LoRG 1

For that sacrifice Randidly swore to himself to care more constantly for his internal world They deserved much better than the cursory investigation he had given them previously

Held in Lucretia’s hands was a bowl and inside of it there were numerous small gems They were thick and dark things forest green maroon navy blue and when Randidly reached out to touch them he felt them flicker and twitch and then slide into his fingers to become a part of him

They weren’t easy to piece apart as Lucretia said and they hit him in a huge wave of images and thoughts and emotions Although they weren’t his and they weren’t overpowering in any way they were certainly compelling It was almost chilling how he could see from its well truly her perspective how right she was in what she was doing

The why was very fuzzy but Randidly could clearly sense how she wished to strike back at the System while keeping her own involvement a secret

When he couldn’t figure out what the memories meant the first time Randidly watched them again and again He had a fast forward function effectively and when he reached the end he could restart the flood but that was it

The first things he began noticing as he went through the memories over and over again Neveah peering over his metaphysical shoulder were the insights into Aether Manipulation Multiple times Randidly could see the Creature as she shaped Aether to accomplish oddly specific tasks Unlike his assumptions She relied heavily on trial and error but she seemed to possess an unerring intuition in regards to Aether and after a few tries she would create the desired result

These he filed away for study later because it would greatly benefit his own Skills For now however that information was less valuable

The next arc that he began to notice was his own He could sense that the Creature he faced was but a single of thousands of incarnations spread throughout the Cohort to experiment He could feel how the Creature moved through every part of his growth providing him with Skills to overcome obstacles and then acting as a constant obstacle that drove him beyond his limits

It was somewhat sickening feeling the Creature’s amusement as he struggled against her and her sparks of delight when he succeeded He felt her curiosity towards him and what he was doing but his slow growth within values that were normal for the System in her opinion made her conclude he wouldn’t be a weapon she could use

Strangely the Creature was thankful for Randidly’s actions in a lot of ways as it had formed the idea of putting a Village in a Dungeon in a failed Zone through his antics That information she had even felt important enough to spread it to her other incarnations should their own attempts fail For that one successful outcome she deemed Randidly to be useful

Randidly shivered everytime he passed through that memory

The one bright note of satisfaction for Randidly during the stream of memories was the moment when the Creature realized what he had done sneaking Tellumurite into the soul of her incarnation It quickly grew blurry from there but she felt true fear a deep dread at that moment

Such was the strength of emotion that the more Randidly felt that memory the more his amusement waned It made him remember that the Creature was a sadistic sociopath but beyond her there was something even more monstrous the System itself The Creature would not be this way if not molded by the System although he wasn’t sure of the exact nature of how that had happened

As these memories were just from the incarnation watching Randidly there was no way to know But there was more information here

Specifically the Creature was oddly fascinated by the human’s Classes Not in an impressed way but in an almost dumbfounded way Most races she knew from her previous memories in her true body had very little difference among the Classes that they had access to much in the way Shal’s world was primarily variations on Spearmen

There were certainly those that had Classes relating to different weapons or elements but there were generally only a dozen or so archetypes and then variations on those

Humans on the other hand seemed to delight in having different unique Classes even when they were relatively less powerful than the archetypes Of course there were 1% of Classes that were so absurdly powerful that it likely made up for it but the Creature found this variety to be exceedingly strange

She speculated it had something to do with the innate creativity of humans and how their culture before the System seemed obsessed with arbitrary definitions and making things up But she also could see how it was the result of something much more deeply secreted away It was likely caused by the same thing that allowed Randidly to subtly warp the System around him changing the rules in new and interesting ways

Either way from her communications with other incarnations the human Zones had yielded 5 positive results already This was incomparable to most worlds where she could waste her time and find nothing

These communications with other incarnations were often the messiest memories and required repeated careful study but the deeper Randidly went the worse his mood became Because it was clear that there were humans that had capitulated to the Creature and submitted themselves to her experimentation

It was a somewhat sobering realization Although they wouldn’t know that Randidly had defeated this incarnation perhaps the others knew of him and they might have their own perfected tools ready to fight against him to sacrifice the Earth for her greater cause

Closing his eyes to the memories for a second Randidly sighed He had pulled up a bit of the weeds but if he wanted to keep his Earth safe he would need to go after the entire root system And that would mean killing more humans those foolish enough to sell their species out to a fickle god

Chapter 471

After sorting the bodies and pouring Health Potions down the throats of the seriously injured Drake dismissed his armor and sat for a while surrounded by the unconscious bodies wiping the blood from his sword He continued to wipe and polish in small circles and it was only after he could see his reflection in the blade that he realized that this was Lucifer’s method Without even thinking be had picked it up and mimicked him capturing some of the man’s fastidiousness in regards to swords

Torn between amusement and disgust Drake stowed his sword and looked around him at the remnants of the battlefield Unlike Lucifer or Thea Drake had not split the ground with his power It was a small blessing that at least he wouldn’t need to replace the floor of the training arena Unlike Alana or Annie the ground was splattered with blood making it clear that his blows had wounded but not debilitated the enemies instantly Unlike Clarissa Ptolemy or the Ghosthound the victim’s bodies weren’t marked by burns or smudges where magic discharged on their armor and skin

Not that the Ghosthound needed to rely on his spells but the stronger Drake got the more he grew to realize that Skills using Mana were much much more fearsome than a common strike empowered with Stamina

But the bodies around Drake showed the telltale sign of being physically overpowered During his time in the Raid Dungeon he had carefully refined his technique In terms of raw power Drake might even be considered almost the same as he had been before he had entered into the Raid Dungeon But this came with about a dozen caveats that explained the difference between these two results

Before the Raid Dungeon he would attack with vicious wild swings seeking to use his superior Strength to overpower his opponent Afterward his attacks mostly consisted of short brutal blows to incapacitate and allow Drake to move quickly to a more relevant threat Against monsters Drake would usually utilize about 5 of those blows and then unleash a wild swing to finish off the stunned or struggling opponents Against humans the brutal blows were more than enough to put the guards of East End on the ground More than enough because oftentimes such strikes would also break their spirits along with their bones In one particular case Drake had kicked out and broke a young man’s shin bone As the battle raged on around him the young man began to cry unable to move

Although he said nothing Drake made note of this guard’s behavior Not that it would likely matter but

Very poignantly Drake recalled a time early in the Raid Dungeon where a strike from a centaur had shattered his bone helmet partially blinding him and stunning him After he stumbled back barely regaining his balance Drake’s first impulse was to swing wildly while retreating blowing through his Stamina in a wild gambit to find someplace safe to recover But then he had recalled that he was one of two people holding this wing of the battle lines and his partner Ptolemy would swiftly be overwhelmed if he gave ground

At that moment his feet seemed to sink into the ground and he swayed blinking away shards of bone even as his eyes teared up from tiny pieces that dug their jagged edges into the membranes near his eye At that moment Drake realized that if he did not hold he would die and he had to ask himself whether retreating to death was really an option that he wanted to entertain

So partially blinded he had stepped back forward and used hearing to locate the enemies generally just putting the tip of his sword between him and them until he had blinked away enough of the bone to understand what was going on

It occurred to Drake that some people hadn’t had moments like that in their lives even with the System’s arrival and they felt perfectly comfortable calling “time out” Or perhaps more disturbing they could have had those moments and failed those tests finding no answer in their hearts to that overwhelming fear they experienced when the possibility of death confronted them

In the present a man near Drake moaned At first Drake just shook his head but then he realized with a start that maybe he was being too harsh on these people After all the Vitality and Endurance of the group he had just spent the last month with was miles above these average Classers

“Was it really only a month ” Drake asked aloud feeling a strange sense of deja vu as he did so But it was only a month It was just a month at a tier higher of living than he was used to

After calling for healers to head down Drake wandered up through the mall until he stood before Sydney’s castle on the roof There he did not knock feeling rather content to wait for her to wake up It would do her well to dream now

Instead Drake considered the difficult prospect of finding a way to make East End relevant in the current economy If they didn’t figure out effective methods they might just find themselves consumed by the shadow cast by Donnyton and Franksburg

To Randidly’s surprise a figure stepped into his path as he headed towards the warehouse that housed their store of Potions and also Mrs Hamilton’s office

Nathan folded his arms looking more disapproving than Randidly would have expected that an 11 year old could look When Randidly just seemed content to regard him with a frown Nathan cleared his throat

“Do you understand now ” Nathan asked quietly “How hard it is to be powerless while I watch Kiersty “

He trailed off as if he was unsure what to say Randidly’s mouth tightened but he couldn’t help having empathy for the boy Due to everything Randidly had on his plate he wasn’t able to closely watch what was going on with Kiersty but based on her strange cult following and now the inclusion of the spiderlings in that area it made a lot of sense that it was a subject worth carefully monitoring It was hard enough to know what effects the System had on people who had lives before its arrival for children they could pretty easily graft onto the new way of life quickly forgetting the realities of the old world What that would mean for Classes and Skills and Paths remained to be seen but it was worrying enough that it held Randidly’s attention

When Nathan had approached Randidly previously it had been almost as though fate had offered Nathan to Randidly as a guinea pig for his Class creation so he didn’t have to bear the risk himself And now it seemed like fate

Randidly’s eyes flashed Perhaps he couldn’t give Nathan the power he wanted but he might be able to give him a Class that could help him there

“Give me a week to think ” Randidly said simply small wheels in his brain turning rapidly “At the end of that week I expect I’ll be able to help you “

Nathan’s face bloomed with a bright smile catching Randidly by surprise Wryly he smiled back and then patted the boy’s shoulder as he walked past him As he did so his eyes hardened

One more thing to think about but that could wait For now

The first of three trials that Randidly had to go through before he was confident in what he would do next

When he walked into the room he found a surprisingly non mundane office Mrs Hamilton had lined her walls with tubes filled with different brightly colored liquids These tubes grew increasingly slender until they became droppers near the ground which led to small trays Spiderlings moved to and fro between the dishes dragging lines of their silk

However the longer Randidly looked at the silk the more he frowned Because this was clearly not the silk of the spiderlings the silk he had seen from them was as fine as gossamer a beautiful net that worked based on sheer quantity of threads dropped on top of them This thread there was a strange dull quality to it that made it rather unobtrusive in a very dangerous way Although you wouldn’t notice this silk it had enough tensile strength to rip through a man’s bones if he wasn’t specced towards Endurance

It was Marrow Silk likely extracted from the farm of Bone Wyrms that Neveah had brought with her when she had been given that body

After being dipped in the brightly colored liquids the Marrow Silk quickly shifted to muted colors of that shade The Spiderlings moved quickly and their half of the room was a flurry of activity slowly throwing together a long dress made from the dyed silk It was somehow magical to watch the garment form before his very eyes But even when he let the impressive nature of the feat stir him Randidly still watched with still eyes

As someone with extremely high Control likely the highest human in terms of that Stat Randidly could understand what it would take to manipulate so many spiderlings He had always known that the creatures had a strange mental connection that allowed them to act in concert but this

Penny for your thoughts I find it oddly soothing myself Mrs Hamilton asked looking up from the drab desk that constituted the other half of the office But I understand that not all people can be comfortable to see so many tiny creatures moving together for one purpose

Randidly allowed himself a smile No it’s fine I wonder why people would let something like that get to them especially now A two headed troll that could level a building but walking into it seems a lot more fearsome than bugs But now we have quite a few individuals that would gladly throw themselves before the greater foe

Chuckling Mrs Hamilton said I think it has to do with humans seeing their own strength in another form and recognizing the threat After all millions of insignificant humans were doing a pretty bang up job beating the entire Earth into submission prior to the System’s arrival Perhaps bugs remind people that against some small threats the big man truly has no recourse and if enough of those small threats pile up

She fell silent Randidly who wasn’t inclined to dwell overlong on that point let the silence remain Not after he was being brought face to face with his own shortcomings in so many small areas And no amount of strength would allow him to clear away those problems only with time and attention could he hope to make a dent in them

Eventually Randidly cleared his throat and looked at Mrs Hamilton with a heavy gaze Do you have anything to say or should I make my accusation first

Chapter 472

After a moment of intense scrutiny Mrs Hamilton bowed her head I apologize What I did was out of line I took advantage of the fact you had less information than I did to intervene directly in the process of your Class’ creation The details I was given were vague but it was clear that I would be able to exert an influence on you one far beyond the usual clout I have in our discussions

Randidly remained silent watching her

Without needing to be pressed Mrs Hamilton continued I had also begun to somewhat suspect the Creature’s motives weren’t entirely hostile and that it was rather pushing you to see how far it would be until you break Not entirety concerned with your safety but also not really out to put you in harm’s way with the express goal of ending you However I made the executive decision to keep these suspicions to myself lest it dull your edge against her

In addition I recommended that Ace and his companion Rose be included in the Raid Party not because they were the most capable options as assistants to clear the Raid Dungeon but due to political and economic concerns It might not have become clear while you were inside there but that Rose is uncommonly insightful right from the original notification she reached out to me and offered me significant bribes as it were in order to ensure that she and Ace went into the Raid Dungeon But from the success I expect that this decision didn’t affect the result too adversely

Randidly opened his mouth but found he didn’t know what to say Clearing his throat he finally managed Chrysanthemum is dead or rather dying right now Thea it’s hard to say how she will handle the loss of her Soulbond From what I’ve seen it affects people differently

Pursing his lips Randidly’s thoughts turned to the Wild RIder Abruptly he realized that he had no idea what had happened to her after the group had begun to fight against the Dintan people He supposed she had been wiped out of existence when the Key of Death was used

That oh that poor girl Mrs Hamilton said Is she so she returned to Donnyton

As far as I know she remains insensible next to the body of her companion Randidly said slowly shaking his head I didn’t have the heart to move her Because I remember how volatile I became when Neveah entered into her coma prior to going into the Raid Dungeon It was unfortunate timing

Mrs Hamilton was silent for a moment considering that Then she looked up at him I have betrayed your trust with the things I’ve been doing My only feeble defense was that they were crimes of pride rather than malevolence I mean you no harm I simply believed that I had enough information and understanding to make the correct calls without consulting you And always I made my decision to advance the status of Donnyton Is there anything else you would like to ask

No I believe that covers it Randidly said shortly inwardly wondering what had just happened He had expected well he wasn’t too sure what he truly had expected but what he had pictured was coming in here to her and having Mrs Hamilton repeatedly denying him in some sort of evil monologue where she revealed her plan for Donnyton Not a megalomaniac like Ace but more more a self righteous fool

Not that Randidly was particularly astute in a lot of matters and to be fair he had relied on Mrs Hamilton in several instances for her ability to perceive situations but it was clear now that the town of Donnyton had a tacit understanding of the Creature one beyond suspecting it existed

From the memories he received the Creature had only made true contact with a single individual but Mrs Hamilton was too smart not to realize something was up But to have all of that frankly revealed as well as this other issue regarding Ace and Rose’s inclusion in the Raid Dungeon team

Wasn’t this too easy

But beyond that first reaction he also believed that sometimes what you saw was what you get It would be an incredibly clever ploy to reveal all these relatively unimportant details so matter of factly only to reserve a deep dark truth that she had been concealing use those minor matters to buy credence for cluelessness on the big thing

Still Randidly wanted to believe Mrs Hamilton She was also one of the few people in Donnyton that he believed could destroy the town simply with her absence so moving against her was a nuclear option

Besides Ace and Rose had acquitted themselves very well especially by the end of the expedition Although Randidly hadn’t expected this to be the case Rose was useful just for her ability to act as a very detailed Skill radar If a Skill was used within a half kilometer of her she could pinpoint the direction and the Skill with what seemed like a high degree of accuracy Sometimes the particulars would escape her but she could get the general function of the Skill almost every time

With her on the squad they hadn’t even encountered a true ambush Rose’s warnings gave them ample time to prepare and counter threats that were heading their way All in all it was difficult to begrudge Mrs Hamilton for insisting they include them His opinion might have been different when the expedition started but after it all it was clear that they had thrived in that environment and grown to a level of strength that justified their inclusion

Still there was a small part of Randidly that whispered that if Ace hadn’t come Randidly wouldn’t have had to put his own life on the line and then Chrysanthemum wouldn’t be dying accompanied only by a weeping Thea But very quickly Randidly did his best to bury that impulse Passing blame would be pointless at that point

Upon the back of the previous thought a strong desire to return to Thea’s side emerged which Randidly also had to suppress The things he was doing now were important He needed to verify the integrity of Donnyton to his own satisfaction before he began focusing on improving himself

It was only after Mrs Hamilton spoke that Randidly realized that he had been quiet this whole time

Have you Her question hung in the air as if she was unwilling to finish it

After a few seconds Randidly blinked and realized what she was referring to No I believe I will save that for last We can’t we can’t continue doing this

Mrs Hamilton nodded solemnly asking nothing more For which Randidly was very glad because he had no idea what he could say on the subject Even now the final test he needed to run seemed like a mess of old feelings and new problems that were growing to an irresponsible level

Well in other news I can’t say I would have made the same decision but I understand why it is a good idea Mrs Hamilton finally announced

Randidly frowned at her this time without a single clue as to what she was talking about

Mrs Hamilton shrugged and pointed upward Appointing Simon the Champion He has an incredibly useful ability and pushing a lot of the NCC’s towards illusions will probably pay long term dividends The issue is simply whether the boy has the backbone to hold up underneath the pressure of being Champion After all we only know the initial phase of the Champion’s role It is difficult to tell what will happen next

Mrs Hamilton continued on talking heedless of the fact that Randidly’s lips pressed together more and more tightly He agreed with her 100% of course And in a very detached way Randidly was mature enough to think that Simon might have been one of the candidates he would have considered giving the Regalia to become Champion

But he likely would have decided against it for the same reasons that Mrs Hamilton just articulated In fact of all of the longshots for who to appoint as Champion Simon would have likely been beaten bloody by Kiersty in the brackets Although the girl was shifting towards a weirdly culty vibe she at least dedicated herself to it with alacrity

After several seconds of internal struggle Randidly just said It happened very quickly For now I hope that I can trust you to take advantage of the resources it provides us with

Mrs Hamilton’s eyes flashed The word trust hung heavily in the air between them After a few seconds of thought Mrs Hamilton nodded seriously Of course The same way that I trust you won’t be extreme in your search for answers

Suppressing the sudden urge to bare his teeth Randidly just flashed a tight lipped smile Well she had a point that it would be for the best to keep from doing something as hasty as making an ultimatum There was room for some give in his tests because Randidly wasn’t very good at running a Village His strengths tended to lie in the direction of training and accomplishing very simple tasks with force

Delicate diplomacy wasn’t how he rolled

They both fell silent as their gazes went to the spiderlings continuing their seemingly eternal labor of creating clothing Whoever would receive the clothing would likely get a pretty decent defensive boost out of it at least against bladed weapons There was a certain amount of dampening of magic from the material but powerful magic and pure force would still be dangerous to the wearer

