ã€ŠRise of the Godkingã€‹


 1 Prologue

    [World Domination System booting up.

    Current World: Mainland

    Host Status: Near-death

    Current Goal: Survive

    Overall Goal: Dominate and Conquer the world!]

    ''W¡­what?''

    As a flat, emotionless voice echoed in his ears, Daneel awoke from what felt like a year-long slumber.

    His thoughts were muddled, his mind slow. As he struggled to escape the clutches of the darkness that kept calling to him alluringly, he realized that something¡­felt wrong.

    His senses returned to him one-by-one.

    First, he tasted something metallic on his tongue.

    Then, a clamor of many voices speaking at once reached his ears. It made him wince, but when the sensation of touch arrived hand-in-hand with a flood of pain, that wince turned into a grimace.

    His eyes snapped open, but closed again when the sunlight blinded him momentarily. He could hear people walking away, now, and as he fought with the impulse to scream due to the agony that filled his body, a terrifying realization dawned upon him.

    He¡­had no memory of who he was.

    He knew his name, but when he searched his mind desperately, he only found flashes of images he couldn''t understand.

    An empty patch of shimmering water, with the air above it filled with dazzling light.

    A group of people looking at him confidently, their faces familiar, but alien at the same time.

    A pair of women who were smiling at him, and a pair of men who were looking off, into the distance.

    And at last¡­millions of men and women lying on the ground, as if dead.

    He felt a pang of longing and hope and grief when he saw each one, but that was it.

    Struggling to his feet and gasping due to the effort, he looked around and zeroed in on a bucket of water nearby.

    Crawling half the way, he somehow kept the pain at bay as he made his way in its direction. As soon as he reached it, he bent over the water¡­and the face that looked back at him was one he had never seen before.

    All at once, it became too much to bear. He fell on the ground, and the wave of unconsciousness he had been holding off arrived with renewed vigor.

    Before returning to the pit of darkness, one thought echoed in his mind, over and over again, but even as the flat voice returned to give him an answer¡­he drifted away, and left the land of the conscious.

    ''Wh-who¡­am I?''

 2 Waking Up

    Even though he didn''t remember feeling any of them, he dreamed of a world filled with laughter and joy.

    The faces he had seen before in those flashes kept appearing, and each time that happened, it was as if their names, identities, and stories were on the very tip of his tongue.

    Alas, each time, as they disappeared, he felt himself running after them and stumbling on the way, before losing himself in a different dream.

    When he finally awoke, it was once again to the sound of people talking.

    This time, all of his senses returned at once. The pain was once again like a knife that cut straight through his spine, but thankfully, it wasn''t as bad as before. Slowly, he realized that there was a faint sting to the wounds that he hadn''t felt before, which probably meant that he had received care of some kind.

    There was a different pressing concern that made him almost open his eyes and search for someone, anyone nearby. His throat was so parched that it felt as if he hadn''t drunk anything in years, but before he re-entered the world, he heard something that made him pause.

    "Daniel¡­"

    Even though it sounded a bit different, the name was similar to his own. Curiosity fought with the desire to ask for water, but an instant later, when he heard the rest of the sentence, the former won out.

    "¡­is going to be hanged. There''s no getting around it. Why the hell did you waste precious medical supplies on him?"

    Keeping his eyes closed, he decided to listen to the conversation. For the briefest of moments, he wondered whether it was disingenuous to do so¡­ but for some reason, it was easy to shove away this thought.

    He then felt bewilderment as he realized what he had done, and it made him return to the question he had asked before falling unconscious. This also made him recall that someone had given him an answer, but before he asked it again, he perked up his ears and focused on the conversation being carried out near him.

    "We are healers, Sebastien! We took an oath to help whoever we could, no matter the circumstances!"

    "You¡­idiot! We''re not healers¡­ we''re slaves, like everyone else here! We do what our master orders us to do! He didn''t order us to save his son, who was kicked out to die¡­ so when he finds out what you''ve done, we''re screwed! He might even give us to the dogs!"

    The man who was berating the other spoke agitatedly, and when he said the last line, his voice broke with what could only be fear.

    The other man took a few seconds to give his response, but when he did, it was in a tone that brooked no arguments.

    "What will happen, will happen. Isn''t that the saying of all slaves? Even if I die tomorrow, I want to give myself to the earth knowing that I stayed true to my oath. Can you say the same?"

    "You''re hopeless. I''m going to¡­never mind."

    He heard the sound of footsteps storming away, and then, a different, quieter sound reached his ears. Realizing that the man he had been eavesdropping on until now was coming in his direction, he closed his eyes tightly, wanting to convince him that he was definitely still asleep.

    Yet, with a chuckle, he soon heard him say, "I thought you were supposed to be sly? No one closes their eyes with so much force when they''re asleep, unless they''re having a prolonged nightmare¡­ and when that happens, most don''t return."

    Seeing that the ruse was up, he opened his eyes and looked at the man apologetically. It was then that he saw that a pail of water was by his bedside, on a wooden table.

    Raising himself, he quickly reached for it. Almost immediately, he had no choice but to stop when he felt a sudden ache all over his body that threatened to send him right back where he had just come from. He bit his lip and drew blood, but that did nothing to help with what he was feeling all over.

    When he opened his eyes again, he saw the pail in front of him. Taking it with one hand, he greedily swallowed mouthful after mouthful of the clear, cool water. It had a faint aftertaste that wasn''t altogether unpleasant, and when the pail was empty, he looked at it and sighed.

    "More? Well, give me a second."

    As if reading his mind, the man walked to the corner of the room, and Daneel found an opportunity to study his surroundings. He was in a small hut that was empty, for the most part. There was only a bed, an old wooden storage cabinet that looked like it would collapse if even an ounce of force was applied to it, and a clay pot in front of which his savior was bent, refilling the pail that he had just emptied.

    His gaze lingered on the man, and he gasped when he registered what he was seeing.

    The man was wearing faded rags that barely covered his body. His back was visible through the many holes in his clothes, and on it, Daneel saw innumerable crisscrossing scars. Some were old, having healed and left behind their mark, while others looked tender, as if they had come to be only recently.

    When the man rose, Daneel was finally able to see his face. It was wrinkled and sunburnt, with a shaggy beard that covered almost everything below his nose. His chest and stomach were scarred, too, making him look like a beaten man, defeated by everything that life had thrown at him.

    Yet, when he saw Daneel looking at him, he smiled, and the impression melted away like snow on a sunny morning.

    It was a smile filled with kindness that even reached his eyes and set them aglow with joy, and seeing it, he was suddenly reminded of one of the faces he had found in his mind. It was of an aged, clean-shaven man with salt and pepper hair, but before he could investigate the reason behind the connection, the sound of someone banging on the door made them both turn around.

    "Reese, open up! The master''s calling for ya! My whip is oiled and waiting! Don''t ya miss it? Open up!"

    The old man dropped the pail and took a step back, his eyes widening as they locked onto the door as if a monster lay behind it.

    "I heaaarrddd you! Come out!"

    In a singsong voice, the one outside spoke again. It made the old man spring out of his daze, but instead of following the command, he ran toward the cabinet.

    Taking out a blanket that lay within, he quickly reached Daneel. Throwing it over him, he whispered, "Act as if you''re asleep. But remember: relax your eyes."

    Daneel nodded, caught up in the panic that was spurring on the old man''s movements. He obediently laid down and closed his eyes, and at that exact moment, he heard the sound of the door flying off its hinges. Even before it thundered to the muddy ground, the one outside had reached the bed.

    "Playing deaf, huh? Maybe I should take away yer ears, and then, ya won''t have to act! Come on!"

    The sound of someone choking reached his ears, and Daneel knew that the one who had arrived must have caught the old man by his throat.

    Suddenly, he felt like getting up and hitting the newcomer. It was an impulse so strong that it made his hand shake, but at the last moment, he managed to control himself.

    ''Ok¡­what was that?''

    Before he could look for an answer, he heard the sound of two people leaving; one on his feet, and one being dragged. Finally, silence fell upon the hut, and for a moment, he felt so alone that it was difficult to bear.

    The feeling was quickly replaced by the anguish that had swept over him before, when he had seen that face that he hadn''t been able to recognize. He knew that it didn''t make sense, but just like then, he asked the question that was bothering him the most¡­and when the answer arrived, it left him lying there, stunned.

    ''Who¡­am I?''

    [All memories, including those of the original occupant of host''s body have been locked.

    Memories of original occupant will be unlocked on host''s command. It is recommended to find a secluded location before giving the command, as assimilation can take time.

    Memories of host are locked for the protection of host. They will be unlocked when a hidden condition is fulfilled.

    Hidden condition can be pursued by finishing missions given by the system.

    First mission has been created.

    Name: ''Escape Death''

    Rewards shall be revealed upon completion.]

 3 Memories

    ''My memories are¡­ locked?''

    It took an entire minute for him to register the revelation. Even then, he could only look at the dim rays of sunlight that were piercing through the blanket and blink in a daze.

    He finally formed this thought after going over what the voice had said multiple times. It was hard to believe, but then, a different thought came to him.

    ''Isn''t it better to find out that they''re locked¡­ instead of having to deal with the uncertainty that they might be lost, forever?''

    The silver lining made him feel better. The silence around him also helped immensely in letting him calm down. Deciding that it was the right thing to do, he emptied his mind, seeking to go forward with clarity instead of confusion.

    Lying on the bed that dug into his back in five different places, he closed his eyes and took in a few deep breaths. When he opened them again, he was ready to begin.

    First, he thought about everything that he knew about himself at the moment. He knew that his name was Daneel, even though he had heard himself be called differently. He clung to the belief that this was his real name as he had been able to recall it as soon as he woke up, and no matter what anyone said, that was how he would call himself.

    It wasn''t hard to recall the first thing he had heard after waking up. The voice had said that he was in a place called the ''Mainland'', and it had also given its name.

    ''World domination system. System, system, system¡­ why does that word sound so familiar?''

    It almost felt as if he had said it so many times that it felt natural on his tongue. He pondered on it for a few seconds, but seeing that he had hit a brick wall, again, he went back to that first message.

    He recalled the overall goal it had mentioned, next, and slowly¡­ he began to realize something.

    His memories were certainly locked, but his feelings were not. Different ideas and even words were making him feel different things, and from these feelings, he saw that he might be able to find clues about who he really was.

    The idea made him feel happy, and the experience of rediscovering this emotion felt¡­ good. It also made his mind speed up perceptibly, so he reflected that incessant worry was like a rock that was bearing him down.

    He wanted to test the idea immediately, so he repeated the goal over and over again to himself.

    ''Dominate and conquer the world. Dominate and conquer the world¡­''

    The more he ruminated over the phrase, the more it felt¡­ right.

    ''It''s working!''

    As happiness filled his mind, he felt his lips stretch, while the corners rose. It took a moment to realize that he was smiling for the first time since waking up, and he enjoyed the sensation, letting all other thoughts drift, forgotten, for a few seconds.

    Suddenly, the sounds of someone walking by the hut made the feeling disappear. Remembering what the old man had said, he relaxed his eyes and pretended to be asleep, and a few seconds later, the steps receded and silence returned.

    He hadn''t heard what they were talking about, but they had reminded him of the conversation he had overheard.

    ''I''m going to be hanged? But why?! What did I do?''

    This seemed to be the most pressing issue, at the moment. Like the voice had said, he needed to survive if he wanted to find answers, and as soon as he became aware of this, he also noticed something else.

    ''Answers. Yes¡­ at any cost, I must find them, and for that, I must live.''

    This thought made him feel something stronger than everything he had experienced so far. Immediately, he identified it to be the determination to do something he had set his mind on, and at once, he discerned something that felt important.

    ''This tenacity¡­ is precious. It feels like a strength that I''ve retained even though I''ve lost my memory¡­ so I must use it well.''

    As the thought passed his mind, his smile returned, and in the next second, he knew what he had to do.

    ''But how should I do it?''

    The question stumped him for a few seconds, but the answer arrived when he went back to the moment before he had received this latest message.

    Hesitantly, he spoke in his mind.

    ''Uh¡­ World domination system? I want you to unlock the memories.''

    This also reminded him of how the voice had told him that he had taken over the body of someone else, but he filed this away as something else that he would deal with later, after the most pressing question about his fate was answered.

    Even though he had been hoping that it would happen, he flinched when the voice returned.

    [Command received. Releasing lock.]

    Instantly, it felt as if a door had opened inside him, and within lay a flood of images and sounds that swept over everything on his mind. Each and every one was crystal clear. For a few seconds, he let himself be swept away by the flood, but after recalling that he didn''t know how much time he had, he pulled himself out with effort and wondered what he should do.

    ''Skim. Yes¡­ I should skim! I''ll go through it all quickly, and draw a general picture¡­''

    Setting himself to the task, he lost himself in it. It let him forget everything else at the moment, and this felt like a blessing.

    An unknown amount of time later, he once again pulled himself out of the deluge that was just now settling down into some corner of his mind. He still felt unaccustomed to knowing that they all represented what he, or at least, what his body had lived through until now, but he was slowly getting used to this fact.

    After spending a few more moments to concatenate what he had seen, he scrunched up his eyes and began to summarise his past.

    ''My name, or at least, the name of this body is¡­ Daniel Jerrock. I am one of the six sons of the master of this village. I grew up with¡ªoh, crap, that''s really a ton of it¡ªwith a lot of pampering. I was given everything I asked for. My father owns a lot of slaves, and after watching my brothers, I started terrorizing every slave and villager I could find. I took pleasure from it¡­and for almost all of my life so far, I''ve been quite happy. I liked training, painting, and¡­ learning about torture. Really? Come on! Ah, I''ll just finish, first¡­ anyway, I was going to be sent to a special school when I turned sixteen, but just yesterday, my father somehow found out that I was not born to him. My mother died long ago, but details of an affair she had were revealed¡­ and I was kicked out of the household. Using the opportunity to get their revenge, the people almost beat me to death¡­ and that''s the last thing I remember.''

    Even after stopping the summary, Daneel couldn''t get over the memories of all the pain he had inflicted. He remembered dragging away the daughters of slaves to do what he wanted, setting impossible, painful tasks to those who displeased him in even the smallest way, practicing his strength on villagers who were tied into sacks¡­

    It took quite a long time to stop himself from going through them with disgust, and when he finally did, a single thought remained. He knew that he should get back to trying to figure out the reason behind him being hanged, but the thought remained, so he just let it out.

    "Damn¡­ I''m really an asshole."

    He only whispered the words, hoping that doing so would let him remove them from his mind, but a second later¡­ he received a response from somewhere near him.

    "That''s right¡­and it''s time to pay for your sins."

    His heart leaped to his throat, and as the sound of a dagger being unsheathed reached his ears...he wondered whether he had opened his mouth and summoned death, itself, instead of letting it take its merry time.

 4 Figh

    As the blanket was ripped off of him, for one brief, horrible moment, Daneel wondered whether he would die just like that, lying on his back, unable to move as his end approached him.

    Each and every particle of his being rebelled against the thought, and immediately, he sprang into action.

    He didn''t even know what he was doing exactly. He just understood that he needed to get away from where he was, so without thinking about it, he moved to the only direction available to him which was¡­ towards the assassin.

    The bed had been set against the wall, and the hut was too small for him to even stand properly if he moved forward or back. The sudden flood of sunlight that flew unhindered into his eyes after the removal of the blanket blinded him, but he rejoiced, for an instant, when he heard a grunt and the sound of a dagger skittering to the floor.

    His shoulder had shoved into something, but when his hands and legs that were groping blindly met nothing, he wondered whether he had misjudged the position of his foe. Then, though, the sensation of course cloth rubbing against his skin shot up his arms, and through them, he also felt¡­ bones.

    ''What the¡­ am I fighting a goddamn zombie?''

    In the heat of the situation, he didn''t know why he said that, and he didn''t even understand the meaning of that word. Both of these questions flew out of his mind, though, when his eyes adjusted and then widened to find a gaping mouth hurtling in his direction, wide open, as if to bite the life out of him.

    The face the mouth belonged to was one of the most ghastly he had ever seen, although he didn''t know whether he was an authority on the subject, having just seen a few so far. Still, the way the man''s skin almost hung from his skull and was so sunburned that it had turned almost completely black made his breath catch, but he immediately blew it out when he realized that he would soon have his ear bitten off if he didn''t do something.

    The first thing his instincts told him to do was raise his leg and kick the man in his crotch. It was one of the favorite moves taught by the taskmaster to the sons of the master, but the moment he contemplated utilizing it in this situation, he remembered all of the sickening memories in which he had deployed it to the merry laughter of his equally sick friends.

    ''Out of the question!''

    With this thought, he looked for something else, even as the mouth came closer and closer.

    ''Wait¡­ is it me, or is he moving slowly?''

    The question made him blink and observe, and a second later, he understood.

    With all the panic that had been coursing through his veins, the opponent had seemed much more dangerous than he really was. In reality, the one he was fighting was a starved slave in a much, much worse condition than the other two he had seen so far. His will to kill Daniel was much stronger than the strength he had, and even in this desperate situation where his hands and legs were entangled, he wanted to use his mouth¡­ but all of his strength wasn''t enough for him to move quickly enough to reach his target even though Daneel was stymied as to what he should do.

    He pursed his lips, and a relatively safe manner to disarm the man came to him. It was also from one of the memories he had just seen, and even though he had never used the technique before as the safety of his opponents had never been on his mind¡­ he chose it now, deciding that this man deserved his pity.

    He moved his own head forward, and head-butted the man before he could do anything harmful.

    That took the fight right out of him. His head rolled to his side, and quickly, Daneel realized that he had actually knocked the man unconscious.

    The extent of his weakness became clear when he slumped against his body. He was so frail that it felt as if he was holding a child, albeit an extremely malnourished and malformed one. The only thing he had going for him was that he was tall, but from the way his ribs were clearly visible above a hollow stomach, this advantage hadn''t done much for him.

    Gently, Daneel laid him on the bed he had been sleeping on until now. The adrenaline began to leave his body, and in its place came back the agony due to his beatings before¡­ but whatever the healer had done to him had worked wonders. For the first time since waking up, he felt the strength in his arms and legs, and he knew that he had to thank the original owner for this one thing even though he hated the man for everything else.

    For reasons foul, Daniel had been an avid pursuer of the arts of combat. Hence, it was to be expected that he would be more powerful than most of the slaves who were worked day and night with only the minimum amount of food and water needed for them to continue their wretched existence.

    Deciding to dig deeper into just what they did to make them so weak, Daneel prepared to plunge back into his memories¡­ but he was interrupted by the sounds of a tide of footsteps approaching the door.

    Taking a step back, he looked around furtively, trying to identify any place that he could hide in¡­ but the pitcher of water was too small for him, and the cupboard was so flimsy that it might break if he even tried putting his weight on it. He even contemplated getting on the ground and acting dead, but it was obvious that the ruse would be up the moment they saw the fainted man on the bed.

    That was how they found him when they came in. Like a rabbit looking for a way to escape, his eyes were darting here and there, looking, searching for some manner to get away. As for the reason behind the intention¡­ before, it had been a gaggle of angry voices that had also reached him, and now, it was the red eyes that were glancing between him and the old man lying on the couch.

    For a second, silence hung between them like a safe wall, protecting those on each side. But then¡­ one of the men from the crowd stepped forward, and it crumbled to nothing.

    "This bastard hurt elder Dograw! We didn''t give him enough before! Come on¡­ let''s finish what we started!"

    All of them were also quite weak, but they had one advantage¡­ they were younger than the one that Daneel had just disabled. He considered whether he would be able to take on twenty of them on his own¡­ but the answer was clear.

    ''Nope.''

    Desperation shooting through his mind, he began to step further back, but only the wall was waiting for him. Those that had been standing outside also crowded into the hut, and soon, it looked like the beatings would resume and not stop until he was dead, for sure, this time.

    He racked his brain for options, but nothing came to him¡­ until, suddenly, he wondered whether that voice could help him.

    ''Uh¡­ World domination system? Any help, by any chance? I need to get out of here!''

    The response came swiftly, and as he heard it, the cold voice felt lovely.

    [World Domination System, level II has been activated. All modules have been combined into a single ''system'', with a list of capabilities. Each capability needs a situation for it to be unlocked.

    Present situation analysed.

    Combat capability unlocked.

    Deploying best means of escape.]

    He didn''t know what to expect, so when his hands raised on their own, without him moving them¡­ he was stunned.

    With the same bewilderment, he watched as his body leaped forward. It bent at an impossible angle on the way, picking up the knife that had fallen before.

    ''I don''t want to hurt anyone!'' He screamed in his mind quickly, having noticed the destitute state of all of these slaves, too.

    [Condition accepted. Deploying modified means of escape.]

    The knife that had been about to stab the slave closest to him moved down. For a second, he wondered whether he was going pierce the man''s leg¡­ but then, the tip of the dagger sunk into the mud, and both his hands reached down, toward a patch of the ground that looked the same as everything else.

    Yet, when his palms meant it, it held, solid, unlike the rest that caved in when too much pressure was applied. He felt his muscles go taut, and then¡­ he vaulted into the air gracefully, flying like a bird. Somersaulting above the heads of all of the slaves, he landed outside¡­ before promptly falling on the ground.

    [Task completed.]

    The system almost sounded happy, but Daneel was horrified, as a wave of weakness unlike any had just gone through his body.

    He prepared to berate the voice in his head, but a shadow fell over him, and as he looked up, he found a toothy grin and a man fondling a lasso in his hands.

    "Well, well, well¡­ this is the first time that someone seems so excited to be hanged! Come on, then, young master¡­ you met me halfway, so I''ll help you go the rest of the way!"

 5 The Hanging

    Daneel felt too weak to even give the man a response as he bent down and picked him up by his shoulders, as if he was nothing but a sack of cotton. Barrel-chested, with large, muscular arms, he was the biggest individual that he had seen since waking up. There was a scar that ran down his cheek on the left, lying against the visage of a man who was all too suited to inflicting pain. It curled around his lips like a snake when he grinned, and he kept staring at it while he was being carried to some distant place.

    Even his thoughts felt muddled, but after a few seconds, he found the strength to question the system.

    "What happened? Why do I feel like this?"

    [Responding to host. Host''s body was in an extremely weak state. System carries out commands by utilising resources that host''s disposal. To facilitate the escape, leftover energy in host''s body had to be used. The abrupt drain resulted in a backlash.]

    ''Well¡­fuck.''

    His arms and legs dangled from the large man''s hands, as useless as sticks on a stick figure. His entire aim had been to escape the fate of being hanged, but ironically, he had gone and handed himself to the very man doing the hanging, as was evident from the lasso that he had hung around his own neck while transporting Daneel. It swayed there, moving left and right, and as he watched it, he couldn''t help but imagine his own neck within its confines.

    The thought would have made him shudder if he had enough strength to do so. Instead, he tightly closed his eyes to take a look at his options, sad as they were.

    The most pressing thing was that he still hadn''t found out the reason behind his hanging. He could dispute it if he just knew why the hell it was happening, but the story he knew so far didn''t match with this fate, at all. It would have been more fitting if his father had just left him to be killed by the slaves, so why was he arranging a public event?

    From his memories, Daneel could see that hangings were a popular means of entertainment for the downtrodden. Even if the one being hanged was a slave from their own ranks who had broken a rule, they would watch on, their eyes bottomless pits of despair that shone, nonetheless, when they saw the specter of death arrive. He had even heard many slaves talk about it animatedly, and he had never understood the reason.

    His thoughts jolted to a stop when the large man climbed a stair, and then another. Opening his eyes, Daneel saw that they had reached a wooden platform, of sorts.

    When he turned to his right, he finally saw it. He had never known that a pillar of wood would be so menacing. It was so thick that two people would need to join their hands to encircle it, and it was dark, as if it had drunk in the souls of those that it had killed so far. He followed its length, and at one point, it bent gracefully at a right angle, resulting in a short span lying parallel to the ground. The edge of this outcrop had a peg, and after studying it, Daneel realized that it was there so that a rope that was dangled from it would not slip and fall.

    His eyes went back to that spot where it bent. It was almost as if the wood had been coaxed into growing in this particular way, and for some reason, he felt as if it held a secret that he might uncover if he just stared long enough.

    Alas, it seemed that he would not have the time.

    The large man reached the pillar¡­ and slammed him against it, knocking out his breath and making him gasp as pain lanced through his body. His back felt like it was on fire, and he didn''t even register the rope that he tied securely around his waist and the pillar so that he wouldn''t be able to go anywhere.

    It did make its presence known, though, when the large man tightened the last knot and made it dig uncomfortably into his stomach. His shadow fell over Daneel again when he bent in front of his face and grinned, the snake on his cheek curling wildly as if to express his joy.

    He didn''t say anything, this time. He merely stared, and as the seconds passed, his eyes showed¡­ lust. It made Daneel feel sick, but each time he looked away, the large man would shift, too.

    In the background, he heard people gathering. They arrived in groups, and in the few moments that he found to study them, he saw that they stood separated into four sections. There was one section with familiar faces. Right away, Daneel recognized them to be the brothers of the original occupant of his body.

    They were dressed in fine clothes, with pressed robes that ballooned at their knees and cloaks that shone due to the precious gems that were inlaid into them. The group beside them was dressed less finely, and this descent in economic status followed in the group beside them, too. The last group consisted of the slaves, and it was the largest of them all. They easily outnumbered the other three groups, together.

    The large man finally stepped away when a tall nobleman wearing the richest clothes among everyone present climbed up the steps and came in front of him.

    It was his father, Harold Jerrock.

    The face that he had seen so many times set with happiness and pleasure when he excelled in training was now twisted with hate. Harold looked at him for only a moment, but that was enough to let Daneel see just how much the man loathed him.

    When he turned to the people, everyone quieted down and Daneel perked up his ears, knowing that he was finally going to find the answer to his question.

    Tapping his ornate walking stick on the wooden platform, he began to speak.

    "We are gathered here today to witness the execution of one Daniel¡­whoreson. His mother had the gall to cheat on me, and she even managed to hide this fact until recently. In all that time, this¡­bastard enjoyed all the fruits of the hard work of my family. He is going to pay with his life¡­ but there is one avenue to his redemption. I do not yet know who the father is¡­ come out, and I am prepared to listen to your explanation and perhaps even pardon you both. This is your last and only chance."

    Daneel felt like snorting as he heard the man''s lies. First of all, it was ridiculous to hear Harold speaking about hard work. All he did was traipse around the town, doing what he wished while the slaves spent their lives to fill his vaults. And secondly¡­ a pardon? Even the most foolish of men would see that he was acting disingenuously to seek out the one who had dared to sleep with his wife.

    Daneel knew that no one would step out, and as the silence stretched on uncomfortably, this became increasingly clear to the others, too. It also made him panic, though, as he realized that he wouldn''t be able to depend on anyone for his salvation.

    ''What should I do? I have to stop him, but how? HOW?''

    He screamed in his mind, hoping that the voice would answer.

    ''Uh¡­system? A little help, again?''

    [Negative. System exists to carry out host''s commands. Cognition capability is locked behind hidden conditions.]

    He felt like cursing at it, but he stopped himself as he knew that his time was limited.

    "Very well, then. Hangman, begin."

    The panic turned into alarm as Harold said this, losing his patience. He didn''t even glance back at Daneel as he made his way down the platform, and even after that, he began munching on snacks offered by one of his servants while the large man on the platform gleefully swung the rope up and manage to catch the jamb on the pillar on his first try.

    Dancing to an unheard-of tune, he adjusted the lasso after studying Daneel. He then walked in his direction and untied the rope that had been holding him to the pillar.

    Even while he was being led to the lasso, he kept looking.

    ''A plan, a plan, a plan¡­ That''s what I need!''

    Nothing came to him even when he felt the rope tighten around his neck. Nothing came to him when the hangman ensured that there was enough slack to let him hang.

    Even when he heard the creak of the trap door beneath that would soon fall away and send him to his death, his mind stayed empty.

    His eyes wandered over everything in front of him, hoping, praying for some inspiration. He looked at his family and found nothing. He looked at the groups of well-dressed people who were all staring at him, waiting for the show to begin, and felt naught but disgust.

    Then, his eyes stopped on the slaves¡­ and suddenly, an idea struck him.

    "Stop!" He shouted, and at last, Harold looked at him.

    The hangman seemed to have gone deaf, though. He could still be heard walking to the crank that would open the trapdoor. Knowing that he probably didn''t have much time, he spoke quickly in a loud voice.

    "What will you get from hanging me? Just a few moments of satisfaction while I suffer! Instead¡­ why not make me a slave? I''ll work away my debt! I know that I must have used up a lot of your resources and money but I''ll repay everything! You can kill me then, if I displease you! Please¡­I just want to live! PLEASE!"

    He saw almost no reaction during the first part of his speech, so he stooped to begging, knowing that pride was useless in moments like this.

    That finally seemed to move Harold. He raised one hand to stop the hangman and furrowed his eyebrow, as if thinking. Then, tapping the walking stick on the ground, he smiled and said, "You wish to escape death by becoming a slave? Very well, then. Go on."

    He didn''t even have time to feel relief before he was picked up by the hangman, again. His face was warped with the frustration of one whose prey had escaped at the last moment, and he handled him roughly. A few seconds later, he felt himself flying, again¡­but this time, it was because he was thrown onto the group of slaves by the hangman.

    He landed between them, after a few rushed out of the way. As he grimaced due to the aches all over his body that had returned, he felt all the slaves turn to him, so he looked up to see what they would say.

    They stared for a few moments, their eyes unreadable.

    Then, all as one¡­they burst out laughing.

 6 The Pi

    The laughter swept over him, reverberating from all directions and making him scramble to and fro, trying to study the faces of the slaves to understand just why they were reacting in this peculiar manner.

    It stopped, abruptly, when the sound of a whip echoed from somewhere behind them.

    In an orderly fashion, as if they had done it many times before, the slaves cleared a path, and through it, a familiar man walked forward. He was wearing the hide of some animal, and although he was smaller than the hangman, he had no less muscle on his arms and legs. He was bald, and his headless pate was crisscrossed with scars.

    This was the taskmaster. As Daneel regarded him with suspicious eyes while he walked closer, he remembered all the times that the man had sucked up to him, even accompanying him on many of the instances when they had toured the town, looking for victims that would die under their hands.

    Now, none of that groveling nature was present. Instead, there was only the grim satisfaction of a dog whose day had finally come, and after stepping in front of Daneel¡­ he raised the whip, and brought it down on his chest.

    Even though he saw it in time, he had no strength to move. He could only follow its path with his eyes as it flew in the air, and after it landed, he closed his eyes so tightly that tears seeped from their corners. His body also shuddered as even more agony was added to a well whose depth kept increasing, and for a brief instant¡­ rage coursed through him, making him want to get up and bury his fist in the man''s smug face. It passed as quickly as it came, though, mainly because although the impulse was strong, there was no power to back it up.

    "Enough of that, here. I will not have a slave who owes so much die because of a personal vendetta. See that he''s worked well¡­ and the rest of you, if you kill him, you will have hell to pay. His debts will be transferred to you, and you will be worked even harder, so you better keep them alive. Now, take your new brother, and go back where you came from."

    Walking away, Harold gave the command, his tone as dry as if he was describing the weather. The taskmaster looked annoyed for a second, but he wiped away the expression quickly, fearing the fate that might fall upon him if he showed it to the world. He did look at Daneel from the corner of his eyes after that, as if promising that what was going to come for him would come despite whatever his ex-father had said, and after that, he shouted, "You heard the master! Get moving! And take this trash with you!"

    The edges of the group had started slinking away as soon as they had heard Harold''s command. The rest began to move, now, shooting dirty looks at Daneel. As he watched them all, he realized something. He didn''t mind the animosity was being shown; it was par for the course when considering everything he had done. What affected him the most¡­ were the empty eyes of a considerable amount of slaves who seemed as if they were in a waking dream. He had noticed that they had been slow to laugh before, too, and had only done so after being caught up in the mood of the crowd. Now, as they walked away, they shambled here and there, bumping into the others who didn''t say anything as if they were used to it.

    If circumstances were different, he would have liked to think more about this phenomenon¡­ but he soon saw a new problem that had been presented to him. The taskmaster was standing a few feet away, fondling the whip much in the same way that the hangman had fondled his lasso. He seemed to be waiting for something¡­ and it only took a few seconds for Daneel to understand what it was.

    He wanted an excuse, and it would soon be presented to him if Daneel lingered there even after the master had given his command.

    Desperately, he looked at his new brothers who had been told to help him.

    ''They''re following the rest of the orders well¡­ so why don''t they follow this one, too?''

    As the last of them started to melt away, he tried to get up, but failed instantly. The chortle of the taskmaster sounded from behind him, filled with glee and sick joy.

    ''Harold said I had to be kept alive, right? Well, maybe it won''t be so bad¡­''

    He tried to lie to himself, but when he turned to him, the eyes of the taskmaster gave the man''s intention away. In them, he could see his future. He would be whipped to an inch of his life, and when he was too injured to work, the man might cite that as an excuse to whip him even more, until it turned into an endless cycle that would only end with his miserable death a few years later. When he had spoken before, he had done so with the plan that he could figure out a plan to escape later, but if he was constantly fighting to live, where would he find the time to do anything else?

    "Come on."

    A voice interrupted these grim musings. A hand caught him by his shoulder and hoisted him to his feet, and although the one who had done so had been anything but delicate, he was extremely thankful. Expecting it to be the healer who had been the only one to show him kindness so far, he turned to the man¡­ and blinked as he saw that it was the one who had been called Sebastien.

    It wasn''t hard to connect the two events of him walking out and that of the angry crowd of people arriving. It seemed obvious that he had gone and called them¡­ but if so, why was he helping him, now?

    "Don''t look so surprised. Before, you were a disgraced young master. Now¡­ you are a slave. You''re one of us. The rest might have forgotten, but a few of us remember. When one is shackled, their past is burned away. You haven''t officially become a slave, yet¡­ but you soon will. This doesn''t mean that I hate you any less, by the way. Your wounds are healing due to my brother''s hard work, so you better not let any of it go to waste."

    Daneel didn''t know what to think for a few moments. After that, he smiled briefly, finding a nugget of unexpected humanity in what had seemed like a heartless hellhole until now.

    It gave him hope, and quickly, Daneel saw how precious it was. Even the worst of situations would feel better if one possessed this invaluable flame, and right now, he felt indebted to Sebastien because he had given this gift without intending to do so.

    The taskmaster growled behind them, and Daneel understood that the man might be targeting both of them now. He didn''t feel afraid, though; from his memories, it was obvious that he was a simple man, and hence, he was confident that he would be able to see anything that he came up with from a mile away.

    The success of the sudden plan that had come to him also bolstered his confidence. The only thing still puzzling him was the reason behind why all the slaves had laughed, and looking up, he decided to put the question to Sebastien, even though he was unsure whether he would get an answer.

    The words died on his lips when his eyes fell upon a structure in the direction they were heading. Gigantic crimson-colored crystals shot into the air from the ground, their tips gleaming in the sunlight, shining as red as blood. They pulsed with each second, and when a slave reached them, he or she would walk right through and disappear.

    Each time this happened, the shards would glow menacingly. Arraying in a circular fashion, they looked like a gateway to hell¡­but the most disconcerting thing wasn''t their color or their shape. No¡­it was the bones that surrounded them, piled taller than three men standing on top of each other.

    As Daneel gaped, Sebastien paused and spoke beside him, answering the question that he had been about to ask.

    "The Pit. See those bones? They belong to the slaves that tried to get away. Even in death, they are trapped here, never to leave, never to be free. If you''re wondering why the others laughed before¡­its because of your foolishness. Death is a release they look forward to happily. That is why they enjoy watching hangings so much. You spit on the gift given to you¡­and chose a fate far worse. Any one of them would be willing to take your place in a heartbeat, so seeing what you did, what else could they do, but laugh at your idiocy? Well¡­let''s get on with it, then. If you don''t understand the answer now, you will soon, young master."

 7 Shackled

    Daneel continued to stare as they made their way toward the crystals.

    He could tell that Sebastian was assuming that he was doing so because of what the man had said about the fate awaiting him. However¡­ the truth was that that shock had passed, already, and right now, he was watching as he felt something¡­ strange, surrounding the entire crystal structure.

    He was convinced that he had seen it somewhere before, and that he would be able to decipher the true meaning of what he was watching if he was just given time to study it thoroughly. Alas, they were soon in front of the red spot where the others had disappeared, so he had to sigh and allow himself to be chaperoned inside to begin this new life that he had chosen for himself.

    He kept his eyes wide open even when they passed through the crystal. It was as if they had stepped through a cold shower. He shivered, but the feeling passed in barely a second.

    They seemed to have reached someplace dark, as his eyes had trouble adjusting. Meanwhile, he decided to use his other senses to find out more.

    The first thing he smelled was the overpowering stink of sweat. It was as if a thousand men had been stuffed into a small room and forced to work until they sweated their clothes wet. Then, he felt a wave of wind upon his skin, but it was so hot that he flinched and moved his hand away.

    By then he could see what was in front of him, and the sight made him blink with wonder.

    A long corridor stretched out in front of them, hewn out of black rock that glowed dimly with a silver light due to little, shining pinpricks that were present everywhere like stars in the night sky. It might have made for a pretty sight¡­ if not for the hundreds of slaves slowly walking along it and disappearing into the branches that looked like pools of darkness from where he stood.

    Craning his neck, he turned back to see a smaller outcropping of crystal set on a raised platform. All around it, there were a few tables and chairs that were empty, and apart from that, there were only slaves, slaves, and slaves.

    Sebastian''s eyes seemed to have adjusted, too, as he continued to help Daneel along. He didn''t speak, now; he just stumbled along, mute, while the others shot all kinds of looks in their direction. A few seemed outright furious about what he had done, while others shook their heads, as if commiserating the wrath of the taskmaster that he had called upon himself.

    There were only one or two that looked at Daneel with pity. He made a mental note of their faces, knowing that they were like diamonds in the sand who had to be remembered.

    The corridor seemed to go on and on, unto eternity. The more they walked, though, the lesser the branches of the cave grew, until at last, they were walking in between unbroken, rough walls of stone.

    It also grew narrow until there was only enough space for the two of them to pass along, side-by-side, and with curiosity, Daneel raised his hand and brushed it along the rock. It was rough, but also¡­warm.

    "Stop that. Stop acting like a child. You might only be fifteen, but your childhood is over. The sooner you accept that, the better. The one we''re going to meet will use means that are far less pleasant to tell you the same thing. I don''t know why I''m bothering to tell you this, but here''s some advice: keep your mouth shut and your head down, and it will all be over quickly."

    The seriousness in Sebastion''s voice made him furrow his eyebrows and nod, wondering what new demon he was going to face now. Keeping his eyes on the path ahead, he reflected on how this world he had come to was not a very good one, at all.

    He didn''t know about the one he had lived in, but he had accepted, by now, that he was some kind of wandering soul that had taken residence in this body after the original Daniel had died. He felt no remorse due to the fate of that man; in many ways, he had deserved it. But in the foreseeable future, Daneel would have to deal with the consequences of everything he had done, and this was a task that seemed insurmountable, at the present.

    His thoughts stopped when he looked up and saw that they were nearing some kind of exit that was ablaze with light. This made it so that he couldn''t see what lay there, as the entire cave so far had been quite dark. He shielded his eyes as they entered the halo that was spilling out of the opening, and after taking a few steps forward, he heard a voice that was very different from what he had been expecting.

    "Oh, you''re finally here! You don''t know how excited I was when I got the message that young master Daniel is going to come down here¡­ I remember all the times he made awful messes that I had to clean up. Well¡­ fate is a peculiar thing, and I guess it thought that poor little Miss Gogo should get some recompense for all that hard work!"

    It was that of a woman, sweet and coying to the ears until she stopped talking, and a cackle went up in the cave. It was so contrasting in nature that Daneel felt like closing his ears to stop the echoes of the laughter from making him go crazy, and as he felt himself being deposited to the ground, he looked up to see where he had arrived.

    Shackles hung from the wall, but they weren''t the sort that he had expected based on his memories. They looked like intricately wrought bands of silver that glowed in the light that was falling on everything in the room from a globe at the ceiling of the cave that was as bright as the sun. He had to squint as he looked at it, and he quickly looked away, fearing that he might blind himself. The room was large enough to hold 50 people inside. There was a bed to one side of it, and to the other lay a chair, a desk, and a bookcase. Between them both stood a tall figure, and after studying everything else, Daneel felt his eyes wandered onto her and stay for what felt like quite a long time, as it was quite hard to look away.

    Her plump lips were luscious, her skin almost translucent. She was wearing a crimson corset that made her breasts pop so outrageously that there were almost spilling out, and below, she wore leather pants that left nothing to the imagination. Her long, auburn hair cascaded down her back in curls, and she smacked her lips as she stared back at Daneel.

    The gesture made him feel danger.

    It passed in a second, but the very fact that it had risen inside him was cause for concern. He had already figured out that these hints that appeared within him without rhyme or reason were probably due to the instincts he had inculcated in his previous life, and he was inclined to trust them as that life had somehow magically ended with him turning into a soul that could possess other bodies.

    ''I was probably a powerful mage killed while fleeing from my enemies, so I did this to ensure that I would survive¡­ but what about the system? Is it a pathway I made for myself to regain my powers? I can think about this later, so, more importantly, why she still staring?''

    Her gaze made him uncomfortable, but each time he looked away, his eyes kept wandering back to her. Each time this happened, more and more details about her popped, and slowly, he felt blood rushing to a certain part of his body.

    For some reason, seeing this happen seemed to make her happy. She was clearly at least 25 years old, but she clapped her hands like a little girl and exclaimed, "Aha! I still got it! Oh, you''re gonna be so much fun to be around¡­"

    Beside him, he saw that Sebastian had even turned his back to the woman, as if he was afraid of what her eyes may do. She walked to the wall nearest to her, now, and picked out a shackle that she caressed in her hands.

    Her heels clicked on the cobblestoned floor as she reached Daneel. He was still too weak to move, so he could do nothing while she used her hand to gently stroke his face, but when she opened her mouth and spoke again, he couldn''t help but try to choke his head away.

    "I''ve been sucking away the energy of slaves for two hundred years, but that was all just business. You, on the other hand¡­you gave me reason to hate you, so we are going to have so, so much FUN together! But first¡­time to burn."

    In a swift motion, she touched the silvery shackle to his neck¡­and his entire body felt like it had burst into flames, while his screams echoed in the cavern.

 8 A Tale

    [Mission: ''Escape Death'' completed

    Reward: Body Analysis Capability has been unlocked. Host''s body can now be scanned and analysed.]

    He awoke all of a sudden, springing up and looking left and right, convinced that the assassin had returned to finish the job he had begun before.

    Panting, he slowly realized that what he had heard was the voice of the system, so he tried to calm down¡­ before remembering the circumstances surrounding his journey into the realm of unconsciousness.

    Hastily, he checked his body, wondering whether he had been reduced to the same destitute state as the other slaves he had seen.

    ''Has the fire burned away all my muscle and strength, leaving me nothing but a thin veil of flesh hanging onto a sack of bones? I KNEW she was dangerous!''

    The fear abated only when he saw that nothing had changed except his clothes. Before, he had been wearing the torn rags of his former life, rich and soft to the touch, yet hard to tear. Now, he was garbed in the grey vestments of the slaves that he had already seen.

    ''Wasn''t I burning?''

    He hadn''t put the question to the system, but it answered anyway.

    [Responding to host. Burning sensation was an illusion created by the shackling process. For the shackle to take effect, it was required that the recipient be in an extremely weakened state both physically and mentally, and the illusion was to facilitate the latter.

    Host has been shackled by an object that limits both his body and mind.

    Shackle can be controlled at any time to render host unconscious.

    Shackle can be programmed to make host faint after host goes beyond a certain area.

    Shackle has the capability of inflicting mental torture at any moment.

    Analysis done so far was using body analysis capability of the system. Object analysis must be unlocked for additional information to be uncovered regarding shackle.]

    By the end of the system''s message, Daniel had begun to hate the word it had used so many times.

    It took a few moments for the panting to recede, and after that, with confusion, he checked his body again.

    Even then, he didn''t find that silvery bracelet anywhere. At the end, he had to pose the question to the system again to find out just what had happened to it.

    [Shackle was absorbed by host''s body. It can be found, now, under the skin of host''s neck.]

    The answer made his heart stop, for a second, and as he slowly raised his hands to his neck, he felt perspiration beading on his forehead.

    Just the idea of having a chain around his neck like he was an animal was so revolting that he suddenly felt like using a rock that he saw nearby to rid himself of it. It was a natural impulse that had apparently been born out of the realization that he was not free, anymore, and it was really hard to control.

    He managed to do so by the time his hands reached below his face and began to search, hoping to find it. At first, he felt nothing amiss, but then¡­ when he pressed down at the exact spot between his chin and his sternum, he felt something hard press back. He groped around, tracing its shape that wound around his neck, and the more he pressed, the more it seemed to resist the force.

    He continued doing so, wondering whether it could be coaxed out into the open¡­ and finally, that was exactly what happened. Yet, it arrived with a spasm of pain that radiated outwards, affecting both his head and the rest of his body, and as he fell to the ground, shaking, it clanged on the ground beneath him.

    "For the sake of your sanity, don''t try to do that again. It''s like a snake that hates to be brought out of its hole. It will bite you every time you bother it, and with each time it is forced out, the pain will increase. I know at least ten men who couldn''t resist the itch, and went mad eventually, unable to handle the pain. I tried to save them¡­ but the Slavequeen took them away. Well, if what I''ve heard about the way she absorbs energy is true, it is at least a consolation that they must have died with a smile on their lips¡­"

    His teeth still clacking against each other as he tried to fight against the pain, he looked up to find a face that was very welcome at the moment.

    It was the kind, old healer who had helped him before. He stood leaning against the opening of the small cave that Daneel had woken up in, and it was his voice he recognized, as it was too dark to notice any details of his face.

    Seeing him squint in his direction, the old man raised his hand and said, "Don''t bother. They keep it dark to remind us that they control even the sunlight that is free for everyone above ground. They also keep it dark to keep our minds muddled, and our eyes downcast, always afraid that we might trip and fall. I was convinced that your tale would end¡­but here you are. I don''t know yet whether I should congratulate you, or laugh like the others¡­ but time will tell. Now, then¡­ I expect that you must have some questions."

    Walking forward, he sat down on the stone bed. The room was bare except for it, and a hole to the left that stank. There was barely enough place for two people to stand, together, and all of a sudden, Daneel felt so claustrophobic that he wanted to run back to the surface.

    Seeing his eyes linger on the opening of the cave longingly, the old man guessed what was on his mind.

    "Don''t. We are only allowed up if there is a hanging, or some other rare event. Rare events¡­ like a young master being abolished, for example."

    Daneel closed his eyes, hoping that it would help. It did, after a fashion, and he kept them closed when he asked the first question that came to his mind.

    The news about the shackle was hard to digest, so unconsciously, it seemed that he had decided to distract himself so that he could forget its existence in any way possible.

    He was also very curious about what the system had said, but it was best to first use this opportunity that he had found with the healer to find out more about the world that he was in. In his memories, he had been taught about how this was a prefecture under a powerful ruler¡­but that was all.

    "Where are we? What is this place?"

    During the pause that followed, it was almost like he could hear the man frown due to the unexpected question.

    "I''ve seen slaves ask about what they''re supposed to do, and how they might be able to escape¡­ so this is a first. Well, where do I start? Let''s see¡­ I could tell you about what is taught to the children of the other three layers, or I could tell you of the history that was passed down, tongue to tongue, for centuries. I expect that you already know the former. So, the secret tale it is¡­"

    He gathered his breath, then, and Daneel leaned forward.

    "Once, long ago, it is said that we lived on a land surrounded by the sea on all sides, but free, so free that slavery was unheard-of, and each and every child, whether born into riches or poverty, would have the chance to work hard and rise above their station. Everything changed when an enemy arrived. They had no difficulty in taking control, and casting those who resisted down to this pit, at the very bottom of the land. Slowly, it is said that the land was made to drift to become part of where they had come from, and then began the grand task. Every day, we mine these rocks for the glowing crystals that lay within. Every day, we-"

    The old man continued, but Daneel had stopped listening.

    When he had heard about a land surrounded on all sides, a flicker of recognition had passed through his mind. He had been reminded of the image of a vast continent he had seen, with millions lying dead on top of it¡­and suddenly, a word surfaced from somewhere deep in his mind, reaching his lips and stopping there, as if it was dangerous for it to be said out loud.

    "Angaria."

    He didn''t know what it meant. He didn''t know what it was.

    But saying it to himself, over and over again felt¡­good.

    He knew that he had fallen to the worst possible state¡­but somehow, it gave him hope.

    Puzzled, he began to investigate the reason behind it, but all of a sudden, the system spoke, making all other thoughts leave his mind.

    [New mission: ''Information Collection'' is available.

    Objective: Find all information about host''s present location.

    Reward: World Analysis Capability will be unlocked. ]

 9 Analysis

    ''Collect information? Can''t you do that on your own?''

    Unable to stop himself, Daneel asked this question. From the capabilities that the system had shown so far, it almost seemed silly to have him do something so simple.

    [Responding to host. System is capable of data collection, but situations need to be brought about to facilitate the task. Host''s mission is to make this happen. So far, only the general location of host is known.]

    "And what is that, exactly?"

    [Host is situated on a vast land known as the Mainland. Host was supposed to arrive at a certain location, but due to an emergency event, the location was changed to one which would arouse least suspicion.]

    "And¡ª"

    "I said that it was a first when a slave asked me that question, but it is also a first to see someone so rudely ignore me while I risk a lot to be here. Tell me, young man, should I leave? Am I disturbing you?"

    Detecting annoyance in the old man''s tone, Daneel turned to him and realized that he had left him hanging while absorbed in his inner monologue. He hadn''t been able to help it; the system''s mission had taken him by surprise, and apart from that, that word that had made him feel such intimate emotions had made it so that it was difficult to pay attention to anything else.

    Shaking his head apologetically, he said, "Pardon me! It''s just that¡­ something you said made we think about something I heard long back. Please¡­ pray continue."

    The old man humphed. "And what is this thing that you were reminded of? This tale is closely guarded, so much so that those who have been found with it have been hanged mercilessly. There is no way that you could have heard any part of it anywhere else, so stop lying. I hate liars, and if you don''t change my opinion of you right now, I''ll write off the expenses spent on you so far as a wasted investment and leave right now, never to show my face again."

    Daneel cocked his head, taken aback. He had told the first lie that came to his mind, but he couldn''t have expected that it would land him in such trouble.

    Even in the dimness of the cave, he could feel the old man''s eyes boring into him. From the way he had acted when they had first met, he had thought that he was just some kind character who would take anything that was thrown at him without a single comment, but he saw now that he couldn''t have made more wrong.

    The situation was dire. He didn''t know much about the life he had landed himself in, but he was convinced that he needed this old man, much more than he probably needed him.

    He scrambled for something to say, and thankfully, the same innate faculty that had helped him to escape death before arose to the challenge now, too.

    "I heard of a tale that was told between slaves, and I heard my friends say that it was just trash that you all believe in to live on, while hoping for a better future¡­ so I was shocked about how life had come full circle."

    He saw the old man bristle when he heard him, and secretly, he smiled.

    ''There''s nothing like targeting a man''s confidence and hope to make him forget everything else. Well¡­it could still backfire. But wait¡­ how am I so cunning? Was I a conman in my past?''

    He got no answer, and he stopped thinking about it when the old man began to speak passionately, with his arms gesticulating to prove his point.

    "Trash? How dare you call something so precious that has been passed down at the expense of so many lives ''trash''? It''s one thing that you said this to me¡­ but if any of the others who also know of it heard you, they would have risked the hangman''s block to kill you. Hear me, and hear me well. This is our past, and you''re right¡­ it is also what will take us to the future we dream of. And what did you mean by saying ''you''? Did you forget that you''re one of us, now? Keep acting like this, and I guarantee that you will go to an early grave! Now, keep your mouth shut, and just listen!"

    He heaved when he was done, and at the same time, Daneel heaved a sigh of relief. He had brought the man back on track, and this time, he was determined to hear him out without being interrupted by anything.

    "The enemy came and took everything. They took our land, our home, and our very identity¡­ but we remember. And as long as we remember, there is hope. People like you underestimate the value of memory. Someday¡­ it will be your downfall. That is all I would like to say to you, right now¡­ you will have to earn the rest."

    Getting up, he stormed out of the cave, leaving Daneel with the face of someone who didn''t know whether to laugh or cry.

    ''I don''t know the value of memory? What a joke! Oh, if only I could find out everything now¡­''

    He mused dejectedly for a few seconds, but he perked up when he remembered the thing that he still had yet to ask the system.

    He wasn''t comfortable with doing so right away, and repeating what had just happened with the old man. So, he looked around in the cavern, wondering whether there was any way to ensure some privacy¡­ and his eyes soon spotted a cloth that was hanging at the side of the entrance, lying hidden on the rock and almost melding into it due to how dark it was.

    Getting up, Daneel squinted and saw that it was a thin muslin that was clearly intended to act as a curtain. He yanked it, expecting it to travel along a rod and cover the cave, but when it fell to the floor, he scratched his head.

    ''Now why did I think that that would happen? It''s almost like I did it so many times that it became second nature to me¡­''

    Shrugging, he put away the thought and picked up the cloth before noticing that there were two nails hammered onto two spots above the opening of his cavern. In the narrow corridor that lay outside, he saw many such openings, half of which were covered by the cloth.

    Getting the clue, he hung the curtain on the two pegs and sat on the rock bed, moving constantly to find a comfortable position but giving up soon after realizing that no such thing was possible.

    Taking a deep breath, he finally gave the command in his mind

    "System? Analyze¡­ my body."

    This was the first time he was telling it to do something instead of asking politely, as if it had feelings. For a breath, he wondered whether it had been foolish to do so, but when it answered normally after that, he leaned back against the wall with relief and listened.

    [Scanning host''s body. Outputting results.

    Power system of host''s present world unknown. Hence, results will be given in comparison to the strength of an untrained human.

    Body condition: Recently injured. Recovering.

    Body potential based on memories unlocked: Sub-optimal.

    In host''s memories, only four vague categories were found: Unfit, sub-optimal, optimal, suitable, genius. The last is called so due to its rarity. Host was valued due to his sub-optimal potential, which is not very common in host''s present location.

    Magic potential: locked at birth.]

    Daneel recalled the memory of being classified with sub-optimal potential when the system spoke of it. It had been a happy one, celebrated by his family as three of his brothers had been deemed ''unfit''.

    The last statement made him feel puzzled.

    ''Locked at birth? What do you mean by that?''

    [System has detected a fleshy outgrowth above the location where one''s organ that enables the capacity for magical abilities.]

    This was news to him. He had heard of no such thing anywhere, so he asked, ''Is it possible to remove it?''

    [Analysing. Affirmative. Would host like the system to carry out the unlocking process?]

    He hadn''t been expecting an answer. From his memories, he knew that magic was an esoteric topic that was closely guarded. He felt exhilarated that it was even possible that he might be able to use such mystical power, so he gave the command immediately.

    ''Yes! Quickly!''

    [Affirmative. Beginning process.]

    The excitement remained even when the system controlled him like before, and made him stand up. Yet, as it made him walk in front of the wall beside the bed, he suddenly felt that something was wrong.

    Alas, it was too late.

    Cursing, he closed his eyes as the system made him bend back¡­and send his head flying into the wall.

 10 Work

    Daneel woke up to the sensation of being choked.

    His eyes snapped open with panic, and he took deep, rasping breaths to no avail. He quickly realized that a foot was pressing down on his throat, cutting off all airflow¡­ and as his eyes traveled along it, he came upon a tall, lanky man with long hair and a sick smile on his face.

    His strength seemed to have finally returned to him, as he was able to move his hands with enough strength to shove the foot aside. He got up swiftly, coughing, and raised his hands, expecting a fight.

    After his eyes adjusted, he saw that the man''s smile was gone, replaced by a goading look that put Daneel on guard. He hadn''t even realized that he had taken a fighting stance; hastily, he put his arms down, and seeing this, the newcomer scowled.

    It was only then that Daneel saw that he was holding a whip in his left hand. This, by itself, gave him a hint regarding who he might be, and when he spoke, Daneel confirmed his identity from the falsetto he had heard before.

    "Oh¡­ we could have had so much fun if you really did hit me! Did you think that you were still a young master who can lounge around all day with no work whatsoever? You''re a slave, now, boy, and that means hard, grueling work! The bell was rung to summon all slaves in your corridor fifteen minutes ago! Now, move, or you will be rewarded fifteen lashes for your tardiness!"

    Slamming the whip on his palm with a sharp ''THWACK'' that echoed in the cavern, the man narrowed his eyes, as if hoping that Daneel would rebel.

    Hence, he frowned with disappointment and turned around when all he saw was a docile slave, ready to go to work.

    Daneel had already seen that he was in a very unstable position. He had no intention of making life harder than it had to be, so he had taken the obvious decision to keep his head low, for now.

    This was the same man who had taken away the old healer before. He seemed to be an enforcer, of sorts, and as he led him through the corridors of the Pit to some unknown destination, all the slaves who saw him cowered, their eyes warily following the instrument of pain in his hands.

    Daneel could see that he was enjoying it.''THWACK! THWACK! THWACK!'', he announced his arrival, and with the sound, many a slave would flinch, as if remembering memories that they had wanted to forget.

    Caught up in studying the man, he had almost forgotten about the reason behind him fainting. When it came back to him¡­ he rounded on the system as if it was a person walking beside him and screamed in his mind.

    ''What the hell was that? You shouldn''t go around smacking heads into walls without prior warning!''

    [Responding to host. Command was given, so it was carried out.]

    The flat answer sent him sputtering.

    ''Yes, but st-st-still! If a command involves something like that, I should be warned!''

    [Direction received. All future commands that will result in host fainting will require double authorisation before they are carried out.]

    The indignation didn''t leave him, as he felt like someone who had stormed into a store, intent on having a quarrel, but found a calm storeowner who solved his problem without needing an extra word to be said. The emotion left him, though, when he recalled what the system had promised, and at once, he looked around, trying to see if there was any difference as his magic organ, or whatever it was, had been unlocked.

    There was nothing of the sort.

    He even trying to squint and look closely at each and every piece of rock and weakened slave that they passed, but nothing was different from before. The rocks still glowed faintly due to the stars trapped within them, and the slaves were still starved bystanders of a life that passed by with naught but pain and hardship taking part in it.

    As the indignation returned, he targeted the system, again.

    ''What-''

    The thought stopped instantly when they reached an exit, of sorts. At first glance, it looked no different than any of the cave gateways that they had seen so far, but on further study, one would see that there was a film on it that was two-dimensional. It looked like a painting that had been inlaid into the opening, and in front of it, a line of slaves were present, apparently waiting for something.

    They all moved aside when the two of them arrived. Striding imperiously, the man passed through the opening¡­ and disappeared.

    Daneel was flabbergasted as he watched the entire thing happen. The reason behind his thoughts grinding to a halt before had been the incredible phenomenon that he had seen around the opening.

    Tiny pinpricks of light of various colors were swimming on the surface into which the enforcer had disappeared. They were like miniature pounds of fish that were frolicking around a lake, and even though it might seem that they were just happily swimming around, there was a certain rhythm and pattern to them that captivated Daneel and made him stand there, agape. He traced the path of each pinprick, his eyes struggling to follow without getting confused due to the thousands that were present all over the opening, and if not for a shove from behind that rudely interrupted him, he would have gone ahead with his study for hours.

    He turned around, his first impulse telling him to destroy whoever had been so insolent. Yet, he quickly saw that it was a remnant of the one whose body he had occupied, so he shoved it aside and saw that the one who had done so was actually S¨¦bastien.

    "Get going, or you''ll get the whip!"

    He whispered the words, and Daneel blinked before hurrying forward, remembering what he was supposed to do. He had to try hard not to gawk at the particles as he neared them, and when he stepped through, he once again experienced the sensation of being drenched in cold water.

    While the teleportation took effect, he swore that he wouldn''t let what had just happened repeat. It would just bring him unnecessary pain, and he was determined to be done with agony being such a major part of his existence.

    Only¡­as soon as he emerged, the most dazzling sight he had ever seen was waiting to take his breath away.

    It was a large cavern, with piles of rock lying here and there, indicating that it might have been dug out recently.

    Everywhere he could see¡­shards of blue crystal were present, poking out of the stone and flooding the cavern with azure light.

    ''PLINK! PLINK! PLINK!'', the sound of slaves chipping away at the rocks around the crystals reached his ears, but it didn''t distract him, at all, from the beauty in front of his eyes.

    Radiant dots of light were gamboling around each crystal, as if attracted like fireflies to a blazing fire. They dove nearer and nearer to the crystals, with much more speed and strength than those he had seen in the opening. They never touched the crystal, but each time they bathed in its glow, they came away energized before flying around the room happily.

    Even the sensation of being whipped did little to bring him away from this new world that he wanted to lose himself in. It felt as if he had been blind until now, blind to the charms of nature waiting to be discovered if one only had the means. With the expression of a child seeing a magic trick for the first time, he stared, and kept staring as the whip flew in his direction again.

    Drawing blood, the second lash finally brought him to his senses. Wincing, he turned to the tall man and blinked, trying to get everything he had just seen out of his mind so that he could concentrate.

    "Either that beating you got made you stupid, or you''re asking to die. Death won''t come so easily, boy...not when you have so much to pay. Get started! I''ll be keeping my eye on you!"

    He could tell that the lanky enforced was itching to whip him again, but something seemed to be stopping him. A nearby slave shoved a small hammer and a large nail into his hands, before directing him to an empty spot. They left him alone, then, so he resumed staring...until the whip returned, and sent him to his knees.

    Lying on the floor, Daneel gasped with pain while being screamed. His mind had become muddled due to his fascination that just wasn''t leaving no matter how much he tried. Even now, his eyes locked onto a small, insect-sized crystal in front of him and the pinpricks cavorting around it, free of all care and concern.

    The pain kept radiating throughout his body, and he wanted to make it leave, somehow.

    ''You...you''re glowing so brightly. You probably know nothing about suffering, right? All you do is fly, fly, and fly...oh, if only I could be as free as you...''

    He felt jealous. He wanted to touch them, to make them stop, to make them listen, and to make them understand how lucky they were.

    The pain was enough to make him faint, again. In a half-dizzy state, he felt oddly compelled to fulfill his wish...so he reached out with his mind, his subconscious guiding him as he did something he had never done before.

    His mind''s touch groped blindly for a few moments, then latched onto the crystal.

    For a second, nothing happened. He didn''t even know what he wanted to do. He had meant to touch the particles, but they had slipped away easily. So, he had found the crystal, and he realized that he was jealous of its brilliance, too.

    ''You have so much within...can''t you share?''

    He frowned, vaguely understanding what he wanted, but unable to figure out how he was supposed to obtain it.

    Then...he breathed in, and the crystal went dark, before crumbling into nothingness.

    The whole world suddenly felt as if it had grown clearer, brighter, louder. The whip came again, and he heard it whistling through the air, its fibers pushing aside the air as it traveled to its destination.

    His mind was fast, his body faster. He knew he could easily catch the whip and render it harmless, but he also knew that doing so might mean death, or worse.

    He let it land, and as the pain shot through his body, even it felt muted. Still, he shuddered and got on his stomach, his face to the stone.

    While the slaves and the enforced all though that he must be howling silently with pain, his lips broadened...and he grinned.

 11 Objective

    As soon as a lull appeared in the curses being thrown at him, Daneel got up and docilely bent his head before picking up the hammer and nail.

    He could feel, rather than see the enforcer fuming beside him. He expected that he might have to deal with a few more whippings, but as soon as he raised the nail to the nearest crystal and began to hammer away, he heard the sound of footsteps receding.

    During the altercation, it seemed that the rest of the slaves had stopped what they were doing to watch. Now, they all returned to their task, and the cave was once again awash with the sounds of metal nails striking the rocks.

    Seeing him, nobody would have been able to tell that he was so exhilarated that his heart was beating out of his chest, unable to slow down due to what he had just experienced. Like an addict getting back to his habit, he was tempted to repeat what he had just done with the crystal in front of him¡­ but he caught the thought with a vice-like grip and controlled it.

    ''I don''t have a death wish! That was¡­ incredible, but it doesn''t take a genius to know that it should be kept secret. I¡­ absorbed power! That''s definitely what I did! And it was all because of the system! Damn¡­ maybe its claims about world domination aren''t so unfounded, after all!''

    Feeling giddy with excitement and newfound trust for this inscrutable existence that he had found in his head, he continued what he was doing, determined to end the day with no more incidents. The ounce of power he had breathed in had already started to leave him, bringing to the fore all the pain and exhaustion it had kept it bay. He almost sagged onto the wall as they washed over him, but he bit his tongue and retained his grip on the nail.

    It took a few minutes during which he had to act as if he was working hard to recover. When he did, he still found himself craving for that feeling of power that had been like no other he had experienced all his life, but he distracted the thought by studying the other slaves around him.

    He slowly realized that he didn''t know exactly what he was supposed to be doing. He knew that they were mining the blue crystals that held power from the walls, but how was one supposed to ensure that they didn''t crack? They looked brittle, and from the way that the one he had absorbed from had crumbled, he expected them to fracture and become useless if one was even the least bit careless.

    Yet¡­ when he stared at a woman nearest to him whose shaggy hair almost reached her knees, he saw, with surprise, that he was wrong. Her eyes wandered, as if she was lost in a world far away from the one he was in, and she absentmindedly used the nail, hammering occasionally on the crystal.

    Not a scratch appeared on it, making it look indestructible.

    Turning his head, he studied a different slave who seemed much more hard-working. Stroking his long beard now and then, he worked with ease, striking the hammer here, there, and then dislodging a crystal easily before dumping it into the basket beside him. The rocks he placed onto a pile on his other side, and after searching around, he reached his next target and began anew.

    This target happened to be near Daneel, so he decided that he would confirm his suspicion.

    "Don''t we need to be worried about breaking the crystals?" He whispered, his eyes still on the wall in front of him, finally managing to ignore the phenomenon that had cost him a few whippings before.

    The man didn''t answer, at first, so Daneel had to put the question to him again in a slightly louder voice.

    When he understood that he was the one being spoken to, his eyes darted around furtively to see if there was anyone looking at them, and then, he answered, "Don''t you dare speak to me, scum! I''ve heard everything you did! You raped my cousin''s daughter! You beat his cousin half to death! If not for the master''s promise¡­ we would have killed you the moment you stepped in here! Pray that we still don''t decide to move forward with the plan!"

    He spoke with such disdain that Daneel could only stare, astonished, as he said his piece and walked away to a different vein that was as far away from him as possible.

    When the familiar sound of the whip being slammed into a palm reached his ears, he went back to work, and decided to experiment by himself.

    He still felt the faint¡­ unease that had sprung into being after seeing himself hated so much, but he understood that he might need to live with it. After all, many of his body''s original occupant''s atrocities had involved the slaves, so it was to be expected that they would hold a grudge for a long, long time.

    In a way, he realized that he might even need to thank his father for ensuring that he would live.

    Putting the tip of the nail on the juncture between the rock and a crystal, he let it slip down, as if by mistake. The hammer was already coming down by then, so there was no chance to prevent the crystal from being damaged.

    Only, instead of cleaving the crystal in two, the nail was flung aside leaving its target with nary a scratch, while he had to deal with the force that traveled up his arms, making them shake.

    ''Weird. So absorbing them makes them disappear, but they won''t even scratch due to blunt force? It''s definitely interesting¡­''

    He finally began working in earnest after that. The task was simple enough that he needed only half of his mind to do it¡­ so the rest was used exclusively to continue his study on the mesmerizing patterns of the particles that he could now see in the air.

    A bell was rung a few hours later, and he found himself walking back in the direction of his cavern.

    On the way, he kept thinking about those dots of light that he already missed.

    Already, he could tell that this was a study that might span his entire life. There was so much intricacy to each and every aspect of their existence that he was convinced that he might need years of disciplined research to even begin to figure out what they meant.

    ''But I don''t have years¡­ is it possible the system might be able to help?''

    He got this thought when he was near the place he had woken up in. It had been easy to remember the path, as he had only had to recall one thing: the number written on top of the corridor that led to it. All of the corridors exited into the same large tunnel, which led to the magical opening that he had stepped through before.

    After draping the muslin over the entrance to his cavern again, he sat down on the stone bed and spoke in his mind.

    ''System¡­ can you help me to understand these particles, or whatever they''re called?''

    [Responding to host. System is capable of magic analysis, but the capability is locked behind numerous hidden conditions. It is recommended for host to carry out missions given to unlock all capabilities, one by one.]

    He frowned, but he had been expecting such an answer.

    He considered his options, then, and wondered what he was supposed to do. Should he just lounge around idly, like he had seen the other slaves he had passed so far do?

    Definitely not.

    He had a goal. He wanted to find his past, and why that word had meant so much to him. And for that, he needed to leave this place.

    ''But to leave it¡­ shouldn''t I understand what it is, in the first place?''

    The question made him pause, before finding the pathway to the answer.

    With a deep breath, he delved back into the memories that he had only skimmed through before.

    He returned from them an entire half-hour later, and when he did, his eyes were wide open with barely suppressed shock.

    He needed a few seconds to gather his thoughts, and when he did, he went through what he had unearthed, with his chin resting on his hand as he stared into the darkness.

    ''So¡­ the objective of this entire town is to make a single product? Really? Instead of being two-dimensional, the map of this place is a 3d figure! It has four layers; one above the ground, three below. The pit is the bottommost level, where the crystals are mined. It is sent up, where hundreds of people live to shape it into various shapes, and then¡­ it is sent up, again, where hundreds more survive by refining the crystals further. The town on the surface sells them, and enjoys the fruit of hard work of all the rest! Incredible! I''ve got to commend whoever came up with the idea to make something like this¡­but I also feel like punching them in the stomach, as the model wouldn''t work without slaves! So, this¡­is where I am. This¡­is my home! The Town of Graiton, famous for its export of processed energy crystals!''

 12 Plan

    For the next two days, Daneel immersed himself into the life of a slave.

    It was a simple life, albeit fraught with hunger and occasional whippings. At least, this could be said about most of the slaves¡­ but for him, there was one extra aspect that he was slowly growing to loathe.

    And that was¡­ the animosity that the rest of the slaves felt for him.

    No matter where he went, he was looked at with disgust and revulsion. No matter what he was doing, he would find himself alone, distanced from the rest intentionally. Even Sebastian and Reese(the old healer) couldn''t be found despite his efforts to search for them.

    It was almost like they had disappeared, after merely existing as fragments of his imagination that he had conjured to give him hope. Yet, he tried to convince himself that this wasn''t true, as he reasoned that if that were so¡­ he would have subconsciously designed them to be perfect, instead of the imperfect and almost unwilling individuals that he had seen them as before.

    Exhausted from the events of that first day, he had gone to sleep immediately after figuring out the objective of the town, and the name that had escaped his skimming before. He had woken up to the sound of a bell being rung, and after following the crowds of slaves, he had been ushered into a large, open area where the enforcer stood behind a table, ladling out gruel to those holding metal plates in front of him.

    He had rejoiced at the thought of food, and waited patiently until it was his turn. The enforcer had sniffed at him, and for a moment, he had wondered whether he would have to go hungry. After that, though, he was given a dollop like the rest, but when he sat down and tasted it¡­ he had to forcefully stop himself from spitting it out.

    It was one of the blandest things he had ever eaten. His life as the young master had been occupied with sampling the best of what the town had to offer, whether it be roast meat that was dressed with honey, or juicy fruits that were forced on him even if he didn''t want them as they were supposed to give him strength.

    Disbelievingly, he had used his hand to look through the gruel for hints of meat or vegetables. He found nothing.

    It was just as grey and lifeless as the slaves, but as it was all he had, he finished it to the last morsel, struggling to keep each one down.

    It hadn''t even given him much energy. He had been hungry all the way to his cavern, and it was only when the bell rung again that his mood perked up.

    The hours he spent studying the patterns of the particles of light passed by in a blink. Then, it was time to eat again.

    He had apparently missed this second meal the day before, not knowing that he was supposed to deposit himself to the eating area, or go hungry. Even though no one gave him any hints about what he was supposed to do, he still followed them, and that was how he discovered all the facets of their lives.

    They had no means of recreation. They didn''t talk much between themselves. Most just stared into the distance, as if lost in the life they had lost to come here, and even when a few whispered things to each other, they would always stop when he came near.

    Each time this happened, he felt stymied as to how he was supposed to carry out the system''s mission. Deciding that he would think about these things after a few days, he had continued his observations, and after assuring himself that he had seen everything there was to see, he had sat down now to think about his situation, and what he would do to make it better.

    ''The first problem¡­ is food. No matter how I look at it, I can tell that I''m going to be a slave for quite a long time¡­ so it is foolish to let all of this muscle wither away. I can already feel them shrinking, and if I eat that gruel for a few weeks more¡­ they''ll disappear, and I''ll be just like the rest.''

    This was a problem that was easy to identify, but no matter how much he racked his brain, he found no solution.

    There weren''t even tiers to the slaves. All of them were treated the same. If there were a few who were allowed to eat better, he might have aimed to reach their position¡­ but there was no such thing.

    From his memories, he knew that the other two layers were different. Even though those people also lived underground, they were allowed to go to the surface whenever they wanted. They were also paid a pittance for what they did, and they had no enforcers waiting with whips to send them to work.

    Shrugging and giving up for the moment after a few seconds, he decided to continue listing his problems.

    ''Next up¡­ I need to stop all the slaves from hating me. Yes, they have a due reason, but somehow, they need to be turned. I have a feeling that I might need their support in the future¡­ But this seems like an even harder task than procuring more food!''

    Sleeping on his back and putting his arms behind his head, he began to ponder on the two issues, calling on the skill that he had depended on before.

    It wasn''t as easy, now. Then, desperation had fueled him, making his mind work faster than ever before. Now¡­ it felt muddled.

    ''It''s because of this darkness. Living without sunlight¡­ beats one down, even if there is no evidence of it happening.''

    After a few minutes, he understood that this wouldn''t work. Getting up, he adjusted the muslin to make sure that his cavern was covered perfectly. He also looked to the left and right, ensuring that no one was awake. Another day of work had just ended, so most had gone to sleep.

    Still unsatisfied with his precautions, he laid on his stomach on the bed, and finally shoved his hand into his crotch.

    He had seen others take the same position for a different purpose, so he hoped that if anyone saw him like this, they would leave him alone, assuming that he was doing the same thing.

    Yet, in truth¡­ he was searching for his most prized possession.

    Hidden on the strip of cloth between his genitals and the open air, the tiny crystal was hard to the touch, but warm, like the walls of the pit. He had found no other place to hide it. The clothes given to slaves had no pockets, so after practicing for an hour, he had taken to walking only after tucking the sides of this strip up, to ensure that the crystal wouldn''t fall to the floor after rolling down his legs.

    It hadn''t been hard to sneak away the crystal. None of the other slaves had an incentive to do so; they could do nothing with them, and if caught, an extensive whipping would await them. But he¡­ was different.

    It was only half as big as his finger, but it was still bigger than the one he had absorbed before. Holding it tightly in his hand, he reached out with his mind again.

    He had practiced this multiple times in the mine, always reaching close, but never being able to touch the crystals for fear of drawing dangerous attention. It had been torture, as the call of all that energy had been oh, so alluring. Now that he could finally take that final step, he felt his heart beat faster with anticipation.

    He latched onto the crystals. He breathed in.

    The rush of energy that swept through his body made him grin again. His mind once again felt clear and free of all restrictions, so he thought about his problem again, and he found the answer in merely a minute.

    ''What if¡­ I secure extra food for everyone? Wouldn''t it solve both problems, at once? After all, isn''t the way to a man''s heart through his stomach? Okay¡­ I don''t know where I heard that, but it sounds wise. If I succeed, a lot of the hate will disappear, and I''ll be able to keep my strength, too. But how should I do it? Well, time to plan¡­''

 13 Ques

    The energy remained in his body for five minutes, and Daneel used every second perfectly.

    With the information he had right now, it was impossible to form a complete plan, but he still worked out several scenarios. It wasn''t very easy, and they were all vague, but nonetheless, he felt very happy with himself when he was done.

    There were many areas that he was worried about, and there were also many risks, but his sense of danger seemed to have been dulled, making him bold and courageous. After studying this feeling, he didn''t know whether it was due to the very process of planning, or due to what he had absorbed.

    When it left, he looked around dejectedly, as if he had been deprived of light all over again. With the energy coursing through his veins, even his vision had been sharp, allowing him to see everything with clarity, so when the darkness returned, he simply hated it.

    Still, finding a pathway forward bolstered him, just as it had done before. Even though the final plan was unclear, he had figured out what he should do next, and that¡­ involved finding the healer.

    It took three entire days for him to finish the task. When he wasn''t working, he had to comb through the corridors, one by one, hiding every time he heard the enforcer walking around. Even though the rules hadn''t been stated explicitly, he knew that it was forbidden for slaves to enter areas that weren''t related to them.

    This was probably why the healer had said before that he was risking a lot to be in his cabin. From this utterance, he had found the clue that the man was probably far away, and hence, he had started his search with the corridor that was the farthest from his.

    He was faced with a lot of curses and scowls, but he ignored them all, keeping his eyes on the prize. He would go into a corridor, duck into each and every cavern and only leave after confirming that the resident wasn''t Reese.

    In the process, he came upon slaves being intimate thrice. He hadn''t even imagined that such an act would grace the Pit, but as soon as he thought this, he saw his foolishness as there was no other way in which slave children could be born.

    The first time he interrupted a couple, they merely paused as if they were used to someone butting in. After seeing that it was the infamous young master, they screamed all sorts of obscenities that rang in his ears for quite a long time afterward.

    They hadn''t been naked, so he hadn''t seen much¡­ but still, the image had evoked his own memories. It had been followed by a physical reaction that he needed to step to the side to control, and as the slaves passed while watching him smile with embarrassment with his hands on his crotch, they cursed at him and warned that they would cut what he was holding off if he dared to force himself on anyone.

    He took the other two incidents in stride after that. In the second one, the woman noticed his strong build and even invited him to join¡­ until she saw his face, after which she lunged to try and close her hands around his throat.

    After facing many such dangerous situations, his relief was palpable when he finally found the old man huddled in the corner of a certain cavern that was different from the rest.

    His had storage areas that held salves and liquids of various colors. The cupboards were as rickety as the one in the room he had woken up in before, on the surface, and the stone bed also had a mattress, which was an oddity when compared to everything he had seen so far.

    At first, he thought that the man was despairing over something¡­ but then, when he took a step closer, Reese turned around and shouted, "What the hell do you think you''re doing? Can''t you leave me alone even when I''m trying to move my bowels?"

    As he realized what he was interrupting, Daneel scratched his head and almost turned around, but then¡­ he stopped and stood his ground.

    Folding his hands behind his back, he kept his eyes firmly on the healer and said, "Nope. No way. I''m not going anywhere! Who knows? You might disappear if I turn my back on you¡­ so either stop, or finish while I wait and watch."

    He didn''t want to let all of his hard work go to waste, and from the way the man had vanished so perfectly for all these days, he was sure that he must be capable of more than he had estimated. He didn''t want to take the risk of losing him, at all, so he acted shamelessly, but didn''t feel so one bit.

    Squatting on the ground, Reese cocked his head and stared at him as if he was joking, before understanding that he was serious. Grumbling beneath his breath, he pulled up his pants and rounded on Daneel.

    "Do you know how difficult it is for an old man to clear out his stomach? I felt them moving after trying for an hour, and then you popped in! Well, out with it, so that I can continue!"

    Daneel was unfazed by the hostility, already having gotten used to it over the course of his quest. Yet, for a moment, his mind blanked, and he said nothing.

    "If it''s about learning the rest of the story, I admire your dedication¡­ but my mind is set. You need to earn it. And right now, I don''t have any task to give you¡­"

    He had almost forgotten about that little argument of theirs, but he rejoiced and latched onto the topic as soon as he heard the man, deciding to use it to his advantage.

    "That''s unfair! You riled me up, and I believed that if I found you, I would have a chance to prove myself! You know how much I went through to get here? Huh? Do you? They threatened to cut my cock off, but I still didn''t falter!"

    He had already seen that at the end of the day, the old man was kind. It was just a feeling he had gotten after studying all of their interactions, so he was betting on his judgment to get what he wanted.

    For a second, Reese glared at him, still unhappy about having to stop what he had been doing¡­ but after that, he looked aside, guiltily, and Daneel knew that he had him.

    With a sigh, he decided to speak again and seal the deal.

    "I can''t even sleep, you know? I just stayed awake, thinking about what you said! And after reaching here¡­ I have to go back, hopeless?"

    For extra effect, he even buried his face in his hands with anguish.

    And when the old man began to reply in an apologetic tone, he smiled, and hid it easily by staying in the same position.

    "Alright, alright¡­ enough. I''m sorry. I do tend to lose my temper sometimes. But as for the story¡­ you really do need to earn it. Tasks come around now and then, but this just happens to be a dry period. Before I can give you one, can I help you in any other way? I hear that you got whipped the other day. Do you need to salve?"

    Daneel continued to be forlorn for a moment more. He acted as if he was struggling with something, and after that, he slumped his shoulders and said, "Okay, fine, I believe you. No, I don''t need a salve¡­ but I could use of information."

    He could see the old man raise his eyebrows suspiciously, so he plunged forward, not intending to give him much time to think about it.

    "It''s the food. You know that I had potential in my previous life, so I was given all sorts of precious nourishment to train with¡­ now, eating that gruel, all of my power is wasting away. If I want to accomplish anything later on¡­ I need to find a way to retain it. Why are we fed so little? Isn''t there any way in which the amount of food can be increased? Has it always been this way? I remember vaguely that when I was little, the slaves seem stronger¡­"

    He let his voice trail away, and watched as the old man shook his head.

    "You remember correctly, even though it must have been when you were just a year old."

    As Reese paused, Daneel blushed. He had only been able to spot that detail because the system had given him all of his memories in a crystal clear form. No child would have been able to remember such a thing after so long, so he hoped that the old man wouldn''t ponder on the subject.

    Thankfully, the question he had asked turned out to be more important than this little incongruity.

    Putting his hands on his legs, he continued.

    "Once, slaves were even given meat and vegetables so that they could keep their strength and work harder. All of that changed when a certain heir took over the responsibilities related to the food allotted to the Pit. I''ve heard that he''s been gouging the budget, but no one bats an eye¡­its an honest wish, but I don''t think you''ll be able to do anything about it."

    Daneel sat on the bed, enjoying the comfort of the bed while continuing the act.

    "Really? Can nothing be done? Where can I find out more about this person?"

    The answer gave him a chill.

    "In the Pit¡­the only one you can go to for more is the Slavequeen. I''ve heard that she answers a question in return for a night with a slave. But if I were you¡­I wouldn''t choose that route. You''ll wake up years older¡­and nowhere closer to your goal. She might seem pleasant, but in fact¡­she''s the most dangerous one here, and you would do well to remember that."

    In the silence that followed, Daneel said nothing. But as the old man sighed again and started reminiscing about the past, the gears in his head turned, and he realized that he had found his next target¡­even though he didn''t like it, at all.

 14 Visi

    "Why¡­ do you look like you''re a kid being forced to eat food he doesn''t like?"

    Forgetting where he was, Daneel had begun a deep dive into what he was supposed to do if he wanted to tackle the succubus.

    After reminding himself of the way he had felt the first time he had seen her, itself, he had shuddered and told himself repeatedly that he had to handle this matter with the utmost seriousness. Hence, he had started to think of his options¡­ before being interrupted by the old healer.

    Shaking his head, he replied, "Uh¡­ Nothing."

    Reese wasn''t convinced.

    "Don''t ''nothing'' me. My eyes may be old, but they are more powerful than you think. You looked exactly like a kid about to do something he was told not to. Why is it so important for you to find out this information?"

    Daneel shrugged. "Because¡­ I want to change something. I don''t like the way that everything is. When I felt the same thing in my previous life¡­ I could just tell someone and have it happen. Now¡­ I''ve realized that I should do it myself, and I guess I''m just unwilling to accept that this should be my fate. Even if it is true¡­ I want to make it better. My reasons may sound selfish, but¡­"

    Reese raised his hand. "And what''s wrong with selfishness? If used for the right cause, I believe it is no less a noble motive than others. I can tell that you still haven''t grown out of the na?vet¨¦ of a teenager¡­ but it''s your life. Even I wanted to do many things when I was younger. If I had been stopped¡­ I would not have reached here, and become the person I am. So, who am I to stop you? But first, you have to understand the consequences of going to her willingly. Come with me."

    When asked for a reason, Daneel had just lost himself in the flow and said whatever arrived at the tip of his tongue. From what had happened with Sebastian before, he had understood that no matter how he felt about it, there were still a few leftover feelings from Daniel Jerrock in his mind. And from his conversation with the old man so far, he had seen that he was shrewd, so if there was too much difference between who he was supposed to be and who he was¡­ he might arouse unnecessary suspicion.

    So, he had tried to tap into those feelings, and he had been successful.

    Happy with the way it had worked out but still feeling uneasy due to the shadow that the succubus seemed to be casting over him, he followed the old healer as the man led him into his corridor and then onto the main tunnel.

    Both moved to hide when they spotted an enforcer in his rounds, and while studying the man, Daneel learned a few tricks that hadn''t come to him before.

    For example, to hide, in his quest so far, he had tried to stick to the nearest stone wall as much as possible so that he wouldn''t be visible. It had been quite hard and also painful as the walls tended to have jagged edges, but instead of doing anything like that¡­ The old man simply sat down and stared at his legs. In an instant, he became the very image of just a normal slave going through his existence with no purpose, and because they saw so many such individuals all day, the enforcer''s eyes passed over him without noticing anything amiss.

    The second time it happened, Daneel copied him, and Reese nodded approvingly before saying, "Show them what they expect, and they will ignore you. You''re a fast learner. I like that."

    Despite himself, Daneel grinned with pride.

    The grin fell away when they ducked into a cavern nearby, and found a man shivering on his stone bed.

    Daneel blinked and squinted, running his eyes over the poor occupant. His eyes were wide open, as if he was staring at something that none of them could see, and his lips stretched into a sick grin, drool dripping from their corners and onto the floor.

    His hands were raised, opening and closing repeatedly, while his hip kept moving up and down.

    His extremely lewd actions immediately made a foreboding feeling come over Daneel. Ignoring what he was doing, he made his eyes linger on his skin and saw that it was wrinkled, hanging on to his bones and even sagging in places.

    "How old do you think he is?" Reese asked, his hands behind his back.

    "60, at least."

    "He''s 20 years old."

    In the silence that followed, Daneel could only stare, agape.

    ''20 years old? What the hell? It''s impossible!''

    "There are many ways for a slave to die. One of them¡­ ss to give themselves over to the succubus. This man is from the layer above the Pit. He was made a slave for having an affair with a lady from the top layer. He couldn''t handle it. On his first day here, itself, he went to the Slavequeen¡­ and he kept going every night after that. It has only been four days since he entered the pit. I doubt he will survive to see the fifth."

    With a sad sigh, Reese stepped out of the cavern, but Daneel stayed for a few seconds.

    The feeling of danger was much more amplified, now. It was hard to get past¡­ but when he thought of the alternative, he was able to immediately shove it aside.

    ''I have so much to do. I can''t let myself be stopped by something like this! Think, think, think! There must be a way to escape a fate like this!''

    He didn''t get an answer right away, but he did notice one thing: each visit had aged the man by 10 years.

    ''Should I consider sacrificing a decade for an answer? No¡­ best to leave that for the worst-case scenario.''

    The inhabitant of the cavern they arrived in next seemed much better off. It was a woman who looked to be in her 30s, and she even smiled when she saw Reese. The smile soured when she spotted Daneel, but Reese raised his hand and said, "He''s with me. He wants to go to the Slavequeen, so I thought I should show him a few of those who already made the journey."

    Daneel could read the emotions on the woman''s face, clear as they were. She first fought with the overpowering hate that all slaves seemed to feel for him, and then, a cunning look passed her eyes before she hid it hastily and nodded.

    Turning to him, she tried to keep her face straight as she said, "If you have any questions, ask away. I''ve only been there once¡­ and it was glorious. Don''t hesitate! She will take very good care of you!"

    ''Oh, really? If you wanted to lie, you should at least have tried to keep the fear out of your voice.''

    Daneel was tempted to confront her about it, but he quickly saw that this was a great opportunity that he shouldn''t waste.

    Holding his chin with his hand, he thought about the most pressing question about the encounter that he was soon going to have to take part in. A few moments later, he gave up, because he knew nothing right now.

    So, he decided to find out everything.

    "Tell me what happened, step by step."

    The woman hesitated, and Daneel could easily tell that she was considering whether she should go forward with her aim of bringing him to ruin, or let it go.

    The hate won, and for once, Daneel felt thankful for its existence.

    "I¡­ I''ll keep it short. Even the memories are poison-uh, no, did I say poison? I meant¡­ that they are tempting. If I think about them too much, I might convince myself that I need to go again¡­ I went, in the first place, because I missed my husband. She was so¡­ inviting. She seemed to be able to read my mind! We talked and talked about the man I loved, about every one of his mannerisms, and about all of the memories I had with him. Then¡­ she kissed me and told me to ask the question. I asked something silly, so it''s not important¡­ but still, she laughed and gave me the answer, and asked whether she had my permission to do what she wished. And¡­ that''s all I can tell you."

    He could see that she had been about to launch into the details of what they had done, but he didn''t need to hear them.

    He had already gotten a hint of hope when he had heard her, so after she stopped, he stayed where he was and pondered.

    When he looked up after a minute, his eyes were shining.

    They walked out, together, after Reese thanked the woman. It seemed that the visits were at an end as they made their way back to his cavern, and as soon as they arrived, he asked, "Are you still dead set on it?"

    His answer made the old man blink, and then look at him as if he was crazy.

    "Yes. You said you give out tasks, right? Well, I have a task to give. Gather everyone you know, and we can begin!"

 15 Meeting

    "¡­ and that''s the task."

    As the old man''s words bounced off the walls and faded into nothingness, sixteen slaves stared at him, their eyes fraught with incredulity and even downright mistrust.

    Four were woman, while the rest were men. No two of them looked like. They had different shapes and sizes, but one thing was common among them all: they stared at Reese in exactly the same way that he had stared at Daneel when he had been told about the task.

    There was one slave who was the biggest among all those present. Standing behind the old man while wreathed in shadow, Daneel studied him. He had no idea how he had succeeded in retaining his muscle, and he was of a mind to ask¡­until he saw the man stand up violently and shout.

    "That''s¡­ARGH! Everyone says that I should control my anger, but they don''t know the kind of situations I have to deal with¡­ before we get started on how foolhardy and utterly fruitless it is, who the hell is the one giving the task?"

    "And what is the payment?"

    The second question was from a woman who had been sitting beside the large man. She was an oddity, too. She almost looked¡­ healthy.

    ''Are they not slaves? How can they be different from all the others?''

    Daneel''s question went unanswered, and he put it to the side, knowing that it was time to make his entrance. It had taken three days to set up this meeting; three days spent with him doubting whether the old man was even up to the task. Each day, he had gone to Reese to find out an update, and he had come away convinced that he was making a mistake by trusting him.

    Yet, in the end, he had come through. The hard work needed to set up just one such meeting was unbelievable. First, they had had to identify a mining shift where the enforcer was known to be lax. Second, Reese had either bought off or requested the slaves assigned to the shift so that they would shift places with the ones who would be involved in the discussion. Third, the enforcer was seduced by a slave and taken to one of the caverns nearby so that he wouldn''t be present while they talked.

    That last step had felt¡­ wrong, to Daneel, for some reason. He had asked Reese whether there was any other way, but after being told that there were some slaves who were always happy to carry out tasks like this in exchange for his healing salves or food secretly squirrelled away from the eating area, he let the topic drop reluctantly. Besides, half the uneasy feeling he had felt had disappeared after finding out that they were not forcing anyone, and afterward, he had thought about this and decided that even if he was a conman in his past, he must have been an altruistic one.

    Finally, it had all culminated in the gathering in front of him. He had arrived first and made sure he was in a spot so dimly lit that he wouldn''t be visible, and even after the others had arrived, they hadn''t bothered to ask about who he was, trusting Reese who stood in front of him and hid him from the view of the rest.

    As the questions echoed in the cave, Reese opened and closed his lips, but said nothing. It seemed that he had considered giving some sort of introduction in the hope that it might dampen the reactions of the others, but he gave up and simply stepped aside.

    When Daneel took a step into the light, the cave went still for a moment, and then, pandemonium broke out.

    The three slaves closest to him lunged in his direction, as if determined to get rid of him now that they had found such a perfect opportunity to do so. The big man started shouting at Reese, but the healer hardly had a chance to listen and respond as he had thrown himself in the path of the ones who wanted to kill Daneel.

    The rest muttered between themselves while looking at him with dark faces. He registered all of it in the span of a second, and then¡­ he breathed in, absorbing power from another crystal he had managed to sneak away from one of his mining shifts.

    With the energy flooding through his veins, it seemed as if his voice had been amplified, too, as when he shouted, the sound drowned out all the noise in the cave, ushering in a spell of silence.

    "SHUT UP, ALL OF YOU!"

    He looked around, meeting the eyes of each and every slave, and he held their gaze until a change came over each and every one of them. He succeeded in making only two slaves look down, but even though the rest were as defiant as ever, he knew that he had earned an opportunity to talk and be heard.

    "Yes¡­ I am the one who gave the task. As for payment¡­ how does meat and vegetables for all the slaves sound? Once, we were able to eat our fill even if we were worked to the bone. I want those days to return. And I''ll make it happen with your help."

    His far-fetched claim brought about even more shock.

    The big man was the first to recover. Raising his hand and pointing his finger at Daneel, he snarled, "Who the fuck do you think you are? You think you can come down here, and order us around as if we were still under your command? You''re nothing!"

    There were many nods as they heard him, and while Daneel watched the man speak, courage filled his mind like a drug. He walked forward until he was standing right in front of the big man. From such a short distance, he could see that each ounce of muscle on the man''s body had been built painstakingly as green veins could be seen rippling across them all, and as the man tightened his fist and ground his teeth, his arms bulged.

    Without the energy, Daneel would have stepped back right away, convinced that his head would be wrenched off his neck if he stayed any longer. Yet, he felt slightly crazy right now, and he knew exactly what he was supposed to do even though it sounded mad, even to him.

    He looked up at the man, and tried hard not to wrinkle his nose due to the stink that was coming off of him. A coarse beard covered half his face, and the rest of his body was hairy, too. He was so tall that Daneel only reached his chest, but still, raising his finger, he tapped on the spot right in front of him and growled, "You were born here. Have you done anything? No! Yes, I came down from the surface! And I will make my words come true, or you can do with me what you wish!"

    He turned to the others, then, and maintained the aggression in his voice.

    "I''m telling this to each and every one of you. Put all this silly pride aside. I will do what I promised, or I''ll pay willingly with my life. If I succeed, eat your fill. I don''t care if you still cursed me after that, too! And if I fail¡­ take your revenge. Isn''t it a good deal?"

    He grinned, then. It was the grin of a man betting his life, and after watching him for a few moments, the others began to whisper between each other.

    "He''s different from us. We were raised while repeatedly being told that our lives are meant only to serve, while he¡­ was promised the world. I believe him. I vouch for him. It might seem fruitless, but it is a simple enough task. If nothing comes out of it, we will only pay a small price. A few whippings, a little blood. But if he succeeds¡­think about everything that will change! Do it for the food, Baroq. Without you, the task will fail."

    He felt like kissing the old man as he heard him. He hadn''t had the time to learn anything about these slaves, so he couldn''t manipulate them like Reese¡­ but still, he hoped that he had done enough.

    The hope vanished with a puff of smoke when three slaves cursed, and walked out.

    But it returned, greater than before, when he felt a heavy hand on his shoulder, and a voice behind him.

    "Well¡­ it''s your life. Courage is one thing that is very, very scarce in the pit. You have enough of it. But if you fail¡­ I promise that I will show you pain that could never have imagined. Heh¡­I always did like lost causes. That''s why I''m even here, so why not take on one more? Reese! I''m in! "

 16 The Slavequeen 1

    Two days later, Daneel once again stood in front of the central cavern that let to the home of the Slavequeen.

    It hadn''t been hard to get there. Originally, the area where the crystal structure that led to the surface was present was supposed to be out of bounds to slaves, but the enforcers always smiled and let in anyone who said that they were going to meet the succubus. Daneel had only heard of those smiles until today, and after seeing them just now, he couldn''t decide whether they were those of pity, or sick satisfaction.

    The past two days had been spent rigorously going over each and every step of his plan. It was quite a simple one, and that meant that no mistakes had to happen, at all, or he was doomed. In the process, he had had to endure many altercations that almost led to blows, but Reese was always present to cool down tensions after reminding those involved about the food that he had promised them.

    It seemed that food and sex were two things that always worked to suppress the slaves'' emotions. He saw many of those whose frustration and hate reached levels that they could hardly control being sent away to a certain few caves that always had a queue of people waiting with all sorts of offerings, and when they returned, they had content smiles that lingered for quite a long time.

    Each time this happened, his own memories would fight to rise to the surface, like embers rising when burning firewood was prodded with a poker. At one point, he almost convinced himself that he should make a trip, too, so that he could prepare for what was going to come now, but he had immediately dropped the idea after finding out from Reese that the women had a tendency of biting things they really shouldn''t bite if the one they were with displeased them in any manner. It was bad for business¡­but apparently, it still happened, now and then.

    Feeling the eyes of the enforcers behind him on his back, he stumbled forward, stopping the flood of thoughts that his mind had conjured to distract him from what lay in front of him.

    ''Alright¡­ No use in delaying this any further. Whether I leave without changing, or after ageing 10 years¡­ I''ll have some answers.''

    He tried to joke with himself¡­ but the words felt hollow, and they also fed the fear that had surrounded his mind, making him repeatedly fret about what could go wrong.

    With each step he took, he went over the plan again and again and again. He even recalled the faces of all those he had worked with, trying to spot whether there had been any signs that they would betray him¡­ but he had seen nothing, and even Reese had been satisfied at the end, saying that it was remarkable that his task was going to be carried out.

    Of course, one of the main driving forces of the slaves was his promise. A few of the slaves he had worked with had even come up to him and discussed terms that they could use to get out of the debts that would be thrown on them when he died, and hearing them, he had only been able to shake his head and grumble due to how sure they seemed that this task would end with his demise.

    He had had no option but to recite the locations of a few fake treasures, and the slaves only left after being satisfied that they could have them dug out by the enforcers who would take a cut, but still give the rest to clear the debt.

    In all these plans of theirs, he had seen the desperation that all slaves lived with. They always expected the worst, no matter what they were doing, and frankly¡­ he couldn''t blame them.

    The exit of the tunnel came upon him all of a sudden, making his mind go blank while he stood, frozen, knowing that taking a step forward would mean that there would be no coming back.

    Same as before, a halo of light had pooled near the entrance of the Slavequeen''s home. Apparently, all those who came to her were made to stand there while she studied them, and as soon as he reached it¡­ their dance would start.

    ''Alright¡­ this is it! With no risk, there''s no reward. Let''s do this!''

    All this time, he had been counting in his mind. The plan hinged on keeping perfect time, and he had already compensated for his skittishness.

    Taking a deep breath, he forced one leg in front of the other, and in barely a second¡­ he shielded his eyes, and stood in the light.

    Instantly, a fragrant smell reached his nostrils. Almost unconsciously, he breathed in deep and felt his mind calm down, until he could barely form a thought.

    ''No! I''ve already researched this! Snap out of it!''

    With great difficulty, he scolded himself and moved his teeth. Biting down on his tongue hard enough to draw blood, he blinked, and began to sweat as he realized how close he had come to going under her control already.

    ''Uh¡­have I underestimated her? Was this thing foolhardy, to begin with?''

    A voice, sensuous and sweet, interrupted his grim musings.

    "Welcome, dear Daniel¡­what a pleasant surprise! I didn''t expect to find you here, so soon¡­"

    From somewhere deep within him, a rebellious thought sprung out that made him dart forward, determined to get out of that spot where he could see nothing.

    ''Why should I let myself be put on display, like an animal, or some object? No way!''

    He emerged in her cavern¡­and stopped in his tracks, as his eyes fell upon the sight waiting for him.

    A woman was bending over a dried-out husk of a man, with skin as thin as parchment almost falling off his bones. His mouth was far more open than was possible for anyone unless their jaw was unhinged, and his eyes were two dark holes, empty and soulless.

    She was swaying to the left and right over his mouth, her body stark naked. Daneel tried to stop himself¡­but his eyes hungrily ran all over her glistening skin, devouring the sight, while being devoured by it, in turn.

    Her legs straddled the man. Her thick thighs were such that he wouldn''t have been able to move even if he wanted to, and her butt was planted firmly on his crotch, two perfect crescents of flesh jiggling slightly as her upper body moved. Somehow, the sides of her waist curved inwards despite the buxom nature of the rest of her body. Her flat waist rose and fell rapidly, while her breasts heaved, two perfectly round globes with small, dark nipples right at the center, each large enough to spill out of his hand easily if he tried catching them in his palms.

    Her neck was that of a swan''s, perfect and angular. Even though all these details made him breathe faster and forget everything¡­her face was actually the one that had made him freeze.

    Her eyelids quivered as she moaned, while something that looked like silvery mist entered her mouth from that of the man. It was so completely filled with lust that Daneel felt jealous of the man beneath her, until his eyes finally fell over him again and made him see that he wasn''t moving, at all.

    This finally made him come back to his senses. He widened his eyes and gasped as he remembered how spellbound he had been, and right away, he looked to his right, determined to not see her again.

    But how could it be that simple? He heard a wet squelch that made him turn even though he tried to stop himself. She arose from the husk, a white substance glittering between her thighs, and as soon as he met her gaze¡­he realized what was going to happen.

    He didn''t know how, but he retained a modicum of consciousness for long enough to understand¡­that this was a mistake.

    He turned around, and ran.

    He felt a certain part of his body scream with anger, but the rest was absorbed in self-preservation. He even reached the exit, but as soon as he tried to step into it¡­a mirror appeared where it was, and he bumped into himself.

    Her voice reached his ears, and at once¡­Daneel wished he could find his former self who had been so confident in the plan, and beat him to a pulp.

    "Not a chance, my dear. You can only choose to come here. I decide when you leave. Now¡­let''s get started, shall we?"

 17 The Slavequeen 2

    The mirror disappeared a moment later, leaving the exit open, but by then, the Slavequeen had reached him.

    He closed his eyes, but they snapped right open when he felt something soft touch his forehead.

    It was her. Bending over him affectionately, she shook her head and puckered those luscious lips, tracing her finger over the spot where his head had hit the mirror.

    He felt a bruise forming, but in his mind, a war had begun, so he could feel nothing else. It was between lust that wanted him to empty his mind, and horror that wanted him to get up, and try to run again.

    The Slavequeen led the army of lust. Her fingers gently removed his clothes, while the mounds that kept coming close to his lips delivered a rousing attack on the enemy which had already started to retreat. Horror''s only strength lay in the sight he had seen before, of the man whose husk had lain there, unmoving¡­but the more his eyes preyed on the treasures of her body, the more the image began to disappear.

    His organ had gone stiff a long while back. The only good thing was that she didn''t touch it, even a bit, as otherwise, the war would have been lost already. He noted that she even stayed away from it as if it burned, but he had no way to think on this information while absorbed with being a spectator, waiting to see whether he would give in and lose a decade.

    It seemed like a foregone conclusion, now. He had already lost all control of his body from the moment he had fallen on the ground, and slowly, he realized that it must be because of that fragrance, which he had been forced to breathe in after entering if he didn''t want to choke.

    ''A-am I¡­paralysed? When those slaves said they couldn''t move, I thought it was because of the passion she must have invoked¡­but it seems that I was wrong about that, too.''

    With one hand on his back and one around his legs, she picked up, and as his body pressed against hers, a smile came on his lips. He couldn''t help it; she was passion, personified, and he was completely under her spell.

    ''How could I have not seen that centuries of practice must have perfected her craft? Oh, I was so blind¡­''

    His laments were of no use, but they still came to him. She took him to the bed, and on the way, he saw no signs of the husk.

    He had no time to think about it, though, as he was laid down on the soft mattress gently. She got on the bed beside him, and her face loomed over his, coming closer and closer until their lips almost touched.

    ''If she kisses me¡­I''m done for.''

    It had been the hardest thing he had had to do since waking up to retain the small measure of wakefulness that was letting him think. He didn''t even know, clearly, how he had managed it. He was clinging on desperately, but if she took things to the next level, he knew that everything would be lost.

    She hovered there, her lips so close that he could smell them. They smelled of berries. A second later, her perfume wafted into his nostrils too, rich and vibrant.

    He wanted her. He wanted her more than he had ever wanted anything in the world.

    He felt himself slipping, and in despair, he searched for a way to hang on. The system would be of no help, here, so he had to depend on himself.

    An idea came to him, suddenly, and he acted on it without thought.

    ''Angaria!''

    A burst of wakefulness went through him, clearing his mind for a moment.

    ''Yes! I have to hold on¡­for Angaria!''

    The same deluge of emotions that always accompanied the word did the trick. He stared into her amber eyes, defiant¡­and she frowned.

    "Hmm¡­teenagers like you are usually lost, by now. Lust is supposed to be stronger in you than in grown men¡­but I guess you''re special. Well, let''s talk! Daniel¡­do you want to tell me anything? Your fears, maybe? Or perhaps¡­your frustration? I''m a very, veeeery good listener¡­"

    He had almost begun to rejoice when he heard her talk, but he stopped, instantly, when she said his name. Her voice had changed, the pitch falling low, rising high, then falling again repeatedly, at varying intervals.

    It was¡­hypnotic. All of a sudden, he felt the urge to lay his heart bare, and that¡­was when he realized the reason behind the conversation she had with a few slaves.

    ''If her body doesn''t work, she uses hypnosis! Also¡­she''s staying away from my lower body. Why is that?''

    "Come on, don''t hesitate. Don''t you want to talk to lady Madeira? Not many know that that''s my name¡­see, I''ve told you something personal! It''s your turn, now¡­"

    Her lilting voice returned, interrupting his thoughts. Daneel almost managed to resist it, again¡­but at the last moment, she moved up and bent forward, and he experienced the best sensation in the world.

    It only lasted a second. He could feel his cheeks blushing as the wonderful warmness of her breasts left them, and he grinned foolishly while his eyes wandered up, reaching her face.

    It took a moment for him to register what he saw as he had been overcome by the snug fluffiness of the flesh that had just graced his face. When he recovered, he spotted the oddity.

    ''Did she¡­look like she was in pain, after doing that? Now that I think about it¡­she winced a bit when she picked me up, too! Does that mean¡­''

    "Come on, now¡­"

    He hated to have his thoughts interrupted again and again, but he quickly realized that if he didn''t say anything now, there might not be a chance to recover, again, if she went even farther.

    So, he said the first thing that came to his mind, having forgotten that he had intended to say it, anyway, if he found himself in this situation.

    "I¡­am curious about the world. Where are we? I only know the town of Graiton¡­so what lies outside it?"

    She frowned again, as if contemplating whether she should give the answer¡­but then, with a shrug, she began to speak.

    "Outside¡­well, let me put it to you this way. If the outside world is a mountain, we are living on a tiny pebble at its foot that was once free, far away. We are the last in a chain of desolate rocks, each joined to the other to form a channel to the Mainland. We are the scum of the land, existing only to serve those powerful bastards on the coast¡­but I''ll change that, soon. Oh, I''m getting ahead of myself! What else do you want to talk about? Or do you want to put these frivolous things aside, and ask for something you really, really want to be answered?"

    [Information recorded. Mission has progressed.]

    The system''s cold voice tipped the scales. Daneel had found himself gripped by interest when the Slavequeen had been speaking, and he had managed to use it to get out of the pit he had been thrown into. When the system spoke, he awoke fully for the first time since entering the cave, and after seeing the forlorn look on the ravishing woman''s face, he realized that it was more because of her laxness than due to his mental fortitude.

    The reason didn''t matter. In the precious moments of clarity he had found, he remembered the plan, and to his horror¡­he saw that he had forgotten the count.

    ''So this was why they were all so sure that I would fail! How can anyone keep count of the seconds ticking by while being seduced by her? Well, for once, I''m glad that I didn''t depend on myself for this task. System, how long until its time?''

    The answer came instantly.

    [20 seconds.]

    As soon as he heard it, he panicked. He had had no idea that so much time had passed, but as he noticed that the Slavequeen was about to return to her senses¡­a flash of inspiration struck him.

    ''I have to speed things up! And there''s only one way to do that¡­''

    He pounced on her. He would be lying if he said that he had also loved the plan, but he put aside the thought and kissed her full on her lips.

    He was lost in the feeling of their plumpness in his mouth for a second, but thankfully, she pushed him back.

    She looked as if she was in pain, at first, but she hid it quickly. Biting her lip seductively, she asked, "So¡­I see that I''ve finally succeeded. Are you ready to ask the question?"

    She bent forward and kissed him, then, and it was all he could do to nod while his mind went blank for what felt like the umpteenth time.

    She stopped and smiled, goading him on. Taking a breath, he spoke.

    "Who¡­is the one gouging the food budget of the slaves? And who are his contacts, here?"

    His question caught her off-guard. She looked at him suspiciously, and knowing that he had to do something, he hugged her, losing himself in the sensation of the two soft balls of flesh pressing into his chest.

    She still didn''t answer. So, giving himself over to the desire filling his mind, he wrapped around that tiny waist, and after placing his hands on her rear, he squeezed.

    That was it. The incredible feel of that springy flesh on his palms made him lose control more than ever before, and as he plunged headlong into the spell he had been avoiding until now, she gasped and answered.

    He didn''t hear her, though. She pushed him back and asked something, too, and even though he still didn''t hear her, he knew that he had to say ''yes''.

    The word reached his tongue. Opening his lips, he even began to say it.

    "Ye-"

    [0.]

    "BLEEEUUUURRRGGHHHHH!"

    Just before he finished giving the answer, a disgusting sound echoed in the cave.

    It was that of five slaves retching. They tottered into her home, spewing vomit from their mouths, and as they both turned in their direction, all feelings of lust evaporated from Daneel''s body.

    "YOU! I''LL KILL YOU!"

    With a scream, she jumped in their direction, and Daneel saw her teeth transform into pointy fangs.

    The sound of a loud crash from somewhere far away stopped her in her tracks. The five slaves ran as the second part of the plan took effect, and an enforcer''s voice echoed into the cavern from the tunnel.

    "Madam Madeira! One of the mines has collapsed! You are needed, Ma''am!"

    She whirled on Daneel, then, her eyes squinting, suspicion plain on her face.

    He shivered as he saw those amber eyes now filled with anger, but he gave nothing away. With a huff and a silent promise that they weren''t done, she turned around and left, seemingly not bothered, at all, about her lack of clothes.

    For a moment, Daneel collapsed back onto the bed, exhausted by the entire ordeal. He knew that he had to leave, but right now, he had no strength.

    There was only one thought on his mind, and he muttered it to the empty room.

    "That¡­was too fucking close. But was it all worth it? Oh, I really hope so¡­"

 18 Aftermath

    A minute later, Daneel was quickly making his way back to his cavern.

    He had a pounding headache that was going nowhere no matter how much he massaged his head, and all around him, slaves were hurrying back and forth, summoned to the collapsed mineshaft to help with the effort of clearing the entrance.

    He knew that his corridor had been called, too, but had already decided that he would risk a whipping as he was just too tired to go. He took great effort to put one leg in front of the other, and each time he was reminded of what he had just gone through, his little friend would throb painfully, as if resenting him for not going through with the act even though he had been so close.

    It wasn''t sentient enough to understand that it would have meant him aging ten years, and he was too tired to even try and suppress such thoughts. He just wanted to get to his cavern and lay down on the bed, and even though it would be a hard one, he was sure that he would be able to fall asleep in a second.

    His task had been simple: he had needed a distraction so that he could escape the succubus''s clutches. The main reason they had all hated it was that they didn''t see what was in it for them. Their thoughts were limited; they had all been of the opinion that even if the conspirators who were causing a shortage of food were found out, there could be no change possible.

    Yet, Daneel had already worked out a plan to target these folks and change the situation in the Pit. Right now, he was quite sick of the plan he had just orchestrated to even think about another one, and as soon as he got this thought, his mind latched onto all the errors that had almost made him a middle-aged man.

    ''So many things went wrong! And I bet there are others, too, that I don''t know of, yet¡­ First, I underestimated her. She had no trouble with taking me under her spell. If it hadn''t been for that word from my memories which means so much to me, I would have been done for! And, second, if I didn''t have the system, there would have been no time to sync the answering of the main question with the arrival of those vomiting slaves. I almost said the word out loud! From everything I''ve heard about her, it''s almost certain that she has power over those who give her permission¡­ and she''s livid about the entire thing, to boot! I was hoping that she might brush it off as a coincidence¡­ but the way she looked made it clear! She is going to target me later! Ah, I really made a pile of problems for myself¡­''

    The idea to use vomit had come from Reese. He had said that such a disgusting sound would definitely break one out of anything lustful they were feeling, and he had turned out to be right. He had also supplied the specific potions necessary to cause a violent reaction in one''s stomach, and he had also helped with the step to save the lives of the five who would interrupt the two of them.

    Those with thick beards had been chosen, and right now, he knew that someone must be shearing those hairy things away, leaving behind faces that she would not be able to recognize. There was still a small risk that she would be able to do so if they did nothing else, so they had also taken the precaution to cover the bodies of each slave with soot that could be washed off.

    ''So many precautions, so many delicate steps¡­ and after all that, if they knew that I didn''t even hear the answer, they would laugh at me.''

    He would have been very worried about this¡­ if he didn''t have the system at hand. He saw, now, how instrumental it had been to this entire plan, and on a whim, he decided to think it.

    ''Great job! I couldn''t have done it without you! Frankly, I don''t even know if praise or gratefulness does anything for you, but there''s no harm in trying¡­ anyway, what are the names she gave?''

    [Responding to host. Name of individual in charge of food on the surface is: Count Erfrost. Names of enforcers who steal away the meat and vegetables meant for the slaves are: Jerrad, Malena, Kolfar, Nigor.]

    His eyes widened at the list. He hadn''t thought that four of the cruelest individuals in the Pit would be the ones behind this greedy crime.

    ''Well¡­ that complicates things. But still, I''ve got time to think about it. Why the hell is it taking so long to get home?''

    Grumbling and cursing, he sped up and trudged the rest of the way with a dark face. When he finally arrived, a smile of satisfaction reached his lips¡­ but it was quickly put away when he found someone waiting for him.

    "Took you long enough. I won''t even ask whether you were successful. We did our part, and now, it''s time for you to do yours, or pay. You have a month. The others didn''t want to give you so much time¡­ but just like Reese, I''m curious in regards to what you''re capable of. Don''t. Let. Me. Down."

    The big man jabbed Daneel in the chest with each of the last words he said, pushing him back until the lip of the cave.

    Daneel had learned that his name was Xander. Together with the woman he had seen him the other day, they apparently ran an extortion ring where they starved ten of the weakest slaves so that they could live with bountiful food, and when he had found this out, he had been quite repulsed.

    Still, it had to be admitted that Xander was the one on whom a majority of the plan had relied. He had been the only one with enough knowledge to cause a collapse, as apparently, before becoming a slave, he had been an inhabitant of the second layer in charge of excavating new areas of the mine.

    Daneel had asked about the reason behind his fall from grace, but hadn''t found the answer.

    "Don''t worry¡­ I won''t. I wasn''t just posturing the first time I met you, you know. Maybe, if I succeed, you will let a few of the slaves under your foot go¡­"

    He didn''t know why he was doing it, but as soon as he recalled the reason behind the man''s strength, a wave of scorn swept over him.

    Xander had been about to leave the cavern. He turned around at the exit, and for a moment, Daneel was convinced that his palm, which was big enough to encircle his neck by itself, would soon be choking him.

    Instead¡­ the man smiled, but his amusement didn''t reach his eyes which stared with cold contempt.

    "Or maybe, instead of killing you, I''ll add you to them. I''ve found that starvation is very effective against those I hate."

    On a good day, Daneel would have had no problem meeting his heavy gase, but quickly, his fatigue caught up with him. Even though he didn''t want to, he found himself looking down wearily, and as if taking that as a victory, the big man scoffed and said, "Don''t think for a moment that I was praising you before. I just believe¡­ that results are everything. She caught up with the five who interrupted you two even though they split into different corridors. She captured two of them, and I''m pretty sure they won''t see the darkness of tomorrow. In the cave we collapsed to give you an opportunity to get out, four slaves died. There was nothing that could be done. I did say that it was an unpredictable art with no tools at hand. You''ll quickly join this count if you don''t turn out to be resourceful, so here''s some advice: don''t waste the time you''ve been given. I''ll be waiting¡­and watching."

    With another smile, Xander left, and Daneel collapsed onto the bed.

    ''Six men and women¡­died to make my plan work? It wasn''t supposed to be this way! Are ten years of my life worth six lives? I...I don''t know. Still, I didn''t even know them, so¡­why is there an ache in my chest?''

    He lied down, intending to sleep away the tiredness and the feeling in his heart.

    Yet, the solace of slumber didn''t arrive no matter how much he tried, and Daneel spent the night tossing and turning, his thoughts on his first plan in the Pit¡­and how much of a disaster it had turned out to be.

 19 Aftermath 2

    When he heard the bell rung again, he knew that dawn had come, and he got up from the bed.

    He didn''t feel much better than when he had hobbled into his cavern. In fact, he felt worse, but immediately, he knew the elixir that he needed if he wanted to get back to his normal self, so that he could stop wasting the limited time he had.

    Joining the stream of slaves heading to their mining shift, he tried to lose himself in the sounds of the Pit. Alas, even though he tried¡­ his thoughts kept going back to those who had died.

    In the hours he had spent thinking of them, he had slowly reached the decision that he would not let their sacrifices go in vain. He had even marveled about how it was possible for someone with a heart like his to be a con man, and after that, he had wondered whether this estimation of his past life had been wrong, after all.

    After reaching the mine, Daneel looked around, trying to see whether there were any obvious differences due to the collapse yesterday. During the planning process, he had learned that they weren''t very rare. They happened once every one or two months, and each time, the Slavequeen would arrive to clear away the rubble and extract the crystals trapped beneath.

    She had been seen hefting a boulder ten times her size as easily as if it was a pebble. The enforcers were capable of no such things; they were all just normal humans, and they, apparently, could only stand in awe as she exhibited her power.

    Picking up the hammer and nail, Daneel thought about how she hadn''t seemed that powerful in their time together. Even though so much time had passed, just remembering how magnificent she had looked made him get thoughts that he had to struggle to put aside.

    He had also figured out a key point regarding her power, but he didn''t know how it would be of use to him. He decided to think on it later, as first¡­ he had to get rid of the enervation drowning his mind and body.

    He started chipping away at a certain vein of crystal, having chosen it due to the tiny deposits that were also present nearby. After finishing with the main vein and putting away the fist-sized crystals, he looked around and ensured that no one was paying any special attention to him.

    It was only then that he attacked the tiny crystals, and as soon as he dislodged three of them, he stored one away and absorb the rest.

    The rush of energy made his eyes snap open fully for what felt like the first time in a long time. He had been loath to leave behind this cheat of his when going to the succubus, but knowing that she would be stripping him bare, he had seen that it would not be wise to reveal his secret so stupidly. He had also understood that unlike the enforcers who definitely didn''t know anything about what he was doing, she was an individual of power who might have a clue and hence be able to spot his special ability, so it wasn''t wise, at all, to tempt fate.

    As blissful clarity returned to his mind, he went through everything that had happened the day before and saw even more of the glaring mistakes he had committed. Towards the end of the encounter, he saw how foolish it had been to go forward and throw himself into her spell. Now that he thought about it, there were other ways that he could have used to ensure that she would answer the question, and besides, with time, she might even have realized that even if she gave him the information, he was a slave who could do nothing about it.

    During his musings, he enjoyed the feeling of the energy burning away the tiredness, leaving behind a comfortable sensation that made him smile foolishly. He had to hide it while working on a different vein nearby, and as he extracted another large crystal, he wondered how it would feel if he absorbed it, too.

    It was a dangerous thought. Crystals as small as the tip of his finger were giving him so much, so he imagined himself bursting into a million pieces if he tried something like that. With a shiver, he put away the crystal, and as his line of thinking continued down the path it had embarked on and finished the analysis, he suddenly got a thought that made him feel absurdly dumb.

    ''How¡­ could I not have seen this, before? I have so few tools at my disposal, but I still failed in utilizing all of them! But wait¡­ I should first see whether I have reason to be scolding myself. System¡­ is it possible for the body analysis capability to scan anyone I come into contact with, or can it only scan me?''

    The answer made him bend forward, and smack his head on the crystal in front of him.

    [Responding to host. System can scan the body of any target that host touches.]

    Massaging his temples, he thought, ''Okay¡­ I deserved that. And that should remind me not to make the same mistake again! System, tell me what you scanned from the SlaveQueen.''

    [Target Name: Madeira, the Slavequeen

    Age: unknown.

    Capable of absorbing the life-force of those under her spell. Needs explicit permission before she can do so. In the absence of said permission, even touching her target causes pain.

    Side-effects of life-force absorption for victim: Memory loss, deadening of senses, loss of general will to resist, lessened thinking faculty, addiction to memories of having life-force absorbed, which leads to subsequent visits

    Analysis data has been stored under the name ''Succubus''.]

    ''I was right!'' He exclaimed as he heard the system, thinking of the conclusion he had reached after studying the Slavequeen.

    And as he went through the list of side-effects again, he trembled with fear, seeing that it had been a much, much closer shave than he had thought.

    On the surface, it only looked like she was taking away the age of a victim¡­but underneath, so many vile side-effects were present that effectively ruined one''s life.

    ''Maybe this is why I was only able to talk to those who have visited her very recently. Perhaps, with time, all of them go back¡­''

    He suddenly imagined a thousand empty husks filling her residence, their lives sacrificed to sustain her wretched existence.

    ''She has to die!''

    Without warning, he felt anger cloud his vision, while hate burned in his mind.

    Both of them froze when he heard a voice nearby say, "Hey! I know what all of you did yesterday. I overheard your plan. What do you think will happen if I take the tale to the enforcers, or maybe¡­to the queen?"

    His heart began to thunder in his chest as he turned to his side. A squat man stood there, with a shaved head and a toothy grin filled with mischief and greed.

    "I-if you heard us¡­then you must also have heard why I''m doing it all."

    The short man scoffed. "So that all of us can eat meat and veggies? Oh, I''ll eat well, alright, if I expose you lot¡­hell, I might even make it out of here!"

    Daneel didn''t know what to say. It felt as if the ruin of their little gang stood in front of him, but quickly, he saw something that didn''t fit.

    "If that''s true¡­why are you even talking to me?"

    The answer made him widen his eyes and stare, hardly able to believe what he was hearing.

    "Because the boss told me not to do it. There are over 1500 slaves in the Pit¡­did you think that that old fool, Reese, and that oaf, Xander, were the only ones with ambition? There is someone far older that they don''t even know about¡­and you''ve caught his eye. After the shift ends, follow me."

 20 Trus

    The short man left after dropping the bomb on Daneel. As he limped away, Daneel noticed that he was even shorter than he had looked. Apparently, when he had been talking to him, he had climbed onto a pile of rocks so that he could be heard even if he was whispering, so now, his real height became visible.

    He was just half of Daneel''s 5''10(178 cm).

    He looked like a child brought here by one of the slaves, but no one paid any special attention, as if they had gotten used to his sight. Daneel''s eyes followed him closely as he reached a vein of crystal and built a careful pile so that he could step on them to get work done, and after that, as if he had been able to feel Daneel''s gaze on his back all the while, he winked in his direction and went to a different vein.

    After that, he didn''t bother looking for him. He had been watching until now to see whether he would vanish into a puff of smoke and turn this all into a dream, but as no such thing seemed liable to happen, he traveled into his memories in search for any small signs of such a hidden figure being present in the Pit.

    In the process, he did notice that the short man had been right about one thing: just from the count of the corridors and the number of caverns in each, it was obvious that there were more than 1200 slaves. With so many present, how could he have thought that Reese and his tiny band of helpers would be the only ones interested in an uprising?

    ''I''m swimming in eddies I know nothing about¡­ and if I''m not careful, I might just drown.''

    He went back to work, after that, trying to lose himself in the dizzying patterns of the dots of light again. They constantly kept losing their allure, though, as he kept trying to think about who was waiting for him, so it was with relief that he heard the bell that meant that the shift was done.

    Soon, he was standing in the queue to the teleportation area which would send him back to his cavern. Yet, just as he was about to step forward to four places away from it being his turn, he felt a coarse hand catch his and pull him into a perfectly hidden crack in the cave wall.

    Its entrance was such that it was angled away from the lip of the cavern where there was some amount of illumination due to the presence of the teleportation area, so once blinded, no one would be able to see that such a thing was present. There was only enough place for one person, so the two of them made a tight fit.

