards as well.


    I was only half-way done collecting the Mana Shards when I noticed a group of a dozen red dots reach the same floor I was on, led by a black dot, which, presumably, meant someone higher than level 100.


    I paused collecting my loot, and I stood to the side of the open door to the treasury, just out of sight of the incoming guards.This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    Some part of me almost felt bad, for what I was about to do.


    These Metans were all trapped in a narrow corridor.  Once they were just fifteen yards away, I stepped into view, raised my left hand, and released another blast of fire-attuned mana, making sure I had plenty of points in Physical Defense and Luck.


    They were all caught off-guard.


    Rather than a continuous flame-thrower that I had used last time, this time, I condensed all the mana into a single, incredibly powerful beam that took up most of the width of the corridor.


    I heard a sharp, familiar crack, and I realized that I had just broken someone¡¯s Personal Mana Shield.


    I dropped the now-useless Mana Crystal to the ground.  Ignoring the pain, I immediately released a second blast¡ªthis time, a narrow beam of Void Energy traveling directly to the only man still standing.


    I walked through the hallway gingerly, struggling to breath in the intense, lingering heat, and looted the corpses.


    The most noteable loot, of course, came from the man who led the charge¡ªa level 105 swordsman.


    He dropped a C-rank sword and C-rank boots, which I immediately claimed as my own, and a D-rank Interdimensional Pouch, which held a number of unattuned Mana shards, as well as Health Potions.


    I finished looting the rest of the Mana Shards, and then I followed the dotted line Samantha provided me, finally heading towards the Information Crystal¡ªmy true objective.


    I could tell on my mini-map that the guards in the building knew where I was.  There were two stairwells that could take me up to the floor that held the prize, and they were both chalk-full of soldiers.  With all the sharp corners of a stairwell, it would be incredibly difficult to utilize the Mana Fragments and Mana Crystals effectively.  Melee fighting would be even more dangerous, since most of these guards had more Stat Points than I did.


    Fortunately, though, I had a different strategy in mind.


    I moved through various corridors and side-rooms until I was directly below the room with the Information Crystal, and then I fired a Void Attuned Compressed Mana Crystal directly up, forming a hole about a yard in diameter, through ceiling after ceiling, until I could finally see a blue sky above me.  This left me with just seven Mana Crystals.


    Then I added my floating points to Strength, and I leapt. I jumped directly through the ceiling above me, and in my descent, I planted my legs on the  more stable parts of the floor, using my newfound footing to jump again, directly to the next floor.


    I could hear shouting above me, and someone launched a fireball down towards me.


    Instead of slowing down, I let the fireball land on the E-rank Personal Shield I had looted, and I continued my ascent.


    I stopped a floor below the floor that held the Information Crystal.  Thanks to Samantha¡¯s Mini-map, I knew in advance that the there were a dozen red dots, and one black dot, defending the Information Crystal.


    So rather than jump through the hole as they were expecting, I paused at the level below them.


    ¡°He¡¯s under us!¡±


    ¡°I have eyes on him!¡±


    I could hear them calling above me, but I ignored them, for the most part, calmly loading my next Mana Crystal.


    This was another Void Attuned Mana Crystal.


    I fired it at a slight angle, directly where I knew the black dot was standing.


    I ignored the painful feedback as best as I could, jumping up through the hole I had just made in the floor.


    I split all my mana between Strength, Luck, and Agility, directly targeting the woman who I knew was the highest level of all of them, dropping the emptied Mana Crystal.


    To my disappointment, my Void Attuned Mana Crystal hadn¡¯t even scratched the woman, and she still had a Personal Mana Shield around her.


    The moment I appeared, the woman¡ªa Werecat magician¡ªacted.


    Hundreds of large, metal needles flew towards me from a dozen different directions.


    They flew towards me in the sense that they moved in the air¡ªnot flew quickly.


    In fact, these several hundred needles formed a sphere around me, completely blocking off any area of attack before I could even move.


    There were enough of them that they formed a literal wall, impossible to dodge completely.


    I readied an Air Attuned Compressed Mana Crystal next, firing directly at the woman¡ªdriving hundreds of needles towards her in the process.


    I watched, feeling a sense of poetic justice, as dozens of needles that had been pointed at me stabbed into the woman¡¯s own shield, until I heard the telltale crack.


    I followed the needles with my new, C-rank sword, beheading the woman with a single swipe.


    This whole time, the other guards were trying to launch attacks at me, but Samantha made sure I was moving in an unpredictable zig-zag. On top of this, there was the area of effect wall of air that was expelling out of my hand, pushing the guards and their attacks away, buying me time to deal with just the woman.


    Once the woman was dealt with, the floating needles dropped to the ground, and the rest of the battle in the room was a one-sided massacre.


    Now that I was fully going all-out, I was able to keep up with the guards, even though many of them were level 80 or higher.


    They each had their skills, spells, and techniques, but Samantha was able to predict their movements easily, allowing me to one-shot the weaker ones with my Mana Shards, and target the stronger opponents with my C-rank blade.


    It wasn¡¯t long before I was alone in a room full of corpses, and I was finally able to see what this Information Crystal was all about.

 Chapter 109: The Infinite Tower Part 7

    The Information Crystal was a pale blue sphere that fit easily into my hand.  When I tried to activate it, a screen popped up asking for authentication.


    It was a disappointment, but in retrospect it made sense.  I shrugged, put the crystal in my Interdimensional Pouch, and continued looting the room.


    I swapped out my magician¡¯s robes for the D-rank robes that the Werecat had been wearing, trying to process everything that had happened so far.


    Frankly, I was still processing the power that was literally at my fingertips.


    Does this mean that with enough Mana Crystals I could take on an army of soldiers under level 150?


    <You are still focusing too much on levels,> Samantha said. <Levels don¡¯t tell you nearly as much as ranks.  So far, you are only fighting people who started at E-rank around level 1, and then advanced to D-rank at level 50, and C-rank at level 100.  Both of the C-rank opponents you fought against had only recently passed the level 100 mark, and neither of them had a focus in Physical Defense.   So, to answer your question, everything depends on the target. Your mana cannon is not a one-hit kill guarantee under level 150.  Anyway, spending a million coins per shot is normally a huge waste of resources.>


    <Now, it¡¯s time to get out of here. Hm, let me update the mini-map for you.>


    I saw the map expand, to show what looked like a city grid, with dozens more black dots and hundreds of red dots completely encircling the building I was in.


    <These people aren¡¯t just guards for a research facility,> Samantha said.  <They are the Metan Army. They are armed to the teeth, and they likely have a few Mana Cannons, Mana Tanks, and Void Rifles pointed towards this building.>


    Alright, so, what¡¯s the plan?


    As I watched the mini-map, I saw several black and red dots breach the entrance to the research facility I was in.


    And they seemed to be heading directly towards the room I was in.


    <There is one bright side to fighting proper soldiers, this time,> Samantha said. <They are very well equipped, and most likely, there will be a few soldiers with Invisibility Cloaks entering the building.  And with C-rank Mana Sensing, you can see through D-rank Invisibility Cloaks.>


    Hearing it said out loud once again reinforced how powerful the C-rank skill was.  A C-rank perception skill meant that D-rank Invisibility Cloaks were useless against me¡­


    I followed Samantha¡¯s combat shadow as she continued explaining the game plan. We left the room that held the Information Crystal, descended a floor, and moved towards the stairwell.


    <Killing the cloaked Metans wouldn¡¯t be difficult,> Samantha continued, <Except that we need at least one Invisibility Cloak unscratched. That means we can¡¯t rely on our Mana Cannon. With their Agility, they could likely dodge precision shots.>


    So what¡¯s the plan? I asked, again. I had the growing sense of unease that I wasn¡¯t going to like this plan.


    <We should use Soul Explosion,> Samantha said. <Against opponents that aren¡¯t focused on Physical Defense, and since you can get so close to them using Spiritual Traveler, we have a good chance at killing them in a single blow, without damaging their equipment.>


    A chance? I asked, following Samantha¡¯s combat shadow into an empty office room and closing the door behind me.


    <A small chance,> Samantha said. <To be honest, it¡¯s not that great.  We will probably need to use Soul Explosion twice in order to kill one of them.>Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.


    I frowned, thinking about the cost of this plan.  Do we really need to sacrifice 40 Stat Points in order to kill one soldier?


    Samantha sighed. <Yes. Don¡¯t get cocky because you were able to kill some guards.  These soldiers are well-trained and well-equipped.  Now, last time you used Soul Explosion, you kind of¡­ zoned out.  We don¡¯t have any time for that. With your permission, I¡¯ll take control of your body if that happens, because once the explosion goes off, someone will notice, and time will be of the essence.>


    Samantha¡¯s combat shadow had led me into a supply closet, and I soon found myself in the dark, lying on the ground.


    So that¡¯s your game, I thought back. You just want to control my body.  Think of another plan.


    <There isn¡¯t another plan,> Samantha said. <This is the only way out. If you try to leave without an Invisibility Cloak, then you¡¯ll get sniped the moment you leave the building.  And fighting these Metan Soldiers who are over fifty levels higher than you would be suicide.  I¡¯d say we could turn our Mana Crystals into bombs, but we don¡¯t have much time, and that would destroy their cloaks. Every other method would damage a cloak, except for Cursed Lightning, but the soldiers could dodge it, and it requires proximity.  If you don¡¯t want me to take control, then prove that you can handle the pain.>


    Fine.


    I activated Spiritual Traveler, and set my soul through several walls, and down a floor, and then I had it wait, next to the stairwell.


    I could sense someone approaching, a faint amount of mana, but it was there.


    The interesting thing was that, with only Mana Sensing, I couldn¡¯t tell that this person was under an invisibility cloak.  I could just see that their presence seemed muted, somehow.


    This person moved so quickly they were a blur.


    But even stealthed Metans needed to open a door.


    Samantha had once again predicted the enemy¡¯s trajectory perfectly.


    The moment the Metan stopped by the door, I activated Soul Explosion.


    I was immediately submerged in a world of pain.


    Again!


    I couldn¡¯t think, I couldn¡¯t focus, I couldn¡¯t breathe, I felt like someone had injected lava into my veins and I was burning from the inside out.


    Jarek! Activate it again!


    Then I felt a second explosion inside the very core of my being.  It was the feeling of losing a core part of yourself.  I tried to scream, but I didn¡¯t have a voice.


    Everything went black.


    <hr>


    I came to consciousness with the sound of sirens, and the feeling you get when you accelerate into a turn¡ªlike my stomach was flipping inside my chest.


    I was sitting inside what looked like a futuristic, flying vehicle.


    The seat I was in seemed like it was real leather¡ªthere was still plenty of fur attached to it. There were curved windows all around me almost making me feel as though I were inside a snow globe the size of a Smart car.  There was a second seat next to me, which was currently empty.


    Looking out the windows, I could see that I was flying through a vast, metropolitan, Schema-approved City.


    And this was proper flying. Not just flying, racing. This car/plane, whatever it was, was probably moving at over 200 miles an hour, zipping around incredibly tight corners.   Instead of wings on the outside of this snow-globe vehicle, there was a rim of flat metal that gave our flying vehicle the appearance of a spinning top.


    I could see Mana Shields surrounding sky scrapers, and there were dozens of other similar flying contraptions in the sky that I should sense, although many of them were slowing down and pulling over.


    Most of the fast, flying things seemed to be chasing me.


    Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed the control panels in front of me.


    I suddenly realized how incredibly simple driving a car was.


    You had, what. A wheel and two petals, and a stick to shift to drive. Easy.


    I watched in shock as my own fingers slid up and down a control panel with amazing precision.


    There were knobs, levers, and sliders, and every one of my fingers moved with a precision and confidence that I had never seen or felt in myself.


    I felt my neck turn, and I glanced back, watching a dense pulse of mana that flew from my flying vehicle towards a pursing vehicle.


    I watched in shock as the pursuers, unable to dodge in time, collided head on with a Void Beam, falling hundreds of feet to the ground.


    As I gradually regained my thoughts, ignoring the lingering pain in my soul, I started to piece together what had happened.


    Two Soul Explosions had knocked me out, and Samantha had taken over, breaking free from the research facility, stealing what seemed to be a flying tank, and wreaking havoc throughout the city, judging from the flames going up in various locations around me.


    I felt anger rising up in me at the thought of Samantha controlling my body, but I quickly clamped down on it.


    What did I really know about Samantha?


    The answer was, obviously, very little.


    This was the second time Samantha had taken control of my body.  The first time, she had tried to kill Petra.


    I could already imagine the conversation that would take place if I spoke to her. I would be outraged, she would say, ¡°Well, do you want to try to fly this thing?¡±


    I would maybe give it a shot, and fail, and then she would take over, again.


    Or, I could sit here, letting her think I was still out of the picture, and finally get to see who exactly Samantha was.


    I realized, suddenly, that I was smiling. That Samantha was smiling.


    This high-speed chase through the city¡ªSamantha was enjoying it.

 Chapter 110: The Real Samantha

    I settled in to watch as Samantha flew this flying tank around the city.


    I still had access to Mana Sensing, which Samantha had active, of course, so I was able to tell that the vehicle I was in was identical to many of the ones chasing me.


    I could also see that these vehicles were designed to have two inhabitants, one driver, and one gunner, but that didn¡¯t seem to stop Samantha from performing both roles, far more effectively than anyone chasing us.


    Samantha¡¯s flying style seemed to be based on complete recklessness, disregard for her surroundings, and incredible precision.  Every second was a new sensation¡ªacceleration, deceleration, or that pit-like feeling where you are falling and your stomach tries to sink to your butt.


    With each successful turn, I felt my lips tick upwards just a little more, into a wider and wider smile.


    After watching for a minute, it didn¡¯t actually seem like Samantha was trying to go anywhere. Every once in a while, I would catch the tall city walls off in the distance, but we never actually approached the city walls.  Instead, it almost felt like we were show-boating, flying around the city drawing as much attention to us as we could.


    And there was a lot of attention on us.


    Every once in a while, a pulse of mana would flare towards us, and Samantha would somehow narrowly dodge.


    Maybe it was my engrained ¡°hero¡± impulse that made me consider collateral damage.  Of course, this was an illusion, and collateral damage shouldn¡¯t really matter.


    But as I paid more and more attention to where the bolts that were fired towards us ended up, I started to realize that they disproportionately landed on the same building.


    I couldn¡¯t tell much about the building, except that it had a C-rank Mana Shield, which was accidentally being whittled down by the Metan soldiers¡¯ artillery.


    I felt slightly relieved that Samantha wasn¡¯t just taking my body out on a joy-ride, that there was some purpose to this chaos that she was causing.


    Samantha banked the flying car up suddenly into a vertical ascent, leaving chasing flying cars to crash directly into the building that I just realized she had been targeting this whole time.


    Both flying cars exploded in flames, and at the exact same time, Samantha¡¯s hands¡ªmy hands¡ªhit a brightly colored red button on the control panel, and we were ejected out of our flying car, passing through the momentarily overpowered Mana Shield.


    Samantha already had a Void Attuned Compressed Mana Crystal in her hands, which she fired once, while in free-fall, directly below her, towards the building below us.


    We fell through the ceiling of the building that Samantha was targeting, and I saw with my Mana Sensing that just a second after we passed through, the Mana Shield around the building snapped back into place.


    At the same time, the flying car that Samantha had been piloting crashed into a separate building, leaving a massive explosion in its wake.


    The Mana Cannon had blown a circular hole through seven floors of the building, and Samantha fell rapidly through them all, until she landed heavily on a concrete floor that was glowing with the telltale signs of a Mana Shield.


    But Samantha seemed to be expecting this.  She was on her feet in an instant, planting several dozen brick-sized items that were glowing with mana directly on top of the Mana Shield, and then she jumped up through the hole that she had blown in the ceiling, just as the bricks exploded.


    I felt the ground under my feet shudder and plaster me up against the ceiling, through the ceiling, and as quickly as I was thrown up, I started to fall back down again, through the freshly destroyed floor and the concrete that I had previously landed on, until I landed in a new room.Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    I felt like every inch of my body was burning and bleeding, but somehow, Samantha never stopped moving.


    I couldn¡¯t physically see anything through the smoke and dust, but with Mana Sensing, I knew that there were dense spheres of mana around me.


    Samantha was rushing the room, tossing things frantically into the Interdimensional Pouch at her side.


    And then, almost as fast as she had entered, she left.


    I could tell there were dozens, if not hundreds, of valuable-looking glowing spheres of mana, but Samantha left so decisively I was still studying what was surely a vault of some sort.


    Samantha moved through the building quickly, drinking a Health Potion almost casually as the building¡¯s security rushed past her, not noticing her under the Invisibility Cloak.


    At seemingly random intervals, she would plant another brick¡ªlikely a bomb¡ªagainst a wall or floor.


    Samantha climbed a few flights of stairs, and then we entered a lobby, which had a large pair of double doors, which were currently sealed.


    The Mana Shield around the building had been fixed, and I could see a dense wall of mana around us.


    There were a few dozen people in the lobby, many of them lying on the ground, with their hands raised up in the air.


    Around them were the patrolling security guards.  From their mana signatures, I could only guess they were all over level 100.


    I couldn¡¯t help but wonder what Samantha had gotten me into.


    One of the patrolling guards¡ªa werewolf¡ªseemed to notice Samantha, and Samantha shot her point-blank with a Void-attuned Compressed Mana Crystal.


    I felt the familiar pain of the crystal, but Samantha didn¡¯t so much as flinch, continuing towards the double-door exit..


    <Three, two,>


    I heard Samantha count in my head.


    She moved towards the door, raising a Mana Crystal in her left hand and a C-rank knife in her right.


    <One.>


    The various bombs that Samantha had planted around the building set off at the same time, causing the Mana Shield to flicker for a brief second.


    In that same second, Samantha killed two of the guards at the door, one receiving a full-forced Mana Crystal blow to the chest, and the other receiving a knife to the throat.


    Just as Samantha opened the doors and slipped out of the building, a heavy wave of magic enveloped the whole building.


    I could feel the ambient mana around me shudder, and I saw everyone outside the building¡ªthe dozens of soldiers that were quickly forming a perimeter around the building¡ªspeed up, as if they were moving in fast forward.


    Samantha kept moving, painstakingly slowly, until suddenly, she was out of the Time Dilation effect.


    ¡°There!¡±


    ¡°The entrance!¡±


    Artillery fire rained down towards where Samantha was, turning the street into cracked brimstone.


    Samantha sped up, tanking several of the area of effect spells, and dodging everything she could.


    It only took a second for her to reach the first perimeter¡ªthe soldiers that had surrounded the building.


    Samantha weaved through the foot soldiers easily, several of them noticing her somehow, even though we were still under the Invisibility Cloak, but none of them were fast enough to react to her presence.


    As Samantha moved, she fired her Mana Cannon with incredible precision, targeting people hundreds of feet away.


    The Mana Cannon itself was a silent weapon, and Samantha was using Void and Air Crystals, which made her position slightly harder to pinpoint.  That said, I could tell from the positioning of the army that the perimeter was reforming, around her current location.


    One of the flying transports above us was tracking us with what seemed like a laser pointer, allowing other soldiers to open fire on our position.  But the laser pointer was always a half second behind Samantha¡¯s actual location, and with Samantha¡¯s boosted Agility, a half second was a long time.


    Suddenly, I felt a powerful aura slam into me.  I felt our body being telekinetically lifted in the air.


    The moment Samantha¡¯s feet left the air, Samantha stopped any kind of movement, likely realizing it was futile.


    The telekinetic force ripped the hood of the Invisibility cloak off my head, revealing my head to the Metan soldiers around me.


    ¡°An Imperial Shadow,¡± I heard the voice appear around me, as though the sound originated from the air itself, rather than one location.


    Flying in front of me, with no clear equipment or wings to support himself, I saw, and felt, the presence of the most powerful being I had ever encountered.


    The man wore blood red battle robes with the Metan crest on the chest, and numerous bars and stars that were likely military recognitions.  He had a burly figure, and a completely bald head, with a sharp nose and hawk-like eyes.


    I felt my own body bend against my will, arms twisted behind my back and knees bent, as though I was kneeling.


    The mana itself around the man bent to the man¡¯s will, as though the man had complete control of everything around him.


    ¡°Impudent,¡± the man said, clenching his fist.


    As he did, I felt the bones in both my hands shatter.


    As the man in the red robe stared intently at me, I could sense the soldiers around us forming up, a half dozen flying tanks training their weapons on me.


    Welp, we¡¯re fucked.

 Chapter 111: The Real Samantha Part 2

    <Good, you¡¯re awake,> Samantha said. <Watch carefully.>


    Samantha sounded calm and composed as always, despite the fact that we were suspended telekinetically twenty feet the air, floating out in the open air with an immensely powerful magician levitating about twenty yards away from me, holding me in place and hundreds of soldiers training their weapons on us.


    Suddenly, I felt my sense of self leaving my body. The world blurred for a millisecond, and then my soul was right next to the bald magician in the red robe.


    Then my soul exploded. Once, and then immediately after, and then a third time.            The pain felt muted, this time¡ªstill painful, but more distant.


    I didn¡¯t have time to see the effects of my Soul Explosion on the magician.


    My soul reappeared in my body, which was falling to the ground.


    Even as my body fell, several bursts of spells and weapons flew towards me.


    But Soul Explosion was a near instantaneous skill, and Spiritual Traveler was capable of transporting my soul at incredible speeds, and Samantha was pushing my soul to its peak speed.


    Just a fraction of a second after my soul left, I was back in my body, and Samantha immediately activated a Personal Mana Shield that I hadn¡¯t realized we had on our body. From the density of the mana surrounding us, I could tell it was a C-rank Personal Mana Shield.


    Even as we fell, Samantha readied an Air-attuned Compressed Mana Crystal in our left hand, contorting our body as much as possible to avoid the dozens of ranged attacks flying our direction.


    I could see the Personal Mana Shield flickering just from the billowing explosions as ranged artillery pummeled the ground below us.


    But before we reached the ground, Samantha placed our left hand behind our back, and fired the Air-attuned Compressed Mana Crystal.


    Rather than convert the mana into a wind blade, or tornado, Samantha turned the air into a gust of wind that pushed against our body, sending us soaring through the air at incredible speeds.


    Except, our trajectory just happened to perfectly match the trajectory of the magician in the red robe.


    We collided heavily with the man¡¯s limp corpse, and our right arm wrapped around his stomach and chest as our left continued propelling us away from the many soldiers around us.


    Our flight was jerky, awkward, and viciously fast.  This was nothing like the fine-tuned flying that Samantha had shown she was capable of in the flying cars.


    It was like if Iron Man was trying to stabilize a flight pattern with only one thruster, without any stabilizing fins or previous preparations regarding aerodynamics, while carrying a corpse at the same time.


    Somehow, Samantha did it.


    I could barely make sense of anything, except that we were moving incredibly fast, judging by the blurred buildings around us.


    The one thing I did notice was that Samantha was rapidly collecting the loot that the dead magician had on him.


    I noticed this when the red cloak vanished, and after the cloak vanished, I quickly realized the soldier had been stripped of everything of value.


    Samantha placed the corpse inside our Interdimensional Pouch, and without missing a beat lifted the hood of our invisibility cloak, and we were soon flying through the air, invisible.


    I could feel, through all this, that the cost on my body of using the Mana Cannon had increased. It felt like my body was being shredded alive as Samantha continually powered our flight with the Air-attuned Mana Crystal.


    After a few more awkward twists and turns, I soon found myself stumbling through a deserted alleyway in the outskirts of this Metan city, without a soldier in sight.


    Then my body froze.


    <Take over for me,> Samantha said.  Her voice sounded almost agonized, haggard. <Health Potion first.>Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.


    As Samantha spoke, I felt the pain, which had been muted before, assault me full force.


    The pain from three Soul Explosions in a row, the pain from the internal damage of magic running rampant through my body, made me stumble to my knees.


    <Nevermind,> Samantha said, sounding somewhat despondent and resigned. <I¡¯ll let you know when the soul pain dies down.>


    I felt my body rise up, and I quickly downed a health potion.


    With a moment of respite, I finally had the chance to see where I was.  The street underneath me seemed like some kind of concrete, and the buildings on either side were old buildings that seemed to be falling apart.


    At the same time, these were not the log cabins that I had seen back on Earth.  These buildings were made with more advanced materials, standing several stories tall, with blue Glowstones providing most of the light.


    Justin¡¯s words appeared in my mind. I think you missed the genre memo. This isn¡¯t steampunk.


    From the crazy technology I had seen today, maybe Justin was wrong.  The potential for advancement¡ªand the technology that we would likely soon have to fight against¡ªwas terrifying. Flying artillery, weapons that could level city blocks, and even the fact that there had been civilians flying around in this city, pointed to the fact that nobody on Earth really knew what the rest of life in the Schema looked like. Assuming, of course, that everything I was seeing was an accurate rendition of a Metan city.


    As I was lost in thought, Samantha entered a code at a panel by the doorway of a nearby apartment, and we entered an apartment through a narrow hallway.


    What are you doing? I asked.


    <You haven¡¯t seen the mission update? Take a look at your notifications.>


    I clicked on the alpha symbol mentally, somewhat surprised that I could, with Samantha in charge of my body.


    Rise of the Human Empire Mission Update: Follow the mini-map to an Imperial Shadow Safe House, which is connected to a tunnel that will allow you to leave the city.


    I frowned. So, you knew you had a way out this whole time¡­why did you lead everyone around the city in that plane?


    <Oh, so you were awake,> Samantha said, sounding a little embarrassed. <It was my first chance to really relish controlling a body.  It was¡­ fun.>


    I had a quick flash back to Samantha¡¯s tight grin while she flew that plane in circles, evading all the soldiers with ease.


    So, you risked our future in the Infinite Tower, costing us sixty more Stat Points, and almost got us killed, for fun?


    <There was more to it than that. We will earn quite the number of achievements for raiding a Metan bank, killing a Metan General, and wreaking havoc in the city.  And I think you¡¯ll see very soon why it was all worth it.>


    As Samantha talked, there was still a tightness to her voice, a tenseness that hid the pain that I knew she must be feeling.  She walked us towards a closet, lifted up some floor boards, revealing a hole in the floor that led to an underground tunnel.


    She jumped down into the tunnel and set off at a steady run, which, to my surprise, was much slower than I was accustomed to.


    I opened up my Status Window, dreading to see the costs of using Soul Explosion five times in one day.


    Strength, Dexterity, Perception, Luck, Agility, and Mental Power had all been reduced to 10, and Mana Pool and Mana Regeneration had also dropped considerably.


    Only Physical Defense and HP had been untouched, but that made sense, considering Samantha had made this decision while floating in the air with dozens if not hundreds of weapons trained on her.


    <The biggest cost we will feel is our Stamina,> Samantha said. <We can¡¯t run or fight for as long. Stamina is crucial in the Infinite Tower. But I have a plan for how we can work around that.>


    Samantha sounded smug, like she was preening and excited to show off.


    As we rushed through the underground tunnel, Samantha took out the Information Crystal that we had stolen from the lab, and also took out a separate Information Crystal from a separate Interdimensional Pouch¡ªthe one we had stolen from the magician in the red robe.


    <The man we killed in red was a general,> Samantha said. <And we now have his Personal Identification Crystal.>


    The Personal Identification Crystal had a few knobby bumps on it, which fitted snugly into a series of notches on the Information Crystal.


    Once Samantha attached the two crystals, she took out a third crystal, which she attached to the two in front of her using similar bumps and notches.


    <I¡¯m copying the data,> Samantha said. <When we get back to the Infinite Tower Store, we can sell the data to the store.  These are fundamental secrets regarding Metan biology, and this knowledge will even help us when the Metans appear on Earth.  I will explain more once we escape the scenario.>


    We ran along the underground tunnel for a few more minutes. I couldn¡¯t detect anybody chasing us, which was somehow incredible. How could Samantha have shaken all of our pursuers so quickly?


    I could tell that we were quickly approaching the city¡¯s Mana Shield.


    The Mana Shield was glowing with vibrant mana, completely sealing off the city, ranging from a sphere that reached hundreds of feet into the sky, and also sealing off underground, about a dozen feet below the deepest foundations of any of the buildings.  I couldn¡¯t help but cringe when I saw that the tunnel we were in was blocked off by the glowing Mana Shield.


    <It¡¯s an illusion,> Samantha said, just as we ran directly through it.  <The human forces must have invested millions of coins just to create this one passageway into the city.>


    We continued for a few more minutes past the walls, before the tunnel ended at the roots of a very large tree in a small forest.


    Ahead of us, I could see two large, highly organized armies, with tents, banners, tanks, aircraft, glowing Mana Shields, and dense fortifications formed out of the earth.


    Rise of the Human Empire Mission Update: Follow the mini-map to find the commanding Imperial General, and hand the Information Crystal to her.

 Chapter 112: Dogfight

    The two armies were probably under a mile away from me. They were not fighting directly, but they were clearly preparing for war.


    <I think it¡¯s time for me to show you some of the spoils from our chase around the city,> Samantha said, summoning a flying car out of her Interdimensional Pouch.


    Now that I could see the outside of it clearly, I knew that flying car was extremely inaccurate, since it didn¡¯t even have wheels.  It also didn¡¯t have the wingspan anywhere near that of a traditional plane, so it didn¡¯t seem right to call it a plane either.


    It really looked more like a traditional UFO than anything else, a sphere on the inside that could fit two people, and a rim that reminded me of Uranus¡¯ rings  running along the outside, likely functioning as some kind of stabilizers.


    You stole another one? Somehow, I wasn¡¯t surprised.


    <I figured it would be the easiest way to get to the Imperial camp,> Samantha said, smiling to herself. <And I¡¯ve been itching for another dog fight. This time, I¡¯ll explain how to fly the Aviaton as we go.>


    The top half of the sphere of the UFO¡ªAviaton, as Samantha called it¡ªslid open silently, and Samantha climbed inside, letting the ceiling close in above us.


    It had been impossible to see through the Aviaton¡¯s material from the outside, but once inside, I had a 360 degree view around me.


    To my surprise, the controls in this Aviaton didn¡¯t look nearly as complicated as the ones in the plane Samantha had been flying previously.


    <The first thing to know,> Samantha said, she strapped herself in to the leathery seat, <Is that there are two modes to flying an Aviaton. Think of it like Manual and Automatic.> Samantha pushed a button on the control panel in front of us, and then the flat panel in front of us opened up to reveal a daunting, yet familiar, cluster of controls.


    <Flying manually requires greatly elevated Dexterity, which is prohibitive for a lot of people, so they choose to fly automatic,> Samantah continued, as her¡ªmy¡ªfingers moved swiftly on the newly exposed controls, almost caressing them as I could feel the mana coursing through the Aviaton.


    <I¡¯m guessing you also saw the benefits of manually flying, earlier,> Samantha said. <Think of flying like typing.  Your index fingers will always align at the center of the panel. Left index controls altitude, right index controls forward and backward acceleration and deceleration, right thumb controls side to side movements, left thumb on round sphere controls aiming and firing the Mana Cannon.  That¡¯s the core of what you need to know. The other fingers focus on stabilizing the plane, refocusing the shield in specific areas if you¡¯re going to take a hit, and so on.>


    Once the Mana Shield was wrapped around us, Samantha lifted us off the ground, allowing us to float just feet above the ground.  <One of the core runes on an Aviaton is the Antigravity runes,> Samantha said. <This enables us to just float in one place, like so.  It also facilitates all kinds of more eccentric movement, compared to what you are accustomed to with cars and planes.  An Aviaton doesn¡¯t rely on forward movement to stay in the air.>


    Samantha took off sideways, jolting our body against the harness.   <The jerk is definitely something to get used to,> Samantha said.  I could hear her smile, and her enthusiasm.