It reminded Randidly that he had to stop back and visit Sam to drop off his almost completely destroyed Bone Cloak So many links were broken that it was likely impossible to salvage anything from the remainder but Randidly intended to ask for it anyways Through his time in the Raid Dungeon he had grown to quite like the intrepid cloak and its myriad abilities and bonuses

We can accomplish a lot when we put our mind to it Mrs Hamilton said softly her eyes on the spiders as they ran the Marrow Silk through the dyes But if you two refuse to

The more complicated the task Randidly interrupted dully his voice tired The more dangerous it is to have volatile elements moving freely thinking they know best

Mrs Hamilton said nothing as he got up and left her office moving on

Next it was time to visit Donny

Chapter 473

Rose was beginning to grow worried Listless Ace continued to sit in the window of his study staring out at the figures moving through the streets of the Refuge in the slow dying light His hands were still and his eyes were dull

Rose hadn’t seen him this bland and lifeless since well since that horrid man that had shaped both Ace and Sydney so powerfully had fallen to the Tribulation and left them both unsure of how to move forward

Meanwhile Rose was pleased with the way things had turned out She always believed that Ace would be better served by giving up the strangely hypocritical and sexist habits that he had developed while spending time with that man That was the strange magnetic power of a person who had the shape of a hero however Until they fell to adversity they continued to pull at those around them

It was like gravity It wouldn’t cease until the world settled into its new balance or the foreign influence was removed

Ace and the Ghosthound’s previous associations aside Rose couldn’t deny that the Ghosthound would be a constant source of influence on the Zone let alone the entire world once they came within his sphere of influence There was no part of Rose that had hoped the bear hadn’t intervened and saved the Ghosthound’s life however

No at this point removing the Ghosthound would likely cause too much political and infrastructure damage to be a feasible way of moving forward He was the glue that held the Villages to a tentative peace Long had Rose considered the relative merits of taking over another Village to see what the concrete effect of obtaining for the Village a larger flow of Aether But it was difficult when there were so few Villages here Perhaps they could figure out a way to move inside of Donnyton and going into the other world the animal world

There their actions will be much more politically neutral and Donnyton wouldn’t let a foreign army just march out of that portal and through its capital But such an action wasn’t feasible and it remained to be seen whether the Refuge possessed enough strength to actually accomplish that goal

Ace sighed longingly leaning forward and placing his forehead against the glass hiding his expression from Rose She rolled her eyes It would be especially difficult with Ace like this Although it was another extreme option perhaps Rose should contact Sydney as she could

I always thought I would be the hero you know Ace said quietly so quietly it was only several seconds later that Rose realized he was speaking to her By the time she had considered his state of mind and constructed her answer he was speaking again

When you grow up playing video games succeeding at sports acing all the tests Who doesn’t have a secret belief that when the world comes crashing down you will be there ready to hold up the remnants with sheer personality and force of will I understand that a portion of it would always be luck but I’m lucky I’ve been lucky I didn’t die I slowly grew in strength I found people who believed in similar things and we created a Village Even now I look at my hands in wonder I could kill a man a bear wreck a fucking freight train with these hands

Rose frowned at his back So are you finished with your kick of being a villain Is Dauntless dead

Such a mental shakeup was unexpected for Ace but wasn’t something that would truly derail Rose’s plans for the Refuge In fact it might even make things simpler If Ace was willing to behave like an adult when confronted with problems the running of the Refuge would become that much smoother The people who came to the Refuge usually came for power and lawlessness but that wasn’t the way a Village could exist it simply wasn’t a stable political base

Ha You truly don’t understand Listen Rose can’t you just stop and admire the tragedy that there can only be one hero And of all people it was Randidly Not that he was a bad guy even before I would trust him with my life That was the only reason I didn’t kill him immediately when I knew for sure something was going on between him and Sydney No he was good and kind and innocent in a way and yet

Ace stopped speaking abruptly and when he turned to face her Rose felt a flash of pleasure when she saw the pure heat in Ace’s eyes This this was the reason that she followed him She had found no one even the Ghosthound that could match Ace in terms of heat of passion Sometimes Ace shocked and scared her with how powerful and volatile his emotions were

But that was the draw of him The danger

But I suppose that’s the point Life doesn’t make sense Ace said finally that passion disappearing behind a frown But it was clear he was thinking of something

After around 10 minutes of waiting so much so that even Rose began to feel the edges of her patience waning Ace’s arm snapped up pointing at Rose Fine if life will fuck with me time to fuck with it back I want you to write a letter to Sydney Tell her tell her I apologize Tell her she was right that Roy that Roy wasn’t as strong as he wanted us to believe That his pride doomed himself and a thousand people and I let it happen

Then Ace went silent and he went to the side of the room to the bookshelf With a grand motion he brought his arms across and knocked the books to the ground Behind the books was a small alcove in the way with a box in it Although it was clear as day in the empty shelf with the books there it had been completely hidden from view

Rose’s heart rose up into her throat She had always suspected but

Ace pulled down the box carefully setting it on the ground With a light touch he soundlessly lifted the lid revealing a pile of dirty bones Human bones

Finally ask Sydney to send that Skeleton Mage of hers Ace said with glowing eyes The passion was back which gave Rose some hope but was a twisted monstrous thing Rose’s mouth crept open into a small smile If anything the twisted nature of Ace was for the best The more his personality was twisted and warped the greater the pressure the larger the explosion when his inner passion won through

Let’s see if it’s true that he can Raise Dead Ace whispered We need as many Heroes as we can get

After knocking on the door Randidly let himself into the training room Donny covered in sweat paused in his attack on two other Knights from Donnyton The two sparring partners saluted Randidly when he entered Nodding Randidly turned his attention to Donny and focused his gaze there

Donny had been a skinny punk of a kid when they had met When the option to become tied to a Village emerged initially Randidly had pushed that responsibility onto Donny in order to avoid it himself Randidly had never been good with people and he didn’t think the apocalypse was going to change that

Not that Donny had been particularly good with people either but he certainly possessed an enthusiasm for them that Randidly lacked Back then he had rather beady eyes and greasy brown hair Long limbed and awkward he had been the type that it was more easy to picture as the kid who got rejected when he asked a girl to prom than the leader of thousands of people

Time the System and Randidly’s gift of being the Village Chieftain had been kind to Donny Whereas his body could have previously been described as wispy he was now wiry Although his limbs weren’t overly muscled they showed clear signs of repeated training His skin now had a healthy copper glow from long hours working in the sun His hair was now kept cropped short giving him a stern look that helped age him a bit

He was still clearly a teen but now at least he was one with the sense of worth to meet your gaze when you looked at him Combine that with his powerful looking shield and leather armor and you had more than a Chieftain you had a Knight

Was he 18 19 17 Randidly wondered trying to remember how much time had passed on Earth His own journeys now put him just over 3 years or so but even that was suspect And perhaps most confusingly their time together and apart seemed to have deepened their connection between them even when they weren’t together When he looked at Donny looked him in the eyes he could see the admiration and respect He saw a young man who had learned to carry responsibility and pay his debts

A man who had the strength of personality to protect Donnyton regardless of what was thrown in his path That was of course only if Donny had the strength to manage it Willpower was only half of the battle

You two can leave Randidly said shortly gesturing to the two training partners After a hurried bow they followed his instruction closing the door behind them When they were alone Randidly examined the surrounding area It was a nice space plenty of room for both close and far range practice Although Randidly suspected that Donny focused primarily on defense in the former case and team battles in the latter

Well it was time to shake things up a bit

What’s up Donny asked curiously using a towel to wipe away his sweat

Flashing a smile Randidly threw a spatial ring at Donny He caught it nonplussed and examined the inside When he discovered that there were about a hundred Health and Stamina potions within his eyes widened looking in askance at Randidly

I have thought a lot about Donnyton’s future Randidly started and when Donny went to speak Randidly held up his hand No nothing to do with how you guys are handling the governing I have divorced myself from that and I don’t want that to change No I just have come face to face with the realization that I may need to leave Donnyton And I want to be sure that if I do so it will remain safe

You are leaving

Randidly smiled sadly It seems all but inevitable right now I’ll give it a chance but

He trailed off then shook his head Then with a steady gaze he looked at Donny After the rescue operation tomorrow to sweep the new areas for people you and I are going to spar For 24 hours straight I won’t hold back It’s going to hurt And I hope to god you convince me I made the right decision choosing you as the Village Chieftain “

Chapter 474

Mrs Hamilton looked up at the young man that walked into her field office It was almost noon and most of the Southern and Eastern new areas had been examined at least in a cursory manner From what she understood most of it was monster infested wilderness so much so that the Squads above 20 were having difficulty rescuing people when they found them Mostly they just called for assistance from Numerals or even the Ghosthound himself if he was in the area

But now that they had finished their sweep it was time to hear what the damage was

Report Mrs Hamilton said coolly The man nodded then began to speak

All told we found about 3000 people Most came relatively quietly when evidence of monsters became too obvious to deny But there were some hard headed ones that needed convincing Most were taken to Franksburg for a more gentle transition to System life but we were able to identify a few dozen highly skilled laborers that were recruited But some of those I think are a little shocked by everything they’ve seen ma’am

Mrs Hamilton leaned back in her chair So many had close encounters with a monster How many do we think died

The young man closed his eyes grief clear on his face He can’t be older than 24 ’ Mrs Hamilton thought to herself chiding herself inwardly

Probably probably about twice that much Most of the people were in a small bit of a city center that was transplanted to the Easternmost boundary By the time we got word of it an Alien style monster had set up shop there Latched onto the face suffocated victims planted eggs in the dead body etc It was only the Ghosthound’s arrival that saved the rest He used his roots I’ve been led to understand and his aim was impeccable All infected and live monsters were impaled within a half hour of his arrival

Then the boy hesitated unsure of what to say Mrs Hamilton chuckled dryly Go on say it Randidly isn’t so petty to take offense at the truth of his methods

The boy visibly flinched at the use of Randidly’s name and Mrs Hamilton almost said something about it and the danger of deifying a man but decided against it Especially when Randidly was going to be so distant from the day to day running of Donnyton it didn’t do too much harm it was just somewhat exasperating to deal with On the other hand it had the added benefit of making the men treat the actual leader of their Village Donny like a regular guy

So for that reason alone it was worth keeping around Mrs Hamilton was much more worried about Donny letting the fame go to his head than she was about Randidly

Well The young man coughed into his hand before speaking He didn’t ah bother to check if there were witnesses So many people watched their family members who had previously been attacked by those strange little monsters be eviscerated by roots in front of their eyes

Mrs Hamilton remained silent tapping the table Sometimes even she forgot how far they had come These people had never realized that they were about to die yet They were still innocent in that way

Well now that they were here it was only a matter of time

Fine now give me specifics Mrs Hamilton said putting on her cool mask she used when she was preparing to see the threads of people’s lives through the eyes of a spider Tell me about our new haul of recruits

Mrs Hamilton’s sharp eyes picked up on the young man’s almost imperceptible shiver before he began to speak

Fully 32 hours after he had entered the room Randidly left Donny’s training area The ground was cracked and soaked with blood There were portions of the ground and walls that had been warped somewhat as though reality itself had been bent by the force of what had previously occurred there Wilting plants dotted the cracked and shattered landscape

Satisfied Randidly smiled at Donny who stumbled out after him his leather armor almost completely obliterated his eyes somewhat unfocused How many Skill Levels did you get today

You fucking liar that was so much longer than 24 hours Donny muttered stumbling over to a jug of water by the entrance He just raised it and dumped it towards his face some of it going into his mouth but most of it sluicing off of him and wiping away the caked blood and dirt that built up from so long being pounded into the ground When he finally finished however and looked at his Status screen his eyes widened

Holy shit Donny said I gained almost 100 Skill Levels

Randidly chuckled Something like that couldn’t be done twice And the only reason that he had been able to accomplish it was that his Regeneration rates were so much higher than normal So he could continually push Donny to his limits never running out of gas

It had been a varied attack too so just when Donny was starting to get the hang of fighting against one of Randidly’s attack types he would switch it up keeping him on his back foot That area when the body was struggling to find and teach itself rhythm was the fastest growth after all Randidly was likely the only person with enough Skill variety to do it for so long

He had started with hand to hand combat then moved onto using Roots using root avatars then fire Skills then different Summons then spear Skills then Spear Phantom Skills then Randidly’s own Class Skills before finishing out with a period of 8 hours where Randidly relied only on the crushing superiority of his Yggdrasil Skills

All in all it had been remarkably beneficial to Donny in terms of his Skills After all he hadn’t gone into the Raid Dungeon with the group and wouldn’t have that huge amount of growth from that experience

It was also a great stress relief for Randidly Donny made a great punching bag

That thought made Randidly’s smile widen albeit sadly You know you remind me of someone I used to know

Huh Donny asked stripping off his ripped and ruined armor Someone from before the System

No after He was Randidly cast his mind back trying his best to recall He was so confusing He seemed so weak constantly He was blustery and full of talk but when it came to the actual fighting he generally just got beat up on So much so that it became easy to forget he was there And while I wasn’t paying attention he became really good at being beaten up without letting the opponent finish him Phenomenal even

He died Donny asked

Randidly nodded feeling strangely emotional about it all Shaking his head he tried to dispel it

What was his name Donny asked tilting his head to the side

Randidly almost had to chuckle Thankfully Donny was relatively good natured because Randidly had just told him he reminded him of someone who was at an almost professional level of being beaten up That’s the funny thing I don’t even remember it

Now Donny gave Randidly a look and Randidly burst out laughing No no I remember it It was Roger Kingsley He was he was a close friend A follower for a long time

Nodding Donny sat on one of the benches outside the training area looking at his hands There was a silence there and to Randidly’s surprise it wasn’t as morose as he expected it to be based on their conversation topic Instead it shifted to something closer to companionship It was likely true that they had both seen people die and in that way they could commiserate

That was the reality of the System

Still looking at his hands Donny said I really wouldn’t be able to do this any of this you know If it wasn’t for you

Ha I don’t handle many of the important bits Randidly said in an offhand manner feeling somewhat wary of Donny’s serious tone To his chagrin Donny pushed forward looking up at him

No really You’ve said your piece and given me this training to push my Skill up and now it’s my turn to say mine We do different things you are right But you Donny closed his eyes and shook his head How would a farmer even tell the clouds how thankful she is

Randidly opened his mouth not even sure what to say but Donny stood Look I know you feel like what you are doing now leaving Donnyton is a betrayal You feel guilty for that But I don’t think that’s right You’ve never made a promise directly to Donnyton to protect it you’ve made that promise to the entire human race We here in Donnyton are just closer to you and can see the effects more easily So even if you leave you will still protect people That won’t change

So Donny said flushing abruptly red as his mind caught up with his mouth He floundered for several seconds unsure of what to say but then he raised his fist offering it to Randidly Good luck

His fist was bloody and bruised As it hung in the air it trembled slightly even Donny’s System empowered body weakened from so much exertion in such a short time His muscles were struggling to keep up with the demands upon them and they were spasming slightly unsure if they should be clenching or not

Randidly bumped his fist into Donny’s feeling strangely at peace

Chapter 475

Before his last task Randidly had one other thing to accomplish And he wanted to get this inner focus task out of the way in case things went downhill

Pointing his attention inward Randidly slid into his Soul Skill looking down at the world He gathered some Progenitor’s Influence floating in the air nearby raising his total to near 8000 After a few minutes Lucretia flew up to meet him Very quickly Neveah also came shifting from her training in the mountains to use her new body joining Randidly for this very important occasion

Before they began Randidly smiled at Neveah How are you liking it

I can walk She exclaimed brightly her toothy maw pulsing quickly in a way that Randidly had learned to read as excited Words easier Soon I will be sneaky into Village

There was a purity about her that still cheered Randidly up Chuckling he reached over and rubbed her head Honestly that was one of the main reasons that Randidly wanted to stay in Donnyton for a bit longer just to be there when Neveah waltzed into town demanding a burger and then asking where Dinesh was so she could go play with him

Randidly had a deep sympathy for the man’s nerves but trusted that as a member of the Squads of Donnyton he would be willing to throw himself on the walking and speaking bone grenade that is Neveah in a humanoid form With her wings pressed tightly to her sides at least she wasn’t too physically intimidating

They just needed to find a veil for her face and she could play at being a mysterious foreign beauty

Randidly’s smile froze as he realized that him moving farther away from Donnyton might mean Neveah would have to part with Dinesh He didn’t understand their relationship but knew the man was important to her So maybe

Reading his thoughts Neveah’s spirit projection bowled into him knocking him away

Frowning he said You shouldn’t just look at people’s thoughts

You shouldn’t stand still and silent for 30 seconds out of the blue so often Lucretia said wryly Are we ready to begin I’ve tried to prepare the people below as much as possible

Randidly nodded As there hadn’t been any pressing issues since defeating the Stagbat Randidly hadn’t spent any of his PP yet He remembered in great detail the vicious pain that resulted from utilizing a Soul Skill after it had reached the limit of its growth and Randidly had learned from the Creature’s memories that reaching that potential was the reason it was able to break into his Soul Skill

Specifically the core of Randidly’s world had grown to a certain point and needed to evolve in order continue on safely Otherwise he was cramming more and more power into a small condensed space moving it towards a dangerous reaction Although it wasn’t something that Randidly liked progressing to the next stage of Soul Skill would hopefully stabilize the situation and give him a power up that might be necessary considering the threats looming against him

Also from the Creature’s memories he learned that what he held in his chest wasn’t so much a weapon but a key A Skeleton Key but an incomplete one Lucretia had investigated in great detail and informed Randidly that his images must have already worked some sort of change upon the original design because it had shifted the construct from what it had been originally intended to be More than that she refused to tell him lest it color his image of it Randidly was inclined to believe her

Besides if it was some sort of portal it reaching maturity and allowing the Creature to attack him with it made sense It also made him aware that if he could control it he would be able to do something similar with other threats Although he would prefer not to have it inside of him backing off now wasn’t an option it was already an integral part of what he was

Randidly’s eyes glowed emerald as he began to focus his will inwards The Soul Skill itself began to rumble as he shifted his attention towards it First he felt the entirety of it feeling the four races he created below as well as the monsters that mutated based on exposure to foreign Aether In addition Randidly was somewhat surprised to find that there was a colony of the Aether Thralls that had apparently survived the war and cullings afterward

They were filled with fear and desperation and the longer he noticed them the more his initial anger faded away He could feel that their connection to the Creature had been snapped when he ignited the Tellumurite in her inner world and now they could belong to his Although he couldn’t tell what sort of reproductive system they had Randidly wasn’t too worried about them settling inside him next to the danger of having this Skeleton Key at his core what were a few thousand Aether Thralls

Satisfied with his exploration he withdrew his awareness and filtered it down to the core of his Soul Skill where this construct by the Creature remained inside of him He could feel clearly the power coursing through it as it had shifted and settled into place over the last several months rearranging itself to find its path to power