    "Here. Say you forgot to put it back, and go back into the shaft."

    The dwarf disappeared right after. Despite his short legs, he seemed to have been gifted with speed, as after Daneel emerged from the crack and looked around, he found him nowhere nearby.

    He hefted the nail he had been given in his hand. Each mining shaft had a store of nails and hammers that were meant to stay there instead of being carried around by the slaves, so it was the perfect excuse to go back.

    ''But what am I getting into? If I do this, I''m going to be putting myself in their mercy¡­''

    He contemplated, for a moment, whether it was smart to go forward with the commands of someone he had just met. True, he hadn''t been betrayed in the Pit, yet, but he had heard many stories of such betrayals that led to the hangings that often took place on the surface. Like a child who had been told that fire was hot, he had been wary of them even though he hadn''t touched it and burn his hand.

    ''What if it burns now?''

    The question had no answer, but as he thought a little bit more, he saw something he had missed before.

    If he truly wanted to accomplish things in the pit¡­ Reese and his gang might not be enough.

    After all, when put on a scale of 1500 slaves, the ten of them were nothing. They could do tiny things like plans relating to the succubus, but if anything large scale was required, then Reese had no influence.

    He had even asked the man about it, and the old healer had waved it away, saying that it was foolish to trust a large number of people when a few could get the job done. He hadn''t thought much about the answer then, but now¡­ he wondered whether the man had been blustering, just like he had done before when his hope had been offended.

    ''Did you think I would think less of you if it was the truth?''

    It was possible. But even if it wasn''t¡­ Daneel reached the decision that he needed to at least find out who these people were, before even thinking about whether they could be trusted.

    ''Well, I guess¡­ time to be burnt.''

    He walked back in the direction of the shaft, and showed the nail in his hands to the enforcer when the man looked at him questioningly. After reaching the area filled with crystals, he raised one eyebrow as he saw that a shaggy slave similar to him in height was standing beside the short man who had disappeared before.

    "Go on. Don''t forget the cavern you''re supposed to sleep in."

    The man nodded and left after shooting a fleeting glance at Daneel.

    "Is that¡­ supposed to be me?"

    The squat man snorted. "After a fashion¡­ yes. You might think that it is luck that we drew an enforcer today who is secretly half-blind. If so ¡­ you would be gravely wrong He cannot see any features. He can barely see the heights of people. And he was chosen to be here so that no one would miss you."

    Daneel was impressed, but he saw a problem that the man seemed to be ignoring.

    "But what if someone that knows me arrives in my cavern? Wouldn''t they know that I''ve disappeared?"

    Danel''s counterpart had left the cave, leaving only the two of them, alone. With a grin, the man answered, "Oh, don''t worry about that¡­ courtesy of a different enforcer, you''re going to be down with a spot of severe indigestion, so much so that the caverns around yours will be evacuated and for an entire day, to remove the risk of your infection spreading, no one will be allowed into the corridor. The boss always makes perfect plans. He laughed when he saw yours, and pointed out so many mistakes that we couldn''t even keep track of them. Now, enough chitchat. Follow me."

    Daneel stepped forward in a daze as the two started walking deeper into the cave. It really was a perfect plan, albeit being quite simple, but what had struck him with surprise most was that whoever he was going to meet¡­ had influence over the enforcers.

    Such a thing was unheard of. Reese had even insisted that it was impossible to buy out these heartless individuals as slaves, all too often, had nothing that they might ever need.

    His curiosity piqued, he waited while the dwarf walked to a pile of rock that looked no different from any other.

    Yet¡­ when it was cleared, a tiny tunnel was revealed.

    "You will have to crawl."

    Saying so, he went inside, crouching, his bald head barely touching the top of the smooth edges of the passageway.

    ''Wait¡­ how the heck is it smooth? Even the caves dug out for the slaves to reside in were rough!''

    The tally of questions in his mind was only increasing, so he hoped that he would find answers, soon. Without comment, he got down on his knees and crawled inside, wondering whether he would come out bloody.

    Thankfully, the tunnel angled downwards after a few moments. He was able to slide down with no effort, and soon, he even began to pick up speed.

    By then, the purpose of the smooth sides was revealed. At the speed he was going, even touching a jagged edge of rock would give anyone a gash big enough to die from.

    He slid for what felt like a long time, but in the confines of so much stone, it was impossible to keep track. Just as he was about to ask the system about it, though¡­he tumbled onto something soft, and had to shake his head to stop the vertigo.

    When he recovered, he looked up to see a sight he would remember for the rest of his life.

    Hundreds of dwarves stood in front of him, arranged into groups, all with shiny heads and disheveled faces that looked at him with varying degrees of interest and curiosity.

    Far in the distance¡­rose a giant. With long, spindly legs and arms, he was at least twenty feet tall, his hair as long as a fully-grown man and his eyes large pools of milky liquid.

    Even sitting, he was magnificent. His voice was a rumble that echoed in the cave, and as he spoke, Daneel''s jaw dropped, and he stared, astonished.

    "Welcome to our humble abode, Daniel Jerrock. We''ve been watching you with much interest. We loved the way you dealt with Madeira, that jumped-up practitioner of power who thinks she is much greater than us, despite being on the same path. Come. We have much to discuss."

 21 Take

    The giant''s words reached him from all directions at once, reflecting off the flat surfaces of the gigantic cave he had found himself in. He looked all around, studying his surroundings while being peered at like a guinea pig by all those present.

    Lit by blazing braziers placed evenly all around, this was the largest enclosed area he had seen since waking up. The ceiling was high, high up in the air. It was doomed, with the highest point being at least 70 feet from the floor. Behind him, a flat wall was pockmarked by at least 50 small holes exactly like the one he had just fallen out of.

    As for the dwarves¡­there were so many that he could hardly count them. Still, a preliminary estimate was that at least 300 of them were present, and that raised all sorts of questions.

    ''What do they eat? Where do they live? How are there so many? And who the hell are they?''

    The last one seemed to be the most pressing, but the only answer he received on further inspection was for the second one.

    The giant was seated on a large wooden chair which was an architectural marvel on its own right. Banded with metal, it looked sturdy enough to even handle the weight of two giants.

    What he was interested in was actually beside the chair. On both sides of it, they were large openings that hinted at spaces farther inside, and as he studied them with the intention of seeing a hint of what might lay within, he also noticed that the giant was studying him, in turn.

    That was when he remembered that he had been told to ''come'', so he lurched forward to the satisfaction of many of the little, bald men in front of him.

    They clapped and hooted as if he was giving a performance, and their eyes shone with excitement.

    "Quiet. Don''t make our guest panic, little folk. The show is done. Go back to your little hovels."

    There was quite a bit of discontentment when the giant''s words rumbled in the cave again, but quickly, the dwarves began to walk in the direction of the opening on the left of the chair. Just like the one who had brought him here, their legs were swift, and they were gone in merely a minute.

    Daneel walked forward even further as the space cleared. Soon, he was standing right in front of the colossal chair, and his puny size made him feel all the more conscious now that he was so close. But there were other details to notice, too, so he thought on them instead of dwelling on the fact that the hand resting on the armrest could crush him in a moment if it so wished.

    The giant''s skin was extremely wrinkled, as if he was a hundred-year-old man clinging on to life. He also had many scars all over his body, much worse than even what he had seen on Reese, and one of his legs was actually shorter than the other.

    Seeing him studying that leg, the giant spoke again.

    "When we were little, ages ago, our brother broke that leg so that he could take on the work we were doing. We used to be very good at mining; we could do the work of two good men on our own, but he was going hungry. It never healed well¡­"

    A film of memories glazing over his eyes, the giant dwelled on his past, and Daneel, in turn, dwelled on everything the man had said so far.

    It was hard to think of anything else except his overpowering size, so first, he wondered whether it was possible for anyone to grow so big.

    ''Is it something he was born with? Or, wait¡­ he talked about power! But how can what he is be similar in any way to what that succubus was doing?''

    The confusion in Daneel''s face amused the giant.

    "Ha! That''s always the first question in anyone''s mind. It just so happens that we can show you the answer, instead of telling you. Oh, and the fearlessness of children is really something to behold¡­ most of the others who come here are convinced that they will soon die as soon as they see us. They try to run, they try to hide, but they never succeed¡­ take, for instance, the one who is going to soon be here. Fenris! Get them in!"

    Daneel could never have imagined that it would be possible for the man to raise his voice, and when he did, it grew so loud that he had to close his ears. Instead of echoing just in the cave they were, it traveled into the caverns beside the chair, and soon, a group of dwarves appeared.

    There were 12 of them, arrayed into small groups of four each holding the limbs of a man on their shoulders. All these three men were struggling, bound with ropes and gagged with cloth, but no matter how much they tried, they couldn''t move an inch.

    To his surprise¡­ Daneel saw that he recognized one of them.

    The giant finally moved for the first time since Daneel had arrived when the three approached his throne. He bent forward and lowered his hand, which was so absurdly large that just by stretching it over one of the three, he was able to cast a shadow that covered them.

    "This man has been very, very naughty. We been watching him for a long time, and cruelty is something that we''ve gotten used to seeing¡­ but still, his deeds need special mention. You might have heard a little about what he does, but you don''t know it all. He has twenty slaves under him, yes, whose food he steals to stay strong¡­ But did you know that he also makes them breed, so that they give birth to children? In the pit, children always get additional food so they can grow and replace the slaves who die regularly, but seeing this as an opportunity, this noble individual right here starves them, too, taking all of their food, leaving them to die! By our count, he has killed thirty-three infants, so far. We were unwilling to move on him still, you see, because it is vital that we should stay hidden¡­ but do you know what he was going to do when we laid our hands on him? Deciding that selling you out was better than waiting to see what you would accomplish, he was going to go to the Slavequeen and lay you entire plan bare¡­ we caught him while he was on his way, or you would be on the way to a hanging by now, my friend. Now¡­ what fate do you think he deserves?"

    There was a moment of silence after the giant''s long-windedness, during which Daneel registered what he had been told. When the feeling of being betrayed washed over him, though¡­ he took a step back, his entire body covered by a layer of sweat as he imagined being hauled away by the succubus to have all of his ambitions ground into the dust.

    He also felt all the more repulsed that he had worked with such a man, and even thought that they might have built a bit of camaraderie due to the exchange they had had in his cavern after the job. He felt like stomach turn when he recalled that, and right away, he wondered whether there Reese had known of this.

    Meanwhile, the giant had begun to move each of his fingers slowly, up and down, to the left and right, in a way that seemed random, yet possessing a pattern that he would not have noticed if he hadn''t spent all these days studying the patterns of those dots of light.

    A few seconds passed as Daneel stared at the big man who was looking at him pleadingly. He felt no remorse, though, whatsoever¡­ and he suddenly found himself thinking that it would be alright if such a man did not see the darkness of the next day.

    As soon as he got this thought, a dim, white glow came to life right below the palm of the giant. Xander averted his gaze, then, and stared fearfully at the light.

    While he watched, Daneel felt a flicker of recognition, and he wondered where he might have seen something like this before.

    He got the answer¡­ when a silvery mist started to arise from Xander''s skin while the man howled into the gag, struggling against the bonds tying his hands and legs together with so much strength that he drew blood.

    The dwarves who had carried him there had already run away, and slowly, ever so slowly, Xander began to¡­ shrink.

    Daneel watched, astonished, at this act that went against everything he thought he had known about the world. The same mist had been absorbed by the succubus, but there, he had been able to figure out what she was doing.

    Yet, here, he was clueless¡­ until the absorption began to speed up.

    Xander''s hair began to fall away. His muscles were sucked dry, and his body kept growing smaller, smaller, smaller until¡­ only a dwarf remained.

    The giant smiled as the process ended, leaving behind the big man as a drooling shell of what he had been.

    ''Does he seem¡­ bigger?''

    He didn''t know whether that was true or not, but one thing was certain: the giant looked invigorated, and with a deep laugh, he spoke again, and as Daneel listen to him, the system spoke in his mind, too.

    "Once, we could take in the energy of those crystals to seek the wonders of power. They barred us from that pathway¡­but we found another. Now, we take! And when the one from whom we take deserves it¡­oh, it feels so, so good."

    [Information recorded. Mission has progressed.]

 22 Origin

    Daneel felt that it was incredibly hard to form a coherent thought as he watched suck away half the bodies of the other two men, too.

    He kept wondering whether he had wandered into a nightmare of sorts. But as he watched the giant grow slightly larger, he slowly connected the dots.

    ''So all those little dwarves¡­ are those that he has absorbed from? How the hell does such a power even exist? On the surface, all I was told was that I should eat nutritious foods and grow stronger¡­ well, the taskmaster did say that there was a lot of hidden information, but I thought he was doing so to sound cool. I was supposed to find out about all of them after going to that special school¡­but that plan went into the trash.''

    The giant leaned back contentedly after he was done. It almost looked like he had forgotten Daneel, so he used the opportunity to think things through.

    He went back to what the man said before¡­ and of course, he saw the familiarity between the powers of the two of them, and saw how impossible it would have been for anyone to guess the connection if they weren''t privy to what he had just seen.

    ''She¡­ absorbs the vitality of a person, turning them ten years older, but this giant directly takes away the height of someone? But¡­ how?''

    The last thing the giant had said hadn''t been of much help either, either. He didn''t know a thing about the pathway of taking energy from the crystals except that he could do it, so how could he be expected to know anything about what it had given way to?

    ''What if¡­ the thing he actually absorbs is vitality, too, but in his case, he does so directly? After all, everything that one eats allows them to grow, right? If there was a way to transform all of that energy so that it could be observed, like I absorb power from those crystals¡­ then it may make sense. Then why does the hair fall off?!''

    If this was a story, he wished that he could pummel the author until he was gasping for breath. After all, everything that had been established had been taken and turned on its head, so how could anyone not be annoyed, if not outright infuriated?

    Having finally come out of his fit of satisfaction, the giant chuckled as he witnessed the confusion writ on Daneel''s face.

    "I bet that you must have many questions¡­ and if it''s about our power, then we have no problem with answering them. After all, no matter how much you find out, you will not be able to replicate it in any matter. It is something that needs to be passed down. Or¡­ it is something that needs to be taken, but the means of this ''taking'' is hidden, too. We know for a fact that that Madeira killed her master to obtain her powers. Oh, we are rambling¡­ well, let us give you the short answer. In this world, there are ways in which the natural order of things can be¡­ circumvented. You see, all three of these men have been living for decades, eating, pissing, shitting their way to what they are, now. They worked so hard to live, and in so doing, they survived¡­ but what if it was possible to take the fruit of their hard work, and gobble it down? What if doing such a thing would also give you eternal life, although you would be tied down to a place where you can obtain fresh life force over and over again? This thought¡­ resulted in the creation of this path. It is the path¡­of a Glutton. You see, you must eat, eat, and keep eating no matter how sick you become. There are other fancy names that some people use. They dub themselves as ''devourers'' or even the ''gourmands of humanity''. We prefer this simple name. We are just on a rock feeding the Mainland with blood and sweat, and there are many pathways over there that are much¡­ cleaner, by comparison, but this is our own, our pride, and our hope. They know nothing of how it feels to scrounge for power. They know nothing of how devastating it is to dream of being able to absorb the sweet, sweet energy of all those crystals¡­ but having no means to do so! We could have let it go, calling it our fate¡­ but we didn''t! We rose, and succeeded! And one day¡­we will have our revenge!"

    The giant''s rousing speech sent a cheer in the two caverns behind him, but Daneel didn''t know whether it was because of his passionate words that must have made the simpleminded dwarves who had laughed at him before believe that they should cheer, or because they understood what he was saying.

    He heaved after he was done. He had been leaning more and more forward with each word, and toward the end, his face had come so close to Daneel''s that it had been very hard not to step back. Daneel had held his ground, remembering quickly how detested the man had sounded when he had spoken about the way people ran or tried to hide after arriving here.

    And in the silence that followed¡­ he had to fight hard to keep a straight face.

    ''If only this guy knew that he could solve all his problems by just banging his head on that rock nearby¡­''

    The thought was so funny that a bubble of laughter reached his lips, and he had to bite down to stop it.

    ''Was U crazy in my past life, too? Or maybe I''m just dumb, now?''

    He decided to take his mind away from these things by concentrating on what he had just learned. His vague explanation about what he had seen had somehow been right. He also realized that the hair falling off must have been one of the side effects of the giant''s absorption just like the long list he had been given by the system in the case of the succubus.

    As soon as he remembered the system, he felt a strong urge to touch the giant so that he could analyze him, too.

    Yet, he found no way in which he could make such a thing happen without seeming crazy, so he dropped the idea, for now.

    "We hope that we did not bore you with our speech. It is something that is always on our mind. Anyway, go inside, there is a feast prepared for you. You shall eat, and then we shall talk."

    Daneel''s stomach rumbled at the thought of food.

    But since he had arrived, one question had been repeatedly pricking his mind, so he decided to get the answer to it, first, before accepting the giant''s hospitality.

    "Why are you doing this? Don''t you hate me like all those slaves do? Wasn''t I almost as cruel as that man you absorbed from, just now?"

    It might seem dumb to ask such a thing, but he had already seen that he was completely under the giant''s control. There was no way out, nearby, and besides, he wasn''t strong enough to fight through hundreds of dwarves and a colossus, to boot.

    The man looked at him with narrowed eyes for a few moments before answering.

    "Its¡­simple. We know something that no one else does. Three hundred and thirty-two years ago, we were abolished from the surface, too. We didn''t spend much time there, but even as an infant, we were brutal. We even remember our mother saying that we would only eat if the sounds of someone being tortured or dying reached our ears! We came down here¡­and became a King. Why? Because unlike all the others, we were not willing to come to terms with being a slave! You are the same. You¡­are like my brother. And together, brother, we will take over the Pit, and massacre the inhabitants of all three layers above. My children! It is a day of celebration, for we have found our brother! Break out the wine!"

 23 Secrets

    A few minutes later, Daneel found himself being led inwards by a gaggle of dwarves all hopping around him happily.

    "Brother! Brother! Brother!", they echoed, their faces shining with excitement just as much as their bald heads.

    After his rousing speech, the giant had fallen asleep. Promptly.

    His eyelids had started to droop, and while Daneel had still been registering the crazy details of what he had been told, he heard a mumble about something related to exertion-induced slumber. Then, a deep, deep snore had reached his ears, and a group of dwarves had dutifully arrived with a large pillow on their shoulders.

    From the way they had been standing just inside the cavern to his left, it became evident that this was something that often happened. As Daneel watched, they had climbed up on each other''s shoulders and carefully placed the pillow behind the giant''s head before one of them was positioned near his ears.

    Seeing them, Daneel had anticipated all kinds of sophisticated maneuvers to further grant comfort to their creator, and king.

    ''Will they give him a massage using age-old tricks? Will they plug his ears using a carefully molded instrument? Or will they¡­''

    His list of questions instantly stopped when the dwarf nearest to the giant''s ear cleared his throat¡­and began to sing a lullaby.

    His ears burning, he had listened to the soothing tune that made the giant''s snore deepen until he felt a tugging at his waist.

    Looking down, he had been greeted by the group that was around him, now, and as they walked along a narrow tunnel that they had come upon first after leaving that central audience room, he glanced at the only dwarf he had seen yet who had been capable of normal speech.

    The rest were, well¡­basically children.

    At the same time, the dwarf happened to look in his direction, too. He was also unique due to the detail that he had a beard, and he was dressed differently from the rest. He wore a green robe with a hood and held a wooden walking stick in his hands, and all the dwarves they saw on their way bowed to him respectfully.

    "I know you must have a lot of questions. I will answer them all¡­or at least, I will answer those I am permitted to answer. Living for centuries can have¡­adverse effects on one''s mind. Oh, you nasty little critters! He meant to break out the wine for the guest, not for you all!"

    The last shout was directed in front of him, and as Daneel turned to see the cave they had arrived in, he blinked, then burst out laughing.

    More than one hundred dwarves were passed out, piss-drunk, on a long table. Their faces still held the glow of the cheer they had shouted just before, and their hands held goblets that were mostly still half-full.

    The sight was a funny one, but Daneel stifled his laughter, knowing that it might offend his guide.

    Yet, after sighing, the old dwarf picked up a goblet nearby and drained it away before laughing, too.

    With a belch, he turned to Daneel and said, "Pardon them. They''re the youngest; they''ve just been turned. They''re essentially infants, and like infants¡­they can''t keep down their wine."

    Daneel merely nodded and studied the room. It was a narrow cave, but it was long, very long. A table that could seat at least two hundred stretched out in front of him, and to its sides were numerous cupboards.

    It was lit by fire, too, and it smelled of freshly baked bread. Daneel felt himself salivating; he hadn''t eaten such a delicacy in so long.

    Walking to one of the cupboards, the old dwarf took out a fresh goblet and filled it from the wine cask in a different cupboard. Handing it to Daneel, he said, "Drink up. I''m afraid that our venerable leader might have forgotten that dinner was just served¡­hence his slumber, which usually does not arrive so abruptly after a meal of power. Combined with the hearty meal he had just before that¡­I expect that it must have been hard to stay awake."

    Hearing the man speak of ''hearty meals'' and ''dinner'', Daneel couldn''t take it any more.

    "How do you have so much food?!"

    He hadn''t meant to shout, but his voice echoed in the cavern, making a few nearby hiccup and look around groggily.

    The old dwarf made a shushing motion, and pointed to the other end of the cavern. With an apologetic nod, Daneel hung his head and followed, tiptoeing around a few dwarfs who had taken to kissing the ground in their sleep.

    It had seemed that he would hear the answer after they exited the cavern, but instead¡­he came upon it, himself.

    The next cavern was just as narrow, but unlike the one before which had a reasonably placed ceiling, this one stretched up, up, up until Daneel couldn''t even see its highest point.

    And on both walls, there were thousands of vines growing that were being harvested by a couple of dwarves nearby.

    These plants, themselves, were a marvel, somehow thriving so far underground¡­but there was also another detail that made the cavern special.

    The crystal he had mined for many days in the Pit??was here, placed in neat intervals so that its illumination would cover all the vines, leaving none in the dark.

    "Gloomlitchen. It is known to all as a weed that is so tenacious that it even grows in the dark, but give it energy¡­and it transforms into an edible crop. It took one hundred years to make this happen. One hundred years of starving dwarves. One hundred years of sacrifice. We use our own excretions as manure. We use our own treated piss to water it. In a way, it is our child, just like we are the children of our Maker. Ah¡­I''m rambling. It seems to be something I''ve inherited from our Maker, as I''m the one who has been around him the longest. I''ve ordered the chefs to prepare a fitting meal for you. While it gets made, do you want a tour? We have our own animal pens, vegetable gardens that grow a variation of Gloomlitchen, a sprawling bathhouse, and even a sparring area! Down here, you could live like a King¡­which makes sense, as it was all built for our King."

    He slapped his stomach and laughed at his own little joke, while Daneel tried hard to digest everything he was being told.

    This place had far, far more to it than he had imagined.

    ''It''s a goddamn city! How is it secret? And how did they even build it?! Besides, what about the water, and in fact, even the air! Either I''ve missed something, or there are secrets here that need to be uncovered!''

    That last thought made his eyes blaze with the zeal of discovery. His horizons had already been greatly broadened by what he had witnessed so far, and he was determined to keep finding out more.

    With a firm nod, he was about to say that it would be his pleasure to be taken on a tour¡­but he had to stop as a dwarf ran into the dining hall, and scurried to his elder.

    With a frown, the old dwarf listened to the newcomer who spoke in a whisper. His frown only deepened as time passed, and after dismissing the messenger, he mulled over what he had been told briefly.

    Then, he waved his hand and spoke with a sigh, and hearing him, Daneel felt his heart sinking.

    "Well¡­I guess all that will have to wait. Your friends above have made rather a big mess of things! Convinced that it was all a plot by Madeira to get revenge, they barged into your cavern! The sham is up. You must go right now. You cannot tell them anything about this place. Be careful¡­for we will be watching. Oh, and I have another task for you. The Maker and I talked about it. If things had gone well, he would have told you about it, himself¡­but in his place, I''ll do the honors. He is convinced that you are capable, but still¡­he has a test. Kill Xander''s accomplice, and free the children they are starving now. Finish this task, and you can feast. But for now¡­its time to leave!"

 24 Return

    As soon as the old dwarf said the last word, he pushed Daneel, and incredibly, there was a group of the dwarves waiting behind him to catch him before he hit the floor. Hoisted on their shoulders like the three men who had been turned into dwarves before, a flicker of panic went through him as he wondered whether he was being taken for the same purpose¡­ but it soon vanished when they went further inside and turned left, into a carefully hidden crack in the walls.

    It was dark, but the dwarves seemed to know their way. They soon deposited him in front of a wooden platform that was lit by a single, flickering torch. As if they had done it many times before, each of them took up positions around a wheel and grunted as they made it turn, causing the platform to lurch, and then begin to move up.

    That was when Daneel finally looked up and saw that there was a long tunnel above him. The platform had no railing to hold onto, so he had to sit down to be stable. Still, the power being applied to the elevator system methodically by the dwarves made it so that the platform moved evenly, and as he finally began to calm down, he suddenly realized that there was a weight near his chest.

    Pulling it out, he saw, with surprise, that it was a slab of cured meat, bigger than his hand. He studied it, wondering how it had gotten there and what animal it belonged to, but then, as its salted smell wafted into his nostrils, he closed his eyes and sank his teeth into the stringy meat.

    It was heaven. After eating gruel for so long, the taste of such a luxury was incredible. He munched on the morsel he had bitten away for a long time, forgetting everything that had happened until then, losing himself in this feast that he had thought he would not have a chance to enjoy.

    When he swallowed, he looked down at what was left and was about to take another bite, but on second thought, he put it back where he had found it.

    ''That¡­ was awesome! I don''t know about anything else they''ve said, but they really know how to cook, and they have food! As for all their claims¡­ well, I''m not dumb, now. I''ve already been betrayed once¡­ so I should make sure that it doesn''t happen again!''

    Recalling the pain and fear that had gone through him when Xander''s plan had been revealed, he decided that he would not let such a thing happen again.

    ''Weak links. I had no choice, so I couldn''t do anything about them¡­ but from now on, no matter what plan I make, there should be no weak links that will lead back to me. After all¡­ I have no connection to this place! My real purpose is to find my past, and for that, I should carry out the missions of the system. From just the way I feel whenever I say that word, I know that it means so much to me¡­ and I feel a longing to find out what it is. To find out what those images mean, to find out who those people are. So, Daneel, from now on¡­ be careful, you dumb fuck!''

    The horrific images of becoming a husk under the arms of the succubus if Xander hadn''t been stopped were enough for him to imbibe these thoughts deep, deep into his mind. He felt himself change, slowly, and even though it had happened due to such a close shave¡­ something told him that was a good thing.

    "Come on! Quickly!"

    A whisper interrupted his thoughts. He had been looking at the wooden floor of the platform and thinking until now, so when he looked up, he was surprised to see that a passage had appeared where before there had only been an unbroken wall of rock. In it stood a dwarf holding a fist-sized crystal for illumination, and seeing his urgent face, Daneel rushed forward.

    They hurried down a small tunnel that was reminiscent of the one he had entered to reach the city of dwarves. Soon, though, sound started to reach them. Sounds of people sitting, standing up, and eating.

    "Are we near the dining area?"

    "Shh!"

    Being shushed by the dwarf, Daneel sullenly closed his mouth and just followed, while thinking about what to do next.

    He knew the answer right away.

    ??That damn Xander! Yes, I just told myself that I should focus on doing what the system asks¡­ but still, his accomplice shouldn''t get away! What if she tries to betray me, too? I don''t know whether I can kill her¡­ but at least, I want to find out whether what the giant was saying was true!''

    He had already decided that he should take what anyone said in this place with a pinch of salt, but at least in this, he was confident that he would be able to find out the truth soon enough.

    A few seconds later, they came upon a narrow exit that Daneel could hardly get through. The dwarf made him leave, first, and as soon as he entered the passageway beyond, the little man said, "Don''t forget your task. This is where we part. We will be watching."

    He turned around to leave, but Daneel spoke quickly, suddenly seeing an opportunity.

    "Wait! Do you need that crystal? Can I keep it?"

    The draft turned around with a puzzled look on his face. He glanced between the thing in his hands and Daneel''s expectant face, and with a shrug, he tossed it in his direction and muttered, "It''s your neck. If they find you with it, you will die. But the king did say to fulfill your request wherever possible, so¡­ here you go."

    And just like that, he was gone. Daneel caressed the sharp edges of the crystal in his hand, dazzled by this treasure that he had just obtained. It was ten times larger than the tiny ones that he usually absorbed. It was still only a pebble in his hand as it had been the size of the fist of the dwarf, but he held it to his heart and grinned before tucking it carefully away in his secret pocket.

    Before leaving, he made a mental note of the location of the crack in the wall. As he began to walk down the passageway, small caverns started to emerge, and soon, he came upon the central tunnel of the Pit.

    For a moment, he pondered on the idea of going to his cavern and hiding away the crystal and the meat, but then, he shook his head.

    ''No. Best to get over with it right now.''

    The idea of children crying for food rankled within him. He found that he couldn''t sit still, knowing that such a thing was happening.

    With long strides, he headed in the direction of the specific corridor where he knew Xander''s cavern was supposed to be. It was at the very edge of the Pit, situated right before a dead-end.

    As soon as he turned into the corridor, he caught a whiff of something that was far worse than everything he had encountered in the Pit so far. Covering his nose, he walked forward and came upon the first small cavern.

    Unable to stop himself, he ducked into it¡­ and saw a skeleton lying on the stone bed. At least, that was what he thought at first¡­until he saw that the thinnest layer of skin was still present on the bones, and his ribs were still heaving up and down as he drew breath.

    "W-water, pl-please¡­"

    Hearing that someone had come, the man''s eyes slowly opened and he mumbled so quietly that Daneel almost couldn''t hear him.

    He looked around, but there was no water or food. Intending to find water in the next cavern, he went to it, and found a similar sight.

    He felt anger begin to build inside him as he went from cavern to cavern and found men and women close to death. He even found a few dead ones, and in fact, they were much better off than a few who are clinging on to life by eating their own fingers.

    It was horror after horror, and as he saw that he was reaching the end of the corridor, he knew that he would find Xander''s woman, soon. He had found no children, yet, but what he had seen already was enough to make him decide that both of them deserved a fate far worse than death.

    Finally, he came upon the last cavern and was astonished to see that it had somehow been expanded to a room that could fit ten people inside.

    There were two individuals quietly talking at the very end of it, and before they noticed him, Daneel looked to his left and right.

    There they were. Chained to the walls and with rags stuffed in their mouths, little kids were looking around blindly. There were six of them, their ages ranging between ten and three. The sight of the youngest of them was heartbreaking; he kept crying to himself, silently, unable to understand why he had come into such a cruel world.

    With red eyes, Daneel fixed his gaze on the one he had come to find. She finally saw him and her eyebrows raised, but Daneel wasn''t looking at her to see this happen. Instead, he was eyeing the other occupant of the cavern, and as he recognized him¡­he screamed.

    It was wordless, fraught with all the frustration he felt. He had believed that Sebastian was one of the best men in the Pit based on his interactions with him, so far¡­but he had been betrayed, again.

    His mind went empty. Rage took over, so with a snarl¡­he raised his hands and pounced on his prey, eyes screaming death, death, death.

 25 Rage

    In a perfect world, Daneel would have directly crossed the length of the room and reached his target. He would have closed his hands around her neck and squeezed the life out of her, which was nothing new to him despite the fact that he was just supposed to be a 15-year-old. He had been introduced to death at a very, very early age, and since then, he had inflicted it multiple times on quite a few victims.

    Yet, sadly, his anger made him forget everything else, and his vision even zoomed in, making him think that he was much closer to his target than it appeared. The result was that he had to run, awkwardly, in the woman''s direction while she had ample time to get up and mount a defense.

    Sebastian was just as surprised by his appearance as her. He moved to the side, and immediately, Daneel dismissed him.

    The fact that it was taking time to accomplish what he wanted did nothing to quell his fury. Instead, it only grew, so when he finally reached her, he snarled again and jumped.

    Only¡­ she was ready. She moved away quickly, making him fall painfully on the stone bed she had been sitting on. His knee scraped against the rough edge, opening a small gash, but he didn''t feel the pain, at all.

    It was as if a red film had been placed over his eyes, making him hunger for blood. His thoughts kept flashing between the horrors he had seen, and the two who were responsible for them all.

    "I see you''ve come to play¡­ I''ve been killing since before you started sucking on your mother''s teat''s, boy! Tell me¡­ where is Xander? What did you do with him? Tell me!"

    With a snarl of her own, she lunged and raked at him before he recovered. Her nails dug five long gouges on his back, making him flinch and suck in a breath abruptly, but just like the gash on his knee, he ignored it and tried to close his hands around her neck, again.

    He didn''t even know why there was so much anger coursing throughout his body. He just knew that he needed to kill her, and this thought was so all-consuming that he forgot his training, his strength, and even the system.

    His almost primitive move was easy to understand, and even easier to dodge. She ducked and calmly moved to her right, and finding Sebastien there, she threw him in his direction and shouted, "Speak, stupid boy! Where is he? I doubt that you''re strong enough to do anything to him, so it must have been Reese and the others¡­ so where did you hide him?"

    Her words faded into the background as Daneel''s eyes met Sebastien''s. He saw fear and regret, but in the heat of the situation, he just let a punch fly that connected squarely with the man''s jaw.

    He crumpled into a heap on the side, and as Daneel turned again, he found the woman smirking right in front of his face. Her hands were drawn back, and with a shout, she brought them together¡­ right on the two sides of his face.

    Everything went¡­ blank. His head began to ring, and his vision swam. He moved left, then right drunkenly, and as the realization that something was very wrong began to dawn on him, a smug voice reached his ears.

    "Xander learned to do that from the very taskmaster who taught you. He doesn''t teach such¡­ dishonorable things to his students, but you gotta admit that it''s effective."

    Daneel fell on his ass, his head throbbing so much that it felt as if she had used a hammer instead of just her hands. Slowly, the anger began to leak away, and with the pain arrived awareness.

    A large part of the fury still remained, but it was under control now. In front of his eyes, the woman appeared, again, and apparently, she wasn''t done.

    In a practiced movement, she wrenched his right arm behind his back and made him gasp with pain. If she used just a little bit more force, it would dislocate, and she took it right till the edge, making him wince and let out sharp, hurried breaths.

    "Answer me! Answer me, damn you! Where is he! Speak, or you can say goodbye to this hand!"

    ''She''s really gonna do it¡­ how the hell did I get so angry that I forgot everything I was taught?''

    He berated himself, knowing that the fight would have gone very, very differently if he had just retained full control of his mind. Despite the difference in their age, it was a fact that he had been officially trained while she was merely using a few tricks she had picked up second-hand.

    POP!

    "AAAAHHHHHH!"

    He screamed as he felt a storm of pain erupt at his shoulder. Tears came to his eyes, and his face turned red as the woman cackled.

    "That sound¡­ Oh, I love it. Did you know it was unique? Breaking a certain part of one''s body makes them scream in a certain way. I''ve heard one of your screams. I wonder how the other sound?"

    She let go of his arm and it dangled at his side uselessly. He couldn''t use it no matter how much he tried, and the pain was so bad that he came close to passing out.

    She targeted his right leg, next, pushing him on to the ground on his stomach and wrenching it up, up, up until it hurt almost as much as the hand had before it had been dislocated without mercy.

    A hand was one thing, but a leg was completely another. Without his feet at his disposal, he would be completely useless, so he saw that he needed to do something.

    Quickly, he evaluated his options. The first one that came to him was that he could use the system, but to his side, he saw Sebastian slowly getting up.

    ''What if I lose all control of my body from exhaustion like the last time? I would be at his mercy¡­ and I don''t trust him to not stab me when he has the chance.''

    He began to speak in his mind to ask the system whether it was possible for it to fight without making him useless afterward, but before he could finish, a stab of pain from his leg made him hiss and stop everything he was doing.

    He knew what was going to come next, so he decided to rely on himself. Quickly, he opened his mouth and said, "Alright, alright! I''ll tell you! Just¡­ stop!"

    She let go of his leg, and for a moment, he sighed with relief. But after that¡­ she turned him roughly onto his back and closed her fingers around his neck.

    This exact pose that he had wanted to take, reversed, caught him so off guard that he began to panic.

    Only¡­ when she began to speak with a detestable smile, the panic began to fade and be replaced by something else.

    "You know¡­ I don''t even care what happens to him. I just need to know whether he''s alive or dead. If he''s dead, it would be something I was waiting for for a long time¡­ he''s the one who always kept mooching off of my ideas. I was the one who saw that children could be exploited in this way! I was the one who convinced the enforcers that taking a cut and keeping their eyes closed was best for them! He only had brawn, while I had the brains to make all this happen! And what did he do? He just put me behind him and paraded around as if he was the master! Damn him!"

    Anger of a different sort began to fill his mind, first as a stream, then as a torrent that swept away everything else. It burned, but it was also cold, allowing Daneel to think as clearly as if he had absorbed energy.

    Anger had comer over the woman, too, as she squeezed even though she hadn''t gotten an answer. It looked like she was taking out all the pent up frustration she felt on him, and soon, he knew that he would no air to breathe.

    He had to act, and act now. The best weapon he could use was his left hand, left untouched by the woman''s rampage. He swung it, but it flew in the air weakly. Even as it began to near its target, Daneel knew that it would do nothing, and he had no time to do anything else.

    Desperate, he looked for something he could do. He was on the verge of giving up¡­when his thoughts alighted on something he had forgotten until now.

    Driven by instinct, he breathed in, and the large crystal near his crotch crumbled into dust. Suddenly, it felt as if he possessed all the power in the world, and he directed it all into his hand, hoping against hope that it would be enough.

    With a jolt, his hand accelerated. It turned into a blur, and before the woman could see that something was wrong¡­it reached her.

    At the moment of contact, he realized the grave miscalculation he had done, but it was too late.

    His fist met her head¡­and made it explode into a million pieces, showering him and Sebastien with gore while both of them stared at his hand, horrified.

 26 Decision

    Silence arrived in the large cavern, broken only by the sniffling of the children who were too hungry to notice even if the world collapsed around them.

    Then, Sebastian got up and ran forward, and Daneel moved back, wondering whether he was in for another fight.

    Instead, the man heaved the woman''s body off of Daneel. Dropping it on the ground beside him, he ran his hands through his long hair and caught his chin before starting to walk to and fro, like someone with a lot on his mind.

    Meanwhile, Daneel checked his body and realized that there was an additional spot of pain. Turning to his fist, he saw a broken finger and skin flaking off. As if seeing it had magnified the pain, it came upon him all of a sudden, making him exclaim, "Fuck!"

    Sebastian turned to him, his eyes livid.

    "Fuck? You killed my wife¡­ and you''re the one cursing?!"

    The development made Daneel look up, taken by surprise.

    "Your¡­ wife?" He repeated dumbly, while Sebastian took another round and stopped in front of him.

    "Yes! My lawfully wedded wife! We were¡­ a happy couple. And then we turned into slaves¡­ and everything went wrong. Well, none of that matters now¡­cos she''s dead!"

    With a scream of anguish, Sebastian clutched the headless body to his chest, but as Daneel observed the man, he saw no tears appear. The body dropped to the floor again a second later, and after burying his face in his hands, Sebastian said, "No¡­ my wife died the moment we became slaves. She wouldn''t have enslaved children and made them starve. She wouldn''t have followed that brute just so that she could eat well. She wouldn''t have looked at me with scorn just because I tried to follow the rules¡­"

    He shook his head, and Daneel wondered whether he should comfort the man.

    Yet, there was no possible way for him to do so. His leg ached, one of his arms was useless, and the other was dislocated. He was a cripple, basically, and he was at the mercy of anyone who arrived now.

    As if the world was playing a sick joke on him, he heard the sound of footsteps from the corridor outside the cavern. Sucking in a breath, he tried to turn in that direction so that he could at least face this new enemy with his hands up, but the attempt failed, leaving him in even more pain.

    Thankfully¡­ the new voice that appeared in the room was a familiar one.

    "Sebastian? Is that you? And¡­ Daniel? What the hell happened here? Wait¡­ the rumors were true?!"

    Reese shouted the last line, and after that, Daneel heard him hurry in the direction of the smallest child in the cavern. That brought him into his vision, and as he watched the man, he knew, right away, that he wasn''t faking it.

    His face was filled with so much pity and sadness that Daneel felt the same emotions kindled in him, again. His rage had been satiated, so only they remained.

    Cradling the small child in his hands, Reese looked around, his eyes darting between everything else in the cavern.

    When he finally spotted the headless body¡­ he set down the child carefully and walked in its direction, his steps hesitant for the first time.

    "Daneel? How did you¡­ wait, no, it''s not important! Do you know what you''ve done? You killed a slave!"

    At first, his tone was filled with amazement, but then, when it turned into worry, Daneel was frankly¡­ puzzled.

    He knew that, essentially, that was what he had done¡­ but how was that any more important than how he had done it?

    When he had been studying Reese, he had also been thinking about how the two of them were the new weak links that he had just sworn he would avoid. Even though they didn''t know the details, they knew now that he had a secret¡­ because it simply wasn''t possible for someone like him to do such a feat.

    In fact, it wasn''t impossible for anyone in Graiton, either, except for, perhaps, the succubus. But she was an exception, as she had killed thousands over the course of centuries to obtain her power.

    What about him? What was his secret? Weren''t they wondering about this, and in the future, wouldn''t they betray him if it meant that would help them?

    ''But what can I do? Should I¡­ kill them?''

    The thought made him freeze. He knew that it was a logical conclusion that would be reached by anyone who wanted to perfectly cover their tracks¡­ but just thinking about it made him feel uneasy.

    ''Besides¡­ I''m not killing anyone, the way I am now.''

    He used it as an excuse. He knew he was doing so¡­ but he just wasn''t ready to answer the question regarding whether he was capable of such a task.

    So, leaving it for another e day, he glanced at Reese and said, "Yes¡­ but slaves die all the time, right?"

    The brothers both looked at him as if he was the stupidest child in a class.

    Sebastian began laughing, then, clearly exhibiting the signs of a breakdown, while Reese bent down and began to examine his hand.

    As the man did his job, all sorts of questions fought in Daneel''s mind, and he wondered whether he should accept the answers that he knew, or dig deeper.

    It looked like Reese had nothing to do with what had been happening here until now, but could he believe it?

    ''Well, it''s not really like I have a choice¡­''

    His thoughts stopped when the man moved to his shoulder. As if he had done it many times, he simply¡­ pushed, and with a scream, Daneel regained full control.

    "That''s all I can do, right here. Come on. Let''s get to my cave, first. I''ll have the others clean this up. Do you mind being painted as a bloodthirsty madman? Because that seems to be the only option we have¡­"

    He spoke while helping Daneel up. With the adrenaline leaving him, the pain radiating throughout his body was becoming too difficult to handle, but still, he tried to put it aside to answer.

    "No problem. After all, they probably whisper something like that behind my back, anyway. You haven''t told me the punishment for killing a slave, yet, by the way¡­"

    Reese ignored him again. Together, they began to walk in the direction of the exit. When they reached it, the old healer turned around and said, "Sebastian! You see the proof all around you. She is not the woman you remember. Keep whatever happened here a secret. For all the love you say you bear me¡­ please do this. Please."

    After saying the final plea, he sighed and turned around while his brother continued to chuckle to himself behind him.

    "Uh¡­ did he even hear you?"

    The answer came with a shrug. "I don''t know. But if I have to repeat myself, I will. Come on. We don''t have much time."

    The pain was annoyingly insistent by then, so Daneel gave up and occupied himself with handling it while they made their way to Reese''s cavern. It wasn''t too far away¡­ but it felt like it was on the other end of the world. Every step was torture, every second one that he wished he could sit down and rest for an eternity. Even every breath he drew in made him hurt, and when they finally arrive at their destination, Daneel collapsed onto Reese''s mattress with a comfortable sigh.

    The healer went to work, then, taking out poultices and ointments that he applied to Daneel''s body with a deft hand. He worked quickly, and in barely a few minutes, he was done. His finger was bound with a wooden stick so that it would heal, and the rest of his wounds already felt much better.

    He looked up, then, to find the old healer walking to and fro in a manner that was remarkably similar to what he had seen his brother just do. With his chin in one hand and the other folded in front of his waist, he was thinking seriously about something¡­ And after turning to Daneel and meeting his gaze, it looked like he had come to a decision.

    "There''s no other way around it. The punishment for killing a slave is the redoubling of one''s work. You will be worked day and night, with no rest whatsoever just so that you can make up for the missing slave''s output. You would have no time for yourself to fulfill the promise you made us. This can''t happen¡­so I''ve come to a decision. I''ve identified a way in which I can send you to the layer above ours. We will hide the body, and make it a case that needs to be investigated, but if you''re here¡­it would be solved all too quickly. So, you must leave. Pack your things. You''re going to the Refinery."

 27 Arriving

    Daneel blinked at Reese, still digesting what the old healer had just said.

    He watched as the man rushed to a different cupboard nearby, one he had not opened until now to heal Daneel''s wounds. Inside lay only a few small bottles, their contents gleaming even in the darkness of the pit.

    He took out one of them and made just a drop fall on his palm, before forcing it in front of Daneel''s nose.

    He breathed in inadvertently, and right away, a wave of drowsiness swept over his mind.

    His eyes opened and closed like someone just woken up from a deep sleep, and his lips opened and parted, yet no words came out.

    "The way will be treacherous. You need this. Just sleep¡­ and you''ll wake up at your destination. Just remember one thing: you departed a day ago. All the preparations have already been made."

    "Mm¡­meat¡­"

    Daneel''s childlike mumbles were met by a small smile from Reese.

    "Yes, meat¡­ I reckon if you''re lucky, you''ll find some there, but that''s up to the person you''re going to. He can be¡­ difficult. Good luck. I''ll be waiting to see what you do."

    And that was the last thing he heard. As if silence somehow had the power to amplify the strength of the drug he had breathed in, drowsiness overpowered him and send him into a snoring slumber.

    He only remembered bits and pieces, after that. He knew, vaguely, that he was being jostled a lot, but there was nothing he could do about it except swat it aside like a fly and continue his dream where he was the one sitting on the gigantic chair in the dwarf city, while all the dwarves were singing him a lullaby. Mostly, he had a pleasant time, but once, he thought he saw a glimpse of a cart filled with feces, and a whiff of an incredibly horrible smell reached his nose. Thankfully, the drug was still powerful enough to keep him under, so when the image disappeared, Daneel put it out of his mind. He could also have sworn that a bag was put over his head, but in his world, he was free, free as anyone could be so he really didn''t care.

    After what felt like a long, long time, he woke up reluctantly, as he was loath to leave the wonderful world he had drowned in until then. Only¡­ reality was oddly insistent, so he departed and arrived back in his body, and back to a lot of new details that were so surprising that he blinked groggily and looked around, wondering whether this was a dream within a dream.

    There was light, blazing light coming through the window right in front of him. The room he was in was small, with a mattress he was lying on that was comfortable. He was wearing a clean, black tunic with a red sash around his waist, and there was a small nick on his chin which was now smooth.

    All of the sources of pain that had been with him before he was drugged were still there, and there were also new ones that were not as intense, but still prominent. His back hurt the most, mainly. It felt as if he had been hunched over for years, resulting in just the simple act of getting up becoming a chore.

    He got to his feet and stretched his arms. His bones clicked and popped as if they hadn''t been moved in a long time, and despite the pain, it felt great.

    Spotting a small mirror nearby, he went to it to look at himself¡­ and gasped, as he saw an almost alien face looking back at him.

    He had only seen this face once before, in that pail of water when he had arrived in this body. This was the second time, and unlike then, where his head had been matted with mud and his face filled with grime, a clean man was visible in the mirror, his hair combed back neatly as if he was a student getting ready to go to school.

    "Ah, you''re awake! Come, enforcer, you can ask him yourself, if you wish. I''m still teaching him what he needs to do, but he looks like a quick learner¡­ its to be expected, of course, from someone who got an education on the surface."

    A wizened voice reached him from the only door in the room. It slowly opened, and for an instant, Daneel panicked, wondering whether he should hide.

    Then, suddenly, the words Reese had whispered before he had been sent into that slumber returned to him. His mind working quickly, he folded his hands behind his back and stood there confidently, as if he was not the man who had just killed a slave and fled from the Pit.

    A hunched-over old man with not a wisp of hair on his head appeared first. In the brief instant where the one he was with hadn''t stepped in, yet, he shot Daneel a warning look and then turned around graciously.

    He was followed by a middle-aged woman with hard features. Her face seemed to be set into a perpetual scowl, and her clothes were familiar: they were those of the enforcers of the Pit. This was the first time he was seeing them clearly, without the gloom of the Pit to obscure their features, but those white rags that were not much better than what the slaves wore were unmistakable.

    Daneel kept his face steady. It was somehow already¡­ easier to do so in a situation like this. He knew that if this was happening to him a few days before, he would have made a fool of himself¡­ but he had grown in such a short amount of time, and it showed.

    The old man was dressed well, although nowhere near as well as the members of his former family. He wore an old, baggy suit that had obviously been worn so many times that it''s original color had faded quite a bit, but it had been taken care of well, with no holes to be seen anywhere. His skin was extremely wrinkled, his mouth almost toothless, but his eyes were steady and calculating, with far more presence and strength than one would expect from someone so old.

    The enforcer grunted, and looked Daneel up and down.

    "You''ve been here for a day? Then you should have no problem telling me the biggest landmark of the Refinery."

    The old man''s eyes widened ever so slightly. Yet, Daneel''s mind was a clear pool that seemed like it couldn''t be disturbed, so an answer came to him quickly, as if this was a test he had studied for before.

    "No, enforcer, I''m afraid that I cannot. I''ve been holed up here, studying what I should do, so I''ve had no time for sightseeing."

    He was almost satisfied with himself¡­ but the next question stumped him.

    "Oh? And what is this job that you are here for, anyway?"

    He felt dread creeping around the corner of his mind, threatening to arrive and make it go blank¡­ but he clung onto his newly-found serenity, knowing that it was his only salvation.

    There was also a table in the room, with a book on top of it. He hadn''t had the time to see it¡­ but didn''t he have a friend?

    ''System, what does the book say?''

    [Responding to host.

    Title of the book: Register of Refinery Input and Output.

    There is also a piece of parchment beside the book on which sets of numbers have been added and subtracted.]

    The answer became obvious in only a moment, and he blurted it out just as the enforcer began to squint suspiciously.

    "To help with the bookkeeping of the Refinery!"

    The enforcer raised one eyebrow and held his gaze, as if intending to break him, but he just looked back innocently. Finally, she humphed and turned around.

    "Everything looks in order, here. It is a small matter of a dead slave¡­ but she had connections, and there are some who want the murder to be solved. I don''t usually fraternize with the enforcers down below, but this was a request from someone I knew very well. Apologies for the intrusion, Mr. Accountant. I''ll be on my way, now. You don''t need to see me out."

    Throwing the last line back over her shoulder, the woman departed, and the old man humbly kept looking in her direction until a door closed, far away.

    Then¡­ he rounded on Daneel with a red face, his eyes almost popping out of their sockets and his mouth spewing spittle as he exclaimed, "That was close, too close for comfort! If you had already seen the book and paper, why did you pause? You almost gave this old man a heart attack, damn you! I swear, if it weren''t for the fact that I''m still proud of my two sons despite them being slaves¡­ I wouldn''t have taken this sort of pressure on myself, no, sir! Now, come with me! You better see that landmark before someone else comes asking¡­"

    Daneel paused, working out what the man had said. When he realized that this was Reese and Sebastian''s father, his eyebrows rose, as Reese had looked like an old man, himself.

    ''Well¡­ the Pit does age people a lot, prematurely.''

    With this thought, he strode forward, curiosity arriving again as he wanted to see where he had come.

    They were in a moderately sized house, with two more bedrooms present around the hall and kitchen. Shambling to the front door, the old man opened it and stepped out, and after Daneel followed him¡­ his jaw dropped, and he froze.

    There was a road in front of him with other houses nearby, but his eyes had latched onto a building that rose in the distance. They were definitely underground, but the entire place was brightly lit as if they were on the surface¡­ due to the artificial sun that floated above this large structure. It was a lonely tower made of dark stone that dwarfed everything else around it, and as Daneel took it all in, he heard the old man mumble beside him.

    "Welcome to the Refinery. What you''re seeing is the flame that melts crystals. No one knows who made it¡­ but it''s beautiful. Enjoy it, young man, because it is probably the only thing of beauty you''re going to see around here. Now, then, time for a tour!"

 28 Truth

    It turned in the air, slowly, arcs of fire flying off of it at random intervals. His eyes soon began to water, but he still stayed, gripped by its novelty, its majesty, its¡­impossibility.

    ''How can such a thing even exist? How many fucking secrets does this place even have?''

    He almost hadn''t heard the old man speak, and even as he scuttled onto the road in front of him, he just stood there, trying to come to terms with the fact that this was where he was.

    He hadn''t even known the names of the two levels above the pit, but he had always imagined them as normal towns where people did honorable work and even got paid.

    This was as far from what he had thought as was possible. The large tower in the middle was so tall that he was sure he would be like an ant if he stood in front of it, and all in all, this place seemed much bigger than the pit.

    At least¡­ until one started to study it more, and see that there weren''t too many houses around.

    At first sight, it had seemed so because his eyes were confused by the scale of the tower, making everything seem bigger. But now, as he stared all around, he saw that there were barely a hundred houses like the one he had just come out of.

    "Come on! We haven''t got all day! And the shift will end soon, so these streets will be teeming with people!"

    The old man''s agitated shout finally made him move. He walked in his direction and caught up in a few seconds, and as soon as he did so, he asked, "How¡­ is this possible?"

    With a snort filled with disdain, the man replied, "Oh, I see we have a dumb one, here! Weren''t you listening when I just spoke? No one knows! It''s just been there since forever!"

    Daneel coughed with embarrassment, while a blush crept into his cheeks. What the man had just said presented in the problem, though, so he gave voice to it even though he was speaking to someone he had just met a few moments ago.

    "Then¡­ when do people sleep?"

    The old man looked at him with raised eyebrows as he heard the question, and then¡­ he laughed.

    "Whenever they want! Down in the pit, it is always dark, whereas here, it''s always so damn well lit that old men like me need to build a mountain of pillows on their head to create at least an illusion of darkness! Whoever built this place had a sick sense of humor, I tell you¡­"

    He walked off again, then, as Daneel hurried to catch up to him. It wasn''t very hard; three steps of his equaled one of Daneel''s, so eventually, he had to slow down so that he could walk beside him.

    The road was paved with stones, and each and every house was the same rectangular block of wood, undecorated and unchanged even though different families were supposed to be living inside each. In the windows of a few, he saw children, but for the most part, the houses were empty.

    They seemed to be heading in the direction of that central cigar of stone, and with each step, Daneel kept looking at it, wondering how the hell it could have been built, and what kind of god had had to descend to create that heavenly orb of flame and light.

    The old man didn''t say anything, so he looked through his memories to find out any nuggets of information he could find about this place. He didn''t find much success, though, as he had never paid attention to anyone else but himself and his victims, so he turned back to the events that had come before his departure from the Pit.

    He suddenly remembered his treasure and checked his pockets, but alas, it wasn''t present.

    "Are you looking for the meat you somehow found even though you were in the Pit? I would love to know how you got it, but I respect secrets¡­ anyway, it was flavored with poop, so I threw it away. Should I have washed it and given it to you? Oh, that would definitely have been something Sebastian would have done¡­"

    His words drifted away as Daneel saw that he was traveling to the lane of reminiscence, but still, he shook his head, realizing right away that whatever he had seen during the drug-induced coma had been real.

    He wanted to find out how he had come here, but he wasn''t sure whether he should ask the old man. So, he turned to the guardian angel that had saved him from the clutches of the enforcer just now.

    "So¡­ I was asleep, but were you watching everything that was happening? Can you tell me how I got here?"

    [Responding to host. System is always active. Surveillance capabilities are unrelated to the status of the host. Host was transported after being hidden in a cart meant for taking human waste from the Pit to the Refinery.]

    Daneel gagged as he vividly recalled the sights and smells, and after a moment, he decided that he should this leave this matter altogether if he didn''t want to puke on the road.

    By then, they had reached close enough to the tower that it was just a few paces away. But as they were about to continue, though¡­ a bell that was oddly similar to the one rung in the Pit was heard, and the old man cursed and stepped aside.

    "Fuck! I miscalculated the time, as always. Come here, just stay out of their way. All the workers will be going home, now. We can continue the tour after they''re gone. Just¡­ act as if you belong"

    Daneel nodded, and in fact, he saw that he was looking forward to seeing these netizens of the refinery. In the Pit, he had often heard slaves talking about how much better off these people were. Many even worked hard because they were promised that if their debt was settled, they would be upgraded to a job here, so he wanted to see just what the aspiration of all those poor souls looked like.

    Two large, stone doors, hidden until now, began to swing open just a few paces away from them. Around the tower was a large, open circle, with the houses beginning a few meters away from its base. Up close, it seemed even more like a marvel of architecture. It had been made out of large stone blocks, each ten times as tall and wide as a fully grown man. The joints between the blocks could hardly be seen despite the brilliantly illuminated surroundings. And of course¡­ the sun above was even more prominent, now, so much so that just a glance in its direction was enough to make him get a headache.

    He kept his eyes on the doors, anticipating a refined group of people who would come out to make their way home.

    He couldn''t have been more wrong.

    A flood of individuals poured out of the doors even before they fully swung open. They wore leather tunics that were ragged and torn, and most of their faces were dirty. They looked tired, so tired that their eyes barely took in their surroundings. They walked almost like zombies, their legs carrying them down the path that had been drilled into their minds so much so that they didn''t need to think to follow it.

    There was nothing refined about them. Nothing to aspire to. Nothing to be jealous of.

    They seemed just a bit more well off than those in the Pit, but that was about it. A considerable portion looked as starved as the slaves. Surprisingly, even children were present within them, wearing small tunics and holding their stomachs as if they wished they could fill them.

    Starving children was one sight he had been sure he would avoid here¡­ but just a few minutes after his arrival, it was in front of his eyes. The only thing that was better was that many of the children clutched the hands of the mothers, who led them toward the houses around the tower, talking to them in low voices.

    And also¡­ there were a few smiles here and there, but they were far too few to justify what those in the Pit thought about these people who lived above.

    Unable to come to terms with it, Daneel turned to the old man and said, "Are these, maybe¡­ the bottom tier workers? There must be others, right, who are far better off? All the slaves keep talking about how life here is a luxury¡­"

    As his voice trailed away, the old man looked at his confused face¡­ and laughed, once again.

    It wasn''t one of amusement, though. It sounded sad, as if it was only coming out of his mouth because it was taking the place of something that he wanted to hide.

    After he stopped, he turned to Daneel and spoke in a low, but strong voice.

    "That is probably the real joke about this entire place. Each layer thinks that those living in the one above them are better, so they work their asses off to get there¡­ but it''s only after arriving that they realize that they were wrong, all along. We are all slaves to those on the surface. All of us! It is clear and in your face in the case of those in the Pit, but as for here¡­ the people are slaves to an economy that requires them to work, and keep working if they want to eat and feed themselves, and their children. Oh, they are paid, yes¡­ but there are also taxed, and they only have one source of food. You''ll learn all about this soon, anyway. Before I forget¡­let me tell you the reason that my son went to such great pains, risking even his life to send you here. You made a promise. You must keep it. If you don''t, we will throw you to those dogs ourselves. But if you succeed¡­you will be one of us. And as one of us, you will be privy to all of our secrets, and the real truth of this world. For your sake¡­I pray that you have a plan."

    The old man''s words washed over Daneel, hitting him with the depraved truth that they held, but even before he could register it all¡­the system spoke in his mind, and made him let out a deep breath.

    [Route to mission completion identified. Fulfill objective ''Change food budget of the Pit'' to obtain remaining information, and unlock next system skill.]

 29 Making a Move

    An hour later, Daneel was sitting back in the room he had woken up in, his mind filled with all sorts of thoughts that kept battering against each other to no avail, leaving him confused and directionless.

    They had come to be after a long conversation that he had just had with the old man after returning to his home. His rant had been very informative, and the system''s message had bolstered Daneel''s determination and made him understand that he first needed to get everything he could from this great source of information that he had found.

    In front of that massive edifice, they had waited until all of the people had left for their homes. The layer got its name from the central tower which was where the refining of the crystals mined in the pit below actually took place. There was nothing else to see, so they had headed back.

    After arriving, the man had brewed some tea for himself. Daneel hadn''t asked for any, and he wasn''t offered, either. Then¡­ they had sat down, and Daneel had asked everything on his mind and received answers that were short, yet informative.

    The old man had made it very clear that he was talking only because he valued his son''s trust, and his judgment. He had been quite blunt about the fact that he had doubted it a lot because of Daneel''s famous passed, but apparently, he had changed his decision after actually seeing him in the flesh.

    Daneel had no idea which aspect of him had caused this change, but he felt grateful, all the same. He had started his questioning session saying that the answers would all be important for him to fulfill his task, and that was what had finally gotten the old man into a talkative mood.

    Apparently, it wasn''t very uncommon for slaves with an education to be sent to the Refinery as their knowledge could be used for free, instead of having to pay someone from the other layers for the same job. Reese was one such individual, too, and he also had the skills of a healer that made him travel quite often to the surface. He had apparently been summoned on a task when he had found Daneel and healed him, the first time they had met.

    As for the connection that made the fulfillment of his promise important for the old man, too¡­ it was that the same individual whose name he had found out from the succubus was responsible for the hard life of the inhabitants of the Refinery.

    Apparently, in those years when the slaves had had enough to eat, those in this layer had money to spare and had hence been a much happier lot with even aims and aspirations. All of that changed when the taxes and food costs were manipulatively set so that they were trapped in a cycle of endless suffering and hardship. If Daneel solved the problem for the Pit¡­ he would usher in the return of such an age here, too.

    He had shaken his head after finding it out. One man. Just one man was responsible for the empty stomachs of so many¡­ and the familiar hate that he now recognized to be one that was born out of seeing injustice began to rise again.

    He had shelved those emotions then, but he let them flow now as he was alone.

    ''Was I really someone righteous in my past life? It doesn''t feel so¡­ because if it were true, I wouldn''t be cunning, right? Well, I''ll find out about it when I do¡­''

    His thoughts then went to the wan faces of all those he had seen here. Even though he didn''t want it to¡­ he felt his heart go out to all of them, in the same way that he had hated to see so many starving slaves in the Pit below.

    ''But what are they to me? We''re not related in any manner, right? So why should I care for them? They even hate me, and if given a chance, they would sell me out in a heartbeat! If so¡­ why should I risk myself so that they all can eat better? If I wanted, I could simply get a lot of food from that crazy guy who called me ''brother''¡­''

    He knew this to be true up in his head¡­ but no matter how much he tried, the inscrutable, yet idiosyncratic thing down to the left, below wouldn''t accept it. Something¡­ was stopping him from doing so, and after struggling with it futilely for a few moments, he cast about for a way to avoid this fight.

    He found it easily.

    ''From everything I''ve seen so far¡­ the system is so damn powerful, and I was so dumb that I didn''t even sit down to ask it everything it can do! I''ll do it ASAP! Anyway¡­ my main objective is to unlock all the skills and find myself, and for that I need information. And of course, for information and to maintain my strength, I have to fight against this avaricious swine who is eating away what should belong to thousands of Graitonians. Yes¡­ what other reason do I need? That''s it!''

    Satisfied, he got up, and he found the decision made him feel pumped. Knowing that it was good to capitalize on such a feeling, he saw that it was best if he took the measure of his opponent now, if possible.

    He had obtained a list from the succubus, so after going back to the old man who was still holding his cup of tea, he narrated the names and asked whether any of them could be found in this layer.

    "Two of them live just a few houses away. Enforcers here have a different purpose. They oversee the work in the Refinery, so although they may share the same name, they are a world apart. They need to be skilled enough to ensure that the refinement meets the standards set by your father. The haughtiness is the same, though."

    Daneel ruminated on the information for a minute. The old man nonchalantly drank his tea that, for some reason, now smelled like something had been added to it. His ruddy cheeks were enough to guess what he must have done, but Daneel really didn''t care about it.

    He kept thinking, and slowly, elements of the plan he had already made before, in his cavern, with the help of the energy from the crystals began to fall into place. As for what he was supposed to do, now, a bold notion came to him, and although he hesitated, for a bit, he quickly realized that it didn''t feel¡­right, to be afraid.

    "Where can I find them, again? Exactly."

    "Eh? Oh, the enforcers? Three houses¡ª''hic!''¡ªback, the two at the end of the lane. W-why?"

    The alcohol was getting to him, and despite a bout of hiccups that appeared out of nowhere, he mumbled out the answer.

    "To introduce myself."

    Daneel was out of the house by the time the old man was able to understand what he had said. An unintelligible shout erupted from behind him, but he ignored it and continued to his destination with quick strides.

    On the way, he had a fruitful conversation with the system, which ended with him smiling by the time he was about to arrive.

    The smile vanished when he reached the porch of one of the houses of the enforcers, and saw two individuals merrily partaking of a feast laid on a dining table.

    There were roast capons, grilled meat from an animal he couldn''t identify, glazed vegetables, and numerous tarts and savory bites. His stomach rumbled, reminding him of the fact that he hadn''t eaten in two days, and he gritted his teeth, comparing this sight to the hungry tide of hardworking people he had seen before.

    It was obvious that the succubus had been right. These two were in cahoots with the one gouging the food of Graiton, so they were able to enjoy something like this while so many had to drink water and sleep.

    His timid self which had come to be due to the extremely harsh and unforgiving situation into which he had arrived surfaced, urging him to rethink his decision¡­but he shut it up easily. He felt himself shedding that form, driven forward by everything he had experienced and also everything he wanted to achieve.

    He reached the door. It was open.

    He walked in as if he owned the place, and saw the enforcers freeze, then stand up, incensed, due to the interruption.

    "Who the fuck do y-"

    "What do you thin-"

    Their curses abruptly stopped¡­when Daneel jumped forward and somersaulted effortlessly. When he was in the air directly above them, his hands moved at lightning-speed to bash their heads together, and like a master making his move to awe a watching crowd, he landed neatly in the empty chair in front of the table, not a hair out of place.

    [Command carried out successfully. Energy usage was kept at a minimum.]

    The two enforcers slid to the floor, unconscious. A wave of fatigue arrived to wash over Daneel, but it was nowhere near as bad as the first time he had been helped by the system.

    With a smile, he stretched his legs, making them rest on the faces of the two beneath. Then, he raised his hands, and after licking his lips¡­he tucked in.

 30 A Meeting

    A half-hour later, Daneel burped happily and patted his bloated stomach.

    He had relished each and every morsel with the enthusiasm of a man starved for decades. The system''s exertion had left him drained, so in front of him was an empty table that would have easily fed more than than the two enforcers snoring peacefully on the ground.

    He stretched, his hands up in the air and his legs finally leaving the resting spots they had enjoyed until now. They left a black spot on the cheeks of both enforcers, but the two were so out of it that even when Daneel stood up after pushing back the chair noisily, they didn''t wake up.

    Seeing that he still had some time before the show began, he went over his plan once more. That moment when he had put aside all his fear outside the door seemed to have worked wonders, as he felt none of it now, even though he knew the risks perfectly. Caution was his friend, but he was keeping it at arm''s length while his hand was around a different mate whom he had reconnected with: courage.

    Satisfied with all of it, he decided to take a tour of the house he was in. He had a certain motive behind it, but he wondered whether he would have the chance to fulfill it. The house was the same as the one he had been shown by the old man, except for a small area where weapons were kept. There were two swords and three knives, all polished recently until they could be used as mirrors.

    It was in a certain corner of the kitchen that he finally found what he was looking for. This was the best meal he had eaten in a very long time, and he had been loath to think that it might be the last, too, in an even longer period that would soon follow. So, he had been hoping that these bastards might have stored away more food¡­ and sure enough, their cache was plentiful.

    Looking around, he opened the cupboard and found a cloth bag inside. It had red stains on one side that looked oddly like they had been made by blood, but it had been washed recently, and there was nothing else nearby.

    A minute later, Daneel tied the knot on the sack and heaved it in his hands with a wide grin. It was filled to the brim with meat and mead that would make any inhabitant of both the layers he had seen so far go crazy, and even though he had not placed any restraint on himself during the feast just now, he resolved to let that be a one-time thing as he wanted to make this treasure last for a long time.

    Walking out the door, he looked down the street and saw that it was empty. The old man had said that this was what one might call ''night'', outside, as the refinery was supposed to be left to its own devices for some time before being used again every day. Hence, all of the heavily worked inhabitants were definitely sleeping. A few enforcers would be patrolling the streets, but he faced none of them on his way back to the old man''s house.

    When he arrived, he saw the old healer''s father passed out on the porch, his face still set with worry. After all, Daneel had dropped a bomb and left, but the man seemed to have drunk too much to have enough energy to pursue him.

    Stepping over him, he carefully stashed the food in his little room before carrying the old man to his bed.

    "Mmm¡­ Sebastian¡­ Don''t fight with Reese¡­ Give him¡­the toy¡­"

    Just as he was about to leave, he heard a mumble that made him turn around. The old man was simply talking in his sleep, but just the fact that he cared so much for his two sons that he wasn''t able to forget them even when he wasn''t awake was remarkable.

    ''In this hellhole filled with depravity and darkness, your love is a beacon of purity that gives me hope, old man. No matter what, I''ll make sure that your son''s judgment wasn''t wrong.''

    The thought made him smile, and the smile remained on his face until he got out of the house, and got a different thought.

    ''Wait¡­ I''m doing this just so that I can find out who I am, right? Oh, screw it, I shouldn''t be thinking about this, right now¡­''

    The words sounded hollow, but he shrugged and put the matter out of his mind. After arriving back at the house of the enforcers, he kicked the door that was swinging on its hinges as he had left it open, and finally, the two awoke.

    Groggily, they looked around, their faces a perfect mask of shock and disbelief. When their eyes finally stopped on Daneel, they seemed to understand that it all hadn''t been a dream, and together, in sync, they backed away.

    Daneel raised one eyebrow. He had anticipated that this would go one of two ways: either these two were proud pricks who would lose their minds with anger and attack, or their ego would be so hurt that they would convince themselves that their memories were false.

    So¡­ his surprise was palpable when things went to a third way that he hadn''t anticipated, at all.

    "Uh¡­ what do you want? You knocked us out, you ate your fill, so why are you back here? If you just let us go¡­ we''ll forget all about what happened here!"

    "Yes! We can understand that you must be very starved¡­ but let it be a one-time thing! Just¡­ leave us alone!"

    Daneel felt like laughing as he saw them both against the wall, their entire bodies quivering as if he was a demon come to suck away their souls.

    ''Well¡­ this really simplifies things. I''ll take it!''

    He took a step forward, and a shudder went through the both of them.

    Convinced that they might faint if he did anything else, he stopped where he was and spoke after putting his hands behind his back.

    "Take me to the one who gave you all this food."

    Both the enforcers were extremely taken aback as they heard this. They looked at each other, wondering whether they had heard the same thing¡­ and then, one of them said, "But¡­why? We''re giving you a clear escape route! We''re not lying!"

    Daneel''s reply made them sweat.

    "Do you want answers, or another nap on the floor?"

    The two large lumps on their heads were testament to what had just happened, so just a mention of the past made them nod hurriedly.

    "Right this way! We''ll take you to the High Enforcer Ga¡ª"

    "No. I want the one who''s really in-charge. Here''s a clue: he''s on the surface."

    Daneel saw the man gulp as the word ''surface'' was heard in the room.

    He thought for a bit, still maintaining as much distance as possible from Daneel, and finally said hesitantly, "All right¡­but you shouldn''t blame us for anything that happens afterward."

    With a smile, Daneel stepped aside and replied, "Deal. Lead the way."

    They made a strange procession. Both the enforcers were in front of him, and constantly, they would look back fearfully as if afraid he would stab them in the back. Daneel walked along leisurely for the most part, unless other enforcers appeared in the way who ignored him after seeing that he was being taken somewhere.

    Soon, they were stepping through an outcrop of crystal that looked almost exactly like the one in the Pit, except for the color. Here, the crystals glowed a dreamy emerald, and when he arrived on the surface, the color lingered in his eyes until they adjusted.

    As soon as they did, he sought out the moon and took in a deep, deep breath.

    The air was clear, so clear compared to that underground that he greedily kept taking it in, his mind reveling in the clarity and peacefulness that were a result of something he had taken for granted so long. The enforcers were already walking in a certain direction, so he hurried forward.

    The familiar gaudy houses on the surface soon appeared in front of them. The had arrived a few hundred meters away from the main road that cut through the entire town of Graiton, and as soon as they set their foot on it, they were accosted by a guard holding a spear who looked at them questioningly.

    "Enforcers from the Refinery, here to meet Lord¡­Burrow."

    That was it. That was the name of the one behind it all, and Daneel was really looking forward to seeing what kind of man he would be.

    ''Without information, what can I do? Time to see my enemy¡­"

    A few minutes later, they were at the gate of a large house built in the style that could be seen all over the surface. The walls were painted a rich gold, and the gate was ornate, inlaid with gems that glowed in the moonlight.

    No one stopped them as they stepped inside. The house was opulent, to say the least. It was preceded by a large garden that could hold an army of a hundred, and it was all a single floor, stretching on and on. It was big enough to house at least fifty individuals, but Daneel doubted that that was the case.

    They didn''t step into the house, though. They made for a small outhouse to the right, in front of which five guards dressed in purple livery.

    They barred the way with their spears when they approached, and one of them said, "Wait. The Lord is busy."

    The enforcers nodded respectfully¡­but from inside came a deep voice.

    "Send them in!"

    The spears were removed, and the way was clear.

    As soon as they stepped inside¡­Daneel sucked in a breath as he spotted a familiar figure.

    The succubus was on top of a naked, muscular man, his body covered by a sheen of sweat, his lips stretched into an ecstatic smile.

    For a moment, he wondered whether he had underestimated the succubus.

    ''Is this Lord a plaything of hers? Maybe he''s addicted to her like the rest! Am I screwed?''

    If it was true, things would go very, very wrong¡­but before worry even set in properly in his mind, he noticed something off about the whole scene.

    The succubus looked like she had aged twenty years. She had looked twenty in the Pit, but she looked middle-aged now, and in front of their eyes¡­she was aging even further.

    Faint wrinkles appeared on her body. Her face bent back as the man thrust into her, and the three of them saw that she was in agony.

    With another thrust, he grunted, and stopped. She collapsed on top of him, but he threw her aside as if she was nothing but a sack of dirt.

    Getting up, he smiled with satisfaction for a moment, and when he spoke, Daneel heard his heart thundering in his chest.

    "Taking vitality is always a pleasure¡­but I hate to see this wench turn ugly each time I finish. Well, it can''t be avoided¡­so, why are you here?"

 31 A Meeting 2

    ''Taking¡­vitality?''

    Just the notion of what the man had just mentioned left Daneel speechless. He glanced at the succubus, lying motionless at a corner of the room, discarded, forgotten¡­ pitiful. He had been convinced that it was a one-way street, but just like so many things in recent days, he had been wrong.

    However¡­ it wasn''t important, right now, as he had a certain goal that he wanted to accomplish here. Hence, he kept quiet and waited for the enforcers to speak.

    "B-b-boss! This guy¡­ saw us eating the food we stole! We didn''t know what to do with him, so we brought him here!"

    In the light of the chandelier hanging in the room, Daneel observed the man clearly for the first time. He had grey, rumpled hair that had been fashionably styled into spikes before it had been disturbed in his recent act of exertion. His eyes were also a deathly grey, their intensity such that they would make anyone feel pressure and look away. Not an ounce of fat could be seen all over his body, and it was mostly blemishless, except for a single, long scar that ran down his right leg, from hip to foot.

    He had a long nose, high cheekbones, and a very sharp jaw. The smile from the pleasure he had just taken so violently faded as he heard the enforcer, and frowned.

    Daneel saw both the men in front of him shake as they saw this. They were much, much more afraid now than they had ever been in their house below, and in a moment, the reason behind this became clear.

    "You do know how much I hate incompetence, right? Did you forget what happened to the last two enforcers who worked with me and were lax in their duties?"

    "Y-y-yes, sir! We''ve been most diligent, Sir! We do not want to end up in pieces like them, Sir! We have kept that sack at home as a reminder of what awaits us if we are even a little lazy, Sir! It''s just that¡­"

    Daneel suddenly felt sick. He now wished that he had searched around more for something else to store the food in, but there was nothing he could do about it now.

    The old man waved his hand, making the enforcer stop.

    "Alright, alright, enough. I guess this is an exception. This one is like no other slave, of course. I''ll deal with him myself. You can leave. But remember¡­ if something even remotely like this happens again, there will be two sacks in that house, and two new enforcers in your place."

    With a gulp, both the men saluted and almost ran out of the house.

    Finding himself alone with his target, Daneel was blank, at first. His plan had revolved around getting to know the man, somehow, and going back after getting whipped, if that was what it took. The pain would be worth it, as he would have clarity regarding what he could do next.

    Now, he could tell that he would be able to call it a good day if left with all of his limbs. This man was far, far crueler than he had imagined, and just a single misstep might lead him into much, much more danger than he had reckoned for.

    Lord Burrow just stared and stared for an entire minute. Daneel held his gaze, but with every moment, it began to get more and more difficult. Doubts began to pop into his mind, and panic was only close behind. His gaze was such that he even forgot everything else in the room; in the world, it was as if there were only the two of them.

    It wasn''t normal. It wasn''t natural. So, with a hunch, he asked the system, "Is something¡­ Being done to me?"

    [Utilising body scan skill. Host is being subjected to a minor hallucination. Strength of hallucination is such that it would have worked on anyone that host has come into contact with, yet, except for the target known as ''Madeira''. Hallucination will not work in host due to the strength of mind granted from host''s locked consciousness.]

    He couldn''t make any sense of that last part, and he resolved to ask the system about it later, but for now, the rest of what it had said was worrying.

    Finally, after 30 more seconds passed, the old man¡­ smiled.

    "It''s been a long time since this petty trick hasn''t worked on someone, so I guess I should thank you. Motivation is such a frail thing. I was once very motivated to grow powerful enough to be able to bring anyone under my grasp, but after seeing that that little trick was enough for almost everyone in this town¡­ I gave up. Well, now, it''s back. Come on. Let us speak inside the house proper."

    The man began to get dressed, then, picking up the clothes that were strewn around the room. In just a few seconds, he was ready, garbed in long, flowing purple robes of the same color as the guards outside.

    He swept towards the door, but just as they were about to leave¡­ they heard a whimper behind them that made them look back.

    The succubus had woken up. She looked around dazed, at first, before latching on to Daneel. Her eyes widened as she recognized him, but before she could say anything, Lord Burrow said, "Same time next month."

    He left, then, and Daneel had no option but to follow. The image of the woman brought down to such a deplorable state lingered on his mind for a few moments, though, at least until they reached the main doors of the house, which opened to reveal a large, empty space.

    Daneel was so taken aback by the oddness of it all that he didn''t step inside for a second. When he did, he looked around to confirm that what he was seeing was real.

    The large house was modeled the same way as his former residence. A large space was present in the middle of it, with rooms to both sides. Typically, it would be filled with furniture of all sorts, and even split into multiple areas so that the Lords and Ladies of the house could entertain their guests.

    Here, there was nothing. Right in the middle of it, there was only a single table with two chairs around it, but apart from that¡­ Ii was desolate.

    Soon, the Lord sat in one of the chairs. It was high-backed, with comfortable cushions, but it wasn''t very deserving of a man who was supposed to be so well to do. Daneel had expected the same opulence outside here, too. After all, that was what anyone who stole away so much money was supposed to do, right?

    For some reason, he was wrong. Seeing his puzzled expression, the Lord rested both his hands on his legs and said, "It is strange, isn''t it? You must be wondering why the famous Lord Burrow, richest of all the Lords except for the Master, himself, has nothing of value in his own house. It''s simple. I just don''t believe in squandering wealth."

    Daneel fumbled for something to say. While he did so, his host studied him, tapping his fingers on his legs thoughtfully with his brow furrowed, making his bushy eyebrows turn into a ''V''.

    Finally, it was he who broke the silence, again.

    "Daneel, son of the Master. In all these years, you''ve never seen me¡­ because I only go where I am absolutely needed. I never paid much attention to you, either, after judging you for who you are. But¡­ something has changed since you became a slave. You, who were used to a life of such luxury, adjusted yourself so quickly that you even made a plan to find out the one responsible for your empty stomach. You found my name. He found the enforcers under my thumb. You reached me, finally, so¡­ now what?"

    Daneel felt sweat beading on his brow. The cat was out of the bag. Ever since he had seen that woman on top of this man, he had been hoping that she must not have told him about how he had found out his name from the fear that it would harm her, too, but alas, things hadn''t turned out that way.

    He had planned out all sorts of scenarios, but they all went out the window, now. He had planned on giving up a few more fake locations of treasures that his father had hidden away, or even a few secrets about that household that many didn''t know. He needed something new, but for that, he needed time¡­ of which he had none.

    Desperate, he turned to the system, but for a moment, he didn''t even know what to ask. Then¡­ a certain idea came to him.

    '' You''ve been watching, right? Can you scan him, in any way? I need to know something about him. Anything that will help me.''

    [Responding to host. Progress of mission so far is enough to unlock a minor skill.

    Minor Skill: Micro-expression analysis unlocked and deployed.

    Assessing micro-expressions of target in front of host.

    Micro-expression: disgust was shown when speaking about host.

    Micro-expression: nonchalance was shown when speaking to the target known as ''Madeira''.

    Micro-expression: intense hate was shown when the word ''master'' was uttered.]

    Daneel listened to the answer while holding his breath. The first two things that it said didn''t help him¡­ but he grabbed onto the last one, identifying its significance immediately.

    His mind worked quickly, and in a moment, he knew what to do.

    Letting out a deep breath, he leaned forward¡­ and rolled the dice.

    "I want to join you. I want to bring down the man who did this to me. I want¡­the world, and for that, I need your help."

 32 A Meeting 3

    Lord Burrow looked at him, his face giving nothing away, almost as if he hadn''t heard a word that Daneel had said.

    Then¡­ he burst out laughing, and he laughed and laughed and laughed until it seemed that he might choke on it if he didn''t stop.

    Tears of mirth even came from his eyes, flowing down his cheeks to where he caught them with his hands and flicked them away.

    By the time it finally subsided, Daneel was annoyed despite the peril of the situation.

    At first, when he had come here, he had never even thought of trying to get into a position under this man. All he had wanted to do was find some information so that he could go back and plan, but just like always, the world had put him in a situation where he had to either sink, or swim.

    His decision to say something so sacrilegious had been based on two things. One, he was a teenager, and there was a high probability that it might be taken as just the na?vet¨¦ of one at his age.

    And, two¡­ he was betting on the hate that the man had shown before for the uncontested ruler of this region for as long as anyone remembered.

    If he was right on both of these matters, he would be presenting himself as the perfect pawn to be used against his father. But¡­ the risk was that he might also become a sacrifice to be used to further the Lord''s plans, but it was one he was willing to take.

    He didn''t need the man''s trust. All he wanted was a chance¡­ and he knew for sure that if he obtained it, somehow, it would help him immensely toward the goal that he wanted to reach.

    He maintained a stern face despite being laughed at so much. He needed to look as if he was very serious about the entire thing, but after a few moments, he did let a little bit of the irritation show, as, after all, he was supposed to be acting on impulse.

    When the Lord finally spoke, it was directed to a door to the right.

    "Get some wine over here!"

    The door opened so quickly that Daneel wondered whether someone had been standing behind it all this while, waiting to be summoned with their ear to the wood. It revealed a butler dressed in a neat purple suit, and with a bow, the man went inside.

    Lord Burrow resumed his study of Daneel while they waited. In a few moments, the man returned holding a tray. Setting down its contents on the table, he bowed and left.

    The Lord bent forward to serve the wine, himself. He sloshed around the red liquid in the bottle, and breathed in deep after opening the wooden stopper. He poured it into the two glasses that had been brought, and picking his up, he motioned to Daneel to do the same and took a long swig.

    Daneel just tasted a sip, and he was tempted to drink more, but he stopped. The wine was rich, far richer than anything he had tasted down below. He needed his senses about him, so even though the taste was so good that he sloshed it around his mouth for a few moments before reluctantly gulping it down, he set down the glass and waited for his gracious host to speak.

    Lord Burrow took his time. It was only after he emptied his glass that he finally opened his mouth to speak.

    "Interesting. Definitely¡­ interesting. I must say that the idea of using Harold''s son to get back at him is appealing¡­ but I must think on it. I''ve made my fortune by thinking about things instead of diving into them headlong. You can go, now. Jezaro, show him out."

    A different door burst open as soon as the man said those last few words. Daneel had barely glanced in its direction¡­ before he found a hand closing around his neck.

    He was lifted from the chair which fell back, and his eyes came upon a grotesque face.

    It looked like¡­ it had been cut, in half, and the two halved had been joined together haphazardly. Hence, the eyes weren''t level, the nose was lopsided, and the bottom part of half his lip met the top part of the other, making it seem impossible that he might ever be able to speak. A red gash ran down the spot where the two halves met, and the skin was swollen, as if it healed after being burnt.

    Daneel looked down, terror filling his mind slowly, but surely. It sped up when he saw just how far away he was from the ground. His legs dangled a solid 5 feet from where he had been sitting until now, putting the newcomer''s height at a whopping 12 feet.

    "Pardon him. Or don''t; he really doesn''t care. This is how I always send away anyone whose fate I haven''t decided, yet. If you speak even a word of what happened here outside¡­ I will know, and he will visit you. When I reach my decision, you will be brought here. Until then¡­Goodbye!"

    Getting up, the Lord made his way to the far end of the house where they were two large doors. He knew it to be the main bedroom, but he didn''t see it open as the one who had been called ''Jezaro'' moved, making the entire world turn into a blur.

    In barely a second, he was at the door. He was right on the verge of losing consciousness¡­ but then, he found himself flying, and after landing painfully on the tiled path outside, he took in great gulps of air.

    The brute stood at the door, framed by the light falling on him from behind. His shadow was long, and it fell over Daneel. As Daneel''s eyes ran over his body that was covered in black leather, he smiled, and it was definitely one of the most horrifying sights in the world. Only the corners of his lips rose; it looked like the fake smile of a clown, painted on for effect. Then, only the right half of his lips opened and a rasping sound came out before he turned around and disappeared.

    Daneel was so shaken up by the whole thing that he wasn''t able to think much as he made his way outside. The enforcers were waiting to escort him back, and they didn''t speak a word even though he knew that their minds must be filled with questions.

    They scurried away without even looking at him after they arrived in the Refinery. Daneel made his way to the old man''s house by himself. The layout of the place was so simple that even a child would not be lost, so he had no trouble in going back.

    He kept replaying what had just happened on the way, trying to look for clues regarding what lay for him in the future. Yet, when he reached the door and stepped inside¡­.everything went out of his mind when he found a guest waiting for him.

    Middle-aged Madeira was sitting on the dining table, holding a glass of water in both her hands which were shaking as if she couldn''t even support its weight. He saw now just how much damage the man had done to her; even her hair was grey, with no similarity whatsoever to the lush, red mane that she had sported before.

    She looked up when he came in, and even though Daneel had been worried about retaliation before¡­ he was convinced, now, that he was in no danger.

    "Sit."

    Even her voice was reedy and weak. Daneel obliged her, and took a seat on the table.

    She took a sip while looking at him with sunken eyes. He had expected anger, but all he saw was so, so much weariness. She looked as if she was weary of life, itself, and when she spoke, the words spilled out of her mouth as if it was something she had wanted to tell someone in a long time.

    "I don''t know what your game is. You''re definitely in over your head, and honestly, I don''t care what happens to you. Still¡­ out of the respect I have for those who outsmart me, I will give you a piece of advice. Run. Run as far away as you can from that man, and even all the cruel, heartless demons on the surface. Just forget everything and live in the Pit. For centuries, this is how it has always been. Down there, I at least ask for the permission of the slaves to take what I need. They all know what they''re giving up when they come to me. It is a transaction, and I keep my end. Up here¡­these demons take and take and take from me. I have no choice. I either keep them alive, or join the slaves. Nothing good has ever come out of those below interacting with those who live above. I''m not saying this to justify myself. I just¡­ don''t like being judged. Do what you will with what I''ve told up."

    She got up and looked at him for one last time, her eyes showing a bit of confusion, as if she, herself, couldn''t understand the reason behind her doing this. She then left, and as Daneel followed her with his eyes, a sigh reached his lips, and he leaned back, all sorts of emotions filling his mind.

 33 A Fruitful Day

    Daneel just sat at the table for a few minutes with the world forgotten, fixated on the earnest face he had seen just now.

    He didn''t need the system to give him a break down of the micro-expressions that Madeira has shown. She had felt embarrassment, sadness, frustration, and even downright self-loathing¡­ but under them all, he had spotted a kind of self-respect which, he supposed, was the entire reason behind her coming here.

    Finally, he came to the conclusion that he had been very wrong to hate her for what she had been doing to the slaves. It really was true that everyone went on their own volition, so could she really be blamed for taking advantage of the depravity in the Pit?

    He really didn''t know.

    ''But I do understand one thing. People aren''t just black or white¡­ and I think it is something I should keep in mind if I want to win this dangerous game that I''ve gotten myself into.''

    Nodding to himself, he got up. He knew that the succubus hadn''t really expected him to do anything about what she had said; she had done it for herself, and in doing so, she had inadvertently ended up helping Daneel more than she could ever realize.

    Pacing around, he thought about what he was supposed to do next. Reflecting on the entire encounter with the Lord, he saw something very important: once again, without the system, he would have been doomed.

    So, without postponing it any further, he sat back down and began the conversation that he had been foolish not to have a long time ago.

    "System¡­ tell me everything. Everything you''re capable of. Everything you can do for me. Everything I can do to unlock more."

    [Responding to host.

    Outputting an exhaustive list of systems functions is not allowed according to the rules set down. Only with situations can host unlock skills that help to get out of a particular dilemma. Fulfilling missions affects the unlocking potential of certain minor skills, which also are only unlocked if the situation arises for them to be used, such as the one where the micro-expression analysis skill was unlocked.

    Analytical and creative thinking must be applied to make full use of the system.

    Skills can be used in many ways which can be discerned with thorough reasoning.

    The task of gathering data is one of the most important aspects to unlock skills. As such, skills related to this task are also the most important.

    It is recommended for host to always pursue the collection of data in any situation.]

    Daneel felt disappointed only for a moment after finding out that the power of this incredible existence would not be handed to him on a silver platter. Perhaps, if he had just arrived in this body and had only had the memories of being coddled, he would have thrown a fit, but the difficulties he had faced so far had made it so that he had recognized the significance of working hard to get what one wanted.

    He ruminated on what the system had said, going through each and every tip, dissecting each and every word until he could recite them, out loud. The audience had been quite short, so it was the dead of the night. The entire town was asleep, and thus, the best conditions had presented themselves for him to carry out this task.

    For an entire hour, he just kept pacing, thinking, thinking again, and then pacing some more. He even pulled out all instances of when he had used the system in the past, and from it all, he started to get a general idea of how he had to conduct himself if he wanted to stop wasting this valuable, secret power that he had been blessed with.

    He had embarked on this mission to benefit everything he did in the long term, but suddenly, he got a thought that made him freeze and ask, "Did you scan that guy who caught my neck? If not, do it!"

    [Data has been stored. Beginning analysis.

    Analysis completed.

    It has been ascertained that the individual known as ''Jezaro'' uses power of the same sort as was detected in the target known as ''Madeira''. As the capacity to absorb energy directly is blocked, the body was adjusted to draw in power in a different way.

    Data collected is insufficient to fully analyze the power system.

    New mission available!

    Mission name: Uncover the Power of the Gluttons

    Mission objective: Collect sufficient data to finish the analysis of the power system encountered in the town of Graiton

    Mission reward: Power adaptation skill shall be unlocked.]

    Daneel stood there, stunned, as he came to grips with the fact that he had gotten a mission by asking a simple question.

    ''The system is right! It''s all about thinking properly! It had already collected the data¡­ but if I hadn''t asked, I would never have gotten the mission! I can touch that brother of mine, next¡­ But who shall be the fourth one?''

    This question put a small damper on his excitement, but still, he was elated. He felt that he was quickly grasping the usage of the system, and it felt great.

    With renewed vigor, he got back to his pacing but stopped after a few more minutes.

    ''It''s enough, for now. First things first¡­ I have to look into rectifying a very big problem.''

    After checking on the old man again to make sure that he was still asleep, Daneel went around the house, checking each and every room thoroughly. The man''s bedroom was bare except for paintings of himself, and two teenagers. Both of them were dashing and filled with the vigor of youth, and Daneel could barely recognize that they were the two men he had met in the Pit.

    The only other thing of import¡­ was what he had been looking for, in the first place.

    In a dusty corner of the bedroom, he found a pile of books with dates written on top. Opening each one, he came upon scribblings of figures upon figures that all detailed one thing: the working of the Refinery.

    ''Crystal, oh crystal, how I miss you¡­ but soon, so soon, I shall kiss you!''

    Humming happily to himself and ignoring the cringy nature of the rhyme he had come up with on the spit, he took all the books to his room. If anyone had seen him, they would never have been able to imagine that a death threat was hanging over his head.

    With something to do, Daneel found it easy to put aside all the fear and uncertainty that he felt about what might happen next in relation to that Lord above. Clapping his hands on his face, he opened the first book, intending to learn everything he could in a jiffy¡­ but 10 minutes later, he was drooling and his eyes were glazed over with fatigue.

    His mind hurt. For the first time, he found himself truly admiring the old man as each of the figures were so meticulously calculate that there wasn''t even a chance of anything being wrong.

    He stopped and closed the book, seeing that he had made no progress in the last two minutes. Cupping his chin in his hands, he thought for a bit¡­ and with a smile, he turned to the one who was quickly becoming a reliable best friend.

    "Some help with these things?"

    [Calculation skill falls under basic data analysis, which has been unlocked since the awakening of host.

    Host is requested to flip through the books.]

    Delighted, he clapped his hands and rubbed them together.

    ''Oh, I can''t believe how stupid I''ve been! System, you''re awesome! Get ready to not have a moment of rest, though¡­cos I''m gonna use you everywhere I can!''

    A few minutes later, a pile of opened books lay beside him, and he was leaning back, waiting to be told that his task was done.

    [Analysis completed.]

    ''Good! Now, then¡­I want to find a way to falsify records so that even if some crystals go missing, no one will be able to account for them!''

    [Analyzing task. Performing calculations.

    Avenue found.

    Minuscule deductions can be made in specific locations to achieve goal set by host.

    New set of sample figures are being generated.

    If an unaccounted register is presented, host''s task can be fulfilled.]

    With a gleeful grin, Daneel got up...and gasped for breath, as he felt a hand close around his neck, again, while a rasping voice appeared in his ear.

    "Come. Lord wants you."\u003cbr data-mce-bogus="1"\u003e

 34 First Lesson

    Daneel didn''t like this new method of greeting, at all.

    It was a consolation that the brute left his neck a moment later, stomping away in stark contrast to how silently he had come in.

    It was almost absurd to think that such a big man could be so quiet, but he hadn''t heard a thing. With a sullen face, he said in his mind, ''System¡­ Did you detect him?''

    [Affirmative. System is programmed to automatically give alerts only when the situation might lead to death. All other programming can only be added if the relevant skill is unlocked.]

    His frown deepened, but he got up when he saw that there was nothing he could do about it right now.

    As soon as he walked out of the house, he found the big man waiting for him. His bald head glinted in the light coming from the artificial sun in the Refinery, and for a moment, he almost looked like one of the dwarfs he had seen below, as he suddenly didn''t seem so large when framed against the gigantic pillar in the middle of the town.

    The feeling faded as soon as Daneel took a step forward. The man towered over him, his shadow big enough to cover Daneel, and as the corners of his disjointed lips rose again, Daneel thought that he might get sick if ge had to look at that face for any longer.

    Thankfully, Jezora began to walk in a familiar direction soon after. Daneel hurried after him, having to run to keep up, and soon, they went through the clump of crystals that were the pathway to the surface.

    As soon as they arrived in the open air, he hardly had time to take a few breaths before the man was off, again. Strangely, he did not head in the direction of the town; instead, he was walking directly away from it, which immediately made a flicker of panic go through Daneel.

    ''Isn''t the whole area outside forbidden? Is he going to kill me, after making me walk so that he won''t have to carry me before I''m buried in an unmarked grave? But¡­ no. If they wanted to kill me, I really don''t think they would bother with this much sophistication.''

    That last thought gave him comfort. Dawn was just breaking over the horizon. Only a day had passed since his journey from the Pit to the Refinery, but it felt like so much longer. He really hadn''t thought that the Lord would get back to him so quickly; he had anticipated that he might have at least a few days to squirrel away a few crystals and keep them with him so that they could be used in case he had to get away, but alas, he hadn''t gotten a chance.

    The terrain around the town was flat, red earth, for the most part, except for a few clumps of ferns and bushes here and there. It stretched out in front of him, lifeless and bare, for as far as he could see. He had no idea where they were heading, but soon, the came upon a low hill that they began to climb.

    Daneel was perspiring, by now. Although the original occupant of the body had been quite interested in his training, the boy could hardly be called a hard worker. He did go just a bit beyond what the taskmaster assigned to him, but in the first place, all the sons of the master were pampered too much. The reason was always that the training that would come later would be far harsher than anything they could ever imagine, so the Master had always been of the opinion that when there was a chance, his boys should be allowed to enjoy their childhood.

    And of course, that had also meant that he was able to terrorize the town as he pleased.

    As soon as they crested the top, Daneel''s thoughts ground to a halt. In front of them was a large area demarcated by ropes running along metal poles placed evenly. The ground inside it had been smoothened out meticulously, with not a piece of vegetation to be seen anywhere. Equipment that he had seen in his memories were strewn about at one corner of it; there were weights to be lifted, barrels to be turned over, blocks to be pulled and pushed, and all sorts of items that were meant to grant strength to those born lucky.

    It was empty, at the moment¡­ except for a simple chair at one corner, on which Lord Burrow sat, dressed in tightfitting clothes. The butler from the night before was at his side, serving him a glass of chilled water. His hair was matted with sweat, and his chest rose and fell rapidly.

    He looked in their direction when the brute moved forward. There was still quite some distance between them, so no one said anything. The ground was large enough to hold over a hundred men inside, so it was quite strange to see it so barren.

    ''And in the first place¡­I never knew that something like this existed! I was always trained at home¡­ so is this, maybe, a training ground for those who didn''t have a large garden in their backyard?''

    Soon, they were in front of the man, himself. With his head cocked, he looked at Daneel who squinted as the sun was rising right in front of him.

    When the man finally spoke, Daneel listened with all the focus he could muster.

    "I like it. Harrold hates you. He hates you so much that he didn''t even flinch from letting you become a slave. I heard him once say that it was a fate he would not wish on his worst enemies. You''re all well-to-do, now, but that''s only because of the help of those troublemakers down below, eh? Well, for once, they did something good. They brought you to me. I''ll keep it plain: I am interested in a little¡­ collaboration. It''s simple: you do what I tell you, and I''ll let you keep your head on your shoulders. How does that sound?"

    Daneel felt Jezaro move closer to him as soon as the Lord stopped speaking. He could almost hear the man''s hands itching to wrap around his throat again, so he nodded as quickly as he could.

    Clapping his hands, Lord Burrow got up.

    "Good! I knew you were a smart boy! As for all those claims about wanting the world¡­ I will suggest that you forget about them for a decade, at least. If you''re still alive by then¡­ we can think about it. Until then, though¡­ I own you. I''m still in the process of figuring out what you''re going to be doing exactly, but before that, I need to know what you''re capable of. That is why we are here. I don''t trust that taskmaster, not one bit. He''s so lax that he doesn''t even explain the proper power levels to those he''s training! It''s deplorable, I tell you. You need to be judged properly. And it just so happens that Jezaro''s schedule is free. Let''s get started!"

    No sooner had the last word left the Lord''s mouth than Daneel felt a hand on his shoulder that grabbed him and tossed him as if he was just a toy.

    The feeling of weightlessness was almost blissful¡­until he realized that the hard ground was reaching up at him too fast. He barely managed to get his feet up in time, and as he rolled across the earth with his knees flaring in agony, he heard a loud ''thump'' nearby.

    Looking up, he saw that Jezaro was walking forward, cracking his knuckles menacingly while his lips twitched, as if fighting the urge to smile, again.

    Daneel got to his feet quickly. He brought his hands up, with his right palm facing his opponent and his other hand behind his back. It was the traditional stance taught in Graiton, meant to allow the user to defend with his visible hand, and attack with the one hidden when the opponent was least expecting it.

    It crumpled in barely a second.

    His palm was meant to catch Jezaro''s punch, but the man''s hand moved so fast that it became a blur. It caught Daneel right in the middle of his stomach, knocking the air out of him, turning the world into a sea of suffering.

    He didn''t fly back, though. It had been drilled into his body that he should hold his ground no matter what happened, and as that training kicked in, he fought to recover.

    From behind Jezaro, Lord Burrow''s voice drifted forward.

    "You must have only heard of that primitive potential ranking so far! Well, in this world, only power matters, boy! Someone born with no potential can grow to be powerful if they work their ass¡­and someone like you will always amount to nothing even though you were born with a tiny bit of talent. Jezara, begin his first lesson. Listen well, boy, as she hates to repeat herself."

    Despite all the pain, Daneel felt confused as heard the Lord refer to a woman, even though they were alone.

    Then¡­the left half of Jezaro''s lips which Daneel hadn''t seen open yet moved, and the distinct voice of a woman reached his ears.

    "The Lord is correct. I will only be saying this once. Focus, or my brother will toss you so high up that you''ll be dead before you hit the ground. Let''s start!"

 35 Ranks

    Daneel blinked, unable to comprehend what he had just witnessed.

    And then¡­ he promptly got slapped into the ground.

    His feet swept out from under him, and he was kissing the dirt again. This time, he even ingested a large mouthful of it, resulting in a coughing fit that made him double over.

    "First lesson. Jezara hates tardiness. You will always reply when you are spoken to, and you will always call me Ma''am. Is that clear?"

    The man¡­ or woman, or whatever it was, was looking at him with baleful eyes that were somehow completely different from those he had seen on the one who had brought him here. Where before the brute had seemed simple and straightforward, these eyes belong to someone with an education, and intelligence that could not be doubted.

    Even the stance was different. The brute only lumbered wherever he wanted to go. The one in front of him¡­ stood straight, and took each step carefully, with almost the elegance of a dancer.

    Folding its arms behind its back, Jezaro/Jezara squinted, and immediately, Daneel felt a prick of danger that made him understand what he was in store for if he didn''t act. Using his hands for support, he shot to his feet and shouted, "Yes, ma''am!"

    With a sniff, his instructor stopped whatever thought had almost solidified in her mind.

    ''I don''t know how it''s possible¡­ but there are two people in this body in front of me. I don''t know which one is more dangerous, but it''s probably wise to treat them both as disasters that need to be avoided, at all costs. She says that she is a ma''am, so I guess I''ll just call her that¡­ until that brute returns to say hi by catching my neck, I guess.''

    While his thoughts reached this conclusion, his instructor had closed her eyes and gotten a thoughtful look on her face.

    It transformed into one of disgust when those lopsided eyes snapped open.

    "As expected. You''re pretty useless. My brother has the talent of estimating the power level of anyone he hits. He claims that you''re not even a Neophyte, properly¡­ seriously, what have you been doing all these years? One might expect that the sacrifice of so many slaves might have given birth to someone worthy¡­ but if they were foolish enough to hold such hopes, they would be very, very disappointed."

    ''Neophyte? What''s that?''

    Daneel almost asked the question out loud, ignoring the rest of the admonishment that didn''t really bother him, at all.

    Sure enough, after he said nothing for a few more seconds, she sniffed with disgust and began speaking in a lecturing tone.

    "There are different paths to obtain power in this world, but in this shithole, right here, the most prominent one is that of body cleansing. It''s called by many names: body refining, body cultivation, or even body tempering. The concept is the same, though. Depending on where one is born, their body is filled with different levels of impurities that stop them from doing the best they can. This level also directly correlates to how they would respond to training, and of course, that is how that primitive ranking of potential was developed. The method of gaining power is easy to summarise, but quite hard to implement. Just like a metal from which impurities have to be beaten out, one''s body must be subjected to so much stress and pain that it is forced to change, and get better. It must also be provided nutrition so that it can grow. There are different realms of beings who pursue power, but as for us, only the first one is of concern. It is mainly called the ''Human'' realm. The ranking is the same in every realm. You begin as a Novice, you improve to become a Neophyte, you work hard to transform into a Tyro, you excel to become an Expert, and you achieve mastery to become a Master. There are two more ranks above that¡­ but again, they do not concern you, at all. I have an extra ranking for those who live in depraved shitholes like Graiton. Shit-grade. It is a consolation that you''re not like the slaves whom my brother has classified to be at this level¡­ but that''s about it."

    [Data collected. Body refinement power system data set created.

    Power ranking in ''Human'' realm: Novice-\u003e Neophyte-\u003e Tyro-\u003e Expert-\u003e Master-\u003e?-\u003e?

    Host''s body refinement power ranking: Human Neophyte]

    For some reason, hearing the system put it in this way made him get a smile on his face.

    Finally, finally he had clarity regarding where he was, and where he could go. He had been quite displeased about the lack of information, but with this newfound clarity, he was confident that he could climb the ranks to-

    ''SLAP!''

    For the second time in just a few minutes, Daneel was slapped to the ground. This time, she targeted the other side of his face, so now, both sides were throbbing equally.

    He looked up at his instructor almost accusingly, and even though he quickly tried to hide the expression, she spotted it.

    Narrowing those thin eyebrows, she asked, "Do you have anything to say?"

    Shaking his head, Daneel struggled to his feet.

    "That''s what I thought. You have no idea how hard it was for my brother to reach the Expert level. He was born with nothing¡­ unlike you, who had the advantage of birth that you squandered so foolishly. The Lord has decreed that if he wishes to make use of you, you need to be better. You shall come here every morning, escorted by those two enforcers you came with the first day. As for your method of training¡­"

    Pausing, she clapped, and from the hill where they had come from, the sounds of two people scurrying down were heard.

    Turning around, Daneel widened his eyes as he came upon some of the biggest men he had seen in this place, yet. They weren''t very tall, but their shoulders were so wide that it made them look like mutants who had grown in the wrong direction.

    Also, they were twins, with the same bulbous noses, double chins, short-cropped black hair, and prominent cheekbones.

    In merely a few moments, they ran up to Jezara and bowed.

    With a satisfied nod, she folded her hands and announced, "These will be your training partners. The demarcation between each rank in the Human realm is linear. A single Neophyte should be able to fight against two Novices. So, a single Tyro should also be able to fight against two Neophyte. Only if you pursue this goal will you be able to reach that rank. Until then¡­"

    Daneel barely had the time to dodge as the twins pounced on him. He managed to get out of the way of the one on the right, but he ran headlong into the other one. The man caught his waist and slammed him to the ground, knocking the very world out of him with a gasp. His head reeling, he raised his hands to push his opponent away, but they only found empty air.

    When he looked up, he saw that the twins were in front of Jezara again, with not a hair out of place.

    "They will beat you, every morning, for an entire hour. You can try your best to dodge, or even hit them back; they won''t mind. The day you can beat them both, you will be a Tyro body refiner. From your speed of training so far, though¡­ my estimation is that it will take a year, at least."

    Both the twins smiled at him, then. Daneel didn''t even know what to say; from the way they had moved just now, he could see that they were already stronger than him even though Jezara had said that they were supposed to be on the same level. If so¡­ her estimation of time did not really seem to be off.

    The Lord approached them, then, and all three of those who stood near Daneel bowed so low that their heads almost touched the ground. He remained standing, unused to showing respect as most of his memories consisted of people bowing to him rather than the other way round, and he paid the price when Jezara moved almost at the speed of light, knocking him on his back and making him fall to his knees before resuming her position as if nothing had happened.

    "And that is the speed of an Expert. The training begins tomorrow. If you''re thinking that your status of being a slave has changed¡­ then you are very, very wrong. This is all I''ll be doing for you. You will have to find a way to obtain enough food to grow on your own. Either you succeed, or you''ll grow weaker and weaker until these two pummel you to the ground, and you don''t wake up. That is what I believe will happen in a few months. Surprise me¡­ and we can go to the next step in our collaboration. But for now¡­ goodbye."

    Lord Burrow finished speaking and turned away to leave, while Daneel stared with raised eyebrows. He remembered clearly just how much food he had been given when his training hadn''t nearly been as intense. How the hell was he supposed to sustain growth if he couldn''t even hold onto what he had now, with the way things were at the moment?

    With a humph, Jezara turned around and followed her master. The twins moved to do the same, but just before they were about to leave, the one on the right turned to him and said, "See you soon."

    As they left him alone in the barren wasteland, dread filled his mind, and his entire body ached, as if in anticipation of what was to come.

 36 Learning

    A few minutes after looking around and waiting to see if someone would come for him, he came to the realization that he would have to find his own way back.

    He didn''t really mind it, though. The time he had taken so far had served to help him calm his nerves, and digest all the information he had been given.

    This¡­ was a test, loud and clear.

    ''But why is he even interested in testing me, in the first place?''

    Daneel had wished that he could fathom the workings of the Lord''s mind by his actions, but so far, he was quite stumped. He had managed to detect enough to find out the hate he felt for his father, and that had helped him to get until here¡­ but from the point he was in now, he didn''t know where to go. He hated to be in the man''s palm, unaware of the plans he was making for him, but at the moment, that was how it was unless he found a way to change it.

    As for the dilemma regarding nutrition¡­ the answer to it was the same as the one for the problem he had just been about to solve before being interrupted so lovingly by the Lord''s servant.

    Crystals.

    Just thinking of them made him feel a pang of longing, recalling just how incredible it had felt each and every time he was able to breathe one in and absorb that heavenly energy. It seemed straightforward, the surface, but still, he decided to confirm whether his plan would work by asking the system.

    ''Can the nutritious food that is required to train be replaced by absorbing energy from crystals?''

    [Responding to host. To a large extent, this is possible. However, it is recommended to also consume at least marginally nutritious food to offset a complete dependence on absorbed energy.]

    "Yes!"

    He punched the air triumphantly, then winced as it hurt, having been bruised after breaking his fall in the aftermath of one of those world-shaking slaps before. His cheeks were still throbbing painfully, too, but he tried to ignore them as best as he could as he made his way back to the clump of crystals that would take him to the Refinery.

    In the last part of the journey, he planned out the rest of his day. By then, the sun was shining above, making sweat run down his face in rivulets, so even though he wanted nothing more than to lie down in his little room and sleep, he knew that he would have to make use of daylight when it was there.

    He found the two enforcers looking around warily in front of the crystals, their lips pursed with displeasure as if they really wanted to just leave.

    One of them jumped when Daneel appeared in his vision. He pointed him out to the one beside him, and for the first time, Daneel properly studied their faces which he had ignored until now as he hadn''t thought that he would be dealing with them after knocking them out before.

    They were quite similar, with very minor differences which led him to wonder whether they were related, in some manner. Both of them had brown hair, medium builds, and long noses. One was slightly taller than the other, and he also had a wider forehead and a sharper chin.

    It was the other one who had spoken, for the most part, until now. He moved to greet Daneel now, too.

    "Er..we''ve been ordered to take you back. We''ve also been informed that you''ll be making this journey every day. We will wait outside your residence every morning. Is that alright?"

    They still seemed to be scared of him, and Daneel wondered whether he had really hit them that hard in their first meeting. Then¡­ he thought about the events that had transpired afterward, and saw that their fear might be more because of the fact that he had lived after being taken to that infamous Lord.

    Daneel simply nodded in response, making the enforcer let out a sigh of relief. He turned around and walked to the crystal, and soon, Daneel was deposited back in front of the old man''s house.

    This time¡­ Reese and Sebastian''s father was at the doorstep, glaring at him reproachfully, his lips smacking against each other as if he was resisting the urge to make a scene on the street, and his hands clutching his walking stick so tightly that they had gone white.

    He burst into a litany of curses as soon as the door closed behind them.

    "What the fuck did you do? How did you get the enforcers to give you an escort?! And why the hell did they look scared?? I drink too much for one day, and so much happens! I knew this was a mistake¡­ I knew it! Maybe I should¡ª"

    Daneel just raised one hand to stop the man. Either because of his calm countenance or something the old man spotted on his face, he stopped speaking and fumed, even though it might have been expected of him to just continue after ignoring Daneel.

    "I said that I would keep my promise. Well, I''ve set a few plans in motion. I think its better off if you don''t know about them. Just trust in me as your son has done, and help me in every way you can. Wasn''t that what he must''ve said before sending me here?"

    The old man blinked and nodded, and Daneel knew that he had hit the nail right on the head.

    Clearly, most of everything he had seen until now had been empty bluster, designed to create a healthy fear of the man in Daneel so that he would listen when it was needed.

    ''I don''t blame you for that¡­ But I''m done with not having control in every aspect of my life. I didn''t know it before, but I''m sure about it now: I''m a control freak, and I''m not embarrassed about that, at all. After all, without control, how can any plan be carried out?''

    Musing in this manner, he walked to the dining table and took a seat. The old man arrived and did the same after a minute, his face shifting between anger due to how the status quo between them had changed so abruptly and frustration, as he surely wanted to know about the treasures that were on the table, and the reason behind him being escorted by those two instead of following their orders like a dog.

    Indeed, the food he had stolen was here, in front of them. He hadn''t really bothered to hide it, but it had been in his room. Yet¡­ the entire house belonged to the old man, so Daneel couldn''t begrudge him for, perhaps, checking to see whether he would find a note regarding his whereabouts.

    Clearing his throat, Daneel looked into the strong eyes of old netizen of the Refinery and spoke in a tone that brooked no argument.

    "I know that you wanted to stay in command. There is nothing wrong with that; you have age on your side, and this is also your home. However, over the course of last night, I''ve realized that if I want my goal to come true, I need to be firm in everything I do. Today, we have two things to do. First, you will show me all the ins and outs of your trade, including all the details of the Refinery that I need to know. And, second¡­I want to know why both of your sons are in the Pit, slaving away their lives. The first one is something I need. The second one is something I want. One must happen, and the fulfillment of the other is in your hands. Make your decision."

    The mention of the fate of his sons made the old man''s face go blank, and then fill up with rage. He had glowered at Daneel during the rest of the speech as if he was his mortal enemy, but after he was done, he kept staring¡­ and the anger slowly leaked out of him.

    Daneel almost felt pity as he saw the old man slump into his chair, his back no longer rigid, his eyes no longer holding the strength that had given him character. Weariness set in all of a sudden; the weariness of an old man who had lived to see things he had never dreamed he would have to.

    Instead of responding, he got up, and Daneel understood the choice he had made.

    For the rest of the day, he was given instructions on everything that an accountant was supposed to do. He was taken through the process of checking the Refinery routinely, gathering accounts from different sections in the town, performing abrupt checks to prevent anyone from slouching¡­ the list went on and on, and if it weren''t for the system, Daneel was sure that he would have been left clueless by the end of the day.

    He only paid attention for an hour or so, and he left the rest to his inscrutable friend. While acting as if he was listening, he thought about the future, and slowly¡­ he realized that he actually felt elated about the entire thing.

    The world revolved around power, and his very enemy was helping him to become powerful. Of course, the man was doing so because he had no idea that Daneel had such a secret weapon up his sleeve¡­ and for as long as possible, his ability to absorb energy had to be kept under wraps.

    ''But how am I supposed to do this?''

    He spent most of his time thinking on this topic. He was so engrossed that he didn''t even notice that something was different when they were back in the dining table, exactly in the way they had sat in the morning.

    When the old man spoke, it was different from the brusque, instructive tone he had used all day. Hearing it made Daneel drop everything and focus, and in the perpetual light that danced in through the windows, his host laid his heart bare.

    "Confidence and talent. Two things that are solely in short supply in all three layers below the ground. You have both. So did my sons. I shall give you the second thing you asked for for one reason, and one reason alone: I do not want history to repeat. I don''t even know whether it''ll be helpful¡­ but here goes. Reese and Sebastian became slaves¡­ because they flew too close to the sun, and were hence cast into the Pit, their wings burnt and their hopes broken, as after all..those above are the only ones who can dream, while those below must only keep their heads down and serve."

 37 The First Session

    "Upper right!"

    The call echoing in his ears, Daneel raised his fists to his right, waiting for the blow that would renew the pounding pain that radiated through his wrists.

    Instead, a blow hit him square in his stomach, making him stagger back and look to the right with accusing eyes.

    One of the twins stood there. For the life of him, he still couldn''t figure out which one was which, so he had taken to just called them ''one twin'' and ''the other twin'' in his mind.

    "In battle, callouts can''t be trusted. You should learn to defend no matter where a blow comes from."

    The excuse was followed by a shrug that was downright infuriating.

    "But you said that this exercise was to coordinate my reflexes! What''s the fucking point of the callout if they aren''t accurate?"

    "The point is to train you. And we''ll do it the way we please. So shut up and get back to the mark."

    His stomach still smarting, Daneel stared daggers at the twin standing calmly to the side as he walked forward.

    He and the old man had talked late into the night, and the story that had been told was still fresh in his mind. As a result, he hadn''t gotten much sleep, but even if that wasn''t the case, he could tell that these two were lying bastards who were just out to inflict as much pain as possible.

    Just the first ten minutes of their first training session had ended with him wishing that he could plant his fists in both of their faces. The one he had been sparring with had exceptionally strong fists; it had been hard enough to defend when the callouts had been accurate, so now that he knew that he would have to worry about whether they would be false or not, he expected to have to eat a lot more blows.

    There was a simple solution to it all, but if he used it, he would be the dumbest person alive. The system was always watching. He could ask it and find out from which direction the next punch would be coming, but he knew that such godlike reflexes were definitely not expected from one at his level.

    For ten more minutes, he went through the excruciating exercise. At the end, he came out of it with four punches that had set his ribs afire. There had been five false callouts, and he had only been able to stop himself from falling for one.

    ''Still¡­ it''s a start.''

    The twins had called for a one-minute break. One of them took out a gourd of water from somewhere in his clothes, and Daneel stretched out his hand, expecting it to be handed to him.

    The two looked at him, and laughed.

    He felt all the more parched when they helped themselves, and even brought out snacks to eat. He then realized that he should have known to bring refreshments, but as he hadn''t had much time in the morning after waking up, he had come here empty-handed.

    Next came the part he had been dreading the most. In fact, when he had come here, he had expected that they would start with it right away, so it had been a pleasant surprise(then) to find that the training would be split into two sessions.

    The twins arrayed themselves in front of him, sharing expectant glances and cracking their knuckles as if they were getting ready for a show. In perfect sync, they brought their hands up in the same stance that Daneel had taken the day before.

    It was what was commonly taught by the taskmaster, and with no other option, Daneel adopted it, too, even though it was only meant for one-on-one combat.

    Carefully, he studied the two of them, taking soft steps to the left and right so that they would be unsure about jumping on him like they had before. They circled him, weaving between each other, sometimes even hiding one behind the other, but for an entire minute, they made no move.

    Then, all of a sudden, they roared and ran forward.

    They maintained their stance, one hand behind their backs, one outstretched, fingers curled into a fist. They had chosen a perfect moment when one was in front and one was behind him, so Daneel was hemmed in.

    With a burst of strength, he jumped aside at the last moment, and he hoped that they would slam into each other.

    Only¡­ all he heard was the sound of a fist grabbing something, and as he looked above, he found the grinning face of one of the twins somersaulting in the air before sending out a foot and kicking him in the face.

    He fell backward, into the waiting arms of the other twin. Two fists dug into his back, making a shockwave run through his entire body, and he lurched forward again.

    As if this was a game of catch, his brother was right in front, poised perfectly to pick up the ball that was Daneel. He seemed to be partial to using his feet, as he sent another kick flying that swept Daneel''s feet from under his body and made him fall to the floor.

    He curled up, expecting a beat down, but thankfully, no other attacks arrived.

    "Get your sorry ass to your feet. If this was a real fight, you would be dead a hundred times by now. We begin again."

    And so the training continued. As the minutes passed, frustration kept building up inside him, born as a little ball but quickly transforming into a star that engulfed his whole mind.

    He didn''t land a punch. Not a single one.

    He cursed each and every moment the original occupant of his body had wasted, believing that he was so talented that he didn''t need to train much, at all. He cursed the sadistic smiles that appeared on each of the twin''s faces with each successful blow, lopsided on one and decorated with missing teeth on the other. He cursed the land, he cursed the air, and he cursed the very world that had put him in the situation.

    He lost all track of time, but he was able to quickly estimate how much had passed based on how much strength he had left. He began to slow down and tire, but that was when he saw the first sign that his opponents were on the same level as him: they were faring the same, and as they began to get sluggish, a seed of confidence burst into bloom in Daneel''s mind.

    ''Yes¡­ for all the posturing, they''re still Neophytes, like me! They just have more experience. And, yeah, there are two of them¡­ but that''s something I can deal with later. First¡­ I want to see at least one of them take a punch. I''ll make it happen!''

    From then on, he kept watching like a hawk. He was on the defensive, for the most part, already having realized that rushing headlong after giving in to the frustration would only cause much more pain than he would normally have to endure. They used their numbers to great effect; whenever Daneel dodged one, there would always be the other ready to send him scrambling or, in the worst case, into the ground, but slowly, he began to see the hints of his chance.

    The only problem¡­ was that if he wanted to make use of it, he needed to be faster than he had in this entire session.

    ''It''s just for a single moment¡­ I''ll use everything I have, and all I can do is hope that it''ll be enough.''

    With a plan in motion, he felt calmer than ever. He waited, waited, and waited¡­ until the opportunity presented itself in a most unexpected way.

    After landing a rap on Daneel''s forehead, one of the twins had just sauntered back with an infuriatingly smug smirk. The problem¡­ was that he had been a bit too smug, and hence, he hadn''t noticed that his brother was right behind him.

    The other twin was quick enough to move away so that they wouldn''t collide, but for the briefest of instants, both of them were unguarded.

    Daneel had just taken a hit. Normally, this would be the time he would be spending to deal with the pain, but he moved forward.

    He urged his legs to move as fast as they could, as the chance would be gone if he was even a fraction of a second late. There was no way to hide his movements; the twins spotted him, and both of them hastened to get out of the vulnerable position they were in.

    He suddenly saw that he was too slow. Just as he had estimated, he would fall short just a tiny bit.

    ''If only I had one extra ounce of power! Just a single iota of speed! I wish¡­no! Wishes are nothing! I want it! No¡­I NEED IT!''

    All of a sudden, he felt a faint¡­ pull, from somewhere deep inside him.

    It resulted in two things happening: first, a wave of fatigue much like the one that had come in the aftermath of the system being given a task appeared in his body.

    And, second¡­ he felt the singular gratification that could be experienced only if one broke past their limits. For that single moment, it was as if the entire world was in his grasp.

    His body moved smoothly. His fist shot through the air. His lips broadened, already knowing what was soon going to come¡­ and the twins snarled, but to no avail.

    His punch sent one flying back right into the arms of his brother. Both of them fell to the ground on top of each other, and with a triumphant, wordless yell, Daneel jumped in the air.

    [Improvement detected. Progress of host can now be quantified. Calculating progress percentage¡­]

    The system''s announcement only made him happier. Turning to the twins, he opened his mouth to speak, and even though he knew then, itself, that it would result in a lot of pain¡­he said his piece with a grin.

    "One. Get up, get up. I''m keeping score¡­and you can bet that we''ll be even by the time I soar past you. Up and at ''em, boys!"

 38 The Tale

    Wincing as he got onto his bed an hour later, Daneel wondered whether it had been worth it to ask for an extra beating even though he was surely going to get one every day.

    For the rest of the session, the twins had been dead set on making him eat as many blows as possible. He had completely gone on the defensive, but still, his body ached as if it had been put through a grinder.

    Ignoring it for a second, he recalled that perfect moment when he had improved¡­ and got the answer.

    ''I would do it all over again if I could! But maybe¡­ I would say it after they left¡­''

    The second thought was born in the aftermath of the deep aches returning with renewed strength. Knowing that he needed something to distract himself, he turned to the system and asked, "Is it done?"

    [Affirmative.

    Progress percentage: 17%

    Host''s progress increased by 1% in recent training session.]

    For a moment, Daneel didn''t know whether to feel infuriated that he was so far away, or ecstatic as just a single moment of going past what he was capable of had made him improve by an entire percent.

    ''That means¡­ that if I repeat it for 83 times, I''ll be in the next rank! That doesn''t seem so hard¡­ or am I missing something here, system?''

    The reply made him scowl.

    [The closer host reaches to the next level, the harder it will be to improve. Additionally, according to the data of the training session that was recorded, it might not be possible for such drastic improvement to take place each time that host is pushed.]