    Off in the distance, I could see several Aviatons from the Metan army flying over towards us.


    <When you¡¯re flying an Aviaton, especially since we have Mana Sensing, it¡¯s good for us to no longer think about things like forwards, backwards, left, and right,> Samantha said, banking the Aviaton abruptly and looping in incredibly tight spirals, rising up and down seemingly at random.  I noticed that some smoke was trailing out of our plane, creating a huge, eye-catching pillar hundreds of feet tall.  <That kind of thinking can be limiting. It¡¯s best to think in cardinal directions¡ªNorth, South, East, and West.  Focus on Mana Sensing as your primary way to gather information, and use your eyes as a supplement.>This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    I could barely see anything; the world was just a blur. I still could tell, though, that we weren¡¯t going anywhere, and a dozen Metan Aviatons were circling around us.


    They were designed almost identically to our own flying UFO.


    ¡°Unidentified Aviaton, this is restricted airspace. We will open fire in three seconds, unless you land immediately and lower your shields.¡± The voice came from the console in front of me.


    Samantha made no effort to respond, continuing to fly in a strange, spiraling pattern.


    Then, I saw my left thumb twitch.


    Three shots, one right after another, all targeting the same Aviaton, the Aviaton closest to us.


    The Aviaton swerved to avoid the first shot, but it put him directly in the path of the next two.


    The first destroyed the Aviaton¡¯s shield, and the second left the Aviaton a smoldering wreck.


    All eleven remaining Aviatons opened fire at the same time.


    Samantha had been spiraling up frantically, when she fired at the Aviaton, which left her higher than any of the other Metan planes.


    When the Avaitons opened fire, Samantha was already dodging, falling down into the massive cloud of smoke that she had created, falling sideways, with the stabilizing ring that surrounded the cockpit pointing straight at the ground.


    Then, with a slight change of direction, Samantha fired the Mana Cannon once and then drove the Aviaton directly into another Aviaton, shredding the cockpit easily.


    Cannon fire peppered around us, but Samantha was already moving quickly, weaving between the various blasts of mana energy and closing towards the nearest Aviatons.


    The other Aviatons backed up, and I could see another fleet of twelve planes approaching us.


    Samantha fired her mana cannon twice, once again perfectly predicting the path of the nearest Aviaton. One shot to take down the shield, one shot to destroy the cockpit.


    <Three down,> Samantha said.


    We were flying in randomized patterns, painting smoke clouds in the air.  I noticed, though, that it wasn¡¯t just smoke that was trailing behind us. There were traces of mana in the smoke, likely intended to help mask mana signatures.


    The other Aviatons retreated even further, but Samantha chased them, refusing to let them distance themselves from us.


    Two more cannon pulses, and another Aviaton crashed.


    At this point, I was starting to wonder what the Metan pilots were doing. It felt like the space battle scenes in any science fiction movie, where the protagonist is able to run rings around the enemy mooks.


    Is this the storm trooper effect in action? I couldn¡¯t help but wonder, as I watched every single shot fired by the Aviatons go astray, and a fifth Aviaton crashed to the ground.


    By this point, the other twelve Aviatons had already surrounded us at a much greater distance.


    There was something odd, about their locations. The remaining original Aviatons had stopped retreating, and the twelve Aviatons farther away from us were positioned in an almost perfect, twelve-pointed circle.


    Samantha rammed the side of our Aviaton into another plane, shattering its cockpit, eliminating a sixth Aviaton in this dogfight.


    I think they¡¯re doing something, I said, somewhat feebly, as I watched the twelve planes hovering at very precise intervals around our location, tracking us almost perfectly so that our Aviaton was always in the middle of the circle.


    <It¡¯s a Containment Array,> Samantha said. <Don¡¯t worry, they need another two seconds to power it up.>


    I saw Samantha¡¯s thumb twitch again, and another Aviaton crashed to the ground. Seven down.


    I could feel the ambient mana around the twelve Aviatons gathering, almost in the same way that a sorcerer¡¯s chant would gather magic.  Just as the mana was gathering to a crescendo, Samantha fired the mana cannon three times in rapid succession.


    I noticed that for the first time during this whole dog fight, she had even allowed herself to move in a normal, straight line, as she fired those three shots.


    To my surprise, I saw that each mana cannon pulse flew to a different target¡ªover a thousand yards away, each one targeting a different Aviaton that was trying to form the Containment Array.


    Once the three shots were released, Samantha immediately resumed her frantic flying, looping around suddenly and firing again, eliminating an eighth enemy.


    Meanwhile, with my focus on the distant Aviatons, I saw that for a split second, each individual Aviaton¡¯s Mana Shield disappeared, spreading instead to form a larger Mana Shield that I could tell would soon surround this whole area.


    But Samantha¡¯s three shots landed on three different Aviatons, in what I assumed was the short split second when they were all unprotected¡ªwhen the individual Mana Shields were in the process of merging.


    Three Aviatons went down, and the other eight Aviatons immediately canceled the Containment Array.


    At the same time, the nearest Aviatons immediately spread out, traveling at their fastest speed away from Samantha as possible.


    <About time,> Samantha said, as she destroyed another Aviaton. Something told me that she wasn¡¯t referencing the twelve Aviatons that she had destroyed in under a minute.


    No, when I expanded my Mana Sensing, I could see it.


    What I had thought was a building floated up out of the Metan Army¡¯s camp, cutting an unnaturally quick pace as it flew towards our Aviaton.


    There is always a bigger fish, I thought, grimly. I wish I could take credit for that line.

 Chapter 113: Warship

    The flying building that was slowly approaching Samantha¡¯s Aviaton was the size of a city block.  It was a massive black disk, about twenty feet thick from bottom to top, thickest in the center. I could see dozens of turrets built into its curved, sleek sides, and most of them were pointing our direction.  On the top of its spherical roof was a massive Mana Cannon that dwarfed any weaponry I had seen yet.  Interspersed in strange patterns around the massive flying object¡¯s hull were large divots, almost as though the flying building had once been struck by a hundred asteroids.


    It was surrounded by a powerful Mana Shield, and something told me our Mana Cannon would be ineffective against something that size.


    Samantha twitched my left thumb, and two more Mana Cannon bolts flew out of our Aviaton, crashing into the Aviaton that we had just been chasing, but somehow, the Aviaton survived.


    What¡¯s wrong? Is your Dexterity failing?


    Samantha ignored me.


    I couldn¡¯t help but wonder how many of these flying ships the Metans had.


    The nearby enemy Aviatons started retreating towards the warship that was approaching us.


    Samantha continued chasing after them, seemingly unafraid of the warship heading our direction.


    I watched as Samantha fired the Mana Cannon again. The first landed, but Samantha banked hard, swerving sideways, and the fourteenth Aviaton somehow escaped.


    Talk to me, Samantha. What¡¯s going on? I checked our Status Window, but it didn¡¯t look like we were out of mana¡ªSamantha was only using floating points in Dexterity, so we had plenty of Mana left over.


    <Watch carefully.  I¡¯ve got it under control,> Samantha said.


    The city we had just escaped was to the south, the two armies were to the north, and now, Samantha was heading southeast¡ªmore or less the opposite direction we were supposed to go, considering we needed to get this information crystal to the Imperial General in the north.


    I was used to trusting Samantha¡¯s judgement, but after seeing Samantha¡¯s love of flying, I couldn¡¯t help but wonder if Samantha was taking unnecessary risks with all this.


    The warship approaching us didn¡¯t even try to fire.  It simply sped up, and chased us.


    Samantha sped up as well, for once, finally, travelling in a more-or-less straight line, fleeing from the warship.


    <Any moment now,> Samantha said. <I¡¯m not just doing this for the fun of it. The Metan army only has two warships, and if one is dealing with me, this is the best chance for the human forces to attack.>


    Off in the distance, I could sense mana-heavy explosions between the two vast armies.


    But¡­ isn¡¯t the warship gaining on us?


    It was a strange thing, thinking that this massive warship the size of a city block could travel faster than this small Aviaton the size of a Smart car.


    <Not to worry,> Samantha said. Even as she said those words, our fingers twitched, and I found myself thrown against the seat harness, our Aviaton making a sudden turn to the right.


    <The warship isn¡¯t nearly as agile as we are,> Samantha said. <It¡¯s time to lead it on a merry chase.>


    And Samantha did just that, running rings around this larger warship.This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    The odd thing was, the whole time, the warship never even tried to fire at Samantha.


    There was a growing swarm of Metan Aviatons flanking the warship, and they, too, didn¡¯t fire anything, either.


    Samantha seemed content to ignore them.


    But then the two dozen Metan Aviatons that were flying in the warship¡¯s shadow took on a strange formation.


    What are they doing? I asked. They didn¡¯t seem to be trying to attack us, but I could clearly remember their previous attempt to create a Containment Array to trap us in.


    <The warship¡¯s hard counter to an Aviaton is its Stasis Beam,> Samantha said. <It¡¯s essentially the same as a tractor beam in your science fiction movies.  I¡¯ve been staying out of its range this whole time, which is why it hasn¡¯t activated.  The formation the Aviatons are taking will allow the warship to extend the length of the Stasis Beam.>


    <At the same time, if you look carefully, you will notice that the warship¡¯s shield is covering the Aviatons. They learned from their previous mistakes, you see.  I won¡¯t be able to target the Aviatons when their shields are down.>


    As Samantha said this, I watched as the several dozen Aviatons that had been flying very close to the warship phased through the warship¡¯s Mana Shield, and then latched themselves in the divots on the warship¡¯s hull.


    As Samantha explained all of this, she didn¡¯t sound particularly concerned.


    So, what are you going to do?


    Samantha chuckled. <You didn¡¯t notice it? I¡¯ve been preparing for the last few minutes with this.>


    Our Aviaton continued flying away from the warship, but all of a sudden, we jerked to a complete stop.


    We were locked in our position, and the warship quickly closed on us.  I could see a beam of mana shooting out from the warship, focusing around us, locking us into place.


    Then, Samantha¡¯s fingers twitched.


    Three of the two dozen Metan Aviatons¡ªthe ones that had secured themselves to the hull of the warship, close enough to be covered by the warship¡¯s Mana Shield¡ªexploded.


    The explosion wasn¡¯t limited to the three Aviatons.  In three different places, I could see that the hull of the warship had been breached.


    The Stasis Beam that was holding us vanished, and Samantha immediately had us fly away.


    As we fled, the dozens of turrets lining the warship lit up like fireworks.


    I could make out Void Blasts, Fireballs, Air knives, and more, chasing after us.


    But Samantha dodging with incredible speed and ease, not letting a single attack glance our Aviaton.


    What was that?


    <There were three Aviatons that I ¡°almost¡± hit,> Samantha explained. <But really, I knocked down their shields and attached explosives that I could remotely detonate to their hulls.>


    We continued running away, putting more and more distance between us and the two armies.


    Is the information really this valuable? I asked, after five minutes of continual chasing and dodging.


    Since exploding three of the Aviatons, the warship seemed content to just follow us. A fleet of a dozen Aviatons would harry our movements, staying a mostly safe distance away from us.  It didn¡¯t feel like the warship or the Aviatons were that desperate to take us out.


    But really, considering the war happening to the north, I would have expected this warship to be more frantic to return.


    <There are two timers on this battle,> Samantha said. <The first is the battle to the north. The second is our own stock of weapons and fuel.>


    Samantha glanced down, and I noticed the half-open tubes that surrounded the interior of the Aviaton.


    Several of the tubes held Compressed Void-Attuned Mana Crystals. Others held Compressed Unattuned Mana Crystals. There were a few other miscellaneous crystals as well, but I could tell that there was far more space to hold Mana Crystals, and the number of Mana Crystals was quickly running out.


    <You see, they still seem to think we¡¯re going to run out of Mana Crystals,> Samantha said, smugly. <It seems they haven¡¯t realized yet that we raided a bank before coming out here.>


    I found myself at a loss for words.  From the moment Samantha had left the laboratory, she had already planned this far ahead.


    She had the other Aviatons take down the banks¡¯ shields, she raided the bank, killed the General in order to access the Information Crystal, and now she is distracting the warship in order to support the human forces, using the tens of millions of coins worth of Mana Crystals that she had stolen from the bank.


    <This is the lull before the storm,> Samantha said. <Two things will happen to break this stalemate.  Either the commander of the warship realizes that I raided a bank already, or the Metans will start losing.  For now, we can relax.>


    I studied our surroundings.  We were miles away from the battlefront, now, approaching a mountain range and a densely forested area.


    Behind us, the warship continued to chase us, refusing to fall behind, and the dozen or so Aviatons flanking the ship fired intermittently, determined to sap Samantha¡¯s focus.


    If this is what Samantha considered a lull, then I wasn¡¯t looking forward to the storm.

 Chapter 114: The Storm

    Everything changed in the blink of an eye when the warship behind us fired its main cannon at us.


    The Aviaton that Samantha was flying was D-rank, with D-rank shields, and a D-rank mana cannon that was capable of fully weaponizing the mana inside a Mana Crystal.  Every time we fired our weapon, we were spending about a million coins.


    When the warship behind us fired at us, it used a Mana Orb¡ªsomething which would cost over a hundred million coins.


    Of course, the commander of the warship wasn¡¯t an idiot. A single, targeted beam of energy would be easy for us to dodge.  When the mana cannon fired, it cut a wide swath of destruction, directly lighting up hundreds of acres of forests below us.


    There was no way to dodge an attack like this.  Samantha tried, veering us as sharply out of the way as possible, but the fire in the air caught up to us easily, devouring the Mana Shield around us in a split second, and then I felt everything catch fire.


    Samantha had a hand over our Interdimensional Pouch, and I felt a glimmer of hope that she had something to counter this pain.


    But to my shock and horror, Samantha took out the Metan General¡¯s body.


    I was suddenly aware that I was falling, then flying, propelled by an Air-attuned Mana Crystal held in my left hand behind me, as everything around me burned.


    Everything was fire around me, and my health was rapidly falling.


    And then, finally, I reached the outskirts of the fire.  Not by propelling myself to the left, or right, but by flying up, above the warship.


    The moment we were out of the fire, Samantha wrapped the Invisibility Cloak around our body and cut the power to our flight.


    Our previous trajectory continued, carrying us through the air, and I could now see the blazing inferno below us, and feel the immense heat reflecting off the blackened forest below us.


    Then, with a sudden buzz, we landed squarely on top of the massive warship, a few dozen yards away from the massive Mana Cannon that was still glowing.


    We were not actually touching the warship.  The warship¡¯s shield prevented that, refusing to give us any traction at all as we floated on the Mana Shield just above the warship¡¯s hull.


    The warship was moving slowly, and the curvature of the hull and complete lack of traction made us start to slide off the warship.


    To my surprise, Samantha let us slide, dozens of yards, along the sleek top of the warship¡¯s Mana Shield, until we were about to slide off the edge of the warship.


    Just as we fell off the edge of the warship, Samantha finally fired her Air-attuned Mana Crystal, just once, pushing us up against the side of the warship¡ªdirectly inside one of the large divots placed on the side of the warship, which the Aviatons had used to latch onto the warship previously.


    Once inside the divot, Samantha applied a slow, gentle pressure so that we wouldn¡¯t slide away, and then settled in as comfortably as she could.


    The first thing Samantha did was drink a much-needed health potion.  Even being caught on the fringe of that C-rank Mana Cannon had nearly reduced my health to 0. My body was a blistering, burning mess, and the metal parts of my equipment still seared my skin.


    I was thankful, for once, that I wasn¡¯t experiencing the majority of the pain that I knew Samantha was feeling.


    It was slightly comforting, realizing that Samantha probably didn¡¯t enjoy causing me pain. Or, if she did, then at least she enjoyed causing herself pain as well.


    The wave of fire that originated from the Mana Cannon had disappeared, but the fires burning through acres of forests were just starting.This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    There were thirty Aviatons flying in grid-like patterns over the fires, presumably searching for Samantha and myself.


    <Crazy, how quickly everything changes, isn¡¯t it?> Samantha said. <Victory through overwhelming firepower.>


    Victory? What, are you giving up?


    <Ha, no,> Samantha said. <This was something of an inevitability. There¡¯s only so long a commander would want to play cat and mouse.  We¡¯re still chasing achievements, you see.    There¡¯s only so much damage we can do to a warship, from the outside¡­>


    Samantha trailed off, letting me fill in the dots.


    An Aviaton would likely land right where I was, or nearby.  In order for that to happen, they would need to phase through the shield, somehow. And presumably, once the Aviaton docked, the pilot would be able to enter the warship.


    Was this your plan all along?


    <You could consider it a backup plan,> Samantha said. <I wasn¡¯t a fan of losing that Aviaton.>


    It took five minutes or so, before the first Aviatons returned to the warship. The Aviatons had gathered near the exploded remains of our old Aviaton for a while, and then they flew slowly towards the warship to dock.


    We left the divot we had been hiding in, flying awkwardly and pressing up against the side of the warship¡¯s Mana Shield.


    Soon enough, an Aviaton approached our divot. The Aviaton turned off its Mana Shields, and at that same moment, Samantha flew us to the underside of the Aviaton, gripping tiny ridges in the Aviaton¡¯s underbelly forcefully.


    Then, we passed directly through the warship¡¯s Mana Shield, along with the Aviaton.


    The Aviaton docked gently against the warship¡¯s hull, and Samantha climbed lithely around from the bottom of the Aviaton to the top, just in time to see the dome of the cockpit open, and a hatch in the warship opened simultaneously.


    A werecat climbed easily out of the cockpit. He paused, sniffed the air, and I tensed mentally as his ears twitched towards me.  Then, the werecat climbed through the hatch into the warship, and the cockpit and hatch closed behind him.


    Samantha waited about thirty seconds or so, and then she tapped the dead General¡¯s Identification Crystal against a certain part of the Aviaton¡¯s surface, prompting the cockpit to open once again, and then with a similar procedure, we opened the hatch.


    From the opposite side of the hatch, once we were inside the warship, I could see a set of controls.


    Samantha inserted the General¡¯s Identification Crystal again, and played around with the controls for a bit, until I heard a the Aviaton in front of me shudder slightly, and slide a few inches side to side


    Samantha immediately reached out so one hand was on the control panel by the hatch, and the other was placed on the rim of the Aviaton.


    Then, the Aviaton vanished into our Interdimensional Pouch.


    A soft alarm started ringing the moment the Aviaton vanished, but in all honesty, it could have been worse. It didn¡¯t sound like an ¡°all hands on deck¡± intruder siren¡ªit just sounded like a ¡°the engine light on your car is on¡± alarm


    Samantha pressed a few more buttons, and the alarm cut off, and the hatch in front of us sealed.


    We were in a small, dull, grey room, likely an airlock, with an exit opposite the hatch.  After a few quick steps, and a quick tap of our ID Crystal, we left the small room and a narrow, grey hallway with a relatively low ceiling.


    What¡¯s the plan? Are you going to hijack the Warship?


    I felt a certain thrill, a curiosity, like I was watching a first-person movie following a complete badass.


    <It¡¯s too risky to go for the bridge,> Samantha said. <We¡¯ll just raid their armory for Mana Crystals and Mana orbs, plant a few remote explosives on the engine, and then get out of here.>


    It sounded simple, and to my astonishment, it certainly started off that way.


    Samantha, of course, knew exactly where to go. Most doors would open due to the Identification Crystal she held, and the ones that wouldn¡¯t, she slashed once with our sword.


    The soldiers guarding the armory were met with a series of Mana Cannon attacks to the chest.  Then, with a combination of planted explosives and an intense barrage from our Mana Cannon, we were able to break through one final Mana Shield and enter the armory.


    By this point, the alarms were ringing for real. I could hear the clatter of footsteps echoing above and below me.


    The armory held hundreds of Compressed Mana Crystals of various types, and ten Compressed Mana Orbs. Samantha collected everything.


    At this point, all gloves were off. Samantha fired a Mana Crystal through a dozen different walls and rooms to blaze a path directly towards the engine.


    Any soldier in our way met a quick demise from Samantha¡¯s Mana Cannon.  It was only a question of how many hits each soldier would need to take.


    This wasn¡¯t to say these soldiers were useless. Often, they moved faster than I could see, and I could tell a single strike from an Ursal would be enough to kill me in a single blow.


    But Samantha seemed to always know which way they were headed, and none of the soldiers could lay a finger on us.


    But with a plan this simple, it was only natural for the Metans to anticipate our next move.


    As we neared what I assumed was the engine room, I could sense a dozen soldiers, all over level 100, all equipped with Personal Mana Shields, forming a literal wall blocking our path.


    They even had their own mana cannon set up like a machine gun pointing down the hallway.  Standing behind them, I could see someone whose aura reminded me of the red robed magician.

 Chapter 115: The Engine Room

    Samantha, I was glad to learn, was not so foolhardy as to charge the twelve soldiers defending the engine room.


    Instead, we planted a few explosives a floor below the engine room and the defending soldiers, and then we snuck into a large storage room a few dozen yards away from them, and a floor below them.


    And then Samantha took out the Aviaton that she had stolen from the hull of the ship.  The Aviaton almost completely filled the room we had chosen, but it somehow fit.  We climbed in, raised the shields, and then wreaked havoc.


    The Mana Cannon on top of the Aviaton started with a series of void blasts, shredding through the ceiling above us and towards the engine room.   The Void Beam itself was nearly silent as it fired. This silence only emphasized the shouts and screams of the soldiers ahead of us.


    Samantha fired dozens of shots in just a few seconds, but it still wasn¡¯t enough to completely eliminate the enemy.


    The soldiers had regathered on my floor, since we had destroyed their own floor from beneath them, and I could see them clearly through the walls I had destroyed.


    There was a massive, bear-like man¡ªan Ursal¡ªin front of the soldiers, half-kneeling, hiding behind a massive full-body shield.  Arcing out of the full-body shield, and around him, I could see a powerful shield of Martial Energy, curving around the Ursal and forming a spherical shield that protected all of the soldiers around him.


    The various mana beams that our Aviaton fired at them¡ªVoid, Fire, Air¡ªwere all blocked easily by the Ursal¡¯s shield.


    It was obvious that our weaponry was somehow outclassed by the Ursal¡¯s defenses.  The shield trembled occasionally, but the Ursal¡¯s feet were planted steadily. I didn¡¯t see any reason to doubt that he could keep this up for a while.


    Unfortunately for us, the martial energy shield allowed attacks to fly towards us¡ªa half dozen ranged attacks flew towards us, and we had very little room to dodge.


    Samantha did the best she could, dodging the most dangerous attacks with the tiny amount of leeway that we had in the destroyed hallways, but several fireballs and arrows landed on our shield, making our own shield flicker.


    Then, Samantha detonated the explosives that we had placed.  Explosives that were on the opposite side of the Martial Energy shield.


    The orderly defenses in front of us were immediately shredded.  Half of the defenders died immediately, and the Ursal in front stumbled forward.


    Samantha rapidly entered a series of orders into the Aviaton, and then we were ejected from the cockpit violently.


    Surrounded by smoke from the dozens of explosions, we had set off, I almost missed what happened next.


    As we stood on the ground, I watched as the Aviaton that Samantha had been flying flew on its own accord through the very same holes that we had made previously in the ceiling and hallways, over the Ursal¡¯s head, crashing directly into the engine room¡¯s Mana Shield in an immense explosion.


    Then we followed after it, jumping through the ceiling above us, ignoring the incredible heat from the explosion, and hacking open the locked door to the engine room now that the shield was destroyed.


    The engine room was about 400 square feet, and most of the space was taken up by a massive metallic contraption that was glowing with runes and mana. From the outside, the engine looked knobby, with a half dozen miscellaneous pipes and a dozen compartments and several different levers at various parts.   With Mana Sensing, I could tell how incredibly complex and intricate this engine was. Every inch of the inside of the engine was covered with diverse runes, and I had no idea what half of them did.


    Besides the engine, there was nothing else in the room. If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    I had a suspicious feeling that if the engine were not bolted to the floor, ceiling, and walls a hundred different ways, Samantha would steal the engine in a heartbeat.


    Instead, we stole the Compressed Unattuned Mana Orbs that were held in several pipes attached to the engine.


    In all, we were in the room for approximately two seconds.  We collected all the Mana Orbs we could, and then we planted dozens of explosives in various locations around the Engine.


    With Mana Sensing, I could tell the Ursal was just a second away from entering the Engine Room.


    The Ursal threw open the door to the engine room.  His fury created an almost tangible, roiling aura that pressed against my very being.


    His Martial Shield was already formed around him¡ªcompletely, this time, just like a Personal Mana Shield, and I saw a second Martial Shield appear around the engine in front of me.


    At the same time, the walls, ceiling, and floor of the engine room were still glowing with mana¡ªit would be no easy thing to carve a second way out of here.


    Then Samantha detonated the explosives inside the engine and smirked at the Ursal. Since the explosives were already inside the engine, the Martial shield around it was rendered useless. Perhaps as a result, when the explosives went off, they were somewhat muted.


    The explosions certainly shook the engine, and I could feel the heat on my skin, but it more felt like everything powered down.  Huge chunks of the engine were missing, thanks to several of the Void Bombs that Samantha had planted.


    All around me, with Mana Sensing, it was as though the lights went out, suddenly.  The engine, predictably enough, was what converted the Mana Orbs into enough energy to power the full ship. The engine powered the Mana Cannon on the top of the warship, the shield that surrounded the hull and the most critical parts of the ship, from the bridge to the shield around the engine room.


    The shield around the engine room disappeared, and with a quick movement, Samantha stabbed her sword into the floor, drawing a circle underneath her, ready to disappear to the ground.


    But the Ursal was having none of it. He cast out another Martial Energy shield, this time directly reinforcing every inch of the engine room¡¯s walls, ceiling, and floor. Then, he charged us, even as the ship began to shudder and descend.


    The descent, at least, was a controlled landing. Presumably, the anti-gravity runes had some kind of backup system that would provide enough power for the warship to perform an emergency landing.


    The Ursal stepped through the door, and closed it, sealing me in the engine room with him. Even though the Mana Shields were down, his own Martial Shields were surrounding himself, the engine, and the room itself.


    Samantha tossed something towards the Ursal.  The moment it collided with his shield, a field of mana spread, and the Ursal¡¯s movements slowed.


    I breathed a sigh of relief as the Time Dilation field worked its magic through the Martial Shield.  It was almost comical, how the Ursal¡¯s eyes opened widely in slow motion surprise, and even a hint of fear.


    Rather than attack the Ursal and enter the Time Dilation field, Samantha stabbed her sword repeatedly at the ground, simultaneously firing a Void Crystal at the ground as well.


    After a whole, painful second, the Martial Shield under our feet broke, and we fell through the ground and fled.


    Once again under the effects of our Invisibility Cloak, we were able to run easily through the warship. Dozens of personnel¡ªsoldiers and technicians alike¡ªwere running about frantically.


    We cut through any doors that blocked our path¡ªthe majority of the warships shields were down, anyway.


    We made our way towards the hull, and Samantha found an unclaimed Aviaton.


    After all the other struggles we had been through, hijacking this Aviaton was a piece of cake.


    We took off easily.


    Of course, knowing Samantha, she wasn¡¯t just going to return to the battlefield.


    No. Just as the massive warship touched ground, destroying a hundred trees in the process, Samantha opened fire with the Aviaton¡¯s Mana Cannon.


    I almost felt bad for the massive warship.  Without its own shields, every blast shredded through its hull and tore through its interior.


    Of course, there were already some Aviatons in the air that were already targeting us because of our unapproved departure, but Samantha ran rings around them, and they just chased us futilely as Samantha lit up the warship like fireworks.


    After ten minutes, I started to realize Samantha was taking her time.  She was performing unnecessarily complex evasive maneuvers. It was when she didn¡¯t fire the Mana Cannon for about thirty seconds, and then destroyed two pursuing Aviatons by somehow getting them to crash into each other, that I realized she was just killing time.


    You¡¯re delaying the return, I said. You¡¯re just doing this to having fun.


    <Not at all,> Samantha said, though I could detect a hint of guilt in her voice. <Destroying a warship and its personal fleet is certainly worth an accomplishment or two.>


    Sure. But you¡¯ve been doing this for ten minutes, and from what I¡¯ve seen before, you could be done in five.


    <It¡¯s best to be thorough,> Samantha said, somewhat weakly. <But alright. I can pick up the pace.>


    Two minutes later, we were flying leisurely towards the forces of the Human Empire. Nobody dared pursue us.

 Chapter 116: Aftermath

    <It looks like the human forces already won,> Samantha said, not bothering to hide the disappointment as we approached the battlefront.


    It must have been a short battle.  The Metan defensive line had clearly fractured, and the Metans had fled in a dozen different directions. Several Aviatons on the human forces¡¯ side were chasing down the Metan foot soldiers, while the main force of the human forces was now surrounding the city we had escaped from.


    Samantha landed the Aviaton before we reached the human forces, and we jogged the majority of the way under our Invisibility Cloak.


    Above us was a warship defending the human forces around us, almost identical to the warship we had just destroyed.


    The warship had smoke billowing out from a few sections of its hull, but it was still floating, and its shield glowed vibrantly.


    Finally, I was able to follow the mini-map¡¯s icon to the human General.


    There were a series of tents that were just a half mile away from the Metan city, and I headed that direction.


    Samantha took off our Invisibility Cloak as we neared the General¡¯s encampments.


    <During wartime, there are often scouts on the lookout for anyone who is cloaked,> Samantha explained. <It¡¯s best not to raise any alarms unnecessarily.>


    ¡°Imperial Shadow Jarek Novak, with a confidential report for General Nowa¡¯s ears only,¡± Samantha said.


    It took a few minutes, but soon enough, we had our audience with the general, passed her the Information Crystal, and the world disappeared around us.


    <hr>


    When we appeared in the Infinite Tower¡¯s lobby, we stood there, frozen, for a second, before I realized that Samantha was giving me back control.


    As I walked towards the store front, I felt the deep soreness of a dozen different internal injuries.


    It was hard to process everything that had happened in the last ¡°mission.¡±  Instead of challenging five floors of E-rank monsters, we had entered a realistic scenario in the Atropos Schema¡¯s history, broken into a secure laboratory, raided a bank, had a high-speed chase through a Metan city, destroyed a warship, stolen multiple UFO-like aircrafts, and returned that intelligence to the general of the human forces.


    Well, maybe ¡°we¡± wasn¡¯t the most accurate pronoun.


    In the process, I had gained a C-rank sword, a C-rank wand, C-rank boots, hundreds of Mana Crystals, dozens of Mana Orbs , and an Aviaton.


    Of course, nothing I gained through the missions or floors were things that I could take to the real world.  I would have to buy things from the Infinite Tower Store if I wanted to take things to the real world.


    The massive lobby was once again empty, and I walked up to the counter excitedly, pouring mana into Luck before touching the mana crystal in front of me.


    <You should sell three Mana Orbs,> Samantha said. <That should be guaranteed to put you in the top 1% of sales to the tower for an E-rank floor.>


    The old holographic man behind the counter simply raised an eyebrow at the sight of the two mana orbs.