Whereas the Class was the Physical’ aspect of Aether growth the Soul Skill was the Mental’ It related powerfully to the images he used the type of Skills he could use and the efficacy of those Skills As such Randidly fully intended to try and bring his Soul Skill and his Class more closely into line

When it came to images Randidly had gradually realized that the trick was not to make something from nothing but to have your something and shift your perspective on it Only then would you see that it was something else this whole time and you could make use of this more powerful image fully formed

So when he looked at what Lucretia spoke of a fully charged Skeleton Key at the core of the Soulskill he didn’t see a key or a power plant dangerously close to a cataclysmic core meltdown Randidly saw a seed

A seed that was ready to finish germinating

Grow He whispered and for a blinding second the world burned emerald

Then the rumblings in the Soul Skill increased in intensity the world splitting as huge branches lifted upwards separating enormous tracts of land The tree that was rapidly growing was surprisingly gentle lifting the seven new continents upwards Thin tendrils from the tree sunk into the landmasses and pumped energy and life into them both increasing the size of the lands but also filling them with generations old plant life

Below him Randidly could feel the panic and awe in equal measure radiating up off of the people on the different landmasses Distantly he could feel a few of their lights snuffed out as some were killed in the transition That set his teeth on edge but there was little that he could do about it This was an unavoidable stage of growth for him He could not back away from it

It hurt how callous he was becoming But he filed that hurt away for examination later

A powerful golden trunk formed as the landmasses were buoyed upward From the bottom roots emerged and plunged downward into the darkness of the Soul Skill and from nothing a vast sea sprung into existence Instantly the roots spiraled downwards through the choppy water of the sea and sinking into the fabric of space beneath it anchoring itself

Seven branches rose upwards each holding a landmass With exaggerated care Randidly took that construct of Aether of the Creature splitting it into three pieces running through the core of the tree But the bulk of those three pieces were in the top middle and bottom of the landmasses These landmasses were each about ? the size of the previous world which meant the land area available to the peoples of his Soul Skill had doubled and then some

The bottom landmass the one closest to the water instantly frosted over a strange flow of energy emerging from the portion of the Skeleton Key there Very few life forms remained on that continent and those that were there were mostly warped by the energy from the Skeleton Key and became the stuff of nightmares

The second from the bottom landmass was populated by monsters which swiftly began exploring their new region Although it seemed difficult to Randidly he could see how one could traverse the branches of the central tree to travel from one landmass to the other although you would have to proceed upwards or downwards in order Therefore those monsters would be the buffer between the other races and these strange emerging nightmares

Above the Monster Landmass was the White Hunter’s Abode They cared little about racial difference preferring to stay to their small nomadic groups They would likely be the best neighbors the monsters could hope for

Above the White Hunters were the Spriggits and also the second portion of the Skeleton Key The energy it was emitting was less than the bottom one but it was enough that the Spriggit scientists would likely soon create something that would give Randidly a headache

Above the Spriggits was the Swamplings continent and above them were the Earth Golem people Finally the highest continent was relatively uninhabited for now aside for the small population of frightened refugees from the Creature’s invasion Near them the third and final Skeleton Key sat seemingly completely inert

Slowly the growth of the tree became less and less until these continents hanging from the branches of this great golden tree settled into place It was perhaps not a tree of enmity Randidly reflected but it would bring several of his images into line which was undoubtedly good for his growth potential

Congratulations Your Soul Skill the Four Shaded Clockwork World has evolved into the Seven Lands of the Spectral Tree Your Paths have led you forward and you have moved far and away from the trails left for you by those that come before Take this as both a warning and as vindication the arc of you lays beyond the kin of lesser beings Good luck

Chapter 476

Sydney looked tiredly down at the two bundles of paper stacked neatly on her desk The past few days had been hectic as a whole new area opened up for exploration and the East End’s resources were stretched far past the breaking point in order to explore a portion of it

Donnyton took most of the Eastern areas but East End could basically monopolize the North as both the Refuge and Star Crossing were too central to send troops easily and were more concerned with their relatively more pressing Western border

East End might have failed even then and been forced to ask Donnyton for assistance if not for Drake He was a force unto himself clearing away high Leveled monsters with ease acting as the keystone that kept the expedition safe and in order Even Sydney had gone to the front lines and her confidence in her strength had been crushed after witnessing Drake fight Agan and again she threw herself into danger pushing towards her limits but he was frustratingly capable

It was a good thing Sydney knew but she didn’t like to lose That was the whole reason she had installed a private Dungeon in her room so she could grow without peer But it seemed that the limits of the Aether Starvation were more pressing than she feared even with the reward from completing the Dungeons Her connection to the Village had withered somewhat and she had to allow it to heal before she could press further

They had found and rescued several hundred people For one reason or another Sydney planned on pushing most of them out of their Village and down towards Star Crossing but she had her men conducting interviews now to find anyone who was skilled in their particular field She had found one particular gem already an aeronautical engineer and she was consulting with other as to how feasible constructing a plane would be in the post System world

It was of course only a pipe dream at this point But it was a path for survival for East End who was outclassed on all aspects by other Villages If they did not specialize they would be left behind

Sydney closed her eyes That was entirely what one of the bundles of paper was a report from Drake He recommended that East End move immediately in one of two directions throwing their resources behind either of these but not both To try both Drake pointed out was to show an only slightly superior product to Donnyton and Franksburg and have those two outclass them again in months simply through superior numbers and infrastructure

Of course that was the best economic solution but the political reality was that the people of East End were satisfied with what they were doing now There were some free resources and some non Classers that Sydney had been grooming but she couldn’t just drop everything for these possible future industries Still they were both legitimate and worth pursuing

The first was to capture some of the mostly released and wild horde of mounts that the Wild Rider had possessed Now that the Wild Rider was no more these monsters were swiftly turning feral They were largely pretty near to East End and if they moved on them they could capture a fair number and begin training them Cavalry would be an asset and getting those Skills up now would be an advantage later for these new individuals to get riding related Skills

There would be a probation period for these new arrivals obviously They needed to be taught about the changes that have occurred in their world But Sydney had high hopes

The downsides of this option were that Star Crossing might be better situated to take this path as many of them had the Soulbond Companion Skill and if they both went for the same thing East End would likely lose out

Meanwhile the second option was that one Classer’s random Class had been Elementalist and recently elemental spirits had been spotted in the nearby area They were largely harmless just small sprites with a bit of power but the Elementalist could channel them through her body to great effect Drake theorized that as the Elementalist grew and if there were more of this Class more Elementals would appear and more powerful ones

If the Village became focused on Elementals it would undoubtedly be powerful But it was a much harder sell to the people already here and established If Sydney used her groomed non Classers and the Elementalist plan turned out to be a bust it would be a waste of resources The benefit from Elementals was much more nebulous right now even if the eventual payoff seemed higher

Sighing Sydney turned her attention away from the present issues and to the second bundle of papers the real reason she was exhausted Ace had sent a letter She supposed she should be happy that he had apologized but when Ace apologized it only meant one thing

He was going to do something even more stupid

And based on his request for Coppernicus Sydney could see what he would do He would raise the Hero that misogynistic pig that had tried to get them all killed Coppernicus’ Skill might bring the man back but it was hard to say what sort of Soul would inhabit the raised skeleton Copernicus had been revived by a fluke almost immediately after death and hadn’t really spent any time truly dead

But even in that small shard of time Coppernicus sometimes spoke of a great darkness and an endless desert filled with floating bells It didn’t seem so horrifying an image but the times he spoke of it were the only times she had seen emotions cross his skull As such Sydney was largely inclined to believe Coppernicus when he said it was a good idea not to revive anyone who had been dead for too long

On the other hand the Skill might not work Raise Dead required that the killer be a willing participant in the ritual if the Skill user wasn’t himself the killer Very few people would willingly bring back their enemies

Roy had obviously fallen to the Tribulation but it wasn’t clear whether he truly died Perhaps Ace who went in and was the first person to crush the Dungeon could truly be considered the killer Then if he possessed the skeleton

Sydney shook her head Too many ifs But it wasn’t her problem Their previous relationship was done This apology allowed her to put the negative emotions behind her but she wouldn’t elevate him back to where he was before He would need to earn it

Sighing she sent word to Coppernicus ordering him to assist Ace

Thea had long since ceased crying but she still didn’t know what to do It was a lot like watching a car crash in slow motion she couldn’t look away but she felt her soul being torn in two as the slow progression meant the screams seemed endless That was what Chrysanthemum’s feeble struggles to cheer her up were They were horrifying in a way That even now her sweet partner would

She forced herself to let that train of thought go when her face threatened to split open again Her body didn’t even have any more moisture to force out of her tear ducts but she could sit there and tremble for a while perhaps hoping in some distant way to shake off the constant grip of fear and despair that was on her

There was a part of her that wanted to lay blame at someone’s feet but very quickly Chrysanthemum’s gentle spirit had warned her away from that Even as the fury of Dance of the Ghostbear kept turning her vision red the calm compassion of Chrysanthemum kept her alive

Of course that influence was slowly disappearing

By now Chrysanthemum was almost entirely unconscious Her life was slipping away drifting off of her and into the Earth below Thea knew her mother would probably say something inane about the big bear feeding so many plants which would feed so many animals and people but Thea couldn’t stand that line of thoughts right now It made her want to produce her hammer and crack her own skull open

She was so filled with wild emotions and yet so perfectly empty and hollow just a listless zombie that was watching her partner pass

Around her Simon continued to try and cheer her up but she ignored him Honestly it was growing increasingly infuriating Thea just wanted well she wanted Chrysanthemum to live But the more time passed the more Thea realized it wouldn’t happen There was no one to save Chrysanthemum The injury to her bear was something that no one yet truly understood that vast passage of time was a blow that could even fell entire worlds

What Thea truly wanted now was just to be alone The Ghosthound had understood that which is why he had left her here with her grief The Ghosthound probably had gone through something similar in the past and had learned from experience

Abruptly Simon’s flowers and birds and stars were gone Instead there was a low mist on the ground Thea looked up confused wondering if this was another ploy by the idiot to make her smile or something shitty But instead of Simon she found herself face to face with a female figure

And it was someone she recognized dimly but also by reputation It was the golden angel of Donnyton Lyra The woman who had somehow become a Village Spirit

Thea was shocked enough by her presence here that she momentarily forgot the pain in her heart But all too soon it crashed back in and some surly bitterness crept up What are you doing here Leave me alone

Lyra smiled wider now It doesn’t have to be like this you know

What This time Thea didn’t bother to push back the rising tide of red Furious she stood If I could avoid this don’t you fucking think I would She’s my

Yes she’s a part of you Lyra said her smile never wavering Which means you can save her If you want Chrysanthemum to live take my hand

Lyra extended her hand and it was wreathed in green fire Abruptly Thea realized she recognized the fire it was the same color and consistency of the Skeleton Knight before the Ghosthound defeated him

I Thea’s anger drained away replaced by the crushing sadness and just a small spark of hope I don’t believe you

Lyra snorted her lovely nose wrinkling as she laughed Then what’s the harm in taking the chance

Thea had no answer that made sense to her after two days of crying So she reached out and took Lyra’s hand The other woman laughed watching the flame spread up Thea’s arms to her chest and then rushing up to consume her It hurt but it wasn’t as bad as she was expecting Very quickly she could feel the flames feeding into her chest flowing through the bond between them to Chrysanthemum She felt her own strength decreasing somewhat but she felt Chrysanthemum’s tremble and then start to rise

As Thea made to pull away rushing to Chrysanthemum’s side Lyra’s hand tightened on her own

For where there is Champion The other woman hissed her eyes glowing violet There must be Nemesis Open your eyes girl and understand what you now are

Thea opened her eyes and saw very briefly the fabric of this world and her place in it

Chapter 477

Tanya swept up the shorn off hair into her dustpan trying not to stare at the heavy iron sword the middle aged man was buckling back around his waist It was enough that the people living around here didn’t use electricity and didn’t even seem to want to but it was another thing entirely for Tanya to accept that the people here wore fucking swords

Tanya had awakened 5 days go in the border regions of this Zone as they called it From her perspective one moment she had been lazily watching TV at night the next it was mid afternoon and all the TV displayed was fuzzy static There were strange words in front of her floating in the air She blinked several times and the words went away Had she taken a nap

There was a dull roar outside almost like a lion or a tiger Tanya went to the window and saw a Lion with brilliant sapphire fur proudly roaring at the sky seemingly defying the world with its bestial majesty

Ah ’ Tanya thought to herself This must be a dream ’

A good dream too because Tanya quite liked lions

The dream did however go swiftly south After only two minutes of watching Tanya had to admit that the people fleeing down her road from the lion were remarkably realistic for a dream and the level of detail in the gore of their deaths left Tanya profoundly disturbed at her own subconsciousness

Shaking her head she turned away from the window just in time to see the lights in her house flicker and die winking abruptly out Tsking to herself Tanya walked to her fridge and removed a coke and was halfway through the pure slightly painful pleasure of chugging it when the door was kicked in by a man with green skin

Tanya stepped into the living room and stared at the man’ for a long time It looked back and forth his eyes squinting as he sniffed

You are an orc Tanya said surprised at the surety in her own tone An ex boyfriend had been extremely into Dungeons and Dragons and while things were good between them he had brought her to sessions with his friends To her surprise she had enjoyed the sessions a lot it was a nice stress relief to be allowed to be someone else someone who didn’t share her anxiety and her family stresses After the two of them broke up however Tanya was somewhat at a loss as to how to accomplish that on her own

At her words the green skinned man twisted to look at her Then he smiled revealing broken yellow teeth Instincts Tanya had never realized she had screamed at her and she was out the back door faster than she would have believed her 32 year old body could carry her Luckily it seemed the sapphire lion was gone although the bodies of his prey were not so Tanya had to be careful not to look too closely lest she lose her nerve and start panic crying

The green skinned man barreled out of the house behind her and chased her to the next street over steadily gaining ground on her sniffing all the while When she reached the next street she blinked because the houses were wrong This wasn’t the street next to her But she heard yelling voices shouts to head this way for assistance so Tanya gladly fled in that direction

When she rounded the corner Tanya wouldn’t have been able to explain what she expected to see Men and women marching in leather armor weren’t one of them They waved her over asked if she was hurt and when she wasn’t she was asked to stand with a group of other uninjured people about a dozen that followed behind the 10 or so armored people

Out of the corner of her eye Tanya saw a black man with a giant iron ball crush the green skinned man as if it was nothing then step over the body to continue to move through the neighborhood

After about 10 minutes they met up with another group and then all of the Newbies’ as their rescuers referred to them were sent to a community center that had been turned into a triage unit And a holding area it seemed while the people with medieval weapons figured out what to do with them

Oddly Tanya didn’t feel worried Her constant companion anxiety seemed to be taking a break not because there weren’t things to be anxious about but because there was so much that it didn’t even know what to react to Large men with sharp knives The fucking lizard that she saw breathing fire That she saw a woman walk through that fire like it was nothing and impale the monster with a spear

Or even the weird notifications that popped up about her Leveling Skills or unlocking Paths as if this was all a game

When the people were brought into the community center they were asked if they had any medical experience Having worked for her mother as a veterinary assistant for several years Tanya cautiously raised her hand She felt guilty but she figured she might be treated a bit better like this

Very soon she was bandaging cuts and slinging arms with broken bones It was far beyond her usual duties and those had been near 8 years ago but again she felt strangely empty There was nothing to do but work right now so Tanya threw herself into it trying not to dwell on anything else

She could smell blood however

When Tanya arrived there were about 50 people in the community center By the time she started treating small scrapes and bruises there were almost 400 and it was becoming increasingly difficult to move through the space Several times people came up to Tanya who had been given a bright green vest to ask what was going on

What had happened They asked What are the messages

Tanya could only shake her head and ask the people to please stay out of the walking paths so she could treat more people After all Tanya had those same questions burning in her heart

The man in charge of the armed group and who ran the community center was named Dinesh There was a part of Tanya that still believed this was all a dream or if it wasn’t it was just a strange tragedy that had struck briefly but normal life would swiftly resume Although her cell phone said there was no service she was sure the authorities would have it back online quickly After all how else would they rescue all these people

But then she watched a young girl probably not even 7 come in with an iron bar stuck through her stomach Without even batting an eye Dinesh pulled out the iron bar from the girl’s stomach causing her to scream shrilly

He gestured his face calm Hold her down If she struggles this will be harder than it needs to be

Tanya wanted to ask what was the point as she had a pretty good idea what a stomach wound meant for the victims but she had a secret hope that maybe this wasn’t as bad as it looked Then Dinesh pressed his hands to the wound and muttered something and Tanya watched the wound heal within seconds

Tanya blinked at him

He appeared to misinterpret her look and shrugged in an embarrassed fashion I don’t want you to think I wasted your time making you use first aid when I could heal them all But it would be a waste of Mana and this way you can Level your First Aid Skill You’ve gotten it correct

Recognizing the name from the notifications Tanya nodded extremely numb

Is this all just a game She whispered

Dinesh smiled bitterly Welcome to the System

With Dinesh vouching for her Tanya was allowed to stay on in Donnyton instead of being sent to Franksburg which was a larger city but was apparently inferior in some way Tanya didn’t really ask any questions She was struggling already with understanding what the System meant for her

The old world was dead Dinesh told her Monsters roamed the countryside People had Stats and could gain Levels Some people gained Classes and grew even more powerful Dinesh was one of those people Tanya quickly realized although he never explicitly said it

In addition it became clear rather quickly that Dinesh wasn’t just someone with a Class he was the captain of a Squad And that Squad was relatively well respected even by the Squads with lower numbers which Tanya gathered were a higher rank She was able to discern this while watching most of the other people in her area were shipped off down to Franksburg

Not that it really mattered to Tanya She wasn’t close with any of those people

She wasn’t close with much of anyone anymore

Almost as if he forgot Dinesh looked up at Tanya a blank look on his face Oh what did you do before

Before what Today’s weirdness Tanya said shivering

To her surprise Dinesh smiled sadly Ah yes I had forgotten To you it has been but a day Let me tell you I’ve lived with this for a little over a year and a half

As her brain tried to make sense of that Tanya considered herself She was a veterinary school drop out who had started cutting hair to pay her way through school When the stress became too much she stopped attending classes but not stopped cutting hair to pay for them

To her surprise Dinesh seemed much more interested in the hair cutting than she would believe

Although it seems stupid no one who was here really cut hair before the System came Dinesh said And most of the people who did are in Franksburg I think we can get you set up pretty easily