    Daneel almost let himself be swept into a foul mood¡­ but as soon as remembered that he still hadn''t added the crystals to the equation, he perked up and tried to get to his feet.

    They throbbed painfully in response, so deciding that he needed a little more rest, he searched for something to think of while he waited for the agony to recede.

    Slowly, he found himself recalling the conversation he had had with the old man. It had started with a single sentence that was the perfect description of the entire tale, before turning into a flood of anguished details that had made him understand just how much the events had affected the entire family.

    It was also the first time he had heard the name of his host. He was called Gerard, and when he had told Daneel about his past, it had been quite surprising to hear of the absolute depths from which the man had climbed, step by step, to reach where he was now.

    He had been born a slave, to parents he had never known. The man hadn''t been very clear, but due to circumstances surrounding his upbringing, he had grown up with a very strong determination to get the hell out of the Pit.

    As one of the most assiduous workers in the mines, he had distinguished himself by going above and beyond each and every task he was given. Soon, he was noticed by those on the surface when he prioritized the safety of a store of mined crystals over his own life. He was awarded a position in the Refinery to spur on the others, and even there, without resting on his laurels, he had sought out the then accountant and begged the man for a role under him.

    According to him, that was the only moment in his life when luck had graced his efforts. The former accountant had happened to be a kind individual who gave value to one''s motivation. Even though Gerard had grown up without an education, he was taken in, and he devoured each and every piece of knowledge he was taught voraciously.

    He was soon skilled enough to take the place of his teacher. He married a woman from the Refinery who died after giving birth to Reese, and he had raised his two sons with just one ideal: to aim to reach the next stage in life, just like he had.

    And that¡­ was what he lamented to be the greatest mistake he had made in his life.

    He had been very successful in inculcating in the two boys a hard-working ethic and the zeal to ascend. Reese was born with deft fingers and a mind for learning. From the resident healer of the Refinery, he acquired his trade, and even though S¨¦bastien had no option but to take up the same job as those in the rest of the town, he turned out to be the best Refiner in the entire layer.

    Things started to go disastrously wrong when both of them came together, and decided that it was time to rise above.

    On the surface, they identified a certain vacuum where the rich folk of the town didn''t have a very good healer to help them out whenever they got too exhausted in their efforts to enjoy life to the fullest. With Reese''s knowledge of healing and S¨¦bastien''s skill in refinement, they set up a shop that sold potions for various things.

    Everything was fine for a month. Business was booming, and they had even begun to make plans to diversify into other areas.

    And then, one day¡­ a team of enforcers arrived and threw them into the Pit.

    They were given no explanation except that they had been found stealing. They couldn''t even do anything to disprove the accusation; they had immediately been knocked out and had woken up directly as slaves, and it was only later that they found out that the enforcers had brazenly added few pouches of money to the coffers of their shop that were found by the lawkeeper of the surface. The sentence was passed, and from then on¡­ their future was set in stone.

    Much, much later, after putting in a lot of effort, they slowly uncovered the scheme that had resulted in their downfall. Apparently¡­ their business had irked the main healer on the surface who was a descendant of an esteemed family, and using his connections, it had been easy for him to send them back where they belonged.

    The tale had made Daneel so angry that his fist had banged down and created an indentation in the lacquered wood of the table. The old man had even descended into sobs, blaming himself for everything that happened, and even though Daneel had wanted to console him, he had done no such thing as there was no way that he could understand the pain that the man felt.

    All he could do¡­ was try to make things better, and even though he tried to tell himself that he should focus on the problems he was already facing, he just convinced himself that he would only do something if it didn''t detract too much from the plans he would soon be setting in motion to deal with Lord Burrow.

    He stayed for ten more minutes on the bed, and after seeing that there was nothing else he could find to take his mind off of all the things he was supposed to do, he got up, ignoring the protests of almost all the parts of his body.

    After an initial wave of deep aches, the pain slowly started to recede. He got dressed in the same robes he had woken up in, which were supposed to be those used by all the residents of the Refinery who were learning a certain art.

    His day was already planned out. He found the old man waiting for him at the table when he came out, dressed in the same immaculate suit that he had welcomed the enforcer in on that first day.

    No words were needed. They merely nodded to each other, and for the first time, Daneel was just as slow as the old man who hobbled along with his walking stick.

    They made their way to the Refinery, shading their eyes frequently against the light of the artificial sun that sometimes blazed so brightly that he felt that it would dig through his eyes and burn his skull to nothingness. Due to its heat, the entire layer was always trapped in a perpetual season of summer, so his heavy robes were soaked in just a few minutes after their departure. When they finally reached their destination, Daneel sighed with relief while the old man stopped and said, "It''s your first time in there. Things might get overwhelming. Just remember this: don''t touch anything you aren''t supposed to. The entire structure you see in front of you is a careful arrangement of different cogs constantly in motion. Accidents happen often, and if one comes to be because of you¡­ the enforcers won''t let it go easily. So, keep your wits about you, and your hands at your side. Come on."

    Daneel saw the old man hurry forward, but he lingered there for a few moments.

    He went over the plan he had already made based on everything he had learned about the Refinery. If everything went well, he would be walking out of the doors in front of him with his pockets full of crystals.

    So, with a grin of anticipation that he quickly hid away, he took a step forward and prepared to reconnect with an old friend that he already missed so, very much.

 39 The Plan

    The first thing that anyone would be awed by as they approached the humongous tower was the gigantic entrance that rose so tall that even a hundred men standing on each other''s shoulders wouldn''t be able to reach the top.

    Even with its size, it only made up a small portion of the entirety of the thing, so just from that, the immensity of the structure could be understood.

    It was a feat of architecture that was almost on the scale of the network of caves that Daneel had seen below the Pit. He almost wondered whether the person responsible for that incredible place could have built this, too, but he discarded the notion as it didn''t seem possible that the same powerful individual would embark on two tasks so dissimilar from each other, for two sides that were also completely against each other.

    Daneel could never have expected that an even more incredible sight was waiting for him as soon as he entered. The doors were open only a sliver, but even then, there was enough space for five people to enter abreast. By the time he walked inside, the old man had already disappeared into the depths of the Refinery, so when he took his first step inwards, he had no option but to stop and let his jaw drop.

    The entire tower¡­ was hollow.

    There were so many details to see that he didn''t even know what to study, first. Deciding to start from the top, he craned his neck, and sure enough, he could see the artificial sun slowly revolving far, far above where he stood.

    Below it, he could faintly make out two lines that wound around the entire refinery. He followed them with his eyes, round and round and round the walls, and they kept growing in size the lower he reached. Finally, when he found the spot where they began, he raised his eyebrows when he saw that both of them ended right in front of him.

    They were like two large, metal roads, each at least a hundred feet wide. People swarmed around the base, loading casks of crystal onto the left one and unloading barrels from the right.

    His eyes shone as soon as he saw so much of the coveted substance he was here for in front of him. He had to tear his eyes away from it to look at the rest of the place, and after he finally did so with some effort, he saw that there were platforms all around the walls where the majority of those he had seen exiting the place before were working.

    The entire atmosphere was suffused by the sounds of metal being struck, and a rancid smell that he couldn''t place. As he watched, the crystals that had been loaded began to move upwards, and at the same time, he also noticed that the barrels that were coming off the other end were being loaded onto the backs of a few grubby individuals who were carrying them out of a different door that lay on the other side of the tower.

    A rough shove from somewhere beside him interrupted his thoughts, making him stagger to the side and look around to see the one responsible. A tall man wearing a leather apron was looking at him reproachfully, one hand scratching his jaw where a course beard was growing, and the other still outstretched.

    "Stop gawking and get over here. I don''t have all day."

    He didn''t understand the reason behind the rudeness, at first, but when he looked at the place where he had been standing until now, he found a few workers grumbling as they moved inside. Realizing that he had been slowing down the flow of people walking into the refinery, he obliged and strode forward.

    With a bored look, the man raised his hands and put them on Daneel''s shoulders as soon as he approached, resulting in bewilderment filling his face as he wondered whether he was being hugged.

    The bizarre notion left him when the man began to check him. His entire body was searched thoroughly, and he was shoved again after the man nodded.

    He found the old man waiting for him in the direction where he was pushed. It seemed that being rough was a way of life for many of the people here, as in front of him, he saw the workers who had entered after he had moved shoving through a group of people who had been heading toward a staircase nearby that led to one of the platforms above.

    "The checking is to ensure that you''re not bringing anything inside that could affect the workings of the refinery. There''s a lot of delicate stuff that can be ruined even if a drop of sweat falls onto it, so this is mandatory every day. Come on. I''ll show you all the places I told you about."

    For a few hours, Daneel was completely engrossed in his tour of the different parts of the refinery. He had already learned from the old man that the job of those in half the platforms was to break down the crystals using special tools that were made in the layer above theirs. He caught a glimpse of them in one of the platforms; they were shaped like a hammer and chisel much like those found in the Pit, but they glowed faintly, and he also noticed something that had made him lurch to a halt.

    They had been surrounded by patterns of dots that looked, at first glance, like those surrounding the crystals.

    On closer inspection, though, he had found out that the patterns were definitely different, but he had had no time to study them. Reluctantly, he had moved on, but his thoughts had lingered on what he had seen for quite some time.

    By the time the crystals were sent to the sun far above, each piece was supposed to be as small as a grain of sand. No one had any idea exactly what the sun did, then, but the substance that came out after it introduced into it was in the form of a molten liquid. It was so hot tat specialized equipment was required to hold it, and in each platform thereafter, it was treated like a metal from which impurities had to be beaten out. Men and women would use heavy hammers to beat it until its color changed, and at each platform, it would be turned back into a liquid, again, so that the process could repeat.

    After they were done, Daneel found himself back where he had started.

    The old man turned to leave, but Daneel stopped him and whispered, "Wait outside."

    Turning around, he spoke loudly over his shoulder and walked in the direction of a certain staircase.

    "I think I saw that the count was wrong at Platform 8-C. I''ll check it and be right back!"

    The one he had mentioned was near the top. All of them were just large, flat surfaces that somehow jutted out of the circular wall without any additional support beneath. After reaching it, he walked nonchalantly near one of the stations where a team of three were working on the molten liquid crystal coming down from the sun.

    All of the platforms were designed so that small, metal channels that shot out from the large one that was below the star ran through them, connecting again to its source at a spot beyond. He had chosen a particular platform that had the molten liquid running through it, but was unmanned.

    The Refinery only worked at 70% capacity for reasons Daneel wasn''t aware of, but happy about. There was a pocket of empty space around him, and beyond that, the teams of men and women were hard at work, their eyes completely focused on their individual tasks.

    Turning back to the flowing crystal, Daneel shook his head due to what he was about to do. He had prepared all kinds of scenarios in case he was able to find lax teams, but today, all of them seemed careful, so there was no chance that he could steal away what he wanted from their stations.

    That¡­left only option. With a shrug and a sigh, he began, swearing that if anyone wrote a book about him in the future, he would make sure that this incident would stay out of it.

    A few seconds later, he was on a different platform with a blush in his cheeks. It was one that dealt with the pre-processing of crystals, and he acted as though he was checking the ledger kept on every platform to account for the work done every day.

    Suddenly, a loud sound went up from all around him, and a voice reached the ears of everyone present inside.

    "Attention, attention! Impurity detected! Unstable reaction could be imminent! Evacuate, evacuate!"

    There was a moment of pin-drop silence, and then¡­all the workers began scrambling to the staircases.

    A few minutes later, Daneel met the old man outside who looked like a thief waiting for his partner so that they could get away.

    "Let''s go. Let''s go!"

    Hearing Daneel''s hurried whispers, he began to walk in the direction of the exit, but as they overheard a few workers who were talking nearby, Daneel could only blush harder and tighten his hands around the crystals he had stolen away.

    "Did any of you get so scared that you peed your pants? I caught a whiff of it while I was leaving our platform¡­I swear, if it was one of you, you better tell me now as I''ll know anyway when we go back!"

 40 A Spectacle

    One day later.

    In the large clearing around the central tower of the Refinery, a crowd of people faced a wooden platform that had been set up the night before.

    A man holding a whip stood on top of it, dressed in white robes with sashes of black near his chest, and on his legs. Daneel knew him to be one of the lawkeepers from the surface, and even if someone without his knowledge of that place looked at the man, they would be able to guess his origin from the way he looked at all those around him as if they were naught but worthless pigs thrashing about in the mud.

    Behind him was a woman wearing some of the most extravagant clothes that he had ever seen. Fragments of glass had been sewn into her white dress so that the reflections almost made it hard to look upon her, and her head was tressed up into a tall pile of weaving strands with a ball on the top whose shape was, strangely, reminiscent of the tower behind her.

    She was middle-aged, with a heavily rouged face and thick lips. She had a birthmark beside her nose that moved every time the expression on her face changed from between disgust to anger to extreme aversion.

    Daneel stood at the very back of the crowd, beside the old man who was constantly fidgeting. They hadn''t talked much after going home; Daneel had only told him that he had had no choice in the matter, and as he couldn''t handle the stress, Gerard had drunk himself to sleep.

    They had woken up to someone banging on the door, and for a moment, Daneel had panicked, thinking that he had been caught despite all the precautions he had taken. Instead, it turned out to be a summons to where they were now, as the overseer of the Refinery had arrived and was going to address all those who had worked in the tower the day before.

    Daneel had a faint inkling of what they were here for, and he didn''t like it one bit. He didn''t know what they were waiting for, but the answer soon became clear when a group of thirty-odd people was shepherded near the platform. Their hands were tied, and their faces were swollen as if they had been on the receiving end of quite a bit of the frustration that could be seen on the surface-dweller''s face.

    The first of them was made to ascend the platform. He tried to resist, but he was shoved forward mercilessly by a different lawkeeper who had brought them here. He was caught by the one with the whip on the platform, and after he knelt, he cried, "Please! I don''t know anything! I was just doing my job! I have children! If I''m not able to work¡­"

    "You''ll starve."

    The woman walked forward and interrupted the man, her voice thick and uncaring. Taking out a fan from somewhere inside her dress, she unfolded it and began to weave it in front of her face while she turned to address the group that was looking askance at the crying man in front of them.

    "They''ll starve, but that will make them want to work harder so that they can eat. Each layer was perfectly laid out, with the lives of all those who inhabit them mapped efficiently so that you can serve, and prosper. All of you know how things are in the Pit. You should feel happy that you''re here¡­ but I found out yesterday that someone slacked off, resulting in a halt of the tower. How dare you!"

    Her shout echoed among the people, and even through the empty streets of the Refinery.

    "After investigation, only the platform on which the mistake happened was identified. I don''t know which of those assigned to it was responsible, so I''ve decided to punish them all. Keep your eyes peeled, and burn this memory into your minds. If you ever feel like growing lax, you should remember these screams, and know what awaits you. Alternatively, if the one actually responsible steps forward, I''ll leave all these people alone and award the whippings awaiting them to just that person. I know all of your minds, though. You rats would never do such a thing. Lawkeepers, you can begin. I''ll be going."

    As the two bowed, the woman left.

    Daneel felt himself shaking as he saw all those who were going to pay for what he had done. He had thought about this before, too¡­ but had seen no way around it. From the old man, he had found out that if the source was not found, the issue was normally left alone after increasing the shifts of everyone in the town. His every action was to benefit them, in the long run, so he had gone ahead, deciding it was a small price to pay for the age he would usher in if he was successful.

    This¡­ was the worst case.

    The first lash made the entire crowd flinch.

    The screams of the man echoed throughout the town, but in Daneel''s said, they seem to be magnified. He begged and begged, talking about how his family would die if he wasn''t able to work. The lawkeepers were completely heartless. Just the third whipping drew blood, red and glistening in the light falling down from the artificial sun. By the seventh whip, he fainted, but still, the way his body jerked to the side but was stopped from moving away by the second lawkeeper was something that made many turn away, unable to keep watching.

    The second victim was a woman. Her high-pitched screams were different, but no less piercing. She cried for her newborn, and how she had no one else to help¡­ but the whip flew, indifferent and cruel.

    She fainted by the sixth one.

    On and on, the men and women kept coming, and Daneel began to feel the whips on his back, too. He felt ears reach his eyes, and his nails drew blood on his palms.

    "Don''t¡­ don''t look. You said it was necessary."

    The old man tried to help, but Daneel didn''t want to follow his advice. He even tried to tell himself that it would all be worth it, but that didn''t help. His anguish grew and grew until it almost physically hurt to keep on looking, but his eyes didn''t move an inch.

    The last victim was a 12-year-old boy. The lawkeepers looked at each other then, finally, as if a shred of pity had finally appeared within them, but then, the one with the whip shrugged and began anyway.

    He knew that he would never ever forget this sight. The kid could only yelp, but somehow, it seemed to be louder than what all the rest had made, together. It was so sickening that a few near him went to the side and vomited, and not for the first time, Daneel felt like taking up the offer the woman had given.

    It was one of the hardest things he had had to do since waking up to stop himself. He knew that it was a trap, and that it would make the whole thing pointless¡­ but the excuse grated on his mind more and more until he was just one step away from casting it aside. He even had to bite his tongue to distract himself from the urge to shout to the lawkeepers so that they would stop, and finally, when it was done, he almost fell to the floor, exhausted.

    On the journey back to the old man''s house, the images kept flashing in his mind, and the screams felt like they were coming from all around him even though it was silent. He reached his room and pried open a floorboard, finding the object that was the reason behind everything that had had just happened.

    Getting on to his bed, he held it in his hand so tightly that its sharp edges drew blood, too. As he watched it cover the thing, he felt a strong urge to just fling it aside.

    ''No. I should use this. I should use all these feelings to reach my goal. Eyes on the prize. Eyes¡­ on the prize.''

    He breathed in, but even the rush of wonderful energy did little to detract his thoughts from the fate that awaited the little kid.

    So, when the tears arrived, he let them flow, and as the crystal dissipated in his hands, he got up and began to train, with just the echoes of the screams for company while he punched invisible enemies with unbearable fury.

 41 Change

    Four weeks later.

    "Upper right!"

    Daneel was already raising his arms to the right before the call even reached his ears. The twin in front of him had neither talent nor the element of surprise on his side, and over the past few days, it had been getting easier and easier to read what he was about to do.

    Before completing the movement, though, he suddenly saw something that made him freeze.

    ''There it is! That damn smirk is unmistakeable¡­but where is he going to send the punch, instead?''

    He watched, patient, like a predator stalking its prey through tall grass. The signs of the twin shooting a punch to the right faded¡­and what replaced them gave him an opportunity that he knew he could capitalise on.

    ''But should I do it? Meh¡­fuck it.''

    The punch went for his stomach.

    And his fist slammed into the twin''s face, and sent him straight to the ground.

    There was a moment of shocked silence where the satisfaction of seeing the vile bastard eat dirt overwhelmed the dull throb in his knuckles. Then, his brother ran to see whether he was all right, and the wave of tiredness that he had been keeping at bay flooded throughout his body.

    "Let''s continue tomorrow."

    The twin was too busy trying to make his brother wake up to even listen as Daneel mumbled and began to walk towards the waiting enforcers. They had recently been switching up the sessions; today, the group combat had come first, allowing him to end the lesson in such a satisfactorily spectacular fashion.

    Just as he reached the enforcers, a voice cracked through the air, making a bird that was resting on a bush near Daneel take flight.

    "You got lucky! Mark my words, you''re gonna regret this tomorrow!"

    Daneel turned around. For a moment, he was sorely tempted to say what was on his mind.

    ''I was able to do that a week ago¡­you''re lucky I care so much about keeping my real improvement secret.''

    He met the angry gaze of the unscathed brother with an intensity that had slowly been sharpened daily, since that moment when he had had to watch the consequences of his actions. In just a few seconds¡­the man cursed and looked away, and Daneel turned around to lead the way.

    After reaching the Refinery, the enforcers nodded to him and left. Three weeks back, he had said to them that it was enough if they brought him to this spot. One of them had protested. And a glare had been enough to send them both running.

    The old man was the one who noticed the change in him, the most. Before, there had been a slightly casual nature about him, one reminiscent of the original occupant of his body. Thrice already, Gerard had advised him that it was not good to always be so serious, but when Daneel had assured him that that wasn''t the case, the man hadn''t believed it.

    Reaching a house at the very edge of the lane closest to the teleportation area, he walked to the door while thinking, ''They don''t get it. They really don''t.''

    Bypassing the main entrance, he ducked to the side. There was dust everywhere, almost as if the house had been deserted for a long time, and after reaching the door at the back, Daneel looked around carefully to ensure that there was no one nearby.

    The yard of the neighbouring house looked empty, but he still walked to the fence to make sure. Finally satisfied, he knocked thrice, softly, and entered.

    "Brother?"

    A weak voice greeted him. On a bed in the middle of the hall lay a child, his chest covered with bandages, the table nearby piled with plates.

    "It''s me! How are you today, Jonas?"

    "Much better!"

    The way the voice perked up as soon as the speaker heard him made him feel warm all over. It didn''t compare to that which had filled his heart when he had first been called ''brother'', but still, it was close.

    Two hours later, he was making his way back to the old man''s house. Each time he made this trip, he would always be filled with renewed zeal and vigor which he always put to good use by training even harder.

    Reflecting on what had actually changed in these four weeks, Daneel felt that his hunch might be right. It was almost as if a shock had been needed to get rid of a final shadow of the previous owner of his body, and in many ways, it had been a transformative experience whose effects were still coming to light, one by one.

    For one thing, the confidence with which he had begun the plan to study the Lord all those days ago had become a permanent thing. It suffused his thoughts, backed up by the wariness and care that he had inculcated after engraving the pain that others had had to feel because of him deep in his heart.

    ''Who could have known that such pain was even more excruciating than anything I could have been subjected to? I swear, I''m growing more and more curious about my real identity as the days go by¡­''

    The decision to help the tortured 12-year-old had been made the instant he had found out that the boy had no one to rely on. They had found him near the edge of the clearing around the tower, having crawled there trailing blood from his back and his fingernails, which had broken away while he relied on just his hands to move. It had been such a pitiful sight that Daneel''s heart had broken all over again, but hope had peered through the darkness in the form of an expression they had seen on his face.

    His eyes had been leaking tears, but his teeth had been gritted, silently screaming defiance against the cruel world.

    Gerard had identified the empty house. The food he had stolen from the enforcers had been more than enough to provide nourishment to the kid, as he had stolen away more than enough crystals to sustain him for a month, at least.

    He hadn''t randomly grabbed the precious objects on his way out of the Refinery. He had taken some from each platform, using the system''s calculations to only steal away an amount that would go unnoticed among the modified records.

    After calculating how much he had left, he saw that he was good for a week or less if he maintained the pace he was burning them at, now. His original estimates had been very different¡­but the results spoke for themselves.

    ''System, show me the progress.''

    [Progress to Tyro: 41%]

    He still remembered how gobsmacked he had been when he had realised that the pace he was improving at was much, much faster than anything he had dreamed of. Without enough information, the system hadn''t been able to tell him the reason¡­but he had known the answer, anyway.

    ''It''s all about the mindset. Without being confident, I would never even have found these sparring partners. After deciding that I wanted to make the best of every moment¡­exceeding my limits became something natural.''

    He reached Gerard''s door with a smile. Hearing voices within, the smile broadened, and as he opened it and stepped in, the three at the table fell silent.

    Reese was the first to get up and come forward. He hugged Daneel, and although he was surprised, Daneel returned the gesture gladly.

    Sebastien only smiled and remained where he was, but it was enough for Daneel to know that the man was happy, too.

    The old man was positively beaming. It was pleasant to see him so happy for the first time, and putting away his naturally selfish nature for once, the man poured him a cup of tea.

    No one said anything. The atmosphere was pregnant with expectations¡­and sitting down, he directly broached the topic that was on all of their minds.

    "I wasn''t joking. The plan is almost ready. I''ll need some help to finish it¡­so that''s why you''re here."

    "I knew it! I knew he would-"

    "Oh, we know how proud you are, Reese. You can rub it into all our faces later. For now, let''s begin."

    Sebastien kept his eyes on Daneel as he spoke. When he was done, he nodded, and without further ado, Daneel launched into it.

    "Gentlemen. Lord Burrow wants to make use of me to get back against my father. He is going to find a perfect opportunity to make that happen, but when he''s done, things will have turned out quite¡­differently than anything he could have imagined. Listen up! This is what we''re going to do¡­"

 42 Plan

    A few hours later.

    In a house opposite one that was situated at the very edge of the Refinery, three men could be seen carefully peering out of a window, ready to duck away at the slightest hint of detection. Their brows were matted with sweat, and although two of their faces showed hints of confusion, the third had enough confidence for all three.

    Their bodies ached from being in the same position for a long time, but they didn''t dare to move. Daneel had only given the two men the most rudimentary of explanations before whisking them here after noticing that they were close to the appointed time, and from the way both of their lips were twitching, he could tell that the urge to ask what the hell they were doing was very strong.

    Even if they did speak, he would only have told them to wait, as it was almost time. Only five minutes had passed since they had come here, but due to his dire warning that they needed to be out of sight as being detected would cost their lives, it felt like much longer.

    Finally, after a few more seconds passed, a group of 50 individuals emerged from a spot beside the house.

    "Wait¡­ where the hell did they come from? I grew up here, I know each and every road! There isn''t supposed to be anything there!"

    Sebastian was right. Daneel had been just as surprised when he had first seen it¡­ so before the man got himself into a tizzy, he hastened to explain.

    The Refinery was situated within a large cavern whose walls were polished, making it seem as if they were in a dome. At the spot they were looking at, there only seemed to be a few inches of gap between the edge of the house and the curved stone, but in truth, that wasn''t the case.

    "It''s a secret road, made cleverly to hide its presence unless you know where to look. It leads from the spot beside the teleportation area straight to here. That''s how I came upon it, in the first place, and how I found this house: I was nearby when a few enforcers came around to clear all onlookers."

    While he talked, they all watched as the 50 men and women entered the house. They had been accompanied by a group of ten enforcers who looked all around, and each time their eyes wandered over the house, Daneel and the two beside him would duck. From their vantage point, it wasn''t very possible that the enforcers would be successful in seeing them¡­ but it was still better to be safe rather than sorry.

    The big group was made up of grubby folk dressed in rags even worse than most found in the Pit. On their backs were large sacks which seemed much heavier than they could hope to bear, but somehow, step-by-step, the men and women persevered.

    Nothing was visible inside the house due to its blacked-out windows, but when Daneel still didn''t say anything, the other two got the hint that they should be patient, again. It was a shorter wait than before, though, as just after a couple of minutes, the big group re-emerged.

    They left the same way they had come, and a few seconds after that, the enforcers came out of the door, too. Surprisingly, each of them was dragging along two cloth sacks that looked exactly like the ones just borne away by that large group, and while still looking everywhere to ensure that they weren''t being seen, they left in the same manner as they had come, albeit alone, rather than as a part of a combined retinue.

    Daneel sat back down as peace returned to the surroundings. Beside him, Reese and Sebastian also settled onto the floor, and together, they stared at Daneel, waiting to find out exactly what they had witnessed.

    "I was just as confused as you when I saw this scene play out a week ago¡­ but after following them back to the teleportation area, the mystery was revealed. They will reach those crystals, and then, they will go toward the tower. They will unload the sacks inside, and a few hours from now, the contents will be distributed to all the houses in the Refinery. Yes¡­ you guessed it right."

    Reese mouthed a word, and Daneel nodded.

    "Food. That''s what we''re seeing: the fifty sacks are supposed to be the food meant for the hundreds of people in the refinery. More particularly, they are the meat and vegetables that should go to the hard-working members of this layer. Yet¡­ almost half of what is sent is stolen. Those sacks look full, but they''re actually just filled with paper that is burned in the tower. I just confirmed that yesterday, on a routine accounting check. My friends¡­ we knew that Lord Burrow was gouging away food, but what we''ve seen here reveals a very important thing: he''s doing it secretly. Let''s go back. I''ll explain the rest at home."

    The other two were silent on the journey back. They were clearly thinking of the ramifications of what Daneel had unveiled, and just like him, he could tell that they must have been quite shocked about the revelation.

    Until now, no one had bothered to ask exactly how the situation with food had changed in the two layers. They had just chalked it up to the greediness of the one in charge, and as anyone who asked questions would be asking for a whip to their back, they hadn''t investigated any further.

    On the way, they kept ducking into the alleyways between the houses to stay out of sight of the enforcers. Reese and Sebastian were slaves, after all, dressed in the grey, ragged garb typical to those of their station, and even though they were supposed to be allowed to visit their father, he had heard from Gerard that they had been picked on, many times.

    As soon as the door shut, Sebastian gave vent to his thoughts.

    "It''s perplexing, yes, I agree¡­ but how does it help us? How does it matter that he''s doing it covertly? It doesn''t change the amount of food reaching our mouths, does it?"

    "You always were a hasty one, my boy. That''s what I thought, at first, too¡­ but the more you ponder on it, the more an opportunity presents itself. Okay, okay, I might be lying, a bit¡­ I wouldn''t have seen it even if it hit me the face. But he did. So I''ll let him tell you."

    Gerard took a sip from his tea, smiling faintly as he waited for Daneel to tell his sons what he had already told him. Reese still looked thoughtful, but when Daneel finally began to start talking, he stopped and looked up.

    "For as long as I can remember, my father¡­ or, I should say, the one I call my father was always the king of this place. He didn''t waste any opportunity to show everyone what that meant. Even though each of them come from esteemed families, all of those on the surface need to bow and scrape whenever he is near. You might not know this because you''ve spent your lives for the most part down here, but pride is a deadly sword there that has led to many deaths. My plan is simple: I want to use the sword¡­ to cut off Lord Burrow''s head."

    What he said was so dangerous that unconsciously, itself, his voice reduced to a whisper when he reached that last part. At the same time, his eyes blazed with determination, though, and with a flourish, he took out a piece of parchment that he had stored inside his clothes.

    As he spread it on the table, the others leaned over to see that there were four bubbles on it, each containing words. Three of the bubbles were in a straight line, and the last was below the one in the center.

    He pointed at each and spoke.

    "These are our targets. Jezaro, the team of guards assigned to his household, and his butler. If we handle them¡­Lord Burrow awaits. All we need is a shred of evidence. You see, he''s taking away the food¡­so I''m sure that he''s hiding the productivity of the Refinery and the Pit, which has dropped over the years. All we need is a single shred of proof. We take it to Harrold¡­and we succeed. But to find it¡­we must enter the lion''s cave. With your help¡­that is what I intend to do."

    Gerard took another sip. Reese''s eyes were fixed on the parchment. Sebastien looked at him as if he was crazy.

    It wasn''t the celebratory reaction he had expected, but Daneel settled for it. Moving his finger to the leftmost circle of the three in a straight line, he sighed and said, "First target: Jezaro. Or Jezara. Both of them can kill me with a punch¡­but somehow, I need to find a way to get around them. Time to brainstorm to make sure that doesn''t happen!"

 43 A Hin

    Standing in the shadow of one of the houses closest to the tower, Daneel kept his eyes on the door, waiting for his mark to arrive.

    Three days had passed since he had laid his plan bare to the family whose hospitality he was enjoying at the moment. Three days of useless ideas, torn-out hair, and morning beatings that seemed very bad on the surface, but were actually quite bearable due to the fact that the crystals were always there to heal him when he hurt too much.

    Finally, just this morning, the old man had succeeded where all three of them had failed.

    He still remembered the nonchalant way in which he had hobbled into the house, his eyes crinkled with amusement as he watched the three young men in front of him argue about an idea to handle the gigantic brute.

    He had even made himself some tea and sat down on the table to let the argument take its course, and at its end, when all three of them were fuming as none of them had come out on top, he had broached the topic as casually as if he was talking about the weather.

    "So¡­ how would you like to find out the past of your target?"

    Daneel had stared at the man as if he had gone mad, and Gerard had laughed. After all, if they knew where he had come from and how he had become the powerful being he was now, wouldn''t it be easier to make a plan to handle him? He had looked for an avenue to investigate this matter, too, but had come up with nothing.

    The old man had gone on to explain how there were only a couple of retired individuals in the Refinery. Most who worked for decades were offered a place on the third layer where they would be allowed to rest, but some always declined for some reason or the other. Through an offhand comment, he had found out that a particular retiree had worked with that brute on multiple occasions before, and at one point, as the man had even been employed by the Lord, it was definitely probable that he had inside information on that inscrutably powerful savage.

    His name was Zackery. With a long wispy beard and not a hair on his head, he waddled along the central road, looking straight ahead as if the rest of the world didn''t matter to him. He was quite thin and small, his skin wrinkled severely by age, his back bent over into a prominent ''C''. He seemed completely like an unsuspecting netizen of the third layer, but if anyone found out that his illustrious past included the deaths of at least 20 individuals that he was responsible for, they would certainly be shocked.

    Daneel still couldn''t bring himself to believe that this individual had once ratted on a small uprising in the Refinery, made up of like-minded individuals who had hatched a plan to propose that the living condition should be made better if they were supposed to work efficiently. This was what had catapulted him into the service of the Lord, and according to Gerard, many said that he had only come down here as he wanted to be a snobby, but wealthy man in a place where the rest were poor.

    He was in charge of checking a few parts of the tower now and then, but it was mostly just a placeholder role. As he reached his home that was the same as all the others, Daneel ducked away from the road as the man looked around before entering.

    He waited a minute until after the man disappeared inside to go forward. With a quick knock on the door, he ran to the side and jumped over the wooden fence surrounding the house. Crouching, he took silent steps toward the back where a small backyard was present, and by the time he heard the front door open, he had entered the house through the one at the back.

    He had been ready to break through if it was close, but luckily, he hadn''t had the need to draw attention to himself. This meant that he would be able to carry out the most optimal plan, so after hiding himself in the small room in whose counterpart he had taken up residence, he waited for the perfect opportunity.

    It arrived a few minutes later. It wasn''t easy to stay still; after all, he wasn''t a veteran thief used to such high-stakes situations, so he couldn''t stop himself from sweating so profusely that his clothes were drenched in merely a few moments. His heart was thundering in his chest, and at one point, it was so loud that he was sure that the old man would hear it find the intruder in his house.

    Thankfully, no such thing happened. He kept hearing sounds from the rest of the house. He heard a plate being set on a table, a knife and fork being used to cut something, a glass from which something was drunk, and then, finally, footsteps that were in his general direction.

    Even though he knew that the old man was heading to bed, the slight panic that he was going to be found out put him on edge. With adrenaline coursing through his veins, it seemed to take a long moment for the house to fall completely silent, and when it did, he tiptoed out of his waiting area and made his way to the main bedroom.

    One of the floorboards creaked on the way and he froze, waiting for the tell-tale signs of the old man waking up. When all he heard after a minute was a shuffling sound made when someone turned on their bed, he breathed a sigh of relief and continued.

    He was wearing clothes he had taken from Gerard. Although they didn''t fit perfectly, they served their purpose well enough. They were indistinguishable from the drab robes worn by the workers of the Refinery, so the hope was that after this encounter, his target would be none the wiser about who he was.

    Holding his breath, he used one finger to slowly open the door¡­

    ¡­ and came face-to-face with a knife flying right at his forehead.

    ''System, help!''

    His first instinct was to rely on his companion. He had been able to gauge that even if he ducked, the chances that he would be impaled were high, so he hadn''t hesitated from asking for aid.

    Everything happened in a blur. He didn''t even hear the system''s response properly; all he felt was his body moving at a speed that it was definitely not capable of, right now, and in just an instant, he had leaped into the air in the direction of the inhabitant of the room after successfully dodging the attack.

    Daneel saw now that the baggy robes had been hiding a sinewy body with not an ounce of fat. Even his abdomen was so pronounced that it looked as if it belonged to someone half his age, and as a hand closed around his throat, he found a snarling face with none of the wise patience of old age that he had seen on the road outside.

    ''Make him faint!''

    If he hadn''t taken the precaution of covering his face with tar, he would definitely have been regretting this entire operation by now. His other hand moved like a snake jumping at its prey, and the punch knocked the man out cold.

    A few minutes later, after checking to ensure that the ropes around his hands and legs were tight, Daneel roused him by splashing water on his face. Hiding behind the hood that he had added to the robes, he asked the question he had come here to find the answer to.

    "Tell me everything you know of Jezara."

    Struggling against the bonds, the old man shot Daneel a scornful look. Turning to his side, he spit on the floor and growled, "You''re dead. I haven''t seen your face before, but I''ll find you. You''re so dead! You-"

    He fell silent when Daneel took out a knife from his pocket.

    It was the same one that had come flying at him, deadly sharp with a wooden hilt that was smooth, as if it had been used many times.

    "You can''t kill me! You''ll never be able to escape!"

    Seeing the panic that was slowly appearing in the old man''s face, Daneel was satisfied, but he wanted a way to speed things up.

    ''System, any hints from his micro-expressions?''

    [Responding to host. Subject glanced at a spot below the dining table after waking up.]

    Raising one eyebrow, Daneel moved to his right, where the table was. Through the corner of his eye, he saw the old man''s eyes widen more and more with each step he took¡­and finally, when he reached his destination, Zackery cracked, while Daneel grinned.

    "I don''t know why you''re asking, but I''ll tell you! Just take the answer and get out of here! I''ll forget you were ever here, I swear! All I know is that he was born in the third layer with the name Jeza! That''s all! If you want to find more, you''ll have to go there!"

 44 Zachary

    Daneel was quite happy with the answer. He was even almost convinced that that was all the old man knew¡­but still, he continued to the dining table, curious to see just what the retiree was so anxious to hide.

    Reaching it, he tapped around with his foot, looking for a clue. Even though he had been proud of his plan to save his crystals under the floorboards, it wasn''t hard to believe that others could have come up with the idea, too¡­ and sure enough, after a few seconds, a hollow sound echoed from the one directly under the table.

    "No! Stop! Stop! I gave you what you came for! Just get out of here! I''ll leave you alone if you go right now! Otherwise, I''ll hunt you down! No¡­ Please!"

    It was interesting to see how the old man went from threatening him to begging as soon as Daneel reached with his fingers into the gaps between the floorboards and began to pry the one he was looking at loose. The begging continued behind him, but he ignored it¡­ and took a step back with a gasp when he saw what lay underneath the floor.

    ''Jackpot!''

    He was so excited that he wanted to jump up into the air, but he controlled himself as that wasn''t the reaction that should be expected from a worker in the Refinery. Still, he remained with his back to the tied up old man, taking some time to control his expression before turning around.

    Under the floorboards¡­ were ten small cloth bags, each filled to the brim with refined crystal.

    Daneel had no idea exactly what the refining process did. He only knew that the refined product was much more valuable, and hence, might be investigated if he was ever found out, so he had gone ahead with his plan to steal normal crystals. His prisoner had been much more courageous: all of the bags held neat blocks of that glistening, silvery material, ready to be absorbed and have its secrets uncovered.

    It could be said that luck hadn''t really graced Daneel that much since his journey into this body, but he sincerely thanked the gods now due to this stroke of good fortune. The old man had finally fallen silent, but when he hefted up one of the bags and turned around, he whimpered, "No¡­ No! No one was supposed to know! Dammit!"

    Walking up to him, Daneel caught his beard and pulled his head down painfully. Looking straight into his eyes, he raised the sack in his hands and asked, "Out with the tale. What did you plan on doing with these things? We both know the punishment waiting for anyone found smuggling away these precious crystals¡­ so either talk, or I''ll go straight to the enforcers. Yes, I would get a punishment, too¡­ but it''s nothing compared to what''s waiting for you. You can''t hope to wriggle your way out of it, either; I bet that if the accounts are checked, there will be enough proof that you are the ones stealing them based on the correlation with the dates of your visits to the Refinery. So¡­ I really see no choice but for you to spit it all out."

    Zachary stared between the blocks of crystals and Daneel''s tar-covered face. He seemed to be looking for some way out, but finally, when he found nothing, he slumped against the chair, the fight going out of him like air leaking out of a balloon.

    It was only then that Daneel noticed that the man had been so absorbed in his attempt to escape that the ropes had chafed against his skin until they had drawn blood. Deciding that the stick would be enough, he brought out the carrot in the form of bandages that he had found while rummaging around the house before.

    He had a slight hunch that he wanted to confirm¡­ and sure enough, even when the ropes on his hands were untied, the man didn''t move to fight. From this, it became abundantly clear that this man wasn''t a veteran thief, either; the fear of getting found had been in the background of his mind for all this time, and now that that fate was so close to coming true, it had surged forward with full force and taken over his entire consciousness.

    After he was done bandaging wounds, Daneel didn''t even bother tying the man up again. He just sat there, his eyes fixed on a faraway place, and after a minute, Daneel had to prod him to get him to talk.

    "We don''t have all day."

    He said in a soft voice, but the old man snapped his head up as if he had shouted in his ears. For a brief moment, it looked as though he might leap onto Daneel and make him regret been the decision to leave him free, but then¡­ he leaned back, and began to speak.

    "Crystals. That is what we call these things¡­ but we know so little about them. We don''t even know their real name! And we can never begin to guess just how valuable they are. I''m only telling you this as I now see that I wanted to put the truth out there ever since I''ve lived it. I don''t even care whether you choose to believe me, or not. I¡­ only sold out my friends because I was promised that they would be sent into the Pit after being whipped to within an inch of their lives. I was sure that if they went ahead with their uprising, only death would await them...so I just wanted to save their lives! Oh, on that day, when they went up to the gibbet¡­ their gazes burned right into my skull. I''ll never forget the way they looked at me, as if I had betrayed them¡­ which I did, even though my intentions were pure. I really wanted to take my life. I was just a step away from ending it all¡­ but I was stopped by a knock on the door by one of their sons. He saved me¡­ and gave me a new purpose. I worked hard. Harder than any of those bastards up there deserved. But while groveling to them every day¡­ I learned their secrets. I learned that even in the refined form, before it is sent to the third layer, these crystals are more valuable than anyone can imagine. I¡­ just wanted to give a good life to the families of all my deceased friends. They live just a few houses away, and they detest me¡­ but the only consolation is that they still take the money I give them, as they need it. My hope¡­ was to sell these things somehow, and obtain enough money to escape this place. It''s all¡­ gone to ruin, now. It''s all over¡­"

    It was hard to keep a gobsmacked expression out of Daneel''s face as he listened to the true tale from Zachary''s lips. He had told himself that he wouldn''t judge people based on what he had heard about them¡­ but still, such a thing as causing the deaths of so many who trusted him had made him automatically think that the man''s heart must be as dark as the Pit.

    Daneel squinted, wondering whether to believe him directly. He immediately dispelled the notion after seeing how wrong he had been so many times already. Deciding to investigate and come to a conclusion only after finding some evidence, he turned to the old man and said, "Yes, I don''t believe you, but you can''t blame me for that. Either you''re a very experienced liar, or someone I hope to rely on and trust in the future. Either way, this is what I''m going to do: I''ll be taking some of these crystals for safekeeping. Remember; if you tell anyone about what happened here, I''ll have enough proof to turn you in. I''ll also be watching you¡­ so stay put. Stop your visits to the Refinery. If anyone asks, you''ve fallen sick. Wait for me to return. If I find anything a little bit suspicious¡­ you''re done. You understand?"

    Zachary nodded weakly. His face had drained of the little blood it had left when Daneel had said that he didn''t believe him, and that had made him feel a bit guilty.

    There was no way around it, though. Pulling a chair in front of him, he sat down and asked, "Tell me more about the third layer."

    Zachary looked at him through heavy-lidded eyes for a few moments. Then, when he began to give the answer¡­ the first thing he said, itself, made Daneel do a doubletake.

    "The third layer. It''s called the Courtyard¡­ but only by those who live inside it. They believe that they are one step away from the nobility who live on the surface¡­ but in truth, they''re only half a step above the rest of us. That doesn''t stop them from being arrogant bastards, though¡­ so if you go there, I reckon that they''ll look at you like a turd that has floated up from below. In essence: it''s worse than both of these layers in some ways, but on the surface, everything is fine and dandy¡­until one looks beneath, and finds the festering rot of fools desperately trying to escape their past."

 45 The Courtyard

    Two days later.

    Standing in front of a small clump of crystals that was different from any he had seen yet, Daneel couldn''t stop himself from fidgeting while the enforcers around him stared, as if watching something they had never imagined they would see in a million years.

    One of them looked to be the leader. Big, gruff, with a coarse beard and long hair, he looked Daneel up and down and said, "If I didn''t know better, I might even have thought that the great Master sent you down to check on all of us! What an interesting slave you are. Officially, you are still one, right?"

    Daneel nodded, his face betraying none of the troubling emotions on his mind.

    "Still a slave, but rising to the third layer already! It was surprising to see you come here, itself, but somehow, you''re going even further¡­ just see that you don''t fall down. If you do, from such a height¡­ I doubt that you would survive."

    He laughed, and the other enforcers laughed with him. Daneel had been studying this group ever since he had come to the second layer; they were a peculiar bunch, risen from the very slaves and Refinery workers whom they were supposed to control, but with no pity for either group. They even took pleasure in inflicting pain even though many of them had lived the same lives as those they were hurting, presenting a curious case if one wished to study humanity.

    ''Maybe¡­ people tend to consciously forget where they came from. They deny their origin by showing their power over those who were at the same place they were, once. In doing so, maybe they can sleep at night with a smile, assured that they''ve definitely stepped away from such a fate?''

    He knew that he was only thinking idle thoughts to distract him from the major worry on his mind. When the crystals in front of him flashed, he looked up, intent to be put out of his misery even if it meant that there was bad news, but when the two enforcers who appeared merely glared at him, he rejoiced inwardly, understanding that their plan had worked.

    These two were dressed in a much better fashion than all those around them. They wore the same colours, but where the white clothes of the enforcers in the Refinery had been washed so many times that the original colour had begun to fade, the ones worn by the newcomers were pristine and almost shiny, made from a different material than the course ones used for all those around them. The air suddenly turned hostile as the two of them looked at the leader, from whose face all the mirth and amusement he had shown until now faded.

    "He has been approved. We''re here to take him."

    With a nod, the captain of the Refinery enforcers raised his hand and shoved Daneel forward. He fell to the floor between the two who had come, and without giving him a glance, they stepped back into the crystals they had appeared from.

    Getting up and brushing off the dust, Daneel almost turned around to glare at the captain before deciding against it. To prevent any more tough love, he moved to the crystals, too, and felt the familiar sensation of his stomach turning as the teleportation took effect.

    The destination of a certain clump of crystals was always indicated by their colour. Those that sent people to the Pit were crimson, like the blood that was shed every day by the slaves working their lives away. The ones that took people to the Refinery were a deep emerald, like the greenery that was absent all over the second layer. The crystals that he had just stepped into now were a deep purple, and he was looking forward to seeing what this colour represented.

    He felt the difference right from the moment he took his first step into the third layer. Back in the Refinery, he had walked on stone ground that was mostly rough, sharp edges waiting to draw blood if anyone was foolish enough to not notice them. Only the streets between the houses were paved, with the rest of the area left as it had been when the cave was excavated.

    Before his eyes adjusted, he felt soft tiles underneath the hole in his shoes. They were perfectly flat and even, made of a material that was smoother than anything laid on the ground had the right to be.

    The Pit had shocked him when he had come upon the massive mines, and the branching corridors leading to the caverns with the slaves lived. The Refinery had taken his breath away due to the gigantic tower that was in the middle of it. He was excited to see what awaited him here, and as he blinked eagerly, his vision cleared¡­ and made him wonder whether he had come to the wrong place.

    A blue sky, dappled with clouds lazily floating around in the air was the first thing that came into his sight. Amazed, he traced the heavens to the horizon far away, and before his eyes wandered down, he became convinced that he had come to the surface, for some reason.

    That notion left immediately when he spotted the houses that looked nothing like those present above. All his life, he had grown up around extravagantly decorated mansions with teams of servants and guards who outnumbered the actual residents of the house is ten to one. Here¡­ although the style of each one was unique, with some sporting stone chimneys and other with columns and spires that jutted into the sky, they were all much smaller.

    Even the materials varied. Some were made of stone, and a few had been built out of wood. They were all arranged around a large, paved clearing that was in front of him¡­ and in the middle of it was a fountain with tinkling water that made him vaguely understand why this was called by the name Zachary had mentioned.

    The Courtyard was huge, easily enough for more than one hundred people to stand in, even if the large, artistic fountain was removed from the equation. Six streets were laid out in six directions around the fountain, with the seventh being the only empty one, ending at a dead-end at the crystals in front of which he was standing.

    Each street was large enough for five people to walk abreast. He took a few steps forward, anticipating the shove that would arrive if he stayed where he was, but he kept glancing up at the sky, wondering what the hell this place was.

    That was when he noticed the first incongruence: the sun was shining up above, but there was no sunlight.

    Instead, the place seemed to be brightly lit by light that was coming from everywhere at once. It wasn''t as blinding as the ever-present illumination that covered the Refinery, but it wasn''t also as breathtakingly natural as that which one could enjoy on the real surface.

    ''It''s a fake sky. It has to be! But how does it look so real?''

    Behind the crystals was only a tall wall that connected to the walls of the houses on the two streets nearby. Due to the layout of the entire place, it was not possible to see what lay beyond everything in his immediate vision, but he suspected that this was a dome, too, albeit one that had somehow been transformed to look as if they were up above.

    "Follow us."

    With a curt command, the two enforcers who had come to the Refinery below to escort him began to walk in the direction of a certain street. A few people were milling around the fountain, sitting on the marble that encircled it, talking between themselves with refined gestures and thoughtful motions. As he neared them¡­ they all looked at him with such distaste that Daneel couldn''t help but smell himself, wondering whether he had acquired a rancid sent somewhere without his own knowledge.

    A few even got up and left, muttering under their breath. They were all dressed richly, with frills on the coats of the man and handstitched, artful borders on the gowns of the women. All of the men also had carefully tied back hair and perfectly groomed beards, and although the skin of the women seemed pale, they were all wearing a ton of rouge in an attempt to hide this fact.

    "Heh¡­damn Pit-descendants. They act all high and mighty when they see one of their own, but everyone knows where their forefathers really came from¡­"

    With a sneer, one of the enforcers spoke under to his breath, and Daneel easily caught every word. His companion laughed out loud in response, making the sound echo across the silent street they had entered.

    The houses began to grow smaller and smaller as they walked along. They were all still bigger than those in the Refinery, of course, with each easily large enough to fit more than ten people inside. The street also wound to the left and right, never allowing a glimpse beyond the confines of his general area, and when they stopped in front of a wooden house with two stone chimneys jutting out from its ceiling, he stopped looking around and prepared to greet his benefactor.

    "Only go where you''re supposed to. If they find you wandering around, we''ll send you right back where you came from."

    With this warning, the enforcers left. Taking a deep breath, Daneel knocked on the door, which was answered in a second.

    "So you''re good old Gerard''s disciple? He''s been raving about you. Well¡­time to find out what you''re capable of. Come in."

    With a smile and nod, he stepped forward, but in the back of his mind¡­a single thought stood out prominently among all the rest.

    ''The Pit, the Refinery, and finally¡­the Courtyard. Every step of the way, I''ve been faced with shock after shock¡­so, for once, I hope I just accomplish what I came here to do and leave, intact. Hmm¡­but who am I kidding? Courtyard, whatever you''ve got, bring it on!''

 46 Ar

    The man who greeted him was middle-aged, with a potbelly that bulged at the seams of his finely tailored shirt. The top few buttons were undone, exposing an extremely hairy chest. With his head bent, his lush beard melded into the fur below, making it hard to understand where one began and the other ended.

    There were crows feet around his eyes that crinkled when he laughed, and he always seemed to have a smile on his lips. He was smiling, even now, as Daneel stepped inside, and after slapping him on his back, he said, "Don''t be so terse! Gerard is almost family. Anyone he trusts is a friend of this house. Come, come! Let''s sit!"

    Tossing back the lustrous, black mane on his head, the man gestured at a table nearby.

    Daneel hadn''t been expecting any where as warm a welcome. When he had taken Zackary''s answer to Gerard and despaired about how he had to find a way into the third layer, he had been quite taken aback when the old man had said that he might have an answer.

    Truly, Reese''s father had turned out to be an indispensable help in almost everything he set out to do. As Daneel had looked at him excitedly, the man had talked about how the former accountant of the Refinery who had taken him in had a son, who had been promoted to the third layer because of the promise he had shown at a young age.

    Gerard had always been kind to him when he was a boy, even playing with him many times when his father was busy. The relationship continued despite the large gap in their social status later on, but still, he hadn''t promised that it would definitely work.

    He had given him a letter that he deposited to the enforcers who had laughed, at first, before seeing the exact address that was written on top of it. Only those who really did have contacts in the Courtyard would be able to write such a thing, so they had grudgingly sent someone into that purple clump of crystals.

    That had been followed by the entire ordeal that Daneel had suffered through before coming here. He was still thinking of it when he took a sip from a glass that had been pointed out to him by the man, and all the thoughts flew out of his head when a rich, yet sour liquid went down his throat, warming his insides and making his face go red.

    Letting out a boom of laughter that echoed in the house, his host shouted, "That''s my boy! I always did hate anyone who couldn''t keep down their wine¡­ I see that I might finally have a drinking partner!"

    ''W-wine? I thought it was water!''

    A wave of dizziness appeared out of nowhere as soon as he got this thought. Understanding what the man had said, though, he fought against it, and with great effort, he stopped himself from swaying even a little bit and just smiled in response, a pleasant drowsiness engulfing his mind.

    Slapping him on his back again with so much force that his face almost planted into the table, the man took a long swig from his own mug. Wiping his magnificent mustache that was dripping when he was done, he threw out his hands and announced, "I am called Merry, and this is my merry house! I don''t know what got into my father when he named me¡­ but somehow, it''s goddamn perfect! Haha!"

    Another boom of laughter erupted from his mouth that made Daneel''s ears hurt, and another long swig was taken from the mug.

    Daneel opened his mouth to thank the man for accepting Gerard''s request. The old man had only told him that he was asking for Daneel to be shown the ropes of accounting in the third layer, and repeatedly, he had emphasized how skeptic he was about whether his old master''s son would accept. As for the reason behind it, he had only stated that Daneel''s ambitions lay elsewhere and that he was extremely skilled in the art of accounting.

    Daneel had known that he would have no problem proving the claim, if it came to it. After all, he was confident that no one would be able to go up against the system, so all he had hoped for was that he would get a chance.

    It seemed that his wishes had come true. Just as he was about to spurt out his profound gratitude, though¡­ a knock sounded on the door, and both of them glanced towards it.

    Squinting, Mr. Merry looked at his hand, where Daneel saw a small watch. It was a common sight on the surface, but in the Pit and Refinery, he had only seen large ones in the few places that they had even been present, at all.

    Slapping his forehead, the accountant roared, "Oh, damn my poor sense of time!"

    Rushing to the door, he opened it and raised his hands apologetically. Before he could say anything, though, a brusque voice appeared from the one beyond.

    "No apologies necessary. This has happened enough times for me to understand that it''s hopeless to even think that you would stick to the schedule given. I came before hand, this time, so that my father wouldn''t be made to wait. You know how much he hates it if he has to stop the Art before it takes its course¡­"

    Nodding profusely, Mr. Merry replied, "oO course! Still, I must apologize. I was staying back to welcome the disciple of an old friend from the Refinery¡­ say, would it be okay if he comes with us? Your father does enjoy an audience, after all¡­"

    A head peeked through the doorway as the man said this. It belonged to a refined, clean-shaven young man wearing a purple suit. Raising an eyebrow, he sneered in Daneel''s direction and bent back before saying, "Why not? Let''s go."

    Mr. Merry waved Daneel over with his hand. They had soon set off down the road that Daneel had been escorted through before, and on the way, he felt curiosity bubbling up inside him, intensifying with each step that they took towards their destination.

    Although he had been so excited to finally find out just what the refinement in the layer below did to the crystals that he was able to absorb with no trouble whatsoever, he had stopped himself as they were still a bargaining chip that had to be kept intact. In the worst case, if things really did progress in a manner that would require him to report Zachary, he would need all the blocks of crystal he had taken to corroborate the old accounts with the valuable ore that the man had stolen.

    He had always been puzzled about exactly what took place in this layer, especially because the inhabitants were said to be a cultured bunch who even mingled with those on the surface, at times. So far, in each layer, he had seen that the nature of one''s work was tied to the way they lived, so he had really wanted to find out exactly what these people did that made them deserving of such a free and esteemed life.

    They were soon at the doorstep of one of the houses situated right in front of the fountain. It was one of the largest all around, with stone columns holding up a slab of marble to result in a shaded front area that led up to a set of doors each tall enough to let in the 12-foot brute whose past he had come here to find out.

    Taking out a key from a pocket near his breast, the man opened the door and went inside. Daneel followed, and came upon a house as richly furnished as many he had seen on the surface.

    It was far removed from the simple, yet genteel taste of Mr. Merry that he had observed in his house. His gave one a cozy feeling and made them feel at home, but here, one would always be on their toes, convinced that they should always hold a modicum of stateliness due to their surroundings.

    There were at least six rooms in the house. It was completely made of polished stone, with a gold wainscot and glass chandeliers that hung from above. It was laid out in a fashion reminiscent of Lord Burrow''s residence; a large area was present in the center with rooms branching out to the left and right, and as they made their way to to the one in the very back of the house, Daneel held his breath.

    The young man softly opened the door and entered, holding it open for the two of them to step in. Mr. Merry shushed Daneel before entering, and following his cue, Daneel tiptoed inside.

    They came upon a wizened man sitting on a wooden stool, wearing a strange contraption on his head. A transparent, multi-faceted diamond was present right in the middle of his forehead, held in place by a circlet of pure gold.

    His face was scrunched up with concentration, his chin dripped sweat. His hands were aloft; one held a palm-sized, transparent block of refined crystal, and the other held a red stone figurine in the shape of a man with folded legs.

    Daneel was captivated by the sight as soon as he laid his eyes upon it. He was watching something that he expected none of the others could see, though; dots of light were traveling between the diamond on the man''s forehead, the stone figurine, and the crystal that slowly started to turn red.

    With each second that passed, the color intensified. The pattern of dots here was once again different than anything he had seen, yet, and when the man was done, his shoulders fell before he chucked the crystal that had turned crimson into a pile nearby.

    Mopping his face with a cloth nearby, he looked at Daneel and spoke in a condescending tone¡­but as he heard him, a fit of laughter bubbled to Daneel''s lips, and he had to put in a lot of effort to swallow it down.

    "A trainee from the Refinery? How strange! Count yourself lucky, boy. You''ve witnessed something your kind can never hope to understand! I bet you didn''t even know that these things you called crystals can be manipulated by humans! Well, count yourself educated, today, and rejoice!"

 47 Exploration

    ''System, anything?''

    Daneel was left completely alone after being addressed by the man on the stool. He didn''t mind, at all, though. Taking the time, he studied everything in the room while waiting for the system''s response to his question regarding whether it had been able to detect anything in the scene he had just seen.

    [Responding to host. More data is needed for a concrete conclusion, but hints have been obtained about a ''nature'' that is possessed by the doubts of light. They have been found to share existence with the objects known as crystals. They disappear when the crystals are absorbed, and are present around all similar sources. They can be said to possess a ''wild'' nature when the crystal is unrefined. Slight changes have been detected after the first step of refinement. In the procedure that was just witnessed by host, their nature was forcefully converted to become similar to that which was possessed by the dots that exist around the stone figurine. The purpose is still unclear, but it is possible that after conversion, the power present inside the crystal might be extremely beneficial to someone who possesses a method to change their natural disposition into a form that is alike to the converted nature.]

    The explanation was more complex than anything he had expected, so he had to take some time to take it apart and study it thoroughly. While he did so in a corner of the room, Mr. Merry noted down something in a small notebook that he had taken out of his pocket.

    Aside from the stool, there were three rattan baskets to the side standing over which the three other men present in the room were talking.

    Daneel had only heard the beginning of the conversation to understand what they were on about. The one among them who had been wearing that tool before which somehow facilitated an ability to manipulate the dots of light had spoken proudly about how his yield was much higher than usual, and the young man who had turned out to be his son had ordered Mr. Merry to put in a good word with his superior on the surface. The accountant had only nodded subserviently and begun to carefully count the contents of the three baskets, even though the wizened man had been quite careless when he had thrown the crystal before.

    One of the baskets closest to him contained other similar figurines. Each of their colors was different, but they were all in the form of the same man meditating peacefully. On further study, Daneel had been quite awestruck by the sheer detail on the face: he had been able to make out each and every feature, including the fine strands of hair that had been tied back into a bun.

    The other baskets contained blocks of crystals. One held the finished products of the Refinery that had been sent here, and the other was filled to the brim with crimson crystals that reminded him of those he had walked into to reach the Pit.

    It was only a minute later that he finally understood exactly what the system had told him. It was as if the secret domain that he had stepped into by banging his head on a wall was like an onion that he was slowly peeling away, so his only hope was that he wouldn''t be made to cry with each layer he removed.

    The wizened man had been so proud that he had been able to use the crystals that Daneel wondered whether he would commit suicide if he found out that a slave whom he regarded with so much distaste could actually absorb them, which was unheard of even on the surface, as far as he knew. The system had told him that the ability to do what he was doing had been locked¡­ and that Diamond, clearly, was a means to temporarily unlock that capability.

    If so¡­ who was responsible for figuring this out, and establishing this place?

    This was the main question that had been on his mind for a long time, but he knew that it might take a while for him to get the answer. For now, his objective was different, so looking up, he began to hope that they would be able to leave, soon.

    His time up here was limited. Gerard had told him that such visits were unorthodox, at best, and illegal at worst. They might be able to get away with the excuse they were using if it was only for a couple of days, but if he extended his stay any longer¡­ he would be tempting fate.

    There was also the matter of Lord Burrow, and what he might think about Daneel coming here. Right now, he hoped that the man didn''t care about him enough to keep track of everything he was doing, and even if he was wrong in this, he prayed that the Lord would really just chalk it up to his zeal to climb back to where he had grown up.

    While waiting, he also noticed that the two well-dressed men whose house they were in looked vaguely familiar. Caught up in the thrill of coming here and exploring the purpose of the Courtyard, he hadn''t given the time, before, to carefully study the ones he had seen so far, so he racked his brain now, but came up empty.

    ''System, have I seen these two somewhere else?''

    [Responding to host. The two targets were present at host''s execution.]

    A shudder went through him as soon as he remembered that terrifying experience. At the same time, he recalled that moment when his eyes had wandered over the well-dressed group that had stood apart from the surface-dwellers, and he immediately wondered why these two hadn''t commented anything about his past.

    From what he had seen of them so far, he would have expected that they would be the first to put him down, and gloat due to the difference between them now. Then¡­ a single look at his clothes made him understand the reason behind this not happening, yet.

    He was wearing the same garb of a trainee he had woken up in after traveling in a pile of refuse to reach the Refinery. He didn''t need a mirror to glance at his face; his hair was overgrown, his skin was grubby, and his face had none of the arrogance that had been his hallmark when he had still lived above the ground.

    ''Why can''t I have been born as a coddled prince instead of one who was going to die? Oh, things would have been so different¡­''

    He was still musing idly about this topic when he felt a tap on his shoulder. Snapping his head up, he saw that the two had disappeared, leaving just Mr. Merry who had a small smile on his face.

    He did say anything, though, and just led the way outside. He talked only when they were halfway to his house, and even then, he was brief.

    "Accountant. Same job, same duties, but here¡­ there is so much more snobbishness to handle. Sometimes, I wish I was still down in the Refinery¡­ but then, I look down and remember what I love so much about this place!"

    He slapped his belly and laughed to himself before walking faster, his gait much stronger than what it had been before.

    As soon as they reached home, he had a hearty snack of bread with a slice of greasy meat that Daneel wasn''t able to identify. He graciously offered some to Daneel, too, which he accepted as he knew just how hard food was to come by.

    Then, talking about how it had been a tiring day, he left to take a nap, showing Daneel exactly what he had meant before. He could be called a prince when compared to those in the two layers below, and clearly, he had become accustomed to a certain quality of life that he wouldn''t be able to abandon no matter what.

    Finding himself alone for the first time since coming to this layer, he saw that it was the perfect opportunity to begin his task. He didn''t know how to tell his host that he was going out, though, so after searching around the room, he found a stack of small parchments above the fireplace.

    Leaving a note that he would be exploring the Courtyard, he stepped outside¡­

    ¡­ and came face-to-face with a short teenage boy with a sneer that might make people think that he was the king of the world.

    Behind him, there were three strongly built man who all raised their eyebrows when they saw him emerge, and as if they had planned at all along, they shot out their hands and caught him by his shoulders and the scruff of his neck.

    More than anything, Daneel was shocked because all these three were at the same level as him. According to what he had heard, Neophytes were supposed to be rare, but as he remembered the origin of their young master¡­ he understood why he shouldn''t be surprised.

    "Master Daneel! Oh, when I heard that you were in the third layer, how could I stop myself from coming to visit? Let''s go! We have a lot to catch up!"

    As the cronies of the heir of the second most powerful family in Graiton dragged him away, Daneel could only curse himself, as it almost seemed as if he had called this upon himself by expecting his past to catch up to him, which it had done in the form of this kid he had bullied mercilessly for the last five years.

    His face blanched as he recalled how ruthless he had been, and for the first time¡­he wondered whether coming so close to the surface had been a really bad idea, after all.

 48 Ultimatum

    "Puoh!"

    As the punch caught him square in the gut, Daneel hunched over but was quickly made to stand upright again by the two men behind him.

    He had been forcefully escorted to a house near the one he had visited just before with Mr. Merry. It was obvious for anyone who saw the Courtyard that the power, or at least, wealth of those who lived nearest the fountain was the greatest, and even though the one they were in wasn''t right at the front, it was only a few spots behind the prime location in this layer.

    After arriving, his ''friend'' had commandeered the place by saying his father''s name, which had sent the owner scurrying away, mumbling about a sudden vacation that he needed to take.

    They were in the large hall, now, which was almost just as richly furnished as the one he had just been in. Only the color of the walls was different; in the home of that man who had been so proud of his ability to work with the crystals, they had been painted yellow, but here, they were a glistening white.

    In an ideal world, this would have distracted the cronies from punching him hard enough to draw blood¡­but with no hesitation, whatsoever, they went at him until he was a groaning mess.

    The only good thing was that he had already gotten used to taking a beating in his daily morning training sessions. He had also learned the knack of acting as if it hurt much more than it really did, and this came in handy when the pimpled teen raised his hand to stop his underlings.

    Seeing this, a slight hope was born in Daneel that he might leave him alone after giving him a few more beatings¡­ but then, when he spoke, it was instantly quashed.

    "I wish I could end you right here and now, but how can I have all the fun myself? All your other friends will be here, soon! It''s going to be a party! Oh, I can''t wait!"

    The teen had bent and reached within a spot just a few inches away from Daneel''s face to deliver the bad news. His objective became clear when he remained there even after he was done; although he was a bit late, Daneel gave the reaction he was expecting; his eyes widened and his jaw dropped, making him look like the very image of someone who was horrified.

    Standing up and grinning, the boy clapped once and walked to the side, where there was a bar. Taking a bottle from under the counter, he poured a glass for himself and took a small sip before turning to Daneel again.

    His hands were still held by two of the boy''s followers, but Daneel had already adjusted to the situation and calmed down. It wasn''t at all like this was the first scuffle he was in, so right away, he began to look for an avenue of escape.

    It was very good news that he was, for some reason, far more mature than this guy, or in fact, any of his friends. This had been evident in the way he had been able to fool the teen into believing that he was truly hopeless, and so, he began to think for a way in which he could use this to get away with his life.

    Even though he wasn''t proud of them, he went through his memories to find all the individuals he had wronged on the surface. If there was no other criteria, the list would be quite long, but because he only needed to focus on those with impressive backgrounds, he was able to shorten it down to just five names.

    Painstakingly, he went over each and every memory that he shared with them. Almost all of them began with him uncovering some secret or the other through disingenuous means, and then using them to demean and belittle those folk who had no option but to take it silently, then, because of the one behind him.

    The tables had turned, now, completely, and the only thing he had that he could rely on was his wit. The system wasn''t of much use, here; he had pondered on the idea of using it to escape, but if he did that, where would he run? And what would he answer when asked how he was capable of power far beyond the realm he was in?

    No, once again, it was on his shoulders to get out of this predicament.

    Yet, even when the minutes ticked by, one by one, nothing came to him.

    The door opened five minutes later, letting in a lanky noble dressed fashionably in a long, sable coat. He got straight down to business; even though he had come with two cronies, he walked right up to Daneel and kicked him in the stomach, eliciting a pained gasp that looked like it sounded like music to the man''s ears.

    With a happy grin, he joined the teen at the bar and began drinking, too. The two people who came next thankfully didn''t choose to do the same, but when the door opened for the last time to let in a stocky youth with a balding head, Daneel tensed, as it could be said that he was an even bigger victim than the one who had accosted him first.

    At first, he made his way to the bar after looking at Daneel with a cruel smirk¡­ but then, when he was halfway there, he seemed to remember something that made him pull out a knife from somewhere in his coat and lunge in his former friend''s direction.

    "Stop him!"

    Daneel tensed, ready to jump out of the way if needed, but thankfully, the followers of the pimpled teen got in the way and easily disarmed the youth. Fuming, he looked at them both as if he wanted to make them move with the will of his mind, but after taking a second, he grunted and resumed his journey to the bar.

    All five of them walked to him, together, with glasses in their hands and the anticipatory joy of taking revenge in their eyes. All of the followers formed a big group behind them, and right away, Daneel knew that if he wanted to use force, he had already missed the chance.

    The pimpled teen, Levi, spoke first.

    "What do you say, boys? How do we deal with him?"

    The stocky youth snorted. "Kill him, of course. What are we even waiting for?"

    The lanky man folded his hands. "We can''t do that. I talked to my father about it; by ending his life, we would be going against the Master. And you know what happens to those that even think of anything that dumb¡­"

    The three who had just spoken shuddered, and the two had been silent so far twitched with what could only be fear as they heard this.

    Daneel was about to rejoice, but that notion disappeared immediately when one of the two, who had long hair that fell to the middle of his back said, "True, but why not cut off a hand or a leg? He''ll still be alive, right?"

    There were nods from the three who had spoken first, and then, the last one who had yet to speak said, "Sounds good! I even brought along a butcher. Shall we begin?"

    Daneel saw that if he was going to do anything, the time was now. He had yet to get an idea¡­ but just like what had happened on the gibbet, his mind sped up as the danger engulfed him from all sides, threatening to move forward and swallow him whole.

    The butcher had been referred to by the one who had just spoken walked forward, each step pronouncing the fate that soon awaited him. He took out a sharp cleaver that still glistened with the blood of the poor being it had been used on, it''s edge so shiny that Daneel believed it would have no trouble in hacking clean through one of his limbs.

    "Stop! Or¡­"

    Out of desperation, he shouted, but surprisingly, the pimpled teen raised a hand and sneered.

    "Or what? Out with it!"

    It was obvious that they wanted him to beg, but strangely, from the position he was in¡­a flash of inspiration struck him, and he knew immediately what to do.

    "John, stop, or I''ll let everyone know about what you were doing exactly four months ago."

    The stocky youth gasped and took a step back, and Daneel knew that he was on the right track.

    "Oscar, stop, or I''ll scream out loud what you were found doing a year ago, in the sheep shed."

    "Logan, stop, or your deepest fear will be laid bare."

    "Gabe, stop, or everyone will know what we did together two years ago."

    "Levi, you should stop first, before anyone else¡­or they''ll all find out that thing your father had to beg my father to hide."

    It felt great to see the blood drain out of all of their faces. But just as he was about to suggest that they let him go, he found a problem with his perfect plan.

    ''What if they decide to kill me before I''m able to say anything? Fuck!''

    He was just about to threaten that he wouldn''t give them a chance to do this¡­but suddenly, a loud ''thud'' made them all turn to the door.

    A man he had seen only once before stood there. His clothes were as rich as the rest, and in his hand was a letter that he dumped into Levi''s hands after striding forward at a fast pace.

    Squinting, Levi opened the parchment. He frowned due to what he read, and then, he kept glancing between it and Daneel as if struggling to make a decision.

    Finally, he seemed to have reached one he didn''t like. Tearing the parchment into tiny pieces, he growled, "Let''s go. It''s not worth it."

    The other four were taken aback, but when he glared at them and left, they followed suit after shooting threatening glances in his direction.

    Finally, only the newcomer and Daneel was left. When he walked forward, Daneel tensed, but after coming close, he just whispered something and left.

    What he said was so shocking, though, that Daneel could only stand there like a statue, while they echoed over and over again in his head.

    "The Dwarf King sends his regards to his brother. You only have two days to finish your task here, and one day after that to finish your mission. Good luck."

 49 Searching

    Daneel didn''t remember how he got home.

    All he recalled were vague flashes of him tottering along the streets, his eyes darting around as if he was a madman in shock. If any enforcer had come upon him, they would definitely have arrested him on the suspicion that he had somehow wandered here from the Pit, but thankfully, the streets had been empty.

    He came back to his senses only after reaching Mr. Merry''s home and taking a long swig of the strong wine that had been poured for him before he had left.

    The red liquid sloshed down his throat, burning his insides instead of just giving them warmth due to sheer volume he had thrown in his mouth. The sensation brought his mind to life, and finally, he decided to face the ramifications of what had just happened.

    His ''brother'', the dwarf king¡­ somehow had connections on the surface, and not even weak ones, at that.

    First of all, he was watching, so each and everything that Daneel did was in his purview. Daneel had pondered on this before coming to the third layer, but it had seemed ridiculous that that huge being would be able to use his dwarves for reconnaissance even in such a place as the Courtyard.

    Second, he had pulled strings so that the sons of the privileged families on the surface had had to leave, leaving him intact instead of turning him into a disfigured mess, like they had intended to do.

    He was grateful. That was undeniable, but more than that, he was oh, so curious.

    It was almost a painful curiosity, because he couldn''t even begin to understand how such a shadowy person, who wasn''t even supposed to exist in the eyes of everyone he had met so far in all three layers, had such power. He kept thinking about this, even refilling his glass from the bottle on the table which had been offered to him graciously by his host, but even after 10 minutes, he got nowhere.

    In the end, he could only leave it alone even though it was quite hard to do so. He had to satiate himself by chalking it up to plans that might have been laid centuries in advance, as after all, the giant''s lifespan was simply inhuman.

    As he tried to get back to the matter at hand, he found it difficult to concentrate, so cupping his face in his hands, he went back to everything that the plan he was going to set in motion would achieve.

    First and foremost, he would be able to finish the mission given by the system and unlock a skill that he knew he needed if he wanted to further navigate this maze of a town.

    ''Who knows? In the information that I find out after keeping my promise, maybe I''ll even discover the answers to many of the questions I have about this place¡­''

    This thought made him nod and raise his head, his eyes clearer than they had been before.

    Secondly, the dwarf king would trust him completely, and perhaps unveil some of the secrets he was keeping. The giant had set the fulfillment of his promise is a test, and after passing it, Daneel would also be allowed to access all the information present in the draft city.

    The system was his strongest weapon, and data was the whetstone he needed to sharpen it. Also¡­ it was the key to unlocking his memories, which was a topic that was always on his mind no matter whether he was sleeping or awake.

    Not a night had gone by when he hadn''t dreamed of those images that had flashed in front of his vision as soon as he had entered this body.

    ''Why does that vast land feel so familiar? What is that name that invokes so many emotions inside me when I say it? And who are those people¡­ who seem like strangers, but feel like family?''

    It was these questions that haunted him the most, and right now, they rekindled the fire inside him, making him stand up so that he could surge ahead. He knew that he was surrounded by secrets that he had to ignore, for now, by setting his sights on the goal ahead, and he did so by slapping his cheeks once and then focusing his eyes on the glass in front of him.

    Downing it in one go, he walked to the door again, determined to restart the task that had been interrupted by his ''friends''.

    His stomach was still on fire due to the beatings he had taken, but with the fortitude achieved from taking some time for himself and gaining clarity on what he was supposed to do, it was almost easy to ignore it.

    To find Jezara''s passed, the step he wanted to take was simple: he needed to find those who had known him when he was Jeza, and for that, he needed to find a certain place that he knew was somewhere around this layer, but hadn''t been referred to or glimpsed in his time here so far.

    He was basing it on a single hunch. Jezara was almost Lord Burrow''s slave, and that meant that his origin was mostly humble. From what he had seen of the Courtyard so far, it didn''t seem very possible that he might be a son of one of those here, so that left only one other stratum of the society: the servants.

    He hadn''t seen any of them, yet, but that didn''t mean that there hadn''t been signs of their presence. The servants on the surface followed a particular mantra, and it seemed that those here had been taught to do the same. As if just thinking of them was disgraceful for the masters they served, they were always told to be ''out of sight, out of mind'', which meant that they had to finish their work without being seen.

    Mr. Merry''s house had been cleaner than how they had left it after they had returned from the expedition to that snobbish old man. Even in that old man''s house, they had trudged in leaving dusty footprints in their wake, but the floor had been cleaned before they made their way out.

    From the layout of the Courtyard, Daneel guessed that the servants must be at the edge of the town. He followed the winding streets, always on the lookout for enforcers who might put him in a tight spot if he was seen, but as it seemed that this was the time for a siesta for the entire place, he found no one.

    He rejoiced when he turned a corner¡­ and saw the well-built houses vanish. There was a tall wall behind the last house, and although he couldn''t see anything behind it, there was nothing blocking the road.

    As soon as he walked across the wall, the sounds hit him like a truck.

    The road was rougher here, and the houses were all smaller, each barely enough to hold two people. Yet, in front of each were at least five men or women, but in many ways¡­ it was a sight much more pleasant than everything he had seen in the Courtyard.

    Children were playing all over the place, skipping over rocks here and chasing each other gaily over there. Groups of old men and women are sitting all over the place, talking to each other and laughing, their faces honest and happy.

    A few were even cooking, bent over fires out in the open, stirring large parts that smelled simple, but soulful.

    Daneel almost smiled as he instantly knew that he loved this place¡­ but all of it fell silent when they saw him.

    Initially, he had pondered on the idea of going to each house and asking his question, but as he saw now that he was able to address them all at once, he cleared his throat and raised his hands to speak.

    "Hello, everyone! I''m from the layer below. I''m here to find out a little about someone I know on the Surface¡­can any of you tell me about the one formerly called Jeza?"

    Daneel waited, getting more and more uncomfortable by the minute as he was stared at by almost a hundred people, all with steely, intense gazes that had hardened as soon as they heard him.

    Suddenly seeing that this might be a bad idea, he decided to drop it, for now, and come back later. Just as he was about to raise one hand and say the same, though¡­he heard a faint sound behind him that made him whirl around.

    THUNK!

    Before he could finish the motion, he felt something hit his head from behind, and just like that¡­darkness swept over and engulfed all his hopes, thoughts, and plans as if they were all naught but dust motes in the air.

 50 Deb

    Daneel was roused by an ominous sound that made him snap his eyes open and find nothing but darkness.

    It was that of a knife or a sword being sharpened. The whetstone traveled across the length of the blade smoothly and without pause, as if the user had done it a million times. Even though it wasn''t loud, it echoed all around as if the room they were in was very small, and the more he heard it, the more he was able to imagine it at his neck.

    A hood had been placed over his head, preventing him from seeing anything. It was unwashed and rank, smelling of sweat and blood, and for a moment, he wondered if it was his.

    It soon became clear that he was wrong when the only difference between that moment before he had fainted and now was a dull ache at the back of his head. He tried to raise his hands and touch it to see if it had swelled¡­ and that was when he found out that his hands and legs were bound to the chair he was sitting on.

    "Hello? Who''s there?"

    The sound stopped as he asked this, and it was followed by that of footsteps trudging away. Finding himself alone, he turned to the one who could tell him what the hell had happened and asked the question in his mind.

    [Responding to host. A male child, estimated to be 14 years old, used a metal rod to induce unconsciousness. A sack was then placed on host''s head, before he was transported to host''s present location. No conversations were held near host. Long-range auditory analysis skill is locked. Please continue finishing missions to generate criteria for the unlocking of this specific skill.]

    For once, he didn''t find the answers he had been looking for from the system. He already knew everything it had told him, and for some reason, that prompt at the end made him feel a sudden surge of frustration that he was sure he had experienced many times before, even though he didn''t remember it, at all.

    His thoughts came to a halt when the pitter-patter of many people walking at once came to his ears. A few moments later, the hood was ripped off, and Daneel had to squint in the darkness to see the ones responsible for his present state.

    He hadn''t really registered it before when the system had told him that a child had knocked him out¡­ but that information came back to him, now, as he came upon a gaggle of teens who were all definitely younger than him.

    They were all dressed in torn rags they barely served as clothes. One of them was tall and lanky, and from the way the others crowded around him, it was obvious that he was the leader.

    The sound of footsteps heavier than those he had just heard made all of them turn. He saw, then, that he had been right about the size of the room; it was so small that five people wouldn''t even be able to stand inside it, so with at least ten stuffed into the thing, it would be hard for anyone else to enter.

    He was soon proved wrong, though, when a middle-aged man appeared in the doorway. The kids all moved to the side, and he walked to the spot right in front of Daneel. He was so close that even the slightest movement would result in the two of them touching, and Daneel had to look up to meet his face.

    In the process¡­ he came upon the hilt sticking up from the man''s back, and right away, he knew that this was who had been sharpening the blade while he had been unconscious.

    He opened his mouth to ask what the hell was going on here, but the words died in his throat when the man raised one finger to his lips. Understanding the extremely precarious situation he was in, he decided to obey instead of tempt danger, but the first sentence that came out of the man''s mouth made him gape.

    "Why did you save that kid in the refinery?"

    All around, he could see inquisitive eyes looking at him in the darkness, watching for the slightest hint of dishonesty. He didn''t understand many things. He didn''t understand why this topic was relevant when they were so far away from the second layer. He didn''t understand who these people were, and how the even knew about his actions that he had hidden to the best of his ability.

    He did understand that his very life hung on his answer, so he said the first thing that came to his mind.

    "Because I felt guilty."

    The man''s face twitched once, but gave nothing away. Slowly, he raised his hand to the hilt of his sword, causing Daneel to stand ready to order the system to get him out of here even if he would faint when it was done.

    The blade made a rasping sound as it emerged from its sheath. He raised it above his head, as if preparing to lop off Daneel''s head in one fell stroke, but then¡­ a smile broke across his lips, and the sword fell to meet the rope binding his hands.

    "Uncle, you should really stop doing that! Rope isn''t that cheap, you know¡­"

    The teen who had been in charge before whined, but the middle-aged man chuckled and said, "It''s not every day that I''m able to do this, so leave it alone, boy. Untie the rest."

    The teen grumbled under his breath, but he followed the orders. Sheathing the sword again, the man smiled at him and left through the doorway, while the teens shuffled away behind him.

    When Daneel was free of his bonds, he raised one hand to his head. Beside him, the lanky youth said, "Sorry about that, but we needed to make sure."

    He was about to ask what they wanted to be sure of, but the youth left, too, leaving Daneel no choice but to shamble forward as the blood flooded to the parts of his body that had laid still until now.

    He came upon a larger room built of the same rotting wood as the one he had been held in until now. There were holes in the ceiling through which sunlight fell on the floor. All around him, the ground was dotted with rough pelts, at least half of the fifty that he counted occupied by men and women who seemed either sick, or injured.

    The teens were bustling between them, catering to their needs, and feeding those who couldn''t feed themselves, in some cases. Only a single chair was present in the large open space, and on it was the one who had sent his heart thundering for dramatic effect.

    Walking up to him, Daneel folded his hands and waited for an explanation. The man studied him, running his eyes up and down his muscled body that hadn''t begun to shrink, yet. He nodded approvingly, then, and said "As expected from a surface dweller¡­ you''re quite different from the rest of his. You can expect how shocked I was when I saw that I can only say that about the outside. We know that it was you who stole crystals from the refinery. We won''t ask why. We thought that you would forget those that sacrificed themselves to save you¡­ but we saw how anguished you were when that whip met their flesh. We also saw the way you saved the kid¡­but we wondered why you came here. Well, again, I won''t ask the reasons behind your actions¡­ but I will give you what you came for. We look out for each other, you see¡­ and we have a saying here. ''Good deeds must always be repaid, no matter how long it takes''. One needs to believe in such things if they want to survive in places like these¡­ so now that we have a chance to follow it, we have no reason to be hesitant."

    Daneel didn''t know what to think when the man got up and handed him a piece of parchment that had been lying on the desk in front of the chair.

    "Here you go. Everything you want to know about Jeza is in here. It is a sad tale¡­ and one that can teach a lot. You can read it here, or after you leave. I would advise the latter, as it isn''t very safe to stay any longer than absolutely needed."

    He took the parchment gingerly, hardly able to believe that he had succeeded in such an unexpected fashion. He read a few lines to verify, too, and after seeing that it was the real thing, a small smile came on his face.

    "There we go. I''m sorry about the whole fainting thing. You are infamous, after all. If you had reacted with death threats, or if I hadn''t liked anything when we talked¡­the lads would have been digging a hole out back to bury you, by now. Before you go¡­one last thing. Here."

    From a pocket, the man withdrew a wooden carving of a bird, half of it stained a dark red.

    "You''ll understand what this is after reading our dear Jeza''s past. With this¡­our debt is repaid. Farewell¡­and, oh yeah, sorry, again."

    The apology threw Daneel off. He took it in stride, though, thinking that it must be for the injury before¡­but the reason behind it became instantly clear when he heard a familiar sound again.

    "Oh, come o¡ª"

    His curse stopped mid-sentence as the rod descended on the other side of his head, and once again, he toppled to the floor, resignation mixed with annoyance writ across his face.

 51 Jezas Tale

    "Jeza and his twin sister, Jezo were born 25 years ago to servants of Lord Burrow, who was then only a normal Artist in the Courtyard. From a very early age, it became apparent that the sister had been blessed with brains, while her brother was all brawn. He grew tall very quickly, displaying strength that attracted the attention of the Lord, who sent him to be trained with the enforcers of the layer. The girl showed promise, too, and was dubbed to be trained with the accountant in the layer so that she could take his place. Until the age of 14, both of them lead happy lives even though they didn''t always get what they wanted. Their parents raised them well, and were looking forward to retiring and living out the rest of their days in peace while the children supported them.

    Everything went wrong when a noble from the surface visited Lord Burrow. The circumstances of his rise to the surface aren''t clear, but at that time, itself, he had begun to make contacts with those above his station. Jezo had bloomed early, showing promise to grow into a beautiful young girl. The noble liked her. He wanted her. She denied him, and was dragged to the bedroom by his guards. Word spread to Jeza and his parents via the servants in the house. They arrived at the Lord''s house and begged him to intervene on behalf of them. Their begging fell on deaf ears. When the nobles emerged from the room, they saw a glimpse of Jezo on the bed behind him, broken and bleeding and at first glance, dead. They couldn''t control themselves. She was the heart and pride of the entire family, and the love that her brother bore her was unrivaled. But before they could even do anything, the noble didn''t like the way they looked at him. He ordered them all killed. The parents died in front of Jeza''s eyes, who went mad and killed two guards until he collapsed and looked like he had succumbed to his injuries. One of the attacks was seen to have almost cut his face in two, leading those observing to think that he would not survive. The noble ordered Lord Burrow to take his turn before he left, which he did while Jeza was unconscious. The Lord called for a healer, who did the best he could for the twins, for the parents had already died. He was heard to have declared that they would not survive for long, too. The last time Jeza was seen was when the Lord entered the room, and asked him what he was willing to do to save his sister. His answer was that he would willingly give up his life if it meant that she would live. All observers were made to leave the room, then. Thereafter, the twins were attended to by the personal butler of the Lord, hence no other observations were possible. A month after the incident, the Lord obtained a position on the surface to which he left.

    Five years later, Jeza reappeared as Jezara/Jezaro. It was his wound that confirmed his identity. He has two natures, now, between which he can switch willingly.

    Object left over from the incident: A wooden figurine of a bird that was found in Jezo''s hand after the ordeal. Made by Jeza for his sister. Was drenched in her blood. Was given to Jeza during his recovery. Was found in the house after the departure of the Lord."

    Daneel let out a long sigh as he put the parchment on the table in Mr. Merry''s house. He then picked up the wooden bird, studying the maroon streaks along the wood, tracing his fingers along the wing that was the darkest, which was mostly where it had been held by the sister, and then the brother.

    He had awoken at the exact same spot where he had been made to faint before. The sounds of the children playing nearby had been what had roused him, and instantly, he had turned around and left the place, intending never to come back if possible.

    It had been obvious that the ones who had abducted him wanted to keep the location of their home secret, but he just wished that they had given him the option of having the sack put over his head, again, instead of being knocked out once more. Two lumps, each completely alike, were now on the two sides of his head, and each time he bent or made a motion that was too quick, they throbbed, reminding him of the embarrassing events he had just been a part of.

    The tale was sad, indeed. In fact, he had even been expecting something like this when the man had mentioned its nature, but still, it had been heartwrenching to read of such a lovely bond broken due to the lust and greed of a noble from above.

    There were some things that stood out, though. He had never known that Lord Burrow had such a humble background. This made him understand that he might be much deadlier than he had anticipated, as it was no simple thing to come from the Courtyard and rise so high on the surface. In fact, it was even unheard-of, and if he hadn''t gotten the information from someone in the Courtyard, itself, he might have believed it to be a lie.

    As for the reason behind his success being the good deed he had done for no other purpose but to assuage his own conscience¡­it was almost bizarre, to say the least, but for some reason, he liked it.

    As he played with the wooden bird in his hands, a plan slowly began to come to him. He let it form, though, calmly, even though he was excited as the purpose he had come here for had been fulfilled.

    He got up only when he was happy with it, and had even finished making a backup plan in case it failed. When he had returned to Mr. Merry''s home, he had found a different note saying that food was under the kitchen counter and that he could go to sleep in the spare bedroom. He had understood that he had been out for a long time when the sky had slowly become darker on his way back, but he hadn''t realized that it was night in the Courtyard.

    With nothing else to do, he had had his fill of the roast capon that had been left for him, marveling once again at just how great a host Mr. Merry was. As he had already decided that he would be leaving the next morning, he had more than his fill, knowing that he would definitely miss both the food and the wine here after he went back.

    After a disturbed sleep filled with the faces of the people he had seen after waking in his body, he got up and walked out to find the man busy eating breakfast. He prepared to announce his departure, but stopped when Mr. Merry shushed him, and gestured at the food as if to say that he should eat first before talking.

    Graciously accepting the offer, he had his fill once again. When he then said that he would be leaving, Mr. Merry simply smiled and wished him luck, before telling him to pass on the message to Gerard that he should come up once, too, so that they could meet and reminisce.

    Holding high regard for the man who seemed to be one of the only good ones in this layer and the one above, Daneel made his way to the clump of crystals. The enforcers completely ignored him, for the most part, except for a few who glanced at him disappointedly, almost as if they had been hoping for a chance to beat him before he left. As soon as he emerged in the Refinery, he felt a faint ball of stress that he had been holding without his own knowledge disappear, and with his head held high and his mind blissfully clear, he made his way to his daily training.

    Originally, if his stay in the Courtyard had stretched to a few days, he had worried about finding a way to reach the surface. Thankfully, he would have no trouble, now, and when he began the session with the twins, it almost felt good to see them.

    He reached Gerard''s house and surprisingly found the man''s son''s waiting for him. Their original arrangement had been that they would be summoned after he returned, and after enquiring about the reason, he found out that the news had reached Gerard beforehand, itself, via a letter sent by Mr. Merry.

    Facing them all around the dining table, Daneel could tell that they were waiting for his confirmation. When he spoke, they hung on every word, and when he was done, silence descended on the room, but it was one pregnant with resolve¡­and hope.

    "We act in three days. The plan is complete¡­so let''s do this!"

 52 Plan 1

    Thunder streaked across the sky, painting the Lord''s mansion in bright light, then disappearing as the sound cracked across the air, echoing through the vast land and humbling any who might be so foolish as to think that they would be able to go against the heavens.

    Daneel mused that what they were going to do was exactly as ambitious as that. The past few days had been spent dissecting, perfecting, and then putting together his plan over and over again until each of them could recite it with their eyes closed.

    The downpour hadn''t begun, yet, but from the ominous dark clouds above, it was obvious that they would soon be drenched. He didn''t know, yet, whether it was a blessing or a curse, but as it was an element that he had not thought of before, it made him feel unprepared.

    The three of them were crouched beside the eastern wall of the mansion, where its dark shadow hid them from any prying eyes. The enforcers meant to patrol it had already gone past, so all that they were waiting for was a sound that would let them know that it was time.

    Once more, Daneel decided that they would go over it. He had become so obsessed with the details that the others had gotten irritated more than once, but when he said that they should repeat it, this time, they had no complaints.

    "Every month, the Lord leaves to Master Harold''s mansion. He is gone for a few hours, at least, and many times, he sleeps there on the Master''s insistence for reasons unknown."

    Sebastian continued from where Reese had stopped to draw in a breath.

    "That is our window of opportunity. I''m in charge of distracting the guards by setting fire to the house nearby, which is uninhabited at the present. They will be called on to douse the flames, giving you the chance to enter the mansion while they''re distracted."

    "While my brother plays the pyromaniac, both of us will enter the mansion."

    Daneel nodded, satisfied. "I''ll handle Jezara, while you enter the main part of the house."

    Even in the darkness, he could see the way the two brothers glanced at him when he said this. They had discussed this extensively, and even though he had been adamant about the fact that he was confident of his success, they didn''t believe him.

    When Reese continued, his tone was fraught with worry.

    "Remember, if it''s too much, give the signal and run. I can exit out the back, and you will be able to escape from the front. My sleeping draught is ready. It will make the butler fall asleep, giving me a chance to search the house and find the evidence that we need to prove Lord Burrow''s treachery. We will be captured, but all we will need to do to live is to ask to be presented to the Master. He will see the evidence, and have Lord Burrow killed. A different person will be chosen who will act with much more caution than his predecessor. Things will go back to the way they were in the Pit and the Refinery, and our people will prosper."

    "Or at least have enough to eat that they can survive till they''re old."

    Sebastian''s snarky addition was taken in stride by his brother, who had already gotten used to the man''s cynical nature. A faint smile came to Daneel''s lips while he nodded and said, "Good. Now, let us resume our vigil."

    It was hard to stay still as they waited for the tell-tale sound of the gates opening. He kept fidgeting, imagining all the hundreds of ways in which things could go wrong. When the creaking noise finally reached his ears, he didn''t even believe that it was real until the other two got to their feet and pressed their bodies to the wall.

    They moved only when the sounds of many footsteps receded along the street. Sebastian moved to the left, and the both of them reached closer to the gate until all they would need to do to come upon it was take a few steps.

    This time, the wait was shorter. It was a scream that broke the silence of the night that let them know that the fires had been lit. Slowly, they saw smoke emerging in the air above them, and the smell of wood burning reached them, too.

    "Quickly, quickly! Come with me! We should put it out before it spreads to the other houses!"

    A hurried shout appeared from somewhere near the gate, and once again, they creaked, signaling that they were being opened. With his heart in his mouth, Daneel ducked around the corner and saw that the coast was clear.

    Further along the road, people were hurrying away to the site where the roaring flames could be seen. Turning around and nodding at Reese, he made a run for the gate and got inside¡­ only to come face-to-face with a soldier dressed in the purple livery of the Lord.

    Daneel had been prepared for this, though. He jumped in his direction before the man could even say anything. Clamping one hand on his mouth, he curled the other into a fist and brought it down, hard, on the man''s head after taking a short breath, making one of the small crystals he had hidden in his robes disappeared.

    The burst of energy that he absorbed was enough to render the man unconscious immediately. By the time Reese emerged from the gates, the guard had tumbled to the floor, unconscious, and with another nod, he walked to the door of the house on the side, where he had first met the Lord.

    Opening the main doors of the mansion would alert the brute, who he knew was present beyond the thin piece of wood in front of him. He had confirmed this from the twins by leading them into a conversation about the Lord''s mansion, so taking in a deep breath¡­ he knocked.

    At the same time, Reese threw open the main door and entered inside, causing a reasonably loud thud to echo across the garden. The slow footsteps that had begun to walk to the door sped up, and in a moment, it was flung open.

    The brute almost flattened Daneel and rushed forward, but he stopped after a second. It took everything Daneel had to remain standing under that burning gaze, and when Jezara growled out a question, he simply took out the wooden figurine and raised it so that in front of his eyes.

    Jezara froze. All that springy energy that had been about to propel him to the main doors of the mansion disappeared, and Daneel rejoiced inwardly.

    The words he had prepared to say came to his lips effortlessly. In a clear voice, he said, "In the same place that I found this, I also found out that the Lord took a turn with your sister. You think he''s your savior, so you''re bound to serve him. He''s not. The entire thing happened because of him. He''s only using you. We have a plan to end him. Just step aside, for now, and it will succeed. All right?"

    With each word that Daneel said, the fire in Jezara''s eyes burned hotter and hotter. At the end, his voice even croaked as it felt that a vast pressure was pressing down on his shoulders, and in that instant, he realized that this might be a stupid idea, after all.

    Jezara''s hand shot out, becoming a blur as it rose and clamped around Daneel''s neck. He was lifted into the air, his larynx close to being shattered, and from the scarred Expert, he heard his death sentence.

    "Don''t care what Master says. Now you die."

    It was a complete failure. Gasping for breath, Daneel felt the long fingers tighten. For a moment, he forgot the backup plan he had made meticulously¡­but right before his consciousness left like a candle being blown out, it came to him, and he breathed in.

    Energy roared into his body, granting a burst of crystal clear lucidity. He had only theorized about what he was going to do¡­but at that instant, he knew exactly how he was going to make it happen.

    Visualizing the absorbed energy as a glowing flood that was coursing through his body, Daneel concentrated¡­and sent it into the fingers around his throat.

    Jezara''s eyes bulged. His hand tightened even further, first, causing Daneel to panic, but then, he fell to the floor as the fingers relaxed.

    Coughing, he looked up to see the tall brute''s hands slowly rise to his head. Clutching it, he bent it back and opened his mouth.

    "RAAARRGHHHH!!!"

    The scream that appeared was so unearthly that revulsion filled Daneel''s mind. He had no idea what was happening; his reasoning had simply been that he would grant clarity to the man, which when combined with the figurine would result in doubt that would cause his plan to succeed.

    The energy seemed to be burning Jezara alive. He screamed and screamed until his throat broke, then he screamed some more. Daneel wished that he could stay and see the effects of energy on a different person¡­but he had a job to do.

    Taking one last look at the giant who had fallen to his knees, he sighed and walked in the direction of the mansion.

 53 Plan End

    Daneel reached the gigantic doors of the mansion, still heaving in heavy breaths to satisfy his oxygen-starved body. His neck also hurt where it had almost been crushed by Jezara''s incredible strength. Leaning on the doorway, he put one hand on it and took in one last, deep breath before pushing open the door, praying that everything else, at least, had gone to plan.

    The first sign that this was definitely not the case became visible as soon as another thunderbolt appeared in the sky, throwing a flash of light into the mansion, revealing a dark smear on the wall.

    ''Is that¡­ blood?''

    His eyes rooted on it, he walked forward as the darkness returned to the interior of the mansion. He just wanted to confirm his suspicions¡­ but he came to a stop when his foot came down on something slippery, making him stumble, then fall on his back.

    Instead of the normal ''THUD'' that one would expect, a sick squelching noise was heard as he met the floor. Still confused about what was going on, he turned left and right to look for something he could use to climb to his feet¡­ but as soon as he did the latter, thunder flashed again, and his eyes fell upon a face that was familiar, yet foreign at the same time.

    A fourth of it had been hacked off, leaving behind a smooth gash through which a bloodsoaked, liquidy mass could be seen. It took a moment for Daneel to even understand that he was looking at the brain matter of the one who lay in front of him, and when he did realize it, he sucked in a breath and scrambled back, horrified.

    He stopped when his back hit the wall, his breath coming in huge gasps that had nothing to do with his recent encounter with the big man. The thunder was coming more and more frequently, now, constantly cracking the silence of the mansion with its booming clamor, and in each flash, he saw more and more details of the body.

    It was dressed in the rags of a slave which seemed to be completely drenched through with blood in multiple places. A large pool of the red substance had spread from it, which was the culprit behind Daneel''s fall, before. A large slab of flesh had been almost hacked clean off the thigh, and all the fingers on one hand had been hacked through. Multiple stab wounds were present on the stomach which lay still, and finally, with no other choice, his eyes wandered to the face, again, and he forced himself to recognize who this was.

    ''I don''t know why I''m bothering to tell you this, but here''s some advice: keep your mouth shut and your head down, and it will all be over quickly''

    The words echoed in his ears, the face swam up through his memories. The first time he had seen it, it had been filled with hate due to what his brother had done. The second time it had appeared, he had been helped to the Pit and shown concern that he hadn''t expected, at all, from someone who had almost caused his death.

    Sebastien''s snarkiness was all gone, now, leaving behind only the pitiful slave who had been the first to see him as one of them. He had come to like the man and his outlook on life¡­ but none of that mattered as he stared at the body that lay motionless on the floor.

    Even in death, he seemed to have a devil-may-care attitude. The corners of his lips were raised as if he had been smiling before his final moments, but there was also a faint hint of surprise on his face, as if he hadn''t expected the final blow that must have finished him off. Daneel didn''t know what it was, but he suspected that it might have to do with the missing part of his brain.

    For a moment, it almost seemed as if all of this wasn''t happening to him. He felt like a stranger in his own body, looking down on a plan that had clearly gone to the ruins. It made him chuckle senselessly, feeling unimaginable ridicule at the one who had been so sure that everything would work out, but the reality that he was laughing at himself came crashing down all at once when a groan reached his ears.

    "W-who''s there? Daniel?"

    He shrank even more into the corner, first, afraid to go forward and find out what else had gone wrong. It hadn''t even been in the plan that Sebastian would come here, but from the wounds he had sustained and the way he had died, it was obvious now that there had been a very grave miscalculation.

    "Hello?"

    The second groan was too much to bear. Daneel knew that he had to move forward now and face it, or regret it forever in his life. So, he scrambled forward on all fours, reluctant to even raise his head which had been the one to conjure up such a useless plan. He soon came upon a trail of blood and flesh that let to a different body, but it was also unmoving.

    In another flash of light, he recognized it to belong to the butler who had seemed so unassuming in his visit before. That was the reason that he had agreed to Reese''s plan that he would simply use his aerated sleeping drought to put the man to sleep, but obviously, that hadn''t worked. Two long, curved blades were still grasped tightly in his hands, and he looked like he had stab wounds on both his front and back that had finally resulted in him succumbing to his injuries.

    "Over here!"

    The one the voice belonged to seemed to have heard the noise he had made when moving. It was coming from even further on, and after shooting one last look at the Lord''s servant, Daneel hurried forward.

    Reese lay in a crumpled heap at the spot where the table and chair of the Lord had been before. Their ruins were present all around, broken and jutting out of the floor like stakes in the mud, and among the devastation, the body that was crawling in his direction slowly stopped, seeing that the one it had been calling to had arrived.

    ''No, no, no, no, no¡­.''

    Daneel''s head hurt so much all of a sudden that he almost fell to the floor. The only reason he remained standing was that despite the situation, he spotted a smile on the bearded healer''s lips that made him run forward, forced to accept that this was how it was, and this was how it would remain no matter how much he tried to deny it.

    Taking the man''s body into his arms, he ran his eyes over the injuries all over his body. Strangely, his fingers had been cut off, too, exactly like those of his brother, and the rest of his body was pockmarked by cuts, some deep and some shallow, the blood still leaking out of them like water from a bucket with a hole.

    "Take this¡­ and go. I''ll live. I''ll be taken prisoner. What about Sebastian?"

    As Reese forced out the question, Daneel felt tears come to his eyes. All he could do was shake his head in response, and when he saw Reese''s beleaguered sigh, he felt like throwing himself on the knife nearby.

    "I should have known. The butler was far more of a handful than we could ever have expected. Sebastian came to check on me from the back door when he heard a commotion; he tried to protect me even though I told him to leave. None of that matters, now. You should go. Leave me! Just go!"

    It was only now that Daneel spotted the envelope clutched desperately in Reese''s hand. It was dotted with blood here and there, but as he took it in his hands, he saw that it was made of expensive sheepskin that must definitely have protected the contents inside.

    He felt the collar of his robes being caught and dragged forward, and he came face-to-face with the man who had saved him, once.

    "I don''t have the strength to slap you! Get the fuck out of here, or this will all have been for nothing! Sebastien would have died for nothing! Go!"

    He pushed Daneel weakly, and more by a desire to obey the one he had failed than by conscious thought, he got to his feet. But then¡­ when he realized what he was about to do, he couldn''t make his legs move.

    "You have a lot more to do! Don''t hesitate! They''ll be here any minute!"

    Reese continued to urge him on, but without knowing it, he had hit on something important. Daneel was instantly reminded of all the mysteries he had to unveil and all the memories he needed to rediscover. He knew that they were important and he knew that he needed to prioritize them¡­ but it hurt to even think of leaving behind a comrade in this manner.

    ''No¡­ I really should go! He''ll be fine! I''m not even a part of this place! I have to think about everything I still need to do!''

    Half of him wanted to leave. Half of him swore it would die rather than leave his friend alone.

    "GO, DAMMIT!"

    The scream finally pushed Daneel to make a decision. He turned his head away and trudged toward the door¡­but he felt a deep, deep ache in his chest, as if a part of him had been ruthlessly cut away and left behind.

    With each step, the urge to turn around grew stronger until he was cursing himself for not giving in to it. He felt like a coward, a cheat, a betrayer and even a kinslayer, and try as he might, he couldn''t put these feelings aside.

    Reaching the door, he knew he needed one last burst of conviction, or he would ruin everything. Recalling those images from his memories once again, he held them in his mind¡­and although the emotions he felt went nowhere, he was able to force himself to jump forward toward the gates.

    Without looking back physically but with all his being left behind in the mansion, he blinked away the tears and ran, but no matter how much he tried, he couldn''t run away from himself, as at that moment¡­there was no one he hated more.

 54 Anger

    It began to rain just as Daneel reached the teleportation crystals that would take him to the Pit.

    None of the guards who were usually supposed to be around were present. At the back of his mind, he understood that they might still be busy putting out the fire, but the task would be much easier now with the heavens helping them to reach their goal.

    Hence, it was an empty journey that greeted Daneel as he made his way back to Gerard''s house. Vaguely, he knew what was soon going to happen, but he didn''t want to face it. He felt himself receding more and more into a shell of his former self, beaten and battered due to the decision he had had to make. Even now, he knew the reasons behind it were sound¡­ but he hated it so much that it was hard to remember them when the self-loathing reared its ugly head to keep swallowing him whole and taking him under its sweeping eddies.

    He wavered between moments of anger, frustration, regret, and sheer misery. There was no rain in the Refinery, of course, but he was drenched through, leaving behind a trail of wet footsteps there were mixed with the tears that kept flowing from his eyes.

    When he reached that all-too-familiar house, he stopped in front of it, unable to take a step forward. If allowed, he knew that he would have chosen to stay rooted there for an eternity¡­ but when the door opened to reveal the old man who seemed to have chosen to look out impatiently, he had no choice but to walk forward.

    From the way Gerard hopefully looked behind him even though it was apparent at first glance that he was alone, he knew that the man must''ve gotten a premonition of what must have happened. Even then, just as unwilling to accept it as him, the old man sat him down on the dining table and asked, "You just came early, right? They''re right behind you?"

    Daneel could only stare at him. His lower lip quivered, his left eye twitched, his brow knotted and unknotted repeatedly, and his stomach turned. Finally, he blurted it out all at once and completely gave in to the despair, breaking down like a machine on its last legs.

    "Sebastian''s dead, and I had to leave Reese behind!"

    He slumped forward, hitting his head hard against the table but actually enjoying the pain that was able to distract him from what was in his mind. From the corner of his eye, he saw the old man freeze, then stand up, then totter to the side before taking support from the wall that he soon met.

    Putting in all the effort he had left, he raised his head, knowing that he had to elaborate. It was his plan, so it was his duty to tell him what had happened.

    "We didn''t talk about it just now, but I know the reason behind his decision. We talked about this eventuality a day ago, but we never thought it would happen. If we didn''t find too much proof, the backup plan was that one of us would have to give ourselves up so that the Lord wouldn''t search for other perpetrators. Using whatever we found, or in the worst case, even if we found nothing, the one who escaped would have the responsibility to make the best of the situation and still find a way to succeed. If both of us were caught and the plan was a complete failure, we would have been left with nothing¡­ but I wish I didn''t do it. I wish it had been me!"

    "How injured was he?"

    Gerard got to the crux of the information in an instant. Even though Daneel hadn''t said it, he understood that the only reason that Daneel was here and Reese was still up there was that his son must have been injured, so he wanted to find out the extent of the wounds.

    With a nod, Daneel looked up to speak, but the words caught in his throat when he met the burning gaze of the old man. He couldn''t look into it. He couldn''t face it. In those eyes, all he found was the reflection of his failure, so he answered only after looking away.

    "A lot of wounds, but nothing that can''t be healed by even the worst of healers."

    With his job done, Daneel moved forward to give himself up to the clutches of grief, again. Since the very moment that he had seen Sebastien''s empty eye staring at him, all the memories that he shared with the man had been washing up to the surface of his mind as if they were flotsam churned up by the waves of dejection. Just as his head was about to meet the table again, though¡­ in a motion that was remarkably similar to what his son had done, Gerard caught his collar and dragged him up, and forward.

    His face was soon within inches of the old man''s. He saw the red veins snaking across the red expanse of his skin, pulsing slowly while the rictus of anger that it had been set in bored into his eyes. His lips were drawn back into a snarl, his eyes were opened wide, streaked with red blood vessels that looked as if they were close to bursting.

    Daneel was forced to look into them, even though their wrath was something he couldn''t bear. When Gerard spoke, it was in a growling tone the threw spit everywhere, but Daneel listened, unflinching.

    "You listen to me right now, you fucking bastard! If you think that I''ll let you just bang your head on the table and act all mopey, you''re wrong! Very, very wrong! My sons are my whole world! Now, one of them is dead, and the other might soon die! They trusted you! They followed you! It would be the easiest thing for me to blame their deaths on you¡­BUT I KNOW THEM TOO WELL TO DO THAT! They made their decisions, and I know they died with no regrets! I''m not angry at you because of what happened¡­ no, I''m fucking infuriated because you look like you''re lost! Because you look like you sacrificed them both for nothing! Now tell me¡­ will their lives really go to waste? Or will you give me the chance to feel proud of their part in what is to come? If it''s the former¡­I''ll KILL YOU! So you better make sure it''s the latter! Do you understand?"

    Each word hit him like a truck. He saw how wrong he had been. He had been convinced that all that anger was directed at him¡­ but he saw, now, that its target was his attitude.

    The old man''s emotions seemed to be leaking into him through his hands. He felt his own anger that had died down to embers burst into life, and in one swift stroke, it burned away the rest of the emotions.

    ''Yes, I regret what happened. Yes, I hate that the plan failed. But if I do nothing now, then their trust would have been for nothing! No matter what, that son of a bitch has to go down!''

    Daneel didn''t need to open his mouth to give the old man his answer. He nodded with satisfaction when he saw the way Daneel''s eyes transformed until they were just as red as his, and with a shove, he pushed him onto the table.

    Taking it in stride, Daneel opened the envelope he had been clutching in his hand all along. In it was only a letter, written in a curly script with the sigil of the Lord embossed below it in gold.

    "Next shipment ready to be picked up on the eve of the day before the second moon of Graiton disappears. "

    That was it. He instantly understood why Reese had decided that they should use their backup plan. If they went to the Master with just this letter, it would be the simplest thing for Lord Burrow to deny that it was his. He would get away, and they would go to their deaths¡­ but as things hadn''t played out in that way, he had a chance.

    The fury rampaging through his mind give him a different sort of clarity that he used to the fullest, having depleted his store of crystals in his fight against Jezara. He knew exactly what he needed to do in a single minute, and of course¡­ it was based completely on the information that he had obtained at such a great cost.

    There was no time to lose. Getting up, he walked the door, but just as he was about to go out¡­ he turned around to see the old man sitting at the table, holding the picture of the three of them that Daneel had seen in his bedroom before. It wasn''t framed, which meant that it was a copy he had been keeping inside his coat pocket¡­ and now, it was drenched through with tears as Gerard had begun to grieve.

    "I''ll give you what you asked for in two more days. I apologize for the delay¡­ but I will surely deliver. Farewell."

    The old man didn''t respond, but Daneel knew that he had heard him. Burning the image in his mind, he walked out, and with sure steps, he made his way forward, his silhouette looking like that of a giant''s as the artificial sun blazed behind his back.

 55 Beginning

    A few minutes later, Daneel entered a dilapidated house at the very edge of the Refinery. On his way over, he had been hammering out the minute details of the idea that had come to him while sitting in Gerard''s house. It was perfect, now, and it was strange how he didn''t feel as anxious about it as he had with the one that had gone disastrously wrong just now.

    Chalking it up to his willpower that was burning brightly now more than ever before, he stepped to the door¡­ and instantly felt a pang of sadness that he couldn''t ignore when he recalled how Sebastian had shoved his way in just a few days ago, when they had come here with him.

    It resulted in a slight leak in the dam against his emotions he had been building until now, resulting in him remembering how distraught the man had been when his wife had died at Daneel''s hands. It was followed by a different memory where he had talked to Reese about something, but just as he was about to replay it, he stepped on the brakes hard by raising his hand and slapping himself.

    ''No. Success first, great second.''

    Nodding to himself again as he felt his cheek sting, he walked to the window from where they had observed the house where the Lord stole from the food that was supposed to go to all of them. Sitting there, he studied the place, again, with much more attention than before as what he was going to do would require him to break in to this place, which was definitely a guarded location as it held the secrets of the powerful man above.

    For an entire hour, Daneel recorded the movements of each and every individual who came and went from the house. Slowly, it began to dawn on him that a few enforcers who were supposedly on the payroll of the Lord were coming here on their time off, and as a feeling of accomplishment filled him as he had begun to find out exactly all the things he needed to ensure the success of what he was going to do next, he stretched his arms and legs and prepared to resume his watch.

    Only¡­ when his hand shot behind him to grant relief to a muscle that had knotted in his shoulder, he hit something soft.

    His heart froze and leaped into his mouth. A low grown sounded from beside him, and although he was a moment late, he sprang to his feet and prepared to defend himself.

    As he moved as quickly as he could, his vision blurred due to the sudden motion. Hence, when he searched all around with his left hand stretched forward to ward off any incoming attacks, he was surprised to find no one.

    "Over here."

    A disgruntled voice made him jump around, and find a bald man half his height massaging his cheek with sullen eyes. Looking accusingly at Daneel, he shouted, "What''s wrong with you? Why would you greet a messenger with a punch?"

    Daneel blinked, first, before finally understanding exactly who was in front of him.

    Lowering his hands, he said, "What''s wrong with you? Why would you sneak up on someone without making a single sound?"

    The dwarf shrugged. "Hey, it''s what I was taught. At least I was successful."

    Daneel folded his hands. "What are you here for?" he asked in a brusque tone, in no mood for idle talk.

    The dwarf folded his own hands behind his back before answering, "I''m here to take you to his Eminence. He¡ª"

    Waving his hand, Daneel interrupted the little man and began to turn back to the window.

    "I''m not interested. I have something to do, right now. I''ll only be---"

    The draft interrupted him, too, in a self-important tone.

    "Ah-ahem. He did say that you might be of this opinion¡­ so he told me to give you a message. Here it is: "Our condolences on the loss of your friend. If you''re hearing this message, then it means that our informer saw you rise to the occasion instead of succumbing to the weight of failure. You''ve already seen us help you once. In the end, what you''re working for is something that is very important to us, too. Come with the messenger. We must talk. And we believe that you need us. We will be waiting for your arrival."

    Daneel had turned around, again, as soon as he had heard the ''condolences'' part. He pursed his lips as he realized that he had been right; he was being watched, every step of the way.

    He couldn''t do anything about it, though, and after the messenger began to wait with a smirk, he really thought about the offer. Going over the plan, again, he saw that in his zeal to fulfil his promise to the depraved father, he had heaped a lot on himself. He still believed that by putting in the effort, he would be able to do it¡­ but suddenly, it didn''t seem smart to take the risk.

    In fact, in that rush of clarity that had been brought about by his rage, he had thought about this element in Graiton which might come into play, which seemed very interested in everything that was going on around him. It had stepped in in a timely manner to save him from being mangled by his former friends, and now, it had stepped forward, again, to help him when he needed them.

    With a nod, Daneel gave his answer.

    "Follow me."

    With a businesslike tone, the dwarf lead the way outside, where a different one of his brethren was also waiting. If he wasn''t still reeling from what had just happened, he would have been amused to see the one who had talked to him scramble up on the shoulders of the other before covering both of them in the long robes of the workers of the Refinery. It was still remarkable to see how effortlessly they made it look as if they were one complete human, so thinking idly about how much training it must have required to make it seem so natural, he followed them as they lead the way down the street he had come through before.

    He also began to wonder how he would make it to the dwarf city. He had no idea just how much distance was present between each layer, so he couldn''t tell, for sure, whether it was possible to take another tunnel they could slide through to get to that incredible place¡­ but when they finally came upon their means of transport, he ogled at it as he could never have expected in a million years that the dwarves and their king would be capable of something like this.

    Together, they had led him to another empty house in the Refinery¡­ inside which stood a clump of crystals that looked exactly like those into which people stepped to teleport between different layers.

    The only difference was that they were dim and lifeless, unlike their glowing counterparts. Getting off the other dwarf''s shoulder, the one who had accosted him rummaged in his robes¡­ and drew out an object that made Daneel gawk even more.

    It was one of the red crystals that he had seen that old man in the Courtyard make. It had seemed so precious in that basket so it was quite jarring to see it now in the dwarf''s grubby hands.

    "I couldn''t believe it, before, when his Eminence called you ''brother''¡­ but from the very fact that he is using one of these, now, to call you over, I guess I was wrong. We have so few that the steward makes us count them each and every day as the children like to take them away to play. Well¡­ no use delaying it."

    Mumbling half to himself, he walked forward and touched the block to the clump of crystals¡­ which resulted in it turning into a liquid from the point of contact and flowing into the stalactites, transforming them into an exact replica of the one he had entered on that first, fateful day to get to the Pit.

    "What''re you looking at? Come on, quickly! It doesn''t work for long!"

    With a nod, Daneel stepped forward. As he drew in a deep breath, the delightful scent of freshly baked bread entered his nostrils.

    But when a familiar voice reached his ears, he snapped his eyes open and for an instant, his heart felt like it would burst in his chest.

    "Took you long enough. I thought I was done for¡­but guess who has a secret city, and a scapegoat to take my place in Burrow''s mansion. Oh, Sebastien would have loved to see this place¡­"

 56 Reunion

    Daneel felt himself being embraced, being clutched at as if he was a true friend and not the useless schemer whose plan had resulted in the death of a sibling of the one in front of him.

    He was hardly able to believe it until he felt the same, course hands through his thin robes and the shaggy beard of the healer digging into his shoulder.

    "It wasn''t your fault. If you blame yourself, don''t. It really wasn''t your fault¡­"

    He mumbled this, but in Daneel''s ears, it felt as if he was shouting it. All the pent-up frustration and self-pity that had almost eaten him alive burst forth¡­ and were drowned in a river of relief that flowed out through his eyes.

    He raised his hands and hugged the man, too, as tightly as he could. Hearing Reese wince, he loosened his grip, then, but still stayed there, in the embrace of his friend.

    ''Friendship. It is a strange thing. I don''t know since when I''ve seen him as one¡­ but he, Sebastien, and Gerard are even more than that. Is it because they helped me when I had no one? Or is it because I have been searching, all along, for a family that I can trust? Either way¡­ it feels good.''

    It was after a long time that he finally stepped back to see how the injuries of his friend had fared. They were still there, bandaged up and leaking blood, but they looked a whole lot better than they had in those dim flashes of lightning in the Lord''s mansion.

    Reese''s eyes were crinkled with happiness as he studied Daneel, too. Clapping him on his shoulders, he gestured with his head at the path in front of them and said, "Let''s go. The one we should thank for this reunion is waiting for us. He''s really a character, isn''t he?"

    Daneel chuckled for what felt like the first time in an eternity. If someone had reminded him of the fact that not even an entire day had passed since the mishap on the surface, he would never have believed them.

    With a nod, he kept one hand around Reese''s back and took a few steps forward. It was almost as if he was unwilling to let go of him, afraid that it would turn out to be a dream if he didn''t grip it with all his might.

    The smell of baking bread grew stronger as they walked down the empty corridor hewn into the rock, much like the one that Daneel had traveled through to reach that platform which had raised him to the Pit. Soon, they emerged in the kitchens which made him understand why he was smelling so much food, and in just an instant, they were surrounded by little dwarves with happy, innocent faces.

    "Brother is back! Brother is back! Yay!"

    "Brother is with old man! Both can play with us now!"

    "Old man should tell more stories! Brother can listen, too!" "Come, brother, come! EAT EAT EAT!"

    Daneel was slightly overwhelmed by everything they were saying, but as he saw Reese laugh happily and pat the heads of all the dwarf children, Daneel saw the entire thing in a new light.

    Before, due to his astonishment of finding that such a place even existed, he hadn''t really been able to think much about the nature of these little beings. Now, he could see clearly that they were probably some of the purest organisms in the entire town of Graiton.

    He felt a smile come to his lips, too, as he saw them clamoring around his legs. Patting their heads in the same way that Reese had done, he nodded at them all, taking special care to give attention to each and every one as the others got jealous looks if they were ignored.

    They were children, plain and simple¡­ and they were adorable, in the way that only children could be.

    A familiar voice appeared from a place farther away, among the chefs busy at their work. With a small smile on his lips, the old dwarf was walking forward, caressing his long beard while saying, "Welcome back. Children, your father is waiting for the two of them. They''ll be free to play later, okay? First, it''s time to eat!"

    "Alright! Food!"

    With a loud cheer that was somehow perfectly synced between them all, the 20-ish dwarves all ran to the exit of the kitchens which Daneel knew would take them to that long dining table he had seen.

    "With me."

    Turning around, the steward let them down the same path. On the way, Daneel saw that Reese was still looking at everything in the same astonished manner as him when he had been here for the first time. A few seconds later, noticing Daneel still staring at him as if he was unsure that it was all real, he smiled and said, "Hey, don''t worry. I''m going nowhere. I could tell that it was one of the hardest things you might ever have had to do to leave me there. In that moment, my heart was warm as it felt good to be mean so much to someone. I was ready to meet my imprisonment and perhaps even death with equanimity¡­ so imagine my surprise when a tall man stumbled into the mansion, and split into two! I was sure that I had died and reached some nonsensical realm, but I was forced to accept that it was reality when they left and returned in barely a minute with a fully grown man. What followed was quite sickening, but I guess it was necessary. He injured himself in the same manner as me and was made to lie down in my position. I even tried to resist, as I don''t want to force my fate on to someone else¡­ but that man just said that it was a debt to the dwarf king that he was happy to pay. Then, I was teleported here, and it was quite disconcerting for a time as I was told I couldn''t go upstairs¡­ until they talked about you. You''ve been keeping some secrets, eh? But honestly¡­ I don''t blame you. If you told me about something like this, I would definitely have called you crazy!"

    They chuckle together, and Daneel nodded. Parts of the tale had fallen into place, but there was still something that niggled at him.

    Almost as if he could read his mind, he said, "Your decision wasn''t in vain. I heard the dwarves who were escorting me talk. Apparently, the only reason they found out that things had gone wrong was when they saw you leave that place alone, looking so shaken. If you had delayed any longer, or tried something uselessly time-consuming like carrying me out even though it would have been a foolish thing to do, they wouldn''t have had enough time to make the switch. They barely managed to do it before the guards came rushing over. Right now¡­ I just wish I could tell dad. How is he?"

    Daneel was about to answer, but right then, they stepped into the large throne room. A booming voice greeted them both, making them turn to the gigantic chair and the gigantic being sitting on top of it.

    "Brother! Finally! We have missed you! We are most satisfied with what you have been doing¡­ and we know, better than anyone, that things tend to go wrong. His sacrifice will not be forgotten. Children! Bring it over!"

    Daneel''s eyes widened as he heard, then saw a flood of dwarves hurry over with trays on their hands, each laden with bottles and bottles of the same yellow liquid that he had seen those children drink before falling unconscious in the celebrations of his arrival the last time. Over half of them ran over to the dwarf king, and the other half arranged themselves into neat lines in front of Daneel and Reese.

    As they watched on, bewildered, all those that had gone forward began to pour the bottles into a large mug that had been hidden behind one of the legs of the chair. When it was half-filled, the giant reached down and lifted it up, causing the wine to slosh and make a sound that was loud enough to echo in the cave.

    Taking a short swig, he boomed, "Tomorrow, we can plan and scheme and look to the future¡­but today, we shall drink and grieve and honor the dead! We wish to know everything about the bold soul called Sebastian who gave up his life for the cause! Drink up, and let''s begin!"

    Daneel turned to his right, wondering how Reese would take it¡­but he was surprised to see that the man had already downed a long swig and was looking at the bottle with tear-filled eyes.