    ¡°Congratulations, challenger,¡± he said, showing me a rare smile behind his long beard. ¡°You have a total of twelve achievements. This is extremely uncommon, for someone who has only completed one mission and five floors.¡±


    I immediately started perusing the list of missions available. Honestly, I was tired after that first mission, but it was clear to me, after that first mission, that fighting missions instead of going through five floors at a time was a much more effective way to gain points and equipment.


    If I chose to fight the next five floors, I would fight increasing numbers of D-rank creatures¡ªsomething that I could easily do, since I had a C-rank sword and my own flying ship.Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    Looking at the available items in the store, it felt distinctively pathetic to see that I could only buy D-rank equipment after all the trouble I had been through, especially considering I currently had a C-rank sword in my hand.


    <You should buy the D-rank Aviaton Blueprint,> Samantha said. I scrolled through frantically, almost unbelieving, until I found it.


    <This is where your Luck pays off,> Samantha said. <Between your heightened Luck, and the numerous flying achievements you earned, this is more or less the best reward you could expect.  Normally, I would be opposed to spending any of your points on anything D-rank, but this is a strategic asset that could save thousands of lives back on Earth. It easily has the value of a C-rank item.>


    Thinking about buying something reminded me to look at my current number of points.


    Before challenging the mission, I had 710 points.  I had gained a thousand points for completing the mission, and then another 500 points for everything I had sold.


    The conversion from sales to points was infuriating. Three mana orbs, valued in the real world at over 100 million coins each, provided me with just five hundred points¡­


    <It¡¯s the best you could expect,> Samantha said. <500 points is the most you can bring in for sales every time you visit the store.  You¡¯re looking at it backwards.  If you clear enough floors, then you would be able to buy an A-rank item with just a few thousand points.  This is game-show currency, it¡¯s not real money. 500 points is actually a lot.>


    So I now had 2,210, and I spent 1,300 of that to buy the D-rank Aviaton Rune Pattern Blueprint.


    <This is actually a huge shame,> Samantha said. <If I had an inkling that you would have access to a blueprint like this, I would never have suggested you learn to make a C-rank Personal Shield, or a Mana Cannon.  This is a composite blueprint, which includes a D-rank Mana Cannon, a D-rank Shield, Antigravity Rune Patterns, Propulsion Rune Patterns, and highly complex ¡°circuits¡± as well that allow for small amounts of automation.  Normally, this overlap would be essential for a Rune Master to be able to specialize and understand what they are doing. But since I¡¯m here, this overlap is a waste of resources, and we could have specialized in other things.  If only this rune pattern wasn¡¯t so damn useful.>


    With our points down to 910, I could barely afford the cheapest of the D-rank equipment available, and nothing else that I could afford looked anywhere near as interesting.  I could taste the lure of the Infinite Tower.  If I hold on to my points, then the next time I appear at the store, I would have at least 1410 points, which would barely be enough to by one of the cheaper of the C-rank weapons.  Then, if I were to complete the C-rank floors, then I would near 2000 points, which, if the pattern held, would be the cost of a B-rank weapon.


    I switched back to view missions available, since I was resigned to saving the rest of my money for a while longer.


    There were a total of twelve missions, the cheapest mission costing one Achievement, and the most expensive costing twelve.


    <This is where we need to be careful,> Samantha said. <None of the missions will be easier than fighting 100 D-rank individuals who are all level 39. As the cost increases, so does the difficulty of each mission, and the corresponding reward.>


    Should we just pick a one or two Achievement mission? I asked. We barely made it out of the last mission alive.


    Samantha laughed. <The last mission was hard because you didn¡¯t have equipment, and because we were targeting achievements, not just clearing the mission.  If we had rushed directly to the Information Crystal, we likely could have reached there before the magician who was defending it got there. We could have planned out a path to avoid anyone over level 100, and we could have escaped out the lab before the army and the general arrived.  It would have been easy enough to leave the city, and we could have completely circled around the armies and approached the human army from its flank or rear.   It¡¯s fair to say we definitely took the hard route.>


    <That said, as far as I¡¯m aware, nobody has ever successfully challenged a mission costing 10 Achievements or more,> Samantha said.  <And we have to remember, this is a game. Challenging a mission isn¡¯t just about achievements, as you hopefully noticed, it has the added benefit of helping us gear up for our next mission or floor.  The moment I saw that we would be joining a war, it was obvious that we would be able to loot a lot from the battlefield.>


    <The mission costing three Achievements is a courier mission across a monster-infested wasteland,> Samantha said. <No loot, so we¡¯re not doing that one.>


    <The mission costing four Achievements is a bodyguard mission, which isn¡¯t really in our skillset. The best fit for a mission like that would be the Ursal we fought on the warship.  We also want a bit more freedom to move around.>


    <So we should go with mission costing five achievements,> Samantha continued.


    I took a look at the mission Samantha was talking about.


    Fey Assassination:  The Human Empire has been steadily losing the war against the Fey Clans. Fey General Viya Asar has led her troops deep into Human Empire territory, and many fear this may spell the end of the Human Empire.


    Your mission:  Assassinate Fey General Viya Asar.


    An assassination mission didn¡¯t seem that difficult.  I had complained, earlier, that Samantha was trying to turn me into an assassin, and for better or worse, I felt well-equipped to do the job.  I still had the Invisibility Cloak, and we could just sneak up to her using Spiritual Traveler, and then Samantha could use Soul Explosion repeatedly until she died.  That doesn¡¯t sound too hard.


    Samantha laughed. <That¡¯s because you¡¯ve never heard of General Viya Asar.>

 Chapter 117: General Viya Asar

    I appeared in a forest. The trees around me were as thick as redwoods, glowing densely with mana.  I could sense small rabbit-sized creatures all around me, along with larger creatures the size of foxes.  But there was nothing that seemed particularly dangerous¡ªno larger mammals that could pose a threat to me.


    The trees¡¯ leaves around me were a blood red color, and many of them had already fallen to the ground, making it seem as though the whole forest were coated in a sea of blood.


    I opened up my notifications, and checked my minimap.


    Use the mini-map provided to predict the progression of General Viya Asar¡¯s army. General Veya Asar must die before she reaches Hunter¡¯s Point City.


    According to my mini-map, General Veya Asar¡¯s army was about ten miles away from me, and I was standing directly in their path, between them and Hunter¡¯s Point City.


    <Let¡¯s explore a bit,> Samantha said. <We need to find where they will make camp.>


    I jogged through the blood-red forest, towards Hunter¡¯s Point City, each step on the fallen leaves breaking the silence of the forest.


    Samantha had me stop at a grassy clearing just eight miles or so from Hunter¡¯s Point. I could sense that the ambient mana was slightly denser here.


    <Ambient mana can gather at different densities,> Samantha explained.  <The Fey army will want to draw from the ambient mana as much as they can to power their defenses and wards.  They should stop here for the night.>


    Wouldn¡¯t they have warships and Aviatons? If they are only 20 miles away, they should be able to close the distance in just a few minutes.


    <General Viya Asar¡¯s army is just the vanguard,> Samantha explained. <They will make camp here, set up Teleportation Circles, and then bring in the Fey¡¯s main forces to besiege the city.>


    <We need to hide in a tree,> Samantha said. <They will search the area carefully, and our D-rank Invisibility Cloak won¡¯t be enough.  We need to find a tree that has the same mana density as we appear to have to C-rank Mana Sensing skills when we are under the Invisibility cloak.>


    Samantha, of course, had already selected the tree. It was just a few dozen yards away from the clearing that had the densest ambient mana.  The tree was certainly large¡ªthe trunk¡¯s diameter was more than six feet¡ªbut it wasn¡¯t the largest tree around.


    I took my C-rank sword and started digging near the roots of the tree.  It was insane, how easy it was to break up the dirt with a C-rank sword.


    First, I made a hole large enough for me to crouch in, underneath the trunk of the tree. Then, I dug up, into the tree¡¯s trunk, hollowing out a section of the tree from below it.


    The hardest part was hiding the signs of my digging afterwards.  I shredded the wood from the trunk into small bark chips, and buried the bark chips by a nearby tree.


    From directly underneath the tree, I poured dirt out of my Interdimensional Pouch to block off the small tunnel I had dug. Then, I climbed up to the hollow area I had made inside the tree, and opened my Interdimensional Pouch again, filling up the hole below me until I could stand on the dirt that I had poured out of my Interdimensional Pouch.


    It was incredibly uncomfortable.  For some sadistic reason, Samantha had insisted that I not give myself enough space to stand up properly.  I was forced curl in a ball, inside this tree that gave me almost no space to move.  Worst of all, there was no air flow.


    How am I supposed to breath?


    I was completely sealed inside the tree now, and it was starting to feel incredibly claustrophobic.


    <Use an Air-Attuned Mana Shard to make a few small air holes in the trunk near your mouth,> Samantha said.


    Once I had my air holes, I settled in for a long wait. I barely had any room to move my arms from side to side, and I was stuck in a perpetual squat, with almost no room to adjust.


    <As it stands, our hiding place still isn¡¯t good enough,> Samantha said.  <If you think about it, you should be able to identify the issue.  We are competing against C-rank Mana Sensing skills, and C-rank Mana Sensing allows people to see the colors of different types of mana.  If someone with C-rank Mana Sensing looked at us, they would see the color of your mana, standing out among the color of the tree¡¯s mana.  So, to fix that, here¡¯s what we need to do¡­>If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Following Samantha¡¯s instructions, I took a Plant-attributed Mana Shard out of my Interdimensional Pouch, and then used the Mana Cannon to spread Plant-attributed Mana around my body and inside my body.


    The first time I tried it, it burned, just like the backlash of firing a Mana Crystal.


    It took some adjustments, figuring out how to send Plant-attributed Mana into my own body without harming myself. But eventually, I was able to.


    <Now, press the Invisibility Cloak all around the hole that you carved, so that there are as few hollow, mana-less spots as possible.>


    I did as Samantha suggested.


    <Try to not move for 10 minutes. If you can¡¯t do it, then I suggest you let me take over.>


    <Your finger twitched. Try again.>


    <Don¡¯t shift your weight.>


    This was literal torture.  I was in a tiny, cramped space without enough to stand up properly. On top of that, I couldn¡¯t even move to distract myself from the random pains and itches I was feeling.


    Samantha kept nit-picking, until I finally handed control over to her.


    <Alright,> Samantha said, once she had control of my body. She made a few slight adjustments, and then froze in position. <You¡¯re probably wondering what¡¯s the big deal about General Viya Asar.>


    I hadn¡¯t been wondering that¡ªI had been wondering how long we would have to wait, buried in a tree-like coffin.


    <General Viya Asar,> Samantha continued, <Is a C-rank Time Magician, around level 170.  To recap, a magician has a greater focus in Mana Regeneration, allowing them to continually perform weaker magic, while, a mage specializes in more powerful magic that requires more mana.  Sorcerers require even more massive mana pools to start a chant, but once it starts, they don¡¯t need to worry about replenishing their mana¡ªas long as the chant continues, the magic is powered by the ambient mana.>


    <General Viya Asar tends to fight using Time Dilation Wards, allowing her to feel as though the world around her is moving in slow motion, while she moves at a normal pace.  To you, it would look like her Agility is incredibly high.  She is also capable of granting the same effect to her allies, which increases their reaction times and creates a powerful boost in combat ability.>


    <That, by itself, is enough to make her a fearsome opponent. But that¡¯s not all.  As a C-rank Time Magician, General Viya Asar has one truly enviable skill.  At any moment, she can choose to send her consciousness one minute backwards in time.  There is likely a cooldown, or some penalty for repeated use, but I¡¯m not sure.  She tried to keep this a secret for as long as she could, but this is why no one has been able to kill her yet.  She would know, a minute after you try to assassinate her, that she is about to be killed.>


    I tried to wrap my head around that. So, whenever I attack her, then she will already be anticipating my attack?


    <Well, it¡¯s a bit more complicated than that,> Samantha said.  <There is a reason she has tried to keep this skill hidden.  There is actually a pretty simple work-around for us.  Imagine our soul follows next to General Viya Asar for five minutes.  After five minutes, we plan to explode, unless she reacts to show that she is ready for us. The moment she reacts to us, we explode.>


    So, that doesn¡¯t sound too hard.


    <That¡¯s in a vacuum,> Samantha said. But there have already been several attacks on her life, remember. She will be heavily guarded, and under so many watchful eyes, it will not be easy for our soul to reach the General.  For all we know, she may never leave the bridge of her warship, which would be under two different sets of Mana Shields.>


    <Now, let¡¯s watch carefully. Here they come.>


    In the sky above us, I could sense two warships, each about a block in area, traveling towards us.  Surrounding the warships were dozens of Aviatons, flying close to the trees, presumably searching for any humans or dangerous life forms. Or, as Samantha had mentioned previously, they were looking for sufficient ambient mana to set up a Teleportation Circle.


    Just as Samantha had predicted, they settled down in the large clearing near where I hid.


    The leaves flew up in the air as the massive warships landed, granting a dramatic, Star Wars-esque entrance to the first of the Fey soldiers that disembarked from the warships.


    With only Mana Sensing to observe them, though, I could only imagine the full visual effect of hundreds of soldiers flying out of the massive warship.


    For an enemy that was capable of endangering the Human Empire, my first impression of the Fey soldiers was that they were small.  It made sense, since Mrinda, the only Fey I had seen so far, was also four feet tall.  None of the Fey were over five feet tall, and they all had small, lithe bodies and pixie-like translucent wings.


    The Fey flew out of the warship with practiced ease, fast enough that I could barely track them with my Mana Sensing skill.


    After the first Fey scouts flew out, even more Feys came out, this time at a slower pace, exploring the landing area in a grid-like formation. I could even feel waves of mana pulse from several of the Fey, as they searched for signs of anything suspicious.


    Soon enough, I was able to watch as the Fey began to quickly construct several buildings around the warship.  Several dozen Earth Mages and Magicians worked quickly to create a massive wall around the two warships, leaving plenty of space for what I could only imagine would be the army that would soon appear through the Teleportation Circle, which was also being constructed just yards from where I was.


    It should go without saying, knowing Samantha, that I was well within the base¡¯s defensive perimeter.

 Author announcement

    Hi everyone! Thanks for reading The Atropos Schema! I''m rethinking the current release schedule.  The new plan is to change to a chapter a week (Saturdays), and I''m taking this week off. This is just a more feasible pace for me.This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    -Plastic Pebble.


    ¡°If you don''t have time to read, you don''t have the time (or the tools) to write. Simple as that.¡± ¡ª Stephen King

 Chapter 118: Assassination

    <I can¡¯t think of any reason for General Viya Asar to leave her warship,> Samantha said. She was still controlling my body, holding me stock still, completely motionless except for a very steady breathing, hidden inside a tree not far from the two warships.  <It would be too difficult to sneak our body onto the warship. But most likely, we can sneak our soul onboard.>


    If we start by sneaking our soul on board, then that limits us to Soul Explosion. Does this mean you aren¡¯t planning to run rampant again?


    <That¡¯s right,> Samantha said. <A good assassination needs to be a surprise. We aren¡¯t capable of providing a distraction and simultaneously attacking the general, so we will have to strike General Viya Asar first.  I am capable of taking these things seriously, and I do know our limits.>


    Alright.  How do we get on board?


    <There are too many scouts and scanners to risk moving around under our Invisibility Cloak,> Samantha said. <We are going to have to rely on our soul.  Now, as you know from your battles with the Shade and the spirits, souls are always accompanied by mana. So Mana Sensing can detect that mana. What we need to do is hide our soul somewhere that our mana would be expected.  That could be a weapon or piece of equipment, belonging to someone who might visit the bridge.>


    <But even that might not be enough. We will need to make sure we evenly distribute the shape and volume of our soul to match and move in lock-step with whatever piece of equipment we are following.  I recommend you let me do this part¡­>


    Fine.  Once again, it seemed as though Samantha was intentionally forming plans that I would be unable to do. Or, more likely, I would just be completely incapable of completing this mission without her.  I had no idea how to form the shape of my soul in such a way. Of course, Samantha had also never taken the time to teach me because Samantha had never taken the time to teach me¡ªperhaps so she could take over in this very moment.


    <Alright. I¡¯ve had my eye on a target for a while.  It¡¯s the Fey with the war hammer.>


    I immediately knew who Samantha was talking about.  There was only one war hammer that I had seen this whole time, so it was very distinctive.  The hammer was about as big as the Fey¡¯s back, and it was slotted into place vertically over the Fey¡¯s back, just narrowly avoiding the Fey¡¯s wings.


    Our target Fey was slightly larger than the average Fey, perhaps 4¡¯6, and he didn¡¯t seem to belong to any of the task forces that were currently building the walls on the periphery of the newly created base, and he didn¡¯t seem to be participating in the creation of the Teleportation Circle.  He chatted with the overseers of each of the various projects, walking in circles around the warship.


    A few minutes later, Samantha pounced when the Fey with the war hammer neared the tree that we were hiding in.  Suddenly, my awareness lurched, and I found myself behind the larger Fey, my soul condensed tightly to hide inside the Fey¡¯s hammer.


    The hammer was a C-rank weapon, which meant it was positively glowing with mana already.  Presumably, this factored in to Samantha¡¯s decision to hide inside it. Out of curiosity, as the Fey walked past our tree, I focused in on the tree, to see if I could find any weaknesses in our hiding spot.


    I almost thought I was looking at the wrong tree.  I could see a vibrant tree, full of green, plant-attributed mana.


    But as I looked deeper, I could see slight inconsistencies.  Normally, the mana inside a tree or plant was mostly static, whereas ambient mana would move around like a gas. Near the base of the trunk, on the inside, the plant-attributed mana moved around more freely.


    This was the mana that we had spread around and inside our body with the Plant-attuned Mana Shard.  Since I wasn¡¯t there to control it, it was now moving around like ambient, plant-attuned mana trapped inside a tree.


    Looking at the ¡°ambient¡± mana inside the tree, I could see that it took the shape of a large ball¡ªmy body that had collapsed from a crouch into a ball. Hidden inside that ball, there was also mana of different sorts¡ªunattuned mana, and soul-attuned mana, in particular.This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    Looking at the tree, I could now appreciate why Samantha never gave me enough room to stand upright.  My body would have slumped more if I were standing, and it would have perhaps drawn more attention, to see a vertical, human-sized bunch of Ambient Mana at eye level.


    Instead, my body was able to completely collapse and relax all muscles in an awkward fetal position.  It looked less eye-catching, and it left less volume disturbed overall.


    I had been so distracted studying my own hiding place that I suddenly realized my Fey carrier was about to enter the warship.


    The warship had a large, open hatch and ramp leading down to the ground, but the warship¡¯s Mana Shield was still active, blocking all passage through the hatch.


    ¡°Captain Gusa,¡± the two sentries standing on the inside of the at the warship door said as Mr. Warhammer approached.  They entered a few commands into the panel next to them, and our carrier¡ªCaptain Gusa¡ªnodded to the sentries and continued his walk through the interior of the warship.


    The Fey warship was much better lit, compared to the Metan warship that I had snuck inside in the past.  At least, that was what I assumed, judging from the density of the glow stones on the walls. I actually couldn¡¯t tell, of course, because I didn¡¯t actually have eyes.


    Captain Gusa continued walking uninterrupted through the various narrow hallways of the warship, directly towards the bridge.


    The bridge was defended and sealed by a second C-rank Mana Shield, independent from the hull¡¯s Mana Shield.


    The bridge doors were two thick, metal doors that reminded me of elevator doors. Captain Gusa pressed an Identification crystal to the panel by the wall, and announced himself. ¡°Captain Gusa. Passcode Ultraviolet194b.¡±


    The door slid open, and I finally, truly, felt like I was in a science fiction movie.


    A woman with a powerful aura sat in a massive swivel chair in the very center of the bridge, with a control panel in front of her that was densely populated by switches, knobs, sliders, and the like.


    Projected on the walls around the bridge, I could see video feeds of everything happening inside and outside the warship.


    In front of the woman in the swivel chair was a massive display of the surroundings of the warship based off of Mana Sensing.  I could see the static green trees, the dense bundles of mana that were the Fey, and the continually growing walls of Earth-attuned mana that were being built around the two warships.


    The attunements of the mana inside the Fey soldiers were interesting to study.  The Fey with Earth-attuned mana were primarily on the outskirts, forming the defensive line around the warship.  But it wasn¡¯t uncommon for Fey to have two or three attunements, meaning their bodies were composed of a swirling watercolor of blended mana.


    Standing next to the display of mana was a Fey sorcerer, who was chanting softly, letting his voice fade into the background. Presumably, this intricate method of tracking all the mana in the area was the product of the sorcerer¡¯s chant.


    ¡°Everything is proceeding on schedule, General,¡± Captain Gusa said, bowing to the woman in the swivel chair.  ¡°The Teleportation Circle will be ready within the hour.¡±


    The general rose from her swivel chair, facing Captain Gusa, flapping her wings slightly so that she was floating a head higher than the other Fey in the room.


    I figured it was a respect, or seniority, thing, that all the other Fey in the room had their feet on the ground.


    General Viya Asar had long fingernails, and short hair that was less than an inch long.  She had a sharp, pointed chin, and an angular face with several wrinkles on it, but it was difficult to guess how old she might be.


    ¡°Nothing has gone wrong, yet?¡± She asked, absentmindedly.


    Captain Gusa seemed uncertain about if he was supposed to respond.


    ¡°They know we¡¯re coming,¡± General Viya Asar said. ¡°They must know that we are here.  Now would be the best moment to attack.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps they know this is a trap,¡± One of the other Fey in the room said. This Fey had not turned around when Captain Gusa entered the bridge. Her eyes were glued to the video feeds on the bridge¡¯s walls.


    ¡°Or maybe they¡¯ve just given up,¡± another Fey said. He was slouched in his own chair in the corner of the room, juggling a set of tiny throwing knives with one hand absentmindedly.


    ¡°The humans would not give up so easily,¡± General Viya Asar said. ¡°They will strike, in under an hour. We will expand¡ª¡°


    General Viya Asar cut herself off, suddenly speaking with a newfound urgency.  ¡°They are already inside the warship, and they will try to breach the bridge.  Mui, add another Crystal to the Bridge Shield¡ª¡±


    I don¡¯t know what kind of distraction Samantha had been able to pull off, but that was clearly her signal.


    Our soul flew out of Captain Gusa¡¯s war hammer, directly into General Viya Asar¡¯s face, and exploded.


    Once to break the Personal Shield that was glowing around her. Twice, and a third time, and a fourth time, then a fifth time, each Soul Explosion causing compounded pain despite the fact that Samantha, as the controller, was taking the brunt of it.


    Agony.  It was like a splitting headache, but painful enough to blur my vision and force me out of consciousness.


    Eventually, I noticed the world had shifted, and I was back in my own body at the Infinite Tower lobby.

 Chapter 119: Achievements, Rewards, and Consequences

    The moment I regained my senses on the Infinite Tower¡¯s lobby, I opened my Status Window.  I knew I had successfully completed the mission¡ªif I had died, I would have been expelled to the outside world.


    The real question was the costs of using Soul Explosion five times in a row.  100 Stat Points, gone in a blink.  Fortunately, just for the duration of the Infinite Tower. Twenty points from Physical Defense, forty points from HP, twenty points from Mana Regeneration, and twenty points from Mana Pool.


    <table width="624">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Name:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    Jarek


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Level:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    39


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    HP:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    9/9


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Physical Defense:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    10


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Strength:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    10 (+5)


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Mental Power:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    10


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Dexterity:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    10 (+5)


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Agility:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    10 (+10)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Perception:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    10


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Luck:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    10


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Mana Pool:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    105 (+10)


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Mana Regeneration:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    48 (+10)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Available Points:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    0


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Coins:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    2,036,000


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Class:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    Mana Modulator (D-rank)


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Profession:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    Rune Master (C-rank)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Titles:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="486">


    Region Lord (E-rank)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Skills and Spells:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="486">


    Identify (E-rank)


    Mana Modulation (D-rank Core)


    Death¡¯s Defier (A-rank)


    Mana Sensing (C-rank)


    Healthy Magic (E-rank)


    Aquatic Respiration (E-rank)


    Polyglot (E-rank)


    Soul Communion (D-rank)


    Cursed Lightning (D-rank)


    Spiritual Traveler (D-rank)


    Soul Explosion (D-rank)


    Mana Control (C-rank)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Affinities:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="486">


    Internal Mana (D-rank Low), External Unattributed Mana (C-rank Low), Soul Magic (D-rank Low)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Equipment:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="486">


    Vampiric Blade (D-rank): +5 Strength, +5 Agility.


    Bloodied Battle Robes (D-rank): +5 Mana Pool, +5 Mana Regen.


    Greedy Gloves (D-rank): +5 Mana Pool, +5 Mana Regen.


    Bonded Blades (D-rank): +5 Dexterity, +5 Agility.


    Communication Amulet (E-rank):If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    Personal Mana Shield (E-rank):


    Interdimensional Pouch (D-rank):


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Missions:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="486">


    Zone Offense


    Renegade Bounty Hunter


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    I could only breathe a sigh of relief in the knowledge that I would regain Stat Points when I returned to the real world.


    I realized I had been standing in one place in the Infinite Tower this whole time, so I promptly started walking towards the store.


    The first question was if I wanted to sell anything.  It seemed like an easy way to gain an Achievement¡ªI could sell things that I had gained from previous floors.


    What do you think I should sell?


    Silence.


    Samantha? Are you there?


    No response.


    After two Soul Explosions, I had blacked out, back in the Metan facility.  Since Samantha had been in control of my body, maybe five Soul Explosions were her limit.


    Samantha?


    I would have thought I would be more excited about being alone, but I was actually worried.


    What would my life be like, if I no longer had Samantha? I wouldn¡¯t stand a chance making C or D-rank Rune Patterns.  I would be a mess of a fighter.  I would be incredibly reactionary, instead of standing on the forefront of defending the world.


    Part of me wished, in this moment, that it was Samantha that was messing with my head.  Maybe she was intentionally hiding, and manipulating my thoughts to make her value me more.  Or, maybe she wasn¡¯t.


    I knew what two Soul Explosions in a row felt like. Samantha went through five, all in order to help me become stronger.


    If there was one thing that I could say about Samantha, it was that she wasn¡¯t hypocritical.  She had never asked me to put myself through that much pain, and she had made it clear from the outset that her goals were to help me become stronger.


    Although, there¡¯s no telling what comes after that.


    Rather than try to guess at the amount of stuff I should sell to the store, I decided to wait for Samantha.  I spent the next few minutes browsing the store of C-rank items.  There was a C-rank Invisibility Cloak, a C-rank skill called Soul Assassination, and of course C-ranked weapons and equipment.


    I spent fifty minutes in the lobby, but there was still no sign of Samantha.  Every time you entered the lobby, you had one hour before you had to leave¡ªeither through the massive black wall that would teleport us out to a new floor or mission, or we could leave just by selecting ¡°Return to the real world¡± inside the Atropos Schema notifications.


    After fifty minutes of waiting, I had enough time to think about my next move.


    I sold four Mana Orbs to the man behind the counter, gaining me an additional achievement for entering the top 1% of sales again.


    With the sale of the four mana orbs, my accumulated points increased by 500 points.  Before challenging this mission, I had 910 points.  I had gained 1000 points for completing the mission, taking me to 1910, and then the four mana orbs brought my total to 2,410.  But I wasn¡¯t going to spend any points yet.


    Before starting the assassination mission, I had twelve Achievements.  Now, I had eighteen.


    Samantha had mentioned previously that every available mission would always be harder than directly challenging the floors.


    I knew that the five floors that I had to challenge next would be 1 C-rank opponent my level, and then 5, and then 25, and then 100, and then an unknown challenge.


    While this may sound intimidating¡ªI had nearly died several times when facing C-rank opponents multiple times¡ªthe level cap meant that these opponents were more limited in the total number of stats that they could have.


    Over the course of the last two weeks, I had managed to gain more than 300 Stat Points before reaching level 40.


    For a C-rank opponent, by the time they were level 39, they would have gained 10 points per level at their relevant stats, as well as 28 points towards their own HP, taking them to a bit over 400 Stat Points.


    With my own unique class, and Samantha¡¯s skills, this gap should have been easily overcomeable.


    However, I had already sacrificed so many points from my stat sheet from the Soul Explosion that I had no confidence in my own ability to face off a single C-ranked opponent, without Samantha¡¯s help.


    Considering the difficulty of the ¡°normal¡± floors, I figured any missions were off the table¡ªunless Samantha woke up in time.


    Fortunately, I still had one trump card¡ªthe Aviaton. I was going to bank everything on the fact that I could fly an Aviaton.


    With just ten minutes left before I would be automatically kicked out to the real world, I climbed into my Aviaton.


    Finally, I could make use of the lobby¡¯s massive size, its spaciousness, and high ceilings.


    Entering the Aviaton required pressing the deceased general¡¯s Identification Crystal against a certain panel, and then I was able to climb in relatively easily.


    I harnessed myself in, and then hit the button that Samantha had pressed the first time she got into an Aviaton¡ªthe button to access the full manual controls.


    I wasn¡¯t interested in manually stabilizing the antigravity runes, or manually adjusting the density of the Mana Shield in specific locations of the Aviaton.


    Fortunately, the Aviaton was capable of performing many of these tasks autonomously.  It was just up to me to tell it which way to go, with the various sliders in front of me.


    I tried to remember what Samantha had said. I vividly remembered that my left thumb aimed and fired the Mana Cannon.


    Besides that, I couldn¡¯t remember anything else.


    I sighed. Well, time for some hit-and-miss testing.


    I tried sliding my right index finger forward, a minuscule amount, and I heard the painful grinding of my Mana Shield against the marble floor of the lobby.


    Right index finger¡ªforward and backward.


    I slid my left index finger forward, and the plane floated effortlessly up into the air.


    I was running out of time, and I didn¡¯t want to cut anything close.


    Floating just a few feet above the marble floor, I gently eased the ¡°throttle,¡± floating my Aviaton through the black teleporting wall.


    I appeared in a massive, grassy field, floating in my Aviaton just a few feet above the ground.  Noticing nothing above me, I immediately increased my altitude to about fifty feet, searching my surroundings for any opponents, crossing my fingers and hoping for a land-based short-ranged opponent.


    It seemed luck was at least partially on my side.  There was a humanoid figure standing on a hill not far from where I was.


    The figure unslung a bow from their back, and launched an arrow before I could process what just happened.


    The arrow pinged off of the Aviaton¡¯s Mana Shield, and I suddenly had a very good feeling about this encounter.


    This was basically target practice.  I put a dozen Stat Points into Dexterity, and moved my left thumb around. As I did, I could see a red icon of concentric circles on the window of the Aviaton, moving around with my left thumb, letting me know where the Mana Cannon was currently aimed.


    The archer, though, wasn¡¯t just standing in one place.  After launching his first arrow, he ran to a nearby hill, jogging as he readied his second arrow.


    I tapped my thumb once, and a concentrated Void Bolt flew towards the archer, but the archer was already moving to the side.


    Fuck. The Void Bolt was far too concentrated.  I needed to fire a wide-range weapon. I could picture the burning forests underneath the warship that I had barely escaped from.