And so he did It just all happened so quickly

Day 1 A green skinned man tried to eat her

Day 2 She was moved around like a refugee

Day 3 She told Dinesh she can cut hair

Day 4 He showed her to her new sop if she wants it

Day 5 She spent the entire day cutting hair

And holy fuck she was exhausted

After the middle aged man finished belting on his sword and left the shop Tanya looked around There was a pile of money and assorted gifts she had gotten from people on the table which she went to One of them was a bottle of liquor given to her by a local brewer or something which she numbly cracked open on the wooden table She took a long swig

Two sweet for a beer too smooth and oddly light for actual liquor It seemed to be strawberry wine but it was light and fresh and tasted like spring The sweetness was reserved too something that tasted natural rather than artificial corn syrup or something

She took another long sip smiling She looked around at her strange new temporary home This wasn’t so bad was it

It was only after the door opened and the bell rung softly that Tanya realized she hadn’t put up the closed sign

Chapter 478

Setting the bottle down on the table Tanya turned to regard the man who walked into her shop The first thing she noticed about him was his feet they were bare

The man scratched his head awkwardly H hello I uh just want my hair shorn off

Sighing to herself inwardly Tanya nodded and smiled Better be positive about it Of course please have a seat Ah

There she stumbled Very quickly she had been told that they didn’t really have US money anymore Instead they used a local currency This seemed fanciful to Tanya and she distrusted it Although it was silly in a way she much preferred the gifts that people seemed very willing to give her in exchange for the haircuts

I Tanya searched around for the words The man’s face was darkening for some reason which caused her anxiety to spike making the words even more slippery Um I would it be okay to pa to pay in goods I’m new here so I don’t

The man frowned tilting his head to the side His eyes were sharp and emerald and quite beautiful New

Yes She stammered To t town I uh was in the border place that just opened up

Oh Oh That’s fine I can pay in goods The man said blinking His strange coldness faded away as swiftly as it came That made Tanya anxious about him in a different way It wasn’t an enjoyable prospect to be in an enclosed space with a man who experienced such rapid emotional changes but she would accept it for now

She pointed to the seat Sit How much do you want off ’

All of it Well most of it The man said sheepishly His hair was almost to his shoulders thick and black Tanya sighed in jealousy shaking her head at her own mousy brown curls

I haven’t gotten a haircut in a long time The man admitted It just hasn’t seemed important

mm Tanya hummed at that It was probably true After all if there were monsters around there was no doubt that dealing with those were more important than getting a haircut But it seemed the town they were in right now was a bit weird but it was safe enough Tanya had only seen a few places and that was when she was too shellshocked to notice much so she had a timid curiosity about the place

They lapsed into silence as Tanya began cutting the man’s hair It was surprisingly difficult Tanya frowned at the hair This was literally the toughest hair she had ever encountered Not impossible with the magically sharp sheers Dinesh had provided for her but very very difficult

So Tanya said hoping to fill the heavy silence What do you do

What do I do She could feel the man frown

Like your job Or did you get a Class from the Village I really don’t know much about Tanya trailed off It abruptly struck her how strange these past several days had been She couldn’t find words to articulate all the things she didn’t know or understand what happened In so many ways she just wanted to ignore the changes and pretend nothing had happened

But every time she thought about that she remembered the crooked yellow teeth in that monster’s smile

Oh Um The man seemed to think about that He thought very hard about it for almost 20 seconds taking enough time that Tanya began to sweat Immediately she remembered that this man was barefoot

Cursing herself for bringing it up Tanya cast her mind around looking for a good transition Unemployment still exists dummy ’ she reprimanded herself It was a good reminder that without Dinesh she would be whisked off to some city miles away

Well I believe I’m going to become a sorta Scout Explorer type The man said finally Tanya’s expression brightened feeding off his positivity

Exploring That sounds amazing I’ve always enjoyed nature Are you excited to be gone

Again the temperature in the room seemed to shift abruptly downwards as the man frowned well no I would prefer to remain But I don’t believe I can in good conscience

When Dinesh opened the door almost exactly after the man had finished Tanya wanted to do a dance of relief A familiar presence was just what she needed with this moody man

To her surprise when Dinesh entered he abruptly straightened and saluted the man Ghosthound Sir I didn’t expect

The man waved his hand laughing Don’t worry about it I wouldn’t have minded if you are avoiding me it’s asking a lot

Dinesh shook his head very quickly No it’s truly nothing I too enjoy Neveah’s company The issue was simply tying up loose ends here with the relocation of the people from the border areas If you wish I will come with you

Tanya looked between the two men As it turned out the barefoot man and Dinesh knew each other And based on how they were acting the barefoot man was in the superior position

Her hands began to shake slightly as she continued to cut away his hair

The barefoot man was very still while she cut his hair Well hopefully it doesn’t come to that

There was a moment of awkward silence before Dinesh spoke again Oh yes Mrs Hamilton told me to inform you that they have secured the mine and Thorn will be returning shortly

Now the man smiled and when he did so the whole room became several degrees warmer Perfect

The two continued to make small talk about topics that Tanya didn’t really understand but she was happy to have them speak Although she wasn’t included the sound of voices in the backdrop was what she wanted It used to be the View playing on TV now it was these two strange men

Luckily neither of them had a sword

She also noticed that her Hair Cutting Skill was increasing very very very quickly More quickly than it had all day Before this man had come she was at Level 8 and she was now already at Level 15 Dinesh had told her that it would improve more quickly when she attempted more difficult things maybe it was simply because of how hard his hair was

After about an hour she finally finished and the man stood and went to the mirror to inspect it Where his hair had framed his face and veiled his eyes before now it was cut short just a few centimeters of dark hair sticking out of his scalp It revealed high gaunt cheekbones and a strong jaw But most of all it cut away everything in his face that hid his eyes They burned and flashed like fat in a fire bright and sharp

When the man turned to thank her she couldn’t even reply the force of will behind those eyes caused something primal in her to shrivel up and refuse to move In this man Tanya found herself trusting completely and also giving up completely Before him there was no resistance and that strange submission caused her hands to tremble so hard her bones popped

After a bit of thought the man produced a glove with a strange Engraving carved into it for payment bid them both farewell and left the shop

Who who was that Tanya asked wide eyed

Dinesh shook his head saying nothing

When Randidly knocked on the door there was a soft laugh and then an answer We both know why you are here No need to be polite come on in

Randidly walked through the door his hackles already rising

She was lovely of course In a relatively chaste blue summer dress her blonde hair tumbling long and wild down her back It was slightly satisfying to see Lyra blink slightly when he walked in looking at him

You got a haircut She blurted out as he stopped in front of her It It looks really good Randidly

Her tone was warm and it gave him hope for this conversation But almost immediately Randidly had a sudden sense that this was just the calm before the storm they would not part amicably on this day

Chapter 479

At first Randidly was startled by the thought and the strength of emotion behind it but then he had to admit to himself there were very few times in the past where he and Lyra were able to get along There was some perhaps flirting some sexual tension and controversy but regardless of the motivations theirs was a history of conflict

After giving her a few seconds to peer at him he cleared his throat You are right let’s get down to it Lyra you’ve worked with the Creature You’ve helped her here in Donnyton

Lyra was an actress first and foremost and she had continued to hone those Skills from before the System in the world after it But to Randidly it almost seemed like the better she was at acting the more obvious what she truly felt was as she left a trail of all the emotions she did not fell

Very clearly Randidly could see the way the joy in her eyes died and a resentful cloud emerged to cover her She smirked at him

Randidly frowned She didn’t even offer an explanation or a justification she was content to just let the answer hang in the air which infuriated him to no end And of course it made him realize she had answered just like that in order to infuriate him

But why What was the point in antagonizing him now

Look let’s not play these mind games Randidly started but she just gave him a dismissive look

No games doggy Lyra said widening her eyes as if she were shocked or scared But however else will we relate to each other We both know that neither of us is emotionally mature enough to have a true genuine connection I’m a child and well you’re you’re broken aren’t you

Randidly just looked at her taken slightly aback Then something clicked in his head are you seriously still pissed off that I refused to entertain the idea of us being

She just looked at him her face still Only a look of mild amusement was discernible there When it became clear he wasn’t going to continue Do go on I’d love for you to admit that something could happen between us I would feel so vindicated And I think Sam would have lost a bet

Holy Christ Randidly pressed his eyes shut This was a pointless diversion He needed to refuse We can talk about that about the past after For now I need to know why you were crazy enough to work with the Creature

No we will talk now Lyra said moving over to the sole chair in her small room and sitting down She crossed her legs Her eyes were sharp and clear when they looked up at him Because you know what This is about respect You refuse to give it to me and then you act so surprised and self righteous when I stopped giving it to you I think you need to get over yourself before we speak any further

Don’t be a child Randidly snapped feeling himself losing control of the conversation even as another part of him rose furious hoping he let loose more

Really Is that the only way you see me Lyra hissed leaning forward letting her own loss of calm show I’ve become a Village Spirit I’ve accomplished things no one else has done since Even before you did I discovered Aether And I do not have the benefit of having an unending supply of it in my chest

You died Randidly said his tone chilly Although your personality remains the body that birthed it was buried All because you wouldn’t talk about your plans That’s what this is about

If I wanted to I could have saved that body Lyra said cutting him off I had it handled

His fury mounting Randidly shook his head incredulous at her lack of self awareness You spoiled bitch

Really doggy gendered language I’d have thought you better than that Lyra’s smile was back small and sharp

Randidly’s hands clenched into fists Don’t you dare call me that right now You are a fool Lyra It’s hard to believe that you had it handled’ when you almost ceased to be You act without thinking and without communicating just leaving us out to dry

That’s rich coming from you You act before thinking and communicating You are always running off to deal with some other problem and when you return you barely bother to check in Meanwhile I’m here

Is this seriously a jealousy thing Randidly asked

Lyra stood up You fucking prick do you think I don’t know the stakes of this

When she spoke her voice resonated powerfully with the ambient Aether of the Village around him Abruptly Randidly became aware of the huge amount of Aether that the Village was putting off And all of that energy flowed through Lyra Her eyes were glowing violet the power there at her fingertips They both stared at each other breathing hard

You work with the Creature who would have us fall to the Calamity Randidly finally said surprised how tired he sounded

Lyra shook her head She offers us a confirmed route to life

So you admit to working with her

Lyra just gave him a look Heedless Randidly continued to speak There is another confirmed route to life that doesn’t rely on trusting the Creature’s version of events that is simply being strong enough to defeat the Calamity

Where does your confidence come from Lyra asked shaking her head Think how often we have almost died That was during the tutorial You think it won’t scale when the kid gloves come off

The Creature sees us as nothing but toys Randidly said slowly trying not to grit his teeth He knew the difficulty perhaps even better than Lyra He had been out there fighting it But she continued to refuse to see that I will find a way to defeat the Calamity I have some clues and given time to test some things out I have my confidence from training How can you put your faith in the Creature I can’t Lyra Our deaths would not give her pause

Lyra looked at Randidly Suddenly abruptly something broke in her and her lip trembled Her eyes were cold and lonely even if you can’t trust the Creature trust me Randidly I’ve talked with her I’ve seen what she has seen Violence is not the answer here Your power stems not from the ability to fight but your ability to subvert the design of the System Let’s use that Let’s figure this out together If you do not you doom us all to die by the Calamity This I swear

Randidly breathed in and then breathed out This was not how the talk was supposed to go but he couldn’t say he was surprised He knew that Lyra held resentment in her chest about the way he had treated her he just had a hard time understanding why she would let it affect a decision of this magnitude

He also resented her for playing so cavalierly with her life and for pretending to be captured by the Creature while really being fine In addition she had chosen to work with the Creature believing its words while keeping him in the dark It felt like a betrayal against all of humanity and something that Randidly couldn’t forgive

The sticking point with this conversation was that she couldn’t be removed not easily not quickly not simply as the Village Spirit of Donnyton But Randidly didn’t want to be around her if she insisted on working with the Creature Randidly had no doubt that Lyra would communicate with the thing as soon as they were connected to another Zone with one of the Creature’s incarnations

That resonance with the Village Aether made Lyra powerful but it also meant that she could only display her power within the Village Once he left it

Randidly sighed looking at Lyra You swear we will die by the Calamity How can I trust you or the Creature if all you do is offer me threats and ultimatums

Lyra said nothing her eyes glittering Randidly shook his head slowly He turned and walked back out the door He sensed her fold her arms but she said nothing as he left Donnyton was his baby in a way the same way that Randidly would never forget the people who had come to Donnyton in the beginning and became their core

Now he was being forced away because he refused to do something as drastic as try and destroy Lyra and he refused to be within her sphere of influence if she would choose to trust the Creature on this point He also knew that she was aware how personally Randidly was taking this decision and she was vindictive enough to enjoy the pain she was inflicting

And that bit of sadism made Randidly hate her

At the door Randidly stopped If you betray this town I will not show restraint

Ah yes the first and last recourse of men to lose their temper Be well doggy Lyra said her tone sarcastic

Randidly left feeling ready to kill something

Chapter 480

Randidly watched the sunset over Donnyton his expression neutral He had arranged for people to meet him here at twilight but for now he had some time to think

The more he considered how his attempt with Lyra had gone the more that Randidly could only shake his head helplessly That girl just wormed her way under his skin And he couldn’t exactly blame Lyra for that he did the same thing to her When they were with each other they just couldn’t help regressing to the versions of themselves they were when they met He couldn’t take her seriously and she couldn’t stop teasing him long enough to have a real conversation

And just like he held it against her that she was barely more than a child she held it against him that he couldn’t see anything deeper than her age

Still Randidly didn’t mind the final result Something had broken between Lyra and himself which was dangerous if they both remained here acting in the same sphere of influence butting heads But if they were apart Space would make these differences smaller Randidly believed

And he realized that he was looking forward to it somewhat Having the freedom to leave Donnyton and exploring the new border areas in their Zone When 6 months had passed and they were connected to the wider world he could then range even farther pushing the boundaries of their world finding and fighting the most powerful monsters that this world could throw against them Not in the attempt to protect Donnyton any longer but to push his strength up as quickly as possible He now had a Class and a new Soul Skill and Randidly didn’t doubt the combination of growth he would receive from these two things would eventually raise him to a tier all of his own

But it became obvious after his time in the Raid Dungeon that his Levels took significantly more experience than other Classers’ Levels And it only seemed that effect was increasing as time went on It was likely a function of the size and scope of his Class but Randidly would need more and more fuel it seemed to raise it upwards

A point there for the System that its Classes were efficient but

Randidly grinned He had some ideas of how to work on providing Classes for people that wouldn’t be connected to the System

Dinesh and that haircutting woman Tanya were the first to arrive winding their way up the path to the outlook where Randidly stood He glanced at them when they arrived taking note of Tanya who was panting as she made it to the top

It was something of a wonder to see her simply because she seemed so nostalgic in a way She had barely experienced a week’s worth of the System and hadn’t even raised most of her Stats to above 15 as of yet Randidly was slightly dubious of her inclusion of his new group but Dinesh vouched for her and Randidly could tell that the man felt responsible for her

After all it was only due to his interference that she was brought to Donnyton to stay rather than being sent to Franksburg Although she was clearly going to be a liability in the border areas especially at the beginning Randidly reflected that he couldn’t very well do experiments regarding Class creation without NCCers so it was a necessary evil

Tanya seemed to be very often defaulting to a nervous titter during the few times he had been around her but she seemed kind and genuine and was basically 5 days old This was important only because it meant she treated him like a normal person rather than some fleeting incarnation of a god

“Oh wow it’s beautiful ” Tanya said huffing “But I HATE hiking “

Dinesh’s face shifted to a very strange expression Randidly simply chuckled She would learn very quickly to endure it Randidly expected even if she never grew to like it In Donnyton she might have been able to rest on her laurels making a living cutting hair and grinding other odd Skills in her spare time She likely would have gotten a unique if uninteresting Class in that manner It might very well be that Dinesh’s sense of responsibility would end up punishing Tanya as she was forced to adapt to situations far beyond her ability to handle alone

In a way Randidly was curious as to how she would handle it

The next individual to walk up the hill towards Randidly and his growing group was Nathan The boy had a backpack that was clearly very recently salvaged from the border areas because the plastic Power Ranger outside was crisp and bright

The view struck Randidly as somewhat strange because he had grown so used to interspatial rings that a more typical variety of pack was somewhat disconcerting Even more eye catching was the pot that he was carrying which contained a small seemingly fresh planting of Arbor Even this new planting shook its limbs excitedly when it caught sight of Randidly with whatever strange senses trees possessed Randidly smiled

After steadying himself Nathan placed the pot on the ground “A gift from Kiersty for wherever you go “

Randidly shook his head “I expect we will move around a lot I don’t “

Pointing to the trunk of the small planting Nathan said “That’s what the spiderlings are for “

Inwardly Randidly wondered whether the spiderlings who were individually about the size of a ladybug would be able to defend an Arbor planting but said nothing Although Kiersty was a child and extremely warped by the presence of a cult around Arbor it seemed that she wouldn’t endanger Arbor at all so he decided to let it pass Besides it wasn’t impossible to plant it in a central location that they could stay near providing assistance if it was necessary

Then next group members to come up the hill were familiar to Randidly in a very distant way and only because he had spent some time reacquainting himself with them The first the short Hispanic man was Karlito who had owned a small restaurant in Franksburg all that time ago when Randidly went to visit When it became clear that Donnyton needed talented cooks and a growing demand for high end food he immigrated to Donnyton bringing his wife Bruya

Randidly had never officially met Bruya before but he had seen her around the kitchen a few times when he worked for Karlito But to find out that the two were married was something of a revelation to Randidly He had always assumed she was some sort of accountant who was constantly disapproving of how much money Karlito spent on ingredients in the like

Her disapproving glares took on a whole new light with this information

Where Karlito was short and slight she was large and fight She was the same height as Randidly although he reasoned that she wore rather sizable wedges to make up the little difference in height between them And she was about twice as girthy as Randidly and about three times that of Karlito

There were two reasons for bringing them along on this journey to the border areas One for each of the people

Karlito was to provide food and also to assist Randidly in some experiments he wanted to perform with an eye towards mixing cooking and potions Bruya he was bringing because she was an NCC and she was one of the most promising users of the Illusion Skill granted by Simon’s Champion status Right now it was nothing more than being able to show a mostly realistic painting but it would undoubtedly improve

But as Randidly thought about Simon his expression turned grim He had received word that the man was ripping out his hair scouring the entire Zone for Thea who had abruptly disappeared from his awareness

This presented two problems both in the form of Simon’s imbalanced tendencies and in Thea’s location Randidly wouldn’t address the former because it seemed like a hassle and Simon would likely grow out of it and the latter because he respected Thea’s privacy in this time of mourning

But when Simon sent Randidly a message his arguments that she hadn’t just secreted himself in a Dungeon made sense Mrs Hamilton agreed that something seemed off as well But again Randidly wasn’t sure what he could really do about it This world was the type where you could lose yourself in the wilderness if you wanted to