    It became clear that all the laughter he had just heard had only come to be because he had been swallowing the grief down and keeping it at bay, just like him.

    Understanding that this was the perfect opportunity to pull it out and let it run its course, he obliged¡­ and drank up.

 57 The Crazy Uncle

    [Target scanned and analysed. Data collected and analysed.

    Mission: "Uncover the power of the Gluttons" has progressed.

    Please scan one more individual to finish mission.]

    Daneel was roused from his deep slumber by the cold voice of the system. At first, he couldn''t comprehend a word of what it was telling him as it felt that a haze had covered his mind, rendering him forgetful of where he was, and why there seemed to be something soft on his face.

    He tried to get up, but the weight of whatever was on top of him was too much. He struggled harder, and when he finally felt it move, he looked to the side and gawked, finding something he could never have anticipated.

    A dwarf with his pants down had been sitting on his face. The only reason he knew that this was what the little being had been doing was that he had shifted position to sit on Reese''s face, whose snores became muffled soon after. The dwarf was actually sleeping, with one hand on his leg propping up his head, his eyes fluttering with each breath he took and his chest rising and falling evenly with each second that passed.

    Daneel slowly got to his feet, and as he looked around, his astonishment only grew. Half naked dwarves were everywhere around him, all of them asleep and none of them in a position that could be called at least halfway decent. It was only when he felt the soft wind around his extremities that he looked down and found that his pants were down, too, and as he scrambled to pull them up, he heard a low laugh from somewhere behind him.

    His face and ears burning, he whirled around and found the steward of the dwarves caressing his beard and struggling to stop the fit of laughter whose slave he had become. After finally controlling himself, he gestured with his hand and began to walk away, and without further ado, Daneel followed, really not wanting to stay where he was any longer.

    On the way, he saw that the dwarf king had slipped on his chair, his head resting on the wall of the cave behind him, one of his massive legs stretched out in front on which at least 20 dwarves were sleeping. He gingerly made his way past all the little ones on the ground, and as he neared the passageway to the dining hall, a rank smell reached his nose.

    As he wrinkled it in response, the steward looked back and chuckled again before saying, "You''re the main reason behind that stink, you know, and you''re the one irritated by it? Oh, that''s funny! The cleaners are going to be very, very angry unless I reward them, somehow!"

    Daneel frowned, still not understanding, at all, what had happened. Hurrying forward to get beside the steward, he asked, "I don''t remember a single thing, except downing a whole bottle of that yellow stuff! What happened after that?"

    The old man raised one eyebrow and looked Daneel up and down before answering.

    "Oh, so you''re that kind of a drunkard? One who blacks out when he goes past his limit? I''ll give you a short gist¡­ your friend from above went into a long reminiscence of his brother, and everything the man loved doing. Among those memories, one of them was about how they had a pissing contest when they were little kids which his brother always won. To ''honor'' his memory, you suggested the same. And then¡­ the children joined in, so you should be able to guess what followed. If you''re curious¡­ the king was the one who won by drenching twenty of his children when he pulled down his pants and sent forth a veritable flood. Great job in showing me something I''ve never seen in my life!"

    Starting to chortle to himself again, the steward continued on the way while Daneel stood where he was and tried to come to terms with what he had just heard. He tried to imagine the scene of the dwarf king entering the fray¡­ which made him shudder, and decide that he should never act mess with alcohol again.

    As he hurried forward again, he remembered that he had heard something from the system and asked it to repeat the notification.

    Happiness finally bubbled up inside him when he heard that he had succeeded in touching his brother, even though he didn''t remember how. He contemplated, for a moment, whether he should ask and find out¡­but after imagining them somehow coming into contact with each other with their peckers hanging out, he decided against the idea and focused on the mission.

    They would be setting out on the final plan, soon, and before that, as he was so close to completing it, he really wished that he could collect data from one last individual who was following the path of the Gluttons. The only problem was that he knew no one who qualified, but realizing that there might be many secrets to this vast place that he hadn''t uncovered yet, he reached the steward again and asked, "I guess that our planning session must be postponed until the king awakens¡­ until then, can I train, somewhere?"

    "Train to beat your brother in that contest? I''m afraid that might be impossible!"

    He laughed a bit due to the joke, but he waited for the answer after that, fixing the dwarf with a steely stare.

    Understanding that he was serious about it, the steward answered, "Alright, follow me."

    They went through a series of rooms whose purposes the man had already mentioned in his last visit. A lot of the caverns were dedicated to the growth of that creeper which was the main food source of the city, but in a few, he also found the source of meat: penned-up goats which were mating when they entered, and continued, unabashed by the audience.

    After passing this cavern, the sound of a lot of people shouting reached Daneel''s ears, and right away, he understood that they must be reaching a training area, of sorts. After all, the old steward had talked about it with pride before, so he looked forward to seeing the true strength of the children of the dwarf king.

    When they reached it, his jaw almost dropped not because of its size, but because of the sheer number of those engrossed in training. The place was almost as large as the main meeting room of the city, split up into almost 100 circles filled with mud on each of which a pair of dwarves by sparring with weapons, or without. There was empty space to the left and right where at least a couple of hundred of them were sitting and talking between themselves, so in total, the number of those who were training reached four hundred, if one was being conservative.

    ''This¡­ is a damn army! The old guy wasn''t joking, after all!''

    He was able to swallow his surprise quickly as it was nothing compared to what he had felt when had seen the way that each of those in front of him was created, in the first place. Looking everywhere around him, he hungrily swallowed all the details of the place, right from the way that different groups of the dwarves were dressed in different colors, and how each also had a leader who was taking care of the drills and shouting encouragement or advice at those facing difficulties.

    Among them all, there was just one spot of tranquility right in the center of the cave, undisturbed by the frenetic energy of all the soldiers around it. In it sat a dwarf even older than the one beside him, at least if judged by the degree of how wrinkled his skin was and the length of his beard.

    It was magnificent, to say the least, thick and brown and filled with vitality, but carefully groomed so that it was cut off just before it reached the ground. The dwarf was meditating on a stone seat raised from the floor, his face mirroring the serenity of his abode.

    Sporting Daneel looking at him, the steward said, "He''s the Lord commander of our forces. Learned in the ways of the Gluttons, his skill in this path is almost on par with that of the king."

    Daneel''s eyes shone as soon as he heard this. Right in front of him was the final one he needed to touch to finish the system''s mission, but he was stumped, for a moment, as he didn''t know how he could go about something so outlandish.

    Then, with a shrug, he thought of the rewards and just decided that he would do it no matter the consequences. A bold plan came to him, and although it was foolhardy, he chose to use it, at once.

    "I wish to spar with him. Is such a thing possible?"

    Turning to the side, he saw the steward gawping at the statement. It took a moment for the dwarf to answer, and when he did, it was in a tone of puzzlement.

    "Why would you want to do something so foolish? Besides, he knows that the king treats you as a brother¡­ I don''t think he would be willing to get into a fight."

    Raising his voice, Daneel shouted, "Oh, come on! You just tried to talk him up calling him the great Lord Commander, but he can''t even enter a single bout with me? You''re really starting to make me doubt the power of my brother''s forces¡­"

    Silence arrived in the gigantic cave the instant he stopped speaking. He gulped, feeling so many eyes staring daggers at him, but his resolve was staunch, so he walked up to the old dwarf and said, "Well, Lord commander? Care to educate me? Or are you too old to¡ª"

    He didn''t see the beard move. He didn''t even feel it hit him in his stomach. If he hadn''t spotted it twitch before turning into a blur, he wouldn''t have believed his own vision that told him that it was what had delivered attack¡­ but that was the truth.

    He somersaulted in the air and lost consciousness even before he hit the ground. Yet, as the system spoke in his mind, a smile spread on his lips which remained even after he fainted¡­ and all around, the dwarves began to talk, and comment, and cheer.

    "What a masochist!"

    "He loved it! Should I go beat him up, too?"

    "I dunno, but our king has definitely found a fitting brother! Uncle Masochist, that''s what he should be called!"

    "Yes, Uncle Masochist! Uncle Masochist!"

    "Crazy Uncle Masochist!"

 58 The Path of the Gluttons

    Daneel awoke to the old steward peering at him strangely, as if he belonged to a species the man had never seen, yet.

    It wasn''t just him. A gaggle of children was also present all around, inspecting his body in the most studious way possible, staring open-mouthed at his hands and legs as if they belonged to an extinct race come alive once again.

    Feeling suddenly as if he was the subject of some horrific experiment, he used his hands to support his upper body as he raised it upright, causing the children to squawk and move back.

    ''What the hell is going on?''

    His question was quickly answered when one of them pointed at him and shouted, "Uncle Masochist is awake! Should we call the Lord commander, again?"

    The old steward began to chuckle as the children talked between themselves.

    "Maybe we can be of service, ourselves!"

    "Yes! Who''s the strongest? Father said that we should serve him in any way possible, so if he likes to be beaten, we should help, too!"

    Daneel felt his face burning as understanding hit him all of a sudden. Taking his face into his hands, he groaned, seeing that his actions had been interpreted in this manner.

    He couldn''t really blame them, though. He still remembered that bright, broad smile that had come on his face before he fainted, but how could he tell them that it was because a voice in his head had given him some very good news?

    Seeing him in this manner, the steward finally stepped forward to help.

    "Go out, children! The king''s brother needs some time to himself!"

    "Alright! We will help later!"

    With a coordinated reply, the ten dwarves left. After watching them go with a smile, the steward turned to him and asked, "If you wish to explain anything, the time is now."

    Daneel fumbled for something that could perfectly explain what had happened, but he quickly saw that it might not be possible. So, going the other route, he chose the dumbest explanation possible and hoped that it would be enough.

    With a shrug, he answered, "I was just happy to find out that you guys are powerful."

    The Steward looked at him with one raised eyebrow, then stifle a chuckle, again.

    "They''re making tales about you, you know. The ones that just went out are in their teenage phase, you might say, so they''re the most insufferable gossipmongers in this place. One of them even spun of a tale about how you were so happy when the king laid his hand on you mistakenly, back in the throne room."

    ''And that explains the ache in my back¡­''

    His back had been hurting ever since he had woken up, but he had been ignoring it as it wasn''t anything major. With another sigh, he got to his feet and said, "it''s all a giant mistake. Is the king awake, yet?"

    With a snort that made it clear what the man thought about Daneel''s words, he answered, "Not yet. But judging from my experience, he will be in an hour or so. I have some work to take care of. Wait here. I''ll come back when his Eminence awakens."

    Daneel nodded with enthusiasm, suddenly anxious to be left alone so that he could discover the new skill of the system. After shooting him one last odd look, the steward left, and he had the small recovery cavern to himself.

    He looked around, first, to ensure that there was no one else. All he found was a few cupboards with bandages and potions inside, so after lowering himself on to the only bad in the cavern, again, he spoke in his mind.

    "Replay the notification that came before I fainted, and tell me all about the new skill!"

    [Affirmative.

    Replaying notification:

    "Data scanned and analysed. Mission "Uncover the Power of the Gluttons" completed. Skill ''Power adaptation'' has been unlocked.

    Power adaptation: Any completely analysed power system can be applied to host''s body on host''s command

    As the analysis of the Path of the Gluttons is complete, host can now begin training in this path.

    Path of the Gluttons: In the absence of the ability to absorb energy directly, the body adjusts by choosing an aspect of absorption that will result in the same effect in a roundabout manner, along with an increase in physical strength. The effect can be discarded if needed, resulting only in the absorption of power.

    There are different sub-paths that one can take, but all of them boil down to one rule: Choose an aspect, study it and understand it to facilitate conversion, convert and absorb to gain power.

    The target known as ''Dwarf King'' converts and absorbs the ''growth'' aspect of individuals. Side effects include memory loss and retardation of basic intelligence. Aspect of absorption is ''growth''. As a way has either not been found to separate the aspect from the energy or because the decision was taken not to do so, target has grown to a disproportionate size.

    The target known as ''Madeira'' converts and absorbs the vitality of an individual after taking permission. Her path is different from that of the Gluttons, but the core remains the same. Additional rules regarding permission, et cetera are present due to the nature of what she absorbs. Here also, a decision was taken to not separate the aspect from the energy.

    Target known as ''Jezara/Jezaro'' uses a refined version. He/she converts and absorbs ingested food into energy. A minor version of the aspect of growth is a side effect.

    Target known as ''Lord Commander'' has a dual path, which has exposed the fact that multiple types of absorption can be learnt, although there are drawbacks. The effectiveness of each type is reduced, and a long time period is required to be able to do so. The two paths are: absorption from food without the side effect of growth, absorption of the ability to grow facial hair, with the decision to not separate the aspect.

    This target has also physically learned a method to control one''s own hair over time. Such a skill does not come under any pathway of magic or strength.

    Host must choose what to absorb to activate the skill.

    Because the system is the one deploying the path, multiple types of absorption can be used if enough data is collected for each.

    All types used by the targets scanned are available to be used by host.

    At the end of the day, the Path of the Gluttons is a means to reach a higher rank in the base power ranking already learned by host from target known as ''Jezara''. It facilitates faster growth of strength, granting one power that can be used effectively only with proper training.]

    Daneel sat enraptured, listening to every word that the system said. This was the first time it was being so long-winded, but he didn''t mind, at all.

    ''A cheat! It''s a damn cheat!''

    This was the thought he had gotten when it had told him that it could now allow him to absorb power in the same manner as those four individuals, who were all much, much stronger than him.

    He didn''t need to study the aspects they had learned to use over time like them. He didn''t need to worry about side effects, or any problem that might come in his training.

    Armed with the system, all he had to do was find a source to absorb, and he was golden!

    Excitement and joy surged through his mind, making him feel that all the hardships he had had to go through to finish the mission had been worth it. The system demanded a steep price, for sure, but when it was paid¡­ oh, boy, did it deliver.

    All of a sudden, he felt much more confident in the plan they were soon going to use to get back at the Lord. It wasn''t just this; he felt more confident of the future, itself, as he now knew with certainty that his future was limitless with the system at his side.

    He wanted to test it out, to see how it would feel, to know what he was capable of. In a sconce on the wall, he spotted a crystal mined in the Pit, and right away, he got a thought that made him ask the system, "Can I absorb energy from the crystals? If so, how is it different from breathing that same energy in?"

    [Responding to host. Using the pathway that was unblocked, energy that is absorbed tempers host''s mind, for the most part, while also having a minor effect on the strength and recovery of host''s body. It can be used for sudden bursts of power, but it does not have major long-term effects. The path of the Gluttons is different because it caters only to the physical strength of the body. Hence, by absorbing the energy of the crystals using this path, host can achieve a surge in growth of might. ]

    "Do it! Do it now!"

    [Affirmative. Deploying Path.]

    Daneel watched, agape, as a vortex formed in the air in front of the crystal. In the same way that the dwarf king had absorbed something ephemeral from his victims, a faint, misty light began to be pulled from the crystal to the swirling currents the system was creating, and then, the light entered his skin where he felt each cell in his body hungrily drink it up, as if they had been starving for weeks.

    [Pausing absorption to allow for adjustion of body.]

    With this message, the vortex disappeared, and although the crystal was intact, it was a lot smaller.

    Daneel raised his hands slowly and stared at them, amazed at the sheer vigor he could feel from every part of him.

    "Hyeah!"

    With a battlecry, he punched the stone wall beside him and grinned when he realized that he was already able to move faster than before.

    Yet¡­when a voice appeared from the entrance of the cavern that was followed by the sound of the speaker running away, another heavy groan reached his lips, and he felt like huddling into a ball and going to sleep for an eternity.

    "They were all right! I didn''t want to believe it¡­but you are Crazy Uncle Masochist! I''ll go tell everyone!"

 59 Bond

    A few hours later.

    Daneel felt another wave of embarrassment pass over him as he waited in the throne room, watching on as the dwarf king laughed and laughed at everything that had happened when he had been asleep.

    Reese was trying hard to stifle his own amusement, and failing spectacularly.

    Rather than the two of them, the worst part was actually the hundreds of the dwarves who had swarmed the throne room just now, all ready to pummel him so that they could ''serve''.

    He had had to shout three times that he didn''t get off on pain for them to finally stop¡­ and then assume that he just wasn''t in the mood, now.

    Giving up, Daneel had resolved to just wait it out and ignore the jibes while hoping that it would go away. He didn''t know whether it would happen¡­ but for now, they had more serious issues to discuss.

    When the dwarf king finally paused to draw in a deep, whistling breath, he raised his voice and said, "We don''t have much time. Shall we begin planning?"

    After one last chortle, he finally obliged. Raising his hand to silence the rest, he said, "Of course. We are most excited to see what you have in mind. Please begin."

    Finally getting his chance, Daneel first took a moment to go through it all in his mind. It wasn''t very long, but still, he had to make sure that he would be able to get his point across in the first try.

    After he was perfectly happy with the way it was going to sound, he began.

    "We all know that Lord Burrow steals from the food allotted to the Refinery and the Pit. From our efforts, we were able to find out how exactly he is profiting from it. After all, it is food, and he has a finite number of servants¡­ so he has to be able to exchange it all, right? In a few hours from now, that is exactly what is going to happen. My plan is this: we must expose this to Lord Harold, but he must see it with his own eyes if he is to believe our claims. Then¡­ why not steal his food, and have him search, infuriated, for the ones responsible? We''ll lead him directly to the exchange point¡­ and there, we''ll catch the Lord or his agents red-handed! An investigation will begin, which will definitely end with the reveal of the one responsible for it all. And because we all know what happens to anyone who wrongs my ex-father¡­ I think we can rest assured that by the end of this, the great Lord will be begging for death. What do you say?"

    There was a moment of brief silence afterward, punctured only by the sounds of the dwarves arranging the table in the cavern beyond for the meal that would soon begin. Then, all of a sudden¡­ all of them began speaking, and Daneel had to force himself not to clutch his hands to his ears to keep out the din.

    "Crazy uncle masochist is really a genius!"

    "Yes! He''s strange, but smart!"

    "What a great plan! I could never have thought of it! The enemy will not see it coming!"

    "Yes, it''s awesome! If we try to enjoy pain, will we also get so smart, too? Let''s try!"

    That last utterance almost made him gag. Thankfully, the dwarf king raised his hand to silence them again, and after thinking for a moment, he said, "Truly remarkable. We imagined all sorts of routes that you might have wanted to take, but you chose one which we could not have seen, and hence, which we are sure will blindside those on the surface, too. Tell us what we can do to ensure the success of your plan."

    With a nod and a smile that came inadvertently because he really was a bit proud of himself, he answered, "The most important step is the one in which we have to steal from the Master''s food stores. Because I grew up there, I know where they''re located, but security is so tight that I can''t even begin to think about how I would want to get in. Also¡ª"

    "Oh, don''t worry about that. As soon as you said that the exchange would be in a few hours, we guessed the reason behind the Lord choosing it. At the same time, the Master and other eminent people on the surface are set to visit the Genuflecks to preside over the marriage of two cousins. You know them; they don''t even waste the smallest chance to enjoy. Security will be lax, and without help, it won''t be a problem to get inside and get away. We have some reliable people on the surface we can trust to be of aid¡­ so let us know if you have anything else on mind."

    Daneel was quite taken aback by the revelation, but he took it in stride quickly. He already knew about how smart Lord Burrow was, so it was to be expected that he would use an opportune time to make sure that there would be fewer sentries to witness the illegal exchange.

    Directly moving on to the next issue at hand, he said, "We also need to be able to subtly hint to those that the master will deploy about where they''ll be able to find the culprits. Essentially, we need to leave breadcrumbs behind¡­"

    "Easily done. We know enough enforcers who can act as if they''ve gotten a break. Anything else?"

    Daneel went blank, for a second. The power that the dwarf king held above the surface was unimaginable, and right away, he felt glad that he had taken the decision to seek help instead of putting everything on his own shoulders.

    With a smile, he answered, "No, that''s about it. I''ll let you know if I think of anything."

    Clapping his hands together to create a sonic boom that knocked over a few dwarves nearby, the giant said, "Great! It''s time to eat, then! Go on, go on!"

    "Eat, eat, eat¡­"

    With a chant that seemed to echo throughout the city, all those in the throneroom filed into the dining cavern where the long table was beautifully adorned with all sorts of mouthwatering dishes that made Daneel stop and stare. He was then lifted off his feet abruptly, and although he floundered for a second, he quickly realized that he was being carried by the little men whose enthusiasm knew no bounds.

    Soon, he was seated at the position of honor. At the very head of the table, he, Reese, and the steward ate together, and it was a merry time where he found himself smiling, for the most part.

    He slowly found himself liking all the dwarves, no matter how old they were. The children were pampered by the others, which was a strange sight as they looked almost the same. The teenagers spoke of their hopes and dreams. Some wanted to go into the army, while others wanted to farm or grow animals. The older dwarves were almost like doting elder brothers to those younger than them; they helped in every way they could, finding happiness in seeing others happy.

    All in all, it was an unlikely family in this unlikely location that somehow existed. He was approached by many of them, with most wanting to compliment his wit, while a few wanted to quench their burning doubts about his ''kink''.

    Finally, it was with a slightly heavy heart that Daneel bid goodbye to all of them. In the few hours he had left, he had decided to rest, so he was shown to a small cavern that was a lot like the quarters given to slaves, albeit in much better shape with a feather bed, to boot.

    He had been told that he would be woken up when it was time. So, with nothing but focus on the goal on his mind, he stretched on the bed and relaxed.

    Before he dozed off, one thought came to him unbidden, but because it was one that made him feel good, he fell asleep with a smile.

    ''I have a family above, and a family here. I was responsible for the loss of a family member there¡­I must make sure that no such thing repeats, ever. They''re all precious, in their own right¡­and they must be protected. I will succeed, and make them happy. Lord Burrow¡­you''ll never be able to hurt anyone else, soon! It''s time to meet your end!''

 60 Setting Off

    "Crazy uncle, please wake up! It''s time!"

    "Yes, yes, we have to go! The others are already waiting for us!"

    "Boom! Bam! The enemies won''t know what hit ''em! Come on!"

    Daneel blinked groggily as several high-pitched, yet enthusiastic voices entered his ears. Blinking the haze of the dream world out of his mind, he looked around and saw that his cavern was now filled with young dwarves who were all whispering between themselves excitedly.

    The way their eyes lit up as soon as they saw him was truly something to cherish. A smile came to his lips before he even realized that it was on the way, and getting to his feet, he stretched, causing popping sounds to appear from his hands, legs, and back.

    "Whoa! Cool!"

    He laughed as all the children tried to imitate him, contorting their bodies into impossible positions that did nothing except make them wince, annoyed.

    Shaking his head and realizing already that he was going to miss them, he asked, "What''s up? Where are we supposed to go?"

    "Follow us! Follow us!"

    They seemed to somehow possess the remarkable ability to sync perfectly when the situation called for it. Even their footsteps had a rhythmic tone to them, and as he was led outside to the dining cavern and then onwards, he saw others also join in and somehow fall exactly into the pace set by those that had been in his room.

    After marveling at how this almost looked like a well-disciplined army marching to its enemies, he started to study the places they were going through and soon saw that something was different.

    Where before he had mostly seen the dwarves just casually living their lives, there now seemed to be a general air of tension and nervous anticipation to the whole place. Dwarves could be seen everywhere, scurrying to tasks he didn''t know, bustling around to places he hadn''t seen. Even now, the cavern he was heading through seemed to be one he hadn''t gotten a chance to explore, yet, as it was completely different from all those he had been to until now.

    He had only gotten to the one where he had seen the army training before being knocked out. As he was led to the cavern that lay beyond, he saw that it seemed to be an armory, of sorts, but surprisingly, most of the steel boxes were empty.

    He turned to the ones leading him to ask whether there was a shortage of weapons, right now, but he gave up, knowing that such matters did not lie in the purview of the children. They kept going onward, and when they reached another cavern where there were neat rows of dark dots in the walls, it was obvious that they were the quarters of the soldiers which were empty, now, too.

    His curiosity grew with every step, but he found no one who could satiate it. Hence, he could only wait, impatiently, as they reached another cavern that had nothing except a gigantic, empty bed, and then passed it to enter a large, open space that was three-sided, with the fourth being a dead-end.

    Here, he finally found those he could speak to, but he hesitated, finding that the atmosphere of the entire place was somber and serious. He hadn''t really studied it as his eyes had fixed on Reese and the old steward who stood nearby, so when he finally looked towards the spot where all of their gazes were fixed on, he squinted, then raised his eyebrows, more out of a surge of inquisitiveness than shock.

    At the end of the cavern, just in front of the bare wall was a podium above which was a large crystal formation that completely consisted of clear, translucent stalactites.

    It was the height of three people standing on each other''s shoulders and as broad as five lying down. In the base were only small, hand-sized crystals, and behind them, in layers, they grew and grew until the largest was at the very center of the formation, dwarfing all those present, looming over them serenely like something that had stood there for millions of years, unchanged and untouched.

    If it was just this, he would have dismissed it as another teleportation device like the one he had stepped into in the Refinery. Only¡­ there was one aspect that separated it from everything else he had seen in Graiton until now, and it also seemed to be what had captivated the gazes of all those present.

    An orb of light, separated so that a part of it was present in each and every shard, yet still holding a vague, circular shape was pulsing in front of them, like the heart of some ephemeral being pumping life and power incessantly, never ceasing, never tiring no matter what came in its way.

    Despite the nervous excitement he had been feeling ever since he had woken up due to what was to come, he felt himself slowly being lulled into a state of peace and harmony. The muscles of his face relaxed, his heartbeat slowed down, his very blood flowed slower through his body and his mind became devoid of all useless thoughts.

    ''System¡­ What''s happening?''

    [Responding to host. No conclusion was able to be formed using skills available to system.

    Please unlock world analysis skill by completing the given mission to facilitate successful analysis.]

    A slight hint of frustration bloomed within him, but it was instantly muffled by the serenity in his mind. Resolving to think about it later, he just let himself be swept into the aura of tranquillity that the rest were a part of, but after just a few minutes, he was disturbed by something he felt from his legs.

    Looking down, he noticed that the ground¡­ was shaking.

    "BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!"

    Like the din of impossibly large drums that he couldn''t see, a stead sound reached his ears¡­ and then, a shadow covered his entire body, making him look back and witness something he had never thought he would see.

    The dwarf king was on his feet. In the city, all of the entrances to the caverns were incredibly high up in the air, and now, the reason behind this became clear.

    He ducked into the cavern they were in, and as he straightened his back, his impossible size was once again put on display. Daneel realized that his first estimate had been wrong. The man''s head was at least 30 feet up in the air, brushing the ceiling that had seemed unnecessarily far away from the floor. He suddenly felt as if he was an ant while the king was a normal human, but the feeling faded when he looked all around and took solace in the fact that he was much bigger than almost all the others in the room.

    Even the king''s face looked solemn as he walked forward to the crystal. He looked at it for a few moments then turned around, and as he addressed all those gathered, his voice rumbled in the cavern, amplified repeatedly by the closed area.

    "It is our custom to always pray here before setting out on any difficult endeavor. What we embark on today is more important than almost everything of what we''ve been doing for many years. For those of you who do not know what this is: we cannot give you a full explanation as it is a secret guarded by those who came before us, but we can tell you this-- if the spirit of what we want to do and what we wish for ourselves and the honest folk above was given a physical form, then this is what it would be. Please¡­ join me in prayer."

    Turning around again, the king clasped his hands together and bent his head, eyes lowered reverently to the base of the crystal formation.

    The explanation had left Daneel none the wiser about what the thing in front of him was, or the reason behind its effect on all those near it. Yet, feeling an urge to mimic all those who had taken the same position as the king, he inclined his head, and prayed for luck and success.

    For a moment, all was still. His mind emptied itself of everything, and the whole world seemed to consist of only the pulsing orb, and his heart.

    Of only his heart, and the pulsing orb.

    Of only his¡­

    ''Thump. Thump. Thump¡­''

    They both echoed as one, connected, melded into a single being, and to Daneel, it felt as if he had learned the true meaning of the word ''at peace''.

    It left him when the dwarf king spoke again, but what the man said set his heart beating quickly again, as all the emotions returned and he prepared to finally embark to fulfil the promise he had made so long ago.

    "It''s time. Brave warriors of Graiton...begin to depart!"

    Please go to

    to read the latest chapters for free

 61 Lying in Wai

    The rolling hills in front of Daneel stretched on and on, lifeless and bare, dotted with clumps of bushes clinging on to life despite the dusty nature of the land they had chosen to take root in.

    Yet, if one lied down on the ground, they would forget everything about what was around them as the magnificence of what lay above was truly something to behold.

    Wispy clouds were floating here and there, idly moving due to the wind that came and went in bursts, abrupt but welcome in the humid heat of the night. Millions of stars twinkled on the canopy of the heavens, looking down on those cursed with the ability to see, but never grow strong enough to reach them and discover their secrets. A yellow moon hung half-hidden behind the clouds, showing itself now and then and blanketing the landscape in its wan glow.

    Lying on their stomachs on top of a hill that overlooked an empty spot in the dead land, Daneel breathed in slowly, afraid to make even the slightest of sound that might alert their prey. The ground beneath him felt rough, but he was used to meeting it with every part of his body during the training sessions that he was already coming to miss.

    Obviously, it would have been foolish to go and put himself in a dangerous position even after what had happened in the mansion of the Lord. Even though there should have been no reason for them to suspect him, it was something he had just not been comfortable with doing, but had left him with an empty hole which was caused due to the fact that his growth in strength had been interrupted.

    Yet, this feeling disappeared the instant he remembered what he had achieved in the dwarf city. After this business was done, he looked forward to obtaining all sorts of sources from which he could improve his power until he grew to be unrecognizable from what he was now. Just the thought of feeling all that energy surging through his body made him smile faintly, and spotting this in the moonlight, Reese asked, "Thinking of the future? So am I. Mainly¡­ I''m thinking of greeting dad."

    He spoke in a whisper, barely audible even though he was just a few feet away from Daneel. They had to be prudent, after all, as this was the place where the exchange would mostly take place, and it would not do to foolishly scare away the ones they were trying to catch by drawing attention to themselves.

    Daneel nodded and replied in a voice that was just as soft.

    "Yes¡­ I can''t wait to see a smile on that old face."

    After beaming for a moment, Reese turned back to the empty spot. Mimicking him, Daneel went through his process of choosing this location, again, to make sure that he hadn''t made any mistakes.

    The message they had intercepted only had the details of the time, but not the place. Yet, placing himself in the Lord''s shoes, it had seemed easy to identify the location where the least risk was present that any illegal activities might be spotted.

    The dwarf king had supplied him with the details of the paths taken by enforcers tasked with the mission to patrol the surroundings of the town. On this particular day, there was a clear hole in the pattern, and although Daneel didn''t know whether this was by design or coincidence, he was sure that it was what would be chosen by the Lord.

    They continued their vigil silently, eyes trained on the empty spot almost as if they were afraid it would run away from them, occasionally looking around at the empty landscape to see if there were any signs of anyone arriving for the exchange.

    There were three moons that appeared throughout the month in the town of Graiton. Tomorrow, the second one would give way to the third, so right now, it was blazing as brightly as possible in the sky, intent on making its presence known before it would have to leave for the next twenty days.

    "You see that?"

    He almost jumped as he heard Reese''s hurried remark. Following the man''s gaze, he turned his eyes to the east¡­ and sure enough, he could vaguely make out a figure on the horizon that was slowly growing larger

    "Yes. It''s probably the one who will take the goods!"

    Relief gushed through him as he saw that he had been right. This was the spot, and soon, the Lord would meet his fate.

    The figure came closer and closer, materializing into a tall man dressed in a long, dark cloak with a strange hat on his head. It was circular, but it was in the shape of the business end of a nail jutting into the sky, its sharp end clearly visible despite the distance. It made him look oddly like the fang of a gigantic beast that had run away from its mouth and was now fleeing to safety, and Daneel had to shake his head to get rid of the image.

    The closer it got, the more cautious the man acted. He would often take detours, climbing up hills out of his way to peer at the surroundings and only continue when he was satisfied that he was alone.

    Ordinarily, Daneel would have been worried about being found out¡­but when the man reached within a hundred feet of them, he whispered, "Now."

    Slowly, the two of them got up and looked back to confirm where the holes they had dug after coming here were present. Lowering their legs into them, they used their hands to move further and further back until only their heads were above the ground.

    Pulling over two bushes nearby that they had already prepared, they arranged them carefully to cover this last shred of themselves visible to the world. When they were done, there was no chance of anyone being able to spot them even if they came within a few feet from where they were, so without any worry on his mind, Daneel turned to the target who would reach his destination in merely a few minutes.

    ''So far, nothing has gone wrong. Hopefully, nothing will, t¡ª''

    As if the gods had heard his thought, Reese suddenly spoke up in a tone filled with concern.

    "To your right! Is that the hangman?"

    Craning his neck, Daneel turned in the indicated direction to find the one who had almost granted him his death on his first day in this body. As if his bulging chest wasn''t proof enough, the moon peeked out of the clouds just as he made his way up a hill on the way, clearly exposing the scar that ran down his cheek, bright and unmistakable on the cruel face whose only lover was death.

    "He''s probably here to make sure that the coast is clear! If he''s nearby, we won''t be able to send the signal! What do we do?"

    The both of them were here because they had been assigned the important task of signaling the guards who would soon be swarming over these hills, searching for the stolen food stores of their master. If they arrived too late or too early, the whole plan would be ruined, so they needed to make sure that the timing would be perfect.

    The plan was that one of them would run to call the guards over, but if the hangman was on the way, this would be impossible.

    Right away, Daneel saw that it was a genuine problem that quickly needed to be taken care of. The cloaked man would soon arrive, and if he didn''t make the decision now, the hangman would be too close to the spot, making it so that any confrontation would result in the culprit being alerted.

    "I''ll take care of him."

    "You can''t be serious! He''s at least two ranks above you! He''s one of the strongest individuals in the town¡­ so are you sure it''s not a deathwish?"

    If he had been asked this question a day ago, he would definitely have faltered.

    But now¡­ checking the pocket of the trousers he had been given in the dwarf city that had been specially made for him, he clasped his hands around the crystals he had taken with the excuse that they were his lucky charm, and knew that what he was setting out on was difficult, but certainly not impossible.

    Giving the answer in a confident tone, he got to his feet¡­and set off to take a little bit of the big pile of revenge that he needed to take from this town he had arrived in.

    "Don''t worry about it. Just trust me."

    Please go to

    to read the latest chapters for free

 62 Confrontation

    Daneel made his way straight to his opponent, not stopping anywhere to make even the slightest effort to hide as it was imperative that he be stopped before he got any closer to where Reese was. He went through many plans in his head on the way, discussing with the system about how best he could use the abilities he now had at his disposal, and by the time he got close enough for the hangman to spot him, his confidence had soared so much that it felt like an easy task to take care of the big man.

    "Hey¡­ who''s over there? Stop!"

    The shout made Daneel wince. Due to the layout of the land, it wasn''t very probable that it would travel to the spot of the exchange¡­ but still, he didn''t like it.

    Taking off at a run, he bounded forward to the man, trying hard to keep the grin out of his face as it was truly great to have the upper hand, for once.

    It felt as if he had gone on too long without being in control, always played around by the situation instead of having the ability to grasp it in his hands and mold it to his will. The sensation also evoked something deeper in his psyche, but as he didn''t have the time to study it thoroughly, he just let it flow through his mind, giving it free rein as he knew that it was not something to be feared.

    As soon as he did this, the grin arrived, anyway. It was the confident grin of a general in command of the terrain and the enemy, poised to deliver a victory like no other to those depending on him.

    When he was within just a few pieces of the hangman, recognition finally arrived on that scarred face. He had been squinting, until now, and as his eyes widened, he said, "Aren''t you that little squirt who got away? Why are you here? Tell me, now!"

    Daneel took a few more steps forward and stopped when he was just five feet away from the large man. He didn''t seem so big, now, especially when compared to the dwarf king who had entered the cavern and shown his true size just an hour ago, and he even seemed to be lumberingly slow because of the added weight of the paunch that was definitely a hindrance to any fighter.

    "Yup, that''s me. Tell me¡­ why do you delight in inflicting pain so much? Did you have a troubled childhood? Or did someone just drop you on your head when you were a child?"

    Anger instantly flowed into his face as he heard himself slighted in this manner. Tightening his fists, he answered in a bristling tone.

    "Why are you so cocky, boy? You''re not the young master, anymore, to whom I have to grovel¡­ you''re nobody! I can even kill you now, if I want! Just run away! I need to be somewhere¡­ so it''s your lucky day!"

    Daneel wondered if there was any other way in which the man could have made it more clear that he was here to keep a lookout on the exchange spot. Shaking his head like a petulant child, he answered, "No! I think you''re all talk¡­ so why should I move? You''re the one who should get out of here!"

    He cringed inwardly as he was forced to say something so childish, but he knew that it was necessary if he wanted to lull his opponent into a false sense of confidence. To make it seem even more convincing, he leered at the hangman, one corner of his lip lifted mockingly as if he was looking down on the man, and right away, this seemed to have touched a nerve.

    "You¡­! Alright¡­ death it is."

    The last few words were said deadly cold tone that almost sent a shiver down Daneel''s back. Yet¡­ when the hangman thundered forward, he gave a command to the system that made all the confidence that had filled him until now return.

    ''Absorb the crystals, and use it to power my body.''

    [Affirmative. Deploying the Path of Gluttony.

    Source: Crystal.

    Effect: Power surge.

    Host will be able to either deploy the surge of energy to entire body, or to specific parts of the body on demand.

    If energy is delivered to entire body, host''s power will be increased by two and a half ranks.

    After effect: Host will be left fatigued after the energy leaves host''s body.]

    Daneel had already confirmed with the system that it wasn''t the sort of fatigue that would leave him unmoving and unable to even walk back to where he was expected. The system really hadn''t been kidding when it had said that it had the ability to grant him the world if he was just able to finish its missions; by deploying just this path, he could fight those a few levels above him, and even though it would mean that the precious crystals would be used away without really improving his strength in the long-term, it was a cheat that most could only dream of, but never attain.

    "Spread it."

    [Affirmative. Absorption has begun. Distributing surge.]

    He had always wondered how it would feel to be an Expert, to be on the level of that brute who was reportedly still unconscious due to what he had done. Now, as he felt each and every muscle and sinew throughout his being fill up, then vibrate with a sense of might that left him feeling giddy, he saw that it was better than his wildest dreams.

    The hangman was so close that he could see the spittle drooling from his snarling mouth. Experimentally, he raised one hand to strike that scarred face¡­ and watched on, fascinated, as it turned into a blur in front of his very eyes and hit its target with a low ''thump''.

    The hangman swerved to the side and fell on the ground, before turning to him and looking just as stunned as Daneel felt. In that moment, he was just about to relish the superiority that came with possessing so much power¡­ but then, suddenly, a wave of staggering pain vibrated up the hand he had just used, making him yelp and then hold it as it felt that it was on fire.

    ''System, what''s this?''

    [Assessing data. Conclusion found.

    Host''s body is unadapted to handling the surge of power. Hence, backlash is present. From calculations, any surge that increases host''s power beyond 1 rank will result in significant backlash.]

    ''Then can we decrease the power now?''

    [Negative.]

    Daneel suddenly felt so dumb that he wanted to bury his head in the ground. An image of a balloon bursting as too much air was pumped into it entered his mind, and with a shudder, he couldn''t help but wonder if he was in for a similar fate.

    ''No¡­I just have to end him in a single attack!''

    Cheats were great, for sure¡­but it seemed that he had underestimated the price that he had to pay to use them. As the hangman jumped forward with another snarl, he moved back and turned into a blur again¡­before falling to his knees, as his legs were not ablaze.

    ''Fuck! This was supposed to go differently!''

    The large man seemed to have been prepared for such a move, though, as it turned out to be a feint. He was able to recover and reach Daneel, and raising one hand, he caught his neck and raised him, causing his legs to dangle an inch above the ground.

    Daneel had hoped that he would have some time to recover from the shock and look for a way to win. Alas, this was a luxury that wasn''t at his disposal, at the moment, so if he was going to get an idea, it was now or never.

    ''System¡­how about absorbing something from him? Maybe his power? Or his vitality? Anything!''

    That was the best he could manage. He had already dreamed of absorbing anything he wished in the world, and hence, he hoped that it would be his way out.

    "I have you now, you little shit! Can''t run away anymore! DIE!"

    The fat fingers began to tighten, cutting off the air reaching his body, reminding him of the similar scene that had played out with Jezaro on the other end.

    [Responding to host. Absorption is not possible as source needs to be unstable.]

    ''Unstable? What?''

    Surprised, he looked for a way out of the dilemma. There was one avenue that would save his life, but he didn''t want to choose it: if he used the power in his body, again, he would be able to get away, but the backlash would injure him even more. So¡­that just left making the hangman ''unstable'', but how the hell was he supposed to do that?

    Gasping for breath, he looked all around, searching for a flash of inspiration. He found nothing, leading him to disappointedly look down and prepare to save himself, then hope for the best¡­but then, all of a sudden¡­he knew what he had to do.

    His body''s response was sluggish, but even though it was delayed, it did its job. His right leg moved, shooting forward at an impossible speed¡­before meeting the crotch of the hangman, resulting in the sickening sound of eggs breaking.

    He somehow hung on to Daneel¡­but his face went pink, then red, then white, just as the system spoke in his mind.

    [Minor Vitality Absorption has been initiated. Discarding aspect due to risk of unforeseen side-effects. Experimentation recommended before any subsequent absorption.]

    A different kind of energy came to life somewhere deep within Daneel as he fell to the ground. The hangman had crumbled after the notification, and he now lay unmoving on the ground, body slightly curled in a vain bid to protect his family jewels¡­which were already beyond saving.

    If Daneel didn''t know all the vile acts that the man had done, he might have felt sorry for him. Staggering to the left and right, he got to his feet, and as he slowly began to make his way back to Reese¡­one thought reined prominently in his mind.

    ''I''ll be damned if I let myself be caught up by excitement, again¡­well, I didn''t pay for my mistakes this time, but next time, I''m definitely not going to be this lucky. Oh, system, I''m never going to take what you say at face value, again! And don''t you even try to convince me otherwise!''

    Please go to

    to read the latest chapters for free

 63 Return

    Putting one step in front of the other, Daneel struggled to get to Reese before he was too late.

    On the way, he reflected about the fact that ever since he had come into this body, it was as if his only purpose was to finish a thesis on all the sorts of pain that could be experienced by mankind. Right off the top of his head, he could recall ten types that he had discovered just in the last few days, but of them all, the one that had hurt the most was definitely the heartbreaking anguish that had filled him after the episode in the Lord''s mansion.

    The present plan''s purpose was exactly to attain salvation due to what had happened, then. Now that they were on the cusp of success, there was no way that he would let something as mundane as agony keep him from witnessing it in all its glory¡­ so ignoring the protests from all over his body, he kept walking and walking and walking.

    He could scarcely believe that it had only taken a few minutes for him to reach the spot of the confrontation from Reese''s side. Now, it was as if his destination was on the other side of the world, with him having had his legs removed and given a broken crutch that was more of a hindrance than support.

    After what felt like an eternity, he clambered up one of the many hills among the landscape to see how far he still had to go. He had memorised the exact properties of the terrain on the way over, so even though Reese was definitely hidden from almost everyone would be looking, he knew certain signs that would let him know where the man was. Only¡­ as soon as he reached the summit, he felt his gaze being pulled to a different direction, where he noticed something that he hadn''t spotted all this while as he had been completely self-absorbed ever since the victory over the hangman.

    He clearly remembered remarking on how silent the surroundings of the town were when he and Reese had made their way to the spot of the exchange. Now¡­ in the background, he could clearly hear the sounds of people screaming and low explosions that seemed muffled. As he turned to the town, he fell back a step and blinked, unable to believe what he was seeing.

    The pristine town he had grown up in was almost unrecognisable, now. Fires had broken out in multiple places, blazing brightly in the darkness of the night, their smoke rising into the sky and mixing with the clouds to make the atmosphere seem much more ominous and sinister than it had been before. From his vantage point, he could see tiny dots that were definitely people running around the town. He had no idea whether they were fleeing, being chased, or the ones doing the chasing, but one thing was certain: there was something going on here that he didn''t know about.

    Tearing his eyes away from the captivating scene, he went over everything that had happened so far. Then¡­ the dots began to line up, and he felt once again like the immense fool who had marched into that fight with the hangman, believing that he had achieved supreme power that would grant him victory even though no such thing should be possible in the boundaries of Graiton.

    The training area had been empty. The armoury had been emptied. The quarters of the soldiers had also been completely empty¡­ and now, he remembered vaguely that the cavern in which that crystal formation was present had been filled with dwarves, many of whom might have been armed and prepared for battle.

    He slowly saw that he couldn''t really blame himself for not noticing this fact beforehand, as the atmosphere in that cave had been such that it was very difficult to concentrate on anything that wasn''t related to peace and tranquillity. After the prayer was done, he had directly turned around and left the place through the opening through which he had entered, so he had had no chance to observe the others around him closely and understand that something was afoot.

    ''But¡­ what''s the purpose? Even if the dwarves have decided to go to war¡­ the enforcers are too strong! Are they simply going on a raid, maybe? Well, it is possible¡­ but with their existence exposed, how can they hope to go back to the city and live peaceful lives, once more?''

    The questions kept piling up, but no answers were forthcoming, at least where he stood. He turned to the town and watched it for a few more moments, trying to spot something that might give him a hint about the fell things afoot in this night¡­ but he failed.

    ''I should get back to Reese¡­ all I care about is the Lord, and his end. I''ll just do my job, first¡­ and worry about the rest later.''

    Taking support from this decision, he dug out energy from the deepest recesses of his body and headed east. Each step was more painful than the last, but this time, the inquisitiveness raging within him gave him strength, as he had begun to visualise the end of this journey as the place where he would find at least a few answers.

    On the way, he did notice one detail that helped him to direct his thoughts away from the chaos in the town. In a path that cut through the rolling hills so that it would stay on flat ground, for the most part, deep ruts were visible, which meant that the cart had passed through not long ago. This meant that the food was on the way¡­ but compared to what he had just seen, this seemed like an almost trivial development.

    Slapping his cheeks to force himself away from the questions once again, he trudged on and finally breathed a sigh of relief when he reached the foot of the low hill atop which his friend would be waiting. Getting on all fours, he bit his lips and tongue to stop himself from making a single sound and scrambled up to the bush below which he was supposed to find Reese¡­but felt his blood go cold when he only found the hole there, but not the man.

    ''No¡­ did something go wrong? Or, wait! What if he went to give the signal? But I didn''t spot him on my way!''

    Trying to calm his frayed nerves, he moved a bit further to see the situation at the exchange spot¡­ and let out a slow breath when he saw that everything was in place.

    In fact¡­ even the best case scenario had come to be, as the man the original inhabitant of his body had called ''father'' was standing right in the centre of the empty land, sneering at three individuals who had been forced onto their stomachs and were being held there by his personal enforcers.

    One of the men was the outsider they had been observing before his departure. The other, Daneel didn''t recognize, but as soon as he saw the third¡­he grinned with satisfaction, as it was Lord Burrow, brought down to the ground by Daneel''s machinations.

    Harold had an intimidating look about him even though he was doing nothing. Wearing a long, crimson cloak that covered him from neck to toe, he lifted one leg and kicked the Lord in the stomach, eliciting a loud groan as he shouted, "How dare you, slave? I thought you were a loyal dog¡­but you turned out to be a dumb thief! You just couldn''t resist stealing from me, too, eh? Ha! The people are going to have a ton of hangings to enjoy, soon!"

    Daneel was about to rejoice as his job was done. Yet, just as the slightest hint of happiness came to life within him¡­ it was wiped away when a foreboding feeling filled his mind.

    For a moment, time seemed to go still. He looked all around, at all the hills surrounding the spot, at all the bushes that were perfectly placed above each one, looking natural, at first glance, but fake on the second, exactly like the ones they had brought to cover themselves.

    Then¡­ everything happened at once. Four bushes flew into the air, and four dark figures leapt at the Master¡­while at the same time, ''SNAP!'' went the Lord''s fist as it flung the enforcer on top of him aside, and drew a blade at a blinding speed that shot toward Harold.

    Each of them was impossibly fast, only allowing anyone watching to guess their size, but not their identities. One of them could be identified by even the dumbest of people, though¡­he was larger than anyone present, and although Daneel could have sworn that he hadn''t seemed at all like someone who possessed explosive speed, that was the reality presented in front of him.

    Just like the Lord, the four figures were all holding four sharp weapons, all of which descended from four directions onto the Master''s neck, leaving a precise spot open that was quickly taken by the Lord''s dagger.

    ''He''s done for!'', thought Daneel, as there was surely no way that anyone would be able to escape such a trap.

    Sure enough, when they reached within a foot of him, a great cloud of dust went up into the air due to their footfalls and a great ''CLANG!'' echoed in the surroundings, which he guessed was from the weapons meeting each other after hacking straight through the Master''s body.

    But¡­ When the dust cleared, his eyes fell upon a sight that made his mind go blank, and his heart stop beating.

    Somehow¡­ the Master was unscathed. All around him, as if time had transformed into a material entity that had trapped them where they stood, the five figures were frozen, their hands raised, their weapons an inch away from their target.

    When Daneel saw each of their faces, he felt as if a hammer was hitting him on the head when he recognised each one.

    Lord Burrow, Jezara, the Slavequeen, the Dwarf King and the man who had knocked him out in the Courtyard were all standing together, on the same side, with the same cause.

    Yet, as if he wasn''t staring death down its face, Harold spoke in a casual tone that made it seem as if he was taking a stroll on a sunny day.

    "So all the tiny ants have scurried out of their tiny holes¡­well, you can try all you want, but your minuscule power can''t put a scratch on me. Don''t believe it? Just try, while I think up all the elaborate ways in which all of you are going to die¡­"

    Please go to

    to read the latest chapters for free

 64 Truth

    The words echoed in the clearing, over and over again, reverberating throughout each and every corner of the area, coming together in Daneel''s head in an explosive shower of shock and astonishment strong enough to knock him off-cold.

    ''They are all¡­ working together? How? When? What¡­''

    His mind was filled with naught but questions, his eyes were almost glazed over with incredulity. The figures were still frozen in place, their weapons just an inch away from their target, but that inch seemed to be so insurmountable that even though each of their hands was vibrating as they were putting forth all their strength to make their move, they couldn''t get any closer, at all.

    Above it all, the Master seemed unperturbed, as if he had been expecting this situation all long. He was handling them as easily as if they were children¡­ and because they weren''t responding, Daneel had the time to think things through for a moment.

    He went back to the very beginning, to that moment when he had begun upon this trial that had led him here. It had started with the problem of food, and the issue of not losing his strength¡­ and that had sent him to the Succubus, whose pretty face was now beaded with sweat in front of him.

    She had sent him to Lord Burrow¡­who was snarling as he tried more and more to move his dagger and kill the master.

    He had found Jezara in the Lord''s employment¡­ whose ruined face was now empty, with just the eyes showing the anger and frustration that was definitely filling that primitive mind.

    And then¡­ to find out about Jezara, he had gone to the Courtyard and met the old man with the sword, who seemed powerless now in front of the Master''s inscrutable and invisible defense.

    Amidst them all was the dwarf king, who had interposed himself into Daneel''s life without being invited or called upon. His existence suffused all the other experiences that Daneel had gone through, and seeing him now, with his gigantic mouth opened into an angry roar, he saw that he had been played as a fool all along, used for his wit and then discarded as soon as he had made the plan that had resulted in the scene in front of him.

    After boiling it all down, that part stood out. His mouth tasted sour as he realized that he was merely a piece on the chessboard. He remembered, again, just how happy the dwarf king had seemed after hearing his plan, and now, it was obvious that the man had rejoiced because he had found the perfect opportunity to emerge from below and pursue his vengeance.

    "Don''t beat yourself up about it. There was no way that you could have known."

    He heard a familiar voice behind him, and a moment later, the old steward appeared on the hill, grunting due to the effort but keeping his eyes fixed on the standoff.

    Daneel didn''t even know what to say. He opened his mouth to clarify at least some of the doubts he had, but nothing came out, as there were simply too many to pick from.

    Shooting him a glance from the corner of his eye, the steward chuckled and said, "You got it right. This is a plan that has been in the making for over a hundred years. With or without you, it would have gone forward¡­ but by becoming a slave and then proving yourself to be resourceful, you transformed into the kindling that set this town aflame. They''ve all been in on it, together. They have all been watching, waiting to kill you if you showed even a hint of exposing them to those that weren''t supposed to know about it all, but because your loyalty was unquestionable, you have been spared. I was against it in the beginning, you know. When everyone met and proposed that we push you to a situation where you would have to act against the surface, I was of the opinion that you would falter on the way and doom us all. You know who trusted you from the beginning? Burrow. You haven''t seen him, but he was watching you on the Surface, just as he watched all the rest. When he was notified about how much you had changed¡­ he was really happy about it, and said that this was the kind of change that could be trusted. After all, he knows about change¡­due to the fact that he was a nobleman-turned-slave, too, once."

    Daneel sputtered, unable to believe that the one he had wanted to see die so much had placed so much faith in him. His mouth opened and close as if he was a fish out of water, and shaking his head, the steward continued.

    "Look at that cocky Master. We knew that he was wearing a defensive cloak, but its power will run out soon¡­the whole point was to get him up into a tizzy so that he would come here without his usual bevy of charms. With each second, its power is being whittled down, so soon, he''ll finally be dead! He is trying to act calm, but I bet he''s panicking inside¡­ anyway, back to you. The main question you must have must be about that whole episode with Sebastian and the butler, right? Well, the Master suspected something, so he sent the butler who kept a close eye on Burrow. The guy was so effective that he couldn''t even tell us about something as simple as this exchange spot. So, someone had to go in there and get a message, and for that, you made the perfect plan! Alas, Sebastian had to die¡­ he was one of the few experts we had, but his sacrifice was needed. As for you finding that secret spot where you saw Burrow stealing from the food¡­it was necessary, as we needed to get weapons to fight a war! He still ensured that everyone would have enough to live¡­but it made him look like the perfect villain! Ha! Anyway, we can talk about the rest later, after¡ª"

    ''After what?'', Daneel would have asked¡­had he not turned back to the scene of the confrontation, and found a change that even those with their weapons around the Master''s neck hadn''t seen.

    Two shadowy figures had appeared on the flat land, vague and tall and ghostly, yet still possessing enough semblance to offer no doubt on the truth of their existence.

    "No, no, no, no¡­"

    The steward began to mutter under his breath, his face suddenly an unhealthy white, leeched of all blood and vitality, his eyes two squinting dots, looking on disbelievingly at the sight in front of him.

    All of a sudden, a loud sound made Daneel snap his head around, again.

    A large dust cloud had appeared around the Master, obscuring his surroundings, but nearby, a few flying figures could be seen. With loud ''THUD!''s, they fell to the ground, and as the image of the Master cleared¡­they gasped, together, to see that there was not one, but two individuals standing there.

    The Master had a smile on his face that Daneel had seen before when the man had been about to set off to torture an unruly slave. His crimson cloak was nowhere to be seen. Beside him stood a man dressed suavely in the same shade as the cloak, with a face hidden by a crimson mask¡­with only the eyes standing out, two blazing spots in the otherwise dark surroundings of the spot of the exchange.

    Before anyone could say anything, the Master''s words echoed over the land, again, and this time¡­hearing them made the steward shudder, and fall back.

    "Finally. Finish up quickly here, boys. I''ve got stuff to do, people to kill¡­and apparently, little dwarves to root out, and play with. You can begin!"

    Please go to

    to read the latest chapters for free

 65 Battle

    The master said his piece and began to study his nails, as if completely uninterested in what was going to happen next. His calmness was in stark contrast to his surroundings¡­ which had suddenly grown frenetic with the advent of the newcomers.

    Daneel noticed that none of the five were very surprised when they saw the shadowy figures march towards them. It looked like they had already detected their presence, but ignored them in the hope that they would be able to finish the job¡­ but alas, no such thing had happened, and now, they had no choice but to get past the master''s protectors if they wanted to get to him.

    Each of them fixed their gazes on their opponents, their eyes as red as pieces of coal fresh out of the fire. Their fists clenched and unclenched around their weapons, betraying the rage and frustration they felt, and even as they waited for their opponents to come close, they kept glancing past them to Harrold, wishing that they could jump ahead and target him again.

    "Forget it. Give us a good fight, and we will grant you quick, clean deaths¡­ or otherwise, you''re in for a never-ending nightmare."

    The one clothed in red spoke, his words strangely flat and emotionless despite their meaning. The three had portioned out their opponents: the red figure was going toward the dwarf king, while the other two who still looked like they were more shadow than man were going towards the rest.

    Of them, the shadowy figure closest to Daneel and the steward took off at a run and reached his opponents first. He was up against Lord Burrow and Jezara, master and servant, standing side-by-side with a practised grace that would almost make one believe that they often fought together.

    Daneel still remembered Jezara''s story, and how Burrow had apparently taken a turn with the man''s sister before lying to him about what had happened. Clearly, as he had been told it by one of those below, it was wrong¡­ but which part had been changed?

    He decided to find out later when the shadowy figure drew out two short blades, each just as long as one''s palm. In the air, he raised them high, each pointed to the two in front of him, and in that moment, it seemed that an even fight would break out, which might end with the side of the Lord succeeding, eventually, using their superiority in numbers.

    Only, a heartbeat before the figure was about to reach them¡­ a raspy chuckle emanated from his throat, and the shadows around him pulsed¡­ and made him disappear.

    Bewildered, Daneel looked all around the battlefield, looking for signs of where he might have gone. He didn''t have to look long, though, because a second later¡­ he saw both Lord Burrow and Jezara raise their eyebrows alarmingly and bring their weapons to their throats, where they were pushed back with a ''CLANG!'' by something invisible that quickly coalesced into the figure, who had blinked into existence once again to deal a fatal blow.

    He smoothly flew past, and with shock, both his opponents took a step back. Around their necks, small cuts could be seen where their own weapons had dug into their skin, and as the whirled around to face their foe again¡­ the shadows pulsed once more, and he was gone.

    The Lord and his servant floundered around, searching for the spot where he would reappear, and at the same time, on the other end of the battlefield, the same scene was being repeated in the case of the man from the Courtyard and the succubus. They were nowhere near as coordinated as the other two, but they still seemed to be experienced enough to be able to not get in each other''s way. In their case, the opponent was not as enthusiastic, and they had already gotten a clue regarding his powers¡­ but still, their vigilance amounted to nothing when he disappeared and made deep gashes appear at their waists.

    Meanwhile, the crimson-clothed man had reached the dwarf king, who was panting from his exertion. Still, he cut an imposing figure, standing so tall that he could have passed as a mountain, himself, with the blade hanging from his right hand easily as big as his opponent.

    "Hey, big fellow. Why not kneel so that I can reach your neck easily?"

    The mocking tone made the giant''s eyes half-close with rage. He let out another roar, this one louder than anything that had appeared from his mouth so far.

    Raising his butcher''s cleaver high, he brought it down on the man who didn''t move until the last second¡­ but then, just as the sharp edge was about to cleave through him, he jumped, and transformed.

    If Daneel wasn''t seeing it with his own eyes, he would never have believed anyone recounting the events happening here, at this faraway place where he had thought things would go very, very differently. Normally, the man should have had no chance of escaping the blow¡­ but the moment his legs left the ground, he changed into the same crimson cloak worn by the master before.

    He seemed to retain his momentum, though, so of course, because a cloak could easily fly into the air as it did not have the weight of all that flesh and bones pulling into the ground, he flapped his way up, up, up to the giant''s beck where the cloak turned, and its hem flashed in the moonlight, revealing the sharp edge that had been added to it.

    There was no doubt about it. If the attack succeeded, the giant would fall to the ground, blood gushing from his throat, but thankfully, before that could happen, the dwarf king''s other arm moved at a speed that one would normally have thought it had no right to use.

    The cloak was swatted away. Daneel looked down, hoping that the blow might have damaged the man¡­ but in that form, he seemed to have properties of the thing he transformed into, as he re-emerged unscathed and calmly reached the ground.

    In all three battles, the first exchange had ended with the opponents obtaining the upper hand. However, when it seemed that they were going to continue¡­ they all fell back to the master, making the five furrow their eyebrows and stare, cautious.

    Daneel observed what was happening as if his life depended on it. With squinted eyes, he watched the three all close in on the master and pause, and in that moment, he noticed something he hadn''t seen before.

    The shadows around the two had weakened. The crimson clothes of the third weren''t as bright as they had been before. But then¡­ an emerald glow flashed from within the master''s pocket, and in an instant, the three were once again in the same state as they had been before the beginning of the fight.

    "They''re just normal Experts¡­ but they''re all drawing power from those magical items! This way¡­ our people will keep tiring, and they''ll be able to retain their power no matter how many confrontations take place! This is foolish! We can''t let it continue!"

    The steward seemed to have picked up on it, too. Muttering half to himself, he got to his feet and shouted, "My king, enough! We have failed! We must get out of here!"

    With a vengeful snarl fixed on his gaunt face, the dwarf king turned to the steward and seemed as if he was angry enough to chuck the cleaver in his direction and cut the little man in half. But a moment later, all of a sudden, a single glance at the master and his protectors made all the fight go out of him, and right away, Daneel knew that he had reached the same conclusion.

    Just then, the three leaped out again, with renewed vigor and bloodthirsty growls that meant that they had no intention of letting the five leave so easily. But before they could get any closer, the dwarf king took out an object from somewhere in his shirt, and the moment it appeared in the air, the man in crimson stopped in place¡­ and flew back, transforming into a cloak again.

    At the exact moment that the giant crushed the object, the cloak affixed itself around the master. He was perfectly on time; from the dwarf king''s hand, a silvery shockwave spread out at an incredible speed, knocking out everyone it met.

    They all crumpled to the ground, and Daneel wondered whether he would meet the same fate. However, the wave fizzled out before it reached them, and with haste, the big man picked up the four¡­and brought his foot down with another ear-wrenching roar on all four of his enemies.

    He grunted savagely and moved his leg as if he was putting out a fire, and as he raised it, Daneel hoped to find only masses of mushy blood¡­ but sadly, the cloak had protected the master again.

    The good thing was that the other two had died. Before he could feel happy about this, though, the steward growled in his ear, making his mind go blank, then fill up with the realization that all of the five¡­had failed.

    "Let''s go! Its effects won''t last¡­ And we''ve dallied for too long! The main protective force of the master must surely be on its way! We''ve lost¡­but we don''t need to die! RUN!"

    Please go to

    to read the latest chapters for free

 66 Escape

    Wheezing and gasping all the way, the brave rebels of the town of Graiton beat a hasty retreat, even though their sorry state made it so that they looked anything but.

    After the steward''s message, Daneel had soon begun running, too, on recalling the blinding speed of the crimson man, in front of which he stood no chance. The dwarf king led them directly to the large crystal outcropping on the border of the town, into which Daneel had stepped on that first fateful day to get to the Pit. On the way, the steward took out a bugle from his baggy robes and blew two shrill blasts that resulted in a moment of silence, and then the pitter-patter of many dwarves rushing to the extraction point.

    All of this had clearly been planned out, but that didn''t mean that they were happy to see it unfold. The steward constantly turned back to the spot of the exchange, face scrunched up into disappointment and hopelessness, and from that, Daneel could tell that all of the rebels had definitely placed the lot of faith on his plan that could have resulted in the end of the master if not for the sudden appearance of those three experts.

    There was no doubt as to their strength even before the steward had told him about it. He could now estimate the speed that one needed to exhibit if they wanted to be called a member of a particular rank, and to make sure, he even asked the system about it on the way, along with a query about the items that had been used to grant them those incredible powers.

    Sadly, because of the distance, it hadn''t been able to collect enough data to give him a satisfactory answer. It did confirm his estimation, though, but with the query answered, Daneel had no option but to turn back to the startling truth that had presented itself before the fight.

    Due to the frenzied fight that had followed the revelation, he hadn''t had the time to study what the steward had told him. Now that he had nothing to do except keep running, he couldn''t turn away from it, and as soon as he began to pick it apart, he found a few glaring loopholes that had to be answered.

    If these rebels were really capable of so much in all the layers of the town, then why had Sebastian had to die? Couldn''t they have estimated the power of the butler beforehand, and sent enough reinforcements to back him up? He had even been called a valuable Expert¡­ if so, why hadn''t he been conserved instead of being thrown away in that manner?

    If they had been stealing food to obtain weapons to fight a war on the Surface, had they willingly let slaves and residents of the Refinery starve to death? He knew multiple instances of this happening, where lives could have been saved if proper nutrition had been available for the men, women and children of these two layers.

    Had the dwarf king been faking that ''brother'' thing all along, or had the man really held at least a shred of affection for him under that fleshless visage?

    Finally¡­ if he hadn''t shown up as a perfect scapegoat, what would they have done? How could things have changed if Daneel had not stepped forward with his plans that had seemed perfect, but had actually been nothing compared to everything going on in the background?

    The first three questions pulled at his mind, while the last did the same to his heart. He saw that it was vital for him to know whether his meddling had caused more deaths than if he had never been a part of this, in the first place, and for once, he did not think about what this indicated about how he had been in his past life.

    He had no option but to put everything aside when they reached the crystals, and found a few dwarves already waiting there. They looked normal, at first¡­ but when Daneel and the steward neared them, in the light of the second moon, he saw that they were all gravely injured, leaking blood from multiple cuts all over their bodies or even missing limbs, in a few cases.

    A few lay unmoving on the ground, forgotten by the healers among them who were fussing over others who still drew breath. Daneel had known, in essence, that this was what war was like¡­ but looking at it up close made his blood go cold in his veins.

    After all, even though the strongest bond he had created was with the children, he had started to think of these disciplined members of the underground city as part of his family, too. It hurt to see them in this manner, and even though he was able to put away these emotions with some effort, they stung in the back of his mind, insistently poking at him, reminding him of his weakness that had given him no option but to sit on that hill and watch on while the truly powerful had fought, and failed.

    He saw the king''s frown when he spotted his soldiers, but without slowing down, he took out a red crystal and touched it to the ones in front of them, making the spiky matrix glow once, then quiet down.

    He stepped into it, and without thinking, Daneel followed, the steward fast on his heels. They emerged directly in the throne room where a crystal formation that hadn''t been there before had been set up, and as soon as his vision cleared, he saw a gigantic body on the ground, breathless, with the contents of his hands spilled onto the rocky floor in front of him.

    The dwarf king had clearly collapsed due to the strain, and the same seemed like it would soon happen to Daneel, too. They had had to run quite a long distance to get to the exit on the surface which had been on the other side of the town, and as the steward also fell to the floor beside him, he marvelled at the strength of the man who seemed ancient.

    But then¡­ that wonder leached out of him in an instant, replaced by those throbbing questions that all spilled out of his mouth in one go.

    The steward listened, resting on his back, while the broken army of dwarves filtered into the city behind them. When Daneel was done, he bent on to his knees and had to draw in air in great gasps once more, and in the silence, the steward growled, "How¡­does all of that even matter, anymore? If you must know, then listen. If we had committed anyone else to that mission on the surface, there would have been no way for it to be carried out. Sebastian was the one who said he would be fine, thinking that he could handle the butler¡­but he underestimated that man. Jezara could have backed him up as there would have been no witnesses, but you incapacitated him, somehow. Yes, a few in both those layers had to die¡­ but if they didn''t, the master would have gotten suspicious! You don''t know how that bastard grins whenever he hears news of those dying from starvation! He gets those bodies sent up to the surface¡­ where some of his eccentric protectors research the human physiology! Our dear king really did think of you as a brother, and so did Lord Burrow, because your story is so similar to both of theirs¡­ and if we had succeeded, we could have rejoiced as a family! But he failed! As for your final question¡­ I have no god damn idea!"

    The blunt answers made Daneel squirm, as they made him feel like a toddler whose parents had made a plan for him about which he was throwing a fit, as he had just found it out. He powered through the sensation, though, and found that there was one last question that he hadn''t asked.

    "What now?"

    This one finally elicited a visceral response from the steward. He shook his head, his eyes fluttering as they battled the tears that threatened to flow out, and in a weak voice, he answered, "What now? We hide, again. They can''t find this place¡­ so we burrow into the ground, while the rampage above, and make the streets flow with blood. I really wished that things would be different, this time¡­ but it seems almost as if we are fated to¡ª"

    "BOOM!"

    A loud sound interrupted him, making all those in the cave look up while the ground shook, and dust fell from the ceiling.

    Then¡­seemingly from far away, a voice echoed into the cavern, making the hearts of all those present collectively stop, then beat thunderously.

    "I''ve found yoooouuuuuu, you little ants! Did you think you would be able to hide, this time? Ha! You''re all done for! Heeerreeeee I come!"

    Please go to

    to read the latest chapters for free

 67 End 1

    Daneel and the steward stared at each other, eyes wide as they could go, as the voice echoed over and over and over again in the cavern, striking deep into the darkest corners of their minds and raking up emotions the could easily make a man huddle into a shaking pile on the ground.

    Another loud boom made them spring to action. But even after getting to their feet, neither of them knew what to do, until the giant moved beside them and turned his impossibly big eyes which were now quivering with fear on them.

    "Get the children. Get everyone! We must defend! There''s nowhere we can go!"

    Daneel blinked once, then fell back as the king weakly moved his hand to swat them both away.

    It seemed that even the slightest movement was hard for him to make, so it was obvious that he would be able to do nothing in the fight that was soon going to be at their doorstep. His action did make both of them ran towards the dining cavern, though, and on the way, he kept glancing back at the huge man from whose eyes a bucket-sized tear had just dropped to the floor.

    "Brother¡­ they love you. Calm them down. If worst comes to worst¡­ be with them, please. I can''t¡­ Move. We''re¡ªno, I''m depending on you¡­"

    The king''s weak voice was the last thing Daneel heard before he entered the adjacent cavern. The meaning behind what the man had said hit him with such force that he felt the wind go out of him, but when another explosion from somewhere nearby rocked the entire cavern, he hastily put those feelings aside, convincing himself that there must be another way.

    Pleadingly, he turned to the steward, unaware that his face looked was that of someone desperately looking for a way to escape reality. The steward met his eyes and immediately understood what he was asking. They were still moving onward, into a cavern that Daneel hadn''t been to before which might be where all those little dwarves resided, and after pursing his lips and scrunching up his eyebrows thoughtfully for a few moments, the steward sighed and replied, "The king is right. We can go nowhere. We must make a stand here¡­ and hope that we can make it too costly for them to enter. This place is naturally protected by magic formations that have been laid almost an eternity ago¡­ but I don''t know how long we can hold. I must go check on them. I''ll leave it to you to herd all the little ones to the same place. Go to the library. And when you''re there¡­ check the third book on the right. Ah, never mind. If we had had the time to show you the Path of the Gluttons, it might have been different¡­but there''s nothing that can be done about it, now. Still, it might give you a few tips, so take a look. Maybe you''ll have a shot to use them. As for the rest of us¡­"

    He left the sentence hanging, but a single look at his face was enough to make it abundantly clear what he was thinking. Pressing his lips together into a thin line and nodding to Daneel, he continued onward, leaving him alone in a cavern that was very similar to the one he had seen before where the quarters of the army had been situated.

    The difference was that the caves that dotted the walls were all personalised, with either childish drawings on parchment or other materials, or a mishmash of objects moulded creatively in a way that only children could do.

    There were small corridors that lined the walls, and on them, the children were milling around, slight panic on their faces as in the background, the master''s attempts to get into the city were still ongoing.

    Daneel had to blink back tears the moment they all saw him and cheered, as if he was a father figure that they could trust to protect them. Not all of them spotted him at the same time; those that did quickly started to hurry down, and soon, the others did the same, resulting in a large group of the dwarves congregating around him, all shouting questions that resulted in a din filling the cavern.

    They were all much calmer since they had seen him, which made Daneel feel such a heavy responsibility on his shoulders that he almost bowed down due to it. The king and the steward had both entrusted this task to him¡­ and as he looked at all the innocent faces around him, he swore that he would do it well.

    ''Should I tell them the truth? No, there probably isn''t anything dumber. Okay¡­ If I must lie, I''ll do it with aplomb.''

    Forcefully bringing a smile on his face, he raised one hand, which was the signal that they had to quiet down. It took some time, but when the only sound that remained in the cavern was that of the loud booms, he raised both his hands and shouted, "Listen up, everyone! Father is preparing a surprise for you! That''s why there''s so much noise! We are also going to have a feast soon¡­ but only the best behaved will get the choicest pick of meat! For now, we''ll all have to go to the library and wait there¡­ so which brave dwarves will show me the way?"

    "A feast? Oh, boy!"

    "Wow! I can''t wait for the surprise!"

    "Father loves us best! But Crazy Uncle Masochist is next!"

    Chattering excitedly, the dwarves milled around, now happily ignoring the sounds of destruction from above. A gang of them shouldered through the rest and volunteered to show the way, and after giving them a mock salute, he set off behind them with the rest on his heels.

    He felt like he was in a burning house where he had to take care of kids who would run into the fire if they were allowed to find out that it was waiting outside the door. He was the only one who knew about its existence, but he had to ignore it or keep it in the back of his mind, where it kept popping up at odd times, threatening to force him to collapse and just mumble the truth out loud.

    To take his mind off of it, he kept thinking on the steward''s words. Obviously, he was an expert in the Path of gluttons, so he tried to force himself to be interested in what was waiting for him in the library.

    When they reached their destination, he raised his eyebrows when he saw that the books present here were very few, merely taking up one bookshelf the height of fully grown man. The rest of the space was covered with tables and chairs, though, and as if they had done it many times before, the dwarves all clambered on to them dutifully and looked at their neighbours, checking to see whether they were in the lead.

    Competition was one of the best ways to take care of children, and it had worked here, too. This seemed to be the place where they learned their letters after they were turned to infants by the king, so making use of an activity they were accustomed to, he got to the front of the cavern and shouted, "Alright, how about this! We are going to play a game of dreaming¡­ for 10 minutes, all of you must be silent and dream about what you want to be in the future. After you wake up, you have to tell me about the dream, and the ones who do it best win! Alright? Begin!"

    The children nodded and scrunched up their eyes. For a moment, Daneel was only able to stand there, looking out at the sea of faces which are all filled with their hopes and dreams of the future.

    ''I swore that I would protect them, no matter what¡­ but what the hell can I do now? No, no, no¡­ I''ll take a look at what the steward talked of, first.''

    The dread kept returning stronger and stronger, and Daneel knew that he wouldn''t be able to keep it away for much longer. Moving to the books, he picked up the third one and opened it to find a startling title that drove away all other thoughts from his mind.

    "Glutton Technique: Muscle Control(Face).

    Use: identity transformation(Part 1: Face)."

    [Technique found. Scanning in progress. Please flick through the text so that system can collect the data.]

    In a daze, Daneel obliged.

    [Scan complete. Analysis complete. Energy absorbed can now be used to change the structure of host''s face.]

    In an instant, the steward''s intention became clear. Even if the dwarves escaped, the purge that would soon follow would result in all those who were half the height of normal humans killed, or worse. But if he changed his face and hid himself among the workers in the Refinery¡­ wouldn''t he be able to survive?

    ''Wouldn''t I be able to live on, find my memories, and go to my real family? I can tell that there is definitely someone waiting for me¡­ And maybe even a lot of ''someone''s'', judging by what I feel every time I remember those images. But¡ª''

    "You''re done? Good. Come with me!"

    The steward arrived to interrupt him again, standing at the doorway with a grim set to his face. He was saved from his thoughts once more¡­but right away, as the man left, he knew that this might be the last time he would be able to do so, and this thought made a wave of anxiousness sweep over his mind, to which he wished he could give himself up.

    Yet, getting to his feet and waving goodbye at the happy faces, he followed.

    Please go to

    to read the latest chapters for free

 68 End 2

    Daneel raised behind the steward, who was somehow even faster now than he had been on the surface when they had been running away from those demons who had returned to hound them, now. They barrelled through caverns all empty, all dead, all bereft of the vibrant life that had filled them on his first visit here, and finally, after a minute during which he noticed that the explosive sounds from outside were coming with a much higher frequency than before, they emerged into a small cavern on one end of which various patterns had been etched into the wall.

    Three dwarves who looked almost as old as him were in front of them, studying the lines intently while they crumbled in front of his eyes, each seemingly representing each layer of protection above the city. They didn''t even glance around when Daneel and the steward appeared; instead, they kept mopping their brows which were filled with sweat, and as with each second that passed, their faces were getting paler and paler.

    Daneel looked to his left and right, where there were piles of crystal blocks, so many that he couldn''t imagine how the king had managed to smuggle them away from the Courtyard. They were also placed on patterns on the floor which were glowing and eating away at the reserves of energy above them, and as the crystals kept disappearing, it quickly became clear that they represented the amount of time that the city could still hold on.

    Daneel did the calculations, and the answer was a startling one. If he was looking at it correctly¡­ they were going to last for ten more minutes, and from somewhere in his mind, the thought that it synced with the timeline he had given to the children appeared, making him shudder and imagine a horrific sight.

    He could almost see that man clothed in crimson, whose sharp features had been filled with such glee when he had talked about death. Behind him stood the master with an equally cruel twist to his lips, and both of them were at the doorway of the library.

    He could imagine the children being played with, and killed for sport. He could see them all being herded into the Pit and forced to grow up so that they could slave their lives away in service, and he could see a few taken up and tortured for the heck of it, before their bodies were mutilated in the worst way possible so that the master''s enforcers could continue their ''research''.

    He saw their precious innocence leaving the world, never having been given the chance to grow into something beautiful, something precious, something to be cherished amidst the cruel universe. He saw them all searching, then crying for their father, and then for him¡­ and at that moment, where would he be?

    "Go. Get the fuck out of here! In all the chaos, one man should be able to get away. Go to the surface and hide somewhere, and if you''re lucky¡­"

    With a sigh, the steward turned back to the three in the cavern. It was obvious that he didn''t think much of his plan, but he didn''t know that Daneel could just use the system to change his face and come out of this safely.

    The man had spoken at the perfect time to stop him from answering that question, but without shirking away from it again, he chose to double down and think.

    There was a very clear choice ahead of him, one that was going to shape his entire life from here on.

    On one side were the dwarves he would leave behind, and the king who had called him ''brother''. The images he had just seen were still fresh, and he knew that their fate might even be much worse than what he had imagined. But if he did choose this option, what would it lead to? A futile death standing in front of them, trying to oppose the unstoppable onslaught of the master''s forces?

    ''That is easily just the best case scenario. When he finds arrives, he will relish the idea of taking out all his anger on me¡­ and even though I can try to make it end with me standing for all those who believe in me, what will it amount to? Nothing but a forgotten body, and a past that I''ll never find out¡­''

    His thoughts directly lead him to the other option. In the room was also a small crystal formation, exactly like the one he had stepped into in the Courtyard to get to the city. It was clear that the steward had brought him here to give him the chance to leave; all it would require was picking up one of the crystals, and using them to teleport away.

    If he did that, he would be able to calmly finish the missions of the system, and find out who he was. He even had no doubt, whatsoever, that after that happened, he would feel glad to remember all those who mattered to him¡­but what about everyone he knew he would be leaving behind here?

    ''They''ll all be memories¡­ from a time when I didn''t have any. Maybe, with time, I''ll forget them¡­ after all, who would be dumb enough to want to choose an avenue that leads to death? There isn''t even the slightest chance that I''ll survive! Even if there was a tiny, infinitesimal probability of surviving¡­ it would make sense! But there isn''t! I should walk away! I really should! That''s the best thing to do!''

    He didn''t know why, but he kept getting angrier and angrier as his thoughts progressed. It was with anger that he took a step towards the crystal formation, and it was with the same anger that he picked up the crystal and touched it to the spiky formation, resulting in it glowing, then standing ready to take him away.

    "Farewell. It was good knowing you."

    He heard the steward behind him, his tone holding a faint sense of something he couldn''t really pinpoint. Was it disappointment? Or was it just the acceptance of one who had known what was going to happen?

    Daneel lingered right in front of the crystals, just one step away from freedom. Behind him, the three dwarves were moving quicker than ever, muttering under their breath with more and more urgency. Then, suddenly, he heard the sounds of hands slapping on skin, and as he turned around with curiosity, he saw that all three had fallen to the ground, holding their shaking hands and holding back floods of tears.

    The wall with all those etchings was now empty. A few crystals still remained, but the glow below them was gone. There were no longer being consumed¡­ which meant that there was nothing consuming them, in the first place.

    "It''s over¡­" The steward whispered, barely audible above the earth-shattering sounds emanating into the cave from somewhere inside the city, now.

    He ran out, then, along with the other three who began to scream wordlessly, insanity taking control of their frayed minds.

    In front of him, the crystals glowed, calling to him to go through with his decision.

    Behind him, screams began to echo, heralding the arrival of death and ruin.

    In his mind, the past, present and future fought, embroiled in a way where he felt like he was being pulled in a million directions.

    Damning it all to hell, he raised his leg, prepared to run forward and leave it all behind.

    Bending, he moved¡­

    ¡­and whirled around, hands raised to cover his face, eyes closed to let the tears flow, mind empty except for one thought that had emerged, supreme, from the rubble.

    ''I will not¡­no, I CANNOT choose something I don''t even know about and leave behind those that have trusted me, and stood by my side. Whoever is waiting for me¡­I''m sorry. But I just can''t do it. If I did¡­I would never be able to live with myself. I''m¡­sorry.''

    As he ran out of the room, a loud explosion made him loose balance and hit his head on the wall, causing a ringing sound to fill it that drowned out all other noise.

    He vaguely heard the system say something, but another explosion made him force himself up and run, as the pathway looked like it would soon collapse.

    Behind him, the cavern crumbled into a mass of rock.

    And somewhere beyond¡­the ball of light inside the large crystal formation pulsed, then throbbed in rhythm with his heart.

    Please go to

    to read the latest chapters for free

 69 End End

    Daneel felt it, deep in his heart, a change that he would have investigated right away¡­if he wasn''t in the middle of a veritable warzone.

    He even remembered the feeling as one that was similar to what he had felt inside that room they had prayed in before leaving on their disastrous mission. But with chaos all around him, it was all he could to keep his footing and keep heading to his destination.

    He could hear alarming echoes from everywhere, but the dust that filled the air was making it hard to even understand where he was. The steward had led him to a room that ended with a dead end, so it stood to reason that he had reached the end of the city, but as he tried to find his way to the library, something or the other kept coming in his way.

    Dwarves were running, everywhere. Many were the servants whom Daneel had glimpsed momentarily the last time he was here, and some were the soldiers that had returned from the surface. No matter who it was, their faces were wrought with the urge to survive, and they had no time for him as their minds were filled with the primeval instinct to keep running until they were safe.

    He didn''t blame them, but he just wished that they would stop for a moment. He was still reeling from the decision he had taken; he had chosen death, which might result in anyone who heard of his tale thinking that he was the dumbest person alive¡­but the simple truth was that if he hadn''t made it, he would have died soon, anyway, but with regret instead of satisfaction.

    His life was tied to all those who had believed in him, and all he wanted to do was return to them, and strive for a way to save at least a few. Of course, if there was a way to save himself in the process, too, he would be happy, but this seemed to be a farfetched hope.

    ''I think I''ll settle for killing a few¡­no, a ton of those arrogant fucks before I die¡­''

    It was both a problem and a consolation that he hadn''t found the intruders, yet. He wanted to get to the children to protect them¡­but if he didn''t know where the master and his men were, how could he plan to do anything against them?

    ''SQUELCH!''

    Amidst all the thunderous sounds that filled the city, a particular noise made him look down. The air was so murky that he had to bend to see the source¡­but when he found it, a small smile came to his lips, and he knew where he was.

    ''The creepers! I know where to go, now!''

    He went to the next cavern, then took a left, and after three more turns, he was at the cavern preceding the library.

    The children could be heard beyond, shouting for their father, for him, for the steward, for anyone who could tell them what was going on. The dust cleared for a moment due to an updraft from somewhere nearby, and in that instant, he noticed that the doorway to the library was empty¡­but was quickly being approached by a team of enforcers dressed in white, with brutal grins stretching their moist lips.

    ''No! They can''t get to them! They???re the private enforcers of the master¡­so they''ll show no mercy! I have to do something!''

    The cogs in his mind turned, and his eyes scanned everything around him, looking for something, anything he could use.

    The idea came to him just as the enforcers were about to enter the doorway. Sending a quick message to the system, he walked forward with a firm stride as if he owned the place and bellowed, "STOP RIGHT THERE!"

    The enforcers froze, then turned around, ready for a fight. But when they came face to face with one of their overbears¡­they gulped and stared, confused, and bewildered.

    "Father has called for you! Go to the entrance point!"

    Barking the orders, Daneel ran away into the swirling dust nearby. He ducked to the side as soon as he was sure that he couldn''t be seen. As he waited and listened, he heard low mutters, then the sound of shuffling feet which meant that his plan had worked.

    ''That turd of an ex-brother''s face came in handy, after all¡­and here I thought he would never amount to anything in his life.''

    With a vague idea about what he was supposed to do, he set off in the direction of the soldiers, pausing only for a moment on the way to tell the children to stay put. They didn''t like it, but they listened¡­and he had to bite his own lip to stop himself from letting his face fall and expose the fact that this might be the last time he would see them, ever.

    But for as long as he drew breath, he was determined to do something for this family of his. He found many crystals on the way that he used to transform into different people, and by commanding the enforcers to caverns that were about to collapse, he caused the deaths of quite a few men and women who had been about to satiate their lust for inflicting agony.

    He did what he could, but there were simply too many. The city was swarming with them; there were simply too many to handle, and finally, he messed up.

    He had been using the face of a captain whom he had seen in his memories of the surface, but he had unluckily come upon a squad with the same man in charge. He tried to run, but he was overpowered¡­and as he felt himself be dragged in the direction of the throne room, he knew what was going to happen.

    At this moment before the end, he delved within himself to see if there were any regrets about what he had done.

    He hadn''t been able to accomplish much. But all he found¡­was contentment.

    Yet, the closer he got to the master, the more he saw that there was a regret, after all.

    He didn''t want to die. He didn''t want the dwarves to die, or the innocent slaves who would be punished, or the residents of the Refinery who would be pulled into this, too.

    "Ah¡­look who''s here!"

    A voice butted into his musings, and he was thrown forward by those holding him¡­to the feet of someone sitting on a throne.

    Harrold had even changed before coming to the dwarf city. He was wearing a rich green velvet suit, complete with a walking stick and matching pipe on which he was puffing happily while surveying the pain all around him.

    Daneel snapped his head up and looked around. To his right, the dwarf king was being cut into mercilessly, as if he was a pig up for slaughter. The enforcers were only making shallow gashes, but the way the man winced powerlessly was painful to watch.

    Lord Burrow and Jezara were being kicked to his left, both futilely trying to resist, but failing repeatedly as they were outnumbered five to one, and injured, to boot.

    Madeira was being groped by a group of men, all intent on stripping her as quickly as possible. The man from the Courtyard was being punished with his own sword; they had cut off three of his fingers, and they were going to get to the rest.

    Before Daneel could see anything else, he felt a hand tighten around his threat, before he was lifted into the air. The crimson-clothed man had returned with a vengeance, and it looked like he was in no mood for games, this time.

    "All right, just end it. I did call him ''son'', once¡­so I''ll just bury him and forget those memories. But do make it a bit painful. No need to grant an easy death, after all. And as for all these dwarves¡­oh, it''s going to have fun!"

    With a nod, the tall man flung Daneel aside, where a team of enforcers was already waiting. They began to lay into him with their clubs, batons, or even just their hands and legs, and each blow made him shake with pain, until he had no option but to curl up into a ball.

    They didn''t let up, of course. They targeted his spine, kicking until he was forced to arch it, then targeting his face and stomach until he had to show his back, again. They laughed gleefully as they went about their work, each one even whooping when they were able to land a blow on a vital organ.

    It seemed to go on for a long time, but in reality, it was only for a few minutes. The more pain he felt, the stronger the regret grew¡­until it was the only thing on his mind.

    "Stop."

    A command from the crimson man made them step back. The agony was nothing he had ever felt before. It was so bad that he swam in and out of consciousness, both options equally terrifying because one signaled his journey to death, and the other promised all that pain that wouldn''t go away.

    "I don''t want to die. I don''t want to die. I don''t want to die¡­"

    He kept muttering it under his breath even though he knew it was futile. He felt like a kid who had made all the wrong decisions in life, but hoped that it would still be merciful to him, where in reality, life was just waiting around the corner to show him its true colors.

    In the face of it all, though¡­not once did he find himself wishing he had stepped into that formation. Not once did he waver from that step he had taken, so he was proud of himself¡­but pride seemed like a pitiful thing when he was raised by his throat again, dangled in the air to act as a lesson to all those who had trusted him.

    This time, the crimson man would not relent. This time, he would not stop. This time, he would squeeze the life out of Daneel¡­and as the air was slowly cut off from him, he felt an unquenchable rage fill his body.

    Suddenly, he felt that all of it wasn''t right. Suddenly, he could see himself standing supreme amongst foes incomparably strong, revered by millions, loved by many who would give their life for him in a heart beat.

    The anger spread throughout his body. He raged against the injustice of it all. He raged against life, against reality, against the world.

    The rage burned so red hot that he was able to draw an ounce of strength and bend forward to bite the crimson man''s hand. He was dropped to the floor, but with a snarl, the man raised his leg to deliver a kick that would surely send him to the beyond.

    Daneel saw it coming. The fury that bubbled inside him felt so potent that he was sure it should be able to burn anything in his vision to ashes. For a moment, he willed this exact thing to happen, with all his being. He willed for this world he had chosen to give his life to to respond to his plea, and rain down righteous justice. He willed for a miracle, for a sign, for a divine portent that would tell him that he was justified, that would set the world into the way he felt it should be.

    He willed the crimson man to burn.

    His heart thumped in his chest.

    The light inside the crystal formation pulsed¡­

    ¡­and the Will of Graiton responded.

    The crimson man burst into flames, his sudden screams making those in the throne room freeze and stare.

    Daneel was bathed in the shifting light of the flames, just as stunned as the others. But then, the system spoke in his mind, and somewhere deep inside him¡­a shell broke, and a deluge of images, sounds and sensations flooded into his mind.

    [Connection established with Will of Graiton.

    Status: Weak, due to Energy loss.

    Unlock conditions have been met.

    Host''s memory was locked to prevent detection by Will of the Mainland.

    Memories could only be unlocked by finding host''s self(character/personality), which acts as the thread to normalise host''s existence on the Mainland. Cognition module selected host''s location of transmigration on the basis of conditions required to facilitate the crucial moment of choice/self-discovery. Because host was able to stay true to host''s self when being observed by Will of the Mainland, any foreign memories can now be hidden using this facade, which has been perfected over time by system.

    Unlocking full capabilities of system.

    World Domination System welcomes the return of the true World Dominator, the Godking of Angaria, Daneel Anivron.]

    Please go to

    to read the latest chapters for free

 70 Return

    For a few moments, Daneel couldn''t make sense of anything. He didn''t realise that he had fallen to the ground, eyes vacant as if he was staring at something that only he could see while the burning man danced around the room, searching for help but not finding any from the enforcers and the master who fearfully shirked away from him, staring as if their wildest nightmares had come true.

    There was so much to discover. So much to see. So much to live. So much¡­ to remember.

    At one point, it even seemed as if he would be overwhelmed by all of it and be knocked out, but the moment he got this feeling, he bit his lip as this was the worst time to lose consciousness. Still, he knew for certain that this was the time to see them all for what they were worth and find himself once again, so forgetting everything else, he gave himself up to the memories and began to go through each and every one.

    He remembered being born on Earth¡­ his homeworld. He remembered his childhood there, the kind old lady, the orphanage, the turn of bad luck¡­ and the experiment that had resulted in him transmigrating to Angaria with the World Domination System.

    All of them were vivid, so he didn''t need to worry about not being able to remember things properly. He saw himself floundering, at first, then finding his footing in that new world with the help of the system. He found himself growing, loving, succeeding, then being crowned as the ruler of hundreds of thousands of Lanthanorians¡­ before finding out about the threat of the Church.

    The moment he remembered that single word, a flash of red-hot anger passed through him, making his very vision go crimson as he inadvertently skipped forward to the way he had had to leave his homeland behind to get here. Calming himself forcefully, though, he returned to that point when he had seen his master''s message, and from there on, he continued his journey through the past.

    Friends came and went. Countries rose and fell. People were killed, people died, people tried to kill him¡­ and were all vanquished, one by one, until he stood supreme among millions.

    He got married. He found the loves of his life, two women who had been present in those images he had seen after coming here, and who made a pang of such deep loss and sorrow go through him that it hurt physically when he realized who they were. His family had spanned the entire continent, but he had had no option but to fail them all¡­ and come here to find a way to save them all.

    And with that, he came back to the present, and to the weighty burden on his shoulders. Throughout the journey, he saw that he had regained all of the strength that had been his on Angaria, for if that was not the case, the truth about how millions were waiting to be given birth again by him might have been too much to bear.

    That was definitely not how he felt now, though. All that filled his mind was happiness and joy, as he once again felt¡­ whole.

    That was the best way to explain it. All these days, he had been living as a fragmented part of himself, na?ve and powerless, but even in that state, he was really proud that he had stuck to his ideals. If he really had taken the decision to choose the future while the present was going to be destroyed in front of his eyes, he would simply not have been someone even remotely related to the Godking of Angaria¡­ but he saw now that this had been the plan of the system all along, to give him a chance for his mind and his character to find itself with a clean slate, thereby reaffirming the very qualities that had led him along that life on Angaria, and now, in this life that was going to take the Mainland by storm.

    The happiness was also accompanied by burgeoning confidence and the will¡­ to dominate. It felt like a long time had passed since he had gotten the chance to truly stretch himself and put the system through its paces¡­ but before he could embark on this calling of his, he saw that there was a small issue to resolve.

    In his mind, he saw that there were two people. One was the Daneel who had lived through that life on Angaria, and had been hidden by the system until now to avoid being detected by the Will of the Mainland. The other was the Daneel who had slowly found himself over all these days in the town of Graiton, plodding through his difficulties one step at a time, before ultimately choosing death yet being rewarded for the same in the most spectacular fashion possible.

    Their experiences were different. Their thoughts were different. Even their family was different¡­ so how could they coexist?

    He pondered on this conundrum from a distance, as a disjointed entity looking on from the outside. Then, he once again recalled what the system had said¡­ and realized that his old friend had already thought of this problem, and given him a hint regarding the solution.

    The common thread. That was all that was required¡­ and this thread was their heart.

    Going back to that moment in front of that clump of crystals, Daneel studied the state of his mind, and saw the same turmoil that had been present so many times in his life on Angaria. As if the dam between the two sets of memories was being whittled down, he saw them mix and flow between each other, hesitantly coming into contact like two dancers who had to work together to become a perfect whole, and slowly¡­ they mixed together, and he felt himself being pulled forward.

    All at once, he snapped his eyes open, finally in full command of his mind and body. He frowned then, though, as he felt small poking sensations coming from all over the skin, and when he realized the source, he almost laughed out loud.

    The system had deployed a very thin barrier around him, protecting him from the large group of enforcers who were all kicking and punching, intent on reducing him to nothing but a pile of flesh and blood. Veins were pulsing on their faces, making evident their frustration as they couldn''t even break his skin, and taking a moment, he spoke with the system to find out what was up.

    [Responding to host. Magic system of the world that host has arrived in is completely different from the magic system of Angaria. Elementary particles are absent, or are in a different form which have not been detected, yet. System has been adapting the energy of this world to host''s purposes. At present, a protective barrier which was detected around the city was able to be copied and deployed using the last crystals present upon host''s body. Barrier breakdown in 10, 9¡­]

    "Break it now, explosively."

    [Affirmative.]

    "BANG!"

    With a loud sound akin to a gunshot, a shockwave erupted from him that made all the enforcers fly back and thud to the ground. They all quickly looked up and found him getting to his feet slowly, stretching his legs, hands, neck, causing popping sounds to echo throughout the cavern while looking like he had gotten the best warmup and was now ready to take the fight to them.

    Most of the enforcers were thoroughly peeved, already having seen too much that they couldn''t explain. Only a couple were still in the throes of the adrenaline rushing through their bodies, and identifying one of them, Daneel beckoned at him, taunting him to come at him.

    The man obliged, jumping forward with a shout¡­ and Daneel smoothly chopped at his neck and on his back, causing him to crash to the floor. In a fluid movement, he ducked and dug out two crystals from the man''s pockets, which were used to power the batons used by all enforcers¡­ and after crushing them in his hands, he called upon the Will, just like he had done many times on Angaria, before.

    ''Why exert myself¡­ when all my enemies are so weak?''

    The orb of light below him pulsed once again, and Daneel felt its support suffuse the air of the throne room. All it needed was some energy to act, and he had been able to instinctively deliver the power of the crystals, thereby granting him the capability of using it as he wished.

    He folded his hands behind his back. He raised his head up high, like that of a king surveying his objects. The enforcers were being coaxed by the master who was screaming unintelligibly to go kill him, but when he uttered a single word, time seemed to stop¡­ and then, the sound of many knees hitting the floor was heard, which was like music to his ears.

    "Kneel."

    In the absolute silence in the room, he smiled, then laughed, one thought echoing in his mind.

    ''Oh¡­ It does feel good to be back.''

    Please go to

    to read the latest chapters for free

 71 Justice 1

    Bending on his knees, Daneel tapped the giant''s head, worried that the man might be dead.

    He breathed out a sigh of relief when the dwarf king''s eyes fluttered open and looked around groggily, before finally zeroing in on him¡­ and adopting the look of one seeing a stranger.

    "Who¡­" He began to ask weakly, before a fit of coughing overtook his gigantic body. Daneel stepped back as buckets of blood and spittle spewed out of his mouth, coming to land on the floor and on a few unfortunate dwarves who grimaced and shook their bodies to get rid of it.

    The throne room was quiet. The Will of the town was quite weak, but it had been the easiest thing to influence the weak individuals around him. The only one who had been remotely difficult to control had been the crimson-clothed man, but after increasing the aura a bit more, he had collapsed, too, and had had no option but to stay silent as he was tied up with the weight of a mountain bearing down on his shoulders.

    Daneel knew how it felt to be looked at by someone in a different realm than oneself. It could be humbling to those who had flexible minds, but in the case of egoistic maniacs who had lived all their lives stomping on those weaker than them, it would cause a break in their psyche.

    This had happened in the case of both the master and the crimson-clothed man, along with a few enforcers who had been in charge of squads under them. They had devolved into mumbling shadows of themselves, muttering about how what they were seeing should be impossible, and how they had been about to kill everyone and go back and have a feast.

    When he had heard that part, Daneel had been tempted to not show mercy, but in the end, he had relented to logic which said that they might be useful, in the long run, especially because there was a lot to discover about the layers above him.

    He was feeling better and better about being complete. Each second that passed made him feel glad that things had worked out. The only problem was that he hadn''t asked the system yet about the fate of those who had come with him¡­ but he had left it for a time when he could trust that things wouldn''t fall apart without him.

    For the present, he was content with dominating all those who had sought to vanquish him. He was determined to find out the rest of the secrets of the town soon, too, but first, he wanted to check on his brother.

    The man was shocked, to say the least, after seeing that he was alive, and that the situation was under control. His eyes wandered around the room disbelievingly, and when they finally focused in on him, again, he seemed to finally have caught a hint of recognition that made him whisper, "Bro-brother? But¡­ you look different!"

    Daneel smiled, not knowing what to say. He couldn''t deny it; the change in him was both subtle, but significant enough that he looked like an entirely different person. The set of his face, the stance of his body, and even the very tone of his existence had evolved, matured, grown into that which was possessed by a king of kings, so of course, it was to be expected that the dwarf king would feel that he looked¡­''different'', to put it mildly.

    ''Hell, if I was put in front of the Daneel from before, I wouldn''t even have recognized myself¡­''

    With a nod to encourage the dwarf king, Daneel replied, "Yes, it''s me. The situation is more or less under control, here. I was just checking to see if you were alright. The healers will quickly be coming over to help you. Meanwhile¡­ I''ll be going up. I''ve got some work to do¡­ and some answers to be found. Do you know where Reese is, by the way?"

    The giant looked at him with surprise even as he spoke, as the way he did so was also startlingly in contrast to the comparatively meek Daneel from before. After he was done, the man needed a few moments to comprehend what he had said, so after pausing for a bit, he replied, "Oh¡­ Okay? It is good to hear that. How did you¡­ never mind, that can wait. He might have been captured by the enforcers above, when he left to come help you. He knew what was afoot, too¡­ but he was worried about you. Didn''t you see him on your way back?"

    Daneel frowned, not liking what he had heard. Still, he would be able to find out what had happened to his friend by himself soon, anyway, so he shrugged and nodded to the giant before turning on his heel¡­ and finding a sea of excited faces looking up at him.

    The library was close to crumbling, too, so the dwarf children had been brought here, which was the most stable area in the entire city. They grinned, ready to launch into the task he had given, but as he didn''t have the time, he shouted, "Your father wants to hear all about what you were thinking, himself! Go on! I''ll be right back!"

    Nodding obediently, they all left, with some even coming in front of Daneel to demand a few pats. He laughed and delivered, before stepping to the crystal formation they had come through when fleeing from the surface before.

    When he had been giving the orders, he had asked the dwarves to empty the enforcers of the crystals in their possession while they were being tied up. Hence, a sizeable pile was waiting for him near the teleportation matrix, and it was only after fitting as many as he could into his pockets that he touched one to the crystals, and stepped forward to leave.

    The plan was quickly forming in his head as he waited for his vision to adjust. Dawn was just breaking over the surface. The early rays of the sun glinted over the burnt buildings of the town where the people had just begun to come out to see if the coast was safe. The air smelled of singed wood and death, and as he looked around to find the source of the latter, he came upon a sight that made fury sweep over his mind for the first time since his return.

    A group of ten enforcers was near the crimson crystal formation, holding hammers and other blunt tools, taking out their frustration on the dead bodies of the dwarves who had had to be left behind. There were some standing to the side with uncomfortable faces, but most were gleefully giving vent to their helplessness from before, their faces splattered with blood while their lips stretched wider and wider with delight.

    Caution, logic, and all such things flew out of his mind. All that remained in their wake was an urge to kill¡­ and this wasn''t something he was new to, at all.

    All the years spent training his body and his mind on Angaria, his home, came back to him, as vivid as ever, as potent as sheathed steel ready to be drenched in blood. His body was only that of a Neophyte¡­ but with the Will of the town at his beck and call, what had he to fear?

    He did keep in mind that the Will was weak, which meant that he should use it sparingly. His anger was such that he didn''t want to think of innovative methods to do the same, so he just squinted toward the enforcers¡­ and burned the crystals in his pockets to have his aura sweep over the place.

    They suddenly froze, like prey alerted to the fact that it was being eyed by an apex predator. He walked forward with slow, measured steps, betraying none of the rage that was flooding through his veins.

    He had only deployed a spike of it, so right now, just the after-effects were keeping them in place. Once, he had had to use the auras of mythical beasts to scare men and women of power¡­ but that had only been because those opponents had been close in power to him. The enforcers in front of him were weak, so weak that just the aura of domination that he had built up over the years was enough, just like it had been in the throne room below.

    As he reached the first one who was still holding a hammer in his quivering hands, he reached forward to catch his neck with his palm and squeeze the life out of him.

    The beauty of it was such that the man was so terrified that he didn''t even move when he began to choke. Only at the last second did he convulsed once before falling into a heap, and before the hammer fell to the ground, Daneel caught and swung at the woman to his right.

    The others had just begun to rouse themselves, but he invoked the Will intermittently, targeting it at the individual enforcers he was facing to make them freeze as he delivered justice. After pulverizing her stomach into nothingness, he took out the knife from her waist and used it to slash the neck of the one to his left.

    It was grim, bloody work, but it had to be done. When it was finished, he panted, eyes as red as the sticky substance that covered his face. Straightening his back, he regained his breath¡­ and turned to the enforcer to the side, who promptly fainted.

    ''Maybe I should decrease the strength of the aura¡­ can''t have people fainting on me everywhere if I want answers, now, can I?''

    A scream from the town made him look up. It sounded like that of a woman, and after hefting the hammer that he was still holding on his shoulder, he wiped his brow, and took a step forward.

    There was more justice to be delivered. More killing to be done. And even if the streets might flow red today¡­ the town would be purged, and he had no doubt that this was something that had been long, long overdue.

    Please go to

    to read the latest chapters for free

 72 Justice 2

    Daneel stabbed the stomach of a woman dressed in a pink gown. She gasped onto his face, hot breath stinging his cheeks while her blood flowed down his hand and turned her clothes a glaring crimson.

    ''Am I getting a tad too¡­ I dunno, killhungry?''

    As she collapsed to the floor, he stepped past her, glancing once at the two dead dwarves she had been torturing on the street, shouting commands to her personal guards whom he had killed first, while she had lain whimpering to the side.

    If he had thought that the passing of so much time might have calmed down the town, he had been wrong. As if they had found the perfect opportunity to satiate their deepest, darkest desires, many of the nobles had taken to the streets, chasing and hunting the dwarves who had been left behind as they either hadn''t heard the call for retreat, or had been captured by the enforcers.

    He went to the next street and found an even bloodier scene. The next few seconds were a blur with him abusing his aura to render his enemies weak and ready for the slaughter, and when he once again paused while the blood from a noble''s neck gushed onto his clothes, he thought, ''Er¡­ yeah, something is wrong. I have killed my fair share of cruel folk back on Angaria¡­ but I wasn''t this bloodthirsty, right? System? Any answers?''

    Before he could hear its response, a sniffling sound from somewhere nearby made the rage drown everything else, again. Running in its direction, he saw a child wearing the garb of a slave being toyed with by three children who were all nobles.

    He studied the scene for a moment, still undiscovered as he was at the corner of the street. The slave was a girl. Her long hair was constantly being pulled by the teenagers who got close to her. She was groped, too, and one of them tried to pull away her robes, resulting in them ripping and exposing her bony legs.

    They laughed when they saw her run and huddle up against the wall. Making lewd comments, they stepped forward, determined this time to overpower her, and do as they wished.

    With a snarl, unable to control himself, he sprang forward, the knife whistling in the air as it flew towards the noble closest to him.

    He was able to stop at the last moment. The kid had frozen, eyes as wide as saucers as he saw the blade at his neck that had already drawn a trickle of blood, and while looking into that terrified face, Daneel finally snapped out of it once again.

    ''Okay, enough! Something is definitely wrong! System, give me the answer again!''

    [Responding to host. Host created a connection with the weak Will of the World by caring for those born to it. It appears that the Will has been constantly witnessing the atrocities against its people, which has led to it taking on a vengeful nature. When host uses its power and controls the magic of this world through it, host also gives into its viciousness, which years for the deaths of the oppressors. Hence, host has been trapped in a bloodthirsty frenzy directed at the chief abusers of power in the town. Host has managed to withdraw from the vengeful miasma, now. However, if the power of the Will of the World is used once more, host will be taken under its control again.]

    With a shudder, he let go of the knife and let it clutter to the pavement. The nobles all looked at him, and from the way their faces went completely pale, he realized that he must definitely be cutting a gruesome figure.

    He saw it in the eyes of the one he had been about to kill. He was almost completely drenched in blood, his face a deep red due to the dried gore it had been plastered with again and again. Bits of men and women clung to his clothes that were completely unrecognizable from what they had been before. Even his teeth were bloody, but he had been ignoring it until now; it was only when he noticed this that he was able to taste the saltiness, which made him stagger to the side and retch.

    By the time he stopped the bile from rising to his throat, he looked up and saw that the nobles had run away. It was a wise decision, all in all. He looked like such a demon that even the one he had come to save stared at him as if he was the god of death come to take her away from the cruel world, but with a smile, he tried to approach her and tell her that it was alright.

    Screaming, she ran away, too, leaving Daneel with his hand outstretched and a sheepish face.

    ''One might think that after experiencing so much, I would be hard-pressed to find something that could still surprise me¡­ but if so, then they are very, very wrong. As the Godking, again, I thought that it was time to completely take control¡­ but I''ve been used! It''s not a bad thing, though¡­ and really, who could have guessed that the Will of the World, which is supposed to be an impartial force like nature, can grow vengeful? Well, I guess torture and death have been the specialties of this town for far too long¡­''

    Taking support from a nearby wall, he gasped for breath, suddenly realizing that he was extremely exhausted. He was still only a Neophyte, after all, and he had been going from street to street, noble to noble, enforcer to enforcer, stabbing them or hammering them to death, sometimes even getting into fights just for the heck of it even if he could use the aura to make them stretch forth their necks willingly.

    He didn''t even know how long had passed since he had come to the surface. The difference was that the town was a lot quieter than when he had approached it before, when his sanity had still been more or less intact¡­ but since then, all he remembered was a vague whirl of screams and death and destruction.

    ''Alright¡­ I have to be careful, from here on. I''ve got to remember that this is a new world, where I can still be blindsided quite easily¡­''

    Regaining his breath, he tried to stand up and gather his bearings. As he looked all around, he realized that he was near the center of the town, where he had woken up on that first, fateful day.

    He trudged forward, wondering about something he hadn''t noticed until now. What were slaves doing here, anyway? Had they already been pulled into the confrontation?

    His question was answered when he passed the building, and came upon the paved clearing. His breath stopped, his mind went blank, and his eyes went wide when he saw what was waiting for him.

    The gibbet he had climbed on that first day had grown. It stretched out in front of him, and above it were the dangling legs of over twenty slaves and workers from the Refinery, all of them having been hanged some time before.

    In front of them all stood the two sons of the master. With smug smiles, they were addressing the crowd of nobles gathered in front of them.

    Daneel had been unconsciously been filtering out the sound until now. He focused as he wanted to know what they were saying, and with each word that he heard, the red haze from before grew stronger and stronger, calling to him to give himself up once more.

    "¡ªshould have hanged so many more, but that will follow soon, don''t worry! My father is rounding them up as we speak¡­ and then, we''ll have enough bodies to line this entire clearing!"

    "Exactly! They possess the freedom to breathe and live because of our kindness, but they dare to rise up against us! All slaves, and all the workers in the Refinery are fair game! There must be a limit set, of course¡­ but apart from that, we should be able to hunt whoever we wish so that it will stand as a warning to the rest!"

    There were cheers from the nobles, many of whom were surrounded by teams of personal guards, all holding blades and batons ready to be used on the innocent folk standing nearby.

    Daneel saw now that the depravity of this place was at a much deeper level than he had ever thought. As he had spent most of his innocent life utterly obsessed with himself, and because he hadn''t really had the time to bother with the nobles after his fall from grace, he hadn''t seen how bad it was¡­ but now, it was arrayed in front of him clearly, reminding him of a very similar scene from his past.

    The difference was that these nobles were even crueler. To them, those from the layers below were just cattle, born to be raised, used, and slaughtered, if they wished.

    The red haze sung its lonely call, pleading him, imploring him to give himself up one last time, to end what he had begun, to settle the debts of the Will, to herald a new age for Graiton, one that it deserved after being enslaved for so long.

    He sighed. He was a bit reluctant after seeing what he had just done, but he still gave in.

    After all, what could he do? He had always been a sucker for lost causes¡­and evil bastards begging to be killed.

    Please go to

    to read the latest chapters for free

 73 Justice End

    Kicking and screaming, Caroline was dragged up to the gibbet.

    The enforcers who had come for her stayed well away from her teeth, due to their recent bitter experience when she had successfully torn away one of their ears, and had been awarded a bruised stomach.

    It had been a fair exchange, and she was still proud of it. However, now¡­ she wondered if she might have been better off acting meek.

    This doubt left her when she reached the wooden platform, and saw the first body hanging there.

    Her friend had been one of the meekest slaves in the pit. She would always do whatever was asked of her, even if it meant that she would not have time to sleep, or food to eat. Yet, now, she was hanging like all the others, so clearly, her meekness hadn''t gotten her anywhere.

    ''But can my anger take me somewhere else?''

    She asked the question even though she knew the answer. In front of them, the noble was rambling on about how this had been long coming. About how the slaves had started to act unruly, even though she knew that they had always been the same sorry, downtrodden lot that they had always been.

    She didn''t even know who to blame for this purge. All she knew was that they had been rounded up and brought here all of a sudden, being told that they would have to act as a message, and when the hanging had begun, it had been too late to try and escape.

    "No! No! Just leave me be! I didn''t do anything!" She screamed, unwilling to give in to her fate. The enforcer hesitantly stretched his hand forward to silence her, but before he could do so, he realized at the same time as her that the surroundings had gone strangely still.

    Looking up, she saw that the noble at the front was gazing at her with that face¡­ that face that she hated so much that she had once had her arm broken because she hadn''t been able to stop yourself from punching an enforcer who had put it on in the Pit.

    It was the face of someone who was looking at her as if she wasn''t human. As if she was worse than an animal. As if she was nothing, absolutely nothing, just some dirt beside the road that was to be frowned at, but not paid an ounce of attention to.

    She lunged forward even now, but the enforcer was too strong. His iron grip kept her where she was, but the screams that emanated from the very core of her body rang through the area, making the noble frown even further and walk towards her.

    His slap made her head ring. For a moment, the pain was such that she even forgot who she was, but when she looked up and found that same face again, she snarled and lunged again¡­ only to be slapped on the other cheek, and left hanging by the enforcer''s arms.

    "See? They are nothing. They cannot hope to grow out of their base tendencies. It''s their blood, I tell you. My father talked about it a lot. He¡ª hey, who are you?"

    In a daze due to the pain, Caroline looked up to see the noble pointing at a spot beyond the crowd he had gathered. She blinked, trying to focus and see what had interrupted the man. Even as she began to feel pity for the one on whom his anger was going to turn¡­ a ragged scream rang through the crowd, and the enforcer holding her shuddered and took a step back, gasping with shock.

    ''What''s the matter now? Did that fucking master return to¡ª''

    Her thought stopped before it could fully form as she witnessed the sight that all those in the town center were staring at. A man wearing wet, red clothes was standing with his upper body slightly bent, both arms holding a hammer whose head was resting on the ground. From her raised position, she could see that a small pocket had opened up where he was, in which a woman''s body could be seen¡­ with her head smashed in.

    She wasn''t leaking a lot of blood, but it was obvious that even if she was alive, there wouldn''t be much thinking, or even much of anything she would be able to do from here on. The woman had had three guards, who were all staring, dumbstruck, at their dead master. They all recovered at the same time; with loud shouts, they drew out knives and batons and jumped at the man¡­who raised a single hand and made them all stop, mid-step.

    Caroline''s eyes widened, and she could feel the same happening to all those around her. Taking a step forward, the man smoothly slashed all three of their necks with the dagger that he took out from his robes.

    He stepped to another noble nearby, and the old fart he was walking towards had the gall to raise his hand and ask, "What is this? What do you think you''re doing? What right do you have to¡ª"

    His hand rose once more, the five guards who had been about to retaliate froze, and one by one, as they fell to the floor with their lifeblood gushing out of their throats, he came closer and closer to the old man who was also frozen, but not due to whatever magic the man was using.

    The hammer rose. But before it fell, a voice colder than the coldest depths of the Pit rang out over the area.

    "I am justice. Barrett Johans. Killed 63 slaves over his lifetime, either directly or indirectly. Raped 16, four of those barely teenagers. Toyed with and destroyed the lives of seven refinery workers. You thought justice would not find you. Well¡­here it is."

    The sound of the old man falling to the floor with his head caved in seemed to be one of the loudest things that Caroline had ever heard. She didn''t even know when it had appeared, but a smile had stretched across her lips.

    "YES!" She shouted, making the noble on the gibbet and the enforcer who had been holding her both look at her, then turn back as they had bigger problems ahead.

    "Madeline Jerrock. Caused the deaths of 46 slaves and four refinery workers. Encouraged numerous rapes by your sons for ''Practise''."

    The sound of metal bashing into a skull was one of the sweetest things that she had ever heard. She cheered again, even louder than before, and from behind her, she could hear others taking it up, too.

    The enforcer behind her began to run. The guards of the nobles were also so scared that they hardly began to put up a modicum of resistance, and after six more died without being able to even raise their hands to protect themselves, the rest began to flee, leaving behind those they had sworn to protect.

    Some of the nobles tried to mimic them, but every time they did, the man raised one hand and made them fall to the ground where they were. He went to each one, narrated their crimes, and bludgeoned them to the valley beyond using his hammer.

    ''THUNK! THUNK! THUNK!'' Rang the weapon, a righteous sound that made Caroline want to dance with joy. She wished that her mother and father could have been alive to see it all happen¡­ but from where they were hanging nearby, she was happy that they had the best view, even though they couldn''t enjoy it.

    He came up to the gibbet last, which was empty except for her and the master''s sons. All of the guards had left, leaving them to the reaper''s mercy.

    He didn''t even deign to climb up to get to them. Raising a single finger, he beckoned at them imperiously, and with a gulp, they walked to him, disbelief clouding their faces as they didn''t understand what they were doing. It was almost comical to look at as their legs were going towards the man while their upper bodies were bent back, trying to escape, and seeing it, Caroline laughed, tears running down her eyes as she remembered the screams of her parents.

    When they reached him, the man rattled out a list longer and darker than those of all the others combined. When he was done, both the sons of the master were shaking.

    "Who are you? Wh-what right do you have to punish us?" Croaked the eldest son of the master, a moment before the hammer fell.

    The man grinned; a bloody grin empty of mirth.

    "I have ruled millions who chanted my name so loudly that the Heavens shook. I have judged thousands whose sins are graver than yours. I am the judge. I am the jury. I am the executioner. I am He who comes to collect, from those who live believing that they will never have to pay. I Listen, and the Will wails. Tremble, for justice is come to this forsaken land¡­and where I walk, it shall have its due."

    The hammer fell twice. Then, there was silence.

    Please go to

    to read the latest chapters for free

 74 Hope

    "Hush! Let him rest!"

    A sharp, yet kindly voice pulled Daneel from the land of dreams that was quite enjoyable, now, because there was so much more to dream about. He had just been reliving those moments when he had finally connected with the two loves of his life, but sadly, the sounds outside had been growing more and more disturbing until this voice had broken the thin layer of his subconsciousness, and given him no choice but to rouse himself.

    He kept his eyes closed and listened, first, to find out what was going on. When he had given himself up to the Will of the town, he had expected that it wouldn''t let him go until its thirst for revenge had been quenched completely¡­ and from the extreme fatigue he felt from all over his body, it was obvious that this might have been the case.

    Along with the fatigue came a bevy of other sensations which made him realize that he might have been asleep for quite a while. For one thing, he was clean, with none of those sticky substances on his skin to remind him of the river of blood he had created, and waded through. He was wearing fresh clothes that hung loosely from his skin as if they weren''t his size, and his hair had been combed back neatly, reminding him of a memory that made a spike of sorrow pass through his mind.

    Back on Earth, before he had transmigrated to the magical world of Angaria and become its Godking, the old lady in the orphanage he had grown up in had used to comb his head in this exact manner before sending him to school. It had been their daily routine; no matter how busy she was, she would always drop everything and come to ensure that he was ready, and when she was done, she would kiss him on both his cheeks and smile the warmest of smiles before sending him on his way.

    He took a few moments as he remembered her, enjoying the memory for what it was worth despite what it was making him feel. Yet, as he prepared to get out of it, he slowly recalled one other thing that he had discovered before his journey to where he was now¡­ and this made him suck in a sharp breath, as he was once again reminded of all that he had to do in this mystical place.

    The system had told him that the key to its existence, and hence, to his transmigration from his homeworld was present on the Mainland, of which the town was a part. So, if he wanted to ever see that woman to whom he owed his life again¡­ he had a lot to do here, so he couldn''t really just relax as he was doing and hope that things would work out.

    At the moment, at least, it seemed that he wouldn''t have been able to sleep for much longer, anyway, because the sounds around him were growing louder and louder. He heard the shuffling of hundreds of feet, and the whispers of many more that were muffled, yet still clearly audible. There was too much being said to understand it, but one thing was common among it all: almost all of their voices sounded hopeful, and this was so different from everything he had experienced in the town so far that it made him snap his eyes open.

    "He''s awake!"

    A youthful woman''s voice shouted this, and when his eyes found her, he saw that she was clapping her hands ecstatically. She was wearing the clothes of a slave, and her face was bruised as if she had been punched recently, but from how happy she was, one would never have been able to guess that she had led a hard life until now.

    He slowly rose, and as he got to his feet, he let out a sharp breath as he realized that there was a sea of people in front of him.

    For the first time in his memory, the residents of the Pit, the Refinery, and the Courtyard were all mixed together, standing in the same crowded area without a hint as to the difference in social status between them. When his eyes fell upon them, the mutterings rose in volume until the general buzz in the atmosphere was so loud that it seemed to be coming from everywhere at once.

    "Everyone, shut up!"

    The voice of the woman cracked through the air, so loud that it managed to be heard even in the very corners of the clearing. With each second, Daneel was spotting more details: for instance, he realized that he was on the same extended wooden platform he had seen before losing himself to the anger of the Will, and even though the corpses had been removed, bloodstains were still visible on the wood here and there.

    "System, show me everything I have done."

    [Affirmative. Replying memories.]

    If it hadn''t been for his recent experience of discovering years of his life at once, the flood of images that appeared in his mind now might have overwhelmed him. Now, it was merely an inconvenience, and as he sorted through them, he winced at the cruelty he had shown, even though from the crime he had read out, it did seem that they all deserved it.

    As for the source of all the data¡­ it had been the Will, which had recorded all of the atrocities done to those that had been born to it. Essentially, it was the spirit of the land that existed to nourish life and help it in every way possible. Back on Angaria, he had discovered that the Will recorded everything that went on on its land, and here, it seemed that it had reached such a furious state that it had freely divulged this information on its own, just so that the nobles could know why they were dying.

    Because the system was always watching, he was able to see what had happened after he had fainted, too. Some dwarves had ventured to the surface to see what was going on, and had been quite shocked to see the town in such a state. They had gone back and brought the residents of the three layers below, and even though he didn''t know why they had done this, he saw now that everybody was expecting something from him.

    He looked at all the faces around him that were staring wide-eyed with the hope that he was truly their savior. For too long, they had lived with no hope whatsoever, and now that it was in front of them, it was sad to see that they had been conditioned to doubt it, as they had been hurt too many times.

    Immediately, he knew what he was supposed to do. It could be said that he had made a career out of utilizing the best moments possible in no matter what he was doing, so there was no way that he wouldn''t have spotted that the iron was hot right now, in a manner of speaking.

    The people of the town had gotten used to being controlled and stepped on by those on the surface. In the back of their minds, the desire to see things change had always been present¡­ and now, they really wanted to believed that it had happened, so they needed to hear that it was all true.

    "People of Graiton!" He shouted, and the last mutterings fell silent. With pin-drop silence, they all stared on, young, old, and even children frozen in time and space as they could feel their world changing in front of them.

    "For all these years, you have worked your lives away, believing that there was no way to truly work hard enough to rise above. Oh, you were given hope, sure¡­ but it was also taken away so many times that you lost yourself in the rhythm of simply walking, eating, sleeping, and then repeating it over and over again, until you believed that that was all there was to life. Well, today¡­ I''m here to tell you that you''re wrong. Whether you are from the Pit, the Refinery, or even from the Courtyard, you have all been controlled and used indiscriminately by these nobles. Let me tell you who you are. You are the citizens of a brave land that once stood alone in the sea far away, unmolested and untouched by any but those born to your land. Alas, one day, you caught the eye of those who happened to possess much more power¡­ and were conquered with the help of one man who turned tail and gave you up for his own benefit. He¡­ was Harold Jerrock, Senior, the great-grandfather of the current Master. Along with a few others who lusted for power, he betrayed you all to the conquerors¡­who cast you down, ordering that you should never be allowed to rise above your stations. Your land was reduced to just a mine meant to supply crystals to these cruel despots, and in all this time, despite the brave efforts of a few who wanted to change things, the status quo has remained. Now, I have arrived to break it and make it so that it is no more. From now on, there are no nobles, there are no slaves, there are no workers. There are only people, equal under the sky, equal above the earth. The time has come for us to heal, for us to break free, for us to¡­ live. Henceforth, there shall be no oppression. Henceforth, there shall only be unbiased, uninhibited, unrestricted liberty! Henceforth, the true age of Graiton begins! Rejoice¡­ for we are victorious!"

    Each word was like a thunderclap that jolted had the minds of those present. Understandably, those of the Pit were the most affected by it, with the residents of the Refinery not far behind, but even in the case of some from the Courtyard, there was joy visible, as they were sick of being looked down on by the nobles, too. A loud hurrah went up, rising into the sky from all over the town, growing in strength and intensity until it was all that could be heard for miles all around.

    Daneel smiled. It wasn''t the first time that he had caused a scene like this, but that didn''t mean that he enjoyed it any less. This was his purpose. This was what he had been born for, had been molded for, what he¡­lived for.

    Raising both his hands, he prepared to join his voice to theirs¡­but suddenly, an all-too-familiar feeling ran through him, making him jerk his head around to try and identify the source.