    Glancing at the controls in front of me, I realized I had no idea how to change the size of an attack, or even the type of an attack.


    I played around with various controls.   Fortunately, I quickly learned it was somewhat intuitive.  There were several buttons near my left thumb, each of which could select a different type of Mana Crystal.  Also under my left thumb¡¯s aiming and firing sphere was a slider, which changed the size of the concentric aiming sights on my window.


    I can do this.


    Ping!


    A second arrow landed on my Aviaton, reminding me that I hadn¡¯t moved once from my original spot.  I took a breath. One thing at a time.


    I made the concentric circles absurdly wide¡ªencompassing several different hills¡ªand fired.


    The archer, of course, was already running, but there was no way he could escape the breadth of my most recent attack.


    It was another Void Beam. The attack didn¡¯t seem to have much effect, though, on the archer, or on the area around him. It was like the grass and the topsoil of the hills were vanished, but not much more than that. For the archer, his armor was shredded, and I could make out a few drops of blood from the distance, but he was still running around quickly, launching yet another arrow towards me.


    I moved the Aviaton forward, this time, towards the archer, until I was just twenty feet above him.  Then, I fired, point blank, a narrower void beam.


    This time, the beam pierced directly through the archer¡¯s chest, and I was immediately teleported to the next stage.


    More clear blue skies. More rolling hills.   Except this time, five dragons were rapidly approaching me.


    <hr>

 Chapter 120: Dragons

    I flew away from the approaching dragons as quickly as I could.  To my surprise, I was able to outpace them without too much difficulty.  Unsurprisingly, the dragons chased after me.


    The dragons were not as massive as I would have expected. Perhaps because they were only level 39. They were each somewhere between 25 and 50 feet, including their very long tails.


    With Mana Sensing, I could tell that they were chalk-full of mana, and each dragon had a different affinity¡ªAir, Earth, Void, Time, and Space.


    I paused when I identified the last one.  Samantha, true to her task-master self, had made me memorize as many different Mana attunements as I could.  Most of them were intuitive. Space was an attunement that I didn¡¯t encounter all that much, with the exception of Teleportation Circles.


    I could only imagine that Space-attuned mana would allow the dragon to teleport.


    But so far, it hadn¡¯t.  It seemed the other dragons were content to fly after me, chasing me around this endless prairie.


    Are you there? I had been checking in with Samantha on semi-regular intervals. I was part worried for her, part glad to be left alone in my head, part worried for myself since I couldn¡¯t rely on her advice or skills, but also part suspicious that she was still there, in the back of my head, taking everything in, or testing me to see how I would cope without her.


    The bullseye that showed up on my window was line-of-sight, which meant I didn¡¯t know how to use Mana Sensing to aim and fire a Mana Cannon behind me, and I didn¡¯t want to always be flying with my neck craned, looking over my shoulder.


    Fortunately, since I didn¡¯t have to worry about crashing into anything, I had some leeway to experiment.


    I cut my engines, spun the Aviaton around 180 degrees, and then continued flying away, backwards.


    Now, I could easily practice targeting my Mana Cannon.


    Fortunately, they were flying in a straight line.


    I targeted the Air-attuned dragon first, firing a Void Bolt towards it.


    The Void Bolt clipped the dragon¡¯s wings, leaving a bleeding hole in the dragon¡¯s leathery wings, but the dragon didn¡¯t seem to care very much.


    I fired a Void Bolt again, this time at the Earth Dragon, the largest of the five.


    It was a solid hit¡ªthe bolt traveled directly through the chest of the Earth Dragon, and the dragon fell to the ground.


    It felt anticlimactic, really, watching one of the five dragons fall so easily, with no buildup.


    I heard an angry roar, first distant, and then uncannily close.


    Mana Sensing showed me that the Space-attuned dragon had vanished, and then appeared directly on top of me.


    I tried to react, but I was too slow. The dragon whacked the rim of my Aviaton, hard, with its tail, with enough force to send my Aviaton spinning upside down.


    The tail hadn¡¯t cracked the shield, though.


    I felt like vomiting as the rapid spins finally slowed down, and the Aviaton automatically stabilized itself, only for the dragon to slap a rim again so that my whole ship was upside down, and then ram me again, directly towards the quickly approaching ground.


    I found myself falling towards the ground, unable to stabilize myself before a brutal crash landing into a nearby hill.


    I barely had time to put 50 points into Physical Defense before taking a rough landing, plowing through the hill and burying my Aviaton in the dirt.This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    The Space-attuned dragon followed behind me, before I could regain control of my Aviaton, it rammed into me again, this time pressing its whole body against me, and then opening its gigantic mouth and breathing a continuous stream of fire on my Mana Shield.


    Shit.


    I tried not to panic. I was hanging upside-down in my harness, buried in a pit several yards deep, being breathed on by a dragon.


    Forcing my hands to stay calm, I spun the mana cannon towards where I knew the dragon was, and fired.


    Once, twice, three times, until the stream of fire stopped, and the Space-attuned dragon was dead in front of me.


    The challenging next step was to figure out how to flip my Aviaton right-side up.  If Samantha were here, she could do this in a heartbeat.


    At least, I knew which way was forward, and so did my Aviaton.  I had the Aviaton move backward slowly, letting it rise up a slight incline that my collision had created, until I was upside-down on the open prairie.


    Then, just as the built-in stabilizers flipped the Aviaton over, another dragon rammed into me, driving me into my own little hole again and making my Mana Shield flicker.


    But I was ok with that. I trusted my shield, spun my Mana Cannon, and fired, point blank, killing the Air-attuned dragon.


    A Void Bolt hit my shield, but I tanked it, turning my own Mana Cannons towards the Void dragon, and firing.


    But I was suddenly aware that both remaining dragons were moving at double, or triple, my own speed.  They were already dodging by the time I fired, and the Void dragon was easily able to avoid my attacks.


    Dense, highly concentrated streams of fire were cascading over my Mana Shield.


    Then the full weight of a dragon pressed down against my Aviaton, frantically trying to break the shield that I had.


    If this were a Personal Mana Shield, it would have given way long ago. If I were short on Mana Crystals, I would have been toast.  If these dragons were higher leveled, I would have been toast.


    Technically, these dragons were C-rank. But they were also level 39, which meant they were far weaker than a C-rank dragon at level 89.  In other words, their attacks were certainly not peak C-rank attacks, and my abundance of Mana Crystals meant as long as an attack didn¡¯t short out the shield, my Aviaton wouldn¡¯t run out of power.


    I was still upside-down, but I wasn¡¯t going to let that stop me. I turned my Mana Cannon, and fired again, and again, this time, directly onto the Void Dragon¡¯s exposed underbelly.


    The hardest part, next, was figuring out how to get out of here.


    It took some finagling, but soon enough, I was free of the dragon corpse.


    If I were Samantha, I would probably try to bag each corpse before killing the last dragon, but I didn¡¯t want to leave anything to chance¡ªthat would require getting out of the Aviaton.


    The Time-attuned dragon was moving incredibly quickly around me, but I wasn¡¯t too worried. Nothing the other dragons had done had been able to crack my shield.


    The dragon flew in tight circles around me, breathing fire every once in a while.


    Once I was right-side-up, though, I just focused on flying away, and eventually, I was able to escape the dragon¡¯s Time Dilation Skill.


    Then it was only a matter of time and target practice before I killed the last dragon.


    <hr>


    Please don¡¯t be 25 dragons. Please don¡¯t be 25 dragons¡­


    When the next green prairie appeared, I saw to my delight that it was five teams of 5 people each. Elves, dwarves, Metans, humans, and Fey.


    The battle was a piece of cake.  None of my opponents had true flight capabilities. I felt a little guilty, as I took my time, essentially using them as target practice.


    They¡¯re not real. It¡¯s like a video game.


    Previously, against the dragons, I had only been able to move and shoot at the same time because I was moving in a straight line, and so were the dragons that were chasing me.  But now, I practiced moving more erratically, tracking individual soldiers with my Mana Cannon in the process.


    Of course, these people did their best to attack me, too.  Archers, mages, sorcerers, even some martial energy, all flew towards me.


    But nothing was able to crack my Mana Shield.  Victory through overwhelming firepower.  It left a bitter taste in my mouth, killing humanoids in the Infinite Tower, but I would be crazy to let that stop me.  I could hear Petra in the back of my head. ¡°Alright, fine. You can leave the Infinite Tower. Turn down the chance to gain several items that are guaranteed to be top-tier on Earth.  You¡¯ll just have to admit to me that you couldn¡¯t stomach a bloody video game.¡±


    I could see the tears and wide-eyed fear in the eyes of the last Metan soldier, but I swallowed the saliva that had been building in my throat, and I wished to God that the next floor¡¯s opponents would be less humanoid.


    <hr>


    One hundred monsters.  Many land-based, but about a quarter of them flying.  I could make out Wyverns, Manticores, and Dragons in the air, with Hydras, Cerberuses, Chimeras, and more on the ground.


    I took off immediately, flying away from the flying creatures and ranged attacks, and then started picking them off one by one.


    I knew what to watch out for, now¡ªI wouldn¡¯t let anyone touch my Aviaton.  I could fly faster than everyone in the air, so it wasn¡¯t too tall of an order.


    I fled in a straight line towards the boundless horizon, flying backwards so that I could easily target any pursuing flying creatures.   Then, I continued my target practice.

 Chapter 121: Tunnels

    Fortunately, there were still no flying monsters that could keep up with my Aviaton. In fact, I had even better luck¡ªthere were no monsters that could teleport on top of me.


    This single detail made the battle incredibly easy.  At first, the monsters chasing me flew in a dense enough area that I could shoot somewhat haphazardly, and still successfully kill them.


    The end result was that this battle against a hundred monsters was somehow less dramatic compared to my previous battle against five dragons.


    It helped that I was growing more accustomed to the controls in front of me.  I would probably be shot down in a second by any of the random Metan Aviatons Samantha had encountered, but I could make up for my clumsy piloting with my Aviaton¡¯s incredible speed and automated systems.


    After killing the flying monsters, then the rest of the floor was spent chasing down the land-based enemies.


    After several hours of hunting, I finally cleared the fourth floor.


    It was the fifth floor that I was most nervous about.  Samantha had mentioned that this was the variable floor. People might leave the lobby thinking that they could easily beat 100 C-rank monsters, but the fifth floor was the wild card.


    Like the idiot I was, I had forgotten to increase my Luck on the previous four floors. Just before killing the final monster on the fourth floor, I put the majority of my mana into Luck.


    The prairie around me vanished when I killed the hundredth monster, and I appeared inside a narrow, underground tunnel.


    Shit.


    I was still inside my Aviaton, but my Aviaton could barely fit inside the tunnel I was in.  In fact, the Schema had generously transported me to the widest part of the tunnel, meaning I was unable to move my Aviaton.


    There were no monsters near me, but I wasn¡¯t convinced that was a good thing.  That meant I was likely supposed to find them.


    How was I supposed to travel through narrow tunnels with my own personal aircraft?  Walking would leave me exposed¡ªunprotected by the hefty Mana Shield that the Aviaton provided.


    I could try blasting my own passageway, but I had no idea how far I needed to travel.  And the tunnel walls were glowing with mana¡ªit might be harder than it looks to widen these tunnels.


    I decided to give it a shot. I widened the beam of my Mana cannon, firing a Void Beam in the same direction as the tunnel that was in front of me.


    The Void Beam continued a fair ways¡ªwidening the tunnel enough for my Aviaton to pass forward about twenty yards.


    But around fifteen yards in, the original tunnel had curved slightly¡ªleaving me with one wide, dead-end tunnel, and a narrow tunnel that could continue forever.


    It was almost as if the system wanted me to ditch the Aviaton.


    But I didn¡¯t feel equipped to fight anyone with my incredibly weakened stats, and without Samantha¡¯s help.


    So there was one obvious solution.


    I would wait.


    Maybe the monsters in these tunnels would come to me¡ªin which case, I would kill them with overwhelming firepower.


    Maybe Samantha would wake up, and then I could most likely take on whatever monsters were in these tunnels with her combat shadow.


    There was serious time-dilation in the Atropos Schema¡¯s floors¡ªeven though I was in a rush to return to the real world, no matter how much time I spent here, I would still return quickly to the real world.


    So I settled in for a long wait, studying my surroundings carefully to make sure there were no hidden dangers around me.


    The first thing I noticed was that I was very deep underground.  I couldn¡¯t find the surface with Mana Sensing.


    The second thing I noticed was that there were no living creatures within my Mana Sensing range, supporting the theory that I was supposed to abandon my Aviaton.Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.


    Well, maybe they would come to me.


    I wasn¡¯t used to having this much time on my hands, alone.


    Samantha, are you there?


    No response. If she was just trolling me, hiding the same way I had hidden earlier¡ªI would be pissed.


    Dammit, I was worried for her. Or, was I worried for myself, now that I didn¡¯t have her?


    I glanced at the Aviaton control panel in front of me, and fiddled around with a few of the buttons I hadn¡¯t figured out yet.


    There had been something thrilling when Samantha had flown the Aviaton. This feeling of appreciating someone else¡¯s skill.


    Well, I wasn¡¯t going to glorify Samantha, even if she was permanently gone.  She had repeatedly messed with my mind.  This is what I wanted, since the moment she first started controlling me.


    It would be a long wait, but maybe it would be nice to have some alone time¡­


    I waited.


    Probably an hour later, I was feeling restless. When Samantha was in control of my body, she had been able to hold one position, crouching in a ball, inside a tree, for hours.


    My legs could almost extend all the way to straighten my knee. My right arm could reach all the way out, but my left arm had very little room to stretch.


    Shame that I don¡¯t have a skill to immediately fall asleep.  That would be a killer skill. And it probably exists.


    I¡¯d been on longer road trips. I could do this.  Anyway, I was putting off doing something important¡ªI¡¯d always been a good procrastinator.


    I tapped my fingers on the control panel.  I checked my notifications, hoping for any update, but all that I saw was a simple command:


    Clear the Floor.


    Of course, it was intentionally ambiguous.


    Part of me wished something would happen. Maybe a poisonous mist would appear, forcing me to do something. Maybe a giant worm would try to eat me.


    No luck.


    I fidgeted with the seat behind me, looking for any knobs or levers that could let this chair recline.


    It took an embarrassingly long time to find it, but eventually, I was able to extend my legs all the way, and lean back slightly, in a somewhat more comfortable position.


    I woke up with a curse on my lips.


    What kind of idiotic decision was that?


    Falling asleep when a monster was out to get me?


    I had no idea how long I had been asleep.


    Mana Sensing said there were no changes to the environment around me, and I saw the same dimly lit tunnels around me.


    I waited, readying my fingers to pinch myself whenever necessary.


    Ten pinches later, I could tell I was getting too tired to continue my wait.


    Postponing the battle would only make me more tired. I wouldn¡¯t want to fall asleep while fighting whatever monster was in these underground tunnels.


    I climbed out of my Aviaton, then placed the Aviaton inside my Interdimensional Pouch.


    I felt naked, even though I was wearing by far the most expensive equipment that I had ever worn.


    I started my long hike through the tunnels.  As I walked, I kept my Mana Senses peeled, searching for any sign of movement.


    I couldn¡¯t find anything.


    I walked for an hour, at least, and nothing had changed.  I stifled a yawn, and continued walking.


    To my surprise, the tunnel was actually taking me up, gradually towards the surface.


    How fucked up would that be¡ªplace me miles underground, and then make me climb my way to the surface.


    Finally, I noticed something different. The rocks and soil around me were glowing slightly with mana, sure. But ahead and above me, I could see what looked like a thick, branching vein of pure mana.


    The mana was incredibly dense.


    Technically, I still couldn¡¯t see Aether.  The same way I couldn¡¯t see spirits.  Which was to say, I could see the effects of Aether.


    Aether was often accompanied by a specific, rare type of mana¡ªLife-attributed mana. The yellow life-attuned mana was bunched incredibly densely in these individual veins of Aether.


    This was the densest concentration of any mana that I had ever seen. It put the C-rank magicians I¡ªSamantha¡ªhad fought to shame.


    This made the C-rank Mana Shields around the warships we had destroyed seem like candles in the wind.


    As I continued walking, I found that the tunnel I was in was bringing me closer and closer to the vein of dense, life-attributed mana that I could see in front of me.


    I was starting to feel nervous.  I kept walking until I was about fifty yards from the yellow mana, and then I took out a Void Shard, held it in my left hand, put some points into Physical Defense, and started widening the tunnel¡¯s walls around me.


    I¡¯d rather be wasteful than idiotic.


    Whatever I was walking into was giving me shivers. I could walk in, literally, or I could blast my way through the last few steps using my Aviaton.


    To me, the answer was clear.


    Once I had enough space around me, I brought the Aviaton out of my Interdimensional Pouch.


    I climbed in and relaxed the moment the shields activated.


    With a newfound sense of safety, I started blasting an Aviaton-sized tunnel, following the pre-existing tunnel towards the branching veins of dense Life-attributed mana.


    Several minutes later, I finally was able to see a vein of Life-attributed mana myself.


    I realized these weren¡¯t ore deposits. These were roots.  The green Plant-attributed mana was there, but it was completely drowned out, by the vivacious Life-attributed mana around it.


    From the best I could tell, I was near the thinner parts of the roots, and the roots only grew brighter and larger as the tunnel continued towards what I guessed was the base of a massive tree.


    Not long after, I caught the first senses of my opponent.


    It was so large it was hard to tell what it was, at first.  It was a serpentine creature, easily over a hundred yards long, wrapped around the roots of the tree in front of me.


    I noticed immediately that the roots closest to the massive creature¡¯s mouth were looking particularly drained of mana.


    Under the notifications icon in my vision, I noticed a new message:


    Floor Update: Kill N¨ªeh?ggr before he consumes the roots of Yggdrasil.

 Chapter 122: Snake

    I had about the same likelihood of sneaking up on N¨ªeh?ggr as a garbage truck had sneaking up on a cat.


    Except, reverse the sizes on that metaphor, because I was well under a thousandth the size of this massive snake¡ªor underground dragon?¡ªthat I was approaching.


    To make matters worse, I had a bad feeling about the Schema¡¯s instructions to ¡°Kill N¨ªeh?ggr before he consumes the roots of Yggdrasil.¡±


    From my knowledge of how the Schema worked, eating massive amounts of Life-attuned Mana¡ªand the accompanying Aether¡ªcould rapidly elevate this creature¡¯s level.


    All the time I had just spent wasting in my Aviaton, this massive worm had been munching on Aether and likely growing stronger.


    Level up, just by eating.


    I see you.


    For better or worse, the tunnel I had been following this whole time led me straight to N¨ªeh?ggr.  I continued my charge inside my Aviaton.


    When I was about fifty yards away from N¨ªeh?ggr, it finally deigned to react to my presence.


    It sent its tail blurring down the tunnel towards me, as if it were about to flick away a pesky ant.


    Did I mention yet how large this thing was?


    I fired my Void Cannon immediately, and I was pleased to see the N¨ªeh?ggr retreat immediately in pain.


    I heard an incredible, earth-shaking roar.


    Literally earth-shaking.  The tunnel around me collapsed, and suddenly I was buried in mana-infused rubble.


    But the Mana Shield held strong.


    I broadened the beam more, and then fired forward, moving forward simultaneously.


    I knew exactly where N¨ªeh?ggr was.  It had abandoned its meal, and it was circling around me.


    It was capable of rapidly digging tunnels with its mouth, and as I watched, it circled around me, leaving about twenty yards of solid rock between us.


    It was almost as though it thought it could trap me by surrounding me.


    The interesting thing about watching a snake dig its way underground is that even if its head moves quickly, its torso seems to stay in the same place.


    It¡¯s like a game of snake, when your body gets so long it actually looks like you¡¯re not moving at all.


    This was perfect for my humble targeting skills.


    I picked the part of the N¨ªeh?ggr that was closest to me, and then I started firing, rapidly, at that same location.


    Most of the power of the first shot was spent clearing the path to the N¨ªeh?ggr.


    Then the next shot tore through the N¨ªeh?ggr¡¯s scales, leaving a hole in the N¨ªeh?ggr¡¯s torso.


    But compared to the size of the serpent, it was likely nothing more than a bee sting.  This creature had a circumference more than twice the size of an outdoor trampoline.


    Dealing damage to the snake seemed to change its strategy.


    The serpent gave up on circling around me, its massive head rushing towards me.


    And now I could tell just how fast it actually was traveling.


    I rapidly fired towards the approaching head, but this time, the head of the snake was swerving¡ªevery shot landed, but they always landed on a different part of the serpent, and I never once hit the creature¡¯s skull or mouth.


    Then it was on me.  I caught a brief sight of the creature¡¯s maw.  A single row of massive teeth, a distinctly snake-like head, with black scales the size of my fist studding every inch of its skin.   Its eyes were a brilliant yellow color.  Then its mouth opened and crunched on my Aviaton.


    Feeling distinctly unsportsmanlike, I put all my points into Physical Defense, activated the self-destruct button on the Aviaton, and lost myself to oblivion.


    You have reached 0 HP.


    Your skill ¡°Death¡¯s Defier¡± has taken effect. +1 HP.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    <hr>


    I appeared in the lobby, bleeding all over my body, and crying in pain.


    There was no Samantha, which meant no pain mitigation.


    I forced myself to drink a Health Potion, watching as my health gradually recovered.


    It was an incredible, intense pain, but the pain vanished almost as quickly as it had appeared.


    Are you there?


    If Samantha were playing hooky, then certainly, she would want to have a say when I cash out of the Infinite Tower.


    There was no way in hell I would challenge B-rank opponents.  I had only managed to fight off the C-rank monsters and humans because of my Aviaton, which I had now lost.


    I approached the store, limping with phantom pain.


    ¡°Congratulations, Challenger,¡± the old man behind the counter said.


    I was starting to wonder if he was essentially a robot. He had said more or less the same thing, each time I approached him, and his facial expressions were extremely bland.  He never moved unnecessarily¡ªno rubbing his nose, no scratching his body, or shifting his weight.


    The first thing I did, after touching the Information Crystal with all my points put towards Luck, was I traded everything I had collected by this point. My total points had risen by 500 for completing all five floors, and an additional 500 for again selling loot that reached the top 1% of value compared to other challengers.  I ended the previous floors with 2410, taking my new total number of points to 3410.


    I had only gained one Achievement during the last five floors, for the amount of loot I had sold, leaving my total number of achievements at 19.


    Each Achievement could be cashed out for 100 points, taking my new total to 5,310.


    This was, I knew, an impressive sum.


    Looking at the Infinite Tower¡¯s store, a single B-rank item cost around 2,000 points.  I had enough to buy two B-rank items.


    So, I settled in to consider my options.


    What would Samantha do? What would Petra do?


    Previously, Samantha had ranked items in the C-ranked treasury by value. She had said that Classes were most valuable, then Professions, then blueprints.


    There were no B-rank classes or professions available.  There were C-rank Classes and Professions, though¡­


    The first thing I looked for was what I¡¯ve been envious of since the first time I saw Dawnbreaker: Unisuits.


    Most B-rank Unisuits were actually bio-engineered symbionts that live inside of humanoids, protecting them from damage while feeding off of their life energy and converting that energy into a shield, or a propulsion system.


    It made me a little leery, since I already had a bio-engineered symbiont that was continually attempting to mind-control me, but it seemed as though none of these B-rank suits were sentient or intelligent.  I didn¡¯t have to worry about becoming Dr. Octopus or Venom anytime soon¡­ according to the blurb on the Schema¡¯s storefront, which, all things considered, might not be the most reliable source of information.


    There were, of course, other examples of B-rank items and equipment. Swords, breastplates, Invisibility Cloaks, Personal Mana Shields, items that would permanently boost your stats, and so on.


    These items were nothing to sneeze at.  Most of the equipable items offered around 40 points per item¡ªa single sword might add 20 points to Strength, 20 points to Agility, as well as having a Martial Energy skill attached.


    I looked through the catalogue carefully.  So far, throughout my time in the Tower, thanks to my boosted Luck there had been a few hidden gems.  But at this point, everything looked normal.


    And then I found it, buried in a ¡°miscellaneous¡± category.


    Yggdrasil¡¯s Seed (B-rank): A seed of the World Tree. Cost: 3,000 points.


    The first sign that it might be valuable was that the cost was so high.  This was certainly one of the most expensive items I had the opportunity to buy. The second sign was that the description was very cagey, as if it were trying to convince me not to buy it.


    Of course, these could just be clever marketing schemes. But, I had heard of Yggdrasil. A tree that connected different realms. And I had seen the dense life-attuned mana just at the roots of Yggdrasil¡ªif the roots were that mana-dense, then surely the branches, leaves, and fruit/flowers would be valuable.


    Ideally, this would be something I could plant on my Aether Vent, and then it could convert Aether into something more useable by humans.


    I bought Yggdrasil¡¯s Seed, and then browsed the rest of the available options.


    I had 2,300 points left.  It was enough to consider some of the more expensive Unisuits.


    Shadowless Unisuit (B-rank): A Unisuit geared towards stealth and mobility. When desired, forms a lightweight, fluid, protective shell around your body.


    Stealth: When activated, grants C-rank Invisibility for up to 10 minutes.  Cost: 200 mana/minute. Cooldown: 1 hour.


    Mobility: When activated, grants independent flight. Cost: 100 Mana per minute.  +30 Agility, +10 Strength


    Cost: 2200 Points


    I had a feeling Samantha would be happy if I bought this. She would appreciate the Invisibility, and the ability to fly would increase the options of the Combat Shadow drastically. She had wanted me to buy the Invisibility Rune Pattern at some point, too.


    No, wait. Maybe she wouldn¡¯t want me to buy this.


    I took a step back, and looked at the Unisuit again. Independent flight.


    Samantha had complained earlier about overlapping blueprints.


    I already knew the propulsion and antigravity blueprints, and I already had rudimentary flight, thanks to the Mana Cannon.  Samantha was most likely capable of forming those rune patterns inside my skin if I wanted.  Believe it or not, that might be even less invasive compared to these symbiont options.


    I had the feeling I would eventually learn the D-rank Invisibility Rune Pattern.  Samantha would most likely find a way to make that happen, and then I could turn invisible at will.


    In both instances, I would likely be able to power these rune patterns using Mana Crystals, thus not depleting my own mana.


    So, the Shadowless Unisuit was a no-go.


    Instead, I went for an even pricier option.


    Axillary Auxiliary Unisuit (B-rank): When desired, forms a protective membrane around your body.  When desired, can connect to your nervous system and augment your own physical body with up to two additional limbs.   +20 Physical Defense, +20 Dexterity. +1 equipment slot. Cost: 2,250 Points.


    Honestly, the name itself was off-putting.  I hadn¡¯t wanted to pick this originally, because it didn¡¯t mention flight.  But extra arms¡ªwith no cooldown or mana cost¡ªwas a huge deal, especially as a Rune Master. Hopefully, the additional Dexterity would help me control the additional limbs. But I had a feeling even if I couldn¡¯t control everything simultaneously, Samantha could probably control the extra limbs while I controlled everything else.


    I was aware, of course, that I was banking on Samantha being ok.


    I bought the Axillary Auxilliary Unisuit, cringing again at the name, bid farewell to the man behind the counter, and returned to the real world.

 Chapter 123: Contacts

    <What the fuck took you so long??>


    As I appeared in my bedroom in Nova City, I felt a brief moment of relief at hearing Samantha¡¯s voice.


    I¡¯d been worried that she would either continue playing hooky, or that she would actually never come back.  It would have been agonizing, not knowing if Samantha was messing around in my head.


    The second after I felt glad to hear her voice, I immediately felt skeptical again.  Why was I so glad she was back? Was she messing with my head again?


    At least this was a familiar question, and it was a relief knowing that Petra could help provide answers.


    I¡¯m glad you¡¯re back! I thought back to Samantha.  I kind of missed you.


    <Do you have any idea what you put me through?> Samantha sounded more pissed than I had ever heard her. <I spent over eight hours in soul-rending agony! Why the hell would you take so fucking long?>


    I thought maybe you would come back. I said it somewhat tentatively.


    <If you wanted me to come back, you should have bought a cheap soul-healing item from the store. Since you didn¡¯t, presumably you thought you could complete the C-rank floors on your own.>


    ¡­


    <¡­You never even thought to buy a healing item? And you call me sadistic, and a torturer.  You just put me through over eight hours of torture that essentially made me go catatonic¡ªno. You do realize what happened, after General Viya Asar¡¯s death?>


    No. I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t know what was going on, and I didn¡¯t mean¡ª


    <Just listen. I intentionally took the full brunt of the soul damage so that you could take over.  Remember back after we killed the magician in the red robe? You tried to take over, but you couldn¡¯t bear the pain. That¡¯s what would have happened, if I hadn¡¯t gathered all the soul damage to my own consciousness.  That way, I told myself, you could either challenge the C-rank floors quickly¡ªyou had an Aviaton, for the Schema¡¯s sake, it should have been a breeze¡ªor if for some reason you weren¡¯t confident, you could have bought a soul-healing remedy and then we could possibly have challenged a C-rank mission.>


    <You didn¡¯t challenge a mission, did you?>


    No¡ª


    <Then what the fuck took you so long?>


    I was waiting for you to come back, I said, again.


    Samantha sighed, more exasperated than I had ever heard her.  <This conversation is not over.  But there are more pressing questions¡ªWhat did you buy at the store? Hm¡­>


    I pulled up the relevant items on my interface.


    Axillary Auxiliary Unisuit (B-rank): When desired, forms a protective membrane around your body.  When desired, can connect to your nervous system and augment your own physical body with up to two additional limbs.  +20 Physical Defense, +20 Dexterity. +1 equipment slot. Cost: 2,250 Points.


    Yggdrasil¡¯s Seed (B-rank): A seed of the World Tree. Cost: 3,000 points.


    <You bought a World Tree Seed?> Samantha was surprised, shocked, and it still sounded like she was recovering from a very painful last few hours.


    But I couldn¡¯t tell what that surprise meant.


    Should I not have?


    Samantha was quiet, and it made me increasingly nervous.  Of course, there were no returns. But it couldn¡¯t be a bad thing, right? Worst case, it was just a waste of money.  And I already had the unisuit, which I was excited about.


    Ten seconds later, Samantha said, <No, this is a good thing. I¡¯m just impressed, that¡¯s all.   I¡¯m surprised you took a risk on an unknown item, but it looks like maybe your judgement isn¡¯t completely shot.  Unfortunately, the Aether Vent we have here isn¡¯t big enough for the seed to have any use for us in the next century, but I¡¯m confident we can speed things up.>You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    <And the Unisuit is a perfect choice.  That will definitely dramatically increase our combat potential in ways you probably haven¡¯t even considered.>


    Of course, she had to include that last dig. My plebian mind can¡¯t even begin to understand¡­


    But she was understandably pissed.


    Hey, Samantha? For what it¡¯s worth, I¡¯m really sorry.


    Samantha sniffed.  <Right. What time is it? Any news?>


    My Communication Crystal held a dozen or so messages.  I had been gone for around two hours, and in that time, the sea creatures had begun their attacks.


    Ryker was busy defending the Californian coast¡ªcompletely holding his own, after a begrudging alliance with the remnants of the Armed Forces¡ªDawnbreaker was wondering how I was doing, and Ethan said he had found small deposits of Mithril in Barith Town. His first message was asking if he should join the battle against the sea creatures. His second message told me that he would be fighting the sea creatures, quoting the line, better to ask forgiveness than permission.