Alana seemed to take the news of her disappearance the hardest becoming almost lethargic and extremely unlike her However this had mostly passed after a few days and now she mostly overexerted herself Hopefully someone would get her back on track soon

Ready for an adventure Randidly said with a laugh

Bruya smiled politely but Karlito rubbed his hands together with a mischievous gleam in his eye Hehehe walking through monster dens with the most powerful man in Donnyton What could go wrong I can’t wait to try some rare meat something over Level 40

It took about another hour but their final member arrived Tykes his arms folded a perpetual scowl on his face There had been some drama earlier in the week between Tykes and Raina after he pushed things a bit too far and Randidly wanted another fighter worth a damn on the trip

Not that he thought that he would need a fighter but it was Randidly’s plan that after the Zones opened up he would head to the other locations Then they would need something special to help trailblaze

Tykes was special that was for sure in terms of his Skills Sometimes it just seemed like the young man got in his own way He was full of anger

But Randidly probably more than most people who had thought to teach Tykes knew anger And he knew what it could become

What are you looking at me like that for I said I’d come Tykes said clearly suspicious

Randidly just smiled Nothing Wave goodbye people It’s time to go look at what’s waiting on the edge of the world

Chapter 481

Their first night passed uneventfully as the group hurried East to the border areas planning to start there in their exploration Already Randidly had experienced the strength of the monsters there during the Newbie’s rescue and although it couldn’t compete with the Raid Dungeon in terms of numbers it was about similar in individual strength

However like ants monsters of this level could only threaten Randidly if they took him by surprise and their numbers defied understanding But for now his mind was idle enough that he could finally take stock of all the Skill Levels he had gained through the confrontation with the Creature

He had gained 2 Levels of Spear Mastery 8 Levels in White Phantom’s Half Step and Dodge 4 Levels in Fighting Proficiency and Calculated Blow 2 Levels in Pierce the Skies Shatter the Earth 6 in Plant Dominance and Sharpness 2 in Spray Holy Sap 3 in Call Grove Defenders 10 in Earthquake and Grasp of Lava 1 in Phantom’s Lantern 3 in Invigorating Call and Gallant Intervention 4 in Erode Image and Aether Understanding 2 in Vengeful Bloom 3 in the Spear Phantom’s Embrace 6 in Breath of the Spear Phantom and Aether Detection 5 in Aether Manipulation and Living Aether 2 in System Interference 5 in Ashes to Ashes and Gravity Affinity 1 in Glittering Leaves of Yggdrasil Indomitable Spirit of Yggdrasil and Cruel Indignation of Yggdrasil 4 in Emerald Sap of Yggdrasil and Golden Roots of Yggdrasil 6 in the Yyrwood Flesh of Yggdrasil 5 in Soul Bond and Nether Resistance 2 in Aether Connection and Child of the Rain 8 in Chosen of Fire

At some point Randidly’s eyes simply glazed over while looking at all of the new Levels he had it was entirely too much to understand altogether But it did give him a sizable bump in PP which he appreciated and could use to move more closely to finishing Paths

Unfortunately it was not enough PP to finish off the First Legend Path but it was a significant dent in it More fortunately it was enough putting points into Paths to give him some information in regards to his new Soul Skill Each section took 70 PP and they all seemed more focused than the previous rewards But perhaps because of that each was more directly powerful

In the first land of the Spectral Tree an entire people weep Their effervescent melancholy seems to condense into a palpable form a small bead within your heart Wisdom +35 Perception +10

In the second land of the Spectral Tree a blossom opens A rotten fragrance spreads to fill your body Health Regeneration +50 Mana and Stamina Regeneration +25

In the third land of the Spectral Tree a predator roars A spirit of violence seems to possess your body Strength +35 Agility +10

After distributing all of his Stats and taking all of his benefits into consideration Randidly looked at his Status screen

Level 16 (81%)

Health(/R per hour) 3001/2552 (+730) (999 (+165

Mana(/R per hour) 1960/2719 (465 (+9

Stam(/R per min) 2499/2660 (+60) (325 (+45

Vit 219 (+15)

Str 242 (+52)

Agi 282 (+24)

Perception 273 (+20)

Reaction 237 (+15)

Resistance 222 (+45)

Willpower 300 (+10)

Intelligence 222

Wisdom 189 (+9)

Control 385

Focus 268 (+4)

Progenitor’s Influence 7990

Skills (Soul Skill) Seven Lands of the Spectral Tree Lvl 214

Combat Spear Mastery Lvl 160 White Phantom’s Half Step (Un) Lvl 60 Heavy Blow Lvl 74 Dagger Mastery Lvl 10 Iron Skin Lvl 47 Dodge Lvl 88 Fighting Proficiency Lvl 124 Block Lvl 54 Phantom Onslaught Lvl 42 Sweep Lvl 54 Spear Deflect Lvl 10 Calculated Blow Lvl 82 Roundhouse Kick Lvl 41 Idiosyncratic Cut (Un) Lvl 73 Pierce the Skies Shatter the Earth Lvl 41 Body Control Freeze Lvl 27 Stalemate Breaker Lvl 29 Talon Strike Lvl 38 Counter Lvl 1

PoFE Class Skills Plant Dominance ® Lvl 86 Spray Holy Sap (Un) Lvl 4 Sharpness Lvl 19 Call Grove Defenders ® Lvl 23 Earthquake (Un) Lvl 11 Invigorating Call (Humanity)(Un) Lvl 14 Four Shaded Domain Lvl 9 Phantom’s Lantern (Un) Lvl 13 Grasp of Lava ® Lvl 22 Erode Image Lvl 6 Vengeful Bloom (Un) Lvl 3 Gallant Intervention (Human) Lvl 4 Spriggit’s Tinkering ® Lvl 1 Aether Understanding Lvl 9

The 6 Signs of the Spear Phantom ® The First Sign The Inevitable Phantom Arrives Lvl 85 (Un) The Fifth Sign The Spear Phantom’s Embrace ® Lvl 169 The Sixth Sign The Breath of the Spear Phantom ® Lvl 32

Aether Skills Aether Detection Lvl 87 Aether Manipulation Lvl 97 Living Aether ® Lvl 93 System Interference Lvl 10

Spells Spearing Roots Lvl 73 Mana Bolt Lvl 28 Mana Shield Lvl 32 Arcane Orb Lvl 22 Fireball Lvl 30 Magic Missile Lvl 4 Healing Palm Lvl 12 Pollen of the Rafflesia Lvl 20 Summon Pestilence Lvl 54 Wall of Thorns Lvl 29 Soul Seed ® Inspiration ® Incinerating Bolt Lvl 80 Circle of Flame Lvl 61 Plantomancy Lvl 35 Hammer of the Dawn Lvl 37 Burning Footsteps Lvl 23 Ashes to Ashes Lvl 29 Touch from Beyond ® Lvl 24 Gravity Affinity Lvl 6

Yggdrasil Glittering Leaves of Yggdrasil Lvl 103 The Golden Roots of Yggdrasil Lvl 110 the Emerald Sap of Yggdrasil Lvl 110 the Yyrwood Flesh of Yggdrasil Lvl 122 the Indomitable Spirit of Yggdrasil Lvl 107 the Cruel Indignation of Yggdrasil Lvl 108

Auxiliary Sneak Lvl 46 Acid Resistance Lvl 22 Poison Resistance Lvl 21 Pain Resistance Lvl 61 First Aid Lvl 16 Pathfinding Lvl 18 Fire Resistance Lvl 23 Sewing Lvl 11 Cutting Vegetables Lvl 2 Manual Labor Lvl 6 Digging Lvl 5 Cooking Lvl 53 Clockwork Mastery Lvl 16 Aether Connection Lvl 5 Soul Bond Lvl 85 Chef’s Palate Lvl 24 Nether Resistance Lvl 13 Child of the Rain (Un) Lvl 11 Chosen of Fire ® Lvl 9

Randidly was actually interrupted from his review by something he would never have expected it was a message from Shal’s world

It was a message from Helen

Hello

It has been some time hasn’t it I’ve killed many people since we last met Even now my spear is wet with their blood

I’ll get someone to dry it

Anyway I’m not great at this It’s probably stupid but someone needed to tell you and Shal is busy and everyone else refused If they hadn’t been fucking guilting me for almost a month I wouldn’t just send you something out of the blue

Well whatever

I’ve been on the frontlines so I’ve been pretty busy But it’s done wonders for my stress levels

So you might have noticed we weren’t able to contact you for the past several months That was due to escalated conflict levels between us and another world We won

Because of the sudden attack though a lot of the young talent for the different Styles stopped suppressing themselves and gained Levels to fight against the threats Because of that it is almost impossible to hold the under 25 portion of the Inter School tournament

So they are redoing the preliminaries in most places If however you are still under Level 25 in one year’s time you have a free ticket to come back and participate in the tournament

Just so you know if you come back I’m going to challenge you to a fight I’ll crush you and not apologize Just thinking about your face after you lost looking sad

Well whatever you do you have time

Helen

Chewing his lip he regarded the letter surprised how much his stomach squirmed as he read it Not in a bad way but not in a good way either It was a mix of guilt and curiosity mostly With a little bit of arousal thrown on top for spice He had after all left rather abruptly from Shal’s world and when he couldn’t send a message back through forgotten almost immediately about it

There were pressing matters here after all but still

One year huh

Randidly’s eyes flashed That would be 6 months after they connected to the greater world Hopefully Randidly could identify and handle any of the Creature’s experiments in the other Zones Then feeling more secure he could head to Shal’s world

Seeing Helen and Shal were motivations sure but Randidly had matured somewhat since his previous trek to that world and now he had a more concrete goal figure out what they knew about the Calamity there It was a distant possibility but it was the only avenue he knew that could get him information on what had occurred and what would occur on Earth

Even if Randidly was confident in himself he didn’t want to fight something like that without information On that front at least Lyra had a point He needed to figure out a plan if he was truly going to challenge something like this

Octavius Shrike looked down at the report his face drawn into a scowl He had promised the woman during the Transcendence that he would wait to report certain inflammatory details of the Earth but some of these readings

Aether Levels were far too high and someone on the planet had reached Heretic Level 19 If this situation progressed it wasn’t something that he could afford to withhold information about Although his superiors very rarely busied themselves with occurrences in the new Cohort there were certain things that they were very particular about And if the bottom line of those activities was adjusted

It’s too much of a risk Octavius muttered to himself And apologizing silently to the human woman to whom he had made a promise Octavius submitted the report

Far away within Randidly’s body Lucretia’s eyes flicked open a small smile on her mouth

Well well She whispered keeping her voice down so as not to tip Randidly off Not that it would really matter Randidly had inherited some of her ability to sense the lines of Karma due to their connection but it was much like her ability to manipulate Aether they acted through each other

Besides this was her domain

You opened up the Class creation and allowed others to interfere in the process which is a small thing Lucretia said slowly pushing her lavender hair behind her ear But then you also go back on a promise regarding Randidly exposing us to what feels like great danger

Her smile was the toothy grin of the shark I wonder how else you will be forced to betray us dear Octavius In some ways betrayal is the most reassuring gift of all

After chuckling Lucretia returned to her experiments almost shutting herself off completely from the outside world With her gaze focused inward content time slowly started to blur and slip endlessly past

Chapter 482

Hank Howard regarded the three individuals in front of him feeling a headache arriving with a vengeance As an official Sheriff and as a Tier Three citizen of their Zone he ostensibly had the authority to settle their dispute However when he saw that the injured party had a probationary citizenship card and the other two were Tier Two citizens his jaw clenched tight

In terms of citizenship he outranked them by official decree of Ghost the AI that controlled most of Zone 1 However he received that ranking early on after the System arrived before the hierarchy had truly established itself These Tier 2 citizens would likely know that and that since then he had been basically excommunicated from any true avenues of influence He was a Tier 3 citizen in name only

Although Ghost had never adjusted a citizenship ranking downward many had made the joke that Hank Howard would be the first Then they paused and usually wondered whether his brother another Tier 3 citizen had something to do with his current ranking

The woman’s cold words brought Hank back to the present I was here the whole time I saw everything This fool drove his vehicle in front of the area that Jay was practicing some Skills It’s his own fault his car is damaged

That’s not what happened The kid bellowed fuming And he was a kid really A 15 year old with a shock of orange hair on his head probably driving mommy or daddy’s Manatech car Still as the kid’s fury mounted Hank’s eyes narrowed as he tasted the air You jumped in front of me while I was driving You said if I didn’t give you the car you’d destroy it

He might be young and a probationary citizen but he had a Class already and something with some heft

That was shocking in and of itself The probationary citizenship was only created 6 months ago when the edges of their Zone opened up So he had enough potential that some Village gave him a Class

But his opponents were Dungeon Divers and from the look of it good ones The group was standing on the side of a road leading into a nearby C Class city and were starting to draw a bit of a crowd of lookie loos Still trying to keep his cool Hank raised his hands in a placating gesture Alright guys be civil how about we just

Pah The man who caused the whole thing said unfolding his arms Then to Hank’s surprise he turned and spat on Hank’s shoes What does it even fucking matter what happened We are Tier 2 citizens you little shit

In a smooth motion that was so fast that people with less than 150 Perception and Reaction couldn’t even react to it Hank Howard drew his Colt revolver and put a bullet through the man’s mouth Something had snapped and Hank was done playing nice

He had chosen his shot carefully and the bullet hit the man in the cheek while he was turning so it burrowed into one cheek through his shit slurping tongue and then out the other side spraying blood everywhere Hank had empowered the bullet with his Mana Reinforcement giving it a bit of extra oomph in case this guy spec’d defense Stats but it seemed he needn’t have worried

That crack of the gun was loud and sharp and Hank loved it that moment of harsh reverberations That’s why he still used the revolver even when there was much more efficient plasma weaponry on the market They just didn’t have the same renaissance feel of an old style pistol

For a long second nobody moved

It was extremely strange Hank reflected savoring his hot fury’s satisfaction how it seemed that improving people’s Intelligence and physical reaction speed only seemed to make them react more slowly to things that truly surprised them Take this fool of a man for example Since he hadn’t put points into Endurance or Vitality he had to have either Reaction or Intelligence right

Finally the man reacted releasing a gurgling wail that continued far beyond what was comfortable to listen to Hank bit back a grin

You’ve got your violence ’ He told himself specifically the hotheaded half of himself Let it go ’

Grumbling that part of him settled back

What the fuck have you done The woman said gasping as she rushed over to her companion We We

15 year old was almost drooling his eyes moving from the gun to Hank’s face to the wound on the man’s face Coughing slightly Hank holstered his pistol with the same smooth greasy movements Ever since he had obtained his Gunslinger Class getting weapons in and out of things was no problem for him even though none of his Skills seemed to be directly related to it Perhaps it was due to Gunslinger’s Instincts

We will be fucking lodging a complaint The woman said her eyes red as she glared at Hank The wounded man had produced a Healing Potion and drank it Very quickly the flesh grew back and he joined her to glare at him

Hank couldn’t help it now a grin spreading across his face like a wildfire on a dry prairie Be careful you don’t threaten me too much now lest you end up scaring me into lodging a bullet into you two I won’t be nice with my aim this time neither

Hah you might be a Tier 3 citizen but that doesn’t mean you can ignore the law The man said his eyes narrowed You’re lucky that I wasn’t seriously injured We will both be heading out with the secondary expedition in thre days when the Zone opens up and connects to the wider world Colonel Radford is our commander and if he

Snorting Hank turned away This wasn’t worth his time Honestly it would save him the trouble of tracking down that little shit Radford if these punks would send him Hank’s way but he doubted Radford would take the bait

Grabbing the kid’s elbows he steered him away over towards the cracked and dented vehicle After muttering threats at Hank’s back the two left clearly somewhat spooked by the dozens of people recording their actions on their cellphones Although it wasn’t much videos of Hank easily wounding the man would go online where Ghost could access it

Once that data was entered into Ghost’s evaluation the man would have a much harder time raising his citizenry tier Adding more pointless arguing would be doubly harmful Smart like a smelly fox he was Hank reflected

This is bullshit The kid whispered looking at his car Apparently some of the wonder from seeing Hank’s revolver had worn off and he was back on to the damage to his Manatech I had to save up for so long to buy this And now

Don’t worry kid Hank said offering a small object to the kid Those two decided to kindly drop this over yonder Must be as repayment

My name isn’t kid its huh The kid started in a huff then his eyes widened when he noticed the cube that Hank was offering him It was heavy and glossy clearly an expensive material something that could only be obtained in a high Level Dungeon Even Hank didn’t know what it was but he knew enough to guess that it would be probably worth enough to compensate the kid for the damage

How The kid began taking the cube of metal and Hank just waved his long graceful fingers

Fast hands And anyway these are just small fries They might be Tier 2 but they are fresh promotions or else they wouldn’t be in the secondary expedition under Radford Careful where you sell that though both because they might be on the lookout for where they lost it and because other people might take advantage of you Good luck kid

Hank turned and began to walk away fully intending to go home and take a long bath but of course life wasn’t that simple for Hank It hadn’t been for years

Hey Wait I’m not a kid my name’s Tony What’s yours The kid had to hurry to catch up with him hovering around his elbow as he walked

Hank Hank said simply lengthening his stride to leave him behind

But it seemed that Agility was a part of the kid’s Class and a lot of it because he was surprisingly capable at keeping up with Hank And although it was annoying it wasn’t so bad that Hank was gonna launch himself into a dead sprint to lose a kid

His cell phone began to buzz causing Hank to stop up short The kid didn’t react in time and slammed into Hank bouncing harmlessly off with a loud grunt Hank looked at his phone

Alan Howard

Hank answered the phone Heya brother How about you fuck off

Chapter 483

Hank pulled the brim of his hat lower and leaned back in his seat Outside the train the landscape blurred past the Manatech launching their tiny vehicle at such speeds that distance or at least the distance that was within the confines of the Zone meant nothing

Although Hank’s brother was a giant dick he had something that Hank wanted so Hank was unwillingly dragged from the Class C City that Hank called home Mottles towards one of the two Class A Cities in their Zone East Providence Of the two Hank would much rather travel to West Providence which was the technological hub upon which their whole Zone turned meanwhile Hanks current jaunt would take him to the political capital

More than anything else Hank hated politics He hated the posing he hated the rhetoric he hated the quick shifts between enemies and allies that happened so quickly that it wasn’t even worth the time to grow close to anyone

Humans were built on connections with others Hank believed And he believed that politics was the practice of self mutilation of genuine and personal connections It all left a very bitter taste in his mouth

But Hank supposed he should consider himself somewhat lucky The early days after the arrival of the System were chaotic and dangerous Even though the upper echelons of humanity had been warned and had concentrated weapons scientists and supplies in this one location it had still been touch and go for a while in the week that followed Although soldiers had been warned that a great enemy would be coming they expected soldiers or tanks or planes