    It was that of being glanced at by someone with malicious intent. It was that of being just one step away from having an attack sent to kill him where he stood¡­ and as he looked up to find two figures that had appeared out of nowhere floating in the air, his eyes narrowed, and his mind became filled with a foreboding feeling.

    A voice rang out from the sky that cut through all the noise in the town¡­and as it echoed, alone, after a moment, Daneel furrowed his eyebrows and stared.

    "Another uprising, huh? Well¡­ good job, I guess! Congrats! But before you continue celebrating¡­ just know that you either maintain your output, or be wiped off the face of this piece of land. Alright?"

    Please go to

    to read the latest chapters for free

 75 Warning

    The voice was so utterly lazy and casual that Daneel wanted to believe that it was from a child who didn''t know what he was talking about. Yet¡­ the fact that it was emanating from up above made it abundantly clear that this was certainly not the case, and besides, the man had used magic of some sort that had made it rise above the cheers and somehow be heard despite the din.

    "System¡­ assessment?"

    [Responding to host. Risk assessment in progress.

    Conclusion: Depending on the type of energy used and the undetectable method by which the targets are in the air, it has been decided that the probability of the risk being high is greatest. It is recommended that host''s capabilities, and host''s connection with the Will of Graiton are hidden, as utilizing them might alert the targets and call down danger upon host.]

    Daneel couldn''t agree more. But first¡­ who the heck were these people, and how had they come at such a bad time?

    He had been happy with his speech, he had been confident that he had given the people what they deserved. But now¡­ because they had been interrupted, he saw doubt and fear returning to many of the faces in front of him, so right away, he knew that he had to do something.

    As he watched, the two figures slowly floated down. He studied them, hoping to find some clues about their identity, but even though he failed, he noticed some interesting things.

    First and foremost, the one who had spoken was small, merely the size of a child. He couldn''t have even been half of Daneel''s height, but the arrogance on his face knew no bounds. His skin was somehow different from that of all those he had seen until now; it almost seemed to be sparkling, a bit, as if he was a proponent of the beauty products from Earth, and his head was fashionably styled into spikes that made him seem taller than he was.

    The other figure was much, much bigger. He was easily 7 feet tall, with a heft to him that made it obvious that he was hiding a lot of muscle behind his clothes.

    And this brought him what they were wearing. They were both garbed in loose, hooded robes, with the hoods thrown back and the sleeves folded up to their elbows. The robes were the color of the night; so dark that they even seemed to be somehow drinking in the light all around them, giving them a disconcerting image that added to their menacing nature which made the people close to the wooden platform shy away, as that was where they were headed.

    The second man was bald, with plain features that hadn''t moved since Daneel had laid his eyes upon him. Only his eyes betrayed the alertness with which he was scanning his surroundings, and from this, Daneel understood that he was some kind of guard to the one in front of him.

    As for the kid, it seemed that he was interested in what he was seeing, but he was trying hard to make it seem as if he had seen it all before. When he landed in front of Daneel, he swept his gaze over the people, and when a few shirked away from it, even going so far as to shove into those behind them to escape his eyes, he smiled at the corner of his mouth which was a gesture that Daneel did not mess.

    ''A typical spoiled young master, maybe? I was hoping that I would not have to contend with them in this new world¡­ but I guess they are like weeds that pop up everywhere.''

    He hoped that he was right, because it would simplify things. He had quite a bit of experience regarding them, so if the opponent was simpleminded, he was sure that he would be able to make a plan to take advantage of the youthful arrogance of those with too much background to rely on.

    He opened his mouth to greet the newcomers and find out more. Their identity was now apparent: they were the people to whom Harrold''s descendants had sold out, so they needed to be handled with care and patience, two qualities that could be used effectively in the right hands to avert danger.

    Yet, before he could say anything, a voice from the people of the town broke the silence in the air.

    "No! We are free!"

    The newcomers had been about to turn to Daneel. They stop, now, and moved to face the people again while Daneel cursed in his mind.

    He could see that things were going south. He even raised his hand to stop them¡­ but the kid was quicker.

    "Bongo, crush."

    "HUMPH!"

    With a loud grunt, the big man raised his hand¡­ and the air in front of him seemed to congeal, and gather weight, and press down.

    Daneel had caused the same thing to happen in the throne room, but he had used a subtle method that targeted one''s mind. Here, sheer strength was being deployed, and all at once, all the people of the town felt their knees buckle and their bodies kiss the ground, many heaping on top of others as there wasn''t enough space for all of them to lie down on the ground.

    Moans of pain began to be heard, but they were stifled as it seemed that the big man would focus more strength on them to shut them up. Silently, the people struggled, their faces fraught with peril and despair once more, and Daneel saw all the hard work he had put in start to be destroyed.

    If the people broke now, they might forever remain broken. He needed do something¡­ but without using the Will, what could be done?

    He racked his brain, that was much faster and much more capable than it had been a few hours ago. A moment later, a path revealed itself to him.

    In his journey through Angaria, he had seen that words sometimes had the power to do something that might seem as if it could only be accomplished by brute force. He had to use his words, now, to stop these two from teaching a lesson to the people¡­ so raising his voice, he said, "Tell me. You''ve been sent here by someone in charge, right? How do you think they would react after they find out that you injured all the people of the town, which would be the reason behind us not being able to deliver the number of crystals expected? I''m pretty sure they''ll be displeased¡­ so if that''s alright, please go ahead."

    It looked like his plan would fail for a second¡­ but then, a faint shudder went through the kid''s back, and Daneel knew that he had hit the nail right on its head.

    "Bongo, stop!", he growled, clearly unhappy about the fact that he couldn''t see the suffering continue. The people began to let out sighs of relief as they felt the pressure disappear, which were all observed with a sneer by the kid.

    As he began to turn, Daneel put on the most honest face possible, with a wide brow, hands clasped together and back slightly hunched.

    ''If you look simple, and act simple¡­ people tend to believe that you are simple.''

    As if echoing his thoughts, the kid folded his hands and said, "You''re right. But¡­ if you''re even a day late, or a crystal short, I''ll happily continue what was going to happen here. Bongo, fetch!"

    At the command, the big man flew into the air once more and shot off in the direction of Harrold''s residence. Many of those watching were amazed at his speed¡­ but for Daneel, it wasn''t very impressive.

    After all, he had once possessed speed fast enough to rival the airplanes of the Earth, whereas here, the man was merely going at the top speed of a normal human, albeit in the air.

    He returned a minute later with a bag in one hand¡­ and a body in the other.

    It was Harrold, his hands and legs tied securely and his mouth gagged, abject fear still clearly showing on his sweaty face and soiled pants.

    The kid smiled when he saw what his servant had returned with. After the big man landed in front of him, he stretched his hand forward to catch Harrold by his hair and yanked him up.

    "I can''t kill the others¡­ but this guy is useless. He let a rebellion succeed, even after we sent him help to locate the rebels! Worthless. Completely worthless. So¡­"

    His hand became a blur. ''THUMP! THUMP! THUMP!'' Echoed the sound of flesh meeting flesh, and when the kid stepped back, Harrold fell on the wooden platform with three clean, fist-sized holes on the two sides of his chest, and at the center of his stomach.

    "We''ll be back in a month. Remember: not a crystal less."

    Throwing the words over his shoulder, the kid floated away. After reaching the same altitude they had appeared at before, they leaned forward¡­and disappeared, leaving in their wake a town that looked the same, but had changed in ways that no one had foreseen.

    Please go to

    to read the latest chapters for free

 76 Warning End

    As the blood flowed from all the holes in Harrold''s body, Daneel felt squeamish despite himself.

    It wasn''t a pleasant sight, by any means, and logic should usually have dictated that he should have felt nothing as he had been part of carnage many times gorier¡­ but for some reason, the master''s body made him uncomfortable.

    ''Is it because he was the father of the original owner of his body? Or is it simply because¡­ the objective was to show me what is waiting if I mess up?''

    Just because he had been at the peak of power for years from where he was from didn''t mean that he was immune from detecting danger when it was present. In fact, it was this very caution that had saved his life multiple times, and because it was telling him now not to take these enemies seriously, he trusted it, and resolved to keep the threat that they represented in his mind firmly until he found a way to deal with them.

    Being cautious was one thing, though, and being afraid was another. With everything he was capable of¡­ fear was something that would require a threat much, much, much greater than what the kid and his guard represented.

    After all, he had the system, he had his family whom he would find, he had the Will of the town at his fingertips, and he even had a few plans he had made before leaving his home that might mean that all of his prowess on that land might not go to waste even though he was so far away from it.

    Raising his head, he saw the people shuffling their feet nervously, staring at the man who had commanded their lives for so long. At first, his instinct was to directly give a speech to wipe away the memory of what had just happened¡­ but getting a hunch, he asked the system, "Are they still closed by?"

    [Scanning. No signs found in host''s senses. Performing deeper scan. Scanning light waves falling from above. Slight discrepancy found. The discrepancy matches the presence of two individuals in the sky.]

    ''Ah¡­ those sneaky bastards.''

    It was obvious now that they were waiting for him to probably say something negative about them, or perhaps even show signs of not sticking to the agreement. It was possible that they might have a method to record what he did, and show it as proof later after they had their share of ''fun''¡­ so there was no way that Daneel would give them what they wanted.

    Clearing his throat, he made the town fall silent. Raising his hands, he spoke again, and this time, even though his tone didn''t contain the fervor from before, there was a calm assuredness that suffused the air and made many of the faces watching him go tranquil.

    Daneel kicked the body, and many smiles erupted in the crowd.

    "Go home, everyone. For now, all the slaves do not need to go back to the Pit: stay here, in many of the noble''s houses which have become empty due to¡­ well, ''unforeseen circumstances''. We can look to the future together, after we have recovered from these traumatic happenings. I shall speak to you soon, once again. But for now¡­ farewell."

    Daneel remained standing with his hands behind his back, an easy smile on his face that he hoped would build confidence in those looking at him. It worked in the case of many, with almost half the townspeople already beginning to turn around while muttering between themselves without the fear that had arisen in them due to the actions of the newcomers.

    But in the other half¡­ some did not seem content. Daneel watched them, waiting for one or more to give in to their feelings¡­ and finally, it happened.

    "Why should we listen to you? Until a few hours ago, you were still a slave!"

    Heads turned. Eyes settled on to the speaker, who happened to be the old man whose house Daneel had gone to in the Courtyard.

    Daneel didn''t say anything. His smile merely broadened¡­ and without using even an ounce of energy, he walked forward, his footsteps making a dull sound that echoed in the silent surroundings.

    More and more people turned to the old man, who gulped and slowly began to lower the hand he had raised to point at Daneel. Not a smidgen of the aura that he had used to help him until then was employed¡­ but just with his calm footsteps, his domineering smile, the undefeated set of his shoulders and the support of the people all around for whom liberty had been granted due to his work, he managed to cow the man who looked down, abashed, his wrinkled cheeks burning and his eyes darting desperately around, as if looking for an avenue to escape.

    Daneel reached the spot right in front of him, making it so that his eyes fell upon his feet which had entered his vision. With no other option, the old man looked up, and the moment he met Daneel''s gaze, he wilted like a plant that had not been watered in weeks.

    He stammered, and seemed to be on the verge of collapse. Daneel could have left it there¡­ but all around, he could feel a few gazes that still held an ounce of the same haughty defiance that the old man had given voice to.

    So, he spoke, and his voice reverberated throughout the area and up into the sky, to be heard by those watching.

    "I am Daniel Jerrock. That surname was a curse until now¡­ but with me at its head, it shall be the blessing that will transform this hellhole into a heaven that people will one day flock to. My ambitions are in the sky, while my feet are firmly grounded in the earth. All of you are my people. My family. My brothers and sisters, fathers, and mothers, whom I will help¡­ even if you don''t want me to. For too long have you languished because there was no one with the firm, iron hand of a leader to give you what you deserve. I have come to take up that mantle. If anyone else has a problem with that¡­ speak now, or forever hold your peace."

    The seconds passed. Tick, tock, tick, tock¡­ the ticking of the clock set in one of the houses near the clearing was the only thing that was heard as the people all looked around, daring anyone else to open their mouth. The sentiment was mostly shown by the slaves and those from the Refinery, and even the former, the most fervent ones were those whom Daneel remembered seeing before giving himself up to the fury of the Will.

    "That''s what I thought."

    Saying so, he walked away, heading to his previous residence while the old man whose eyes he had held until now like the Reaper come to take him away promptly fainted, and was stepped around as the rest of the people left, too.

    Daneel knew for a fact that all of these people didn''t have any reason to be as loyal to him as the Lanthanorians whose hearts he had truly won on that fateful day on Angaria when he had been crowned king, but right now, he was certain that he had a modicum of trust that he had to nourish and grow with time. His thoughts mainly on the ominous warning of that kid, Daneel reached Harrold''s residence¡­ and found a man-sized hole in the metal doors.

    Shaking his head, he stepped through it to find the entire place in tatters. Clearly, that guard that had been call ''Bongo'' had gone on a smashing spree¡­ but at the moment, Daneel didn''t really care.

    In the thrill of the situation so far, he hadn''t really felt anything else¡­ but now, he saw that a deep-seated exhaustion that had only been forced back a bit by his nap before was present throughout his body, calling to him, pulling to him like a lover separated for months. He wished that he could give in¡­but at the moment, he wanted to remain awake due to the dim chance that anyone who still wanted to resist might show up now, to target him when he might be vulnerable.

    Deciding to wait for a few hours, he reached Harrold''s study, which was the only place that had been untouched as it was at the very back of the mansion. It had a large table enough to seat ten in the middle with only one chair behind it, and on both sides of the small room, bookcases that reached the ceiling were present.

    Daneel was looking forward to flipping through them and feeling their data to the system. But at the moment, he just wanted to sit, so he did.

    Taking a deep breath, he saw that one saga of his journey in the Mainland had ended, and it was time for another to begin. His body wished otherwise¡­ but still, every second was precious, and he had a lot to do.

    His old friend seemed to sense his thoughts. As if to perk him up, it sent him a message¡­ and hearing it, Daneel couldn''t stop a grin from almost splitting his face in half.

    [Situation analysis completed.

    Kingdom Building Module has been reactivated for use.

    Population: 3,452

    ''Satisfaction Level'' criteria has been scrapped due to its current irrelevance. Host is requested to add new criteria for Kingdom Management.

    Macro Mission of system has changed. Route to next system upgrade has also been established. ''Mission Mode'' now available for use, if host wishes for incremental unlock in system''s undiscovered abilities.]

 77 Within Reach

    With a large group of dwarves, slaves and refinery workers behind him, Daneel waited in front of the large crimson crystal formation that, until now, had been covered with bones all around to warn the slaves going into the Pit about the fate waiting for them if they were even a tad bit belligerent.

    The crimson color was still menacing to look upon, but it was a whole lot better without those macabre remains souring the site. Beside him stood Reese, his skin covered with bandages and his face with a few more lines that there had been before the beginning of Daneel''s plan.

    Behind them both stood the old man whose hospitality Daneel might never be able to pay back, and as one, they kept their eyes on the crystals to see them glow, and result in a scene that no one had ever thought would come to be.

    As they all continued their vigil with bated breath, Daneel thought of what had happened in the past few hours. He had only been able to rest for a few minutes before getting up reluctantly without even finding a chance to talk to the system as he was intent on finding where his friend had gone to, and after an hour''s search, he had found the answer in the form of a jail cell deep in the headquarters of the enforcers on the surface.

    Many of them had run away, but a dew had still put up resistance in the building. They had been easily swept aside after being told about how the surface was no longer under the control of Harrold, and a few had even come over, talking about how they had always wanted to switch sides, but had never found the opportunity to do so as Harrold had always been known for his bloodthirstiness.

    Daneel had viewed all these people with the impassive eyes of a judge, watching but not passing judgment on whether they deserved to transition so easily from their previous lives into what they would be now. He had specially kept a lookout for the special enforces of the master who experimented on bodies for reasons unknown, but alas, they seemed to have fled, too, and he had found no sign of them.

    Daneel''s anger had flared when he had seen his old friend. He had been discarded like a dog kicked repeatedly until it could not move. A pool of blood had even formed around him, and for an instant, Daneel had thought that he might have to go on another killing spree to satiate the fury that had burned anew within him.

    Thankfully, after feeling the faintest hint of a breath, he had called upon the best healers on the surface who attended to his friend''s wounds, and had declared that they had only been shallow as the master had been quite clear on the fact that anyone taken had to be kept unscathed, for the most part, so that untold torture could be done to them in full view of all the netizens of the town.

    A small smile came to Daneel''s lips as he remembered it. The way the two men had a clutched at each other so desperately had made him remember his own parents¡­ which had been something both bitter and sweet, causing him to go through his memories of all the immeasurable love he had received, and all the love he had yet to give.

    His thoughts lurched to a halt when the crystals glowed, and cheers went up behind him.

    As the dwarf king appeared on the surface for the first time, his head blotted out the sun which had begun to set, causing all those in front of him to fall into shadow. For a moment, Daneel felt such awe that he widened his eyes and ran them up and down the man''s body, extremely happy with the fact that he had made a recovery, and was standing in front of them, resplendent and supreme among all the others whom he could crush with a single movement.

    He then had to squint to bring the dwarf king''s gaunt face into focus, and as soon as he saw it, he broke out into a smile that mirrored the one on that giant canvas.

    Despite the shrunken nature of his body that had been aggravated due to his recent exertions, the dwarf king seemed¡­ happy. He looked all around, avidly drinking in everything he was seeing, and after laying his eyes on the children at his feet, he threw back his head and roared out a gale of laughter that echoed in the town, over and over again.

    Hearing it, even the few slaves who had stayed inside for various reasons walked out, blinking with astonishment when they laid their eyes on the giant, and understood that it had been no exaggeration to call the man so.

    Daneel hadn''t really given instructions after going to Harrold''s residence, so the dwarves had freely mixed with everyone they could find and had proudly talked of their heritage, their king, and their ''crazy masochist uncle''.

    Many hadn''t believed them, but they had still fallen into deep thought as they could figure out no other explanation for the existence of all the halfmen. Now, with the arrival of the king, there was no more doubt regarding their origin, and walking forward, Daneel declared, "Welcome to the surface, brother! Your wish stands fulfilled. The town is ours. The people are saved. Many of the nobles who deserve death have died¡­ and although a few remain, they shall be judged quickly, as soon as I have a chance to rest."

    The dwarf king nodded, his eyes tightening a bit when Daneel said the word ''noble''. He opened his mouth to speak, but he paused and suddenly shook with what could only be rage as he saw something behind him.

    Turning, Daneel saw that a few of the nobles who had been confined to their homes had come out to see what all the ruckus was about. They stared just as stunned as all the others at the giant¡­ but when they met his red-hot eyes, they shuddered before immediately ducking back into their mansions whose roofs that they had walked onto to see what was going on.

    It took a few moments for the giant''s anger to calm down. Then, taking a deep breath that sounded like the warning signs of a tornado, he bellowed, "Dwarves, slaves, workers! You¡ª"

    Daneel had been expecting a good speech that would impress all those present, and give root to what he had said. However¡­ before he had a chance to launch into it, the dwarf king broke into a series of coughs, and while holding one hand to his mouth, he turned around, as if not wishing to have his vulnerability seen by his children, and the others who had been startled by his magnificence until now.

    Daneel frowned. Stepping forward, he stood in front of his brother and turned around to address all those gathered.

    "The dwarf king is still injured from the great effort he had to take to help subdue the powerful servants of the master. Without him, what we have today would not have been possible. Go back to the town; continue the tasks that have been assigned to you. We shall speak to you again soon."

    Daneel''s eyes were such that they brooked no argument. Many nodded and immediately began to turn away and leave, and even though a few lingered, they merely looked between him and the giant and then decided that he was telling the truth.

    After a few moments, Daneel turned around and saw the giant look at him gratefully. He then began to stomp onwards, into the land surrounding the town, and with curiosity slowly beginning to bubble inside him, Daneel followed.

    They walked in silence, the giant''s footsteps making the ground shake while Daneel had to keep his eyes firmly set downward so that he wouldn''t trip and fall due to the undulating landscape. They kept walking and walking, farther than he had ever been, and soon¡­ they reached a spot that seemed no different, at first glance.

    But when the giant raised his hand thoughtfully and searched for something in the air, then took a step forward and disappeared¡­ Daneel blinked, and the system spoke in his mind.

    [Illusion formation detected.]

    With haste, he walked forward, too¡­ and felt his jaw drop as the world suddenly changed.

    They were the very edge of the land, where it fell away¡­to glittering, blue water below that crashed against the stone bedrock, causing spray to jump into the air with loud ''BOOM!''s that he could only hear now.

    The sky was no longer cloudless. The dry, muddy land had disappeared, and in its place was a small grassy area before the edge of the cliff where the air smelled of salt. Daneel was instantly taken back to the first time he had seen the Endless Sea from Angaria. This was the same; he knew it in his very bones, apart from a few differences he quickly picked up after stepping forward to the edge, where the dwarf king had reached.

    Islands dotted the sea everywhere. The closest one was a few tens of kilometers away, so it was still easily visible. It seemed to be covered in a yellow dome that showed nothing inside, but Daneel was sure that what he had seen of Graiton until now must be visible inside there, too.

    There were so many islands that they took his breath away. At least a hundred of them could be seen dotting the water, and as his eyes wandered past them¡­ he finally saw the place he had actually intended to come to, but had been sidetracked as he had had no other option.

    The Mainland was so vast that it filled the horizon, its yellowish earth seeming so far away, yet finally, within reach.

    Its sheer size was beyond his comprehension. From just the part he could see vaguely, he could tell that it was at least a hundred times the size of Angaria, which could be said to be as big as the biggest continents on earth.

    His mind going blank, he stared and stared at where his future lay, and finally, when the dwarf king spoke, he only half heard the man.

    "We had only heard of it¡­ and we never thought we would see it with our own two eyes. It is¡­ magnificent. And also utterly demoralizing, at the same time. How can we fight so many? How can we hope to go against all that might? One step of the journey is done¡­ but it might just be that it was the easiest one. Brother, what we¡­ No, what you have achieved is incredible, but will it last? That is the question. For the truth is that this is not the first rebellion that has succeeded¡­ and if it fails, we will not be the first hopeful slaves who have been put down over all these islands. The true test begins now. Either we find a way to float¡­ or we sink down, back to the Pit, or even back to somewhere deeper, where lies hell. But no matter how it ends¡­ we are happy to have journeyed with you. Long live Graiton!"

 78 Revealed

    As the dwarf king''s words faded into nothingness, Daneel found it hard to keep a straight face.

    The endless vista in front of him was enticing. But the giant was clearly saying that he wouldn''t be able to go forward any time soon.

    For the briefest of moments, he was reminded of all the millions of Angarians who had entrusted their lives to him. He had sacrificed them, making them believe that they would come alive once more when he had found enough power to make it happen¡­ but here, he was almost weaker than he had ever been, and the path to achieving this goal seemed so long and treacherous that it was almost disheartening to think about.

    Just a single glance back made these thoughts leave his mind, though, replaced by an outburst of self-confidence due to everything he had accomplished so far.

    His body was weak, yes¡­ but his mind was stronger than ever after going through so much. With the system and the wealth of experience he now had to draw upon, could he not climb to the peak much faster, and in a much more startling and spectacular way than anyone could imagine?

    And besides¡­ had he ever been someone who left things midway?

    ''No. And I won''t begin to become someone like that, either. This is where I am right now¡­ and I can''t leave until I''m satisfied that I''ve done my job, and repaid the trust I have been graced with. But what lies ahead? I don''t know¡­ so maybe it''s time to find out.''

    There were so many questions about this land, this world, and what he was seeing that they whirled around his head, fighting against each other to rise to prominence and be uttered from his mouth. As a result, his face became one of a student who was sitting in front of an exam, not knowing which question to pick.

    Looking to his side, the giant chuckled and said, "Be at ease, brother. There are tough times ahead¡­ but we have won a victory worth celebrating. But first, we expect that you must be filled with questions, right? Do not hesitate. Ask what you wish, and we will answer if we can."

    Slowly, with a few grunts and a considerable number of winces, the giant settled down onto the grassy ground, sighing with satisfaction when he found a comfortable position with half his back on the ground, one leg raised, and one hand on that leg with the other supporting the other half of his back that was upright, allowing his head to still gaze upon the incredible sight in front of them.

    Daneel adopted the same position. As soon as he did so, he felt a slight hint of worry after seeing his brother''s condition¡­ but he shrugged it away, trusting that the man would tell him if something was wrong.

    That brought him to the difficult decision, once again, regarding what he should ask¡­ and still unable to make up his mind, he just blurted out the first thing that came to his lips.

    He clamped his mouth shut, knowing that he was about to inundate the king with questions. The giant laughed again, and looked at the beautiful sea ruefully before beginning to speak, its blue magnificence reflected in the large pools that were his eyes.

    "Ah, the inquisitiveness of youth. We barely remember a time when we possessed it, too. That doesn''t mean we can''t feel it, though. Well, where do we start¡­ how about we tell you about how we know the answers, first, so that you don''t wonder about it while we tell you what you want to hear? Alright?"

    Daneel nodded. The giant grunted, and his eyes glazed over with a faraway look. He was no longer looking at the landscape outside the Graiton; no, he was looking inward, into the memories that stretched farther back than those of a mortal had a right to be, and when he found what he was looking for, a small smile played at the corner of his lips while he spoke.

    "Remember that speech we gave you the first time we met? We talked about how we were proud that this power of ours was something we achieved, by ourselves. Well¡­ the truth is that that isn''t completely true. We stumbled on the path, sure¡­ but without his help, we would never have reached the point where we could freely absorb what we needed and become a true Glutton. Let me see¡­ when did we first meet him? We were 25 years old, and had already spent five years knowing that there was some power within our reach, but never proceeding far enough to be able to find out what it was. It was curiosity that drove us, too, and the burning wish to change what was around us. We investigated the crystals, their power, and the general nature of the world. We had so many more questions than you¡­ at one point, we were sure that we would go to our grave with them still buzzing around our head. But one fateful day¡­ we were so starved that we were sure we would die, and then, we merely reached out with our body, and succeeded. Now that we look back¡­it seems that we should thank that ruthless guard who stole our food."

    Daneel was watching the giant, so he could see his large eyes shining, as if just the memory of what it had felt then was enough to make him forget all the pain he must be in. He chuckled for a bit, then continued.

    "We were ecstatic. We thought that we would change everything in one go¡­ but imagine our disappointment when we couldn''t do it again, no matter how much we tried. We were made fun of by the enforcers. They kept seeing us extending our hands towards everything that might give us a smidgen of power; we kept failing, and trying, and failing again. In exactly one week after that incident¡­ he was there. He tapped us on the shoulder as if he knew us well, and the words he first said to us still echo in our ears. He said¡­''Stop thinking, and just do it.''"

    Daneel smiled, imagining the reaction that the giant must have given after seeing someone he had never seen before walk up to him and speak about his darkest secret. Sure enough, with a shudder, the man continued.

    "We were scared. We''ll admit it; we were so scared that we almost peed our pants. We kept searching for him everywhere, but to no avail¡­ until once more, we mimicked the circumstances around which we had absorbed energy that first time, and followed his advice by shutting off our mind. It worked, again! And he was back. He stepped out of the wall, startling the life out of us, and with a satisfied smile on that kindly face, he nodded and declared that he was taking us as his apprentice. Too shocked to say anything, we just nodded in return, and so¡­ the most important year of our life began.

    "Step-by-step, he taught us about what the path of gluttony was, and how we could use it to right the wrongs of the world. He was the one who found those caves, which had been abandoned after having all the energy mined out of them. He was the one who set up those protective barriers all around the city, and created a manner for those who had come to live there to survive, and travel upwards when needed. He was the one who answered all our questions, expecting nothing in return. And when we once asked why he was doing it¡­ he looked away, and said that he was repaying a debt to the world. That was all the information he ever volunteered about himself; the rest of the time, he was intent on the future, and what we could do. He didn''t talk too much, though¡­ so if what we tell you isn''t very elaborate, understand that it is how we heard it. He left, all of a sudden, a year later, wishing us luck. We don''t know who he was, or where he came from¡­ but we are indebted to him. Now¡­ we shall come to your question."

    Daneel leaned forward, unable to control his anticipation. The tale had certainly been interesting, but what he really wanted to know was just how magic worked in this world. The system had said that there were no elementary particles¡­ but if so, what the hell had been those dots he had been seeing all this time?

    As if reading his mind, the dwarf king finally gave the answer, and as he heard it, Daneel felt his throat go dry while a flash of exhilarated understanding passed through his mind, followed by one of horror due to what the man said last, before falling silent.

    "We shall repeat exactly what he said, when we asked the same questions. ''This world is not what it seems on the surface. Once, long, long ago, before anyone can remember, there was no such thing called magic. Then¡­ no one knows what happened, but a realm that had until then been undiscovered crashed with ours, causing it to superimpose on our world, and bring to life all sorts of fantastical things that mankind began to call ''magic''. Simply put, the sources are particles from the other side, called here due to various reasons. The way this happens is different in the islands that drift across the Endless Sea, and different in the Mainland that stands where it is, firm and unmoving. On the islands, the particles are freely suffused into the air, appearing indistinguishable from our world. Many call them elementary particles, and use them to perform fantastical feats that make them seem like gods. But as soon as they come to the Mainland¡­ they find themselves bereft of power. Why? Because the layer between the realms is so much stronger here, and every ounce of magic needs to be fought for before it can be obtained. Because of the difference in the journey that the particles need to take to come to this world, they will seem indistinguishable to those from the islands.

    ''But fret not, for if you look at them hard enough, they will seem the same. It is also due to this change that even more incredible things that are impossible on the islands are possible on the Mainland. The boundary is different, and so is the part of the other realm that one can access here. Once one is past it, the other dimension can be controlled in ways that the Islanders cannot even imagine. The crystals in all the islands contain the power to pull those particles from that realm, so they are highly valued. This is all you need to know for now¡­ if there is ever a time when you are qualified to find out more, I will now, and I will come. Until then, work hard to free your home, and your people.''

    This was the last thing he told us before he left. Before we died, we wished that we could find him again to tell him that the mission he gave us is accomplished, at least partly¡­ but alas, we have no more time. The end is near for us, brother. From here, you must journey without us. Call everyone over. We don''t have much time¡­but we must make do with what is left."

 79 Fare You Well

    Daneel couldn''t believe his ears. He staggered to his feet and took a step back, trying to believe that he hadn''t heard correctly while the last words of the dwarf king still echoed in his mind, making his face go wan as he went closer to the man so that he could tell him to stop joking.

    As soon as he neared the giant enough to touch him, though, he suddenly saw that something was wrong. Caught up in everything that had been happening, he hadn''t really observed his brother except to see that he seemed well on the surface, and now, he cursed himself due to this negligence.

    From just a few feet away, the man might look normal, but once anyone went close, they would clearly be able to see that his skin was as shrunken and dry as paper. It was unnatural; it almost seemed as if it would fall out at any second, and at the moment, it was simply holding onto the semblance of something belonging to a human.

    It was the same throughout his body. At some spots, the skin had even gone translucent so that his withered bones beneath could be seen, resulting in a bizarre sight that made Daneel suck in a sharp breath of air. His eyes ranged over his brother''s body and all the devastation that could be seen writ upon it; in a few seconds, he wondered how the man was even holding himself upright, and with a hopeless shrug, the giant gave him the answer.

    "We''ve been hanging on just so that you can have your answers, and we can say goodbye to all those we have changed. That old man warned me about affection, saying that they would only pull one down¡­ but we just couldn''t stop ourselves from seeing all those that we transformed as our children, connected to us by a bond stronger than even blood. And we know that we seem crazy because we keep calling ourselves in this manner¡­ but that is an affectation that we picked up to retain our sanity in this long journey so far. If you do choose the path of a Glutton, beware of the effects it has on one''s mind and body. Using a constant stream of power, we were able to keep most of the effects of old age at bay¡­ but there is only so much that someone born into a place like this can do. We have heard that it is different for the people in the Mainland; even if they are born unlucky, they have many ways to cleanse the body and make themselves perfect for cultivation. Do not worry¡­ we have no regrets. We just wished to see this day¡­ and thanks to you, our wish has been fulfilled. We have worried too much about who would take care of our children after we passed¡­ but now that they have you, we can pass into the valley beyond without fretting at all. Please¡­ call them over."

    [Responding to host. Scan complete. Healing impossible due to the status of target''s mind and heart. Both are extremely taxed, and have begun the process of giving up.]

    It was true that they had only met barely a few months ago, and that too on terms that hadn''t really been friendly. The man had even hidden things from him, and anyway he saw it, he knew that he should not feel too much of a connection¡­ but as always, his heart did as it wished, and here, it had attached himself to that bond that he treasured so much.

    He missed his real brothers, and the dwarf king had taken their place. Both of his them were on the Mainland, somewhere¡­ but he had no idea when he would find them. Until then, he had believed that this family he had built would remain¡­ but alas, a large piece of it was going to fall away already.

    Wiping away the tears, he reached the town and ordered the first dwarf he found to collect everyone in the city, and bring them to where he was. Every dwarf that arrived after that was sent back with even more urgent of a summons, and soon, hundreds of them were milling at his feet, with the children pushing through to come the closest so that they could get a few pats.

    Daneel abided by their wishes absentmindedly, not knowing what to think with the grief filling his mind like wool. When the steward arrived, he just took a single look at Daneel''s face and shook with sorrow, and right away, it was obvious that he knew what was going to happen.

    The man didn''t say anything, though. They waited as more and more dwarves gathered, and after thirty minutes, when the steward assured him that all those alive, even those who had been injured severely in the battle just now had come, he set off in the direction of the king.

    Questions filled the air about where they were going, what they were going to do, how their father was. Those of that last sort made Daneel''s throat clog up almost as if it was about to choke, and without giving an answer, he just marched on.

    When they all walked past the invisible barrier around the town, everyone gasped. There was just enough place beyond for them all to fit, and as they laid their eyes on the giant who stood tall, now, at the very edge, some shuddered, as if already anticipating what was to come.

    When the dwarf king turned around, though, he had a smile on his face. It was a heartbreaking one, as his eyes were filled with sadness and the pain of parting, and instantly, many of the children burst into tears even though it was probable that they didn''t understand why.

    Chuckling, the man raised his hands and gestured at them to come closer. They ran, falling over one another but not stopping on the way as they spilled into his embrace, all of them managing to hug some part of him as he made soothing noises deep in his throat. As Daneel watched, he could tell that although some that touched his skin recoiled at first, startled due to how peculiar it was, but then, the tears resumed anew and they hugged all the harder.

    The steward was the one who finally herded them back, and then, it was the turn of the soldiers, the workers, and all the rest in the city, many of whom Daneel was seeing for the first time. Their sorrow wasn''t any lesser or greater than that of the children; they only showed it in different ways: in the way that they looked at his face as if they wanted to imprint it in their minds, in the way that they clasped their hands so tightly that the veins bulged, in the way that their faces hardened, and their eyes swam with tears that were quickly hidden away.

    The king embraced them all equally, patiently taking care to not ignore even one of his children. The oldest went last. They included the steward, and the three dwarves who had controlled those formations in the cave below.

    He whispered something to them, and although Daneel could have easily heard what he was saying using the system, he didn''t even think of doing so. They repeatedly glanced at him as they talked, and when they were done, the giant got to his feet once more and addressed everyone.

    "Children. We don''t know whether we''ve have been a good father¡­ but we''ve always tried to do the best we could. Each and every one of you have made us proud in more ways than you can imagine. You have all guessed it; we will be leaving you, now. We know that we cannot ask you to not grieve for me; in fact, it makes us happy that we are so loved that tears will be shed in our memory. All we ask is that you remember us by all those times when we laughed with you, feasted with you, sang with you, danced with you¡­and almost brought the ceiling of the city down on us. Still¡­ weren''t we a good dancer?"

    A murmur of assent rose up among the dwarves, as many were still too distraught to talk.

    "We die with almost no worries as the dream we have dreamt for the longest time has been fulfilled. There is just one other thing¡­ we always wished that we could have seen Graiton grow into a proper city. We will be watching¡­ and we hope it happens. A city where everyone can walk with their heads held high, proud of their vocation, proud of their heritage, proud of their home. It is said the dead cannot take anything with them. But with us, we take all of your love. With us gone¡­ always look to my brother if you need anything. From here on, he is your father. He is your king. It¡­ is time. Steward¡­ please take them away."

    Almost all of them wailed their disagreement, wanting to stay, but the king was strict. The steward herded them forward for one last hug, and then, it really was time to go.

    They kept turning back, eyes not wanting to leave the one entrenched in their hearts forever. But one by one, they followed his command and stepped into the dome around the town, disappearing from view.

    At the end, only Daneel and the king remained. He still stood on his feet, grand and imposing, unwilling to bend down to the fate that awaited him. He turned to look to the horizon, again, where the sun had almost sunk completely. Daneel strode forward to stand beside him, and in a low voice that still rumbled, the king said, "And so it ends. The sun sets over the land and over our life¡­ but what awaits after? It is time to find out. Fare you well, brother. Fare you well, King. I could not have asked for anyone more worthy of the title. Fare you well."

    And just like that, the man stopped breathing. Daneel''s eyes were fixed on him, so he saw his chest suddenly fall still, and his skin begin to flake away, as if the will that had been holding it until now had disappeared. He refused to cry even though the tears struggled up to his eyes; it was obvious that the giant had wanted to die as he had lived, so giving him the dignity that he deserved, Daneel watched as only a bony skeleton remained soon, which also crumbled into a heap with the gigantic skull sitting on top, still facing the Mainland.

    He didn''t know for how long he stood there. He just kept looking into those sunken hollows, replaying every memory that he had with the man, and with each second, the doubts that he had had before were resolved.

    He knew what he had to do now. In fact, he had known it even then, but it hadn''t been as clear¡­ so he repeated his aims to himself, setting them in stone and knowing that he would make them happen.

    ''He wanted to see a city rise here. I will make it happen. No Graitonian will ever be enslaved, or controlled. I shall make your dreams mine, brother. Rest easy. Rest well. For this will happen¡­ and I will grieve fully only after it does.''

    With that, he walked away, his steps as confident as ever, his head upraised, his eyes on the future only he could see.

 80 Free

    Daneel was lost in his thoughts as he reached the border of the town. On the way, he had seen many of the dwarves collapse on the ground, wherever their will gave out, and where he could, he had offered sympathy and support before returning to his journey.

    With his knowledge of everything he had learned on earth returned to him, he knew that there were multiple ways to accomplish what he wanted. The main problem was¡­ information.

    He didn''t know much, at all, about the conditions surrounding the town, the obligations they had, and the enemies who were still hidden who would definitely arise if he did anything too flashy. He had just begun to contemplate about what his first move should be when he suddenly heard a voice calling from somewhere to his right.

    "Over here!"

    He had heard many such calls from the dwarves, so normally, he would have just turned to it in time. Yet, the voice was strangely familiar, so when he snapped his head around, his eyes slightly widened when he found the succubus standing with her hands behind her back, a small smile playing across her luscious lips that were as red as they had ever been in the Pit.

    She had apparently had the time to change. She was no longer wearing the course coveralls in which she had fought the minions of the master. A green, velvet dress covered very little of her body, once again exposing more than what would be called decent anywhere on earth, and normally, if he was still the ''Daniel'' prone to embarrassment due to such things, he would have blushed and turned away.

    He was different now, though. He was a king, an Emperor who had wed two wives and enjoyed the ecstasy of marital bliss before being separated from it. He merely looked at her impassively and stood his ground, waiting for her to see what he meant¡­ and sure enough, a few moments later, the smile slipped, a grimace appeared in its place, and she stomped over in his direction.

    As soon as she reached within earshot of him, she opened her mouth, but with a single gesture of his hand, he silenced her. He had known that she must have been about to launch into some sort of admonishment about how she was being treated, but he was in no mood to hear any of it.

    "What is it? Be brief."

    Various expressions flashed across her face. Unwillingness seemed to fight with anger, frustration, and something else that he couldn''t read, and finally, she smoothed her features with visible effort and said, "We need to talk. Come with me."

    Daneel was still too caught up in his zeal to get started on the goal he had set for himself. Waving his hand dismissively, he was about to say that they could do it later, but before a word left his mouth, the succubus stepped forward swiftly, turning almost into a blur as her hand flashed in the direction of his neck.

    He was curious about what she was doing, so he allowed it. He wondered whether she was doing it to show that she was more powerful, and if so, he prepared to use the Will as there was no restriction right now, with the departure of that kid and his guard. Yet, when her soft touch made something he had forgotten until now materialize and then drop to the ground with a ''clang'', he raised one eyebrow and blinked, watching her face that was so close, reminding him of those intimate moments they had shared in the Pit.

    She appeared to understand that she had rekindled those memories, and with a sensuous look, she licked her lips, as if wanting to take him under her control, again.

    He snorted with disdain and moved his leg to hit her precisely on the leg she had ended up supporting her weight on while she was bent forward to have her finger touch Daneel''s neck.

    For a moment, surprise and shock flashed across her face, then she fell to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust that Daneel waved away. Casually taking a step back, he spoke as brusquely as if he was commenting on the weather.

    "Lead the way. And next time, you will be eating dirt before you can lay a hand on me."

    Grumbling and cursing under her breath, the succubus got to her feet and looked as if she was tempted to pounce on him and put his claim to the test. He merely looked at her impassively, neither wanting her to give in to the temptation nor seeming scared or anxious about what might happen. It was just the uncaring look of a monarch completely in control of a situation, and eventually, her shoulders slumped, her eyes darted all over his body, and her lips opened speculatively before she said, "Lord Burrow was right. But I don''t think even he knows how right he was. He said that becoming a slave changes people¡­ but this is too much change! For crying out loud, you''re just 16! This isn''t how 16-year-olds are supposed to behave!"

    Daneel''s cool persona finally dropped, resulting in a small blush as he had almost forgotten that he was supposed to be a teenager. She seemed to take pride in the fact that she had caused this, though, and with a spring in her step, she turned around and walked in the direction she had come from.

    Saying nothing, Daneel followed, only turning back once to see the shackle that had left his body. It was a testament to how frantic things had been that he hadn''t even thought about it once; everyone had taken it for granted that they wouldn''t be a problem, and sure enough, that had been the case.

    It was obvious now, in the aftermath of the battle that if the succubus hadn''t been on their side, Daneel and Reese would have been rendered unconscious or worse the moment they even tried to do anything against the master.

    He remembered clearly what the system had said about the effectiveness of those magical items. Because they hadn''t presented a threat, at all, they had all but disappeared from his mind, and now that they were on the ground, he couldn''t help but marvel once again at all the preparations that had gone into that pivotal moment when those five had lea[ed out of their hiding spots to attack the master.

    Soon, he was led to a mansion that was supposed to be empty. As soon as they entered, though, the sounds of a heated discussion taking place reached his ears, and as he understood their contents, anger flashed across his mind.

    "¡ªmust be put back to work! We might have a small store of processed crystals to use¡­ but the Pit has to begin churning out unprocessed ones now!"

    "We''ve seen their mood! Anyone who goes to tell them that they have to go back to being slaves might just be torn to shreds¡­"

    "Then I say just use the shackles! Or convince those dwarves that this is what is needed of them! One way or another, it has to happen, or we stand to lose everything!"

    "You¡ª"

    The man from the Courtyard, who had been heatedly about to oppose Lord Burrow''s comment stopped, midsentence, as he felt Daneel''s hot gaze on him. He quieted down and began to stand up, and seeing him, the others turned around to see who had come and mimicked his actions.

    Daneel''s only response was a sneer of contempt for Lord Burrow, though, who had made the sacrilegious suggestion. Turning to Madeira, he asked, "Like you''ve done for me, can you deactivate all the other shackles?"

    The two who had been speaking until now began to say something, but Daneel completely ignored them. His eyes were fixed on the succubus, who frowned and answered, "Yes. I don''t need to touch them, either¡­ I can just do it from here."

    "Then do it."

    "Wait a second!"

    "We should talk about this!"

    Both the man from the Courtyard and Lord Burrow shouted, but Daneel simply turned in their direction¡­ and touched upon the Will that searched up, more than ready to help the one who had helped it take its revenge.

    Both the men froze and fell hard on their seats, sweat beading their faces. Lord Burrow even began to mutter something under his breath, but Daneel ignored him and turned to the succubus who nodded, hurriedly.

    She shot a complicated look at the others in the mansion and then turned her eyes back to his. Whatever she saw there seemed to make her flinch, but a second later, she raised her hand¡­and closed her fist.

    From all over the town, shouts of surprise rang out that echoed into the mansion they were in. A small bubble of happiness floated up inside him as he recognized

    the astonished joy in them, and turning around, he began to walk out the door.

    He just had one thing to say, and it was directed at the Lord. After he spoke, the words hung in the air, sharp as a knife, and even after he disappeared, only silence remained in his wake, stuffing the room as heavily as if it had been given form.

    "I respect you, Burrow, for everything you''ve done. But it seems you have forgotten what it means to be a slave. No more shall there be shackles, or orders given. From now on, no matter what happens, it shall be with the assent of the people. You say the Pit has to begin working again? I''ll make it happen. Follow me, and learn how one acts when they truly love their people."

 81 Dignity

    Daneel''s mind raced as he swept through the town. He seemed to gather up slaves, refinery workers, and even a few from the Courtyard as if he was a gale gusting over a dusty landscape. They fell into step behind him, asking where he was going but still following even if he gave no answer. His head was bent in thought, his brows were furrowed with concentration and his eyes remained on the tiled pavement, but he was not unaware of the large crowd he was gathering with each step that he took.

    A babble grew behind him, getting louder and louder with each second that passed. It was mostly filled with curiosity, but there were equal parts awe due to what he had accomplished in the town before and shock due to his relationship with the dwarves that they had found out, and the nickname whose origin they did not know.

    Daneel kept his focus firmly on the problem in front of him. He still didn''t know the exact details of the workings of the town, but at the moment, they didn''t matter. He trusted those three enough that he didn''t doubt their alarm, and although he had seemed perfectly confident in front of them, only a vague outline of a plan had formed then which he was flushing out now before he reached his destination.

    Thankfully, such tasks were his bread-and-butter. He relied on everything he had seen and learned from Earth, everything he had experienced and lived through on Angaria, and soon, an old school scheme of the sort that he had used to love to deploy on the island he had transmigrated to came to him.

    He ducked into a large mansion on the way, not caring about who it belonged to. There were a few nobles inside who gawked at him as he burst through their doors, and although they looked like they were about to give in to their instincts and throw him out as they would have done if this was a few days ago, they controlled themselves in the last moment and saved themselves from the beating that the crowd would surely have given them if they had raised even a hand in protest.

    Not even granting a glance to any of them, he went to their wardrobes and picked three outfits after rifling through at least fifty as he searched the perfect ones that suited his purposes. When he was finally happy, he nodded to himself and made his way out, and with even more puzzlement than before, the crowd followed, now swelling at its seams, barely able to fit into the large roads of the surface as they followed him down his path.

    Soon, this problem ceased to exist when he left the confines of the elegant buildings and reached the empty, dusty area that was present between the last building on the border and the crystals that led to the Pit. He walked up to the teleportation matrix and looked like he was about to step through¡­ but at the last moment, he turned around with a flourish and began to use his hand skilfully to modify the clothes he had been carrying under his arm.

    One had been a crisp white suit. Now, the hands of the shirt and the jacket had been torn off and the vest had been changed to be worn around the waist, ready for tools to be hung from it if needed. The pants had also been turned baggy so that anyone wearing them would be free to move, and donning the attire in one quick go, Daneel stepped into the crystals and heard the others follow.

    Soon, they were all crowded into that entryway in the Pit that was usually empty. It was a very tight fit, with many actually having to stay on the surface as there was simply no way for them to come, too. Those that had arrived had their eyes fixed on him, and without even blinking, they followed as he made his way inward, his steps echoing strangely through the caverns as they were empty for the first time in anyone''s living memory.

    Soon, he was at the entrance of a mine. Many of those watching drew in breath sharply as he picked up the tools lying outside and started to work, digging out a crystal from a vein that was nearest to him.

    Some slaves who clearly loved him more than the rest stepped forward to help, but he simply raised his hand to stop them. He walked out with a big crystal in his mind, and as they parted in front of him, he heard them muttering between themselves, wondering what he was up to.

    Daneel was soon at the Refinery. Here, he took the second suit which had been a fashionable, blue three-piece outfit, with a long fur-lined cloak with a hood at the top. He had cut away the furry parts of it and had made it so that it simply hung to the floor, and as for the rest, he had given them a similar treatment with the only difference being that the vest remained as it was.

    He made his way into the refinery with the people following still, and when he walked out of it, in his hand was a refined crystal. The sun above had been dimmed as no one was using it, but still, its power had been enough to refine just the one he had brought out of the Pit.

    He then went to the Courtyard, and there, the third suit which happened to be crimson was not altered. Here, he did not wear it as he had no idea what he was supposed to do¡­ so he gestured at one of the younger members of the Courtyard who had been following him until now to come forward. As the man did his work, he finally addressed the people whose curiosity was close to bursting like a balloon.

    "Hear me. I said we would talk¡­ and now is the time. You have all heard the words of those people who interrupted us so rudely. We have a quota to fulfill, and if we fail, they will rain fire and death and destruction down on us. I could have sugarcoated this in many ways¡­ but I choose to give you the truth as it is. Everything that has ground to a halt needs to begin, anew¡­ but things will not be the same, at all. You have just seen me establish the uniforms for those who will work in each layer of the town. First and foremost: no one will need to live underground. I have made the estimations: there is more than enough space up above for all of us to live in harmony. All the living areas in these three layers will be repurposed later, but for now, they shall be empty, standing as an unpleasant memory of the time when our lives were not in our hands.

    "Each and every one who works will be paid a salary. Right now, all former slaves only know how to dig in the Pit, and all those in the Refinery only know how to work that tower. But from tomorrow, itself¡­ tutors will be present who will teach you the ways of working in the layers above yours, if you wish to learn. Even if you don''t, what you will earn will be more than enough for you to live happy lives. If you work hard, you will rise in life, and no one will be there to stop you and send you back to the depravity you were unlucky enough to be born in. Until now, you could not choose either your past, or your future. From now on, the latter is firmly in your hands. This is my promise. No matter what one''s vocation is, they can hold their heads held high with the dignity that is only present in those who earn their right to live. If there are any doubts or issues, let me know. But if there are bone¡­ then let us take this first step into the future together. I''m itching for a shift in the Pit. Will anyone be joining me?"

    Hands shot up in the crowd, and Daneel smiled. Almost all the slaves were ready, with a few from the Refinery even avidly jumping, as if there was nothing, whatsoever, wrong with their menial work.

    That was what Daneel had wanted. On earth, the dignity that one obtained from the work they did was a really important aspect of human society. In a specific country, the job of a construction worker might be looked out upon to be menial and unworthy of notice¡­ but in a different place, it would be respected, and even coveted by many for the stability it offered. A job''s value changed depending on how society saw it. Daneel was determined to have the same happen here, by offering both housing benefits and salaries that no slave had ever dared to dream of, and in front of him, he could see his plan blooming into what he had hoped it would be.

    He knew that it wouldn''t be perfect, though, and he hadn''t expected it to be so, either. Small steps. Only small steps, taken one after the other would lead the town to where he wished it would go, and for now, he was happy with this particular step.

    ''And at the end of the day¡­ what else can one wish for? Brother¡­ I''ve already begun. If you''re watching from somewhere¡­ I hope you''re smiling.''

    With that thought, he grinned, too, and switched clothes before heading to the Pit with a long line of people behind him, all rearing to go as if they had been promised a trip to paradise.

 82 The Outsider

    "So¡­ what is this change in macro mission that you talked about before? And what is the mission mode?"

    A day had passed since his stunt in the town which had resulted in an influx of people from the surface to all three layers, where production had started up quite efficiently. It wasn''t at the level, yet, where it had been before the revolution as then, the enforcers had been driving the people too hard without even feeding them improperly, but with the progress he had made, Daneel was happy, and right now, he was sitting in a room in Harrold''s mansion while waiting for his guest to arrive.

    He hadn''t gotten much sleep, but it couldn''t be avoided. Now that he finally had some time to himself, he decided to talk to the system as it was never good to ignore a notification that it had given.

    [Responding to host.

    Previous macro mission:

    Dominate and conquer the world!

    Present macro mission:

    Dominate and conquer the world!

    Unveil secrets waiting in Mainland regarding the system, and host''s transmigration.

    Mission mode: Host is already familiar with the EXP mode, using which many functions of the system were unlocked. Going forward, it is possible for system''s subsequent unlocks to be done by completing missions instead of accumulating EXP like host has done before. Once picked, the mode cannot be changed until the next upgrade, so host is requested to give some thought to the decision before making it.]

    Daneel almost didn''t hear the second part of the system''s answer. His face had fallen slack and his eyes had shone when the changed macro mission of the system had echoed in his mind, and he had clutched the armrests of the chair he was sitting on so tightly that they creaked, ready to give in under his strength if he employed even an ounce more.

    He controlled himself after a few moments, drawing in deep gasps as if he had run a marathon. Ever since he had transmigrated all those years ago, it had always been in the back of his mind that he had to find a way to Earth, and discover just why such a fantastical thing had happened to him. Before his journey to the Mainland, the system had given him a hint that something was waiting here that would help him along this quest¡­ but he hadn''t expected that it would be so straightforward.

    Essentially, it didn''t change anything, though. But on giving it further thought, he saw why it was still important.

    In his first days after the transmigration, Daneel had used to get missions that helped him along his path, awarding him with the EXP that was used to unlock more capabilities of the system. He had struggled through that period, hoarding EXP so much that he had even foregone the temptations to unlock capabilities that might help him just so that he could upgrade its overall level, and make it so that it would be able to contest against those in realms higher than his.

    The system had stopped giving him missions at one point, and when he had asked, it had told him that its creator decreed that it would only do so when its host was still too weak to be able to pursue EXP by himself. But now, apparently¡­ things were different, and he wondered whether he should go back to the familiar pathway that had been frustrating, yet fulfilling at the same time.

    A slight shudder went through him as soon as he thought of this, though. Would it really be all that bad to have a concrete goal, instead of a number that he kept striving for, and cursing whenever he fell short?

    He couldn''t decide, so he decided to take the system''s advice and wait. After all, he knew that it would take time for him to catch up with its current capabilities, and it would only be then that he would start to seriously think about making it even more powerful.

    He sat in silence for a few more minutes, and then, the door opened to usher in two guards with a man between them whose hands were tied.

    Snapping his eyes up, Daneel got to his feet and waited with his hands behind his back. He had picked a small room that was reminiscent of the interrogation rooms back on earth; there was only enough space for two chairs and a table between them, and as the man sat in one of them, Daneel gestured at the enforcers who had had a reputation for being kind and helpful to the citizens of the town before to leave.

    As the door closed, he turned to his guest. The man didn''t seem all that menacing now that his strange, tall, pointed hat been removed. But when Daneel and Reese had spotted him at that fateful time, when they had been lying in wait on top of the mountain near the meeting spot, he had seemed like a dangerous existence they had to be cautious about. Yet, when the fight had broken out, he had strived to keep himself hidden as much as possible, before eventually being knocked out by the magical item that the dwarf king had used.

    If it weren''t for the fact that his hands and legs had been tied by the enforcers of the master as soon as the man had arrived at the meeting spot, the one sitting in front of him would have fled. He had been found trying to crawl away, and after being picked up by the enforcers whom Daneel had set to guard the town, the man had apparently been repeatedly asking to meet whoever was in charge.

    Daneel had had a short conversation with Madeira to find out who he was. Apparently, he had come to them, talking about how anyone who had rebellious thoughts could speak with him to procure items that would save lives or take them, as needed, in exchange for food or other items. They hadn''t had too many dealings with him, as it took time to accumulate the food that he quoted would be needed if they wanted to exchange it for something powerful¡­ but from the power displayed by that thing that his brother had used, it was clear that the background of this man was not simple.

    Daneel pulled out the gag covering his mouth. With a sneer, the man studied him even as he was studied, too.

    He had red hair, different from anyone Daneel had seen in the town so far. He was tall and well-built, with broad shoulders worthy of a blacksmith and calloused hands that could belong to a refinery worker. The set of his face did not match any of these details, though; it was that of someone used to being in control of a situation akin to a general on the battlefield, and after a few moments, the man spoke and made this fact even more clear.

    "For what has been done to me, I could call down assassins that would leave all the leaders here dead or dying. But I will do no such thing¡­ for business is what we live for. I''m happy because your rebellion succeeded. Congratulations are in order."

    Daneel frowned.

    "Why are you happy? As the rebellion is done, we might not have any use for you."

    A rich, deep laugh emanated from the man, echoing in the room over and over again until it felt like it was coming from everywhere. When he stopped, he had to use his tied hands to wipe away the tears of mirth that had come in his eyes.

    "You are mistaken. Islanders who have succeeded in rebelling are actually those who pay us the most¡­ because the new masters always grow greedy, and look for ways to enslave those that they lead. Oh, you might be different right now. But it always ends up happening. Always."

    Daneel raised one eyebrow. It was his turn to sneer, now. He thought for a moment¡­ and then found the perfect way to shut the man up.

    "Come with me."

    He walked out the door knowing that the man was following. He took a route that he had already walked through before, and soon, they came upon a steel door that had been hidden expertly behind a floor to ceiling painting of all the layers of the town.

    Daneel opened it and stepped inside. The glow of crystals lit up his face, and as the outsider followed him, he heard a chuckle come from his mouth.

    "Of course. The previous master''s hoard. I expect that you want to use a small portion of it to buy magical items that will keep the people in control. You don''t want another revolution to happen that will cause you to meet the same fate as Harrold, right? Well, we can¡ª"

    "I''ll give all of this to you. In return, I want any machinery that you might have access to which will make the tasks of those in the layers below easier."

    Daneel felt the man''s widened eyes on his back. A lopsided came to his lips, and turning around, he untied the bonds around the man''s hands.

    "Go on, count them. When you''re done, tell me what options are available."

    The shock on the man''s face didn''t decrease by even a bit as Daneel stepped past him, to the door of the vault. Pausing there, he said in a mocking tone, "You might have seen a lot of rebels¡­ but you''ve never seen me. This is just the beginning: there is still a lot more to come. I suggest that you snap your mouth shut, so that you can save your drool when you see the rest. I''ll see you soon, outsider."

    With that, Daneel left, his smile broadening as he heard the sharp intake of breath from one who had even stopped this essential function of human because of how stunned he was.

    Stepping out of the mansion, he took a deep breath, himself. Then, he began to walk in the direction of the crystals of the Pit once again.

    A sharp wind was rising. A wind of change, of growth, of a budding Kingdom that might even eclipse everything he had accomplished so far. Quickening his steps, he walked on.

    There was much to be done.

 83 The Key

    Daneel settled comfortably onto the only chair in Harrold''s library.

    As soon as he found a comfortable position with a sigh, the door burst open to reveal a bearded man almost unrecognizable from the one he had first met.

    Reese wasn''t wearing anything ostentatious, but still, the change that had come over him was remarkable. Finally discarding the slaves'' garb, he was now dressed in a green wool coat underneath which he was wearing a simple shirt and grey pants. His long hair had been combed back to fall to his shoulders, and his beard had been carefully cut, giving him a stately look that would garner respect from almost anyone who laid their eyes on him.

    The healer''s kind eyes crinkled when he smiled on seeing Daneel. Folding his hands behind his back, he said, "Don''t say anything. This is how I used to be before¡­ all that happened. And¡­these were Sebastian''s clothes. I think I can still feel him when I wear them."

    Daneel nodded wistfully, wishing that he had had the full capability of the system unlocked at that critical moment. It would definitely have saved Reese''s brother, but alas, the man''s sacrifice hadn''t been able to be stopped.

    "I''ll be taking care of the repairs here. Call me if you need anything. Oh, and¡­ get some rest. You look like a ghost has been haunting you, and now wants to marry you so that it can be with you forever. A little bit of sleep will not end with the town going up in flames. Trust me¡­ and all those dwarves that have sworn themselves to you as you''re the last living remnant of their father. They have a small surprise planned for you¡­ but that''ll have to wait."

    A wave of exhaustion passed through Daneel as he heard the man''s words. He was tired, it was true, as he had been pushing himself repeatedly, saying over and over again that he couldn''t afford to rest.

    Now, though, he looked to the side and winced when he glanced at himself in the mirror. There were deep hollows under his eyes, and his skin was wan and pale, like that of a patient.

    ''Like they say, the mind is willing, but the body wilts. Wait¡­ isn''t that an innuendo? Ah, screw it, I''m too tired to care.''

    With another sigh, he reluctantly nodded, causing Reese''s smile to broaden.

    "I''ll be closing the door, then, and I''ll ensure that you are not disturbed. I''ve heard that Harrold built this room to be quiet even if a war was going on outside. I expect it''ll serve. Sweet dreams."

    Without waiting for a response, Reese left, the large double doors crashing shut behind him. As soon as that happened, Daneel remarked inwardly about how the man had been right: his surroundings were so silent that he could hear his own breathing, and for the first time in a long time, it felt as if an aura of calm surrounded him, lulling him into a sense of peace that felt great.

    The exertion was there, alright, but it was kept at bay by his mind that kept darting to all the issues he had to take care of. He knew that he could use the system to forcefully stop it, but he did no such thing: he knew the value of natural processes taking their course, so he wanted to see where it would lead him. After all, even if it took some time, he knew that he would fall asleep eventually, and until then, he settled in for the ride.

    He found himself dwelling on the past, the future that he had to build, but slowly, he was drawn more and more to the essence of magic that he had found out from the dwarf king, and everything he had seen as Daniel so far. Frowning, he walked to a sconce in the room that held a few crystals and took them out before returning back to the bed.

    The dots of light appeared once more, revolving slowly around the crystal, calmly filling the air with their pleasant glow. At the same time, the power inside the crystal called to him, urging him to breathe in and use its energy to cure the tiredness in his body and his mind.

    The temptation was strong, but Daneel managed to force it away. With his experience in handling magic, he knew that it was all a ruse: at the end of the day, without real rest for someone at his level, he would collapse when his body gave out while a smile filled with false liveliness would still be on his face.

    Shaking his head, he settled on to the main reason behind him taking the crystal in his hands. Closing his eyes, he recalled vividly that first moment when he had discovered elementary particles on Angaria.

    They had been described in a primitive form, said to be of the elements, but also being able to create them. On Angaria, magic was all about taking these elementary particles in the air and weaving them into different patterns that would result in different effects in the world, but if the dwarf king was right, how could he apply this concept to the dots of light in front of him?

    Pursing his lips, he studied the dots, like a student whose life depended on the test he was soon going to take. On Angaria, elementary particles did not look anything alike; for one thing, they had a specific color and, in a way, a vibration to them that allowed him to understand which element they belonged to, but these dots were neutral, possessing nothing to set them apart.

    The number of particles present in an area always correlated directly with the ease of casting spells. For example, on Angaria, if there was a fire blazing around one already, it would be much easier to cast Fire-based spells. In the same way, creating heat in a cold tundra would need all the energy in one''s mind.

    A vague moment of realization skittered across his mind, gone before he could catch it. He went through his stream of thought again, wondering what had caused it, and he came upon the last thing he had thought of: energy.

    ''Is that the key? On Angaria, one''s Mageroot, a wondrous organ present behind the forehead, is used to control the particles, and it is using the power from the land that the Mageroot can be made to grow. Using their power, mages can also recover. And of course, those Ether blocks and Ker ems and Ker roots that I used there are the same as these crystals¡­ but I never saw anything around them, though. What is the link?''

    He pondered on the topic, his eyes fixed on the crystal even after they began to water due to the luminescence.

    He knew for a fact that the system could be used to find all the answers, but he did that, where would it leave him? He had never intended to be a weak individual depending on this fantastical cheat that resided in his mind, so he was determined to figure this out by himself, so that he could make this magic his, just as he had done back home.

    He floundered for an explanation or inspiration that would connect the knowledge he now knew with the knowledge waiting to be used, gathered over years spent training on Angaria. He dwelled on the dwarf king''s words, on the realm that had collided with the one he was in now, but he kept failing, so much so that frustration overcame him and made him hurl the crystal at the wall.

    It fell to the floor a few feet away, the dots of light appearing muted due to the distance, but still clear. He was about to leave it for another day and sleep, but just as he was about to turn around¡­he spotted something that made him freeze.

    ''Hey¡­from far away, don''t they look like elementary particles that need to be identified by going closer? Distance is key. I''ve only heard about the layer separating the realms. Here, the layer is stronger. But what if¡­the distance is also shorter? What if the particles need to travel to reach places like Angaria even if the layer is weak, and if so, they are subject to duress? And an object under duress¡­splits. It splits!''

    Excitedly, he ran to the crystal and picked it up.

    All he had was a theory. Would it fit, or would it prove him wrong?

    His Mageroot was weak as it hadn''t been trained since being ''unblocked'' by the system, but when he called upon it, it responded with vigor.

    Reaching out with his mind, he touched one of the dots and imagined it splitting into the particles that he knew.

    At first, nothing happened. He kept up the effort, though, trusting the instincts that had led him here, and all at once¡­the white dot collapsed, and in its place swirled six tiny dots that made a wave of nostalgia wash over him.

    He left them there and focused on another dot, his mind racing as he studied that moment of splitting. It had seemed as if his intentions had directed the change, so this time¡­he imagined the dot splitting only into red particles.

    When it worked, a wide grin came on Daneel''s face. He didn''t even notice the crystal shrinking as he split dot after dot. He ignored the strain on his mind, too, completely caught up in the expiration of finding the answer, and soon, a nail-sized wisp of fire was dancing over his palm, burning surely over his skin, bathing his face in its glow.

    ''They are the source! They are what elementary particles come from¡­so their power is, indeed, much, much greater in some ways! I¡ª''

    The flame winked out. His mind lurched, as if he was falling. All too late, he spotted the signs of overextending himself, but there was nothing he could do.

    Unconsciousness hit him like a hammer, and he collapsed on the floor and began to snore.

 84 A Misunderstanding

    Daneel didn''t know how long he slept. All he was aware of that his dreams once again veered towards his fondest memories, and the pangs of loss that accompanied them.

    This time, whether by coincidence or fate, he found himself dreaming of the intimate moments he had shared with both of his wives. They were some of the most blissful memories of his past, made up of nothing but pure joy, standing at the highest peak of happiness that he had ever known.

    Even during the dream, he was aware of the fact that he was going to be mooning over them long after he woke up. But towards the end, just when he started to get aware of consciousness returning to him¡­ something felt off.

    For one thing, the physical sensations he had been reliving seemed much more real, as if they had somehow entered the real world from his mind. For another, he realized that his body had already been reacting to them intently when he had been in the dream world, automatically going through the motions he was familiar with.

    He wasn''t able to stop them even after becoming aware, though. Instead, he got caught up in them more and more, losing himself in the sensations of being embraced, being kissed, having his skin and even his upright friend played with.

    With each second, though, the disconcerting feeling grew. He also started to notice more of the things that were wrong.

    For instance, in his mind''s eye, the one on top of him was Eloise, the woman who was gentle, yet firm to the rest of the world but a tigress in bed. He used to fight with her to see who would kiss the other more, who would rake the thirst that they felt and make them hunger for the sweet ecstasy of penetration. Yet, he remembered vividly how her body was curvy and soft with hard muscle beneath due to her training, but here, the one he was holding was scrawny, with their bones almost poking out of their body.

    There were also many wounds all over her body. Her lips had a cut on them that rubbed against his in a fashion that wasn''t unpleasant, at all, and her hands were extremely rough, like that of someone used to hard work.

    They were completely lost in the throes of their passion, exploring each and every inch of each other''s bodies with a determination that could not be stopped. The woman grunted and whispered things he couldn''t understand in time with his heavy breathing, and incredibly, his eyes were still closed, clinging to the dream that refused to leave.

    A small part of him was the only one that kept urging his consciousness to fully awaken so that he could see the truth, but it kept getting beaten down, again and again, due to how¡­incredible it felt.

    Only, this small part had slowly been getting stronger, and finally, at the moment before Daneel was about to enter the woman on top, it shouted at him, and he snapped his eyes open to find an unfamiliar face.

    "AH!"

    Daneel noticed that he was naked, too. Both of their clothes were strewn across the room, on the chair, over the bookcases, and on the large table in the middle. When he was looking at them, she managed to get near, and as soon as she touched him, his organ throbbed, making his eyes flutter as the temptation to just close them and continue the dream assaulted him with absurd strength.

    Thankfully, with the full might of his consciousness roused, it wasn''t too hard to shove it aside, especially after recalling the faces of his wives, once again, and knowing that it would be unfaithful to go ahead no matter how enticing it was. That didn''t mean that he wanted to do such a thing, either. Circumstances had just pushed him into this juncture, but at the right moment, he had managed to avoid that act that would definitely have filled him with shame.

    It also didn''t mean that he was explicitly tied to the women who had given him their hearts, though. They had had many conversations where both Eloise and Xuan had joked about how they wouldn''t mind having more sisters, at all, and sometimes, he had been able to tell that they were truly of the opinion that his future might lead him to taking even more wives.

    He was completely averse to the idea, though. Just the act of taking two wives had been something that seemed extremely sacrilegious, and if it weren''t for the fact that he loved them equally, he would never even have thought about it.

    Halting the line of thought that was getting stranger by the second, Daneel looked up to see that his continued noncooperation had finally angered the woman. She was glaring at him with red-hot eyes, her teeth bared into a rictus charged with frustration and her hands folded, shaking with unconcealed fury.

    "What is wrong with you?"

    She hurled the question at him while he looked at her, really looked at her for the first time. All those things he had noticed hadn''t been wrong: her body really was filled with wounds, and she really was extremely scrawny. Her breasts were barely the size of small cups, peeking out of a lean body that seemed to have only just begun to be fed properly.

    Recognition also came a moment later. He had seen her before; she was the one who had been about to be hanged on that day when he arrived to deliver justice to the nobles who had gathered, and after that, he remembered her mooning over him wherever he went. He hadn''t really given her any attention, though, thinking that it was a phase, but obviously¡­he had been wrong.

    He looked to the door which was closed and asked, "How did you get in here?"

    A faint coloring in her cheeks made him understand that he might have asked the right question. Averting her gaze, she half turned her body and said, "I sneaked in, of course. I wanted to talk to you, to tell you how much I admired everything you''re doing¡­ but when I came in, your dick was hard, and you were moaning as if you were having a wet dream. It''s been a long time since I was held by anyone, so¡­ still, you are the one who kissed me, first! I just responded, after that!"

    It was Daneel''s turn to blush, now. He coughed, not knowing what to say, as the blame was on him, too. If he was just a 16-year-old, he would have had no option but to give in to the embarrassment and make a fool of himself¡­ but he was more than that, so he settled his thoughts and spoke in a clear tone.

    "Look¡­ Coraline, wasn''t it? I''m sorry. I cannot explain why, but we can''t go on. I''m truly sorry about what I did. I was dreaming about something, and I think I mistook you for someone else."

    With each word he said, her anger seemed to be growing by octaves. When he was done, she threw her hands in the air and shouted, "Fine! It wasn''t as if I would have given in and thrown myself at you if you had asked me to, either! It''s your loss! Suit yourself! I hear blue balls are really pleasant this time of the year!"

    Bewildered, he raised his hand, knowing that he should say something but being stymied once again as to what it was. He wasn''t able to stop her when she opened the large doors and went outside, before walking back in with an even redder face.

    Shooting a warning glance in his direction that said that he could laugh at the cost of his life, she got dressed. She was wearing a simple pair of men''s clothes, but they fit her well, and for the first time, Daneel saw that she had long, pretty hair and a certain hardness to her eyes and face that wasn''t unpleasant to look at, at all.

    With another glare, she stalked out, and he shook his head to get rid of these thoughts. Doing that made it go back to those memories of his wives¡­ but he tried to get rid of them, too.

    He was tugging on his pants when Reese ducked into the room with a playful smile on his face.

    "Had fun?" He asked, making Daneel glare at him and get a slight suspicion.

    "Did you let her in?"

    Reese cleared his throat and delivered the answer in a manner that made it clearer than if he had said it out loud. Finally breaking under Daneel''s gaze, he said, "Yeah¡­ she was trying to be sneaky, but I spotted her and her intentions easily enough. I cleared out the workers nearby so that she had an uninterrupted route. I just thought that you deserved some love! You did save her life, you know. She''s not even the only one who wants to show gratitude in this manner!"

    Daneel wrinkled his nose. Pursing his lips so tightly that they turned into a thin line, he finished wearing his clothes and said, "I didn''t save them for anything of this manner. If they want to show gratitude, they can just work on making the town better for all of us. Don''t repeat this."

    Reese frowned, but nodded. Daneel knew the reason behind his confusion; as a teenage boy, ordinarily, he should have more than happily given in to such things and enjoyed them to the fullest. Even though he tried, he found no explanation for why he was uninterested, so he just gave up and said, "Let''s go check on the town."

    As if having just remembered something, Reese slapped his forehead and said, "Oh, yes! That wasn''t why I came here. The outsider''s done counting and making his estimations. He was ready to come to you, but I asked him to wait in the interrogation room, again, for maximum effect."

    Raising an eyebrow, Daneel nodded. Taking a moment, he went through everything that had happened before he fainted¡­ and felt a surge of exhilaration pass through him as he remembered his breakthrough.

    Even though Reese was present, he was really, really tempted to pick up the crystal lying nearby and cast a spell, again. Magic was like a drug, after all. The more one used it, the more one would crave for the power it gave them, the sheer elation that accompanied the act creating something out of nothing or performing feats worthy of gods being so strong that whether awake or asleep, one would dream of it, long for it, live for it.

    There were also many other things that he needed to discover. For instance, these crystals were different from the Energy sources he remembered. They seemed more potent, somehow, and he wanted to see how that connected to the concept of particles he had figured out, but clearly, they would have to wait.

    The town was the first priority. So, telling himself that he would get right on it as soon as he could, he said, "Lead the way."

 85 A Deal

    Daneel drummed his fingers across his knuckles as they walked to the small room that once again held the outsider.

    On the way, he dwelled more on what had happened before his little rest and the eventful things that had happened after. Without magic at his fingertips, he had almost felt handicapped, and now that this had been rectified, it felt as if the world was once again in his grasp.

    The Will was powerful, yes, but at the end of the day, it was something external. Power from within was always that which gave the most confidence, and so, the moment he entered the room, an easy smile came to his face, but his cheeks burned when he remembered his dreams out of the blue, and how pleasant Coraline''s body had felt.

    Cursing at himself, he took a seat and waited for the man to talk. The outsider''s pride had left him, replaced by the calm of a businessman intent on closing a deal.

    He clasped and unclasped his fingers for a few moments, studying Daneel and probably thinking about the offer he was going to make. Using the system, Daneel had already counted the exact number of crystals present inside the vault. He had also taken the time after his shift in the Pit to talk to Madeira and find out exactly how much food and squirreled away crystals they had exchanged for the items they had bought from the man.

    "This is an unprecedented situation. In the hundreds of islands that are outside the Mainland, it has probably happened in only one or two, and even then, I''m not sure whether the deal actually went through. What you ask for¡ª"

    "Get to the point."

    Daneel''s brusque tone made the outsider grimace, then gulp, before forcefully making his hands fall still. He then spoke in a flat tone, and Daneel felt himself leaning forward with interest.

    "For the sum of 5,000 processed crystals, I might be able to procure a crystal powered machine from the Mainland that can automatically dig out crystals from the mines."

    Beside him, Daneel heard Reese suck in a sharp breath. His own brow furrowed, too, at the same time, due to the steep rate.

    He had found out a few details about the details of the operation that went on in the town. A few of them he had already known. For instance, because he had been a slave, himself, he knew about the fact that the Pit had a daily quota of a hundred kilograms of crystals, which were turned into 500 blocks of processed crystals in the Refinery. There were hundreds of slaves and hundreds of refinery workers, after all, so this was a number that could be expected from the bottom two layers of Graiton.

    Over a period of decades, the man had only managed to stockpile 10,000 processed crystals. If such a large chunk was taken away at such a crucial time¡­what would be the case if that brat of a kid appeared, and there weren''t enough crystals to give him?

    The town wasn''t up to full production, yet, and from his calculations, they had two months, at most, before something would have to be done. During these two months, he would be able to supplement the lesser outputs of all three layers with what was present in the vault¡­but if he paid half of it to the outsider in front of him, then it might throw a wrench in everything. They would only be able to hang on for a month, which was just too short a period when lives were at stake.

    Daneel pondered on it. One month might seem like a considerable amount of time, but he just couldn''t bring himself to agree to the deal. If anything went wrong, the price was too high to pay, so finally, he said, "Unacceptable. Is a line of credit possible? We might be able to pay the amount over time."

    A difficult look appeared on the outsider''s face as Daneel said this. After glancing at Reese, he gave his answer in a measured tone, sounding as if he didn''t want to give offense, but had no choice.

    "Pardon me, but that is impossible. The future of any island where a revolution has happened is fraught with uncertainty. As such, we cannot expect you to remain in power for whatever period of time we decide on. And we have faced losses, before, where the new rulers refused to honor any deal we had made with those that they replaced. You can understand how they might have felt. In fact, we had to run away from that encounter, and since then, no credit has been accepted."

    Daneel made a face and shook his head. What the man was saying made sense¡­ but he needed the machine.

    "As for the price, I''m afraid it cannot be lowered, either. I''m already giving you the best deal, and besides, I''m not even the one who will authorize it. I''ll tell you this now, itself, so that there are no misunderstandings later. For a deal of this magnitude, my superior has to arrive and see that everything is in order."

    Daneel''s frown deepened, but he waved his hand and replied, "We can think about that later. It''s just that¡ª"

    He paused when he felt Reese''s hand on his shoulder. As he met the man''s eyes, the healer nodded towards the door, and with a nod in reply, Daneel got up and walked out.

    Closing the door behind him, Reese looked at him for a few moments and said, "Harrold isn''t the only noble in town, Daneel. He wasn''t even the one in charge of the three layers. Different parts of the town were handled by different nobles, and you''ve already killed a lot of the most powerful ones. What I mean to say is¡­ this isn''t the only vault we have at our disposal. And besides¡­ if you truly want the former slaves to find a new line of work, I expect that we''ll need more than one machine. Let''s tally the rest of the vaults, too, then talk to him. And because we''re buying at least one, let''s call the superior over. I know as well as you that we don''t have too much time¡­ so I suggest that we speed things up. And, er¡­ I hope you don''t think that I''m trying to take away your leadership. You earned it, and you''re the one respected all over the town. I just thought that you might have missed this, so I spoke up."

    Taken aback, Daneel looked at Reese''s sheepish expression as he said the last part. He chuckled, then, and Reese raised his eyebrows, clearly not understanding what was passing through Daneel''s mind.

    "You think too much, my old friend. Without you, I would have died on that first day. Leadership does not mean hoarding the heavy duty of taking decisions. Never hesitate to speak up. And besides¡­ I never said I wanted to be a new master, either. The others need to understand this, too. As for what you said¡­ you''re completely right. I was too caught up in things, so I didn''t notice this detail that was right in front of my nose. Let''s go back in."

    After clapping his friend on his shoulder and entering the room, Daneel shook his head once more and took a seat. He had meant what he had said to Reese: he really had not had the time to think about the other vaults as his mind was still being pulled in the direction of other issues such as the displeasure that was definitely present in the town, and even the rest of the mysteries regarding magic that he wanted to unveil. Given some time, he would have reached this conclusion, but he was glad that Reese had spoken up, and right away, he decided that he would be giving the man a lot more responsibilities from now. Over his time on Angaria, he had built a knack of identifying people who were suited to lead, and everything he had seen so far had convinced him that Reese was more than qualified based on both his past, and who he was now.

    "Call your superior over. We might just end up buying more than one machine, and I would like to bargain with him, directly."

    The outsider let out a sigh of relief as he heard Daneel. His hand went into his pocket and he took out a triangular object made out of what looked like purple glass, at first.

    "Please lead me to the edge of the town. This thing will only work there. And can I borrow a processed crystal?"

    He looked askance at Daneel as a response wasn''t given even after half a minute passed. It was finally only with Reese''s urging that Daneel nodded and rushed out of the room, excusing himself without giving an explanation.

    He felt Reese''s puzzled gaze on him, but at the moment, he couldn''t care about anything else in the world¡­ as the system had sent a notification that changed almost everything.

    After reaching the library again, Daneel gave the order for it to be repeated, and as the words echoed in his mind, he goggled at thin air as if it held the greatest treasure in the world.

    [Communication device scanned. Possible method found to transmit stored power from Angaria to host''s location.]

 86 The Superior

    Giant bodies whose heads rose above the clouds. Spells that could kill armies of hundreds of thousands, and burn entire countries. Mythical beasts that could strike fear into millions with just a single look. The power of Gods, the power of legends, the power of myths made flesh and given bone by the strength of one''s will.

    All of these things flashed through Daneel''s mind a moment later, their burning glory shining seemingly just a few inches away from his face. He wasn''t dreaming of all these things; he was merely remembering them. He had been capable of all of them, and more before the arrival of the ultimate enemy against whom he had seen no other choice but to sacrifice his countrymen so that they would at least leave them alone. He had come to the Mainland to find a way to give back life to all of them, as he had managed to store fragments of what could be called their souls which were enough for the act of resurrection¡­ if one had enough power.

    Before departing, though, he had been extremely loath to leave behind all of his achievements. It had taken years of extreme effort to gain all that power, and the idea of starting anew in a new world was quite depressing.

    Hence, after racking his mind for quite a while, he had found a way in which he could store a large part of his strength in a way that could be accessed if he found a method to do it. For the system, one of the most important directives he had given was to identify exactly how he could do so, and hence, now that he had succeeded¡­ he felt like clapping his hands wildly and laughing until his throat went hoarse.

    He did no such thing, though. Reese was talking to the outsider inside the room, and the house was also filled with people who might think that he had gone crazy. The dwarves might take it in stride, believing that madness was just a step away from masochism, but it would not do to make all the people who had just begun to believe in him doubt his sanity.

    Controlling himself with a superhuman effort, Daneel began to walk in the direction of the library. He did not trust himself to keep a straight face while talking to Reese or the outsider as images of himself when he had been at the peak of power were still flashing in his mind, and he needed some time to himself so that he could push them down.

    He shut the large doors of the room behind him as if he was a thief running away from the police. The first thing he did after that was look at the spot on the ground where he had almost entered that pretty woman, and this made a slight blush creep into his cheeks once more.

    Snapping his head away from it, he walked to the bed and sat down. Letting his face finally show the sheer joy that he felt, he began a conversation with the system that ended after a few minutes.

    His earlier plans could not hold, now. It was glaringly obvious that procuring an object that would facilitate this was much more important than even getting the machines that could make the work easier in the Pit, but how could he explain such a thing to the people who believed in him?

    He did need to be very, very careful. The situation in the town wasn''t as rosy as it seemed on the surface. From the beginning, the residents of the Courtyard hadn''t really liked him. What they did was an essential service that gave them quite a bit of leverage, and if they decided that they wanted something which was not good for the town, Daneel might have to take harsh measures to put them back to work. But if he did that, he would appear no different from the master, and that was something that would spell the end of his leadership and his dream of turning the town into a city, so he had to juggle all these things while precariously standing on a ledge if he wished to reach where he wanted before he was able to depart from this place.

    Taking a meditative position, he embarked on a task that was difficult, but one he loved with all his heart. It was that of creating plans, backup plans, and even more plans that would step in in case the backup plans failed, and he had already lost count of the number of times this act had saved his life or those of his people. He let his mind work deep into the evening, and even the night, and he paused only when he heard of a knock on the door.

    Daneel got up and stretched his body, a small smile playing on his lips as he was quite happy with all the progress he had made. He had figured out multiple scenarios in which the future could unfold, and he had prepared for each and every one of it exhaustively, not even ignoring something that might seem as if it had a very low probability of coming true. Hearing his shoulders pop, he opened the door and found Reese waiting with the face of an excited child.

    "That superior is almost here! I thought you might want to come talk to him. The outsider was shocked as apparently, the man takes ample time to get anywhere after a request is sent, so it seems that he might actually be serious about closing the deal. I can''t believe it! You''re amazing, Daniel. I thought I would never see the day when no one would have to work in the Pit¡­ but already, it might be upon us. Shall we go?"

    With a grin and a nod, Daneel walked forward, getting caught up in his friend''s enthusiasm despite the nagging thought about the decision regarding the machines he had just taken. Both of them had a spring in their step as they made their way through the town that had just begun to wind down for the night. As everyone was living on the surface now, the crystals around the town constantly flashed, teleporting chattering refinery workers or former slaves who made their way to their homes with a general atmosphere of contentment and happiness about them. Looking at them made Daneel''s smile broaden even more as it was incredible how much change could be brought about with a single step, and by making it so that everyone lived at the same place and hence could be said to be part of the same family, he had laid the groundwork for the residents of the town to mix together and form a society slowly but surely that they could believe in and rely on no matter what happened.

    He found himself thinking of his own support system back home. Before his departure, a lot of people had been added to the original nine, too, whom he missed with all his heart almost as much as the rest. He began to think of each and every one of them, but he put such thoughts away when they started to near the edge of the land where the outsider was only waiting with two enforcers on guard.

    After the two of them reached him, they all stepped outside the dome around the town together, and as soon as they did so, Reese and the enforcers gawked at a cloud that was seemingly floating towards them, hanging just a few meters away from where they stood.

    Daneel wasn''t really phased, but to put up the act of being a country bumpkin who knew nothing, he acted surprised, too, making his jaw drop as he studied the individuals on the cloud.

    One man was positioned in front of two who were wearing full armor that almost looked medieval, in nature. He stood in such contrast to them that Daneel blinked, wondering whether he was seeing things. Dressed in the rags of a beggar, with a coarse wooden staff for support, the man had an unkempt beard and short hair that looked like it hadn''t been washed in months. His face was grimy and his skin was wrinkled, making him look middle-aged, but his eyes were that of a hawk, missing nothing at all as they ranged over everything in front of him.

    The men in silver armor were wearing large two-handed swords behind their backs and a helmet in the shape of a snarling dog''s head. As they came closer, the cloud sped up, and soon, the three were stepping off of it on to the cliff at the very edge of the town.

    They were just a few feet away, so Daneel stepped forward to welcome them. Before he could put down his foot, though¡­ his instincts that had been honed in countless battles blared with danger, and he ducked before hearing a whistling sound from where his head had just been.

    Behind him, there was an enforcer who stood rooted to the ground, his eyes open wide with horror. A needle stuck out of his hand, and from that spot, his skin began to melt.

    Daneel watched, dismayed as the man soon turned into a puddle. The tell-tale signs of another needle being thrown entered his ears, and without thinking, he leaped in Reese''s direction to pull the man down.

    Sure enough, Daneel heard it hit the spot where he had been, causing the ground to smoke. The sounds of swords being unsheathed reached his ears, next, and after shouting to his friend to stay where he was, he stood up with a face filled with fury¡­ and jumped forward, mind already calling to the Will.

 87 Figh

    Deep inside that the city, the orb of light throbbed, and Daneel felt it course towards him, ready to smash away any opposition that might dare to go up against him.

    Like a coiled whip, the Will''s incredible ability to practically freeze anyone into submission called to him, sang to him until he was tempted to let it loose, and let the carnage ensure. Yet, he wasn''t unaware of the fact that it was a secret that had to be kept against anyone who might keep their lives after being affected by it, and right now, he did not know for sure whether he would be able to successfully end all three of those who had come to his land, and tried to kill him.

    He hadn''t even brought along any weapons, but he wasn''t worried about himself, at all. The strength of a Neophyte was probably nothing when compared to that of those he was up against, but he had something else up his sleeve that could counter even those with twice as much might.

    "System, activate direct combat aid. Objective: evade attacks, obtain weapon, kill."

    [Objectives received. Activating combat aid. Taking control.]

    In battle, unless one was an absolute master, there were always tiny signs that could be read that indicated where one was going to move, or what one was going to do. Even if they were a master, their eyes belied things that might seem so minuscule that no one human should be able to decipher them, but with the system, all of these tiny details could be studied and interpreted to great effect.

    If he had the reflexes and the body of someone much more powerful, he could have replicated this feat, too, as he had done many times before on Angaria. Right now, though, he had no choice but to rely on the system, and of course, as it always had done, it delivered.

    The two armored men had moved forward to protect the middle-aged man between them, who seemed to have run out of needles. His face was filled with frustration and his hands were grasping at the air wildly as if he wished that he could close them around the necks of all those in front of him, but he still stayed where he was, exposing the fact that he was not suited for direct combat.

    His guards seemed more than capable, though. They did not possess incredible speed, but their movements had a surety to them that hinted at their experience. Besides, with all that armor, it might even have been impossible to be as fast as those underlings of the master, and in a way, this was what sealed their fate.

    Both of their swords rose in the air, points first, and as Daneel neared them, the one on the right slashed down diagonally while the other chose to use an upward thrust. If he tried to dodge one, the other would surely hit him, but at the exact moment when it seemed that he would be cut into ribbons by those gleaming, curved blades, his legs slipped and he dropped to the floor on his knees, skidding beneath both the attacks.

    He came to a stop precisely a step behind the two. Ignoring the third man, Daneel watched as the system made his body rise up, then leap forward to the man on the right, who had just begun to whirl around.

    Extending his leg, he sent a kick to the man''s shin, targeting the exact moment when he put his weight on it. The man had no choice but to shift his bulk to the other foot, and before he could stabilize himself, Daneel''s hand went into the damp mud below it and pulled.

    The man collapsed, armor clinking without rhythm as it fell to the ground, but Daneel had to jump back as his partner had sent a thrust straight at his neck while he had been absorbed in dealing with the other one.

    As he turned to him once more, he saw the eyes within that dog''s head helmet open wide as it must have seemed as if he had eyes on the back of his head.

    ''Leave him to me.''

    With a wolfish grin, Daneel gave the system this command and calmly walked forward. The armored man regained his composure in a moment. Lifting his sword high again, he waited for Daneel to come close enough so that he could send forth his attack. On the way, Daneel stopped, though, and actually began to walk back, beckoning at him to come forward if he dared. With a glance at his partner who was still trying to struggle to his feet on the ground that was muddy due to the constant spray of the sea that kept it wet, he bit out a growl and ran forward, the sword holding steady in the air as it waited to be sent down, down through his flesh, down through his bones.

    Yet, the moment he reached the spot near where Daneel had first stood before the attack, he stared once more as his opponent actually changed direction, ran to the sword and moved away just a moment before it could slice through his skin. The wind of the blade descending even lifted his hair, but he seemed unperturbed. A punch flew at the man, but he merely sneered, knowing that he would be unscathed within the armor. However, an instant later, he bit his tongue in shock as the punch precisely shifted his center of gravity so that he had to step back or fall to the ground, and in his mind, the thought that he was extremely out of his depth flashed.

    Daneel laughed as he read all of this in the eyes of his opponent. The thrill of battle coursed through him, making his blood barrel through his body and his heart beat almost out of his chest. He danced with the man, the sword a desperate lover that wanted to kiss him, but would always be kept at bay. He didn''t even need to look at it to follow its path; he always knew where it was going to land, so he could always shift his body so that it would pass within an inch of his waist, his hand, and even his head.

    All the while, he kept sending punches to unbalance the man. When the man slashed down, a punch would go for his exposed underarm that made him stumble to the left. When the sword came up, Daneel would jump away from it and shoot a punch at his waist that caused him to curse and stumble forward. When the sword was sent forth in a thrust, Daneel would bend his waist so that it whistled so close to him that it cut a hole through his shirt, but his fists struck the chest of the man who stepped back and finally¡­ fell.

    Behind him, his partner had finally managed to get up. Daneel taunted him, too, with a sneer, but before he could take a step forward, he was stopped by the middle-aged man.

    With a shaking hand, the superior pointed at the guard at Daneel''s feet. With a gasp, the other guard saw that the man''s armor was smoking¡­and then, he remembered the needle that had struck the ground there and had been forgotten by almost everyone.

    A cloud instantly came into existence behind them. The man in beggar''s rags had to pull his guard, but eventually, he relented, and together, they floated away, faces fraught with frustration and anger.

    With a condescending smile, Daneel waited until they were out of sight. It was only then that he turned to the guard they had left behind, and shook his head when he saw that the man had turned into a puddle, too, albeit a slightly silver one.

    Beside him, Reese stepped forward and exclaimed, "Damn them! Well, at least they left behind¡ª"

    The sound of someone choking made both of them turn around. Daneel almost began to run forward in a desperate attempt to stop what he was seeing¡­ but he stopped himself when he saw that he was already too late. The face of the outsider had begun to melt, too, and in barely a few seconds, all that was left of him was a third disgusting, sticky puddle.

    "He had that all along. Maybe he was hoping that he would be saved¡­but his master left him behind. Why, though? We just wanted to buy some stuff! Why did they want to kill us?"

    The same questions were going through Daneel''s mind, and because he had no answer, he grimaced and said, "We just have to find out."

 88 Decision

    A few moments later, Daneel was seated in the renovated master''s hall. It had always been one of the most picturesque locations in the town, paved with glittering tiles that played with the natural light filtering through the blinds on both sides of the massive area.

    There was enough place for more than 20 people to sit, but there were only a few gilded chairs present. All sorts of plants and even trees that had grown out of the opening in the middle of the courtyard were present, lending the place a peaceful aura that was perfect if one wished to relax¡­or plan.

    Daneel was the opposite of relaxed, now, as he studied the object in his hands. It was the last remnant of the outsider: the crystal that he had taken out to call that murderous superior over, and currently, the system was actively scanning it to try and see whether any of the secrets of this bunch could be figured out.

    In front of him, Reese, the man from the Courtyard, a cowed Lord Burrow, and Madeira were all sitting with thoughtful expressions and worried eyes. They had been summoned and told about what had happened, and so far, any of them had yet to talk.

    He had come here after talking to the dead enforcer''s family, who had obviously been bereft after hearing about the passing of their son. The kid had been young, and hence, had belonged to the innocent group who had escaped the corruption of all the other enforcers on the surface. He had had a younger sister whose cries still echoed in Daneel''s ears, and as he was reminded of them once more, his hand tightened around the crystal and the sharp edges of the object drew blood from his palm.

    The sound of a droplet dripping onto the wooden table in front of him made the one sitting in the chair beside his look up, then frown. Daneel had gotten used to calling him the ''one from the Courtyard'', even though he had found out that his name was Michael. He didn''t know about his past, and why he was here, but among all those present, he respected him the most, both because of the argument he had been having with Lord Burrow before and the fact that he was the one who had commandeered that group in the Courtyard that consisted of those who couldn''t protect themselves.

    "I just don''t get it. We would have given them a lot of business¡­but they chose to do this! They might even have the succeeded, if not for¡­"

    Daneel fixed Madeira with a steely gaze, making her gulp and stop whatever she was going to say as a bit of the Will leaked into the world due to his mood, causing a heavy weight to come to life on her head. It was obvious that she had been about to mention his strength which did not match, at all, that which a teenager should possess, and at the moment, he wasn''t in the mood to give any answers.

    Shaking his head with a frown as he heard Reese, Lord Burrow said, "We have already told you everything we knew about him. He came to us, and we were more than happy to obtain some help in our rebellion. It could be said that the item he gave us even saved our lives. Every time we talked, he insisted that they are a business, which meant that he only cared about profits. Perhaps¡­"

    "I had the same thought. But what profits lie in the direction of killing the leader of the town, and throwing the island into open rebellion once more? In the end, he would still be dealing with a rebel. What did he even say to his superior? Could there be a clue in that? You said that the man and his guards attacked without saying a single word¡­ so he must have made the decision based on the message."

    Reese shrugged. "All he said was that the town wishes to buy machines that will help in excavating crystals. I was keeping a close eye on him. There was nothing out of the ordinary. Nothing at all."

    The room devolved into silence, again, as everyone seemed to have run out of things to say. Daneel had only been paying half his attention to them; the other half had been fixed on the life that had been lost because he hadn''t been fast enough, and the system whose answer would decide his future course of action.

    When it finally appeared in his ears, Daneel''s eyes glazed over and he found himself concentrating with every ounce of his mind on each word that it said.

    [Object analyzed. General direction of signal sent has been found. Accurate targeting will become possible when host is closer to target.]

    It was short, but to the point, and it was also exactly what Daneel had been hoping for.

    Normally, he would have been completely stymied as to what he could do even if he wanted to go after the one who had come here with such vile intentions, and left with no explanation whatsoever. Normally, he might have had to let it go¡­ but where the system was present, the definition of normal always changed.

    Getting to his feet, he garnered the attention of all those present.

    "I know where he is. And I intend to go after him. It''s not just the Graitonian that he killed¡­ it''s also what he can give us, and what we need to find out as it concerns the future of the town. I believe that there is something deeper going on¡­ something related to all islands which rebel. I remember how shocked that guy was when I showed my genuine intention to care for the people, and not for myself. I suspect that this might not be the last attack that we will have to face. Before another descends without our knowledge¡­ I intend to go find him, myself, and get as much information as I can."

    For a few moments, all those around him could only stare as they registered his words. Then, all of them began to speak at once, but Daneel raised one hand to silence them all and said, "I''ve made my decision. It''s best if I travel alone¡ª I work better that way. And all of you need to remain here to continue everything we''ve started. Reese will lead the town in my absence. Every command of his is as good as one that has come from my mouth. You will all report to him. I don''t know if I have to say this, but remember one thing. Soon, I shall return. There is no doubt about that. And after I do, if I find out that something that wasn''t supposed to happen came to be¡­ there will be another bloodbath in the streets of Graiton. Mark. My. Words."

    He spun on his heels and marched to the library, ignoring the gazes on his back. On the way, he tried to see why he was so angry. Was it the one who had died, and the family that he had had to console, in a repeat of one of the most harrowing experiences he had ever had to live through on Angaria? Or was it the fact that all his plans regarding how he would get those machines, educate the slaves, and help them rise to a higher status had been thrown askew?

    No, it was something deeper than that. He hadn''t been lying when he had talked about his instincts. With the knowledge of a ruler who had spun so many webs that he had lost track of them, he could tell that something was afoot¡­ and whatever it was, it had given him such a bad feeling that it was putting him on edge.

    The superior was targeting Graiton and its leadership. But before he could do anything¡­Daneel had to get to him, and find out why.

    After closing the doors of the library behind him, he snatched one of the crystals from the walls. A moment later, a tiny wisp of flame was once again floating in his hand, and while basking in the light that it cast on his face, he closed his eyes and took in a few deep breaths.

    When he opened them again, his features were calm, his brow was smooth, and his back was straight. Nodding to himself, he began the preparations for the journey, and when he went about them, one thought remained in his mind.

    ''I''ll be going nearer to the Mainland for the first time. I need to be careful¡­but I also need to gather as much information as possible. My goal is simple: if I manage to get a larger replica of this thing that the outsider used, I''ll be able to draw on the power left behind, and then¡­ very few in this area will be able to even think of going up against me. The might of Angaria will turn them to dust. But before that¡­ I need to take care, because I won''t even have the Will to draw upon. Well, I can''t say that I''m not excited to find out more about everything, so¡­let''s do this!''

 89 Departure

    A few minutes later, Daneel heard a knock on the door.

    By then, he was already done getting ready for the trip. The truth was that he didn''t have too much to carry: all that he needed to take were a few sets of clothes, a weapon that he would pick up from the enforcers'' building nearby, and crystals, crystals, a ton of crystals that he would bring with him on the excuse that he would use them to exchange for something that would help the town if he found a chance.

    With them at his disposal, he knew that there was very little danger that he could get into if he kept his head down, and his eyes on the prize. He was also very interested in finding out the situation in the other islands around them, but at the moment, that was not a priority, and only something he wished to do if he had the time and the opportunity.

    Opening the door, Daneel wasn''t surprised to see the one waiting on the other side. Reese walked into the library and closed the heavy doors behind him, shrouding them in silence. He held Daneel''s eyes for a few minutes, weighing and judging things in his mind, and finally, when he spoke, it was in a tone of concern.

    "Are you sure you need to do this? Why not take someone along with you, like that guy with the sword from the Courtyard? He seems reliable. And I see that you even like him."

    Daneel raised one eyebrow. Did his friend understand him so much that he could already guess his feelings?

    With a shrug, Reese said "You didn''t bother when anyone else spoke. Your eyes and ears were only ready for him, and me."

    With a nod, Daneel walked to the large chair in the middle that could almost be called a throne and sat down. Reese walked forward, too, and took a seat on the bed before bending forward and steepling his hands.

    Daneel looked at him for a few moments before answering.

    "Yes. The journey is safer for someone traveling alone. Even two is a crowd when passing through hostile areas. I trust myself enough to take care of anything that comes at me¡­ but if there''s someone else with me, I think that it would be more of a hassle than a help. Yes, he does seem trustworthy¡­and that''s why you''ll be relying on him while I''m gone. The situation in the town is not as good as it should have been¡­but I have no choice. I will definitely be back. And that damn superior can''t be allowed to return as he pleases, with a larger army this time. If he gets even ten of those guards¡­he could overwhelm us all. Before that happens, I must get to him."

    Reese nodded, as if he had already been expecting the answer. Getting up, he walked to Daneel and embraced him.

    The hug ended with a slap on his back, and when Reese stepped back, he had a smile on his face.

    Daneel thought about it for a moment, then shook his head.

    "No. It is best if I go quietly, before anyone can figure out that I''m gone. It might be a bit far-fetched¡­but we don''t know whether that guy has any informers in the town. Or if he has any means to keep an eye on us. Maybe act for a few days as if I am recuperating from the fight. This entire thing stinks too much, Reese. I fear that there is something at the bottom of it that we may not be able to handle¡­but I''ll find a way. Just trust me."

    Daneel found himself opening up more than usual to the man. The words were out of him before he could think, and he blinked then, as this was something he hadn''t often done even back on Angaria, when he had been surrounded by his family.

    With an understanding look, Reese nodded and caught his shoulder.

    "My father always said that fear for the future is also a weapon, to be held close so that all others can lie unused. When can I expect you to return?"

    "28 days. Look to the east, then¡­and I shall arrive."

    With one eyebrow raised, he said, "Good. That arrogant brat will definitely make trouble for us if he doesn''t see you. I shall tell the others, then, when it is time. I expect that you want to leave right now?"

    Daneel nodded, and surprisingly, Reese walked to a spot in the corner of the room and tapped on it hesitantly, as if he was searching for something.

    The sound rang hollow, and both of Daneel''s eyebrows rose. Getting on his knees, Reese picked up the tile and a few others around it, and soon, an opening in the ground was present, gaping with darkness that seemed so potent that it could swallow anyone who entered it.

    "Burrow told me about it. We should really stop calling him Lord. Anyway, he says it leads outside the town. It was meant to act as an escape route for the master and his family¡­but we all know why that failed for them. Well, you can''t really hope to escape anything if you throw yourself at it, can you?"

    Daneel chuckled. Walking forward, he stood in front of it and saw that there was a ladder that led down.

    On his back was a small rucksack filled with clothes. He told Reese what he wanted, and without a question, the man left to gather the last few items that Daneel would need.

    While waiting for him, Daneel took one last look about the house, and at the town, even though he wasn''t seeing it with his eyes. He was looking at it all with his heart, and it throbbed in response, once again in sync with the Will, which seemed to be almost sad that he was leaving.

    "Take care of them when I''m gone. I''ll be back soon." He whispered, not knowing whether the Will would or could listen, but when that displeasure ceased, he wasn''t really surprised.

    Reese soon returned with a leather bag containing at least a hundred processed crystals, and a dagger. Daneel''s purpose was to hide his weapons and only draw them when they were needed, so anything flashy like swords and spears could not be taken along.

    Taking out the dagger from its velvet sheath, Daneel weighed it in his hands to check the balance. It was good, and it even had a ruby inlaid in its hilt.

    "Made for the master, himself, before he died his untimely death. All of his other weapons are tainted with the blood of the innocents that he killed. Only this one is pure¡­so use it well."

    With a thoughtful nod, Daneel sheathed it and hung it from his belt. The leather sack he tied around his waist securely, and after distributing the crystals, it didn''t even bulge too much outside his coat.

    The coat, itself, was a bit ostentatious, fringed with crimson and gold thread, but there was no other option in the room. He felt sad, for a moment, as he would be leaving the only place he had known on the Mainland so far...but he was able to put aside the feeling quickly, knowing that he would return soon while hopefully bringing with him everything they would require to make his brother''s dream come true.

    He met Reese''s eyes for a moment, and without saying a word, he began getting down the ladder. Before closing the tiles, though, the healer shouted, and his words echoed in the dim passageway over and over again, until they seemed to be reverberating in Daneel''s mind, too.

    "Long live Graiton!"

 90 To the Next Island

    A few minutes later, Daneel was knocking on a rusted metal door at the end of a long tunnel that he had just climbed up.

    He could have taken out one of the crystals around his waist, but he was confident that the system was always right. It had told him that the door was unlocked, and that it could only open from one side.

    Grunting, he put in more effort, even though it was a bit difficult as he was pushing up, instead of forward. Finally, with a loud creaking sound that gave a hint of all the time that had passed since it had been used, the door fell open, and Daneel poked his head out of the ground and looked around to see where he was.

    The familiar flatlands of the surroundings of the town came into his vision. To his right was the door, and above it was a tarp that had been thrown aside, now, which was the exact same colour as the land.

    Unless one walked right on top of it, it would have been impossible to see that there was something here. In fact, even if one did that, they wouldn''t have felt anything amiss as Daneel saw after scrambling out of the hole that a layer of earth had also been laid on top of the door, which had been the reason behind his difficulty in opening it.

    Coughing due to the dust he had kicked up, he checked his bags to make sure that nothing had fallen away. The journey hadn''t been very long; that first ladder had led to a small tunnel underground that had been musty and uncomfortable, and it had led him to the other ladder that he had climbed to get to the surface. The wall had been built of stone, in much the same manner as the Refinery and the Courtyard, and so, Daneel had reasoned out that the same person who had carried out those incredible feats of architecture had created it, too.

    He had already asked around about this topic, but there had been no answers forthcoming. Even in the books in Harrold''s library, there wasn''t much to be found out.

    In fact, almost all of the man''s collection included memoirs of some or the other members of his family. They were all useless pages dedicated to endless, meandering tales of how brave the members of the Jerrock family were, and except for an account of that first ancestor''s betrayal, he had found nothing else of mention.

    As for that account, things had happened in much the same manner that Daneel had guessed. That ancestor had tried to spin it in a positive away, saying that all of them would have died if not for his ''selfless sacrifice'', and Daneel had been tempted to burn the whole thing.

    After reaching the edge of the continent once again, he tried to stop all such thoughts as he came face-to-face with a problem that he had hit upon, but not found a manner to solve.

    And that was¡­the way to get to the next island.

    Besides, even if he chose this manner of transport, would he have enough energy to make the journey by himself?

    [Transport route found. Teleportation matrix can be configured to connect to the nearest companion matrix that lies in the direction of the closest island. Host must reach the matrix present at the edge of the town, east, to begin reprogramming.]

    Despite all his thoughts, Daneel hadn''t been worried, at all, due to his genius little friend who had given him the answer without even asking. The waves of the ocean suddenly crashed below him, and the spray that sprung up caressed his face, making him relax completely as he closed his eyes and enjoy the feeling.

    Feeling suddenly very light of heart, Daneel folded his hands behind him and began to stroll in the direction that the system had pointed out. On the way, he didn''t think about the family of the enforcer who had died, his brother who had passed away nearby, or even the future of the town. He just let his heart slow down to a rhythm that was slower than almost any safe for mankind, and with an empty mind, he enjoyed the sights while mentally preparing himself for the tough journey.

    The sun rose higher as he walked, showering its brilliance upon the waves far away. Rainbows became visible from time to time, arching between islands, or even between the sea and an island. The spray was cool and the smell of salt was pleasant, his long breaths taking it all in and letting it go slowly, calmly, serenely. There was always a time for action and a time for peace, and this was the latter, so Daneel enjoyed it to the fullest.

    By the time he came to the teleportation matrix that lay dead, a smile had come to his lips without his knowledge. It stayed there as he used an processed crystal to touch those jutting out of the ground, and after a few moments, with a message from the system that said that it had succeeded and a flash that swallowed the small block he was holding, the matrix flashed an ominous colour that made him furrow his eyebrows.

    For the first time, he saw black crystals that seemed to be drinking in even the natural sunlight around them. Daneel had seen crystals all sorts of colours so far, and originally, they had corresponded to the locations that they sent people to. That didn''t mean that everyone had to follow the same concept, but still, he found himself disliking what he was seeing.

    Struggling to get rid of such thoughts, he turned around and took one last look at the dome surrounding Graiton. Everything that needed to be said had already been said, so without further ado, he stepped forward¡­and disappeared.

    After the familiar stomach turning feeling disappeared, Daneel blinked, forcefully making his eyes adjust.

    He felt the difference in the air even before the rest of his senses returned to him. Just with a single breath, he felt his entire body go on edge, and as if there was danger all around, he crouched down, ready to spring up and attack in case he was attacked.

    He didn''t understand why it was all happening. He needed to find out more, to see what was the reason behind his instincts kicking into high gear, and after a few moments, as he raised his head to see what was around him, a gasp escaped his lips and his jaw went loose, before dropping low.

    He seemed to have teleported inside the dome of an island even though the one he had teleported from lay outside the dome around Graiton. The sky was black, almost as black as the crystals from before, and lightning streaked across it continuously, causing loud booms to fill his ears.

    He didn''t pay any attention to them at all, though, as his eyes were fixed on what was in front of him. A long row of stakes had been erected in the ground, numbering at least a few hundred in just the small area he was seeing.

    Men, women and children were tied to them, screaming hoarsely to be saved, their bones jutting out of their bodies that barely had any flesh left. Their faces were sunken hollows, their eyes were desperate wells of darkness that had already given in, shrouded with hopelessness, desperation, pain.

    Their screams created a haunting music that rose to the heavens, giving even the land a backdrop of cruelty, violence, and death. Even as he stared, one of the children nearby who was merely be a couple of years old stopped crying and fell silent, and Daneel knew that he was dead.

    Hell. That was the one word that kept being repeated over and over again in his head, and Daneel stepped back, as if to run away.

    There was no way to run, though.

    So he just stood there, rooted to the spot, and stared.

 91 A Message

    By the time he finally came back to his senses, it felt like an eternity had passed.

    When he did recover, the first question he posed was to the system.

    "What is going on here?"

    [It appears that the residents of this island are being punished for reasons unknown. They have been¡ª]

    Blinking, he hastily asked it to stop. His intention hadn''t been to ask for a description of what was going on, as if he couldn''t believe what he was seeing. No, he wanted to know why he was here, and how he could get out.

    Before Daneel posed those questions, though, he paused, asking himself, first, whether he really wanted to know the answers. One part of him said that it was the most important thing to find out; after all, now, he had both the Angarians and the Graitonians relying on him, so it would not do to delay his efforts in finding the superior, and getting back in time to face that bratty kid when he came to take his share of crystals.

    Another part went out to the people wailing on the crosses staked to the ground. It was the part that made up a lot of who he was. It was the part that had led him to make many of the decisions back on Angaria where his path had resulted in him caring for and loving even those he didn''t know, at all, instead of just looking out for himself, and acting like a selfish bastard given such an amazing tool that could do good, but never using it for anything other than his own good.

    The first part wanted to ask the questions. The second part wanted to go forward and ease the suffering of those he was seeing, even though he knew that it would be extremely dangerous and might just end his journey here and now.

    The atmosphere of the island was so depressing that he found dark thoughts coming to him despite the peaceful serenity that had filled him before he had taken the step into the teleportation matrix. He kept imagining beings of power he couldn''t contend against swooping as soon as he helped anyone, the encounter ending with him on one of the stakes, himself, with all thoughts of all others fleeing his mind.

    Daneel shook his head, knowing that these were things that he ordinarily would not think about. It was extremely worrying to see that he was being affected in such a manner, so with concern, he asked the system whether there was anything present here that wasn''t visible to the naked eye.

    And of course, indeed, that seemed to be the case as it paused for a few moments, then gave the answer.

    Daneel breathed a sigh of relief as he felt those thoughts leaving him even as the system spoke its answer. After all, his was a consciousness that had gone through all sorts of tribulations on his home island, and there, it had reached the very peak possible before being sent here with all its power and all its growth intact. In fact, it was one of his sources of power that he could tap into which might just be a weapon that would defeat most he came upon¡­ if he found a way to use it, first.

    That wasn''t the priority now, though. He didn''t need to tell system to look for this, either, as it was another directive that he had given it before even beginning his journey to the Mainland.

    With a calmer mind, he studied the people on the stakes once more. Those two parts of him were still present, and at the moment, he didn''t know which was more likely to win. Both had their own merits and demerits. There was a certain element of danger if he chose to go up to the slaves, but if he wanted to find out more about this place and about all the surrounding islands, then he would have to step forward and find out just why these people had been subjected to such a cruel fate.

    If the stakes had been filled with just men and women, there might have been a possibility that they were criminals, of a sort. But children? There was no way that children could commit any crime that deserved such treatment, and in fact, it was their innocent and utterly heartbreakingly pitiful cries that kept calling to him as he stood there, in front of the matrix that still glowed with that dark light.

    Finally, though, the first part won out. The simple truth was that this matrix would always be present, and he could come back whenever he wished. Vowing that he would do so when the situation in his own town wasn''t so dire, he turned to his right and raised his foot to take a step forward¡­but froze, instantly, when a voice appeared from his left.

    "You there! I thought my mind was playing tricks¡­but you''re still here! Did you come from the outside? Please, come closer! Please! I won''t harm you! I just¡­need to tell you something!"

    With his eyebrows bending into a ''V'', Daneel stayed as he was for a few moments before finally accepting that his earlier objective of passing through the islands unseen had failed, and that too, in such a dumb fashion. Turning back to the stakes, he saw that the one who had spoken was a woman who seemed hale, more or less, when compared to the others.

    That wasn''t saying much, of course, but the moment he met her gaze, he almost took a step back as the burning fervor that blazed in them was unlike anything he had ever seen. Slowly, the rest of those tied to the stakes nearby began to quiet down, their eyes also fixing on Daneel, and even though the wails of the others to the left and right who were out of sight still created a grim cacophony they couldn''t be ignored, Daneel found himself tuning them out and studying the one who waited for him to move closer.

    He hadn''t noticed, until now, that the way the people had been nailed to the stakes was by using barbed wire that dug into their hands and their legs. Anyone who struggled too much would cause themselves to bleed out and die a quick death if they wished, but in that case, the pain that they had to go through anyway would increase, so it was a decision that not many could make especially after being cast into this place that played with one''s mind.

    "I swear I won''t bite! We just need to tell you something! Please! I''m begging you!"

    She coughed, after that, answering his question as to why whatever she wanted to say could not be shouted out, too. Her throat was ragged due to the cries that had been leaving her lips until now, and it looked like she wouldn''t be able to say anything loudly for a long while.

    The more he looked into her eyes, the more it seemed as if he had been wrong in his initial assessment that they could all be slaves being pushed in a harder manner than anything that the master of Graiton could have imagined. Those were the eyes of someone used to giving commands, and even now, the way she looked at him was such that if he weren''t a Monarch, himself, he would have naturally felt an urge to obey any command that she might give.

    Finally, though, the thing that made him move forward was the fact that if he didn''t acquiesce, it was possible that they might send up an alarm that would bring down danger that could be avoided in such an easy way. As soon as he took a step towards her, relief showed on her face, and as he came closer and closer, different emotions appeared on the others on the stakes.

    Some seemed hopeful. Others were disbelieving, and a few were even angry, but none of them spoke, so Daneel tried to not pay any attention to them.

    When he finally reached the woman, she looked him up and down and seemed to make a decision. She spoke in a hoarse voice that still managed to be heard all around, and when she was done¡­ Daneel had to fight on impulse not to gawk.

    "You must be a rebel from some island, or a traveler, heading inwards with crystals in the hope that you can find a better life. I won''t judge; all I ask is that you carry a message on your way. The Grand Seer has spoken. The time has come. The advent of He who is of this land, but not is near. He who shall be of this world, but not, is close. With fire and fury, he shall deliver us. Spread the word. Others are already doing it¡­but the more, the better. Now, go, before the vultures descend!"

    When he finally reached the woman, she looked him up and down and seemed to make a decision. She spoke in a hoarse voice that still managed to be heard all around, and when she was done¡­ Daneel had to fight on impulse not to gawk.

 92 Running

    "He comes!"

    "He will save us!"

    "He will kill them all!"

    "The Seer has spoken! He comes!"

    "I might die¡­but my children will live! The time has come!"

    A brief moment of silence followed the woman''s words, and after that¡­all of those condemned to death nearby took up these chants, throwing them into the air with much more strength and vigor than that which had fuelled their desperate cries before.

    They all echoed in Daneel''s mind, but all of his attention was fixed on the lady who seemed to be almost withering in front of his eyes after speaking her message. It seemed like an illusion, at first, as he saw her skin age visibly in front of his eyes, then show the bones underneath while an hour of decay sprung up about her, turning her into an old woman in a second from the one in her prime that she had been until now. Her voice was even more hoarse, now, but she still used it to whisper one last thing.

    "Go! If they come¡­you will die! They are always listening¡­so they''ll be here soon! RUN!"

    She shouted the last word so loudly that for a second, it drowned out everything around him. It spurred him into motion, making him take a few steps back as the message still reverberated in his mind, and then, as his eyes darted left and right, all of those on the stakes also bellowed that word, flung it at him, bellowed it as if they wished it to happen with all their might, and so, Daneel ran.

    He looked back just before he was out of sight of the one who had spoken to him. She was dead, now, and he saw that his eyes hadn''t been playing tricks on him before: she really was an old woman, which meant that she had used a spell or some other method to use up her age in return for the burst of strength that had allowed her to pass him the message.

    ''Of this world, but not? But¡­that fits me! No! I must have it wrong! I should get out of here, first, before whoever she was speaking about come down on me!''

    A few were still chanting the message the woman had given, so everywhere he went, some would let everyone know why it was important for him to leave, and the others would keep urging him on, making him hasten as much as possible. He even toyed with the idea of absorbing a crystal or two, but as he saw no hint of anyone arriving, yet, he just kept running, adopting a steady, yet fast pace that he could maintain.

    There were many more being punished than he had thought, at first. On the way, he passed a place where the stakes also had rows to them, where some had just skeletons hanging from them while others had people who looked like they had just been placed there. He wondered whether he would come face-to-face with whoever was putting all these people here, but no matter where he went, all that he was greeted by were more people being punished, and more desperate shouts that grew ever louder.

    The aura of oppression also seemed to grow with each step that he took. He didn''t know whether it was because he was being affected by all the death and suffering he was seeing, or whether the spell had a property where it would grow stronger the more one fought back against it. He had seen spells like that and even made a few similar ones, but he was unsure whether such sophistication was possible in outlying islands like these. Whatever the truth was, he found his mind constantly intruded by thoughts even darker than those that had come before, and he had to put in more and more effort to keep them at bay.

    As he fought against them, he marveled at the hope that had come to life in all those he was passing. They didn''t have the strength of his consciousness, which could be called his soul, that had been allowed to grow and be nourished by power and experience both, but still, they found the might to care for him and send him onward. It was commendable¡­but more and more, Daneel felt puzzled as to how so many could be on the fringe of the island, dying in this manner.

    From his estimations, if the boundary of the entire place was the same, that the number of those dying or dead was easily the same as the population of the entire town of Graiton. From the system''s estimates, the island wasn''t even that much bigger than the one he had just left, so what was happening here?

    It seemed that he would have to find the answer another day as he finally saw the top of a teleportation matrix peeking out behind a boulder a few hundred meters away from him. The terrain had all been as flat as that surrounding Graiton, but there had also been quite a few rock formations on the way onto which he had had to scramble as he hadn''t wanted to slow down his pace. There was just one last obstruction remaining, and then, he would be able to leave¡­and think about what had happened here.

    Only¡­as soon as Daneel passed the boulder, he lurched to a halt as forty men, women and children appeared in front of him all of a sudden, their legs and hands chained, their desultory eyes looking at the ground but a few already snapping up as the cries of those staked nearby began to reach them.

    Daneel''s eyes passed over them¡­and stopped when he found the vultures that the woman had been talking about.

    They seemed to belong to a species that he had never seen before. They had large wings, each as big as a fully grown man, and they were each over 7 feet tall, with muscled bodies and spears at the ready. Their heads were that of vultures, with curved, pointed beaks and beady eyes that shone with cruelty. Only two of them were present; before Daneel passed the boulders, they had apparently been taking down the bodies hanging on the stakes in front of him, but now, they whirled in his direction and squawked something he didn''t understand.

    For a tense moment, Daneel glanced between them and the crystal formation. The good thing was that they were at least half a kilometer away, while the matrix was just a hundred meters to his left. He chose the latter, and at a mad dash, he flung himself toward it.

    As soon as he did so, the sound of those mighty wings beating the air was heard, and Daneel wondered whether he would be impaled by those weapons before he could even think about doing anything. But then, in a twist that made mind go blank again, the forty slaves all screamed something unintelligible¡­and jumped at their captors, surprising even them with a ferocity that had appeared out of nowhere in their scrawny bodies.

    They had been about to be put upon the stakes, themselves, so they had been quite close by. Even those that were a few meters away reached the vultures before they could go anywhere. They used each and every weapon at their disposal. They used their chains, their hands, their feet, and even their teeth to bite and claw at the feathered bodies of the two, and as their startled squawks emanated in the air, Daneel finally understood what they were shouting.

    "He comes! He comes! Go! Spread the word!"

    "Go!"

    "All must know! Spread the word!"

    It was by sheer instinct alone that Daneel still kept going towards the matrix, even though his mind was frozen while he watched so many give up their lives just so that someone they had never met in their life would leave and pass on a message. By the time he reached the matrix, the vultures had recovered and even begun to kill those assaulting them with the ease of a child stepping on ants, but even as they died one by one, wild smiles remained on their faces and they still mouthed the chants as their last breath left them.

    He had to be pushed by the system to touch one of the crystals to the matrix. It glowed a pleasant emerald, this time, and as one of the vultures finally dislodged itself and began to fly in his direction, he reluctantly stepped forth.

    His vision flashed once before descending into darkness.

    Before the teleportation took him away, the last thing he saw was their bleeding bodies¡­and their dying shouts that rent the air one last time before they traveled into the great beyond.

    "He comes.."

    "He comes¡­"

    "He comes¡­."

    Before the teleportation took him away, the last thing he saw was their bleeding bodies¡­and their dying shouts that rent the air one last time before they traveled into the great beyond.

    "He comes.."

    "He comes¡­"

    "He comes¡­."

 93 Onwards

    As the teleportation ended, Daneel felt to his knees, the image of the sacrifices that had enabled him to leave burned into his eyes.

    He just lay there, panting, for some time, staring at the matrix that had been immediately shut down so that no one could follow. The upgraded system''s cognition module had to be thanked for that; before, when the system had still been in its infancy, he would have had to give it orders for it to do something like this, and so, not for the first time, it had saved his skin when he was too stunned to do anything.

    The screams were added to the echoes that emanated from the very corners of his mind, now, accompanied by those of the dead enforcer''s family. Even though he had left the island, it felt as if they were still front of him, so near that they could be reached if he just stretched his hand forward¡­but Daneel did no such thing, knowing that their lives would have been lost in vain if he did something so foolish.

    When he finally got to his feet, the first thing he noticed was that there was actually lush, green grass under his feet. Looking up, he let out a sigh of relief as the clear afternoon sun appeared in front of his eyes, shining in all its glory on the sea that looked even more vibrant now, after his experience in a world that had been bleached of all color but black.

    Turning around, he saw that the dome that had surrendered Graiton was here, too, and the entire place looked much more normal than the hellhole he had just walked out of. It was almost like a nightmare, now, that he wished he could forget, but he did no such thing, all too aware of the fact that he had bought his escape with blood and suffering.

    Their final wish was clear: they wanted the message to be spread, and at the moment, Daneel decided that he would do it, no matter what it meant.

    On each island, the entry and exit teleportation matrixes were present on the opposite ends of the land. Intending to think on the way, he trudged in the direction in which he knew the next one would lie, but before he could even start, he felt a strong urge to step into the dome and see if underneath, more people were dying or already dead, too.

    He fought with it for a few moments, but being greatly weakened by what had just happened, he gave in and hesitantly took a step inside the transparent layer. Thankfully, all that he saw was more land filled with grass and even trees and flowers here and there, so without tempting more unneeded danger, he stepped back out and resumed his journey.

    His face cleared as soon as he reached this decision. He firmly put the matter out of his mind; no matter what it entailed, he could do nothing without more information, so at the moment, he let his mind drift to different topics.

    He found himself recalling those feathered beings who had almost killed him, and without a pause, he spoke to the system to find out their secrets.

    "System, did you scan those birdlike things?"

    [Affirmative. Genetic make-up appears to be consistent with that of ancient Godbeasts that are similar to the vultures from host''s home planet. It is possible that interbreeding has occurred. It is also possible that an individual skilled in genetic modification created the species to make use of the strength of both. More data is required for further analysis.]