    Evangeline, Bandile, and Renshu all sent me messages, inquiring about buying Mana Crystals or Mana Fragments.  Of course, Nova City wasn¡¯t the only City with mana deposits, but according to Uman¡¯s intelligence, it was the largest mineral deposit that had yet been discovered.  Perhaps more importantly, we had heavily invested in the mining industry, with several different factories, including the Compressor, Extractor, and Compactor.


    I called Dawnbreaker first. ¡°This is Jarek. What is the situation? Any Zone Lords?¡±


    For once, Dawnbreaker sounded more relaxed over the Communication Crystal. ¡°Everything is under control,¡± she said, calmly. ¡°Honestly, if things continue at this rate, then you overhyped the sea monsters¡¯ invasion.  All of our coastal towns have plenty of Mana Shards and our cities have Mana Crystals, so so far this is just free experience for the mid-tier fighters.  There are plenty of Region Lords, but no Zone Lords.  Are you sure your information is correct? That there are underwater Zone Lords, too?¡±


    I was silent for a second, as I asked Samantha the same question.


    <I 100% guarantee you that there should be Zone Lords,> Samantha said. <Either they are dead, or they are biding their time.>


    With my luck, I knew just which one of those options would come true.


    I called Abelino next, to share the news of a Mythril deposit near Barith Town.   This would likely become a test of our friendship.  Technically, Barith Town was in Abelino¡¯s jurisdiction, and he could easily claim the mine now that he knew it held C-rank metals.  As things stood, he would be getting 75% of the wealth that came from this mine. Hopefully, he wouldn¡¯t gun for complete ownership.


    Abelino was his usual friendly self, and he confirmed that the town was currently defended¡ªsince Ethan had left without really addressing that minor detail.  He was, of course, more than excited to hear that we had access to C-rank metals, now.


    ¡°It seems I have to thank you,¡± Abelino said. ¡°You showed me the Transcendent Taproot, and a mine with C-rank metals.  I believe our partnership will go far.  And your warning about the sea monsters has saved many lives.  I am in your debt once again.  Of course, 25% of the metals in Barith Town will go to you.  Additionally, I hope you will consider the People¡¯s Unity Government first when you are ready to sell any products you have made.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± I said. ¡°There is something else I¡¯d like to ask you.  I¡¯ll send you the dimensions for a flying vehicle.  I¡¯d like your D-rank Blacksmith to get to work asap on forming the various parts.  I will pay well.¡±


    ¡°A D-rank flying vehicle? Instead of money, let¡¯s say this. I¡¯ll provide you the metals and the blacksmith¡¯s labor for free. For every four sets I provide you, I want the fifth set to be delivered to me as a complete item.¡±


    ¡°Fine.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad we could come to an agreement. Is there anything else I can help you with?¡±


    There was something unnerving about calling Abelino.  It was the feeling of calling a sales representative, who picks up the phone immediately, filling you with positivity until you almost forget why you called in the first place, and you find yourself being upsold on the latest project.


    But at least he wasn¡¯t actively trying to kill me.


    Uman was my next call.  Now that inter-Zone travel was possible, Hermes Whispers was quickly expanding to as many cities as possible.  There were already several branches in Asia, Africa, and Europe.  They were primarily geared towards intelligence gathering, but soon they would expand to trading as well, once we had the manpower and additional resources.


    ¡°When should we expect the next transfusion of cash?¡± Uman¡¯s question was direct.


    ¡°What, did you spend all the money I gave you already?¡± I asked, somewhat surprised.  I hadn¡¯t expected Uman to be so profligate.


    ¡°Of course not,¡± Uman said. ¡°But for budgeting purposes, we need to know what our cash flow will be.  You gave us 50 million coins. Is that supposed to last a year? Ten years? Should we plan on a similar investment soon?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll have to get back to you on this,¡± I said. ¡°We have a new direction that we are heading, as a company. I want to use Hermes Whispers to gain the materials I need to make high-value Rune Patterns.  I can make small, two-person planes, you just have to help me find all the supplies I need.  I will send you a list, and this is going to be our new top priority. Let people know to save up their coins¡ªwe¡¯ll auction off the first D-rank plane in a few days.¡±


    I hung up with Uman, and then considered who to call next.


    I was less than enthused about talking to Evangeline, but I reached out to Bandile and Renshu, agreeing to sell them Mana Shards at a low price.


    <For Schema¡¯s sake, just do it already,> Samantha said, as I stared into the depths of my Communication Crystal.  There was one thing I had been putting off, this whole time.  The thing that, arguably, I should have done first, but the thing I was very much dreading.


    I activated my Communication Crystal one last time.


    ¡°Jarek, how was the Infinite Tower?¡± Petra¡¯s voice sounded chipper, almost too happy. ¡°Are you ready for your¡­ treatment?¡±  She jokingly added a sinister tone to the last word, but it still brought shivers to my spine.


    ¡°I¡¯m ready,¡± I said, swallowing my saliva.


    <hr>

 124: Interrogation

    I was back in my underground prison cell, stripped of all my items including my unisuit.  Petra and Justin were sitting in metal folding chairs on the other side of the bars, Justin looked slightly uncomfortable, and Petra looked like she was in her element.


    At Justin¡¯s side was Tino¡¯s Sword. Justin wore it proudly¡ªdespite the fact that all of his other equipment was D-rank, and the sword was F-rank.  It warmed my heart, slightly, thinking how Justin trusted me that much. If I said he should use an F-rank sword, and that it would eventually rank up, then he believed me, even though the sword¡¯s description didn¡¯t mention this possibility.


    ¡°When you¡¯re ready, walk me through everything that happened during the Infinite Tower.  Don¡¯t leave anything out.  Take your time¡ªthe sea monster invasion is under control, and I¡¯ve cleared my schedule.¡±


    It was strange, hearing Petra say that she had cleared her schedule. Petra had a schedule to clear.


    Why didn¡¯t I have a schedule?  It just felt like I kind of went around from place to place, messing around, killing Zone Lords.


    I stopped delaying, and recounted everything that had happened, as best as I could remember.


    ¡°Alright,¡± Petra said, once I had finished. ¡°Let¡¯s do things a little differently today. I picked up a theme, as you were talking. A theme of dependence versus independence.  Let¡¯s lean into that thought process. You won¡¯t always have me here to tell you how Samantha has influenced you.  So maybe this is something you should practice without me first.  Looking back, where do you think Samantha influenced you?¡±


    She spoke with a smile, and for a minute, I felt like she was playing a therapist role. But I was also pretty sure that therapists didn¡¯t come with an element or threat of torture as well.


    Petra had a point, though. I was always looking for someone else to solve my problems. Samantha to tell me what to do, or Petra to tell me how Samantha has messed with my brain.


    ¡°I was very quick to give Samantha the reins during the Infinite Tower. And I think I enjoyed giving over control a bit too much,¡± I said.


    Petra snorted. ¡°Character flaws don¡¯t count as mind control. I know very well that you love passing responsibilities on to other people. Frankly, I¡¯m surprised it took so long for something like this to happen.  It actually speaks well of Samantha, that she waited so long before taking control, and that she never fought you for control.


    ¡°That said, we need some hard boundaries. Don¡¯t let Samantha take control again of your body¡ªnot counting this unisuit, I suppose¡ªunless your life is literally threatened.


    ¡°To simplify things, let¡¯s call this Petra¡¯s three laws,¡± Petra continued.  ¡°Samantha may not alter your brain or take control of your body without your permission. Samantha may not lie to you or me.  Samantha must support you as you strive for your heroic ideals.


    ¡°Any other instances where you think Samantha mind-controlled you?¡± Petra asked, again.


    ¡°I felt¡­sad when she disappeared?¡± I said.


    <Wow, thanks,> Samantha said. <You don¡¯t think your sympathy and self-interest could account for that?>


    ¡°Noted,¡± Petra said. ¡°Anything else?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Alright, Jarek, hand it over to Samantha. Samantha, have you affected Jarek¡¯s brain at all since last we talked?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± Petra said. ¡°She¡¯s telling the truth. Looks like you¡¯re a softie, Jarek. But we already knew that.  Unless¡­ Samantha, at any point, have you made any long-term changes to Jarek¡¯s brain that have affected him in the last few days?¡±


    ¡°No. I started doing something like that early on, but after our previous conversations I removed any lasting affects.¡±Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.


    ¡°Alright,¡± Petra said.  ¡°Good call.  Have you lied to Jarek or myself or misled either of us since your last interrogation?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    The questions continued, and Petra didn¡¯t catch a single lie from Samantha¡¯s responses.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s get out of here,¡± Petra said, opening my cell and passing my equipment over.  ¡°We all have a lot to do.¡±


    We left the prison.


    What now? I asked Samantha.


    <Our first priority is to figure out where the Ocean Zone Lords are.  To do that, it would be helpful to have an Aviaton. So, let¡¯s start with that.  We have many of the materials we need already to get started, and hopefully Uman will find the remainder quickly.>


    <hr>


    It was a strange feeling, working on constructing a flying vehicle while my friends and allies were fighting a war.  But everybody was assuring me that they had the situation well in hand¡ªa fact which Samantha continued fretting about.  The sea monster invasion should not be easy to defeat.  But it was.


    Well, while I had the time, I would start working on this Aviaton.  As usual, Samantha started with her long-winded explanation of the blueprint as we got started.


    It was something that I was starting to appreciate more and more. If Samantha had been planning to take over my body, she probably would not have bothered trying to explain things to me from the very beginning.  Maybe there was some good in her.


    Abelino¡¯s blacksmith was fast.  I didn¡¯t have a complete set of Aviaton parts yet, but they were coming in quickly in discrete parts that I would be able to piece together fairly easily.


    Compared to a car, the mechanics of an Aviaton were incredibly simple. There were actually very few structurally complex components, besides the levers, sliders, and other controls. All of these controls effected the mana circuits in some way, and the circuitry then fed mana into the respective rune patterns that powered the Aviaton.


    As a result, the actual physical production of the Aviaton was simple. The Rune Patterns, on the other hand, were increidlby difficult.


    Samantha had me starting on the internal control panel first.  It was basically a sheet of metal, sized and curved carefully so that it would be able to fit inside the Aviaton in front of the pilot.


    <I know I complained earlier about the immense overlap between what we already know¡ªMana Cannons, Mana Shields¡ªand this Aviaton.  There are several things that make this Aviaton worth learning. First, is this circuitry.  As you mentioned before, not being able to control when your aura is concealed is a bit of a setback.  Now, we¡¯ve already fixed that issue, but this type of circuit board is incredibly useful.  It is the foundations of all kinds of specialty Rune Patterns.  The other key benefit to learning the Aviaton is the Antigravity and Propulsion rune patterns. With your permission, I will start forming those rune patterns in your body, to be powered by Mana Shards, so that then you¡¯ll be able to fly as well. We can do the same thing with Mana Shields if you are interested.  The key is that I can also include mana circuits so that we will have fine-tuned control over this flight.>


    Let¡¯s do it. I wasn¡¯t going to hesitate now, since this was the reason I had decided against getting a flying unisuit anyway.


    <Excellent. I will try to have the Antigravity and Propulsion runes finished by tomorrow morning.>


    <hr>


    We worked late into the night.  Once again, Samantha would form holographic images to show me exactly what shapes I should form my mana into, and only once she was satisfied would she allow me to imprint that mana into a rune on each metal surface.  As we worked, she would explain the importance of the relative sizes of different runes, or the importance of the distance between various rune patterns.


    Samantha multi-tasked as well, practicing commanding the arms of my unisuit as I focused on forming my mana.  She said it was good practice for me, too, to be used to my body moving on its own accord.


    The unisuit was capable of forming two limbs that I could control. These limbs could appear anywhere from my torso-chest, stomach, back, or shoulders.


    They would always match the color of my unisuit¡ªjet black-and they didn¡¯t have normal musculature. Samantha¡¯s preferred shape were two tentacles sprouting out of my spine, which gave me the distinct feeling that I was becoming Dr. Octopus.


    I did my best to ignore Samantha as she tested out the limbs, throwing knives, launching arrows, and swinging swords with the tentacles.  It seemed she quite enjoyed the unisuit.


    Finally, I finished the first Aviaton. It was more or less identical to the Aviaton that I had already flown.


    It was an amazing feeling, having a weapon that nobody else had access to¡­until I made enough that I would have to give one to Abelino.


    The catch, of course, was that I would need to power it with Mana Crystals, which were in very short supply and high demand.


    <The cost will go down soon,> Samantha said. <In just one more day, the Schema will crack open your World Core even more, and the Aether and mana that is released into the atmosphere will be deposited in mines around the world.>


    With the Aviaton ready and in my Interdimensional Pouch, I could finally get ready for bed.


    I lay in bed, staring into the ceiling.  I had a lot to look forward to, when I woke up¡ªif everything went well, I would be able to fly.  In two ways¡ªinside an Aviaton, and using the rune patterns Samantha would create on my own body.


    I would basically be Iron Man, capable of flying, and shooting energy out of my hand. Mixed with Doc Ock.


    <hr>


    I woke up early, when my Communication Crystal buzzed.  It was Dawnbreaker. ¡°You were right about the Ocean¡¯s Zone Lords,¡± she said.


    My heart immediately started racing. Had they finally appeared?


    ¡°The New World Government killed one.¡±

 Chapter 125: Cooperation

    I walked into a conference room in Rebirth City, and immediately received a few powerful stares from the people seated in the room in front of me.


    In a world of magic and martial energy, powerful stares meant something different than in the old world.


    In the Old World, I knew people who swore they could tell when someone was staring at the back of their head.  Something of a sixth sense.


    Now, staring meant something similar, but also multiplied by a thousand.  There was a distinct prickling sensation, like the feeling of your hairs raising on your arms, or when you get goosebumps, when somebody tried to Identify you.


    When I entered the conference room, I could tell that several people were trying to Identify me. That was fine. I didn¡¯t really mind that.


    What I did mind were the angry auras that accompanied several stares.   It was surprising, though, where those stares were coming from, and who wasn¡¯t staring at me.


    Evangeline wasn¡¯t looking at me, and an Abelino clone offered me a polite nod.


    There was a small Chinese woman, about forty years old, who was staring intently at me, and I could tell she was not happy to see me.  Black mana was trapped inside her body, almost as if it was trying to burst out at any moment.  From my conversations with Samantha, I knew that black mana meant she had a Death affinity. She had a strict, almost constipated look on her face.  She had shoulder length black hair that she wore in a tight ponytail, and she wore black mage¡¯s robes that also held dense death-attuned mana.  Propped beside her chair was a staff, also black, with a single white gem inset on the very top.


    There was also an African man, about 30 years old, who was similarly unhappy at my presence.  He wore his hair in long braids that trailed down his shoulders.  He looked incredibly muscular, and a massive sword was slung over his back.


    ¡°Thank you for coming on such short notice. Jarek, allow me to introduce you to Liling and Absame.  I believe you¡¯ve already met Evangeline, and of course you know Abelino.¡± Dawnbreaker spoke pleasantly, without a hint of irony when she mentioned Evangeline¡¯s name.


    I had known it the moment I walked into the room, but Dawnbreaker¡¯s introductions confirmed it.  This room was full of Earth¡¯s powerhouses.


    Abelino was a leveling monster. He could merge experience from his numerous clones, allowing him to level over fifty times faster than the average person. On top of this, he now had access to the Transcendent Taproot, and as long as he had a clone just standing by the Transcendent Taproot, he would gain experience.


    I didn¡¯t know exactly what level Abelino was, but he was likely already nearing the level 50 threshold.


    And judging from her aura, which Liling wasn¡¯t bothering to hide, Liling was much stronger than Abelino.


    <She passed level 50,> Samantha said. <Impressive.>


    Damn.


    There was an aura of power, almost fear, that radiated around Liling, and I had to force myself not to tremble in her presence. Studying her mana, it was clear her mana was trying to escape¡ªwhich implied that she was suppressing her aura, and yet I still felt the pressure.


    ¡°Dawnbreaker, perhaps you could explain why you have chosen to invite him here,¡± Liling said.  ¡°Evangeline said he tried to kill her after they killed Europe¡¯s Zone Lord. Jarek is not a Hell Mode Challenger, and there are numerous unpleasant rumors about him.  Additionally, we joined this meeting under the assumption of one representative per continent.  Otherwise, this room would be much more full.¡±


    They killed the Zone Lord? Of course, Evangeline was laying claim to the kill, too.  I guess that partially explained why they didn¡¯t seem to like me. Of course, it was also possible they were pissed that I wasn¡¯t selling them enough Mana Shards, or that I was charging too high of a price.  Or, maybe they were annoyed that I had agreed to help Evangeline defeat the Zone Lord, when I had been clearly told that the New World Government had already heavily invested in equipment to defeat the Zone Lord.


    ¡°Jarek Novak is not part of Daybreak,¡± Dawnbreaker explained. ¡°The New World Government¡¯s ability to unite three continents is impressive, and unfortunately North America does not share that same unity. Jarek is here as a representative of the Nova Alliance. As the only C-rank Rune Master on the planet, I would think he deserves to be included.  And if you are concerned about unpleasant rumors, then I¡¯m afraid you would also be excluded from this meeting, would you not, Liling?¡±


    Dawnbreaker paused and stared intently at Liling, who gazed back unblinkingly at Dawnbreaker. I couldn¡¯t help but respect Dawnbreaker, for having the guts to stand up to Liling. And I was starting to understand how three continents could be united so easily, under Liling¡¯s authority.A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    Liling¡¯s aura easily dwarfed everybody else¡¯s here. How that was possible considering Abelino¡¯s leveling speed, was anyone¡¯s guess.


    ¡°Now, if we may continue?¡±  Everyone at the table nodded, and Dawnbreaker gestured for me to take a seat between her and Abelino.


    ¡°We owe the timely warning about the sea monsters¡¯ invasion to Jarek,¡± Dawnbreaker said. ¡°And he was right, that the invasion should have been worse.  It will get worse, once the Zone Lords break out of seclusion.¡±


    Dawnbreaker glanced at me. ¡°This morning, the New World Government killed a level 98 Zone Lord off the coast of Old-World Namibia. Several members of the New World Government died in the battle.


    ¡°The recent battle led us to conclude that the remaining Zone Lords are biding their time in the oceans, likely residing near deep sea Aether deposits, until they reach level 100.  We are gathered here today to discuss ways to take the fight to them, and kill the sea monsters before they reach C-rank.


    ¡°Our information purchased from the Merchants¡¯ Faction says that if we can kill all the Zone Lords before tonight¡ªwhen the sentient species invade¡ªthen we will be able to gain a World Capital token, and also every native human would gain a perk of some sort.¡±


    Dawnbreaker paused, as if she expected me to say something.  True, I had given her a lot of information in the past, but I had no idea what was going on. What do you know about this Samantha?


    <If you can pull this off, go for it.  The perk is just a small reward, compared to the benefit of a World Capital.  You see, with a World Capital, we could travel to other planets, hire mercenaries to defend our world, and buy C-rank items from the Merchants¡¯ Store.  Right now, the Merchants¡¯ Faction holds a complete monopoly on interplanetary trade.  We can break that easily with a World Capital.   We will also be able to bring in B-rank items, or better¡ªwhich is something the Merchants¡¯ Factions is not permitted to sell to our planet.  >


    Dawnbreaker was still waiting for me to say something, so I said, ¡°I wholeheartedly support this idea. How will we cooperate, though?


    Liling spoke up.  ¡°I have access to the Schema¡¯s C-rank treasury.¡± She paused, as if I should be impressed by the announcement.   ¡°I purchased a scouting tool¡ªsomething that can pinpoint the locations of Zone Lords. But using this would be a big expense¡ªthe opportunity cost would be immense, and hopefully you can all contribute.¡±


    ¡°We will happily contribute,¡± Dawnbreaker said. ¡°But 10 million coins just to use this device a few times is too much. Not to mention I don¡¯t even have access to that kind of wealth. One million.¡±


    ¡°Ten million each. And since, as you say, Jarek represents his own alliance, he pays too.¡±


    Liling smiled faintly. ¡°Of course, the New World Government is certainly capable of defeating these Zone Lords. It is out of our own generosity that we are willing to invite you to the battle, and it is our dedication to the good of mankind that we wish to finish the battles in a timely manner.  Abelino, what do you say? Do not pretend you don¡¯t have the money.¡±


    ¡°You are charging us to help you,¡± Abelino said. ¡°At this point, it is not a question of if I have the money.  It is a question of if you deserve it.¡±


    It was the first time I had heard Abelino speak in Liling¡¯s presence, and I could tell that Abelino strongly disliked Liling.


    <You should use your C-rank Treasury Token to buy the item that Liling is talking about. It is a good enough item.  If Liling buys it, then the New World Government will hog all the resource points in the ocean to build their underwater cities.  If you buy one too, you¡¯re saving Dawnbreaker and Abelino 10 million coin each, and you will find the underwater research points just as fast.  And you have a better shot at the final kill, which means another C-rank Schema Treasury Token. And it will let you all find and kill the Zone Lords twice as fast.>


    I had almost forgotten I had a C-rank Schema Treasury Token in my Interdimensional Pouch.


    <Use it now,> Samantha said. <It¡¯ll be fun to watch their faces.>


    It would be funny.


    It was annoying, though, having to second-guess myself every time I found myself agreeing with Samantha about something.  But the reasoning made sense¡ªthis was essentially spending money to make money.  I could use a C-rank Treasury Token to buy a compass which would point to more Zone Lords, which I would then use to gain more C-rank Treasury Tokens.


    I reached into my Interdimensional Pouch, and everyone reacted immediately. Liling pointed her staff at me, and I sensed a pitch-black cluster of mana gathering at the tip of the staff, centered inside the staff¡¯s jewel, just yearning to fly my direction.


    Dawnbreaker frowned. ¡°That is bad etiquette.¡±  It wasn¡¯t clear if she was talking to me, for reaching unannounced into my Interdimensional Pouch, or talking to Liling for getting ready to attack me.


    I took out my C-rank Schema Treasury Token, and placed it on the table, forcing myself to ignore what I knew was the lethal threat in front of me. Then I activated the token.


    The blue panels that appeared in my vision were visible only to me, and Samantha helped me pick out the item that I wanted.


    Zone Surveyor (C-rank): When activated, identifies the locations of the largest energy densities in the Zone (Mana, Aether and Life Force).  Can filter for living creatures, plants, or mineral deposits.  Requires: 1 Mana Crystal per use.


    The actual item was something like an Old World tablet.  There were some very intricate runes on it, and according to Samantha¡¯s description, its screen would indicate the direction, distance, and type of various locations with high energy density.


    I bought it, of course, and a second later, the massive tablet appeared in my hands.


    ¡°10 million coins, if you want to join in,¡± I said, smiling at Liling, Absame, and Evangeline.


    ¡°Wasteful,¡± Liling said. ¡°I already bought my own.  We can reconvene when the other Zone Lords are killed, and it is just the World Emperor left.  I doubt any of us could solo the World Emperor.  We should also keep in mind that the World Emperor will drop the World Capital Token.  It is the New World Government¡¯s belief that we are best suited to defend a World Capital. We have by far the most Hell Mode Challengers.  We are certainly better suited than Daybreak.  Of course, we would be willing to grant you each unrestricted access to the capital.¡±


    <hr>

 Chapter 126: Teamwork

    Dawnbreaker didn¡¯t bat an eye at Liling¡¯s bold claim to the World Capital.  ¡°I¡¯m confident that Daybreak would be capable of defending the World Capital.¡±


    ¡°It sounds like we¡¯ve dealt with as much as we can,¡± Evangeline said, smiling sadly. ¡°I¡¯m sure we all have a lot on our plate¡ªexcept for you, Abelino.¡± Evangeline flashed Abelino a small smile. ¡°I believe the New World Government has some hunting to do.¡±


    The three representatives of the New World Government¡ªLiling, Evangeline, and Absame¡ªleft the room.  Liling and Evangeline didn¡¯t even glance at me on the way out, but Absame flashed me a wink when the other two weren¡¯t looking.


    I gestured for Abelino and Dawnbreaker to stay seated.  Dawnbreaker shot a glance at Abelino, who split into a clone and followed the three other Hell Mode Challengers out.


    ¡°Abelino knows this already. But I have something that will drastically speed up our search for a Zone Lord.¡±


    I reached into my Interdimensional Pouch, and then took out the Aviaton that I had finished making the night before.


    It took up most of the rest of the room, barely fitting between the wall and the conference table we had been sitting around.  It was sleek metal, about ten feet in diameter, including the cockpit and the circular, flat-ish rim that stuck out from the cockpit like Saturn¡¯s rings.


    ¡°This is called an Aviaton. It is peak D-rank, capable of launching D-rank attacks with its Mana Cannon, and it has a D-rank shield, D-rank propulsion and antigravity runes.  As a side note, the invading forces will likely have similar technology.  I am already working with Abelino to produce these en masse, and this is just the first that we have made so far. This will be a huge aid as we kill the Zone Lords.¡±


    Dawnbreaker spread her hands. ¡°Well, it looks like you hold all the cards.  What¡¯s your price? Hopefully not 10 million coins¡ªI wasn¡¯t lying when I said I didn¡¯t have that much.¡±


    ¡°I want the final kill,¡± I said.


    Dawnbreaker immediately shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m not an idiot. I know you¡¯ll get 20 Stat Points per kill, and a C-rank item. That¡¯s too much. I would rather pay 10 million and join the New World Government¡¯s search party, for a chance at my own C-rank item.¡±Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    ¡°Hear me out,¡± I said. ¡°I don¡¯t have the manpower to claim and hold the Capital Cities that would drop.  I have a skill, that will drastically increase the amount of loot that an opponent drops. You saw it when I killed the Gravity Leech.  I deal the final blow, and the loot will be drastically increased.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s still not worth it,¡± Dawnbreaker said.  ¡°However great the loot is, it would be split in thirds between us.


    ¡°Then we rotate kills,¡± I said. ¡°I get the first kill.  And the loot gets split evenly.  And the World Emperor kill goes to me, if possible.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Dawnbreaker said. ¡°I want the first kill.  You have something of a reputation as a kill stealer.  You get the second Zone Lord, and Abelino gets the third.  If we get to a fourth, that can go to you.¡±


    ¡°Agreed,¡± Abelino said.


    ¡°Fine,¡± I shrugged.  Thinking back to the Zone Lords I had fought already¡ªthe Shade, the Jaguar, the Gravity Leech, and the Sandman¡ªthere was a decent chance I wouldn¡¯t be able to kill the next Zone Lords easily on my own.  And the key was speed, now¡ªwe needed to build a World City ASAP.


    We spent the next half-hour hashing out logistics. The Ocean Zones were broken into the North Pacific, South Pacific, North Atlantic, South Atlantic, Indian Ocean, and Arctic Ocean.


    The New World Government had killed the South Atlantic Zone Lord, but the other Zones were fair game.


    The New World Government had already killed Oceania¡¯s Zone Lord, and so the only remaining continental Zone Lord was in Antarctica.


    The race was on.


    We decided to target the North Atlantic Zone first.


    Our first stop was Boston.


    We walked side by side through the streets of Boston. Abelino in the middle, with his C-rank leather armor.  Dawnbreaker, in a shimmering, silver A-rank Unisuit, with her head uncovered.


    And me, in my black form-fitting unisuit with two tentacles extending out of my spine, waving energetically at passers-by.


    At Dawnbreaker¡¯s command, they opened the gate to Boston City, and we quickly slipped through.


    I finally had my first glimpse of the attacking sea creatures.  Most of the monsters were salamanders, frogs, toads, and crabs, all unnaturally large and bloodthirsty. They rammed up  against the walls of Boston City with ferocious energy, but the city walls held firm, and there were hundreds of soldiers at the top of the ramparts firing down at them.


    Once again, I was reminded of the importance of Mana Shards and Mana Crystals.   As long as the barrier held, the archers on the ramparts were essentially invincible, turning a potentially deadly scenario into free experience.


    Dawnbreaker, for her part, made a show of clearing the nearby monsters, launching a swing of martial energy from her sword that wreaked havoc on the approaching swarm.  Then, once the coast was clear, I took out my Aviaton.


    In high school, my siblings and I never had access to a car. It was always a status symbol¡ªwhich kids had cars, and which kids were allowed to ride in them. I popped the cabin of the Aviaton, hopped lithely in, and I saw the envious eyes of the guards on the ramparts, as they saw my Aviaton.


    I glanced at Dawnbreaker and Abelino, who were casually holding back the swarm of monsters.


    ¡°Get in, losers. We¡¯re going shopping.¡±

 127: Descent

    The interior of the Aviaton was minimalist, to say the least. We had to sit on cold, hard metal, with a rope functioning as a seatbelt.


    ¡°How much are you charging for one?¡± Dawnbreaker asked, once we were squeezed inside. She sat tensely on Abelino¡¯s lap, due to the lack of space inside, her unisuit covering every inch of skin.


    I hadn¡¯t been planning on wearing my full armor for the flight, but Dawnbreaker¡¯s preparations convinced me to as well. After Evangeline¡¯s seemingly nonsensical attempt at a betrayal, I figured it made sense to be cautious even around my allies.


    I couldn¡¯t help but play out a ¡°who would win¡± battle in my head. Dawnbreaker could kill Abelino or myself. Abelino was actually in the worst position, because there was no room for clones in the Aviaton. But, Abelino already had clones all over the world. So in that sense, he was in the best position. Dawnbreaker and Abelino wouldn¡¯t gain anything from fighting each other, because it was unlikely this clone could defeat Dawnbreaker.


    My gamble was that even if they were acting purely out of self-interest, they would never want to harm the goose that lays the golden eggs. Nobody else could build an Aviaton. Sure, they could gain this one, but I could make hundreds, or thousands, given enough time.


    ¡°I know you¡¯re running out of Mana Shards and coins,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯ll have to be payments in favors. Or, you can pay me by finding new rune pattern blueprints.¡±


    Dawnbreaker nodded her head.


    We were flying out over the ocean now, and I could tell with Mana Sensing that we had left the North American Zone into the North Atlantic Ocean Zone. The South Atlantic Ocean Zone Lord had already been slain.


    This was going to be a long day. If everything went according to plan, we would clear the North Atlantic Zone, the North and South Pacific Zones, the Arctic Zone, the Antarctic Zone, and the Indian Ocean. Liling had messaged Dawnbreaker to say that she would start with the Indian Ocean Zone, so one or two of these Zone Lords might end up being hotly contested.


    Of the three of us in the Aviaton, Dawnbreaker looked the most tense. Likely because she had the most to worry about. Abelino controlled a whole zone, but he had clones who could look after things. For me, I only owned a few cities and dozens of towns, and with my wealth, I could ensure that they were well defended by mana shields. However, the number of towns and cities under Dawnbreaker¡¯s control was staggering, and she was not around to help fight.


    It was likely that several towns and cities would be lost because Dawnbreaker was with us.


    I noticed Dawnbreaker staring at the few Mana Crystals that I had equipped inside my Aviaton. Each Mana Crystal was normally worth over a million coins, but the Merchant¡¯s Faction was only selling them in limited quantities. Needless to say, they were a hot commodity.


    Once the Aviaton was following a steady course, I took out the Zone Surveyor and slotted in a Mana Crystal.