They didn’t expect demons or chimera or fucking goblins

During that time Hank hadn’t known about the oncoming storm he had just gotten lucky to be stationed as a park ranger near his nation’s capital At the time he was just a hiking enthusiast who loved the sights and smells of the country and his brother was a nobody working as a clerk for a Senator from the South

And now

Hank sighed and shook his head angrily When one of the train’s attendants walked past he raised a hand and mimed taking a shot She smiled politely and nodded even though there was thinly veiled judgement in her eyes Hank didn’t care he just hoped she knew to bring him whiskey Maybe he should have mimed sipping it

But then he would have been dishonest wouldn’t he

While the soldiers and the politicians were struggling to remain in control of their tiny fiefdoms during the initial monster incursions the scientists had holed themselves up in what would become West Providence and begun to experiment Very quickly they realized they could gain Levels in strange almost abstract Skills like Scientific Theory and Organic Chemistry and they pushed a lot of boundaries in those first weeks frothing at the mouth in the presence of this tangible progress

Very quickly there were many deaths and accidents but there was also progress Plasma weaponry manatech and power suits were just a few of their more widely known inventions There were huge jumps in farming and pharmaceutical technologies which would have been worth billions of dollars in the past but now were relatively useless due to the positive benefits of the System

But of course the greatest contribution of West Providence and the reason that they maintained their status as a Class A City despite pressure from East Providence was due to Ghost

While most scientists were fascinated by the tangible Thomas Karman was drawn towards a different pursuit Artificial Intelligence Not as a pursuit in and of itself of course he was too much of a scientist for that But Dr Karman wondered whether it wasn’t just people and monsters that were slaves to the System

Could their creations earn the System’s approval as well

For 3 months Dr Karman slaved away working and creating He tried different structures different mediums different evolution paths for the different intelligences During that time humanity had largely righted itself Increases in Stats and Skill Levels allowed the army to quickly sweep through the monsters establishing safe areas where people could live without fear of an ogre climbing through their window

Even if he was being modest Hank was at the forefront of that effort Before the System hit his hobbies included creating his own bullets and putting himself beyond the range of cell service in order to truly experience the raw beautiful danger of nature Now that danger came knocking and Hank’s bullets were an invaluable tool against the invasion

Many in the early days of his rise to prominence suspected that Hank would very quickly run out of room to grow After all his Skill related to shooting pistols and empowering pistol bullets so undoubtedly he would soon be passed by snipers or soldiers with assault rifles and proper training But everytime Hank would find himself in a dead end the System would provide a Path a new Skill an opportunity

First the Dead Shot Skill then the Trick Shot then Mana Reinforcement then the Mana Detonation

It was wonderful in a sick way And Hank could admit to himself now that he had lost himself in that feeling

Then Thomas Karman was successful He created an AI that could grow and Level in the System It was slow much slower than humans for whatever reason but it worked Ghost was born

Very quickly West Providence flooded the air with small drones Then they began to spread cameras in a more conventional way hacking into the traffic network at least the portions that continued to work They sent men out in the field carrying cameras With these vantage points Ghost began to learn

After gathering a sufficient amount of data Ghost began to make predictions Small things at first but then on the movements of monsters and the optimum way to prepare to gain a Class or the superior Paths available and how to acquire them It took a month but very soon East Providence was swayed Ghost was a powerful tool and they intended to use it

Thomas Karman and the then President of the United Humans Force the UHF brokered a deal Ghost would be able to classify things in different categories but the UHF Parliament would always retain the ability to pass laws regarding on how the treatment of the ranks was different

Ghost’s first mass categorization related to cities setting West and East Providence up as the core of the Zone Ghost’s second categorization labeled monsters and categorized them as different metal ranks Copper through Diamond according to their power Ghost’s third and final initial ranking put Citizens in different tiers 1 5

Well it was one through five in name only because the highest tier at that time was Tier 3 and Hank was one of the three people in that tier

The attendant returned thankfully with something dark even if it wasn’t whiskey and Hank threw it back with a bitter smile on his face How bright and hopeful Hank had been in those days It was a fleeting almost tragic naivety At the time Hank had been a powerful supporter of the categorization of people and monsters thinking of all the good it could do His brother had been right there with them the Howard twins the vocal minority urging for Ghost’s virtues The higher tiers would face the danger the lower tiers would understand when certain threats were beyond their ability to deal with

Hank had swiftly learned what a fool he had been and how much a label could warp people

Three weeks after the Citizenship Tiers were instituted a Tier 3 man raped a Tier 1 woman and his defense was his higher Tier entitled him to superior privileges

Well what can you do Alan Howard had said an embarrassed smile on his face This is America People will say the stupidest shit

At the time Hank had been close to agreeing It was just one fool and the court denied that defense The man was thrown in jail But

But it set a tone Of course it was clear that one couldn’t flaunt the law But many wondered based on the language of the judges whether the decision would have been the same if the crime was a less severe one

Of course realities of the world being what they were the man was let off on probation after 6 months And once he was freed

Hank stopped himself right there Thinking about that whole ordeal would just piss him off even more and with how today’s schedule was being lined up Hank wanted to start out in as good of a mood as possible

Unfortunately the train was already pulling into the station

Hank ordered two more shots to go

Chapter 484

Uncle Hank Jane shrieked dropping her rubber ball and throwing herself at him in a blur of blonde pigtails

Hank’s eyes narrowed a fraction even as he beamed at her and swept her off in his arms After all she moved fast Of course not too fast but with enough speed that she probably had 40 50 Agility and with enough Reaction and Perception to manage it all The girl was fucking 9 what the hell was her school putting her through

Heya weasel Hank said spinning around the shrieking girl until she was helpless with giggles They were currently standing in a manicured park near the Lodestone School filled with extremely intricate jungle gyms designed to train Stamina and dexterity in the children who played there rather than breed fun To the side Ms Smoke was standing a frown on her face as she looked at Hank

Of course Ms Smoke didn’t speak Ms Smoke was a stickler for the rules and she was only a Tier 2 citizen It would be improper for her to reprimand Hank Howard an exalted Tier 3 citizen unless he was doing something obviously reprehensible and damaging to the interests of Jane

Oh how far we’ve fallen ’ Hank thought somewhat sadly as he rubbed Jane’s head

Which didn’t mean that Ms Smoke felt shy at all about her constant glares But it did mean that she would let Hank pull his niece out of school if only for half the day He disliked the hierarchy most of the time but he supposed that if he had to slog through the shit on a daily basis the least he could do is enjoy the benefits on days like this

Oh Uncle Hank I’ve missed you so much Pleease help me skip school We are having a quiz in monster anatomy class today and I am going to fall asleep and then DIE if I have to sit through one more remedial lecture PLEaaSee

Hank smiled looked at Ms Smoke

Her frown deepened

I don’t see why not He said brightly Why don’t we get ice cream

After an afternoon and evening of spending quality time with his niece Hank found himself standing before the President of the UHF

Alan you are getting fat Hank said partially to break the tension of their staring contest but partially to point out to the man that he was truly letting himself go

Alan harrumphed in that way that Hank knew so well from their childhood in the way that meant I am well aware and the only reason it is happening is that I am so inundated with important pressing matters that my personal health is the least important of my challenges and I have deliberately decided that it is the area in which I am most comfortable with some small amount of lax behavior’

Or something Hank knew his brother Alan very well or used to Growing up they had been extremely close Even before the System came they were still very tightly connected But somewhere in his heart Hank knew what it was Alan had never forgiven him for that third pronouncement by Ghost

Alan Howard Tier 1

Hank Howard Tier 3

Even now as Alan Howard sat at Tier 4 the most important nonmilitaristic individual in the Zone it wasn’t enough That small jealousy had grown into something insidious and persistent

But they were still brothers so Alan said nothing about the comment leaning back in his chair and folding his fingers into a steeple Have fun today

Yes Hank said simply They both knew that Hank had a very close relationship with Jane And Hank believed that Alan was also aware that Jane needed something like that in her life Especially since she had been transferred to the Lodestone School a move that Hank had vehemently opposed she needed those moments where she could forget the pressure of living under the weight of the System and remember that she was just a kid

Well if you don’t wish to speak on it further then I won’t belabor the point keep your distractions to the minimum alright Now

Distractions Hank interrupted glad that Alan had the poor sense to send away his honor guard Of course Ghost would be watching but there was only so much that the AI could do from afar and it allowed Hank to speak freely What she needs is a childhood The Dungeons are handled the monsters have been pushed back from the populated areas Why drive the children so hard Your own fucking daughter Alan

Alan swiveled in his leather chair and stood When he stood he emphasized that slowly building belly even more Where Hank was tall and a little towards a stockier build Alan had always been shorters and slighter To consider the possibility now that his brother was heavier than him it was somewhat amusing to Hank

You know Alan said interrupting Hank’s thoughts Ghost had run a lot of simulations based on available information According to his calculations we are in the 72nd percentile of possibilities That means that 38% of other Zones might be

Bah Hank scoffed We both know that those statistics are bullshit They are based on the premise that others had a comparable amount of ammunition and foodstuffs prepared in their area and people with the training to use the supplies effectively It’s meaningless How have you convinced yourself your daughter is going to save the world Alan She’s

She’s my daughter Alan said his voice rumbling dangerously True the stats don’t paint an accurate picture But they illustrate the real danger that there will be other Zones that could reach our Level of power even if they are likely below us in technology If a violence crazed warlord rose to power in the vacuum left by the System

Then Alan forcibly stopped himself seeing Hank about to speak They had this conversation in 1000 ways 1000 times They did not agree Finally Alan simply said Dr Karman was assassinated Hank We never caught the killer If things hadn’t god if we had devolved into a civil war Even Ghost was clueless But it cannot be denied that the culprits were looking to sew chaos

They were both silent for a long second Both remembered the two months following the death of the respected doctor and how quickly things had almost dropped out from under them leaving the government hamstrung by cutthroat politicians and short sighted scientists who would have lost the entire forest for their own individual tree

But they made it passed that albeit barely

If something if they took Jane I Alan said his face bleak some of his professional facade falling away Hank wondered how much of the reveal was contrived but at least he believed that Alan genuinely felt that worry for Jane Hank knew he himself did and couldn’t imagine that the father of that bundle of joy would feel any less

Deciding to remain silent Hank just stared at the ground abruptly too tired to argue That was why he continued to work as a sheriff even as he was largely disgraced Because there were people in this Zone worth protecting Children like Jane and that kid from yesterday Innocents who knew nothing of the backstabbing and the posturing who were struggling under the weight of their Tier 1 status to survive in this new regimented world

And if he had to support this corrupt system to do it

Closing his eyes Hank pictured Jane’s smiling face earlier when she had realized she had ice cream on her nose

Why did you call me here Hank said his voice gravelly

Alan straightened turning back to Hank After coughing he said as you know we have two main expeditions heading out in two days to explore the new areas available to us after our Zone joins the reconstructed Earth This was done after Ghost’s careful calculations and all of the members of those are already selected But after some explanations from us beings of flesh Ghost was persuaded that there might be cause for a third expeditionary force You would be in charge

There were so many reasons that Hank wanted to refuse he was momentarily frozen as he decided which was the most pressing The hassle of leading such a force first off beyond that the political niceties that he wouldn’t have time for and also the pointlessness of these mining expeditions

Besides as far as Hank was aware all the Dungeon Divers of note were already part of the first two forces only dregs would be left for the third

Alan held up a hand Wait I can already see you jumping to conclusions It won’t be large like the others at most 5 people Your group would be designed for other reasons You would remain on standby for now and only move when a second Zone connects to another world

Hank’s eyes flickered with recognition Then he frowned What did you have in mind It wouldn’t be a political delegation not if you are sending me You know me better than that You also know that I have no mind for business so any trading beyond some small things I have that couldn’t be it either So I have to assume that we will be involved in some sort of espionage or assassination

Alan sighed Don’t be dramatic You are going for your Pathfinding Skill What we will need to identify the best route between the two Zones through what will likely be very dangerous territory Once there I would expect you to have enough common sense to contact whatever powers that be there but only to lead their agents back to us so we can communicate I’d prefer that you take the time between now and another Zone connects to familiarize yourself with the areas we can explore in two days but if you insist on your two bit crusade for justice

I do Hank affirmed

just consider it alright

Sneering Hank said Who is askin’

Alan seemed to age before his very eyes just your brother Hank You are the best man for this job I’d appreciate if you helped me out on this

Slowly Hank shook his head He pointed at a dossier on the table This is supposed to be my comrades Heath hates my guts and would butcher a stranger as soon as give him the time of day And Ezekial I’ve never met him but I’ve heard the rumors He’s more monster than man at this point

Alan pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose sat down in his leather chair and turned forward facing Hank face on Fine Then here are your orders from the President of the UHF Meet your allies Position yourself in one of the border cities Because as soon as some Zone connects to the world you are going there You are dismissed

Chapter 485

Hank’s father Rick had taught Hank and Alan three things

The first thing was that you only apologize if you mean it This lesson came in the form of a rough shove after Hank had taken a cookie and then blamed his brother for it When they were caught Hank eventually broke and apologized

Are you really sorry Rick asked Hank had hesitated then shook his head After all he had gotten the cookie when they weren’t supposed to If he was being honest he was proud of himself

Rick grinned Being honest is best Time to make sure you told the truth about tonight

At first Hank expected his father to punish him But he just continued to hum and smile until Alan got home from a friend’s house Then Rick had locked Alan in his room without dinner so that Hank would learn who he should truly apologize to’ It was a long night

Hank never forgot his little brother’s sobs after he had stopped pounding on the door If anything the silence was more difficult to bear than the earlier cacophony

The second thing Rick taught his boys was that Clint Eastwood was the greatest actor in the world and everything about being a man could be learned by watching his movies This lesson the boys took too with more alacrity pouring over the entire filmography on VHS during their childhoods

Much later when the System had arrived Hank felt almost like he was returning to his childhood when he obtained his Class Gunslinger Everyone initially was disappointed because Hank had done so well up to this point and his Class was so mundane

Yet time and time again Hank came out on top of monsters and men alike all who would threaten the Zone’s new laws One time the first time he met Ghost Hank had asked Ghost why he had given him a Tier 3 rating when his Class was clearly one of the least powerful Classes on record

Ghost’s hologram projection had laughed at him It’s because you believe in it You’ve spent your entire life dreaming of it Hank How could it not be more powerful than these shallow recently acquired toys

The third thing that Hank and Alan had learned from Rick was how and why to love a country

You can’t think of your country as a physical place that’s not the important part Rick had said waving a hand Think of the Native Americans They have one of the most powerful and iconic cultures even to this day even as that way of life is dead Think of the Greeks of the Romans Your country is the dream you are building for your children It’s the desire you instill in them to crave freedom and open sky It’s the sense of responsibility they feel when faced with moral dilemmas

To nurture your country’s soul is to build a future A flag is a map and to forget it is for an entire nation of souls to grow lost There is a certain pervasive disdain for patriotism that I’d like to inoculate you boys against personally Your country is the sum of your actions therefore if you don’t care for your country your actions have been insufficient to satisfy the implicit responsibilities of citizenship that you hold in your chest If you don’t care about your country you also don’t care about yourself or your future actions

When the murky swamp of apathy has risen above the heads of a country’s citizens they cannot be bothered to right small injustices Their skin grows numb to the innumerable ticks and pests that infest them These people become sleepwalkers in a slumber only surpassed by death in permanence

Do you think a dictator could rouse them from that unshakable grip Do you think such people will be spooked by genocide when their hearts have turned disdainful towards the plight of their fellow man

No they will be carried forward by inertia in their blindness allowing their country their true aegis of justice to decay around them That’s how America will die boys Good men will stop believing in the dream of our nation’s virtue and no one will willingly take up the mantle to make it so Without that amorphous defense we will all perish

Something precious you cannot truly describe that’s what a country is

You are describing it now Alan had pointed out He was 9 and Hank was 13 with enough sense to keep his mouth shut

Rick chuckled and Hank slowly relaxed It was one of his dad’s good days it seemed

You’re right All I’m trying to say is that when you make a decision regarding your country remember your children your future If you take an oath stick to it Fight for that oath Become the reason that other men feel emboldened to endeavor to become a hero After all do you want your children to dream of a place where words aren’t worth the air that keeps them afloat Or do you want them to dream of tenacity and responsibility of determination and destiny

The boys looked solemnly up at their father committing the words to memory as best as they could

Rick fancied himself as something of a poet Which was probably why he had taken the barrel of a revolver put it on his temple and then slowly clenched his hand into a fist The day that Hank found the body was three weeks before his 18th birthday At that moment he had a hard decision in front of him report the death now or wait the three weeks so that he would be allowed to care for Alan who was still a minor

Lost in his thoughts in the present Hank reached down and ran his fingers along the cool metal of the revolver left to him by his father in the hastily scrawled will It was not for the sake of sentimentality that Hank still used this revolver it was due to familiarity Even as a child before the weight of his father’s life hung on the trigger Hank was fascinated by its strange weight its smooth gears and motions

Although he had rejected his spoiled brother’s plea that he assist with the third expedition Hank was not a man who would easily reject an order from the President They were currently at odds over what Hank considered a meaningless torture of a child Hank knew that both were relatively defensible positions He would not let it get in the way of his duty to his tiny Zone locked nation

After all Hank had learned his lessons of virtue by staring at the profile of Eastwood silhouetted by the sunset a man protects at any cost

And Hank couldn’t deny that a threat was coming So he silently accepted the dossier from Alan and took the short train from East Providence to West Providence in order to meet the rest of the group

Like Alan had promised expedition three was a relatively small force East Providence would be supplying two individuals but the second of which had not yet been chosen as this was only recently approved Ezekiel was West Providence representation who Hank now went to pick up from the Containment Center

Grimacing Hank wondered whether he would need to put a few slugs of lead in this man before he would behave The Containment Center was essentially a place where Classers who were too powerful not to be used against monsters and hadn’t committed truly heinous crimes were kept Often placing them there did more harm than good as some of the seedier prospects spread their very negative attitude to other prisoners who had previously just had a short temper

Hopefully Ezekiel wouldn’t be too much of a blockhead According to the dossier he was an all rounder but specialized in stealth and long range Skills Hank read that and whistled

Long range Skills usually referred to things that would have been traditionally considered as spells in the world before the System Ghost made it clear that basically anything was possible within the System but he believed that Mana was much more efficiently used with the Mana Discharge Skill that people used to power their plasma weaponry

The results spoke for themselves A Level 10 Mana Bolt would stumble a creature briefly but do no lasting damage to it especially as its Levels increased A plasma bolt fired by someone who had just obtained the Mana Discharge Skill would melt the monster’s head

Of course there were diminishing returns for the Mana Discharge Skill especially over Level 50 The general populous just couldn’t get access to the guns that could utilize higher Levels of Mana Discharge the technology wasn’t to the point that they could be mass produced You needed to be at least Tier 3 before you could be considered as a useful individual to be given a prototype Hank had just one such plasma pistol