    Daneel thoughtfully bent his head as he pondered on the system''s answer. He wasn''t really surprised that ancient Godbeasts had been thrown into the mix; in fact, he had suspected something similar, too.

    Godbeasts. They had various origins; some had come along with Angaria when it had separated from the Mainland during the war that had torn apart the place many, many years ago. Others had evolved from a being that had made the island its home after climbing out of the sea. It made sense that he would find more of the former the closer he got to the Mainland¡­but it was surprising that he had done so so quickly, after just getting to the next island from his.

    Also, there hadn''t even been clues of such beings on his own island. Was each island really so different because they each came from different places on the Endless Sea? Or were there other factors at hand that he needed to figure out?

    Either way, Daneel placed all of his attention on each step that he took to get him closer to his destination and just kept walking. He did think, for a few times, about what could be the connotation of seeing so many people being sentenced to death, but because he couldn''t reach a conclusion, he often found himself forcefully abandoning them¡­and then hating himself for an instant as he had abandoned those who had lost their lives to help him.

    It was finally with a troubled mind that he reached the next matrix. Feeling both anticipation and dread, he touched a crystal to those arising out of the ground almost as if they were part of a tree that had been planted there¡­and let out a breath when they glowed a harmless orange, this time.

    Stepping through brought him to a place that had a rocky surface, but nothing else amiss. A glance inside the dome also revealed nothing out of order, and without doing anything else, Daneel made his way to the next matrix.

    He passed four islands in this manner, each more normal than the last. The only disconcerting thing about one of them had been that a few piles of bones had been present when he peeked inside, but they seemed as if they had been placed there a long, long time ago, already having gathered dust and even a few scorpions that had made their home inside.

    The moment he touched a crystal to the exit matrix of the fourth island, though, he felt, rather than saw that something was going to be different. The color that the crystal glowed was a vibrant blue, almost like the shade of the sky, and even though this gave away nothing, to Daneel, it felt as if there was something waiting for him beyond.

    With wary eyes, he took the step¡­and froze when his vision returned to him.

    A large wooden signboard was present right in front of the matrix. It would appear within sight of anyone who appeared, and just like the thousands who had probably come here before him, he found himself reading what was written on it without even thinking about what he was doing.

    "Welcome, weary traveler! If you have crystals to spend, come over to Hopkins'' Bar! We even have hot food and cozy beds for those who can pay! Come one, come all¡­but if you come with empty hands, then be ready to be chased away!"

    He frowned a few seconds, before suddenly remembering what the woman had said before beginning her message. Caught up in everything that had happened afterward, Daneel had forgotten it, but as he thought about it now, he suddenly realized that he hadn''t seen, before, that he might not be the only one making such a journey.

    Their reasons might all be different, but the path they would take would be the same. Hence, it made sense that someone might have decided to make a business out of it¡­but was it safe?

    He had read a lot about people being robbed in such places, or even killed for their wealth. Despite the risks, though¡­he began walking in the bar''s direction due to one reason, and one reason alone: to fulfill the dying wish of those people who were the reason behind him being unscathed.

    He kept a close watch on his surroundings on the way. Only a couple of hundred meters away from the signboard, a large, wooden building''s top part came into vision, and soon, he was at the door of the bar.

    The name was displayed in large letters made of individually hammered boards of wood painted a garish red. The structure of the building reminded him of the cowboy salons from Earth, and as he took a step inside, he almost felt like a gunslinger taking a rest from a dusty journey.

    There were three people inside: a fat man with a large mole on his left cheek behind a long counter, a maid lazily brushing the floor and a masked and cloaked man sitting in front of one of the round tables that were present all over the room, nursing a large mug of frothy yellow liquid in his hands.

    All three looked up as he entered. The bartender cracked a smile, the maid looked away and kept sweeping, completely uninterested, and the man returned to his drink with a grunt.

    "Welcome! I hope you read the¡ª"

    Raising his hand, Daneel showed one of the crystals he had already taken out on the way. His smile broadening, the bartender politely gestured to the chair in front of the counter.

    "Give me whatever he''s having."

    Soon, a replicate of the mug between the man''s hands was in front of Daneel. As he took a sip, his eyebrows rose as he saw that it was spiced wine, tasty and warming to both the soul and the stomach.

    Looking around, he played with the idea of using subterfuge¡­but abandoning it after realizing that the man could probably look through anything he might try, he just said, "I have to pass on a message. The Grand See¡ª"

    Before he could finish the sentence, the bartender''s eyes opened wide and he moved with the speed of a startled cat.

    The mug was snatched away from Daneel''s hands, and a second later, the sound of the door being opened reached his ears.

    "Get out. Get out! Here''s your crystal! Be gone from here! We have nothing to do with seers¡­nothing at all! Go, before I throw you out!"

    Daneel was surprised for a few moments, but seeing the dangerous glint in the man''s eyes, he decided to let the matter drop.

    Picking up the crystal, he turned around and saw that the maid was the one holding the door open, with her head bent as if she didn''t want to see anything that was happening around her.

    Daneel took as much time as he dared while he walked out. He could feel the masked man''s eyes on him, and the bartender looked like he was close to jumping in Daneel''s direction to usher him out¡­but apart from that, there was nothing else to be seen.

    Sighing as he reached the doors, he prepared to give up on the place, but just as he went out of them, a whisper reached his ears¡­and a smile appeared on the corner of his lips.

    "Meet me four hours later near the exit crystals. I''ll hear your message."

    Sighing as he reached the doors, he prepared to give up on the place, but just as he went out of them, a whisper reached his ears¡­and a smile appeared on the corner of his lips.

    Sighing as he reached the doors, he prepared to give up on the place, but just as he went out of them, a whisper reached his ears¡­and a smile appeared on the corner of his lips.

 94 Passing on

    For the first time since he had begun his journey, Daneel did not have to skirt the edges of an island to reach his destination.

    The entire place was a wasteland, filled with nothing but dunes of sand and rolling mountains that could be scaled easily. As he made his way forward, with the system securely scanning everything so that he didn''t need to be worried, he found a few remnants of buildings that had once been present here and there.

    Only the foundations could be seen, made of stone and built to weather decades or even centuries, if need be. Whatever had been built atop them had faded away long ago, and unlike one of the islands he had passed, they weren''t even any bones left to suggest that humans had once lived here.

    He needed to do something to pass the time for four hours, as he wasn''t really happy with the idea of just standing by the exit, tempting anyone or anything who might wish him harm to come find him in such an obvious place. The masked man had seen him, and even heard what he had said, and even the bartender had seemed as if he would have loved to make an attempt on Daneel''s life.

    There were both obvious reasons, and those that he couldn''t guess behind their actions. Of course, the one that seemed most probable was that the man had some sort of an understanding with the main power that took the crystals from all of these islands, and so, any news that spoke of a rebellion against them would call on more bratty idiots who would love to kill, first, then ask questions later.

    As for an explanation regarding the state of the island around him, he had already ventured a guess, but he asked the system to make sure.

    [Host is walking on an island whose energy resources have all been thoroughly depleted. The Will of the island has also perished. The only reason the island is still floating on top of the sea is that an artificial Will has been placed here, which does nothing but keep it afloat.]

    It still felt sad to hear the answer, and have his guess confirmed.

    There seemed to be a natural evolution of stages in which an island targeted by the Mainland could be in. Graiton was not in a very advanced stage, with mining still going on, whereas this one was at the end of its life-cycle, with no fate left for it but to sink into the sea and be forgotten forever, its name erased from the annals of history and the world.

    To think that there had once been a vibrant force of nature present here, too, that had been snuffed out so that those filled with greed could prosper¡­it rankled within him, but there was nothing he could do about it as he was now.

    A melancholy mood settled down upon him as he made his way onward. He only stopped when the system gave him a message that he was within sight of the teleportation matrix, and then, finally, he composed himself and frowned, thinking about what he should do.

    A few moments after that, he just shrugged and asked the system to create a hiding spot from where he could observe the matrix, but not be seen. The system assessed his surroundings for a few moments, then led him to the peak of one of the hills nearby.

    By the time he had dug a hole and hid himself with a bush, an hour had passed since his departure from the bar. The way he was now reminded him a lot of his plan that had been used by those rebels¡­and right now, he found himself really hoping that things wouldn''t play out in a similar manner.

    As he settled in to wait, he kept remembering the cries of those dying people, and how much they had been looking forward to the advent of the one who had been prophesied to arrive. The Grand Seer also made him think of his lovely wife, Xuan, who was one, herself, and of course, that led him down a path of remembrance that was a tad bit better than everything else, but still sorely bitter, at the end of the day.

    No one appeared at the crystals even after four hours passed. It was only 15 minutes after that that he heard the maid making her way down the same path he had taken, and after reaching the crystals, she stood there, fidgeting and looking around, as if afraid that someone might see her but still not wanting to give up and leave.

    To make sure that she was alone, Daneel waited for five more minutes before finally revealing himself. She breathed such a huge sigh of relief when she saw him that it surprised him, and when he came near, she even shouted, "You scared the life out of me! You know how risky this is? I''m supposed to be sleeping with my husband¡­but I had to tell him to grunt and act as if I was in there in case that blasted Hopkins checked! Well? What''s the message?"

    She was wearing an extremely short skirt that hid almost nothing of her legs and a tight shirt that left nothing to the imagination. After merely glancing at her clothes, though, Daneel didn''t pay any attention to them, and the only reason he gave the answer was that her eyes¡­reminded him of that of the woman.

    "The Grand Seer has spoken. He who is of this world, but not, comes. He who is of this land, but not, comes. The Advent is near."

    She just stood there, frozen, for a few moments, looking at him as if she couldn''t believe the words that had come out of his mouth, and then¡­she broke down crying, the tears dripping onto the dry ground as she wiped them away from her pretty face.

    "I was hoping that that was the message¡­but I was too afraid to be sure. Everyone knows that the Grand Seer is in one of the biggest hellholes of all the islands¡­so it''s so hard for word to get out. Thank you for carrying on the message. Now, you should leave, before Hopkins¡ª"

    [Incoming danger!]

    At the same time that the system sent the message, Daneel ducked, feeling his whole spine tingle. Then the sickening sound of a blunt object hitting flesh, then crunching into bone reached his ears, and without caring about himself for a second, he stood up and caught the maid''s body in his hands.

    He heard a faint whistling sound as he did so, and an object flashed in front of his eyes before disappearing. It was shaped like the head of a mace, with spikes jutting out of it, attached to a chain that had tugged at it with such strength that it had flown away with a speed that made it seem as if it had vanished into thin air, and of course¡­it had ended the woman''s life the moment it had struck her.

    Daneel felt frustration, despair, and hopelessness as her face melded with the faces of all those who had just died for him. All of these emotions vanished, then, as they all turned into the same thing that flooded throughout his body and made him look behind him with a bloodthirsty growl.

    A second later, he was running in the direction where the mace had flown with the dagger in his hands, and the other hand already touching one of the crystals and absorbing them in his bid to gain more power, more strength, more speed to catch the culprit and do something about what had happened in front of his eyes for once. The system was saying something, but he couldn''t hear it as a roaring sound filled his ears.

    Each step he took seemed to cause the ground to shake. Each lunge seemed to create small tornadoes in his wake. Ignoring them all, he ran¡­and as he did so, his heart throbbed in sync with something that had given up a long time ago, and a red tinge covered his eyes.

 95 Kill

    Daneel could feel that a state that was very similar to that which had led to the massacre on Graiton was coming over him, but he had not the strength or even the need to keep it at bay. It was also different, in a few ways, as he now had control of his own mind instead of completely being swept away, and because all that he wanted matched with what his fury wished to see happen, he just let it flow freely and completely let himself be entombed in a cocoon of rage that kept building with each second that passed.

    In just a few seconds, he saw the startled face of the barkeep who seemed to have just finished coiling up the string tying the mace to a bone handle in his hand. He had even turned away, about to run in just a fraction of a second, but perhaps after hearing Daneel had slowed. Daneel had made no effort, whatsoever, to hide, so the barkeep had no option but to turn to deal with the threat so that he wouldn''t be stabbed in his back as when tried to run.

    His lips drew back and his teeth ground together with what could only be the thrill that preceded a fight. In his right hand, the mace began whirling, once again, but Daneel paid no attention to it.

    As soon as he reached, he went for the most obvious attack ever, intent on just ripping away the man''s flesh and bones. The punch to the barkeep''s stomach was deflected cleverly by moving his hand so that the whirling blur that was the string connecting the mace became a shield. It cut Daneel''s hand, too, before he came to his senses briefly and pulled back, but he couldn''t feel the pain.

    "Kill. Kill. KILL!"

    He didn''t even know whether he was screaming it in his mind, or out loud. The barkeep seemed to think this was his chance; with a jerk of his hand, he sent the mace flying at Daneel''s head in an attempt to repeat what had just happened to the maid. Seeing it, Daneel was reminded once again of the whole reason behind everything he felt, and with his wrath reaching a new peak, he actually jumped in the direction of the attack.

    The barkeep looked as if it had been the last thing he was expecting. After all, no one would be foolish enough to wish to come even closer to such a deadly object that had already shown its power just a few moments before. Whether by instinct or pure luck, Daneel had also managed to duck under the mace''s reach, making sure that the attack would definitely miss him, and with haste, the man tried to move his hand again to change its trajectory.

    From a sheath at his waist, he took out a long dagger that could almost be called a sword. He raised it above his head, its blade parallel to the ground in a stance that Daneel hadn''t seen before, but the way he handled it made it seem as if he had trained extensively with it, too. Putting his other hand behind his back, he quickly took out a shield covered with the hide of some animal that deflected Daneel''s next punch that had been directed at the man''s heart, and with a flat expression, he took a few wary steps back, as if getting ready to ward off a bull that would soon charge him.

    Daneel didn''t like it. He didn''t like that every time he went for the man''s blood, all he found was air. He didn''t like that the land felt so dead, so bereft of the life it should have had its sense of loss seeped through his legs, filling him with all sorts of emotions. Something tugged at the corner of his mind, but he couldn''t bring himself to pay any attention to it. Still wanting to feel the sensation of the man''s heartblood and flesh flowing down his arms, he ran forward, again, this time picking up the dagger he had dropped on the way.

    He slashed wildly as soon as he reached the barkeep, but the shield was always there to block every attack. An uppercut was met with a forward motion of the round thing made of hide that had no trouble in deflecting the sharp edge of the dagger. A sideslash was sometimes met with the man''s machete that clanked against his dagger, then sent it careening away. He tried to attack, too, and landed quite a few cuts on Daneel''s body, but again, Daneel felt no pain, and every time that he came close to sustaining a serious injury, Daneel drew on his actual skills that saved him, yet fled away a moment later.

    The problem was that if he used them, their outcome would frustrating be, too. They called for a careful approach, with him studying the man and then giving the system the order to take control of him, but his overwhelming wish was to kill him, by himself, with his own two bare hands.

    It became obvious, now, that he had been imagining those natural phenomena before. After all, if that was not the case, he would definitely have wished for them to help him now, when he needed them the most. He didn''t really think of them, though, completely focused on his blade that he sent faster and faster, in a series of jabs and thrusts and cuts that the man finally found difficult to counter, and at last, when he landed a gash on the man''s face, Daneel let out a grunt that held only a tiny bit of satisfaction.

    "More. MORE!"

    He pressed the attack, now. Clutching the dagger with both hands, he brought it down onto the man''s face, and although the small shield appeared, once more, it finally gave in. The barkeep screamed as the blade went through it and cut his hand, but at the same time, his other hand was already moving, sending the machete towards Daneel''s waste.

    Daneel jumped back at the last moment. The machete still carved out a long gash near his belly button, but all he cared about was the blood flowing down the back of Hopkins''s hand. With a grin, he leaped forward again, oblivious of all the blood he was losing.

    Just as he was about to send another attack, though¡­ his legs wobbled, and his strength seemed to leak out of him as if he was a punctured balloon. It was then that he finally noticed that he was so covered with injuries that a normal man would have succumbed long ago.

    With a smile finally appearing on his face, Hopkins raised his blade, ready to end it. Daneel fell to his knees, eyes on the dead, barren ground, ears picking up the sound of the blade coming at him, ready to kill him and grant him the same fate as the land he was on.

    He still couldn''t bring himself to care for it, though. He now saw that everything he had been feeling was due to this island he was on, this beacon of life that had been snuffed away. He wished that it was different. He wished that he could do something, even though he was too late. He wished that people like those in front of him, who just wanted to take and take and destroy everything they sought after would die¡­and with a roar, he suddenly tried to will this thought into existence, even though no such thing could be possible with his present power and the dead state of the island''s will.

    Only¡­hearing his call, something responded. Something stirred from deep within the ground, a wisp of what it had once been, but still there, still alive, still waiting, wishing, hoping for someone to come along that could aid it.

    His vision blurred, and he saw two things happening at the same time. One, the tiny wisp traveled to a round, transparent crystal that had been set up deep below the ground. It flung itself at it, knowing that it would die in the process but not caring, at all, and the crystal shattered, whatever was inside it screaming for a second before vanishing as if it had never existed in the first place.

    The wisp exulted in its victory for a single second, and then, it was time for it to go. It almost felt like it was¡­thanking Daneel before it disappeared, but Daneel was sure that he must be wrong, as that was something Wills weren''t supposed to be capable of.

    Two, the patch of ground beneath Hopkins''s feet cracked, then fell through. The man could only give out a gasp of surprise as he disappeared, and then¡­ the entire island shook as if an earthquake had erupted before beginning to sink, slowly but surely, into the endless depths of the Endless Sea.

 96 Leaving

    Daneel watched, agape, as the ground all around him cracked, even as the entire land felt as if it was moving slowly, but surely downward, ever downward. It even seemed as if the rate at which it was doing so was speeding up with every second that passed, but try as he might, he could only sit there, still lost in all the feelings that had filled him when he had seen that little wisp come out of nowhere and do such a brave thing.

    It had killed that false will, of course, that had taken its place, and had reveled in the sensation of retaking what rightfully belonged to it before perishing forever, this time. Whoever had used that fake Will had done something unnatural; when there was no Will present to keep an island afloat, it should not exist in such a manner, like a zombie out of the grave, and so, he saw that in a way, he had delivered justice¡­even though it had been heartbreaking to see it happen.

    "What the hell are you doing? Come on!"

    A shout brought him to his senses. Surprisingly, the masked man, whose mask he now saw was was shaped like a tiger but with black fur was bending over him, with his hand held nearby as if he meant Daneel to use its help to climb to his feet.

    Almost groggily, he tried to shrug away whatever was holding him in place. The main, overwhelming thing that filled his mind right now was a sense of loss, as he had seen, first hand, the death of a Will, and at that moment, because he had been connected to it, whatever it had felt in its last moments had filtered into his mind, too, and had taken root.

    With growing alarm, he quickly saw that large patches of the ground had fallen away, nearby, and that water was already seeping onto the land in a few places a few kilometers away from where he was. He finally began to fight with his mind, trying to respectfully put away the emotions so that he could save himself, first, and finally, he succeeded when he was pulled to his feet by the masked man who had seemingly grown sick of waiting for Daneel to move.

    "By all rights, I should leave you¡­but we still have a moment. Yes, we still have time! Come on!"

    With a shout, he began running in the direction of the teleportation matrix. Daneel followed him, half stumbling, half rediscovering the use of his legs on the way.

    His mind kept flashing between who he was, and that wisp down below. Even though he had connected with two different Wills already, he had never before felt something like that happen. He had never before had his vision transported to the innermost depths of the land to see what was happening there, and as he thought about it, he realized that the Will had actually been the one to pull him, as if it had wanted him to witness its final act.

    "Crap¡­where is it? There!"

    The teleportation matrix had all but disappeared. Only the gleaming top was visible above the water, but as it started to vanish, too, the man began to run, and Daneel followed suit.

    Lapping water with their legs, they ran until they finally had no option but to swim. The crystals at his waist weighed down Daneel, tempting him to draw on one and so that he could use it to keep the exertion from his blood loss at bay, but Daneel resisted, drawing on the last bits of strength left to him to get to where he needed to go.

    The masked man reached it first. After fumbling with something under the water for a few seconds, he made it glow a dark violet, and an instant later, he vanished.

    Daneel soon reached the crystal. Even as his hand reached out to touch it, he turned around one last time to take one last look at the island that would soon disappear.

    He only had one wish left. He wished that he could know its name so that he could remember it¡­but alas, it looked like it would leave this world forever, leaving behind nothing in its wake.

    Yet¡­just as his vision flashed to take him away, a whisper floated into his ears from somewhere, and hearing it, Daneel''s heart throbbed once more in sync, then fell silent.

    "Kastali."

    Soon, he felt hard ground beneath him, and as the aftereffects of the teleportation began to disappear, he mumbled the world silently before whispered it out loud, as it deserved to be heard.

    "Yes, that''s the name of the place, before it was¡­wait, how did you know that? And¡­forget I said anything! Fuck, why can''t I keep my damn mouth¡­"

    The gravelly voice devolved into a series of self-deprecating curses while Daneel blinked and waited for his vision to adjust.

    When it did, he saw that the masked man was running his hands through his long hair while walking to and fro, irritation clearly showing in the way he muttered to himself. He had lost his hat somewhere, and his clothes were wet, of course. Daneel scanned him, only now having completely returned to his actual self as he was far away from that forlorn place.

    He wished that he could just stop and reflect on what had happened, but that was simply not possible.

    ''How much has this guy seen? What does he know? If he suspects something about me, or if he''s found out any of my secrets¡­ I might have to kill them! But what if he is innocent? Dammit, why did he even have to be there?''

    The man turned to Daneel just as that last thought echoed in his mind. He instantly took a few steps back with his hands raised, and then, in a voice that was trying in every manner to be innocent and harmless, he said, "Hey! Don''t look at me like that! I was just passing through! I just wanted a damn mug of beer, even though Hopkins charges too damn much! You''re the one who walked in, talking about Seers! Wasn''t it obvious that he was a man of the Garbonors? No one can set up shop on any island, much less an island such as that, without their say so! There I was, remarking to myself about how stupid you are, and then¡­the damn ground cracked under me and the bar collapsed, almost cracking my fucking skull! I even helped you when I saw you on the way, remember?"

    Hearing him, Daneel suddenly recalled the maid. A flash of bitterness went through him as he remembered her fate, but still, shrugging it away, he asked, "She said she had a husband. Did you see him anywhere?"

    With a shrug, the man replied, "He was with me most of the way. When he saw that woman''s body, though¡­he just ran to her and insisted on staying. I tried to get him to come along, too, but he just lost it, man. He just wanted to die. Well¡­nothing I could do."

    ''Two more lives. Two more lives lost¡­and for what?''

    Daneel almost began to brood, then and there, but he stopped himself with some effort.

    First, a decision needed to be made regarding the masked man. The options were clear: either Daneel would have to kill him in cold blood, or leave him and hope that the decision would not come back to bite him in the arse.

    When put in that way, there was really no decision, in truth. With the system, even if the man began to spread tall tales, it would be the easiest thing to conceal his identity, so turning around, he said, "Very well. Good travels to you, then. I''ll be on my way. If I were you¡­ I would forget everything that happened."

    Leaving it with that, he was about to stride away, but before he could do so, the man spoke¡­and Daneel''s heart stopped.

    "You know, I have a message, too. And I have heard more parts of the Grand Seer''s prophecy than what you told the maid. It goes something like this: ''The advent is near. With his coming, even the land shall rise, and heave, and throb. The fallen fortress will bow into the sea to herald his coming, and all shall know he is near.'' No one was able to figure out what that meant¡­but I know that ''Kastali'' means ''fortress'', loosely, in the Ancient Tongue. It doesn''t say explicitly that the one who sinks it is ''Frelsar'', or, the ''Saviour'', and I don''t even know whether you have anything to do with happened¡­but I think you''re interesting. So¡­ can we travel together?"

 97 The Masked Man 1

    It took a few stunned moments for Daneel to realize that just by standing there, without moving even his eyes to blink, he was giving away so much that he needed to keep hidden.

    By then, it seemed that the damage had been done, though, as the eyes of the masked man took on a knowing look, as if he had caught Daneel in a lie. For a few more instants, though, all they did was stand a few feet apart and look at each other, weighing each other up and trying to decide what their next move would be.

    Daneel would have been lying if he said that he wasn''t intrigued, to say the least. Before, he had seemed just like someone who had come upon Daneel by chance, but now, it was almost as if he had been delivered by the world so that more information could be uncovered about the Mainland, and the surrounding islands.

    This was also the first time he was ever hearing of a different language. True, the language spoken on Angaria and on Graiton had been different, but there had been no trouble, whatsoever, because he had had the memories of learning it to go by. This Ancient Tongue, though, seemed important, for some reason, as the past always found ways to interfere with the present even when it stayed dead.

    The man had caused him to become curious, for sure, but at the same time, his cautiousness grew, as there was now something so obvious linking him to the prophecy. Once again, he felt the frustration that came from not knowing everything, and right now¡­the way to curing this state of his seemed to lie with the man.

    Two things still bothered him, though, which made him want to put as much distance between him and the masked individual as was possible. One, despite whatever he had said, there was no reason why he wanted to travel with Daneel. And two¡­how had he listened to what Daneel had told the maid even though the system had been sure that no one had been nearby?

    True, the system was akin to a tool. Right now, it was like a set of a master blacksmith''s tools in the hands of a novice as Daneel did not have the strength to enable it to do everything it was capable of, but still, he was sure that it should have been able to detect anyone listening in the radius of a few hundred meters.

    Folding his hands, he decided to have both of these issues resolved, first, before making any decision. The masked man mimicked his actions, and looked as if he was expectantly waiting to be asked something.

    "Answer two of my questions, and if I am satisfied with the answers, we might be able to travel together. First, why do you wish to travel with me? And second¡­where were you when I was talking to the maid? How did you eavesdrop on us?"

    Daneel raised one eyebrow.

    "Then you''re a thief, a historian¡­and also a liar. You just said that you were in the bar when it collapsed. That couldn''t have been possible if you were following Hopkins."

    Wincing, the masked man raised his hand to his head as if expecting to find his hat there so that he could use it to hide his face. Finding nothing, though, he cursed under his breath and said, "Yeah, about that¡­sorry. I hate being caught in a lie¡­but of course, lying goes hand in hand with thieving. You looked dangerous, then, so I just wanted to distance myself from any reason that I might give you to attack. Well, the truth is¡­ I saw your fight. I saw the way the land broke because of you, and the way Hopkins was swallowed up by the earth in front of you. There is no evidence that says that you caused it all¡­but I don''t believe in coincidences. And I always believe in my gut. It has saved me too many times in the past for me to ignore it, so¡­ I just want to see what fucking happens! You might or might not be connected to the prophecy. You might or might not even be the prophesied one. If I''m being frank, though, I doubt it, because there are explicit statements that talk about someone who is definitely older. You seem all of 16, or 17. No offense, but¡­if you are the chosen one, then these guys are all probably screwed. Still¡­who knows? You might grow into him. Or you might lead me to him, as there have always been those who were capable of seeking out prophesized ones."

    Daneel had felt his throat go dry as he heard that the man had witnessed everything. Immediately, he regretted his earlier decision of letting him go¡­but then, remembering the alternative, he almost shuddered as there was no way that he could bring himself to kill the man.

    Of course, another option was to use some sort of spell to make him forget what he had seen, but Daneel doubted that he was strong enough for something like that, yet. Even if he was, he would have to use up too many crystals, and later on¡­what if someone found traces of it, in turn revealing the secret he was trying to keep in the first place?

    As he thought about it, a fourth option appeared to him. There were too many holes in what the man was saying, and if Daneel was frank, he didn''t really like him, either. He could just let him go¡­and continue his journey with a changed face.

    To confirm whether this plan would work, he asked the system, and sure enough, its reply gave him the confidence he needed.

    [Responding to host. Physical feature alteration is capable. Only side effect is pain due to the presently weak state of host''s body.

    Physical feature alteration is already being used on host''s wounds to decrease blood loss, and hasten healing. It is recommended to ingest food or energy as soon as possible to supplement system''s efforts.]

    He had already guessed the second part, so he wasn''t surprised when he heard it.

    And as for the first¡­he was no stranger to pain. So, making his decision, he looked up at the man and said, "I''m sorry, but I like traveling alone. I don''t even know how you look. I don''t think I can entrust my back to someone I''ve just met¡­so let us part ways here."

    Turning around, Daneel made to leave, once more, but after he took just two steps east, a sound behind him made him stop.

    It was that of something solid, something made of cloth and leather falling to the ground. Curious, he turned around¡­and found a face that looked as if it had been immersed in fire looking back at him.

    Compared to what he was seeing, Jezara''s burns seemed almost like nothing. There was so little skin left that the shape of his skull was visible. Even on that burned, pale skin, numerous criss crossings scars could be seen. His nose looked almost as if it had been bitten off, and he was missing more than a few teeth.

    "This is why I choose to wear a mask. I''m not new to hellholes. I was born and raised in one, and when I found a chance to escape, I took it. That is why I''m so interested. I abandoned my people¡­but if it''s at all possible, I want to see them saved, too. If I weren''t sure of the fact that you have seen something of suffering, and might even be a slave, too, I would never have done this. If I''m right, then one slave to another, I ask you, brother, to take me along. Whatever you are, whoever you are, I wish to witness your deeds. I''m not saying that I''ll give up my life for you, or that I''ll do whatever you want as I have other things I need to accomplish¡­but I''ll be there to stand guard when you can''t. If you still don''t trust me, then fine, go where you wish. But if you have no problem with having a former slave as a companion¡­then come close, and we can break bread together to seal the deal."

 98 The Masked Man End

    Daneel breathed in and out for a few seconds, observing those lines on his face that wound down, around his cheeks, his jaw, his chin, then back to what was left of his nose before crossing over others that crossed yet others that seemed deeper, as if they had been inflicted with more ferocity than the rest.

    He took his time. This was one issue that he always considered relentlessly before making a decision. Back on Angaria, all of the companions he had picked had been those that he had spent a lot of time with. Each and every one of them had given him reasons due to which he could trust them with his life. Here, in this place that was much more dangerous than Angaria could ever be, he did not want to have someone who might betray him following his every step, seeing him make his every move. Only¡­if he left now, he would be abandoning both a potential risk and a slave who had gone through hell to escape, and of course, because the man represented a vault of knowledge that could be gained immediately if he relented, Daneel found himself thinking of the offer once more.

    Folding his hands behind his back and seeing how tattered his clothes were, for the first time, he let his mind work. He felt the pain emanating from all the wounds over his body, but with the system working on them, they weren''t nearly as bad as they had a right to be.

    First, he wanted to know whether the man was lying, again. So, after asking the system to analyze his face, he waited for the answer that could shed light on his past.

    [Deep image analysis completed. Target''s face was cut extensively before the burning occurred. Target''s face was drenched with a flammable substance and ignited before being put out in a methodical manner so that whatever was left would be enough to let him continue living. The most rudimentary healing was done so that he would not die. The cuts that were inflicted afterward were targeted at the places where nerve endings are clustered the most, which would in turn cause the most pain. This could also be because the burning incident might have removed many of the spots that should have been painful, leading the torturers to pick those parts which still had a chance of being sensitive. At one point, a tool was also used on targets that remained on his face, drawing blood and digging deeper for an extended period of time before it was removed. More data is required to find the identity of torturers.

    Probability of target being a slave is high because of additional reason of the status of target''s hands, which are heavily callused.]

    Daneel let out a breath he had been holding as he heard the horrific things that the man had been through. It was something that no one should have had to endure, and the fact that the man had resisted and been punished even after being subjected to being burned alive definitely said something about him, for sure.

    Right as he noticed what was happening, though, he also found out the reason behind it. His heart had always been weak in matters like these, going out to causes that might seem lost. In fact, he didn''t know whether this was a weakness of his or not¡­but right now, it was what it was, so with a sigh, he opened his mouth to give the man an answer.

    The sigh seemed to have completely thrown off Alex, though, as he gave a dejected sigh, too, and bent his head as if thinking of something. Curious, Daneel decided to wait, correctly interpreting the air and seeing that he was like a customer in a shop who was about to leave, and had been stopped by the shopkeeper who wanted to guarantee the purchase, at any cost.

    Finally, with a shrug and a violent shake of his head, Alex exclaimed, "Okay, fine! If this won''t convince you, then nothing will! It goes against each and every ideal I''ve set for myself¡­but here goes! I''ll give you half of the store of crystals I found with Hopkins! That greedy fucker was a damn hoarder¡­but I grabbed his hoard after you killed him! He left it behind as it would have obstructed him when he fought, so it was just sitting there. In fact, in a way, it can be said that you deserve it as you''re the reason he won''t be coming for it¡­but still! This is all because my gut is also telling me that going with you will be quite a profitable venture! I don''t know how¡­but I believe it! Come on, you have to accept now, at least! I''m actually paying you so that you can eat my food! You won''t get a better deal anywhere in the world!"

    Daneel acted as if he was still doubtful, but within, his heart was racing. Right now, crystals were a drug for him as he was strapped of these incredible resources that could be experimented with to reveal a lot of things. He had been holding off on this as he needed as many as possible for a rainy day, but if he had more than it would make sense to hold in reserve¡­then potent magic might be back at his fingertips, and he wouldn''t need to fear much on the way, at all.

    With an exasperated look, Alex almost seemed like he was going to start wailing as Daneel was still deliberating. Knowing that it might not be wise to aggravate the man even more, Daneel finally nodded and said, "Alright, fine! A few conditions, though. You should never ask me anything that I''m not willing to give an answer to, and I decide where we go. Also¡­no thieving when you''re with me, unless I give the say-so. And, oh, yes, you should answer everything I ask about, unless it deals with something personal to you."

    The joy that bloomed in Alex''s face was nice to look at despite everything that marred it. Like a flower jutting out of concrete, it glowed with the essence of life, but in barely a few seconds, it was tucked away.

    Picking up the mask, Alex placed it back on his face once more and reached inside his long, dark coat. When he took it out, his palm held over ten processed crystals.

    Daneel frowned at the number, but also at the fact that they were processed ones, in the first place. True, they had more value than crystals that had been mined¡­so had the man actually exchanged the ones that he got from travelers for these, which could be said to be a higher denomination of the same currency?

    "What are you looking at? One of these is equal to ten of the crystals you have. It''s a damn fortune¡­and I''m having to share it with you. It''ll all be worth it, though¡­but that doesn''t mean I can''t be bitter about it today. Well, what the fuck are you waiting for? Come on."

    With a nod, Daneel walked forward. It was only after placing the processed ones along with those that he brought from Graiton securely that he turned back to Alex, and when he did, he saw that the man was making good on his word.

    From a rucksack that hung inside his coat in a manner that made it almost invisible, he had taken out flatbread, of some sort. Breaking off a piece, he handed it to Daneel who took a bite.

    Even if it was poison, the system would have no problem with egesting anything dangerous before it could do him harm. Alex ate the bread, too, which meant that that wasn''t the case anyway, and when he was done, he said, "It is sealed, then. Sharing bread means that we share a bond, now. At least, that is what my people believe. Because there are so few left, one might say that their traditions hold no value, either. I believe otherwise, though. Well, I don''t know about you, but I''m itching for a good night''s sleep¡­in a proper bed. There is a village that accepts travelers a few islands over. If it''s alright with you¡­we can go there, before planning the rest of our journey, assuming that you know where you''re going. Sounds like a good idea? Great! Then follow me!"

 99 Athwarf

    As Daneel saw Alex''s broad back rise and fall due to the uneven landscape, he finally took a moment to think about what had just happened on the last island.

    He had been sure that the Will must be dead¡­but somehow, the tiniest fragment of it had survived. It almost seemed as if it had done so out of pure spite, after seeing that something artificial had taken its place, and when it had gotten a chance to rise, it had taken it despite knowing that its life would end.

    There was much to learn from such a decision, but more than that, Daneel was intrigued about the new properties of a Will that he was finding out. Only someone with a conscience could think and decide on such an action. So, when put under such duress¡­was it possible that a Will could grow, and gain a personality of its own?

    And if this was true¡­ could it be that the Will of the mainland, which was definitely much larger and more capable of anything that the Wills of these tiny islands could hope for, had already grown into a being that could think and decide on its own?

    This was worrying, as the Will was probably the only thing that could ferret out his secrets if he did something flashy. He wished that he could know more¡­and of course, now that he had a method available, he decided to do just that.

    The only problem was that he didn''t know how to broach the topic. Of course, he still didn''t trust the man fully, so he didn''t want to give away anything about himself¡­but at the same time, Daneel felt a strong urge to know, so for once, he threw caution to the wind and asked, "What do you know about the Will of the world? The Mainland''s Will, specifically?"

    His question actually made Alex stop mid-step, then turn around and glance furtively at their surroundings. Due to his impatience, Daneel almost blurted out that no one was looking, but he stopped himself at the last moment as that would raise questions regarding how he was sure of this.

    Finally, after checking even the lip of a cliff nearby, he seemed satisfied that they were alone. Then, walking right up to Daneel until there were only a few inches between both of their noses, he muttered, "It''s not safe. Anyone could be listening. Let us reach our destination, and then we can talk. And also¡­you''re definitely hiding much more than I had imagined. From the way that anger controlled you, I was reasonably sure that you knew nothing about what had happened¡­but you know enough to suspect that it is connected to the Will. I have no fucking idea how that changes things¡­but we do have a lot to talk about. Come. Let''s move quickly."

    Alex set a faster pace, then, and Daneel hurried to catch up. He had no idea whether the man''s caution was justified or not, but he decided to go along with it, for now.

    Soon, they got to the teleportation matrix. Taking out a processed crystal, he moved his hand to touch it to those jutting out of the land.

    Daneel almost called out to stop him. Wasn''t it obvious that it was better to use the processed crystals if they got the job done, instead of wasting away this precious object, which was worth 10 times more?

    He almost bit his tongue when he saw what happened next. The dead crystals glowed a dim yellow, and then, as Alex took his hand away, the processed crystal was still there, albeit looking a bit smaller than it had before.

    Turning around and seeing Daneel goggling at what he had done, he said, "So you know about the Will, but you don''t know that if processed crystals are used, then the amount of them used up can be controlled according to the number of people stepping in? You grow more interesting by the second. Wait¡­ I don''t even know your fucking name! Trust me to forget the important things. So¡­what is it?"

    Daneel took a few moments to answer, committing to memory what he had just seen. There had been a certain trick to it, in the way that Alex had touched the teleportation crystals after the processed one had disappeared from his palm.

    It was only then that he opened his mouth, but he paused, wondering whether it was wise to give away his real name. With a shrug and a smile, though, he spoke a moment later, remembering a vow he had made to himself back on Angaria.

    "Call me Dan."

    ''I promised myself that I would never again conceal my identity, but I didn''t know then that I would be in a situation such as this. Still¡­I see no reason to drop it entirely.''

    With a nod, Alex stepped into the crystal, and Daneel did so, too.

    In silence, they traversed four islands, and on the way, Daneel found another reason to feel happy about his decision to give in to Alex''s request.

    At the third island, Alex had paused and taken his time with the exit teleportation matrix before stepping into it. He had drummed his fingers on the topmost crystal in the interweaving stalactites that grew out of the ground, and when he had done so, the entire thing had flashed between three different colors before finally settling on to a fourth.

    Daneel had managed to not gawk, this time, but he had still been thoroughly amazed. Both he and the system had recorded and understood what he had done: it was another trick, but the problem with this one was that as he didn''t know what colors responded to which islands, it didn''t matter that he had found out how to change the destination of a matrix when options were available.

    It was at the fifth island that Alex once again made his way into the dome, instead of skirting around it as they had done until then. Daneel got a vague, ominous feeling as he saw him, remembering what had happened the last time, but unlike that dead land, this one seemed alive, with grass and trees all around and even crops that were similar and different from what he had seen on Angaria laid out in careful patches on both sides of the mud road they walked down.

    Soon, the signs of a village lying nearby became apparent. Even Alex seemed to have relaxed; he fell back so that he strode alongside Daneel, now, and when they passed the first small, wooden hut in front of which a pair of children were playing with clay toys, he said, "Before you ask¡­this island is like a paradise among pockets of Hell, in a manner. You see¡­just a few hundred years ago, an organization on the Mainland started a business where they took over islands from which everything of value had been mined. Through some process that is proprietary, they nourished the Will so that it survived despite the absence of crystals. They then sold the islands at a lucrative price. Many were bought by individuals of power or wealth to act as holiday homes. But some were chosen by those looking to retire from the hectic life of the Mainland. This particular village was bought by one who wished to live out the rest of his years in a village similar to one he had grown up in. Apparently, it had been wiped away in one of the many wars that ravage the Mainland, so he found those interested to make new lives and set this place up. It slowly evolved into a sanctuary for those traveling between the islands. No one makes trouble here. There is even a militia comprising of a single man strong enough to kill us both easily if he wishes¡­so no matter what, don''t even think of being violent here."

    Daneel had found out so much information in just a single utterance from the man that he was dazed for a few moments. He digested it all ravenously, though, like someone starved, and by the time Alex stopped, he found himself musing about the fact that he had spoken about a period of a few hundred years as if it was yesterday.

    Before he could say anything about it, though, a low stone wall with an open gate appeared in front of them, and as they step inside, Alec said in a low voice, "Welcome to Athwarf, or, literally, ''Haven'' in the ancient tongue."

    Daneel ignored him for once, though, as he had seen someone that he had never thought he would find here.

    Unable to believe it, he looked on, and as it dawned on him that he wasn''t dreaming, memory clashed with surprise in his mind.

    ''It''s an elf. An elf! How? Am I seeing things?''

 100 The Elf 1

    The village easily had a population of a few hundred. In the middle of it was a large town center with a fountain that was shooting out sparkling jets of water. All of the jets surrounded a statue of a wizened man who looked mischievous, with a sparkle to his eyes and a smile playing on his lips.

    The sculptor had to be appreciated as the statue was entirely lifelike. In another time, Daneel would have loved to study it, but at the moment, his eyes were rooted on the member of the species that he had fought, once, before making amends and adding them to the roster of those firmly on his side.

    The elf wasn''t very tall. Like all those of his species, he was slender, with light skin that slightly sparkled in the sunlight and gentle features.

    Around the fountain were arrayed shops with men and women in front hawking their wares, calling to anyone who passed in a good-natured way. He stopped at each and every store, and all the people he talked to seemed to know him. He was wearing a loose shirt and breeches that had been pulled up above his waist. Both were a shade of green one would see at the beginning of autumn, lush and filled with life given birth on the heels of death.

    His most striking feature was his ears, of course. Unlike the elves he had read about back on Earth, the ones he had met on Angaria and even the one he was seeing now had pointed ends at the bottom, instead of at the top. A human''s earlobes were rounded; the earlobes of an elf were as sharp as tiny daggers, and there were supposed to be many designs to them.

    He had heard from the two married elf queens who had fought for him that much could be learned from the exact style of an elf''s ear. Alas, he now wished that he had taken the time to study this, as the ears of the one he was seeing were definitely unique even though he had seen hundreds of them back on Angaria.

    Below the sharp points of each ear, a tiny, floating globe of light was present, vivid and distinct despite the strong glare of the sun that blanketed their surroundings. The globe seemed to glow brighter when the elf laughed, but because it was so small, Daneel didn''t know whether he was imagining it.

    "It''s rude to stare. That''s an elf. It might be your first time seeing one¡­but it''s best to move. They don''t take kindly to people ogling. Long, long ago, on the Mainland, their Empire stretched from coast to coast. All of the species lived in fear of them, in fear of their natural ability for magic and their intellect that was greater, in the most part, than that of other races. Then, it was said that some elves used to pluck out the eyes of any humans who looked at them for any amount of time longer than a few seconds. I''m truly glad we don''t live in such a fucked up age¡­but like I said, it''s rude. Come on. Along with a bed, I''m itching for some good hot food, too. I don''t know about you¡­but I''ve worked up an appetite."

    After asking the system and finding out that the elf was the one looking at him, he realized that his study of the being had not gone unnoticed. Not knowing what to make of this, he just followed Alex''s back as the man weaved through the people milling around the town center, and soon, they were stepping into an inn named ''The Hanged Wizard.''

    He read it off a signpost above the door. It was written in the tongue he had learned in Graiton, on top of a roughly drawn image of a hanged man with a long beard.

    The inn''s common room was large, with two counters on either side. There were enough tables to fit over fifty people inside, and there were at least ten other such inns in the lane they had entered.

    Soon, the two of them were closeted inside a private booth on the end of the wall opposite the door. It was carved so that it blocked out all sound from both sides, with a flimsy wooden door available to keep out unwanted visitors. It had been assigned to them after Alex had fished an unprocessed crystal from somewhere in his coat and had hinted to the female innkeep who had a ruddy face and a round belly that they needed some privacy.

    As soon as they were inside, the first question that came out of Daneel''s mouth was, "Why did the elf empire fall? And¡­how is this place so big? I''ve seen no one traveling on the way except you. How many people actually journey among these islands, any way?"

    Behind the black tiger''s mask, Daneel couldn''t see Alex''s expression, but he didn''t miss the amusement that sparkled in the man''s eyes. Shaking his head and taking a seat, he rested his back against the cushions that had been fixed on to the back of the wall and said, "You don''t waste a second, do you? Well, let me see. Why did the empire fall? Why do all empires fall? Er¡­sorry. I started to paraphrase my teacher there, for a second. And before you ask how a slave and a liar can become a historian, let me answer that first. There are more islands than you can imagine, surrounding the Mainland like flies around stinking poop. Yeah¡­my teacher always said I suck at comparisons, but who the fuck cares? Anyway, there are islands where you can pay to learn anything you want. I learned history on one such, among other things¡­and I have a debt to pay to them, as I went there with nothing but the clothes on my back. Getting to the point: it fell because of greed, of course. They started fighting between themselves¡­and left themselves wide open for a rebellion.

    ''As for the rest of your questions¡­at any second, there must be thousands of travelers, easily. As for why you haven''t seen any¡­well, my friend, you were in a very obscure part of the islands that is typically not the destination of anyone who wishes to go to the main attractions. It is also in a portion that is still firmly under the control of the ruling family, which means that there is nothing to see. It¡ª"

    "¡ªis also supposed to be a place as uninteresting as they come, but who would have thought that I would find two rebels in an area where the Garbonor family says the situation is more or less stable? I''m assuming that we are talking about this village, of course. Or am I wrong?"

    A singsong voice suddenly intruded on them, preceding the very elf that Daneel had stared at outside.

    Alex''s eyes widened, and deep lines came on Daneel''s brow as a wary look entered his face, too.

    With a laugh that sounded like music, the elf continued to say, "Don''t look so aghast! We can hear better than you humans. I know that it is rude to eavesdrop¡­but I was just outside, and I couldn''t resist the urge. It''s rude to stare, too, of course! If you''re concerned about my deduction¡­then don''t be. A single look at your clothes makes it apparent you''ve seen some tough times. That means that you either achieved your freedom recently, or have just gotten away¡­so, all in all, there is nothing to worry about. I''m here for one thing, and one thing alone. Say¡­do you have any messages?"

 101 The Elf 2

    The elf looked between them both expectantly, as if hoping that whatever he had said would be enough to convince them.

    The only result was that Daneel''s eyes were pulled down even more, and Alex had one hand firmly in his coat, clutching something so tightly that it could only be a weapon.

    Daneel now noticed that the elf had long hair that had been tied into a ponytail almost at the nape of his neck. His clothes were much richer, up close. Whatever material they had been made of, they reminded him of the enchanted clothes from Angaria, with various functions such as automatic dust removal and even, in some cases, defensive barriers that would activate whenever one came under threat.

    ''Whoever he is, he''s wealthy¡­ but because I know nothing, knowing this helps me in no way whatsoever.''

    With a dejected sigh, the elf finally got up.

    "I can tell where I''m not welcome. My mother always did say that first impressions are important¡­and I seem to have messed mine up. I just find these messages really, really interesting. I don''t have a stake in the game, as you know, so I would only ever be a bystander. If you change your mind and wish to find me, you can do so three inns away."

    With a forlorn look, he took a step towards the door and Daneel almost let out the breath he had been holding. Only¡­before his hand pushed it open, he seemed to get a thought that made him pause, and then, turning around, he spoke with a face that was almost glowing.

    "I almost forgot! You humans put a lot of store in barter, or the idea of wealth, right? Is there any way that I can buy your words? I wish I could use the ancient elvish custom of exchanging knowledge for knowledge¡­but I''ve heard that this is seen as useless in your folk. Tell me¡­how many vajrams do you need?"

    There was only silence for a few moments, but after that, interest finally shone in both Daneel''s and Alex''s exercise.

    Looking beside him, Daneel almost chuckled when he saw that the reasons due to which each of them had been tempted were different. Whatever ''vajram''s were, Alex seemed to be drawn to them, and as for him, he was more interested in the knowledge.

    "Wait outside. And this time, don''t eavesdrop. Go to the counter to get a drink, and we''ll call you when we make a decision."

    Hope finally entered the elf''s face, and with a graceful nod, he walked out, closing the door behind him.

    "Rich bastards. It''s tempting¡­but also worrying. Do you even know what vajrams are? There are different types, but on average, just one of them is equal to 100 processed crystals! A hundred of them! And he''s talking about them as casually as if they were processed crystals! What kind of a background does he have? I don''t want to get mixed the fuck up in elvish schemes¡­but it''s tempting."

    Alex gave a start, surprised by Daneel''s insinuation, but a second later, he grudgingly nodded.

    Throwing both his hands in the air then slapping them down on the table to take support, he got up and went out the door.

    A few seconds later, he returned with the elf who was beaming. Before he could speak, though, Alex raised one thing and said, "Payment first. Two vajrams for two messages. An additional vajram because we''re taking a risk. I don''t think I need to say that I''ll find you wherever you are and kill you if you tattle about this, or us to anyone else, right?"

    The good-naturedness didn''t leave the elf even when Alex spoke his price¡­but the moment he made his threat, steel entered his face, and his tone.

    "Never threaten an elf, especially one who has come to you of his own accord. If I do not keep my word, I will perish. I swear that I will not speak of you, or what we speak of here to anyone. As a Forn Elf of the High Reaches, such is my oath."

    Alex raised both his eyebrows and shot to his feet as soon as those last words echoed in the room. Almost running, he peered out of the doors to check whether anyone had been listening, and he sat down only after making sure that they were alone.

    Of course, the elf''s words meant nothing to him, so Daneel waited for an explanation. It was given in a whisper that could be heard by the elf as the room was too small, but still, as he heard it, Daneel had a similar reaction.

    "This changes things. I suspected it¡­but I couldn''t be sure. No one¡­and I repeat, no one would be dumb enough to use that name if it does not belong to them. Remember that Empire I told you about? Its remnants still hold a vast portion of the Mainland, and of them, the ruling family are called the Forn Elves, or simply, ''Ancients'' in the Ancient Tongue. They possess more power in magic than even normal elves¡­because of a pact they made with the Will. They speak no lie, and they never take any action that weakens the Will, in any manner. In return¡­their magic is aided by the world, itself. Their oaths are part of their very blood, their very existence. We can speak freely now. No matter what happens, what we discuss will not leave this room."

    With a surprised smile, the elf took a seat and spoke after Alex was done.

    "A human rebel learned in history? Interesting¡­very interesting. I accept your fee. Can I hear the messages, now?"

    Alex looked like he was about to speak, but shooting him a warning glance, Daneel gave the answer.

    He gave it in such a manner that he left out anything that linked the prophecies to him. He made it seem as if he had come across it casually, and that he was carrying it forward because those people had sacrificed their lives for him. As for the part where the island had sunk, he claimed that he had heard of it from a maid in one of the islands on the way.

    For some reason, when he stopped speaking, Alex shook his head again and leaned back.

    The elf''s lips twitched as if he was trying not to laugh, but giving up, he chuckled and said, "A fine tale¡­but filled with too many lies for my liking. Your friend should have told you that because we speak no lies, we can detect when they are being told to us. Now, don''t bother¡­ I could tell that the messages are real, no matter how you came about them. Unless you are somehow valinn, there''s no way that you could have come across the messages in any way that is very far away from what you said¡­"

    He laughed after that, looking between Daneel and Alex as if expecting them to laugh, too. After finally noticing that his was the only laughter that filled the room, he stopped and scratched his head before saying, "All the elvish girls always say that I have a great sense of humour¡­but more and more, I see that they might have been indulging me."

    He sighed, then, and seemed like was about to say something else, but unable to stop himself, Daneel asked, "Valinn? What''s that?"

    The elf looked surprised, but he tried to hide it as if he realized that it would be rude. In a steady tone, he answered, "It means ''chosen''. Well, if you asked my teacher, he would give you an hour-long lecture¡­but I''ll try to shorten it. You seem to know what the Will of a world is, right? Well¡­there exists a will for the realm that we live in, too. It is the realm that what existed before transformed into when it collided with the realm of magic¡­and in so doing, it was forever changed. Valinn are¡­you can call them darlings of the Will. Chance and luck and coincidence lose all meaning near them. Things that they need might fall in their lap before they know they need them. Most think it is a fable¡­but no one knows for sure."

    ''Valinn. And a Will for the realm? Holy crap! I started this journey to find out stuff like this, yes¡­but damn, I never expected that there could be so many secrets waiting to be unveiled!''

    He pondered on the elf''s words for a few moments¡­but after that, he sighed as the system sent a message in his head.

    [Incoming danger!]

    Almost with a bored look, he leaned back as a large man burst through the door wielding a gigantic axe, and while shaking his head, he thought, ''All right, this is a little too much action¡­I just wanted to deal with that guy, and go back and calmly build a Kingdom! Can''t I be left alone for a day, at least? Fuck!''

 102 The Elf End

    The man was wearing a waistcoat with the buttons open, revealing equal parts of fat and flap on a body that had grown with both effort and gluttony. A half-moon axe glinted in the light falling from the ceiling where a chandelier had been lighted; it was something made for killing, and it stood ready to do the task it had been created for while swerving between all those in the room, searching for the target that it would go for first.

    If he was being frank, Daneel was in no mood for a fight. In his mind, he prepared to tell the system to take care of it, but just before he could do so, the man''s eyes alighted on the elf and he bellowed, "There you are! The Thraldens send their regards! You have only yourself to blame, coming to such a discreet place with no bodyguards! Come¡­meet your death!"

    Stopping the command he was going to give the system, Daneel glanced at the elf who, surprisingly, looked just as bored as him despite listening to what the man had just said.

    ''For once, I''m not the one in danger! Oh, that''s refreshing, and new!''

    Like someone who had bought a ticket to a play, he settled in for a good show. This mood of his was soon disturbed, though, as the man moved his eyes to the two of them and said, "And you two! If you know what''s good for you, run away! Otherwise¡­when I start swinging, my axe won''t stop from cutting the both of you to ribbons! Run like the mice you are, cowards!"

    Obviously, the newcomer was really one for assumptions, but Daneel felt the pride of a king rousing within him. He had really had enough of being ferreted around by the world, only reacting to everything that was happening. Here was a choice: he could either agree with the man, and leave from the confrontation that had nothing to do with him¡­or he could stay, and take part in the fight just for the heck of it.

    He looked at Alex, who had already begun to get up. With a bow, he said, "Very well! Shall we leave, my dear companion? Clearly, we are not wanted here, and it would not do to press our welcome. We have other, more pertinent things to do, so¡­let''s go?"

    With a hopeful look, he gestured at the door, but Daneel was having none of it. True, this could be called foolish pride as he was staying only because the man had called them cowards, but slowly, he realized that there was something else keeping him in place.

    The elf was one of the most interesting individuals he had met, yet. From what he had said, what Alex had lectured, and the fight that was soon going to erupt, he had gathered that the man had deep roots in the Mainland, and because that was the place he was really interested in, he saw that he must have already subconsciously made the decision that this was a defining moment where his actions would affect his future in ways that he could not yet comprehend.

    From the corner of his eye, Daneel saw that the big man''s face ranged between fury, frustration, then downright embarrassment. He had come in all bold and hero-like¡­ but he was being ignored, now, so thoroughly that he must''ve started to question his own existence.

    Throwing out all such thoughts with a loud snarl, though, he shouted, "Fine! All three of you shall die!" and sent the axe flying in the direction of the elf.

    Daneel paid no attention to it¡­and neither did the elf. All he did was raise a hand, and while Daneel felt a faint stirring in the air almost as if he was seeing the first signs of a hurricane coming to life, the axe froze, and the big man face froze alongside it.

    Extending his hand that had manicured fingernails painted a dark crimson, he said, "I''m called Morallein, named for one of the emperors of our kind. Because it is difficult to spell, I''ve been calling myself Mors. You may call me the same. And you are?"

    Beside them, the big man was straining to reach for his axe, trying to free himself from whatever was holding them both in midair. Neither of them budged at all, though, and his face was slowly starting to swell up like a tomato, turning the same shade while he tried and tried and suddenly flew back, falling out of the door he had come in through due to the elf cleverly freeing him at the right moment.

    As a loud thud sounded from where he fell, Daneel extended his own hand and shook the elf''s before saying, "Call me Dan, and this is Alex. My original plan was to travel alone¡­but now that I already have one companion, I see no problem with taking on another. I only have one condition: I will only tell you what I choose."

    With a glowing smile, the elf squeezed Daneel''s hand warmly and pulled it back before extending it to Alex. Alex didn''t move, at first, while looking at Daneel with an unreadable look on his face, and then, with a shrug, he rolled his eyes and shook the elf''s hand, too.

    "It is settled, then! I was starting to grow tired of this place, anyway. Whatever your quest is, I shall aid you. It is said that in the olden times, in a period which you humans have all but forgotten, the best and grandest deeds were done together, with all the races as one. I wish my mother could see me now¡­she looks at humans as if they''re ants, and she was so shaken when I said that I do not share the sentiment. We live longer, yes¡­but you manage to do so much more with your lives. In this journey, I wish to grow and find within myself a purpose that I can¡ª"

    "FUCK YOUR PURPOSE!"

    With a loud scream that almost seemed to shake the rafters, the loud man entered the room again. This time, finally, the elf''s expression changed; he frowned infinitesimally, the slightest hint of displeasure showing on his face, and then, as Daneel looked on with eyes that he was trying hard not to widen, dots of light came out of nowhere in front of him before coalescing into a glow around his right hand. The hand moved, then, turning into a blur and causing a ''whoosh'' to sound in the room, and a moment later...the axe that had still been in the air flew back in the direction it had come from, cutting off the big man''s head on the way.

    Wrinkling his nose with disgust, the elf rubbed his hands on his clothes as if he had done the deed with them. Meanwhile, the big man''s headless body fell to the floor, the head rolling out of the room with a sick, squelching noise, leaving behind a trail of red and grey semi-liquids.

    "Sometimes, if something must be done, it is best to do it right away. I should learn that. Now, then¡­"

    Daneel felt someone arriving before he heard them. Through the shattered door of their booth, he watched as the door of the inn was kicked to let in an old man, stooped on a walking stick, looking as harmless as was humanly possible.

    A second later, though¡­ his eyes fell on the dead body and the three of them. Those eyes went red and veins popped on his face, green and throbbing as if he had suddenly been given blood to pump.

    In front of Daneel, he started to grow, frail body transforming and swelling to become bigger, taller, more muscular than anyone his age had a right to be. When he was done, he stood over 12 feet tall.

    His clothes had ripped through, and at the moment, only a scrap of cloth at his groin hid whatever was beneath it. Everywhere else, bulging muscles and veins could be seen, and with a deep bellow, he raised both his hands high.

    "You dared cause trouble in Athwarf on my watch? OUT!"

    Alex slapped his forehead. Daneel gulped, looking at the fists that were the size of a full-grown man. And between them both, the elf said dryly, "And this is why I didn''t want to kill. Well, nothing can be done now¡­so, its time to depart. If you are not fond of being ground to paste¡­I suggest we run."

 103 Run

    Even with his fists in the air, he did not seem as if he had stopped growing.

    Daneel was dazed not because of the way the man had grown ten times from what he had been, but because he felt a faint of a path that he had never thought he would find outside of Graiton.

    Indeed¡­ it was the path of Gluttony. He checked with the system to confirm it, and sure enough, it told him that the man had gained his strength through a manner that was definitely similar to what Daneel had learned.

    Before he could do anything with that information, though¡­the two fists that had been brought together to make a hammer rose swiftly, crashing through the ceiling, before descending straight towards them, kicking up a gale of wind that shook everything in the room.

    The air smelled of dust that had settled for years up there, coming down in such a violent fashion due to the man''s actions. There were faint hints of mutton cooking coming from the kitchen to the right, too, which almost made Daneel''s stomach grumble, but right now, the first priority was the attack, which he evaded by jumping forward.

    The elf suited his own words and began to run in the direction of the door, looking as if he was set on ignoring this old grandpa, too. With a shout that he couldn''t understand, Alex began to follow in his footsteps, and while shaking his head, Daneel obliged. A glance back told him that the booth they were sitting in was now completely destroyed. Only splinters of wood could be seen where it had once been, and sunlight filtered down through the dusty ceiling, highlighting some of the old man''s muscled body as he raised his hands slowly and turned around, searching for his prey.

    He seemed like a slow giant that couldn''t move very quickly, though. By the time he managed to spot Daneel, who was at the tail end of the train they had made, the elf had successfully passed through his legs to get to the door.

    Daneel was able to do so, too, just as the old man chose to attack in the same manner, which failed because he wasn''t quick enough once more. In the alley that held all the inns, people had already come out of the doors lying on both sides of the road, but between them all, the elf could clearly be seen due to his ponytail that ducked and weaved through the crowd, firmly making its way towards the town center.

    Daneel had soon caught up with Alex. It was obvious that they would no longer be able to follow the original plan of planning their next step here, with food in their stomachs and comfortable beds under their backs. He recalled what Alex had said about the militia consisting of a single man; it didn''t need to be explained that they had already fallen afoul of him, and behind them, as if he was summoned by Daneel''s thoughts, the mad grandpa lurched out of the inn and screeched, "Out! You can''t get away! Stop right there! There is no place for troublemakers in Athwarf! Get out of here!"

    All around them, people were looking in their direction to see what the commotion was all about. As he exited the alley, the last thing he saw was the female innkeep cursing at the grandpa, and a moment later, he was near the fountain, running full tilt towards the wooden gates that he saw, to his alarm, were slowly closing.

    Alex sped up beside him, grunting and heaving due to the exertion. The elf moved his legs faster, too, now not really inconvenienced by the people as the town square was large enough to hold them all and still give them space to move. He didn''t seem out of breath, but his eyes held a tightness to them that Daneel hadn''t seen before.

    He was the first one out of the door, and the two of them were close behind. The two guards standing outside gawped at them, not understanding what was wrong, and as soon as Alex and Daneel reached him, the elf said, "We can''t stop here! Come on!"

    The sounds of buildings being crashed through and tiles being dug up from the ground due to the force of the grandpa''s feet reached them before he appeared, himself, looming above the short gate. His shaved head glinted in the sun, his eyes were pools of fire that sought them out and burned brighter, realizing that they had found their target.

    His hands reached forward, easily breaking through the wooden door, and right before they caught him, Daneel jumped forward and ran in the direction that Alex had set off in. The guards began to shout something that was lost in the din of the entire gate collapsing as the grandpa made his way through it, and once again, the chase was resumed as the three of them ran for their lives from the place that was supposed to be a ''haven''.

    Daneel wasn''t really worried about his life. After observing the speed of the grandpa, he was confident that he would be able to dodge whatever attacks the man tried to use before they did any real harm. He was more interested in how he had gained so much strength. If thought of in the measure of the dwarves, he would have had to absorb at least a thousand men and women to grow this powerful, so Daneel wanted to know just what source he had used that was capable of being obtained in a place like this.

    It seemed that he would be leaving without any answers, though, as he glimpsed the top of a teleportation matrix peeking out of the ground a few hundred meters away from them. It seemed that they would reach it as soon as they topped to rise right in front¡­but as soon as they did so, they came upon 20 guards, all with weapons at the ready.

    They were right in front of the matrix. Behind them, the grandpa''s loud footsteps were growing louder, and for a moment, it looked like they were stuck between a rock and a hard place.

    Daneel prepared himself for a fight. He had never been the type, even on Angaria, to seek them out for the thrill of hot blood pumping through his veins, but he would be lying if he said that he didn''t like it all the same when a fight came to him. He especially loved stomping on those who thought that they could get the better of him, but because the people in front of him might be innocent, he decided that he would leave them with as few injuries as possible.

    Only¡­ the elf seemed to have other plans.

    "Leave them to me! Come closer!"

    Putting his hands inside his golden cloak, he took out an object that made both of them blink, then stare. It was the same item that the dwarf king had used to knock out everyone nearby; with haste and a mind filled with questions, Daneel hurried forward to the elf''s side.

    It was a silver globe, and when crushed, the familiar silvery shockwave spread out from it, knocking out everyone in a certain radius around him. Alex ran forward before the bodies even hit the ground; touching a crystal to the matrix, he flicked through a few colors and then settled onto one.

    Both of them ran to his side. Just as they were about to touch it one by one and disappear, the giant appeared, but no matter what he wanted to do, he would be too late.

    An old woman was also by his side. She looked at all of them reproachfully before shouting at the grandpa, and her words were the last thing they heard before the teleportation took them away.

    A few moments later, Daneel got to his feet on dry, dusty land much like that of Graiton while Alex hastily shut down the matrix behind them.

    What the old woman had said was still reverberating in his mind.

    "Damn you, old fool! Why don''t you just retire? Every time something happens, you collapse half the town before failing to catch the culprits if they''re even the least bit competent! You could just let them go, but no¡­you had to go stomping through all the buildings on the way! When we get home, you''re done for!"

    As he looked to the other two, he saw in their eyes that they were thinking of the same thing. For a few seconds, they didn''t say anything, and then¡­ all three of them burst out laughing.

 104 The Destination

    Daneel didn''t know whether he was imagining it, but he was reasonably sure that there was a twinkle in the elf''s eyes as he looked at the both of them at around the time they stopped laughing, and took a measure of where they were.

    It was the glow of one who had always been looking for true companions that they could share their amusement with. It was a glow that had shown in his own eyes when he had found his best friend on Angaria, and later on, his brother and his wives, and in fact, the only reason he could recognize it was that when he had gone through his own memories recently to find out who he was, he remembered seeing it so clearly as it had shone as brightly as the sun.

    It disappeared as quickly as it appeared, though, when Alex looked around and sighed before saying, "The next haven is over 10 islands away. And without knowing where we are going to go¡­it will take us too far out of the way in case we need to come back. I don''t think you would like wasting time¡­so I suggest we make do with the ground, here, and imagine that it is a soft bed from the Hanged Wizard. As for food¡­all I have is some bread, but it should make do. I think they were roasting mutton in the kitchens, there¡­"

    Alex muttered the last part while rubbing his stomach, but Daneel heard him clearly. His own stomach rumbled now that the danger was past, but surprisingly, the elf''s smile remained.

    Daneel watched closely, as the being from the Mainland put his hand inside his robes¡­and took out two objects that looked like masks to be worn to parties, at first. They were styled artfully, one in the shape of an eagle and the other looking like it shared a likeness with a bear, but was different.

    Alex''s eyes almost popped out of their sockets when he looked at them. Striding forward, he took one in his hands and turned it around, examining it from every angle, and when he finally removed his own mask in a flash and put it on¡­ his burned face disappeared, the shining complexion of an elf taking its place as naturally as if he had had that face since birth.

    [High-level magic object detected. Data scan in progress. Construction of base of magic system has progressed.]

    The system''s message made him smile as he took the other mask. When he put it on, it felt as if it melded into his skin, making his spine shiver as it transformed to make him look like an elf, too.

    With the chuckle, Mors declared, "You two could be my brothers! But, alas, if we go back there with these faces, they''ll definitely throw is out. How about¡­"

    The dots were grouped, then pushed together in a process that looked like it was easy, first, but whose difficulty was exposed when one of these grouping actions failed, accompanied by Mors frowning but repeating it and succeeding on the subsequent try. When all of the groups of differently colored dots, each a different shade of the colors of the rainbow, none bearing resemblance to any elements that they might represent, were ready, he made them flow between each other, forming a pattern like a weaver, each group tangling with the other, then forming a knot before forming a loop and going through it, too, causing a dizzying structure to emerge that made Daneel''s head hurt.

    [Spell has been recorded. Major progression has occurred in formation of base of magic system.]

    Immediately, he felt like patting his own shoulder due to that decision where he hadn''t run like Alex. If it weren''t for what had happened then, there was no way that he would be standing here, now, witnessing such a wondrous thing.

    He had to forcefully clamp down on his own instinct to use the crystals and mimic what he had just seen. If he did that, he would be exposing the biggest secret that he had to keep, so like someone in front of whom a feast had been placed but had been told that he would die if he ate even a morsel, he looked on, almost salivating, as a fourth man formed beside the seated elf and blinked, as if he couldn''t remember where he was.

    He seemed almost lifelike, but Daneel could tell that he was made of air, for the most part. He even cast a shadow; soon, his features cleared, and he looked no different from any dusty traveler traveling between islands.

    Mors opened his eyes and admired his own handiwork. He tugged at the construct a bit here, a bit there, smoothing out imperfections that would not have been visible to the naked eye before nodding with satisfaction and sitting down once again.

    This time, it was a much simpler spell that he cast. It was on himself, and when he was done, a rugged man with a beard that Daneel had never seen before was looking back at him.

    "Go on. Even I''m tired after so much spell casting¡­ so I wouldn''t mind a roasted goose, or two. Firmly imagine the face you want to put on, then raise your hands to the mask and press down. As soon as you''re done, we can be on our way."

    Daneel and Alex both nodded, the latter tongue-tied, for once. A few moments later, Alex was flipping through colors on the crystals once again. He stopped when it showed the same shade as the one that had taken them to the entrance teleportation matrix of Athwarf, and a few seconds later, they were stepping onto the grassy land of the town they had just fled.

    There were a few guards at the crystals, but with dejected looks, they waved them forwarf after seeing that they bore no resemblance with those that had caused so much destruction. If there were three of them, there might have been some reason to stop them¡­but because even the number didn''t match, they were ignored in barely a second.

    They passed the destruction that the giant had wrought over the town on the way to an inn where Mors claimed the best roasted geese could be found. Men and women were already at work on the tiles that had been ripped out when the giant had stomped down on them. At least three out of every ten buildings showed some or the other sign of repair; people were already puzzling over them, trying to figure out ways in which they could make it seem as if there had been no damage at all, in the first place.

    Daneel felt a faint pang of guilt when he saw the female innkeep crying in front of the Hanged Wizard. The old woman that had shouted at them was consoling her while saying that the town would pay for the damage. She glanced at them for a moment when they passed her; Daneel almost looked away, but knowing that that would mean that he had a reason to hide, he met her gaze and held it before scratching his head and turning away.

    They reached their destination without any trouble. A few minutes after that, they were all sitting around a similar booth that was square instead of round, and on the large table revolving in front of them, four large birds the smelled heavenly were present, their aromas wafting to the ceiling.

    They ate, first, without even saying a single word between themselves. Daneel realized that he was famished; he almost finished an entire goose by himself, and only the elf fate more than him, somehow retaining a measure of grace despite the juices flowing down his mouth.

    All of them relaxed while nursing mugs of chilled wine a half-hour later. Daneel took a few sips and studied them both. As he did so, he realized that he had already made the decision to do what he was about to, so without any hesitation, he said, "Alright¡­this is who I need to find."

    He described it all without giving any details of Graiton. He talked about the one who had come a great deal, and explained what his background might be. When he was done, he looked at his companions expectantly¡­but he could never have expected the way they would react.

    The elf chuckled, then burst out laughing. Alex looked as if death were staring him down at that very second, and without a word, he got up¡­and started to run to the door.

 105 A Fit of Anger

    Daneel''s mind raced as he saw Alex get to the door, then pause.

    A lot of thoughts came to him when he saw the man take those quick strides that showed how scared he was even more than the way he had looked when Daneel had spoken about his enemy. He considered whether to stop him by force¡­but after going through everything that he had experienced with the man, he grew certain that this might just be a knee-jerk reaction.

    This seemed to be confirmed when Alex turned around at the door and looked at Daneel with eyes that measured and weighed what he was seeing. Daneel looked back at him with a steady gaze. He said nothing to remind the man what had transpired between them before; unsurprisingly, this looked like exactly what Alex was thinking of, because after a moment, he cursed under his breath and took a seat again.

    He buried his face in his hands and looked like he wanted to be anywhere but there. Daneel heard him speaking to himself. He couldn''t understand most of it, but he did catch a few snatches of speech that indicated that he was cursing at himself, and his fool of the brain that always got him in trouble.

    Mors seemed most interested in the way Alex was reacting. The elf was even leaning forward and observing the burned man''s face. He only stopped doing this when Daneel laid his own eyes on him, and after clearing his throat, the elf said, "You do not say anything about why you want to find that man, but the way you spoke of him makes it clear that you believe he is a villain, and that you need to extract some sort of revenge from him. Both of us could gather this quite easily; in fact, I don''t think you really put that much effort into concealing it, yourself. Well¡­what if I said that these words you have spoken would send you to your death on perhaps any island a couple of teleportations away?"

    With a frown, Daneel waited for an explanation. Indeed, it had seemed like a foregone conclusion that the one he was dealing with was definitely some sort of a greedy merchant whose villainy must be renowned, but now, it seemed that a twist had come in the tale.

    His frown deepening, he waited for either of his companions to speak, and finally, it was Alex who looked up and said, "The Beggar King. He wants to go up against the Beggar King! Oh, fuck my fucking gut! I wish I could take it out and wring it dry! You wish to go to one of the last places that I ever saw myself going! The Beggar King''s people are always ready to die for him! Just one word spoken against him can lead to a war, or worse! I heard of someone who whispered that he might not be all that good¡­the next day, he was found hanging from his neck at one of the inns in the King''s city! You can''t even hope to touch a single hair of his! It makes no sense whatsoever that he came, by himself, to wherever you''re from¡­but still! It''s madness!"

    His voice was a whip that seemed to crack against Alex''s face as the words washed over him. Daneel heaved when he was done and sat down. When he reached forward with his hand to drink some wine in the hope that it would calm him down, he almost snarled when he recalled that he had shattered it, and with a swift moment, the elf pushed his untouched mug in Daneel''s direction while leaning back as if waiting to watch a show.

    As Daneel felt the vestiges of anger leave him, he felt faint surprise due to how intense it had been. There were three reasons, and all three had combined into something that affected him deeply. The man had killed someone he had called his family, the man had given them hope, then taken it away, and the man had the key to unlocking the power that Daneel had left behind in his homeland. It was vital, no, it was imperative that he get to him and take what he needed as in a way, even the lives of the Angarians he had left behind revolved around it, so no matter what anyone said, Daneel knew that he would not shirk from this course of action he had set for himself.

    He completely ignored Alex after that, but he could tell that the man was brooding over something. Finally, five minutes later, Alex finished the mug in front of him in one go and spoke after wiping his mouth to get rid of the errant drops left there.

    "Fine. I''ve made my choice; I''ll stick with it now. Mors, is it alright if I keep this charm even after we leave here?"

    The elf nodded gracefully.

    With a sigh, Alex continued.

    "Then it is settled. We begin our journey at dawn; get some rest, because we have a hard day ahead of us, and I''ll not be the one to ask for a stop, even if it fucking kills me."

    With a grimace, the man got up and stalked out of the room, his transformed face set with the conviction that what he was going to do was a bad idea, but he was going to do it anyway.

    As silence descended once again between them, the elf looked like he wanted to say something. Daneel looked at him, silently hinting that he should just spit it out, so with a mirthless grin, he said, "I''ve heard that it is rude to speak of the faults of you humans in this way¡­but I cannot help but notice how poorly you managed your emotions. Couldn''t you have seen that he was going to come with you no matter what he said? I don''t see any reason behind your outburst, except for the fact that it might have been caused by anger building up inside you from before, itself. We are in touch with the world, always, and hence, we must be aware of what we feel if we do not wish for it to come in the way of our magic. He was going to overcome his fear anyway¡­but because of what you did, he must feel embarrassed because of it now. Why strain the bonds that are formed with such great effort? Oh, I''ll never understand it¡­but then again, my father always said I understand less about this than I thought I did. I guess I''ll find out who''s right soon¡­"

    With a nod, Mors left, leaving Daneel alone with two empty mugs, shards of glass on the floor¡­and an uncomfortable feeling that he just couldn''t seem to shake.

 106 Traveling

    After an uneventful night, Daneel awoke, not remembering when he had even gone to sleep.

    Vaguely, he recalled downing mugs and mugs of spiced and chilled wine until his head had gone hazy. A sweet maid had escorted him to his room, and made the offer to warm his bed if he so wished¡­but in the state that he had been, without understanding what the hell she had been saying, he had thanked her but refused the offer, saying that he was warm enough for the both of them.

    His face burned a bit as he checked the room one last time to make sure that he hadn''t forgotten anything. He didn''t have too many belongings; the small rucksack with his clothes was secure on his back, and his most important wealth, the crystals, were hidden on his waist. Still looking fondly at the last bed that he might sleep in for some time, he departed to find a merry elf and a thief with an empty face, and so, they set off on the journey with the doppelg?nger who seemed to have more character than all of them put together.

    The elf was clearly playing with the spell, tugging at the doppelg?nger''s face so that he laughed and talked casually, cracking jokes to which only the elf laughed. Daneel was amused by what he was doing, but he still felt too much chagrin due to what happened last night to act freely around Alex.

    He had pondered on it quite a bit in the morning, too. When he had done so, he had realized that most of the interactions back on Angaria had not involved or needed too much emotional intelligence, as those he had met had all been more or less mature in their own ways. Even if that was not the case, they had gone about growing into themselves by themselves, so all he had done was stay along for the ride.

    Here, though, in a way, there were more complex people than he had met in all his life. Toward the end of his journey on Angaria, he had reflected about how he, himself, hadn''t grown emotionally at all throughout his journey¡­and clearly, he was already getting opportunities to learn and truly become a monarch not just in spirit, but in his heart, too.

    Right now, he knew that he should apologise, but he also wondered whether it was wise to rake it up again. Alex was still affected by it, of course; he looked straight ahead, as if he was working alone, and the only acknowledgement he had given Daneel was a single glance that hadn''t contained any information whatsoever.

    As he watched the man, though, a faint hint of pride stirred in Daneel that couldn''t really be left behind after being inculcated for all the years he had spent being a king and a ruler, revered by the people and always trusted to do the right thing. Alex was the one who had come forward and almost begged to go along with him, so wasn''t he in the right to shout at the man because he had seemed like he had been about to run?

    ''Ah, forget it! I''ll stop thinking about it, for now, as all I''m doing is running in circles, round and round and round with no conclusion. I think I already know what I should do; I just don''t see it yet for what it is. I''ll find it, in time, and I''ll know whether to apologise or do something else. Until then¡­ I have no problem with how we are now.''

    And so, it was in this way that they reached the teleportation matrix, then traveled to the same island they had gone to before. They made their journey silently, the elf finally having let go of the fourth man.

    For the most part, the elf kept himself, either humming under his breath or walking with his eyes closed. When he was doing the latter, Daneel always kept expecting to see him over a rock or something else on the way, but the elf''s feet always seemed to know where to go even if he wasn''t looking.

    Soon, they crossed the next island and three more without any incident. All four were almost exactly like Graiton. Almost forgetting what had happened between them, Daneel began to ask about the status of each island, but stopped himself when Alex grunted and kept moving even though he had heard a hint of Daneel''s question.

    With a grimace, Daneel shit his mouth. He was also tempted to ask the elf for more knowledge, but he had already found out a lot, and he didn''t want to come off as someone nosy. Right now, he viewed the elf as a precious vault that he had to manipulate with the utmost caution if he wanted to keep getting information that was incredibly valuable, such as the existence of the Will of the realm. Despite his apparent youth, the elf was learned in many things, so though Daneel didn''t know exactly how he was going to do it, he believed that this journey was not the right time, yet, to probe about things that would expose more of himself to the ancient being.

    In the few hours that they kept walking, though, he fought with this decision. He wanted to ask about magic, about the Mainland, or even about the purpose behind the elf being on Athwarf. All of these questions finally left his mind¡­when they entered an island ten hops is away from the ''haven'', and found themselves in a lush, green wonderland where trees and plants and flowers stretched out as far as the eye could see.

    A paved road was beneath them, which they walked on for a few more moments in silence until Alex decided to give an answer in a grudging tone.

    "This is one of the attractions of the islands. If someone is thinking about the fact that it is just ten teleportations away from the Haven which I said was remote, then all I have to say is that they are as ignorant as they come. Not everyone has a store of crystals they can use to teleport so quickly. Ordinarily, people who do not want to spend crystals wait for a day to half a day on each island. At a set time, the teleportation crystals of each island are activated so that such travellers can make their way across, and for those taking this route, actively flipping between destinations is also not possible. Hence, the actual time of journey between Athwarf and this place is a fortnight. We got here in a few hours at the expense of an entire processed crystal¡­which is a fortune to most. Anyway, this place has a zoo with exotic creatures, all harmless but pleasing to the eye. If anyone wants to stay, they can go right on the fork that is coming up¡­"

    The way he spoke to the air made Daneel bristle, but he controlled himself and just absorbed the information. At the fork, he plunged ahead and ignored the road that led to the zoo; for sightseeing, he could come back later as right now, the priority was to get to the beggar king.

    A couple more teleportations made in silence brought them to a different attraction. At the very entrance, they were met with four men and women dressed in transparent clothes, laughing and giggling between themselves as they observed everyone coming through the matrix.

    Just like the one filled with greenery, this one seemed to have a lot of footfall. Many who arrived directly went to either a man or a woman and were escorted away with their private parts being tugged or played with, and from that, it was obvious what this place was.

    Alex opened his mouth to give an explanation, but Daneel silenced him with a look. They went past it quickly, with the elf staring at many people who engaged in lewd actions out in public, and for quite some time after they left it, Daneel''s face burned when he remembered just how shamelessly everyone had been indulging in their bodily desires without a care as to who might be watching. Even beds had been laid out near the path, as if meant to tempt passers-by to come along and join, and on each of them, the way the men and woman had contorted into positions had been¡­

    "The beggar king''s city is next. If you know what''s good for you, stay silent. We can decide on our course of action after we find a place to stay here."

    When Alex spoke standing in front of a teleportation matrix a few islands away from the lewd one, Daneel blushed harder and nodded. Taking a deep breath, he went forward last¡­and as he stepped on their destination, finally, what lay there took his breath away, and made him gawk like a villager who had just travelled to a city that was grander than anything he had imagined in his wildest dreams.

 107 Marillein

    Six islands the size of Graiton lay around one that was larger than all of them.

    Silver bridges arched between each island and the one in the center. Two storeyed, three storeyed, and even four storeyed buildings could be seen on each small island, but none were taller than the magnificent edifice on the central island, clearly visible from where they stood.

    It vaguely looked like an hourglass, but in fact, it was a pyramid on whose point another pyramid had been somehow placed, their tips touching. The four edges of the overturned pyramid on top were gilded with gold that shone clearly in the brilliant rays of the sun despite the distance.

    The rest of it was made from some sort of burnished metal that didn''t really reflect sunlight. It was easily the height of a ten storeyed building from Earth; at first glance, there seemed to be nothing else on the central island, but as he looked closer, Daneel saw that large buildings could be seen all around it, too, clustered in a way that was pleasant to the eye.

    He was on one of the islands surrounding the central one, raised on a hill that overlooked the entire place. From his vantage point, he could see a large street on every island that joined the arches, and all intersected at that large building.

    All six surrounding islands were laid out in an orderly fashion, as if planned by a master architect. In fact, one of them even had a beach, the water of the Endless Sea lapping harmlessly at the shore as if it did not contain all sorts of dangerous creatures that could kill millions if they ever found a way to get on to land.

    "Move along, move along! You''ll have plenty of time to stare later!"

    A rough voice returned him to his senses. The podium on which he was standing with the teleportation matrix was large, indeed, but at least ten people had already arrived since he had stepped onto it, so with an embarrassed nod, he walked to the steps that lay in front.

    Alex and the elf were already waiting for him there. He looked to the thief, expecting some sort of mockery, but instead, all sorts of complicated emotions could be seen in the man''s eyes as he glanced at the central building.

    "Alex¡­have you been here before?" He asked, getting a hunch, but with a start that betrayed the fact that the thief had gone into a reverie without him even realizing it, he replied, "None of your business. Come on."

    It was different from Athwarf, where everything had been lively and fresh. There, the hubbub had been pleasant, but here, it was like the buzzing of a fly that he wished he could swat. It was intermingled with the sounds of hand-drawn carts piled with pieces of metal or food being drawn along by people on the tiled floor of the street, or those of smiths and tanneries and bakeries all going about their work and hawking their goods even if there weren''t too many to listen.

    They passed a few inns, but Alex didn''t pause at any of them. The din seemed to be getting louder the more they went on; soon, they reached another teleportation matrix, and after stepping through it, Daneel looked all around from a similar podium and realized that he was two islands away from the one they had arrived in.

    This one was a tad bit quieter, but not by too much. There were fewer people all around even though the buildings looked the same, and soon, they were stepping into an inn named ''Mercy''s Abode''.

    It was half the size of the one that had been destroyed due to them in Athwarf. For the first time, Daneel saw a barkeep who didn''t have a belly. He had a bald head and a cleft chin that gave him a menacing look, but the moment he saw a processed crystal waved in front of him by the thief, he broke into a warm smile and ushered them into a private booth meant for five.

    Even the furnishings weren''t as good as both the inns they had stayed in on that haven. The wine was almost the same, though, and after taking a sip, Daneel looked at Alex, waiting for what he knew the man was going to talk about.

    With a dejected sigh, the thief looked like he had forgotten what had happened between them, for once. He had been on edge ever since they had come here; even now, he was bent over his mug as if he wanted to be anyplace but where he was, and finally, when he did speak, it was in a tone that left no doubt regarding how happy he was.

    "The beggar king''s city. It is called ''Marillein'', the City of Kindness¡­at least, to all those born within its borders. If you''re an outsider, though¡­ heavens help you. Yes, you might try to marry in, but you''ll still be seen as an outsider who does not share the blood of the beggar king. As for who he is¡­"

    He checked all around, once, his familiar cautiousness showing finally, but then, it disappeared as quickly as it had come, as if wiped away due to the fact that it couldn''t really guarantee their privacy in a place that was so near the abode of their enemy.

    "No one knows where he came from, but one day, he bought the rights to all of these islands. After calling over someone from the Mainland, he...pushed them together in a manner that had never been seen in all the islands. Construction began exactly thirty years ago, and since then, it hasn''t stopped. Each of the towns on all the islands are still expanding, still growing, as if they need to hold even more people than there are right now. There are already many empty buildings that have been built and left behind, so no one knows why the man still insists on expanding his city. No one questions him, though¡­because in truth, he is the kindest ruler that has ever been seen in these parts. He goes out of his way to help each and every one of his countrymen, even going so far as to deplete his own wealth if it means that they can live and sleep and eat well. On multiple occasions, when others who coveted his wealth came for him, he fought them off with the help of his citizens, blacksmith, farmers and even peddlers taking up arms to repay everything he had done for them with their blood. Not many know of his business with the other islands, but everyone knows that he sells charms. He supposedly obtains them from the Mainland, so in fact, he is only a merchant, of sorts, albeit one with more power than anyone can imagine. He has an army to himself, and numerous vaults where he stores all sorts of extremely valuable magical objects that were seen being brought in. No one can fucking get to him unless he wishes it. No one can touch him without being mobbed by thousands, first. Here, he is invincible¡­ so to me, this seems like a fool''s errand."

    When Alex looked up from his mug, he groaned as he noticed that Daneel''s eyes were actually shining.

    Mors was more amused than ever. With a smile, he looked at Daneel, too, whose mind was going through his fondest exercise: that of making plans.

    He had only been hopeful before¡­but now, it looked like there was a very high possibility that whatever he needed to connect with the power he had left behind on Angaria would definitely be here. Along with that, the machines that he needed to help the former slaves of Graiton were also present¡­and now, all he needed was a way to get to them, and to the man who had tried to kill him.

    At the moment, everything seemed to be against him. He was one man, with an unwilling thief and a disguised elf. Even in his own companions, one couldn''t completely be relied upon, and with no other help...he needed to go up against someone who had already established themselves in such a grand manner.

    Only by taking risks could one gain great rewards. And only when facing such great odds did Daneel felt the thrill of the hunt course through him, which was almost as bewitching as the rush that came from absorbing energy, or using magic.

    ''It''s time to scheme, and although I didn''t think that it would be the case¡­ I can tell now that this is going to be fun. Well¡­ Let''s do it!''

 108 Gambling

    "Your chance. Roll."

    The sound of the dice rolling around in the circular cup in his hands didn''t go very far in the common room of the inn that was empty, for the most part, except for a few clustered around him, and his opponent.

    As if he had done it a million times before, he shook the cup until he was satisfied, then spilled the contents on to a scooped out wooden bowl between them. As the dice came to rest at the bottom, where there was a flat surface, the one across Daneel clapped his hands and grinned.

    "Five and six. I win!"

    Surrounding the wooden bowl, on top, were coins of gold, silver, and bronze. Right now, a couple of the golden ones went to the side of his opponent, and even though he didn''t really need to bother with it, Daneel sighed and looked as if he was as dejected as anyone else who had just lost their bet.

    A single look around told him that no one was paying too much attention. This wasn''t the first time he was doing this; the last two times, he had left when the system had told him that a few eyes were lingering on his back, but now, it looked like it was finally safe to gather the last of the information that he needed.

    "My turn to bet. 12 below, 17 above. Five gold. Alright?"

    The game was a simple one. Players could choose a range of numbers that their dies could show, added together. If they succeeded, their bet would double. If they didn''t, they would lose whatever they had bet.

    It was simple enough that one didn''t really need to focus on it with all their mind, and this was exactly why Daneel loved it so much.

    He took his time picking up the dice from the bowl. The man had relaxed, too, after winning back most of what he had just lost. This was the perfect moment that Daneel had chosen to strike in all such encounters so far: the moment when one felt relief surging through them as they were returned whatever they had thought had been separated from them forever.

    His opponent''s head was turned to the right, right now, showing a faint scar on his chin. He was searching for one of the maids so that he could get a drink for himself, so when Daneel''s question reached his ears, he answered without thinking about it.

    "So¡­ I heard that there was a battle last year? Did any of them get inside?"

    "Yeah¡­ the fools couldn''t get much done, though. With our help, Captain Malik threw them out before they could kill anyone! That''s the captain for you! His idea to drill us along with the soldiers was truly brilliant¡­you! Beer, over here!"

    With a nod, Daneel set his eyes on the cup that was actually a coconut, dried and somehow solidified before having its outside stitched with leather. The sound of the dice rolling inside was pleasant to the ears, but something that sounded even better was heard in his mind.

    [Outcome?]

    "Negative."

    [Affirmative.

    Interpreting sound to calculate rolling of dies. Taking over control of host''s body to make minute adjustments. Ready to roll. Deploying the roll.]

    As soon as he heard the last word, the dice fell on the bowl, turning round and round in a precise manner while the man watched, trying to act casual but failing miserably due to the perspiration beading on his forehead.

    They came to rest at the bottom, showing 13. The man''s grin returned. And Daneel knew that this was another chance he could use.

    "Damn¡­ seems out of luck. Heh, just like those fools who tried to attack you. Say¡­did they try to infiltrate and attack you from the inside?"

    The man was absorbed with pulling over the gold he had just won to his side, but Daneel patiently waited. The cup had to be passed on if the game was to continue, so because he was still holding it, the man looked up and answered in an offhand manner.

    "Oh¡­ they tried, but there are always a portion of the guards assigned to take care of internal affairs. They keep an eye on anyone causing trouble¡­so there is no chance of anything happening inside. You gonna leave? Or do you want to go again?"

    The man was getting greedy. Daneel shrugged before passing him the cup. He only had one last question to ask, so after another roll that went badly for him once again, he said, "Yeah¡­ After one last roll, I''m done for the day. I did hear that they made a last-ditch effort just like me¡­through the sewers, right? Whatever happened to them?"

    "One last roll, it is! They were massacred by the guards always kept in reserve to protect our king¡­and in the same way, get ready to be massacred once again! Er, I mean¡­who knows? Your luck might just turn!"

    Daneel almost chuckled due to the man''s inept attempt to keep him in the game. With a shrug, he said "My Da'' always said, ''in for a feather, in for the bird.'' I''ll bet everything you won from me and all of your money for this."

    The man''s eyes almost popped out of their sockets as he saw the stack of crimson processed crystals that Daneel took out of his pocket. He stared at it, greed glazing over his face, but with a shake of his head, he recovered and said, "You sure? They''re definitely of more value, right?"

    With a wry twist of his mouth, Daneel replied, "Yes¡­but how else would I get you to bet so much? This is all I have. If I lose it, I can quit gambling forever¡­and that''s what I want to do. So¡­ shall we roll? My turn to bet. Three under, eighteen above. If I''m gonna go, I''ll go out with style!"

    It was one of the toughest rolls, and one that no one seriously playing the game would bet on. The chances were very low as there were only a couple of possibilities¡­and his choice worked as intended as he gave the perfect impression of one truly looking to challenge the heavens for an excuse to quit a bad habit.

    Hiding away the smile that came on his face, his opponent nodded and took out the money he had put back in his pockets. The rule was that anything being bet had to be out in the open; apparently, it had originated so that the loser wouldn''t find it easy to run away without paying his due.

    As Daneel shook the cup, the burly man''s eyes fixed on to it as if he wanted look inside, and a second later, when the dice flew¡­he stood up, then cursed so loudly that the entire inn turned to look in his direction.

    He clutched his head and fell to his knees, then, and using the chance he had been given, Daneel collected everything and set off to the door. No one was fast enough to catch up to him; by the time the man had recovered enough to run out and search, he was gone, not even leaving behind a shadow to give a hint regarding the direction he had gone.

    Squeezing the fat pouch at his waist, he smiled to himself. He had been pleasantly surprised to find the gambling scene here, and of course, with the system at his disposal, it would have been dumb not to make use of the avarice of the depraved specific subset of mankind known as gamblers. The only sad part was that he could only gamble for the currency of the city, whose name no one used, simply calling the coins by what they were made of. If he wanted to exchange them for crystals, he would have to give more details that he was comfortable sharing with anyone who worked with the beggar king¡­so for now, he was both rich and poor.

    All of his queries that needed answering had been answered, so all that was left was to flesh out the plan. It wasn''t a very complex one, but he loved it all the same because it had a hint of the genius that had been his trademark on Angaria¡­and so, humming a merry tune that used to be common in the bars of his home island, he headed back to where they were staying.

 109 The Plan

    "¡­and that''s the plan."

    Silence rushed into the room like a storm through an open window as Daneel finished speaking and put his hands behind his head, leaning back against the cushions that were better than those on Athwarf, for once.

    After returning to the inn they were staying in, he had immediately called both of his companions and begun explaining about what he was going to do. If things were to go smoothly, he needed both of their help, but even if they weren''t really willing¡­he was prepared to go it alone.

    Some of his earliest plans had been carried out with his own two shoulders available to count on, and he definitely wouldn''t balk if that needed to happen again. As he looked at the elf and the thief, though, he found himself hoping, slightly, that he could count on them¡­but he shook his head quickly a moment later to dispel the thought as he honestly didn''t know whether he could trust them, yet.

    Keeping this in mind, he had already made two versions of the plan. The one he had told them was the first version, which had specific roles for them to carry out. Both the roles didn''t carry even the slightest element of risk unless one acted in the most foolish way possible, and as Daneel looked into Alex''s eyes, he could tell that the man was seriously considered it.

    The elf was unreadable, though. It seemed that the globes of light below his ears corresponded to his mood; right now, they were flashing dimly while his eyes were closed in thought. He always claimed that using a spell to hide his face which was made to look like a human''s when he was outside tiresome, so whenever he got a chance, he dispelled it so that he could be his usual self without being afraid of being seen.

    Daneel, himself, had been tempted to take off his mask after seeing this as after wearing it for a long time, a slightly sweaty feeling tended to cover his face. The thief looked like he wasn''t going to do any such thing, though, so with a flash of stubbornness, he had decided to follow suit.

    The elf was the first to break the silence. Looking up, he smiled and said something to himself that sounded like the ancient tongue, even though Daneel couldn''t be sure.

    With his eyebrows raised, he continued to speak in the tongue that the others understood, and when he was done, Daneel found himself smiling.

    Long-winded as always, the elf ended his speech with a bow during which he somehow managed to look graceful despite being seated. Daneel had never been one to look for praise, but when given it where it was deserved, he wasn''t one to shirk away from it, either.

    Expectantly, he looked at Alex, and his smile slid off when he saw that the man was glaring at the elf. With pursed lips, Daneel waited for the response from the burned man¡­and when it did come, the beginning of it was given in such a grudging tone that Daneel was sure that the words had been pushed out with the greatest of difficulty from the very depths of his gut.

    "It''s a pretty genius plan; one of the best I''ve seen: simple, but with a good chance of success. I have to admit that. But¡­have you even thought about what you''ll be causing by the end of it? Do all these people deserve it? Look, I''m all for going up against those who should be rotting in hell¡­but from everything I''ve heard, this guy is actually supposed to be a great ruler! You''re going to be bringing ruin to something he built with so much effort based on one experience. I do not doubt what you saw¡­but what if the people are innocent? What if you will be messing with them for no reason, and what if things turn out in a way that will make us all feel like the villains of this tale, instead of the heroes that the elf sees us as?"

    Daneel watched on as Alex grew more and more passionate with each word that he spoke. By the end of it, he had even risen half to his feet, his transformed face looking worried, sad, and angry at the same time, like that of someone whose doubts were almost about to blow up their mind.

    ''Has he done something before that he regrets? Like Mors said, there is truly more to him than meets the eye¡­and hell, maybe I should apologize.''

    The main reason he thought this was that in Alex, right now, he could see someone that was trying to grow further and further away from someone he had been. He had no intention to pry into his past¡­but anyone putting in such an effort had to be admired, and supported, if possible.

    In a tone filled with as much patience as possible, Daneel gave the answer that he had already thought of. In each and every one of his plans, he always considered this aspect, first. After all, he had lived his entire life only targeting those who had every right to be targeted due to their deeds, and just because he was in a new place, it didn''t mean that the rules that he lived by would change.

    "Yes, I will be sowing discord to get the guards away from the Palace so that I can get that guy alone. I will be doing so in a way that might affect this city for generations to come. My justification is this: if what we''re seeing here is true, if the beggar king is really someone so beloved that people can unite behind him without a care for the life, then no matter what I do, their bond will remain, tested but whole, and they will recover. Hell, it might even be as if nothing had happened, and if that is the case, then it would even have grown stronger! But if it is all on the surface, and underneath, there is something that none of has seen, yet¡­then it has always been a house of cards poised to fall with the right push. Let me put it this way: with my plan, we will also be confirming whether I''m right about the beggar king, or whether you are. I would really appreciate if you aid me in this endeavor. And I apologize if I hurt your feelings before. It''s just that I tend to get carried away when I remember things I have failed in¡­and it seems that I''m not a stranger in this, either."

    For a second, when Daneel began his apology, it had seemed as if everything was going to be alright. He even believed that Alex was soon going to go back to his normal self: the historian who was always ready to speak up about everything that needed to be explained, but just when he finished speaking¡­the thief''s face changed, draining of all blood as if a topic that he had never wanted to be reminded of had been touched.

    Getting up, he stormed to the door and opened it after dismissively throwing some words over his shoulder.

    "I''ll do it. But don''t presume that you know anything about me."

    Just like that, he was gone, leaving Daneel gawping at the place he had stood at before closing his mouth with a flash of anger.

    ''Well¡­ I did my part. If he wants to be like that, I don''t care as long as he helps me. If his help would not bring down the probability of failure significantly¡­ I would even choose to abandon him right here. Maybe I will do that when this task is done...''

    The elf snickered, right then, and Daneel rounded on him. As if already seeing the mistake he had made, Mors raised his hands apologetically and said, "I''m sorry, but you two just reminded me of my father and his brother. I''ll give you the reason behind that later. For now, let''s get an early night. We have a lot to do tomorrow¡­and the show goes down the day after. I reckon that we''ll need a lot of rest before both of them, so¡­good night!"

    The elf half ran out of the room, leaving Daneel alone. For a few seconds, he was tempted to have a repeat of that night before¡­but abandoning the idea, Daneel took the elf''s advice and went to bed.

    No matter what Alex was feeling, Daneel trusted him enough that he would keep his word once he had given it. And even if he didn''t¡­the system had made sure that there were enough foolproof safeguards in place that things wouldn''t go disastrously wrong despite the failure of a few tasks.

    Sleep came slowly, and even when I did, he was hounded with dreams of his family from Angaria mocking him, saying that he still had a lot to learn.

    When the morning came, Daneel sprang out of bed, and in just a moment, he was off¡­as indeed, a show needed to be set up, and it was going to be something the city of Marillein would never forget for decades to come.

 110 Rebels

    Captain Malik sat in his guard station, calmly smoking his pipe with his legs on the table in front of him, his hands behind his head, forming a perfect cushion that he had come to love over all the years he had spent in this very spot, in this very role.

    Five guards bustled around him, taking care of their day-to-day duties, but all he needed to do was make sure that the oiled system he had set in place would keep turning, without fail, without a pause, without a hint of trouble. He was proud of everything he had done for his king, and his home. In just a week, he could retire with all the honor of someone who had saved the people he was going to live beside so many times that many had lost count¡­and if he was being frank, even though he kept acting as if he didn''t want to leave, he was really looking forward to a calm, respected life in the suburbs of the beach island.

    He had always loved food, so because he still had some time to go before he wouldn''t be able to get out of bed without embarrassing himself, he had been thinking about setting up a restaurant. He didn''t know how it would be when all the guards he used to shout at would come and order him around in his own place, though¡­but the moment he remembered the discipline he had drilled into them, he became confident that no such thing would happen. He had always ever done what was necessary, and as he had taken no pain in inflicting pain, he assured himself that all his patrons would be fair, in the same way.

    The large street of the north-eastern island was in front of him. He usually rotated between all seven guard posts, and today, he had chosen this one as it had the best tea.

    Picking up the cup beside him, he took a sip and almost moaned as the herbal taste suffused his mouth, calming his mind and even his entire body. From the window in front of him, he could clearly see the main street of the island, beyond which were crisscrossing alleyways that made up most of the place. If there was any trouble, he was guaranteed to catch a sign of it from where he was¡­but he had a good feeling about today, so he was looking forward to going to bed early.

    Each alley had been constructed so that the sound from within one would not filter into the other. This had been marred, of course, when people had grown overzealous and built their own buildings, but in the guard post which was unchanged, only the sound from the almost empty square in front of them could be heard.

    Noticing that he was no longer sucking in smoke, he got up to refill his pipe. Just when he did so¡­he could swear that he saw something pass the alley right in front of the square, but it was gone in a second.

    This time, he frowned, but soon, he convinced himself that it was just the nervousness due to his retirement being so soon catching up to him. With a smile, he struck a match and began to light the plants¡­but at that exact moment, he saw it clearly, for the first time.

    A group of people, all fighting between themselves, had run past on the road. For a moment, he stood there, stuck in the act of lighting his pipe, and just then¡­they passed the mouth of the square again, making him curse due to the match that burned his fingers while calling for the guards.

    ''Dammit, dammit, dammit!''

    Continuing to curse in his mind, he led a contingent of 20 soldiers who were posted nearby to the people. The nearer they got, the more the sounds of the fighting could be heard, and this time, the clever construction of the place had acted against them. Even seeing the guards, who were usually respected so much that they were given free meals by many restaurant owners arrive, the people did not break off. Instead, some from each group even approached Malik, and as soon as they recognized him, they began to shout their own version of things.

    The problem was that they spoke at the same time, so he could understand nothing. Years of keeping the peace had already equipped him to make the best decision in any given situation. Quickly, he gave the order to restore calm, first, and as he saw the soldiers use the butts of their spears to strike anyone who didn''t stop even after they shouted at them thrice, he grabbed both the people closest to him who had come to ask for his help and squeezed, making them wince and fall silent.

    "Tell me why are fighting. You, first."

    When he let go of the man''s arm, he gulped and replied, "Rebels, Captain Malik!"

    His heart missed a beat as soon as he heard that word. Before the man could say anything else, though, the other piped up, shouting, "No, they''re the rebels! Hear me out, Captain Malik!"

    Seriousness finally entered his eyes, and with it came the dangerous glint of someone ready to kill if it was needed. It made both men take a step back, but controlling himself, Malik said, "Only the one I ask for shall speak. Talk, man!"

    With a start, the one who had spoken first opened his mouth, but as if getting a better idea, he plunged his hand inside his coat and took out a letter.

    Shoving it in Malik''s direction, he said, "This came to my house! I know the handwriting cos I''ve seen it before! It was a mistake, surely¡­but just look at the contents!"

    Malik knew the man he was speaking to, knew where he lived. Sure enough, the address written on top of the letter was someplace else, but with curiosity, he opened it and took out the envelope within, which was made of the best paper available in the entire city.

    His eyebrows rose higher and higher with each word that he read. It spoke of plans long in the making, after years lying in wait, of the time nearing where they could show themselves, and bring down the king. That last one made his hackles rise; this was a threat unlike any other, and raising one hand, he prepared to order all the guards to arrest the other man, whose name was signed at the bottom.

    Before he could do so, though¡­the other man took out a letter, too, as if already having anticipated such a reaction. Malik blinked for a few moments, seeing that the handwriting on it belonged to the man who had given him the first letter, but grabbing it a second later, he opened it and read the contents¡­which were similar.

    ''What the fuck is going on here? How can they both be rebels? What is happening? And why the hell did this have to happen today, of all days!''

    His thoughts stopped when a guard ran up to him and panted, breathlessly, holding his sides which were surely burning. Then, the message he gave sent Malik running, as the situation was much worse than he had expected.

    "Captain, this is happening all over all the islands! People got letters that weren''t addressed to them, by mistake! Rebels! Rebels everywhere!"

    In merely 30 minutes, guards were marching out of the central island, headed to all six islands to calm down all the people who had resorted to fighting to prove that they weren''t what the letters said they were. He had checked many of them, too; each and every one had the exact handwriting of the one whose name was at the bottom, and even the signature was a perfect match. Malik had no idea how this was possible¡­and it was also not possible that they were all rebels.

    Just a few minutes ago, he had gotten the idea that he was acting on, at the moment. In all the letters, a few addresses had been common. These were the original places to which the letters had been supposed to go, but they had been sent to others over the islands who were famous for being so patriotic that they would be the first to pick up swords to fight for the city.

    With fifty guards in front of him, he made his way to one of the addresses. It was an abandoned shack, lying in ruins, almost, but when the door was kicked in¡­a clean place appeared in front of him.

    Malik shouldered his way through all the guards, the full metal armor he had donned clinking as he shoved past others who were dressed in armor made of layers of leather and hide.

    He examined the walls that were filled with papers, and the table on which there were even more. All of them were plans against the king, and the city.

    ''A rebel hideout¡­ I can''t believe it! They were right under our noses all along! Well, it does seem as if this place has been set up very recently¡­but maybe they moved here after being somewhere else until now!''

    One of the charts on the walls caught his attention. As soon as he saw what was on it, blood drained of his face, and he shouted to a messenger nearby, the words spilling out of his mouth with haste.

    "Deploy the rest of the guards! Only hold back a couple! Make sure that the king is inside the vault! We need to comb all the islands right now! We can''t leave a single place unchecked! GO!"

    He left, then, intending to take charge of the search, himself. As for the paper he had read before giving the command¡­it fluttered behind him, and the words on it flashed in the sun before the door closed, shrouding it in darkness.

    It said:

    ''Vault is impossible to open! NO NEED TO TRY! Get him outside!"

 111 Warehouses

    Holding a spear with an oiled grip and wearing leather armor that didn''t really fit him all that well, Daneel tried not to look up as he teleported onto the central island, right in front of the large hourglass in the middle where his prey lay.

    With the system, it had been quite easy to mimic the handwriting of all those people. The letters had been placed where they were to be found by him, the thief, and the elf, but this job, he had left for himself.

    It was the most dangerous one, of course, and knowing this, the elf had tried to insist that he would come with him¡­but Daneel had put down his foot, saying that he was more than equipped to deal with whatever came his way himself. They had also had enough reason to believe that he was telling the truth; as he had no option, he had had to reveal that he was more capable than he looked by drawing all of the fake rebel''s plans in merely an hour.

    Alex had looked over them and grunted with surprise before saying that they looked genuine enough. The elf had studied them, too, and stared at Daneel in a way that didn''t make him comfortable, and then, both of them hadn''t said anything about the rest of the plan.

    They still had other parts to play, out in the islands, in case he took more time than he thought he would need. After all, the entire objective was to draw away all of the main guards from the central island to the surrounding islands, and if they weren''t kept there, he would be trapped here as surely as if he was a fish in a bowl, ready to be plucked out and questioned.

    It was imperative that they remain elsewhere, until he was done with everything he had come here to do. Managing to not glance up even a single time, he reached a large square filled with fountains, grass, and marble tiles, and there, unable to stop himself, he finally looked up.

    Up close, the beggar king''s residence was both grander, but also less domineering. From here, the metal tiles that made up the two pyramids could be seen more clearly, their surfaces appearing scratched and chipped due to years of damage from the wind and the weather. Its size was the main thing that awed people here, though. He had been wrong in his estimation before; it was easily as tall as a 15 story building, and at the very top, he could see faint outcroppings that might be residences that had been constructed there, with such a magnificent view.

    Also, he saw that the point where the pyramid below and the one balanced on its tip above met was actually a thick, solid juncture that was reinforced by metal bars all around. From afar, it seemed as if they met at a single point, but that was an illusion brought about in a clever manner.

    He could have tried kidnapping one of the guards, learning their mannerisms, and sneaking in without taking any such steps. However¡­if he did that, it would be the easiest thing for the beggar king to call his guards on him when he found out that the one talking to him wasn''t who they were supposed to be, and after all, in such a plan, too many things could go wrong.

    What if he met someone who was close to the guard? What if he was asked to do something that he didn''t know how to do?

    He had found no way to be thorough enough in his questioning to be sure that he would carry out the disguise in the best manner. So¡­the solution had been to reduce the risks, and that was exactly what he had done by emptying the entire island of all the guards that were supposed to be present here.

    The entrance of the building was a massive arch inlaid into the pyramid, holding double doors made of shining, gilded wood. Two guards stood in front of them, looking at everything suspiciously, and as soon as he neared, he didn''t even have to say anything before being waved inside.

    The reason behind this was that he was carrying a parchment in his hands that could be a message meant for the king. He had also found out that in such times, any soldier could be commandeered to send a missive¡­and hence, he had no problem gaining entry.

    A long corridor with a ceiling that was at a height of ten men standing on top of each other greeted him. He had wondered about how the inside would be, but he had never expected that it might have been constructed in this manner. The corridor he was in stretched the entire length of the pyramid. On both sides of it, large doors could be seen leading to rooms beyond, but apart from that, there seemed to be nothing else here.

    Just a single look inside one of those doors made him understand why this was so.

    ''It''s a warehouse. The entire damn thing is a warehouse! Why didn''t I think of that before?''

    Crates and crates of objects filled every inch of each room. There were only one or two guards in the entire place, so every time that they weren''t looking, Daneel went into as many of the large doors as possible. Most of them were filled with those unmarked wooden boxes, but some had huge objects whose purpose he couldn''t figure out. Some of the objects looked like pointed excavators that might have been used for drilling tunnels back on earth, and some were uncomfortable to gaze at, looking like large blocks of stone with stone arms jutting out of them, ready to start moving and conjure a scene fit for a horror movie.

    He found stairs, too, that led to levels above, but the way to reach his destination was clear. There was a small teleportation matrix at the very center of the corridor, and even though no one had said anything about it, he was reasonably sure that it led to the king.

    He had already crossed it once while checking all the doors in the bottom level. There was just one door left before he would have no choice but to go back to the matrix¡­and as soon as he went into it, his breath stopped.

    Until now, the corridor he had walked in had been fit for a king. Tiled with marble that was somehow the color of the forest, its walls had been decorated with arching patterns and paintings of scenes of battle that he had no idea about. The ceiling had been decked out with chandeliers made of spun glass that cost a fortune in this place, apparently, and the entire area had been illuminated by unseen light sources, hidden within the walls.

    All of the warehouses had been starkly different from the corridor, but the one he stepped into now had been constructed in the same grand manner. Walking on the green tiles, Daneel reach for the object that was the reason behind his racing mind, and as he touched it, the system said:

    [Long range transmission device found. Scanning. Item can be reprogrammed and reconstructed to transmit energy. Time required: one day.]

    It was a large, six-pointed star made of a crimson, glasslike substance. When he knocked on it, no sound came, though, and it was hard as a diamond. It lay on the floor, in a stack of six, each as big as a full-grown man.

    He was so tempted that he imagined himself hoisting one on his shoulders and running out. He knew that it was an absurd idea even before he considered it, but he just couldn''t stop himself.

    ''Damn! Well, maybe not today, but soon! Soon, I''ll have one of these, and then¡­no one will be able to stop me!''

    Lips downturned, he went out the door he had come in through, still shooting glances at the device as if it was his own child that he did not wish to part with.

    Taking firm, angry strides, he reached the teleportation matrix. It was all the beggar king''s fault; if the man hadn''t turned out to be such a rogue, he could even have managed to buy those objects safely. Everything had been ruined because of him, so finally¡­ Daneel stepped forward and disappeared, ready to confront the man revered by so many, but rotten inside to his eyes, and at the moment, to his alone.

 112 Reaching the Vaul

    Daneel didn''t know what he had been expecting from the teleportation matrix, but when the sound of at least five people chatting reached his ears first before his eyes adjusted to his new surroundings, he knew that he was in trouble.

    Of course, the hope had been that he would be taken right to the beggar king, but now, this seemed stupid as no one would set up such a direct access way to someone so important. There would be one last checkpoint, at least, and apparently, that was where he was headed.

    Information about this place had been scarce, as of course, not many people had gotten the chance to get till where he was. There wasn''t even a need to do so if they wanted to meet their beloved king; every week, the man went out, himself, heavily guarded by hundreds of soldiers to meet his people and find out their worries.

    "Michael? Weren''t you assigned to squadron six, currently sweeping through the south-eastern island? What are you doing here?"

    A gruff voice entered his ears right as vision returned to him. He was in a small room with crystal sconces on one side and a single door on the other. The carpet was soft, and the walls were painted a light cream¡­but Daneel''s eyes were fixed on the five soldiers standing at attention in front of the door, with four of them already half drawing out the swords at their waists to take care of their unexpected guest.

    Daneel felt slight panic hit him, but he controlled it quickly and kept his face neutral. Holding up the paper he had shown before, he said, "A message from the captain to the king, for his eyes alone. He asked me to deliver it himself. This could be called a time of war, I suppose."

    He said the last part in case the guards didn''t remember the protocol, but soon, he saw that this was a mistake.

    Four of the guards did relax, but the one who had spoken, who seemed to be the leader of all five, pursed his lips and said, "We know our duties, brat. I didn''t think you had built such a backbone after leaving your mother''s breasts just a few months ago. Well, go on, then. The king must not be kept waiting."

    All of them were wearing the same head to toe, seamless silvery armor that had been worn by the guards that the beggar king had brought along to Graiton. Daneel noticed this now that the danger was oast, and as soon as he did so, he recalled vividly what had happened then and felt the anticipation that had already come to life within his mind grow even more.

    Hints of it seemed to show on his face as he walked towards the door, though, as the captain stopped him right before he left. In a voice that sent his heart racing, he asked, "How is your mother, by the way? Has she gotten over your da'', yet?"

    The exact thing that he had hoped would not happen had come to be. He knew that he was soon going to sweat, so he asked the system to control those glands while he thought about what he should do.

    He had seen such scenes in movies back on earth, and the most unexpected answer was usually the right one. He wasn''t really taken with the idea of hinging such an important decision on the ideas of filmmakers from his home planet, so¡­turning to the cheat that had helped him so much so far, he asked, "System? Cross-reference micro-expression analysis with data of people asking questions whose answers are supposed to be common knowledge. If no match is found, check with the data of those where the questions asked are trick ones."

    [Affirmative. Scanning. Micro-expressions found: doubt, hope, mistrust. Collecting data¡­]

    For once, he wished that he could use the technique that had saved his life many times on Angaria. Because he couldn''t slow down time to think, though, the silence that stretched on was getting more and more uncomfortable, and it seemed that any second, the captain would give in to his suspicions and order him to be arrested.

    He had hoped that with its upgraded capabilities, the system would give him an answer in a second, but the data he asked for was too obscure. Hence, he saw that he had to take a decision with whatever knowledge he had, so as he went through its message¡­a flash of insight suddenly struck him, and he turned and said, "No way. She never stops missing that madman¡­and you know as well as I do that she still drinks herself silly now and then, when she remembers him."

    For a pregnant moment, they looked at each other, the captain''s grey eyes drawn down. Daneel had taken a gamble based on four data points that he, himself, had managed to connect to choose the answer with the highest probability¡­but still, he was unsure about whether he was right.

    Suddenly, like sunshine peeking out of the clouds after a storm, a smile broke out on the man''s face, and Daneel almost heaved a sigh of relief. With a nod, the captain gestured towards the door and said, "How can she? My father still talks about how he was such a daring desperado. Well? Go on then. Quickly! The captain''s words shouldn''t be kept waiting!"

    Daneel felt like cursing at him that he was the reason behind the delay, but keeping his mouth shut, he obeyed and left with a nod.

    Hope. The man had hoped that Daneel was who he looked like. This meant that he had some sort of connection with Daneel, and it seemed to be a close one. Of course, one might be able to gather this from what the man had said, too, but because he had seen the hope, he was confident about the fact that the man cared for him.

    In the few days that he had been here, he had learned at least a bit about the culture and customs of the land. Here, everyone loved wine, and many times, men and women competed in drinking, too.

    The point that had made him decide that it was not very probable that the captain was talking about a father who was still present was that the fact that he cared for him meant that he might just be a father figure. And finally, the final thing that had made him decide to give the answer was that there was no way that the mother could be dead, as if that were so, he wouldn''t have talked about her in the way that he had before asking the question.

    In the narrow corridor beyond the door that was empty, he patted himself on his back. He had saved himself with his own quick thinking, and that was definitely to be applauded.

    The corridor ended at another wooden door that let to a large library, filled with hundreds of books. The bookcases that reached the ceiling made Daneel lust after the knowledge they contained, but on the other end of the room was the place he had come for.

    The entire thing was made of metal, with a large, single door set in the middle. It was closed, right now, with the only indication of it even present there being a handle that was also made of metal.

    It was the vault, meant to protect the valuables of the beggar king and even himself, in periods of strife.

    There was supposed to be a guard here, too, but it looked like they might have been sent somewhere else. The library wasn''t very small, and from where he was, Daneel couldn''t see it all. The bookcases made corridors, and in front of him, only the main one stretched out, leading straight to the door of the vault.

    Breathing in deeply, he checked the time with the system and saw that he didn''t have much left. Even though he really, really wanted to flip through all the books and then handle the king¡­it would be too risky, so with a grimace, he headed to the door.

    Reaching it, he raised one hand to knock at a place that was indicated by a slight depression, but just as he was about to do so¡­a voice appeared from his right, and he felt his body freeze, pressure pressing in from all sides, as if he had suddenly been held by an invisible giant.

    "Oh? What is this? Rebels in the streets, and a master assassin gunning for the self-proclaimed beggar king, himself? The assassin is even using an elven charm! Oh, they are very skilled in magic, yes, but their charms can easily be detected¡­so tell me who you are, and I might give you an easy death. If it weren''t for the business agreement we have with the one beyond that door, I would let you get on with it just to enjoy the fallout¡­ But I''m afraid that would cause problems for me. So¡­spit it out!"

 113 Magical Confrontation

    The voice was that of a woman, soft and melodious and pleasant to the ears, almost, if not for a strong hint of arrogance that coated all of it. Whatever was holding Daneel was doing such a good job that he couldn''t even move his head, and even though he tried to look in the direction of where it had come from with his eyes, all he succeeded in doing was that he looked like a paralyzed man trying to search for a burglar in his house.

    [Host is held by a spell that uses air. The air has been compressed all around host. Spell recorded and ready to be used. Crystal usage: low.]

    He didn''t know what to feel when he heard the system''s message, but it was a good sign, at least, that it was ready to copy and use every spell that it saw. Of course, he had been aware of this capability since long ago, and he had played with the idea of somehow coaxing the elf into using spells that he could use so that he could record them, but because he had found no way to make it happen without seeming extremely suspicious, he had let go of the idea.

    Now, he regretted doing that. At the moment, the only useful spell he could think of was the fireball that he had discovered, himself. It had only utilized the concept of bringing together particles that belonged to the same element to give rise to what they represented, and even that first time, when he had cast it, he had known that it was crude, using much more energy than it should have. In his later study of the magic system, he had seen that just like the system had said, all the patterns that he had learned on Angaria were useless here, and he needed to learn new ones if he wanted to regain the mantle of a great mage that he had once donned.

    Even the system had thrown up its hands and given up trying to adapt the spells from there to be used here, as the two places were just two different. It was steadily building the base slowly, with everything that it saw¡­but it was definitely still far away from contending with anyone who had even a tiny bit of proper training.

    The spell caster finally walked in front of Daneel a few moments later. Her steps echoed in the empty library as she neared him, and the first thing he detected was a bitter perfume that almost stank, coming off of her in waves and waves. As soon as she entered his vision, he studied her thoroughly, hoping that he could find something to use¡­but alas, there was nothing of the sort to be gleaned.

    She was wearing a loose, elaborate dress made of silk, painted with patterns of creatures he couldn''t recognize swimming and flying throughout the length of the piece. Her face had heavy make-up on, emphasizing her cheekbones and sharpening her weak chin. She wasn''t unpleasant to look at, at all, but there was a sort of¡­tightness to her, that made it seem as if she was a spring wound up so tightly that she would soon escape her confines, and destroy everything around her.

    She stepped forward and made her lips take the shape of a ''O''. She looked like she was about to blow air at his face, but in fact, air wasn''t what left her mouth.

    With his elementary vision, he could see it. It was a wave of particles so complicated that he couldn''t possibly make sense of them in the brief amount of time that he had. They drifted towards his head, burrowing into his ears and nose, and as soon as they reached his brain, they went to the physical part of him that dealt with memories.

    Suddenly, new ones popped into existence in the recesses of his mind. They weren''t very perfect; they had an artificial quality to them, as if they were something he had dreamed, but despite that negative aspect, the horrific scenes that they showed did not lose any of the terrifying effect that they might have inspired in anyone normal.

    All of them were from the point of view of someone being tortured. And in all of them, the one doing the torturing was the woman in front of him, laughing gleefully in many of the memories but also cursing with anger in a few where she dealt the most pain. Over half of the men and women that she used her tools on were innocent. He gathered that they had been picked up out of the street whenever she was in a bad mood, and in many ways, she reminded him of the person the original inhabitant of his body had been.

    This woman went above and beyond in her hobby, though. She had created her own private set of tools she used to scrape off skin, play with eyeballs, scoop out flesh or even in some cases, replace bones with maggots that crawled inside one''s body. Each memory was more horrifying than the last, and as he went through them, Daneel knew immediately that anyone who wasn''t as strong in their mind as he would break, right away, and babble anything and everything that she wished to know in the hope that what they were seeing would not happen to them.

    "If you''re wondering¡­they''re all real. I extracted the memories after they died. The brain decays far too quickly after death, and that''s why they''re not very clear¡­but I think they serve their purpose. Well? Who are you?"

    He contemplated, for a moment, about what he was supposed to do. There was no real question to it, though; if he didn''t act as if he was affected by her move, it would raise too many questions, and because he didn''t trust himself at the moment to act sufficiently broken, he tasked the system with putting on the appearance of someone ready to sell out even their parents if it meant that they could get away.

    As it controlled his face to look beaten, scared and terrified, a certain idea came to him.

    "System, I''ll tell you what to say."

    [Affirmative.]

    Tears appeared in his eyes, and snot rolled down his nose as he cried where he stood. The woman smiled as if she had been expecting it, and even enjoyed the moment, relishing in his pain. Then, she repeated the question, and Daneel cried, "My name is Micheal! Please don''t hurt me! I was sent by the rebels to kill the king! I was the only one who fit the clothes of the soldier¡­so they chose me! The plan was simple! I would go inside using the letter! There was supposed to be no one else! You were not supposed to be here! Please don''t cut me like in those memories! Please don''t burn me! Please! You won''t do it! You can''t do it! Please!"

    She frowned and paused before asking her next question.

    "Who are the rebels? Why are they doing this?"

    "No! Keep those knives away! Keep the fire away, it burns! No! NO!"

    He began to scream, then, the very image of someone at the end of their sanity. Inside, of course, he was watching and hoping that his little ploy would work out¡­and when it did, he almost felt like jumping with joy despite the pain.

    Conjuring a blade using air, once again, and a hint of water which was curious as he would never have thought that it would have been required for such a spell, she cut a long gash down his stomach.