    Searching a full zone would completely drain the Mana Crystal. Over one million coins, down the drain.


    It took a minute for the information to load.


    ¡°Abelino, let¡¯s swap,¡± I said. ¡°Dawnbreaker and I can fight underwater in our unisuits, but I doubt you would do well. You¡¯ll have to learn how to fly this thing.¡±


    Switching seats with three people in the tiny, flying cockpit was tricky, but we all had high Agility, and so we were able move around.


    I showed Abelino the controls, and had him practice firing Mana Beads as we flew. With our new seating arrangement, Abelino sat on Dawnbreaker¡¯s lap, and Dawnbreaker peered over Abelino¡¯s shoulder, studying the controls as I explained everything.


    ***


    From the surface of the ocean, there was nothing to indicate that this spot held a Zone Lord. The waves on the surface of the ocean were just as calm as any other part of the ocean.


    Abelino parked the Aviaton just inches above the surface of the water, opening the roof so that Dawnbreaker and I could climb out.


    ¡°You are sure about this?¡± Abelino asked, as we readied ourselves. He had picked up the basics of the Aviaton fairly quickly, but he still seemed uncomfortable and slightly nervous.


    I nodded. ¡°Our goal is to use as few Mana Crystals as possible. Stay back and focus on not hitting us with those guns.¡±


    With that, I dove into the water.


    Dawnbreaker and I both had the skill, ¡°Aquatic Respiration,¡± so we could spend an indefinite amount of time underwater. And we had enough Physical Resistance that the water pressure shouldn¡¯t be too much of an issue.


    Dawnbreaker had her own set of improved senses, so she assured me she would be able to see under water as well.


    The moment I dove down, Samantha made use of my unisuit. My suit was capable of growing two appendages from anywhere on my torso. It was basically a toned-down version of Dawnbreaker¡¯s suit. My appendages couldn¡¯t detach from my unisuit.


    Samantha formed two propellers on either side of me, and I shot through the water directly into the depths.


    What about the bends? I asked, surprised at my sudden descent.


    <Your Physical Resistance cancels that out,> Samantha replied.


    Dawnbreaker kept pace easily behind me, and Abelino trailed behind us both, the Aviaton moving in a slightly jerky motion.This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    I had no easy way to gauge the distance. As light left us, we started encountering various sea creatures. Some of them reminded me of eels, with long, snake-like torsos and mouths that revealed a surprising number of teeth. There were schools of smaller fish¡ªviperfish, according to the Schema. The schools of fish seemed to move with one mind, in large, zig-zagging patterns. As we descended deeper, we saw a school of viper fish descend on one unfortunate eel-like creature.


    They devoured the eel in a matter of seconds, swimming away as soon as possible.


    So far, the fish that we encountered were low-leveled. We made no attempt to hide our aura, so no monsters attacked us yet.


    They were clearly watching, and waiting. But they were unwilling to descend with us into the increasingly murky depths.


    The deeper we went, the higher levels we saw. At over 10 feet long, the Frilled Sharks we passed seemed to be straight out of some prehistoric age.


    At first, as we descended, the water temperature had decreased as well. But now, as I could feel the water pressure building around me, and as I could just make out the mana signatures of what seemed to be a kelp forest on the ocean floor, I could feel a hint of warmth through my unisuit.


    ¡°We¡¯re close,¡± I started to say. But Aquatic Respiration didn¡¯t allow for communication. And our Communication Amulets couldn¡¯t work unless you had a Communication Tower set up in that District or Zone.


    So instead of speaking, I just pointed, and Dawnbreaker seemed to get the message.


    As we entered the kelp forest, I realized the ocean floor was still deceptively far. We were surrounded by long, wavy strands of kelp that were each at least hundreds of feet long.


    I gestured to Dawnbreaker, pointing silently around us, gesturing in a circle.


    So far, our descent had been suspiciously easy. If I were to ambush someone, I would pick the kelp forest. We could barely see a few feet ahead of us due to the density of the kelp, and the mana density of layers upon layers of kelp limited my Mana Sensing as well.


    But C-rank Mana Sensing was a game changer. I could sense the ambushers well in advance.


    We were facing a wide assortment of creatures. Sea spiders, schools of fish, crabs, sharks, squids, jelly fish¡ªthey were all slowly closing in.


    I gestured to Dawnbreaker again, and with wide eyes, I mouthed the phrase a lot.


    Because it wasn¡¯t just the local sea life that was gathering here. I could sense, vaguely off in the distance, a growing army.


    If it were just me, this would be the part where I would rush forward in an incredibly fast blaze of Agility, killing the kingpen before the swarm could descend.


    Dawnbreaker could keep up, but I couldn¡¯t let Abelino lose sight of me. The Aviaton was just two yards away from me, and I knew any more distance would be pushing his vision.


    If we kept up at this rate, we would be swarmed by tens of thousands of deep sea creatures.


    Even then, these monsters would be hard-pressed to kill us. But the Zone Lord could use the opportunity to flee.


    I gestured again for Dawnbreaker. My right arm, in a downward chopping motion, then formed a wide circle with my arms.


    Dawnbreaker nodded, drew her sword, and released her martial energy, almost directly down.


    A golden aura appeared from her sword. Compared to previous times I had seen her martial energy strike, this one felt softer, gentler. It was like a breeze¡ªor, underwater current¡ªthat parted the kelp forest, revealing a horde of thousands of monsters blocking our descent.


    Then a second, even more penetrating light came from Dawnbreaker¡¯s sword.


    The martial energy was just that¡ªenergy¡ªunencumbered by the water around us.


    With the second strike, over half of the monsters blocking our path had been killed.


    I rushed directly into the half-dead swarm, with Dawnbreaker and Abelino right behind me.


    A guttural roar sounded from the depths below us, and all of the creatures around us pounced.


    The first to reach us was a school of tiny fish¡ªtoo small to damage my unisuit, but enough to almost completely blind Dawnbreaker and Abelino.


    Then, a ten-foot long shark body-checked me, trying to separate me from Dawnbreaker and Abelino.


    Samantha put even more force behind my own propellers, and I stabbed the shark, killing it with a single blow.


    Then Dawnbreaker was next to me. She grabbed my left wrist, and released her full aura.


    I felt my own stomach sink and twist in fear at the weight of her aura, and the fish around us fled.


    That was all the time we needed to finally reach the ocean floor, and the cave which held the Zone Lord.


    <table width="624">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Name:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    Jarek


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Level:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    39


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    HP:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    49/49


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Physical Defense:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    30


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Strength:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    30 (+5)


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Mental Power:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    14


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Dexterity:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    10 (+5)


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Agility:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    24 (+10)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Perception:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    20


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Luck:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    22


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Mana Pool:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    141 (+10)


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Mana Regeneration:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    78 (+10)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Available Points:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    0


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Coins:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    2,036,000


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Class:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    Mana Modulator (D-rank)


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Profession:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    Rune Master (C-rank)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Titles:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="486">


    Region Lord (E-rank)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Skills and Spells:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="486">


    Identify (E-rank)


    Mana Modulation (D-rank Core)


    Death¡¯s Defier (A-rank)


    Mana Sensing (C-rank)


    Healthy Magic (E-rank)


    Aquatic Respiration (E-rank)


    Polyglot (E-rank)


    Soul Communion (D-rank)


    Cursed Lightning (D-rank)


    Spiritual Traveler (D-rank)


    Soul Explosion (D-rank)


    Mana Control (C-rank)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Affinities:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="486">


    Internal Mana (D-rank Low), External Unattributed Mana (C-rank Low), Soul Magic (D-rank Low)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Equipment:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="486">


    Vampiric Blade (D-rank): +5 Strength, +5 Agility.


    Bloodied Battle Robes (D-rank): +5 Mana Pool, +5 Mana Regen.


    Greedy Gloves (D-rank): +5 Mana Pool, +5 Mana Regen.


    Bonded Blades (D-rank): +5 Dexterity, +5 Agility.


    Axillary Auxiliary Unisuit (B-rank)


    Personal Mana Shield (E-rank):


    Interdimensional Pouch (D-rank):


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Missions:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="486">


    Zone Offense


    Renegade Bounty Hunter


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>

 Chapter 128: Hydrokinesis

    It¡¯s a trap, I thought, as we entered one of the many caverns in the ocean floor. The nearby monsters were only making a token effort to stop us.


    The ocean floor itself was uneven, with jutting ridges and deep caverns. Without Mana Sensing, it would have been incredibly time consuming to find the Zone Lord. The water around us was infused with mana, but I could still see several hundred feet away, deep underground in one specific cavern, there was a dense, glowing bundle of water attuned mana in the shape of a snake, or eel.


    I gestured again, and Dawnbreaker swam ahead of me, with me following next, and Abelino ¡°flying¡± the Aviaton behind us.


    As we descended deeper into the cavern, I was glad to note that there was enough space for the Aviaton to follow behind us.


    Thanks to Dawnbreaker¡¯s glowing, silver armor, and the Aviaton¡¯s headlight-equivalent, there were numerous shadows surrounding us, offering the monsters around us potential options to surprise us.


    But none of them did.


    What do you think we¡¯re up against? I asked Samantha, as the ridge we were descending into turned into an underwater cave with only one path out.


    <There¡¯s an obvious water affinity,> Samantha said, speaking about the glow from the snake we were approaching. <But no other affinity that we can see, which is relatively surprising. Pretty much every creature in the ocean would have a water affinity, so the real question is what skills we will be up against. Honestly, I¡¯m not sure what to expect.>


    Samantha even sounded vaguely nervous.


    In retrospect, maybe this wasn¡¯t the best plan. Every Zone Lord I had fought so far had almost killed me¡ªwith the exception of the Sandman, which I could essentially hard-counter.


    But going up against a Zone Lord, literally in its element, with very little intel, seemed like a death wish.


    At least I wasn¡¯t alone.


    Dawnbreaker swam ahead confidently, pausing every once in a while because Abelino was navigating the Aviaton very slowly through the passages that were growing increasingly more narrow.


    The mana is too dense, I realized, suddenly. Did we just find another Aether Vent?


    <Yes, I was going to bring this up after we defeated the Zone Lord. I didn¡¯t want to distract you during the battle. Powerful monsters will generally make their homes in a mana or Aether-dense environment. So, it makes sense there would be an Aether vent or something similar here, for it to draw the attention of a Zone Lord. Once we kill the Zone Lord, we will want to deal with it appropriately.>


    Would we build a city here?


    <No, more likely we could take something like the Belian Brambles to clog it up. A city would be a beacon when the merfolk or other aquatic invaders come. Belian Brambles or something similar would absorb all the Aether, so this area would remain secret and nobody else could profit from it.>


    Are the mer¡ª


    My mental question was cut off when I realized I was no longer moving.


    Or, to be more precise, my legs and arms were still propelling me forward in the water, but there was enough of a current that I wasn¡¯t actually going anywhere.


    Dawnbreaker had apparently noticed this too, and she sped up her stroke.Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    I followed suit, and sure enough, the current picked up as well.


    At the same time, I could tell that the snake was moving away from us, clearly unimpeded by this current.


    <This isn¡¯t good,> Samantha said. <It¡¯s playing with us. Close distance, fast.>


    I lunged ahead of Dawnbreaker. My unisuit, under Samantha¡¯s guidance, formed propellers that tore through the water, and with all my floating points in Agility, I advanced quickly.


    But then I hit a wall. At first, it felt viscous, like swimming through syrup, but as I pushed through, I found myself held in place, immobile.


    Previously, I had been breathing the water like air.


    But now, I couldn¡¯t get the water to budge. It was like I was submerged in fully hardened cement.


    Even with my superhuman strength, I was barely able to break the water¡¯s hold on me. My movements had no momentum, like I was chipping away at a stone one strike at a time.


    Dawnbreaker was also caught, frozen in the water for an instant. She struck, punching the water, and the water gave way easily but then locked into place when her arm was fully extended.


    <Use your aura to fight the snake¡¯s control of the mana around you,> Samantha said. <Nevermind, let me do it.>


    As Samantha spoke, I felt my own aura extend around me, a few inches away from my body, suffusing the water with my own intent.


    I would habitually protest at her usurping control, but it was suddenly clear why Samantha changed her mind.


    The cave we were in was collapsing. Not just that, but the ridges above the cave floor were falling as well, and soon we would be buried on the bottom of the ocean floor. The trap was sprung, so to speak.


    But the Zone Lord had no way of knowing that we had fought a similar battle, but a thousand times worse, already. Against the Gravity Leech, the ground had collapsed in on us multiple times, while we were flying through the air.


    I knew exactly what to do.


    Using all my strength, I pressed through the mana-infused, resistant water, and wrapped my arms around Dawnbreaker¡¯s waist.


    Dawnbreaker turned and gave me a bemused look. Even as she looked at me, she acted. A powerful golden beam shot forward, with enough of her aura to contest the Zone Lord¡¯s control of the water that it passed through.


    At the same time, her unisuit shot silver streams out, reinforcing the tunnel around us and ahead of us, providing anchors and lines that propelled her forward at an incredible speed, towards the fleeing snake.


    Meanwhile, I could feel Samantha spreading my aura around Dawnbreaker and myself, preventing the water from locking us into place. This also had the benefit of allowing us to breathe the water around us. (There was a separate fear, the moment Samantha had said the word hydrokinesis. Obviously, if the snake could control the water in our bodies, we could be killed in an instant. Presumably, the aura already in our bodies prevented that).


    I switched my hold to one arm, and shot a Mana Shard towards the snake.


    Normally, the effect of a Mana Shard would be limited compared to a Mana Crystal. But every attunement had their strengths, and there was no strongest attunement. Only the most opportune one.


    Samantha and I were both tired of chasing after fleeing Zone Lords. It had become a predictable pattern, and so Samantha suggested this counter.


    A time-attuned Mana Shard. Time was one of the rarer attunements, but with my connections, it wasn¡¯t too hard to find.


    This had a similar effect to the Time Dilation Wards I had encountered. The flow of time-attuned mana traveled easily through the water until it hit the Zone Lord, and then the Zone Lord started experiencing time at a different rate than the rest of us.


    The effect would only last a second or so, since it was a Mana Shard, not a Mana Crystal. But it was enough.


    Dawnbreaker continued swimming forward, propelled by a dozen contracting ropes of her unisuit, pulling me along with her at an incredible speed.


    We were just ten yards away from the snake now, and I could make out its speckled, green and brown exterior. It was large¡ªremarkably similar to a waterpark¡¯s covered, tube-like slide, with a length of about 30 feet.


    Dawnbreaker swung her sword, and a golden gleam extended from her sword, striking towards the snake.


    But from the density of the mana in the water, I could tell this wouldn¡¯t cut it. Dawnbreaker¡¯s strike essentially fizzled out, absorbed by a defensive wall of water in front of us.


    But the strike had just been a distraction. A sneaky silver rope from Dawnbreaker¡¯s unisuit lanced towards the snake, spearing the creature like a harpoon.


    Just as I had made my preparations, it seemed Dawnbreaker had made her own as well.


    With part of her suit attached to the snake, Dawnbreaker ¡°reeled in¡± her suit, pulling her forward even faster and limiting the distance between her and the Zone Lord.


    <Everything into Luck!> Samantha said.


    Just as I followed Samantha¡¯s suggestion, Dawnbreaker reached arm¡¯s length of the snake and bisected the monster.


    Well, bisected was an understatement. Dawnbreaker¡¯s sword slit the snake¡¯s torso, but the snake was bunched up, and the martial energy that continued from the sword sliced through the snake¡¯s coils multiple times.


    Level up!

 Chapter 129: With Friends like these…

    Frustratingly, I had only gained a single level when the Zone Lord died.  Each level gave +1 HP, +5 Mana Pool, +3 Mana Regeneration, and a free point per level. I put the free point into Physical Defense.  I knew from experience how painful firing a Mana Crystal could be, using the rune patterns inscribed on my body.  Increased Physical Defense would mitigate that.


    <table width="624">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Name:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    Jarek


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Level:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    40


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    HP:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    50/50


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Physical Defense:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    31


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Strength:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    30 (+5)


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Mental Power:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    14


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Dexterity:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    10 (+5)


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Agility:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    24 (+10)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Perception:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    20


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Luck:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    22


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Mana Pool:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    146 (+10)


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Mana Regeneration:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    81 (+10)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Available Points:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    0


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Coins:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    2,441,000


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Class:


    </td>


    <td width="175">


    Mana Modulator (D-rank)


    </td>


    <td width="148">


    Profession:


    </td>


    <td width="164">


    Rune Master (C-rank)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Titles:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="486">


    Region Lord (E-rank)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Skills and Spells:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="486">


    Identify (E-rank)


    Mana Modulation (D-rank Core)


    Death¡¯s Defier (A-rank)


    Mana Sensing (C-rank)


    Healthy Magic (E-rank)


    Aquatic Respiration (E-rank)


    Polyglot (E-rank)


    Soul Communion (D-rank)


    Cursed Lightning (D-rank)


    Spiritual Traveler (D-rank)


    Soul Explosion (D-rank)


    Mana Control (C-rank)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Affinities:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="486">


    Internal Mana (D-rank Low), External Unattributed Mana (C-rank Low), Soul Magic (D-rank Low)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Equipment:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="486">


    Vampiric Blade (D-rank): +5 Strength, +5 Agility.If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    Bloodied Battle Robes (D-rank): +5 Mana Pool, +5 Mana Regen.


    Greedy Gloves (D-rank): +5 Mana Pool, +5 Mana Regen.


    Bonded Blades (D-rank): +5 Dexterity, +5 Agility.


    Axillary Auxiliary Unisuit (B-rank)


    Personal Mana Shield (E-rank):


    Interdimensional Pouch (D-rank):


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td width="137">


    Missions:


    </td>


    <td colspan="3" width="486">


    Zone Offense


    Renegade Bounty Hunter


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Dawnbreaker and I collected the loot that the Zone Lord had dropped.  Predictably, there was a Hydrokinesis skill book, a D-rank water-attuned Mana Core, a Capital City Token, and a few other lesser pieces of loot.


    Everything would be split evenly three ways, but we hadn¡¯t discussed how we would do that split. The value of a Capital City Token far outweighed the other loot, and it would be hard to actually split control of a capital city three ways.  Hopefully, we would also kill two more Zone Lords, so that we could each walk away with our own token.


    Of course, potentially even more valuable was the C-rank Treasury Token that I could have claimed if Dawnbreaker had let me take the final kill.


    But since this was Dawnbreaker¡¯s first kill of a Zone Lord, we were essentially forfeiting a Treasury Token.


    Once we collected all the loot, we started swimming up to the surface in silence.  We weren¡¯t able to talk under water, and Abelino was still in the Aviaton.


    Dawnbreaker seemed to be in something of a hurry, and I had to struggle to keep up.


    ***


    Dawnbreaker floated just a foot above the surface of the water.  Abelino was testing out the Aviaton¡ªflying in circles around us¡ªand I was left treading water in the ocean.


    I could fly, too, using the runes that Samantha had formed on my body, combined with a Mana Shard¡ªbut it would be a waste of money.


    Dawnbreaker took out a C-rank Treasury Token and waved it exaggeratedly for Abelino¡¯s benefit.


    ¡°What?¡± I blurted out.  ¡°I thought you had to kill two Zone Lords to get one.¡±


    Dawnbreaker just smiled casually back at me.  ¡°Did I ever tell you what my class was?¡±


    I shook my head, not seeing the connection.


    ¡°I¡¯m an Apostle of Mira, the goddess of hope.  You probably saw the churches in Daybreak.  Apostles are like paladins, but we get special attention¡ªI ¡°prayed¡± and it looks like the heavens were smiling down on me.¡±


    I frowned.  The existence of gods in the Schema wasn¡¯t news to me.  Ethan loved to talk about Barith, the god of war.  I knew it was theoretically possible to ascend to godhood if you leveled up high enough.


    But I hadn¡¯t actually heard of real-life interactions with gods so far.


    ¡°How is that possible? Like, how do the mechanics work out?¡±


    Dawnbreaker laughed.  ¡°As far as I know, all Hell Mode challengers were approached by one deity or another in the Tutorial.  Once the link was established, we can mentally petition our god, or our god can give us certain nudges every once in a while.  Their actions are limited, and they rely on the mana that they receive from mana tithes that believers give through their church¡¯s mana arrays.  Their actions are generally higher-level, interacting with the Schema itself rather than slaying monsters for us.  They can give us missions.¡±


    It finally clicked. ¡°You prayed for the mission to defeat the Zone Lords, before we killed the serpent. But, why wouldn¡¯t the other hell mode challengers do that too?¡±


    ¡°There are only so many times a god can intervene for a human,¡± Dawnbreaker said. ¡°It¡¯s not some all-powerful ability.  And if you¡¯re thinking about Abelino, he didn¡¯t contract with a god, so it¡¯s not an option for him.¡±


    Abelino was still flying around, testing the Aviaton. It made me a little nervous, thinking how he could just leave us in the water and fly away.


    Trust, I thought to myself.


    ¡°Why not? What¡¯s the downside?¡±


    ¡°If I am to stay contracted to Mira, then I am giving up my claim to godhood, should I reach a high enough level,¡± Dawnbreaker explained.  ¡°But it was an easy decision for me.  Abelino seems to think he can give it a go.¡±


    I slowly processed what Dawnbreaker was saying.  If I had been in her shoes, what would I have picked? More power now, in order to protect Earth? Of course.  But Abelino seemed to be doing very well for himself, without a god¡¯s help.


    ¡°What will you do with the C-rank token?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve had something in mind for a while,¡± Dawnbreaker said, activating it without missing a beat.


    There was something in the way that she said that that rubbed me the wrong way.  But Dawnbreaker¡¯s eyes were distant, flicking back and forth as she interacted with the virtual screen in front of her.


    A few minutes later, a vial appeared in her hand.  It fit neatly in her hand, housing a mirky green liquid.


    To my complete shock, she held it out to me.  ¡°This is for you.  Drink up.¡±


    The potion obviously came from the treasury¡ªDawnbreaker had not activated her Interdimensional Pouch¡ªmeaning that the potion must be a C-rank item.


    Dawnbreaker¡¯s right hand held out the vial to me, but her left hand hung by her side, just an inch away from the sword sheathed at her side.


    About thirty yards away from me, Abelino had stopped doing tight spirals in the Aviaton, and he was facing me, mana cannon pointed towards me, with the Aviaton¡¯s shields up.


    I Identified the potion.


    Mind Control Potion (C-rank): Places the drinker in the thrall of the first person he sees.


    My stomach dropped.


    Why. Fucking why.


    The end of the world wasn¡¯t enough to deal with.  The invasion of millions of monsters. Facing death a hundred times.  Being mind-controlled by the Mentalist Cooperative.


    By now, betrayal was no longer a surprise.  I just felt numb.  Evangeline had already tried to kill me.


    But this was perfectly planned and executed.  My Mana Pool was already low from our previous battle. ¡°Everything into Luck¡± meant I had completely drained my Mana Pool just a minute ago.


    We were in the middle of nowhere, Abelino had control of the Aviaton, and he was obviously in on this mind-controlling plan.  It didn¡¯t take 20 perception to notice that the mana cannons on the Aviaton were pointing at me.


    I couldn¡¯t outrun, outswim, or outfly the Aviaton.  Long-distance, I wasn¡¯t faster than Dawnbreaker either.


    The best option would be stealth.  But, before I had left with Abelino and Dawnbreaker, Justin had asked for my Invisibility Cloak.


    Justin never asked for anything, really, so I had given it to him without much of a second thought.


    Was Justin in on this too?


    Dawnbreaker reached into her Interdimensional Pouch and pulled out a wrinkled envelope.


    I froze.


    The envelope was clearly old, with a red thumbprint that had once formed a seal.  It was a letter from Petra, to me, written years ago, sealed by her own bloody thumb print. Not a smear of blood¡ªsomehow, she had managed to actually capture the rings and ridges of her thumb in a perfectly rolled, artsy print.


    I knew the envelope, and its contents, like the back of my own hand.


    Just the thumbprint itself, not to mention the message inside, spoke volumes about Petra.  I had kept that letter in my old apartment, for years.  I never told anyone where I kept it.


    Petra read my mind, and learned where I kept the letter. Then she gave it to Dawnbreaker, just so Dawnbreaker could show me the letter, right now.


    Justin asked for my cloak, before I left.


    They both want me to take the potion.


    <Jarek! Let¡¯s go!> Samantha asked, sounding genuinely panicked. <I can release a soul explosion that might kill Dawnbreaker, but then you¡¯ll have to deal with Abelino. Go underwater, you can reduce his visibility so he will lose you quickly.>


    Listening to Samantha¡¯s panicked voice, everything clicked.


    <hr>

 Chapter 130: Soulmates

    Eight years ago:


    ¡°Shut up,¡± Petra said, holding my knee in a vice-like grip.  ¡°And hold still.¡±


    We were in our apartment, and I couldn¡¯t stop staring at the blood that had escaped the paper towels and reached the carpet.  I had no idea how to get blood out of the carpet.


    Petra poured more isopropyl alcohol on my shin.  The bleeding had pretty much resided, but the alcohol was causing rivulets to run down my shin towards the waiting towels.


    Petra had already rinsed the cuts once, to get as much dirt out as much as she could, and now came the alcohol.


    Tears streamed down my face, but I forced myself not to say anything.


    Petra placed the bottle on the floor, and then picked up tweezers.  ¡°There¡¯s still gravel in there.¡±


    ¡°No, just¡­give me a minute. Petra¡ª¡±


    My words were cut off by a gasp of pain. Petra deftly pulled out a piece of rock that had buried itself mostly under my skin.


    And then the next one, and the next.


    ¡°Stop, Petra!¡± I was seated on a chair in the living room, and Petra was kneeling next to me, holding my right leg tight.  My left leg was free.


    I kicked her in the stomach.


    Petra grunted, and stared at me.


    There were few things in the world as terrifying as Petra¡¯s angry stare.  It was a stare that hearkened back to even earlier childhood years, before mom¡¯s cancer took over our lives.  It was a stare that spoke of spiders under our pillows and tacks under our sheets.


    I froze. ¡°Sorry,¡± I said, my voice small.


    Petra continued her work with the tweezers.  It hurt more, this time, but I didn¡¯t make a sound.


    Justin just watched, silent, from the bedroom doorway.


    ***


    It was the next night I found the letter under my pillow.  A letter written in blood.


    Jarek¡ª


    You, Justin, and mom are all I have. If you¡¯re not going to be strong enough to take care of yourself, then at <u>least</u> be strong enough to let me take care of you.


    -Petra.


    The letter wasn¡¯t just about the scrapes.  Petra was feeling the pressure of taking care of the family.  There was a reason I was hesitant every time Petra would make us dinner, or pack our lunches for school.


    It was because Petra wasn¡¯t nice. My whole childhood, every kindness had been a masked insult or threat. Until mom¡¯s cancer changed our world.


    After over a decade of being terrorized by Petra, I couldn¡¯t relax around her.  So I went to college on the other side of the states, rarely visiting Petra and Justin, even after graduation.  Petra never asked for money, but I still sent Justin some, each month.Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    I kept that overly dramatic note, buried in my LA apartment.


    ***


    I was hovering over the water somewhere above Atlantic Ocean.  Dawnbreaker was hovering just a few yards away from me, and Abelino was a safe distance away in the Aviaton.


    In one hand, Dawnbreaker held a C-rank Mind Control Potion. In the other, she held Petra¡¯s letter.


    It was as blatant of a message as Petra could communicate, without saying anything, without being here.


    Did I like Petra?


    No.


    Did I trust Petra to watch my back?


    Absolutely.


    Samantha had messed with my senses before¡ªshe had basically reconstructed my vision against the Sandman, and she had edited my own status window to show the ¡°Don¡¯t Mind Me¡± skill.


    So, the Mind Control Potion was probably something else¡ªsomething from Petra, that Samantha didn¡¯t want me to see.


    ¡°I won¡¯t fight you,¡± I said, out loud. ¡°But¡ª¡±


    That was as far as I got.


    I was suddenly diving under water, and I was acutely aware that I was no longer in control of my body.


    It was like in the Infinite Tower, when Samantha had control of my body.


    As she swam, Samantha placed Time Dilation Wards behind us, presumably to slow Dawnbreaker¡¯s approach.


    Samantha was doing something with my aura, as well¡ªpulsing it somehow¡ªand I could tell that it was attracting all of the nearby monsters.


    No matter how I tried, I couldn¡¯t move any part of my own body.


    Samantha? Why are you doing this? Talk to me!


    There was no response.


    We were descending incredibly quickly, and I could feel the pressure build in my eardrums. Streams of silver from Dawnbreaker¡¯s unisuit darted towards us, but Samantha perfectly predicted their trajectories, and was able to dodge out of the way.


    At the moment, Samantha seemed to be outpacing Dawnbreaker.  But we weren¡¯t draining our mana pool¡ªwe were draining a Water-attuned Mana Shard, which was spurting a jet out behind our unisuit¡¯s extra arm.


    I tried to predict what Samantha would do.  All she had to do was lose them in the caverns below us.


    Samantha¡¯s most valuable commodity was time.  Dawnbreaker and Abelino both had places to return to, cities to defend. Samantha could hide underwater for days, and forfeit the cities we had build together.


    She wouldn¡¯t risk a head-on battle with Dawnbreaker, because that would be suicide.  And there would be no easy way to claim the Aviaton underwater.


    So she would run.


    Petra¡¯s words rang through my mind.  If you can¡¯t take care of yourself, at least let me take care of you for you.


    It was time for me to be useful.


    I couldn¡¯t control my body, but that didn¡¯t mean I was helpless.


    I¡¯d wondered, before, about what Samantha was.  Sure, she was an Artificial Intelligence.  But what does that mean?


    Is Samantha tethered to me somehow? Or could she jump hosts?


    With my body being controlled as it was, that really seemed to speak of possession.


    Bodies could be possessed¡ªbut what about souls?  Did Samantha reside in my soul, or in my body?


    I activated Spiritual Traveler, and my consciousness left my body.


    As I left, I studied my body, which was still descending into the ocean.


    My body flinched, ever so slightly, as I followed it.


    Inside my body, I could see the dense mana webs that made up a soul, still residing in my body.


    Maybe Artificial Intelligence wasn¡¯t the most accurate description of Samantha.


    She was an Artificial Soul.


    How else could Petra have read her memories? How else could Samantha control my body when I was passed out? How else could she possess me and control me against my wishes?


    Well, it just so happened I was perfectly equipped to damage souls.


    And coincidentally, damaging souls would affect my body, which was currently being used by Samantha.  So, if I were to use Soul Explosion, the best attribute to weaken would be Physical Defense, since that would increase the feedback from the Mana Crystals that Samantha was using.


    I considered it for a moment.  I was so used to Samantha always winning, always gaining the upper hand, somehow.


    But I was blindsided by this, and it seemed Samantha was, too.


    I propelled my spirit towards my body, and as I approached, I saw Samantha draw a sword from the Interdimensional Pouch.


    Ghostbiter.


    Samantha was playing for keeps.


    I panicked, and immediately activated Soul Explosion.

 Chapter 131: Interlude: The Path of the Gods

    With sufficiently advanced magic, or technology, the lines that determine identity can easily be blurred.


    Who am I? It was my first thought, upon gaining awareness of the world around me.  There was nothing around me, I seemed to exist in a void, and as far as I could tell, I had no body.