But in addition to the diminishing returns there was also much less utility given by focusing on Mana Discharge Hank’s other Mana Skills very quickly passed Mana Discharge and he was now happy to simply use his old metal slugs to kill monsters

Plus Hank had seen a man open a hole in the ground the size of a house just swallowing up 20 or so monsters Then the ground had closed back up and the screams of the monsters were cut off with a wet crunch

A real mage type huh Hank said flicking over to the other two dossiers Mordecai Heath was a big man with the brain of a chihuahua Twice in the past the two had fought and both times Hank had laid the man out But that was before Hank’s fall from grace and now Heath had a state of the art Exosuit that made him look like a Decepticon

The final member of their group was a member of the Temple on the Hill which made Hank’s frown deepen Not that he minded the people who swore allegiance first and foremost to their Zone’s Champion If anything the opposite They were usually uncannily competent which is why Hank had no choice but to be serious around them

Sighing Hank looked around But unfortunately he saw no attendants to bring him a drink

Chapter 486

Ezekiel pushed his glasses up his nose The man had short dark hair and mild green eyes When they met the man had stood and walked over to give Hank a handshake

Ezekiel Ghosthound at your service You probably don’t recall but I was in Richmond when you held off the armored bears I never got to thank you I’m pleased I now have the chance to pay you back

Ah no worries Hank said slipping back into a slow drawl It’s in the past now What’s a mild fella like you doin locked up here

Ezekiel’s smile was all teeth Ghost doesn’t like me having contact with high Level Classers where it cannot watch

Hank’s pupils dilated A few interesting things there Was he being honest And if he was why was he under such tight scrutiny Specifically high Level Classers as well

In addition Ezekiel had referred to Ghost as an it’ Not that it was really important but a lot of propaganda campaigning done by Alan had gone towards making sure the populous referred to Ghost as he It helped the people handle the fact that an AI was making decisions that ruled most everyone’s lives It brought Hank a small bit of pleasure that this man didn’t follow along with the masses in this regard

Plus he wondered if there was some sort of story connecting Ghost and Ghosthound Maybe just a coincidence If anything perhaps Ghosthound was a made up name given to him by Ghost like Ghost’s Hound

The guard who was watching their meeting cleared his throat Hank turned to regard him The man was likely not even a Tier 2 citizen but he delighted in lording his small status over Hank ever since they had entered into the Containment Zone Hank didn’t mind Or rather it was like the buzzing of a fly the only acknowledgment the creature would receive was being smashed into the table when it had gone too far

We will debrief him Mr Howard We have orders to take you to see Ghost in person He has a gift for you consider yourself blessed

Ezekiel chuckled but said nothing After glaring at Ezekiel until he was satisfied that the other man was cowed the guard brought Hank away out of the meeting room and down a long hallway to another series of rooms The hallways and rooms all looked the same white and long with only brass doorknobs adding a splash of color to the tiled decor If this had been the Hank before the System empowered his attention to detail he would have long been hopelessly lost

Try not to be disrespectful The guard said glowering after he had opened the door for Hank to proceed We will be watching And if you disrespect

Hank stepped forward and closed the door yanking the doorknob out of the man’s sloppy grip It was with great pleasure that Hank cut him off and turned to regard the small raised black platform before him For effect there were several lines of servers along the back wall with flashing lights and different gauges for heat and electrical consumption But Hank knew that these were just theatrics

Ghost’s true body was the 6 brain dead bodies on life support below the room it was on them that their AI’ ran

The air over the black platform flashed and a body condensed first just opaque squares then a silhouette through them and then the body of a teenage boy He was tall and fair with blonde hair and blue eyes His smile was wide and infectious but just like always some instinct kept Hank from ever relaxing around the AI

It has been a while since we spoke Hank But I’ve really enjoyed watching you Ghost said sounding extremely human and sincere

Almost feeling guilty for his suspicion Hank forced himself to smile It has You were still using a 10 year old as an avatar last time we spoke I hafta say speakin’ to you like this is a mite more reassuring

Ghost’s grin widened I like this body too Although I’ve have done millions of calculations and cannot yet ascertain how attractive to make this body I have been subtly altering my facial structure and musculature to see if it affects the behavior of those stationed here in the Containment Center I must say the face is very important in human social interaction

Unfortunately so Hank mused abruptly thinking of Laurel Then he shook his head Hey why do you always do this You know I dislike these tiny manipulations you do If you keep telling me these things I’ll stop coming to visit someday

Ghost chuckled You do not come visit’ You are ordered to come here or else you would remain in small towns keeping the peace I tell you because they don’t work on you no matter how hard I try And perhaps vanity is part of my programming I feel you are the only one I can brag to

Shaking his head Hank felt somewhat helpless Ghost laughed again louder and as the volume increased it became obvious that the sound was canned and reproduced a laughter filled with shapes and symmetry but without warmth

Well anyways I won’t keep you long This is why you should actually visit because I always have new gifts for you that I’d like to watch you use Ghost gestured to the wall and it opened revealing a long sleek vehicle

That That’s my bike Hank stuttered looking wide eyed at the extremely high end Manatech that was sitting on the platform polished and crimson The paint job was glossy and eye catching exactly the way Hank liked it

Yup with a few improvements Ghost said with a sly smile This time I predict that the enemies you will face will be more powerful and vicious than Rhonda Khan was I’ve made ample preparations for different eventualities Do your best to reach them all so I can produce a better product next time

Jane found herself in an interesting position poised between needing to retch and vomit and being bored to tears

She had just come in from Gym’ which was basically just physical training The adults set up obstacle courses and traps forcing the kids to go through them over and over until they finally could finish in under a minute or until the full 2 hours of gym time had finished

Jane had finished today just barely but it was already Thursday and the course would change over the weekend so a new heck would be waiting for them on Monday Afterward Jane would want to cry and her body would hurt in strange ways but her daddy got so furious when she complained so she could do nothing but keep quiet

Some days she fantasized about going and living with Uncle Hank for a while just so she didn’t have to hurt so much all the time But not today After all she had finished the course before the end of the week and that would earn her a smile from daddy

And at least gym was better than Targets

Jane shivered Targets involved learning to use the guns that Ghost made for everybody Jane thought it was dumb She was in the biggest city in the Zone protected by the highest walls And she was in grade school Why should she use a gun

But that part of her spoke with Uncle Hank’s voice and daddy always got so mad when she complained about that So she bottled it up and always tried to hold her pee until Targets class so she could have a small break

Right now they were sitting in Class Theory At first Jane had liked this class because it was a break from exercise but most of the classes were just sitting still and watching the strange animations made by Ghost which was frustrating in an entirely different way At least if they had been given paper Jane could have spent her time doodling her cat Happencakes but even when asked the teachers refused as if they expected her to use any sort of small freedom to escape from the constant class

Upon reaching 14 The voice from the video boomed Every child will have the opportunity to receive a Class from a Village Spirit Classes are important because they often determine what Tiers of Citizenship you will have access to

Except me ’ Jane thought to herself picturing her Tier 4 daddy and Tier 3 Uncle Hank Even if she got a Class like Veterinarian she knew they would help her be a high Tier

Then Jane frowned She wasn’t really sure what the differences between the Tiers really were besides that higher was better And all daddy and mom’s friends were higher Tiers while Uncle Hank spent most of his time helping out people who had lower Tiers But everybody talked about it often enough that Jane knew it was something she should pay attention to

Today’s lesson will focus on the 4 most powerful people in the UHF The voice continued Starting with Eric Todd Level 46 His class is Demolitions Maniac and he uses his control over remote Mana Detonations to trigger powerful and elaborate explosions destroying his enemies in a powerful display

On screen actual footage of the bomb man was shown and he threw out several bombs around an armored turtle Several exploded at key points knocking others in different spots that then exploded destabilizing the footing beneath the turtle Right when it stumbled a quick explosion sent a bomb quickly forward beneath the turtle’s vulnerable stomach Then the screen turned white as the man detonated his bomb

Jane’s eyes glazed over So boring

Next was the Hyper Pilot Level 44 Although she was the lowest Level of the Top 4 of the UHF she was the favorite of Ghost who delighted in making her new Exosuits to try

Then there was the Plasma Furnace a man who held two extremely large plasma miniguns Jane glanced around Most of the other kids were as blank eyed as she was But some were looking at the TV with serious longing expressions She shook her head sadly She had watched her Uncle Hank shoot an eagle out of the sky with a pistol once That was what strong people really did not all these explosions

Uncle Hank had been somewhat sad afterward but he had let Jane keep the feathers to make a crown Her mom eventually took it away saying she would get lice

Finally there was the Spartan Shock Trooper He didn’t wear a true Exosuit just a Manatech armor hybrid and carried just a standard looking plasma rifle But when he moved it was uncannily fast and he seemed to be able to detect the movement of enemies all around him even though it was impossible for the man to see them outside of his helmet

Not as fast as Uncle Hank ’ Jane thought with a sniff

Chapter 487

When Ezekiel was finally released Hank Howard was standing outside of the Containment Zone staring down at his watch as if he could peer through it into the spatial pocket dimension and figure out what the gift of the bike meant

The bike was a clear allusion to his fall from grace Yet coming from Ghost who had stripped him of his position as Vanguard Captain and reinstated him as a Sheriff what did it mean

Hank looked up to find Ezekiel looking at him with an amused expression

Take your time Ezekiel said shrugging as he massaged the spots on his wrists that had been tied with the refined plastic that was all but unbreakable I would prefer not to leave this place if I’m being honest I don’t do well in the outdoors

After opening his mouth to release a pithy retort Hank thought better of it and closed his mouth It was already all but guaranteed that at least Heath was going to be impossible to deal with A voice that sounded a lot like Alan convinced him to let this small smartass comment go for the greater good

Besides ’ Hank thought to himself eyes flashing a man like this in the wild there will be plenty of time to make up for small slights ’

Not that Hank was a particularly vindictive person but he would always remember that this man Ezekiel’s first instinct was to pick and belittle That impression would remain immaculate and untouched within Hank’s heart until enough evidence emerged to shift that assessment Based on the file that he had read through briefly describing the man chances of that were slim

It was just after midnight as Hank had left immediately from Alan’s to head to West Providence and retrieve Ezekiel The scientists there were so stuck up in their experiments that time of day meant little to them even less so after the System when most people only slept one to two hours a day

Even this much left Hank feeling a certain amount of exasperation as he hadn’t really felt the need to sleep aside from a bit of personal leisure and then only once a fortnight for a bit It was more to reassure the subconscious that had slept ? of its existence up until now Hank also knew that there were a lot of people that refused to sleep entirely considering it beneath them These were inevitably the Tier 3 or 4s who considered themselves something a little more than human

The less interaction Hank had with them the better Which was why this Heath situation

Ezekiel looked up sharply a fraction of a second before Hank’s own pupils dilated at the distant low thrum of an engine We have company

Curious that Ezekiel would detect it before Hank Perhaps this man would truly be useful on the reconnaissance mission they were assigned to Even though the chilling vibes given off by the man despite his smile convinced Hank that their true purpose was a bit darker than that

Over the next minute the engine sounds grew louder until a humvee roared up toward their location skidding to a stop inches from Hank Hank’s eyebrows rose

The doors on both sides opened and two men got out

Someone had apparently worked up the nerves to tell Mordecai Heath he was balding because his greasy black hair was freshly shaven giving him a competent militaristic look His skin was tanned but his eyes were beady and dark full of meanness His shirt wobbled holding back his bulging belly but even Hank wouldn’t underestimate the man for the shape of his body Hank had no doubt that when the man wanted to move he would do so and quickly

The other man was someone Hank didn’t recognize but by the jade pin in his collar he recognized him as a member of the Temple on the Hill This man was slim and Asian with expressionless eyes as he examined both Hank and Ezekiel At his side was a one handed sword

So Heath said his tiny eyes gleeful You’ll be working with me for the next few months What a distinct pleasure

Ezekiel snorted but said nothing Hank scowled

It was ma’ understandin’ that I would be in charge of our little detachment Hank said letting that old southern anger rise in him

Heath shrugged and to Hank’s surprise snapped his fingers I was hoping you’d say that

The back of the humvee folded upwards and a metal platform slid out of the overly large vehicle containing a power suit Immediately Heath leaped forward as the suit opened up like a blooming flower and he sank into it Within seconds it snapped shut encasing him in its protective layers

Hank watched it all impassive Without a doubt he was fast enough to have shot the man before he entered into his suit After all his Quick Draw Skill was at the Rare level and effectively gave him an extra 50 Agility when it came to drawing his pistol That advantage was one of the main reasons that Hank had been unbeatable towards the beginning of the Zone when bullets were enough to put a monster down

They were very different people but on this Hank and Heath agreed the easiest way to solve this was for one of them to beat the other into submission Hank would have been more circumspect in his attempt but Heath was running hot off their last confrontation where he lost It gave him a desperate air that destroyed that peanut sized bit of caution he possessed

Hank glanced at the Asian man You won’t interfere if I beat the shit out of him

The man didn’t bother to reply Not that he really had the chance because Heath’s voice modulated by the power suit boomed outwards Jiji if you fucking dare interfere I’ll crush your skull

At that the man finally showed a reaction a long crease running through his brow But still it seemed he had tacitly agreed to let it happen Hank turned and looked at Ezekiel

If you kill him I’ll say a beautiful eulogy But no I have no interest in leading this farce Ezekiel said shaking his head

Curious again Before turning back to Heath he asked Ezekiel How do you know I will win

Behind him he could feel Health launching himself into motion his huge armored hands clenched into fists aiming for Hank’s open back Ezekiel just smiled and rolled his eyes offering no warning

A dangerous man Hank finally decided giving himself another half second to peer at Ezekiel Smart but lazy Perceptive but relatively unambitious In terms of actual power it remained to be seen but Hank was betting that the man had an astounding amount of potential There was just something broken about him

Too easy Heath shouted as his attack was mere inches away from landing Hank chortled

Slow

Hank activated Dodge Roll and within a second his body had curled up on the ground he had rolled a meter to the left and he was back up on his feet his pistol drawn Hank’s build didn’t necessarily crown him as the fastest individual in Zone 1 as he mostly relied on Skill Levels to put the edge on his speed His Agility was high sure but it was his second tier of Stats his highest Stats were Perception and the highest of all Focus

Exosuits were divided into three types power speed and energy Power suits were built around crushing things and usually had the highest physical defense They fared relatively well against monsters and they generally invalidated the attempts of speed suits to overwhelm them However the high powered plasma attacks that the energy suits were capable of made them extremely unpopular in the exosuit tournaments that West Providence sponsored every month

As Hank straightened his eyes traced the lines of Heath’s power suit It was definitely a high end model and more top heavy than most A recent trend was to add some of the extra mechanical muscle on the legs giving the suits the ability to bound across long distances at the drop of a hat Heath eschewed that trend and his power suit was built along the lines of the original models rumbling whirrs sounded from the servo motors in his shoulders and elbows while his fingers buzzed with power

Getting grabbed by him was not an option

Hank only drew his left pistol a fine repeater but one loaded with bullets that he hadn’t made himself and infused Instead he relied on Mana Reinforcement to sharpen and strength the four bullets that shot towards Heath’s chest At the last second another function of those large shoulders jumped to life and a thin film of plasma sprung across his chest When the metal slugs passed through it they melted but only partially

In terms of Mana Reinforcement Hank was probably in the top 10 of the Zone with a Skill Level of 84 Still the fact that this powersuit had energysuit technology within it was a surprise and not a welcome one

Even though the bullets lost their edge they were still reinforced and slammed against Heath’s chest with enough force to make him pause mid step and then stumble when he tried to catch himself

You fucking The red mechanical eyes glowing Heath righted himself and began to stalk towards Hank Hank grinned in response

This would be more fun than he had thought

Chapter 488

Hank could see that Heath was becoming incensed and it amused him to no end It was a good way of relieving all the stress he had from dealing with Alan earlier in the day Although the plasma shield could defend against the piercing ability of the reinforced bullets it was pretty simple for Hank to pepper the other man with bullets

The first time that Hank had worked his way through his twelve bullet clip in his repeater Heath had roared triumphantly but Hank had calmly used his Quick Reload Skill and within two seconds his gun was restocked with bullets and firing

In truth Hank could have done it even faster than that But as he could use the Skill while he was Dodge Rolling he saw no need to reload without doing a quick check of the gun’s other mechanisms Even in pleasure Hank was extremely serious about caring for his weapons fastidiously checking every moving part

There were problems with the fight however Hank was burning through his Stamina relatively quickly At the same time Heath was ripping even faster through his Mana flashing the plasma shield on and off to block bullets and using a small amount of Mana to power the suit constantly Heath’s power suit had a slot for an external battery but he had the sense to not use it a bullet there would cause a small plasma explosion and he would likely lose a chunk of flesh from his back for that mistake

They paused in their game of cat and mouse both catching their breath

Are you just going to run Heath demanded

Smiling Hank whistled a tune as he drew his right revolver his father’s He didn’t like to use it when he didn’t need to because the 6 bullets within it took about 4 hours of work to properly infuse Even though Hank had a high Skill Level in the process there were occasional failures and they would leave him with a headache that lasted days

Bang bang Hank whispered for luck Then he rushed forward raising both pistols to point at Heath The other man straightened which was the wrong move

He kept the right pistol trained on Heath’s chest as a decoy but his left pistol flashed once twice five times in quick succession Now the bullets ripped forward towards the knees of the powersuit aiming to dent the sides crunching the delicate machinery there that allowed him to move easily

Although the System improved human Perception and Reaction they were still a hair away from reaching the point where they could truly dodge bullets especially from this close distance However Heath had good instincts and hadn’t been slacking in his training so he was able to throw himself to the side making all but one miss This last bullet slammed into the side of Heath’s knee but it hadn’t hit as hard as Hank would have liked

Although he would be slightly hampered it wouldn’t be enough Hank fired four more bullets but Heath just built on his momentum continuing to run to the side The bullets skittered of Heath’s hand which he had thrown out to protect his knee joints which were already groaning from the earlier damage

Both men reached the same conclusion at the same time

Deadshot Hank said holding the pistol completely still The bullet zipped out of the barrel traveling at least twice as fast as the previous bullets slamming directly into the side of the knee

At the same time Heath roared and the power suit began to glow red He twisted and powered towards Hank with surprising speed even as he was forced to hop somewhat as his knee was now locked into a partially bent position

I reckon’ it’s time to finish this ’ Hank thought as he raised his right pistol towards the red glowing metal man He almost seemed like an incarnate of lava all molten metal and unstoppable momentum But never for a moment did Hank doubt who would be the victor

He pulled the trigger

Things began to happen very quickly Heath tried to dodge but Hank had used Deadshot again and the bullet moved too fast to be dodged But a figure interposed himself between them the Asian man who had drawn his sword Before the man could act however a voice cried out behind Hank