    "I''ll talk! Don''t cut me! They''re from the Mainland from¡ªoh, it burns!"

    She leaned forward expectantly as he said that word, and once again, she fell into his trap.

    A fireball came to life in front of the same wound, and the pain made Daneel suck in a sharp breath, but if he was the one controlling his face, he would have grinned.

    Everything was in place. But what was he to do with her?

    He could try knocking her out, but right away, he saw the foolishness in that decision. She would know that he could use magic, and she would definitely be interested in hunting him down. She had even seen his real face, so it would be simple to search all the islands while asking about his features¡­so, there was only one real answer.

    She needed to die.

    He might have hesitated if she hadn''t used that move just now. From just a small portion of what he had seen her do, he knew perfectly well that she deserved what was coming for her, so without further ado¡­Daneel deployed his plan.

    "It''s the elves! They commanded it! They''re going to make another Empire!"

    He chose the most outlandish statement possible, and hearing it, the woman blinked with confusion.

    "What? That''s just¡­"

    Her eyes were still on him. Sending a quick command to the system to make sure that it was ready, he took back control of his features¡­and winked, before spitting on her face.

    She looked stunned, for a moment, but then, anger flooded through her face. With a snarl, she prepared to end him, and in that exact moment when she put all her concentration into casting her spell¡­ Daneel gave the command.

    "Do it."

    [Spell casting commencing. Burning energy. Utilizing Mageroot to draw and split elementary particles. Combining particles. Spellcasting complete.]

    It all happened too quickly for anyone to react. A burning blade behind her neck, and before she could even glance down at it with surprise, it hacked forward.

    He had been right to be cautious: there was some sort of defensive charm on her body, but the blade cut through it in just a moment. The sick smell of burning flesh filled the room, and her headless body fell to the floor, twitching.

 114 The Beggar King 1

    Daneel collapsed to his knees and sucked in large, deep breaths even though he had not been the one to cast the spell.

    His head felt like it was splitting, the point in the middle of his forehead burning as if someone had put a torch to it. His stomach turned, threatening to spill out the eggs he had eaten in the morning, and none of the queasiness was due to the blood leaking out of the body in front of him.

    He had seen scenes much worse, and on occasion, had even caused them to play out without batting an eyelid. No, the reason behind his exertion was what he had just done.

    Like a child running before learning how to walk, he had used magic beyond his level. Hell, he didn''t even know the levels of mages in this land, but he was sure that he had skipped quite a few by doing what he had just done.

    Struggling to his feet, he couldn''t stop himself from stretching as it finally felt good to be able to move again. This time, he scanned around him again, to make sure that no one else was hiding in the corners that he couldn''t see.

    The vault looked thick enough to block any sound from going inside. Besides, if his screams hadn''t brought any notice, then there was no way that the silent assassination he had carried out would alert those inside about anything that had just happened.

    Going to the indentation again, Daneel knocked four times. While dicing with the merchant, he had found out that this was the code always used for official purposes, and the man had learned it from a guard who had who once worked for the beggar king.

    For a few seconds, there was no sound from the inside, causing Daneel to sweat and itch to knock again. Doing so would betray the tension he was feeling, though, and if that happened, he was unsure how those inside would react.

    He had heard a lot about the man''s kindness, but he hadn''t managed to find out anything about whether he was cunning, or intelligent. Anyone who was both capable of what they had done in this city and the cold-bloodedness with which they had come to Graiton must definitely have at least a modicum of both, so Daneel was mentally prepared for whatever was going to happen, prepared to make no mistake and give no quarter.

    When the sounds of the vault opening echoed inside the library, he let out a sigh of relief. He stood right in front of the door, intending to obstruct anyone who might wish to look beyond, as the body of the woman was still there, leaking out blood from the wound that could never be healed. He had pondered on the idea of moving the body, but the white carpet had already been stained; so, his plan was to get inside as soon as it opened enough, giving no chance for the king to react and close it again.

    If everything had gone to plan, he would have arrived here without much difficulty, but so many things had already gone wrong. He didn''t want anything else to affect the outcome of the entire plan, so without hesitation, he ran towards the frail old man, one hand outstretched, going straight for the throat.

    He was still wearing the clothes of a beggar, and his skin was just as wrinkled and soiled as it had been when he had arrived to try and kill Daneel. Those hawklike eyes had the same intensity, too, and they widened when they saw the threat coming for him, but he was too late.

    Daneel almost smiled when his hand tightened around the man''s throat. In a smooth movement, he caught the beggar''s hand with his other hand and pulled, bringing it behind his back painfully while still holding him by his neck. A few seconds later, he had him on his stomach, both hands securely tightened behind his waist, face pressed against the rich carpet of the room, ready to be questioned and be dealt with in any manner that he thought right.

    The door of the vault banged shut behind them. The first thing that the man had tried to do after seeing Daneel was close it, but alas, he had been too slow. Hence, in doing this, he had even finished the last task that Daneel might have set for himself if it wasn''t already accomplished, and right now, all that was left was to question him, and finally find some answers.

    "Let me go! LET ME GO! How are you here? Damn this vault! I shouldn''t have come in here in the first place! But the mage outside¡­what are you?!"

    He finally understood the reason behind the absence of the guards who were supposed to be here. The man had actually tapped someone capable of using magic to protect him, but because the one hunting him was even capable of getting past such a powerful safeguard, there was no way that he could have escaped what was coming for him.

    Without giving an answer, Daneel moved up the hand that was holding both his arms. He was still weak, yes, but the man he was holding seemed just as weak as him.

    He winced and moaned with pain as the feeling of having his arms almost pulled out of their sockets coursed through him. With a grim set to his face, Daneel bent and said, "Hurts, doesn''t it? It''s nothing compared to what the family of that man you killed felt, though. There''s only one way to make you feel that¡­ and that is to kill you. If you don''t want that to happen, I advise that you answer me truthfully. I will know if you lie."

    The man was about to say something in response, but to shut him up, Daneel used his other hand to punch him in his ribs. As he groaned, his entire body shook, and ignoring him for a moment, Daneel studied his surroundings, remembering what had happened in the library because he hadn''t taken this important step before.

    Of course, there wasn''t anyone there, as they would have acted as soon as he got his hands on the king. The vault was decorated as richly as the rest of the place. There was a wooden door on the wall opposite the entrance, and the entire place was big enough to hold 20 people inside. To his left was a large table, and in front of it, a fire was blazing in a fireplace gilded with silver and bronze.

    He almost turned back to the beggar to ask the most important question on his mind, but he paused when his eyes fell on a map that was present beside the fireplace. It was huge, easily the length of two grown men, and it was even half as wide, taking up the entire part of that wall.

    It was filled with different colored spots all separated and surrounded by something blue. Different things were written on each of them. Some spoke of deals that were in the process of being made, and others called attention to some or the other event that had happened recently.

    He understood what he was looking at in a second. Frantically, he searched for the place that meant the most to him, and when he found it, the words that were written on that spot made his lips part in confusion.

    "KIND REBELS(DANGER LEVEL: RED)!

    NAME: DANIEL HARROLD!

    DECISION: KILL THE LEADER AND SAVE THE PEOPLE OF THE TOWN BEFORE THE INSPECTORS ARRIVE!

    STATUS: ONE ATTEMPT FAILED. LOSS: ONE GUARD. WRITTEN OFF AS AN ACCIDENT. 2 CORRODING DARTS USED UP. ANOTHER ATTEMPT BEING SET UP. TARGET EXTREMELY DANGEROUS! CONSIDERATION: EXPLAIN THE STAKES AND BRING HIM TO MY SIDE?"

    Before he could react to what he was reading in any manner, the wooden door opposite the metal wall of the vault burst open and Daneel tensed, expecting a fearsome enemy.

    Instead, a gang of kids emerged, and taking one look at what he was doing, they saw him in the same way that he had seen the most terrible villains in his life. It was something he had never, ever expected to see in anyone who looked at him, and while he was captivated by those innocent eyes filled with accusation, one of them shouted, "Evil villain! Let our father go! We will fight you!"

 115 The Beggar King 2

    Daneel was so shocked by the absurdity of the situation that he actually let go of the beggar king and stepped back, all his moral codes and thoughts about what kind of man he was crashing down into ruin while he stared into the clear eyes of all the young newcomers.

    He tried to tell himself that it could be that they were all brainwashed, and that the beggar king was still as rotten as they came. However, as he turned to the man, himself, he saw in his eyes genuine care and concern for the children who clearly loved him as a father, and that, more than anything, convinced him that things might not be as they seemed.

    Even then, he kept saying to himself that somebody with children could also be evil. His thoughts waged a battle within his head, half intending to leap at the man, again, ignoring what the kids had said, and the other half urging him to drop everything and give the man a chance to explain.

    Both were extremes that he didn''t like. Stepping into the battle, he made a decision¡­and chose something in between.

    Tearing his eyes away from the kids who still looked like they wanted to jump forward with the makeshift weapons they held(wooden sticks and even a doll, in one case), Daneel walked to the old man who was still trying to decide between his own options. He didn''t have too many, though, and many of them that he had been thinking of became moot as Daneel reached him in a swift moment.

    In a silent tone that could definitely not be heard by the kids, he said, "I don''t care who they are, but what I do care about is who you are. Why did you come to my home in the guise of a merchant just arriving to finalize a deal and try to kill me? Why did you cause the death of someone who had survived the rebellion, and was looking forward to a long, happy life? Why did you crush all our hopes? What are you? A true king, or just a despot acting kind?"

    The beggar''s eyes flipped between him and the kids, clearly hastening, now, in the attempt to choose a course of action. Finally, with the groan and a sigh, he said, "I will answer all your questions. Let me check the situation outside, first, though. I don''t know how you came in here¡­but I need to see what happened. If I don''t, many more like the one outside will descend, and then¡­all of us will die.?"

    Daneel frowned. He wasn''t really fond of the idea of opening the vault''s door, giving the man a chance to alert the guards. There could be a hidden alarm, somewhere, that he might be able to press¡­but the risk of more mages descending was also too dangerous. So, grudgingly, he nodded his head toward the steel wall that he had come in through, and without even hesitating for a second, the man scurried to it.

    "I told you all to stay where you were! This is not what it looks like, children. Remember how the Captain and I play at training, sometimes? This is similar. No one is going to get hurt. Go back inside. Now!"

    The last part was said a bit sternly, and after looking between Daneel and their father for a few seconds with hesitant eyes, as if they found it hard to believe that what the man was saying was true, the kids obliged and began to shuffle back inside the wooden door. The beggar had tensed when he had said the word ''hurt'', and now, before continuing to the door of the vault, he looked at Daneel fearfully, as if believing that he would bring harm to the children as he stood between him, and that wooden door.

    Daneel could see from this, clearly, that this was a stake that might just ensure the man''s loyalty. He didn''t like it, but because he hadn''t said anything about it out loud, he let the man believe whatever he wanted and just stayed there, looking into the man''s eyes dangerously while tapping his foot, showing his impatience.

    With a hurried nod, the beggar turned and pushed the steel handle present on this side. Numerous sounds of locks clicking and shifting appeared, as if they were all inside some sort of a clock in the shape of a vault, and then, the door began to open ever so slowly.

    The man darted outside as soon as there was enough space for him to go. Daneel almost went after him, discarding all other thoughts due to the high risk that he might just run away, but right before he went out of sight, the bigger looked back inside, and the fear that was visible in those eyes as he looked at the wooden door hiding the children made it obvious that the threat Daneel presented was still enough.

    An audible gasp floated inside, which Daneel was certain had come out of the man''s mouth after he saw the state of the mage''s body. After that, the sounds of hurried footsteps going about the library were audible, following which the beggar re-emerged, looking much more terrified than he had before.

    He opened and closed his mouth, as if unsure about whether he wanted to ask the question on his tongue.

    "How did you¡ª"

    He was suddenly interrupted by the sounds of many footsteps coming from somewhere distant, but closing in their direction rapidly. One look at the door of the library was enough to tell Daneel that his plan hadn''t gone as well as he had hoped; either the city had been calmed down, or the truth behind the fake rebellion had been found.

    Urgently, he began to think about he could do. One option was to take the beggar king hostage. Before he could think of any others, though, the beggar, himself, came near Daneel and spoke in a furtive tone, as if he was even afraid of his own guards.

    "Look¡­there is too much to explain. For now, you just need to know that it is imperative that no one finds out about your arrival, here. The guards might be on my side¡­but you never know. Even if they are, the family has means of delving into their minds and finding out everything they need. Do you understand me? They must not know! Please hide inside the vault. I''ll send them away. Don''t think that I''ll even consider leaving with them; those children are my life, and I''m sure that if I try anything, you might abuse them or even use them as hostages to escape. I cannot risk that. Please¡­ will you trust me?"

    Daneel pondered on it for a few seconds while the guards came nearer and nearer to the door. He was still inside the vault; the beggar king was speaking to him from the library, and from the way his legs constantly shifted in the opposite direction, the nervousness that he felt could be seen.

    Finally, a single look around the vault made Daneel take his decision.

    "Alright, I''ll hide. But keep give the vault door open, and I''ll have that knife in my hands. If I suspect that things aren''t going according to what you just said¡­ it shall fly straight for your head. I can tell that you don''t want them to see the body of the mage, either¡­so make them leave without entering."

    "No problem! They''re here! Please¡­move inside! I swear that nothing will happen!"

    As the man went to the door without even worrying about the threat that had just been leveled at him, Daneel pursed his lips and went back inside the vault.

    Taking an ornamental, but sharp knife that hung on one wall, he waited at a position from where he wouldn''t be visible to anyone peeking through the door. He would definitely be able to throw the knife if needed, though, but even as he closed his fingers around the leather grip of the dagger, he had an inkling that he would not need to use it¡­and at the same time, the thought that things were definitely not as they had appeared went through his mind, making him bite his lips, then look forward eagerly to finding the actual truth.

 116 The Beggar King 3

    From his vantage point, normally, Daneel should not have been able to hear the conversation between the beggar king and his guards. However, he had the system which could easily amplify all the sounds nearby, so without any problem, he could clearly understand everything that transpired between them.

    At first, the man paused at the door, trying to get a grip of himself. Daneel could only catch the slightest glimpse of his face. After all, if he stood in full view of the man, he would be seen by the guards, too, so he had no option but to hide himself, for the most part. From just what he could see, though, he was able to watch the man still his shoulders forcibly then raise his head high like a ruler, and as if everything was right in the world, he opened the door with a straight back.

    The captain waiting beyond first gave an update about everything that had been going on in the city. Apparently, the beggar king had already been appraised of the situation before, so the captain didn''t need to start from scratch.

    He talked about how the letters had been a clear attempt to draw the guards away from the central island. They had succeeded in their goal as riots had broken out on all six islands, but he was happy to report that there were no deaths, at the moment. Many bones had been broken and there was much bleeding to be staunched, but apart from that, none of the fights had resulted in mortal injuries.

    There had been a lot of anger, of course, that had been satiated after the captain made the split decision that all the guards should tell the people that the letters were fake. Questions did arise about how the handwriting of those who had supposedly sent them had been perfectly replicated, but in response, all that the guards told them was that it was an operation years in the making, and hence, the rebels must have taken time to study the people so that they could mimic them perfectly.

    This sort of talk had created its own set of problems, though. Many of the groups of people who had been fighting a moment before suddenly joined together, lusting for the blood of those who had dared to test them, and even though they did show a bit of embarrassment due to the fact that they had been at each others'' throats a moment before, they had swept it under the rug as easily as if it were something minor.

    This made Daneel understand that his observation had been right. No matter what kind of a man the beggar king was, the truth was that he had created a true paradise where the people all saw themselves as one family, united under one cause, lead by one man. This was the ideal end form of what he wanted to create on Graiton, too, and even though that town was very far away from this state, he suddenly felt a surge of untimely excitement go through him as he looked forward to putting in his own efforts to replicate the man''s results.

    Finally, the captain gave the news that all the rebel bases had been found, and the pattern was that all of them looked like they were newly inhabited. He had no idea what to make of it, and when he heard the confusion in the man''s tone, Daneel almost chuckled, proud of his own plan.

    At the moment, teams of guards were carefully combing through each and every inch of each and every base, and the captain put on a false front to confidently say that he would find the culprits even if it killed him. The conversation almost ended there, with the beggar king applauding the man for his tactical decisions, but just before he closed the door on the contingent that had arrived¡­he called two of the guards by name, and asked them to stay in the library as he had a few errands to be run.

    This made Daneel tense. It made no sense, whatsoever; if he wanted backup, wouldn''t he ask everyone to stay back?

    The man was already veering off from what he had promised, but because he was more curious about the situation than cautious, he decided to give him the benefit of the doubt. The guards stepped inside, the door closed behind the rest, and before Daneel could reveal himself¡­the two newcomers rounded on the beggar king and shouted together.

    "What have you done with the guard who came here?"

    "Where is our companion? Out with it!"

    Daneel almost didn''t see the beggar king raise his hands to calm down the two. He felt faint wetness in his eyes, and his fists clumped together so tightly that his nails dug into his skin.

    ''Idiot. Idiot! Look how much they care about you! And you were playing at false egos, not pardoning someone who wanted to become a better person. What a fool you are!''

    The two guards raised their spears as if they wanted to attack and ask the questions again, so suddenly snapping out of it, Daneel stepped out of the vault and made the both of them freeze.

    The beggar king heaved a sigh of relief as he saw Daneel emerge. Shaking his head, he said, "Couldn''t you have come out a bit sooner to alert your friends? I picked them out easily by their charms, and I only chose to do what I did because I saw the same charm just now, on the floor. Do you mind taking them off, now? I''ve already seen your friend''s face, and if possible, I would like to see, in reality, whom I will be exposing my secrets to."

    A familiar smile coming to his lips, one of the guards immediately obliged, raising his hands to his face and peeling away the mask that transformed into one meant for partygoers. It was the elf, of course, and although Daneel didn''t know why he had chosen to forsake the spell he had been using before for the magical object that he had been dismissive of, it felt great to see him.

    Alex made no move to do the same, though. With a sigh, the beggar king said, "An elf and one who does not wish to expose their identity. I''m in no position to bargain, of course, so I''ll take what I''ve been given. Perhaps¡­ it is actually a stroke of luck that I have an elf with me! Tell me, Alfur, do you know any of the spells of body modification? A murder has occurred, here, and it needs to look as if skilled assassins have been the ones who committed it. Of course, a perfect rendition might not be possible, so I intend to burn the body after the injuries have been made. The problem is that I don''t even know how attacks from assassins look¡­so can you help me?"

    He spoke in a calm tone, as if everything was alright, now. He turned to the body, as if completely having forgotten Daneel, and suddenly, at that moment, he couldn''t take it any longer.

    Striding in his direction, he caught the man by the scruff of his neck. Hoisting him into the air as easily as if he was a toy, he looked straight into the man''s eyes and demanded, "Enough! Everything else can come later! Answer me, first, or we will just kill you and leave!"

    In response¡­ the beggar actually smiled, but it was a smile filled with sorrow, frustration, and deep, deep regret.

    Daneel shook him, and finally, he spoke, each word a dagger that seemed to pierce his mind, and make it go blank.

    "Which question do you want me to answer first? Well, I''ll choose the one that is most important, at least. You asked me what I am. I''m nothing but a puppet! Before, I was a slave, and when given the chance to rule, I thought that I could do what I wanted¡­but they wound me up with so many strings that I can''t even count them! All I do, day in and day out, is try to save as many as possible while enacting the cruel will of the Garbonor family! This city is the only thing that I control¡­but apart from that, everything else needs to stay the same! That''s why I came to kill you, even at the expense of those who are innocent! You are exactly the kind of rebel who must not live! You wish to know why? Because if such a leader is truly given a chance on any island¡­his attempts will end with the massacre of each and every living soul on that scrap of land! I''ve seen it happen myself! So don''t talk to me about morality! If I can save thousands by killing one, ten, or even hundred innocent souls, then I''ll do it without hesitation! So put me down¡­or just kill me, and let''s be done with it!"

 117 The Beggar King End

    A faint hint of command, and even pride entered the man''s voice by the time he finished. Daneel let go of him, and after landing on the floor, he smoothed out his robes as if they were those of a monarch.

    The image crumbled slightly, though, when he looked beyond the door of the vault, and then at the body still lying on the floor. Another sigh escaped his lips as he stared at the headless woman, and finally, it was the elf who broke the deafening silence that had encapsulated the room, and Daneel''s mind.

    "If what you speak is the whole truth¡­then we might be the ones mistaken. But it also presents many questions. What is your overall role? I know, for a fact, that the people who actually collect the output from the islands are different. I''ve heard of how domineering they can be, but all they do is swooped down, take what needs to be taken, and leave. No one even suspects that you''re connected to the family, except for the fact that you bought this land from them, and run a business that appears to be profitable."

    The man nodded, and looked like he was about to give the answer. Before the words came out of his mouth, though, another glance in the mage''s direction made him pause and ask, "I''ve answered some of your questions, at least, so can you help me, first? There should be some time left, but I do not wish to take risks, especially when the stakes are so high. Alfur, this way, if you please?"

    He waited expectantly, but without answering, the elf looked to Danee, those globes below his ears blinking while he waited. Still digesting the revelations that he had just gleaned, Daneel took a moment to answer, but when he gave a nod, the elf''s smile broadened and he walked to the dead mage.

    They began to talk between themselves, about knives and scythes and wounds deep and narrow, fresh and old. Daneel tuned them out, knowing that he did need to listen to them, and before he could even form any thoughts about what he had just heard, his eyes fell on Alex.

    The thief still looked as if he wanted to be anywhere else but here. Daneel wasn''t sure about it, but he was reasonably certain that the man had shuddered almost imperceptibly when asked to take off his mask, as if it was something he was ready to fight against until his last breath. Even now, he kept looking around, as if the library was filled with invisible enemies ready to jump at him, and when he felt Daneel looking at him, he jerked his head in the opposite direction, frowning and trying to keep still.

    Without hesitating, Daneel gave in to what he had felt before. Walking forward, he embraced the man who froze, stunned, before returning the hug awkwardly a few moments later.

    When he stepped back, he saw a slight blush in Alex''s cheeks before the man looked away, almost shy. He controlled the emotions quickly, though, and looked back at Daneel before sniffing and saying, "I¡­guess the fault lies with me, too. Maybe someday, maybe even someday soon, I will tell you why this is the last place I want to be. Even now, I just want to leave as quickly as possible. You are welcome."

    Daneel grinned, forgetting everything else for a moment. The joy of finding a true companion was truly something else; he cherished each and every moment like this that he had experienced on Angaria, and now that he had just lived through a new one, he felt blessed and even lucky to have found someone so randomly that he could trust.

    Whatever the man''s past, or his motives, he had been ready to give his life to save Daneel from the clutches he might have gotten himself trapped in. And that, more than anything else, convinced him that no matter what happened from here on, the thief would always be someone he treasured in his heart.

    With that, finally, he went back to the words that the beggar king had said. Almost everything was clear now, but there were still some gaping holes that needed to be filled.

    Ever since he had come to this place, he had started to see that people weren''t a single shade. The beggar king was the same; he had a lot of good in him, but he was also ready to do anything that might even be called evil if it meant that he could save more than he killed.

    This was the dilemma that Daneel, himself, had struggled with back on Angaria, and the answer he had found was something that could work only for him. He still remembered it, now, clearly, but at the moment, he wondered whether he could stick to it as he had been able to before.

    ''My choice was that with the system, and with everything I''m capable of, I would make a path for myself that is better than everything else available. Well¡­ I just need to make sure that I grow powerful enough to be able to do this, again.''

    Just as he decided that he needed to clear up a few more things, he looked up to see that the elf and the beggar king were returning. The man looked much calmer, now, but there was still a frantic look to his eyes that made him seem like an animal trapped in a cage.

    Taking a deep breath and letting it go, he spoke when he reached Daneel.

    "I am called Noraldin. Not many know this. I know you still wish to know much more¡­and so, I will give you something that holds all the information that you could ever wish to know about all of these islands. It is my life''s work; I''ve been collecting it to pass on to anyone I might find who will care for the people like I do, but because I do not know yet whether that will even be possible, I choose to give it to you. I have heard what you did in Graiton. Maybe I should not have been so quick to make the decision to kill you???but after studying the history of the islands, you will understand why I was so scared. Right now, you must leave. I will also give you something with which you can contact me; when it is time, we shall meet again. I know that you came here to kill me, to get revenge for the one I killed. Well, if you can, transfer all that anger you felt to those that are actually responsible for the state of the millions who live in all these islands. And if you cannot do so¡­ I''m ready to meet my death. We will definitely meet again, and you can tell me your decision then. But for now¡­ You must go!"

    As if speaking about it had called upon whatever he was worried about, a loud voice rang out from inside the vault, as if someone had suddenly appeared there without any of their knowledge.

    "My disciple¡­ is dead? What happened? Answer me, right this second! Others shall soon arrive, but before that, harken to me, beggar!"

    With a gulp, Noraldin wiped away the sweat that had suddenly appeared on his brow. Turning to the three of them, he said hurriedly, "And that is exactly what I was dreading. Come, you can teleport away from inside the vault. It is a one-way portal, and it leads to a secret exit."

    He pushed them all towards the door, but more than his urging, it was the voice and what it promised that made them all move as quickly as they could.

    Inside the vault, Noraldin moved aside a painting on one of the walls. Inside was the tip of a teleportation matrix, and as he touched it with a processed crystal that lay in front of it, it glowed a dim white.

    Everything was happening too fast, but Daneel knew that leaving right now was the best thing they could do. He just had one thing he needed to ask the man, though, so he prepared to have his question answered even as Alex reached for the teleportation crystal, and flashed away after Daneel nodded to him.

    It was only after the elf also left that he finally spoke.

    "I still want to buy charms and machines from you. Can you give them to me directly?"

    Noraldin looked like someone who had been asked whether he was hungry while he lay tied on the tracks of a train, hoping that he wouldn''t be hit before he had a chance to leave.

    "Is that really important? Alright, fine! I can''t just give them to you because I need to show the family the records, so you need to buy them under a different identity! We can talk about it later using the messaging channel! Here! Now, go!"

    While the two of them had teleported away, the man had opened a false bottom in the desk and taken out two objects made of what looked like glass. One was once again the familiar charm that the outsider had used to send a message to his superior, and the other was a square block that was transparent, but glowed faintly.

    With a nod, Daneel finally stepped to the painting that had been moved aside and reached inside to leave. As he was whisked away, the last thing he saw was the shaking shoulders of the beggar who looked like he was crying¡­and a picture he had also taken out of that false bottom, which he was holding tenderly in his hands while teardrops fell on it from his face.

 118 Departing Marillein

    Daneel found himself in a dark, musty stone passage a moment later.

    The elf was waiting for him, those blobs of light below his ears being functional, for once, illuminating a small area around them. Alex seemed to have gone looking for the exit, and sure enough, before he could even say anything, he returned and said, "This way. Its just a single corridor; it seems to lead out into the south-west island."

    With a nod, Daneel gestured at Alex to lead the way, and soon, they were climbing a few steps that led them to an iron gate that easily swung open when a bit of force was applied. It had been oiled recently, which meant that this was a passageway that was constantly maintained, so with caution, they continued on their way, ready to deal with anyone who might see them coming out of a place that should normally only be accessed by the beggar king.

    In his hands, Daneel still had the two objects that the man had given him. After the teleportation, the system had sent a message saying that it was scanning both of them, and soon, he knew that he would have all the answers he needed.

    At the moment, though, it was imperative that they get out of the city. Daneel had been quite thorough in disguising himself while going about his tasks¡­but he didn''t want to give any chance for the master of the one he had killed to find him, and take revenge.

    Magic was still an unknown quantity in this world, so he was unsure whether there might be something tying him to the body. True, Mors had helped hide the signs that were left on the woman, but he decided to not take any risks, at all.

    "Alex, let''s get out of here. No one might suspect us, but I don''t want to stay in this place. We can talk after getting somewhere safe. There is one last loose end¡­but I''m confident that he''ll take care of it."

    Of course, he was talking about the fact that the identity he had used had been seen by the leader of the guards near the library, where he had teleported to. There would be no guard inside once people were finally let into the library, and even though he couldn''t think of any foolproof manner in which the matter could be handled, something told him that the beggar king might be more than suited to deal with situations like these.

    With a curt nod, Alex began to lead them to the exit teleportation matrix that was present on every island. On the way, they paused so that they could put on their disguises, again, this time donning new identities that they hadn''t used before, and soon, they joined the queue of people that were all leaving at the same time.

    Daneel was quite surprised to see so many, but he found the answer behind their presence by eavesdropping on a few whispered conversation nearby. Apparently, the fake rebellion had scared many of the people in the city, so they had decided to leave and come back when things were quieter.

    The good thing was that the beggar king knew the truth, so he hoped that the man would step in to do something. He caught himself, then, and saw that he was caring so much even about people that he didn''t know, at all¡­and again, his weakness was exposed to him, while at the same time, the urge to go through the data that had been given to him to find out more about the people on all the islands around him came to life.

    He controlled it, though, and kept a neutral face while they shuffled closer and closer to the teleportation matrix. The guards waiting there looked disapprovingly at all of them, as if disgusted that they were leaving because they didn''t trust the capabilities of the security force of the city to keep the peace, but no altercations occurred, and everything went smoothly.

    They traveled through three islands in silence. Both of them seemed to have taken Daneel''s suggestion that they speak only when it was safe to heart. At least, that was what Daneel thought, at first, before noticing that Alex seemed to be lost in thoughts of the past, while the elf was pondering about something seriously for the first time.

    He wanted to know more about what was on the minds of his companions, but before that, he began going through the information he had obtained with so much difficulty. He had asked the system to transmit it all to him right after taking that first step on the first island they had arrived in after leaving north-east Marillein, and since then, on the journey, he was lost in his own mind, looking through everything that Noraldin had collected in his highly eventful life.

    The more he saw, the more he was battered by thoughts and feelings that he had known would be stirred, but had hoped he would be able to control. There were pockets of good here and there, true, but there was also too much suffering, too much pain, too much blood being shed on a daily basis as if that was how the lives of so many were destined to be for as long as they lived.

    He also found the reason behind the man''s actions, and although he didn''t really agree with the justification¡­he could understand it. Indeed, Noraldin had witnessed thousands of people dying, himself, as a warning that he should keep such a thing from ever happening again.

    The tale was both simple, and sad. On an island called Hertoy, a rebellion had occurred, much like in Graiton, leaving a band of people who truly cared for their countrymen in charge. They had gone all out to improve the quality of life of those who followed them, and as the beggar king, then, had still been youthful and na?ve, he had thrown everything possible behind these leaders and given them everything that they wanted.

    The problem was that in the long term, those that were in charge of collecting crystals did not see it as a profitable venture. If enough investment was made, it would have given returns in 5 to 10 years¡­but all that the family in charge cared about was the present.

    The number of crystals that the island needed to deliver had begun to dwindle, and when word reached them of the loan that they had also had to take to procure the machines, they had been livid. They had punished the beggar king, too, and because of another problem that arose because of the actions of these leaders, they had immediately sent a force ordered to kill each and every one on the island as a lasting warning to anyone else who might even think of doing anything similar.

    Inspiration. This was the secondary side effect that they had sought to kill in its cradle. When word had spread of this island, others had also started to hope that something similar might happen for them. If the same was to be replicated in all the islands under the control of the family¡­there was not enough wealth available to make it happen, and besides, there was no reason, at all, to move away from the pain and death filled process that was present now for something that would benefit the people of the islands, whom the mainlanders didn''t care about, anyway.

    There were many, many more horrific tales that Daneel went through, so finally, on the fourth island, when they came to a halt, he actually bumped into Alex who had seemingly just snapped out of his thoughts, too.

    Looking up, he saw that it was a barren place with a few rocks here and there, and walking forward, he chose a spot where three boulders were placed in a triangle, almost like chairs that could be used to sit on.

    When he took a seat, the others arrived and did the same. His head bent, he decided to go through the rest before speaking¡­but before he could do so, the elf spoke gravely for the first time, making both Alex''s and Daneel''s eyes snap in his direction.

    "Before we do anything else, there is something that we need to talk about, Dan. I know the condition that you set when I joined you¡­but this is something that pushes me to ignore it, as it deals with our future as companions. If you do not give a satisfactory answer, I will have to leave, right here and right now. I saw the body, and I couldn''t help but notice that she died due to a magic attack. We Forn Elves have very strict rules regarding magic, one of which specifically talks about not casting magic freely under the eyes of someone who can study it. So tell me¡­are you a mage even though the ability is supposed to have been neutered in all the residents of the islands? Or is there something else here I don''t see?"

 119 A Secret, Exposed

    By the time the elf stopped speaking, Alex was looking at him as if he was a stranger.

    Magic. It had been such a common thing back on Angaria, where even those without any background could get tested, and accepted as apprentices¡­although their means of improvement, from then on, might be limited when compared to those born with sufficient background.

    Here, everything was different. Magic was something forbidden, at least in these islands, but as it was one of the most potent weapons in his quiver, he had done everything to sharpen it to its previous strength once more¡­and had been discovered in this manner by the member of an ancient species.

    He sighed, as if fighting with the idea of revealing something so important about him. Yes, he did trust his companions much more than before due to what they had just done, but that didn''t mean that he could entrust them with secrets that could mean their deaths, as well as his if they were known to anyone on the mainland.

    While taking the pause that he knew he deserved, he asked in his mind, ''System, have you prepared what I asked you last time?"

    In Athwarf, right when he had met the elf, he had seen that there might come a situation in the future where the mistake he had made then could not be repeated.

    At that moment, he had meant it more as a precaution against other members of his species¡­and although he was loath to use it on someone who had been ready to sacrifice his own life for him, he knew that he might just have no choice.

    The man could sniff out lies. Even if Daneel tried to tell him something close to the truth, he would find that there was too much hidden. To satisfy him, Daneel would have to speak about the system, which was something he hadn''t done even with those who had been his family¡­so right now, there was no other option but to lie, and lie well.

    [Affirmative. Detection is based on one''s connection with one''s surroundings, and an instinctive study of the consciousness of the one that the target is speaking to. Both can be changed so that the target will not know that host is lying. However, for best effect, it is recommended that host should make the decision to hide memories of everything but what pertains to the answer that host is the give.]

    The system''s answer made him feel even more awe for these elves, who were definitely so different from those back on Angaria that there almost seemed to be no relation. A consciousness was one''s innermost personality, one''s very soul that was meant to be secretive by nature, itself. Even those containing great power that might border on that of a God could not easily break into a consciousness, so the fact that these elves could simply read it in this matter¡­was truly incredible.

    Right before he let it hide away his memories, though, he got a small idea that was based on everything he had heard about elves, and had seen from his friend so far. It seemed so absurd that at first glance, it was as if there was no way that it would come to be, but still, he kept the thought firmly in mind and told the system to temporarily delete everything else.

    [Affirmative. Cognition module will reinstate memories when the situation is deemed to be right. Editing present memories to conform with host''s answer. Temporary deletion commencing in five, four¡­]

    When the counter ended, it felt as if a bright light had suddenly come out of nowhere in front of him, blinding him and his mind. By the time it faded away, confusion was the only thing he felt for a few moments, and then, his memories flooded back to him.

    It was almost as if there were certain holes inside them, but try as he might, he couldn''t figure out whether he was imagining this. Once again, he became the Daniel from Graiton, but with no memory of the cheat that he had awakened with, and after shrugging away the doubt that he might be something else and even forgetting that he had had it in the first place, he answered the elf.

    "You saw correctly, Mors. I did use a spell to deal with that woman. Magic. I know nothing about it except legends that I heard in my hometown. You can imagine how startling it was to see you cast a spell. Even at that moment, when you made the doppelganger, I tried observing what you were doing¡­but all I understood was that there was so much skill involved that I wanted, no, needed to learn. I wanted to ask you¡­but I thought that that would push you away. I never wanted to benefit from keeping you close, and stealing away everything that you did in my presence. In fact, I was even a bit relieved that I couldn''t understand what you were doing as if I did and if I didn''t tell you, it would be a breach of the bond that is between us. I do want to learn. I wish it with all my being! But I know that at the moment, it is impossible. As for how I''m even capable of it¡­it has something to do with a secret that I cannot expose. However...because I trust more than almost anyone else that I know, I will tell you this: it is related to the Will of where I was born. I only understood this later; in fact, the way that it started was that I bumped my head on a wall¡­and suddenly, I could see dots of light around crystals! I was fascinated. I did experiments¡­and when I found out that I could actually absorb energy from them, I was ecstatic! But so far, that''s all I''ve been able to find out, though. I also know that they are somehow related to the dots that you brought into being to cast a spell¡­but that''s it. One day I will learn it all, though. And on that day¡­maybe I''ll even surprise you with my prowess!"

    He meant the last part as a joke, to lighten the mood, but the elf only looked at him with complicated eyes. Truly, seeing the being who was always so merry and unconcerned about everything in such a serious state was jarring, but with growing impatience, he simply waited to see what would happen.

    As for Alex, he had stopped his observation of Daneel and begun to brood over something almost like the elf from before. Later, he decided to find out what the thief was thinking about, and whether he was connecting what Daneel had said with any more prophecies¡­but for now, all he was concerned about was the elf, whom he wished would still stay by his side.

    When Mors finally spoke, Daneel did a doubletake, sure that he had definitely heard wrong.

    "If you could learn magic, if you could learn enough, at least, to help you on your quest¡­would you take the chance? Even if it meant that you would be doing it in exchange for a favor that I will ask of you, one day? A favor that you must not refuse, no matter what it is. Think before you answer."

    A bevy of confused thought suddenly filled his mind. Half were rejoicing as they seemed to be happy about a guess of his that had come true, while the other half were warning him, as he didn''t really like how a favor with no limits sounded.

    In the end, his curiosity about this incredible force one out. He did think about the favor seriously, though, but because he had the utmost confidence in his own capacity to measure someone, he assured himself that whatever it would be, his decision now would not bring him any regrets.

    He gave his answer in the form of a nod, and standing up, the elf spoke in a grand tone for the first time. Each word of his reverberated over the empty island, and when he was done, he put out his hand with the palm facing the ground, and at that moment, all three of them stood frozen as if they were statues depicting a legendary event.

    "Very well. I do know that I am breaking norms that have been set down thousands of years ago¡­but I don''t care. Our rules are strict about elven magic, yes; but they say nothing about human magic that I happen to have learned, at least until the level of a Tyro. I am ready to impart you this knowledge I have gathered with no little effort¡­because you are someone whom I count as a true companion in my life, and also because I oppose the idea of magic, the force that is supposed to be accessible to all those who live in this wonderful world, being hidden away from such a large portion of people. If you''re sure in your decision, touch my hand with the back of years, and you shall be my disciple. The first human disciple of an elf in millenia...and maybe even the only one, for many millennia more."

 120 A Decision

    In that moment that froze in time, the system decided that he wouldn''t have to lie anymore, so what he was, who he was, returned to him in a flash.

    This wasn''t his first, or even his second time waking up from such a state, so he was able to handle it much more smoothly than he had before. He gave no outward sign of suddenly becoming a different person; inside, though, he once again dwelled on what the elf had said, but for once, he found that a decision that Daniel had taken was actually a good one.

    Of course, the only issue was that Mors was giving no details, whatsoever, about the favor. Judging by how powerful he was going to be¡­it could be something like asking him to go up against an undefeatable foe, but the more he looked into the elf''s golden eyes, the more he believed that this was not someone who would take advantage of him in such a way.

    And besides¡­ what he was offering might actually be worth such an undertaking, too, in the long run. If Daneel could fast-track his recognition of magic, the system could create a module, or something else that might just be able to adapt all the thousands of spells he knew, giving him more than enough skill and power necessary to handle those who might even be many levels above him.

    After barely a second, Daneel walked forward and made the strange gesture. His own palm faced the sky, and the moment their knuckles touched, a faint shiver went through him, as if he was taking a cold bath.

    He was sure that he had imagined it, though, because of the importance of what this meant, and because he did not see any dots that would hint at magic being cast. Judging by the history of the two species who had fought many wars over the long years of the Mainland''s existence, it was obvious that this must be a sacrilegious bond, but they had made it, anyway, and only the future would be able to tell what ramifications it would have on the world.

    His trademark, easy smile returning to his face, Mors said, "I know this looks strange, but typically, the disciple is supposed to kneel. Because I look at you as an equal, I did not ask for that as it is merely a formality. I still believe in the essence of it, though. This is what it means: one''s hands are one''s instruments of Will. By connecting your hand with mine, I am signaling to the world that I will be equipping those hands of yours with power unimaginable, and I condone everything that you do with it. It is risky, and not something done lightly¡­but I have never doubted my ability to read people. Right now, if Alex somehow magically turns out to be capable of casting magic, too, I''ll be ready to make the same bond with him. Say¡­you aren''t hiding something like that, right?"

    Daneel and the elf burst out laughing, and Alex smiled before getting up.

    "This is all well and good, and I know that from how much interested you looked, you might just wish to sit right here and start learning¡­but if I''m being frank, I don''t like this place even though it''s supposed to be empty. If you know where we are going to, next, perhaps it is best to begin traveling there. It is always safer to be on the way, rather than sit somewhere and wait for our pursuers to catch up. I''m assuming we are being pursued, in the first place¡­but based on that voice that we heard, I''m pretty fucking sure that it''s very possible."

    Narrowing his eyebrows, Daneel nodded and turned to Mors.

    "He''s right. I do wish to learn everything right now¡­but at the moment, it''ll have to wait. In fact, it might be best to wait until we find a place where he can sequester ourselves for some time."

    The elf''s smile teetered to stretch only on one side, as if he was amused.

    "You sound as if you''re sure you''ll be able to absorb everything I show, or instruct you in one go. Magic takes years, my dear disciple, so I highly doubt that you''ll find it as easy as you think you will. I don''t mean to disappoint you¡­but even though you have found your ''frae'', your seed of magic in this manner, I have severe doubts about its strength. You''re right about one thing; we do need to find a safe place. So¡­where will you lead us to, next?"

    That last question brought back everything that Daneel had been thinking about before the elf had stopped him and brought up this matter about magic.

    Without giving an answer, he walked to the left, where the lip of a cliff could be seen. The ground sloped upwards, but Daneel climbed it without even noticing this, his thoughts elsewhere.

    He could tell, now, that even while he had been going through all the data given by the beggar king, he had slowly been reaching a decision that he needed to find and embrace, now.

    On the way, he flicked through the worst of it once again. If the man''s estimates were true, there were millions of individuals on these islands, most trapped and slaving their lives away in the worst way possible.

    His homeland of Angaria had a population of 7 million, but the total population here was easily double that. He hadn''t been able to bear it when many of those 7 million, themselves, had been leading downtrodden lives that could have been made so much better¡­so how could he ignore so many here?

    Once again, it all came back to his weakness¡­but the moment reflected on his journey so far, a thought came to him.

    ''Weakness? No! It is my strength! If I didn''t have this ''weakness'', would I have chosen to care for all those Angarians, chosen to love them, to lead them as their ruler, as their Godking? I am a World Dominator, and I choose to be one who cares for those that I dominate. By going down the path of leadership and domination, I have made the system more and more powerful¡­and if I want to upgrade it even further, then this is the path I must take. Wait¡­''

    A sudden doubt came to him. Not letting it escape, he grabbed it with both his hands, and after a moment, he asked the system, "Why did you choose this place for me, anyway? It was to evade detection, yes¡­but there must have been many bodies on the mainland, too, into which I could have gone with my memories sealed away, right? So why here, why Graiton, why the islands?"

    The system took a few seconds to answer, but when it did, Daneel''s expression cleared as he saw that he had been right.

    [Responding to host. Along with suitability, a different factor was also used to determine host''s location of transmigration. It is called ''domination potential''. The location was chosen where host could engage in the primary task of the system, thereby building a base that could be relied on when host targets greater beings, and greater forces. After studying the situation of the Mainland, it was decided that the place with the most potential was these outlying islands. Hence, the decision was made.]

    Daneel even smiled a moment later, because by asking this doubt, he had also uncovered something about the system''s origin.

    What if¡­he had transmigrated to Angaria because of this domination potential, too?

    It meant that whoever had given him the system and sent him here wanted him to dominate. He didn''t know why, and he couldn''t even begin to fathom who it could be, but right now, all he could do was look to the future¡­and carry on, head held high.

    After taking a few more steps, he was at the very edge of the land. The sea frothed below him, crashing against the bottom of the island again and again, but his eyes were on the vast territory visible on the horizon that stretched from edge to edge, looking so impossibly huge that it messed with his perception of size.

    When he raised one hand, though, and squinted, it was as if the fingers of that hand were able to grasp the entire length of it.

    "Mainland. Somewhere on you, my family, the key to bringing my people back to life, the church that needs to be destroyed, and even the key to the existence of the system are hidden. I wish that I could come for all of them, right now¡­but before I can do that, I must have my own strength that I can fall back on. These forgotten souls shall be that strength. They may seem like nothing, now, forgotten and stepped down on for centuries by those who live on you¡­but I will mould them into a fist that will punch through you. I don''t care whether I am the prophesized one, whether I am the ''Frelsar'' meant to save them. Even if I am not, because I have my mind set on it, anyone with prophecies on their side will have to step aside...or be trampled on. I will save them all, and make them mine, and when they howl for revenge¡­you shall shake, and tremble, feeling a hint of what awaits you. Today, I turn away from you, but soon¡­"

    He closed his fingers with all his strength, and due to the way he was looking at it, it was as if he was crushing the Mainland within his fist.

    Putting that hand behind his back, he declared, "Do what you wish until then. This Godking graces you with that chance¡­but after that, you shall be mine. Until then¡­farewell."

    Taking one last look at it, he turned away and walked back to his companions, face clearer than it had been in quite some time, and mind already working out plans for conquest, subjugation, and...domination.

 121 The Targe

    By the time Daneel reached the place where his companions were sitting, he knew where they had to go.

    There were almost a thousand islands, and ordinarily, anyone normal would have needed hours to sift through all the information recorded about them. With the system, though, all he needed to do was give a set of criteria, and in barely a moment, it had given him a list of the places that he could target.

    The task to conquer all the islands outside the Mainland seemed to be a gargantuan one, of course, but just as he had done back on Angaria, he broke it down into simple, achievable steps that could be accomplished, one by one, to eventually reach the point that he could only dream of, now. Even while he had waited for the system to give its answer, he had felt flashes of anger fill him due to the conditions of many of the islands that he had just learned of.

    There were some where the owners were so cruel that slaves were treated like dogs, chained by their neck day and night. They weren''t the sort of collars used before on Graiton, meant to be out of sight and only activate when someone was fleeing. They were meant to degrade the people so that they thought of themselves as less than human, and in such places, rebellion was a word that couldn''t even be thought of.

    He had also learned that there were levels to islands. Some focused only on mining, while some focused only on refining. Those that did the latter were often islands that had already been emptied of their store of crystals. When a group only had to mine and mine and mine, they obviously wouldn''t care about the welfare of those doing the hard work.

    Hell, in some places, he had even learned that men and women were penned up like sheep and made to mate so that there would always be more and more people to continue the work. There were still others where even this sort cruelty was taken to the next level. He had read of two where at birth, the legs of a portion of the slaves would be cut off so that they would never even think of trying anything.

    The sickening details were so revolting that even Daneel, who had been through so much that could turn a normal man into a vomiting mess, felt his stomach roil. He controlled his thoughts forcefully, though, and after putting away all the information, he focused on the target he had chosen.

    "Alex, do you know of an island named ''Larefa''?"

    The thief thought for a moment, then shrugged and said, "No idea. It is impossible to know the names of all the islands¡­but there''s a simpler way to traverse them. The data that that beggar gave you must have a denomination, too, right? Tell me it''s code, and I''ll take you to it, no problem."

    With a nod, Daneel found the answer from the system and said, "It''s island 4DZ. How far away is it?"

    From the corner of his eye, he spotted the elf looking at him expectantly, too. True, both of them had agreed to follow him without asking any questions, but one''s curiosity couldn''t really be controlled that easily.

    At least some of what he wanted to do would be revealed when he did it, anyway, so Daneel made the snap decision that he would tell these two as much as he could.

    After all, they already knew one of his deepest secrets. Beside it, what he was going to say didn''t really mean too much, so taking a deep breath, he began to tell them about Graiton, and what he needed to accomplish for those people he had left behind.

    By the time he was done, the elf was looking at him thoughtfully and Alex had a wry smile on his face.

    "An 18-year-old Rebel. The path of Gluttony. A giant king who died and left behind an equally giant skeleton. If I didn''t know that you weren''t a liar like me, I would have been convinced that you read this all in a book, and are reciting it to us to make us fools."

    Hearing the thief''s words, Mors chuckled and said, "But he speaks no lie. Truly¡­ I must thank the stroke of luck that led me to being in that town when you passed through it. Or maybe¡­ah, I''m holding us up. Alex, lead the way. Those machines won''t buy themselves, after all, and even the money I have won''t be enough to settle the cost."

    Daneel stared at the elf for a few seconds even after he looked away. He really wished that he could make Mors complete that thought¡­but he knew that he couldn''t really push him in any manner.

    So, he looked at Alex who continued to smile at him for a few more minutes before finally setting off, and so, they began their journey to the destination that Daneel had set.

    They did talk on the way, but this time, it was only about things that were much more light-hearted than what they were traveling to do. It was almost as if all of them had unconsciously decided that this was a time to just think of inconsequential things and relax, and so, they were regaled by ancient stories from the elf, and tales of thievery from the thief.

    Daneel was interested in them both equally, as they gave him hints of what this world was like. He received more hints from the latter rather than the former, though, as most of the elf''s stories seemed to be simple fairytales that were told to children back on earth. There was always some or the other evil character who targeted someone good, and in the end, those who were ''good'' would triumph by believing in their skills, and their conviction in themselves.

    He did learn a bit, as most of the stories depicted humans almost as animals who couldn''t control their greed and other base emotions. The elves were always aloof or smart individuals who managed to outsmart the humans, and from this, Daneel was able to gather that the indoctrination that young elves went through must really be something if such stories were as famous as Mors claimed them to be.

    Alex''s stories always painted him as an incredible ringleader who led a band of thieves as daring and witty as had ever existed. According to him, they went up against barons who dealt in spices, mayors who ruled over towns, and even tyrants who terrorized a certain land. They somehow always landed in hot soup from which they were always saved by Alex, and the story would end, without fail, with him in a room filled with giggling girls.

    Daneel chuckled the first time he heard that ending, but the man looked dead serious, so he had let him continue. They were all lies, of course, and both of them knew it, but still, they were fun to listen to, and they made the time pass by quickly.

    What Daneel gathered from these tales were the different vocations of people here that he couldn''t have imagined back on Angaria. There were all sorts of merchants, some who taught the art of sex, along with other arts, influential architects who could build buildings even in the air, and so on, and so forth.

    By the time they reached their destination, they were quite tired. Alex suggested that they make camp and rest before going to see what lay on the island they had chosen, but Daneel insisted that they at least take a look to ensure that they could rest without being worried about them being in danger.

    Cautiously, the stepped inside the dome and found an empty land with reddish soil. Only bushes grew in it, and the only animals they saw were a few strange crimson lizards that sped away, sending their approach.

    They heard voices coming from somewhere beyond, so they chose to climb a hill and see what was happening. All three of them stayed silent as the scrambled up its side, and when they reached the top, they came upon a scene that made their breath catch.

    More than a hundred people were sitting on lacquered chairs, their eyes fixed on a large wooden platform stretching out in front of them. A row of men and women were standing on top of it, each chained hands and legs and neck, holding cards that had numbers written on them.

    The people were calling out bids, and a few on the side were noting them down. With dead eyes, those on a platform were taken away one by one, and others replaced them from a large group hidden behind the large podium.

    Even though all of them knew what they were seeing, Alex was the one who muttered it under his breath, first.

    "A slave action. A damn slave auction! Fuck!"

 122 Larefa

    As they watched the abomination taking place in front of them, Daneel was reminded of the exact reason behind him choosing this island.

    His idea had been simple; he had reasoned that there must be many masters like Harold who must''ve been squirreling away resources for a very long time, which would mean that they would be sitting on their islands with heaps of crystals ready to be stolen away by anyone who was capable of doing so. Hence, he had asked the system to find him an island based on the beggar king''s data that was close to being completely depleted.

    There were different fates for such places, but many defaulted to the one where they would try to retrofit themselves to perform other tasks. After a quick scan, the system had given him three options, of which the one he had chosen was supposed to still be a month away from the point of complete depletion.

    Either the beggar king''s information was outdated, or things were progressing much faster than he had anticipated. The slaves came onto the block one by one, and the auction was eerily silent. There was no loud calling of bids, or any announcements of the merits of a particular slave. The people who were seated just looked at the cards and mentioned their interest by raising one finger, and as he watched, it became clear that if there was a clash between any two individuals, there would be a small price war that also went on silently, with both raising hands intermittently until one reached a point where they would go no further.

    It was all very simple¡­but in a way, it shed even more light on how incredibly perverse it was.

    Daneel felt his blood boiling the more he watched, but he controlled himself forcibly in the same way that he had when confronted with the suffering taking place all over all the islands. One might ask him who these people were to him¡­but his only answer would be that as a human, and someone blessed with life and power in this world, why shouldn''t he be concerned with the lives of others given the same blessing, but not the same opportunities and luck as him?

    Surprisingly, Alex was actually the one most infuriated by what they were watching. After his initial curse, he continued muttering under his breath, his mood growing blacker and blacker until his eyes were so red that Daneel was convinced he might jump out of cover and leap at the bidders if he wasn''t holding himself back by the very edge of his teeth.

    The elf was subdued, but Daneel noticed that he was a tad bit uncomfortable based on the way that his fingers twitched, from time to time, before going still as if he had realized that he was giving an outward reaction.

    At the moment, Daneel had a very important decision to make, so he finally stopped observing his two companions, interesting as they were, and focused on the dilemma placed in front of him.

    He had three other options that he could go to and check out before making it, but something stopped him from leaving. Reading about things and seeing them for himself were different; his very essence was against the idea of witnessing such a thing, then leaving as if he was completely unaffected.

    The dead eyes of the slaves almost seemed to be calling to him. In a way, they were even worse than the individuals who had sacrificed themselves to save Daneel. In their case, there had at least been a hope they had clung to, a hope that had given them a burst of life that was probably the most beautiful thing in the world, but here, they were all just¡­walking corpses, with no agency or will left to them, at all.

    This thought suddenly made another come to him.

    ''Wait¡­what about the Will? How do I go about finding it, and connecting with its might? System, any clue?''

    [Responding to host. Previous incident came to be when host physically showed a sign of helping those birthed by the Will. In this case, there is a slight chance that the same might happen, but system estimates that crystal depletion is at a rate where such an act by the Will would not be possible even if host actively fights those carrying out the slave trade at the moment. Also, there is a high probability that the Will has been beaten down over the years. Only something much worse, or something sacrilegious like the act of installing a false Will would rouse thee Will that is dead, or is close to death.]

    Hearing it, he could tell that its response was based on what had happened on that island with the bar. It didn''t help him in any way, though, so in the end, he resorted to just wait and watch like the others were doing.

    For an hour more, the auction progressed, more and more slaves coming onto the block, each different from the one before but possessing the exact same eyes which were mere hollows, windows to a soul that was almost as dead as the Will of that island that had gone out in a blaze of glory.

    It seemed that whoever was running the show had decided to keep the best for last, as the slaves that came at the end were the healthiest and the biggest of all who had come until then. A few were even freaks of nature, standing at over 8 feet tall with menacing muscles and shaved heads, but on their faces, those eyes stood out in even more contrast, making his heart ache for whatever these people had gone through to look like this.

    "Uh¡­Dan? This is a bit embarrassing, but can I ask you to close your eyes? That way, I can use a spell that will hide us even if anyone passes within a mere foot of our location. The auction Is going to end, soon, and my guess is that most of these people will be heading to the teleportation matrix, in which case they might see us. There is a human equivalent of the spell¡­ but I''m afraid that it might draw the attention of someone down there, who might be a mage."

    With a quick nod, Daneel obliged, knowing, of course, but not mentioning that the system would be watching no matter what he did.

    He felt the change in the air once again, but apart from that, with his eyes closed, he wasn''t really able to make out the patterns of the dots that the elf was using to weave his spell. He was done in less than a minute, though, and when he said that he was finished, Daneel opened his eyes and raised one eyebrow at the complicated structure of differently colored points of light that was hiding them.

    "Even the best novice in the world cannot figure out the way a spell was made by watching the end product, so I chose this workaround..."

    [Spell studied, recorded, and added to database. Ready to be cast on host''s command.]

    The timing of the system''s message almost made him grin, but he controlled himself and nodded.

    Sure enough, muttering between themselves, many of the people who had been sitting on the hard, red ground on those chairs began to make their way in the direction that the three of them had come from. At first, they only caught snatches of conversation, so Daneel had to rely on the system to eavesdrop, but then, casting another spell so quickly that he couldn''t really see what the elf had done, Mors made it so that they could hear what was being spoken outside clearly.

    Almost all of it was useless. All that they gleaned was that the people had come from different places, and they would be coming back at a later date to take delivery. When all the people passed, there was a small group that stayed behind whom the three of them couldn''t see from that vantage point.

    What they said, though, turned out to be the most important. There were at least two of them, with one having a voice that sounded as rough as if he was gargling stones, and it was he who said, "Step one is done. Are we ready to cheat all these fools who came so eagerly? Most of them only paid the advance...but it''s still a hefty sum, all put together."

    The reply was given by a woman in a silky tone.

    "Yes¡­when we sell the entire lot to the Garbonors and flee, they won''t be able to find us, anyway, and they wouldn''t dare to take it up with those that rule us all. It''s perfect! And who cares about what will happen to these bugs, anyway? I''ve heard that the family use them as punching bags¡­but I don''t even care if they kill them all the moment they are taken. Hmm¡­that might even be an improvement on how they''ve lived so far!"

    Laughing between themselves, the three left, leaving Daneel and Alex with livid faces. A few moments later, throwing out everything else he had thought until then, Daneel took in a breath and made his decision.

    If anyone deserved to be stolen from, then it was these three. So, without an ounce of hesitation, he declared, "We are staying. And we are going to give these three what''s coming for them. First step: let''s make a base, nearby, where we can rest and begin tomorrow. It''s going to be an eventful set of days¡­so once again, as we have a chance, let''s get some sleep."

 123 Scouting

    They waited for an hour after everyone left to make sure that no one was watching.

    The elf dispersed the spell, and they quickly made their way back to the matrix. Before they reached it, they all checked their weapons as they weren''t sure whether it would be guarded, but thankfully, it lay empty.

    The problem arrived when Alex just couldn''t find a good island to camp on. He claimed that any island under the command of the family, where mining was taking place was regularly checked to make sure that no one was doing exactly such a thing. Apparently, there had once been a problem where brigands set up camps in this manner, and attacked the town to steal away resources or even slaves.

    The checking was actually done by the teleportation matrixes, themselves. They had already been set up so that they would scan an island every day, periodically, and if someone stayed on the edges for a long time, they would directly send a message to the caretakers.

    Alex shuddered when he mentioned them. His reaction made Daneel wonder whether they were the same as the inspectors that had carried out that massacre that had been witnessed by Noraldin, but he didn''t ask to make sure.

    He assured the man that they only needed for a few hours, though, so they finally found a place that was a bit peculiar in the way that the dome that surrounded it was almost pushing on the edge of the island, leaving behind only the tiniest scraps of land for anyone traversing it to walk on. The place they chose was in front of a natural stone formation that had been smoothed by centuries of mist striking it from the sea below, and after eating a quick meal of dried meat taken from Alex''s and the elf''s stores, they went to sleep on the soft, grassy ground, minds filled with thoughts about what they had just seen.

    His mind was extremely troubled, all kinds of plans revolving around it again and again, trying to be refined but failing as he just didn''t have enough information. After trying futilely for ten minutes, he finally resorted to tasking the system with knocking him out so that he could rest, and in that way, seven hours passed with him dreaming occasionally of being sold off at a very cheap price.

    When he awoke, he saw that the others seemed to have had the same trouble as him. Feeling truly blessed that he had found like-minded companions once again, he suggested that they break their fast while traveling back to the target island.

    The place they were in was a couple of hours away, so Alex agreed. They had the same thing they had had for dinner, and Daneel realised that he was already getting sick of the stringy meet and hard cheese. He hadn''t really been a foodie even on Angaria, but at the moment, he wished that he could have something hot and filling.

    All such thoughts were replaced by memories of the auction the moment they arrived back on the island, and saw that the reddish ground on which those chairs and that long block had been set up on was now empty. There was even no sign of them to be seen anywhere, and if they hadn''t seen the auction for themselves, they might even have doubted that such a horrific thing had happened.

    They had discussed, beforehand, that this would merely be a scouting mission. With a nod to each other, the three of them split to go in three different directions.

    The plan was that they would look from afar and glean as much information as possible before meeting back at the mountain. Mors had suggested the split, in the first place, making clear that he intended to use spells that he needed to keep hidden from Daneel to carry out the scouting, and understanding this, Daneel had been more than happy to let him do as he wished. Alex, too, had made a show of being able to act effectively only if he was alone, and under their tones, Daneel had detected a faint hint of competition.

    ''It''s interesting, for sure. No one knows who the most powerful among us is. We might be companions, but who can completely leave behind that urge to know whether they are the strongest in a group? I don''t know if I''ll compete¡­but hey, if I can find more information than them, then they will have only themselves to blame for starting it in the first place.''

    Despite this thought he had had, he found himself hurrying forward for a few moments before catching himself, calling himself a fool, and adopting a slower pace. Then, deciding that it was probably best to use his merits, Daneel asked the system to completely take over.

    While he watched as it made him crawl on all fours quickly, like a lizard, to evade detection and still maintain speed, he got a certain idea. There was definitely no chance that the three of them would meet during this mission¡­so, he said to the system, "Adopt the spell that was used before to keep us hidden so that it''ll work even while I move. And try to keep energy consumption low."

    The system had already learned enough from magic to find out that using the energy from crystals as an intermediary to cast spells was a crude method. Someone who was more trained in the art would be able to use the energy within themselves, thereby decreasing wastage and increasing efficiency, but at that moment, he had no other choice.

    [Affirmative. Using ''vajram'' as energy source. Casting spell.]

    He hadn''t told it to slow down so that he could observe, so the speed at which it cast the spell was almost dizzying. He gave up trying to watch when he felt the first signs of his head spinning, and soon, he was able to stand up and walk along as casually as if he was taking a stroll in a park.

    Vajrams. From the system''s analysis, they were crystals that had been somehow processed so that they held as much energy as a hundred processed crystals. If the crystals were like batteries, then vajrams were higher grade objects that held more energy and had perhaps been manufactured in some sort of secret way, and apparently, there was even a slight improvement in the quality of energy available in them when compared to processed crystals.

    This meant that less energy could be used to cast greater spells. He could feel his mind and body drawing on the energy from that diamond-like object while holding the dots of light that had been attracted by drawing on it through his ''frae'', as the elf had called it, in the pattern around him, and sure enough, compared to the speed at which that unprocessed crystal had melted away when he had cast his first spell, this was much slower.

    Daneel emptied his mind the closer he got to the town, which looked almost the same as Graiton, except for the fact that the gaudiness of the buildings was even greater than everything that had been built there. Everyone, useless flowing lines and wavy patterns could be seen, built with the only intention to splurge and give the false image of grandness. Even the crimson crystal formation was present, here, that led to the Pit below where mining took place. This was an island focused only on mining, so only one such formation was present.

    Choosing a quadrant of the town for himself, Daneel stayed there, not intending to go anywhere near the elf who would see what he had done, and grow even more secretive. For an entire day, he kept to the shadows and eavesdropped as much as he could, and when he saw the sun setting on the horizon, he made his way back to the mountain.

    He dispelled the spell the moment he was out of sight of the town to be safe, and it looked like this had been a good decision as the other two were waiting for him by the time he reached the rendezvous.

    They stayed silent while they made their way back to the teleportation matrix, but after that, they began discussing everything they had seen on the journey back to their camp. As a result, by the time they reached, they had shared all the information they had found between each other¡­and curiously, they were all tied in respect to what they had found.

    After reaching the shaded part of the island behind that rounded rock where they had camped before, Daneel let out a deep breath and spoke to conclude everything they had talked about until then.

    "So this is the important stuff: all of the hoarded crystals are under lock and key in a place that is so secretive that it is even talked about in whispers. The beggar king''s data was up-to-date; the Pits will be empty in a month, so everything that we saw was just a scam to earn crystals one last time before those in charge of the island disappeared. They have a well-equipped security force, with even a human mage in residence who has been hired to secure their vault. With just the three of us¡­planning to steal from them seems absurd."

    Mors and Alex both nodded gravely, as it seemed to them that they had hit a roadblock.

    With a grin, though, Daneel spoke again, and this time, he had a twinkle in his eye that neither of them could understand.

    "Well¡­then its settled. More things can go wrong in this method, but because we have no option, anyway¡­it''s time to scam. They really pride themselves on being great scammers¡­but often, it is such people who find themselves on the receiving end much more than anyone else. Gentleman¡­ worry not, because I have a plan. So¡­ Let''s begin!"

 124 Scam 1

    Two days later.

    "So¡­are you really sure about this?"

    The question from the elf that was probably being asked for the hundredth time elicited no response from Daneel, who was busy checking on the silver fringes of the lavender-colored coat he was wearing.

    Beside him was Alex, dressed in an equally grand manner in a black coat with edges worked in gold. The most ostentatious of them all was the elf, in fact, whose garb was like that of a villain from one of Daneel''s favorite children''s shows back on Earth that dealt with kids gaining the power to transform into heroes wearing leather tights.

    He had chosen gold, of course, but this time, it didn''t match his eyes. His coat reached his knees, the entire length of it embroidered with gold thread, shining in the sun from above, showing off the various patterns that arched from his chest to his waist to his back and even to his legs. The part that drew the most attention was in his upper body, though. His shoulders looked like they had plates of armor placed inside them, bulky and heavy with sharp points to each side. And behind his head¡­was a hood shaped like a six-pointed star.

    It curved at the sides, framing his ears artfully in a way that they were emphasized despite the eye-watering effect of everything else, and overall, it definitely did look like a sight that might scare children into eating their cerial.

    "Hell yeah, he''s sure! This is awesome! I''m telling you, if you were a thief, you would have done very, very well. I''ve carried out my fair share of scams¡­but this is really something else! Where did you learn to knit things, anyway? If I didn''t know better, I would have taken you for an old grandpa with strange hobbies rather than a strapping teenager! Really¡­this is fucking awesome!"

    Alex''s excited words almost echoed over the island. The dome kept out all sound, thankfully, so without worrying too much, Daneel turned to the elf who looked more uncomfortable than he had ever seen him.

    When Daneel had innocently asked about the formal garb of Forn elves, Mors had answered the question with delight, not suspecting, at all, what he had in mind. Hence¡­ When he had seen him buy large quantities of materials made to use them, he had been confused, then downright appalled when he had watched the clothes he was now wearing take shape and form under Daneel''s skilled hands.

    The skill all belonged to the system, of course, with Daneel just acting as if he was paying as much attention as possible. They needed to look their part, so he had gone all out, and at the moment¡­he was happy with the end result.

    Bending his head, the elf muttered to himself for the first time.

    "This is exactly what I ran away from¡­but it has found me again now. Like my teacher used to say, some things are just destined to happen no matter how much one tries to flee from them¡­"

    Curious about the elf''s true background, but still once again harboring the doubt within himself without asking, Daneel walked to Mors and said, "You''re actually the backbone of this plan. From what Alex explained to me, the family from the Mainland that we''re masquerading as has close connections with Forn elves. Everyone knows that they only speak the truth, so, without fail, when they see you, they will believe that we are who we say we are."

    Shaking his head, the elf brought up the opposition that he had already voiced before.

    "But I really can''t lie! What if I''m put in a situation where what you suggested does not work? What if I cannot really spin my words in a manner that makes it seem as if I''m supporting what you two say, while in fact, I''m not really saying it outright?"

    Letting out a patient sigh, Daneel answered, "Just trust me. I''ll tell you exactly what you need to say; you just need to repeat it. The spell will work, right?"

    The elf nodded impatiently, already showing much more emotions that he had in the couple of days before.

    What they were talking about was a neat trick that made it so that even something muttered by Daneel under his breath would be heard by the elf even though it wouldn''t even be audible to someone standing right in front of him. In this manner, he could converse with his companions even while sitting in front of their targets, so anyway he looked at it, it didn''t seem as if there was a way for things to go disastrously wrong.

    He had been proven wrong on this judgment before, though, so not intending to jinx it, Daneel removed the thought from his mind and began to walk in the direction of the teleportation matrix of the island they had returned to to finish their preparations. It had taken two days because they had covertly sneaked back into the beggar king''s city to find all these materials, and during their stay there, they had seen just how much more warmly everyone had treated each other, as if still making up for the misunderstanding that he had led them into before.

    On the trip, he had been tempted to try to contact the man, but he had let go of the notion after remembering just how scared he had been of the one who was pulling his strings. They had left without any incident, and now¡­they were ready to begin the plan that would fill their pockets, and deliver justice where it was due.

    With a nod to both of them, Daneel stepped into the matrix, first. Soon, they were standing outside the dome of Larefa, and for the first time, without making any effort to conceal themselves, they marched into the curved, opaque layer in front of them as if they owned the place.

    As soon as they passed it, they paused. With a nod to the elf, Daneel turned around, handling the train of his coat artfully so that it didn''t touch the ground, and while the air shimmered and shifted around him, the elf worked his magic.

    Around two minutes later, he spoke quietly to Alex.

    "Now."

    Daneel turned around, knowing that the elf was done, and sure enough, the dizzying pattern in front of him was even more complex than the one that he had seen used to summon the doppelg?nger. With a wide grin that showed how happy he was with what they were about to do, Alex took a step forward and spoke into the air.

    "Leaders of Larefa! If you value your rotten lives, come prostrate to the representatives of the grand family that have arrived to grace you with their presence! Your land is blessed by us stepping onto it! Be here in two minutes ¡­or heads will roll!"

    His voice thundered over the island, and lightning that was somehow covered with flame struck down from a clear sky at the very center of the town they had visited secretly a few days before. The screams that erupted as a result were heard even where they stood; with his smile widening, Alex waited, and Mors smoothed his expression that showed slight worry until now, finally stepping into the role he had been given.

    As for Daneel, he put on the cockiest expression he knew. His head rose into the air so much that his chin was almost parallel to the ground, and his eyes now had a laziness to them, able to dismiss anything that they saw without the slightest effort.

    Exactly one and a half minutes later, people appeared on the red, empty land in front of them. The three that had spoken before were now visible to them. Their clothes weren''t worn properly, as if they hadn''t had the time to dress, and the woman even had a thick mark of lipstick made on her cheek by mistake.

    Soon, they stood in front of them, heaving for breath. The plan, here, was to demean them in some way¡­and as naturally as if he was born for it, Alex took the lead.

    With a humph, he spoke in a tone that showed slight irritation.

    "This is how you look when you are summoned by a grand family from the Mainland? Run back to where you came from, right now, and return in the next three minutes, properly dressed and fit for an audience! Well? What are you waiting for? Go!"

    The three looked between each either, eyes showing mortification and humiliation of the sort that they had never thought they would have to endure. All of them turned to a fourth man who stood level with them, and the moment he mouthed the word ''Forn Elf'' after shooting a fearful glance at Mors, they took off running, together.

    When they were alone, again, both Mors and Daneel looked at Alex.

    With a shrug and a chuckle, the thief said, "You said we had to put them down, right? Just leave it to me! If anything goes wrong, you two are in charge of keeping us alive, of course¡­but until that happens, I''m gonna have some fun!"

 125 Scam 2

    Scowling at her reflection in the mirror, Seline ran the wooden comb through her long, silky hair.

    As she felt it tangle up in the knots that were still present, for the first time, she cursed the fact that she had been blessed with such a thick and long mane that she had used to her advantage for decades. In fact, when she had married into this town, it had been one of the favorite aspects of her that the man who had written away all these estates in her name had loved.

    With a snarl, she chucked the comb across the room and raised her hands as if she wanted to rip away the bun at the top of her head. Controlling herself at the last moment, she stilled her hands and made them go down to her sides, and after taking one last look at the mirror and deciding that it was all she could do, she turned around and stepped out of the room¡­before breaking into a run, again, after seeing that the others were already at the end of the mansion in the middle of the town.

    She didn''t need to look behind her to be reminded of the mark that the lightning brought down by the intruders had made, right in the middle of the fountain that she had always loved to gaze at while resting from a day''s hard work. She could still smell it, now; the acrid smell of marble heating up so much that it melted filled the house, and although the windows had been thrown open to get rid of it, it was still present, reminding them of what was at stake if they didn''t move their feet as quickly as they could.

    It had been such a wonderful day. Their scam had been carried out successfully, and soon, they would have had their coffers filled to the brim. It was a bit sad that they would have to run after that, but if one wanted to rise in life, then such actions always needed to be taken, especially in the case of those in their line of work.

    She had even been taking a luxurious bath, one of the last in the marble bathtub she had gotten built ten years ago. Right as she had begun to frolic with a maid that she had taken a liking to in the household¡­ that voice and the crack of thunder echoed of everywhere, and she had even jumped out of the tub, soaking wet and completely naked, convinced that she would die if she stayed where she was.

    When she had gone out and seen the statue with a melted spot where its head had been, her breath had caught, and she hadn''t even cared that the entire household and even the two she had been forced to share leadership with were seeing her for the first time without a stitch on her body. They hadn''t had any time to admire the view, though¡­because the moment they were reminded of what they had heard, they set off running to throw some clothes on, and within the time limit that had been set for them, they had made it to the destination¡ª

    ¡ªonly to be sent back like dogs that had forgotten a stick thrown for them to fetch.

    It still rankled within her to be treated this way¡­but she had heard tales of the pride of those from the Mainland. When she had first heard of them, she had imagined herself bowing and being of service as much as was required if there was a reward at the end of it¡­but right now, she wondered if she couldn''t have continued to remain satisfied with what she had achieved in this town.

    It was obvious that she had no choice in the matter, though, so she discarded all such thoughts, and other, more terrifying ones about the reasons behind the arrival of the intruders when she saw that she was about to reach them. Looking to the left and right, she observed the two men that she despised, hated, but also feared, slightly, looking as panicked as her, and while feeling a flash of anger once again due to the way their status had fallen so far in merely the span of five minutes, she stopped at a spot a few feet away from the three and tried not to pant as though she had run a marathon, even though that was exactly what had happened.

    She mostly kept her eyes on the one that had sent them away, and only relaxed a bit when he sniffed and shrugged, as if to say that he was still unhappy, but their appearances would suffice. Looking around, she made sure, next, that the mage was present, and with a small smirk to herself, she nodded at him, who didn''t respond in any way.

    She almost frowned due to this, but she kept her face calm as she knew that their deal had to be kept secret. It had been easy to attract him to her bed¡­and there, it had been even easier to extract promises that had to be kept, especially in the case of one going down the path of magic that the man had chosen.

    If anything went wrong, he would try his best to save her, ignoring the others, even, if that was what it would take. It was only after ensuring that this safety net of hers was present that she raised her head and stepped forward as the representative that almost always spoke on the behalf of all three of them, and with a graceful bow fit for any palace on the mainland, she opened her mouth to address the arrogant guests.

    "Save it. Dogs listen. Dogs only bark, or in your case, talk when told to. Prepare rooms for us, first. It has been a long journey¡­and we would like to rest, first, before we begin the discussion. Our presence here is supposed to be secret¡­so I''m warning you right now. We have placed wards all around the island. If someone even attempts to leave¡­we will know, and our wrath will burn all of you, and even all those sycophants waiting behind. You, woman¡­you seem pleasing to the eye, at least. Lead the way."

    ''They made us run here¡­and now, we have to go back to the town? Couldn''t they have come there in the first time place? Argh!''

    She almost let a trace of the frustration that she filled her show in her eyes, so to hide it, she bowed low once again.

    Once again, she was reminded of the stories of the grand families. For the most part, their arrogance was what convinced her that they might just be who they said they were¡­but apparently, this wasn''t enough for the others.

    Out of the corner of her eye, before she stood up to turn around and lead the way, she saw the two other leaders of the town converse between each other, and say something secretively to the mage. Dressed in pale green robes embroidered with flowers, the man gulped, but with a sigh of resignation, he stepped forward and said, "Apologies, grand sirs¡­but can I ask which grand family you come from? And you, Sir Elf¡­ I''m a member of the Jaravis Magus School, whose head is an elf, himself. May I ask where you are from? I don''t think I need to remind you of the punishment for masquerading as one, but still-"

    All of a sudden, Seline felt her skin prickle. She was still frozen in the bow, but twisting her head up, she saw the mage gasp¡­then fall to his knees, shoulders bent and head facing the ground, as if someone invisible was holding him down by the scruff of his neck.

    The elf among the three, dressed in those robes that she had only heard of, but never seen, stepped forward. Her heart began to beat faster as she saw that he seemed to grow bigger in her eyes, even though she was sure that he was the same size.

    His emerald eyes blazed with fury, and the globes of light below his ears were so bright that they almost burned out her own eyes. His brilliance was such that it seemed as if there was a sun shining behind him, covering him in a halo of destructive might and power that could only be revered, but never opposed, and for once, knowing exactly what she needed to do, she fell to her knees, too, and even bent her back so that her hands were on the ground, with her head almost kissing the ground.

    When the elf spoke, his voice seemed to go right through her soul, to her very essence, to the very core of what she was.

    "You dare think that you could ever be capable of warning one of the Forn? Such impedance. Such gall! I should kill you where you stand, but I am a guest. Know that you keep your life today for this one, singular reason. As for who we are¡­you do not deserve to know it, but still, listen. There is only one family with connections to the Forn; ancient connections that have always been maintained throughout the years, despite the strife between the two dominant races of the Mainland. If I still need to speak its name¡­say so, and it will be the last thing you hear."

    She blinked with fear as she connected two and two¡­and found the answer.

    When she looked up, she was almost convinced that the man behind the elf was muttering something under his breath, but ignoring him, she spoke for all of them.

    The mage cowered beside her, his hands raised as if keeping away demons that only he could see, and as for the other two and a few residents of the town who had come behind them, all were on the ground, just like she had been until now.

    His words somehow still reverberated in the air. The very atmosphere seemed to be responding to his anger; out of nowhere, furious, black clouds had arrived in the sky, and the land, itself, shook, as if ready to erupt and kill them all.

    She couldn''t even bring herself to look up, into those eyes that held the power that belonged to only those who had successfully made a pact with the world. She had heard that even when they were away from the Mainland, if they weren''t too far, they would be able to draw on that pact to wield power beyond the imagination of most¡­and as she witnessed the elf, now, in all his glory, she was convinced that there was no doubt, whatsoever, that he was one of the legendary Forn.

    Their are every breath was supposed to be a blessing to the world. Their every word, a command to be followed. They had once ruled the length and breadth of the Mainland¡­and although their power had shrunken, now, who could say that they were weak?

    Not her, definitely. Her entire body still trembled as if it wanted to lay flat on the ground in reverence, but fighting that impulse, she smiled and said, "Our humble island welcomes you, Grand Sirs. Please¡­I beg that you forgive our impudence, born only of ignorance. If you please...follow me."

 126 Scam 3

    An hour later, sipping tea from a cup that had just been filled by one of her maids, Seline shuddered as she remembered that all-consuming fear that had filled her at that moment she knew she would never forget in her life.

    She was wearing the same white silk gown she had donned before, but it was wrinkled now due to how much she had been clutching and releasing it, unable to keep her hands still every time she relived that memory. The other two beside her were just as disturbed; in fact, when she looked at them, she felt faint pride as she saw that she was handling it much better.

    ''After all, it wasn''t my stupid idea that brought about that display of power. And, oh my, so much power! The Forn are indeed the Forn¡­''

    The Forn were the darlings of the world, while they were flies buzzing around what was left after they walked past. She grimaced, removing the comparison from her mind, and then, she scolded herself, trying once again but failing to remove the part of her that still remembered where she originated from.

    The one beside her was the first to speak. He was wearing grey robes worked with mythical creatures that were supposed to have gone extinct even on the Mainland. He was almost bald, with a few tufts of hair at the very back of his head that he was stubbornly holding on to, and his pockmarked face had seen battle, but the main battle it had fought was with time. His raspy, rough voice always grated on her ears whenever he spoke, but like many things on the island, she had gotten used to bearing it as she had no other choice.

    "Too close¡­ we came too close to losing everything."

    The other man, whose age was between hers and that of the oldest one, spoke without raising his head. He was wearing off-white robes, his curved nose appearing looking curved than usual due to the way his head was bent, for the first time in her memory, and while he said his piece, he repeatedly brushed his hands through his unkempt, reddish hair.

    "What choice did we have? There are too many stories of people assuming identities¡­but maybe we should have known that no one would be foolish enough to impersonate an elf. The punishment is so horrific that I''ve heard it is only whispered of, even on the Mainland! The accused are strung up in the air, above the walls of the Elven Kingdom, being fed to carrion and bugs and all manner of beings with sharp beaks and sharper teeth. They are healed for a week, eaten away, healed, eaten, healed, until their very sanity cracks! It scares me even when I think about it! But how could we have known that he was one of the Forn? This is definitely the first and only time that one of them has come to the islands! Very few normal elves even make the journey, as it is¡­but no one has definitely heard of an ancient one coming for any reason, whatsoever! What does he want? Are we going to die?"

    The two men nodded hurriedly, as if abhorring even the idea of harboring any more suspicion.

    A few moments later, with a thoughtful look, the old man said, "I am more or less up-to-date with the politics of the Mainland¡­but this is truly unprecedented. The family they belong to is perhaps in the top twenty of power, if the major forces that are not families are not counted, of course. They keep to themselves, for the most part, so people whisper that they might actually possess even more strength than what they show on the surface¡­but no one is sure. Everyone steps on their toes around them because of their link with the elves, which is unique even among the hundreds of powerful families on the Mainland. If they came here, with even one of the Forn in tow¡­ there must definitely be something big going on!"

    His eyes shone, showing his excitement, but with a slight shake of her head, Seline spoke and deflated him as surely as if she had pricked the balloon he had become.

    "Indeed¡­something big is afoot, but in front of it, it is most probable that we are small enough to be crushed. They can swat us aside, and with their power, even the Garbonor family might not say a thing."

    All three lapsed into silence, then, dealing with their own thoughts inside their own heads instead of speaking out loud. Seline was most concerned about the fact that there were too many precedents bent set by what was happening here. The islands were usually called the slums of the Mainland, mostly forgotten except by the family in charge of them, and after a recent bidding war, the Garbonor family still held the lease for three more years.

    The need for secrecy was obvious, of course. Whatever was happening here would send waves of alarm throughout the Mainland if known¡­and no matter what, she did not want to be the one responsible for such a blunder.

    Suddenly, the image of herself with a melted head instead of the marble statue in the middle of the mansion made her shiver, then clutch her robes to herself even though it was a hot day. When this feeling passed, suddenly, determination replaced it.

    ''I''ve come too far to let everything go without at least trying. No matter what, I have to live. There has to be a way out of this!''

    Doing something, anything seemed better than the idea of sitting there and continuing to think about things that they couldn''t understand. Standing up, she declared, "I will go speak to them. I''ll act as if I''m there to check whether their comfort is being well taken care of¡­but I''ll try to pick up any hints, if possible."

    ''Without getting myself killed.''

    The two men encouraged her, as they always had whenever they had a chance to escape danger by thrusting her in front of them. It had happened multiple times before, and she had always handled it well¡­but this time, she was afraid.

    The option of trusting them to do anything good was just a foolish one, though, so because there was no one else, she turned around and made her way to the exit of the mansion. As the leaders of the town, they had made their home in the largest one, living together, on the surface, but in truth, the huge mansion are split into three parts that were a separate as possible.

    The adjacent one belonged to one of the richest individuals in the town who wasn''t in a leading position. The man had been more than happy to relinquish the place, and right now, it looked like a den of vipers waiting to consume her the moment she stepped inside.

    The three had dismissed all servants, saying that they would call for them if needed. They had sequestered themselves in the main meeting room of the mansion, which was behind grand double doors that were closed, at the moment.

    She fidgeted with her clothes in the welcome room that she was in, meant to make guests wait before being accepted to meet with the Lord of the mansion. She had never thought the day would come when she would be fretting here, like many others she had mocked once¡­but it was a day of firsts.

    Finally building up the courage after repeatedly convincing herself that she was only doing what was expected of a host, she stepped forward and raised her hand to knock. Yet¡­a moment before her knuckles touched the smooth wood, a voice thundered out of the room, making her squeak like a mouse and step back, tempted to run away.

    "¡­JUST KILL THEM, AND GET OUR OWN PEOPLE HERE! That''s what I want to do, at least. The final decision rests with you, Loras, as always. So¡­what do we do?"

    During the pause that followed it, she gulped. She knew that it was a very, very bad idea¡­but she just couldn''t stop herself from tiptoeing to the door once again, and putting her ear to it to listen.

    She tried telling himself that it was a life-and-death situation; even if she was caught eavesdropping, she could say that she was here to ask about whether everything was to their satisfaction. Raising her hand for good measure so that she could be prepared to give this excuse, she listened with all her might¡­and when she began to hear what the man said, her face glowed as if she had hit the lottery.

    "Alright, then¡­this is what I have decided. All we need is a front to hide our treasure. I do concur with the fact that it might be simpler to snuff out all these people, and bring someone we can trust from the Mainland¡­but it might attract too much attention, and cause too many problems. If the leaders of this place are subservient enough, if they hold enough respect for the family we represent to even give us access to their vaults when the suggestion is made, so that we can see whether this is a good place to hide that thing¡­it may be that we can pay them more than they will ever be able to earn in their pitiful lives to continue the operation here, and keep things the way they have been. If not, well¡­ it''s their loss. People die all the time. Let''s rest, today, and see them decide their own fate tomorrow."

 127 Scam 4

    Sitting on a high-backed chair, Daneel sipped on something without alcohol, for once, while waiting for the elf to tell them that the woman outside had left even though the system had already given him the message that she had scurried away as soon as he was done talking.

    "It''s clear."

    When Mors said this with a nod, Daneel nodded, in return, and stood up. A broad smile was on his lips; he was in his element, at the moment, and it definitely felt great to be scamming those who had had it coming for them once again.

    Beside him, Alex looked even more casual. One leg of his was thrown over the arm of his chair, and in his hands was hard whiskey, treated and cured personally by one of the leaders of this place and offered hesitantly, as if they were unsure about whether it might be called piss.

    Daneel had noticed a remarkable change that had come over the thief since their departure from Marillein. It was more than certain, now, that he had some sort of past with that place that he had fought with every second they had been there, and even though Daneel had no idea what it was at the moment, something told him that he would find out, sooner or later, as they weren''t done with the City of Kindness.

    At the moment, though, it was nice to see someone as interested in scamming as him. Two days ago, when Daneel had laid out his plan, the thief had loved it so much that he had even gone to sleep smiling.

    "Will this really work? Ah¡­ I hate this thing!"

    Ripping of the star behind his head and throwing it across the room, Mors seemed startled by his own outburst, for a moment, before visibly putting in effort to calm himself down. Without that shroud signifying what he was, he took a deep breath and did seem more relaxed, and at that moment, Daneel got the impression that he was someone who didn''t really like their real identity.

    Seeing him, he was reminded of that moment that had shocked him, too. The system had recorded it thoroughly, and if he wished, he could ask it to play the scene...but it didn''t need to, as it was branded into his memory. Being the only one with elementary vision other than that mage, he had seen the exact reason behind that poor man looking as if he had been shattered, mind and body.

    The elf hadn''t been faking his displeasure. The pride of the Forn was real, it seemed, and even though he was someone trying to forget his heritage, it ran deep in his bones. Daneel had given him the words, but everything else had come from the elf, himself.

    When he had heard Alex talk about the pact, he had thought that it might only be a slight boost to their abilities that the elves had obtained¡­but he saw now that he was extremely wrong about this. Back on Angaria, his own path had been thoroughly tied with the support given by the Will, and right now, he found himself comparing that amplification with what he had seen, and the conclusion he reached was that although it wasn''t as powerful, it was close.

    Despite all this, he didn''t feel wary of his friend at all. The reason behind this, of course, was his own confidence in himself; no matter how powerful the Forn as well, with the system at hand and his own experience and abilities in tow, he knew that no one could stand up to him in the long run. With a grin and another sip of the tea, he gave the elf the answer he was waiting for, and although Alex knew it already, he nodded along as if listening to a favorite song.

    "Of course it will. It''s all about greed. You say you know a lot about humans¡­but you still have a lot to learn, my friend. For example, you underestimate the power of hope being delivered at a time when all that surrounds one is hopelessness. From the way we acted¡­ I can bet that they became convinced that all that awaits them in the future is a dark fate. Now, when they hear that they have a chance¡­they will jump for it. Besides, it aligns with their own goals in life, too. This is the place they have lived in for decades; no matter how heartless one is, there is a high chance that they will form a connection, a bond with their home after so much time has passed. Given an opportunity to stay here, grow richer, and perhaps even enter the good graces of such a powerful family¡­unless they are dumber than the dumbest people I''ve met, they will grasp it with both hands. Like I said¡­their greed will be their downfall."

    The elf looked at Daneel thoughtfully for a few moments, then took another sip and became lost in his own thoughts. A few seconds later, a light knock sounded from the door, and Alex opened it, adopting once again the expression of a Lord who stood above everything and everyone in the world.

    A maid was at the door, holding a tray on which an envelope had been placed. With a slight frown, he picked it up¡­and after putting his hands inside his robes, he took out two vajrams and threw them in her direction, not even bothering to see whether she caught the shining diamonds before closing the door on her face. A gasp of shock could be heard a moment later from outside, followed by hurried footsteps, as if the woman wanted to run away before they realized that they had given the wrong crystals, if that was the case.

    Daneel raised one eyebrow and felt a flash of irritation as the hoarder inside him raised his head. With a happy smile, Alex said, "We''ll steal them back anyway, right? Besides, I''ve heard the grand families tip even more. She can start a business and grow with just the value of those two¡­so I''m also conforming with the legend that a single interaction with a Grand Lord of the Mainland is destined to change one''s life."

    Daneel nodded grudgingly, knowing that the man was right. On the islands, just the value of a single processed crystal was enough for a family of three to live on for three months, at least. Alex had just tipped away two hundred times that amount¡­but if truth be told, the legend he had just mentioned was quite prevalent,.

    When he opened the envelope, a large, fist-sized, bronze key fell to the floor. Picking it up while reading the words written on it, Alex blinked, then burst out laughing.

    Looking up a few seconds later and noticing that he was irritating his two companions by keeping the message to himself, he bowed his head for a moment apologetically and said, "Hehe¡­ I told you it was a great plan. Events are even running ahead of us! Instead of waiting for us to give the suggestion¡­they offered us the key, themselves! Ha, they truly wish to show that they can be trusted! This is a master key, apparently, to open any door in the town! Sent with their regards, along with their pleasure as they are truly graced by our presence¡­ and an invitation to do what we wish with the entire place! Well, little do the fuckers know that we are going to take them up on their offer in a way they''ll never imagine!"

 128 A Problem

    One day later.

    Strolling through the streets that they had had to sneak through just a few days ago, Daneel, Mors and Alex looked like casual tourists who had arrived to take in the sights of the area.

    While they ignored the longwinded explanations being given by the woman with silky hair and a silky voice, Daneel reflected that tourists were a lot like thieves. Both took in everything they could and imprinted them into memory, and where the former''s motive ended with this act, the latter''s begun.

    They had already seen two or three defensive methods that neither of them had been able to glimpse on their covert scouting mission before. Each time this had happened, they had looked between each other, thinking about the fact that this was really the best way they could have gone about their task¡­for if they had chosen to move in on the vaults with only the information they had gathered then, they would definitely have found themselves in hot soup.

    The reason behind waiting for a day was that as those with noble background, there was no way that they could act eagerly. They had to be patient, and hence, the day had passed quite enjoyably, in fact, due to the exotic dishes that kept being sent to them and the veiled invitations from men and women who sought to pleasure them in any way they might like.

    Alex had had to be convinced to reject the latter. It was Mors who put his foot down and said that it was implausible for anyone with a background like theirs to succumb to such things. This had left the thief sullen, but he had settled for the food and wine, just like Daneel.

    This morning, they had been invited personally by the woman for a tour, and they had obliged, already having planned to go out and finalize the minutiae of the rest of what they were going to do. The woman blathered on and on, the two men beside her constantly glancing in their direction to make sure they were entertained, or at least, not displeased, and in this way, the afternoon came and went without incident.

    Towards the evening, they went to the vaults which were underground. A team of over a hundred guards was in charge of keeping them secure day and night. Knowing that they would be coming, all of the guards had had their weapons and armor polished, and the moment their contingent appeared, all of them made an impressive display of standing to attention and kneeling with their swords raised, as if they were ready to serve.

    It had to be said that the three leaders were definitely apt in tempting those who might want to do business with them, especially now that they knew what was expected. Daneel counted them making at least five hidden invitations, all describing how happy they would be if they could serve in any way possible, no matter what it was.

    As they had discussed before, the three of them walked out of the vaults with thoughtful looks. In silence, they were escorted back to the mansion they were staying in¡­and there, the others departed, leaving them alone to make their decision.

    The moment he entered the room, Alex sprawled on to his chair again, and the elf sat down, looking much more unburdened now that he could see that everything was going smoothly. From the way he had acted until now, it was obvious that this was his first time being part of such a thing, but the ancient being was definitely taking it in stride, learning quickly about what he should and shouldn''t do, and always looking regal and kingly, as he truly was one the princes that he was pretending to be.

    "Alright. For the final step, I suggest that we¡ª"

    15 minutes had passed since they had been left alone, and Daneel had already finalized what they were going to do. He had just been about to explain it to his comrades¡­but a loud knock on the door suddenly interrupted him.

    Feeling a faint prickle in the back of his neck that made him wonder whether something had gone wrong, he waited for Alex to get up and go to the gigantic wooden entryway of the meeting room. He threw them open with practiced grace, as if he had been born in the mansion, and furrowed his eyebrows when he saw the one standing outside.

    It was Seline, and from where Daneel sat, he could see clearly that the calm that she had regained after yesterday''s events was shattered, now, so thoroughly that she was a mess with her hair standing up in different directions.

    Looking into Alex''s displeased eyes, she shuddered and took a step back, her hand going to her mouth as if she both wanted to speak and wished that she could shut it and run away.

    Standing up and going to stand beside the man, Daneel opened his mouth to ask what the matter was. Before he could do so, Alex understood that something was wrong, too, and made a gesture in her direction that demanded that she spit out whatever was on her mind.

    Nodding her head a and finally summoning up the words that seemed to have been on her tongue all this while, she said, "I apologize for my state¡­but the mage¡ªthat bastard!¡ª has run away! I tried to stop him¡­but he threw me to the side! Even after we sle¡ªuh, he muttered something about his headmaster needing to know what was going on here! Please don''t punish us for this! We have no hand in his treachery! We don''t even know how to stop him¡­so I believed that the best thing to do was tell you! He might be able to get past your wards because he showed me an object, once, that he claimed could hide him from any means of detection!"

    She blushed slightly, then, as if the way in which she had found this out was nothing decent, but ignoring her, Daneel turned in the elf''s direction.

    With a frown, Mors first waved at the door. Taking his hint, Daneel turned to Seline and said, "Worry not. He will not get far. He overestimates himself; in front of us, he is nothing. Go, now. We will take care of it."

    The sigh of relief that came out of her when she heard him was so pronounced that her entire body sagged, and she almost looked like she was ready to fall on the floor and go to sleep right there. She was already heading back in the direction of the exit when Daneel closed the doors in front of him, and before he turned to the elf again, he received the answer for the unspoken question he had asked before.

    "In the grand scheme of things, I''m not really that powerful a mage, as I still have a lot to learn¡­so it is very possible that whatever charm he has really is capable of getting past my wards. Thinking of this possibility beforehand, itself, and actually having learned to make backup plans from you, I used a spell to create a net, of sorts, around the island. It only looks for faint tremors on the ground, which will indicate the passing of someone on foot¡­and I''m confident that he is not skilled enough to fly. So¡­wherever he is going, we will find him soon. I must be present here to hold onto our disguises, so although it is not the best option¡­one of you has to stop him. If you catch him unawares, you should be successful."

    Daneel looked at Alex to see whether he was at all interested in taking up the task. The thief shrugged to say that he was ready if he was called upon, but Daneel said, "I''ll do it. Are there any rudimentary human spells you can give me that might help me out?"

    The elf raised one eyebrow to show what he thought of what Daneel was asking.

    "You haven''t even begun learning anything! But¡­you were able to replicate that spell you saw. Maybe you have some natural talent, at least¡­ well, watch carefully. I will give you three spells, all simple, but useful if deployed properly. Observe."

    Taking a deep breath, the elf called upon the power in his body, and the other realm responded. Points of glowing light arrived, transformed, and weaved themselves into whatever he willed, and a minute later, Daneel had a hungry look on his face without even realizing it.

    "From the way you look, I''m reminded of my own thirst for knowledge when I first began my journey. You can learn more later. For now, remember one thing: draw upon energy that is not yours too much, and you will overtax yourself and faint. If you feel even a hint of dizziness, drop everything you''re doing right that instant. Now¡­go. Good luck to you."

    With a firm nod to both his companions, Daneel turned to the door. Of course, he had been tempted to say that he knew all too well how it felt to draw on too much energy, but snuffing away the idea, he recalled the spells he had just seen...and actually found himself looking forward to the fight.

 129 The Runaway Mage 1

    Pulling down his hood over his yellow hair and a face he had always been extremely proud of, Edward walked along the muddy ground, muttering under his breath constantly about how he was supposed to be in Selen''s bed, right now, playing with the naivete that had made her believe that his claim about him following some sort of exotic path was real.

    It was always so easy to fool people who didn''t know too much about magic. They had heard about elves being able to form a pact that didn''t allow them to lie, so when he had said that his own path ensured that he would always keep a promise that he gave, she hadn''t even doubted him. When she wasn''t looking, he had often laughed behind her back, knowing how much confidence she drew from having a safety net around her that she thought she could always rely on, whereas in fact, all she had actually accomplished nothing was have her flower picked for the first time since the death of her wealthy husband.

    For some time, he mooned over her perfect body, but still, each time a pauce came in his thoughts, his mind threatened to collapse once again as it recalled what he had had to go through when he had been foolish enough to ask about the identity of that Forn elf.

    Stopping in his tracks, he looked around warily, afraid that just thinking about that being might call down his wrath. The abilities of that species were mostly shrouded in secrecy; what one believed couldn''t possibly be true might just be the thing that killed them, and he had always lived his life with caution, and a healthy fear of anyone more powerful than him.

    Even now, that fear was pushing him to go back, but the very reason he had pushed himself was that he had known that if he didn''t take that first step outside and place himself in the deathlist of those beings, then there was no way that he could have built up the courage to proceed with what he was doing.

    Whenever the grand family made plans, his master had repeatedly told him that it was folk like them who were affected and killed even if they might be minding their own business. The only problem was that the frayed state of his mind, he had let slip the reason behind his departure, and if he knew her well, he was sure that she must have told those three by now, being the coward that she was.

    Putting his hand inside his pocket, he closed his fingers tightly around the glass figurine of a lizard that had been gifted to him by his master. Made in the form of one of the most secretive Godbeasts of the Mainland, it enabled him to pass through without being detected by anything that even a Tyro mage could cast, so after assuring himself that he was still under its effects which were being powered by a vajram that was also in the same pocket, he started walking again.

    ''I will reach the peak in one go! My entire life is going to change!''

    A smile finally came to his lips, but it slipped the moment he recalled the fate of that marble statue. Deciding that he would have ample time to rejoice after the task was done, he started running, intent on even using up his store of crystals to power him forward if it meant that he could get to where he needed to go as quickly as possible.

    On the way, he kept cursing the islands, where there was too much disturbance for any normal communication charm to work. True, they might be enough for two people separated by a couple of islands, but if a message needed to be sent to someone on the Mainland, there were too many barriers on the way that could not be bypassed unless one was truly powerful.

    Reaching a teleportation matrix, he drummed his fingers on its smooth surface and was gone in a flash. He had a long way to go¡­but the moment he stepped onto the next island, he blinked and froze as one of the most stunning women he had ever seen stood in front of him, completely naked.

    Her flowing, red hair was brushed to the front, just barely covering those incredible, soft, perfectly round mounds of hers that he suddenly found himself dreaming about. How would they feel, squished in his hands? Would he be able to fit one in one of his palms? How would they taste if his lips¡ª

    Shaking his head, he snapped out of the natural spell that the woman had cast using her utmost beauty. His senses told him that something was off here¡­but the moment he scanned her, and had his eyes fall on her wide hips and a hint of a backside that was worth dying for, he became distracted, again, and drool started to drip from the corner of his lips.

    When she spoke, he finally averted his gaze to her face, but even there, his eyes lurched onto her moist lips that he just wished he could bite and relish. She was a beauty like no other; anywhere she went, he was confident that she would have an uncountable number of suitors, but right now, she stood in front of him, as bare as the day she had come out of her mother''s womb.

    "Good sir¡­would you mind giving me some directions? I don''t know how to traverse these islands. I was brought along by a young master¡­but I ran away when he tried to have his way with me. I thought I was just coming along to give him company! He did nothing for me! He didn''t save my life¡­or help me when I needed it! Would you¡­ mind aiding a helpless, lost woman? There is only one way in which I can pay you¡­ and because you will truly occupy a place in my heart if you accept, I will cooperate, fully. Please?"

    She bit her lips, then, and Edward almost felt his soul fly out of him. His pants were already uncomfortably tight, and his face had the look of a wolf that had been starved for way too long.

    Controlling himself, though, he thought about it. Was it worth getting on the bad side of some young master with a background he would not be able to contend with for this beauty?

    The answer was simple.

    ''How would he even find out? I''ll act as if I''m helping her, but when I get the chance¡­ I''ll have my fun and just kill her! It wouldn''t even delay my journey, at all¡­''

    "Of course. Where do you wish to go?"

    The way those lips stretched when she smiled made him lose himself all over again, but regaining control with even more effort, he listened to her answer.

    "An island known as Harafen, my lord. Say¡­would you mind taking along my sisters, too? We are triplets, and they ran with me¡­they''re scared, so they''re waiting at a place we found nearby. Will you please follow me?"

    ''Triplets? My God! What the jackpot!''

    Already completely forgetting the message he had set out to give, Edward nodded and began to drool again when she turned around and exposed a spotless back and such a curvy bottom that his hands rose without him even controlling them.

    Even the way she walked was so sensuous that he felt his groin throbbing painfully with each step he took. He followed her, constantly trying to be patient will imagining how it would feel to have three similar women all over him, but after walking for fifteen minutes on the edges of the island and reaching a formation of rocks...he saw a man jump out from behind one of them.

    For a moment, for some reason, the man reminded him of one of the three powerful beings he had just run afoul of. This thought disappeared, though, when he watched with a hanging jaw as the woman ran to the man...and shouted something he was sure he had heard wrong.

    "My dear husband, he''s the one! He tried to force himself on me! Please kill him! I only managed to have him follow by promising that I have sisters waiting here! He ripped away my clothes, too! What a rogue!"

 130 The Runaway Mage 2

    The shirtless man glared at Edward, his eyes turning so red that he was almost convinced for a second that he belonged to different species. Veins stood out on his face in a way that might almost have been comical if he was not the reason behind the man''s anger¡­and a second later, his body''s first response was to run.

    His pretty face had gotten him into a lot of such predicaments back on the Mainland, too, and his quick feet had always been the ones to save him. It was only after taking a few steps that he realised that the man had even looked surprised the moment he started running, and that surprise filtered over to him, making him wonder why the hell he should react in this way.

    Freezing, he turned around to see that the bald man had started to follow. The moment he saw that Edward had stopped, he lurched to a halt, too, and cracked his knuckles while saying, "You dare misbehave with my wife? You won''t be the first one going to the grave because of this. Come! Let us settle this like men! Try to run like a mouse, and I''ll chase you down even if you flee to the ends of the Mainland!"

    The boast made Edward raise one eyebrow. He knew that they were still on the islands, so there was almost no way that the one in front of him had a background he needed to be scared of, but still, it was better to be safe than sorry.

    It rankled within him that the woman was cheating him in this manner, and in fact, the thing that confused him the most was¡­ that he didn''t understand why she had done it. She was the one who had appeared in front of him, naked¡­ so was this some sort of shakedown?

    He had his own pride, built from years of being a mage who could be called truly powerful in a place where no one else knew magic. It tempted him, now, to just attack and ask questions later, but heeding caution as it had saved his skin too many times before, he raised one hand and said in a diplomatic tone, "This is all a misunderstanding. She is the one who came in front of me, and asked for help. It seems that she wishes to play tricks, so I''ll just be on my way. I have something important I need to take care¡ª"

    He stopped speaking as the man''s eyes widened when he leveled that accusation against his wife, and he jumped forward, not listening to a word that came after that. Edward still considered, for a moment, whether he should just dodge him and run, but the moment the thought came to him, he remembered how he had cowered in front of that being.

    Like a cornered animal, he suddenly felt the urge to erupt and just rebel against anything that went against him. It could be said that it was the misfortune of these people, whoever they were, that they had come across him after he had gone through that incident¡­ so without any more hesitation, he plunged one hand into his green robes and drew out a dagger.

    When he had told his master about the decision to go to the islands to earn some money, the advice he had gotten was that as magic was so scarce there, he should conceal his status and use his ability as a trump card that could end a battle in one go. Ready to heed those wise words, he waited and waited until the man was just a few paces away from his feet¡­ and then, letting go of the group of particles that were keeping the attack he had formed from shooting ahead in front of him, he watched with a smirk as it flew forward, visible only to his eyes.

    Eagerly, he waited for the blade to cut cleanly through the man''s waist. He even began to imagine going to the woman and actually giving some truth to what she had accused him of¡­but the moment the invisible crescent blade touched the man''s rockhard abs, it stopped in its tracks and was then made to disperse, forcefully, hitting a wall of particles that had been hidden, until now, and still remained hidden after doing their job.

    Feeling his jaw go loose for the second time in a single minute, Edward scrambled to respond as the man reached him and punched him straight in his stomach. The defensive charm he had bought on the Mainland clicked into effect, protecting him from the brunt of his power, but just the impact that passed through it knocked the breath out of him and made him gasp as he took a few steps back.

    ''I''m up against a mage! What the fuck? How?!''

    His opponent stopped, then, and put both his hands on his waist with a broad smile on his face. The anger had gone nowhere, though, as those veins were still bulging on the entirety of his face, but when he spoke, it was in a tone that contained pride, for the most part.

    "You don''t look like a mage¡­but it''s always good to be safe. I haven''t had any real training¡­but no one can beat my defense! If you don''t believe me, just try! Try all the spells you have! Or are you one like me, knowing just a few spells? If so, tell me right now, so that we can end this farce!"

    Edward blinked. He had heard of such people, but only on the Mainland. They were people born with a frae, but either because they were too weak, or because they never found any access to knowledge that could help them, they only ever learned one or two spells in their lifetime. After all, even someone as dumb as an ox could figure out some or the other use for magic if they focused on it long enough, and experimented with any scraps of energy they might find.

    Confusion gnawed at him, at first, as he couldn''t understand how such a person was on these islands, but then, as he stared into those gloating eyes, he remembered who he was and drew himself up. With all the majesty of someone educated talking to a village fool, he said "Ah, so that''s how it is. Today is not your lucky day, then. Before you die, know that your death comes at the hands of a disciple of the legendary Jaravis Magus School!"

    "Pfft. Jaravis, Karavis. Who cares? Fight, or die."

    Sputtering, Edward drew on all of his might, already visualizing the cocky man dead, on the floor, cut into a hundred pieces.

    He chose the most dangerous and gaudy spell he knew, first, as he really, really wanted to see fear in the man''s eyes before he killed him. It was a spinning maze of fireballs, meant to revolve and speed up near an enemy in a mesmerizing pattern that enabled them to hit the target no matter how much they dodged.

    With a triumphant smile, he sent forth the six balls of fire, each hot enough to burn a hole through the man''s flesh.

    The man merely grinned and stayed there¡­and remained unmoving when all six fireballs crashed onto him and dispersed in the same way as the blade.

    Edward frowned. ''Such robust defenses? Somehow, he is even hiding all hints of the spell he is using! It might be a charm he bought with all the savings he collected in his pitiful life. That beauty is waiting for me! I have to finish this quicly!''

    Assuring himself that nothing was not as it seemed, he created a spinning, man-sized blizzard, next. Each icicle was sharp enough to cut through flesh like butter, but the moment they collided against the man''s body¡­they broke, and tiny shards of ice fell to the ground.

    With growing frustration, Edward let go of the need to be flashy. He conjured a large fireball, trusting its heat that was even greater than those of the first ones he had sent, but when it flew forward¡­ the man stood, unscathed, as it simply went past him, not even hurting him in the slightest.

    He felt like pulling his hair out, but he continued his attempts, provoked repeatedly by the man''s eyes and his slightly expectant, but already disappointed face.

    He raised a boulder nearby and made it shoot through the air.

    It broke down into small rocks when it hit his head.

    He made ten rotating blades made of air fly to the man.

    All of their edges were blunted on his body, not even a scratch appearing no matter how much they tried.

    He made the ground under the man''s feet crack.

    His opponent simply took a step back, as casually as if he was thinking about what to eat for dinner.

    Finally, Edward even conjured lightning, utilizing a spell he was unfamiliar with, but the moment it struck his head, it dissolved into sparks that floated away into the air.

    Fully drained, he fell to his knees, then. He had no more energy left in him; he had already drawn too much on the store of vajrams hidden in his boots. Signs of being overtaxed also appeared, and he knew that he was done for.

    He realized, now, that a lot of things were wrong with the situation. If the man was who he appeared to me, he should have had no way to defend himself against so many attacks. There was also no way that he was using some sort of a charm, as no charm that he knew of could stand up against so many powerful spells.

    Raising his head, he saw the man walking towards him. He opened his mouth to beg for mercy¡­but then, something happened that made his mind go blank.

    Blazing fireballs, spinning blades of air, sharp boulders, sharper icicles, and finally, a bolt of lightning all appear at once, spinning around his body, combined perfectly in a way that he could never have been capable of. They were all the spells, mimicked in a way that was even superior to how he had cast them.

    Watching them all and convinced that he was done for, he mumbled, "You''re¡­ a master. You were just playing with me!"

    In response, the man shrugged. All of the attacks vanished, and in their place, a hammer made of ice appeared in the air. It had a spike on the top on which each of the elemental attacks that had just disappeared flashed, one by one, and walking forward, the man grabbed it in his hands and hefted it, as if to check whether he was satisfied with its weight.

    "Perhaps. But you should not have messed with my wife. This is for daring to assume that she would lie to me. Oh, and I''m not done with you¡­so no matter where you''re going, put it on hold."

    The hammer fell, then. Edward could almost swear he saw stars revolving around his head, and as unconsciousness rushed over like a tsunami birthed in the very depths of the sea, he muttered the last thought in his mind before being swept under, and away.

    "She''s probably unsatisfied with you, so she came to me. Ah, I''m never gonna have that foursome..."

 131 Aftermath

    Daneel broke into a grin, then laughed out loud after being assured by the system that the man had fallen unconscious.

    Bending, he picked him up as if he was just a sack of vegetables and began to walk in the direction of the teleportation matrix that he had come from.

    His forehead that was burning once again suddenly felt its load lightened when the false image of him being a bald man with bristling muscles disappeared. Returning to his usual self, he walked with a smile on his face, but inwardly, he was wincing continuously due to the pain that just wasn''t leaving that all-important spot on his brow.

    He didn''t feel any dizziness, though, so feeling grateful for the fact that the system had been perfectly able to follow his command and cast spells only within his limit, he continued onwards, trying to ignore the throbbing sensation that only grew worse and worse.

    To distract himself, he thought of the reason behind this elaborate plan. Using the communication charm that the elf had produced magically from wherever he kept his trove of charms right before he left, Daneel had been informed of the direction in which the man had left. It had been quite easy to figure out his route; he had already known that direct messages couldn''t be sent to those on the Mainland by anyone at his level, so Daneel had guessed that he would take the shortest path to his master. Hence, after having the system use the information given by the beggar king to map all probable roots that he could take, Daneel had been pleasantly surprised, but not shocked, at all, when he found clear tracks of the man walking along hurriedly on just the first island he checked.

    After knowing that he could even figure out where the mage was going to be, he had started to think about what he should do. The easiest option was, of course, to kill him, but this time, he found himself very averse to this method.

    Already, he had created threats behind him that were certainly still searching, itching for his blood due to the dead body he had left behind in Marillein, so he had completely been against the possibility of adding another force to that of the man whose voice they had heard while in the library outside the beggar king''s vault.

    With this conclusion made, it soon became obvious that there was only one other thing he could attempt to do. If he could somehow make the mage faint, and hide him away until the scam was done¡­even if he woke up after that, he wouldn''t be able to do anything as Daneel and the others would be long gone. After reasoning out that the least amount of risk was present if he chose this path, he had made the decision and ran forward to an island that the man would definitely be passing through soon.

    In fact, three plans that he could use to take advantage of someone with such a personality had come to him, of which two were perfect, and one was a bit flawed, and maybe even a bit silly. Contrary to what he might usually have done, he had chosen that last one, tucking away the other two for an opponent who might be more of a danger than this mage.

    The three spells that the elf had given him were a defensive cloak that fit closely around one''s body and protected them from any attack, either magical or physical, a spell that could highlight tracks on the ground, and finally, one that could increase the toughness of his body for a limited period of time. At his disposal were two vajrams and over twenty processed crystals, so after planning a bit with the system, he had decided that he would once again try to witness more spells that he could copy.

    This had gone wonderfully, of course, as it had been quite easy to goad the maje into doing his best after bringing him over to a secluded place using the woman conjured using the elf''s doppelganger spell, which he couldn''t detect. As for how he was able to stand up to the man''s attacks even though he had been at least two levels above him¡­it was simple. He had tasked the system with using both the defensive cloak and the spell that increased toughness intermittently, distributing any attack that was sent at him throughout his body, letting both spells take the brunt to protect him. As he needed to keep whatever he was doing secret from the mage, though, it would have been a problem if these actions of the system had been witnessed by the man¡­so with a flash of inspiration, he had commanded the system to cast the elf''s spell of disguise over his body, thereby concealing both his true features, and the spells he was using underneath.

    Elvish magic was like a layer that could not be pierced by human mages, apparently, or at least those who were weak. It had been a gamble, and he had even been ready to just scrap the plan and kill him if he saw what he was doing¡­but it had all worked out, and right now, all that was left was to store away the mage somewhere while they happily went about their plan.

    Right as he got to the teleportation crystal, though, the pain became so bad that he couldn''t even take another step forward. Flashes of light appeared in his vision, and his entire body felt as if it was burning. Somehow, he also felt hot even though he knew that he was in the grips of a dangerous fever, and with growing concern, he asked the system what the hell was going on.

    None of his symptoms matched with his frae being overloaded. His panic grew even further when the system took a moment to answer¡­but when it finally did, all such negative feelings left his mind, and he immediately dropped the mage who just moaned sleepily, then lay still.

    [It is possible that host is undergoing a breakthrough. It is recommended that host meditate, thereby taking control of the process rather than being controlled by it.]

    Immediately, he sat down and focused on the sensations emanating from throughout his body. The pain was still there, but a few seconds later, he realized that something at that spot was trying to¡­ grow, or at least, break apart from some obstruction around it.

    While the system had been casting the spells a few moments ago, he had clearly seen the process it had used. Energy was drawn from an external source that he was in contact with, channeled through the cells of his body, congregated at his head, then made to build until it was strong enough to draw the particles from the other realm. While these particles were manipulated, that same energy would be depleted as the frae, or, the ''seed'' of magic in the ancient tongue, used it in a way that he, or even the system could not understand to mold those tiny beings of the beyond.

    The size of the frae dictated the amount of energy that could be used. After being pushed, until now, he could see that somehow, some of the energy that had been used had been left behind there, and it was this power that was being used to break the limit of what he was capable of, at the moment.

    Without the system telling him, he could feel that nothing external could be used to help. Slowly, he understood that this energy that had remained behind was actually that which had been made his own. He had reached some sort of a limit, and hence, it was being depleted so that this very limit could be broken through¡­so with patience, he just let it contract and expand, trying, failing, then trying again to leap for the heavens, or at least get closer to that peak.

    It was something that could not be pushed. An hour passed, and then another. He endured the pain and the gut-wrenching sensation of fire burning through that spot on his head. Others would have tried to restrict the frae so that they could escape this suffering¡­but knowing better, Daneel held on, endeavoring to give it the best conditions to do what it wanted.

    Finally, three hours later, it stopped completely. Daneel wondered whether it was giving up, and whether he would have to go through all this again¡­but suddenly, it gave one last push, and with a sound akin to something solid crumbling, it grew to three times its size.

    A clarity unlike almost anything he had felt in his life came to him, and even his vision seemed to have been improved. He could feel even the faintest breeze in the air, and for a few seconds, he just lost himself in the pure beauty of the world¡­before feeling a pang of loss as these heightened senses left him.

    When the system''s message appeared in his head, he opened his eyes, and for a brief moment¡­ they seemed to burn with the desire for more, as if the very sun was within them.

    [Breakthrough to Neophyte Magus level successful. Spells of greater magnitude can now be cast. Host can now hold energy of his own to cast spells.]

 132 Reflections

    Free. That was the main thing he felt as he sensed the frae relish in the breakthrough, before suddenly hungering for energy so that it could fill up the new stores that had just been created.

    He obliged, breathing in to pull from the crystals around his waist. He felt a faint hint of panic, though, when he saw that he was running dangerously low¡­but recalling the windfall that was soon going to come his way, he calmed himself down and stood up.

    He really wished that he could continue sitting there to gather even more insights and even more information about what magic really was using his own sensations and his own reasoning, but it was too dangerous. If anyone came this way, a lot of questions would definitely arise about the one he had kidnapped, so grudgingly, he picked up the mage''s body and took out a crystal to begin the teleportation.

    On the way back to Larefa, he did reflect, a lot, on everything that had just happened. Magic was fundamentally different here from what it had been on Angaria, but already, he could draw a few similarities that he knew would help him in the future if he proceeded along his path, right now, and kept getting stronger.

    On Angaria, magic was all about one''s mageroot, which was similar to the frae, but also different as it had nothing to do with energy. There, all that mattered was the size of the mageroot, which was directly tied to the complexity of one''s unconsciousness, or in other words, the ability of one''s mind to perform increasingly complex tasks. Depending on the level of both of these, the particles that freely floated in the air could be controlled to cast bigger and stronger spells, so the way to train as a mage was to temper the mageroot in energy, and allow it to grow by repeatedly casting spells.

    These last two aspects were similar here, too¡­but the main differing aspect was that the frae had energy of its own. This was clearly so to counteract the additional step, here, where particles needed to be attracted from the other realm to be used in spell casting.

    At first glance, it might seem as if magic here was weaker¡­but already, he had seen so much that said the exact opposite. He was confident that the mage he had fought was definitely not above the Tyro level. They were still in the first realm, and in the third level of that realm, but already¡­spells of the sort that he had just seen could be cast.

    It was incredible! Of course, he didn''t know how many realms there were, but he knew, with certainty, that if two mages with the same amount of training but different origins fought, then the one who had trained on the Mainland would definitely win by a landslide.

    He had known, beforehand, of such a difference, but it hadn''t been as clear before. Now that he knew exactly how they were different¡­the ramifications were astounding.

    First, the ceiling of power had definitely changed. There, the Hero level was the limit even for those in the ancient Empire, who had had access to an atmosphere which was much more abundant with energy, but here, he was confident that a peak at least a couple of realms above that could be achieved as one could just do so much more with these particles, and with being in close contact with the source of all magic.

    Second, he could already see how spells that one might never have been able to imagine back on Angaria could be cast here. After all, instead of using the types of particles present in the air, one could split what was obtained from the beyond to what they wanted, so it was very possible that subtypes that were not present on Angaria, or at least did not conform to the traditional classification of elements could be found, and used with incredible effects.

    Feeling giddy due to all the things he was understanding so easily without having to be taught about them or taking the help of the system, he continued, studying the exact cause of the breakthrough, and what he had learned about the frae in the process.

    They were too many problems present with the entire process of absorbing external energy and using it to cast spells. True, it allowed one to do things that they definitely would not be capable of doing at that level, but it truly wasted too many resources.

    Also, there was a delay, a latency caused by the fact that energy had to be absorbed, collected, then used. It was very, very difficult to maintain the level required while also weaving those complex patterns, and if he didn''t have the system, he would definitely not have been capable of defeating that mage in the way he just had.

    Hell, now that he thought about it, he saw that it had been so hard to skip over those few levels without making him faint that all the system''s abilities, which had been upgraded so many times with so much painstaking and frustrating effort on his part, had been stressed, meaning that what he had done was definitely impossible for anyone else, unless they were also some God-level being who was trapped in the body of a Novice Mage, for some reason.

    Slowly, his thoughts veered to the reason behind his breakthrough, in the first place. Was it really so easy for a Novice to go to the next level, simply by casting a few spells forcefully? For some reason, this just did not feel right. So, to find out whether he had overestimated the distance between two realms, he asked the system, and the answer it gave made him freeze where he was.

    [Responding to host. The topic which has just been asked about was being researched by system extensively until a few moments ago. The conclusion reached is as follows:

    The connection to a Will was made through hosts ''frae''. At the moment of connection, the ''frae'' was bathed in a nourishing aura, of sorts, which can even be called a type of energy. Due to this process, the distance between the realms was greatly reduced, allowing host to shorten the time to a breakthrough. This is a one-time amplification in the case of each Will, directly proportional to the size of the Will, and thereby, the size of the island that is inhabited by the Will. It is possible that host can quicken his pace of improvement through the realms by connecting with different Wills from different locations. The two connections made were the reason behind host''s breakthrough.]

    Power, Will, and energy. Suddenly, it felt as though every step he had taken since coming here had somehow unconsciously helped his goal, and the moment he realized this, he saw the hints of a prophecy guiding his actions.

    ''Am I really the chosen one? Logic dictates that anyone meant to free the inhabitants of these islands should have a means to be more powerful than anyone else here...and I''m pretty sure that being able to connect to a Will is no small thing. Ah...who cares? If I''m not the frelsar, the real chosen one is really lucky ''cos he''s gonna have all his work done for him before he can lift a finger. All right, then, for now, onwards, for the end of the scam awaits!''

 133 The Final Step 1

    Using the elven spell of concealment, Daneel once again marched through the island of Larefa without a concern on his mind until he reached the border of the town, where he dispelled his magic and entered covertly, trying hard to keep out of sight of any of the guards posted around the place.

    He didn''t have too much difficulty, thankfully, because most of the guards had been assigned to the vault to show that there were always so many people assiduously guarding the location that they would soon make use of. Also, trusting that the newcomers were powerful enough, or particular enough to see to their own defenses, many of the security personnel around the mansion they had been given had been removed, making it even easier to enter, unseen, and startle Alex by knocking loudly on the door, then dumping the body inside before anyone could respond.

    Alex had opened the door after a very brief pause, which led him to understand that the thief might have been pacing nervously, wondering whether Daneel would finish the job or mess up and make it so that they would have to leave without finishing the scam. The moment he saw the body of the mage fly past him, he was surprised, but getting over it quickly, he ran to the pretty guy and kicked him in his ribs, over and over again, until the mage grunted and almost seemed ready to wake up.

    In a flash, the elf acted, casting a spell at such blinding speed that Daneel could only catch a hint of air and fire being used together. An angry swelling that appeared on his head made it obvious, though, that the ancient being had also used something like a hammer to knock him out, so with a grin, Daneel entered and closed the door behind him.

    This time, it was not a dead body from which the elf could pick up traces regarding how the battle had gone. Still, he looked to Daneel, expecting some sort of an explanation, but with a shrug, Daneel just said, "As you suggested, I caught him off guard. I bumped him on his head with a boulder, and here he is. His eyes were up in the air, either imagining you swooping down and killing him, or thinking of the woman he left behind. Either way¡­ I just faced a bit of opposition from some charm. He just took two hits, though, and here we are!"

    Cheerfully, he poured himself some tea and took a seat, purposefully avoiding the elf''s eyes which were calculating and measuring Daneel, trying to ascertain whether he was telling the whole truth. Of course, what he had told was anything but what had happened, but with the system helping him to lie, there was no way that Mors could figure this out.

    He made the suggestion in an all too casual tone, and even though the elf''s eyes narrowed as if he had caught a hint of Daneel''s true intention, he finally let it go and nodded before motioning at him to turn away. Daneel obliged, the air shifted behind him, and a few moments later, the sound of deep snoring filled the room.

    Snorting with disgust, Alex picked up the body just as roughly as Daneel had carried it until now and chucked it inside one of the rooms of the mansion. He locked the door carefully, making sure that he checked five times that the lock would hold, and even after that, he told the elf to cast some sort of a warning spell so that they would be alerted if someone tried to break in.