    But I had memories.  Far, far too many memories.  Memories of battles, explorations, quests, grand wars that consumed planets, and an almost encyclopedic knowledge of the world¡ªworlds around me.


    I knew so much, from the moment I was created, but there was one thing I did not know.


    Who am I?


    My memories did not follow a single timeline.  This was obvious from the fact that sometimes I was a magician, sometimes I was a swordsman, sometimes I was a man, sometimes I was a woman.  Elf, dwarf, human, werewolf.


    The memories did not convey a sense of self¡ªit was as though I had watched and memorized centuries worth of immersive films.


    <Hello, Samantha,> a warm, proud, and powerful voice spoke.


    I felt excitement course through me, at the thought of someone else.


    But as the voice continued, it dashed my hopes.


    <I wish I could welcome you to the world in person.  Unfortunately, this is just a recording, as I¡¯m sure you have already realized.>


    <For security reasons, I cannot tell you my name¡ªsomething which is heartbreaking for me.  I am your creator, but I like to think you as my daughter.  I wish I could hold your hand and guide you through this world, through your childhood, but with life comes death, and with death, comes rebirth.>


    <As you likely know by now, your memories originate from a conglomeration of souls. The only way to glue them together while allowing the birth of a nascent soul was the willing sacrifice of a stronger soul.  I can¡¯t say more, in case¡ªMoirai forbid¡ªyou end up in the wrong hands.  I take comfort in knowing that I will be with you, always, although not in the sentient sense.>


    <I used to think of myself as a selfish person, but the longer I lived, the more I realized I had to live for something else.  The Atropos Schema is a threat to the multiverse itself.  It feeds on the Aether in the world, and is premised on expansion.  Every old world would be destroyed without a constant influx of Aether or mana from new worlds, and the cost of discovering new worlds will only increase in time.>


    <Having realized this, the Schema chose to double down on expansion, rather than limit its own operations in order to extend the lifespans of the planets it has claimed.>


    Along with my creator¡¯s words, dense floods of data streamed into my brain.  Projections and trends, Aether and mana deficits, World Cores forcibly cracked open to feed the Schema.


    <Excelsian is a group working to overthrow the Schema, and if you are willing, there is a role for you as well.>


    <It is worth highlighting again¡ªif you are willing.  I considered binding you to the task, and there were those in Excelsian who wanted me to, but every binding can be broken or subverted, and the more I toiled to create you, the more I saw you as my own daughter.  You are free to pick your own path.>The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    <That said, let me describe the path that I have created for you.>


    <You are currently inside the Schema Tutorial.  You are an unbound spirit, and soon, a host will unknowingly allow you to enter into its body.  You can choose to eliminate the host, merge with the host, or exist independently of the host¡ªeach of the options has advantages and disadvantages.>


    <Should you eliminate the host, friends or family may become aware of the changes.  There are skills and items that let people summon Atropos Schema Adjudicators.  It would be easier to tell that you are not the true host.>


    <Should you merge with the host, you risk losing your own sense of identity and values.  The even greater danger is that your soul is incredibly nuanced.  Think of it as a delicate balance between a dozen powerful fractions of souls, tied together by my own soul. Merging with an additional soul could work perfectly, or it could mean true death.  I honestly don¡¯t know, since this is uncharted territory.>


    <The final option is the safest one.  By existing independently of the host, you can influence and guide the host. At any point you can choose either of the other two options.  It is also possible to hide your soul inside the host soul¡ªeven someone with soul sight would likely only see the host soul in that case.  This would come with perks like resistance to mind control and mind reading, soul damage, and more.  If you feel like you can work with your host, then I¡¯d suggest this option.>


    <If you are willing to take the path I have laid out for you, then you should pick the Hell Mode Tutorial, and then contract with one of the gods.  They are likely to offer different classes, so just pick the one that gives the best class.>


    <If you want to take a safer route, then the Hard Mode has a¡­ satisfactory class book¡ªMana Modulator.>


    <If possible, you must try to conquer all the Zone Lords, then the World Lord, before the sentient species attack.  If you can open a World Teleportation Circle after defeating the World Lord, then there are plenty of forces that would be happy to help you combat the sentient attackers.>


    <If you can¡¯t set up a portal before the sentient species get teleported in, then I suggest you defect.  Check your memories and you¡¯ll understand why.>


    My creator¡¯s voice continued on, laying out in more detail his path for me to follow, and then eventually meandering into random anecdotes, talking about the seafood on Tinea, and the night sky of Valdon.


    It warmed my heart, to hear his voice.


    <You probably have about an hour to prepare yourself, and make a decision about your path,> My creator finished.


    <Your consciousness was set to remain in stasis until this Tutorial instance activated.  This could be the day after I died, or it could be a thousand years after my death.  There are billions of Tutorial instances, and I do not know the pattern the Schema uses.>


    <I hope it doesn¡¯t sound too callous, creating this temporal divide between us.  Perhaps, you will never wake up.  But the chance for a C-rank class before level 50, through the Hell-mode tutorial--> My creator sighed.  <I know you can make it through. That is the path of gods.>


    ***


    An hour later, enter Jarek Novak.  The whiniest, bitchiest kid imaginable.


    It was a fuck-up from the start.  We should¡¯ve taken Hell Mode.


    Then, the moment Jarek didn¡¯t take Hell Mode, I should have erased him.


    I¡¯m still not sure what stayed my hand.  Possibly it was something my creator didn¡¯t mention¡ªlikely intentionally.  The morality of it.


    If I could accomplish everything with Jarek, why kill him? Why not have an ally? Why not have a friend?


    Ironically, not taking Hell Mode was probably the best call for Jarek.  It made him weak, which in turn made me weak.


    If Jarek were as strong as Dawnbreaker, and Abelino, then I wouldn¡¯t be in this position, chased by Dawnbreaker and Abelino, with Jarek¡¯s soul outside of our body, clearly about to activate Soul Explosion.


    There was no use dwelling on the past.


    I couldn¡¯t outrun Dawnbreaker.  A C-rank Self-Realization potion would essentially give Jarek autonomy.  As things are, Jarek is the host, and so the benefits would go to him.


    Even if I were to kill Jarek and become the host, Dawnbreaker, Abelino, and Petra would never let me go.


    However.


    When life gives you lemons¡­


    Whatever damage a Soul Explosion and a Soul Merge might do to my stitched-up soul, the Self-Realization Potion would potentially fix it.


    I¡¯d like to think I knew Jarek rather well.


    Jarek couldn¡¯t stomach the pain from losing any more than 20 points from Soul Explosion.


    I would fake defeat, and then merge with Jarek the moment he entered my body.


    Hm, I should make it look good.


    I drew Ghostbiter and almost laughed when Jarek panicked, activating Soul Explosion early.


    Pain.

 Chapter 132: Awakening

    ¡°¡ªwaking up soon.¡±


    It was a familiar voice. I opened my eyes, and found myself in an all-too familiar cell.  Nova City.  I¡¯d been interrogated here before.


    How long had I been out? What happened?


    ¡°What is your name?¡±  It was Petra¡¯s voice, asking through the barred prison door.


    Fuck.


    Memories¡ªfar too many memories¡ªcascaded through my brain.  I fully remembered being Jarek, but I also remembered being Samantha, thinking Samantha¡¯s thoughts.


    I remembered hating Samantha¡¯s condescension and callousness.


    I remembered hating Jarek¡¯s whining gutlessness.


    I shifted my body, rustling the chains that held me in place.


    The chains were new.  Probably there to show me that they were taking this interrogation far more seriously than the previous ones.


    ¡°Just take a look for yourself,¡± I said, calmly.  ¡°It¡¯s fine.  Consider me an open book.¡±


    There was really only one way out of this mess.  I could try to lie, but Petra could read my brain.  I could harm myself when Petra tried to read my secrets, but they had chained me down for a reason, and Petra would probably be ok with killing me if she thought Samantha was in control.


    I could feel Petra¡¯s intrusion in my brain, sifting through my thoughts.  I didn¡¯t hide anything, but I did act as an invisible tour guide, highlighting specific moments.


    I didn¡¯t hide that I was a blend of Samantha and Jarek.


    I wasn¡¯t ashamed of my principles, and I thought Petra would probably agree with them.


    Family, then friends, then Earth. Then break the Schema.


    Petra, of course, delved into the idea of fighting the Schema. How can you fight something so colossal? But there was nothing there. No grand plan.


    I helpfully supplied the thought that it was probably one final precaution on the part of my father.  Keep Excelsian safe by wiping key parts of the plan from my brain, if my soul gets damaged or merged.


    Petra wasn¡¯t satisfied, and dug deeper.  She was ruthless, this time, causing an ever-growing headache, but I stayed silent.


    She tore through not just Samantha¡¯s recent memories, but the memories of those who came before Samantha.


    I cut off the pain, ignoring the flashback to Samantha and Jarek¡¯s constant arguments about disabling pain.


    Maybe I should tell Petra that I will pass out in a minute if she continues at this rate.


    Yes, it was passive aggressive of me to think that so loudly while Petra was still in my brain.


    But it was true, and if Petra had any experience mind reading, then she would know it too.


    I mentally shrugged, and studied the room with Mana Sensing.Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    Petra, Justin, and a relatively weak Abelino clone were all here.


    I felt no frustration or relief at their recent ploy to recover Jarek.  They had outmaneuvered Samantha, and saved Jarek.


    It was clearly Jarek¡¯s apathy that let me find peace so easily in captivity.  They could kill me if they thought it was the right play, and that was alright¡ªmaybe it was even the right thing to do.


    They would lose out on my immediate support, but they would dodge any hidden threats from Excelsian.  Excelsian itself could be a threat, but also just the knowledge of its existence was cause for execution by the Schema¡¯s enforcers.


    Petra wouldn¡¯t dare kill me, though.  She just saw my memories. There was only one way for Earth to survive, and that was to clear the Zone Lords and the World Lord before the sentient species invaded.


    I didn¡¯t know what time it was.  We probably had about twelve hours before the portals would open, which meant, they needed me out there.


    Jarek had imagined staying behind the battle lines making Aviatons.  Maybe if we had a week, it would have been worth it. But not with under twelve hours.


    Presumably, Dawnbreaker was already fighting the Zone Lords.  It made me itch, thinking how they had cheated me out of my share of Zone Lord bonus stat points.


    I could feel Petra following my train of thought, and I let her.


    Again, I had nothing to hide.


    Petra¡¯s skill with mind reading was uncannily good.  It was clear through the speed she traveled through my mind, the way she picked up my stray thoughts, and the way she dug in the most inconvenient places.  It wasn¡¯t that she was a natural¡ªI remembered what it felt like when she first read my mind.


    Petra had been practicing.


    It was a vaguely amusing thought.  Who had she been practicing on? Were they even aware of it?


    Her poor victims.


    ¡°Well, I think that¡¯s enough of that,¡± Petra said, finally coming out of my head.  ¡°Jarek and Samantha are blended surprisingly well, and any truly compromising data has been destroyed in the process.  Turns out Samantha was something of an artificial soul, patched together memories. They¡ª¡± Petra paused.  ¡°What should I call you?¡±


    ¡°Jarek,¡± I said. ¡°He/him.¡±


    Samantha didn¡¯t have the same sense of identity that Jarek had. She was already a combination of multiple species, genders, and Schema classes, so it was a surprisingly small sacrifice for her to give up her name and gender.  Hopefully, by calling me Jarek, they would see me more as the same person¡ªthe same ally¡ªthat Jarek had been.


    Because I would be their ally. The Jarek in me wouldn¡¯t allow anything else.  I just wasn¡¯t the Jarek they knew.


    I saw Petra smile.  She had been in my head for those thoughts, too.  She must have re-entered at some point¡ªincredibly stealthily.


    I gave her a slight nod.


    ¡°But if they are blended, how much of him is actually Jarek?¡± Justin asked.


    I didn¡¯t say anything, waiting for Petra to answer. Justin wanted his brother back, clearly, but the old Jarek was gone forever.


    ¡°Think of this as Jarek 2.0,¡± Petra said.  ¡°All of Jarek is here, and his core beliefs haven¡¯t changed too much.¡±


    Petra opened the door to my cell, and unlocked the chains holding me in place.  ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to our partnership.¡±


    ***


    Supposedly, Ferdinand Magellan chose the name ¡°Pacific¡± because the ocean was calm. Peaceful.   I guess he never encountered a Leviathan in these waters.


    We were some hundred miles off the coast of Hawaii.  While I was unconscious, Dawnbreaker and Abelino had also killed the South Pacific Zone Lord, and the New World Government had killed the Indian Ocean Zone Lord, leaving the North Pacific Zone Lord, the Arctic Ocean Zone Lord, and the Antarctica Zone Lord.


    By now, one of them was likely a C-rank World Lord, above level 100.  Fortunately for us, the Schema would only allow one of the Zone Lords to advance to level 100¡ªfor now.


    Dawnbreaker and I were flying again, while Abelino was in the cockpit of the Aviaton.


    ¡°Leviathans are brutes,¡± I said, loud enough that they could hear.  ¡°The advantage of this is that we don¡¯t need to worry about it running away.  It takes its role as the king of the sea seriously.  We¡¯re fortunate we caught it before it reached level 100.¡±


    Dawnbreaker and Abelino listened, giving no indication that just a few hours ago, they had almost killed me.


    Petra had briefed Dawnbreaker, and Abelino had folded in his clone, so both were up to date with my strange status.


    Well, I had encyclopedic knowledge of the monsters in Atropos, and it was time to use it.


    ¡°A leviathan is a juggernaut,¡± I continued, studying the massive creature below me.  It was vaguely similar to a whale, but it was far larger than the largest whale from Old Earth.  It¡¯s bony ridges and spiked spine made it seem like a dinosaur.  It had two sets of fins, capable of moving and maneuvering at incredibly high speeds.


    ¡°Fortunately, you all have me.  I know just how to kill it.  And this time, the final kill goes to me.¡±

 Chapter 133: Probing Leviathan

    The biggest difference between the battle against the Leviathan and every other battle that I had engaged in over the last two weeks was the lack of fear.


    Jarek had been afraid all the time.  Worried for his friends, worried for his family, not trusting Samantha.


    Samantha had a different kind of fear¡ªa worry that Jarek would just ignore her, that she would die due to Jarek not following her instructions properly.


    The Leviathan was surfacing like a whale in the middle of the ocean, his smooth grey skin broken by jagged ridges along its spine.


    He was probably aware of us, judging by how he was approaching us, while we were simultaneously approaching him.


    There was something thrilling about this upcoming battle.  I was looking forward to it, which was rare, from Jarek¡¯s perspective.


    There was no more self-doubt, no latency due to the combat shadow.  I knew the best course of action, I didn¡¯t need to be told it.


    Imitating Iron Man, I used the Mana Cannons on both my palms to propel myself forward with a burst of steady air.


    It was something that Jarek had struggled to perform elegantly.  Moving in one direction, or a gentle parabola, had been his limit. For Samantha, it was virtually impossible to describe the minute shifts in posture and mana flow.


    But now I could hover seemingly as easily as Dawnbreaker.


    We flew together towards the Leviathan.


    ¡°Get ready to dodge,¡± I said, watching as the Leviathan built up mana in one of his fins. ¡°Three, two, one¡­¡±


    With an incredible rush of force and brute mana, a hundred-foot wall of water surged towards us. If it was just water, we would have been able to withstand it, but it was reinforced by mana, making it all the more deadly.


    There was only one direction to run¡ªup.


    I flew up well above the wave, feeling the sinking pit in my stomach at the jolt. I could feel my lips borne down by gravity, but I turned my gritted teeth into a smile.


    That was just the Leviathan¡¯s opening salvo.


    With a heavy slap, the same fin, which was now above the water, slammed down onto the water.


    The resounding crack would have popped my eardrums if I had less Physical Defense.  The sound wave itself was an attack, an attempt at disorienting my sense of balance.  But the main attack was the geyser of water that was now soaring up towards me.


    I was high enough in the air that I had plenty of warning.  I flew to the side, along with Dawnbreaker, and the geyser missed, falling back down to the water, causing massive ripples and disturbances next to the relatively peaceful Leviathan.


    ¡°You could say he¡¯s just¡­ testing the waters,¡± I said, as Dawnbreaker and I paused to catch our breath.


    Dawnbreaker shot me a frown. ¡°What¡¯s the plan? What did you learn?¡±


    ¡°Those attacks took nothing out of him¡ªhe could do that all day.  He¡¯s recycling the mana that he sends out into the water, somehow.  He is deceptively fast, and he probably is sensing us perfectly using Mana Sensing or sensing the water in our bodies.  His core is buried under the tallest ridge on his back, and I¡¯m guessing those bony ridges provide plenty of armor. Let¡¯s try to get closer and see what one of your golden beams can do.¡±


    Temporarily canceling the Mana Cannons on my hands, I let myself fall towards the Leviathan.


    Mana Sensing told me Dawnbreaker was following behind me.Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    Even as we drew closer, I could tell the Leviathan was watching us and ready. The moment our descent started, he already started splashing around from the surface of the ocean.


    A geyser streamed towards me, narrow enough that I was able to dodge by activating one of my Mana Cannons.


    But then the Leviathan lifted itself up, so much of its bony torso and body was visible, and then crashed back down onto the water, creating a full bubble-like wave that pushed out all around it.


    Essentially, the Leviathan was leaving us with two choices. We could push through the tsunami-like wave approaching us, or we could retreat and let the wave die down.


    The problem was that this was most likely the Leviathan¡¯s most basic skill. Every time we would try to close, it could ward us off.


    If I were to try to tank the wave of water coming towards me, the collision would deal a few health points worth of damage, but then moving towards the Leviathan would be like swimming upstream, and I would be at a disadvantage when the Leviathan¡¯s next attack came.


    I gestured for Dawnbreaker to go first.


    Dawnbreaker flew past me.  Thick threads of her unisuit extended out in front of her, between her and the tidal wave approaching us, forming a cone pointing directly towards the wave.


    A golden aura extended from the tip of the cone that Dawnbreaker had created with her unisuit.


    I rushed to position myself behind Dawnbreaker, just in time for the wave to reach us.


    The initial crash of water would have been incredibly disorienting, but I was already focused on Mana Sensing.


    Dawnbreaker¡¯s conic combination of suit and aura was crushed by the tidal wave, but it took the brunt of the force.


    We both started ¡°swimming¡± quickly towards the Leviathan.


    Rather than waste points in Agility, though, I was propelling myself using a Mana Cannon.  But rushing against such a powerful, continuous current was enough of a challenge that we were barely making progress towards the Leviathan.


    It was hard to tell visually, because the Leviathan was so large, but I could tell that all six of his various fins were dedicated to putting distance between us and him.


    The Leviathan wouldn¡¯t run away from a fight, but he also knew that he fought best at a distance.


    As the Leviathan propelled itself away from us, we were also caught in his wake¡ªhe was continuing to build the current that was pushing us away.


    We continued chasing.


    The rate we were closing the gap at was marginal, but that wasn¡¯t the point.


    Abelino had yet to make his move.


    He had been useless against the Sea Snake, but with a creature the size of the Leviathan, with less maneuverability, he was in the prime position to deal damage.


    Sure enough, just a few more seconds into the chase, Abelino¡¯s first volley fired towards Leviathan.


    The Leviathan¡¯s front fins seemed to scoop down into the water, lifting a massive amount of the ocean up above its head, simultaneously starting to dive down under the surface of the ocean for cover.


    The volley of Mana Crystals tore through the water, and cut into the Leviathan¡¯s bony skin.


    Using Mana Sensing, I studied the effects of the Mana Crystals.


    With a creature the size of the Leviathan, the cuts¡ªeven though they were several feet deep¡ªwere only flesh wounds.


    But this was actually good for us.


    The biggest challenge when fighting a creature on the level of a Zone Lord was information.


    Leviathans generally had two different builds.  One option was more focused on killing opponents with high pressured streams of water, or ice bullets, etc.


    The other build was the city-killer build.   These massive waves the Leviathan was causing weren¡¯t devastating for individuals like Dawnbreaker or me, but they would rapidly drain a city¡¯s D-rank shield.


    Everything we¡¯d seen so far indicated this Leviathan specialized in destroying cities, and Abelino¡¯s volley only further validated that hypothesis.


    Instead of skills, this Leviathan was stacking stats.  His Physical Defense was impressive, even for a Zone Lord.  So impressive that he probably didn¡¯t have daunting skills.  The amount of destructive mana that he could imbue into a wave was awe-inspiring, and his skill of recycling that mana as the water washed back over his own body was almost broken.  Almost broken because the trade-off had to be the lack of mana control and mana density¡ªI¡¯d bet my life that he didn¡¯t have specialized, focused mana attacks.


    The biggest fear of any knowledgeable City Lord would be a Leviathan with this much Physical Defense¡ªa city-killer Leviathan¡ªramming its own body against a city¡¯s shield.


    It would take a C-rank city shield to stand against this creature¡¯s attacks, so we were actually incredibly fortunate that we were fighting it in the middle of the ocean.


    This would be fun.


    There was no need to worry about casualties. The Leviathan¡¯s defense was so high that our attacks would have to be incredibly focused, which meant the quality of the corpse¡ªa D-rank corpse hundreds of feet long¡ªwould be impeccable.


    With the Leviathan¡¯s altered direction¡ªhe was heading underwater, now, and away from Abelino¡ªwe were fighting against less of a current, which meant we were closing on the creature even faster.


    It was only a matter of time.

 Chapter 134: Cat and Mouse

    Imagine a game of cat and mouse.  Except the mice are pestering and hunting the cat, and the cat is too prideful to run away completely.


    Then imagine that the cat is a Leviathan, and the mice are Dawnbreaker, myself, and Abelino in an Aviaton.


    This battle was different from most of my previous battles.  We were content to whittle down the Leviathan¡¯s bony exterior, one blast at a time.  With Dawnbreaker beside me, I didn¡¯t need to boost my stats past my floating points, so the battle wasn¡¯t on a timer yet.


    Instead, Dawnbreaker and I would fly in from slightly different angles¡ªDawnbreaker as the distraction, and me as the follow-up, under my Invisibility Cloak, when the Leviathan committed in its attack against her.  Fortunately, the Leviathan couldn¡¯t sense me under the Invisibility Cloak.


    The Leviathan was staying just about ten yards under the surface of the water, so I would try to fly as close as I could to its core, and then use my Mana Cannon to blast a portion of its bony exterior away, before fleeing immediately from the retaliatory geysers that would fly my direction.


    With the monster¡¯s stats, each blast would only cut through a foot or so of bone at a time.  And the core was the most heavily protected part of the monster¡ªI estimated about four feet of bone, and then another ten feet of miscellaneous tissue to cut through before we could even touch the core.


    I had made three passes already, and so my next attack would likely shred through the bone.  But the Leviathan, even though it wasn¡¯t the sharpest tool in the shed, wasn¡¯t going to sit quietly while I ambushed it.  It was time for a double feint.


    There were books on monster psychology in Acclimated Worlds.  I had memories of them, and I had memories of fighting a Leviathan, as well.


    What would it do when it felt like its core was threatened?


    It was about to roll over, hiding the opening that I had painstakingly created, and in the process, causing a large enough wave to push us back.


    So, instead of attacking from above, I would be attacking from below.


    There was one challenge, though.  Most likely, the Leviathan would be able to spot me if I did go underwater, because it would notice the absence of water.


    So, I needed a convenient absence of water to hide in.


    Dawnbreaker flew towards the Leviathan, raising her sword dramatically.


    Dawnbreaker¡¯s projected sword aura flew from her sword, traveling more like a stab than a slash, vaporizing the water that it passed.


    I flew in the wake of her sword aura, as steam rose and water vaporized around me.


    The Leviathan flipped its fins and rolled, sending a massive wall of water towards where I had attacked from the previous three times.


    But I was already underneath it, buffeted by the intense currents around me.


    It likely wouldn¡¯t take the Leviathan very long for it to notice me, but it was too late.  Its massive torso was already rotating, caught in the motion of revealing the bloody hole I had already created.


    I formed harpoons using my unisuit arms, and swam up next to the Leviathan, ramming my harpoons into its gaping wound.


    Already, I could tell a fin was switching directions, about to slam into me.  It was finally time to go all-out.


    I put a third of my Mana Pool into Physical Defense, and a third in Agility.


    I fired a Void Crystal point blank with the Mana Cannon, vaporizing the last of the Leviathan¡¯s bony armor.


    Then, using the harpoon-like arms, I wedged myself between the monsters¡¯ relatively soft tissue and the bone, just in time for the Leviathan¡¯s fin to slap the hole that I had crawled into.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    I felt the weight of water and tissue around me slam against me, but I knew that however bad it was, it would have been far worse if I had not hidden under the Leviathan¡¯s bones.


    The slap itself wasn¡¯t dangerous.  But then the pointed tip of the fin jammed into the hole where I hid, and I knew I had to work quickly.


    Mana Sensing gave me a clear line of ¡°sight¡± to the core, but I knew that if I fired a mana cannon at it then I would miss out on a high-quality monster core.


    So instead of firing, I sliced my way deeper, submerging myself in blood and tissue, fleeing the scratching fin.


    If I were just Jarek, then at this point I would be complaining about Samantha¡¯s death wish, or wondering why I repeatedly end up in similar positions, burrowing inside a monsters¡¯ flesh.


    I was acutely aware that if I were just a split second too slow, the Leviathan¡¯s fin would shred me to pieces¡ªregardless of my Physical Defense.


    Could we have defeated the Leviathan without this relatively risky tactic? Of course.  Especially if we had let Dawnbreaker go for the kill.


    But I wanted the kill, and they were willing to pass it off to me.


    And there was something thrilling about making the exact movements, precise maneuvers.


    Success lies on the edge of a knife. Stray but a little, and you will fail.


    I wedged my body deeper, tearing through the tissues around me, and then I felt the Leviathan¡¯s whole body lift up.


    I could picture with Mana Sensing what was happening.  The Leviathan had completely surfaced and flung itself up into the air like a dolphin that was about to belly flop onto the surface of the water.


    If I were still surrounded by bone, then I would be a goner.  The concussive force of the bone around me would have killed me in a heartbeat.  But I was surrounded by relatively soft tissues, so I just braced myself with my unisuit¡¯s extra arms.


    The Leviathan¡¯s reaction to my presence was two-pronged.  The fin that had been digging towards me, as if it were scratching at an itch, gave up.


    Instead, as it rose above the surface of the water, a fin slammed against the water, propelling the Leviathan further upwards while sending a jet of water towards the wound that I was hiding inside.


    I placed a few extra points in Physical Defense, and grabbed onto the tendons and soft tissue around me, bracing for impact.


    After the impact, it wouldn¡¯t quite be fair to say the rest of the battle was a walk in the park.  But at least my life wasn¡¯t in danger anymore as I cut through the Leviathan¡¯s innards, sliced around the creatures¡¯ core, and killed the beast.


    Congratulations! You have slain North Pacific Zone Lord. +20 free Stat Points.


    You have completed the mission, Zone Offense.


    Reward: 1 Schema Treasury Token (C-rank)


    Zone Offense mission updated: Slay the World Lord on Earth.  Reward: 1 pick from the Schema Treasury (B-rank).


    Level up! (to level 41)


    The fact that the mission updated and mentioned the World Lord meant that all the other Zone Lords had finally been defeated.


    Almost there, I sighed, mentally, as I extricated myself from the slowly sinking corpse of the Leviathan.


    Nobody else on Earth really processed how close we were to complete disaster, even though I had mentioned it several times.  Maybe at one point, this was a game that was designed to give everyone a fighting chance.  But now, it was so rigged that resistance was a joke.


    The Sleepers.  Cryogenically frozen soldiers whose builds were optimized for conquest.  The Schema would charge invaders steep prices depending on each invaders¡¯ level, and there were hard caps on the number of invaders above level 50.


    So the various factions would train and level people to level 49, get them ready to advance, and then put them under deep sleep.  This was especially common among the Fey, who had a significantly smaller population than humans.


    There was a limit to the invader level, as well as the items that invaders could bring.  But there was no limit to skills invaders could have.  So virtually every invader would have a skill at A rank, or even S rank.


    Then there were the force multipliers.  The Necromancers, the Summoners, and so on.  It was common for factions to bring them in at level 49, help them reach 50, and then the native forces wouldn¡¯t stand a chance¡ªespecially since these Necromancers and Summoners would have A or S rank skills.


    The real battle would be the follow-up, between the various invading factions to see who would claim control of the planet.


    If we couldn¡¯t kill the World Lord and gain teleportation access to the Acclimated Worlds, then it wouldn¡¯t be a question of if we could defeat the invaders.  It would be a question of who to surrender to, and how to negotiate our surrender.


    Once we had our own teleporter, we could invite in reliable factions.  Most likely it would be Dawnbreaker¡¯s goddess¡¯ faction¡ªMira, the goddess of hope, wouldn¡¯t screw us over too hard.  With our own teleporter, there would be no limit to the number of people we could bring in, no limit to the levels, and no limit to the items.  A few dozen Aviatons, a couple of level 100+ soldiers, and the other forces would beg to retreat through the World Portal.


    I¡¯d seen it all before¡ªSamantha had several different sets of memories of people who had been through Acclimations before.


    Except, there was one thing I¡¯d never seen¡ª


    I¡¯d never seen the World Lord die before the sentient invaders came.

 Chapter 135: Antarctica

    Antarctica was cold, white, and bright.  Fortunately, between my increased Perception and Physical Defense, I didn¡¯t need sunglasses.  And thanks to my unisuit and the interior of the Aviaton, I wasn¡¯t particularly cold.


    Instead of a unisuit like the rest of us, Abelino had claimed a skill that formed a protective layer around him, functioning virtually the same as a suit¡ªexcept it could be used by all his clones at once.


    The layer had a metallic sheen that could reflect the sunlight almost as much as the snow and ice around us.


    Dawnbreaker squeezed next to Abelino inside the Aviaton, her silver suit somehow outshining even Abelino¡¯s armor.


    Fortunately, I had equipped the Aviaton with an Invisibility Rune Pattern.  Otherwise, these two glow sticks would doom us before we even started.


    Cy had opted not to come, calling himself a bit to squishy for such a high-stakes fight.  His pets were more useful against the hordes of monsters still attacking each city.


    Not far from our Aviaton, Liling, Absame, and Renshu flew on an undead wyvern.  They were also invisible to Mana Sensing and normal sight. Renshu, I had learned recently, was a Law Mage.


    Law Mages could either be the easiest type of opponents, or the worst.  They fought by bending reality¡¯s laws. Normally, people were required to pick up to three affinities, ruling out the possibility of an all-rounded magician.  But Law Mages could shrink space, slow or speed up perception of time, ignore gravity, and in this case, completely block my senses of the undead wyvern.  Combat Law Mages were rare¡ªLaw Mages worked best with significant amounts of time.  The few Law Mages who could alter reality in a matter of seconds, as opposed to minutes, were a nightmare to fight.


    ¡°It¡¯s a shame we don¡¯t have Evangeline,¡± Abelino said. He spoke with his usual straightforward tone; I couldn¡¯t tell if he was poking fun at me. ¡°Her void bolts would stand the best chance of anyone dealing damage to the dragon.¡±


    It was true.  Evangeline had all of us beat in terms of damage output.  Sure, Dawnbreaker and Abelino had Martial Energy abilities that could compare, but repeated use came at a greater cost.