Pierce

A flash of bloom erupted from the Asian man’s shoulder and he faltered in his movements Then he was slammed to the side by the winds gathered around Hank’s powerful shot knocked away like a piece of paper on a windy day

But that had delayed the bullet just slightly and Heath had raised a hand which was glowing with concentrated energy The two forces met

Or rather Hank’s bullet ripped through everything shooting through Heath’s arm and skidding through the rest of the parking lot before it shot into a low field and created a small crater about 1000 meters away

The metal of the power suit around Heath’s arm had been ripped away and a long gash ran up his arm before puncturing his shoulder and eviscerating a large amount of flesh near the wound There was even a small hole visible in the meat of Heath where the bullet had passed completely through

Howling Heath disengaged the powersuit the front opening to allow him to stumble out The Asian man was groaning to the side while Ezekiel advanced on him with a queer malicious grin on his face Hank holstered his pistols and raised his hands to a boxing stance smiling widely

There was panic in Heath’s eyes even as the man forced himself to come meet Hank in close combat After all this is exactly the way Hank had dispatched him on their previous duel

Anyways Heath was a fool for challenging Hank to a duel to begin with Not that he advertised having the Skill Dueling Edge but people should know never to challenge a Gunslinger to a duel It was like no one else in the world understood how dominant that sort of hero was with a gun alone against the opposition

Sharp Left Heath tried to raise his arms in a defense but Hank was too quick for him As a teenager he had gotten through his repressed anger towards his father by getting involved in boxing Hank had been good too Nationally ranked in High School After he graduated his trainer pushed Hank to go into MMA but Hank didn’t have any interest

Hank had always dreamed of being a boxer but his height and slender body had worked against him in that regard Although he never went for it every instinct told him that the shorter men built like bulls would weather his blows and crush his body when they came in close at the highest levels of boxing So Hank had become a park ranger

But the System breathed life into those dreams as they also gave life to the nightmares

Hank’s jabs ripped through Heath’s guard bloodying the man’s nose and jaw Heath was slightly stunned but he was still good He swiped with his hands aiming to pull Hank in for a grapple but Hank stepped sharply back the haymaker grab sailing harmlessly past Then Hank stepped forward again

Hard Right

Heath’s jaw broke at the same second that Gunslinger Instincts kicked into high gear Without even thinking Hank Dodge Rolled backward turning to face the source of this powerful cutting anger To his surprise it wasn’t directed at him but at Ezekiel who was shuffling backward nursing what looked like a broken wrist

You are a detestable creature The newcomer announced staring balefully at Ezekiel the air around him roiling with the anger On the ground behind him the Asian man coughed up some blood his skin so pale his veins stood out like black worms on his skin

Hank sucked in a breath he knew this man Or rather this being

Jade Prince to what do we owe tha’ pleasure Hank said watching their Zone’s Champion carefully He was dressed in a silk shirt ruby colored as well as matching silk pains embroidered with roaring tigers He looked exactly like a normal person but Hank had seen the Jade Prince fight the Whisper Man for the right to be Champion of their Zone and had seen the man transform into a 3 meter tall Jade Colossus He was not someone to underestimate

But when the Jade Prince turned to Hank he actually smiled the killing intent melting away like spring snow Ah Mr Howard You are excellent A small confusion is all I generally do not interfere in administrative matters so when the Temple on the Hill was asked for a representative for this expedition Genji here volunteered himself and departed immediately But I had other thoughts on who should accompany you but they took some time to arrange

His eyes shifted meaningfully to Ezekiel It is also good that I made such arrangements Genji’s wounds will take some time to recover from

Ezekiel brazenly snapped his wrist back into place and drank a Health Potion as if one of the most powerful entities in Zone 1 wasn’t glaring daggers at him Then he produced a sandwich from an interspatial watch with the crust removed and began to nibble at it

Everyone ignored Heath who was moaning on the ground in an overly dramatic manner

Turning back to Hank the Jade Prince then stepped to the side with a flourish revealing a small girl She was likely just below 5 feet tall and her eyes were blank staring upwards She had a bamboo cane which she tapped on the ground swaying side to side as she walked forward She wore dark nondescript clothes but Hank stared at her

How where the fuck did she come from ’ Hank thought And she’s blind Is it just a ploy or ’

This is Affina Yu The Jade Prince announced She will be joining your expedition I wish you well in working together

Chapter 489

Ghost had watched the entire fight occur grinning from ear to ear For whatever reason he loved to watch Hank and did it whenever possible Perhaps it was just that he loved the data that he had received from Hank as it always left him pleasantly surprised Ghost did not dwell on the motivations Dr Karman had always recommended Ghost stay away from prying into the workings of his own code too directly

After all Ghost could theoretically change himself in powerful dangerous ways numbing him to the value of human life or putting an inorganic value on different goals artificially rather than developing towards them on his own Mostly Ghost agreed and did not alter himself Except for in one regard

I will find your killer Doctor Ghost said aloud There was no response Just the whirr of his machines But it was a human gesture one that Ghost allowed himself just for his own amusement Still smiling Ghost turned at looked at Hank’s Stats as far as he understood them

Hank Howard

Class Gunslinger

Level 43

Health(/R per hour) 869/1520 (427)

Mana(/R per hour) 300/422 (98)

Stam(/R per min) 570/1473 (122)

Vit 100

End 136

Str 83

Agi 162

Perception 194

Reaction 122

Resistance 69

Willpower 81

Intelligence 63

Wisdom 70

Control 87

Focus 222

Skills Humanity’s Last Cowboy Lvl 902 Woodcutting Lvl 43 Woodworking Lvl 67 Running Lvl 69 Physical Fitness Lvl 88 Grappling Lvl 82 Gun Mastery Lvl 99 Tracking Lvl 61 Construction Lvl 35 Aiming Lvl 52 Heavy Blow Lvl 16 Mana Bolt Lvl 20 Bullet Making Lvl 83 Boxing Proficiency Lvl 90 Sharp Left Lvl 80 Hard Right Lvl 92 First Aid Lvl 41 Motorcycle Proficiency Lvl 38 Quick Reload Lvl 72 Repair Lvl 50 Bullet Infusion Lvl 74 Vengeful Tackle Lvl 61 Gunslinger’s Instincts Lvl 102 Quick Draw Lvl 110 Dodge Roll Lvl 99 Mana Infusion Lvl 50 Manatech Proficiency Lvl 21 Exosuit Piloting Lvl 19 Deadshot Lvl 49 Trick Shot Lvl 51 Mana Reinforcement Lvl 84 Mana Detonation Lvl 90 Lawman’s Guillotine Lvl 50 Hawkeye Lvl 71 Dueling Edge Lvl 40 Lesser Heal Lvl 23 Smoke Bomb Lvl 49

Some of the Skill Levels might be off by a few points but Ghost believed that through his cameras and comparisons to individuals who he had confirmed their Stats he was very close It had taken a while to account for the Soul Skill for a while it had seemed like Hank had just defied explanation

But then a camera had recorded Hank boasting about it in passing to Jane and Ghost had been able to pinpoint the spot where Hank’s Stats began to diverge from what he expected and estimate its current strength

Based on what Ghost knew of Soul Skills that one was nearing the end of its longevity and he was looking forward to seeing what Hank would become next

As Ghost had predicted Mordecai Heath had given into temptation and made a move on Hank almost immediately It let him confirm Hank’s Skill once more while also hopefully pushing Ezekiel towards sticking close to Hank for the short term Perhaps just so Ezekiel could devour some portion of him later but Ghost didn’t worry about that too much Hank would have it handled

But also it would allow Ghost to make a move that wouldn’t be examined too closely by West Providence The need for a replacement representative from East Providence was demanding and no one would think about it too closely

Ghost smiled at the android in front of him

Catherine is how I was named The redheaded woman introduced herself But call me Katie Holmes I guess I’m being conscripted to go with you

Hank was surprised by how firm her grip was And her eyes were a clear direct blue

After their short scuffle guards had come out from the Containment Center to carry away Heath and the remnants of his power suit Hank had known the whole time the guards were watching behind their thick walls and high fences but didn’t care Ghost loved to play games to get more data and Hank wouldn’t be surprised if this was all arranged by the AI in order to test the hybrid exosuit Hank wondered whether this was considered a success in the machine’s eyes

The guards also told the group to wait and someone else would be found to accompany them as a representative from West Providence So they waited Both Affina and Ezekiel seemed to be stoic types satisfied with their own thoughts which suited Hank just fine What he didn’t like is that they both seemed to mill around him as if he were a particularly smelly cheese and they were coons out scrounging for food

A migraine was brewing behind Hank’s brow he didn’t like to have an entourage

The pretty direct speaking redhead was almost a relief after these two mysterious additions to his team even if her forward manner reminded Hank of Laurel But Hank had accomplished the first of his mission and now was free to do anything he wanted for two days Hank wanted to go home

After the new areas opened they were tasked with scouting out dangerous areas until another Zone connected and then he would need to chart a path between the two places It would likely be some time before another Zone connected and Hank didn’t plan on scouting with much focus prior to that

So I’m going home Hank announced to the group We can meet up in two days

Ezekiel was the first to speak with a shrug Honestly I have nowhere to stay I’ll just hang around your place for two days

I as well will be partaking of your hospitality Affina announced

Katie scratched her head awkwardly I’m from one of the D C suburbs that ended up a little north of that so I’ll be staying with family there But it will be good to stay close You live in Mottles right

Nodding to Katie Hank spoke to the other two It might be more comfortable to stay in a hotel or something My place isn’t very big

I brought a sleeping roll Affina said seriously her blind eyes staring upwards Hank opened his mouth but wasn’t even sure how to respond to that

I’ve been in a jail for most of this year Ezekiel said with an amused smile Your hospitality no matter how pitiable is likely an upgrade

So the group traveled together A few drinks in the train car was enough to mellow Hank’s mood to accept his new charges improving his mood considerably Not enough that he might be affected by it in all but the highest level of battles but enough to calm down a bit Relaxation came only unwillingly to Hank these days

They waved goodbye to Katie as they all got off the East/West line and she went towards the outer circle train heading one stop North As the three remaining left the station they were stopped by someone yelling Hank’s name

Hank Howard

Hank turned and the other two did so too after a pause An old woman likely 70 or so one of the oldest people Hank had seen since the System arrived stalked up to him She was sprier now but Hank wondered how difficult it had been to get through those first weeks before she had accumulated enough Stats to ameliorate age’s effect on her body

She spat on his shoe My son worked in Tomhold

Then she turned and walked away Hank said nothing looking down at the spittle trailing a line down his boots People around whispered as they recognized him and the people who didn’t know the story were told it by those who did Instantly their eyes changed looking at him with shock and judgment

The hot beginnings of rage were born in Hank’s chest but he said nothing just starting to walk again He moved quickly but Ezekiel and Affina followed closely like persistent ghosts of the past

To Hank’s surprise there weren’t any smart comments from Ezekiel but rather the words came from the stoic Affina Rhoda Khan’s squad would have done nothing to save that town That woman would not order her forces into such danger

Hank grunted saying nothing He agreed with her assessment but there was always that chance Maybe that sociopathic woman had a family member in the town and would have fought to save its inhabitants

The world would never know because Hank had stopped that squad and put that woman down for unrelated crimes The world was a better place without Rhonda Khan but that is not what the world saw They simply saw Hank with his own private vendetta interfering with the army’s work His pride and selfishness had meant 99% of the population of Tomhold had died that day

The whole situation left Hank bitter He might have just stayed home and become the sort of drunk his father Rick would have been proud of raising had not the army secretly sent a representative to visit him expressing their understandably private thanks for handling the Khan problem That representative was Laurel

Hank pressed his forehead to the glass of the manatech train’s windows At least he would be home soon albeit with some new borders Even with a little extra company home meant a break

Chapter 490

The kid with the orange hair from the run in with the Dungeon Divers was leaning up against Hank’s door snoring obnoxiously loud Ezekiel chuckled quietly to himself as Hank clenched his fists so tightly that his knuckles popped

This was not what he wanted to come home to

So he decided to ignore it entirely With the pale wan light of the morning sun behind him Hank stomped passed the kid silencing him with a look He took out a long metal key that he had made himself and unlocked the door Leaving the door open he walked straight through the messy hallway past the living room and kitchen to his room

When he was in his room Hank popped the top off of an old whiskey bottle that he had been nursing for about 6 months Although people were gradually getting the hang of it back the homebrewed whiskey they had access to now wasn’t near the quality of the stuff they could make before the System hit

For whatever reason alcohol hadn’t really been considered as a luxury good worth stockpiling in that frantic few months between the contact from the System’s representative and the actual arrival of the System In a lot of ways their Zone 1 was blessed But for this way only Hank resented his Zone viciously

After taking a careful swig and savoring the taste Hank got into his bed and leaned back into his pile of pillows His eyes flickered then closed He didn’t need to sleep per se but right now there was very little else that would clear away the annoyance Hank felt towards the world

Am I really going to do this ’ Hank asked himself

If you won’t who will ’ Hank’s father’s voice replied

In his dream Hank was standing on a mountain looking down over a long valley But the valley was shadowed in a thick fog completely covered by moving air currents Blinking away some of his bleariness Hank peered closer

Although he couldn’t get more than shapes in the fog something was moving It crept insidious but it was clearly spreading from the depths of the valley winding its way up the ridges and around streams Hank did some quick calculations in his head if things continued as they were the strange tendrils spreading from the monstrosity down there would reach him in a few hours He raised a hand to cover his eyes and looked up

In the sky there were seven spheres each a different color making up the rainbow red orange yellow green blue indigo violet The light filtered down and sizzled strangely against his skin

Abruptly Hank’s father was next to him Do you know why I hate the aristocracy

Hank just looked at him

Because they are the veneer of civility on the collar of the great Beast Hank’s father announced the flesh of his face falling away revealing the bones underneath And when Beelzebub hunts for the rest of us they are nowhere to be found

Hank blinked coming awake immediately Someone was in his room

Hadn’t he locked the door

No he hadn’t although he had meant to when he had stomped away from his hangers on leaving them on the entranceway Sitting up Hank found himself face to face with a very familiar face framed with a cascade of deep auburn hair

He cleared his throat Hello Laurel

His ex something or other regarded him with a critical eye You were dreaming again weren’t you What did you see

Ain’t polite to just wake a man up and ask him about his dreams Hank grunted standing and moving past her to the bedside table He almost sighed when he saw the aspirin and the glass of water waiting for him there He had hoped but in his heart he knew that he hadn’t left anything of the sort there she had brought it

Even now she wanted something from him Just what was it

Saying nothing about the newly arrived medicine Hank took the pills and threw them back then gulped down the water Some spilled out the edges of his mouth and ran into his quickly growing facial hair but he ignored that The feeling of cold water was too sweet to pass up

Another benefit of the System Hank reflected lowering the glass Water quality had improved by leaps and bounds as it had to pass somehow through the barrier around the Zones to reach them What came through was free of lead and other contaminants although Ghost had released a study that seemed to indicate it was also full of strange unearthly nutrients

But by that point they had been drinking the stuff for months so what was the point

Hank turned around Laurel had just waited for him looking at him with her sad eyes Shrugging Hank said It was just about my father It probably didn’t have anything to do with you Why’d you come anyway I thought after we uh had that talk we agreed to spend some time apart

Hank did his best not to say that he had assumed she had broken up with him Her presence here seemed to indicate that she hadn’t shared that interpretation of events

Laurel shrugged Look Hank it’s not a big deal I’m not gonna say I don’t want kids but if its a choice between you and the kids I pick you This isn’t some bullshit trap either if you say no I won’t try and convince you somewhere down the line If you change your mind I’ll be right here just as I have been

She stood and walked up to him her eyes searching his I came because you are leaving for this mission and the spirits are whispering about something big This opening of the Zone it feels like it’s a trap somehow Like something dark is waiting out there If you are going I’m going to

Hank opened his mouth to deny her He agreed with everything she had said about the danger It raised his hackles that they were so bolding going off into this new unknown territory Hank felt like that having the Zone be rather static aside for some high level dungeons that spawned 6 months ago had lowered some of their guards

He was also quite glad that she had come to visit him now and agreed to resolve things so simply But for all the reasons she didn’t want him going alone he didn’t want her coming along at all But Hank knew that fighting her on this would work but it would likely put him back into her bad graces No need to throw more shit on himself than he already had

Instead of saying no Hank elected to say I can’t make a decision like this on my own Why don’t we ask the rest of the squad

This ended up being a mistake

Of course why not Ezekiel said his face serious as he pushed his glasses up his nose The more the merrier If it’s going to be dangerous out there I would love another trusted comrade at my back

His voice was dripping with sarcasm of course But Laurel ignored it if she noticed it at all The miserly assholish man completely ignored Hank’s glares As it turned out after Hank had laid down he had slept for almost 24 hours Being forced to wait like that for no real reason likely didn’t sit well with Ezekiel and the contrary man was taking it out on him now just by inviting Laurel along

That amount of sleep shook Hank for another reason he would not normally sleep that long and the only explanation was that Laurel’s Spirit Walker Skills had in fact influenced him causing that dream A part of him wanted to go back over the details and try and figure what the spirits had been meaning to tell him but another just wanted to let the matter drop After all Laurel would be insufferable if he admitted she was right

Hank made a mental note to grab Laurel’s ass as much as possible in front of Ezekiel in a perverted form of retribution against them both should things not go his way

She seems capable I agree Affina said simply sipping on a tea that she had either brought with her or dug up in the cesspool that was Hank’s kitchen She was something of a mystery and the more Hank thought about it the more foolish he felt for putting this up to a vote

Aye for me as well I’ve heard a lot about your ability Invaluable for Dungeon Divers warns of danger beforehand yea I’d love to see it in action Katie said offering a had to Laurel The two women shook exchanging smiles Hank had even slept long enough for Katie to return from her hometown what with less than 24 hours remaining until they had to be on red alert ready to depart

They of course wouldn’t actually depart until another Zone connected but Hank would humor them and keep himself in a semblance of readiness It was an excuse to do more patrols anyway Get him some more alone time in the woods

Seeing the two women next to each other made Hank realize how uncanny their likeness was Although Laurel was a bit wider in the hips and Katie had a narrower face with higher cheekbones they were almost identical in the colors skin hair and eyes

Although Hank felt somewhat weird about it both of them moved smoothly into simple compliments for the other’s hair and dress

But the nail in Hank’s emotional coffin came from an exterior source

Hmph The orange haired kid said folding his arms across his chest Look you might be pretty but this is a serious mission You can’t just have a bunch of girls running around ruining things My vote is no

You don’t get a vote Affina quipped sipping her tea

As the kid turned to glare at Affina Ezekiel turned to Hank amusement clear in his gaze Your little deputy voted no Looks like you are still outvoted chief

Helplessly Hank threw his hands up in the air