    With this task done, too, Daneel turned to both of them and said, "Alright, it''s time to move onto the final step. We can''t let any more problems arise¡­ so let''s continue with the scam. Both of you know what to do, right? Mors, when will you depart?"

    The elf actually frowned as he heard this, glancing at the corner of the room where the ripped off portion of his dress lay. Then, taking a few seconds and apparently telling himself that it was the last time he would have to do this, he said, "After we reveal the true purpose behind us coming here. I do not wish to miss that, and I should have ample time to do what is needed afterward."

    Nodding, Daneel turned to the thief, who stood up in response and spoke while he walked to the door.

    "Mors said those fuckers came close two or three times before scurrying away, scared to ask how much time it will take, probably. They will definitely jump at the opportunity now when I say that we''re finally ready to talk.Franly, I''m interested to see how this will play out."

    A few minutes later, they were all seated inside the central mansion of the town, on chairs added in front of a marble fountain that must have been grand until their arrival. It''s melted head with a testament to their power, and studying it, Daneel once again felt grateful that he had the system which had recorded that spell, too, and held it ready to be used when the need arose.

    Between the chairs was a pile of ash, dumped there by Alex the moment they arrived. It was just soot he had taken out of a lamp in the mansion...but without saying a word, he convinced the three that it was all that remained of the mage.

    The thief had been given the prerogative to lead this discussion, so after letting the three leaders of the town fret for a few minutes during which they sweated and tried hard not to glance at the ashes in front of them, he finally said, "I have been opposed to this from the start, but it seems that you will all live, after all."

    As soon as his words were heard in the large, open area, all three leaders felt the tension go of them. The two men even leaned back on their chairs and let out such a long sigh that it seemed as if they were inmates on death row, promised that their sentence had been changed, and the woman was not that much better, simply managing to keep her face calm after showing the same amount of relief in the form of an explosive outburst of breath.

    The thief grinned, then, and let the hammer drop.

    "If you think that the possibility of the three of you living out your lives happily has been confirmed¡­then you cannot be more wrong. Listen, now, to the true reason behind us coming here. If you carry out our wishes well, and work hard, you will grow richer than your wildest dreams. But if you slack off and bring harm to what we intend to do¡­your deaths will be far more violent and painful than you can ever imagine. You will be tortured for an eternity, existing only as an example to those who might think of being tardy on a mission they are given, and believe me when I say that it is a fate they I would not wish on even my worst enemy. Do I make myself clear?"

    The sweat returned, in full force, this time, with even the woman repeatedly dabbing at her forehead and soiling her green silk gown. The other two used perfumed handkerchiefs that were already dripping wet, and with intent gazes, they waited for Alex to continue.

    As if he was satisfied with their reaction, Alex sat back and said, "It is good that you understand the gravity of the situation. A precious object needs to be stored in the islands, where no one will even think to look. Its value is beyond what your puny minds can understand. All you need to know is that it will sit in your vault, and you will be paid a heft amount, yearly, to maintain this island in any way you see fit. Just make it look like one of the many scraps of useless land in this backward place filled with useless people, and your rewards will be great. By giving you this mission, we are doing you a great service. In fact...if you do well, a few years later, there might even be a place for you on the Mainland. Do you understand?"

    The old man among the three leaned forward and nodded so violently that Daneel suspected that his head might roll off if he used any more energy.

    The woman smiled, acting surprised, at first, then seeming as happy as she had ever been.

    To top them both off, the other man blinked as if he was shocked, then promptly fainted, as if he could never have expected that this was why they had arrived, and as if what they were promising him was something that was truly startling enough to knock him out.

    Daneel almost shook his head, disgusted by the third-grade action, but he stopped himself at the last moment.

    He saw Alex get the same urge, and as for Mors, he was trying hard not to laugh.

    So far, everything had gone well, and to finish, only one thing was left. Without further ado, Alex spoke, cleverly picking words that gave a veiled hint of what was going to happen which made Daneel feel like laughing out loud, and when the two leaders who were still awake agreed without even a hint of hesitation, all three of them smiled, as the three leaders had just signed their death warrant.

    "Good. The object arrives in one day. Due to how sensitive it is, it needs a large escort, and an even larger force to carry it. We have counted the number of people required; we''ll be taking all the guards in charge of the vaults with us. Apprise them of what needs to be done, and meet us outside the town tomorrow morning. For now¡­go back to the last day of your meaningless lives. Tomorrow, your fates will change in a way that will leave you shocked for years to come¡­"

 134 The Final Step 2

    Seline tried to keep the grin off her face as she readied herself in front of the mirror, remembering how flustered and frustrated she had been just a few days ago, when she had been forced to hurry so that she could attend to the three whom she now thought of as gods, come to relieve her of a life without prospects that she had been pushed into without any other choice.

    She frowned when she had caught herself thinking in this manner; in many ways, when she compared where she had come from to where she was now, she had always been satisfied, knowing that the distance she had traveled was something that very, very few would ever be capable of, but right now, with so much more waiting for her in the future, she found it hard to accept that she had completely been satiated with what she had had before.

    If she was telling the truth, she would admit that she really did like this island, this room that she had had built to her taste, and this mansion that reminded her of her husband. He had been a sweet man, charming and loving despite the fact that she had only married him for his money, and although she had cried a lot of fake tears in front of his grave a decade ago, some had been real.

    Hearing a knock on her door and knowing that it was time, she checked one last time to make sure that each and every strand on her head was in place, and each and every inch of her clothes had been carefully ironed. Happy with it all, she got up and walked to the right to greet whoever had come.

    It was the old man, and for once, his pockmarked face did not seem as revolting is it always did. A smile was on it, making it seem just a tiny bit bearable, and it broadened when he took in her plunging neckline and the tight fit of the crimson gown around her hips.

    He gave her a wink, then, as if to say that he knew what she was trying to do. Indeed, she would love nothing more but to be able to seduce one of the three so that she could fast-track her rise¡­and why should she be ashamed of using her merits to great effect in ways that the other two would never be able to do?

    With a humph, she swept past him to the waiting servants. They would all be coming along in case extra help was needed to bring the object, whatever it was. They were soon outside, walking to the place where the three would be waiting, and in a few seconds, she saw the ranks of guards standing perfectly still in the hot sun, not even showing a hint of displeasure despite the fact that it must be boiling under all that leather.

    It had been drilled into them that even a single mistake today would result in them ending the day as slaves. It was a fate that made all of them shudder, and so, she was confident that no matter what happened, there would be no problem from their side.

    One of them nodded in her direction briefly, and all three set off to the teleportation matrix. The old man gave a quiet order that they should wait, and follow behind at a respectful distance, and that was what they did, marching along the red ground making as little noise as possible so that they would not disturb the eminent personalities in front.

    Seline kept her eyes on them, intent on running forward and grabbing an opportunity to be of service if she found one, but she finally looked away after seeing that no such thing would happen. By then, the other two had caught up to her, and with a lopsided grin, the younger of the two said, "I wonder how much they''re going to pay us. It should definitely be more than everything in our vaults, cos they actually tipped a maid - a lowly maid!- with vajrams¡­so what should we do with it all?"

    The old man snorted with disdain, always annoyed by the other''s immaturity. The only reason he was a leader was his father who had been a close friend, so controlling whatever retort he had been about to give, he said, "That''s not important, at the moment. I''ve been thinking about what we should do with the slaves. One option would be to go ahead with the purchases, and get some skilled folk here so that we can build a Refinery. The pits will be empty in a few weeks¡­so I see no manner in which they can be taught to do anything as sophisticated as what is required if we are to upgrade this town. The more I think of it, the more it seems that it is best to kill them all. To sell the slaves, we would have to allow outsiders to enter the island, and I don''t think the family will be happy with that. There is no reason whatsoever to even risk their displeasure in a matter that is so minor. In my opinion, this is the simplest solution."

    Seline felt a faint hint of alarm. No one knew her past, so no one also knew about the secret that she wasn''t really who she seemed to be on the surface. However, as always, it was important to keep up appearances, so with a scowl, she said, "Is that really necessary? It would be such a sunken investment! Let''s hold off on the decision. Maybe they can be used as servants¡­and maybe some of them can even learn to be refinery workers if tortured enough! We should think about it. If they turn out to be capable, we wouldn''t need to pay them. After all, they''ve been broken so thoroughly that they can never heal¡­so why waste all that effort we''ve put in?"

    Her stomach roiled, just like it always did whenever she had to say such things, but if she had any intention of holding onto her position, she had known long back, itself, that she had to look as ruthless and uncaring as possible of those very people she had come from. Over the years, she had always tried to throw away this weakness, as it seemed sometimes, within her¡­but again and again, she kept trying to do something for them covertly, and succeeding only in the most minor way. Many nights, she would stay awake, knowing that all the slaves probably hated her and thought of her in the same way as they did the other two¡­but that didn''t stop her from continuing her attempts, no matter how many times she failed.

    To convince the others of what she felt, she had had to sit through many torture sessions, even leading some to make it appear as if she wasn''t bothered by them, at all. She was convinced that these instances, more than anything must have solidified her image in the minds of the slaves¡­but at the moment, seeing that she was once again entering the spiralling stream of thoughts that never ended well, she pulled herself out as she had to have all her wits about her if she wanted to make use of any situation that might come up.

    The old man grunted in response, then stayed quiet. Drool began to drip from the mouth of the other, as if he was dreaming of a future filled with crystals. She stayed calm and walked on, and soon, they were stepping through the teleportation matrix.

    Only two or three guards had been left behind at the vaults. The rest were behind them, and soon, they had passed through two islands.

    At the third, the three asked them to pause and walked forward. She stoon on her toes and peeked forward, suspecting that this was where the treasure would be handed over, but all she could see was a scrap of empty land outside the dome on the island which happened to be further inward than it usually was in most cases.

    Something flashed near the elf, and she wondered whether it was some sort of a communication spell. The one who always spoke to them waved all of them over, and with a graceful smile on her face, she hastened her steps so that she would stay in front.

    Due to a reason she couldn''t fathom, she suddenly found himself wishing that the mage was nearby, ready to protect her instead of drifting in the air of the town in the form of ashes.

    Soon, they had been made to stand close together in a circle after being told that it had to be so to indicate to those who were coming that they were all friendly, and with bated breath, they waited.

    Their vigil lasted only for a minute. The elf looked like he was intently staring into thin air in front of them, and suddenly, he straightened, as if he was done with whatever task he had set for himself. Another flash of light appeared in front of them all, sudden, but without a sound, and this one was so blinding that Seline was forced to close her eyes.

    That uneasy feeling from before magnified, and all of a sudden¡­ she blinked and saw that a ring of light had appeared all around them. It glowed for a few moments, then flew inward¡­ and whoever it touched fell to the ground, unconscious.

    There was nothing she could do. Nothing she could even try. When it went through her just a second later, she was instantly knocked out before she even hit the ground. The last thing she saw was the elf ripping away that star that had seemed so regal¡­ and the other two slapping each other on their backs, as if extremely satisfied with a job well done.

    What felt like an eternity later, she stirred, slowly growing awake. After what felt like an even longer time, vaguely, she could see all around her, and hear the sounds of something metallic clicking into place close by.

    Soon, one of the three members of the eminent family appeared in her vision. He raised both his eyebrows when he saw her blinking groggily, but with a shrug, he bent down at her neck, her hands, and her legs.

    The sensation of something cold, something rough that sucked away warmth pressing down on all three of these places jolted her completely awake. She then realized that she couldn''t move an inch. She looked down with horror to confirm the wild fear that had suddenly sprung up inside her¡­and when she saw that she had been right, that she was shackled in the same way that they always kept the slaves in the pits, she screamed, and kept screaming until her voice broke, and faded into nothingness.

 135 Broken

    The scream of the woman behind him let Daneel know that Alex was almost done chaining all of the guards, the leaders, and the servants, too, until it was proven that they didn''t deserve it. It had been the thief''s plan, all along, to let all these individuals who saw themselves as superiors be greeted with the same fate, and when Daneel had heard it, he had agreed that it was poetic justice, of a sort, which had definitely been coming for each and every one who had inflicted suffering in this town, thinking that there would never come a day when they would have to answer for their crimes.

    Instead of using the adage of ''innocent, until proven guilty'', they were using the opposite. Unless they heard from the slaves, themselves, that the people who weren''t chained like them were innocent, Daneel would continue to presume that they were all guilty of crimes worthy of being killed for.

    Almost 2 hours had passed since the leaders, their followers and the guards had stepped headfirst into the trap waiting for them with eager faces and shining eyes. The elf had set it all up the day before, choosing an empty scrap of land and making sure that his spell would stay visually hidden in case someone passed by before they arrived.

    Even with the elf''s level, which Daneel had not yet guessed, it was apparently hard to knock out so many people at once. The only reason he was able to do so was that he had been allowed to work on it beforehand, and of course, the drawback of this method was that it would work only in a set area.

    Of course, because they had discussed all of this before, the entire scam had been leading up to that moment when all of the individuals in the town they needed to be worried about would step into that spot, and completely lose any means of resistance. While they had been knocked out, Daneel and Alex had carried, pulled, and for the most part, watched as the elf made them all float to each teleportation matrix so that they could all travel back to the island where they could be confident that no one would intrude on whatever they did.

    Knowing that they would be traveling in this manner, the elf had also set up wards on the islands that they had passed through to get to where the trap had laid in wait. They had gone ahead only after knowing that no one would be present on the way to see the massive pile of floating bodies, and right now, they were in the large, open square outside the central mansion, with Daneel standing in front of all those being chained while a large group of people had been summoned to stand in front, in the empty streets of the town that almost looked desolate.

    The slaves had then been brought up by the thief. Daneel heart had ached when he had seen them follow him. They had apparently been trained by being tortured repeatedly to keep their heads down and follow whoever was holding the end of the chain they were bound by, so even now, with the same dead eyes that he had seen during the auction, they emerged on the surface, not even looking up to enjoy the sun that they had been deprived of for all this time.

    The people who did the torturing were the same guards that guarded the vault, and a few others whom Alex had locked up inside the pits to be dealt with later. Even without any of these individuals present, the slaves did not even try to look up when Alex took off all the chains and took them away to be used on the guards, the leaders, and the others who had come with them before.

    Daneel continued to watch all 600 of them, standing perfectly with the same amount of distance between them, all with their heads inclined at the exact same angle to face the ground. He watched even after Alex finished and came to stand beside him, and it was only 10 minutes after that that he made his decision.

    Folding his hands behind his back, he spoke in a voice that reverberated throughout the town.

    "Slaves of Larefa. I know that you find this hard to believe¡­ but your days of captivity are no more. Your captors are now the ones who are chained, and they stand ready, here, to face justice. Raise your heads, and feel what it is to be free for the first time. Your fates have forever been changed¡­and all that remains now is for you to look up, and grab what is waiting for you. Heed my words. Raise your heads! Look up!"

    His words washed over all the slaves¡­and did nothing.

    There wasn''t even the slightest movement in any of them to signal that they had heard him. None of them even glanced up to check whether it might be true. They stood there, unmoving, looking like they would stay so until they dropped to their feet, dead due to hunger and exertion unless their masters came and gave them a command regarding what they were supposed to do.

    Daneel frowned, and found the answer behind what was happening when Alex bent and whispered near his ear.

    "Those fucking bastards behind us were sick enough to try things like these, and punish those who showed signs of believing them in full view of all the others. It was all to convince them that they would never escape. Ever. That it was futile to even try, even if all signs might point to an avenue of freedom present in front of their eyes."

    He almost turned around and ran to the leaders to beat them black and blue to start with, at least, but he controlled himself. Narrowing his eyebrows, he looked all around, searching, probing for someone he could use to break the dam that had been built in all of their minds.

    He found a likely target in the form of a slave who was hardly a teenager. When Daneel''s eyes had gone over him, he had trembled just a little, as if fighting the urge to listen to or react in some way.

    Walking quickly, Daneel reached him. The trembling returned when Daneel caught his hand and pulled, leading him between all the others and to the leaders of the town who had just begun to wake up.

    The woman had gone hoarse, but the way she looked at the slave and Daneel made it clear that she knew what was coming for her. All the sickening things she had done seemed to be flashing through her mind as she shuddered now and then, and after shooting her a look of disgust, Daneel stopped in front of the old man who was the most notorious of three.

    He was still not fully awake, but Daneel did not care. Tugging him to his knees using the chains, he said to the young slave, "Go on. Hit him. He can do nothing."

    The slave didn''t move. Daneel grimaced, wondering whether he had been wrong, but then¡­ he saw the boy''s fist tighten ever so slowly, before relaxing as if he had suddenly become afraid of what he had imagined.

    Daneel took that hand in his, pursing his lips when he saw how callused, how scarred, how rough it was. He curled it into a fist, powering through the weak opposition of the boy one finger at a time, and after he was done¡­ he pulled it back, and sent it flying straight into the old man''s face.

    This finally woke him up. He looked around, startled, at first, then growled, "What the fuck do you think you''re doing? You lowly dog! Kneel, and¡ª"

    Daneel made the same fist fly again, this time straight into the old man''s mouth. His eyes bulged when he saw it happen, and whatever he had been about to say was stopped in its tracks.

    He pulled back the hand, and the old man sputtered, looking between the slave and Daneel as if he could not understand what nightmare he had wandered into.

    Ignoring him, he sent another punch. And another. And another.

    Each time, he saw that he needed to use less and less force to push the young slave''s hand. The old man kept trying to say something, trying to edge in a word between the punishment, but soon, he shut up, his nose, lips, and skin starting to bleed due to the beating they were taking.

    He had purposefully positioned himself to be in full view of the rest of the slaves. When he started to hear gasps as they finally looked up just a bit to see what was going on, he knew that his plan was working.

    While in the process of letting the next punch fly, he suddenly left the young slave''s hand midway. The force that the boy had begun to add was more than enough to let his bloodied knuckles crunch into the old man''s cheeks, once again. But after that, he froze, eyes opened wide with shock as he looked between the hand, and Daneel.

    All Daneel did was smile. In his eyes, he tried to show everything that he wanted the young boy to understand. He tried to show him that it was alright, that his dream had come true, that he could do what he wished, that this was not a trap, or a ploy to punish him even more¡­and in those large eyes without a hint of life until now, he finally saw something bloom deep, deep within.

    Cracks had finally appeared, and they were spreading. "Again!" He shouted, his voice like a whip, but its effect was anything but what that heinous object could have produced.

    The fist flew true, all on its own.

    "Again!" he screamed, and behind him, he heard the first few hesitant footsteps, and the rustling of those drab clothes that meant that more people were moving.

    Even before the young boy''s bloodied fist fully drew back, "Again!" he bellowed, addressing not the slave he had picked, but all those who had stumbled near the chained bodies all around him.

    With all his strength, the young slave punched once more, and the old man fell back, thudding onto the bodies behind him, no longer able to stay on his knees.

    At the same time, all around Daneel, hundreds flooded forth, completely absorbed in the rush of emotions and the thirst for revenge that had been given life in the wake of the death of their broken minds, of the destruction of all they had known so far. As all their fists flew¡­he closed his eyes and took in a deep breath, the screams of the guards and all the residents of the town sounding like music to his ears.

 136 Seline

    All around her, Seline could hear, and sometimes, even feel the outburst of emotions that had somehow erupted at a juncture in her life when she had been convinced that all three of their fates were going to change in a way that they had never imagined.

    The chains had been designed specifically so that they would not allow too much room for movement to anyone who wore them. Her throat was still hoarse, so she couldn''t say a single thing, but still, she tried and failed repeatedly to turn her head to the side to see who was going to be the one to take out their anger, frustration, and everything else that had been building up for years on her, to give her a release from this sordid hell that she had somehow wandered into.

    Even as she waited, she remembered the ominous words of that member of the family. He had said that things would play out in a way that would leave them shocked for years¡­and certainly, what was happening here qualified.

    The screams of the guards, the netizens of the town, and even a few servants filled the atmosphere, coming from all around her in a cacophony of pain that made her sweat and cry and pull at the cold, hard chains, wavering between the desire to face her death standing and the urge to soil herself as she was just too afraid.

    Neither seemed like it would win out as soon, some of the slaves began to appear near her, in her vision. She looked at them pleadingly, or at least, that was how she tried to look, but in truth, she wondered whether she was just inviting them to target her, too. It was surprising, though, to see each and every one of them glance at her, then choose others nearby, and soon, an empty spot had even formed around her into which not many slaves entered.

    Her thoughts turned darker and darker, though, as she realized that people were actually being beaten to death. Of course, they definitely deserved it, but that meant that she had no chance of survival, at all.

    She was convinced that like a choicy morsel in a meal, she had been left behind for the end, where untold torture must be waiting for her. Compared to everything that had been inflicted on what must have looked like her command, it was nothing, but still, there was no way that she could calmly accept this fate that she had always known she deserved, but never thought she would have to endure.

    Even after a few minutes passed, those echoes of death just kept getting louder. Pleading moans also started to be added to the din, and sometimes, there were signs of people being pulled into this killing ground, shouting that they were innocent. There were even brief bursts of struggles, which always ended with the sickening sound of many fists descending to silence whoever had had the gall to try and interfere with this day of deliverance.

    Like all others at this point in life, she found herself reflecting on the past. She ignored all those moments she had tried to do something for the slaves, and failed, or only saw the least bit of success. Instead, she focused on how she often managed to forget everything else and just enjoy the material delights that were at her feet. In those years when she had been deprived of them, she had yearned for them with all of her spirit, and when she had had them placed in front of her, she had jumped at the opportunity, never thinking about anything else. Over time, she had started to love these things which seemed so inconsequential now so much that they had taken up most of her attention, and finally, she saw just how useless and empty they were.

    If she could go back, she told herself that she might have tried more. A little, nagging voice said that that would only have led to her death¡­but she silenced it as she had already convinced herself that she was going to pay for everything she had done, or as she saw it, everything she had not done.

    Finally, a big slave, one of those eight footers who had been sold for a hefty price appeared in front of her, and she saw her end in his bloodied fist. She just kept her eyes on it, so she was surprised when he stopped in front of her and turned around, not even acknowledging that she was there.

    She tried croaking out a question, or a plea so that her vigil would finally end. Only, all she managed to do was make pitiful sounds like a whimpering dog which were swallowed away by all the noise in the area, so with wide-open eyes, she waited to see what would happen.

    With each second that passed, she grew more and more confused as the man just stayed where he was, turning away any slave who even thought of coming close by his gaze and his body, which was like a wall in front of her. She wondered whether he was saving her for himself, whether he would force himself on her before wringing the life out of her in those hands which could snap her like a twig, but the moment this thought appeared, she discarded it as she knew that the biggest slaves were actually the kindest ones in the pit, always helping those who couldn''t fulfill their quota at the end of the month so that they wouldn''t be relegated to the guards who loved using the whip.

    By her estimation, ten more minutes passed until all the sounds started to grow quiet. A few moans were heard, here and there, but for the most part, all that reached her ears was the panting of slaves nearby, and the death rattles of those on the brink. She shuddered to think of the flesh and gore scattered all around her, and she shuddered even more when she remembered that she was going to join it, soon.

    When the big man nodded to something out of her vision and turned around, she closed her eyes, her spirit thoroughly broken. If she could speak, she might even have tried crying for mercy, but as she couldn''t, she just let her tears flow while bracing herself for the blow that would surely knock the breath out of her.

    Only¡­instead of any such thing happening, a sound that she could not believe she was hearing reached her years. It was the faint clicking of shackles being removed, and with a blink, she looked down to see that the big man was gently removing those chains that had bound her until now.

    She still told herself that all it meant was that they might want to string her up so that everyone could have a go. As she slowly raised her head, she took a step back with fear when she saw that all the slaves were gathered around her, their eyes fixed on her with inscrutable gazes that were so different from those she had seen day in and day out, over all these yars.

    From between them all, a hairless old man, one who was older than any slave was allowed to be hobbled through. His skin clung to his bones, showing how deprived of food he was, and she realised that he must have been hidden away, somehow, as slaves were usually killed before they reached an age where they couldn''t work.

    It took some time for him to reach her, but when he did, he took her hands in his. They were crinkled and rough, but in a warm gesture, he squeezed..and brought back memories she had buried firmly in the back of her mind.

    He broke out into a smile. The smile was so welcoming that it even reached his eyes, and when she listened to what he said¡­ Seline completely broke down, then and there, and bawled her heart out.

    "Little Seli. Remember me? I was the one who delivered you from your mother''s womb, down in the pits. You played on my shoulders while growing up. I fed you when you couldn''t eat, and clothed you when you didn''t know what clothes were. I was there when your mother died, killed for no reason except that she refused the advances of a few guards. I was there when that man came from above, and saw in you the beauty you would grow into. I heard that you were taken away to a place where you were taught to be someone different¡­ but all this time, I''ve been watching, and I know that you have not forgotten us. You did what you could, and that was more than enough. Come. It is time to be joined with your family¡­"

 137 A Problem

    One hour later.

    In the middle of the central mansion, once again, Daneel sat with four other people on soft backed chairs, in front of the fountain that was empty of water, now.

    The smell of burned marble had finally left the place, encouraged by open windows that were ushering in the pleasant smells of many delicacies being cooked from the outside. A feast was in the making, after all, for hundreds of people who had been eating nothing but tasteless gruel for all their lives. More than that, though, it was the sounds that made Daneel smile from the very bottom of his heart.

    Sounds of laughter, sounds of friends talking to friends without being afraid of being whipped, sounds of families spending time together without a care in the world, sounds of slaves finally free to experience and enjoy simple things that so many took for granted. Even a simple, deep breath of fresh air was a luxury for them, and the way he had seen many just stand, sometimes, frozen in pleasure due to the sensations of the sun on their skin and the wind on their face had been equal parts heartbreaking and pleasant.

    It had been remarkable to see how each and every slave who had taken part in their bid to take revenge had suddenly transformed into people so downtrodden that they had to rediscover their own personalities as soon as they realized that they no longer needed to be bothered by anything that anyone else might say. Daneel had left the place, by then, so that they could just be themselves without the presence of him or anyone else that they might still think they were indebted to, but now, he saw that he need not have taken that step.

    They had not forgotten him, and neither were they afraid that he would do anything. It seemed that that that moment where he had led that young slave to pummel the old man had cemented his position in their hearts, and every time they looked at him, the way their eyes crinkled with joy and respect was so fulfilling to behold.

    Daneel had loved every second of it, but now, it was time to sit down and discuss important matters. After asking around, he had been directed to the old man who sat in front of him.

    He was the leader, apparently, existing in the pits in a hidden place that had been erected at the cost of many lives. With his age and wisdom, he was said to have saved so many people who might have died if not for his advice.

    Daneel had been quite surprised when he saw the old man bring along the woman who sat on the other side of him. She had changed remarkably since he had last seen her. She seemed more sure of herself, more confident in who she was and what she was, and with clear eyes that had neither fear nor disrespect, she gazed at the three of them, waiting for someone to speak.

    The elf had been amused to find this out, and he had said something in the ancient tongue about the unpredictable nature of humans. As for the thief¡­he had been the most stunned of them all, and since then, he hadn''t been able to keep his eyes off of the woman.

    Without wasting any more time, Daneel stood up and began to speak. They were still using the faces with which they had come to the town as they had decided that it was best to hide their identities until they were out of this place, so still looking like a young master of the grand family that had come on a secret mission, he said, "Seline. As they say, our deeds, small or big, always come back to bite, or grace us. The past is past; I would advise that you look to the future. This is exactly what we are here to talk about. We came here to scam the three of you with a certain purpose in mind. I come from a town much like yours, where we rebelled and threw down our leaders. To help all the slaves there and improve their means of living, I need to buy certain equipment from the famous individual known as the beggar king. For this purpose, I need everything in your vault. Everything must happen secretly. The leaders will be the scapegoats, and the family must be made to think that they fled with the money and the slaves. This was our plan, at least. But the main problem we see here is that no tracks must be left, and for that to happen, we need to understand what the family is capable of, so as someone who has been in contact with them for years, we were hoping that you might be able to help us."

    In the silence that followed, the woman pursed her lips in thought, and replied in a clear tone while Alex bent forward and the elf inclined his ears in her direction.

    "It was obvious that you must have come for the money¡­but what you did for the slaves is a pleasant surprise, and a welcome one, of course. Others would have killed everybody and just left with the crystals. I believe you, and of course, I would like to help in any way I can. Everything in the vaults belongs to you now, of course, and so does the loyalty of all those free in Larefa. On the island where I was trained, I heard stories about how even a scrap of dirt that someone might have tread on could be used to track anyone that the family wants found. They are people who place too much store in their reputation, and hence, they are known to call upon experts from the Mainland even if the cost might not justify the task. This is a problem, indeed¡­and I doubt that even with the magic that Sir Elf is capable of, you will be able to erase all traces from such experts. Am I right?"

    The way she talked made it seem as if she was someone who had found themselves after a long, long time, and was just enjoying this opportunity to be herself and speak without inhibitions, for once. It was actually liberating to see her in this manner, as before, it had felt as if she had been wound up by many strings the Daneel and, perhaps, she, herself, couldn''t see. What she was saying was worrying, though, but expectantly, Daneel looked to Mors¡­and frowned when he saw the elf shake his head.

    "I''m afraid I am not capable of such a feat. I know of those she talks of; there are people who have made tracking their life''s work. I''ve heard that they can even pick up scents left in the air even if they are a year late. If those people come after is¡­they will find this, no matter where we run to. When we embarked on this mission, we did not know that the family would be involved, or that they are so prideful as to resort to such a thing. So¡­"

    "We''re fucked. We have the money, we have the slaves, but after we leave, those hounds will be at our doorstep. We won''t even be able to run long. Even in my study of history, I did not hear such a thing about the family."

    Outwardly, Daneel made his frown depend, looking as if he was completely stymied due to the problem. In his mind, though, he was trying to search for a way in which he wouldn''t have to expose the capabilities of the system.

    He had no doubt whatsoever that if he gave it the task, it would definitely erase any and all signs that even those experts might try to use. In the worst case, even if that was not possible, with its extensive computational capabilities, he knew that it would be able to create enough tracks to confuse anyone who wanted to come for them.

    It was too much of a risk to show that he could do these things, though, so with narrowed eyebrows, he began to pace around.

    Everyone seemed to be thinking of the problem. Everyone except the old man, at least, who was smiling at the empty air, completely unconcerned, and perhaps even unaware of what they had just talked of.

    However¡­a few minutes later, it was he who spoke, and it was his words delivered in a slow, but steady voice that made Daneel freeze, blink, then stare, feeling foolish about the fact that he had severely underestimated the value of the wisdom that came with age.

    "Does no one have any other option? Well, it seems I must step in, then. Before I begin, I must beg your pardon if I end up speaking a lot¡­it is the first time that I have a chance to just say what I want without being afraid of the guards hearing me and descending on us like wolves. Down below, in the deepest parts of the pits where I hide, there is a part of the island that was left alone. Slaves have been collected here from other islands, bought in auctions or through other means. They carry stories, and I have always been interested in collecting them. There is one particular story about such a place, and something that can be achieved if it is destroyed. So¡­ would sinking this island into the sea solve your problem? If so, I might just have the solution¡­"

 138 Into the Pits

    A few minutes later, all five of them were standing in the pits, having just teleported over from the surface while being witnessed by all the slaves who had showed fear, for the first time, since he had seen them when the crimson crystal had flashed and taken them away.

    Daneel felt his own memories of his life as a slave return when he saw the grim, narrow passageway that they had teleported to. He was led forward by the old man, hobbling along on a stick that was as gnarled as him.

    No one was required to be in charge of the town, upstairs. Just a single word from him had calmed down everyone, and after telling them that they should stay put until they returned, they had departed.

    As Daneel watched the winding passageways that stretched to murky depths beyond a few openings that they came upon, he once again reflected on the fact that this island was much smaller than Graiton. There, the total population was in the thousands, whereas here, all together, there were only a thousand people, including the slaves, the residents of the town, and all those in service above. The only reason that the vaults were as full as they were was that the leaders had had much, much longer than Harrold to store as many crystals as they could, and because of the additional reason that they had been much harsher slavers, they had more leeway to steal from the pile and still have enough to give over to the family every month.

    The passageway was cramped, its grim dimness dimmed only by a couple of crystals that were held in the hand of the old man. There were no sconces on the walls, and at many places, the ceiling even pushed downwards, causing them to crouch and move forward at a crawl. Seline explained that it had been made so to be delicately claustrophobic so that the slaves would always have closed minds that would not even contemplate the idea of going up against their masters, and indeed, in this and many more things, the old man had succeeded.

    He was the mastermind behind many of the things that took place in the pits. He took no pleasure from inflicting pain, but he did it anyway as he did not see the slaves as equal beings. He only considered them as bugs, beneath his gaze and undeserving of his attention, so every step he had taken had been for himself, alone.

    On the way, they saw many shafts that were empty, already completely devoid of the crystals that had been mined away over the years. All signs pointed to this place running out of the few crystals that it had left in a few days, and the more they traveled, the more they began to see just how long mining had been going on in this sordid place.

    Daneel followed, next, and the rest were all on his heels. They traversed multiple layers in this manner, passing through completely dark caverns that even seemed to suck away any light that fell on them. Their only companions were a couple of skeletons here and there, forgotten, left behind by those who had once known them, and the only sound they heard was that of their own footsteps, echoing deep into the depths of the layer, then being reflected back towards them, making it sound as of hundreds of people were walking around, haunting this ghostly place.

    Daneel was sure that if anyone wanted to shoot a horror film in the islands, this would be the perfect place for it. He was even convinced, a few times, that he saw spectral figures floating around at the corner of his eye, appearing, then disappearing at the openings of passageways and caverns, but every time he turned around to look in their direction, they were always gone. Soon, he was sure that he was imagining them, but he also doubted this once he noticed that Alex was reacting the same way, and so was Seline.

    Only the elf was undisturbed, but this was probably because he kept his eyes closed throughout their journey. He frowned, sometimes, at things that Daneel could not see or understand, but apart from that, he mostly kept his face still, focused on something inwards or perhaps, outward that he was sensing. Daneel wished that he could ask what it was, but knowing that it was best to wait until the elf chose to explain by himself, he talked to the system so that he wouldn''t feel so alone.

    The first question he asked it was whether there were things like ghosts even though he had found no indication of them in all the time he had spent on Angaria and the Mainland. His cheeks burned and he felt foolish when it gave the answer that it was most probable that he really had been imagining those things due to some psychological effect whose name he did not choose to remember.

    He knew that he could have talked to the others if he wanted, but for whatever reason, this seemed like a sacrilegious idea. It was almost as if the act of bringing words into this place that was supposed to be dead would wake what lay all around them, hidden, invisible, but there without a doubt, so in silence punctured only by many, many sounds of footsteps, they went on.

    After reaching the fifth level below, the old man spoke for the first time.

    "This is the oldest part of the pits. Be very careful. Step only where I step, walk only when I walk. The structural integrity of these passages is questionable. Over time, I''ve found out those parts that should hold, but if you disturb what is already crumbling, there might just be a cave in. Come."

    Except for the elf, all of their eyes had widened when the old man mentioned such a dreadful thing happening as if he was commenting about the fact that the meat he was eating needed more salt. The elf only opened his eyes and closed them again, but as for the rest of them, they were left fighting their own fears and nervousness while they kept their eyes locked on where the old man was stepping.

    In this way, they went on, and after a few minutes, they saw a few signs of what he had warned them of. All of the passageways they had traveled so far had been large enough only to fit one person. This one was bigger, but in many parts of it, piles of rocks could be seen. Some piles even did not have any dust deposited on them, as if they had fallen recently, and sometimes, Daneel was convinced that low rumbles emanated from the rough walls, as if telling them to go back to where they had come from unless they wanted to experience how rain felt if the water in the clouds was replaced by sharp stones.

    The old man''s stride was confident, though, and quickly, they saw that he had been absolutely right. As long as they followed in his footsteps, nothing untoward happened, and 20 minutes later, he finally paused in front of a wall that made it seem as if they had reached a dead-end.

    Turning around and making sure that they were all there, the old man raised his hand¡­and moved through the rocky surface.

    He stepped forward, then, and disappeared. Agape, Alex stared, but understanding what it was, Daneel took the same steps and entered a place that was eerily familiar.

    It was very similar to the cavern in the dwarf city they had gone to before going to war. It was only a quarter its size, but the way a tree made of crystals rose out of the ground in the center as if they had taken root and grown there was the same.

    There was no orb light within the crystals, though. It was empty, completely, or so Daneel thought, at first¡­ before seeing a tiny spot in the very center of it, so small that it was the size of just a tenth of his fingernail.

    He turned to the old man who had stopped after entering, and was hence behind him. But before a word left his mouth¡­with surprising speed, the stick was thrown away, his hands rose, and he pushed Daneel with the strength of someone a quarter his age.

    Caught completely offguard, Daneel stumbled back, onto the large crystal formation. The moment he touched it, the system sent a warning, but he couldn''t hear it. His mind was whisked away¡­and the last thing he heard was the old man say, "Grand Seer, I pray you are right. If he is the Frelsar, we are saved. But we must be certain, or we are all doomed¡­"

 139 A Risk

    By the time Seline had stepped into the dim cavern, the member of the family who had given no name was collapsing to the ground, his eyes rolled back to show their whites and with a face as expressionless as one in a deep, deep sleep.

    Confused and quite shocked, she turned to the old man who had raised her to see that he had closed his eyes and his head was arched up, as if he was praying to some unknown deity. His hands were clasped close to his chest, and his breathing was labored, as if he had just had to exert himself a lot.

    Behind her came the two others who froze as they entered the cavern, just as stunned as her the moment they took in the state of the place. They looked between the old man and their companion, taking a second to understand what the hell might have happened, and then, one went to the former and the other walked with concern to the latter.

    The one who had spoken to them, for the most part, was soon at the elder of the slaves. He was soon right in front of him, hands raised in front of his chest, opening and closing as if he was tempted to do something that he shouldn''t, and then, finally unable to control himself any longer, he caught the old man by his robes and lifted him into the air as easily as if he was a log of wood.

    This, of course, made the elder''s eyes snap open. He was alarmed, for a bit, due to the weightlessness he felt, but then, laying his gaze on the one who was holding him up, he relaxed as if this was just a game he was playing with a child.

    This infuriated the man even further. He walked forward, his feet stumbling over a few errant rocks on the floor but never enough to make him fall, and soon, he had the elder''s back against the rough wall of the cavern. He shook him, then, and shouted, "What did you do? What just happened? Don''t try to deny it, because I saw you look like you''re scared of something! Speak, or I don''t know what I''ll do to you!"

    His words echoed in the cave, driving off the silence that had occupied it for centuries. The crystal in the middle was strange in the fact that it seemed to absorb any sound that fell on it. Hence, even the echoes were eerie, appearing from some directions but not from others.

    The transformation that Seline had gone through had truly changed her, mind and soul, but the situation was far too bizarre for even her newly found self to function properly. This was someone who had saved them, who had saved her from the clutches of material greed and a life that would only have ended with her regretting it in its entirety, but there he lay on the ground, looking dead, at first glance, if not for the slow, rhythmic rising and falling of his chest which indicated that he was in a deep slumber.

    This brought more of a change in him than anything the other man had done. Those eyes¡­ those eyes had a sort of a promise to them, a promise of death, a promise of suffering unlike anything that anyone could even begin to imagine. The air, itself, fell heavy, and even though she was not the target of it, her brow beaded with sweat and she stepped back until her back hit the wall.

    Everything around her seemed to thicken, congeal, entombing her in a personal prison that she feared would trap her forever. Even an inch of her body couldn''t move, every scrap of her wanted to get down on the ground, like a mouse crouching in its little hole while a cat passed by.

    It was only because of where she had backed off to that she was still able to see the old man and his reaction. She couldn''t even imagine how it must be to feel the brunt of that gaze; his eyes bulged, his body went loose as if he couldn''t control it anymore, and his jaw quivered, his lips opening and closing to indicate that he wanted to say something, but couldn''t because everything he felt was just too damn terrifying.

    When it disappeared, Seline took in large, halting breaths, falling to her knees as she couldn''t hold herself up anymore. With one hand on the ground, she tried to calm her pounding heart, and when she looked up, she saw that the other man had dropped the elder to the ground. Because he had been near its target, even he seemed to have felt its effects as he shuddered and wrapped his arms around himself, like someone standing in the middle of a blizzard.

    While she watched him, she realised that a large part of that aura or whatever it had been had possessed such a mind-numbing coldness that anyone who experienced it would be convinced that whoever it belonged to wouldn''t even hesitate before killing 10,000, or even a million if it meant that it could further their cause. She had never thought that the elf could be capable of such a thing, but now, she felt happy that she had never gotten on his wrong side like the mage.

    When the elder finally spoke, he had to croak out a few words before being able to talk normally.

    "An ancient elf and, if I''m not mistaken, one of the Burned."

    The man who had held the elder before flinched and took a few steps back as he heard that last word. He frowned, then, but decided not to say anything.

    "I know what you wish to know. But before I tell it to you¡­look at what just happened. The two of you, two individuals with power and knowledge and the world, itself, at your feet if you wish it¡­have chosen to follow that man. I know what he said is true, so he is nothing but a rebel slave trying to do something for his puny town. Still¡­the ancient elf was able to draw on his ''frafall'', his deathgaze, a power reserved for only the elite, and even then, only accessible when elves who are usually dispassionate feel emotions beyond what they can control. And you¡­ you didn''t say what you were ready to do, but I saw it in your eyes. I can tell that you didn''t even meet him far too long ago. Why do you care so much about him? What is he to you?"

    Seline watched with widened eyes as she heard the things the elder said, things she couldn''t understand, but could identify as knowledge that shouldn''t normally be known to someone who had been hidden in the pits for so long on an obscure island. Faced by his questions, the two faltered, and after giving them a few seconds, the elder waved his hand and said, "Don''t bother to try and find an answer. I saw it the moment I saw him in the town square, the moment I felt him break our shackles. He has¡­ something, about him. A natural disposition, an impression that he gives to anyone who sees him, anyone whose life is touched by his¡­ I don''t know how to put it perfectly in words, myself, but there is something. He is able to change things that would never have changed unless he arrived. I was convinced that I could feel him tugging at the very strands of fate, transforming our drab lives into something that might never have been. So, I took a gamble. The prophecy speaks of the Frelsar being able to bind the spirits of the worlds to his fingers, to give him power and the authority that can only be his. If he is who I think he is, he will return to us with some of the power that he needs. If not¡­ he shall die, and you can kill me. It is worth the risk, because the lives of tens of millions hinge on the outcome. We cannot take any chances. We cannot be careless. This might only be one part of the prophecy which does not even validate all the others, which does not conform, a hundred percent, that he is who I hope he is¡­but I will at least know, with certainty, that he could be the one we have been waiting for. So, take a seat, and let us wait."

    Taking his own suggestion, the old man sat on the ground.

    The other two looked at him with complicated eyes. The one who had stepped away from him looked like he wanted to say something, but after glancing at the elf who shook his head, he nodded.

    They both sat down, too, and Seline was the last one to choose a spot on the ground that wasn''t as dirty as the rest.

    And so, their vigil started, and just after a few seconds, Seline could tell that it was going to be the most nail-biting one she would ever have to sit through.

 140 A Test 1

    The experience of having his mind, his spirit, his very soul taken away from his body, leaving it with no protection whatsoever, no safety, no physical shall to rely on would have been daunting and terrifying¡­

    ¡­ if Daneel already hadn''t gone through it multiple times on Angaria.

    On his home island, there had been many instances where such a thing had happened to him. Sometimes, it had happened by design and had always resulted in him emerging with a trump card that no one could have seen coming. In others, it happened without him anticipating it, and even then, he always returned with something he could use.

    In short, what was happening hadn''t taken him out of his element, at all, except for the fact that it had happened so abruptly. In just the few moments that it took for his consciousness to adjust to where it had been taken, he had pondered on the old man''s words and realized that he was once again embroiled in a prophecy that he knew nothing about.

    Slowly, he saw that this was unlike many of those experiences where he had existed only as a wisp, a formless being able to do nothing but move and watch. He had a body which had probably been allowed by whatever had brought him here, and as he opened his eyes, bright light filtered into them, making him blink and squint.

    They adjusted in a few moments, during which he got to his feet. The ground was moist, as if rain had recently fallen, and beneath his feet, he could feel soft grass. He breathed in, deeply, smiling despite the situation when the familiar, lovely scent of earth kissed by rain reached his nose. Along with that, the smells of a forest, lush and vibrant, made him understand where he was before he could see it, and when he finally did, his eyebrows rose as it was even greener than he had imagined.

    Towering trees, each dwarfing him to the extent that he was like an ant beside humans rose into the sky. Their branches created a canopy far above through with sunlight fell through in the form of bars of molten gold. There were a few bushes here and there, but for the most part, the ground was grassy except where those massive trunks arose, of course.

    While enjoying the location he had come to without an ounce of worry, Daneel asked the system to repeat the message it had just given. The smile left him, finally, when he saw that all it had said was that the Will of the world had acted to trap his consciousness, and that the system was still looking for a way to leave.

    Increasingly, he was seeing that the Wills of different worlds were quite different from the one he had connected to on Angaria. Still, what was happening here was far removed from everything he had observed so far, and a hint of suspicion came to him, making him think that everything might not be as it seemed.

    Before he could ponder on this, though, the sound of tinkling laughter emerge from somewhere in front of him. It didn''t scare him, not in the slightest bit¡­but it did intrigue him, and like someone wise who was going along with the tricks of youth despite being able to see through them, he ran forward, deciding to go along with what he had been brought here for.

    He could already tell that there was going to be a test, or some sort. After all, the old man had said that he needed to be sure, so it was obvious that the test would somehow try to check either whether he was the Frelsar, or whether he was capable of being the one, at least.

    Walking in the direction of that sound brought him to a grove with a small, pleasant waterfall. The sound of flowing water was so soothing that he felt himself relax once again, but he tensed, a bit, when he spotted a woman to his right, sitting in front of the stream formed by the water, her legs bent with her knees pointing up, her feet stretched forward so that her toes were submerged.

    It was a small stream, barely the size of a hand, but it had some depth to it. Calmly, Daneel walked forward and took a seat beside her.

    She had long, silky black hair that reminded him of the woman outside. Even the features were slightly similar, which was strange, but there was enough difference to convince him that they were not the same person, and that this was not a being who had plucked out that image in his mind and chosen to adopt it.

    She was wearing a pink gown whose hem was in the stream, too, flowing in the direction of the water. Her hands were on her knees, and her eyes were out of focus.

    With a start, she came to herself a few seconds later. Looking beside her and finding Daneel, she exclaimed, "Finally! Company! I''ve been waiting for this to happen¡­but now that it has, I don''t know what to say! Well¡­ first, welcome! I expect that you must be filled with questions, right?"

    Her voice had an innocence to it, as if she was untouched by the darkness of mankind that was present on almost all the islands. With a gentle smile, he nodded, making her frown and say, "Well¡­that''s different. All those who came here before were so confused and scared that everything on their mind flew out of their mouth the moment I said that. You''re so calm and collected, as if you''ve been through this before¡­but that can''t be possible! Well, you have my attention, young sir. May I ask what your name is?"

    His smile broadened with amusement when he heard her mention those who had come before him. His own mind was filled with questions, of course, but in situations like these, he had already seen that only things that he should know would be told to him, and that would happen whether he voiced his doubts or not, so why waste his breath?

    "Dan," he said, and a radiant smile came on her face.

    "Dan! I like it! Welcome to my world, Dan. I control everything here¡­ everything. With just a flick¡ª" she flicked the fingers of her right hand, making a sound that was quiet, at first, then echoed again and again until it seemed to be coming from everywhere around them, "¡ª I can change whatever I want, like this!"

    The stream grew, its sides eating into the earth as if it was alive. It was soon a river, then an ocean. The water engulfed everything, swallowing up the trees, the grass, even the ground they were on, and in a few moments, they were on top of the ocean, with nothing else around them but the sky and the water.

    Daneel raised one eyebrow, impressed. He was pretty sure that he already knew what was going on here, but he waited for a chance to confirm it. The woman seemed disappointed by his reaction, but with another flick, she made what had been present before reappear.

    With a pout that was quite pretty, she said, "You''re no fun! I don''t know if this is a farce, but¡­ no, it must be! Well, you won''t be able to keep it up for long. You are here to be tested, and test you I shall. This is what you must know before we begin. You can die here. Don''t doubt it¡­some have, and they did not even live long enough to regret it. What you are will perish, and your body will wither away even if on the outside, it might look as if you''re in a deep sleep. Now that you know of the danger¡­let me tell you what awaits if you succeed. No one has, yet, but who knows? Maybe it''ll happen now. What is at stake, here¡­ is power. On the off chance that you''re a mage, your power will directly increase by a level. I know how impossible that might seem, if you understand it, but it''s true! Let me put in terms that someone practicing body conditioning would understand. Your strength will be boosted by two levels, at least, if all you train is the strength of your body. Oh, and you make a friend¡­so try your best, because I''m pretty lonely! Okay?"

    Daniel nodded, calm on the outside, but as excited as a boy presented with something he had been asking for for ages on the inside. He had just broken through¡­and here was an opportunity to do so once again.

    No matter what, he decided to not let it go. From the way things were going, there seemed no doubt that he would fail¡­but still, he told himself to be vigilant.

    After his nod, she disappeared as if she had never been there in the first place. Only her voice echoed in the grove, and hearing it, Daniel got to his feet.

    "When you''re ready, walk forward. Good luck, Dan¡­but I hope you don''t need it. See you soon!"

 141 A Test 2

    Daneel took his time walking out of the grove, enjoying the brief moment of peace that he knew might just be the last one he would experience in this place that was definitely going to get chaotic.

    Tests were always chaotic. After all, anyone looking for a savior would search for an individual who could hold their own no matter what the situation was, so he already had an inkling of the fact that he was going to step into an action-packed situation.

    Sure enough, the moment he entered the maze of trees¡­the world all around him changed. In the same way that the woman had transformed the stream into an ocean, a small patch of earth that was empty of grass near his feet began to spread out, eating everything else until it was all that remained. Then, like a game developer from Earth adding details as he went on, different things started to pop up around him.

    First, he saw that he was on an island much like Larefa. It was small, capable of holding only a few thousand, and the water around it was crystalline and almost inviting. The only difference from reality was that the sea was empty, which meant that this must be a time before the island had been conquered and brought to join the area surrounding the Mainland¡­so with one eyebrow raised, Daneel waited to see what the test was going to be.

    The sky blackened, then rain began to descend from above. Moans filled with pain, screams filled with anger echoed from all around him, and as he looked around, he saw soldiers popping into existence, bruised, bloodied, and battered so much that it was abundantly clear that they were fighting an enemy much, much stronger than them.

    All of them ignored him, as if he was invisible. They were retreating, looking over their backs repeatedly for an enemy that he could not see, yet. Folding his hands behind his back, Daneel waited for the reveal¡­and when it happened, he wasn''t surprised, not in the least bit.

    The Mainlanders were dressed in full, silvery armor, from head to toe. It was the same style he had seen on those that the beggar king had brought along, and now, he understood that it must be something that had been given by the family on the Mainland who had made him its puppet. They all seemed to be capable of magic, too. Their hands were raised, shooting out bars of fire or sharp icicles or even earth, ripped out of the ground below, and each attack struck true, killing an inhabitant of the island who screamed and fell to the floor, his hopes and dreams destroyed in just a single moment.

    Before he could notice anything else, the ground below him moved, making him speed past all the retreating soldiers to reach a camp at the very edge of the island, on the other side of the attack. A man caught his shoulder, startling Daneel a bit, and when he spoke, he made Daneel purse his lips and tut, understanding what the test was and disappointed due to how primitive it had turned out to be.

    Moral dilemmas. This was what he was going to be tested on, and back on Angaria, he had gone through so many that the answer left his mouth within a second of the question being asked.

    "Yes."

    Everything around him vanished again, and he returned to the forest with the trees.

    Leaning against one of the massive trunks, he waited for the second test to start. He could tell that things were going to get worse and worse, and he would soon reach a moment where a decision would have to be made where the choice was definitely going to be tough.

    He didn''t know whether he was imagining it, but he could swear that he heard the sound of someone gritting their teeth nearby. Before he could investigate, though, the world changed again, and the battlefield returned.

    This time, the soldiers seemed to have won a brief victory. Just like back on Angaria, many of them were just body conditioners, fighting with spears and swords and arrows. There were a few mages mixed into these forces, but all they managed to do was use sneak attacks when they reached close to the soldiers of the invaders, before being killed instantly as they painted a target on their backs by exposing who they were.

    He moved again, and he was back at the command tent. The general was there, and looking at him, Daneel waited for the question that would be asked this time.

    Oblivious to how bored he felt and looked, the generals seemed to be discussing something. A few seconds later, one of them turned to Daneel and asked, "We must make the decision now, commander. If we send a few of our soldiers on a suicide mission, their lives will buy the safety of a thousand women and children. They will all die, without fail¡­but they will have saved their families. What do we do, Sir?"

    His face remained calm, but inwardly, he couldn''t deny that he was a tad bit affected by the situation that he had been thrust into. It was very similar to one of those he had experienced in the final war that had left him with no choice but to sacrifice the lives of all those in his homeland with the promise that he would return to resurrect them¡­ so it hit too close to home. Still, it wasn''t too hard to give the answer, so he said, "Send them. Their lives will not be lost in vain."

    The forest returned. Daneel frowned, knowing what was going to come next, and this seemed to satisfy the woman he had met before as he heard no sound like before now. This, actually, confirmed his suspicion about this place¡­and with his eyebrows drawn down, he thought about what he was going to do next.

    Without giving him too much time, the world changed again. The battlefield was in the worst condition he had seen, yet. Thousands lay all about, dead or dying, and the invaders, whoever they were, were laughing between themselves while marching in the direction of the command centre, where the leaders and those who couldn''t defend themselves were waiting to be slaughtered. The ground below him moved, pushing him to where he needed to be. The generals all had grave faces, like those who just been told that they would die, soon. And with a dejected sigh, the one closest to him said, "It''s over, Sir. It''s been an honor. All we have is a tiny chance¡­they gave the option that they are most displeased with the commander. If you willingly give up your family¡­they said they will spare the thousands of women and children hidden in the bunker beneath his. The decision is yours, Sir. Whatever you do, we will stand by you."

    A whimper made him turn to his side, where six individuals stood. There were three women, all lovely, dressed in silk gowns but with swollen, red eyes that had been shedding violent tears for quite some time now. One of them held a small baby girl who was bawling her heart out even though she didn''t understand what was going on. In front of the other two were two little boys, aware of the fact that something was wrong, but still not certain as to what it was, and whether they should be worried, too.

    The moment Daneel laid his eyes on them, the two boys ran to him, hugging his legs in a way that made it obvious that they had done it a million times before asking why their mothers were crying. The women ran forward, next, and hugged him as fiercely as if it was the last they would feel before their deaths, and even though their faces were not similar, at all, to the women he truly loved¡­ Daneel found himself looking at two of them and imagining the features of his two wives overlaid on top of their faces. As for children¡­they had never talked about it, seriously, but the little boy with black hair could almost be Daneel''s son, and the little girl had cheeks as plump as those that his queen, Eloise, had mentioned she had had when she was a baby.

    He knew the decision that was expected of him. He knew that this wasn''t even the final test, and that he would have to make even worse choices.

    If he was anyone else, he would have no option but to relent and go along with what that woman who was like a God in this place wanted. But he¡­was the Godking.

    Anointed and raised by millions of Angarians who had loved him, adored him, placed him in their hearts so firmly that they had been ready to even give up their lives for it meant that they could save him, he was not just some normal guy passing through this island, sent into this test to check whether he could be a saviour. He was Daneel Anivron, king, emperor, beloved ruler of the masses, precious son of the Will of Angaria who had bound the very world to him and controlled it as he pleased. Blessed by the Mother of all Godbeasts, he was a legend capable of taking on terrifying forms that could defeat an army just by their overwhelming aura of strength.

    He was a husband to two of the most stunning woman in the world, and he was a friend to a true Dragon, and men who had walked through the deepest pits of hell to stay by his side. He was the disciple of the Emperor who had come before him, he was a World Dominator armed with an existence far above even this entire world, in all probability, and he¡­would never be pushed to do something he didn''t like.

    He suddenly drew himself up, making the women and the kids take a step back as they suddenly felt that they couldn''t recognize who they were hugging. His back straightened, his head rose, and all around him, time and space froze as an aura of command, an aura of sheer domination affected the world that had been created by someone who dared to doubt his conviction, his ideals.

    Squinting, he sent his senses out and was able to rip through the fabric of everything around him as easily as if he was tearing through paper, using just an ounce of the true strength of his consciousness, molded and bathed in the fires of damnation, evolved step by step by experiencing and causing events that could easily be called legends. He closed his eyes, then, and searched for a familiar being. He had already connected with three of them, so it was very easy to find the Will that was even weaker than that wisp that had been left behind on that dead island¡­and beside it was a tiny consciousness that squawked with fear and surprise when it felt him come near.

    It was small, so small that he could have crushed it with a single thought...but he didn''t. The strength of his own consciousness had been hidden by the system, compressed into itself so that it would not be detected by anyone or anything. He exposed a small part of it now, again, but that was enough to sever the link of the being who had tied itself to the Will. The Will, itself, had no thoughts or feelings of its own. It just wanted the help of someone it could trust, and the moment it felt his touch, it responded with excitement¡­and completely shoved aside that other being.

    It had somehow sensed that he had already been accepted by three of its kind. Welcoming its support graciously, Daneel tugged at that little consciousness that had been left to pasture. He opened his eyes to see that the forest had returned, and in front of him, the woman appeared out of nowhere and fell on the floor.

    She looked at him as if she was seeing the most terrifying thing in the world, and scrambling back like someone cornered by a lion in its cave, she stuttered, "That¡­was not in the script. What¡­just happened? Who¡­are you? Actually, WHAT are you? This is cheating! I won''t accept it! THIS IS CHEATING!"

 142 A Test End

    Daniel laughed, amused by the woman''s confusion while bending his legs, as if he meant to sit. There was nothing behind him, at first, but in a flash, a throne appeared out of nowhere that cushioned him perfectly and made him look like a king waiting to pass judgment on the subjects brought in front of him.

    The throne was worked in gold and silver. A dragon''s head was at the front of each armrest. The rest of each body curled around the back of the throne, framing him between their wings. The tail wound all around the throne, ending at the two front legs, and wherever there was an empty spot, creatures of legend- at least, back on Angaria- had been carved to be so lifelike that it almost seemed as if they would jump out of the throne and attack the woman at any moment.

    She was so captivated by the design and the sheer workmanship of the piece of art that her jaw dropped and she stared, drool dripping out of the corner of her lips. She also seemed to be reliving that moment when he had created it in her head, and slowly, Daneel saw realization flash across her eyes as the truth dawned on her.

    "Y-you''ve already been accepted by a Will before¡­so Larefa threw me out. But it''s so unfair! Yet¡­it makes sense, at least. How did you know? To be able to see through the world I created, and find me¡­ your consciousness would have to be extremely strong-much stronger than mine, at least! Even stronger than many people on the Mainland who focus their entire lives on building their minds! Seriously, what are you? So many secrets! I can''t believe it! Well, one thing is for certain. You''re definitely not just a young slave from Graiton, as you claimed. Larefa remembers Graiton, you know, when she was first brought here. He was larger, but he was just as helpless as her. And as all the others here. It was so sad¡­"

    It was Daneel''s turn to be surprised as he heard the woman mention the will by the name of the island, and as a ''her''. His guess had turned out to be right, but there were still things left that he needed to discover.

    He had reasoned that even if the Will might be capable of things he didn''t know, it was quite impossible for one that belonged to such a small island to develop a complete, fleshed-out personality. Hence, that left only one other option: someone had died and fed their consciousness into the crystal to coexist with the Will and take control of it.

    In such a weak state, the Will was just like a child who would even go along with a stranger if they promised candy. That didn''t mean that he had taken advantage of it¡­but still, it was obvious how it might seem like cheating to the woman.

    Seeing him think without saying anything, she pouted, again, and folded her hands. She might have looked serious if not for the messy state of her gown and her hair that stood up in all directions, but ignoring these other features and turning to her, he said, "Yes, I have many secrets, and they need to be kept secret. That is the answer to your test. I will not choose; in fact, I refuse to. With my power, I will always find a path that is unique to myself, one that is better than all those that are offered. That is who I am. That is what I am. Do I pass the test?"

    She glared at him as he asked that question. Then, spitting out a curse he didn''t understand, she grumbled "For someone with so many secrets, you''re dumb. You''ve taken control of the Will, and you''re asking if you passed? The whole point was to impress the Will with your decisions, decisions that should have shown that you would always place the good of those you are supposed to save over all else! You got to the end without running the damn race¡­but of course you pass!"

    The way she said it all with her face facing the ground and her eyes looking up while her mouth chewed out each word as if they were being pulled from her was adorable. With a smile, Daneel replied, "Good. What now? What does the prophecy say, exactly?"

    "What prophecy?"

    Daniel faltered, then coughed.

    "It seems that you thought I would now¡­but I don''t. I sleep a lot, you know. I just woke up a little time ago, when you freed all the slaves. I did hear that old man collect a lot of stories, but all of them seemed like drivel. I heard a few prophecies, but I know none that deal with this. I died long ago, you know. I didn''t even know such a thing could happen. I just killed myself near the Will because I didn''t want to be captured. Imagine my surprise when I woke up here! The slaves are all descendants of a few who survived the massacre. Ah, I''m babbling. What now? Time for me to die, I guess. I heard your little discussion, so I know that you need the island to sink. When that happens, I''ll finally stop existing. Maybe it''s a boon, cos I have been bored, here, for so long, even though I was excited to find a friend..."

    Still on the ground, she turned her head, trying to hide her tears from Daniel. She kept wiping them away, but they kept coming. He could almost imagine how it must feel to be someone like her. His close mentor and friend had been a dragon who had lived a life much like hers. Suddenly, he found himself wanting to grant her the gift of life, but with his limited capabilities, what could he even do?

    Bending his head, he pondered on the issue. No idea came to him even after a few minutes passed, so he looked up to find that she had finally stopped crying, and seemed to be coming to terms with what was soon going to happen.

    That¡­was when the idea came to him. The way her face was filled with determination, now, was very similar to something he had just seen. Instantly knowing what to do, he said, "Wait here," and disappeared.

    The Will was under his control, so he could go back to his body whenever he wished. He had forgotten one tiny little detail, though, in the excitement of finding a way to do something that should have been impossible, and it hit him on his head like a hammer as soon as he returned to his physical existence.

    His ''frae'', the seed that had just grown so much a day ago was suddenly bathed by the last store of energy left behind inside the crystal that held the Will. Again, Daneel had no idea what was happening¡­but the seed closed down on itself, then pushed outwards to cause so much pain that he closed his eyes tightly and bit his lips with so much force that he drew blood.

    He almost didn''t hear the gasps of surprise from those in the room. The most pronounced of them all was from the elf, who also stood up the moment he saw what was happening. Daneel heard hasty footsteps, but he couldn''t tell who they belonged to.

    The process of contraction and expansion had begun again. A few seconds after it did, he suddenly felt two hands on his back, and a pleasant, warm stream of¡­something flowed through them, through his back, all the way to the seed, cocooning it in a safe bubble of what Daneel now recognized as energy.

    With the help of the elf, the process went by much quicker, this time. Each time the seed got tired of trying to push past its boundaries, that stream of energy would grow, nourishing it and giving it what it needed to relentlessly push forward. Daneel could tell that it would have continued despite this urging, but the pain and the sheer fraying of his senses that he would have had go through had been lessened to such a degree that he wished he could hug the elf then and there.

    It felt like it went on for a long time, but in fact, only five minutes passed. With one last push, the seed burst outward¡­and grew to 3 times what it had been until then.

    It sucked in energy greedily, then, from the vajrams at his waist. That same, short period of absolute, exhilarating clarity arrived, and along with it came the senses that were heightened so much that he could even hear the hearts of all those around him beating quickly.

    He could feel the very motes of dust beneath his body, and all around his skin. He could differentiate each individual in the room by just their breathing, and he sorely wished they he could hang onto this state, but it left as soon as he felt this desire.

    He opened his eyes, and the first person he saw was Seline, looking shocked, but also confused as she wasn''t a mage who could see what had just happened in his body. The elder stood up beside her, his face glowing as if everything he had hoped for had come true, but for the moment, Daneel ignored him.

    When he spoke, his words echoed in the cavern and when he was done, the confusion Seline felt grew so much that she seemed convinced that her ears were defective.

    "Say¡­ what you think about accepting the spirit of one of your ancestors into your mind? She''s¡­fun! And you''ll always have someone to talk to, along with a nice boost of power. Doesn''t that sound great?"

 143 Acceptance

    A few minutes later, Seline was sitting with her back against the wall of the cavern, eyes open as wide as they could go while she tried to process all the information that had just been dumped on her by the man who had come back alive after touching the crystal and looking dead, for all purposes, until just a little while ago.

    He was sitting on the ground in front of her, and from the way one corner of his lips was raised, she could tell that he understood how confused she felt. All the words he said we buzzing around in her head, not even one fitting into any form that could give her enough of an idea of what was expected of her, so after biting her lips for a few seconds, she asked, "Can you explain it again? Slowly, this time. And using simpler terms, if at all possible."

    In her life as a slave master, she had never shown an ounce of weakness, but right now, even though she had only seen these people''s true personality for a few hours, she had no qualms against admitting anything in front of them. It wasn''t really like she could oppose any of them based on the power they had shown so far¡­but still, it was surprising to see how comfortable she was.

    With a nod, the man began to speak as if he had already prepared a different way to let her know about the offer he was putting in front of her. He even spoke slowly, patiently enunciating each word so that she could drive it into her head, and with all the focus that she could muster, she listened as if her life depended on it- which it probably did.

    "I wish I could tell you her name, but I simply didn''t ask. You must already have heard hints about the true origin of this island. If not, hear me out. You were once free, living in the middle of the Endless Sea, undiscovered and unfettered by any shackles. The Mainlanders arrived and conquered you, and at that time, one of your ancestors died near the Will, transferring her consciousness, her soul, if you will, into the crystal beside us. If we sink the island, she dies. Because you share your genealogy with her, and because you also share her gender, I''m suggesting that you accept her spirit into your mind as these factors increase the chances of her surviving after leaving the Will. I''ve seen what kind of a woman she is. She will not be able to take over and control your body, in case you''re afraid of that, and I can assure you that she''s a good person. She told me that by doing this, it would even help you and give you power, but I''m not sure about the specifics. If you agree, you will have one other person in your head, guiding you to whatever goal you wish to reach. If you don''t, she dies forever. Your choice. It cannot be forced; if it has to happen, you have to open yourself up, mind and heart. Think, and make you decision."

    After she was able to stomach the fact that such a thing was even possible, this was the main thing that she considered. As time passed, she saw more and more that she needed to find out for herself what this woman was like.

    "I want to meet her before I choose to do anything. Is that possible?"

    The man frowned, then looked in the direction of the elf whose eyes had constantly been on the both of them ever since he had helped his companion, somehow, in whatever had taken place after the awakening. He thought for a bit, then shrugged and turned back to Seline before saying, "Alright. Come with me."

    Glancing at the elf, she saw his eyebrows rise just a bit, but forcefully, he cleared his face as if he didn''t want to show any of his emotions. The man walked to the crystal and touched it, his body flopping to the ground just like before, and although she felt a surge of panic well up inside her as the irrational fear that she might be subjected to the fate of never waking up sprung up out of nowhere, she made herself step forward, trusting her gut that told her she needed to do this.

    The panic did grow into outright fear, though, when she felt her mind and everything she was being sucked away from her physical body. The sensation of existing just as a mound of thoughts was jarring, to say the least, and when she felt soft grass beneath her after a few moments, she hugged herself as soon as she regained control of her limbs.

    She could hear two people talking, and even arguing, but she was too busy adjusting to this new form of hers which was trying to mimic the one she had lived in ever since she had been born. It did a good job, but underneath the veneer, she could tell that she was still that mound, albeit clothed in this body that was making a valiant effort, but just falling short.

    The argument ended by the time she opened her eyes. She saw the man, first, with an encouraging smile on his face, and then, when her eyes wandered past him to the woman who stood serenely dressed in a green silk gown¡­a name popped into her head, and tears burst out of her eyes.

    "Mother?"

    She ran forward, arms and legs moving furiously as if they were afraid that the woman would disappear if she dallied for even a second. The resemblance was uncanny; a small voice somewhere deep within her said that there were a few differences, but she ignored it as all the fears, pain, and sadness of all these years that had been bottled up inside her burst out. They had remained even when the old man had accepted her into the fold of her family again mainly because they had wedged themselves into the deepest corners of her mind, but now, the warmth that was unique to the one individual who was always the most special person in anyone''s life had yanked them out, giving them no choice but to blaze for one last time before disappearing, forever.

    She collapsed into the woman''s arms who was so startled, at first, that she didn''t even respond in any way. This didn''t register in Selene''s mind, at all, as she was completely inundated by the flood of emotions that were coming out in the form of tears, snot, and words that jumbled over each other, not making a single shred of sense.

    All of a sudden, a few seconds later, the woman hugged her tightly. Because Seline''s face was pressed close to hers'', she could feel the tears running down her face, too, and the smile that stretched her lips. She made soothing sounds, then, just like her mother had done when she was a little girl scared of the terrors of the world, and with each second that passed, Seline wished that she could stay here forever.

    It was only after long time that she finally stepped back. After the initial flood, her misconception had dawned on her¡­but she hadn''t been able to let go. She looked at the woman''s face, again, and saw the differences¡­ but by coincidence or fate, the similarities were still too strong.

    No matter how much she wished that she could forget everything and just believe that this was her mother, she forced herself to accept the truth. With her face burning and her eyes threatening to get wet again, she opened her mouth to speak, but paused when the woman''s hand rose to her lips. Shaking her head, she said, "I know. But I want to be your mother, or your sister, or¡­ I dunno, I just want to be with you and help you in any way I can. I argued with him because I didn''t want to be a burden to anyone¡­but now, I feel selfish. I don''t want to die, not when I remember how it feels to be loved again, how it feels to give love. Will you please accept me into your mind? I promise that I will never do anything to cause you regret. I also understand if you don''t want¡­"

    Seline raised her own hand, then, and made the woman fall silent in the same way. Everything that was happening was still too magical, still too complex for her to understand¡­ But one thing was clear.

    Whoever this woman was, she couldn''t let her die¡­ especially not after she had called her ''Mother''.

    She didn''t care about anything else. This was all that mattered, so, turning in the man''s selection, she nodded¡­ And collapsed to the floor as her mind suddenly went blank.

 144 Danger

    Daneel ignored the stares from the three people in the cavern while he picked up Seline''s body and moved it onto the crystal, laying it on top of the large matrix in a way that the jutting, sharp ends did not penetrate her skin. He could even feel an itch in his back from the direction of the gaze that felt the heaviest, and already, he was dreading the conversation that he would soon have to have with the ancient elf who had been exposed to many of the things that Daneel had been keeping secret from him ever since they had met.

    He needed to finish the process that had already begun first, though. He would be lying if he said that he hadn''t been as surprised as the woman when Seline had run towards her, believing her to be the mother that had reportedly died when she was very young, and truly, he had marveled at the way things had worked out in such a perfect manner. It even made him suspect whether larger forces were at work¡­but because this was a possibility that he could not investigate nor research to a satisfying degree, he had set aside this thought forcefully as it would only lead to useless anxiety that couldn''t be escaped in any way at the moment.

    He wasn''t really doing anything. The system was the one handling the connection, and the process of the transferral. Back on Angaria, it had already done this multiple times, and he trusted that there would be no problems, at all.

    The woman had been quite adamant about the fact that she did not want to go into someone''s body, parceled around as if she was nothing but a burden. Daneel had only convinced her to talk to Celine and see what she thought, and of course, towards the end, she had ended up asking for the transferral, herself.

    The need to live, to survive beyond what the world might have intended for a certain being was a core tenet of humanity, one that he admired to a great degree. It was truly a testament to the woman''s character that she had tried to throw away the lifeline that Daneel had extended to her, and once again, he was glad that he was able to save her, especially as her end would have been guaranteed if it had been anyone but him who had come to this island.

    The moment the system gave him the message that the transferral was almost done, Seline''s body arched up, her back rising ofd the part of the crystals that he had placed her on. At the same time, the tiny spot of light inside the tall, glasslike substance glowed brighter before suddenly growing dim, and at that second, he knew that the process was over.

    He hit himself on his head as he realized that he had forgotten to ask her name again. As the system sent the message that everything had gone well, he glanced at Seline and saw that she was breathing deeply, as if she was asleep.

    Laying her body down on the ground, he ran his hand over her face to close the eyes that had snapped open during the transferral. He even knew what it must feel like; it was a shock to one''s mind to suddenly find that there were two existences in a place that had been designed only for one, so it would require some time to adjust and mold one''s own self around the new being that was now also present.

    With a sigh, he turned around and found Mors right in front of him. He hadn''t heard the elf move, and the moment he met the ancient being''s eyes, he saw so many questions that they reminded him of his own state when he had first left Graiton and found both his companions.

    Letting out a breath, he spoke first, intending to set the tone. He already knew exactly what the man would ask, so it seemed better to clarify some of them so that he could try and veer the conversation in the direction that he could control.

    "I''m sorry I''ve been keeping secrets from you, but I had no choice. I know that you must have sensed when you were helping me- I appreciate that, by the way- that this is not the first time this has happened. If not, how can a rebel who unlocked his seed only a month or so ago already be at the level of a Tyro mage? To be clear, it has happened thrice, so far, counting what you''ve just seen. The first time was on my home island, of course. Then, I didn''t even realize it had happened. The second time was on the island where I met Alex. The Will of that place had almost died, but a small part of it was left. Someone had replaced it with something fake, and it was angry. It called to me when I happened to fight for it¡­ and that ordeal ended with the entire island sinking. This is the third time¡­and if I''m not wrong, I think it won''t be the last."

    All his suspicions confirmed in such a direct manner, Mors took a step back, showing more surprise and shock than Daneel had ever seen on that smooth face. The cool nature of an elf had been shattered, and it didn''t look like it would be back any time soon.

    He looked at Daneel as if he was seeing something that shouldn''t exist. Each time he blinked, his wonder only grew. Finally¡­it was the sound of someone''s knees thudding to the ground that broke the silence between them.

    Both of them turned in its direction to see that it was the old man, from whose sunken eyes tears flowed down those wrinkled cheeks. He opened his mouth to speak, and his voice boomed in the cavern.

    "Even the land he steps on shall bow to him. His strength will be the essence of the sacrifice of the millions whose deaths will not be in vain. Our lives are his. Our blood is his. We are all his¡­for the day of deliverance is near."

    He fell back, then, and after a pause, Daneel ran to him. He didn''t need the system to tell him after running a scan to understand that the man had fainted from sheer exhaustion. Yet¡­his eyes remained open, and the smile on his lips was as wide as it could be.

    "It was only a theory. It was laughed at by all the eminent researchers on the Mainland, and the one who presented it went into seclusion, soon after, and was never heard from again. It is a known secret that at the very peak of power, the only way to move forward is to gain the acceptance of the Mainland, and bathe in the energy that is unique to it. One of the Forn theorized that the same energy should be present on the islands, too¡­but the widespread belief that the Mainland is superior to all these scraps of land is too prevalent. Overcome with greed, some tried¡­but over time, no one succeeded, so even the theory disappeared from the minds of most. I¡­can''t believe that I''ve just seen it come true."

    Daneel turned to him, eyes shining even in the dimness of the cavern as a hint of the true peak of power had been dropped on him in such an abrupt fashion. Before he could say anything, though...a man with a long beard burst into the cavern from the fake wall they had stepped through before, and the message he blurted out swept away all other thoughts from the minds of all those still conscious.

    "We''ve just received a message! Someone from the Garbonor family is coming soon to check on us! What do we do?!"

 145 Idea

    Barely a minute later, Daneel and all the others who had been in the cavern were back at the central mansion of the town, standing in front of a familiar five-pointed star made of crimson crystal that was glowing softly, heralding the coming of the one who would disrupt all of their plans.

    They had all just reached. The old man had been carried by Alex, who was panting due to the way they had run until now. Daneel had carried Seline, but he wasn''t really out of breath.

    After glancing at the others for a moment and pursing his lips as he just hated it when things like these happened abruptly, he stretched his hand forward and touched the crystal, causing a voice whose familiarity made his eyebrows shoot to the top of his head to appear in the large, open courtyard.

    "Your proposal to sell your island and slaves to the family has been accepted. I will be coming in a couple of hours to check the status of everything. Keep it all tidy, and be ready to be examined. Any tardiness will be communicated to the family, and besides¡­ you do not want to displease me."

    Those last few words had a hint of warning to them that might have been much scarier if not for the youthfulness of the voice that said them. More than anything, arrogance was what filtered through, as it had sounded as if each word had been said in a way that made them understand that they were lucky to even be hearing it.

    Daneel frowned. He had a question to ask, but he didn''t know who to ask it of. Finally, not knowing whether he would get the answer, he turned to the slave who had brought the message and asked, "Do you know whose voice that was? Is it a little brat with spiky, blonde hair, accompanied by a bald guard three times his size? A snotty little guy who looks at everything as if there is dung under his feet, and he wants to keep his head as far away from it as possible, up in the air?"

    The flash of realization in the slave''s eyes was more than enough for him to understand that it was the same person. It had been the same voice, after all, and the system would even have confirmed that there were the same intonations and usage of inflections if he hadn''t asked the slave.

    This was a simpler way to confirm it, though, and with his answer found, he looked all around him, not knowing how the hell he was supposed to make the town appear normal so that they would pass the inspection.

    Seeing that he was getting ahead of himself, he laid down Seline who was still on his shoulders in one of the chairs. Alex mimicked him, and a moment later, they looked at each other, wondering what they should do.

    It was just the three of them, again, and the slave seemed knowledgeable enough to answer any other question he might have. Daneel had none now, and he wanted some privacy, so he said, "Let us walk. That way, we can take in the status of the town and try to get an idea about what we can do."

    Alex and Mors soon caught up, and their eyebrows were drawn down in the same way as his, their brows knotted due to the worry that all three of them shared. They were soon at the killing ground, which was still being scrubbed by the few slaves who had been assigned the task. The slaves weren''t really hurrying about it; they stopped sometimes to chat between themselves, but even then, due to how assiduously they were used to working until now, most of the work was done.

    Still, there was a certain feel to the place that wouldn''t be missed by anyone familiar with death. After pausing for a few seconds and understanding that this was definitely true, he looked to his left and right, at the mansions that were now populated by slaves, and even if they could all be sent down to the pits once again¡­ Larefa was just too different from what one would expect of a town being run in a completely normal way.

    He ground his teeth as he remembered the havoc that the little kid had caused in Graiton, and his attempt at finding a reason so that he could target Daneel. Ever since he had obtained enough power, there hadn''t been many times when enemies had been left with the capability to bother him a second time, so it rankled within that this was exactly what was going to happen now.

    He let the anger fill him up for a moment so that he could sweep it aside, then, to achieve a cool mind that could think of a solution¡­but the moment he was about to do this, an idea struck him.

    It was borne out of the frustration he had just felt due to the thought that had come to him that the kid was too powerful for him to target him in any way. He hated such feelings, and as his very core had rebelled against it, he suddenly found a way that was risky¡­ but might just succeed in solving all of their problems, and a few others that he hadn''t thought he would be able to address here, too.

    "Anyway I see it, we have to get the fuck out of here. We have a couple of hours, so we can sink this place and get away before he arrives. I know of this brat; he is in charge of many of the islands in this quadrant. I''ve also heard that he has the meanest steak among all the others who represent the family. Unlike them, he likes his visits here. The rest just focus on collecting crystals quickly so that they can get back to their training, but for whatever reason, this kid takes his fucking time. Lives are lost on each and every one of his excursions. Why did it have to be him? Dammit!"

    Daneel''s eyebrows rose, and a smile came to his face as he heard Alex give him some of the information he had just been about to ask to flesh out the plan that had come to him. He turned to Mors, then, guessing what the man would say, and sure enough, without looking at him, the elf kept his eyes on the ground and replied, "It''s too risky. There has to be some gap in time between the sinking of the island and our departure. If there isn''t, and if a powerful mage is called upon to investigate¡­they will be able to find out exactly what we did, and they might even succeed in picking up the trail. I like the plan to sink the island as it will erase all our traces??but for it to work, we need time. Time that we apparently don''t have, right now."

    Daneel''s smile widened. Finally, Alex looked at him and scowled when he saw his face, and as if he had heard the thief''s displeasure, the elf also looked up and humphed, eyes squinting as if he had gotten a hint regarding what was on Daneel''s mind.

    "You have a plan, don''t you? Well, spit it out! You''re seriously a bag full of cunning and bum-fuckery, aren''t you?"

    Daneel smiled as if he was being complimented, as that was exactly how he took it. The elf''s suspicious eyes were enough to show him that the ancient being had the same opinion, so after folding his hands behind his back, he laid out what they were going to do¡­and grinned when he saw both his companions look at him as if he had suggested that they should drown the sun as it was too sunny for his liking.

    "I hate this little prick because he came to our island, too, and almost ruined many of my plans. I think that he''s going to make trouble for us even if we pay up whatever is expected of us at the end of this month¡­so now that I''ve gotten a chance, I want to deal with him. I hoped that others might not be as bad as him, and Alex has confirmed that this is how it is. Well¡­ we''re going to break him so thoroughly that even his mother won''t recognize him when he goes back. After what''s going to happen today¡­he''s never going to come back to any of islands. And trust me¡­we should be pretty safe, and it''ll also give us the time we need to sink the island and flee. Interested? Good, because this is what we''re going to do¡­"

 146 A Trip

    Seated on a cloud that was speeding past the Mainland and onto the sea pockmarked with islands like blisters on the skin of a slave, Noel frowned and chewed furiously before spitting to the side.

    He watched with a small smile as the wad of glowing, red substance that had come out of his mouth fell and caused a small explosion in the sea. Today, one of the islands was going to experience rainfall that would sting their skin and make them wish they had never been born, and with a pat on his own shoulders as he was impressed with how he was able to constantly outdo himself every time, he turned his head in the direction of the island they were heading to.

    The guard was silent as always. Ever since he had gotten him, the man hadn''t spoken a single word. Noel didn''t care. After all, why would one care about the furniture lying around them?

    He frowned when he remembered the mundane task he was being sent on. Any island being handed over to the family needed to be checked, certainly, as bugs could be tempted to try and steal away things that rightfully belonged to the family. If they did so, they would be hunted, of course, but one of the patriarchs had recently decided that it was best to stop such things from happening beforehand as the bills that they paid to the Tracers always ran up to terrifying amounts.

    ''Damn bugs. Now that I think about it¡­maybe I should take a limb or two to warn them. Yes¡­maybe three.''

    This thought made his smile broaden. It disappeared a moment later, though, when he remembered what was waiting for him tonight: a spar with one of the most talented disciples of his master.

    Grinding his teeth, he went through all the magical spells he had learned recently, but he was still unsure that he would be able to land even a scratch on the man who was the most prized of them all. He was sick of listening to the praise that their master heaped on him day in and day out, and he had even commented behind his master''s back that it must all be undeserved¡­but now that he was going up against him with his own two hands, he felt more than a bit of panic.

    Growing up with the entire world at his fingertips, or at least, the part of the world that he was born in, Noel had never had to face hardships. He had even cried when he was first sent to train, and had only applied his mind to it after finding out that everything that he had been born with would be taken away if he didn''t work hard, and use the natural gifts that had been passed down to him due to the nature of his birth. Even then, he had only done the least of what was expected of him, always enjoying the pastimes of the Mainland more than the grueling training which expected him to do nothing but the same thing over and over again, all day and all night, for the growth in his power that he was told repeatedly he should be grateful of as many couldn''t even imagine being capable of such a feat.

    Everything had been great until a couple of years ago. He had slacked off in his training, improving only as much as was really required while spending the rest of his free time however he wished. Then¡­his father had gotten the wonderful idea to change his master, and ever since, Noel had been subjected to difficulty of difficulty.

    Sparring. Oh¡­how he hated that word.

    Every day, he was made to spar with his seniors, his peers, and sometimes, even his juniors. In the beginning, he had almost always lost, ending his day with a bruised body that his master said was good to experience as it built moral character, but all it had done was feed the hate within him at all those who laughed behind his back as he couldn''t even defeat those younger than him. At the same time, he had been given the duty of collecting crystals from the islands on his master''s insistence as he believed that such work would let him know how privileged he was¡­but in this task, Noel had found a way to take out all the frustration he felt on those that couldn''t resist.

    He had been raised being told that the inhabitants of all the islands were less than insects, meant only to be squished if they showed even a hint of not following every word that a member of the family uttered. So, he had found no reason not to take out his anger on them even though they had no relation to his troubles, and over time, this had turned into a hobby that he often looked forward to.

    His thoughts were interrupted when the cloud began to slow, and stopped completely. They were high, high above the land, and from where he stood, the islands below were just tiny spots. Following his guard''s gaze, he could tell which one they had come to check on, though, so he began the descent, jumping off the cloud without a care in the world.

    Already used to his actions, his guard sped forward and cast the spell to slow their fall. He saw, but didn''t care about the vein bulging on the man''s forehead as he handled the threatening will of gravity that wanted to crush them, but soon, they had slowed down to a crawl. By that time, they were only a few hundred meters above the target, so Noel cast his own spell, and soon, they were both standing above the small town of Larefa.

    Opening his mouth, he prepared to announce his presence in a way that would send everyone present scrambling, but he frowned and paused when he saw that something was wrong.

    Many of the buildings, including the central mansion which he knew the leaders of this place must occupy had been burnt down almost until nothing remained of them.

    Blood and gore spattered the marble tiles of the town, leading to the crimson crystals that he knew would take one down to the deplorable pits. It was a place he had never gone to before¡­but he knew now that if he wanted to find out what had happened, he would have to head there.

    He smiled in a few seconds as he thought this, as he now saw that he had a reason to kill as much as he wanted. A rebellion had taken place here, and hence, it was the perfect time to interrupt the demonic slaves who must be eating their masters at the moment in those pits. At least, that was what many of his fellow disciples believed the slaves would do if they got a chance to thrown down their masters, even though he had seen many times that they were not very different from the people who were allowed to rule these little scraps of land.

    Nodding at his guard and not bothering to check anything else, he flew to the crystal. He teleported, first, with the big man in tow, and soon, he was heading deeper and deeper into the mines, following trials of blood that had been smeared on the way, clearly indicating the direction in which the carnage had gone.

    Glancing to the side, he saw that his guard was more tense than usual. Noel didn''t really care about what the man thought, but he was starting to hate these murky depths and narrow passageways, too. When they reached a dead-end, he grit his teeth and prepared to turn around but paused when the guard walked forward and was able to push his hand into the rock.

    Frowning, he searched with his seed and saw the traces of a spell. Coughing as he should have done this before, he walked forward imperiously, intrigued about who might have been capable of magic in this forsaken place.

    As soon as he stepped into the small cavern beyond¡­things happened too quickly for him to even understand them. The guard was right beside him, and both of them looked up to see that a huge boulder that could crush them without any trouble was hovering in the air above their heads, somehow. There was no time to use magic; with haste, they ran forward as it was the best way to get out of its path. On the way, they tripped on something they hadn''t seen¡­ and fell headlong on the crystal a foot away, before their minds were whisked away without them being able to put up even an ounce of resistance.

 147 A Trip 2

    Noel gasped, looking all around at the giant, towering trees, the grassy earth that smelled of the first signs of rain, and the blue, blue sky, hidden among the canopy of leaves far, far above, looking through the gaps to grace the entire place with a pleasant, warm light¡­that did nothing to slow down his thundering heart.

    He scrambled back on all fours, convinced that he was in a place of danger, a place of death that he knew he couldn''t escape from by running, but still tried to as it was all he could do. He relaxed a bit when he used his frae to examine the surroundings and saw that it was still available to him, but the moment he remembered what had just happened, he frowned and bit his lips.

    He had been disconnected from his body for the briefest of moments, floating in a void with no form but that his thoughts took in a place that he had been to only twice before. It was a state he could not have identified if not for his training...but alas, he had never been too talented in this topic.

    He tried to swallow down his panic, now, remembering the lessons that he had been taught. Entering a meditative pose, he closed his eyes and imagined the outside world, calling upon all the details he had seen before being pushed onto the crystal and being sent here.

    He tried not to think of the trap that had been waiting for him, or the identity of the one who had set it up. Mindmasters were a strange breed, eccentric, to say the least, and feared by all those who were below a certain power level. They could be killed by the weakest mage, yes, but if they were able to use their tricks to whisk away someone to a place where they possessed ultimate power¡­death was the only thing waiting for the target, and he had no intention of going out without a fight.

    That last part made him shudder.

    ''It must be someone who knows my identity, and wants to remove me from the family¡­ I do have a bright future, after all.''

    While he was trying to go through the steps that one was supposed to take when they found themselves in a place where only their consciousness was present, he got this thought then immediately threw it away, knowing that it was time to face the truth, for once, and not fake just how important he was to the family. He was loved by his parents, yes, and a few others, but the rest only thought of him as a useless little shit that would amount to nothing in his life.

    Many times, he tried to work hard to prove them wrong¡­but always, the going just got too tough and there would always be some or the other excuse preventing him from doing everything he could to speed along the path of a mage. He would even tell himself that he wasn''t trying so that the others would have a chance¡­but at the moment, all such delusions had to be thrown out if he wanted to escape with his life.

    Next up, he needed to find some sort of link that he could grab onto that would take him back to his physical body. This was the hardest part; whoever had brought him here would try to keep him here, but the key was that he had to keep trying, and eventually, he would find his way back.

    Only¡­this link was very hard to find, especially for someone like him who hadn''t had much practice despite being given assignments that he really should have finished instead of slacking off to watch Jessica''s attempts of baking a cake for her would-be. Regret was useless now, though, so he carried on with his search¡­only to be interrupted by the sound of buzzing wings, and the sensation of his spikes being pulled by numerous tiny beings.

    He knew that he shouldn''t snap his eyes open, but his imagination went wild, conjuring up all sorts of horrific beings that might be in front of him right now, ready to swallow him whole. He tried telling himself that this was his unconsciousness which couldn''t be broken into, couldn''t be snuffed out without him being given an ample chance to resist, it was useless.

    If not for the fact that any physical harm to his body would jolt him enough to take him back automatically, he would have feared for his life outside, too. Promising himself that he would just peek to make sure that it was nothing too dangerous, he opened his eyes a bit¡­and screamed.

    A thousand, no, ten thousand ghouls flew all around him. When his eyes had been closed, he had been somehow transported into the deepest pits of hell, and here, he was surrounded by beings whose skin was hanging off their bones, whose eyes were naught but sunken hollows with no life within, whose mouths were opened to suck the life out of him if he gave them the tiniest chance. He turned around, but the same awaited him there, too. The sounds of their screaming, their wailing, their thrashing echoes of death given voice stopped him from sitting down and meditating again, and with his hands on his eyes to block out the images, he screamed again.

    Surprisingly, a moment later, the scream was the only thing he heard. It took him a few seconds to gather enough courage to peek out, through his fingers. The sight that his eyes fell on made him frown and remove his hands from his face.

    He was in a small hut, made of straw with a thatched roof and a door made of wood. It was round, with no rooms whatsoever, and on one end was a wooden cradle in which a baby was crying.

    The sound of women speaking could be heard on the outside. He stood for a bit and stopped listening after understanding that it was merely the gossip of villagers, concerning only the death of a cow a village over, or the infidelity of a rogue a few houses away.

    After thinking for a couple of seconds, he caught a slight hint of what might be going on. Apparently, a Mindmaster would put their targets through a series of tests that were designed to weaken them so that they would be ripe for the plucking, but it was a double-edged sword. If all the tests were passed, the target could succeed in leaving the trap¡­and that was exactly what Noel intended to do.

    This also made him feel the faintest hint of hope, as it meant that whoever he was dealing with was not a true master. Only those not as skilled as the individuals who could directly crush consciousnesses without giving any chance such as this would resort to similar means, and this meant that there was a way for him to leave.

    He waited for a voice to appear that would give him instructions, and sure enough, it came soon, echoing from all around him.

    "Let''s play a little game, shall we? You''ll be put in different scenarios. In each one, your goal is to guess who or what is not right, or does not belong in the form that it currently is inside a certain scenario. Guess wrong, and¡­well, you''ll find out. Good luck!"

    Noel frowned. It was a puzzle, and he hated puzzles. He never seemed to succeed in solving any of them, but this time, as his very life depended on it, he set his jaw firmly and told himself that he would find the answer.

    He observed the hut while continuing to listen to the conversation outside. It veered to different topics, to a village nearby that had been targeted by someone arrogant, to a man who had stood up to this despot and had been killed as he dared to question one of the family.

    This mention of the family made his eyes pop. If he was on one of the islands, how could there be multiple villages? The history of the islands had been forced down his throat, as the patriarchs all wished that the younger generation of the Garbonors would retain the lease over the islands, and continue to enjoy the profits that they brought in. After experimenting with different forms of governance, the single-town-pit-underneath had been finalized. It was impossible for a place like this to exist¡­so that meant that the woman was the answer!

    "It''s her! It''s this entire place! It shouldn''t exist!"

    Because he was desperate to be right, he threw in the last part, hoping to hit upon the correct answer in this manner, like a student writing a lengthy answer to get at least a few marks in case he was wrong.

    The conversation immediately stopped, ushering in a spell of silence that swept all around him, making his skin itch and his back tingle. He couldn''t explain it, but he felt as if he was being weighed on scales that he couldn''t see.

    Then¡­the voice returned.

    "False."

    Noel''s eyebrows rose as far as they could go, and he searched the entire hut, knowing that retribution was waiting for him.

    There was no one else, though. He relaxed for a bit after a few seconds¡­but suddenly, an image so nonsensical that it made his jaw drop immediately appeared in front of him.

    The baby had gone silent, too, but he hadn''t noticed this before. Its head peeked out of the cradle, but that was normal¡­but a second later, its body was outside, too, floating in the air as if held by an invisible person.

    Cocking his head, Noel studied it, wondering what the fuck was going on. Then¡­it flew towards him, and a punch from its tiny fist blew a bloody hole through his cheek.

 148 A Trip 3

    The baby beat him within an inch of his life.

    Even while it was hitting him, Noel was whining inwardly about how silly it must look. He raised his hands, trying to ward it off, and even used a few spells that sent it flying to the side¡­but each time, it returned with even more strength, and soon, he realized that he should stop putting up resistance if he didn''t want it to get stronger.

    By the time it was done, he was a moaning mess on the ground. The pain was weird, though. It was almost as if he was feeling it second hand. He had heard of this phenomenon: it occurred when the degree of suffering got to a level that a consciousness was able to shield it automatically, but that didn''t mean that it helped entirely. Noel was in more agony than he had ever felt in his life, before, tears leaking out of his eyes as he begged for the baby to stop.

    When it finally did, the scene changed again, and he crouched on the ground, unaware of what had happened and still waiting for those little fists and those little legs to descend. When they didn''t, he got up and looked around to see that he was on the marble floor of a mansion, and after standing up and trying to pretend as if he wasn''t the one who had been crying like a little baby until now, he told himself that he would succeed, this time, no matter what.

    As he steadied himself, he saw that he was dressed fashionably in a suit. It was in a style that was ten years old, which was curious as he had heard that this was the time frame that it usually took for such things to filter down to those that called themselves nobles on the islands. With half-closed eyes that were intent on not missing anything, he looked around to see that he was in a furnished room with walls made of blocks of stone, and while he was still staring at them, the door opened, making him whirl towards it.

    A gorgeous woman stood at the doorway, face glowing with the natural beauty of a mother while she caressed her bulging, pregnant belly. She looked at him with eyes filled with love, but all Noel felt was suspicion.

    He was still only 15 years old, and even though he had delved deeply into the pleasures of the other sex¡­getting someone pregnant had always been the farthest thing on his mind. Frowning, he watched as she walked to him and took his hand, and with his forehead still creased, he heard her say, "Come, they wait," before allowing himself to be led to the door.

    Soon, he abandoned his study of the woman as he found nothing there but what was visible on the surface. Shifting his focus to the large room that they entered, he let his eyes wander over all the people seated at a long dining table.

    There were at least 30 present, all laughing and chatting between themselves until they saw that he had arrived. They all stood up respectfully, one hand on their chests, and after bowing to him, they sat back down.

    A clock nearby chimed, and he realized that there might be a time limit, too. After all, he didn''t want to stay here forever as he had heard that consciousnesses grew weaker the longer they were away from a body¡­so, taking the decision to go along with the rules of the scenario with the reason behind this definitely not being that he was scared of more pain, he latched onto the one thing that he suspected might be the answer and shouted, "It''s this woman beside me! I would never get anyone pregnant!"

    Everything fell silent again. The entire thing seemed silly, but he had no choice. His eyes were fixed on her belly, convinced that the creator of this place might try to outdo himself by making the baby inside burst out and beat him again¡­but his punishment arrived in a way that he could not have anticipated, once again.

    "False."

    The food and all the plates on the table floated into the air, then flew towards him. Fried chickens punched him in his stomach. Roasted geese slapped his face, knocking his teeth out. Peas and corn forced themselves into his ears and his mouth, tasting like the vilest dung, and his screams started again.

    It went on in this manner, scenario after scenario, nonsensical punishment after nonsensical punishment while the voice that said ''False'' kept echoing in his head. Four times he was placed in situations completely unrelated to each other, four times he was forced to make a decision after a certain amount of time passed, given a hint in some way that time was running out, and four times he failed, and was beaten close to death.

    When the fifth scenario arrived, he just stayed on the floor, whimpering. His knees were drawn close to his chest, and tears were now flowing from his eyes.

    All of his pride from being one of the members of the prestigious family, all of his strength that he always depended on to hold his own on the islands¡­ none of them mattered. He knew that he was close to being broken, but there was nothing he could do, and the most infuriating thing was probably that he didn''t know why this was all happening, and who was doing it.

    He just wanted to get out, even if it meant that he might have to die. He just couldn''t take any more of these weird punishments, and the pain that came with them. After all, he had never before gone through such hardships¡­and he had never thought he would have to, which had resulted in him living a life of utter laziness.

    He wished now that he had done things differently, but alas, it was too late. Knowing that the end was probably near, he got up¡­and felt a hesitant smile come to his lips for the first time in what felt like an eternity when he saw his guard beside him.

    It disappeared in a moment, though, when he realized that it was definitely not him; not really, at least. He couldn''t have saved him from this place that they foolishly fallen into, so with a sigh, Noel walked out of the room.

    He hadn''t even bothered to notice it, as it never really figured into the scenario. As he stepped out, he didn''t feel any surprise on seeing that he was on an island, again, just like he had been in all the scenarios before.

    He couldn''t tell which one it was, as they were all similar. The slaves looked the same on all of them, too, and right now, in front of him, ten were kneeling on the ground, their hands shackled behind their backs.

    The guard beside him saluted and said, "They await their execution, my lord. We have prepared them as you asked."

    Noel frowned. It had also never mattered whether he went along with a scenario or not, but he had noticed that if he did, the pain waiting for him would be a bit less. This was something he had done so many times before, though, that it came to him naturally, and so, he walked to the first slave and snapped his neck without blinking.

    A rooster crowed somewhere, and he recognized it to be the sign that the time of the end was closing in. Of the five scenarios, three had been long, spanning a week each during which he lived a mundane life, constantly searching for the answer, but it seemed that this one was going to be short. Once, he had tried not giving an answer, and of course, still, the punishment had come.

    Noel ignored it, though, as in that moment before his death¡­the slave had looked at him in a manner that pricked at something in his mind.

    Try as he might, he couldn''t hold onto it before it disappeared. Something told him that it was important, though, so while he beheaded the next one¡­he kept his gaze on the man''s depraved eyes, and noticed a bit more of what it was.

    The answer still wasn''t clear, so he kept watching while he went down the line. At the seventh slave, he got a hint as to what it was, but he couldn''t believe it. But at the eighth, his time ended as the rooster crowed for a second time¡­and he froze, waiting for the pain to come.

    It didn''t, though, and grabbing these moments where his mind was clearer than it had ever been since leaving his body, he thought of what he had just seen...and reached a terrifying conclusion.

    ''It''s...me. They are all normal people, living their lives. I know they''re normal and no different from me, cos'' I just lived their lives! I''m the one who swoops in and destroys them every month, so...I''m what''s wrong?''

    He blurted out the same, and after a pause during which he kept his eyes closed...the voice returned.

    "Correct. And if you don''t change, if you dare to come back here with the intent of hurting anyone again...this is what will happen.''

    Unable to stop himself, Noel opened his eyes. The ghouls were back, and now...to his eyes, they possessed the rotting faces of all those he had killed.

    He had been right, but he was still going to be punished.

    They didn''t just stop with screaming at him, this time. They opened their mouths wide and bit away huge chunks of his flesh, and somehow, he retained the ability to feel what was happening to his body even after it entered the stomachs of various ghouls.

    The last thing he saw was a large ghoul biting off his head, and while pain unlike anything he had ever thought could exist radiated throughout him...something in him snapped, something that had been frayed, beaten, and abused in all these ordeals, and when darkness arrived, it felt like a blessing.

 149 Lies

    Unbeknownst to Noel and the burly guard, Daneel stood up from his meditative position on top of the huge matrix of crystals and clapped his hands, satisfied with a job well done.

    At the base of the crystals, sitting with her back to them was Selene, her eyes still closed and her face showing the pallour of one deep inside a meditative state. In three corners of the room, Mors, Alex, and the old man stood, their attention wandering until now but focused, at the moment, as they watched the two they had been charged with to protect blink, then look around as if everything was new to them.

    Daneel was acting out that part, at least, as he couldn''t expose that he had been inside a world where only a consciousness could exist multiple times before. He rubbed his eyes, as though he was still adapting to reality, and below him, Selene was going through the same ordeal. Of course, if it was the woman who had latched onto the Will controlling her, no such thing would have happened, but it seemed that they had reached an agreement where Seline would control the body, for the most part.

    Getting onto the floor, Daneel smiled and walked in the direction of their targets. Both of them had fallen on the crystals and not been moved ever since, still lying on the glassy substance with peaceful expressions as though it was the most comfortable bed in the whole wide world. The guard, in particular, even grinned a few times, and looking at him, one would believe that he was in the most pleasant dream possible.

    Daneel hadn''t done much to the man, suspecting that he wouldn''t need to. His main target was the bratty kid who had been successfully broken, and if he didn''t come back, of course, the guard wouldn''t be back, either. Also, anyone with such a personality would want to keep such experiences out of the public eye, and so, Daneel trusted that what happened here would remain secret for as long as they needed it to be, at least.

    Feeling the elf''s gaze on him again, Daneel frowned. It was getting quite tiring to hide his capabilities from this ancient being, but if he wanted the incredible vault of knowledge that was only accessible to one who belonged to this race, he needed to play along. In fact, the main reason behind it grating on his nerves was that he also considered the elf to be his close friend, and he knew that he could never bring himself to feel good while lying so much to someone he cared about.

    It was time to do it again, now, so Daneel braced himself, saying over and over again in his head that it was necessary, and that he would make it up to the elf someway, in the future.

    He had to keep up the ruse, so walking to Seline''s side, he beamed and said, "Well done! Really, the skill that can be attained with time is remarkable. I never knew that the Will could be used that way, that consciousnesses could be manipulated so¡­brilliantly! You were incredible! There is so much to learn, and maybe, with this experience, I might even be interested in walking down the path of a Mindmaster, myself! Well, that''s for the future, but for now¡­ we succeeded! Good job!"

    Seline looked confused, first, and Daneel grimaced as it seemed that she might not turn out to be such a great actor, after all. But thankfully, the woman inside came to the rescue, appearing suddenly from within Seline''s mind to bring a calm expression to her face and a steady voice that said, "Of course. You were doubtful whether I could do it, but it all went well. See? You shouldn''t question your superiors."

    Nodding and trying not to chuckle, Daneel turned to the elf who looked satisfied, for the moment, at least. He was lucky that the ancient being wasn''t very well versed in these matters, and hence, he could get away with this lie.

    Alex''s eyes were on Seline, completely ignoring Daneel as if he didn''t even exist. Daneel had seen him frown when that sudden change in character had taken place, but his features were smooth now, again, as Seline returned and nodded, adding her voice to what had just been spoken.

    Stepping forward from the part of the wall that the elf had been using as support until now, he said, "There is much I need to learn. When I go back, I will be focusing my studies on this topic which seemed boring when I was presented with it long ago, as I was told I didn''t have too much aptitude for the path. I have realized now that knowledge is powerful, whether you can use it or not, so I must gain much more if I am to accomplish anything that I want. So¡­ What next?"

    He looked at the motionless body of the brat on the crystals, then, with a complicated set to his eyes, and Daneel knew that there was a question on his mind that he wanted to ask.

    Walking to his friend''s side, he laid a hand on his shoulder and nodded encouragingly, and sure enough, a few moments later, the elf spoke in his singsong voice.

    "How will this event affect the future? His future, in particular, I mean. You told me that you would endeavor to make him realize how much pain he has been causing by inflicting the same pain upon him. You also said that this would not cause him to turn into a blubbering mess, as one might expect in matters such as there. How will he be changed?"

    Daneel knotted his eyebrows, surprised at the question as he hadn''t expected the elf to be able of dissecting what they had done so much. The answer was ready, though, as he had thought about it before, just like he always did whenever he was fleshing out the details of the plan.

    "I always think beforehand about the after-effects of anything that I do. Well, in this case, Jacary tells me that it all depends on the character of a person. Even if someone has grown into who they are due to the influence of everything around them, there is something deep within that is actually formed when one is very young, too young to even understand what these influences are. They will have to fall back on that part of themselves, now. The worst case is that it might rebound, causing him to become someone even crueler if he just throws off the effects of what has happened here¡­but that seldom happens. I guess we''ll just have to wait and see¡­"

    "Well, then, what are we waiting for? You said that we don''t have too much time to work with, so let''s get on with this evacuation! We need to be gone quickly, right?"

    Before Alex''s words stopped echoing in the chamber, Daneel looked at all those present and said, "Indeed. The hard part is done, but we must make no mistakes in what follows. All of you know what is expected of you. Act carefully, with tact. In one day, this island shall be no more¡­and our sacrifice must not be in vain. Let''s go!"

 150 Departure

    A few hours later.

    Two separate groups could be seen walking in the direction of the man-sized teleportation matrix at the very edge of the island. They looked as different as possible, but all the people they consisted of were engaged in the same action of looking back often, with eyes that carried emotions tinged with the undercurrent of the kind of sorrow unique to one leaving their home.

    The surprising thing was that this could be seen in the gazes that belonged to Daneel, Mors, and Alex, too, even though they had only spent a few days on the island. If he was talking about himself, Daneel could explain the phenomenon. The action of connecting with the Will of any location would always make one feel a deep attachment to that place, so his heart was filled with the despair of one who had no other choice but to burn down their house if they didn''t want cruel animals who would kill them if given the chance to follow, and reach wherever they fled to as certainly as the fact that the sun rose in the North.

    It felt strange to think this as it was different from Earth, but Daneel had already gotten used to it mainly because of his memories from before he had occupied this body. Musing on this phenomenon for a moment, he managed to ignore the melancholy atmosphere that filled the entire place¡­but after just a few seconds, he had to return to it, and as he did so, he looked to his two companions.

    Mors was thoughtful, looking down at the ground while his eyes were at a faraway place. He had been engaged in this action ever since they had left that cavern for the last time, and Daneel started to worry whether something was on the elf''s mind that he couldn''t get rid of, and that couldn''t be explained no matter how much he tried to lie.

    Alex''s sorrow was second hand, and this was obvious in the way he kept glancing in the direction of the other group, at the woman at whose feet his heart had certainly been thrown. Daneel saw it as clear as day; he knew that this would not have been possible if not for his own experiences in this matter back on Angaria, but because he had found true love, himself, after a lot of stumbling, it was quite obvious what the thief thought of the woman whose life had been changed forever due to her presence in that cavern, at that specific time.

    He had spoken with the system extensively about what the after-effects of a transferral of a consciousness could be. He had been very surprised to find out that the least of what could happen was that her frae would be unlocked, and although he had wanted to tell this to her, he had refrained himself, knowing that this was an ability that she had to find out for herself and decide whether to pursue or forget.

    When they reached the matrix, all of them turned around, as one, to look at the town that was just within their vision. Only the very tops of some of the mansions of the town could be seen, but still, almost all the eyes looking in that direction were peering at something that was within their minds, rather than visible in their vision.

    Daneel didn''t know whether the slaves were looking at the houses they had occupied for all these days, or the caves in the Pits which they had lived through their worst memories, and also many of the only good ones they might had had. After all, they had spent the majority of their lives there, and it would not have been possible for them to survive if they hadn''t managed to find pockets of happiness in the sea of pain and unforgiving manual labor that they had been born into.

    He still remembered the way the slaves had looked at him when he had announced that they would have to leave. They had been stunned, and their faces had carried the shock that could only be felt by those who had just settled into a normal life after much hardship, but had been told that they were going to be thrust into chaos once again. He had had to fight the urge to give explanations, but in the end, he had relented and talked a bit about how dangerous pursuers were going to be after them.

    The slaves were hardy people, after all, so when given a hint of the reason due to which they were fleeing, they accepted it, just as they had come to accept many things in the life they had been forced to live until now. It had taken some time to convince the children who had gotten comfortable in the town and attached to the living conditions they had never experienced before, but eventually, everyone had gathered up their belongings and started trudging to the edge of the island on his command.

    He looked at all of them, now, turning in their direction. Altogether, their hunched shoulders, downturned faces, and grey, drab clothes which had been worn again as it was needed to ensure their safe passage gave no doubt as to their identities. They were slaves, plain and clear, beaten down by life until defeat was all they represented, and nothing could be done to change this impression.

    Daneel made to turn away, but paused when he noticed something else. It was easy to miss, only visible fleetingly in the set of a man''s eyes here, a clenching of a woman''s teeth there. And when he took a step back and looked at them all once more, searching for more of these signs, he understood what they were: the traces of stubbornness that had been given strength when their shackles had been broken.

    If they had survived such a tough life, could they not face anything else that this world sought to throw at them? When the dam of emotions within them had broken, all of their dreams had come true, and in making that happen, he had given them the happiest memory that one could have. Could anyone that had gone through such extremes really be broken?

    ''Definitely not. I see it now. I see, again, why the system chose this place. They are my people, and no matter what happens, they will always be stronger than almost anyone that the Mainland can throw at me. The Mainlanders may be likened with a building already built, but these people are like sand and water stronger than anything used to construct the edifice those arrogant bastards represent. If I just use them well¡­what I create shall be undefeatable.''

    A small smile came to his lips then, and when he spoke, his voice seemed to shatter the air that had become saturated with the grief of departure.

    "Today, we flee, sinking our home for we are afraid. Some day, they shall be the ones who fear us. Someday, I shall lead you all to what you rightfully deserve. It may seem far-fetched, and I may even sound crazy¡­but this I swear. By the spirit of Larefa, I give you my word. Travel carefully, and never forget the precautions we entrusted to you. Graiton is waiting for you. When you reach my home, tell Reese I''ll be back soon. For now¡­goodbye."

    Daneel turned around after he was done as he didn''t want to see how they took his words. He had uttered them with all seriousness, but he knew just how impossible it might seem.

    He only turned back around when he detected the flash of the crystal from the corner of his eyes. The plan was simple: Seline would lead them in groups through the islands on the way to Graiton, always making sure that their way would never intersect with any other travelers. For this purpose, scouts would be used, and in the worst case, if they were seen, she would act like a slave owner, transporting her purchases.

    There was nothing else to do but get on with it, now. Even though he knew it was necessary, it hurt to do it¡­but closing his eyes and feeling tears appear at their corners, Daneel did the deed himself, opting to not take the easy way of giving the system the command to carry it out.

    He ordered the Will to perish, and he fully expected to see it hurt and betrayed. Instead, it relented without any opposition¡­and while his mind filled with surprise, he was sent an image that made him grin, then laugh, even as tears slipped down his cheeks.

    It was the image of all the men, women, and children of Larefa looking at his straight back with fire in their eyes. A fire of retribution, a fire of a debt that needed to be paid¡­and a fire of a promise witnessed, and accepted.

    ''So they didn''t think it was far-fetched, after all¡­''

    Through their feelings, the Will had somehow comprehended that this was necessary. It let go of itself, now, and as it fluttered away into nothingness, the last thing it radiate outwards¡­was hope.

    The land below him rumbled, then noticeably began to sink. Opening his eyes, he saw Alex and Mors looking at him with pity in their eyes.

    Letting out a breath and fighting to keep his face straight, he walked to the crystal. He paused there, and taking the hint, the others left first.

    It was only apt that his feet should be the last to touch the island. He checked on the spell that the elf had cast once again which would make sure that the brat and his guard would float on top of the water for a few days before they roused themselves, and after that, he knew that there was nothing else to do. This was a defeat, plain and clear. Because he had no way of going up against those more powerful than him, he had been given no option but to kill the Will of a land that had accepted him¡­and Daneel engraved this in his heart, beside all the other things that needed to be avenged.

    Bending, he picked up a bit of the red earth and tucked it in his pocket. When he rose, his hand moved to the crystal, and before he disappeared, the last thing he saw was dark clouds, as though a storm had begun to gather.

 151 Awakening

    Awareness flitted around Noel''s mind like a fly intent on evading capture, sometimes even blinking in and out of existence, making him fear that he would never catch it.

    Vaguely, he could feel time passing, but there was nothing he could do. It was as though he was submerged in wax, surrounded by a sea of flames that blazed, at times, melting enough to allow him to move before winking out suddenly, causing a blizzard to appear that would strengthen the wax once more and erase whatever progress he had made.

    All along, the memories of what had happened inside the dream that was not a dream haunted him, already having finished their task but still lingering around, as if to ensure that their effects would last for as long as possible. Many dreams came to him, but thankfully, he could tell that they were actually dreams, governed by nothing but his own consciousness. Yet, he couldn''t do anything to stop it from dwelling on all that pain, and that moment of realization when he had been plagued by the essence of all the death and torture he had inflicted all through his life compressed into a single blow that was still fresh in his mind, always ready to remind him of the lesson it wanted to teach.

    Around the corners of all that was happening, he detected scraps of himself in the few, precious moments when he was able to retain a modicum of self-awareness. In those moments, he saw that he had a choice: he could either double down and choose the path that he had been walking on until now, trusting it to protect him even though that nightmare just now was the very antithesis of what it represented, or he could rely on something else, something he thought he had forgotten from the earliest memories of his childhood, something that had shaped him, but had been misshaped over time until it was almost unrecognizable.

    The former''s very existence puzzled him, but he soon understood that it was there as poison could be fought with poison. Many times, he was tempted to go down that path, to tell himself that there was nothing wrong with pain, and that the nightmare he had been forced to go through could be wiped away by inflicting even more suffering and enjoying himself. This path called to him, but even though the other did no such thing, he found himself drawn to it, drawn to those times when he had been regarded as nothing but an inquisitive child, nothing but a young member of the family who could go where he wanted, do what he wished, and be who he was.

    He remembered the times when he had been cared for by his mother and father before their duties had grown too much for them to give any time to the fancies of a kid who was already growing into an age where he was expected to train, fight, and kill. He inadvertently smiled each time this happened, and for a few moments afterward, he was always able to stay away from the call of cruelty.

    The path filled with death was familiar, and it also promise him revenge against whoever had made him experience so much pain just now. The other made no promises, at all, but it represented that moment of realization, and as he thought about it now, he saw that something had dawned on him then which he hadn''t really pondered on until now.

    He was still unable to figure it out, so Noel started to move to the other one. It felt right, as it was something he had steeped himself in over all these years, but at the last moment before he gave himself up in its embrace, it also felt wrong, and this gave him pause.

    Turning around, with the yawning pit of his own mercilessness waiting to swallow him up, he looked behind him and saw something far away.

    It was a single memory, something that had almost ceased to exist, buried under everything else that was so different from it. It was that of a little boy holding the string of a kite that flew in the air, hoping and skipping along a marbled path right outside the mansion that belonged to the family.

    The kite was lovely, studded with precious stones, enchanted with spells that let it soar like a hawk no matter who held its reins. It had been the little boy''s gift, and for an entire week, he had been completely enamored by it, playing with it day and night, forgetting everything else and everyone else.

    He seldom saw where he was going, but this time, he happened to look down the path and see that an old, destitute man with his skin barely hanging on to his bones was trying to shamble across the path.

    Due to his gifts of birth, the boy knew that he could barrel right through the old man. The kite had already gained so much speed that if he changed his forward motion, he was relatively sure that the string would snap, and it would fly away.

    He could either smash into the unlucky obstacle, or say goodbye to this gift that he still loved.

    The answer seemed simple. He had seen many of his peers not caring at all when faced with such choices, so he made the decision to just keep moving.

    At the last moment, though¡­he suddenly recalled seeing his mother, once, not hesitate from even hurting herself to save some people who had stumbled on to an experimental spell she had cast.

    Her smile had been radiant when she had succeeded. He suddenly found himself wanting to smile in that way, too.

    He jumped aside. The string was severed. The kite flew away, and he looked at it with sad eyes.

    But when he turned to the old man who looked scared, he grinned, and the thankfulness he saw in those eyes was a wonder to behold.

    That same radiant smile reappeared on his face in the present, and Noel made his choice.

    He blinked, feeling the warm sunlight on his face. The air he breathed in was salty, and nearby, the sound of waves slowly lapping reached his ears.

    He got up and was startled to see that he was standing on a metal board. Beside him, his guard stirred, too, and both of them gaped as they looked all around, finding no signs of the island they had entered what felt like ages ago.

    Noel frowned. Something had changed within him, but he didn''t know what it was. He did know that he needed to get to the family and give a report, but when he turned to the guard, something that made his face go blank happened.

    Mondo, who had never spoken a word since he had known him opened his mouth and said, "If it''s alright with you, let''s not repeat what happened here. We can say that the island was below the sea by the time we arrived."

    His voice was a bit high-pitched, not really fitting his burly image, and after a few seconds during which all he did was stare, Noel nodded, then smile again. The edge of Mondo''s cloak was submerged in the sea, and seeing this, he bent and picked it out before casting a quick spell to dry it out.

    The simple gesture made his guard blink and look at him with widened eyes, as if he was seeing the most improbable thing in the universe. Although Noel could tell that there was something significant in what had just happened, he wasn''t in a mood to study it.

    The bright sun shone down on them, and for what felt like the first time in a long time, he felt¡­good. Folding his hands behind his back, he nodded, and spoke the first thought that came to his mind.

    "It''s a wonderful day, isn''t it? I''m hungry. How about you? After we deal with the fallout, I''ll give you a treat. You did your best, after all. But first¡­.the patriarch won''t be pleased, so I sure do hope that whoever did it gets away."

 152 Deal

No content

 153 Reasoning

No content

 154 Negotiation

    He was dressed as gaudily as possible, with a golden crown on his head and his braided hair stuck up above the piece of jewelry, shaped like a crown, itself. On his request, the elf had also worked on his face, changing a few features to make it seem as grand as possible, and his clothes were the flashiest he had ever worn in his life.

    They had two trains behind them, of the sort that could be expected from wedding gowns back on Earth. The train on the left was a sparkling white, shining in the setting sun as it trailed along, flying occasionally in the evening breeze that graced the seven islands of the beggar king''s city. The train on the right was black as sin, enchanted specifically to draw in light and make it seem as if it was a gaping black hole, ready to swallow up anyone who dared to gaze upon it too much.

    The main robes could be likened to armor due to the way they hugged his entire body from head to toe in one single, flowing piece. Made of overlapping golden scales that were meant to blaze even if there was no light shining upon them, they were garish enough to blind anyone looking upon their overstated brilliance, and with a face that made no doubt as to whether it belonged with the ostentatious clothes, Daneel swept toward the entrance of the beggar king''s home.

    Alex and the elf were wearing the same clothes they had come in. Daneel had been loath to spend what he had on his own robes; hence, even the mention of something similar being used up for the two of them had made him look at Alex scandalously, and with a scowl, the thief had been made to accept that it would be fine even if they didn''t match with their glorious leader.

    There was a point to everything he had done, and he was excited to make it to the two of them. And as for the reason behind their frustration¡­ it was that he had fallen back on his old habit of concealing his plans so that he could reveal them in a grand manner, and sure enough, the two had been incensed that their excitement at finding out what scheme he had cooked up had amounted to nothing.

    Daneel had even had to coax out what he needed from Alex. The man was a historian, after all, so he knew the patterns that the nobility among the Ushanbos favored while dressing themselves.

    He had promised them that they would find everything out before the day it playing, and this was the only thing that had satiated them. There was a purpose behind this decision of his, too, and he hoped, no, he knew that they would understand as soon as he was able to tell them about the reasons behind his actions.

    A smile stretched his lips as he saw that everything was going to plan. When he entered the huge, stone room with a vaulted ceiling and a glass chandelier shaped like a lion, the beggar king snapped his head up, eyes crinkling with irritation as they fell upon the figure that looked like it had descended from the sky.

    The man had been perusing something while waiting for the meeting to which Daneel was late. Brushing aside his displeasure as if it was nothing but a gust of wind, Daneel masterfully swept the two trains behind him so that they flew in the air for a moment before settling themselves neatly over and behind the high-backed chair he sat on.

    The beggar king''s lips tightened, and Daneel relaxed. He was supposed to be angry, after all. He was the host, and Daneel was making a show of insulting him in the worst way possible.

    He opened his mouth to speak, but Daneel took it even further. Raising one hand, he silenced the man and said, "I don''t have time to listen to you. Heed my words, and do what I tell you to. Believe me. You would prefer it if I am out of your hair as quickly as possible, and the only way to ensure this is that I''m not made to wait. Warasi, the list."

    Alex hastily stepped forward, producing a piece of parchment from his pocket that he handed to the grimy man in shabby clothes. While he studied the numbers and figures written on the paper with eyebrows that rose with every second, Daneel studied him.

    He looked much the same as he had when the three of them had departed Marillein, but there were a few small changes. His eyes were even more sunken than they had been before, and his flesh seemed to cling to his bones just a tiny bit more.

    Either the man was under even greater stress that he had been over all these years, or he had been overworking himself. Daneel was interested to know the reason behind the latter, but letting it go for the moment, he spoke again the second he saw the man reach the end of the parchment.

    His nostrils flared when he read what had been written there, and he looked up with eyes so red that it was obvious he had forgotten who he was actually talking to.

    Before he could speak, Daneel''s words echoed throughout the room.

    "Whatever you wish to say, keep it to yourself. If you think it is a request, you are mistaken. It is an order. Tomorrow, one of my men will arrive to give you the parcel that you will be keeping safe in your best vault. Your best one, mind you. I will know if you detract even an inch from my instructions. And if you''re surprised about how much we are buying, don''t be. We have big plans for the future, and they begin now. That is all you need to know. You have your business, I have my ambition. Both of us will be happy, and I will be able to depart from this stinking hole of a cesspit you call a city."

    The beggar king glared at that last part, but swallowing his anger, he tried to speak in a level tone that kept breaking into higher octaves whenever he let his anger get the better of him.

    "This is¡­ unprecedented, to say the least! You''re placing an order that costs an amount enough to buy an island, outright! You''re doing it on such short notice, and you want me to store something in my vault, which is not supposed to be used for anything else but for my own purposes! This is preposterous! I will need to check with the¡­"

    Daneel frowned, and the whip flew.

    The sharp ''crack'' was heard in the room before it struck, startling the beggar king and making him hastily lean back.

    The tip of the whip could be seen for a moment at the exact place where his head had been. A cold sweat broke out on his brow as he realized this, and after letting out a quick breath, he looked to Daneel while blinking rapidly.

    "No. You will not contact the family, because you don''t need to. Their standing instructions are clear: if someone can pay, you sell. Arrangements are being made to keep them happy by the time they check the records. Besides, the matters of our two families are of no concern to you, dirty beggar. You are a slave in all but name, and we are the kings of slaves, so keep your mouth shut. In two days, my men will come with the money. You will return the item I gave you, then, along with everything we are buying. Understand?"

    The tip of the whip moved ever so slightly in his hand, and the beggar king''s face became drained of the little blood it had left. He nodded shakily, and with a smile, Daneel rose and swept his way out, his two trains swinging along merrily in the breeze he made, himself, matching his exuberant mood and standing in stark contrast to the stunned faces of his companions, who couldn''t figure out why and how he was going to produce triple the money they had in hand.

 155 Shopping

No content

 156 Heist 1

No content

 157 Heist 2

No content

 158 Flee

No content

 159 Bai

No content

 160 Pursui

No content

 161 Battle

No content

 162 A Mystery

No content

 163 Return 1

No content

 164 Return 2

No content

 165 Return 3

No content

 166 Return 4

No content

 167 Awakening

No content

 168 Decision

No content