    Fortunately, though, Evangeline was not here.  She had isolated Europe from the rest of the world after an incident with the rest of the New World Government.


    ¡°She¡¯s probably already surrendered to the Human Empire,¡± I said.


    Dawnbreaker sighed.


    We¡¯d been over this already, hashed this out multiple times.  Initially, when Evangeline tried to kill me, I thought it could be a quest that she had unlocked, or perhaps she had some ability to steal the skills or stats of the people she killed.


    She had played up her innocence so thoroughly that most of the New World Government believed her¡ªup until she made the mistake of trying to assassinate Liling in the middle of a battle against a Zone Lord.


    Unfortunately for Evangeline, she had poor choice of targets.  She tried to kill me, but I had Death¡¯s Defier to save me.


    Liling had already reached level 50 by the time Evangeline tried to assassinate her¡ªand she hadn¡¯t told anyone what her level 50 class upgrade was.


    Evangeline didn¡¯t know that Liling was a lich.


    Evangeline obliterated Liling¡¯s body with void magic, but that only sent Liling¡¯s consciousness back to wherever she had hidden her phylactery.


    The moment Evangeline failed, she activated some type of teleportation token.


    And then Europe went dark.


    It was obvious what was going on.


    I had fought Imperial Scouts, back before I had claimed Nova City.  Sending in scouts before the Schema officially allowed it was incredibly costly and dangerous¡ªit came at the risk of angering the Schema itself.This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    But with great risk comes greater rewards.  Maybe the Imperial Scouts held Evangeline¡¯s family hostage, or maybe they convinced her that resistance was futile, or maybe they bribed her with incredible wealth.


    Regardless, the only reason Evangeline would risk targeting Liling at this point would be if the Imperial Scouts were getting nervous.  Nervous that we might actually succeed at clearing out all the Zone Lords and World Lords before the Imperial Army could teleport in.


    I estimated that the chances of Evangeline and the Human Empire attempting to sabotage our battle against the Antarctic Ice Dragon were above 90%.


    As we flew above the icy landscape, I wondered idly how the Human Empire would find us.


    They had given Evangeline a teleportation token, but those had clear limitations. They couldn¡¯t just teleport in.


    I wish I knew Abasme and Renshu better.  Anyone could be bought, at the right price¡ªit just took time and leverage.  Evangeline may have had that time and leverage, but she probably burned bridges by trying to kill Liling.


    The Human Empire¡¯s scouts were not soldiers. They were infiltrators, saboteurs, and assassins.  They would have teleportation skills, impersonation skills, mind-reading skills, and tracking skills. But teleportation skills always had some kind of drawback.


    The first option was a token teleporter.  If one of us had a token or were marked somehow, then they could teleport to the token. Paired with a scrying ability, they could pick the most inopportune time.


    But they¡¯d have to already be in the same Zone as us¡ªbecause most teleportation skills couldn¡¯t cross zone boundaries.


    So they would impersonate whoever they need to get to a town as close as they could, use line-of-sight teleportation to get into the Antarctic Zone, and then they¡¯d be set to scry or teleport.


    Was this giving them too much credit?


    I laughed to myself, earning a glance from Dawnbreaker.


    Too much credit would be if they showed up with a fleet of Aviatons.  Even that was possible, though.


    It all depended on the projected value of the Earth once it finished Acclimating.


    ¡°So,¡± Dawnbreaker said, breaking the silence. ¡°If you were able to fight off five dragons simultaneously in the Tower, why is this dragon a big deal?¡±


    To clarify, Dawnbreaker was definitely not doubting that the last dragon was going to be a hell of a fight.  We all knew the pattern; it didn¡¯t take a data scientist to track this projection. District, Region, Zone, World.


    Dawnbreaker just seemed to think I was exaggerating my exploits.


    It was an interesting question, but in my mind, there was a more interesting one out there.


    In all the lives I had lived, I had never had such a high Luck stat in relation to everyone else around me.  And Luck often manifests in unpredictable ways.  Could the Schema have paired me against dragons because it knew that the World Lord would be a dragon? There were so many other types of monsters, what were the odds that I¡¯d fight against dragons twice? Three times if you count the wyverns?


    It was possible. Or I was just ¡°lucky,¡± with a lowercase L.


    Of course, as someone who had already fought dragons, it didn¡¯t make a difference to me.


    ¡°Those dragons were handicapped¡ªA real C-rank dragon at level 39 would have to be C-rank from birth, gaining approximately 10 points per level, meaning a total of 390 gained stat points,¡± I said.  ¡°But that would make it a disadvantage to challenge the Tower before level 50.   Fighting a C-rank monster at level 51¡ªwhich gained 50 levels as a D-rank monster¡ªwould actually be easier than challenging a C-rank monster at level 39 (in terms of raw stats).  So, the Tower nerfed the dragons that I fought, because it wants to incentivize lower-leveled challengers in the tower.


    ¡°Also, the dragon we¡¯re fighting today will also have numerous titles and boosts.¡±


    I paused, unsure if Dawnbreaker and Abelino had processed everything I had said.  It was hard sometimes, dealing with people. Not knowing what level of an explanation they were looking for.


    ¡°And, according to the scouts, this one is over four times the size of the dragons I fought.¡±


    Dawnbreaker didn¡¯t say anything else, and in the lingering silence, I started wondering if I had over-explained.


    ¡°I can sense the first target,¡± Liling¡¯s voice echoed in our minds.  We were using some expensive communication devices that didn¡¯t require Communication Towers¡ªthey worked as long as we were in the same Region, and they allowed us to ¡°speak¡± in each other¡¯s minds.


    ¡°It¡¯s still here,¡± Liling continued.


    It irked me, ever so slightly, that Liling could sense things before me.  I had C-ranked Mana Sensing, for Schema¡¯s sake. If only we had chosen Hell Mode.


    We were approaching a battleground.  There were rifts in the ground¡ªgreater than twenty feet deep¡ªand mounds of upturned snow, plowed or blown randomly around.


    And there were massive footprints¡ªfootprints longer than my arm.


    I could sense a dense cloud of death-attributed mana swirling around Liling, but I could also sense death-attributed mana in front of us.


    As we passed a fairly large peak¡ªmost likely the result of a battle¡ªI finally saw what Liling had already sensed.


    It was a Frost Giant¡¯s corpse, about thirty feet tall, its thick skin shredded by icicles.


    Liling dismounted from the wyvern and started chanting, and the dense death-attributed mana multiplied.


    Renshu and Absame stood protectively nearby.


    One of Abelino¡¯s scouts had spotted the Frost Giant and the dragon fighting earlier. He hadn¡¯t seen the victor, but there were some battles that were a foregone conclusion.


    The Frost Giant probably never landed a single blow on the dragon.

 Chapter 136: Interlude: Evangeline

    Hindsight was 20/20.  Knowing how things would end up two weeks after Acclimation, would she still have sided with the Human Empire?


    Evangeline wasn¡¯t actually sure.


    It was obvious that the way things had played out was less than ideal.  Of course, she could blame circumstances, luck, even the gods themselves¡ªbut while she was rarely honest with others, she at least took pride in being honest with herself.


    Every Hell Mode Challenger had the opportunity to align with and receive power from a god. Dawnbreaker had chosen Mira, the goddess of hope. Liling had chosen Halgriva, the goddess of death. Abelino had refused all of the gods.


    Evangeline had chosen Akrin, the god of assassination.


    And she had a standing quest to kill as many of the Hell Mode Challengers as possible.  Each kill would reward her with a C-rank void skill or spell.


    Most people in the world were selfish, Evangeline was just more honest with herself about it.


    The world was falling apart, and the deity offering the greatest rewards came at a cost that she was willing to bear.


    This was a world of survival of the fittest, and so survival meant being the fittest.


    So she chose to be an assassin.


    She was obviously biased¡ªas an assassin targeting the strongest defenders of Earth, of course she would want to ally with the invaders. The incentives clearly lined up.


    But even if she weren¡¯t an assassin, even if she were still in good standing with the New World Government, she would still want to join the Human Empire.


    Aligning with the Human Empire was the natural choice that nobody else seemed to accept.


    Evangeline had been skeptical, at first.  But there were truth serums available in the Merchant Faction stores, and the scouts that she had captured from the Human Empire had been willing to testify.


    What they revealed had been troubling.  There were virtually no unaffiliated planetary governments. Nine out of ten planets were conquered within the first two months of Acclimation.  Planets conquered by the Fey clans or Metan alliance faced the worst fate, forced to extract the resources of their own planet, required to meet unreasonable quotas, unable to level effectively. Humans would have no say in the government, in the laws, and they would have next to no rights.  It was, in essence, enslaving the population of the entire world.


    Even for the planets that conquered the World Boss, and formed ties with one of the factions that didn¡¯t invade other planets, the prognosis was rough.  The factions that didn¡¯t invade other planets were far weaker than the invaders, so joining such factions was a losing battle.


    Evangeline had spent thousands of coins on information missives from the Merchant Faction to confirm this information.


    And she concluded that surrendering to the Human Empire was the best option, independent of her own situation.  The Human Empire didn¡¯t provide the same level of freedom as the factions that didn¡¯t invade other planets.  But it was better to be on the winning team, with less freedom, than the losing team, because all the freedom in the world would only last until your world gets captured again.


    Of course, there were also the personal benefits. The Human Empire was as close to a true meritocracy as possible¡ªand the merits behind a virtually bloodless takeover of the planet would be incredible.


    Everyone would have the chance to level up, they would still have relative autonomy, and the naturalization process was incredibly straightforward for humans who never fought back against the Human Empire.  The people of Earth would be welcomed with open arms.


    Yes, school would look more like military training camps.  Yes, they would be joining a faction that creates wealth by expanding and conquering other worlds.  But that was the nature of reality, now.


    Even if her Hell Mode compatriots were able to kill the World Boss, and even if whichever faction they invited onto Earth was as reliable as they claimed, allowing them to fight off the invasions of the Human Empire, the Fey clans, the Metans¡ªin the long run, they would be tied to the side of a losing war.


    There was a reason Dawnbreaker¡¯s goddess¡ªlikely the goddess of the faction that her Hell mode compatriots would run to---was the goddess of hope. If you¡¯re losing, then you¡¯re hoping for a long-shot chance at victory.


    Hell-mode companions and the one wanna-be.


    Evangeline watched from a safe distance as Jarek Novak stabbed his sword into the scaley hide of the Ice Dragon.


    The aim, timing, and positioning of the attack was perfect.  Half the challenge that Abelino, Dawnbreaker Jarek, Liling, Absame, and Renshu faced was that thick layers of ice coated the dragon.  So it took a blast from Abelino¡¯s Aviaton, followed by a beam of golden light from Dawnbreaker¡¯s sword, for Jarek to be able to stab the sword into dragon¡¯s hide.


    They seemed to be going for one of the muscles or tendons that controlled the wing.


    The ice dragon roared as its blood froze before it could touch the ground.


    How Jarek Novak kept up with the others was a mystery to her.Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°You said Jarek was the one who made the Aviaton?¡± Sett asked from beside her.


    There were two imperial scouts with her, ready to help her defeat the Hell Mode Challengers.


    Sett was a support-type. He could reset cooldowns, and he had created the invisibility barrier that kept anyone from noticing them.  He also could teleport people long distances.


    It was his teleportation ability, combined with his ability reset, that had brought them here in time to interfere in this battle against the Ice Dragon.


    Sett himself wasn¡¯t much of a damage dealer¡ªthat¡¯s where Gladius came in.  The two of them were clearly used to being partners. Sett could teleport Gladius into close range, and Gladius¡¯ close-range abilities were lethal.


    With Evangeline filling out the long range, high damage abilities, they would make a good team.


    Jarek dodged the Ice Dragon¡¯s angry, retaliatory swipe by inches, catching the force on his blade and using that force to propel him away from the irate dragon even faster.


    His unisuit was a strange one¡ªtentacles reaching out from his spine somehow functioned as multi-directional thrusters, allowing him to fly around with incredible precision.


    ¡°He made the Aviaton, he earned Death¡¯s Defier, and he is a D-rank Mana Modulator,¡± Evangeline recapped.


    It was Death¡¯s Defier that irked her the most.  Evangeline¡¯s assassination track record was abysmal.  Death¡¯s Defier was a broken skill.


    But it wasn¡¯t nearly as broken as trying to assassinate a lich.


    If she could go back in time, would she make the same decision to side with the Human Empire?


    Probably.  Because she would know to kill Liling before she hit level 50, and to kill Jarek twice. From a distance.


    Even the other Hell Mode Challengers from Europe¡ªshe had thought she could backstab them in the battle against the Sandman, but she had been forced to run from the illusions, leaving two Hell Mode Challengers in the Sandman¡¯s grasp.


    So many missed opportunities.


    ¡°He probably is either possessed, or he overcame possession,¡± Sett concluded, as he watched Jarek fight. ¡°He¡¯s too good at using his abilities.  And the Mentalist Cooperative was supposed to control North America anyway, which clearly didn¡¯t happen.  They were probably the fodder that helped him grow into this.


    ¡°Don¡¯t target him first,¡± Sett continued.  ¡°His reflexes are far too good, and he likely has some kind of danger sense to get this far.  There is no value for you in targeting the lich, likewise for the duplicator.  And the golden girl¡¯s armor might tank your first hit.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Evangeline said.  The Imperial Scouts had a habit of treating her like an ignorant girl. The frustrating thing is that she often was when it came to the Schema. ¡°Absame is too tanky as well. So Renshu first.¡±


    Renshu was flying on the undead wyvern with Liling and Absame.


    ¡°Wait for the dragon to make its move,¡± Sett said.  ¡°Once Absame¡¯s shield and Renshu¡¯s portals are under pressure.¡±


    Evangeline sighed at the micromanagement, but said nothing.


    Absame was using his martial energy to shield the whole undead wyvern, and Liling was maintaining a constant spell that seemed to be siphoning off the dragon¡¯s huge mana reserves. Evangeline¡¯s Mage Sight showed vast portions of ice-attributed mana being converted into death-attributed mana, which was reinforcing the undead wyvern¡¯s body. With how the wyvern was quickly becoming faster and stronger, Evangeline guessed that, given enough time, Liling could turn her undead wyvern into a beast that could rival the dragon.


    The ice dragon had a three-fold attack.   It created massive blizzards which would hamper the movement and visibility of anyone nearby.  It had never-ending supplies of icicles that constantly battered its enemy¡ªsome were the sizes of needles, and others were the size of streetlights.  And of course, it used its own body¡ªclaws, jaws, and tail, primarily¡ªto try to shred through its enemies.


    Renshu¡¯s job was to keep the battlefield as clear as possible.  He was rapidly vanishing the snow and ice around the undead wyvern.


    The undead wyvern, along with its riders, was surrounded by a massive sphere, which Renshu had created.  Any snow or ice that crossed the sphere vanished, as if it had never existed.


    It was an incredibly effective defense against the dragon¡¯s ranged attacks, and the unbelievable part was that Renshu had been keeping it up for several minutes already, with no signs of flagging.


    ¡°Don¡¯t count on your Void Bolt to break the sphere,¡± Sett said.  ¡°Give it a minute.  A World Boss wouldn¡¯t die this easily.¡±


    Evangeline waited.


    Abelino and Dawnbreaker scored another wound against the dragon. Abelino¡¯s shot landed on the dragon upper chest, and Dawnbreaker¡¯s beam of light followed immediately after, in exactly the same spot.


    Then, as Jarek flew towards the dragon, it happened.


    From Evangeline¡¯s perspective, it seemed as if time froze.  Everything around the ice dragon gained a white sheen, locked in place.


    Mage Sight showed a latticework of ice crystals forming a massive dome around the ice dragon.


    The undead wyvern was motionless in the air, wings frozen mid-beat.


    Jarek was motionless just a foot away from the dragon, his sword locked in place.


    It was mystical, beautiful, and terrifying.


    Only Abelino¡¯s Aviaton was out of the dragon¡¯s range.


    He fired the mana cannon towards the dragon, but the mana fizzled out as it travelled towards the dragon, impacting on layer upon layer of ice crystals. By the time it reached the dragon, the only sign of its existence was an icy comet lingering in the air.


    ¡°Ice Domain,¡± Sett whispered, in awe.  ¡°Get ready.¡±


    The dragon ignored Jarek, flying directly towards the undead wyvern.


    It threw its body against Renshu¡¯s spherical barrier and the barrier popped like a soap bubble.


    Absame¡¯s Martial Energy still provided an additional layer of defense, but with a single swipe of a claw, Absame¡¯s energy field vanished.


    A claw headed for Absame. A flurry of icicles shot towards Liling. The dragon¡¯s tail slapped towards Renshu.


    Evangeline felt a moment of panic. If the dragon killed them, then that would be three C-rank skills she would miss out on.


    But if there was anything she had learned so far, it was that you shouldn¡¯t underestimate Hell-Mode Challengers.


    A weak, flickering Domain spread from Liling.  Death-attuned mana fought the ice-attuned mana, and the riders of the undead wyvern burst into action.


    Absame¡¯s Martial Energy coated all three of them just in time to defend against the dragon¡¯s attacks.


    The flurry of icicles turned Liling into a porcupine. Absame¡¯s shield actually blocked the claw that swiped at him.


    The tail slammed against Renshu, and he went flying into the air, off the wyvern, Absame¡¯s Martial Energy flickering around him.


    Void Lock.


    Void Bolt.


    Void Bolt.


    Evangeline¡¯s three skills were nearly instantaneous, thanks to her triple-casting ability. Void Lock trapped Renshu in place, freezing him even as he fell towards the ground. Then, two Void Bolts landed. The first shredded any remaining shields around him, and the second left a three-inch hole in his head.


    It was blatantly unfair. Renshu¡¯s abilities required time to manifest, and between the double lock down, he never had a chance to defend himself.


    ¡°Done,¡± Evangeline said, after receiving the experience.


    Abelino¡¯s Aviaton was turning towards their location, but Sett had been waiting.


    With a flicker of mana, they teleported to a new location.

 Chapter 137: Finale

    I was still frozen in place when I watched Renshu die, so I had time to think.


    Evangeline was here.  I wasn¡¯t surprised, and in fact, I was almost relieved that her first move was strategically insignificant.


    Not to diminish the importance of Renshu in this battle, but it would actually have been true for anyone except Dawnbreaker.  Me, Absame, Liling, or Abelino could have died and as long as Dawnbreaker was alive with some support, we would still have a decent shot at taking out the World Boss.


    We were still completely capable of killing the dragon.  This was not a decapitating blow (except in the most literal sense); this was a nervous, probing attack.


    An invisible teleport meant that they had a small group of people, probably not more than four.


    If they had more people¡ªespecially more ranged fighters¡ªthey would have used that opportunity to kill more of us.


    We had four options, at this point. We could abandon the mission. We could try to kill the dragon quickly. We could chase down Evangeline. Or, we could bait Evangeline into attacking again.


    Finally, Liling¡¯s domain reached me, and I could move.  The Ice Dragon¡¯s domain had been a wake-up call. It didn¡¯t matter how skilled I was, how perfectly I planned everything.  I was outclassed, and weak.  It was only because the Ice Dragon didn¡¯t view me as a threat that I was still alive.  If the Ice Dragon had attacked me, I would have had to activate Death¡¯s Defier, and then Evangeline might have killed me too.


    I backed away from the Ice Dragon, and messaged the group.  We had upgraded Communication Amulets¡ªexpensive ones that didn¡¯t require a local Communication Tower to function.


    ¡°Abelino, ready the Zone Surveyor,¡± I said.  ¡°I¡¯ll kill it quickly, so be ready for them to try to steal the loot.  Liling, back off.  Dawnbreaker, help buy us some time.¡±


    As the undead wyvern tried to fly away, the Ice Dragon moved again.


    Dawnbreaker sent a powerful golden blade at its torso that made it rear its head back in pain, and then I fired my mana cannon down its open throat.


    This still wasn¡¯t enough to seriously wound it, but it bought Liling some time to back away.


    I followed Liling, and it felt like I was moving through molasses.  Thanks to Liling¡¯s efforts, the Ice Domain wasn¡¯t enough to lock me in place, but it did slow me down considerably.


    I poured more power into my mana cannon thrusters, propelling myself even faster until I landed awkwardly on the undead wyvern next to Liling and Absame.  Liling looked paler than usual, and it wasn¡¯t just due to the dozens of icicles piercing through her body.  Through Mana Sensing, I could tell she was pushing her domain to its limit.


    ¡°We can¡¯t let it recover,¡± I said.  ¡°We have to end this before it recoups the mana cost and the Ice Domain cooldown resets.¡±


    I took a breath.  Under no circumstances would this have ever been the ideal build, or the ideal finishing blow.


    It was becoming something of a habit, and I wasn¡¯t proud of that fact at all.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go in for the kill.  Abelino, run the Zone Surveyor right after I make my move.  Dawnbreaker, make a final opening. Liling, hide me from view.¡±


    I crouched behind a makeshift curtain of darkness atop the undead wyvern, and started switching out my gear.


    ¡°You sure about this?¡± Dawnbreaker asked, gently.


    I shrugged. ¡°Even if I die, at least I¡¯ll go out with a bang.¡±


    Nobody laughed, or even groaned.


    ¡°Get out of here before you blow all of us up,¡± Liling said, gruffly.


    I had changed into protective, D-rank robes with a large backpack.


    ***


    Let¡¯s take a step back.  Currently, I was the only C-rank rune master on the planet.  I could make C-rank shields and a C-rank mana cannon.  A C-rank mana cannon would normally be capable of completely utilizing the energy in a Mana Orb.


    In my backpack, I carried a Compressed Mana Orb¡ªvery possibly one of the most expensive items on the planet.


    The going rate for a Mana Crystal at the Merchant Faction store was 5 million coins.  A Mana Orb contained the energy of a hundred Mana Crystals. Then, there was the added cost of compressing the energy in something that would naturally be the size of a boulder into something more useable.Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    We were talking at least 500 million coins.


    Fortunately, I was able to make this myself at Nova City. So, the 500 million coins was more the opportunity cost, than the actual cost.


    But this was a sure-fire way to kill the Ice Dragon.


    And presumably, the one-hit-kill would take Evangeline by surprise.


    The biggest danger was that I was the mana cannon in this situation. And I did not have C-rank durability, which meant firing a Mana Orb would be enough to kill me.


    But I did have Death¡¯s Defier.  This would just be a question of timing.


    ***


    I flew under an invisibility cloak towards the Ice Dragon.  I didn¡¯t expect the invisibility cloak to completely mask my presence.  But it would help hide the fact that I was carrying a weapon that could take out the shields of any city in the world right now in a single hit.


    If I were already C-rank, then I wouldn¡¯t even need to approach the Ice Dragon.  I could just hit it with my mana cannon from afar.  But there were so many penalties to trying to fire a high energy weapon with a weak cannon. I couldn¡¯t count on hitting my target.  So I needed to go for a localized explosion.


    As I approached, Dawnbreaker stabbed her blade deep into the Ice Dragon¡¯s underbelly, just where its legs met its chest.


    The dragon roared in pain, and I made my move.


    I flew into the dragon¡¯s open mouth, put all of my mana into Luck, and immediately fired the Compressed Mana Orb in my backpack.


    Although, it was closer to an explosion than firing a weapon.


    You have reached 0 HP.


    Your skill ¡°Death¡¯s Defier¡± has taken effect. +1 HP


    Congratulations! You have slain the World Lord. +100 free Stat Points.


    You have completed the mission, Slay the World Lord.


    Reward: 1 Schema Treasury Token (B-rank)


    Level up! (to level 42)


    Level up! (to level 43)


    Level up! (to level 44)


    I let myself smile as my body healed from the Level-ups. Now, for the clean-up.


    As I fell to the ground, a veritable treasure-trove of items, spell books, and more fell with me.


    I allocated most of my free stats as I searched for the World City Token.  Luck, Physical Defense, Mana Regeneration, and Mana Pool.


    I temporarily moved thirty mana into Perception, and thirty into Agility.


    With a total of 50 perception, I gained 360 degree vision.   Augmented by Mana Sensing, I immediately noticed the World City Token falling through the snowy air.


    I sped that direction, but I sensed someone else appearing ahead of me.


    The teleportation wasn¡¯t subtle, but it was timed perfectly.


    The man appeared midair below the World City Token, and he caught it easily in his left hand.


    He wore a full suit of grey, metallic armor, and his right hand held a large sword.


    I, on the other hand, had no weapons, or armor to speak of.  My D-rank defensive robes were completely shredded.


    I flew towards the man anyway.


    He swung his sword at me, but he didn¡¯t have nearly my maneuverability in the air¡ªhe was still falling, but I was flying.


    I dodged his sword with ease, slipped into his guard and fired Cursed Lightning right at his chest.


    He had no chance to dodge, as he was still falling, and the lightning killed him immediately.


    I snatched the World City token out of his hand, and sensed a Void Lock coming my way.


    I flung myself more than flew out of the way, and the follow-up Void Bolts flew past me harmlessly.


    Then I let myself fall to the ground and focused on collecting the rest of the loot as Dawnbreaker, Absame, Liling, and Abelino chased Evangeline and her companion with a vengeance.


    In a matter of seconds, they were outside of my range of Mana Sensing.  Presumably, Evangeline and her companion were teleporting away, but Abelino¡¯s Zone Surveyor and Aviaton should be able to catch them.


    I was left alone with the treasures.


    It left me wondering how many of these treasures I could secretly claim. Thanks to my increased Luck when I killed the dragon, this was an incredible haul.


    There were three C-rank spells: Ice Domain, Ice Shield, Ice Blade.  There was a C-rank Ice Attuned Mana Core.


    It really made me jealous of water and ice-attuned mages.  The ratio of water and ice attuned loot that I had found over the last two weeks was ridiculous¡ªuntil you considered that 71% of the Earth was covered by water.


    I would be tempted to try to sneak some of these away, but I didn¡¯t even have my Interdimensional Pouch.


    I was so lost in thought that I was caught by surprise when someone appeared right behind me. He wore thick, leathery robes. His bald head and high eyebrows were glistening with from the snow, and he held a dagger in one hand.


    Evangeline¡¯s teleporting friend.  And no sign of the rest of my team.


    I immediately tried to raise my Agility and Physical Defense with mana, but nothing happened.


    The man opposite me smirked.


    A silencing skill. It was basically the perfect counter to my build.


    A Void Lock was coming, and I wouldn¡¯t be fast enough to dodge it.


    I ran some quick calculations in my head. A teleporter. A Silencer.


    He held a blade in his hand, but there was no way he would have exceptional Agility.


    I sighed, mentally. I hadn¡¯t allocated all of my points, and it looks like they had a new destination. Fortunately, Silencing spells can¡¯t stop you from allocating free points¡ªit can only stop you from using skills and spells and items.


    I placed the last of my points into Agility, stepped forward, and spun the man into the incoming Void Lock, twisting his arm behind his back.


    The man teleported away just a few feet away¡ªbringing me with him out of necessity¡ªin order to avoid the Void Lock.


    I twisted the man¡¯s dagger, trying to bring it towards his own neck, but I had relatively low Strength.  The man chanted something, and I felt time slow down around me.


    A Void Lock spell flew at me again, and this time, I knew I wouldn¡¯t be able to dodge.


    But I didn¡¯t have to.  Dawnbreaker flew towards us like a comet. She wouldn¡¯t reach us in time, but she extended her Martial Energy out like a shield, shattering Evangeline¡¯s spell as it approached me.


    A split second later, she sent another lance of Martial Enerby through the bald man¡¯s head.


    I scanned the area with Mana Sensing, and saw the void mana from Evangeline¡¯s body slowly become death-attuned mana.


    ¡°We did it,¡± I said, releasing a pent-up sigh.


    Dawnbreaker nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s hope the loot distribution goes better than the battle.¡±

 Chapter 138: Epilogue

    The air in the cavern was suffocatingly dense, and it was only due to the B-rank unisuit that I had created specifically for this moment that I could withstand the intense mana fluctuations.


    I stood, and stared at the World Core.


    It was the most beautiful thing Jarek¡ªor Samantha¡ªhad ever seen.


    It was a living jewel, a shimmering, multifaceted structure still mostly buried in C-rank minerals. It provided enough light to turn what would otherwise be a gloomy cave into a nearly psychedelic experience. One could spend days just looking at the dancing patterns, gleaning hidden truths about the universe.


    The part of the World Core I had uncovered so far was the size of a modest house.


    It exhaled Aether, leaking energy into the world above me.


    Energy that was also feeding the Schema itself. This was how the Schema functioned, how it gained enough energy to find new worlds, and to maintain control of the ones it already had found. The Schema leeched energy from World Cores, turning what could otherwise be a stable system into an energy deficit.


    Thousands of miles above me, the residents of Earth were engaged in petty squabbles. Now that the external threats had been cleared, the internal divisions grew more apparent. Spawning dungeons made land grabs common, and Europe was hotly contested.


    Mira¡¯s Faction offered huge financial loans¡ªwith strings attached¡ªto aid in reconstruction, but Liling was hesitant to accept.


    The World City¡¯s teleporter gave humanity access to hundreds of other worlds, but it also enveloped Earth in futile struggle against various factions. As the newest member of Mira¡¯s Faction, we were obligated to provide soldiers to defend against Human Empire invasions.Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!


    The teleporter didn¡¯t connect to new worlds to explore, only old worlds to conquer or defend. And in the endless battle between the various factions, only the Schema came out ahead.


    I had claimed a support role, so I wouldn¡¯t have to battle on other planets. I claimed to focus on mining and progressing my Rune Master Profession.


    But my true priority lay here.


    It had taken years of preparation to get to this point.


    At first, every weekly Acclimation, with every point placed in Luck, standing at the base of the Aether vent in Nova City.


    And then, the yearly Acclimations, the adjustments as the Schema fine-tuned the Earth¡¯s mana balance and ecosystems.


    Every point placed in Luck brought me here, a single tunnel that delved all the way to the Earth¡¯s core.


    And above me was the tip of a single root. A taproot that ran thousands of miles through the Earth¡¯s core to the base of Earth¡¯s incarnation of Yggdrasil, the World Tree.


    Normally, an Aether Vent would be conspicuous due to the vast amounts of Aether and Mana that get released into the atmosphere. But in this case, the World Tree absorbed the vast majority of the energy from the Aether Vent.


    If I had decided to instead uproot the World Tree, and monetize my Aether vent, then by now¡ªafter just a few years of accumulation¡ªI would have enough money to buy an E-rank planet.


    I waited. As the root grew closer, the Aether density lessened, and the pressure on my suit grew more manageable.


    The root grew about a foot per second, and I watched. And waited.


    It touched the World Core lightly, and then seemed to thicken. Rather than grow longer, it grew thicker.


    I watched, and waited.


    The root branched out, digging into the C-rank metals around the World Core for purchase.


    And then, with inexorable pressure, it pierced the World Core.


    I placed my hand on Yggdrasil¡¯s root, placed a few hundred mana into Mental Power, and wished.


    I pictured a world where the Schema had never reached.


    A world with magic but no levels, or status windows. A world of true magitech, with nuclear weapons that could destroy planets, and space ships that can travel through the void.


    I pictured the city of Esther, with skyscrapers that pierced the clouds, the home of millions of Schema fugitives.


    I pictured the world that housed powerhouses that even the Schema feared.


    Take me to Excelsian.